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 first Crimination.

C. 1. They assert an Universality of Grace to all men, sufficient to their Salvation.^*

1. *Malderus, in 1. 2. Tho. q. 109. a. 10. dub. 1. pag. 464. mentioneth five degrees of sufficient Grace: 1. That most imperfect degree by which Sinners may forbear a particular mortal sin. 2. That of the Regenerate by which they are able to forbear all mortal sin: but being infirm will not. 3. Adam in Innocency, who could easily have persevered, but did not; when some Angels did by the same degree which others had that fell. 4. That of the Predestinate, who have Gods special custody, before they are confirmed in Grace. 5. The Grace of Confirmation, of which there are five Opinions, (of which after.) Some Lutherans seem to go further in this than the Jesuits or Arminians, and to deny the distinction of sufficient and effectual Grace, saying that it is the same Grace that is effectual in one and not in another: but I think they differ but in words: So Gerhard, de lib. arb. c. 6. sect. 1. Concedimus sane spiritui sancto conversionis opus aggredienti multos resistere, con•ilium Dei adversus seipsos spernere—& hac ratione sua culpa gratiam conversionis a se repellere: sed propterea ipsam Gratiam in sufficientem & efficacem dividendam esse negamus, siquidem una eademque Dei Gratia est, quae in credentibus operatur, & quae ab intredulis repellitur. And he supposeth all mens Wills to be bad, and without power to convert themselves, and that God giveth them such Grace as doth not physically constrain or necessitate them or determine them; but such a suitable operation as they can resist: And so that the efficacy of Grace is not from the Will, but from Grace it self: but the inefficacy is from man: and the reason why any are converted, is from Grace: but the reason why any are not converted, is from their resisting that Grace; and so the Will of the Wicked is the differencing cause. Le Blank de dist. Grat. in suffic. &c. 68, 69. Remonstrantes non ideo Gratiam distinguunt in sufficientem & efficacem, quod putent gratiam quam accipiunt illi qui increduli manent & in peccatis perseverant non habere vim & efficaciam necessariam & praerequisitam ad hoc, &c. sed ideo solum gratis cujus sut participes denegant efficacis nmen quod effectum ad quem destinatur in iis reapse non producat propter impedimentum quod illi ponunt—utrique ergo docent gratiam hanc satis virium habere ad ipsos convertendos—nihil ergo pejus ht in part sentiunt Remonstrantes illis qui Lutherani dicuntur: Ac proinde cum Reformati horum communionem non refugiunt, sed ultro cos ad pacem, &c. Magna est bonitas Dei in dandis bonis corporis & anim: major est bonitas Dei in remittentis peccata magna & multa: maxima in patientia, &c: Strigel. Loc. 60. pag. 301. Carbo Compend. Tho. 1. q. 21. a. 4. Opus divinae justitiae semper psupponit opus miserecordi; & in ea undatur tanquam i prima radice quia ne procedatur in infinitum deveniendum est ad aliquid quod ex sola bonitate divinae voluntatis dpendeat.