Part III. Reverend r Mr. Richard Baxter. Power of the Keys from the Lawful Bilhops and Pallors ofthe Church; Nor will I endeavour to report the AncientDifcipline (by removing the SpiritualGovernment by the Keys, out of the Hands of Lay-Chancellors, into the Hands of fo many able Palters, as the number of Churches, andneceffity of the work regsiireth) .nor any other Reformation of the Church, by any Rebellious, Schifnatical, or other unlaw- ful means whatfoever; ( nor do I believe that any Vow or Covenant obligeth me thereto;) declaring, notwithftanding, that it's none of my meaning to bind myfelf from any Lawful Means of fuels Reformation ; nor to difobey the King, if at any timeHe conmuand-me, to endeavour the Alteration ofany thing jufllyalterable. The General *finer seas as followeth. T Iron Serions Confiderationofthe Aft of Parliament, Entitled, An AG fur Re- l..l ftrain:ng of Nonconformiftr from Inhabiting in Corporations; And of the Oath therein mentioned, I am of Opinion, That there is nothing contained in that Oath, according to the trueSenfe thereof, But that it is not Lawful to take up Arms againft the King, or anyAuthorifed by his Commiffion; or for -a private Perfon to endea- vour the Alteration oftheMonarchical Government in the State, or theGovernment by Bilhops inthe Church : And that any Perfon (notwithftanding the taking of filch Oath) if he apprehend that the Lay-Judges in Bifhop's Courts (as to Sentence ofEx- communicationfor Matters meetly Ecclelaftical, or for anyother Caufe) ought to be Reformed ; or that Bilhopricks are of too large extent, may fafely Petitionor efe any lawful Endeavour for Reformationofthefame : For that filchPetition, or other Lawful Endeavour, doth not tend tothe Alteration ofthe Government, but to the amendment of what Ihall be found amifs in the Government, and Reformed by Law- ful Authority, and thereby the Government better Eftablilhed. And, I conceive, every Expofition ofthe faidOath, upon Suppoliition, orPrefumption ofanObligation thereby, to any thing which is contrary totheLaw of God, or theKingdom, is an illegal, and a forced Expofition, contrary tothe intent andmeaningof thefaid Oath and Aft of Parliament ; for it is a Rule, mullion iniquum eJ in Lege priefumendum, Andan Expofitiontending to enjoyn any thing contraryto theLaw of God, would make the Aft of Parliament void, which ought not to be admitted, when it bears a fair and plain Senfe, which is no more, Than that Subjefts ought not to take up Arms againft their LawfulKing, or fach as are lawfully Comrniffsonated by him ; and for private Perfons to be unquiet in the place wherein they live, to the diftur- bance of the Government in Church or State. JohnFountain, Feb. 6. s 665. 9 The Particular Anfiner teas as follometh. N7 OT at prefent to difpnte the things prefuppofed (although I may not grant lN all in the Fourth, and fume other of the Potations, to he warranted by the Law of Nature or Scripture) I add as neceTary to the Refolving of the Qseftions upon theAft of Parliament, That in the Expofition of Afts of Parliament, if there maybe a fair and reafonalale Conftrufìion madeof theWords, not contrary to the Law ofGod or Reafon, that Conftruftion oughtto be made thereof, and hat any Expofition, which tends to make it fenflcfs, or contrary to the Lam ofGodana' Rearon, or to fuppofe any wicked thing enjoyned thereby is a forced Gonftruftion, and contrary to Law, being deftruftive to the very AG of Parliament. I hereupon lay alideany Anfwer tothe Fourth and Eighth Qeeftions, which may, peradventure, be thought nicer Cavils againft theAft, though I knowing the Temper ofthePro- pounder, have a more charitable Opinion of him. But I do apprehend, that tho' theremay want a Word to make a Logical Pofstign, concerning theTráyterous Po- fition mentioned in the Oath, yet there is a plain Senfe in the Oath, via. That iris unlawful to take up Arms againft the King; and that if any would make a diftin- ftion, and affirm, That though the unlawfnlnefs were admitted to take up Arms again t hin, yet by his Authority, they might take up Arms againft hisPerron, or agamítthofe that areCommiffoned byhim, in purfuance of fuch Commilfion, fisch an Affirmationand Polition as this, is Traytorous, and tobe abhorred; and there is B b b B filch
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