A26912:423
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.
Q. 12. Whether it be not a great dishonour to any man to suffer silencing, because he cannot add to Gods worship, the Ceremonies and Liturgy, and at the same time to add to Gods word new and false doctrines of our own, by saying that [It is a species of Idolatry, forbidden in the second Command, because it is used in the worship of God ⟨p. 80⟩without any command to make it lawful.] And if we should suffer such false doctrine, and additions, and Love-killing, dividing principles as this, to go uncontradicted, whether we do not betray the truth and our flocks, and show that we were too worthy of our sufferings?
Q. 12. Whether it be not a great dishonour to any man to suffer silencing, because he cannot add to Gods worship, the Ceremonies and Liturgie, and at the same time to add to Gods word new and false doctrines of our own, by saying that [It is a species of Idolatry, forbidden in the second Command, because it is used in the worship of God ⟨p. 80⟩without any command to make it lawful.] And if we should suffer such false doctrine, and additions, and Love-killing, dividing principlesas this, to go uncontradicted, whether we do not betray the truth and our flocks, and shew that we were too worthy of our sufferings?
But that this assertion or definition of Idolatry is false, I need to prove no otherwise, than, 1. That it is unproved by him that is to prove it, and, 2. That it denieth Christ to have a Church on earth, or to have any but Churches of Idolaters. 3. That it turneth all sin in Gods worship into one species, even Idolatry. And so every false doctrine used in Gods worship is Idolatry: Every Antinomian, Anabaptist, Separatist, or of any other error be it never so small, must be presently an Idolater, if in prayer or preaching he speak his error: And what man is infallible? When your Companion promised in the Pulpit, that there should be no more Tithes, no more Taxes, nor no more King, in Worcestershire after Worcester-Fight, this must be Idolatry. For certainly no error is commanded of God. 4. That it maketh the description of a thing indifferent, to be the description of Idolatry. For as [a thing forbidden] is the description of sin, so to be [not commanded] speaketh no more but Indifferency (Though the prohibition to do any thing not commanded, speaketh more, if it could be proved.) 5. It is contrary to the Scripture which never useth the word