IF this Paper ſhall doe any good or harm, you will have a ſhare of the praiſe or blame, ſince it had never ſeen the light, had it not been brought forth by your midwifery. Meeting lately with your Non-conformiſt Pleas, The unanſwered Writings of 61. A Petition for Peace to the Biſhops, which they never anſwered to this day. I found the Petition for Peace often in them mentioned; and again, more than once in your Anſwer to Dr. Stillingfleet; and as oft as you name it, you are pleas'd to ſay, 'Twas never anſwered; whereby you would make the World believe 'tis unanſwerable: This brought to my remembrance, that I had by me your Petition for Peace, and had anſwer'd it the ſame year 'twas publiſhed, but kept it private, in expectation of an Anſwer from the Epiſcopal Commiſſioners, who were moſt able and moſt concerned; but they not thinking fit to doe it, for reaſons beſt known to themſelves, and perhaps for ſome hereafter mentioned; and the Liturgy of the Church, with ſome Alterations of the Convocation, being ſhortly after by Law eſtabliſhed; I laid by my Anſwer as needleſs, and ſcarce thought of it more, till your bold and angry Plea cauſed me to ſeek it out among many ſcattered Papers, and to review, tranſcribe, and expoſe it. I expect (but without fear of its defenſibleneſs) that you will quarrel at it; you are known to be of a polemical humour and temper, of a hot Brain and haſty Pen; the Hector of the Old Cauſe, the Non-conformiſts Pope: I wrong you not in the Appellation: You have more than proved it in Acting the Pope. Yours are the two Swords; and you have, with mighty valour, drawn them both. The temporal Sword you have drawn againſt the King in the late Rebellion, and you glory that you drew in with you many thouſands: And in cold bloud, near twenty years after, you tell the World, you cannot ſee you were miſtaken, nor dare you repent of it, nor forbear the ſame if it were to doe again in the ſame ſtate of things. And, Sir, may I be ſo bold as to ask you, Are you not this day of the ſame mind, and wiſh the ſtate of things were now the ſame, that you might be Doing again?

Bleſſed be God, who hath by Miracle taken from you the temporal Sword, and reſtored it to the King whoſe it is.

But the ſpiritual Sword cannot be wreſted from you, and this you are ſo daring as to draw ſtill againſt the Church, upon which you are ever and anon making new Aſſaults: and here too you muſter your holy Army, Two thouſand Miniſters, and by the number of thoſe Centurions, we may gueſs how many are your Legions. Shall demonſtrate to you further, how you take upon you the Pope, in both his claims of higheſt Power? One over Kings, in your Holy Common-wealth; bounding them all by your Laws for Government; or rather, binding them in your long and heavy Chain of 380 Links. The other claim of higheſt Power over the whole Church you do in effect make, of being its univerſal, infallible Head and Guide; where, you ſay,Epiſt. to Non-con. Plea. you have written a Treatiſe of The onely true terms of Concord of all Chriſtian Churches, and of the falſe Terms, which they will never unite in, but are the cauſes of Schiſm. Here ſpeaks an Oracle; The onely terms of true and falſe Concord and Schiſm are in your Breaſt, and given out from your infallible Chair; a rare and happy Catholicon; O that it may work the Cure. Sorry I am it comes forth a little too late: had you publiſhed it in the vacancy of the See of Canterbury, you had infallibly been made Papa alterius orbis.

When you penned the Petition for Peace, you proclaim to the World, you onely had the Spirit of fortitude, telling us how ſtoutly you ſtood up againſt the Biſhops for the Old Cauſe, when deſerted by all your brethren in the Conflict: But, I hope, you had not then attained the Spirit of infallibility, (if ſo, I am upon a vain attempt; and your Petition, as you ſuggeſt, is unanſwerable;) and I have ſome ground to hope it; ſince the pious old Gentleman who wrote Doctour Sanderſon's Life aſſures us,Mr. Walton. that the preſent Biſhop of Cheſter told him very lately, that one of the Diſſenters (whom he forbears to name, but you intimately know him) appeared to Dr. Sanderſon to be ſo bold, ſo troubleſome, and ſo illogical in the Diſpute at the Savoy, as forced the patient Biſhop, then Moderatour to ſay, with an unuſual earneſtneſs, that he never met with a man of more pertinacious Confidence, and leſs Abilities in all his converſation.

Sir, you talk much of Peace and Love, Concord and Ʋnion, and the Cure of Diviſions and they are the Title of divers of your Books, yet abundance of judicious and peaceable perſon do think and ſay, that you have more oppoſed the Peace of the church (and State too) and contributed to its Diviſions, than any, or all the party of your profeſſion: Nay, that you are not at peace with your own party, and where they expreſs their diſſent from you, though, never ſo modeſtly, you treat them rudely and inſolently; as anon I may give you an Inſtance. At preſent I ſhall take the liberty to conſider and offer you ſome of my Sentiments upon two of thoſe Diſcourſes I now named, your Holy Commonwealth, and your Plea for Peace.

For the firſt, truly I was ſeiſed with wonder and grief at the ſight of your Commonwealth, that ſeventeen years after our late Troubles began, and they yet continuing, you having in proſpect our lamentable Confuſions, and leiſure to reflect upon the Ruins of the Church and State, and ſeeing the Kingdom overturned by Rebellion, Sedition, Murther and Plunder, the Violation of all the Laws and of all mens Rights, and the ſeiſing, ſequeſtring and ſelling, the Eſtates of the King, the Biſhops, and the moſt eminently loyal Subjects, and after the horrid Aſſaſſination of the King himself, turned into ſeveral monſtrous forms, as the ſeveral powers and ambitious of ſeveral parties prevailed; and ſeeing alſo the Church rent all into ſects and factions, its holy Doctrine polluted with monſtrous hereſies, its apoſtolical Government pluckt up root and branch, its moſt religious Form of publick worſhip aboliſhed, and every gifted Brother left to his private mode; you could have ſo little ſenſe and pitty (that I ſay, not piety) as not in the leaſt to deplore the Calamities of our Zion; Lam. 2.6, 7. that God, in the indignation of his anger, had deſpiſed the King and the Prieſt, caſt off his Altar, abhorred his Sanctuary; Pſal. 74.4. his Enemies roaring in the midſt of his Congregations, and ſetting up their Banners for tokens: That in all your tedious Book you not once lament our Joſiah, the Lord's Anointed, taken in the ſnares of wicked men. Though in the beginning of it you reſent the ill uſeage of the uſurping Protector, to whom you give flattering Titles. Nay, that you could cry up thoſe who had contrived and acted all theſe Miſchiefs and Miſeries, to be the Godly party, and theirs the Good cauſe; and, as if there had been never ſuch a thing as a Kingdom in England, you ſhould form as Utopian Common-wealth by Centuries of wild and ſeditious Maxims. I may hereafter make ſome Animadverſions upon your Common-wealth: I will now onely recall to your ſecond thoughts a few of your Theſes, which ſpeak it not very holy.

In your Preface, Romans the 13th. being objected unto you, you avow reſiſtence of the King, Theſis 1. with an offer of your Head to Juſtice as a Rebel, if any can prove, that the King was the Higheſt Power in the time of Diviſion, and had Power to make that War: That is, If any can prove, the King was in Authortiy above thoſe who, even when oppoſing him, acknowledged themſelves his Subjects; and, turning Rebels, he had Right by War to defend himſelf, and reduce them to obedience. (Sir, you may bless God, that the King's Son and Succeſſour was like him; a moſt mercifull Prince, elſe your Offer might by his Juſtice have been taken.) All Writers think Saint Paul means by the Higher Powers the Emperour (or, which is all one, the King) and name him; and your ſelf name him elſewhere, [If a heathen perſecuting Nero muſt be obeyed,] and Saint Peter calls the King Supreme, and yet you miſerably ſhuffie off both, with ſaying, The Romans hated the name of a King (as the Party you ſided with did) and that it was neither the intent of Paul or Peter to determine whether the Emperour or Senate was ſupreme. But where the King is ſupreme, it is the will of God that the people ſhould obey him. May I remind you that St. Paul did determine it, when he appealead not to the Senate, but to Caeſar; and St. Peter did determine it, when he calls the King ſupreme, and other Governours thoſe who are ſent by him.

Theſis 2.You challenge any man to let you know now one Nation upon all the Earth that hath better Governours, in Sovereign Power as to Wiſedom and Holineſs conjunct, than the Powers laſt laid by, that have been reſiſted and depoſed in England: and you tell us who you mean when you ſay, The Lord Protector, prudently, piouſly, faithfully, to his immortal Honour, did exerciſe the Government.

But how he came in you ſay not: Bleſſed be God, he went out ſoon; his Goverment was not immortal; and thanks to the King, not mortal to himſelf: againſt his Piouſneſs I have nothing to object, but that he was Protectour: his Prudence, I readily with you acknowledge and his Honeſty too, in acknowledging the King his father's Land-lord and his own, and being ready to remove when the Land-lord demanded poſſeſſion, which ſaved him his head; he being wiſer than you, not to offer it ſo raſhly: As for your Challenge of the Wiſedom and Holineſs of your Governours above all upon Earth; pleaſe you to ſend it into Holland or Geneva, it will doubtleſs be accepted: but, though it diſpleaſe you, I muſt tell you the Earth never ſaw more wicked and cruel Ʋſurpers than they, nor a more vain and idle Challenge than yours. ſhall leave you and Mr. Harrington to argue, whether the Army or Richard and his Senate were the wiſer or holier Governours, and, paſſing by Centuries, ſhall onely remind you of a few of your Theſes which ſpeak your Loyalty.

Theſis, 137. If Providence ſtatedly diſable him that was the Sovereign from executing the Laws, protecting the Juſt; it maketh him an uncapable ſubject of the Power, and ſo depoſeth him; for a Governour ſo impotent is none; and if the People diſable him ſinfully, by deſerting him; yet he is diſmiſſed and diſobliged from the Charge of Government; and Innocent members are diſobliged from being governed by him, though through the Sin of others.

138. When Providence thus maketh any uncapable or indiſpoſed, it deſtroyeth the Power as in ſuch.

141. 'Tis the duty of a very weak though tolerable Governour, for the Common Good, to reſign his Place to one that is every way more fit, and liker to obtain the ends of Government in a more excellent degree.

146. If the perſon diſpoſſeſt, though it were unjuſtly, do after become uncapable of Government; 'tis not the duty of his Subjects to ſeek his Reſtoration.

If an Army of Neighbours or Inhabitants, or whoever,Theſis, 147. (Turk or Pope) do though injuriouſly expell the Sovereign, and reſolve to ruine the Common-wealth rather than he ſhall be reſtored, and if the Common-wealth may proſper without his Reſtoration; 'tis the duty of ſuch an injured Prince, for the Common Good, to reſign his Government: and if he will not: The People are with you the King's Judges. 148. the People ought to judge him as made uncapable by Providence, and not to ſeek his Reſtoration. To the apparent Ruin of the Common-wealth, a Prince muſt give up his Government, rather than fight for his Right to the ſpilling of Bloud.

A rare Encouragement to Rebellion: 'Tis Mr. B's Divinity, the longeſt Sword muſt carry it right or wrong; and Rebels may ſpill Bloud to deſtroy their King, but a lawfull King may not, to preſerve himſelf and his Kingdom. It ſeems David was to blame to fight with Abſalom for the recovery of his Crown and Kingdom. What horrid Theſes are theſe! Onely the Common-wealth and Common-good (of which the Common people, are Judges) comes in ever as a Salvo. Name me a Jeſuite that ever wrote at a higher rate.

When a People are without a Governour, Theſis, 150. it may be the duty of ſuch as have moſt ſtrength ex charitate to protect the reſt from injury.

Juſt Protectour Oliver's caſe, he found out a way that the People ſhould be without a Governour, and then his moſt ſtrength was a mighty impulſe to this great Charity, to protect the People.

Providence, by Conqueſt and other means, 151. doth uſe ſo to qualifie ſome perſons above others for the Government, when the place is void, that no other perſons ſhall be capable Competitours, and the perſons ſhall be as good as named by Providence whom the people are bound by God to chooſe or conſent to. Examples Maſſianello.

The Rump, Oliver, Richard, Multitudes of wicked, In 160. criminous perſons how rich ſoever, ſhould much rather be excluded from chooſing Governours than honeſt Beggars. This, this, this is the great Point that the welfare of moſt Common-wealths doth depend upon.

This, this, this will ſet Kingdoms and Common-wealths all on fire, he who is wicked to one Party is godly to another; and to be rich when your Party reigned was to be criminous and malignant, if loyal. But to prevent contention and injuſtice, your high wiſdom hath found out an excellent Law.

Let all Paſtours in England that are approved or tolerated have an Inſtrument of approbation or toleration, and let no man be a Chuſer or Ruler who is not ſignified under the Paſtour's hand to be a Member of his Church, or that ſhall be caſt out. Let every Pariſh have one or two of the wiſeſt men, by the ſuperiour Rulers, made Church-Juſtices or Cenſours, to meet with the Church-Officers, and to take cognizance of the Cauſe; and let all that are caſt out by the Church-Juſtices and Churches conſent be regiſtred and diſabled to vote.

If a People that by oath and duty are obliged to a Sovereign ſhall ſinfully diſpoſſeſs him, and, contrary to their Covenants, chooſe and covenant with another, they may be obliged by their later Covenants, notwithſtanding the former; and particular Subjects, that conſented not with them in the breaking of their former Covenants, may yet be obliged by occaſion of their later choice to the perſon whom they chooſe; when men by contrary Covenants have caſt themſelves into a neceſſity of ſinning, it may be a duty to chooſe the leſſer Sin.

Though a Nation wrong their King, yet may he not lawfully war againſt the Publick good on that account, nor any help him in ſuch a War.

354. Princes, if their Injuries by their Subjects are too great to be born, they may lay down their Crowns at their pleaſure. If a Nation injuriouſly deprive themſelves of a worthy Prince, the hurt will be their own, and they puniſh themſelves. But if it be neceſſary to their welfare, it is no injury to him.

Was ever any thing more ſeditious, wild and contradictious to it ſelf? Horreſco referens: 'Tis no Injury (ſaith Mr. Baxter) to a Prince, to deprive him, though worthy: 'Tis no Sin: Onely the Subjects hurt themſelves. It may be neceſſary to the Subjects welfare to injure a worthy Prince, and to hurt and puniſh themſelves.

355. Is of the ſame Bran. Though ſome Injury to the King be the occaſion of the War, it is the duty of all the People to defend the Common-wealth againſt him, yet ſo as they proteſt againſt that Injury.

This Proteſtation waſhes them white, and they now owe him no ſatisfaction for their Injury, but may add Injury to Injury.

The People muſt ſide with the Parliament, 358. againſt the King, till it be notorious that the Parliament have deceived and betrayed them.

This you think not yet notorious, though the Parliament have murthered the King, abjured his Succeſſour and uſurped the Government.

Names are not the onely Notes of Sovereignty: 364. If a King have the Title of Supreme Head or onely Sovereign of his Dominions; and yet a Senate have an eſſential part without the Name; they loſe not their part, nor is it to be judged by the Name: 375. If the whole Family with whom the people were in Covenant be extirpated or become incapable (by a ſtronger Power injuriouſly expelling the Family however or by whom ſoever, as before you have told us) the People may new form the Government as they pleaſe: that is, The good People of the Army, by whom the Royal Family is extirpated.

Many more of your Theſes, ſuch as theſe, I might expoſe, but theſe are too many: and 'tis next to incredible, that a perſon profeſſing Godlineſs ſhould expoſe to the World ſuch ungodly Poſitions, and endeavour to render Supreme Majeſty and Sovereign Power cheap and vile, ambulatory and open, to any Invader, when God hath declared Kings to be Sacred, not to be touched; will have none to riſe up againſt them; to all who reſiſt them hath threatned Damnation. Well Mr. Baxter, you ſhall take it for a Polititian, and all ſober and knowing perſons will ſay, that Machiavel was no body to you; your Holy Common-wealth hath infinitely out-done his Profane Prince. But, Sir, I muſt doe you that right, to publiſh unto your honour, that there is one fair Pearl found in your Dunghill; one Theſis, among abundance wretchedly wicked, which is hugely honeſt and pious.

It is the Subjects duty to defend their Prince with their Strength and hazard of their Lives againſt all foreign and domeſtick Enemies that ſeek his Life and Ruine: the Reaſon, every man is to doe it in his place and calling, Fidelity requireth it, the Common good requireth it; elſe no man that is wiſe would be a King or Governour; for if the People be not bound to defend him, he is but ſet up to be the object of envy and a bait to the ambitious, to entice men to invade him, and execute their fury on him.

I leave you to reconcile your other Principles and your Practice with this; and ſo I ſhall take leave of your Holy Common-wealth, when I have conſidered your Reaſons of taking up Arms for the Parliament: and, I muſt tell you, the moſt of thoſe you call Reaſons are undutifull and uncharitable Reflexions upon the King, his Council, his Army, and all his loyal Subjects, who ſtood up in defence of his Majeſty, the eſtabliſhed Religion, and the Laws, againſt the pretended Parliament, who by impious Arms invaded and violated them all.

You are pleaſed to beſtow the good names of Ignorant, Drunken, and Ʋngodly, upon thoſe who approved not the Puritans intemperate Heat and fiery Zeal, and the Parliaments bloudy Reformation; and, very mannerly, you call the King's Council Delinquent; and, as charitably, his Armies Impious and Popiſh; and yet you confeſs your own godly-army as bad & worſe.

In the Armies ſome of our hopefull Profeſſours turned Drunkards, ſome turned away from Miniſters, Ordinances, Scripture Godlineſs, from Chriſt, and from common Sobriety and Civility; ſome, that ſped beſt, lament their Coolings and Diſtempers.

You will not believe the Parliament began the War though the King gives you a demonſtration of it; but you determine the Queſtion rarely well, in telling us, your ſelf begun it, and were the firſt Incendiary: The War, you ſay, was begun in our Streets before the King or Parliament had an Army; and ſo you had the honour firſt to be a General of your own creating, before Eſſex, without Commiſſion from King or Parliament.

The Parliaments cauſeleſs jealouſies you juſtifie; but the King's juſt Fears you ſlight. To the Objection, The Tumults at Weſtminſter drove him away; you anſwer, Onely by diſpleaſing him, not by endangering him or medling with him. So the Parliaments Army, their Cannons and Muskets only affrighted, did not endanger him. You have all faith for the Parliament, but none for the King, who in his Meditations tells you he was more than diſpleaſed.

You ſay, The Parliament did not raiſe War againſt the Perſon or Authority of the King. You might have as truly ſaid, Their Army did not fight where the King was in perſon; at Edghill, Newbery, and Naſeby. O but, Their Commiſſions ran for King and Parliament, and their Souldiers, if askt who they were for, anſwered, for King and Parliament and the Solemn League and Covenant, all run for King and Parliament.

What talk you of Commiſſions, equivocating Covenants, and diſſembling Declarations; when you fought againſt the King's perſon, took him, impriſoned him, and, at laſt, murthered him. You may waſh your hands with Pilate, and tell us, Your horrid Cruelties were onely conſequents, not effects of the War: But the Bloud of the King, and his Loyal Subjects, which you ſpilt, will be upon you, unleſs you waſh it away by a deep Repentance. For your taking up Arms againſt the King, you rely upon the authority of Mr. Prin, who pleaded the Parliaments cauſe in revenge for his Ears, and in gratitude for their releaſing and bringing him to London in triumph; of greeting one of a foreign Countrey and a great Common-wealths-man; of Barkly a Papiſt: and indeed from them you learnt this wicked Doctrine. You might, had you been impartial, conſulted Judge Jenkins, your friend Hales, Dudly Digs, and, the never to be anſwered, Royal Apology. Theſe would have taught you, that the Laws of God and the Land forbid in all caſes reſiſtance againſt the King, command ſubjection; but let theſe and your other ſhews and faint ſhadows of reaſon vaniſh.

