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,…

B. Then you cannot affirm that the phrase [not according to Work•] which excludeth not Faith, Repentance, holy Obedience to justification and salvation, doth intend the exclusion of all preparation in order to Conversion or Faith in Christ; when by Works excluded, it meaneth the same thing, or sort, in all.

C. But saith Dr. Twice, ibid. page 154. [Pardon and Salvation God doth confirm only on condition of Faith and Repentance: But •• for Faith and Repentance, doth God confer them conditionally also▪ If so, whatsoever be the condition let them look to it how they can avoid the making of Grace, to wit, the Grace of Faith and Repentance, (to be given according to Works.]

C. But saith Dr. Twisse, ibid. page 154. [Pardon and Salvation God doth confirm only on condition of Faith and Repentance: But •• for Faith and Repentance, doth God confer them conditionally also▪ If so, whatsoever be the condition let them look to it how they can avoid the making of Grace, to wit, the Grace of Faith and Repentance, (to be given according to Works.]

B. I know he frequently saith the same. But 1. I speak now only of the sense of that Scripture, and say, that this goeth upon a most false and dangerous supposition, that Justification, and Salvation are given ⟨p. 170⟩according to Works, though Faith and Repentance be not: whereas in the sense of Works there meant by Paul, no man can be justified by Works. And though Christ saith, This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom the Father hath sent; yet it is not that which Paul meaneth: Let not therefore Scripture words be abused to mislead mens understandings. 2. But as to the matter of the Controversy, I spoke to it enough before. No man can deny but that God usually prepareth the Soul fer Conversion by a common sort of Grace: And though he may do what he list with his own, and extraordinarily may in an instant convert the most unprepared malignant obdurate person; yet that is not his usual way: (And some that think otherwise are led into the mistake by thinking that a man is converted, when he hath suddenly some terrifying humbling preparation, which endeth in conversion.) Whether he convert all that are brought to the very highest and nearest degree of preparation, I know not, nor perhaps you neither: But that usually he converteth all such we have very great reason to think probable: And that he hath not commanded men to seek his special Grace in vain. So that whether it be a proper promise on Gods part, or only an encouragement short of proper promise, I told you before is a hard question. But we maintain that it is not that proper mutual Covenant which maketh a Christian, and is celebrated in Baptism, and giveth Salvation. If one of old John Rogers's, Thomas Hooker's, or Robert Bolton's hearers, when they were vehemently urging preparatory humiliation, desire, endeavour, &c. should have said to them, Sir, you play the Arminian, and contradict St. Paul, who saith that Grace is not given according to