A26912:89
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.
5. Hereupon men will be engaged in sinful Actions of injustice and uncharitableness against each other. They will be glad to hear, and forward to believe hard and false reports of one another. And too forward to vent such behind one another's backs: And there is no doubt, but many of each party already think worse of the other commonly, than they are: (Though, alas, we are all too bad, and some egregiously ⟨p. 45⟩wicked.) And those Persons and Churches that would censure a man for Curses or Oaths, should also censure men for slanders and backbitings. And should I not do my best, to prevent such a course of daily sin?
5. Hereupon men will be engaged in sinful Actions of injustice and uncharitableness against each other. They will be glad to hear, and forward to believe hard and false reports of one another. And too forward to vent such behind one anothers backs: And there is no doubt, but many of each party already think worse of the other commonly, than they are: (Though, alas, we are all too bad, and some egregiously ⟨p. 45⟩wicked.) And those Persons and Churches that would censure a man for Curses or Oaths, should also censure men for slanders and backbitings. And should I not do my best, to prevent such a course of daily sin?
6. Both violence and separation tend to divide the builders themselves, and keep the Ministers in contending with, and Preaching and Writing against each other, which should be employed in an unanimous opposition to the Kingdom of Satan in the world, And when all their united wisdom and strength is too little against the common Ignorance and Profaneness of the world, their division will disable them, and give sin and Satan opportunity to prevail.
6. Both violence and separation tend to divide the builders themselves, and keep the Ministers in contending with, and Preaching and Writing against each other, which should be employed in an unanimous opposition to the Kingdom of Satan in the world, And when all their united wisdom and strength is too little against the common Ignorance and Prophaneness of the world, their division will disable them, and give sin and Satan opportunity to prevail.