A69533:1263
Five disputations of church-government and worship
Five disputations of church-government and worship by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659
Qu. Whether a stinted Liturgy, or form of Worship, be a desirable m… › Proposition 5
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.
2. The Magistrate should not hinder the Peoples Edification in the manner of Gods worship: But in many places a stinted Liturgy is most for the peoples Edification. Therefore▪ &c. Whether it be the Ministers weakness, or the peoples, that makes it most useful to them, yet when the Magistrate cannot cure ⟨p. 373⟩that weakness, he must bear with them. It was the weakness of Nicodemus that made him he could not bear the day-light, in coming to Christ; yea and such a weakness, as showed, or was joined with an unregenerate state, and yet Christ would rather teach him privately then not at all.
2. The Magistrate should not hinder the Peoples Edification in the manner of Gods worship: But in many places a stinted Liturgy is most for the peoples Edification. Therefore▪ &c. Whether it be the Ministers weakness, or the peoples, that makes it most usefull to them, yet when the Magistrate cannot cure ⟨p. 373⟩that weakness, he must bear with them. It was the weakness of Nicodemus that made him he could not bear the day-light, in coming to Christ; yea and such a weakness, as shewed, or was joyned with an unregenerate state, and yet Christ would rather teach him privately then not at all.
3. Where Consciences are scrupulous, and think it a sin to worship publicly without a form, (though it be their error yet) the Governors are not to drive them away from it; because then they will not publicly Worship God at all: And no worship is worse then a lawful form of worship.
3. Where Consciences are scrupulous, and think it a sin to worship publikely without a form, (though it be their error yet) the Governors are not to drive them away from it; because then they will not publikely Worship God at all: And no worship is worse then a lawful form of worship.