Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

The Mjjlerie of the Low of God and our felroes, opened. If an)' be offended that fo many propofitions muft be ufed in opening the cafe, and fay that they nthcr confound mens witts than inform them ; I Anfwer, I· The matter is high, and I could not · afcend by a fhorter ladder; Nor have 1 the faculty of climbing it pcr_faltum, ficpping immediately from the lowefl to the highefl part: If any will make the cafe plainer m fewer words, and with lefs ado 1 !hall thankfully accept his labour as a very great benefit"'hen I fee it: 2. Either all thefeparticu– b.rs, are really diverfe, and really pertinent to the matter in qudUon or no~: If not, it is nor blaming the mtmbcr that will evince it, but naming fuch particulars ~s are either unjuHJy or unne. crlfarily either diflinguifhed or inferred: And if it be but repeating t1>e fame thihgt that is blamed, I ll1>ll be glad if all thefc words and more would make fuch wetghty cafes clear; and do confds that after all 1 need more light, and am allmofl flailed with the ditnculties my fel(. But if the particu– lars can be neither proved f"'lfe nor needlefs, but the Reader be only overfet with multitudr, I would inrrcat him to be patient with other men that are more laborious and more capable ofknow– kdge ; And let him know that if his difficulties do not rather engage him in a diligent Cearch, than tempt him to impatience and accufation, I number him not only with the flothful conremners, but theteforc alfo with the ene,tieJ of knowledt;e ; even as I reckon the neglecters and contemners and accufers of Piety among its enemies. But ere 1 end I mufl anfwcr fome Objections. Objet\. z. Some will fay, Doth n01 evtry man L.vt God abovt himfilf and aU, while be \mwttb him to be Better and fo more Lovely? For there ii {ome ACl ofthe wiU that anfweretb thiJ of tht undu· }landing• • Anfrv. I· You mufl know that the carnal mind is fir{\ captivated to carnal filf and fenfuality: And therefore the mofi practical and powerful apprehenfions of Goodnefs or Amiablenefs io eve1y fuch perfon,doth fallen upon Life and Pleafure or fenfital profperity: And the fenfe having here engaged the mind and will, the contrary conclulions (that God is Bell) are bur fuperticial and unelfcctuallikc dreams, and though they bave·anfwerable effects in the will, they .are but uneffedual velleities or win1es, which ate born down with far Hronger ddires of the comrary. And though God be loved as one that is notionally conceived to be Beft and Moft to be Loved, yet he is not loved Bejl or Mdf: Yea though ordinarily the underfianding fay God if Beft, and Boft to me, and for me, and M'!/1 to be loved ;: when it cometh to volition or choice, there is a fecret appreheniion which faith more powtr– fully hie & ""'" this fenflblt pleajitrt is Better for me, and more eligible : Why elfe is it chofen> Unlefs you will fay that the motion is principally fenficivc, and the force of the fcnfitive Appeti!e (ufpendeth all forcible oppofition of the Intellect, and fo ruleth the Locomotive facultie ir feU. But whether tke Intellect beA{iive or but Omif!ive in it, the fin cometh up to the fame height ofevil. However it be, it is mofi evident that while fuch men fay God is moll to be Loved, rhey love him not moll, ~hen they will not leave a lufl or.known fin for his love: Nor !hew any fuch love, but the contrary in their lives. . Object. 2· bill J, not aU men praliicaUy Love God be{l, wbtn they LDvt w,[J.m, Honcj/y and Goodm.fi in aU men ? Evtn iH jlrangcr1 tbat wtU never profit them l And what 11 God but JYtfliom, .GotHi;rcji and Greatnefi it [elf. An[,.. They lid\ Idolize themfelves and their fenfual delights: and then they Love fuch Wifdom, Goodnefs and Grcatnefs as is fuirable to their felfifh fen{ualluf\ and interefi. And it is not the Prime Good which is above them, and to be preferred before them which they love as fucb but fuch Goodnefs as is fitted to their flefhly concupifcencc and ends. And therefore Holinefs 'they Love not. And though they love that which is never like to benefit them, that is but as ic is of the fame kjnd with that which in others nearer them may benefit thtin, and therefore is fuirab!c to their minds and intcrefi. And yet we confcfs that the mind of man harh fome principles of vir– tue, and fome footfieps and witndfcs of a Deity left upon it; But though the~<! work up to an approbation of Good and a diflike of evil in the General notion of it, and in parciculars fo far as ir croffeth not tl}eir Lull, yet never.to prefer the Bdl things practically before their Lu!i : 1\nd God is not Loved Beft, nor as God, if he be not Loved better than flefhly Jufl. For there are few if any Tlmef..-e they Love G,_d bitObject. 3• But it ftems that moj! or aU men love God praliically beft. but would rather be anJJihilated, than therejhould be no God, or no world. tcr thaJt tbemfelvu. Anfn-. r. They know that if there were no God or no world, they could not be themfelvcs; and fo mufi alfo be annihilated. 2. But fuppofe that they would rather be annihilated, than continue'" profperity alone were it poffible without a God, that is but for the worlds fake, becaufe the world C2n– not be the world without a God, which proveth but that they are fo muchnun, as to Love the whole ·world bwer·than themfelvcs. But could the world poillbly be what it is without a God, I fcarc< think they would choofe annihilation, rather than that there fhould be no God•. 3· But fuppof, they would, yeti fay that {erne fenfual men love their Lufts or fen(uality better than their bei•g; and had rather he annihilated for ever, fo they might but fpend their lives in Pleafure rhan eo live for ever without thofe pleafurcs. And therefore they will fay, that a !hart life with plcafure is better than a lot1g one without it: And when they profefs to believe the life ro come, and· the dan– ger of finniug; yet w~ll they not leave their {inflll pleafures, to favc their fvuls. Therefore rhat man that would·rather be annihilated than there fi1ould be no God, may yet love his· Lulls better than ·God, though not his Being. 4· And I cannot fay that every one fi1all be faved thar Lovetl1 God under a falle idea or image better than himfdf: No more than that it will fave a diftracted me– lancholy Venereous Lover, if he Loved his Paramour or Mifirefs better than himfdf : t'or God u not : Loved

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