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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A76080	Independency not Gods ordinance: or A treatise concerning church-government, occasioned by the distractions of these times. Wherein is evidently proved, that the Presbyterian government dependent is Gods ordinance, and not the Presbyterian government independent. To vvhich is annexed a postscript, discovering the uncharitable dealing of the independents towards their Christian brethren, and the fraud and jugglings of many of their pastors and ministers, to the misleading of the poor people, not only to their own detriment, but the hurt of church and state; with the danger of all novelties in religion. / By John Bastvvick, Dr in Physick.; Independency not Gods ordinance. Part 1	Bastwick, John, 1593-1654.	1645 (1645)	Wing B1063; Thomason E285_2; ESTC R200066	144,017	171

any such termes was the Goaler and his converted family forced to make a publike confession to the Church of their faith to give in the evidences of their conversion and to enter into a private covenant before they could be made members of the Church or was the Churches assent required before they could be admitted and made members of it or were ever any of these things they impose upon Christians now required at beleevers hands before these our times and therefore they are to be abominated as vaine traditions and such as by which they break the lawes of God making devisions in the Church and Kingdome and through all the families and houses of the same so that neither masters of families nor parents have any rule over their wives children or servants their husbands goe out one way the wife another their children to this assembly their servants to that congregation and as it was among the Corinthians which Paul blames in them one said I am of Paul another I am of Apollo the third I am of Coephas and so they flutter about like a company of chickings without either heads or wit and none will be under obedience to either parents or masters notwithstanding God hath commanded children to obey their parents and servants their masters no farther than pleaseth their owne humours and all this they have learned by the traditions of the younger and whether I have wronged the brethren in any thing I have now said I report my selfe to all the distracted families in the Kingdome where they have been preaching and the daily experience of any moderate minded Christian and if ever there was a pantheon of all Religions in the world it is now in England by reason of these new teachers to the great dishonour of God the hinderance of Reformation and the allienating of the affections one from another of those that are joyned together in nighest relations And by all that I have now spoke I hope it doth sufficiently appeare that there is neither precept nor example through all the holy Scripture to warrant the practice of these men in the gathering of their new Churches and if a man will but looke a little more upon the practice of Christs seventy Disciples of all the Apostles in the gathering of Churches they shall not find one footstep through the whole booke of God of the gathering Churches after the manner of their congregating of their assemblies as for Christs Disciples they were all sent to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel they went not to gather in converted men from amongst converted men for they were to bring the lost sheep into Christs fold and we are taught there is but one Shepheard and one sheepfold we never read that after they were once folded and brought into the Church that any true Pastors came into the fold and flocks of their fellow-shepheards and picked out all the best and the fattest sheep and the most wholsome and molded them into an independent fould by themselves as seperate and distinct from the others and with the which they would have no fellowship and communion in the Ordinances this was never heard of before these dayes Paul was so farre from getting away of others sheep that he took it for a dishonour to him to build upon anothers foundation Rom. 15. and preached Christ in those places where they had never heard of him before and planted the Church of Corinth himselfe and left Apollo to water it and committed all the flocks that he had gathered as that of Ephesus to the charge and care of faithful Pastors and commands both the flocks and the Pastors and in them all shepheards and folds to keep unity and love one with another Ephes 4. ver 1 2 3 4 c. and forbids them to make seperations and devisions and scismes between flock and flock and this method he used wheresoever he came yea as soon as he was converted and entred upon his ministry as we may see in the first of the Galatians he went into Arrabia and preached there among the poore Infidels he got not other mens sheep from them neither did he ever make any seperation of sheep from sheep yea even in those flocks and Churches as that of Corinth Galatia and Colosse where there were many that walked disorderly and against the rules prescribed and taught false doctrine and heresies and made scismes in the Church and were very scandalous so that if ever there were in any Churches a just cause of making a seperation it was then and yet the Apostles bid not the Christians seperate themselves from the communion and assemblies of the Saints and from the Ordinances for these mens causes but onely that they should look unto themselves and