Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

difhonoureth it, even by unfanaifying rhofe due are not of their minds. 4· IfGod blefs me with opportunity and help,I will offend fuch men much more, by endeavouring furt'her than ever 1have done, the quenching ofthat fire which they are fl:ill blowing up, and deteCting the folly a!"!d mifd1ief of thofe Logomachies by which they militate againfl: Love and Concord, and enflame and tear the Church of God. And let them know that I am about it. But fome Paftors as well as people, have the weaknefs to think that all our Preachings and Writings mull: be brought under their dominion,and to their barr, by the bare faying that [We offend tbe Godly] that is, thofe of their opinion, which they falily call by the name ofJcandal. 5. But I think they will find little Comroverfic to offend them in this Book. ObjeCt. I I r. You jhou/d take more leijitre, and take otl•er mens jr1dgemem of your Writings before you tlmtjl them ottt fo haftily. Anjw. 1. I have but a little while to live, and therefore mull: work while it is day. Time will not il:ay. 2. Ido fhew them to thofe that I take to be moll: judicious, and never refuied any mans ccnjltre; But it is not many tlut have leifi.tre to do me fo great a kindnefs. But that I comrriit them not to the perufal of every Objeaor, is a fauit u~curable, byone that ne-. ver had an .A'mamtenfis, and hath but one Copy ulually. 3· And ifI could do it, how fhould I be fure that they would not differ as much among themfelves, as they do from me ? And my Writings would be like the PiCture which the great Painter expofed to the cenfure of every paffen– ger, and made it ridiculous ro all, when he altered all that every one ad– vifed him to alter. And, to tell you the truth, I was never yet blamed by one fide as not fi.tfliciently pleafing them, but I was blamed alfo by the contrary fide, for coming fo n~ar them : An~ 1had not wit enough to know which parry of the accufers was the wiler? And therefore am re– folved to il:udy to pleafe God and Confcience, and to take ma1z~plea[inu, when inconfiltent, for an ·impojlible and unprofitable work, and to ce:'ft: from man whofe breath is in his Noil:rils, whofe thoughts all perin1 as he pa!Teth off the Judicature ofhis Stage, to the Judicature ofGod. - ' ObjeCt. I V. Yottr Ecclefiaftical (afes, are dangerouj1y reconciling, tending to abate mem :zyal axainjl ErrOI'. . Anjiv. The world hath long enough efcaped the danger of Peace and rR.!conciliation: lt had been well if they had as long efcaped the danger of your Conceited-Orthodox il:rife, which hath brought in confufion and all evil works: I rake it to be a Zeal effeCtively again!!: Love, and again!!: Unity, and again!!: Chrift, which With thepreachers of extreams, goeth un– der the name of aZeal againfl: Error, and ror Trutl>. Objea. V. Are all tht(e Numerotu 'Direfliom to be found in Scripture? Sbew m ·them in Scripwre, or yo11 trouble the (hurcb wit/, your own inventions. Anjiv. t. Are all your Sermons, in the Scripture ? And all the good Books of your Library In the Scnpture ? 2. Will you have none but rR.!aders in the Church, and put down Preachers ? Snre it is th e IJ&ader t.hat delivereth all and only the Scripture. 3· Are we not ~fell before we are (hrijl:ians? And is not the Light andLawof Nature, 'Di)Jine ? And was the Scripmre

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