IT being a matter of the greateſt concernment to every mans conſcience that loves Chriſt, not to uphold any Miniſtry, under any pretence whatſoever, which is not ſent by Chriſt; therefore take heed, as you tender a pure conſcience, to give liberty herein, that there be no forcing to uphold any one ſoul that ſay they are Miniſters; but that every one herein make proof of his Miniſtry, and ſo ſhall every mans reward be as his work: And you Majeſtrates, ſhall not need to medle in this thing, ſeeing God never required it at your hands, to force a maintenance neither under Law nor Goſpel.

But if any ſay this will open a gap to all ſin, and make men Heathens. I anſwer, it will be the only way to cut down ſin, as will appear to any reaſoneable underſtanding: Firſt, a Law being made to puniſh ſin without exception, this takes hold of the Heathen, and the Hypocrite ſhall not eſcape, under what form ſoever, and liberty of conſcience being given, you will preſently ſee into whoſe hands to commit the Execution of that firſt Law: for who hath not a principle of God to guide to his worſhip without conſtraint, can never execute any juſt Law for God, but for ſelf ends: And ſo you ſhould chuſe men fearing God, to bear the Sword of God; And till then make what Laws you will to preſerve innocency, yet by them the innocent is ſure to ſuffer; for how can he whoſe conſcience is forced as to the worſhip of God, uſe a good conſcience towards men, or own a pure conſcience in another, to preſerve it, who hath made ſhipwrack of it himſelf.

And for making Heathens, I ſay it will but diſcover Heathens that are hid: for he that hath not a principle of God in himſelf to carry on in his worſhip, without forcing, is a Heathen, and knows not God, and his worſhip and prayers is abominate to God, and he that forces him is guilty with him, for ſuch was never forced, but admoniſhed, till they came to be won by the word, or without the word by a godly converſation, and till then, to be ordered by the Law of the Magiſtrate, which is made for ſuch, till the promiſed ſeed be owned to guide in the works of the Spirit; for without that Law, the Pariſh preaching will not order ſuch, as is manifeſt in the Nation, and hath been for many years: and ſuch being declared to be Heathen, would be aſhamed, and being convinced in their own conſciences, might come to be ſaved, which now paſs under the name of a profeſſion.

But if it be ſaid this is the onely way to root out the Miniſters of Chriſt, I anſwer, its the onely way to manifeſt the Miniſters of Chriſt, from the Miniſters of Antichriſt, and it will root out none but ſuch whoſe care is firſt for their bellies, who minde earthly things, whoſe Miniſtry ſtands and falls by carnal things, who would be ſure of wages before they do their work; yea many of them have taken wages theſe forty or fifty years, but yet no work done, nor any brought out of ſin, and theſe cry the workman is worthy of his wages, and call for wages from ſuch as for whom they do no work: but theſe are none of Chriſts workmen, who ſeek for their wages from the world, for his he ſends freely into the world, who never asked any thing of the world: but firſt planted a Vineyard, then eat the fruit of it, firſt ſowed in hope, and then were partakers of their hope, and where they had ſowen ſpirituals, and the ſeed came up, there they reaped carnals, and ſo lived of the Goſpel and not of the world: and I demand of any one who owns the Scriptures to prove a forced maintenance, either under the Law or Goſpel, but they were freely to bring it. But who art thou that ſayes the times are not ſo now, thee I deny, and thy Miniſtry, which follows the times and not Chriſt, nor the Saints practiſe in Scripture, ſtop thy mouth for ever being counted a Miniſter of Chriſt, who art not content with his allowance, as his have always been, for God is not charged, nor his Worſhip, nor Worſhippers. But if you ſay this will ſoon bring the Miniſters to be poor; I ſay you know not God, nor his care for his, who ſo argues, for never was the righteous nor that ſeed, begging bread: againſt that diſpiteful mind do I bear witneſs, who were ſent out without bag, or ſcrip, or money, into the moſt bruitiſh parts of the Nation, where none knew me; yet want I nothing, in priſons, in wandrings, in beatings, in ſtoneings, in mocking, my joy I would not change, for all the Perſonages in the world, nor ſhall any hireling partake of it: And you that would have others forced to maintain thy Teachers, but would not be forced to maintain others who differ in judgment, though nearer the Scripture then thine, how doſt thou fulfil the Law of Chriſt, in doing as you would be done by, what is this but to Lord it over the conſcience of thy brother.

That there be no forcing any to uphold the high places of the Nation, ſeeing many that truly fear God, connot worſhip in them, without ſin; but that liberty be given herein, and that every people may repair t • eir own meeting places. I know many out of a blind zeal to thoſe places will be offended, but what is that which would not do to others, the ſame that you would have them to do to you, is that reaſon, equity, or conſcience, would thou be content to be forced againſt thy conſcience, to repare the houſes of others which they meet in who differ from thee in judgement, and that upon good ground from Scripture, who meet in private or hired houſes for conſcience ſake, refuſing thoſe places which have been conſecrated to Idols: And if you look upon ſuch as brethren of free born ſubjects; is there not the ſame reaſon in it: but if thou ſay, muſt the Houſe of God go down. I anſwer, Houſes of God they are not, conveniency is the beſt you can plead for them, and of all men, you who ſtay in thoſe houſes, have leaſt cauſe to find fault, with ſuch as go out, ſeeing they leave you the houſes you ſo much eſteem of, wholly to your ſelves, with all that belongs to them, and you have them for repairing, and they that go out, betake themſelves either into the fields, private houſes, or ſome convenient place, not chargeable to any.

That there be no forcing any to ſwear, who makes conſcience of an oath, ſeeing the plain commands of Chriſt, and his Apoſtles doth ſo often forbid it, which ſome dare not break for all the world, who are come into the everlaſting oath and Covenant of God, and into the practiſe of the Saints, which never uſed any ſuch things; but if any ſay, how ſhould true evidence he had in matters of controverſy, between man and man, that true judgement may be given. I anſwer, God appointed witneſſes in ſuch caſes, but never forced them to ſwear. In the old Covenant, when ſwearing was an Ordinance; how much more now, when Chriſt hath ſaid ſwear not at all; but if any ſay men will not matter what they ſay, if they be not forced to ſwear: I anſwer, ſuch will not matter what they ſwear neither, were it not for fear of an outward Law; but if you make an equal puniſhment of falſe witneſs, as unto impriſonment, baniſhment, and taking away life or eſtate, or what ever ſhould by the Law, befal the perſon accuſed, (which is but juſt) you ſhall ſoon have them more afraid to lye then over they were to forſwear, and hereby come to cleanſe the land of all falſe accuſers and accuſations.

Thus in faithfulneſs to God, and in love to you, with whom I have ſerved for the good of theſe Nations, betwixt eight and nine years counting nothing to dear to bring the Government into your hands in whom it is, as many can witneſs with me herein. And now my prayer to God for you is that you may lay down all your Crowns at his feet who hath Crowned you with victory, that ſo the Lord being ſet up as King in every conſcience, all may be ſubject to your Government for conſcience ſake: And ſo God may eſtabliſh you, and the hearts of his people, praiſe him in your behalf, and ſo to you I have unburthened my conſcience herein, and let none be raſh in judging, but ſearch the Scriptures, and ſee if I have not laid before you the Saints practiſe, by the ſame ſpirit by which they were guided.