Ghost in whomsoever THe next in order as the immediate question from this former is who must interpret this Rule because as is objected there are many darke places in it hard to be understood Vnto vvhich we answer The two Witnesses shall be the onely interpreter thereof which are the vvord of God contained in the same Scriptures and the Spirit of God so are they called Ioh. 15.26.27 Act. 5.32 First for the Scriptures themselves although some doctrine in some places be darke and obscure as Peter speaketh 2. Pet. 3.16 yet the selfe same doctrines in other places are plaine and manifest For all the words of the Lord are plaine to them that will understand and straight to them that would finde knowledge Prov. 8.9 And knowledge is easie to him that will understand Prov. 14.6 Secondly the Spirit of God so saith the Apostle 1. Ioh. 5.6 It is the Spirit that beareth witnesse for the Spirit is truth and Ioh. 14.26 But the Comforter which is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in my Name hee shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance which I have told you And Ioh. 16.13 Howbeit when hee is come which is the Spirit of Truth hee will leade you into all truth for hee shall not speake of himselfe but whatsoever hee shall heare hee shall speake and he will teach you of the things to come And 1. Cor. 2.10 For the Spirit searcheth all things even the deepe things of God and vers 11. For the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God And 1 Ioh. 2.27 But the annointing that ye have received of him dwelleth in you and yee need not that any man teach you but as the same annointing teacheth you of all things and it is true and is not lying and as it taught you you shall abide in him And 1 Ioh. 3.24 Hereby we know that hee abideth in us even by the Spirit that hee hath given us And 1. Cor. 12.8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisedome and to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit The Scriptures be so plaine in this that the greatest adversaries thereof doe acknowledge the truth hereof Onely in this lyeth the difficultie who it is that hath the Spirit of God to interprete the Scriptures which is that sure Rule which in the next place is to be handled CHAP. III. That the Spirit of God to understand and interpret is given to all and every particular person that feare and obey God of what degree soever they be and not to the wicked DEut. 4.5.6 Behold J have taught you Ordinances and Lawes as the Lord my God commanded me that you doe even so c. Keep them therefore and doe them for that is your wisedome and understanding in the sight of the people c. who shall say onely this people is wise and of understanding c. Psal 25.12 What man is he that feareth the Lord him will he teach the way that he shall chuse and vers 14. The secret of the Lord is revealed to them that feare him and his covenant to give them understanding And Psal 107.43 Who is wise that he may observe these things for they shall understand the loving kindnesse of the Lord. Dan. 12.10 None of the wicked shall have understanding but the wise shall understand for God will doe nothing but he revealed his secrets to his servants Amos 3.7 And he that keepeth the Law is a child of understanding Prov. 28.7 Luk. 21.15 For I will give you my Disciples that obey me and suffer for my sake a mouth and wisedome And Luk. 12.12 And the Holy Ghost shall teach you what yee shall say For Mat. 10.20 it is not you that speake but the Spirit of my father that speaketh in you And Mark 4.11 to you my followers is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to them that are without all things are in parables And Ioh. 14.15 Jf ye love me keep my commandements and I will pray the Father and hee shall give you the Spirit of Truth And Ioh. 7.17 Jf any man will doe his will he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God or no. And Act. 5.32 Yea and the Holy Ghost whom God hath given to all that obey him And Psal 119.99 c. David had more understanding then all his Teachers and then all the Ancients because he kept Gods precepts Hence is plaine to whom the Spirit of God is given Even to everie particular Saint of God and it is no Private spirit but even the Publique Spirit of God which is in him which enableth him to understanding and so to declare the things given him of God For that is a private spirit that is not of God though it be in multitudes but the Spirit of God though but in one Saint is not Private Gods Spirit is not private for it is not comprehended onely within one place person or time but is universall and eternall so is not mans Spirit Therefore mens is private though in many persons Gods is publique though but in one person CHAP. IV. Those that feare and obey God and so have the Spirit of God to search out the mind of God in the Scriptures are commonly and for the most part simple ones poore despised