passe any severe censure be pleased to Heare these Poore men you call Separatists Know their Tenets and then Judge Their maine Tenets for ought I could ever learne are about some few Points in Discipline in which sure there is lesse danger than in Doctrine of which they dispute not First they would admit none as members of their Assemblies generally to partake with them in all the Ordinances but such which seeme Beleeving Saints and so members of Christs true Church Secondly they conceive every severall Congregation rightly constituted hath within it selfe the power of the keyes committed to it without dependance on other Churches Yet not denying the lawfull association of severall Churches not refusing the advice and counsell of Councells and Synods I shall crave leave to scan the first and see how much it differeth in truth from the received Tenets of the Church of England I doe conceive that England Scotland France all Churches even Rome it selfe will agree in this that a Church is Cetus Fidelium Gathered together in the Name and power of Christ to waite on him in the way of his Ordinances revealed in his Word In this I suppose we all agree where then is that Chasma that great Gulfe of difference which brands so many with the black spot of Separation All the difficulty lies in Stating who are beleeving Faithfull Saints for of these only all agree a true Church consists I beseech you let us call him a Beleever and a Saint whom the Scripture calls so and wee shall soone agree The Pope saith he is a faithfull Saint and a true Member of the Church Who beleeveth as the Church beleeveth The Church of England saith he is a Beleever enough to make a Member of that Church that professeth the truth though in his life he deny it Those men say he is a faithfull Saint who professeth the truth and to all appearance for we cannot see the heart practiseth as he professeth Now all men will agree this last is a Beleeving Saint And these will have none but this to be a Saint and so none but this to be a Member of Christs Church I beseech you Is this such an error to desire Profession and Practise to be conjoyned in one that is to be a Member of the Church of Christ When I desire a good Wife a faithfull Servant a constant Friend a familiar Companion Am I not as desirous to know the Heart as well as the Head the Will as well as Skill Affection as well as Profession And why then may I not doe as much in choosing my Spirituall Friends my constant Companions in the worship and service of God Can any man by right force me to marry such or such a woman to take such a servant to dwell with such a friend to choose such a companion And may any man force me then to bee companion in the neerest and most intimate converse of Spirituall Ordinances with any one or more whom I dare not I cannot I may not trust to be either friends to God or me because what ere their lips professe their life and waies deny God trample on the blood of Christ despise at least profane all his Ordinances I could heartily wish some pitty might bee shewed to these poore mens soules He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to his owne Soule And is it not then much better to keepe these men off as they doe in Scotland and other Reformed Churches till they give the Church satisfaction upon good ground of their Repentance and Faith that so they may not hurt themselves by Gods holy Ordinances Sacraments confirme but doe not conferre Grace if they did so the case were altered but now they are like the Paradise of God guarded with the Flaming Sword so that the Tree in the midst of the Garden which is Christ cannot be Touched by prophane hands The other Grand Heresie men so much cry against in Separation is the Independence of their Congregations as it was stated before But why should the Independence of One Assembly to a Province or Nation be more Schismaticall than that of a Province or Nation to the whole World Why may not Geneva be as Independent to France as France may bee to the other parts of Europ's Continent In Geneva why may not one Congregation be as independent to All Geneva besides as Geneva is to all France besides Doth indeed such a Wall or River or Sea so limit and bound the Church within it that it may bee independent on any Church without it and may not one Congregation within this River bee as well independent on all other Assemblies within the same River or Sea Are there not some sparklings of this Truth even amongst us in England Have not we Peculiars some Congregations exempt from the Jurisdiction of the Bishop within whose Diocesse they be And I thinke no Separatist desireth more than this That all Parishes I meane all Congregations should be Independent Peculiars Suppose an East Indi Merchants Ship be cast on some Remote Iland beyond