thy Conscience it will never be able to oblige him to allow of that which is evil in it self to justifie the guilty and condemn the innocent Take heed I beseech thee that what thou sayest is Conscience be not invincible prejudice and hatred or humor and groundless fancy or it may be something worse that strong spirit of delusion unto which God delivers such as will not be lovers of the Truth For the better discovery of the mistakes of thy Conscience in this particular I beseech you my Christian Brethren to examin what mischiefs such division about Religion have caused already in Foreign Nations and in this the Histories of former Ages are full of sad accidents murthers and wars destructions and calamities of Countries caused by the disputes about Religion The Kingdom of the Jews flourished and grew invincible under the Government of David and his Posterity so that all the Nations round about paid them Tribute They might have still continued in that happy condition and been able to set bounds to the spreading Empire of Babylon had not Jeroboam under a pretence of Religion divided the Kingdom and Nation of Israel and to save the People the trouble and expence of going up to Jerusalem set up the Golden Calves in Dan and Bethel But how many evils did this division in Religion and Government cause in that Land They were subject to the affronts of every petty King and contemptible Nation and at last were overthrown by their Neighbours and themselves carried away into Captivity with their Wives and Children After the Jews return from Babylon they grew numerous and strong in the Romans time and were able through their numbers and the resolation and courage which the principle of Religion put into them to command the East part of the World But what and how much woe and misery did their Factions and Sects draw upon them what sad Destructions not to be paralel'd in any other Nation It was openly confessed by Titus and their Roman Conquerors that as their divisions between their Princes gave Pompey footing in their Countrey their divisions had brought them to utter ruin and unheard of miseries for by this means they became instrumental in their own overthrow and did more mischief to themselves than all the Armies of their Enemies So that by Division in Religion this People of Israel who were assisted by Gods Power and Protection and favoured above all other Nations brought themselves to be the scum of the World and lost their Land being dispersed into all parts and Kingdoms The fall of the Roman Empire was brought to pass by division for that let in the Huns the Longobards the Goths Vandals and Visigoths and all the Northern People into its fruitful borders The Grecian Empire might have stood upon its legs to this very day had it not been for their senseless divisions in Church and State The Sects and Heresies of Arrius Eunomius Novatus Samosatenus and other busy-bodies let in the Turk and his Mahomet and in the days of the Emperor Heraclius when men were so divided and had so disputed all Religion and Truth out of doors that the simpler and more ignorant sort knew not which to chuse these wicked divisions gave an occasion to that Arabian Impostor to set up a Religion of his own which he recommended to them with the inviting and pleasing Charms of pleasure and profit Read but over the divisions and disputes about Religion in the Cities of Constantinople Alexandria Antioch and in many other places of the East Countries and examin how many thousands have been destroyed how many cruelties acted how many calamities brought upon the Inhabitants through their endless discords in Religion and you will have cause to wonder at their madness to strive for that which forbids them to strive and to fight for a Religion which disallows all variance You will have cause to wonder at their inhumanities and extravagancies they torment themselves for nothing and shed their own blood contrary to Reason and that Religion for which they did so unadvisedly contend What is become of the Grecian Empire now where are the flourishing Churches of Christ of Asia and Africa In what condition are the Christians of those parts of the World under how much misery and under what cruel Tyranny do they groan The contemptible remains of all those Antient Professors of our Religion are oppressed with the Turkish and Moorish Bondage They have lost all their honour and glory their wealth their priviledges their Countrey and all their present happiness in this life their Estates and their Children are at their Conquerors pleasure And though there are some yet professing Christianity in those parts of the World they differ in all respects so much from what their Forefathers were in former Ages that they are able to draw tears from the most insensible Souls when compared with them as the building of the second Temple did from the Jews returned from Babylon when they saw how differing it was from the Glory and Magnificence of the first Structure And all this hath proceeded from this Wicked and Venemous Root Division in Religion Look into the latter Ages of the World and see into what confusion these divisions about Religion have cast Kingdoms and Cities The Cities of Florence of Naples and Millain in Italy have often been watered with the Blood of their Noblest Inhabitants which the divisions about Religion caused to be shed The grand disputes about the Guelfs and Gibbelins troubled all Europe and murthered more men than the cruelest Wars In Germany what inhumanities have been committed In the Low-Countries how many Rivers of Christian Blood have been spilt under the pretence of Religion The Spanish Massacres