Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	authority_n	church_n	pillar_n	1,970	5	10.4442	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85400	Innocency and truth triumphing together; or, The latter part of an answer to the back-part of a discourse, lately published by William Prynne Esquire, called, A full reply, &c. Beginning at the foot of p. 17. of the said discourse, with this title or superscription, Certain brief animadversions on Mr. John Goodwins Theomachia. Wherein the argumentative part of the said animadversions is examined; together with some few animadversions upon some former passages in the said reply. Licensed and printed according to order.	Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1176; Thomason E24_8; ESTC R22666	90,413	109

adding after a parenthesis of much untruth there being many that have represented the way he speaks of in her native colours and lineaments that I rather aggravate then extenuate the guiltie of the said passage by my explanation which he there recites I answer 1. That for matter of guilt the passage referred unto standeth as yet cleare innocent and untouch'd as concerning any thing in way of demerit that hath been prov'd against it 2. As concerning the explanation that also keeps its standing and that upon holy ground notwithstanding all that Mr. Prynne hath done or attempted to doe for the removall of it manet illa suóque est robore tuta Yea the truth is that in all his contra-remonstrance he hath not so much as once touch'd or mentioned that which is the maine base or foundation of the principall conclusion managed in the said explanation and principally opposed by him The conclusion is not that which Mr. Prynne extracts from the passage which he cites viz. that there is not onely an improbabilitie but an absolute impossibilitie that the Parliament should have any power at all to enact Lawes and Statutes in matters of Religion Church-Government c. Here are words which the explanation knows not either in the letter or in the spirit of them as by name these not onely an improbabilitie an absolute impossibilitie no power at all c. but the maine conclusion driven at in the passage is this That the generalitie or promiscuous multitude of the Land have no authoritie or power from Christ to nominate or appoint who shall be the men that shall order the affaires of Christs Kingdome or institute the Government of his Churches The maine foundation or base of reason upon which this pillar of Truth stands in the said passage is this Because such an Authoritie or power viz. to nominate or appoint who shall order the affaires of Christs Kingdome or institute the Government of his Churches is greater then ever Christ himself had I meane as man or Mediator at least then ever he exercised which in the sequell I explaine and prove Now then this is that which I say that Mr. Prynne in all his long reasoning against the Conclusion doth not so much as with the least of his fingers once touch this ground or answer any thing at all to it So that he hath not as yet the least colour or pretence to blame me if I be not proselyted to his opinion by what he hath written here And because I desire faire and Christian quarter with him for the future I doe here promise and protest in the sight of God Angels and men that if Mr. Prynne shall at any time God preserving my life and understanding plainly and substantially demonstrate and prove either that the generalitie and promiscuous multitude of the Land have a power greater then ever the Lord Christ himself had or exercised as man or Mediator or that a power to nominate and appoint whom they please amongst men to order the affaires of Christs Kingdome and institute the Government of his Churches is not a power greater then ever Christ had or at least exercised as either man or Mediator I promise and protest againe as before that if Mr. Prynne or any other shall at any time clearly and fairly prove either the one or the other of these propositions I will pull downe with both mine hands what I have built up but with one and without any more adoe joyn judgement with Mr. Prynne touching the power of the Civill Magistrate in matters of Religion but till this be done I neither see how Mr. Prynne can with a good conscience persist in his nor require me to desist from mine It is true the Lord Christ as Mediator had all power given him both in Heaven and on Earth Mat. 28. 18. That is had the whole and intire execution and transaction of all his Fathers will pleasure and decrees concerning all men Angels creatures whatsoever put into his hand power And hath given him Authoritie TO EXECUTE judgement also because he is the son of man Joh. 5. 27. But he had no power or Authoritie given him to carry any thing contrary to his Fathers will or pleasure Verily verily I say unto you saith he himself Joh. 5. 19. the Son can doe nothing of himself but what he seeth the Father doe c. So againe ver 30. I can doe nothing of my self Now then as Christ had no commission or power to give eternall life but onely to those whom God the Father had given unto him Joh. 17. 2. Joh. 6. 