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

THE Third Days Conference (With an ARMINIAN of Universal and Special REDEMPTION

A. The second Article of our Difference is so fundamental and •omen tous, and our distance so great, that I cannot believe that you can say any thing sufficient to reconcile us.

A. Yes, I think both sides will grant this, that he purchased all that he giveth, and absolutely or fully no more.

B. Why then all the Controversy is, what he giveth men: and that belongeth to the third and fourth Articles: And so I might dismiss this at the beginning, but for your expectations. But what is it that maketh you think the difference so great?

B. Why then all the Controversie is, what he giveth men: and that belongeth to the third and fourth Articles: And so I might dismiss this at the beginning, but for your expectations. But what is it that maketh you think the difference so great?

The first Crimination.

A. 1. The Calvinists and Synodists deny Christ's very Office, as he is the Saviour of the World, and the second Adam, the Redeemer of Mankind, and the Mediator between God and Man. And all this they confine to a small part of the World.^*

1. *Malderus in 1. 2. q. 111. a. 3. d. 5. m. 1. p. 487. Non existimo opinionem illam Calvinisticam, quae negat pro omnibus & singulis Christ•m mortuum esse, tolerandam esse: nec inter studiosos varitaris debere obtinere locum opinionem qui non perinde admittunt quod omnibus in Adamo lapsis—iterum sit via (salutis facta possibilis per Christum & quod habeant per Christum in actu primo paratum, vel in actu secundo datum sufficiens auxilium gratiae, quo saltem media'e salvari possint, &c.

B. Have you never read what Musculus hath written in Loc. Commun. and Bullinger in his Decades for universal Redemption? Have you not read the plain words of Calvin, cited by Amyraldus in Defens. Doct. Calvin. (though Petavius rail at him for it most furiously)? Have you not read the writings of Joh. Bergius, Conrad. Bergius, Lud. Crocius, Calixtus, of Camero, and his Followers at Saumers, of Testardus, Dallaeus, Blondel's Preface, &c. for Universal Redemption? Have you not read in the writings of Bishop Rob. Abbots, Bishop Carelton, Arch-bishop Usher, Bishop Hall, Dr. Sam. Ward, &c. their judgments for it? Have you not read Bishop Davenant's excellent Dissertation for it, de morte Christi? Know you not that it was the judgment of Dr. Preston, ⟨p. 51⟩Mr. W. Whateley, Mr. W. Fenner, and many excellent Divines among us? Know you not that Dr. Twice himself, I believe twenty, if not forty times over in his Works, saith, That Christ so far died for all, as to procure and give them Pardon and Salvation, on condition they will repent and believe; but he died moreover for the Elect, to procure and give them Faith and Repentance also? Know you not that Paraeus in his Irenicon saith, That the Sins of all the World lay on Christ on the Cross, as the cause of his Death? Know you not that it is the commonest Doctrine of the Protestants, That Christ died for all men as to the sufficiency of his death, but for the Elect only as to the efficiency of Salvation? And what can you say more or less than those few words signify? Know you not that the Synod at Dort it self saith, That Christ's satisfaction is of infinite value and price, abundantly sufficient to expiate the Sins of all the World; and that the Promise is, That whosoever believeth shall not perish. And this is to be preached to all. And, that many yet repent not, believe not, but perish, is not through any defect or insufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice; but by their own default. Musculus his words for Universal Redemption, are (Loc. Commun. c. de Redemp. Gen. hum. p. (mihi) 326. &c.) [Redemptio est generis humani: Ge••s humanum Complectitur non unam aut alteram Gentem, sed mundum •niversum, omnes viz. totius orbis nations, cunctos homines à primo usque ad novissimum.—Generaliter est omnium.—Scimus non omnes Redemptionis hujus fieri participes:

B. Have you never read what Musculus hath written in Loc. Commun. and Bullinger in his Decades for universal Redemption? Have you not read the plain words of Calvin, cited by Amyraldus in Defens. Doct. Calvin. (though Petavius rail at him for it most furiously)? Have you not read the writings of Joh. Bergius, Conrad. Bergius, Lud. Crocius, Calixtus, of Camero, and his Followers at Saumers, of Testardus, Dallaeus, Blondel's Preface, &c. for Universal Redemption? Have you not read in the writings of Bishop Rob. Abbots, Bishop Carelton, Arch-bishop Usher, Bishop Hall, Dr. Sam. Ward, &c. their judgments for it? Have you not read Bishop Davenant's excellent Dissertation for it, de morte Christi? Know you not that it was the judgment of Dr. Preston,

Verum illorum perditio qui non servantur, haud quaquam impedit, ^*quo minus Universalis vocetur Redemptio—Resolutio illa telluris qua passim omnia ad germinandum astate solvuntur, recte Universalis dicitur, etiamsi multae arbores—non germinent—&c. Anno Jubil•o Generalis omnium servorum liberatio erat, etiamsi multi in servitute ma•••tes, gratiam liberationis respuebant. Ad eum modum habet & Redemptio istageneris humani—Quod illam homines reprobi & deploratè impii non accipiunt, neque defectu fit Gratiae Dei, neque justum est ut illa propter filios perditionis Gloriam ac titulum UNIVERS ALIS REDEMPTIONIS amittat, cum sit parata cunctis, & omnes ad illam vocentur, &c.—sic cuim cavebimus ne Catholicae Gratiae Gloriam obscuremus & in arctum Constringamus, vel cum phanaticis hominibus neminem prorsus damnari dica•us—]. Bullinger—

