are owned by the Lord and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 23. They who through the tender love and mercy of the Lord do follow the example of Christ in his great humility and patience and are made partakers of his resurrection Sunday next before Easter the Coll. who are governed and sanctified by the Spirit of God of whom the Lord receives supplications and prayers which they offer before him for all estates of men Good Frid Collects in his holy Congregation which is so governed and sanctified by the Spirit of God as aforesaid those are the people which God doth own as his worshippers and both they and their godly Meetings are owned and allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England and therefore they ought neither to be imprisoned nor banished for so doing but rather to be freed and clearly acquitted from all Ecclesiastical censures and temporal punishments concerning the same 24. They unto whom God hath granted and doth or may grant his holy Spirit alwayes to think and do such things as be right and good in the sight of God so that they which cannot be without him 9 Sunday after Trin. Collect. may by him be able to live according to his Will in all things are the people owned and allowed by the Liturgie so that the people of God are enabled by the Spirit given unto them of God to do and perform that alwaies which is acceptable and according to the Will of God as aforesaid 25. They are the people of God and allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England 7 Sunday after Trin. Coll. in whose hearts the Lord God of all power and might who is the Author and giver of all good things doth engraff the love of his name and doth encrease in their hearts his true Religion and doth also nourish them with all goodness who of his great mercy doth keep them in the same through Christ Jesus our Lord so that the people of God have the love of God engrafted in them and true religion is planted within them and doth encrease in their hearts who are nourished with the vertue and goodness of God and by his power preserved and kept in the same and who more in that than the Quakers so called Consider well of it and do not unworthily punish them for being so owned and allowed of both in principle practise and judgment or doctrine by the Liturgie as aforesaid 26. They are the people allowed by the Liturgie 12 Sunday after Trin. Coll. whom God almighty and everlasting is alwayes ready to hear and on whom he poureth down abundance of mercy forgiving them those things whereof Conscience is afraid so that Conscience is afraid until God out of his mercy forgive sins and transgressions and do restore Conscience into a capacity again of becoming the servant of God 13 Sunday after Trin. Coll. therefore it is by the only gift of God that his true and faithful people do perform him true and laudable service and they are the true and faithful people and worshippers of God who by the only gift of God do perform him true and laudable service as aforesaid and such people and their godly religious Meetings and Exercises On S Peters day the Coll. are owned by the Lord and allowed by the Liturgie of the Church therefore such ought not to be punished by Imprisonment or banishment for serving God according to the gift of God 27. They to whom God the Father by his Son Jesus Christ hath given or doth give many excellent gifts and commandeth them to feed his Flock are to be diligent in preaching Gods holy Word and the people to whom it is so preached who do obediently follow the same are Ministers and people of God and the people of God are to serve God according to the gift of God allowed by the Liturgie and they are the true faithful people of God in whose hearts his love is engrafted true Religion planted and doth encrease in their hearts who are nourished with the vertue and goodness of God and by his power are preserved and kept in the same who by the gift of God do perform true and laudable service unto God as aforesaid and as that is owned and allowed by the Liturgie so likewise by the Scripture and doth not therefore both Liturgie and Scripture own and allow of the Doctrines Principles and practises of the people of God reproachfully called Quakers and others 28. For the Scripture saith As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good Stewards of the manifold grace of God If any man speak let him speak as the Oracles of God If any man minister let him do it as of the ability which God giveth that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ as it is written 1 Pet. 4.11 29. Whereby it may be observed that none are enjoyned commanded or required of God to minister from him to the souls of the people but them to whom the gift of Ministration is given and also that all are commanded enjoyned and required by the Lord to Minister from him to the people to whom the gift of Ministration is given so that the Gospel is to be preached with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1.11 12. 30. And as it is evident and remains true that the Ministers of the Gospel of Christ are by a spiritual power and Gospel authority 1 Pet. 4.10 11. 1 Pet. 1.11 12. 2 Cor. 3.1 2 2 Cor. 4.1 2 Act. whereby they are to be commended in the sight of God to the Consciences of those that receives them as Ministers of the Gospel of Christ to whom the gift of Ministration is given of God for that end and purpose to convert people from the evil of their wayes and doings unto God by turning them from darkness unto light and so from the power of Satan unto God they are to preach in the Spirit and to the spirits in prison with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 31. So are both Ministers and people to pray unto God and praise him in the Spirit and that according to the Apostolick doctrine as it is written Rom. 8.14 Rom. 8.26 27. 1 Cor. 14.15 Lastly By what hath been said it is evident and doth appear what persons and Meetings are owned and allowed both by the Liturgie and Scripture and that by the allowance of both the service and worship of God is to be performed by the Spirit and gift of God And that they who meet preach and pray or perform duty and service to God in the Spirit and by the gift of God they are the only people owned by the Lord as his people and worshippers of him and also allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid Therefore the people of God called Quakers and others who perform service unto God by the gift of God are owned and allowed by the Liturgie and Scripture as aforesaid and ought to be acquitted from all Ecclesiastical Censures and Temporal punishments concerning the same THE END
for so doing to be imprisoned or banished but acquitted and freed therefrom Confirmation or laying on of hands 9. They whom Almighty God doth make both to will and to do those things that be good and acceptable unto him who are defended with Gods heavenly Grace that they may continue his children and people for ever And do daily encrease in his holy Spirit to whom God doth certifie after the example of his holy Apostles and assure them of his favour and goodness towards them whose fatherly hand is over them and his holy Spirit is ever with them to lead them in the knowledg and obedience of his Word those are the people and Worshippers of God owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 10. They to whom Almighty God giveth grace to cast away the works of darkness and put on the Armour of light in the time of this mortal life First Sund. in Advent the Collect they who in obedience to and by vertue of the grace of God given and received do cast off the works of darkness and put on the Armour of light in the time of this mortal life are the people and worshippers of God owned and so to be allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England 11. They to whom God doth grant and give hearts to learn to love their enemies have learned that Lesson S. Stephens day the Collect. as his blessed Mâ—rtyr Stephen did who prayed for his persecutors those are the people of God owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 12. They to whom God hath granted the true Circumcision of the Spirit The Circumcision of Christ the Coll. whose hearts and members are mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts who do in all things obey Gods blessed Will through our Lord Jesus Christ those are the people of God allowed by the Liturgie to assemble and meet together to perform duty and service to God in the way of his Worship as aforesaid 5. Sunday after Epiphany the Collect. 13. They who are the Church of God are the Houshold of God but wicked and unsanctified people are not so because the whole Body of the Church is governed and sanctified by the Spirit of God And it is the work of God to keep his houshold and family the Church Good Friday so called the Collects so governed and sanctified continually in his true Religion who are defended by his mighty power and such may meet together in the way and Worship of God being allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 14. They whom the Lord teacheth that all their doings without charity are nothing worth Quinquage Sund. Collect. into whose hearts God doth pour that most excellent gift of Charity the very bond of all peace and vertues without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before the Lord those are the people also who are owned allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England Quinquagessima Sunday Collect. 15. They who put away the Leven of malice and wickedness See Tuesday in Easter week the Coll. 3. Sunday after Easter the Col. that they may alwayes serve the Lord in pureness of living and truth and being admitted into Christs Religion do eschew those things that be contrary to their profession as the Quakers do and follow all such things as be agreeable to the same through our Lord Jesus Christ those people are owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid Third Sunday after Easter Collect. 16. They who own 〈◊〉 Sunday after Easter the Col. and have received and are led by that pure spiritual soul-saving justifying light which God is the Author of by whom it 's discovered and made manifest to all men whilst they are in error to lead them out of errors and the way of unrighteousness into the way of righteousness which is the way of the Lord they are the people owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 17. They who by the holy inspiration and operation of Gods holy Spirit are made to think and perform that which is good The 4 5 Sundays after Easter the Col. acceptable and well-pleasing to the Lord who makes the minds of all faithful men to be of one Will those people and their godly religious Meetings are owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 18. They whose hearts God hath taught by the light of his holy Spirit Whitsund the Coli to whom by his Spirit he doth give and grant a right Judgment in all things and evermore to rejoyce in his holy Comfort those people and their godly meetings are owned and allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England 19. They who are protected 4 Sunday after Trin. Coll. 1 Sunday after Trin. Coll. 5 Sunday after Trin. Coll. ruled and guided by the Lord who is the strength of all them that trust in him under whose government the course of this world may be peaceably ordered that his Congregations may joyfully serve him in all godly quietness are owned and allowed by the Liturgie as aforesaid 20. They who give grant and allow of liberty of Conscience to the people of God in poynt of Religion and Worship of God are owned and allowed by the Liturgie because the Liturgie allows of the same saying that the service of God is perfect freedom 2 Coll. for peace and because the service of God is perfect freedome none ought to be forced either to it or from it contrary to the principle of God by outward compulsion 21. They who have received the grace and gift of God whereby their flesh is subdued to the Spirit 1 Sunday in Lent the Coll. by vertue whereof they may ever and alwayes obey the godly motions of the Spirit of God in righteousness and true holiness And 2. Sunday in Lent the Coll. to the honour and glory of God who have no power of themselves to help themselves but are kept and defended both outwardly in body and inwardly in soul from all adversities which may happen to the body from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul and that by the Spirit and power of the Almighty God through Christ Jesus the Son of his Love those are the people and worshippers of God and both they and their godly religious Meetings are owned by the Lord and allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England are not therefore punishable by the late Act on that account as aforesaid 22. They who have obtained of the God of all mercy perfect remission and forgiveness of sins First day of Lent the Coll. through Christ Jesus in whom God hath by his spirit and power made new and contrite hearts who by the goodness of Almighty God are or may be preserved evermore both in body and soul through Christ Jesus the Son of his Love those are the people and worshippers of God 5 Sunday in Lent Coll. and both they and their godly religious Meetings
Christian Religious Meetings Allowed by the Liturgie Are no Seditious Conventicles nor punishable by the late Act. OR What Persons and Meetings are Owned and Allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of ENGLAND And also What makes a Religious Meeting to pass and Suffer under the Name of a Seditious Conventicle And likewise what is a Conventicle and what is not a Conventicle And concerning the Church and its Government And the Difference between obstinately and Conscientiously refusing to take Judicial Oaths And concerning the Jurors and Judges who may be concerned to hear and determine the Causes and Matters aforesaid Written the beginning of the fourth Moneth in the Year 1664. By R. F. Christian Religious Meetings allowed by the Liturgie are no Seditious Conventicles nor punishable by the Late Act c. WHereas by the Act Entituled An Act to prevent and suppress Seditious Conventicles It is Enacted and Declared That if any Person of the Age of sixteen years or upwards being a Subject of this Realm at any time after the first day of July which shall be in the Year of our Lord God 1664. shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner than is allowed by the Liturgy or practise of the Church of England at which Meeting or Assembly there shall be five persons or more assembled together over and above those of the same Houshold Then it shall and may be lawful for two Justices of Peace to commit them to Prison c. for the first and second Offence in Order to Transportation Is not this a matter very disputable and doth it not belong to spiritual men to judg what Meetings upon the account of Religion do agree with or are contrary to the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England before the penalties of the Act be put in execution against them For if to assemble and meet together upon the account of Religion according to Scripture be to assemble and meet together according to the Liturgie and practise of the Church of England then they who assemble and meet together upon the account of Religion and Worship of God according to the Scripture to the number of five or upwards they do not meet contrary to the allowance of the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England as aforesaid If the Liturgy do allow of meeting together according to the Scripture then they who meet together according to the Scriptures are no seditious Sectaries neither is their Religious meetings seditious Conventicles or punishable by the said Act being according to Scripture and allowed of by the Liturgie of the Church as aforesaid The Liturgie allows of the Scripture as its foundation The Scripture is owned as the â—oundâ—â—â—â—â— of the Liturgie c. and the Scriptures are acknowledged by the Liturgy to be the moving cause of peoples Confession and Acknowledgment unto God of their manifold sins and transgressions with an humble lowly penitent and obedient heart to the end that they may receive forgiveness of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy for proof thereof see the beginning of the Liturgy What the Liturgie alloweth at Meetings To assemble and meet together before the Lord to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands to set forth his most worthy praise to hear his most holy Word and to ask those things which be requisite and necessary as well for the Body as the Soul and to accompany one another in prayer with a pure heart and an humble voyce to the Throne of Gods heavenly Grace is that which the Liturgie owns and allows of as its own and the Churches Practise see for pro of thereof that part of the Liturgy at the beginning where it is said Dearly Beloved Brethren the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and transgressions To meet according to the Liturgy Seeing it is so Then for us and the People of God to assemble and meet together to the number of five and above before the Lord upon the account of Religion as Worshippers of him to render thanks for the great benefit we have received at his hands to set forth his most worthy praise to hear his most holy Word and to ask those things which be requisite and necessary as well for the Body as the Soul and to accompany one another in prayer with a pure heart and an humble voyce to the Throne of Gods heavenly Grace is allowed by the Liturgie Meetings not punishable by the late Act but freed from the penalties being allowed by the Liturgie c. and according to the practise of the Church of England And therefore such ought not to be punished but acquitted and tolerated who assemble and meet according to the Liturgie or practise of the Church as aforesaid because such their godly religious meetings are allowed by the Liturgy of the Church and such meetings are not prohibited but allowed by the Act as are allowed by the Liturgy or practise of the Church of England By what hath been said it may and doth appear what the Liturgie of the Church of England is How can evidence or Judgment be safely given without danger in such cases c. and what it doth allow and that our godly and religious Meetings are not contrary to the allowance of the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England as aforesaid How can they then that come to swear against us swear with a safe Conscience that we meet and assemble together on the behalf of the Lord as his Worshippers contrary to the allowance of the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England And if our Jurors or Judges be not spiritual men and understanding in Divine matters how will they judge aright in this case that they may not destroy but preserve us in our Liberties Principles and Practises Seeing that in this Case much ambiguity or doubt may arise and if this be a Spiritual cause and divine matter which is to be heard and determined that is to say Whether we meet and assemble together on the behalf of the Lord as his Worshippers or no And whether such our godly and religious meetings be contrary to or agreeable to what the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England in such cases alloweth of ought not we herein to be judged by Spiritual men Because it is said in the Statute of the 24 Hen. 8. That the Body Spiritual having power 2â— Hen. 8. Chap. 12. when any Cause of the Law Divine happens to come in question or of Spiritual Learning to declare and determine all such doubts and to administer all such Offices and Duties as to theâ—r Room Spiritual doth appertain for the due administration whereof and to keep them from corruption and sinister affection the Kings most noble Progenitors and the Ancestors of the Nobles of this Realm have sufficiently
endowed them with honour and Possessions And the Laws temporal are for Tryal of Property of Lands and Goods and for the Conservation of the people of this Realm in unity and peace without Ravin or Spoyl by the Temporal Judges and the other by the Spiritual Judges as aforesaid or as by the said Statute may be seen 24 Hen. 8.12 Seditious Conventicles ANd as concerning seditious Conventicles provided against by the Act The reason given for preventing and suppressing seditious Conventicles c. and the Reason given for the preventing and suppressing of them It is declared in the Preamble or Ground of the Act the Reason for making the Act which is viz. For providing therefore of further and more speedy Remedies against the groâ—ing and dangerous practises of seditious Sectaries and other disloyal persons who under pretence of tender Consciences do at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late experience hath shewed Seditious Sectaries who at their meetings do contrive Insurrections ought to be punished Remedies against such meetings to be provided The innocent Quakers free from contriving Insurrections at their godly meetings as experience hath shewed Are not those persons and that people only declared to be seditious Sectaries and disloyal persons who under pretence of tender Consciences do at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late experience hath shewed And may they not justly be declared to be so who are so indeed for there is good reason to provide Remedies against such persons and practises who under pretence of tenderness of Conscience do at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as aforesaid But as concerning the innocent people of God reproachfully called Quakers they are clear and free from such seditious and dangerous practises and are not those seditious Sectaries and disloyal persons because cause they neither have nor do at their Meetings contrive Insurrections neither hath former or present experience shewed any such thing to be done or intended by them for it is against their Principles practises doctrines and judgments and they are utterly and absolutely against designing or contriving any such things neither did their godly Religious Meetings ever produce any such bad effects as experience hath shewed for many years by-past What is a Conventicle according to the Act and punishable by the same accordingly ought not this to be known and rightly considered by them that are to be Witnesses Jurors or Judges that the innocent may not be condemned with the wicked because it is forbidden by the Law of God saying The Innocent and Righteous slay thou not therefore by the Law of God the Innocent and Righteous are not to be destroyed but preserved in their Principles and Practises to God-wards as well as in their Liberties Persons and Estates To meet together in a private House to the number of four what is not a Conventicle besides the Houshold or Family is no seditious Conventicle neither is such private Meetings either declared by the said Act to be such Conventicles neither are they provided against by the said Act or punishable thereby but justified and tolerated and not at all condemned Therefore private Meetings or to meet in private Houses to the number of four beside the Houshold or Family are no seditious Conventicles though they may meet contrary to the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England And it seems according to the intent of the Act to meet and assemble together to the number of five or upwards besides them of the Houshold or Family where they do meet under colour or pretence of any exercise of Religion in other manner than is allowed by the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England is an offence Then it seems to meet together in greater or lesser numbers upon the account of Religion so that they who assemble and meet together for the Exercise of Religion do preach and pray or perform Religious Exercise and Duty to God allowed by the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England is no offence What godly religious meetings are according unto or allowed by the Liturgie of the Church of England c. What is it then for a people to meet in greater Numbers than four besides the Houshold or Family upon the Account of Religious Exercises and not to be contrary unto but allowed of by the Liturgie or practise of the Church of England so as such Religious Meetings may not suffer by the Late Act To the which somthing is said before that to Assemble and Meet together to the number of five or above before the Lord upon the account of Religion as Worshippers of him to render thanks unto God for the great benefits that we have received of him to set forth his most worthy praise to hear his most holy Word and to ask those things which be requisite and necessary both for Soul and Body and in the performance of that Duty to accompany one another in Prayer with a pure Heart and an humble Voyce to the Throne of Gods Heavenly Grace is allowed by the Liturgie and practice of the Church of England as aforesaid To Assemble and Meet together before the Lord upon the account of Religion and Worship to Preach and Pray or perform Duty to God is not contrary unto but allowed of by the Liturgie and is according to the practise of the Church of England because they either do or ought so to do as aforesaid and we meet together before the Lord as Worshippers of him to Preach and Pray or perform Duty to God therefore our Meetings are according to the practise of the Church and allowed of by the Liturgie as aforesaid Again The Liturgie of the Church of England saith See Communion upon the Feast of Trinity so called It is very meet right and our bounden Duty that we should at all times and in all places perform Duty to God And if it be very meet right and the bounden Duty of a professing people that they should at all times and in all places meet together to Worship God or perform Duty unto him as aforesaid then for us and the people of the Lord to meet together at any time and in any place to Worship God or perform Duty unto him as his people or true Worshippers of him is not contrary unto but according to the manner that is allowed of by the Liturgie of the Church of England as aforesaid See Good Friday the Collects so called The Church is declared by the Liturgie to be the Houshold and Family of God then they who are of Gods Houshold and Family may meet and assemble together to wait upon God in the way of his worship and not go under the name of seditious Conventicles because the Liturgie declareth the Church to be the Houshold and Family of God and Parish Meeting places are not that Houshold and Family neither are wicked unsanctified people the Houshold and Family of God Therefore wicked unsanctified people are not allowed of