A26897:231
Church concord
Church concord containing I. a dissuasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.Church concord containing I. a disswasive from unnecessary division and separation, and the real concord of the moderate independents with the Presbyterians, instanced in ten seeming differences, II. by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1691
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
5. If a Pastor be despised by the Church, and refused, or if they desire his stay, and yet wilfully disobey him, and his Labours are unprofitable among ⟨p. 44⟩them, that are like to be profitable elsewhere, we doubt not but he may remove, as being rejected and forsaken first by them.
6. If a Pastor and some choice Members with him have a Call to a far more Eminent Service of God, conducing much more to the public Good, we doubt not but they may remove, though the rest dissent. God is the Master of his Ministers and people more than Men are.
6. If a Pastor and some choice Members with him have a Call to a far more Eminent Service of God, conducing much more to the publick Good, we doubt not but they may remove, though the rest dissent. God is the Master of his Ministers and people more than Men are.
7. If the Necessities of a Mans Family (Ministers or people) require him to remove his Habitation, I doubt not but he may remove, though the Church dissent: unless in some Cases where by accident his removal may more dishonour God, or hinder public Good, than his Estate or the preservation of his Family can countervail: The Church hath not power to tie Men to Ruin their Families, nor to continue with them during Life, nor during their pleasure: Nor is it implied in the consent of Membership, which is to be no more, but that [I will hold Communion with this Church as a Member, while I here Cohabit, or I have no call from God to remove.] It is so in Civil Corporations▪ Cohabitation is an antecedent part of our Aptitude for Church Communion; and many just Causes may deprive us of that Aptitude, and make the persons to be materia indisposita & incapax, and so destroy his Relation of it self.