Judgment of Nonconformists of Reason in Matters of Religion, Statement of agreement
Conſectaries.
I. HEnce we ſee then that Divines have great cauſe to take heed of ſetting Chriſtians together by the Ears, by feigned differences where there are none; and ſo deſtroying Love and Concord, and tempting the ignorant to hate and falſly accuſe their Brethren, to the trouble of the Church, and the hazard of their Salvation: And therefore that while Men have not attained a through acquaintance with the matter, and in diſcuſſing ambiguities of Speech, and diſtinguiſhing Verbal Controverſies, from real, if they forbear not their Cenſures, and publique Controverſies, till they attain a more ripe diſtinct underſtanding, they may greatly ſerve Satan, while they think that they are ſerving Chriſt. And how little the Church is beholden to thoſe Men, that either through factious worldly deſigns, or ignorant Zeal againſt error, have made the World believe by Pulpit invectives and voluminous Controverſies, that Chriſtians differ really, when it is but verbally, experience might have ſatisfied us long ere this.
II. Thoſe that have been guilty of ſuch feigning of difficulties, and wronging the Church, ſhould make repairation by open repentance, and all Chriſtians ſhould ſtudy the difference between matter and expreſſive art, and words; and be deſirous and skilful for the narrowing of differences, as others are in widening them.
We are not in Love with the Spirit and Practiſe of Incendiaries, Love-killers, or Dividers: We find too many contending in this caſe, as if they thought the difference real; but not any Party againſt another, (many Conformiſts, as well as Non-conformiſts, being jealous of giving too much to humane Reaſon.) But we ſuppoſe we have fully proved a real Concord among us all, though unskilful, word-warriours diſcern it not. If any will be a diſſenter, he muſt be a ſtragler from all the Proteſtant Churches. His Majeſty in his Declaration of Eccleſiaſtical Affairs expreſſed his diſpleaſure of ſuch as pretended that the Church-doctrine needed reformation, as if in Doctrine we were not agreed. Seeing we all Subſcribe the ſame Scripture, and Articles of Religion, and all agree in the twenty eight Concluſions, and ten Rejections before expreſs'd; if any yet proceed in their Accuſations, we deſire them, for our Conviction, to ſtate the Caſe in which, they ſuppoſe, the difference is, and prove their Charge; and to remember what it is to ſtrive about words, and what have been, and yet are, the effects; and that the Wiſdome from above is firſt pure, then peaceable, and without partiallity and hypocriſie; and that the Fruit of Righteouſneſs is ſown in peace, and that bleſſed are the peacemakers, for theirs is the Kingdom of God.
We, whoſe Names are Subſcribed, (not undertaking that no Individual Perſon is otherwiſe minded,) do, our ſelves, believe the real Concord of Proteſtants, as it is here expreſſed.
Th. Manton,
W. Bates,
Tho. Caſe,
Gabriel Sangar,
Rich. Baxter,
Math. Pemberton,
Mat. Silveſter,
Henry Hurſt,
Roger Morice,
Edw. Lawrence,
Benjam. Agas,
James Bedford,
Sam. Fairclough,
John Turner,
Joſeph Read.
ERRATA.
PAge, 5. line laſt, for diſtance, read difference. P. 5. l. penult. for theirs, r. Men. P. 6. l. penult. for neer, r. neerer. P. 6. l. 23. for Impulſes, r. Impreſſes. l. 13. r. Impreſs. P. 11. l. 26. for to, r. of. P. 12. l. 5. for be, r. was..
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, Judgment of Nonconformists of Reason in Matters of Religion (1676)