attyre to administer Baptisme without the signe of the Crosse or any such like mysticall rite and to vndertake a Ministery being called thervnto of the Church without the authority of a Diocesan Prelate and without any such subscription as is required and seeing the consormity and subscription required against which the Ministers doe witnes hath been ever called into question since the first appearance of the Gospell out of Popery concluded and determined against both in the profession and practis of the greatest lights of this age and of so many Reformed Churches haue not the Ministers just cause they desiring nothing which is of it selfe vnlawful suffering for nothing but for the refusall of those things which haue ever been in Controversy whether they be lawfull or not haue not the Ministers we say just cause to make this Offer and to cleaue constantly vnto that which all men grant to be lawfull vntill by some such indifferent meanes as this is the contrary matters bejng so doubtfull shall be proved to be lawfull 16. It is notorious vnto all the world what damnable and impious imputations the Prelats and their defendors haue laid vpon Calvin BeZa and all reformed Churches raking vp calumniations against them out of the writings of Allen Parsons and other traiterous Papists notwithstanding Bishop Iewel and Bishop Bilson haue most cleerly in their writings against the Papists detected the falshood thereof And seeing that the Papists haue gone about since the discovery of that late detestable plot by gunpowder to iustifie their abominable Treasons Conspiracies Rebellions Periuries and Equivocations by the doctrine of the worthyest Protestants taking iust advantage thereof by the slanderous writings of the Prelats against those of our owne religion And further seeing that the intent of the Prelats therin was to make all the Ministers that consent in iudgment with those persons and Churches which they haue thus traduced odious and vile in the eyes of all men as persons in clined to perilous conspiracies Treasons and Rebellions there being no other ground nor any colour of all this but because together with other Churches they holde the foresaid propositions howsoever in a late Reply vnto the Papists the matter be pittifully shifted of yet seeing these heavy proceedings against the said Ministers are a kinde of confirmation of the aforesaid imputations it stands them vpon by this Offer to cleere themselues and to detect the vnchristian and vngodly wrongs which the Prelats haue don to so many worthy persons Churches 17. Vpon a serious consideration how the hand of God hath been vpon many of those who hauing formerly imbraced this cause haue shrunk from tre truth maintained in these propositions how some of them haue evidently lost the grace and power of their gifts some growen to be idle neglecting both privat and publike dutyes yea profane and scandalous in their liues and conversations som ashamed to shew their faces in the presence of any who truly fearing God haue knowne their former cariage som languishing and pining away till they haue died that within few dayes after their yeelding some possessed as it were with a continuall fury incessantly vexing tormenting them FR. MAR and thrusting them into continual storming raging in the pulpit aginst those that doe not as they do all of them falling to the maintenance of most grosse and Popish errors and none of them respected allmost by any but cōtemned scorned even of the Prelats themselues as those which were either hypocrits before or hypocrits now The Ministers hauing receaved this grace from God not only to see and acknowledge this truth but to confirme it with their sufferings haue thought it more then needfull to make this Christian Offer for the staying and strengthening of such of their brethren as are otherwise in danger to fall after the same maner 18. In as much as all the professed and notorious Atheists Papists Blasphemers Adulterers Drunckards infamous persons in this Kingdome are together with the prelats professed enemyes vnto the Ministers in this cause and haue been from time to time the speciall instruments of all the troubles which haue befallen them for the same can any man lay any iust blame vpon the Ministers for making this Offer now when as the Prelats haue by their late proceedings giuen such cause to all the wicked and profane of the land to clappe their hands in Triumph over them 19. It is well knowen in those Countries where the said Ministers haue liued especially to the Townes where they haue exercised their Ministery that according to the proportion of their Livings and maintenance they haue kept as good hospitalitie given as liberall intertainment vnto others and as much relieved to their power those in want as any other Ministers whosoever whereas now a great part of them with their wiues and children are