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
substantial Piety by which they hope to be saved themselves Duresce duresce Peace upon Israel The Conformist's fourth Plea for the Non-Conformists containing chiesly Relations of the Sufferings of many Non-Conformists in several Parts of England will be shortly published The Case and Cure of Persons excommunicated according to the present Law of England With some friendly Advice to persons pursued in inferior Ecclesiastical Courts by malicious promoters both in order to their avoiding Excommunication or delivering themselves from prisons if imprisoned because they have stood excommunicated four by Days Mr. Jekyl's Sermon intituled Religion makes the best Loyalty which was prepared for that great Assembly of Protestant Lords Gentlemen and Citizens that was to meet at St. Michael's Corn-hill on 21 April last to give God thanks for the Preservation of his Majestie 's Person the Protestant Religion and Protestant Subjects from the Popish Plot and many Sham-plots c. is now published Sold by Jonathan Robinson at the Golden Lyon in St. Paul's Church-yard THE Conformist's Third Plea FOR THE NON-CONFORMISTS WE may think a Suspension of Severity and a powerful Interposition between the Threatning and the Execution would be proper and seasonable of great Service and Advantage but the infinitely wise God Saviour and King of his Church whose Thoughts are deep and unsearchable may think it sufficient that they that love him have his Promise that all things shall work together for good to them Let them that are instructed to know his Will do it and that know his Promises believe him and that have renounced the World freely part with their small share in it But to me the state of things appears dark confused and disconsolate and being engaged further than I thought at first the same Motives that prevailed with me before prevail'd with me to go on not from a private or factious Discontent but to prevent as much as I can the horrid Sins of some and the greivous Sufferings of others and to discharge mine own Duty which will bring the greatest Peace to my now grieved broken and afflicted Spirit But to come to some special matter give me favour to run over these four things I. To represent the State of our Times II. The Sufferings of the Protestant Dissenters III. For what IV. By whom they suffer I. We are a most sinful and sinfully divided Generation so broken that none but God can keep us from falling to pieces like a Pot-sheard broken like a broken earthen Vessel in which there is no pleasure Our Reason cannot propose nor consult Expedients to make us whole and happy because Interests worldly Policy and a contemptible Art or private Cunning to get or save the things that perish in their use and by their Abuse undo and ruine the Owners doth stir up Sedition in our Passions against our Reasons The Gospel hath been so generally despised that it hath not begotten in us a Faith and Love that unites to Christ and to one another We have not Faith enough to purify our Hearts to overcome the World to act as for a Crown of Glory and a Kingdom that cannot be moved If we believed a World to come how little should we strive for this If we had Love enough to cover a multitude of Sins to forgive one another to love as Brethren and our Neighbour as our selves we should not be so jealous and suspicious nor contentious nor selfish as we are One great thing is wanting which is the Wisdom from above described by St. James Chap. 3.17 Which is first pure then peaceable gentle easy to be entreated full of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality without Hypocrisy There is a great Reproach cast upon the Church and the greatest of all cast upon the Dissenters as Dividers but it is an ignorant or malicious Reproach for there is nothing whole but the Church and Body of Christ They are united to Christ the Prince of Peace by one Spirit Faith and Love and to one another by the same Bonds and Principle Schism and Faction are from the Flesh and Devil No sooner do Joseph and his Brethren know one another to be Brethren but they fall upon one anothers Necks and kiss and weep and repent of all their Unkindnesses and express the dearest Love Paul and Barnabas dissent and part but both agree to promote the Kingdom of Christ They that are not and will not be reconciled to God are the great Dividers and Breakers of the Peace they are made up of Lusts of the Flesh which divide and draw several ways for their Satisfaction Whence come Wars and Fightings come they not hence even of your Lusts which war in your Members There is Dissention in the Mind and in the Passions between the Law in the Mind and Heart and the Lusts of the Mind and Flesh till the Conscience comes to be past feeling and the Sinner falls under a reprobate Mind and then what Confusion follows when they call Good Evil and Evil Good put Darkness for Light and Light for Darkness what open Defiance is bid to God and Christ what dissenting from and Nonconformity to the sacred Baptismal