A27015:624
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.
Answ. Can the Pope lay by his relation when he is teaching the Church, & do it as a mere private Doctor, when he is not a mere private Doctor? It is a hard strait that the Papists are in to tell us, and themselves, when the Pope teacheth as a private Doctor, and when as Pope? They are never likely to be agreed about this among them. And all that we have for it, is but the private word of Bellarmine and some such disputers; but we have no Scripture, Canon, or Decretal, to tell us how we shall know one from the other. If therefore we have no infallible means to know when the Pope teacheth as a Pope, and when as private Doctor, then we have no infallible means to know when he teacheth infallibly: But the former is most certain, therefore so is the later: And so if the Pope were infallible, it would do us no good. If they draw forth rational probabilities, and make every private man judge of them, they may as well warrant men by such means, to judge of the sense of Scripture, which they so much abhor.
Answ. Can the Pope lay by his relation when he is teaching the Church, & do it as a meer private Doctor, when he is not a meer private Doctor? It is a hard strait that the Papists are in to tell us, and themselves, when the Pope teacheth as a private Doctor, and when as Pope? They are never likely to be agreed about this among them. And all that we have for it, is but the private word of Bellarmine and some such disputers; but we have no Scripture, Canon, or Decretal, to tell us how we shall know one from the other. If therefore we have no infallible means to know when the Pope teacheth as a Pope, and when as private Doctor, then we have no infallible means to know when he teacheth infallibly: But the former is most certain, therefore so is the later: And so if the Pope were infallible, it would do us no good. If they draw forth rational probabilities, and make every private man judge of them, they may as well warrant men by such means, to judge of the sence of Scripture, which they so much abhor.
Argu. 5. If General Councils be infallible, or to be credited, then the Pope is fallible: But according to one party of the Papists, a General Council is infallible: therefore the Pope is fallible.