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 great business of the Devil the Enemy of Mankind, is to keep man from that Salvation, which Christ hath so dearly purchased, so graciously offered, and hath appointed us such excellent helps to attain: To which end it is his first endeavour, that men may not know or Believe that there is such a Felicity, and what it is, and how much to be desired; and his next, to keep them from knowing the way to it, and the last is, to keep them from walking in that way when they know it. ⟨p. 2⟩By the first means he keeps from Salvation, all Atheists and Heathens that know not, or believe not the life to come: by the second, all Infidels that Believe not Christ to be the way, and all Heretics that Believe not those Truths which are of absolute necessity in subordination to Christ: and by the third, all Hypocrites and unsanctified, ungodly, impenitent men, in the visible Church, that yet have a superficial Belief of these Truths.

THE great business of the Divel the Enemy of Mankinde, is to keep man from that Salvation, which Christ hath so dearly purchased, so graciously offered, and hath appointed us such excellent helpes to attain: To which end it is his first endeavor, that men may not know or Believe that there is such a Felicity, and what it is, and how much to be desired; and his next, to keep them from knowing the way to it, and the last is, to keep them from walking in that way when they know it. ⟨p. 2⟩By the first means he keeps from Salvation, all Atheists and Heathens that know not, or believe not the life to come: by the second, all Infidels that Believe not Christ to be the way, and all Hereticks that Believe not those Truths which are of absolute necessity in subordination to Christ: and by the third, all Hypocrites and unsanctified, ungodly, impenitent men, in the visible Church, that yet have a superficial Belief of these Truths.

Our Question in hand is for the escaping the second of these snares, by discovering which is the safe way to Salvation? The Policy of the Devil hath always endeavoured to hinder the world from knowing this way, by these two means: First, if it be possible by keeping them in utter darkness, that this way may not be revealed to them, or being revealed, may not be understood: Secondly, or if that will not do, by making such a number of by-ways on every side, that the true and only way may hardly be discerned. And this is his end in raising so many Heresies; and this is the course he takes to mislead them that have escaped from the darkness of Infidelity. He begun this trade betime, even in the days of the Apostles: They saw the multifarious off-spring of the Deceiver sprouting up apace in their own times: yet did it never enter into their thoughts to tell the Church, that by this, all Heresies should be known, That the Church of Rome should condemn them, or to send it down to all posterity as the true touchstone to tell them which was the only right way among all these Heresies, to wit, That which is believed by the Ppe or Church of Rome. This had been a ready and easy way for the Apostles to have prescribed, and for us to have received, if it had been true. It