PART II. Reverend lMlr, Richard Baxter. 213 rI. Many good Men darenot fo fully approve ofall the Homilies as Art.; e.doeh, 52. Many have refufed Subfcription becaule of Art. ;6, it being hard fo far to ju- ftifie every word inEachHumane Writings as the Book of Confecration is. Now it feems againft our Unity, to make fuch a Tell of ir, as all Perfons tolerable cannot agree in. And it feems contrary to the Ancient Simplicity, which required no o- ther Tell than the Scripturesand theCreeds. And it hardeneth the Papifts to call on as to prove a Succeflion of Prate.Pants from the firth Ages, that is, of Men that have held all the 39Articles. But yet we highly value the 39 Articles as found and moderate, and if we can procure no nearer a recourfe to Scripture and Ancient Simplicity, we flail cheer- fully fubmit to the 39 Articles ; if the Doctrine of Bifhops and Ceremonies, might be left out, as Matters of Practice and not of Faith, as long as we are refponfible for any Difobedience. And it's hard if fach things mull be Subfcribed, as of Ne- cefiity to our Church Communion, or Minifiry. And that there have beenexcepted againft by the Old Nonconformifls,I fuppofe you know., And if you could be content with a Scripture Confeflion if Rome would yield to it, why fhould you deny to your Brethren at home, that which you would grant the Romanilts, and therefore confers you may lawfully grant? Let us lay down fuch a Rule of Concord, as is fit for all to yield to, and then leave all to ac- cept it as they pleafe i and fo they cannot blame our Religion, nor maintain their Alienation; But if we will not be content with a Rule that's fitted for Univerfal Concord, we keep Men from it. And feeing you now fay, It's reafonable that we be clog'd with no more] why might not the fame have been faid ofTome of the fore-mentioned Palfages,if they had been left out? 8. But the Doubt is, Whether you will allow the Title of the Minifterss now in poffeflion (except as before excepted), or whether you will rather judge all their Titles void that were notOrdained by Diocefan Bithops. Laftly, We defire to knowwhether all the tell, not touched on and excepted againft in there Notes, have your Confent : (as that Bithops be chofen by the whole Clergy , and Ordain not and Cenfure not , without their Synods, lc. O howeafie were a Peace on there Terms! how ealily and rarely might you grant them, without any wrong to your Cenfciences, or the Church? Yea, to its exceeding benefit! How lowd do our Miferies cry for fach a Cure! Howlong hash it been negleóted ! If there be any more than what is here granted by us, that you thinkneceffary for us to yield toon our parts, we (hall gladly revive our Demands,..and yield for Peace as far as is poffible, without forfaking our Confciences : And what Than be agreed on, we !hall protnife faithfully to endeavour in our places, that the Magi - ttrate may confent to it. The incfofing Paper fignified a readinefs to yield to an Agreement , on the pri- mitive Simplicity of Doctrine, Difcipline and Worfhip: as Dr. Heylin alfo doth.. We are agreed, andyet never the nearer an Agreement: O that you would Rand to this in the Particulars ! We crave nomore. Q. r. Did the Primitive Church require Subfcriptionto all in our 39 Articles, or to any mare than the wards of Scripture, and the Ancient Creeds, in order to MenaChurch-Com- munion and Liberty ? Were limb Volumes as our Homilies then to be fubfcribed to.? Q._z. Were any required as neceffary to their Miniflry in the Primitive Times, to Sieb- fcribe to the DivineRight of DiácefanPrelacy, andpromife or fwear Obedience to fucb?,or' to Subferibe to all that a contained in our Book of Ordination? Q 3. Were all, me, er any Bithops ofthe firfI Age, (ofthe lowefl rank, now diftin- guifhedfromArchbifhops) the fixed Parlors of many particular Churches, or ofmore Souls than. one of our ordinary ( or greater) Pariftes ? Much 1eß offomany as are in a Dio- ceß. Let us but bave no more Souls, or Congregations under the lowell rank of Bithops now, thanwere in thefirft Age (or fecund either ordinarily ), andWe (hall foon agree, I think in all the Subfiance ofGovernment. feeoonndAge ? sOr all that es in it?rÓwillyou leaveout alltbayou cannot prove to ve been eben ufed, and thatas neceffary, ae now it is fuppofed? Qs
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