Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

P A It T II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 154 S I R, J. HE Influence and Power you have in the prefent Pallor of your Church ( who ü much famed abroad, and had in a reverend Efleem as well for Piety of Life, as for bis Learning, Moderation, and defiring the Peace of the Church) gives Encourage. ment to your old Acquaintance, and Affóciate in that One glorious Court cf England to defire the Favour that this inclofed Paper may be ?relented to his Chriflian Viewand Con- fsderation ; prefuming fo great ei his Charity, that he will not leave any wounded Soul unhealed, wherein he is able to bellow his Balm. In this be extends not his Charity alone as to a Jingle Perron, but (inme) there are many more of your Friends included; who would have appeared inPerron, or met in Conference, were it not our Mangan, are at too great a diflance, and theMalignity and .caloafy of Times challenges Retirements, rather than Affemblies. Ir is not civilin us to chalk the Method of Anfwering the Queriei ; yet for Eafement Sake and Brevity, it will be fatisfablary his free Conceffton of any Propofalr in the Afarmative to be true without any Enlargement ofReafons g and for thofe Queries which mayandmuiï admit Divlone, Diflinelione, and Difcourfe on the Cafe, let the reverend Gentleman ale bis own Form, Judgment and Difcretion g as believing be willproceed with fisch Candor and Impartiality, as becometh a Man of his Calling and Eminency; waving all By- Inter- ells and Relations to any Party or Fallion, either regnant or ecliprí g which f4E will de- fervedly heighten the high EJleem he is valued at, andyour Pelf by this Honour done, en- gage me and manymore ofyour old Friends (inme) to fabfcribe our /eelves Aprilzo. í655. Your Servants, Tbeopbslas Church. (A feigned Name) Certain Queries and Scruples of Confèience offered to fome Learned Divines for Refolution and Satisfa&ion. z. wH E T HE R may a Cbrifiian Magiflrate tolerate Liberty ofConfciente inRe- ligion andChurch Difciplinewithout Scandal? 2. Whether may and ought a tender Conference exercife and are his Liberty and Freedom without Violence inforced by Superiors? 3. Whether in Matters of Government Ecclefsaflicaldepending only of Fria, the gene- ral and perpetual Prabiice of the Church from Age to Age, be not a fuffscient Evidence and Warrant of the Right, Truth, and certainty of the thing ? 4. Whether the Vocation of Bifhops be an Order Lawful in it felf? 5. Whether the Regiment Eccleftafaical by Billsops bath not continued throughout the Cbri- /ian Church ever fines the Apoflles , until! Calvin's days ? No Church Orthodox dif- Jeenting. 6. Whether was there ever fsnce the Apo/le's days fo much as one national Church go- verned by a Presbytery without a Bifho until! Calvin, Days? Iffo, where was the Ori- ginal ? in what Place ? by. what Perrin? of what continuance ? and howwas it loft, or changed into Epifcopacy, and uponwhat Grounds or Motives? 7. Whether the prefent Miniflry in the Church of England (as it now feparated from their lawful Superiors or Bithops ) be not Scbifmatical? 8. Whether all there Miniflors that have taken the Oath of Canonical Obedience to their BJhops, and-have backfliden and fubmittedto thole Powers that violently deprived the laid Bofloops of their legal Powers and furifdielions, by yielding a voluntary Obedience to their 'Ordinances, are not under a high Cenfure ofPerjury and Scbifm? 9. Whether thole Minifaers now pretended to be made and ordained in the Church of England only by their FellowMiniflers without a Bifhop, be true Miniflers or nog or elfe weer Lay Perfans, and bold Ufarpers of the Sacred Fantlionand Order, like Corahand his Complices ? r o. Whether all thole Miniflors which are now in aítual pó /ffaon of the late Incum- bents Parfanages andCures ofSouls ( and deprivedfor their only adhering and affsfting their late lawful Prince and their Governour, and alto their Bithops ) to whom they owed all

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=