A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
3. By true, may be meant, either reality of essence, opposite to that
which is not really a church in this univocal acception; or else sound
and orthodox, in the integrals, as opposite to erroneous and defiled
with much enormity. And now I thus decide that question.
_Prop._ I. The true catholic church consisteth of Christ the Head, and
all christians as his body, or the members. As the kingdom consisteth
of the king and his subjects.[206]
_Prop._ II. As all the sincere heart-covenanters make up the church as
regenerate, and mystical or invisible; so all that are christened,
that is, baptized, and profess consent to all the essentials of the
baptismal covenant, not having apostatized, nor being by lawful power
excommunicated, are christians, and make up the church as
visible.[207]
_Prop._ III. Therefore there is but one universal church, because it
containeth all christians; and so leaveth out none to be the matter of
another.[208]
_Prop._ IV. It is not ignorance or error about the mere integrals of
christianity, which maketh them no christians who hold the essentials,
that is, the baptismal covenant.[209]
_Prop._ V. That the baptismal covenant might be rightly understood and
professed, the churches have still used the creed as the explication
of the covenant, in point of faith; and taken it for the symbol of the
christian belief. And no further profession of faith was or is to be
required, as necessary to the being of christianity.[210]
_Prop._ VI. If proud usurpers or censurers take on them to
excommunicate, or unchristian, or unchurch others, without authority
and cause, this maketh them not to be no christians, or no churches,
that are so used.[211]
_Prop._ VII. Therefore to know which is the true catholic or universal
church, is but to know who are baptized, professed christians.[212]
_Prop._ VIII. The reformed churches, the Lutherans, the Abassines, the
Coptics, the Syrians, the Armenians, the Jacobites, the Georgians, the
Maronites, the Greeks, the Moscovites, and the Romanists, do all
receive baptism in all its visible essentials, and profess all the
essentials of the christian religion, though not with the same
integrity.[213]
_Prop._ IX. He that denieth any one essential part, in itself, is so a
heretic as to be no christian, nor true member of the church, if it be
justly proved or notorious: that is, none ought to take him for a
visible christian, who know the proof of his denying that essential
part of christianity, or to whom it is notorious.[214]
_Prop._ X. He that holdeth the essentials primarily, and with them
holdeth some error which by unseen consequence subverteth some
essential point, but holdeth the essentials so much faster, that he
would forsake his error if he saw the inconsistence, is a christian
notwithstanding; and if the name heretic be applicable to him, it is
but in such a sense, as is consistent with christianity.[215]
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