if your Principles prove not Altogether as Intolerable as your Practices by Intolerable I mean Inconsistent with the Publique Peace Ze. Sure you 'll send me to my Catechism again Conf. Nay Marque me I will make it so clear to ye that You your Selves shall Confess that Sedition flowes as Naturally from your Ordinary and Receiv'd Opinions as Corrupt Waters from a Poyson'd Fountain and not as an Accident neither attendant upon Your Separation but as a form'd and excogitated Design wrapt up and Coucht in the very Mystery of your Profession Ze. ' Wou'd you 'd be pleas'd to unvail the Mystery you speak of Conf. In Obedience I 'll Endeavour it The most Sacred of All Bonds is That of Government next to That of Religion and the Reverence which we Owe to Humane Authority is only Inferiour to That which we Owe to God Himself Yet such is the Deprav'd State of Nature that Every man is touch'd with an Ambition more or less to gain to Himself some share in the Command of the Whole and from hence proceed Those Struglings of Particular Persons which we so frequently meet with in Opposition to the General Lawes and Ends of Order and Society So soon as This Private Humour has Emprov'd and Ripen'd it Self into a Design the first Maxim which appears in favour of it is This that The Less Obligation must give way to the Greater as for Instance Reason of State must give place to Matter of Religion and Humane Lawes to the Law Divine which being Duly Weigh'd what has any man more to do in Order to the Embroyling of a Nation but to perswade the People that This or that Political Law has no Foundation in the Word of God to bid them Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ has Made them Free and finally to Engage the Name of God and the Voyce of Religion in the Quarrel Ze. And do not You your self believe it Better to Obey God then Man Conf. Yes but I think it Best of All to Obey Both to Obey God for Himself in Spirituals and Man for God's sake in Temporals as he is God's Commissioner But let me Proceed Are not you Convinc'd that the most likely way in the world to stir up Subjects against their Prince is to Proclaim the Iniquity of his Laws to tell them in Effect that They 'll be Damn'd if they Obey and in a word to make the Rabble Judges of their Governours Ze. Well but what 's This to Us or Our Opinions Conf. I wish it were not but to Couch the whole in a Little Shew me if you can where ever your Opinions yet gain'd Footing in the world without Violence and Bloud Shew me again Any One Sermon or Discourse Authoris'd by a Non-conformist from 1640. to This Instant that presses Obedience to the Magistrate unless where the Faction was Uppermost which shrew'dly intimates that Your Principles are Inconsistent with your Duties and that the very Grounds of Your Government are Destructive of any Other Ze. Make That appear if you can Conf. I will so and I think we shall not need to travail out of his Majesty's Dominions to Prove it Come Zeal You 're of the Classical way and You Scruple of the Independent Produce Your Doctors but let them be the Pillars of your Cause such Persons as upon whose Judgment and Integrity You 'll venture the Sum of the Dispute Ze. Soft and fair I beseech ye what is 't you undertake to do Conf. I do undertake to prove that the Opinions of the Non-conformists to say no worse will very hardly admit a Toleration and Now By whom will ye be Try'd Ze. What do ye think of Rutherford Conf. I suppose you mean the Divinity-Professour of St. Andrews Iohn Goodwin I remember calls him The Chariot of Presbytery and the Horsemen thereof In Truth you have pitch'd upon the Atlas of your Cause But hear the Rabbi in his own words The Power of the King is but Fiduciary The Soveraign Power is Eminently Fontalâ—ter Originally and Radically in the People The King is in Dignity Inferiour to the People There is a Court of Necessity no less than a Court of Iustice and the Fundamental Laws must Then speak and it is with the People in This Extremity as if they had no Ruler Ze. Well but Rutherford is but One man I believe you 'll find Gillespy of another Opinion Conf. Assure your Self Friend Mine they all sing the Same Song Let not the Pretence of Peace and Unity cool your Fervour or make you Spare to oppose your selves unto these Idle and Idolized Ceremonies against which we Dispute For Whensoever you may omit that which Princes enjoyn without Violating the Law of Charity you are not holden to Obey them for the Majesty of Princely Authority Are not These Sons of Zeal worthy of Encouragement think ye You 'll say perhaps Gillespy is but One Man neither Come Come I could shew ye Hundreds of Them and if you 'll but read Spottswood's History of the Church of Scotland and his Late Majesty's Large Declaration Printed in 1639. ye shall need go no further for satisfaction To pass over the Desperate Opinions and Contrivances of Particulars as Willock Knox Melvil Gibson c. Let us look a little into their more Solemn Actions and read the Temper of the Kirk in their General Assemblies 1. An Assembly is Independant either from King or Parliament in Matters