Formality and Force of an Act yet it is the first Matter and Original of an Act out of which an Act doth arise 3. This Vote was not of private Concernment in which Interest makes Men partial but it was of Concernment to the Church and Kingdom But many of the first movers in the Prosecution and of the Instruments in it act from a private Spirit and a particular Interest and find neither Concurrence from any that are at liberty and act as Freemen nor Approbation from the Standers-by except the few that know not what they do and care not what others do any more than Gallio Lastly the inferiour sort are Informers and Inferiour Officers Constables and Church-wardens c. of these there is not one of many but what abide severe Threatnings and heavy Fines considering their Estates before they distrain This way is contrary to the very common Sense of Christians and ordinary Men. But the Informers are a select Company whom the long Suffering of God permits for a time of whom I will say but little in this place They are of no good Reputation for their Knowledg in the Country they do not know the Names or Persons of some of them that are molested by them they go by report of their under-Servants or Complices they are unknown to them that suffer by them until they suffer They come two or three Counties off to set up this new Trade whether they are Papists or nominal Protestants who can tell They never come to Church not to their own Parish-Churches but lie in wait and ambush Their Estate is invisible their Country unknown to many their Morals are as bad as the very Dregs of the Age. These are they that direct and rule many of the Magistrates and live upon the spoil of better Christians and Subjects than themselves And who go away with honest Mens Goods honestly gotten but they To whom I have a great deal to say in the latter Part if I can hold my Pen without trembling while I write of them The Substance of what I intend to discourse upon is contained in these three Heads I. I will shew the Cause of the Sufferings of the Nonconformists II. Argue for a Cessation of this forcible Course against them III. Apply the whole to the Instruments of their Sufferings whether they be Magistrates Ministers Informers or others I. The only Cause of their Sufferings is their Nonconformity Of this I have spoken as fully as I thought needful at that time both in the First Plea opening the hardness of their Case in the Second Plea First Plea from p. 14 c. Second Plea p. 10 11. I must reassume this Head anew for a further Information of the World and Amplification of the thing in reference to their Suflerings and lay both before the Conscience of the Christian Reader who may propose this Case of Conscience as rising from it Whether the Nonconforming Christians and Protestants ought to suffer as they do and what they do meerly for Nonconformity For the opening of this Point once again I will consider Nonconformity as above-said 1. Privatively and passively as not doing what the Law requires 2. Positively and actively as doing what the Law forbids 1. Take Nonconformity in the first Sense and what is it but not subscribing or refuting to subscribe to what is required and not declaring what is required to be declared in the Act of Uniformity and by consequence not doing as is required in the Act or the Common-Prayer here lies their Nonconformity and hence the Name is taken 2. They do not refuse all and every Condition therein required of them It is not possible that I should particularly relate what Particular-Men do scruple and stick at some can do more than others can but they who can do most cannot do all required They are by some counted worse than Papists looked upon as a fort of ignorant erroneous obstinate unreasonable Men seditious and schismatical that obey neither King nor Bishops nor Church and are ignorantly and scornfully called These Men and these kind of People as if they were a strange odd sort of People wilfully bent upon their own Way Delusions and Fancies as if they carried the Sparks of Rebellion and the Seeds of Heresies and false Doctrine in their Hearts and kindled them in their Conventicles But know that they are as obedient regular Subjects as any in the King's Dominions save in one Defect or Omission which is Subscribing Swearing Declaring according to a particular late Act of Uniformity and Corporation And to them that wonder at them that censure condemn and afflict them I give this short Distinction and Account of them 1. The Preachers and Teachers are Men brought up in Learning in Schools and Universities or in University Learning if not in the Universities The older sort have for the most part taken Degrees in the Universities were in former times ordained by Bishops and had conformed to all or the principal things required by the old Act of Uniformity The middle-aged among them have had the like Learned Education and are Ministers either ordained by Bishops or by Presbyters or elected and chosen by particular Congregations and set apart for