guilt or thought meet to have moderation exercised towards it Besides we know not in particular but that all occasions of reflecting upon our Societies on this account have by the goodness of God been prevented for which we are humbly thankful unto his holy Majesty But if to accuse be enough to render any men nocent none can be long innocent Thiaestaean Banquets promiscuous Lusts and Incests must on that ground be thought to be the Ends of the Primitive Assemblies of Christians If men will take to themselves the liberty of entertaining evil and groundless surmizes it is impossible for us or any living to set bounds to their imaginations So that we have nothing in this case to do but to leave the Authors of such fake and calumnious insinuations unto that Reward which God and their own Consciences will not suffer them to lose and our Vindication unto the Providence of God over our present and future deportment It may be thought of nearer concernment unto us when the late troubles in these Nations are objected and the remembrance of them renewed unto our prejudice But whether the frequent and importunate urging of them since by his Majesty's Clemency and Grace they are put into Legal Oblivion for ever do tend unto the composure and settlement of the minds of men which is certainly the duty of all good Subjects to aim at we leave it unto the consideration of those who are wiser than we and on whom the care of the peace and welfare of the Kingdom is in an especial manner incumbent For our own parts we shall only say That whereas they were neither begun nor carried on upon the account of that way in the worship of God which we profess may the remembrance of them be never so severely revived we cannot fear any just conclusion from thence unto a suspition of Troubles of the like nature for the future as well knowing the absolute freedom of our Principles from any such tendency as well as the providential unravelling of all those interwoven Interests and Occasions which individual persons countenanced themselves withall in their engagements in them Magistracy we own as the Ordinance of God and His Majesty as the Person set over us by his Providence in the Chief and Royal Administration thereof In submission unto Him we profess it our Duty to regulate our Obedience by the Laws and Customs over which He presides in the Government of these Nations So that OUR PRACTICAL ADHERENCE UNTO OUR OWN AVOWED PRINCIPLES is all that in this matter can fall under the most suspicious and uncharitable surmize That there is any means of giving such absolute satisfaction concerning future events which depend on the minds and wills of men as to leave all suspicion concerning them impossible we know not much less to prevent some mens pretending suspicions for ends best known unto themselves But this we know that what ways or means soever are warranted or established by the Laws of this Land or may be so and they are such as mankind must content themselves withall as incapable of further or greater assurance or what ever else may be rationally and justly expected from us we have given and are ready to give security by against the Evils intimated in this Charge upon us which being the utmost that our Duty calls upon us for we hope we shall not always suffer for being the unhappy objects of some mens GROUNDLESS JEALOUSIES which for us to remove is altogether impossible God himself having not appointed any way or means for us to use to that end or purpose As then neither we nor others can hinder men from making use of this Pretence for some ends of their own though we know as it is used by them it contributes nothing to Publick Tranquility and the composure of the minds of men so we hope that GOD will so far in his good time clear up the Innocency and Sincerity of our Intentions and their suitableness unto our declared Principles that no just occasion of reproach be administred unto Them who wait for Advantages against us And what are We that Publick Disturbance should be feared from us Nec pondera rerum nec momenta sumus by what way or means were we never so desirous could we contribute any thing thereunto what Designs are we capable of what Interests have we to pursue what Assistance to expect or look after what Title to pretend what hopes of Success what Reward of any hazard to be undergone We have no Form of Government Civil or Ecclesiastical to impose on the Nation nay no pretence unto Power to be exercised on the Persons of any of his Majesties Subjects have no Expectations from Persons or Nations that might induce us to further or promote any sinister aims of other men the utmost of our aim is but to pass the residue of our Pilgrimage in peace serving God in the way of our Devotion We covet no mens silver or their gold their places or preferments our whole desire is that of Israel of old to their brother Edom Let us pass we pray through the Country we will not pass through the fields or through the vine-yards neither will we drink of the water of the wells we will go by the Kings high way we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders May we thus far prevail under the protection of God's providence his Majesty's favour and our own innocency we have no Principles we shall have no Reason farther to trouble our selves or others If it be denied unto us and we must yet be scattered over the face of the earth we shall pray for the prosperity of his Majesty and the Land of our Nativity patiently bearing the indignation of the Lord against whom we have sinned and waiting for his salvation That which of late is principally urged unto our prejudice is The prohibition of that way of worship which we desire to walk in and the establishment of another by LAW to whose Authority we owe subjection When this begins once to be pleaded the real merits of the cause in debate is usually over-seen and the obedience required by Law is only insisted on as though that were grown a Civil difference by the interposition of a Law which before was purely Religious This Paul himself found to be one of the most difficult cases he had to contend withall it was objected unto him that he taught Customs which it was not lawful for to do among the Romans Acts 16. 