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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A26943 Mr. Baxter's judgment and reasons against communicating with the parish-assemblies, as by law required, impartially stated and proposed Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1684 (1684) Wing B1289; ESTC R14325 19,788 40

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s a destroying his Office saith Mr. Baxter Though an Office may be Unexercised for a time on some special Reason yet if it be statedly suspended and that suspension established by Law or Custom during the Life of the Minister this is plainly a destroying or nulling the Office it self and not to be endured And surely the Exercise of the Pastoral power is statedly suspended and the suspension is by Law or Custom established during the Ministers Life and therefore the Office is nulled and destroyed that is the parish Minister is not a Pastor nor has the Parish Assembly any Pastor it is not a particular Church All this Mr. Baxter saith of the Old English Prelacy and yet thinketh that the present is much worse than the Old In his second Defence of the Nonconformists p. 64. Dr. Still saying That t●ere is no other reason of our Separation because of the Terms of our Communion than what was from the beginning of the Reformation Mr. Baxter Answers To say that we grant that there are no more Reasons now than were then is too bold an untruth there is more reason 1. From the Quality of the things imposed 2. From the designes and drifts of the Imposition 3. From the effects 4. From the Aggravation of Conformity as in the Church that we must communicate with 5. From the things which give us a fuller cause for our Preaching and Assemblies viz. The late general contrary Church state and Engagement to it c. On these particulars Mr. Baxter enlargeth I will but just intimate what he saith on some of them 1. As to things imposed now which were not then 1o. The Vestry Act was not then made by which so considerable part of the Parish Churches as the Vestries are are to renounce all Obligations to endeavour any alteration of the Government of the Church from the Oath and Vow called the Covenant so that all Reformation of Church Government as so sworn was renounced by them who in a sort represent the Parish Church 5. The Reordination of Ministers Ordained by Presbyters was not then required and made a Necessary condition of their Ministration and Church relation even by them that confess Reordination Unlawful And therefore Plainly intimateth the Nullity of the first 9o. The Word Pastor as applyed to Parish Ministers distinct from Curates was not then blotted out of most places in the Liturgies nor the 20th of the Acts as applyed to Presbyters left out Take heed to your selves and to the Flock c. in plain design to Alter the Office and Parish Churches To all this let us add § 8. That he that will hold Communion with a Church must consent to the Ministry Discipline and Worship of that Church see Cathol Concord ubi supra So that he that will Communicate with the Parish Assemblies must consent to the Ministery Discipline and Worship of their Assemblies that is he must consent to the Diocesane Pastor to the Parish Semi-presbyters and to the Parish Assemblies as being a part of the Diocesane Church and to the Diocesane Discipline for de facto this is the Constitution and Frame of Parish Assemblies they are but parts of the Diocesane Church they are under no other Pastor but the Diocesane Bishop have no other Minister than a semi-Semi-Presbyter who wants what is essential to the Pastoral Office and the Assembly wants that Cement of consent that is necessary to the making e'm a compleat particular Church This being so May we by any Act or Deed contribute to the fixing and establishing the Diocesane Episcopacy amongst us I 'll Answer according to sound Reason in conjunction with Mr. Baxter's own Principles If it were unlawful to restore the old English Episcopacy its unlawfull to give countenance and strength to it once restored for the strengthening it is but the continuation of the thing restored and if we might not lawfully help forward nor consent unto the Restoration of it we may not lawfully fix it when once restored for all these Mischiefs that are said to be the Fruits of its Restoration will be continued by a fixing it But according to Mr. Baxter it was not lawful to restore the Old English Prelacy much less Lawful to settle the New which he saith is worse His Reasons are many e. g. It destroys the end of Government and is certainly inconsistent with the necessary Government and Discipline to be exercised in the Churches It unavoidably causeth Separations and Divisions in the Church it degradeth all the Presbyters in the Diocess and destroys and nulls their Office it is the product of proud Ambition and Arrogancy contrary to the express command of Christ It so far gratifieth lazy Ministers as to ease them of the most painful part of their Work It is contrary to the Word of God and Apostolical Institution according to their own Interpretation Moreover it gratifieth the Devil and Wicked Men not by an unavoidable Accident but by a natural Necessity therefore saith Mr. Baxter in his five Disput pag. 32 to 50. not to be restored under any pretence of the Order or Peace of the Church And for the same Reason say I according to Mr. Baxters principles not to be complyed with not to be countenanced not to be fixed and strengthened by us though now restored Though the Order and Peace of the Church be pretended yet we must do nothing that countenanceth or stregthens the English Episcopacy we must not hold communion with them for that is to consent to the uninstituted species of their Church Ministry Discipline and Worship What then must we do May we separate without contracting the guilt of Schisme Take Mr. Baxter's own Answer § 9. If any Prince would turn his Kingdom or a whole Province Diocess or Country into one onely Church and thereby overthrow all the first Order of Churches of Christs Institution which are associated for personal present Communion allowing them no Pastors that have the power of the Keys and all essential to their Office though he should allow parochial Oratories or Chappels which should be no true Churches but parts of a Church it were no Schism to gather Churches within such a Church against the Laws of such a Prince see Nonconformists first plea for peace p. 52. Thus according to Mr. Baxters principles a separation from the Parish Assemblies and an erecting particular Churches according to Gospel Order is not Schism Our separation from the Diocesane Constitution and from the Parish Churches as but parts of the Diocesane is justifyable and not to be Condemned Now the Lay-Nonconformists are fully perswaded that the Law of the Land requires our coming to Church our going to the parish Assemblies as they are parts of the Diocesane Church which Mr. Bax. saith they must not do This being so manifest I presume the Reader will be querying about Mr. Baxters Practice and late Writings and say Why then does Mr. Baxter go to Church Why doth he write so much for it and cannot