hid c. And Esa 56.10 c. Their watchmen are all blind they have no knowledge c. and these shepheards cannot understand for they all looke to their owne way every one for his owne advantage and for his owne purpose Also Ier. 8.9 The wisemen are ashamed they are afraid and taken for loe they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisâ—dome is in them c. Reade Ier. 14.14 c. and 50.6 My people have beene as lost sheep their sheepherds have caused them to goe astray and have turned them away to the Mountaines c. And Micha 3. ch Night shall be unto them for a vision and darkenesse for a divination and he Sunne shall goe down over the Prophets and the day shall be darke over them c. For they have no answer of God They build up Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie c. And Zeph. 3.4 Her Prophets are light and wicked persons her Priests have polluted the Sanctuarie they have â—…rested the Law And in the time of our Saviour how had they made the commandements of God of no authoriâ—y by their Traditions Mat. 15. And Act. 13.27 For the Rulers of Ierusalem the high Priests Scribes â—nd Pharisees knew not Christ nor yet the words of â—he Prophets which they heard read every Sabbath day but fulfilled them in condemning him And our Saviour saith thanke thee O Father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and men of understanding Mat. 11. And none of the Pharisees or Rulers beleeved on him Ioh. 7.48 And the Apostle 1 Cor. 1.20 Where is the wise where is the Scribe where is the disputer of this world Hath not God made the wisedome of this world foolishnesse And vers 26. Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called and others moe Next for the learned since the time of our Saviour The Councell of Ephesus where were present 132. Bishops of Seleucia where were present 160. Bishops related by the Protestants how grievously did they erre in decreeing flat Arianisme Who is ignorant knowing the Histories that from time to time both particular Popes and Generall Councels have grossely erred in many things Onely one wee will mention passing by Trent and others the Councell Lateran we meane which for Vniversalitie was behind none where were present two Patriarches 70. Archbishop Metropolitanes 400. Bishops 12. Abbats 800. Coventuall Priors the Legates of the Greeke and Romane Empire besides the Orators and Embassadours of the Kings of Ierusalem France Spaine England and Cyprus in which Councell it was decreed That all Heretiques and so many as in any point resist the Catholique Faith should be condemned c. And that the Secular powers of what degree soever they bee shall be compelled openly to sweare for the defence of the faith that to the uttermost of their power to roote out and destroy in all their Kingdomes all such persons as the Catholique Church had condemned for Heretiques and if they doe not they shall be excommunicate and if they doe not reforme within one whole yere then the Pope may denounce all his subjects absolved and utterly delivered from shewing or owing any fidelitie or obedience towards him Againe That the Pope may give that land to be occupied and enjoyed of the Catholiques to possesse it all Heretiques being rooted out quietly without contradiction Tho. Beacon Cum privil An. 1567. And the Protestants say that this imperfection hath hung so fast upon all Councels and Churches that Nazianzen saith He never saw any Councell have a good end White pag. 83. Are not here sufficient Testimonies proved from Scriptures and Experience that the learned have usually erred and that so often the holy Scripture warneth us to beware of false Prophets for many are gone out into the world 1. Ioh. 4.1 c. And will not your Majestie your Highnesse your Honours your Worships be pleased to consider of these things but will your selves submit the guidance of your soules to the learned Spirituality as they are called without due examination by the Scriptures which if you doe we can but bewaile with the sorowes of our hearts and are you not herewith satisfied but will you with your power which God hath given you to use well compell and constraine your subjects and underlings to beleeve as the learned binding our consciences by not suffring us to reade and search the Scriptures which if you abhor as being the Romish practise will you doe that which is worse letting us reade the Scripture wherby we may know the will of our heavenly Master and have our consciences enlightned and convinced but not suffer us to practise that we learne and know and that our consciences are convinced of by the Scriptures whereby our sinne and condemnation is made greater against God then the blinde Papist as is proved Luk. 12.47 but we must captivate our consciences and practise to that which in our soules we know to be will and contrary to the manifest law of the Lord onely because the learned have so decreed whom you acknowledge are subject to erre as well as others or else lie in perpetuall imprisonment and be otherwise grievously persecuted May it please you to observe that The Church of Rome seeth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh hath abolished the Priesthood of Aaron and the Legal sacrifices but the learned Iewes see it not to this day nay the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees saw it not but for the publishing thereof persecuted Christ the Lord his holy Apostles to the death calling their doctrine heresie them seditious enemies to Caesar what not for which their cruelty we all justly condemne them so often as we reade the holy