A26932:23
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
Preface: To my Reverend and Dearly beloved Brethren, the faithful Ministers of Christ, in Britta…
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.
What, must we die by their hand, and our very heart blood be let out, and the Gospel delivered up to the adversaries, before they will believe that they have done us wrong, or before they will endure to hear us tell them of it? If the ages to come do not say more against the ways of these mistaken men, then I have done in that Epistle: and if either Mercy or Judgement do not bring them one day to think or speak more sharply of themselves; then I must confess my self quite out in my prognostics.
What, must we die by their hand, and our very heart blood be let out, and the Gospel delivered up to the adversaries, before they will believe that they have done us wrong, or before they will endure to hear us tell them of it? If the ages to come do not say more against the waies of these mistaken men, then I have done in that Epistle: and if either Mercy or Iudgement do not bring them one day to think or speak more sharply of themselves; then I must confess my self quite out in my prognosticks.
Another sort that will be offended with me, are some of the Divines of the Prelatical way: whom I had no mind to offend, nor to dishonour: But if necessary duty will do it; What remedy? If they cannot bear with just admonition, I must bear with their impatience. But I must tell them, that I spoke not by hear-say, but from sight and feeling. Its more tolerable in an English-man to speak such things, that hath seen the sad work that was made in England, the silencing of most godly, able men, the persecution even of the peaceable, the discountenance of godliness, and the insulting scorn of the profanest in the Land, then for a foreigner that hath known of this but by hearsay. When we remember what a sort of Ministers the Land abounded with, while the ⟨image 9⟩ablest and most diligent men were cast out, (of which matters we cannot be ignorant, if there were no records remaining of their attested accusations) we must needs take leave to tell the world that the souls of men and the welfare of the Church were not so contemptible in our eyes, as that we should have no sense of these things, or should manifest no dislike of them, nor once invite the guilty to repent. And if you think my language harsh, I will transcribe some words of a far wiser man, and leave it to your consideration how far they concern the present case, or justify my free and plain expressions.