forced to liue vpon the beneuolence and devotions of others Which lamentable and miserable astate of theirs the Prelats and their Adherents are so far from pitying that they take occasion the more to scorne deride thē yea and to insult over them for the same they being not ashamed both in the Pulpit in Print falsely to affirme that by this meanes not only the outward estate of the Ministers is bettered but that they haue voluntarily and of set purpose left their Ministery that they might liue in this maner vpon the sweat of other mens browes and by Contributions inrich themselues Though therfore the many great meanes which the Ministers haue vsed both to prevent these proceedings and to be restored to their places againe are sufficient to lay open the shame of these malicious spitfull calumniations Yet they have thought it meet by this Offer to make it knowne unto all the world that they are so far from affecting such a course of life that they ever haue been and are still most willing to doe any thing but that the doing whereof may procure damnation unto their soules for the keeping or recovering of their former places from which they haue been thrust to the end that they might ease their Christian friends of those great burdens wherewith since these late troubles they haue been pressed in yeelding reliefe unto their extremities 21. The Prelats are now come to this height of Popish injquitie G. Powel Adiaph c. 2. sect 7.8.9.10 that they are not ashamed to hold maintaine that they being the Church are in their Canons and Constitutions alwayes directed in externall thinges by the spirit of God and that therefore whatsoever they decree is more then Humane yea even Divine and that the true Church allwayes depends upon the word so as it cannot possibly swarue from the same and therefore all her Traditions are holy and divine And this Church of Prelats professing themselves to be assembled in a sacred Synod in the name of Christ and directed by the spirit of God Canon 13 and Excommunicating all them that
and doe only by these premisses labor that that truth which hath been amongst vs long suppressed and afflicted may come to light and may be so honored and freed at last as God requireth that it should be 5. If the Callings of the Prelats be warrantable and of Divine ordinance as Bishop Barlow avoucheth in his late Sermon then the yeelding vnto this Offer wil be a notable meanes to establish the same and can no wayes be derogatory vnto it for no Divine ordinance will fly or feare any such Tryall But if it be vnlawfull as it will be supposed of all men to be even in the cōsciences of the Prelats if they shall refuse this Offer thē indeed this Tryall can be no meanes to iustify the Prelats who ought in such a case either to giue ouer their places or at least to suffer those that haue their consciences perswaded of the vnlawfulnes of their Callinges to be free even as Christ hath made them free both from them and their Government 9. OPPOSITION This Offer proceeds from them who wil be satisfyed with nothing If they should haue the Discipline granted them and all that they desire they would not stay there that would not contēt them At the first they stood vpon a few Ceremonies only after this they cryed downe with Bishops and when they haue their de sire in this then let the King looke to himselfe ANSWER 1. This is but a malicious surmise of that whereof there is noe ground the Propositions before set downe makeing it more then manifest that as the Ministers haue not any the least intention to impeach the Royall dignity so likewise they doe much more advance the same indeed thē the Prelats do 2. The practise of all other Reformed Churches inioying the Discipline which is desired confuteth this slanderous obiection in as much as they rest content under the same without seeking or indeauoring any vaine or rebellious innovation 3. Though some Ministers haue stoode upon the Ceremonies onely yet many of them haue from time to time witnessed vehemently and in speciall maner against the Prelacie according as God hath opened their understanding in this point though som of them at the first did not sufficiently consider how unlawfull and unwarrantable it is and this is no more preiudiciall either to them or to the cause then it was to the Apostle Paul for teaching that doctrine afterward which at first he understood not or to those now professing the Gospell who in times past haue bene ignorant Papistes enemies to the trueth 4. The Ministers desire not that either the Discipline or any thing els should be yeelded unto them or that they should haue their willes satisfied in any thing further then they are able to proue the thing for want whereof they are unsatisfied to be due unto them by the word of God And so far forth they thinke it lawfull for them or any els to shew themselues unsatisfied it being a grieuous