21. All that Doctrine which he had to declare was antecedently in general forbidden by Law it being determined by the Romans That no worship of God should be admitted amongst them not establish'd by Publick Authority And had not the Light and Truth of Christianity broken through that opposition it must have lain shut up in darkness to this day For our parts we have only this to say That there is no reason to urge this as
a peculiar Objection against us it being the only Foundation of all others and only occasion of the difference about which we treat Had not a Law enjoyned the practice of some things in the Worship of God which according unto our present Light we cannot assent unto without ceasing to worship him for to worship him in our own thoughts against his mind and will is to prophane his Name and Worship had it not forbidden the exercise and discharge of some duties which we account our selves obliged unto by the Authority of God himself we had had no need to implore the clemency of our Governours to relieve us against that severity which we fear This then we acknowledge but withall to state this Difference upon its right foundation do solemnly in all sincerity protest before God his holy Angels and all the world That it is not out of any unwarrantable Obstinacy that we are conscious of unto our selves nor from any disaffection unto or dissatisfaction in the Government that God hath set over us but meerly from a sense of that account which we have one day to make before JESUS CHRIST the JUDGE of All that we cannot yield that compliance unto the Act for Uniformity which it requireth of us The Case then notwithstanding this prejudice is still the same Conscience towards God in the things of his own Worship is still and alone concerned whatever other pretences and reasonings may in this case be made use of as many are and ever were in the like cases and will so be the whole real cause of that severity which we humbly deprecate and only Reason lying against the Indulgence we desire is our Profession and Practice in the things that are not of this world but purely relating to the Revelation of the Mind and Worship of GOD. What-ever therefore men may plead pretend or urge of another nature we are so far conscious unto our own Integrity as to be fully satisfied in our minds That what-ever Dangers we may be in this matter exposed unto or what-ever we may be called to suffer it is all meerly for believing in God and worshipping of him according to what he hath been pleased to reveal of his mind unto us And as in this case it is not in the power of any of the sons of men to deprive us of that Consolation which an apprehension of the truth will afford unto them that sincerely and conscientiously embrace it so whether any men can commend their consciences to God according to the Rules of the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in our molestation and trouble we leave it unto all unprejudiced men to judge And that we may yet farther remove all grounds of mistake and obviate all other pretences against us we shall candidly declare the general Principles both of our Faith and Worship and then leave our condition what-ever it may be to the Judgment of him who hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness of his Majesty whom he hath set over us in supream Power and of all other Persons whatever who have any sense of the Terror of the Lord the account we must make of serving Him according to what He is pleased to reveal of himself unto us the nature of things known only by Divine Revelation or of the infirm frail condition of Mankind in this World For the Faith which we profess and which we desire to walk according unto we need not insist upon the particular heads of it having some years since in our Confessions publickly declared is with the joynt consent of all our Churches neither do we own or avow any Doctrine but what is therein asserted and declared And we hope it will not be looked upon as an unreasonable Request if we humbly desire That it may receive a Christian charitable sedate consideration before it be condemned May we be convinced of any thing therein not agreeable unto the Scriptures not taught and revealed in them we shall be with the first in its rejection That this hath been by any as yet attempted we know not and yet are we judged censured and reproached upon the account of it So far are Men degenerated from that frame of Spirit which was in the Christians of old so far have they relinquished the wayes wherein they walk towards those who dissented from them Nor do we decline the Judgement of the