A26886:95
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending…
Certain disputations of right to sacraments, and the true nature of visible Christianity defending them against several sorts of opponents, especially against the second assault of that pious, reverend and dear brother Mr. Thomas Blake / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1658
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Answ. 1. This is a contradiction: He that professeth the Gospel to be true, doth eo nomine, profess his own belief of the truth of it. For will he profess it to be true, when he takes it not to be true? otherwise he either speaks but the words, while he takes it himself to be false which he speaks, or else he only meaneth or saith that, (other men think it to be true) though he do not. 2. We need not to ask any man for a profession to Evidence the Gospel to be true, but only to evidence his own Belief of it. The Gospel needs not their testimony, much less a testimony which they believe not themselves, which is as none. 3. Infidels are meet to be admitted to Baptism, if there be no Profession of their own faith required. But I suppose I need not to use more words against this objection.
Answ. 1. This is a contradiction: He that professeth the Gospel to be true, doth eo nomine, profess his own belief of the truth of it. For will he profess it to be true, when he takes it not to be true? otherwise he either speaks but the words, while he takes it himself to be false which he speaks, or else he only meaneth or saith that, (other men think it to be true) though he do not. 2. We need not to ask any man for a profession to Evidence the Gospel to be true, but only to evidence his own Belief of it. The Gospel needs not their testimony, much less a testimony which they beleeve not themselves, which is as none. 3. Infidels are meet to be admitted to Baptism, if there be no Profession of their own faith required. But I suppose I need not to use more words against this objection.
More particularly as Christianity, in sensu famosiori is the saving entertainment of Christ in the soul; and faith, in sensu famosiori, is that which is called Justifying saving Faith; and a Church member, in sensu famosiori, is such a true Christian; so it is true Faith and Christianity whose Profession is thus necessary: and if there be but a bare profession without the thing ⟨p. 14⟩Professed, these are called Christians or believers but Analogically or (as our Divines commonly tell the Papists) Equivocally.