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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A25216	A reply to the Reverend Dean of St. Pauls's reflections on the Rector of Sutton, &c. wherein the principles and practices of the non-conformists are not only vindicated by Scripture, but by Dr. Stillingsfleet's Rational account, as well as his Irenicum : as also by the writings of the Lord Faulkland, Mr. Hales, Mr. Chillingworth, &c. / by the same hand ; to which is added, St. Paul's work promoted, or, Proper materials drawn from The true and only way of concord, and, Pleas for peace and other late writings of Mr. Richard Baxter ...	Alsop, Vincent, 1629 or 30-1703.; Barret, John, 1631-1713.	1681 (1681)	Wing A2919; ESTC R6809	123,967	128

that any will prove Separation from the Church of Rome lawful because she required unlawful Things as Conditions of her Communion it will be proved lawful not to conform to any suspected or unlawful Practice required by any Church-Governours upon the same Terms if the Thing so required be after serious and sober Enquiry judged unwarrantable by a Man 's own Conscience Which with more you have in that Page and the Page before it cuts off your third Particular Preface p. 75. Here now I have gained so much Ground of you Such are necessitated to withdraw from your Communion who must otherwise joyn in some unlawful or suspected Practice As Chillingworth p. 269. To do ill that you may do well is against the Will of God which to every good Man is a high Degree of Necessity And say you Rational Account p. 290. Can any one imagine it should be a Fault in any to keep off from Communion where they are so far from being obliged to it that they have an Obligation to the contrary from the Principles of their common Christianity Here I assume they are bound by the Principles of common Chrisianity to keep off from Communion with you that know they should certainly sin if they held Communion with you because they should then joyn in suspected ●ractices and things which after Enquiry their Consciences tell them are unlawful Ergo you must say it cannot be a Fault in such to keep off from Communion with you Though I would grant them faulty so far as any keep off through Prejudice Error Ignorance yet so far as these are involuntary they are more excusable than to go directly cross to their own Consciences here So therefore such are necessitated to withdraw Communion from you who would certainly sin if they held Communion with you judging such Communion to be sinful 2. If you say here What is this to a positive Separation which is the present Business You shall see it is something towards it You are come a fair Step on the Way Once grant that it is lawful for Men or that Men are necessitated to deny Communion with you in unlawful or but suspected Practices which are unlawful to them and you come presently to the Point Allowing them to withdraw from yours you must allow them to joyn in some other Christian Assembly unless you would have them utterly deprived of the Worship of God and to live like Heathens As you say well Irenic p. 109. Every Christian is under an Obligation to joyn in Church society with others because it is his Duty to profess himself a Christian and to own his Religion publickly and to partake of the Ordinances and Sacraments of the Gospel which cannot be without Society with some Church or other So then Christians that cannot enjoy Sacraments with you must joyn with some other Society where they may enjoy them And further take notice of that remarkable Assertion in your Rational Account p. 335. and apply it here as far as there is Cause Our Assertion therefore is that the Church and Court of Rome are guilty of this Schism by forcing Men N. B. if they would not damn their Souls by sinning against their Consciences in approving the Errors and Corruptions of the Roman Church to joyn together N. B. for the solemn Worship of God according to the Rule of Scripture and Practice of the Primitive Church and suspending I suppose it should have been and to suspend Communion with that Church till those Abuses and Corruptions be redressed And I observe further Ibid. p. 291. you would not have Men bound to Communion with a particular Church but in Subordination to God's Honour and the Salvation of their Souls Yea you say Men are bound not to communicate in those lesser Societies where such things are imposed as are directly repugnant to these Ends. And where Men should be forced to damn their Souls by sinning against their Consciences would not this be directly repugnant And yet are not such bound to joyn together for the Solemn Worship of God c. You see now how far I have brought you even on your own Grounds how you will get off I know not Then might it not have been expected that you would have been more favourable and charitable towards the Assemblies of those Ministers and Christians that are kept off from you by unlawful Terms or at least such unnecessary Terms as are to them unlawful You speak more temperately Rational Account pag. 331. Here let me use some of your own Words there which something favour those Assemblies you now engage so zealously against By their declaring the Grounds of their Separation to be