A26865:317
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.
But, if you will hear a person whom you so much dislike, I will tell you how this may be best discovered. Do not persuade our Rulers any more to make Laws to eject men for not taking those Oaths, Subscriptions, &c. for then men will think (whether you will or not) that you had no greater fault to prove them Hypocrites by: But get them to make a Law, that all Rebels, Traitors, swearers, drunkards, fornicators, gluttons, covetous persons, pluralists, non-residents, soul murdering idle Teachers shall be cast out, whether they subscribe and declare, or not: And then those that are flagitious will be the sufferers; and if it fall upon the present Nonconformists, let them bear it, and spare not. Again we entreat you to get us such Laws against all Vice, except those that are made vices by the wills and interests of differing Factions, and execute them as severely as you will. And then if we be proved criminal, name the Vices which you think proveth men Hypocrites, and it will sound better to accuse them of these, than of hypocrisy; or at least to prove their hypocrisy by those, than by presumptions, and general unproved accusations. Let him have his portion with Hypocrites; who by living most contrary to the Christian profession, doth most convincingly prove himself an Hypocrite.
But, if you will hear a person whom you so much dislike, I will tell you how this may be best discovered. Do not perswade our Rulers any more to make Laws to eject men for not taking those Oaths, Subscriptions, &c. for then men will think (whether you will or not) that you had no greater fault to prove them Hypocrites by: But get them to make a Law, that all Rebels, Traytors, swearers, drunkards, fornicators, gluttons, covetous persons, pluralists, non-residents, soul murdering idle Teachers shall be cast out, whether they subscribe and declare, or not: And then those that are flagitious will be the sufferers; and if it fall upon the present Nonconformists, let them bear it, and spare not. Again we intreat you to get us such Laws against all Vice, except those that are made vices by the wills and interests of differing Factions, and execute them as severely as you will. And then if we be proved criminal, name the Vices which you think proveth men Hypocrites, and it will sound better to accuse them of these, than of hypocrisie; or at least to prove their hypocrisie by those, than by presumptions, and general unproved accusations. Let him have his portion with Hypocrites; who by living most contrary to the Christian profession, doth most convincingly prove himself an Hypocrite.