PART II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. ' thrown , while the People are engaged in the hardeft Thoughts and Speechesof each other ! What a Temptation it would be to the a(Hi&ed part, ` to abate their Honour and due Refpe& to thole they fuffer by, when they are ' deprived of that which is dearth to them in the World ; and when the Groans ` and Oyes of aftli&ed Innocents arrive at Heaven, and have awakened the Ju- e Dice of the King of Kings, the greateft cannot ftand before him. And what a ` Snare and Griefwill it be to the Bifhops and Paftors of the Church to be efteem- ' ed Wolves, and to be engaged to fupprefs them as their Adverfaries, that elle ` might be the Honour of their Miniftry, and the Comfort of their Lives. And a when Divifions and feparatedAffemblies are time multiplied ( the People being e drivenfrom the publick Congregations ) either it willbring them under Trouble, a or let in Papifts and othersthat are intollerable into an equal Tolleration and ` fuch Difcontents and Diftra&ions in theChurch, will not be without their Influ ` ence on the State. And by all this how much will Satan and the Enemies of our a Religion be gratified, and God dilhoeioured and dilpleafed. And feeing all this ' may fafely and eafily be now prevented , we humbly befeech the Lord, in Mercy to vouchfafe to your Majefty a Heart to difcern of time and Judg- e mew.] And as ebefè are our General Ends and Motives,fo we are induced to infilh up- on the FormofSynodical Government conjun&with a fixed Prefidency or Epifcopa- ` cy,for thefe Reafons : We have reafon to believe that no other Terms will be fo generally agreed a on. And it is no way injurious to Epifcopal Power; but molt firmly eftablifh- ` eth all in it that can pretend to Divine Authority or true Antiquity, It granteth themmuch more than Reverend Bifhop F1all ( in his Peace-maker) and many o- ' ther of that Judgment, do require ; who would have accepted the fixing of the Prefident for Life, as futHcient for the Reconciliation of. the Churches. z. it being molt agreeable to the Scripture and the Primitive Government, is `liked tobe theway of a moreUniverfàl Concord, if ever the Churches arrive a on Earth at fuch a Blefling. However it will be molt acceptable to God, and ` to well informed Confciences. ' ;. It will promote the Pra&ice of Difcipline andGodlinefs without Diforder; ' and promote Order without the hindering of Difcipline andGodlinefs. 4. And it is not to be tilenced ( though in tome refpeets we are loath to men- ' tion it) that it will fàve the Nation from the Violation of the Solemn Vow and `Covenant, without wronging the Church at all , or breaking any other Oath. And, whether the Covenant were lawfully intpofèd or not, we are affured from ' the Nature of a Vowto God, and from the Cafes of Sand, Zedekiah, and others, that it would he a terrible thing to us to violace it on that pretence. Though we are fir from thinking that it obligeth us to any Evil, or to go beyond our Pia- ' ces and Callings to do Good, much lefs to refill Authority ; yet doth it undoubt- ' edly bind us to forbear our own Content to thofe Lmturiances of Church-Govern- ' ment which we there renounced, and for which no Divine Inititution can be e pretended. * It is not only the Presbyterians, bar multitudes of the £.pifeopad Party, and the Nobility, Gentry, and others that ad- the was thus esprélfed in ' hexed to his late Ma ell , in the late unhappy Wars, that at prefu that was ddleewith 1 y PPY ( [not prefitming to meddle with ' their Companion ) took this Vow and Covenant t [[And the Confciences of thofe manyof ` God forbid that ever the Souls of fo many thoufands fhould the Nobility and Gentry, eye.] be driven upon the Sin of Perjury, and upon the Wrath of t What follows in this double ' God, and the Flames of Hell : Or, that under Pretence of iudofure, was omitted in the co- ' calling them to repent of what is evil, they fhould be urged py prefented, this only being to commit (ò great an Evil. Ifonce the Confciences of the infcertcdin the room of it. ' Nation fhould-be fo debauched, what good can be expe&éd Clemency to lees and o a front them? or what Evil (hall they ever after be drought to them, who believethemfclves to ' make Confcience of? or what Bonds can be fuppofed to ob- be under its obligations. And lige them ? or how can your Majefty place any Confidence God forbid that we that are n1i- " in them, notwithltanding the Oathsof Allegiance and Supre- Miters of the Word of Travis mac which the take ? or how can they be taken for com e- mould do any thing to encourage y y Y P your Majefty's Subjetts to daft off ' tent Witnelfes in anyCaffe, or Perforas meet for human con- the Confcience of an oath.l ` verfe? or how fhould thofe Preachers be regarded by their Au- ` ditors that dare wilfully violate their folemn Vows ? and it would be no Comfort nor Honour to your Majelty.to be the King ofa PerfideousNation. And, what- ` ever Palliation Flattery might at Hand procure, undoubtedly at diftance of.time and place ( where Flattery cannot fìlence Truth) it would be the Nations perpe- Mma 'tug 267
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