such Errors and Corruptions which are crept into the Communion of your Church and imposed on them in order to it they withal declare their readiness to joyn with you again if those Errors and Corruptions be left out ☞ And where there is this readiness of Communion there is no absolute Separation from the Church as such but only suspending Communion till such Abuses be reformed This they 'l say is very good But now in your new Impartial Account Preface pag. 46. you speak in another Dialect Would they have had me represented that as no Sin which I think to be so great a one or those as not guilty whom in my Conscience I thought to be guilty of it Would they have had me suffered this Sin to have lain upon them without reproving it c. What that which is as plain a Sin as Murder pag. 209. which is really as great and as dangerous a Sin as Murder and in some respects aggravated beyond it Preface p. 45. And yet on the other hand would you have them conform to you though against their Consciences Would that be no Sin Would God be wel-pleased with such Service as was done but to please Men while their Consciences in the mean while condemned them for it Can you say bonâ Fide that it is better more pleasing to God that Men conform to your Modes and Ceremonies though they have real Doubts of Conscience that they are unlawful or better they should live without God's publick Worship and Ordinances then to joyn with such as the Non-conformists That this is as the Sin of Murder Dare you go or send to all the Dissenters in your Parish supposing you take them to belong to your Charge and give 'm it under your hand that though they are still unsatisfied after all you have said and written though they believe they should offend God if they joyned with you upon such Terms yet I say durst you give it under your hand that they would do better to joyn in your way of Worship than in that of the Non-conformists though they have no more doubt of joyning with the latter than you had heretofore If you are clear in the Point have you done this Or why do you neglect your Duty towards them Why do you not endeavour to bring them in

not the Psaltzgraves Churches to be reckoned among the reformed Churches And were they for our English Ceremonies Do not the Lutheran Churches hold some things lawful and indifferent which in the Judgment of the Church of England are unwarrantable As things indifferent and lawful in the Judgment of the Church of England are not so in the Judgment of some other reformed Churches I do profess plainly says Chillingworth p. 376. that I cannot find any rest for the Sole of my Foot but upon this Rock only the Bible I see plainly and with mine own Eyes that there are Popes against Popes Councils against Councils some Fathers against others the same Fathers against themselves a consent of Fathers of one Age against a consent of Fathers of another Age the Church of one Age against the Church of another Age. 6. Is this Rule of the Iudgment of the Primitive and Reformed Churches indeed applicable to your established Rule Do you find the one agreeable to the other Were the Primitive Churches for imposing the same Liturgy the same Rites and Ceremonies which they yet held undetermined by God's Word Was it their Judgment that each Nation or Province should be tied up to a strict Vniformity in such things Do you find this within the first five hundred years Can you gainsay those Words of yours cited Rector of Sutton p. 19. which I think are pertinent and material here We see the Primitive Christians did not make so much of any Uniformity in Rites and Ceremonies nay I s●arce think any Churches in the Primitive times can be produced that did exactly in all things observe the same Customs which might be an Argument of Moderation in all as to these things but especially in pretended admirers of the Primitive Church And yet would you have every one bound to submit to the determination of Church-Governors in such Matters whatever his private Iudgment be concerning them As Eusebius notes from Irenaeus l. 5. c. 26. English c. 23. the Primitive Christians could differ in such Matters and yet live in Peace And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Anicetas and Polycarpus could differ in such Matters and yet communicate one with another The Primitive Christians retained c●ntrary Observations and yet as Irenaeus said held fast the bond of Love and Vnity Can you ever prove that the Primitive Church or the best reformed Churches have assumed a Power of suspending Ministers from their Office and of debarring Christians from Communion for such Matters Here comes to my Mind that which you say Vnreas of Separat p. 14. that our Reformers preceeded more out of r●verence to the Ancient Church than meer opposition to Popery Yet with King Iames Defence of the right of Kings p. 47c the Christian Religion reformed is as to say purged and cleansed of all Popish Dregs And p. 17. Altho they made the Scripture the only Rule of Faith and rejected all things repugnant thereto yet they designed not to make a Transformation of a Church but a Reformation of it by reducing it as near as they could to that state it was in under the first Christian Emperors c. Agreeable to Chillingworth p. 