A26912:71
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 I foresaw what an injury this would be to the King, to have the suffering party under these temptations, and wise men made mad, and his people weakened by such sad divisions; whereby their cheerfulness in his Love and service would be abated, and foreign Enemies would be encouraged to attempts against our peace and safety, and if ever they should invade us, it maketh me tremble to think how our divisions would debilitate us, and hazard all our common security and hopes. Yea, how uncomfortable a thing it must needs be to the King, to rule such a divided people, that live in a heart-war among themselves, in comparison of ruling a loving, and concordant sort of men. In a word, I knew that a house or Kingdom divided against it self would not stand: And though I could not make the Bishops believe me, I knew that divisions, lamentable divisions; were like to be the consequent, of the things which then I so importunately petitioned and entreated them to forbear: I kn•w it, for I could not choose but kn•w it.
And I foresaw what an injury this would be to the King, to have the suffering party under these temptations, and wise men made mad, and his people weakned by such sad divisions; whereby their cheerfulness in his Love and service would be abated, and forreign Enemies would be encouraged to attempts against our peace and safety, and if ever they should invade us, it maketh me tremble to think how our divisions would debilitate us, and hazard all our common security and hopes. Yea, how uncomfortable a thing it must needs be to the King, to rule such a divided people, that live in a heart-war among themselves, in comparison of ruling a loving, and concordant sort of men. In a word, I knew that a house or Kingdom divided against it self would not stand: And though I could not make the Bishops believe me, I knew that divisions, lamentable divisions; were like to be the consequent, of the things which then I so importunately petitioned and intreated them to forbear: I kn•w it, for I could not choose but kn•w it.
And for these reasons I wrote, I pleaded, I earnestly contended with them as I did, while