A26965:910
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.
[While I long wondered that I could not see what satisfied both all the Learned Convocation, and the Parliament, for the truth of the Rule in the Liturgy to find out Easter-day for ever, which is contrary to our Almanacs, and we must all be silenced (and ruined for Preaching) unless we profess that we Assent to it, I met with no Conformist that gave me any other satisfaction, than to refer me to Dr. Pell's Book: And meeting him happily, I craved his information; and the grave, learned, honest Doctor was so far from making me a Conformist, that he professed the passage now is indefensible.]
[While I long wondered that I could not see what satisfied both all the Learned Convocation, and the Parliament, for the truth of the Rule in the Liturgy to find out Easter-day for ever, which is contrary to our Almanacks, and we must all be silenced (and ruined for Preaching) unless we profess that we Assent to it, I met with no Conformist that gave me any other satisfaction, than to refer me to Dr. Pells Book: And meeting him happily, I craved his information; and the grave, learned, honest Doctor was so far from making me a Conformist, that he professed the passage now is indefensible.]
I was lately assaulted with this, as the strongest Argument for Conformity [Deliberate lying is no sin, but a duty when it doth no harm but a necessary good; As by a Physician to save his patient, or to save a mans life much more to save souls by preaching.
Ans. This case requireth a longer answer than I have here room for: Briefly. 1. God best knoweth: who is wisest and meetest to Govern the world, for the good of all; and he forbids it. 2. This principle believed would make all men untrusty to each other, while every man would think he had reason to lie, when his interest required it; and untrustiness overthroweth all humane polities, societies and converse, and so would do a thousand fold more harm to Kings, Subjects and all, than the saving of a mans life would compensate. 3. Its hypocrisy to sin my self that I may preach against sin in others, 4. The Church of God is against this doctrine, & fathers; And the best casuists have copiously confuted it, though some Jesuits are more lax, and use to serve their interest by it.