Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

77g Muft 1ve hold that a Papift may be Jawd ? Q!eft 5. Whether !Ve mt'.ft/Jo/d tiJat a papift may be faved ? THis quefiion may be rcfolved eaG!y from wh1t is faid before. r. APapij! as a Papij!, that is, by Popery, will never be favcd, no more than a mans life by a Leprofie. Pid. H'l~, Ecd. • 2. If aPapifi he. faved, h_c muft be faved ~gainft., and from Popery, either hr turning from the opi– Ril·~· .ntH ~fl n1on, and thmhe IS no Pap1lt, or by prcfervmg h1s hcar.t from the powtr of h1s own opinions. And ~,~;~;1:"~-P~ the fame we ~ay fay of every error and fin. He_thac ~s f~ved, m~!l be faved from it, at leafi from pill c)nnot go the P9rrtr of 1t on the heart, and from the gutlt of 1t Dy forg1vencfs. beyond aRe3· Every one that is a true fincere Cbriftian in Faith, Love. and true Obedience lhali be favcd, what probl!C. error foever he hold that doth confi!\ with thefe. 4• As many Antinomians and other erroneous perfons, do hold things which by confcquence fub· ven Chri!\ianity; and yet not fceing the inconfi!\encc, do hold Chrijfianity firj! and faj!er, in heart and fincue pndice, and would renounce their euor if they faw the incontiftcnce, fo is it with many p•pifls. And that which they hold firj! and faj!ej! and pramcaUy, doth fave them from the power, operation~, and poyfon of their own opinions: As an Ancidotc or the fircngth of nature may fave a man from a fmall quantity of poyfon. 5• Moreover we have c01.ufe to judge that there are millions among the Papifis, corrupted with ma– ny of their 1tffir errors, who yet bold no• their greater; that believe nor that none arc Chrifiians but the Popes fubje&s, and that Chrifis Kingdom and the Popes are of the fame extent, or that he can remit mens pains in another world, or that the Bread and Wine are no Bread and Wine, or that men meric ofGod in point of Commutative Juflice, or th'at we mufi adore or wodbip the Bread, or ytt the Crofs or !mall< it felf, &c. Or that confent to abundance of the Clergies tyrannical ufurpati– ons and abufcs : And fo being not properly Papijlt, may be faved, if a PapiH might not. And we the lcfs know how many or few among them are really of the Clergies Religion and mind, becauiC: by terror they reflrain men from manifeHing 'their judgement , and compcll them to comply in outward things. 6. But as fe•am that have Leprofies, or Plagues, or that lake poyfon fcape, than of other men fo . we have great caufe to bdi'cv<, that much [tr~m Pap't!\s are f•vcd, than fuch •s efcape their er:ors. And therefore all that love their fouls fl10uld avoid them. 7• And the trick of the Priefls who perfwade people that thtirs is tbe fifefl Religion, becaufe ,., fay that a P•piJ! may bt {liVed, and they fay that a Prottjlant caHnot, is fo palpable a cheat, that it lhould uthcr deterr men from their way. For God is Love, and he thot dwelleth in Lovedwelleth in God: And all men mull know us to be Chri!\s Difciples, by loving'one another ; Apd he that faith he loveth GOd, and lovcth not his Brother, iJ a lyar; And charity helicvcth all things, credible : That Religion is likcfl to be of God which is mol\ charitable, and not that which is moll uncharita– ble, and malicious, and like to Satan.. To conclude, no man fuall be faved for being no Papij!, much lefs for being a:rapij!. And all that arc ·uuly holy, heavenly, humble, lovers of God, and of rhofethat ore his fcrvants, !hall be favcd. But how many fuch are among the Papitl!, God only knoweth who is their Judge. TH:: ~eflions whether the G.reeks,Abaffines)Nefiorians, Eutychians, Antinomians, Anabaptifis, &c. may be favcd; muH b,c all refolved as this of the Papifls, allowing.(or the different degrees of their corruption : And therefore ~ .mu!\ defire the Reader to take up with thiS anfwer for all, and cx;ufe me from unnecdT.ny repeuuon. As for fuch difputers as my Antagonifl Mr. Jobnfon, who inGfleth on that ofTlt. 3• 10. A man th>t ;, an Hmtic~---i< comkmntd of bim[tlf; when he hath proved that the word Hereticl;. hath but one fignilication, I will fay a~ ?• doth• . Till then, if he will try :who ihall be damned by bare tq~tivoc•l wordt, without the defimuon, let htm t•ke hts courfe, for I Wtll be none of his imitators.

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