A27015:137
The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving…The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving…
The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving that popery is against the Holy Scriptures, the unity of the catholic church, the consent of the ancient doctors, the plainest reason, and common judgment of sense it self / by Richard Baxter.The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving that popery is against the Holy Scriptures, the unity of the catholike church, the consent of the antient doctors, the plainest reason, and common judgment of sense it self / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Abraham Miller for Thomas Underhill, 1657
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.
Obj. 2. The true safe Religion hath had a visible Church professing it from Christs time till this day: But the Protestant Religion hath not had a visible Church, professing it to this day: therefore it is not the true safe Religion.
Ans. The Major I easily grant and disclaim the needless shift of them that would deny it. But the Minor I deny: If they call for the proof of that visible Church, and ask where it was before Luther, we say that it was wherever Christ had a Church: From Christs time till many hundred years after, even at Rome it self and many other places: and from Christs time to this day it hath been in Ethiopia, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and many other Countries, if not still among the Romanists themselves: for full proof of which, note, that it is from the ⟨p. 33⟩Essentials, and points of great necessity that we denominate our Religion; and every difference in •esser things doth not make a distinct Religion: else there were as many Religions in the world as men. Note also that the main difference between us and the Papists is, not that they deny the substance of our Religion directly, but that they superadd a great many of new Articles to the old Creed, and have made their Religion much larger then ours, many of their new Articles consequently subverting the Fundamentals which they profess. So that our Region is, and still hath been among the Papists, and other Churches: and if they •dde mor• to it, that makes it not cease in it self to be what it was Our Religion is wholly contained in the Holy Scriptures▪ •nd that all the Churches have still allowed of: The Papists themselves confess it all to be the Word of God, which we appeal to as the only Touch-stone •nd rule of our faith.
Ans. The Major I easily grant and disclaim the needless snift of them that would deny it. But the Minor I deny: If they call for the proof of that visible Church, and aske where it was before Luther, we say that it was wherever Christ had a Church: From Christs time till many hundred years after, even at Rome it self and many other places: and from Christs time to this day it hath been in Ethiopia, Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and many other Countries, if not still among the Romanists themselves: for full proof of which, note, that it is from the