Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…

B. I'll tell you what good I expect. I expect that here and there an impartial sober Divine should search into and find pacificatory truth: And that divers Students, not yet engaged in any Faction, should discern it: And that most of the idle, ignorant and factious, who find it most for their interest, ease and honour, to be fervent for the Opinion which that party holdeth, with whom they do embody, will reproach my self and these attempts, and call me a Calvinist or an Arminian, or one that holdeth dangerous Opinions, and self-conceitedly over-valuing my own apprehensions, do trouble the Church, and strengthen the Adversaries by pretended Reconciliation. But I look that those that receive the Truth, should themselves be saved from the guilt of all that uncharitableness, faction and injury to others, which is caused by mens mistakes: And also that they should be a seed of Peace-makers, to propagate Truth to Posterity, till the Age come when God will heal the Churches, and banish contentious Error from among them. And in the mean time, I look for peace of Conscience in the Service of God, and in his approbation. And it will be reward enough to live out of the fire of Contention my self, and to escape the Fever of that zealous Wisdom which is earthly, sensual, and devilish, and with envy and strife doth bring in confusion, and every evil work: And to feel the sweetness of some of the Wisdom from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, &c. J••. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17. And I am the more resolved not to omit my Duty through despair, for the experience which I have already had. I remember the time when in the Country where I lived, Sacraments and Discipline were neglected, through the distances of the Episcopal, Presbyterians and Independents, about the way of Administration, and we looked strangely at each other. I thought it our Duty to join in love and practice so far as we agreed, and pass by the rest till we could better see our way. But many years I thought I should be but scorned if I attempted it, and so for bore it in despair. But at last attempting it, almost all consented with whom I did endeavour this way of Concord, and I found no considerable opposition, and many other Countries began to follow our example.

B. I'le tell you what good I expect. I expect that here and there an impartial sober Divine should search into and find pacificatory truth: And that divers Students, not yet engaged in any Faction, should discern it: And that most of the idle, ignorant and factious, who find it most for their interest, ease and honour, to be servent for the Opinion which that party holdeth, with whom they do embody, will reproach my self and these attempts, and call me a Calvinist or an Arminian, or one that holdeth dangerous Opinions, and self-conceitedly over-valuing my own apprehensions, do trouble the Church, and strengthen the Adversaries by pretended Reconciliation. But I look that those that receive the Truth, should themselves be saved from the guilt of all that uncharitableness, faction and injury to others, which is caused by mens mistakes: And also that they should be a seed of Peace-makers, to propagate Truth to Posterity, till the Age come when God will heal the Churches, and banish contentious Error from among them. And in the mean time, I look for peace of Conscience in the Service of God, and in his approbation. And it will be reward enough to live out of the fire of Contention my self, and to escape the Feaver of that zealous Wisdom which is earthly, sensual, and devilish, and with envy and strife doth bring in confusion, and every evil work: And to feel the sweetness of some of the Wisdom from above, which is first pure, then peaceable, &c. J••. 3. 14, 15, 16, 17. And I am the more resolved not to omit my Duty through dispair, for the experience which I have already had. I remember the time when in the Country where I lived, Sacraments and Discipline were neglected, through the distances of the Episcopal, Presbyterians and I•dependants, about the way of Administration, and we looked strangely at each other. I thought it our Duty to joyn in love and practice so far as we agreed, and pass by the rest till we could better see our way. But many years I thought I should be but scorned if I attempted it, and so for bore it in dispair. But at last attempting it, almost all consented with whom I did endeavour this way of Concord, and I found no conderable opposition, and many other Countries began to follow our example.

After this I saw that whilst Ministers only preached publicly, and spake but now and then occasionally with the people personally, they were ignorant of their own Flocks, and edified them but little, and occasioned Disputes about examining them before a Sacrament, and many other inconveniences; And I earnestly wished that they would set up the course of Catechizing and familiar Conference with all, from Family to Family in order through each Parish. And I thought that if a few Ministers should attempt this without the consent and concurrence of the rest, they would but be contemned by the people: But if all the Ministers of Reputation would consent, it might happily go on: But to motion such a thing I thought as vain, as to attempt that which seemed next to an impossibility. But when I did attempt it at last, I found little or no opposition; but the Ministers readily consented, and other Countries began the like; In so much that some Ministers of Helvetia sent to me their desires, of setting on foot the same course there. These instances confute despair, the great Enemy of all good, and make me resolve to do my part in any good Work, and leave the issue to God. I confess, and its too well known, that some attempts since these for concord between Church contenders in England, were without success: But they have afforded my Conscience that peace, which doth abundantly compensate ⟨p. 26⟩all my sufferings. When I pray, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven, I mean, Let us with the most holy alacrity perform thy preceptive Will and do our Duty; and then with confidence expect, and with complacence rest in thy disposing Will, what ever be the event.

