Moses and Aaron so that we must not be swayed with miracles neither little more than with the bare yea and nay of men untill we see an evident demonstration an infallible guide the very finger of God himselfe in the gifts of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 4. 5. who requires of us no other than a reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. and will in likelihood at the great day of judgement condemne more for believing false Gospels without just grounds than for rejecting of the true Gospel notwithstanding it was accompanied with such signes and wonders as were never done before Joh. 15. 24. As in naturall things we beleeve nothing but what we see a naturall reason for so in supernaturall things lesse than a supernaturall evidence will not suffice But how then must this Turke be guided and directed to whom he should yeeld himselfe a convert Surely I know no guide he has besides the reason which God has given him no thing in the whole creation is to beare such sway with us as reason but what should then induce this Turkes reason to beleeve the one rather than the other concerning the revelation of Gods Will unto the World by the publication of the Law and Gospel whether any or which of their translations is the truest with the most orthodox interpretation of any or every portion of the Scriptures and in summe which is the right or truest Religion of them all And since they all alike pretend authority of Scripture with no lesse confidence than the Jews who ceased not to cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord even whilest they were deepest engaged to their sinnes Jer. 7. 4. I querie what may be the infallible unerring rule to lead this Turke unto the true Religion what it was in the beginning whether it be still the same whether lesse then infallible be a good guide herein whether rectified reason be not an infallible guide how came reason to be offuscated and depraved how may we know when it is vitiated how recover it and keep it so And if upon serious disquisition of the truth we be found involved over head and eares in ignorance and errour no small portion of pretended knowledge to be bare opinion only and the greatest part of most religions Antichristian void of reason how ought such as goe about to fasten a yoake of their owne doctrine and opinions on others be accounted the most ignorant absurd presumptuous and the greatest enemies both to God and man of any people under heaven deserving death more then a murderer or traitor besides it will easily appeare upon due scrutiny That the compelling men to a uniformity by Civill Powers the enforcing of a Nationall Church the exacting obedience to whatsoever Religion shall be established by Law and consequently to change so often as the Politick Civill State shall finde requisite for worldly ends is the only way to banish all Religion from their hearts and breed in men a doubting of the Scriptures if not of God himselfe If true Beleevers having got the upper hand may banish Misbeleevers for feare of being tainted with their errours than ought not the true Beleevers when they are few in number suppose them Protestant Merchants or others in Turkish or Popish Countries by any means remain among the misbeleevers but forthwith to depart their territories which the Apostles and Primitive Christians did not practise nay the contrary is insinuated whilest Peter exhorted the Jews turned Christians to have their conversations honest amongst the Gentiles that they which spake evill of them as evill doers might by their good works which they should see glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Pet. 2 12. Pauls advice likewise was That the beleeving husband should not put away the unbeleeving wife in hopes of her conversion 1 Cor. 7. 12. 16. And Peter bids wives be subject to unbeleeving husbands for the same reason 1 Pet. 3. 1. 2. And since the power of miracles through want of saith is ceased we have no meanes so efficacious for convincing people of their errours and bringing them unto the truth as a godly conversation the benefit and fruit whereof would be quite frustrated if the Saints of God being the greater party were either to banish the misse or unbeleevers or to withdraw themselves if they were fewer I desire this argument may be well reflected on which though it be briefe and not enforced I conceive it very pat and apposite unto the point in controversie I know the permitting men of so many different opinions in a Country is usually objected as a Bug-bear of all confusion and disturber of the Civill State but to wave the experience of the contrary truth which we see in Holland Germany France Poland Hungarie Turky Barbarie and elsewhere why may they not as well live as peaceably and civilly under one Prince or State as under different neighbouring or remoter powers betwixt whom viz. Christians and Turkes Protestants and Papists Lutherans and Calvinists we see concluded and maintained peaceable leagues and covenants with a free egresse regresse or continuance of the respective Subjects in one anothers territories why should it breed greater confusion or discompose the Civill peace of England by permitting an English Lutheran Brownist Antinomian Anabaptist Jew Turk or others more than if they were of any other Nation or with what sense or reason can that priviledge or freedome be denyed unto an Englishman in his owne Countrey because he differs from the State Religion or opinions that be in fashion which every forreigner of any Nation of what profession soever in amity with England enjoyes without controle would it not be a pretty fancie to banish English Anabaptists or others dissenting in opinion