Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

The Answer to the Lady Anne Lindsey's Letter to her Mother. Madam! IT pleased the truly honourable Lady your Mother to show me your Letter directed to her from Calais, and to give me leave to send you my Animadversions upon it: which I am the willinger to do, because I perceive you have there contracted the Reasons most commonly used for the perverting of the Ignorant, and which its likely have prevailed most with your self: (You must give me leave to be free and plain with you in the Matters of God and of Salvation). I think it meet to leave the first part of your Letter (of the Point of Obedience) to your Mother's Animadversions: It is the Doctrinal Part that I shall speak to. You say that [Heresies against Faith, expressed by the Name of Sects, cut us off from Heaven, and that an Anathema is on them that preach any other Doctrine than what was preached by the Apostles]. How far Heresy cuts off from the Church, I have distinctly showed you in the end of my Book against Mr. Johnson, on that Question: but while you expect your Mother should consider of your Reasons, you will not your self peruse an Answer to them, which before was tendered you: whom then can you blame if your Soul be cheated. Briefly, you err in Confounding Sects and Heresies, which are not the same. Heresies indeed, which are false Doctrines practically inconsistent with the Essentials of Christian Faith, do cut Men off from a state of Life, or show them to be Aliens: but lesser Errors, called Heresies by ignorant or uncharitable Men, do un-Church none. Herein I plead for you: for if they did, then woe to the Church of Rome, that hath so many Errors: And if it be damnable to be a Sect, all Papists must be damned; they being as certainly a Sect as there is any in the World: A corrupt part of the Universal Church, condemning the rest, and pretending to be it self the whole, is a Sect or Party of Schismatics: but such are the Papists: Therefore they are a Sect, &c. But this is not the worst; You consequently Anathematize all Papists by your Sentence: for Heresies by your own Sentence cut off Men from Heaven: But Popery is a bundle of Heresies: Therefore it cuts off Men from Heaven. The minor I prove according to your Churches Principles, that Doctrine is Heresy which is contrary to a point of Faith: But many of the Papists Doctrines are contrary to Points of Faith: Ergo, &c.

The Answer to the Lady Anne Lindsey's Letter to her Mother. Madam! IT pleased the truly honourable Lady your Mother to shew me your Letter directed to her from Calice, and to give me leave to send you my Animadversions upon it: which I am the willinger to do, because I perceive you have there contracted the Reasons most commonly used for the perverting of the Ignorant, and which its likely have prevailed most with your self: (You must give me leave to be free and plain with you in the Matters of God and of Salvation). I think it meet to leave the first part of your Letter (of the Point of Obedience) to your Mother's Animadversions: It is the Doctrinal Part that I shall speak to. You say that [Heresies against Faith, expressed by the Name of Sects, cut us off from Heaven, and that an Aathema is on them that preach any other Doctrine than what was preached by the Apostles]. How far Heresie cuts off from the Church, I have distinctly shewed you in the end of my Book against Mr. Iohnson, on that Question: but while you expect your Mother should consider of your Reasons, you will not your self peruse an Answer to them, which before was tendered you: whom then can you blame if your Soul be cheated. Briefly, you err in Confounding Sects and Heresies, which are not the same. Heresies indeed, which are false Doctrines practically inconsistent with the Essentials of Christian Faith, do cut Men off from a state of Life, or shew them to be Aliens: but lesser Errours, called Heresies by ignorant or uncharitable Men, do un-Church none. Herein I plead for you: for if they did, then wo to the Church of Rome, that hath so many Errours: And if it be damnable to be a Sect, all Papists must be damned; they being as certainly a Sect as there is any in the World: A corrupt part of the Universal Church, condemning the rest, and pretending to be it self the whole, is a Sect or Party of Schismaticks: but such are the Papists: Therefore they are a Sect, &c. But this is not the worst; You consequently Anathematize all Papists by your Sentance: for Heresies by your own Sentance cut off Men from Heaven: But Popery is a bundle of Heresies: Therefore it cuts off Men from Heaven. The minor I prove according to your Churches Principles, that Doctrine is Heresie which is contrary to a point of Faith: But many of the Papists Doctrines are contrary to Points of Faith: Ergo, &c.