A27054:675
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.
§. 38. 2. But LOVE or HOLINESS is necessary ad bene esse as well as wisdom: Heat causeth heat: And we have need of sacred Heat as well as of Light. Love kindleth love: A Pastor should excel the Flock in Love to God, to Christ, to Holiness, to Gods word and work, and to all the peoples souls, and should speak all from the Zeal of Love: As the Nurses milk should have the warmth of Nature. Cold heartless preachers usually reach not the heart and have but cold• and small success. Here also God worketh usually according to the means: And how can he be taken for a sound Believer of so great over-whelming things, as we have to speak of, that speaketh only of them sleepily and coldly?
§. 39. 3. And as wisdom and zealous Love, so executive Activity, but especially, Taking utterance is necessary to the well-being of the sacred-office, and the success. Though it be not the tricks of vain humane art and affectation which must do our work, yet is it a free and moving utterance of holy wisdom, faith and Love. And words are not all: Holy example of living in blamelessness, justice, humility, self-denial, meekness and patience must be our work: And diligence in doing all the good we can. What examples are there this day among us of one or two holy, humble, meek and patient and unwearied labourers, even in a silenced, suffering and low condition, men of no extraordinary parts, but with ordinary parts of extraordinary labour and patience, ⟨p. 221⟩that whole Countries have cause to bless God for: I will venture to name three such, 1. Mr. John Eliots in New England, that hath translated all the Bible into that most barbarous language, preached to the Indians about forty years, and gathered divers Churches among them. (And verily I would the Jesuits had never done worse work than what they did (with several Friars) in Congo, China, Japan, &c. which is their greatest honour.) 2. Mr. John Dury, I hear yet living, who hath these fifty years or near been employed in reconciling the Lutheran and Calvinist Protestants, not without success, as Helmstadt, Bremen, Hassia and other places know; Though much more might have been expected if the wars of Princes and the obstinacy of contentious Divines had not hindered. 3. Our Mr. Thomas Gouge, an ejected silenced Minister, who hath set up about fourscore Schools in Wales, for thousands of Scholars, given away many thousand books to them, relieved many poor honest ejected Ministers, got the Bible, the Practice of Piety, the Whole Duty of Man printed in Welsh, and visiteth the Counties there (though aged) once a year.