The blessedness of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /The blessednesse of the righteous discoursed from Psal. 17, 15 /

If you were serious in what you say;¹ methinks you should have little mind to play the Sophisters, ⟨p. 271⟩and put fallacies upon yourselves in a matter that concerns the life of your souls. And what else are you now doing? For sure, otherwise one would think it were no such difficulty to understood the difference between (the esse simpliciter) the mere being of any thing, and (the esse tale) its being such, or such; by the addition of somewhat afterward to that being, Though nothing could contribute to its one being simply. Yet sure, when it is in being, it may contribute to the bettering, or perfecting of it self (as even the unreasonable creatures themselves do) And if it be a creature naturally capable of acting with design, It may act designedly in order to its becoming so or so qualified, or the attaining of somewhat yet wanting to its perfection. You cannot be thought so ignorant, but that you know the new Creature is only an additional to your former being. And though it be true, that it can do no more to its own production, than the unconceived Child (as nothing can act before it is) doth it therefore follow, that your reasonable soul, in which it is to be formed, cannot use Gods prescribed means in order to that blessed change? You cannot act holily, as a Saint; but therefore can you not act rationally, as a man! I appeal to your reason and conscience in some particulars.

If you were serious in what you say;¹ methinks you should have little mind to play the Sophisters, ⟨p. 271⟩and put fallacies upon yourselves in a matter that concerns the life of your souls. And what else are you now doing? For sure, otherwise one would think it were no such difficulty to understood the difference between (the esse simpliciter) the meer being of any thing, and (the esse tale) its being such, or such; by the addition of somewhat afterward to that being, Though nothing could contribute to its one being simply. Yet sure, when it is in being, it may contribute to the bettering, or perfecting of it self (as even the unreasonable creatures themselves do) And if it be a creature naturally capable of acting with design, It may act designedly in order to its becoming so or so quallified, or the attaining of somewhat yet wanting to its perfection. You cannot be thought so ignorant, but that you know the new Creature is onely an additional to your former being. And though it be true, that it can do no more to its own production, than the unconceived Child (as nothing can act before it is) doth it therefore follow, that your reasonable soul, in which it is to be formed, cannot use Gods prescribed means in order to that blessed change? You cannot act holily, as a Saint; but therefore can you not act rationally, as a man! I appeal to your reason and conscience in some particulars.