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. LXXV.

BUT yet I remain confident that as the * 1.1 design of Grotius, so that which in England was carryed on, was very much against the will of God: And though it had a great probability of displeasing the Pope, if it had extended far enough among his own subjects, yet was it very unjust, and proceeded on unwarrantable Grounds; having many or most of the unhappy in∣gredients that I mentioned of the design of Grotius in the beginning: It was not a truly Catholick design: Or else it would not have shut out so many faithful servants of Christ, and members of the Catholick Church: It engaged men in a persecution:

It was apparently destructive to Godliness and the prosperity of the Churches here: It animated the Impious haters of Piety, and common civility, while those that they hated for Godliness sake (though most of them twenty for one were Conformists) were discountenanced, troubled, reproach∣ed by the then odious name of Puritans, si∣lenced, or suspended, and many thousands driven out of the Land: So that it was safer in all places that ever I knew, for men to live in constant swearing, cursing, drun∣kenness (for all that the Laws were against these) then to have instructed a mans fami∣ly, and restrained children and servants from dancing on the Lords day, and to have gone to the next Parish to hear a Sermon when there was none at home; and in some places, it was much more dangerous for a Minister to preach a Lecture or twice on the Lords day, or to expound the Cate∣chism, then never to preach at all. Hun∣dreds of Congregations had Ministers that never preacht, and such as were common drunkards and openly ungodly, when yet the most Learned, Godly, Powerful, Pain∣ful, Peaceable men, that durst not use the old Ceremonies or the New, must be cast aside, or driven away, to the great increase

of ignorance and ungodliness, and the pro∣voking of the wrath of God against us. These were not likely terms or waies to a Catholick Peace and Concord of the Chur∣ches. I know well enough that the persecu∣tors did and do pretend that these Puritans and Calvinists as they called them, were men of unpeaceable principles and spirits, and therefore not to be endured, or taken into Peace; they would not consent to mo∣derate terms: But God will not be satisfi∣ed with words, when his servants are per∣secuted and his Churches destroyed, or his interest trodden under-foot. Talk for them as long as you will, these are not the waies of Catholick Peace, but crooked paths of your own hewing out, and whoever goeth in them shall not know Peace. If these men could not have complyed with you in your Innovations, or approaches to the Roman way, should they not have had leave to live in Peace by you, and serve God in their own way, as long as they were true members of the Catholick Church, and so useful for the good of souls?

Notes

• * 1.1

  §. 75.