Baxter - BX5202 B29 1689

frtr8J~" Ruin men forTruth and Duty. He that robbeth them by the High-way, doth but take their Money, and loth not allo accule them falfly, and make their duty to be their fin. Doubtlefs he that will take all that I have beçaufe.I do my duty to God in Praying or Preaching, cloth me more wrong than he that will take all without accufing me. 5. It is a publick mining Chrifls Ordinance againft himfelf, and ferving Satan by it, to make faithful Chritiians odious in the World, as unworthy to live in humane Society, out of Jayls, if they do but exhort others to repent. Ifa man but know anti de- teG:t the lull fin in their Bcoks ofService, he muft be condemned of wicked Error, and Drunkards, and Whore-mongers ; and Perjured.Rogues, do fèem, to be no worfe than he. 6. Ifit were an Error to fay that their Book is not faultlefs, yet it can neverbe proved an Error of that magnitudeand snick-. ednefs as to deferveExcommunication ipfo facto; For all men on Earth haveErrors worfe than that ; and fo by proportion they virtuallyor confequentially Excommunicateall men. L. But all this is their fault,, andnot yours. M Its mine ifI publifh theirExcommunication. L. Ifan Innocent Man be handd, the Hang-man is Innocent : H e cloth but his Office. A Whateverhe may be inCafes unknown to him, and which he was not bound to know , I will not believe you in a known or knowaole Cafe. if I had been commanded to Crucifie Chrift, to Stone Stephen, to burn the Martyrs ; I :do not believe that I could have done it without the guilt of Murder. Elfe you. may make a Man's command to Juítifie.the Execution ofany Murder or lnjuftice in the World. L. But you may fhift offuch wicked Excommunications, and leave the Publihing them to your Curate. A I. .1 may not draw another into fuch. heinous Guilt , nor connive athis doing it in my Charge. 2. There are but few Country Minifters that have Curates. 3. If I do it not , I am guilty of it ifI declare my Confent to Accule all fuch within fourteen days, that the Ordinary may do it ; and to Covenant and Swear Canonical Obedience tohim. 4. What can be more pernicious to the Church of God , than to caft good Men out of it, and difimember Chrift's Body, and lay thole in Jayls as urtfufferable wicked Men, whom Chrift take;;..

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