We have no new Faith to Declare no new Doctrine to Teach no private Opinions to Divulge no Point or Truth do we Profess no not one which hath not been declared taught divulged and esteemed as the common Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation If then we evince not the Faith we profess to be consonant unto the Scriptures the Doctrine of the Primitive Church of the four first General Councels the Confessions of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas and that in particular of the Church of England we shall acknowledge the Condition of Things in reference unto that Liberty which we humbly desire to be otherwise stated than hitherto we have apprehended But if this be the condition of our Profession as we hope it is manifest unto all Unprejudiced and Ingenious Persons to be who esteem it their Duty not to judge a matter of so great importance before they hear it We can hardly think that They give up Themselves to the Conduct of the Meek and Holy Spirit of CHRIST who are ready to breathe out Extirpation against us as to our Interest in this World for the profession of Those Principles in the things of God which They pretend to build their own Interests upon for another The NON-CONFORMITY then that we may be charged with being very remote from a dissent unto that Doctrine which is here publickly avowed and confirmed by Law it cannot but seem strange unto us that any should endeavour to cast us under the same severity with them who utterly renounce it and would entayl upon their Posterity on the forfeiture of all their Publick Rights as English-Men and benefit of their private Estates not only an adherence unto the Protestant Religion but a Precise and Determinate Judgement and Practice in things of very Little Concernment therein and of none at all as to publick Tranquility Would it not seem strange that a man might at as easie and cheap a rate renounce the Protestant Profession and the Fundamental Doctrines of the Church of England in things indispensably necessary to Salvation as to be mistaken or suspend his assent about things dark and disputable in their own nature and of very small importance which way soever they are determined So that Men in the embracing or refusal of them rebel not against that commanding Light of God set up in their hearts to rule them in His Name in that apprehension which they have of the Revelation of his Will which is unto them of great and eternal moment They are then only things relating unto Outward Order and Worship wherein our dissent from the present Establishment of Religion doth consist things about which there hath been variety of Judgement and difference in Practice from the days of the Apostles and probably will be so untill the end of the World For we find by experience that the late Expedient for the ending of differences about them by vindicating of them into the arbitrary disposal of every Church or those that preside therein in whose Determinations all persons are to acquiesce is so far from accomplishing the work whereunto it is designed that it contributes largely to their increase and perpetuation Our only guilt then is Our Not agreeing with others in those things wherein there never yet was an agreement among Christians Nor perhaps had they all that frame of Spirit in Moderation and mutual Forbearance which the Gospel requireth in them would it ever by any way needful that there should so be For our parts about these things we judge not other men nor do or ever did seek to impose our apprehensions on their Judgements or Practice What in them is agreeable unto Truth God knows and will one day declare Unto our present Light in the Revelation of His Will must our practice be conformed unless to please Men and secure our transitory perishing Concernments we intend to break his Bonds and cast away his Cords from us And that it may the better appear what is both our Judgement and Practice in and about these things unto what we have declared in the close of our Confession which we suppose they cannot reasonably and with satisfaction to their own Consciences wholly overlook who because thereof are ready to reflect with severe thoughts upon us we shall now only add The General Principles whereunto all that we profess or practise in these things is resolved And of them we humbly desire that a Christian and Candid Consideration may be had As supposing that to pass a Sentence of Condemnation against us for our dissent unto any thing without a previous weighing of the Reasons of that dissent is scarce suitable unto that Law whereby we are Men and engaged into Civil Societies As then Religion is publickly received and established in this Nation there are many outward Concernments of it relating unto Persons and Things that are disposed and regulated by and according to the Laws thereof Such is that which is called Power Ecclesiastical or Authority to dispose of those Affairs of the Church with coercive Jurisdiction which relates to the outward publick Concernments of it and the Legal interests of Men in them This we acknowledge and own to be vested in the Supream Magistrate the Kings Majesty who is the Fountain and Spring of all Jurisdiction in his own Kingdoms what-ever No power can be put forth or exercised towards any of his Subjects which in the manner or nature of its exertion hath the force of a Law Sentence or Jurisdiction or which as to the effect of it reacheth either their Bodies Estates or Liberties but what is derived from him and binding formally on that sole Reason and no otherwise Hence we have no Principle in the least seducing us to transgress against any of those Laws which in former dayes were looked on as safe Preservatives of the Protestant Religion and Interest in this Nation Did we assert a Forreign Power over his Majesties Subjects and claim an obedience from them in some such cases as might at our pleasure be extended to the whole that is due unto Him Did we or any of us by vertue of any Office we hold in the Church of God claim and exercise a Jurisdiction over the Persons of his Majesties Subjects in Form and Course of Law Or did we so much as pretend unto the exercise of any Spiritual Power that should produce effects on the Outward Man We might well fear left just offence should be taken against us But whereas the way wherein we worship God is utterly unconcerned in these things and we willingly profess the Spring of all Outward Coercive Jurisdiction to be in the Person of the Kings Majesty alone without the least intermixture of any other Power of the same kind directly or by consequence we cannot but say with confidence That it will be utterly impossible to convince us That on this account we are Offendors For the Worship of God and Order therein which is purely Spiritual and
