A26911:376
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 28
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.
§ 3. You say, [The words of the Declaration do not say, No Man is bound to endeavour the alteration of the Governors but the Government, that is, Of the Laws, Rules, and Canons, by which they govern, and the several Offices which be in the Church.—These may be good.— The office may be Divine, or justly prudential, or tolerably lawful.—Suppose the Oath and Covenant doth not bind to endeavour the alteration of the Chancellor's Office.— Your Conclusion seems implied in your Challenge. [Now let any Nonconformist prove that there is any Office in the English way of Church Government simply unlawful, &c.]
§ 3. You say, [The words of the Declaration do not say, No Man is bound to endeavour the alteration of the Governours but the Government, that is, Of the Laws, Rules, and Canons, by which they govern, and the several Offices which be in the Church.—These may be good.— The office may be Divine, or justly prudential, or tolerably lawful.—Suppose the Oath and Covenant doth not bind to endeavour the alteration of the Chancellor's Office.— Your Conclusion seems implied in your Challenge. [Now let any Nonconformist prove that there is any Office in the English way of Church Government simply unlawful, &c.]
Ans. 1. Have you answered the proof that I pretend to have brought in my Disput. of Church Government? If not, must I write it again as oft as you will bid me? Or would it be here meet to write a Treatise to answer this your Challenge? But get it tolerated, and it shall soon be done.
2. You say, The Government is the Laws, Rules, and Canons, by which they Govern: And if these need not be altered, why did you before disown the exercise of them, as a great Sin? And yet this ⟨p. 105⟩implieth [The Law and Canon, which Excommunicate Non-conformists, and which deny the Lord's Supper to those that kneel not, and which silence Non-subscribers to the 36th Canon, and which deny Baptism to those that scruple the English use of the Cross and God-fathers, and which ruin all that preach when Silenced, need no alteration, as simply unlawful.]