examine their owne consciences that they may not offend and so make themselves unworthy of the holy things and gives them power to cast out the prophane but no way tolerates them to seperate onely he bids them not be familiar with such as walk disorderly that by this meanes they might learne to amend their lives and tels them of what judgements have alwayes happened to such as were wicked and bids them by their example to take heed how they provoke God by the like as it is at large set downe in the tenth chapter and commands them to make no separation but from Idolaters and Infidels and so likewise in his Epistle to the Galatians he sayes for his owne particular he could wish that they that troubled them were cut off yet he biddeth not the Galatians to separate themselves into independent congregations Nothing of all such things were taught before these dayes that true beleevers and the faithfull servants of God should separate from the assemblies of their brethren every way as deerly beloved of God as themselves and such as with the twelve Tribes of Israel serve their God night and day and would suffer any thing for the Gospell and that any Christians I say should make separation from the fellowship of such or that such should be accounted as enemies of Christ it was never heard of before our times by which their so dealing they have made the greatest scisme in the Church that was ever yet made to the scandall of of our holy profession I have been ever taught in Gods holy Word that those faithfull Ministers that preached Jesus Christ and him crucified and opened the eyes of the blind and turned them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they might receive forgivenesse of sinnes and inheritance amongst them that are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ and taught the people that they should repent and turne to God and doe works meet for repentance and that instructed all men that they being delivered out of the hands of their enemies they should serve God without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of their life and teaching them that the grace of

〈◊〉 164● Man's dayes are vaine and as a flower they fade Heere 's one proclames whereon man's life is stay'd His sufferings Changes Comforts in strict thrall Shen's GOD alone preserves and Gouernes all INDEPENDENCY NOT GODS ORDINANCE OR A Treatise concerning Church-Government occasioned by the Distractions of these times Wherein is evidently proved that the Presbyterian Government DEPENDENT is Gods Ordinance and not the Presbyterian Government INDEPENDENT To vvhich is annexed a Postscript discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their Christian brethren and the fraud and jugglings of many of their Pastors and Ministers to the misleading of the poor people not only to their own detriment but the hurt of Church and State with the danger of all Novelties in Religion BY JOHN BASTVVICK Dr in Physick 2 CORIN 13.8 For we can do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth 1 THESS 5.21 Prove all things and hold fast that which is good LONDON Printed by John Macock for Michael Spark junior and are to be sold at the sign of the blue Bible in Green-Arbour 1645. A Treatise proving the Presbyterian Government DEPENDENT to be Gods Ordinance and not the Presbyterian Government INDEPENDENT THe Apostle Saint Paul in the fourth of the Ephesians exhorting all Christians to walk worthy of the Vocation whereunto they were called and to behave themselves as beseemed brethren wisheth them with all lowlinesse and meeknesse with long suffering and patience to bear one with another in love And useth a forceable Argument to move them to brotherly kindnesse Because saith he there is but one body and one spirit and one hope of Salvation We all worship one God we are all consecrated to him with one Baptisme and we all hope for one and the self-same glory Therefore as there is but one Lord one faith one Baptisme so be ye also of one minde live in love and keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace If ever there was need of this Exhortation there is now singular use of it especially in this distracted Nation wherein we live For the division of a Kingdome is the ruin of it the division of a family destroys it the division between brethren brings a confusion amongst them It hath ever bin observed That diversity of judgement opinion hath made a difference in affection The difference between the Jews the Samaritans in points of Religion made the Disciples desire That fire might come down from heaven to end that controversie The difference between us and the Papists and the diversity of opinions between us made them because they could not bring down fire from heaven fetch it out of hell to blow up the Parliament and because that had not the desired effect and the diversity of opinion stil remaining makes the difference of their affection from us so great that nothing can expiate their indignation against us but the utter internetion and destruction of us all and this and this only next unto our own sins is the cause of all those fatall calamities this miserable kingdome is now imbroyled with And therefore all care and diligence among brethren should be used to get a right understanding one of another and to move them to bear one with another and ever to call to mind the saying of Abraham to Lot Gen. 13. Let not us contend together for we are brethren I am most assured if there were a right