A27054:395
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness of it, and the detection of false dividing terms / opened by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1680
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.
§. 1. TO tolerate all evil that pretendeth Religion, is to be no friend to Religion, Government or peace. To tolerate no error in Religion, is for no Prince to tolerate himself, his wife, his child, or any one subject: And to pretend to this, is to crave self-destruction (neque enim lex justior ulla est, &c.) and to proclaim himself ignorant, yea grossly ignorant, what is a Church, a Pastor, a Government, a Christian, or a Man.
§. 1. TO tolerate all evil that pretendeth Religion, is to be no friend to Religion, Government or peace. To tolerate no error in Religion, is for no Prince to tolerate himself, his wife, his child, or any one subject: And to pretend to this, is to crave self-destruction (neque enim lex justior ulla est, &c.) and to proclaim himself ignorant, yea grosly ignorant, what is a Church, a Pastor, a Government, a Christian, or a Man.
§. 2. Multitudes of Books are written for and against Toleration: They that are lowest usually write for it (Even Jer. Taylor's Liberty of Prophesying before he was a Bishop, was thought a commendable or tolerable Book). But most are against it that are in power, and think they can force others to their wills. But it is wise and just and impartial men, that are here the discerners of the truth, whose judgements are not biassed by interest or passion, nor blinded by unacquaintedness with their adversaries ⟨p. 126⟩or their cause, or perverted by using only one ear and one eye. He knoweth not mankind, who knoweth not how greatly (not only the common gang, but) even learned men, yea, and zealous religious men, are to be suspected in their evil characters and reports of those that they are speaking against as adversaries. It grieveth me to know and think, how little most adversaries in this case are to be believed.
§. 2. Multitudes of Books are written for and against Toleration: They that are lowest usually write for it (Even Jer. Taylor's Liberty of Prophecying before he was a Bishop, was thought a commendable or tolerable Book). But most are against it that are in power, and think they can force others to their wills. But it is wise and just and impartial men, that are here the discerners of the truth, whose judgements are not biassed by interest or passion, nor blinded by unacquaintedness with their adversaries