of Blasphemy If we stand by the former certaine it is that the more Christian the eare is the greater Blasphemy will be heard with patience The stronger and better built any Christian is the further he will be from any unseemly carrage upon any provocation whatsoever If by the latter the sense is altogether uncouth and no meat either for the eare or understanding Of like ambiguity and incumbred with the same difficulties is their explication of this clause in the Ordinance impugning the word of God this they say cannot reasonably â—e thought to signifie lesse then such reproaches against the Truth or divine Authority of the Scriptures as are not to be indured by those that beleeve them to be the word of God If this be all that is meant by the said clause then men may impugne the word of God I meane the Scriptures in a Scholastique way by arguments fram'd against the Divinity of them without comming under the dint or stroake of the Ordinance in case they râ—fraine reproachfull expressions But suppose these men should give us a cleer and a faire sense of these and all other expressions in the Ordinance that are dark and dubious yet this would not justifie the Ordinance unlesse the makers and contrivers of it will please to ratifie them with their subscriptions For as the maxime is Ejusdem â—st â—â—rprâ—tâ—ri cujus est condere They onely have power to interpret a Law viz. authoritatively and with such an interpretation on which a subject may safely repose who by a lawfull power made it Their Argument pretending to the 28 Querie is fram'd quite Sect. 88 besides it and their Answer as much besides the Argument In this Answer they first grant that to say and maintaine that God seeth no sin in the justified in a sense is justifiable and true and yet Sect. 8â— secondly they affirme that it may be made punishable notwithstanding The reason they give is onely this because in another sense which they call the literall and common it is a dangerous and pernicious error But will any man Christianly disposed judge it meet that the saying or publishing that Christ is a Vine or a doore should be made punishable unlesse they declare the particularity of that sense wherein they make it punishable But this light courtesie cannot it seemes be obtained in the case of Gods seeing no sin in the justified of those who yet would have the world beleeve that they have sufficiently Answered the Queries Before they come to Syllogize the twenty ninth Querie they Sect. 89. make a sad complaint of it that it is perplexed and the sense of it involved c. But I marvell why they should turne Querulists against the Querist upon occasion of this Query when as in their Answer to it setting aside a gentle evaporation of some folly towards the beginning of it and a little fit of frowardnesse in the end they are more distinct and speake more steadily to the heart of it then they doe to any of the rest in their respective Answers yea they have not quitted themselves so like men of judgement and understanding in all their discourse besides as they have done in the sober part of this Answer which for their credit I shall set downe in their owne words and improve a little for their benefit He say they that hath read the Socinian bookes whose proper opinion it is that a man must beleeve no more then by his reason he can comprehend will easily be satisfied that the Ordinance plainly requireth that a man should not refuse to beleeve those Doctrines which are clearly and certainly for the matter of them laid downe in the word of God as for example the Doctrine of the Trinity and the incarnation of the Son of God although for the manner of them he cannot by his reason comprehend them and NOT THAT A MAM MVST BELEEVE THAT WHICH HE HATH NO REASON OR GROVND FOR IN THE WORD OF GOD. So then they clearly and fairly grant that the Ordinance doth not require that a man must or ought in point of Religion beleeve any thing but what he hath reason and ground for in the word of God From hence then it follows First that Reason ought to be every mans leader Guide and Sect. 90 Sect. 90. Director in his Faith or about what he is or ought to beleeve and that no man ought to leap with his Faith till he hath looked with his Reason and discovered what is meet to be beleeved what not This is sound Divinity indeed and few more such principles as this well digested by these men and their friends would make them worthy of that title of honour which they so much affect I meane Orthodox Secondly From the said Grant it followeth also that Ministers ought not to require their people to beleeve any thing much lesse every thing which they teach unlesse they have a reason and ground for it and those sufficient for mortuus honâ—â— non est homo nor is an insufficient Reason any reason at all in this case from the word of God Thirdly it followeth yet further that neither ought men to receive or subscribe unto with the hand of their Faith the determinations or Decretalls of Synods Councils or Assemblies