A26965:281
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.
1. That this aforesaid sincerity of Faith, Repentance, H•pe, Love, and Obedience, is made by God of necess••y to salvation.
1. That this aforesaid sincerity of Faith, Rep•ntance, H•pe, Love, and Obedience, is made by God of necess••y to salvation.
2. That as it will not profit a man to win all the World and lose his soul, so neither will doctrinal formality, or obedience to superiors that hinder sound Preachers, recompense him for the loss of his soul; And that God would not have mens Government maintained by mens damnation, nor will the ungodly be the best members of Church or Kingdoms: Order is a means to save men, and not damn them, some few Heathens offer to Devils a sacrifice of mans flesh, and blood: But if a man should offer to God (the Lover, Saviour, and Sanctifier of souls) a Sacrifice of the souls of thousands, and say, All these are to be kept in Ignorance and ungodliness and so to be damned, to please God who will have them obey their superiors, at that rate; this were a dishonour to God of unexpressible iniquity and error. Christ that hath taught men to seek first his Kingdom, and to take up the Cross, and to forsake Father and Mother and Life and all to serve him in the saving of their souls, and had planted inseparably self love into our natures, surely did not mean so Contrarily as that we must forsake Christ, Heaven, and Salvation, to obey men.
2. That as it will not profit a man to win all the World and lose his soul, so neither will doctrinal formality, or obedience to superiours that hinder sound Preachers, recompence him for the loss of his soul; And that God would not have mens Government maintained by mens damnation, nor will the ungodly be the best members of Church or Kingdoms: Order is a means to save men, and not damn them, some few Heathens offer to Devils a sacrifice of mans flesh, and blood: But if a man should offer to God (the Lover, Saviour, and Sanctifyer of souls) a Sacrifice of the souls of thousands, and say, All these are to be kept in Ignorance and ungodlyness and so to be damned, to please God who will have them obey their superiours, at that rate; this were a dishonour to God of unexpressible iniquity and errour. Christ that hath taught men to seek first his Kingdom, and to take up the Cross, and to forsake Father and Mother and Life and all to serve him in the saving of their souls, and had planted inseparably self love into our natures, surely did not mean so Contraly as that we must forsake Christ, Heaven, and Salvation, to obey men.