The moſt ſubſtantial one, which you chiefly urge and enlarge on, is, That the King is not (as all his good Subjects have been taught to believe) the Sovereign; but that the Parliament hath a part in the Supremacy; an Aſſertion directly contrary to the Oath of Supremacy, which you elſewhere confeſs ſecures the King's Title againſt all foreign Claims of Pope or any other, and conſequently againſt all home-bread Ʋſurpers, and every Member of Parliament takes that Oath, and the Long Parliament, even when making War againſt the King, confeſs themſelves in their Declarations his Majeſtie's moſt loyal and humble Subjects.

I dare not with you preſume to talk at pleaſure of Kings and Parliaments. I have all due veneration for Parliaments next unto and under the King. But I never learnt, that they were ſharers in the Supremacy, and, I believe, it would be a flattery as diſpleaſing to a Parliament, as injurious to the King, to aſcribe unto it a part of the Sovereignty. One of yours tells us that formerly the Name of a King was an Idol unto his Subjects;Mr. Maſterſon's Sermon of Thanks for defeat of the Earl of Derby. but now, by the courage of the Parliament, 'tis death to that man, and his father's houſe, that durſt name a King; and you make an Idol of the name of a Parliament, and dare to ſay, that if you had known the Parliament had been the Beginners, and in moſt fault; yet their Ruin is a Puniſhment greater than any fault againſt a King (his Murther, and the Ruin of his Family, and all his loyal Subjects) can from him deſerve. And now, Sir, your Audacity begets in me the Confidence to tell you, that your Rebellion was moſt foul, and the Arms you bare were againſt both King and Parliament, for that you call ſo was an idol, a nothing, no parliament; but onely ſome corrupted members of it, which had by tumults and threats frighted away, as the King, ſo all the ſound and loyal Members of Parliament, both Lords and Commons, and that in ſo great a number, that they made a Parliament in Oxford. Now, ſeeing the Parliament thus divided, a part againſt the King, a part as great for him, Prudence and Loyalty might have taught you either to have ſat ſtill and bewailed the unhappy rupture and diviſion, and prayed for a cloſure and reconciliation; or to have joyned with the King and the loyal part of his Parliament: but of the Sovereignty of Parliaments enough. I pray God grant the King and kingdom may nevermore ſee the like to that you plead for, and ſerved under with ſuch a perſeverance that, you ſay, you would doe it again in the ſame ſtate of things.

Epiſt. to N. C. Plea for Peace.Your honeſt Friend, when he ſaw here a Leg and there and Arm in the way, ſaith, as you tell us, it was time for him to ſtop. 'Twas in him a poor puſillanimity: but ſuch was your magnanimity, that Legs and Arms could not ſtop your Career, you could undauntedly march on through bloud and ſlaughters. 'Twas a cowardly, cruel Triumph in your other honeſt Friend. Mr. Love, to flouriſh his handkerchief dipt in the bloud of that great Prelate, when dead, whoſe venerable face he durſt not have lookt on when alive. But your valiant Sword drencht it ſelf in bloud in the field of Mars. You were as bold as the brutiſh brave horſe in Job, Job 39.19, &c. You cloathed your neck with thunder; the glory of your noſtrils was terrible; you rejoyced in your ſtrength; you went on to meet the armed man; you mocked at fear, were not affrighted, nor turned your back to the ſword; you ſaid among the trumpets, Ha, ha; and your Trumpet ſounded as loud as they, Curſe ye Meroz, curſe ye bitterly. Judg. 5.23. Jer. 48.10. Curſed be the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently; curſed be he that keepeth back his ſword from bloud. But 'tis time to ſound a retreat. Valiant Sir, had your Arms been no ſtouter than your Arguments, you had forſaken the field, as you plainly do, when in the cloſe of your Reaſons for the late War you confeſs, that every one of your Reaſons is not a ſufficient medium to infer your concluſion: But altogether ſhew upon what grounds you proceed to diſpute the point: So that you juſtifie Treaſon upon the very ſame grounds on which the noble Earl of Strafford was condemned, on pretence of it. When none could be prov'd againſt him ſingle, he muſt die for Treaſon accumulative.

I ſhall eaſe your patience upon this ſubject, when I have reminded you, that you have much miſ-timed your Holy Common-wealth: Therein you ſhew your ſelf a great Dictatour, but little a Polititian, and leſs a Prophet; when you ſend it forth in the dark and diſmal night of confuſion, and could not ſtay to take a proſpect of the morning; when (the blazing and affrighting Comets peſtiferous matter being ſpent) the Sun was ariſeing in brightneſs and returning in glory. But your zeal for the reſtoring your prudent and pious Richard blinded your Eyes, and that heat put out the light, and ſo you thought the Common-wealth would bring him in again. Well, yet you were not wholly forſaken in your Politicks: but when, though late, you diſcovered the Protectorſhip and the Common-wealth expiring, and the King like to be reſtored, you expiated your little errours by a great merit; you preached to the honourable Houſe of Commons in Parliament, and as in your Epiſtle, and elſewhere you boaſt, God and they put upon you a great honour; the next morning after they acknowledged his Majeſtie's Authority: But ſurely, Sir, 'twas no effect of your Sermon, but their own Loyalty which wrought upon them to make that acknowledgment. You all along in your Sermon reflect on the Royal Party as profane, and cenſuring the Puritans and Preciſians who dare not be ſo bad as they: Nay, you implicitly accuſe that Honourable Houſe,Pag. 18. as if there were ſome among them (and 'tis eaſie to gueſs whom you mean) that would take that man as a Puritan and Phanatick, who would employ half ſo much time for his Soul and the Service of the Lord, as they do in unneceſſary ſports and pleaſures, and pampering their fleſh. And you freely tell them that, God muſt have the precedency, Pag. 20. and, as our Calamities began with Differencies in Religion, and ſtill, that's the Wound, that moſt needs cloſing; and, with grief and ſhame we ſee this Work ſo long undone: Which plainly implies, you would have this Work done according to your Covenant by the Parliament, before the King come in; and, putting a high value on your ſelf, and all of your mind, you declare, they ſhut you out, if they would enforce you to adminiſter Sacraments without diſcipline, and the conduct of your own diſcretion; and, ſay you, Give firſt to God the things that are God's, and then give unto Caeſar the things that are Caeſar's: that is, firſt ſet up the Diſcipline before you admit Caeſar: This was the method of your Brethren in Scotland. And you here again caution and ſhare the Sovereignty. 'Tis right indeed as you ſay, A Papiſt muſt ceaſe to be a Papiſt, if he be truly and fully loyal to his Sovereign: and 'tis as true, A Presbyterian muſt ceaſe to be a Presbyterian, if he be truly and fully loyal to his Sovereign: but you hide him under the general name of Proteſtant, and tell us, ſo a Proteſtant muſt ſo far ceaſe to be a Proteſtant, before he can be diſloyal: (you ſhould have ſaid, a Proteſtant truly conformable to the Church of England) ſuch a one can never be diſloyal: But behold how rarely you prove your non-conforming Proteſtant cannot be diſloyal; for Rom. the 13th. is part of the Rule of his Religion: but unhappily there hath been a difference among us, which is the higher power, when thoſe which have their ſhares in the Sovereignty are divided? But whether we ſhould be ſubject to the higher power is no queſtion to us. Very pretty pure Jeſuitiſm. Sir, True Proteſtants of the Church of England were never ſo unhappy as to differ about the higher power. They all agreed it was the King; and that none did or ought to ſhare with him in the Sovereignty. 'Tis the Papiſt (whom you confeſs to be in your Counſels and Armies) and you who unhappily differ, which is the higher power. They ſay, not the King, but the Pope; you ſay, not the King, but the Parliament; and Rom. the 13th. is part of the Rule of their Religion as well as yours; and whether they ſhould be ſubject to the higher power is no more a queſtion with them than with you, and ſo you prove the Papiſts as good Subjects as your ſelves. This then is your argument for your Loyalty. 'Tis no queſtion with you, whether you ſhould be ſubject to the higher power; but unhappily you differ, and are ignorant who is the higher power, to whom you ſhould be ſubject? you did not know whether England was a Kingdom or a Common-wealth, whether the King was higher than the Parliament, whom he hath power to convoke and diſſolve when he thinks fit: who call themſelves his Subjects, and recogniſe his Sovereignty, by ſwearing unto him allegiance: thus your unhappy and invincible ignorance, who was the higher power, hath led you more unhappily to take part with the lower, but ſtronger power, and to reſiſt and deſtroy the higher. May your timely Repentance prevent the doom denounced Romans the 13th. But this, and your other little ſlips in arguing, proceeded from your preſent want of advantages for ſtudy.

Having and uſing Book but a Bible and a Concordance, as you ſay in your Epiſtle; How vain, how falſe, how rankly ſmells it of the Phariſee? What want of advantages for ſtudy in London? Could not all the publick Libraries or Bookſellers ſhop furniſh you with Books for A Sermon of Repentance? But advantages though you wanted, you needed not. I muſt with you collaud your Sermon, and cofeſs you have ſpoken well of Repentance, and home to diverſe particular Sins, and powerfully preſt ſeveral Duties: but that which was the Duty of the Day, to lay open the Sin and deprecate the Guilt of the late unparallel'd Rebellion, and the Murther of his late Majeſty, our moſt gracious and religious King, and the moſt injurious Expulſion of his preſent Majeſty from his Crown and Kingdoms, and to preſs his ſpeedy Reſtoration; this hath no place in your Sermon. Surely your topical Head, had your Heart been for it, and had you that reſpect for the King as for Richard, could from your Bible and Concordance alone have ſo laid open the Sin and laid home the Duty, as at once to have pricked and bowed the hearts of all Iſrael forthwith to ſend unto the King, and ſay, Return thou and all thy ſervants: This, indeed, you faintly confeſs was ſome little part of your duty, to have minded your Auditours what Sins of the Land muſt be remembred and loathed in order to Peace and Healing, but your Glaſs forbad you. It ſeems your time for a whole hour was imployed in a Work more proper and neceſſary than that which would conduce to the Peace and Healing of the Nation.

But, Sir, I fear 'twas another kind of Glaſs forbad you, which would have reflected them on you with ſo ugly a countenance, that you could not endure the ſight. The Sins of the Land you ſhould have minded them of were gainfull Sins, the Goods and Lands the Godly Party had won by the Sword from the Wicked and Delinquents, and to remember, ſo as to loath and vomit up theſe; oh, it would break their tender hearts ſhortly. Though in your other Tenets you are, they ſay, volatile, yet, as to your Politicks, you are conſtant to your ſelf: the very ſame in your Sermon as in your Common-wealth.

And you are ſtill the ſame in your Plea for Peace: As the review of the Calamities and Cofuſions of the Church and State, after ſeventeen years, could work in you then no change, nor reconcile you to the baniſhed King and Church of England; ſo now, that for ſeventeen years more you have beheld the King and the Church reſtored, which was the Lord's doing, and even done by Miracle, and is marvelous in our eyes; it is grievous in yours; and, by a pretended Plea for Peace, you proclaim a new War. Never did any man talk of Peace and caſt about, as you do, Fire-brands, Arrows, and Death. Your Petition for Peace is advanced to a Plea, and that Plea is all Satyr. Others, you ſay, are anſwering your Book, I ſhall onely take notice of your Epiſtle: And you begin with a furious Charge againſt the Government: It is near ſeventeen years ſince Two thouſand Miniſters of Chriſt were, by Law, forbidden the Exerciſe of their Office unleſs they did conform; which they durſt not doe; becauſe they feared God: Foreſeeing what Conformity would doe to the deſtroying of Love and Concord, and of men's Souls; weakning the Land, encouraging Popery, Hereſie and Schiſm. Could ever any thing be ſaid in ſo few words by the greateſt Boautefew in the world, more ſeditiouſly, undutifully and uncharitably? Did ever the world ſee ſuch a Defiance of the Laws by a pretended Pleader for Peace, of which the Laws are Conſervatours, as this Herauld denounces in the name of his Thouſands? Miniſters of Chriſt! No miniſter of Anti-chriſt could bring ſuch a railing Accuſation againſt Rulers. Theſe are they that ſpeak evil of Dignities. What can you ſay worſe againſt a Diocleſian, than to forbid the Miniſters of Chriſt, not conforming, the Exerciſe of their Office?

To make Laws which they who feared God durſt not obey; Laws which tend to the deſtroying Love, Concord, yea, mens Souls; Laws encouraging Popery, Hereſie and Schiſm; Laws weakning the Land. 'Tis great pitty the Land is not govern'd by the Laws of your Holy Common-wealth. That Law of Chriſt, of Loving Enemies, our moſt mercifull King doth but too ſtrictly obſerve; he loves them but too much: elſe ere this you had been called to a ſevere account for your vile Aſperſion of the Laws and Violation of the Majeſty of the Law-giver.

2. You accuſe the Magiſtrates as Perſecutours, and cry out of your Parties, and your own Sufferings, which in your Petition for Peace you repeat ad Ravim uſque. The Penalties of Forty pounds a Sermon, and long Impriſonment in common Gaols, and driving us Five miles from Corporations, and places where we lately preacht. The Laws and Canons impriſon and excommunicate us ipſo facto if we do but give the Reaſons of our Non-conformity. A loud Name The Law (or Canon) that does ſo, for onely giving the Reaſons of your Non-conformity.

We are made their Scorn, and many want Bread, and they chooſe Beggery and Scorn, and live onely on mens Charity; therefore cannot be, as they are accuſed, covetous or proud. The Romiſh Fryars not onely chooſe, but vow Poverty and Scorn, yet you may perhaps think them covetous and proud.

But, Sir, How 'tis in your parts I know not, and am ſorry to ſee you accuſe the rich and numerous Diſciples of your ſeparated Congregations of Covetouſneſs and want of Charity, in ſuffering their Teachers to want Bread and live in Beggery. I muſt tell you, in our colder Climate their Charity is much warmer. The Non-conforming Miniſters are generally fat and full, rich, and build, and buy Land. I profeſs, I know not any one, in the Countrey where I live, but is able in Eſtate: and your ſelf, bleſſed be God, have Bread enough and to ſpare.

But yet you are a Sufferer too under bitter Accuſations and Perſecutions, and have lain in a Gaol among Malefactors— You tell us not how long. And your lying in a Gaol, being for your Diſobedience againſt the Law, you were, as they among whom you lay, a Malefactor. You know well, as you will be told anon, who ſuffered by your ſovereign Maſters all this, and the loſs of all their Eſtates beſides, for their Obedience to the Laws: and, Sir, I doubt not but, in your Gaol, you had the like Viſits and Comforts with Mr. Calamy from the Siſters.

3.You talk moſt ſcornfully and uncharitably of the Conforming Clergy, calling them, The accuſing Clergy, charging them with falſe Reports, Wrath, Croſs intereſt, and Tantum non with Malignity and Diaboliſm, and with Urging Rulers to confine, impriſon, excommunicate, ſilence, undoe— And of the Writings of the moſt able for Conformity, whom you name, and tell us you have read many more ſuch: ſitting in the Scorners Chair you ſay, Mr. Tombs hath ſaid more for Anabaptiſtry; the late Hungarian for Polygamy: many for Drunkenneſs, Stealing and Lying in caſes of neceſſity than you ever yet read, for the lawfulneſs of all you have here deſcribed. O Modesty! You ſhould have ſaid, than You ever yet writ againſt the lawfullness of all you have here oppoſed. But you are moſt concerned about the Counterminer. I hope you charge him not with thoſe bloudy words you blot your Paper with; they are your own, not his; why then do you ſo ſuſpiciouſly bring them in with this invidious Preface, But I muſt ſay, If ſuch as the Counterminer will ſay? The Counterminer, indeed, calls things by their own names: What is ſuch, he calls Treaſon, Rebellion, Schiſm, Faction, Pride, Obſtinacy; and you, of all men, may pardon him, who ſpeaks Truth juſt as you ſpeak your Errors; a little imperiouſly and inſultingly. Thus your ſelf eaſe your mind, as you ſay ſome men do, by pouring out a Torrent of reproachfull and ſcornfull words. Nay, you go higher, and give threatning words, not to ſuſpect that ill boding one, This unarmed Account is eaſily trampled upon: By which ſome may think you would be preaching again in a Buff Coat, and with a Sword by your ſide. Nor to mention again the Legs and Arms in the way; you conclude in terrible, dangerous, menacing Language; If you will not hear, thoſe will, whom God will uſe to the Healing of theſe Churches.

Sir, I ſhall not comment on theſe ſtrange words. But we have now (as you formerly had) jealouſies and fears from the timing of your Plea for Peace, which you ſend forth after 17 years ſilence, and in the name of your Thouſands; in this critical conjuncture of affairs; that there is ſome Deſign on foot more than ordinary; and for that you were reſolute to put it out, notwithſtanding your prudent Friends perſuaded you, ſilently to leave all to God, and aſſured you, it would but exaſperate: but perſuaded you would not be; and exaſperate you would, even by a Plea for Peace; and with your Pretious Balms you break our Heads; and while you embrace, you ſmite under the fifth Rib; and you encreaſe our Doubts by your Quarrelling, and ſome of you Libelling the excellently learned Dean of St. Paul's, a ſtrong Pillar of the Church, whom you once careſſed.

I have done with your Epiſtle, and, as I told you, will not meddle with your Plea. Onely I ask you, Is this a likely Plea for Peace? wherein, not content to urge the old Objections, you ſtrain and ſet your wit and invention on the Rack, to find out new Exceptions, and torture every joint and member of the Liturgy; and multiply little ſcruples againſt Conformity, in infinitum; and the poor Calendar cannot ſcape you. To ſhew your skill in Aſtronomy, you pick quarrels with the Almanack, which, as your Con. Non. Non. Con. brother Cheny tells you, you had better let alone, and referre the matter to a Jury of Almanack-makers. But this was a piece of Savoy wit, and you will not pardon it in a Brother: He writing a very meek and modeſt Anſwer to your Plea, with all deference to your perſon and worth; you expoſe him,Being excommunicate. deride him as a Coward for flying, and not daring as you to chooſe the Goal: you inſult over him, trample upon him, and render him the moſt pittifull thing that ever peept abroad in print: and, in your petulant Anſwer to him, you let fly alſo very boldly againſt the Government: and yet, Sir, he is too hard for you in divers points of greater difference between you, as thoſe of Epiſicopacy, Re-ordination, Renunciation on of the Covenant— And you in effect fly the field, and leave him the victory: and though you ſlight him, you confeſs you fear him. Being a Brother, though weak, yet you ſay, his conceſſions and coming ſo near the Truth doth give him more advantage againſt your Party than the ableſt of the Conformiſts, who will aſſault you with leſs ſucceſs than he: they having a kindneſs for him, will read him; but not the other, having againſt them a prejudice.

And for that reaſon, the greater men, who you ſay are about to confute your Book, may ſpare their labour; there being no hope to doe good on your Party, as you cunningly inſinuatè, to prevent a Confutation; and truly, for another reaſon, they may let it alone; you having a ſingular way of writing (which your intimate acquaintance with Schiſm hath taught you) to divide and ſubdivide in ſemper diviſibilia: you are a great Captain, and never march into the field but with hundreds following you; in your Holy Common-wealth, in your Pleas, firſt and ſecond, in your Anſwer to Dr. Stillingfleet, and generally, in all your Books (beſides your very frequent excurſions to other matter) you do ſo multiply Quaeries, Propoſitions, and Aphoriſms, and have ſo many little heads and minute particulars, that thoſe who write againſt your Books muſt meaſure and number atoms to trace you 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which few will have the pleaſure to doe; and if they onely make Remarks and Animadverſions, you will ſay, they do but nible and cavil, and dare not fairly attack you by a full and juſt Confutation. And I may add another reaſon: The excellent Dean of Canterbury hath done your work, and compleatly anſwered your Plea in two pages of his Sermon. Your whole buſineſs in your Plea is to make the world believe, you are bound in conſcience to preach and exerciſe your Office, as you call it, after your own mode, contrary to the Laws and Orders in the Church eſtabliſhed. He there moſt clearly demonſtrates your Error, and with it that of the Papiſts.