287. ● 82. But whether you took not the hint of distinguishing the Transformation of a Church from the Reformation of it from Arch-Bishop Whitgift I cannot tell However T. C. latter part of his second Reply p. 172. could not discern it to have any Solidity but called it a single solid Argument seeing Transforming may be in part as well as Reforming And you have not improved it at all But what a strange Assertion is that of yours p. 96. That there are in effect no new Terms of Communion with this Church but the same wich our first Reformers owned and suffered Martyrdom for in Queen Mary's Days And will you stand to this that they died M●rtyrs for Ceremonies and for such Impositions as have thrust out so many Ministers that are most ready to subscribe to the same Truth for which indeed they laid down their Lives I had thought that I. Rogers the Proto-Martyr in that Persecution had been a Non-conformist As there were other Nonconformists also that suffered And can you make the World believe that they suffered for Conformity And did not the Martyrs in Queen Mary's Days suffer in one and the same Cause whether Conformists or Non-conformists Indeed they agreed well in Red in Blood and Flames who before had differed in Black and White But as you will have it p. 2. Our Church stands on the same Grounds c. And p. 4. I would only know if those Terms of Communion which were imposed by the Martyrs and other Reformers and which are only continued by us c. I say you would persuade us that you are upon the same Grounds with our first Reformers who were for Reforming according to the Scripture rejecting all things repugnant thereto only they would have the Church reduced as near as they could to that state it was in under the first Christian Emperors p. 17. Now to make this good it lieth on you to prove from Catholick written Tradition that the present established Rule was the Rule for Admission of Ministers into their Function and other Church-Members into Communion observed in those Antient Churches or one as near as could be to it and further to make it good that it is not at all repugnant to the Scripture-Rule Or if you cannot do this you must then grant that you are gone off from the Rule of our first Reformers that is the Scripture and those Primitive Churches and that the Terms of Communion are not indeed the same Propter externos ritus disciplinae homines pios ferire neque Domini est voluntas neque purioris Ecclesiae m●s 7. Would not such a Rule be point-blank contrary to Scripture-Rule If never so many Councils if all the Churches upon Earth determined that they had such Power that they could cut off both Ministers and Members of the Church for Matters left undetermined by God's Law we could not submit to such Determination while we believe the Scripture which tells us so plainly that they have no Power for Destruction but for Edification I subscribe to that of Panormitan Magis Laico esse credendum si ex scripturis loquatur quam Papae si absque verbo Dei agat Is not the Scripture-Rule plain here 1 Pet. 5. 3. that the Governours of the Church must not Lord it over God●s Heritage And tho the Laity or common Christian People are directly and properly intended there yet no doubt by just and undeniable Consequence it will as well follow that they are not to Lord it over the Clergy And when Peter Martyr sets down the just causes of separation from Rome he gives this for one good Reason Because they usurp more Power than the Ap●stle Paul accounted belonging to him 2 Cor 1. Not as if we had Dominion over your Faith Quibus verbis testatur fidem n●mini subjectam

receive Ministers Episcopally ordained p. 440. so they should think it an Extream if we will not own such for Ministers as have been ordained by a Presbytery and that when there were not Bishops at hand to ordain If we will force such to be re-ordained or will not admit of them as Ministers this is an Extream with them Add P. 443. Let not Men domineer over their ●●●th and Consciences a thing destructive to Religion and I hope they would not be for rejecting the Bridle of Discipline nor for shaking off the whole yoke of Government nor for depriving themselves of the Succours which might be drawn out of a general Vnion for to strengthen them in the true Faith and in true Piety But they cannot apprehend that the things imposed will ever contribute any thing to either of th●se Pag. 444. He seems to suppose they are kept off only from an Apprehension of some unpleasant Inco●●eniencies in the Episcopal Government whereas generally it is not the Government it self but some particular Matters imp●sed which they cannot with a good Conscience submit unto which causes the distance So add P. 447. Tho I have opportunity of conversing with very few yet I cannot think there is a Man of all those that believe the Presbyterian Government is more agrable to Scriptu●e-Rule than our Prelatical that stands off meerly because he cannot have what in his Judgment he prefers as the better Government So what he says towards the end of the same pag● The Question here is not about the esse ●r the bene esse but only about the me●●us esse tha● they dispute with you fully proves ● as I said ●h●● indeed they know not the true state of