A26892:5860
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 3 › Question 4: Quest. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist?
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.
Quest. 4. Whether it be necessary to believe that the Pope is the Antichrist?
IT is one question, Whether he be Antichrist, and another, Whether it be necessary to believe it? To the first I say, 1. There are many Antichrists: And we must remove the ambiguity of the name, before we can resolve the question. If by Antichrist be meant, [One that usurpeth the Office of a Universal Vicar of Christ, and Constitutive and Governing Head of the whole Visible Church, and hereby layeth the ground of Schisms, and Contentions, and Bloodshed in the world, and would rob Christ of all his members, who are not of the Popes Kingdom, and that formeth a multifarious Ministry for this service, and corrupteth much of the Doctrine, Worship and Discipline of the Church,] in this sense no doubt but the Pope is Antichrist.
But if by Antichrist be meant him particularly described in the Apocalypse and Thessalonians, then the controversie de re, is about the exposition of those dark Prophecies. Of which I can say no more but this, 1. That if the Pope be not He; he had ill luck to be so like him. 2. That Dr. Moors Moral Arguments, and Bishop Downham's and many others expository arguments, are such as I cannot answer. 3. But yet my skill is not so great in interpreting those obscure Prophecies, as that I can say, I am sure that it is the Pope they speak of, and that Lyra, learned Zanchy and others that think it is Mahomet, or others that otherwise interpret them, were mistaken.
But if by Antichrist be meant him particularly described in the Apocalyps and Thessalonians, then the controversie de re, is about the exposition of those dark Prophecies. Of which I can say no more but this, 1. That if the Pope be not He; he had ill luck to be so like him. 2. That Dr. Moors Moral Arguments, and Bishop Downhams and many others expository arguments, are such as I cannot answer. 3. But yet my skill is not so great in interpreting those obscure Prophecies, as that I can say, I am sure that it is the Pope they speak of, and that Lyra, learned Zanchy and others that think it is Mahomet, or others that otherwise interpret them, were mistaken.