A27015:345
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. He that shall consider of all the Christians in the world at this day, who subject not themselves to the Pope of Rome, and may truly be reputed to be of the Catholic Church, will see that the Papists are but a small part of the Church: But especially if we consider them as they were not many ages ago, much more numerous then now they be. The Grecians, the Syrians called Melchites, the Muscovites and ⟨p. 121⟩Russians, the Georgians, all of the Greek Religion besides the multitude of the same Religion dispersed throughout the Turks dominions; also the Abassins, Egyptians, Armenians, Jacobites, who are near of a mind, and differ from the Papists, and submit not to their authority: Besides all the Reformed Churches in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Hungary, Transylvania, Britain, Ireland, France, Belgia, Helvetia, and other parts with those in the Indies; I say consider of all these Christians together and it will appear that the Papists are but a few to them, or not near so many as they. But if you further consider of the state of the Christian world not many ages ago, when the Turks had not yet subdued the Eastern parts, and when the Abyssinian Empire was much more large, and Nubia and other Countries had not revolted, it will appear that we may well say that it was but a small part of Christians comparatively that did acknowledge the universal headship and jurisdiction of the Pope, or submit themselves to him: besides many other points of Religion in which they differ from him. I know that the Papists say, that these are all either Heretics or Schismatics, and so no part of the Catholic Church. But the accusation of Schism is the mere voice of Schism, and for Heresy, its true that all men and Churches have their errors, which yet deserve not the name of Heresy: The Jacobites and the rest that are near them, are afraid of acknowledging two Natures in Christ, lest it lead them to make two persons with the Nestorians; but yet they are not plain Eutichites: and both they and the Nestorians acknowledge Christ to be perfect God and perfect man; only the Nestorians do amiss ⟨p. 122⟩have these two natures, two persons; and that the Euticheans in flying too far from them are afraid to call them two Natures, though they confess the Godhead and Manhood to be really distinct; yet they say that both are as it were conjoined or coupled into one Nature: