A26883:1694
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
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.
293. In gross known Sin, Repentance is not true unless it contain a Resolution presently to forsake it. He that is unresolved, though he have much remorse and trouble of mind, is not truly penitent: Nor he that is resolved only to forsake it sometime hereafter, or when he hath sinned once more, but not at the present.
294. And as this is true of actual Repentance, so a true Habit must be such as is the Habit of such acts: even a habitual love to present holiness, and a habitual hatred to present Sin; which in the course of our lives doth actually resolve us and preserve us, however a violent temptation do interrupt that course.
295. But whether every known Sin of the smallest sort in it self, have always such Resolutions of present forsaking it in all that are truly penitent, is a harder question. Many a godly man is frequently angry sinfully, and sluggish sinfully, and daily useth some idle words, and ungoverned and idle thoughts, and is sinfully remiss in the degrees of every duty, and knoweth all this to be Sin: And if he resolved presently to do so no more, he would not do so again so frequently as he doth. In such a case it is exceeding hard to judge of a man's repentance: And yet 1alas, whose case is it not? we have a dislike of the Sin, and a wish that we were delivered from it: But that is but a desire that we loved it less, and hated it more; and proveth not that our hatred is sufficient. For many a man that liveth in gross Sin, doth wish that his heart were turned from it, and did not love it, when it is not so turned. And why will the same wish then serve about lesser Sins? And yet if present Resolution against every small Sin be necessary to pardon (even of known Sins) alas, who is pardoned?