our Case as we see plainly he is quit● beside the Point we stick at Now I look back a little again Add P. 445. The Bond of Christian Charity doth not only joyn us with some of our Brethren but with all our Brethren to receive from them and to give them Edification by living together in the same Communion Then let the World judg by this Rule who have most Christian Charity You 〈◊〉 the Non-con●ormisis Many of these hear and joyn with you so 〈…〉 they can and have opportunity whereas few or none of you will hear ● joyn with them And yet you are sometimes pleased to 〈…〉 B●thren 〈…〉 follows it still appears h● understood not the Case or was beside 〈◊〉 ●●w many that ●pp●●●● not of the Government yet could submit to it did 〈…〉 require any thing but what they are satisfied is agreeable to the Wor● And both parts agree that God's Word ought to be the Rule of our 〈◊〉 What ●●se is there considerable I have more fully debared with you be●ore Add Pag. 446 To imagine that we cannot with a good Conscience be present at Assemblies but only when we do fully and generally approve of all things in them it is certainly not to know neither the use of Charity nor the Laws of Christian Society But what if a Church requires Ministers and Christians to declare their Approbation of Things they cannot approve of and to practise that in the Worship of God which in their Judgment ought n●t to be practised Is not this a different Case Would not this be contrary to true Faith and Piety And are not such so far cut off from the Communion of that Church by what he says in the beginning of that Page That is not allowable for such to do which yet they look upon as tolerable in others who are otherwise perswaded in their Minds abut the same Add P. 447. I cannot believe that there is any one among them that looks upon your Episcopacy or your Discipline or certain Ceremonies which you observe as Blots and capital Errors which hinder a Man from obtaining Salvation Something was spoken to this in the Answer to the first Letter So I say still they are not so well satisfied about these as to give a true Assent unto them and then to declare their Assent would be foul Dissimulation They know not how easily others get to Heaven by their Conformity But if they conformed against their Consciences they know not how they should ever come there without Repentance Then pag. 448. he comes to put in a good Word for us I hope you will not be wanting in the Duties of Charity and the Spirit of Peace and that when the Dispute shall be only of some Temperaments as if the Dispute had not been of these all this while Or of some Ceremonies that are a Stumbling-block and yet innocent things and which in themselves are nothing in comparison of an intire Re-union of your Church under your holy Ministry you will make it seen that you love the Spouse of your Master more than your selves and that it is not so much from your Greatness and your Ecclesiastical Dignity that you desire to receive your Glory and your Joy as from your pastoral Vertues and the ardent care 〈◊〉 take of your Flocks Now I had thought that all the Dispute or Difference betwixt you and the Non-conformists had been only about some Ceremonies and the like things I mean such as in themselves are nothing in comparison of an intire and happy Vnion Were but such things removed or no such things imposed I should hope you would be soon united and agreed He that understands not that it is the strict and rigorous imposing of such things which the Imposers might lawfully take off and we cannot lawfully submit to which keeps up the Difference amongst us I say he that understands not this and does not consider and speak to it he cannot be supposed rightly to consider our Case And yet how obvious is it that this is quite over-looked here not once seriously debated in any of these three Letters And therefore as I before appealed to you as Iudg whether we were not misrepresented here and you have judged the matter already so I shall expect that in the next Impression of this your Impartial Account you will take care these Letters may be left out You cannot but know that they were no competent Iudges betwixt us who had only heard one Part and seem wholly ignorant what the other Part hath to plead for themselves Here I remember what you say Preface pag. 35. of one you speak of there But I must do the Author that Right to declare that before his Death he was very sensible of the Injury he had done to some worthy Divines and begged God and them pardon for it So would I have you to do these worthy eminent learned Divines and us also that write to smother their Letters as soon as you can if you do no more Otherwise though I may not live or have liberty to call you partial the World may account you so And yet observing every one of them to have some touch for Moderation Charity some Temperament and the like if a Council of such as these were called and

