A26887:194
The certainty of Christianity without popery, or, Whether the Catholic-Protestant or the papist have…The certainty of Christianity without popery, or, Whether the Catholick-Protestant or the papist have…
The certainty of Christianity without popery, or, Whether the Catholic-Protestant or the papist have the surer faith being an answer to one of the oft canted questions and challenges of the papists, sent to one who desired this : published to direct the unskilful, how to defend their faith against papists and infidels, but especially against the temptations of the Devil, that by saving their faith, they may save their holiness, their comfort and their souls / by Richard Baxter.The certainty of Christianity without popery, or, Whether the Catholick-Protestant or the papist have the surer faith being an answer to one of the oft canted questions and challenges of the papists, sent to one who desired this : published to direct the unskilful, how to defend their faith against papists and infidels, but especially against the temptations of the Devil, that by saving their faith, they may save their holiness, their comfort and their souls / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Simons, 1672
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.
§. 4. A Magistrate or other Superior (Parent, Master, &c.) hath a determining Judgement, under God and his Laws, in order to the ends of their proper Government; and no further. That is, They are the only public Judges in their Society, who shall be punished or not punished by the sword; restrained ⟨p. 58⟩or encouraged, as teaching false Doctrine or true. But this is not an absolute and unregulated power. If they determine contrary to Gods word, they sin, and bind not me to obey them though I am bound to continue my subjection, and not to resist.
§. 4. A Magistrate or other Superiour (Parent, Master, &c.) hath a determining Judgement, under God and his Laws, in order to the ends of their proper Government; and no further. That is, They are the only publick Judges in their Society, who shall be punished or not punished by the sword; restrained ⟨p. 58⟩or encouraged, as teaching false Doctrine or true. But this is not an absolute and unregulated power. If they determine contrary to Gods word, they sin, and bind not me to obey them though I am bound to continue my subjection, and not to resist.
§. 5. Even so it is with Pastors in the Church, who have power to try particular mens cases, and judge them according to Gods word, and that only in order to the ends of their Society, which is holy Communion in Love.
§. 6. But this much power (as it supposeth the sense of the Law, and declareth it only as far as the decision of the particular case requireth, and not an Universal Regulating determination which hath the nature of an Universal Law it self, so) it belongeth to none but true Pastors of the Church, and that only within their proper charge: And if any one will do as the Pope, who will be Ruler in all Churches of the world, his usurpation maketh him a sinner, but not an obliging determiner.