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,…

^*And that for great sin, he oft delivereth men up to Satan, and giveth him the greater power over them. Yea that the nature of sin it self is such as giveth greater advantage to the Tempter: As he that will with Achan look on the wedge of Gold; or that will please his taste with delicious Drinks and Meats▪ or that will permit his eyes immodest Spectacles, hath thereby let in the Devil into his Imagination, and will not easily thence cast him out: And on the other side, he that pleaseth God, and conquereth one Temptation, obtaineth that Grace by which he is much saved from the next, and the Tempter is the more disadvantaged and restrained. 10. Lastly, We therefore hold, That seeing Temptations do not only try our sincerity or hypocrisy, (else we should desire them, for self-examination) but also tend to change mens minds, and make them worse, the way to persevere is to pray against and avoid Temptations, and resist those that cannot be avoided. This is our judgment: In which you see that we hold that all weak Christians that are sincere, may have assurance of their present Justification, though they are not strong enough to stand the greatest trials. And that they may well hope that God will save them from over strong Temptations, while they sincerely do his Will.

^*And that for great sin, he oft delivereth men up to Satan, and giveth him the greater power over them. Yea that the nature of sin it self is such as giveth greater advantage to the Tempter: As he that will with Achan look on the wedge of Gold; or that will please his tast with delicious Drinks and Meats▪ or that will permit his eyes immodest Spectacles, hath thereby let in the Devil into his Imagination, and will not easily thence cast him out: And on the other side, he that pleaseth God, and conquereth one Temptation, obtaineth that Grace by which he is much saved from the next, and the Tempter is the more disadvantaged and restrained. 10. Lastly, We therefore hold, That seeing Temptations do not only try our sincerity or hypocrisie, (else we should desire them, for selfexamination) but also tend to change mens minds, and make them worse, the way to persevere is to pray against and avoid Temptations, and resist those that cannot be avoided. This is our judgment: In which you see that we hold that all weak Christians that are sincere, may have assurance of their present Justification, though they are not strong enough to stand the greatest trials. And that they may well hope that God will save them from over strong Temptations, while they sincerely do his Will.