A26883:2479
A26883:2479
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. This God doth all that he doth himself by necessity, viz. of perfection, not of co-action: And there is no contingency in rerum natura.
3. This God hath made his Creatures of various ranks and degrees of excellency: And man a more knowing Creature than the Bruits.
4. Among men he maketh some wise, some foolish, some good and Godly, and some vicious and ungodly; And as he maketh the difference of men and beasts, of a Horse and a Toad, of the Sick and the sound, of Prince and people, rich and poor, so doth he of godly and ungodly, chaste and unchaste, &c.
4. Among men he maketh some wise, some foolish, some good and Godly, and some vitious and ungodly; And as he maketh the difference of men and beasts, of a Horse and a Toad, of the Sick and the sound, of Prince and people, rich and poor, so doth he of godly and ungodly, chast and unchaste, &c.
5. Yet man being Intellectual, God will move him by means and second causes; and therefore hath made him Laws, obliging him de jure, and commanding his utmost diligence to keep them; promising and threatening Life and death hereafter for the keeping or the breaking of them: and appointing Ministers and Magistrates to persuade and drive him on.
5. Yet man being Intellectual, God will move him by means and second causes; and therefore hath made him Laws, obliging him de jure, and commanding his utmost diligence to keep them; promising and threatning Life and death hereafter for the keeping or the breaking of them: and appointing Ministers and Magistrates to perswade and drive him on.
6. And it's likely though not certain that God will do according to these Laws, in some considerable degree.
7. Man by his Nature, and by Scripture (which may be true) is bound to Love and serve his God above all other, as the Cause of all the being and good that is in the world, (whatever he do by us,) and of all our good.
8. There is another life of Reward for the good▪ and punishment for the bad, which must be our hope and fear.
9. Gods Laws are called moral means, but Cause only as physical engines or tacklings▪ to move mans will by the said necessitation.
10. Gods hatred of sin, is no true hatred or nolition (where sin is:) but only his prohibiting it to us, and his punishing men for it.
11. If God did send Christ and the Apostles, and Miracles, &c. it was only to be tacklings or parts, in this engine of physical operations.
12. God causeth and Loveth sin as much as obedience; but he maketh it not so Good and Lovely to us, it being our disease and misery.
13. As God no otherwise hateth sin than sickness, and sinners than the sick, and looketh on good and bad but as modal physical differences caused by himself; so must we do also: and hate that most that hurteth us most.
14. To mourn for sin, and confess it, and strive against it, or talk of Christs suffering or satisfying for it, any otherwise than as a Voluntary disease and misery of man, or to avoid any sin any otherwise than as a misery to our selves or others, is but the error of superstitious men.
14. To mourn for sin, and confess it, and strive against it, or talk of Christs suffering or satisfying for it, any otherwise than as a Voluntary disease and misery of man, or to avoid any sin any otherwise than as a misery to our selves or others, is but the errour of superstitious men.
15. Men should do all that ever they can to cure their sins, and live holily, so far as increaseth not their misery, and no further; and this only as a physical Voluntary perfection, and as the avoiding of a natural misery to themselves and others.
16. God will punish man, not out of any hatred of sin (which he willeth and causeth) but out of a differencing will, as he maketh Toads and Serpents, and causeth Cattle and Fowl to be killed by us, and Horses laboured in pain: Therefore we have no reason to fear any other misery in Hell, than Gods arbitrary disposal bringeth on the more wretched sort of his Creatures, without any sinful commerit or provocation; and perhaps little more than we voluntarily here choose and bring upon our selves, or of ⟨p. 88⟩the same kind, our sin it self being our punishment though it pleaseth us, (As scratching is to him that hath the itch.)
17. Therefore the end of a mans life is the public good and his natural felicity; besides and above which to make God our End, as he is holy and to be pleased by Holiness, is an error; for all that cometh to pass whether sin or holiness, do equally please and fulfil his will, as they are equally caused by him, according to their several natures.
17. Therefore the end of a mans life is the publick good and his natural felicity; besides and above which to make God our End, as he is holy and to be pleased by Holiness, is an errour; for all that cometh to pass whether sin or holiness, do equally please and fulfil his will, as they are equally caused by him, according to their several natures.