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,…

P. 1. Come on then, let Conscience be a while unmuzzled: Why do you so much praise those of your own Church or Opinion? Why praise you so much the Ministers and people that are of your way? Why do you make a difference between them and such as are against you? 2. Why do you so aggravate the sin of those that vilify, deride and persecute you? Why call you the Saints, the precious ones on earth, Gods treasure and peculiar people? 3. Why were you lately so angry with the Ecclesiastical Politician, the Debate-maker, and other such Books, which vilify men whom you and I have better thoughts of, if they deserve no more praise than the vilest men? 4. Why were you so angry lately when you heard of one that reproached you? and so pleased with one that proclaimed your wisdom and goodness, and took your part? 5. And if good actions deserve not praise from God himself, why doth he praise them so greatly in his Word? Why will he say before all the world, Well done good and faithful servant? &c. 1. Dare you call God Ignorant Legalist? or charge him with mistakes? 2. Doth not every thing and person deserve to be thought and called just as it is? Else lying or silence must be the virtue, and Truth the Vice. 3. Is there no more good in a Saint than in a Devil? If there be, doth it not deserve to be called just as it is? 4. May not he who deserveth Hell by the Law of Works or Innocency, be yet Morally fit for, that is, Worthy of Heaven, according to the Law of Grace, which pardoneth his sins, and freely giveth him Christ and Life? 5. Doth not God praise his Servants more than the Devil or wicked men do? And will you not please the Devil and Malignants, to tell them the contrary? And is it not the mark of a just man, that a vile person is contemned in his eyes, but he honoureth them that fear the Lord, Psal. 15. 4. Doth not God himself praise Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Job, &c. Wrangle not against the unresistible Light. Our light must so shine before men, that they may see our good works, and glorify our heavenly Father, Matth. 5. 16. Christ will come at last to be glorified in his Saints, and admired in all them that do believe, because the Gospel was believed by them, 2 Thess. 1. 10, 11. No man hath seen God at any time in his Essence; ⟨p. 234⟩