same Principles still because he is so far from having retracted or made satisfaction for the Scandal of that Book as far as is generally known that in the Passage above-cited even after all these things were pardoned by the King he says If he had writ any such thing he would have retracted which seems to the World an Argument he did not look upon that Book which yet goes under his name as containing in it any Treasonable or Seditious Matter To which that I may be still faithful I must add That his going about to maintain such Paradoxes as some before taxed touching the beginning of the War c. confirm mens jealousies and encrease their admiration and prejudice in this regard He would not have us to rub on these sores let him be prevail'd with not to tempt such thereto by strange defiances who perhaps want temper to resist so daring Provocations Another real Blemish to use again my former terms and which Mr. Baxter must needs acknowledge such if he acknowledges any Blemishes incident to his Works is his assuming so much unto himself and looking if not upon all men as below him yet upon all that will not learn of him as young raw unskilful without experience sometimes too without conscience and sense of spiritual things Verily I have divers times pitied him when I have read the Contempt he has in ordinary course exprest of mâ—n who have studied if not quite as long yet according to the Opinion and Suffrage of the Learned World more legitimately and to much better purpose than himself Such a person I take the Authour of the Friendly Debate to be if I mistake not as I think I do not the man whom Mr. Baxter scornfully has nam'd the Debate Maker we know what kind of men that term in one sense belongs to but is a man known above twenty years ago to have had more Learning of all sorts than it appears to me Mr. Baxter has of any and who has given the World proof of no less Piety and Integrity yet what a Child and Novice does Mr. Baxter make of him pag. 116. However this we will easily excuse as a Censure only upon a single Adversary That I do not know how to Apologize for which according to Information for I have not my self seen the Bock he has in his First Part of the Plea for Peace p. 172. N. 12. animadverting upon the first Rubrick after the Office of Publick Baptism touching the Salvation of Baptized Infants who dye before Actual Sin When says he young unstudied men have in this Point attained to an undoubted certainty which their wiser Seniors cannot attain it behoveth them to convince us of the truth of their Inspiration or special Indowments either by a proportionable excellency above us in other things or by some Miracles or Testimonies from Heaven It is not easie for young unstudied men to get into the House of Convocation by whom this Rubrick was approved if not framed but that the Representative Body of the English Clergy a small part whereof have before Mr. Baxter's time been look't upon and pronounced the Admiration of the World should by a single person whose own * Education was very defective be styled such Apolog. pag. 58 59. and himself too plainly enough profess himself as mongst their Wiser Seniors bespeaks such a Confidence which I will not give a name to Other Passages which are pertinent to this place also I have had occasion otherwise to mention out of his Third Part already Nec bis repetita place bunt Yet perhaps there is one following exceeds all Methodus Theologiae Christianae 1. Naturae rerum 2. Sacrae Scripturae 3. Praxi Congrua conformis adaptata Plerumque corrigenda tamen persicienda Non 1. Ignavis festinantibus delassatis 2. Stolidis Indocilibus Sectariis ex homine fuco judicantibus 3. Superbis mundanis malignis Ergo non plurimis Sed Juventutis Academicae Pastorum juniorum parti 1 Studiosae sedulae indefessae 2. Ingeniosae Docili veritatem ordinem sitienti 3. Humili Candidae Deo devotae Quippe ad 1. Veritatis indagationem custodiam propagationem 2. Sanctitatis Cultum incrementum Liudem 3. Ecclesiae salutem pâ—cem Decus Supra omnes natae dispositae consecratae Dicata per Richardum Baxterum Philotheologum And after follows a Sentence out of Cicer. pro Roscio almost as humbly affixt When I first read this Title in the Term-Catalogues I thought it some Character or Summary of the Contents of the Book which the Stationer had procured there inserted to recommend the Book to better Sale but having since got the Book I find it is the Genuin Title given it by the Authour himself and as much his own for ought appears as the rest of the Book and in truth it has the peculiar signature of his way of writing Does he or any man in the World think it is a fit invitation or preparatory to a man to read a Book with patience and without prejudice that the Book in its front indirectly and slily calls him Slothful rash foolish unteachable proud worldly malign c. If not this affront yet the other indiscretion of so voluminous and imboss't a Title as one phrases such certainly will deter most Readers Quid feret hic tanto dignum promissor hiatu â—s a Rule which if he had had his School Books so much about him as he would possess us had done him much more service than all the fetches in by the head and shoulders out of Juvenal Third Part of Plea for Peace pag. 199 200 201 202 203 204 206 209. with as much ornament as pertinence Purpureus latè qui splendeat unus alter Assuitur pannus Sed