I can not think that any pretence of Conſcience warrants any man that is not extraordinarily commiſſioned, as the Apoſtles and firſt Publiſhers of the Goſpel were, and can not juſtifie that Commiſſion by Miracles, as they did, to affront the eſtabliſhed Religion of a Nation (though it be falſe) and openly to draw men off from the Profeſſion of it, in contempt of the Magiſtrate and the Law. All that perſons of a different Religion can in ſuch a caſe reaſonably pretend unto, is, to enjoy their private Liberty and Exerciſe of their own Conſcience and Religion; for which they ought to be very thankfull, and to forbear the open making of Proſelytes to their own Religion (though they be never ſo ſure they are in the right) till they have either an extraordinary Commiſſion from God to that purpoſe, or the Providence of God make way for it, by the permiſſion of the Magiſtrate.

But this you call a Slip of his Pen, and pretend you have rectified it, telling us, 'Tis the Duty of thoſe who are ſet apart to the Office of the Miniſtery, to preach the Goſpel by way of diſcharge of that Office: We have the Apoſtles expreſs authority and example for this, who when they were threatned and commanded to ſpeak no more in Chriſt's name, have left us their anſwer upon record, We ought to obey God rather than man. We have alſo the Precedent of the firſt three hundred years after theſe Apoſtles, when the Goſpel was nevev preached, but contrary to the will of the Magiſtrate, that is, againſt the Laws and Edicts of the Emperors.

Inſtead of mending a ſuppoſed Slip of Dr. Tillotſon's Pen, you have made a foul Blot with your own: his Poſition is, No man, unleſs he hath an extraordinary Commiſſion as the Apoſtles, ought to preach or make Proſelytes in affront to the eſtabliſhed Religion of a Nation, and in contempt of the Magiſtrate, and the Law prohibiting it.

You affirm the contrary, That all who have an ordinary Call to the Office miniſterial, ought to preach, though prohibited by the Laws and Edicts of the Magiſtrate. And the Medium you make uſe of to prove it is the example of the Apoſtles, who had an extraordinary Call and Commiſſion.

This is your Argument, The Apoſtles (having an immediate and extraordinary Call and Commiſſion from Chriſt to preach the Goſpel) did preach it; notwithſtanding the commands and threatnings of the Magiſtrate; therefore all Miniſters, having an ordinary Call, may preach, though by the Magiſtrate prohibited. Thus you confirm the Doctor's aſſertion, pretending to confute it. Having no proof or inſtance of ordinary Miniſters preaching contrary to the command of the Magiſtrate; you fly to the example of extra-ordinary Miniſters, the Apoſtles, the very thing that he aſſerts, that they may; others, not called as they, may not preach againſt the Laws and the Edict of the Magiſtrate.

What you add of the Precedent of the firſt three hundred years after the Apoſtles, is as impertinent as the other is weak, and nothing parallel to this caſe. The Emperors then were Heathens, Perſecutors of the Chriſtian Religion, made Laws againſt all preaching of the Goſpel; yet all the Miniſters preached notwithſtanding thoſe Laws and Edicts. The King is now a Chriſtian, the Defender of the Faith, commands by his Laws the Preaching of the Goſpel; onely the Laws require all Preachers to walk by the ſame Rule, and ſubmit to the ſame Order. You refuſe to preach according to Rule and Order in Communion with the Church; but will preach in Diviſion from the Church, and in Defiance of the Laws of a Chriſtian Prince and the Orders in the Church establiſhed.

Sir, In your Reply to Dr. Stillingfleet You provoke any perſon to name that Principle cheriſhing Rebellion which you have not renounced. Pag. 21. I muſt tell you, this Principle of the Obligation of Miniſters to preach and doe divine Offices after their own mode, in ſeparated Congregations, againſt the Laws of the Chriſtian Magiſtrate and the Church, is a Principle cheriſhing Rebellion, and you have not renounced it. And, in the ſaid Reply, I do charge you of dilivering a Principle more than cheriſhing Rebellion, the very ſame with thoſe in your Holy Common-wealth, and your Sermon to the Houſe of Commons.

But I pray the learned Doctors pardon in thruſting my Sickle into their Corn, you will find them well able to defend themſelves againſt your angry aſſaults; I ſhall take the boldneſs onely to mention two or three of your exceeding Vanities, and Extravagances in your Anſwers to the worhty Dean of St. Paul's.

You tell him, his logical faculty runs lamentably low; but, Sir, men think yours runs miſerably low, even to Dotage. When in your Epiſtle, you are ſo idle as to muſter up above twenty ſorts of Diſputants too hard for you, of which, one you call the Univerſaliſt, who will prove you an Aſs, becauſe you are an Animal. Sure, by this Ʋniverſaliſt, you mean Mr. L'Eſtrange, who is a little too free with you in his Anſwer to your Petition for Peace, which I doubt not you have ſeen, though you forget your ſelf, and call it unanſwered; he is a pleaſant Gentleman, and you, being now upon the merry pin, might eaſily prevail with him for an ingenious Deſcant upon the ſeveral Qualifications you give of your One and twenty Diſputants. Another ſort of thoſe Diſputants you tell us are, ſuch as will not reade or anſwer your fulleſt Defence already written, but look you ſhould begin a new.

Here, Sir, we think you are greatly out in your account; we believe there are no Diſputants of this ſort; men are ſo far from looking you ſhould begin a new, that they wiſh you had never begun at all, and fear you will never end the world's Trouble and your own contentious Diſputing: and, How know you they will not or have not read your Defence? and if they will not read or anſwer it, Why are you angry? Are all men bound to read your Books? and if none will anſwer you, you have the laſt word, and you know whom that pleaſes. But how thoſe who will not reade nor anſwer you ſhould be a ſort of Diſputants too hard for you paſſes our ſhallow underſtanding. Pray, in your next, reſolve this Ridle; and be pleaſed to tell us, which of your many is your fulleſt Defence, and then perhaps ſome may be ſo kind to you as to reade and anſwer it. Another flaſh of wit and piece of gayety I cannot but remark, coming from a perſon of your Gravity, if you be, as I ſuppoſe you are, the Compiler.

We cannot but appeal to the Higher Powers to have it reviſed and judge— when we have been ordained already, as Timothy, by Laying on of the hands of the Presbytery, whether the Lawn be de eſſentia to the Ceremony, and the Hands avail nothing without the Sleeves on.

Sir, St. Paul appealed to Caeſar; you cannot but appeal to the Higher Powers. It ſeems with you there are Higher Powers than Caeſar.

And as you miſtake the Object, ſo you do the Subject matter or Caſe of your Appeal, which ſhould be, Whether Timothy who was ordained by the Laying on of the hands of the Prebytery—was not again ordained by the Laying on of the hands of St. Paul, and the Higher Powers may put you to prove your ſelves ordained as was Timothy, which will be a little difficult, and your Quoeries will be to them as hard; Whether the hands of the Presbytery were without Sleeves? Whether Saint Paul had Lawn Sleeves? Whether Ordination be a Ceremony? Whether a Ceremony hath any thing belonging to it de eſſentia?

Important Quoeries all theſe verily, and fit to be reviſed and judged by the Higher Powers, if you knew who they were; but alas you do not; as you complain in your Sermon to the Houſe of Commons. If then you would take my counſel, refer it Brother Cheny.

One thing I am mighty ſorry to ſee and ſay, This wiſe caſe is uſhered in with a groſs leaſing, when juſt before you affirm the caſe was ſuch, That there was no other than Presbyterian Ordination to be had here in the late times. Truly, if your good will, might be taken for the deed, there was no other to be had. But in the late times my ſelf and hundreds more had Epiſcopal Ordination.See more of this in anſwer to the Petit. for Peace. But quoere whether it were valid, you having taken away their Lawn Sleeves and Rochets and Rochets to which might be de eſſentia to the Ceremony.

One thing more I muſt obſerve, and then I ſhall end your Trouble; and 'tis my own great trouble that I muſt obſerve it, and rebuke you for it; you ſay in your Preface, Anſ. to Dr. Stillingfleet, I am paſt doubt, that Richard Hooker, Biſhop Bilſon, and Biſhop Ʋſher, where they now alive, would be Non-conformiſts. And you ſaid it before, as I remember, elſewhere. Sir, Your being paſt doubt, puts us paſt our faith in your aſſertions; no body will believe what you ſay while you talk at this rate, and blemiſh the precious memory of ſuch venerable Perſons, two of them having been the higheſt Aſſertors of Conformity ſince the Reformation, and have left us for it their Monuments in writing incomparable and unanſwerable. Pray, Sir, How came you by this Plerophy? Have their Ghoſts appeared unto you, and informed you that they have been convinced in another world that they erred, in thinking there ought to be Church Order and Ʋniformity in this? And, Have they told you (for no body elſe could) what ſort of Non-conformiſtſ they would be? Thoſe of the firſt Edition in Forty two, or thoſe of the ſecond, in Sixty two. Would they, when Non-conformity, was rampant, have riſen up againſt the King and Church, and, with you, cryed up the good Cauſe, and pluckt up the perpetual Government of Chriſt's Church and the Eccleſiaſtical Polity root and branch; and, in order to a thorough Beformation, taken the Solemn, League and Covenant; and, with you, taken up Arms for the Parliament? Or, Would they now (having anſwered onely, the old Objections when alive) be ſo ſtagger'd with your new ones, that that one alone of the erroneous Kalendar would be a flaming Sword to keep them from entring? Sir, Hereafter talk things crediible; ſuch Romances become you not, What would your Cenſure be, ſhould we affirm, we are paſt doubt that Mr. Cartwright, Traverſe and Brown, were they now alive, would turn Conformiſts?

One thing, in the Epiſtle to your Plea I omitted, is fit here to be remarked; your Complaint; that you have been called on to tell what it is that you would have; as if you had told it and we well knew it: But truly, Sir, 'tis a very hard Queſtion, which we think you neither have nor can tell. One thing you would have to day, another to morrow; a little will content you when you are under; but nothing will content you when you are uppermoſt. When you writ your Petition for Peace you would have Biſhop Uſher's model; and could yield to Biſhops and Archbiſhops. When you writ your Anſwer to Dr. Stillingfleet, you would have your Grievances propoſed to the Higher Powers, and would have the Higher Powers ſtrip the Biſhops of their Lawn Sleeves. We know by what meaſures you proceeded in Forty one: from Petitioning to Proteſtation; thence to Covenanting, to Arming, to Sequeſtring; till you had levelled all before you, and overturned the Government of both Church and State. I am very unwilling to mention your paſt Actings, but that you give us great cauſe to think you would be acting the ſame things again; and do in effect tell us, What you would have. But, What you would not have, you can better tell us. No Biſhops, no Liturgy, no Canons for decency and order in the publick Worſhip: no King but upon ſuch terms; if you be the Caſuiſts who reſolved upon the proſpect of the King's Reſtoration; Baxt. Caſe. Con. Theſ. 137, 181. That in that ſtate of things the King could not juſtifie the reſuming of his Government, nor his people the ſubmitting to it.

But your Non-conforming Brethren beſt know your minde. Let them tell you and us what you would have had, when you had all.Pulpit Incend. Printed 1648. page 45. directed to the Presb. Miniſters. You complain of your Miſery, Bondage and Slavery; of Oppreſſions, Sorrows and Troubles of the Church, that is doubtleſs, of the Church Presbyterian, and no other. What doth all you? What troubles you? who doth oppreſs you? have you not Authority on your ſide? have you not all the Church livings in the Kingdom? have you not Declaration upon Declaration, Ordinance upon Ordinance, Order upon Order to back you? Is there the leaſt ſhew of Oppreſſion, Sorrow or Cauſe of complaint adminiſtred unto you, except it be becauſe you are not ſuffered to oppreſs, vex and gall your Brethren that joyn not with you? Can you feed upon nothing but Bloud, yea, the Bloud of your Brethren? that though you have every thing elſe, (that onely prohibited,) you complain of Sorrow, Slavery and Oppreſſion; that you cannot enſlave and lead into Captivity. Is this to kill you with the Sword, that you cannot kill your Brethren with the Sword?

1. WHEN God had, in mercy and faithfulneſs unto David, delivered him from the Sword of Saul, and ſet him upon the Throne of Iſrael, the firſt thing he eſteemed himſelf obliged unto in duty and gratitude, was, to ſet up God's Kingdom and ſettle his true Worſhip in Iſrael, who had ſet up and ſettled him in that Kingdom: To this end he brings the Ark of God in a Religious State and Triumph to Jeruſalem, which had been taken by the Philiſtines, and remained ſome time with them in Captivity, and after lodged in obſcurity in the houſes of Aminadab and Obededom. His gracious Majeſty, our David, who hath been a parallel to King David both in his Perſecution, and Reſtoration, is as truly his parallel in Piety and holy Zeal for the true Religion; and hath made it his firſt Care, as ſoon as God brought him back to his Kingdom, to bring back the Ark of God to Jeruſalem, to reſtore the holy Doctrin, Worſhip, and Government of our Church which had with himſelf been long baniſhed: and, having in the happy Examples of his moſt Royal and Religious Predeceſſors obſerved how exceedingly this Church hath floriſhed under the eſtabliſhed Order for many years, how eminently her Faith hath been ſpread abroad in every place, how all her Siſters of the reformed Church rejoiced to behold her order and ſtedfaſtneſs towards Chriſt, Coloſ. 2.5. The Daughters all calling her bleſſed; as alſo, finding by ſad experience that in theſe times of Trouble and Confuſion (of which we may truly wiſh with Job, Job 3.6. That they were blotted out of times, and might not come into the number of years) the plucking up of the eſtabliſhed Order hath been the loſs at once of Truth and Peace in the Church, and the cauſe of all the bitter Diſſentions and lamentable Diviſions wherewith it hath been wounded and dilacerated, and which never could be cured or cloſed by any the Balms and healing Medicins applied by Presbyterians, Independents, or any other who pretended to be our Phyſicians; this, I ſay, his Majeſty in his Princely and Pious Wiſedom obſerving, hath reſtored to God's glory and his own great honour that Religion which had before this Rupture obtained and long flouriſhed.

2. But there is nothing can be ſo well deviſed, ſo warily compoſed, ſo innocently eſtabliſhed as to ſatisfie all Judgments, and anticipate all Objections. That Manna wherewith God himſelf fed his people from Heaven, that Angels food was ſoon loathed and deſpiſed. As it was at King James his coming to this Crown, ſo at his preſent Majeſtie's, there are Diſſenters and Complainers, who, with great and loud Importunities, vehement Accuſations, and a mighty ſpecious Zeal, cry out againſt the publick Worſhip and Order to be reſtored: His Majeſty, imitating in the like caſe the example of that our Engliſh Solomon, was pleaſed to give Commiſſion for a Conference or Treaty between ſome ſelect perſons of the Epiſcopal and Presbyterian Judgment, to conſider of the Form of publick Worſhip, the Common Prayers of this Church; and, if occaſion be, to make ſuch reaſonable Alterations, Corrections and Amendments therein, as ſhould be jointly agreed upon to be needfull and expedient; and doubtleſs for the ſame reaſon with that of King James: Not but that any thing in the Common Prayer contained might very well have been born with by men who would have made a reaſonable conſtruction of things. But for that in a matter concerning the Service of God we were nice or rather jealous that the publick Form thereof ſhould be free not onely from blame but from ſuſpicion, ſo as neither the common Adverſary ſhould have advantage to wreſt ought therein contained to other ſenſe than the Church of England intendeth, nor any troubleſome or ignorant perſon of this Church be able to take the leaſt occaſion againſt it. The Treaty wanting that Iſſue his Majeſty and all good men deſired, and no Accommodation thereby effected, it is enquired and diverſly cenſured where the blame lies.

3. The Presbyterians charge the Epiſcopal Commiſſioners to be wholly in the fault; and ſay, They have petitioned the Biſhops, propoſed their Alterations, made their Objections againſt the Liturgy, replied upon the Biſhops Anſwers; finally, have cleared themſelves, and given account to his Majeſty of the whole Tranſaction. But the Biſhops have anſwered nothing to their Petition, have not conſidered their Alterations, have ſaid little to their Objections, and granted as little by way of Conceſſion: Therefore they profeſs, the Diſappointment hath not been on their part, and that they have quiet in their minds, having diſcharged their duty, and been Seekers and Followers of Peace. But for all this fair flouriſh, it will appear to any Judgment that is not foreſtalled, that 'tis on the ſcore of the Presbyterians, and for the fault of their undue managing thereof, that the Treaty hath proved ineffectual; and this I ſhall manifeſt by, firſt, anſwering their pretenſions, and then conſidering their Petition.

1. That the Biſhops anſwered not their Petition, it was for good cauſes; what they ask was not in the power of the Biſhops to grant, the matter was unreaſonable, the motives weak and not worthy an Anſwer, being in number many, but light in weight (as when they come to be examined will appear) and however directed to the Biſhops, the Petition was intended to gratifie the people of their own party, the deſign of it being popular, and the aim of it apparent to keep up their Intereſt.

2. That they anſwer nothing to their new Form (which they call their Alterations) a perfect Abolition of the Churches Form, was not their fault, but their favour. They were obliged to the Biſhops for their ſilence who might juſtly have convented them inſtead of anſwering them; the very publiſhing of that Form being a high Attempt againſt the Laws and a plain Violation of his Majeſtie's Directions in his Commiſſion.

3. That they ſay little to their Objections is, for that many of them had little in them, were trivial and ſtramineous, and little or nothing have they ſaid in their Objections, but what had been ſaid before by Cartwright and others; and by Archbiſhop▪ Whitgift and Mr. Hooker abundantly anſwered.

4. That they granted little by way of Conceſſion, they had great Reaſon, and great Precedents: Great Reaſon; for,

1. The Compilers of the Common Prayer Book were holy, able, zealous and orthodox Perſons; and ſuch an Alteration as they deſired (as I ſaid) in effect an Abolition, had been to queſtion their Piety and Ability, and to caſt Dirt in the Faces of thoſe venerable Fathers, Confeſſors and Martyrs.

2. The Common Prayer Book was reviſed, approved and confirmed by divers. Acts of Parliament and Proclamations, in ſeveral Princes Reigns; to alter it after their Model, had been alſo to caſt Dirt in the Face of Supream Authority, and to queſtion the Wiſedom and Piety of the wiſeſt and moſt pious Kings and Parliaments.

3. It would have opened a gap to the Papiſts, who cry out againſt us for Novelty and Inconſtancy.

4. It was his Majeſtie's Order, That there ſhould be as little Alteration as might be, for that the people were acquainted with and accuſtomed to the Form eſtabliſhed.

2. They had great Precedents; for, 1. In Queen Elizabeth's time, it being reviſed, very few alterations or additions were made: and, 2. In King James his time alſo, who judged the Form ſo compleat, that he would have ſome ſmall things rather explained than changed: nay more, admoniſheth all men, That hereafter they ſhall not expect nor attempt any farther Alteration.

5. For that the Biſhops have ſaid little, and the Presbyterians much, it makes nothing for the one nor againſt the other; they are not the fulleſt veſſels that make the greateſt ſound; 'tis not the beſt cauſe that is moſt clamorous; the Biſhops cauſe was not their own more than the King's, the Parliaments, and the Churches, having been by Law eſtabliſhed and continued (except in the Popiſh and Presbyterian Perſecutions) ever ſince the Reformation. Therefore the Biſhops judged it needleſs to give themſelves and the World the trouble of any tedious Defence. But the Presbyterians, pleading againſt the Laws and eſtabliſhed Order, thought it neceſſary to beſtir themſelves and to make long Apologies for ſo high an Attempt: Therefore they have left no Stone unturned, have ſent Paper after Paper and poſted them through all parts of the Nation, to keep up their Intereſt in the Party, and their Party's prejudice againſt the Churches Liturgy. I ſuppoſe, it is hereby plain to all indifferent Judges, that the Blame is not on the Biſhops, but the Presbyterians, that the Treaty had not its deſired ſucceſs. And to manifeſt it farther, ſince they juſtifie themſelves, and waſh their hands, and cry, We are innocent: They muſt be told, 1. That they have not duly prepared for an Accommodation before the Treaty: 2. They have not demeaned themſelves candidly and ingeniouſly in the Treaty.

