P A x T II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 333 OD LoFb false tijio Woman tut) eÄ añicbputtetb bet trufE in time LaßRubrick. Ebbe Womantbbat comelt togibe eLballho,muff offer tbeateuftometi 9'ffering. The fame Rubrick. .án1í if Ogrebe a Communion, it 10 conbeniettt, that iïje teteíbe tije olr Communion. It may fall out that a womanmay come to give thanks for a Child born in Adultery or Fornication, and therefore we delire that fómeth,ing may be re-. quired of her by way of Profellion of herHumiliation,as wellas of her Thankf giving. This may teem too like a Jewifh Pu- rificatión,rather than aChrißianThankf - gibing. We delire this may be interpreted of the duly qualified ; for a fcandalous Sin- ner may come to make this Thankf giving. Thus babe we in all humble piarfuance ofhis Majeßy's molt gracious Endeavours for the publick weal of this Church, drawn up our Thoughts and Delires in this weighty Affair, which we humbly offer to his Majefty's Commilitoners fot their ferious and grave Confideration, wherein we have not the Leath thought of depra- ving or reproaching the Bookof Common Prayer, but a fincere delire to contri- bute our Endeavours towards the Healing the Dißempers, and (as fools as may be) 'reconciling the Minds of Brethren. And inafmueh as his Majefty bath in his gra- cioús Declaration and Commillîon mentioned new Forms to be made and fated to the feveral Parts of Worfhip s We have made a confiderable progrefs therein, and Ihall (by God's alii lance) offer them to the Reverend Commiffioners with all convenient fpeed. And if the Lordthall gracioufly pleafe togive aBlefling to there our Endeavours, we doubt not but the Peaceof the Churchwill be thereby fetled, the Hearts ofMinillers and People comforted and compofed , and the great Mer- cy of Unity and Stability (to the immortal Honour of our molt dear Soveraign ) bellowed upon us and our Poßerity after ul. . § 175. When the Exceptions againß the Liturgy were finilhed, the Brethren oft read overthe Reformed Liturgy which I offered them. At firß they would have had no Rubrick or Direâory, but bare Prayers, becaufe they thought our Commif- fion allowed it not: That at tail they yielded to the Reafons which I gave them, and refolved to takethem in. But first to offer the Bithops their Exceptions. § 176. At this time was the Convocation chofen : fortill now it was deferred. Had it been called when the King came in, the inferiour Clergy would have been againß the Diocefan and Impofing way : But afterwards many hundreds were turned out that all theold fequeßred Minifters might come in. And the Opinion of Reordination being fet afoot, all thofeMinißers, that for Twenty years toge- ther, while Bithops were laid afide, had been Ordained without Diocefans, were inmany Countreys denied any Voices in the Eleâion ofClerks for the Convocati- on : By all which means, and by the Scruples of abundance of Minifters, who thought it unlawful to have any thin to do in thechoofing of fuch a kind of Af- fembly, the Diocefan Party wholly carried it in the Choice, § 177. In London the Eleâion was appointed to be in Chrifl's Church, on the Second day of May (166x). The London Minifters that were not yet ejeâed proved the major Vote againß the DiocefanParty, and when I went to have joyn- ed with them, they fent to me not tocome, as they did alfo to Mr. Calamy , and (without my knowledge) they chofe Mr. Calamy and me for London. But they carried it againft the other Party but by ThreeVoices: And the Bithopof London having the power of choofingTwo out of Four (or Four out of Six) that are chofenby the Minifters in a certainCircuit, did give us thegreat ufe of being both left out, and fo we wereexcufed, and the City of London had no Clerk in the Convocation. How thould I havebeen therebaited, and what a vexatious place IhouldI have had in fach a Convocation ! § 178:
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