citharoedus Ridetur chordâ qui semper oberrat eadem But to return from this Infection of repeating old ends though never so apposite Could any thing easily be said with more appearance of Arrogance in the very Title Page too than that his Book is above all others of the same Subject I know not how otherwise to interpret his Supra omnes viz. Methodus Theologiae Christianae c. framed disposed and hallowed amongst other ends to the Propagation and growth of Holiness to the Peace and Honour of the Church I will now for ever joyn with Mr. Baxter in acquitting him of a fault which he saith he dares not be guilty of styled by himself Hypocritical Modesty Third Part of Plea pag. 247. These are the chief Blots I have observed in Mr. Baxters Works which render them so much unserviceable to the Design of Peace He writes so peevishly so variously or inconstantly to himself so blindly as if wilfully blind or not penitent of his own guilt and so arrogantly and disdainfully that many are discouraged from reading his Books others only take thence further pet though I faithfully promise to do neither Lastly Were his pacificatory Writings obnoxious by none of the afore-recited defects or inconveniences yet the
but I thought it for the Publick Good to say what I have to which Publick Good we are all of us in duty bound to contribute all we can whatever diminution we suffer in some mens esteem I know it will be demanded of me What need of letting these men in Are there not Ministers enow already and more than are Honourably provided for I answer We shall have never the more for this Relaxation These men in behalf of whom I have spoken are in being already and will preach some where or other and 't is better we had them in Publick than in Corners that so the Church either had security for their peaceable doctrine which I verily believe we may have as to most of them or opportunities to convict them of their Sedition But I have other-guess Arguments than these that move me 1. To those who ask What need of more Union I return What need of Holiness What need of Godliness Charity Justice Are these Christian Duties and is not Union and Peace as much so 2. I am and must be in the mind that the strength of the Protestant Cause both here at home and throughout Christendom lies in the Union of Protestants and the Glory Purity and Power of Christianity in this World stand or falls with Protestantism 3. I must be so ingenuous as to acknowledge That though perhaps the City and divers particular Places flourish with such Preachers as never they had before yet the way of Preaching in many parts of the Countrey and in some no obscure places too might be much improved and needs supply And it can never be made out to the World but it were better we had too many good Preachers than too few I could tell some men in their ear They also have strangely multiplied Curacies which are too often vacant The Lord forgive them and redress this great Evil in his Church If I thought not these Arguments sufficient I would add more which occur plentifully but my Postscript is too much swoâ—n already I am not unsensible how difficult it will be to gain even this Point which I have pleaded for as small as it seems to some That it neither can nor ought to be attempted without the Legislative Power I have said often enough And I conceive the Dissenters would do well by performing so much Obedience to the Laws as they can to encourage and invite Authority to savour them by a Relaxation in what they cannot I will therefore by way of Conclusion make one Proposal which above all yet done or said is the likeliest means in my opinion to bring on an Accommodation Mr. Baxter says Part. 3. p. 8. Where he lived he came to the beginning of the Churches Prayers when he could and staid to the end And that peaceable worthy man above-commended whom I know not but whose name I found out by comparing one Book with another Mr. John Humphrey the Author of both Pieces touching Reordination of the Healing Paper and of the Peaceable Resolution c. seems to offer for himself and divers of his Brethren not only to use but to subscribe to the use of the Liturgy as to the Ordinary Lords-day Service It is plain then that several of the Nonconformist Preachers can in Conscience use thus much of the Liturgy yet I never heard either that Mr. Baxter when he preached publickly Occasional Sermons as he calls them and to which if I mistake him not he conceives his old Licence might authorise him still I say I never heard either he or any other of his Brethren did read any part of the Liturgy before any of their Preachings That they still frequently preach I no whit question Now my Proposal is That before all such Sermons at least before their more Solemn Ones on the Lord's days they would respectively use the Morning and the Evening Prayer which they thus acknowledge they could use and subscribe to the use of and by their practice thus teach the People the lawfulness of so much Conformity I should not doubt but such frequent reverent and serious use of it would soon recommend it to their Consciences and to the Consciences of all sober persons among them and this practice would not only be an Argument that they talk about Accommodation in good earnest but certainly prevail with the Bishops to use their interest and address to his Majesty in Parliament for some such Relaxation or Explanatory Act as is desired This would be something of a coming nearer to us and is but reasonable in them for that they expect we should be moving towards them But if they will still totally hold off and only tell us They can do thus and thus much towards Peace yet really do nothing it is a very shrew'd sing either that there is not in them that Cordial desire of Union they pretend to or that their Non-conformity is more the Act and Resolution of their Will than of their Conscience which if it shall appear they will for the future find less belief and fewer Favourers The End