1. They have not duly prepared for an Accommodation before the Treaty. There is no hope of a fair Agreement between two diſſenting Parties, ſo long as on the one part there remain cauſes of Jealouſie which will not be removed. Now ſince the Prebyterians do lie under the Scandal of holding divers Tenets in reference to his Majeſty, Epiſcopacy, and the Liturgy, to which if they ſtill adhere, they render themſelves uncapable of a Treaty; it highly concerns them to purge themſelves, by a full and free Declaration of their Judgments in thoſe particulars which have an immediate influence upon the Treaty.

1. Since the Presbyterians both from the Pulpit and the Preſs have taught, That it is lawfull to reſiſt Kings, and have ſtirred up the People to arm againſt their lawfull Sovereign upon pretence of Reformation in Religion; herein joyning with the Jeſuits, That Heretical Kings may be reſiſted and depoſed, as many of their Books and Sermons declare. For the undeceiving of the People, and clearing themſelves of the guilt of that antichriſtian and impious Tenet, they were bound in duty and conſcience to have publickly diſavowed that Doctrine, and to have publiſhed to the World, that they hold the Doctrine of our Church,Rom. 13.1. That Kings are Sacred; above all coercive Power:1. Pet. 2.17. That they are Supreme; the Higheſt Powers: onely puniſhable by God; and not, upon any pretence of Liberty, Property, Law, or Religion, be it never ſo ſpecious, nay, be it never ſo real, to be reſiſted or oppoſed.

2. For that they maintain and publickly teach, the Civil Magiſtrate not to be Superior to the Eccleſiaſtical Governors.Divine Right of Church Government. They were obliged to make a publick acknowledgment of the King's Supremacy in all cauſes, and over all perſons Eccleſiaſtical; in ſhort, to have offered to take the Oath of Supremacy. The Denial of which is a ſecond Opinion wherein ſome of them ſymbolize with the Papiſts.

3. For that they have in their Writings ſo publickly oppoſed the Epiſcopal Government, covenanted againſt it, taken it away; and in the place thereof ſet up another Government; they ſhould expreſly have owned the Epiſcopal Government now reſtored, and have promiſed to be obedient unto it.

4. For that they had caſt out and laid aſide all ſet forms of publick Prayer, Ordination, and other Adminiſtrations, (their Directory being a very cypher, neither uſed by themſelves, nor impoſed upon any other,) every Miniſter being left to his own dictates in publick holy Offices, they ſhould previouſly have declared their Judgments, that a ſet form of publick Prayer is in every Church neceſſary, to which all in that Church ſhould be obliged.

5. For that their Party have taken away the Form of Prayer by Law appointed, and forbidden all Miniſters under great penalty to uſe it; they ſhould have declared, that the ſubſtance of it was agreeable to God's Word, onely they judged it needed ſome Alteration, and that if his Majeſty with the Biſhops ſhould conſent to the Amendment of ſuch things as by their joint Judgments ſhould be thought needfull, they would ſubmit unto it, and be obliged ever to uſe it in their Miniſtrations.

Theſe things were neceſſary ſhould have been precedaneous to the Treaty, and would much have conduced to an happy Accommodation: Such an ingenuous Confeſſion and Retractation beſeemed them, and would have melted his Majeſty and the Biſhops; and all good Chriſtians would have wept with them, and rejoyced for them, and embraced them with the ſame Affection that Joſeph did his repenting Brethren; and indeed it was a wonderfull condeſcention in his Majeſty to appoint the Biſhops, and a high Obedience in the Biſhops to his Majeſty to treat at all with them without and before ſuch a Confeſſion. Surely till they do retract thoſe not onely erroneous, but ſome of them prodigious and moſt dangerous and unchriſtian Opinions, they in vain go about to perſuade the World that •• ey cannot ſubmit to our Liturgy upon the Principles of Conſcience. 'Tis not Conſcience that ſwallows Camels, and ſtreins at Gnats: 'tis not Conſcience that ſees Motes, and winks at Beams: 'tis not Conſcience that neglects the weighty things of the Law, and tithes Mint and Cummin. Certainly they muſt have abundance of Charity that can believe (be their words never ſo ſmooth) that theſe men have no Motive but Conſcience to oppoſe our Church Ceremonies, do out of Conſcience ſcruple at a Surplice, a Geſture, a Set form, a Word obſolete or improper, whoſe Conſcience could ſwallow Sedition, Rebellion, could make War againſt their Sovereign King, could overturn all Order both civil and ſacred, and fill the Church and State with Bloud and Confuſion.

One thing more which evidences their Inſincerity as to an amicable Treaty, as if they reſolved it ſhould take no effect, and feared leſt Duty, Piety, Conſcience and Reaſon ſhould work upon their Brethren to ſubmit to the Form of Worſhip now likely to be reſtored; they ſent to all of their Judgments in the Nation, to ſend up wha • Objections they could make againſt the Common-prayer, and adviſed them to hold off, and not to conform by any means, for their ſtanding out was the onely way to obtain their own terms and liberty, their numbers being ſo conſiderable, that, in caſe of their deprivation, there were not Conformable Miniſters enough to ſupply their places, and ſo the King and the Church muſt be forced to indulge and continue them. Surely this was not conſciencious, and diſcovered their Deſign, to continue a Diviſion and keep up a Party: Though herein their Politicks failed them; the Biſhops ſented the Deſign, and provided for the Churches againſt the Vacancy.

2. They have not demeaned themſelves candidly and fairly in the Treaty; which themſelves in their two Papers (the Petition for Peace, and the Grand Debate) do make appear to all who are impartial and unprejudicate: Their publiſhing them being directly againſt his Majeſtie's Commiſſion which is, Our Will and Pleaſure is, that when you, with the ſaid Archbiſhops, &c. ſhall have drawn your Conſultations to any Reſolution, that you forthwith certifie and preſent to us in writing under your ſeveral hands the matters and things whereupon you ſhall ſo determine.

1. His Majeſtie's Will and Pleaſure is, that what is done by virtue of this Commiſſion, ſhould be done jointly, by the Commiſſioners on both ſides; but the Presbyterian Commiſſioners ſet forth their Papers by themſelves, without thoſe of the Epiſcopal.

2. That they ſhould certifie them in writing to his Majeſty: They wave his Majeſty, and ſcatter their Papers abroad in Print among the People.

3. That they ſhould preſent them under their ſeveral hands; here are no hands, no names, but the general one of Commiſſioners.

4. That they ſhould certifie when their Conſultations were drawn to any Reſolution, and preſent the Matters whereupon they ſhould determine.

They, Ahimaaz like, run without their Errand, and preſume to certifie (us the people, not Us the King) before any Reſoluſion, without any Determination: Whether this be agreeable to the King's Commiſſion, and conformable to his Order and Appointment; let the World judge, let themſelves judge. Nay, whether it was not to appeal from his Majeſty to thoſe of their own Party.

But to cloſe with their Papers: and, firſt, I ſhall conſider the Objections they make againſt the Common Prayers in general in their Grand Debate.

1. They ſay, They look upon the Common-prayer-book as an excellent and worthy Work for that time, and after they contradict themſelves and recall their Charity, and ſtifle that Truth which brake from them; and ſay, As to our Conſciences, if we thought not the Common-prayer-book to be guilty — And again, We take it to be a defective, diſorderly, inconvenient mode. What, excellent and worthy, and yet guilty and diſorderly, defective, inconvenient, —How are theſe conſiſtent? Yes, for that time excellent and worthy: but at this time guilty, defective, —But pray what's the difference between that time and this? muſt we change our Religion with the times? we have the ſame Doctrine, the ſame Sacraments, the ſame Government; and why ſhould not we have the ſame Worſhip? muſt we have a temporizing worſhip? muſt our Devotions as our Garments be changed after the new Faſhions or Modes of times? what Guilt hath our Liturgy contracted by time? O that the times and men were ſuch now for Zeal and Piety as when the Common Prayers were compoſed.

2. They make Objections againſt the whole as well as the parts: and, is this fair, to object againſt the whole of that, ſome parts whereof they were onely to amend? Their Commiſſion was, That, if occaſion be, they ſhould make ſuch reaſonable and neceſſary Alterations, Corrections and Amendments therein as ſhall be agreed upon to be needfull and expedient, —with an expreſs Advice to avoid, as much as may be, all unneceſſary Abbreviations of the Forms and Liturgy, wherewith the People are altogether acquainted, and have ſo long been received in the Church of England: where his Majeſty would have onely ſome parts amended and corrected, if need be, and all unneceſſary Abbreviations of the Form avoided, they fly at the whole; their uſual way of Reformation being Root and Branch. For,

3. Inſtead of the old Book amended they offer us a new Model, not a Syllable of the old in it; not one of the Churches Prayers is judged worthy to be joined with theirs: Theſe wiſe Maſter-builders can with leſs trouble and charge pull down the Houſe and build a new one, than repair the old; as if it had not one Room convenient, all muſt down to the ground, and not ſo much as one ſtone in the old Building muſt be uſed in the new.

4. They complain of the Length of the Common-prayer-book, and make theirs in the ordinary Offices much longer, but for this they have a Salvo, That it may be left to the diſcretion of the Miniſter to omit it as occaſion ſhall require.

Behold their Liturgy, with a Liberty, that he who will uſe it may, and he that will not may chooſe.

5. They would have it left to the Miniſters choice to uſe their new Form or the old, which is as much as to ſay, All of their Judgment ſhall be free from uſing the Common-prayer; for you will eaſily believe they will like this new Directory better; and then, what need this Treaty? and yet, give them their due, they have no great fancy to their own Form: for,

6. They will have a farther Liberty. They deſire there may be no ſuch Impoſition of the Liturgy, as the Exerciſe of the Gift of Prayer be totally excluded in any part of God's Worſhip: So then, a Set Prayer there ſhall be in every part of God's Worſhip, and in every part the Miniſter may exerciſe his Gifts and ſhew his Parts, and ſtrive to outgo this Set Prayer; and ſo the Prayer ſhall be deſpiſed, and his Gifts extolled. Is the Church a place, the Worſhip of God a ſeaſon to exerciſe ſuch Gifts in? Our Graces indeed ſhould be there exerciſed, which are beſt done in a Set-form. Gift of Prayer there is none ſpiritual. That which is cried up to be ſuch is nothing but an acquired Art or Habit of ready ſpeech, and tends more to Oſtentation than Edification. The Spirit of Prayer the Prophet tels us what it is,Zach. 12. v. 10. A Spirit of Grace and Supplication, looking on Chriſt by Faith and Love, whom by Sin and Unbelief we have pierced; and by a deep Repentance mourning for our Sins, and beſeeching God's Grace to be delivered from them by Chriſt's moſt meritorious Sufferings. We may pray without the Spirit when we exerciſe the Gift of Prayer; we may pray with the Spirit when we uſe a Form of Prayer. Sure the Spirit doth not ever withdraw or deny the Aſſiſtence of his Grace to our Devotion when we pray the Lord's Prayer. The Spirit of Prayer requires not new words, but new affections. Should I make it my End, or any part of it, when I pray in publick, to exerciſe my Gifts, I ſhould juſtly fear to be judged of God, and Men (if they knew it) an abominable Hypocrite and Phariſee.

7. They object, The whole Body of the Common Prayer conſiſts very much of many Generals, as, to have our Prayers heard; to be kept from all Evil, from all Enemies and Adverſities; that we may doe God's Will; without any mention of the Particulars wherein theſe Generals do conſiſt.

Anſ. 1. They make that an Objection which is a Propriety and Excellency. The Common Prayers of the Church ſhould be for common and general Mercies of which the whole Church ſtands in need.

2. Daniel's Prayer for the Church in the Babylonian Captivity doth conſiſt not very much, but altogether of meer Generals, without any mention of Particulars, and yet it was graciouſly heard: and, do they not hereby accuſe our Lord himſelf? is not his Prayer made up of meer Generals? Sure ſo many grave Divines ſhould not make their Objections by Number, but by Weight, and due and ſober Conſideration.

How little they conſidered this will farther appear in that,

3. They confeſs their Objection to be untrue, when they tell us that the Litany is for Grace, Peace, Rain, Fair-weather, &c. and indeed I may challenge our Brethren to ſhew any Particulars needfull for the Church to petition at the hands of God in her publick Worſhip omitted in the Litany.

8. They deſire, That all obſolete words may be altered.

Anſ.That may be ſoon done; for few or no obſolete words are in the Liturgy: but doth not God, do not we underſtand old and plain words? muſt we coin new ones to pleaſe him and our ſelves? muſt we be rhetorical, quaint and curious; complement God in our Prayers? Let us take unto us thoſe words the Church hath from God's Word put into our mouths, and join with them our Hearts, and let us not doubt but God will hear us graciouſly.

9. It troubles them, That the publick Worſhip of God may not be adminiſtred by any that dares not wear a Surplice.

Anſ. Who are thoſe tender ones that dare not? What a frightfull Bugg is a Surplice, that you dare not wear it in the Adminiſtration of the publick Worſhip? Nay, you dare refuſe to adminiſter in God's publick Worſhip, rather than wear a Surplice. Your Maſter Beza was not ſo timerous, or dainty, Mihi videtur Eccleſias minime deſerendas propter Pileum, aut Veſtes, aut aliquid aliud hujuſmodi vere medium aut indifferens: To me it ſeemeth that we ought not to forſake the Churches for Caps, or Veſtments, or any other ſuch like thing of a nature mixt and indifferent. Mr. Moulin was not ſo tender; could (as he profeſſed) willingly wear a Fool's-coat and Cap, ſo he might freely and publickly adminiſter God's true and holy Worſhip. Are not different and decent Veſtures by God himſelf appointed to his Prieſts in their publick and holy Miniſtrations? and, why may not the Governors of the Church command under the Goſpel the like decent and diſtinct Habits to Miniſters which God commanded under the Law? ſo as no Religion or Sanctity be placed in them, as we declare there is not; but they are onely enjoined for Comelineſs and Gravity, ſuitable to ſuch Solemnities: Solemn Actions of Royalty and Juſtice have their ſuitable ornaments enjoyned, Hooker. and they are unto them a Beauty, and beget from the People a Veneration; Are they onely a Stain in Religion? Theſe general Objections againſt the Common Prayers in their Grand Debate I thought good to conſider, together with their Reaſons in their Petition of Peace, that they may ſee we do not ſlight nor fear any of their Forces, but dare encounter their whole ſtrength. Their particular Objections againſt the parts of the Liturgy are long ſince by Mr. Hooker, and others ſo convincingly anſwered; thoſe which are old: and the new are ſo weak and inconſiderable that they deſerve not a ſober Animadverſion, and therefore I ſhall not give the Reader the trouble of a Confutation. To expoſe a few of them is enough, and he may judge of the reſt by their Aſſize.

1. They deſire, the word Miniſter, which is uſed in the Abſolution and divers other places, may be uſed throughout, and not Prieſt and Curate.

2. The Confeſſion (they tell us) is very defective, not clearly expreſſing Original Sin, nor ſufficiently enumerating Actual Sins with their Aggravations; but conſiſting onely of Generals; whereas Confeſſion, being the Exerciſe of Repentance, ought to be more particular: This is already anſwered.

3. The often repeating the Lord's Prayer, and the Gloria Patri comes within compaſs of thoſe vain Repetitions our Saviour condemns; a vain Objection—and may be as well made againſt David, Pſal. 136. and againſt many other his Pſalms, as alſo againſt Moſes, Solomon, and our Saviour himſelf.

4. They would have that Petition in the Litany, Good Lord deliver us from ſudden Death, to be altered thus, Good Lord deliver us from dying ſuddenly and unpreparedly.

5. They would have that Prayer, That it may pleaſe God to preſerve all that travel by Land or by Water, to be changed, and expreſſed indefinitely, all that travel.

6. They expreſs their diſlike of Kneeling at the Reading of the Commandments; did they never break any of them? and, is there not a Prayer ſubſequent to each of them? Lord have mercy upon us.

7. They are offended at that Expreſſion in the firſt Prayer before Baptiſm, That God, by his Son our Saviour's being baptized in the River Jordan, hath ſanctified that and all other waters, to the myſtical waſhing away of Sin. To ſatiſfie this nice Scruple, 'tis changed, and the word all left out. I ſhall no further purſue theſe trifles, profeſſing my great grief and aſtoniſhment, that perſons pretending to ſo great Gravity can poſſibly be guilty of ſuch Lightneſſes. 'Twas a piece of pride and weakneſs in Calvin to charge our Liturgy as containing in it Tolerabiles Ineptias. Theſe and ſuch like light and trivial exceptions of our Brethren will to any ſober Judgment appear Ineptiae Intolerabiles. Leaving their Grand Debate, which I think, in the Prophets and Apoſtles ſenſe, may without uncharitableneſs be affixed not onely as the Title, but is much the Subject and Deſign too of their Paper. I goe on to the Conſideration of their Petition for Peace.

Sweet is the name of Peace, and now, if ever, Sweet is the Peace of the State, after ſo long Civil War, and the Peace of the Church, after ſo long Diviſion and Perſecution. Peace is a Bleſſing of Bleſſings, not a ſingle, but a complicated Bleſſing. 'Tis Peace that puts us into, and keeps us in Poſſeſſion of all we enjoy. Saint Paul tels us of a Bond of Peace. Peace is the Bond of our Liberties, Properties, Eſtates and Lives, and of that which ſhould be to us dearer than all theſe, our Religion. 'Tis this Religious Peace for which they petition.

O that they had hearkned to the Petitions of others before: But then they prepared for War, and ſounded the Trumpet to Battel: Then to talk of Peace and Accommodation was the mark of a Malignant: Then Curſe ye Meroz was the Text: And, O take heed of Treaties: Well 'tis happy if at laſt Thoughts of Peace may be entertained. But, my Brethren, why petition you for Peace? is it not Peace? if not, where is the blame? who are thoſe which hinder Peace? Then is it Peace in the Church, when the Magiſtrate is at Peace with the Church and a Defender of the Faith; when Miniſters are at Peace with themſelves and join regularly in their holy Miniſtrations, when Miniſters and their People are at Peace, the one teaching, and the other embracing ſound Doctrine; when Magiſtrates, Miniſters and People do publickly, openly, freely, uniformly profeſs and hold the true Chriſtian Religion, do join and unite in the publick Worſhip of God, ſerving him with one mind and with one mouth, having the ſame Doctrine, the ſame Worſhip, the ſame Government.

Now conſider who they are which hinder this Peace. You need not petition the Biſhops; 'tis in your own power to grant your own Petition; and truly a Petition for Peace though it have a pleaſing Sound, yet carries a ſad Suppoſition; it ſupoſes, 1. That you are not in Peace with the Church; and, 2. it implicitly accuſes his Majeſty of Perſecution. But to come to the matter of your Petition, two things you pray:

1. That the Biſhops will grant what you have in your Preface propoſed, and craved their Conſent unto, the Alterations and Additions to the Liturgy now tendred unto them, that being inſerted as you have expreſſed, It may be left to the Miniſters choice to uſe one or other at his diſcretion, upon his Majeſtie's Approbation, according to his gracious Declaration concerning Eccleſiaſtical Affairs.

Here they deſire, That it may be left to the Miniſters choice to uſe one or other, the new or the old Form, and 'tis not hard to judge which will be choſen; the old by all who are Epiſcopal, the new by all the Presbyterians: So ſhall we have Altar againſt Altar; Common-prayer-book againſt Common-prayer-book, confuſion in all Pariſhes and Diviſion; thoſe who are for the old, if the new be read, will leave their Miniſter, and go where the old is read; and the like will they doe who are for the new: So ſhall there be endleſs Conteſtations between Miniſters and Miniſters, People and People; one pleading for the old Form, and exploding the new; the other arguing for the new, and deſpiſing the old: Is this to petition for Peace? nothing can be more againſt Peace. Certainly we ſhall ever be two, and the Church divided, if we have two Liturgies. And whereas they appeal to his Majeſtie's Declaration, his Majeſty ſpeaks plainly enough his meaning, and more plainly in his Commiſſion, that he intends not two Liturgies be eſtabliſhed, but onely ſome Alterations in one and the ſame Liturgy, ſome additional Forms to be left unto the Miniſters choice, to uſe one or the other at his diſcretion; and theſe Alterations and additional Forms not to be made by the one Part ſeparately, as yours are; but by thoſe of both Perſuaſions.

