A26947:969
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.
The plain truth is, the Papists and Reformed Catholics are both Christians, and Christianity is enough to save them that mar it not, but keep it practically and predominantly: even as a man that takes poison, and he that taketh none, are both of them men: and he that takes the poison may be said to have all the same parts and members as the other; and yet not be so likely to live, as he that lets it alone: And I cannot say but many that take it may recover: and if you ask me Which be they? I say, All those that timely cast it up again, or else whose strength of Nature prevaileth against it, and keepeth it from mastering the Heart or vital Powers, shall be recovered and live: but those in whom the poison prevaileth and is predominant, shall die. So all those Papists that so receive the Errors of Popery, as either to cast them up again; or that they are not predominant to the subduing of the power of Christian Faith and Holiness, (by keeping them from being sincere, and practical, and predominant) these shall be saved, but not the rest.
The plain truth is, the Papists and Reformed Catholicks are both Christians, and Christianity is enough to save them that mar it not, but keep it practically and predominantly: even as a man that takes poyson, and he that taketh none, are both of them men: and he that takes the poyson may be said to have all the same parts and members as the other; and yet not be so likely to live, as he that lets it alone: And I cannot say but many that take it may recover: and if you ask me Which be they? I say, All those that timely cast it up again, or else whose strength of Nature prevaileth against it, and keepeth it from mastering the Heart or vital Powers, shall be recovered and live: but those in whom the poyson prevaileth and is predominant, shall die. So all those Papists that so receive the Errors of Popery, as either to cast them up again; or that they are not predominant to the subduing of the power of Christian Faith and Holiness, (by keeping them from being sincere, and practical, and predominant) these shall be saved, but not the rest.
Now if upon these grounds, any man shall think that Popery is the safer way, because we say, that they have all that is necessary to salvation (objectively in their Creed) and that a Papist may be saved; upon the same terms that man may be persuaded that it is safest taking poison, because that he hath all the parts of a man that takes it, and possibly nature may prevail, and he may live. But yet I shall choose to let it alone.