de Polycarp Mart. swearing by the Emperor and his Genius for not ‖ Omnes Dei cultores sacrificare vel mori cogebat Martyrium Ignat. sacrificing to Idols and the Emperors * Epist ad Trajan l. 10. 97. Statue And the Albigenses for not worshipping of Saints and Angels and the Host as the Papists call their Breaden God or thirdly For worshipping of him in an undue manner whether it be positively so as the Primitive Christians were persecuted by the Jews for not worshipping of God according to their manner after it was abrogated or naturally so as the Protestants are persecuted for not worshipping of him according to the corrupt manner of the Papists which is polluted with the worship of Creatures and with many Sacrilegious Idolatrous and truly superstitious Rites and Ceremonies which utterly deprave and defile the Religious offices to which they belong Or secondly upon a positive account for worshipping the true God as Daniel was persecuted for worshipping of God as afore-time after the decree of Darius was made not to ask any petition of God or man for thirty days except of the King So likewise with respect to matters of Justice and Charity a man is also persecuted upon two accounts either for not doing of something which is unjust or uncharitable as the Egyptian Midwives were in danger of being persecuted by Pharaoh for not murdering the Hebrew Infants and many of the Primitive * Clem. ad Cor. Epist c. 54. p. 114 Edit Oxon 1677. Rom. 16.4 Christians for not betraying or delivering up their Brethren into the hands of the persecutors or for doing some just or charitable action which ought to have been done as many of the Primitive Christians and Protestants have been persecuted for harbouring and relieving their distressed Brethren and many of his Majestie 's loyal Subjects for harbouring relieving and assisting of him These are all the cases for which a man ordinarily speaking can be persecuted it must be for matters of Faith or matters of Practice for matters of Divine worship which belong to the first or matters of Justice and Charity which belong to the second Table of the Law All righteousness or matters of Religion for which a man can be truly persecuted are reducible I say to Faith or Practice and all matters of Faith are either such as are necessary to be known that they are revealed and they are but few or that are necessary to be believed when they are known and they may be very many and all matters of practice in short are such as God hath made it either absolutely necessary or in such circumstances for man to do or not to do But if men will believe things to be Articles of Faith which God never made so and also make rules for matters of Christian practice and Communion which God never made if they will believe false or impious or uncertain Doctrines to be certain and true and set up new notions which Primitive and Virgin Christianity never understood or professed and revive old Errors and Heresies which were condemned by the Catholick Church In a word if they will impose upon their own and other mens Consciences and teach for Doctrines of God the Traditions or Inventions of private men let them suffer never so much or be never so much perswaded in their own Consciences of the truth of them yet they cannot be persecuted for them though when they are honestly minded with their erroneous Consciences and their errors do not tend to the publick disturbance nor thwart the common fundamentals of Christianity they may be too severely used I say men that coine new Doctrines and Rules and Precepts for Christian Practice and Communion which God never made let them suffer never so much from Authority in the defence of them yet they are not persecuted but rightfully punished and suffer not as Christians but as Criminals and though God will be merciful to their mistakes when they proceed not from an ill mind and pardon their ignorance when it is not wilful and affected yet they can neither suffer as Confessors nor Martyrs nor shall they receive the promised reward for their sufferings in the world to come No! whosoever is truly persecuted must suffer for Doctrines and Laws which God hath given us for the common principles of Christianity not for private fancies and inventions and therefore when you hear men cry out of persecution consider for what Scriptural Truth for what Article of the Creed for what * Because I have here made mention of the common principles of Christianity which I call Catholick principles I shall here explain my self in the words of the most Learned Dr. Beverege who hath deserved so well of the Church Catholick in his Prooemium before his Codex Canonum Vindicatus Si praegrande hoc omnium cujusque seculi Christianorum corpus quod Catholica sive universa Ecclesia vulgo