§. 1. WE have no reason to blame our Rulers, for being offended with all principles of Anarchy and Rebellion, and being jealously watchful against all real appearances of them: for that such are among us, and that the tendency of them is to per­nicious effects, is past denyal: and all lovers of God, their Country and their King, will hate and oppose them, when they do discern them.

§. 2. What the Papists principles are, is so largly prov­ed by Henry Fowlis, and by Doctor Barlow, the present [Page 2] worthy Bishop of Lincoln, after many others, that no addition is necessary; but that such as the Coun­terminer and many others in Press and Pulpit should lay somewhat like it to the charge either of the present Nonconformists, or to Nonconformists as such, and cry out to Rulers and people, as they love their power, Estates and lives not to tolerate us (that is, to destroy or banish us) and specially that the Parliament in the beginning of the Oxford Act which banisheth us from Corporations, should leave on record such suspicions of us as the reason of their Act, are things that have long seemed to me to make such a Defence our duty, as tendeth to the satisfaction of the sus­pecters and accusers; Lest we seem 1. To own the charge, 2. and thereby tempt the people to think that we take not rebellion for a sin; 3. or to despise both the Law-makers, their Laws, and the said Preachers that thus accuse us.

§. 3. I have not yet heard of any such severe prose­cutions of the Bruitists that are for Hobbes, Spinosa, Pom­ponatius, Vaninus, &c. as have been used against truly Loyal Nonconformists. But their principles are so perni­cious, subverting humanity, morality and Government, that I will begin with the recital of them as Spinosa lay­eth them down, and then add the true fundamentals of Government and morality which confute them.

§. 4. Bened. Spinosa in Tractat. Theolog. polit. cap. 16. pag. 175, 176, &c. saith [‘Jus naturae nihil aliud est quam,’ &c. The Right of Nature is nothing but the Rule by which every thing is determined to his manner of being and operation, as fishes are to swim, and the great ones to eat the little ones. That natural Right extendeth as far as pow­er. That every Individual hath the Highest Right, to all things that he is able to do: That it is the chief Law of Nature, that every thing do its utmost to continue in its own state, having no respect to any other, but only to it self; [Page 3] that here there is no difference between men and other things, nor between rational men, and Fools or mad men: that while men live under the Empire of nature only, they live by the only Laws of Appetite, and that by the highest Right: that the natural right of every man is not determined by sound reason, but by Lust and power: All being born ignorant, it be­ing long before they know the true reason of living, and get the Habit of Vertue, though they have good education, they are no more bound this while to live by the Laws of a sound mind (or reason) than a Cat by the Laws of Lions. Whatsoever any such shall judge profitable to himself, either by guidance of sound reason, or by the force of affection, it is lawful for him by the highest right of nature to desire it and to take it, and that by force or fraud, or request, or by what other way he easiliest can; and to take him for his enemy that would hinder the fulfilling of his desire: so that the Right and Law of nature un­der which all are born, and for the most part live, forbid­deth nothing, but that which no man desireth and which no man can do, not contentions, not hatred, not wrath, not frauds. Whatsoever in Nature seems to us absurd, ridiculous or evil, is because we know things but in part. It is the uni­versal Law of humane Nature, that no man neglect that which he judgeth good (for him) but in hope of a greater good, or the fear of greater damage; nor endure any evil but to avoid a greater, or in hope of greater good: that every man of two goods choose that which he thinks best (for him) and of two evils, that which he thinks least, be it so or not: and this is so firmly written in mans nature, that it is to be numbred with the eternal veri­ties, which no man can be ignorant of. Therefore no man is to promise without fraud, nor to stand to his promise made, to give up this right (in civil sociation) unless for fear of greater evil or hope of greater good. As if a robber force us to promise him our goods, we may frandulently promise and not per­form it; yea if I mistakingly think I have promised a thing to [Page 4] my hurt, I may break it: whence we conclude that Covenants can have no force but for our profit sake, which being taken away, the Covenant is taken away and remaineth void. There­fore in constituting Republicks, it's foolish to require fidelity, further than you make sure, that Covenant-breaking shall prove the breakers hurt: For every man by natural right, may deal deceitfully, and is not bound to stand to his Covenants. He hath the supreme Right over all men, who hath the greatest pow­er, by which he can retain them by force or fear of the greatest punishment: which Right he shall have no longer, than he keep­eth the power of executing what he list: Otherwise he shall rule precariously, and no one that is stronger than he shall be bound to obey him, unless he will. And thus societies may be formed with­out any wrong to the right of nature: and he that hath most power is bound by no Law. And thus we are bound to execute all his com­mands that hath most power, be they most absurd: because reason bids us chuse the less evil: But then this Right of commanding what they will, no longer belongeth to chief Powers, than they have chief power: which if they lose, they lose their Right of com­manding, and it falls to him or them that get it and can keep it.

