have an account of my own Doctrine in above an hundred Books of which I leave Posterity to judge L. Yes we hear what is said against you for your Rebellious Doctrine in former times M. I then gave the World an account in my Book called Political Aphorisms or a Holy Common-wealth written for Monarchy by Mr. Harrington's Provocation what moved me to be on the Parliaments side and I know nothing that they have charged on my Doctrine but the words of that Book which I revoked long ago and some Clauses in my Saints Rest which I expunged before the King came in And if my later writings as my Second Plea for Peace written purposely to satisfie them of my present judgment be not regardable why do they call me to retractations And if the Act of Indempnity have done nothing against our former Actions all General Monk's Army and the rest such that restored the King must expect the like reward if death deliver them not from mens wrath L But why should you not give over Preaching when you are silenced Have not the Bishops power to silence and degrade as well as to ordain or the Parliament at least M. We doubt not but the Magistrate hath power to hinder Preachers from doing mischief and to restrain those that Preach Rebellion Sedition or Heresie or that do more hurt than good But not on that pretence to hinder good and to forbid Christs Ministers to Preach his Gospel Bishops and Senior Pastors are Investing Ministers of Christ to ordain fit Men to the Ministry and judge of their fitness to that end And if men prove uncapable by Apostacy or Heresie or Perfidiousness they ought to do as Cyprian did about Martial and Basilides require the Congregation in the name of Christ to forsake them But they have no power to forbid any faithful Minister to do the Office to which he is ordained nor to forbid the people to hear them And if they do their Commands are nullities as to any Obligation to Obedience L. But they that give you the Office may take it away M. He that giveth it as a Donor may which is Christ but not he that only as a Servant delivereth that which his Master gives If you send a Servant to deliver a Man Possession of House Land Horse Money c. That Servant cannot take it from him at his pleasure I do not think that the Priest that Marryeth Men can unmarry them when he will If he could I think he would have more work I scarce think the Patron that giveth one a Benefice can take it away when he will which is more alienable than the Office. A man cannot renounce it himself when he will who hath some more power of himself than the Bishop hath Do you not know that all are agreed that the Office of the Ministry is as Marriage during Life and not for Tryal or at Pleasure except in case of Adultery Therefore the Papists say that Ordination maketh an Indelible Character Of this all Parties are agreed L. But why say you the Ordainers do not give you the Power but as Investing Ministers you are not called immediately by Christ as the Apostles were who then doth give it you if not the Ordainers M. 1. The Office lyeth in an Obligation to great labour and great patience as well as in a gift of power It is a power to work in a suffering state And as the Bishop can oblige no man to this against his will so neither can he oblige any man farther than Christ and his own consent oblige him Therefore it followeth that neither can he give the power farther than Christ giveth it and the Ordainers and People and Magistrates have each their part under Christ in the conveyance L. How doth Christ give Ministers their Office M. 1. He maketh a Law that there shall be a Ministry and specifieth the Office by describing their work and the necessary qualification of the Persons So that it is not left to Bishops nor any to alter the Office nor to admit any uncapable Persons into it 2. Next Christ blesseth Mens Preparatory Studies and endeavours and by his gifts and grace doth give them all Ministerial Abilities 3. He maketh them desirous and willing of the Office and Work in Love to the blessed Effects and so maketh them Consenters 4. His Providence bringeth them where their Labours are really needful 5. He moveth the minds of the Flock or Electors to desire chuse or accept them 6. He commandeth the Ordainers to Approve and Ordain those that are thus qualified as aforesaid 7. He commandeth Magistrates to protect and encourage them 8. He commandeth the Neighbour Church-Pastors to own them in their Neighbourly Communion Thus you may see how Ministers are made by Christ tho' not without mans Service Do you know how God maketh Marriages 1. He instituteth the State and by his Law maketh the Husband the Ruler of the Wife 2. He causeth their natural Capacity and Inclination 3. His Providence acquainteth them with each other And 4. He moveth them to Consent And 5. He maketh it the Ministers Duty to do his part so that the Husbands power is of God. Do you know who giveth the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of London their Power 1. The King by Charter determineth what Power they shall have and how they shall be qualified and how chosen and how sworn and invested 2. The Citizens accordingly choose them 3. And the Recorder Sweareth them Who is it now that giveth them the Power The King's Charter tho' not till they be duly qualified and chosen The Recorder cannot depose them again No nor the Citizens who may do more unless it be in the Charter L. But what Sin fear you by ceasing your ministry M. 1. We fear the guilt of Perfidious breaking of our Ordination Vow by which we solemnly obliged our selves to diligent performing of our Ministry The Bishops put those of us on this whom they ordained who now would force us to violate it 2. Therein we fear the guilt of Sacriledge as alienating Persons consecrated to God. And we can judge it to be no better than Pharisaical Hypocrisie in them that aggravate the Sacriledge of alienating consecrated Utensils and Lands and yet will alienate consecrated Persons and take it to be well done whereas the Lands and Goods are but to serve the Persons who are nearer to God while they serve him 3. We fear the Sin of Cruelty Unmercifulness and the guilt of Damning Souls As if we were commanded to forbear feeding our Children or the Poor we should expect to be charg'd with Murdering them if they died of Famine by our Neglect 4. We fear being charged with fighting against Christ or as Enemies to his Kingdom and to his Saving Work He was so great an Esteemer of Souls and Holiness that by the greatest of Miracles he came in Flesh to redeem and sanctifie and save Men And if we starve and betray them to Satan by our neglect
containeth ANY THING in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures let him be Excommunicated ipso facto and not restored but by the Bishop of the place or Arch-bishop after his Repentance and publick Revocation of such his wicked Error And when this Excommunication is sent from the Ordinary to the Minister you heard he must publish it twice a year L. And what have you against this M. Do I need to tell you 1. Judge by this with what Face the Prelates call us Puritanes or Catharists as if we pretended to perfection and to be without sin And whether it be not they that are far liker to the Catharists We confess that the best of our Prayers Preaching or Works hath somewhat in them repugnant to the Word of God For Gods Law is perfect and every sin in matter or manner or end or degree is repugnant to it Far be it from us Pharisaically to justifie any Book that ever we write as if we had no sin in it But these men that call themselves the Church of England do not only justify a large Volume of Forms Orders Rubricks and Kalenders c. but also force all other men to justifie it all as sinless and he shall be no Minister that will not do it nor a Christian Member of the Church that denieth it As if the perfection of their works were an Article of the Creed and necessary to Salvation to be believed Is not this Puritanism Pharisaical and Justification of Works 2. Judge by all that I have in this Book cited whether there be nothing at all in their Books that is repugnant to the Word of God. If I have made it past all modest denial then what a dreadful thing is this Renunciation of Repentance when Repentance is the condition of the pardon of all our sin even that which cleaveth to