A26906:454
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.
In a word, when such a multitude of things are matters of Controversy, as many may be the matters ⟨p. 147⟩of Censure. One will censure me for praying with a form, or book, and another for praying without it. One for being too long, and another for being too short: one for this gesture, and another for that: One for preaching when I am silenced; another for not preaching more. One for being too gentle to dissenters, and another▪ for being too severe: One for being too narrow in my principles, and communion; and another, for being too large and universal.
In a word, when such a multitude of things are matters of Controversie, as many may be the matters ⟨p. 147⟩of Censure. One will censure me for praying with a form, or book, and another for praying without it. One for being too long, and another for being too short: one for this gesture, and another for that: One for preaching when I am silenced; another for not preaching more. One for being too gentle to dissenters, and another▪ for being too severe: One for being too narrow in my principles, and communion; and another, for being too large and universal.
And if in the sense of the sin and misery of some Christians Love-killing principles and practises, I have spent the best of twenty years, in writing, preaching (while I had leave) conferring and praying for the Union of Christians and the Churches peace; I have but made a wedge of my bare hand, by putting it into the cleft; and both sides have closed upon me to my pain. But I have turned both parties in the fray, which I endeavoured to part, against my self; when each side had one adversary, I had two.
And if in the sense of the sin and misery of some Christians Love-killing principles and practises, I have spent the best of twenty years, in writing, preaching (while I had leave) conferring and praying for the Union of Christians and the Churches peace; I have but made a wedge of my bare hand, by putting it into the clift; and both sides have closed upon me to my pain. But I have turned both parties in the fray, which I endeavoured to part, against my self; when each side had one adversary, I had two.