ditions of opinion, order, modes, ceremonies, professions, or promises, should ever be managed to the hindering of christian love and peace, nor of the preaching of the gospel, nor the wrong of our common cause, or the strengthening of atheism, infidelity, prophaneness or popery; but that christian verity and piety, the love of God and man, and a good life, and our common peace in these, might be first resolved on and secured, and all our additions might be used, but in due subordination to these, and not to any injury of any of them; nor sects, parties, or narrow interests be set up against the common duty, and the public interest and peace. I know you are acquainted how greatly he valued Mr. Selden, being one of his executors; his books and picture being still near him. I think it meet therefore to remember, that because many Hobbists do report, that Mr. Selden was at the heart an infidel, and inclined to the opinion of Hobbs, I desired him to tell me the truth herein and he oft professed to me, that Mr. Selden was a resolved serious christian ; and that he was a great adversary to Hobbs's errors; and that he had seen him openly oppose him so earnestly as either to depart from him, or drive him out of the room. And as Mr. Selden was one of those called Erastians, (as his book de Synedriis and others shew,) yet owned the office properly ministerial; so most lawyers that ever I was acquainted with, taking the word, jurisdiction, to signify something more than the mere doctoral, priestly power, and power over their own sacramental communion in the church which they guide, do use to say, that it is primarily in the magistrate (as no doubt all power of corporal coercion, by mulcts and penalties is). And as to the accidentals to the proper power of priesthood, or the keys, they truly say with Dr. Stillingfleet, that God hath settled no one form. Indeed, the lord chief justice thought, that the power of the word and sacraments in the ministerial office, was of God's institution: and that they were the proper judges appointed by Christ, to whom they themselves should apply sacraments, and to whom they should deny them. But that the power of chancellors' courts, and many modal additions, which are not of the essence of the priestly office, floweth from the king, and may be fitted to the state of the kingdom. Which is true, if it be limited by God's laws, and exercised on things only allowed them to deal in, and contradict not the orders and powers settled on by Christ and his apostles. On this account he thought well of the form of government in the church of England; (la-. menting the miscarriages of many persons, and the want of parochial reformation:) but he was greatly for uniting in love and peace, upon so much as is necessary to salvation, with all good, sober, peaceable men.. pu And he was much against the corrupting of the christian religion (whose simplicity and rity he justly took to be much of its excellency),. by men's busy additions, by wit, policy, ambition, or any thing else which sophisticated it, and maketh it another thing, and causeth the lamentable contentions of the world. What he was as a lawyer, a judge, a christian, is so well known, that I think for me to pretend that my testimony is of any use, were vain. I will only tell you what I have written by his picture, in the front of the great Bible which I bought with his legacy, in memory of his love and name, viz. "Sir Matthew Hale, that un wearied student, that prudent man, that solid philosopher, that famous lawyer, that pillar and basis of justice, (who would not have done an unjust act for any worldly price or motive), the ornament of his majesty's government, and ho nour of England; the highest faculty of the soul of Westminster-hall, and pattern to all the reverend and honourable judges; that godly, serious, practical christian, the lover of goodness and all good men; a lamenter of the clergy's selfishness, and unfaithfulness, and discord, and of the sad divisions following hereupon; an earnest desirer of their reformation, concord, and the church's peace, and a reformed act of uniformity, as the best and necessary means thereto; that great contemner of the riches, pomp and vanity of the world; that pattern of honest plainness and humility, who, while he fled from the honours that pursued him, was yet lord chief justice of the king's bench, after his being long lord chief baron of the exchequer; living and dying, entering on, using, and voluntarily surrendering his place of judicature, with the most universal ove, and honour, and praise, that ever did English subject in his age, or any that just history doth acquaint us with, &c. &c. &c. This man, so wise, so good, so great, bequeathing me, in his testament, the legacy of forty shillings, merely as a testimony of his respect and love, I thought this book, the testament of Christ, the meetest purchase, by that price, to remain in memorial of that faithful love which he bare and long expressed to his inferior and unworthy, but honouring friend, who thought to have been with Christ before him, and waiteth for the day of his perfect conjunction with the spirits of the just made perfect." RICHARD BAXTER. |