A27015:368
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.
More particularly I answer to his Rules in order. To the first I say. 1. That prove if you can that ever the whole Church embraced any thing as a point of Divine faith which is not contained in the Written Word. 2. If the whole Church embrace it, then it is no secret, and therefore we all may know it, yea and actually do know it as well as the Pope.
To the second Rule I say, You may prove a mistaken observance of rites by the greater part of the Church, but prove that the whole Church kept any thing unwritten, which none could constitute but God: But if they did, still it must needs be known to all, and therefore not controvertible, or locked up in the Popes closet. Prove also that the universal Church may not err in some lesser matters about Christs supposed constitutions.
To the second Rule I say, You may prove a mistaken observance of rites by the greater part of the Church, but prove that the whole Church kept any thing unwritten, which none could constitute but God: But if they did, still it must needs be known to all, and therefore not controvertible, or lockt up in the Popes closet. Prove also that the universal Church may not erre in some lesser matters about Christs supposed constitutions.
To the third I say, If by [all times past] you include the Apostles, then we grant your Rule: but mere Ecclesiastical Canons may be observed through all times shortly after the Apostles, and yet not as Apostolical, but Ecclesiastical: Yet when you come to try your Traditions by this Rule, I am not out of doubt that you will but disgrace them, and fail your Readers just expectations.
To the third I say, If by [all times past] you include the Apostles, then we grant your Rule: but meer Ecclesiastical Canons may be observed through all times shortly after the Apostles, and yet not as Apostolical, but Ecclesiastical: Yet when you come to try your Traditions by this Rule, I am not out of doubt that you will but disgrace them, and fail your Readers just expectations.