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,…

§. 27. And I. I take the root of his error to be, his overlooking and undervaluing Gods Design in Making and Governing free Intellectual agents, by his Sapiential Moral Directive way: He supposeth this way to be so much below that of Physical Motion and Determination, as that it is not to be considered but as an instrument thereof: As if it were unworthy of God to give any creature a Mere Power, Liberty, Law, and Moral Means alone, and not to Necessitate him Positively or Negatively to Obey or Disobey. And this looking only at Physical Good, Being and Motion, and thereby thinking lightly of Sapiential Regency, is the sum; as of his, so of Hobbes, Spinosa's, Alvarez, Bradwardines, Twisses, Rutherfords, and the rest of the Predeterminants errors herein: And had not I other thoughts of this one thing, I should come over to their Opinion: For I confess the case to be of very great difficulty.

§. 27. And I. I take the root of his error to be, his overlooking and undervaluing Gods Design in Making and Governing free Intellectual agents, by his Sapiential Moral Directive way: He supposeth this way to be so much below that of Physical Motion and Determination, as that it is not to be considered but as an instrument thereof: As if it were unworthy of God to give any creature a Meer Power, Liberty, Law, and Moral Means alone, and not to Necessitate him Positively or Negatively to Obey or Disobey. And this looking only at Physical Good, Being and Motion, and thereby thinking lightly of Sapiential Regency, is the summ; as of his, so of Hobbes, Spinosa's, Alvarez, Bradwardines, Twisses, Rutherfords, and the rest of the Predeterminants errors herein: And had not I other thoughts of this one thing, I should come over to their Opinion: For I confess the case to be of very great difficulty.

§. 28. I think that as the Divine Life and Power glorifieth it self eminently in the Causation of the Being, Motion and Life of the creatures; so the Divine Wisdom eminently glorifieth it self in the Order of all things, and in the Moral Directive Sapiential Regiment of Intellectual free agents. And that Gods Laws and Doctrine are the Image of his Wisdom, and an admirable harmonious and beautiful frame: And that all would think so, and be wonderfully delighted in them, were they completely printed on our Minds and Hearts.