Richard Baxter's penitent confession and his necessary vindication in answer to a book called…

Mr. Cheyny is a Man better known to me, than to him; and I think, much better loved by me. He calls himself a Nonconforming Conformist, and a Conforming Nonconformist. I have motioned him to Friends, for public Employment, for his serious Piety: But these Men that seem now to be for him, have depressed him, and driven him up and down, and disown his Books, I think, more than I do: But any one that will allow them to use his Name for them, shall be so far praised, while they cannot well endure him.

Mr. Cheyny is a Man better known to me, than to him; and I think, much better loved by me. He calls himself a Nonconforming Conformist, and a Conforming Nonconformist. I have motioned him to Friends, for publick Employment, for his serious Piety: But these Men that seem now to be for him, have depressed him, and driven him up and down, and disown his Books, I think, more than I do: But any one that will allow them to use his Name for them, shall be so far praised, while they cannot well endure him.

But he glorieth of Mr. Cheyny's Success in pleading the Direction, in some dubious Cases to go to the Bishop for Resolution, (in the Preface to the Liturgy.) And I wonder not at their valuing of that Clause, for it is worth to many some Hundreds a Year; and 'tis hard to imagine what else could quiet many Men's Consciences. But if I should say, This is a frivolous palliate, though I prove it, he will say I am criminal, or confuted, by so denominating it. But, 1. The Words limit the Decision of the Bishop only to that which is not contrary to any thing in the Book; and I am very tractable in such a Case: But it is none of the Cases that I am concerned in. 2. If it were in the Bishop's power to put what Sense he please on all the Words, he were the Law maker; for the Sense is the Law. 3. I have gone to divers Bishops, and asked their Sense, and found it as unsatisfactory as the Book it self. For instance, I asked the Bishops at the Savoy-Debate, [If I have two in my Parish that declare they believe not in Christ, but are Deists; and yet will send their Child to be baptized, with Godfathers and Godmothers of their own Fraternity, who declare that, whatever they say, they never mean to own or educate the Child,] what Right that Child hath both to Baptism, and certain Salvation? And Dr. Sanderson (in the Chair) answered That as long as he brought such Godfathers as the Church of England requireth, I must not doubt of his Right. I long after asked Bishop Cunning, What proof he had from God's Word, of the certain, undoubted Salvation of all such baptized Infants, if the Parents were Heathens or Jews, or Atheists, and resolved to educate their own Children? And he answered, that As any one had Right to take up an exposed Child in the Street, and take him in Charity into his House, so any one had power, as an Act of Charity, to take up any Heathen's or Infidel's Child, and being him to Baptism; and then it was certain (by the Word of God) that he was in a present State of Salvation. These Bishops Judgments are not that undoubted Word of God which they boast of, but will not show us. And other Bishops think otherwise. And so under several Bishops, we must be of several Religions.