A26947:305
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.
They cannot endure to hear us distinguish the fundamentals (that is, the Essentials) of our Religion from the rest: and therefore they call out to us for a Catalogue of our fundamentals; and would persuade us that whatsoever is matter of faith, is of Necessity to salvation to be believed, and those are damnable Heretics that deny them, and therefore we must not make any such difference. See Knot against Chillingworth. Their design in this is to persuade people that the world must be wholly of their mind in matters of faith, or else they cannot be saved. And by this trick they would prove that the Protestants and many other Churches are all Heretics, and therefore have no place in General Councils, and are no parts of the Catholic Church. But let us consider how judiciously they proceed.
They cannot endure to hear us distinguish the fundamentals (that is, the Essentials) of our Religion from the rest: and therefore they call out to us for a Catalogue of our fundamentals; and would perswade us that whatsoever is matter of faith, is of Necessity to salvation to be believed, and those are damnable Hereticks that deny them, and therefore we must not make any such difference. See Knot against Chillingworth. Their design in this is to perswade people that the world must be wholly of their mind in matters of faith, or else they cannot be saved. And by this trick they would prove that the Protestants and many other Churches are all Hereticks, and therefore have no place in General Councils, and are no parts of the Catholick Church. But let us consider how judiciously they proceed.
1. We must desire the Papists to tell us whether Christianity be any thing or nothing? If any thing, it hath its Essence: and 2. Whether this Essence of Christianity be Knowable or not? If not, then they cannot know a Christian from another: and they cannot know the Church from other Societies. If it be knowable, then its Essence must needs be knowable. 3. And we would be informed by them, whether all true Christians in ⟨p. 64⟩the world are of the same stature or degree of knowledge and explicit belief? If they be, then there's no difference between Fathers and Babes, Strong and Weak, Priest and People; and then the Jesuits have no more Knowledge or Faith then the simplest woman of their Church: but if there be a difference, then 4. We would know whether the Essence of Christianity be varied according to these degrees. If so, then there are as many sorts of Christianity in the world, as there be degrees of Faith; which they have more wit, I suppose, then to affirm. If not, then the Essence of Christianity is distinguishable from the Integrity or superadded Degrees, which is the thing that we contend for. 5. We desire also to know whether the Apostles did not go on to teach their people more, after they had made them Christians, in a state of salvation. And whether the Priests, Fryers, and Jesuits will give men up, and teach them nothing more when they have made them Christians. I know they will say, There's more to be taught. And if so, then the Essentials of Christianity are distinguishable from the Integrals or Degrees. 6. And we would know else how they will understand that in