Ecclesiastical 2. An Assembly may Abrogate an Act of Parliament if it any way reflect upon the business of the Church 3. It is Lawful for Subjects to make a Covenant and Combination without the King and to enter into a Bond of Mutual Defence against Him 4. The Major part of the Kingdome especially being met in a Representative Assembly may do any thing which they take to be Conducing to the Glory of God and to the Good of the Church not only Without the Royal Authority but Expresly Against it Were 't not a Thousand Pitties now to refuse This Tender Sort of Christians a Toleration Ze. Nay In good truth I never lik't the Extreme Rigour of the Scottish Discipline Conf. And yet 't was That you Leagu'd and Covenanted to make your Pattern but where do you Expect to Mend your Self under That Form of Government Ze. Truly I take our English Divines of that Iudgment to be very Pious Moderate Persons Conf. Never a Barrel better Herring That is If they come once to Dip into the Controversie Ze. Do not you take Mr. for a very sober well-weigh'd Person Conf. Take you the Measure of him from his own Hand If a People bound by Oath shall Dispossess their Prince and Chuse and Covenant with Another they may be Oblig'd by the Latter notwithstanding their former Covenant The real Soveraignty among us was in King Lords and Commons and if the King raise War against such a Parliament in That Case the King may not only be
Oblig'd to rely upon other Mens Eyes as Totally to Abandon the Direction of his Own or so Unconditionally to swear Obedience to Other Mens Lawes and Perswasions as to hold no Intelligence at all with That Sacred Law and faithfull Counsellor which he carryes in his own Bosom Conf. Forgive me If you Imagine that I would have ye Renounce your Reason No but on the Contrary I would have ye to be Guided and Concluded by 't and only to Obey for Quiet 's sake so far as you can possibly Obey in Conscience Scrup. What if a Single Person hitts That Truth which a General Council Misses Which will you have him follow Truth or Authority Conf. Why truly Both Truth with his Soul and Authority with his Body but so Remote a Possibility must not Presume to Bolster up the Thinkings of a Private Spirit against the Resolutions of Authority yet for the very Possibility's sake wee 'l take That supposition likewise into our Care and Word the sum of the Whole Matter Plainly Thus The Church says ye May do and the Law says ye Must Do That which your Conscience says You Ought not to Do. How will you Reconcile your Duty and your Conscience in This Case Scrup. Very well for I think it my Duty to obey my Conscience upon This Principle that Conscience is God's Substitute over Individuals Conf. Keep to That and Answer me again Is not the Civil Magistrate God's Substitute too If he bee How comes Your Conscience to take Place of His Authority They are Both Commission'd alike and consequently They are Both to bee Obey'd alike which is Impossible where their Commands are Inconsistent Scrup. The Magistrate is a Publique Minister and his Commission does not Reach to Particular Consciences Conf. 'T is very Right and on the other side My friend Scruple is a Private Person and there 's as little Reason to pretend that his Opinion should operate upon a Publique Law So that if I Mistake ye not Wee are Agreed thus far That Every Particular is to look to One and the King to the Whole Scrup. I do not much Oppose it Conf. If your Brother Zeal would deal as candidly with me now about the Ecclesiastical Power as You have done in the Civill we might make short work of This Question and I hope he will not deny that the Church is as well Authoris'd to TEACH and INSTRUCT in all the External Acts of Worship as the Magistrate is to COMPELL to those External Acts. Ze. There is no Doubt but the Church as the Church has a Ministerial Power Ex Officio to Define Controversies according to the Word of God and that A Synod Lawfully Conven'd is a Limited Ministerial and bounded visible Judg and to be Believed in so far as they follow Christ the Peremptory and Supreme Judg speaking in his own Word Conf. This will not do our business yet for if a Synod be but to be Believed in SO FAR as it followes Christ c. They that ought to be Concluded by That Act are left the Iudges of it and the Credit of the Authority rests upon the Conscience or if you please the Phansy or Humour of the Believer and so there 's no Decision Ze. e The Truth is we are to believe Truths Determin'd by Synods to be Infallible and never again lyable to Retraction or Discussion nor because So sayes the Synod but because So sayes the Lord Conf. Still y' are short for 't is not in our Power to Disbelieve what we acknowledge to be a Truth but That which is Truth at the Fountain may become Errour in the Passage or at least appear so to me and what Then Ze. It must be look'd upon as an Errour of the Conscience which is no discharge at all of your Obedience from which Errour you are to be Reclaym'd either by Instruction or Censure For the People are oblig'd to Obey those that are over them in the Lord who watch for their souls