appellatur ut ubique semper constitutum attenti perlustremus certa quaedam quasi communia in eo deprehendemus principia quae totum percurrunt omnesque illius partes sibi invicem capiti connectunt Equibus primum illudque è quo catera oriuntur est Sacram Scripturam sive vetus novúmque Testamentum Divinitùs esse inspiratam Verum enimvero haec sacra Scriptura etiamsi in iis quae ad cujusque salutem absolutè sunt necessaria praeceptis clarissima sit omnibus manifesta quantum tamen ad doctrinam spectat externam Ecclesiae disciplinam ea pro ipsâ suâ altitudine non uno codémque sensu ab omnibus accipitur ut observavit olim Vincent Lirinensis ex haereticis schismaticis satis supérque constat qui nempe singuli pravas suas opiniones praxésque è sacris Scripturis suo modo interpretatis cliciunt In hujusmodi itaque rebus si non errandi nec offendendi certi esse velimus imprimis procul omni dubio cavendum est nè privatis nostris aliorum opinionibus aut conjecturis pertinaces nimis adhaereamus sed nobiscum potiùs recolamus quid universa Ecclesia vel maxima saltem pars Christianorum de istis senserint in cá acquiescamus sententiá in quam Christiani per omnia secula consenserunt quemadmodum enim omni in re consensus omnium vox naeturae est ut ait Cicero sic etiam in hujusmodi rebus consensus omnium Christianorum vox Evangelii meritò habeatur Multa autem sunt quae licet in sacris Scripturis expresse ac definitè non legantur communi tamen omnium Christianorum consensione ex iis eruantur Ex. gr Tres distinctas in sacrosanctá Trinitate Personas venerandas esse Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum hósque singulos verum esse Deum tamen unum tantummodo esse Deum Christum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse verè Deum ac verè hominem in unâ eâdemque personâ Hac similia quamvis totidem verbis ac
Cross is now become unlawful in the Office of Baptism Are these Christian Doctrines or Precepts that the People have a right to chuse their own Ministers that no Power upon Earth at least no Secular Power can silence or suspend a Minister that Infant-Baptism is unlawful or that the Scripture is the Adequate Rule of Conscience and Practice or that nothing ought to be instituted in the Service and Worship of God which he hath not commanded or approved in his Word Are any of these not to mention others Articles of Faith or Gospel-doctrines or Catholick principles If they be how came they to lye so long undiscovered and never to be found out but by a few particular men among us some about an hundred and some about thirty and forty years ago What were all Christian Doctors before Popery and all since the Reformation from it but a few Dissenters of these Countries blind that they could never yet discern these Doctrines in the Scriptures neither in express terms nor in the scope and tenor of them these Doctrines which would make the professors of them now separate from all National establishments of the Protestant Religion as well as ours and which must have obliged them had they lived in the first and best Ages of Christianity to have separated from all the Churches in the world For there were * As Jaemes at Jerusalem and S. John the Apostle at Ephesus both which as a sign of the High-Priesthood for S. Clemens compares the Bishop to the High-Priest c. 40. ep ad Cor. wore the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pontifical Crown or Frontlet wherein was written holiness to the Lord. Euseb lib. 5. c. 24. Epiphan in haer Nazar in haer 78. Marc at Alexandria who also is said to have wore the Pontifical Frontlet Vales not ad b. 5. c. 24. Eus not to mention Clemens Caius Archippus Onesimus Euodias Timothy Titus Ignatius c. who were all such Bishops according to Catholick Antiquity Bishops over several Congregations superior to and distinct from Presbyters in the Apostles times and the Christian writers of the next Age to them upon whose Authority we take the Books of the New Testament to be their writings did teach and believe the office of such a Bishop to be the Ordinance of God And in those pure and Virgin-times of Christianity they worshipped God by Forms of Prayer used Ceremonies in his worship united into * Euseb l. 3. c. 23. Can Ap. 34. Conc. Antioch c. 9. Metropolitan which answer to our National Churches used the Sign of the Cross at all sorts of Devotion received their Ministers from their Bishops at whose Election it is true they used to signifie their approbation as the People were wont to do at our King's Coronation but they never poll'd at them nor properly speaking gave any vote In those days also in the pure and Virgin Ages of Christianity while the Disciples of the Apostles governed the Church the Bishops silenced and deposed Presbyters who were not so much as to ‖ Ignat. ad