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,…

C. I dare not deny this, because it is agreed on by all Philosophical Divines, and I should be called a Blasphemer, if I affirmed any real diversity in God, at least besides the Trinity of Persons, called by the School-men Real Relations, and by some real modes of being. But it surpasseth mans understanding to conceive, that the same cause no way differing, ex parte sui, should produce variety of effects. By which it seemeth, that when there was nothing but God, his love to Jacob and his hatred to Esau, his decree to save and to damn, his will to make the world, and to destroy it, his fore-knowledge of good and evil, had no real difference at all. And is it not somewhat of a lye then in us, to call those acts different, or by different names, which really have not the least difference at all. (But of this before.)

B. God were not God, if mans shallow wit could comprehend him. All this must be confessed, unless you will be a Vorstian: But if our conceptions be not false, our diversity of names here is no lye; because we intend but to denominate Gods knowledge and decrees or will, but by the relative connotation of the things known and willed. And though those things were nothing before the Creation, and so the difference between Gods Decrees, &c. was really none at all, and the esse cognitum was nothing but Gods simple Essence: Yet as Greg. Armin. hath disputed, there be some kind of Relations (which are nothing themselves) and consequently denominations which may be terminated on nothing (as praeteritu & futura are.) But if your understanding rest not here, do as I do, rest in a necessary and willing ignorance; and be but so wise as not to trouble the Church with that which you know not, nor imitate them that can show the valour of their raging zeal, by Writing or Preaching against them as the enemies of the Grace of God, which dote not as confidently as themselves.

B. God were not God, if mans shallow wit could comprehend him. All this must be confest, unless you will be a Vorstian: But if our conceptions be not false, our diversity of names here is no lye; because we intend but to denominate Gods knowledge and decrees or will, but by the relative connotation of the things known and willed. And though those things were nothing before the Creation, and so the difference between Gods Decrees, &c. was really none at all, and the esse cognitum was nothing but Gods simple Essence: Yet as Greg. Armin. hath disputed, there be some kind of Relations (which are nothing themselves) and consequently denominations which may be terminated on nothing (as praeteritu & futura are.) But if your understanding rest not here, do as I do, rest in a necessary and willing ignorance; and be but so wise as not to trouble the Church with that which you know not, nor imitate them that can shew the valour of their raging zeal, by Writing or Preaching against them as the enemies of the Grace of God, which dote not as confidently as themselves.