Of Gods Knowledge, and the Co-existence of the Creature.: Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable… by Richard Baxter | AskReformation

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:328p. 14

When temporary Creatures are the subjects of Relation to God, then God is denominated by extrinsical denomination as the terminus of that Relation: But when God or Eternity is the subject of Relation to Creatures, then temporary creatures are denominated as the termini of the Divine relation. And so Eternity (being as Divines conclude indivisible and tota simul quia sine partibus) being one and the same, communicateth somewhat of its Name to the multifarious fluid creature, as its terminus: And as the Mutations of creatures in existence and operation thus communicate various denominations to the actions (knowledge and will) of God; so Gods Unity and Constancy giveth various denominations to the creatures. ^*And so, because things when they exist, do co-exist with eternity, and eternity hath no prius & posterius, and the Prepositions [ab] & [ad] & [ante] & [post] have there no true signification, therefore it may be said, that as Indivisible Eternity co-existeth with the creature, so the creature co-existeth with and in indivisible eternity, and so with All eternity, and not with a part.

When temporary Creatures are the subjects of Relation to God, then God is denominated by extrinsecal denomination as the terminus of that Relation: But when God or Eternity is the subject of Relation to Creatures, then temporary creatures are denominated as the termini of the Divine relation. And so Eternity (being as Divines conclude indivisible and tota simul quia sine partibus) being one and the same, communicateth somewhat of its Name to the multifarious fluid creature, as its terminus: And as the Mutations of creatures in existence and operation thus communicate various denominations to the actions (knowledge and will) of God; so Gods Unity and Constancy giveth various denominatinos to the creatures. ^*And so, because things when they exist, do co-exist with eternity, and eternity hath no prius & posterius, and the Prepositions [ab] & [ad] & [ante] & [post] have there no true signification, therefore it may be said, that as Indivisible Eternity co-existeth with the creature, so the creature co-existeth with and in indivisible eternity, and so with All eternity, and not with a part.

*Card. Sarnan. Concil. Th. & Scoti, p. 22. inquit, Deus per suam aeternitatem sine aliqua successione sui est omnibus praesens: sed non sine successione rerum. Ideoque omnia quae sunt, suerunt & erunt, coexistunt in aeternitate, & habent etiam esse cognitum in mente divina. Et ideo bene dicunt & Thomas & Scotus.

:335p. 15¶99

99. By this much the great Objections of the Scotists may be satisfied by a Conciliation: They say, 1. That which existeth not, doth not co-exist; nor God with it. 2. That Eternity indeed includeth all Time successively as present in it; but not future Time. To the first I answer, 1. That it is granted that Time hath successions, and only the present Instant is: And that which Is not, co-existeth not with Eternity: But yet seeing Eternity is Indivisible, it is not part of it that co-existeth with one of our Instants and part with another; but All indivisibly with each instant. 2. And when it is said, That the Creature existed not ab aeterno, if you intellectually divide Eternity into past and present and future, like Time, it's true: But speaking properly, it is fallacious: For [Ab] aeterno implyeth a division of Eternity, and a preterition of one part, which is commonly supposed false. But if the denomination be sercht from Eternity, seeing it is Indivisible, you cannot say that to day it co-existeth with this day, and not with to morrow, for if ever it co-existeth, it always co-existeth: For, ab & ad, & ante & post, & fuit & erit, are words of falsehood spoken properly of Eternity (according to the commonest doctrine.)

99. By this much the great Objections of the Scotists may be satisfied by a Conciliation: They say, 1. That which existeth not, doth not co-exist; nor God with it. 2. That Eternity indeed includeth all Time successively as present in it; but not future Time. To the first I answer, 1. That it is granted that Time hath successions, and only the present Instant is: And that which Is not, co-existeth not with Eternity: But yet seeing Eternity is Indivisible, it is not part of it that co-existeth with one of our Instants and part with another; but All indivisibly with each instant. 2. And when it is said, That the Creature existed not ab aeterno, if you intellectually divide Eternity into past and present and future, like Time, it's true: But speaking properly, it is fallacious: For [Ab] aeterno implyeth a division of Eternity, and a preterition of one part, which is commonly supposed false. But if the denomination be sercht from Eternity, seeing it is Indivisible, you cannot say that to day it co-existeth with this day, and not with to morrow, for if ever it co-existeth, it alwayes co-existeth: For, ab & ad, & ante & post, & fuit & erit, are words of falshood spoken properly of Eternity (according to the commonest doctrine.)