A27015:580
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.
His second Independent proof, is [Sanctity] But Sir 1. Are all Saints infallible? Sure you dare not say so?
2. Will the Sanctity of one man, as Saint Francis or Saint Dominic, prove the infallibility of the Pope that hath no Sanctity? By what means? Rather if Saints be infallible, a Murdering, Simoniacal, Drunken, Fornicating Pope (as yours confess many of them were) are not like to be infallible; especially Saint Brigit cannot make the Pope infallible by that Sanctity, that would not make or prove her self infallible.
2. Will the Sanctity of one man, as Saint Francis or Saint Dominicke, prove the infallibility of the Pope that hath no Sanctity? By what means? Rather if Saints be infallible, a Murdering, Simoniacal, Drunken, Fornicating Pope (as yours confess many of them were) are not like to be infallible; especially Saint Brigit cannot make the Pope infallible by that Sanctity, that would not make or prove her self infallible.
3. Who must be judge of your Sanctity and ours? Your selves no doubt. For my part, if my salvation lay wholly upon the passing of a righteous censure between us in this point, I must needs profess, that even in England, where the Papists should be of their best sort, because it is not the common way of the Nation, but a discountenanced way, and where they are but few, yet I have known so few of them that have not been common Swearers, Cursers, Drunkards, Whoremongers, or the like, and yet fewer that ever manifested any serious minding of God and the life to come, or any experience of the work of Sanctification on their hearts; and who showed any more holiness than what say in certain ceremonies, words, gestures or other formalities; and on the contrary I know so many Protestants of heavenly hearts (as far as I can judge) and obedient lives; that there is no comparison, in my most impartial judgement between Papists and Protestants in matter of holiness. If this therefore be the proof of infallibility, sure God will excuse me, if I take England to be as infallible as Rome, because he requires me not to put out my eyes, nor to say the Swan is black, and the Crow white, because the Pope shall say so before me. And yet we still disclaim all pretences to such infallibility.