A26906:289

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 7: DIRECT. VII.DIRECTIONS FOR VVeak Christians, How they may escape the troubling,… › Direction 7: DIRECT. VII.

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:286–301 of 1,298

:286p. 73–74

Sixthly, Consider also that the Unity and Concord of Believers is their Honour, and their Divisions and discord are their shame: And consequently ⟨p. 74⟩the honour or dishonour of Christ and the Gospel, and Religion is much concerned in it. Agreement among Christians telleth the world, that they have a certainty of the faith which they profess, and that it is powerful and not ineffectual, and that it is of a healing nature, and tendeth to the felicity of the world. But Divisions and discords among Christians persuade unbelievers, that there is no certainty in their belief: or that it is of a vexatious and destructive tendency; or at best that all its power is too weak, to overcome the malignity which it pretendeth to resist; where did you ever see Christians live in undivided unity, undisturbed peace, and unfeigned Love, but the very infidels and ungodly round about them, did reverence both them and their religion for it. And where did you ever see Christians divided, unpeaceable and bitter against each other, but it made them and their profession a scorn to the unbelieving and ungodly world? and whilst they despise and vilify one another, they teach the wicked to despise and vilify them all?

Sixthly, Consider also that the Unity and Concord of Believers is their Honour, and their Divisions and discord are their shame: And consequently ⟨p. 74⟩the honour or dishonour of Christ and the Gospel, and Religion is much concerned in it. Agreement among Christians telleth the world, that they have a certainty of the faith which they profess, and that it is powerful and not ineffectual, and that it is of a healing nature, and tendeth to the felicity of the world. But Divisions and discords among Christians perswade unbelievers, that there is no certainty in their belief: or that it is of a vexatious and destructive tendency; or at best that all its power is too weak, to overcome the malignity which it pretendeth to resist; where did you ever see Christians live in undivided unity, undisturbed peace, and unfeigned Love, but the very infidels and ungodly round about them, did reverence both them and their religion for it. And where did you ever see Christians divided, unpeaceable and bitter against each other, but it made them and their profession a scorn to the unbelieving and ungodly world? and whilst they despise and vilifie one another, they teach the wicked to despise and vilifie them all?

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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. VIII.

When any thing needeth amendment in the Church, remember that the best Christian, must be the forwardest to reformation, and •he backwardest to Division: and must search and try all means of Reforming, which make not against the concord of the Church.

DIRECT. IX.

Forget not the great difference between casting out the wicked and impenitent from the Church by discipline; and the godlies separating from the Church it self, because the wicked are not cast out. The first is a great duty: The second is ordinarily a great sin.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

DIRECT. VIII.

When any thing needeth amendment in the Church, remember that the best Christian, must be the forwardest to reformation, and •he backwardest to Division: and must search and try all means of Reforming, which make not against the concord of the Church.

DIRECT. IX.

Forget not the great difference between casting out the wicked and impenitent from the Church by discipline; and the godlies separating from the Church it self, because the wicked are not cast out. The first is a great duty: The second is ordinarily a great sin.