that Work by Fasting and Prayer if not also by Imposition of Hands The younger sort have Education in Learning in Schools Tongues Arts and Sciences the same that are taught in our Universities though they are taught out of the Universities in a more private way and have not the Titles of Graduates in Arts and Divinity In a word they are tho in different Degrees and Proportion some more and some less learned pious painful self-denying able and successful Ministers and orderly and peaceable Subjects according to all other Laws as any of us are Their Hearers are like other Men bred up in Trades and Callings as other Men are as is commonly and universally known In short let them that think strangely of them as these Men and these kind of Men receive this impartial Character of them ☜ The Nonconformists are Christians believing all the Articles of the Christian Faith that observe whatsoever Christ commanded his Apostles to observe and teach that observe all the Ordinances of the Gospel according to the general Rules of the Gospel-Worship Government and Discipline according to the best of their Understandings and Prudence that obey every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake that are subject to Principalities and Powers that obey Magistrates that live by the Law of Love and Rightcousness that have their Conversation according to the Gospel as other Christians or as the best of other Christians do and that submit observe and obey all Laws of the Kingdom as other Subjects do save the aforesaid Act of Uniformity and Subscriptions and Oaths of late Years imposed and never before And this Character of them contains matter of Answer to the many Questions Accusations and Censures raised upon them They are reported to be factious fanatical unlearned
to them and if he cannot exercife his Ministry after he is called unto it what doth it profit him to be a Minister or what is the Church the better for his Office If one acknowledged to be a Minister of the Universal Church may not administer in a particular Church then is it not because that particular Church requires some Conditions which are not so large as the Rules and Conditions of the Universal Church This may put us to search whether different Rules stricter Laws prescribed as Conditions of Entrance and Continuance in the Ministry and Church-Communion be not the Cause or Occasion of Schisms in particular Churches These Catholick Rules and Conditions are to be taken and received from the Apostles who went into all the World to gather and to found Christian Churches They gave us Laws enow to govern any particular Church who were sent into all the World And no Decrees of General Councils are of equal Observation with the Scriptures not only because of their Sanctity but because of their Universality and the very Errors and Mistakes of them in some Particulars are tolerable that do what they can to find out and follow the Will of God in Scripture And this Diversity can be no Inconvenience to any Church because of the plain Injunctions and Commands of keeping the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace of loving and forbearing one another in Love But to return What shall we say Are they but Lay-men or but quasi Lay-men that were once ordained by Diocesans or what it others can prove by the Holy Scriptures and the Catholick Rules of Faith that they are called of God and make proof of their Gifts which make there serviceable to the Souls of poor Sinners and only scruple some late implicating perplexing Terms what shall they do in this case They would enter into the Service according to the uncontroverted general Rules of Christ the Soveraign Law-giver of his Church but that will not serve the turn they must do more They have received Gifts from the Spirit of the same nature with other Ministers they 'l submit their Gifts to the Trial to free them from the Fanaticism imputed to them These Gifts are for some use they are their Talents and they must give an account of them to the Giver of them at his appearing Whither can any of them go and not be serviceable Is there any City Town Parish or noble Family in England in which there is not need or where such as they may not be exceeding profitable but in some Places there is a crying need O how few few Labourers are there in very large Fields yea as offensive as the presence of the Brethren are in many places there is not an useless Man among them nor one place hardly where is not need if not extream need What shall they do conform to the Church as Lay-men only What if the Bottle be so full that its ready to burst what if the Fire of Zeal true Zeal kindle must they not speak with their Tongue What if the Breast be full and they who were begorten in Christ Jesus by their Ministry cry cry to them O give us of the sincere Milk of the Word shall they say No my Breast is full but I must not draw it out What if they have Bread enough and can divide it and see a Company of poor Souls ready to starve and pine for Want and yet they must