37. So neither had he any Authoritative power to institute or appoint any other government for his Churches then that which he had seene with or received from his Father much lesse had he any such power to delegate unto men least of all unto unsanctified persons and rude multitudes a power of nominating whom they should please to appoint and settle what government they pleas'd in the Churches of God Certain I am that Christ never exercised any such power as this and therefore have little hope of being convinc'd that he ever had it Howsoever let us give the Gentleman an unpartial hearing in what he pleads against the aforesaid Conclusion 1. To his former marginall Annotation p. 22. honoured with a Preface made of this word Note wherein he tells me that Gamaliel and my Text never taught me any such Anti-Parliamentary Doctrine I answer that neither doth Gamaliel nor my Text nor any other Text whatsoever in Scripture teach Mr. Prynne to call the truth an Anti-Parliament try Doctrine But both Gamaliel and my Text teach me to take heed of fighting against God and I being taught so high and necessary a point of wisdome conceiv'd it my dutie not to eat such a morsell alone but to spread a Table for as many of my Brethren as pleas'd to come and sit downe and eat of the same with me I and my Doctrine are onely in such a sense Anti-Parliamentarian as Christ and his were Anti-Cesarean 2. To a second Marginall note in the same page ordered likewise to be noted as the former I answer likewise that though people have authoritie to nominate such who by the rule of Gods Word may limit some particulars though not by their own bare Authoritie without or against the Word yet it followeth not either 1. That they have authoritie to nominate such who shall have authoritie by vertue of such nomination to peremptorize by fire or sword all their limitations whatsoever as agreeable to Gods Word Nor 2. Doth it follow that in case their limitations should be agreeable to the word of God therefore they have power to compell any man by externall violence to subject either in their judgement or practise unto them especially whilst they are not able to convince them of any such excellency in these limitations as an agreeablenesse to the word of God It is no waies agreeable

much opposed by the Popish Tenet concerning the vertue and validitie of Papall Indulgences as by the sacred thirst of that gold and silver which the trade of such merchandize formerly driven by the Grand Seignior of Rome and his Factors throughout the Christian world brought into their coffers in that bewitching and transporting abundance Reader of any wrong done to my self I will not complaine but I know a man who hath been forsaken of his friends found those of his own house to be his enemies who hath been reviled traduced reproached way-laid by tongues by pens by practises reported to have lost his wits abilities parts suffered losse of his due and necessary subsistence wrongfully deteined from him and for which he hath laboured faithfully brought before Rulers and Magistrates represented to Soveraigne Authoritie as a wilfull and presumptuous underminer of their undoubted priviledges and that diametrally contrary to his Vow and Covenant besides twenty more hard sayings and practises of men against him and all this for no other cause upon none other ground or exception but onely because he holds forth such a Truth as in all his heart and all his soule he is verily perswaded which if entertained is like to blesse the world though it be as by fire I meane by casting downe the present thoughts and crossing the present desires and designs of many in it Of the injuries indignities offered to such a man I have cause with many others to complaine but for any sufferings or evill intreaties of mine own from men I count it beneath my ingagements to him who strengtheneth me to doe and to suffer all things to stoop to take up any lamentation or complaint In these leaves following I make payment of a debt unto thee contracted by a promise and ingagement made in my late briefe defence which I styled Innocencies Triumph with some small additionall consideration for thy present forbearance For in the former sections till about pag. 54. I animadvert upon some select passages in the former part and body of that piece in whose tayle lies the sting of my accusation the pulling out whereof is my taske from the third section unto the end In the carriage of the discourse I projected these foure Brevitie persecuitie moderation satisfaction How I have performed or prospered in my designe is a case now presented unto the Great Judicatorie of the world to judge and determine I shall not court thy favour or approbation if thou wilt deale hardly either with the Truth or her Friends at thine own perill be it Injure what thou canst we shall be repaired yea and have all our forbearance and delay in full consideration and recompence Yet a very little while and he that doth come will come and will not tarry and behold his reward is with him In the day of whose coming however thou shalt deale with me in the interim I cordially wish thee peace and that lifting up of the head after which it shall never hang downe more From my Study in Coleman-street Jan. 8. 1644. Thine all that thy soule desireth in the love of the truth J. G. Errata Pag. 3. line 36. dele only and close the parenthesis at the word government P. 8. l. 26. dele P. 17. l. 5. for vere r. vero P. 13. l. 7. for apparent r. apparan P. 39. l. 3. for distances r. disturbances ibid. l. 36. for disturbances r. disturbance P. 47. l. 33. for ingagements r. inducements P. 49. l. 14. for leave r. give P. 51. l. 31. for in ordinary r. in an ordinary P. 53. l. 1. for faith r. truth P. 56. l. 34. for praise r. honour P. 59. l. 11. for still r. till P. 61. l. 35. for is more r. is of more P. 62. l. 15. in the margent for ipsa r. ipsam P. 65. l. 4. for precedent r. president ibid. l. 12. for guiltie r. guilt P. 68. l. 9. those words and lastly to be closed in a parenthesis P. 70. l. 18. for together by r. together for by P. 80. l. 10. for the r. that P. 87. l. 25. for exemptively r. executively Some other lesser mistakes as in points parentheses or the like the Reader is desired to pardon and amend Innocency and Truth Triumphing together OR The latter Part of an ANSWER to the back-part of a Discourse lately published by WILLIAM PRYNNE