A27014:247
Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…
Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated, against the reasonings of a confident questionist, in a book called Toleration not abused; with counsel to the nonconformists, and petition to the pious conformists / by one that is consecrated to the sacred ministry, and is resolved not to be a deserter of it ...Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated, against the reasonings of a confident questionist, in a book called Toleration not abused; with counsil to the nonconformists, and petition to the pious conformists / by one that is consecrated to the sacred ministry, and is resolved not to be a deserter of it ...
London : s.n., 1672
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.
12. Possess your Hearers with true Gospel principles of Love, that they may be first pure, then peaceable and gentle. Preach zealously for Love, against love-killing envious zeal. Teach them to know that all men are imperfect ⟨p. 96⟩and faulty, and so is all Mens Worship of God; and that he that will not communicate with faulty Worship, must renounce communion with all the World (and all with him.) Unteach them that false conceit, that all Book-prayers are unlawful, yea, or all that is imposed: Read over to them those Psalms that have frequent repetitions and responses, that they may know that such are not unlawful. If it be lawful for the people to sing Gods praise, it is not unlawful to say it. Do you doubt of the consequence: Prove to us, what difference there was between the ancient singing, and our Laudatory saying, and you will find your task too hard. Unteach them that paltry principle, of placing Religion in being cross to the rest of the Congregation. As when they will not stand up at the Creed, or at all the Hymns of praise, when reason and use tell us, that standing up is a convenient praising gesture; and when the primitive Churches (from an unknown original, calling it an Apostolical Tradition) unanimously commanded standing only, in all the Lords Days Adorations; which because we cannot now well observe, it is decently confined to praises only. And in this the Conformists do better and more decently than you: and it is sorry perverseness to fly from a better way, because that others use it. Unteach them their unwarrantable self-made ⟨p. 97⟩Tests of Church Communion; as if there must be any other proof of Holiness needs given, besides a sober profession of Christianity, (that is, of the Baptismal Covenant) not provedly contradicted by Heresy, or a wicked life: If we are Non-Conformists, because we cannot comply with all that we think to be invented uncapable terms of Communion from others, why shall we make such engines to divide the Churches our selves, and do the very things which we condemn in others. Unteach them their expectations, that all the Church must be satisfied of the sincerity of each Communicant; or that the presence of the unworthy, who are admitted by their own false profession, or by the Ministers fault, doth make it unlawful to others there to communicate.
12. Possess your Hearers with true Gospel principles of Love, that they may be first pure, then peaceable and gentle. Preach zealously for Love, against love-killing envious zeal. Teach them to know that all men are imperfect