time I have only occasionally and as by accident they have faln into my hands read any thing of his Works till now this piece of his which I am about to censure came in my way And from hence the World may estimate how far I am acquainted with or prejudiced against Mr. Baxter Truly Peace is so amiable thing that it would recommend any man to me who comes with offers towards it much more Mr. Baxter whom I have so long looked upon as a Conscientious man It is not easie to assign greater Advantages to the Person of a Peace-maker than what flow from Mortification Industry Age Experience Holiness and Zeal for Peace Mr. Baxter to any one that knows so much as and no more of him than I do would not seem with the Multitude to want any repute for these When therefore I saw this Book inscribed The third Part of his Plea for Peace I was very sorry the other two had escaped me and expected much from this But to my great grief have found my self only much disappointed Now because I know Mr. Baxter is able to do much with his Followers towards Peace and because further I am well assured he will be writing as long as he is able I have resolved to adventure the detecting how vastly in what he has writ at least in what I have seen of his on this Subject he comes short perhaps errs from his pretended Mark to the end that both he and his Partners in their future attempts may take the better aim For certainly were there never so much Humility Meekness Charity and Patience in the World were all our men of the most for bearing and most for giving Spirits imaginable which God knows is on all hands wanting yet the way he takes is not the way to Peace First I complain Mr. Baxter's manner of managing his Plea is mightily deficient I may say culpable He must bear with me if as I promised I am faithful to him and tell him he pleads for Peace in a most unpeaceable and provoking sort The Apology before-mentioned after the Epistle Dedicatory the design of which also seems to be to insinuate a kind of Schism even amongst our very English Bishops after that Epistle I say and a few of the initial Pages swarms all along with the strangest Suggestions Accusations Aggravations with the most biting Sarcasms and Reproaches which could well be stuff't into so much Paper I would not be mistaken I am not at all incensed by them only I really mourn before God to see the Symptomes of such a Spirit in such a man Good God! that men in whom otherwise appears so much of the life and power of Godliness should thus expose it themselves and their Christian Brethren to the Laughter and Scorn of the Common Adversaries Papists and Atheists I protest faithfully I am more concern'd for the credit of Religion in general amidst these bitter Aspersions than for any disgrace our Church or her Friends can suffer from all charged on us I am sorry to say it His whole vein of Writing in this Piece betraies the want of that Singleness of Heart that Candour Humility Charity Sweetness and Aequanimity which not only the Design of Peace and Union but the very Essence and Constitution of a Christian Spirit indispensably requires God forbid any should take their Measures hence of what temper Godly men are and what is the language they use It cannot be expected but I should give a few Instances to make good this Charge 1. Then I cannot but confess it is true there were many more of the Dissenters silenced than we could have wisht and God grant there be not one day found much of their own fault herein some People have talked of a Combination or Pact amongst themselves that except they might have their own will throughout they would make the World know what a breach they could make and how considerable they were But yet it is not fair to over-reckon knowingly and in ordinary course two hundred in the Sum as Mr. Baxter and others do pag. 155. 210. and in the very Title Page c. thereby to swel the accompt to the greater Odium by complaining roundly Two thousand This I must conclude to be done knowingly for sometimes he only says One thousand eight hundred as pag. 151. c. 2. Where the Execution has been so vastly milder than the Law where so much Mercy and Connivance has been shewn that I am confident there is not the most rigorous Bishop in the three Kingdoms but could give many more Instances of his Clemency and Forbearance than the Law will justifie there not only never to acknowledge this kindness but to be oftner than the Sheets occur in his Book I will justifie the accompt sometimes twice or thrice in a Page He is not content to do this in English so oft but in Latin too In Praefat. Methodi Christian Theolog. inculcating or upbraiding to us their Imprisonments seems to have some other Design than Supplicating for Peace Such ingeminated and undue Accusations of those whom we Petition