The grand debate between the most reverend bishops and the Presbyterian divines appointed by His Sacred Majesty as commissioners for the review and alteration of the Book of common prayer, &c. : being an exact account of their whole proceedings : the most perfect copy.

About this Item

Title
The grand debate between the most reverend bishops and the Presbyterian divines appointed by His Sacred Majesty as commissioners for the review and alteration of the Book of common prayer, &c. : being an exact account of their whole proceedings : the most perfect copy.
Author
Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.
Publication
London printed :: [s.n.],
1661.
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Subject terms
Commission for the Review and Alteration of the Book of Common Prayer.
Church of England. -- Book of common prayer.
Church of England -- Liturgy.
Link to this Item
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A69535.0001.001
Cite this Item
"The grand debate between the most reverend bishops and the Presbyterian divines appointed by His Sacred Majesty as commissioners for the review and alteration of the Book of common prayer, &c. : being an exact account of their whole proceedings : the most perfect copy." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A69535.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 3, 2024.

Pages

Page 146

Reply. We spoke of persons, living and dying in notorious sins; suppose they were whoredom, perjury, oppression, yea Infidelity, or Atheism, &c. But suppose we cannot be infallibly certain, that the man is damned, be∣cause it is possible that he may repent, though he never did express it: will you therefore take him for a brother whose soul is taken to God in mercy? You are not sure that an excommunicate person, or an Heathen, doth not truly repent after he is speechless: But will you therefore say, that all such die thus happily? This is a most delusory Principle. The Church judgeth not of things undiscovered: Non esse & non apparere, are all one as to our Judgment; we conclude not peremptorily, because we pretend not here to infallibility. As we are not sure that any man is truly penitent, that we give the Sacrament to; so we are not sure that any man dieth impenitently. But yet we must use those as penitent, that seem so to reason, judging by ordinary means, and so must we judge those as impe∣nitent, that have declared their sin, and never declared their repentance. It seems by you, that you will form your Liturgy, so as to say, that eve∣ry man is saved, that you are not sure is damned, though he shew you no repentance; and so the Church shall say, that all things are, that are but possible, if they conceit that Charity requireth it. But if the living by this be kept from Conversion, and flattered into Hell, will they there call it Charity, that brought them thither? O lamentable Charity, that smoo∣thers mens way to Hell, and keepeth them ignorant of their danger, till they are past remedy! millions are now suffering for such a sort of Cha∣rity. Lay this to the formentioned propositions, and the world will see that indeed we differ in greater things then Ceremonies, and Forms of Prayer.

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