among people or to exhort them unto good and to follow Christ and to deny the wickedness of this world or such like as they are moved some are moved to reprove a hireling teacher who deceives the people and walks in the steps of the false Prophets and lives in pride and vanity and evill contrary to the doctrine and practise of Christ and the Apostles and this practise of the servants of the Lord in reproving evill and exhorting to good is called a disturbance of the peace and an unlawful practise and such like it is falsly judged by unjust men who knows not the spirit of the Lord nor the moving thereof and because of this many innocent men are caused deeply to suffer contrary to a good conscience and some are sent to the house of Correction there suffering cruell things from hard-hearted men and some are put in the Stocks and whipped and others fined and cast into prison and such like sufferings are unjustly imposed upon them and not for evill doing as I have said for though they reprove sin in teachers or in people or exhorts them to good whether in Steeple-houses Markets or other places yet they do not hereby wrong any mans person or estate neither is this any matter of wilfull wrong or to such an intent neither doth it disturb the peace nor is any unlawfull practise but onely out of a good conscience to God and man is it done and it is a matter of conscience to the servants of the Lord to do so and they cannot leave it undone least they should transgress the law of God in their own consciences because they are commanded of God so to do that people may be Instructed in the right way to God and be converted out of every false way and this is the very end of their work and their intent in doing it and they ought not in justice to suffer for it for it is according to the law of God and in reason and a good conscience and the Lord justifies them in it then that law and Iudgment must needs be corrupt and unjust which condemnes the people and servants of the Lord as for evill doers for obeying the commands of God and for the exercise of their pure consciences and no mans person or estate being wronged or Injured but onely sin and wickedness reproved and exhorted from And hereby thus is the law perverted and true Iudgment turned backward and the guiltless is condemned guilty and the guilty is set free and the obeying the commands of God and the excercise of a good conscience is unjustly iudged a transgression and this is a shame and will be great condemnation to such in the day of the Lord by whose Authority this is done even that the excercise of a good conscience even reproving of sin and exhorting unto that which is good to follow that and to forsake all evill should be iudged and punished as a hanious transgression in a nation and Common-wealth professing Christianity and pure Religion and this makes the sin much more great and unpardonable because the practise and faithfull excercise in Christianity and in the pure and true Religion is adiudged transgression condemned by such who professes the same thing in words and yet persecutes and punisheth the excercise of it in others and this shews them uniust iudges and hypocrits who causes the Servants of the Lord to suffer for the practise of that which themselves profess in words to wit Religion and Christianity for I affirme against all opposers whatsoever that it is a practise in Religion according to the Scriptures to goe into the Steeple-houses meeting places Markets Highways or other places and reprove sin and wickedness and cry against evill in Priests and people and exhort to good and to forsake evill and therefore it ought not to be prosecuted and punished but defended and maintained by the just Government of a Common-wealth and by just Laws and Magistrates for this the Lord requireth that justice and truth and true iudgement be exalted and the innocent and upright defended in all their ways of a good conscience and that evill doers and sinners and transgressors be condemned and righteously iudged Also many of the servants of the Lord doe deeply suffer and is deeply afflicted by iniustice for the exercise of a good conscience in other things as because they cannot put off their Hats and bow in respect to mens persons according to the vaine customs of the Heathen and because they cannot swear upon a Book by kissing it and laying the hand upon it according to the idolatrous forme and for such like causes because many cannot fulfill the lusts and wills of men that lives in pride and evill wayes in these and other things therefore are the people of God put to great sufferings though they deny not the honour due to all men in the Lord without bowing the Hat nor to affirme the truth in every cause in faithfulness without an oath now to keep on the Hat which is a cover for the head to keep from cold or heat for healths sake before any man whatsoever though never so great or noble is not any wrong or iniury to the mans person or estate before whom it is done but onely the high minde and the proud nature and that which is exalted above the fear of God which would be Lord over his fellow creatures that same is offended and troubled which bears not the image of God but of the Devil as Hamman was and