PA ß T H. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 253 faithful Miñifters, the fcattering of the Flocks, the afffi&ing of fo many thou- rand godly Chrlftians, than the accepting of this Primitive Epitcopacy : which was the Expedient which thofe called Presbyterians offered , never once fpeaking for the Caufe of Presbytery. And what kind of Peace -makers and Conciliators we met with, whenboth Parties were to meet at one time and place with their feveral Concellions for Peace and Concord ready drawnup, and the Presbyterians in their Concefftons laid by all their Cis, and propofed an Archbilhops frame of Epifcopacy : and the other fide brought not in any oftheir Concefftons at äll,bat only unpeaceably rejeéted all the Moderation that wasdeuced: Laftly, They hear delire it may be òbferved that in this Reduction, Archiepifco pacy is acknowledged : And we !hall alto delire that it maybe obferved, that iee never put in a word to them againft Archbifhops, Metropolitans or Primates, and yet we are very far from attaining any Peace wrth them. And we delire that it may be obferved allo, that underilanding with whomwe had to do, weoffered them not that which we approved ourfelves as the bell, but that which wewouldfubmit to, as having Tome Continency with the Difcipline and Or- der of the Church, which was our End. Of the Superadded Particulars: s 14. é This is fcarce Serious : ThePrimate's Suffragans or Chorepilcopi are Rural Deans, or as. many fornumber : The Suffragans you talk of by Law are other things, about Sixteen in all the Land. The King's Power is about the Choice of them as Humane Officers, but as Pallors of the Church or Bifhops, the Churches had the Choice foraThoufand years after Chrill, through molt of the Chriftian World. And whatif it be in the King's power : Is it not the more rea- fonable that the King be petitioned to in theBufinefs ? TheKing doth not choofe every Rural Dean himfelf: And is it any more deftruetive'of his Power to do it by the Synods, than by the Diocefan ? This ufe the Name and Power of Kings is made of by fouie kind of Men, to make a noire again!' all that crofs their Domi- nation, but all that is exercifed by themlelves is no whit derogatory to Royalty. And yet how many Menhave been Excommunicated for refuting ro Anfwer in the Chancellor'sCourts, till they profefs to fit there by the King's Authority ? 15. We much doubt whether you defigned to read the Archbilhop's Reduftion when you anfweredour Papers : If you did not, whywould you choofe to be ig- norant of what you anfwered, when fo light a Labour might have informed you ? If you did, how could you be ignorant of what we meant by Affoliations , when you raw that, filch on our Rural Deaneries was the thing fpoken of and propofed by the Redutlion ? And r. Are the Rural Deaneriesthink you, without the .King's Au- ebority ? ifnor, what mean you by fuch Intimations? unlefs you would make Men believe that we breatheTreafon, as oft as we breathe (as the Soldier charged the Country-manfor whiffling Treafon, when hemeant to plunder him). a,And what though Affociations may not be entered into without the King's Authority Do you mean that therefore we may not that defsre bis Authority for them ? If you do not, to what fence or purpofe is this Anfwer ? Sure we are, that for Three hun- dred years when Magiffrateswere not Chrittian, there was Preaching, Praying, and Affociating in particular Churches hereunto without the Kings Authority, and afro Affociating in Synods : And after that for many a Hundredyear theChri- ftian Magiflratesconfirmed and overruled filch Affociations, but never overthrew them, or forbad them. I 16. But theApolfles of Chrill, and all hisChurches for many hundred years, thought all thefe Subfcriptions and Oaths unneceffary ; and never prefcribed, nor required either'them or any fach : So unhappy is the prefent Church in the happy llnderftandings of thefe Menof Yefterday, that are wirer than Chrill, his Apoftles and l.lniverfal Church, and have atlaft foundout there neceffary Oaths and Sub- fcriptions. And you are not quite miltaken: Neceffary they are, to let up thofe that ¡hall rule by Conftraint as Lords over God'sHeritage, and neceffary Engines for the dividing and perlecuting of theChurch : But judge thou, Ò Lord according to thy righteaufnefi in the day which is coming. But the Examples of Corporation, andColledges are brought in, who prevent Offen- ces by Subfcriptions and Oaths. And even fo bath Chrift ( whole Spirit would impofe nothing on the Churches but thingsneceffary ).appointed a Vow and So- lemn
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