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Catholick Theology

Name: Catholick Theology
Author: Richard Baxter

Richard Baxter 1675

Baxter's irenic theological synthesis promoting doctrinal peace by distinguishing revealed truths from verbal disputes and unrevealed speculations among contentious theologians.

EEBO-TCP A26883 (TEI), original spelling, printed page numbers. EEBO 12541064; STC/Wing Wing B1209; ESTC R14583

From the text

The opening of the work as printed, from p. 1, in the spelling of this edition.

p. 1SECT. I. Of our Knowledge of God, as here attainable.

THough it be about the Knowledge, Will and Decrees of God, that our Controversies are agitated, yet because the consequent Verities are scarce ever well understood, without the understanding of the Antecedents, out of which the Consequents arise, and without the just order, place and respect which the later have unto the former, and unless things be understood in their true Method; I will therefore expose my self to the obloquy of those, who will call it Over-doing, so far as to premise somewhat of the Deity it self; But not what is necessary to the full explication of the Divine Attributes (as we are capable) as must be in a Method of Theologie (which I have attempted elsewhere); but only so much as lyeth under our Controverted Subject: And when I have done that, I shall leave the rest.

Thes. 1. To Know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, is Life Eternal. [John 17. 3. Bradward. l. 1. c. 11. p. 198. The first necessary incomplex Principle is God, and the first complex simply is of God, Deus est, &c. But yet it is not to us the primum cognitum.]

2. To [Exodus 20.] know GOD is to know his Being, Nature, and Relations: For though those Relations that are to Man be not essential to his Divine Nature, yet are they essentially contained in the signification of the name p. 2[GOD] as he is the object of our Faith, and Religion. For to be OUR GOD doth speak his Relations to us, as well as his Nature; As the name KING and FATHER doth among men.

3. We neither have, nor can have here in flesh any one proper formal Conception of the Divine Nature, that is formally suited to the truth in the object: But only Metaphorical or Analogical Conceptions; borrowed from things better known.

4. Yet nothing beyond sense (at least) is so certainly known as GOD, so far as we can reach, though nothing be less perfectly or more defectively known, or less comprehended. Even as we know nothing Visible more certainly than the Sun, and yet comprehend nothing Visible less.

p. 25. It is not true which many great Metaphysicians assert, that the Quiddity of God is totally unknown to us: For then it could not be life eternal to know him; nor would a meer Negative knowledge cause in us a sufficient Positive Love, or Joy or Trust, &c. But to know that we cannot know him, would but inferr that we cannot Love him: For we Love not an unknown Good.

6. Nor is it true that Pet. Hurtado de Mendoza (in fine Disput.) and some others say, that the Notions of Life and Intellect are all that we have of the Quiddity of God, and that the Divine Will is not a Quidditative notion.

7. God is here seen in the Glass of his Works, with the Revelation of his Word and Spirit. And from these works we must borrow our conceptions. [The doubt is, How Imperfect works can notifie the perfect God: And the Schoolmen manage it as an insuperable difficulty, Whether God could have made the World, or any thing better than it is? If you will pardon me for making that easie, which they make ineffable, I answer, Goodness is Primitive (that is, God) or Derivative, which only is in Creatures: This last is formally Good, as it is Related as Conform to Gods Will, the Prime Good, as its Rule: To be à Deo Volitum is the formal notion of Created Good. And so the world is perfect, and can be no better, because it is as God willeth it: And yet God can make particular creatures better to themselves, and to one another; He can make any man more wise, more holy, &c. But bonum sibi is no further properly bonum, than it is Volitum à Deo: Therefore God can make the world far otherwise than it is; and yet then it would be no Better. For still it would be but as God willed it to be: So that the matter and private Goodness might alter; but the true form of Goodness would be still just the same as now.]

8. Therefore though the Thing intended when we speak of God, be transcendently and only in Him, and not in the Creature, yet the first use of the words is to signifie something in the Creature. And therefore the Creature is the famosius analogatum, though Nothing to God.

p. 29. In the use of these notions we must still profess that we apply them to God no farther than to signifie his perfections: And all words must be as little as may be used of him in strict disputes, which imply imperfection, when better may be had; But the highest are to be preferred.

10. And we must still profess, that we take none of these words to be formal proper univocal terms, lest the concealed Metaphor or impropriety occasion false conceptions of God, and unworthy of Him; and also tempt men to run them further by false inferences.

11. Gods Nature is most simple, undivided: And so must an adequate conception of Him be: But Man can have no such conception of Him; but must know what he can know of this One GOD by many partial inadequate conceptions.

