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,…

§. 2. AS for the five Articles: I. The Article of Predestination,

II. And the Article of Redemption, contain no difference between the parties, but only as they relate to the Articles of Free-will and effectual Grace, as is aforesaid. For all must agree that God Decreed and Christ procured all that Grace or Mercy for men which he giveth them: Of which the Conditional gift of the Love of the Father, the Grace of the Son, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit in the Covenant of Grace, with a Commission to his Ministers freely to offer it to all Believing Consenters, and to seal it and deliver it by Baptism, is a great part: And many mercies, teachings, persuasions, and motions tending to draw them to Consent is another part. God decreed not to deny men that which he giveth them; and Christs Death procured them all that he giveth them. To which add what elsewhere I have opened, that there is no necessity of ascribing to God any Positive Decrees of Negations or nothings. Else there must be a Decree against the existence of all the myriads of possible animals, atoms, names, words, &c. And remember that to Permit is not-to hinder, and so is a mere negation, or a doing nothing; and that not-to-give faith, repentance, grace, the Gospel, &c. is a negation, or a nothing, and so need no Decree, seeing a not-decreeing to give, &c. is sufficient: so that the whole of the Controversy about these two Articles is clearly devolved to the Controversies of Grace and Free-will.

II. And the Article of Redemption, contain no difference between the parties, but only as they relate to the Articles of Free-will and effectual Grace, as is aforesaid. For all must agree that God Decreed and Christ procured all that Grace or Mercy for men which he giveth them: Of which the Conditional gift of the Love of the Father, the Grace of the Son, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit in the Covenant of Grace, with a Commission to his Ministers freely to offer it to all Believing Consenters, and to seal it and deliver it by Baptism, is a great part: And many mercies, teachings, perswasions, and motions tending to draw them to Consent is another part. God decreed not to deny men that which he giveth them; and Christs Death procured them all that he giveth them. To which add what elsewhere I have opened, that there is no necessity of ascribing to God any Positive Decrees of Negations or nothings. Else there must be a Decree against the existence of all the myriads of possible animals, atomes, names, words, &c. And remember that to Permit is not-to hinder, and so is a meer negation, or a doing nothing; and that not-to-give faith, repentance, grace, the Gospel, &c. is a negation, or a nothing, and so need no Decree, seeing a not-decreeing to give, &c. is sufficient: so that the whole of the Controversie about these two Articles is clearly devolved to the Controversies of Grace and Free-will.