124 LIFE OF RICRARD BAXTER. niane, and other Dominicans ; though we must rank it but among truths of its own order, and not lay the church's peace or com- munion upon it."* The explanations of his orthodoxy .seem to have been satis- factory ; for he adds, !' I never heard of any censure against these papers, though the few lines which occasioned them had so much."t 6. "Christian Concord; or the Agreement of the Associated PastorsandChurches ofWorcestershire: with Richard Baxter's Ex- plication and Defense of it, and his Exhortation to Unity." 4tó. published in 1653. Of this work he says, " When we set on foot our association in Worcestershire; I was desired to print our agree- ment, with an explication of the several articles, which I did in, a small book, in which I gave the reasons why the Episcopal, Pres- byterians, and Independents, might andshould unite, onsuch terms, without any change of any of their principles. But I confess that the new Episcopal party, that follow Grotius too far, and deny the very being ofall the ministers and churches that have not diocesan bishops, are not capable of union with the rest upon such terms. And hereby I gave notice to the gentry and others of the royalists in,England, ofthe great danger they were, in of changing their ec- clesiastical cause, by following new leaders that were'for Grotian- ism. But this admonitiondid greatly offend'th& guilty, who now began to get the reins, though the old Episcopal Protestants con- fessed it all to be true."$ 7. " The Worcestershire Petition to Parliament, in Behalf of theable, faithful, and godly Ministry ofthis Nation," was drawn up by Baxter at a time when the Anabaptists, Seekers, and others, were clamorous against the clergy ; and it was feared that the Rump Parliament was about to abolish the maintenance of the gospel ministry. This petition was presented by Col. Bridges and Mr. Thomas Foley, in the name of "many thousands, gentlemen, free- holders, and others ofthe county ofWorcestershire," on the 22d of December, 1652, and "was accepted with thanks." Soon after- wards, in 1653, it was published, with the answer of the speaker in the name of parliament, thanking the petitioners for their zeal. " But sectaries greatly raged against that petition ; and one wrote a vehement invectiveagainst it," which Baxter hastened to answer in the work next to be ngtioed. 8. " The Worcestershire Petition to Parliament for the Ministry of England, defended by a Minister,of Christ in that County, in * This quotation is taken from Orme's Life of Baxter. Baxter's 'work on Perseverance is not beforeme. t Narrative, Part II. p. 110. t Ibid. p. 112.
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