Then having extolled Democracy he proceedeth to shew that, There is no injury but in a Civil life (the cros­sing of his will that hath most power) and that all things are lawful to them that are strongest, and they can do no wrong, and Justice is a constancy of mind to give every man that which by (this) civil Right belongs to him, (that is, which he can­not get from him without his own hurt) And that if two States Covenant, none but a sool that knoweth not the right of su­preme Powers, will expect they should stand to it, longer than is for their own ends or good; and so in matters of piety and Religion. Also, that all are to be taken for enemies save sub­jects and confederates, though they never did us wrong: and we may compel them to subjection or confederation, if we are able, with much more to this purpose, taking off all ob­ligations [Page 5] of charity, justice and common honesty, except what mens private interest, or the will of him that is strongest doth infer. Otherwise making it as lawful, yea as much duty to murder any man, or as many as we can, as to save mens lives, to steal and rob as to forbear, to lye and be perjured as to speak truly, to be adulterous as to be chast, to be a Traitor as a Loyal subject: openly dissolving and deriding all divine obligations, save mans, and releasing all mens consciences from them: As if he proclaimed to the world, that if once they can but think it to be for their own good, they may kill any man, they may murder Kings and turn their Guns, their swords, their poysons against them, notwithstanding any oaths to the contrary, without any scruple of Conscience or fear of punishment in the world to come. And if once all mens consciences were thus turned loose, no guards, no Army could secure the lives of Kings, as the cases of Henry the 3. and Henry the fourth of France have proved. Yea he thus telleth, Every General of Armies, or any other subject that can but kill the King, and take possession of his king­dom that he hath as much right as the King had as long as he is strongest, and that all the subjects have the same ob­ligation to defend him that hath deposed the King, as they had before to defend the King. In a word, that no man is to be trusted by another any further than he thinketh it good for himself, nor oweth any duty to any, but himself, not excepting Parents to children or children to their Parents.

It is the will & mercy of God to Princes and to mankind thus to permit those that will be Atheists and Rebels against him to shew the consequents of it, by their inhumane and rebellious opinions against Government: That if Princes will ever set up Epicurisme, Atheisme and Infidelity, they shall set up Rebellion with it, and expose their Lives to eve­ry man that hath but list to venture upon a secret or an o­pen assault.

[Page 6] And the root of all this mans inhumanity is his Epicu­rean principles of Philosophy about God and [...], sup­posing God to be but the Eternal necessary necess [...]ing first cause of all things and motions, as the Sun is o [...] [...]ght and heat, who can do no more, nor less than he doth, moving the world as a Clock or Watch by meer invariable necessi­ty, that never did or can do a miracle, or alter the necessi­tating course of nature: And that man hath no self de­termining free-will at all, but is moved as necessarily as an Engine; And that God is no governour, nor hath no Laws (but mens) nor no Justice, nor Mercy, these being not to be attributed to him, but only natural mo­tion or necessitation; And that he that lyeth, murder­eth, stealeth, rebelleth is equally moved to it by God, as he that speaketh truth, and doth all that is just and good: and therefore it is but our narrow minds and ig­norance, that taketh one thing to be better or worse than another, or to be sin or duty, save in respect to our com­modity and the will of the strongest.