our Worship of God. But they that tell the World that their Works have no sin yea and force all the Kingdom to stand to that justification do in a very high degree renounce Repentance Yea they not only forbid all men to call them to repent or to amend any sin that is in their Book but Excommunicate them as wicked that do it 3. I told you before that this Excommunicating ipso facto is in it self a prophane subversion of the very nature of true Excommunication which supposeth due means to convince the Person that his words or deeds are sin and that of an intollerable degree and that he be heard speak for himself and be admonished and earnestly perswaded to repent and not Excommunicated till after all this he continue impenitent But here men are Excommunicated for saying that there is somewhat faulty in mens works and that before ever they are heard speak for themselves or ever told of their sin or called to repent I before referr'd you to what Spalatensis de Rep. Eccles. hath written to prove the great sinfulness of such Excommunicating Bishop Ier. Taylor writing against it yet feigneth this excuse that it must be understood but of the Minor Excommunication But Excommunication it is and I do not think that they can make any good sense of their distinction of Major Minor Excommunication unless it be that the Major declareth men to be no Christians and the Minor only to be scandalous Christians not cut off from the Catholick Church but only for the present suspended from being owned while they are under patient tryal whether they will prove impenitent or not that shame may drive them to Repentance But this Suspension is properly called Excommunication But both of them require a just tryal 4. It is a heinous injury and injustice to Excommunicate and Ruin men for Truth and Duty He that robbeth them by the High-way doth but take their Money and doth not also accuse them falsly and make their duty to be their sin Doubtless he that will take all that I have because I do my duty to God in Praying or Preaching doth me more wrong than he that will take all without accusing me 5. It is a publick turning Christs Ordinance against himself and serving Satan by it to make faithful Christians odious in the World as unworthy to live in humane Society out of Jayls if they do but exhort others to repent If a man but know and detect the least sin in their Books of Service he must be condemned of wicked Error and Drunkards and Whore-mongers and Perjured Rogues do seem to be no worse than he 6. If it were an Error to say that their Book is not faultless yet it can never be proved an Error of that magnitude and wickedness as to deserve Excommunication ipso facto For all men on Earth have Errors worse than that and so by proportion they virutally or consequentially Excommunicate all men L. But all this is their fault and not yours M. It 's mine if I publish their Excommunication L. If an Innocent Man be hang'd the Hang-man is Innocent He doth but his Office. M. Whatever he may be in Cases unknown to him and which he was not bound to know I will not believe you in a known or knowable Case If I had been commanded to Crucifie Christ to Stone Stephen to burn the Martyrs I do not believe that I could have done it without the guilt of Murder Else you may make a Man's command to Justifie the Execution of any Murder or Injustice in the World. L. But you may shift off such wicked Excommunications and leave the Publishing them to your Curate M. 1. I may not draw another into such heinous Guilt nor connive at his doing it in my Charge 2. There are but few Country Ministers that have Curates 3. If I do it not I am guilty of it if I declare my Consent to Accuse all such within fourteen days that the Ordinary may do it and to Covenant and Swear Canonical Obedience to him 4. What can be more pernicious to the Church of God than to cast good Men out of it and dismember Christ's Body and lay those in Jayls as unsufferable wicked Men whom Christ takes for his Members whom he will save and all this for telling Prelates that their Book is faulty and desiring any amendment of their work while Swarms of flagitious Men are endured and by this encouraged to scorn at Conscience and fear of Sinning and to take their wicked lives to be better than the Godly Conversation of those that are used far worse than they Thus Christ foretold his Apostles that they should be cast out of the Synagogues But as he found and saved the healed Man Ioh. 9. whom the Pharisees had cast out so he will own and gather his Flock and take their wrong as done to him Chap. XXIV Point XXI Of Publishing Excommunications according to the Fifth Canon about the Articles L. WHat is the Fifth Canon and its Excommunication M. Whosoever shall affirm that Any of the 39 Articles agreed on 1562. are in any part Superstitious or Erroneous or
XXVII Of refusing others Parishioners from Communion according to Can. 28. Ch. 31. XXVIII Of Can. 38. Excommunicating Ministers for Repenting of their Subscribing Ch. 32. XXIX Of Can. 57. Excommunicating Men for going for Baptism and Communion from Ministers that never Preach to those that do Ch. 33. XXX Of Can. 58. making the Surplice necessary to Ministration Ch. 34. XXXI Of forcing Ministers by Can. 68. to Baptize all Children without exception of Atheists or Insidels Ch. 35. XXXII Of Can. 72. against Fasts and Prayer unlicensed Ch. 36. XXXIII Of Excommunication by the three last Canons Ch. 37. XXXIV Of renouncing all Obligation by the Covenant as on me or Any other to Endeavour any alteration of Church Government Ch. 38. XXXV Of the Oxford Oath never to Endeavor such Alâ—â—â—ioâ— Ch. 39. XXXVI Of Subscribing and Swearing that the Position is Traitorous of taking Arms by the King's Authority against those Commissioned by him in Pursuance of such Commission without Exception A Lord Keeper's Seal to a Commission to Conspirators to seize the King's Forts Magazine and Guards may so depose him Ch. 40. XXXVII Of Assenting and Consenting to the damning Clauses in Athanasius's Creed Ch. 41. XXXVIII Of saying Common-Prayer twice a day every day in the year or dinarily Ch. 42. XXXIX Of forcing unwilling Men to the Sacrament and Accusing and Excommunicating the refusers Ch. 43. XL. Of forsaking our Ministry and ceasing to Preach the Gospel Whether it be not Sacriledge and Cruelty in us and of Banishment 5 miles from all Corporations c. Ch. 44. Of Lay-Conformity I. Whether all men must trust their Souls on the Pastoral Conduct of all such as our Patrons will choose and the Bishops institute Ch. 45. II. Whether Parents have not more right than our Patrons to choose Pastors and Church-Communion for their Children Ch. 46. III. Of forcing Men to Schism by renouncing Communion with true Christians and true Churches Chap. 47. IV. Of binding all the Laity to live without any more benefit of Church-Discipline than is used by the Bishops and their Courts Ch. 48. V. Of discountenancing the fear of Sin and the serious practice of Godliness divers instances Ch. 49. VI. The Laity denied Baptism who refuse the foresaid sort of Godfathers excluding the Parents Ch. 50. VII Baptism denied to them that dare not submit to the dedicating Symbol of Crossing Ch. 51. VIII Of Rejecting not-kneelers from Church Communion Ch. 52. IX Of denying Lay-men Communion in a Neighbour Parish-Church when they dare not Communicate with their own Parishes For the Reasons aforesaid Ch. 53. X. The Laity must Swear never to endeavour any Alteration of Government in the Church without Exception Ch. 54. XI The Laity must swear an Abhorrence of taking Arms against any Commissioned by the King without Exception when they understand not whether every one be the King's Commission that is signed by the Lord Chancellor or Privy Seal though it be against Law and tend to overthrow King and Kingdom Ch. 55. XII Whether all trusted in Corporations may declare that there is no Obligation on them or any other from the Oath call'd The Solemn League and Covenant not so much as to repent of Sin or oppose Profaneness Popery or Schism and defend the King and so that G. Monk's Army and all the rest of the Three Nations that restored the King as obliged to it by that Vow were all deceived and not so obliged and whether all the Subjects must be sure of this Ch. 56. Of Thirty tremendous Circumstances and Principles