A26912:520
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.
EXCEPT. XXV. Answered. 1. Brother, you do ill to intimate either of these ⟨p. 108⟩Untruths. 1. Either that there is no such thing as [an ignorant sort of Preachers, more valued for their affectionate tone and fervour, 1than abler judicious men;] When as the whole Christian World knoweth that there are many such Preachers both among the several sects, (and of our selves, there are or have been some) and in the public Assemblies; and among all Christian Churches where there is preaching through the World: And the worlds experience puts it past doubt, that the generality of the vulgar, unlearned and injudicious sort of men, do value a man by his tone and voice more than for the judgement and excellency of his matter, if not put off by such advantage. Brother, you and I are both known persons; Though I look not to mention my self without your imputation of pride, I will venture, while I put my self on the side which you say I reproach, to tell you, that I was once commonly taken to have as affectionate a tone of speech as ever you were, at the least: And I ever found that Matter and Affection together took best: But that warm Affection and fervent utterance, with common and little matter, took more with the far greater part, than far more excellent matter delivered, with less fervour of affection. I have said as much against cold preaching as ever you have done at least: And I am as much against it as ever: And I am my self much helped in profiting by an affectionate delivery. But, ⟨p. 109⟩Brother, I take it for no pride to think that I have had more experience of mens cases than you have had; (If you have had no more Pastoral Charge than I suppose, and came but out of the University when I was ready to be turned off from mine.) And I must tell you that I have been oft sorry to see how the people have been moved (in Army and Countries) to value a Quaker, a Seeker, an Antinomian, an Anabaptist, a Socinian that preached down the God-head of Christ; (And among the Orthodox, such ignorant ones as you know I am acquainted with;) merely for the tone and fervency of their delivery. Scarce any thing hath more infected the injudicious with error.