be ruled and judged by and constituteth the Essentials of Christianity § 18. This Covenant did constitute Christianity many years supposâ—d eight before any part of the New Testament was written as now extant and near seventy years before it was all written § 19. As Man hath an Intellect a Will and an Executive power and the Gospel is to work on all so the Creed is the Summary of our Belief the Lords Prayer of our Desire and the Christian Decalogue and Institutions of our practice as expounding what Baptism generally expresseth § 20. Though to the Iews that were bred up under the use of the Old Testament and that expected the Messiah the Apostles staid not long instructing them before they baptized them when they professed Repentance and Faith in Christ yet it cannot be conceived but that with the ignorant Gentile Christians all Teachers took pains to make them understand first what they were to profess and promise for ignorant doing they know not what pleaseth not God And therefore that the Faith contained in the three Baptismal Articles was certainly explained in more words and accordingly professed which must be in substance that called the Apostles Creed which the Churches preservation and use with the Custom of long instructing Catecumens giveth us notice of as well as the reason of the thing § 21. When we find Christ commanding his Apostles to disciple the Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost and teach them all his Commandments and when we daily see after people have learned to say They believe in the Father Son and Holy Ghost how long it is ere they understand the meaning of those three Articles and when we know that it is not bare words without the sence that constituteth the Christian Faith no sober Man will doubt whether the persons to be baptized were taught the sence as well as the words which must be done by more words And it is certain that those Words were not to alter Christ's Baptismal Covenant nor the Nature and Terms of Christianity but to expound them And it is certain that multitudes were so weak that had those Words been very long and many they would rather have burdened them than become their own profession as understood and remembred And it is certain that the changing of words doth easily turn to a change of the sense and that even then Heresies quickly multiplied which made it necessary to the Church to be careful to preserve sound Doctrine From all which it clearly followeth that a Creed that is a Summary Profession of Belief explaining the Baptismal Articles was in common use in all the Churches many years before the writing of the New Testament And it is not likely that in the Apostles days the Churches did receive it from any but themselves § 22. Yet it is not probable that they composed exactly such a Form of Words as might not at all be altered and used still the very same terms for the Creeds recited by Irenaeus Tertullian Marcellus in Epiphanius and others do all differ in some words from one another and some Articles have been added since the rest of which see Usher and Vossius de Symbolis But except those few Additions they all agree in Sence which may perswade us that the ancient Churches kept still to Words which signified the same matter of the Articles of our common Creed and admitted no variation of the Words but such as was small and endangered not the Doctrine § 23. Though Baptism explained by the Symbol of Faith Lords Prayer and Decalogue contain at least the Constitutive Essentials of Christianity yet the Integrals are much larger and all that Christ commanded was to be taught the Church And though this was done by Voice many years by the Apostles before they wrote any part of the New Testament yet the Memory of men from Generation to Generation would have been a very unsafe and treacherous Preserver of so many things had they been committed to Memory alone Therefore it pleased the Wisdom and Love of God to inspire the Apostles prophetically and infallibly to commit the Sum of the History of Christ's Life Sufferings and Death c. with all the Integrals of his Word to those durable and sacred Records which we call the Holy Scriptures for the easier and fuller Propagation and Preservation of the Christian Faith and all its Integrals especially his Example and sacred Precepts yea and the necessary Accidentals or Appurtenances § 24. Because the Scriptures contain both in Words and Sence much more than the Essentials of Christianity and so more than is of absolute necessity to Salvation many a million may be saved that understand not all that is in the Scriptures nay no man on Earth understandeth it perfectly And he that