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,…

All men that have the brains, hearts and faces of Christians who hold that all these distinctions signify no true diversity in Gods will exparte sui, should openly tell the world in the beginning, middle and end of such disputes, that It is but about words that we dispute, even what Logical terms Artists must use in distinguishing of that which hath no real diversity? even about the dreadful Majesty of God and what Names to put on his simple volition? 4. And they should well bethink them how far it is safe, to think of that as divers which is not divers; and to multiply conceptions and distinctions ⟨p. 79⟩of Gods simple essence beyond true necessity: and whether then to contend about the priority of such conceptions be more holy or profane? 5. For all the reasons before given, If they will say that God Decreeth penally to deny or not to give Grace or Glory or any good thing to them that forfeit it, there is reason for the expression according to Scripture, after the manner of man: But if they will fly higher and say that Gods Simple essential will, is to be called A positive Decree or Volition that Judas, e. g. shall not be named John, Thomas, &c. that there shall be millions of distinct non-entities, &c. or that any positive Volition is of necessity to non-futurities or non-existences in mere physical respects, where no positive action is necessary, (save only that by consequence he that decreeth and willeth to make such and such finite creatures, may consequentially and improperly be said to will that there shall in general be no more, in that he willeth not that there shall be more, and they cannot be without his will,) I fear such are over-bold with God. And so are they that say that he hath a Positive Decree or Will, non dare Christum ante lapsum Adami, non dare fidem, non impedire peccatum, in such instances or cases wherein the [dare] is no Act of a Rector, nor the [negare] the positive Law, judgement or penal denial of a Judge, but only the dare belongeth to a free Dominus-benefactor.¹ Penal permission or non-impedition of sin, and denying or not-giving grace, may be said to be decreed or willed, because God threatened them antecedently by a Positive Law, which should make them due, and that Law was the product of Gods will.

All men that have the brains, hearts and faces of Christians who hold that all these distinctions signifie no true diversity in Gods will exparte sui, should openly tell the world in the beginning, middle and end of such disputes, that It is but about words that we dispute, even what Logical terms Artists must use in distinguishing of that which hath no real diversity? even about the dreadful Majesty of God and what Names to put on his simple volition? 4. And they should well bethink them how far it is safe, to think of that as divers which is not divers; and to multiply conceptions and distinctions