A27015:486
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.
4. It belongeth to them also to be witnesses and informers of the people, how themselves did receive the Faith and Scripture from their Ancestors, and to show them how it came down to our hands by certain Infallible Tradition from Age to Age.
4. It belongeth to them also to be witnesses and informers of the people, how themselves did receive the Faith and Scripture from their Ancestors, and to shew them how it came down to our hands by certaine Infallible Tradition from Age to Age.
5. The Church guides they are both Preservers of the Scripture, Witnesses of the Tradition, and Teachers of the truth, and have such a power of judging a• belongeth to all these three.
5. The Church guides they are both Preservers of the Scripture, Witnesses of the Tradition, and Te•chers of the truth, and have such a power of judging a• belongeth to all these three.
6. In these acts of their office they ought to be Believed, and that on a threefold account. 1. Because of the evidence which they show to prove the truth of their Assertions: Though strictly this is rather to be called Learning, and so Knowing, then Believing: ⟨p. 197⟩and is common to Teachers with any others that show the same proofs; Yet it being supposed that ordinarily they have much more Knowledge in the things which they teach then other men have, therefore we may well say that it more belongeth to them to convince, and more efficacy is in their Teaching because of their proofs, and better entertainment is due to their Teaching. 2. Such a Belief also is due to them as all men should have in their own profession, wherein they have long studied and laid out their time and labour, and wherein they are commonly known to excel other men. Every man that is less studied in Law, Physic, or any other Science or Art is bound in reason to give some credit to Lawyers, Physicians and others that Study and Practice those Arts. This is but a humane Faith. 3. Besides this credit before mentioned which Infidels themselves may give to the Ministers of the Gospel (according to their capacities) there is a further credit due to them from professed believers, and that is, as they are officers authorized by Christ, and have a promise of his assistance to the end of the world: which though it make them not infallible in all matters of Faith, yet doth it assure them of a more than common help of Christ, if they are his servants indeed.