A26895:120
The Christian religion expressed I, briefly in the ancient creeds, the Ten commandments, and…
The Christian religion expressed I, briefly in the ancient creeds, the Ten commandments, and the Lords prayer, and, II, more largely in a profession taken out of the Holy Scriptures, containing 1, the articles of the Christian belief, 2, our consent to the gospel covenant, 3, the sum of Christian duty, according to the primitive simplicity, purity, and practice, fitted to the right instruction of the ignorant, the promoting of holiness, and the charitable concord of all true believers ... / by Richard Baxter.
London : s.n., 1660
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.
12. The Catholic Church consisteth of all the Christians in the world: Those that have the sanctifying Spirit of Christ are the living members: Those that openly profess Christianity, and enter into Covenant with Christ, and are not yet Baptized, are visible members initially, but the solemnization and investiture is defective; If it be where Baptism cannot be had, the defect is innocent; If where it may be had, it is sinful: but yet not such as nullifieth the persons visible Christianity. And no errors, offences or differences do exclude any totally from the Catholic Church, while all the essentials of Christianity are kept.
12. The Catholick Church consisteth of all the Christians in the world: Those that have the sanctifying Spirit of Christ are the living members: Those that openly profess Christianity, and enter into Covenant with Christ, and are not yet Baptized, are visible members initially, but the solemnization and investiture is defective; If it be where Baptism cannot be had, the defect is innocent; If where it may be had, it is sinful: but yet not such as nullifieth the persons visible Christianity. And no errours, offences or differences do exclude any totally from the Catholick Church, while all the essentials of Christianity are kept.
13. It is the will of Christ that all Christians that have opportunity, be members of some particular Church, as well as of the universal: that he may have the honour, and they the great and necessary benefits, that by the Ministry, Ordinances and Communion of Saints, is there to be expected.
14. A particular Christian Church, is [A competent number of Christians cohabiting, who by the appointment of Christ, and their own expressed Consent, are united (or associated) under one or more