A26883:1646
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,…
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
276. There have many of our acquaintance gone so far in a life of mortification, and diligence of suffering like Christians of the highest rank, who yet have fallen (to the death) to the denial of the very essentials of the Christian Faith, that from the very Doctrine of certain perseverance hath become a cause of doubting and trouble to some: who have said, [If a man could fall away from true Grace, I should not doubt but such and such a man did so, and I should hope that yet my heart may at the present be sincere: But seeing no man ever had true Grace who apostatizeth, these men had none, who in all probable judgment of reason, were once far better than I now am: And I can never be sure that I have true Grace, till I go further than ever they did, which I almost despair of ever doing, having intimately known them to be no dissemblers.] Thus both ways of this controverted Doctrine have their troubling difficulties.
276. There have many of our acquaintance gone so far in a life of mortification, and diligence of suffering like Christians of the highest rank, who yet have fallen (to the death) to the denial of the very essentials of the Christian Faith, that from the very Doctrine of certain perseverance hath become a cause of doubting and trouble to some: who have said, [If a man could fall away from true Grace, I should not doubt but such and such a man did so, and I should hope that yet my heart may at the present be sincere: But seeing no man ever had true Grace who apostatizeth, these men had none, who in all proboble judgment of reason, were once far better than I now am: And I can never be sure that I have true Grace, till I go further than ever they did, which I almost dispair of ever doing, having intimately known them to be no dissemblers.] Thus both ways of this controverted Doctrine have their troubling difficulties.
277. If none censured the deniers of certainty herein, but only those who themselves ever attain to a certainty of their sincerity, perseverance and salvation, they would not be enough to make any great division or breach about it. And could we but be impartial, and bear with the dissent of Brethren herein, as well as we do of the ancient Doctors and Churches, our peace and concord would be less disturbed by this Controversy than it is. I have else-where cited some; Tertullian is too harsh in conceding a mutability in God, Contr. Marc. li. 2. cap. 23, 24. [Si vero etiam circa personas levem vultis intelligi quum reprobate aliquando probatos, aut improvidum quum probat quandoque reprobandos, quasi judicia sna aut damnet praeterita, aut ignoret futura: Atqui nihil tam bono & judici convenit, quam pro praesentibus meritis & rejicere & adlegere, &c.] Yet this may have a good interpretation.