Esquire called A FULL REPLY c. THe Gentleman who hath vouchsafed me the honour of so noble an Antagonist as himself p. 8. of his Full Reply hath this ingenuous saying I presume my friends are so ingenuous as not to be offended with mee for reproving only their errours with ingenuous freedome in which I manifest my self their greatest friend because I neither spare nor flatter them in their mistakes I cannot doubt but that hee will put the same interpretation upon the ingenuous freedome of his friend in the same kind which hee presumes his friends will put upon his and will make no other construction of my not-sparing or flattering him in his mistakes then as a manifestation of my self to be his greatest friend The truth is that if he shall put any other construction upon them but this it is a signe that he understands not the dialect or language of mine intentions Upon the stock of so faire and rich an incouragement as this I conceive it very proper for mee to graffe at least the presentation of some errors and mistakes more then so called to Master Prynnes view which himself had first scatteringly presented to the view of the world in his late piece called A full Reply c. and will I trust assist my Pen with his in the censure and condemnation of them I make no question but that he will acknowledge it an errour and mistake in any man to confute concealed errours and mistakes with those that are open and professed Hee makes a sad complaint in the very beginning of his work that his condition still hath been to have his best actions and publique services he means performed by his Pen misconstrued and traduced and yet a few lines after hee affirms that his twelve Questions touching Church-Government gave ample satisfaction to many truly Religious of all ranks and qualities who returned him speciall thanks He that can give men yea the best of men men truly Religious yea not a few of these men neither but many and that of all ranks and qualities satisfaction yea ample satisfaction and receive thanks accordingly only by asking Questions seems to write with Fortunatus his Pen and may well beare the burthen of much misprision from other men out of the strength of the joy of this rare successe Ordinarily men of greatest worth and learning have much ado to give satisfaction by the most elaborate and exact resolutions which is another manner of service to the world then asking Questions is A weak man may ask moe Questions in an houre then seven wise men can answer

into another But when such things concerning the worship and service of God which a man cannot with a good conscience submit unto shall be enacted and commanded under mulcts and penalties by those that have power and authority over us wee cannot refuse subjection hereunto but at our perill and with the sustaining of what detriment or dammage whether in our estates liberties or otherwise as the commanders shall please to impose Therefore the case between a particular Congregation and the representative body of a Kingdome is farre different Fifthly and lastly the representative Church and State of a Kingdome may and doth ordinarily differ from it selfe in poynt of judgement touching matters of Religion at severall times as much as heaven and earth Such Bodies in the dayes of Queene Mary and before stood up for Lordly Episcopacie which you confesse page 8. that Body which now is hath by solemne covenant abjured And besides enacted many things concerning the worship service of God which other Bodies of the same representation and power have since repealed And the nature and claim of such Bodies as these in their severall successions is that what powersoever hath been either given unto or exercised by any of the Predecessors of right appertains to the Successor So that suppose the representative Body now in being shall be freely and willingly submitted unto as having a lawfull power to establish what they shall please in matters of Religion as most agreeable to the word of God this submission doth not onely interesse or confirm them in this power but in the consequence and construction of it is the like interessing and confirmation in the same power of all their successors of what constitution or judgement soever they shall bee for matters of Religion Whereas for particular Independent Congregations loquendum ut vulgus their present constitution being sound safe as touching their members being all in the judgment of charity and discretion too persons of conscience and of competent understanding they are not like in an ordinary way of providence to degenerate or decline in their successors and besides in case they should their interest and authority over any of their members may at any time and under their greatest confirmations be declin'd without any considerable dammage or inconveence as was formerly shewed So that Mr. Prynnes Truth now under consideration I meane his Assertion so called is nothing so cleare but that a rationall man may deny it yea the more rationall a man is he is the more like to deny it The Antiquerist having said that the Saints think Christ alone is King over his Churches and hath not left them to Substitutes c. whereas Mr. Prynne page 6. replies thus If hee meanes it onely of matters of Faith or of internall government over the soules of men it may pass as tolerable it is as I conceive an expression which may not pass as tolerable being worse then an ordinary error or then more then an ordinary mistake He that calls any thing tolerable must needs suppose it either to be evil or inconvenient at the best Now if Mr. Prynne thinks it either evill or inconvenient that Christ should be King alone over his Churches in matters of faith and internall government of their soules it is no marvell if he seeks to interesse men in a Legislative power over his Churches in respect of their externall government it is a marvell rather that he seekes not to infringe his title and claime even to the internall government of their soules also and that hee anoints not Representative Bodies of Churches and States with authority to repeale the Articles of the old Creed and to enact another Whereas in the same page hee tells his Antiquerist that hee must renounce his oath of Allegeance his late Protestation and Nationall Vow and Covenant make foure or five Canonicall Scriptures Apocrypha with some such other mormolukies as these if he thinkes Christ to be King alone over his Churches in point of externall Ecclesiasticall government Discipline or Order I conceive this consequence of his to be inconsequent a mistake For first the Scriptures he specifies Rom 13. 