A26883:2661
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.
§. 43. For we deny not, that God could have ▪prevented all sin if he had so resolved, and yet we believe not that such a permission is equivalent to a necessitating Motion, or Privation, as Mr. Sterry would persuade us: To make a creature no better than such as can do good if he will, and can be willing, (with a decree to make many willing,) is much different from making the creature bad, and then condemning him to Hell for being so, as an act of Justice. Yet we doubt not, but the Divine Light will shortly give us all a fuller discovery of that which shall vindicate the Wisdom, Goodness and Justice of God, in his Government of man, than yet the wisest mortals have.
§. 43. For we deny not, that God could have ▪prevented all sin if he had so resolved, and yet we believe not that such a permission is equivalent to a necessitating Motion, or Privation, as Mr. Sterry would perswade us: To make a creature no better than such as can do good if he will, and can be willing, (with a decree to make many willing,) is much different from making the creature bad, and then condemning him to Hell for being so, as an act of Justice. Yet we doubt not, but the Divine Light will shortly give us all a fuller discovery of that which shall vindicate the Wisdom, Goodness and Justice of God, in his Government of man, than yet the wisest mortals have.
§. 44. Either you suppose that God doth all that he can do, or not. If yea, then you suppose that he cannot (nor ever could) make any one Creature, Worm, or Grass, more or less, greater or smaller, sooner or later, or otherwise, than he doth: which few will believe: (It being not for want of Power, but through perfection of Wisdom and freedom of Will that he doth no more.) But if God can make one creature more, or one Motion more, and yet doth not, I ask Whether you dare call that non-agency by the name of Idleness or deficiency? If not, why should the Non-causation of sinful Volitions in specie morally, or the leaving free-will to its own determination, be so called? Not to make more creatures, or more physical motion, or not to give more Grace and Glory, is as much a non-agency as not to determine a sinning Will.