threatning it proceeds to acting so that you are punished then you will do wisely to consider whether the cause of suffering-will make it persecution He who is persecuted takes up Christs Cross and follows him he suffers not as an evil doer It is saâ—d to pull upon 1 Pet. 4. 15 our selves self-created Crosses It is saâ—d to bear the Cross and not follow Christ If our Cross is Christs we then suffer for the same cause to bear witness to the truth In the same manner patiently charitably thankfully and for the same end as Christ to take away sin so we to further mortification and be stir'd to repentance How loudly do the Papists cry out of persecution when they are punished and do you think justly How do the Quakers glory much of their persecution for Christ yea and the Donatists and Priscilianists of old have defended their Heresies to death which they counted Martyrdom and Persecution yea the most of men molested for their opinions do the like all thinking they suffer for Christ for righteousness sake and so conclude they are persecuted It is good when we suffer to see for what it is that we suffer and so should it be as you fear or fancy for your Meetings Then consider seriously and conscionably whether in so doing you do well or ill or not well Authority languisheth where it is not feared But if you do well fear no persecution Scripture assuring us that Rulers are not a terror to good works that is works the effect for the cause but to evil works To understand Rom. 13. 3 4. what are good or evil works we are to know that works are so Theologically taken so a good work is that which is done of faith and of a sincere mind for the glory of God it is ill when not done so The Magistrate cannot judge of these because they are inward but of good or Mr. Parre evil civilly so which are according to or contrary to the Law divine humane positive municipal of Kingdoms Cities and Corporations whereby the necessary discipilne of every State is established Of these he judgeth Wilt thou not be afraid do good namely obey and resist not He doth not mean the profession of Christianity for that was then hated but such good which was so in the judgment of the Heathen a civil honest conversation agreeable to the Laws of the State wherein they lived Then he is the Minister of God for such mens good But if thou do evil ver 4. namely moral or civil evil contrary to the Decalogue or positive Law of the place where thou livest fear for he beareth not the sword in vain since we must be subject and their Laws obeyed not only for wrath 1. Of God who is angry with such who resist Authority 2. But also of the Magistrate whom we provoke by disobedience justly to punish but also for conscience sake namely conscience of our brother it being an offence to a peaceable and loyal subject to see any to take liberty to break the Laws of the Magistrates as of our selves lest we wound our own consciences every soul being bound in conscience to obey his lawful Magistrates every part of Gods Law binds conscience And to obey Magistrates is part of Gods Law As we are to render to all theirs so to Caesar his due to Caesar the things which are Caesars Well what saith the Magistrate what saith the Law Mat 22. 21 Do they allow of your Meetings Give me leave to tell you how St. Augustine commends a Law Imperial made against the Donatists and Schismaticks in his time which was That they who separated from the Church and had private Conventicles should be punished with pecuniary mulcts their Leaders with banishment the place wherein they met to be forfeited to the Emperor they should have no power to bestow their own Goods by will nor enjoy any Legacy bequeathed to them Object But you perhaps will say If there is any Law against such Meetings it is not good Answ 1. Will not Papists Quakers and who not object the same of Laws made against them 2. Is it tollerable that a Statute made upon long deliberation by so many wise men and such in Authority should be disclaimed for the private opinions of some novel Divines and unletter'd persons 3. We should be modest and not think our selves wiser than we are Rom. 12. 3. 4. A good subject examines not what is best but what is commanded and submits to it it being lawful 5. If in making Laws every mans fancy was to be regarded there would be no end nor order 6. If men doubt of the lawfulness of things commanded let them go for resolution to such who are peaceable and Prov. 24. 21. not consult in matters of obedience with such who refuse to obey 7. In matters doubtful follow the safe Rule hold that which is certain leave that which is uncertain leave reasoning and obey the Magistrate that is certain It is our duty 8. Hear reverend Dr. Sibs who saith The Laws under which we live are particular determinations of the Law of God therefore ought to be a Rule unto us so far as they reach although Sib's souls conflict Edition first fol. 364. pag. 2. I note the Edition because later Editions have corrupted the Author so that what he speaks in general they restrain to some things of the second Table it be too narrow a Rule to be good only so far as mans Law guides unto yet love being the joynt reason and consent of many men for publique good hath an useful guidance of actions that fall under the same where it ☞ dasheth not against God's Law what is agreeable to Law is agreeable to conscience Object If any of you say as some do Authority will not save souls Answ Give me leave to tell them That the Religious commands of Authority such as of David Jehosaphat Josiah Hezekiah for the keeping of the Passeover and order in the service of God such as of our Kings and Governours for the observation of the Lord's day for the hearing and preaching of the Word with other such did and doth save souls and far more than your Meetings yea so much as a thing well and legally done furthers it more than a thing done illegally and disobediently Besides if all which is taught in your private Meetings is good and warrantable yet it is so far from converting that it perverts many souls causing them to judge amiss of wholsom Laws and good Government causing them to slight the Ministers of the Gospel whom they are to hear and obey making rents and divisions in the Church hardning Papists profane people in their unwarrantable ways and making many well-minded people at a stand not knowing what to do And as it is certain that the commands of such who are in Authority over us concerning matters of Religion tend to the conversion and edification of men so it is without all
