A27054:406
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.
2. And if you could accomplish it, it were not worth your labour: If all the Princes on earth should force their subjects to be of One Religion, it would be their own: And then five parts of six would be Heathens and Mahometans, and of the sixth part a third or fourth would be Papists, and above two parts of the other three would have foul corruptions, for which they would be sharply censured by the rest. Is it not better that in Congo, China, &c. Christianity is tolerated, than that they had all continued of their One Religion? And so is it that the Turks do tolerate the Greeks and other Christians. And I think if Spain had both Papists and Protestants, it were better than to have but Papists only; And if the Swedes, Danes and Saxons did tolerate the more Reformed, it would do more good than harm. If Prelacy were banished out of Scotland and England, many would think it better to tolerate it.
§. 12. It is certain, that Unity and Concord is most desirable; and as certain that these over-doers ⟨p. 132⟩do destroy it, while they lay it upon impossible terms. 1. The most desirable Concord is in common perfection of wisdom and holiness: But it's certain it will not be, nor are any perfect.
2. The next desirable Concord is in such high degrees of Wisdom and Goodness, as that all Christians be strong and excellent, and err not notably in a word, ceremony or mode: But it is certain, this is not to be expected.