teach not Heresy nor preach down Holiness c. and deny us not their Communion unless we will sin or a Conformists that will hold Communion with none but his own Party but separates from all other Churches in the Land Ib. p. 41. Is he a greater Separatist that confesseth them to be a true Church and their Communion lawful but preferreth another as fitter for him or he that denieth Communion with true worshipping Assemblies as unlawful to be communicated with when it is not so If the former then will it not follow that condemning them as no Church is a Diminution or no Aggravation of Separation and the local presence of an Infidel or Scorner would be a less separate state than the absence of their Friends If the latter which is certain then will it not follow that if we can prove the Assemblies lawful which they condemn they are the true Separatists that condemn them and deny Communion with them declaring it unlawful Answ. to Dr. Stil Serm. p. 47 or 49. Q. 80. And whether is not the Separation of whole Churches much worse than of single Persons from one Church when it is upon unwarrantable Cause or Reasons Ib. p. 31. Now how many of the Dissenters frequently communicate with them while they generally refuse shun and condemn our Assemblies Are there no true Churches to be found in the World that have no Bishops of a superior order over Pastors And were there not true Churches in England in that long Interval of Episcopal Government And are not they as justly to be charged with Schism and Separation from those true Churches which were before the re-establishment of Episcopacy as they that are commonly charged by those Encroachers and Invaders of other Mens Rights Vid. Sacril Desert p. 60. Q. 81. Seeing the Universal Church is certainly the highest Species whether have any Authority on pretence of narrower Communion in lower Churches to change Christ's terms of Catholick Communion or to deprive Christians of the right of being loved and received by each other or to disoblige them from the duty of loving and receiving each other Whether can humane Power made by their own Contracts change Christ's Laws or the Priviledges or Forms of Christ's own Churches Way of Concord p. 111. § 14. Q. 82. Whether the greatest and commonest Schism be not by dividing Laws and Canons which causlessly silence Ministers scatter Flocks and decree the unjust Excommunication of Christians and deny Communion to those that yield not to sinful or unnecessary ill-made Terms of Communion ibid. third Part p. 13. § 43. And if any proud passionate or erroneous Person do as Diothrephes cast out the Brethren undeservedly by unjust Suspensions Silencings or Excommunications whether this be not tyrannical Schism First Plea c p. 41. And as we say of the Papists that they unjustly call those Men Schismaticks whom they first cast out themselves by unjust Excommunication may we not say so of any others especially if either for that which is a Duty or for some small mistake which is not in the Persons power to rectify no greater than most good Christians are guilty of their Church-Law says he shall be excommunicate ipso facto ibid. p. 104. See also Answ. to Dr. Stil Serm. p. 47. or 49. § 8. Q. 83. Whether making sinful Terms of Communion imposing things forbidden by God on those that will have Communion with them and expelling those that will not so sin whether this be not heinous Schism First Plea c. p. 41 42. Q. 84. Whether all those would not be deeply guilty of such Schism who by talk writing or preaching justify and cry it up and draw others into the Guilt and reproach the Innocent as Schismaticks for not offending God Ib. Q. 85. If any will confine the Power or Exercise of the Church-Keys into so few Hands as shall make the Exercise of Christ's Discipline impossible or shall make Churches so great or Pastors so few as that the most of the People must needs be without Pastoral Oversight Teaching and publick Worship and then will forbid those People to commit the care of their Souls to any other that would be Pastors indeed and so would compel them to live without Christ's Ordinances true Church-Communion and Pastoral Help whether this would not be Schismatical and much worse Ib. p. 44. Q. 86. When able faithful Pastors are lawfully s●t over the Assemblies by just Election and Ordination if any will causlessly and without Right silence them and command the People to desert them and to take to others for their Pastors in their stead o● whom they have no such knowledg as may encourage them to such a change Whether this can be defended from the charge of Schism As Cyprian in the case of Novatian says that he could be no Bishop because another was rightful Bishop before ● Ib. p. 49 50. Q. 87. Whether the way to heal us be not 1. To approve the best 2. To tolerate the tolerable 3. To have Sacraments free and not forced 4. To restrain the Intolerable 5. This to be the Test of Toleration Whether such tolerated Worship do more good or hurt in true impartial Judgment 6. Magistrates keeping all in Peace Way of Concord third Part p. 144. Q. 88. Whether it be not a weakning of the King's Interest to divide his Subjects and build up unnecessary Walls of Partition between them and to keep them in such Divisions seeing a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand And whether it be not unsafe and uncomfortable to a Prince to rule a divided mutinous People but sweet and safe to rule them that are united in mutual Love Whether they that would lay the Peoples Concord upon uncapable Terms would not bring the