Covenant the holy Rules of a Gospel-Conversation There is a Law of Faith of Love of Repentance and the Penalty is heavy upon them that do not obey it there is a Law of Righteousness of following Peace and Holiness without which no Man can see the Lord Who transgress these Laws and multitudes more Yea who is the Man that is guilty of all And what Sin so great now a days and in all times as Nonconformity Who rob by the High-ways who kill and steal who curse and damn who have Wo who have Sorrow who have Contentions who have Bablings who have Wounds without cause Who have Redness of Eyes Nonconformists Who make the greatest Trouble to Justices and Magistrates Nonconformists Who fill Prisons and breake them Who take leave of the World at Tyburn and other Places Nonconformists Who draw Swords send Challenges fight Duels and murder one another first with Wine and Drink and then kill their dear Companions Nonconformists and Dissenters But now there is a Distinction to be made some Dissenters are tolerable and some intolerable the drunken Nonconformist is tolerable he hath not only taken the Oaths but swears the other is a sober Nonconformist and taking the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy will not acquit him and he is intolerable The Nonconformists that assemble to worship God are intolerable and thousands that worship him not at all are too commonly let alone But are not Malefactors punished yes they are but their Crimes are against Civil Peace or Righteousness and not immediately for Irreligion But the Nonconformist Dissenters from arbitrary and variable Impositions are punished heavily and smartly for religious assembling and no other Cause as is proved in the second Plea and is cleared hereafter And upon this the Kingdom is extreamly divided and troubled There is a mighty Party in the Land that
Houses for distress some are cautious how they go so far The dissenting Subject keeps up close and upon his Market-day keeps his Shop shut as if he were broken or hid his head from Serjeants yea from worse Men than common Bailisss The Informer keeps the Street and hath whom he pleaseth at his command The Parish Officer is in a threefold Difficulty or Strait 1. The Justice of Peace fines him and threatens worse to him if he doth not make distress 2. It goes against his Nature and his Love to his Neighbour Friend Kinsman it goes against his Conscience to distrain the Goods and spoil the Trade and beggar innocent Children he cannot do it but if he do not he shall rue it himself he is sined and he is further threatned The Informer is now pro tempore his superior Officer he must execute his Warrants 3. He is in another Difficulty If he break into his Neighbour's House he is told he cannot justify it by Law by some sage Counsellors the owner of the House and Goods may sue him for breaking into his House He is told he hath but one Remedy when he is sued the Justice will stand by him and the Favour of the Court and Partiality of a Jury will be his Defender But really is not this an hard case that a Man must ruine others or be ruined and do these Actions look as if they did really rejoyce that they are ruled by Law when without Law or against Law he proceeds in hopes of Favour And what is all this for but to get Money for the chief Ruler the noble Informer the Shame and Scourge of his Country Gentlemen and Magistrates that have Wisdom to foresee and sense of what they see are disquieted in their Minds the Envious in hope of encreasing their own Trade are more modest than to approve it and they who are Scorners of Religion make merry at it And this is a true but imperfect face of the times and I divulge no Secrets II. The Sufferings of the Nonconformists have been coursely and darkly opened in the two former Pleas and will be more particularly set forth in what follows Their former Sufferings come upon them again and that with the Addition of more Weight and Violence many have by an indecent Art done what they can to shut up both his Majesties Eyes and Heart I call it indecent because we owe a greater Reverence to the King they have thanked him for his ruling by Law and declared their Adherence to the Church of England as established by Law As soon as they have done this they crave leave to execute the Laws upon Dissenters as if they would take the King at his Word and while the Gracious Declaration was fresh that there might be no room for wonted Mercy and Indulgence except he should recede from his Royal Word almost as soon as sent abroad They seem to oblige the Bishops and the Church by declaring for it as establish'd and thereby tied their Tongues and Pens from supplicating for their Protestant Brethren for if they do they will be interpreted to act contrary to themselves and their own Establishment and no doubt but many a fair Story is told them of I know not what invisible Machinations against them They must look on while a Course is taken which will reflect upon them and their Government as much if not more than a tolerated Nonconformity The more discreet