PA It T II. Reverend Mr. RichardBaxter. i61 the fame Relation to them, and Obligation to help them, as others. If 1 were your Steward, and you truft me to difribute Money or Bread to all that are un- der my Stewardlhip, if there were but few I muff give it them all ; and if many theycan havebut all. If I had ten Children, andhad but ten Pounds to givethem, I might juttly give them but each one a Pound: But if I had but two I Mould chink thewhole little enough for them two. I am firlt bound to watch over my Flock, and if they be never fo many they can have no more of me than I have : But if they were fewer, each one might have more of my help, and might chal- lengeitás theirdue before another that is not of my Charge. The furnrn of all then in two Words is this; r. I dare condefcend to give the Sacrament kneeling, and into the hands of chore that live orderly under Chriftian Difcipline ; that is ordinarily to thole of my own Charge; and occationally to chore of another Mans. z. But I dare not (I profefs ferioufly 1 darenot) ordini, rily at loll ) give the Sacrament to chofe unruly fcandalous Perlons, that will live under no jail Difcipline, and I darenot defraud my Chargeof my Labours, while I attend ordinarily upon thofe that are not of my Charge. Ifany fhould fay that their coming to Church and receiving the Sacrament is a fufficient Signification that they take us for their Pallors, and therefore they will do no more : I anfwer, r.Many Strangersreceive the Sacrament that arenot ofmy Charge, and many that areMembers ofanother Church, or no particular Church do ordinarily come to our Affemblies. This therefore is no certainSign. z. Anti though it were a probableSign heretofore, yet when we have called our Parilhds to a plain difcovery of their Minds, and they refufe to fignify their Coni nt, fo much as by a Word of their Mouths in Publick, then the former ceafeth to be any probable Sign of Content. We had jutt Reafon to call our People to exprefe their Confent ( which Reafons weprinted in our Agreement to which I refer you) and we explained all to them, and told them over and over, that we muff take thole only i'or our fpecialCharge that would exprefs their Content, and we waited now two Years to fee whether they would do it : And if after all this they forbearor refufe, letthe World judge whether this be not an open, plain difclaimingof our Overfight and their Memberfhip. What would you have as do ! can we know Mens Hearts that will not open them to us ? Nay, (hall the fame Man fo long refute to tell us his Mind, and when he hash done, blame us becaufe we under- Rand it not? If indeed they contented, a Word fpeaking, or the writing of their Names is nogreat Cott or Labour to difcover ir. If they think it too much, we might better think our yearly Labour too much for them, Relation is the ground of, the Dutieswhich they bind to. I cannot enter thefe Relations but by con- lent; nor, know them without the Ex rellion of that Confent. NoMan can be a Member of my Charge in defpightofme ; nor can I make any Man fuch againft his Will. I can never marry a Woman that will fay, you Chaff do the Office ofa Husband to me, but I will not tell you whether I take you for my Husband, nor promifè to be yourWife, &c. I will not have a Scholar in my School, or a Pu- pil that will fay, Hither will I come, and you thall teach me, but I will not tell you whether I will be your Scholar, or take you for my Teacher: Nor will I have a Patient that will make me give him what Phyfick he delires, and will not fay he will take me for his Phyfician. 3. Betides, the Office of a Pallor is not only to preach and adminifter the Sacrament, but allo to admonifh, rebuke, and exercife Come Difcipline for the Goodof the Church : And he that will not pro - fefs his confent to thefe, Both not by his partial fubmitting to the reff hew his confent that I be his Pallor. I will be a Pallor to none that will not be under Difcipline : That were to be ahalfPaftor, and indulge Men in an unrulinefs and contempt of the Ordinance of Chritt : If I takemore on me than is juif or ne- ceffary, I will gladly,hear of it, and recant. 4. Either they do indeed takeus for their Pallors or not: If not, we do them no Wrong to take them for none of our Charge : And then why do they fay that their coming to Church proveth it ? But if they do takeus for their Pallors, then they owe us more Obedience than the fpeaking ofa Word comesto, and when we require themto profefs themfelves Members of the Church and of our Charge, they are bound to obey us unlefs they "can prove it a Sin. But ifthey fay we will notobey them in the fpeaking of filch a Word, though indeed they did call us their Pallors, this were but to contradict themfelves, and to deny the thing when they give us theName. I delire no fuck Charge ; much lefs fach as will give us neither Name nor Thingand yet expect Y their
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