A26906:304
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.
The question is not, Whether the impenitent should be put away from Church-Communion? That's not denied. But whether you should ⟨p. 81⟩separate from the Church because they are permitted: This is it which we call you to beware: Not but that in some cases, a Christian may lawfully remove from one Church to another that hath more light and purity, for the edification of his soul. But before you separate from a faulty Church, as such as may not lawfully be communicated with, you must look well about you, and be able to prove that thing which you affirm.
THe question is not, Whether the impenitent should be put away from Church-Communion? Thats not denied. But whether you should ⟨p. 81⟩separate from the Church because they are permitted: This is it which we call you to beware: Not but that in some cases, a Christian may lawfully remove from one Church to another that hath more light and purity, for the edification of his soul. But before you separate from a faulty Church, as such as may not lawfully be communicated with, you must look well about you, and be able to prove that thing which you affirm.
Many weak Christians marking those Texts which bid us avoid a man that is an Heretic, and to have no company with disorderly walkers, and not to eat with flagitious persons, do not sufficiently mark their sense, but take them as if they called us to separate from the Church with which these persons do communicate. Whereas if you mark all the Texts in the Gospel, you shall find, that all the separation which is commanded in such cases (besides our separation from the Infidels or Idolatrous world, or Antichristian and Heretical confederacies, and no-Churches) is but one of these two sorts. First, either that the Church cast out the impenitent sinner by the power of the Keys. Secondly, or that private men avoid all private familiarity with them. And both these we would promote, and no way hinder. Thirdly, but that the private members should separate from the Church, because such persons are not cast out of it, show me one Text to prove it if you can.