A26947:1101
A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all…A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all…
A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the cause of the Roman or reformed churches be of God ... containing some arguments by which the meanest may see the vanity of popery, and 40 detections of their fraud, with directions, and materials sufficient for the confutation of their voluminous deceits ... : the second part showeth (especially against the French and Grotians) that the Catholic Church is not united in any merely humane head, either Pope or council / by Richard Baxter, a Catholic Christian and Pastor of a church ...A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all that are but truly willing to understand, whether the cause of the Roman or reformed churches be of God ... containing some arguments by which the meanest may see the vanity of popery, and 40 detections of their fraud, with directions, and materials sufficient for the confutation of their voluminous deceits ... : the second part sheweth (especially against the French and Grotians) that the Catholick Church is not united in any meerly humane head, either Pope or council / by Richard Baxter, a Catholick Christian and Pastor of a church ...
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659
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.
7. It is not enough for your silly wit, to say its fit that Christ ⟨p. 299⟩have a Successor, therefore he hath one: but let him that claimeth so high an honour as to be the Vice-christ, produce his Commission, and prove his claim if he will be believed.
8. Christ is still the visible Head of his Church, seen in Heaven, and as much seen over all the world, except Judea and Egypt, as ever he was. When he was on earth, he was not visible at Rome, Spain, Asia, &c. He that is Emperor of the Turkish Monarchy, perhaps was never personally an hundred miles from Constantinople. The King of Spain is no visible Monarch in the West-Indies. And if all the world except Judea might be without a Present Christ, then why that may not as well as the rest, you must give him an account, if you will tie him to be here resident.
9. And yet if the Pope would usurp no more Power then Christ exercised visibly on earth, it would not be all so bad as it is or hath been. He would not then divide inheritances, nor be a temporal Prince, nor wear a Triple Crown, nor keep so glorious a Court and Retinue, nor depose Princes, nor deny them tribute, nor exempt his Prelates from it, nor from their judgement Seats, nor absolve their Subjects from their fidelity, &c. nor trouble the world as now he doth: He would not exercise the power of putting any to death: much less would he set up Inquisitions, to burn poor people for reading the Scriptures, or no being of his mind.