A26883:4521
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.
R. Do you mean the Name or Thing? If the Name 1. Sure you will not make that a matter of much quarrel: 2. If you do, you must quarrel also with all the ancient Fathers; even with Augustine who (as Melanchthon saith, Loc. com. de Lib. arb. of his use of the word free-will) doth use it throughout all his Volumes. 3. And if [Greek or Hebrew] be well translated Worthiness or Merit, you must quarrel with Christ and his Apostles also, (of which before.)
R. Do you mean the Name or Thing? If the Name 1. Sure you will not make that a matter of much quarrel: 2. If you do, you must quarrel also with all the ancient Fathers; even with Augustine who (as Melancthon saith, Loc. com. de Lib. arb. of his use of the word free-will) doth use it throughout all his Volumes. 3. And if 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 be well translated Worthiness or Merit, you must quarrel with Christ and his Apostles also, (of which before.)
L. But Aquinas his followers use the word Merits in a worser sense, and many a volume they have written partly to assert it and defend it.
R. I hope you your self would write to defend Gods retributive Judgement, and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him, Heb. 11. 6. If you would let an Infidel carry it, that pleadeth that obedience and patience have no Reward, the Christian cause is little beholden to you. Justice, Reward and Merit are Relatives in their sense; and you must deny All or none: For nothing can be Rewarded but a Rewardable act, which they mean by meritorious, (as nothing can be Punished, but a real or imputed fault; Poena and Culpa being so related also:) Though as Affliction may be without the commerit of culpability, so a mere Gift may be without Laudable merit. And Judicial Justice is the virtue of equal Judicial retribution, according to laudable or culpable actions. But what Aquinas and his followers hold, it's easy to see in himself, in Cajetan, in Ferrariensis and abundance such: I will now turn you but to such an Epitomizer as Carbo, (or Vignerius,) where it's soonest found. Carbo 1. 2. q. 21. art. 4. saith [Actus humani habent rationem meriti & demeriti per comparationem ad Deum; Quia omnes actus sunt referribiles in Deum ut est ultimus inis, & ut regi communitatem universi, & ità debet eis pro justitia retribuere; aliàs non haberet universi procurationem.