of persons of what capacity or worth soever in matters of Religion unlesse they have a sufficient Reason or ground from the word of God for what they doe receive in this kinde Fourthly and lastly it followeth yet once more from the foresaid grant that men ought to make use of yea and ingage to the uttermost their Reasons or their discursive abilities in all matters of Faith and Religion whatsoever and not to swallow any thing by a loose credulity but to look narrowly upon every thing with the eye of Reason before they receive it by the hand of Faith All these deductions are of a legitimate and cleere descent from the mentioned grant and are all of them pregnant noble and magnifique Truths Onely I cannot well understand why the Gentlemen should grant that a man must not or ought not to beleeve what he hath no reason or ground for in the Word of God and yet condemne this for an error that a man ought to beleeve no more then what by Reason he is able to comprehend For if a man cannot beleeve any thing but what he knows to have a being nor yet beleeve the parricular modus or manner of any thing unlesse he knows it to be such as he beleeves it to be and againe if he cannot know either being or manner of being unlesse he conceives or comprehends it in and by his Reason what either the one or the other is which is a Truth unquestionable it undeniably Sect. 91. follows that a man ought not to beleeve any thing either being or manner of being but what by reason he is able to comprehend i. e. able upon good ground to satisfie himself that either the
so cleare in any other Churches as it is here in England I see the morall of the fable verified if a man be the painter the Lyon shall be made to couch at his feet Thirdly That the truth of it is not setled in other Kingdomes or States as it is amongst us it seems they make a difference between cleering and setling and so I beleeve that in their sense there is a very great difference indeed the former being Gods way the latter mens In the fourth place they adde it may justly be beleeved that if he Calvin were now alive in this Kingdome he would not publish or maintaine any thing contrary to the observation of the Lords day as it is enjoyned by the Lawes and Ordinances of this Realm But may not the justnesse of these mens beliefe in this case be justly questioned Is it a just or righteous thing to beleeve or to suppose that a man of worth of able parts of eminent learning of a composed judgement of a tender conscience would baulk with God and his own soule in shunning to declare what upon mature studie upon diligent and faithfull inquirie he judgeth to be the counsell or will of God thorough feare of an Ordinance or Law in a civill State I beleeve if Calvin were now alive whether in this Kingdome or in any other he would conne these Gentlemen small thankes for such a commendation The dregs setled in the bottome of this Answer are these can it be lesse then a wilfull slaunder and malicious purpose of rendring the Ordinance odious to name death as a punishment for maintaining any thing against the Ordinances and Lawes about the Lords day c. But so this Querist deales in other of his Queries c. But let charity or reason or common sense or who yee will judge whether it be lesse then a wilfull slaunder and malicious purpose of rendering the Querist odious without a cause to charge him with naming death as a punishment for maintaining any thing against the Ordinances and Laws about the Lords day To Queree whether Calvin deserved either imprisonment or death for teaching and maintaining c. which is the tenour of the Queree is this to charge Sect. 56. the Ordinance with threatning death as a punishment for maintaining any thing about the Lords day against the Ordinances and Laws If not how can it render the Ordinance odious except haply it be either in the jealous consciences of such men who are under some regret and secret counterworkings of conscience through feare lest the Ordinance though pleasing to them that is to their flesh should yet be odious indeed in the sight of God or else in the over-jealous conceit of those whose chiefe hopes and comforts on earth are bound up in the honour and successe of the Ordinance and who lye under the bondage of this feare that if the Ordinance should prove odious in the eyes of men themselves should suffer and beare the same burthen with it To say that Nicholas or Matthew or any other person is either homo or BRVTVM is it any wayes to name or intimate that brutuâ—s is either the genus or species of either But when mens mindes are set to doe unworthily they become uncapable of greater differences then are between conjunctive and dis-junctive particles though there be no such affinity or likenesse between these which need incumber any sober mans judgement in or about their dijudication But Gangraena and her Paramour hath justified all the sons of Presbytery besides in all their slanders calumnies false aspersions malicious imputations and reports they