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

§ 193. When this was resolved on, we spent many Hours with them about the Order of our Disputation: I offered them to spend one half of the time in the Opponents part, if they would promise to do the like the other half of the time, when we had done, that our Disputation might be on equal Terms. They refused this, and answered, That it belonged to us only to argue who were the Accusers, and not at all to them who were on the Defence. I told them it was we that are the Defendants against their Impositions: They command us to do such and such things, or else we shall be excommunicate, silenced, imprisoned, and undone: We defend our selves against this cruelty, by calling upon them to show their Authority from God for such Impositions: Therefore we still call upon them to prove that God hath authorised them to any such thing: And if they refuse this, they do give up their Cause. We offered first to prove the unlawfulness of their Impositions, ⟨p. 337⟩if they would afterward prove the lawfulness of them, or their Power so to impose them. On these Terms we stood with them about two Days, and they would not yield to prove any thing at all. At last I oft declared to them, that we would do our part, and prove their Impositions unlawful, whether they would do their part or on; but with an open Declaration that we took them for Deserters of their Cause. At last Dr. Pierson alone undertook that he would dispute for their Part, when we had performed ours, and we accepted of his Undertaking.

§ 193. When this was resolved on, we spent many Hours with them about the Order of our Disputation: I offered them to spend one half of the time in the Opponents part, if they would promise to do the like the other half of the time, when we had done, that our Disputation might be on equal Terms. They refused this, and answered, That it belonged to us only to argue who were the Accusers, and not at all to them who were on the Defence. I told them it was we that are the Defendants against their Impositions: They command us to do such and such things, or else we shall be excommunicate, silenced, imprisoned, and undone: We desend our selves against this cruelty, by calling upon them to shew their Authority from God for such Impositions: Therefore we still call upon them to prove that God hath authorised them to any such thing: And if they refuse this, they do give up their Cause. We offered first to prove the unlawfulness of their Impositious, ⟨p. 337⟩