429 / 846
P
A
iL
T
II.
Reverend
Mr. Richard.
Baxter.
the Old Conformity
:
And what they aim at
further,
when they have thus driven
out
all
the
able, faithful
Minifters, God knoweth.
But
if
we let in
with them, and
ufe
the very
means
which they
have fabricated
for
this very end,
todeftroy the
In
tereft
of
Godlinefs, though the Aól commanded were indifferent
,
we are made
guilty
of
their
Sin.
But
the moderate Nonconformi(ts fay,
That
(itch
Reafons
as
theft are
good Se;
conds where
the Matter
is
fins proved
evil
:
but
t.
That
Mens
Ds¡Kn
: are
latentin
their
hearts,
and the itrongeft Conje6tures will
not fetve inftead
of
Proof z.
Íf
that it were
known to,
any
one
of
us,
not
by
the Evidence
of
the thing,but
by fome
other Difcovery,
that
a
lawful thing
is
Commanded
wiofi
a
pernicious defign,
that
will not excufe
us
from
our Obedience,
unle(s
it
be
pt
obable
that the Church,
is
like
to
be faxed from
ruine, by our forbearance
to,
obey
:
And we
may
do the
thing commanded without any participation
of the
Guilt
of
Mens private malici-
ous
Intentions.
1
307.
4. AIR,
they (ay,
That
we have
Covenanted
to endeavour
aReformation,
and
had
begun it, and therefore
(hall be
Covenant
-
breakers
and,1açkfliders,
if
we
yield to any thing which
was
to
be
reformed.
But here
the
more moderate have many Diftinetions
,
between things unlawful
and
things only inconvenient, and
between thole
that
have
opportunity
to do bet-
ter,
and thole
that
have
not,
and between feldom Communion, and molt ordina-
ry. And they
fay
that things
unlawful mull
not
be
done, whether
we have cove-
named againit them, or not
:
But for things only
inexpedient or
evil by a
fuperable
Accident, they become our Duties, and no Covenant difobligeth
us
from our Du-
ty
:
and that the
Covenant
never
was
intended
to
oblige
us
to prefer
no
Wolhip
be-
fore that which
is defe5iive,
but only to prefer that which
is
better
before
is
And
that
is
may be a duty to
Communicate fometime with
a
very
faulty
Church, in
or-
der to our Catholick Communion with
the
whole, fo
be it
our ordinary particular
Communion be in the pure(t Church and
Order
(ceeteri:
paribus)
that
we
can
have.
4
;o8.
s.
And another Reafon given
is,
That
the
Aggravation
of
the
Sin
of
thefe Impolèrs
is
very great,
that
they
have
been Perlecutors
heretofore,
and feep
and
felt
God's Judgments for
ic,
and
have been convinced
and intreared to
return
to
Charity,
and yet they have, with renewed Malice
,
it
themfelves to the de-
bauching of the Conlciences
of
the Kingdom, and to the extirpation..
of
Natural
Flonelty, and
have
banded
all
their Party with the Mark
of
Pètwjxry,
Ferfidiaufaeß,
and
Perfeear:on,
while they brand
the Confciencious with the Name
of
Puritan:;
And
therefore they are
a
Generation ready
for
perdition,
and
certainly near fpme
heavy Curie
:
And for
us
to
jnyn
with them that are
in
the
way;
to
Wrath,
is
the
way
to
be
partakers
of
their
Plagues.
But the
moderate
fay
to
this,
I.
That
the
Extenuation
as well
as
the
aggravation
of
their
Sin mull
be
congdered
:
And that it muff be remembred,
that
among the
Nonconformiffs there
is
a
Party
of
Seetaries.
that
Rebelled againft
all
the Gover-
nours that
were over them, and cut
off
the King's Head,when they
had
conquered
thofe that are now againff them, in the Field, and fèqueffred their
Effaces :
And
that
fuch
great Provocation may
not
only fublimate Malice where
is
findeth
it, but
greatly
exafperate even temperate Men. z.
That
it's
true
that
we muff partake
with
no
Men in their
Sins,as
ever we would efcape
their
Plagues
:
but when that which
is
the Impofers
Sin,
is
become
the
Subjects
Duty,
God will not plague
no
with
them
for doing
our
Duties.
3.
That
it
is
dangerous
toprefume
to foretci
on
whom
Gat
will bring
his
Judgments in this
Life,
and to prefume that weare
fáfe,
and they are
near perdition;
while
all
things come alike
to
all,
and the differencing Day
of
Judgment
is
not yet come. Therefore it
is
dangerous on fuch Prophefies, or.
Pre
-
fumptions, or Fears
ro
go
out of
the way
of
any Duty
,
or to
avoid any
lawful
Communion with the Church.
4
3o9.
6.
Again it
is
faid,
That
thefe
Impofztionr
being the Engines
of
Divifion
in
the Church
(
as
Mr. Hale:
himfelf affirmeth), we
lhall be
partakers
of
the Schifms
if
we
ufe
them.
But the moderate
fay,
That
indeed
if
we partake
in
the
Impofrion,
we
partake
in the Guilt
of
the Divi
ion
caufed by it
:
But
when they are
Impcfed,
we
may
do that which in it fell
is
lawful
,
without any confent
to the
Impobtion
atall:
Yea, and
that which
as
impolèd tended: to Divifion,
may, upon
lappofition
that
it
will be,
and
is
impofed,
be prabkifed
fometimes
as
the way to
Unity,
and
to
p-
4
void
Divifion.
Eee
z
5