China where there shall be no Inhabitant may not in this Case the men of this Ship gather together choose out some one or more of themselves to Read Preach Administer the Sacraments is not this a true Church and so to bee reputed while they beleeve the Truth and doe what they beleeve Is there any one Essentiall part wanting to this Church so Constituted If it be answered affirmatively that there is yet wanting some Essentiall I rejoyn then it is not a true Church nay so farre from being vera Ecclesia that it is not vere Ecclesia For He is not vere Homâ— that wants something Essentiall to Man nor It vere Ecclesia that wants any thing Essentiall to a Church If it be yeelded that in such a Case there is nothing Essentiall wanting to This Church I will againe suppose that within a yeare or Two another English Ship be cast on the same very Iland and have such another Company or Church I demand now whether it be necessary that Both These Churches must needs joyne together or at least depend One on the Other If it be not necessary I have what I desire If it be necessary Then was not the former Church a Trâ—e Church because it wanted something Essentiall and necessary to a Church to wit Dependance on some other Church If it be said This Church did before depend on the whole Catholike Church I will not gain say it so They meane onely Thus much that This Church was a true member of the True Church or Body of Christ which is but made up of so many particular Congregations as mans Body of its particular members And so This will be no more then to say All the members of the Body are Parts of the Body and conjoyned together but onely subordinate to the Head For I suppose no man will say One of my hands is dependant on the Other but both as all
more it is opposed it shines the brighter so that now to stint it is to resist an enlightened enflamed Multitude which still was and still will be Durissima Provincia Their mad outrage in all the three Kingdomes of late hath so incensed the Common People that in all mens eyes they are become most vile and while all men reflect on their constant trade of mischeivous practices the wisest begin to conclude The very Calling hurt the Men as much as These disgrace the Calling Thus we have by too too long great and sad experience found it true That our Prelates have beene so farre from preventing Divisions that they have been the Parents and Patrons of most Errors Heresies Sects and Schismes that now disturbe This Church and State SECT II. CHAP. VII BUt it may bee the Remedy will yet bee worse than this Disease Let us therefore yet more exactly weigh all the Inconveniences that may attend the Change of This Church-Government which wee now dispute The Dangers which some have fancied may hence accrew to the State have beene discussed in the former Section to which more properly they doe belong We have here only to consider such Evils as may have bad influence into the Church and Polity thereof Arminianisme Socinianisme Superstition Idolatry Popery will pack away with Them being Their Attendants as was shewed before What is there then to be feared Anabaptisme Brownisme Separatisme nay every body every Lay man will turne Preacher Suppose all This be true which can be but supposed Would it not bee much better to hazzard the comming in of all These than still to suffer our soules and bodies to be groun'd to powder by these Tyrannicall Antichristian Prelates that under pretence of keeping out Separatisme introduce downe-right Popery and a sinck of almost all Errors and Heresies Yea and these Errors of the Right Hand which These pretend so much to oppose owe their birth to our Bishops also as was but now and might yet more fully be cleered Wee all know that within these ten yeares all the Non-Conformists in England could not amount to more than one or two hundred And now how many thousands there bee yea of such that rise one pin higher than Old Non-Conformity Themselves perhaps know much better than I Yet our Bishops never were more active than in all this time Whence then ariseth this New Non-Conformity or Separatisme but out of our Bishops Commotions I will not say as the Fathers did of old Ex martyrum sanguine pullulat Ecclesia yet I must confesse I begin to think there may bee perhaps somewhat more of God in these which they call new Schismes than appeares at first glympse I will not I cannot take on mee to defend That men usually call Anabaptisme Yet I conceive that Sect is Twofold Some of them hold Freewill Community of all things deny Magistracy and refuse to Baptize their Children These truly are such Hereticks or Atheists that I question whether any Divine should honour them so much as to dispute with them much rather sure should Alexanders sword determine here as of old at the Gordian