a peculiar Objection against us it being the only Foundation of all others and only occasion of the difference about which we treat Had not a Law enjoyned the practice of some things in the Worship of God which according unto our present Light we cannot assent unto without ceasing to worship him for to worship him in our own thoughts against his mind and will is to prophane his Name and Worship had it not forbidden the exercise and discharge of some duties which we account our selves obliged unto by the Authority of God himself we had had no need to implore the clemency of our Governours to relieve us against that severity which we fear This then we acknowledge but withall to state this Difference upon its right foundation do solemnly in all sincerity protest before God his holy Angels and all the world That it is not out of any unwarrantable Obstinacy that we are conscious of unto our selves nor from any disaffection unto or dissatisfaction in the Government that God hath set over us but meerly from a sense of that account which we have one day to make before JESUS CHRIST the JUDGE of All that we cannot yield that compliance unto the Act for Uniformity which it requireth of us The Case then notwithstanding this prejudice is still the same Conscience towards God in the things of his own Worship is still and alone concerned whatever other pretences and reasonings may in this case be made use of as many are and ever were in the like cases and will so be the whole real cause of that severity which we humbly deprecate and only Reason lying against the Indulgence we desire is our Profession and Practice in the things that are not of this world but purely relating to the Revelation of the Mind and Worship of GOD. What-ever therefore men may plead pretend or urge of another nature we are so far conscious unto our own Integrity as to be fully satisfied in our minds That what-ever Dangers we may be in this matter exposed unto or what-ever we may be called to suffer it is all meerly for believing in God and worshipping of him according to what he hath been pleased to reveal of his mind unto us And as in this case it is not in the power of any of the sons of men to deprive us of that Consolation which an apprehension of the truth will afford unto them that sincerely and conscientiously embrace it so whether any men can commend their consciences to God according to the Rules of the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in our molestation and trouble we leave it unto all unprejudiced men to judge And that we may yet farther remove all grounds of mistake and obviate all other pretences against us we shall candidly declare the general Principles both of our Faith and Worship and then leave our condition what-ever it may be to the Judgment of him who hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness of his Majesty whom he hath set over us in supream Power and of all other Persons whatever who have any sense of the Terror of the Lord the account we must make of serving Him according to what He is pleased to reveal of himself unto us the nature of things known only by Divine Revelation or of the infirm frail condition of Mankind in this World For the Faith which we profess and which we desire to walk according unto we need not insist upon the particular heads of it having some years since in our Confessions publickly declared is with the joynt consent of all our Churches neither do we own or avow any Doctrine but what is therein asserted and declared And we hope it will not be looked upon as an unreasonable Request if we humbly desire That it may receive a Christian charitable sedate consideration before it be condemned May we be convinced of any thing therein not agreeable unto the Scriptures not taught and revealed in them we shall be with the first in its rejection That this hath been by any as yet attempted we know not and yet are we judged censured and reproached upon the account of it So far are Men degenerated from that frame of Spirit which was in the Christians of old so far have they relinquished the wayes wherein they walk towards those who dissented from them Nor do we decline the Judgement of the Primitive Church being fully satisfied That we teach and adhere unto is as consonant unto the Doctrine thereof as that of any Church at this day in the World The four first General Councels as to what was determined in them in matters of Faith are confirmed by Law in this Nation which is all that from Antiquity hath any peculiar stamp of Authority put upon it amongst us This also we willingly admit of and fully assert in our Confession Neither doth the addition of ours disturb the Harmony that is in the Confessions of the Reformed Churches being in all material points the same with them and no otherwise differing from any of them in things of less importance than as they do one from another and as all Confessions have done since the first Introduction of their use into the Churches of God That which amongst them is of most special regard and consideration unto us is that of the Church of England declared in the Articles of Religion And herein in particular what is purely Doctrinal we fully embrace and constantly adhere unto And though we shall not compare our selves with others in Ability to assert teach and maintain it yet we cannot whilst we are conscious unto our selves of our Integrity in our cordial adherence unto it but bear with regret the Clamorous Accusations of some against us for departing from the Church of England who have not given that testimony of their adherence unto Its Doctrine which we have done and by the help of God shall continue to do It is true indeed there are some Enlargements in our Confession of the things delivered in the Thirty Nine Articles some Additions of things not expresly contained in them which we were necessitated unto for the full declaration of our Minds and to obviate that obloquy which otherwise we might have been exposed unto as reserving our Judgement in matters that had received great publick debate since the composure of those Articles But yet we are fully perswaded that there is not any proposition in our whole Confession which is repugnant unto any thing contained in the Articles or is not by just consequence deducible from them Neither were we the Authors of the Explanations or Enlargements mentioned there being nothing contained in them but what we have learned and been instructed in from the Writings of the most famous Divines of this Nation Bishops and Others ever since the Reformation which being published by Legal Authority have been alwayes esteemed both at home and abroad faithfully to represent the Doctrine of the Church of England