not give them a piece of Bread City Ministers are most quarelsome and contentious with them but if from their high Places they saw and knew but what I know instead of charging them with Separation and Schism they would beg of Authority that they would send them into many places of the Land which are more like a Wilderness than the Garden of the Lord but instead of doing this some have written to prepare a prejudiced People to entertain them with Stones or beseech them to depart out of their Coasts and not to open their Doors to entertain them or their Ears to hear them Oh! how are many of the Servants of God true Subjects able Preacers at this day forced to hide and many are as shy and close to entertain them as if they were Traitors and the Hue and Cry were out against them But what if these Men cannot think themselves discharged of their Work when their Hire is stopt they cannot but pity those that have no Shepherds or not enow they cannot stop their Ears against the Cry of the poor what if Conscience cry Wo to me if I preach not the Gospel O there are too many that never heard that Preaching in their Bosom Some have pleaded that Wo concerned none but the Apostle what shall they do between two Woes Wo from Christ if I preach not and Wo from Men if I preach Object They must obey the Laws obey Authority Answ So they must and as far they can they do Object But they say they must obey God rather than Men. Answ So did the Apostles who taught Obedience to Governours Neither may any godly Prince take it as any Dishonour to his Estate to see God obeyed before him Defence of the Apology part 1. p. 20. of my Edit for he is not God but the Minister of God saith our Venerable Father Bishop Jewel Object But our King and Magistrates and Laws are not such as They were neither are our Conventiclers Apostles Answ True I cast no Reflections upon the King but acknowledge his Life and Protestancy to be singular Mercies and Priviledges But if the first Christian Churches were planted and the Faith preached where the Rulers were Unbelievers disaffected to it and Persecuters of it then Preachers that preach the Doctrine of the Apostles and live according to the Gospel may humbly expect if not lay some Claim to a Priviledge of preaching and worshipping God as near as they can discern according to his mind The Case of the Brethren is so clear in it self The Canon Law calls their divers Orders Religion but to Christians and Protestants there is but one Religion that some in Power have no other colour for proceeding against them than as Men that exercise another Religion as I can produce which clearly intimates that it is unreasonable to proceed to Confiscations and Banishment against Men that profess the same Religion And whereas Godliness and Honesty may claim Protection they represent them as wicked and dishonest in the highest Degree that is seditious and withdrawing the King's Subjects from their Allegiance c. But this is the old Language Apolog. c. 2. Divis 7. p. 21. as the most Reverend Bishop Jewel writes as objected against them that we be fallen from the Catholick Church and by a wicked Schism have shaken the whole World and troubled the common Peace and universal Quiet of the Church and that as Dathan and Abiram conspired in times past against Moses and Aaron even so we this day have
renounced the Bishop of Rome without any reasonable Cause But let us see wherein our Brethren are to be blamed or do any thing but what our King and Governours may allow the Primitive Bishops of our Reformation being Judges The Religion of our Brethren is Thou shalt Worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve It is the Religion of Christ and not of Anti-christ I reckon it cannot stand with the Prince's Duty to reverse this heavenly Decrce Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God c. with establishing two Religions in one Realm the first authorized by Christ Bishop Bilson of Subjection Part 1. p. 21. Edit 4o. and bequeathed in his Testament to the Church the next invented of Antichrist and flatly repugnant to the Prophetical and Apostolical Scriptures Our Brethren endeavour to keep strictly to the Scripture and Christ as Law-giver Then as the Minister must dispence the Word of Truth be therewith offended and grieved who list so the Magistrate may draw the Sword of Justice to compel and punish such as be blindly led Part 1. pag. 33. and maliciously bent to resist sound Doctrine Who then should be punished Preachers or they or those Officers that trouble them Object But the Magistrate is to be obeyed in all lawful things and every particular Church hath power to ordain Ceremonies so they be not contrary to God's Word Answ No Man disputes the Magistrate's Power in commanding things good and necessary the Doubt is concerning things which are indifferent as some suppose but not indifferent as the Dissenters suppose Of things indifferent hear the Judgment of the same learned Bishop We may not for things indifferent trouble the weak Minds of our