as those who must give an Accompt and not Oblig'd to stand to and Obey the Ministerial and Official Judgement of the PEOPLE He that Heareth You MINISTERS of the Gospel not the PEOPLE heareth MEE and he that Despiseth YOU despiseth MEE Conf. Then I find we shall shake hands You two Gentlemen are joyntly engag'd against the Act for Uniformity and yet ye cannot say that it wants any thing to give it the full Complement of a binding Law Whether ye Regard either the Civil or the Ecclesiastical Authority Here 's first the Judgment of the Church Duely Conven'd touching the Meetness and Convenience of the Rites and Forms therein Conteyn'd You have next the Royal Sanction Approving and Authorising Those Rites and Forms and Requiring your Exact Obedience to Them Now so it is that you can neither Decline the Authority of your Iudges nor the Subjection of your Dutyes What is it then that hinders your Obedience Scrup. That which to me is More then all the World It goes against My Conscience Conf. Only That Point then and no More upon This Subject That God is the Iudg of the World that the Church is the Iudg of what Properly concerns Religion that the Civil Magistrate is the Iudg of what concerns the Publique Peace and that Every Mans Conscience is the Iudg of what concerns his Own Soul is already Clear'd The Remaining Difficulty is This How I am to behave my self in a Case where the Law bids me do One Thing and my Conscience Another To take a true Estimate of what 's before us we must first ballance the Two Interests that meet in Competition There is in favour and for the Execution of the Law meaning that of Uniformity 1. The Personal Conscience and 2. the Political Conscience of the King There is likewise for the Equity of it the solemn and deliberate Iudgment of the Church which is Effectually the Publique Conscience and lastly for the Observance of it there is the Duty of the Subject which if it be withdrawn does not only invalidate This Particular Act but it loosens the sinews of Sovereign Authority and which is more it destroyes even a Divine Ordinance for take away Obedience and Government lapses into Confusion Now for the Counterpoize AGAINST This Law and Thus supported appears your Naked Conscience Nay That 's the Fairest on 't It may be worse and in Truth any thing that 's Ill under that name Scrup. But what 's the World to Mee in the scale against my Soul Conf. You have great Reason sure and 't is no more than every man may challenge That is to Stand or Fall to his own Conscience Is That your Principle Scrup. Yes out of doubt 't is Mine and Yours and His and any Man's that's Honest. Conf. Well hold ye a little Your Conscience will not down with This Law it seems and This Law will as little down with Your Conscience Weigh now the Good against the Bad What if it stands What if it
had likewise of their Conduct Unity and Resolution which Moves me to look upon his Majesty as in some Measure under a Prudential Necessity of Obliging so Considerable an Interest Conf. So far am I from admitting any Political Necessity of Yielding that to My Judgment the Necessity appears strong and clear against it Ze. Wee 'll waive the General Question if You please and speak to the Convenience of This Iuncture Are not the Non-Conformists Numerous Conf. Upon the Poll They are so and More now too then they were when His Majesty came In and so long as they are Suffer'd 't is to be Expected they shall Encrease daily But you say They are Numerous If they be Consequently Dangerous the Greater the Number is the Greater is the Hazard and Therefore because they are Many Already and will be More if they be Suffer'd they are not to be Tolerated Ze. But will not People be much more Peaceable when they are Oblig'd than when they are Persecuted Conf. Believe me Matters are at an Ill pass when the Prince lies at the Mercy of the People and certainly the Multitude will be much Quieter without a Power to do Mischief then with it But why do ye say Persecuted They Persecute the Law and then you cry the Law Persecutes Them I would you 'd deal frankly with me What is really your Opinion of the Honesty of your Party Ze. I do seriously believe the Non-conformists to be an Honest Conscientious Sort of People Conf. But they must be Knaves to make your Argument good for if they be Honest They 'll be Quiet without a Toleration If they be Dishonest They 'll be Dangerous with it Consider again If there be any Hazard wherein does it consist not in the Multitude but in the Confoederacy A Million of men without Agreement are but as One Single Person Now they must Consult before they can Agree and they must Meet before they can Consult so that barely to hinder the Assembling of These Multitudes Defeats the Danger of them Whereas on the Other side To Permit Separate Meetings is to Tolerate a Combination Ze. Right but Those Meetings and Consultations are pass'd already for sure the Non-Conformists have been long enough Acquainted to Understand one another Conf. So much the more Need to look after them and the less cause to Tolerate them And for their Agreement in a General