A26865:893
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… › Postscript › Section
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 God useth to work according to the aptitude of means; and too many Churches in the Countries have such Teachers as say over a few cold words as boys do their Lessons; and when experience telleth us how few are the better for them, we are afraid of being so hypocritically modest as to let souls perish for fear of seeming to undervalue your raw Lads, or scandalous ignorant Priests, and to overvalue our selves.
And God useth to work according to the aptitude of means; and too many Churches in the Countreys have such Teachers as say over a few cold words as boys do their Lessons; and when experience telleth us how few are the better for them, we are afraid of being so hypocritally modest as to let souls perish for fear of seeming to undervalue your raw Lads, or scandalous ignorant Priests, and to overvalue our selves.
2. Are the bishops absolute Judges, or not? If absolute, we must obey them if they command murder or idolatry. If not, what are the limits of their power? Sure it is Gods universal Law. They have no power against his commanding or forbidding word; none against him, or against the common good, and mens salvation. If Popish and other Casuists use so to limit Kings, as to say that they are Ministers of God for good; and that they have no power against the common good, and that all Laws against it are null; may we not much more say so of all our Diocesans?
You grant that they cannot command us to sin, or forbid us duty: But then either we have a judgment of discerning to know what is duty and sin, or not. If not, then still if they forbid us duty, and say it is no duty, or command sin, and say it is no sin, we must obey. But if yea, then if we prove in an error, it will be our sin: And if the Bishops prove in the error, it will be theirs. And to obey conscience before a bishop, is in our sense nothing but to obey God before a bishop, in doing what we judg to be his will.