Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Title page – List of scriptural passages
RICHARD BAXTER'S Catholick Theologie: PLAIN, PURE, PEACEABLE: FOR PACIFICATION Of the DOGMATICAL WORD-WARRIOURS, Who, 1. By contending about things unrevealed or not underſtood, 2. And by taking VERBAL differences for REAL, and their arbitrary Notions for neceſſary Sacred Truths, deceived and deceiving by Ambiguous unexplained WORDS, have long been the Shame of the Chriſtian Religion, a Scandal and hardning to unbelievers, the Incendiaries, Dividers and Diſtracters of the Church, the occaſion of State Diſcords and Wars, the Corrupters of the Chriſtian Faith, and the Subverters of their own Souls, and their followers, calling them to a blind Zeal, and Wrathful Warfare, againſt true Piety, Love and Peace, and teaching them to cenſure, backbite, ſlander, and prate againſt each other, for things which they never underſtood. In Three BOOKS.
I. PACIFYING PRINCIPLES, about Gods Decrees, Fore-Knowledge, Providence, Operations, Redemption, Grace, Mans Power, Free-will, Juſtification, Merits, Certainty of Salvation, Perſeverance, &c.
II. A PACIFYING PRAXIS or Dialogue, about the Five Articles, Juſtification, &c. Proving that men here contend almoſt only about Ambiguous words, and unrevealed things.
III. PACIFYING DISPUTATIONS againſt ſome Real Errors which hinder Reconciliation, viz. About Phyſical Predetermination, Original Sin, the extent of Redemption, Sufficient Grace, Imputation of Righteouſneſs, &c.
Written chiefly for Poſterity, when ſad Experience hath taught men to hate Theological Logical Wars, and to love, and ſeek, and call for Peace. (Ex Bello Pax.)
LONDON, Printed by Robert White, for Nevill Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard. MDCLXXV.
I intreat the WRATHFUL, CONTENTIOUS, ZEALOUS DOGMATISTS conſcientiouſly to ſtudy theſe Texts of Scripture:
MATTH. 28. 19, 20. Go, Teach all Nations, Baptizing them into the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoſt; Teaching them to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded you. Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth and is Baptized ſhall be ſaved. Acts 11. 26. The Diſciples were called Chriſtians.
1 Cor. 15. 1, 2, 3, 4. I declare to you the Goſpel which I preached to you, which alſo you have received, and wherein ye ſtand, by which alſo ye are ſaved, if ye keep in memory what I preached to you, unleſs ye have believed in vain—That Chriſt dyed for our ſins,—and that he was buryed, and that he roſe again the third day—
2 Tim. 1. 13. Hold faſt the FORM of ſound words, which thou haſt heard of me, in FAITH and LOVE which is in Chriſt Jeſus.
1 John 4. 15. Whoſoever ſhall confeſs that Jeſus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Rom. 10. 9, 10. If thou confeſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and believe in thy Heart that God hath raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved: For with the Heart man believeth unto Righteouſneſs, and with the Mouth confeſſion is made to ſalvation.
Acts 8. 37. If thou believeſt with all thy heart thou maiſt (be baptized) And he ſaid—I believe that Jeſus Chriſt is the Son of God.
Rom. 14. 1. 17, 18, 19. Him that is weak in the Faith receive, but not to doubtful diſputations—For the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but Righteouſneſs, Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghoſt: For he that in theſe things ſerveth Chriſt, is acceptable to God, and approved of men: Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edifie another. Rom. 15. 5, 6, 7. Now the God of patience and conſolation grant you to be like minded one towards another (or, mind the ſame thing one with another) according to Chriſt Jeſus; That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorifie God.—Wherefore Receive ye one another as Chriſt alſo received us, to the glory of God.
1 Tim. 1. 3, 4, 5. Charge ſome that they teach NO OTHER doctrine, nor give heed to fables and endleſs Genealogies, which miniſter Queſtions, rather than godly edifying, which is in faith: Now the End of the Commandment is Charity, out of a pure heart and of a good conſcience, and of faith unfeigned: From which ſome having ſwerved, have turned aſide to vain janglings.
1 Tim. 6. 3, 4, 5, 6. If any man teach OTHERWISE, and conſent not to wholſome words, the words of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and to the doctrine which is according to Godlineſs, he is PROUD, KNOWING NOTHING, but DOTING about Queſtions, and STRIFES of WORDS, whereof cometh envy, ſtrife, railings, evil ſurmiſings, perverſe diſputings of men of corrupt minds, and deſtitute of the truth, ſuppoſing that gain is godlineſs, (or thinking that godlineſs is advantage;) from ſuch turn away.