c. OVr Saviour saith Mat. 11.5 The poore receive the Gospell and vers 25. J thank thee Father Lord of heaven earth because thou hast opened these things to Babes It is so Father because thy good pleasure was such And the Apostle James 2.5 Hearken my beloved brethren Hath not God chosen the poore of this world that they should be rich in faith and Heyres of the Kingdome c. And the Apostle Paul 1. Cor. 1.26 c. Brethren you see your Calling that God hath chosen the foolish of this world the weake of this world the vile of this world and despised and which are not For Gods dealing is to give unto the simple sharpnesse of wit and to the child knowledge and discretion Prov. 1.4 The Spirit bloweth where it listeth Ioh. 3.8 and is not tied either to learning or multitudes Poore persecuted Michaih had the truth against 400. of King Ahabs Prophets 1. King 22. so had Ieremy Ier. 37. against all the Priests and Prophets of Israel The Lord of life himselfe in his fleshly being what was hee but a man full of sorowes In his birth laid in a cratch because there was no roome for him in the Inne Luke 2.7 A Carpenter by trade Mark 6. having not a hole to rest his head in Mat. 8. and in his death contemned and despised His Apostles in like manner what were they but meane men Fishermen Tent-makers and such like having no certain dwelling place in so much as the worldly wise Scribes and Pharises took notice of it and reproachfully said Ioh. 7.48 Doth any of the Rulers or of the Pharisees beleeve
the wheat and tares grow together in the world untill the Harvest Mat. 13. And so in humble manner we proceed CHAP. I. The doctrine of the Holy Ghost contained in the sacred Scriptures is the rule of faith and not any Church Counsell Prince or Potentate nor any mortall man whatsoever Proved BY the Scriptures themselves which are the writings of Moses and the Prophets The Evangelists and Apostles These are a sufficient Rule to trie all faith and religion by Our reasons are 1. They are inspired of God and are able to make us wise unto salvation and perfect to every good worke 2. Tim. 3.15 Secondly because these writings were written that we might have certainety of the things whereof we are instructed Luke 1.4 That our joy might be full 1. Ioh. 1.4 and that we might beleeve and in beleeving might have life Ioh. 20.31 Thirdly we are cōmanded Not to presume or be wise above that which is written 1. Cor. 4.6 For with this weapon Christ put to flight the devill Mat. 4. and taught his Disciples Luk. 24.27 46. and Paul taught Christ Iesus Act. 17.2 The godly are commended for searching the Scriptures Act. 17.11 and commanded to search them Ioh. 5.39 and they that vvill not beleeve these Writings will not beleeve Christs vvords nor one that should come from the dead Ioh. 5.47 Luke 16.31 If any Papist or Atheist aske how vvee know all or any of these Scriptures to be inspired of God Wee answer The eare saith Iob 12.11 discerneth words and the mouth tasteth meate for it selfe And as the eie discerneth the light of the Sun so doth our spirit discerne these Scriptures to be of God and that for these reasons First in regard of the majestie wisedome and Grace of them from all other writings For there is as great glorie in these Scriptures as in the making of this vvonderfull vvorld which may evidently be seene Secondly by their teachings which excelleth all humane teachings leading us from Satan from this world and our selves to God in holinesse faith love feare humilitie Thirdly the true events of them or fulfilling of the Prophesies conteined in them Fourthly the consent and agreement of all the parts of them the like wherof cannot be shewed of so many severall Writers since the vvorld began Fiftly the admirable preservation therof against time and tyrants all which could not extinguish them Sixtly the devill and his instruments rage against those that practise the doctrines conteined in them Seventhly the conversion of thousands to God by the power of the doctrine of them Eightly the vengeance of God upon such as have not obeyed them Ninthly the acknowledgement of them by the verie professed adversaries thereof Tenthly the miracles from heaven confirming them Eleventhly the sight of a Saviour to man is onely from them And lastly the simplicity of the Writers and plainenes of the writings For God hath chosen the meane contemptible and despised to publish the mysteries of his will These are sufficient to perswade that these holy Writings are inspired of God and so able to make us wise to salvation and perfect to every good worke These Scriptures conteine the Law and Testimonie and if any Councell Church Prince or Potentate speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them Esa 8.20 but we are commanded to hold them accursed Gal. 1.8.9 For whosoever shall adde unto these things God shall adde the plagues written herein and who so shall take away from those