Ecclesiastical Affairs much more are we far from condemning all the ancient and present Churches of Christ that have used such or yet use them throughout the Christian world And yet farther are we from separating from them on that account for using Liturgies and from encouraging such a Separation Yea we commonly use a stinted Liturgie our selves at least the Psalms read and sung and we hold it lawful to use such as are invented by men that are no Prophets seeing we are commanded to use Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs which confineth us not only to Scripture words and all men have not the skill to make Hymns ex tempore much less would all the Assembly ex tempore break forth into the same words Therefore those that are used by all must be invented by some And Ministers with us do ordinarily impose their own invented words on all the Congregation who must follow them as our Metres and Tunes of Psalms are imposed XVII We think it not unlawful to use as much of the English Liturgy as we consented to use when by his Majesties Commission some of us treated about the reformation or alteration of it viz. in such Assemblies where the Peoples incapacity maketh not such use of it more hurtful than helpful to their edification and the comly concordant worshipping of God Much less do we think it unlawful for our selves or the People in this case to join in the reverent and serious use of it with others We find that even the old Non-conformists such as Cartwright Hildersham Knewstube Dr. Jo. Reignolds Bradshaw Paget Ball c. petitioned for a Reformation but not an Abolition of it and wrote and preached against separating from it or for it from the Churches that used it and many of them not only used much or most of it themselves but also perswaded to the use of it and answered largely the Separatists Arguments against such use And we join with Mr. Ball and other of them in thanking God that England hath a more reformed Liturgy than most of the Churches in the World and we would not seem to use it when we do not but do it as aforesaid in the serious devotion and fervour of our Souls Nor would we peevishly make any thing in it worse than it is but would put the best construction on each part of it that true Reason will justifie or allow XVIII We are far from judging the Parish Ministers to be no true Ministers of Christ or the Parish Churches no true Churches or judging it unlawful to hold Communion with them But if there be any called Ministers or Priests of these following sorts we take them for no true Ministers of Christ ziz 1. If by insufficiency they are uncapable of Teaching the necessary parts of Christianity and Guiding the Church accordingly in the Publick Worship of God 2. If they are Hereticks denying any of these essential parts 3. If they are malignant Opposers of the practice of them And in a word If they are such through incapacity as are like to do more harm than good XIX In several Customs freely not by constraint used in many ancient Churches and in several practices of several Churches of these Times we find that which we would not by Oaths or Subscriptions or Covenants approve but with they were reformed and that they had never been used when yet we do not for such things dishonour and reproach such Churches nor inveigh against them in our preaching to diminish their due esteem much less disclaim them as no Churches of Christ but love and honour them and live peaceably under many faults which we cannot reform in the places where we live So be it no sin be put upon our selves we can hold Communion with those that have divers sins or faults in their Ministrations not as with their sin but with their Church in worship notwithstanding the sin so it corrupt not God's worship so far as that he himself rejecteth it For no Man is sinless in his best performance XX. Though the Pastors hold any tolerable errors personally and though such are usually uttered in their Ministration and though they be inserted in their Liturgies so that we may expect to hear them yea uttered as in that Churches name we hold not all this sufficient cause to warrant our separation from that Church For all Churches consist of Men and all Men are faulty and imperfect and such as the Men are such we may expect their works should be notwithstanding the Divine assistance And to separare from all faulty Churches and Worship is to separate from all the World and allow all the World to separate from us XXI If 〈◊〉 true Church deny us Communion unless we will commit some sin or omit some necessary duty though we cannot be locally present in such cases nor approve what they so do yet we shall not therefore renounce them as no Churches but lamenting their sin and their denying us their Communion on just Terms we shall continue the Union and Communion of Faith and Love and be present in spirit though corporally absent desiring a part in their Prayers and owning all that God disowneth not XXII We hold that no Christians must be disjoyned or separated in any of the seven Points of Union required by the Holy Ghost Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. 