A26883:4558
A26883:4558
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.
P. Neighbour, I understand that you are one of those that divulge your defamatory Lamentations of me as inclining to Popery, for some passages which I lately Preached in the City: I pray you speak that to my face which you so freely speak behind my back.
P. NEighbour, I understand that you are one of those that divulge your desamatory Lamentations of me as inclining to Popery, for some passages which I lately Preached in the City: I pray you speak that to my face which you so freely speak behind my back.
S. Sir, the City ringeth of you as one that greatly wrongeth the cause of God, And my own ears heard you say that the difference between us and the Papists is little more than in ambiguous words, and points unsearchable.
P. And this I hear you are one that have divulged, and so it is by such as you that the City is made to ring of it. But if this be an untruth of great aggravation, do you then deserve the title you assume, or are you a fit defender of the truth? or can your Conscience tolerate you herein? That which I said was this: I distinguished the Controversies between us and the Papists into such as depend on a Carnal Interest and Mind, and such as do not, but arise from the mere difficulty of the subject: In the former sort I said our difference is very great, and like to be so; and such are the differences about their Papal power and Church state, their Government, and worship as fitted hereunto; and many doctrines, as that of Purgatory, Indulgences, Auricular Confession abused by them, Transubstantiation, &c. But the other sort of doctrinals are made by many the matter of greater difference than there is cause; such as I named, Predestination, Providence, the cause of sin, mans power, and free-will, Grace, certainty of salvation, and I might have added, Justification and Merit as held by their Church and most of the Schoolmen: not that here is no difference indeed; but that long study hath made me certain that it is more in words than is commonly conceived: And this Truth is fit to be spoken though the mistaken be offended by it. Yea in these matters the Papists differ among themselves as much as with us. Dare you deny that these were my words? If you do you are a falsifier.
P. And this I hear you are one that have divulged, and so it is by such as you that the City is made to ring of it. But if this be an untruth of great aggravation, do you then deserve the title you assume, or are you a fit defender of the truth? or can your Conscience tolerate you herein? That which I said was this: I distinguished the Controversies between us and the Papists into such as depend on a Carnal Interest and Mind, and such as do not, but arise from the meer difficulty of the subject: In the former sort I said our difference is very great, and like to be so; and such are the differences about their Papal power and Church state, their Government, and worship as fitted hereunto; and many doctrines, as that of Purgatory, Indulgences, Auricular Confession abused by them, Transubstantiation, &c. But the other sort of doctrinals are made by many the matter of greater difference than there is cause; such as I named, Predestination, Providence, the cause of sin, mans power, and fre-will, Grace, certainty of salvation, and I might have added, Justification and Merit as held by their Church and most of the Schoolmen: not that here is no difference indeed; but that long study hath made me certain that it is more in words than is commonly conceived: And this Truth is fit to be spoken though the mistaken be offended by it. Yea in these matters the Papists differ among themselves as much as with us. Dare you deny that these were my words? If you do you are a falsifier.
S. When you speak so cloudily, who can remember every word you say?
S. When you speak so clowdily, who can remember every word you say?
P. Is not this plain English? Peruse it and consider. And dare you carry false reports abroad on pretence of pious zeal, and then say, You cannot remember? Why would you report that which you cannot remember? Why would you not stay till you had helped your memory, by speaking with me or some one that could have informed you? But are not we in a hard case with such hearers as you, when we must look to be as oft belied as your understanding or your memory faileth? because your loose Conscience faileth with them: which is very oft.
P. Is not this plain English? Peruse it and consider. And dare you carry false reports abroad on pretence of pious zeal, and then say, You cannot remember? Why would you report that which you cannot remember? Why would you not stay till you had helpt your memory, by speaking with me or some one that could have informed you? But are not we in a hard case with such hearers as you, when we must look to be as oft belyed as your understanding or your memory faileth? because your loose Conscience faileth with them: which is very oft.
S. I am not alone in judging thus of you; City and Country ring of it: what company can one come into where you are not talked of? I daily hear good people lament you: and the best they say is, that God useth to let those men fall foully in some things who have been extraordinarily serviceable, that men may not idolize them.
S. I am not alone in judging thus of you; City and Countrey ring of it: what company can one come into where you are not talkt of? I daily hear good people lament you: and the best they say is, that God useth to let those men fall fouly in some things who have been extraordinarily serviceable, that men may not idolize them.
P. They that know me but half as well as I know my self, will know that I have enough to abase me before God and man: But will that warrant a course of lying and backbiting in others? Do you partly receive, and partly make and propagate false reports, and then plead the Commonness for your excuse? He that set London on fire might so have excused himself because the flame was common when he had caused it. The effect and prospering of your sin should humble you, and not seem to justify you. But yet I must tell you that Backbiting Sectaries are not the greater part of London: There are many sober people that are ashamed of your sin and folly. I will make this friendly motion to you: Instead of backbiting, Let us here to one another's faces, so friendly admonish each other of that which we take to be sin, as may help to bring each other to repentance: And do you begin, Tell me of all the evil that you know by me.
P. They that know me but half as well as I know my self, will know that I have enough to abase me before God and man: But will that warrant a course of lying and backbiting in others? Do you partly receive, and partly make and propagate false reports, and then plead the Commonness for your excuse? He that set London on fire might so have excused himself because the flame was common when he had caused it. The effect and prospering of your sin should humble you, and not seem to justifie you. But yet I must tell you that Backbiting Sectaries are not the greater part of London: There are many sober people that are ashamed of your sin and folly. I will make this friendly motion to you: Instead of backbiting, Let us here to one anothers faces, so friendly admonish each other of that which we take to be sin, as may help to bring each other to repentance: And do you begin, Tell me of all the evil that you know by me.
