P A R T II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. § 29o. ¢. The fourth Matter of Difference, being the Oath ofCanonical Obedience, they here alfo differ among themfelves. r. Some of them think that as the Neeef- fity of Monarchy and our Relation to the King, doth make the Oath of Allegi- ance neceffary, or very meet, fo the Neceffity of Prelacy and our Relation to the Prelates, doth make the Oath of Obedience to them- iu(ifiahle and meet For that whichmuff be done, may be promised and fworn. 2. Others of them (ày, That it is only to the Bilhopsas Magtftrates,or Officersof the King, that we (wear to them. 3. And others fay, That as we may be fubjeet to any.Man, in humili- ty, fowe may promife or £wearit to any Man. And it being but in licitiaer how- f1re, that what we may lawfully do, we may fweartó do. § 291. I. The fifth Controverfie is about Re-ordination of fach as were not Or- damned by Diocefans, but by the Presbyteries which then were (at home or abroad) And here they are alfo of two minds among themfelves. The one fort fay, That Ordinationwithout Diocefans is a Nullity, and thofe that are fo Ordained, are no Miniffers but Laymen ; and therefore their Churches, no true Churches ( in feJú politico ) : And therefore that filch muffneeds be Re- ordained. The.other fort fay; That their Ordination was valid before in fordfpirituali; but not infra civilt; and that the repeating ofit, is butan afcertainingor a confirming Aft, as publick Mar- rying again would be, after one is privately married, in cafe the Law would be- ftardize or difinherichis Children elfe. § 292. 6. The txth Controverfie is about the lawfulnefs.of the Afnt and Con- fine tobe declared, which is to all contained in the Book of Articles, the .Book of Ordination, and the Book of Common Prayer. Thefe comprehend abundance of Particulars ; lore Doârinal, fome about the Offices and Difcipline of the Church, and fome about the Matter, the Order and Manner, and Ceremonies of Worfhip. Here they are alfo divided among themfelves : fome few of them take the words plainly and properly, (viz. the willing Conformifts) and think that deed there is nothing in thefe Books which is not to be affented andcontented to : And indeed all the Convocation mutt needs be of that mind (or the Major part ) and elfo the Parliament); becaufe they had the Books before them to be peru(ed, and did examine the Liturgy and Book of Ordination, and make great Altera- tions in them, and therefore if they had thought there had been any thing not to be affented and confented to, they would have altered it by corre &ion, beforethey had impofed it on the Church. But for all that, the other Party is now fo nume- rous, that I couldyet never fpeak with any of them, but went that way,viz. with the Latitudinarians to expound the words [all things contained in the Books] which they affent and confene to [All things which they are to ufe ] : and their [ Afnt and Confent J they limit only to the ufe: q. d. [I do af/eny..obáa there it nothing in theft Books which rear nos lawfully be ufed, andI do confect to the ufe of fo ensecb of belongeth. io rise] : Though yet they think (or will not deny but) that there may be fome. thing that may be ill framed and ill impofed : The reafon of this Expofition they fetch from the word [ufe] which is found after in the Aet of Uniformity, though is be not in the words of the. Delaration. And for the Books, they fay, It is law- ful to ufe the Common Prayer, and the Ceremonies, Crois, Surplice, Copes, and Kneeling at the Sacrament, and all that is in that or the other Books robe ufed, and therefore to declare fo much. § 291. More particularly, r. Concerning the Kalenclar impotng the safe of fo many Apocryphal Leffons, they fay that they are read but upon Weekdays, and that not asScripture, but as edifying Leffons, as the Homilies are i and as many Churches have long ufed them. And that the Church fufficiently avoideth the Scandal by calling themApocrypha. § 294. And 2.for the, parcellingand ordering of the Prayers and Refponfes as they are, fomeof them fay that it is the bell Form and Order, and it's only Fan- cy and Errour which mifliketh them : Others fay that they are difordery indeed , but that is not the Sinof the Orr ( when they are impofed) but of the Framers and Impofers. § 29(. And 3. as for the DosBrine of the Salvationof Baptized Infants in the Rubrickof Baptifm, andall the mil in that Book, and in the Nine andthirty Ar- ticles, fome of themfay that they are all- found (vio. the willing Conformiffs) but the unwilling Conformills fay that theft are not things to beusd by them;and therefore. nor within the Compafs of the declared' Affect or Confine in the 296;
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