Sinne for any in matters of Religion and meanes of Saluation to content themselues with lesse then God will haue them to be content withall The Ordinances of God will content them sufficiently and nothing will discontent them but to be depriued of any of the same they all being ordinary meanes of Saluation And is it not an Antichristian spirit that would binde men to any other Content If in their discontent they desire any thing that God doth not require them to desire there may be as many meanes found then as now to bridle their desires 5. Their advising the King to looke to himselfe when Ceremonies Diocesan Bishops are downe is a Scarcrow fitter to fright Dawes away then to hinder so wise a Majesty from yeelding his furtherance to so Christian an Offer The Ministers therefore doe heere againe professe to all the world that they no further desire the overthrowe of the Prelats then they shall proue that their standing is derogatory both to Christ to the King and that they take nothing from the Prelats but what they giue to Christ his Church the King the Civill Magistrats vnder him the Prelats unjustly keeping that from them which by the word of God is their due and which the said Ministers are readie to yeeld unto them before they desire to see the overthrow of the Prelats who we doubt not will appeare to be enemyes though in a mysterie to God to the King and to his people even in their very Callings and Offices 10. OPPOSITION Shall we hearken to the Offer of such as are not yet agreed amongst themselues what they would haue There are not two of them of one minde and therefore it is to no purpose to hearken unto them Let them first agree amongst themselues and tell us what they would haue and then they shall be heard ANSWER 1 They are all agreed alreadie vpon these poynts that the Ceremonies are scandalous and ought by those that are in authoritie to be removed that the Ecclesiasticall Government of other reformed Churches is more agreeable to the word of God then the Government by Diocesan Prelates that Pluralists Nonresidents and dumbe Ministers ought not to be tolerated in any Christian Church that it is fitter we should conforme our selues to other Reformed Churches in our Liturgie Ceremonies Discipline then to the accursed Synagogue of Rome Their differences are onely about the maner of maintayning these pointes Let them hearken to the Ministers in the things wherin they all are alreadie agreed and they will not trouble them with any disagreements Yea they shall finde that in their differences they will agree better then they would haue them 2. If they disagree so among themselues as the Prelats would beare men in hād they haue the lesse cause to feare them may with more hope of prevailing enter into this Tryall with them But the truth is that their differences are neither halfe so many nor halfe so great as those that be among the Prelats 11. OPPOSITION Either their Propositions are false and sufficiently confuted by their owne practise or if they be true then why doe they ioynt to our Church which is gouerned by the Prelates why doe they desire to execute a publike Ministery under them why doe they not wholly with the Brownists separate and get them to Amsterdam to their holy brethren there ANSWER 1. The practise of the Ministers herein is no way contrary to their Propositiōs this is a most desperate shift in the Prelats to press thē herewith 2. They protest to the shāe of the Prelats to the testifying of their charitable loue to those of the Ministerie which are otherwise minded thē themselues that they are perswaded that many of the Conforming Ministers are notwithstanding the great defects and corruptions in their calling and standing true Ministers of Iesus Christ and indued with gifts from heaven for that holy functiō And that the Churches which they teach howsoever in their Constitution very
defectiue and unperfect are true Churches whose willing subjecting themselues unto their Ministerie maketh the very outward calling it selfe of the said Ministers to be such as it is And therefore so long as their consciences being in the meane time vnconvinced of these their errors wherein they stād God taketh not away their Ministeriall gifts frō them and so long as their Churches cleaue unto them though in their entrance continuance they were and are guiltie of much sinne in approving by Conformitie and Subscription the Iurisdiction of Prelats they thinke it not just wholly to separate from them and their Ministerie but are content though with some griefe and sorrow so far forth to joyne with them in the worship of God as they can without their personall Communion with them in those corruptions which in their weaknes they yeeld vnto 3. If the Prelats shall still hold the things in question in such sort as of late they haue done shall vrge them so hotely as they begin both the Ministers