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,…

R. 1. It is no Calumny to charge that on some Papists, which those some do hold. 2. It is perverse charity to receive unproved accusations of others, for fear of suspecting the accusers of calumny. By that rule all the false reports that now fly about in London should be received, if a good man or woman (specially many) have once spoken them. 3. And tell me whether you would have others observe the same rule towards you▪ For instance, you may see in Tolet (a Cardinal Jesuit) on the Romans, that he chargeth the Heretics (as he calleth us) with holding that God doth only Hide or forget our sins, and not impute them to us, but doth not mortify them. Whereas we all hold, that he Remitteth actual sins past by Pardoning them as to the punishment; but that he mortifieth the present habits of sin, and preventeth the Reign of future sin (called Moral sin by them) in such as shall be saved. Which is the same in sense as they hold themselves. So he chargeth us as holding, that we have no Inherent Righteousness after Justification (no not Imperfect) but only Christs Righteousness imputed; and that we hold obedience unnecessary as to our final or continued Justification: All which are false. And shall all the unlearned Papists believe this of us, for fear of an uncharitable suspicion of their Teachers? Multitudes of their Writers falsely charge us with these same errors.

R. 1. It is no Calumny to charge that on some Papists, which those some do hold. 2. It is perverse charity to receive unproved accusations of others, for fear of suspecting the accusers of calumny. By that rule all the false reports that now fly about in London should be received, if a good man or woman (specially many) have once spoken them. 3. And tell me whether you would have others observe the same rule towards you▪ For instance, you may see in Tolet (a Cardinal Jesuit) on the Romans, that he chargeth the Hereticks (as he calleth us) with holding that God doth only Hide or forget our sins, and not impute them to us, but doth not mortifie them. Whereas we all hold, that he Remitteth actual sins past by Pardoning them as to the punishment; but that he mortifieth the present habits of sin, and preventeth the Reign of future sin (called Moral sin by them) in such as shall be saved. Which is the same in sense as they hold themselves. So he chargeth us as holding, that we have no Inherent Righteousness after Justification (no not Imperfect) but only Christs Righteousness imputed; and that we hold obedience unnecessary as to our final or continued Justification: All which are false. And shall all the unlearned Papists believe this of us, for fear of an uncharitable suspicion of their Teachers? Multitudes of their Writers falsly charge us with these same errors.