things God shall take his name out of the booke of Life and out of the holy Citie and from those things that are written Revel 22.18.19 Much by us shall not need to be vvritten in this thing it is so evident and so generally acknowledged except the Papists onely we will bring some humane Testimonies The Protestants affirme Whites Way to the Church Dedicated to the Bishops pag. 12. That it is the doctrine of the Church of England Article six that the Scriptures comprehended in the old and new Testament is the Rule of Faith so far that whatsoever is not read therein nor cannot be proved thereby is not to be accepted as any point of faith or needfull to be followed but by it all doctrines taught and the Churches practice must be examined and that rejected which is contrary to it under what title or pretence soever it come unto us And further they say pag. 1. That the Pope or any mortall man should be the rule that must resolve in questions and controversies of faith is an unreasonable Position voide of all indifferency when common sence teacheth that he that is a Party cannot be a Iudge And againe p 17. Which is the Church is controversall which is the Scriptures is not therefore let that be the Rule which is out of doubt Againe pag. 44. The Scriptures containeth the Principles of our faith and shall we not beleeve them Or cannot we know them of themselves infallibly without we let in the authority of the Church This and much more the Protestants have written sufficiently confirmeth That no Church nor man whatsoeuer may be a Rule or Iudge in matters of Faith but onely the holy Scriptures and whosoever teacheth or practiseth otherwise they must hold maintain the Papists Creed or Colliers faith which the Protestants so much detesteth mentioneth p. 6. out of Staphilus his Apologie Thus The Collier being at the point of death tempted of the devill what his faith was answered J beleeve and die in the faith of Christs Church being againe demanded what the faith of Christs Church was that faith saith he that J beleeve in Thus the devill getting no other answer was overcome and put to flight by this faith of the Collier every unlearned man may trie the spirits of men whether they be of God or no by this faith he may resist the devill and judge the true interpretation from the false and dis erne the Catholique from the Hereticall Minister the true doctrine from the forged For if this answer of the Collier and the Papists conclusion upon it be not sound but detestable as the Protestants confesse and cry woe unto the Papists for the same and that justly Then is it no lesse detestable in the Protestants or any other to require or force any to yeeld so in Religion and Faith that upon such a temptation he hath no better answer to make then as the Collier to say I beleeve and die in the faith of the Church or of the Prince or of the learned For being demanded what that faith is if he be not able to prove it by Gods word conteyned in the Scriptures it is no better then the answer of the Collier The faith that I beleeve in c. Oh how manie millions of soules in this Nation not Papists but Protestants live and die and have no other faith then this CHAP. II. The interpreter of this Rule is the Scriptures themselves and the Holy
in him vers 49. but this people that know not the Law are cursed The truth of this is as plaine as may be that the Scriptures being the rule of Faith perfect and absolute and that the plainenesse of them is such as that by the Spirit of God they may easily be understood of those that feare and obey God but of none else and that such are most commonly the poore and despised For if any want wisedome be he never so simple let him come unto God and hee will give him Iam. 1.5 which is also confirmed by humane testimonie The Protestants confesse that in the Primitive Church the doctrines and severall points of Religion were known and discovered by the most meane of the people and rhe Bishops exhorted them therunto c. Whits way pag. 7. And that this rule is of that nature that it is able to direct any man be he never so simple yea the most unlearned alive may conceive and understand it sufficiently for his salvation pag. 9. And they relate the sayings of the Ancients in this time First Clemence Alexandrinus The word is not hid from any it is a common light which shineth to all men and there is no obscuritie in it c. pag. 32. Next Augustine God hath bowed down the Scriptures to the capacitie of babes and sucklings that when proud men will not speak to their capacitie yet himselfe might After him Chrisostome The Scriptures are easie to understand and exposed to the capacitie of every servant and Plowman and widow and boy and him that is most unwise therefore God penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicanes Fishermen Tent-makers Shepherds Neatherds and unlearned men that none of the simple people might have