A26901:118
The church told of Mr. Ed. Bagshaw's scandals and warned of the dangerous snares…
The church told of Mr. Ed. Bagshaw's scandals and warned of the dangerous snares of Satan now laid for them in his love-killing principles with a farther proof that it is our common duty to keep up the interest of the Christian religion and Protestant cause in the parish churches, and not to imprison them by a confinement to tolerated meetings alone / by Richard Baxter ...
London : s.n., 1672
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. Yea, while you fear Persecution, you will take the readiest way in the world to bring it on your selves, and others for your sakes: For the consciences of Rulers will (perhaps) little scruple the hurting of such men as are taken to be so bad: They being Gods Ministers to use the sword for a terror to evil doers, and if you once pass for notorious evil doers, you will hardly scape. And it will be but a foolish fruitless course to do the evil your selves, and then lay the blame of all your sufferings on them that tell you of it, and that take it to be evil, and will not commend your sins as so many acts of piety: As if the assumed name of Virtue would hide the odiousness of Vice: For nature and Scripture will help men to see your nakedness through so thin a veil, and God himself will not suffer sin to ⟨p. 30⟩keep up its credit by usurped names. It is not silencing the Reprovers that will do the work of any sinners. It must be the avoiding of the sin it self.
19. Yea, while you fear Persecution, you will take the readiest way in the world to bring it on your selves, and others for your sakes: For the consciences of Rulers will (perhaps) little scruple the hurting of such men as are taken to be so bad: They being Gods Ministers to use the sword for a terrour to evil doers, and if you once pass for notorious evil doers, you will hardly scape. And it will be but a foolish fruitless course to do the evil your selves, and then lay the blame of all your sufferings on them that tell you of it, and that take it to be evil, and will not commend your sins as so many acts of piety: As if the assumed name of Virtue would hide the odiousness of Vice: For nature and Scripture will help men to see your nakedness through so thin a vail, and God himself will not suffer sin to ⟨p. 30⟩keep up its credit by usurped names. It is not silencing the Reprovers that will do the work of any sinners. It must be the avoiding of the sin it self.
20. And if you take this sinful dividing course, you will make more Papists, and such others as you your selves, most fly from and disclaim, than almost any other way could do. Nothing that I know of in the world, doth so strongly tempt some sober conscientious men, to think Popery necessary for the Concord of the Churches, and a violent Church Government necessary to our Peace, as the woeful experience of the errors and schisms, the mad and manifold Sects that arise among those that are most against them. Thousands have been made Papists in England, Scotland, and Ireland, within these twenty years, that have been driven from us by our shameful Sects; yea, many of the Sectaries themselves, when they have run themselves through as many Sects as they could try. I am persuaded that Mr. Bagshaws Libels are as powerful writings to cross his own desires, and turn many from Non-conformity, and others unto Popery, as most that have been published in this age. Multitudes that read them will say, Here you see the spirit of Non conformity (though I have proved it a calumny:) Others will say, You see how mad men grow when they unite not with the Catholic Church, and live not under a strict Church Government.