A26865:444
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 18
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.
2. I pray you take heed of bringing Conformity more into contempt than yet it is, by seeming to judg it such a thing as men will not yield to without constraint and punishment. Take off the penalty of subscribing, declaring, crossing, &c. and all that are willing will use them without force. And if most must be forced, it intimates that they do not like or love them. What good doth subscribing a sentence which he believeth not, do either to the soul of the liar himself, or to the Church?
2. I pray you take heed of bringing Conformity more into contempt than yet it is, by seeming to judg it such a thing as men will not yield to without constraint and punishment. Take off the penalty of subscribing, declaring, crossing, &c. and all that are willing will use them without force. And if most must be forced, it intimates that they do not like or love them. What good doth subscribing a sentence which he believeth not, do either to the soul of the lyar himself, or to the Church?
3. If so large a Toleration as you talk of be so dangerous, and the Presbyterians are like to occasion it for their liberty, why will you not prevent so great a danger at so cheap a rate, as it might be ⟨p. 114⟩prevented at? Are you indeed against a Toleration of Heresy and Popery, and yet would you rather venture on the danger of it, than abate to Protestants a needless ceremony or subscription?
3. If so large a Toleration as you talk of be so dangerous, and the Presbyterians are like to occasion it for their liberty, why will you not prevent so great a danger at so cheap a rate, as it might be ⟨p. 114⟩prevented at? Are you indeed against a Toleration of Heresie and Popery, and yet would you rather venture on the danger of it, than abate to Protestants a needless ceremony or subscription?