Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

Of Free-will. I07- B. The fame that is for their Parents : They have no finbut by their Parents, and Godhath told us ofno remedy, but that they be the Chil- dren of Believers dedicatedto God. It is meet that their remedy come as their fin did. They have no Wills of their own , but be at the will of others. Theyare in Infancy, as if they were members of their Parents : Andas theHand.and Heart doth fareas the Headconduleth them, fo may Infants here. A. "Butit's fad that all Infants (hall be unfaved, if the Parents confent " not. B. It is fad that men deftroy themfelves : And it is fad that theycor- rupt their Infants. But what way elfe would you with God to fave them ? A. " Certainly tofave alldying in infancy. B. r: And whynot as well all at Age ? 2. Then menwould be temp-. ted to think it the greateft ad of mercy in the World, togo withan Army and kill all theChildrenof Infidelsand Heathens, certainly torave them. A. " So you may fay by the Children of Believers then , if they be "laved. B. No : for they have holy Education, under Gods Promife, Ordi- nancesand Bleffing, and fo are in great hope of being publicldy fer- viceable to the Church, and alloof attaininga greater degreeofGlory. But it'san hundred toone but the Childrenof Heathens and Infidels, are bred up tobeallo fuch themfelves. The fifth Crimination. A. " They fuppofe that noman can do anymore,good thanhedoth, nor "forbear any moreevil, than heforbeareth ; Becaufe he isnot only predefti- "nated to dojuft what he cloth, and no more or left, but alfo predetermi- a ned phyfically in thepraélice, fo that he cannot pofbly do more or left " than Godpredetermineth him to ; And 1. Gods Decrees having fixed all "future events, all that man can do will not alter them: Beverovicius "may tire the World of Divines withhis queflion de terminoviii before he " will everget fatisfallion, how Phyfick can prolong a predeflinated term " oflife.And 2. By this means Godwhofet man upon acourfe ofimpoffibilities " or vainmeans, with great rand urgent exhortations, is made adillmbler, " andhis revealed Will andhisfloret fuppofed contradityory, and the latter "fall fe : And how then can'itch aGod be believed? B. Thefe are but the bold effuffons of a mifunderftanding contenti- ous temerarious paffion. Here are let together feveral things, which mutt diftinikly be confidered: I. Whether man can do no more good, and forbear no more evil than he doth ? II. Whether means to lengthen life or fave Souls be vain? III. Whether Gods fecret and revealed Will be contrary, and the revealed falfe. I. As to the firft, this unhappy fyllable ECAN] by its ambiguity is the caufe ofall our filly quarrels. 1. If by [CAN] you mean [a phyfical power or faculty] man can not only do moregood than he doth, but he can repent and believe who dothnot. 2. If you meat a moral power, that is, fuch a degreeof difpofition togood as may be excited , or fuch an indifpofition as may be overcome as to the ad, without any more fupernatutal Grace than he bath ; fo all men can do P 2 more * Quod Reprobas nölt pa atgranam adiptfee,nod e inrelligendam fecondata impabilitatem abfolatam fed conditeanatam , gaia reprobatio non alid de pfdabtra bit bag! Idem dcnendrm epreot - de prodeßinata gaem fal- vare nee fl e{i. Carbo Thom.Compend. r.q.n3. a. 3. Bradwardine and'fome Dominicans are liable to this Objettion, but fo are few Protefiants, and the Synod of Dirt re jetteth it.

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