and moderate sort of Magistrates are look'd upon as savouring of Parliamentary Notions either are left out of the Commissions of Lieuetenancy and Peace or act not at all or act by way of Mitigation of Rigor the most declaredly opposite to the Parliaments to Protestant Dissenters seem to act alone therefore the Law falls with multiplied Aggravations upon Preachers and People What was argued by way of Consequence in the second Plea proves now to be true as if it had been a Prophecy The Dissenters are fined for so many Meetings past That there are Fines upon the Officers of one little Market-Town for neglecting to break their Neighbours amounting to 200 l. and the Fines upon one Preacher and his Hearers come to about 1000 l. if they may be exactly levied What is the Case of Populous Places They suffer spiritually bodily really and relatively A Man cannot marry his Daughter to a Dissenting Protestant but he is like one that throws away her Portion a Man cannot put a Child apprentice to a Dissenting Protestant but he is in danger of losing his Money and his Son of losing his Trade by his Master 's not being able to follow it nor to hold many of them are in as bad a case as the Papists if the Laws were fully executed upon them for some Protestants are returned into the Exchequer and their Estates under Composition and the Parts that are left to them are liable to other Laws against them But if the Executioners of the Laws stop at the Composition there would be something left certain to them But the remaning two Parts are subject to these Laws the Oxford and five Mile Act and this against Conventicles and to the Ecclesiastical Courts besides they are obnoxious to Excommunications Significavits Writs de Excommunicatio capiendo to Banishment and Abjuration and Felony if they abjure not Some question whether that Act of Q. E. 35. be in force but several are brought in danger of it as if it were besides to all manner of Taxes and Payments They are more hardly used than Papists Some have paid 20 l. and 5 s. over and over But now their whole Estates will not satisfy the Demands of Informers and Warrants The only way that Men of Estates have is to become Tenants and Servants to secure them by making them over in Trust The Miseries of their Souls are not yet reckoned by me to prevent which they have ventured long by hearing such Ministers as they conceived most profitable But now for endeavouring to flee from the Wrath to come they are fallen under the Vengeance of cruel and merciless Informers and to save their Souls have brought Ruine upon their Estates III. And what is all this for It is for Nonconformity which may be considered two ways 1. Privatively not conforming 2. Positively being Nonconformists to the Laws of Uniformity preaching and holding Religious Exercises this is the Preachers Crime the Crime of the People is hearing or joyning with them in such Exercises of Religion as are without controversy necessary and profitable This and only this is the cause of all those many and great Sufferings of every kind which they have endured and under which no man can comfortably stand without Faith Self-denial Contentment and the Conscience of well-doing and the hope of Eternal Life the great Recompence of Reward And this being the Cause and the sole Cause of their Sufferings it is such as calls for Pity and great Tenderness and is no just Cause of their many Molestations and bitter Sufferings as I
intend to shew in my following Discourse as God shall help me IV. By whom and from whom and through whose means they are now again exposed to Sufferings I cannot shew the Spring of the Motion but any Man may see the Hands that strike and tell us what time of day it is I do very much doubt whether the most engaged Instruments do know whose Work they carry on this is my Charity but if they do I dare say what they cannot hear without either great displeasure horror or repentance But they are 1. Such as cannot take it ill to be called Addressers and Abhorrers but they as far as I can look about me and see particularly that have thanked the King for declaring his Resolutions of ruling by Law which if any of the Nonconformists had expressed a doubt or fear of had been a far greater Offence than their Nonconformity They have declared for the Protestant Religion as established by Law and yet punish them that profess the same and no other 2. And by Consequence they are such as have declared a dislike of the Proceedings of our late Parliaments and in that particular of endeavouring the uniting of Protestant Dissenters in which alone I am concerned to take notice of them and act directly contrary to the Vote of the House of Commons which resolved That it is the Opinion of this House Lunae 10 die Jan. 1680. that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the penal Laws is at this time grievous to the Subject a weakning to the Protestant Interest an Encouragement of Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom And by the Rule of Opposition they must in their Opinions turn