A26883:3982
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.
A. Though some taking it to be hard that none are true Christians, that would not be Martyrs were they tried, have said that this Text speaketh de necessitate praecepti, non medii, [You must grow up to this at last, if you will be my Disciples]; yet I will not so force the Text, but say as you do. But 1. There are far stronger Temptations than the love of Life: Though not from Interest, yet from false reasonings, which may deceive the judgment: And one that would die for Christ while he believeth in him, may possibly have so strong Temptations to unbelief as shall exceed in danger, his fear of death. 2. And all men that at the present would forsake Life and all for Christ, yet have not the same fixedness of Resolution, nor the same degree of Faith and Love. No doubt but the Martyrs in the same flames had various degrees of Grace. Now a less firm and fixed measure may be loosened by degrees, or shaken by Seducers, and mutable man may after be overcome by that same Temptation which once he could have overcome. So that I accuse their Doctrine, as utterly inconsistent with true Christian Comfort, on both these account. And such is the success of those men that will overdo, and devise means of their own, for extraordinary comforts, which God never gave them.
B. The comfort of poor Christians it seems standeth but on slippery terms in the Opinion of both sides, while each Party thinks that there is no true comfort in the others way. *But doth not experience confute you? Do you not see that many have true Christian comfort that are not of your mind?
- *Whether we may be morally sure of our present Justification, the Papists Doctors agree not among themselves, Bellarmine and many others affirm it, and others deny it: as Aureolus (cited by Brianson, in 4. q. 4. fol. 36.) and others that say, no man can know whether his Habits are infused?