1. to 6. 1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. Tit. 3. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2 3 4. speake nothing of Ecclesiasticall Government nor of any subjection unto Kings or Rulers in matters of Conscience or Religion but onely of that obedience which is due unto them in civill things yea some of them the last by name not so much as of either And secondly for the Nationall vow and Covenant doubtlesse they that took and sware that did not abjure the absolute Monarchicall Independent power of Christ over his Churches nor did they swear homage or fealty to any other Lord or Lords but with a Salvo jure c. saving the rights and priviledges of the Lord Paramount Jesus Christ amongst which that is one of the most undoubted ones to have the sole dominion over the faith and consciences of men especially in things concerning the worship and service of God And thirdly and lastly for the Oath of Allegeance and late Protestation either there is nothing contained in either of these but what is of a cleare and perfect consistence with this sole dominion of Christ over the faith and consciences of men or if there be the renouncing of them will be more honourable and safe for Christians then their taking of them was or then their standing by their ingagement in that kind will be But whereas page 7. he affirmes that Christ hath delegated his Kingly power to Christian Kings Magistrates and highest civill powers as likewise bequeathed his Propheticall Office unto Ministers these certo certius are errors in the highest undermining I shall not abate wilfully and presumptuously in the reckoning the undoubted priviledges of the Throne of Jesus Christ by the very roots For are not the Offices of Christ incommunicable appropriable only unto him who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God Man and Mediator Or is Christ retired from the throne of his glory to live privatly as a Recluse to solace enjoy himselfe in some solitary angle or by-corner of heaven Or hath he eas'd his shoulder of that great burthen of the government of the world which was laid by God upon it devolving it upon the shoulders of others Where is then the promise of the Everlastingnesse of his Kingdome and of the continuance of his dominion throughout all ages And where is the prediction of his delivering up his Kingdome unto his Father if he hath delivered it up or down rather unto men Surely he means to call for it againe out of their hands before that day But if Kings and Magistrates have the Kingly Power of Christ delegated unto them they have all power given unto them both in Heaven and Earth and consequently have not onely a right and lawfullnesse of Authoritie to command as well all the Angels of Heaven as men on Earth but also to

to mention so many elections as have been made both in Queen Maries dayes and many a time before these of such members who made many a Law as agreeable to the Word of God as harp is to harrow Which further shews of how slender esteeme in point of truth that assertion of his pa. 23. is where he saith that those that are unjit or unable to be Members of Parliament themselves yet have had wisdom enough in all ages and especially at this present to elect the must eminent and ablest men for such a service So that if my pen were not more bashfull then Mr. Prynnes it would say that the Reason Defendant is by many degrees more childish then the Reason Plaintiffe and that this Presbyterian engins wherewith he makes account to batter my Independent Fabrick are made of Independent metall able to do no execution at all There is not one brick or tyle in all my Independent Fabrick as yet bruised crack'd or shaken by all the hot and loud play of Mr. Prynnes artillery against it But 5. Whereas in further prosecution of this last reason he argues thus If the common people which neither are nor can be Parliaments Emperours Kings Judges Magistrates Ministers have yet a lawfull power to make others such by their bare election to give them such Authority and power as themselves never actually were nor can be possessors of then why by the self same reason may they not likewise delegate a lawful Ecclesiasticall Legislative Authoritie in Church affairs to their elected Parliamentary and Synodicall members which was never actually in themselves as well as Mr. Goodwin delegate the power of determining who should be fit persons to receive the Sacrament and to become members of his Independent Congregation to eight select Substitutes which was never actually vested in himself nor transferible thus to others by any Law of God or man In answer passing by the Grammatical illegality of the period 1. That Mr. Goodwin never delegated the power he speaks of of determining who c. to any Substitutes but this delegation was made respectively by those who had power yea haply and dutie too by the Law of God and power sufficient by the