A26906:391
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.
DIRECT. XIX.
Take heed of engaging your selves too far in any divided Sect, or of espousing the interest of any party of Christians, to the neglect or injury of the common interest of the Universal Church, or cause of Christianity.
I Doubt not but among several ranks of Christians, the soundest and most upright are to be best esteemed, and (caeteris paribus) their Communion to be preferred, before theirs that are more unsound and scandalous. But its one thing to prefer the eye or hand, before the foot; a noble member before a more ignoble; and another thing to own a Sect as such, or a party as they either divide from others, or take up a dividing opposite interest. You are sure that the Universal Church of Christ can never err against the essentials of Christianity, nor against any truth or duty necessary to their salvation. For then the Church were no Church, and then Christ were not its Head. And then the body of Christ might perish: And then Christ were not the Saviour of his body. But you cannot say of any one part, that ⟨p. 119⟩you are sure that part shall never fall away and perish. There may fall out a necessity which may warrant the Body to cut off a hand or leg, to save the rest: But no corporal necessity can warrant you to destroy the whole; nor any one member to forsake the Body, before it is forcibly cut off.