1. One Body the Catholick Church headed by Christ 2. One Spirit the Holy Ghost 3. One Hope of our Calling Remission Adoption and the Heavenly Glory 4. One Lord Jesus Christ 5. One Faith the Essentials of Christianity believed 6. One Baptisme or Baptismal Covenant with God the Father Son and Holy Ghost 7. One God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in us all of whom and to whom and through whom are all things XXIII Though we are not satisfied of the lawfulness of using the transient Image of the Cross as a Dedicating Sign and Symbol of Christianity so much Sacramental much less to refuse from Baptism and Christendom all Christians Infants unless they will have them so crossed no more than if a Crucifix were so imposed and used yet do we not condemn all use of either Cross or Crucifix Nor do we presume censoriously to reproach and dishonour the ancient Christians who living among Pagans that derided Christ Crucified did shew them by oft using this sign that they were not ashamed of the Cross And though we find that they used more Rites and significant devised Signs and Ceremonies than we think they should have done yet we judge it our Duty to love and honour their Memorial Nor do we take all Rites to be sinful that are significant XXIV We hold not all the use of Images even the Images of holy Persons to be unlawful Historical and memorative use we commonly allow as the English Geneva Bible sheweth by many Pictures We condemn not them that have Scripture Persons and History Painted on their Walls or on the very Bricks that
Law Pr. 41. But to know of several Goods which is most eligible or the greatest is a matter of great difficulty in many Instances in which consisteth no small part of the Christian Wisdom Work and Life The Rules of such discerning are elsewhere laid down by such as have written on that Subject see Christian Direct p. 137. c. Pr. 42. A Good that in it self is Lesser may be the matter of a Greater Duty pro hic nunc because the Greater may have another season when the Lesser cannot E. G. to save a Soul or to build a Church may be a better work than to quench the Fire in an House And yet for that time the quenching of the Fire may be the greater Duty because it can be done no other time when the other may and so both done in their several seasons are better than one alone Pr. 43. A greater Good may be no Duty to him that is not called to do it as preaching to a Woman or unable Lay-man To Rule well as a King is a greater Good than private Business and yet private Men must not usurp it but let it alone as no work of theirs The Subject must not take up the Rulers work nor the Child the Fathers nor the Wife the Husbands nor the Scholar the Teachers because it is better Pr. 44. A Rulers Command will not justifie all scandal given by the Act commanded nor make that Act lawful Nor will all scandal that we foreknow will thence be taken excuse us from obeying the Rulers Command in the offending Act. It is therefore a matter of great difficulty and prudence sometimes to discern whether the Rulers Command or the scandalousness or accidental hurtfulness of the Act put into the Counterballance do weigh down the other Pr. 45. If Governours determine Circumstances antecedently indifferent as the place and hour of Assemblies c. that way which some will be scandalized at and turn to their sin and hurt when they might have avoided this occasion of their sin by another way without any or so great a hurt this is the Governours sin so to mis-do But it may notwithstanding be a Duty in the Subject to obey that Determination because 1. It is a Command of a Ruler in his place 2. The thing is supposed not only lawful but such as doth more good for Concord as it is a Determination of Authority than it doth hurt by Mens mistake of which we have spoken in another Paper As e. g. some are so offended at the old Metre of our singing Psalms that they will separate from the worship on that account Suppose that the Magistrate and Pastors will use them and no other If they sin in chusing no better and if my using them be offensive to them that separate yet is it my Duty and the rest of the Peoples to obey the Magistrate and Pastor and joyn with the Church in using them rather than separate as others do for many reasons Pr. 46. Of the Nature Kinds Causes and Cure of Scandal given and taken one of us hath written so much Christian Directory Tom. 4. p. 80. c. as may excuse the omission of the same in this writing But we must still desire the Reader to note that the word Scandal is among us variously used 1. Sometime by the vulgar for meer displeasing or grieving another especially in matters of Religion 2. Sometime for a seeming sinfulness So a Scandal is said to be raised of a Man when he is truly or falsly accused of sin especially a disgraceful sin And a Man is called scandalous and scandalized when others justly or unjustly report him to be a disgraceful Sinner and he is called a Scandal in the place where he liveth for that Infamy 3. The use of the word in the Gospel is for any thing that is a Snare or Trap or Stumbling-block to others to keep or hinder them by Temptation from Faith Repentance Holiness or Salvation Pr. 47. Love kindled by Faith and Faith kindling Love and Love working in the order of Obedience is the Sum of all our Duty or Religion To love our Neighbours as our selves and exercise Love in doing good to all as we are able is indispensible Duty We speak of Natural and Moral-legal Power Conjunct Illu 〈◊〉 possumus quod animae corporisque viribus jure possumus Seeing then that Love is the fulfilling of God's Law no Rulers Law can disoblige us from it no not to our very Enemies Nor are they disobliged themselves Pr. 48. He breaketh the sixth Command Thou shalt not Murder who doth not do his best to save his Neighbours Life in danger Much more if