understanding of the differences that are now among brethren there could not be such bitter expressions one against another and such alienation of affection as is now too frequent and too well known to the common enemy We are commanded If it be possible as much as lies in us to be in peace with all men Rom. 12.18 And the fruits of discord are set down in the 5th of the Galathians verse 15. If saith the Apostle ye bite and devoure one another take heed ye be not consumed one with another and in the 20. verse Hacred saith the Apostle varience emulation strife c. and envyings are of the flesh and they that do such things shall not enter into the Kingdome of God A double misery follows those that do these things misery here and misery hereafter it excludes men out of heaven The contemplation of the sad condition that will inevitably come upon that Land Kingdome and Church where those variances and heart-burnings are and where there is such diversity of opinions and by reason of them such difference in affection put me chiefely upon this imployment to see and try if by any possible means I could by shewing wherein the difference between the brethren lyeth be an instrument of a good accord amongst them resolving with my self by Gods assistance whatsoever others do to observe to the uttermost of my abilities the royall Law Jan. 2.8 I do conceive that if there were a right understanding one of anothers opinions the world would wonder there should be such invectives in every pamphlet one against another and such varience among those that are joyned together and that with nighest relations The truth is the mis-understanding of each others opinions and the mis-prisian of each others intentions is the onely cause of this diversity of affection which to the dishonour of God and of our holy profession and indeed to the disgrace of Christian Religion every where too much venteth it self And therefore as Abraham said unto Lot so say I to all those that love the truth in sincerity and wish the Peace of Zion Let not us contend especially with evill language for we are brethren we have one father we worship one God we have one light one truth one way And this I professe to all the world That I contend not for victory but for that ancient light the faith once delivered unto the Saints Jude 3. For that truth which we have heard from the beginning 1 John 2. ver 14. for the old way verse 6. The way the truth and the life Joh. 14. and for the honour of that Church against which the gates of hell can never prevaile in the which these are all those undeceiveable marks as are able for ever to declare her to be built upon the foundation of Peter in which the Gospell of Jesus Christ is purely and sincerely both preached and beleeved and where the Sacraments are rightly administred and in the which there is the true invocation of God and all other requisites that make her a true Church and from which there is no just cause of separation That I have dedicated this Treatise to no man nor sought the patronage of any Authority no mortall creature I presume will blame me knowing my Reasons For writing in defence of the Prerogative Royall of Kings against Papall Usurpation I dedicated my book unto the King of great Britaine France and Ireland supposing my self safe under his protection whose honour and imperiall dignity I maintain but all men know what misery to the ruin of me my

given in the High-commission-Courts and in the Star-Chamber and in all other unjust Courts the people that assented unto all their cruell censures against Gods people and liked well of it are as equally guilty who would ordinarily say that had they been Judges they would have done the like and that they were men worthy of death which made them I say as equally guilty as their wicked Judges and Executioners as we may see also in those that assented unto the High-Priests and to the Scribes and Pharisees in putting to death the Lord of life they made themselves all guilty of his blood and by that meanes brought the curse of God upon them and their children by it to this day as well as the High-Priests themselves a fearfull sinne though the world take no notice of it and which all these Kingdomes have yet to repent of Saint Paul also makes himselfe as guilty of Stephen's blood as they that stoned him saying When the holy Martyr Stephen was stoned I stood by and assented unto it and held the garments of those that stoned him By which he acknowledgeth himselfe equally guilty and so all those that assented to all the cruelty done to the people of God in these Kingdomes and were approvers of their tyranny are as guilty as the actors of it for consenting unto any treason or conspiracy or with any malefactors and all their complices both by the law of God nature and nations makes them all guilty before God and men and as liable to justice and punishment as those that acted in those malefices and therefore those that but assent unto a toleration of all Religions a sinne so highly displeasing unto God are as guilty as the actors of it and if but consenting make them guilty how guilty are they then that use arguments to bring in a toleration of all Religions and abuse the Scriptures to this end and plead for it and would have it established by a law surely they are offenders against divine Majesty in an elevated nature and have a great deal to answer for it before God especially when they doe it in a most scurrilous and railing manner by which they manifest to all