A30122:402
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing…The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing…
The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor showing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.The barren fig tree, or, The doom and downfall of the fruitless professor shewing that the day of grace may be past with him long before his life is ended : the signs also by which such miserable mortals may be known / by John Bunyan ; to which is added his Exhortation to peace and unity among all that fear God.
London: printed for J. Robinson, 1688
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
Eighthly; If we would keep Unity and Peace, let us lay aside provoking and dividing Language, and forgive ⟨p. 58⟩those that use them. Remember that old Saying, Evil Words corrupt good Manners. When Men think to carry all afore them, with speaking uncharitably and disgracefully of their Brethren, or their Opinions; may not such be answered, as Job answered his unfriendly Visitants, Job 6. 25. How forcible are right Words? but what do your Arguings reprove? How healing are words fitly spoken? A word in season, how good is it? If we would seek Peace, let us clothe all our Treaties for Peace with acceptable words; and where one word may better accommodate than another, let that be used to express Persons or Things by; and let us not, as some do, call the different Practices of our Brethren, Will-worship, and their different Opinions, Doctrines of Devils, and the Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Fornication, &c. unless we can plainly, and in expressness of Terms prove it so; such Language as this hath strangely divided our Spirits, and hardened our Hearts one towards another.
Eighthly; If we would keep Unity and Peace, let us lay aside provoking and dividing Language, and forgive ⟨p. 58⟩those that use them. Remember that old Saying, Evil Words corrupt good Manners. When Men think to carry all afore them, with speaking uncharitably and disgracefully of their Brethren, or their Opinions; may not such be answered, as Job answered his unfriendly Visitants, Job 6. 25. How forcible are right Words? but what do your Arguings reprove? How healing are words fitly spoken? A word in season, how good is it? If we would seek Peace, let us cloath all our Treaties for Peace with acceptable words; and where one word may better accommodate than another, let that be used to express Persons or Things by; and let us not, as some do, call the different Practices of our Brethren, Will-worship, and their different Opinions, Doctrines of Devils, and the Doctrine of Balaam, who taught Fornication, &c. unless we can plainly, and in expressness of Terms prove it so; such Language as this hath strangely divided our Spirits, and hardened our Hearts one towards another.