Smyrn Philadelp Trull Can. Apost 39. Tert. de baptismo c. 17. Concil Ancyr c. 13. Concil Laod. c. 56. Hier. advers Lucifer preach or administer any Sacrament without their leave and consent They then also used and instituted many Ceremonies of which we have no account neither Precept nor Example in the Word of God Shall I mention some They always mixed * Just Mart. Apol. 2. Conc. sext in Trull c. 32. Conc. Carth. Can. 40. water with the Sacramental Wine to signifie that the Bloud of Christ had a cleansing virtue in it which mystery was also as they believed represented by the water which flow'd with the bloud from our Saviour's side They sent ‖ Just Mart. loc cit portions of the Sacramental Bread to the sick and absent to signifie that they were partakers of the same Sacrifice and belonged to the same Altar and they worshipped God towards the * Resp ad quaest 118. ad Orthodox East They gave ‖ Tertull. Clemens Alexand. forsan Barnab Epist p. 223. Edit Isaac Voss Milk and Hony to drink unto Baptized persons to signifie that they were like new-born Babes who ought to desire the sweet and sincere milk of the Word They sung Psalms * Plin. cit Epist alternately at the holy Eucharist They stood up in all their Devotions from ‖ Resp. ad quaest ad Orthod 115. Easter till Whitsuntide to signifie that Christ was risen from the dead They observed the four Apostolical Holidays the Passion Resurrection and Ascension of our Lord and the descent of the Holy Ghost Nay even in the Apostles days they * Rom. 6.4 dipt baptized persons over the head and let them remain a little space under water to signifie that they were buried with Christ in Baptism They also then had ‖ 1 Cor. 11. Love-feasts joyned with the holy Eucharist the * 1 Cor. 16.20 1 Thess 5.26 Just Mart. Apol 11. salutation of the holy Kiss and observed the Jewish custom of saying the Hebrew word ‖ 1 Cor. 14.16 Just Mart. Apol. 11. Amen at the conclusion of every Prayer These were the general besides the particular Ceremonies of particular Churches and in one word there was never any separation made or thought of in any of the Primitive Ages of Christianity upon the account of Ceremonies and therefore since the belief and practice of God's universal Church in the first and best Ages are contrary to the Doctrines and Precepts by which our dissenting Brethren in vain attempt to justifie their separation How can they be Doctrines and Precepts of the Gospel How can they be Catholick principles or parts of Christianity and how can they be persecuted in the defence thereof No! they are no parts of Christianity no Laws nor Doctrines of the Gospel but meer humane inventions meer humane fancies and opinions and most of them modern opinions too Primitive Christianity never heard nor thought of such things and notions but they have been invented and advanced to justifie the Schismatical practices of some Men who have not brought their Works to the Rule but the Rule I mean the Gospel to their Works In a word they are all Novelties or renewed Errors all Impious False or most uncertain Notions and those that Teach them be who they will Teach for Doctrines of God the Traditions and Opinions of Men. II. But this is not the case of our poor Brethren of the French Church 't is not for these nor any such Opinions as these that they suffer but for professing such true and denying such false Doctrines as God hath obliged them to profess and deny and for disobeying their King in doing or not doing of those things which God hath commanded them to do or not to do This is the second part of my Discourse wherein after having stated the true Notion of Persecution I told you I would prove they are
syllabis nec in veteri nec in novo instrumento tradantur de iis tamen ut utroque fundatis inter omnes semper convenit Christianos demptis tantummodo paucis quibusdam haereticis quorum in religione haud major habenda est ratio quam monstrorum in naturâ Sic etiam Infantes sacro Baptismate abluendos esse sponsores ad illud Sacramentum adhibendos dominicum sive primam per singulas septimanas feriam religiosè observandam esse Passionis Resurrectionis Ascensionis Domini ad Coelum nec non Spiritûs Sancti adventûs commemorationem per singulos annos peragendam Ecclesiam ubique per Episcopos à Presbyteris distinctos iisque Praelatos administrandam esse Haec per mille quadringentos ab Apostolis annos in publicum Ecclesiae usum ubique recepta fuerunt nec ullam intra illud tempus invenire est Ecclesiam in ea non consentientem adeò ut quasi communes sint notiones omnium ab origine Christianorum animis insitae non tam ex ullis particularibus Scripturae locis quam ex omnibus ex generali totius Evangelii scopo tenore ex ipsâ religionis in eo stabilitae natura proposito atque ex constanti denique