793 / 846
Numb.
VI.
./11)P
ENV
IX.
III
Were
it
not
for
entring upon
an unpleafing and unprofitable Task,
1
would
ask,
you,
Jr.
Who that
3101Et0
of
Presbyters
was
that
dethroned the
King?
was
it they
that petitioned
and
protefledagainR
it
?
a.
Whether it
was
not an
Epifcopal
Parliament (,forty
to
one,
Snot
an hundred) that
began
the War
"againR
the
King
?
g.
Whether the General and Commanders
of
the Army, twenty to one,
were
not
Conformifts? q.
Whether
the Major Generals in the Countries wera
'
not
almoR
all
Epifcopal Conformifts
?
(
The Earl
of
Stamford was
over
your Country
).
q.
Whether
the Admiral and
Sea-
Captains were
not
.
al-
'
molt
all Epifcopal
Conformifts
?
(As
Heylin
diffinguifheth
them of
Archbifhop
Abbot;
mind,
(iifliking
Arminianifm, Monopolies,
&v.)
6.
Whether the Arch-
'
bilhop
of
York
were
not the
Parliaments Major General?
7.
Whether the
Epic
'
copal
Gentry did not
more
of
them take the Engagement
(
and many Epifcopal
Miniflers) than the
Presbyterians?
8.
Whether if
this
Parliament, which made
'
the
Aáts
of Uniformity
and Conventicles, fhould
quarrelwith the King,
it
would
prove them
to
be
Presbyterians and Nonconformilts
?
g.
Whether the Presbyte-
rian
Minitleri of
Landon
and
Lastrafhite
did
not
Write
more againR the Regicides
and Ufurpers, and declare again[t them,
than
all
the Conformifts, or
as
much?
e
And the Long Parliament
was
forced, and molt
of
them caft out before
the King
could
be
dettroyed
:
And when they
were reftored, it made way
for his
Reftora-
`
Lion.
And
Sir
Thomas
Allen,
Lord Mayor, and the
City of Lando,
inviting
Ge-
`
sacral
Monk
from
the Rump
into
the City, and joyning with him ,
was the very
Day that turned the
Scales
for
the
King. But
all
theft
are Matters
fitter for
your
better
Confederation
than our Debate.
i rei
Jaly
26.
t678.
Tour
Servant
To
Mr. Long ofExeter.
Rich.
Baxter
Numb.
VI.
A
Ref
lution
o
f
this Cafe
;
What's
tó
be
done
when the
Lan,
of
the
Land
commands
Perfons to
go to
their
Pari/h
Church,
and Parents
require to
go
to
private
Meetings.
Quei.
T
H
E
Law
of
the
Land
eammandetb me
to
go
to
the
niblick
Churches
; the
Canon commandetb
me
to go
to
my
own Parifh-Cburcb
,
and
not to
another
?drip;
:
Both
forbid
me to
go
to
Conventicle;
and Pleated
Preacher;. My
Father
andMather
forbid
me to
go to the Publrck Churches,
and
command
me to
go
confantly
to
a
fileneèd
Mi-
n
fer
in Meeting;forbidden
bÿ
the
Law
t
But
ffecially
not to
go
to my
Parifh Priefi, (laying
be is
an
infuicient and
drunken
Railer)
but
rö
a
Neighbour
Purifia,
if
I
will
not
obey
their
fir[
Command
!
Am
1
now
bound to
obey
my
Parent;,
or the
Law,
and
Canon?
Anfw.
it
is
an hard Task to a Minifler of
Chrif,
either
fo
to
praetice or
Co
to
fpeak,
as
!hall
Teem
to
accufe
his.
Rulers
and the
Laws ; but when
the
fàving
of
our
own or other
Mens
Souls
requireth it, there
is
no remedy.
Our
own
silence,
if
we
ceafed
Preaching,
and our
praílice
contrary to the
,Law
its
Preaching or Praying,
which
is
forbidden,
do
againR
our
wills
unavoidably intimate
that we
fuppofe
great
fins
to be commanded
us
:
And whether
we preach or
be filent,
while we
Sabferibe
nat,
Declare
not, Covenantnot,
and
Swear not,
and
Pralhice nor, all
that
is
required
of
n;, this cannot be
hid
:
Though
our cauteloufnefs and
fear
of
accusing
our
Gorier
-
raours
or
the Conforming Minifters, have given
Come
Men
occasion
to, affirm,
That
we take
not Conformity
for
a
fin
:
or that
no
confiderable
perf
ns
among
Mr
dare fayfo
(we
filare the Authors, whofe publifhed
Names are
dithonoured by
themfelvesr
when
prefixed
to
fuch
wards,
as
he
that
will
but
read
oar Petition
for
Peace,
and
our Reply
(unanfwered)
delivered
to the commillionedBlimps
166o. will fay .did
ill
befeem
a
Debtor,
a
Preacher,
a
Chriftian, or
a
Man). Weprofefs
from
the fir* to
this
day, that it
is
a
great fin
in
us
to
forbear
our
Miniftry,
or to
exercife
it in a
forbidden
manner;
efpecially
when fuch doleful
Divisions
and Calamities
follow it,
it
it
be
not
fm,
that
is
required
of
us
:
and
if
it be
not,
many
and
heinous
fina,
our peace in faffer-
ing
will
have fame
lets
reafoq
to
that, than we have thought it had.
There-