You farther Petition, ſince we cannot obtain the Form of Epiſcopal Government deſcribed by the late Reverend Primate Ireland, and approved by many Epiſcopal Divines, we may at leaſt enjoy thoſe Benefits of Reformation in Diſcipline, and that Freedom from Subſcription, Oaths and Ceremonies which are granted in the ſaid Declaration by the means of your charitable Mediation and Requeſt.

Anſw. 1. Why did you not then (when it was in your Power, and the Staff in your hands) hearken to Biſhop Ʋſher and thoſe Epiſcopal Divines? did you not covenant againſt Epiſcopacy? do you not ſtill judge your ſelves obliged to keep your Covenant? did not a prime Leader of your Party, in his Sermon at the Treaty at Ʋxbridge, call Epiſcopacy and the Common-prayer-book, The Plague-ſoars of the Nation? did not his late Majeſty of bleſſed memory offer as great condeſcentions as could be deſired to your Divines at the Iſle of Wight? and, did they not oppoſe and diſown all Epiſcopal Government?

Hear his Majeſty: I was willing to grant or reſtore to Presbytery what with reaſon or diſcretion it can pretend to in a conjuncture, with Epiſcopacy, but for that wholly to invade the Power, and by the Sword to arrogate and quite abrogate the authority of that ancient Order, I think neither juſt as to Epiſcopacy, nor ſafe for Presbytery, nor yet any way convenient for this Church and State.

Behold what his Majeſty was willing to doe in yieldance to Presbytery; ſo as Epiſcopacy might not be abrogated. Behold what the Presbyterians will doe, they will goe no lower than to abrogate Epiſcopacy, and ſince they could not doe it by the Word, they will doe it by the Sword. But,

2. Have you now really changed your minds? are you in good earneſt? do you ſpeak Verbo Sacerdotum when you make us believe you deſire to obtain an Epiſcopacy? How doth this conſiſt with your Profeſſion in your Grand Debate? There you utterly diſclaim all Epiſcopacy. Theſe are your words, We doubt whether men in the ſame Order do, by Divine appointment, owe obedience unto thoſe that gradually goe before them; and they may ſcruple whether ſuch making themſelves the Governours of their Brethren, make not themſelves indeed of a different Order or Office, and ſo incroach not upon the Authority of Chriſt, who onely maketh Officers purely Eccleſiaſtical, and whether it be no diſloyalty to Chriſt, to own ſuch Officers: Again, 'tis a matter of very great doubt, whether a fixed Dioceſan, being the Paſtor of many hundred Churches, be indeed a Governour of Chriſt's appointment or approbation; and whether Chriſt will give us any more thanks for owning them as ſuch, than the King will gives us for owning an Ʋſurper.

He who can reconcile their Petition for Peace with their Grand Debate, the one pretending for Epiſcopacy, the other renouncing all Epiſcopacy, Erit mihi magnus Apollo. But the Inſtance you might have let alone of owning an Ʋſurper. Did you not own and ſet up an Uſurping Parliament againſt the King? and, will you not diſown the moſt Lawfull King that ſhall deny your Will and Way;Vide Baxter's Holy Common-wealth. and own the Greateſt Uſurper that will ſet up and yield his Neck to your Presbyterian Government? But if you cannot gain your own, you would be free from Obedience to any other; That we may at leaſt enjoy freedom from Subſcription, Oaths, and Ceremonies, by the means of your charitable Mediation. A modeſt and merry Requeſt, That the Biſhops will mediate with his Majeſty, that the Preſbyterians may be free from Obedience to Epiſcopal Government. Were your Presbyterian Government ſet up, would you allow the Freedom you ask? You have preached and printed againſt Toleration: you would bind Kings with your Chains, and Nobles with Links of Iron; you would be very ſhy to give the Indulgencies and Diſpenſations your ſelves deſire: Nay, you refuſe them to your Independent Brethren.

Your ſecond Petition is; Seeing ſome hundreds of able, holy and faithfull Miniſters are of late caſt out, and abundance of Congregations in England, Ireland and Wales are overſpread with lamentable ignorance, and are deſtitute of able, faithfull Teachers; and ſeeing too many that are inſufficient, negligent or ſcandalous are over the flocks, we take this opportunity earneſtly to beſeech you, that will contribute your endeavours to the removal of thoſe that are the ſhame and burthens of the Churches, and to the Reſtoration of ſuch as may be an honour and bleſſing unto them, and to that end that it be not imputed unto them as their unpardonable Crime, that they were born in an Age and Countrey which required Ordination by parochial Paſtors without Dioceſans.

Anſ. 1. Is not this a Phariſaical ſtrain through all your Papers, To cry up your own Holineſs, Faithfulneſs, Piety and Painfulneſs, and to reproach the Conformiſts as Inſufficient, Negligent, the Shame and Burthen of the Churches?

Compariſons are odious unto you, but we dare appeal to the World, and to him who can judge of Hypocriſie and Sincerity, that there are Epiſcopal perſons many far more Able, Holy, Painfull and Faithfull Miniſters than any of the Presbyterians; and many of the Presbyterians more Inſufficient, Negligent and Scandalous than any of the Epiſcopal; and if Accuſations of others were a Vindication of our ſelves, we could write Centuries as well as your White, and name abundance of thoſe you count and call Godly who are the Shame and Burthen of Churches.

And, to be plain with you, who truſt in your ſelves, that you are Righteous, Luk. 18.9. and deſpiſe others, you are all (none excepted) the Shame and Burthen of the Church: If to preach up Rebellion againſt the King, the Nurſing Father of the Church, to caſt off the Apoſtolical Government of the Church, to eject all the true Sons of the Church, to invade and poſſeſs your ſelves by Violence of all the Revenues of the Church be any Shame, or Sin, or Burthen to your tender Conſciences; whether it be ſo or no, 'tis ſo certainly to all who are truly conſciencious; and God grant your deep Reſentment and timely Repentance may by God's mercy waſh away the Sin and Shame, and eaſe the Burthen, which if not now, you will one day feel very heavy and uneaſie.

2. How can you tell us of hundreds of yours caſt out, and your guilt not fly in your faces? Did you not foreſee we could retort, that thouſands of Epiſcopal men were caſt out for their Loyalty and Conſtancy to the Religion in the Church of England eſtabliſhed, for not covenanting, for not contributing to the Schiſm and Rebellion; we could name if need were thouſands whoſe Learning, Piety and Painfulneſs in their places Envy it ſelf cannot accuſe. Their onely Crime being their ample Revenues and competent Livings.

3. Seeing ſome hundreds are of late caſt out, your Conſciences know you affirm an untruth, that there are none caſt out, but ſuch as were unjuſt Intruders into other mens Charges, thoſe who without and againſt Law were deprived, are now by Law reſtored, and if any of them be unworthy, the Law is open, and may they be proſecuted, and, if they deſerve it, impartially puniſhed; we juſtifie not any that are ſcandalous. O that all were holy who ſerve in the holy Miniſtry; and here on my knees I beſeech the moſt Reverend Fathers of the Church, That thoſe Miniſters who are Conformiſts, but whoſe Lives are vicious and ſcandalous, may notwithſtanding their Conformity fall under the ſevereſt Cenſures: Epiſcopacie hath no ſuch great Enemies as theſe pretended Friends.

4. But why all this Complaint of your being caſt out by the Biſhops? as if they had caſt you out, when you know and the whole Nation knows, that they were caſt out by Act of Parliament (the Biſhops not ſitting in that Parliament) or rather removed from the unjuſt poſſeſſion of other mens Churches, and the lawfull Incumbents reſtored. So that you ſmite his Majeſty and the Parliament through the Biſhops ſides.

You go on; Being conſcious that we ſeek not great things for our ſelves or for our Brethren; that we are ambitious of no greater wealth and honour than our daily bread.

1. Do not thoſe ſeek great things for themſelves, in reſpect of Honour who would be co-ordinate with Kings, and who would not be ſubordinate to Biſhops, diſowning their Authority, their Ordination and Government, and challenging to themſelves an equal right to both? And for Wealth, you cannot but be conſcious that you have ſought great things; the greateſt Livings (though with the Ruin of the Lawfull Owners) the moſt wealthy places in Cities, Univerſities, and the Country. Many of you had a rich Benefice, and a fat Lecture, or a Government in ſome College: So that whatever you profeſs you lie as deeply under the Scandal of Ambition and Covetouſneſs as you would bring thoſe who are Epiſcopal.

Theſe are their Requeſts; 1. That they may have a Government and a Liturgie of their own, different from that eſtabliſhed; and if not, that they may be free from that in the Church eſtabliſhed.

2. That all Presbyterians may be placed in the choiceſt Livings, as holy, able and faithfull; and that Epiſcopal men, as they have been by them caſt out, may be kept out of their own Livings as ſcandalous, negligent and inſufficient. How can theſe Requeſts be denyed, in number ſo few, in nature ſo modeſt, religious and rational? for with twenty Reaſons are theſe two Requeſts enforced; yet, when well conſidered, will ſhrink up into almoſt as few as their Requeſts, and will prove as ponderous.

R. 1. They tell us, they dare not uſe a Croſs or Surplice, or worſhip God in a Form which they judge diſorderly, defective or corrupt, when they have better to offer him, Malachi, 1.13.

To that Scruple of the Surplice I have already anſwered; and to that of the Croſs the Church hath anſwered, Canon, 30. and thoſe whom the Church cannot ſatisfie, 'tis in vain for any private perſon to attempt it; and, whereas they ſay their Form of Worſhip is better than ours, we muſt give every one leave to have a love for the Creature of their own production, and the Text they alledge Malachi, 1.13. as the Reaſon why they judge our Form defective, and their own better, ſpeaks alowd the fondneſs of their Affection, blinding their Judgment. Nothing could have been ſaid more for our Form or againſt their own (ſuppoſing the words any way applicable to either.) Are not you they that ſay the Table of the Lord is polluted, his Meat is contemptible? Do not you ſay, What a wearineſs is it? And ye have ſnuffed at it, and ye have brought (inſtead of it your new Form) that which is torn, and lame, and ſick; thus ye have brought an Offering. The 2d, 3d, 4th and 5th Reaſons, we had all before in their Requeſt and are now repeated as the Reaſons of it, their Holineſs, their Ableneſs, their being caſt out, their great Sufferings, their tender Conſciences. But though I have ſpoken to them before, I ſhall paſs on them ſome Remarks, leſt they ſhould judge we could not anſwer them.

2. There are few Nations under the Heavens of God, as far as we can learn, that have more able, holy, faithfull, laborious and truly peaceable Preachers of the Goſpel, proportionably then thoſe that are now caſt out in England; and are like in England, Scotland, and Ireland, to be caſt out, if the old Conformity be urged.

And, 3. Whether it be equal to bring upon ſo many of them ſo great Calamities. Again,

4. We would here remember you how great and conſiderable a part of the three Nations there is that muſt incur thoſe Sufferings. And again,

5. We may plead the Nature of their Cauſe, to move you to commiſerate your afflicted Brethren in their Sufferings.

Anſ. The Biſhops and Epiſcopal and Loyal Clergy have learned by their own Sufferings to compaſſionate the Sufferings of others. But this Complaint of the Presbyterians Sufferings is like that of Children who bite and cry, ſome can endure much and complain little, ſome will cry out for little or nothing; and they ſay they are moſt impatient in the leaſt Sickneſs who have lived long in health, not knowing what Sickneſs meant. Let me be bold to ask, Who of you are the men that have ſuffered? what have you ſuffered? how long? and, under whom? who have been your Perſecutors?

1. Who are the men? Are all the Presbyterians ejected and ſequeſtred? All the Biſhops and Loyal Clergy were generally caſt out; unleſs Poverty were their protection.

2. What have they ſuffered? Have they been deprived of their Livings wherewith the Law inveſted them? Have they been ſilenced, plundered of their Goods, Books, Papers, ſhut up in Priſons, baniſhed, martyred? You know who ſuffered thus.

3. How long? The Conformiſts have ſuffered in Silence and Patience near twenty years together, and your pretended ſufferings a few months (being in a capacity to be reſtored when ever you will return to your duty) make more noiſe than all the Sufferings of all the Epiſcopal perſons all theſe years.

4. From whom? Have you ſuffered from your Brethren, from your fellow Subjects without and againſt Law? There are, you know, who have thus ſuffered: But you cannot ſay you have ſuffered any thing but what the Law inflicts, and ſurely that is no note of Innocency and Sincerity, as you inſinuate. If your Sincerity be no more than your Sufferings, you have as little cauſe to boaſt of that as to complain of the other, Non cruciatus, ſed Cauſa—Let it not diſpleaſe you, if I lay before you and the World a true and juſt account of your Sufferings and Calamities: 'Tis ſhortly this; You and your Party had by Arms and Violence, againſt all Law, Conſcience, Juſtice and Charity, ſeiſed and poſſeſſed your ſelves of the Eſtates of your King, divers of the Nobility and Gentry, the Biſhops, Deans and Chapters, the Dignities and Livings of the Loyal Clergy, all the honourable and wealthy Offices eccleſiaſtical and civil by Sea and Land; theſe you held and enjoyed until God turned our Captivity, and the King and the Church was happily reſtored, and then their Eſtates and Rights were reſtored, and you enforced to quit them without the demand of Arrears or Reſtitution for the time you enjoyed them, which was ſo long and the Revenues ſo large, that abundance of you, being good Huſbands and great Improvers, have provided well againſt a Storm and got out of your Sequeſtrations and Purchaſes plentifull Eſtates; ſo that of the Calamity of our ſuffering Brethren, and the Cruelty of the reſtored King, Church and Laws, this is the moſt deplored and lamentable account; The King, the Church and the Suffering Loyal Party will needs have their Rights again; and ſo the Godly Party who invaded them muſt no longer injoy them; The Prey is plucked out of their Teeth, and they muſt vomit up the ſweet morſell. You muſt pardon me if, againſt my Genius, your loud and redoubled Outcries of your mighty Sufferings enforce me to be plain with you, and tell you your own.

In their Fifth, after their Preface mentioning their Sufferings, and in their Sixth, they argue from the meanneſs of the things impoſed in the Judgment of the Biſhops, and the ponderouſneſs in their own.

It is in your own account, But for refuſing Conformity to things indifferent, or at the moſt of no neceſſity to Salvation: It is in their account, for the ſake of Chriſt. Do you think the Lord that died for Souls, and hath ſent us to learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not ſacrifice, is better pleaſed with Re-ordination, Subſcription and Ceremonies, than with the Saving of Souls by the means of his own appointment?

Anſ. 1. Do you think that the Lord who died for Souls, and hath ſent us to learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not Sacrifice, is better pleaſed with your Refuſal to ſave Souls by the Means of his own appointment, upon the Scruple of Ordination by Biſhops, Ceremonies and Indifferent things, than he would be if, ſubmitting to them, you would preach the Goſpel and ſave Souls? Will this be a good Anſwer to the Lord at the great Day of Accounts? Lord, I would have preached the Goſpel, I would have endeavoured the Salvation of Souls; But I durſt not wear a Surplice, I durſt not uſe that declared Indifferent Ceremony of the Croſs, I durſt not kneel before thee at thy holy Table, I durſt not be obedient to my Lawfull Superiours who required theſe things, and though I know that neceſſity is laid upon me, yea, wo is unto me, if I preach not the Goſpel; yet I thought my ſelf obliged rather to diſpenſe with that neceſſity thou haſt laid upon me than ſubmit to thoſe indifferent things they would lay upon me againſt my Chriſtian Liberty, and to let thouſands of Souls periſh, than hazard my own by Subſcription and Ceremonies. But,

2. The Offence of Refuſing Conformity in things indifferent, is not to be meaſured according to the things unto which we are to conform, which the Church hath declared her Judgment in that they are not to be valued for their own ſakes. But 'tis Pride, Contempt, and Diſobedience to Lawfull Authority to oppoſe its Orders, and theſe are not ſo ſlight faults as you imagin; it was but a light fault that Shimei made, in going out of the City, but he loſt his Head for it; it was but a light fault that Ʋzza made in touching the Ark, but he loſt his Life for it. But, ſay you, Though the Biſhops call the things they enjoin Indifferent, yet our Sentiments are otherwiſe. 'Tis in our account for the ſake of Chriſt, becauſe we dare not conſent to that which we judge an Uſurpation of his Kingly power, and an Accuſation of his Laws, as inſufficient.

Anſw. 'Tis worth our Obſervation, that of Dr. Sanderſon, that all their Arguments againſt our Ceremonies are drawn from the Head of Chriſtian Liberty, and then with the ſame Breath they deny them to be things indifferent, and often do they uſe this Topick in this Addreſs.

2. He and others have proved the things to be indifferent (as the Church declares them) which they can never diſprove.

3. 'Tis for the ſake of Chriſt that you diſobey the Command and Example of Chriſt; that you diſobey the Magiſtrates of Chriſt, and the Government of Chriſt, and the Orders of his Church.

4. You judge the Biſhops Injunction of things indifferent an Uſurpation of Chriſt's Kingly power, and Accuſation of his Laws as inſufficient. But your Apoſtle, Mr. Calvin, judges otherwiſe, as do the Biſhops, That Chriſt hath given Laws for all things neceſſary in the Divine Worſhip. But as to things pertaining to outward Order and Comelineſs he hath taught nothing expreſly. Thoſe he hath left to the Churches prudence. Hath Chriſt given ſuch Laws? Open our eyes, ſhew us, and let us ſee them: (Hath he not) then, not the Governours of the Church, but you, who judge he ought, do accuſe Chriſt's Laws as inſufficient.

In their fifth Reaſon they ſay, Suppoſe they be miſtaken, in thinking the things to be ſo diſpleaſing to God: yet it is commendable in them to be fearfull in diſpleaſing him, and carefull to obey him.

Anſ. We ſee, be they right or wrong, whatever they opine and act is commendable. Suppoſe they miſtook in preaching us into Rebellion, in pulling down Biſhops, in taking away the Liturgy, in overturning the Foundations of Church and State, yet their Zeal is commendable. May not all Zealots plead thus? Suppoſe the Papiſts were miſtaken in their Fiery Zeal to blow up the King and Parliament, and in the Iriſh Maſſacre, yet their Zeal was commendable, in deſigning to deſtroy thoſe they judged the Enemies of their Church. Suppoſe they be miſtaken in worſhipping the Saints, and their Images and Reliques, yet, ſince they think they pleaſe God, 'tis commendable. Suppoſe the Quakers miſtaken in denying Magiſtrates and Miniſters, and all Authority in Church and State, yet, in that they think they ſhould diſpleaſe God in owning thoſe Powers, 'tis in them commendable to diſown them. Is this the Counſel you would give to one who doubts and ſeeks your Reſolution? Will this ſatisfie and deliver him from doubting, to tell him, Suppoſe you were miſtaken; yet, if you think you are in the right, purſue your opion, 'tis commendable? Saint Paul is a better Caſuiſt, and gives other Counſel, Prove all things, 1 Theſ. 5.21. hold faſt that which is good, abſtain from all appearance of evil.

7. That, becauſe men are forbidden to preach unleſs they conform, they are tempted to infer, that Preaching being neceſſary to Salvation, and thoſe things called Indifferent, being made neceſſary to Preaching, and preferred before it; therefore they are made neceſſary to Salvation, and preferred before that which God hath made neceſſary.

Anſ. The Accuſation is moſt untrue; thoſe Indifferent things are not made neceſſary to Preaching, much leſs preferred before it; and thoſe who are tempted thus to infer, becauſe men are forbidden to preach, unleſs they dare ſubſcribe and uſe thoſe things, therefore thoſe things (called Indifferent) are made neceſſary to Preaching, and preferred before it, are very weak Logicians.

Every thing that is required, is not required as neceſſary, as you have been often told. Many things are required as expedient, as decent, as comely, as orderly; ſo are our Ceremonies. Miniſters are forbidden to reade Prayers without the Surplice, to preach without a Gown: The Judges are forbidden to ſit in Judgment, till they reade their Commiſſion; and are required to ſit in their Scarlet; will any hence be tempted to infer, that the Surplice and Gown are made neceſſary to and preferred before Prayer and Preaching; and reading a Commiſſion, and wearing Scarlet Robes are made neceſſary to and preferred before doing Juſtice?

