A26975:517
Of national churches their description, institution, use, preservation, danger, maladies and cure, partly applied…
Of national churches their description, institution, use, preservation, danger, maladies and cure, partly applied to England / written by Richard Baxter for promoting peace ... and for the fuller explication of the Treaty for Concord in 1660 and 1661, and of the Kings gracious declaration about ecclesiastical affairs ... and for further explication of his treatise of episcopacy ...
London: printed by T. Snowden for Thomas Parkhurst, 1691
Chapter 15: The Case of Toleration of Dissenters from the Common Laws and Customs of a National Chu…
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.
§ 13. II. A Dissenter that opposeth the Essentials of Religion, or teacheth Damnable or Treasonable Doctrines, must be differenced from those that only refuse to be Perjured, or Lie, and make a sinful Covenant and Promise, or Profession, or that scruple some small unnecessary thing which to them seemeth sin against Gods Laws.
§ 14. III. A poor weak woman or unlearned man, must not be imposed on and dealt with on the same terms as a man of wit and learning: Nor the Laity as the Clergy.
§ 15. IV. Those of a meek and quiet Spirit may be more suffered than turbulent unpeaceable men, though it be in the same material points that they dissent. Therefore much must be left to the Will of the Rulers, who can difference between Man and Man when the Law cannot.
§ 16. V. In a Country where the Preaching of faulty men (though elsewhere useful) is unnecessary by reason of a full number of better (if such a Land there were) the silencing of such men is more allowable than elsewhere. And even Heresy and many faults may have impunity, though not a justifying toleration, in a time and place where punishment and suppression cannot be used without apparent doing more hurt than good. Rulers are not bound to do what they cannot do. And they cannot do that which they must not do, because it will do more hurt than good.