A26965:240
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.
Ans. Church power was the same before and after. The Laws of Christ concerning it altered not. The Pastors were then the Guides of the people by divine right: And the power of the Keys was no less forcible or effectual as used by the Bishops and Presbyters, than when the power of the sword was added to them (if not much more.) And the peoples power of choosing and refusing Bishops continued many hundred years after Magistrates were Christians, confirmed even by Popes and Councils.
Ans. Church power was the same before and after. The Lawes of Christ concerning it altered not. The Pastors were then the Guides of the people by divine right: And the power of the Keyes was no less forcible or effectual as used by the Bishops and Presbyters, than when the power of the sword was added to them (if not much more.) And the peoples power of choosing and refusing Bishops continued many hundred years after Magistrates were Christians, confirmed even by Popes and Councills.
Obj. 3. This would cast all into confusion, and there would be no Church Government, if the people be Judges when a Minister is bad, and then ma• full him down or forsake him, and choose another.
Answ. This is after further answered. I now only say 1. The people may not touch his Person, by violence, nor deprive him of his benefice or temple, nor yet degrade him: As they that change their Physician or Lawyer do no such thing, but simply choose one that they can trust. No man will win more by my salvation than I shall, nor would suffer more than I by it if I were damned: Who is more than I concerned what becometh of my soul? Am I not to have more care of it than of my estate or health of body? Who can easily believe those men that send us to goals and ruin us for trusting our souls with such Guides as to the best of our understandings we think meetest, or at least for avoiding such as we cannot so far trust, and then tell us that they do it because they love our souls better than we love our selves, and therefore will not trust them to our choice. 2. what confusion doth it cause that every man now chooseth his own Tutor in philosophy, his own master, his own Lawyer and physician, and every woman at age her own husband.