historie And the Church of England seeth divers damnable doctrines of the Church of Rome this among many That the Scriptures are not the onely rule of faith but that men ought to be constrained to beleev as the Church beleeves the Protestants see the iniquitie of this because they see all Churches are subject to erre But the learned Papists see it not but have decreed That who so resisteth any point shal be judged as an Heretique and suffer fire and fagot for the which the Protestants and we justly cry out against them for all the innocent bloud that they have shed And we see most manifestly that whatsoever is not of faith is sin Rom. 14.23 and that no mortall man may make a law to the conscience and force unto it by persecutions and consequently may not compell to any religion where faith is wanting But the learned of this land see it not or rather will not practise it but for our profession practise of this truth procureth your temporall sword for their spirituall is without edge to persecute us by casting us into prisons where some of us have remained divers yeres in lingring imprisonment without hope of release till our God perswade the harts
the wheat and tares grow together in the world untill the Harvest Mat. 13. And so in humble manner we proceed CHAP. I. The doctrine of the Holy Ghost contained in the sacred Scriptures is the rule of faith and not any Church Counsell Prince or Potentate nor any mortall man whatsoever Proved BY the Scriptures themselves which are the writings of Moses and the Prophets The Evangelists and Apostles These are a sufficient Rule to trie all faith and religion by Our reasons are 1. They are inspired of God and are able to make us wise unto salvation and perfect to every good worke 2. Tim. 3.15 Secondly because these writings were written that we might have certainety of the things whereof we are instructed Luke 1.4 That our joy might be full 1. Ioh. 1.4 and that we might beleeve and in beleeving might have life Ioh. 20.31 Thirdly we are cōmanded Not to presume or be wise above that which is written 1. Cor. 4.6 For with this weapon Christ put to flight the devill Mat. 4. and taught his Disciples Luk. 24.27 46. and Paul taught Christ Iesus Act. 17.2 The godly are commended for searching the Scriptures Act. 17.11 and commanded to search them Ioh. 5.39 and they that vvill not beleeve these Writings will not beleeve Christs vvords nor one that should come from the dead Ioh. 5.47 Luke 16.31 If any Papist or Atheist aske how vvee know all or any of these Scriptures to be inspired of God Wee answer The eare saith Iob 12.11 discerneth words and the mouth tasteth meate for it selfe And as the eie discerneth the light of the Sun so doth our spirit discerne these Scriptures to be of God and that for these reasons First in regard of the majestie wisedome and Grace of them from all other writings For there is as great glorie in these Scriptures as in the making of this vvonderfull vvorld which may evidently be seene Secondly by their teachings which excelleth all humane teachings leading us from Satan from this world and our selves to God in holinesse faith love feare humilitie Thirdly the true events of them or fulfilling of the Prophesies conteined in them Fourthly the consent and agreement of all the parts of them the like wherof cannot be shewed of so many severall Writers since the vvorld began Fiftly the admirable preservation therof against time and tyrants all which could not extinguish them Sixtly the devill and his instruments rage against those that practise the doctrines conteined in them Seventhly the conversion of thousands to God by the power of the doctrine of them Eightly the vengeance of God upon such as have not obeyed them Ninthly the acknowledgement of them by the verie professed adversaries thereof Tenthly the miracles from heaven confirming them Eleventhly the sight of a Saviour to man is onely from them And lastly the simplicity of the Writers and plainenes of the writings For God hath chosen the meane contemptible and despised to publish the mysteries of his will These are sufficient to perswade that these holy Writings are inspired of God and so able to make us wise to salvation and perfect to every good worke These Scriptures conteine the Law and Testimonie and if any Councell Church Prince or Potentate speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Esa 8.20 but we are commanded to hold them accursed Gal. 1.8.9 For whosoever shall adde unto these things God shall adde the plagues written herein and who so shall take away from those things God shall take his name out of the booke of Life and out of the holy Citie and from those things that are written Revel 22.18.19 Much by us shall not need to be vvritten in this thing it is so evident and so generally acknowledged except the Papists onely we will bring some humane Testimonies The Protestants affirme Whites Way to the Church Dedicated to the Bishops pag. 12. That it is the doctrine of the Church of England Article six that the Scriptures comprehended in the old and new Testament is the Rule of Faith so far that whatsoever is not read therein nor cannot be proved thereby is not to be accepted as any point of faith or needfull to be followed but by it all doctrines taught and the Churches practice must be examined and that rejected which is contrary to it under what title or pretence soever it come unto us And further they say pag. 1. That the Pope or any mortall man should be the rule that must resolve in questions and controversies of faith is an unreasonable Position