A26897:349
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.
18. And if the unsoundness, badness or weakness of the Pastors, and the faultiness of the Worship, Order or Discipline, be not so great as to make Communion with the Church simply unlawful; yet any free man whose Edification is greatly hindered by it, and can elsewhere have far greater helps for his Salvation, and join with a Church which walketh more conformably to the Christian Rule, may lawfully remove himself to such a Ministry and Church; when it is not to the greater hurt of others, than his own good. Especially such whose ignorance, weakness and deadness, maketh a lively and convincing Ministry more needful to their safety and welfare, than it is to others: For it is a Sin, Caeteris paribus, ⟨p. 68⟩to prefer the worse before the better; and a sin to neglect the best means for our Souls which we can lawfully enjoy: And the Soul is more precious than to be hazarded or left in sin and darkness for an unnecessary Circumstance.
18. And if the unsoundness, badness or weakness of the Pastors, and the faultiness of the Worship, Order or Discipline, be not so great as to make Communion with the Church sunply unlawful; yet any free man whose Edification is greatly hindered by it, and can elsewhere have far greater helps for his Salvation, and joyn with a Church which walketh more conformably to the Christian Rule, may lawfully remove himself to such a Ministry and Church; when it is not to the greater hurt of others, than his own good. Especially such whose ignorance, weakness and deadness, maketh a lively and convincing Ministry more needful to their safety and welfare, than it is to others: For it is a Sin, Caeteris paribus, ⟨p. 68⟩to prefer the worse before the better; and a sin to neglect the best means for our Souls which we can lawfully enjoy: And the Soul is more precious than to be hazarded or left in sin and darkness for an unnecessary Circumstance.
Nor is it any sinful Separation, or Disorder, for the Members of one Church to communicate occasionally with other Churches of Christ; seeing our relation to the Universal Church is more strict and inviolable than to any particular Church as such.