is meet for the safety of Mens Health that none practise Physick but a Licensed Physician And until there be a greater want of Divines or Physicians than now there is it is pitty that such as are not Licensed should be permitted The Third part of Conformity begins p. 208. concerning the Renunciation of the Covenant whereof he treats § 11. and 12. Ministers saith he must onely subscribe that there is no Obligation on me or any other person from the Oath c. to endeavour any change or alteration of Government in the Church to which he adds the Oxford Oath That we will never endeavour any alteration And the Articles for Prelacy the Ordination promise and Oath of Canonical Obedience Against all which he Objects that even those Non-conformists that are for the lawfulness yea the need and desireableness of Bishops and Arch-bishops are unsatisfied in these things That some Hundred of Parishes are without any particular appropriate Bishops and consequently are without the Discipline of such Bishops and so are no Churches but only parts of a Diocesan Church that the Bishops have more work than they can do and the Keys are to be exercised by Lay-men Answ I have already shewed Mr. Baxters judgment of Bishops and Lay-Chancellours and shall only add that the Laws which Impower the Ministry with the Exercise of Discipline are so full and exact that if each Minister did faithfully perform his duty there would be no need to complain for want of work or of authority to do it effectually Every Minister is to admonish his Parishioners not to delay the Baptism of their Children whereby they are entred into a Covenant with God and by their Sureties ingaged to Faith Repentance and new Obedience as soon as they come to years of Discretion they are to be instructed out of the Church Catechism every Sunday which Catechism Mr. Baxter himself commends to be better for its Method than most others Then upon their knowledg of the Principles of Religion and owning their Baptismal Vows whereof the Minister is to take cognizance and certify to the Bishop they are to be Confirmed and none but such are to be admitted Communicants and none but Communicants to be admitted as Godfathers c. The Minister ought both publickly and privately to admonish such as are scandalous and to deny them the Communion until they manifest their Repentance which is a kind of Excommunication He is constantly to Celebrate publick Worship to Preach the Word of God and Administer the Holy Sacraments frequently to visit his Parishioners that he may know the State of his Flock to instruct the Ignorant rebuke the Wicked incourage the Good to visit the Sick absolve the Penitent and to strengthen them by the Word of God and the Comforts of the Holy Sacrament against the fear of death If these things were duly done as they might and ought to be there would be no cause to complain either that the Bishop hath too much or the Pastor too little work the fault is not in the Laws or Constitution of Government but in the want of due Execution To omit the many impertinencies in the 12. § there are Three things only on which he grounds his Plea for the Covenant The First is p. 214. Whether when Charles the II. had though injuriously been drawn to take the Covenant it doth not oblige those that took it afterward and whether the King having taken it no one person be bound by it p. 143. Answ Mr. Baxter leads me by this Question to consider how His Majesty was dealt with by the Scots in this matter how they tortured him with various temptations of hopes and fears and so affronted him with many horrible Reproaches of his own Sins as well as of the Sins of His Father and Grandfather that he often attempted to leave them what Provocations he met with in private may be guessed at by their publick Actions The Thursday before the Coronation was set apart as a Solemn day of Humiliation throughout the Land for the Sins of the Royal Family Robert Douglas in the Coronation Sermon told the King That His Grandfather King James remembred not the kindness of them who had held the Crown upon his Head yea he persecuted faithfull Ministers he never rested till he had undone Presbyterial Government and Kirk Assemblies setting up Bishops and bringing in Ceremonies In a word he laid the foundation whereupon his Son our late King did build much mischief in Religion all the days of his Life 73. P. 52. He tells the King to his Face That a King abusing his Power to the overthrow of Religion Laws and Liberties which are the fundamentals of that Covenant may be controlled and opposed And if he set himself to overthrow all these by Arms they who have power as the Estates of the Land may and ought I suppose by obligation of the Covenant to resist by Arms because he doth by that opposition break the very Bonds and overthrow the Essentials of this Contract and Covenant This may serve says he to justify the proceedings of this Kingdom against the late King who in a Hostile way set himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Thus was the Kings Crown lined with Thorns and he had Gall and Vinegar given him to drink instead of the Royal Unction which that prophane Scot thus derides p. 34. The Bishops behoved to perform this Rite and the King behoved to be Sworn to them But now by the Blessing of God Popery and Prelacy are removed let the anointing of Kings with Oyl go to the door with them and let them never come in again If the King ought by the Laws of the Kingdom to have been Sworn to the Bishops this may make void the Obligation of the Covenant for the Coronation Oath is a right of the Subject and concerns their interest and security and the King as Heir to the Crown is obliged to that Oath and if any subsequent Oath may violate that in one particular it may also in others and then farewel to Magna Charta the priviledges of Parliament and Liberty of the Subject See more in the Review of the grand Case p. 139. 