P A K r II. Reverend Mr: Richard Baxter. fle&ions upon the Right Reverend Bithops and Learned, Brethren Who think not meet to yield to any conliderable Alterations to the Ends expreffedin your Maje- fly's Commitfion, yet we mull fay,that it is fome quiet to our Minds that wehave not been guilty of your Majefty'sand your Subjeets difappointments, and that we account not your Majefty's gracious CommilBon, nor our Labour, loft, having Peace of Confcience in the difcharge ofour Duties toGod and you : that wehave been the Seekers and Followers ofPeace, and have earneftly pleaded, and humbly' petitioned for it ; [and oferedfor it any price below the offence ofGod Almighty, and the wounding or hazardof our own, or of the Peoplesfouls; and that we have in feafon born Thefe sot ow teftimony againfl theft Extreams, wbieb at left will appear to,theft that do not now dif derlined wait, to have proceededfrom uncharitable miftake, and tended to the divifion and trouble Paffages of the Church : that whateverPall become of Charity, Unityand Concord, our Life, oar Were left Beauty, andour Bands,owConfciences tell as we havenot defertedthem, nor left any probable P °ePentédt means unattempted, whichwe coulddifcern within our power]. And we humbly be -. ro the leech your Majefty to believe, that we own no Principles of Fa&ion or Di(obedi- King, ence, not Patronize the Errours or Obftinacyofany : It is granted us by all, that nothing fhould be commanded us by Man, which is contrary to the Word ofGod t that if it be, and we know it, we are boundnot to ;perform it ; God being the AbfoluteUniverfal Soveraign ; that we muti ufe all juft means to difcern the Will of God, and whetherthe Commands ofMan becontrary to it : that if the Com- mand be finful, and any through the negle&of fufficient fearch, Ihalljudge it law- ful, his culpable Errour excufeth not his doingof it from being fin:. and therefore as a reafonable Creature muff needs have a Judgment of difcerning, that he may rationally obey, fo is he with the greateft care and diligence to exercife it in the greateft things, even the obeyingof God and the facing of our Souls ; and that where a Prong probability of great finand danger lyeth before us, we muff not rafhly run.onwithout fearch ; and that to go againft Confcience , even where it is miftaken; is fin and danger to him that erreth. And on the other;fide we are a= greed, that in things no way againft the Laws ofGod, the Commands ofour,.Go- vernours mull be obeyed: that if they command what God forbids, we mutt pa- tiently fubmit to Suffering; and everySoul muff be fubjeet to the higher Powers, for Confciencefake, andnot relict : that PublickJudgment, Civil or Ecclefiaftical, belongeth only to publick Perfons, and not to any private Man : that no Man mull be caufelefly and pragmatically inquifitive into the Reafons of his Superiours Commands ; nor by Pride and Self-conceitednefs exalt his own Underllanding a- bove its worthand office ; but all to be modellly and humbly felt-fufpicious: that none mutt erroneouflypretend God's Law againft the juft Commandof his Supe- riour, nor pretend the doing of his Duty to be fn : that he who fufpeeteth his Su- periours Commands to be againft God's Laws, muff ufe: all means for full Infor- mation, before he fettle in a courfe of difobeying them : and that he who indeed difcoverethany thing commanded to be fin, though he mull not do it, muff ma- nage his Opinionwith very great tendernefs andcare of the Publick Peaceand the Honour of.his Governours. Thefe areour Principles: If we are otherwife repre- fented to your Majefy we are mìfeprefented : If we are accufed of contradieling them, we humbly crave that we may never be condemned till we are heard. It is the define of our Souls to contribute otir Parts and Intel-ells to the utmoff, for the promoting ofHolinefs, Charity, Unity, and Obedience to Rulers in all lawful Things : But if we Ihouid fin ,againft God, becaufe. we are commanded ; who (hall anfwer for us, or face ns from hisJuftice? And we humbly crave, that it may be no unjuft grievance of :our Diffent, that thereby we fuppofe Superiours to err; feeing it is but (uppofing them to be Men,ngt yet in Heaven ; and this may be im- puted to every one that differeth in Opinion from another. Andwe befeech your Majeffy'to believe, that as wePeek no greaterMattersin theWorld, than our daily bread, with Liberty to preach the Gofpel,'and Worthip God according to his Word, and the praetife of thePrimitive pureft Church,fo we hope it is not through pufllanimity and overmuch tendernefsof Suffering that we have pleaded fo much for the avoidin of Suffering to our Selves or others : May none of our Sufferings hinderthe of theChurch, and the goodof Souls [ofMen! May not our Tl eft , dread Sovereign, the Breath of our Noftrils, be tempted by mrf reprefentatiano to dißa/Ifact derlined ew are faithful, and unawares towrong the interef of Chrif, andput forth bulean to af- pa¡¡agj flea thole that Chrif wouldhave himcberifli, left their íd' dfhould be provoked tojealoufte were left, didoffence! May not the Land of our Nativity langnifh in Doroif ns, nor be filled with the ónt inthai Groans of ttofe that arePhut out of the holy Afmblies, and thole that want the neceffary potentea breaking pf the Bread of Life ! Nor be difapp'oïnted of it! expelled Peace and 79, ! Let not 3ô7
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