voide of all indifferency when common sence teacheth that he that is a Party cannot be a Iudge And againe p 17. Which is the Church is controversall which is the Scriptures is not therefore let that be the Rule which is out of doubt Againe pag. 44. The Scriptures containeth the Principles of our faith and shall we not beleeve them Or cannot we know them of themselves infallibly without we let in the authority of the Church This and much more the Protestants have written sufficiently confirmeth That no Church nor man whatsoeuer may be a Rule or Iudge in matters of Faith but onely the holy Scriptures and whosoever teacheth or practiseth otherwise they must hold maintain the Papists Creed or Colliers faith which the Protestants so much detesteth mentioneth p. 6. out of Staphilus his Apologie Thus The Collier being at the point of death tempted of the devill what his faith was answered J beleeve and die in the faith of Christs Church being againe demanded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith saith he that J beleeve in Thus the devill getting no other answer was overcome and put to flight by this faith of the Collier every unlearned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no by this faith he may resist the devill and judge the true interpretation from the false and dis erne the Catholique from the Hereticall Minister the true doctrine from the forged For if this answer of the Collier and the Papists conclusion upon it be not sound but detestable as the Protestants confesse and cry woe unto the Papists for the same and that justly Then is it no lesse detestable in the Protestants or any other to require or force any to yeeld so in Religion and Faith that upon such a temptation he hath no better answer to make then as the Collier to say I beleeve and die in the faith of the Church or of the Prince or of the learned For being demanded what that faith is if he be not able to prove it by Gods word conteyned in the Scriptures it is no better then the answer of the Collier The faith that I beleeve in c. Oh how manie millions of soules in this Nation not Papists but Protestants live and die and have no other faith then this CHAP. II. The interpreter of this Rule is the Scriptures themselves and the Holy
in him vers 49. but this people that know not the Law are cursed The truth of this is as plaine as may be that the Scriptures being the rule of Faith perfect and absolute and that the plainenesse of them is such as that by the Spirit of God they may easily be understood of those that feare and obey God but of none else and that such are most commonly the poore and despised For if any want wisedome be he never so simple let him come unto God and hee will give him Iam. 1.5 which is also confirmed by humane testimonie The Protestants confesse that in the Primitive Church the doctrines and severall points of Religion were known and discovered by the most meane of the people and rhe Bishops exhorted them therunto c. Whits way pag. 7. And that this rule is of that nature that it is able to direct any man be he never so simple yea the most unlearned alive may conceive and understand it sufficiently for his salvation pag. 9. And they relate the sayings of the Ancients in this time First Clemence Alexandrinus The word is not hid from any it is a common light which shineth to all men and there is no obscuritie in it c. pag. 32. Next Augustine God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacitie of babes and sucklings that when proud men will not speak to their capacitie yet himselfe might After him Chrisostome The Scriptures are easie to understand and exposed to the capacitie of every servant and Plowman and widow and boy and him that is most unwise therefore God penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicanes Fishermen Tent-makers Shepherds Neatherds and unlearned men that none of the simple people might have any excuse to keep them from reading and that so they might be easie to be understood of all men the Artificer the Housholder and Widow woman and him that is most unlearned Yea the Apostles and Prophets as Schoole-masters to all the world made their writings plaine and evident to all men so that every man of himselfe onely by reading them might learne the things spoken therein Next Iustine Martyr saith Heare the words of the Scripture which be so easie that it needs no exposition but onely to be rehearsed And this the Protestants say was the perpetuall and constant judgement of the ancient Church c. And further he alledgeth pag. 21. Theodoret who writ of his times You shall every where see these points of our faith to be knowne and understood not onely by such as are Teachers in the Church but even of Coblers and Smiths and Websters and all kinde of Artificers yea all our women not they onely which are booke-learned but they also that get their living with their needle yea mayd-servants and wayting-women and not Citizens onely but Husbandmen of the Country are very skilfull in these things yea you may heare among us Ditchers and Neatherds and Wood-setters discoursing of the Trinitie and the creation c. The like is repeated by others And say the Protestants His doctrine that was President in the Trent Councell That a Distaffe was fitter for a woman then a Bible was not yet hatched c. Oh! it were well if the contempt of these pious practises were paled onely within the Romish profession and were not practised in and among those that professe themselves to be separated therefrom As what is more frequent in the mouthes of many learned