that are malicious are not malicious in comparison of him that super-abounds in malice Omnis Caesarea cedat labor Amphitheatro Vnuâ—â— pro cunct is fama loquatur opus Let all mens malice give Gangraena place Let Fame instead of all this one piece grace In their Answer to their twelfth Argument if they meane as Sect. 56. they say they make some part of atonement for their delinquency against the Queries hitherto For here they grant that no man is punishable for his meere mistake whatever his opinion be but for being so pertinacious in his mistake in matters of great consequence as that he will not forbeare to publish his mistakes to the infection of others and the mischiefe of their soules and to the ruine or at least miserable Sect. 57. disturbance of the Church of God I freely acknowledge that whosoever out of pertinacy in his mistake not onely in matters of greater consequence but even of lesser will not forbeare to publish his mistakes to the infection of others c. i. e. with a desire or intention to infect and mischiefe the soules of others c. deserves severely to be punished nor shall I ever plead mercy for such a man If the Ordinance had explained it self after any such manner as this I I presume with many others should have been satisfied in it without any more adoe and not have needed to crave satisfaction about it as now wee have done But in case any man shall really and conscientiously judge that opinion of his which others call a mistake and perhaps is so indeed to be a truth of God and shall withall really judge that he is bound in conscience to hold forth such an opinion as being in his judgement and conscience the undoubted truth of God and withall necessary to be published and made known unto men for their spirituall benefit and good in case I say the publishing of his opinion or mistake upon such termes as these shall prove the infection of others or inconvenience or if you will mischiefe the soules of others c. I have no ground either in Reason or Religion to judge this man worthy either death or bands Nay if to publish such mistakes and that even with pertinacy which tend to the infection of others and mischiefe of soules c. were a matter worthy either death or bands I have sufficient grounds both in Reason and Religion to judge and think that very many Ministers of the Anti-Independent interest yea many of very eminent repute amongst them would upon due examination and triall be found in the condemnation The strength of their Answer to their thirteenth Argument Sect. 57. leanes upon this staffe That the open and publique profession of errors is more pernicious then the practise of sins in a like kinde and degree they instance To teach there is no Christ is more dangerous they say then to live as if there were no Christ and yet make a profession of him Well but my judgement and the judgements I beleeve of many more and this Doctrine are at oddes But these men attempt a reconciliation by the mediation of this reason for the proofe of their Doctrine The one they mean the publique profession of errours justifieth what it doth as lawfull under pretended Sect. 57. grounds of truth The other practiseth and yet POSSIBLY not so impudently
and fellowship in some such priviledge as this the misdemeanours of her pen how ridiculous soever in point of ignorance and folly how foule and abominable soever in forgery and untruth are no errors no miscarriages no more offensive or worth the taking knowledge of then strawes upon the ground or sticks broken in an hedge or panes crack'd in a window as if she knew not well what comparison to compare them with to expresse the neernesse of their neighbour-hood unto a meere nothing But Reader what wilt thou say if his Great self-admiresse who thinks her self either above or beneath all misprisions whatsoever whether in matter of learning or of manners being indeed in the very midst and thickest of them both hath in that very sentence wherein shee laboureth to similitude her selfe out of the dishonour and disparagement of either prâ—phaned the excellencie of her learning yet once more by dealing so in-grammatically with her nominative case that man who hath a Lordship or Mannor propounded to him that she hangs him up in the aire without the help of any verb to take him downe Doubtlesse he that then doth not put the nominative case and verb together when he ingageth with the best of his skill to vindicate himself from the disparagement of an insufficiency that way may well be conceived to give a pregnant demonstration that he is insufficient indeed When a man doth not find the way to such or such a place where being come he knows that he shall receive a great sum of money otherwise in danger to be lost is it not a signe greater then râ—proofe that this man knows not cannot finde the way to the said place The signall story in her third Part under whose banner and Authoritie all the rest in their respective troopes and squadrons serve is the relation of a March beaten upon an