The Grotian religion discovered, at the invitation of Mr. Thomas Pierce in his Vindication. With a preface, vindicating the Synod of Dort from the calumnies of the new Tilenus; and David, Peter, &c. And the Puritanes, and sequestrations, &c. from the censures of Mr. Pierce. / By Richard Baxter, Catholick.

SECT. XXXVII.

YET more plainly, Discuss: pag. 14. * 1.1 [Distingui•• Grotius inter dogmata Scholasticorum quae neminem obligant, (ma∣gna enim Schola nostra, inquit Melchior Ca∣nus, nobis indulget libertatem) ac proinde non potuere justam dare recedendi causam: Et inter ea quae Conciliis sunt definita, etiam Tridentino: Quorum Acta siquis legit ani∣mo ad pacem propenso, is inveniet, ea com∣mode, & convenienter, tum Sacrarum Scri∣pturarum, tum veterum Doctorum locis ad marginem positis, posse explicari Quod si praeterea curâ Episcoporum & Regum, tol∣lantur ea quae cum pia ista Doctrina pug∣nant, * 1.2 & non conciliorum authoritate, aut veteri traditione, sed malis moribus sunt in∣troducta, habebit jam Grotius, & multi cum ipso, id quo possint esse contenti.] Would you wish a man to speak plainer? Here are four things that Grotius takes notice of among the Papists. 1. The free opinions of the Schoolmen. 2. The ill manners and

customs that are contrary to their own Doctrine. 3. The Doctrine of the Coun∣cil of Trent and the rest of the Councils. 4. Antient Tradition. The two first he is content that none be bound to. The first he would have free, and the second mended: But the two last he is for, as consonant to Scriptures and Fathers. And is there any Papist, (even the highest Italians) that go any further? Would Molina or Ma∣riana, or Vasquez or Suarez, or any Pope, oblige all the Church to all the Articles con∣tained in Aquinas, Scotus, Ockam, Duran∣dus, Alensis, Bonaventure, and an hundred such like? Or would they have us all take the Licenced Whore houses at Rome or Bo∣nonia for Articles of our faith, or obligatory examples of our Practice? You see here that Grotius is for the Council of Trent, and for all the rest of the Councils: He thinks those agree with Scripture, that can never be agreed among themselves. He is for the * 1.3 Council of Laterane, that set the Pope above a Council; and he is expresly else∣where, for the Council of Constance and Basil, that set a Council above the Pope, and damned the contrary Doctrine as He∣retical. He is for the Council of Laterane that puts it in the Power of the Pope to de∣pose

Princes, and absolve their subjects from their fidelity, and give their Dominions to the Government of others: And yet, he is stiff for the right of Princes. He is for the Council of Laterane, Florence and Trent that are for Transubstantiation, and in a word, for all the rest of Popery: and yet Mr. Pierce saith he is no Papist. I con∣fess most words have their ambiguity. This may be no Popery with Mr. Pierce: I will not contend with him about the name. Let him call it what he please, and I will call it Popery. You see here that Grotius and his followers will be Content without any more ado, if Bishops and Princes will but take away those things that ill manners have in∣troduced, contrary to the pious Doctrine of the Papists, without antient Tradition or Authority of Councils; let all the rest that this Tradition and Councils have in∣troduced or determined of, continue, and spare not. Beshrew Bellarmine, or Baroni∣us, or Stapleton, or Parsons, if they will not stand to this motion and profession. Nay he needs not [a Pope eximiously good] to consent to this much, unless that Pope be eximiously good, that exceedeth not the ordinary sort of the wicked in im∣piety: Which I confess I find some

Papists speaking of the Holy Seat.

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 37.
• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

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