A27035:16
A second true defence of the mere nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and…A second true defence of the meer nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and…
A second true defence of the mere nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and history of Dr. Edward Stillingfleet ... clearly proving that it is (not sin but) duty 1. not wilfully to commit the many sins of conformity, 2. not sacrilegiously to forsake the preaching of the Gospel, 3. not to cease public worshipping of God, 4. to use needful pastoral helps for salvation ... / written by Richard Baxter ... ; with some notes on Mr. Joseph Glanviles Zealous and impartial Protestant, and Dr. L. Moulins character.A second true defence of the meer nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and history of Dr. Edward Stillingfleet ... clearly proving that it is (not sin but) duty 1. not wilfully to commit the many sins of conformity, 2. not sacrilegiously to forsake the preaching of the Gospel, 3. not to cease publick worshipping of God, 4. to use needful pastoral helps for salvation ... / written by Richard Baxter ... ; with some notes on Mr. Joseph Glanviles Zealous and impartial Protestant, and Dr. L. Moulins character.
London: printed for Nevil Simons, 1681
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.
§. 4. When the Act of Uniformity came out, of about 9000 Ministers that kept in, and had laid by the Liturgy before, about 7000 Conformed (to the altered Liturgy, before any of them ever saw it, save a few) by declaring their Assent and Consent (the Act being known before the Book could be Printed:) and about 2000 were silenced by that Act. How they behaved themselves since then, is so well known, and I have here, and oft declared; and how the Plague first, and the burning of the Churches next, and the Kings Licenses next, did give them the opportunities and calls which made more public Preaching seem to them a duty, that I shall not make recital of it.
§. 4. When the Act of Uniformity came out, of about 9000 Ministers that kept in, and had laid by the Liturgy before, about 7000 Conformed (to the altered Liturgy, before any of them ever saw it, save a few) by declaring their Assent and Consent (the Act being known before the Book could be Printed:) and about 2000 were silenced by that Act. How they behaved themselves since then, is so well known, and I have here, and oft declared; and how the Plague first, and the burning of the Churches next, and the Kings Licenses next, did give them the opportunities and calls which made more publick Preaching seem to them a duty, that I shall not make recital of it.
§. 5. All this while abundance of invectives were poured out against them, by many of the Conforming Clergy, in Press and Pulpits; and especially in the ears of great men, to whom we had no access, but seemed what such men described us to be. The new Laws against Conventicles, and the Oxford Act of Confinement had been added to the first: Many were hunted up and down, their Goods and Libraries distrained; many were imprisoned; some there died: The Informers and Prosecutors grew weary: They saw the severity came most from the Prelates, and the Parliament, the King being not for severity therein: The Justices grew unwilling of Execution; the Preachers reprove them, and call on them to put the Laws in Execution; they are greatly offended at the Kings Licenses; they continue to accuse us for Schism at least, and some of Sedition; though we invaded none of their Temples, nor asked them for any part of their maintenance. And the Parliament and Prelates were so sharp against us, that we durst not tell the world what we refused in Conformity, and why, lest we put them upon more severity; nor indeed could we do it, the Press was locked up by so great penalties. But while we were forced to silence, we were loudly called to, to say what we stuck at, and what it was that we would have. And