Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

-= , which manyfait into on pretence of avoiding pdpery: Woríhip, and romake you a Religion which quencheth Love, you know not what manner of Spirit you arc of. S. Is not the churchofEphcfus commended, Rev: a. 3. that could not bear them that were evil, and that try cdfalfe.Apoflles andfound themlyars ; and are they not blamed that didbear with thewoman Jezabel and the doctrineof' theNicolaitans t' rind ifGod hate fuch doctrine, fo muff we. P. All this is true and good ; butdo not you mifapply it to defend your uncharitablenefs, or error ? I am not perfwadingyou to Indifferency as to truth and falíhood, good and evil, not to abate your hatred ofIdolatry or fuch doctrine of wickednefs anduncleannefs as the Nicolaitan's was nor yet to corrupt the Churches by negledling Difcipline. We would have a man that is an 1Teretick rejected after the firft and fecundadmonitión: Bearnot With any fuch evil inyour Church Communion which íhould be calf out, and makethmen uncapable ofCommunion, ( fo far as it is in your power regularly to calf out fuch: ) But as you mull not take fuchforenemies, but trill afford them a common fort of Charity, fo you mutt not on this pre- tence, in your ignorance and rafhnefs rave againft truth orharmlefsthings; or your Brethren that chinknot in411 things as you do ; nor call thatPopery which Faber wifer men thanyou ( yea, almoftall ChriffsChurchon earth) do take to be found do&rine, or laudable practice. It is the thane of the party amongus that molt inclineth to feparation, when fober underftand- ing men fhall hear an ignorant fellow or woman with confident boidnefs, rad at a controverted Do&ring, or aFormof Prayer, or Ceremony as Po- pery, and admonifh their Teachers not to receive the Mark of the Beaff; when theydobut thewtheir pride and ignorance, in overvaluing their own conceptionsand unfurnifhed underftandings, and vilifying the knowledge of others in their dark prefumption. If you would bring fuch leffer errors under Church Difcipline or Separation, on pretence of not bearing with them that are evil, it is you your felves that would fooneft be found Wor- thy to be feparated from or call out, Who credit Popery by placing it in found, good, decent or harmlefs things; and corrupt Do&rineand Worlhip bÿyourfBrrors andSuperftitions;which yourunintoonthecontrary extream. S. lour laxe and loofe principleswould call our allDifcipline out of the church. P. Ì ouknow not howmuch in your pretences to over-much flriflnef} of Difcipline, you agreewith thofe Papifts andPrelatifts whomyou feem tobe molt averfe from: flowbath the Pope fubdued Emperours and Princes to himfelf, and captivated theWorld, but by the pretenceof Difcipline, by hisExcommunications and Abfalutions ? How elfe have his Prelates di- fturbed this Kingdom in formerAges? And I my felf had lately todo with oneof thegreateft Clergie-men that hathhad a hand in oureje&ion,filencing and prefent Church-flate, againft whom I am fain todefend, that Kings and ChiefMagiftrates are not tobe excommunicated AndI find the afore- faid Englifh Non-conformifl in the faid Latin 2rail. de Vera ' Confine Relig.pag.a8o, 28t. put upon the fame task, and performing it by the fame arguments which I ufed, I confefs, the Papiltsand WorldlyTyran- nical Clergie do corrupt Difcipline, and calf out the true cleanfing ufeful exercife of it ; but for fo much and fuch uCe as isetnducible to maintain the intereft of theirSell and Party and Carnality, no men are mòre bot _ and is it not fo with you e

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