A27054:420
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.
§. 4. If they were not such, mans known incapacity would make them unfit to be any means of the intended end: And this is fully proved by all the foregoing proofs of unavoidable diversity that will be found in men: And I will here add yet more profs that Concord is so very difficult as that it will not be had on any stricter terms: and when all is done it will be very imperfect in this life.
§. 5. The great difficulty of Concord doth further thus appear.
1. It cannot be expected but that the greatest part of men will be of low capacity, and partial, and ignorant, and therefore uncapable of understanding higher terms than these.
2. The Greater number, or too many will be bad, though their profest Religion be Good: And bad men will be still self-troublers, and troublers of others: There is no Peace saith my God to the wicked: They are like the troubled Sea that casteth up mire and dirt, Isa. 46. Piety and true Concord must grow together. There will be in Christs Kingdom things that offend and men that work iniquity: There will be Pastors and people that are Worldly, Covetous, Lovers of themselves, Lovers of pleasures more than of God, proud, boasters, haters of those that are good, striving who shall