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,…

716. And it is greatly to be noted, with grief of heart, that among Good men, it is partly General prejudice, but chiefly the Interest of their Reputation with those among whom they live, which is the great impediment of the Churches Concord. The name of a Calvinist is so hateful among the Papists, that even the Predeterminant Dominicans who go higher than ever Calvin did, (and the Jansenists, who go as high in the main cause, and higher than the Synod of Dort,) do yet find it a matter of necessity to rail at Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, &c. lest their party should think that they are turned Heretics. And the Protestants that agree in some points with the Papists, are fain to rack the Papists words, to a worse sense than is meant, lest their fierce opposers should make men believe that they are half Papists, or err with them. And the moderate Calvinists are fain to stretch hard, that they may seem to differ more from the Arminians than they do, lest a self-conceited reviler should blot their names with the suspicion of Arminianism. O doleful case of all the Churches! But where Protestants are few and made odious by the Papists, as differing from them further than they do, there Reputation is not so great a temptation; And there they freely confess their concord, where they do not differ. And so in Colloquia Torunensi c. 4. de grat. depuls. Calum. sect. 5, 6. all the Reformed Churches of Poland with Joh. Bergius the Duke of Brandenburg's Chaplain, and others did profess, [Falso accusamur, quasi Mortis & Meriti Christi pr• omnibus sufficientiam negemus, aut virtutem imminuamus, cum potius idem hic quod ipsa Synodus Tridentina ses. 6. cap. 3. doceamus, viz. Etsi Christus pro omnibus mortuns sit, non omnes tamen mortis ejus beneficium recipere, sed eos duntaxat quibus meritum passionis ejus communicatur. Causam etiam seu culpam, cur non omnibus communicetur, nequaquam in merito & morte Christi, sed in ipsis hominibus esse fatemur.] Here was no partial interest to make them afraid of being suspected to comply with Papists.

716. And it is greatly to be noted, with grief of heart, that among Good men, it is partly General prejudice, but chiefly the Interest of their Reputation with those among whom they live, which is the great impediment of the Churches Concord. The name of a Calvinist is so hateful among the Papists, that even the Predeterminant Dominicans who go higher than ever Calvin did, (and the Jansenists, who go as high in the main cause, and higher than the Synod of Dort,) do yet find it a matter of necessity to rail at Luther, Zuinglius, Calvin, &c. lest their party should think that they are turned Hereticks. And the Protestants that agree in some points with the Papists, are fain to rack the Papists words, to a worse sense than is meant, lest their fierce opposers should make men believe that they are half Papists, or err with them. And the moderate Calvinists are fain to stretch hard, that they may seem to differ more from the Arminians than they do, lest a self-conceited reviler should blot their names with the suspicion of Arminianism. O doleful case of all the Churches! But where Protestants are few and made odious by the Papists, as differing from them further than they do, there Reputation is not so great a temptation; And there they freely confess their concord, where they do not differ. And so in Colloquia Torunensi c. 4. de grat. depuls. Calum. sect. 5, 6. all the Reformed Churches of Poland with Joh. Bergius the Duke of Brandenburgs Chaplain, and others did profess, [Falso accusamur, quasi Mortis & Meriti Christi pr omnibus sufficientiam negemus, aut virtutem imminuamus, cum potius idem hic quod ipsa Synodus Tridentina ses. 6. cap. 3. doceamus, viz. Etsi Christus pro omnibus mortuns sit, non omnes tamen mortis ejus beneficium recipere, sed eos duntaxat quibus meritum passionis ejus communicatur. Causam etiam seu culpam, cur non omnibus communicetur, nequaquam in merito & morte Christi, sed in ipsis hominibus esse fatemur.] Here was no partial interest to make them afraid of being suspected to comply with Papists.