understandeth and receiveth the Essentials shall be saved though he were ignorant of a thousand particular Texts § 25. Therefore it is that the Church hath ever selected the great and most necessary Truths and taught Children and Catechised Persons these before the rest by way of Catechism of which the foresaid Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue are the Sum and the Sacramental Covenant is that Sum yet more contracted And it hath not been the Churches way to teach Children or Converts the Bible over in order indifferently without selecting first the Marrow out of the whole which the Ignorant cannot do for themselves § 26. Besides the Method or Order of the Scripture books there is specially to be studied by those that will be more perfect than the rudeâ— for t the true Method of the Body of Doctrine contained in all the Scriptures For all the parts of that Doctrine have that Place Order and Respect each to other as maketh up the Beauty and Harmony which is in the whole And even in the Covenants the Creed Lords Prayer and Decalogue there is a most excellent Order and Method above all that is found in Aristotle or any humane Writers though alas too few perceive it § 27. Therefore they that gather true Systems of Theology do not add to the Scripture nor feign it to have a Method which it hath not no more than Catechisms do but only gather out that Doctrine which is there and deliver it in the true Scripture-method not as it lieth in the order of Words but in the order of Relation that one Truth hath to another And to despise this real Method because every dull and slothful Wit doth not see it in the Scriptures is indeed to despise the Matter and Design of the Scripture and to despise all true and clear Knowledge of things Divine For to see Truths placed in their proper Order doth differ from a knowing of some confused parcels as knowing the parts of a Man a Picture a Clock a House a Ship c. duly compaginated and seeing all the parts cast confusedly on a heap But to draw up a true Method is the Work of a skilful hand and
out of their Churches which should be the Porch of Heaven is the way to be shut out themselves of the heavenly Jerusalem If those that have long reproached me as unfit to be in their Church and said ex uno disce omnes with their Leader find any unsound or unprofitable Doctrine here I shall take it for a great favour to be confuted even for the good of others excluded with me when I am dead Jan. 21. 1691. Richard Baxter THE CONTENTS Chap. 1. HOW to conceive of GOD. Pag. i. Chap. 2. How to conceive of the Trinity in Unity p. vii Chap. 3. How to conceive of the Hypostatical Union and Incarnation p. xxiii Chap. 4. How to conceive of the Diversity of God's Transient Operations p. xxx Chap. 5. Whether any point of Faith be above 〈◊〉 contrary to Reason p. xxxii Chap. I. Prefatory Who must be the Iudge of Controversies The true Causes of the Divisions of Christians about Religion p. 1◠Chap. 2. The Doctrines enumerated about which they chiefly disagree p. 22 Chap. III. Of God's Will and Decrees in general Th. Terms and several Cases opened p. 2◠Chap. IV. Of God's Knowledge and the Differenc◠about it p. 4◠Chap. V. Of Election and the Order of Intentio◠and Execution p. 3◠Chap. VI. Of Reprobation or the Decree of Damnation the Objects and their Order p. 4◠An Answer to Mr. Polhill of Futurition p. 4◠Chap. VII Of God's Providence and predetermining Premotion Of Durandus's way p. 7◠Chap. VIII Of the Cause of Sin What God doth and doth not about it p. 82 Chap. IX Of Natural Power and Free-will p. 89 Chap. X. Of Original Sin as from Adam and nearer Parents p. 94 Chap. XI Of our Redemption by Christ what it doth how necessary p. 89 Chap. XII Of the several Laws and Covenants of God p. 99 Sect. 1. Of the Law or Covenant of Innocency made to Adam Divers Cases p. 113 Sect. 2. Of the Law of Mediation or Covenant with Christ When and what it was p. 121 Sect. 3. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the first edition What it was p. 126 Sect. 4. Of the same Law with Abraham's Covenant of Peculiarity and the Mosaical Iewish Law of Works p. 132 Sect. 5. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the last edition the Gospel Divers Cases about it opened p. 138 Chap. XIII Of the universality and sufficiency of Grace What Grace is How far universal and sufficient p. 154 Chap. XIV Of Man's Power and Free-will since the Fall Adrian's Saying That an unjustified man may love or chuse God's Being before his own What to ascribe to Grace and what to Free-will in good p. 173 Chap. XV. Of Effectual Grace and how God giveth it Doubts resolved p. 181 Chap. XVI Of the state of Heathens and such others as have not the Gospel What Law the Heathen World is under and to be judged by Whether any of them are justified or saved The Heathens were the Corrupters of the old Religion and the Jews of the Reformed Church Mal. 1. 