Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…

Argu. 18. That Doctrine which makes it the regular way in Baptism for all men to promise that which they can neither sincerely promise nor perform, is unsound: but such is Mr. Blake's, therefore.

Argu. 18. That Doctrine which makes it the regular way in Baptism for all men to promise that which they can neither sincerely promise nor perform, is unsound: but such is Mr. Blakes, therefore.

The disability which I here speak of, is not such as is in a Godly man, to do any good without Christ and the Spirit, as is in the second cause to act without the first: or in a partial cause, to act without its compartial: but such as is in an unregenerate man to do the work of the Regenerate; or in any broken instrument, or disabled agent, to do its own part of the work till it be altered, and made another thing, as it were. For the consequence, it is evident in that, 1. No man should ever perform Gods command concerning covenanting. 2. And no mans word were fit to be taken concerning the performance of his own Covenant. 1. Whether God may or do command some men, or all men, that which they have not ability to perform, is nothing to the point. For yet he gives some of them ability, and causeth them to perform it, when he makes it necessary to salvation. But in this case God should enable no man (regularly) to that Baptismal Covenant which he commandeth, nor should any obey his command. For he commandeth them sincerely to take him for their God, and promise to Love, Believe, and Obey him hereafter. (For to dissemble, he commands none). But this no unrenewed Soul can do, or ever did to this day. They cannot resolve it; therefore they cannot sincerely promise it; and if justifying Faith must regularly begin after baptism (as being the great condition to which it engages, and not prerequisite) then it is only unregenerate men that are the regular subjects of baptism. 2. And its plain that he who cannot sincerely promise, (and therefore doth it dissemblingly, or with a half heart) nor is able to perform his promise, is not to be credited. God himself never enableth an unregenerate man, to believe and repent savingly, while he is such, in sensu composito: and therefore is it likely that it is ordinarily and regularly such dead men that must Covenant to Repent and Believe to justification? Renewing Grace must intercede, which is not in their hand: how then can they promise to do