A26906:764
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.
Answ. You say so, and they say the same of you. They say that you are schismatical, but they are not profane. Now how shall a stander by know which of you is in the right? Doubtless by the witnesses and evidences: They try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you. You never try them, […] hear them speak for themselves, nor examine […] witness publicly against them, •or allow them any Church-justice, but avoid their Communion upon reports or pretence of private knowledge. They judge you personally one by one: You condemn whole P•rishes in the ••mp, […]: They condemn you as for a […] cr•me: But you condemn them without charging any one crime upon them, because they have not yet given you a satisfying proof of their godliness; They say, we prove you guilty: You say, you have […] proved your selves innocent. It a […] ⟨p. 256⟩on the high way, and you and another were both charged with the robbery; and to the other it is said, I prove by witness that thou didst rob me; And to you it is said, Do thou bring sufficient proof that thou didst not rob me? Would you not think that you had the more injustice?
Answ. You say so, and they say the same of you. They say that you are schismatical, but they are not proph•ne. Now how shall a stander by know which of you is in the right? Doubtless by the witnesses and evidences: They try you in some Court or before some Magistrate before they punish you. You never try them, 〈…〉 hear them speak for themselves, nor examine 〈…〉 witness publickly against them, •or allow them any Church-justice, but avoid their Communion upon reports or pretense of private kn•wledge. They judge you personally one by one: You condemn whole P•rishes in the ••mp, 〈…〉: They condemn you as for a 〈…〉 crme: But you condemn them without charging any one crime upon them, because they have not yet given you a satisfying proof of their godliness; They say, we prove you guilty: You say, you have proved your selves innocent. It a