A26965:164
The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…
The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things in which they are misunderstood written to reconcile and pacify such as by mistaking them hinder love and concord / by Richard Baxter.The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things in which they are misunderstood written to reconcile and pacifie such as by mistaking them hinder love and concord / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benj. Alsop, 1679
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.
X. 8. To hold that every Error in the Doctrine, Worship, Discipline, Pastors or People of that Church, yea though settled and continued, ⟨p. 41⟩and foreknown, not forced on us to consent to or practice, is sufficient cause to make Communion with the Church unlawful, is to hold a principle which would infer separation from all the known Churches in this world.
XI. 9. To draw others to such separation by such false accusations or opinions, is worse than to do it silently ones self; and the more the worse.
XII. 10. The more such accusations strike at the heart of Christian Love, which is the life of holy Societies, and of Holiness it self; and the more they draw men from Piety, and to hate, and abuse, and wrong each other, the greater is the sin.
XIII. 11. When men erroneously and causelessly gather separated Members from true Churches where they should continue, into Antichurches, or Societies, where their business is to make others unjustly odious that differ from them; this is to gather Schismatical Societies: And if they pretend themselves wiser than the Generality of the true Orthodox Churches in the world, and so separate from them, they were for this called Heretics at first: But if it be but upon a quarrel with some particular neighbour Church or Pastor it was called a Schism.