knot where it acquired this Motto Que solvere non possum dissecabo There is another sort of them who only deny Baptisme to their Children till they come to yeares of discretion and then they baptize them but in other things they agree with the Church of England Truly These men are much to bee pitied And I could heartily wish That before they bee stigmatiz'd with that opprâ—brious brand of Schismatick the Truth might be cleered to them For I conceive to those that hold wee may goe no farther than Scripture for Doctrine or Discipline it may bee very easie to erre in this Point now in hand since the Scripture seemes not to have cleerly determined This particular The Analogy which Baptisme now hath with Circumcision in the old Law is a fine Rhetoricall Argument to illustrate a Point well proved before but I somewhat doubt whether it be proofe enough for that which some would prove by it since beside the vast difference in the Ordinances the persons to bee Circumcised are stated by a positive Law so expresse that it leaves no place for scruple but it is farre otherwise in Baptisme Where all the designation of Persons fit to bee partakers for ought I know is only Such as beleeve For this is the qualification that with exactest search I find the Scripture require in persons to be baptized And This it seemes to require in all such persons Now how Infants can bee properly said to beleeve I am not yet fully resolved Yet many things prevaile very much with mee in this point First For ought I could ever learne It was the constant custome of the purest and most Primitive Church to baptize Infants of beleeving Parents For I could never finde the beginning and first Rise of this practice Whereas it is very easie to track Heresies to their first Rising up and setting soot in the Church Againe I finde all Churches even the most strict have generally beene of this judgement and practice yea though there have beene in all ages some that much affected novelty and had parts enough to discusse and cleere what they thought good to preach yet was this scarce ever questioned by men of Note till within these Last Ages And sure the constant judgement of the Churches of Christ is much to be honoured and heard in all things that contradict not Scripture Nor can I well cleere that of St. Paul 1 Cor. 7.14 Else were your Children Vncleane but now are they Holy I know some interpret it thus If it be unlawfull for a beleever to live in wedlock with one that beleeveth not Then have many of you lived a long time in unlawfull marriage and so your very Children must be Illegitimate and these also must be cast off as Base-borne But it is not so for Your Children are Holy that is Legitimate I confesse This seemes a very faire Interpretation yet I much question Whether This be all the Apostle meanes by that phrase Holy especially when I reflect on the preceding words The Vnbeleever is Sanctified by the Beleever Nor yet can I beleeve any Inherent Holinesse is here meant but rather That Relative Church-Holinesse which makes a man capable of admission to Holy Ordinances and so to Baptisme yea and to the Lords Supper also for ought I see except perhaps Infants be excluded from This Sacrament by That Text Let him that eateth Examine himselfe aod so let him eat As Women are excluded from Church-Government and preaching in Congregations by That of the same Apostle I permit not a Woman to speak Let Women keep silence The second thing we feare so much is Separation or as some tearme it Brownisme for I am not so well studied in these as to give an exact difference betweene them or properly to state or phrase either Yet I thinke this also hath Latitude and admits of difference Before you
any before they were heard I was not their Judge alone nor will I be at This time Onely that it may appeare I attended their pleading as it becomes any in a Court of Justice I will give the world an account what Those men say for themselves and so I shall leave them to be judged by wise men First they conceive there be some Ordinances which are proper onely to the Church and Church-Officers belonging onely to Church Assemblies such as is the Administration of Sacraments the Conferring of Orders and all of this nature These they thinke Sacred such as may not be touched by any but Church-Officers and of These they say let Vzzaâ— take heede how hee touch the Arke though it shake But there are other Ordinances they say of a Middle nature as they are exercised in a Church Assembly by Church-Officers They may truly be called Church-Ordinances yet are such as may be used Out of Church Assemblies and therefore probably by Other thâ—n Church-Officers As Praying Reading the Scripture Catechising Exhortation and the like which as they conceive are not confined to the Church onely