The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The Twentieth accused Point.

That it is impossible to keep the Command∣ments of God, tho' assisted with all his Grace and the Holy Ghost.

Ans. Still meer Confusion. Protestants distinguish, 1. Impossibility as natural or Moral; 2. Of Grace as perfect or Imperfect, and as determitately Operative, or only Assisting and not Determining.

And they hold, 1. That no Duty is Im∣possible, (or the performing of no Com∣mandment,) by meer Physical Impossibility: The reason is, because God commandeth no Physical Impossibles: Such as before named, to speak without a Tongue, to see without Light or Object, to know things not knowable or revealed, to read without any Teaching or Learn∣ing, &c.

If a man indeed disable himself, as put out his Eyes that he may not read, or cut out his Tongue that he may not Preach; the disabling act is vitiously aggravated, from all the good to which he disabled himself, as if it still had been his Duty: But we cannot say that God still command∣eth him when Blind to Read, or when Dumb to Speak, &c. Indeed God chang∣eth

not his Law; but recipitur ad modum recipientis: The man hath changed his Capacity, and is now no Subject capable of such an Obligation or Command; tho' he be capable of punishment for disabling himself, and Non-performance: Sin is no further Sin than it is Voluntary, by the wills Omission or Act, immediately or me∣diately.

2. But that it is Morally by our pravity now Impossible, for any man to keep all Gods Commandments and never Sin; what needs there more than sad experience of the mat∣ter of Fact.

1. Did he ever know the man himself, that from his first use of reason to his Death, did spend every minute of his time as God commanded him, and did Believe, and Love God and Man, and all good, with as great Love as God commanded him? And was as free from every Fault, Thought, Passion, Desire, Fear, Care, Trouble, Pleasure, Word and Deed as God commanded? He would be no small Sinner that were so self ignorant, proud, unhumbled, as to say that he is no Sinner.

2. Why else do these Priests force all men to confess their Sins to them, if men be such as never sinned?

3. Why do they compose all their Li∣turgies and Offices for their Churches, with Confessions of Sin; and Prayers for Forgiveness?

4. Why do they Baptize all, if they have no Sin? And in what Sence do they give them the Eucharist?

5. How little use do they feign such men to have of a pardoning Saviour?

6. In what Sence shall such say the Lords Prayer, Forgive us our Sins or Tres∣passes?

7. Doth not the Text expresly call him a Lyar that saith he hath no Sin; as afore∣said: And Christ condemn the Pharisee that justified himself, and justified the confessing Publican?

But it's like he will say that he did not mean, that any man doth keep all the Com∣mands, but that he can do it, tho' he do not. Ans. I again say, 1. He can as to natural strength, if he were but perfectly and constantly willing: But it cannot be that he should be so willing without Grace, and Grace is not perfect in this Life. 2. The more he boasteth of his Power to keep all Gods Laws, the more he condemneth himself that can and will not. 3. And fru∣stra fit potentia quae nunquam & a nemine reducitur in actum: If he confess that no

man doth it, he must confess such a Moral impossibility as the Prophet meant, that said, Can the Leopard change his Spots, or the Blackmore his Skin? Then may they that are accustomed to do Evil, learn to do well.

But perhaps he meant not that it is possi∣ble to keep all the Commands, for all our Lives, but for some short time? I answer, 1. While a man hath the use of his Rea∣son, he doth not reach the commanded degree of Faith, Love, Joy, Heavenly∣ness, one moment of time: But indeed, when a man is asleep, in a Swoun, an Apo∣plexy, stark mad, &c. he may for that time break no Command, nor keep any.

But perhaps he speaketh but of sincere Obedience, and not of absolute sinless per∣fection. Ans. If so, he is a deceiver to feign that we deny it: But their Doctrine of Perfection and Supererogation is con∣trary.

Obj. But he speaketh not what man can do without Grace, but by it's assistance. Ans. Grace maketh no man absolutely sin∣less, and perfect in this Life.

Let him know, that Protestants do not only say that man by Gods Grace may keep Gods Commandments sincerely, (tho' not sinlesly and perfectly,) but that no

man of Age and Reason shall be saved that doth not so.

2. And that tho' all our Obedience be imperfect, the Imperfections are pardo∣ned, and our Obedience accepted and re∣warded, for the Merits of the perfect O∣bedience, Sacrifice, and Intercession of our Saviour.