140. P. 92. He tells the King That God in his Righteous judgments suffereth Subjects to conspire and rebel against their Princes because they rebel against the Covenant made with God and adds I may say freely that a chief cause of the Judgment upon the Kings House hath been the Grandfathers breach of Covenant with God and the Fathers following steps in opposing the work of God and his Kirk within these Kingdoms and probably too many do still think they may rebel again in Defence of the Covenant But I argue from the manner of the Kings taking the Covenant as it is related p. 75. c. that the King is not obliged by it to make any alteration in the Government of our Church for thus it is related That the National Covenant and the
the beginning Whosoever will be saved before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith And the Catholick Faith is this c. And in the end This is the Catholick Faith which except a Man believe faithfully he cannot be saved Answer if our Assent be required only to the Use of this Creed and not to a belief of the Truth of every part of it the controversie will be at an end Secondly The Belief of things as necessary to Salvation is granted by Non-conformists to be not an Assent to the several Phrases and obscure Words but to the general sense contained in them Now the sense of our Church in proposing this Creed may be judged by the Use which she makes of the Apostles Creed not only in the daily Profession of it but in the Office of Baptism as containing all the necessary points of Faith into which we are Baptized And in the Catechism as containing all the Articles of the Christian Faith which doth shew that no more is required as necessary to Salvation than what is contained in the Apostles Creed Thirdly In this Creed some things are propounded as necessary points of Faith which Men of weak judgments may apprehend as that we Worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity Other things are for a clearer explication of that Doctrin and vindication of it from the errors that were then risen in the Church as the Arrians and Nestorians who erred concerning the Divinity of Christ and his two Natures which begin thus For there is one Person of the Father c. After which followeth the necessary Doctrine again So that in all things as is aforesaid the Vnity in Trinity and Trinity in Vnity is to be Worshipped He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity So that the Doctrine of the Trinity is that Faith which is proposed as necessary to Salvation I know the exception of many against this Creed is in relation to the Heathen who seem by it to be excluded from Salvation In which respect I suppose it is that Mr. Baxter says p. 191. That some R. Reverend Conformists do profess that those Sentences are untrue and not to be approved and he instanceth somewhere in Mr. Chillingworths refusal to subscribe it But if this be the ground of the Exception I conceive that the generality of the Non-conformists who maintain the same Opinion which is consonant to the Scriptures and to the Assemblies Confession of Faith to which Mr. Baxter also hath declared his Assent in this particular will not oppose For in the Assemblies Confession C. 10. Article 4. concerning effectual calling they say That Men not professing the Christian Religion cannot be saved in any way whatsoever be they never so diligent to frame their Lives according to the Light of Nature and the Law of that Religion they do profess and to assert and maintain that they may is very pernicious and to be detested And I know some Non-conformists have lately blamed some Conformists for seeming to incline to the contrary Opinion Which if this be sense of the Creed our Church doth explode yet some Non-conformists think that by holding the Doctrine of the Athanasian Creed they do not judge the Heathen World and that they dobut not but in every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him so that this obloquie is silenced But it is most probable that Athanasius intended the Explanatory part of the Creed against the Arrians and other Hereticks in the Church who if they denied the Divinity of Christ and dyed in that error who can think they can be saved seeing they make Christ a meer Creature and overthrow the Doctrine of our Redemption by him But that he should condemn all that have a true though but a weak Faith in the Holy Trinity and cannot comprehend the manner of the Eternal Generation of the Son the Procession of the Holy Ghost and the Co-equality of the Trinity cannot be thought to have been the Mind of Athanasius P. 192. N. 20. The Liturgy saith All Priests and Deacons are to say daily the Morning and Evening Prayer privately or openly not being lett by sickness or some other urgent cause c. Answ That the Primitive