12. Yet must we be very careful that these inadequate analogical Conceptions be Orderly, and not as (I will not say how commonly) it is done by some, a confused heap: For the Mind that so conceiveth of Him, greatly injureth it self and Him, and the Tongue and Pen that so describeth Him, dishonoureth Him: And though the Ignorant, for whom Catechisms are written, cannot lay together a full Scheme of the Divine Attributes in just method; yet those few which they can understand and remember, they would as well and better understand and remember in the true method, were they taught it, than in an heap. For Method is a great help to understanding and memory. We would not give a Prince his Titles so confusedly; nor draw his Picture monstrously, with the arms where the seet should be, and the seet where the arms, or the back before, and the face behind, unless we exposed him purposely to scorn. Every man knoweth the difference between a Clock or Watch in order, and the same in confused parcels on a p. 3heap; and between an Army and a Rout, &c. Shall Order be the beauty of the World and every Creature in it; and shall we deny it only to the God of Order? I crave the pardon of Divines for intreating them to amend this in their Doctrine, but especially in their Catechisms, yea, in their Understandings first.

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SECT. I. Of our Knowledge of God, as here attainable.p. 1
SECT. II. Of mans Soul as the Glass in which we must see God.p. 3
SECT. III. The several inadequate Conceptions which in order make up our Knowledge of God.p. 4
SECT. IV. Of Gods Relations to the Creature and denominations (thereupon) in his Power…p. 6
SECT. V. Of Futurity and its pretended Causes.p. 8
SECT. VI. Of Gods Knowledge, and the Co-existence of the Creature.p. 13
SECT. VII. Of School Curiosities and Uncertainties about Gods Knowledge.p. 15
SECT. VIII. More of Gods Fore-knowledge, and of Permission of Sin.p. 24
SECT. IX. Of Predestination and Free-will (of which see more Sect. 20. against Mr.…p. 27
SECT. X. Of Natural and Moral Power as fore-seen.p. 36
SECT. XI. Whether God bind Men to Impossibilities.p. 39
SECT. XII. Of Scientia Media.p. 42
SECT. XIII. Of Gods Will and Decrees in General.p. 45
SECT. XIV. Of several Distinctions of Gods Will.p. 49
SECT. XV. Of the Order of Gods Decrees by way of Intention and Execution.p. 57
SECT. XVI. Of the Order of the Decrees called Reprobation. And of Election and…p. 66
An Additional Explication of Divine Nolitions.p. 76
SECT. XVII. Of Gods Causing, and Decreeing Sin.p. 84
SECT. XVIII. A Confutation of Dr. Twisse's Digr. 5. l. 2. sect. 1. Vind. Grat.p. 92
SECT. XIX. The same doctrine in Rutherford de providentia confuted.p. 106
SECT. XX. The old Reconciling Doctrine of Augustine, Prosper and Fulgentius. And first…p. 115
SECT. XXI. Prosper's answers ad Object. Vincent.p. 118
SECT. XXII. The words of Fulgentius to the same sence.p. 121
SECT. XXIII. Healing Principles and Concessions of the Synod of Dort, &c.p. 124
SECT. XXIV. On the other side.p. 127
A PREMONITION.p. 1
SECT. I. The first Law.p. 27
SECT. II. The first Edition of the Law of Grace.p. 31
SECT. III. Of Christ's Incarnation and our Redemption.p. 37
SECT. IV. Of the New Covenant, or the Law of Grace in the Second Edition.p. 42
SECT. V. Of the Gift and Works of the Holy Ghost.p. 45
SECT. VI. Of Universal Redemption.p. 51
SECT. VII. The Antecedent and consequent Will of God, &c.p. 54
SECT. VIII. Of Justification by Christ's Righteousness, imputed.p. 59
SECT. IX. Of the nature and distinctions of Justification.p. 69
SECT. V. Merit.p. 79
SECT. XI. How faith Justifieth.p. 82
SECT. XII. How Repentance is joyned with Faith.p. 83
SECT. XIII. Of the degrees of Pardon or Justification.p. 85
SECT. XIV. Of Justification by Sentence of the Judge.p. 85
SECT. XV. Of initial executive Pardon or Justification.p. 86
SECT. XVI. Of assurance of Pardon, Justification and Salvation And whether it be Faith.p. 88
SECT. XVII. Of Love as the end of Faith.p. 91
SECT. XVIII. Of Perseverance, and the certainty of it, in order to certainty of…p. 93
SECT. XIX. Of Mortal Sin, or what Sin will not stand with Saving Grace.p. 103
SECT. XX. What Repentance for particular Sins is necessary to pardon.p. 106
SECT. XXI. The solution of all the former difficulties, in part.p. 108
SECT. XXII. Few certain of Salvation: The Consequents of this in order to our Concord…p. 112
SECT. XXIII. More necessary Concessions.p. 113
