193 / 846
PART
II.
Reverend
Mr.
Richard
Baxter.
the
main
Controverts),
X.
Before
they
have proved
their
Legiflative
Authority;
2.
And
that
this
Congregation
is
,are
Divine
part
of
their Charge, and under their
Jurifdietion;
;.
And that they had power to conrradiet the Examples
of
Chrift
and
his
Apotles herein,
and the
constant
pra6tice
of
the Primitive
Church,
and the
Canons
of
Councils, even General
Councils;
4.
And that their Canons
are.
yet in
force
againt
all
there;
I
fay before all this be
well done,
we (hall find
that them
mutt
go
more than
a flight Suppofition to
the
making good
of
their
Caufe.
Ac-
cording to their own Principles,
a
lower Power cannot
reverfe
the
As
of
a high-
er. But the
General Councils
at
Nice
and
Conftantinople
that forbad Kneeling on
any Lord's Day,
was a
higher Power
than the
Englifh
Convocation
:
Ergo,
The
Engle, Convocation
cannot Repeal
its
Mts.
(
Though
for
my
own part
I
think
that
neither of their
Aets do need
any Repeal to Null them to
us,
in fuch
Cafes
).
S. Betides
this
If
thefe Canons bind Confciehce ;
yet,
it
is
either
by
the Autho-
rity that Enacted them,
or
by
the Authority
of
the
prefent
Church-Governours
that
impofe them.
If
old
Canons bind,
without or
againft the
prefent Power,then
the
fame
Canon that
forbiddeth
Kneeling bindeth, and many an hundred more,
a
great
part of
which are
now
made
no Confcience-of
:
If
it
be
the prefent Autho-
rity that
is
above
the Ancient, then
a.
They that pretend to
fuch
Authority
over
this Congregation lhould produce and exercife
it
:
For
if
we know them
not,
nor
receive any Commands from
them,
we are capable
of no
Difobedience
to
them.
2. And in the
meantime, We that
are in the place mutt take it
as
our Charge
;
or
do
the
Work, or for ought
I.
know,
it
will in molt
Places be
undone: For
the
Authority
is
for the Work.
3.
We ufe
to
take
it
for
the great partiality
(at
lea' )
of
the
Church
of
Rome,
that
will be
judged by none but
the prefent Church, that
is,
themfelves,
when we would be tried
by
the Scripture or the Ancient Church.
In
a
word,
I
do not think that when Circurntances tending
to
Order
and
Deceit
cy
are fo mutable,
that God
ever gave
power
to
any
Bithops
to tie
all
Congrega-
tions and Ages to this
or
that
Sacrament Gefture
;
nor
at
all
to
make them
fo
necef
-
try,
as
that
Bodily Punishment
or Excommunications
Ihould be inflieted
on the
Neglettersof them. And I think that Calling
Which
hath
no better
Work than
this
to
do,
is
not
worth
the
regarding.
And here I
Mould
propound to the
Contrary
-
minded one
Quellion
,
Whether
if
a Bithop l
would
command them
to
Rand or
fit,
they would do
it?
Yea;
or
if
a
Convocationcommanded it
?
If
they
fay
Yea
;
then
mull they lay
by all
their
Arguments
from pretended irreverence
to prove Sitting
evil
:
for
I
hope
they
would not
be irreverent,
nor do
evil
at the command
of
a
Bithop
or Convocation:
And then
let
our Authority (
from Scripture
Example and the UniverfalChurch,
and
a
General Council, and the prefent Secular
Power,
and the late Affembly and
Parliaments, and the
prefent
Parlors
or
Presbyters
of
theCongregations)
I
fay, let
all this
befet
againt
the prefent Countermand
of
I know
not'
who, nor
for
what
Reafon,
as
being
not
vifible.
But
if
they fay,
They
would
not
obey the
Bishops
if
they forbad them Kneeling,
then
let them
jutifie
us
that
obey
them not
when
they command
us
to
Kneel, having
fo
much
as is
expreffed
to the contrary.
Thus
Sir,
I
have
fir'
given you my Reafons about
the Genure it
felf.
And
of
putting
it
into
each Perkins hands,
I
have thus much more
to
fay ; r. I
know
no-
thing
to oblige me to it.
z.
Chrit
himfelf did otherwife,
as
appeareth in Mattb.
26.
z6,
27.
[For
r4Ge1e,
to
.,1s, eiels
Jç
iro
,,,íeles
;
take
ye, eat ye,
drink
ye
ad of
it]
cloth thew
that it
was given
to them
all
in
general, and
not to
each man
Tingly.
RAnd
in
this alto
Antiquity'is on my
fide,
the contrary
being much later.
More
eafons
I
have
that I
(hall
notnow
trouble you with.
To
this
I
may well add,
That no
Man can
have
any Rational pretence
(
that I
know
of)
again('
the
Receiving
of the
Sacrament upon
fuch a
General Delivery:
t.
Becaufe
the contrary
was
never
yet
pleaded
neceffaryy
use
Diviso that
I
know
of.
2. And
if
it were
a
Sin,
it
would be the Ministers
Sink,
to
deliver
it,and not theirs,
who
as
they have not the Rule
of
his
A6tions,
fo
they
(hall
not
Anfwer for them.
Having
thus told you
my thoughts of the Matters in doubt,
I
¡hall
next
tell
you my
purpofe
as
to
your Motion.
t.
I
did never hitherto, to my remembrance,
'refute
to give
the Sacrament
to
any
one, meerly
becaufe
they would
not
take
it
Sitting
or
Standing
;
nor did
ever forbid
or repel any on
that account
; nor
ever mean to do.
If
any
of
my
Charge
(hall
take
it
Standing or
Kneeling,
I
(hail
not
forbid
them on any
fuch
account.
150