would be bowed to and had in honour and respected because of knowledge or parts and proud gestures or apparell and the Children of the Lord cannot doe it nor give honour to him nor be subiect and pleasing to that man who is of that spirit and of that nature which is not of God but exalted in pride and vain-glory above the fear of God and against him and would be worshipped and had in honour and reverenced of his fellow-creatures who hath not so much riches in this world as he nor is so proud in apparell as he and because of that he looks to be bowed unto with Hat or Knee and is offended if he be not and then in his pride he rages and is vexed and seeks revenge against such as cannot honour him and respect him in his pride and vaine-glory but as I said this is not done as a matter of wrong unto any though the Hat be not bowed or put off but it is a matter of conscience unto the people of God and for a good conscience sake they doe deny and may not give obedience and honour and respect out of the fear of God to proud flesh and to men which is not in the fear of God which expects reverence out of the Lord and they know it is nothing else that is offended but proud flesh and an exalted mind and a man that fears not God neither walks in his ways I say it is nothing else nor any besides
of sound iudgement is wanting and such as are set to iudge hath it not to try and discern and give iudgement by it and therefore light is put for darkness and darkness for light and good is called evill and evill good and true iustice and iudgement is perverted and turned backward and the guiltless is condemned guilty But I say if the work be done by a man out of a good conscience and as a matter of conscience then he doth it in the fear of God and in the Cross to his own will and in meekness and tenderness of heart not seeking himself in what he doth but is willing to suffer for the truths sake and for what he doth and will not resist evill or the false iudgements of men but patiently and quietly bears all things for the Lords sake and in all what he doth or suffers he gives the glory to the Lord who works his works in him and gives him strength and patience willing to suffer for them But againe I doe answer by men that hath the spirit of sound iudgement to rule and guide them this cause is easy to be discerned and the difference may be known betwixt a thing done out of a good conscience and for a good conscience sake and a thing done out of an evill mind and purpose and to an evill end to the wrong and iniury of another for the ground from whence the works doe proceed are contrary and the spirit by which the works are wrought are contrary and the purpose and end to which they are wrought are contrary and the spirit of God and of sound judgement may and doth put a difference betwixt the ground acting and end of all works for it is the ground from whence all works doth spring and the end unto which they are brought forth that makes all mens works good or evill to be iustified or to be condemned and where the measure of the spirit and power of God is the ground of and leader in a work that work as I have said is done in the fear of God and in uprightness of heart and in love and tenderness and meekness and patience without seeking or exalting self but the glory of the Lord is onely sought by that man in all such his works But on the contrary where an evill heart and minde brings forth works to an evill end and to the wrong of others such works are maliciously and wilfully and enviously and peevishly done in frowardness and headiness and not in the fear of God nor in uprightness of heart but with a double minde and in secret or without the Counsell of God seeking himself in his works and not the Lord and such works are wicked and wrought by wicked men who transgresseth both the Law of God and of men and must receive according to their deeds and the Law that is equall must pass upon them which the light of Christ in their own consciences may answer to when they are condemned for their ungodly works against which light they act and that is the reason and cause wherefore their works are evill and to be condemned by the Law for who acteth according to the light of Christ and is led thereby fulfilleth the Law or it is fulfilled in him and his works are wrought in God and are the testimony unto men that he is of a good conscience and for a good conscience sake his works are done and such men and works are not to be condemned but iustified And this is for instruction to all them that bear rule who are Magistrates and Governours and Iudges of the people that they may now be wise and learne wisdome how to iudge righteously and iustly among the people that they may fulfill the will of God in what he hath called them unto even that they may cherish and defend and strengthen such as doe well and all whose pure consciences are purely excercised may live in peace and rest under such a Government and all evill doers may be bound limited and iudged and may stand in awe and be afraid and thus iustice and true iudgement would be advanced and equity would run down as a mighty streame and the Nation would be blessed and yeeld content and satisfaction to her Inhabitants and hereby might the