are strange Arguments from Petitioners 3. The same must I say much more of the possessing the World The Bishops and Church-men are likely to promote or would be glad of those Severities to be executed upon them which their Souls abhor to think of and which the pretended Sufferers by no Laws nor so much as by the inclination of the Law-makers as far as ever yet could appear were at all in danger of Thus pag. 197. Blood was never yet of a light Digestion I pray God it have not been to some Nebuchadnezzars Furnace devoured the Executioners c. Who would not think from hence That the Laws had made Nonconformity as Capital as what was called Heresy in Queen Mary's days Or that the Statute De Haeretico Comburendo were by the Bishops reinforc't which contrarily has been lately repeal'd Again pag. 200. And you must consider also that if Blood and Destruction be the means you trust to you must set up a Shambles or Trade of Butchery and make it the Profession of your Lives Pag. 202. And then the whole Country will take notice how many worse men you leave alive which will encrease the Odium I am confident Mr. Baxter does not believe any of us are guilty of such Inclinations and therefore whether he acts like a Christian in such suggestions as these let him ask himself Yet he goes on again and again in the same strain Pag. 203. But especially forget not that the number of Nonconformists in England is so great that it will weary the Hangman to dispatch them or Executioners will scarce be found For what if you hang a Thousand or Eighteen hundred Ministers c. Pag. 209. Believe it Hanging or Banishing Hundreds or Thousands will not do your Business but make it worse And if you banish or kill all that are against you Land will be very cheap and Houses cheaper and others
Office of the Visitation of the Sick that much in that Particular is referred to the discretion of the Minister Then shall the Minister exhort the sick person after this form or other like says the Rubrick He is not then tied up but may vary and I scarce ever knew but in ordinary practice we do so Again Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins and be in Charity with all the World exhorting him c. viz. to forgiveness satisfaction to men for wrongs done disposal of his goods Charity to the Poor all which says the Rubrick may be done before the Minister begin his Prayer as he shall sée cause And for all this there is no form at all prescribed consequently then it being left to the Ministers prudence he he may put what Interrogatories and make as narrow a search as he shall think fir and he is required plainly to judge because to exhort and admonish as there appears cause Now it is to be considered these Exhortations and Admonitions may and most frequently do take up divers Visits However all this being supposed to be done Then and not till then Here shall the sick person be moved to make a special Confession of his sins if he féel his Conscience burdened with any weighty matter After which Confession the Priest shall absolve him if he humbly and heartily desire it after this sort Rubr. Where to be short I only desire two things may be noted 1. That after all this the Minister is not commanded to absolve him They must be absolved in Mr. Baxter is then false but if he see fit to absolve him he is to absove him after this sort It is very well known divers of us have refused and daily do to absolve such persons touching whose Penitence we are not satiâ—fied 2. Those words if he humbly and heartily desire it do import the discovery of such a sense of sin to to the Confessour at least suppose him in Conscâ—ence judge as may well be conceived to bear him out in giving Absolution certainly they do exclude Cursing and Swearing and railing at an holy Life at that time Which things being so apparently thus it would almost tempt a man in charity to think Mr. Baxter writes against the Laturgy without having duly read or considered it otherwise he would not so falsly accuse it or traduce our Church for it His last imputation is but little better than this which we have now dispatched Namely that the Discipline of the Church is managed by one Lay Chancellâ—r and his Court with some small Assistance The Archdeacons of which in most Dioceses there are divers in that of Exon from whence I came four throughout England generally have their Courts and neither are they Lay-men nor for the most part do they Act mainly by Lay-Officials and their Courts in many places are weekly Besides these in Every Deauery i. e. ten Parishes or thereabouts there are Archypresbyters or Deans Rural whose Duty and Oath binds them to enquire into the Conversation as well of the Clergy as of the People within their Precincts So that if Ministers and Church-wardens will but do their Duty the Provision of Discipline is sufficient in Mr. Baxter's language for the keeping clean the Church I will be still so charitable to him as to believe he is not verst in our Exercise of Discipline but I could also have wish't that he had no more censured it Only I will conclude this Particular by appealing to his own Sense and the sense of Mankind if such undue and prevaricant Charges as these be the way to peace 9. And now I am speaking of Prevarication his reckoning Hooper Latimer and Cranmer pag. 228. amongst the Nonconformists to conciliate thence credit to their Cause and detract