Primitive Church being fully satisfied That we teach and adhere unto is as consonant unto the Doctrine thereof as that of any Church at this day in the World The four first General Councels as to what was determined in them in matters of Faith are confirmed by Law in this Nation which is all that from Antiquity hath any peculiar stamp of Authority put upon it amongst us This also we willingly admit of and fully assert in our Confession Neither doth the addition of ours disturb the Harmony that is in the Confessions of the Reformed Churches being in all material points the same with them and no otherwise differing from any of them in things of less importance than as they do one from another and as all Confessions have done since the first Introduction of their use into the Churches of God That which amongst them is of most special regard and consideration unto us is that of the Church of England declared in the Articles of Religion And herein in particular what is purely Doctrinal we fully embrace and constantly adhere unto And though we shall not compare our selves with others in Ability to assert teach and maintain it yet we cannot whilst we are conscious unto our selves of our Integrity in our cordial adherence unto it but bear with regret the Clamorous Accusations of some against us for departing from the Church of England who have not given that testimony of their adherence unto Its Doctrine which we have done and by the help of God shall continue to do It is true indeed there are some Enlargements in our Confession of the things delivered in the Thirty Nine Articles some Additions of things not expresly contained in them which we were necessitated unto for the full declaration of our Minds and to obviate that obloquy which otherwise we might have been exposed unto as reserving our Judgement in matters that had received great publick debate since the composure of those Articles But yet we are fully perswaded that there is not any proposition in our whole Confession which is repugnant unto any thing contained in the Articles or is not by just consequence deducible from them Neither were we the Authors of the Explanations or Enlargements mentioned there being nothing contained in them but what we have learned and been instructed in from the Writings of the most famous Divines of this Nation Bishops and Others ever since the Reformation which being published by Legal Authority have been alwayes esteemed both at home and abroad faithfully to represent the Doctrine of the Church of England
periclitantium numerum multi enim omnis aetatis omnis ordinis utriusque sexus etiam vocantur in periculum vocabuntur neque enim Civitates tantum sed vicos etiam atque agros superstitionis istius contagio pervagata est So then they termed Christian Religion for the multitude would still keep the name of Truth and Religion to themselves the oppressed the lesser number must bear the name or title which they consent or conspire to cast upon them But the thing it self as to the persons at present dissenting from the established form is not unduly exprest And as it will be an act of Royal Clemency and like to the work of God himself to free at once so great multitudes of all ages sexes and conditions from the fears and dangers of those evils which they are fully satisfied they do not deserve so any other way of quitting the Governours of this Nation from those uneasie thoughts which an apprehension of such an effect of their Rule upon multitudes of subjects must needs produce will be very difficult if not impossible Shall the course begun in severity against them be pursued what generous spirits imployed in the execution of it can but be weary at last with undoing and ruining families of those persons whom they find to live peaceably in subjection to the Government of the Nation and usefully amongst their Neighbours meerly because they dare not sin against God in transgressing against that perswasion concerning his Will and Worship which he hath given unto them for they cannot but at last consider that no man erreth willingly or believes any thing against his light or hath other thoughts of God and his Worship than what he apprehends to be from himself or that any duty is accepted of God which springs from compulsion How much more Noble and Honourable will they discern the work of relieving men sober and peaceable in distress to be than to have the complaints and tears and ruine of Innocent men and their families continually reflecting themselves on their minds Nor is there any probability of success in this procedure for as Time hath alwayes made for Rule and incouragements which are solely in the power of Rulers have effected great compliance even in things religious so force and violent prosecution in such cases have been alwayes fruitless For it is known how much they are disadvantaged as to success in that the righteousness and equity of their pretended causes are alwayes dubious to unconcerned persons which makes them think that the true reason of them is other than what is pretended When they see men whom they apprehend as innocent and guiltless as themselves as to all the concernments of mankind in this world pursued with penalties equal unto those that are notoriosly Criminal they are greatly inclined unto commiseration towards them especially if at the interposition of the name and worship of God in the cause they judge for ought appears to