Apostolorum traditione qui Ecclesiasticos hujusmodi ritus generales ut ita loquar Evangelii interpretationes per universum terrarum orbem unà cum fide propagarunt Alioquin enim non credibile imò vero impossibile prorsus esset ut tam unanimi consensione ubique semper ab omnibus reciperentur Vid. etiam Cassandri defensionem officii pii viri adversus Calvinum Catholick principle for what part of Christianity for what Gospel Doctrine they suffer or in obedience to what Gospel Law for 't is no matter how much they are perswaded in their own Consciences and to what degree they suffer but do you enquire after their opinions and then try if they are any part of Christianity and if upon trial they be not found to be so their clamour and noise about persecution must be unjust and vain As for example there is now a loud cry among the Papists of the persecution of the Catholicks as they mis-call themselves and of the persecuting Laws against the Catholicks in England but suppose all our Laws were executed against them for what Article of the Creed for what Gospel-doctrine or Precept for what Catholick principle or for what part of Christianity would these Pseudocatholicks suffer are these Gospel-truths or Catholick principles that the Bishop of Rome is Christ's Vicar General and that he is Supream above all other Bishops of the Catholick Church Can they prove either by the Scriptures or by universal Tradition that he is infallible either in the Chair or out of it and that there is no Salvation to be had without the Pale and Communion of his Church Are these not to mention Transubstantiation Image-worship the Invocation of Saints and Angels Praying in an unknown Tongue c. any parts of the Christian system or did the Primitive Christians or so much as one Church of Primitive Christians know or profess these things No! they are not Articles of Faith nor gospel-Gospel-doctrines nor common notions of Christianity but contradictions to all these and the Doctrines and Traditions of men In like manner not to mention the late * Mitckel King Kid Hackston c. Malefactors in Scotland our dissenting Brethren here have made grievous cries about Persecution and their writings are full of reflections upon the persecuting Laws of invectives against the makers of the Law for Uniformity but for what Gospel-truth or Precept for what Catholick principle or for obedience to what Law of Jesus Christ did they ever yet suffer or can they suffer by those Laws Is this a Gospel-doctrine or Catholick principle that the original Government of the Church was Presbyterian and that the Government of it by Bishops above Presbyters and distinct from them is an alteration of the original Government and an usurpation over the Church of God If it be let them shew us when this disparity of Bishops from Presbyters began Let them assign the time of this universal Aberration and Apostasie from the Primitive platform whether it was done in the time of the Apostles or in the times next unto them If it was done in their time let them tell us whether it was done with their consent or without it or if in the times next unto them let them tell us the names of those Diotrepheses who did first attempt or atchieve it let them shew us so much as one Record that doth make mention of it or let them tell us how so great an alteration was made both over the Presbyters and over the Church and yet not one Church or Presbyter assert its right Or how it came to pass for example that Ignatius an holy Martyr Presbyter of Antioch should so early usurp the Ecclesiastical Government of * Ad Rom. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Syria at a time when there were such vast multitudes of Christians in it and elsewhere that ‖ Epist ad Trajan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tyberianus President of Palestine told the Emperor Trajan under whom he suffered that he was wearied with punishing and killing the Galileans and * Neque enim civitates tantum sed vicos atque etiam agros superstitionis istius contagio porvagata est satis constat propè jam desolata templa Pliny Propraetor of Bithynia told the same Emperor that the Christian Religion had so infected the Cities Towns and Villages in his Province that the Heathen Temples were become desolate and unfrequented or if Bishops then had not many particular Congregations under their inspection how should the same holy Martyr in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna distinguish between personal Communion with the Bishop 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and with another Minister licensed by him and disallow all other Communions but such In like manner is it a Gospel doctrine or Catholick principle that Book-forms of prayer are unlawful or that God cannot