And is it not a wonder that a man should think all this to be the undoubted Light of Nature and the product of free enquiries, and of the true Universal Idea of God, when as nature taught the contrary to almost all the old Philosophers, save the Epicureans (who as Cicero sheweth were in common contempt with sober men): yea to all the most Barbarous Nations of the world, even to our American Sa­vages at this day, for the most part: And is not that liker to be the Light of Nature, which is found in almost all man­kind, than that which an odd Philosophical Hypothesis or dotage leads a few such Atheists to, who could not with­out hard study, have extirpated the belief of a God (a morally Governing Deity) from their own minds: and so un [...]litur [...] have blotted out all Morality, Religion, Hu­manity, true Policy and Honesty at once. And because [Page 7] they believe no rewards or Punishments in another life, they make man but an Ingenious Beast, and his Reason to be given him but to serve his Appetite, and sensitive Life; so that by their open principles, if any one Bedlam or Ideot could set all the City on fire for his own com­modity, he did as well as he that would save it: and if a Traitor could but save himself by the destruction of a whole Kingdom, or the world, it were well done,

And thus, that yet Kings may not think him unkind to them, he sets them above God as to all civil obligations: for cap. 19. he over and over tells you that God hath no other Kingdom or Reign over men, but by those that rule us (that is the strongest) and therefore all Religious worship and exercise of godliness is but the determination of Rulers for the publick peace, and is wholly in their power and at their will: yea that Justice and Charity are not matters of Right and commanded, but by Rulers, and all Religion hath the force of Law or Right only by their Decree: for in the state of nature, Reason hath no more Right than Appetite; but those that live after the Law of Appetite, as well as those that live after the Law of Reason, have Right to all they can do or have: and are uncapable of sin, and not punished by God, but carried about with the Ʋniverse by natural motion: That the Jews gave God his Kingdom over them, and he had none but by their resignation of their power to him; and then it was no other than Moses his Reign; and when they had given their power to the King of Babylon, Gods Kingdom and his Right did presently cease: That God having no Kingdom but mens, cannot be conceived, as a Prince or Lawgiver, giv­ing any Laws to men, but as involving all in necessity: That all divine documents revealed by the light of nature or pro­phetically, have no force of a command from God immediate­ly but from Rulers; that as to God, all things come alike to all, and Salus Populi (that is every mans commodity and [Page 8] lust) is the highest Law to which all both humane and divine must be accommodated: and no man knoweth by Nature that he oweth any obedience to God, or can know it by Reason, but onl [...] by Revelation (which his Book is written to de­ride) pag. 184.

We suppose the Reader will think we have tediously digressed against this Apostate Jew: but the reason is, because the pernicious book having most subtilly assault­ed the Text of the old Testament, is greedily sought and cryed up (with Hobbes his equal) in this unhappy time, even among those whose place should make them more regardful of the interest of Magistrates at least; even by those Atheists whom God calls Fools, Psal. 14. 1. but by themselves are called Wits, and our business is more to defend the truth than our selves.

The summ of our Judgments against these pernicious principles is this, 1. That there is a God, and were there not a God, there could be nothing.

2. That God is not known to us immediately here, but in a glass, or by the means of some effects.

3. Therefore we have no Notion or Name of God which is not in some sort Borrowed, or which is formal and adequate to his Essence.

4. Yet nothing invisible is so clearly and certainly intelligible and certain to mans mind, as God, as to the [...] sit, that he is, and to much of the Quid sit, what he is; though imperfectly apprehended; and though no­thing be so incomprehensible; even as no visible thing is more visible than the Sun, and its being and part of its [...] furthest from uncertainty; and yet hath in it most unknown.

[Page 9] 5. The Notions we have of God, though Borrowed and Analogical, are not useless nor fallacious, but imperfect and such as lead to perfect knowledge: And he that will not use these, must use none.

6. We have no immediate knowledge of any higher nobler essence than our own souls, from which to bor­row our Notions of God: still separating all that signi­fieth imperfection and acknowledging their defectiveness.

