A27015:254
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.
5. Because we see by experience, that even here with us among their few most zealous and voluntary Proselytes, it is but very few that call themselves Roman Catholics, or Papists, that indeed know what Popery is: Nay most of them, if you do but name some points of the Popish faith, will tell you that you slander them; and they hold no such thing. I have talked with many of the Laity, and find very few that will own the doctrine of mans Merits, but profess to rest on the Merits of Christ only: The like I could say of other points: By which it is plain that the Priests do hide from the Laity so much of the venom of their doctrine as they think will prove distasteful to them, and dare not let them know the worst.
5. Because we see by experience, that even here with us among their few most zealous and voluntary Proselites, it is but very few that call themselves Romane Catholikes, or Papists, that indeed know what Popery is: Nay most of them, if you do but name some points of the Popish faith, will tell you that you slander them; and they hold no such thing. I have talked with many of the Laity, and find very few that will own the doctrine of mans Merits, but profess to rest on the Merits of Christ onely: The like I could say of other points: By which it is plain that the Priests do hide from the Laity so much of the venome of their doctrine as they think will prove distastful to them, and dare not let them know the worst.
Prop. 8. These persons before described, together with that part of the Clergy, who cast off much of the Roman corruptions, and yet adhere to their party, are not full and complete Papists, but onely Papists secundum quid, incompleat, and of a lower sort, and so are not in so great danger of damnation as the rest: even as the Scab is not so bad as the Morphew, nor the Morphew so mortal as the Elephantiasis, or the full Leprosy; though all are of kindred one to another.
Prop. 8. These persons before described, together with that part of the Clergy, who cast off much of the Romane corruptions, and yet adhere to their party, are not full and compleat Papists, but onely Papists secundum quid, incompleat, and of a lower sort, and so are not in so great danger of damnation as the rest: even as the Scab is not so bad as the Morphew, nor the Morphew so mortal as the Elephantiasis, or the full Leprosie; though all are of kindred one to another.