and preaching in Houses and the true Gospel Ministers said walk as ye have us for examples Phil. 3.17 who did frequently meet and preach in other places then Parish Churches and Chappels therefore to meet and preach in houses is very justifiable by the example and practices of the Apostles of Christ and Primitive Christians and owned by signal Testimonies from Heaven and ought not therefore to be condemned or forbidden by Men. POSTSCRIPT MEetings barely and simply considered as meetings upon the account of Religious exercise without an intent precedent to do some unlawful action or mischief when they are assembled together is no offence it seems against Law or punishable thereby Anno 16. Car 2. fol. 25 26. For first the Title of the Act is to prevent and suppress seditions Conventicles so that Conventicles or meetings for the service of God are not to be prevented and suppressed by the said Act but seditious Conventicles are to be prevented and suppressed thereby 2ly The remedies or penalties provided by the said Act are against the growing and dangerous practices of seditious sectaries and other disloyal persons who under pretence of tender Consciences do at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late experience hath shewed so that those are seditious sectaries and disloyal persons against whom the penalties of the Act in that case are made and provided who under pretence of tender Consciences do at their meetings contrive Insurrections as aforesaid Whereby it may appear that for persons to meet and assemble together upon the account of Religious exercise to the number of five and above besides them of the houshold in other manner then is allowed by the Liturgy of the Church of England is to meet and assemble together under such a pretence to contrive Insurrections or do some mischievous actions under so fair a pretence as aforesaid For thirdly the tenor or execution of the Act Anno 16. Caâ— 2. fol. â—4 is to prevent the mischiefs which may grow by such seditious and tumultuous meetings under pretence of Religious Worship Whereby it is evident that the meetings punishable by the said Act are to be seditious tumultuous meetings which tends to mischievous actions so that the manner of meeting must be a seditious and tumultuous manner and the matter enacted done or performed at the meeting must be teaching or acting sedition insurrection or mischief or else how is it punishable by the said Act aforementioned And as to the matter of fact against preaching persons prohibited or to be restrained from coming within five miles of Cities and Towns Corporate or within five miles of any Parish Town or place wherein they have been Parsons Vicars Curats Stipendaries Lecturers possessed of any Ecclesiastical or Spiritual Promotions c. is it not to be proved as matter of fact against such preaching persons prohibited and to be restrained as aforesaid First that they take upon them to preach without any right or authority from God 2ly that they preach contrary to the lawes and statutes of this Kingdom 3ly that the meetings wherein they so preach are unlawful Assembles or Conventicles 4ly that such preaching persons have been possessed of some Ecclesiastical or spiritual promotions 5ly that they have been in holy Orders or pretend to be in holy Orders in a National or Parochial way 6. that they are setled persons or have setled themselves sometimes by three or more in Corporations thereby taking an opportunity to distill the poysonous principles of Schisme Rebellion into the hearts of the people to the great danger of the Church and Kingdom 7ly What it is to preach contrary to the Lawes and Statutes of the Kingdom as to the matter of preaching must it not be to preach Schisme and Rebellion or insurrection and sedition that is the matter punishable because preaching the Gospel of Christ and the pure Word of God is not the matter of preaching forbidden Written from a Principle of Truth Righteousness and peace on the behalf of true Christians and godly Preachers and owned by Christian Moderation Something more by way of Addition and Confirmation wherein also is answered some great Objections c. NOw if Christian Religious Meetings and Preaching in other places then Parish Churches and Chappels be accounted seditious Conventicles because of the manner of meeting and preaching when both the matter and manner of meeting and preaching is according to the holy Scriptures and the practice of the Apostles of Christ and Primitive Christians what just ground or reason from the holy Scriptures can be produced for the proof of the same to make persons guilty of punishment either by imprisonment sines or Banishment for so doing Object Perhaps some may object or say its no matter though the holy Scriptures and practice of the Apostles of Christ and Primitive Christians do allow of the manner of Christian Religious Meeting and Preaching in upper Chambers and in private Houses so that there is no just ground or reason to be produced from