WEll met holy Brother Schismatick, I hope our meeting will prove profitable to our own selves, the Edification of our Church and de­struction and rooting out the Papisticall Doctrine of the Whorish and Idolatrous Church of Rome, and formall Protestancy little better then Popery, from being any more used in England, or any of his Majesties Dominions.

Thou hast spoken very religiously, and hast manifested thy self to be a good Zelot, in the cause of righteousnes, and am I right ioy [Page 2]full so happily here in this place to meet with you, where I hope we without fear may speak freely of the present affairs of State, and of reducing our Religion and manner of worshipping to its former purity and glory; but to beginne our discourse, how may these our pious intentions be effected?

Truely brother I conceave no readier and easier way to effect this holy worke then to agree in outward appearance, for to pro­mote Truth and Religion, we may warrantably use dissimulation, as we have many examples in Scripture, David dissembled himself for the safety of his life to the King of Lachish: Abraham dissem­bled to King Abimelech, and taught his wife to lie, for the preservati­on of her chastity: and Ioseph dissembled to his brethren, to the end to make them to understand their former wickednesse committed against him: the Harlot Rachel hid the spies sent from Iosuah and dissembled the same, with a lie for her excuse: many such like ex­amples I might produce, to warrant dissimulation sometimes in a good cause, for I say for the promotion of this [...] holy a work we may joyne our selves in league and fraternity with Anabaptists, Se­peratrsts, and when we have accomplished our desires we may shake off their society, or indeavour to reduce them to an uniformity with us, being now neerest us in opinion, of any profession, and so may the easier be drawn from their opinions that differ from ours.

Indeed I do approve of thy resolution, but I conceave it best in the first place, to speake of the manner and forme of discipline and worship in Religion, and then they who will agree and side with us, so shall we the better know which is the safest way to proceed in, [Page 3]and first let us begin what forme of discipline we should have used in the exercise of our Religion, and what Doctrine is best to be re­ceaved in the Church; and finally, what forme of government is meetest to be used and established for the establishment thereof, and therefore I pray shew thy opinion of the Common Prayer now used; and what forme of prayer is meetest to be used, that may agree with the spirit; by which we ought to be directed and in­structed.

Verily brother touching the Common prayer now used, it is no wayes to be allowed or received in the Church, being altogether Superstitious, and Idolatrous, the inventions of men, and not made by the holy spirit, but onely instituted by Papists and Popishly af­fected Prelates.

I confesse great part of the Letany is superfluous and superstiti­ous, but I think there be many prayers in the book that were indict­ed by the Spirit of God, and made by holy men, which were appro­ved and continually used in the time of Edward the sixth and Queen Elizabeth; are these to be rejected and disallowed, after the long usage of the same in the Church and not disallowed in the reign of King Iames, in whose time many differences and contentions were raised about the same by the Clergy of those times?

The reason why a through reformation of the book of Common Prayer hath not yet been admitted to this day, was the great trou­bles that have been raised in this kingdome by the Romish faction, after Queen Mary most part of this kingdom then acknowledging the idolatrous Doctrine of that Antichrist, and Man of sinne, the Bishop of Rome, which in all the time of Queen Elizabeth could [Page 4]not be purged, our Religion being then scarce known and altoge­ther disliked, and in the time of King Iames, the pride and haughti­nesse of the Clergy more inclined to Popery then Purity, hindered a through Reformation, although our profession began then to take head and gather some strength and approbation in this kingdom, many opinions and tenents that we had being approved of the King himself, but now the purity and sincerity of our religion being accepted and acknowledged in most parts of the kingdom especial­ly in the chief Cities & Corporations thereof, it is our duty to study a through Reformation in time, lest we be by the adversaries of truth and piety suppressed, and no meanes left for the establishing of the same; and for those prayers you mentioned, some of them may be still retained and used in the Church, which I will against the next meeting extract from the rest.

Enough at this time of the Common Prayer, let me have your opinion touching what Doctrine, now acknowledged in our Church, is meet to be purged, and discipline for the exercise thereof.

That will I do: The Doctrine of Baptisme with the Crosse I utterly deny and disallow, Marriage with a hoop Ring, and the like; but for Discipline in the manner of Worship, I disallow the use of Surplice, &c. I would have us follow the example of Christ in all things as near as we can, and let his example be our rule to walk by; If he taught in the Temples, let us make use of Temples and Churches for teaching and instruction; if he taught in ships upon the sea, then let it be as warrantable for us to preach and to teach in ships as in Churches; if he taught upon the sand or sea shore, then let it be as lawfull to teach on the sand as in the ship; if he taught on mountains or hils, then let it be as warrantable to preach [Page 5]on the top of a hill as on the sand; if he taught in private houses, then let it be as lawfull to preach in a house or barn as on the top of a hill; if he prayed in the fields or wildernesse, then let it be as war­rantable for us to pray in the fields and wildernesse, woods or groves as in Churches, &c. If he chose Fishermen, Mechanick Tradesmen, or the like, to be his Disciples and preachers to his people, then let it be as warrantable for us to chuse Pastors and tea­chers that are full of the Spirit, of Fishermen, Shoomakers, Hat­ters, &c. And this is the safest and truest manner of Doctrine and Discipline to be received by his example.

Truely brother I perceive that you are full of the Spirit, I ap­prove of your Order for Doctrine and Discipline, I pray go for­ward and speak your minde concerning a certain form of Govern­ment to be established in this kingdome, for the due and pure ob­servance of this your Doctrine and Discipline prescribed.

Indeed brother I hope I shall neither speak nor do any thing but as I shall be lead and directed by the Spirit, and touching your next request, I conceive it no wayes meet to have any particular Government in the Church, but every man to govern his assem­bly according to his spirit, following likewise the example of Christ to his Apostles, when they strived for superiority one over and above another, who reproved them for the same, and made them all Governours alike; so would I have it that one man might not lord it over his brethren, being all members of one body, and every one permitted to teach in the Church according to the gifts of Prophesie and Revelation, and if any in the Church be prophe­sying or preaching, and one that stands by hath a clearer gift or re­velation, he to speak and declare the same, and the other that taught before to hold his peace, according to the rule of Saint Paul, 1 Cor. 14.29, 30, 31. Let the Prophets speak two or three, and let the other [Page 4] [...] [Page 5] [...] [Page 6]judge. 30. If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace. 31. For ye may all prophesie one by one, that all may be comforted. So it appears there is no supremacy in teachers, all men without degrees, or University Scholership, if they have the gift and spirit of prophesie, may preach and teach the people and are onely to be esteemed according to the excellency of their gifts and holinesse of life, let him be of what occupation or profession whatsoever.

Well brother no more of this. Now let us consider of the best way to effect this intended work of Reformation and establishing of our Religion in this kingdome.

As I said before, joyne our selves for our better advantage in out­ward appearance, in fraternity with the severall sects aforemen­tioned.

But how if the adverse party be so obstinate, and the great ones in high places be so perverse that they will by no means agree to our desire nor conforme themselves to our Religion,

Then is it lawfull to take up Armes and by force establish Reli­gion and bring to condigne punishment the opposers thereof, cut down the tall Cedars, spirituall wickednesse in high places, rather then our Religion should be destroyed, and Antichristianisme or loose and formall Protestancy be continued in this kingdom, better to punish the body by stripes then both body and soul to perish by sinne.

I well approve all that thou halt said. Let us put in action our in­tention, and so God be with you for this time.

And so I pray God keep you till our next meeting.