2. Every thing that is made neceſſary to any End or Action, is not thereby preferred before it. Methinks ſo many Learned Divines ſhould know, that though theſe Indifferent things ſhould be made neceſſary by the Command of the Church to Preaching, yet, it no way follows, they are preffered before it. The Means ſure is made neceſſary to the obtaining the End, yet is not preffered before it. 'Tis, you will confeſs, juſtly forbidden, that Ordination ſhould be given to any without Examination and Impoſition of hands, or that any ſhould preached without Ordination; yet, I think, you are not tempted to infer, that Examination, Impoſition of hands and Ordination it ſelf, though neceſſary, are to be preffered before Preaching. Follows their

8. R. which implies, we lay our Religion upon our particular Liturgy, and ſo teach the Papiſts to inſult, Where was our Religion 200 years ago? the Common-prayer-book, as differing from the Maſs-book, being not ſo old.

1. We thank you for your ingenuous Acknowledgment, 〈…〉 that our Common-prayer-book differs from the Maſs-book. A Maſs-prieſt, (now yours) turning from Popery to Presbyterianiſm, moſt impudently affirms them to be the ſame.

2. Religion is made up of Doctrine, Worſhip and Government; our Liturgy is our Form of Publick Worſhip, and ſo a part of our Religion; and, being agreeable to God's Word, nor Papiſts, nor your ſelves, can juſtly except againſt it. For their Queſtion, Where was our Religion 200 years ago? You might know, they make it not ſo much upon the change of our Liturgy (themſelves in Queen Elizabeth's time for many years joining in it) as upon pretence we have changed our Doctrine; and the Queſtion as it hath been oft, & ad ravim uſque, by them asked, it hath been by us as oft and ſatisfactorily anſwered; and if we ſhould (as we do not) lay our Religion upon our Liturgy, 'tis moſt agreeable to the Scriptures, where our Religion is,The Creed, Commandments, the Lord's Prayer and Sacraments. and contains all the Fundamentals of Religion; and your Mr. Calvin doth witneſs it for us, That the Common-prayer-book doth excellently contain the chief heads of our Religion.

The 9. is, A Requeſt for Liberty upon on an Inſinuation, That no Liturgical Forms were impoſed on any Church in the primitive times.

Anſ. 1. Then ſure, the now named, your much Reverend Mr. Calvin was either ignorant of the Conſtitutions of the primitive times, or had other Sentiments of them then you, who declares his Judgment contrary to you, Quoad formulam Precum & Rituum Eccleſiaſticorum, valde probo ut certa illa exſtet, à qua Paſtoribus diſcedere in functione ſua non liceat. As to the Form of Prayers and Eccleſiaſtical Rights, I greatly approve that it be ſettled, from which it may not be lawfull for the Paſtors in their Function to vary or depart.

2. You have ſurely heard of the Liturgies of S. Peter, S. James, and S. Mark, and that of S. Mark, S. Cyril owns and comments upon in his Catechiſm, and S. Cyril was a Biſhop in the primitive times, living about the year of Chriſt 350. and S. Baſil, a famous and primitive Biſhop too, was deeply cenſured and put to make painfull Apologies for a little Change he made in the uſual Church-liturgy: It was thought in him (ſaith our Authour) an unpardonable Offence to alter any thing, in us, as intolerable, that we ſuffer any thing unaltered in the Liturgy.

R. 10. And if you ſhould reject (which God forbid) the moderate Propoſals which now and formerly we have made, we humbly crave leave to offer it to your conſideration, what Judgment all the Proteſtant Churches are likely to paſs on your Proceedings, and how your Cauſe and ours will ſtand repreſented to them and to all ſucceeding ages.

Anſw. Their moderate Propoſals we have heard, which they now make, that they may be free from the eſtabliſhed Government and Liturgy of the Church, and they, as Able and Godly, continued in the choiceſt Livings they had invaded; and the Epiſcopal kept out, as Scandalous, Negligent and Inſufficient.

What moderate Propoſals they made formerly I am to learn, they know his late Majeſty made to them moderate Propoſals, but was refuſed; and, they confeſs, the Lord Primate of Ireland made moderate Propoſals, but by them never accepted.

As to their bold Appeal to all Proteſtant Churches, preſuming they will give their Judgments for them, and againſt the Church of England's eſtabliſhed Conſtitutions; which they have the huge Confidence to propheſie even of the Judgment of all ſucceeding ages. They might, without a Revelation, by their Jugdment paſt and preſent have foreſeen their Judgment for the future. The paſt age hath cryed Grace, Grace to our happy, orderly and moderate Reformation in Doctrine, Government and Worſhip; the Proteſtant Churches have given us the Right-hand of Fellowſhip, have maintained ſweet Communion with us, have in Marian Perſecution, received our Exiles; their moſt eminent Lights have ſent us high Congratulations; their ableſt Miniſters have, divers of them, come over, and with Joy beheld our Order; and ſome have lived and died amongſt us.

What Judgment did Mr. Beza give? Let himſelf ſpeak, Quod ſi nunc, — If now the Reformed Churches of England, being underprop'd with the Authority of Biſhops and Archbiſhops, do continue as this hath hapened to that Church in our memory, That ſhe hath had Men of that Calling, not onely moſt notable Martyrs, but alſo excellent Paſtors and Doctors; let them truly enjoy that ſingular Bleſſing of God, which I wiſh may be perpetual unto her.

What Judgment did Peter Martyr paſs in the Caſe of Biſhop Hooper, about the Ceremonies? Did he not anſwer his Arguments? vindicate the lawfulneſs of them? exhort him to ſubmit unto them? The Judgment of Doctor Moulin you have heard, and much more might be told you of the high Honour he had for the Church of England. And, to come nearer, what Judgment the Proteſtant Churches paſſed upon your Covenant, your Reforming the Church by the Sword, and in the Bloud of the Nurſing Father and the Prime Paſtour of it, with many Thouſands more, you have ſurely heard. Were they not aſhamed, confounded and aſtoniſhed at our Schiſms and Seditions, and Violations of all Authority Sacred and Civil? And, Have not your Actions in the late lamentable times caſt a Blemiſh upon the Honour of our Nation never to be waſhed off? An Engliſh-man daring ſcarce to look another man in the face in a foreign Countrey, being under the Objection and Reproach of Rebellion, Murthering their King, Changing the beſt tempered Monarchy in the World into a puny Common-wealth, and that ſwallowed up ſoon into a Barbarous Protectourſhip; and Abaſing the moſt primitive and venerable Epiſcopacy into a novel and contemptible Parity and Linſy-woolſey Preſbytery, made up of Preachers and Lay-elders, and that too ſtraight undermined and baffled by a Muſhrome Independency: Pudet haec Opprobria vobis & dici potuiſſe, & non potuiſſe refelli. This is the paſt Judgment of the Proteſtant Churches abroad concerning our Church eſtabliſhed, and you who ruined it, till God in mercy reſtored it. For the Churches of ſucceeding ages; I think they will hardly believe the Hiſtory of ours. That ſuch men as you, profeſſing higheſt Godlineſs, ſhould, in a pretended zeal for it, preach up Sedition and Schiſm, and embroil the Church and Nation wherein you were born and baptized in Bloud and Confuſion: and, which ſeems more incredible, Appeal to all Proteſtant Churches in your own Juſtification: nay, Supplicate the King (whoſe Royal Father was martyred, and himſelf long baniſhed for ſtanding up in defence of the Church which you oppoſed and by Force deſtroyed) to ſcreen you from the Churche's Power, to grant you the chief Benefices in the Church, and give you Liberty to be of another Church, to enjoy a Worſhip and Government of your own Mode and Model.

But, my Brethren, how come you to make this lowd Challenge? Why enquire you, or rather, Why preſume you, what Judgment the Proteſtant Churches will make of our Churches proceedings? Sure your mighty Zeal and ardent Affection to your Cauſe hath clouded your own Judgment, and quite bereaved you of your Memory. You mention often, and with ſeeming regard, his Majeſtie's gracious Declaration touching Eccleſiaſtical Affairs: he therein tells you the preſent Judgment of the Reformed Churches abroad, and, had you Faith to believe his Royal word, you might have ſpared this Argument and Out-cry, which you may bluſh for, and wiſh you had ſuppreſſed. Hear his Majeſty ſpeaking their Judgment.

We do think Our ſelf the more competent to propoſe, and, with God's Aſſiſtence, to determine many things now in Difference, from the time We have ſpent, and the experience We have had in moſt of the Reformed Churches abroad, in France, the Low-countries, and Germany; where We have had frequent Conference with the moſt Learned men, who have unanimouſly lamented the great Reproach the Proteſtant Religion undergoes from the Diſtempers and too notorious Schiſms in Matters of Religion in England: And as the moſt Learned among them have alwaies, with great Submiſſion and Reverence, acknowledged and magnified the eſtabliſhed Government of the Church of England, and the great Countenance and Shelter the Proteſtant Religion received from it before theſe unhappy times: So many of the have, with great Ingenuity and Sorrow, confeſſed, that they were too eaſily miſ-led, by miſ-information and prejudice, into ſome diſeſteem of it, as if it had too much complyed with the Church of Rome; whereas they now acknowledg it to be the beſt Fence God hath yet raiſed againſt Popery in the World; and We are perſuaded they do with great Zeal wiſh it reſtored to its old Dignity and Veneration.

You ſee what Judgment the Proteſtant Churches have paſſed upon the Church of England, and her former Proceedings, and thereby may take an Eſtimate, what Judgment they will paſs on her preſent Proceedings, and how the Churche's Cauſe and yours will be repreſented to them: They will acknowledg and magnifie, with great Submiſſion and Reverence, the eſtabliſhed Government of the Church of England, if you dare believe his Majeſty, and conſequently will cenſure you as Schiſmatical and Diſobedient, to refuſe to ſubmit unto it.

But I muſt not miſrepreſent you your Submiſſion you profeſs.

If after our Submiſſion to hiſ Majeſty's Declaration, and after our own Propoſals of the primitive Epiſcopacy, and of ſuch a Liturgy as we here tender, we may not be permitted to exerciſe our Miniſtry, the Pens of thoſe moderate Biſhops will bear witneſs againſt you, that were once employed as the Chief Defenders of that Cauſe, (we mean ſuch as Reverend Biſhop Hall and Uſher) who have publiſhed to the World, that much leſs than this might have ſerved to our fraternal Ʋnity and Peace.

Anſ. You before appealed to the Proteſtant Churches abroad, now unto two Biſhops of our own, and with like Succeſs.

1. You ſay you have ſubmitted to his Majeſtie's Declaration, you ſhould have inſtanced wherein. His Majeſty there declares, That, having ſeen all the Liturgies that are extant and uſed in this part of the World, he eſteems that of the Church of England to be the beſt, and well knows the Reverence the moſt, or at leaſt the moſt Learned in the Reformed Churches, have for it; he heartily wiſhes and deſires, until it be reviewed, and ſome Alterations and Additional Forms made, the Miniſters, who diſlike ſome Clauſes and Expreſſions, would not therefore totally lay aſide the uſe of the Book of Common-prayer, but reade thoſe parts againſt which there can be no exception, which would be the beſt inſtance of declyning thoſe marks of diſtinction which his Majeſty ſo much labours and deſires to remove.

Have you herein ſubmitted to his Majeſtie's Declaration? Have you read any thing of the Common Prayers, and thereby inſtanced your deſire in compliance with his Majeſtie's, to remove and decline thoſe marks of diſtinction? What you can lay hold of to your purpoſe in his Declaration, you greedily catch at, the reſt you paſs by.

However you pretend to ſubmit to his Majeſtie's Declaration, he therein complains, your Party (of which you are the Leaders) have not dealt candidly with him, that there are amongſt them unquiet and reſtleſs Spirits who continue their Bitterneſs againſt the Church, and indeavour to raiſe Jealouſies againſt his Majeſty, and have unſeaſonably printed, publiſhed and diſperſed a Declaration to his Majeſtie's Reproach; and ſince the printing this Declaration (you ſay you ſubmit to) ſeveral ſeditious Pamphlets and Quaeries have been publiſhed and ſcattered abroad, to infuſe Diſlike and Jealouſies into the Hearts of the People. Behold your Submiſſion to his Majeſtie's Declaration.

You next tell us of your own Propoſals of the Primitive Epiſcopacy, and your own Liturgy. What your Primitive Epiſcopacy is, your Jus Divinum Miniſtrii Anglicani ſpeaks, That there is no Biſhop in the ſenſe of our Church, no Epiſcopus Paſtorum, but all Presbyters are equally, and in a parity, Epiſcopi Gregis: and what your own Liturgy is, you have let us ſee ſuch a one as you would have for your ſelves, in oppoſition to that of the Church; and yet, though you would have it, you will not be bound to uſe it neither; which is as much as to ſay, If you may not have your own fancied frame of Government and publick Worſhip, and that with Liberty too, to throw them off when your fancie changeth, you receive mighty wrong, and, as you ſaid before, all the Proteſtant Churches, ſo you ſay now, all the World will think it ſtrange. Biſhop Ʋſher you mentioned before, you now bring him in again after Biſhop Hall, and give them the Titles of Reverend, Learned and Moderate. 'Tis well Biſhop Hall (now he is at reſt) hath from you ſo kind a Character: Time was when your combined Forces were bent ſingly againſt him; you fought neither with ſmall nor great, but onely with Biſhop Hall; and when Smectymnuus was not able to diſpute him down, your Rabſhakeh railed him down; and however you now complement him, you have ſhewn your preſent Eſteem of him and of the Primitive Epiſcopacy, in reprinting your Smectymnuus now, ſince his Majeſtie's Reſtoration; and if, as you ſay, he and Biſhop Ʋſher have publiſhed to the World, that much leſs than that would have ſerved to a fraternal Peace; you publiſh to the World, you have been obſtinate and averſe to Peace and Unity; who, when you had the Law in your hands, would not hearken to thoſe, by you confeſſed, Moderate Terms of Unity and Peace, and your own Pens will bear witneſs againſt you, that you are now juſtly repulſed, who would not yield when fair means of Accommodation were offered as to Re-ordination, which you often mention, and here it comes in again.

1. We deny your Presbyterian and Independent (ſo called) Ordination to be really and indeed any Ordination at all; and till you prove it ſuch, you charge the Biſhops falſely wih requiring Re-ordination.

2. Many who have been under your hands have of themſelves (without being required) judging your pretended Ordination a Nullity, deſired Ordination from the Biſhops.

3. The Canon (ſuppoſed) of the Apoſtles toucheth not this Caſe, nor our Biſhops, who neither do re-ordain nor allow it. Re-ordaining, rightly ſo called, being the Ordaining again of a Deacon or Prieſt by a Biſhop, who was by him known to have been by a Biſhop before ordained.

4. Biſhop Bancroſt ſpeaks of thoſe who were ordained by Presbyters, where were no Biſhops to ordain them, as in many of the Reformed Churches abroad.

But we had Biſhops till you pull'd them down: Nay, bleſſed be God, we had Biſhops after you had pull'd them down, and till his Majeſty ſet them up again, and thoſe who would, in all the late times, might have had, and very many had Ordination from their hands: 'tis therefore a moſt groſs Untruth, and 'tis ſtrange, ſuch Godly men as you ſhould dare to utter and publiſh it, That your young Preachers, by the old Presbyters ſent, were born in an Age and Countrey which required Ordination by Parochial Paſtors without Dioceſans: if there had been no Biſhops, you might then have ſaid, the Age and Countrey required (leſt the Church ſhould fail) Ordination from Parochial Paſtors; but I ſay, and you to your Sorrow know, there were Biſhops all that time, divers Engliſh and alſo Scotiſh and Iriſh Biſhops, who, though many of them were latent, yet were and might be addreſſed to, and did all along confer holy Orders: there are at leaſt five Engliſh Biſhops living to my knowledge, and you may know more, having the Honour to be joyned with them in Commiſſion, which all good men are ſorry is not on your part managed temperately and humbly, prudently and piouſly, to the Peace of the Church, by your ſelves chiefly (but for all our ſins) long and lamentably divided.

R. 11. Is a repeated Complaint of their Afflictions, and an Accuſation of the Biſhops as their Afflictors, which is already anſwered.

The Twelfth and Fourteenth are the ſame, and ſhall be conſidered together.

The 13th is hammered on the ſame Anvil with the 11th; That they are the Godly party, and afflicted; the Epiſcopal are cruel, and perſecute them for the Cauſe of Chriſt: How will Chriſt: take it of you to caſt out from the Miniſtery, or Communion of the Church, or to grieve and puniſh all that dare not conform to you in theſe Matters?

Anſ. How will Chriſt take it from you to caſt out all Biſhops and Epiſcopal men who durſt not conform to you in your Matters? The Biſhops Proceedings are by gentle methods: 1. They Admoniſh; 2. Suſpend; 3. Silence; before they deprive any; and none are deprived, but for foul and incorrigible Crimes: but you eject at firſt, and totally, for no Crime, for no Breach of the Laws and Orders, but even for that the Epiſcopal perſons ſtand for the Laws and Orders eſtabliſhed.

You trod down the Stars of Chriſt's planting as the Stones in the ſtreet: All thoſe places of Scripture miſapplied by you, may againſt you be rightly applied.

And whereas elſewhere they ſay to this purpoſe, Sad Experience tels the World, that if the Miniſters we are pleading for be laid aſide, there are not competent men enough to ſupply their room.

Anſ. Their Care, that there be a ſupply of competent men to ſerve the Church, is commendable and pious: But why did they not take that Care when it was in their power, when themſelves laid aſide and caſt out Thouſands, to provide competent men to ſupply their rooms? Indeed for competent and great Livings they provided; but the places that were poor, if empty they filled them not, if full by perſons never ſo incompetent they amended it not. I believe it is a meaſured Truth, never were ſo many places unprovided, never ſo many meanly provided, as in thoſe times ſince the firſt times of Queen Elizabeth, when competent Miniſters (as now required to be qualified) could not be had for many places; one indeed I have heard of, having in Zeal helped to eject his Miniſter out of a ſmall Living, deſired the Clerk of the Committee for plundered Miniſters, to commend a Miniſter unto them; he anſwered, O, none of us will accept of that, you muſt provided as you can.

The 14th Reaſon, the ſame as I told you, and you may find with the 12th, tels us the Conſtitutions of the Church are againſt their Judgment; and they have not their Judgments at Command; and were they never ſo willing to believe they ought to obey them, they cannot therefore believe the Impoſitions lawfull becauſe they would, the Intellect being not free.

Anſ. What is every body's Argument is no Argument. Thus may the Jew, the Turk, the Papiſts, the Quakers plead for their own, and againſt the true Religion; and thus your Independent Brethren have argued in their Pleas for Toleration, which once you oppoſed; but now you ſharpen your Goads at their Forges: You bring an Objection, as made by us, that we may ſay, 'tis your own fault, that your Judgments are not changed, and that the means have been ſufficient, to which you ſhape an Anſwer, ſuch as it is, but which may make your ſelves bluſh.

That the Sword can eaſilier take this for granted, than the Tongue or Pen of man prove. My Brethren, Quorſum haec? You might well have ſpared the mention of the Sword; Why do you expoſe your own Miſcarriages to the review of the World? Who were thoſe that drew the Sword for Reformation? Who called to Arm? Who promiſed Heaven to all that would take up the Sword in that bleſſed Cauſe of the Covenant? when you were then told of the Word and of the Laws, you could anſwer with that Roman, Nunquamne nobis Gladiis ſuccinctis Leges recitare deſinetis? Tell you us, who have our Swords by our ſides, of the Laws? We tell you, we have drawn our Swords to cut in ſunder thoſe Gordian Knots, your Parchment Laws. So of late your Heroick Oliver to thoſe who pleaded the Laws and ancient Charters granted and confirmed by our Kings, Magna Charta, Magna Far—

But, I pray you, what Sword do the Biſhops, whom you plead with, uſe, but the Spiritual? They are no Popes, who challenge Poteſtatem utriuſque Gladii; They are no Presbyterians, who are Coordinate Powers with Kings and Princes; and for their Tongues and Pens, you muſt ſtrike Sail, till you ſhall be able to encounter and conquer thoſe Worthies, Biſhop Whitgift, Biſhop Bilſon, Dr. Sanderſon, Mr. Hooker, Mr. Maſon, and many more ſuch Generals in the Lord's Hoſt, with whom your Hilderſham, Baines, Parker, Ames, Dod, Ball, Nichols, are not to be named the ſame day.