the world that they are more verst and better acquainted with the doctrine of Billingsgate than with the language of Canaan But this may seeme a wonderfull thing to all judicious men that that people which within these six yeers were afraid of a Surplice of the crosse in Baptisme and of any popish ceremony or of any of their vain traditions and wil-worship which was their honour then should now plead for the toleration of the body and soule of popery and for all other both jewish and heathenish Religions and all manner of sects so destructive to that Religion which the King of Saints and King of Kings and the onely King of his Church the Lord Jesus Christ himselfe hath taught us and to the peace and quietnesse of the Land this I say must needs seem a monstrous thing to any moderate minded Christian Nay how unreasonably doe these men deale with their brethren they plead for a toleration of all Religions here in England and yet in New England banish men into Islands from amongst them for dissenting from them in their new modell of Church government and for but dissenting from them in their opinions about Religion and here amongst us what impious and railing books doe they make against the Ministers for endeavouring to establish that Religion and that church-government that God himselfe in his holy Word hath set down and what opprobrious names doe they give the faithful and painfull Preachers and Pastors of the Church of England calling them Baals Priests the profest enemies of Jesus Christ his Kingdome the limms of Antichrist false Prophets the brood of Babylon terming some particular men of them Rabshekes others Bands others Black mouthes legall preachers and stiling all of them the cursed enemies of Jesus Christ and think of them as men not worthy to live and in expresse words professe it and yet these men plead for a toleration of all Religions when both by their words and deeds they manifest if it were in their power the first work they would do should be to root us all out of the Kingdome so that all men may see they say one thing and meane another that they would tolerate all Religions but onely that which is the true Religion so by that meanes have no Religion at all but one of their own making which by their new lights they have of late found out which they call the straight way to Heaven and the onely way of setting up Christ upon his Throne which is nothing else to say the truth but to disthrone him and set up themselves and their new modell for who doth not see how already they lord it over all good christians not admitting them to the Sacraments but upon their owne termes nor suffering their children to be baptized amongst them nor so much as suffering any they call Presbiterians to preach in their new congregated Assemblies if this be to give a toleration of any Religion but their owne let all the world judge but I say and will ever by Gods assistance be able to make it good in that they plead for a toleration of all Religions they are as guilty of hainous and soule sinnes being complices as well as they that are actors Now then when the Presbiters of the Church of England seek and endeavour in all their proceedings to establish that Religion which Christ the King of his Church hath taught them and his blessed Apostles and labour to set up that government that was ordained in all Churches to be perpetuated to the end of the world in their so doing they imitate all the Patriarchs Prophets and Apostles and in that they doe more advance Christ's Kingdome than the Independents who under pretence of liberty of conscience would bring in a toleration of all Religions and confusion upon us all Surely if ever any Ministers deserved well from the people the Ministers of England now doe who by all their endeavours shew that they seek to bring them to the knowledge of God and of his Sonne Jesus Christ and to the knowledge of themselves which is life eternall For what could men doe more than that which they have done who have petitioned the house of Lords and Commons now sitting in the great Counsell of the Kingdome that they might be armed with authority from them in their severall charges to have the examination of such as shall be admitted to the Sacraments that they may be rightly informed in the knowledge of those holy Mysteries and that none that are either ignorant or scandalous in their lives may be suffered to communicate at the Lord's Table by which their endeavour they shew the christian care they have of their eternall welfare for which the people are ever bound unto them and by the which also they take away all scandall occasion of offence to others which formerly pretended that the cause of their separating from our Congregations and Assemblies was in regard they could not communicate with dogs and swine and with the tagragge and bobtaile of all the Malignants for in such termes they usually expresse themselves Now when the occasion of this scandall and offence is taken away by the care of the Ministers and all superstition and popish ceremonies and all will-worship is also rooted out and when the Gospell is truly and faithfully by them preached both in season and out of season and the Name of God truly invocated and the Sacraments duly and rightly administred what just cause have the Independents now either of separation or of traducing either Ministers or people of being enemies of Christ and his Kingdome when by all their endeavours they onely seek the advancement of him