After this I saw that whilst Ministers only preached publickly, and spake but now and then occasionally with the people personally, they were ignorant of their own Flocks, and edified them but little, and occasioned Disputes about examining them before a Sacrament, and many other inconveniences; And I earnestly wisht that they would set up the course of Catechizing and familiar Conference with all, from Family to Family in order through each Parish. And I thought that if a few Ministers should attempt this without the consent and concurrence of the rest, they would but be contemned by the people: But if all the Ministers of Reputation would consent, it might happily go on: But to motion such a thing I thought as vain, as to attempt that which seemed next to an impossibility. But when I did attempt it at last, I found little or no opposition; but the Ministers readily consented, and other Countries began the like; In so much that some Ministers of Helvetia sent to me their desires, of setting on foot the same course there. These instances confute dispair, the great Enemy of all good, and make me resolve to do my part in any good Work, and leave the issue to God. I confess, and its too well known, that some attempts since these for concord between Church contenders in England, were without success: But they have afforded my Conscience that peace, which doth abundantly compensate

C. I have read your Undertaking, and what you have said to A. before, and I think you favour them too much, and make their Errors to seem smaller than they are.

The first Crimination.

C. I. They destroy the comfort of the Faithful, by ^*denying that God did certainly and immutably elect individual persons to Salvation.

1. *Episcop. ubi postea, p. 414. Nullo modo sequitur quod ad gloriam prius fuerant electi, quam crederent.

B. You mistake them: They hold that he did certainly and immutably elect particular persons to Salvation. They hold that he foreknoweth what motions means and circumstances will eventually take with mens Wills, without such necessitation as is inconsistent with their liberty; and that to certain persons he immutably decreeth to vouchsafe them all those means and motions; and that he then fore-seeth that ¹these will prevail, and that they will believe, yea decreeth that they shall thus prevail, and so decreeth that all those persons shall be justified: And in like manner that he fore-seeth what means and motions will prevail to their perseverance; and that he decreeth to give them those means and motions; and that by them they shall eventually persevere, and shall infallibly be saved. The moderate Jesuits, and Arminians, and Lutherans do maintain, and will grant all this. And all this is from eternity. And is not here then an eternal ascertaining immutable Election of individuals.

B. You mistake them: They hold that he did certainly and immutably elect particular persons to Salvation. They hold that he foreknoweth what motions means and circumstances will eventually take with mens Wills, without such necessitation as is inconsistent with their liberty; and that to certain persons he immutably decreeth to vouchsafe them all those means and motions; and that he then fore-seeth that ¹these will prevail, and that they will believe, yea decreeth that they shall thus prevail, and so decreeth that all those persons shall be justified: And in like manner that he fore-seeth what means and motions will prevail to their perseverance; and that he decreeth to give them those means and motions; and that by them they shall eventually presevere, and shall infallibly be saved. The moderate Jesuites, and Arminians, and Lutherans do maintain, and will grant all this. And all this is from eternity. And is not here then an eternal ascertaining immutable Election of individuals.

1. 1De certo numero electorum & salvandorum & de hoc opinionem Catharini & Thomistarum, &c. vide in Vasqu. in 1. Tho. q. 23. d. 101. c. 1, 2, 3.

The second Crimination.

C. II. ^*They feign an election of ^†Things, instead of an election of Persons; and say that Election is Gods Decree to make Faith the condition of Salvation: And so they bring in an indefinite Election of Universals or Species of persons; that God decreeth to save Believers, & damn Unbelievers.

1. *Qui habet gratiam efficacem ad conversionem aut fidem praeordinatus est ad conversionem et fidem. Malderus, 1. 2. q. 111. a. 3. p. 519.
2. †Vid. Episcop. Instit. Theol. li. 4. sect. 5. cap. 6. p. 413.

B. Doth any Christian deny any of this? ^*1. That God hath de facto, made Faith the condition of life, is visible in the Gospel: And what God did in time, from eternity he decreed to do. Therefore he decreed to make Faith the condition of life. 2. That God hath in his Covenant made a Deed of Gift of Christ and Life to all true Believers, and of Heaven to all that so persevere, and that he hath promised to perform this Covenant, is visible in the Scripture. Therefore God decreed to do this from eternity, even to justify Believers, and glorify persevering Believers. Make not the world believe that any of us question this. ⟨p. 27⟩But if you mean that they deny all other Decrees of Election, and extend it not to individual persons, you mistake them. Read but Molina, Suarez, Vasquez, Penottus, and other Jesuits, and you will see it: And so you may in Arminius himself. They hold an Election of Individuals, as I last described it, in the way of their scientia media, besides the Election of Believers in general. See also our Playfaire on the Point.

