A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
_Direct._ VI. Make nothing necessary to the unity of the church, or
the communion of christians, which God hath not made necessary, or
directed you to make so.[161] By this one folly, the papists are
become the most notorious schismatics on earth; even by making new
articles of faith, and new parts of worship, and imposing them on all
christians, to be sworn, subscribed, professed, or practised, so as
that no man shall be accounted a catholic, or have communion with
them, (or with the universal church, if they could hinder it,) that
will not follow them in all their novelties. They that would subscribe
to all the Scriptures, and to all the ancient creeds of the church,
and would do any thing that Christ and his apostles have enjoined, and
go every step of that way to heaven that Peter and Paul went, as far
as they are able, yet if they will go no further, and believe no more,
(yea, if they will not go against some of this,) must be condemned,
cast out, and called schismatics by these notorious schismatics. If he
hold to Christ the universal Head of the church, and will not be
subject or sworn to the pope, the usurping head, he shall be taken as
cut off from Christ. And there is no certainty among these men what
measure of faith, and worship, and obedience to them, shall be judged
necessary to constitute a church member: for as that which served in
the apostles' days, and the following ages, will not serve now, nor
the subscribing to all the other pretended councils until then will
not serve without subscribing to the creed or council of Trent; so
nobody can tell, what new faith, or worship, or test of christianity,
the next council (if the world see any more) may require: and how many
thousand that are Trent catholics now, may be judged heretics or
schismatics then, if they will not shut their eyes, and follow them
any whither, and change their religion as oft as the papal interest
requireth a change. Of this Chillingworth, Hales, and Dr. H. More have
spoken plainly.[162] If the pope had imposed but one lie to be
subscribed, or one sin to be done, and said "All nations and persons
that do not this, are no christians, or shall have no communion with
the church," the man that refuseth that imposed lie or sin, is
guiltless of the schism, and doth but obey God, and save his soul; and
the usurper that imposeth them, will be found the heinous schismatic
before God, and the cause of all those divisions of the church. And so
if any private sectary shall feign an opinion or practice of his own
to be necessary to salvation or church communion, and shall refuse
communion with those that are not of his mind and way, it is he, and
not they, that is the cause of the uncharitable separation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account