14 15. and Sodom's Case c. considered p. 188 Chap. XVII Of the necessity of Holiness and of Moral Virtue p. 203 Chap. XVIII Of the necessity of Faith in Christ where the Gospel is made known p. 212 Chap. XIX Of the state of Infants as to Salvation and Church-membership p. 216 Chap. XX. Of the nature of Saving-Faith its Description and Causes p. 226 Chap. XXI Of justifying Righteousness Iustification and Pardon The several sences of the words and several sorts of them Our common Agreement about them p. 238 Chap. XXII Of the Imputation of Righteousness Christ's righteousness in what sence ours and imputed and in what sence not p. 256 Chap. XXIII How Faith justifieth and how it is imputed for Righteousness Several questions about it Repentance c. resolved p. 267 Chap. XXIV Of Assurance of our Iustification and of Hope What Assurance is desirable What attainable What Assurance we actually have Who have it The nature and grounds of it Whether it be Divine Faith p. 279 Chap. XXV Of Good works and Merit And whether we may trust to any thing of our own 1. What are Good Works 2. Whether they are necessary to our Iustification or Salvation 3. Whether they are rewardable or meritorious 4. What is their place use and necessity 5. Whether to be trusted to p. 282 Chap. XXVI Of Confirmation Perseverance and danger of falling away 1. Whether all Grace given by Christ be such as is never lost 2. Whether that degree be ever lost which to Infants or Adult giveth but the posse credere 3. Whether any lose actual justifying Faith 4. Or the Habit of Divine Love and Holiness 5. Whether some degree of this may be lost 6. If Holiness be not actually lost is the loss possible 7. Whether there be a state of Confirmation above the lowest Holiness which secureth Perseverance 8. Or doth Perseverance depend only on Election and God's Will 9. Whether all most or many Christians are themselves certain of their Perseverance 10. I◠such Certainty fit for all the justified 11. Is it unfit for all and doubting a more safe condition 12. Doth the Comfort of most Christians rest upon the Doctrine of Certainty to persevere 13. Doth the Doctrine of eventual Apostasie inferr Mutability in God 14. Why God hath left the point so dark 15. What was the Iudgment of the ancient Churches herein 16. Is it of such weight as to be necessary to our Church-Communion Love and Concord p. 300 Chap. XXVII Of Repentance late Repentance the time of Grace and the unpardonable sin p. 314 BOOKS Printed for and Sold by Iohn Salusbury at the Rising Sun in Cornhil A Rational Defence of Nonconformity wherein the Practice of Nonconformists is vindicated from promoting Popery and ruining the Church imputed to them by Dr. Stillingfleet Bishop of Worcester in his Unreasonableness of Separation Also his Arguments from the Principles and Way of the Reformers and first Dissenters are answered And the case of the present Separation truly stated and the blame of it laid where it ought to be and the way to Union among Protestants is pointed at By Gilbert Rule D. D. The Christian Laver Being two Sermons on John 13. 8. opening the nature of Participation with and demonstrating the necessity of Purification by Christ. By T. Cruso Six Sermons on various occasions By T. Cruso in 4◠The Conformists Sayings or the Opinion and Arguments of Kings Bishops and several Divines assembled in Convocation A new Survey of the Book of Common-Prayer An END of Doctrinal Controversies c. CHAP. 1. How we may and must conceive of GOD. § 1. A True Knowledge of God is necessary to the Being of Religion and to Holiness and Glory No man can love obey trust or hope beyond his knowledge Nothing is so certainly known as God and yet nothing so defectively known Like our Knowledge of the Sun of which no man doubteth