he voluntarily and unnecessarily do that which he knew or ought to know would be the occasion and means abused to effect it He that oweth maintenance to another and denyeth it him is guilty of his suffering though he take nothing from him E. G. He that provideth not Food for the Life of his Child and famisheth him by such omission He that suffereth his Neighbour to famish when he might relieve him Yea or his Enemy except when in Wars or a Course of Justice he may take away his Life He that seeth his Neighbour in Fire or Water or among Thieves and could save him by lawful means and doth not is guilty of his Blood So is he that seeth his Neighbour in Drunkenness Folly or Passion making away himself and doth not save him from himself if he can Much more is be guilty of Murder who wilfully selleth Poyson to him who he knoweth doth intend to kill his Neighbour or himself much more his Prince with it And if we have any Casuists more loose than the Jesuites accused by Montaltus who will justifie this because that selling Arsenick c. is lawful per se and unlawful only per accidens ye we suppose that the Judges would be stricter Casuists in judging him to punishment that sinned thus per accidens And as Gods Laws reaching the Conscience are stricter in such things than Mans so should the Expositors of them be than the Judges And we hope that our Casuists will never see a Law so made that shall Command or tolerate all Apothecaries to sell Poyson to those that they know mean to use it to Treason or Murder and shall say you are not bound to neglect your Trade your Right or Liberty to prevent another Mans sin and abusing it to his own or others hurt Our Law-makers will never say we may Command this because it is sin but per accidens When Interest is against their Errour who by Interest were led into it it will then be easie to see the evil of such commanding yea or conniving at sin per accidens Till then it is hard curing them whom mistaken Interest blindeth of the most Inhumane Errour Pr. 49. We therefore who are called Non-Con 〈◊〉 ormists and Puritans by Men whose Interest dictateth reproaches do now confess that whereas we once
had opportunity to understand Three sorts we must here justifie our selves against who we know are likely to accuse us upon unjustifiable accounts I. Those that will be angry that we so far undeceive the People as to acquaint them with our judgement and the untruth of what they have believed of us How many soever may be guilty of this it is so diabolical that we suppose few will own it and therefore we need not any farther dispute it than to tell them that worldly interest and wicked means will serve Mens turns but a little while II. Those that will say that we are not all of a mind one thinks more unlawful and another less and therefore we are not to be united or agreed with nor can it be known what will satisfie us all If the Churches Peace Concord depend upon such Heads and Hearts and Principles as this Objection doth imply no wonder if it have no Peace or Concord We are united and agreed with those that differ from us in more than Circumstances We will hold Concord with all in Faith and Love and Communion if they will admit us without our sinning upon the Terms set down by the Holy Ghost and the Apostles Act. 15. 28. who would have nothing but necessary things imposed or such things whoso Determination one way or other is necessary though compared each with other they are indifferent at least not made necessary to Life Liberty Ministry or Communion we have long learnt from Rom. 14. 15. and from that Spirit which indited it not to judge nor to despise each other for things of tolerable difference but to receive each other as Christ receiveth us One Man is not a Church nor a Kingdom And if no Men must be of the same Church or Kingdom that have any difference yea as great as the Objection can reasonably suppose in the Meer Non-conformists we are sure that no two Men in the World can be of the same Church or Kingdom except you will Compose it of such as hold nothing at all unlawful and consequently nothing morally good which is no Church We profess that we love them as our selves and shall not be guilty of imprisoning undoing silencing or excommunicating them who wear not the same Cloaths and use not the same Gesture in singing hearing or reading as we do who differ from us in the sense of many a Text of Scripture who take many things for duty or sin which we do not who will not be tyed to use no Publick Prayers to God but what we or others write them down so they hold one Body one Spirit one Hope one Lord one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all and will endeavour to keep the unity of the spirit in the Bond of Peace Eph. 4. 