A26885:198
Catholic unity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one…Catholick vnity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one…
Catholic unity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one religion by Rich. Baxter.Catholick vnity, or, The only way to bring us all to be of one religion by Rich. Baxter.
London: printed by R. W. for Thomas Underhill and Francis Tyton, 1660
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.
AND now having proceeded thus far in the treaty with you, because I will either bring you to Agreement, or leave you at least without excuse, I will here annex some further Reasons to move you, if it may be to so happy a work.
1. Consider I pray you, that if you will not agree with us in the things that you make profession of, and confess to be your duty, you are then treacherous and false to God, and to your selves, and therefore not fit for any to make Agreement with, till you change your minds. Do you know that ⟨p. 155⟩God is best, and yet will you not Love him better then the world? Do you know that Heaven is the only happiness, and yet will you not seek it more then earth? Do you know that an holy life is best, and yet will you be unholy? Do you know sin is the worst and most dangerous thing in the world, and yet will you not let it go? Who will trust such men as you, that will go against their own knowledge and confessions? If you will be false to God, and false to your own souls, no wonder if you be false to us.
2. Moreover all your pretended desires of Unity and Concord are base hypocrisy, as long as you refuse to Unite with us in the way and state of holiness: To take on you that you are troubled at the Divisions of the world, and to wish that we were all of one Religion, and to talk against sects and opinions ⟨p. 156⟩as you do, is mere self-condemning, and such gross dissembling as exposeth you to shame. What! would you have us think you are against Divisions, when you divide from God, and Christ, and the Holy Ghost, from the Scripture, from the holy Catholic Church, and from the Communion of Saints? Can you for shame say that you are for Unity and Agreement, when you are dividing from us, and will not agree with us, unless we will be as mad as you, and damn our souls for company with you? To hear these ungodly men talk against sects and divisions in the Church, is as if we heard a man that hath the leprosy cry out against those that have the itch, or a murderer child another for foul words.