Review of the Antidote Against Baxters Cure of Church Divisions, Postscript
A POST-SCRIPT: CONTEINING An ADVERTISEMENT to the CHRISTIAN READER.
IN Anſwer to Mr. Baxters Poſt ſcript, I have this to ſay briefly,Holy Com. Wealth. pef. That I have read and conſidered thoſe Words of his, The Lord Protector did Prudently, Piouſly, Faithfully to his Immortal Honour, exerciſe the Government; And I ſtill think that Mr. Baxter could not be ſerious, if he meant them of Richard Cromwell, who loſt the Government, before he was well ſetled in it, and never did any thing (that I have heard of) to deſerve ſo large a Character: But ſince Mr Baxter is pleaſed to affirm that he intended him, I ſhall not be Critical in another mans words, but take it for granted that indeed it was ſo; But then I ſhall deſire to be ſa…isfied in two things, Firſt, what is become of Mr. Baxters Repentance; For when I urged that paſſage to him,page 47. as ſpoken of Oliver he tells me in one part of his Book, I thank you for calling me to review thoſe words, and do freely declare that I do take them to be unmeet, and that I do unfeignedly Repent of them; and yet in the Concluſion he complaineth that he too raſhly beleived me; For upon peruſal he finds it moſt Notrious that he ſpake it not of Oliver but of his Son; at which he wipeth his Mouth and thinks all is very well; But may not this be expected as likely to be the iſſue of all Mr. Baxter's other Repentance, that upon ſecond thoughts he will complain he was too raſh and haſty in it. Secondly, I would fain …now by what Propriety of ſpeech, he can affirm … he doth that Oliver Cromwell was guilty of moſt …erfidious Treaſon and Rebellion; page 42.and he himſelf an unqueſtionable Ʋſurper; …d yet own and allow his Son to be a Pious, Prudent, Faithful Governour? Was not Richard his Fathe s Succeſſor, and did not he ſucceed him in his Sinful Ʋſurpation? and can Mr. Baxter continue to juſtifie ſuch words (which muſt be accounted either down ri… calling againſt the one, or ſordid Flattery to the oth…) and yet hold himſelf, Innocent?
As for the Oath of Allegiance, which I am in Priſon for refuſing, and Mr. Baxter I perceive pleads for, and would fain engage all the Non-Conformiſts to be Defenders of, I muſt needs ſay, that if I underſtood that Oath in no ſtricter a ſenſe, and had as many Diſtinctions to elude the true meaning and force of it, as Mr. Baxter hath lately found out about the Covenant, I might perhaps be induced to take it too; But I bleſs God, I dare not Trifle with Oaths; For I look upon one that is once deliberately Sworn to be alwayes ſtrictly Obliged; and where the Name of God is uſed to make a Tye ſacred, I think that Reverence is due to it, that we are not afterwards to mince Matters, but bound to go unto the u…moſt Latitude, that the words will bear, for the Advantage of the Party unto whom we are Sworn: This being my ſenſe of every Oath, I muſt take leave freely to profeſs that in this of Allegiance, I do not underſtand the meaning of Crown and Dignity, for if thoſe word, ſignifie (as I verily believe they do) The Laws in being (for ſo both Sr. Orlando Bridgeman, and Dr. Sanderſon have interpreted them) then I cannot ſwear to Defend them; For ſome of thoſe Laws (and particularly thoſe about Conformity) I daily break, and which is more, think I am bound in Conſcience to do ſo: And though I ſhould erre and be miſtaken in the Grounds of ſuch a Practice, yet every one knoweth, and Dr. Sanderſon hath fully ſtared it, that even an Erronious Conſcience doth alwayes oblige not to do any thing againſt the Dictates of it. More I could ſay, but two Arguments againſt this Oath I have already pub…ickly urged at the Bar, in which I have not yet received any ſatisfaction.
One is that I am required to ſay, VVhichWhich Oath I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be Lawfully Administred to me; which I am ſo far from being able to ſwear, that on the contrary, I am fully ſatisfyed, this Oath was to me moſt unlawfully adminiſtred: The deſign and end of the Oath (which was to diſcover and to ſuppreſs Popiſh Recuſants) and many other Legal Circumſtances having not been at all obſerved.
Another Exception which I urged was, that I am to ſay, This Recognition I make heartily, willingly, &c. Which word Willingly being then under an undue force (deteined a Priſoner after I was acquitted by a Jury) and to take that Oath as the Condition of obteining my Liberty (unto which … my ſelf, as having a juſt title … unleſs I would directly h… … …ed my ſelf by ſome …
Theſe were ſome of my Reaſons, which I pleaded at the Barr, and whatever Mr. Baxter thinks of them (who undervalueth moſt mens judgement but his own) yet they are ſtill of weight to me, and at that time they were judged ſo conſiderable by thoſe that heard them, that the Juſtice who paſſed Sentence upon me, ſaid publickly in the hearing of many Witneſſes, That he did not doubt, but I refuſed the Oath out of Conſcience and from a good Principle; wherein, though he did ill to cond…mn one whom he judged Innocent, yet he was more juſt and Generous then Mr. Baxter, who calleth me Brother, and yet uſeth me as Edom did Iſrael; not fearing to adde what weight he can to make my Bonds heavier; and ſo far as his Cenſure can prevail, ſeeking to leave me without the common Relief of Calamity, Pity. But the Lord will certainly judge between him and me, with whom I leave my Cauſe, and the Iſſue of this whole Controverſie; who hath already in his Word, and will in due time by his Works decide, who are moſt to be approved for Integrity, whether thoſe who are content to endure the utmoſt Extremity, rather than deny the Truth, or depart from a well taken up Reſolution; or ſuch who are, like …eds, ſhaken with every Wind, and ſcruple not to change their Judgement, For, and Againſt things, as the ſtream of outward ſucceſs doth guide and influence them. There being no other viſible Reaſon why Mr. Baxter ſhould at this day, profeſs his Repentance, for what he ſo ſtiffly held and defended before, but only that Argument of the Jewiſh Conformiſts of old,Gal. 6.10. That he may not be Perſecuted by the Croſs of Chriſt, in which yet, as the Apoſtle did, ſo every True Chriſtian ought to Glory.
End of the text · Edward Bagshaw, Review of the Antidote Against Baxters Cure of Church Divisions (1671)