A26865:567
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 › Accusation 29
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.
5. The Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical affairs, had a little before given them a relaxation or indulgence as to those things which they accounted the greatest sins; such as in the Declaration may yet be seen; especially the Subscription, that there is nothing in all the books there mentioned contrary to the word of God, &c. And it did not concern us, or become us, to talk at the the Savoy against the sinfulness of those particulars which his Majesty had in Clemency, and as a healer, so lately freed us from: But why were they in the Declaration suspended (as for our Concord), if they had not been judged to be unlawful by the dissenters, when we ever professed that in all lawful things we would obey?
6. But yet the part of our Answer is, that at that time the new Subscription and Declaration since imposed, and the alterations in the Liturgy, and the Corporation and Oxford Oath, &c. were not invented, or in being, and so we had never opportunity ⟨p. 151⟩and leave to declare our judgment and reasons of the sinfulness of the new Conformity, which to us was the heaviest part.
7. But surely our Nonconformity on terms so hard, declared it sufficiently to all reasonable men. If 1800 Ministers (none of them cast out as accused of any other crime) should have ceased the work of their office, and occasioned divisions in the Land, and have cast themselves and families into so many years distress and poverty; and all this for to avoid that which they took to be no sin; they had not deserved the name of Christs Ministers, of Christians, or of men.