Catholic communion doubly defended by Dr. Owens, vindicator, and Richard Baxter and the state…Catholick communion doubly defended by Dr. Owens, vindicator, and Richard Baxter and the state…

When Clement Writer wrote two Books against the Scripture, the Ministry, and me, I answered him modestly in my Book, called, The unreasonableness of Infidelity: The Ranters I detested: The Quakers, when they bitterly reviled me, I gave free leave to dispute with me in my Congregation as long as they would: The Seekers, that said, Scripture, Church Ministry, and Sacraments were all lost, till new Miracles restored them, I dealt with peaceably: But I confess I took all these for such as were as unfit for my Communion, as they thought me for theirs, and mischievous to the Souls of Men. But I never thought of as equal with these the Persons that I then wrote against, as Antinomians, nor those that I now name on such accounts. I know that the Libertines Opinions called Antinomianism, by too near consequence subvert the Gospel. But I believe that the good men did not see such Consequences, but believed the fundamentals, which they so subverted, and erred through ignorance, and unskilfulness, and confusion in managing Disputes, and zeal for Free-Grace, drew them in the dark to injure, and dishonour it: These erroneous Men, for ought I know, might love God through Christ more then I; and if so, they were so much better men then I. Amesius saith, that Theology is so connext, that every Error by consequence overthroweth the foundation: If that be so, who is not guilty of it? I write here against no man as Episcopal, Presbyterian, Independent, Erastian, or Anabaptist; but only against hating one another on such accounts, and doing those things by alienation, excommunication, opposition, or other aversation unnecessarily, which signify detestation, or want of Love, or tend thereto.

When Clement Writer wrote two Books against the Scripture, the Ministry, and me, I answered him modestly in my Book, called, The unreasonabless of Infidelity: The Ranters I detested: The Quakers, when they bitterly reviled me, I gave free leave to dispute with me in my Congregation as long as they would: The Seekers, that said, Scripture, Church Ministry, and Sacraments were all lost, till new Miracles restored them, I dealt with peaceably: But I confess I took all these for such as were as unfit for my Communion, as they thought me for theirs, and mischievous to the Souls of Men. But I never thought of as equal with these the Persons that I then wrote against, as Antinomians, nor those that I now name on such accounts. I know that the Libertines Opinions called Antinomianism, by too near consequence subvert the Gospel. But I believe that the good men did not see such Consequences, but believed the fundamentals, wh•ch they so subverted, and erred through ignorance, and unskilfulness, and confusion in managing Disputes, and zeal for Free-Grace, drew them in the dark to injure, and dishonour it: These erroneous Men, for ought I know, might love God through Christ more then I; and if so, they were so much better men then I. Amesius saith, that Theology is so connext, that every Errour by consequence overthroweth the foundation: If that be so, who is not guilty of it? I write here against no man as Episcopal, Presbyterian, Independant, Erastian, or Anabaptist; but only against hating one another on such accounts, and doing those things by alienation, excommunication, opposition, or other aversation unnecessarily, which signify detestation, or want of Love, or tend thereto.