King's Interest in his Peoples Love and willing Obedience and ready Defence of him into too narrow a Bottom making him the King of some causlessly divided and espoused Party which must be set up to the Oppression of all the rest who are as wise and just and loyal as they Second Plea c. p. 76. § 24. Si in necessariis sit Vnitas In Non-necessariis Libertas In u●risque Charitas Optimo certe loco essent res nostrae To make a rounder number I may add from Mr. M. Godwyn his Negro's and Indians Advocate pleading for the Instructing of them and so admitting them into the Church a Book lately Printed and Dedicated to the Arch Bisho● of Canterbury Q. 89. Whether Is the wilful neglecting and opposing of it as he says in the Title-Page no less than a manifest Apostacy from the Christian Faith Can no Christian ever justify his omitting any possible lawful Means for the Advancement of his Religion as he says p. 91. Are all professed Christians absolutely boun● in their Places to endeavour the same by their Vow in Baptism and their very Profession Q. 90. Then are they not bound in their Places to endeavour the Advancement of Religion as well at home as abroad And do they not owe as much Service herein for Christ's sake towards their own Country-men as towards Strangers Should not English-men be as well concerned for English-men as for Indians And when the State of Religion is so visibly declining in England Atheism Ignorance Error Profaneness Popery and Superstition encreasing and getting up so fast amongst us is he for any great Advancement of Religion that would send away all Non-conformists if there be thousands of them to his Negro's and Indians for this wise Reason that There is no want of their Labours at home FINIS ADVERTISEMENT THe Readers is desired to take notice that these Papers were sent to London by the Author on the latter end of February or beginning of March last but by reason of the multitude of Pamphlets they could not get through the Press sooner The Ingenuous Reader is ●●so desired to pass by the Errata the Author being remote from the Press these few he hath observed in some of the Sheets he hath seen viz. ERRATA PAge 5. l. 6 r. above P. 20 l. 24. r. do you not P. 21. l. 12. r. Wages P. 22. l. 22. r. Contrarywise P. 23. l. 24. r. and. P. 24. l. 18. dele down P. 28. l. 1. r. Triarios P. 57. l. 6. r. single-soal'd P. 62. l. 29. r. excite greater P. 63. l. 24. r. Church P. 70. l. 30. r. Inobedientia P. 72. l. 19 20. r. betray P. 81. l. 35. r. for P. 83. l. 36 r. did he at all

too p. 287. By that Rule whosoever regulates his Life and Doctrine or Belief I am confident that though he may mistake Error for Truth in the way he shall never mistake Hell for Heaven in the End And yet further should you not consider whether it be not more agreeable to the Revealed Will and Mind of Christ that you should suffer some Ta●es to grow rather than pluck up good Corn with them Reverend Sir It having so happened that poor I have been called out among others an hundred times fitter to shew my Opinion touching the Matter you have started I cannot but think as I here declare so far as my Judgment serves you might have employed your Time your Learning and Parts to much better purpose than you have done in this late Piece of Work Surely my Life would be but sad to me if I could not find more pleasing Work than this that you have been an Occasion of engaging me in And yet I hope to have more Comfort in it at the great day of Accounts than I can conceive you to have of yours in that Day If you lay the Vnity ●f Christians upon Conformity too or Vniformity in doubtful and suspected if not unlawful Practices a general Vnion can never be had or hoped for If you would make the way to Heaven narower than Christ has left it many will be forced to leave you here But now if you would henceforth propose and promote an Vnion amongst Christians u●on Catholick Ierms we are for you and would heartily joyn with you And as that most learned and pious Bishop Vsher Serm. of Vnivers of the Church and Vnity of Faith p. 43 44. If at this d●y we should take a Survey of the several Professions of Christianity that have any large Spread in any part of the World and should put by the Points wher in they did differ one from another and gather into one Body the rest of the Articles wherein they all did generally agree we should find that in th●se Propositions which without all Controversy are universally received in the whole Christian World so much truth is contained as being joyned with holy Obedience may be sufficient to bring a Man unto everlasting Salvation Neither have ●e cause to doubt but that as many as do walk according to this Rule Pe●●e shal● be upon them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God Now there●or● do as he says ibid. p. 18. We for our parts dare not abridg this Gra●t and limit this great Lordship as we conceive it may best fit our own turns but ●●ave it to his own Latitude and seek for the Catholick Church neither in this Part nor in that P●ece but among all that in every place call upon the N●m● of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours And if a Zeal for such a general Comprehension and happy Vnion of Christians will to use the Words