A26924:1163
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
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. 16. Will you give men leave to open all the real Faults they can find in the Diocesan or Parish Churches? And if they prove far more than they can prove in theirs, Will you therefore silence all your Teachers, and shut up all your Church-doors, and give over worshipping God? Do you think that your Priests and your Worship are without Fault; yea, or the Constitution of your Churches? We are not able well to know what a Parish-Church is, by its Materials; that is, who are of the Churches, and who not. 1. If it be all the Baptized Parishioners, the Papists and Separatists are your Members. If it be all such as are of no other Church, then the Atheists, Infidels, Seducers, and others that are of no Church indeed are of it. 3. If it be only those that dwell and communicate there, how small a part of your great Parishes are of the Church? Yet are not these many Thousands declared to be out, but are permitted without Censure, and may come if they will: Not only the Members, but the Minister himself knoweth not who are of his Church, for the far greater part, till he see them come to the Altar, and then most, if they come, must be utter strangers to him whom he never saw before. How great a Number of Hobbists, Infidels, Papists, and wicked Livers are amongst us, your own Pens proclaim. And may not these come to the Altar when they please? This is spoken only to convince you, that if all this may be born, the supposed sin of fearing sin in a ⟨p. 294⟩thing called indifferent, deserveth not Excommunication or Destruction.
Q. 16. Will you give men leave to open all the real Faults they can find in the Diocesan or Parish Churches? And if they prove far more than they can prove in theirs, Will you therefore silence all your Teachers, and shut up all your Church-doors, and give over worshipping God? Do you think that your Priests and your Worship are without Fault; yea, or the Constitution of your Churches? We are not able well to know what a Parish-Church is, by its Materials; that is, who are of the Churches, and who not. 1. If it be all the Baptized Parishioners, the Papists and Separatists are your Members. If it be all such as are of no other Church, then the Atheists, Infidels, Seducers, and others that are of no Church indeed are of it. 3. If it be only those that dwell and communicate there, how small a part of your great Parishes are of the Church? Yet are not these many Thousands declared to be out, but are permitted without Censure, and may come if they will: Not only the Members, but the Minister himself knoweth not who are of his Church, for the far greater part, till he see them come to the Altar, and then most, if they come, must be utter strangers to him whom he never saw before. How great a Number of Hobbists, Infidels, Papists, and wicked Livers are amongst us, your own Pens proclaim. And may not these come to the Altar when they please? This is spoken only to convince you, that if all this may be born, the supposed sin of fearing sin in a