A26906:759
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.
The foresight of impatient guilt, & censure having caused me here to give you this premonition (besides what is in the Epistle) now Reader, go on.
The •oresight of impatient guilt, & censure having caused me here to give you this premonition (besides what is in the Epistle) now Reader, go on.
O the deceitfulness of the heart of man! Little do many real Separatists, who cry out against the spirit of persecution, suspect that the same spirit is in them! whence is persecution, but from thinking ill of others, & abhorring them, or not loving them? And do not you do so by those whom you causelessly separate from? you will say, that though you think them not to be true Christians, yet you love them as men, and wish their good: And so will those say by you, whom you call your Persecutors: Though they think you to be proud and humorous, and disobedient; yet they say they love you as men, and do but correct you to cure your self-willedness and humour, and to do you good, and to preserve the public peace. They think you to be bad, and therefore imprison you: you think them to be bad, and therefore avoid Communion with them. They think you so bad as to be unworthy of civil liberty, and privileges: you think them so bad as to be unworthy of Church privileges and liberties. They think you unworthy to be suffered in the land perhaps. And you think them unworthy to be suffered in the Churches. They cry against you, Away with them they are schismatical or heretical: you cry against them, ⟨p. 255⟩Away with them, they are profane!
O the deceitfulness of the heart of man! Little do many real Separatists, who cry out against the spirit of persecution, suspect that the same spirit is in them! whence is persecution, but from thinking ill of others, & abhorring them, or not loving them? And do not you do so by those whom you causlesly separate from? you will say, that though you think them not to be true Christians, yet you love them as men, and wish their good: And so will those say by you, whom you call your Persecutors: Though they think you to be proud and humerous, and disobedient; yet they say they love you as men, and do but correct you to cure your self-willedness and humour, and to do you good, and to preserve the publick peace. They think you to be bad, and therefore imprison you: you think them to be bad, and therefore avoid Communion with them. They think you so bad as to be unworthy of civil liberty, and priviledges: you think them so bad as to be unworthy of Church priviledges and liberties. They think you unworthy to be suffered in the land perhaps. And you think them unworthy to be suffered in the Churches. They cry against you, Away with them they are schismatical or heretical: you cry against them,