or Church-Officers 1. Because Heathens and Publicans may be admitted nay ought to be invited to These Ordinances And it seemes no Mortall sinne for a Lay-man in China to call together a company of Heathens and preach to them the Christian Religion yet here is no True Church till a Congregation will Embrace This Doctrine and joyne in serving God 2. They conceive Our State by publike authority hath and doth allow so much as This. For they see Clerkes even in publike Assemblies Read Psalmes Prayers and oft some parts of Scripture Deacons preach yea and Baptize and helpe to administer the Lords Supper and yet no man takes them for complete Ministers yea of old and perhaps now also by Law they are not at all Clergy men 3. Former Preachers have taught them that every Master of a Family may and must read pray Catechise and the like in his owne Family if he have none there that can doe it better than himselfe Therefore These seeme rather to come under the Notion of Private Duties rather than Publike Church-Ordinances though sometime they be performed in Churches yet other times they may be performed out of Churches and by Those that are not publike Church Officers Therefore These poore men through their weaknesse thinke such Ordinances Free to be performed by any Christian whether of the Clergy or Laity And their Zeale makes them conceive If God give gifts of Understanding Memory Judgement Utterance and an Earnest Desire to doe good with These lest they wrap up their Talent in a Napkin They have the Maine to wit an inward Call to performe these duties in their owne Families or else where if They have an outward Call too For they solemnly professe they hold it not fit to presse or intrude themselves on any Congregation But if any will come of themselves either to their owne Families or send for them and desire to heare them among some Good men they take this for a Call an Outward Call to performe Those duties to that Congregation For they thinke the wayes of Gods Spirit are free and not tied to a University man so that having an Inward call they conceive the desire of any One Congregation is Outward call sufficient though the Bishop call not Yea some Exercises in Gods worship They thinke there be which are warranted from the Gift that enables and not from the Call that invites so that a man whom God hath enabled with Parts and Gifts might use them though no man Living call him And this also is the Judgement of many Learned men as of That Ingenuous Worthy Learned man Master Thorndick of late Touching on That of the Corinths So long then as they Encroach not on Ordinances appropriate to Church-Officers they thinke they sinne not in performing other duties where there are none that can or will performe them better They have learned Latine Enough to say Bonum quo Communius eo melius They have read of Moses wishing all the Lords People were Prophets and that God would poure out his Spirit on them all Yea they have heard that God promised to poure out his Spirit upon all Flesh all Beleevers as well Lay as Clergie so that Young men should see Visions and Old men dreame Dreames and though This were begunne to be accomplished Even in Our Saviours time yet They perhaps through ignorance Expect it should be yet still more and more accomplished every day till Knowledge Cover the Earth as Waters fill the Sea even till there be no more neede that any man should teach his neighbour for all men shall know the Lord and They poore men Expect a new Heaven and a new Earth wherein there shall neede no more Temples of stone but all Good men shall be Prophets Priests and Kings In the meane time they say Waters must flow out of the bellies of all that beleeve till at length the Great Waters of the Sanctuary flow forth without measure Yea they are much encouraged from the Practise of the Church in the Acts where all the members Every beleever being scattered by persecution went about Preaching If it be Objected that This was an Extraordinary Case at the first beginning of the Church and in time of Persecution c. They Answer that they conceive almost as Extraordinary a Case in This Land at This Time Where the Church is so much unsetled and hath beene so much persecuted In some places they see no Ministers scarce any in some whole Shires as in Cumberland Westmorland Northumberland and especially in Wales Where the Church is even yet scarce ne vix so much as well begunne to be planted or the Gospel Preached In Other places where there is some shew of a Church some Ordinances some Ministers Yet even here they thinke the Church calleth for many more Ministers at least for much more and much better preaching then it yet hath Specially since the late Cruell Tyranny of some Lording Prelates hath almost quite put downe Ordinances silenced Good