no Cause nor Dependance upon any Creature § 12. But there are other Acts of God's justice which are comprized in Reprobation or Rejection as the word is commonly understood As 1 Cutting off a sinner untimely in his Impenitency 2. Denying him some inward helps of Grace which once he had or was fair for so far as that is quid positivum and depriving him positively of some Means of Grace for his sinful refusal or abuse or for abuse of other Means and Mercies And all these punishments God so far decreeth as he Executeth which is upon none but such as by sin against the Law of Grace deserve them § 13. But where Negations are no Punishments nor Privations they fall not under the notion of Positive Effects or Objects and so are not fit to denominate a Positive Decree or Will Therefore when it is not a Punishment Not to give Faith Repentance Preaching c. is no act of Reprobation As not to give that Faith Repentance and Pardon which he needed not to Adam in Innocency not to give them in act to Infants c. § 14. Yea when a Penal Privation is only the consequent of God's not Acting and not of any Positive Act there the Ratio Poenae is of God and is quid positivum and God causeth it by that Law which did make the debitum poenae But yet the Negation or Privation in which it consisteth is Nothing or nothing of God's causing and therefore not fit to denominate a distinct Decree e. g. Not to give special Grace Pardon Iustification Glory to Iudas is nothing and so as nothing not the object of a positive Decree But both the positive acts by which any Mercy is withdrawn and also the relation of Punishment which is in these Nothings or Privations is caused by God and therefore Decreed by him As if God say This shall be his punishment that will not Eat that he shall die of Famine Here not eating is nothing but the penal reason which is in Famine which is but the privation of Meats resulteth from the Law of Nature and will of God § 15. By all this it appeareth that Election and Reprobation go not pari passu or are not equally ascribed to God For in Election God is the Cause of the means of Salvation by his Grace and of all that truly tendeth to procure it But on the other side God is no cause of any sin which is the means and merit of Damnation nor the Cause of Damnation but on the supposition of Man's sin So that sin is foreseen in the Person Decrâ—e'd to Damnation but not Caused seeing the Decree must be denominated from the Effect and Object But in Election God decreeth to give us his Grace and be the chief Cause of all our Holiness and doth not elect us to Salvation on foresight that we will do his Will or be Sanctiâ—ied by our selves without him Therefore Augustin Prosper and Fulgentius still make this difference That the decree of Damnation goeth on foresight of sin but the Decree of Salvation containeth a Decree to give that Grace that shall certainly Save us An ANSWER TO Mr. Polehill's Exceptions about Futurition SIR IAm much chidden already for writing many Books and Answering so many that object and am told That if the Case well Stated will not satisfie men no Answer will do it bâ—eause it is for want of their Receptive Capacity which long and right Studies must help them to and not a meer Answer to their Objections I very highly value the worthy Gentleman whose Papers you sent me hearing of few if any among us more commended for Knowledge and Piety The question is but whether it be he or I that by half confused conceptions of the matters in question speaketh in the Dark or which of us hath the more ripe digested and ordered thoughts hereof And must others be troubled with such Cases It is those that he pleadeth for that have made the edge of the Razor so thin that they or I do Cut our Fingers with it and have spun such subtile Notions which if their wits when they have done be not subtile enough to manage they will oft slip through or be as Spiders Webs As to the first Controversie of Futurity or Possibility this Gentleman's method will do me no good being no whit fitted to that which I expect I should expect from him that he had taken notice of my Distinctions and Explications â—f Futurity and that he had directly pleaded only for that sort or sence which I deny and had Answer'd the Reasons which both in the First and Second Part I bring against it But it is not so And to Dispute at such rates is but to try who shall live longest to have the last word it being easie at this rate to talk against one another as long as we live which I cannot expect and therefore shall give any man herein the best All that he hath said against me is materially Answered in the Book already and if he perceive it not how can I help that More Books are not like to do it nor have I leisure for such tasks Yet briefly I return I. As to my sence of the words Future and Possible 1. As they are predicated of the thing future or possible they are termini diminuentes quod realitatem existentem and futurity as it is rei ipsius futuritio is nothing 2. Whether Time be any thing distinct à re durante or Nothing is a Controversie which I conjecture Mr. P 's Pen and mine are never like to decide It is enough for me now to say that I take it for nothing Distinct 3. Yet shallow man that seeth not uno intuitu the Universe as God doth nor hath his essential Eternity