Christians did meet daily not only for publick Prayers but to receive the Sacrament is believed and that it is our duty to Pray Morning and Evening cannot be denyed and what should hinder but that such as are specially devoted to the Service of God should Pray openly with the people if not reasonably hindred or at least pray privately for them there are many that do their duty herein and if all did it would be better with us because all Men do not perform their Baptismal Vows is it fit that none such should be made we see this duty is performed in Cathedral and Collegiate Churches and in many other places where there is a liberal maintenance provided for the Priests and Deacons where though one only do Officiate yet all those that are present may say the daily Prayers as the Liturgy requires which is another frivolous Objection of Mr. Baxters p. 192. n. 3. The next is a Calumny against the whole Liturgy viz. that the Prayers are disorderly and defective not Formed according to the Order of Matter nor of the Lords Prayer but like an immethodical Sermon which is unsuitable to the High Subjects and Honorable Work of Holy Worship and that the Non-conformists have Offered when it shall be well accepted to give in a Catalogue of the disorders and defects of the Liturgy But all this notwithstanding they think it lawful to Use the Liturgy in Obedience or for Unity or when no better may be Used It is something to go thus far but if they would impartially consider the defects and confusions which were in the Directory as it hath been considered by Doctor Hammond or in Mr. Baxters Eight days exploit for a more correct Nepenthes and shall on the other side read that account which Mr. Comber and others have given of the Methodical order and dependance of the several Prayers and Offices the Grave and Scriptural Phrases and Expressions in the Liturgy he may perceive that this is fitter to guide the Devotion of the Universal Church than those other are for Country Conventicles P. 194. He excepts against the Preface to the Book of Ordination where it is said that It is evident to all Men diligently reading Holy Scripture and ancient Authors that from the Apostles time there have been these Orders in Christs Church Bishops Priests and Deacons as several Offices Answ I shall not trouble my Readers with the Arguments of Learned Men for the Order of Bishops in the Church ever since the Apostles days as distinct from Presbyters much less shall I repeat those uncomely Reflections which Mr. Baxter hath made on Diocesan Bishops in both his late Books It may suffice in Answer to this Objection that Mr. Baxter
Solemn League and Covenant being read the King Swore that for himself and successors he should consent and agree to all Acts of Parliament injoyning the National Covenant and the Solemn League and Covenant c. in the Kingdom of Scotland as they are approved by the general Assembly of that Kirk and Parliament of that Kingdom And that he should give his Royal Assent to Acts and Ordinances of Parliament passed or to be passed injoyning the same in his other Dominions And in the Declaration set forth at Edinborough in His Majesties name 1650. But penned as it seems by the Covenanters He declares That if the Houses of Parliament of England sitting in freedom shall think fit to present unto him the propositions of peace agreed upon by both Kingdoms he will not only accord to them and such Alterations there anent as the Houses of Parliament in regard of the Constitution of Affairs and the good of his Majesty and his Kingdoms shall judge necessary but do what is further necessary for the Prosecuting the ends of the Solemn League and Covenant Especially in those things which concern the Reformation of the Church of England in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government And p. 107. He doth also declare his firm resolution to manage the Government of the Kingdom of England by the Advice of his Parliament consisting of an House of Lords and an House of Commons there All which His Majesty hath punctually performed and the Parliaments of both Kingdoms having rescinded the Covenant and condemned it as an unlawful Oath and settled the ancient Government of the Catholick Church I speak with all humble submission His Majesty is not at all obliged by that Covenant thus taken much less to make any alteration in the Government of the Church of England unless he would act not only contrary to the established Laws but contrary to that very Oath and Declaration by which the Non-conformists suppose him to be obliged which oblige him to agree to such alterations as the Houses of Parliament in regard to the Constitution of Affairs and the good of His Majesty and his Kingdoms should judge necessary and to manage the Government of the Kingdom of England by advice of his Two Houses of Parliament And this will answer the first Question in the Negative that neither the King who was injuriously and unlawfully as is acknowledged drawn to declare for it and consequently no other person that took it afterward are bound by it to make any alteration c. If any alteration be found necessary there are lawful means to be used for that end But there is no obligation from this Covenant being so repealed to use even lawful means much less such unlawful ones as the Covenant implies i. e. for Subjects to