A27015:38
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
To the reader: To the Literate Romanists that will read this Book.
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.
Will you bid him desire and seek him, and when you have done lock him up in the dark? Or will you bid him serve and obey him, and yet forbid him to search after the knowledge of his laws and will? If you would bring me to be of these opinions, your reasonings would be to as much purpose as if you should persuade me to put out my ⟨image 10⟩eyes and put them in your pockets, for fear of missing my way in my race, when my life is at the stake: Or as if you should persuade me to be ignorant of Ploughing and Sowing, and Merchandise, and yet to seek after provision and riches in the world. I am as easily reconciled as another to those that step out of the path that I am in, if they go towards the same end: But if you would teach me to turn my back upon Heaven, as the only way to attain it, this will not easily down with me: I know that God is light, and with him is no darkness; and that Christ is the light of the world, and his spirit is the illuminator of the Saints, and the word is a light to our feet, and giveth wisdom to the simple: And yet would you have us refuse this Light, and choose the Darkness? I know that Satan is the prince of darkness, & a state of death is a state of darkness, tending to outer darkness: and that it is the saving way of God to translate men out of darkness into his marvellous light: And yet would you persuade me that this is the way of Life? What a difference is there between this doctrine of yours, and the very scope of Scriptures, and ancient Writers, and the sense of a gracious soul? Solomon would have men to Hide the commandment with them, and incline their ear to wisdom, and apply their hearts to understanding, and cry after knowledge, and lift up their voice for understanding, ⟨image 11⟩and seek for it as silver, and search after it as for hid treasure, Prov. 2.2, 3, 4. And is your Doctrine like this? Isay bids, To the Law and the Testimony. Is. 8.20. And the Bereans are commended for searching the Scriptures daily to see whether the things were so that were taught them even by Apostles: And will you forbid this, and burn men for to promote their salvation? Did not Paul write his Epistles to the Laity as well as to the Clergy? You must strip me of the grace of God, and reduce my mind to a state of darkness, before I can ever entertain these principles of darkness: For light and darkness will not have communion.