A26865:209
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 › Objection 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.
But you chide us because we persuade them not to conformity?
But you chide us because we perswade them not to conformity?
Ans. Either you mean so much of Conformity as we can conscionably yield to our selves, or that which we judg our selves to be unlawful. The later no sober man can expect from us till our own judgments are changed. And verily it must be reasoning that hath more cogent evidence than yet you have showed us, that must do that (though for confidence and contempt of dissenters we desire no more in you) We are men as well as you, and we study as hard as you, and though you deny it, we think as impartially. And which side hath more to bias them, is not hard to judg. You think we are biassed by mens applause. But I pray you forget not (for here it concerneth you esse memores) what a few contemptible people you think it is whose applause doth bias us? And that it is not the richer or greater sort, or the greater number as you think. And remember, if we were hypocrites, how poor and dry a reward we should have in such mens estimation. And that poverty and reproach, and jealousies, and voluminous defamations, and Prisons, are put with these poor mens estimation into the Scales to bias us. And whether any man in England believe, that Bishoprics and Lordships, Honour and Wealth, with the reverence of so great and so many as you suppose do reverence you, are not a stronger bias to sway an hypocrite to betray his Conscience, than ours is? Alas, that obloquy should live upon such airy food, and uncharitableness glory of so thin a cloak!
Ans. Either you mean so much of Conformity as we can conscionably yield to our selves, or that which we judg our selves to be unlawful. The later no sober man can expect from us till our own judgments are changed. And verily it must be reasoning that hath more cogent evidence than yet you have shewed us, that must do that (though for confidence and contempt of dissenters we desire no more in you) We are men as well as you, and we study as hard as you, and though you deny it, we think as impartially. And which side hath more to byas them, is not hard to judg. You think we are byassed by mens applause. But I pray you forget not (for here it concerneth you esse memores) what a few contemptible people you think it is whose applause doth byas us? And that it is not the richer or greater sort, or the greater number as you think. And remember, if we were hypocrites, how poor and dry a reward we should have in such mens estimation. And that poverty and reproach, and jealousies, and voluminous defamations, and Prisons, are put with these poor mens estimation into the Scales to byas us. And whether any man in England believe, that Bishopricks and Lordships, Honour and Wealth, with the reverence of so great and so many as you suppose do reverence you, are not a stronger byas to sway an hypocrite to betray his Conscience, than ours is? Alas, that obloquy should live upon such airy food, and uncharitableness glory of so thin a cloak!