from their native inheritance their friends and livelihoods whilest all our Ports Townes and houses are open to receive Spanish Papists and Dutch Anabaptists to take the bread out of our mouths I only make a querie of it that better judgements may reflect thereon 2. Particular Churches members of a Kingdome and Nation are not obliged in point of conscience and Christianity to submit unto whatsoever publique Church Government Rites and Discipline a Nationall Councel Synod and Parliament shall conceive most consonant to Gods Word unlesse it prove so in the whole Kingdomes Nations and those very particular Churches judgement for by the contrary position they and Mr. Pryn himselfe should be subject unto the Popish or Episcopall government again if this present Parliament and Synod doe but say the word and the Scriptures you aime to prove it with doe not only faile but make against you viz. 1 Cor. 32. 33. which text makes the whole Church or rather every member thereof capable of prophesying all alike and I finde not but the Spirits of the Prophets which the Apostle insinuates to be subject might possibly be of as wise learned and noble as any the Christian world afforded in that he said Ye may all prophesie one by
one v. 31. and whether it be not greater confusion in the sight of God to compell a hundred men of twenty severall opinions to joyne in one imposed worship than permit each of them to serve God after his owne manner and a kinde of constraining God to curse the true worshippers for the false worshippers sake or whether he will or not to blesse the false worshippers for the true worshippers which are amongst them And lastly whether way is most peaceable to desire only a Christian liberty for our selves of serving God in such manner as we finde ourselves bound in conscience to doe or the imposing a prescript way our owne a humane ordinance upon others who neither understand it to be reasonable or godly let man see and judge as God doth in judgement and in truth As touching your texts for Subjection to the Powers viz. Rom. 13. 1. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15. We must bate them in this case or be subject to Episcopacie which I would be loath to be though it boast of Statute Law as yet And for 1 Cor. 10. 32 33. deale equally with me can you conceive that you give me lesse offence in forcing me to joyne with you in such a way of worship as I thinke sinfull or lesse pleasing unto God than I should give unto you by peaceably serving God after another manner only different from yours without so much as maligning yours much lesse compelling of your person or doe you any way seeke my profit that I might be saved when you force me to serve God as you alleadge after such a manner whereof I doubt and so am damned Rom. 14. 22 23. 3. and 4. To the third and fourth Question I answer That in all the New Testament you finde no Nationall Churches but severall Independent ones to wit so many Churches as you read of in all the New Testament no one depending on the other But for Presbyteriall government I finde there no print thereof far better colour for Episcopacie yet lest Episcopacie should attempt to shew her hornes againe I propound it as a querie whether superiority or Episcopall preheminence which the Apostles enjoyed in those dayes was not only by reason of the immediate Call Commission and a higher measure of inspiration which they enjoyed above their brethren and that since neither Bishops Synods nor Classicall Presbyteries can now boast more of the Holy Ghost than others whether Presbyters should not be contented to become levell with their brethren or restore againe the superiority to Bishops unto the Apostles and their successours The unity peace and amity which you insinuate to be established by Presbyteriall Government is it otherwise than of the outward man can you compell them into an unity of hearts and mindes as well as bodies was a coercive power ever sanctified for such a purpose had a subordinate government of Churches or a Nationall Church been so beautifull in the eyes of Christ doe we not thinke the Apostles and Primitive Christians would have been as wise to finde it out and as daring to practise it as were the Papists of England who alwayes governed themselves by Bishops their Bishop of Chalcedon being continually resident in the Land till within these tenne yeares which yet caused such a difference betwixt the Jesuits and the secular Priests as that they have been impleading one another at the Court of Rome for above these twenty yeares Methinkes you should have knowne of this and not presuppose the Apostles and Primitive Christians inferiour to Papists for piety or discipline But as for the capacity you say this Government hath to prevent heresie errours faction libertinisme injustice and other inconveniences I appeal to the throne of reason since that of Christ Jesus being spirituall is so little apprehended by the carnally minded whether the quite contrary be not the truth it selfe out of this consideration only viz. The Nationall Church government to be afterwards established must first be made choice of by most voices and so imposed upon the rest for Evangelicall the most are most commonly the most corrupt most licentious most injust most factious either quite carelesse or regardlesse of every Religion of all devotion and by their Club-law which they are able to manage being the major party they will both erect their government and compell others to be like themselves and I desire to propound it to your saddest thoughts to be seriously considered on whether such as are so earnest that the State should prescribe them what Religion to be of and after what manner to worship God doe not so for the most part out of idlenesse because they themselves will not take paines to try the Spirits 1 Joh. 4. 