Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

188 Of Sufficient and EffeEilual race. fefs or not, that there is Inch a thing as Vniverfal Grace, or Help of the spirit, fixedlyor ordinarily accompanying or working by themeans of Grace, whichoperateth as the Sun, ad modem recipientis, andwill not produce the fame effe&on one receiver as on another. C. " I cannot anfwer what you have Paid for it : And when I read "Dallnus Apolog. and in him almofi all ancientWriters , and late Chur- "chesfor it, I dare not be fo_fingular as Spanhemius and a fewmoreof a° late in denying this Grace of God. Though I once thought that it had C" been Obje&ive only, andwithAmyrald I noted little more in the con- " troverfie, thanbetween theObje&ive and Subje&ive grace ; as if there " hadbeen no other Efficient grace to come inqueftion. But lam convinced, " I. that de fa&o there is a degree of Graceadpoffe that leaveth menun- " excufable, which is not effectual in the event : For I dare not fay that I " couldnever havefinned left, or donebetter than i did. 2. And that the "famedegree of the Spirits help is not fufftcient to an utterly unprepared "soul, as to the prepared 3 or to caul a man to believe and love God "above all, as may caufe him toforbear fome fin, or to aftfome means "for further Grace: Therefore fuck a thing as k called fufficient and uni- " verfal Grace or help I do confefs. But (by the way) if chrift be the "univerfal Difpenfer of this Grace, how reacheth it to thofe that know "not Chrift. B. r. I have (hewed you in Cain's inftance and his pofterity, that it reacheth not Equallyto all, nomore than the Sunto the Southern and the Northern Nations. 2. I have proved to you that Chrill wasafter the fall made the Head of thenew Covenant, and that this Covenant was made with all Man- kind. And that he is theAdminiltrator General to all Mankind, and all things, Power and Judgment is committed to him : that he is now the Owner, Ruler, and Judgeof all. 3. Therefore all the Light, Means andMercies that are in any parts of the world, are as truly from Chrift as the univerfal Mediator , as all light is from the Sun. (Even in Dungeons and Caverns, and where there is leaft) And as the Sun fends forthTome light before it arifeth, and fume afterit is fet, and force in the night, even by the Moon, be. fo doth Chrift enlightenall the world, fo far as they have light though in very variousdegrees. 4. You will not fay that Chrift byhis Incarnation, did put all thereft ofthe world intoaworfe condition than they werein before his coming ; and to take away from them any of the mercies of the Law of Grace, which God hadmade with them inAdam and Noah. C. " lam afraidyou go about to confound the world and theChurch, " while you make all to be the Kingdom of Chri}t 3 and to be under the " Law andCovenant of Grace. B. I mull (till call you to difference the queftion de re from that de nomine. Whetherall fhouldbecalled the Church is one queftion? And how really they ftand related to Chrift, is another. To that de re I fay, s. It is paft doubt that Chrift the Mediator, is the Owner and Ruler of all the world dejure, evenjureRedemptions, as all are given to him of the Father. 2. It is doubtlefs that all are under his forefaid Law ofGrace, as that which is in force to oblige them, and to punch them if they break it, and to reward them if they keep it. For they are not Lawlefs nor hopelefs. 3. It is doubtlefs that all are poflèffedof many and great Mercies, as well as obliged to many duties, as tending to their recovery and falva- icon, *Non pof fmt initia ilia aeeendi, alitfides inchoata retineri,dum volnntas am= Wino repugnar: Non coin Efftcax eft Spiritus Saa- tisi in cc, qui n voit quietens audire Evange- kum, dr extateretur fi ye/rotas fuceumberet dra bitationibus. Loc. Com. de lib. arc. c. 7.

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