Mr. Richard Baxter's last legacy in select admonitions and directions to all sober dissenters

The Magistrates will quickly find that the distractions of the Church will breed and feed such distractions in the Common-wealth,¹ as may make them wish they had quenched the fire, while it was yet quenchable.—Our unity is not only our strength, but their strength; and the fire that begun in the Church, may, if let alone, reach the Court.

1. 1Of Confir. P. 309.

Pag. 423. of his 5 Disputations, He lays down this as the sum of what he had said, That Man may determine of Modes and Circumstances of Worship, necessary and commanded in genere, but not determined by God in specie, Sect. 65. and then infers, Sect. 67. If the mischoosing of such circumstances by Church governors be but an inconvenience, and do not destroy ⟨p. 58⟩the Ordinance it self, or frustrate the ends of it, we are to obey. 1. For he is the Judge in his own work, and not we. 2. The thing is not sinful though inconvenient. 3. Obedience is commanded to our lawful Governors. Sect. 70. And when we do obey in a case of miscommanding, it is not a doing evil that good may come of it, as some do misconceive; but it is only a submitting to that which is ill-commanded, but not evil in him that doth submit. It is the determiner that is the cause of the inconvenience, and not the obeyer. Nor is it inconvenient for me to obey, though it be worse perhaps to him that commandeth: while he sinneth in commanding, he may make it my duty to obey, Pag. 461. Sect. 6. The reasons of this are obvious and clear, even because it is the Office of the Governors to determine of such Circumstances: It is the Pastor's Office to guide and oversee the Flock, and when he determineth these, he is but in his own way, and doth but his own work; and therefore he is therein the Judge, if the case be controvertible. If none shall obey a Magistrate or Pastor in the works of their own Office, as long as they think he did them not the best way, all Governors then would be presently overthrown, and obedience denied. We are sure that God hath commanded us to obey them that are over us in the Lord,