A26883:1660
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
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.
Now the words which our Divines cite are these afore-cited, which say, They were not the Sons of God that fell away. When nothing can be plainlier uttered by the pen of man, I think, than that Augustine affirmeth them to be Sons as to their sincerity of Faith which worketh by love, but not to be Sons by predestination; And that not all that are sincere in Faith and Love are Sons in the most eminent sense, but that part of them who are predestinated to perseverance and the inheritance; and that nothing but predestination and perseverance was wanting to their Salvation. He that doubteth whether this was Augustine's sense, when he hath read him, may doubt of almost any thing which he is unwilling to believe.
The next Text is cited as Cont. Adult; (I suppose they mean Adversarios, and it's false printed,) Legis et Prophet. l. 2. c. 2. But I can there find nothing of any such Subject, much less sense.
The only Text therefore of all cited by them out of Augustine remaineth, which giveth any show of favour to their Theses, and that is cited contra Julian. Pelag. l. 5. c. 3. In cap. 4. I find the words, viz. [Istorum (reproborum) neminem adducit Deus ad poenitentiam salubrem et spiritualem qua homo in Christo reconciliatur Deo.] This is all that I find dubious in him. Now whether these few words better declare his judgment than whole Chapters and Discourses, you may judge? And whether the constant tenor of his Doctrine do not direct us to conclude that this is here his sense, viz. that he calleth that poenitentiam salubrem, which effectually bringeth men to Salvation, and which endureth to the end (as such.) And by [a man in Christ] means not as aforesaid [a man given to Christ with a decree to save him]; and by [reconciliatur Deo] he mean not one that is so reconciled as to be a predestinate Son, decreed to Glory. Historical Truth must not be denied, nor doth doctrinal Truth need historical falsehood for its defence, nor can agree with it.