Paul another for Apollo another for Cephas 1 Cor. 1. 1 2. Was the blame in the Preacher or Hearers when they would not endure sound doctrine but after their own lusts did heap to themselves Teachers having itching ears turning away their ears from the truth being turned to Fables 2 Tim. 4. 3 4. Was the fault in Manna that heavenly food or in the men a murmuring generation when it was loathed Let people hear without prejudice with better affections and more preparation and then see if the Word is unprofitable 5. But if the many hundreds as well as I who by word and hand have approved of me and of my preaching as not unprofitable if we all do err that I am so unprofitable at Broughton I desiring your good and profiting I can God permitting me and perhaps will make tryal whether some other can profit you being assured that I can preach in many places where my preaching will be esteemed acceptable and profitable 6. But take heed to your selves for if we be but the savour of death we do our Masters work we do what we are sent for And if we cannot give our account with joy but 2 Cor. 2. 15. Heb. 13. 17. with grief I am sure that will be unprofitable to you I had thoughts not once to mention such things not to shew one disliking word or look to such who endeavoured to ruin me and mine but to prevent greater inconveniences into which I see some running imitating St. Paul writing to the Corinthians I play the fool in his sense The Third A third particular in which you and I much differ is about persecution concerning which you or I do greatly err some of you complaining of persecution and one of your Articles against me being thus He hath been and still is an enemy to all those that profess the power of godliness in his Parish and hath persecuted them as far as possibly he could and estranged himself from the society of all the faithful and godly Ministers about us and upon all occasions would give reproachful speeches against them Thus your Article And I think I was persecuted and by some of you and as for your selves you yet never knew what it meant That you or I may come out of this error let us first see what persecution is Persecution is more than affliction many afflictions have no persecutions in them but every act of persecution hath many afflictions in it Afflictions many arise from irrational yea from inanimate creatures persecution is the act of a Act. 9 1. rational creature reason abused or clouded being the spring of persecution One wicked man may vex or afflict another to death but none are said to be persecuted but the good evil men are punished good men persecuted And if an evil man is persecuted it is because he makes shew or profession of goodness Persecution in a large sense signifies to trouble Job 19 22 strictly taken it is the actual opposition of any man for the cause of God for righteousness sake proceeding from an enemy like zeal against his person or peace it is mental when the spirit of man riseth up and opposeth another verbal when men give hard words and uncharitable censures and real mentioned Mat. 10. 18. To do thus or to persecute Act. 9. 5. is exceeding sinful it opposing another for doing of good for holding the truth yea it is such a sin as to persecute Christ And a persecutor is a great offendor yea one of the greatest sinners Paul confesseth hâ—mself to have been a chief offendor because a great persecutor As it is one of the highest acts of graces to be persecuted so it is 1 Tim. 1. 15. one of the highest acts of wickedness to persecute it opposing Christ See therefore whether you or I were persecutors or persecuted it being a matter of great concernment even of salvation I think and affirm that I was persecuted which I prove from what I suffered from the manner how and the cause why See what I suffered the loss of four loads of goods of above seventy sheep twelve swine and six kine driven away at one time And August the fourth July 15. 1643. following not full three weeks the loss of my living the gift of it to another bearing date that day although the place was supplyed by my care until the uncivil and unchristian carriage of some of you forced for bearance I lost my reputation so far as credit would be given to malicious and false reports and accusations of being a Malignant an enemy to the cause of God yea such a one that all the godly in Broughton refused to hear my preaching and went to Northampton some saying nothing only to make number and so to make me more noted for a vile person and when some have seemed to compassionate my condition then such base back blows If you knew him as we do c. the manner therefore with all the disgrace and violence that could be And why all this for what cause I could tell you what some said I might be quiet if I would do as you did I could tell you what some of your great ones said I should be quiet if I would take the Covenant But I neither durst do as you did nor take the Covenant I had taken the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and so had many of your leading men I saw the Word of God the Laws of the Land and the practise of the primitive Church against you which made me more willing to suffer than sin my sufferings being for righteousness sake for doing my duty I am bold to say and conclude it was I who was persecuted and some of you were persecutors Object But what can I say to your Article Answ Your own consciences can tell you that there is not the least truth in it that it is a fardle forced full of falshoods stuft almost with as many gross lyes as words and those as false as ever came from hell You know in those dayes I was most intimate with such who were said to be persecuted you know that before I was forced away I never molested man woman or child to the value of a farthing surely then no persecutor notwithstanding that lying Article And since my return I complained of one for not coming to the Communion but prosecuted it not and if I had it could be no persecution being for disobedience and for to reform Another for tryal of right both which I may do again and be no persecutor As for your being persecuted I as yet never knew nor heard that any of you was molested although some of you have even dared authority to use severity by your rash indiscretion The Fourth Object Perhaps you will say you are threatned for such and such Meetings and is not this persecution of good men Answ 1. Surely if one is threatned and no more that afflicts not much 2. But suppose from