from us is a kind of Art which Ingenuity and much more Christian Veracity would blush to own I will allude in this regard to the words of the great Apostle I wish not only Mr. Baxter but all the Dissenters were altogether such as they excepting their Bonds and Sufferings 10ly and Lastly For I will not run the number up to Mr. Baxter's beloved number of 20 or upwards though I might There appears to me in him a great Inconstancy to himself and that not only in smaller points and lapses of memory or attention as may seem that pag. 10. I never came near them that is the People of Kidderminster nor except very rarely sent them one line yet within five lines after I sent them says he all the Books which I wrote but even in his Resolutions and Matters of great moment is there with him Yea and Nay Sometimes he seems against all Subscribing as pag. 60 113 c. At another time he is for Subscribing to the Doctrine of the Church in the 39 Articles and Books of Homilies pag. 12 167 c. and other terms of Peaceableness Again pag. 128. The 39 Articles are a wholsome Doctrine yet pag. 122. They are not intelligible they have contrary meanings to fit the use of every Subscriber they are hot to one and cold to the other By the way sometimes it is no fault in the Books to be subscribed that they are so worded as to allow men to abound in their own sense And we are sure our Articles are in this no more guilty than most Confessions which have been penn'd for Concord as the Augustan it self witness therein the Article and Clause touching the Presence of Christ's Body in the Sacrament In sum when a Proposition evidently admits of two or three senses and each of them is known famous and held by divers Doctors of the same Church and that Church framing a Rule or Mean of Concord for her Sons shall in that Rule set a Proposition which takes in the several Opinions of these Doctors in such sort as to tye them up as far as is necessary and to leave them otherwise at their liberty is this Proposition justly to be called unintelligible or have Mr. Baxter and the Dissenters any cause if they will be constant to themselves to say 't is Unreasonable For my own part I wish sincerely for their sakes some more of the Articles and perhaps Rubricks too were penned with ampler Latitude But to the Point again That is a very unkind inconstancy unkind not only to us but to the Design of Peace that so often in pag. 16 17 18 c. he says They take it to be their Duty in the Exercise of their Ministry to take heed of any thing that tendeth to the Division of the peoples minds or the hinderance of the lawful publick Ministry or to their just Discouragement Again to take heed lest any dishonour or murmuring against their Rulers arise or be cherished by reason of their sufferings or to subvert or perplex the hearers by aggravating the faults of others or other mens worshipping of God or breeding in them distast of the Publick Worship for all which Expressions
I could not but inwardly thank and love him And again that after he had said pag. 143. We take Conformity to be so far from indifferent that we forbear to tell the World the greatness of the sin lest men cannot bear it and lest it should disaffect the People to the Ministry of the Conformists That I say after all this so fairly profest and promised he should spend three or four whole Pages continuedly besides what he does intersperst in a most unjust aggravating what he calls the sinfulness of Conformity styling Conformity in their sense and estimation of it Aggravate Perjury Deliberate Lying Rebellious Profession of Disobedience to God owning great and publick sins corrupting holy Worship and to all these when his wearied invention supplied him with no more hateful terms of variation adding after his manner an c. pag. 219. Again says he on the same Subject The sins we fear being guilty of namely by Conformity are as great as almost any we shall ever preach against We fear we shall do much to make our hearers infidel impenitent and utterly debauch't Pag. 220. Yet higher The sins which we fear still by this dreadful Bugbear Conformity being of the greatest sort Hell suggesteth Perjury and owning the Perjury The very same strain and almost word he has again pag. 218 and 219. and I know not indeed how often of thousands and doing what is equipollent to the preaching Impenitence and saying Repent not making a publick Ministerial Profession of Vsurpation and Church Corruption and of our Resolution never to obey God in doing any Duty of ours in order to Reformation pag. 221. Offering God lying Perjury c. for a Sacrifiâ—e and so blaspheming him pag. 222. If Mr. Baxter have these fears certainly he would have done very well to have kept his word and forborn telling the world of them except he would have all the Conformable Ministry silenced which would be fivefold the objected 2000 or which is worse except he designed by this publication of his fears not only the hinderance but the blasting for ever their Ministry both Publick and Private O the strange Partiality and Irresolution that is in Man To lead draw or encourage thousands into Arms against their Soveraign contrary to a man 's own and all their Oaths of Allegiance as well as contrary to the Laws of God and Man when some men search their hearts they cannot find to be Perjury nor owning Perjury Nay they cannot see in so doing they were