Disaffection That signifies little without the Means of joyning in a Particular Plot. Again as 't is an Advantage on the One side that the Faction know One another so is it an Equal Advantage on the Other side that the King knows the Faction which renders His Majesty at any time Master of it when His Royal wisdome shall direct him to suppress the heads of it Ze. Mistake me not I do not say 't is likely they will be Troublesome in respect of their Judgments but that it is Possible for them to be so in regard of their Number Conf. He that Fears all Possibilities lives in a cold Sweat But I beseech ye Whether do You take to be the Greater Number Those that singly wish to be Discharg'd from the Act of Uniformity or Those that would have no Law at all Those that are troubled because they may not Worship according to their Phansie or Those that are displeas'd because they cannot Live and Rule according to their Appetite The Traytor would have One Law discharg'd The Schismatique Another The Idolater a Third The Sacrilegious person a Fourth The Drunkard a Fifth The Conventicler a Sixt The Prophane Swearer a Seventh The False-Swearer an Eighth The Murtherer a Ninth The Seducer a Tenth And in fine not One of a Thousand but had rather Command then Obey Shall the King therefore Dissolve the Law because there are so many Criminals That were to raise an Argument against Authority from the very Reason of its Constitution Shall the People be left to do what they List because a great many of them would do what they should not Shall his Majesty give up his Government for fear of some Millions possibly in his Dominions that had rather be Kings than Subjects Less Forcible beyond Question is the Necessity of the Kings Granting a Toleration than That of Renouncing His Sovereignty for doubtless where there 's One man that is truly Scrupulous there are a Hundred Avaritious Ambitious and in fine Irreligious persons Zeal I think we may better decide This Question from Experiment and matter of Fact than by Speculative Reasonings Look back to the beginning of the Late Warr and tell me Do not you believe that there are more Non-Conformists Now then there were Then Conf. Yes I do verily believe that there are Three Now for One Then Ze. Why then the Odds are Three to One against you for the Third part of This number was Then the Predominant Interest of the Nation Conf. I could allow you even Treble That number too and the Reason of my Assertion would yet bear it upon the greater Odds of strength betwixt the Faction then and now As for Instance At the Beginning of the late Warr they were Masters of the Tower the Navy of all considerable Towns Forts and Magazines They had a great part of the Crown and Church-Revenues under their Command and London at their Beck beside the Plunder of Malignants and the bountiful Contributions of the well-affected Scotland was already Confoederate with them in One Rebellion and they had made sure of Another in Ireland by persecuting and with-holding the only Person capable to keep them Quiet the Earl of Strafford which Broyle they further Assisted by manifest Opposals of his Majesty's Resolutions to suppress it See the Kings Speech of Decem 14. 1641 and the following Petition concerning the same Finally for the better Countenance of their Usurpations They had drawn down the Representative of the People into a Close-Committee and the Arbitrary Votes of this Seditious Conventicle passed with the Vulgar for the Acts of a Regular and Complete Authority This was the Condition of the Non-Conformists Power Formerly but blessed be God they are not at present so Formidable The Three Kingdomes are Now at Peace and we have a Parliament that 's no Friend to the Faction The King is possest of a considerable Guard which his Royal Father wanted and the sword is in the wrong hand for Their business His Majesty is Master likewise of his Rights both of Power and Revenue and his Capital-City stands Right in its Obedience To all which may be added that although several Particulars of the Party are as Rich as Pillage and Pardon can make them yet they want a Common Stock to carry on a Common Cause the Thimbles and the Bodkins fail and the Comfortable In-comes of Irish Adventures Moneys and Plate upon the Propositions confiscated Estates Twentieth Parts and weekly Assessments and a hundred other Pecuniary Stratagems for the Ease of the Subject are Departed from them If it be
