Part ICI. `1everenrl Mr. Richard Baxter. 6. But yet betides the Catholick Church, we hold particular Churches being Chrikian Allcmblies, to be of Chrift's Inftitution. And it is itnpoíliible there to woríhip God without the determination of many Circumftan:es and Modes Some Tranllation, line Metre of Pfalms, fame 'Tune, fome Time and Place, fome Patter; fine Utenùis, mutt bechofn : And he, that will herein depart front the Commonchofen Circumltance, departeth therein himfeif, from their Commn- pion : But yet fach may ferve God acceptably in another Aflèmbly, and may live in Chriltian loveand Peace, though they Sing not in the fame Tune orGelture ; or ufe not every Ceremony alike. And this is nothing to the makingof new Sym- bols, Oaths, Sabfcriptions, or other things, not neceffary ingenere, and that by the Officers of a National Humane Church, and this not only to be dome, and quietly born , but approved : Your Way is the molt proper Engine to tear in pieces all the Churches in the World, cr reduce them to a SpanHumane Obedience. For ifa particular Parifh-Church did not fo much as eye Men to a Ceremony, but mere Determinations, which mutt force way be made; If the Prieft Stood at the Church door, and faid, You Mall not enter unlefs you will Subfcribe, or Say, or Swear, that we are infallible in all that we do ; or that there is no Sin, no Fault, nothing contrary to God's Will and Word ; nothing butwhat you Aflent, and Confent to in all our Tranflations of Scripture, in all car Verfions, Tunes, Words, Ge- ftures, Circnmftances, I would never enter into that Church ; though I will glad- ly and peaceablyjoyn with them, if they will let me alone without fuch Obligati- ons to juítitie ¡11 they do. One would think this Ihould have been pact Contro- verfie before this day, among the Prudent Paftorsof the Churches. "Strict. Still fappoling, that neither they, nor we, require any thing that may not be fübmitted to without fin. Anfro. Upon that Suppofition we have no Controverfie with you ; Then what need any of this adoe ? But who Stall be the Judge? If you muff, and that ab- folutely, then it is all one to uswhether it be fin or no fin : for, to us, it will be none, it we do as you bid us a But then why do Protettants condemn Papifts who do asthey are bidden? And why do our Articles condemn them, that fay, All Men may be fared in theReligion they are bred in; when they all do as they are bidden, even they that defie ChriR. But, if you hold not to this, what !hall we do? Are we our felves the difcerning Judges? Then tive protelt be- fore God and Men, that we take the things that we deny Conformity to, to be fins,and very heinous fins, and very far from things indifferent : If you fay, that we mutt obey you till we are path doubt, and certain that 'tis fin ; I Anfwer, t. It's too few things that Man's,Underltandingreacheth to a certainty in : What if I verily think, that I fee reafon to take that which a Bilhop or Church Com- manded, to he Blafphemy, Perjury, Treafon Murder, Heretic, &c. but 1 am not certain and pail doubt Malt I then do it? 'Then a Man that can he but fuf- ficiently ignorant, or doubtful, may Rick at no Commanded Wickediiefs. Some other Rule therefore than this mutt be found out. If you fay, That-vu have co reafon to take any thing commanded for andyou tl;ink you confute all our Objections; I An- fwer r. So all Impofers think, 'or matt a And fo we ate as confident that our Reafon is good, and that we fee the grofs Errors óf your Anfwers : And all this is but to far, that no Man is to be Tolerated in your Chinch, that is not in every thing in the Right ( and that in yont Judgments. )- Snppofe you Nacre In- fallible, fo are not all the SuhjeRs : And if }heir Reafon 'be Bad, cnd yours good all that is no, mare than tei fay , That They Err,' or are Miftakeüi And if no Man lhall be Tolerated With you that Erreth, and that if as great a Mar- ter as a Circumstance, or Ceremony; no two Men in thflWbrld Mutt hold Com- munionon filch Terms. I am: cónfident 4 Studyas hard as you : I.amconfident I am as impartial and willing to :know the Truth: I have far lets than you to tempt me to the contrary. And yet I verily think Conformity to the would be a heinous Sin : Nay, I am pact doubt of it, if that will ferve. Give us but leave to publilh our Reafons freely, and you Stall fee whether we hä42 any Reafon. But if vet I be miftaken Shall, your National-Church have never á Member To- lerated that is as ignorant and bad as I ? Hold to that, and try the Iflue, whe ihsr your Church will be as numerous as you are. St its. And z35
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