Rulers and Iudges gain unto themselves a good report and an honour and renown would the Lord Crown them with all in generations to come Wherefore all ye Rulers and all ye that are set to iudge the people be now awakened to iust iudgement and to a sound discerning and put on the spirit of true iudgement even the spirit of the Lord that you may receive it to be taught in all things how to walk with God that you may answer his call and the end of your authority in judgeing justly all sorts of men rendring to every man according to his deeds even condemnation and judgment to evill doers and a praise and defence to all that doe well and this is written in love to you all shewing you how to put a difference betwixt the precious and the vile and between the just and unjust that you may be the more happy if this you observe not leaving your names a reproach and a scorne to after-ages which is the effect which doth follow all such as perverts Iustice and turns true iudgement backward with misery and destruction upon themselves and posterity for evermore A true and faithfull Exposition of some part of the Laws of England ALl ye Magistrates Iustices of the Peace Mayors and all other Ministers of the Law and all ye to whomsoever the Law is committed I doe warne you all to take heed to your selves that ye fulfill the will of the Lord in iudgeing righteously and executing true iustice and iudgement and let not envy nor false suspitions nor iealousies have any place in you but with a single eye try all things and with an upright heart iudge for God and not for man and beware of causing the innocent to suffer whose consciences are exercised towards God though they be contrary to the world in their ways iudgments for if you cause such to suffer you doe not execute true iudgement but subverts the Law and the Lord will require that suffering of his people at your hands Now consider the Law was not made for a righteous man but for transgressours such whose consciences are not exercised towards God and such your sword is to be laid upon to be a terrour to them and not to the innocent for they should have praise that doe well and you must take heed least you abuse your power to another end then wherefore God hath ordained it for the Law was added because of transgression to slay the transgressour and that is the end of the Law Now you must take heed of causing any to suffer upon bare suspition or evill iealousies when as no transgression is truly charged nor iustly proved against them before you and you are not
enemies and praying for them and seekes not vengeance upon their adversaries but they bear all things patiently and such are the servants of God and not transgressors of his law nor the iust lawes of man And if such doe suffer by a law that law is uniust and so is that Magistrate that executes that law and that suffering is not for evill doing but for a good conscience sake and the Innocent can rejoyce in such suffering but the executioners thereof shall howle and weep So that in all ages there was such suffering which was not for evill doing but for the exercise of a pure conscience and such sufferings there are at this day and this is because the unrighteous and the uniust beares rule which subverts the law and turnes true Iudgment backward and oppresseth the seed of God and rules over it in Tyrany and this is where darkness rules in the heart and Ignorance in the mind and true Iudgment is wanting for light is called darkness and darkness light and good is put for evill and evill for good and truth is called heresy and error is called truth and because of this the righteous are Iudged uniustly and falsly condemned and the guilty are set free and thus is Iudgment turned quite backward where the seed of enmity ruleth above the seed of God and such a government is not blessed but made a curse unto that dominion where it is seated and this is because such are set to rule and govern who are not ruled and governed by the Lord but are in the transgression of the Iust and righteous law and are uniust men and not reconciled unto God upon whose shoulders the government lyes and the execution of the law in their power who cannot minister true Iudgment nor discerne of different causes among men And therefore all magistrates are to weigh and be considerate in all these things and so to act and Iudge among men as they may give a good account unto God and all men and when a cause is brought before them to give Iudgment of or any accused unto them that they should execute the law upon they should by the spirit of the Lord first try into the ground and nature of such matters to know whether it be a wilful and purposed wrong or injury done between man and man or it be of ignorance or want of better knowledge or such like or whether it be a matter of conscience or about religion or the worship of God whereupon the controversy dependeth and if it be a matter of wilfull and purposed wrong or of ignorance then good reason and justice will teach a Magistrate to defend the Innocent from wrong or to restore his wrong by true iudgement that his person and estate be freed from all wrong and preserved and that the wrong dealer be restrained and punished and iudged iustly according to his