A26883:548
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.
288. Therefore we must say, that Gods electing Peter and his rejecting Judas, his Love to Peter and his hatred of Judas, are not in specie the same act of his will; nor his Loving Peter, and his Loving Paul the same Numerically; As his knowing of Peter to be a Saint, and his knowing Judas to be a Saint, is not the same numerical act of knowledge; Though as they are Gods Essence, all are but one. And we must say that he Loveth one because he is good, and hateth another because he is evil; and he justifieth men because they believe, and condemneth men because they believe not; that he forgiveth a sinner because he repenteth, &c. Though Gods Will have no efficient Cause.
289. Those Volitions of God which are but Immanent as to Efficiency, but Transient Objectively, are some of them to be denominated as before the thing willed, and some as after. The Will of effecting is before the thing willed: The Will ut finis, or Complacency and Displicency (as also Intuitive Knowledge of the thing as Existent, estimation, approbation, reprobation of it) the Will of Continuing, modifying, altering, perfecting, destroying, suppose the existence of the thing willed in esse objectivo. And so many Volitions may be denominated as beginning in time, as connoting the objects. †And it is no more wrong to Gods Immutability so to name them, than to his simplicity to name them many and divers.
- †Pennottus li. 4. c. 24. p. 235. confidently argueth, that because God can Love him that he hated or Loved not, he can therefore Predestinate him whom he reprobated, or change his decrees without any change in himself. I answer, 1. I grant that God can Love a Saint whom he hated as a sinner before, and cease hating him without any change save relative and by extrinsical denomination. 2. But his inference seemeth to me false and dangerous, unless he had meant it of executive Election and Reprobation which he doth not. For 1. Proper Love and Hatred connote an Object as existent, and by such connotation are named: And his fourth supposition is false, that Love is nothing but Gods Will to give a man life Eternal. For the formal Act of Love is Complacency: And the Veil Bonum is another thing, as I think an effect of Love; or at the most another act of Love. And we deny that any absolute. Veil bonum alicui is ever changed, though displicence be changed: Because it is the same with Decree. 2. And the reason why the said Decree or Volition (if absolute and proper) may not be denominated changed is, because it maketh its own object, and so supposeth it not pre-existent, and dependeth not on it denominatively: And therefore it would infer God to be mutable, to change it; But it is not so in the other, which as to the Relation and Name followeth the Mutable creature; as doth Gods Knowledge of present existents and preteritions as to denomination and connotation.