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,…

XVI. The efficacy of the help of preventing grace, and the infallible connection of it with the free co-operation of the will, is totally founded and taken as from its first root, from the Omnipotency of God, and from the absolute and efficacious decree of his will, willing that the man whom he moveth be converted and work piously: nor doth this efficacy any way depend, no not as on a condition sine qua non, on the future co-operation of the created will; though the free act by which man persevereth depend effectively on his will moved by God.

XVI. The efficacy of the help of preventing grace, and the infallible connexion of it with the free co-operation of the will, is totally founded and taken as from its first root, from the Omnipotency of God, and from the absolute and efficacious decree of his will, willing that the man whom he moveth be converted and work piously: nor doth this efficacy any way depend, no not as on a condition sine qua non, on the future co-operation of the created will; though the free act by which man persevereth depend effectively on his will moved by God.

Answ. 1. I grant that all the good that cometh to pass is fore-decreed by God. 2. But Gods mere will effecteth it not without his Power. 3. His power effecteth it not from eternity before it is effected. 4. You leave out one of the causal Attributes; The effect of Grace is as well from the Wisdom of God, as from his Will and Power 5. Gods act dependeth not on mans will. But mans co-operation which is his own act, you must confess dependeth on his will as the effect on the nearest efficient. 6. The non-efficiency of sufficient Grace dependeth on the sinners will. It was not merely nor principally from an absolute efficacious Decree or predetermination of God, that Adams will omitted his duty first, or committed sin first. And if any run to the common shadow that sin hath no efficient cause, and man only is deficient, I answer 1. He is the first Reputative Deficient (though not culpable, because under no Law) who must be the first efficient of the contrary and is not: As if Adams body had never had a soul, God was the first Non-efficient Cause, that is, into whose will and non-agency the whole ratio defectus is to be resolved. 2. Forget not that Alvarez himself saith, lib. 6. disp. 45. p. 210. [Licet peccatum originale non sit pro formally aliquid positivum sed privativum; peccatum tamen actuale est pro formali aliquid positivum, & causat in anima habitum vitii—]