are upon us in that it is in your power to redress them and especially at this present in this High Meeting assembled for the publick weal of all your loyal Subjects Our miseries are long and lingring Imprisonments for many years in divers Counties of England in which many have dyed and left behind them Widows and many small Children taking away our Goods and others the like of which we can make good probation not for any disloyalty to your Majesty nor hurt to any mortal man our Adversaries themselves being Judges but only because we dare not assent unto and practise in the Worship of God such things as we have not Faith in because it is sin against the Most High Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 as your Majesty well observeth in these words It is a good and safe Rule in Theology That in matters of the Worship of God Quod dubitas ne fereris according to Pauls rule Rom. 14.5 Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Medit. on Lo. Prayer If we were in error herein these courses of afflicting our bodies for Conscience cause are not of Christ but of Antichrist as hereafter is most plainly shewed And if no Church be the Rule of Faith but only the holy Scriptures as the learned Protestants do truly confess and that therefore the Doctrine of the Church of Rome that all must believe as the Church believes and so practise or else be cruelly persecuted be most ungodly as it is then how can they avoid the like censure that practise the same thing contrary to their own Judgement For the learned Protestants do say it is high cruelty for the Papists to constrain them to practise those things in Gods Worship which they have not Faith in nay which they know to be evil with Imprisonment Fire and Faggot and therefore why may not we say it is great cruelty for the learned Prorestants to constrain us to practise such things in Gods Worship which we have not Faith in Nay which we certainly know to be evil with lingring Imprisonment loss of Goods and what other cruelties they can procure against us of your Majesty and the Civil State If your Learned say they have the Truth and we are in Errour that resteth to be tryed by the true Touchstone the holy Scriptures If they be our Judges the Verdict must needs go against us If their sayings be a safe Rule for us to be saved by we will rest upon them And then why may not the saying of the Papists be sure also and they be the Protestants Judges and so bring us all to believe as the Church believes The iniquity of which we have discovered as briefty as we could beseeching your Majesty and all that are in Authority to hear us It concerneth our eternal Salvation or Condemnation and is therefore of great importance for what can a man give for the ranfom of his Soul Oh he pleased to remember the saying of that great and good man Job chap. 29. I delivered the Poor that cryed and the Fatherless and him that had none to help him The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me and I caused the Widows heart to rejoyce I was a Father to the Poor and when I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently I brake also the jaws 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 glory by whom you reign and are advanced that He will pat it into your hearts to let these things enter into your thoughts and then we doubt not the evidence of them being such that you will be moved to repeal and make void all those cruel Laws which we most humbly beseech which persecute poor men only for matters of conscience not that we any way desire for our selves or others any the least liberty from the strict observation of any Civil Temporal or Humane Law made or to be made for the preservation of your Majesties Person Crown State or Dignity for all that give not to Caesar that which is his let them bear their burden but we only desire that God might have that which is his which is the heart and soul in that Worship that He requireth over which there is but one Lord Eph. 4.5 and one Law-giver who is able to save it or to destroy it Jam 4.12 which no mortal man can do It is not in your power to compel the heart you may compel men to be Hypocrites as a great many are who are false-hearted both towards God and the State which is sin both in you and them The vileness of persecuting the body of any man only for cause of Conscience is against the Word of God and Law of Christ It is against the profession of your Majesty against the profession and practice of famous Princes The antient and later approved Writers witness against it so do the Puritans yea the establishers of it the Papists themselves inveigh against it so that God and all men do detest it as is herein shewed And therefore in most humble manner we do beseech your Majesty your Highness your Honours your Worships to consider of it and do as God directeth you in his Word that cannot lye Let the Wheat and Tares grow together in the world until the harvest Matth. 