A26912:356
A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and…
A defence of the principles of love, which are necessary to the unity and concord of Christians and are delivered in a book called The cure of church-divisions ... / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed for Nevil Simmons, 1671
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.
And if really you are against my words, satisfy the World by experience, how many you ever kn•w that came to the understanding but of the Articles of Faith, or the Decalogue or Catechism, or Christianity it self (that I say not to your degree of knowledge above me and such as I,) by prayer alone, without hearing, reading, meditation, or conference. And why Paul bids Timothy give himself to Reading, and meditate on these things, and give thy self wholly to them? And why Hearing and Preaching are so much urged? And whether it be any great fault to silence you and me and all the Preachers in the Land, if prayer be the only means of knowledge? And whether you do not before you are aware still agree with them whom you most avoid, who cry up Church-prayers to cry down Preaching? And why you wrote this book against me, if your earnest prayers against me, and the people, be the only means?
And if really you are against my words, satisfie the World by experience, how many you ever kn•w that came to the understanding but of the Articles of Faith, or the Decalogue or Catechism, or Christianity it self (that I say not to your degree of knowledge above me and such as I,) by prayer alone, without hearing, reading, meditation, or conference. And why Paul bids Timothy give himself to Reading, and meditate on these things, and give thy self wholly to them? And why Hearing and Preaching are so much urged? And whether it be any great fault to silence you and me and all the Preachers in the Land, if prayer be the only means of knowledge? And whether you do not before you are aware still agree with them whom you most avoid, who cry up Church-prayers to cry down Preaching? And why you wrote this book against me, if your earnest prayers against me, and the people, be the only means?
And when you have done, I can tell you of many Papists and others, that you your ⟨p. 49⟩self suppose never pray acceptably, who have come to a great deal of knowledge: Though there be no sanctified saving Knowledge (after the first Conversion) without prayer. I am sorry you put me to trouble the Reader about such things as these.