A26947:461
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.
But what is it that we are changeable in? we have changed none of the substance of worship: did we baptize before, and do we not so still? Did we pray or administer the Lords Supper before, and do we not so still? what is the change? why, 1. We before used the common Prayer book and now we do not. 2. Before we used prayers at the burial of the dead, which now are omitted. 3. Before we used the Cross and Surplice, and kneeled at the Sacrament, which are now omitted. And what then? therefore we have changed our Religion. Even as a man changeth his clothes by brushing them, or his house by sweeping it, or his face by washing it. Do these men think us so sottish as to place our Religion in these Circumstances? God hath bid us Pray continually: but he hath not told us whether we shall use a Prayer book or not, but left that to mens necessities or conveniences to determine of. And doth a man change his Religion or Worship of God, if he either begin or cease to use a Book? If any man had so little wit or Religion, as to place their Religion in a Prayer book, its no great loss to them if they have lost their Religion, when the […] ⟨p. 110⟩[…] ⟨p. 111⟩⟨p. 112⟩Prayer book is taken from them. We doubt not but Prayer books are profitable to some, and hinderances to others: some should use them, and some should not: but whether we use them, or not use them, is no part of our Religion at all, but a mere Accident, or common help and appurtenance. God hath not told preachers whether they shall use any Notes for their memory in Preaching: to one it is an hinderance; to another an help. Doth a man change his Religion when he changeth a custom of using Notes? God hath not told us what Chapter we shall read, or what Psalm we shall sing, or what Text we shall Preach on this day or that day. What if one age think it best that some Pastors give Laws to all the rest, that they shall read no Chapter, preach on no Text, and sing no Psalm but by their direction: and the next age think it meeter to leave it to each Minister, as thinking it unfit to Ordain such Ministers that have not wit enough to choose their Text, or Chapter, or Psalm according to occasions. Will you say that here is a change of Religion? These outside Hypocrites tell the world what a thing they take Religion to be, and in what they place it. What if one man use an hour-glass in preaching, and another use none?