13. And so in humble manner we proceed CHAP. I. The Rule of Faith is the Doctrine of the Holy Ghost contained in the Sacred Scriptures and not any Church Council Prince or Potentate nor any mortal man whatsoever PRoved by the Scriptures themselves which are the Writings of Moses and the Prophers the Evangelists and Apostles these are a sufficient Rule alone to try 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 work 2. Tim. 3.15 c. 2. Because these Writings are written that we might have certainly of the things whereof we are instructed Luke 1.4 That our joy might be full 1 Joh. 1.4 And that we might believe and in believing might have life John 20.31.3 We are commanded not to presame or be wise above what is written 1 Cor. 4.6 For with this weapon Christ put to flight the Devil Mat. 4.4 And taught his Disciples Luke 24.27 46. And Paul taught Christ Jesus Acts 17.2 The Godly are commended for searching the Scriptures Acts 17.11 All are commanded to search them John 5.39 And they that will not believe these Writings will not believe Christs Words John 5.47 nor one that should come from the Dead Luke 16.31 If any ask how we know all or any of these Scriptures to be inspired of God We answer The ear saith Job 12.11 discerneth words and the mouth tasteth meat for it self And as the eye discerneth the light of the Sun so doth our Spirit discern these Scriptures to be inspired of God and that for these
Conscience and persecute all that submit not to them 2. Let it be well observed only the Kings of Israel had this power but no other Kings whose Commonwealths did flourish to them and their seeds after them to many generations and it must be granted that he that is King of Israel now which is Jesus Christ the truth of those typical Kings of Israel he hath the power according to the proportion the temporal Kings had temporal power to compel all to the observation of those carnal or temporal Commandments Heb. 7.16 and 9.10 So Christ the Spiritual King hath Spiritual Power to compel all to the observation of his Spiritual Commandments For when he came himself said Joh. 4.23 The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth for the Father requireth even such to worship him If Christ be only King of Israel that sits upon Davids Throne for ever as he is Acts 2.30 far be it from any King to take Christs seat from him The Wisdom of God foresaw that seeing the Misteries of the Gospel are such spiritual things as no natural men though they be Princes of this world can know them he left not Kings and Princes to be Lords and Judges thereof seeing they are subject to erre but he left that Power to his beloved Son who could not erre and the Son left his only Deputy the holy Ghost and no moral man whatsoever as your Highness worthily acknowledgeth in Apol. pag. 46. I utterly deny that there is any earthly Monarch over the Church whose word must be a Law and who cannot erre by an infallibility of spirit Because earthly Kingdoms must have earthly Monarchs it doth not follow the Church must have a visible Monarch too Christ is the Churches Monarch and the holy Ghost his Deputy The Kings of the Gentiles reign over them but you shall not be so c. Luke 22. Christ when he ascended left not Peter with them to direct them into all truth but premised to send the holy Ghost unto them for that end c. Further these Learned alledge the Commandments Exod. 23.33 Deut. 7. and Deut. 13. where Israel are commanded to destroy all the Inhabitants of the Land lest they intice them to serve their gods and to slay all false prophets c. These they collect from the time of the Law for in the time of the Gospel they have nothing to alledge for Rom. 13. maketh nothing for their purpose Caesar being a Heathen King For answer unto the places of Moses first The sins of this people the Canaanites were full and the Lord would destroy them and give their possessions unto the Israelites but the sins of the refusers of Christ are not full until the end or last hour as before is proved 2. The Children of Israel had a special Commandment from the Lord to destroy them but the Kings of the Nations have no Command at all to destroy the bodies of the contrary-minded nay they are expresly forbidden it Mat. 13.29.3 The Canaanites would have rebelled against Israel and have des troyed them but the contrary-minded will not rebell against their Kings but give unto them the things that belong unto them not so much for fear as of conscience and of this the GOD of Gods is Witness 4. The Heads and Rulers of Israel could command and compel the people to observe those carnal Rites and Ordinances of the Law even as CHRIST the Head and Ruler of Israel can compel to the observations of his spiritual Ordinances of the Gospel but the Heads of the Nations cannot compel their Subjects to believe the Gospel for Faith is the gift of God which Faith if they want all they do in Gods Worship is sin Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 Therefore they cannot compel any to worship because they cannot give them Faith for which cause the Lord in wisdom saw it not meet to charge Kings with a duty which they cannot perform God will never require it at their hands the blood of the faithless and unbelieving shall be on their own heads He that will not believe shall be damned Mark 16.16 Again Seeing it is true as your Majesty well observeth in your Highness speech at Parl. 1609. That the Judicials of Moses were only fit for that time and those persons And also it is confessed the Law for Adultery Theft and the like is not now to be executed according to the Judicials of Moses nor directions for the Magistrates of the Earth to walk by Why should these be any directions for them seing also our Savior and his Apostles have taught the contrary as before hath been proved If all false Prophets should be now executed according to Deut. 13. the Kings of the Earth would not onely be deprived of many of their Subjects but the Cities of their habitation with all the Inhabitants of the Cities must be destroyed with the edge of the sword the cattel thereof and all the spoyl thereof must be brought into the midst of the City and the City and all therein by burnt with fire be made a heap of stones for ever and never be built again which God forbid such execration should ever be seen And if these Judicials of Moses be not now directions for the Kings of Nations we reade not in all the Book of God any directions given to Kings to rule in matters of Conscience and Spiritual Worship to God But often we reade that the Kings of the Nations shall give their power to the Beast and fight against the Lamb Rev. 16.14 and 17.2 12 13 14 18. and 18. 