A26906:140
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.
He is blind that perceiveth ⟨p. 4⟩not in this example, a most notorious Condemnation of the pride of those that run with the shell on their head into the Ministry, or that hasten to be Teachers of others, before they have had time or means to learn; and that deride or vilify the judgments of the aged, who differ from their conceits, before they understand the things in which they are so confident. It was thought a good answer, in John 9. 21. [He is of age, ask him:] But they that are under age now think their words to be the wisest, because they are the boldest and the fiercest. The old were wont to bless the young, and now the young deride the old. It is the character of a truculent people Deut. 28. 50. that they regard not the person of the old: that is, They reverence not their age. How many vehement commands are there in Solomons Proverbs to the younger sort, to hearken to the counsel of their Parents? The contrary was the ruin of Eli's sons; and the shame of Samuel's, 1 Sam. 8. 1, 5. Was Rehoboam unwise in forsaking the counsel of the aged, and harkning to the young and rash? And are those people wise that in the Mysteries of Salvation, will prefer the vehement passions of a novice, before the well-settled judgment of the experienced aged Ministers? I know that the old are too oft ignorant, and that wisdom doth not always increase with age: But I know withal, that Children are never fit to be the Teachers of the Church; And that old men may be foolish, but too young men are never wise enough for so high a work. We are not now considering, what may fall out rarely as a wonder, but what is ordinarily to be expected.
He is blind that perceiveth ⟨p. 4⟩not in this example, a most notorious Condemnation of the pride of those that run with the shell on their head into the Ministery, or that hasten to be Teachers of others, before they have had time or means to learn; and that deride or vilisie the judgments of the aged, who differ from their conceits, before they understand the things in which they are so confident. It was thought a good answer, in