be so worthily worshipped by them or in so spiritual a manner as by extemporary prayers Is there one place in the Bible that prefers extemporary before prescribed Forms of Prayer Doth the practice of the Catholick Church prefer those before these Or is there any thing in Scripture or Antiquity to shew that it is a sin for a Minister to wear a Linen garment when he officiates in the Church Are National Churches unlawful or inconsistent with the progress of the Christian Religion or the notion of Christian Union and Communion Doth either the Gospel or any thing in Christianity teach us that the use of Ceremonies is unlawful in Divine worship or that the Sign of the * Clem. Alex. Strom. l 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tertul de resur Caro abluitur caro signatur De corona Ad omnem frontem Crucis signaculo terimus
truly persecuted which you may perceive I can do no other way but by shewing that they suffer for Righteousness-sake for Religions sake for the Truths of the Gospel and in defence of the Gospel-Laws The case is really with them as it was with the Apostles and Primitive Christians they are under a necessity of disobeying the Supream Authority in not conforming to the Gallican Church because the Doctrine and Worship of it are plainly inconsistent with the Doctrines of the Gospel and the Evangelical Worship of God As for example the Gospel hath commanded us not to worship Angels as in Coloss 2.18 Let no man saith the Apostle deceive you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels And Rev. 19.20 when S. John fell at the Angel's feet to worship him See saith the blessed Spirit thou do it not for I am thy fellow-servant But the Gallican Church like all the rest of the Papal Communion Teacheth and Practiseth the worshipping of Angels and maketh solemn Invocations not only of the Angels and Archangels in general but of this and that Angel by their proper Names The Gospel plainly forbiddeth praying in an unknown Tongue because he that speaketh in a Tongue unknown to the People speaketh not unto man as the Apostle argues but unto God and the Air and he that so speaketh is a Barbarian unto the People because they know not the meaning of his voice yet notwithstanding all that is so expresly written upon this matter 1 Cor. 14. the Gallican Church useth Latin-offices and their publick Worship is all in Latin which the People do not understand The Gospel teacheth that as there is but one God so there is but one Mediator betwixt God and Man the man Christ Jesus to whom alone we must pray to make intercession for us to God but the Gallican Church prays to * Dom. quintâ post Epiph. ad poscenda suffragia Sanctorum Oratio in octavâ Sancti Steph. ut pro nobis Intercessor existat Saints and Angels and above all to the ‖ De Sanctâ Mariâ oratio in all their Masses ut qui verè eam genitricem Dei credimus ejus apud te intercessionibus adjuvemur Oratio in circumcisione Domini ut ipsam pro nobis intercedere sentiamus blessed Virgin to make intercession for them So that if her prayers were in the Mother-tongue the People could not joyn in Her worship without committing Idolatry against God and Blasphemy against Jesus Christ The Gospel assureth us that Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven and there sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for us and that he was once offered up for all and by one offering of himself perfected for ever them that are Sanctified but the Gallican like all other Popish Churches teacheth that he is bodily present and bodily offered up in the Sacrifice of the Masse and that his real flesh and bones are eaten when the consecrate Wafer is eaten and that the Hostie as they call the great Wafer which they expose and carry about is the * Urbanus VIII in his Preface before the Missal begins thus Si quid est in rebus humanis planè divinum quod nobis superni cives si in eos invidia caderet invidere possent id certè est SS Missae Sacrificium cujus beneficio sit ut homines quâdam anticipatione possideant in terris coelum dum ante oculos habent manibus contrectent coeli terraeque conditorem very Christ This they keep in a Box on purpose and on ‖ Especially the two Corpus Christi days called by the Gallican Church Festes de Dieu the Feasts of God solemn days carry it in Procession as the Pagans did their Idols to be adored and where ever it is met there the People must fall down and worship and wheresoever the Priest makes a stand there must prayers be offered up unto it as unto the very Christ The Heathens were never guilty of more gross and absurd Idolatry than this The worshipping of a Leek or an Onion or an head of Garlick as the Egyptians did is not more against common Sense and Reason than the worshipping of a Wafer the work