A26947:1110
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.
If there was never such a thing by Gods institution as a mere man to be the Christ or Universal Head of the Church, then there is no such thing to be imagined now: But there never was such a thing: Therefore there is no such— ⟨p. 301⟩Christ that was the visible Head was God and Man: when the Pope is so, we will believe in him as his Successor.
If there was never such a thing by Gods institution as a meer man to be the Christ or Universal Head of the Church, then there is no such thing to be imagined now: But there never was such a thing: Therefore there is no such— ⟨p. 301⟩Christ that was the visible Head was God and Man: when the Pope is so, we will believe in him as his Successor.
4. It would ruin the Church to have built on so sandy a foundation, and to have laid so much work on one that is so unable to perform it. Doubtless common reason tells us, that if God made any one man the Monarch of the whole world (especially leaving his Commission as obscure, as the Popes is, were it any) and should not give him a divine or supra-humane strength to execute it, it would be the confusion of the world. I am not well acquainted with the Power of Angels; but I hope without dishonouring them, I may suspect, that the due managing of such an Universal Monarchy is above their abilities: At least I am confident, it is an honour that their Modesty and Reverence of Christ will not permit them to own, as the Pope doth. If this Vice-christ be not a false Christ, he may apply that of Heb. 1. [Being made so much better then Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they: For unto which of the Angels said he at any time] thou art the Successor of Christ, thou art the Universal Head of the Church? Whether the Pope will be called the Vice-son of God, the Vice-saviour, and say, [Let all the Angels worship him; sit thou on my right hand, &c.] I leave to his modesty to consider? But I must profess here to the Reader, that though my modesty and consciousness of my weakness, hath made me so suspicious, lest I understand not the Apocalypse, as to suspend my judgement, whether the Pope be the Antichrist, the Beast, &c. yet the reading of their serious immodest arguings, to prove the Pope to be the Vice-christ on Earth, doth exceedingly more increase my suspicion that he is The Antichrist. For to be Peters Successor, as a first Apostle, is a contemptible thing in these men eyes. This is not it that they plead for. Bellarmine (ubi supr.) expresly tells us, that the Pope succeeds not Peter as an Apostle. No, it is as a Vice-christ to the whole Church, as Boverius here professedly maintaineth. And this they make the Foundation of their Catholic Church, and the acknowledgement of it Essential to every member of it. Which I even tremble to read and think of.