Parr III `reverend Mr.-Richard Baxter. 79 II. Though there be an External Government in the two firft Senfes, given by thrift, as immediately to the Paftors as to the Prince, (they haying the Keys of the Church, as immediately committed to them, as the Sword isto thePrince )yet in the Excrcifè of their Office, in Preaching, Sacraments and Difcipline, they are under the Civil Government of the King, who as he may fee that Phylwians, and all others in his Kingdom, do their Duties without grofs abufe, fo may he do by Pnflors tho' he cannot either affihme to himfelf their Office, or prohibit it, yet he maygovern them that de it, and fee that they do it according to Citrift's Law : So that under that Pretencehe take not their proper Work into his awn hand, nor hinder them from the true Esercife. III Though there aremany things in the Frameof Canons which I am úncapable of judging of, as concerning another Kingdom, whoRCafe and Cuftoms I am not perfeecly acquainted with, yet I may fay thefe threethings of it in general. i. That I am very glad to fee no enfnaring Oaths, Declarations, Profeflioris or Snbfcriptions in it; nonot fo much as a Subfcription to thefe Canonsthemfelves: For peaceable Men can live quietly and obediently under a Government, whichbath many things in it which they dare not juftifie or approve of. It is our Work to obey ; it is the M.agifbrate's Work, and not ours to juflifie all his own Commands and Orders before God, as havingno Errors : Therefore it is pity to fee Subjects foput upon that which is not their Work, upon the terrible Terms as force -where they are. 2. I conceive that this Framewill make a Nation happy or miferablc as the Men are who fhall be chofen for the Work. The King having the choice of all the Bithops andModerators, and the Commiflìoners having the Abfolute Power of nullifying all, ifWife and Godly Bithops and Moderators be chafen, and moderate Commiffi- oners, Piety will be much promoted by thefe Rules of Government. But if con- trary, it will have contrary Effects. 3. Therefore fuppofing a choiceof meetPerfons, though the mixturesof the Ma- gifrates and the Churches power here, he fuch as I cannot juftifie (who had rather they were diflintíly managed) yet I Ihould be thankful to God, if wemight fee but as goad a Frame of Canons well ufed in England, and lhonld live peaceably, fubmiffively, and gratefully under filth a Government. To the Particulars. . TheNain? of Bill-lop appropriated to the Diocefane, will Rumble fone, who have learned that every Church loath one Bithop (faith Ignatius) Et.uhi Epifcapus, ibi Ecclefia, faith Cyprian : Therefore theywill think that you Un-Churchall theChurches of the land, fave the Diocefane. And I could with that the Naine were fitted to the thing, to avoid Etrour: but yet I think that none Ihould Itick muchat this. becaufc it is hot de Nomine, andafterwards you feem to leave a true Governing Power, not only in the Presbyters, but in the Payhors and Elders of the Parifh- Churches. . Seeing your Moderators are truly Bps, as defcribed ( and others alto, ifthe Pares be true Churches) why is Ordination appropriated to the Bithops fo called ? Doyou intend that he fhall do it by Confent of his Synod, or a Presbytery ; or by his own Power alone ? 2. Is he to fitfpend, depore, and excommunicateby himfelf alone (as this Gen- ial feems to intimate) or only in, andby Confent of his Synod, or Presbytery? 3. The Lime alfo I ask as to his [T ranfplanting Miniflers as hefees ufeful :1 for if he may do ail this himfelf ad libitum, it may difcourage a Man from meddling with the Miniftery, when after all his Study and Labour, it is at the Bifhop's plea- fure whether he fhall Preach, or be Snfpended : For though youafter fay for what. Faults he fhall be Sitfpended, yet that fignifieth nothing iftheBifhop be Judge. Of Appeals as a dear Remedy, and doubtful Menwill be diffident. And Tráúfpiant- iagmay undo a Minifter at the Billion's Pleafure. And I doubt the ábfolúfe Depri- val of the People oftheir Power of Confent, or Dilfeat, in this and other Cafes, of Title to their proper Paltors, will be found s. contrary to the nature of the Pafto- raI
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