813 / 846
Numb.IX.
APPENDIX
Of
Charity,Zenodocbia; Hofpitals
for the
Aged, Weak,Latne,Blindand Sick.Ir
is
con
-
'
fillent
with the
Mil
Epifcopal
Interefl, and
indeed
is
its
molt neceffary titpport,
for
want of which
a Succeffìon
of godly Adverfaries
will be againfi
it
to
the end:
Let
us
have
Chrill's
true
Do&rine, Worlhip and ChurchCommunion;
and let
`
General
Bithops
over
us
keep
their
Baronies, L.ordfhips,
Wealth, and Honour. And
we
will be refponfible
to them or any
Rulersfor
our
Mal-
Adminillration.
But
let
them
have
no Power
as Bithops,
but
of
the
Church
-Keys
, Et
valeat
quantumeralere
potefl
:
Let them teach and reprove
us, and
if
they do
injurioufly pronounce
us,
Excommunicate, 'we
will
bear
it:
But keep
the
Sword only in the hand
of Ma-
'
giftrares,
and
be
not the
Lihtors
of
Anathematizers and Homers by your Writs
'
de Excommunicate capiendo.
TheTruth
is,
Civil
and
Church Government
will
be'
well
done,
if
we knew
höw to
get
frill
good Men
to
ufe
it. And the
chiefPoint
'
of
Political Wifdom
is
to
fecure
a
Succeflon
of
fuch
Men. Give
us
butfuch Dio-
'
cefans
as
Grinds
,
3ewel,
Ufher,
&c. and
let them
be
but Pallors
,
and
not armed
'
with the Sword, and who will expert that they
Ihould
hurt
us?
If
Kings,
that
'
choofe Bithops, and
Patrons, that
choofe
Incumbents,
fhould
be
always certainly.
°wife
and holy
Men, and
lovers
of
all
fach, they
would choofe
us
fuch:
But
if
`
they
be
not
(
and
Chrift
tells
you how hardly
the Rich are
Paved)
they
will molt-
'
ly
choofe fuch
as
are
of their
mind, or
as
Favourites obtrude
s
and bad Bithops
and Priefts are the mortal
Difeafe
of
the,Church: And
if
I
tell
King and Patrons
that the Clergy and Communicants
fhould have a
Confenting or Diffenring Vote,
'
and
fo
the Door
fhould have
three
Locks,
(
the Content
of
the Ordainers, Corn-
'
municants, and Magiltrates) I cannot hope
that
they
fhould regard me.
But
I
'
will repeat what
Mr.
Tborndike
faith, (a Man
as
far
as
molt
from the
Nonconfor-
mills)
Treatife
of
Forbearance,
[
It
is to no purpofe to
talkof
Reformation
in the
Church
unto Regular Government, without reftoring the Liberty
of
chooftng
Bi/hops,
and
the
Pri
'
viledge
of
enjoying
them inthe
Synods, Clergy
and
People
of
each
Diecß:
fo evident
he
the
right of
Synods, Clergy
and
People
in
the making
of
tbef of
whom they confft,
and
by
whom
they
are
to
be
Governed,
that
I
needmake
no
other
realm
of
the negleíl
of
Epàfsipat)
'than
the
neglehl
of
it.]
As for them that mull
needs have all
our Cure difpatcht
in
fewer words
than
r this
half
Sheet
of
Paper containeth, they are
unfit
Men todo
fo
great
a
Work,and
'
will
do
it
accordingly,
if
at
all
:
Statute Books and Councils are
much greater.
'
Sir,
thoughExperience
deprefs my Hopes,
the Cafe exciteth my
Defires,
which
I
'
here
offer
you
;
not for my
felf,
who
am
not capableof any Kindnefsfrom
King,
'
Parliament, or
Prelates
that
I
know of,
unlefs
it
be
to
do me
no harm, (and much
'
I
am fare they cannot do me) but
for Publick Good,
which
is
the
great Delire
'
of
NOV.
9. 1680.
roar Servant,
Richard
Baxter;
The
Reafons
of
theftfeveral
Articles.
I.
V
wE
cannot treat
of
the Government and Concord
of
Chrillians, till we
a:
V
gree what a
Chrillian
is,
and who they are who
are the
Subjefks.
So
for
the
lIa.
III. r.
If
Minifters be commanded to Baptize thofe Children who are brought
by
no Parent, or Pro
-
parent, who
taketh
the
Child
as
his
own, and undertaketh
his
E-
ducation,
it
will cart
out
Multitudes
of
faithful
Minillers, who know no right that
the Children
of
Atheilts andInfidels,
as
fuch,
have
no
Baptifm.
2.
This Article
for
owning
the Baptifmal Covenant
is
but
what the Liturgy
pleads
for:
But
when it
is
faid
[We (hall
admit
none to
the Sacrament but
ihofe
that
are
Confirmed, or deftre
it]
it
fuppoleth
that
they
mutt
give
us
notice
of
it.
1V.
This
is
only for a liberty to help memory in great
Parithes
, whereit
is
im-
poilible
to remember
all
the
Conlmunieanrs
i
and
avoid cvnfufìop
by
the
unknown.
V.
With.