the holy Scriptures or practice of the Apostles of Christ and Primitive Christians to prove Christian Regions Meetings and preaching in other places then Parish Churches and Chappels to be seditious Conventicles and unlawful assemblies when both the manner and matter of meeting and preaching is according to the holy Scriptures yet there is an Act or Ordinance of Man made against the same and the Scripture saith Be subject to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and therefore by that Act or Ordinance they are punishable for meeting and preaching in other places then Parish Churches and Chappels according to our apprehensions Ans In answer thereunto we say that forasmuch as every Ordinance of man ought to be submitted unto for the Lords sake how careful ought men in Authority to be who profess themselves Christian Magistrates too to enact and ordain nothing about the Service and Worship of God but what is according to the mind spirit and word of God seeing that the motive to subjection to such Ordinances of men is for the Lords sake and how can they be submitted unto for the Lords sake if they be contrary to the mind spirit and word of God because the Apostle Peter â— Pet. 2.13 â—…,15,16 who exhorts to subjection to the Ordinances of Men upon that consideration 1 Pet. 2.13,14,15,16 was one of the first that denyed subjection to that Ordinance made against preaching or was chiefly concerned in refusing subjection to the command or ordinance of Men when they commanded Peter for one to preach no more in the Name of Jesus for the Apostle Peter â—ct 4.17,18 â—…,20 could not submit himself to such a command or ordinance of men for the Lords sake when he knew it to be contrary to the mind and spirit of God in forbidding them to preach as aforesaid therefore may it not be concluded upon just grounds from the Scriptures and practice of the Apostles of Christ that they did not intend a subjection to the
are to preach it as freely as they have received it because he that hath the best right to send forth Ministers to minister from him to the people saith freely ye have received freely give fourthly The Ministers of Christ are to preach freely and the people are to hear them as freely so that they neither ought to be hindred from preaching nor the people from hearing And it is the duty of a Minister to preach as well as it is the duty of the people to hear 1 Thes 5.21 and they ought not to receive a Minister before they hear him nor there is no danger if the hearers receive not a Minister untill they have a true proofe and gospel commendation of him as a Minister by manifesting truth unto them in commending himself to their consciences in the sight of God as a Minister of the Gospel of Christ as aforesaid 2 Cor. 3. chap. 2 Cor. 4.1.2 But after God hath ordained and sent forth Ministers and given them a Ministry they are to attend upon it and if men forbid them to preach they must obey God rather then men Act. 4 17,18,19,20 2 Tim. 4.1 â— and in preaching the Word be instant in season and out of season as it is written therefore it is the duty of the true Gospel Ministers to preach when they are forbidden by men because they are to preach both in season and out of season And when is preaching the Word out of season but when by men it is dislik'd and forbidden for saith the Apostle the time will come when they will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own lusts shall they heap up to themselves teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables as by the Scriptures is evident and plain 2 Tim. 4.3,4 Now seeing the Ministers of the Gospel are to preach both in season and out of season they are to continue stedfast unto God in the work of the Ministry therefore they that give over preaching when men forbids them either never received any ministry from God or else in denying to preach they have denyed the Lord and those are not worthy to be either heard or any more received as the Ministers of God therefore there is no danger in rejecting of them because they have rejected the Lord Jer. 8.9 Hos 4.6 The Ministers of Christ are to be received after they be made manifest to the consciences of the people by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them in the sight of him that hath sent them and after they be so manifest the danger is great in rejecting of them Mat. 10.7.14,15 The Ministers of God ought not to be forbidden to preach the Gospel 2 Cor. 4. Math. 10.7.14,15 Mat. 10.40,41,42 Mar. 6.10,11 because they are to be known before they be received therefore it 's necessary that they should preach the word of God that the people may have a manifestation of them in order to the receiving of them because the receiving of them is as the receiving of God and hath the promise of a great reward and the rejecting of them or the forbiding of them to preach is as the rejecting of God therefore after the Minister of God be made manifest to the consciences of the people in the sight of God they ought