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,…

R. Doubtless, as that God who can relieve your poor or sick friend without you, showeth you a double favour if he will make you his instrument ⟨p. 272⟩in relieving him; so if he cause you to work out your own salvation, it is a greater mercy than if he would carry you asleep to Heaven: And it's strange that men that know that all that we have is of God, should think his grace dishonoured by giving us the greater mercy. But to return to my account of the Papists. I will mention Aquinas farther, because you know who numbereth him with the grosser sort. 1. 2. q. 114. a. 1. He concludeth that man meriteth not at all of God according to absolute or simple Justice, which goeth by equality; sed secundum divinae ordinationis quandam praesuppositionem, as man obtaineth that as a reward by his operation for which God gave him the operative virtue. And so that here is but modus quidam Justitiae, as a Father hath to a Child, and merit only secundum quid, at non simpliciter. And he addeth, that our voluntary doing our duty is our merit, not as profiting God, but manifesting his glory, and pleasing his will; and so God is not a Debtor to us, but to his own will or to himself. And a. 2. he concludeth that without Grace even man in innocency, much less in sin could thus merit life eternal. When after therefore he speaks for merit of condignity as the acts are from the Holy Ghost, it is such a merit as aforesaid that he meaneth. But the first Grace he saith none meriteth. But I desire you for the understanding of Aquinas and such others to take notice, that the foundation of many confused speeches of theirs, is their confused notions of Gods Laws or Covenants. For Aquin. q. 106. a. 1. doth go the way of Mr. Sterry and Sr. H. Vane and the Quakers, and conclude that the New Law (of Grace) is not written but in the heart, that is, that Lex nova principaliter est ipsa gratia spiritus sancti in corde fidelium scripta; because unaquaeque illud videtur esse quod in ea est potissimum: and so that Lex scripta is called a Law secondarily as a means to the former: Now this is gross abuse of an equivocal word by a vain pretence: For the word Law doth not first signify another thing because that other is most excellent; but less excellent things (as media ad finem) have their proper notions:

R. Doubtless, as that God who can relieve your poor or sick friend without you, sheweth you a double favour if he will make you his instrument ⟨p. 272⟩