Ministers and forbidden Preaching Having so detained the Truth and smothered it by unrighteousnesse that there is scarce left the Face of a True Church They conceive This an extraordinary Time an extraordinary Case and Call for all that are Enabled by God with Parts and Gifts fit for such Exercises And they conceive 30. or 40. or an 100. Good men of any one or more Congregations to be as Fit Judges of their parts and abilities every way as One Lord Bishop and his Ignorant perhaps Drunken Chaplaine who make scruple of admitting any to Orders but Bowers and Cringers sincks of Superstition Yet when they please they can poze in an Alehouse and lay hands well quickned with angels on Tapsters Coblers Butchers and many such that are so farre from the smell of a Colledge that they never saw an Abcee or Primer to purpose much lesse
Antichrist though I doubt not alâ—o but he is most truly Antichrist in Re shall come only in the end of the world and endure but three yeares and an halfe which yet begins to found but ill among the Romanists themselves In the next place I affirme This Man of Sinne for so I must stile him is not of the Laity over whom even over their Princes and Gods he exalteth himselfe but of the Clergy For he sitteth in the Temple of God Being come so farre without any Reall opposition I now demand Who This Man Compages or Systeme of Men is or can be The Pope I suppose will be answered by most of our Church And I yeeld it so beleeving Him to be prncipally intended here But if I can prove that Popery properly taken is the same in Re with Our Episcopacy or at least that This is but a Piece and Part of That Mystery of Iniquity then I hope it will be granted that such Episcopacy is also here intended per consequens that such Episcopacy is altogether against True Policie of State because it opposeth and exalteth it selfe above All that is called God c. This therefore is now my Taske to prove that Our Episcopacy is the same Really with Popery taken Properly Let us first then see what Popery properly may signifie for for ought I yet see the World is scarce agreed in this particular I cannot conceive that All Errours or Heresiâ—s held by some nay All Papists may in proper speaking be called Popery Most I hope All of the Papists agrâ—e with us in many Truths and All is not Heresie in which they Differ and yet All Heresie in Them not proper Popery No not every Error or Heresie in the Pope himselfe can proprie loquendo be said to be Popery There are many Things the Papists hold in common with many if I 〈◊〉 not say All Heretickes yet none ever properly called All Heretickes by the compendious Name of Papists Many points are not yet so fully determined among themselves but that some of them affirme and others deny of the same subject All of them will not agree about Originall sinne Free will Merit c. In this last which yet is one of the most fundamentall points of controversie now betweene us I see many of them comming so neere the Truth that one must have a quick sharpe eye to see where they come short for many of them yeeld Our workes do not properly merit as Ours but as Tincta sanguine Christi yea and some are not rigid in pressing the phrase Merit in its proper sense so that perhaps Their most refined opinion in This may be the more dangerous in the Consequence than substance or forme of it Nay before the Councell of Trent before which yet Popery had beene long in the world most of their Tenets were so much indetermined that scarce any of them knew what he was to hold and beleeve yet he was a Papist then and is so still and yet to this Day I thinke there is scarce one Doctrinall point in which they all agree Wee must then consider what that is which Denominates a Papist and may properly be called Popery It must sure be somewhat Essentiall as I may speake to that Church so that without This It could not be called a Popish Church That is doubtlessie such and such Dependance on the Pope This is in the Popes subjects truly Popery and this Dependance on Him â—s perhaps expressed by receiving his Name or Character in the Apocalyps In the Pope himselfe it is not This or That errour This or That Heresie but such an Independance such a Lordship such a Prelaticall Tyranny over civill and Church estates that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Popery And this is it that is so emphatically expressed here in This place to the Thessalonians He opposeth and exalteth himselfe above all that is called God c. And the exercise of This Popish Tyranny is lively limn'd out in Apoc. 13. vers 16 17. And he caused all both small and great rich and poore free and bond to receive a marke in their right hand or in their foreheads And that no man might buy or sell save he that had the marke or the name of the beast or the number