A27015:357
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 consequence of the Major, I suppose they will grant. For how can that be a safe way, 1. which is uncertain, 2. and changeable; when the true way ⟨p. 129⟩to salvation is one and the same, and changeth not since Christ had established and sealed his Laws.
All the question therefore is of the Minor: which I prove, 1. From the Popish principles, 2. From their Practices, both which do plainly show that their new Religion is a mere Weather-cock that must fit with the wind of the mutable conceits of the Pope and his Clergy. Even like the Religion of the Enthusiasts that wait still for new Revelations to be superadded to the Scripture.
All the question therefore is of the Minor: which I prove, 1. From the Popish principles, 2. From their Practices, both which do plainly shew that their new Religion is a meer Weather-cock that must fit with the winde of the mutable conceits of the Pope and his Clergy. Even like the Religion of the Enthusiasts that wait still for new Revelations to be superadded to the Scripture.
And first for their principles, one is that [The Scripture is not the whole word of God, or sufficient rule of faith or manners, but only a part of the Word and Rule, and that unwritten Traditions are the other part: Yea Rushworths Dialogues, Bellarmine, and the rest of them ordinarily, tell us that Scripture was not chiefly given to be a Rule of faith at all: saith Bellarm. de verbo dei li. 4. cap. 12. [Finis Scripturae pracipuus non est, ut sit Regula fidei, sed ut variis documentis, exemplis, adhortationibus, nunc terrendo, nunc instruendo, nunc minando, nunc consolando adjuvet nos in hae peregrination.] that is [The chief end of Scripture, is not to be a Rule of faith: but that by divers documents, examples, adhortations, sometime by affrighting, sometime by instructing, sometime by threatening, sometime by comforting, it may help us in this our peregrination.] It is then unwritten Traditions that are part of Gods Word, and at least part of the Rule of faith: And where these Traditions are to be found, and what they are, and how many, and by what notes they may all be known, either they dare not tell us, for fear of bringing mens faith to a certainty, from under