A26865:729
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.
What if ⟨p. 212⟩you required no Subscription to any thing as certain truth, but only to the infallible Oracles of the Spirit? Nay the Apostles required not any to subscribe to all the books of Sacred Scripture, but only to receive them in general as the Doctrine of Christ and the Holy Ghost; and they culled out the few necessary Articles of the faith, as the matter of a necessary particular profession. I will tell you what good these things will do, and do you tell me what harm they will do, and let the good and hurt be well compared.
1. It would either Unite all Christians, or make their Union an easy thing, as soon as the minds of men were prepared for it. All Christians are agreed that the Holy Scriptures are infallible; All Christians are not agreed that your three books are infallible: Therefore all Christians may easilier unite in their subscription or belief of the Scriptures, than of your three books.
1. It would either Unite all Christians, or make their Union an easie thing, as soon as the minds of men were prepared for it. All Christians are agreed that the Holy Scriptures are infallible; All Christians are not agreed that your three books are infallible: Therefore all Christians may easilier unite in their subscription or belief of the Scriptures, than of your three books.
Perhaps you will say, that it will not unite us with the Papists, nor with any that require more. I answer, We shall be so far united, as that they will approve of all our Religion, though we approve not of all theirs? For they confess the truth of all our Canonical Scriptures; and confess that all things universally necessary to salvation are contained in them (and much more): So Bellarmine, Costerus, and many others, and especially the old Schoolmen freely assert. And it is a great advance to Concord, and to our satisfaction, to have the common concession of all Christians, that our Religion is all true, and nothing of absolute necessity wanting. But I have spoken more to this before; to which I refer you.