7. He that laying by these, will from any other lower baser Nature, form Notions of God, shall have lower, baser Notions of him.

8. Mans Soul is a Spirit, having essentially the Virtue, force, or inclined power, of Vital-Activity, Intellection and Volition (Three in one): all which are certainly no­tified by their Acts.

9. As Vital-self-moving is more noble than the moti­on of meer passives or inanimates, so Vitality with Vn­derstanding and Free-will, is more noble than bruitish motion without Intellection or Free-will: else worms and Beasts were nobler natures than men, and should be our Covernours.

10. Therefore to feign God to be a meer principle of Vniversal motion as the Spring in a Watch, or the poise of a Clock, is to debase him below the Vitality of Beasts: and to feign him to be a meer sensitive principle of motion, is to debase him below humane nature. And to feign him to be a meer Vital-Intellectual mover without Will, Love and Voluntary Goodness, is to think of him in a maimed defective notion, as baser than man's, whose Will is one of his noblest faculties, without which he hath no Love to or complacency in himself or any other. Even as we think of a man of meer speculative knowledge, who nevertheless may be stark naught: (And so men think of the Devil himself).

[Page 10] 11. Gods will is the cause and Conserver and end of all things, and therefore to deny his will is to deny all things.

12. Gods will hath all that Liberty which belongeth to Perfection, but no liberty or indifferency which imply­eth imperfection.

13. The True Idea of Gods Nature then is, That he is a SPIRIT of LIFE, INTELLECTION and WILL, MOST PERFECT.

14. All the Being, with all the Vitality, Intellect and will, the Power, wisdom and goodness, which is in man or any Creature, being from God, he must needs have more than All himself, either formally or eminently, for he can give nothing more noble than what he hath and is.

15. Man having Vitality, Intellection and Free-will, and being a Sociable creature, each one having need of others and disposed to converse, and placed among others, is a Creature made to be Governed according to his Reason, by Verities, and according to his Free-will by proposed Good; and not meerly moved as a Stone, or Engine, nor meer­ly moved as Bruits by sense: that is, he is to be ruled by Laws. This one of us hath so fully proved in a treatise called the Reasons of the Christian Religion, part 1. cap. 8. that it must not here be done over again.

16. If the Nature of man were not to be morally governed by proposed Truth and Good, his Reason and Will were vain; he should not be ruled as a man but as a stone or beast: sense must do all: all humane govern­ment were impossible or evil, for want of capable sub­jects: no Villany must be controlled: folly must bear equal sway with wisdom: children must not obey their Parents, any more than Parents their children. Yea by the Principles of this Maledictus Spinosa and his tribe, the [Page 11] children that can but conquer natural instinct, and es­cape humane punishment, may as lawfully kill their Parents to get the inheritance, as Love and Honour them: and the Parents may as lawfuly murder all their children, to avoid the trouble of keeping them, as to nourish them.

17. Man being naturally made to be Governed, God must needs be his supreme governour, as having the chief Right and sole capacity and aptitude. For 1. there is no other can rule Universally, but partially. Kings rule their Kingdoms, but God ruleth the world. 2. Else there were no Governour over Soveraigns, and so no Blasphemies, no Murders (even of Millions) no Perjuries &c. were unlawful to them, nor were it possible for them to sin. 3. Then no plagues, slames, wars or death were divine punishments, nor any to be feared here or hereafter, but men might as safely defie and blaspheme God, as Love and Honour him. 4. Else there were no Law of Nations obliging many to mutual justice, but only interest and contract. 5. Else no heart actions were morally good or evil, (because not under the Govern­ment of men) He that hated God and Goodness and all good men, for his lusts sake, and studied to do all the mischief he could; he that longs for the murder of his own children, Parents or friends, or of his King, were as good as he that Loved them all: for where there is no Law there is no transgression: and so all morality is nullified. 6. If God were not the supreme Governour, no King or person could have true Right to govern, for there could be no effect for want of a cause. The Peo­ple cannot give the Ruling Power which they never had (their personal Rule being of another kind) and God hav­ing prevented them by his establishment of Government in the world, who giveth Parents their Governing Power, which is the first.