3 9. and 19.19 as lamentable experience hath plainly taught it Thus all men may see there is only deceit in these Learned mens comparisons of the Kings of Israel in the Law with the Kings of Nations in time of the Gospel in matters of Religion Much might be written to prove that Kings are not deprived of their power by permitting of Freedom of Religion but are rather deprived thereof by using compulsion to the contrary-minded and do sin grievously in causing them to sin for want of Faith but this may suffice the Almighty blessing it with his blessing which we humbly-beseech Him for his Christs sake for his own Glory sake for the prosperity and welfare of these Kingdoms and for the comfort of your faithful and true-hearted Subjects that are now distressed by long and lingring Imprisonments and otherwise who of conscience give unto Caesar the things which are his Which is to be Lord and Law-giver to the Bodies of his Subjects and all belonging to their outward-man for the preservation of himself and his good Subjects and for the punishment of the evil In which preservation the Church of Christ hath a special part when their outward Peace is thereby preserved from the fury of all adversaries in which respect Princes are called Nursing Fathers as many are at this day blessed be our Lord. Oh be pleased to consider why you should persecute us for humbly beseeching you in the words of the King of kings Mat. 22.21 To give unto God the things which are Gods which is to be Lord and Law-giver to the soul in that Spiritual Worship and Service which he requireth If you will take away this from God What is it that is Gods Far be it from you to desire to sit in the Consciences of men to be Law-giver and Judge therein This is Antichrists practice perswading the Kings of the Earth to give him their power to compel all hereunto But whosoever submitteth shall drink of Gods fierce wrath Revel 14.9 10. You may make and mend your own Laws and be Judge and Punisher of the transgressors thereof but you cannot make or mend Gods Laws they are perfect already Psal 19.7 You may not adde nor diminish Deut. 4.2 Rev. 22.18 19. Nor be Judge nor Monarch of his Church that is CHRISTS Right he left neither you nor any mortal man his Deputy but only the holy Ghost as your Highness acknowledgeth And whosoever erreth from the Truth his Judgment is set down 2 Thess 1.8 c. Rom. 2.8 c. and the time thereof Matth. 13.40 and 25.31 c. Rom. 2.16 This is the Sum of our humble Petition That your Majesty would be pleased not to persecute your faithful Subjects who are obedient to you in all Civil Worship and Service for walking in the practice of what Gods Word requireth of us for his Spiritual Worship as we have Faith knowing as your Majesty truly writeth in your Medit. on Mat. 27. pag. 69. in these words We can use no Spiritual Worship or Prayer that can be available to us without Faith This is the sum of our most humble Petition thus manifoldly proved to be just O LORD GOD of Glory raise up in this High Assembly the heart of some Nehemiah of some Ebed-melech That may open their mouthes for the Dumb that cannot speak for themselves in a Truth so apparant as this is lest it be said as Isa 59.16 And when he saw that there was no man he wondred that none would offer himself Therefore his Arm did save it and his Righteousness it self did sustain it And now we cease not to pray for the King and his Son and his Seed and this whol High and Honourable Assembly now and alwayes Calling the all-seeing God to witness that we are your Majesties loyal Subjects not for fear only but for Conscience sake Unjustly called ANA-BAPTISTS
to the Laws and Statutes of this Realm before the Ordinary or any other having power to take such Presentments or Indictments or if the Minister petty Constable or Church-wardens or any two of them shall at any time hereafter complain to any Justice of Peace near adjoyning the place where any person complained of shall dwell and the said Justice shall find cause of suspition that then any one Justice of Peace within whose Commission or Power any such person or persons shall at any time hereafter be or to whom complaint shall be made shall upon notice thereof require such person or persons to take the said Oath And that if any person or persons being of the age of eighteen years or above shall refuse to take the said Oath duly tendered unto him or her according to the true intent and meaning of this Statute that then the persons authorized by this Law to give the said Oath shall and may commit the said Offender to the common Jayl c. Where we see that if any take the said Oath at their first apprehension they are not to be committed or if they being committed take the said Oath at the next open Court they are be set at liberty if they