A26865:135
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II. an answer to the accusations urged as reasons for the silencing of about 2000 by Bishop Morley ..., III. reasons proving it the duty and interest of the bishops and conformists to endeavour earnestly their restoration : with a postscript upon oral debates with Mr. H. Dodwell, against his reasons for their silence ... : written in 1668 and 1669, for the most of it, and now published as an addition to the defence against Dr. Stillingfleet, and as an account to the silencers of the reasons of our practice / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst and D. Newman, 1681
AN APOLOGY FOR THE SILENCED MINISTERS, Especially for their not cea… › Part 3
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.
3. The Objectors seem to intimate dangerous Doctrine, that if a King should not be a Christian, or of the right Religion, he lost his power over the Church, which is false, however maintained by the Papists. The Heathen and Infidel Rulers had the Government of all their Subjects, Christians and Apostles as well as others. They wanted aptitude to do it well, and therefore some of them persecuted; But they wanted not Authority; a King loseth not his Authority, when ever he loseth his aptitude to use it rightly. Christian Kings only can rule the Church well, but others also are its authorized Rulers; and there is no external coactive power at all but in the Kings or Magistrates, be they Christian or Infidel.
4. Christ himself did not set up a Kingdom of this world, or worldly, nor exempt himself from the Government of the Rulers. ⟨p. 38⟩Nor did his Apostles exempt themselves or the Church. Paul, Rom. 13, &c. and Peter, call on all Christians to honour the King, and to be subject to the higher powers for conscience sake. Mark then in this how little our case doth differ from the Apostles, when they were forbidden to preach, not by Usurpers only, but by lawful Rulers, to whom they professed conscientious subjection; and yet must obey God rather than those very Rulers.
5. Christian Rulers are the Churches nursing Fathers; and have more obligation than others to build it up, but no more power to pull it down. They have all their power as Paul had his, For edification and not for destruction. It was never referred to them to judg (as I have before said) whether there shall be a Church, or a Christ, or a Ministry, or whether souls▪ shall be saved or damned; or the Gospel Preached where it is necessary to Salvation, or not? But only by whom, and in what order, which best furthereth mens Salvation, it shall be Preached.