Part III. 'Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. for all Laws die with the Common-wealth : And it is a contradi&ion tobe au- thorized by .him to refill by Arms his Commifrions, which are according to Law: For the Authority, pretended tobe his, muff be his Lams, or CommiJons and to be Authorized by his Laws, or Commiffions, to refiE his Laws, mutt fig; nifie, that hisLaws are contrádi&ory, when byone we muff refill another : But fo far as they are contradi&ory, bogs cannot be Laws, or Lawful Commiffions For one of them malt needs nullifie the other (either by Fundamental Priority, or by Pofteriority fignifying a Repeal of the other. ) And it muff be noted, that yet the Trayterous Po/ition medleth not with the QieEion of [ tiling Arm' a{ain,h the King's Perron, or Commiffoners by the Lam of Cod, of Nature, or of Nations, but onlyof doing it by his OMAuthority. 4. And that it is not lawful to take Arms againft anyCommillioned by him,'ac- cording to Law, in time of Rebellion and War, inpurfuance of rush Commi/]ion, ] is a Truth fo evident, that no lober Perlons can deny it: The Long Parliament that had the War, did vehemently affert it, and therefore gave out their Cora- millions to the Earl of Eifen and his Soldiers, to fight againit Delinquent Sub- lefts, for the King and Parliament. s. And the Oath containeth no more, than our -not endeavouring to Alter the Protelant Religion eftahlilhed, or the King's Government or Monar- much lefscto the Engliifh Difeaferor Corruption ofEpifcopacy, or all to Lay-Chancel, lours, dire. but only to the King, as Supreme in all Caufes Ecclefìaftical and Ci- vil, fo far as theyfall under Coercive Government. This dcñ The word acr F Religion theChurch- ofEnglan] ant include the P ely; ThePrtetant Religion is effentially nothing, but the Chriltian Religion as filch, with the dif- claiming of Popery, and fo our Divines have ftill profelled : But our Prelacy is no part of the Chriftian Religion. 2. The Protefant Religion is common to us with many Countreys which have no Prelacy o And it is the fame Religion with us and them 3. Thewords ofthe Oath diftiuguilhthe Religion ofthe Church ofEngland, from the Church of England it felf andfrom Goverment. q.. if Epifcopacy in general were proved rt of the Proteftant Religion the Englifh Accidents and Corruptions are not fo They, that fay that Epilopacy is lure Divino and unalterable do yet fay, that National and Provincial Churches are qure Humano and that fo is aDiocefane, as it is diftinct from Parochial, : con- taining many Parithes in it : And ifthe King fhould fet up a Bilhop in every Mar- ket-Town yea, every Parifh, andput down Diocefanes, it is no more than what he may do : And ifby [ the Proteftant Religion eflablifhed ] fhould be meant every alterablemode or circumftance, then King-James changed it when he made a new Tranflationof the Bible , and both he and our late Convocation ( and King and Parliament by their Advice) did change it when they added new Forms ofPrayer: And then this Oath bindeth all from' endeavouring tomake 'any alteration in the Liturgic or mend the Trantlation or theMetre of thePfalme, &c. or to take the keys of Excommunication and Abfolntion out of thehands of the Lay-Chan- . cellout3s, dtc. which none can reafonably fuppofe. 2. And that olor Prelacy is not at all included in theword [Government ofthe Kingdom in Church and State ] but only the King's Supreme Government in all Caufes Ecclefiaftical and Civil, is moft evident t. Becaule it is exprefsly raid The Government of the Kingdom] which is all one with the Government of the King. For a Bithop, or a Jnftice, or a Mayor, is no Governour ej the Kingdom, but only in the Kingdom o of a Particular Church, City, Corporation, or Divifion; The fumma poteftas only is the Government of the Kingdom as aKingdom., And becaufe forma denominat, we cannot take theKingdwn to lignifie only aChurch or City. Y Y Y Y 2. Becaufe t 9' iJü ,. br;Ë'
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