which all agree in that affright Men from Conformity Ch. 57. The Reasons for Conformity considered Ch. 58. Whether Communion with so faulty a Church be lawful Separation confuted Ch. 59. A Draught in ten Articles of that which the Reconciling Nonconformists desire for healing our Church Divisions In the words which they judge meetest to that use Ch. 60. The Reasons of those ten Articles distinctly render'd Ch. 61. Whether the Extirpation of the Nonconformists be not rather to be attempted than a Vnion with them by these means Handled with reference to a late Treasonable Plot against the King. Ch. 62. Fifty Questions proposed to unjust Silencers ERRATA PAg. 100. l. 31. for I read It p. 103. l. 22. for Corners r. Courts p. 107. l. 38. for is r. is not p. 113. l. 13. for our r. one l. 14. for Clergy r. Churches p. 115. l. Penult r. Stoughton p. 124. l. 13. for our r. one p. 129. l. 15. for it is r. is it p. 131. l. 25. r. well as p. 134. l. 13. r. If it p. 144. l. 23. dele revoked THE True CASE OF THE English Nonconformity In a DIALOGUE between A Silenced MINISTER and a LAWYER CHAP. I. The Introductory Conference Lawyer SIR the danger of the Kings Dominions by our Irreligious Contentions about Religion possesseth the observers with just indignation but all know not on whom to lay the blame some lay it on the Bishops and some on the Nonconformists and some on both I am unwilling to wrong any but when I think of our danger and hear that it is but Ceremonies and things indifferent for which you break the Law and make a Schism in the Church and weaken us by divisions I cannot but think you deeply guilty Minister How long have you so judged L. These twenty years ever since you were put out M. Did you ever by Reading and Conference with those that you censure acquaint your self truly with their Case L. I have seen some of your Books but I have not talkt much of these matters with any of you but I read and hear from the Doctors of the Church what you are and what you hold M. Will you take us to be the just reporters what they are and hold L. No you are Adversaries and partial M. And are not they as much so to us Is not every man fitter to profess his own Faith than his Adversary is And have you done well to judge before you heard and tryed Shall Judges do so on the Bench Have you not all these years continued guilty of false judging and uncharitableness and that against a great number of the innocent And if you every day prayed for forgiveness but as you forgive even an enemy and real injury what have you done all this while in condemning the guiltless L. Why have you not in Writing given the World just satisfaction if you are guiltless What sin have you proved to be in the Conformity required of you I see no such proof M. You know what penalties the Law layeth on any that deprave the Common-Prayer Books and that all are Excommunicate ipso facto that do but affirm any thing to be against Gods Word in any Office of your Church Government in any Word or Ceremony in your Liturgy c. Can. 5. 6 7 8. And you know what follows Excommunication here And you know that till of late years the Press was shut up to us But have
Preacher or Catechize who doth not subscribe these words Ex animo That the Book of Common-Prayer and of Ordaining of Bishops Priests and Deacons containeth in it nothing contrary to the Word of God and that it may lawfully be used and that he himself will use the Form in the said Books prescribed in publick Prayer and administration of the Sacraments and no other V. No man is to be Ordained a Minister nor have any place or Benefice or Cure that doth not openly and publickly before the Congregation declare his unfeigned Assent and Consent to the use of all things in the said Book contained and prescribed in these words and no other I A. B. Do here declare my unfeigned Assent and Consent to all and every thing contained and prescribed in and by the Book entitled The Book of Common-Prayer and Ordaining And every Lecturer also the first Lecture and every Month must publickly and openly declare his Assent to and Approbation of the said Book and to the use of all the Prayers Rites and Ceremonies Forms and Orders therein contained and prescribed VI. By this all must Assent and Consent to this Article of Faith or Doctrine It is certain by the Word of God that Children which are Baptized dying before they commit actual Sin are undoubtedly saved Not excepting any though the Children of Atheists Infidels or Sadducees VII We must Assent and Consent that at publick Baptism persons called Godfathers and Godmothers who take not the Child for their own do in the name of the Child Covenant with God without the Parents who are forbidden to be Godfathers or Godmothers or to speak one word nor must be urged to be present nor may the Godfathers c. speak one word but what is written in the book And they are there not only to promise for the future but to profess in the Name of the Child at present I renounce them all the Devil World and Flesh and All this I stedfastly believe and to be baptized This is my desire and for obedience I will. And these Godfathers also engage as their parts and Duty to see that this Infant be taught so soon as he shall be able to learn what a solemn Vow Promise and Profession he there made by them And that they call on him to hear Sermons and chiefly that they provide that he may learn the Crede the Lord's Prayer and the Ten Commandments in the vulgar Tongue and all other things that a Christian ought to know and believe to his Soul's health and that the Child may be vertuously brought up to lead a godly and Christian life All this these three persons must promise as before God and the Church but the Parent is not only excused from any such promise but forbid it by the Canon VIII We must Assent and Consent to refuse to baptize the Child of any godly Christian who bringeth not his Child to be baptized with such undertaking Godfathers either because he can get none that will seriously promise him to do what they must Vow to do and so dare not draw them into sacrilegious perfidiousness or because he thinks it his own part to enter his Child into God's Covenant and thus to promise for its Education IX We must Assent and Consent to sign the Infant with the transient Image of the Cross In token that hereafter he shall not be ashamed to confess the Faith of Christ crucified and manfully to fight under his Banner against Sin the World the Devil and to continue Christs faithful Souldier and Servant to his lives end Which the Canon farther expounds thus To dedicate them by that Badge to his Service whose benefits bestowed on them in Baptism the name of the Cross doth represent an honourable Badge whereby the Infant is dedicated to the Service of him who died on the Cross. X. VVe must Assent and Consent to Baptize none publickly without this Sign but to deny Christendom to all that dare not receive it and their Children XI VVe must Assent and Consent to reject all that dare not receive it Kneeling from the Sacramental Communion of the Church XII VVe must Assent and Consent to a false Rule to find out Easter-day for ever in these words Easter-day on which the rest depends is always the first Sunday after the first full Moon which happens next after the one and twentieth day of March. The common Almanacks tell you it is often false XIII VVe must Assent and Consent to use words at the Burial of all except the Vnbaptized Excommunicate and self-murtherers which plainly pronounce them saved viz. For asmuch as it hath pleased Almighty God to take to himself the Soul of our dear Brother here departed And we give thee thanks for that it hath pleased thee to deliver this our Brother out of the miseries of this sinful world and that we may rest in him as our hope is this our Brother doth XIV VVe must Assent and Consent to read publick Lessons out of Iudith Bell and the Dragon Tobit and other Apocryphal books from Sept. 28. till Nov. 24. every day except some proper Lessons interposed XV. VVe must Assent and Consent to all the mistranslations of the Psalms c. and not only use them which we refuse not but subscribe that none of them are contrary to the word of God. XVI We must Assent and Consent to admit none to the holy Communion till such time as he be Confirmed or be ready and desirous to be Confirmed