Apology Against the Exceptions of Black and Kendall, Section Baxter 77 – Section Blake 81
§. 77.
R. B. 1. I Never heard of, nor knew a Conditional ſealing in the world: though I have oft heard of the effects of Obligation and Collation of Right to be Conditional, which are not only ſeparable from the Terminus proximus of ſealing, but alſo are directly the effects of the Covenant, Promiſe, Teſtament, &c. only, and but remotely of the Seals, inaſmuch as that Seal is a full owning of the Inſtrument of Conveyance. Yet ſuch a thing as a Conditional ſealing may be imagined, ſeeing ſealing is a Moral Civil action, and ſo dependeth quoad formam on the will of the Agent after the matter is put; the Agent may if he pleaſe put the matter now, and introduce the form upon a future Condition (or a preſent, or a paſt) as if he ſhould ſet the wax and material ſeal to a Deed of Gift, with this addition, I hereby ſeal to this, or own it as my deed, if ſuch a man be now living in France; or if ſuch a Ship be ſafe arrived: or if ſuch a man ſhall do ſuch a thing; otherwiſe this ſhall be no ſeal. But ſuch exceptions or conditions being alwaies added to the Inſtrument or Principal obligation or conveyance, and being of no uſe as to the ſeals only, I never heard of ſuch, nor I think ever ſhall do. For if all theſe or any of theſe Conditions be in the Deed or Obligation, the Seal doth but confirm that Conditional Obligation, though it be abſolutely and actually a Seal: and therefore doth not oblige the Author actually, but conditionally: and therefore to feign a Conditional ſealing, beſides the conditional Covenanting or Granting, ſeems very uſeleſs and vain, to ſay no more.
2. I confeſs that neither Promiſe nor Seal binde abſolutely, till the Condition be performed (which I pray you remember hereafter, if you be tempted to think any perſon in Covenant with God (the mutual Covenant where both ſtand obliged) before they perform the Condition of the firſt benefits or right). But when you ſay that the Conditional Promiſe is not any abſolute undoubted Truth, but upon ſuppoſal of the Condition put, you make me ſee ſtill the neceſſity of mutual forbearance, and that all our writings muſt have an allowance, as it were, in reſpect to ſome inconſiderateneſs; and the Authors not to be charged with holding all the Doctrines which they write. I dare not ſay it is Mr. Blakes judgment, that Gods conditional Promiſes be not abſolute undoubted Truth, till men perform the condition. 1. Though they are not Abſolute Promiſes, yet they are Abſolutely and not Conditionally true: Otherwiſe either it muſt be ſaid, that till the condition be performed, they are Actually falſe, and Conditionally true, or elſe that they are neither capable of Truth or Falſhood. The former I will not dare to ſupppoſe from you; nor yet the latter. For whether you put it in this form, Whoſoever will Believe, ſhall be Juſtified: or in this, If thou wilt Believe, thou ſhalt be Juſtified: there is no queſtion that both muſt be either true or falſe; and not like an Interrogation that is capable of neither.
2. And then as it is an Abſolute Truth, ſo it is an undoubted Truth: For Veraci…as Divina eſt formale objectum fidei: and if Gods Truth be not undoubted, then our Faith hath an uncertain Foundation, and Chriſtianity is not undoubtedly a true Religion. But I charge none of theſe on you, as not doubting but it is an overſight.
§. 78.
Mr. Bl. WHen Caleb had engaged himſelf, He that ſmiteth Kiriath-Sepher and taketh it, to him will I give Achſah my daughter to wife▪ Othniel the Son of Kenaz taking it, there was an abſolute tye upon him for performance, Joſh. 15, 16, 17. When Saul promiſed his Daughter to David on this condition, that he would bring him an hundred of the foreskins of the Philiſtins, 1 Sam. 18.25, David having made it good with advantage, now there is an abſolute tye upon him.
§. 78.
R▪ B▪ THis is nothing but what is granted. I yield that God is not as it were obliged till men performe the Condition. But the Queſtion is whether he Abſolutely ſealeth before, and not whether that Seal oblige before.
§ 79.
Mr. Bl. EVen the Arminians Conditional incompleate Election, upon Condition of Faith and perſeverance, they confeſs is abſolute and compleat, upon ſuppoſal of Faith and perſeverance. This I take to be Mr. Baxters meaning, that upon ſuppoſal of Faith it Abſolutely ſealeth, which I willingly grant: but it is adminiſtred to many who never put in that Condition, nor come up to the terms of God, that believing they may be ſaved, and ſo in our ſenſe it ſealeth Conditionally.
§. 79.
R. B. 1. I Have better expreſſed my own meaning. It is pitty that the Reader ſhould be troubled with ſo much, about ſo low a queſtion, which of us two doth beſt expreſs our meaning? but that I hope he may gather ſome things more uſeful on the by. In your ſenſe, if it be according to your terms, God doth not actually Seal at all to any but the Godly, which is my maine Argument againſt you. A Conditional ſeal, is not a ſeal till the Condition be performed.
§. 80.
Mr. Bl. ANd I can make nothing elſe of Mr. Tombes his▪ Aptitudinal and Actual ſeal, but that the Sacrament hath an Aptitude to ſeal in an Abſolute way to all that communicate: it doth Actually ſeal to Believers and Penitent ones.
§. 80.
R. B. 1. I Perceive Mr. Tombes and you are more of a minde then I was aware of. 2. Sealing of, muſt not be confounded with ſealing to, as reſpecting the end: nor the next end, which is Eſſential to the Seal, (as the Terminus to the Relation) with more ſeparable ends. It is in regard of the firſt only that I ſpake againſt Mr. Tombes, and affirmed it to be Actual and not only Aptitudinal, but not in regard of the Obligation (as we may ſpeak) on God, or the actual conveyance of Right, which follow the condition, which I deſire Mr. Tombes to take notice of, according to my foregoing explication, if he mean to Reply to that.
§. 81.
Mr. Bl. NEither let any think that here I ſeek a ſtarting hole to recede from any thing that heretofore I have publiſhed on this ſubject. In my anſwer to Mr. Tombes, pag. 99. I explain my ſelf no otherwiſe, having quoted Dr. Ames and Mr. Rutherford, in the words now recited, I there add, The Conditional ſeal of the Sacraments is made Abſolute, by our putting in the Condition of believing, &c. In caſe my anſwer had been in Mr. Baxters hand when his Appendix came out, as he ſaies it was not, that he might have ſeen how I explained my ſelf, I ſuppoſe he would have ſeen that in the reſult of the whole I little differ from him, ſo that I can ſcarce ſee, that when the matter is brought home, that I have any adverſary.