15. We crave leave to ask, Whether your ſelves do not in ſome things miſtake?

Good Leave have you, and you ask a wiſe Queſtion, with a Conſequence as wild: in your Covenant you yoake Popery with Prelacy, and now you wittily and merrily ask the Prelates, Whether they think themſelves, as the Pope, Infallible; and yet your Party proclaim themſelves next to Infallible. I need not remember you where they ſay, Loath we are to think that they who are moſt ſound in Doctrine ſhould miſtake in Diſcipline: Well, but the Prelates will confeſs, they may miſtake, are not infallible; What's the Conſequence? If you may miſtake in any thing, may it not be in ſuch great things as theſe? and in the ſame breath you ſay, Theſe great things are the ſmalleſt, Ceremonies and Circumſtances of Worſhip. I conceive you ſpeak this Ironically, otherwiſe your Inference is in you a foul miſtake: underſtanding men may miſtake in great things; ergo they may miſtake in ſmall things. However, on this Suppoſition you deſtroy all Power in men to make Laws in great or ſmall things, becauſe Governours are men, and may err and miſtake in ſome things; ergo they may make Laws in nothing.

16. Whether this be doing as you would be done by? would you be caſt out for every fault that is as bad as this? Put your ſelves in their caſe, and ſuppoſe you had ſtudied, conferred and prayed, and done your beſt to know whether God would have you to be re-ordained, and to uſe theſe Forms, Ceremonies, Subſcriptions, or not; and, having done all, you think that God would be diſpleaſed if you ſhould uſe them; would you then be uſed your ſelves as your diſſenting Brethren are now uſed or like to be?

Anſ. This is their ſtrongeſt and faireſt Argument, drawn from the general Rule of Equity and Charity, and 'tis eaſie to retort it, being much more ſtrong on the Biſhops part. Put your ſelves in the Biſhops caſe, and ſuppoſe you had ſtudied, conferred, prayed, and done your beſt to know whether God would have you to preach Reſiſtence againſt your Sovereign, renounce Epiſcopacy, caſt out the Church Liturgy; and, having done all, you think (nay, are ſure, for thinking will not doe) that God would be diſpleaſed if you ſhould doe ſo; would you be uſed your ſelves as your party uſed the Biſhops? impriſoned, beheaded, ſequeſtred.

17. Reaſon is drawn from the Diviſions cauſed by impoſing things unneceſſary, and the Unity and Peace which would follow, if men might enjoy their Liberty, and might have leave to ſerve God as his Apoſtles did; and upon theſe they enlarge in four whole Pages: Nothing more affecteth us than to think of the lamentable Diviſions that have been cauſed and are ſtill like to be, while things unneceſſary are ſo impoſed; and on the contrary, how bleſſed an Ʋnity and Peace we might enjoy, if theſe occaſions of Diviſion were removed, and we might but have leave to ſerve God as the Apoſtles did.

Anſ. If it affect you ſo much to think upon the Diviſions, it ſhould affect you to think that you have been and are the chief cauſe of them, and you might, if your Will ſtood not in your way, remove them; but you mightily miſtake both the Cauſe and Cure of our Diviſions, which are the direct contrary to what you ſurmiſe. The Cauſe of our Diviſions is the Liberty you deſire; the Cure would be your Obedience to the Churche's lawfull Impoſitions, and this not onely Reaſon but your own Experience might have taught you. You caſt off the Reins of Church Government, you ſet your ſelves at Liberty. Did this Cure your Diviſions and create among you Peace and Unity? No, after you had divided from the Church, and caſt off its Rule and Orders; you ſubdivided among your ſelves, and broke all into pieces and parties; never did any Age ſee ſuch lamentable Diviſions in this Church and Nation. But you accuſe the Biſhops, as if they will not give you leave to ſerve God as his Apoſtles did: God forgive you this as falſe as foul an Accuſation. Do not the Biſhops maintain, and the Church ſtedfaſtly continue in the Apoſtles Doctrine? Do they not againſt the Romaniſts, who would obtrude upon us their Traditions in conjunction with the Scriptures, aſſert the Scripture alone to be a moſt perfect Rule of Faith and Manners? Do they not ſerve God as the Apoſtles have taught? and ſo many you in Communion with our Church. Truly if your meaning be, that they give you not leave to ſerve God as Apoſtles, and no leſs or lower will ſerve you, than to be as they, to give Laws to all the Churches, and to be under the Laws of none; you muſt prove your ſelves to be ſuch before you crave that leave: But though you are not Apoſtles, yet you are Prophets, you foreſee and foretell the Sufferings of your Innocent Party—Strange! What a Noiſe they make in almoſt every Paragraph, lamenting and repeating their Sufferings? We are, againſt our wills, enforced as often to let them know, and I wiſh they would rightly reſent, and lay it to heart, that the Biſhops and Conformable Clergy have been really Sufferers for many years, and in the Loſs of all they had, and they the Cauſes of their Sufferings, and for all thoſe years enjoyed all Eaſe and Plenty, and at this time of their preſent loud Complaint they have yet ſuffered nothing, and are certain they ſhall not doe, if they will return to their Duty, all their former Miſcarriages, being by his Majeſtie's Mercy buried in oblivion; and if they will doe ſo, they may be received into Favour, and are as capable of all Preferments as any the trueſt Sons of the Church. I am unwilling to remark the other part of their Prophecie, ripping up our Diviſions (by their Party raiſed and continued ever ſince the Reformation) they in effect threaten, they will be their Sons and Heirs, and that we muſt not expect Peace, but look for Miſery and Diviſion, unleſs they may have their Demands, to be as free and high as the Apoſtles: and here, as their manner is, they heap up a multitude of Scriptures, you may judge how pertinently by the firſt they alledge, 1 Philippians, 14. There St. Paul ſaith, Many of the Brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by his bonds, were much more bold to ſpeak the Word without fear. This Text they cite to prove that the Bonds and Burthens and Diſpleaſure which is upon them from their Superiours, hinders them from ſerving the Lord without fear. Saint Paul's bonds made theſe Brethren confident, and ſet them above fear. But our Brethren, upon their meer fancy of Bonds and Burthens, are faint-hearted, and with fear even diſtracted. The other Scriptures make as little for them or againſt the Biſhops: and ſo I ſhall paſs them over.

The 18th and 19th Reaſons are of the ſame Bran, yet again and again they cry up their Abilities and their Godlineſs, and cry out of their Sufferings and Perſecutions, and the Ungodlineſs of all who are not of their way. I cannot conceive the Reaſon, why this one Topick of their Sufferings makes up more than Ten of their Twenty Reaſons, and they bring it in over and over ſo very often, but that they think no body knows or will believe they have ſuffered any thing, and therefore they ſay it ſo often; or elſe by the loud and repeated Cry of their own, they would drown the loud Cry of the Biſhops Sufferings by them and their Party, which yet the Biſhops themſelves paſs by in Silence; but the World cannot but take notice of with much concernment.

Let us yet hear them again.

In the 18th they call themſelves the Holy Seed, and ſo many able Miniſters laid aſide; and that many of them ſuffer; and that the Ungodly add Affliction to their Affliction. And in the 19th, So many truly fearing God, being caſt or trodden down, are tempted to think ill of that which themſelves and the Church thus ſuffer by; and when ſo many of the worſt befriend this way, becauſe it gratifieth them, it tendeth to make your Cauſe judged of, according to the qualities of its friends or adverſaries. Of their Sufferings enough, and too much of their Godlineſs and the Ungodlineſs of all who are not of their Party. We have heard often too, 'tis their ſtrain and way, with the Phariſee, to ſtand on their Tiptoes, and ſay, God I thank thee I am not thus and thus, I am not ſuch as this Publican.

The worſt, they ſay, befriend that way.

1. That's no proof of the evil of that way, rather of the goodneſs which ſhines forth ſo apparently, that it convinces and even enforces the worſt of men to approve it, Video meliora, probóque.

2. Who are thoſe worſt? The King, the Parliament, and all the obedient Sons of the Church, of all Eſtates and Qualities. This is uſually their great proof, that themſelves truly fear God, their diſlike of eſtabliſhed Order; this their evidence, that others have not the fear of God, their Obedience to thoſe whom God hath ſet over them in Church and State. By the one they commend themſelves, by the other they condemn all but themſelves; and that this is no untrue Accuſation they have made appear, in that they made no difference between the beſt and the worſt, but caſt out all of the Epiſcopal way: Nay, as one of them pleading before them the Sobriety and Unblameableneſs of his Life and Converſation, they told him to his effect, He ſhould fare the worſe for that, they liked not ſo well a ſober as a ſcandalous Malignant, who gave their Proceedings againſt him ſome colour of Juſtice.

2. They tell us they are tempted to think ill of that they ſuffer by.

Anſ. 'Tis eaſie to gueſs whence that Temptation is, a Criminal is tempted to think ill of the Law, becauſe he ſuffers by it; Ungodly men are tempted to think ill of God, and murmur at him, becauſe they ſuffer by his juſt Judgments for their Wickedneſs: You are taught otherwiſe, Matt. 5.44.

20. We repeat what formerly we have ſaid, That the Holy Ghoſt hath already ſo plainly decided the point in controverſie in the Inſtance of Meats and Days, Rom. 14.15. that it ſeemeth ſtrange to us that yet it ſhould remain a Controverſie. A weak Brother, that maketh an unneceſſary difference of Meats and Days, is not to be caſt out, but ſo to be received, and not to be troubled with ſuch doubtfull Diſputations; deſpiſing and judging the Servants of the Lord whom he receiveth, and can make to ſtand, and that upon ſuch ſmall occaſion, is unbeſeeming true Believers.

Their 20th Reaſon is delivered with ſo mighty Confidence, that they would make us believe it looks like a Demonſtration. But 'tis ſcarce worthy the name of a Reaſon. They tell us, The Holy Ghoſt hath decided the Point in controverſie between us — that they think it ſtrange 'tis yet a Controverſie. A ſtrange Preſumption, whereby they at once condemn all the Conformiſts and Non-conformiſts too in this Church ever ſince the Reformation. They think it ſtrange, 'tis a Controverſie; and yet know, 'tis the great Controverſie of theſe 100 years: What Volumes have been written pro and con upon this Subject, The Churche's Power in things indifferent? their own it ſeems wanted the Illumination of the Holy Ghoſt, who could not ſee and ſhew that his plain Deciſion, and ſo were fain to argue againſt the Churche's Orders with their ſlender Probabilities: And ours, in theſe charitable mens Judgment, were Reſiſters of the Holy Ghoſt, in aſſerting the Churche's Power to command for Decency and Order, the Holy Ghoſt having plainly decided the Point againſt them, that they had no ſuch Power, the moſt reverend Whitgift, Morton, Hall, Hooker, Maſon, Sanderſon. I wonder you did not demonſtrate to this laſt, Dr. Sanderſon (who, I ſuppoſe, was a Commiſſioner on the Biſhops part) his wilfull Sin and Errour, in Preaching and Writing ſo earneſtly for the Churche's Ceremonies, from this very 14th Chapter of the Romans: we look upon him as the great Caſuiſt of the Age; a moſt rare Preacher and Textuary; his Temper truly Chriſtian and primitive, charitable, humble, meek, modeſt even to diffidence; his Diſcourſes profound, and yet plain to the meaneſt capacity; nothing more clear, more clean, more cogent and convincing: And we judge thoſe two Sermons of his, one upon the firſt of St. Peter, 2.16. the other upon Romans, 14.23. do fully aſſert the Churche's Conſtitutions by the Non-conformiſts oppoſed, and fairly repreſent, and fully anſwer their Objections; and Maſter Hooker had with as much meekneſs and ſtrength done it before: you have Time and Numbers, if you reſolve to ſtand out, and not conform, to anſwer Mr. Hooker point by point; your many hands may make the work light: but to make it ſhort and eaſie, I challenge a whole Smectymnuus of you to anſwer onely Dr. Sanderſon ſolidly and ſoundly, and I ſhall promiſe you to renounce Conformity, and if you cannot (as I know you cannot) you are ſelf-condemned if you renounce not Non-conformity; and now I ſhall be as highly confident as your ſelves, and ſhall affirm in a direct contradiction to yours, that the Holy Ghoſt hath ſo plainly decided the Point in Controverſie on the Churche's part, that ſhe hath Power to command things indifferent for Decency and Order in God's Worſhip, in the 1 Corinth. c. 14. v. 40. That 'tis ſtrange it ſhould be yet a Controverſie: Nay, the Church had that Power as to outward Order and Decency to appoint Rites and Ceremonies even when God himſelf had made Laws for Ceremonies, and thoſe ſo many, that we might have thought none could or might be added.

The Religious Kings and Governors of the Jewiſh Church enjoyned divers things concerning God's Worſhip which were not by God commanded.

There was no Commandment of God aſſigning the Prieſts Order, Manner and Times of Attendance in the Service of the Temple; yet David and Solomon appointed them, and the Prieſts conformed and obſerved them. There was no Commandment for Singers, Pſalteries, Organs, Cimbals, Harps; yet David appointed for the Temple this Muſick vocal and inſtrumental. There was no Commandment for the Feaſt of Purim; yet Mordecai enjoined it, Heſter ſet it forward, and the Jews eſtabliſhed it for ſucceeding Generations. There was no Commandment for the Feaſt of Dedication; yet our Saviour obſerved it. If therefore the Jewiſh Church, when God himſelf had inſtituted abundance of Ceremonies, might and did appoint others, beſides thoſe by God commanded, which were generally by all without contradiction obſerved; ſurely à fortiori, the Chriſtian Church, having no Law of particular Ceremonies and Rites given by Chriſt, (ſince without Religious Rites God cannot be publickly worſhipped in any orderly and decent manner) may, eſpecially having a general Law to authorize her, 1 Corinth. c. 14. conſtitute and appoint ſuch Rites, and we muſt obey her Conſtitutions in things neither commanded nor prohibited. But to come cloſely to their 20th Reaſon, ſince, ad Triarios ventum eſt, 'tis their laſt, and that in which they place their greateſt ſtrength.

The Holy Ghoſt (ſay they) hath plainly decided the Point in controverſie in the Inſtance of Meats and Days, Rom. 14. & 15. A weak brother that maketh an unneceſſary difference of Meats and Days is not to be caſt out, but ſo to be received.

I ſhall here premiſe the weighty Monition of Dr. Sanderſon, O beware of miſapplying Scripture, it is a thing eaſily done; but not ſo eaſily anſwered. I know not any one gap that hath let in more and more dangerous Errours into the Church than this, that men take the words of the Sacred Text fitted to particular occaſions, and to the condition of the time wherein they were written, and then apply them to themſelves and others, as they find them, without due reſpect had to the differences that may be between thoſe times and caſes, and the preſent. Sundry things ſpoken in the Scripture, agreeable to the infancy of the Church, would ſort very ill with the Church in her fulneſs of ſtrength and ſtature. This Caution, directs me to tell the Petitioners, that the Point and Caſe in controverſie between us and them is hugely different from that Rom. c. 14. v. 15. in reſpect of the Time, the Perſons, and Matter in difference.

1. For the Time; The Jewiſh Church was now expiring, its Conſtitution diſſolved; The Chriſtian Church, ſucceeding it, was in planting, in its infancy; in this time, when the Church was not ſettled, and its Order not fully eſtabliſhed, the new Converts, being tender Plants, were to be tenderly uſed, and all ſorts, in pious Prudence, to be indulged; but not ſo in a Church planted and ſettled, then and there all its Members are obliged to obey its Orders, and not to caſt them off upon pretence of Conſcience or (Chriſtian Liberty; the Troubles at Francford they mention, though much to the hindrance of the Reformation, becauſe in the infancy and beginning of it; yet becauſe in the beginning of it, that Party which oppoſed the new-made Conſtitutions of our Church were not ſo culpable as theſe Troublers, who, a hundred years after the Orders of the Church had obtained and happily flouriſhed, have invaded and overturned all Order and Government, and now, that 'tis reſtoring, keep up the ſame humour of oppoſing it.

2. The caſe is different in reſpect of the Perſons differing about Meats and Days; The one Party were weak, the other ſtrong in Faith and Judgment of their Chriſtian Liberty: Now of whether endſort are our Non-conformiſts? The ſtrong, in modeſty, they will not call themſelves; and the weak, they will take it ill to be called, being the Chieftains and Choſen ones of their Party, and giving themſelves the Title of Able and Godly, and who are now conteſting with 20 Reaſons (and this laſt in their eſteem irrefragable) againſt the moſt Learned Defenders of the Churche's Orders. But if (as they ſeem to inſinuate) they are the weak Brethren, then their weakneſs deſerves compaſſion, yet for that very Reaſon (their weakneſs) owes ſubmiſſion to the better Judgment of the ſtrong, eſpecially, they being • ut Subjects and private perſons, and obedience to the formerly eſtabliſhed and now to be reſtored Order: An yieldance there muſt be on the one part, and whether the weak ought to ſubmit to the ſtrong, and obey the Laws, or the ſtrong muſt ſubmit to the weak, and give them leave to trample the Laws under their feet, let the weakeſt judge. But how long will theſe Brethren be weak? Will they be Children of a Hundred years, after ſo long time and teaching, and means of Inſtruction?

The Church (as ſaith the Excellent Dr. Sanderſon) hath ſufficiently declared and publiſhed the Innocency of her purpoſe and meaning in enjoyning the Ceremonies; nor ſo onely; but hath been content to hear, receive and admit the Objections and Reaſons of the Refuſers; and hath taken pains to anſwer and ſatiſfie to the full all that ever could be ſaid in that behalf; and therefore it is vanity in theſe men to alledge weakneſs where all good means have been plentifully uſed for full information in the Points in doubt; ſo that we may, without breach of Charity, conclude from ſo plain Premiſſes, that not their weakneſs, but wilfullneſs is the real Cauſe of their Refuſal to conform.

3. The caſe is different in the Matter and Thing it ſelf in controverſie. Thoſe Meats and Days about whoſe obſervation there was variance, Rom. c. 14. were once, and a long time, not indifferent, but under Divine Precept, the one commanded, the other prohibited; but our Ceremonies were alwaies indifferent, never under any Divine Precept, nor commanded, nor prohibited: The Reaſon why thoſe weak Brethren obſerved the Days and abſtained from the Meats was, They knew there was a Law of God for it, and they knew not that it was aboliſhed: But our weak Brethren have no ſuch Reaſon to refuſe the Ceremonies by the Church enjoined, ſince they were never by any Law of God forbidden. Thoſe weak Brethren feared to ſin where God had made a Law; our weak Brethren fear to ſin where God hath made no Law, or rather, where he hath made a general and ſtanding Law, that we ſhould obey our Governours in their Ordinances which are not contrary to his Laws. Let me add, the Point is greatly different in this reſpect alſo; That the Apoſtle gives a Liberty onely for a time, to uſe or not to uſe thoſe Legal Ceremonies, for afterwards he cuts off that Liberty, and forbids thoſe Legal Obſervations to the Coloſſians and to the Galatians, and that with great Severity: They were before Mortua, and allowed a decent Burial: But now, after full Inſtruction that they were nailed to Chriſt's Croſs and buried in his Grave, they were Mortifera, 'twas deadly to raiſe or revive them; and now, upon ſecond thoughts, our Brethren, I hope, will ſee they have cauſe to abate their Confidence; the Point in Controverſie being very different about the Jewiſh Rites and the Ceremonies of our Church.

Herein we cannot but diſcern and allow them to be like; In that, Firſt, Thoſe Brethren, who judged the other, were weak, and ſo are theſe, though their Reaſon ſtronger by much, they having the Law for them, theſe no Law.

