FOOTNOTES:
1. A tender conscience, jealous of grieving or offending the Holy Spirit, is of an inestimable value. If in our conscientious conclusions we offend others, we must leave to them an equal right to their own conclusions without harsh judgment.—Ed.
2. 'Squibbling,' feeble, ill-natured ridicule; now obsolete.—Ed.
3. 'Without the lids of the Bible,' not within it; a popular Puritan saying.—Ed.
4. 'Frump,' to mock, flout, scoff. 'You must learn to mock; to frump your own father on occason.' Ironically used in Ruggle's Ignoramus.—Ed.
5. Mr. D'Anvers, in a postscript to his History of Baptism, the first edition, 1673, thus violently attacks his brother Bunyan:—'Having read his book, I took myself concerned to give some short return to it, leaving his "manifold absurdities," "contradictions," "unbrotherly tauntings and reflections," "contemptions," "traducings the wisdom of Christ, and his holy appointments," to be called to account by that band that hath so well begun to reckon with him.' He was in prison, and his brother thus visits him with gall and wormwood instead of consoling cordials. He goes on to confound water baptism with that of the Spirit, and charges Bunyan with 'ignorance and folly—dangerous and destructive to religion itself,' 'contradicting the authority of Christ,' calls him 'egregiously ignorant,' 'self-condemning.' All this uncharitable vituperation was because Mr. Bunyan would hold communion with all those who had been baptized into, and put on, Christ. The passage quoted is correct, except that 'married estate' should be 'marriage state.' So satisfied was D'Anvers with the just and Christian correction given him for so egregious a blunder, that if he did not repent with tears, he took special care to leave out all this absurd reference to the marriage ceremony performed in water from his second edition.—Ed.
6. Strife and contention—evil speaking of surmisings among professors, are tokens of a carnal mind, injurious to spiritual peace, and abominable to God. The envious, discontented, and malicious, are the devil's working tools. If such die unsubdued by divine grace, they plunge themselves into the bottomless pit. True wisdom avid strife and contention, is moderate in doubtful opinions, patient and cautious in judging others.—Ed.
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