Part III. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 115 obliterated, weunderttand not what the word [Commiffion] meaneth : Whether it malt hare the King'sBroadfeal, or theLeffer-feat, or his Name only : Whether the Commißion andSeal mutt befheued to thofe that are not to refill ; or proved to be Currant, and how ? But that which caufeth us to forbear fubfcribing, is, i. We have taken the Oathof Allegiance, and think that theKing's Subjets arebound to defend hisLife, Crown andDignity ; Andwe fear left by this the Lord Chancel- lour (if not others) may have power at hisPleafure to Depofe the King, that is, to Seal Commif ions to Confederates to takePoffeffion of all his Navy, Forts, Garrì- fons, Arms, if not hisHoufe and Perlon, and no manmutt refft them, x. Weare not certain that a Commiffion ma Repeal all that Law of Nature, who obligeth a Man topreferve the Life of hisParents orChildren, or Neighbour. We have ant indeed any reafon tofear that our King Ihould grant filch a Commiffion : But who can deny but that it's poffiblefor fomeKingor othertodo it ? And feeingwe know not when a Commiffion is counterfeit, if twoor three men come tomy Houfe, and fay they have aCommiffion toKill myFather, Mother,'Wife and Children and my felf (and thew it) ; or if theyAlliult me and my Company on the High-way, and thew a Commiffion to take our Purfes hadKill us, we are not fure that God will ex- cufe us from the Dutyof defending the Lives of our Parents, Children andFriends : Or if half a dozen Ihouldcome to the Parliament, and thew a Commiffionprefent- lytokill them all, or Burn the City, andKill allthe Citizens, or Kingdom, we are not wife enough to know that neither Parliament, City,.nor Kingdom, may refill them. And wefind Parliaments fo conceited that theyhave Propriety in Life and Goods, and that none mayat pleafure take them away,'and lay Taxes without their confent; and that we fear if we Ihouldplainly fay, that whatever Taxes are laid, or EftatesorGoods or Perforas feiz'd on, or Decrees of Judges rejefted by fach Exe- cution, itwere unlawful for the Sheriff, or any others to refill, they would trouble us fot fo faying. And if an Admiral, General, or LieutenantIhould be made by Aet.of Parliament, Durante Vita, andAuthorized to refit any that would difpof- fefshim, we arenot fo Wife as toknowwhether he maynot refill one towhom the Chancellour Sealeth áCommiffion to difpoifefshim : Andthough we are confident that thePerlonof the King is inviolable, yet if KingBohndid deliver up his King- domto the Pope, we are not fure that the Kingdommight not haverefitted any of the Pope's,(orany Foreign Prince's) Agents, if they had been Commiffioned by the Kingtofetze upon theKingdom : Orthat noSubjects of any Foreign Prince maybe refitted if they fhould comeagainftus, by fuch aCommiffion. Had we the Judg- ment of the Judges in this Cafe, weIhould fnbmit as far asany reafon could require us. But tho wejuftifynot Barclay, Grotius,Bifhop Bilfonand others, of the contrary mind, we muff confefsour felvesnot wife enough to Condemn them. t. Prop. [Nor byany other [unlawful] means (toendeavour Reformation). Stric. (d) [Deleatur [Unlawful.] Anf. r . Here we may fee how many minds the Conformitts areof ; or how un juftlyall that I have debated theCafe of Subfcriptionwith do affirm, That by [not endeavouring] any Alteration, is meant only not endeavouring by unlawful meant] which is here contradibted bya Deleatur [unlawful.] Z. I crave art Anfwerto thefe Queftions. s. Can youcertainly fay, That the Church-Government is fo purely Divine and Perfect as that no Reformation is either neceffary or lawful? Is all theDiocefan Framedich, and the Lay-ChancellorsPower of theKeys alto? a. If therebe needof anyReformation, is it not a Covenant againft Repentance. and Obedience to God, to covenant never to endeavour it at all ? 3. What if the King Ihould by Commiffionrequire fome Alterations or com- mand us to endeavour it, are you fare thatwe are all bound to difobey him ? q. What if a Parliament-man make a Speech, or pafs a Vote for it areyou fure that he finneth? s. Are you fure that the Kingmaynot lawfully endeavour any Reformation ? Or was his Declararationabout EcclefiafticaI Affairs a fin ? 6. What if any humbly petition the King and Parliament forany fuch Reforma- tion (asthat Laymen maynot have the Power of the Keys over a whole Diocefs, andaU the Parochial Paltors be deniedit) ; is it certainly a fin ? PPPPz 7,I1.
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