the Duke D' Alva's Butcheries are sufficiently known to all the World In Africa amongst the Moors and Arabians the disputes about their Prophets Impieties and their False Religion hath caused one of their own Writers to say Hali Ben-Hamet a MS. That there is nothing exasperares more the minds of men one against another than the differing perswasions in Religion Another of their Authors complains in this manner O how furiously men are set against one another for such matters as concern not the Prophets honour nor the essential part of our Religion for in the late revolution of the Empire of Morocco Religion was pretended to deceive the People In France the Factions of the Albi and Nigri and the furious transports of the Papists against the Reformed Professors have often exhausted the Blood and Treasure of that Kingdom In Switzerland how many troubles arose from small divisions in Religion In the Vnited Provinces in our late days the refined Notions of Arminius and the extravagancies of the Anabaptists had almost cast them into a Civil War In France the hot disputes between Amyraldus and Du Moulin had cantoned those poor Churches in the midst of their Enemies if moderate and wise men had not imposed a silence and obliged them to
worshipping of God is a too zealous affection for a Party or for the Name of a Party unto which they have devoted themselves This factious humor proceeds out of some displeasure conceived against us our persons or our way or out of a propensity for that Party which they embrace in opposition to us And many times they are so fond and blind that they give not themselves the trouble to examin the differences between us but resolutely embrace Presbytery or Independency and addict themselves to these empty names for no other cause nor reason but because they have an inclination for the Sect or only for the Name of the Sect. I dare appeal to the judgment and inquiry of the more reasonable persons amongst them whether this be not the cause of the separation of many from us I am persuaded that most of them know no real difference between us and them but only in the outward form and garb they understand not what Presbytery and Independency are and yet they are in appearance such rigid Presbyterians and Independents in their outward behaviour that by no means will they be persuaded to comply with us in the least punctilio These are commonly the greatest Enemies of Unity who are thus led on by blindness and ignorance They are the most unreconcileable slanderers of our Worship and Government upbraiding us with the Ministers viciousness the Peoples formality and other trivial matters which discover more hatred than reason in their carriage to us To this kind of Non-Conforming Brethren whom St. Paul checks for their carnality I recommend that Christian moderation which the same Apostle wishes to the Corinthians and his other Disciples and to remember that their furious Devotion for their several parties agrees not with that Devotion which they should have for Peace for Religion for their Christ and his Interest That their espousing of a Factior divorces them from this good Saviour and renders their Souls unfit for a Communion with him here or hereafter And that they shew themselves to be the greatest Enemies of Truth and Concord when they thus engage themselves desperately in the encouraging of a Party without understanding the depth and designs of it No doubt but if these men had but as sincere an inclination for Truth and the Publick Peace they would be as averse to their Sects as they are now forward to promote the interest of them IV. Another sort are preingaged by a worldly interest and kept from a compliance with us for fear of crossing or losing that advantage which they reap from a Non-Conformity or from their Acquaintance with the Non-Conformists Too many I understand are kept from hearkening to their Reason and Knowledge of the Lawfulness of our Worship and their Duty to God and Man by that bewitching thing Seeming Interest But such men value more their present profit than their future hopes and prefer the vanities of the Earth to the unspeakable advantages of Heaven which they might reasonably expect from an obedience to Gods Laws Their condition I reckon to be very desperate for however they may look upon this Sin with contempt or think their refusal of joyning with us deserves less blame because they side with our Brethren of the same Religion yet in regard that they stand in opposition to us and division is thereby encouraged in Christs Church This their sin of Non-Conformity is so much the more hainous because they know their Duty and refuse to practise it for fear of parting with an advantage which they might probably lose did they forsake their Faction and Party I would intreat these men to weigh the words of our Saviour directed to such Idolaters of worldly interest He that denies me before men him will I deny before my Father which is in Heaven And to remember that Christ is seemingly denied when we refuse Communion with such whom we know to be real Christians and a compliance with that Lawful Worship which is agreeable with his Word and Will V. Another hinderance to the Non-Conformity of some of the more Learned and Wiser sort are those who either think themselves so or desire to be so esteemed is Shame The shame and reproach of the world which they justly deserve for complying too much with the irregularities of former times causeth them to continue constant in their Errors for fear of confessing their guiltiness by a change though for the better I conceive that their judgments were then over-ruled by the Authority and Currant