Protestants then these and such like words Must every base fellow Cobler Taylor Weaver c. meddle with the exposition or discoursing of the Scriptures which apperteyneth to none but to the learned Yea doe they not forbid their owne Ministers to expound or discourse of the Scriptures Read the 49. Canon which is No person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Dioces or not licenced as is aforesayd for a sufficient and convenient Preacher shall take upon him to expound in his owne Cure or elsewhere any Scripture or matter or doctrine but shall onely studie to read plainly and aptly without glosing or adding the Homilies alreadie set forth or hereafter to be published by lawfull Authoritie c. So that not onely Iesus Christ and his Apostles who are alive in their doctrine though not in their persons are forbidden all exposition of holy Scriptures or matter or doctrine not being licensed by the Bishops but also their owne Ministers who have sworne Canonicall obedience to them Yet when they are put to answer the Papist who practise the same thing they take up both Scriptures and ancient Writers to confute it CHAP. V. The learned in humane learning doe commonly and for the most part erre and know not the Truth but persecute it and the professors of it and therefore to be no further followed then we see them agree with the Truth THe next in order is That seeing the Lord reveileth his secrets to the humble though wanting humane learning That we now prove that on the contrarie God usually and for the most part Hideth his secrets from the learned and suffreth them to erre and resist the Truth yea so far as to persecute it and the professors of it And first let us beginne with the learned Heathen who were behind none in humane learning The wise men of Egypt how did they resist the powerfull truth of God delivered by Moses yea they resisted it with such signes and lying wonders as the heart of Pharaoh and all his people was hardened against it Exod. 7.11.12.18 8.7 And what was the cause of the destruction of Babel but the trusting in the learned Esa 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels c. And Esa 44.25 I destroy the tokens of the Southsayers and make them that conjecture fooles and turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse The things of Gods dealing none of the learned of Egypt or Babel could interpret but Ioseph and Daniel Next come to the learned Priests and Prophets of the Iewes whose lips should have preserved knowledge and at whose mouth the people should have sought the Law But saith the Lord Mal. 2.7.8 They are gone out of the way they have caused many to fall by the Law c. Also Esay 29. Stay your selves and wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not by strong drinke for the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes the Prophets and your chiefe Seers c. Therefore the Lord said Because this people come neere unto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from me their feare towards me was taught by the precepts of men Therfore behold I will againe doe a marveilous worke in this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be
A MOST HVMBLE SVPPLICATION OF MANY THE KINGS MAIESTIES LOYALL SVBIECTS READY TO TEStifie all civill obedience by the oath as the Law of this Realme requireth and that of conscience Who are Persecuted onely for differing in Religion contrary to divine and humane testimonies as followeth Prov. 21.13 He that stoppeth his eare at the crying of the poore he shall also crie and not be heard Printed 1621. This Book belongs to The New-England Library Begun to be collected by Thomas Prince upon his entring Harvard-College July 6. 1703 and was given by said Prince to remain therein for ever TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY Prince Iames by the grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland our Soveraigne Lord on earth TO THE EXCELLENT AND NOBLE Prince Charles Prince of Wales c. To all the Right Honourable Nobilitie Grave and Honourable Iudges and To all other the Right worshipfull Gentrie of all estates and degrees assembled in this present Parliament Right High and Mighty Right Excellent and Noble Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull AS the consideration of that divine commandement of the King of Kings given to every poore Saint 1. Tim. 2. Let supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thankes bee made for Kings and for all that are in authority that wee may leade a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honestie doth cause in us a daily practise therof in our secret chambers as of duetie we are bound of which the searcher of all hearts beareth us witnesse so let it be pleasing to your Majestie and the rest in authority that we make humble supplications and prayers to you for such our bodily miseries and wants as are upon us in that it is in your power to redresse them and especially at this present in this Honourable Meeting assembled for the publique weale of all your loyall subjects Our miseries are long and lingring imprisonments for many yeres in divers countries of England in which many have dyed and left behind them widowes and many small fatherlesse children taking away our goods and other the like of which we can make good probation not for any disloyaltie to your Majestie or hurt to any mortall man our adversaries themselves being judges but onely because wee cannot assent unto and practise in the worship of God such things as we have not faith in which if wee should doe we should greatly