A26923:205
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1691
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.
Thus much to answer the question, Who shall be Judge of Controversies and Scripture Sense?
Thus much to answer the question, Who shall be Iudge of Controversies and Scripture Sence?
§. 5. If Men did but difference points necessary to Salvation and Christianity, from those that are only needful to a higher Stature in the Church, and from those that are utterly uncertain and unnecessary; and, 2. If they did but know their own ignorance and liableness to Error; and, 3. If they considered how utterly impossible it is to make the multitude of ignorant People, yea or Ministers, to be all of a mind, in the numerous hard Controversies, Opinions, and dubious or indifferent things, that are striven about in the World; certainly instead of damning, or despising, or destroying, or hating each other for such things, they would magnify the Wisdom and Mercy of Christ, who hath laid the Love, Unity and Peace of his Church on a few plain, sure and needful things, [Even the Covenant of Christianity, with the Creed, Lord's Prayer and Decalogue, and so much of Christ's own Precepts, as the universal Church hath ever bin agreed in.] And they would rather honour and obey St. Paul, Rom. 14. 1 Cor. 12. Ephes. 4. 1, to 16. than count his Dictrin to be unpracticable or loose.
§. 5. If Men did but difference points necessary to Salvation and Christianity, from those that are only needful to a higher Stature in the Church, and from those that are utterly uncertain and unnecessary; and, 2. If they did but know their own ignorance and liableness to Error; and, 3. If they considered how utterly impossible it is to make the multitude of ignorant People, yea or Ministers, to be all of a mind, in the numerous hard Controversies, Opinions, and dubious or indifferent things, that are striven about in the World; certainly instead of damning, or despising, or destroying, or hateing each other for such things, they would magniie the Wisdom and Mercy of Christ, who hath laid the Love, Unity and Peace of his Church on a few plain, sure and needful things, [Even the Covenant of Christianity, with the Creed, Lord's Prayer and Decalogue, and so much of Christ's own Precepts, as the universal Church hath ever bin agreed in.] And they would rather honour and obey St. Paul,