Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 27. Something also I wrote to Reverend and Learned Mr. Th. Gataker, whose Judgment I had seen before in his own Writings: And having the encouragement of such Consent, I motioned the Business to some London Ministers to have it set on foot among themselves, because if it came from them, it would be much more taking than from us: But they thought it unfit to be managed there, for several Reasons, and so we must try it, or only sit still and wish well as we had done.

§ 28. Next this, the state of my own Congregation, and the necessity of my Duty, constrained me to make some Attempt. For I must administer the Sacraments to the Church, and the ordinary way of Examining every Man before they come, I was not able to prove necessary, and the People were averse to it: So that I was forced to think of the matter more seriously; and having determined of that way which was, I thought, most agreeable to the Word of God, I thought, if all the Ministers did accord together in one way, the People would much more easily submit, than to the way of any Minister that was singular. To attempt their Consent I had two very great Encouragements: The one was an honest, humble, tractable People at home, engaged in no Party, Prelatical, Presbyterian, or Independent; but loving Godliness and Peace, and hating Schism as that which they perceived to tend to the ruin of Religion. The other was a Company of honest, godly, serious, humble Ministers in the Country where I lived, who were not one of them (that Associated) Presbyterian or Independent, and not past four or five of them Episcopal; but dis-engaged faithful Men. At a Lecture at Worcester I first procured a Meeting, and told them of the Design, which they all approved: They imposed it upon me, to draw up a Form of Agreement. The Matter of it was to consist [So much of the Church Order and Discipline, as the Episcopal, Presbyterian, and Independent are agreed in, as belonging to the Pastors of each particular Church]. The Reasons of this were, 1. Because we all believed that the practice of so much as all are agreed in, would do very much to the Order and Reformation of the Churches; and that the controverted Parts are those of least necessity or weight. 2. Because we would not necessitate any Party to refuse our Association, by putting in a word which he disowneth: for we intended not to dispute one another into nearer Agreement in Opinions, but first to agree in the practice of all that which was owned by us all.