of Mr. de L' Ang●e p. 424. bri●g down a thousand Blessings of Heaven and Earth upon those that shall contribute the most unto it resolve now and hence forward to put forth your self this ●ay Put in for your share of Blessings I remember I concluded my former writing with a Collect borrowed from you Here I would say Amen to that Prayer with which Dr. Potter shuts up his Answer to Charity mistaken That it would please the Father of Mercies to take away out of his Church all Dissention and Discord all Heresies and Schisms all Abuses and false Doctrines all Idolatry Superstition and Tyranny and to unite all Christians in one holy Bond of Truth and Peace Faith and Charity that so with one Mind and one Mouth we may all joyn in his Service I add no more but that the Father of Lights would so direct your Studies and Course that you may do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth which is the Prayer of Reverend Sir Your humble and faithful Servant Iohn Barrett I more wish than hope that of these sad Controversies here will be The END Proper Materials drawn from the true and only way of Concord c. QUERY 1. WHether the Apostle Paul hath not clearly and fully decided the case against censuring or despising one another for things Indifferent Rom. 14 15. And if Men wi●● not understand nor stand to that Decision whether it should be any wonder if they will not understand or be satisfied with our most cogent Arguments Second Plea for Peace p. 169. § 75. Whether they that say the Apostle doth not forbid such Impositions there can see Day for Light 1. Doth he not forbid censuring despising and not receiving one another and command Dissenters to receive one another And then must he not forbid such Imposition as is inconsistent herewith 2. Doth he not direct this Command to all the Church of Rome even to the authorized Pastors and Rulers of the Church as well as to the People 3. Was he not a Pastor and Ruler of that Church as fully authorized as any that should succeed 4. Is not this Scripture as others written for a standing Rule and so obligatory to Rulers still ib. p. 170. § 77. Did not the Apostle speak here by Divine Authority Are not his Words recorded here part of Christ's Law indited by the Spirit And may we think that any that come after him or to whom he wrote should have power to contradict or obliterate the same Way of Concord p. 152. 5. Do not his Reasons touch the case of all Churches in all Ages and not only some particular Persons and Case As he argueth from the difference betwixt well-meaning Christians as weak and strong as doubting and as assured as mistaken and as in the right c. If such weak mistaken Christians in such matters ever have been and ever will be in the Church upon Earth doth not the reason from their case and necessity still hold 6. How many great and pressing moral Reasons that all Christians are bound by are heaped up here Does he not argue 1. From Christian love to Brethren 2. From human Compassion to the Weak 3. From God's own Example who receiveth such whom therefore we must not reject 4. From God's Prerogative to judg and our having no such judging power in such cases 5. From God's Propriety in his own Servants 6. From God's Love and Mercy that will uphold such 7. Because what Men do as to please God must not be condemned without necessity but an holy Intention cherished so it be not in forbidden things 8. Because Men must not go against Conscience in indifferent things 9. From Christ's dreadful Judgment which is near and which we our selves must undergo 10. From the Sin of laying Stumbling-blocks and occasions of Offence 11. From the danger of crossing the end of Christ's Death destroying Souls for whom he died 12. Because it will make our Good to be ill spoken of 13. Because the Kingdom of God or Constitution of Christianity and the Church lieth in

whether it be not Justice to tell the World and write it on our Cross that we are silenced c. because we dare not take Oaths and Covenants imposed in Terms excluding Limitations and Exceptions in a limited excepting Sence without the Explication of the Law-makers ib. p. 120 121. Q. 22. Suppose the Sin were on the silenced Ministers part yet if their Errour be in a small and difficult Matter not deserving silencing as theirs Rom. 14. about Meats and Days c. whether it may not be a far greater Sin and Schism in the Silencers than in them First Plea for Peace p. 116. Tho the Magistrate ought to silence all Preachers that after due Admonition so grosly misbehave themselves in Doctrine Worship or Conversation as to be the Plagues of the Churches and to do apparently more hurt than good yet as to all worthy and able Ministers if they commit any Fault whether they should not be punished only as other Subjects with such Penalties as shall not by silencing or restraint be a Punishment to the Peoples Souls nor hinder the preaching of the Gospel of Salvation Even as if the common Bakers Brewers Butchers Carpenters perform their Work perniciously poysoning their Bread Beer Meat c. they should be forbidden their Trade but should they for other Faults be so punished that the People be left without Bread Beer Meat and Houses for their Faults Moral Prognostication p. 55. § 32. Are