A27045:205
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.
4. Again I say, if you will not be precise in arguing, I can hardly be so in answering. And by [a Congregation of Christians] you may mean [Christians politically related to one Head,] whether Christ, or the Pope: But the word [Assemblies] expresseth their actual Assembling together, and so excludeth all Christians that are or were Members of no particular assemblies, from having Relation as Members of Christ (our Head) or the Pope (your Head,) and so from being of the Congregation, ⟨p. 79⟩as you Call, The Church universal.
4. Again I say, if you will not be precise in arguing, I can hardly be so in answering. And by [a Congregation of Christians] you may mean [Christians politically related to one Head,] whether Christ, or the Pope: But the word [Assemblies] expresseth their actuall Assembling together, and so excludeth all Christians that are or were Members of no particular assemblies, from having Relation as Members of Christ (our Head) or the Pope (your Head,) and so from being of the Congregation, ⟨p. 79⟩as you Call, The Church universall.
5. I had great reason to avoid the snare of an equivocation, or ambiguity, of which you gave me cause of jealousy by your [whatsoever] as I told you: as seeming to intimate a false supposition: To your Like, I answer, it is unlike, and still more intimates the false supposition. [Whatsoever Congregation of men is the Commonwealth of England] is a phrase that importeth that [There is a Congregation of men which is not the Common-wealth of England.] Which is true, there being more men in the world. So [whatsoever Congregation of Christians is now the true Church] doth seem to import, that you suppose [there is a Congregation of Christians (univocally so called) that are not the true Church] which you would distinguish from the other: Which I only let you know at the entrance, that I deny, that you may not think it granted.