A26906:845
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.
Secondly, God hath required nothing but profession ⟨p. 289⟩of the Baptismal Covenant, to prove a mans title to his entrance and privileges in the universal Church: And a consent to our Relation to the particular Churches, to our membership in them. But mistaking-zeal hath accounted this too loose a way, and hath devised stricter terms: Many must have other proofs of Godliness, besides the understanding, voluntary assent and consent to the Baptismal Covenant: Yea of those that are in the universal Church already; before they can be admitted to its privileges, or to a particular Church. And which is worse, they here give the Church no certain rule, instead of Christs rule, which they cast by: But one man requireth one account, and another requireth another; and the rule and test doth vary as the charity or prudence of men do vary. This is a superstition, which hath already torn the Churches in pieces, and is going on still to do worse: And its raised by mistaking-zeal.
Secondly, God hath required nothing but profession ⟨p. 289⟩of the Baptismal Covenant, to prove a mans title to his enterance and priviledges in the universal Church: And a consent to our Relation to the particular Churches, to our membership in them. But mistaking-zeal hath accounted this too loose a way, and hath devised stricter terms: Many must have other proofs of Godliness, besides the understanding, voluntary assent and consent to the Baptismal Covenant: Yea of those that are in the universal Church already; before they can be admitted to its priviledges, or to a particular Church. And which is worse, they here give the Church no certain rule, instead of Christs rule, which they cast by: But one man requireth one account, and another requireth another; and the rule and test doth vary as the charity or prudence of men do vary. This is a superstition, which hath already torn the Churches in pieces, and is going on still to do worse: And its raised by mistaking-zeal.
Thirdly, that none that at the same time or before are not entered members of some particular Church, may by Baptism be entered into the Universal Church; is a superstition, which some good men have taken up.