A26932:764
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.
2. To do the work so as may most tend to the success of it, when they do come to you.
And for the first, the best directions that I can give are these following.
1. The chief means of all is, for a Minister so to behave himself in the main course of his Ministry and life, as may tend to convince his people of his ability, sincerity and unfeigned Love to them. For if they take him to be ignorant, they will despise his Teaching, and think themselves as wise as he. And if they ⟨p. 415⟩think him self-seeking, or hypocritical, and one that doth not mean as he saith, they will suspect all that he saith and doth for them, and will not be regardful of him. And if they think he intendeth but to domineer over their consciences, and to trouble and disgrace them, or merely to exercise their wits and memories, they will fly away from him as an adversary, and from his endeavours as noxious and ungrateful to them. Whereas when they are convinced that he understandeth what he doth, and have high thoughts of his abilities, they will Reverence him, and the easilyer stoop to his advice. And when they are persuaded of his uprightness, they will the less suspect his motions: And when they perceive that he intendeth no private ends of his own, but merely their good, they will the sooner be persuaded by him. And because those that I write to are supposed to be none of the most able Ministers, and therefore may despair of being reverenced for their parts; I say to such;
1. The chief means of all is, for a Minister so to behave himself in the main course of his Ministry and life, as may tend to convince his people of his ability, sincerity and unfeigned Love to them. For if they take him to be ignorant, they will despise his Teaching, and think themselves as wise as he. And if they