Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT770 .B39 1670

The Life ofFaith. 577 How fad is jt to hear all Christians (peak of Love and Con- cord, Unity and Peace, while few of them know the way of Peace, or how to hold their own hands from tearing the Church into more pieces, while thefe pe ctable words are in their mouths ? To fee the Paliors and People, as if it were for Unity. and Peace, contriving the ruine of all that arc not of their Party and Way, and lludying how to extirpate one another ; and multiplying fnsres and fumbling blocks, as ne- ceffary means to heal the Church ! How fad is it to fee to great a fatgion as the Roman Kingdom (for it is more properly a Kingdom than a Church) to lay the neceffary Vitity and Com- munion cfall the Churches, upon fo many forgeries of their own ; upon the fuppofed certainty of the falfenefs of all mens fades (in the point of Tranfubftantiation) and upon the fub- jet5tionof the Church to an univerfal ufurper ; and to keep up ignorance, left knowledge (by reading the tranflated Scriptures, and fuch Booksas do detect their frauds) should mare their markets, and (poil their trade ? To fee their Prelates take their own domination, wealth and greatnefs , to be really the profperity of the Church, and the interefi of the Gofpcl and Kingdomof Chrifi; and to promote the Gofpel by filencing or prohibiting the moll able, zealous, faithful Preachers ofit and to go with a drawn (word among the people, and fay, Love w, or we will killyou: Love ChriJf and tot, or the inqui- fition and wrack fhall teach you love : To fee them take the terrifying of men by corporal penalties, to be their chiefefi work, and the way of Love to be but fuch popularity as de- ftroycth the Church : Will not now and then a walk in Heaven, be a great refrefhing to the mind that hath been long haunted with fuch hideous and ugly fpeaers as all thc(e? Will not fome converfe with the moil wife, and holy, and peaceable Society, whole Life is Love, be a great recreation to your minds, when fuch fights as thefe have made theta fad? Moreover, you have many burdens of your own to beat your own ignorance, your own temptations, your partions, your wants, and worfl of all, the. rel.icks of your fin, which you cannot bear with that hope and fupport which is needful to ycu, without 'oft looking to the happincfs of thofe That D dd d have

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