A27015:492
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.
10. No man or company of men (much less the Pope) hath a proper Decisive Judicial Power in matter of Christian faith, or whether the Scripture, or any part of it; be the word of God or not?
For the opening of this, understand what we mean by a Decisive Judicial Power: to wit, such as a Judge hath in a controverted cause, where the Plaintiff and Defendant must stand to his Judgement, be it right or wrong: so that though the sentence be not just, yet must it be Decisive and obligatory: so that he hath Power to Judge in utramque partem, on either side, and the judgement must be valid. Such a Decisive power no creature hath in these cases that we have now in hand.
Where let it be still remembered, that it is not the name, but the Thing that we contend about. If they will call that a Decisive Judicial Power, which is so limited to one part, or side, that it shall not be valid or obligatory to the subject if it err, or go on the other side, concerning which all men have a judgement of Discerning granted them by God (so far as they are able to Discern, they have leave and authority) then we easily grant, that every Pastor of the Church is thus far the Judge of Faith and Scripture: That is, if any man doubt whether the Scripture be the Word of God, and ask a Preacher or Bishop, he hath Power to say, Yea: but not to say No: But this is no Judicial Power: but a Teaching and Witnessing act: For the people are bound to disobey them, if they err, and therefore bound to •ry whether they err or not; and not to follow their judgement further then it is right and sound: therefore they have no deciding Judicial Power: which I prove thus.
Where let it be still remembred, that it is not the name, but the Thing that we contend about. If they will call that a Decisive Judicial Power, which is so limited to one part, or side, that it shall not be valid or obligatory to the subject if it erre, or go on the other side, concerning which all men have a judgement of Discerning granted them by God (so far as they are able to Discerne, they have leave and authority) then we easily grant, that every Pastor of the Church is thus far the Judge of Faith and Scripture: That is, if any man doubt whether the Scripture be the Word of God, and ask a Preacher or Bishop, he hath Power to say, Yea: but not to say No: But this is no Judicial Power: but a Teaching and Witnessing act: For the people are bound to disobey them, if they erre, and therefore bound to ry whether they erre or not; and not to follow their judgement further then it is right and sound: therefore they have no deciding Judicial Power: which I prove thus.