Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

and Decrees=qf ged, &c. 1j5 And it is much to be noted, that in conclufion they define all Inch to judge of the Do3rine of :he Reformed Churches, not by Calumnies, nor by the Private fayis:gs of fame Doctors, antient or dater, but by thepteb'lich Coalitions of the Churches , and by the Declaration of f this Synod. Therefore not by the eatreams of Reza, Pifcator, Spanhcoii:os, nvif fe and Ruthcrfrd ; but by what theArticles ofthe Churches fubfcribed by the Padoes do contain. Otherwìfe ice (hall be far more foolifh than the Papifts, who will not espofe their Church to obloquy or divilon by ftanding to the fayings of Alvarez or Molina; or any private Doftor tit hofoever. 715. And it is notorious to any impartial perufer, that the wholeform of the Doftrine of the Church of England, in the Articles , Catechifm, Liturgie, Homilies, and all their publick Writings, was drawn up by men of 4ugaflines judgement, who were for abfolute Eleflion, and Uni- verfal fuffièient Redemption and Grace ad poffe, but for no Reprobation but on foreught of fin, 716. And it is greatly tobe rioted, with grief of heart, that among Good men; it is partly General prejudice, but chiefly theIntèreft of their Reputation with thole among whom they live, which is the great impe-, diment of the Churches Concord. The name of a calvinifl is fo hate- ful among the Papifls, that even the PredeterminantDominicans who go higher than ever Galvin did, ( and the 3anfenifls, who go as high in the main caufe, and higher than the Synod of Dort,) do. yet find it a Matter ofneceffity to rail at Luther, Zrïinglius, Calvin, 6c. left their party should think that they_are turned_l ereticks.. And theProteftants that agree in fome points with the Papifts, are fain to rack the Papifts Words, to aworfe fence than is meant, left their fierce oppofers íhould make men believe-that they are half Papifts, or err with them. And the moderate calvinifis are fain to ftretch hard, that they may feem to differ more from the Arminian than they do, left a felf-conceited re- Viler fhould blot their names with the fufpicion of Arminianifm. O' doleful cafe ofall the Churches 1 But *here Proteftants are few and made odious,by the Papifts, as differing from them further than they do; there Reputation is hot fo great.azemptation s' And there they freely Confers their concord,, where they do not differ; And fo in Colloquia Torunenfi c. 4. de Brat.. depulf Calum. fell. 5,,6. all the Reformed Chur- ches of Poland with 7oh. Bergius the Duke ofBrandenbisrgs Chaplain, and Others did profefs; [Falfo accufamur, quaf Mortis &Merits Chr /i pro omnibus fufficientiam teggemus, aut virtutem immicuamss, rum potiur idem hic grind ipfa SÿnodoosTridentina fef. 6. rap. 3. dareamdr, viz. El Chrous pro omnibus mortuus ft, non omnes tarnen mortis ejris benefici- um recipere, fed cos doontaxat quibus meritumpa/onis elm communes. tar. Cauram-rtiam feu cttlpañ-, cur nono nnibus commumcetur, negaii pant in merito 6' morte Chrifli , fed in ip/ls hominibus effe fatemur. Here was no partial intereft to make them afraid of being fufpecled to comply with Papifts. 717. I end with this requeft to all,my Brethren who'.by their averfe-' nefs to the Doftrine of Common or Univerfal Grace, do keep open the Churches dangerous wounds, e. That they will give Scripture leave to . rule their judgements, and try whether it be poffible to build fpecial Grace, on any other foundation than prefuppofed commonGrace ? and whether to deny this, benot to deny the very tenor of the Gofpel, and pa11 up the. foundations of one Religion a` o: Thal

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