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,…

You would not be otherwise dealt with your self; nor have the Protestant Religion (or the Non-conformists) charged with every unseasoned or unwarrantable sentence, of the many weak Writers that have self-esteem enough to obtrude their sentiments upon the world. The Papists have too many errors, and too great: you need not feign them to be more or greater than they are. 3. And I would persuade you not to take all that live under the Roman power and are called Papists to be of the same mind or rank, nor to damn any more than you are sure Christ will damn: but to consider what the Judicious Dr. Field undertaketh (and B. Morton in his Apology hath performed) even to prove that there are no considerable doctrines which constitute the Protestant Religion as different from Popery, which were not before Luther's Reformation defended by the greatest Doctors in the Church of Rome, though the defenders of them were discountenanced and born down by the Papal faction by power and violence. 4. And I would persuade you to believe that the name of Antichrist will not warrant you to lay by that Love and meekness and Justice which is due to mankind, yea and which heathens used to each other, and which you would have all men use to you: The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle to all men, apt to teach, patient (or forbearing,) in meekness instructing opposers, 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25. and if it be possible, as much as in you lieth, you must live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12. 18. and therefore ⟨p. 292⟩follow peace with all, Heb. 10. 14. At least make Conscience of rash calumniating and slandering the worst. 5. And as to the texts that you refer to, I wish you better to study them, and you will find that they were not spoken of the Papists then, but of the Heretics or Sectaries of that age: It was the Nicolaitans and such others that are likened to Jezebel, as the text showeth you: And it was such as they, called Carpocratians, and Gnostics that denied or subverted the faith which Christians were earnestly to contend for: And we would have you zealously defend Christianity, without Lukewarmness: but not to abuse the world so much, as to •eign all your dreams or opinions to be Christianity or the faith.