cruelty And reckon the death of K. Edw. 6. for a mercy Insomuch that out of Dr. Heylin and some others a Papist hath gathered in terminis the most odious description of our Reformation called Historical Collections 12. They disagree about the points called Arminian Whitgift the Mawl of the Nonconformists with others drawing up the high Lambeth-Articles for absolute Reprobation c. and others with Laud as hot against them 13. These censure K. James for being against Arminianism and sending men to that end to the Synod of Dort though they were all moderating-men 14. Though we had there six excellent Divines some think we are not obliged by that Synod and some that we are when we had not so many in most General Councils 15. Those that followed Laud being few durst not long commit their Cause to a Convocation And Heylin tells us that the Convocations of England and Ireland were against them and the Convocations are called The Representative-Church 16. These divided from the rest strove who should prevail in Power A. B. Grindall first and A. B. Abbot next being cast out and both reproached by Dr. Heylin Laud's Pen-man as the Heads of one Party in England and B. Usher in Ireland and Bishop Laud is praised as the Leader of the other side Reforming the spoiled Reformation which the Universities and Bishops had spoiled by Calvinism 17. These two Parties differed in their Zeal against the Nonconformists Grindall being for Love and Lenity and Lecture-Exercises to breed up Preachers and Abbot by Heylin made a Mischief to the Church for being popular but Laud's Party being for more severity against them which was exercised accordingly 18. These two Parties also differed in their way and designs towards the Papists A. B. G. Abbot B. Rob. Abbot Hall and others suspecting Laud as Popish and being themselves against Toleration of Popery But B. Laud saith Dr. Heylin attempting by alterations and abatements and reconciling means to open our Church-door so wide that we might again all joyn together as in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths Reign 19. These two Parties differed about Prerogative Laws and Property A. B. Abbot writeth that he was cast down for denying to License Sybthrop's Book for the Kings Power to raise money and the peoples obligation to pay it And his Narrative which you may read in Rushworth intimateth that B. Laud was the chief means of this Imposition on him to License Sybthrop's Book and so of his Sufferings The two greatest Writers for Prelacy and Conformity are Bishop Bilson and Hooker to the reading of whom B. Morley referred me for instruction when he forbid me Preaching in Worcester Diocess and whom we are usually challenged to answer Bishop Bilson saith Chris Subject pag. 520. If a Prince should go about to subject his Kingdom to a Forreign Realm or change the form of the Common Wealth from Impery to Tyranny or neglect the Laws established by common consent of Prince and People to execute his own pleasure In these and other such cases which might be named if the Nobles and Commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed Liberty Regiment and Laws they may not well be counted Rebels See more pag. 381 382. Grotius de jure Belli goeth much farther Ri. Hooker saith That it is no better than Tyranny for any Prince or Potentate of what kind soever to exercise Law-making of himself and not either by express Commission received immediately and personally from God or else by authority derived at first from their consent upon whose persons they impose it Eccl. Pol. l. 1. § 10. p. 21. And that in Kingdoms of this quality as ours the Highest Governour hath indeed universal Dominion but with dependancy on that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath dominion So that it standeth for an axiom in this case The King is Singulis Major universis Minor Lib. 8. p. 193. and p. 194. Neither can any man with Reason think but that the first institution of Kings a sufficient consideration wherefore their power should always depend on the from which it did always flow by original influence of power from the body into the King is the cause of Kings dependency in power on the body By dependancy we mean Subordination and Subjection The Axioms of our Regal Government are these Lex facit Regem Rex nihil potest nisi quod jure potest Pag. 218 221 223 224. Against all equity it were that a man should suffer detriment at the hands of men for not observing that which he never did either by himself or others mediately or immediately agree to What Power the King hath he hath it by Law the bounds and limits of it are known The entire Community giveth order c. as for them that exercise power altogether against order though the kind of power which they have may be of God yet is their exercise thereof against God and therefore not of God otherwise than by permission as all injustice is Page 224. Usurpers of Power whereby we do not mean them that by violence have aspired to places of highest authority but them that use more authority than ever they did receive in form and manner above mentioned such Usurpers thereof as in the exercise of their power do more than they have been authorized to do cannot in conscience bind any to obedience Thus Hooker Hollingshead a Minister maketh Parliaments so mighty as to take down the greatest Kings Bishop Jewel defendeth the defensive arms of the French Protestants as