that is by Bishops in the English method XVII We must Assent and Consent that such ornaments of the Church and of the Ministers thereof at all times of their ministration shall be retained in use as were in this Church of England by that authority of Parliament in the Second year of Edward VI. XVIII We must Assent and Consent to give an account within fourteen days of every one that we keep from the Sacrament to the Ordinary And that the Ordinary proceed against the offending person according to the Canons XIX We must publish all such Excommunications and Absolutions as are according to the Canons decreed by Lay Chancellors XX. This binds us to consent and publish the Excommunication of all that affirm that the Liturgy containeth any thing in it that is repugnant to the Scriptures And the Oath of canonical Obedience binds us to such publication if it be commanded us XXI And we are both these ways bound to publish all Excommunicate ipso facto if commanded who affirm any of the Rites and Ceremonies such as may not be approved and used lawfully XXII And all that say any of the Thirty Nine Articles in any part may not be subscribed though it be but about Traditions or Ceremonies XXIII And we must if required publish all ipso facto Excommunicate who say the Church Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans Archdeacons and the rest that bear Office is against God's word XXIV We must if commanded publish all Excommunicate who affirm
said at the Grave than in the Pulpit L. But some say none of those words signifie the persons Salvation but his removal hence M. Read them If those do not none do L. But some say that by Excommunicate is meant Excommunicable or such as ought to be Excommunicate and then what more can you desire M. Their saying is a presumptuous contradiction to that which they consent to what reason have they for it Is Excommunicate and Excommunicable all one Or may they put what sense they list on Laws If they do but tell the Bishops this much they will make them know that they are not made Judges of who is Excommunicable When I have craved but the alteration of that word they answered me with contempt that so every Priest or Curate should have the power of damning whom he please But sure Siâ—encing our judgment of a man is not damning him But what place is there for any doubt when the Book nameth the three sorts excepted exceptio firmat regulam in non exceptis Yea the express exposition in the Canon â—8 is If he shall refuse to Christen the one or bury the other that is Any brought except the party deceased were Denounced Excommunicate Majori Excommunicatione for some grievous and notorious Crime and no man able to testifie of his repentance he shall be Suspended by the Bishop of the Diocese from his ministry by the space of three months And alas how many thousand Infidels Hobbists Sadducees Hereticks Adulterers Thieves Perjured Scorners at godliness c. are among us unexcommunicated If all in England be saved except the Unbaptized Excommunicate and Self-murtherers which de singulis one by one must be said of all the rest either Scripture and Pulpits are much mistaken or else we that live among men are in a dream and our senses are all deceived CHAP. XVII Point XIV Of Consenting to Read the Apocrypha L. WHat harm is there in reading the Apocrypha M. I told you that we scruple not reading most of it in the place of Homilies or other Books especially the books called Wisedom and Ecclesiasticus But 1. Many Bishops and Doctours of the Church of England have accused the books of Tobit of down right lies and the books of Iudith Bell and Dragon c. as being meer fictions 2. And when we read these it is to be done in the same order as we read the Scripture by the name of Lessons which is the Title given to the Chapters read out of the Old and New Testament 3. And if we could yet read all these that will not serve unless we declare our Assent Consent and Approbation of the Appointment of them in the book which we cannot do L. But they are for the most part to be read but on week days or holy days M. The Conforming Clergy Consent and Covenant to the Imposition that requireth them to read the Common-Prayer every day in the week unless they be hindred by sickness or some urgent cause And so it is still the publick Service God's Service is all to be done with holy Reverence and if the Book of Tobit and some others be guilty of so many gross falsehoods as Protestants have and do still accuse them of I fear both to use them as Lessons in the place of God's Word lest it be prophanation and also to subscribe or declare my Approbation of the Calender and that use lest I be guilty of the sin of all the Ministers in England that so use it And it 's dangerous to seem to tell the people that so many books are God's Word that are not such For they understand not the Greek word Apocrypha and every Reader at least that is not Licensed to Preach is forbidden by the Canon to expound even that one word to them CHAP. XVIII Point XV. Of Assenting to Mistranslations and Subscribing that they are not contrary to the Word of God. L. ARE not the Epistles and Gospels used according to the last Translation M. Yes in the new Books they are but the Psalms are not L. What great mistranslations are there M. Sometimes a whole Verse or more is left out and sometimes the Translation is quite contrary to the Text. As Psal. 105. 28. They rebelled against his word instead of They rebelled not against his word And in the Book which this justifieth are many in the Epistles and Gospels I have cited them at large elsewhere L. How cometh there to be so many faults in the old Translation M. The work was an excellent good work But the Authors it seems for want of skill in the Hebrew followed the Septuagint Greek translation which hath these and many such defects L. Sure it is lawful to use and follow the Septuagint for the Apostles did so in the New Testament M. 1. The Apostles some times use it and sometimes follow the Hebrew against it and sometimes neither 2. But to Use it is one thing and to Justifie it is another thing It was in common use in the time of Christ and his Apostles and they used that in speaking to the people which use made intelligible and acceptable And we scruple not using it But all the works of Man are imperfect as Man is And why must we subscribe that there is nothing in it contrary to the word of God When as every mistake in it is contrary to it L. It seems then you would not subscribe to the Bible that there is nothing in it contrary to the Word of God M. I will subscribe to the truth of all that is in the true Copies of the Original if there by any such And I will subscribe that the various Lections in those Copies that we have are not the failing of the Holy Ghost or Apostles nor are such as leave us in just doubt of any necessary Truth And I will subscribe to the Translation so far as it agreeth with the Original But I will not subscribe that any Translation is perfect or faultless or to this or that Hebrew or Greek Copie as if in every word or Lection it certainly agreed with the Autographs And why should men make snares for the Church by imposing Professions that any mere man's works are perfect when all mortal men are confessedly imperfect Is it not enough peaceable to use them and to profess that all the word of God is infallible Truth L. But I cannot think that an Approbation of all the Translations is intended in your Assent and Consent M. Are they no part of that which is contained in the Book and prescribed by it Or could not the Parliament speak sense Chap. XIX Point XVI Of Consenting to reject all from Communion who desire not our Episcopal Confirmation L. ME thinks you that have written a Book for Confirmation should not scruple consenting to this M. I told you that I am so far from scrupling the true use of Confirmation that I think it is the want of it that is the greatest corruption of
care that no Parish want a fit Teacher whom the willing may hear 2. And that the negligent and unwilling be forced to hear either them or some other allowed or justly tolerated Teacher But I never said that 1. Because the Catechumens may be forced to hear their Parish Teacher who are Free-men therefore those that are Wives Children and Servants may be forced to go to one Church when the Husband Parent or Master commands them to go with him to another 2. Nor yet that those Masters that are Communicants and not Catechumens may be forced from hearing their own Pastors approved or tolerated It 's enough that they be forced to hear either And Men ought not to be deprived of the due Government of their Families L. Is not the Patron as fit to chuse a Teacher or Pastor for your Wives Children and Servants as you are M. No 1. A Mans Interest in and power over his Wife and Children is earlier and greater than a Patrons is It is natural and by a Law which no Men have power to abrogate Self-government and Family-government are antecedent to Princes or States Government and they have no right to dissolve it 2. I shall gain or lose more by the welfare or misery of my Family than the Patron will. 3. Nature hath given me a greater Love to Wife and Children and bound me to a greater care for them than it hath done a Patron 4. I know them better and therefore know what they need and what Teacher and Communion is fit for them better than a Patron that never saw them or me 5. Supposing that I am allowed to chuse my own Pastor and Communion it will be inconsistent with Family-government that my Wife Children and Servants be forced to go to another place where I can have no account of them what they do and how they behave themselves 6. If no Man may justly chuse for my Children a Tutor a Trade a Physician or Diet or Cloathing rather than my self much less a worse when I chuse a better nor may impose Husbands or Wives on them much less may any chuse for them against my will and choice an Office on which their Salvation is so specially concerned L. But if you may force your Wife and Children to what Pastor you chuse for them it seems then a Man may be forced to one Pastor rather than another And then why may not the Magistrate force you as well as you may force your Family M. You mistake me I do not say I may force my Family to any Pastor I say if they that are not Communicants but Catechumens may be forced to one Teacher itâ—s meeter for me to force them than for a Patron or any other 2. But as to Communion I will not force them to it at all nor to this or that Pastor But because different Places and Pastors for Communion signifieth different minds and will be a great distracting inconvenience to a Family I will use all my reason and loving interest in them to bring them all to one place for Communion And it s very strange if I prevail not having better advantage to satisfie their reason and to perswade them than a stranger hath so that such Breaches will be very rare But if I be as injurious to them as some Patrons are and would draw them to chuse an intolerable Pastor or false Teacher it is their Interest and Duty not to be perswaded by me to their hurt L. What confusion will this make in the World when all people even Wives and Servants may chuse on what Pastor they will depend and where they will Communicate M. It were a happy World if you or any did deliver it from differences yea or confusion But perfect concord is no where but where is perfect knowledge holiness righteousness and love If it breed confusions in the World that every Man chuse his own Dwelling Trade Diet Cloathing Wife Servants Travels Company Physician Counsellor Tutor Master Books c. And so that their Life Death and Souls be more in their own power than anothers there is no remedy If you would devise any other Chuser for them of all these you would cure that disorder with madness and destruction who is it that should chuse all these for all other Men He that chuseth for them must answer for them and must be accordingly saved or damned for them If God had appointed some Pope that he would always make wise and good to chuse for the Kingdoms of China Pegu Tartary Iapan Sumatra and all the rest of the World what Religion they should be of and what they should love and hate speak and do it would have brought the World to a happy state if all would stand to that Mans choice But who can teach God how to Rule the World and say Thou shouldst have made Man otherwise Will you mark this Either it is only to command Men what to chuse or else to make them chuse by efficient determination of their wills or else to move them by force without or against their wills that you would have the World saved from sin and confusion There is but these three ways And I. To move them against or without their wills is natural motion or violent and will make none of their actions good or bad in a Moral sence Nil nisi voluntarium est morale Thus a Horse a Watch a Ship is governed And you may lay them in what order you will when they are dead II. To make them good by Physical efficient determination of Mens wills God can do it and doth not at least with most Man cannot do it It 's madness to pretend to it And I hope you will not accuse God who only can do it for not cureing the sin and confusions of the World this way III. It is therefore only the Moral way of Cure that remaineth by Laws Rewards and Punishments And hath not God made better Laws for Religion than Man can make More infallible and perfect with more aweful Power and with ten thousand fold greater Rewards and Punishments And now what mean you by saying that every Man must not be left to chuse what Religion he list 1. Every Man is a rational voluntary Agent and not a Stone or Brute 2. Every bad Man is left undetermined by efficiency of God or Man in all the evil that he doth 3. Every one in the World is left by God and Man to chuse Salvation or Damnation in the means and to speed as he chuseth 4. No Man is left Lawless to chuse what he will without the Obligation of a perfect Divine Law. L. But Men that believe not a God and a Life to come must be moved by temporal punishment which they can feel Let them stay till death and they will deride Religion and live in wickedness M. You are too confused while you talk against confusion 1. Do you think Men that believe not a God and a Life to come are fit
during the Iewish Policy command them to use such a Discipline much more in his own Churches L. What are your other Reasons for it M. 2. The very Nature of Christ's Church required it which is a Society separated from the World under special Laws of Holiness and Love and for special heavenly Ends If therefore it shall be confounded with the World and not separated to Christ it is no Church 3. Christ did it for the Honour of himself and his Kingdom If he be no more for Holiness than the Infidel and Heathen World is what is he better than they or how is he a Saviour or what is the Church better than Infidels 4. It is needful to save Heathens from deceit that would come into the Church and to convince them that their impure Communion is insufficient 5. It is needful to save Christians from damning deceit that they may not think that a dead barren unholy Faith and Name of Christianity will save them without a holy obedient Heart and Life 6. It is needful to keep Christ's Ordinances from falsifying Profanation If a sealed Pardon and Gift of Life shall in the Sacraments be given as commonly to Dogs as Children it is a taking God's Name in vain and profane belying Jesus Christ. 