doubt that disobedience to their lawful commands in lawful things tends to the Rom 13. 3. damnation of souls Object I will then submit to the punishment inflicted according to Law Answ But what if that is not sufficient in point of conscience for Laws made of things just and profitable for humane societies intend the subjects obedience in doing them and are confirmed with a double bond the wrath of the Magistrate and conscience towards God by undergoing the punishment the injury done to man is satisfied but by resisting the Magistrate in intention and breaking a profitable Law a man remains under the pollution of sin before God from whom none can discharge The Law enjoyns publick Worship and forbids such private Meetings you neglect the publick Worship and extol your private Meetings as the only way you condemn the Law as unjust and commend your so doing as good whereas the Law tending to settle preserve and keep unity peace order and concord must needs be good And being so consider whether such Meetings can be so 1. Confronting and disobeying lawful Authority 2. Casting dirt and disgrace upon the face and form of Government proclaiming it persecuting and tyrannical compelling such good people as you would be accounted to creep into Barns and Houses as if you wanted the truth publickly taught in our publick Meetings 3. Do you not in so doing condemn our Church as false if not Antichristian 4. Do you not condemn all the allowed Clergy as unprofitable and naught 5. Do you not neglect and draw others to neglect the publick Ordinances of Christ 6. Do you not cause people to slight their Teachers and to question whether there be such a thing as Religion and so to turn Atheists 7. Do you not hereby cause people to think our Laws are but scare-crows and our Law-makers to be such men who regard not what they do so to undervalue the one and other 8. Do you not encourage your Teachers to do that they have no warrant to do from God or man For what warrant have they to exercise the Ministerial function since the same Authority which enabled them to disinables them from preaching It is the Law which inables us to and allows us where and when to preach which Law hath power to disinable also To this end see the judgment of the old Nonconformists in a Book put forth by Mr. William Rathband in which they prove against Separatists that the Church of England is a true Church and that separation from it is unlawful Amongst many other things they answer the Separatists objecting against them their yielding to suspensions and deprivations thus That so long as the Bishops suspend and deprive according to the Law of the Land we account of the action herein as of the act of the Church which we may and ought to reverence and yield unto if they do otherwise we have liberty given us by the same Law to appeal from them Object If it be said that the Church is not to be obeyed when it suspends and deprives us for such causes as we in our consciences know to be insufficient Answ We answer say they That it lyeth in them to depose that may ordain and they may shut that may open and that as he may with a good conscience execute a Ministry by the ordination and calling of the Church who is privy to himself of some unfitness if the Church will press him to it so may he who is privy to himself of no fault that deserveth deprivation cease from the execution of his Ministery when he is pressed thereunto by the Church And if a guiltless person put out of his charge by the Churches authority may yet continue in it what proceeding can there be against guilty persons who in their own conceits are alwayes guiltless or will at least pretend so to be seeing they also will be ready alwayes to object against the Churches judgment that they are called of God and may not therefore give over the execution of their Ministry at the will of man Object And to the speech of the Apostles objected Act. 4. 19 20. Answ They shew it is most unskilfully alledged there being three differences between their case and the Apostles 1. They who inhibited the Apostles were known and professed enemies to the Gospel 2. The Apostles were charged not to teach in the name of Christ nor to publish any part of the Doctrine of the Gospel which commandement might be more hardly yielded unto than this Our Bishops are not only content that the Gospel should be preached but are also Preachers of it themselves 3. The Apostles received not their calling and authority from men nor by the hands of men but immediately from God himself and therefore also might not be restrained or deposed by men Whereas we although we exercise a function whereof God is the Author and we also called of God to it yet are we called and ordained by the hands and Ministry of men and may therefore by man be also deposed and restrained from the exercise of our Ministry Thus they See also Mr. Bals tryal of the grounds of separation a solid work 9. Do not such Meetings asperse all the penal Laws of the Land and the judicial proceedings which have been since the Reformation against Papists Priests and Jesuits or any other justly suffering for their Religion as acts of highest injustice 10. Do they not endeavour the rending and crumbling our Church to nothing 11. Are they not a menas to fill the Kingdom full of factions and tumults 12. Yea and are they not against your so much cryed up Covenant which was to bring the Church of God in the three Kingdoms to the neerest uniformity in Religion whereas you by thus doing go about to divide and subdivide not being ignorant what fruits our Saviour shews to come Mat. 12. 25. from division saying A Kingdom divided against it self political good Laws and constitutions Ecclesiastical as doctrine and discipline brings desolation probably and very often Look but to the Church of Corinth what desolations Their preaching an empty thing when one for this anther 1 Cor. 1. 12. 1. Cor. 11. 20. for that Their Communions became desolate and by such means and doings St. Paul became their enemy who gave them their very being in faith and was their spiritual father And what desolation such divisions bring with us is evident what casting off your Preachers their old precepts and your old practises until at length some grow from something to nothing Is it not so when some noted for parts and piety long since a long time talk so Atheistically as to profess a readiness to hear the one and the other with a resolution to believe neither the one preaching against the other and that there was never any sound preaching since Christ's time Are these good fruits and would not such have objected the same against the Prophets Apostles and Christ himself false Prophets and Apostles