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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66765	Paralellogrammation an epistle to the three nations of England, Scotland, and Ireland, whereby their sins being parallel'd with those of Judah and Israel, they are forewarned, and exhorted to a timely repentance, lest they incur the like condempation : to render it the more effectual, some considerable notions are therein expressed touching ceremonies, and things indifferent, the Lords supper, the civil government, the taking of oaths, the mark of the beast, the library of conscience, the great Sabbath, and the two witnesses, with other particulars of concernment interwoven / written by Geo. Wither.	Wither, George, 1588-1667.	1662 (1662)	Wing W3176; ESTC R11575	78,735	140

pleased for prevention thereof to take notice of a Triple Memorandum which coming suddenly into my thoughts I shall here inssert as necessary for us all to take heed of at this time though I know it will disadvantage me in the opinion of many The First branch of it is pertinent to GOD's Glory The Second to the Civil Government and Governors whereto he hath subjected us And the Third pertains to all those whom he hath put under their subjection Observe it well O ye Brittish Nations and repent of your sins in General and Particular both against GOD and Men especially of your intrenchments against GOD's Prerogative and your temporal and spiritual oppressing the members of his Son Jesus Christ by the dishonoring of him in his chief Attributes and by the breach of your Publick Faith plighted to Him and his People against whom very many of us have in my Judgment much exceeded the Parallel afore-mentioned and all that I find recorded against any other Nation If we expect a Reconciliation to GOD by a pardon for that and our other manifold Transgressions let us acknowlédge our sinfulness against the infinit extent of GOD's Mercy intended to all Mankind in general which is the first branch of my Memorandums and not limiting it as many do suppose they glorifie him in so doing whereas it is apparantly to his dishonour and will be to the inflaming of his Wrath when there will be most need of his Fatherly Compassion For I will be bold to aver though some probably will be offended at it by whose Charity I have been here in part relieved that the brotherly Love and true Repentance whereto I would perswade will never be effectually attained unto by them who knowingly premeditately and wilfully persevere in denying the Universal Redemption of Mankind by Jesus Christ seeing thereon depends GOD's most glorious Attribute and in regard it is that for which we are much more obliged unto him than all the rest of his Creatures he cannot but be highly displeased with all those who confine the extent of that Mercy I know many in these times some of them in other respects very good and learned men who think Universal Redemption to be a new Doctrine terming it Arminianism and Popery but it is neither new nor repugnant as is pretended to the Orthodox Doctrine of Election Predestination and the Free-Grace of GOD nor ascribes ought more to Nature by the Consequences thereof than tends to our justifying of GOD and to our self-condemnation if that which he hath given us be not husbanded according as he hath and doth enable The holy Scriptures evidence it to all who rightly understand them So far is it also from being a Novelty as ignorant hearers are made believe that it was received and professed for a necessary Truth by the Churches of GOD in all Ages since Christ's birth and contradicted by very few in the first times of Christianity Yea it was believed many hundreds of years before Arminius was born or Popery had a being in the world and will be professed when the Opposers and Traducers of that Verity shall be quite rooted out of the Evangelical Kingdom It is I confess a Doctrine imbraced by many in the Church of Rome but that makes it not erroneous If we renounce all things approved of by Hereticks and which Antichrist and his Confederates imbrace and profess we shall more disadvantage the Kingdom of Christ thereby than they have done by all their Heresies Idolatries and Superstitions For they acknowledge the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Creed and hold though in unrighteousness a great part both of Moral and Evangelical Truths by a verbal profession and with a mixture of humane Traditions because if they did not so juggle they could never have been hopefull to effect what is intended by their Mystery of Iniquity It is the well counterfeiting of Truth and Holiness which must compleat the Designs of Antichrist and there is not any one single Heresie or Wickedness which doth so secretly and so mischievously supplant Christ it undermines the Foundation of that Structure which open Blasphemies above ground cannot endanger and hath already sprung such a Mine to the dividing of Lutherans and Calvinists