A27045:244
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.
See now how little your objections are worth; and how groundlessly you bid me [See now how little my allegations are to the purpose.]
See now how little your objections are worth; and how groundlesly you bid me [See now how little my allegations are to the purpose.]
As for the rabble of Heretics which you reckon up, (as you esteem them,) some of them are no Christians univocally so called, and those cannot be of the Christian Church. Others of them were better Christians then the Romanists, and so were of the same Church with us: And it is not many reproachful names put on them by malice that makes them no Christians, or of many Churches or Religions. If an arrogant usurper will put nick-names on all that will not bow to him as the Vice-Christ, and call them Iconoclasts, Berengarians, Waldensians, Albigenses, Wicklefifts, Hussites, Lutherans, Calvinists (you may as well ⟨p. 106⟩give them a thousand more names) this makes them not of various Religions, nor blots out their names from the book of life. I have in my most retired thoughts perused the History of those mens lives, and of the lives of many of your Popes, together with their several doctrines; and with death and judgement in my eyes, as before the great God of Heaven. I humbly beg of him, that I may rather have my everlasting portion with those holy men whom you burned, as Waldenses, Albigenses, Hussites, &c. then with the Popes that burned them, or those that follow them in that cruelty, unless reconciling grace have given them repentance unto life. The Religion of all these men was one, and they were all of one universal Church.
As for the rabble of Hereticks which you reckon up, (as you esteem them,) some of them are no Christians univocally so called, and those cannot be of the Christian Church. Others of them were better Christians then the Romanists, and so were of the same Church with us: And it is not many reproachfull names put on them by malice that makes them no Christians, or of many Churches or Religions. If an arrogant usurper will put nick-names on all that will not bow to him as the Vice-Christ, and call them Iconoclasts, Berengarians, Waldensians, Albigenses, Wicklefifts, Hussites, Lutherans, Calvinists (you may as well