3 4 5 6. We are not for cutting off every Member that is of different size or shape 1 Cor. 12. God keep us from their mind and guilt and judgment who will hold Love and Communion with none but those in things unnecessary of their own opinion or way or that would ruine and persecute all the rest III. And some Non-conformists that are more than so or differ from us will say that we should not have declared thus our judgment lest by differing from them we seem divided and expose them to the greater Odium and Persecution because they cannot go so far as we But 1. We protest against the persecution of sober godly Christians on the account of such differences and are we then guilty of what we deprecate 2. Did not Mr. Eaton when he wrote that the Oath of Allegiance and the Covenant bind not know that most of us were against his judgement To say nothing of many more that wrote against Episcopacy Presbytery Infant Baptisme Parish Churches c who yet forbore not on any such accounts Did not Mr. Nye and Mr. Tombes when they wrote very well for the Oath of Supremacy know that in Scotland many refuse it as unlawful And did they forbear for fear of bringing Persecution on Dissenters Did not Mr. Nye write to prove it lawful to hear the Parish Ministers and Mr. Tombes write to prove it lawful both to hear and to communicate with them And did the fear of bringing Persecution on others hinder them 3. Hath not this Reason to keep others from Persecution prevailed with us far enough and long enough 4. Would they have us either by speech or silence draw men to believe that we are of all mens minds whom we would save from Persecution Must we tempt men to think that we are Seekers Quakers Separatists Anabaptists lest we expose them to Persecution Is not this such Carnal Policy as if not repented of will perish with the Masters of it Even to do evil and to tempt others to evil and to draw all our Hearers into sin by our Example by making them think that we hold that to be good or evil which we do not and all this on pretense of good yea to cherish the sin of many lest some should suffer 5. The thing is unreasonable and the pretense is apparently vain For it is known by our Superiors that we differ already and yet they who make this Objection have suffered never the more but live a quieter life than we have done 6. If the Objection implyeth as it seems to do that we are of their mind that will bear or live in Communion with none but those that differ not from them as far as the Objectors now suppose we disclaim their dividing Principles and are not of their mind If they are not for loving Christians as Christians and using them accordingly let them not expect that we should not seem to differ from them And that we do not this that we do without reason we must thus shew I. It is sinful when we can help it to let Clergy-men uncontradicted deceive Mens Souls and draw and keep both high and low even many Thousands in sin by perswading them that we are so schismatical and hateful a People that our sufferings are no persecutions because we divide the Church for things indifferent and stick at nothing but Liturgie or Forms of Prayer and Ceremonies and that we hold Rebellious and Seditious Principles or at best have such humours foolish scruples and singularities as render us fitter for the Common Goal than the Church Shall our silence contribute still to their deceit and to the quieting of Mens Consciences in all that is done against us as if it were good service to God and the King Shall we have no pity on Mens guilty Souls II. On the other side we have long by sad experience seen that the misunderstanding of the Case and perhaps partly of some of our judgments hath led many of the People who are against Conformity to over-run moderation and the truth and to run into unsound opinions and singularities and to lay heavier charges on the Liturgy and the Parish Churches than there is cause for And
of us hold that neither Christ nor his Apostles over appointed any Elders to Rule the Church by the power of the Keys distinct from the Magistrates Government by the Sword but only ordained Ministers of Christ who have also authority to preach and administer both the Sacraments However we know that when many of these belonged to one Congregation one that was the Chief Speaker usually the Bishop was w 〈◊〉 nt to preach and the rest to be his Assistants especially in private Care of Souls and those of us that think otherwise that Christ or his Apostles made such a Church Office as Ruling Elders not-ordained or that have no power of preaching or administring Sacraments do not hold such essential to the Church nor refuse to live in love and peace and Communion with the Churches that have no such Elders And we all think that so small a difference should make no greater a breach among us VIII We are against the Excommunicating of Kings and of other Magistrates on whose Honour the well-governing and peace of the Kingdom doth depend and are sorry to find some of our sharp Accusers of another mind Our Reasons are because the dishonouring of them is forbidden in the Fifth Commandment And Positive Institutions caeteris paribus must give place to Moral Natural Laws Rituals and matters of Order are no Duties when they make against those Grand Duties which are their Ends or those that are of fundamental or greater use And this Christ hath often taught us by sending the contrary minded to learn what this meaneth I will have mercy and not sacrifice and bidding the unreconciled leave their Gift at the Altar c. The End is to be preferred before the Means which indeed are no Means when against the End And Church-Order is not to be pretended for disordering and confounding Kingdoms or against the publick good and safety We judge that Bishop Bilson Bishop Andrews and such others have truly heretofore determined that some wicked impenitent Princes may be denyed the Sacrament but not defamed or dishonoured by a Sentence of Excommunication Much less by any Foreign Usurper or any Minister at home that the Prince himself doth not by consent make the Guid of his Soul for no other but he that is called to give him the Sacrament if qualified is the denyer of it if he be unqualified unless as he is to do what he