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,…

B. Jansenius is in the right in this: we have more need of Divine help to the willing and doing of good than of evil. We cannot do evil without his natural support and concurse: But we cannot do good, especially spiritual saving good, unless we have moreover his medicinal special Grace. To the specifying of good actions, there must ever concur Gods natural help, Gods gracious help, and mans free-will or self-determination. It is not two or three determinations of the Will, which are made by these several Causes; but one determination. So that under God, man is the specifying determiner of his Will to good; or else he were not a Believer, nor rewardable or punishable. And that he cannot determine his Will to good as well as to evil, proceedeth not from the Original nature of the Will, (for with that such a determination was consistent) but from its Pravity or Corruption. But how Grace and Free-will concur is after to be handled.

C. Dr. Twice Vindic. Grat. lib. 2. p. 190. (Vol. minoris) hath a full digression (4) to prove that [God willeth that sin shall come to pass, he permitting it, and saith, Nostri Theologi affirman•: Arminiani •ontificii negant.]^*

C. Dr. Twisse Vindic. Grat. lib. 2. p. 190. (Vol. minoris) hath a full digression (4) to prove that [God willeth that sin shall come to pass, he permitting it, and saith, Nostri Theologi affirman•: Arminiani •ontificii negant.]^*

1. *This Digression of Dr. Twice is answered in the first Book. His Friend Alvarez de Aux. li. 11. disp. 110. p. 442, &c. discusseth the Qu. An detur ex parte nostra causa reprobationis: and concludeth that [Reprobatio qua Deus statuit non dare aliquibus vitam aeternam, et permittere peccatum eorum, non est conditionata sed absoluta, nec praesupponit in Deo praescientiam demeritorum ipsius reprobi. 2. In Angelis qui ceciderunt nu la datur causa reprobationis ex parte ipsorum quantum ad integrum effectum, &c. 3. Et ita de reprobatione parvulorum comparativa: & ita de adultis. 4. Non solum comparative, sed etiam absolute loquendo, nulla datur causa reprobationis quantum ad omnes effectus.] Where note, that he granteth that there is in man a cause of Reprobation as to some effects, viz. punishment; For by a cause he meaneth any prerequisite condition: For no doubt there is no efficient cause of any thing in God. And all his stress is laid on this, that the permission of the first sin, is the first effect of Reprobation, and this permission hath no cause in man: Ergo Reprobation quoad omnes effectus hath no cause in man. But the truth is, 1. A man may put such a sense on the word Reprobation, as to include what he please. But it's usually taken for Gods Decree to damn men, and to deprive them of somewhat necessary to their salvation; and so is, 1. A positive Act as a Volition, 2. And privative, objectively, and 3. Some unfitly extend it to that which is objectively negative and not privative; 4. And some most ineptly extend it to that which is negatio actus, no Act, that is, to nothing. And so a man that will play with words, may say, that 1. Gods non-agere, nonigere, is an