[Page 12] 18. Gods actual Laws do prove him to be a Lawgiver: even those of Nature, which all such Atheists shall ne­ver be able commonly to obliterate. And the consent of all mankind still do and will condemn such principles as deny them.

19. A law is the signification of the Rulers will, con­stituting what shall be due from and to the subject, as an in­strument of Government.

20. Gods Laws are first natural, and next by special Reve­lation.

21. Gods Law of Nature is all That in the stated natura rerum in all the world, by which his will is signified to us as aforesaid about our duty.

22. So that Gods Law univocally and properly is in genere objectivo, and in genere signi.

23. Mans own nature as in order it standeth related and disposed towards God and all things and persons circumstant, is the chief part of this objective Law of Nature; from whence his duty resulteth, and Gods will is notified.

24. When the Law is said to be written in our Hearts, it is called the Law univocally, antecedently to the Heart reception, and the reception it self is not another Law.

25. This reception is by the Intellect, will, or executive power: And 1. to know a Law, is not a Law; 2. To will or Love a Law is not a Law; 3. To be ready or disposed to pra­ctise a Law is not a Law, unless equivocally.

26. They that confound these things by the name of a Light or Law within us, and then talk of the sufficiency of it, do but deceive when they are deceived.

27. What can they (with sense) mean by [The Light or Law within us] but, 1. either the Reception of the objective light or Law which containeth, 1. the [Page 13] Act, 2. with its object (as it is become an Ens Intenti­onale Essential to the Act, as in it self it is Ens Reale) or else an innate disposition hereunto: 2. Or else some influx of God (natural or supernatural) by which as the chief efficient he exciteth the faculties to receive the Objective Light or Law? And if they meant this second (that all men have sufficient help from Gods influx) they should say so, that men might understand them. If they mean that all have sufficient knowledge, faith, Love and Goodness; even Infants and wilful despisers of know­ledge, and those that think it service to God, to kill his servants, and all the blinded sinners in the world, why do these men pretend to teach them more or blame their errours; and do not forbid all teaching in the world even of Parents or any other? Why did Christ and his Prophets and Apostles teach men that were born wise enough? If they mean that all mens Nature it self is a sufficient intellectual objective Light and Law, with­out any external light or objective Law, that is without seeing or hearing or thinking of any creature of God but ourselves, then they that are born blind and deaf, have all the same Light and Law as others. If they mean only that mens faculties are sufficiently ca­pable and receptive of the effects of Gods objective Law of Nature, what doth the confounding Metaphor of a Light within us do to the notifying of their minds? But men that neither understand the matter nor themselves, will trouble the world with teaching them that they need no teaching.

28. We call those Revelations natural, which the or­dinary nature of things in themselves, and effects, exhi­biteth to us: and we call those Revelations special and supernatural, which God exhibiteth to us, by means ex­traordinary, quite out of the way of his common opera­tions, [Page 14] and such as no natural cause useth to produce, (as to raise the dead, to cause the fire not to burn one, to send an Apparition, an Angel or a voice from heaven, &c.) Though we pretend not to know how much of any natural cause unknown to us may be used by God in any of these.

29. It is impudency in them that pretend to Carte­sian clarity and certainty in all that they will receive, yet to take on them to be so well acquainted with God and his operations, and the frame of nature as to tell the world, that Liberty of will is inconsistent with Gods nature, that he never doth a miracle, nor altereth the course of the smallest particle in nature, nor doth nothing in the world which is not the necessary effect of natural second causes, as well as of his own will, as he put them in a set course of motion from eternity, or from the creation, with abun­dance of such dreams, which whatever they are in them­selves are certainly unknown to them to be so, and there­fore an unfit medium whence to infer the nullity of all divine Government, Laws and morality.

30. Both natural and supernatural Laws or Re­velations are to make man wise and good: and so are said to be written and put into his heart, when they have these effects. But if the effects themselves were all Gods Law, then, 1. God had as many Laws as persons in the world; 2. And his Law in the same person chang­ed, as his knowledge and goodness changed; 3. And those that can but keep themselves ignorant and bad enough, shall therefore not be bad or have no sin because they have no Law.