as they are now termed that they will hardly be reconciled until all Controversies are at an end Let us therefore consider well what depends upon it how much it concerns the Glory of GOD how much he is dishonoured by a contrary belief and how much it detracts from our own Priviledges and Consolations GOD's Mercy is above all his Works It is the Crown and Dignity of the KING of Kings and the Highest of all High-Treasons to clip it A professed denial of the Universality of humane Redemption seems to me a cursed Counter-callol made and sung by Devils in opposition to that blessed Nativity-Song which was sung by Angels at the Birth of CHRIST Glory be to GOD on high on Earth Peace and Good will to Men. For how was GOD likely to be glorified Peace to be upon the Earth or his Good-will manifested to Men by the incarnation of his Son if Man's Redemption had not been Universal but so narrowed that it extended to a very few and those few also left without assurance they were of that small number whatsoever they should endeavour if there should be an Exception from that Act of Grace as many fancy Doubtless if it had been so it would have given occasion rather of howling than of singing and been rather sad than glad tydings in regard of that great terrour which might have seized upon all Mankind and caused an Universal Lamentation when they considered how many millions of millions were certainly exposed to Everlasting Damnation how small a number in possibility to be saved and how few of their dearly beloved Parents Children and Friends might be of those few for whom Christ took upon him the humane Nature Oh! horrible and unparallel'd Blasphemy But blessed be GOD's Name it is not so When the Children of Israel were redeemed from their Egyptian Bondage which was a type of our Universal Redemption there was not one soul no not a hoof left behind them Nor was one soul absolutely excluded from the benefit of Christs Incarnation and Passion but they only who by their own default and unrepented sin should fall away as they did who perished in the Wilderness For GOD hath many times upon several occasions passed his Word to ascertain the Universality of his Love to Man without personal respects where personal sins without repentance have not first made the person unacceptable nay our incredulity hath put him to his Oath to assure every sinner and if nevertheless we still distrust him continue in our misbelief of his Word and Oath and labour to draw others into the same crime It cannot be an ordinary Judgement which GOD will at last inflict for so extraordinary and so high an affront it being a sin more heinous than Murder

hath appeared to me in this my Loneliness that it may help strengthen the Faith and Hope of those who can receive it as it hath fortified mine to the making a large amends for all my Sufferings The better to explain it I must walk a little about by the way of Circumlocution that I may fetch in some collateral Notions which will be pertinent to my main Design Slight them not my dear Brethren though in some Circumstances I may differ from you in Judgement for if we continue in the Love of Christ Jesus and of each other that Love will at last bring us into all Truth make all who are of one house to be of one mind and cover a multitude of other sins as well as our Ignorances which are not wilfully contracted I proceed with my promised Illustration GOD Almighty all whose Actions are eternal when he was pleased to give a being unto Time and make a visible World seemed in some respects to work according to the manner of men the better to suit his workings to the natures and capacities of his Creatures as by making his Actings to be temporary and that which he could have perfected in one moment to be the work of six Ordinary Dayes In which time he having compleated all Created things and put them into an orderly way of procreating and continuing themselves by his assisting Providence and Superintendency it is said he rested the Seventh day and Sanctified it Not that he needed Rest or the setting apart of any portion of Time for himself who is LORD of Eternity but in respect only to mankind and to what should come to pass about the later end of Time The Consideration of that Rest and Sanctification dictated unto me that which I have discovered of the foresaid Mystery in the Illustration whereof I shall hint upon some particular Notions repugnant to what hath been commonly believed by many good men concerning the Sabbath wherein I hope to be as charitably censured as I consure those who sincerely declare their Judgements though they are not the same with mine I am not of their Opinion who suppose the fore mentioned Sanctification of a part of Time did imply that Seventh day which was afterward Commanded to be observed by the Jews when they were brought out of Egypt For it is said by Moses Deut. 5. 