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A48126 A Letter of the Presbyterian ministers in the city of London presented the first of Jan. 1645, to the reverend Assembly of Divines, sitting at Westminster, by authority of Parliament, against toleration : now re-printed with some animadversions thereon. Westminster Assembly (1643-1652) 1668 (1668) Wing L1581; ESTC R15039 6,131 15

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A LETTER OF THE Presbyterian Ministers In the CITY of LONDON Presented the First of Jan. 1645. to the Reverend Assembly of DIVINES Sitting at Westminster by Authority of Parliament AGAINST TOLERATION Now Re-printed with some Animadversions thereon LONDON Printed for J. Johnson 1668. A Preface to the Reader IT is sufficiently known how the Presbyterian Party in this Nation having by the help of the Covenant and force of Armes rooted out as they thought Episcopal or Prelatical Government Established by the Known Laws of the Land soon found themselves supplanted in their new intended Uniformity pressed on all men with a most zealous Rigour by their younger Brother Independency which under the smooth pretensions of Liberty of Conscience and Toleration threatned Presbytery with the same destruction Hereupon the Presbyterian Ministers of London meeting at Sion Colledge drew up this ensuing Letter to the Assembly convened at Westminster to possess them with the unlawfulness of Liberty of Conscience and Toleration especially aiming at Independency their feared Rival But the Intelligent Reader will easily discern how their own Arguments recoil upon themselves How dangerous and wicked it is in their Judgement to Tolerate much more to perpetuate by a standing Law Schism in the Church whether of Presbytery or Independency of which they are so equally guilty that it will be very difficult if not impossible for an impartial understanding to condemn the one and to acquit the other Yea it will appear by their own Reasons here alledged how necessary it is to the preservation of Truth and Peace that an Uniform Obedience be yielded to one and the same established Rule of Ecclesiastical Polity lest otherwise the people be seduced and drawn away from our Congregations the Godly Painful Orthodox and Conformable Clergy be discouraged all sorts of Sectaries emboldened to desire and endeavour the like Indulgence the Civil State by endless Divisions weakened and the Church first distracted and at last destroyed The God of Peace and Truth grant us a right understanding in all things Amen To our Reverend Learned and Religious Brethren the Prolocutor and the rest of the Divines Assembled and now sitting at Westminster by Authority of Parliament These present Reverend and Beloved Brethren WE are exceedingly apprehensive of the desireableness of our Churches Peace and of the pleasantness of Brethrens Unity knowing that when Peace is set upon its proper Basis viz. Righteousness and Truth it is one of the best possessions both delectable and profitable like Aarons Ointment and the dew of Hermon It is true by reason of different lights and different sights among Brethren there may be dissenting in Opinion yet (a) What is the keeping Conventicles or private Meetings but separating from our Church-Communion Why should there by any separating from Church-Communion The Churches Coat may be of divers colours yet Why should there be any rent in it Have we not a touchstone of Truth the good Word of God and when all things are examined by that Word then that which is best may be held fast but first they must be known and then examined afterward If our dissenting Brethren after so many importunate intreaties would have been perswaded either in zeal to the Truth or in sincere love to the Churches peace and unity among Brethren or in respect to their own reputation by fair and ingenuous dealing or (b) Yet the Ministers of this perswasion made as little Conscience of their Subscriptions Promises yea Oaths of Cananical Obedience to their respective D●ocesans in conscience to their promise made with the Minister of London now five years since or any such like reasonable consideration at last to have given us a full Narrative of their Opinions and Grounds of their Separation we are perswaded they would not have stood at such a distance from us as now they do But they chose rather to walk by their own private lights than to unbosome themselves to us their most affectionate Brethren and to set themselves in an untrodden way of their own rather than to wait what our Covenanted Reformation according to the Word of God and (c) Shew us the example of one Reformed Church which alloweth her Ministers Liberty not to use her Established Rites and Ceremonies examples of the Best Reformed Churches would bring forth But the offence doth not end here it is much that our Brethren should separate from the Church but that they should endeavour (d) This is plainly our Brethrens Design and Endeavour at this time to get a Warrant to authorize their Separation from it and to have liberty by drawing Members out of it to weaken and diminish it till so far as lies in them they have brought it to nothing this we think to be plainly unlawful yet this we understand is their present design and endeavour Wherefore Reverend Brethren having had such large experience of your zeal of Gods glory your care of his afflicted Church your earnest endeavours to promote the compleat Reformation of it and of your ready concurrence with us in the improvement of any means that might be found conducible to this end we are bold to hint unto you these our ensuing Reasons against the Toleration of Independency in this Church 1. The desires and endeavours of Independents for a Toleration are at this time extreamly unseasonable and praeproperous for 1. The Reformation of Religion is not yet perfected and setled among us according to our Covenant And why may not the Reformation be raised up at last to such purity and perfection that truly tender Consciences may receive abundant satisfaction for ought that yet appears 2. It is not yet known what the Government of the Independents is neither would they ever yet vouchsafe to let the world know what they hold in that point though some of their party have been too forward to challenge the London Petitioners as led with blind obedience and pinning their souls upon the Priests sleeve for desiring an establishment of the Government of Christ before there was any model of it extant 3. We can han hardly be perswaded that the Independents themselves after all the stirres they have made amongst us (e) The Presbyterians although often pressed thereunto will not declare wherewith they would be all concluded how farr they mean to got and where to stay in their desires of Toleration or Condescention are as yet fully resolved about their own way wherewith they would be concluded seeing they publish not their model though they are nimble enough in publishing other things and they profess Reserves and new Lights for which they will no doubt expect the like Toleration and so in infinitum It were more seasonable to move for Toleration when once they are positively determined how farr they mean to go and where they mean to stay II. Their desires and endeavours are unreasonable and unequal in divers regards 1. Partly because no such Toleration hath hitherto been established so far as we