A26906:948
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.
First, There is so much Ignorance in many that they are not able judiciously to edify the flocks; nor to teach sound principles in a suitable manner and method to their hearers. Who can teach others that which they never learned themselves?
First, There is so much Ignorance in many that they are not able judiciously to edifie the flocks; nor to teach sound principles in a suitable manner and method to their hearers. Who can teach others that which they never learned themselves?
Secondly, Too many are strangers to the people whom they teach, and know not the weaknesses of the vulgar, and therefore neither justly resolve their doubts, nor answer their objections, nor indeed speak that language which the people understand. They have been bred from their childhood in the Universities among Scholars, and have little conversed with Plough-men and poor people and ignorant persons, who have ⟨p. 318⟩quite other conceptions and expre•••ons than scholars have. Their accurate stiles and well couched words, and elegant phrases, are most of them like an unknown tongue, to the greatest number of their auditors. And that which they use as congruous to the matter, is so incongruous to their hearers, that its little to their benefit.
Secondly, Too many are strangers to the people whom they teach, and know not the weaknesses of the vulgar, and therefore neither justly resolve their doubts, nor answer their objections, nor indeed speak that language which the people understand. They have been bred from their childhood in the Universities among Schollars, and have little conversed with Plow-men and poor people and ignorant persons, who have ⟨p. 318⟩quite other conceptions and expre•••ons than schollars have. Their accurate stiles and wellcouched words, and elegant phrases, are most of them like an unknown tongue, to the greatest number of their auditors. And that which they use as congruous to the matter, is so incongruous to their hearers, that its little to their benefit.