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,…

§. 16. But if you say that It is his Potentia quà ordinata and not quà essentialis vel absoluta that you enquire of the efficacy of; Remember that the word Ordinata or Limited signifieth no alteration in Gods Power at all, but only An effect which as Limited and ordinate, from whence the Power causing it is extrinsically so named. Gods essential Power is never limited but Infinite; and to be Ordinate, is but to have ordinate effects. So that still either the Controversy must be of Gods essence, (which is past Controversy,) or of some second cause, or some mere effect.

§. 16. But if you say that It is his Potentia quà ordinata and not quà essentialis vel absoluta that you enquire of the efficacy of; Remember that the word Ordinata or Limited signifieth no alteration in Gods Power at all, but only An effect which as Limited and ordinate, from whence the Power causing it is extrinsecally so named. Gods essential Power is never limited but Infinite; and to be Ordinate, is but to have ordinate effects. So that still either the Controversie must be of Gods essence, (which is past Controversie,) or of some second cause, or some meer effect.

§. 17. And if you transfer the Question to the efficacy of second causes, 1. You will deny your selves, that means and second causes have any power but from God; 2. And that the very nature of those causes is sufficient to the ascertaining of the effect, because they cause mostly morally And it is one of the accusations against the A•minians (right or wrong) that they lay all on moral suasion or causality. 3. And second causes are so numerous, and unknown to us, that we are uncapable of judging well of their efficacy. 4. But it is I think agreed between you, that the force of Means or second causes in Conversion is not such as necessitateth the will. Or if some of the Schoolmen and Jesuits, which with their Scientia Media do join Gratiam per congruitatem mediorum efficacem, do make this efficacy to be the chief cause of the effect, yet they deny it to cause necessarily; at least always, when the effect followeth. And what if we add, that objects effect not as such? And therefore this question de efficacia causarum secundarum, must extend to some second effective Agents, and not only to objects as such, nor to those that preach, present and offer objects, as such: And what that Agent Cause must be, under God, by that time you are agreed, you will find that they are new Controversies that will there rise up before you. And yet I think that if we will needs wrangle about the