A26865:293
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 8
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.
Ans. We are not blaming our Governors, but our selves, not for our Nonconformity, but for serving God no more diligently when we had time. But, 1. can you not distinguish, and yet be just? what not the innocent from the guilty? nor friends from foes? This is not the first confusion and evil that want of distinguishing hath caused in the world.
Ans. We are not blaming our Governours, but our selves, not for our Nonconformity, but for serving God no more diligently when we had time. But, 1. can you not distinguish, and yet be just? what not the innocent from the guilty? nor friends from foes? This is not the first confusion and evil that want of distinguishing hath caused in the world.
2. If your, I say, your Conformity be more necessary than all our Preaching and Ministry, and will help more souls to Heaven, go on with it, and let it prosper. But be sure that you are not mistaken.
3. Are Presbyterians so intolerable a sort of people? Or will the bare opinion, that singular Churches have all Church-power of Christs institution among themselves, while they submit to the Civil Government, prove men otherwise sober, to be unsufferable? You know Dr. Hammond and other Episcopal Divines do assert an Independency of Diocesan Churches (which he saith de facto in Scripture-times had no Presbyters but one Bishop and his few Deacons.) And you know Dr. Stillingfleet (of whose judgment Bishop Reinolds and many Conformists have profest themselves to be) maintaineth that no one form of Church-Government is of Divine Right and Institution. And if so, then the Independents and Presbyterians refuse none that is of Divine Institution.
3. Are Presbyterians so intollerable a sort of people? Or will the bare opinion, that singular Churches have all Church-power of Christs institution among themselves, while they submit to the Civil Government, prove men otherwise sober, to be unsufferable? You know Dr. Hammord and other Episcopal Divines do assert an Independency of Diocesan Churches (which he saith de facto in Scripture-times had no Presbyters but one Bishop and his few Deacons.) And you know Dr. Stillingfleet (of whose judgment Bishop Reinolds and many Conformists have profest themselves to be) maintaineth that no one form of Church-Government is of Divine Right and Institution. And if so, then the Independents and Presbyterians refuse none that is of Divine Institution.