this Vote backward as if they thought that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the present Laws is not grievous to the Subject is not a weakening of the Protestant Interest is not an encouragement of Popery nor dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Certainly they must be supposed to hold this as contrary to the general and unanimous Judgment of the far greater Number for as Nemine Contradicente doth not contain every particular Man's Vote so it doth no less than imply a Consent or that to declare a Dissent is to no purpose there is no Division of the House upon it only if they do not hold this contrary to the House they must act both irrationally and desperately in this sense Altho the House of Commons declared their Opinion to be so yet I a Justice or I an inferiour Officer will prosecute the Protestant Dissenters or execute the Penal Laws upon them tho it be a weakening of the Protestant Interest altho it be an Encouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Or if this Consequence from these Proceedings be too harsh and censorious I will mollify it as much as it is capable of a mollified Construction Let this be the Opinion of the Prosecutors now The Execution of the Penal Laws is not grievous to the Subject that is it is grievous but to some and not to all it is not grievous to the Subject because it is not grievous to them and then we shall have a Discrimination of Subjects to this sense They only who execute the Laws or approve of it are the only Subjects of the King or that the Dissenters can suffer Punishments and the Punishments not be grievous to them Or that the Dissenters are not Subjects but Rebels a sort of quiet Rebels certainly may we never see any other than such unarmed quiet Rebels Again they must think that the Execution of the Laws upon them is no weakning of the Protestant Interest that is to say they are no Protestants And now the meaning is plain that there are no Protestants amongst us but those that are of the Church-Government established by Law and are of it or submit to it or that read or joyn in the Liturgy or do all that the Law requires that is the Act of Uniformity and then a Question will arise Where was the Protestant Religion before 1662 or before the last Long-Parliament Or where is it like to be when these Protestants no-Protestant-Dissenters are cut off where it was before Luther If only the Conformists are the Protestants then what sort of them If only one sort of them then the Catholick Church of England may be not much bigger than some great Conventicle or great Parish They who make this Separation of Protestants are Separatists and Disciples the National Tutors and Instructors in such wholsome and profitable Doctrine both in Divinity and Politicks If Confirmity tota in toto c. makes the Protestant and be convertible with him it makes as good a Definition of a Protestant as of a Man by Accidents A Man is a rational Creature that wears curled Locks long Hair Hose and Shoos c. or of a Philosopher he is a Scholar that wears a Beard c. But to go on they may be thought to be of Opinion that to punish Dissenters is no Encouragement to Popery for when they have rooted them up then they will root up Popery as if they could not come at those great Oaks before they have cut up the Brush-wood Or lastly they do not think it dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom to suppress Dissenters 1. Because they know that the Dissenters when undone will not molest or disturb the Peace of the Kingdom Or else 2. Because they intend to make them so poor that they shall not be able to disturb the Peace Or 3. Because it is the only way of Peace But here again a Questionist sets upon me as I go peaceably on in my Discourse If the Dissenters are not dangerous to the Peace of Kingdom why are they disturb'd and their Meetings broken up as seditious Meetings 2. If they are dangerous and their Meetings feditious then whether are they more dangerous when they are pleased quiet and in Peace or when they are provoked When they enjoy Trades Liberty and Estates or when they are imprisoned and undone To conclude this Head If our zealous Prosecutors think as the House of Commons did in their foresaid Vote then why will they act contrary to that general Opinion or if they are of a contrary Opinion as I have said then follows 3. A third Branch of the Description of the Prosecutors They are such as do not yea cannot understand the State of the Kingdom and Religion so well as the House of Commons did 1. No one Man of them can understand the true State of the Kingdom as a Grand Assembly of our Representatives did 2. Nor all of them for when the Representatives of the Kingdom met they had such Informations given in and brought before them and saw what was invisible to others there was a Collection of Observations and the Eyes of most of the Kingdom moved in that great Body and their Debates and Reasonings were mature and full And tho a Vote have not the
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