A26932:486
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.
4. What if you might not excommunicate, may you not therefore do the rest? may you not personally and publicly reprove them, pray for them, &c.
4. What if you might not excommunicate, may you not therefore do the rest? may you not personally and publikely reprove them, pray for them, &c.
5. Must not the people avoid a Notorious drunkard. &c. whether you bid them or not? If not; why hath God commanded it? If yea; why may you not bid them do that which is their duty?
6. Have you none in your Parish, not one or two to make Ruling Elders of, that by their conjunction you may be authorised to do more then now you do? I mean, according to your own principles; for I confess its not according to mine.
7. And what hindereth but you may join together if you will? If it must needs be many Pastors conjunct, that must exercise any act of Discipline, why is it not so done? Doth any forbid them, or threaten them if they do it? If you say, I am alone, because no neighbour Minister will join with me. You speak hardly of all the Ministers about you? What! are they all so negligent? Blame us not then to reprove them. But its an incredible thing that they should be all so bad that are of your judgement, that no one or two will be persuaded to assist you. And I think you will confess that two or three may do it authoritatively, though no one else in the County do it. I could wish that the Prelates had not such an argument given them as this: No one Presbyter hath the Power of the Keys, by their own Confession: therefore two or three have not; least they go further in proving the consequence then you expect. But if it must be so, I could yet wish that no single Pastor for the excusing of himself, would lay such a reproachful charge upon all the Ministers in the Country that be of his own Judgement, as to say that Discipline is cast aside, because they can get none to join with them in the execution! at least till they