A27015:786
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.
Moreover, is it a probable thing that Ignatius would have so frequently and importunately have pressed the Church, that he wrote to in all his Epistles, to be subject to and obey their Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons, and yet would never have given them one word of advice to be subject to, and obey the Bishop of Rome, if the peace and unity of the whole Church, and the very faith and salvation of the particular members, had so much depended on this as the Papists would persuade us? Certainly a Negative Argument from the silence of the writers of those times, is a sufficient confutation of the Romish usurpation.
Moreover, is it a probable thing that Ignatius would have so frequently and importunately have pressed the Church, that he wrote to in all his Epistles, to be subject to and obey their Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons, and yet would never have given them one word of advice to be subject to, and obey the Bishop of Rome, if the peace and unity of the whole Church, and the very faith and salvation of the particular members, had so much depended on this as the Papists would perswade us? Certainly a Negative Argument from the silence of the writers of those times, is a sufficient confutation of the Romish usurpation.
1Polycarp in his Epistle to the Philippians, persuadeth ⟨p. 336⟩that Church [to be subject to the Presbyters and Deacons as to God and Christ] not mentioning any other superior Bishop, much less an universal Bishop to whom also they must be subject. And whereas Valens one of their Presbyters was fallen (with his wife) into some sin which Polycarp professeth his sorrow for, he doth not direct them to seek remedy at any higher power, but persuadeth them to reduce him themselves as a straying member. And having before mentioned divers heresies of those times, be addeth as the Remedy, not an advice of appeal to Rome, or to seek for their determination, or to hold to their infallibility, but [[Greek or Hebrew]] i. e. [Wherefore leaving the vanity of many, and false doctrines, let us return to that Word which from the beginning was delivered to us.] It is to the first word, and not to Rome that this blessed Disciple of John doth send the Philippians for stability against errors.