Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

( 374 ) mull be all Schifmaticks that will not ufe their form, and the Churches Peace mull be laid upon it,and no man mull be thought meet to preach or pray that will not be of their opinion, but the ablelt Paftors of the Church mull be filencedand cafe by, if they will not ufe the Common -Prayer. The finfulnefs of this praáice fhall be manifefted in the next difpute more fully to which I referee the mofk ofmy reafons againik it : In themean time let thefe few be well confidered. I. It isa certain way to the Divi f onofthe Church : when men will lay itsUnity or Peace on that which will not bear it, they are themolt defperate diflurbers and dividersofit. If one form of Prayer or Preaching had been neceffary to the Churches Unity or Peace Chrift orhis Apoftles might as eafilyhavecom- poled it , as they did other neceffaries. Nay experience tells us, that it is not held neceffary by men themfelves : For the Ro. manifts ufe one or more forms : and the Grecians another , and the Ethiopians another, and fo of other Churches. In the Biblie- thecaPatrum howmany Liturgieshave they given us ? And if no one of all thefe is necefflry to all Churches,then not to any one Church , further then accidents, and mens impofitions make it neceffary. And no man thouldmake that neceffary, that isnot fotne way neceffary before. Itis eafieto know that either the Form as fuch , or fomewhat in the.Form, is like to be fcrupled by tome , even godly, able men : and fo it will prove an engineof divifion. The Church hath been brought to that torn divided condition that it is in by this arrogancy of domineering im- pofers, that muff lay its Peace on their unneceffary devices_: and will not let us have unity in Chrift and his Inftitutions andpeace upon his terms. a. By this means thepeople will be involved in the guilt of bitter contending, andhating all that conformnot to their way,anduncha- ritably reproaching them as fcbifmaticks, and confequently ofdif- liking the vety doetrine that they preach, or hold,, and the way they take; and thus if uncharitablenefs, and all this fin, the off- fpring ofit, be the way toHell, then you may fee what a notable fervice they do to Satan, andhow they enfnareand undo wens fouls, that make fuch forms of common Necefflty to the nityor Peace of the Church. 3.45' j thismeans theywill involve themfelves and the illagifirate in

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