A27015:374
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.
2. The Papists ordinarily hold that as to us, that is Gods Word which the Pope with his Clergy say is Gods Word; and that his determination or Declaration that this or that is a point of faith, doth make it to us a point of faith, and necessary to be believed to salvation, which before was not so; So that according to the Papists, the Churches faith must alter at the Popes pleasure (at least with his Clergy) And by new declarations and determinations, he may make them a new Article of their Creed, when he will: so that their faith is as mutable and fallible as their Pope; and this they are themselves aware of: and therefore feign him to be infallible that they may prove their faith infallible: which if they could do ⟨p. 136⟩(as they never can) yet still their faith is mutable by their own confession, if not by revocations, yet by new additions as to us: so that their Religion is in continual progress or flux, and groweth in quantity as every Pope doth add his Determinations. Now I would know of any Papist in the world, or of the Pope himself if he would condescend to such considerations, whether they are sure that yet they have all that is made necessary to be believed to salvation, upon supposal of their determination? How can they tell but that their successors may make the Creed as long again as it is, and make their Religion another thing? I know they will say, that as to them no more is de fide then the Pope determineth to be so.
2. The Papists ordinarily hold that as to us, that is Gods Word which the Pope with his Clergy say is Gods Word; and that his determination or Declaration that this or that is a point of faith, doth make it to us a point of faith, and necessary to be believed to salvation, which before was not so; So that according to the Papists, the Churches faith must alter at the Popes pleasure (at least with his Clergy) And by new declarations and determinations, he may make them a new Article of their Creed, when he will: so that their faith is as mutable and fallible as their Pope; and this they are themselves aware of: and therefore feign him to be infallible that they may prove their faith infallible: which if they could do ⟨p. 136⟩(as they never can) yet still their faith is mutable by their own confession, if not by revocations, yet by new additions as to us: so that their Religion is in continual progress or flux, and groweth in quantity as every Pope doth adde his Determinations. Now I would know of any Papist in the world, or of the Pope himself if he would condescend to such considerations, whether they are sure that yet they have all that is made necessary to be believed to salvation, upon supposal of their determination? How can they tell but that their successors may make the Creed as long again as it is, and make their Religion another thing? I know they will say, that as to them no more is de fide then the Pope determineth to be so.