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,…

P. 1. Enough is said of Rewards before: We shall not by such talk as ⟨p. 248⟩this believe either that God Rewardeth himself, or that he Rewardeth not us. But we easily grant that he rewardeth us for nothing which cometh not from his free bounty: For no creature can have any other good. 2. But if Faith, and Love, and Obedience be not commanded to us, but only given us, then they are no Duties, but Gifts only; and unbelief, hatred of God, and disobedience is no sin, nor brings no punishment.

Lib. At least they are no Conditions of the Covenant.

P. Do you think that they are any proper Means of our Justification and Salvation as their End? or not?

P. What sort of means do you take them to be?

Lib. They are such Gifts of God as in order must go before Salvation.

P. Going before, signifieth only Antecedency, and not any Means.

Lib. One Gift maketh us fit for a thankful improvement of another.

P. This speaketh them only to be a Means to our Thankful improvement, and not to our Right to the things to be improved.

Lib. I do not think that they are a means of our Right or title.

P. Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his Commandments, that they may have Right to the tree of life, &c.

Lib. It may be translated [that wash their garments] and [that they may have power upon] as Dr. Hammond noteth.

P. 1. The Alexandrian Copy which giveth him this occasion, is singular, and not be set against all other (though the Vulgar Latin go the same way). Beza who yet thinks that a transposition of two Verses hath darkened these Texts, this Book being negligently used, because many for a time took it not for an Apostolical Writing, (or Canonical,) yet saith, that it is contra omnium Graecorum codicum fidem, that the Vulgar goeth. 2. But all's one in sense: For [to wash their Garments] is [to be sanctified or purified from sin] and not only from guilt of punishment: And [Greek or Hebrew] signifieth such a Power as we call Authority o• Right (usually.) But what maketh you deny Conditions on mans part?

P. 1. The Alexandrian Copy which giveth him this occasion, is singular, and not be set against all other (though the Vulgar Latin go the same way). Beza who yet thinks that a transposition of two Verses hath darkned these Texts, this Book being negligently used, because many for a time took it not for an Apostolical Writing, (or Canonical,) yet saith, that it is contra omnium Graecorum codicum fidem, that the Vulgar goeth. 2. But all's one in sense: For [to wash their Garments] is [to be sanctified or purified from sin] and not only from guilt of punishment: And 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 signifieth such a Power as we call Authority o• Right (usually.) But what maketh you deny Conditions on mans part?

Lib. Because, 1. It is supposed that a condition is profitable to him that requireth it. 2. It is some Cause of the benefit. 3. It is to be done by the performers own strength: whereas God giving •s Faith, that can be no condition on our part which is first a Gift from him that requireth it: For to give it first, maketh it no condition of ours.

P. Here we see what it is to quarrel about ambiguous Words: No one of these is true that you say, of the common nature of a condition; or at least as we mean by that word. 1. Civilians define a Condition to be Lex addita negotio, qua donec praestetur eventum suspendit. As it is Required it is only Modus promissionis, donationis vel contractus: as Performed it is only a Removal of an Impediment, and a Disposition of the Receiver. So that as the Non-performance is but the suspension of a Causation, so the performance of a Condition as such, is no Cause efficient: But it is dispositio subjecti, which you may call a necessary Modus of a Material Cause, as the Recipient may improperly be called; Dr. Twice therefore calleth faith Ca•sa justificationis dispositiva. ⟨p. 249⟩2. So it be an act of our own, it is no way necessary that it be done without the Commanders help or gift: For he that giveth us to believe, doth give it by this means, even by commanding it, and making it a Condition of his further benefits, that so he may induce us as rational free agents, to perform it ex intuitu mercedis, or by the motive of the end or benefit. For he causeth it by suitable means. And no doubt, but faith, and the rest, are free acts of ours, though caused by Gods grace. 3. And it is accidental to a Condition, that it be any way commodious to the Imposer. What profit is it to a Father that his Child put off his Hat and say, I thank you? And yet he may make that a condition of his gift. What profit is it to a free Physician, that the Patient observe his order in taking his Medicines? And yet he may give them on that condition. But yet I will add, that as usually men make that the condition of a Gift or Contract, which the person obliged is backward else to perform, and that which is somewhat either for the Donor or Contractors Interest, or the Ends of his contract: so God who taketh his Glory and Pleasure in his Children's Good, to be as his Interest, and the End of his Gifts, and knoweth how backward we are to our duty, doth on these accounts impose on us our duty and conditions, his Pleasure and Glory being instead of his Commodity.

P. Here we see what it is to quarrell about ambiguous Words: No one of these is true that you say, of the common nature of a condition; or at least as we mean by that word. 1. Civilians define a Condition to be Lex addita negotio, qua donec praestetur eventum suspendit. As it is Required it is only Modus promissionis, donationis vel contractus: as Performed it is only a Removal of an Impediment, and a Disposition of the Receiver. So that as the Non-performance is but the suspension of a Causation, so the performance of a Condition as such, is no Cause efficient: But it is dispositio subjecti, which you may call a necessary Modus of a Material Cause, as the Recipient may improperly be called; Dr. Twisse therefore calleth faith Casa justificationis dispositiva.

But if [If] be a conditional Particle, and if Gods suspending by the tenor of his Donation, our Right to Justification upon our free believing, and our Right to Salvation on our free obedience, do prove Conditionality (as it doth all that we mean) then you see that the new Covenant hath conditions.

But if [If] be a conditional Particle, and if Gods suspending by the tenour of his Donation, our Right to Justification upon our free believing, and our Right to Salvation on our free obedience, do prove Conditionality (as it doth all that we mean) then you see that the new Covenant hath conditions.