offence but if it be a matter of conscience about religion or the worship of God then the magistrates with their law ought not to meddle therein or to iudge of such matters for these things concerning the things that are spirituall are out of their Iurisdiction and not in their power to iudge of and if the controversy between man and man depend about such causes not having reflection upon persons or estates but onely about spirituall matters then magistrates with their lawes ought not to Iudg in these causes but spiritual men ought onely to give their iudgments hereof as they have received from God and though men be in controversy about religion and the worship of God yet if they be men of peace not wronging one another in their persons or estates they ought to be both protected in a good government by the iust and righteous laws and here the sword of Iustice is laid onely upon the evill doer to be a terror and a punishment to him and to limite and restrain him from wrong dealing and this is the end wherefore it was ordained of God to be among men and not to be laid upon the conscience to oppress and afflict the tender consciences of the upright whose minds are exercised in the law of God for such should have praise that doe well by the sword of Iustice while it is a terror to all evill doers whatsoever and this is the perfect and wherefore the law was added and the practise of it herein by faithfull and Iust executors is well pleasing and acceptable to the Lord And now as concerning this one thing which is oppression in the Nation brought forth through the uniust and false execution of the lawes whereby many tender consciences are afflicted and not for any wrong or evill doing but for the excercise of a pure conscience Whereas many for conscience sake doth deny and cannot pay any thing to maintain a steeple-house or place of worship which the people of the world doe worship in and where they commit Idolatry neither can they for conscience sake pay any thing to uphold such worship and such a ministery and ministers which are not of Christ nor ever were sent of him but of Antichrist and such by which the people are led in blindness and error as manifestly doth appear through the whole land And yet the magistrates some of them being blind and Ignorant as the people doth compell many people by their Writs and orders and Iudgments to maintain a Priest and steeple-house which for conscience sake they deny to maintain and yet by authority from the magistrates are the Innocent mens goods spoyled by distress and great oppression excercised upon many poor people to maintain and uphold the ministry and worship of this generation which is not of God but against him and many hereupon are cast into prison and others have their goods taken from them by violence and great havock is made in the countries about this matter Now first it may be considered that to deny uphold and maintain a steeple-house and place where Ignorant people in tradition do meet to worship is not a matter of willfull or purposed wrong dealing or the breach of any bargin or contract between man man but it is a matter of conscience to the people of God for a good consciencie fake they cannot do such a thing as to maintain a place of worship which abomination is committed in by Ignorant rude people who are without the fear of God as daily is manifest it is not manifest that by denying of this they Iniure any mans person or estate in any thing which belongs unto him by lawfull bargin contract or otherwise neither is there any reason or equity in this matter that any should be forced compelled by Iniustice oppression to uphold a house of worship which others worship in and not they and they knowing that worship to be abomination to the Lord also and not the true worship of the true God and their is no Iustice nor religion in it that any should be
caused by force to uphold a house for other people to commit and practise idolatry in if the house were for any good purpose or honest practise as for poor or impotent people to dwell in or such like who had not houses of their own because of their poverty then that were a deed of charity to uphold it and the people of God would not deny it but could freely give their mony to such an use and end but because it is not to such an use but onely a place to commit Idolatry in and to worship God ignorantly in superstitions therefore it is a matter of conscience unto many and for a good conscience sake they rather suffer the spoyling of their goods and afflictions upon their bodies then to pay their money for such an use and end and herein the Magistrates doth great injustice in the sight of God and his Saints and contrary to reason and a good conscience in causing Innocent mens goods to be spoyled by cruelty to uphold a place of Idolatrous worship contrary to mens tender consciences for as I have said they do no wrong to any man but only peoples wills are offended and their blind zeal turned into rage and fury against the iust who worships God in spirit and in the truth and cannot uphold the houses of false worship and it is a shame unto the people and ministers themselves who cannot uphold their own worshiping houses and it is a reproach upon their God