Baxter - BT763 B397 1658

Cí39) %Maus; Underftand, Papifts, that it is Faith and Repentance and Obedience to Chrift in Truth, and not in Perfe&ion that is the Condition of your final Juftification at Judgement , and you need not plead for perfcdion any more. But I hardly believe you that this is the caufe of their error in this. point. And you may fee that if Proteftants had no more Wit ohm Papifts , they muff all be driven by the violence of your Argument, to hold that Faith and Repentance are per- And teeing you tell us of Cafellio's absurdity, I would intreat you to tell us, why it is that you pray for pardon your felves;ei- ther you take gayer to be Meant to obtain pardon, or you do not: If not, then i . Pardon is none of your end in praying for pardon. 2. And then if once it be taken forno means, men cannot be blamed, if they ufe it but accordingly. But if you do Life it as a means, then what means is it? Is Prayer any caufe of Pardon ?- fay fo, and you fay more thenwe that you condemn, and fall under all thofe censures that perfat aus nefits are caft uponus. If it be no caufe of pardon ; Is it a con- dition fine qua non, as to that manner of pardoning that your prayer doth intend ? If you fay yea, you confequentially recant your disputation (or Letture) and turn into the tents of the Opinionifts. But if it be no condition of pardon , then tell us what means it is if you can. If you fay, it is a duty. I anfwer, Duty andMeans are commonly diftinguifhed, and fo is neceftaa precepti &medii. Duty as fuch, is no means to an end, but the bare refult of a command. Though all Duty that God commandeth is alto fame means, yet that is nor qua Duty. And fo far as that Duty is a means, it is either a Caufe, ( near or remote) or a Condition, either of the obtainment of the benefit, limply, or of the more certain, or fpeedy, ór eafie attainment of it, or of obtaining fore inferiour good, that conduceth to the main. So that still it is a Caufe or a Con- dition, if a means. If you fay, It is an Antecedent, I fay. qua tale, that is no means. but if a Necefary antecedent, that which is the reason of its necestity may make it a means. If you go to Vhyfical prerequifìtes (as you talkt of a mans shoulders bear- T z ing

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