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,…

The Object of Gods Will, to give the highest degrees of common Grace, external (in the purest preaching of the Gospel, and other mercies,) and internal (in greater helps of the Spirit) is sometimes a Sinner in esse cognito, who hath not grossly rejected lower helps, and sometimes freely the worser sort of Sinners, who have abused former mercies. 6. The Object of Gods Will, to give the first common mercy which hath a tendency in its use to mens recovery and Salvation, is all mankind fallen in Adam: For all are under the New Covenant of Grace made with Adam, Gen. 3. 15. in some degree, (and with Noah) and all have much mercy tending to Repentance; and none are left as the Devils in despair, without any offered remedy or help. 7. The Object of Gods Will to give man the Covenant of Innocency, was Adam fore-seen as mere man. 8. The Object of Gods Will to create man, was nothing in the sense that we now take an Object in; that is, for the materia circa quam. But if you will call the intended effect the Object, then the Object of Gods Will here (and in the rest) is the thing willed. But if you will needs presume to seek one higher in the Mind of God, ^*you must say that it was man as conceived fit to be, as well as possible. For we can think no otherwise of the Divine Conceptions and Volitions, but as we are led by the analogy of humane acts. And so we must say, that 1. Gods Power maketh it possible for all things to be. 2. Next God knoweth them possible. 3. He knoweth what is convenient or fit to be made, to his unsearchable ends. 4. He willeth that they shall be, and man among the rest, and so on. If you will needs have the order of Decrees, this is all that we can say of them.

The Object of Gods Will, to give the highest degrees of common Grace, external (in the purest preaching of the Gospel, and other mercies,) and internal (in greater helps of the Spirit) is sometimes a Sinner in esse cognito, who hath not grosly rejected lower helps, and sometimes freely the worser sort of Sinners, who have abused former mercies. 6. The Object of Gods Will, to give the first common mercy which hath a tendency in its use to mens recovery and Salvation, is all mankind fallen in Adam: For all are under the New Covenant of Grace made with Adam, Gen. 3. 15. in some degree, (and with Noah) and all have much mercy tending to Repentance; and none are left as the Devils in dispair, without any offered remedy or help. 7. The Object of Gods Will to give man the Covenant of Innocency, was Adam fore-seen as meer man. 8. The Object of Gods Will to create man, was nothing in the sense that we now take an Object in; that is, for the materia circa quam. But if you will call the intended effect the Object, then the Object of Gods Will here (and in the rest) is the thing willed. But if you will needs presume to seek one higher in the Mind of God,