1. whether they be not meer formalists and such as may be thought to be of opinion and passe their lives as though the State must give account both of their faith and workes at the day of judgement and not they themselves As I told you before I finde no Nationall Church in the New Testament but severall Independent ones which I intreat you to consider on If you say there was no whole Nation converted to the Christian Faith in those dayes and that the Christians wanted Civill power I answer That there were so many Proselites so many converted as made severall Churches if not in one City in one Province at least and within a few some 12 miles one of another to wit the 7 Churches of Asia no two whereof besides the first Christian Antioch and others were above 120 miles distant and yet all these were Independent as appears by the respective directions and the distinct charges which the Blessed Spirit in the Revelation pronounced against them and whether the Civill powers were then Christian or Antichristian had the dependencie and subordination of Churches been an Ordinance of God good Christians would have submitted without a Civill power to pillory or whip them to it and the Apostles not omitted to reprehend them if they had done amisse in not observing it Since then a Classicall Presbyteriall government has no president in the New Testament and Episcopall which domineer'd in some degree almost ever since has been voted Antichristian and neither of them by coercive meanes can worke more upon Christians than they can upon so many head of Cattle by impounding them in what place they please no one of them may warrantably be established 5. As the grounds of Independent government attribute nothing to the Magistrate in Church affaires farther then the Magistrate is a member of their Churches and Assemblies so no people under heaven ascribe more unto the Magistrate than the Independent doe in Civill matters The Great Turke is not so absolute a Monarch as a Prince a Magistrate may be over a people independent in matters of Religion who being such as make a conscience of all they do would not only give unto Caesar the things that be Caesars but even suffer their own their propriety in part to
be taken from them rather then resist the Powers so they may quietly enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences the Scriptures the principles on which they ground themselves doe necessarily inforce them to it 6. Doubtlesse in all Nations from the first preaching of the Gospel till now Christians did multiply and particular Churches likewise which for the most part had dependencie on and communion one with another and were all subordinate to Nationall and Provinciall Synods and publique Ecclesiasticall constitutions but such Churches as were chiefly Papall or Episcopall and never Presbyteriall till within the memory of our Fathers and why we may not retreat backe againe into the errours of a hundred yeares as well as not passe forward unto a farther measure of light and knowledge I finde little satisfaction Phil. 3. 12 13 14. 7. The selfe same Law of Nature God and rectified reason which instructed and warranted all Nations to subject themselves unto some publique forme of Civill government obliging all persons and societies of men alike which they conceived most advantagious doth not warrant us to doe the like in Church affaires because whatsoever civill action the Civill Magistrate requires may be performed by the outward man or else be expiated by penalty without taint of conscience But the Church government as it aimes at and regards the Spirituall service and performance Joh. 4. 24. so the punishments must have a Spirituall effect Mat. 18. 18. and cannot be undergone or worke upon a mans spirit unlesse he will himself neither may he be willing thereunto unlesse he apprehend them to be according to Christs Government and Institution 8. From Exod. 23. 17. and 34. 23 24. with Exod. 34 23 24. and Deut. 16. 16. Levit. 17. 3. 4. 8 9 which speakes of the Nationall Church of the Jewes appearing at Ierusalem thrice a yeare you can no fitter apply it to prove a Nationall Church of Christians than make it possible for all the world if they were Christians which in such a sense must be Nationall to appeare thrice a year at Ierusalem or excuse them if they did not appear and if you grant a Catholicke Church throughout the world which may reach from one end thereof even to the other I wonder how it can be denyed that such as joyn in an Independent Church way may not as possibly be accounted and prove true members of the Catholicke but for the distinct Synagogues and Parochiall Assemblies as you call them of the Iews to which the people living together in a City were alotted and restrained I finde no ground in Scripture but strong evidence for a kinde of Independent Churches amongst the very Jewsd as you may gather from Deutt 12. 12. 18. c. 16. 11. 14. c. 26. 11. 12. Judg. 17. 18. Chapters by such of them as kept Levites to officiate in their families The Synodall Assembly you point at in the Acts 15. was no formall Synod neither would you as I conceive be contented to be bound by such an other to wit by a particular Church that is a Parish Church in your account if you hold any such in those dayes of another place whereof you your selfe are no member If you say an assembly of brethren at Jerusalem or any other particular place would now want inspired Apostles to make them Synodall or their Decrees of binding power I cannot help you till it please God to send us others neither doe I finde it in the power of man because they have not an Apostolicall spirit to supply the want thereof by numbers by multiplying or assembling so many more Presbyters or Presbyteries all men subject to the same passions with our selves Act. 14. 