A27015:360
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.
He can prove it to you by the Tables Delivered, and by proving the Act of Delivery, though he could bring no other word of God which told you what was in those Tables. And indeed, if these must needs be another Word of God, besides the Delivering Acts to prove the former to be the Word of God, and tell us its parts, then there must also be another word to discover that second Word to be the Word of God, and another to discover that, and so in infinitum. ⟨p. 131⟩Our acknowledged necessary Tradition, therefo•• is not another materia tradita, or Word of God, but only one of the actus tradendi, and act of delivering the same matter or word.
He can prove it to you by the Tables Delivered, and by proving the Act of Delivery, though he could bring no other word of God which told you what was in those Tables. And indeed, if these must needs be another Word of God, besides the Delivering Acts to prove the former to be the Word of God, and tell us its parts, then there must also be another word to discover that second Word to be the Word of God, and another to discover that, and so in infinitum. ⟨p. 131⟩Our acknowledged necessary Tradition, therefo•• is not another materia tradita, or Word of God, but onely one of the actus tradendi, and act of delivering the same matter or word.
But for the Papists that will have another part of the Rule of Divine faith, they will never be able to tell us what it is, and where, and to let us understand when we have all. Bellarmine de verbo dei non Scripto li. 4. cap. 9. lays down five Rules by which we may know the true Traditions. The first is [When the whole Church embraceth any thing as a point of faith, which is not found in the Scriptures of God, we must needs say, that this was had from the tradition of the Apostles.] The second is [When the universal Church keepeth somewhat which none could constitute but God, and which is not found written, we must needs say, that this was delivered from Christ and the Apostles.] The third is [That which is kept in the universal Church, and through all times past, is deservedly judged to have been instituted by the Apostles, though it be such a thing as the Church might institute.] The fourth is [When all the Doctors of the Church do with one consent teach that such a thing descended by Apostolical Tradition, either Congregate in a General Council, or writing it apart in books, this is to be believed to be an Apostolic Tradition.] The fifth Rule is this [That is without doubt to be believed to descend from Apostolical Tradition, which is held for such in those Churches where the succession from the Apostles is entire and continued.] These are Bellarmines five Rules.