sinne against the most High Heb. 11.6 Rom. 14.23 as your Majestie well observeth in these words It is a good sure rule in Theologie that in the matters of the worship of God Quod dubitas ne feceris according to Pauls rule Rom. 14. Let every man be fully perswaded in his minde If we were in errour in these things courses of afflicting our bodies for conscience cause are not of Christ but of Anti-christ as hereafter is most plainely shewed And if no Church be the rule of faith but onely the holy Scriptures as the learned Protestants doe truely confesse and that therefore the doctrine of the Church of Rome that All must beleeve as the Church beleeves and so practise or else be cruelly persecuted be most ungodly then how can they avoide the like censure that practise the same things contrary to their own judgement For the learned Protestants doe say it is high crueltie for the Papists to constraine them to practise those things in Gods worship which they have not faith in nay which they know to bee evill with imprisonment fire and fagot c. and therefore why may not we saie it is as great crueltie for the learned Protestants to constraine us to practise those things in Gods worship which we have not faithin nay which we certainely know to be evill with lingring imprisonment losse of goods and what other cruelties they can procure against us of your Majestie and the civill State If the learned say they have the truth and we are in errour that resteth to be tryed by the true touchstone of the holy Scriptures If the learned be our Iudges the verdit must needs goe against us If their sayings be a safe rule for us to be saved by wee will rest upon them and then why may not the sayings of the Papists be as sure also and they be the Protestants Iudges and so bring us all to beleeve as the Church beleeves The iniquitie of which we have discovered as brieflie as wee can beseeching your majestie and all that are in Authoritie to heare us It concerneth our eternall salvation or condemnation and is therefore of great importance For what can a man give for the ransome of his soule Oh be pleased to remember the saying of that Great and good man Iob ch 29. I delivered the poore that cryed and the fatherlesse and him that had none to help him the blessing of him that was readie to perish came upon me and I caused the widowes heart to rejoyce I was a father to the poore and When I knew not the cause I sought it out diligently I brake also the jawes of the unrighteous man and pluckt the prey out of his teeth Our prayers are and shall be for you day and night to that God of glorie by whom you Raigne and are Advanced that hee will put into your hearts to let these things enter into your thoughts and then wee doubt not the evidence of them being such that you will be moved to repeale and make voide all those cruell Lawes that persecute poore men onely for matters of conscience Not that we any way desire for our selves Papists or others any the least libertie from the strict observation of any civil temporall or humane law made or to be made for the preservation of your Majesties Person Crowne State or Dignitie For all that give not unto Caesar that which is his let them beare their burden But we onely desire that God might have that which is his which is the heart and soule in that worship which hee requireth over which there is but one Lord and one Lawgiver Iam. 4.12 who is able to save it or to destroy it which no mortall man can doe It is not in your power to compell the heart you may compell men to be hypocrites as a great many are who are false hearted both towards God and the State which is sinne both in you and them The vileness of persecuting the bodie of any man onely for cause of conscience is against the word of God and law of Christ it is against your Majesties profession against the profession and practise of other Princes The ancient and latter approved Writers witness against it so doe the Puritanes or Calvinists yea the establishers of it The Papists themselves inveigh against it So that God and all men doe detest it as is herein declared And therefore in most humble manner wee doe beseech your Majestie your Highness your Honours your Worships to consider of it and doe as God directeth you in his Word that cannot lie Let
of your Majestie your Highnes your Honors your Worships to take pitie on us our poore wives and children or his heavenly Majestie release us by death Will not succeeding ages cry out against these cruell courses of the Protestants as well as they crie out against the crueltie of the Iewes and Papists Yes we are assured they will as many millions doe in other Nations at this day The Scriptures declare the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Iewes was Not the obscurity of the Scriptures but that they winked with their eyes lest they should see and lest their honour and profite should decay and come to nothing Ioh. 11.48 and because their feare towards God vvas taught by mens Precepts and because they looked to their own vvay and to their owne advantage and had rejected the word of the Lord and because they builded their Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie and sought their own Honour and not Gods So the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Papists in denying the Scriptures to be the onely rule of faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but they receiving not the love of the Truth God hath given them up to strange and strong delusions and the cause of their not receiving the love of the truth being all