Bilson and others do On the other side some held that it is unlawful on any pretence what soever to take Arms against the King or any Commissioned by him in pursuance of that Commission And thus the Clergy were then divided about such things which prognosticated much that followed 20. The Laity Lords and Commons were divided after these two Parties And the Parliaments still adhered to the then major part against Laud's Party and insisted on Grievances viz. 1. Increase and favour of Popery 2. Arminianism 3. About their Property and Liberty Taxing and Imprisoning c. as Rushworth and Heylin shew at large of divers Parliaments 21. By this unhappy breach Parliaments still harping on the same and the King dissolving them and Abbot and Richard Hooker and the most being for the one side and Bishop Laud Neale Howson Corbet Buckeridge and Montague for the other the Court and Parliaments came to the unhappy jealousies and distrusts which at last broke out into a miserable War In which the A. B. of Canterbury Laud was on one side and was put to death the History and Articles are known and the other A. B. Williams of York was on the other side and became a Commander in North-Wales for the Parliament and their Clergy were accordingly divided one part of the Conformists adhering to the King and the other to the Parliament many of which made up the Westminster-Synod 22. This War thus begun between the
Atheists Hobbists and wicked men are members of their Church from year to year continued 67. The Canon 139 excommunicateth all that say that the Synod of this Nation in the name of Christ and by the Kings authority assembled is not the true Church of England by representation By which they seem to make the King no part of the Church nor any of the Laity or else that they represent King and Laity and they intimate that all the Clergy is the Church-real and the Synod the Representative 68. They brought in new Canons and the et coetera Oath in 1640 without the Parliament which were condemned 69. From the beginning of Queen Elizabeth till now they have prosecuted and silenced Protestants that durst not conform even their fellow Exiles in Queen Maries days were silenced and multitudes after in King James's days and even Conformists suspended about the dancing-Dancing-book and troubled about Altars Bowing Afternoon-Sermons and Lectures which were forbidden and about 2000 ejected and silenced at once 1662 And multitudes of Families driven to Holland and New-England Though we offer them our Oaths that we will gladly conform if by any study we can but see that it will not involve us in the guilt of Lying owing the Perjury of maltitudes unknown to us corrupting the Church and Gods Worship Covenanting deliberately against needful Reformation of the Church-Government by Lay Chancellours and uncapable Diocesans and many other crimes with dreadful aggravations recited in our first Plea for Peace 70. They separate from us and our Congregations as unlawful to be joyned with 71. Though it was the judgment of the ancient Churches exprest in many Canons that he was no Bishop that had not the peoples election or consent they make it Schism not to obey such and allow the people no such power 72. They suppose that God hath entrusted the King to chuse for all his Subjects whom they shall commit the conduct of their Souls to as their Pastors and Bishops though he be not trusted to chuse our Physicians our Wives our Dyet c. And so they would make the King answerable for all ill-chosen Pastors And if a Papist Heretick or a hater of Pastoral holiness should ever be King in how sad a case are the peoples souls 73. Yea they hold that Patrons be they never so ignorant or ungodly must chuse all that shall have the Parochial trust of Souls As to the possession of Temples and Tythes we yield it they say The people must have no other than what the Patrons chuse and impose on them 74. Excommunication of Dissenters seemeth little to them but they by the writ de Excommunicato Capiendo lay them in Jayl till death unless they change their Judgment which it is not in their power to do 75. Though we publish our abhorrence of all Doctrines of Rebellion and disown even so much popularity as their Richard Hooker and most Politicks own many of them go on to charge Nonconformists with suspicions of Rebellion and to provoke the King against them as disloyal 76. They print and preach to provoke Magistrates to execute the foresaid severe Laws to silence and ruine them and accuse them for not doing it 77. They stir up the people to take them for intollerable seditious Schismaticks to the destruction of Christian Love and causing men to hate each other 78. By these means families are distracted Husbands against Wives Parents against Children some casting them out if they do but hear a Nonconformist Preacher while sensuality corrupteth youth and needeth more restraint 79. When the Kings Clemency Licensed our Meetings they grudged at it and neverthelss separated from us though they describe Separation to be Meetings held against authority and thereby shewed that it is somewhat else than the Kings authority that they contend for and something more than our want of License which causeth their fervent opposition 80. Though we beg of them in vain to prevent the Papists advantage by our divisions and though they seem resolved to let Popery it self come in rather than either restore us or tolerate