Part III. reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. i 61 noun and that we are guilty ofDo&rines inconfiftent with the Peace and Safe- ty of Societies and that we are moved by Pride and Covetoufisefs; as if we were proud of Men's Scorn, and covetous of foidid Want and Beggery, and ambitious of a Gaol ; and that we are Unpeaceable, Dilloyal, Odious and Intole- rable Perfons. Left we Should Teemover-querulous, and our Petitions themfelves Should- prove offenfve, we have been filent under Twelve years Sufferings (by which divers Learned and holy Divines have been haftened home to Glory) hoping that Expe- rience would have effectually fpokenfor us, when we maynot Speak for oar fillies. And did webelieve that our ownpressures were the greateft confequent Evil and that the People's knowledge, and piety, and the allowed Miniftes Number fuffi- ciencyand Diligence, were Such as made our Labours needlefs, and that the Hi- ftory of our Silence and Sufferings would be the futureHonour of this Age, and the futureComfort of your Souls, and theirs that inftigateyou againft us, before our CommonJudge, we would joyfully be filent, and accept of a Difmiflon. But being certain of the contrary, we do this once adventure, humbly to tender to Your Majefty, and Your Parliament, theft following Requests. r. Becaufe God faith, That he that hatethhis Brother is a Murderer, and bath not Eternal Life : We humbly crave leave once to Print and Publish the true State and Reafons of our Nonconformity to the World ; to Save Mens Souls from the guiltof uajuff Hatred and Calumny : And if we err, we may be helped to Re- pentance by a Confutation, and the Notorietyof our Shame. z. That in the mean time this Honourable Houfewill appoint a Committee to confider of the bed means for theHealing our Calamitous Divifions, before whom we may have leave at lad to fpeak for our felves. That theft annexed Professions of our Religion andLoyalty may be recei- ved , as from Men that better know their own Minds than their Accufers do, and who, ifthey durit deliberately Lie, Should be no Nonconformifts. ç That if yet we muff Suffer as Malefaftors, we may be punished but as Drun- kards, and Fornicators are, with fome Penalty whichwill confiftwith our Preach- ing Chrift's Gofpel, and that Shall not, reach to the hurt or danger of many Thou- fand Innocent People's Souls, till the Re-buildingof the Burnt-Churches, the lef- fening of great Parishes, where one of very many cannot hear and worship God; and till the quality and number of the Conformable Minifters, and the knowledge, piety, and fobriety of the people have trulymadeour Labours needlefs ; andthen we Shall gladly obey your Silencing Commands. And whereas there are commonly reckoned tobe in the Parishes without the Walls, above Twohundred thoufand perfons, more than can come within the Parish Churches, they may not be compelled in a Chriftian Land to live as A- theists, and worfe than Infidels and Heathens, who, in their manner, publìçkly worship God. The Prefilter; of our Religion. I A. B. Do willingly profefsmy continued refolved content to theCovenant of Chriftiaiity which I made in my Baptifm, with God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, forfaking the Devil, theWorld, and the Sinful Lofts of the Flefh : And I profefs my Beliefof the Ancient Chriftian Creeds, called, The Apoflles The Nicene, and, The Conftantinopolitane,and the Do&rineof the BleffedTrinity, hillier opened in that afcribed to Athenaflus: And my Content to, The Lord's Prayer, as the Summaryof HolyDelires, and to The Decalogue, with Chrifb's Inflitutions, as the Summary Rule of Chriffian Pradice : And to all the Holy Canonical Scriptures as the Word of God And to the Doctrineof theChurch of England rofef' fed in the 39 Articles of Religion, as in fence agreeable to the Word of God : And I renounce all Herches, or Errours, contrary to anyof thefe; And I do hold that the Book of Common Prayer and of Bithops Priefts and Deacons, contain- eth in it nothing fo difagreeable to the Word . of God, as maketh it unlawful to live in the Peaceable Communion of the Church that ufeth it. Xxxx The Iry
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