is in motion where there is mensura motus and must think of things by partial Conceptions and must make past present and future his differing Notions in Duration 4. The internal Conceptâ—â— in man of a thing as future that it will be is quid reale for it is an act of the mind and a Verâ—um mentis and an act dâ— niâ—ilâ— A mental Negation is a real act To think and say in the mind the World was not from Eternity Darkness Death c. are nothing are real thoughts 5. The verâ—â—â— prolatum ore vel scripto sin will be c. the Suâ— will rise c. is quid reale It is a Word a Proposition 6. The fundamentum or premises from which such a Conclusion may be fetch'd iâ— quid reale e. g. God's Will or Knowledge or any necessitating Cause 7. God that knoweth man knoweth all his mental Conceptions and his Propositions de futuro without Imperfection knowing our Imperfection and so knoweth whether they are true or false 8. God's willing and knowing that things were are or will be are all one ex parte Dei being nothing but his simple perfect Essence thus knowing and willing But ex parte rei cognitae aut
mistaken ones so seduce that one Error in the Order leads to many § 28. Yet even Catechumens and young Christians should learn what they learn in method And that is first the said Baptismal Covenant and our Relation to the Trinity thereby and all that is added to their Knowledge daily be it never so little should be methodically added For a weak head may perceive the true method of the few Essentials being great and plain though the strongest cannot follow the due Distribution of innumerable Integrals and Consequent Truths As the first partitions of the Tree into its greater Boughs are easily perceived though not the innumerable sprigs thence arising § 29. Accordingly a wise Teacher will proceed with Infidels in proving the Christian Religion yea and with himself and will first prove the Truth of the Essentials which are delivered us both in Scripture and other infallible Tradition before he undertake to prove all the Scriptures to be the Word of God For he that will begin here 1. Must shew the Book which he will so prove and when he cannot vindicate it from variety of Lections and the Errors of Scribes and Printers to say nothing of the greater of Translators it will stop him in his Designs 2. And when he hath so many thousand Words to prove to be Divine and so many Integrals and Accidentals to make good he maketh his Work difficult by allowing his Scholar to doubt as much of the Essentials of Religion as he shall doubt of the Truth of any particular Book or Text History Genealogy c. in the whole Scripture A blind Zeal for Scripture hath led some to this dangerous way but the ancient Churches did otherwise and so will all that well understand what they do And really on supposition it could be proved as it cannot that any Penman of the Scripture erred in a Ciâ—ation a Genealogy the Circumstance of a bye-History c. it would not follow that we must be therefore uncertain of all our Religion even the Essentials and they ignorantly betray their Faith that say It would so follow § 30. So far is it from being true that the Scripture is too narrow as to the matter of Divine Faith and Duty without the additional matter of Tradition that indeed as the compleat Body of a Man hath more than his Essentials yea or Inteâ—rals even Hair and Nails as Accidents so hath the Holy Scripture as to the matter of Divine Faith and Duty There is more than is absolutely necessary to Salvation but not less § 31. They that in peevish opposition to others tell us That Christ made no Law and that the Gospel is not a Law if they strive not about equivocal Words but mean that Christ is not a Legislator nor hath a Law and Covenant by which he will govern and judge the World do deny all our Christianity at once For Christ is not Christ if he be not the King of the Church nor is he King if he be not a Lawgiver nor doth he Rule and Iudge if he have no Law which is so far from Truth that there is now no Law of God that we are under but what is truly the Law of Christ For he is Lord of all and Head over all things to his Church and all power in Heaven and Earth is given to him and the Father alone or meerly as Creator by the Law of Innocency judgeth no man but hath committed all Iudgment to the Son as Redeemer and Universal Administrator The lapsed World and the Law which they are under as rational Creatures are now delivered up to the Redeemer whose Law as is aforesaid hath two parts 1. The Law of lapsed Nature commonly called the Moral Law 2. The Remedying Law of Faith of which before § 32. But it is not to be supposed that the very preceptive