15. that the Sabbath at that time injoyned to be observed was Instituted for a Remembrance of that Deliverance as likewise to preserve them alwaies mindful to be merciful to Servants Cattel and Strangers as GOD was to them in vouchsafing Rest and Deliverance from their hard labour and cruel Taxmasters in the Land wherein they had been Strangers and Servants And the Sabbath being made for man and not man for the Sabbath it was chiefly for that end Commanded Nor do I think the Sanctifying of the Seventh day at the Creation or that which was injoyned to the Jews implyed the Sanctification of that which is called the LORD's Day which is observed by most Christians according to an antient custome for a day of Assembling together in regard upon that day of the week our Saviour Jesus Christ with whom the Jewish Sabbath was buried arose from Death to Life upon that day of the week Yet I my self do observe that day and acknowledge the observation thereof if not Judaically or Superstitiously kept and imposed to be a pious Custom and Institution as well tending to our edification in Faith and good life by our meeting to hear GOD's Word and communicate in other Pious Duties as toward a fulfilling that part of the Moral Law which is contained in the Ten Commandements and injoyneth an allowance of competent Rest and corporeal refreshment to Servants Cattel and Strangers who would else be oppressed by unmerciful Masters and Owners who either know not how to use their Christian Liberty or are ignorant what is due to the Creatures by the Law of Nature and for that reason provision hath been prudently made by the practise of the Church and by Christian Princes upon penalties for allowing of certain portion of time and they are not wilfully to be neglected nor superstitiously to be observed but for conveniency comliness and order sake that we may associate in the Service of GOD and communicate in holy Duties at such times to the edifying of each other yet over and above those times GOD provided a Supplement for Moral Rest and spiritual Contemplations by allowing to every Day a Night wherein to rest the body by sleep and to refresh the mind by Prayer and Meditations But I do not find that the LORD's Day was injoyned by any Evangelical Precept to be observed instead of the Jewish Sabbath and in such manner as that was Or that the said Jewish Sabbath was given at the Creation or at any time since by divine Institution to be an Universal Law to all Mankind or to any of another Nation save only to those who became Jewish Proselytes whilest the Ceremonial Law was in force For had it been otherwise then that seventh day should questionless have been universally made known and kept without scruple by other Nations without changing it into another day until it had been divinely done by the same Law-giver and that change declared at the promulgation of his new Covenant in the Gospel it being not in the power of any other to change his Ordinances or to warrant a variation from them in the least Punctilio whether they concern Faith or Manners The Observation of Dayes and Meats with such-like Ceremonies had their end in Christ and every man is left at liberty as concerning a Religious Observation of such things to do as the present necessity requires and as he thinks himself in his own Conscience obliged And therefore the Apostle implicitly reproving them who presumed to judge between another mans Conscience and GOD to whom only he stands or falls as his Servant expecteth every one to do as he is perswaded in his Conscience and saith Rom 14. He that observeth a day observeth it unto the LORD and he who observeth it not forbears the observation thereof in conscientious obedience to the LORD also which liberty he would not have given had a set day been essential to the morality of the fourth Commandment Therefore I am not offended with any one what day soever he observeth or observeth not who doth it Conscientiously not Contentiously neither condemning himself in that which he alloweth or disalloweth nor judging uncharitably of others who claim the like liberty of Conscience And I hope the conscientious sanctification of Dayes piously set apart for Religious Duties will be rather better then less observed by what I have hitherto or shall hereafter express for there be many to my knowledge who are more zealous in professing the observation of this or that day then in truly observing any day as they ought to do as also of many other Christian Duties and such Persons will take most

