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A26962:339

Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth,…Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth,…

Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental error of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental errour of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed for N. Simmons, 1677

196, [8] p. · 61k words · Wing B1315 · ESTC R13884

Title page: Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy, digitized by the Internet Archive (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

Chapter 5: The true History of the Papacy, its original and growth.

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.

[ Earlier:336–351 of 699

:336p. 128

Here let the Reader note, 1. That Fools judge of Differences in Religion by the noise that it makes in the World; but men of Reason judge of it by the greatness and number of the points of Difference. Verily our Differences here in England, and the Neighbour Protestant Churches, have showed in us much personal peevishness, unskilfulness, and other faults; but in my judgment they are such as greatly commend our real concord in the same Religion, and partly our Conscience in valuing it, and being loth to lose it.

Here let the Reader note, 1. That Fools judge of Differences in Religion by the noise that it makes in the World; but men of Reason judge of it by the greatness and number of the points of Difference. Verily our Differences here in England, and the Neighbour Protestant Churches, have shewed in us much personal peevishness, unskilfulness, and other faults; but in my judgment they are such as greatly commend our real concord in the same Religion, and partly our Conscience in valuing it, and being loth to lose it.

:337p. 128–129

If you see Latin Grammarians reviling one another, about the spelling or pronunciation of a word or two, and critically contending with Varro, Gellius, &c. which is the right, when a man that never knew a word of Latin but Welsh or Irish, never strove about such Questions in his life; which of these will you think have more ⟨p. 129⟩agreement in their Language? I would say that those men that disagree but about the pronunciation of a few words are very much agreed, in comparison of a Barbarian, that agreeth not with them in a Sentence or a Word. Even the old Schoolmen were in Language more agreed with Erasmus, Faber, Hutten, and other Critical Grammarians that derided them, than any illiterate man was with any of them. All Gruterus his Volumes of Grammatical Controversies, show not so much distance in Language, as the peaceable silence of an unlearned man doth.

If you see Latine Grammarians reviling one another, about the spelling or pronunciation of a word or two, and critically contending with Varro, Gellius, &c. which is the right, when a man that never knew a word of Latine but Welch or Irish, never strove about such Questions in his life; which of these will you think have more

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Position

Cited: :339
On this page: :336–351
Section: :220–348
Whole work: 699 passages

Cite

Richard Baxter, Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth,… (London, 1677), ch. 5, pp. 129–130. EEBO-TCP A26962.

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The book

Title as printed: Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental error of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental errour of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...
Author: Richard Baxter 1615–1691
Place: London
Bookseller: N. Simmons
Year: 1677
Size: 196, [8] p.
Words: 60,859
Catalogue: Wing B1315 · ESTC R13884
Text: EEBO-TCP A26962

Passages: 699
Sections: 22

:339p. 129–130

When I hear religious persons contentiously censuring each other, about some little points of Ceremony, Order, Discipline, or Form, which are but the fimbria, or the Welts and Laces of Religion, I am angry at their weakness and defect of love; but I must needs think that there is very great concord in the Faith and Religion (Objective) of these men, who differ about no greater matters than such as these. If men that were building a Palace would fall together by the Ears, only about the driving of a Pin, I should marvel at their concord that differed in no more; though I could wish them, like wrangling Children, whipped for their folly and frowardness till they were quiet. The great things that Protestants have paltrily wrangled about, are, 1. The Doctrinal Controversies called Arminian: 2. And the matters ⟨p. 130⟩of Discipline. and Ceremonies. The former I have showed lately in a large Volume, hath much more of verbal than of real difference, and is cherished by the ambiguity of words, and the unskilfulness of too many to discuss those ambiguities, and find out exactly the true state of the Controversy: It is oft but Stubble that maketh the greatest blaze.

When I hear religious persons contentiously censuring each other, about some little points of Ceremony, Order, Discipline, or Form, which are but the fimbria, or the Welts and Laces of Religion, I am angry at their weakness and defect of love; but I must needs think that there is very great concord in the Faith and Religion (Objective) of these men, who differ about no greater matters than such as these. If men that were building a Palace would fall together by the Ears, only about the driving of a Pin, I should marvel at their concord that differed in no more; though I could wish them, like wrangling Children, whipt for their folly and frowardness till they were quiet. The great things that Protestants have paltrily wrangled about, are, 1. The Doctrinal Controversies called Arminian: 2. And the matters ⟨p. 130⟩of Discipline. and Ceremonies. The former I have shewed lately in a large Volume, hath much more of verbal than of real difference, and is cherished by the ambiguity of words, and the unskilfulness of too many to discuss those ambiguities, and find out exactly the true state of the Controversie: It is oft but Stubble that maketh the greatest blaze.

:346p. 132

Reader, doth not this tell you whence much of our late Atheism and Infidelity cometh, and what it tendeth to? I tell thee not the words of a Novice, but a person chosen to have seduced our King, when he was Prince, in Spain. And is not this way very suitable to the end? How must men become Papists? Boverius will teach you: First suspect all Religion, and with your very Mind and will cease to believe that there is a God, or that he is Powerful, Wise or Good, or that we are his Creatures and Subjects, or that there is any Heaven or Hell or Life to come, or that Christ is not a Deceiver but a Saviour, or that any of the Bible is true: Cease from Loving, Fearing, Obeying or trusting God, and from loving man for his sake: Cease praying to him, and forbearing any wickedness, injustice, cruelty, perjury or filthiness as being forbidden by him, and this as long as you are searching after the truth.] Verily this devilish counsel is so notoriously followed now by some, that we may fear what truth it is that they are searching after. Certainly this way is of the Devil, and how it can lead to God I know not. I love Cartesian Philosophy the worse because its principle is so congruous to this.

Reader, doth not this tell you whence much of our late Atheism and Infidelity cometh, and what it tendeth to? I tell thee not the words of a Novice, but a person chosen to have seduced our King, when he was Prince, in Spain. And is not this way very suitable to the end? How must men become Papists? Boverius will teach you: First suspect all Religion, and with your very Mind and will cease to believe that there is a God, or that he is Powerfull, Wise or Good, or that we are his Creatures and Subjects, or that there is any Heaven or Hell or Life to come, or that Christ is not a Deceiver but a Saviour, or that any of the Bible is true: Cease from Loving, Fearing, Obeying or trusting God, and from loving man for his sake: Cease praying to him, and forbearing any wickedness, injustice, cruetly, perjury or filthiness as being forbidden by him, and this as long as you are searching after the truth.] Verily this devilish counsel is so notoriously followed now by some, that we may fear what truth it is that they are searching after. Certainly this way is of the Devil, and how it can lead to God I know not. I love Cartesian Philosophy the worse because its principle is so congruous to this.