A27015:370
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.
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.
To the fourth I say, 1. I will believe you, if you speak of all the Doctors of the Church next to the Apostles, or so near as that the danger of mistaking was not great. 2. But I do not believe that you will find any of your Traditions asserted to be Gods Word, by all the Doctors of the Church (not near all) in any one age: unless you make your faction to be all.
To the fourth I say, 1. I will believe you, if you speak of all the Doctors of the Church next to the Apostles, or so neer as that the danger of mistaking was not great. 2. But I do not believe that you will find any of your Traditions asserted to be Gods Word, by all the Doctors of the Church (not neer all) in any one age: unless you make your faction to be all.
The last Rule is but a mere trick of wit to get the ⟨p. 135⟩key into the Popes hand alone: To which I say, 1. A Church that hath had an interrupted succession of true Pastors from the Apostles, may fall into many errors in process of time, which in Tertullians and Irenaeus days, when the memory of all the Apostles practices were so fresh, they could not fall into so easily. 2. Those Churches have received their unwritten verities, either by writings from their predecessors or without: If by writings, why cannot others find it there as well as they? If without, it must be an uncertain, and mutable means; or by a means so public still that all as well as they may know of it. 3. And we undertake to prove that the succession of true Pastors of the Romish See hath been long ago, and often interrupted. And therefore this Rule will not serve your turns.