of the times and perswaded to condemn that Government and Worship which Rebellion was resolved to pull down being insensibly drawn in to side with that Enemy of our Laws and Liberties Now therefore that this same Government and Worship is by Gods good providence reestablished they are ashamed to confess their former weakness to discover any unsetledness in their minds they choose for this purpose rather to persist in their mistakes than to acknowledge them by a recantation Such men consider not that obstinacy in Errors is a great aggravation of a Crime and that to confirm now wilfully and resolutely in opposition to Law and the dictates of their Conscience what the necessity of the times forced them to subscribe to is a most hainous sin near related to that of the Holy Ghost However our Saviour Christ highly condemns such men in the Gospel according to S. John Ch. xii vers 43. For loving more the praise of men than the praise of God For having a greater regard to the approbation of their former disciples than to be approved of by God for their ready compliance with their duty and his Divine Laws Truth is to be always acknowledged by all the Disciples of Truth and may be denied in little matters as well as in great but in matters of Religion of the publick Peace of the Service of God and the Unity of Christs Church every Truth is of a great importance to stand stifly in the denyal of it to refuse a compliance with it to oppose it obstinately and continue in that opposition till death is a wickedness that I judge to be unpardonable before God as it is inexcusable before men Such persons to save their credit care not how they damn their Souls and for fear of the reproach of men run themselves into the danger of forfeiting their God and happiness together with their interest in his Church by a wilful separation I intreat these my Brethren to take heed how they deny or oppose that which they know to be Just or True for the God of Truth is a revenger of all opposition to it A small liberty that men give themselves in an error or a vice hardens them in it and draws them insensibly into greater and more hainous and the longer men continue in them the less able they are to repent and amend VI. Some of the wiser sort were first persuaded to oppose the Church of Englaad and to refuse Conformity to its late establishment because
chastise us for such unreasonable dissensions in such matters as we may easily comply with one another I know your common Objection against us is that in regard such Observances Customs and Ceremonies that breed a difference between us are but trivial in themselves they should not be imposed upon you with that strictness In Answer to this I intreat thee my Brother to consider three things first that a Conformity to one way one rule and manner in this Church is absolutely necessary for how unbeseeming a thing it is that one Congregation should practise one thing another act in another manner one Minister wear green another yellow another black another gray another white If in one place were all singing in another all preaching in another all praying How ridiculous would our Church appear to all the foreign Nations if these things were allowed by Authority It is therefore most certain that one way and one worshipping our God is absolutely needful and becoming the wisdom of our Nation Secondly consider that the way and method established by the Governours in Church and State is not to be referred to the humor of every fancy or of every dissatisfied and private person and that it is very reasonable in such cases as all acknowledge indifferent in themselves when one way is to be chosen and others rejected to take that which the publick Authority approves of and agrees with their Judgment and Piety whom God hath established over us and whose office it is to appoint such things for us to observe and obey Thirdly consider that trivial and indifferent things when stamped by the Authority of the Nation cease to be so and become necessary to be observed That which is indifferent in it self and but a trifle is a greater invitation to you to practise it and renders your stifness more inexcusable but in regard it is commanded by Authority I am bound to obey The indifferency ceaseth and I should think it a crime and a breach of Gods Law Of Obeying the Magistrate for Conscience sake If in things indifferent I preferred mine own partial humor to the Commands of my Prince and Governors And wonder not if they require so strictly thine obedience and mine to these orders because in this licentious Age men of corrupt designs take any liberty to dispute against Authority and contemn its injunctions under the pretence of Religion and Conscience And because this way and method seems to them the wisest whom God hath appointed over us to prescribe it in the worshiping of God and most agreeable with Gods Glory and the Nations Honor Credit and Advantage Therefore there can be no Superstition in them to require our exact obedience to all the Rules which they judge to be just and best befitting our Piety and in us to yield it in things indifferent in themselves as some foolishly imagin In all other matters which give you a distast I know none but may be comprehended under this notion and be looked upon as trivial and indifferent in themselves The designed compendiousness of this Seasonable Advice suffers me not to examin them all nor to weigh all the objections that you are wont to make in justification of your Non-Conformity But for those that relate to our Prayers and publick Liturgy I refer you my Christian Brethren to a small treatise now in the Press called the Christians