the wheat and tares grow together in the world untill the Harvest Mat. 13. And so in humble manner we proceed CHAP. I. The doctrine of the Holy Ghost contained in the sacred Scriptures is the rule of faith and not any Church Counsell Prince or Potentate nor any mortall man whatsoever Proved BY the Scriptures themselves which are the writings of Moses and the Prophets The Evangelists and Apostles These are a sufficient Rule to trie all faith and religion by Our reasons are 1. They are inspired of God and are able to make us wise unto salvation and perfect to every good worke 2. Tim. 3.15 Secondly because these writings were written that we might have certainety of the things whereof we are instructed Luke 1.4 That our joy might be full 1. Ioh. 1.4 and that we might beleeve and in beleeving might have life Ioh. 20.31 Thirdly we are cōmanded Not to presume or be wise above that which is written 1. Cor. 4.6 For with this weapon Christ put to flight the devill Mat. 4. and taught his Disciples Luk. 24.27 46. and Paul taught Christ Iesus Act. 17.2 The godly are commended for searching the Scriptures Act. 17.11 and commanded to search them Ioh. 5.39 and they that vvill not beleeve these Writings will not beleeve Christs vvords nor one that should come from the dead Ioh. 5.47 Luke 16.31 If any Papist or Atheist aske how vvee know all or any of these Scriptures to be inspired of God Wee answer The eare saith Iob 12.11 discerneth words and the mouth tasteth meate for it selfe And as the eie discerneth the light of the Sun so doth our spirit discerne these Scriptures to be of God and that for these reasons First in regard of the majestie wisedome and Grace of them from all other writings For there is as great glorie in these Scriptures as in the making of this vvonderfull vvorld which may evidently be seene Secondly by their teachings which excelleth all humane teachings leading us from Satan from this world and our selves to God in holinesse faith love feare humilitie Thirdly the true events of them or fulfilling of the Prophesies conteined in them Fourthly the consent and agreement of all the parts of them the like wherof cannot be shewed of so many severall Writers since the vvorld began Fiftly the admirable preservation therof against time and tyrants all which could not extinguish them Sixtly the devill and his instruments rage against those that practise the doctrines conteined in them Seventhly the conversion of thousands to God by the power of the doctrine of them Eightly the vengeance of God upon such as have not obeyed them Ninthly the acknowledgement of them by the verie professed adversaries thereof Tenthly the miracles from heaven confirming them Eleventhly the sight of a Saviour to man is onely from them And lastly the simplicity of the Writers and plainenes of the writings For God hath chosen the meane contemptible and despised to publish the mysteries of his will These are sufficient to perswade that these holy Writings are inspired of God and so able to make us wise to salvation and perfect to every good worke These Scriptures conteine the Law and Testimonie and if any Councell Church Prince or Potentate speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Esa 8.20 but we are commanded to hold them accursed Gal. 1.8.9 For whosoever shall adde unto these things God shall adde the plagues written herein and who so shall take away from those things God shall take his name out of the booke of Life and out of the holy Citie and from those things that are written Revel 22.18.19 Much by us shall not need to be vvritten in this thing it is so evident and so generally acknowledged except the Papists onely we will bring some humane Testimonies The Protestants affirme Whites Way to the Church Dedicated to the Bishops pag. 12. That it is the doctrine of the Church of England Article six that the Scriptures comprehended in the old and new Testament is the Rule of Faith so far that whatsoever is not read therein nor cannot be proved thereby is not to be accepted as any point of faith or needfull to be followed but by it all doctrines taught and the Churches practice must be examined and that rejected which is contrary to it under what title or pretence soever it come unto us And further they say pag. 1. That the Pope or any mortall man should be the rule that must resolve in questions and controversies of faith is an unreasonable Position voide of all indifferency when common sence teacheth that he that is a Party cannot be a Iudge And againe p 17. Which is the Church is controversall which is the Scriptures is not therefore let that be the Rule which is out of doubt Againe pag. 44. The Scriptures containeth the Principles of our faith and shall we not beleeve them Or cannot we know them of themselves infallibly without we let in the authority of the Church This and much more the Protestants have written sufficiently confirmeth That no Church nor man whatsoeuer may be a Rule or Iudge in matters of Faith but onely the holy