ministers of the gospel, to punish the flocks even in their souls, for the tolerable differences and supposed mistakes of ministers. We doubt not but Peter and Paul went to heaven without the ceremonies in question.

And seeing your majesty well expresseth it, that the universal church cannot introduce one ceremony in the worship of God that is contrary to God's Word expressed in the Scriptures, and multitudes of Protestants at home and abroad, do think that all mystical sacramental rites of human institution are contrary to the perfection of God's law, and to Deut. xii, 32, &c., (though the determination of mere circumstances necessary in genere, be not so,) and therefore dare not use them, for fear of the displeasure of God the universal sovereign; it must needs be a great expression of your majesty's wisdom and tenderness of God's honour and the safety of your peoples' souls, to refuse in things unnecessary to drive men upon (apprehended) sin, and upon the wrath of God, and the terrors of a condemning conscience.

2. We beseech your majesty to understand, that it is not our meaning by the word abolishing to crave a prohibition against your own or other men's liberty in the things in question; but it is a full liberty that we desire; such as should be in unnecessary things; and such as will tend to the concord of your people, viz., that there be no law or canon for or against them, commanding, recommending, or prohibiting them as now there is none for any particular gesture in singing of psalms, where liberty preserveth an uninterrupted unity.

FOR THE PARTICULAR CEREMONIES.

1. We humbly crave as to kneeling in the act of receiving, that your majesty will declare our liberty therein, that none should be troubled for receiving it standing or sitting.

And your majesty's expressions upon reasons best known,

if not only, to themselves, command us to render some of our

reasons.

1. We are sure that Christ and his apostles sinned not, by not receiving it kneeling; and many are not sure that by kneeling they should not sin; and therefore for the better security, though not for absolute necessity, we crave leave to take the safer side.

2. We are sure that kneeling in any adoration at all, in any worship, on any Lord's day in the year, or any week-day between Easter and Pentecost, was not only disused, but forbidden by General Councils (as Concil. Nicæn., 1, Can. xx, and Concil. Trull., etc.) and disclaimed by ancient writers, and this as a general and uncontrolled tradition: and therefore that kneeling in the act of receiving is a novelly contrary to the decrees and practice of the church for many hundred years after the apostles. And if we part with the venerable examples of all antiquity where it agrees with Scripture, and that for nothing, we shall depart from the terms which most moderators think necessary for the reconciling of the churches. And novelty is a dishonour to any part of religion and if antiquity be honourable, the most ancient, or nearest the legislation and fountain, must be most honourable. And it is not safe to intimate a charge of unreverence upon all the apostles and primitive Christians, and the universal church, for so many hundred years together of its purest time.

3. Though our meaning be good, it is not good to shew a needless countenance of the Papists' practice of adoring the bread as God, when it is used by them round about us. Saith Bishop Hall, in his life, p. 20:-I had a dangerous conflict with a Sorbonist, who took occasion by our kneeling at the receipt of the Eucharist, to persuade all the company of our acknowledgment of a transubstantiation.

4. Some of us that could rather kneel than be deprived of communion, should yet suffer much before we durst put all others from the communion that durst not take it kneeling; which therefore we crave we might not be put upon.

2. We humbly crave also, that the religious observation of holy-days of human institution may be declared to be left indifferent, that none be troubled for not observing them.

3. We humbly tender your majesty our thanks for your gracious concession of liberty as to the cross and surplice, and bowing at the name Jesus, rather than Christ, or God. But we farther humbly beseech your majesty— 1. That this liberty in forbearing the surplice, might extend to the colleges and cathedrals also; that it drive not thence all those that scruple it, and make not those places receptive only of a party; and that the youth of the nation may have just liberty as well as the elder. If they be engaged in the universities, and their liberties there cut off in their beginning, they cannot afterwards be free; many hopeful persons will be else diverted from the service of the church. 2. That your majesty will endeavour the repealing of all laws and canons by which these ceremonies are imposed, that they might be left at full liberty.