Devotions and Directory in these dangerous times wherein I have laboured to clear and blow away all those mists that hide the truth from your discovery and to give you satisfying reasons for our practice and for your benefit with directions how you shall be able to prevail upon your averseness and bring your selves to receive a real and an inward comfort from our way of worshipping Unto the perusal of that Treatise I refer all those that would receive better satisfaction in matters disputed amongst us Conformity according to the Laws of the Land is plainly required from every person To set up therefore Meeting Places in opposition to Authority and the Established Service of God is an apparent breach of these Laws To haunt and frequent them under a pretence of receiving many Soul-comforts from the Learned and Godly Sermons and Exercises of Piety in those prohibited Assemblies is not warrantable in the Minister nor his Auditory according to the Laws of the Nation To withdraw from the Service of God under Episcopacy and to leave off the Assembling with our Neighbours in our ordinary Churches To forbear from Prayers the Sermons of our Common Teachers and the receiving of the Lords Supper and the other Acts of Non-Conformity are likewise breaches of these Laws of men established by the Lawful Authority of the Nation by the King and Parliament and are so well known to be so that I shall not offer to prove it The greatest Question is Whether these proceedings of the Non-Conformists be against Gods known Laws I doubt not but they will all acknowledge that the false Accusations the wicked Surmises the slanderous Reports and the pretended Crimes of Superstition Idolatry and their other uncharitable Censures of us and our Worship by which we are discredited Gods Holy Name abused and the sincerity and integrity of our Christian Governours and practices misrepresented are contrary to Gods Law Thou shalt not hear false witness against thy Neighbour It is a great injustice for them in hopes of advancing the interest of their Sects Exod. xx Psal xxxiv 13. 140. 11. Psal x. 18. to misconstrue our actions to fasten upon us Crimes to endeavour to discredit us and our Profession for besides the wrong done to us their brethren they blind the eyes and lead into error and mistakes many poor ignorant and well meaning Souls whereby true Religion is slighted and Faction and Schism kept up to the destruction of many persons and the dishonour of our Reformation and Church But their other practices though never so well coloured in the eyes of men with pious pretences are contrary to Gods Laws as well as mans Decrees That this may better appear to you consider these following and undeniable Truths gathered out of Holy Scripture I. That it is the duty of every Christian to seek as well as to pray for the Peace of Gods Church Psalm cxxii 6. To endeavor to be at peace with all that profess Christianity in Truth 1 Thess v. 13. That peace is a precious Jewel which we ought carefully to seek and to preserve 1 Pet. iii. 11. That we should abstain from all those practices that disturb our Brethrens Peace Mark v. 50. That we should follow after the things that make for Peace Rom. xiv 19. That it is the property of heavenly wisdom to be peaceable gentle easie to be entreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie James iii. 17. And many other passages call us to mind in all our actions the peace and publick quiet of the Church and People where we live Now that
to be reconciled with us and their own duty by all the Reasons and Commands of God and Man You know and may easily discover in your usual hearers if you please to give your selves the trouble several wicked vices as pride selfconceitedness hypocrisie hatred malice envy c. which their Non-Conformity alone hath bred and nourished in their Souls You know that the blessed rules of the Gospel and the sweet temper of Christs Religion requires from you another disposition and other carriage than many of you and most of your followers exprest to us your Brethren and your Christian Governors If you have a sincere regard to Religion and a desire to advance Gods Glory on Earth you will at last endeavour a reconciliation for fear of the mischiefs which our separation from one another is like to bring upon us all Remember that a compliance with your Peoples Non-Conformity is no longer seasonable in regard of the obstinacy of those that continue in it against all Law and Reason You have sufficiently complied with their humors do you now comply with your obligations to God and Man you have had a care of the salvation of their Souls now look to the preservation of your own and run not your selves into the remediless sin of a wilful denial and opposition of God truth to the last The Apostles in their yielding to the Jewish mistakes laboured always to make them sensible of their Error by minding them still that Moses Ceremonies were not needful to be observed and at last told them plainly That they were a denyal of Christs coming in the Flesh Galat. It would become your Learning and Integrity my reverend Brethren to deal thus plainly with your Congregations if you would be true followers of the Holy Apostles Tell them that Conformity to the Church of England is no such a Crime as they have imagined that they are bound to obey Mans Laws when they are not contrary to the Commands of the Gospel That they should be reconciled with our Worship and Church and strive to Conform as near as they can to what is required from them Tell them that Schism and Separation from the approved way is a grievous sin That their Souls are in danger of Damnation by