A27045:646
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.
R. B. Reply. Ad Qu. 3. R. Reply 1. Here still you tell me that your descriptions signified nothing. You told me that the members must [live in dependence on their lawful Pastors.] And now you tell me that [their authority must not be rejected or contemned.] And indeed, is dependence and non-rejection all one? The millions of heathens that never heard of the Pope or any of your Pastors reject them not, nor contemn them: ⟨p. 320⟩Are they therefore fit matter for your Church? 2. If you say, that you mean it of such only as have a sufficient Revelation of the Authority of these Pastors, I further reply. 1. It seems then it is not only the Pope, but every Priest respectively that is an essential member of your Church; or to whom each member must be subject necessarily ad esse. If so, then every man that by falling out or prejudice, doth culpably reject the authority of any one Pastor or Priest among a swarm, is damned, or none of the Church, though he believe in the Pope and in twenty thousand Priests besides. 2. And then have we not cause to pray God to bless us from the company of your Priests? or at least, that we may not have too many, when among a multitude we may be in danger of rejecting some one, and then we are cast out of the Church! What if a Gentleman should find some such as Watson or Montaltus describe in bed with his wife; or a Prince find a Garnet, a Campion, or a Parsons in a Treason, and by such a temptation should be so weak, as to contemn, or reject the authority of that single Priest, while he honoureth all the rest: Is it certain, that such a man is none of the Catholic ⟨p. 321⟩Church for that? How hard is it in France and Italy then to be a Catholic, where Priests are so numerous, that its ten to one, but among the crowd the authority of some one may be rejected! 3. But is it all the Priests that we never knew, or knew not to be Priests, that we must depend on, or is it only those whose authority is manifested to us by sufficient evidence? Doubtless you will confine our dependence to these only (or else no man could be a Christian:) And if so, you know we are never the nearer a resolution for your answer, till you yet tell us how we must know our Pastors to have authority indeed. What if they show me the Bishops orders, and I know that many have had forged Orders? am I bound to believe in his authority?
R. B. Reply. Ad Qu. 3. R. Reply 1. Here still you tell me that your descriptions signified nothing. You told me that the members must [live in dependance on their lawful Pastors.] And now you tell me that [their authority must not be rejected or contemned.] And indeed, is dependance and non-rejection all one? The millions of heathens that never heard of the Pope or any of your Pastors reject them not, nor contemn them: