Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

114 The LI F E of the Part III But this Prefatory Prognoftick tells us what to expert For whoever intendeth our Solemnity and fufhering will foretel it by his Accuíàtions And if a Croft be our intended Lot, no wonder if [Overthrowers andvni¡erminers of the Government] be the Title to be written on it. r. Prop. [And the Subfcribing the Doarine andSacraments, &c.] Stria. (b) [So theymaynot berequired to Subfcribe either to the Government or Liturgy_ or Ritesand Oeremonìes of our Church.] Anfm. i. If there were nothing at all in the Diocefan frame in England, Lay- Chancellourss SpiritualGovernment, nor any other part of the Government, and Word in the Liturgy, or any Ceremony which we do not, nor dare not approve and Juftifyby a Subfcription ; what need we any of this ado, any more than any Bilhops or Conformifts; feting we were Conformable already. 2. We are willingtoSwear, Subfcribe, and Covenant, Allegiance to the King, who isa Conflitutive Eflential Part of the Kingdom. But we are not willing ac- cordingly to Swear, Subfcribe, or Covenant to every petty Officer in the King- dom, nor to approve ofevery Lam, Cullomor Exercife of Government in it ; tho we would live peaceably under what we approve not. And if a Law were made that he Ihall be Baniíhed as anOverthrower, or Vnderminer ofthe Governn:ent, who would notfo Covenant or Subfcribe, Houfes andLandswould be cheaper than they are and the King have fewer Subjefas than he bath : For I am not acquainted with one Con- fcionableMan, thatI thinkwould Subfcribe it. And why Ihould all the King's Snbje&s be bound more ftrifaly to theHuman Part of Church Government, than of State or Civil Government, and to approveof Lay-Chancellours than of Civil Offi- cers? Or of the matter of Canons, than of Civil and Common and Statute Laws ? 3. If it bea Crime to know, it is a Crime to Yudge, or to ufe our Rearm and Ob- fervation. If itbenot, it is no Crime for us to know that Clergy-Pride, impalinga multitude of things fmall anddoubtful, on theChurches as the Conditions of Mi- niftry and Communion, and forcing Magiftrates, Minifters and People to mnfent tomany unnecetfdry things in their Humanepart of Government; Liturgies and Ceremonies hath beenfo great anEnginof Schifin and Blood and Confunons in the Roman Church, as afrureth us that it is no deferable thing, that by asany thing like it Ihould becontented to. 4. And it is no Crime in us to be fure, that if Subfcribing to all the prefent Church-Government, Liturgy and Ceremonies, be the thing that (hall benecef)'ary to our Miniftry, and Union and Communion, our prefent Ditfentions and Divifions will not be healed, unlefs by Killing or Bamlhing the Dillènters, and asTereullian fpeaketh, Acakingfolitude, and calling it Peace. I. Prop. [His Majelty's] Subjetts----[Legal] Commifiion -- any other [of his Sub- jells].-- Stic. (c) [Deleatur. ] Anfm. t. We did not think that it bad been your meaning that we mull make our (elves Judges of the Cafe,notonly of all his Ti. joJEie's Subjeas, but of all others in the World. If theJudges will give it usundee their Hands, that it is not law- ful upon any pretence whatfoever, for the Subjefs of any Prince on Earth to take Arms againftanyKingof England, or any CommifGonedby him ; or that it is not poffible foranyWar againft us in anyAge, on anypretenfe whatever, to be Lawful; or elfe that they are lurethat all the Kingdoms on Earth are fo. Conftituted, as that nowhere any Subjetts mayon any pretence take Arms againft their Kings, we !hall accordingly fubmit to their Judgment. But feeing Patios and Protetants, Lawyers and Divines, even Monarchical andConformablefay the contrary, it were notmodefty inus that areignorant of Mattersof Law, to fay that they are all mi- faaken, till we are inftrufted toknow it to be fo. For our-parts we muff profefs our felvesnot acquaintedwith the Conftitutionof every Kingdom in the World. 2. If [Legal] muff be obliterated, we (hall our (elves quietly, fubmit to theEx- ercife accordingly ; and fufferfrom anyonethat faith, he is Commi(roned to hurt us, if it he required of us: But we are not skill'd in Law, and thefore cannot fay, that all- others are bound to. do the-like. Todeal plainly, feting [Legal] muff be oblite-

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