A27015:204
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.
The next feigned difference between us and th• Greek is this [They confess that God hath given sufficient Grace to every one to be saved: You […] but only to the Elect] Repl. You again wrong them show us where they say so if you can. You own th• Doctrine your selves it seems; and thereby discover your enmity to Grace; Do you think that every child, ignorant sot, or wicked person ha• Grace sufficient to salvation? If he have sufficient, either he needs no more, or he may be saved without more. And then it seems converting Grace i• needless to an Infidel, for he hath enough already: then it seems, you will be beholden to God for no more Grace after the first hour of your conversion, nay after the first hour of your life or use of reason, to your death. For if you had sufficient for salvation the first hour, then what need you any more▪ you will it seems pray God to keep it to himself, for you have enough already. I will tell you what th• Greeks and we, and some of your selves hold, th•• is, that every man hath so much Grace (th•• is, Help and Mercy contrary to Merit) as is in • own kind sufficient to make him better then he is, and to bring him nearer to Christ or salvation, and which his own will is obliged to make effectual by • right entertainment and improvement, and might ⟨p. 67⟩do: But we do not say that all men have sufficient •race to believe to justification, or sufficient to salvation; nay we say that no Believer hath sufficient grace to salvation, till the soul pass from the body: •r still he hath need of preserving Grace to the last •eath. Men that are at a great distance from Christ •ay have sufficient Grace to come near to him; •d justly perish if they refuse or abuse such Grace, ough they never had Grace sufficient to believe; because it is their own fault that they had it ot.