A27015:231
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.
1. Popery is a certain farrago, a mixture of many grievous errors in the doctrine of Faith, Government and Worship, expressed in their Authorized writings, ⟨p. 79⟩especially in their decretals and Councils, corrupting the Christian Religion which they profess; the whole being denominated from that one falsehood, that the Pope of Rome is, the Universal Bishop, and Visible Head of the Universal Church and Christs Vicar-General on earth, and that only is the Catholic Church, and those only Catholics that so believe.
1. Popery is a certain farrago, a mixture of many grievous errors in the doctrine of Faith, Government and Worship, expressed in their Authorized writings, ⟨p. 79⟩especially in their decretals and Councils, corrupting the Christian Religion which they profess; the whole being denominated from that one falshood, that the Pope of Rome is, the Universall Bishop, and Visible Head of the Universal Church and Christs Vicar-General on earth, and that only is the Catholike Church, and those only Catholiks that so believe.
Where note 1. That the Papists professing to be Christians, do first own the substance of Christian doctrine, and then corrupt it, and contradict it by this fardle of their own inventions superadded. They profess to believe the holy Scriptures to be the word of God, and to be true: every Book that we believe (and more) They profess to believe all the Articles of the ancient Creeds commonly called the Apostles, the Nicene, or Constantinopolitane. It is not the Christianity or true doctrine which they profess, which we call Popery. 2. It is therefore only their own invented corruptions, by which they contradict the Christian verity which they profess, which we call Popery. 3. Note, That the common denominating corruption, is the forementioned doctrine of the Popes Universal Episcopacy and Headship, or a supremacy at least, if not Infallibility: and that the Catholic Church, and the Roman Church is all one: and the Pope is the visible centre of its Unity. 4. Note also that as to the rest of their corruptions, they agree not among themselves what is to be esteemed of their faith or Religion, and what not: and therefore it cannot be expected that we should give you an exact enumeration of the points of their faith, and so a complete description of Popery, which is such a self-contradicting unreconcilable