will not take the said Oath to be in a Premunire as is at large in the Statute declared and as is daily practised with Papists and others Ant. The Kings Majesty requireth your Allegiance to be testified by your coming to Church Ch. I pray let me demand this Question Doth the King require my coming to Church to worship and serve God or to worship and serve the King If to worship and serve the King I am ready to obey if to worship and serve God which none can do but of conscience the King himself saith he never intended to lay any thing to the charge of any for the cause of conscience and this coming to Church being a cause of conscience if not he why do you lay any thing to my charge for the same And therefore you wrong his Majesty in thus affirming for his Highness requireth only my faithful allegiance to be testified by the aforesaid Oath and therefore hath ordained it as I shall shew by his Highness own testimony If I should come to Church and not in conscience but for other respects as many Papists and other Hypocrites do to God it were most abominable and what faithfulness can be hoped for in such towards his Majesties Person and State Can any godly wise man think that he that playeth the dissembling Hypocrite with God that he will do less with men and will not work any villany if it were in his power and therefore herein you compelling me by tyranny to bring my body whereunto my spirit cannot be brought you compel me to hypocrisie with God and man for if my heart were not faithfull in sincerity to his Majesties Crown and Dignity as I take God to witness before whom I must be condemned or justified it is these courses would rather harden my heart to work villany than otherwise Now for his Majesties many Testimonies in his Writings they are worthy to be recorded with thankfulness to the Highest for guiding his heart and pen to write such things In his apology for the Oath of Allegiance pag 4 he saith speaking of such Papists as took the Oath of Allegiance And I gave a good proof that I intended no Persecution against them for conscience cause but only desired to be secured of them for evil obedience which for conscience cause they were bound to perform And pag. 60. speaking of Blackwel the Arch-Priest he saith I never intended to lay any thing to the said Arch-Priests charge as I have never done to any for cause of conscience And pag. 127. he saith First for the cause of their punishment I do constantly maintain that which I said in my Apology That no man either in my time or in the late Queens ever dyed here for his conscience for let him be never so devout a Papist nay though he profess the same never so constantly his life is in no danger by the Law if he break not out into some outward act expresly against the words of the Law or plot not some dangerous or unlawful practice or attempt c. Where we may see in short what is the whole sum that he requireth And in his Majesties Speech at the last Session of Parliament Anno Dom. 1609. where he saith he sheweth his Subjects his heart he saith thus I never found that blood and too much severity did good in matters of Religion for besides it is a sure Rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church by violence and bloodshed natural reason may even perswade us and daily experience proves it true that when men are severely persecuted for Religion the gallantness of many mens spirits and the wilfulness of their humours rather than the justness of their cause makes them take a pride boldly to endure any torments or death it self to gain thereby the reputation of Martyrdom though but in a false shadow A most undoubted Truth which if be as most manifest it is by the Testimony of the holy Ghost throughout Christs Testament as before is proved then how cursed are all the rank of you that continually break this sure Rule of God thus confidently acknowledge by his Majesty planting your Church by violence and bloodshed forcing many thousands against their consciences to be of your Church and to receive your Sacraments by all the persecutions that would follow if they do not yeeld and those that fear God more than men and dare not yeeld casting them into noisom Prisons amongst most wicked Blasphemers of God to the wounding of their souls dividing them from their Wives Children and Families and from their Callings some an hundred miles and more utterly consuming that substance they have which sustaineth the blood of them their Wives and Children seldom or never affording them Release but either by yeelding to you against their consciences or else by consuming their bodies to death in Prison Banishment or the like leaving them and their Wives to horrible temptations of Adultery by parting them and their Wives and to all manner of evil in taking them from their Callivgs and so leaving them in continual Idleness Is Gods Church thus planted or do Christs Disciples thus plant Indif Oh I see this spiritual power is little inforiour cruelty to the Romish spiritual power I pray how or when was this set up Ch. Henry the eight casting off Pope Clement the seventh and so the Popes Power anno 1534 set up this Spiritual Power under him See Acts and Mon. pag. 1201 c. Indif I pray you shew the likeness between these two spiritual powers Ch. I will do my best endeavour which is but small First the Romish spiritual Power doth make Laws to the Conscience and compel all thereunto by Excommunication Imprisonment Banishment Death and the like