Part III. Reverend Mr. Ricílard Baxter. 65 before the fecond, third, and perhaps twentieth Attempt have been ufed to bring us to Agreement, by Alterations, and crofs Humours, and Apprehenfions; things' esill go as they have done, and all be pulled in pieces. Thereforewe melt, if polfible, find out the fufficient Terms before too many hands be ingaged in it. Your own Exceptions here fay, That iftoo many Explications hadnot afterward occur- red, you hadbeen unfatisfied in that which went before. And you know what Mr. Nye is wont to fay againft drawing a I -lofe overour Differences (though for my part f know no other Way where we agree not in partieudars, but to take up with an Agreement in Generals.) But where indeed we do agree in Particulars, I know no Reafon why we Ihonld hide it, to make our Difference to feeds greater than it is + 2. The Reafons, why I make no larger a ProfeJfon nece/fary than the Creed and Scriptures, are becaufe if we depart from thisold fufficient Catholicie Rule, we narrow the Church, and depart from theold Catholicifm: And we Pall never know'where to rest : From the fame Reafons as you will take in Four Councils, another will take inSix, and another Eight, and the Papifis will fay, Why not the refit, as well as there? 3. Becaufe we lhouldSift againft the Churches 12.0o Years Experience, which hath been torn by this Conceit Thatour Rule or Profellion melt be altered toobviate every new Herefie. As ifyou could ever makea Creed or Law which no Offender Ihall mif-interpret, nor hypocritically profefs. By this means the Devil may drive us to make a new Creed every Year, by Sowing the Tares of -a new Herefie every Year. Hilary hath Paid fo much againft this, not fparing even the Nicene Creed it felt, that I need fay no more than he hath done uponthat Argument of Experience,, but only that if 3o or 4o Years Experience fo much movedhim againft new Creed- making, what fhould r looYears do by us? 4. And the Means will be certainly Fruitlefs, feeing that Hereticks are ufually Men of wide Confciences, and iftheir Intereft requireit, they will Equivocate, as Men do now with Oaths and Subfcriptions, and take any Words in their own Senfe. y. And the Means is needlefs, feeing there is another and fitter Remedy against Herefie provided, and that is not making a newReali or Law, but judging Hereticks by the Lam of God already made. Either they are Hereticks only in Heart, or in Tongue alfo, and Expref ion : If in Heart only, we have nothing to do to Judge them. Heart- Infidels are and will be in theChurches. If they be proved tobe He- reticks inTongue, then it is either beforethey are taken into the Communionof the Church, or after. If before, you are to ufethem as in cafe ofproved Wickednefs ; that is, call them to pchlick Repentance before they be admitted If it be after, they molt be admonifhed, andReje&ed after the firft and fecond contemned Admo- nition : And is not this enough ? And is not this the certainregular way ? Is it not coufufon to pat Lam for Pudgment, and fay there wants a neroLawor Rule, when there wants but a due ..udgnient by the Rule in being. 6. LaJtly, We Pall never have done with the PapiJis, if we let go the Scripture- Sufficiency. And it is a double Crime in us tAdo it,who Difpute with them fo ve- hementlyfor it. And eve harden and juftifie Church-Tyranny and Impohtions when we will do the like ourfelves. If there be nothing .againft Socinianifm in the Scripture, it is no Herefie: If there be (as fiere there is enough, arid. plain enough) Judge them by that Rule, and make not newones. But ifany will not hold to this truly Catholick Courfe, I Mall next like your Mo- tionverywell, to take up with; the Creed, as Expounded in the 4 Firft Councils, called General which I can readily fubfcribe my felf, but it's betterJetthem all alone, andnot to be fo fond of oneose y Engine, whichbath tornthe Church for about s zoo Years. I meandeparting from the AncientRule, and makingnew Creeds and Forms of Communion. To
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