A26947:122
A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all…A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all…
A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the cause of the Roman or reformed churches be of God ... containing some arguments by which the meanest may see the vanity of popery, and 40 detections of their fraud, with directions, and materials sufficient for the confutation of their voluminous deceits ... : the second part showeth (especially against the French and Grotians) that the Catholic Church is not united in any merely humane head, either Pope or council / by Richard Baxter, a Catholic Christian and Pastor of a church ...A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the cause of the Roman or reformed churches be of God ... containing some arguments by which the meanest may see the vanity of popery, and 40 detections of their fraud, with directions, and materials sufficient for the confutation of their voluminous deceits ... : the second part sheweth (especially against the French and Grotians) that the Catholick Church is not united in any meerly humane head, either Pope or council / by Richard Baxter, a Catholick Christian and Pastor of a church ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659
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 Reader, if ever thou be tempted to be a Papist, I ⟨p. 13⟩will tell thee what a task thou hast: Look on one side on the Lives of holy men among us, such as was Mr. Dodd, Mr. Paul Bayn, Mr. William Fenner, Mr. Arthur Hildersham, Mr. Robert Bolton, Mr. Greenham, Mr. Hooker, Dr. Sibbs, Dr. Preston, Dr. Stoughton, Mr. Perkins, with many hundreds more; Besides blessed Bradford, Glover, Sanders, Hooper, and the rest that laid down their lives in the flames in testimony against Popery; besides all the thousands that in other Nations have dyed by the Papists hands, because they durst not sin against God; and besides all the Learned holy Divines of other Nations, and the millions of Godly Protestants there; as also look upon all the godly that are now living, men or women, that live in most earnest seeking after God and serving him; look on those about you, enquire of others; read the writings of holy Divines: and then remember, you cannot turn Papist till you have concluded that all these are damned, and are utterly void of saving Grace and the Love of God; If there be but one Protestant that you know, or any one of all that have been, that you take to be in a saving state, you cannot possibly turn Papist, if you know what you do. For it is essential to Popery to contradict all this.
Nay, this is not all: but think of all the Greek Church that lieth under the tyranny of the Turk, and of all the Armenians, and Abasines, and other Christians in the world, that are more in number far then the Papists; and you must conclude, that not one of all these are saved before you can be a Papist. And is this an easy task to one that hath the heart of a man in his breast? If you are no true Christians your selves, dare you conclude that not one of these are true Christians? If you confess that you love not God your selves, dare you say that among the far greater part of the Christians of the world, there is not one man or woman that loves God? This you must say if you will be a Papist.
Nay, this is not all: but think of all the Greek Church that lyeth under the tyranny of the Turk, and of all the Armenians, and Abasines, and other Christians in the world, that are more in number far then the Papists; and you must conclude, that not one of all these are saved before you can be a Papist. And is this an easie task to one that hath the heart of a man in his brest? If you are no true Christians your selves, dare you conclude that not one of these are true Christians? If you confess that you love not God your selves, dare you say that among the far greater part of the Christians of the world, there is not one man or woman that loves God? This you must say if you will be a Papist.