those afore-named in the Iewes And the Protestant well observeth that the causes why the Papist deny the Scriptures onely sufficiencie and strive so much for their Churches Authoritie are two First That they might make themselves Iudges in their own cause For vvho seeth not that if the Church be the rule of faith and theirs be the Church which way the verdit will goe Next For that the greatest points of their Religion have no foundation on the Scriptures So that take away the Scriptures and establish their Religion but establish the Scriptures and their Religion vanisheth and that Mother of whoredomes that glorified her selfe as a Queene shall be consumed for her Merchants that are wexed rich through her pleasure and profites shall waile and weep The which they now seeing shut their eyes lest they should see that that should bring them from those Honours Profites and Pleasures In like manner it may easily be judged by everie indifferent heart that the cause why the learned of this land will be blind in not ceasing to constraine men to practise that in Gods worship in which they have not faith nay vvhich is contrarie to the light of their consciences is Not the obscuritie of the Scriptures But their winking with their eyes lest they should see that that would take away their honours profits and pleasures For if Bribes blinde the eyes of the wise Deut. 16.19 then honours profits and pleasures much more For who seeth not if none should be compelled to practice any thing in Gods worship but what they have faith in which will make them read willingly and worship holily then the Honours Profits and Pleasures of the learned men in respect of Spiritualty would decay although your Majestie might lawfully give them what temporall Honours Profits and Pleasures your Highnesse liked of These are the true causes of the blindnesse of the learned For so Christ saith Ioh. 5. How can yee beleeve when yee seeke honour one of another and seeketh not the honour that is of God And how can men but be blind in Gods mysteries vvhen they look to their own way for their own advantage and for their own purpose For having rejected the word of the Lord what wisedome is in them they have no answer of God that build up their Syon for so they account their Churches or professions vvith bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie If these learned could free us from the Lords wrath or that they might answer for us and we be free it were safe for us to submit our selves and captivate our judgements and practise to them but seeing they cannot so much as deliver their own soules and that if the blind leade the blind both must fall into the ditch Mat. 15. and everie one give account of himselfe to God Rom. 14. and be judged by his own workes done in the flesh 2. Cor. 5. and that the soule that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. vvee dare not follow any mortall man in matters of salvation further then wee know him to agree vvith Gods meaning in the Scriptures Paul the holy Apostle of Iesus Christ taught that we should follow him no otherwise then he followed Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 yea Christ himselfe sent men to the Scripture to try his doctrine Ioh. 5. The Apostles suffred their doctrine to be tryed and commended them that tryed it Act. 17.11 And the Protestants confesse White pag. 127. This doctrine was never misliked till a Church arose up whose silver being drosse and whose milke poyson could not endure the tryall which being true that we may trie why may we not also judge and practise according as Gods Spirit shall direct us in our tryall If a man should drinke poyson and know it to be poyson were he not in a worse estate then hee that should doe it ignorantly not knowing thereof even a murtherer of himselfe in the highest degree so he that drinketh spirituall poyson knowing it for so it is unto them they not having faith in it he is in a worse estate even a murtherer of his owne soule in the like degree And therefore that Church or those learned that vvill suffer their doctrine to be tryed and yet constraine men to receive it and practise it when upon tryall their consciences are convinced of the falshood thereof are worse and doe more highly sinne then they that constraine a blind conscience though both be evill Wee despise not learning nor learned men but doe reverence both it and them according to their worthinesse onely when it is advanced into the seat of God and that given unto it which apperteineth to the Holy Ghost which is to leade into all truth then ought all as Hezekiah did unto the brazen serpent detest it and contemne it CHAP. VI. Persecution for Religion is against the Law of Christ FIrst himselfe commanded Mat. 13.30 vvith 38. Let the Tares and wheate grow together in the world untill the end of this world Secondly the same Christ our Lord commandeth Mat. 15.14 that they which are blindly led on in false Religion and are offended at him for teaching true Religion should be let alone deferring their punishment unto their falling into the ditch Thirdly hee reproved his Disciples vvho would have had fire to come downe from heaven and devoured those Samaritanes that vvould not receive Christ saying Yee know not of what spirit yee are the Sonne of man is not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9.54.55 which plainely proveth that Christ vvould have no man hurt for Religion although they be refusers of him Fourthly the Holy Ghost teacheth the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all men suffering the evill