2 Tim. 2. 22, 23, 24. Follow righteouſneſs, ſaith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart: But fooliſh and unlearned Queſtions avoid, knowing that they do gender ſtrifes: and the ſervant of the Lord muſt not ſtrive. V. 15, 16, 17. Study to ſhew thy ſelf approved unto God, a workman that needeth not be aſhamed, RIGHTLY DIVIDING the word of truth: But ſhun profane and vain bablings: for they will increaſe to more ungodlineſs, and their word will eat as doth a canker.
2 Tim. 2. 14. Charging them before the Lord, that they STRIVE not about WORDS, to no profit, to the ſubverting of the hearers.
1 Cor. 8. 2, 3. If any man think that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing as he ought to know: But if any man LOVE GOD, the ſame is KNOWN OF HIM.
Jam. 3. 1, 13, &c. My Brethren, Be not Many Maſters, knowing that we ſhall receive the greater condemnation—Who is a wiſe man, and indued with knowledge among you? Let him ſhew out of a good converſation his WORKS with meekneſs of wiſdom. But if ye have bitter zeal (or envying) and ſtrife in your hearts, Glory not, and Lye not againſt the truth. This WISDOM deſcendeth not from above, but is earthly, ſenſual, deviliſh: For where envying and ſtrife is, there is confuſion and every evil work: But the wiſdom from above is firſt pure, then peaceable, gentle, eaſie to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocriſie: And the fruit of Righteouſneſs is ſown in Peace of them that make Peace.
Acts 15. 28. It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt and to us *But not to Church-Tyrants, Dogmatiſts or ſuperſtitious ones.to lay upon you no greater burden than theſe neceſſary things—
Phil. 3. 15, 16, 17. Let us as many as be perfect be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwiſe (or diverſly, or contrarily) minded, God ſhall reveal even this unto you. Nevertheleſs whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the ſame rule, let us mind the ſame thing.
Phil. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4. If there be any conſolation in Chriſt, if any comfort of love, if any fellowſhip of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded, having the ſame Love, being of one accord, of one mind: Let nothing be done through ſtrife, or vain glory; but in lowlineſs of mind, let each eſteem other better than themſelves: Look not every man on his own things, but every man alſo on the things of others: Let this mind be in you, which was alſo in Chriſt Jeſus—Who—made himſelf of no reputation.
1 Cor. 1. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Now I beſeech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt that ye ſpeak the ſame thing, and that there be no diviſions among you: but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the ſame mind, and in the ſame judgement: For it hath been declared to me of you brethren—that there are contentions among you—that every one of you ſaith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Chriſt: Is Chriſt divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were you baptized into the name of Paul? I thank God, that I baptized none of you, &c.
1 Cor. 3. 1, 2, 3, 4. I could not ſpeak to you as unto ſpiritual, but as unto carnal, as to babes in Chriſt—For whereas there is among you envying, and ſtrife, and diviſions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? See Eph. 4. 1, &c. after.
John 17. 20, 21, 22, 23. I pray—for them which ſhall believe on me—that they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in Thee, that they alſo may be One in us, that the world may believe that thou haſt ſent me. And the glory which thou gaveſt me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them as thou haſt loved me.
Matth. 5. 9. Bleſſed are the Peace-makers, for they ſhall be called the children of God.
Rom. 12. 18. If it be poſſible, as much as in you lyeth, live peaceably with all men.
2 Cor. 12. 20, 21. I fear leſt when I come I ſhall not find you ſuch as I would—leſt there be debates, envyings, wraths, ſtrifes, backbitings, whiſperings, ſwellings, tumults—Leſt God will humble me among you, and I ſhall bewail many, &c.
Gal. 5. 19, 20. The works of the fleſh are manifeſt—hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, ſtrife, ſeditions, hereſies, envyings—
1 Cor. 14. 33. God is not the Author of Confuſion, but of Peace, as in all Churches of the Saints.
Acts 20. 30. Of your own ſelves ſhall men ariſe, ſpeaking perverſe things to draw away diſciples after them.
Phil. 1. 15, 16. Some indeed preach Chriſt even of envy and ſtrife, and ſome alſo of good will: The one preach Chriſt of contention, not ſincerely—
Rom. 16. 17, 18. Now I beſeech you brethren, Mark them which cauſe diviſions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned, and avoid them: For they that are ſuch, ſerve not our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, but their own bellies: and by good words and fair ſpeeches, deceive the hearts of the ſimple.
Luke 9. 55. Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of—
The Angelical Goſpel of the Ends of Chriſts Incarnation, Luke 2. 19. GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST: ON EARTH PEACE, GOOD WILL TO MEN (or WELL-PLEASEDNESS IN MEN.)
John 20. 26. Peace be unto you. Grace, Mercy and Peace, with all that are in Chriſt—and Love—Gal. 6. 16. Eph. 6. 23. 1 Pet. 1. 2. & 5. 14. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Theſſ. 5. 13.
2 Cor. 13. 11. Finally, brethren, farewell: be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind: Live in Peace; and the God of Love and Peace ſhall be with you.
Amen.