A26911:648
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
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.
§ 3. My third Error is, [That to the being of a particular Church there is necessary a mutual Covenant, or expressed consent between Pastor and People, even every Member, and the more express the better: And I define a Church to be a Society of Christians consisting of Pastor and People associated by consent.]
§ 3. My third Error is, [That to the being of a particular Church there is necessary a mutual Covenant, or exprest consent between Pastor and People, even every Member, and the more express the better: And I define a Church to be a Society of Christians consisting of Pastor and People associated by consent.]
The force of the Confutation is, [I conceive he is out.] But wherein is it? We have here such work as I never met with before.
1. He granteth that none are to each other, Pastor and People against their Wills. Good still. And yet do I err? [But (saith he) as Christ is Christ, and a Saviour by Office whether Sinners will or not: So faithful Ministers are Pastors by Office, whether the People accept them or no.] Reader, it is not the least blemish of my Writings, that on divers occasions I oft repeat the same things: And many a time have I distinctly said, 1. That the Ordainers judge who shall be a Minister of Christ in general. 2. The Magistrate is judge whom he will Countenance, Maintain, or Tolerate. 3. And the People must be consenting judges to whom they will trust the conduct of their Souls: As it's one thing to be a Licensed Physician, and another to be Physician to this Hospital, or Person. If this Brother mean otherwise, what meant he by saying, that No Man can be a Pastor to a People against their will? Doth he say, and unsay in the next Lines? Is Christ any Man's actual Saviour whether they believe in him, and accept him or not? I have oft said, that in divers Cases, the People may be bound in duty to Consent, as all are bound to be Christians: But they are no Christians, or Church-members, till