and his Kingdome amongst them I have so good an opinion of all moderate minded christians that when they shall seriously weigh and consider what I have here writ and truly and faithfully set downe that those of them that have formerly been alienated from them will again being now undeceived returne every one of them to their owne Pastors by whose ministries they have been converted and that all other understanding men will not onely have more charitable thoughts both of the Ministers and beleevers of the Church of England but wil likewise look more narrowly into and examine more diligently all those new wayes and by finding them out to be indeed but new will seek for the old way and walk in it which shall ever be his prayer that wisheth that all men may be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth The POSTSCRIPL Discovering the uncharitable dealing of the Independents towards their christian brethren with the juglings of many of their Pastors and Ministers to the misleading of the poore people to the detriment of their owne soules and the hurt both of Church and Sate with the danger of all novelties in Religion is to come forth a fortnight hence in the which it will be proved that it is the duty of all christian Magistrates Parents Masters of Families and all such as truly feare God to yeeld their helping hand for the suppressing of heresies and all novelties in Religion if they really desire the glory of God the salvation of their brethren and the peace of Church and Kingdom in the which also there is satisfactory answer given to the principall cavils of him that writ that railing Pamphlet stiled The falshood of Master William Prynne's triumphing in the Antiquity of Popish Princes and Parliaments FINIS

When therefore the Ministers of the church of England follow Christs and his Apostles way and method in their teaching and for the converting of men and heare onely the voyce of Christ their King and the christian beleevers through the Kngdome under their ministries doe all faithfully cleave unto the written Word and square both their faith and obedience according to that rule there is no just cause why the Independents should proclaime them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and such as oppose his royalty and preach up themselves and their congregations as the onely people of God and his Saints and account all those that dissent from them as opposers of Christs government telling the people in their Sermons that they come over from beyond the seas thinking that they would have set up Christ upon his Throne and that they would have embraced him for their King and would have established his government and have gone on in a church-way and have set up the wayes of God but they find it otherwise that they deny and disclaime and preach against Christs Kingly government and persecute the wayes of the Lord Christ so that they can find more favour from moderate Papists and common Protestants than from them by which their dealing say the brethren they have so taken off the edge of Gods peoples affection from them that the Saints and servants of God cannot pray for them proclaiming themselves the Saints and people of God as if all the other beleevers through the Kingdome dissenting from them in their opinions were no Saints nor people of God Nay they affirme it in their Pulpits and in every Pamphlet that both Ministers and people are enemies of Jesus Christ and his Kingdome and all such as will not joyne with them in their new wayes And one of them not long since affirmed unto me that the church of England was a Strumpet an arrant Whore and that shee being once a Whore could never be presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse which was an expression not onely uncivill and unbeseeming a christian but untrue also for grant shee had been so shee is now come out of Babylon and has entred into a publike covenant against her and we read of Juda and Samaria howsoever they had defiled themselves and played the Harlots yet upon their unfained repentance and true faith in Jesus Christ and renewing their covenant publikely of new obedience were presented unto Christ as a chaste Spouse so that what is impossible with man is possible with God But this is the generall opinion of the brethren and howsoever they will not all of them speak it out in plaine words as some of them doe yet they preach and practice a separation from all our assemblies and congregations as from a people not to be communicated with and declare that by their deedes which they will not as yet publish in their writings nor expresse words as he did And one of the Independent Ministers not long since denouncing Gods judgements against all those that would not assent unto their new wayes nor light their candles at their new lights nor embrace their new-borne truths told them that by their standing out against the wayes of God for so they suppose these are and by their unkind usage of the Saints and persecuting of them they would at last drive from amongst them the praying people meaning themselves as if no other prayed but they onely and then they might look that the judgements of God would speedily come downe upon them as it happened to the Lutherans in Maydenburge in Germany who thrust out all the Calvanists out of their Towne a praying people and immediatly after the enemy came upon them with fire and sword and destroyed them all With these and such like expressions are their preachments stuffed