Baxters Narrative of His Life and Times, Part 3 · Section 1 (2 of 2)
§ 74. Before we concluded any thing, it was desired, that seeing the Earl of Manchester, Lord Chamberlain, had been our closest Friend, we should not conclude without his notice: And so at a Meeting at his House, these Two more Articles, or Proposals, were agreed to be added: Viz.
I. Whereas the Sentence of Excommunication may be passed upon very light Occasions, it is humbly desired, that no Minister shall be compelled to pronounce such sentence against his conscience, but that some other be thereunto appointed by the Bishop, or the Court.
II. That no person shall be punished for not repairing to his own Parish-church, who goeth to any other Parish-church or Chappel within the Diocess.
(For by the Bishop's Doctrine it is the Diocesan Church that is the lowest Political Church, and the Parishes are but parts of a Church: For there is no Bishop below the Diocesan. Therefore we go not from our own Church, if we go not out of the Diocess.)
§ 75. When these Proposals were offered to Dr. Wilkins, and the Reasons of them: 1. He would not consent to the clause in the first Propos. [Provided that those who desire it, have leave to give in their Profession, that they renounce not their Ordination, &c.] Where was our greatest stop and disagreement.
2. He would not have had subscription to the Scriptures put in, because the same is in the Articles to which we subscribe; I answer'd, that we subscribed to the Articles because they were materially contained in the Scripture, and not to the Scriptures, because they were not in the Articles, I thought it needful for Order sake, and for the right description of our Religion, that we subscribe to the Scriptures first: And to this at last he consented.
3. He refused the last part of the fifth for Appeals to Civil Courts, saying there was a way of Appeals already, and the other would not be endured.
4. The two next (the 6th and 7th) he was not forward to, but at last agreed to them, leaving out the Clause in the 6th for Registring Names.
5. The two last added Articles also were excepted against. But in the end it was agreed (as they said, by the the Lord keeper's Consent) that Sir Matthew Hale Lord chief Baron of the Exchequer should draw up what we agreed on into the form of an Act to be offered to the Parliament. And therefore Dr. Wilkins and I were to bring our Papers to him, and to advise farther with him, for the wordingof it, because of his eminent Wisdom and Sincerity.
§ 76. Accordingly we went to him, and on Consultation with him, our proposals were accepted, with the alterations following.
1. Instead of the Liberty to declare the validity of our ordination, which would not be endured, it was agreed that the terms of Collation should be these [Take thou Legal Authority to preach the Word of God, and administer the Holy Sacraments in …y Congregation of England, where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto,] That so the word Legal might shew that it was only a general License from the King that we received, by what Minister soever he pleased to deliver it: And if it were … a Bishop, we declared that we should take it from him but as from the King's Minister. For the Paper which I gave in against Re-ordination, convinced Judge Hales, and Dr. Wilkins, that the renunciation of former Ordination in England was by ho means to be exacted or done.
2. Our Form of Subscription remained unaltered.
3. The Clause of Appeals we left out.
4. The Fourth, Fifth, and Seventh passed, leaving out the Clause of Registring Names.
5. The first of the added Articles they thought reasonable; but put it out only, le…t by overdoing we should clog the rest, and frustrate all, with those that we were to deal with.
6. The other added Article they laid by, for the same reason, and also, lest it should be a shelter to Recusant Papists. And thus it was agreed, That the Papers should be all delivered to the Lord Chief Baron, to draw them up into an Act. And because I lived near him, he was pleased to shew me the Copy of his Draught, which was done according to all our Sense; but secretly, lest the noise of a prepared Act should be displeasing to the Parliament. But it was never more called for, and so I believe he burnt it.
§ 77. Because they objected, That by the last Article we should befriend the Papist, and especially by a Clause that we offered to be inserted in the Rubrick of the Liturgy, [That the Sacrament is to be given to none that are unwilling of it,] and I stood very much upon that with them, that we must not corrupt Christ's Sacrament, and all our Churches, and Discipline, and injure many hundred thousand Souls, only to have the better advantage against Papists; and that there were fairer and better means to be used against them. Upon their Enquiry what means might be substituted, I told them, that besides some others, a subscription for all the Tolerated Congregation or Ministers, distinct from that of the Established Ministry, as followeth, might discover them.
§ 78. The Subscription of the Established Ministry.
I do hereby profess and declare my unfeigned belief of the Holy Canonical Scriptures, as the infallible, intire, and perfect Rule of Divine Faith, and Holy Living, supposing the Laws of Nature; and also my belief of all the Articles of the Creed, and of the 36 Articles of the Doctrine and Sacraments of the Church of England.
Or else the Subscription before agreed on (though this be much better;) supposing the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy also be taken.