Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

s 4 s Of [lmrci>•Forms, Huma1ze., Impofed, &c. ------------------ Chrift himfdf, had broken the fecond Commandment, when they ufed or prefcribcd forms. 2 • forms arc no more Images than txttm:'11)f'ate words are, as they fignifie our minds. Are all the Catechifms. printed and written Sermons and Prayers, lmage_s or Idols? All form' tha.t Pnents teach their chit. dren 1 0 charge not fuch untruths on God ; and mvent not falfhoods of hiS Word, while you cry down mans inventions. Qgell:. 74· Is it laJvfill t9 Impo[e Forms 011 tbe Co11gregation or the people;ia publici<. Worji?ip ~ YE•, and more than Lawful: It i•the Pa!lors duty fo to do. fdr whether he fore·think what to pray or not, his pr•yer is to them a form of words : And they are bound in all the lawful , parts, ro concur With him in Spirit or defire , and to fay Amen. So t~at every ~ln'iftcf by Office is daily to impofc a form of prayer on all the peoe)e in th~ Congregation. . Only fame men impofc the fame form many times over, or ev<ry day9'ai\J olhcts 1mpo1C every "ay a new one. . · : ; -;_h; ,")· -!1 ''· 1Ln. t1 Qgell:. 75· Is it lawful to up Forms (ompofed by mmz, and impofed not onry · on the £eople, but 011 the Paftors of ihe CIJurches ~ '. . • ~ ' l I • • . . ' l ~.\\ -: • , , An[w. THe quefiion conccrneth.not the .Lawfuln.efs of lmpofing , but of ufing fo;m 1 impofid. · And • · It is not unlawful to ufe them meerly on that accoun~ brcaufe tht:t .,, i'llpo[ed or commandtd, Without fome greater rcafon of the unlawfulnctS. For clfe u: would be unlawful for IJIIY othrr io ufe impofcd forms ;·!as fur a Scholir· otlCHild, if"tht Ma!leror Pat<:nt impofc the"\. "' for the Congregation when the Paflo'rimpofeth.them; which is not true. 2. The ulingof lmpofed for(Jlf'may by other actidents be fometimes good and fometimes evil, as the Accidenthrc:thatmakeit•ro. ' •· ::,;, -· ' •· Thefe accident~ may make~t ll:w. ·•· wh'tn' llhe form is bad for matter -or manner, and we vo1antarily prefer _it before that which is better, being willing of the impoGtion. 2· Whc:n we do ·If to grarifie our flo!~fulnefo, or to c.'bv<r 6\n' wilf~l Ignorance and difability. 3· When we v.olun· tarily obey and fltengthen any urila..,li\1 ufurpirlg Pallors or.powers that impofc it without amfl<>. rity, and fo cncounge Church-tyranny. 4· When we choofc a fingular form impofcd by fome fingu– lar Panpr, and avoid that which the reA: ofthe Ghurchcs ~agrtc in, at a time when ir may tend to diOilion and offenO<i. 5· Whent~ wdkn~fs :!nil 'Offenceof th< Congregation js fuch, that thcy,will ·not joyn with us in the l'mpofed fetm, ,·anH fo Bflifing it, we drive them from all publick Worfhlp or divide them. r:; ..· ''J-1 u. Fl t 1 ~-:c ':3.; 1 - 2· And inthe foll~wing oirc~R~lhe ufi~g>oflan impofed form is lawful and>a duty : 1• whc.~ the Minifier is fo weak that he canndtplay well withbur one,nor•compofe fo good aone himfelf: 2 .0r when the errors or great weaknefs of the generality of Minifiers is fuch, as that theyufually corrupt or fpoil Gods Worfhip by their own manner of praying, and no better are to be had ; and thereup– oti1fre-wifc and faithful faRors and hlagifhatcs fhaH-impofe one -found and apt Liturgy to a'9'oid error and divifion in fuch a difiempmd time ; and the Ableft cannot be left at liberty without the rdaJ,<ipg of the re~. _3• Wh<r:. it i~ a 'Pean~ ~f_th,e Co~c~rd of_rhe Churches, and no hioderance to our etherpr.ayfislI"~"WbCli'o~r·h'tatits'- will>l-ot j\>yn<lohth-us 1f-we ufe them not ; ( for error anti weaknefs mu!l be born with on one tide, as well as on the other. ) 5· When obedience to ju!l Au– thority rcquirc:th it, and no command of Chrifi is crofi by it. 6. When the impofirionis fo fevere ' that we mullfo lworO>ip God .pubf!tllly, o~rmila'r..U~ and fo all Gods publick -Worfhip wiU be lh•t -our·ohhat Cons~acion,Coiintrey, ar-Nationl <~nlefs we will ufe impofcd prayers. 'r ( 0 a word, 1"hm the good cbnf!l:]ucnts ofl!J~tdientt; VHian, 111ibidi•~ affcnu, l-ibtrly,for ~ods puhlickiYorjhip arid prr.-ching tht·Gofjtel,•&c. are greatdtttlan the <bad1conlequents wh~th are hke to follow the uling b£ _fuch fortns : ThE, ~reponderatlng> :fCtldents muttlprt•ait• .,8. And il a mans ,own judgeml.t'·and Con!cience cannot cbe fatislicd;lrol<lo <G"ed~ WOiidCQtnfurtably and quietly-..pytother way, it may .1:go! far in the,determination.'~Aod lhe<cbmmon,~ood ·of many Chut<hes mul\>fiill be prefened before a lcfs. ) a·:t ·: • 1-.i.i ' 1 'i · ~ ..L .. ' J, A ' ' t/:l'l :..~ ·~ \ \ t: ~ ·' I •n J ' ' ... ) ' ' ~cl}. ' I .. , 't i· 1 "' l ,, .: ~):

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