Romanism Discussed, Letter to author – Errata
AN EPISTLE SENT BY Mr. RICHARD BAXTER To the AUTHOUR, to be prefixed.
Readers,
WEre not the Judgements of God ſo dreadfull, and infatuation ſo lamentable in matters of everlaſting conſequence, and ſin ſo odious, and the calamities of the Church, the diſhonour of God, and the Damnation of Souls ſuch deplorable things, as tolerate not a laughter in the ſtanders by, it would ſeem one of the moſt ridiculous things in the World, that a man of ſeeming wiſdom ſhould be a Papiſt, and that ſo many Princes, and learned men, with the vulgar multitude, ſhould be able ſo far to renounce or intoxicate their Reaſon while they are awake: And a Papiſt would be deſcribed, to be one that ſets up his underſtanding to be the laughing-ſtock of the ſober rational World. There are abundance of Controverſies among Phyſicians that concern mens lives; and yet I have heard of none ſo vain, as to ſtep forth and challenge the Authority of being the univerſal Decider of them, or to charge God with folly or overſight, if he have not appointed ſome ſuch univerſal Judge in the World, to end all Controverſies in matters of ſuch weight. But if in Phyſick's, Law, or any of the Sciences, the Controverſies ſhould be never ſo many or ſo great, if yet you could reſolve them into ſenſe it ſelf, and bring all to the judgement of mens eys, and ears, and taſte, and feeling, who would not laugh or hiſs at him that would ſtill make them the matter of ſerious doubts?
The Papiſts finding that man is yet imperfect, and knoweth but in part, and that in the Scripture there are ſome things are hard to be underſtood, and that Earth hath not ſo much Light as Heaven, imagine that hereby they have a fair advantage to plead for an univerſal terreſtrial Judge, and to reproach God, if he have appointed none ſuch, and next to plead that their Pope or his approved Councils muſt needs have this Authority. And when they come to the Deciſion, they are not aſhamed to ſee after ſo many hundred years pretenſions, that the World is but baffled with the empty name of a Judge of Controverſies, and that Difficulties are no leſs Difficulties ſtill, and Controverſies are no where ſo voluminous as with them. But this is a ſmall matter with them. Their Judge ſeems much wiſer when he is ſilent than when he ſpeaks. When he comes to a Deciſion, and formeth up thereby the Hodge-podge of Popery, they ſeem not to ſmile at, nor be aſhamed of the Picture which they have drawn; which is, of an Harlot ſhewing her nakedneſs, and committing her lewdneſs in the open Aſſemblies, in the ſight of the Sun. They openly proclaim their ſhame againſt the light of all the acknowledged Principles in the World, their own or others, and in oppoſition to all, or almoſt all that is commendable among men. The charge ſeems high, but (in a few words) take the proof.
1. They confeſs the Scripture to be the Word of God: and yet when we would appeal to that as the Rule of Faith and Life, or as a divine Revelation, in our Diſputes, they fly off, and tell us of its obſcurity and the neceſsity of a Judge. If they meet with a Hoc eſt corpus meum, they ſeem for a while to be zealous for the Scripture: But tell them that Paul in 1 Cor. 11. 26, 27, 28. doth call it Bread after the Conſecration, no leſs than three times in the three next Verſes, and then Scripture is non-ſenſe to them till the Pope make ſenſe of it. It is one of their principal labours againſt us, to argue againſt the Scriptures ſufficiency to this uſe. By no means can we prevail with them to ſtand to the Deciſion of the Scripture.
2. They exceſsively cry up the Church, and appeal to its Deciſion: and therefore we might hope, that here if any where, we might have ſome hold of them. But when it comes to the Point, they not onelyonly diſown the judgement of the Church, but impudently call Chriſt's Spouſe a Strumpet, and cut off (in their uncharitable imagination) two or three parts of the univerſal Church as Hereticks or Schiſmaticks. The judgements of the Churches in Armenia, Ethiopia, Egypt, Syria, the Greeks, and many more beſides the Reformed Churches in the Weſt, is againſt their Popes univerſal Vicarſhip or Sovereignty, and many of their Errours that depend thereon. And yet their judgement is not regarded by this Faction. And if a third or fourth part (ſuch as it is) of the Univerſal Church, may cry up themſelves as the Church to be appealed to, and condemn the far greater part, why may not a tenth or a twentieth part do the like? Why may not the Donatiſts, the Novatians, or the Greeks, (much more) do ſo as well as Papiſts?
3. They cry up Tradition. And when we ask them, How we ſhall know it, and where it is to be found, they tell us, principally in the profeſsion and practice of the preſent Church. And yet when two or three parts of the univerſal Church profeſs that Tradition is againſt the Papal Monarchy, and other Points depending on it; they caſt Tradition behinde their backs.