mistaken in the Cause nor dare repent of it nor forbear doing the same if it were to be done again in the same state of things nay they cannot be convinced by others that they sinned in this matter Holy Commonw pag. 486. Yet to Subscribe and declare That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King or that an unlawful Oath cannot bind men to unlawful Actions is Perjury some of the grossest that Hell suggesteth I temper my self Good Lord deliver mens Consciences from these delusive Snares and make us constant to thee and our selves Without even this latter as well as former no possibility of Peace I break off my Instances here not for want of many more but because I promised so and because I conceive I have said enough to demonstrate to Mr. Baxter and all the World what I am content to call the first Defect in his Writings for Peace they want as I may call it the Stamp or Character of Peace they seem not writ with a Peaceable Temper The second Defect I shall tax in his Writings on this Subject is in part grounded on the former and it is want of that Credit and Authority even with good men which he mâ—ght easily conciliate at least might have easily conciliated to his Writings would he avoid or had he avoided what he must needs acknowledge to be as real blemishes as perhaps any can be assigned If he would put less Gall in his Ink if he would write with more Gentleness Softness Compliance and Yielding as far as in Conscience he can his Books would take and perswade a thousand times more It is a Rule which he himself presses and which I remember my self first to have read in his Gildas Silvianus four and twenty years ago Dilige dic quod voles I do not prevaricate if I say 't is not the tenth part of our men which are Readers that will read his Books on these Subjects by reason of these his Severities His Fierceness blasts the good he might do But this I have said enough of already as also of his inconstancy to himself There are two other Points which out of the Faithfulness I promised I must not pass unobserved And the first of them is to give it the fittest name The never acknowledging an Errour especially where it cannot well be but he must be convinc't of it I have read somewhere that when Luther lay on his Death-bed or towards his end he confest to Melancthon that he had writ too violently and more than to him then seemed truth in the Controversie of the Sacrament and the Presence of Christ's Body therein Melancthon perswaded him to something of a Retractation No says Luther should I retract any thing I have written the Papists will say I retracted all and so nothing I have written may be credited I cannot tell whether Mr. Baxter may not have something of this vein but I think his Case and Luther's widely different In a word it would redound to his immortal credit would he publickly revoke and recant those things which in his Conscience he judges he has writ amiss in justification of the late Wars and the alterations of Government that insued thereon Diver Passages of this nature I could transcribe out of Notes from that unhappy and miscalled Book his Holy Commonwealth But there is more collected and copied out of it in the bishop oâ— Worcester's Letter and some other sharper Pieces against him than I could wish for his sake were extant I remember my self to have read about the year 1663. in some Preface or Epistle before his Call to the Vnconverted that he himself takes notice of this prejudice lying against him and his Writings the Book I have not by me and that he there professes to this purpose That did he either know of any Seditious or Treasonable Matters which he had any where delivered or maintained or would any shew him of such he would immediately retract them He and I and all the World except men of evil Principles or no Principles must say There is a great deal of Mischievous and Sedâ—tious Polâ—ticks not to call a Spade a Spade in the Book mentioned Nor will I be so unkind to him I say as that any more of it shall be by me recorded against him But I intreat him not to resent it as written out of ill will if I tell him many do I assure him I do not believe he is of the
consideration and I suppose not excepted against And the Oath of Canonical Obedience which binding expresly only In licitis honestis I wonder men make such a clamour of and the Oath against Simony are administred only to such who are instituted into Livings So that upon the whole a man would think the business of Swearing should never hinder any Loyal Subjâ—ct from Conformity being that Swearing properly so called is not required to Conformity And then Secondly as to Subscribing and Declaring those who pretend they more scruple these than they do the performing the things they thereby engage to would either without them perform those things that is observe the Liturgy and Ceremonies constantly or only when they saw fit and as they pleased If the Later this would be much worse than plain Nonconformity Magis ingenuè Peribomius If the former when they shall have proved that it is much more to declare a thing lawful and promise either to do it or submit to the Penalty for not doing it than it is without any such promise ordinarily to practice it when I say they shall have proved this by any consent they shall be accounted Conformists upon such practice without any Subscription or Declaration Nay further