15. which is such a peece of simonie as we must be driven to grant that God Almighty hath hertofore infatuated such inventions or yeeld the Papists therein the upper hand But where doe we finde that those of Jerusalem sent binding decrees to the Churches of the Gentiles I see it not in Act. 15. 22. to 32. c. 16. 14. â— 21. 25. which you produced for that purpose since whatsoever their decrees were though they were infallibly assisted by the presence of the Holy Ghost v. 28. the penalty thereof was no more than If you doe observe these things you shall doe well v. 29. In Gods name then if you will needs have Synods and equalize them with the Apostles in making of decrees which I feare mee may amount unto presumption let them at least binde no otherwise than the Apostles than these of Jerusalem to wit Spiritually give them no sting or poison of Civill power which will subtilly undermine enervate and quite eat out the spirituall other than which you will and may well for this very cause acknowledge the Apostles neither had nor exercised But what are these binding decrees of that Synodall Assembly are they any other than a small portion or Historicall narration of the Acts of the Apostles did they then binde the Churches of the Gentiles or all Christians since any otherwise than other portions of Scripture doe And if you will have Synods and Parliaments to make the like binding decrees at present doe you not say by consequence and in effect that they may prescribe us another Gospel other Scriptures which though they were not differing but alike to what we have received are we not forbid to adde unto them upon perill of damnation Rev. 22. 18 19. But for the Churches of England Ireland Wales Scotland c. recorded by Historians and Canons I feare me if well examined they will rather be found Church walls than Church Assemblies living Temples of the Lord whereof Christ Jesus is the corner stone 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Eph. 2. 20 21 22. such stocks and stones have the lazie covetous aspiring and which is worst of all persecuting lergie-men endeavoured to bring poore Christians to the laity as they call them that they might afterwards hew and hammer them into whatsoever else their owne lusts most desired 9. In my answer to your 3. and 4. Questions I hope to have given you if you consider of it some satisfaction that even in the Apostles times the Christians if they had been inspired thereto or so desired might have made themselves a Nationall Church what ever the Civill Magistrate had beene as well as Papists in England who alwayes were and still are subject to their Bishop in chiefe from whom they have appeale to Rome or the Jewes themselves which so long as they were a Church were still a Nationall Church though subjected to heathen Princes as touching Civill matters in captivity and strictest bondage For suppose England ought to be and were a Nationall Church of Calvinists or other kinde of Protestants if the Prince thinke good to alter his owne Religion or some party of the Subjects a fourth fift or so does the Kingdome cease to be a Nationall Church if it do not let the Kingdome enjoy their Nationall Church and particulars such as will their
Living and Lecture to another as often as a more plentifull is proffered thinke it better to officiate to a Tribe and Nation than to a petty assembly or family and so betray their flocks Judg. 17. 7 8 9 10 11 and 18 19 20. Is it not to be feared that men cry out for a subordination of Churches or Presbyteries to inlarge their owne jurisdiction and will not the same mercuriall spirits at times and opportunities refine the businesse and discover when a Papall plenipotentia may best conduce to unity and that with good reason too according to their carnall principles for why should not a Monarchicall Government be as lawfull in Church as Commonwealth if the insinuated argument in your seventh Question be good it should be necessary so far forth as many judicious Writers hold a Monarchicall Government to be most exquisite and perfect for every Civill State nay why should it not be so or how dare the favourers abetters of a Nationall Christian Church endure any other than a Monarchicall head and government such a one as God himselfe prescribed unto the Jews and fully as much even both at once or not at all I meane a Monarchicall head to the Nationall Christian Church as he did a Nationall Church unto the Christians 10. It will be no more obstinacie singularity arrogancie selfe-ends nor peremptory schisme for Independents to submit unto a government established by consent of Parliament and Synod hereafter than it would have been heretofore if the said government shall require any thing of them which they cannot yeeld unto without defiling of their consciences you will I presume grant they might doe so in time of Popery or Episcopacie and why a Presbytery should have a liberty of forcing men to sinne against their owne faith of doing evill and exercising dominion over the consciences of their brethren which neither the Pope nor Bishops might is to me a riddle But I conceive I may safely bring my appeale home to Mr. Pryns owne conscience and aske him seriously why he might not have made his tenth whole Querie unto himselfe when he opposed the whole Church and State of England not having then so many to side with him therein as through Gods goodnesse the Independents now have hundreds Oh! how doe you give offence unto your