4. They cry up the Fathers: and when we bring their judgements againſt the ſubſtance of Popery, they ſometime vilifie or accuſe them as erroneous, and ſometime tell us, that Fathers as well as Scripture muſt be no otherwiſe underſtood, than their Church expoundeth them.
5. They plead for and appeal to Councils; and (though we eaſily prove that none of them were univerſal, yet ſuch as they were) they call them all Reprobate, which were not approved by their Pope, let the number of Biſhops there be never ſo great. And thoſe that were approved, if they ſpeak againſt them, they reject alſo, either with lying ſhifts denying the approbation, or ſaying, the acts are not de fide, or not conciliariter facta, or the ſenſe muſt be given by their preſent Church, or one ſuch contemptible ſhift or other.
6. At leaſt one would think they ſhould ſtand to the judgement of the Pope, which yet they will not: for ſhame forbids them to own the Doctrine of thoſe Popes that were Hereticks or Infidels (and by Councils ſo judged): And others they are forced to diſown, becauſe they contradict their Predeceſſours. And at Rome the Cardinals are the Pope, while he that hath the name is oft made light of. And how infallible he is judged by the French and the Venetians; how Sixtus the fifth was valued by the Spaniards, and by Bellarmine, is commonly known.
7. But all this is nothing to their renunciation of humanity, even of the common ſenſes and reaſon of the world. When the matter is brought to the Deciſion of their eys, and taſte, and feeling, whether Bread be Bread, and Wine be Wine, and yet all Italy, Spain, Auſtria, Bavaria, &c. cannot reſolve it; yea, generally, (unleſs ſome latent Proteſtant) do paſs their judgement againſt their ſenſes, and the ſenſes of all ſound men in the World; and that not in a matter beyond the reach of ſenſe (as whether Chriſt be there ſpiritually) but in a matter belonging to ſenſe, if any thing belong to it; as whether Bread be Bread, &c. Kings and Nobles, Prelates and Prieſts, do all give their judgement, that all their ſenſes are deceived. And is it poſſible for theſe men than to know any thing? or any controverſie between us and them to be decided? If we ſay that the Sun is light, or that the Pope is a man, and Scripture legible, or that there are the Writings of Councils and Fathers extant in the World, they may as well concur in a denial of all this, or any thing elſe that ſenſe ſhould judge of. If they tell us that Scripture requireth them to contradict all their ſenſes in this point; I anſwer,
1. Not that Scripture before mentioned, that calleth it [Bread] after the Conſecration, thrice in the three next Verſes.
2. And how know they that there is ſuch a Scripture, if all their ſenſes be ſo fallible. If the certainty of ſenſe be not ſuppoſed, a little Learning or Wit might ſatiſfie them, that Faith can have no certainty. But is it not a moſt dreadfull judgement of God, that Princes and Nations, Learned men, and ſome that in their way are conſciencious, ſhould be given over to ſo much inhumanity, and to make a Religion of this brutiſhneſs, (and worſe) and to perſecute thoſe with Fire and Sword, that are not ſo far forſaken by God, and by their reaſon? and that they ſhould ſo ſollicitouſly labour the perverſion of States and Kingdoms for the promoting of ſtupidity or ſtark madneſs.
8. And (if we go from their Principles to their Ends, or Ways, we ſhall ſoon ſee that) they are alſo againſt the Unity of the Church, while they pretend this as their chiefeſt Argument, to draw men to their way. They ſet up a corrupted Faction, and condemn the far greater part of the Church; and will have no unity with any but thoſe of their own Faction and Subjection: and fix this as an eſſential part of their Religion, creating thereby an impoſsibility of univerſal concord.
9. They alſo contradict the Experience of many thouſand Saints; aſſerting that they are all void of the Love of God and ſaving Grace, till they become ſubject to the Pope of Rome; when as the Souls of theſe Believers have Experience of the Love of God within them, and feel that Grace that proveth their Juſtification. I wonder what kinde of thing it is that is called Love or Holineſs in a Papiſt, which Proteſtants and other Chriſtians have not, and what is the difference.
10. They are moſt notorious Enemies to Charity, condemning moſt of the Chriſtian World to Hell, for being out of their ſubjection.
11. They are notorious Enemies to Knowledge under pretence of Obedience and Unity, and avoiding Hereſie. They celebrate their Worſhip in a Language not underſtood by the vulgar Worſhippers. They hinder the People from Reading the holy Scriptures, (which the ancient Fathers exhorted men and women to, as an ordinary thing.) The quality of their Prieſts and People, teſtifie this.
12. They oppoſe the Purity of divine Worſhip, ſetting up a multitude of humane Inventions in ſtead thereof, and idolatrouſly (for no leſs can be ſaid of it) adoring a piece of conſecrated Bread as their God.