Law of man to referre themselves for matter of examination and triall touching their fitnesse for the Sacrament unto persons of competent abilities for such a Christian service Mr. Prynnes pen is I think the most unhappie and un-successefull in matters of impeachment and charge that ever contested against the misdemeanors of men it seldome or never lays the indictment right Here he chargeth me with delegating such and such a power to eight Substitutes a little after that I have wilfully yea and presumptuously undermined the undoubted priviledges of Parliament by the very roots a little before that I scandalously terme the Commonaltie of the Land the vilest and most unworthy of men not long before this viz. pa. 21. that I preach but seldome to my Parishioners that I receive their tithes that I gather an Independent Congregation to my self that I prescribe a Covenant unto them before they be admitted members of it that I preach to these alone neglecting my Parishioners c. in all which suggestions and charges there is but one and the same proportion of love and truth 2. Whereas he supposeth that the common people by their bare election give such an Authority and power to Parliaments Emperours Kings c. as themselves never actually were nor can be possessours of he doth not I conceive speak like a man of his profession certain I am that he doth not speak the truth no nor yet the thoughts of men of learning and judgement in the point For 1. to reason the case a little in point of truth if the common people were not actually possessed of that Authority and power which by their election they give to Parliaments Emperours Kings c. I demand how or after what manner they were possessed of it For in saying they were not ACTVALLY possessed of it he supposes and grants that they were some wayes or other possessed of it No man excludes one speciall modification from a thing but for the gratification of another Now then if the common people were not ACTVALLY possessed of that Authority and power which by their election they give unto Parliaments Emperours c. they were onely potentially possessed of it For actually and potentially are opposita yea and of that kind which they call opposita immediata So that whatsoever is had or possessed by any and not actually must of necessiue be had or possessed potentially and potentially onely at least in respect of an actuall possession Now then I reason first thus If the people have that power though not actually yet potentially which by their election they give to Parliaments Emperours Kings c. then are they capable of it even actually also which yet Mr. Prynne here plainly denies in these words Nor can be possessours of The consequence is undeniable For whatsoever any entire subject hath or is potentiâ there is no impossibilitie but that it may have or be actu or actually So that Mr. Prynne is here upon the matter in an absolute contradiction For he supposeth that the people may have that Authoritie or power potentially which yet he saith is unpossible they should ever have actually Again I would willingly for the bettering of mine understanding know and learn how any person or other Agent whatsoever can actually conferre that upon or communicate that unto another which it hath onely potentially it self Water whilest it is actually cold and onely potentially hot cannot heat that which is put into it Nor can a man that is actually ignorant of such or such a truth and potentially onely knowing it actually communicate or impart the knowledge thereof unto another by vertue of that potentiall knowledge which he hath No more can a people that is onely potentially possessed of any Authority or power actually give or conferre it upon any whether Parliaments Emperours Kings c. The ground of all such consequences as these is that common principle or maxime in reason Modus operandi sequitur modum essendi Things that have but a weak or imperfect being themselves cannot give strength or perfection of being unto others But had Mr. Prynne said the body of a Nation have that authority really vertually eminently and collectively which they cannot have formally distributively and exemptively I should have had the lesse to say unto him For the judgement of men learned in matters of this concernment he that shall please to read the Discourse of Christophorus Besoldus intituled Dissertatio Politico-Juridica de Majestate in genere c. shall find a little Jurie of Lawyers joyning with him in the verdict of his judgement upon the case the tenor whereof is that there is not onely an Authoritie or power but that which is somewhat more a majestie also in the people which is coevall with

and Churches who are members of our Church and Realm as any Independent Minister or Congregation challenge or usurp unto themselves over their own members c. My answer is 1. That now I trust he will willingly surrender his opinion into the hand of Justice and plead no further for it First because though haply there have been no better grounds produced in this discourse against it then have been formerly in others yet I cannot but conceive and judge that better arguments and grounds against it have been here produced then Mr. Prynne hath had either the happinesse or opportunity to meet with elsewhere especially considering partly the frequencie of his complaint that Independents have given little or no account of their way in writing partly that it is a thing hardly consistent with Mr. Pryns abilities being sweetned with so much ingenuity not to see and acknowledge the delinquencie of such an opinion in whose condemnation so full a Jury of the first borne principles as well of Reason as Religion as hath been here impannelled doe conspire And secondly because Information hath been