A26998:84
The Protestant religion truly stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard BaxterThe Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter
The Protestant religion truly stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Daniel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1692
Protestant Religion Truly Stated, and Justified, &c. › The Fourth accused Point.
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.
4. Yet we deny not, that if God had seen meet to deliver any necessary part of Law or Gospel, Faith or Practice, as his will, by bare word and Memory of Man; we had been bound to believe and obey it, when we had sound proof that it was indeed from God.
5. We hold, that for fullest certainty, we have possession of the Bible it self, and of the Essentials of Christianity brought us by two Means Conjunct, that is, The Scripture, and practical Custom of the Church. As the Scripture or written Word shineth to us by its own Light, so Tradition tells us which be the Canonical ⟨p. 22⟩Books, and how the Church received them as Divine, and that there are no other such: And the practice, of Baptismal Profession and Covenanting, and of the Church Assemblies, and reading Scripture, and Catechizing, and of Eucharistical Communion, and Prayer, &c. tell us what in all Ages hath been taken for true Christianity. As we hold a humane Belief, needful in Subserviency, as a means to Divine Belief, so we hold humane Tradition needful to the conveyance of God's Word to us. But, by your leave, we will distinguish the Messenger from the Author: If the King send me a Law or Mandate by a Messenger, or by the Penny-Post, I will receive and obey it, and yet not take the Post or Messenger for King, or Legislator, or Infallible.
5. We hold, that for fullest certainty, we have possession of the Bible it self, and of the Essentials of Christianity brought us by two Means Conjunct, that is, The Scripture, and practical Custom of the Church. As the Scripture or written Word shineth to us by its own Light, so Tradition tells us which be the Canonical ⟨p. 22⟩Books, and how the Church received them as Divine, and that there are no other such: And the practice, of Baptismal Profession and Covenanting, and of the Church Assemblies, and reading Scripture, and Catechizing, and of Eucharistical Communion, and Prayer, &c. tell us what in all Ages hath been taken for true Christianity. As we hold a humane Belief, needful in Subserviency, as a means to Divine Belief, so we hold humane Tradition needful to the conveyance of God's Word to us. But, by your leave, we will distinguish the Messenger from the Authour: If the King send me a Law or Mandate by a Messenger, or by the Penny-Post, I will receive and obey it, and yet not take the Post or Messenger for King, or Legislator, or Infallible.