I dare engage let any of them come into our Churches put on the Surplice read Prayers orderly go up and Preach they shall have leave so to do though they never Subscribe or Declare and for their so doing they shall suffer no Penalty And till they will prove the one or do the other I must conceive Subscribing and Declaring is reasonable For seeing they have to do these things how shall we know they will do them except they tell us so beforehand and that 's Declaring or else write so and that 's Subscribing This abatement therefore was not to be expected and so not to be proposed 6. I add hereto Mr. Baxter does not propound to do what yet he says he can in Conscience do and what he judges lawful no neither does he or his Brethren ordinarily practice so much as far as I can hear 1. He very honestly tells us pag. 8 9. he can Communicate with our Parish Churches in the Churches Prayers and hear the Ministers where he lives if they be but tolerable in the Sacred Office Nay he is exceedingly moved against the Separation as well by the Arguments of many of the famous old Nonconformists as by four excellent Considerations he there subjoins 2. It appears by what he discourses at large from pag. 14. to 20. and pag. 139. sub fin 240. and in divers other places that he does not at all judge it unlawful but many times very expedient to forbear their preaching in the time of the Publick Prayers and Sermons of the Church on Lords days Whether these two be his and their practice we leave it to themselves we hope it is only I do not find he propounds to do this as a Mean of Peace 3. He says he himself never scrupled Kneeling at the receiving the Lords Supper pag. 155. 4. I have heard also that in his Five Disputations pag. 409. he hath these words speaking upon a Supposal that one certain habit were enjoyned Ministers in their Ministration The thing in it self being therefore lawful I would obey him i. e. The Magistrate and use that Garment if I could not be dispensed with yea though secondarily the Whiteness be to signifie Purity and so it be made a Teaching Sign yet would I obey Now it would appear hence that he does not think the Surplice unlawful Yet do I not expect he should propound either of these two last in general whatever himself in particular might think good to do for reconciling himself to our Church because he intimates Better men than himself scruple them However this very matter I may justly mention as the Seventh and Last Defect I will take notice of in his Proposals that we can build upon little or nothing in them as Conclusive to the Body of the Dissenters Because What are his thoughts to Two thousand that are Absent or not consulted Third Part of Plea pag. 195. I have thus dealt very faithfully with Mr. Baxter and his Writings as to the matter of Peace and I hope he will approve himself so wise and good a man as not to take with the left what is given him with the right hand but if he think fit to write more on this Subject that he will study rather the closing Wounds than making or widening them He complains himself he has had but bad success in solliciting the Cause of Peace I will therefore adventure to take my leave of him in recommending to him what I am of the mind he may do to much better purpose and what were I in his Circumstances I should if not judge my self bound unto yet accept as the best Works with which I could close my Labours First Whereas he intimates pag. 71. that he has wrote above Seventy Books wherein his Doctrine and Religion are visible were I their Author lest People should take all that to be my Doctrine and Religion which is visible in them I would immediately with what care I could run them over and conscientiously retract either under some general heads or in particular as the case and my leisure would permit whatever I should judge had been said amiss or less sound Mr. Baxter well knows how great a mans Works in the Usual Editions begin with his Books of Retractations and Confessions Secondly Whereas it is apparent Mr. Baxter has been intangled miserably in the Calamities of the times and perhaps contracted thence such Circumstances as render it highly unexpedient for him as he conceives to speak in his present Condition as he would or might have done if never so intangled I would were I as he at least in conceipt disembarass my self and sit down and considering the present state of the Church what is imposed what are the pretences of those who oppose what a fair Gaim these oppositions put into the hands of the Common Enemy considering I say and comprehending as near as I could the whole I would freely present to the World my calm and uninteressed thoughts and give a candid and impartial Account what I could in Conscience do and what in prudence I would do were I to begin the World again in order to the fair and successful Exercise of any Ministry I humbly beg his pardon if I think he never can do the Christian Church and himself a greater Service than two such Works of these would amount to and so from my heart I commend him to the Grace of God I should now reflect on some others upon the same Subject and I am sorry that I can truly say I have met with some who taking up Mr. Baxter's Principles out-going him acting only like those who cast abroad Firebrands and Arrows and Death I will not name them nor their Books for neither does it conduce to Peace