of his name This Tyrannicall Prelaticall Power and Dominion which the Pope ufurpeth and excerciseth contrary to Gods Word over Clergy and Laity Princes and Subjects in their estates and consciences is in Him as in His Clients yeelding and submitting to this Popish Prelacy True Proper Popery And This is the Giving Imprinting or forcing of a Name Character or Number on the Popes part as Receiving This on the part of Papists though I have not now time at least not opportunity to discusse how much the Popes Name Character and Number may differ I doubt not but all are parts of That Prelaticall usurped Power which is truly Popish and received by Papists as Servants and Souldiers of old received their Lord's and Commanders Tessera or Character in their hands and foreheads But God also hath impressed his Motto on them all let them read it and tremble Apocal. 14.9 10. And the third Angel followed them saying with a loud voyce If any man worship the Beast and his image and receive his marke in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wâ—ath of God which is powred out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lambe God hath beene pleased to parcell out Church and Commonwealth as severall and distinct Governments yet so that Princes should be Custodes utriusque Tabulae as was said before God hath beene pleased to make appoint and leave the Ministers of the Gospel Brethren and hath permitted none of them a Lordly Prelacy above another But now the Pope comes with a wide mouth and swallowes downe at once all Civill and Ecclesiasticall power Challengeth to himselfe not onely the Keyes but the Sword not onely Papall Dominion in Ecclesiasticis but Regall also in Civilibus This Usurpation of His is properly Popery this robbeth Christ of his Regall Office As every sinne breakes all the Commands the whole Law yet some sinnes do more properly intrench on some particular command so also is it in all Hereses and errors All someway oppose the whole Law of Christ and all the three Offices of Christ yet some more properly One of these Offices some another As the Doctrine of Merit de Condigno Congruo encroacheth on Christs Priestly Office the Alâ—horan mainly against his Propheticall But Popery most properly strikes at his Kingly Office and Authority For it is Christs Kingly Office to bind Kings in Chaines and Princes in Fetters of Iron if they resist him And He that usurps this Power and Priviledge labours to unthrone Christ to sâ—t above him and so properly
say if in This Case I give him forty shillings I betray not onely my owne priviledge which perhaps I may do but also the whole Liberty of the Commonwealth and so become in Re a Traytor to tâ—e State though in it selfe it be lawfull to give forty shillings to any man that askes yet now I must not do it because This officer commands it by unlawfull Authority and so without Commission Not yet that they thinke it necessary to stay disputing the Authority of a Commander there where is no appearance of Ground for a Doubt But if once they see and know the Command is grounded on no lawfull Authority or do but really doubt whether the Power Commanding or the Thing Commanded be Lawfull They conceive themselves bound to abstaine till their judgement be cleared which they professe to desire and by all lawfull meanes to endeavour lest while they doe they be condemned in their owne consciences because they do not act in Faith and what is not of faith is sinne I must leave These Things 'to be discussed by men of better judgements In the meane time I humbly desire againe I may not be mis-understood for it is not in my thoughts to abet the least miscarriage in any one of these poore men nor by any meanes to countenance any of them in a way of exercising those Duties that are too high for their parts and abilities which God hath given them yet if there be any of them that have extraordinary parts and endowments of judgement memory and utterance if God stirre up these to improve their Gifts to the best advantage yet with all meeknesse and humility I dare not condemne them till I heare them for I know the Spirit of God is not tyed to our Fancies but yet the Spirit of the Prophets is subject to the Prophets I take not on me to warrant all the paths which some cut out to themselves Yet I most affectionately intreat men not to contemne all things in those they now brand with their usuall staine of Separatisme which phrase many use in such scorn as if with one stab of that Italian dagger they could run through Body and Soule at once Light was one of the first Creatures and yet not perfected till the fourth Day and perhaps not fully then so was spirituall Light the beginning of Reformation That New Creation yet it was not perfect at first dawning but increaseth still by degrees