and to say the truth of many of their Sermons they are like Taylors cushions consisting of a hundred severall shreds of various colours all independent making a fine shew but comely no where but in a Taylors shop and surely such kind of expressions as these are may beseem their Pulpits but no grave and learned honest mens for they have no just cause to complaine of persecution amongst us it is a calumny neither deale they christianly with us to accuse us that we oppose the wayes of God for we doe not so we onely contend for the faith once delivered to the Saints and against the wayes of men and such as were brought into the Church by the cunning craftinesse of some and thrust upon the people as the Lawes and Ordinances and wayes of God when they are but their owne inventions and tend to no edification but to the trouble and disturbance of Church and State and such as already have brought a confusion upon us all and if the Lord doth not speedily from Heaven send his helping hand we can expect nothing but desolation and all from these devisions that their new wayes have brought in and therefore it is high time for all good christians and such as love the peace of Sion more exactly to examine all these new wayes and to put them upon the proofe of them But that the brethren should complain of persecution amongst us and of evill usage it is against all reason and humanity and sheweth little gratitude in them to all the christians both thorow city and country for if they remember when they came over though they had deserted the cause when they had most need of them they were more honoured then any of those famous and learned Ministers that had undergone the labour and heat of the day and they were preferred before them all and setled in the prime Lectures of the Kingdome and had more honourable maintainance than was usually given to any Lectures before them and therefore they deale not brotherly in none of all their proceedings nor humanely so to asperse them as they ordinarily doe both publikely and privately I am confident there is not such a president in the world of humanity as that shewed here to them it is well known and their books and practices declare it that they preach new wayes new-borne truthes and set up new lights Now where was it ever heard of either in the Christian or Pagan world that it was ever permitted unto any Ministers or Preachers to have all the Pulpits in any nation to preach a divers doctrine to that which is set up by authority and such as tends to make a faction and devision amongst the people I doe most assuredly beleeve that there cannot the like president be produced Amongst the Heathen the Jewish Religion in many countries was tolerated but they were confined to their owne Sinagogues they might not come in the Heathens Pulpits to preach up the Jewish worship amongst them or to set up another service contrary to the custome of the Nation It was an abomination to the Egyptians that the Jewes should sacrifice in their land they would not have

Gods Clergies I know not what it is to admit of none though beleevers and already baptized but such as will come in upon their owne tearmes and keep out the poore either altogether or as long as pleaseth them without any other reason but because they are poore and cast them out againe upon every slender occasion I say if all this be not a most diabolicall tyranny lording it over Gods Clergies I referre it to any moderate man to judge of and if to unchurch all churches but their owne and at one blast to proclaime them all enemies of Christ and his Kingdome and to deny all church-fellowship with them be not more than a Diotrephian prelaticall and papall authority there was never any in the world and if this be not to lord it over Gods Clergies there was never any knowne Now I say if the Independent Presbiters doe so timely begin their absolute lording of it what would they doe if their government were established by authority Their ministry and government is farre different from that of Christ and his holy Prophets and Apostles for they invited all the poore to come in and to buy milk yea to come in and buy milk without mony Isa 55.1 and Saint Paul for the encouraging the poore to come in saith not many mighty not many noble but the meane and contemptible things hath the Lord made choyce of intimating unto the poore that they have as good right to Heaven as the greatest and chiefest and our Saviour Christ saith come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and ye shall find rest unto your soules Our Saviour has no respect of persons but the poore are with him as acceptable as the rich if they be weary and heavy laden with their sinnes for that is all the condition that Christ requires in all that desire to be admitted members of his Church Now when these Presbiters already make so great difference between the poore and the rich and between beleevers and beleevers as they will admit none but at their owne times and upon their own conditions I do conceive that this is a most tyrannically lording it over Gods Clergies and inheritance which when they daily doe it and the Presbiters of the Church of England doe it not it is most apparent that their rule and domination is more prelaticall and more to be feared than that of the Presbiters of the Church of England for from the independent Presbiters they can never expect any appeale for reliefe and redresse whatsoever wrong or injury they have sustained by them and therefore