A26906:409

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 20: DIRECT. XX.DIRECTIONS FOR VVeak Christians, How they may escape the troubling,… › Direction 20: DIRECT. XX.

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:406–421 of 1,298

:406p. 124

9. And it is an ill sign w•en it carrieth you from the holy rule; and pretendeth to come from a spirit which will not be tried by the Scripture: Or when it driveth you to use means which God forbiddeth in his Word: and putteth you upon ways which the sealed Law and Testimony condemn: It cannot be of God, which is against Gods Word.

9. And it is an ill sign w•en it carrieth you from the holy rule; and pretendeth to come from a spirit which will not be tryed by the Scripture: Or when it driveth you to use means which God forbiddeth in his Word: and putteth you upon ways which the sealed Law and Testimony condemn: It cannot be of God, which is against Gods Word.

:407p. 124

10. Lastly, it is a suspicious sign, when it is contrary to the judgement, experience and zeal of the generality of the most wise, experienced, tried, sober, godly Christians; and so to the ordinary working of Gods Spirit in other men, who are as good as you. For Gods Spirit is not contrary to it self.

10. Lastly, it is a suspicious sign, when it is contrary to the judgement, experience and zeal of the generality of the most wise, experienced, tryed, sober, godly Christians; and so to the ordinary working of Gods Spirit in other men, who are as good as you. For Gods Spirit is not contrary to it self.

:408p. 124–125

By all these signs you may easily perceive, how the dividing zeal of a Sect as a sect, doth differ from the genuine Christian zeal. The one is a zeal for some singular opinion: The other is a zeal for Godliness and Christianity. The one is kindled by some interest of our own religious reputation: the other is kindled by the interest of the will and glory of God. The one is for the strengthening of a Party: The other is to increase the Church Universal, and promote the common cause of Christianity: even when some particular truth or duty is the Matter of it, yet the general cause of godliness is the end. The one is a burning, hurting zeal, even the same which hath made matter for so

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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. XXI.

Lend not a patient ear to back-biters; much less must you hastily believe them when they speak ill of others: But show your detestation of that sin, though they should be most religious people that use it, and do it upon a religious pretence.

Lend not a patient ear to back-biters; much less must you hastily believe them when they speak ill of others: But shew your detestation of that sin, though they should be most religious people that use it, and do it upon a religious pretence.

DIRECT. XXII.

Make not your selves judges of other mens actions, much less of their state, before you have a call, and before you have sufficient acquaintance or proof, of the person and of the case.

DIRECT. XXIII.

Mistake not the nature of the sin of scandal: Think not that it is the bare displeasing or grieving of another; For it is the laying of a stumbling block, that is, a temptation, or occasion of sinning before another.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36