us and abate what we count sin and they call Indifferent yet do they perswade people that we are bringing in Popery if we obey not all their Impositions and talk as if either no Dissenters were tollerable when all men differ and they among themselves in as great matters as from us or All were tolerable both which are abominable And as if he that were unwilling to be destroyed by Prelatists were introducing Popery Should a man chuse rather to be saved by a Papist than hanged by a Prelatist who were more to be suspected of Popery He that made that choice or he that put it upon him 81. Besides the reconciling treaty with the Papists asserted by Dr. Heylin some chief Doctors profess that they would have the Church in the same state as when the Greeks and Latine did divide and grant what the Greeks grant not denying the Pope to be Principium unitatis and pleading for Grotius as a Protestant of our Churches mind who was for the Council of Trent and all the rest desiring no more for our Concord with the Church of Rome but that as by the Mistris Church they may rule â—y the Canons and not absolutely securing the Rights of Kings and Bishops and reforming Scholastick curiositics and the Clergies lives 82. Under all the new Impositions we were never allowed to speak for our selves nor durst once Petition the Parliament that ejected us or any since for relief or audience lest such boldness should more incense our afflicters 83. There is no surer way to destroy their own Church-pomp and grandure and root out Episcopacy more than we desire than to use it for Satan against faithful Ministers and against the Souls of men and against the honour and innocency of Princes and against the property and liberty of Subjects even against God and man and so to make it odious to mankind by making it intollerable Till they that cannot tolerate a differing-word do weary the world by their intollerable pride and cast down themselves and then blame others 84. To this day while they accuse those of Schism that dare not subscribe declare swear and do the things aforesaid and plead against the enduring of them to preach or solemnly worship God they disagree in Doctrines and many great matters among themselves and take not themselves for Schismaticks Of which see our 2d Plea pag. 158 159. 85. Some of them are for Original sin according to the subscribed Articles Bishop Jer. Taylor and others were against it and Bishop Warner hath writ against him 86. Some of them preach for the Imputation of Christs Righteousness Mr. Thorndike Mr. Sherlock and others differ and many of them sharply accuse and preach against each other thereabout yea with high accusations as heretical 87. Some of them preach up Gods Eternal Decrees of Election and Derelection or Reprobation in that sort as others of them preach against
another keeping sound Doctrine Love and Peace 21. The number and need of the people must determine whether a particular Church shall have one Pastor or more 22. If one for Concord be President to the rest and the Senior Pastors be guides to the younger we are not against it 23. Nor yet if the Magistrate or Churches by consent appoint some of the Graver to be visitors of many Churches and to instruct and keep the younger in peace 24. Nor will we quarrel against the Names of Bishops or Archbishops or their Wealth and Honour while Faith Worship Discipline and Love are preserved 25. If by a National Church they mean either a Christian Kingdom or all the Churches of a Nation as under one Prince or as associated for Concord we deny none such 26. For we hold that all Christians should live in as much Concord as they can and that Synods are useful to that end 27. We must honour our Rulers though they afflict us 28. We hold that we must separate from no Church or Christian farther than they separate from Christ though we must not sin against God for communion with any We take it for a great sin for any party to appropriate the Church only to themselves We own no Church but as part of the Catholick or universal Church and we hold all our Assemblies as in union and communion with All the true Churches on earth and put up our prayers and praises as in conjunction with theirs not owning their failings or our own but their duties And we will be members of no particular Church which alloweth us not occasional Communion with others but take such for Sectaries 29. The welfare of Souls is of so great concernment that we cannot think any Christian should be indifferent to whom as a Pastor he committeth the care and conduct of his Soul any more than what Physician he chuseth for his body And the difference between the ignorant and the wise and wicked and the godly the negligent and the faithful is of grand importance 30. We think that all Christians should prefer a faithful Pastor before an unfaithful or insufficient one and a purer Church before a more corrupt as far as they are free without doing more hurt than good But we will hold occasional communion with more faulty Churches so they compel us not to sin 31. We take not all the faults of the Pastor flock or service to be made ours meerly by our presence Nor do we think that all faults or many and great ones consistent with the necessaries to communion will allow us to separate that is either from a true Church as none or from lawful communion as unlawful For Natural distance is not Moral Separation 32. We take the