P A a -r I. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. 35 them were againft the lawfulnefs of the War ; fò was Mn Lyford of Stierborn in Dorcetfhire, and Mr. Francis Bampfield, his Succeffor; and forne other Godly Mini- fiers in other Countries : And many refolved to meddleon no fide. Thofe that were againft the Parliaments War were of three Minds or Parties z One Part thought that no King might be refilled (but thefe I {hall not take any more noticeof) The other thought that oar King might not be at all refilled ; becaufe he is our Sovereign, and we have fworn to his Supremacy ; and if he be Supreme, he hath neither Superior, nor Equal: AndOaths are to be interpreted in the llri&eft Senié. The third fort granted that in fomeCafes the King might be refitted, as Bilfon, and other Bithops hold, but not in this Cafe. r. Becaufe the Law giveth him the Militia, whichwas contended for; and the Law is the meafitre of Power. 2. Becaufe, fay they, the Parliament began theWar, by permitting Tumults to deprive the Members of their Liberty, and affront and dithonour the King. ;. Becaufe the Members themfelves are Subje&s, and took the Oath of Alle- gianceand Supremacy, and therefore haveno Authority to refill. q, It is not lawful for Subjeets to defend Reformation or Religion by Force, againft their soveraigns ; no fuckgood Ends will warrant evil Means. ç. It is contrary CO the Do&vineofProtefkants, and the ancient Chrillians, and Scrip ore it [elf, which condemneth all that refill the higher Powers ; and as for the I ,i -ive Chrihians, it is well known they were acquainted with no other lawf `t' ,p pis against them but Prayers and Tears. t.. ; : epos err a falfe Accufation of the King, as if he were about todeftroy L. ie=, or Parliaments, all which he is refolved to defend, as in all minas Both appear. 7. i;: jullifieth the Papifts Do&rine and Pra&ices of Rebellion, and taketh the ),ü ,m from themunto our (elves, and layeth a Reproach upon the Proteftant ,a ac. v It proceedeth from Impatience and Diftrult of God, which caufeth Men to íl, tr :n,awful means. Religion may be preferved better by patient Sufferings. T.rcle were their Reafons whowere againft the Parliaments War, whichmay be fcen : florear large in Mr. Daily Digs his Book, and Mr. Welder's, andMr. Michael HaiJin's, and Sir Francis Netberfole's. g s ;. As for thofe on the Parliaments fide, I will firft tell you what they faid to thefe Eight Reafons; and next, what Reafons moved them to take the other fide. r. To the Firft Reafon, they Paid (as before) thatfor the Law to give the King the Militia, fsgnifiethno more but that thePeoplein Parliament contented to obey him in Matter of Wars, and to fight for him, and under his Conduet: For the Law is nothing but. the Confent of King and Parliament ; and the Militia is no- thingbut the PeoplesownSwords and Strength : And that this Confent of theirs fhouid be fuppofed to be meant againft themfelves, as if they confented to deftroy themfelves whenever he commanded it, is an Expofition againft,Nature, Senfe, and Reafon, and the common Sentiments of Mankind. And they Paid that the fame Law required Sheriffs toexercife the Militia in Obedience to the Decrees of his Courts of Juftice, and this againft the King's Perfonal Commands, and in the King's Name. Becaufe King and Parliament have by Law fetled thofe Courts and Methods of Execution, a Commandof the King alonecan no more prevail againft them, than it can abrogate a Law. And the Law, faid they, is above the King, becaufe Kingand Parliament are more than the King alone. And they pretend alto Prefidents for their Refiftance. a. To the Second, they fàid, that when zococo Proteflants were murderedin Ireland, and their Friends fo bold in England, and the Parliaments Deftru&ionfo indufiruoufly endeavoured, it was no time for them to rebuke their Friends upon terms of Civility and good'Manners, though their Zeal was mixt with Indi&reti- on ; and that if the Londoners had not lhewed that Zeal for them, it might have emboldned their Enemies againstthem ; and that if the permitting of Petitioners to crowd to them too boldly, and fpeak too unmannerly canbe called, the railing of a War (when they fought with none, but were affaulted themfelves) then the calling up of the Army from the North, was much more fo, and fo they were not the Beginners. Or had they been the Beginners, it had been lawful, being butto bring Delinquents to Juf ice, as theSheriff himfelf may in Obedience to a Court of Juftice. Bur the lrifh Flames which threatned them were kindled before all thefe F z ;. To
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