resisting and disobeying the lawful Commands of their Superiors under God That they should take heed of not persisting obstinately in their errors and not to refuse obedience to the least Command of the Gospel when discovered to them Tell them to be more in love with Truth than with Faction more desirous of meeting with the rest of their Brethren in Gods Worship than fond of their private and unlawful meetings where the Gospel may be Preached it is true because it is in opposition to their other Brethren and to the Authority of the Nation they are not warrantable by Gods Word Tell them in short that the Blessed Gospel of our Saviour as well as his Interest and our Glory requires us all to joyn and unite together in all Acts of Piety on Earth that we may avoid the Devils temptations and be more fit to unite together in Heaven to sing oraises to our great God and Redeemer Our Blessed Saviour who is dead for you as well as for us and is gone to prepare a place for us in the glorious Mansions of Eternity intends not to receive you by your selves and appoint your aboads distinct from the rest of Christians why are you so serupulous or so superstitious as for trivial matters now to divide from us in that Worship which is to prepare us for Gods presence O my Brethren did we but consider how ridiculous our Nation appear to our Neighbours and to the Blessed Angels above and how pleasing our Divisions are to our Enemies of Rome we should doubtless blush for shame to have hitherto encouraged a separation so childish and ill grounded for no other cause but the humor and mistakes of the vulgar sort seeing that it renders us liable to the reproach of Men and Angels and causeth us all to be in danger of the ruin of our worldly interest and what mischiefs it causeth to the Souls of men do you judge If the respect to Religion be pretended examin whether this pretence can avail against an apparent Duty or excuse you from a submission to the Laws of God and Man examin whether at present you draw not more evil upon the heads of your Followers and Religion it self by an opposition to Conformity than you would by yielding to Reason and Law and to your Christian obligations I know that some prophane and vicious persons refuse to be conformable for other reasons because they have cast off all respects for their God and Religion I know the Jesuits and the disguised Papists amongst you will not Conform to our Church but exclaim against our Religious Worship because they have a wicked design to manage the ruin of the Nation But I intend not these lines for their benefit and perusal but only for such of our Non-Conforming Brethren whose hearts God may at last move with a sence of their duty to joyn with us in Gods Service They that hereafter shall refuse and continue in an obstinate refusal and in their usual clamors against us may justly be suspected for Papists or some hired to promote the Jesuitical design the overthrow of Church and State Were the differences in Religion between us in the Fundamentals a Separation would be well grounded But we all agree in the chief Articles of our Faith we embrace together the same Religion and Belief we worship the same one God Creator of Heaven and Earth and expect Salvation through the Merits of a Crucified Christ we subscribe to the same Covenant of Grace and acknowledge but two Sacraments as Seals we look upon the Holy Scriptures as the only infallible Rule of our Faith and Practice In a word we agree in all the essential parts of the Christian Religion many of the circumstances in which we disagree are so inconsiderable that if we had not an earnest desire to contend they would not be able to cause any dispute much less to disturb the publick peace The chief differences are about Church Government and Gods Publick Worship for the latter they are so frivolous idle and impertinent that I shall say no more in vindication of our practices than hath been already said but for the Government we agree in the chief Principles and Maxims though we differ in the conclusion For we all say that in all Church Governments amongst Christians that there is a regard to be had to the Models allowed of and appointed by the Holy Apostles and Primitive Fathers That the Rules of the Gospel ought not to be opposed but obeyed in the prescribing of Laws for the preservation of Christian Societies That in all Church Government there is a special regard to be had to the end of all Government which is the safety of the whole to keep it
from the attempts of all Enemies and dangers That this may cause a variety in Kingdoms and Nations agreeable to the Government in the State to the nature and inclinations of the people and several other circumstances which are to be weighed in this Case That a Government established in a Nation by the publick Authority if not contrary to Gods Word and Will ought not to be resisted by Christian Subjects That every individual Believer must not presume to censure and murmur against the appointed Order in Church or State or meddle with the Princes Office and Power That the Government in the Church belongs to the Sovereign Prince under God as well as in the State and that it is a dangerous presumption for every private person to venture to contradict the Laws which such Lawful Princes think convenient in their wisdom to settle in a Church in these and such like truths I suppose most of our Non-Conforming Brethren will agree with us But nevertheless the Presbyterian will be governed by his Presbytery and Lay-Elders in a subordination to Assemblies and Synods The Independent will acknowledge no Orders in the Church but what are appointed in his