Magisterial imposing of unnecessary Oaths Professions Subscriptions Practices much more sinful ones as necessary terms of communion and silencing and casting out Christs faithful Servants that obey them not to be the grand and common causes of Schism which have through the pride of a Domineering-Clergy broken most of the Churches on Earth for above 1000 years 33. We hate the spirit of pride and envy in Preachers who cannot endure to see others at least that differ from them preferred before them and if any do but go from them to others or worship God in another place or in other words or circumstances do frighten the people by their loud allarm and cry of Schism as if all were of a different Religion or species of Communion that differ from their book in Word or Ceremonies And by that blinding name of Different Communions alienate the hearts of the ignorant and make them think of the Dutch French and others that only differ from them in accidents as the Papists do of us that are called by them Hereticks 34. We take him not to have the Wisdom and Love of a sound Christian who cannot love and bear with his fellow Christians who differ but in such tollerable things 35. Yet we think not that all should preach and gather Churches that will and that the intollerable must be tolerated and that it must be All or none And the Magistrate is Judg whom he will tolerate but he must judg aright 36. We hold the Parish-Divisions to be of great convenience Not taking all in the Parish for the Church but confining Ministers to their proper bounds 37. And whatever differing Churches the Magistrate tolerateth he must force them to live peaceably and modestly towards others 38. Were every Church reduced to such a number as that all might in season have local personal communion like great Parishes that have Chappels and E. g. every Church of 6000 Souls have six Pastors conjunct or every Corporation or Market-Town of old called Cities with the Neighbour-Villages be one Church and one among these Pastors to be a President Bishop we should think it most like the ancient Government But we can live in peace where we cannot have all which we justly wish for 39. Though some preach not Christ sincerely but in envy and strife to add to our affliction we rejoyce that Christ is preached 40. We hold all that for the power of Kings the obedience of the Subjects and against rebellion which the Scripture speaketh and which the Christian Churches Politicks Lawyers as far as we know them commonly hold and more than divers chief Conformists Bishop Bilsons book of Subjection and Grotius de Imperio Sum. Pat. fulliest speak my thoughts in the greatest part 41. As these are the meer Nonconformists principles so their practice is accordingly They pray for the King and all in authority not for preserment but that we may live a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty And they pray and seek for the publick safety and live peaceably towards others 42. They sought reconciliation with the Diocesans before the Kings return and associating upon uniting terms 43. What the Nonconformists in City Countrey Monks Army and the next Parliament did for the Kings restoration is known 44. They offered but Bishop Ushers form of Primitive Government or Episcopacy for reconciliation and concord with the Bishops 45. They gave publick thanks for the Kings Declaration about Ecclesiastical affairs which had healed us had it not been cast away In which he declareth their moderation 46. They never made one motion for Presbytery Lay-Elders Independency Nor against Parish-Churches nor against the Bishops Lordships or place in Parliament or Wealth Though I confess they desired better than they saw fit to ask 47. They did as much with the Bishops as if it had been for their lives by Condescention Reason and Petition to have prevented the foreseen divisions and were the seekers of Peace 48. The Liturgy which they offered had not one word of exception returned by the Bishops nor were their Reply or Petition answered by them to this day 49. They offered their solemnest Protestation or Oaths that it was to avoid sin that they refused Conformity and yet
differ we became not herein Accusers of the Conformists but disavowed it leaving them to their proper judg and medling with no mens mattters but our own 67. And lest it should seem to reflect on them as guilty or exasperate our afflicters we have mostly forborn these 17 or 18 years so much as to open the matters and reasons of our Nonconformity and silently undergone reproach 68. Yea when great Bishops have told our Superiors that we judged nothing but renouncing the Covenant unlawful and have called to us and set Parliament-men to call out What it is that we would have and never would give us leave to tell them we have patiently been silent And when great Bishops have told me that our Rulers took us as not sincere for not giving our reasons and that they would Petition that we might no longer be suffered to keep up a Schism and give no reason for it I have offered them to beg it on my knees if there were any hope to obtain liberty but once to render our reasons of not conforming 69. And when the Act ceased which restrained the Press we still forbore till they gave out That now it was clear that for our baffled cause we had no defence but went on to sin against our consciences which constrained me at last to open somewhat of our case