there is no just cause why any should so traduce the Presbitry of the Church of England as to think they will lord it over the people from whom they may ever expect farre better measure than ever they can from the independent Presbitry which if it should once be established would tend to nothing else but to enslave the whole Kingdome and to bring in a confusion upon both Church and State But now it will not be amisse before the conclusion as we have compared the Presbiters of the Church of England with the Presbiters independent both in regard of their doctrine and discipline so now likewise here to paragonate them together in their proceedings for the advancement of Christs Kingdome that all men may see in that regard also which of their endeavours tend most to the advancement of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ and which of them ought to be preferred before other and which of them doth more really and truly tend not onely to Gods glory but to the peace also of the Church and State For the Presbiters of the Church of England they labour and endeavour as there is but one body one spirit one hope one Lord one faith one baptisme one God and Father over all who is above all and through all and one true christian Religion Eph. 4. so that this only may be established through the three Kingdomes and that all erronious wayes of worshipping and serving God and that tends to lead men to perdition and make disturbance in Church and State may not publikely be tolerated The Independents on the contary both publikely and privately and in all their bitter railing and intolerable pamphlets as that of the compassionate Samaritan the storming of Antichrist and that of the arraignment of persecution and in many more of their scurrilous writings plead for a toleration of all Religions under pretence of liberty of conscience whatsoever they be as Judiansme Turcisme Popery Paganisme and all manner of sects and for the confirming of this their diabolicall tenent they bring in the example of the heathen Nations who suffered all Religions amongst them and the example of Poland Transsilvania and Holland those pantheons of all Religions and tell us of the Parable where Christ commanded that the Tares and the Wheat should be suffered to grow together till the harvest the day of judgement And use or abuse rather some other places of Scripture which as they conceive make all for a toleration of all Religions To all which their pretences I shall at this time briefly answer after I have set downe some grounds out of holy Scripture and produced some examples of Gods deare children friends and servants out of the same which must be the warrant of all christians to follow to the end of the world for whatsoever was written before was written for our learning 1 Cor. 10. Rom. 15. and by the Word of God and from the example of Gods serants we are ever taught that diversity of Religions amongst Christians ought not to be tolerated And first to begin with Abraham the Father of the faithfull and his seed whose examples all that are his and their children oughtto set before their eyes for imitation The Lord called Abraham as it is in Joshua 24. out of his Father Terah's house and from his kindred when they served other Gods made a covenant with him as it is at large set downe in the 12. of Genesis and in divers other places of the same book and in speciall in the 17. of Genesis verse 1 2 3 c. where the Lord reneweth his covenant with him and his seed and sets downe the conditions of his covenant with Abraham which was that Abraham should walk before him and be perfect and that then he would be his God al sufficient to provide for him and protect him wheresoever he came which covenant the Lord ever kept with Abraham and his seed delivering them out of the hands of all their enemies when they served him according to the conditions of the covenant walking uprightly before him as he will doe to all his children to the end of the world walking in father Abraham's steps and of Abraham the Lord sayes this in the 18. of Genesis ver 17 18 19. Shall I hide from Abraham that which I doe seeing that Abraham shall become a great and a mighty Nation and all the Nations of

of Pergamus and that of Thyatira in the second chapter in these words To the Angel in the Church of Pergamus write these things saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges I know thy works and where thou dwellest even where satans seat is and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denyed my faith even in those dayes wherein Antipas my faithfull Martyr who was slaine among you where satan dwelleth but I have a few things against thee because thou hast them there that hold the doctrin of Baalam who taught Baalak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel and to eat things sacrificed unto idols and to commit fornication so hast thou them also that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which thing I hate repent or else I come unto thee quickly and will sight against thee with the sword of my mouth And unto the Angel of the Church of Thyatira write these things saith the Sonne of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire and his feet like fine brasse I know thy works and charity and service and faith and thy patience and thy works and the last to be more than the first notwithstanding I have a few things against thee because thou sufferest that woman Jezabel which calleth her selfe a