given him again and again and more particularly in the eighth Section page 5 6 7 8 9. of this discourse why our whole representative Church and State though I doe not clearly understand what he meanes by our Representative Church in this place but why the Parliament and Synod should not exercise as great or greater Ecclesiastical jurisdiction over particular persons Churches within the Realme c. as an Independent Minister AND Congregation for his disjunctive particle Or turnes him quite out of the way of his question may exercise over their owne members But 2. Whereas he states the question thus Whether our Representative Church and State may not exercise as great or greater Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction over c. as an Independent Minister or Congregation challenge or USURP unto themselves over their own members My answer is that doubtlesse they may one unrighteous or unjust thing may be as lawfully done as another every whit as unrighteous and unjust as it For Mr. Prynne may please to take knowledge that Independent Ministers and Congregations doe not usurp any power at all unto themselves over their own members that is over themselves but onely administer that regular and lawfull power over and amongst themselves which every of their respective members have mutually and freely given one to another and every particular member unto the whole body over it selfe and that as well for its own benefit and behoofe as for the benefit and good of the whole body And lawfull questionlesse it is yea matter of duty for every man to give such a power of or over himself unto others which he hath sufficient ground either from the Scriptures or reason otherwise to conceive and expect that it will bee administred for his good especially having ground to conceive yet further that this act of his in thus submitting himselfe unto others will according to the ordinary course of Providence and experience be of Christian accommodation unto others also for their good Submitting your selves one to another in the feare of God Eph. 5. 21. which submission doubtlesse ought so farre to extend as in reason it may accommodate or promote the edification and spirituall good both of the persons by whom and to whom it is made And by the same reason it is no usurpation in those to whom the submission is made to administer or exercise that power which is committed unto them according to the regular intentions of those who have given it yea such an administration of it as this is so farre from being an usurpation that a non-administration of it upon such terms would be a very unchristian prevarication both with God and men Therefore 7. And lastly to conclude Whereas Mr. Prynne referres me to the High Court of Parliament either to crave their pardon or to undergoe their justice for my Anti-parliamentarie passages c. I shall request no other favour of this most honourable Court then that I may stand right and streight in their opinions and be respited from censure onely so long till my Accuser shall make good his charge against me by sufficient evidence and proofe and substantially answer and refute this my Apologeticall plea. When the light of this day of darknesse shall dawne upon me I shall willingly submit unto his demand and either crave the Pardon of that Honourable and High Court he speaks of or otherwise undergoe their justice in the meane season I presume he will subscribe my Petition for a reprieve as just and equall And if the result of his more serious thoughts shall be to resume and prosecute the bill of endictment which he hath preferr'd against me my earnest request unto him is as well for his own ease and conveniencie as mine 1. That he will not argue from pluralities but pertinences of Scriptures and shew how and wherein every Text alledged according to the genuine sense and rationall dependance of the words stands by him in what he intends to prove from it And 2. that he will not place the strength and confidence of his cause either in humane Authorities humane practises statutes or ordinances of men excepting onely such whose truth justice and equitie he shall first demonstrate either from the word of God and that not by Texts barely cited chapter and verse though in never such abundance but throughly argued and examined upon the matter in question or els from sound principles of reason and equitie managed in a cleare and rationall way and so drawne up to a faire compliance with the conclusion seeking testimony and proofe from them For otherwise what sayings doings Lawes or Ordinances of men soever shall be produc'd or insisted upon for confirmation or proofe of any thing it will be sufficient to Answer that men as wise as just as vertuous as they have both said and done things neither true nor meet to be done and have made Lawes and Statutes of no better constitution yea and have been of a contrary opinion to Mr. Prynne in the particular questioned which made Augustine often decline that way of reasoning as we reade in his 48. Epistle and elsewhere Thirdly and lastly that he would put lesse vinegar and gall into his inke and more wooll or cotton or in the Apostles words Eph. 4. 31. that all bitternesse and evill speaking be put away and that we follow the truth in love and language that becometh Brethren This treble request I make unto him with much earnestnesse and importunitie upon the supposition aforesaid because I had much rather yeeld might I do it upon honourable and Christian terms then to be put to take the field yet againe As for any opinion held by me when once I perceive that it will not make knowledge I am ready to give the right hand of fellowship unto any man in casting it out as unsavoury salt upon the dunghill I never yet thought my self nor