doth by the advice and consent of Fellow Pastors But the very use of Excommunication is to punish and reform men by dishonouring and shaming them therefore it is not to be used where we owe such honour by the Fifth Commandment to our Prince Obj. 1. We are bid also to honour Father and Mother 2. Yea to honour all men Answ 1. We dare not justifie any Pastors publick disgraceful excommunicating his own Father or Mother unless where a publick obligation for publick good requireth it 2. But to both instances we say that a greater end and more publick good is to be preferred to a le 〈◊〉 s And when a private mans honour is forfeited we cannot give him that which he hath cast away and God will penally take away till he repent But when the publick order and welfare which is above all personal good obligeth us to honour Magistrates a subordinat 〈◊〉 Law will not suspend it Publick Excommunication is an Act of Government to be exercised on the Governed for the Ends of Government But for a Prelate or Priest or any other to do this on his Governours though of another rank crosseth the Ends of Government Nor are Subjects so to be tempted to contemn their Rulers lest they come to think as Bellarmine and such Papists that Infidels are not to Govern Christians nor to be tolerated in their Government or as their very Religion teacheth them Concil Later c. 3. sub Innoc. 3. that when Princes are excommunicated they may be deposed by the Pope or as their learnedest Doctors say that they are no Kings and to kill them is not to kill the King See the Testimonies of this cited at large and expresly by H. Fowlis in his Book of Popish Treasons If ever any Protestants Episcopal Presbyterian or Independents were or be of another mind for the Excommunicating of Kings or Chief Rulers that 's nothing to us who shall neither live nor dye by the Faith or Opinion of others But we should so much the rather here disown it IX It is none of our judgment that when men are excommunicated by Pope Prelates Presbyters or People who are the four Pretenders to that Power the Magistrate must be their Lictor or Executioner or must further punish men by the Sword meerly eo nomine because they are excommunicate or because they reconcile not themselves to the Church by penitence and obedience or because the Pope or Prelate or Priests deliver up the excommunicate to him to be punished or threaten him if he will not do it The Civil Ruler may punish the same men for the same Crimes but upon their own exploration and judgment of the Cause and not as meer Hangmen that must needs execute the judgment of other Judges Their own Conscience must be satisfied and they must know what they do and why else to how many base and bloody offices the factious worldly Clergy may oblige them the Papal Kingdom hath long given men too sad a proof And we must profess that we are fully perswaded that we have good Reason to conclude that so near a Prosecution by the Civil Power as is the imprisoning and undoing of Persons Excommunicate meerly because they stand Excommunicate and are not absolved as Penitents hath not a few nor small incommodities Ecclesiastical 1. So great a Dominion in the Clergy hath done much to corrupt the Sacred Office and make men naturally proud unmeet for the humble Services of the Gospel 2. And it breedeth in the People a distast and hatred of the Clergy as if they were the grievous Wolves that devour the Flock in Sheeps Cloathing and bear not Grapes and Figs but wear Thorns and Thistles to p 〈◊〉 ick and hurt them and causeth their Exhortations to be the more unsuccessful 3. It seemeth to dishonour the Discipline instituted by Christ as if the Keys of his Church â—â—re of no more signification than the Crown of Thorn◠〈◊〉 Reed with which he was derided and could do nothing without the Princes Sword 4. It contradicteth the experience of above 300 years when Church Discipline was exercised more effectually than it is now and that not only without the Sword of the Magistrate but also against his will and opposition Yea it was many a hundred years more after Emperours were Christian before the Keys were ever thus seconded by the Sword and had not the Donatists by inhumane assaulting the Orthodox provoked the Churches and Magistrates it had been like to have been long before the Sword had been drawn against Hereticks at all 5. And that which much
though we conform not so far as to declare our Assent and Consent to the use of the Calendar Prescript or Directory which requireth them to be read in the Mornings from Septemb. 27. and 28. till Novemb. 24. even Bell and the Dragon Susanna Tobit when as the Vulgar understand not the word Apocrypha sufficiently to distinguish them from the sacred Scriptures when they are equally called the Lessons and read in the same order And we are confirmed in this part of our Non-conformity by the Articles of Religion which discard the Apocrypha and by the Learned Treatise of the late Bishop Cousins who hath fully proved that the ancient Churches received not those Books into the Canon and by many Doctors of the Church of England that charge them with Untruths Some of us have seen the Writing as on good reason is supposed of a present Learned worthy Bishop who sheweth that the words of the Angel in Tobit are a Lye who said that he was the Son of Ananie of the Tribe of Naphtali And that so is his saying that the smoke of a Fishes heart will drive away all Devils that they shall never return when Christ tells us of some that go not out but by Prayer and Fasting XXXVI We are far from designing any abasement of the Clergy nor do we deny or draw others to deny any due Reverence and Obedience to them And though we know that the bare Title and Office will never preserve sufficient respect for the honour of the Clergy and the success of their work without competent qualifications and labours of the persons yet would we rather hide than open or reproach the faults of such as are tolerable in that sacred Office and would do our best for their work sake to promote the esteem even of those that differ from us and of some that persecute us We know that the People are exhorted to know those that labour among them and are over them in the Lord and to esteem them highly in love for their work sake 1 Thess 5. 