A26865:627
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
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.
To cure them of this distaste, he stretched his charity as far as he thought just, to extenuate their faults, and told the people, That though many of these Prelatists would swear and curse, and had divers such faults; in the exercise of Church-communion, they that were not-Pastors, but private men, must bear what they could not reform; and withal must compassionately consider, that many foul faults committed more through passion and custom, than love and interest, might stand with grace; and Pauls counsel, Gal. 6. 1, 2. was to be well considered. This being the scope of his discourse, and the end, what doth Mr. Tho. Pierce but retort it on him unthankfully to his reproach, as holding too loose a doctrine? Which this man here also now repeateth. But as he told Mr. Pierce, that for all this, if one were necessary, he had rather dye in the case of Noah, Lot, and Peter, in the time of their sin, than in the case of Mr. Pierce when he wrote that book ⟨p. 169⟩(being persuaded that they had then more of the love of God and man than he); the same also he still professeth to this Enquirer, and all of his spirit that so unthankfully requite men for persuading the people to judge as charitably as they could for Concord sake of scandalous Prelatists: But if we be odious for pleading for charitable censures to such, what are they that live in the sin it self, and they that receive them constantly to their Communion?
To cure them of this distast, he stretcht his charity as far as he thought just, to extenuate their faults, and told the people, That though many of these Prelatists would swear and curse, and had divers such faults; in the exercise of Church-communion, they that were not-Pastors, but private men, must bear what they could not reform; and withall must compassionately consider, that many foul faults committed more through passion and custom, than love and interest, might stand with grace; and Pauls counsel, Gal. 6. 1, 2. was to be well considered. This being the scope of his discourse, and the end, what doth Mr. Tho. Pierce but retort it on him unthankfully to his reproach, as holding too loose a doctrine? Which this man here also now repeateth. But as he told Mr. Pierce, that for all this, if one were necessary, he had rather dye in the case of Noah, Lot, and Peter, in the time of their sin, than in the case of Mr. Pierce when he wrote that book