any excuse to keep them from reading and that so they might be easie to be understood of all men the Artificer the Housholder and Widow woman and him that is most unlearned Yea the Apostles and Prophets as Schoole-masters to all the world made their writings plaine and evident to all men so that every man of himselfe onely by reading them might learne the things spoken therein Next Iustine Martyr saith Heare the words of the Scripture which be so easie that it needs no exposition but onely to be rehearsed And this the Protestants say was the perpetuall and constant judgement of the ancient Church c. And further he alledgeth pag. 21. Theodoret who writ of his times You shall every where see these points of our faith to be knowne and understood not onely by such as are Teachers in the Church but even of Coblers and Smiths and Websters and all kinde of Artificers yea all our women not they onely which are booke-learned but they also that get their living with their needle yea mayd-servants and wayting-women and not Citizens onely but Husbandmen of the Country are very skilfull in these things yea you may heare among us Ditchers and Neatherds and Wood-setters discoursing of the Trinitie and the creation c. The like is repeated by others And say the Protestants His doctrine that was President in the Trent Councell That a Distaffe was fitter for a woman then a Bible was not yet hatched c. Oh! it were well if the contempt of these pious practises were paled onely within the Romish profession and were not practised in and among those that professe themselves to be separated therefrom As what is more frequent in the mouthes of many learned Protestants then these and such like words Must every base fellow Cobler Taylor Weaver c. meddle with the exposition or discoursing of the Scriptures which apperteyneth to none but to the learned Yea doe they not forbid their owne Ministers to expound or discourse of the Scriptures Read the 49. Canon which is No person whatsoever not examined and approved by the Bishop of the Dioces or not licenced as is aforesayd for a sufficient and convenient Preacher shall take upon him to expound in his owne Cure or elsewhere any Scripture or matter or doctrine but shall onely studie to read plainly and aptly without glosing or adding the Homilies alreadie set forth or hereafter to be published by lawfull Authoritie c. So that not onely Iesus Christ and his Apostles who are alive in their doctrine though not in their persons are forbidden all exposition of holy Scriptures or matter or doctrine not being licensed by the Bishops but also their owne Ministers who have sworne Canonicall obedience to them Yet when they are put to answer the Papist who practise the same thing they take up both Scriptures and ancient Writers to confute it CHAP. V. The learned in humane learning doe commonly and for the most part erre and know not the Truth but persecute it and the professors of it and therefore to be no further followed then we see them agree with the Truth THe next in order is That seeing the Lord reveileth his secrets to the humble though wanting humane learning That we now prove that on the contrarie God usually and for the most part Hideth his secrets from the learned and suffreth them to erre and resist the Truth yea so far as to persecute it and the professors of it And first let us beginne with the learned Heathen who were behind none in humane learning The wise men of Egypt how did they resist the powerfull truth of God delivered by Moses yea they resisted it with such signes and lying wonders as the heart of Pharaoh and all his people was hardened against it Exod. 7.11.12.18 8.7 And what was the cause of the destruction of Babel but the trusting in the learned Esa 47.13 Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy Counsels c. And Esa 44.25 I destroy the tokens of the Southsayers and make them that conjecture fooles and turne the wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishnesse The things of Gods dealing none of the learned of Egypt or Babel could interpret but Ioseph and Daniel Next come to the learned Priests and Prophets of the Iewes whose lips should have preserved knowledge and at whose mouth the people should have sought the Law But saith the Lord Mal. 2.7.8 They are gone out of the way they have caused many to fall by the Law c. Also Esay 29. Stay your selves and wonder they are blind and make you blind they are drunken but not with wine they stagger but not by strong drinke for the Lord hath covered you with a spirit of slumber and hath shut up your eyes the Prophets and your chiefe Seers c. Therefore the Lord said Because this people come neere unto me with their mouth and honour me with their lips but have removed their hearts far from me their feare towards me was taught by the precepts of men Therfore behold I will againe doe a marveilous worke in this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of the prudent shall be
