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,…

636. But pag. 255. he giveth the true answer, that the consequence holdeth, not of a metaphorical improper Instrument, who hath somewhat of his own which he hath not from the principal agent, yea such have somewhat of Principal Causality, and somewhat mixed of their own which they have not of God, besides the nature of a pure instrument: such are sinners to God. Therefore it holds not, that the horse halteth: ergo, the rider halteth (no nor causeth it.) Thus insciously he unsaith what laboriously he writeth a Book to prove: and the very same that I say. The Rider doth not cause the halting as it is halting at all; but only as it is Motion in genere: so doth God by sinful acts: That they are exercised on the forbidden object rather than another, is not at all of God, but that they are Actions in genere is of God.

636. But pag. 255. he giveth the true answer, that the consequence holdeth, not of a metaphorical improper Instrument, who hath somewhat of his own which he hath not from the principal agent, yea such have somewhat of Principal Causality, and somewhat mixt of their own which they have not of God, besides the nature of a pure instrument: such are sinners to God. Therefore it holds not, that the horse halteth: ergo, the rider halteth (no nor causeth it.) Thus insciously he unsaith what laboriously he writeth a Book to prove: and the very same that I say. The Rider doth not cause the halting as it is halting at all; but only as it is Motion in genere: so doth God by sinful acts: That they are exercised on the forbidden object rather than another, is not at all of God, but that they are Actions in genere is of God.

637. So p. 256. he well sayeth that the fault of the pen is not to be ascribed to the Writer, nor the effect as from that fault; nor of the Saw to the Sawyer; And so of the Sabeans robbing Job: And he asserteth, p. 257. that Diabolus & Impii homines sunt causae principales in actu peccandi. And what need we more? Remember then that sin is an effect, and hath a Cause, and to make man a Principal Cause in actu peccandi is not to deify him: And he saith p. 256. that if God were the moral impeller as a principal agent, he were the principal cause of sin. But if you mean by moral impulse, only commanding it, let others judge whether Physical premotion be not much more than command: And whether I cause not my pen to write, though I command it not: And quoad terminum, to impel a man physically to moral acts, is moral impulse.