many of the people wil be forced to leaue their ordinary standing in these Churches In which regard they humbly pray that they may be exempted from the Prelats may haue liberty granted vnto them by the King to serue God according to his owne will revealed in his word without any Humane Traditions As for that publique Ministerie derived from the Prelats besides that it cannot be entered into without yeelding to corruption sinne it is also very defectiue to speake the truth little more then a halfe Ministerie if it be compared with the Pastorall Office commanded and commended vnto vs by the Holy Ghost Which the Ministers discerning and perceaving plainly that there is litle or no cōfort to be had in the exercising of such a Ministerie as hitherto they haue injoyed they are bold to make their humble Suite to his Maiestie that they may be freed from the Prelats vsurpation over them and may be vnder the guidance Censure of the Civill Magistrats unles by such an indifferent Tryall as is heere Offered the Prelats shall iustify their Callings and Courses to be of God 12. OPPOSITION A vaine thing it is to yeeld to any such Offer For who must iudge on which side the truth is They name none And when they haue been heard to oppose and Answer what they can they will not stand to any mans definitiue sentence but will continue obstinate still ANSWER 1. In desiring that the whole cariage of this intended Conference may be published they make all the world to be Iudges thereof even the Prelats and the Papists them selues all that shall read the same 2. They do not think it lawfull in any matter of Religion much lesse in matters of so great consequence to settle their consciences vpon the definitiue sentence of any person absolutely that is so far as to renounce any thing which they haue believed because such or such iudge it to be otherwise For so they might both headily wilfully betray the truth of Christ and inthrall themselues to error and also detract from Christ and his blessed word their proper right and giue it unto men It should therefore content any Christianly affected man that the Ministers are content to offer their Defence of these poynts to the view of all to skan and to weigh thē and so far forth to judge therof as if their reasons do not satisfie them to giue them leaue to condēne them of error which wil be a Iudgment heavie enough to them if notwithstanding they shall still persist in their former opinions 3. It may please God that by the evidence and force of those Arguments or Answers that shal be propounded both sides may thinke themselues satisfied and one side yeeld If the Prelates haue this grace to yeeld then his Majesty the State know best what they haue to doe in such a Case If the Ministers yeeld then the greatest matter that can be expected of them is Submission and Conformity which if they shall refuse the Law is open so that in this case there needes no Definitiue sentence of a Iudge It both sides rest vnsatisfied and continew perswaded still that the truth is on their side it were impious for either side in such a case to commit the absolute determination therof vnto the will and pleasure of any man or men whomsoeuer And it were vniust for either side to require Iudges either incompetent or not indifferent For as the Prelats might iustly except they would wilfully betray their owne cause refuse such to be Iudges as haue in any degree inclined more to the Ministers then to them so may the Ministers in like maner as iustly refuse to stand to the Iudgment and determination of such as incline more to the Prelats then to them much more of such as haue shewed themselues maine patrons and vpholders of the Prelats and adversaries to the Ministers Sith therfore the Prelats can not set forth any person or persons to whom it is meet to commit the absolute determination of so great a cause it were very vniust and vnequall to binde the Ministers to stand to the judgment of those that are partiall 4. It is needles to name Iudges his Maiestie the Civill Magistrats vnder him and the High Court of Parliament though the Ministers should appeale from them would in this case judge thē and their Cause yea and are bound soe to doe Whose Iudgment if it goe against the Ministers and it appeare to be righteous the more they shall neglect the same and refuse to submit themselues vnto it the more grosse refractary they shall shew themselues to be and with the more honor and credit may the State ioyne with the Prelats in making and executing Lawes for the suppressing of them and their Errors which is as much advantage as any Christian can desyre over any Enemies of the truth And what would the Prelats haue more Prov. 19.21 Many devises are in a mans heart but the Counsell of the Lord shall stand Math 22 21. Giue unto Caesar the thinges which are Caesars and giue unto God those things which are Gods