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,…

S. Well, come to the cause it self: Is it I or you that comply with Papists?

P. I make that the business of this Conference with you: It is not you only, but some wiser men than you, that look so much at the evil of Popery, that they forget the evil of an unrighteous opposition, and of the other extreme: And they do as one that by labouring to cure another of a Dead Palsy, casteth himself into a Frenzy or a Fever: or like one that to avoid a Carrion that stinketh in the Ditch, doth run himself into the Ditch on the other side the way. Gods Truth must be vindicated only by Truth; and Wisdom is best justified of her own children by Wisdom. God hath no pleasure in fools, no• doth his Glory need our lye. There is a time when the Devil will seem to be against error and sin (and so against Popery): but it is in a way which shall promote it: which commonly is by ill-doing and over-doing. I tell you plainly, the Cause of Truth and Reformation gets nothing by some men that se•m most zealous for it. For an unstudied half-wise honest Minister or private man to believe false reports of the Papists, and to mis-state Controversies, and to rail on them on such suppositions, and to mix many errors of his own in his opposition, and to backbite those that know more of the matter, as symbolizing with the Papists, this is certainly serving the Devil, how honest soever the instruments in the main may be.

P. I make that the business of this Conference with you: It is not you only, but some wiser men than you, that look so much at the evil of Popery, that they forget the evil of an unrighteous opposition, and of the other extream: And they do as one that by labouring to cure another of a Dead Palsie, casteth himself into a Phrensie or a Feaver: or like one that to avoid a Carrion that stinketh in the Ditch, doth run himself into the Ditch on the other side the way. Gods Truth must be vindicated only by Truth; and Wisdom is best justified of her own children by Wisdom. God hath no pleasure in fools, no• doth his Glory need our lye. There is a time when the Devil will seem to be against error and sin (and so against Popery): but it is in a way which shall promote it: which commonly is by ill-doing and over-doing. I tell you plainly, the Cause of Truth and Reformation gets nothing by some men that sem most zealous for it. For an unstudied half-wise honest Minister or private man to believe false reports of the Papists, and to mis-state Controversies, and to rail on them on such suppositions, and to mix many errors of his own in his opposition, and to backbite those that know more of the matter, as symbolizing with the Papists, this is certainly serving the Devil, how honest soever the instruments in the main may be.