in the Place on 't Secondly It is manifest that Impossible it is to Please them any longer then while they are united in a Common Design upon us for next to Publique Order they are the deadliest Enemies one to another as being Govern'd by Inconsistent Principles Thirdly It is past Dispute that by virtue of That Favour which they now Aske and under colour of Those Pretences which they now hold forth They have render'd Themselves the Instruments of all our Late Miseries and the Masters of the Three Kingdomes Fourthly It is not more Plain what they have done then what they are now about to do And that they have the same Design upon the Publique at this Instant which they had in 41 is past all Controversie Zea. Conformity You out-run the Constable Will you pretend to enter into Mens Thoughts Conf. No I will not but if I should see a man throwing Wild-fire into a Magazine and He tells me that he does it to warm his Fingers would not you take me for an Asse if I should Believe him No no my fair Friends When ye see a Wise man Frequently and Deliberately doing things that manifestly lead to evil Consequences I think a very good Christian may suspect That wise man's Honesty Zea. Come no more of your High-flown Notions but out with 't in good honest English Where 's the Wild-fire and the Magazine that you would give us so learnedly to Understand Conf. Where is it Not rather to any man that will but look about him without winking Is not That Sermon think ye that you sent me last Night a pretty Squib to cast into a populous Town that 's Preach'd half to Gunpowder already Zea. And yet ye said E'en now There was no danger Conf. I say the same Thing still that is without a Toleration Zea. But where 's the Mischief of That Sermon I beseech ye Conf. The Book lies there upon the Table and 't is Marqu'd to your Hand but I 'm not ready for 't yet if you please wee 'll look it over by and by and speak a word in the mean time to the Ius Talionis to the Do as you would be done by of the Matter You would be Tolerated by That Government which of all Others you your Selves refus'd to Tolerate Stick now to your own Rule and tell me With what Face can ye Demand a Toleration or for what Sort of People Begin with your Clergy would you have Them Indulg'd Zea. Yes as They are Ministers of Gods Word They ought to be Indulg'd Conf. That can be no Plea for Them that persecuted Gods Ministers Themselves Charity indeed is a General Duty but it is an Argument that belongs only to Them that Practise it For They that never spar'd Any cannot reasonably desire to be spar'd Themselves They are in the second place not to be Tolerated upon the point of Scandal For Such are Declar'd scandalous as by Writing Preaching or otherwise publish their Disaffection to the present Government 'T is their own Law Gentlemen and upon that score of Disaffection was Introduc'd the most Barbarous Persecution of a Gospel-Ministry that ever was heard of among Christians I could Instance the Particulars of the Havock They made in London the Two Universities and finally throughout the Kingdome Particularly in South-Wales where They did not only Persecute The Ministry but the very Gospel by Shutting up their Churches and Condemning the People to the Dictates and Corruptions of unbridl'd Nature Nor was it enough to Sequester unless They Starv'd Them too For They were not permitted to live either as School-masters or Chaplains but upon severe Penalties a Committee of Middlesex indeed told Mr. Lance a Reverend and a Sequester'd Minister that He might Hedge and Ditch for his Living and that was the utmost of the Liberty They could Afford Them I could tell ye of the Ministers that were Poyson'd in Peter-House c. but I shall make ye sick and weary Asham'd I hope ye are already to Plead for a Toleration of Those People against the Law that were Thus Mercyless toward their Brethren that Acted and Suffer'd for it But to Seal up all with an Authority Gillespy tells ye that The General Assembly hath ordain'd that known Complyers with the Rebels and such as did procure Protections from the Enemy or keep Correspondence and Intelligence with him shall be suspended from the Lords Supper till they manifest their Repentance before the Congregation So that ye see we were not only Debarr'd the Common Rights of Subjects and Benefits of Society but the very Comforts of our Religion were taken from us and an Anathema pronounc'd upon us for our Loyalty and yet these People think it high Reason to be Tolerated Themselves and have the Confidence to Importune it from his most Sacred Majesty to whose Blessed Father and That in the Depth and Bitterness of his Agonies They cruelly Deny'd the Use and Service of his own Chaplains A greater Rigour and Barbarity then is ever us'd by Christians to the meanest Prisoners and Greatest Malefactors But continues that Pious Prince They that Envy My being a King are loth I should be a Christian while they seek to Deprive Me of all things else They are afraid I should save My Soul A word now to the Obligations we have to your Civil Authorities as to the Freedome of our Persons and Estates Visit but your own Acts and be your own Iudges but take the Crime along with ye Obedience to God to the King and to the Law Not to Enumerate your Particular and Personal Outrages as the Clapping of so many Honourable Persons abord and Designing Then for Slaves because They would not Rebel the Barbarous Treatment of betwixt Three and Fourscore Worthy and Loyal Gentlemen in the Business of Salisbury that were Shipp'd away and Sold by AN HONEST MAN to the Barbados Nor to Insist upon it how many Honourable Persons have been Smother'd and Starv'd in Gaoles how much Noble Bloud hath been Spilt both in the Field and upon the Scaffold c. I shall rather Confine