SECT. XXIV. The sum and end of this Discourse of certain Perseverance.p. 116
SECT. XXV. Degrees of falling, and danger.p. 118
SECT. XXVI. Of final Justification, and how Paul and James agree about Justification by…p. 119
SECT. XXVII. Of the fewness of the glorified, and the many that perish.p. 123
The Preface.p. 1
SECT. I. The presupposed Principles.p. 7
SECT. II. The Order of Divine Operations.p. 9
SECT. III. Of the Operations and Principles as compared.p. 12
SECT. IV. How far God useth Means.p. 16
SECT. V. Of the Causes of the different Effects of Grace and Means.p. 18
SECT. VI. Of the Limitations of Gods Operations on the Soul.p. 20
SECT. VII. Of the Resistibility of Grace.p. 21
SECT. VIII. What that Operation of God on the soul is, which is the subject of our many…p. 25
SECT. IX. Whether Gods Operations be equal on all?p. 31
SECT. X. Whether the said Operation be Physical or Moral?p. 32
SECT. XI. What Free-Will Man hath to Spiritual Good, &c.p. 35
SECT. XII. Somewhat more of Predetermination; with an answer to Dr. Twisse.p. 37
SECT. XIII. Of mans Power Natural and Moral.p. 43
SECT. XIV. Whether the giving of faith be an Act of Omnipotency? and a proper Creation?…p. 46
SECT. XV. Of the sufficiency and efficacy of Grace.p. 48
SECT. XVI. Of Infused Habits, and the Holy Ghost Given us▪ The Schoolmen that speak most…p. 53
SECT. XVII. Whether man be meerly Passive as to the first special Grace.p. 55
SECT. XVIII. Whether the first Grace, and the New and Soft Heart be Promised and Given…p. 55
SECT. XIX. How God may be said to Cause the Acts of sin?p. 57
SECT. XX. How far God, and how far Man himself, is the Cause of Hell and other…p. 62
The Conclusion, Summing up the several wayes of the Contenders.p. 67
§. II. Alvarez his Epitome in Twenty Propositions, considered.p. 70
§. III. Of the three other wayes, and I. Of the Jesuits way.p. 75
§. IV. II. Of Durandus's way.p. 76
§. V. III. Of the Scotists and Nominals way.p. 79
§. VI. The true face or Scheme of the Dominican predeterminant way…p. 80
§. VII. Of Jansenius his way of reconciling Grace and Free-will.p. 89
The Animadversions.p. 94
§. VIII.p. 106
Notes on some passages of Mr. Peter Sterries Book of Free-will.p. 107
THE First Days Conference ABOUT PREDESTINATION.p. 1
The first Crimination.p. 6
The second Crimination.p. 9
The third Crimination.p. 11
The fourth Crimination.p. 12
The fifth Crimination.p. 14
The sixth Crimination.p. 16
The seventh Crimination.p. 17
The eighth Crimination.p. 18
The ninth Crimination.p. 19
The tenth Crimination.p. 21
The eleventh Crimination.p. 22
The twelfth Crimination.p. 22
THE Second Days Conference OF PREDESTINATION. Between C. (a Calvinist) and B. (the…p. 24
The first Crimination.p. 26
The second Crimination.p. 26
The third Crimination.p. 27
The fourth Crimination.p. 27
The fifth Crimination.p. 28
The sixth Crimination.p. 38
The seventh Crimination.p. 39
The eighth Crimination.p. 40
The ninth Crimination.p. 41
The tenth Crimination.p. 45
THE Third Days Conference (With an ARMINIAN of Universal and Special REDEMPTIONp. 50
The first Crimination.p. 50
The second Crimination.p. 57
The third Crimination.p. 61
The fourth Crimination.p. 62
The fifth Crimination.p. 62
The sixth Crimination.p. 63
The seventh Crimination.p. 63
The eighth Crimination.p. 63
The ninth Crimination.p. 64
The tenth Crimination.p. 64
The eleventh Crimination.p. 64
The twelfth Crimination.p. 65
THE Fourth Days Conference (WITH a CALVINIST) Of Common and Special REDEMPTION.p. 66
The first Crimination.p. 66
The second Crimination.p. 67
The third Crimination.p. 67
The fourth Crimination.p. 68
The fifth Crimination.p. 69
The sixth Crimination.p. 70
The seventh Crimination.p. 70
The eighth Crimination.p. 71
The ninth Crimination.p. 71
The tenth Crimination.p. 72
THE Fifth Days Conference WITH AN ARMINIAN Of mans natural sinfulness and impotency to…p. 73
The first Crimination.p. 73
The second Crimination.p. 85
The third Crimination.p. 101
The fourth Crimination.p. 103
The fifth Crimination.p. 107
THE Sixth Days Conference OF Natural Corruption and Impotency, and Free-will. BETWEEN B.…p. 109
The first Crimination.p. 109
The second Crimination.p. 113
The third Crimination.p. 121
The fourth Crimination.p. 125
The fifth Crimination.p. 126
The sixth Crimination.p. 128
THE Seventh Days Conference Between A. and B. Of SUFFICIENT and EFFECTUAL GRACE.p. 130
The first Crimination.p. 130
The second Crimination.p. 136
THE Eighth Days Conference Between B. and C. of SUFFICIENT and EFFECTUAL GRACE.p. 139
The first Crimination.p. 138