A26887:208
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.
V. Your own sentence condemneth your own Judges as uncertain: General Councils (as Constance and Basil) have concluded that Popes may err in matters of faith: yea accused and Condemned them as Heretics, if not Infidels. And shall we not believe a General Council in matter of present fact, and yet must believe them what is Gods word? And that one Council hath Condemned another, and Popes have Condemned Councils, I have ibid. proved at large. And if Popes and General Councils distinct are deceitful, how shall we be sure that two false parties when they meet do make one true one?
V. Your own sentence condemneth your own Judges as uncertain: General Councils (as Constance and Basil) have concluded that Popes may err in matters of faith: yea accused and Condemned them as Hereticks, if not Infidels. And shall we not believe a General Council in matter of present fact, and yet must believe them what is Gods word? And that one Council hath Condemned another, and Popes have Condemned Councils, I have ibid. proved at large. And if Popes and General Councils distinct are deceitful, how shall we be sure that two false parties when they meet do make one true one?
VI. Popes and General Councils have often erred from the faith (as our Church ⟨p. 66⟩of England truly asserteth): and therefore we are not sure that they never will do so more. Bellarmine himself noteth about forty Popes charged with error or Heresy. Liberius subscribeth the sentence against Athanasius, and received the Arians to Communion, and subscribed the Sirmian faith, Hane ego libenti animo suscepi in nullo contradicens: See his Epist. 7. in Binnius To. 1. p. 465. and his notes on it. See more in my safe Relig. p. 249, &c. And of Councils, p. 274, &c. The sixth General Council at Constantin. approved by Pope Adrian and by the seventh Council, hath many errors, as have many others there instanced in. What Certainty then can they give us?
VI. Popes and General Councils have often erred from the faith (as our Church ⟨p. 66⟩