Ib. p. 405.

As for the democratical conceit of them that say that the Parliament hath their governing power, as they are the people’s representatives, and so have the members of the convocation, though those represented have no governing power themselves, it is so palpably self-contradicting, that I need not confute it.

Self-contradicting according to Baxter’s sense of the words “represent” and “govern.”  But every rational adult has a governing power:  namely, that of governing himself.

Ib. p. 412.

That though a subject ought to take an oath in the sense of his rulers who impose it, as far as he can understand it; yet a man that taketh an oath from a robber to save his life is not always bound to take it in the imposer’s sense, if he take it not against the proper sense of the words.

This is a point, on which I have never been able to satisfy myself.—­The only safe conclusion I have been able to draw, being the folly, mischief, and immorality of all oaths but judicial ones,—­and those no farther excepted than as they are means of securing a deliberate consciousness of the presence of the Omniscient Judge.  The inclination of my mind is at this moment, to the principle that an oath may deepen the guilt of an act sinful in itself, but cannot be detached from the act; it being understood that a perfectly voluntary and self-imposed oath is itself a sin.  The man who compels me to take an oath by putting a pistol to my ear has in my mind clearly forfeited all his right to be treated as a moral agent.  Nay, it seems to be a sin to act so as to induce him to suppose himself such.  Contingent consequences must be excluded; but would, I am persuaded, weigh in favour of annulling on principle an oath sinfully extorted.  But I hate casuistry so utterly, that I could not without great violence to my feelings put the case in all its bearings.  For example:—­it is sinful to enlarge the power of wicked agents; but to allow them to have the power of binding the conscience of those, whom they have injured, is to enlarge the power, &c.  Again:  no oath can bind to the perpetration of a sin; but to transfer a sum of money from its rightful owner to a villain is a sin, &c. and twenty other such.  But the robber may kill the next man!  Possibly:  but still more probably, many, who would be robbers if they could obtain their ends without murder, would resist the temptation if no extenuations of guilt were contemplated;—­and one murder is more effective in rousing the public mind to preventive measures, and by the horror it strikes, is made more directly preventive of the tendency, than fifty civil robberies by contract.

Ib. p. 435.

  That the minister be not bound to read the Liturgy himself, if
  another, by whomsoever, be procured to do it; so be it he preach not
  against it.

Wonderful, that so good and wise a man as Baxter should not have seen that in this the Church would have given up the best, perhaps the only efficient, preservative of her Faith.  But for our blessed and truly Apostolic and Scriptural Liturgy, our churches’ pews would long ago have been filled by Arians and Socinians, as too many of their desks and pulpits already are.