Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…

S. Is not the Church of Ephesus commended, Rev. 2. 3. that could not bear them that were evil, and that tried false Apostles and found them liars; and are they not blamed that did bear with the woman Jezebel and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? And if God hate such doctrine, so must we.

S. Is not the Church of Ephesus commended, Rev. 2. 3. that could not bear them that were evil, and that tryed false Apostles and found them lyars; and are they not blamed that did bear with the woman Jezabel and the doctrine of the Nicolaitans? And if God hate such doctrine, so must we.

P. All this is true and good; but do not you misapply it to defend your uncharitableness, or error? I am not persuading you to Indifferency as to truth and falsehood, good and evil, nor to abate your hatred of Idolatry or such doctrine of wickedness and uncleanness as the Nicolaitan's was; nor yet to corrupt the Churches by neglecting Discipline. We would have a man that is an Heretic rejected after the first and second admonition: Bear not with any such evil in your Church Communion which should be cast out, and maketh men uncapable of Communion, (so far as it is in your power regularly to cast out such.) But as you must not take such for enemies, but still afford them a common sort of Charity, so you must not on this pretence, in your ignorance and rashness rave against truth or harmless things, or your Brethren that think not in all things as you do; nor call that Popery which sober wiser men than you, (yea, almost all Christs Church on earth) do take to be sound doctrine, or laudable practice. It is the shame of the party among us that most inclineth to separation, when sober understanding men shall hear an ignorant fellow or woman with confident boldness, rail at a controverted Doctrine, or a Form of Prayer, or Ceremony as Popery, and admonish their Teachers not to receive the Mark of the Beast, when they do but show their pride and ignorance, in overvaluing their own conceptions and unfurnished understandings, and vilifying the knowledge of others in their dark presumption. If you would bring such lesser errors under Church Discipline or Separation, on pretence of not bearing with them that are evil, it is you your selves that would soonest be found worthy to be separated from or cast out, who credit Popery by placing it in sound, good, decent or harmless things, and corrupt Doctrine and Worship by your▪ Errors and Superstitions, which you run into on the contrary extreme.

P. All this is true and good; but do not you misapply it to defend your uncharitableness, or error? I am not perswading you to Indifferency as to truth and falshood, good and evil, nor to abate your hatred of Idolatry or such doctrine of wickedness and uncleanness as the Nicolaitan's was; nor yet to corrupt the Churches by neglecting Discipline. We would have a man that is an Heretick rejected after the first and second admonition: Bear not with any such evil in your Church Communion which should be cast out, and maketh men uncapable of Communion, (so far as it is in your power regularly to cast out such.) But as you must not take such for enemies, but still afford them a common sort of Charity, so you must not on this pretence, in your ignorance and rashness rave against truth or harmless things, or your Brethren that think not in all things as you do; nor call that Popery which sober wiser men than you, (yea, almost all Christs Church on earth) do take to be sound doctrine, or laudable practice. It is the shame of the party among us that most inclineth to separation, when sober understanding men shall hear an ignorant fellow or woman with confident boldness, rail at a controverted Doctrine, or a Form of Prayer, or Ceremony as Popery, and admonish their Teachers not to receive the Mark of the Beast, when they do but shew their pride and ignorance, in overvaluing their own conceptions and unfurnished understandings, and vilifying the knowledge of others in their dark presumption. If you would bring such lesser errors under Church Discipline or Separation, on pretence of not bearing with them that are evil, it is you your selves that would soonest be found worthy to be separated from or cast out, who credit Popery by placing it in sound, good, decent or harmless things, and corrupt Doctrine and Worship by your▪ Errors and Superstitions, which you run into on the contrary extream.

S. Your lax and loose principles would cast out all Discipline out of the Church.

S. Your laxe and loose principles would cast out all Discipline out of the Church.

FINIS.