A26883:2526
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,…
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.
III. He seemeth to me to ascribe far too much to innocent man and Angels in using sufficient grace, when he maketh their wills the chief laudable cause of the effect: I rather think that no Angel ever did any good, the chief praise of which was not due to God as the principal first cause. God giveth them all the power, liberty, help, means, motives, by which they do it; Besides that they did nothing but what he fore-decreed and willed they should (eventually) do: Therefore there is no good but of him as the first cause, though not as the sole cause.
IV. Whether the best actions of Infidels or ungodly men be properly to be called good, is but a Logomachy: Call them but a Less evil, or the abatement of evil, and actions that tend as Means to their repentance, and salvation, and I shall not disagree with you in this.
V. His concession that the first sin was not necessitated is of great moment: But it is a great mistake, that following sins are necessary, because they are punishments. It is not the existence of the sin that is a punishment, but the hurtfulness of it supposing the existence. If drunkenness, or gluttony be themselves noxious and penal, that is but a consequent of their existence, which was not necessitated by God as punishing them that caused them.