A76157:616
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.
2. And it sticks very much upon my thoughts, how small a handful the censorious way would reduce the Catholic Church of Christ to.1 When it is but about the sixth part of the world that are at all Baptized Christians; and scarce the sixth part of them, that are Protestants; and of the Protestants, so few, except in England, that are so qualified for holiness, as in your admissions you expect: and in England how small is the number ⟨image 202⟩that you would admit, I am deeply afraid lest you heinously injure the Cause of Christ, by your excessive rigour: and lest confining even the visible Church into so exceeding small a compass, should tempt men to infidelity. For he that to day can believe, that Christ died not for one of a hundred thousand in the world, may to morrow believe, that he died for none at all. I hope the little flock of the Elect, is not so little, as some would have the visible Church of the called.
2. And it sticks very much upon my thoughts, how small a handfull the censorious way would reduce the Catholike Church of Christ to.1 When it is but about the sixth part of the world that are at all Baptized Christians; and scarce the sixth part of them, that are Protestants; and of the Protestants, so few, except in England, that are so qualified for holiness, as in your admissions you exspect: and in England how small is the number ⟨image 202⟩that you would admit, I am deeply afraid lest you hainously injure the Cause of Christ, by your excessive rigor: and lest confining even the visible Church into so exceeding small a compass, should tempt men to infidelity. For he that to day can believe, that Christ died not for one of a hundred thousand in the world, may to morrow believe, that he died for none at all. I hope the little flock of the Elect, is not so little, as some would have the visible Church of the called.
- 1The most experienced holy of my flock are very tender of the scandalous themselves, and would not have me to cast them out while there appeareth any present hope: remembering the condition that once they were themselves in, and their failings after convictions, and what had become of them if then they had been cast out.