A27045:437
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.
Aug. de Doctr. Christian. lib. 2. c. 9. [In his omnibus libris timentes Deum & pietate mansueti, quaerunt voluntatem Dei. Cujus operis & laboris prima observatio est, ut diximus, nosse istos libros, & si nondum ad intellectum legendo tamen vel mandare memoriae, (He was not against the Vulgars reading Scripture) vel omnino incognitos non habere. Deinde illa quae in eis aperte pofita sunt, vel praecepta vivendi vel regulae credendi, solertiùs diligentiúsque investiganda sunt: Quae tanto quisque plura invenit, quanto est intelligentia capacior: In iis enim quae apertè in Scriptura posita sunt, inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem moresque vivendi, (N. B.) spem scilicet atque charitatem, de quibus libro superiore tractavimus. Tum vero facta quadam familiaritate cum ipsa lingua divinarum scripturarum, in ea quae obscura sunt aperienda, & discutienda pergendum est, ut ⟨p. 222⟩ad obscuriores locutiones illustrandas de manifestationibus sumantur exempla, & quaedam certarum sententiarum testimonia, dubitationem de incertis auferant.] You see here that the Scripture, as sufficient to faith and manners, to be read by all that fear God, and can read; and the harder places to be expounded by the plainer, was the ancient Rule of faith and Religion: And this is the Religion of Protestants.
Aug. lib. 3. c. 6. contra lit. Petiliani, pag. 127. [Proinde, sive de Christo sive de ejus Ecclesia, sive de quacunque alia re quae pertinet ad fidem vitamque nostram, non dicam Nos, nequaquam comparandi •i qui dixit [Licet si nos] sed omnino quod secutus adjecit, si Angelus de coelo vobis annunciaverit praeterquam quod in Scripturis & Evangelicis accepistis, Anathema sit.] I must needs English this short passage, to the utter confusion of Popery. [And therefore whether it be of Christ, or whether it be of the Church, or whether it be of any other matter that pertaineth to our Faith or Life, I will not say [if we] as being not worthy to be compared with him that said [Though we] but (I will say) plainly what he added following: [If an Angel from heaven shall declare to you any thing besides that which you have ⟨p. 223⟩