them they fear God and endeavour to please him at least as well as those by whom they are molested And when they further understand that those whom they see to suffer such things as they account grievous and are really ruinous to them and their families do it for their conscience sake it strongly induceth them to believe that it must needs be something good and honest that men choose so to suffer for them rather than to forego For all suffering for Religion they know to be in the power and will of them that suffer and not of those that inflict penalties upon them for their Religion is their choice which they may part withal if they esteem it not worth the hazard wherewith it is attended Thus the Roman Historian tells us in the first sufferings of the Christians at Rome Quanquam adversus sontes Novissima exempla meritos for so he thought Miseratio Oriebatur tanquam non utilitate publica sed in sevitiam aliquorum absumerentur Nor is it a probable way of dealing with the consciences of men especially of Multitudes who are able to give mutual testimony and encouragement to one another yea in such a state of things dangers of times delight men and they find a satisfaction if not an honour in their miseries as having sufficient assurance that it is a glorious and a blessed thing to suffer things hard and dreadful in the world when they are conscious to themselves of no guilt or evil And therefore as severity hath hitherto got no ground on the minds of men in this matter no more is it like to do for the future And if it be proceeded in it cannot be avoided but that it must be perpetuated from one generation to another and a sad experiment be made who will first be wearied those that inflict penalties or those that undergo them And what in the mean time will become of that composure of the spirits of men that mutual trust confidence and assurance between all sorts of persons which is the abiding foundation of publick peace and prosperity Also what advantages have been made by some neighbour Nations what at present they further hope for from that great anxiety which the minds of men are cast into meerly and solely on the account of what they feel or fear from their dissent unto the publick worship which to themselves is utterly unavoidable is known to all But we have done and what are we that we should complain of any whom God is pleased to stir up and use for our exercise and tryal We desire in patience and silence to bear his indignation against whom we have sinned and for what concerns those wayes and truths of his for whose profession we may yet suffer in this world to approve our consciences unto him and to leave the event of all unto him who will one day judge the world in righteousness We know that we are poor sinful worms of the earth in our selves meet for nothing but to be trodden down under the feet of men but his wayes and the purity of his Worship are dear unto him which he will preserve and vindicate from all opposition In the mean time as it is our duty to live peaceably with all men in a conscientious subjection unto that Authority which he hath set over us we shall endeavour so to behave our selves in the pursuit and observance of it as that whereas we may be evil spoken of as evil doers Men may be ashamed beholding our good Conversation in Christ and give Glory to God in the day of Visitation Whatever is ours whatever is in our Power whatever God hath intrusted us with the disposal of we willingly resign and give up to the Will and Commands of our Superiours but as to our Minds and Consciences in the things of his Worship and Service he hath reserved the Soveraignty of them unto himself to him must we give an account of them at the great Day nor can we forego the care of preserving them intire for him and loyal unto him without a renunciation of all hopes of acceptance with him and so render our selves of all men the most miserable May we be suffered herein to be faithfull unto him and the everlasting Concernments of our own Souls we shall alwayes labour to manifest that there is no way or means of Peace and Reconciliation among those who profesting Faith in God through our Lord Jesus Christ yet differ in their Apprehensions about sundry things some way or other belonging thereunto that is appointed by him and may expect a Blessing from him but we will readily embrace and according as we are called improve to the utmost And if herein also our Endeavours meet with nothing but Contempt and Reproach yet none can hinder us but that we may pour out our Souls unto God for the accomplishment of his blessed and glorious Promises concerning that Truth Peace and Liberty which he will give unto his Church in his appointed time For we know That when He shall rise up to the Prey and devour the whole earth with the fire of his Jealousie He will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent that the Earth being filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea his glory shall be revealed so that all flesh shall see it together and then shall all his people receive from him one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever for the good of them and their children after them by vertue of the everlasting Covenant And for our own parts whatever our Outward Condition be we know he will perfect that which concerns us and he will not forsake the work of his own hands because his mercy endureth for ever FINIS