31. There is no actual knowledge born in man (unless pos­sibly an unexpressible consciousness of our own being); but only a Disposition in the Intellective faculty to know some things presently, and easily, and some things hardly and by slow degrees.

[Page 15] 32. What ever the understanding can know at last with the most diligent search, it had naturally some power to know from its Original. For nothing doth that which it cannot do (mediately or immediately): therefore the noble nature of the soul is better gathered from the attain­ments of some, than the baseness of it from the Ignorance of others, that excite not their natural faculties.

33. Gods Law of Nature bindeth mankind (ordina­rily) to live in Governed societies, and hath not left it free to them to do otherwise. Parental Authority is con­junct with our first being, and natural necessity obligeth to the rest.

34. Civil Ecclesiastical and Economical Governours, being instituted by God, are his Officers, and receive their power from his Institution and Universal Laws, and not from the people, who do but choose, or consent to the person that shall receive it.

35. God only is the Universal Ruler, and no Pope or mortal man is capable of it: and God only maketh Univer­sal Laws (what ever General Councils may pretend to.)

36. Gods Laws bind Kings as well as subjects, and give force to their Laws, and nothing of man's is obligatory to us, which is against them; for none can dispense with them.

37. All Government that is lawful is for Gods Glory and the Common Good. And Laws that are certainly and notoriously against God and the common Good, have no true obliging power to formal obedience on the soul.

38. Yet such particular Laws disoblige not the sub­ject from subjection, nor from keeping up the honour of Governours, while they Govern for God and the com­mon Good in the main.

39. Though the common description of Tyrants in Po­liticians and Lawyers is (quoad exercitium) that they are [Page 16] such as Govern not for the common good, but for their own, yet men must take heed, that hence they in­fer nor either, 1. that we are made judges of the secret intentions of our Rulers hearts, or 2. that one or a few Laws or actions may denominate them such, 3. yea though we knew that they preferred themselves in their in­tents, it is enough to us, if they preserve the common good in their practice. Else almost all ungodly Rulers would be Tyrants, for it is their common vice to be most for themselves.

40. This Atheistical Politician, who alloweth every man to prefer himself before all the world, doth make that in Princes, which all men have called Tyranny, to be the very Law of Nature.

41. One man is less worth than multitudes caeteris paribus; and every man is a part of the Universe, and is not born for himself alone: therefore howsoever sense may reach but to the Individual fleshly interest; common reason tells us that he liveth not like a man, who preferreth himself before his Country, and had rather Millions or Kingdoms perished than he alone.

42. Our common Nature telleth us, that mans will was made to Love Good as Good, and not to Love our personal commodity alone: and that an excellent per­son or thing in another part of the world, is amiable, though never like to be a commodity to us: therefore the greatest Good should be greatliest loved, even in our Neighbours as well as in our selves, and our Country above our selves.

43. Though a Prince have not Authority to make Laws to the hurt of the Common-wealth as such, or sub hac ratione, yet he hath Authority to judge what is for the good of the Common-wealth as a Ruler, and sub­jects must acquiesce in his judgement, when cogent evi­dence [Page 17] of the contrary doth not forbid them. And when they know that a Law is against the common good, and obligeth not to formal obedience, yet because the ge­neral Law of Honouring our Rulers still continues, and sometimes disobeying may tend more to the common hurt, than the obedience of that hurtful Law may do, where God himself forbids it not, material obedience in such cases is a duty.

44. No private personal injury may be revenged up­on the King, nor upon the Common-wealth: no not by words.

45. The Soveraign or the Body of the Common-wealth may neither of them seek the hurt, much less the de­struction of each other; nor do any thing that tendeth thereunto: for their union is the Existent Constitution, which dissolution destroyeth.