of your Majestie your Highnes your Honors your Worships to take pitie on us our poore wives and children or his heavenly Majestie release us by death Will not succeeding ages cry out against these cruell courses of the Protestants as well as they crie out against the crueltie of the Iewes and Papists Yes we are assured they will as many millions doe in other Nations at this day The Scriptures declare the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Iewes was Not the obscurity of the Scriptures but that they winked with their eyes lest they should see and lest their honour and profite should decay and come to nothing Ioh. 11.48 and because their feare towards God vvas taught by mens Precepts and because they looked to their own vvay and to their owne advantage and had rejected the word of the Lord and because they builded their Sion with bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie and sought their own Honour and not Gods So the cause of the blindnesse of the learned Papists in denying the Scriptures to be the onely rule of faith is not the obscurity of the Scriptures but they receiving not the love of the Truth God hath given them up to strange and strong delusions and the cause of their not receiving the love of the truth being all those afore-named in the Iewes And the Protestant well observeth that the causes why the Papist deny the Scriptures onely sufficiencie and strive so much for their Churches Authoritie are two First That they might make themselves Iudges in their own cause For vvho seeth not that if the Church be the rule of faith and theirs be the Church which way the verdit will goe Next For that the greatest points of their Religion have no foundation on the Scriptures So that take away the Scriptures and establish their Religion but establish the Scriptures and their Religion vanisheth and that Mother of whoredomes that glorified her selfe as a Queene shall be consumed for her Merchants that are wexed rich through her pleasure and profites shall waile and weep The which they now seeing shut their eyes lest they should see that that should bring them from those Honours Profites and Pleasures In like manner it may easily be judged by everie indifferent heart that the cause why the learned of this land will be blind in not ceasing to constraine men to practise that in Gods worship in which they have not faith nay vvhich is contrarie to the light of their consciences is Not the obscuritie of the Scriptures But their winking with their eyes lest they should see that that would take away their honours profits and pleasures For if Bribes blinde the eyes of the wise Deut. 16.19 then honours profits and pleasures much more For who seeth not if none should be compelled to practice any thing in Gods worship but what they have faith in which will make them read willingly and worship holily then the Honours Profits and Pleasures of the learned men in respect of Spiritualty would decay although your Majestie might lawfully give them what temporall Honours Profits and Pleasures your Highnesse liked of These are the true causes of the blindnesse of the learned For so Christ saith Ioh. 5. How can yee beleeve when yee seeke honour one of another and seeketh not the honour that is of God And how can men but be blind in Gods mysteries vvhen they look to their own way for their own advantage and for their own purpose For having rejected the word of the Lord what wisedome is in them they have no answer of God that build up their Syon for so they account their Churches or professions vvith bloud and Ierusalem with iniquitie If these learned could free us from the Lords wrath or that they might answer for us and we be free it were safe for us to submit our selves and captivate our judgements and practise to them but seeing they cannot so much as deliver their own soules and that if the blind leade the blind both must fall into the ditch Mat. 15. and everie one give account of himselfe to God Rom. 14. and be judged by his own workes done in the flesh 2. Cor. 5. and that the soule that sinneth shall die Ezek. 18. vvee dare not follow any mortall man in matters of salvation further then wee know him to agree vvith Gods meaning in the Scriptures Paul the holy Apostle of Iesus Christ taught that we should follow him no otherwise then he followed Christ 1. Cor. 11.1 yea Christ himselfe sent men to the Scripture to try his doctrine Ioh. 5. The Apostles suffred their doctrine to be tryed and commended them that tryed it Act. 17.11 And the Protestants confesse White pag. 127. This doctrine was never misliked till a Church arose up whose silver being drosse and whose milke poyson could not endure the tryall which being true that we may trie why may we not also judge and practise according as Gods Spirit shall direct us in our tryall If a man should drinke poyson