A27045:656
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. Qu. 2. Reply 2. Every man that believeth that there is a God indeed, believeth that he is true: For if he be not True, he is not God. If therefore no man be Formally an Heretic, that doth not obstinately oppose the Veracity of God, which is the formal object, then as there are I hope but few Heretics in the world, so those few ⟨p. 327⟩cannot by ordinary means be known to you: unless they will say that they take God to be a liar, so that you make none Heretics indeed but Atheists. What if a man deny that there is a Christ, a Heaven, a Hell, or a Resurrection? and also deny the Revelation it self, by which he should discern these truths? and yet deny not the Veracity of God, (no nor of the Church?) is this no Heretic? I would your party that have murdered so many thousands as Heretics, had so judged: (if a falsehood may be wished, as a thing permitted, to have prevented such a mischief.) It is not Gods Veracity that is commonly denied by Heretics, but the thing revealed, and the Revelation of that thing: And your Turnebul against Baronius hath told you, that the Revelation is no part of the Formal object of faith, but as it were the Copula, or a condition sine qua non. If he that obstinately refuseth to believe that the Godhead of Christ, or the Holy Ghost is any where by God revealed, and so denieth it, be no Heretic, unless he also obstinately deny or resist the Veracity of God; then there are few that you can prove Heretics. (For forma dat nomen; and he that is not a Heretic Formally, but materially only, is no Heretic at all.) ⟨p. 328⟩Lastly, many a truth is sinfully neglected by the members of the Church; that have a proposal sufficient, and yet not effectual through their own fault: and yet they are no Heretics. Millions in your Church are ignorant of truths sufficiently proposed, and therefore their ignorance is their sin: but it followeth not that it is their Heresy. But if it be, then Heretics constitute your Church; and then your Church is a thing unknown; because the Heretics cannot be known, the sufficiency of each mans revelation being much unknown to others.
R. B. Reply. Qu. 2. Reply 2. Every man that believeth that there is a God indeed, believeth that he is true: For if he be not True, he is not God. If therefore no man be Formally an Heretick, that doth not obstinately oppose the Veracity of God, which is the formal object, then as there are I hope but few Hereticks in the world, so those few