prophetesse to teach and seduce my servants to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols c. and in the 3. chap. ver 14. Unto the Angel of the Church of Laodicea write these things saith the Amen the faithfull and true Witnesse the beginning of the creation of God I know thy works that thou art neither cold nor hot I would thou were cold or hot so then because thou art lukewarme and neither cold nor hot I will spew thee out of my mouth c. Out of the which places it is sufficiently manifest that it is a thing highly displeasing unto God that his people should give a toleration of any Religion but that he hath established and those that labour for a toleration of all Religions must needs be luke-warme neither hot nor cold which is an evill the Lord is so much displeased with as he tels them that he will spew them out of his mouth and surely there is nothing that savours more of licentiousnesse and earelesnesse in Religion and want of zeal to Gods glory in any men than when they would bring in a toleration of all Religions And many of them can report that there is no Religion in Holland where there is a toleration of all Religions though it is well knowne that there are men in that Country of the native Dutch people that are as zealous for the true religion as any of them and are as much desirous that tolerations of all religions amongst them were not there permitted as they now wish a toleration of all religions were suffered here amongst us for they find by experience that it is an occasion of all prophanenesse and if they should have there the like occasions of civill combustions as we have through Gods displeasure for our sinnes and ingratitude towards him here in England I am afraid they would find the toleration of all those religions amongst them would prove an intolerable thing to them if not the cause of the ruine of their whole Country The Lord divert his judgements from them and grant that they may never taste of the miseries that we now are acquainted with but for tolerating of popery and Arminianisme and the prelaticall faction and without doubt if the suffering but of these three has so displeased God the tolerating of all would give him a just cause of his more hot indignation But now to answer to their Objections in order the Heathens say the Independents suffered Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the Patriarchs and the people of Israel where ever they came to exercise their owne religion and tolerated all religions amongst them For answer let them take notice that no thank is due to the heathens for it as we may see in Genesis the 12. chap. and the 20 chap. and chap. 26. but onely the glory of that is to be ascribed to God who restrained them when they intended evill against them for he appeared to some of them in visions and commanded them not to touch his anointed people and forbad them to doe his Prophets any harme and by the speciall blessings that he rained downe upon his people and by his miraculous preserving of them in fiery furnaces and in Lyons dens from the fury of Savage-beasts delivering them so often out of the hands of all their enemies he struck such a terror into the heathen nations that they durst not oppresse his people so that the singular providence of God who watcheth over them alwayes for good was their shield and Buckler so that what they did in tolerating them and their Religion was not of their good nature but it was Gods speciall favour towards his owne peculiar people and for the maintainance of his owne Cause and that Religion which they had learned from him and therefore those heathenish examples are not for Christians imitation to tolerate all Religions who are bound to obey Gods commandements and to follow the example of Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the holy Prophets and Apostles who all of them have condemned the toleration of all Religions amongst his people and have denounced Gods judgements against them for so doing Againe we must consider the principles of the heathen Philosophers and the practice of all wicked godlesse politicians in all ages for the Philosophers though they were sufficiently convinced by their naturall reason that there was a God and that this God was the author of all good and the punisher of all evill and therefore that he ought to be feared and served of all nations and people yet because they by that naturall light of understandding which was but darknesse in them could not comprehend what that infinite Majesty and divine being and God-head was and were not in themselves able to set downe a description of him nor how to conceive of that invisible Deity nor what worship would be most pleasing unto him which they could never doe without God himselfe had revealed himselfe unto them as he did to his owne people they served him after some traditions they had received from their fathers and left all nations cities and families to serve God as they thought best and according to their owne vaine imaginations and for the Atheisticall politicians of all ages all Religions are one to them who never regard any one more than another and therefore tolerate all for their owne base ends and think it best for the enriching of all their countries as the experience of all ages and histories can sufficiently witnesse and many of them doe not refraine to say that Religion was onely brought into the world out of policy and to keep people in awe so that God of his infinite goodnesse having