B. Doth any Christian deny any of this? ^*1. That God hath de facto, made Faith the condition of life, is visible in the Gospel: And what God did in time, from eternity he decreed to do. Therefore he decreed to make Faith the condition of life. 2. That God hath in his Covenant made a Deed of Gift of Christ and Life to all true Believers, and of Heaven to all that so persevere, and that he hath promised to perform this Covenant, is visible in the Scripture. Therefore God decreed to do this from eternity, even to justifie Believers, and glorifie persevering Believers. Make not the world believe that any of us question this. ⟨p. 27⟩But if you mean that they deny all other Decrees of Election, and extend it not to individual persons, you mistake them. Read but Molina, Suarez, Vasquez, Penottus, and other Jesuites, and you will see it: And so you may in Arminius himself. They hold an Election of Individuals, as I last described it, in the way of their scientia media, besides the Election of Believers in general. See also our Playfaire on the Point.

The third Crimination.

C. III. They deny any Decree or Will of God to give men the first special Grace, effectually to make them believe and repent, but only that he decreeth to give them sufficient Grace, which their own Wills must make effectual.^*

1. *They commonly acknowledge a preventing operating Grace, •quam Deus in nobis sine nobis operatur. But the Ratio efficaciae is controverted among them.

B. Did not I tell you that all the Controversy of Predestination is resolved into that of effectual Grace? Such Grace as he giveth men, such he decreed to give them. This all confess. But what it is that denominateth Grace effectual, we are to consider in its proper place. Only let me here tell you, that all will grant you (of whom I now speak) that God decreeth to give men that special Grace which shall cause them to repent and believe. But on what terms, and in what manner it so causeth it, is afterward to be handled.^*

B. Did not I tell you that all the Controversie of Predestination is resolved into that of effectual Grace? Such Grace as he giveth men, such he decreed to give them. This all consess. But what it is that denominateth Grace effectual, we are to consider in its proper place. Only let me here tell you, that all will grant you (of whom I now speak) that God decreeth to give men that special Grace which shall cause them to repent and believe. But on what terms, and in what manner it so causeth it, is afterward to be handled.^*

1. *See Ruiz de praedef. d. 6. sect. 4, 5. proving Faith, Perseverance, &c. to come from Gods Decree.

The fourth Crimination.

C. Their Doctrine de ^*scientia media on which they ground their Opinions of Gods Decrees, is many ways injurious to God; and is a fiction not to be made good.

1. *Of this see more in the first Book.

B. 1. I doubt all sides are over temerarious in their distribution of Gods Decrees and Volitions. But, 1. All are agreed that ex parte Dei Volentis, there is no real difference in his Volitions; nor ex parte Dei scientis, in his knowledge: For so his Knowledge and Will are his Essence. 2. All agree, that ex parte objecti cogniti & decreti there is a real difference. 3. All must agree, that in Gods Intellection and Volitions as denominated ab extra, viz. ab objectis, there is a relative or denominative difference. 4. Ex parte objecti, there is no man can question, but that this Proposition [If John have such and such means and helps, he will believe,] doth differ from this Proposition, [It is convenient and good that John shall believe] and from this, [John will believe]. 5. If you are against mincing Gods Knowledge into such scraps as these various objective Propositions do infer, you must be against the old distinction, into scientiam simplicis Intelligentiae, & scientiam purae visionis. For no doubt but God knoweth all things, how various soever, un• intuitu, with one simple knowledge, ex parte sui, though it be by our weakness denominated many, even innumerable, ex relatione objectiva, vol termination rei in quam transit. Doth not God with one Act know Convenients, Desirables and Futures? And cannot I here copiously thetoricate against you for your first and second sort of Divine Knowledge, as well as you do against them de scientia media. 6. It is agreed that God knoweth all things to be what indeed they are▪ and not otherwise. ⟨p. 28⟩7. It is agreed that God knoweth not as man doth, by Names, Propositions, or Syllogisms; And yet that God knoweth all Names, Notions, Propositions and Syllogisms, with their modes; as they are the measures, organs or actings of Humane Understandings. 8. ^†It is therefore undeniable to all Christians, that the thing which they call ^*scientia media, is as certainly in God, as is the scientia simplicis Intelligen•iae & Purae visionis; that is, [that God knoweth the truth of all true conditional Propositions, and knoweth what would be done, by such and such causes, or upon such and such alterations, if they were put]. Doth any Christian doubt of this? 9. Whether this should be called scientia media is a question de nomine, and that of no great importance, and not at all de re? 10.