ought I perceive every Dissenting Party is and will be Judge in his own Cause whomsoever else it concerns And we are all I confess even the best of us somewhat over-byassed as to Self-Interest Princes and their Councils will be sole Judges of that which they think concerns the Peace of their Kingdoms and Self-Interest Prelates and their appurtenat Officers will be Judges of that which they conceive pertains to the Discipline of their own Church and their temporary Dignities and Conscientious men suppose themselves as competent Judges next under GOD of what belongs to the peace of their Consciences as either of the former and resolve to act according to their own judgements or to suffer what shall be imposed upon them For as their Persecutors may peradventure say as the Jews did when they Crucified Christ that they have a Law by which these ought to suffer So they may say that GOD and Nature have Laws by which it ought to be otherwise and to those Laws they may and I do for my part appeal Let therefore if it be so these three Nations seek unto GOD as one man and humbly Petition the King in his own Person that to establish his Throne in Righteousness all Publick and Private Grievances may be impartially and effectually considered hereafter and not slighted as heretofore That in things relating to GOD and the Conscience men may be governed according to his divine Law only and in all Civil Matters by such humane Laws as the People have chosen and shall chuse agreeable to the Word of GOD and the Law of Nature Which Exhortation I propose not to ingratiate my self either with the People or the present Government to any self end For the Restraints and Sufferings which have been imposed on me have been more advantagious than all the Liberties or Preferments they can confer and were I put to chuse whether I would enjoy the greatest earthly Glory or be exposed to the greatest earthly Torments for a good Conscience I would as soon chuse the later as the first if GOD might be more glorified thereby Indeed I would chuse neither of them because I know not in which of those estates I should most honour God but leave it absolutely unto him to dispose of me as he pleaseth and will not desire muchless attempt any thing for my personal security or for enjoyment of my Conscience by any unjustifiable act It hath been said That the Kingdom of Heaven must be taken by violence yet let us now be cautious that we seek not to make passage into it by a Carnal violence and by the Temporal Sword which Sword belongs principally to the Kingdoms of this World lest we perish by that Sword as many have done Our Saviour said to Peter when he smote off the ear of Malchus in his defence Put up the Sword for in truth it was not then in season nor is so now Had either a natural or a supernatural Resistance been then seasonable our blessed Saviour as he at that time said could have prayed to his Father and have had more than twelve Legions of Angels immediately sent unto him for his Rescue Those Angels when the time appointed comes will appear under the Conduct of Michael their Arch-Angel to do that execution upon the Usurpers of Christ's Kingdom which hath been long since foretold and which we daily pray for The Weapons of our Warfare are not Carnal nor shall the Conquest which we expect be obtained by any other Sword in the hands of the Saints but that Two-edged Sword proceeding out of his Mouth whom John saw standing between the seven golden Candlesticks sharpned by the Faith Hope Love Patience Prayers and Constancy of the LAMB's followers which Conquest at or about the end of the last of those six dayes aforesaid of a 1000 years a piece or at the shortning of that day and at the beginning of the great Sabbath which GOD sanctified at the Creation will be accomplished Till that time the Saints are patiently to wait upon GOD and permit his Enemies to enjoy their time without grudging or fretting at their prosperity as David counsels in his 37 Psalm In order to their final Destruction some proceedings will every year be made whilst the sixth Vial is pouring out and which is already in a great measure diffused and probably a signal progression in some evident particular will be vouchsafed betwixt this and the end of 1666 years after the birth of Christ and be compleated at or about the end as I have before declared of the thousand six hundred sixty and sixth year after his Passion if the Foundation of my Calculations fail not The Planets in their Courses are moving toward those Constellations and Influences which will shortly demonstrate they are fighting for the People of GOD against their Enemies as they fought against Sisera and his Army and when GOD destroyed the Host of five Kings with hailstones who Warred against the Gibeonites whilst they went under the Protection of Joshua But we have a surer Word to trust unto than the Book of the Creatures whose Characters our Folly hath now made obscure even GOD's written Word and Spirit and the Prophesies in that Word contained will shortly be fulfilled and then the knowledge of Good and Evil as to all sublunary things being experimentally known in full such an end will be put to all their strugglings for the Victory that our Scoffers will from thenceforth no more say or think that all things are to continue as they are but they who now insolently persecute the Saints will miserably affrighted sneak into Dens and Caverns of the Earth wishing the falling