46. Those that dispute for a Power in the Body of the Common-wealth to destroy the Head, or a Power in the Soveraign to destroy the Body, if he please, do (either as ignorant or cunningly treacherous enemies of both) sow the seeds of suspicion and enmity betwen them, and seek to make them afraid of each other as of Tygers or enemies, and by the terrible word of [A power to destroy] make them apprehend Destruction as at the door, and a civil war almost begun: and such are the most perni­cious and unsufferable Counsellors.

47. And so various and cross are personal interests, and so weak mens judgements, and so many their errours; lusts and passions, their temptations and ill Counsellors, that if it be maintained lawful for the Head or Body to destroy each other, and all the safety of each lie meerly in the others will, it will scarce be possible long to keep up a mutual confidence, without which societies are sick or lifeless.

[Page 18] 48. Those that perswade Rulers to Govern only by a frighting force, do treacherously tempt them to seem to the people as their enemies.

49. God hath not made any one form of Government universally necessary, Monarchy, Aristocracy or Demo­cracy; and who hath the highest power, and in what degree, and under what limits, is not to be decided by Divines from the word of God alone, but by Law­yers from the Constitutions of the respective Common-wealths. And it is usually of ill consequence, when Di­vines are too forward to go out of their calling, and to be determiners herein; Especially when few of them use to be well studied in the Laws of the Land; at least not comparably to Lawyers, who have made it the bu­siness of their lives.

50. Those who dissolve the obligation of Oaths and Vows are most perfidious enemies to Kings and Com­mon-wealths: much more those Infidels, who make every mans personal sensuality and lust to be the High­est Law of Nature, besides which nothing obligeth him to keep his Covenants or vows, nor to spare the lives of Kings, Parents or any neighbours. And though it is true that every man loveth himself and feareth him that can hurt him, yet so cross are mens sensual interests, so blind and various are their opinions, so violent their lusts, so desperate their passions, so cunning their contrivances, so many their opportunities and temptations, that the lives of Kings are never safe, if all mens consciences are once disobliged from the bond of Oaths and divine commands: which if the Atheists themselves did not perceive, they would not make Religion a necessary humane project for keeping Vulgar Wits in obedience: but they will shortly find that it was necessary from a nobler foundati­on and to a nobler end.

[Page 19] In summ, They that, 1. make man but a subtile beast, and make his Reason but a projecting Servant to his sense, 2. and deny all the Law of Nature save sen­suality, 3. and make all the vitiosity of man to be his natural Law, 4. and then take up an answerable Idea of God, as being no moral Governour to whom no man oweth obedience, not just, not merciful, but only the equal spring of an unalterable engine called the universe, 5. and make all things that man can do to be lawful, and all that ever is done to be equally good, as being all but the effect of necessitating premotion, 6. and that no man oweth Love, justice or duty to Parents, King or Country, but what his personal sensuality perceiveth to be a fit means for it self, 7. and that it is no sin to kill King or Parents or Children or Neighbours; if he can scape revenge and hurt, and serve his lust thereby, 8. and that no Oaths bind him to his King or Country, longer than he finds it for his sensual good, 9. and that he that can kill or depose the King, and get possession, hath as good a Title, as he had, 10. and that all men are to be held by us as enemies except Subjects and confederates, 11. and that no man is to fear any punishment, nor hope for any reward from God in this life or in the life to come, 12. and so that Epicurean Physicks are the sole Phloso­phy, and morality is nothing but a vulgar deceit: I say they that hold and publish this, are such as we hold more worthy to be banished five miles from all Cities and Corporations, than our selves: And we leave their Prin­ciples and ours to the judgement of posterity, wishing (in vain) that those Conformists who are thought suf­ficient for the sacred work without us, and have access to those whom we may not coverse with, had proved more sufficient to have preserved Cities and Corporations and the Land from Infidelity, Popery and raging sensuality.