S. I have nothing to accuse you of, but that your Principles are too large, and you vent them too freely, and thereby you harden Papists, and dishonour the Protestant cause, and wrong free grace, and the Righteousness of Christ, by your doctrine of Justification and mans Righteousness; And by coming so near Conformity, you grieve the hearts of good people, and may bring persecution on those that cannot do as you can.
P. 1. About Conformity, forbear me here, for I must deal with you of that by it self elsewhere. 2. As to my doctrine of Justification, if I have not fully justified it elsewhere, I shall not now on this occasion. 3. But whether you or I be righter about Popery, let us now debate. Have you read my Safe Relig. and my Key for Catholics, and my Treatise of the Certainty of Christianity without Popery, and my late Dialogue, and my Treat. against Johnson of the Visibility of the Church? and others against Popery?
P. 1. About Conformity, forbear me here, for I must deal with you of that by it self elsewhere. 2. As to my doctrine of Justification, if I have not fully justified it elsewhere, I shall not now on this occasion. 3. But whether you or I be righter about Popery, let us now debate. Have you read my Safe Relig. and my Key for Catholicks, and my Treatise of the Certainty of Christianity without Popery, and my late Dialogue, and my Treat. against Johnson of the Visibility of the Church? and others against Popery?
S. I have somewhat else to do than read all your Writings.
P. Why have you not then somewhat else to do than hear me, and backbite me, and judge of things which you have not leisure to understand? Do we not still deal on hard terms with such men as you? that neither speaking nor writing can make them know our minds? Have all your party that revile me, done more each one against Popery than I have done? But if this be all that you have to call me to repentance for, I have a great deal more to say against my self; And now I will deal faithfully with you: ⟨p. 285⟩I beseech you try, whether it be not necessary that you speedily repent of all these following sins: 1. What a shame is it for one that would be taken for a Religious man to be so Ignorant as you are, and no better know the truth of Christ, from the errors of Popery, than (it appeareth) you do? 2. What a sin for one so Ignorant to be so rash and bold in venturing to judge of that which he understandeth not? 3. What a sin is it for one so Ignorant to be so proud of his pretended knowledge, as to venture to defame his Teachers for contradicting him in his erroneous conceits? Have you studied these things as long and hard as I have done? or are you sure that you have done it more in partially; and that God hath illuminated you so much more, as your confidence would import? 4. What an unchristian crime is it, to make lies and carry them abroad of your Teachers, and then be forced to confess, that it was the failing of your memory as to what you heard? 5. What a sin is it to be a backbiter? Neither you, nor any one of your quality did ever come to my face either to know my meaning, or to hear what I had to say, nor to reprove my sin, or convince me of my error. 6. Is not unrighteousness a sin, in your judging and reports, as it is in public Judgements? Should not a man be heard before he be condemned? especially a Minister of Christ? 7. What a sin is it to receive false reports from others, and encourage backbites whom you should rebuke and frown away? 8. What a heinous sin is it thus to destroy the Hearers souls, and as those that have the Plague, to carry your infection from house to house, and kill mens Love, and breed in them false conceits and bitter injurious thoughts of others? 9. What a sin is it with such unthankfulness to requite Christs servants that spend their days, and strength, and estates in labouring for mens good?
P. Why have you not then somewhat else to do than hear me, and backbite me, and judge of things which you have not leisure to understand? Do we not still deal on hard terms with such men as you? that neither speaking nor writing can make them know our minds? Have all your party that revile me, done more each one against Popery than I have done? But if this be all that you have to call me to repentance for, I have a great deal more to say against my self; And now I will deal faithfully with you:
When I take none of your money, when I have these twelve years preached (as I had liberty) freely without hire; when I had been put on to plead the Non-conformists Cause in the costliest circumstances, and to bear the greatest odium for it; when I was I think the first that was silenced on such accounts; when I have been twelve or fourteen years deprived of all Ecclesiastical maintenance; when I refused a Bishopric▪ when I have laboured in Writings and other duties to the consuming of my flesh in daily and hourly pain and weakness, and now look every Sermon for my last, and am ready to appear before my Judge: to be to the very last thus calumniated and reviled by peevish Sectaries, would be a sad reward, were your favour my reward! But is this just or grateful? or shall the unrighteous and unthankful be accounted the best men? I know I could have been one of the highest in your favour and applause, if I would have humoured and followed you: But I had rather that God should keep me from your honour, than buy it at so dear a rate. 10. And is it no sin thus to hinder the success of our labours, by making us odious or suspected by them that should profit by us? 11. Is it not hypocrisy, to cry out of the Bishops for silencing us, when you show that you would fain do it your selves? Would not you silence me now if it were in your power? Yea, I doubt not but when I die, some of you will rejoice and say, that God did it in judgement on me. ⟨p. 286⟩12. And thus to make divisions among Christians, that should hold the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, will one day be known to be a sin. 13. And so it is hereby to harden the enemies of Religion, by your clamours and the divisions which you cause; and tempt them to hate both you and us. 14. And it is worst of all to father all this on God, and Truth and Godliness, and use such holy Names for so bad a Cause. 15. And it aggravateth your sin, that you take no more notice of all those plain and terrible Scriptures, which as openly condemn your sin, as the sin of Drunkards or Swearers is condemned: were it but James 3. it would leave you utterly without excuse. 16. Yea, and that you can see the sins of such Drunkards and Swearers, yea, and see the Mote in the eyes of one that doth but use a Form or Ceremony which you dislike, and cannot see these Beams in your own. For all these sins I admonish you presently to repent.
S. Who is it that is censorious? you or I? It is sin with you to open your sin.
P. I desired you to open it: But see now how hard a work Repentance is, when in a Professor such sins as these will not be confessed.
S. Well, come to the cause it self: Is it I or you that comply with Papists?