A26886:152
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
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.
And here I desire the Objectors carefully to note, that it is Gods design in the Gospel, so to order things, that the actual Application shall first be the act of the sinner himself. God by his Ministers indeed will be the first offerer; and the Spirit in the Elect shall be the first Exciter: But the first actual apprehender must be the sinner, and then the Ministers application, by the seals, is in order to come after mens own application. For man is to be the chooser or refuser of his own salvation, (which Clemens Alexandrinus giveth as a reason, why in those times of the Church, [When some, as the custom is, have divided the Eucharist, they permit every one of the people to take his own part: For every mans own conscience is best fitted to the act of choosing or refusing.] Stromat. lib, 1. pag. 2.) so that we are but to follow them with the seal; and therefore the applying or refusing act must be first theirs: and theirs as professed, is the Director of ours. And therefore as it is their sin, and not ours, if they reject Christ; and their faith, and not ours, by which he is chosen to be theirs; so it is their sin, and not ours, if a misapplication be made of the External Ordinance by them; and so we take not an invalid profession, we are bound to follow their profession; for God never appointed heart searchers to administer his seals.
Object. 7. But wicked men know not their own hearts, and therefore are uncapable of making a credible profession.
Answ. They may know them better them I can. The Intellect hath naturally a power of knowing it self & the will: though its true that the wicked have many difficulties in the way. 2. They profess now that they are not wicked, but converted: therefore you must not take it for granted that they are wicked, because they were so unless you can prove it; and if you prove them wicked, when they profess the contrary, then indeed you invalidate their profession, but not by proving that they were formerly wicked.