4. We also humbly tender our thanks to your majesty for your gracious concession of the forbearance of the subscription required by that canon. But (1) we humbly acquaint your majesty, that we do not dissent from the doctrine of the Church of England, expressed in the Articles and Homilies: but it is the controverted passages about government, litu gy, and ceremonies, and some by-passages and pases in the doctrinal part, which are scrupled by those whose liberty is desired. Not that we are against subscribing the proper rule of our religion, or any meet confession of faith. scruple the oath of supremacy or allegiance. we have the door left open for Papists or heretics to come in. 2. We take the boldness to say that since we have had the promises of your gracious indulgence herein, and, upon divers addresses to your majesty and the Lord Chancellor, had comfortable encouragement to expect our liberty, yet cannot ministers procure institution without renouncing their ordination by presbyters, or being re-ordained; nor without subscription, and the oath of canonical obedience.

Nor do we Nor would

3. We must observe, with fear and grief, that your majesty's indulgence and concessions of liberty in this Declaration extendeth not either to the abatement of re-ordination, or of subscriptional ordination, or of the oath of obedience to the bishops. We therefore humbly and earnestly crave, that your majesty will declare your pleasure:-1. That ordination, and institution, and induction, may be conferred without the said subscription or oath; and 2. That none be urged to be re-ordained, or denied institution for want of ordination by prelates, that was ordained by presbyters; 3. And that none be judged to have forfeited his presentation or benefice, nor be deprived of it for not reading those Articles of the thirtynine that contain the controverted points of government and ceremonies.

Lastly, We humbly crave that your majesty will not only grant us this liberty till the next synod, but will endeavour that the synod be impartially chosen; and that your majesty will be pleased to endeavour the procurement of such laws as shall be necessary for our security till the synod, and for the ratification of moderate and healing conclusions afterwards; and that nothing by mere canon be imposed on us, without such statute laws of parliament.

These favours (which will be injurious to none) if your people may obtain of your majesty, it will revive their hearts to daily and earnest prayer for your prosperity, and to rejoice in the thankful acknowledgment of that gracious Providence of heaven, that hath blessed us in your restoration, and put it into your heart to heal our breaches, and to have compassion on the faithful people in your dominions, who do not petition you for liberty to be schismatical, factious, seditious, or abusive to any, but only for leave to obey the Lord, who created and redeemed them, according to that law by which they must all be shortly judged to everlasting joy or misery. And it will excite them to, and unite them in, the cheerful service of your majesty, with their estates and lives, and to transmit your deserved praises to posterity.

H

XI.

Alterations in the Declaration proposed by the Ministers.1— Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, by Sylvester, pp. 275-6.

1. We do in the first place declare that our purpose and resolution is, and shall be to promote the power of godliness, to encourage the exercises of religion, both public and private, and to take care that the Lord's day be appropriated to holy exercises, without unnecessary divertisements; and that insufficient, negligent, non-resident, and scandalous ministers be not permitted in the Church: and as the present bishops are known to be men of great and exemplary piety, &c.

2. Because the dioceses, especially some of them, are thought to be of too large extent, we will appoint such a number of suffragan bishops in every diocese, as shall be sufficient for the due performance of their work.

3. No bishops shall ordain, or exercise any part of jurisdiction which appertains to the censures of the Church, without the advice and consent of the presbyters; and no chancellors, commissaries, archdeacons, or officials shall exercise any act of spiritual jurisdiction.

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"The Petition of the ministers being delivered to the Lord Chancellor, was so ungrateful," says Baxter, " that we were never called to present it "to the king, but instead of that, it was offered us that we should make "such alterations in the Declaration as were necessary to attain its ends; "but with these cautions: 1. That we put in nothing but what we "judged of flat necessity; and 2. That we altered not the preface or language of it, for it was to be the king's Declaration : and what he spake as 66 expressing his own sense, was nothing to us; but if we thought he imposed "anything intolerable upon us, we had leave to express our desires for the altering of it. Whereupon we agreed to offer this following paper of alte"rations, letting all the rest of the Declaration alone; but withal, by word "to tell those we offered it to (which was the Lord Chancellor) that this was "not the model of church-government which we at first offered, nor which we thought most expedient for the healing of the church; but seeing that "cannot be obtained, we shall humbly submit, and thankfully acknowledge "his Majesty's condescension, if we may obtain what now we offer, and shall 'faithfully endeavour to improve it to the church's peace, to the utmost of our power. Having declared this (with more) we delivered in the following paper."-Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, p. 274.

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