A27054:780
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.
§. 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.
§. 20. 3. He ought not to force the weak to profess that they are strong, or know or believe more than they do: either to profess those measures of wisdom, those Articles of faith that are not essentials, or those measures of affection or practice which are proper to strong Christians: And for not professing such things, or Covenanting accordingly he may not deny them any privileges belonging to Christians as such, but only such as are proper to wiser and stronger Christians.
§. 20. 3. He ought not to force the weak to profess that they are strong, or know or believe more than they do: either to profess those measures of wisdom, those Articles of faith that are not essentials, or those measures of affection or practice which are proper to strong Christians: And for not professing such things, or Covenanting accordingly he may not deny them any priviledges belonging to Christians as such, but only such as are proper to wiser and stronger Christians.