A26932:893
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.
THE whole design and business of this Discourse, being the Propagation of the Gospel and the saving of mens souls, I ⟨image 283⟩have thought it not unmeet to acquaint you with another work to that end, which we have set afoot in this County, and to propound it to your Consideration, and humbly invite you to an universal imitation. You know, I doubt not, the great inequality in Ministerial abilities, and that many places have Ministers that are not qualified with convincing lenity, awakening gifts: Some must be tolerated in the necessity of the Church, that are not likely to do any great matters towards the conversion of ignorant, sensual, worldly men: And some that are learned, able men, and fitted for controversies, may yet be unfit to deal with those of the lower sort. I suppose if you peruse the ⟨image 283⟩whole Ministry of a County, you will not find so many, such lively convincing Preachers as we could wish. And I take it for granted that you are sensible of the weight of eternal things, and of the worth of souls; and that you will judge it a very desirable thing that every man should be employed according to his Gifts, and the Gospel in its Light and Power should be made as common as possibly we can: Upon these and many the like Considerations, the Ministers in this County resolved to choose out four of the most lively, yet sober, peaceable, Orthodox men, and to desire them once a month to leave their own Congregations to the assistance of some other, and to bestow their ⟨image 284⟩labour in the places where they thought there was most need; And as we were resolving upon this work, the Natives of this County inhabiting the City of London, having a custom of feasting together once a year, and having at their feast collected some moneys by contribution, for the maintaining of a weekly Lecture in this County, (besides other good works) did (by their Stewards) desire us to set up the said Lecture, and to dispose of the said moneys in order thereto; And their judgements upon consultation did correspond with our design. So that the said money being sufficient to satisfy another that shall in their absence, preach in their own places, we employ it accordingly, ⟨image 284⟩and have prevailed with some Brethren to undertake this work.