A26911:324
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 27
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. This Subscription, and other like Professions, were purposely imposed for the renunciation of the late Parliament Arms. But in your sense what will it have done to satisfy or oblige any man in that or the like case, when they profest the same thing, and said, that it was only unjust and unlawful Commissions, and an unlawful pursuit that they resisted? Be their words true or false, this was their pretence, and they would in the heat of the War have subscribed to what you say.
2. This Subscription, and other like Professions, were purposely imposed for the renunciation of the late Parliament Arms. But in your sense what will it have done to satisfie or oblige any man in that or the like case, when they profest the same thing, and said, that it was only unjust and unlawful Commissions, and an unlawful pursuit that they resisted? Be their words true or false, this was their pretence, and they would in the heat of the War have subscribed to what you say.
3. This was made and imposed to keep men from the like for the time to come: But this would not keep them; for they would take it.
4. Are you ignorant what striving there hath been in Parliament to have got the word [Lawfully or Legally] commissioned in, and it could never be obtained? (save that not long ago it was carried once in a Grand Committee of the House of Lords only, very many years since this Act was made.) Some say They had reason not to express it, though they meant it, lest it should be abused. I answer, Then they had reason to desire not to be so understood. And then we cannot, nor ought, not so to understand them against their wills; and the non apparere, and non esse of their sense is all one to us.
4. Are you ignorant what striving there hath been in Parliament to have got the word [Lawfully or Legally] commissioned in, and it could never be obtained? (save that not long ago it was carryed once in a Grand Committee of the House of Lords only, very many years since this Act was made.) Some say They had reason not to express it, though they meant it, lest it should be abused. I answer, Then they had reason to desire not to be so understood. And then we cannot, nor ought, not so to understand them against their wills; and the non apparere, and non esse of their sense is all one to us.