A26883:3870
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.
What is the efficient cause of Paul's Faith? Ans. 1. The Principal efficient is God by his Spirit. 2. The meritorious cause is Christ. 3. The chief ministerial efficient is Christ as giving the Spirit to work it. 4. The Instrumental efficient is the Gospel. 5. The Immediate efficient is Paul: For it is he that believeth, and not God. Is there any one that denieth any of this?
C. I doubt they think that mans will is more the cause than the Spirit; because they suspend the Spirits success upon mans will.
B. Accuse not men by suspicions and doubts without proof; yea contrary to their own professions. Your crime of uncharitableness is not theirs; nor doth it follow that they are faulty because you are suspicious. *You may read Corvinus to Tilenus expressly assigning the efficiency of all that Grace that maketh us to differ, principally unto God. Some of them only say [man cannot effect, (or convert himself) but he can resist: and so require no more of man to his conversion but not to resist: yea not to resist in an obstinacy and high degree. Others of them require of man also an actual concurse of his will by his power received, with the concurse of God: But they make God here incomparably the chief efficient; not only as to Priority of operation, but as to his causation of the effect. And they use to illustrate it some time as Scotus by the similitude of two drawing at a Ship, sometime by a Father, that should bid his Son lift at a heavy weight, and resolveth to put to 900 degrees of the force himself if his Son will but endeavour, and put forth one degree. In this case, if the Son will not put forth that one which he can do, and so the event fail; it is not by the Impotency nor absolute unwillingness of the Father. And if the child do put forth that one degree, will you say that he doth more to the effect than the Father that doth 900 parts; and that only because that the Father would not do all himself? But this carrieth us from the matter in hand, and is after to be spoken to.