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,…

§. 11. That which God worketh in Infants, is a seminal fixed disposition: But I cannot prove that it is a proper Habit.

§. 12. Whether Adams Natural sanity or sanctity antecedent to his first Act, was to be called more properly a Habit, or only a seminal disposition, I leave to others. But if his, and Infants be to be called Habits, you must say that they are only certain General Habits, such as Health in the Body, and not those particular Habits, which are strictly so called.

§. 13. The nature of a Habit is not well known to mortal men. We know that it is a strong and fixed Disposition to prompt and facile action of this or that special sort. But what that Disposition is, we well know not: That is, whether it be the robur of the essential virtues or faculties of the soul, (Intellection, Will, Activity?) And if so, wherein that second Gradus Virtutis, which is not essential differeth from the first that is? And whether it be any thing else than a secret constant Act, in and by which the soul is excited to more sensible acts, it's hard to know. But certain I am that besides those Acts which taking in somewhat of Imagination or sense are ordinarily perceived by us (which are our ordinary conversation,) the soul hath also some deep secret fixed acts, which make no use of sense or Imagination, or none that is observed; and yet are the ruling acts of the man. Such commonly is the Intentio finis which operateth constantly without memory or observation in all use of means. As a traveller on his journey keepeth on his way, while he seemeth wholly taken up with the occurrences, company and talk of his way, and thinketh not sensibly of his end: And yet had he not an unobserved Intention of it, he would not go on. And night and day the soul hath this secret insensible sort of Action.

§. 13. The nature of a Habit is not well known to mortal men. We know that it is a strong and fixed Disposition to prompt and facile action of this or that special sort. But what that Disposition is, we well know not: That is, whether it be the robur of the essential virtues or faculties of the soul, (Intellection, Will, Activity?) And if so, wherein that second Gradus Virtutis, which is not essential differeth from the first that is? And whether it be any thing else than a secret constant Act, in and by which the soul is excited to more sensible acts, it's hard to know. But certain I am that besides those Acts which taking in somewhat of Imagination or sense are ordinarily perceived by us (which are our ordinary conversation,) the soul hath also some deep secret fixed acts, which make no use of sense or Imagination, or none that is observed; and yet are the ruling acts of the man. Such commonly is the Intentio finis which operateth constantly without memory or observation in all use of means. As a travailer on his journey keepeth on his way, while he seemeth wholly taken up with the occurrences, company and talk of his way, and thinketh not sensibly of his end: And yet had he not an unobserved Intention of it, he would not go on. And night and day the soul hath this secret insensible sort of Action.