PART I. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. It thefe unruly Men, and eameffly, pleadeth for Qrder and Government, and will heeds become the Patron of the Miniftry, yet fo as tofecure all others of their Li- berty. Some that raw his Defign, Paid, We will rather all perith, and fee both Tythes and Univerfitiesoverthrown, than wewill any way fubmit to fuch deceitful Ufur- pations: Others raid, It is the Providence of God, whoever be the Inffruments, which bathbrought us into this Necerfrty, whichwe wereunable to prevent ; and being in it we are not bound tochoofe our own det}ru5tion : Therefore Necerfrty re- quireth us to accept ofany One to ruleus that is like to deliver us. But the generality of theMinifierswent the middle way ; and our Confciences thus apprehended the ;late of our prefent Duty : [ We acknowledge that God Al- mighty hath over-ruled in all thefe great Mutations, and hath permitted the perfi- dioufnef of Men, andtheir Succefs. And the Common Goodbeing the end ofall juft Governinent, we maynot do any thing againft the Common Good, much left to the Deftrudsonof it, under pretence of refilling an Ufurper, or of Reftoring him who is ourrightful Governour. If the Urriverfities be overthrown, theFa- bricks demolifhed, theLands alienated, the Miniftry put down, the Tithes fold, or given to the People, to engage them all to be againft any means which tend to a Recovery, whatever we contribute to this, we do againft the King and King- dom, and do but cut his Throat in kindnefs : For we pull down the Houfe that he maybe Matterof it, anddeltroy the Commonwealth that he may be the Head of it : We irengthen his Enemies by our imprudent Pallions : But yet we muff nei- ther do nor approve ofEvil, for any Good End, nor forbear in our Places feafon- ably to reprehend it : Therefore it is unlawful for us to Content to any Governour but the King ; or take any Engagement or Oath of Allegiance to any : But it is not unlawful forus tofubmit to them, by living quietly in our Places, and to make ufe of the Courts of Juftice eftablilhed by Law, yea, and to demand protection from the Ufurper. For his ftepping into the Ruler's place, and Ufurping the Govern- ment, obligati him to do all the parts of a Governour's Office, while he is there; and warranteth us to demand it, and accept it of him ; but it doth not at all ob- lige us to obey himor confcnt to his Ufurpation : Even as we may demand Julticé ofa Generai ofRebels, or a Captainof Thieves; or of Pyrales that ;hall furprize the Ship which we are in : but we are not bound toconfent to his Government, or formally obey him ; but contrarily to difown his Villany, and to do all that we can againft his Tyranny, which rendeth not to the hurt of the Society : So here, it is our Duty to keep she ftate of things as entire as we can till God be pleafed to reftore the King, that he may find it a whole and not a ruin'd irrepairable State] ' And thus for my part was my Pra&ice : I did feafonably and moderately by Preaching and Printing condemn the Ufurpation, and the Deceit which was the very liket, means tobring it to pars. I did in open Conference,declare Cromwelland his Ad- Maximus herents tobe Guilty.of Treafon and Rebellion, aggravated with Perfidioufnef and in the days Hypocrifie ; tobe abhorred of all good and fober Men : But yet I did not think it of Grans° my Duty to rave againft him in the Pulpit, nor to do this fo unfeafonablyand im- d f hèo. prudently as might irritatehim to mifchief. And the rather becaufe, as hekept up his approbation of a godly Life in the general, and of all that was good, except that which the Intereft of his Sinful Caufe engaged him to be againft ; fo I perceived that it was his delign to do good in the main, and to pro- mote theGofpel and the Intereftof Godlinef, more than any had done before him ; except in chofe particulars which his own Intereft was againft : And it was the principal means that hence-forward he trufted to for his ownEftablifhment, even by dosnggood : That the People mightlove him, or at leali be willing to have his Government for that Good, who were againft it, as it was Ufurpation. And I made no queftion at all, but that when the Rightful Governour was reftored, the People that had adhered to him ( being fo extreamly irritated) would cart out multitudes of the Miniffers, and undo the Good which the Ufurper had donee be-' caufe he did it ; and would bring abundance of Calamity upon the Land. And rime Men thoughtit a very hard Queftion, Whether they should rather with the continuance of anUfurper that will do good; or the reification ofa Rightful Go- vernour whofe Followers will do hurt. But for my part I thought my Duty was clear, to difownthe Ufurper's Sin, what Good foever he would do ; and to per- form all my Engagements to a Rightful Governour,leavingthe Elite ofall to God : but yet to commend the Good which a Ufurper doth, and to do any lawful thing which
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