Mountains might cover them from his Presence whom they have persecuted and despised GOD's White Banner hath been displayed among us a long time heretofore to invite us by fair means to come in and make our peace His Red Colours are now hung forth and though it hath already cost us much blood and treasure we return not unto him and if we delay it until his Black Flagg be set up it will be then too late to Retreat without a mischief for they who are to come upon the black and pale Horses will immediately follow to do execution It is high time to look about us and take heed what this Spirit saith unto the Churches typified by the seven Churches in Asia wherein the state of the most eminent Congregations which are Members of the Catholick Church in all Ages are concerned as is also that Universal Church in all the Contents of St. John's Apocalyps throughout her several Ages until the end of the Mystery of Iniquity The sixth Trumpet as I believe hath sounded and is yet sounding The third great Wo will come forth A Mystical Earthquake hath already shaken down a Tenth part of the malignant City The Nations being both affrighted and angry are labouring to repair the Breaches and have partly skinned over some of their putrifying Wounds with Patches and

expected but an utter overthrow of all the Foundations of Righteous Government both in Church and Commonwealth This is my Judgment which if it may tend to produce as good effects as are by me intended in declaring it would rejoyce my heart though I were sure to die for it when it is published This Paragraph slipt in by way of Parenthesis whilst I was prosecuting what I had to declare touching what is intended to be forcibly imposed upon conscientious men upon which Theame I could alledge many things both for and against what is affected and disliked more than either of the dissenting Parties have that I yet know of said for themselves yet had not said so much but that it thereby appearing I am neither partial nor ignorant what may be on both sides objected I may be heard with the less prejudice on both sides in that which I rationally and conscientiously declare who conceive the Controversies between them both at this time to be more mysterious and ridiculous than heretofore the Contest was between the Greek and Roman Churches concerning the Festival of Easter These are onely my Caveats and Hints wherein the manifold Confusions both in matters Divine and Civil by me observed and the multiplicity of my Musings thereupon make my Expressions also to be confused yet peradventure they may startle some into a more serious consideration of them hereafter if they do no more In the mean time GOD's Word Christian Prudence and your own Consciences must be your Guides to which I refer every man hoping it will be better weighed than it hath been and that they will take heed on all sides that their Consciences be not deluded feigned infringed palliated or byassed to the right hand or to the left but as they shall be reasonably convinced For we are likely to be in a great strait ere long which will try who hath Faith and Constancy who are truly conscientious or hypocrites where injustice and oppressions abound there can be no true Love where Love is not there can be no Repentance or Peace and where these are not found Confusion Despair and Destruction will take place Nor the dissembling of our Condition nor our pretending things which are not nor our discountenancing of Truth and countenancing of Lies and false Rumours and fictitious Prophecies whether it be on the behalf of our private Interests or of the Civil Government or of GOD will avail us for good but be of evil consequence To such wicked Vanities I find very many over-prone at this time and well-pleased with publication of that which they believe to be false and erroneous so it may advantage that whereunto they are enclined And for prevention of what these and such like prevarications may effect my Conscience compels me to insist so much on the foregoing particulars and on those Interjections which are occasionally and suddenly cast into my heart that probably I shall be blamed for transgressing in Tautologies Pleomasmes and defect of Method and may also bring upon my self an increase of troubles in the flesh by so plainly expressing what I am and what comes into my mind rather than omit what I think necessary or not clearly expressed that which I suppose fit to be offered to consideration at this Critical time Yea and some tell me to whom I have communicated these Papers that it will make many of those to fall from me by whose Charity I have been hitherto relieved in my present necessities But Non nobis nati sumus we are not born for our selves only and if I suffer hereby I shall be well contented with GOD's Pleasure therein who though his Promises do often seem to clash and run cross to his Providences a long time for the probation of our Faith and Constancy will make them to