A26906:551
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.
But the Ministerial gift of prayer is Knowledge and Utterance; by which a Minister may be able to express the desires and wants of the people unto God: which includeth memory in some degree. Even as Knowledge and Utterance are his Gift of preaching.
And some have more Knowledge and worser Utterance; And some have better Utterance and less Knowledge; And some through want of memory are defective in both.
And some have more Knowledge and worser Vtterance; And some have better Vtterance and less Knowledge; And some through want of memory are defective in both.
The lowest rank of lawful Ministers, may be so defective in their own gifts, both of Knowledge, Memory and Utterance, as to have need of the help of the gifts of others, who much excel them.
As a Minister who hath tolerable Gifts for preaching, may yet need the writings of other men before hand; and may bring both their Matter and Method into the Pulpit, yea and oft times their words; so that though he have Gifts, yet being weak, he may use the gifts of others. I have been counselled since I was silenced, to compose Sermons my self, and give them in writing to some weak Minister, that hath an excellent Voice and utterance, and to let him preach them. And really if I had not known that such have good books enough at hand for such a use, I think I should have done it: And who can prove that this had been his sin? And yet this was a using of another mans gifts instead of his own. And I have heard men that are much against Parish Churches and Liturgies wish that some unlearned men of good utterance, might read some excellent Sermonbooks to the people, in ignorant places that can get no better: And who can prove the reading of a Homily unlawful.