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,…

4. That which is a Promise is also a Law, and is essentially the Expression of Gods Will for the Government of his Subjects, and for a conditional Rule of Right to the thing promised: This is its very definition▪ But it is unworthy of God, to say that he doth ever since the fall, tell the world, [If you are not fallen or Sinners, you shall be justified] or [on condition that you be such as never did sin, you shall live]. This were to threaten or condemn us ironically or with derision, under the name of a Promise, or Covenant, or Law.

4. That which is a Promise is also a Law, and is essentially the Expression of Gods Will for the Government of his Subjects, and for a conditional Rule of Right to the thing promised: This is its very definition▪ But it is unworthy of God, to say that he doth ever since the fall, tell the world, [If you are not faln or Sinners, you shall be justified] or [on condition that you be such as never did sin, you shall live]. This were to threaten or condemn us ironically or with derision, under the name of a Promise, or Covenant, or Law.

Yet the change as I said is made by man, who hath made himself uncapable to be the object of such a Promise, or subject to such a Law.

And I know that it is a Question of no small Difficulty, whether any proper promise of life was made to Adam himself, and so whether this was properly a Promising Covenant? But I can presume to say no more than I can prove; which is, 1. That as Natural there seemed to be in it an intimation of the Will of God, to give Adam perpetual felicity if he obeyed, 1. In that God made his Soul Immortal: Not such as could ••t cease to be; but such as in its Nature was fitted to perpetuity. And a perpetual Soul must be perpetually happy or unhappy: And God would not subvert the Nature of Spirits, nor make Souls unhappy for nothing. 2. Because Holiness it self would be and infer Happiness to a perpetuated Soul. To love God perfectly is to be perfectly happy. And God would not have taken away man's holiness from him. 3. Because God having voluntarily become man's Rector, that Justice which consisteth in doing as a Rector ob fines regiminis, secundum mores subditorum, seemeth to be a virtual Promise, that it shall go well with the obedient. 4. Because God put into man's Soul a natural inclination to its own perpetual