7. It is needful to bring Sinners to Repentance that they may be Pardoned and Saved 8. And it is needful to the comforting absolution of Penitents 9. Accordingly God 's Church in all Ages hath owned it as their Law of Christ's institution to this day L. But some learned Men say This was but because there was at first no Christian Magistrate But when there was such the Discipline fell into their hands M. The first Christian Magistrates finding the Church in Possession of it confirmed it and too much accumulated and added to it but took it not away Of this see a small Book which I wrote of the Magistrates Power in Religion to Dr. Lud. Moulin which may end all this dispute Briefly I ask you Qu. 1. Would you have all Infidels and Pagans baptized and Communicate without any Profession of the Christian Religion first L. God forbid That 's a Contradiction M. Shall any words go for a Profession or what must that Profession be L. It must be a Profession of Christian Faith and Obedience M. Who must try and judge of that Profession whether it be Christianity or not Is it Magistrates or Pastors L. Magistrates have somewhat else to do Else they must study and exercise that work alone for they will have no time for Civil Government if they undertake this M. Did not Christ institute an Office for it and give them this Power of the Keyes And if one half that Office cease as soon as Magistrates were Christians why not the other half and so Magistrates must Preach Baptize and celebrate the Sacrament L. It must be no doubt the Ministerial Office to judge who is fit to be in Church Communion Else they were Slaves if they must be forced to take all uncapable Men to their Charge and Communion against their Consciences and Wills No Physician Tutor or School-Master will be forced to take such Patients Pupils or Scholars as will not be ruled by him and will make make him do what they list against his Will. M. You must confess the use of discipline or else openly disown the Word of God the very Being of the Church and the Judgment of the Universal Church to this day And do you think then that to deprive the Church of this is a lawful part of Conformity L. How prove you that the Laity is deprived of it M. 1. In our Great Parishes the People are few of them known to the Priest or to one another Of the two Parishes of my last abode I do not think but there are Fifty Thousand unknown to the Minister and to each other And how can these admonish the Offenders or the Minister exercise this discipline upon unknown Persons 2. The People know that it is in vain to begin where there can be no progress To what purpose is it to tell the Church when it 's sure to do more harm than good 1. The swarm of the Vicious is so great that they cannot be Prosecuted 2. The Minister himself forbeareth it as unpracticable 3. The accused must be Prosecuted at rates which Men cannot bear 4. And before Bishops that cannot possibly do this work to one of a Thousand any more than one School-master can Try and Correct all the faulty Scholars in a Diocess 5. And Men must be Judges that will never call Sinners to Repentance with Ministerial Evidence and Love and Patience but like Secular Courts bid them Recant or be Excommunicate 6. And the Cause must be decided by Lay-men that profanely usurp the Power of the Keys And how is Christ's discipline here possible Polluted common Churches frighten away the Religious conscionable People L. Do you not before complain of too much exercise of Discipline by Excommunications M. Yes of Discipline against Christ It is not enough for your Churches to be common and unclean without true Discipline but when you should drive out the Dogs and Swine you turn out the Children Witness all the fore-mentioned Canons As I said you first force in all the ignorant ungodly multitude that are unfit then these are the strength and major part Then they cannot come under due Discipline then this grieveth Religious People and they find fault with it And then they must be taken for Schismaticks and condemn'd and ruin'd for finding fault In short what need there disputing Is it not notorious matter of fact that this Discipline is not exercised against one Drunkard Swearer Fornicator c. of a multitude and are not Men then deprived of the use of it And when it 's known that they cannot have it in most or many Parishes how are they bound to live and die without the benefit of it L. Do you think Men are bound to separate from all Churches that have not this Discipline Sure it is not Essential to the Church M. I do not think that Preaching as distinct from reading is essential to a Church but that it may be at least for a time a sorry Church without it as those in Moscovy are But I would not continue in such a Church that is without it if I can have a better It 's one thing what a Man should endure that can have no better without more hurt than good and another thing what Men should chuse in obedience to Christ and for their own and the Churches good that can attain it Do you think it is lawful to omit all Duty that is not essential to the Church surely your many humane Offices your Forms and Ceremonies your Declarations and Subscriptions to them are further from being essential than true Discipline is and yet you think that the omission of these is unsufferable Is mans accidental inventions more necessary than Christs Ordinance and Church
are past doubt that to subject a Nation to a foreign Iurisdiction is to stigmatize it with the most odious Perjury Seeing as the Oath of Supremacy sweareth all expresly against it so the foresaid Corporation Oath Vestery Oath Militia Oath Oxford Oath and Vniformity Subscription have sworn or engaged the Nation never to endeavour any Alteration of Government in Church or State And if a foreign Iurisdiction be no Alteration we know nothing capable of that Name And when we see some of the same men at once endeavour to make us take such Oaths on pain of Ruin and to design to bring all under the Guilt of breaking them when we have done men think it best to take no more of them than is necessary till they see whether they must be kept or broken XXII Plagues Flames Poverty Convulsions that have befaln Corporations of late years makes us the more afraid of the sins which are like to be the Cause And the Earl of Argyle 's Case makes us afraid of stretching Expositions of Oaths And the Londoners have sped so ill by such stretching Expositions as confirmeth us in our Purpose to avoid them XXIII If we wilfully sin on pretence of Liberty to preach the Gospel we cannot expect God's Blessing on our Labours And then what is our preaching worth XXIV We read how joyfully many Martyrs in Queen Mary's days endured the Flames rather than grant the real Presence in the Mass And we that fear far greater sin must rather suffer than commit them XXV As we dare not Conform against Conscience so to lay by our Ministry while we can exercise it we take to be Sacrilege Covenant-breaking with God and Treachery and Cruelty to the Souls of Men. XXVI We are sure if all the Ministers should conform it would be so far from healing the Church that it would widen the Breach For the Dissenting People would be tempted to go the further from us all and think that none of us were to be trusted as many have turn'd further already on some such Accounts XXVII We are Commonly agreed that no men have right from God to Silence all the Ministers in the Land And we are fully satisfyed that Conformity to the things aforesaid being a Sin all the Ministers in England ought to have been Non-Conformists and then the Act of Uniformity had silenced them all XXVIII Lastly the dreadful effects of Canonical and the like Impositions the sufferings of Godly Minsters Congregations Cities Countries and Persons thereupon our doleful divisions especially among Ministers the evil Spirit that possesseth multitudes to cry down Love and call for Vengeance and the prospect of what is going on do affright us from approving consenting to or using the Engines that thus divide us and the Canons that are battering down our Peace and consequently to be guilty of all the Atheism Prophaneness Malignity Popery Persecution and Calamity to this Land which are like to come in at the breach of our Walls which the battery of those Canons and Engines make A Jayl and a Fire or a Gallows is an easier place than a bed where Conscience shall charge such Evils home upon us much more then the Judgments which the True and Righteous Judge of the World will shortly execute on Lyers Malignants or Persecutors of his Flock yea of the least of those that Christ will call Brethren at that day I have oft said if any Church-History of one man be credible St. Martin wrought many Miracles and when the Bishops about him being bad men to get down the Priscillian Gnosticks worse than our Quakers did 1. Seek help of the Magistrate's Sword 2. And bring strict Godly persons under suspicion of being Priscillianists Martin renounced their Communion by resolved separation to his death save that once at the Emperour's desire he Communicated with them on condition the Emperour would spare the lives of some condemned as Priscillianists and even for this was rebuked and chastized by an Angel if his Scholar and Companion Sulpitius Severus a Learned Godly man be to be believed CHAP. LVII Of the Reasons for Conformity L. NOW I will tell you what I hear said against your Non-Conformity and I will give you leave to answer the Objections as we go on