Baxter - BX1763 B28

(33) If you had meant bya Puritane a meer Non-confornif as fuch, you would not fo laudably have defcribed the work of God upon his Soul and Life as you have done: For if molt Non-conformifts be fuck, yet foare many others as well as they. And it's eafïe to fee what a deceitful courfe it is to take up a name of many fignifi- cations, and fuch as fignifieth no different Religion at all, as to any one Article ofFaith, nor any more difference in, or about Religion, than fuch as is among moll Chri- ftian Churches ; and much lefs than is among your felves. Betides that the plainer nameofa Non-conformifi is of no determinate nor certain fignification, fave only in general tonotifie one that Conformeth not to all that is impofed on him ; but what that is, the name doth not lignifie. ANon-conformift in Scotland is one thing, in England another thing, as the Impofitions are different. Non- conformity twenty years ago, or fourty years, was one thing. Non -conformity lince 1662. is quite another thing. And Non-conformifls differ among themfelves If twenty things be impofed as neceffary to the Minif?ry, he is a Non-conformift who confenteth but to nineteen of them ; and fo is he that confenteth but to eighteen, or to feventeen, or to fixteen, and fo on, as well as he that confenteth to none ofthem. And that there is fo much differenceamong them is no wonder to them, nor any confederateMan; for they hold Chriflian Love and Communionwith thole that agree with them in thefore- faid common Principles and Practice of Chriflianity, (as far as they require not them to fin : ) And they are not of a different Religion from every one that fafieth not on Fridays, or saints vigils, &c. as you feem to be, E frnor om,

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