A27015:715
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.
Quest. 20. Lastly I will appeal to the conscience of any Papist that hath any conscience left, and hath read the Fathers or History of the first Ages of the Church whether the rest of the Bishops and Churches in those times did believe the Scripture upon the credit of the infallibility of the Pope or the Roman Church? Did the rest of the Apostles receive the Gospel on the credit of Peter, or were they sent by him? or did they receive their authority from him? Do they find that ever the Apostles, or any following Bishops of the Church did take such a course to bring men to the faith, as first to teach them that the Roman Pope or Clergy were infallible, and therefore to persuade them to believe the Scriptures or Christian faith, because they say its true. Is it possible that any learned Papists can seriously believe that this was the ancient way of believing? Do they think in good sadness that the world was converted to Christianity by this means? Sure it is scarce possible that they should be so far distracted by their prejudice and faction? Do they read in Clemens Rom. or Alexandrin, in Ignatius, Justin, Irenaeus, Tertullian, ⟨p. 296⟩Origen, Cyprian, or any other of those times, that the preachers that went abroad the world to persuade men to Christianity, did ever use this Popish Medium, or go this way to work? Did they first preach the Pope and Roman Church before they preached Christ or Scripture? Did they first preach men into a belief of the Roman infallibility, and then bring them to Christ or to believe the Scripture upon the credit of that? O that these men would but show us in what history we may find the reports of this way of preaching? Or tell us what parts of the world were converted by this argument?
Quest. 20. Lastly I will appeal to the conscience of any Papist that hath any conscience left, and hath read the Fathers or History of the first Ages of the Church whether the rest of the Bishops and Curches in those times did believe the Scripture upon the credit of the infallibility of the Pope or the Romane Church? Did the rest of the Apostles receive the Gospel on the credit of Peter, or were they sent by him? or did they receive their authority from him? Do they find that ever the Apostles, or any following Bishops of the Church did take such a course to bring men to the faith, as first to teach them that the Romane Pope or Clergy were infallible, and therefore to perswade them to believe the Scriptures or Christian faith, because they say its true. Is it possible that any learned Papists can seriously believe that this was the ancient way of believing? Do they think in good sadness that the world was converted to Christianity by this means? Sure it is scarce possible that they should be so far distracted by their prejudice and faction? Do they read in Clemens Rom. or Alexandrin, in Ignatius, Justin, Irenaeus, Tertullian,