A27045:171
The successive visibility of the church of which the Protestants are the soundest members…
The successive visibility of the church of which the Protestants are the soundest members I. defended against the opposition of Mr. William Johnson, II. proved by many arguments / by Richard Baxter ; whereunto is added 1. an account of my judgement to Mr. J. how far heretics are or are not in the church, 2. Mr. Js. explication of the most used terms, with my queries thereupon, and his answer and my reply, 3. an appendix about successive ordination, 4. letters between me and T.S., a papist, with a narrative of the success.The successive visibility of the church of which the Protestants are the soundest members I. defended against the opposition of Mr. William Johnson, II. proved by many arguments / by Richard Baxter ; whereunto is added 1. an account of my judgement to Mr. J. how far hereticks are or are not in the church, 2. Mr. Js. explication of the most used terms, with my queries thereupon, and his answer and my reply, 3. an appendix about successive ordination, 4. letters between me and T.S., a papist, with a narrative of the success.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1660
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.
which the Council of Chalcedon before mentioned, plainly owned, when writing to Pope Leo they say, Thou Governest us, as the head doth the members, 1contributing thy good will by those which hold thy place. Behold a Primacy, not only of Precedency, but of Government and Authority; which Lerinensis confirms, contr. Haeres. cap. 9. where speaking of Stephen Pope, he saies, Dignum, ut opinor, existimans, si reliquos omnes tantum fidei devotione, quantum locī authoritate, superabat: esteeming it (as I think) a thing worthy of himself, if he overcame all others as much in the devotion of faith, as he did in the Authority of his place. And to confirm what this universal Authority was; he affirms, that he sent a Law, Decree, or Command into Africa, (Sanxit,) That in matter of rebaptization or Heretics nothing should be innovated▪ which was a manifest argument of his Spiritual Authority over those of ⟨p. 62⟩Africa; and à paritate rationis, over all others. I will shut up all with that which was publicly pronounced, and no way contradicted, and consequently assented to in the Council of Ephesus, (one of the four first general Councils) in this matter, Tom. 2. Concil. pag. 327. Act. 1. where Philip, Priest and Legate of Pope Celestine, says thus, Gratias agimus sanctae venerandaeque synodo, quod literis sancti beatique Papae nostri vobis recitatis, sanctas chartas, sanctis vestris vocibus, sancto capiti vestro, sanctis vestris exclamationibus, exhibueritis. Non enim ignorat vestra beatitudo, totius fidei, vel etiam Apostolorum, caput esse beatum Apostolum Petrum. And the same Philip, Act. 3. p. 330. proceeds in this manner, Nulli dubium, imo saeculis omnibus notum est, quod sanctus beatissimusque Petrus, Apostolorum Princeps & caput, Fideique columna, Ecclesiae Catholicae Fundamentum, à Domino nostro Jesu Christo, Salvatore generis humani ac redemptore nostro claves regni accepit, solvendique ac ligandi peccata potestas ipsi data est; qui ad hoc usque tempus ac semper in suis successoribus vivit & judicium exercet: —Hujus itaque secundum ordinem ⟨p. 63⟩successor & locum-tenens, sanctus beatissimusque Papa noster Celestinus, nos ipsius praesentiam supplentes huc misit.