Brethren yet this Rule bindeth no Magistrate to remit the Punishment of Error and Infidelity Ibid. Pag. 33. because God hath charged to suffer no kind of Evil unrevenged and this is the greatest whose Voice they must hear whose Will they must obey though they were sure thereby to scandalize never so many both Aliens and Subjects If they are things truly indifferent then Governours may forbear to command them whereas many do rationally scruple the Observation of them and cannot without Sin observe them Condescention and Selfdeial would rid Mens Consciences out of this Strait between the Magistrate's Command and the Dictates of Conscience Object But by their Preaching and separate Meetings they break the Communion of the Church and are guilty of Schism and to tolerate them is to tolerate a Schism Answ This is the great Clamor of the Accusers but let us see wherein Communion of Saints and Churches doth consist and then we shall see what Schism I cannot quote a more learned Doctor of this Church Ibid. Part 2. p. 223 224. or of greater Authority than the same Reverend Bishop Bilson he shall decide this Case It is a most pernicious Fancy to think the Communion of Christ's Church depends upon the Pope's Person or Regiment let them that imagine one Vniversal Soveraign Power over the Church in our days whether one or many observe this Doctrine and that divers Nations and Countries differing by Customs Laws and Manners so they hold one and the same Rule of Faith in the Bond of Peace cannot be parts of the Catholick Church Communicant one with another and perfectly united in Spirit and Truth each to other and fy on your Follies that rack your Creed and rob Christ of his Honour and the Church of all her Comfort and Security whilst you make the Unity of Christ's Members to consist in Obedience to the Bishop of Rome and not in Coherence with the Son of God! The Communion of Saints and near dependance of the Godly each on other and all of their Head standeth not in external Rites Customs and Manners as you would fashion out a Church observing the Pope's Canons but in believing the same Truth tasting of the same Grace resting on the same Hope calling on the same God rejoycing in the same Spirit whereby they be sealed sanctified and preserved against the day of Redemption The Communion of the Catholick Church is not broken by diversity and variety of Rites Customs Laws and Fashions which many Places and Countries have different each from other except they be repugnant to Faith and Good-manners as St. Augustine ad Januarium Irenaeus c. Eusebius l. 5. c. 23. Socrates l. 5. c. 22. Simple Verity is the Band of Unity Jewel Defence p. 460. Praelection de Ecclesiâ Bishop Carlton makes the Unity of the Church to consist in one Head Christ one Body one Spirit one Faith or one Rule of Faith And if Unity consists in Uniformity in the same Form of Prayer Liturgy and Ceremonies there was no such thing as Unity there were as great Schisms in the Apostles days as among our Brethren according to the Judgment of the same learned Bishop Bilson Ibid. fourth part p. 619 620 c. Some of their own might be so vain-glorions as in making their Prayers at the Lord's Table which was then done by Heart and not after any prescribed Order or Form to shew the Gift of Tongues In the publick Service of the Church the Ministers and Elders which were many both Travellers and there Dwellers had every Man his Psalm his Instruction his Tongue Revelation or Interpretation as the Spirit of Grace thought most expedient And other Order in the Divine Service in the Apostolick or Primitive Church we read for certain of none besides the Action of the Lord's Supper which the Apostles and so no doubt all their Churches always used in the end of their publick Meetings but with no set Prayers save only the Lord's Prayer as Gregory confesseth The rest of their Prayers Blessings and Thanks-givings were in every place made by the Gift of the Holy Ghost inspiring such as were set to teach and govern the Church And you have long since their time framed a Liturgy in James's Name Pag. 620. Yet for so much as the Church of Christ did not acknowledg it your main Foundation is a Dream of your own that the Church of Gorinth had a prescribed number and order of Prayers pronounced by some one Chaplain Pag. 621 ☜ that said his Lesson within-book or might not go one Line beside his Missale for any good Where the Christians under the Apostles had in their Assemblies first prophecying i. e. declaring of God's Will and revealing of his Word at which the Insidels and new Converts unbaptized might be present and next Prayers and Psalms to celebrate the Goodness and Kindness of God and to prepare their Minds for the Lord's Table to which all the Faithful came with one Consent of Heart and Voice giving Thanks to God for their Redemption c. And this was done by the mouths of such Pastors and Ministers as it pleased the Holy Ghost to direct and inspire for that Function and Action The People hearing understanding Pag. 622. and