and their Religion who causes others to maintain their worshiping houses by iniustice and great oppression and will not themselves maintain the houses where they worship their God but people who fear God are greatly oppressed divers wayes to uphold worshiping places for others to worship in as in many parts of this nation is wofull testimony which is a shame to the Magistates by whose authority these things are done and a great reproach to the very name of Christanity that people against a pure conscience and contrary to good reason should be compelled to uphold and maintain a worship and ministery which they doe not partake off but their very enemies that persecute them whose consciences are defiled and not excercised and their worship and ministery which stands not in the excercise of a pure conscience but in vain traditions and superstitious Idolatry are the people of God forced to maintain with maintenance by oppression contrary to their consciences and the unjustness of these things cries for vengeance from heaven upon the ungodly rulers and people who causeth the iust and upright to groan by oppression and thus the law is subverted contrary to that end wherefore it was added and the government is abused contrary to that purpose wherefore it was ordained of God for the guiltless are condemned and judged and the guilty are set free the excercise of pure consciences are oppressed and the false abominations and Idoll worships are strengthened and defended and because of these things is the wrath of God kindled and shall not be quenched till it have consumed the wicked from off the face of the earth that the just God may be feared and his people enioy their freedome and liberty in the practise of the pure religion and the excercise of their pure consciences and this will the Lord bring forth in his appointed time according to his promise that his people may reioyce in him over all their oppressors and cruell taskemasters which doth uniustly oppress the seed of God And as concerning the maintaining of Ministers it is the same in nature and as uniust and unequall as upholding of worshipping houses for though many out of a good conscience do deny to maintain a professed Minister by paying to him so much or such a summe yet they do not hereby wrong him wilfully contrary to right in breaking any contract or Covenant formerly made with him by themselves or predecessors nor they do not withhold from him any thing which properly belongs to him as debt or due for his labour by any Covenant binding thereunto onely the most that can be said is that such a summe or gift was formerly given out of that estate to a man belonging to such a Parish and therefore now it is claimed as due by custome of many generations practise and so ought to be done as the maintenance to that man because of his labour in his Ministry now to this I answer what though it was formerly done such a summe paid and such a gift freely given by our Ancestors in the times of Ignorance and darkness that practise of theirs then doth not bind any now to do the same seing no record can appear that they bound themselves and their heirs for ever so to do and now hath the clear light of the gospell sprung forth and the light of the day hath discovered all the workes of Ignorance and though the man that claimes such a gift or hire as debt to him because of his labour let them pay him for whom he doth labour and who doth partake of his Ministery and labour and let others be free who for conscience sake cannot do it who knowes his labour not deserving of wages but to be deceit and abomination and deceiving of soules and sees himself to be a proud covetous man and an Idle person who maintaines himself by the fruit of other mens labours in the vanity of life and without the fear of the Lord and this makes the thing a matter of conscience to many that for no better use nor to no other end they should pay their money which cannot be justly claimed as a just debt but as a gift at most to the upholding of such men and such practises which are not according but contrary to God in labour life and practise and to uphold and maintain a man as a Minister of Christ which is not so but the contrary as by his fruits is made manifest and that in ministery worship which is not the worship and ministery of the true God but the contrary as doth appear this many of the people of God cannot do for a good conscience sake except they should transgress the light of Christ and the law of God in their own hearts and consciences and so bring themselves into condemnation by the Lord so let all men take notice hereof that though the people of God do deny to pay any thing to uphold and maintain such a worship and such ministers which are not the ministers of Christ nor the worship of the true God but rather gives their goods to the spoyler and their bodies to the prison yet this is onely for the exercise of a good and pure conscience and not out of wilfull wrong and iniury and their suffering is not as they are evill doers but as they are Saints for a good conscience sake because they cannot be subiect to the wills of uniust men in upholding and maintaining such things against their consciences but are willing rather to suffer