my self to some few of your General Provisions for securing the Royal Party and for the Extirpation both of that Line and Government to which Providence has now again Subjected ye which to run over them in short shall be These An Ordinance for Sequestration of Delinquents Estates Delinquents Disabled to bear any Office or have any Vote in Election of any Maior c. Here 's Estate and Legal Freedome gone already Now follows Banishment from One Place and Confinement to Another Delinquents must be Remov'd from London and Westminster and Confin'd within five Miles of their own Dwelling Correspondency with Charles Stuart or his Party Prohibited under Pain of High Treason and Death to any Man that shall Attempt the Revival of his Claim or that shall be Aiding Assisting Comforting or Abetting unto any Person Endevouring to set up the Title of Any of the
you Zea. But would you have That Probability Govern by Unquestionable and Authoritative Conclusions Conf. By any means Ye do nothing else for where Controversies are Inevitable and Concord Necessary what can be more Reasonable than to chuse the most Competent Iudge of the Matter in Controversie for the Concluding Umpire of the Controversie it self Scrup. But a man may Iudge Probably in One Case and Improbably in Another Suppose the Determination to be manifest Errour or Injustice would you have the same Submission pay'd to 't as if it were Equity and Truth Conf. Yes to the Determination though not to the Errour You are to stand to the Authority of the Sentence without Contesting the Equity of it for Right or Wrong 't is a Decision The Principal Scope and sure end of a Reference is Peace the Hopeful Event and Issue of it is Righteous Judgment Is it not well then to be Sure of the One and in so fair Hopes of the Other Put it to the Worst You are not bound to be of the Judge his Opinion but to be over-rul'd by his Authority neither do you undertake that he shall Judge wisely as to the Subject of the Question but that he shall Judge Effectually as to the purpose of the Reference Scrup. This Resignation may do well in Cases of Civil Interest but it will hardly hold in matters of Conscience Who shall pretend to Iudge of my Conscience beside God and my self Conf. The Scripture which is the Rule of all Consciences shall be the Iudge of Yours But the Question is not What your Conscience IS but what it OUGHT to be not what your Private Judgment Says but what the Scripture Means and the thing I strive for is a Judge of That A Iudge of the Rule of Faith which I take to be all out as Necessary as a Iudge of a Political Law You cannot but Allow that there are Diversities of Opinions as well in Religion as concerning Secular Affairs and such is our Corruption that we draw Poyson even from the Fountain of Life and the Word of God it self is made the warrant of all Crimes and the Foundation of all Heresies Look behind ye and you may see a Prince Murther'd by his Subjects Authority Beheaded by a pretended Law and All This Defended by a Text. The Church Dovour'd by a Divided Ministry the Government Overturn'd by a Solemn League and Covenant to Support it An Arbitrary Power Introduc'd by the Patrons of Liberty and Charity it self extinguish'd for the Advancement of the Gospel We have liv'd to see as many Haeresies as Congregations and among Those of the Classical way a Consistorian Sarutiny Exercised beyond the Rigour of a Spanish Inquisition We have seen some that Abhor Idols committing Sacriledge Christ's Kingdome cry'd up till his Divinity is deny'd Strictness of Life Inculcated till the very Rule of it the Decalogue it self is Rejected And Blasphemy hunted out of the Tavern into the Pulpit In short what Sin and Misery have we not known and felt since under the Form of Liberty of Conscience This Freedome of a Private Spirit came in Vogue Nor are we ever to expect better from it till all men shall conspire to do the same thing where every man is left to his own Gust to do what he pleases and whence flowes all This Mischief and Confusion but from a Licence of wandring from the Rule Shew the People a Written Law They 'll tell you of a Law of Nature and distinguish betwixt The Politique Power they have given the King and the Natural Power which they Reserve to Themselves Bid them Reverence the King as the Supreme Governour They 'll Answer you No Hee 's but the Servant and Vassal of the People his Royalty is only a Virtual Emanation from Them and in Them Radically as in the first Subject According to Rutherford Parker Goodwin Bridges Milton and a hundred more Come to the Point of Non-Resistence and you shall hear that Wheresoever a King or other Supreme Authority creates an Inferiour they invest it with a Legitimacy of Magistratical Power to Punish themselves also in case they prove Evil-doers Yea and to Act any other thing requisite for the Praise and Encouragement of the Good If it be demanded in what capacity the King may be Resisted hear Rutherford again The Man who is King may be Resisted but not the Royal Office The King in Concreto may be Resisted but not the King in Abstracto But in what