Part III. ReverendMr. Richard Baxter. ;< 29 them up (ifnot to theDevil) tothe Magiftrate to beBeggered, and perpetu ally Imprifoned ? Let me rather bear the wrath of all the Prelates on earth, and all that they can fay or do againft me. Prop. 7. But who Shall be judged tolerable it doth not become us , Strict. As it doth not become you to be Judges of what is, or what is not to- " lerable in thecafe of others i fo it doth much lefs become you to be Judges of "what is, or what is not to be granted in your own cafe. ] Anf. We.never arrogated anyof your Power over our Brethren We have formerly, in our Folly, hoped that we might prefume to be Petitioners, though trot :udges what is to be granted us. We are not afhamed to confefs, that we did delire leave to Preach Chrift's Gofpel; But we become not yudges in the Cafe of our Superiours Alts. But by (or without) your leave, we mull be dif- cu ues ',lidos of our own Duty or Sin, whatever it colt us. And, I think, no lb- ber Chrifiian will give the contrary, under his hand, as his Judgment. Prop. id. [That no Licenfed Minihers Íhall Preach against any of the Dó. ftritie,&e.] Strict. It Reins Vnliicenfed Minihers may be allowed tofpeak for or against "'what they lilt. Anfm. Our Cafe is hard withYou. .1 put in [Licenfed Or Onlicenfed ;3 And the Brit Honourable and Learned Perfon that faw it, thought [Vislicenfed] Ihould be put out, becaufe it was unmeet for as to tell HisMajefty whom he Ihould tole- rate, or how far; but to meddle only with our own Cafe, who defiredLicenfes Andnow for blotting out that word, and not medling withany others, we are cenfured, as motioning, that the Unlicenfed may fay what they lift : Thus all ourPeace-making motions have been long interpreted by fome. Prop. id. [ Th'at all Mágiftrates be excepted from all open Perfonal Re- bukes, and difgraceful Cenfures, or Excommunications, becaufe, duc. " Strict. We take Excomrimaication to be an Ordinance of God, fromWhich "Magiftretes are not to beexempted. fnf i. God never ordained that a Lay-Chancellor fhould Excommunicate them. z. God never gave power to any to excommunicate a King, Prince, or other Ruler (if any at all) but that particular Pallor to whom byvoluntary Confent he committeth the Charge of his Soul. The Independents that think Is you, are yet more modeh in this, in that they fubjeft the Ruler to none but the chofen Pallor pf that particularCongregation which he voluntarily joynethhimfelf to. 3. Is not the Worldmuch abufed when they are told that it is the Presbyterians, that are for excommunicating Princes, and not the Epifcopal? For mypart Í am fully of the mind of Bifhop Bilfan, and Andrews (in ortura Torti) in this; that toan Impenitent wickedRuler, I would fufpend my ownAllofgiving him the Sa- crament, with Clroyfofiom's refolution rather to fuller : But my Judgment is that no Bifhop nor Minifter (efpecially.onethat is not his proper Pallor) may lawfully ufe any open perfonalrebukes or difgraceful cenfures or Excommunications againft Kings, yudges or Honourable Magiftrates : And my Reafon, no Papift, Prelate, Presbyte- rian, or Independent, is able to refel viz. from the fifth Commandment. The ftablilhed perpetual Law of God Commandeth us to honour them. Difgraceful Excommunication is not accidentally, but purpofedly a difhonouring them : For Men are excommunicated that they may be fhamed. The after-pofitive Ioltitution of Excommunication nulleth not this antecedent Moral Law : but muff give place to it, and bindeth not againft it. I farther prove that, t. Becaufe all Men confefs that thislaft is but a Lawof Order, and that Order ig for the fake of the end and thingOrdered, and that it oft obligeth not when it ceafeth to be a means to that end, nr would deltroy it ; And that E,g. If you knew that an Excommunication of á King or Judge would prove the Dillblutlon of that Church, It were not Law- ful : Therefore neither when it expofeth the Magiftrate to the reproach or Con- tempt of the Subjeas, and fo fhaketh the very frame of the Kingdom, or Go- vernment. The Magiftrate's honour for the good of the Kingdom is more R r r t necelfary
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