A26906:1033
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…
The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being dividers or troublers of the church with some directions to the pastors how to deal with such Christians / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Symmons, 1670
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.
It is a common thing to hear religious people speak meanly and humbly of their own understandings in the general; But when it cometh to particulars, it is the rarest part of humility in the world, to find: Very few do show any competent modesty (except the grossly ignorant who have no pretence to wisdom): What abundance of good people of the darker sort, have I been fain to rebuke for their over-valuing me and my understanding; who when I have but crossed their opinions about any thing, which most groundlessly, they took for a duty or a sin, have held as fast their vain conceits, and made as much of their most senseless reasonings, and as passionately and confidently rejected the most unquestionable proof which I have offered them, as if they had been infallible, and had taken me for an errant fool.
It is a common thing to hear religious people speak meanly and humbly of their own understandings in the general; But when it cometh to particulars, it is the rarest part of humility in the world, to find: Very few do shew any competent modesty (except the grosly ignorant who have no pretence to wisdome): What abundance of good people of the darker sort, have I been fain to rebuke for their over-valuing me and my understanding; who when I have but crost their opinions about any thing, which most groundlesly, they took for a duty or a sin, have held as fast their vain conceits, and made as much of their most senseless reasonings, and as passionately and confidently rejected the most unquestionable proof which I have offered them, as if they had been infailible, and had taken me for an errant fool.
And this is not the case of one or two Sects only; but naturally of almost all men, till God hath taught them that rare part of humility, to have Humble Understandings, and low thoughts of their own judgements, and a due suspicion of their apprehensions.