till it have quite chased away darknesse and there be no more Night All men yeeld there must be an increase of light in the world Now whether That be more probable to be in Doctrine or Discipline judge yee At the first Rising out of Popery the Church-lesse Church of the Albigenses Waldenses Holy Good men began an admirable Reformation This was much advanced by Ierome of Prague and Iohn Hus. Luther had many grosse errours yet must not lose his place among These glorious Lights After these appeareth Calvin shining yet brighter both in Doctrine Discipline Since Him Our God hath raised up a more glorious Light among These Northerne Iles. And yet some went from us lately with a candle burning brighter perhaps than Ours though it were lighted here Thus Light dilating enlarging it selfe seemeth to become more pure more Light more Glorious and yet it seemes not to be Noone The Light still will must cannot but increase why then do we shut our eyes Let it not be said of us that Light came in and grew up among us yet we would not use it for we cannot but receive it because wee loved darknesse Godly men may not onely neglect but abuse light Yea they may both grieve and quench Gods Holy Spirit A sad case yet are they not still in some part Carnall and the Flesh not onely lusteth but warreth against the Spirit We are too too apt to sleight the sweet breathings of Gods Spirit which Hee is pleased to communicate to others when we are destitute of the same Workings Some Christians are as it were wholly legall they Fast they Pray receive Sacraments heare Sermons pay every one his owne live inoffensively This is well done but This is not All yet This they take for enjoying God in Christ Jesus But alas Quantum distat ab illo Non est vivere sed valere vita These men may well be saved hereafter but in the meane time they lose the sweetest part of their life here On the other side if God please to communicate himselfe in any manner of sweetnesse so that a man begins to taste and see how Good Communion acquaintance with God is how easily it is interrupted by loose walking how sweete it is while enjoyed so that it ravisheth the soule and filleth the whole Heart that it cannot but flow out at the Lips in sweete breathings of for and after God in Christ Jesus God in Christ Jesus This man is presently stained with a taint of Madnesse and I know not what Enthusiasme If one that hath tasted and experimentally found the sweetnesse of Peace of Conscience knows how unpossible it is to keep it but by close walking with God how easily it is broken and how hardly it is made up againe when broken so that he is content to leave Friends Living Liberty All rather than to breake his Peace wound his Conscience sinne against God in sinning against Light or acting against Doubts O this man is beyond all Rule of Reason He hath a Tang of Phrensie one puft up with a spirit of selfe conceit a Ranke Separatist But sure it should not be so among Christians Can we not dissent in judgement specially in These lower points of Discipline while we agree in Doctrine but we must also dis-agree in Affection A Hard Case I confesse there are many now that turne the Light of Truth into a Life of Loosenesse vanity and profanenesse and we are all too too prone to This. There are some Enthusiastickes who prophane the Spirit This I would resist with all my might But let not all suffer with the wicked Some without warrant runne away from their callings and take up a bare empty fruitlesse Profession of Christianity without the least dramme of life or power These men my soule hateth But when God shall so enlarge his Hand and unveile his face that the poore Creature is brought into Communion and acquaintance with his Creator steered in all his wayes by His Spirit and by it carried up above shame feare pleasure comfort losses grave and death it selfe Let us not censure such Tempers but blesse God for them So farre as Christ is in us we shall love prise honour Christ and the least particle of his Image in Others For we never Prove our selves true members of Christ more then when we embrace his members with most enlarged yet straitest Affections To This end God assisting mee my desire prayer indeavour shall still be as much as in mee lyes to follow Peace and holinesse and though there may haply be some little dissent betweene my darke judgement weake conscience and other Good men that are much more cleare and strong yet my prayer still shall be to keepe the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace And as many as walke after This Rule Peace I hope shall still be on Them and the whole Israel of God FINIS Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Object Answ. 1. Answ. 2. Object Ansâ— Object Answ. * See 2. Cor. 8.23 Object 1. Answ. Question Acts. 8.4 11 19.