PAR T ÍI. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. 4O9 § 346. r. That Perjury is confeffedly one of the tnoft heinous fins that can be committed by Man : and ifthis Subfcription fhould prove perjurious,or a juftifying of Perjury, it would bring upon them the Guilt and Mifery following. r. It is an Atheiftical Denial of the Omnifcienceor Juffice of God, and a taking of his Name in vain, and making him the Favourer of a Lie. 2. It is a treacherous Breach of Promife to him. 3. It is a Sin that deeply woundeth an awakened Confcienee , and may drive it to defpair. 4. It overthroweth Humane Societies , and maketh a Man unfit for Humane Converte. For mutual TraFd is the Foundation or Bond of Societies : And hewhole Oath is not to he trufted, is not at all to be trufted any further than his Interett commandeth it. 4. It expofeth Kingsto the Fury ofall that dareventure to do them hurt: For if once Subjec*sbe taught that Oaths oblige not, what is there to keep them from Treafons andRebellions, but their Carnal Interetts ! And if they be once taught that Princes take not themfelves to be obliged by their Oaths and Covenants, fuck Teachers tempt them to think that they are bound no more to their Princes, as be- ing uncapable of Trutt. So that theDoótrine of Perjury , that difobligeth Men from under Vows and Covenants, is themolt traiterous pernicious Doárine. 5. It expofeth the Kingdom, Church and Religion, which is guilty of it to re- proach ; yea, the greatef& reproach of all its Advetfaries ; making them worts thanmany Heathens, 6. It bringeth the Judgments of God on a Nation : For God will not bold them guiltlef that taketh bit Name io vain. Saufs Pofterity muff be banged before the Fa- mine could be Rayed, becaufe Saal had broken the Vowmade to the Gibeonirer by Jofhua, x Sam. a r. And this heavy Judgment onEngland at this day, which faI- leth on London and many Corporations, terrifying many that read the Corporati. on A&, whirls cafteth all out of Trutt and Power, who difclaim not abfolutely all obligation of the Vow or Covenant as on themfelvesor any other. 7. And how can one that enterethinto the Miniftry by publick owning Perjury and Fallhood, ever look for any acceptance of his Minittryby Men, or bleliingoil it (or himfelf in it at leaft) from God ? Hach God needof Lies and Perjury to his Service? Shall we offer fuch a Sacrifice tohim that is molt Holy,and thisunder pretence that we delire to ferve him by thepreaching of his Gofpel? With what face can we preach againll: any Sin to the People, when our Declarations,Subfcrip- tions, and Publick Aáions have lint told them that Perjury it felf may be corn. mitted ? I fay, if this fhould prove to be perjurious, the Covenant beingobligatory, then would thefe terrible Confequents follow. § 357. 2. And then they fay, That fuch enormous Crimes as thefe fhould be a- voidedwith much morefear than leffer fins : as a Manwill lets venture upon the danger of the Plague, than of the Meafies ; or upon a defperate Precipice than an eafre Fall ; and willavoid more a wound at the Heart, than a prick of the Fin- ger : And thereforeno Rational Man can expebt that here they fhould be venta- sous. § 358. 3. And they add, That Peeing Affirmatives bind not ad temper, and Pori- five Duties are not Duties at all times, thereforeto a Man that is rationally fearful and in doubt of fo great a fin as Perjury, the preaching of the Gofpel can be no Duty, till thofe Doubts be fufficientlyremoved : And therefore they wonder to perceive that abundance are brought toConformity by this Argument, [ I am flirt it it a Duty to preach the Gel : bat Iam not fare that it is a fin to conform : therefore Uncertainties muff giveplace to Certainties]. For it is not a Duty toone of manyhunt dreds to preach the Gofpel ! but only of Minifters : Nor is it any more a Mini- íter's Duty that cannot do it without frnful Conditions, than it is a Womans Du- ty. Therefore fo far as any Man doubteth whether the Terms be lawful, he mutt needs doubt whether it be his Duty (yea, or lawful) for him to preach : NoMart can be firer that it is his Duty to preach, than he is fare that the Conditions of his preaching are lawful. But on the other fide, a Man may for fume time well judge that preaching is no Duty to him, though he be not fore that the Condition is fnful; if he have but rational cause of doubting: efpecially when it is no lets than Perjury that he fearerh. § 49. 4. Rut they fay, If it fhould prove that the Covenant ii obligatory, it would prove facts a fin as is hard to be matched. I. For a Minifterof the Goffel td be fo guilty : 2. And thisupon pretence of Serving God : 3. And thisupon delibe- ration. 4. And to declare the juftification of three Kingdoms from fo great st G g g guilt,
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