1. *It seems there were but few in Bradwardin's days, who were of his mind, in confessing the antecedent natural impossibility of any ones Salvation, or any good act, which cometh not to pass; seeing (li. 3. c. 29. p. 735.) he answereth them that say, [why should the Opinion of a few, trouble the Church, and the far greater number that is against it], by referring them to the paucity of wise men and Believers, and saying that truth must be preached for the few (Elect) that will receive it. And p. 737. tells us how Aristophanes, contrary to the six Judges, appointed by Ptolemy; did adjudge the Crown to that Poet that the people liked worst.It seems there were but few in Bradwardin's days, who were of his mind, in confessing the antecedent natural impossibility of any ones Salvation, or any good act, which cometh not to pass; seeing (li. 3. c. 29. p. 735.) he answereth them that say, [why should the Opinion of a few, trouble the Church, and the far greater number that is against it], by referring them to the paucity of wise men and Believers, and saying that truth must be preached for the few (Elect) that will receive it. And p. 737. tells us how Aristophanes, contrary to the six Judges, appointed by Ptolomy; did adjudge the Crown to that Poet that the people liked worst.

A. You may spare your labour of citing Bullinger and Musculus, or Melanchthon, or Bucer, or such moderate men: But what are they to the rigid Calvinists?—

B. Calvin saith, in Rom. 5. 18. [Communem omnium gratiam facit, quia omnibus exposita est: Non quod ad omnes extendatur reipsa: Nam & si passus est Christus pro peccatis totius mundi atque omnibus Indifferenter Dei benignitate offertur, non tamen omnes apprehendunt.] And in 1 Cor. 8. 11. [Dictum memorabile quo docemur quam (Chara) esse debeat nobis fratrum salus; nec omnium modo, sed singulorum, quando prounoquoque fusus est sanguis Christi.] And in 2 Pet. 2. 1. [Non immerito dicuntur Christum abnegare à quo redempti sunt,—]. And in 1 Joh. 2. 2. He saith, That qui dicunt [Christum sufficienter pro toto mundo passum esse, sed pro elect is tantum efficaciter,] say true, and that which commonly obtaineth in the Schools, though he otherwise expound that Text.

A. You need not cite Calvin: Grotius said truly that he had his Lucida intervalla; and though Amyraldus seek to defend him from self-contradiction, Petavius calls him all to nought for it: But what can ⟨p. 52⟩you say for your high Antiarminians, such as Paraeus, Molinaeus, &c.

A. You need not cite Calvin: Grotius said truly that he had his Lucida intervalla; and though Amyraldus seek to defend him from selfcontradiction, Petavius calls him all to nought for it: But what can ⟨p. 52⟩you say for your high Antiarminians, such as Paraeus, Molinaeus, &c.

B. Paraeus, (let all mark it) saith, Irenic. cap. 24. pag. 142. [Quod Christus pro solis electis satisfecit, [Greek or Hebrew] est, vel falsa accusatio: Omnium peccata Christus portavit, dissolvit, expiavit, si magnitudinem pretii, seu [Greek or Hebrew] sufficientiam spectemus: Non omnium sed tantum fidelium, si [Greek or Hebrew], efficaciam, fructum, applicationem.] To which he citeth Ambrose, Innocent, Lyra, adding [Juxta hunc intellectum nulla est dissensio. Art. 6. itidem [Greek or Hebrew] est vel falsa accusatio. Promissiones Gratiae sunt Universales, pertinentque ad omnes, quoad praedicationem, invitationem, & mandatum credendi.] And on 2 Pet. 2. 1. [Erant Redempti respectu sufficientiae [Greek or Hebrew], &c.] Molinaeus Anatom. Arminianis. saith, cap. 27. sect. 8, 9. [When we say that Christ died for all men, we take it thus, that the Death of Christ is sufficient to save whosoever do believe; yea, and that it is sufficient to save all men, if all men in the whole World did believe in him: And that the cause why all men are not saved, is not in the insufficiency of the Death of Christ, but in the wickedness and incredulity of man. Finally Christ may be said to reconcile all men to God by his Death, after the same manner that we say the Sun doth enlighten the eyes of all men, though many are blind, many sleep, and many are hid in darkness, &c.] That most methodical acute Divine, Georg. Sohnius, saith, Tom. 1. Thes. de Justific. (mihi) pag. 104. [Satisfactio illa & justitia pro omnium temporum hominibus, & omnium hominum peccatis, & peccatorum omnium cum culpa tum poena sufficit, quia ab infinita persona dependet, Matth. 18. 11. & 12. 31. Rom. 5. 18. & 8. 32. 2 Cor. 5. 15. 1 Tim. 2. 6. 1 Joh. 1. 7. & 2. 2. Tit. 2. 14

A. But such violent men as Zanchy (the grand Patron of the impossibility of falling away) talk not at this rate.

B. Zanchy saith, (Thes. Vol. 3. fine, Thes. 13. 16. de Volunt. Dei) Eadem de causa dici non potest Dei voluntatem proprie & simpliciter fuisse, ut Christus pro salute omnium moreretur, id est, ut omnis per ejus mortem servaretur, ac proinde Christum secundum propositum patris pro salute omnium mortuum esse; sed tantum, ut loquuntur, sufficienter.—Caeterum damnari etiam illi non possunt, qui spectata revelata voluntate Dei docent, & Deum velle omnes homines salvos fieri, & Christum pro salute omnium hominum mortuum esse, & neutrum velle peccatum; cum haec omnia sint verissima. And de Relig. Christ. fid. cap. 12. Thes. 2. [Credimus (Mar. 16. 16.) licet omnibus hominibus per Evangelii praedicationem Gratia Redemptionis, salus ac vita aeterna à Deo dispensanda serio proponantur, (quod enim permulti hujus non siunt participes, ipsorum sit vitio & culpa reipsa tamen non communicari nisi—electis, vocatis—]