part of the Law of Innocency is now in force to us as it was to Adam For it bound him to be perfectly innocent in Act and Dispositions But to a Man that hath lost his Innocency and is already in Act and Habit sinful it is not to be supposed that the Law saith Thou shalt be innocent For that were to command not only a Moral but a Physical absolute impossibility as saying Thou shalt not have sinned § 33. Obj. God changeth not his Law when man changeth his capacity Therefore the Law may be the same as in Innocency both as to the Precept Threatning and Promise God may still say 1. Sin not or be innocent 2. And if thou be perfect thou shalt live 3. Else thou shalt die And if man will make himself uncapable it 's his own change § 34. Answ. I spake to this before and now further add God's Law is not to be taken for a meer script of Words considered as standing in a Book not obliterated or as written on stone and not broken or cast away The signum materially may stand and the Law be changed and the signification cease As a repealed Statute may be still in the Books and Records God's Law is signum voluntatis divinae debitum constituentis Therefore if it signifie not God's Will as constituting what shall be due from us and to us it is no Law And that it may so signifie his Will and constitute Dueness Debitum or Ius or as they use to say oblige and give the Subject must be in a natural capacity For where there is no Subject to be obliged there is no Law And where natural capacity ceaseth as in a dead corps there is no Subject to be governed And the Law is Instrumentum regiminis So that if you do not only say This was God's Law but This is God's Law you must mean Thus he nâ—w obligeth man and This he threatneth now and This he conditionally giveth him So that if it be an unchanged Law to us just as it was in Innocency you must make this the sence of precept threat and promise 1. Preserve thine Innocency and sin not in act or habit but be thou a peâ—fect Obeyer of my Laws and this to one that hath sinned already and is habitually inclined to more q. d. Let not that be which is or quod factum est infectum fiat 2. If thou sin thou shalt be an Heir of Death When we are Sinners and Heirs of Death already 3. If thou be and continue sinless and perfect thou shalt not die but live When we are Sinners and dead before In which Case all Law and Reason saith That the Law doth transire in sententiam vel rem judicatam § 35. So that as was before-said the Covenant of Works is ceased yea the Law or Precept bindeth not now as it is a Law of Innocency made to innocent Nature for its preservation for Nature is not innocent But the Law of Nature is now the Law of lapsed redeemed Nature and not of innocent Nature And it obligeth us for the future to as much perfection of Duty as we are naturally
habits and acts in specie as circumstantiated by immediate necessitating or unresistible premotion and yet taketh not away their Liberty because he maketh them will and not nil the sin These do but play with the name of Free-will and are confuted as aforesaid from the instance of Adam and from the scope of Scripture and do subvert the Foundations of Christianity To will is the proper act of my will and if he that moveth me by prime physical efficiency to will the circumstantiated act of Sin deprive me not of my Liberty because it is willing that he maketh me do then if Men or Devils had Power to make me will Sin as I cause my Pen to write or the Fire to burn this or that it would be no loss of Liberty But of this more largely elsewhere CHAP. XV. Of Effectual Grace and how God giveth it § 1. AS I said before about Sufficient Grace so here about Effectual the first thing to be done by Disputers is to agree what that is which they here call Grace as the Subject of the Question And as I there shewed 1. It cannot or must not be God's essential Will or Power for that is simple and immutable and not in it self save relatively distinguishable into sufficient and effectual 2. An Efflux or vis which is neither God nor the Effect there is none or none proveable 3. It is not Faith it self that is meant here by Grace for it is the Grace that effecteth Faith and it were absurd to ask what Faith is effectual to make or cause it self This is true both of the Act and Habit. The meaning is not what Habit of Faith is effectual to the Act nor what Act to the Habit or it self but what Grace of God is effectual to cause both Act and Habit. 