P A RT II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. a 57 t t.Kneeling at the Sacrament is a Novelty introducedmany hundred years after Chrift, andcontrary to fuçh Canons and Cuftoms of the Church, to which for Antiquity and Univerfality, you owe muchmore refpea, than to the Canons of the late Bithops inEngland. - ta- If your General Rule hold that you Band bound by all Canons, not repeal- ed by'equal Power, you havea greater burden on your back than you are aware of, which if you bore indeed, you would know how little this ufurped L-egif- lative Power befriends the Church : And amongothers,you -are bound not to kneel in the'Church'on any Lord's Day, in Sacramentor Prayer. Grafters de imperioSum. potei?, would teach much more Moderation in thefe Matters than I here per- ceive. AdQ r9^. t. It's too much Self -conceitednefs and Uncharitablenefs to pafs fo bold a Cenfureas your Suppofitiondoth contain, of the . viable ruling Church be- ingSchifmatical, and fo Heretical. Which is the ruling Church ? I know none inEngland betides Bithops that pretend to rule any but their ownProvinces; and but few that pretend Order toRegiment. Perhaps when the Schifm and Herefie come to be opened, it will not be found to lye where you imagin, nor fo eafily pro- ved as rattilyaffirmed, or intimated. 2. Donot be too fenfibleofPerfecution, when Liberty of Confcience is fo pro- claimed, though the Reftri8ionbefomewllatonyour fide. O the difference of your Perfecution,and theirs that fuffered by you. ! ;. The only confcionable and fafe way for the Church and your own Souls, is to love, long for, pray, and confult for Peace. Clofe in the unanimous pra&ice of fo much asall areagreed in : In amicable Meetings endeavour the healing of all breaches : Difown the ungodlyof all Parties : Layby the new violent Opinions inconfiftant with Unity. I expel not that this advice fhould pleafe the preju- diced : But that it's the only Cafe and comfortable way , is the Confident Opi- nion of lour Brother, Richard Baxter. All the Difturbance I had in my ownParilh was by Sir Ralph Clare's refuting to Communicate with us, unlefs I would give it him kneeling on a diftinûDay, and not with thofe that received it fitting. To which Demand I gave him this follow- ingAnfwer. SIR, T /PonConfultation with others and my own Confcience, I return this Anfwer 1.1 to your lab motion; befeeching you to believe that it had been more plea- tiing, if it would have flood with the pleating of God and my own Confci- ence. t. In:general it is my refolution to be far frdm being the Author of any Di- vifions inany partof the Church ofChrift, as that I !hall do all that lawfully I can to avoid them. 2, I am fo far from theJudgment and Praékices of the late Prelates.of England, inpoint of compelling all to obeyor imitate them in geftures and other indifferent things, on painof being deprived of God's greateftOrdinancçs ( which arenot in- differents), befide the ruineof their Eftates,en. that I would become all things {lawful) to all Men for their good, and as I know that the Kingdom of God ftandeth not in luth things, fo neither would I 'hut any out of his vifible King- dom for fuch things i as judging that ourOffice is to feeGod's Law obeyed as far as we can procure it, and not to be Law-givers to the Church our felves, and in Circumftantials to make no more Determinations fthan are neceffary ; left they prove but Engines to enfnare Mens Confciences, and to divide the Church. And as I would impofe no fuch things on other Churches if I had power, foneither willI do iton this Churchof which I -have force overtight. ;.More particularly,I am certain that fittingin the receivingof the Lord's Supper is lawful or elfeChrift and his Apoftles, and all his Churches for many hundred years after him did fin, which cannot be. And I take it to be intolerable arrogan- cy
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