Scriptures and whosoever teacheth or practiseth otherwise they must hold maintain the Papists Creed or Colliers faith which the Protestants so much detesteth mentioneth p. 6. out of Staphilus his Apologie Thus The Collier being at the point of death tempted of the devill what his faith was answered J beleeve and die in the faith of Christs Church being againe demanded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith saith he that J beleeve in Thus the devill getting no other answer was overcome and put to flight by this faith of the Collier every unlearned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no by this faith he may resist the devill and judge the true interpretation from the false and dis erne the Catholique from the Hereticall Minister the true doctrine from the forged For if this answer of the Collier and the Papists conclusion upon it be not sound but detestable as the Protestants confesse and cry woe unto the Papists for the same and that justly Then is it no lesse detestable in the Protestants or any other to require or force any to yeeld so in Religion and Faith that upon such a temptation he hath no better answer to make then as the Collier to say I beleeve and die in the faith of the Church or of the Prince or of the learned For being demanded what that faith is if he be not able to prove it by Gods word conteyned in the Scriptures it is no better then the answer of the Collier The faith that I beleeve in c. Oh how manie millions of soules in this Nation not Papists but Protestants live and die and have no other faith then this CHAP. II. The interpreter of this Rule is the Scriptures themselves and the Holy
A MOST HVMBLE SVPPLICATION OF MANY THE KINGS MAIESTIES LOYALL SVBIECTS READY TO TEStifie all civill obedience by the oath as the Law of this Realme requireth and that of conscience Who are Persecuted onely for differing in Religion contrary to divine and humane testimonies as followeth Prov. 21.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crie and not be heard Printed 1621. This Book belongs to The New-England Library Begun to be collected by Thomas Prince upon his entring Harvard-College July 6. 1703 and was given by said Prince to remain therein for ever TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Prince Iames by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland our Soveraigne Lord on earth TO THE EXCELLENT AND NOBLE Prince Charles Prince of Wales c. To all the Right Honourable Nobilitie Grave and Honourable Iudges and To all other the Right worshipfull Gentrie of all estates and degrees assembled in this present Parliament Right High and Mighty Right Excellent and Noble Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull AS the consideration of that divine commandement of the King of Kings given to every poore Saint 1. Tim. 2. Let supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes bee made for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie doth cause in us a daily practise therof in our secret chambers as of duetie we are bound of which the searcher of all hearts beareth us witnesse so let it be pleasing to your Majestie and the rest in authority that we make humble supplications and prayers to you for such our bodily miseries and wants as are upon us in that it is in your power to redresse them and especially at this present in this Honourable Meeting assembled for the publique weale of all your loyall subjects Our miseries are long and lingring imprisonments for many yeres in divers countries of England in which many have dyed and left behind them widowes and many small fatherlesse children taking away our goods and other the like of which we can make good probation not for any disloyaltie to your Majestie or hurt to any mortall man our adversaries themselves being judges but onely because wee cannot assent unto and practise in the worship of God such things as we have not faith in which if wee should doe we should greatly sinne against the most High Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 as your Majestie well observeth in these words It is a good sure rule in Theologie that in the matters of the worship of God Quod dubitas ne feceris according to Pauls rule Rom. 14. Let every man be fully perswaded in his minde If we were in errour in these things courses of afflicting our bodies for conscience cause are not of Christ but of Anti-christ as hereafter is most plainely shewed And if no Church be the rule of faith but onely the holy Scriptures as the learned Protestants doe truely confesse and that therefore the doctrine of the Church of Rome that All must beleeve as the Church beleeves and so practise or else be cruelly persecuted be most ungodly then how can they avoide the like censure that practise the same things contrary to their own judgement For the learned Protestants doe say it is high crueltie for the Papists to constraine them to practise those things in Gods worship which they have not faith in nay which they