A27015:569
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.
But though it belong to the Romanists to prove their Miracles (which prove their Infallibility without Scripture) and not to us to prove the Negative, yet I shall try to shame their confidence by a few pertinent Questions, when it shall appear how little they have to say in answer to them.
Q. 1. And first I desire to know of them whether the Miracles that prove their infallibility without Scripture are wrought by the Present Church, or by the Church of former ages only? If by the present, why cannot we see them? Why are we still sent to Saint Brigit, or Saint Francis, or Saint Somebody that is long ago dead and gone? We thought once we had had one near us here, I mean, the Boy of Bilson, who did wondrous things in favour of the Papists; but in the Issue, by the industry of Bishop Morton he was proved to be a counterfeit, and confessed himself trained up by the Papists for the cheat. But if it only the Generations that are dead and gone that wrought Miracles, then I would further ask. 1. Doth it not seem then that your Church is Apostate, in that it hath lost the gift of Miracles, which you suppose so necessary? And how will the Gifts of your predecessors prove your present infallibility, any more then the Gifts of the predecessors of the Greek Bishops will prove their infallibility that now are? 2. If past Miracles may serve without present, then what need any more than the old Miracles of the Apostles? And then why are not ⟨p. 234⟩all the Apostles successors infallible as well as the Pope? Seeing all the Apostles had the gift of Miracles (and many thousand more) Therefore those past Miracles should prove all Bishops infallible that succeeded them.
Q. 1. And first I desire to know of them whether the Miracles that prove their infallibility without Scripture are wrought by the Present Church, or by the Church of former ages onely? If by the present, why cannot we see them? Why are we still sent to Saint Brigit, or Saint Francis, or Saint Somebody that is long ago dead and gone? We thought once we had had one neer us here, I mean, the Boy of Bilson, who did wondrous things in favor of the Papists; but in the Issue, by the industry of Bishop Morton he was proved to be a counterfeit, and confessed himself trained up by the Papists for the cheat. But if it onely the Generations that are dead and gone that wrought Miracles, then I would further aske. 1. Doth it not seem then that your Church is Apostate, in that it hath lost the gift of Miracles, which you suppose so necessary? And how will the Gifts of your predecessors prove your present infallibility, any more then the Gifts of the predecessors of the Greek Bishops will prove their infallibility that now are? 2. If past Miracles may serve without present, then what need any more than the old Miracles of the Apostles? And then why are not