197 / 846
P
AR
T
II.
Reverend
Mr. Richard
Baxter.
A
peened to
be
the likeliest
courfe
for
the
attainment of
our Defiles,
and
accordingly
was
re-
'elver'
on
:
And
becaufe
we knew
that
many
of
our Brethren in the
Miniftry
differed from
us, we
refobued
to
draw
up
féveral
Propof
to
wherein we
and
they
by
a mutual
Condefcen
tiers
might
agree
as Brethren in
Love
and
Peace to
carry
on
the fame Work,
and
therefore
required nothing
of
them but
what we
proved
by
the
Confèffono
of
the Congregational Bre-
thren
(
their
own
Party
)
to
be
of
lefs
Moment,
and
not
of
abf
lute
Necefitty.
Wherein
(
we urged
)
they
might and
ought to
yield
for
the ChurchesPeace
o
But
our
Endeavours
to
gain
thorn were
frnftrated,
they
were fo refolved
that
they
would not
fo
much or
read
our
Propofalo
and
Reafons. We
therefore
let
about the Work
our
felves, and made
(me
Progrefr in
it
;
by
-this time
we
began
to feel
what we
`expecited
at
the
frit
fitting
out,
viz.
the Rage
and
Malice
of
wicked Men vented in Railings
and
Slanders
on
the
one
hand,
and bitter
Cenfure,and Sufpicionsof
the
Brethren
on
the other. In the
midit of
all this we
receivedyour
Book
as
a
feafonable Refrefóment
o
Our Hands
were much
firengtbned
by
it;
it
was a
great
Encouragement
to us,
to fee
that
other godly
and
learned Men
had walked
much
what
in the fame
Steps,
and had
pleaded our Caufe
alined
by
the fame Arguments
wherewithwe
endeavoured
to
fìrengtben
it.
But z. we
are
hereby
quickned
up to
carry our
Design
higher.
Our
Prop
ftiono for
the Subfiance
of
them
are near
the
fame
with
yours
;
we
agree in
a great part
of
your Difcipline,
our Rules
of
Adm
en
are
competent
Know-
ledge, Unblameablenefl
of
Converfation,
and
affent to
the Covenant
of
Grace, the means
to
carry
it
on
are, the
People, Confem
and
Afficiation
of Miniflers; and
where we differ
from
You, 'Cis
not
becaufe
we
differ
in Opinion, but
becaufe
our People
(
whole
Condition
and
Temper we were forced
to
let
before
to
in framing
our Agreement
) lifer
from
yours.
Hence our
Examination
of
the
Peoples
Knowledge
is
more
general than
yours,
if
we un-
dirftand
you
right in
Prop.
19.
Reg.9.
hence
inflead
of
your
Parifh Apiftantswe areforced
to
make
tile
of
one
anotbero help
in
private Examinations, and
Determination
of
Fitnß
as
well
as in
more
publick Debates
and
Confultations
o
Tet
in two things we
come
:Port
of
your
Agreement :
t.
In
that
we
have
not
as yet
propounded to our People
your height
of
Difci-
pline;
though we never thought ferset
and private
Admonitions
and
Sufßenfion
from the
Sacrament
loch
a
Measure of Difcipline wherein
we might comfortaby
fotiso* our
febues
without
farther
Progrefr
; yet
(.our
Hands
being much
weakened
by
our
Brethren, refufalto
join with
us, our
People
ftubborn,
and
SuJjenfion
from
the
Supper being
apiece
of
Difcipline
that
bath
not
been
here
prailif
d
till
of
late, and
therefore
a
matter
of
greater
Shame.
till
Cullom
(hall
make id
more
common) we
refolved
to propound
and Prallife this ßrFl as an
Effäy to
try
what
Succeß
and
Entertainment
a farther
Difcipline
might find.
For
though
the Fear
of
Peoples
flying
of
and feparating
is
not
by
of
looked upon
as a
sufficient
charge
for
the
negleú and laying
afide
all endeavours
to
reform:
Tet
we
look upon
it
at
a
fufsoient Ground of proceeding
warily.
Though we always
required
Peoples Consent
to
the Terms
of
the Covenant
of
Grace
and
Difcipline,
yet have
we not
been
fo
full
in this as
you.
That
which kept as off
was a fear
of
offending
fame
of
our
Brethren, who
being more
likely to
hear
of
our
Pralice
than
of
the Grounds
and
Reafons
of
it,
might
safely
miflake
our meaning.
But now
the way
of
Difcipline being made more fmootb
both
by
what
we
have
put in
Pralltee alreadyand
by
what
you
have
declared,
we
are
encouraged
in
both
tbefe
Respells to
make
a
farther
Addition to
our
former
Propofals.
Some
things
there are wherein
afarther
Explication
of
your
meaning would
have
been
ve-
rygrateful
to us.
s.
Whether the
blanes of flub
as arefufpended
from theLord's
Supper
and
of
such
as de-
lay or refuse'Cenfent
to
your Difcipline
only
from Dif/atisfaition
about the
matter
of
its
Management, are to
be
excluded
from
Baptifm
?
2. Why you refolve to
exercise
your
Difcipline
upon thofe only
which
teftifle
their
Con-
fine, feeing you acknowledge your
present
Pari(hes
(
before
the
exercise
of
this Difcipline
)
true particular Organized
Churches
ofChriFl;
if
fame
of
thole
whom you
accounted
Mem-
bore
fhouldfy
o
why may they not
be
Sharers in your
Difcipline,
and
upon
their Refusal
cast out,
rather than silently
left out?
3. Why
(if
you
limityour
publick
Cenfareo
and
Admonition
to thole
ono
that
give
ex..
profs
Confem
Prop.
sß.)
you resolve to
censure
the scandalous Sinner
upon
flab
an
Offer
of
Content
as carrieth in
the
Front
of
it
a
lain Refusal
of
your Difcipline
?
Prop.
19.
Reg.
1o.
and bow this will
fond
with
the
fourth andfifth
Realen,
of that
Proposition
in
pag.
.12.
of
the
Explanation?
We
know
that
you
have
of
parpofe
left
many things undetermined,
and that
which
you
have
propounded is
fitted
to the Temper
of
Parifbes in
general, rather than
to
fame
of
yours
in particular,
and
therefore
we
do
not mention
these
as an
Accusation
against your Props-
falo
;
but
for
our
own Advantage
and
Satisfabtion in
cafe
we fhould receive any Letters
from
you.
Y
2
Brethren,
3