A41330:548
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner,…
The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entitled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templars sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.The questions between the conformist and nonconformist, truly stated, and briefly discussed Dr. Falkner, The friendly debate &c., examined and answered : together with a discourse about separation, and some animadversions upon Dr. Stillingfleet's book entituled, The unreasonableness of separation : observations upon Dr. Templers sermon preached at a visitation in Cambridge : a brief vindication of Mr. Stephen Marshal.
London: printed for Tho. Cockerill, 1681
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.
As to what you say, p. 410. quoting Mr. Thorndike, with whom you agree, It is not meant a bare displeasing of our Brother, but doing such actions which tend to occasion some to fall from Christianity, disgust Christian Religion, for which you quote the 15. v. Destroy not him, &c.
The first part in some sense I should yield; but for the latter part which carries this sense, that the destruction in the 15. v. was by making them to fall from Christianity, as if there were no other way to destroy them but that; I conceive humbly that your self with Mr. Thorndike, are both mistaken.
For that weak Christian might be strongly convinced that Christian Religion was true, though he could not as yet see the repealing of those Laws upon the reasons I gave before; yet through the unkindness, pride, cruelty of the stronger Christians who would judg, despise him, and not receive him unless he would eat the forbidden meats, as they did; and through their example, whom he saw to eat, he might be put upon a temptation to eat such meats too, not in faith, but with a doubtful conscience, and so doing, he was condemned according to the last verse. So their pride, unkindness, and example, did help to destroy their brother as much as in them lay.