There is a cavil or pretence which I shall speak unto on this occasion. That many Protestants confess Papists may be saved in their Faith; whereas they hold Protestants and other Heretics may not be saved out of the Catholic Church. And therefore it is safe to enter into that way which is safe by the consent of both parts, Ans. 1. Mens opinions are no ground of Faith. Persons may be in a sad woeful Case, that men speak well of, Luke 6.26. Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you. It is not what Man saith, but what the word of God saith: Now the word speaketh terrible things to them. [Them that perish] and [That they all might be damned who believed not the truth] &c. Secondly, The word of God teacheth us to judge of the way, rather than persons, who stand or fall to their own Master. The way is damnable. If on the one side there be Charity to some persons, that sin of invincible ignorance, and are saved as by fire, 1 Cor. 3.13. which the other side will not grant to a contrary persuasion; it argueth Charity on one side, which hopeth all things; malice on the other, who rashly condemn men without evidence, yea, against it. 3. If this argument would hold good, it had been better in Christ and the Apostles time to be a Jewish Proselyte, than a Christian; Christ acknowledgeth ⟨p. 243⟩Salvation is of the Jews, their promises of adoption and glory, but the Jews pronounced him and his followers accursed, scourged, imprisoned them; yet did not get so far as Papists, to murder and butcher them. Suppose a little time that Catholics owned Donatists as Brethren, allowed their Baptism, but Donatists are rebaptized, and upon pain of damnation require all so to be, and say, Save thy Soul, become a Christian. Now a Pagan should rather by this argument join himself to Donatists than Catholics. Lastly, The Argument may be retorted, A Protestant keepeth himself to his Bible, Baptismal Covenant, Creed, but denieth many things which Papists believe and practise, as Papal Infallibility, Transubstantiation, Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, worshipping of Images; they cannot but say Protestants are in the right.
There is a cavil or pretence which I shall speak unto on this occasion. That many Protestants confess Papists may be saved in their Faith; whereas they hold Protestants and other Hereticks may not be saved out of the Catholick Church. And therefore it is safe to enter into that way which is safe by the consent of both parts, Ans. 1. Mens opinions are no ground of Faith. Persons may be in a sad woful Case, that men speak well of, Luke 6.26. Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you. It is not what Man saith, but what the word of God saith: Now the word speaketh terrible things to them. [Them that perish] and [That they all might be damned who believed not the truth] &c. Secondly, The word of God teacheth us to judge of the way, rather than persons, who stand or fall to their own Master. The way is damnable. If on the one side there be Charity to some persons, that sin of invincible ignorance, and are saved as by fire, 1 Cor. 3.13. which the other side will not grant to a contrary perswasion; it argueth Charity on one side, which hopeth all things; malice on the other, who rashly condemn men without evidence, yea, against it. 3. If this argument would hold good, it had been better in Christ and the Apostles time to be a Jewish Proselyte, than a Christian; Christ acknowledgeth ⟨p. 243⟩Salvation is of the Jews, their promises of adoption and glory, but the Jews pronounced him and his followers accursed, scourged, imprisoned them; yet did not get so far as Papists, to murder and butcher them. Suppose a little time that Catholicks owned Donatists as Brethren, allowed their Baptism, but Donatists are rebaptized, and upon pain of damnation require all so to be, and say, Save thy Soul, become a Christian. Now a Pagan should rather by this argument join himself to Donatists than Catholicks. Lastly, The Argument may be retorted, A Protestant keepeth himself to his Bible, Baptismal Covenant, Creed, but denieth many things which Papists believe and practise, as Papal Infallibility, Transubstantiation, Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, worshipping of Images; they cannot but say Protestants are in the right.
