A27054:781
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.
§. 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.
§. 21. 4. Princes and other Magistrates may not make themselves the Lictors or executioners to the ⟨p. 257⟩Clergy, to punish men with fines, imprisonment, banishment or death eo nomine because they stand excommunicate by the Clergy, without trying whether it was rightly or wrongfully done, and whether the crime be such as should be so punished by them. Excommunication if just is it self a dreadful punishment, & no man is to be punished for being punished. If it be for not repenting, 1. He must first be sure that it was a crime: 2. And that God hath appointed this way to force men to repentance: 3. And that such forced repentance must go for true.