A44665:31
An answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of…An ansvver to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of…
An answer to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of the country to a person of quality in the city. Who took offence at the late sermon of Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of S. Pauls; before the lord mayor.An ansvver to Dr. Stillingfleet's Mischief of separation being a letter written out of the countrey to a person of quality in the city. Who took offence at the late sermon of Dr. Stillingfleet, Dean of S. Pauls; before the lord mayor.
London: printed by S.W., 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.
Read over the Doctors Sermon again, and again, and you will find no course is prescribed us, but to sit still without any enjoyment of Christian Ordinances at all. And with how great numbers must this be the case? for himself professes to believe, that the People that frequent the separate meetings (who you know are not a few) do generally judge it to be unlawful to join in the Public Assemblies. And are we always to sit still thus? That is to exchange Visible Christianity for Visible (at least negative) Paganism!
Read over the Doctors Sermon again, and again, and you will find no course is prescribed us, but to sit still without any enjoyment of Christian Ordinances at all. And with how great numbers must this be the case? for himself professes to believe, that the People that frequent the separate meetings (who you know are not a few) do generally judge it to be unlawful to joyn in the Publick Assemblies. And are we alwaies to sit still thus? That is to exchange Visible Christianity for Visible (at least negative) Paganism!
This, if you take the whole compass of it, is a thing of awful importance, that so great a Limb of a Christian Nation, they and their posterity, should be Paganized from Age to Age, and cut off from the whole Body of the Christian Community, only because they scruple some things, the least exceptionable whereof are no part of the Christian Institution (as himself, and they whose Advocate he is, will freely confess) nor do necessarily belong to it, being (as they contend) but indifferent things.
He seems rather contented we should not be Christians at all, than not to be Christians of this particular mode. That we should rather want the substance of Christs Gospel and Sacraments, than have them accompanied with confessedly needless additions, and which we fear to be forbidden us by their Lord and ours.