4. Therefore there is nothing left to be meant by Grace but the two things before mentioned viz. 1. The gracious Means or second Causes appointed by God to cause our Faith 2. The first moving Impress on the Soul as it is antecedent to Act and Habit supposing that such there is though some deny that there is any such thing § 2. And for the first all means will be uneffectual without God's inward Operation by his Spirit He must work on the Speaker and on the Hearer to make means effectual as is agreed on But whether as God worketh in Naturals according to the aptitude of natural second Causes so he work Faith and other Graces by a settled proportion of Concourse agreeable to the Aptitude of gracious second Causes or Means of Grace is a Question too hard to be boldly and peremptorily determined by us that are in so much darkness § 3. But it seemeth to us that God would not have made it so great a part of his Government to establish a Course of Means if he did not intend to work ordinarily by them and according to their fitness Christ is the chief Means and instituteth the rest Scripture Ministers Example good Company merciful Providences Afflictions Meditation Books Prayer Sacraments c. are all appointed for such effects And if God would ordinarily work immediately without means what need all these This teacheth Infidels to say that he may do it without Christ. The Spirit first indited the Word as we cut a Seal to be the instrument of Impression and then by that word doth work on Souls § 4. But if God did tie himself not only ordinarily but alwaies to apt means no mortal could say what means is sufficient and what is insufficient and what is more than sufficient even necessarily efficacious For the means 1. are very many and more than we can take notice of and if one be wanting it may render the rest insufficient or uneffectual how excellent soever in themselves 2. And that means is fitted to one Hearer that is not fitted to another All have not the same temptations hindrances prejudices objections weaknesses nor obstinacy And God only knoweth when means are adequately fitted to the desired effect upon mens Souls § 5. And though many of the means operate ex parte sui necessarily yet so do not all For Preachers and Instructers are free Agents and so it must be other effectual means that must first move them to do their Duty for a Sinner's good Which who can judge of § 6. But God is the Arbitrary Absolute Lord of all means and therefore he can change and dispose of them as he pleases and yet work by them So that the Effect is nevertheless from God's free or arbitrary Volition though he never went beyond the aptitude of means When even a silly man can turn the natural course of Water and Wind to move his Mill or Sails at his pleasure without any alteration of their natures A Fisher can use his Bait as may serve his end and a Physician can vary his Medicines to cure the Disease without changing their nature or curing without them § 7. But there is no question but God can work without means and Intellectual Souls being so near to the first Cause it is utterly uncertain to us whether in Works of Grace God have not a double operation on the Soul one by his appointed means and another by immediate Influx and if it be so how these concurr to one and the same effect and also how God doth immediately move Souls are all past Man's reach and should be acknowledged above our Disputes § 8. II. God hath more inward operations on Man's Soul than one or two whether with means or without to bring us to Faith and Repentance The mind must be enlightened the dull faculties must be excited especially Conscience and Will and the Will must be touched with the gust of Divine Love to breed a holy Complacency in good and many Impediments must be removed some by outward acts of Providence and some by inward Grace And where Impediments are not removed no doubt but there needeth more of the other Acts of Grace to bring such a Soul to Faith and Repentance than in one where there is less resistance § 9. And seeing that Recipitur ad modum recipientis and the disposition of the Recipient hath so great a hand as common Experience telleth us in almost all the Changes in the World what wonderful variety of Effects doth the same Action of the Sun produce throughout the World by the diversity of receptive dispositions Therefore no mortal man can say when the efficacy or success of Divine Grace is more to be ascribed to the Preparatory Disposition of the Recipient by a former act of Grace and when more to the present moving Influx nor what proportion these alwaies bear as comparable And what man dare say that he can search out the waies of God § 10. When we know so little of the secret Energies of natural Principles nor how God produceth Animals in the Womb nor how he causeth our Food to nourish us nor how any of our Senses do