to be received and yet though the danger of rejecting such be so great the punishment for rejecting of them is not to be inflicted by man but by the Lord because it shall be more tollerable for Sodom and Gomorab in the day of Judgment then for such as Christ Jesus hath said The Ministers of Christ are not to be forbidden to preach because they are to commend themselves to the Consciences of those that receives them by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them and as it is the Ministers work so to commend themselves to the consciences of the people in order to reception they ought not to be forbidden to preach the Gospel of Christ because preaching the Gospel is the right way and means of manifesting the truth unto them and after they be made manifest to the consciences of the people in the sight of God as his Ministers then it 's the duty of the people Rom. 10.14,15 unto whose consciences they are so made manifest to receive them as the Ministers of God because in receiving of them it 's accounted as the receiving of him Mat. 10.40,41,42 First Mat. 10.7.40,41,42 Mar. 6.12 2 Cor. 7.1,2 They ought to preach the Word of God as well as they ought to be received because God commands it and that 's upon the account of God as it s said he that receiveth you receiveth me Secondly They ought both to preach and be received as they are Ministers of God and righteous Men because the Scriptures and the spirit of truth enjoynes to it and that 's upon the account of their uprightness both to God and Man as they are Gods true and faithfull Ministers First Because the true Ministers of Christ wrongeth no Man Secondly Because they corrupt no Man And thirdly Because they defraud no Man as you may read 2 Cor. 7.2 These therefore who pretend to be Ministers of God and are wrongers of Men and corrupt and defraud them are not to be received as the Ministers of Christ because they are not owned of God but testified against by the Scriptures and also by the spirit of Christ in the true Gospell Ministers Secondly The true Gospell Ministers do not seek to force in themselves upon the people but saith receive us we have wronged no man we have corrupted no man we have defrauded no man as by the Scriptures is evident and plain 2 Cor. 7.2 Mat. 7.15,16,20,21,22,23 2 Joh. 7,8,9,10,11 But the Ministers of Antichrist cannot truly say so because by their fruites the contrary is manifest therefore such ought not to be received but rather rejected being testified against by the Scriptures and also by the spirit of Christ in the true Gospel Ministers because they are not the Ministers of Christ but of Antichrist and therefore deceivers and wrongers of God and man as is evident and plain 2 Pet. 2. Thirdly 2 Cor. 4.1,2 1 Pet. 1.12 Act. 10.42,43 Act. 4 17,18,19,20 Those who are ordained and commanded by the great God of Heaven to preach the Gospel unto the soules of the people with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven if Men should forbid them to preach when God requires them to preach it is better in such a case to obey God rather then man for it was the duty and practice of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ when they were forbiden by men in Authority to preach any more in the name of Jesus to disobey such commands or ordinances of men who forbad them to preach by preaching obedience to the command and authority of God who requires it of them as you may read
in the case of Peter and John therefore it is the duty and practice of the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ in preaching the word to be instant both in season and out of season according to the charge given before the Lord 2 Tim. 1.2 Fourthly The Ministers of Christ ought not to be prohibited from preaching the Word of God because by their preaching they are to be manifested to the Consciences of the people by a Gospel commendation that they may be received by them to whose consciences they are commended in the sight of God by manifesting the truth unto them but the Ministers of Antichrist ought to be rejected though they pretend to be the Ministers of Christ because they would come in by force upon the people to whose consciences they have not commended themselves as the Ministers of God by manifesting the truth of the Gospel unto them in the sight of God as the true Gospel Ministers do and afore-time did Fifthly 2 Cor. 2.21,21 Acts 10.42,43 The Ministers of Christ ought both to preach and be received as the Ministers of God because they are anointed and sealed of God as well as ordained and sent to Minister from him to the people for their salvation consolation and soul-satisfaction but the Ministers of Antichrist are not to be received but rejected though they pretend to be the Ministers of Christ because they are not ordained and sent of God secondly because they are not anointed and sealed of God and thirdly because they are not appointed by the Lord to Minister from him to the people for their salvation consolation and