12 13. And to obey them that have the Rule or Guidance of them and to submit themselves Heb. 13. 17. 24. And that the Elders that Rule well are worthy of double honour especially they that labour in the Word and Doctrine 1 Tim. 5. 17. We that take it for our Duty to honour all men and submit our selves to one another would not deny any due honour to any of the Clergie that have any preeminence either in age grace gifts or by the Magistrates appointment as his Officers as aforesaid or any way given them by Christ We take it not for a Priviledge to be from under Government XXXVII Our Non-conformity consisteth not in denying a National Provincial or other Church Form of mans invention and institution On these Suppositions 1. So it be presupposed that there is somewhat of Divine Institution predetermined by Christ and his Spirit in the Apostles that is 1. That there be such Doctrine worship and Discipline as he hath commanded 2. That there be such Pastors to exercise them whose Office he hath described 3. That there be such stated Congregations or Societies in which they shall be used even Neighbour Christians associated for Personal Communion therein 4. That all these Churches enjoy the Priviledges granted them by Christ and live in love peace and concord and hold such just correspondence as is necessary thereto and to the Common End and Good All this is of Divine appointment 2. So that these Divine Institutions be not violated by Humane or by the power of man 3. So that Humane Churches be not made equal and co-ordinate to the Divine much less superior and superordinate as if they were to Christs instituted Churches what a Kingdom is to a City or a Regiment to a Troop and Christs Churches were but similar parts of the Humane Churches that must rule them But as the King is Episcopus exterior or the Governour of the Churches so far as the Sword is to be used so circa sacra we have before said that he may make his own Officers and consequently Provinces for them and Orders of their exercise And the Churches in his Dominions may be so called one National Church as he is the exterior Civil Governour of them all by the Sword which indeed is but to be a Religious or Christian Kingdom as also ab accidente as these many Churches are under one Christian yea were he an Infidel King and as hereby they have the advantage of fraternal association and correspondency for concord But proper Denominations are from the Essential Form XXXVIII It is no part of our Non-conformity to be against the due Use or Authority of Councils or Synods of the Clergy We hold that when one is cast out of one Church for a cause belonging to the Cognisance of many many may have occasion to take Cognisance of it And the edification of each other the satisfactory Debate of Difficulties the preservation of mutual Love Peace and Concord may make Synods to be useful But yet we hold that the major Vote of Bishops in a Council are not thereby the proper Governours of the minor dissenting part nor of the absent Bishops but that Councils are for Counsel and Concord and not for direct Regiment of each other though together and asunder the Pastors are all Governours of the Flock And some of us have long ago publickly proved that Councils were called General at first but with respect to the Dominions or Empire of one Prince and not as if they were Universal as to all the Christian World and that absolutely Universal Councils never were or ought or can or ever will be called and that to pretend that a Papal or Imperial General Council is the Universal Law-giver of the World and that they have a promise of Infallibility in what ever they determine and that we receive our Faith in Christ upon their Infallibility given by him and so we must know that Christ maketh them Infallible before we can believe that he is Christ These and such other nonsense cheats which some are now agitating are fit to delude none but the grosly ignorant that are prepared for deceit XXXIX Yet we deny not but that God having first bound us to Unity and Concord as far as we can â—ttain with loving forbearance in the rest when a lawful Synod or Council hath determined of a way of Concord on lawful Terms in matters under their Power there is an Obligation on all the particular Members to forbear breaking that Union and violating those lawful Terms of Concord For where there is not a Governing Law there may be an Obliging Contract or Consent And whereas even the Papists now usually teach that even a Councils Decrees bind not the Churches at least those that had no Delegates till by actual reception they consent be it known to the World that on these Terms the Non-conformists in London seem to have some excuse if it