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,…

B. The worst then will be but the loss of my labour: And I will tell you of what moment I judge the work. ⟨p. 2⟩1. In regard of the sinfulness of the Contentions: 2. In regard of the Calamitous consequents. 1. The sinfulness I take to lie, 1. In the matter. 2. And in the manner of prosecution. I. Th••e things I judge to be sinful in the •atter • 1. That many differences are pretended to be▪ where indeed are none. 2. Differences about wo•••s▪ and second •otions, and ration• En••ties ar• pretended •o be differences about real Doctrines. 3. Little Differences are aggravated into great ones. 4. Unsearchable things are disputed, which no mortal man can understand.

•. As to the manner• it is done▪ 1. Preposterously, preferring these Disputes before the greater business of the Ministry. ^*2. Perversely, wasting abundance of time and study about them, by which the Church might have been better served; and writing so many great Volumes of them, in crabbed Scholastic stile, I as must needs tempt multitudes to a lamentable loss of their precious time, before they can come to know that they lose it. 3. And, by sidings, and factions, and sharp reflections on each other, quenching Christian Love, and destroying Concord, and weakening the Church. II. The calamitous Consequents are, 1. The long, and yet unhealed alienation of Contenders minds. 2. The foresaid time and toil which those Volumes cost. 3. The abundance of idle talk, and lost studies about them, by the generality of Students. 4. The dangerous Factions made by it in the Churches. 5. The tempting each Party to confuse, slander, and blot the Names of one another. 6. Multitudes of Prelates and Pastors have been tempted by it into Persecutions. 7. Yea, wars and blood-shed in more Countries than one hath followed tly by this incension. 8. And hereby the poor people on each e are kept in bitter uncharitable thoughts of one another; and especially of those Pastors who are against their mind. And because things nearest us are first discerned, begin at home, and try whether all this be true or not. 1. Hearken to the Ministers and people on each side. Do you not hear that it seemeth enough to them to sleight each other with uncharitable alienation, when it's said, O such a one is a Calvinist, or such a one is an Arminian; yea, perhaps the Jesuit shall come in. Read over the many writings about Mountague's time, on his part, and against him, by Yates, Carlton, Watton, Burton, &c. But especially read Peter Heylin his writings on this Subject, and above all, his Life of Arch-Bishop Laud, where he persuadeth us that this very Controversy was a grand part of the difference, which on both sides was prosecuted, till it brought us to our doleful War. 2. Go but to the Low-Countries, and see what work it hath made there, from the days of Arminius to this day especially between Prince Maurice and the States, at the death of Barnevelt, the imprisonment of Grotius, &c. The Synod at Dort, and all the strife and discontent before and after it. 3.