Obj. I. It 's commonly said that you are Fanatick persons that build all your dissent on your own private Spirits and pretended Impulses and In spirations M. Have I pleaded with you any such Impulses or Inspirations as the Reasons of our Dissent Is there any such thing in above 100 Books that I have written Did we use any such Argument in our Dispute with the Bishops but the Papists call every mans Faith that is his Own and not taken meerly on trust as the Churches Faith by the Name of a Private Spirit L. Obj. II. They say you make a Schism and Stir for meer tristes and things indifferent viz. Ceremonies and Liturgy confessing that they are not unlawful M. 1. And what if they say that we are Turks or Heathens or have Horns and are Brutes what remedy have we To their honour be it spoken we would not hope to confute them 2. Do you not know that so far are we from this that even under the old easier Impositions we protested to the Bishops in our Petitions for Peace That we would yield to any thing but Sin against God and we endeavoured to prove Conformity sinful And do they well agree with themselves when Dr. Stilling fleet saith that I would represent Conformity such as should make them seem a company of Perjur'd Villains 3. I pray you tell me whether the 52. Points now opened by me be nothing but Liturgy and Ceremonies and whether you take them all to be things indifferent Is it not an odd sort of Accusers that we have that sometimes say we suspect the Nation of common Perjury and the Church of Subverting Corruption and overthrow of Discipline and Excommunicating Christs Faithful Servants and shortly after say We Dissent only about things Indifferent God have mercy on those miserably Souls that take such things for Indifferent 4. Who is it troubles the Land with their things Indifferent Is it we Did we devise them Do we impose them on any and say Vse our things indifferent or we will Silence you or Excommunicate you and lay you in Iayl with Rogues Be such things imposed as Indifferent L. III. They say you hold your Opinions in obstinate wilfulness and have no Reason to give for them and therefore are not to be born with as weak Brethren M. So said the Arians of the Orthodox and the Heathens of the Christians It 's a fine World when ignorant ungodly Lads are heard tell such men as were Dr. Reignolds Iohn Fox Amesius Blondel Dailee Chamier c. We can't allow you so much as the esteem of weak Brethren I do not think but some of their School boys might soon be taught by a Bishop to say thus to their Masters 2. But do all
practise Physick in London The Posts Walls and Gates are stickt with Physicians offers to cure the Lecherous pox To day I read Kirleu's Bill that saith he hath cured eight hundred of that disease I dare bet with you all the Money I have that if you enquire not eight or perhaps two of that eight hundred were Puritans or such as you now cast out for Non-Conformists unless you call Papists or such other Non-Conformists except any of them were Wives that catcht it of Husbands that are of your Church or Parishes and not of us or Husbands that catcht it of such conformable or Papist Wives But of these things we need no defence 3. But if our hearers be bad they have the more need of teaching and whether more are converted from ignorance sensuality worldliness and prophaneness by their teaching or ours ask others and not us L. Obj. XIV But they say that it 's by you that we are in danger of Popery because you keep up their hopes of a toleration by your divisions weakning us M. They may of the two say more probably it is we that bring in Prelacy Lay Excommunicators Ceremonies Liturgies For of the two we have done less against these than against Popery and stand not at so great a distance from them The impudency of some men is the shame of depraved humane nature They know that it is for being more against Popery than they are that our ruine is so implacably endeavoured They know that the Papists are our chiefest prosecutors thinking that if they could destroy us as their greatest adversaries they should bring the Church of England to their will and that it is but appropriating the name of Popery to the Italian Faction that set the Pope above Councils and calling the rest by a better Name and cutting off a few shreds named by Heylin in the Life of Arch-bishop Laud and it 's done They know that it is for drawing so near to Popery that the Non-Conformists Dissent from them and take it for granted that those men that are labouring to bring in Popery are the forwardest to make this putid accusation of us and that it hath been their labour these two and twenty years to have forc'd us to yield to an universal toleration and to petition for it that they might bring in Popery and then say it is we that did it and that for denying this and being unreconcileable to Popery the Papists are so unreconcileable to us as that nothing will satisfy them but our utter extirpation of which they would make blind sensual debauched malignant men that call themselves Protestants the instruments And how many of their pillars have written for a foreign Jurisdiction and defend Grotius I have told you before And to this day that Priest that is nearest to Popery is the bitterest enemy to the Non-Conformists and most preacheth for their destruction And these brazen-faced men cannot endure an honest Conformist that doth but preferr Protestants that dissent from their fetters before the Papists And those Bishops and Arch-bishops and the very Church of England in their times that were most against Popery are their scorn and hatred as you may see in Heylin's reproach of Arch-Bishop Abbot and the Bishops and Convocation except six Bishops in his days And by the base scorns that they now pour out against good Arch-Bishop Grindal calling such men as would strengthen us against Popery by reconciliation by the names of Grindalizers and Trimmers and such as would betray the Church And how they reproach and use Dr. Whitby for his Protestant Reconciler and Mr. Bold for his Sermon and the Author of the four Pleas of the Conformists for the Non-Conformists and such others you know The Author of the Reflections and the Samaritan they have not yet found out Mr. Tho. Beverley feareth them not The Bishop of Hereford Dr. Crofts the first man that ever I saw go forth with a Troop raised by his Brother for the King and his Sermon in my Pulpit the first that ever I heard against the Parliament when the King was in Yorkshire and he himself had been a Papist and is still zealous for their Church cause because he wrote the Book called Naked Truth to heal us and strengthen us against Popery they gnash the Teeth at him and so they do at Dr. Barlow Bishop of Lincoln that wrote of the treasonable principles of Papists tho' these Bishops are too big for them yet to vilify and openly oppose L. You may be more against Popery than they and yet bring it in imprudently by dividing us M. Who do you think in your Conscience is liker to bring it in we or they Who hath done and suffer'd more to keep it out We lay down all that we have to that end They will not part with a Ceremony or one Oath or a Re-ordination or an Excommunication of Christs Members to keep it out but plainly tell us that they had rather Popery came in than abate a jott of their Self-made Religion or Impositions or than such as I should Preach the Gospel But I confess I am not able to deny it that the Non-Conformists may be the occasion of bringing in Popery by way of Antiperistasis some men hate us and all serious Godliness so much that they are like enough to be for Popery because godly men are against it And I fear lest they that see the Non-Conformists would reform their Prelacy and Church-Courts and reduce them to the Primitive Episcopacy described by Bishop Vsher will be so much afraid lest they lose some of their Wealth and Domination by it that some of them will hearken to the Papists that will promise them an Encrease of that which they so esteem And indeed it is already no strange thing to hear them say They had rather the Papists came in with Popery than the Dissenters with their Reformation I think ere long you are like to be convinced more effectually than by Writing which Party is liker to bring in Popery and to turn Papists In the mean time I begin to praise Stephen Gardiner and such others for their Modesty that when they burnt Cranmer Ridley Hooper Philpot Rogers and the rest that they did not charge them with bringing in Popery and say we burn you for that L. XV. They say that you stretch the Words of the Oaths Declarations Subscriptions Liturgy and Canons to an ill sence by a rigorous Interpretation which was never the Meaning of the Authors and on that you ground your Dissent M. 1. I hope you will grant that when the things that men fear whether justly or mistakingly no less than deliberate Lying Perjury and Contracting by Justification the Guilt of many hundred thousand Perjuries and Swearing or Covenanting never to repent or endeavour that the Nation should repent of heinous Church-Corruptions or amend them and the nullifying of the Ordination and Ministry of thousands and Unchurching almost all the Protestant Churches and more such like a
