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,…

273. But if the Relation of possibility be denominated from Gods operative Grace effecting perseverance, then God hath various Operations: He can give his Grace by such an Omnipotent insuperable force, as shall predetermine the faculty so far as antecedently to take away the moral power (though not the natural) ad contrarium: And he can work in such a compliance with the liberty of the Will as shall only determine the power (natural or moral) to act, and not antecedently take it away; (unless as determining it, is a taking it away as to the contrary act at the same instant, as every man taketh away his own power by acting) when God operateth the first way (antecedently taking away the power a• contrarium) then the apostasy of a man is properly called Impossible, in relation to the impotency of all other Causes to overcome God, the cause of perseverance. But when God only worketh the latter way (not taking away the moral power ad contrarium, but determining it and the natural) then it is no proper expression to say that such a mans falling away was impossible antecedently; but only that 1. It is non futurum. 2. And logically impossible in order of arguing, that it should be so. And it is ordinary with high Antiarminians to say, That Gods Decree and his Grace too, are such as only determine mans power, and that neither of them ordinarily make our Fall impossibile, but only non-futurum. But when God worketh by a greater force of Omnipotency, taking away the moral power ad contrarium, and how oft, what man dare say that he can tell? the difference being in the effect, and not in God.

273. But if the Relation of possibility be denominated from Gods operative Grace effecting perseverance, then God hath various Operations: He can give his Grace by such an Omnipotent insuperable force, as shall predetermine the faculty so far as antecedently to take away the moral power (though not the natural) ad contrarium: And he can work in such a compliance with the liberty of the Will as shall only determine the power (natural or moral) to act, and not antecedently take it away; (unless as determining it, is a taking it away as to the contrary act at the same instant, as every man taketh away his own power by acting) when God operateth the first way (antecedently taking away the power a• contrarium) then the apostasie of a man is properly called Impossible, in relation to the impotency of all other Causes to overcome God, the cause of perseverance. But when God only worketh the latter way (not taking away the moral power ad contrarium, but determining it and the natural) then it is no proper expression to say that such a mans falling away was impossible antecedently; but only that 1. It is non futurum. 2. And logically impossible in order of arguing, that it should be so. And it is ordinary with high Antiarminians to say, That Gods Decree and his Grace too, are such as only determine mans power, and that neither of them ordinarily make our Fall impossibile, but only non-futurum. But when God worketh by a greater force of Omnipotency, taking away the moral power ad contrarium, and how oft, what man dare say that he can tell? the difference being in the effect, and not in God.