A27054:779
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.
§. 17. III. To the third question, how Magistracy (or the sword or forcing power) is to ⟨p. 256⟩be used, for Christ and for his Church, and on Christians as such, who is to be rewarded, punished or tolerated for the Churches Unity and edification and preservation. I answer, I. In general; Men should be used as men; Christians as Christians: The weak as weak; The strong as strong, and the eminently wise and good as such: The criminal as criminal. And all this with chief respect to the laws of God and the common good.
§. 17. III. To the third question, how Magigistracie (or the sword or forcing power) is to ⟨p. 256⟩be used, for Christ and for his Church, and on Christians as such, who is to be rewarded, punished or tolerated for the Churches Vnity and edification and preservation. I answer, I. In general; Men should be used as men; Christians as Christians: The weak as weak; The strong as strong, and the eminently wise and good as such: The criminal as criminal. And all this with chief respect to the laws of God and the common good.
§. 18. II. More particularly, 1. Negatively: 1. The Magistrate cannot make men Believers by the sword: He cannot make the ignorant wise, nor the wicked godly at the heart.
§. 19. 2. He ought not to force men to lie, by professing themselves to be what they are not, or to know or believe or do what they do not: Therefore he may not make a Law that All men shall be compelled to profess themselves Christians, or Godly persons, or any that are not such indeed; And therefore none must be compelled to it, because no man knoweth who are such: but every man must be the voluntary professor of his own faith and piety.