Secondly, Thoſe weak Brethren were in the Errour, ſo are ours.

But, Thirdly, The Errour of thoſe directly contrary to the Errour of theſe. Thoſe Brethren were zealous for the Ceremonies, theſe Brethren are zealous againſt the Ceremonies. I ſhall end this Point in that ſolid and convincing Anſwer of Mr. L'Eſtrange to this their 20th Reaſon, and I beſeech them to reade and weigh it without prejudice to his perſon and manner of writing; he is ſmart and pleaſant, and doth, I confeſs, Ludere cum Sanctis, (I mean onely with ſuch Saints as our Brethren,) but I appeal to themſelves whether he be not here ſerious, and hath not rightly interpreted the place, and ſtated the caſe, and determined the Point in controverſie.

Would our Divines perſuade us, that the caſe of Meats and Days, whereof the Apoſtle ſpeaks, is of the ſame nature with that of Ceremonies which we are now debating, or that a weak Brother is not to be diſtinguiſhed from a peeviſh? See how vaſt a difference lies between them, under the Law God himſelf put a difference between Meats and Days, which difference ceaſt upon the coming of our Bleſſed Saviour: Some thought it ſtill a point of Conſcience to obſerve the Law, and theſe the Apoſtle calls, Weak Brethren: Others again, that knew the Law was abrogated, quitted theſe Scruples; and of theſe it is that St. Paul ſaies, We which are ſtrong ought to bear the Infirmity of the weak: now mark, That which was formerly impoſed is now become a thing indiffrent, that is, indifferent to the ſtrong and knowing, not to thoſe who were not convinc'd of the Determination of the former Ty and Duty; and this is the true ground of the Apoſtle's Tenderneſs here concerning Scandal, Deſtroy not him with thy meat for whom Chriſt died.

See how their caſe now matches ours; They durſt not eat, becauſe they knew that once they were bound, and they did not know likewiſe that they were now diſcharged. Let our Reformers ſhew as much for Ceremonies; Either that humane Impoſitions (for Decency and Order he means) were ever forbidden, or that thoſe practis'd in our Church are in themſelves unlawfull.

They next would father an Objection upon the Aſſertors of the Churche's Orders and Impoſitions—If you ſay— Rulers, Impoſition maketh Indifferent things ceaſe to be indifferent—We anſwer—But till they ſay as you would make them, you may ſave your Anſwer, they are not obliged to a Reply; you may ſee the Churche's ſenſe to be quite another thing than this you would impoſe upon them, in Dr. Sanderſon's Sermon, 1 Pet. 2.16.

To what you add from 1 Cor. 8.13. Paul was a Ruler of the Church himſelf, and yet would deny his own Liberty rather than offend the weak: So far was he from taking away the Liberty of others. The Anſwer is made already, the Caſe being foreign, and nothing to our Controverſie; The ſame now mentioned about eating Meats offered to Idols wherewith the weak were offended. What is this to the Point in controverſie? We muſt deny our Liberty rather than offend the weak, Ergo, the Church may not preſcribe Rules about Indifferent things; and that invidious and reflecting Paſſage added— So far was he from taking away the Liberty of others—is as little to your purpoſe; you have been taught, and might learn, that the Church, in preſcribing Indifferent things, takes away no man's Liberty: The things preſcribed are in their own nature, and in the Judgment both of the Impoſer and the intelligent Obſerver of them the ſame they were before, Indifferent. I obey the Church, yet preſerve my Liberty, ſtill judging the thing Indifferent which it commands; and I obey not the Command as any neceſſary part of Religion, but as the Church commands it, which I am bound to obey for Decency and Order. They that make Laws concerning Indifferent things have no intention at all to meddle with the nature of them, they leave that in medio as they found it; but onely for ſome reaſons of conveniency, order the uſe of them, the Indifferency of their nature ſtill being where it was.

They are very unhappy in alledging that Scripture, Acts 15.28. which concludes directly for the Church, againſt them, we may tell them in their own words, the Holy Ghoſt hath there ſo plainly decided the Point in controverſie, that it ſeems ſtrange to us, that yet it ſhould remain a controverſie; they have here thrown down all they have built; all their 20 Reaſons fall and are broken in pieces, as Dagon before the Ark.

This Chapter acquaints us, that ſome Jews, though converted to the Chriſtian Faith and embracing the Goſpel, yet thought themſelves bound to the Obſervation of the whole Moſaical Law, and they thought the converted Gentiles ſo bound alſo, and told them that, except they were circumcized, and kept the Law of Moſes, they could not be ſaved. Hereupon ariſes Diſſention and Diſputation, and an Appeal is made to a Council at Jeruſalem, which upon the hearing and debating the Queſtion determines, That the converted Gentiles ſhould not be obliged to Circumciſion nor to the Ceremonial Law, but in yieldance to the converted Jews, who were zealous of the Law, and to keep Peace with them, they ſhould abſtain from ſome few things in their nature indifferent, but neceſſary in order to Peace and Charity, from Meats offered to Idols, from Bloud, and from things ſtrangled. Behold here the Firſt and Greateſt Council that ever was in the Chriſtian Church, to compoſe a Difference, meets, and makes a Law of Abſtinence from ſome things indifferent, and otherwiſe in themſelves lawfull. This is plainly the Caſe, the Act of the Council and Deciſion of the Queſtion, and yet theſe men alledge the Act of the Council to prove the quite contrary. I am amazed to ſee how they change and clip the words, and pervert the ſenſe of the Scripture they cite for their ends, and, I fear, againſt their Conſcience. They ſay, the Apoſtles and Elders, Act. 15.28. declare unto the Churches, that it ſeemed good unto the Holy Ghoſt and them to lay upon them no greater Burthen than neceſſary things; Do the Apoſtles and Elders ſo declare? then we yield the Cauſe. Do they not? then ought they with Sin and Shame to yield it. They leave out the word (Theſe) becauſe they know it made againſt them; limiting the Churche's Order to ſome few particular things, there preſently named, Things offered to Idols, Bloud, &c.

Now whereas the Church makes a temporary Order for ſome particular things, and declares thus, It ſeemed good to the Holy Ghoſt and to us to lay upon you no greater Burthen neceſſary beſides theſe things or (theſe) neceſſary things: They leave out that word (theſe) of main importance, and hugely againſt them, and would make a ſtanding Canon of their own, and father it upon the Apoſtles: That the Church ought to impoſe no other then neceſſary things, and yet too by their own confeſſion, theſe things impoſed were not ſimply in their own nature unchangeably neceſſary, but by accident, pro tempore & loco; and whereas they ſay, the Council impoſed them, becauſe antecedently neceſſary, The contrary is moſt true: Theſe things were not antecedently neceſſary, but onely, as themſelves ſay, pro tempore, for the time. There being at this time a difference riſen about the Jewiſh Ceremonies, it was not neceſſary before the Council now ſo determined, That the converted Gentiles ſhould abſtain from things offered to Idols, ſtrangled, and Bloud; that Law belonging onely to the Jews, never to the Gentiles. Behold how rarely well theſe men argue, To prove Church-Governours may not determine in things indifferent for Order and Unity, but all ought to be left to their own Liberty: They produce a Scripture which proves moſt plainly, That Church-Governours have, and may determine and reſtrain thoſe under them from the uſe of things indifferent; All the things touching which the Council they produce do give order being indifferent, except one, Fornication, which is of another nature, but with theſe prohibited, for that the Gentiles allowed themſelves in it, and ſcarce looked on it as a Sin: This of their 20th and laſt Reaſon which I have thus at large conſidered, for that they lay ſo much weight upon it, though it prove, as the reſt, light in the Balance; I ſhall, for a Concluſion of all, clearly evidence the Churche's Power to preſcribe external Rites and Ceremonies for Order and Decency, and our Obligation to conform unto them from the Judgment of two ancient Fathers, for whom I ſuppoſe our Brethren have ſome Reverence; and if thoſe cannot move them, from the Judgment of a modern Father, for whom I am ſure they have a high Veneration; 'Tis St. Auguſtine's Rule, Prudenti Chriſtiano eo modo agendum eſſe quo agit Eccleſia ad quam devenerit, and his Mother having uſed, when ſhe was in Africk, to faſt on the Saturday, and coming to Millan, where that Faſt was not obſerved, was doubtfull what to doe; hereupon her Son conſulted Saint Ambroſe, who thus anſwered, When I am here at Millan, I do not faſt on the Saturday; when I am at Rome, I do faſt on the Saturday; and unto what Church ſoever ye come, keep the cuſtom of it, if you be willing neither to give nor take Scandal: From which Rule of St. Auguſtine and Advice of St. Ambroſe, a Learned perſon maketh theſe Remarks: 1. That divers Countries, profeſſing the ſame Religion, may have divers Ceremonies. 2. That in Churches Independent one is not bound of neceſſity to follow another. 3. That 'tis the Duty of every private perſon to conform himſelf to the laudable Cuſtoms and Conſtitutions of the Church wherein he liveth or wherever he cometh. You have heard the Judgment of theſe ancient Fathers. Will you hear your modern Father Mr. Calvin, and he delivers his Judgment ſo fully, and with ſo much ſtrength and clearneſs aſſerts the Churche's Power to ordain external Rites and Ceremonies, that Maſter Hooker himſelf could not ſay more or better.

Whereas many unskilfull men, when they hear that Conſciences are wickedly bound, and God Worſhipped in vain, by the Traditions of men, do at once blot out altogether all Laws whereby the Order of the Church is ſet in frame. Therefore it is convenient alſo to meet with their Errour. Verily in this point it is eaſie to be deceived, becauſe at firſt ſight it doth not by and by appear what difference there is between the one ſort and the other: But I will ſo plainly in few words ſet out the whole matter that the Likeneſs may deceive no man. Firſt let us hold this, That if we ſee in every Society of men ſome Policy to be neceſſary which may ſerve to nouriſh common Peace, and to retain Concord, if we ſee that in the doing of things there is alwaies ſome orderly Form which is behoofefull for publick Honeſty, and for very Humanity not to be refuſed, the ſame ought chiefly to be obſerved in Churches, which are both beſt maintained by a well framed diſpoſition of all things, and without Agreement are no Churches at all. Therefore, if we will have the Safety of the Church well provided for, we muſt altogether diligently procure that which St. Paul commandeth, That all things be done comely and according to order. But foraſmuch as there is ſo great diverſity in the Manners of men, ſo great variety in Minds, ſo great diſagreements in Judgments and Witts; neither is there any Policy ſtedfaſt enough, unleſs it be ſtabliſhed by certain Laws; nor any orderly Uſage can be obſerved, without a certain appointed Form: therefore we are ſo far off from condemning the Laws that are profitable to this purpoſe, that we affirm, that when theſe be taken away, Churches are diſſolved from their Sinewes, and utterly deformed and ſcattered abroad; for this which St. Paul requireth, That all things be done decently and in order, cannot be had, unleſs the Order it ſelf and Comelineſs be eſtabliſhed, with Obſervations adjoyned as with certain Bonds. But this onely thing is alway to be excepted in thoſe Obſervations, That they be not either believed to be neceſſary to Salvation, and ſo bind Conſciences with Religion, or be applied to the worſhipping of God, and ſo Godlineſs be repoſed in them. We have therefore a very good and moſt faithfull mark, which putteth difference between thoſe wicked Ordinances by which we have ſaid, That the True Religion is darkned, and Conſciences ſubverted, and the lawfull Obſervations of the Church, if we remember that the lawfull Obſervations tend alway to one of theſe two things or to both together, that in the Holy Aſſembly of the Faithfull all things be done comely, and with ſuch dignity as beſeemeth, and that the very common Fellowſhip of men ſhould be kept in Order, as it were by certain Bonds of Humanity and Moderation; for when it is once underſtood that the Law is made for publick Honeſty's ſake, the Superſtition is now taken away, into which they fall that meaſure the Worſhiping of God by the Inventions of men. Again, when it is known, that it pertaineth to Common uſes, then that falſe opinion of Bond and Neceſſity is overthrown, which did ſtrike a great Terror into Conſciences when Traditions were thought neceſſary to Salvation; for herein is nothing required, but that Charity ſhould with common dutifull doing be nouriſhed amongſt us. But it is good yet to define more plainly what is comprehended under that Comelineſs which Paul commendeth, and alſo what under Order. The end of Comelineſs is partly, that when ſuch Ceremonies are uſed as may procure a Reverence to Holy things, we may by ſuch Helps be ſtirred up to Godlineſs; partly alſo, that the Modeſty and Gravity which ought to be ſeen in all Honeſt Doings may therein principally appear. In Order this is the firſt Point, That they which govern may know the Rule and Law to govern well, and the People which are governed may be accuſtomed to obeying of God, and to right Diſcipline: Then that the ſtate of the Church being well framed, Peace and Quietneſs may be provided for. Verily becauſe the Lord hath in his Holy Oracles both faithfully contained and clearly ſet forth both the whole Sum of true Righteouſneſs, and all the parts of the Worſhipping of his Divine Majeſty, and whatſoever was neceſſary to Salvation; therefore in theſe things he is onely to be heard as our Schoolmaſter. But becauſe in outward Diſcipline and Ceremonies his Will was not to preſcribe each thing particularly, what we ought to follow, becauſe he foreſaw this to hang upon the ſtate of Times, and did not think one Form to be fit for all Ages, herein we muſt flee to thoſe general Rules which he hath given, that thereby all thoſe things ſhould be tried which the neceſſity of the Church ſhall require to be commanded for Order and Comelineſs; finally, foraſmuch as he hath therefore taught nothing expreſly, becauſe theſe things are not neceſſary to Salvation, and according to the manners of every Nation and Age ought diverſly to be applied to the edifying of the Church: Therefore as the Profit of the Church ſhall require, it ſhall be convenient as well to change and abrogate thoſe that be uſed, as to inſtitute new. I grant indeed, that we ought not raſhly, nor oft, nor for light cauſes to run to Innovation, but what may hurt or edifie, Charity ſhall beſt judge, which if we ſuffer to be the Governeſs, all ſhall be ſafe.

Now it is the Duty of Chriſtian People to keep ſuch things as have been ordained according to this Rule with a free Conſcience, and without any Superſtition, but yet with a godly and eaſie readineſs to obey, not to deſpiſe them, nor to paſs them over with careleſs Negligence; ſo far is it off, that they ought by Pride and Obſtinacy openly to break them. What manner of Liberty of Conſcience, wilt thou ſay, may there be in ſo great obſervation and warineſs? Yes, it ſhall ſtand excellently well; when we ſhall conſider that they are not ſtedfaſt and perpetual ſtayed Laws whereunto we are bound, but outward Rudiments for the weakneſs of Men, which though we do not all need, yet we do all uſe them; becauſe we are mutually bound to one another to nouriſh Charity among us. Thus Mr. Calvin delivers his Judgment directly contrary to yours, perfectly conſentient to the Church of England, and we find his Practice according with his Judgment; he put the Yoke of Diſcipline upon the Neck of the Senate and People of Geneva, and bound them to it with an Oath; and he declares for a Form of Prayers and Eccleſiaſtical Rites, and greatly approves that it be fixed, from which it may not be lawfull for the Paſtors to depart in their Function: you may now go and accuſe Mr. Calvin (with our Church) as judging and acting contrary to Romans 14. and to the Decree of the Apoſtolical Council, laying both upon Paſtors and People a great Burthen of things not neceſſary; and if you pleaſe to take a view of the Scotiſh Diſcipline,Firſt and Second Book of Diſcipline. you will find there alſo a huge and heavy Burthen, abundance of things which you dare not ſay are neceſſary.

And to come home.

The Solemn League and Covenant, impoſed by the long Parliament upon the whole Kingdom, and taken I doubt not by your ſelves, is a moſt heavy Burthen of things, ſo far from neceſſary, that they are not lawfull, nay highly ſinfull; and if you have ſtill the Confidence to ſay the matter of it was neceſſary, yet you cannot affirm it of the Ceremonies enjoyned with ſtrictneſs at the taking of it, which are more than all the Ceremonies by the Church enjoyned to the People in the whole Liturgy: They are no leſs than Five. Thoſe who took the Covenant were ordered, 1. to ſtand; 2. uncovered; 3. with the hand lifted up; 4. the right hand; 5. and that bared.

And may I here preſume to ask you, Suppoſe a weak Brother, whoſe tender Conſcience could not ſwallow theſe ſolemn Rites, ſhould affirm 'twas ſinfull in the Parliament to lay upon them the Burthen of theſe not neceſſary things, and that he could not take the Covenant, unleſs you would allow him his Chriſtian Liberty to doe it without theſe ſuperstitious Ceremonies; whether would you and the Parliament indulge him for his Tenderneſs, or reject and ſequeſter him (if well fleeced) for his Non-conformity? But whatever becomes of this Caſe, you have in a ſolemn part of God's Worſhip (for ſo you judge the Solemn League and Covenant) ſtrictly enjoyned ſeveral unneceſſary Rites and Ceremonies, and ſo you muſt neceſſarily condemn your ſelves, and renounce at leaſt the Ceremonies of your Covenant, or ceaſe for ever to declaim againſt the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England.

AN exact Deſcription of all the Birds hitherto known; the Deſcriptions illuſtrated by moſt elegant Figures, nearly reſembling the Live Birds engraven on 78 Copper Plates, with Three conſiderable Diſcourſes, viz. 1. Of the Art Fowling, 2. The ordering of Singing Birds, and, 3. Of Falconry. By Francis Willoughby, Eſquire. Fol.

Gloſſographia, or, A Dictionary interpreting the hard Words of whatſoever Language, now uſed in our refined Engliſh Tongue; with Etymologies, Definitions, and Hiſtorical Obſervations on the ſame: Alſo the Terms of Divinity, Law, Phyſick, Muſick, Mathematicks, War, Heraldry, and other Arts and Sciences explicated. The Fifth Edition, with many Additions. By T. Blount of the Inner-Temple, Eſq;.

The Policy of Rome, or, The true Sentiments of the Court and Cardinals there concerning Religion and the Goſpel, as they are delivered by Cardinal Palavicini, in his Hiſtory of the Council of Trent; Engliſhed out of French. With a Preface. By Gil. Burnet, D. D.

Vade mecum, or, A Companion for a Chirurgion: fitted for Sea or Land, Peace or War: ſhewing the Ʋſe of his Inſtruments, and Virtues of Medicines ſimple and compound moſt in uſe, and how to make them up after the beſt method: with the manner of making Reports to a Magiſtrate, or Coroner's Inqueſt. A Treatiſe of Bleeding at the Noſe: with Directions for Bleeding, Purging, Vomiting, &c. By Tho. Brugis, Doctor in Phyſick. The Seventh Edition, amended and augmented. With an Inſtitution of Phyſick, and Seven new Treatiſes, viz. Of Tumours, Wounds, Ʋlcers, Fractures, Diſlocations, Lues-Venerea, Anatomy. By Ellis Prat, M. D.

The Poetical Hiſtory, being a compleat Collection of all the Stories neceſſary for a perfect underſtanding of the Greek and Latin Poets, and other ancient Authors. By the Learned Jeſuit P. Galtruchius. The Fourth Edition. 8o.

The Hiſtory and Fall of Caius Marius, A Tragedy. By Tho. Otway. 4o.

The Painter's Voyage of Italy, in which all the famous Paintings of the moſt eminent Maſters are particularized, as they are preſerved in the ſeveral Cities of Italy, illuſtrated with the Heads of ſome of the moſt renowned Painters. By Will. Lodge, Gent. 8o.

Euclidis Elementorum Libri XV. breviter demonſtrati, operâ Iſa. Barrow, Cantabr. Col. Trin. Soc. 8o.

A modern account of Scotland, with a true Character of the People and their Manners. 4o.

Patience and its Perfect Work under ſudden and ſore Tryals. By Tho. Goodwin.

The Chriſtian Man, or, The Reparation of Nature by Grace. By J. F. Senault.

Reprinting, The Anatomy of the Body of Man, by Alex. Reade, M. D. with many Additions, in large 8o. illuſtrated with many Sculptures.