Baxter - BX5202 B291 1679

[ 5 6] fiance, before they are at anothers : And mens fouls and everlafting happinefs are precioufer to them than their lives, and it is firit under God their own wills by which they ihall live or die ; though all their friends íhould do their beft to make them willingof what is beft. 2. They are fuppofed related duely to their treed Paftors,in thebond of fidelity, which they may not unnecelTarily violate. 3. Otherwife one Ronan Emperor might have undone all the Churches and Souls in the Em- pire ih a great degree; by impofing on them infuflicient,heretical,or malignant Pastors:Where it met he noted, i. That God Both ordinarily work on fouls according to the quality of the means : To fay that He cAn,.do otherwife, is im- pertinent,while we fee that he Both not, nor hath promifed it We fee that Heathens arid`lnfidels are not converted without Preachers : We fee,, that Heretical Preachers make Hereticks, and Schifmatical ones make Schifmaticks, and igno- rant ones leave the people ignorant : In feveral Countries the people are Greeks, Papifts,Luthe- rans, &c. as they are taught. We fee that one clear, convincing, experienced, ferions Preacher, turneth more fouls among us from ignorance,er-' roar, flefhly tuft, and worldly wicked hearts and lives, than abundance of raw young Readers or Preachers, that ignorantly fay over a dry pre- pared fpeech in a School-boys mode and tone. It is not every Preacher of whom it can be faid as Dr. Ames loth of old Mr. Midfley, a Non- conform ift of Lanca/hire, That he was the means ofconverting manly thorafand fouls, (from Popery, Ignsrance,and a wicked life : Nur whole labours are

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