Manner may he be Resisted and by what Means He may be Resisted in a Pitch'd Battel and with Swords and Guns That is his Private will may be Resisted not his Legal Will Neither is he Present in the Field as a King but as an Injust Invader and Grassator If he chance to be slain 'T is but an Accident and who can help it Hee 's Guilty of his own Death or let them Answer for 't that brought him Thither The Contrary Party is Innocent But This Resistence is only Justifiable I hope in Magistrates or Authoritative Assemblies as Parliaments c. Rutherford sayes Nay to that All Powers must be serv'd with the same sauce if they Abuse their Trust. The People can give no Other Power then such as God has given Them and God has never given a Moral Power to do Ill. All FIDUCIARY Power Abus'd may be Repeal'd and Parliamentary Power is no Other which if it be Abus'd the People may Repeal it and Resist them Annulling their Commissions Rescinding their Acts and Denuding them of their Fiduciary Power even as the King himself may be Denuded of the same Power by the Three Estates and Goodwin tells us in Little that All Humane Lawes and Constitutions are made with Knees to bend to the Law of Nature and Necessity Well but suppose the Prince has the good hap to scape Gun-shot and only to become a Prisoner You have no Law to Try him by He has no Peers what course will you take with him Milton's opinion is that Every Worthy Man in Parliament might for the Publique Geod be thought a Fit Peer and Iudge of the King and Goodwin Dogmatizes that where there is no Opportunity for the Interposure of other Iudges the Law of Nature and of Nations allows every man to Iudge in his own Case Parker comes homer yet There never was says he a greater Harmony of the Lawes of Nature Reason Prudence and Necessity to warrant any Act then may be found and discern'd in That Act of Iustice on the Late King Now if you 'll see a piece of Treason crown'd with Blasphemy carry your Eve Four Pages farther God himself had Eclips'd yea Lost the Brightest Beam of his Divine Glory that ever shin'd on this Lower World if he had not some way or other brought That Person to some Eminent and Praeter-natural Punishment Me thinks These Practices should put you
Gentlemen while you Debate That Point I 'le call for Dinner SECT XVI At whose Door Lyes the BLOUD of King CHARLES the MARTYR Zea. ANd why by Them if by Any I beseech ye Was Peters a Presbyterian Scrup. Yes surely was he as much as Marshall was an Independent Zea. Go to Let us spare Names and Fall to the Matter Scrup. The Question is Upon Whom the Guilt of the Kings Bloud lyes You charge it upon Us and I upon You. The Presbyterians Spoyl'd Him as a King before Others Executed Him as a Private Man Have they not Hunted and Persu'd Him with Sword and Fire Have they not formerly Deny'd to Treat with Him and their now Recanting Ministers Preach't against Him as a Reprobate Incurable an Enemy to God and his Church Marqu'd for Destruction c. The Covenanting-Ministers with their Party clearly Depos'd the King when They Acknowledg'd and submitted unto a Power as Superiour unto His Levy'd war against Him as against a Traytor Rebel and Enemy to the Kingdome c. The Scots had proceeded so far as to Imprison the Kings Person and to Sequester all his Royal Power which is a Temporary Dethroning and Deposing Nay hear what some of your Rabbies have not stuck to say in my Iustification The Removal of Prelatical Innovations Altar-genuflexions and cringings with Crossings and all that Popish Trash and Trumpery Countervails for the Bloud and Treasure shed and spent in these late Distractions and this was in 56. Once more and you shall take your Turn This may serve to Justifie the Proceedings of this Kingdome against the late King who in a Hostile way set Himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Zea. I could Afford you Two for One and Pay you in your own Coyne His Capacity says Parker was at Westminster when His Body was upon the Scaffold at Whitehall Paying unto Justice for his Misgovernment and Tyranny Think not to save your Selves sayes One of your Ministers to the Commons about a Month before the King Suffer'd Think not to Save your Selves says He by an Unrighteous Saving Them who are the Lord's and the Peoples Known Enemies for Certainly if ye Act not Like GODS in This Particular against men truly Obnoxious to Justice They will be like DEVILS against you Benhadad's Life was once in Ahab's Hand and He ventur'd God's Displeasure to let him go But see how Bernhadad Rewards Him for it Fight neither with Small nor Great but with the KING of Israel Conf. Come Gentlemen Your Dinner 's Ready but first I Charge ye by that Love ye bear to Truth and Honesty deal Freely with me What 's Your Opinion of your Cause Zea. Wee 'll take time to Consider of it Conf. And of your Petition too I beseech ye Go to I dare swear there 's Neither of ye will Dye at Stake for 't Scrup. But still I 'm where I was as to the Favouring of Tender Consciences Conf. And truly so am I where it is possible to Separate the Errour from the Person but to permit a Pullique Inconvenience for the Satisfaction of a Private Scruple were upon very weak pretence to Unhinge the Law and Consequently to Dissolve the Government Det ille veniam facilè cui veniâ est opus Sen. Agamem The END The CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Pag. 1 SECT 1. Liberty of Conscience Stated P. 5 SECT 2. Universal Toleration Unlawful P. 7 SECT 3. Limited Toleration does not answer Liberty of Conscience P. 18 SECT 4. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION upon Reason of State P. 14 SECT 5. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Merits of the Party P. 24 SECT 6. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Innocence of their Practices and Opinions P. 26 SECT 7. TOLERATION Causes Confusion both in Church and State P. 36 SECT 8. The Danger of TOLERATION in this Iuncture Pag. 3â— SECT 9. Arguments against TOLERATION in respect of the Party ihat Desires it with Animadversions upon a certain Pamplet Entituled A SERMON Preached at ALDERMANBURY-CHURCH Decemb. 28. 1662. P. 42 SECT 10. Arguments against TOLERATION in Respect of the Authority that is to Grant it P. 60 SECT 11. The Proper Subject and Extent of Humane Power P. 64 SECT 12. The Bounds of TOLERATION with some Reflections upon SCHISM and SCANDAL p. 69 SECT 13. The Necessity of a Final and Unaccomptable JUDGE P. 81 SECT 14. The Three Great Iudges of Mankind are GOD MAGISTRATES and CONSCIENCE P. 89 SECT 15. The Toleration which the Non-Conformists desire has neither GROUND nor PRESIDENT P. 99 SECT 16. At Whose Door Lies the BLOUD of King CHARLES the MARTYR P. 104 The END Crooks Reports Pars 2. Pa. 37. Interest of Engl. Pa 86. P. 84. 86. 87. 94. The Non-conformists Demand Rom. 2. 14. Laud against Fisher. pa. 197. Rom. 7. 7. Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 5. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 3 15. Ex. Coll. P. 2. 3. a Ex. Coll. P. 84. b P. 339. c P. 609. d P. 764. e P. 392. Ex. Coll. P. 533. P. 494. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 28. 24. Lord Brook Alaham Pa. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 130. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 93. Gal. 5. 1. a Lex Rex P. 136. b 156. c 140. d 113. e Gillespy P. 11. Engl. Pop. Cerem f 245. Kings Declar. P. 409. P. 4â—1 P. 409. P. 413. A Sacred Panegyrick P. 23 Defence of the Honourable Sentence passed upon the late King Pa. 90. Ex Coll. Pa. 259 Ex. Coll. Pa. 457. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pa. 183. The Non-conformists would have they know not what Letter to the Assembl Ian. 1. 45. Pag. 3. Engl. Deliv Pa. 7. Fresh Disput. Pa. 98. Tenure of Kings Pa. 36. Ex. Coll. Pa. 2. Remonstr Ex. Coll. Pa. 19. ☜ Ibid. The False Brother a Part. 2. Pag. 3. b Pag. 7. Scobel Acts c. c Pag. 51. d Pag. 65. e Pag. 178. f Pag. 293. a Scobels Acts c. Pag. 41. b Pag. 60. c Pag. 73. d Pag. 75. e Pag. 128. f Pag. 8. Part 2. g Pag. 149. h Pag. 153. i Pag. 400. k Pag. 42. l Pag. 53. m Pag. 75. n Pag. 99. o Pag. 101. p Pag. 128. q Part. 2. Pag. 16. r Part. 1. Pag. 97. Ibid. The Kirks Testimony against Toleration Pag. 10. Scobell's Acts Pars. 2. Pa. 340. Useful Case of Conscience Pa. 19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 207. Ibid. a Scob. Acts Pars. 1. Pa. 37. b Pa. 135. c Pars. 2. Pa. 104. d Pa. 175. e Pa. 372. Kings Declar. Decemb. 26. 1662. Pa. 8. His Majesty's Speech to Both Houses Feb. 18. 1662. Pa. 5. Ibid. Pa. 7. Pa. 8. Ibid. Pa. 8. Pa. 9. Pa. 8. Pa. 9. Pa. 10. Pa. 11. Ibid. Pa. 12. Pa. 13. Ibid. Pa. 14. Ibid. Sermon Iuâ— 15. 43. pag. 53 51. Pa. 16. Pa. 17. Pa. 17 18. ☞ Davila Delle Guer. Civ di Fâ—an Lib. 10. Ibid. Lib. 14. Strada de Bello Belgico Lib. 5. The subject of Humane Power Eccles. Polit Lib. 1. Pa. 7. a Parker Goodwin Rutherford Milton c. b E. Cal. Noble-mans Pattern pa. 45. c E. C. Phoenix pa. 158 159. d Rutherfords Due Right of Presbyteryee Pa. 485. e Ibid. p. 488. f Mr. Manion's Smectymnuus Publisht since his Majesties Return pa. 58. ☜ Essay of Atheism E. Calaus Serm. Dec. 28. 1662. Pa. 21. Pa. 19. Psal. 73. v. 12. Essay of Unity of Religion Numb 24. 16. Numb 16. 1. V. 3. V. 32. V. 35. V. 41. V. 49. a Rom. 2. 22. b By the Familists c By the Antinomians d Rutherford Lex Rex p. â—1 a Goodwins Right and Might Pa. 10. b Lex Rex Pa. 265. c Lex Rex Pa. 324. d Pa. 269. e Pa. 334. f Pa. 324. g Pa. 273. h Ibid. i Ibid. k Lex Rex Pa. 152. l Ibid. a Right and Might b TenuÌ„re of Kings Pa. 24. c Defence of the Kings Sentence P. 34. d English Translation of the Scottish Declaration Pa. 18. e Pa. 22. Printed for Francis Tyton who has Published as much since the King came in Chillingsworths Safe Way Pa. 57. Rom. 7. 23. Chillingâ— Safe way P. 104. a Rutherfords Due Right of Presbyt p. 356. b Ibid. p. 352. c Ibid p 407. d Ibid. p. 415. d Ruth Free Disp. pag. 36. Ruth Free Disp. pa. 27. Resuscitatio Pa. 189. Common-wealth Stated P. 72. Milton's Tenur P. 32. Goodwin's Defence of the King's Sentence P. 53. Parker's Scotlands Holy War P. 17. Policy of Princes P. 33. Robert Douglass Sermon in 51 and in the Phoenix P. 52. English Translat P. 18. Flesh Expiring c. P. 26.