reform without and against the Magistrate and his Laws By this also a second question is resolved p. 215. which Mr. Baxter calls the main question Whether every Minister must or may become the Judge of all other Mens Consciences and Oligations in three Kingdoms For let it be remembred that the case is only whether they are obliged by the Covenant to endeavour any alteration c. Any lawful endeavours are not denyed but the Covenant being Condemned as an unlawful thing cannot lay an obligation on any to act against the Laws whereby the Church Government is established Against this a third question is urged whether this League and Covenant were a Vow to God and not only a League and Covenant with Men which cessante occasione and by consent of Parliaments doth cease Mr. Baxter affirms that it was a Vow to God and a League and Covenant of Men with one another that they will perform it and instead of Proof he says it is notorious to any Man that readeth it with common understanding Answ 1. The Title of it is a Solemn League and Covenant there is no mention of a Vow to God And in the Preface a mutual League and Covenant 2. And in the Renunciation it is to be declared that there lyes no Obligation from the Oath commonly called the Solemn League and Covenant If any part of it be a Vow to God that is not mentioned to be disclaimed for 3. The particular Case wherein its Obligation is to be disclaimed is to endeavour any alteration c. Now how can it consist with the nature of a Vow to God to make unnecessary alterations against the Laws of the Land Would not this cause the Christian Religion in a short time to be exploded out of all Kingdoms 4. It is notoriously known that the few things that make the Contract as Mr. Douglas calls it or Covenant between the Rebel Scots and English to seem as a Vow to God were used only as a pretence to draw on that part of the Covenant which is acknowledged to be unlawful and which is the greatest part of the Covenant the intent whereof was to strengthen the Rebellion against the King as by the negative Oath and the general actings of both Nations which followed doth evidently appear And what Rebellion or Heresie may not be Covenanted for under pretence of such Vows If therefore there had been any thing of a Vow to God in the Covenant it was a horrid Profanation of Gods name to make it subservient to such unlawful ends And it is rightly observed that it binds to the Extirpation of Bishops out of other Churches as well as out of ours alone 5. The most part of those who took the Covenant when it was first imposed had declared their approbation of the established Government and sworn Obedience to the Bishops so had generally all the Assembly and fixed Ministers and as I presume Mr. Baxter himself and whatever contrary Oaths they took afterward are rightly esteemed to be as Null the pretence of a Vow notwithstanding 6. It is inconsistent with the nature of a Vow to be forced as the Covenant generally was as hath been observed from Mr. Baxter That the Scots taking advantage of the straits to which the King had reduced the English Parliament brought in the Covenant as the condition of their help and that the House of Lords complained of the Parliament as Mr. Baxter calls the House of Commons which tyed them to meddle with nothing but what they offered to them And though the Covenanters pretended for this Vow the Example of Gods people in other Nations and the commendable practice of these Kingdoms in former times yet there never was the like Oath for matter and manner taken by any people fearing God in any Age of the World I conclude with a Concession of Mr. Baxters p. 213. of the Plea It is not in the Subjects power by Vows to withdraw themselves from Obedience to Authority which is proved from Numb 30. And the Reason of it is because Obligatio prior praejudicat posteriori God hath first injoyned Obedience to our Superiours They therefore lawfully requiring our submission to the established Government there can lye
no obligation on me or any other person to endeavour alteration of the Government If any fault be found in subordinate Governours we may in our places and callings endeavour a Reformation of them but the Government is a noli me tangere we may not undermine foundations But Mr. Baxter proposeth another question whether the Covenant as a Vow to God bind to things necessary Answ To all necessary things we are pre-ingaged by the Command of God and extraordinary means must not be used when ordinary may serve Mr. Baxter § 43. of his Directory says A Vow is as Null when the matter is morally or civilly out of our power as if a Child or Servant Vow a thing which he cannot do lawfully without the consent of his Parent or Master though the thing in it self be lawful for God having bound me to obey my Superiours in all lawful things I cannot oblige my self by my own Vows § 79. of his Directory Make not a Law and Religion to your selves which God never made by his Authority nor bind your selves for futurity to all that is a duty at present where it is possible the changes of things may change your duty And § 3. p. 19. The true nature and use of Vows is but for a more certain and effectual performance of our duties not to make new Laws and Religions to our selves From which concessions it will follow that the power of Reforming c. being in the King