A26883:1114
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
THE Second Part. OF GODS GOVERNMENT, AND MORAL WORKS. › A PREMONITION.
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.
A PREMONITION.
MY work at present is but to lay down so much of the Christian Doctrine briefly, as is necessary to be understood for the reconciling of the Controversies about Predestination, Providence, Grace and Free-will: And therefore pass over •any other weighty Points, and must not stand largely to prove all •s I go, which carrieth its own evidence: The true nature of the first •aw or Covenant deserveth a more accurate discussion than I can here •ake; and much passeth as certain with some, which hath but little •roof.
And here I meet with these different Opinions: 1. Some say that the condition of the first Covenant was not Innocency, but sincerity: And •at Innocency was only a Duty, necessary necessitate praecepti, but not •edii: or that it was ut medium necessary ad melius esse, or to some certain degrees of felicity, whereof it was a condition, but not to felicity it ••lf. And that the Covenant of Grace doth herein agree with it; both •f them damning man only for mortal sin, and punishing them temporally only for venial sin. And he seemeth to be of this mind, who saith ••at, Do this and live, or Innocency or Works was the Condition only •f Moses Law, but that Adhere and Vanquish was the Condition of the •rst Covenant: But these are ambiguous unsatisfactory terms: If the eaning be, [Adhere to God and his Law by perfect Innocency, and vanquish all temptations to Sin,] this is the same with that Innocency which e say was the Condition. But if he mean only, [Adhere to me sincerely by love as thy Ultimate End, and vanquish all temptations which ould draw thee from me, to another Ultimate End or God,] this is he same with the first opinion; which many Papists seem to hold.