Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

IO2 Of Free-will. A. " Ton (hall not tempt me into fo difficult a metaphyfical ór moral dif- "pute, which iknow the learned are fo little agreed in : For you would but "make refe of it to infult over me. B. And yet is this one ofyour Accufations ofyour Brethren, that they agree not withyou in thefenfe offuch aword,as you darenot definitive- ly tell your own fenfe of? Moralgood in man is hisconformity to theholy regulatingWill of God, by refignation of our felves tohim as our Owner, fubje&ion to him as our Ruler, and loveto him as our End, or perfect Good, with all theexerciCe of there: Now, a. In the ttriefeft fenfe, men fay, Bonum ell ex caufis integris, and fo where there is any fin, there is not good in that fenfe ; that is, unmixed perfell good : And in that (with a more tranfcendent) fenfeChrift faith, That none is good fave Godonly: I hope you will not quarrel with him for it. Andyet the Papifts commonly re- proach theeroteftants, as teaching that all that we do is fin,and no good, becaufe we fay that all is mixewith fin, and imperfectly good. Iprofefs for my fell, that I never loved, trufted, feared, obeyed God in all my life without imperfection : And I take that imperfe&ion ofmy love to God, &c. to be the great and grievous fin of my Soul; fo that I groan out all my days; the laiedying-words of Arch-bifhopVfher, Lord,for- givemy Sins of OmiJon ; And if theSchool-men almoft agrée, that mo- ral evil is privatio boni, me-thinks aPapi.íf fhouldhardly dream that his greateft Faithand Love have no degreeof fuch privation. 2. But as theword [ Good fignifieth that which isfincerely fo though imperfectly, being more predominantin heart and life, than the contrary evil, andproveth theperlons acceptation with God, and right toSalva- tion, and is the imperfe&,Imageof Gods hòlinefs repaired, fo all and only thej4netified are good. g. But in the third fenfe, as goodnefi fignifieth, fuch Inclinations and A&ions as aregoodbut in a low degree, andbadpredominantly; fo none deny but bad menhavefome good Inclinations and A&ions. Andde no- mine here Divines agree not, either`Protefiants or Papifis: Tome (and molt commonly) call all fuch Actionsgoodin their degree ; Others fay, That quiafinis deefi, noneofit is tobecalled properly good. Itmay end all, to fay that it isgood analogically, asaccident is ens : orfecundum quid, though not fimpliciter. The

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