The Certainty of Christianity Without Popery, Title page – Errata
THE CERTAINTY OF CHRISTIANITY Without POPERY: OR, Whether the Catholick-Protestant, or the Papist have the Surer Faith.
Being an Answer to one of the oft canted Questions and Challenges of the Papists, sent to one who desired this.
Published to direct the unskilful, how to defend their faith against Papists and Infidels, but especially against the Temptations of the Devil; that by saving their Faith, they may save their Holiness, their Comfort and their Souls.
By Richard Baxter.
2 Cor. 4. 1, 2.
Seing we have this Ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not: But have renounced the Hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, But by manifestation of the truth, commending our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God.
LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simons at the Sign of the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-Yard. 1672.
TO THE Protestant Reader.
IT is for your Reading, and not for the Papists chiefly that I publish this short and hasty writing. For I may probably prognosticate of them, 1. That the lay men will not, must not read it; 2. That the Priests, will not read it with any impartiality, as Lovers of Truth; 3. That what they cannot answer they will silently dissemble, or if any meddle with it, they will either take some scrap and leave the rest; or they will spend paper in cavilling at my 40. Reasons against them, because, lest I be tedious, I have not improved them by Syllogistical form and full confirmation, and they will put off the full answers already given them in the former Books to which I refer them, without a Reply: And they will pass by the strength of what they meddle with. 4. And when I am dead, they will patch up some confident answer to some of my Books (as vain as Mr. Iohnson, alias Terret, hath done to one,) and will borrow some lies, from the writings of some against me that are of the same spirit with them, wherewith to reproach my Name, which shall be instead of an answer to my Books.
The Answer to their present Question I have already fullier given them, 1. In my Reasons of the Christian Religion; 2. And in my More Reasons, 3. In my Life of Faith, Part 2. 4. In my Safe Religion throughout, especially Disp. 3. 5. In my Key for Catholicks. 6. In my Preface to the 2. Part of the Saints Rest. And none of them that I know of are answered; But they cant over and over the same thing, and tempt or necessitate us thereby to write over and over the same thing, to the wearying of the Readers, while they silently dissemble all.
But the end of this writing is, to tell young unstudied persons, on what terms, and in what order they must deal with this great Question, and defend the foundations of their faith, against Infidels, Papists, and the Devil himself, who will here assault us with greater craft and force, than Papists or Infidels can do. Reader, study it well, till thy soul is clear and well confirmed; For the Keeping or Losing of this Fort, is the Keeping or Losing of thy Religion, thy Comfort, and thy soul.
This following Paper was sent me from an unknown person in a Letter, which had these words.
SIR,
THe business of this Paper is to beg a favour of you, of a publick nature—an Answer to the inclosed Paper, which was sent me from a friend of mine who is a Papist, with an earnest desire that I would procure it to be answered. The resolution of which would be of use to us both in the things in Controversie between us—I cannot but wonder at the confidence of this deluded people, who though they are so often again and again Learnedly and Religiously writ against, yet they can with as great confidence and boasting challenge and dare the Ministers of Truth to encounter and answer them, in such kind of Papers, as if their tenets had never been refuted at all: And though I have referred my friend to your Books, that will not satisfie; but he doth as it were Goliah-like bid defiance to our Ministers, telling me that if any be so hardy, let them answer his Papers.
The Paper followeth.
ALL who call themselves Christians are agreed in this principle.
That every Revelation of God, or whatsoever God says is most certainly true in the sense wherein he intends it.
And this is a matter of right on Gods part, to have this granted.
But all Christians do not agree; and it is the sole point wherein Christians differ:
Whether God hath Revealed or said what is proposed to us as his Revelation: Or as the sense intended by him by that which they all agree to be his Revelation.
And this is purely matter of Fact, (viz.) 1. Whether several Books affirmed and proposed to us as the Revelations of God be truly so. For Instance, the Old Testament affirmed by some to be, and proposed as the Revelations of God, are denied by the Valentinians and the Manichees. The Gospels of St. Mark, St. Luke, St. Iohn, and all St. Pauls Epistles, proposed by some Christians as the Revelations of God, are denied by others, namely by the Ebionites. So likewise several parties agreeing several Books to be Scripture and the Revelation of God, do notwithstanding differ touching the Copies, and touching the Translations; Some affirming one Copie to be true, and one Translation to be true, whilst others expresly say, that Copy is false, and that Translation false. And Lastly, several parties agreeing the Books to be Scripture, the Copies true, and the Translations true, and to be the Revelation of God, do nevertheless differ touching the sense, each party delivering a particular sense of such a Text, and proposing such sense, as the sense, and the only sense Revealed by God, to be intended by God by that Text, and each proposed sense being contrary to the other.
It is clear in any difference arising touching matter of Fact, there can only be one party which can have the true Faith touching that matter, for it is impossible one thing can be a Revelation of God and no Revelation of God: That one Copy, or one Translation, or one Sense can be true and not true.
It is now enquired whether Christ hath setled any principle or medium in the world: And what principle or medium it is which Christ hath setled in the world, for the determining of matters of Fact of this nature. By which Unity in Faith may be conserved, and Christians may with certainty know what is a true Revelation of God, which a true Copy of such true Revelation, which a true Translation of such true Copy, and what the true sense thereof, that Christians may not be carried about with every wind of Doctrine.
The solution of this is desired to be by fixed and solid principles, and not by tedious discourses; for the Nature of the thing requires that there be a firm Principle setled among Men, for the final determining of matters of Fact.
THE CONTENTS.
THe Papists Question to which an Answer was challenged.
CHAP. I. Of the Quality of this Question and Challenge. p. 1.
CHAP. II. The Explication of some Terms in it. A Scheme of Divine Revelations. What matter of Fact is? Of several senses and sorts of Certainty: of Principles: Media: Determinations: Unity of Faith. p. 5.
CHAP. III. The briefest and summary Answer to the Confused Question. p. 13.
CHAP. IV. The many Questions confounded in his one. Quest. 1. What are the Revelations of God in controversie. p. 22.
CHAP. V. Quest. II. Whether the Papists grant all Divine Revelations to be true. p. 25.
CHAP. VI. Quest. III. What Certainty we have what is a real Revelation of God? Where the Nature and Conditions of Objective and Subjective, Sensible and Intelligible Certainty are opened? p. 30.
CHAP. VII. Quest. IV. What Certainty have we of the Copies. p. 43.
CHAP. VIII. Quest. V. What Certainty have we of the Canonical Book. p. 45.
CHAP. IX. Quest. VI. What Certainty have we of the truth of Translations p. 48.
CHAP. X. Quest. VII. What Certainty have we of the true sense of the Text. p. 51.
CHAP. XI. Quest. VIII. What Vnity of Faith may be expected to be conserved, by these Certainties. p. 54.
CHAP. XII. Quest. IX. What Determination is necessary to this Certainty and Vnity. p. 57.
CHAP. XIII. What the Papists ascertaining Medium or Determination is, and why we cannot trust our souls on it: Where are fourty Reasons briefly named, for the use of them that seek for Truth, proving not only the utter uncertainty, but the notorious falshood of this Determination which is cried up as the only proof of Certain faith. (But I doubt not but many Papists that fear God indeed, do practically build their faith on better ground, however this be cried up by Disputers). p. 60.
ERRATA.
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