Part III. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. i39 Q 3. Doth not the Experienceof all Ages prove it pall doubt ? Q q. Doth not the,Confcience of your own Frailty, and imperfeet Knowledge moderate you ? Dare you fay, That you are not ignorant of plainer end greater things than we Puffer about ? Q S. Doyounot hold, That Godmuff be flit obeyed, and none againft him? And Ihould not a defire to obey. God Frit be cherilhed? And do you cherifh it; by fayins to us, [Though you think it a heinousfis to conform, yet do it; or Surer for your Ì1r ent ? Q 6. Was it not an All of Chrift's Wifdom, Mercy and Sovereignty, to make the Baptifmal Covenant ( which theChurch explained by the Creed) tobe the Stablifhed Univerfal Teft and Badge of his Diftiples and Church-Members ? And did it not Teem good tO the Holy Ghoft, and the Apoftles, Acts 15. to Im- pofe only nefeffery things? And is it not a Condemning , or Contrádifting God needlefly, to take a ContraryCourfe ? Q. '7. Is not Chrift's way, and the firft Churches, molt likely to Pave the Peo- ple's Souls and yours to damn them? For you will confefs, that Chrift's few evi- dent necelláry Conditions of Chriftianity would fave Men, if Bifhops and Rulers added no more. But if a multitude more (which you count Lawful) are added; then the Nonconformifts tothem are in danger of Damnation, for the Crime of Contempt of your Authority o So that conJequently you make all your Impofiti- ons needful to Salvation, and fomake it far harder tobe Paved, than otherwife it would have been. Q. 8. What hindereth any debauchedConfcience from entering into your Mi.; nifty, whd dare Say, or Swear any thing; while he that feareth anOath, or Lie, may be kept out ? And aphid which of thefe íhould you more carefully flout the Door? Q 9. If Agreement be deferable, Which fide May more eafsly,. and at à cheaper rate yield and alter, you or we ? If youforbear Impofirig an Oath, Suh- fcription, Declaration, or Ceremony, it would not do you aFarthing's-worth of hurt a If we Swear, Subfcribe Declare, Conform, we take our felves to be heinoul and wilful finnersagainft Got e You call that Indifferent, which we believe is Sin. r o. Do you not confers, that youare not Infallible? yea,and fubfcrilee, that General-councils are not ; even in matters of Faith ? And yet muff we fubfcribe our Affent to every word in thefe Books, or elfe be Silenced, or Suffer? Do thefe well confslt ? s s. Dare you deny, that many of your Silenced Brethren Study as hard as, you to know the Truth, and have as good Capacity ? And are they not as like to be Impartial, who Puffer as much by their Judgment, as you gain by yours? Judge but by your felves. Deth their kind of Intéreft tempt you mort dad your own topartiality? Q s a. Is it not grofs Uncharitablenefs, andUfurpation of God's prerogative; to fay, That they do it nbt out of Confcienée, when you have nomore front. the nature of "their Cade. Motives, or Converfation, to warrantfueh a Cerifure ?, And they are ready to taketheir Oaths,as before God, that were it notfar fear of finning , they would Conform. Q s3. Doyour Confciences never garde, when you think of Silencing s800. filch Minifters? and depriving fo many Thoufand Souls df their Mini/try ? sTheft. 2. 15,16. Q s q.. Can you hope to make us believe while we dwell inEngland, that the People's Ignorance and Vice is fo far Cured, or the Confortniffs, for Number and Sfff z Quality
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