and know it to be poyson were he not in a worse estate then hee that should doe it ignorantly not knowing thereof even a murtherer of himselfe in the highest degree so he that drinketh spirituall poyson knowing it for so it is unto them they not having faith in it he is in a worse estate even a murtherer of his owne soule in the like degree And therefore that Church or those learned that vvill suffer their doctrine to be tryed and yet constraine men to receive it and practise it when upon tryall their consciences are convinced of the falshood thereof are worse and doe more highly sinne then they that constraine a blind conscience though both be evill Wee despise not learning nor learned men but doe reverence both it and them according to their worthinesse onely when it is advanced into the seat of God and that given unto it which apperteineth to the Holy Ghost which is to leade into all truth then ought all as Hezekiah did unto the brazen serpent detest it and contemne it CHAP. VI. Persecution for Religion is against the Law of Christ FIrst himselfe commanded Mat. 13.30 vvith 38. Let the Tares and wheate grow together in the world untill the end of this world Secondly the same Christ our Lord commandeth Mat. 15.14 that they which are blindly led on in false Religion and are offended at him for teaching true Religion should be let alone deferring their punishment unto their falling into the ditch Thirdly hee reproved his Disciples vvho would have had fire to come downe from heaven and devoured those Samaritanes that vvould not receive Christ saying Yee know not of what spirit yee are the Sonne of man is not to destroy mens lives but to save them Luke 9.54.55 which plainely proveth that Christ vvould have no man hurt for Religion although they be refusers of him Fourthly the Holy Ghost teacheth the servants of the Lord must not strive but be gentle towards all men suffering the evill
as freely have permitted the Trâ—th as the Truth could have suffered falshood leaâ—â—â—â— it to God to punish there should not have bene 〈◊〉 trouble at all in the State and Common wealth Againe who is not well acquainted with the flourishing estates of the neighbour Nations and that divers who tollerate Religion their Weales States and Cities are well and peaceably governed Many sorts of Religions are in their Provinces yet no trouble of State no treason no hinderance at all of any good they have all one harmonie in matters of State giving unto Caesar his due and for Religion they suffer one another patiently doing one unto another as they would be done unto And if any object the troubles of France or of the Low Countries it is easily answered the fountaine of them is that those that hold persecution lawfull take up armes or raise tumults for which cause it is just in the Princes and States to punish such severely for the breach of the Civill peace not medling with them for matter of conscience None that we know but Papists and Protestants doe persecute and therefore are onely lettered but altogether without the Spirit of God to perswade that persecution is profitable for a State it being so wicked and unprofitable as hath beene proved CHAP. X. Kings are deprived of no power that God hath given them when they maintaine freedome of Religion in their Dominions VVE are not ignorant that the learned doe perswade Kings and Princes that they have power from God to maintaine Gods worship and service as well as civill peace and so are mainteyners of both Tables and to punish false worshippers with imprisonment death or otherwise as other malefactors of the second Table Now concerning the latter we freely acknowledge they have all of them power from God to make humane Lawes that be just for the government of their Kingdomes and compell their subjects to observe them and to punish the transgressors of them and we all are to be obedient of conscience for the Lords sake But here lyeth the difficultie where God hath given to all Kings charge over his worship and spirituall service For God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth Ioh. 4. If all Kings have this charge and power then doe all Kings sinne in this save one if one for many doe not at all thinke it is their charge and so doe altogether neglect it and some doe thinke it is their charge and doe maintaine it one in one manner and another in another so that there can be but one that doe well in it if one for there is but one Truth all the rest doe sinne some for not maintaining it at all and some for maintaining it after a false manner for a false worship is worse then none And this one may verie well be doubtfull because he is as subject to erre as the others And if he doe erre and constraine his subjects amisse they shall perish for their sinne and their bloud shall be required at his hands The learned say that Christian Kings have the same power that the kings of Israel had to maintaine