invisible Drum in Ducking field-Chappell in Cheshire whilst an Independent Church was performing of their worship and service there This relation this relatresse solemnizeth 1. with an exact description of many circumstances of weighty cognizance 2. With two theologicall and grave observations upon it First she layes her foundation for the credit of the whole in the relation of a godly Minister at least if not a Presbyterian also of Cheshire who related it not with some nor with a little nor with a deale but with a GREAT deale of confidence and that not simply as a Truth nor yet as a certain Truth nor yet as a MOST CERTAIN Truth but as a MOST CERTAIN Truth known to many of that Countie Secondly shee takes notice that there was not onely a sound but a perfect sound as of a man beating a March on a Drum Thirdly that this perfect sound of a March was heard 1. as coming into the Chappell 2. as going up all along the I le thorough the people and so about the Chappell Fourthly that this sound notwithstanding yet nothing was seene Fiftly that this perfect sound of a March was heard whilst Mr. Eaton was preaching Sixtly that it was heard by Mr. Eaton and the people that sate in severall parts of the Chappell Seventhly that Mr. Eaton and the people were terrified with it Eightly that it caused Mr. Eaton to give over preaching Ninthly that it caused him in stead of preaching to fall to praying Tenthly that the said March still beating they Mr. Eaton and the people with him broke up their exercise for that time Eleventhly and lastly that they were glad to he gone Tou have heard the Text this passage of Providence as she calls it toward these Independents heare now the grave and learned Commentaries of the Relatresse upon it which consist in two worthy Observations First shee conceiveth that this passage of Providence speakes thus much to the Independents and to the Kingdome that the Independents are for warres desirous of warres and thirst for a new warre with Scotland c. Secondly that the warres which they would have and occasion shall prove their ruine the means to overthrow all their Conventicles c. and cast them out of England for ever as the Bishops and their faction were greedy for a warre against the Scots to support their greatnesse c. But Reader if the Author of Gangrena were a man in any reputation for wisdome or honour here is a dead flie that would cause his oyntmeÌ„t to send forth a stinking savour for ever This passage of Providence as this Son of shame and inconsideratenesse calleth it this perfect sound of a March beaten on an invisible Drum c. asserted with as much confidence as pen could well expresse and by the tenor whereof this false Prophet and Diviner of follies undertakes to know and to declare the secret thoughts and intentions both of God and men was nothing else as many that were present when this Tragi-Comedie was acted and some of them Presbyterians yea some that saw the invisible Drummer doe report but a dog scratching his eare and with his foot upon every advance thereof to scratch beating the sounding side of the pew wherein he was And as for the greatest part of those circumstances wherewith the maine body of this notorious is drest and beautified as the sound of the March was heard as coming into the Chappell and then as going up all along the I le c. that Mr. Eaton and the people were terrified with it that Mr. Eaton gave over preaching and fell to praying that they broke up their exercise because of the March still beating c. All these are nothing else but sparks of that unhallowed fire which burnes in the bowells of Gangrena's race and consumes the very foundations of ingenuitie and Truth in High-Presbyterian Spirits If Gangrena her selfe had a forehead made of any other mettall then brasse or yron any sence or touch of ingenuitie or true honour she would bind her face in the dust and keep her sin and shame company in darknesse for one seven yeares at least after such a shamelesse and prodigious abuse of the world and her self as this But as Seneca saith one tree though it be never so tall is not wondred at when the whole forest or wood bears others of the same growth and stature a Non est admirationi una arbor quando totum nemus in eandem altitudineÌ„ surrexit So I feare that Gangrena being conscious of no more credit or truth in any other of her tales is not much affected or stirr'd in spirit with the discoverie of her nakednesse or foule falsifications in this I beleeve and not without ground that a very great part of the foule stories which she relates with truth in the matter of fact would upon due examination and triall be found the perpetrations not of that sort of men on whom she fathers them under the Names of Sectaries and Independents but of persons of her own judgement and fellow-members with her of the Church of England witnesse the storie of him who mingled
Truth of this Doctrine yea and am ready God assisting to die for it that God is one in three Persons yet I know some who denie it who notwithstanding this denyall I know also in part by my owne experience and acquaintance but more fully by the testimony of others worthy credit in as great a matter as this to be of exemplary life fruitfull in good workes holy heavenly Christian in all their Conversation as farre as men are able to judge or discerne Shall wee say that such men as these hold not the foundations of Christian Religion But it is none of least or lowest of our Classick intrusions to umpire among the Starres I meane the Doctrines of Christian Religion and to determine positively and above all possibility of mistake which are of the first which of the second which of the third magnitude Sect. 28. and with all to call them all by their Names as if they knew them as exactly as he that made them Besides when the Ordinance sentenceth a denying of the Scriptures Sect. 28. to be the word of God with death I desire to know whether by the SCRIPTVRES it meaneth the English Scriptures or that book or rather volume of bookes called the Bible translated as is said and as I believe out of the originall Hebrew and Greek copies into the English tongue Or these Originall or Greek copies themselves or my third thing really differing from either of these I suppose it is no foundation of Christian Religion to believe that the SCRIPTVRES in the first sense are the word of God these Rabbies themselves doe not hold it for an Article of their Faith that God spake to his Prophets or Apostles in English no nor yet that our English Translation doth agree in all things with the true sense and meaning of the Originalls If they doe believe either of these I must thus farre professe my selfe an Anti-sidian to them If by the SCRIPTVRES the Ordinance meaneth the Originall Hebrew and Greek copies out of which the English Bible is said to be translated I desire to know upon what grounds either of Reason or Religion these men or any others can require of men under the paine of death yea under the paine of eternall death a The Vindicaters call the denying of the Scriptures to be the word of God a DAMN BLE heresie to believe such writings to be the word of God the matter or contents wherof they neither know nor are capable of knowing upon any better termes of assurance I meane in an ordinary way of providence then the testimony Common Report or Authority of men For what other or better assurance can plaine and unlearned men and such who are altogether ignorant of the originall Languages and not in any capacity of learning them which is the case of thousand thousands in the Land attaine or come unto that such and such things as the English Translation presenteth unto them are contained in those Originall Copies Yea in case they were expert in the Originall Languages themselves according to what is called expertnesse or skilfulnesse in them at this day what other or what better assurance can they have then the Testimony and Authority of those men from or by whom they have gained this knowledge that this skill or knowledge of theirs is according to the Truth or that those respective significations meanings importances of words and Sect. 29. phrases which they have learned from men are the very same with those which the Pen-men of their Originall Copies intended respectively in their writings It is well knowne amongst Scholars and men but of ordinary reading that words and phrases in other Languages by continuance of time and succession of generations lose their primitive and ancient force and significations and contract such which are very much differing from them Many instances might be given hereof both in the Latine tongue and our owne but I leave this for men the face of whose studies is set towards such observations And put the case there were no such mortality as wee speake of in the significations and importances of words but that they also were yesterday and to day and the same for ever yet the Scholler can have no better assurance then his Masters honesty or word that he is taught by him according to the best of his skill or knowledge except haply it be the concurrent testimony of other Teachers in the same Profession whose words and testimonies are but of the same line of fallibility with his So then the holding the Scriptures to be the word of God in either of these two senses or significations of the word can with no tolerable pretext or colour be called a foundation of Christian Religion unlesse their foundations be made of the credits Learnings and Authorities of men If the Ordinance intendeth any third sense of the word SCRIPTVRES when it threatneth the denyall of them to be the word of God with death these undertakers for the Innocencie of it shall doe well to declare and explain this sense and not to leave it as a Lyon hid in a thicker to break out upon and destroy those that passe by at unawares Thus have wee prov'd at large that the two legs on which Sect. 29. the Anti-Querists Answer to their second Argument stands to be but two sticks covered with rotten or proud flesh and this skin'd over onely with a superficiall or washie colour of Reason and consequently that the said Argument remaineth still in full force strength and vertue and so the Querie from whence it was drawne to be impregnable honest sober and harmelesse as well in the proposall as consideration of it no wayes unbecomming the wisdome gravity or zeale of a sound Christian As for that distinction which they subjoyne concerning a mans being infallible I cannot likely thinke but that they are self-condemned in it Sect. 30. For surely they could not imagine that the Querie speaks of any absolute or universall infallibility or that the Querist doth not partake so farre in common sense with the Anti-Querists themselves as to know that an infallibility in discerning some one thing from another doth not necessarily require an universall or infinite infallibility And thâ—fore to what purpose come they forth with this grave Aphorisme that â—â—â— may certainely know some things and yet not be infallible in all things Had it not been a saying of as much savour if they had said certainly men may be worth an hundred pound in estate though they be not worth a thousand a Sparrow may be as big as a Partrich though it be not as big as a Swan And yet notwithstanding though they build their Answers with such hey stubble as these they must needs glory over the work of their hands with this acclamatiâ—n Thus this second Querie is sufficiently answered c. Surely the word SVFFICIENTLY in these mens Dialect imports the manner of all actings and pleadings for the High-Presbyterian
cause so that whatsoever they shall say or argue in order unto this it receives this modification from betweene the efficient and the end it is SVFFICIENTLY argued and prov'd May they noâ— in a manner as well pretend and say when they have onely cited those first words in Genesis In the beginning God made Heaven and Earth that they have by this Scripture SVFFICIENTLY proved the Jus Divinum of Presbytery as make their boast that they have SVFFICIENTLY answered my second Querie with those impertinent weake reasonlesse truth-lesse allegations as hath been abundantly proved of which this Answer so called is made But as it was in that old saying amongst the Romans between their two Captaines that Odeâ—â—â—uâ— conquered but Gallienus triumphed so is it between the present Syllogisme and the Answer to it The Syllogisme conquers and the Answer triumpheth Oh England my heart is inlarged towards thee and I will open my mouth proportionably unto thee Take heed of the grand Imposture of this word SVFFICIENTLY in the writings and in the teachings of thy Teachers they have learned to call their chaffe wheat and to say of stones that they are bread But in what degree these men were straightned for want of reason Sect. 30. in answering their owne Argument they are inlarged in Sect. 30. passion against my Querie But what were they so super-superlatively incens'd against it because they were able to make no better worke of answering it Or diâ— thâ— spirit of it touch the apple of their eye and so through the extreamâ—ty of the paine their imaginations suffered yea and their Consciences also through a consent and sympathie with the part affected But whatsoever the true cause of the accident is I verily believe that never did there such a flood of prophane and senselesse passion breake out of the spirits of men that were called Christian from the first day of this Denomination in the world to this very houre as these men poure out upon a Querie whose innocencie I say not weight and worth hath been vindicated upon such grounds of evidence and Truth that the light of the Sunne is not more apparent at noone-day then it Were not the Fountaines of the great deep of Corruption within them all broken up when this Deluge of bitter waters issued from them And as Joshua that he and the people with him might be avenged of their enemies spake unto the Sunne and Moone to stand still Sunne stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moone in the valley of Ajalon a Josh 10. 12. so did not these men their hearts being set to take revenge upon the Querist when they girded themselves to the worke commanded their reasons and consciensces to stand still and cease from their motions each of them respectively directing themselves to their own and saying Reason stand thou still over passion and thou Conscience in the valley of Indignation untill wee have avenged our selves in fire and brimstone upon our enemies that Arch-Enemy of our most beloved Designes But if in the day of their Answer I meane in the Rationall part of it we found nothing but night and darknesse can wee hope in the night thereof I meane the passionate part of it to find day or so much as the dawnings of reason truth or understanding I had once thoughts of speaking particularly to every straine and passage herein but upon more mature debate with my self about the undertaking I considered that in case I were an Engineere I should doe but childishly to load a Cannon only to batter a mushrome or a bubble which children raise with soape and spittle out of a nut-shell And thus our second Querie that great abomination of Classick soules hath fully recovered her selfe out of those fogges and Sect. 31. mists which partly by the ignorance partly by the ill will of her adversaries were spread round about her and shines in perfect beautie being onely troubled and full of sorrow for this that ever shee should be an occasion to men pretending to Religion of so much rebuke and shame as must needs fall upon those who have opposed her Sect. 31. Their third Argument rejoyceth against their Answer given to it because this also is built upon sandy foundations As 1. that to be called Rabbi is to require men to beleeve that which they teach them meerly because they teach it without any Authoritie from God in his Word This is a most strange and truthlesse saying and excuseth Scribes and Pharisees and who not from ever desiring to be called Rabbi For certainly none of these were ever so simple as to require men to beleeve that which they taught them MEERLY because they taught it without any Authoritie from God in his word There was none of them all but pretended Authoritie from God in his word for what they taught but especially it is the first-borne of incredibilities that they should require men to beleeve what they taught them upon this ground MEERLY because they taught it without any Authoritie from God in his word Can it enter into the heart of a man especially of any man that professeth the service of the true God and beliefe of the Scriptures to thinke honorably of his Teacher MEERLY and simply because he teacheth without any Authoritie from God in his word Certainly if the Scribes and Pharisees had fish'd with this baite especially amongst the Jewes for the acclamations of Rabbi they had caught nothing but contempt and shame in stead thereof Therefore for men to enjoyne or compell men to call them Rabbi is in the sence of the Querie in the Scripture import of the phrase either to enjoyne them especially under any penaltie as of their dis-favour or the dis-favour of God or otherwise to receive or beleeve any Doctrine as the Truth of God because they teach it for such viz. either as a true Interpretation of or deduction from the word of God whether they give any sufficient account that it is either the one or the other unto those on whom they impose upon such terms this tribute of beliefe or else to prohibit them on the like terms the holding and maintaining of such or such Doctrines because they judge them to be contrary to the word of God without giving any sufficient account or reason unto the prohibited Sect. 32. to prove them so Now I querie the Anti-Querists whether the makers of the Ordinance doe not in this sence compell men to call them Rabbi i. Whether they doe not prohibit men under penalties and those most grievous from holding forth such and such Doctrines as being contrary to the word of God without giving any sufficient account or indeed any at all that I say not without being able to give any that is sufficient unto the persons thus prohibited that they are indeed contrary to this word 2. The Answer now under correction is polluted with this uncleane Sect. 32. supposition viz. that the makers of
one or the other is so or such as he beleeveth them to be As to the two instances wherein they insist the Doctrine of the Sect. 91. Trinity and the Incarnation of the Son of God affirming that a man ought not to refuse to beleeve them although for the manner of them he cannot by his reason comprehend them I Answer First that as by my reason I can and doe comprehend and know them to be incomprehensible so I beleeve them accordingly to be Again Secondly as by my reason I neither doe nor can comprehend or conceive the particular modus or manner of either so neither doe I or ought I nor indeed can I without running an extreame hazzard of an erroneous belief beleeve any thing at all concerning them save onely their incomprehensiblenesse in the generall or that they are incomprehensible which as was said I am able by my reason to comprehend So then these two Assertions or Doctrines well understood First That a man ought to beleeve no more then what he hath reason and ground for in the Word of God And Secondly tâ—â—â— That a man ought to beleeve no more then what he is able by his reason to comprehend are but of an equipollent import and there is nothing more much more nothing more erroneous in the one then in the other That towards the beginning of this Answer yea there is a piece of a duplicate of it in the end of the Answer too is extreamely unreasonable and obnoxious wherein they suppose yea little lesse then in terminis affirme that they that will be satisfied what the Ordinance meaneth by making it an errour to hold That a man ought to beleeve no more then what by his reason he is able to comprehend must read the Socinian Books and there inform themselves what their proper opinion is For is it in any degree reasonable equall or just that such an Ordinance or Law should be made and that for the imprisonment which is by interpretation the utter undoing of men in case of delinquency the sense or meaning whereof they are in an utter incapacity to understand unlesse they read such books which first are onely extant in such a language which not one of an hundred is able to Sect. 92. understand and secondly are so rare and hard to be gotten that for the space of 13 yeers and upwards ever since my comming to the citie though I have from time to time made a narrow inquiry after them and laid out in severall places where I conceived I should be most likely to speed for some or other of them yet could I never to this day procure either for love or money as the saying is so much as any one of them Their groundlesse mistake about what the Querist as they say would imply to be the sense of the words in the Ordinance and their turning of the Querie with a wet finger as if there were nothing materiall in it but an heapâ— of words I passe by and pardon being content they should be numbred amongst their infirmities quotidianae incursionis In their Answer to the thirtieth Querie they maintaine that Sect. 92. the Ordinance doth expresse what it meaneth by obstinacie when it threateneth the publishing of such and such doctrines with obstinacy Their reason is because the Ordinance appoints admonition to go before punishment But is this an explication of what it meaneth by obstinacy Certainly these grand Assertors of the Ordinance had quitted themselves upon termes of more wisedome for the honour of it if they had plainly gâ—â—â—ted that it had not indeed made any sufficient explication of it selfe in that particular For is a man to be judged obstinate who shall do that though after admonition which his admonition notwithstanding he judgeth and that upon good grounds to be his duty to doe Were the Apostles obstinate for preaching in the naâ—â— of Jesus after that the High-Priest Rulers and Elders solemnly met in a Councill had admonished them yea and straitly charged and commanded them that they should in no wise speak or teach any more in that Name * Act. 4. 18. Oh England awake for I feare thou sleepest look about thee and consider how easily and when thou least thinkest of it thou maist be an obstinate offender if men of this spirit should be thy Judges In their 31 Answer they tell a mysticall or mistie story of Sect. 93. the sense or meaning whereof I am no wayes guilty yet I shall tell it after them because some possibly may understand it though I cannot As some perhaps say they of the Querists friends may be thanked for it they speake of that strong opposition insinuated in Sect. 93. the Querie between the government established by the Parliament and that so importunately desired by the Ministers who have endeavoured to binde heavy burthens upon others ever persecuting them for not yeelding to those things which even the consciences of those that presse them know they cannot and beleeve they may not yeeld unto so carefull and tender are they of their Brethrens consciences so is it neither of that kinde they would have it being no way in favour of there Indâ—pendency For First It is the strangest news to me that I have heard many a day that any of my friends should deserve thankes either 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the opposition they speake of between the two Governments I cannot believe that any person man or woman Congregationally inclined did ever either perswade any of the Ministers they speake of to oppose that Government by Presbytery which is established by the Parliament nor yet distill into them any of that spirit or those principles out of which they oppose it How then should they be accessary to the opposition Secondly whereas they charge the friends of the Querists yet further with endeavouring to binde heavy burthens upon others ever persecuting them for not yeelding to c. this is tidings yet seven degrees stranger then the other If it be true then is the scandall of Independency ceasâ—d from amongst us For if Independents also endeavour to binde heavy burthens upon others and to persecute men for not yeelding unto those things which in conscience they cannot yeeld unto then are we all of one minde and of one judgement and practice the same things But Thirdly I would faine know what heavy burthens they are which the independents since they must be so called endeavor to binde upon others Doe our Brethren of the Presbyterian interest call or judge this a heavy burthen to be restrained from or not to have their hand strengthened by the Parliament or Lawes unto the troubling or molesting of their Brethren who dissent in some particulars from them I know no other burthen but this any wayes endeavoured by any of that parswasion to be imposed or bound upon them If they call or count this a burthen better they hurthened with the peace of