of a Baker or Confectioners hand And then as to the Elements to be received in the holy Eucharist the Gospel saith expresly that at the Institution of it our Lord took bread and brake it and gave it to his Disciples saying Take eat this is my body likewise that he took the Cup saying Drink ye all of this for This is related in the same manner by S. Paul 1 Cor. 11. where he also saith Whosoever eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself Accordingly the Primitive universal Church administred it exactly after Christ's Institution as is evident out of * Ad Philadelph 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius ‖ Apol. 2. Justin Martyr c. And all succeeding Ages followed this Primitive practice and still doth follow it throughout the * Cassand do Sacra Com. universal Church except the Church of Rome which began above Five Hundred years since to take away the Cup from the People for fear O superstitious Souls that they should spill the Bloud Yet the Gallican Church for all her fine pretences to Liberty still continues so strictly Popish that she deprives her People of the Cup although the Saviour she pretends to worship Proleptically speaking of this holy Sacrament saith Whosoever eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath Eternal Life What shall I say of the abominable Doctrines of Supremacy Infallibility and Purgatory which she alloweth with all the practices that follow thereupon and of her Image-worship and Cross-worship Crucifix worship not to mention her Ceremonies which for their number are intolerable and for their nature such as vilifie pollute and deprave the worship of God These are the things which make our French Brethren dissent from the publick establishment There is a plain opposition betwixt the Doctrines and Worship set forth in the Gospel and the Doctrines and worship of the Gallican Church They cannot conform unto it nor live in the Communion of it and be true to the Gospel nor obey their Prince in this particular because Obedience unto him would be Disobedience unto God They have no quarrel at the Church because it is Episcopal but because it is Popish for * Calv. ad Sadol If the Bishops would so rule as to submit themselves to Christ then if there shall be any that shall not submit themselves to that Hierarchy reverently and with the greatest obedience that may be there is no kind of Anathema whereof they are not worthy id instit l. 4. c. 4. ss 4. Beza de divers grad contr Sarav c. 21. Melancthon ad camer an 1530. Confess Aug. de Eccles potest Apol. Confess Aug. ad art 14. Princeps Anbalt in concion super Matth. 7. Bogerman President of the Synod of Dort Nay Blondel
himself in Conclus Apol. pro Hieronymo which by the importunity of the Agents of the general Assembly he was prevailed with to leave out with great numbers more to be seen in Dr. Fern against Champney Bancrofts Survey ch 8. Mason's defence of the Ordination c. Dr. Durell of the Reformed Churches and the posthumous piece of Bishop Morton published by Sir Hen. Yelverton Lastly see Mr. de Langle and Mr. Claude's Letters at the end of the most worthy and most learned Dean of Pauls his Vnreasonableness of Separation which the late Agent at Charenton did in vain endeavour to make them retract though they have not Bishops yet their and other Reformed Writers have approved the Office and protested that they would if they could have retained them and desired that their rejecting of them might be imputed to necessity and not to their choice They have generally declared that they will submit to their own Bishops if they will Reform and some of them for want of Episcopal Government which they believe to be of Apostolical Institution have thought their own Churches deficient and in that respect not so perfect as ours They are formed into a National Church and are for National Churches detest Sovereign Independent Communions and their Ministers officiate in a distinct habit and are so far from disliking or undervaluing Liturgies that they Pray Baptize and Administer the holy Communion in Liturgical Forms They silence and suspend Ministers in their Consistories and Synods They would have had Church-Musick Organs I mean if they might and would condemn all those as guilty of Schism who only under the infinite pretence of purer Ordinances and purer Worship would set up private Congregations and erect private Altars in opposition to the publick and then teach the People that the Magistrate hath nothing to do in Ecclesiastical matters but that they ought to repair to those Congregations where they find they can profit most No! they dissent not upon such thin and absurd pretences as these but for the same reasons that their noble Ancestors the Albigenses and our Ancestors since them