brethren and cause to thinke you then stood out upon a wrong foundation in that you doe not see the Independents have the same and so much better nay doe you not justifie the Archbishop in all his harsh proceedings then against you whom now you yet prosecute for what he did then the very same which you if you had power would doe to Independents reconcile but your selfe unto your selfe and iâ— I mistake not you will be far nearer composing the distracting controversies you speake of in your Preface whereof your 12 bloudy Queries with doctrines and spirits of the same alay are the only causers But good now tell me were they Statesmen Bishops a Star-chamber or High-Commission Court whose government when time was you so withstood what if a Presbyteriall Discipline seem as unwarrantable and ungodly unto a thousand Christians who you call Independents and in the opinion of understanding and pious men may likely be as conscientious and knowing as your selfe but what if you a single man or so were then in the right though you withstood the setled government of a State or Nationall Church and a thousand Independents now in an errour for delivering their opinions concerning Presbyteriall government which is but getting into the Throne not yet established were in the wrong what infallible rule or spirit did you then discover unto the State whereby they might be prevailed upon to thinke you then were in the right which a thousand Independents may not rather be thought to have now done the like and more though yet they were in the wrong if then we be all subject to the same passions and infirmities Rom. 14. 15. let us use instructing and admonishing with meeknesse bearing one anothers burthen Gal. 6. 2. 1 Pet. 5. 2. Peter exhorts the Elders to take the oversight of the flocke of God amongst them not by constrains but willingly Perhaps some may apprehend the sense of these words constraint and willingly to be doubtfull to wit whether of the two be to be understood actively in reference to the Elders and whether of them passively in which respect the better to finde out the Apostles meaning it may not be amisse to try both wayes whereby I doubt not but we shall easily make appear which of them doth best agree with the coherence as well of that which does precede as of that which followes If the word constraint be to be understood passively in relation to the Elders then the meaning of the words as I suppose can be no otherwise then this I exhort you Elders to be forward in taking willingly the oversight of Gods flocke not delaying so long as that the flocke compell you thereunto and if it signifie actively then will it amount to this purpose I exhort you Elders to take the oversight of the flocke of God so far forth only as they are willing to be subject unto your oversight without constraint If then we examine which of these two interpretations of the Apostles word will suit best with the context we shall finde the former not only like a patch of old cloath in a new garment but if we will make it to bee sense we must suppose the flocke of God might constraine the Elders to take the oversight if of themselves they were unwilling which I suppose you will explode But that the intention of the Apostle was to exhort the Elders to take the oversight and rule over the flocke of God so farre forth only as the flocke was willing is cleare by the following words v. 3. where he addes that they should not take the oversight as Lords over Gods heritage but being ensamples to the flocke as if he should say Though the flocke of God have willingly and of their owne accord chosen you to have the oversight and rule over them in the Lord yet thinke not that you have hereby obtained any lordly power or dominion over Gods heritage but that you might only serve as more eminent ensamples of well-doing unto the flocke but if they might have taken the oversight by constraint to wit whether the flocke would or no then must they necessarily in that respect have been as Lords over Gods heritage which the Apostle expressely prohibits them If then the Elders Presbyters and Bishops may not take this oversight of the flocke of God farther then the flocke doth willingly consent thereto how will your Parish Churches much lesse your Nationall endure this Scripture how can you longer uphold either of them or they subsist so long as you beleeve and yeeld obedience to it unlesse you will say the greater part which are willing will sufficiently constitute a Parochiall or Nationall Church
the obtaining and exercising dominion over the consciences of your brethren Oh the impartiality and falshood of a mans owne heart and understanding At the beginning of this Parliament the whole Kingdome sided with both Houses in the vindication of their Liberties and so it continued untill such as did overmuch idolize Presbytery prevailed for a Bill to damne Episcopacie root and branch that Presbytery might succeed it with its fascibus fustibus with its Pentifiealibus Synodalibus nothing to be abated which concerned either wealth or jurisdiction only an Episcopall tyranny to be exchanged for a Presbyteriall slavery which so soone as the Court Clergie discovered they quickly plotted a countermine they quickly prevailed to bring Armes into the Field for asserting the Nationall Church Government and Discipline established by Law and thus betweene Episcopacie and Presbytery between the covetous and aspiring dominering Clergie-men of War on both sides not only the Grand Designe the vindication of our just Liberties through Gods just judgement is well neare blasted which was so likely to be compassed by a universall union and concurrence without the least bloodshed save of some few notorious Delinquents and in stead thereof by their severall and yet joynt contrivances like Sampsons Foxes the depraved Clergie-men of both sides have engaged all three Kingdomes in so violent and execrable a Civill Warre to the destruction and sudden death of so many thousand Christians Protestants as the whole Christian World in so short a time had never felt the like Can Mr. Pryn deny but that the parties now in Armes at least the Grand Instruments those principall Engines which set all the wheeles a running till they are growne quite giddy may notwithstanding their subtle carriage of it be justly denominated Episcopall and Presbyteriall have they not as the Prophet Daniel saith 11. 