A26865:780
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.
19. You take so notorious a way to tempt the people to their present suspicions of your over-much kindness to Popery, as that charity to them obligeth you to help to cure them of that uncharitable suspicion of you. And, I confess, if I would have liberty for any one sect my self, I would counsel and persuade men to take away the liberty of Religion from as great, and worthy, and considerable a part of the Ministers and People as I could, that the cry for changes and liberty might be so great, that others may be let in with them, as if it were to gratify them. But it is our comfort that we have a King and Parliament, whose averseness to ⟨p. 229⟩Popery, and their Law against all such surmises, doth put them out of the peoples suspicions! And I think you should do no less, but more than any others, to avert all unjust suspicions from your selves.
19. You take so notorious a way to tempt the people to their present suspicions of your over-much kindness to Popery, as that charity to them obligeth you to help to cure them of that uncharitable suspicion of you. And, I confess, if I would have liberty for any one sect my self, I would counsel and perswade men to take away the liberty of Religion from as great, and worthy, and considerable a part of the Ministers and People as I could, that the cry for changes and liberty might be so great, that others may be let in with them, as if it were to gratifie them. But it is our comfort that we have a King and Parliament, whose aversness to ⟨p. 229⟩Popery, and their Law against all such surmises, doth put them out of the peoples suspicions! And I think you should do no less, but more than any others, to avert all unjust suspicions from your selves.
20. Is it possible that any partiality, interest or passion can make you think, either that the people of England need not as much Teaching, and Exhortation, and Ministerial help, to bring them to Repentance and Salvation, as all the qualified Ministers in the Land together are able to afford them? or that God may not bless the labours of such men as Burges, Allen, Norman, and hundreds more that now are silenced, to the conversion of many hundred or thousand sinners, unto Repentance and a holy life? And if you cannot, or dare not deny this, have you considered whether your reasons for silencing them be so weighty, as will countervail the salvation of so many Souls, and will comfort and excuse you at the bar of God? And whether then you can justify your selves by saying, Lord, though so many Souls persisted in sin, and are damned, that might have been saved by the Ministry of these learned, grave and godly Preachers; yet the good which we obtained by their silencing, and all their other sufferings, was greater than so many mens salvation would have amounted to.