meet at last in the compleating of that which will be most for his Glory and the true happiness of all who depend upon his Word Such a wicked spirit of Division Vengeance and Persecution is active to their intolerable oppression who serve GOD according to their Consciences and such a defect both of Christian Love and Humanity even among those who profess the same Jesus and of some who are Pastors of his Flocks that they make it a Principle of their Association and as it were essential to their Function to endeavour by any means whatsoever whereby they incur not the penalty of humane Laws to suppress all those by violence who are not conformable to them in Doctrine and Discipline even to the maintaining in practice though they openly profess it not in words of this Maxime of the Papists That Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks and do their utmost to provoke the Civil Magistrate to draw the Temporal Sword against them and thrust them into the Fire whereas the Apostle Paul adviseth that such as are obstinatly incorrigible in things justly reprovable should only be cut off from the Congregation of Saints by the Spiritual Sword and as it were pull'd out of the Fire by the holy violence of a loving Zeal that if possible they may repent and be saved both in Soul and Body yet many against whom their hot-spirited Brethren are so violent as being setters up of New Lights do set up no other Lights than such as were set up in the seven Golden Candlesticks in the seven Churches of Asia when they were at purest and not such Candles without Light or lighted at noon-day as are set up in many places Some have much wondred what inclined them to that useless practice and to inform them I will declare what I conceive to be the reason thereof They have some Jugling part to play which they would not have the common people discover For you seldom see Puppet-Playes and such Mymical Contrivements presented but by Candle-light the better to obscure their secret Conveyances Their common plea of Antiquity for their old Lights is fallacious Error may plead it in many cases as well as Truth though Truth derives a pedigree far more antient than our modern or most antique Superstitions which are not so antient as Heathenish Idolatries from whence they sprung Nay many of them are meer Novelties and therefore all right-principled men who are persecuted for their Non-conformity adhere in their belief and practice to the written Word only according to their understanding thereof when they have discharged their Consciences in professing their Faith to GOD and their Consciences in which he hath his Tribunal For hoping that they who dissent from them in Judgment profess that which they seem to believe to no self-end but only because in their understanding it accords with the revealed Will of GOD they dare not intermeddle to judge between GOD and them nor be the less affectionate unto their persons though they are in some points deluded for the present This temper of spirit I have endeavoured to cherish in my self toward all those who dissent from me in Judgment and that we may be

one in Love preserve a Christian Fellowship with the Members of every Congregation professing Faith in Christ who are not scandalous in their lives or malitiously wilful in those dividing Principles which are destructive to Piety or Humanity In requital whereof I have had large testimonies of the like affection to me from some of every Christian Society by their late seasonable Charity yea such a considerable number of persons at this time in this Nation differing from me and from each other in Judgment have seemed so to center in the Principle of Love by their affectionate as well as charitable respect to my Person ever since I was deprived of my Estate and Liberty that considering my unworthiness that the tenth part of them were not formerly of my Acquaintance and the multitude of other necessitated persons who are more nearly to them related I do much mind it with much thankfulness to GOD and them and more rejoyce in it for their sakes than for mine own because I hope it is a Symptom that this Virtue will more encrease to the Glory of GOD and their Consolation by our Afflictions and Persecutions than it did by our temporal Prosperity and carnal Peace Not long since as I publickly declared in a Poem tending to the prosecution of this work I thought I should have been as lonely as Elias thought himself but GOD hath made it appear that he hath many Servants in this Nation And my desire to render this precious Oyntment of Love more diffusive among men hath made me so copious in words and seeming Digressions upon this subject wherein as Paul said of himself 2 Cor. 15. 13. Whether I am beside my self it is of GOD or whether I am therein sober it is for your cause And as the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 9. 