A76157:428
Confirmation and restoration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of…Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of…
Confirmation and restoration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the sovereign powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and welfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.Confirmation and restauration the necessary means of reformation, and reconciliation; for the healing of the corruptions and divisions of the churches: submissively, but earnestly tendered to the consideration of the soveraigne powers, magistrates, ministers, and people, that they may awake, and be up and doing in the execution of so much, as appeareth to be necessary as they are true to Christ, his Church and Gospel, and to their own and others souls, and to the peace and wellfare of the nations; and as they will answer the neglect to Christ, at their peril. / By Richard Baxter, an unworthy minister of Christ, that longeth to see the healing of the churches.
London: printed by A.M. for Nevil Simmons book-seller, 1658
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.
Object. 8. But this will encourage the Anabaptists and Congregational, in their Express Covenantings, by our coming so near them?
Object. 8. But this will encourage tbe Anabaptists and Congregational, in their Express Covenantings, by our coming so neer them?
Answ. 1. I may better say, you will make men Anabaptists, and drive them too far, by your looseness, and wilfully shunning plain duty. How can weak professors be drawn to think well of that party, which they see do shun so needful a Work of God? 2. Love and Peace will teach all Christians to say, that it's the best for Unity and healing of our breaches, to come as near dissenting Brethren as we may, and no• to fly the further from them. At least we may not run from truth and duty, that we may be unlike our dissenting Brethren. 3. And I take it to be my duty to tell this aloud to the Christian world, that after long contest with the Anabaptists, and opposition of their ways, I am grown (as I confidently think) to this discovery of the mind of God in suffering them among us; that he had this great truth and duty, to which he saw it necessary to awake us; the Church having been so lamentably defiled, Discipline made an impossible thing, ⟨p. 249⟩and mens Salvation grievously hindered, by the common secret, unobserved transition of all people into the name, and number, and Privileges of Adult-Christians; therefore did God permit these men, to step too far on the other side, that the noise might be the greater, and his call the more observable; so that they are his messengers, calling aloud to England, and all other Christian Churches in Europe, to keep the door, and repair the hedge, and no more to take an Infant-baptism, and Profession of our Parents, as a sufficient Evidence of the Title of the Adult, to the Name, or Place, or Privileges of Christians; but to give them Infant Privileges upon the Parents Profession; but to require of them a sober, serious Profession and Covenanting by themselves, in owning their Baptismal Covenant, before we number them with Adult-Christians: And that God hath suffered the Anabaptists to make such a stir among us will prove a mercy to us in the End, if we have the wit and grace to learn this, upon this troublesome occasion; and then the Reformation will do us more good, then ever the Anabaptists did us harm. But if we will not learn, nor obey Gods call, we must yet look to be molested by them more, or