A69533:1449

Five disputations of church-government and worship

Name: Five disputations of church-government and worship
Author: Richard Baxter

Five disputations of church-government and worship by Richard Baxter.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659

[10], 38, [10], 24, 492 p. · 215k words · Wing B1267 · ESTC R13446

Title page: Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy, digitized by the Internet Archive (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

Qu. Whether Humane Ceremonies be Necessary or Profitable to the Chu… › Chapter 2: Such Ceremonies as God hath forbidden, or given man no Power to institute, are not to b…

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.

[ Earlier:1446–1461 of 1,637

:1446p. 423¶67

§. 67. If the mischoosing of such circumstances by Church-governors, be but an inconvenience, and do not destroy the ordinance it self, or frustrate the ends of it, we are to obey: 1. For he is the judge in his own work, and not we: 2. the thing is not sinful, though inconvenient. 3. Obedience is commanded to our lawful Governors. Of this we shall say more in the last Chap.

§. 67. If the mischoosing of such circumstances by Church-governors, be but an inconvenience, and do not destroy the ordinance it self, or frustrate the ends of it, we are to obey: 1. For he is the judge in his own work, and not we: 2. the thing is not sinfull, though inconvenient. 3. Obedience is commanded to our lawfull Governors. Of this we shall say more in the last Chap.

:1447p. 423–424¶68

§. 68. But if a Governor so misdetermine but a mode or circumstance, as will overthrow the substance and ends of the worship, I would not obey, except some greater evil were like to follow my not obeying at that particular season, then the frustrating of the duty it self would come to: As for example; If a Governor make a new Sacrament, I will not obey, because his command is null, and the thing simply evil. If he miscommand a Circumstance of Time, or Place, or Gesture, I will consider the consequents. If he command the solemn Assemblies to be held a mile or two or three from the people, I will obey him, if it be but as far as I can go without frustrating the work it self. But if he command us all to go ten miles or twenty miles to worship, I would obey for some time to avoid a greater evil; but ordinarily I would no more obey, then if if he forbade all Christian assemblies; for it comes all to one. So if he command the Assemblies to be at break of day, or after sun setting, I would obey. But if he command that we Assemble only at midnight, what should I do then? The thing is not simply unlawful: He doth but misdo his own work. And therefore for some times I would obey, if it were necessary, to avoid a greater evil. But if he make it the ordinary case, I would not obey: because it destroyeth the worship it self in a manner, as if he simply forbade it, and this he hath no power to do. An inconvenient gesture I would use in obedience, and to avoid a greater evil: But I

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Five disputations of church-government and worship

CHAP. III. Prop. 2. In such unlawful impositions (as aforementioned) it is an aggravation of the sin, if Governors pretend that their Ceremonies are Divine.

CHAP. III. Prop. 2. In such unlawfull impositions (as aforementioned) it is an aggravation of the sin, if Governors pretend that their Ceremonies are Divine.

CHAP. IV. Prop. 3. & 4. If things unlawful are commanded as indifferent, or things indifferent as Necessary, they are sinfully imposed, and the more, because of such pretences.

CHAP. IV. Prop. 3. & 4. If things unlawfull are commanded as indifferent, or things indifferent as Necessary, they are sinfully imposed, and the more, because of such pretenses.

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

CHAP. III. Prop. 2. In such unlawful impositions (as aforementioned) it is an aggravation of the sin, if Governors pretend that their Ceremonies are Divine.

CHAP. III. Prop. 2. In such unlawfull impositions (as aforementioned) it is an aggravation of the sin, if Governors pretend that their Ceremonies are Divine.

CHAP. IV. Prop. 3. & 4. If things unlawful are commanded as indifferent, or things indifferent as Necessary, they are sinfully imposed, and the more, because of such pretences.

CHAP. IV. Prop. 3. & 4. If things unlawfull are commanded as indifferent, or things indifferent as Necessary, they are sinfully imposed, and the more, because of such pretenses.