PART H. Reverend Mr. RichardBaxter. 411 § 363. 2. They fay, That all the World confeffeth that a Vow obligeth in rene- ceffariâ, to that which is antecedently aDuty : but they propound it to confedera- tion, whether all there things following, which are in the Covenant are certainly no Duties antecedently. T. [To endeavour in oarfeveral Places and Callings, the prefervatien of the Reformed Religion.] z. [The Reformation ofWor(hip,Difcipline,andChurch-Government according totbeWord of God, inEngland]. 3. [To bring the Churches ofGod in the three Kingdoms to the neareft conjunsiion and uniformity in Religion]. 4. [To endeavour the extirpation of (not Epifcopacy, but) Prelacy, that is, Church- Government by Archbißmps, Bifhops, their Chancellours, Commìffaries, &c. ] that is, the fore defcribedFrame : Whether that Framebe fo blamelefs as to be allowable, I leave to their Judgments whohave weighed what is before faid. 5. [The Extirpation of Popery]. 6. To endeavour the Extirpation ofSuper!iticn] 7. And [of Herefie[] 8. And [ofPropbaneneß] 9. And of [whatfoever JhaS befoundcontrary to foundDaílrine and the Power ofGod- lineß] I o. [ To endeavour with ourElates and Lives todefend the Ring's Majefly'sPerron and Authority, in the prefervationand defenceof the true Religion and Liberties of the King. doms ?] and [rose to diminifhhis Majefly'sdugPower and Greatneß] Intro be humbledfor our ownfins and the finsof the Kingdoms,] 52. [To amend our Lives, and each one to go beforeanother in the Example ofa real Re- formation]. Ifall thefe be not Dirties, let the queftionbe, Whether any one ofthem be a Du- ty ? And then, Whetherthat which is antecedentlya Duty by Divine Obligation, be notfurther fo by Selfobligation when it is vowed with an Oath? Or whether a Vow bind not to a Duty ? But this isbutby the by, about the fence ofthe Impofers ofSubfcription expreft in the CorporationAd. But it is only [ the Alteration of Church Government] which the prefect Controverte is about : And if all that was faid against our Prelacy on the first Controverfie prove it a Duty to endeavour an alterationof the Church -Government, then the Controverte is atan end. § ;64. 3.They fay, That all Men confefs that an Oath and Vow is obligatoryin a lawful matter, though it were not antecedently neceffary: But whether [in their , Places and Callings] to endeavour an alteration of the Church - Government be not lawful, is the queftion. Here t. let it be observed, what the matter of the Vow is : 2. Who be the Perfons whofè Obligations are in queltion. I. The matter of the Vow was not to extirpate Episcopacy in general, nor the Primitive Epifcopacy in particular , but only the foredefcribed English Diocefan Prelacy , in Specie: which I prove beyond all denial : I.Becaufe that which was notin,being in England could not be extirpated out of England: But it was not thePrimitive Epifcopacy, or any other fort, but the prefect Diocefan Prelacy whichwas in being in England : Ergo no other could beextirpated. z. Becaufe when the Covenant was debated Mt in theSynod at Weflrninfler, abundance of Divines whoSubfcribed the Covenant,did openly profefs that they were not against Epifcopacy i andwould not content to it in any filch fence. 3. Becaufe the faid Divines upon that profellion, caused the Defcription ofthe word [Prelacy] to beexpreft in a Parenthefes, which is only the Description of our Diocefan Frame: which is to be teen in the words of the Co- venant. 4. Becaufe when the Houfe of Lords ( who impofed it) did conjundly and folemnly take theCovenant, Mr. 7h,.Caleman who preached and gave it them, did openly declare at the giving and takingof it, that it was not all Epifcopacy that they renounced or vowed by thisCovenant to extirpate , but only the Dioce- fanPrelacy there defcribed. All this, with the words themfelves, I think is fuffr- dent Evidence of thematter of that Claufe. § ;65. z. And for the Perfons, hereare efpecially three forts in queflion: r. The King, z. TheParliament, ;. The People. Thefirftqueftion is,WhetherthePeo- ple (in the numberallowed by the Ad) may not by bumbk petitionendeavour a re- forming Alteration of the Prelacy ? z. Whether Parliament Men may not law- fully fpeak and votefor it ? 3. Whether King and Parliament may not alter it, by altering the Laws? If all thefe,Allions be the endeavouring of a Duty, or of a lawful Thing in their feveral Places and Callings, and that be the very thing which the Vowobligeth them to, then thequellion is,Whether heretoit donot bindthem? Gggz §366.
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