A27017:1427
The Saints' Everlasting Rest
The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is showed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...The saints everlasting rest, or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory wherein is shewed its excellency and certainty, the misery of those that lose it, the way to attain it, and assurance of it, and how to live in the continual delightful forecasts of it and now published by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by Rob. White for Thomas Underhil and Francis Tyton, 1650
THE SAINTS Everlasting REST. PART. III. › Chapter 12 › Section 10
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.
On the other side, some men to escape this Scylla do fall into the Charyb••• of former violence and formality: They must have all men to walk in fetters, and they must be the makers of them; and Ministers must be taught to Preach, by such Jives as their horses are taught to pace. No man must be suffered to come into a Pulpit, that thinks not or speaks not as they would have him: Or if they cannot take away his liberty, they will do what they can to blast his reputation; Yet if he cannot have the repute of being Orthodox, it were well if they would leave him the reputation of a Christian. But having also a Christianity of their own making, and proper to themselves, they will presently unchristen him, and make him a Heretic by proclamation; as if they had so far the power of the Keys, as to lock up the doors of Heaven against him, and wipe out his name from the book of Life. It striketh me sometimes into an amazement with admiration, that it should be possible for such mountains of pride, to remain in the hearts of many godly, reverend Ministers! That they should no more be conscious of the weakness of their own understandings, but that even in disputable difficult things, they must be the Rule by which all others must be judged! So that every mans judgment must be ⟨p. 522⟩cut meet to the standard of theirs; and whatsoever opinion is either shorter or longer, must be rejected with the scorn of an Heresy or an Error! Wonderful! That men that have ever studied Divinity, should no more discern the profundities and difficulties! and their own incapacities! More wonderful that any disciple of Christ should be such an enemy to knowledge, as to resolve they will know no more themselves then is commonly known, nor suffer any other to know more! So that when a man hath read once what is the opinion of the Divines that are most in credit,1 he dare search no further for fear of being counted a Novelist or Heretic; or lest he bear their curse for adding to, or taking from the common conceits! So that Divinity is become an easier study then heretofore: We are already at a Ne plus ultra It seemeth vain when we know the opinions in credit, to search any further:
On the other side, some men to escape this Scylla do fall into the Charyb••• of former violence and formality: They must have all men to walk in fetters, and they must be the makers of them; and Ministers must be taught to Preach, by such Jives as their horses are taught to pace. No man must be suffered to come into a Pulpit, that thinks not or speaks not as they would have him: Or if they cannot take away his liberty, they will do what they can to blast his reputation; Yet if he cannot have the repute of being Orthodox, it were well if they would leave him the reputation of a Christian. But having also a Christianity of their own making, and proper to themselves, they will presently unchristen him, and make him a Heretick by proclamation; as if they had so far the power of the Keys, as to lock up the doors of Heaven against him, and wipe out his name from the book of Life. It striketh me sometimes into an amazement with admiration, that it should be possible for such mountains of pride, to remain in the hearts of many godly, reverend Ministers! That they should no more be conscious of the weakness of their own understandings, but that even in disputable difficult things, they must be the Rule by which all others must be judged! So that every mans judgment must be