A26932:134
Gildas Salvianus: The Reformed Pastor
Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor showing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...Gildas Salvianus, the reformed pastor shewing the nature of the pastoral work, especially in private instruction and catechizing : with an open confession of our too open sins : prepared for a day of humiliation kept at Worcester, Decemb. 4, 1655 by the ministers of that county, who subscribed the agreement for catechizing and personal instruction at their entrance upon that work / by their unworthy fellow-servant, Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Robert White for Nevil Simmons, 1656
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.
SECT. VII.
3. Take heed also to your selves, that you be not unfit for the great employments that you have undertaken. He must not be himself a babe in knowledge, that will teach men all those mysterious things that are to be known in order to salvation. O What qualifications are necessary for that man that hath such a charge upon him as we have! How many difficulties in Divinity to be opened? Yea, about the very fundamentals that must needs be known! How many obscure Texts of Scripture to be expounded? How many duties to be done, wherein our selves and others may miscarry, if in the matter, and end, and manner, and circumstances, they be not well informed? How many sins to be avoided, which without understanding and foresight cannot be done? What a number of sly and subtle temptations must we open to our peoples eyes, that they may escape them? How many weighty and yet intricate cases of conscience have we almost daily to resolve? Can so much work, and such work as this be done by raw unqualified men? O what strong holds have we to batter, and how many of them? What subtle, and diligent, and obstinate resistance must we expect at every heart we deal with? Prejudice hath blocked up our way: we can scarce procure a patient hearing. They think ill of what we say while we are speaking it. We cannot make a breach in their groundless hopes and carnal peace, but they have twenty shifts and seeming reasons ⟨p. 18⟩to make it up again; and twenty enemies, that are seeming friends, are ready to help them. We dispute not with them upon equal terms: But we have children to reason with that cannot understand us: we have distracted men (in spirituals) to reason with, that will bawl us down with raging non-sense: We have wilful unreasonable people to deal with, that when they are silenced, they are never the more convinced: and when they can give you no reason, they will give you their resolution: like the man that Salvian had to deal with (lib. 4. de Gubernat. p. 133.) that being resolved to devour a poor mans means, and being entreated by Salvian to forbear, told him, He could not grant his request, for he had made a Vow to take it, so that the Preacher audita religiosissimi sceleris ratione was fain to depart. We dispute the case against mens wills and sensual passions as much as against their understandings; and these have neither reason nor ears: