A26865:312
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 10
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.
10 Obj. Your pretended Piety is but Pharisaical hypocrisy: you are the successors of the Pharisees, whom Christ spoke hardlier of, than of Publicans and Harlots: And the vicious and debauched are more tolerable than you, whose Religious and zealous Villainies are of greater danger to the public safety; and whose Piety is but pride, in counting your selves Holier, and better than your Neighbours, and saying, I thank thee, God, that I am not as other men, nor as this Publican.
10 Obj. Your pretended Piety is but Pharisaical hypocrisie: you are the successors of the Pharisees, whom Christ spoke hardlier of, than of Publicans and Harlots: And the vicious and debauched are more tolerable than you, whose Religious and zealous Villanies are of greater danger to the publick safety; and whose Piety is but pride, in counting your selves Holier, and better than your Neighbours, and saying, I thank thee, God, that I am not as other men, nor as this Publican.
Ans. 1. It is a shrewd suspicion that their Cause is not good, who are put to uphold it by accusing their adversaries of heart sins, as Hypocrisy is, which are quite out of the sight of men. Either you mean that it is Hypocrisy latent, or Hypocrisy detected by a wicked life. If the former, I confess you have us at an advantage; For as you pretend to be as Gods in knowing the heart; so we who confess our selves but men, have no way of defence against heart-accusations, but denial, and calling for your proof: And our Denial were not enough, if you knew the heart indeed. Our judgment is, that Hypocrisy is a most hateful sin; and (as I have declared my opinion at large, in a Discourse called The Formal Hypocrite) we think that all men (except the professed Atheists and Infidels, who have multiplied since the Ministers were silenced) among us in England, are either Saints or Hypocrites; For all that profess true Christianity, according to their Baptismal-Covenant, do profess Sanctity: And therefore we suppose, that the more any mans life is contrary to his profession, the more notorious Hypocrite he is. For the difference lieth not in the Materials of our Profession: For we profess nothing as our Religion, but Christianity: If any go further, we renounce their profession. And all of you that stand to your Baptism, profess Christianity, the same Christianity as we. The question therefore is, Whose lives do most contradict their profession? I doubt not but you will confess (for you cannot deny it), that a proud, domineering, worldly, covetous, drunken, gluttonous, malicious, persecuting Christian, is an Hypocrite. If you prove any among us guilty of these, you were best name the men, unless you think that Nonconformity to Oaths and Subscriptions, make all that are endued with it, eat and drink too much. As for these other zealous