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conscience_n humane_a law_n obligation_n 1,134 5 9.8189 5 false
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A33959 A perfect guide for Protestant dissenters in case of prosecution upon any of the penal statutes made against them together with the statutes of 35 Eliz. and 22 Car. 2 at large : to which is added a post-script about ecclesiastical courts and prosecution in them. Care, Henry, 1646-1688. 1682 (1682) Wing C531; ESTC R5384 47,546 38

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smells in History than that of a Bonner they would surely steer another Course Nor can they be thought well to weigh with themselves that of Vis unita est fortior and the Doctrine of the divided House while by a fatal disagreement with their Brethren about outward Forms and unnecessary Circumstances they render themselves less able to withstand the Impetuosity of daily menacing Popery That is nothing the Decree is gone forth and must be obey'd and though the Preamble of the Law may be avoided the Body of it more explanatory of it self admits no Evasion For the Law positively says That if any Person or Persons above the Age of Sixteen years c. shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than according to the Liturgie and Practise of the Church of England c. Where there shall be Five or more Persons assembled over and above those of the Houshold c. As to the first part of the Words Whoever shall be present at any Assembly or Meeting under pretence or colour of any Exercise of Religion c. some Questions do arise upon the fair accompt of Reason and Policy 1. Whether the meaning of the Words extend themselves to such an Exercise of Religion which is truly Christian and according to the direct Interpretation of Scripture 2. Or whether onely such a Religion as carries onely a pretence and colour without any truth and sincerity As to the first it is most certain That the most pure and Christian Exercise of Devotion carries with it a pretence and colour as well as the false one though it be onely that of serving and performing our Duty to God Now then it can never be imagin'd that the Intention of this Law was ever to prevent the Exercise of Devotion and true Piety let the Place or the Number be more or less in a rational Proportion For if so the Statute would be void in it self in regard that all unbyass'd Casuists Lawyers and Divines agree That all Humane Laws made against the Law of God are ipso facto annull'd as to any Obligation upon the Conscience Seeing therefore it cannot be thought that this Law intendeth the Destruction of it self there must be a looking backward to the Reason and Policy of the Law which from the Preamble is apparent to be onely the prevention of Disloyalty and Insurrection for the Repose and Tranquillity of the Kingdom Now then let a Meeting be suppos'd though of more than Five or Ten yet if at this Meeting there be nothing done that tends to Disloyalty Insurrection or disturbance of the Publick Peace the Law hath its End and can take no farther notice there being no Breach of the Law and consequently no occasion of Punishment And this is collected from Reason it self for should any other Construction be put upon the Words it would be contrary to the Law of God as intended to prevent the true and real Worship of God under pretence of Innovation and Disloyalty A Thought an Intention which it were a Crime to imagine such Worthy and Pious Legislators ever dream'd of however the meaning of the Law may be strain'd in the absence of its Makers Now that such a Meaning of the Act as it is inforc'd is contrary to the Word of God is apparent from the Scripture it self Acts 28. And Paul dwelt two years in his hired house and received all that came to him preaching the Kingdom of God no man forbidding him 1 Tim. 2. I will therefore that men pray every where with several others Nor will it serve as an Objection to say That the Times are otherwise now that there are such plenty of Publick Churches For if they be possess'd by such as will not admit their fellow-Christians to come together without prejudice to their Consciences 't is the same thing to them as if those Places were not at all Which being a clear confirmation that God may be Worshipped in Spirit and Truth in any Place or at any Time 't is as clear that the Meaning of this Law cannot reach the Exercise of Real Piety For if the Worship in it self be Evil it is not to be endur'd in Four if consonant to the Word of God the Number of Fourscore cannot render it criminal But here in regard there is so much insisting and stress put upon the word Conventicle it will be much to be clearing the meaning of the Act to enquire in to the Nature of the word and whether it be not taken too unwarily in an ill sense by those that would extend the reason and meaning of this Act beyond its limits A Conventicle then in the general sense is a certain place appointed for the Assembling and coming together of People to some purpose or other In the particular sense it signifies the Assembly it self there met If then the purpose be for the sake of Divine Worship it will be fit next to enquire the Difference between a Church-Assembly and a Conventicle-Assembly That which constitutes a Church is an Assembly or Congregation of people called to the state of Grace by Prayer by Teaching and Hearing the Word and the due administration of the Sacraments The Efficient cause of this Assembly is the Holy Trinity in general particularly Christ The form of this Assembly consists in a double Communion of the Assembly with Christ as the Head and of the particular Members among themselves The matter of this Assembly are the persons or several Members called to the Covenant of Grace The end of this Assembly is the glory of God and their own Salvation The marks of the real Christianity and legality of this Assembly are the true Preaching the Word and due Administration of the Sacrament If then the same substantial Efficient cause the same substantial matter the same substantial Form the same substantial end the same substantial Marks of a truly Christian Assembly be found in a House or any other convenient place though not adorned with Steeples or Stone Arches call them Presbyterians or Dissenters or what you please they center the main fundamentals of Faith and Doctrine differ only in some slight and outward Ceremonies and are therefore an Essential Body of the Protestant Religion And if there be any External Circumstances in dispute they are to be argued and determined among themselves not by the Arbitrary Power of a Justice of the Peace who is an Officer only of the Peace and not of the Conscience So that it can never be thought that the determination of Christian Prudence will ever grant it to be rational that this Law was ever made for the prevention of such Conventicles which must prove the suppression of much true Piety and Devotion This makes some people think that Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is in a very weak condition and most deficient of it self when it is so earnest and clamarous after the Assistance of the Civil Magistrate And indeed