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,…

B. If you ask, what made the difference between the Devils and the persevering Angels? In the full and proper answer you must assign the reason on both parts: But according to the usual sense of the question, you must say [The wilful sin of the Devils made the difference.] For the equal state of uprightness went before the difference. So if you ask, what made the difference between the world after the fall, and before it? vulgarly, we must say, sin; because that came last. So if you ask, what made the difference between Noah and the world? between Lot and Sodom? Ans. Indeed, that which made one part sinful and the other righteous. But according to the vulgar sense of the question, it was the Righteousness of Noah and Lot, and the causes of that righteousness. So what made the difference between Judas and the eleven Apostles? Ans. Judas his wilful sin and Wickedness, (though indeed the cause is on both sides.) So what maketh the difference between Believers and the Unbelieving world? Really, the unbelief of the world, and the Faith of Christians with their causes: But it's like the speaker meaneth only ex parte credentium: And then the cause of their Believing is the cause of their differing. But now, if it hold true that God giveth a sufficiency of Grace ut causa universalis ex parte donantis (antecedently to mens accepting or rejecting) equally, then if one ask, what maketh the difference? you would understand him (why have not unbelievers Faith, as well as others? And then the answer would be, wilful resisting, or refusing Grace, or the moral special indisposition of the Recipients makes the difference; or else all would be alike believers. But note, that we ask not [What maketh the difference between Believers and unbelievers?] but do particularize the subject, and ask, [what maketh the Believer differ from the Unbeliever?] or what maketh the unbeliever differ from the believer?] It is then supposed that we mean only ex parte nominata. And thus in the vulgar sense the questions, [what maketh the believer differ from the Infidel?] and [what maketh the Infidel differ from the believer] must have various answers.

C. I understand you thus in brief: 1. You say that constitutively it is Faith that is the difference on Paul's part, and unbelief on Nero's. 2. The causes of the said Faith and unbelief, are the causes of the difference: (As the causes of the whiteness of one wall; and of the blackness of the other cause their difference.) 3. That to ask (why the Believer differeth from the Unbeliever?) is but to ask [why he is a Believer when the other is not?] 4. Here you say the two Relations of dissimilitude in two objects make the questions two in one, viz. 1. Why or whence is Paul a Believer?]