A26864:547
Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…
Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression of Mr. G. Kendall whereunto is added animadversions on a late dissertation of Ludiomæus Colvinus, aliaà Ludovicus Molinæs̳, M. Dr. Oxon, and an admonition of Mr. W. Eyre of Salisbury : with Mr. Crandon's Anatomy for satisfaction of Mr. Caryl.
London: printed by A.M. for Thomas Underhill, 1654
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
But you adventure a step further, and say, Faith and Repentance are mans works, not Gods Works. Reply; 1. What mean you then to yield afterward that God worketh all our works in us. (those which he worketh are sure his works) And that, It is God that worketh in us the Will and the Deed.
2. I never met with any orthodox Divine, but would yield that▪ Faith is a work of Gods Spirit. And the Spirits work is doubtless Gods work.
3. If you go the common way of the Predeterminants, you must acknowledge that God is the Physical, Efficient, Predetermining, Principal, Immediate cause of every act of every creature: and therefore doubtless of our Faith; and that both Immediatione Virtutis & Suppositi, so that it is more properly his act then ours. For my part, I confess my self of Bishop Davenants mind who saith, (against Hoard p. 116) As for the predetermination of mens Wills, it is a Controversy between the Dominicans and Jesuits, with whose Metaphysical speculations our Protestant Divines love not to torture their brains; Or at le•t they should not. I take it to be a point beyond the knowledge of any man, which way Gods works on the Will in these respects. Though if I must incline to any one way, it would be rather to Durandus (for stronger reasons then I find in Ludov. à Dola who yet hath more then I have seen well answered), and lest of all to the Predeterminants, for all the numerous arguments of the Dominicans, and the seeming strength that Dr. Twice, Heereb•ord, Rutherford, and others of our own, do add to their cause. But yet I am far from denying our Faith and Repentance to be Gods Works; for I doubt not but he causeth them ut causa Universalis, by his general Providence, as they are natural Actions; and also by his special effectual Grace, contra omnem Resistentiam, infallibly causeth them as they are the special gifts of the Spirit. So that I marvel that you should say they are not Gods Works.