A27015:455
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 thing called [The Church of Rome] consisteth not of Homogeneal parts: or at least that word signifieth several sorts of persons. There are some that with the Pope and his Cardinals entertain the full body of Popery, and enslave the rest: There are multitudes of the people, that silently live under them, and let them alone, and are defiled by them in many things, but receive not the great and most dangerous part of their corruption. These are not equally to be called the Church, nor are they equally in danger of damnation.
3. I deny the consequence of the Major Proposition; For if the Church of Rome be a true Church it is because they are true Christians, and not because they are Papists: so that to argue [The Church of Rome is a true Church, therefore Popery is a safe way to Salvation] is as unsound as to argue [Gebezi the Leper is a living man: Therefore the Leprosy is a thing safe or profitable to mans life] Popery is the disease of their Church, and Christianity is it that makes them a Church: You may well therefore co• clude that Christianity is a safe way to heaven; but not that Popery is so.
3. I deny the consequence of the Major Proposition; For if the Church of Rome be a true Church it is because they are true Christians, and not because they are Papists: so that to argue [The Church of Rome is a true Church, therefore Popery is a safe way to Salvation] is as unsound as to argue [Gebezi the Leper is a living man: Therefore the Leprosie is a thing safe or profitable to mans life] Popery is the disease of their Church, and Christianity is it that makes them a Church: You may well therefore co• clude that Christianity is a safe way to heaven; but not that Popery is so.