A Second Admonition to Edward Bagshaw, Title page – Table of contents
A Second Admonition TO Mr. EDWARD BAGSHAW;
Written to call him to Repentance for many falſe Doctrines, Crimes, and ſpecially fourſcore palpable untruths in matter of fact, deliberately publiſhed by him in two ſmall Libels; In which he exemplieth the Love-killing and depraving Principles of Church-dividers: and telleth the World to what men are haſting▪ when they ſinfully avoid Communion with true Churches and Chriſtians, for tolerable faults.
With a Confutation of his Reaſons for Separation: Written to preſerve the weak, to reſiſt the Dividing Temptations of the Imperious unskilful Clergy, to revive our dying hopes of Concord, and to vindicate the Non-conformable Miniſters from the unjuſt imputation of Schiſmatical Principles.
By Richard Baxter, a long-maligned and re…ſted Endeavourer of the Churches Unity and Peace.
LONDON, Printed for Nevill Simmons, at the Three Crowns near Holborn-Conduit. 1671.
THE Contents.
A Preface to thoſe that are inclined to Principles of Church Diviſion and Separation; containing twenty cauſes of that ſin, and ſome Notices of Mr. Bagſhaw's two Libells.
To Mr. E. B. the grounds on which I go in dealing with him.
Why I anſwer him contrary to my former purpoſe.
Sect. 1. Of calling him Brother: of a middle way.
Sect. 2. Whether every untruth be a lye?
Sect. 3. Of Scripture perfection.
Sect. 4. Of the deſign of my Book.
Sect. 6, 7. Whether calling Dividers to Repent, &c. be to make them odious?
Sect. 8. Whether all they whoſe ſin brings Judgements, muſt be hated of all and killed?
Sect. 9, 10. Whether I diſclaimed any Activeneſs in the firſt War?
Sect. 15. Whether I approved of ſetting up Cromwell to be Protector? and ſuch like?
Sect. 20. My Repentance publiſhed at Mr. E. B. his invitation, in four parts. Of Mr. E. B. his former defence of me againſt the then Biſhop of Worceſter.
Sect. 21, 22. Of Chriſts Temporal Reign, and my judgement of it.
Sect. 24. Whether I meant it, becauſe I dare not own any perſecuted truth.
Sect. 25. Whether I inveigh againſt ſufferings▪ —Of ſufferers temptations.
Sect. 26, &c. His ſinful excuſe of Vavaſor Powells three publick falſe Prophecies.
Sect. 29, &c. His (wholſome) accuſation of me as proud, 1. For ſaying that I publickly communicated: 2. For ſaying that many have written againſt me, that expect clean contraries from me. 3. For writing many Books.
Sect. 31. Of his accuſation in general about Juſtification.
Sect. 33. Of the ſtating of the Queſtion about ſeparating principles.
Sect. 34, &c. Many of his miſreports about my ſtating it.
Sect. 38. His firſt Reaſon for ſeparation examined, viz. becauſe every Pariſh Church is part of a Dioceſane Church. How far that is true or not.
Sect. 39. His ſecond Reaſon, that a Pariſh Miniſter is but a ſervant to the Dioceſan.
Sect. 40. His third Reaſon: Becauſe Pariſh Miniſters conſent to ſilencing and perſecution, by open conſent or pernicious ſilence? Whether there be little difference between perſecuting, and not ſharply reproving it?
Sect. 41. His fourth Reaſon; that Pariſh Miniſters enter ſinfully, and by a ſolemn Oath renounce their Chriſtian liberty. All ſinners, or ſinful enterers not to be ſeparated from.
Sect. 42. May not a true Church be called Defective and faulty.
Sect. 43. His further Reaſons. 1. That we know not how elſe to preſerve our Chriſtian liberty. Whether all Chriſtian liberty muſt be maintained? and how?
Sect. 44. 2. Whether to be preſent where things are uſed in Gods Worſhip which he commanded not, be a ſin?
Sect. 45. 3. Whether if we ſeparate not we ſell the truth about Chriſts Soveraignty?
Sect. 46. His reaſon from Acts 15. retorted.
Sect. 47. He taketh not Corruption and Error as ſuch without Impoſition to be a ſufficient ground of ſeparation. How he is himſelf an Impoſer.
Sect. 48. The charge of Hypocriſie for joyning in what we approve not?
Sect. 49. That Chriſt called and deſigned not his Church to be impure and mixt, conſidered.
Sect. 50. How far a Church is to be ſeparated from, for abetting ſin.
Sect. 51. His grand anſwer to the example of Church-pollutions in Scripture, that they were ſetled as to Officers and Ordinances rightly, and ſo had a power to keep themſelves clean, &c. conſidered. What Power Miniſters have now. Whether the Ages following the firſt, did fall into an Vniverſal Innovation, and degeneration in the Eſſentials of Order and Doctrine, and Antichriſtianiſm? and ſo Chriſt had no Church, and was no Chriſt? Whether Mr. E. B. be a Seeker, and ſeparate from all Churches, as well as from all Parochial?
Sect. 52. Whether the neceſſity of ſeparation becauſe of the ſaid Vniverſal degeneration in Eſſentials continue ſtill, becauſe we are reformed from Antichriſtianiſm but in ſome points?
Sect. 53. He granteth that neither Corruption barely, nor Impoſition barely is a ground for juſt ſeparation. But Impoſing Error with a ſtrong hand, &c.
Sect. 54. His vain anſwer, intimating that he is wiſer herein than the Old Non-conformiſts.
Sect. 55. Of Arminianiſme, whether ſo pernicious as to exclude from communion—
Sect. 56. Of Free will and its power to receive—
Sect. 57. His ignorant calumny againſt me about Scripture perfection.
Sect. 58. Twenty Queſtions to him about various Readings and Copies, &c.
Sect. 59. Of the Poſſibility of ſalvation for ſome called Papiſt?
Sect. 61. His former untruth that by [Fleſh] I affirmed was only meant the ſenſitive Appetite, defended by him by reciting my words which expreſly confute his calumny.
Sect. 62. The Reaſon rendred by Mr. E. B. why he caſt away my Book of Reſt, and refuſed to read it, and yet is the Judge of it; And my account of my diſſent long ago from his Latin ſlender Diſcourſe againſt Monarchy.
Sect. 63. His report of Mr. Herles, and Mr. Cawdrys words againſt my Saints Reſt.
Sect. 67, &c. Many more of his Vntruths.
Sect. 74. More of his ignorant Calumny about Scripture perfection.
Sect. 75, 76, &c. More of the Nature of his Defences and Accuſations.
Sect. 80. Five Vntruths delivered by the Letter publiſhed by him, as written by a woman of Worceſter; with my ſenſe of her caſe.
Sect. 81, &c. Seven Vntruths publiſhed by him in his Brother Brownes Letter; and the Confutation of their Calumnies.
Sect. 94. Mr. E. B. his new ſort of Diſhoneſty charged on me, becauſe (he ſaith) I have acceſs to the Licenſers and Preſs.
Sect. 95. Whether it be culpable Vanity to write on the Sabbath after Dr. Owen (as he thought.)
Sect. 97. His calumny of my Atheiſtical arguing againſt the Divine and ſelf-evidencing authority of the Scriptures—and as one of the worſt ſort of Hereticks, that under the notion of being a Chriſtian and a Proteſtant do with my utmoſt induſtry and cunning labour to overthrow the Foundation, and therefore am to be Rejected of all—The caſe opened, and the weak warned to take heed of them that would ignorantly draw them to be Infidels, by ſubverting Chriſtianity, while they think themſelves the chief or true defenders of it.