there no fitter means than silencing to correct such Ministers Is it not a Sin to silence them when their Ministry is needful Ans. to Dr. Stil Serm. p. 20 21. Had Images been lawfully used in Places or Exercises of God's Worship yet whether was it not Inhuman and Unchristian in those Bishops and Councils who cursed from Christ all that were of a contrary Mind and ejected and silenced the Dissenters Way of ●oncord p. 89. § 25. Q. 23. Whether do Men take it to be a Sin to suffer us to preach the Gospel and a greater Sin than to suffer the Inundation of Infidelity Popery and the rest which they say is ready to break in upon us Or whether do they judg our not Subscribing Swearing c. so great a Sin in us that the Punishment laid on Swearers Drunkards or Fornicators will not serve turn to avenge it on our selves nor any other of our personal Sufferings unless the Souls of many 1000's and the Protestant Religion and our Posterity also suffer for it Sacril Desert p. 138 139. Q. 24. Whether Magistrates and Pastors must not distinguish of Errors and Faults of Subjects whether some are not tolerable and therefore to be tolerated and some intolerable and therefore not to be tolerated Whether they that cry out One and All why not one as well as another will say If a Foot must be cut off for a Gangreen why not for a Corn Second Plea for Peace p. 162. § 49. Q. 25. Whether he that knows himself to be a Man and a Sinner and is penitently conscious what abundance of greater Sins he hath than the conscientious Forbearance of a Ceremony or needless Oath or Subscription will not be very tender of his usage of others for such Matters Ib. p. 1●3 § 52 Q 26. Whether a tender Conscience be not the same with what God hath pro●i●d even an Heart of Flesh a Conscience that hath Spiritual Life and Feeling and is sensible of the evil of the least Sin Ib. p. 163 164. § 54. And whether the imposing of unnecessary Subscriptions Professions or Oaths be not the way to fill the Church with Men that are not troubled with tender Consciences and that have no fear of God or Sin And whether he that believeth that ever he shall be judged by the great Pastor of the Flock should not be as much at least afraid of letting in such Presbyters into the Church as of enduring holy faithful Men that fear a Lie or Oath or Superstition Ib. p. 164. § 55. Q. 27. Whether every Man hath not Sins of Ignorance and some degree of Error And whether have not some Faithful Men more than others And do they not take some Sins to be Duties or no Sins Way of Concord p. 181. And whether he that maketh a Canon to Silence or Excommunicate or cast out Men for a Fault common to all Preachers Christians and Men doth not make a Canon to Silence or cast out all Preachers Pastors and Men And if we deserve to be cast out of the Church and Kingdom in the case of Non-conformity to the present Impositions whether it be not either because we are weak or ignorant or wicked And whether we may not here profess to the World our joyful consent to be silenced and banished on condition that the Diocesans will effectually provide that none more Weak more Ignorant and more Wicked shall be tolerated in Church and Kingdom when we are gone and that no detriment shall befal hi● Majesties Dominions by the diminution of his Subjects Second Plea for Peace p. 164 165. § 57 58. Q. 28. Whether a diversity of Circumstances and indifferent Modes in divers Churches or Parishes and sometimes in the same Church be such a dreadful Mischief as some frightful Pastors would make themselves and others believe Or whether it be to be compared with the consequents of unnecessary Impositi●ns Second Plea for Peace p. 158. § 44. Q. 29. Whether was there no difference in their Forms or Modes of Worship between Basil at Caesarea and the Church at Neocoeserea and between Rome and Millane and between almost all the Catholick Bishops for many hundred years And whether is there not so now one Parish-Minister praying freely in the Pulpit before and after Sermon another by a Form a third bi●ding Prayer before c. Sacril Desert p. 34. And is not difference in many points of Doctrine as great a difference as using and not using some of the Liturgick Forms and Ceremonies Ans. to Dr. Stil Serm. p. 46 or 48. Q. 30. Whether the present full Conformity required will ever be the Terms of the full desirable Unity and Concord of the Christian Protestants in his Majesties Dominions Whether it be not morally impossible to bring all good Christians Judgments to hold all this Conformity lawful And whether it be not as impossible to bring them all to conform to that which they judg unlawful Second Plea for Peace p. 172. § 80. Whether there is a greater difference of Visages than of Intellectual Apprehensions Way of Concord p. 81. And while there will be difference in Judgment even among Christians and good and tolerable Christians whether can other be expected than that there will be also difference in Professions and in Practice Will not honest Mens Professions and Practices agree in the main with their Judgments Whether then is it to be expected that if some Men think that long doctrinal Confessions formed in Men's private Words or Liturgies or other humane Forms have nothing in them