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

Mr Bl. Chap. 15. So Mr. Baxters Questionist qu. How do you make Faith and Repentance to be Conditions of the Covenant on our part, seeing the bestowing of them is part of the condition on Gods part? Can they be our Conditions and Gods too? Answer, &c. And I shall not stand to distinguish of an Absolute and Conditional Covenant, and so making the whole in the Absolute Covenant to be Gods, and in the Conditional this part to be ours (which I know not whether exactly understood, the Scripture will bear) but in plain term• deny that they are Gods Conditions, and affirm them to be ours. I know what God speaks in his Word, concerning these works; that He will write his Law in our hearts, and put it into our inward parts; that he will take away the heart of stone, and give an heart of flesh: which implies this work of which we speak. I know likewise what in particular is affirmed of Christ, that he is the Author and Finisher of our Faith, &c. Yet all this rises not up higher to make them formally Gods acts, and not ours. Whose acts they be, his Conditions they are; this is evident. But they are our acts; we Believe and Repent; it is not God that Believes, it is not God that Repents, &c. Faith and Repentance are mans works, not Gods works, which man in Covenant does, respective to salvation in the Covenant tendered. But the Apostle (some may say) in the next words tells us, That it is God that works the Will and the Deed. There he seems to take them from us, and ascribes the formality of them to God. In this Cooperation of Gods, whether they be formally our works, or Gods, let Isaiah determine, Isa. 26.12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us. When God hath wrought it, the work is ours; we have the reward, &c.