A26865:85
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 2
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.
And Oh how hard a matter is it to cure one of all these miserable souls! As for the Ignorant, many of them are unwilling to learn, if you take them not at the best advantages; and those few that are willing, must have long and laborious teaching before they will come to any competent knowledge. If you have but tried the ignorant servants of your own Families, how hard and long a task it is to bring them to know the needful things, you may easily judg how hard it is for a Minister to teach them, that hath them not in his house, and scarce knoweth how to meet them any where but in the Church, where they have learnt to hear as if they heard not.
And Oh how hard a matter is it to cure one of all these miserable souls! As for the Ignorant, many of them are unwilling to learn, if you take them not at the best advantages; and those few that are willing, must have long and laborious teaching before they will come to any competent knowledg. If you have but tried the ignorant servants of your own Families, how hard and long a task it is to bring them to know the needful things, you may easily judg how hard it is for a Minister to teach them, that hath them not in his house, and scarce knoweth how to meet them any where but in the Church, where they have learnt to hear as if they heard not.
And when they have a little dark confused knowledge, alas what is this to the light that Christ hath sent into the world, in which the children of light should walk, and which is needful to the work of light which they must do. What is this to that abounding in wisdom and knowledge, to which the Scripture doth exhort men, and by which they must resist temptations discharge their duties, and honour Christ and Piety in the world? Is it not Christs charge, Mat. 28. 20. that when men are made disciples, they must be ⟨p. 25⟩taught all things else that he hath commanded. And is it not smattering ignorant half-wited Christians which your selves much complain of, and which make most of the trouble in the world? And did you ever consider what a work it is to bring many thousands or hundreds of those in a Parish, unto solid understanding?