A92141:470
Influences of the life of grace
Influences of the life of grace. Or, A practical treatise concerning the way, manner, and means of having and improving of spiritual dispositions, and quickening influences from Christ the resurrection and the life. By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.Influences of the life of grace. Or, A practical treatise concerning the way, manner, and means of having and improving of spiritual dispositions, and quickning influences from Christ the resurrection and the life. By Samuel Rutherfurd, Professor of Divinity in the Vniversity of St. Andrews in Scotland.
London: printed by T.C. for Andrew Crook, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
4. Heathens, ignorant of sin original, are still left by such masters to accuse Justice. If Infants be free of sin, why is nature called by them a step-dame, which hath brought forth men in such misery when they enter in the world? Why do Infants suffer death, burning, drowning, ripping up, and wounding in the womb? Why suffer they such wrath of pining sickness, incursions of Devils, if all these be free of sin? Some say these are temporary evils, but it proves not any sin deserving eternal burning to be in Infants. The Lord needs not my lye; but let any man answer me in point of holy spotless justice, how a punishment of ten degrees can more be inflicted for that which is no sin, nor any transgression of a Law, then a punishment of a thousand degrees? See how Mr. Baxter, with Arminians and Pelagians, can from Scripture teach us of whole sins and half sins, whole wrath and hell, and half wrath and half condemnation, or half hell.
4. Heathens, ignorant of sin original, are still left by such masters to accuse Justice. If Infants be free of sin, why is nature called by them a step-dame, which hath brought forth men in such misery when they enter in the world? Why do Infants suffer death, burning, drowning, ripping up, and wounding in the wombe? Why suffer they such wrath of pining sicknesse, incursions of Devils, if all these be free of sin? Some say these are temporary evils, but it proves not any sin deserving eternal burning to be in Infants. The Lord needs not my lye; but let any man answer me in point of holy spotlesse justice, how a punishment of ten degrees can more be inflicted for that which is no sin, nor any transgression of a Law, then a punishment of a thousand degrees? See how Mr. Baxter, with Arminians and Pelagians, can from Scripture teach us of whole sins and half sins, whole wrath and hell, and half wrath and half condemnation, or half hell.
Q. But what Law is there that we should have the power of believing, or the image of God? The covenant of works doth presuppose that image to be in man; otherwise he is not in a capacity to be in covenant with God, therefore it could not be enjoined and commanded in the covenant of works that Adam should have this Image of God. And if so, the want of it must be a mere punishment, not a sin.