A26932:419
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. III.
2. Another sin the Ministers of England, and much more of many other Churches, are sadly guilty of, is, An undervaluing the Unity and Peace of the whole Church. Though I scarce ever met with any that will not speak for Unity and Peace, or at least, that will expressly speak against it: yet is it not common to meet with those that are addicted to promote it; but too commonly do we find men averse to it, and jealous of it, if not themselves the instruments of division. The Papists have so long abused the name of the Catholic Church, that in opposition to them many do either put it out of their Creeds, or only fill up a room with the name, while they understand not or consider not the nature of the thing; or think it enough to believe that there is such a Body, though they behave not themselves as sensible members of it. If the Papists will Idolize the Church, shall we therefore deny it, disregard it, or divide it? It is a great and common sin through the Christian world, to take up Religion in a way of faction; and instead of a love and tender care of the Universal Church, to confine that love and respect to a party. Not but that we must prefer in our estimation and Communion the purer parts before the impure, and refuse to participate with any in their sins; but the most infirm and diseased part should be compassionated and assisted to our utmost power; and communion must be held as far as is lawful, and nowhere ⟨p. 184⟩avoided but upon the urgency of necessity: As we must love those of our neighbourhood that have the plague or leprosy, and afford them all the relief we can, and acknowledge all our just relations to them, and communicate to them, though we may not have local Communion with them: and in other diseases which are not so infectious, we may be the more with them for their help, by how much the more they need it. Of the multitude that say they are of the Catholic Church, it is too rare to meet with men of a Catholic Spirit: Men have not an Universal consideration of and respect to the whole Church; but look upon their own party as if it were the whole. If there be some called Lutherans, some Calvinists, some (among these) of subordinate divisions, and so of other parties among us, most of them will pray hard for the prosperity of their party, and rejoice and give thanks accordingly, when it goes well with them: