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nation_n	law_n	nature_n	positive_a	2,085	5	11.0131	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A52757	The great accuser cast down, or, A publick trial of Mr. John Goodwin of Coleman-street, London, at the bar of religion & right reason it being a full answer to a certain scandalous book of his lately published, entituled, The triers tried and cast, &c. whereupon being found guilty of high scandal and malediction both against the present authority, and the commissioners for approbation and ejection, he is here sentenced and brought forth to the deserved execution of the press / by Marchamont Nedham, Gent.	Nedham, Marchamont, 1620-1678.	1657 (1657)	Wing N389; ESTC R18604	109,583	156

Things we ought to suppose are all that Christ was appointed to do in reference to the ordering of the Church seeing we read of no more and therefore having fulfilled the appointment of God therein we ought to beleeve him as faithfull in his house as Moses was in his because he omitted nothing for the establishment of it which the Father thought necessary for him to do in his own person As for other things which were necessary to be made use of in after-time for the gathering and ordering of particular Churches in divers Cities Towns or Countries he left them to the ordering of his Apostles to whom before his Ascension he gave a promise of the Spirit for their Direction and Assistance which after his Ascension was performed for when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts unto men to that end and purpose and therefore he was faithfull in all his House as Moses was in his though he and his Apostles left not Rules and Direction at such a Latitude as to answer so many particularities of Affairs and occasions as Moses did Nor indeed was there the same Reason for it for if it may be lawfull to guess at the ground of Gods proceeding thus in this particular who transacts all things according to the best and most excellent dictates and proportions of wisedom there appears to be a great deal of Reason why Christ and his Apostles having left such Institutions Rules and Directions which are foundational and absolutely necessary for the Constituting of the Church in general should not descend to the inferiour points of Regulation touching particular Churches so as to leave Rules for it as amply as Moses did or to prescribe means and Expedients unto the use whereof all men should be tyed up who endeavour to propagate or promote the Gospel For that Christ did not mean to set down positive and particular Laws of so wide an extent for all things as Moses did the very different manner of the delivering of the Laws of Moses and the Laws of Christ doth plainly shew Moses had command to gather the Ordinances of God together distinctly that concerned the Jewish Church and orderly to set them down according to their several kinds for each publick duty and office the Laws that belong thereunto as appears in the Books themselves written of purpose to that end On the other side the Laws of Christ about the affairs of his Church we finde rather mentioned by occasion in the writings of the Apostles than any solemn Thing directly written to comprehend and Record them in a Legal method and form which I mention not and therefore let no envious eye make such a construction seeing it cannot be construed in diminution of the said Gospel-Laws which with a devout heart I reverence as of the most sacred and most transcendent Divine Authority but I hint this onely to intimate that the very different manner of the delivery of the Laws of Christ and Moses touching Church-affairs doth shew that the one had no intent to leave Laws which might answer the variety of Gospel-occasions in particulars of so large a compass as the other did to supply Church-occasions in the time of the Law Besides be pleased to consider that when Moses gave those positive Laws and Ordinances both Ceremonial and Judicial they were intended onely for that particular Nation who then were the sole People House or Church of God and accordingly God in the framing of those Laws had an eye and regard to the nature of that people for whom they were made and peculiar and proper Considerations were upon that account respected in the composure to answer most of the Occasions that might fall out in the administration of the Affairs of that Church and State which end might indeed easily be attained by prescribing Rules in and to a particular Nation But when Christ came the Case was much altered for whereas the House or Church of God in Moses time was confined to one single Nation now it was to be made up out of all Nations The Laws of the Common-wealth were then made conformable to the Order of Church But the Church under the Gospel being to spread through all States and Common-wealths was so formed as it might without prejudice to the Civil Peace be entertained in any Nation and therefore as the framing of positive Laws Rules or Directions of the same nature with those of Moses which might serve to fit the different Tempers and Constitutions the various necessities Affairs and Occasions of all the Nations of the World or of those Remnants which should be first converted in all Nations and oblige them to a very Puntilio as Mr. G. pretends was in the very nature of the thing altogether impracticable so it must have proved no less inconvenient then unnecessary For Christ himself having appointed the principal Ordinances before his departure such as might be conveniently made use of by the Church Universal and his Apostles having left divers Rules and Directions which are of the same general concernment and which may indifferently serve to the principal parts of Oeconomy in the Churches in all the Nations of the world it s to be supposed he hath by himself and his Apostles done all that the Father judged necessary for him to do on the behalf of the Gospel and thereby approved himself faithfull in all his House as Moses was in his And whereas I maintain that in particular matters of lesser Importance concerning the way of carrying on the Gospel there are no positive Laws or Rules to be found of so vast a Latitude and comprehension as to reach all Purposes Occasions Accidents and Emergencies in all succeeding times all over the world so as for ever to exclude altogether the use of humane Reason and discretion from assisting about the way and means of publishing the Gospel this Assertion of mine is so far from occasioning any man thereupon to infer or imagine any defect of wisdom and providence on the part of our Lord and Saviour that it is rather a clear Evidence he hath as becomes his Divine wisdom and faithfulness therein so ordered the matter as was most agreeable to right Reason which is a ray of the Divinity and to the nature and scope of His and his Fathers own great design and intendment which was and is To gather unto him self a People out of all Nations upon the face of the Earth So there is an end of his fourth Argument in the confutation whereof it was necessary to enlarge thus a little more than ordinary because as 't is a supposition too much rooted in the conceptions of men in these times so he seems to build much upon it and with many flashes of Ostentation to dazle the eyes of the Reader The residue of his Arguments which follow import little else but matter of scandal to which though there be no other Answer due than what Michael the Archangel gave the Devil yet somewhat must be

first Supposition before mentioned upon which he builds is included in the Major Proposition and in opposition to that his false Supposal let this Thesis be set down as that which I purpose in the first place to make good against him Viz. That it was not the Intendment of our blessed Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ to make such ample provision in the Gospel by laying down Rules for the propagation thereof in all respects and particulars and so to answer all occasions that now there is nothing left for the Magistrate to do in point of prudence and discretion for the promoting and advancing of it in the World This youthfull piece of gravity hath lived so like a Salamander the greatest part of his dayes in the fire of contention that 't is now become his most natural Element and having heretofore had some heats with Mr. Pryn who gives all to the Magistrate in Gospel-affairs he cannot keep himself from the other extream of denying all and allowing the Magistrate nothing at all to do therein but thus it always happens when a controversie falleth into the hands of passionate men And yet he doth not express himself with so much extravagancy as some others who are engaged with him in the same quarrel among whom is one Mr Pastlethwait who in the Preface to a Pamphlet of his Entituled A Voice from heaven against the Tryers hath made open Proclamation That we ought to accept no Lawgiver but Jesus Christ either in Church or Common wealth but that this should be our Profession the Lord is our Judge the Lord is our Law-giver he is our King c. Which being once admitted in the same sense as Mr Goodwin hath insinuated his own wild Assertion the Conclusion followeth as naturally from this as from his That therefore the Magistrate is not at all concerned in the making of Civil Laws and Constitutions for the government of the Common-wealth which worthy Doctrine in reference both to Church and State is in transcendent Terms more Metaphysically and Hypertheologically expressed in another sad Pamphlet Entituled A Standard set up lately written and published in Order to the raising a bloody Rebellion in this Nation miserably arrogating the Name of Christ and his people to countenance the design being subscribed by one William Medley who jumps even in opinion with Master Goodwin in all points though he go a little beyond him in some against the Authority of the Magistrate and therefore Master Goodwin in such Company cannot chuse but be a man of great credit and reputation But it is time I proceed to the proof of my Thesis the Reason whereof I propose as followeth If it had been the intendment of Christ to do any such thing as to leave Rules and Directions of so vast a latitude and comprehension as to take in and answer to all the particular Necessities Occasions Contingencies and Circumstances of Affairs which might arise in the future in all Ages and Nations of the World concerning every prudent way and means convenient for the promulgation of his Gospel so that the Magistrate and all other men were to be tyed up strictly to the peremptory Observation of those Rules without having recourse upon any emergencie to the Common principles of Natural Reason and Discretion to help on the work of propagating it among the Nations then doubtless the Eagles eye and active pen of Mr. Goodwin would have spied them out and transcribed a Copy of them for us But his autocratorical wisdom is pleased either to leave the Reader to take his word for the truth of it or else to go look where they may be found Whereas the truth is if you make enquiry into the Precepts and the Acts and Monuments of our Saviour and his Apostles upon the best search certainly no such universal golden Rules and Directions are yet discovered For while our Lord and Master walked about clothed with the garment of his Incarnation we hear of no such matter in the writings of the Evangelists and after his Resurrection in all the blessed Interviews and Colloquies which he was pleased to have with his Friends and Disciples there is not the least mention of it not at the time of his Ascension when being ready to cloath himself with the Robes of Glory and Immortality he took leave of his Apostles and left them to carry on the work of the everlasting Gospel both among Jews and Gentiles Nor are there after the time of his Glorification any such Rules and Precepts to be seen in the Acts and proceedings of the Apostles of so various and universal an influence and import as in all points upon all occasions in all Countries to serve to the great end before-mentioned Next to the great Act of suffering and Dying for the sins of Mankind to reconcile Man to God the special work of Christ to which he was designed by the Father was as himself hath declared Luk. 4. 18. To preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance to the Captives to recover sight to the Blinde to set at liberty them that are bruised to preach the acceptable year of the Lord That is to say to reveal the way of life and salvation and to go about doing good to poor Sinners in their concernments both of soul and body The scope and purpose of his taking Flesh upon him was to make publication of the New Testament and sign and seal it with his blood But we find him not any where dictating Orders and Decrees for the universal and perpetual Practice of men in the communicating of it to succeeding Generations The onely Institutions which were made immediately by himself are the great Ordinances of Preaching the Word and the Administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and the Supper The Supper he instituted a little before his Death and the other he gave in Commission to his Disciples after the Resurrection when he commanded them to Go and teach all Nations baptizing them c. Those things which are essential to the founding and constituting of a Church he took a particular care for but as touching the means and manner of publishing the Gospel and the way of planting Churches that for ought that appears to the contrary in Scripture was wholly left to the management of the Apostles whom he promised to endue with an extraordinary spirit for so wonderfull and extraordinary a work Now in the next place it will be very requisite to enquire whether or no in the Acts or Writings of the Apostles we can find any kind of Canons Decrees or Constitutions made by them to be as standing Rules whereby men are bound necessarily to frame and direct their designs so as by no means to use any other Mediums for the planting and propagation of the Gospel Or whether the Apostles have left any Examples of their own practice upon Record which all men are obliged to follow and not to recede a tittle from them in

also must the other for the same hand framed the one which did the other and being both designed for the same end Viz. The due distribution of that publick Maintenance which is allowed by the Magistrate according to such Directions as he hath prescribed they must needs both in respect of their Original the regulation of their exercise and their end be esteemed no other then Acts of the same nature and constitution both alike flowing from the same fountain of Civil power to the same purpose And yet Mr Goodwin hath not one Tittle to say against that Ordinance or Commission of the said Trustees though in the execution thereof it comes as neer his Church-door as the other But all the spight is it seems at the Commissioners for Approbation the reason whereof will be better understood anon when I come to fall upon some of his following Arguments Moreover as concerning the Ordinance for Ejection it is also as appears in the severall parts of it a meer Civill constitution For you see that Ordinance doth uot inable the Commissioners to exercise the power therein given over any persons whatsoever employed in the work of the Gospel save only such who are publick Preachers Lecturers or other persons formerly called Parsons Vicars or Curats enjoying those Benefices formerly called Benefices with Cure of Souls or that are setled in publick Lectures having any Stipends or Salaries legally annexed or belonging thereunto So that it is evident the Magistrate herein gives a power to animadvert upon no other persons but those onely who are designed by himself to the imployment of publick preaching and upon that account have a maintenance derived to them from himself and the Law of the Land who as they have their rise and their Mission from the Civil Power so they have their dependency upon it and in this respect can be reputed no other then persons publikely imployed in the Common-wealth on the behalf of the Magistrate to divulge the Doctrine of the Gospel in the publick assemblies of the people who if they be found either scandalous in life or through Ignorance insufficient for the work surely then the Magistrate who alloweth and secureth them their Wages by Law must needs look upon it as his duty to see them turned out of their imployment as he is concerned to do in the like case of any other persons whatsoever imployed in a publick relation to and dependency upon himself These things being so the Reader is left to judge whether there be not more of vanity then either Reason or Religion in Mr Goodwins first Argument since in the sifting of it there is nothing to be found but the chaffe of two false Suppositions upon which he hath built and flourished up the whole structure of his slight Pamphlet For it being manifest that neither Christ nor his Apostles left any such Rules in pepetuity to promote the Preaching of the Gospel as to answer all future contingent occasions in order thereunto or to exclude the Magistrate from contributing his assistance either in the way of Countenance or Prudence for the publication thereof And it being clear likewise from the very scope and intendment of the Ordinances themselves which have been so injuriously impeached that they are onely Acts of a meer Civil nature investing men with power upon a Publick Civil Account we must needs come to this Conclusion in oposition both to the major and minor Propositions of Mr. G. That as it was not the intent of Christ or his Apostles to make so large provision by Rules in all minute Particulars for publishing the Gospel as to exclude the Magistrate from doing what is fit in a way of Reason and Prudence for promoting so good a work among the People And that as it was not the intent of his Highness and the Council by their Ordinances to intermedle with Church-Government but onely to have the Word universally preached by pious and able men for the Peoples instruction So by erecting the Commissioners for Approbation and Ejection they have been far from a constructive charging of Christ with want of care in not leaving sufficient Directions to progagate the Gospel seeing to leave Rules of so universal an extent and exclusive a nature as is pretended was no part of his intendment nor can they be said to have established any Authority in and over the Church as is by him most causelesly insinuated and consequently they have not put any Indignity thereby at all upon Jesus Christ ARGUMENT II. Christ himself never assumed to himself nor ever exercised any interest of Authority or power so exorbitant or over-bearing as to give authority and power to any lesser or smaller number of men at least not of such men to whom he was not able his Fathers Will standing to the contrary to give both infallibility of judgement and intemerable faithfulness in matters of Faith and supernatural concernment to exercise any such dominion over the Faith Judgements or Consciences of far greater numbers of men and these every way equal at least many of them if not superiour to them both in gifts and graces and all spiritual endowments as the persons commissioned amongst us by the two Ordinances specified do by vertue hereof exercise over the judgements and faith of all the Ministers of the Gospel in this Nation yea and over the faith of all those whom God as both these Commissioners and others have cause to judge calleth unto this ministery For is not this the jurisdiction lordship or dominion which they by vertue of their Commissions respectively exercise over the Faith of that great number of worthy persons now mentioned even to Eject them out of the possession and enjoyment of such livelihoods which the mercifull providence of God in conjunction with the Laws of their Nation have entituled them unto to cast them out I say of the enjoyment of their lawfull subsistence to the extreme misery if not utter affamishing of themselves wives and children onely because they will not or rather because in conscience they cannot beleeve or profess as they being in this case made their Lords and Masters require them upon the said penalty to beleeve the other upon a like account shutting against others by the iron bars of their authority the door of access unto such livelihoods whereunto both by the providence of God and the faithfulness of men legally entrusted with such opportunities yea and their own signal worths and ministerial abilities do aloud call them Doubtlese the Lord Jesus Christ never took upon him the exercise of any such Authority as to appoint a few men for the devesting of any sort of men whatsoever much less the Ministers of his Gospel of their temporal rights or enjoyment onely because their faith in matters appertaining unto God is not the same in all points with the saith of other men If it be replied that neither sort of Commissioners Triers or Ejectors are impowred by the tenor or words of their

excellency who are devoured by the Fire that comes out of the Bramble-Commissioners Alas poor men Is not this Scene think you well laid for an Argument against them Here is a cunning man indeed that can gather grapes off Thorns Figs off Thistles and Reasons off Brambles and fetch rational conclusions from a quaint Collusion of Tropes and Figures But Mr. G. is so able a Champion that he dare do any thing to fill up the number seventeen As touching the latter part of this Argument which speaks of a pretended burthen lying upon men in being necessitated to come up to London from the remotest parts in order to Approbation he gives me an occasion to answer it more fitly by and by and therefore it s waved here because I would not always lead the Reader up and down as he presumes to do with needlesse Repetitions ARGUMENT XVIII HEre he tells us There is no considerable Argument yet alledged for the necessity of that establishment of Triers The reason is because among pious men there hath been no need of under-propping the Establishment by Arguments till now that Mr. G. begins to act the Seducer for when they were first established it was thought to be done upon this good ground which the practice of the Churches in all Ages hath been grounded upon Viz. That men ought to be tried and approved before they be sent out to preach the Gospel But saith Mr G. what reason can there be for any necessity to exchange or put by such a way or method which is generally known for another which besides that it threatens a disturbance and discontent through the Novelty of it is not like to prevent those Inconveniences which are somtimes found in the former unless it be with introducing or occasioning greater in their stead For what if Patrons of Benefices whether Parochial Congregations or single persons 〈◊〉 have sometim●s preferred or recommended unworthy men to some of these Places have not the Triers been no great or greater Delinquents in this kind than they Judge ye now whether Patrens are not beholding to him whether they are not bound to gratifie him who hath undertaken to be their Patron and whether they ought not in requital to cast a favourable eye upon the Sons of his Opinion as occasion offers by the fall of good Benefices But withall Patrons ought to be so good-natured as to forget as he himself doth how in other places of this Pamphlet he is pleased to contradict himself and their priviledge of Presentation both together But that is no wonder in the eye of those who are acquainted with the Works of Mr Goodwin Then whereas he insinuateth That the settlement of the Commissioners is a new way that puts by another which is generally known the Reader is to consider that the old way generally known was the way of the Bishops who when a Patron made presentation of any to a Benefice had the power of Approbation and did exercise it by themselves or their Chaplains before they granted Institution and Induction This was the old way generally known and it was not put aside by the present way but fell of it self many years ago together with Episcopacie The Bishops being gone and there remaining a necessity still for approving men before they enter upon such places of trust then as you may see in the fore-going part of this Discourse the Parliament setled the power of Approbation in the Assembly of Divines or a Committee of them And the Assembly ceasing it was exercised by some of their number till the end of the Long Parliament Afterwards when his Highness came to the Government He and His Council finding the great want and necessity of some regular way for approving of men and how much it concerned him to provide betimes that the publick Maintenance which the Law alloweth for promoting the work of the Gospel should be conferred upon such men as are rightly qualified for the work that so pious and sound Preachers might upon the publick Account be planted in the several parts of the Nation Hereupon it was that they resolved on the present Establishment of Commissioners for Approbation which was so far from justling out any old way generally known and used as Mr. G. pretends that it came in when there was no good and regular way left for the carrying on of so good a work What ground then of discontent can any man have or pretend upon the pretended putting by of another way But Mr. Goodwin's Pen is a Quill taken out of his own high-flying Phant'sie If he do but fancy a thing right or wrong he dares immediately print it to all the world But would any man do so that were not inwardly tempted and set on work to create discontents and disturbances in the mindes of the weaker persons and to deceive and draw them in upon mistakes and falshoods to be offended and become Instruments in crying down an Establishment such an Establishment for promoting the preaching of the Gospel as upon a right enquiry into the matter cannot in the least measure be offensive to any who are truly godly against which though Cerberus may bark because he and his Litter are not like to have an Offa so much as a Crust out of the Publick Maintenance yet the gates of Hell will not prevail No nor yet all the lewd and scandalous Insinuations which Mr. G. hath here packt together For though according to his wonted liberty he presume to scratch the faces of the Commissioners with a licentious pen charging them to have preferred persons as unworthy as ever were presented by any Patrons yet he hath not been able to produce one Instance to make the least proof of so high and general a Charge in any one particular But that we must suppose to be the modesty of the man and his great ingenuity to forbear particulars So he seems to intimate unto us in the following words whereby he doth as good as confess he hath no matters of Fact to make good the Charge For saith he I always judged it beneath a spirit of ingenuity to hold intelligence with any man for information of the sinister and undue practises of man or to give encouragement to those who l●ve to be the messengers of such tidings nor have I kept a Register either in my Pen or Memory of such Stories A good-natur'd man indeed He most wisely according to the old way Dolus versatur in generalibus chargeth his Brethren home and heavily in general terms but is so full of ingenuity as to tell us why he spares the mention of Particulars even because he hath none that he knows of either upon record or in memory If this be not a man of rare Reason and Religion in matter of Argument let the World judge or what credit may be given to him now or hereafter who hath here by his own confession proved himself to be a meer Calumniator or whether he ought not to

what is further alledged by this popular Advocate on the behalf of the Parishes which though it be but Folly in me to do yet for fear the Man's Followers should say his Book had no full Answer I shall deal with him according to his Folly lest he grow too wise in his own conceit If saith he it be against Reason that the Magistrate should restrain men from hiring or entertaining Servants such as they conceive would be most serviceable and usefull to them in their affairs or that he should appoint others to assign them what servants they please much more unreasonable is it that greater Bodies and Societies of men should not be permitted to have such to serve them in spiritual Affairs as they are perswaded are most like to build them up in sound knowledge and pr●mote the interest of their Souls Is not this think ye a singular Argument But for Answer in brief 1. I cannot but note the comparison as odious betwixt Domestick and Spiritual Servants seeing these latter are called Overseers Pastors and Spiritual Fathers with other terms of honour as well as Servants which they are in a sense too for the sake of Christ and his Gospel and as they have Titles of honour so they have Priviledges correspondent which ordinary Servants have not 2. The Comparison will by no means hold in reason because the meanest of men have usually skill enough to make choice of ordinary Servants fit for their Turn But there are but few men in the best Parishes and in most of them not one of skill and knowledge sufficient to judge of a man whether he be qualified with Spiritual gifts and graces to enable him to serve them in Spiritual things 3. Suppose some men in some Parishes may be of ability in matter of knowledge to judge yet those that are able to judge in matter of understanding and most men that have knowledge in the notion do yet want grace in the heart and so it will be seldom that they will have the Will to approve an able or a gratious man to be a Preacher 4. Suppose yet further that the knowing men of a Parish should be willing to approve a knowing and a gratious man yet the rest of the Parish who have a share in the Suffrage may be of another minde for some respects of their own and pretend it would be more for the Interest of their souls to have another person 5. Consider that Parishes being Bodies and Societies of men the Magistrate hath an Interest in them as they are a Corporation or Community and though men have a right to do as they will at home in Private Affairs yet he may according to the laudable Constitution of all Commonweals interpose so far in all those things wherein they Act by Suffrage as a Community as to restrain them from or limit them in Acting in such matters which are of more immediate concernment to himself 6. And therefore lastly though the Minister or Preacher to be approved be to be in some sense a Servant a Servant to the Parish in things Spiritual yet he is not to be so much their Servant as the Servant of Christ in the first place Then being not in a private but in a Publick Relation to the whole Parish and upon a Publick accompt he in the next place is also to be reputed the Servant of the Magistrate partly as he is to officiate on the Magistrates behalf towards the Community of the Parish and partly because he is to have a Publick Maintenance from the Magistrate For though Tythes and other Duties arise out of the Parishes yet they are not of the Legal Propriety of the Parishioners because the Propriety hath been otherwise antiently disposed of and setled by the Law of the Land to enable the Magistrate to hold forth and uphold a Publick Profession of the Christian Faith within the several places of the Nation So that these things being considered it is vain for Mr Goodwin to plead for a Right of Power in Parishes to Approve upon a supposition that the Minister or Preacher to be Approved is to be their Servant seeing though in one sense viz. Spiritually he is to serve them yet by reason of his Civil Relation and Dependencie he is not their but the Publick Servant of the State for the good of the Parish in that Employment But Mr Goodwin to fright the Magistrate tels him that it is a Crime in him to be medling with such sacred Edge-Tool● as the Authoritative forcible imposing of Ministers upon Parishes All this will not take off the Edge of a Religious Magistrate who knows that having a Revenue in his hand to promote the preaching of the Gospel it is his duty as he is a Christian man to do his utmost to see it well bestowed that way by maintaining able and gracious men in doing the work and when any of them is sent to a Parish it cannot be so said that the setling of him there is an Authoritative forcing of the Parish to receive him but rather that it is a Pious Provision for the Parish by the Care of Authority Nor let any man deceive his own heart by thinking thus That because when a Minister or Preacher is so sent and settled the Parish have no power to refuse him therefore the not having power to refuse him is all one as if he were forced upon them For if such a Construction might be made then by the same way it might be argued that when his Highness sends down persons into the Country to perform any office of Trust the execution whereof is warranted by Law suppose it be in the several Counties as when he sends down Sheriffs you know then the Counties have no power to refuse them and yet this never was nor can it be reputed a forcing of Sheriffs upon the Counties because as his Highness hath a lawful power to send and settle such Officers as Sheriffs so the Counties are by Law concerned to receive and by Law cannot refuse them because their liberty of refusal is determined by that lawful obedience which they owe to his Highness So in this case of his Highness sending Preachers legally presented and approved to Parishes the Parishes not having liberty to refuse them cannot be reputed equivalent to a forcing men upon them because their liberty of Refusal is determined by the Law which obligeth them to receive them and so no injury is done them by force or constraint forasmuch as no man or company of men ought to presume or pretend any further liberty in any Nation than the Laws of that Nation do allow 'T is pitty so much Ink and Time should be lost about the cleering of so plain a business But 't is for the sake of Mr. G. and his Admirers that he may not too much admire himself nor they believe him impregnable when they see his Arguments are no Edge tools He goeth on to present another scruple to the Magistrate