A27045:740
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.
And I am so far from cruel uncharitable censures of any that unfeignedly love the Lord Jesus and his truth, that it is the greatest motive to me of all other to dislike your Profession, because it is so notoriously against Christian charity, restraining the Catholic Church to your selves, and outing and condemning the far greatest part of Christians in the world, and that because they believe not in the Pope, though they believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and all that the Primitive Church believed. I am so Catholic, that (according to my present judgement) I cannot be of your Church, because it is so little Catholic. I am of the one universal Church, which containeth all the true Christians in the world: And you are of a Party which hath separated it self from most of the Christians in the world. I am of that one body that is centred in Christ the Head; you are of a piece of this body, that hath centred in a man, and oft a confessed heretical wicked man, whom you ⟨p. 370⟩take while he lives to be the infallible Judge and foundation of all your faith and hope; and when he is dead, perhaps pronounce him to be in hell (as Bellarmine did Pope Sixtus, and others commonly.) I know, as every Sect hath a kind of unity among themselves, however divided from all the rest of the Church, so also hath yours: but nothing will satisfy me but a Catholic Unity, Church and Faith. So much being premised, I answer your Questions. Quest. 1. Whether the Church of Rome was a true Church in the Apostles days? Answ. The word [Church] signifies more things then one. 1. Sometime it is used to signify the whole mystical body of Christ, containing all and only those that are justified, whom Bellarmine calleth living members. And in this sense the Church of Rome in the Apostles days was not the Church, but the justified members were part of the Church. 2. Sometime it is used to signify all that profess true Christianity in the world: And thus the Church of Rome was not the Church, but part of it. 3. It is oft used by your writers to signify one Church, that by Prerogative is the Head or Mistress of ⟨p. 371⟩all Christians in the world, to which they must all be subject, and from which they must receive their name, as the Kingdom of Mexico, of Tripolis, of Fez, &c.
And I am so far from cruel uncharitable censures of any that unfeignedly love the Lord Jesus and his truth, that it is the greatest motive to me of all other to dislike your Profession, because it is so notoriously against Christian charity, restraining the Catholike Church to your selves, and outing and condemning the far greatest part of Christians in the world, and that because they believe not in the Pope, though they believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and all that the Primitive Church believed. I am so Catholike, that (according to my present judgement) I cannot be of your Church, because it is so little Catholike. I am of the one universal Church, which containeth all the true Christians in the world: And you are of a Party which hath separated it self from most of the Christians in the world. I am of that one body that is centred in Christ the Head; you are of a piece of this body, that hath centred in a man, and oft a confessed heretical wicked man, whom you