A26948:271
Mr. Richard Baxter's last legacy in select admonitions and directions to all sober dissenters
Mr. Richard Baxter's last legacy in select admonitions and directions to all sober dissenters.
London : Printed and are to be sold by E. Whitlock, 1697
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Mr. RICHARD BAXTER's LAST LEGACY TO ALL Sober Dissenters. › How Humane Laws bind the Conscience.
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.
Take heed of engaging your selves in a Sect,1 or Faction; a narrow Sectarian separating mind will make all the Truths of God give place to the opinions of his Party, and measure the prosperity of the Gospel, by the prosperity of his Party; he will not stick to persecute all the rest of the Church of Christ, if the interest of his Sect require it. Overvalue not any private or singular opinions of your own, or others; for if once spiritual Pride and Ignorance of your own weakness make you espouse particular opinions, as peculiarly your own, you will think your conceits more illuminating and necessary, than they are, as if Mens sincerity lay in the embracing of them, and their Salvation on the receiving of them; and think all that are against your Opinion, deserve to be cast out as Enemies to Reformation; and perhaps, Twenty Years after, experience may bring you to your wits, and make you see the falsehood, or smallness of all those points, which you made so great a matter of, and then what comfort will you have of your persecutions?
Take heed of engaging your selves in a Sect,1 or Faction; a narrow Sectarian separating mind will make all the Truths of God give place to the opinions of his Party, and measure the prosperity of the Gospel, by the prosperity of his Party; he will not stick to persecute all the rest of the Church of Christ, if the interest of his Sect require it. Overvalue not any private or singular opinions of your own, or others; for if once spiritual Pride and Ignorance of your own weakness make you espouse particular opinions, as peculiarly your own, you will think your conceits more illuminating and necessary, than they are, as if Mens sincerity lay in the imbracing of them, and their Salvation on the receiving of them; and think all that are against your Opinion, deserve to be cast out as Enemies to Reformation; and perhaps, Twenty Years after, experience may bring you to your wits, and make you see the falshood, or smalness of all those points, which you made so great a matter of, and then what comfort will you have of your persecutions?
- 1Christ. Direct. part 4. p. 73.