A26962:619
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 ...
London: printed for N. Simmons, 1677
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.
XI. Our Religion owneth a certain lawful Government appointed by God, which well used may keep just order in the world: That is, Parents in Families, Pastors in such particular Churches as Christ hath instituted, (as join for personal Communion in holy Doctrine, Worship and Conversation;) which they are indeed capable of Overseeing and Governing by Sacred Doctrine in Christs way: And Associations or Correspondencies of these Pastors for concord; And Princes and Magistrates to keep peace and order among them all; Governing Glergie-men as they do Philosophers, ⟨p. 190⟩Physicians, &c. But yours hath an Utopian pretended Government of men on the other side the world, whose Countries you scarce ever heard or dreamed of; and an Usurpation of an impossible confounding kind and degree of Rule.
XII. Our Religion is fitted to give Glory to Christ, and his Grace and Kingdom. But yours to set up Proud Usurpers over Princes and People, in such an impossible Government making Subjection to him, necessary to salvation. As if a man unacquainted with Cosmography that never heard that there was such a Town as Rome in the world, must be no Christian and be damned: when yet the Popes name was never mentioned in our Baptism.
XIII. Our Religion is Faith working by Love. Christs Ministers that are truly of our Religion, take only convincing evidence of Truth, and unfeigned love, and works of love, to be their means of winning Souls: And they take not Christs Discipline, which worketh only on the conscience, to be a leaden Sword, or vain. But yours is a hanging killing Religion; Jails, Strappado's, Exterminating, and Burning men are your means and works of love. You take a Bonfire, or the Ashes of the Bodies of such as will not believe in the Pope, to be a great Medicine to save the peoples Souls. Such Murders as were done on the Albigenses, Waldenses, in the Inquisitions, the French and Irish Massacres, Smithfield Flames, Piedmont, &c. are your proof that you love God and Man, and some of your good works.