Part HI. Reverend Mr. Richard. Baxter. g. The firiì of the added Articles they thought reafonable ; but put it out only, left by overdoing we fhould clog the reft, and fruffrate all, with thofe that we' were to deal with. 6. The other added Article they laid by, for the fame reafon, and alto, left it fhouldhe a fhelter to Recufant Papifts. And thus it was agreed, That the Papers fhould be all delivered to the Lord Chief Baron, to draw them Up into anAft. And becaufe I lived near him, he was pleafed to thew me the Copy of his Draught, whichwas done according to all our Senfe ; but fecretly, left the noife of a prepared Aft Ihould be difpleafing to the Parliament. But it was never more calledfor, and fo I believe he burnt it. § 77. Becaufe they obje&ed, That by the lait Article we fhouldbefriend the Papifts, and efpecially by a Claufe that we offered to be inferted in the Rubrickof the Liturgy, [That the Sacrament is to begiven to none that are unwilling ofit,] and I flood very much upon that with them, that we muff not corruptChrift's Sacra- ment, and all our Churches, and Difcipline, and injure many hundred thoufand Souls, only to have the better advantage againft Papifts; and that there were fairer andbetter means to be ufed against them. Upon their Enquiry what means might be fubltituted, I told them, that betides fome others, a fubfcriptionfor all theToleratedCongregations or Minifters, diftina fromthat of theEftablilhed Mi- niftry, as followeth, might difcover them. § 78. The Subfcription of the Eftablifhed Miniftry. " I do hereby profefs anddeclare my unfeigned belief 'ofthe Holy Canonical Scriptures, " a5 the infallible, melee, and perfelt Rule ofDivineFaith, andHoly Living, fup- " poftng the Laws of Nature; and alfo my belief of all the Articles of the Creed, " andof the 36 Articlesofthe Dollrine andSacraments ofthe Church ofEngland. Or elfe theSubfcription before agreedon (though this be muchbetter;)fuppofing the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy alto be taken. The Subfcriptionofall that have Toleration. " I A. B. do hereby profefs and declare, without equivocation and deceit, That I' be- " lieve jefus Chrift tobe the onlyGoverning Head of the Vniverfal Church; and the " Holy Canonical Scriptures to -be. the infallible, intire, and perfeá Rule ofDivine " Faith, andHoly Living, fuppofng the Laws of Nature ; and that I believe all " the Articles of the Ancient Creeds, called the Apoftlis and the Nicene; And " that Iwill not knowingly oppofe any Articleof the PaidHoly Canonical Scriptures, " or Creeds ; nor of the Creed called Athanafius's s Nor will I publickly, feditihufl t0 or unpeaceably deprave, ór cry down the Dollrines, Government, and WorAip " Eflablfhed by theLaws.] This doth exclude the Elfentialspf Popery, and yet is fach as all fober, peace- able Perfons that needa Toleration, may fubmlt to. § 79. It bath oft times grieved me in former times to hear how unskilfully fome Parliament-Menwent aboutto excludethe Papilts, when theywere contriving how to take offthe Telt and Force of the Law, compellingall to the Sacrament. Some-muff have a.Subfcription that mull name Purgatoryand Images, andpraying to Saints, and juffiflcation by Works, and other Points,which they could neither rightly enumerate nor ftate, to fit them for fuch a ufe as this; but would have made all their work ridiculous, not knowing the Elfentials of Popery, whichare only to make up filch a general Teftfor their Exclufion. § So. But I fuppofe the Reader' will more feelingly think, when he findeth upon what terms weftrive (and all in vain) fora little liberty to preach Chrift's Gofpel, even uponthe hardeff Terms that will burconfiff with a good Confcience, and the fafety of our Own Souls; he will think, I fay, what á cafe fuch Miniftersand fuch Churches.now are in ? And-how ftrange (or rather fad than ftrange) is it That R e e e a Ciriftian 35
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