A26965:291
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.
5. Yea if men of such doctrine could once make Princes and people believe, that the people ought to receive only such Pastors as Princes choose for them, it may do more harm than all our sects do: For sects cannot cast out religion at once; Nay usually they perish themselves by their own divisions and shame before they can ruin the Church. But Princes might change Religion as oft as the Moon changeth. And if good Princes were but the tenth part as rare, as they thought that said [In uno annulo] &c. what then would become of Religion in the World?
5. Yea if men of such doctrine could once make Princes and people believe, that the people ought to receive only such Pastors as Princes choose for them, it may do more harm than all our sects do: For sects cannot cast out religion at once; Nay usually they perish themselves by their own divisions and shame before they can ruine the Church. But Princes might change Religion as oft as the Moon changeth. And if good Princes were but the tenth part as rare, as they thought that said [In uno annulo] &c. what then would become of Religion in the World?
LIV. And though we profess our great detestation of Church-Schisms, and our lamentation for the sad case of these Nations, and the Christian world, by reason of them, believing that Schism should be odious to all Christians; yet we are past doubt that aggravating some differences and breaches passionately by odious names, hath been Schismatical, by making the distance seem much greater than it was, and rendering Dissenters odious to others, and teaching Adversaries and ignorant persons, to reproach men as guilty of more Schism than they are guilty of indeed. Among the Papists, if they unite in the Pope, they pass not for Schismatics or Heretics, who differ in all those many and great points, which H. Fowlis, Montaltus, the Jesuits Morals, Mr. Clarkson, &c. ree••e, viz. about Murder, Adultery, Fornication, King killing, seldom Loving God, &c. And ⟨p. 92⟩among us, a man that doth but scruple certain Oaths, Subscriptions, Covenants, Declarations, or a Ceremony, is charged by some with Schism.