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,…

For instance, If one of our overdoers hold that we are reputed to have kept all the Law of Innocency and ⟨p. 294⟩merited salvation our selves by Christ, or that no act of faith is Justifying but the accepting of his righteousness, or that faith Justifieth only as the efficient instrumental cause, or that we have no righteousness which hath any thing to do in our Justification, but only Christs imputed Merits, or that mans faith, Love or obedience are not rewardable, &c. how easily will a Papist open the falsehood of such an opinion to the hearers, and then tell them that they may see by this who is in the right. And, alas, what work would one Learned Papist make in London by public disputing, if we had no wiser men to deal with him than these over-doers? They may call Truth and Sobriety Antichristian, and talk nonsense as against Popery successfully to their own party; but I hope never to see the cause managed by their public disputes, lest half the Congregation turn Papists on it at once. If Chillingworth had not been abler to confute a Papist than those that used to calumniate him as Popish or Socinian, he had done less service of that kind than he did. 14. And it is an odious injury that these Over-doers do to the ancient and the universal Church, while in many cases, they (ignorantly or wilfully) reproach and condemn them, as if they were all the favourers of Popery, and call their ancient doctrine and practice Antichristian. Some of them ignorantly falsify the Fathers doctrine, and upon trust from their Leaders aver• that they held that which they plainly contradict: and that which they held indeed, they cry out against as Popery. Such an instance we have newly in a Soldier, Major Danvers, an Anabaptist, which I have detected. And will Christ take it well to have almost all his Church condemned as Antichristian? 15. And hereby what an honour is done to Popery, and what a dishonour to the Reformed Churches, when it shall be concluded that all the Churches heretofore, even next after the age of the Apostles, and almost all the present Churches, were and are against the doctrine of the Protestants, and on the Papists side? And yet how many do us this injury, and the Roman Church this honour?

For instance, If one of our overdoers hold that we are reputed to have kept all the Law of Innocency and ⟨p. 294⟩