13. They are Oppoſers of Holineſs, both by the foreſaid enmity to Knowledge, Charity, and purity of Worſhip, and by many unholy Doctrines, and by deluding Souls with an outſide hiſtorical way of Religion, never required by the Lord, conſiſting in a multitude of Ceremonies, and worſhiping of Angels, and the Souls of Saints, and Images, and Croſſes, &c. Let Experience ſpeak how much the Life of Holineſs is promoted by them.
14. They are Enemies to common Honeſty, teaching the Doctrines of Equivocations and Mental Reſervations, and making many hainous ſins venial, and many of the moſt odious ſins to be Duties, as killing Kings that are excommunicated by the Pope, taking Oaths with the foreſaid Reſervations, and breaking them, &c. For the Jeſuits Doctrine, Montaltus the Janſeniſt, and many of the French Clergy have pretty well opened it: and the Pope himſelf hath lately been fain to publiſh a condemnation of their Apology. And yet the power and intereſt of the Jeſuits and their followers among them, is not altogether unknown to the World.
15. They are Enemies to Civil Peace and Government, (if there be any ſuch in the World) as their Doctrine and Practiſe of killing and depoſing excommunicate Princes, breaking Oaths, &c. ſhews. Bellarmine that will go a middle way, gives the Pope power in ordine ad ſpiritualia, and indirectly to diſpoſe of Kingdoms, and tells us, that it is unlawfull to tolerate heretical Kings that propagate their Hereſie, (that is, the ancient Faith.) How well Doctor Heylin hath vindicated their Council of Laterane in this, (whoſe Decrees ſtand as a Monument of the horrid treaſonable Doctrine of the Papiſts) I ſhall, if God will, hereafter manifeſt: In the mean time, let any man reade the words of the Council, and judge.
And now whether a Religion that is at ſuch open enmity with 1. Scripture, 2. The Church, 3. Tradition, 4. Fathers, 5. Councils, 6. Some Popes, 7. The common ſenſes and Reaſon of all the World, even their own, 8. Unity of Chriſtians, 9. Knowledge, 10. Experience of Believers, 11. Charity, 12. Purity of Worſhip, 13. Holineſs, 14. Common Honeſty, 15. And to Civil Government and Peace (which might all eaſily be fully proved, though here but touched) I ſay, whether ſuch a Religion ſhould be embraced and advanced with ſuch diligence and violence, and mens ſouls laid upon it, is the controverſie before us. And whether it ſhould be tolerated (even the propagation of it, to the damnation of the peoples ſouls) is now the Queſtion which the juggling Papiſts have ſet a foot among thoſe that have made themſelves our Rulers: and there are found men among us, that call themſelves Proteſtants and godly, that plead for the ſaid Toleration; (and conſequently for the delivering up of theſe Nations to Popery, if not to Spaniſh or other foreign Powers) which if they effect, and after their contrary Profeſſions, prove ſuch Traitors to Chriſt, his Goſpel and their poſterity, as they leave the Land of their Nativity in miſery, they ſhall leave their ſtinking names for a reproach and curſe to future Generations; and on ſuch Pillars ſhall be written, [This pride, ſelf-ſeeking, uncharitableneſs, and ſchiſm hath done.]
If thou marvel, Reader, that the learned Authour of this Book and I, do joyn thus againſt the common Adverſary, after our own Differences in the one point of Infant-baptiſm, thou doſt but marvel that we are Chriſtians, and have not made ſhipwrack of our Faith and Charity; and on the account of our Imperfections and little Differences, caſt away our ſalvation and the Churches peace. Be it known to you that we are ſome years elder than when our Differences begun: and therefore if we have made no progreſs in Holineſs, we are unexcuſable. And we know that he that is ſtrongeſt in holy Love, is ſtrongeſt in Grace. Marvel not then if we get ſome little increaſe by the opportunities and mercies we poſſeſs; and if we forget not, that we are Members of the ſame Chriſt, and Heirs of the ſame Kingdome, (where we hope to live in perfect Love) when we draw nearer to it, and ſee that long we cannot be thence; and when we ſee what havock the Devil hath made in the Churches of Chriſt, and the Souls of multitudes ſeemingly religious, by uncharitableneſs and Schiſm. I am ſure the Soul that is moſt for Unity and Love is likeſt to thoſe that are in Heaven.
