A27015:85
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.
By the Christian Religion, I suppose we are agreed, is meant the Religion of Believers in Christ, or that whereof Christ is the Foundation and prescriber, and faith in him the first act, which must contain all the essential parts (though it may possibly want many integrals) or else it is not to be called the Christian Religion. They that were called Christs Disciples were afterwards called Christians first at Antioch, Act. 11.26. To be a Christian therefore, and to be Christs Disciple is all one.
Note therefore, that as the word Religion denoteth ⟨p. 8⟩the sum of doctrines and way of salvation absolutely necessary, so it is but One in all the world (that's true and saving) and that is the Christian Religion. So that if a Heathen, Jew or Mahometan ask me what Religion I am of; in opposition to theirs, I will say, I am a Christian, and not only that I am a Protestant: But if a Christian ask me what Religion I am of, I will say, I am a Reformed Catholic Christian: for such a question in the mouth of a Christian usually implieth that I am a Christian, and intendeth the discovery of what sort or party of Christians I belong to. But indeed Christianity is not many but one, and therefore Christians as Christians are not of many Religions, but of one: No nor Christians at all, that are truly such, if by Religion you mean, a system of doctrines in the main, necessary or sufficient to salvation (or conceited so to be:) For, as there is no such Body of Doctrine but Christs, so no man that is indeed a Christian, can believe that there is, seeing such a Belief contradicteth the essentia's of Christianity. But among those that call themselves Christians, there are some Heretics that deny or plainly subvert some part of the essentials of Christian Religion. And among those that are Christians, some have such dangerous corruptions as do much hazard the salvation, and tend to frustrate them of their benefits of the Christian Faith, and these very corruptions they Entitle by the name of Part of their Religion, as the Papists do: In which sense I must say, I am not of the same Religion with them, though I hold the same Christian Doctrine as they, because I hold not their mixture, and add not those corruptions which they make a part of their Religion.