dissented from the Church of Rome They do not only pretend Conscience and say their Consciences tell them that such and such things are unlawful but they produce the Rules and Precepts and Doctrines of the Gospel which those Doctrines which they cannot profess and those things which they cannot practise plainly contradict The reasons of their Non-conformity do not vary as time serves but they are the same that they were from the beginning and they are not such as would overthrow all Communions and destroy all the Churches that are or can be in the world In a word they dissent and disobey in the defence of the Gospel and of the plain and undoubted Gospel-truths They are the most noble essential and integral parts of Christianity which they adhere to and it is not so much a Christian as a Pagano-Christian a most corrupt tyrannical and Idolatrous Church to which they refuse to conform As Rome is mystical Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the Earth So the Gallican-Church is a Province belonging to the mystical Babylon a Daughter of that Mother of Harlots full of Fornication and also drunk with the bloud of the Saints Her Kings have all committed Fornication with her but these are come out of her that they might not be partaker of her Sins This is their hard case they are reduced to a necessity of sinning or suffering and therefore their sufferings are truly and properly Persecutions for they suffer for Righteousness-sake and the Gospels-sake and according to the will of God 'T is for Conscience towards God that they endure grief for a good Conscience as the Apostle speaks which is opposed to an evil Conscience defiled with sinful principles and sin A good Conscience in the Scriptures is otherwise called a pure Conscience 1 Tim. 3.9 2 Tim. 1.3 and it is compared to a body washed with water Hebr. 10.22 1 Pet. 3.21 because it is devoid of all sinful prejudice and corrupt affections which pervert men's understandings and render them indocile and are able to make them call black white and white black The same is called in the Parable of the Sower an honest and good heart because it receives the Truth with all readiness and impartially searcheth the Scriptures whether things be so or no and in what person soever this sort of Conscience is he would be glad to obey his Sovereign and be of the established Communion because he knows these are indispensable duties when they can be done without denying Gospel-doctrines or breaking Gospel-Laws Such ingenuous Souls will be ready to hear and ready to give an answer to every man that shall ask them a reason of their doings with meekness and fear and when they suffer for doing good as our French Brethren and fellow-members now do they are made partakers of Christ's suffering in this world and shall be made partakers with him in everlasting Glory among Martyrs and Confessors in the world to come III. Having now shewn first what Persecution is and secondly That our French Brethren are Persecuted I proceed in the Third place to shew to what a degree they are Persecuted and how deplorable their sufferings are and how uneasie and dangerous it is for them to continue in their Native Country where they are treated more like Slaves than Subjects and daily vexed with Julian Edicts and Decrees For they are deprived of the ancient Liberties which were granted unto them by former Princes the Father and Grandfather of this present King Many of their * Sedan the Colledge of Roche-foucaut and that of Châtilion Universities are dissolved and more than half their Temples razed contrary to the Faith of Oaths and Edicts and against the common right of Prescription of Three and Fourscore years They are not allowed to erect Free-Schools for the Education of their own Children nor Hospitals for the maintenance of their own Poor nor can they have the benefit of any already Erected without turning to the Popish Religion The Lords of Mannors among them who formerly had right to keep Ministers and set up the Reformed Worship in their own Houses and call their Neighbours and Tenants unto it by the sound of a Bell are now in a most Arbitrary manner deprived of that priviledge And in the Cities where they are most numerous Colledges of Jesuits or Houses of Mission for propagating the Faith are erected into which undutiful Children or Servants under a pretence of turning Catholicks may retreat when they please and in the greatest of those Cities where perhaps Ten School-Masters could hardly teach all their Children the late Laws allow them but one and their unjust Magistrates commonly none They are forbidden to set up the Fleurs de Luces in their Churches because they must not bear any marks of Royal favour and as a further token of Royal displeasure and contempt their chief