know to bee evill with imprisonment fire and fagot c. and therefore why may not we saie it is as great crueltie for the learned Protestants to constraine us to practise those things in Gods worship which we have not faithin nay which we certainely know to be evill with lingring imprisonment losse of goods and what other cruelties they can procure against us of your Majestie and the civill State If the learned say they have the truth and we are in errour that resteth to be tryed by the true touchstone of the holy Scriptures If the learned be our Iudges the verdit must needs goe against us If their sayings be a safe rule for us to be saved by wee will rest upon them and then why may not the sayings of the Papists be as sure also and they be the Protestants Iudges and so bring us all to beleeve as the Church beleeves The iniquitie of which we have discovered as brieflie as wee can beseeching your majestie and all that are in Authoritie to heare us It concerneth our eternall salvation or condemnation and is therefore of great importance For what can a man give for the ransome of his soule Oh be pleased to remember the saying of that Great and good man Iob ch 29. I delivered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him the blessing of him that was readie to perish came upon me and I caused the widowes heart to rejoyce I was a father to the poore and When I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently I brake also the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluckt the prey out of his teeth Our prayers are and shall be for you day and night to that God of glorie by whom you Raigne and are Advanced that hee will put into your hearts to let these things enter into your thoughts and then wee doubt not the evidence of them being such that you will be moved to repeale and make voide all those cruell Lawes that persecute poore men onely for matters of conscience Not that we any way desire for our selves Papists or others any the least libertie from the strict observation of any civil temporall or humane law made or to be made for the preservation of your Majesties Person Crowne State or Dignitie For all that give not unto Caesar that which is his let them beare their burden But we onely desire that God might have that which is his which is the heart and soule in that worship which hee requireth over which there is but one Lord and one Lawgiver Iam. 4.12 who is able to save it or to destroy it which no mortall man can doe It is not in your power to compell the heart you may compell men to be hypocrites as a great many are who are false hearted both towards God and the State which is sinne both in you and them The vileness of persecuting the bodie of any man onely for cause of conscience is against the word of God and law of Christ it is against your Majesties profession against the profession and practise of other Princes The ancient and latter approved Writers witness against it so doe the Puritanes or Calvinists yea the establishers of it The Papists themselves inveigh against it So that God and all men doe detest it as is herein declared And therefore in most humble manner wee doe beseech your Majestie your Highness your Honours your Worships to consider of it and doe as God directeth you in his Word that cannot lie Let
give lawes to Christians whereby to binde their consciences for willingly freely and uncompelled with a readie desire and chearefull mind must those that come run unto Christ Martin Luther in his booke upon the Civill Magistrate The lawes of the civill Government extends no further then over the bodie and goods and to that which is externall for over the soule God will not suffer any man to rule onely he himselfe will rule there wherefore wheresoever the civill Magistrate doth undertake to give lawes unto the soule and consciences of men he usurpeth that government to himselfe which apperteyneth to God c. Martin Luther upon 1. King 6. In the building of the Temple there was no sound of iron heard to signifie that Christ will have in his Church a free and willing people not compelled and constrained by lawes and statutes Againe upon Luke 22. It is not the true Catholique Church which is defended by the secular arme or humane power but the false and fained which although it carie the name of a Church yet denyeth the power thereof And upon Psal 17. For the true Church of Christ knoweth not the worldly arme which the Bishops now a daies chiefly use Againe in Postil Dom. 1. post Epiph. Let not Christians be commanded but exhorted for he that will not willingly doe that whereunto he is friendly exhorted hee is no Christian wherefore those that doe compell them that are not willing shew thereby that they are not Christian Preachers but worldly Beedles Againe upon 1. Pet. 3. Jf the Civill Magistrate would command me to beleeve thus or thus J should answer him after this manner Noble Lord looke you to your civill or worldly governement your power extends not so farre to command any thing