19. Though I be free from all men I have made my self a servant unto all that I might gain some of all Judgments denying or allowing to my self those things that are lawful so far forth as they are expedient for the edification of others and no further Let us all endeavour the same thing and if we desire Peace with GOD and among our selves make Love a medium to that Repentance and Reformation which is expected by considering that the wisest among men know but in part by labouring to imitate Christ in his Life Meekness Love Patience Forbearance Long-suffering and Humility as well as by making a verbal profession of his Doctrines and by seeking with mildness to reclaim those who erre in Judgment or Manners not persecuting tearing and destroying them for failings which they see not in themselves which they would hate if they saw them and for which we ought rather to commiserate than afflict and oppress them They were Disciples who were so zealous that they would have Fire called down from Heaven but their Master Christ reproving them said that they knew not of what spirit they were Judge your selves not others but as Paul adviseth forbear to judge them in respect of Meats or Drinks or of an Holy-day or of the New-Moon or of the Sabbath which were a shadow of things to come whose Body is Christ Nor let any as he counselleth in another place beguile you of your reward by a voluntary humility and worshipping of Angels c. Philip. 2. Nor by any of those Ordinances of men which as I said before come within the extent and meaning of Touch not taste not bandle not or the like but put on as the holy elected of GOD bowels of Compassion Meekness Humbleness of mind Long-suffering and above all other Charity which is the bond of Perfection and let your Conversation be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ And as that Apostle advised Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are true whatsoever is honest just pure lovely whatsoever is well spoken of that is by good men and whatsoever is necessary to preserve the Common Peace and Brotherly Concord in the fear of GOD and in obedience to his Truth think on these things to do them For you are thereto obliged and whilst you do so ye shall neither fear nor need to be afraid of your Adversaries or of what is feared these later times will produce because that fearlesness will be an evident token of Perdition to them and of Salvation to you in GOD on whom you have confidence that he who hath begun a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ Mercy and Love to others will incline GOD to be merciful to our sins whereas by defect of Love and Mercy in us toward others we shall be liable to Judgment without Mercy by a self-condemnation They who think to do GOD acceptable service or to have a happy accomplishment of their own ends by persecuting those who serve GOD according to their Conscience and understanding do but kick against the pricks as Paul did when he was Saul a persecuter and stumble upon a Stone of offence upon which they will be broken into pieces if their hearts be not changed as Paul's was Also when they expect GOD should forgive them their Trespasses against him they will fail of their hope For how can they perform the condition of their Pardon by forgiving those who Trespass against them when they prosecute a Brother for those offences which he commits not against them but in their opinion against another who for ought they know is rather well pleased than offended at what they judge an offence This kind of trespassing against our Brethren will bring us within the compass of those horrible Maledictions which are prophetically pronounced against such persecutors in the 109 Psalm and therefore let us take heed of it Tyrannizing over the Conscience is a sin which I do not find the Jews to have been charged withal until the coming of Christ and when their general Desolation approached nor that the Gentiles were often guilty thereof until the Worlds Grand Monarchs usurped an Arbitrary Soveraignty over the rest of Mankind and would be reputed Gods nor then until Nebuchadnazzer's time nor among Christians until Prelacy which sprung from Heathenism brought it into practice to settle their Novelties with their Usurpations of those pompeous Pontifical Dignities which they found in old Rome and have continued by Oppression and Persecution ever since the power of the first Beast mentioned in the Revelation was transferred to the second And they are such sweet Morsels to flesh and blood that the Best Reformed Churches as they call themselves are loth to let go the Rags and Reliques which some of them at first had and do yet retain of those Carnal Dignities and Perquisites but preserve as much of them as they can in specie or in disguized Forms persecuting more or less to uphold their Diana which is a sin so destructive to that Peace Repentance and Reformation whereto I would perswade that judging uncharitably of no particular Person Congregation or National Church though I conceive of their