A26947:1526
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
Quest. Whether the way to heal any Divisions in the Churches of Chr… › Chapter 3
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.
The Minor is known by common experience. For many a year together (by Bellarmines confession) learned and wise men could not tell which was the true Pope; yea their Councils could not tell. Most of the Christian world to this day cannot discern his Commission for that power which he pretendeth to. A true General Council now no man can know, because it is a non ens. Their pretended General Councils are so ravelled in confusion, that they are not agreed among themselves which are indeed such, and which not: but many are rejected, and many suspected (of which Bellarmine giveth us a list) and those that one receiveth, another rejecteth; and the most by far are rejected by most of the Christian world. And when some would take up with the four first, and some with six, and some with eight, the Papists deridingly ask them, whether the Church hath not as much authority now as it had then? And how shall the Christian world know whether it were a true General Council or not? Of which see the difficulties first to be resolved, which I have recited in my Disputations against Popery.
Argum. 16. The Laws of the Sovereign Power of the Church must be certain (or else how shall we know what to obey) The Laws of Popes and General Councils are not certain: Therefore, &c.
Argum. 16. The Laws of the Soveraign Power of the Church must be certain (or else how shall we know what to obey) The Laws of Popes and General Councils are not certain: Therefore, &c.
The Minor is proved by experience. The Popes Decretals are many unknown, and many proved forgeries (by Blondell ubi sup. and many others) beyond all question: and none of them proved Laws to the Church. The Canons of the first Council of Nice are not agreed on among the Papists. Many others are proved forged: Many are flatly contrary to each other (as I have showed ubi sup.) and how then shall Christians know what to obey? The ancient Canons condemned the gesture of kneeling on the Lords day (and consequently then at the Lords Supper) the reading of the Heathens Books, and many such things which are now taken for lawful: The later Councils that contradict the former, do seem to most of more questionable