A26906:745
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 because I know that guilt causeth impatience, and passion disposeth men to mistakes and false reports, before I proceed, I must here foretell you, 1. That I mean not by Separatists all that are so called by interested injudicious persons: But those 1. that account true Churches of Christ to be no Churches, 2. or that account it unlawful to hold Communion with those Churches, whose communion is not unlawful; because they are faulty, or because they differ from them in some opinions or circumstances of worship: 3. especially if they practise, and persuade others to practise according to these two opinions; of which the first is the higher sort of separation, and the second the lover.
BUt because I know that guilt causeth impatience, and passion disposeth men to mistakes and false reports, before I proceed, I must here foretell you, 1. That I mean not by Separatists all that are so called by interessed injudicious persons: But those 1. that account true Churches of Christ to be no Churches, 2. or that account it unlawful to hold Communion with those Churches, whose communion is not unlawful; because they are faulty, or because they differ from them in some opinions or circumstances of worship: 3. especially if they practise, and perswade others to practise according to these two opinions; of which the first is the higher sort of separation, and the second the lover.
And secondly, That by Church-dividers, I mean both these and all such whose principles and practises are against that love of a Christian as a Christian, and that forbearance of dissenters, which should be exercised to all the members of Christ; and who fly from the ancient simplicity and primitive terms of Church-communion, and add (as the Papists do) their own little novelties as necessary things.
And secondly, That by Church-dividers, I mean both these and all such whose principles and practises are against that love of a Christian as a Christian, and that forbearance of dissenters, which should be exercised to all the members of Christ; and who fly from the ancient simplicity and primitive terms of Church-communion, and adde (as the Papists do) their own little novelties as necessary things.