Evangelical we acknowledge indeed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the only Institutor or Author of it and the holy Scripture the only Principle revealing the only Rule to judge of it and to square it by It is not now our design to plead the Truth of this Principle nor yet to clear it from mistakes or vindicate it from opposition All which are done elsewhere Let it be supposed to be an Error or Mistake which is the worst that can be supposed of It we must needs say That it is an Error which hath so much seeming countenance given unto it by innumerable places of Scripture and by so many Testimonies of the Antient and Modern Doctors of the Church and is every way so free from the production of any Consequent of evil importance That if there be any faylure of the Minds of Men in and about the things of God which from a common sense of the frailty of Humane Nature may rationally expect forbearance and pardon from them who have the happiness to be from all miscarriage of that kind if any such there be this may claim a share and interest among them Nor are we able as yet to discern how any acceptable account can be given to the Lord Jesus at the last day of severity against This Principle or those that otherwise inoffensive walk according to the Light of it Moreover Whereas Principles True in Themselves may in their application unto Practice be pressed to give countenance unto that which directly they lead not unto We have the advantage yet farther particularly to declare That in the pursuit of it in the Worship of God we have no other Ordinances or Administrations but what are by the Law and Church of England Now whatever other occasion may be sought against us which we pray God not to lay to their charge who delight in such practices we know full well that we differ in nothing from the whole form of Religion established in England but only in some few things in outward Worship wherein we cannot consent without the renunciation of this Principle of whose falshood we are not convinced This being our only crime if it be a crime this the only mistake that we are charged with in the things of God we yet hope that sober men will not judge it of so high a demerit as to be offended with our humble desire of Indulgence and a share in that Princely favour towards persons of tender consciences which his Majesty hath often declared his Inclinations for We confess that oftentimes when such Dissents are made a crime they are quickly esteemed the greatest yea almost all that is criminal but whether such a Judgment owes not it self more to Passion Prejudice and private Interest than to right Reason is not hard to determine For our parts as we said before they are no great things which we desire for our selves the utmost of our aim being to pass the remainder of the few days of our Pilgrimage in the Land of our Nativity serving the Lord according to what he hath been pleased to reveal of his mind and will unto us And we suppose that those who are forward in suggesting counsels to the contrary know not well how to countervail the Kings dammage That this our desire is neither unreasonable nor unjust that it containeth nothing contrary to the will of God the practice of the Church of old or to the disadvantage of the publick tranquility of these Nations but that all outward violence and severity on the account of our dissent is destitute of any firm foundation in Scripture Reason or the present juncture of Affairs amongst us we humbly crave liberty in the further pursuit of our own JUST DEFENCE briefly to declare and evidence The great Fundamental Law amongst men from which all others spring and whereby they ought to be regulated is that Law of Nature by which they are disposed unto Civil Society for the good of the whole and every individual Member thereof And this good being of the greatest importance unto all doth unspeakably out-ballance those Inconveniencies which may befall any of them through a restriction put upon them by the particular Laws and Bonds of the Society wherein they are engaged It is not impossible but that sundry persons might honestly improve many things unto their advantage in the increase of their interest in things of this world were not bounds set unto their endeavours by the Laws of the Community whereof they are members But whereas no Security may be obtained that they shall not have their particular limits and concernments broken in upon by an hand of violence and injustice but in a pursuit of that Principle of Nature which directs them to the only Remedy of that Evil in Civil Society they are all in general willing to fore-go their particular advantages for that which gives them Assurance and Peace in all that they are and enjoy besides All such conveniencies therefore as consist in the things that are within the power of men and are inferiour to that Good and Advantage which Publick Society doth afford the Law of Nature directing men unto their chiefest Good commands them as occasion requires to forbear and quit Nor can any Community be established without obedience unto that command But of the things that are not within the power of men there is another reason If the Law of Society did require that all men engaging thereunto should be of one stature and form of visage or should have the same measure of Intellectual abilities or the same conception of all objects of a rational understanding it were utterly impossible that any Community should ever be raised among the sons of men As then all inconveniencies yea and mischiefs relating unto things within the power of men are to be undergone and born with that are less than the Evils which nothing but Political Societies can prevent for the sake thereof So the allowance of those Differences which are inseparable from the nature of man as diversified in Individuals and insuperable unto any of their endeavours is supposed in the Principles of its being and constitution Yea this is one Principle of the Law of Nature to which we owe the Benefits of humane Conversation and Administration of Justice that those differences amongst men which unto them are absolutely unavoidable and therefore in themselves not intrenching upon nor disannulling the good of the whole for nature doth not intersere with itself should be forborn and allowed among them seeing an endeavour for their extinguishment must irresistibly extinguish the Community itself as taking away the main supposal on which it is founded And in that harmony which by an answerableness of one thing unto another riseth from such differences doth the chiefest glory and beauty of Civil Society consist the several particulars of it also being rendred useful unto the whole thereby Of this nature are the things concerning which we discourse They relate as is confessed unto