at which yet they are displeased 70. Though multitudes of Books have been written against us charging us with Schism and calling for execution of the Law against us yea perswading King and People as the Plotters do that we are cherishing principles of rebellion we thought it best to imitate Christ and silently to bear all and let our Lives and Works rather than our Apologies answer for us till constrained I published a full account of our Principles of Government and Obedience lest continued silence pass for guilt 71. Their constant last accusation is about the late Wars When-as 1. not one of very many of the present Nonconformists ever medled with them 2. And we offer them thanks to silence only the guilty 3. And many Conformists and one Archbishop were in Arms for the Parliament 4. And we have not requited them till of late with telling them that it was the Conformists here that began the War 72. When some say that they requite us for casting out the Conformists heretofore we offer them a thousand thanks if they will cast out none but those that cast out them I confess I took it for a great mercy to have grosly ignorant drunken Readers and Priests cast out of what opinion soever and better put in But I and others wrote against putting out any worthy and tolerable man for being against the Parliament or for Prelacy 73. Whereas some cheat the ignorant by telling them that We would have every Minister be a Pope in his own Parish 1. A Pope is one that arrogateth the Government over all other Pastors even of the whole world Whereas we would govern no Pastors at all nor any people but our particular flocks 2. And these we would have only to be Volunteers And is not he liker to a Tyrant that will be a Pastor to thousands against their wills than he that will take charge of none but Consenters 3. Specially the Independents who are accused as giving the power to the people and depending on their charity do not like tyrants compel any to obey them 74. Some are taught to make the Presbyterians odious by the rigor of their Discipline and the stool of Repentance which the licentious fear But 1. our judgment is that none but willing Consenters should be Church-members and as such come under Discipline 2. And that none be excommunicate for any sins ordinarily unless after due warning and patience he refuse to repent 3. And God hath made Repentance necessary to comforting-absolution pardon and salvation 4. And it 's a thousand pities that any should be so mad in sin as to think Repentance too dear for pardon 75. Some say that we are for Excommunicating Kings What other men have been is nothing to us We take not our judgments on trust from any party but the Scripture is our Rule and the Primitive Church our pattern Some of us have written against the lawfulness of dishonouring Princes and Rulers by proper excommunications as being against the fifth Command and Rituals give place to Morals And some of the greatest Church-men that have cast us ouâ—â—â—ve been for Rulers Excommunication We are not insensible what Treasons and Domination not only the Pope but the Councils of Bishops even without the Pope as in the case of Ludovicus Pius and others have exercised over Princes and Kingdoms by excommunications and cursed cursing men from Christ 76. We find that when in the contentions between the Popes and the Emperours the Clergy familiarly swore on both sides as interest moved them and as Abbas Urspergensus saith Perjury was the common brand of Priest and people it was far from proving a cure of Schism though it was pretended for that use 77. As the Law forbiddeth us so we profess to intend nothing here written as an accusation of the Government Laws Liturgy or Conformists but only as a description of the reasons of our own Nonconformity But if it should prove true that Cities Corporations Bishops and Priests are guilty but of half the evil against God Truth Conscience the Gospel the Church the souls of men the good of the King and Subjects which we fear we should be guilty of if we did conform I had rather be a slave than that Clergy-man that should encourage them in it 78. And if it should prove that any of them are under such guilt in the end it will prove but an uneffectual defence to accuse the innocent and reprove and so to divert them by keeping them on the defensive part while they are accused of odious sin for not sinning and called intollerable for refusing to concur in wickedness 79. Ever since we were cast out and silenced we have thankfully accepted all motions and overtures for concord We have been several times since the first Treaty called to new Treaties in one Dr. Manton and others offered thankfully to accept leave to preach for nothing in the Parish Churches where the Ministers desire it and when the Common-Prayer is used Another time being called by the Lord Keeper Bridgman we agreed with Bishop Wilkins and Dr. Burton and it was draâ—â— up in an Act of Concord by Judg Hale but voted by the Commons not to be brought in Since then we were invited to treat with Dr. Tillotson and Dr. Stillingfleet who seemed to consent to the terms of the form of an healing Act which we offered them but they found that the Bishops would not consent By all which we have still shewed that we have never ceased to seek for peace 80. We have never shunned to read or hear all that can be said to prove that we need not fear all the guilt of