39. divided the Kingdomes betwixt them at present and as Esaiah tells us 56. 11. doe they not looke to their owne way only whilest every one has his chiefe aime at the gaine which comes from his quarter nay hath not each of them designed to reduce all three Kingdomes totally to their command and bondage hereafter may not the Apostle James his reprehension bee thought purposely directed to them From whence come warres and fightings among you come they not hence even of our lusts James 4 1. aut Caesar aut nullus nothing will serve their turnes lesse than absolute conquest of the Kingdome of the whole man both soule and body imprisonment and banishment fire and sword to all alike to Independents as well as to Papists though the Papists till they renounce some certaine tenets can be true to neither but the Independents unto either as well as the Apostles and Primitive Christians were to the Antichristian Roman Emperours Did Micah to whom the Word of the Lord came c. 1. 1. tell the Jews how they hated the good and loved the evill that they plucked off the skin and flesh from their bones that they did eat the flesh of Gods people and flay'd their skin from off them that they brake their bones and chopp'd them in peeces as for the pot and as flesh within the caldron they build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity the heads thereof judge for reward the Priests teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they say is not the Lord amongst us Micah 4. 2. 3. 10. 11. and may it not now as truly if not then Prophetically be said of too too many on both sides at present that they seeke to settle uniformity and build up a Nationall Church in bloud and rapine did Micah then tell the Jewes v. 11. That their Heads did judge for reward and may it not now be said as truly that neither widow nor fatherlesse neither poore nor oppressed can tell whom to flye to for reliefe or comfort no Saint to helpe them within hearing the Drummes and Trumpets with imminent necessities are made excuses to continue the whole Kingdomes in unsufferable miserie except such as can make friendship by their unrighteous mammon which they have got with fishing in these troubled waters Luke 16. 9. may it not now be said as justly that the Priests of both sides the Episcopall and Presbyteriall Clergie do teach for hire and prophesie for money doth not the same Prophet Micah say truly of them He that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare War against him doe they not with the most prostitute Popelings cry out No penny no Pater noster Is not maintenance maintenance the burthen of all their Parlour or Pulpit pastime and why should they so sacrilegiously set a price on that which is but supposititious the phancie of their owne braines the reall truth whereof God required all true Disciples to give for nothing Mat 10 8. Es. 55. 1. 2. or why should people be forced to buy the chaffer of these Clergie-merchants rather than the wares or labour of a Shoomaker or porter would not such dealing be damned for an unjust monopoly which yet these encroachers practise without a patent if any but themselves should doe the like nay why must we be forced to pay these mercenary Clergie-men for such counterfeit service and ministration which others will discharge better and that for nothing is not this the greatest infringing of the Subjects propriety which the Kingdome suffers I say not this to under value the Ministery of the Gospell or to disswade an ample and abundant maintenance to such as truly labour in Gods Vineyard but to exaggerate the heynousnesse of those that do not only set as they pretend the inestimable treasure of the Gospell the unvaluable Word of God to sale as if it were an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. but as much as in them lyes compell all people and Nations by fire and sword to buy trash and trumpery in stead thereof and that at what price they themselves please And lastly as Micah pronounced a curse upon the Israelites for these iniquities of theirs v. 12. so have we instead of peace and propriety nothing remaining besides direfull Wars and barbarous devastations and instead of a Nationall Church through Gods just judgements we see three Nations weltering in one anothers blood If then we have thus fallen into these miseries may we not by retrograding get cut againe if Episcopacie and Presbytery have set the State on fire through an ambitious desire of Empire together with a pestilent spirit of persecuting one another may not the serving both alike reduce us to quietnesse againe they are these pretended Clergy-men that love to be called the great Rabbies and Doctors that affect the uppermost seats at feasts and meetings Mat. 23. 6. 7. these thinke the Blessed Spirit departed from all the Saints to be retreated and confined unto their breasts they will allow no body to Prophesie besides themselves contrary to Pauls testimony 1 Cor. 14. 31. in which respect the people being for the most part bred up