A26932:323
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.
7. And if God shall give them Repentance, they are gladly to be received into the Communion of the Church again: Of the manner of all these I shall say no more, they being things that have so much said of them already. And for the manner of other particular duties, of which I have said little or nothing, you have much already, as in other writings, so in the Directory of the late Assembly.
7. And if God shall give them Repentance, they are gladly to be received into the Communion of the Church again: Of the manner of all these I shall say no more, they being things that have so much said of them already. And for the manner of other particular duties, of which I have said little or nothing, you have much already, as in other writings, so in the Directory of the late Assemblie.
Would we were but so far faithful in the Practice of this Discipline, as we are satisfied both of the matter and manner: and did not dispraise and reproach it by our negligence, while we write and plead for it with the highest commendations. It is worthy our consideration, Who is like to have the heavier charge about this matter at the Bar of God? Whether those deluded ones that have reproached and hindered discipline by their tongues, because they knew not its nature and necessity; or we that have so vilified it by our constant omission, while with our tongues we have magnified it? If ⟨p. 110⟩hypocrisy be no sin, or if the knowledge of our Masters will be no aggravation of the evil of disobedience, then we are in a better case then they. I will not advise the zealous maintainers, and obstinate neglecters and rejecters of Discipline, to unsay all that they have said, till they are ready to do as they say, nor to recant their defences of Discipline, till they mean to practice it, nor to burn all the Books that they have written for it, and all the Records of their cost and hazards for it, least they rise up in Judgement against them to their confusion; not that they recant their condemnation of the Prelates in this, till they mean a little further to outgo them: But I would persuade them without any more delay, to conform their Practices to these Testimonies which they have given, lest the more they are proved to have commended Discipline, the more they are proved to have condemned themselves for neglecting it.