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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A40722 Toleration not to be abused by the Independents by a lover of truth and peace. Fullwood, Francis, d. 1693. 1672 (1672) Wing F2518; ESTC R35474 9,735 32

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only Independency is to be Tolerated unless Kings and Princes who Rule for GOD may Indulge men in an Open violation of the Law of GOD And if you look a little backwards it may admit a Dispute Whether the Scepter of JESUS CHRIST were more an Iron Rod under the Kirk or the tender hearted Tryers It may indeed sometimes consist with Carnal prudence supposing the Independents to have power in their hands to connive at and Indulge the Lesser Factions the better to hold out the Flag of Defiance against the Royalists and the Presbyterians their most considerable Competitors Or they may as the Vsurpers tender-Conscien'd Army once did offer the taking away even the Poenal Laws from the very Papists to collogue with Forraign Princes and so have the greater security in their Villanous Designs against the King and the Church but this is a State Juggle for the advancement of the Good Old Cause But then as soon as the fear is over from abroad then they spared nothing that Sacriledge could devour And now Can any Man that looks back upon Independent mercy and forbearance believe that Men of such Principles and practices who are now pleased that Episcopacy is established and Poenal Laws removed from Papists only because Indulged themselves would Tolerate either Popery or Episcopacy if they had Power in their hands and not rather Lord it with the Insolence of Vsurpers Credat Judaeus Apella non Ego So that as a late Treatise demonstrates the Presbyterian hath no cause of joy because others are Indulged as well as himself whereas his Doctors Elders and Deacons are the perpetual Scepter of CHRIST to the end of the World for all Churches Government and therefore Down with the Colours of the Dragon advance the Standard of CHRIST The Independents have no cause of Joy because the Church of England and the Presbyterian Limb too of the Antichristian Leviathan are included as well as the rest of the Parties among us His Way being only laid down in the WORD and all others repugnant to the Holy Scriptures Yet they take the advantage both out of a hatred to a third Party the Church of England and the next thing is to fight one with another for the Government and then the only Scepter of Christ is the Conquerours worship the longest Sword is the Divine Right the Pike and Gun declare the Cause of GOD and infallible Artillery decides all the Controversies relating to the Gospel Truth And thus the Presbyterian who thought to have erected his Discipline upon the sad Eclipse of the Church of England was powerfully baffled and confuted by such Arguments as the Independent Man of War carryed in his Snapsack Do not the Independents when most cool and moderate look upon all other Churches and People as all Revolters from the purity and beauty of Gospel-Ordinances introducers of Will-Worship and Superstition instead of Disciples of the Lord JESVS not allowing any Dissenters the least share or degree of Wisdom or Godliness And men of such Principles of this forehead and complexion must needs carry tender bowels to Men of differing Perswasions Certainly unless where the rules and maximes of carnal Policy interpose and plead for mercy to Dissenters their Clemency is the same with the Presbyterian who first lent him the Principle of not admitting any thing not expresly delivered in the Sacred Scriptures by which Principle they are engaged in a War with one another as well as against their common Antagonists So that the Tables are now turned It is not the Question whether all Partyes may be Tolerated but whether Independents only for there is but One true way of Worship and that is Theirs Theirs only hath the Divinum Jus and Princes may not Indulge Men in an open violation of Scripture Precepts and Directions And so every Sect is engaged to root out all the rest as Enemies to the Scepter of the Lord JESVS Fourthly The Execution of the Poenal Laws being suspended by the late Declaration in Favour of Dissenters does only take off the Obligation upon the account of Wrath to Obedience but the Conscience is still obliged to avoid all causless and groundless Separations from our Churches This will be manifest enough to any one that seriously reads the Declaration it self and a late Treatise Toleration not to be Abused which will extend as well to the Independents as the Presbyterians whose aversion to Toleration is built upon the same common Principle the Divine Right of their one onely way of Worship and Government in the Sacred Oracles and so I refer them to that part of the Discourse before mentioned That they are obliged as before the Declaration to avoid all groundless Separations For the Church of England is as before established as the Basis and so the Obligation of Conscience still Obligatory upon all the Indulged Parties to avoid Schismes and all causless departure from us The Obligation upon the account of Wrath is removed indeed but if they would appear tender Consciences to the World the King's suspension of the Punishment should make them the more Obedient for Conscience sake and a Gracious Indulgence rather abate than heighten their Opposition against the Church of England still established I shall now conclude all by desiring them to consider what they themselves acknowledge in the Declaration of the Faith and Order of the Congregational Churches in Chap. 26. Of the Church c. The purest Churches under Heaven are subject both to Mixture and Error And in their Institution of Churches Persons that are joyned in Church-fellowship ought not lightly to withdraw themselves from the Communion of the Church to which they are so joyned To these two let them add the Four particulars in this Discourse mentioned and upon the result of all consider Whether Ambition and Pride rather then a Conscientious tenderness keep not up their departure from and opposition to the Church of England I am not as this Publican Come not near me for I am holier then thou An over-valluing of our own worth and a Pharisaical contempt of others is the usual rise of Schisme for only by Pride cometh Contention so the best of Kings and Preachers Thus the Valentinians looked on themselves as the only spiritual Men. The Pharisees the only Separati separate Persons The Sadducees Justi the only Righteous The Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the only Puritans And none Men of Knowledge but the Gnosticks and the acute Tertullian when Montanist All others were Psysici and he was come to his Nos spirituales And if out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh spiritual Pride is the original of your Schisme For you only are GOD's Israel his Elect and precious ones You only have Communion with GOD in pure Ordinance All the World faln short of GOD's Truth but your selves And none is Orthodox out of the Pale of your own Church Not only Pap●sts Prelatists and Arminians but even your dear Brethren the Presbyterians are Limbs of the Antichristian Leviathan All revolted from the Lord JESUS and to be treated as members of the Whore whom the Saints hate and shall make desolate and naked eat her flesh and drink her bloud This is the Canting Dialect of your Independent Leaders To Conclude If it be not Ambition but Conscience Let it so appear by your Charity to Dissenters by a serious and impartial Enquiry into the Grounds upon which you separate from us without prejudice or passion and do not so far Idolize a Sect or an Opinion as to prefer it before the Peace and Settlement of a Church and Nation FINIS