A26932:585
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. XI.
7. THE next branch of my Exhortation is, that You would no longer neglect the execution of so much Discipline in your Congregations, as it of confessed necessity and right. I desire not to sour on any one to an unseasonable performance of the greatest duty. But will it never be a fit season? Would you forbear Sermons and Sacraments so many years on pretence of unseasonableness? Will you have better season for it, when you are dead? How many are dead already before they ever did any thing in this work that were long preparing for it? It is now near three years since many of us here did engage our selves to this duty: And have we been faithful in performance of that engagement? I know some have more discouragements and hinderances then others: But what discouragements can excuse us from such a duty? Besides the Reasons that we then considered of, let these few be further laid to heart.
1. How sad a sign do we make it to be in our preaching to our people, to live in the wilful continued omission of any known duty? And shall we do so even year after year and all our days. If excuses will take off the danger of this sign, what man will not find them as well as you? Read Amesius medul. cap. 37. de Disciplin. Eccles. & Gillespie's, Aaron's rod, ⟨p. 303⟩with Rutherford and many more that are written to prove the Need and Dueness of Discipline, saith Ames. ib. sect. 5. Immo peccat in Christum authorem ac institutorem quisquis non facit quod in se est, ad hanc Disciplinam in Ecclesiis Dei constituendam & promovendam. And do you think it safe to live and dye in such a known sin?