Congregation and both refuse Obedience to Episcopal Authority though suitable to the former Rules and Maxims Episcopacy recommends to us in Gods Church a Monarchical Authority Presbytery would have an Aristocratical mixed with Democracy the Independent pleads for a Democratical To what purpose is this adoe about Government it concerns not our Salvation in case we behave our selves justly righteously and soberly in this present world in case we can but lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty As this is the chief duty of every individual Christian it should be our endeavour and purpose in all our actions The Presbyterian forsook Episcopacy and thought to mend his condition under that Government he gave an Example to the Independent to forsake Presbytery with hopes of living with more ease in a new Government never heard of in the Primitive Church unless it be amongst Hereticks and Enemies of Gods Truth for the establishing of this strange Order in this Church they lay down most dangerous Doctrines contrary to Gods Word and all Reason for instance That every Christian upon the account of being so a real Christian a good man Separation no Schism in opposition to an excellent Sermon of that Worthy Divine Mr. Sharp and a Believer may be no member of Christs visible Church and is not bound to joyn in external Communion with it where it may be had That a suspicion or a bare persuasion of sin in the publick practices commanded by Authority is sufficient to free both Minister and People from their Obedience and License them to Act contrary to the same That Christians are not subject to Ecclesiastical Laws unless they be contained in the Holy Scripture That men may be Christians without any subjection to Authority or dependency upon Christs Church And such like Doctrines directly contrary to Christs great design in mans Redemption which S. Paul tells us was Union Ephesians ii 16. That he might reconcile all unto God in one Body by the Cross I would have these my Brethren know that as man was created in respect to a Society he is also redeemed with the same relation for we cannot think that this good Saviour hath freed him from sin and the Devils power to live by himself for ever as a wild Anchoret in the Desart and Mountains he hath enlightned his followers with that spirit and given them those principles that tend to Union and Communion Therefore St. Paul saith in 1 Cor. xiv 33. That God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace as in all the Churches of the Saints What means the Apostle by Peace is it that every individual Christian should be scattered upon the face of the Earth and upon the least suspicion or ill grounded prejudice abominate all correspondency in the Publick Worship of God that he should look upon his brethren redeemed by the same bloud governed by the same spirit and animated with the same hopes with a supercilious countenance and fly from them as from a Wolf or a Devil Yet these are the consequences of some of the Independent principles But I suppose it no difficult matter to reclaim most of them from such pernicious opinions which have proved as destructive to their private Congregations as they have to the Church of England for they tend to encourage disorder and to license men to cast off all respects to all Governours and Government of what sort soever But methinks if we had that honour for our Nation as becomes us and as other people have for theirs we should not be more fond of the new modes in Government and Gods Worship recommended to us by our Neighbours and imposed upon us by a Scotch Frolick than of the antient and wise method and Government established amongst us by our Forefathers Why must the new fangles and fashions of strangers affect us more than the discreet constructions of our own Christian Rulers Though the people of our Nation alter often their habits methinks in so serious a business as Religion Government and Gods Worship we should not be so changeable as we are in our apparel I know the rigid Independents are accused for denying the appointed maintenance to Ministers Tythes the encouragement of Learning and Gods Service they are accused for not allowing any set forms of Prayer not so much as the Lords Prayer for not admitting any to the Ordinances but such as are of their own fraternity for denying the Magistrates Power over the Godly See Mr. Baily's Dissuasive from the Errors of the times for allowing the killing of all opposers But these wicked Doctrines I suppose are not maintained by the most moderate Independents who differ from us chiefly in the Government of the Church in all other things it is likely that they may be brought to comply with us though at present they give themselves the liberty to abuse and carp at many other innocent circumstances of the Religion and Worship of the Church of England I find my self engaged in this place to give a Reply to a grand Objection against this Advice and call to Conformity which seems to be allowed by St. Paul in his Fourteenth Chapter of his Epistle to the Romans and which is commonly pleaded as an excuse by our Non Conforming Brethren That they extreamly suspect our practices and worship to be sinful and therefore they are not bound to act against a doubting Conscience by joyning with us in that which they conceive to be unlawful Agreeable to S. Paul's words in another occasion and case He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of faith for whatsoever is not of faith is sin This passage is but a weak Plea for Non-Conformity in England for the Romans case and ours differ in these particulars Their Controversies were concerning