in Gods Kingdome therefore herein I may not heare you For if you cannot suffer that any man should usurpe authoritie where you have to command how doe you thinke that God shall suffer you to thrust him from his seat and set your selfe therein Many moe might be produced onely we will adde the judgement of some that are subject to troubles for their Religion as we the Puritanes so called in their Adm to the Parl. This is a part of their Petition That Papists nor other neither constrainedly nor customably communicate in the mysteries of salvation as also their Supplication for Tolleration printed 1609. in Pag. 21. c. And lastly the Papists who of all other have least cause to speake against persecution in that the enactâ—ng it a law proceeded from them and is so usually practised by them where they have power yet thus â—hey write in a booke full of wickednesse lately set forth yet allowed by their Superiours Moreover the meanes which Almightie appointed his officers to use in the â—onversion of Kâ—ngdomes and people was humilitie patiâ—nce charity c saying Mat. 10.16 Behold J send you as â—heepe in the midst of wolves he did not say I send you as wolves among sheep to kill imprison spoyle and devoure â—hose unto whom they were sent Againe he said ver 17 â—hey to whom J send you will deliver you up in Councells â—nd in their Synagogues they will scourge you and to Presidents and to Kings shall you be led for my sake he doth not say you whom I send shall deliver the people whom you ought â—o convert into councels and put them in prisons and leade â—hem to Presidents and tribunall seats and make their Reliâ—ion fellony and treason Again he saith vers 12. When â—ee enter into a house salute it saying peace be to this house He doth not say you shall send Pursuivants to ransacke and â—poyle the house Againe he saith Ioh 10. The good Pastor giveth his life for his sheep the theefe commeth not but for to steale kill and to destroy he doth not say the theefe giveth his life for the sheep and the good Pastor commeth not but for to steale kill and to destroy Wherefore so much as is lawfull for poore subjects wee humble beseech your Majestie that converting of us by killing imprisonments confiscation of goods ransacking and spoyling by Promoters and Pursuivants c. laid aside at which the Christian world is scandalized it would please your Majestie to give order that Disputations Conferences and sweet meanes may be used for the discussion of truth according to the doctrine of our Saviour and his Apostles which is peaceable modest swasible consenting to the good full of mercie and by those meanes if we should he in errour your Majestie might easily gaine us c. And if we should forsake our Religion for feare of the losse of our temporall goods imprisonments hanging and not out of information in beleefe we should be but Atheists and be worthy to bee hanged up in deed for dissembling with men and violating all obligation to God c. These are their words whereby we holding our peace our Adversaries speake for us CHAP. IX It can be no prejudice to the Common-wealth but much good if freedome of mens consciences be suffered VVEe feare notwithstanding all the manifest Testimonies of God and men that the learned will labour to possesse your Majestie and the rest in Authoritie That Tolleration will be hurtfull and dangerous to the State wee will a little more therefore most humbly intreate your patience to heare us discover by Scripture and experience that it will not as also to take out of the vvay their obiections Abraham abode among the Canaanites a long time yet contrarie to them in Religion Gen. 13.7 16.3 Againe he sojourned in Gerar King Abimelech bidding him dwell where it pleased him chap. 20. chap. 21.33.34 Isaak also dwelt in the same land yet contrarie to the King and his Subjects in Religion ch 26. Iacob lived 20. yeres with his uncle Laban in one house yet differed in religion Gen. 31.30.33 The people of Israel continued 430. yeres in that famous land of Egypt Exod. 12.40 afterward were caryed into Babylon where they remained 70. yeres all which times they did differ in Religion yet no danger to the State Come to the time of Christ when Israel was againe captive to the Romans where lived divers Sects of Religion Herodians Scribes Pharisees Sadduces Libertines and Samaritanes besides the common Religion of the Iewes Christ his Apostles all of which differed from the common Religion of the State which in all likelyhood was the worship of Diana which all the world almost then vvorshipped Act. 19.20 yet all these lived under the government of Caesar being nothing hurtfull to the State and Common wealth for they were all subject to all humane Lawes as was meet And when sâ—me of these Sects began to persecute the truth 〈◊〉 usually falshood doth persecute truth but never 〈◊〉 falshood then these persecutors did most of all 〈◊〉 the State and cause tumults as appeareth Act. 〈◊〉 c. and 14.15 and 19.29 c. and ch 21. c. 〈◊〉 whereas if they would