souls-satisfaction Sixthly They who are ordained anointed and sealed of God and sent forth to Minister from him to the soules of the people they ought to preach because they have the earnest of the spirit of God given into their hearts as a testimony that they are in Covenant with God and appointed to preach 2 Cor. 3.21,22,23 Act. 10.42,43 Seventhly they ought to preach the Word of God because they have not Dominion given them over the faith of their Hearers but are helpers of their joy for it is by faith that they stand as you may read 2 Cor. 2.24 8ly They ought to Preach because there is no falshood in their Doctrine but as God is true so is their Doctrine for it is not yea and nay as it is written 2 Cor. 2.18,19,21,22,23 but the Ministers of Antichrist are not ordained anointed and sealed of God or sent forth to minister from him to the Souls of the People for their Salvation consolation or souls satisfattion therefore they are not to be received as the Ministers of Christ but rejected as the Ministers of Antichrist 1. Because they have not the earnest of the Spirit of God given unto them neither are they guided thereby but do daily err and go astray from Gods own ways 2. Because they do not help the joy of Believers but rather fills them with sorrow and sadness by seeking to have dominion over their faith in seeking to force in themselves and their Doctrine and maintenance upon the People contrary to faith and a good Conscience whilest they themselves are miserable siners and daily offend against Gods holy Laws 3. They are subject to error both in matter and manner who have no saving health in them whose word and doctrine is not true but yea and nay according to the times and contrary to the doctrine of the true Gospel Ministers of Christ as aforesaid They who are ordained anointed and sealed of God and sent to Minister from him to the soules of the people Rom. 8.14,15,16,17 they have the spirit of God given unto them to guide them in their ministration Rom. 8.15,16,17 and if any pretend to be a Minister and have not the spirit of Christ he is no Minister of his Rom. 8.9 They who have received a Ministry from God they have also received a spirit suitable to such a Ministry that is to say the spirit of God whereby they know the things that are freely given unto them as it is written 1 Cor. 2.11,12 for what Man knoweth the things of a Man save the spirit of Man that is in him even so the things of God knoweth no Man but the spirit of God Now we have received the spirit of God that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God said the true Gospel Ministers which things we also speak not in the words which Mans wisedome teacheth but which the holy Ghost teacheth as yon may read the 1 Cor. 2.11,12 The holy Ghost hath a teaching office in and by the true Gospel Ministers therefore they ought to preach and none are sit to be Ministers before they receive the holy Ghost from Heaven for men are ignorant of the things of God untill then First because no man knowes the things of God but by the spirit of God so that the fpirit of God gives men the knowledg of the things of God in order to administration Secondly the spirit of God is given of God and received by them that are to minister from him to the soules of the people before they be sent forth as his Ministers and they that receive not the spirit of God receive not a Ministry from him therefore they who have hot the spirit of Christ are none of his Ministers as it is plain and clear by the Scriptures Rom. 8.9 Rom. 8.9 As it is the love of God to give his spirit so it is the duty of them to whom it is offered to imbrace and kindly receive such a gift for they who receive not the spirit of God without which they cannot know the things of God they are very unfit to be the Ministers of God First because the spirit of God gives men the knowledge of the things of God Secondly because the spirit of God both guides and inables the true Gospel Ministers to preach or speak the things that are given of God And Thirdly the spirit of God guides and inables the true Gospel Ministers to preach according to the mind of God because it teacheth and enableth them to preach the Gospel of Christ in the words which the holy Ghost teacheth and not in the words which mans wisedome teacheth the words which mans wisdome teacheth are not to be used in preaching the Gospel but that which the holy Ghost teacheth for the Gospel cannot be preached by the wisedome of man without the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven therefore no man can be a true Gospel Minister but such as have received and do receive a true Gospel Spirit to Minister withall as by the Scripture is evident and plain 1 Cor. 2.11,12,13 1. Pet. 1.10,11,12 Rom. 8.9 1 Cor. 2.11 â—2 13 1 Pet. 1.10,11,12 Rom. 8.9 The Scripture doth not enable men to be Preachers of Christ and the Gospel without the true Gospel Spirit which is the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven into the hearts of men for if