A26906:167

The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

Name: The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…
Author: Richard Baxter

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.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed for Nevil Symmons, 1670

[48], 430, [15] p. · 130k words · Wing B1234 · ESTC R1684

Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

DIRECTIONS FOR Weak Christians, How they may escape the troubling,… › Direction 2: DIRECT. II.DIRECTIONS FOR VVeak Christians, How they may escape the troubling,… › Direction 2: DIRECT. II.

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.

[ Earlier:164–179 of 1,298

:164p. 21

I entreat those who are in danger of this pernicious sin, to think with themselves. 1. What a heinous crime and folly it is for one that but lately was a child of the Devil, and a sink of sin, to be proud so quickly of their goodness: And for one that so lately was groaning and weeping with a broken heart for a sinful life, to be already puffed up with the conceits of godliness. And for one who daily maketh confession to God, of a sinful heart, and a faulty life, and of great unworthiness, to contradict all this by an over-valuing of his own piety; And how incongruous it is for one, who professeth to hope for justification by free grace & mercy only, & to have nothing of his own but what's defiled, and who abhorreth the Doctrine of merit, and talketh so much of our emptiness and insufficiency, to be yet puffed up with the conceit of his spirituality and worth. And what an odious self-contradiction it is, to make your self like the Devil in pride, because you think you are like God in holiness.

I intreat those who are in danger of this pernicious sin, to think with themselves. 1. What a heynous crime and folly it is for one that but lately was a child of the Devil, and a sink of sin, to be proud so quickly of their goodness: And for one that so lately was groaning and weeping with a broken heart for a sinful life, to be already puffed up with the conceits of godlyness. And for one who daily maketh confession to God, of a sinful heart, and a faulty life, and of great unworthyness, to contradict all this by an over-valuing of his own piety; And how incongruous it is for one, who professeth to hope for justification by free grace & mercy only, & to have nothing of his own but what's defiled, and who abhorreth the Doctrine of merit, and talketh so much of our emptyness and insufficiency, to be yet puffed up with the conceit of his spirituality and worth. And what an odious self-con•radiction it is, to make your self like the Devil in pride, because you think you are like God in holiness.

:165p. 21–22

2. And consider, that the more you are proud of your Goodness, the less you have to be proud of: If this sin be predominant, it is certain that you have no saving grace at all: And what an odious thing and miserable case is it, to be proud of Holiness, when you are unholy; and to be damned both for want of it, and for being proud of it:

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The book

Title as printed

Author

Richard Baxter 1615–1691

Place

London

Bookseller

Nevil Symmons

Year

1670

Size

[48], 430, [15] p.

Words

130,067

Catalogue

Wing B1234 · ESTC R1684

Text

EEBO-TCP A26906

Passages

1,298

Sections

105

Title page

The cure of church-divisions, or, Directions for weak Christians to keep them from being…

DIRECT. III.

Overvalue not the common gift of utterance, nor a high Profession, as if the presence or absence of either of them, did prove the presence or absence of true saving grace.

Overvalue not the common guift of utterance, nor a high Profession, as if the presence or absence of either of them, did prove the presence or absence of true saving grace.

DIRECT. IV.

Affect not to be made eminent and Conspicuous in Holiness, by standing at a further distance from these lower Professors, than God would have you.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

DIRECT. III.

Overvalue not the common gift of utterance, nor a high Profession, as if the presence or absence of either of them, did prove the presence or absence of true saving grace.

Overvalue not the common guift of utterance, nor a high Profession, as if the presence or absence of either of them, did prove the presence or absence of true saving grace.

DIRECT. IV.

Affect not to be made eminent and Conspicuous in Holiness, by standing at a further distance from these lower Professors, than God would have you.