A26883:3722
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,…
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And it is certain, that God maketh much use of the Ministry of free Agents in the affairs of the World, even of Angels, Devils and Men, whose voluntary contingent acts (and consequently their effects) go not as a Watch or Cl••k in one constant natural course of motion. How then can you tell here what is natural as to a great part of the changes upon man?
C. You would make me believe that WORDS are so defecti•• as to delude us and befool us all, and that nothing men say can be understood. Doth not all the World distinguish between Nature and Grace?
B. The vanity of speculative Sciences, and the misery of Mankind thereby, and the reason of Paul's contempt of the Philosophy then predicated, and the cause of all our love-killing Contentions, cannot be ⟨p. 158⟩1readilier assigned than by charging them on the lamentable defectiveness and ambiguity of words next to the darkness of Humane Intellect. But the distinguishing of Nature and Grace is needful; but must be rightly understood. 1. Principally as Nature signifieth the constitution of man and all things as made by their Creator, and GRACE the medela or medicinal Operation of God, by which he recovereth the lapsed sinful and cursed World. 2. And as any Motus, Action or Change, can be said to be from the first natural Principles of Action, so far they may be called natural: If from Nature alone, they are only natural. But as they come from recovering Grace they are gracious: If from Grace alone, without Nature, they are only gracious (whether there be any such, or any but Miracles, I pass by.) But as they are by and from Nature, either sanctified, or ordered and over-ruled by Grace, so they are both natural and gracious in several respects.