Mose Law in which observe no other kings had power oâ— charge to maintaine that Religion but onely the Kings of Israel and yet the Common weales did continue long and flourish to them and their seed afteâ— them to many generation but in these daies diver Kings say they are in the place of the Kings of Israel and say they maintaine the Religion of Christs Gospell yet differ so much as they count one another Idolaters and Heretiques for maintaining his way May it please your Majestie to give us leave to ask of your learned in what place of the word of Go your charge standeth Wee often reade of your charg in civill things and that your power is from God an hee hath given you a sword to punish evill doers and defend the innocent but not to support any Religion nor suppresse any Religion by your earthly sword now in the time of Christ But we reade that Kings have given their power and authoritie to the Beast Revel 17. to uphold an Antichristian Religion and their be ten or many of them that doe it Therefore it behooveth all Kings that doe by power and force uphold any Religion to suspect themselves lest they be of those ten that uphold the Beast and fight against the Lambe And also let them feare lest seeming to uphold true Religion they sit in the consciences of men where Christ should sit For Christ is the alone King of Israel without a fellow or substitute as your Majestie well observeth in your Highnesse Apologie Christ is the Churches Monarch and the Holy Ghost his Deputie But we know that they will answer us your Charge is in the Law of Moses for in the Gospell they have no colour for Rom. 13. maketh nothing for this purpose Caesar being a Heathen King to whom God gave no authoritie nor sword for matter of Religion They say the children of Israel were commanded to destroy all the inhabitants of the Land Deut. 7. lest they intice them to serve their gods Exod. 23. And false Prophets to be slaine Deut. 13. These are their strong holds For answer unto which First the sinns of these people were full and the Lord would destroy them and give their possessions to Israel but the sinns of the refusers of Christ are not full untill the end Secondly the children of Israel had a speciall command from the Lord to destroy them but the kings of Nations have no command at all to destroy the bodies of the contrarie minded they are forbidden to plucke up the tares Mat. 13. Thirdly the Canaanites would have rebelled against Israel and have destroyed them but the contrarie minded will not rebell against their Kings all that doe let them be cut off Fourthly the Heads and Rulers of Israel could command and compel the people to observe those carnall Rites Ordinances of the Law but the Heads of the Nations cannot compell their Subjects to beleeve the Gospel for faith is the gift of God which faith if they want all that they doe in Gods worship is sinne Rom. 14.23 Heb. 11.6 therefore they cannot compell any to worship because they cannot give them faith for which cause the Lord in wisedome see it not meet to charge Kings with a dutie which they cannot performe For to acceptance with God there must be a willing mind 1. Cor. 9. and faith but seeing it is not in their power to work either of these but the worke of God alone as your Majestie saith in Parl. 1609. God will never require it at their hands The bloud of the faithlesse and misbeleeving shall be upon their own heads for he that will not beleeve shall be damned Againe seeing they grant the law of Adulterie Theft and the like to be changed and is not now to be exacted according to that Law for the Iudicials were but for that time place and person as your Majestie observeth in Parl. 1609. why should not this Deut. 13. be changed also for the causes aforesaid as also because Christ and his Apostles hath expresly forbidden it as hath beene proved reserving for such a sorer punishment Heb. 10. For if that Law should now be exacted all Kings would be deprived of many their faithfull subjects and the Cities of their habitation with all their substance that is therein must be burned with fire and made a heape of stones for ever vvhich God forbid This wee hope your Majestie and the rest in Authoritie may see there is no comparison between the Kings of Israel under the Law and the Kings of Nations in the time of the Gospell in matters of Religion Many things might be writ to prove that Kings are not deprived of that power which God hath given them by suffering the Freedome in Religion as also the high impietie of all such as force the conscience by persecution But this may suffice the Almightie blessing it which with your Kingly and Honourable Consultations wee commend unto the King of Kings with our uncessant prayers for such successe as may tend most to his glorie and the prosperous estate of this Kingdome The Kings Majestie loyall subjects in all lawfull obedience unjustly called Anabaptists