Baxter - BX5207 B3 A2 1696

14 f! P END I X. Numb. I, let us alone to have our way, and do all, and then we will have Concord with you asourpeople whilft you obey us. Truly we have found your Predeceffors ftep Fa- ther's, and hard Task- matters ; yetthe Lordknows my heart,thac I take it far more Bale incomparably, and in idelf delirable to fuch as,.1 tobe Ruled then to Rule,to Obey thento Command, fo be it we be not commaneied to fin againítGod,and run intoHell. But when we have all forfaken our Churchesand Offices for peace with you, is all the work done ? 1. How (hall we do,Xar.-peace with God and Confci- ence,for over-running hiswork, and liarvingSouls., ,x: How (hall webear the cryes of poor People for theBread of Life ? I. What thatGod's Worfhip and our Con- gregations do ? Who fhall fupply our Places ? are there able faithful Men enough ofyour Way ? O that wecould fee them? It is not two or three or ten in a Coun- try that would ferve turn. If there be enough, why did you permit fo many drunken, fottifh Readers, and fo many hundred wickedLivers, which the Church is not well rid of yet? See theCenturies of thofe rejected in the Beginning, while Mr. White was Chairman, I never owned the tatting out of any worthy or tollera- ble Man for Loyalty ; yet what Reproaches did he and others undergo for cafling oat fuch a pack of Swearers, or Drunkards, or Adulterers, or the like ? is there no Concord to be had with you but by giving up our poor People to fuch as thefe again ? For my part I love Charity and Peace better than ever I did, but Charity hash Eyes, or is guided by Eyes.. tam not a Stranger in England, I knew Multi- tudes of the old Epifcopal Clergy that were ignorant or of wicked Lives, and the great Hinderances of the Salvation of their People, when they fhould feek to fave. 1 knew but here and 'there one of them that was learned and godly ferions Preach- ers. Thole Men I love and honouraccording to their Worth,as much as any Men of any party : Thefe only did we delire Concord with as Minifters : and alas if it be not to be had without forfaking àll our Charges, and giving up a whole Coun- try to fo few of thefe, the Will of the Lord be done ; for I will never believe that this is his Will till you bring other Reafons for it then yet any of you all have pub- licitly' done. And Iwarn all honei Epifcopal Divines,that they take heedof drawing your Guilt upon them, and of concurring with Men of fuch dangerous Principles as you are; your way to Concord muff be like the Romanios (thegreaten Schif- mancks on the Face of the Earth) who cry up Unity, Unity, but themfelves muff be the.Centre, or it muff be only in their Wayand on their Terms. They will unite withno Chriftians in all the World that are not of their Patty, (for a Party they are, thoùgh they will be called the Catholick Church).and donot you gothis way toofar ? You will haveConcord with none as Minifters, but chafe ofyour own Party, all the rat mutt be no Minifters with you, nor their People take them for fuch. Durf you (whoever you are, for Í know you not) be bound to anfwer for us, and bear us out before God in Judgment, if we lhould all give up our Places or preach no more ? durit you be bound upon pain of Damnation to your Oyes to fave all our People from being condemned for it if they fhould all renounce and forfakeus, and-all the Minioerial Worlhip of God which we perform, and the Churches we guide ? Alas it is not your telling us, that the Holy Saint Ignatius is lately vindicated, that will fatisfy our Confciences in a Cafe, of this Moment, even to leave Godunworfhipped Publickly, and our People untaught, and let Satan raigo, and Souls perish by Thoufands for fear of facing them without Epifcopal Ordination. If you Itill fay that we fhould be of yourMind, and be ordained by Bioops, we again fay our judgmentsare not at our Command ; we cannot believe what we lift, I know multitudes of AntiEpifcopal Men that fludy asfaithfully and Peek God'sDireáion as heartily as any ofyou all (and yet cannot fee the Juftnefs of your Caufe, (though whether it be ¡tiff or not, I purpofely forbear to pafs ìny. Cenfure). if $ill you fay, it is our Wilfulnefs or Peevifhnefs ; I leave you, as Ufùrpers of God's Prerogative, and pretending to that Knowledge of our Hearts which is a oep above the Papal Arrogationof Infallability. Nay, Peeing Ihave gone fö far, 1will add .thij; do you not imitate the Papifts in the main Point of Recu- fànfy, by which We were wont to know them in England? Nay, we had many Church Papil:s that went not fo far ? muff not you, as they, have People difclaim eur.;i,Riniftry and Affemblies, and notjo,n in them for fear of owning unordained Mete.. Be.not too angrywith ifs, I pray you, if we call not fuch Proteftants or at. ¡talt if we take it for impoflible to have Concord with them. z. Imuffan tell youthat are offended at mySaying, that thofeparticular Bishops named, defer- ved to be call out, that if you be one that dareown them in theirWays, or would have the Church have fuch as they, yea, that do not deteo and lament their Mil carriages, fecal to your felf as Pious as you will, you, are no Man for our Com- pany

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