A26911:654
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.
Ans. Have I in the Books, cited by you, so largely told you what I mean, and must you print the Question before you will take an Answer? Saith ⟨p. 163⟩he [Either you mean bare Assembling, or some other thing.] Ans. Will you better understand me if I write it again than you did before? When I told you at large, in what Cases express consent by words, or other signs is meet, and that where the Laws settle Parish Churches, ordinary attendance and submission to the Pastor's Office must be taken for express Consent? But then I do hold that there is such a Church as I describe, and that the Parish is not Unchurched when the Assembly is dismissed.
Ans. Have I in the Books, cited by you, so largely told you what I mean, and must you print the Question before you will take an Answer? Saith ⟨p. 163⟩he [Either you mean bare Assembling, or some other thing.] Ans. Will you better understand me if I write it again than you did before? When I told you at large, in what Cases express consent by words, or other signs is meet, and that where the Laws settle Parish Churches, ordinary attendance and submission to the Pastor's Office must be taken for express Consent? But then I do hold that there is such a Church as I describe, and that the Parish is not Unchurcht when the Assembly is dismist.
§ 6. He saith, [When the Assembly breaks up, the Church for that time ceaseth till the Meeting be renewed, till which time they remain Christian Inhabitants, Neighbours, Families, Parishioners, or Sojourners, the Pastor of the place dwelling among them.] Ans. In your Equivocal sense of a Church, this is true. In the Political sense they are a Church still; as the Parliament, Citizens, Soldiers, are a Parliament, City, Army, when they Assemble not. If your wrangle be de re, do you deny their continued Relation? If it be de nomine, let the Scripture and all Nations judge, whether the name Church belong to them no longer than they are Assembled.