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,…

because not penally for any evil done, nor yet by denying him any thing that was naturally or morally his due: Therefore this was not an Act of Reprobation. But when the New Covenant of Grace, and the common Grace of the Covenant are once given men, and they are obliged to believe, then sometimes God penally denieth them Grace, and that is all which the Ar•inians put against absolute denial, because this denial is only for mens fore-going sin. But he also still negatively only, and not privatively or penally denieth some Grace to some, yea to all; And that is only such Grace as is neither morally their due, nor naturally due or necessary to them. And the denial of such is no Act of Reprobation. 4. If by Reprobation you mean merely Gods Preterition; that is, his ••t-willing or not-decreeing to give men Grace. 1. Not to Will or Decree, is nothing; And how can you call nothing absolute or conditional? These are the modes of Acts, and not of not-acting, or of nothing. All grant that Gods non-agency, non-volition, not-decreeing hath no cause, much less a cause in man, least of all in man when he is no man. 5. The word Condition, either respecteth, 1. The thing or event willed; 2. Or the Will as relatively denominated with respect to that event; 3. Or that Will radically considered in it self. I opened this before, but think of it again; for the reason of the distinction is very plain. And, 1. God damneth no man but for sin, (nor privatively denieth any necessary Grace, but for sin.) Therefore the event no doubt is before-hand conditional; that is, dependeth on a condition: God decreeth to damn them if they live and die impenitently, and not else. 2. The Act of Gods Will as denominated from the said Effect or Object particularly, may be called, A conditional Act or Will. But if any think otherwise it is but de nomine. 3. The radical essential Will or Act of God as in himself can have no cause or condition. ^*Dr. Twice denieth none of this. 6. That God willeth or decreeth not sin formally, all the Christian world almost confess. And what loveliness is there in that only odious thing, that should tempt good people to father it on God, or attribute the being of it to his Will, or to be zealous Reproachers of those that say otherwise? 7.

because not penally for any evil done, nor yet by denying him any thing that was naturally or morally his due: Therefore this was not an Act of Reprobation. But when the New Covenant of Grace, and the common Grace of the Covenant are once given men, and they are obliged to believe, then sometimes God penally denieth them Grace, and that is all which the Arinians put against absolute denial, because this denial is only for mens fore-going sin. But he also still negatively only, and not privatively or penally denieth some Grace to some, yea to all; And that is only such Grace as is neither morally their due, nor naturally due or necessary to them. And the denial of such is no Act of Reprobation. 4. If by Reprobation you mean meerly Gods Preterition; that is, his t-willing or not-decreeing to give men Grace. 1. Not to Will or Decree, is nothing; And how can you call nothing absolute or conditional? These are the modes of Acts, and not of not-acting, or of nothing. All grant that Gods non-agency, non-volition, not-decreeing hath no cause, much less a cause in man, least of all in man when he is no man. 5. The word Condition, either respecteth, 1. The thing or event willed; 2. Or the Will as relatively denominated with respect to that event; 3. Or that Will radically consider'd in it self. I opened this before, but think of it again; for the reason of the distinction is very plain. And, 1. God damneth no man but for sin, (nor privatively denieth any necessary Grace, but for sin.) Therefore the event no doubt is before-hand conditional; that is, dependeth on a condition: God decreeth to damn them if they live and die impenitently, and not else. 2. The Act of Gods Will as denominated from the said Effect or Object particularly, may be called, A conditional Act or Will. But if any think otherwise it is but de nomine. 3. The radical essential Will or Act of God as in himself can have no cause or condition.