the Vow was Null And it is morally impossible for them to do that in their places and callings which they cannot do without Invading the Place and Office of their Superiours And therefore notwithstanding the pretence of a Vow yea though it were for things lawful which the alteration of the established Government is not we may declare that there lyes no Obligation c. P. 216. § 13. Mr. Baxter insists on the Declaration concerning taking Arms against the King c. Where he says the question is not of the first clause of taking Arms c. For he grants that a Popish King is to be obeyed in lawful things p. 77. but of the 2 d. viz. I abhor that Traiterous position of taking Arms by his Authority against his person or against those that are commissioned by him This as the Law of the Land hath declared to be Traiterous so hath the Law of God 2 Pet. 2.13 requiring submission to the King as Supreme and unto Governours sent or Commissioned by him The ground of this Declaration was for the security of the Kings Person against such as distinguishing between his publick and private capacity under pretence of his Authority detained his Towns and fought those Armies where the King was in person but when they had Conquered him they declared the Supreme Authority to be in themselves But Mr. Baxter pleads that Ministers are mostly ignorant of the Law not knowing what is called a Commission and what Seal makes it such and they dare not think that a Lord Chancellour or Keeper hath Power at his pleasure to depose the King by Sealing Commissions to any to seize on his Forts c. Nor yet to destroy the Kingdoms Cities Laws and Judgments and seize at pleasure on all Mens Estates or Lives This had been good Doctrine if Mr. Baxter had taught it when the Kings broad Seal was broken and by Virtue of a counterfeit one the Lives and Estates of the best Subjects were destroyed the Act of Parliament hath declared the Supreme Authority to be inseparable in the Kings Person so that we cannot doubt of the Legality of Commissions granted by him and his pretended ignorance against the known Laws being that Block on which the best of Kings fell I hope no good English-Man will stumble at it again But Mr. Baxter complains that these words against those that are Commissioned by him are unexpounded and have no limitations or exceptions It is not fit for private men to distinguish where the Law doth not or that an Usurper or Protector pretending Reformation and Liberty and that abused Maxim of Salus populi Suprema Lex should rather be obeyed than such as Act regularly by the Kings Commission and according to the known Laws Wherefore to seek evasions and to suppose extraordinary Cases that may never happen against plain and necessary duties ought not to be a Bar against this Declaration That which followeth § 14. Of deserting their Flocks and keeping Conventicles and § 15. of not residing within Five Miles of Cities and Corporations are not conditions of Conformity but consequences of their Non-conformity And I leave them to be read and considered by others who will perceive how well Mr. Baxter deserves the Character which the Reverend Bishop Sanderson gave of him That he never knew a Man of more pertinacious confidence and less abilities in all his Conversation A double minded Man is unstable in all his Ways An Answer to some passages in the Second Part of the Non-conformists Plea for Peace HAving reflected on as much of the First Part of the Non-conformists Plea as concerned the Ministerial Conformity I thought it not material to answer the many Impertinencies Printed in that Book But finding a Second Part extant published as the Authors say to save their Lives and the Kingdoms Peace from the false and Bloody Plotters who would first perswade the King and People that the Protestants and particularly the Non-conformists are Presbyterians and Fanaticks And next that it was such Presbyterians that killed his Father and next that our Principles are Rebellious and next that we are Plotting Rebellion and his Death c. On which particulars he enlargeth in the Preface where I find him thus to justify his party I desire those that seek our Blood and Ruine by the false accusation of Rebellious Principles to tell me if they can what Body or Party of Men on Earth have more sound and Loyal Principles of Government and Obedience and p. 109. of that Book We are far from designing any abasement of the Clergy nor do we deny or draw others to deny any due reverence or obedience to them I considered that very many of Mr. Baxters Readers are apt to believe him and therefore must needs be greatly incensed against those whom he accuseth to be the Persecutors of such a pious and peaceable party viz. the Bishops whom he calls Thorns and Thistles and the Military Instruments of the Devil p. 122. of the Book of Concord and p. 247. of the first part of the Plea and complains Popish Clergy-Men as if he were in Egyptian Bondage or the Popish Inquisition of tearing Engines Goals Starving and Bloody Persecution Ruine and Death Every good Man is sensible what Indignation such Cruelties practised upon innocent persons may raise in the hearts of our English Nation who are noted for their compassion to their Brethren in misery against the Authors of it and I suspect these suggestions are published to inrage them against their present Governours