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,…

1. That Gods revelations to us are not Immediate only by himself, but by some Creature, Angel or Man, or a created voice or sign. 2. That the Ratio certitudinis of such Revelations by a Creature, is because it is God that is the chief author of them. 3. That it is not conceivable how God can by any way of Revelation be more the author of it, than by physical efficient immediate adequate predetermining both will and tongue to the act with all its circumstances. Call it by what name you please, Inspiration, Vision, Illumination, Impulse, &c. it can speak nothing more of Gods Agent efficient Interest than this predetermination doth. 4. If it did do more, yet it would overthrow all certainty of our faith: Because if God can efficiently cause, and that▪ as the total principal cause by predetermination, all the lies that ever were told in the world; we can never be sure that the other mode of his operation so far differeth from this, as that he cannot be the chief cause of a lie in this way as well as of all lies by predetermination. I have driven many to say their utmost, and could never yet hear any such difference assigned, as could prove any Inspiration whatsoever, to have more of Divine Causality in it, than physical predetermination doth signify and import: nor how this principle leaveth us any certainty that the tongues of all the Prophets and Apostles were not predetermined to speak falsly, (ab antecedente; and so their pens.)

1. That Gods revelations to us are not Immediate only by himself, but by some Creature, Angel or Man, or a created voice or sign. 2. That the Ratio certitudinis of such Revelations by a Creature, is because it is God that is the chief author of them. 3. That it is not conceiveable how God can by any way of Revelation be more the author of it, than by physical efficient immediate adequate predetermining both will and tongue to the act with all its circumstances. Call it by what name you please, Inspiration, Vision, Illumination, Impulse, &c. it can speak nothing more of Gods Agent efficient Interest than this predetermination doth. 4. If it did do more, yet it would overthrow all certainty of our faith: Because if God can efficiently cause, and that▪ as the total principal cause by predetermination, all the lies that ever were told in the world; we can never be sure that the other mode of his operation so far differeth from this, as that he cannot be the chief cause of a lie in this way as well as of all lies by predetermination. I have driven many to say their utmost, and could never yet hear any such difference assigned, as could prove any Inspiration whatsoever, to have more of Divine Causality in it, than physical predetermination doth signifie and import: nor how this principle leaveth us any certainty that the tongues of all the Prophets and Apostles were not predetermined to speak falsly, (ab antecedente; and so their pens.)