This alſo is my Anſwer to the Papiſts, that I know will make it my Reproach, that I hold ſo much Communion with Anabaptiſts; that is, that I am not as uncharitable and ſchiſmatical as they, that confine the Church to their deluded Faction. We own nothing in each other that we diſcern to be evil; but we unanimouſly practiſe ſo far as we are agreed. If ſin have left England and Europe any hopes, the Lord have mercy upon a divided ſelf-deſtroying Generation, and ſuffer not the ſins of men profeſsing godlineſs, to drive away the Goſpel, and ſend it to America, (according to Mr. Herbert's ſad conjecture in his Church Militant.) And, O that Profeſſours of Godlineſs would conſider, both, what they have done, and how much of Holineſs doth conſiſt in Charity, Unity, and Peace, and leave not to the Papiſts the temptation or honour, of ſeeming more unanimous and peaceable than we, leſt they ſeem to themſelves and others more holy than we. Experience and Judgements will leave us the moſt unexcuſable people under Heaven, if we prevent not our own and the Churches ruine, by a ſpeedy, diligent return, to Charity and Peace. As theſe are the thoughts which I judged moſt neceſſary on this occaſion to communicate, ſo are they the matter of my daily Prayers.
Reader, the times require thee to be well verſed in the Controverſies with the Papiſts. If thou love thy Faith and Soul, be not lazy; but as there are multitudes of excellent Treatiſes at hand againſt Popery, be not through negligence a ſtranger to them. And among others, in this Treatiſe thou wilt finde the Adverſary ſolidly confuted, and the vanity of his Reaſonings detected, (which briefly I did in his moſt material parts, in my Key for Catholicks.) And among the many excellent Treatiſes, againſt them, with which Shops and Libraries abound, I commend to the Countrey Reader, that would ſee much in a little room, and know the true grounds of confuting Popery, two little Treatiſes, viz. Dr. Challoner's Credo Sanctam Eccleſiam Catholicam, and Dr. Peter Moulin's Anſwer to Cotton's Queſtions, with the Queſtions and Challenges annexed. And for Arguments againſt Toleration of Popery, Dr. Sutliffe's Anſwer to the Lay Papiſts Petition for Toleration, and Gabriel Powel's Anſwer to the ſame. Whoſe ſide the Scriptures are on, reade a little Book called, The abatement of Popiſh Brags by Alexander Cook. Reade alſo their own [Catholick Moderatour, proving Proteſtants no Hereticks] and the Catholick Judge or Moderatour of the Moderatour, by John of the Croſs, &c. Shortly I hope you may have Dr. Peter Moulin's excellent Treatiſe of the Novelty of Popery, tranſlated by his Reverend Son, and now going to the Preſs. The Lord grant, that mens refuſing to receive the Truth in the Love of it to their Salvation, and their baſe ſubjecting it to their pride and worldly intereſts, provoke not God to give them over to believe ſuch Lyes as are here detected, and to withdraw the Goſpel from an unworthy Nation. Amen.
Novemb. 11. 1659. RI. BAXTER.
Errata.
Page 4. margin reade White or de Albiis ſonus. p. 5. l. 22. r. Epheſ. 1. 23. p. 8. l. 2. r. Ezek. 37. p. 9. l. 30. r. being. p. 13 l. 20. r. ſix. l. 22. r. he. p. 15. l. 3. 5. r. primacy. l. 5. r. laſt. l. 9, 10. r. inconſequent. l. 34. r. removed. p. 16. l. 7. r. better. l. 9. r. primacy. p. 17. l. 6. r. decreed. p. 19. l. 33. r. brings. p. 21. l. 5. r. Milevis. p. 24. l. 24. r. ninth. p. 25. l. 9. r. Marozia. l. 41. r. Gandavenſis Andegavenſis. p. 26. l. 11. r. ego. p. 32. l. 3. r. Ivo. p. 36. l. 30. r. to the. l. 35. r. councils. p. 39. l. 37. r. the. p. 43. l. 28. r. Armenians. p. 50. l. 26. r. rood. l. 38. r. ſecond. p. 52. l. 12. r. Dr. p. 54. l. 17. r. way of. p. 55. l. 1. r. Thuanus. p. 58. l. 14. r. commemorative. p. 59. l. 41. r. our. p. 65. l. 29. r. conſpicuity. p. 66. l. 14. r. hath ſaid. p. 70. l. 20. r. ambiguity. p. 73. l. 19. r. palpable. p. 80. l. 8. r. by which. p. 91. l. 46. r. truth. p. 95. l. 12. r. Bannez. p. 96. l. 11. r. doth not. p. 98. l. 46. r. of. p. 110. l. 32. r. conceits. p. 111. l. 22. r. (according l. 23. r. vealeth) l. 40. r. faction. p. 113. d. l. 1. p. 122. l. 8. r. thouſand. p. 124. l. 5. r. general. p. 1…5. l. 39. r. deceived. p. 126. l. 18. r. of an. p 135. l. 1. 12. d. het. p. 140. l. 25. r. one.