make us wish all the Sermons unpreach'd which we have preach'd and all the Books unwritten which we have written and all the Souls unconverted who have repented Q. 42. VVhen Ionas over-ran an unpleasing Ministery did not God overtake him with his Judgment And if we prove Ionasses may we not expect to meet with Storms more terrible than Jails Q. 43. Can all this said and done against such in the world ever make the sober that knew them believe that such a man as Anthony Burges Mr. Porter Mr. Hildersham the Son Mr. Hughes Mr. Richard Allen and hundreds much like them were worthy Silencing Imprisonment and Shame while such as fill some thousand Churches are worthy of maintenance and honour Or will sober Posterity who read the Lives and VVritings of such men as Iohn Corbet Ioseph Allen Iames and Iohn Ianeway and abundance such others believe that they were as bad as their accusers make them There is but one way to bring them under the Infamy and Odium of Posterity and that is the Papists way to kill all that are of another mind and to drive Truth and Conscience out of the world and then who would stay behind Q. 44. VVho did Christ mean by the Hypocrite that seeth a mote in his brothers eye and could not see the beam in his own VVas it not the Pharisee that blamed Christ's Disciples for crossing their Ceremonies and Traditions and saw not all the crimes in themselves recited Mat. 23. And is not the scrupling of a thing called by others Indifferent a mote in the eye of many truly godly persons I will not offend you by describing the beams Q. 45. Have we not often offered that as soon as any true reason can tell us that our Labours are here needless by the sufficient number and quality and labours of others we will joy fully be silent and seek for work where there is need Till then to starve souls is to be guilty of their damnation And if Meeting-Chapels be wanting why do not the great and rich Conformists build them Q. 46. Is it not a pleasing advantage to Papists if they can see two thousand of those Minister who are most against them silenced and driven from Cities and Corporations and made a hunting game and scorn and the Kingdom crackt by general divisions as turned into Guelphs and Gibelines weekly reviling and deriding each other as Whiggs and Tories Is it not their design to banish Conscience and absolute Obedience to God And you know who ruleth where God and Conscience doth not rule And what is it that the unconscionable will not do for worldly interest And did not the Papists always know that our Love and Concord would be our strength and their terrour Q. 47. Who is it that was or is able to cure all these our divisions It never was in our power nor yet is unless damning our souls by willful sin must be the cure For we have oft offered our Oaths that nothing but fear of sin shall hinder us from conforming If our fear come from ignorance do the Churches suffer none more ignorant than we But how easy were it with others without sin or cost to cure all Q. 48. Is it not God's great Mercy to our Land that we have had twenty years peace while other Lands have been miserable by Wars And if it be the Preachers of the Gospel that yet will give the Land no peace but cry out execute prosecute suffer not strike home and their judgment be the executioners encouragment who say The Clergy tells us it is our duty I had rather answer them with tears than words Q. 49. Should not the long and universal experience of the Christian VVorld be some warning to us which these thousand years hath been broken into shreds by the contentions of the Clergy and their Magisterial needless impositions and by forsaking the Primitive purity and simplicity Q. 50. Are not these words in the Liturgy before the Sacrament very terrible If any of you be a hinderer or slanderer of God's Word or be in malice or envy Repent of your sin and come not to this Holy Table lest after the taking of the Sacrament the Devil enter into you as he did into Iudas and fill you full of iniquities and bring you to destruction of Body and Soul And are not the Words of our Judge more terrible Mat. 25. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels For I was hungry thirsty a stranger naked in prison c. In as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these ye did it not to me And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the Righteous into Life eternal O let me never be one of those who for nothing shall run on such a doom Q. 50. If yet objections or the mis-understanding of our cause do frustrate all these reasons I have answered so many objections and so far opened the cause already as here is not to be repeated viz. In the First and Second Pleas for Peace In the Apology for our Preaching and in the Treatise of Episcopacy And against the judgment of those Reverend Fathers who still cry Abate nothing and suffer them not do Execution I set the judgment I. Of the King 1. In his Declaration from Breda 2. His healing Gracious Declaration about Ecclesiastical Affairs 1660. 3. And that of 1662. II. The Judgment of the late House of Commons Ian. 10. 1680. Resolved that it is the Opinion of this House that the prosecution of protâ—stant Dissenters upon the Penal-Laws is at this time grievous to the Subjects a weakning the Protestant Interest and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom III. Christ's Canon-Law 1 Iohn 4. 8 16. He that Loveth not knoweth not God for God is Love God is love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him Joh. 13. 35. By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another Rom. 14. 17 18. The Kingdom of God is not Meat and Drink but Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost For he that in these serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. vers 1. Him that is weak in the Faith Receive we but not to doubtful disputations c. 1 Thes. 5. 12 13. We beseech you Brethren to know them which LABOVR AMONG you and are over you in the Lord and to esteem them very highly in Love for their WORK sake and be at Peace among your selves 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I will honour and they that despise-me shall be lightly esteemed ENGLANDS SLAVERY Q. 1. IS not Silencing taking all we have and lying in Jaile among Rogues from six Months to six Months till we die greater Slavery than the Turks inflict on Christians Q. 2. What is this for And on what sort of Men Q. 3. Who be they that have caused and continued it after 27 Years Experience of the effects Q. 4. What is Diabolism if this be not Q. 5. Why is not publick Repentance of it proclaimed * And Bucer thought so too when â—e so earnestly wrote for another sort of Disciplâ—ne to King Edw. 6. The Story of the King of Cappadocia and his Brotâ—â— that conspired with some Nobles to depose him and take his Kingdom and how the Senate of Rome detected the Plot and defeated it by the help of Cicero then Proconsul there is worth the reading in Cicero's Epistles Read the Lord St. Alban's Considerations of Reconciling and Edification of the Church of England and his Advertisement on the present Church-Controversies and see whether he thought there was no need of Reformation And Judge Hales Papers of Religion See the Lord Bacon about Subscription in his foresaid Considerations Dedicated to King Iames. This was written 1683. This was â—ritten when â—he Duke of Monmouth's Treason was most noised and the Dissenters cryed down