[Page 20] II. WE should next have compared our princi­ples of subjection with those of the Pa­pists, that it might be seen whether we are more wor­thy to be driven from our Superiours, from Cities and Corporations, than they: But their Doctrine and Practice is so copiously cited out of the express words of multi­tudes of their chiefest Writers, lately by Henry Fowlis, after abundance more that have done it heretofore, that we will not now desire of the unsatisfied any more than to read the words of the seventh Council at Rome under Gregory 7. in Bin. Tom. 3. par. 2. pag. 1288. [Agite nunc Patres & Principes Sanctissimi, ut omnis mundus in­telligat & cognoscat, quia si potestis in coelo ligare & solvere, potestis in terrâ Imperia, Regna, Principatus, Ducatus, Marchias, Comitatus & omnium hominum possessiones, pro meritis tollere unicuique & concedere. Si enim spiritualia judicatis, quid de saecularibus vos posse credendum est? & si Angelos dominantes omnibus superbis Principibus judicabitis, quid de illorum servis facere potestis? Addiscant nunc Re­ges & omnes saeculi Principes quanti vos estis, quid potestis: & timeant parvipendere jussionem Ecclesie vestrae.] Go to now most Holy Fathers and Princes, that all the world may understand and know, that if you can bind and loose in Hea­ven, you have power on earth to take away from every man or give Empires, Kingdoms, Principalities, Dukedomes, Markquisates, Earldoms and all mens possessions according to their merits. For if you judge things spiritual, what is to be believed that you can do about Temporals? and if you shall judge Angels who Lord it over all proud Princes, what can you do with those that are their servants? Let Kings and all the Princes of the world now learn, how great you are and what you can do, and let them fear to slight the command of your Church].

[Page 21] And Concil. Rom. 3. ibid. p. 1282. where Gregory the 7. depriveth the Emperour of all his Dominions, and absolveth all Christians from their Oaths to him, and forbiddeth them to serve him.

And that he will but read Can. 1. and 3. Concil. ge­neral. Later. sub Innocent. 3. where it is Decreed that [the Metropolitane shall excommunicate all Temporal Lords that exterminate not Hereticks (who deny Transubstantiation) from their Dominions, and if they amend not, the Pope shall give their dominions to others, and absolve their Vassals from their fidelity].

Where note, 1. That one Heresy here is Believing the senses of all sound men, that Bread is Bread and Wine is Wine, when they see, feel, smell and tast it: and whereas Spinosa alloweth sense to be the Law of Nature, these men make it Death and Damnation to believe our senses: and so we must not only renounce Reason and Humanity, but all our senses; and Temporal Lords must lose their Dominions that will suffer men, that renounce not manhood and sense too, to be their subjects. A hard lesson to Princes and people! 2. Note that this is an appro­ved General Council; and though charitably questioned by Bishop Tayler, Bishop Gunning and Bishop Peirson and some others, yet fully owned by the Papists, and defend­ed by the Answerers of Dr. Gunning and Dr. Peirson: so that whether the Canons be Authentick in themselves or no, is nothing to the point in hand, while they are taken to be such by them: Surius saith [no man in his wits can doubt but it was an Oecumenical famous Council in which &c.] Binius (To. 3. par. 2. p. 1449.) calls it Con­cil. Later. Oecum. 12. Approb. in Crab. To. 2. p. 945. they are called decreta concil. General. In Caranza, Acta Con­cil. Lateran. &c. 3. Note that General Councils are the Religion it self of the Papists and not refusable by any [Page 22] as private Doctors opinions are. We desire the Reader to compare our Doctrine with theirs. We take nothing for our Faith or Religion but the Scripture, and therefore can have no seditious Religion, unless the Scripture be such; which if any man misinterpret, it is his Private opinion: which being proved against him, he only is ac­countable for, and therefore to be banished five miles from Cities and Corporations if he deserve it, and not his Neigh­bours for his sake.

1. THere is one only GOD, who is the Absolute Universal Rector of all mankind.

2. He and He only hath the power of universal Legis­lation and judgement, that is, of making Laws obligato­ry to all mankind, and judging all thereby.

3. This work of Universal Legislation he hath perfor­med, and his Laws are extant.

4. The Law of Nature and the Canon of sacred Scrip­ture are this Law.

5. The Law of God and only it, is obligatory by Pri­mitive, (underived) authority.

6. Divine Revelation or testimony or assertion, and it only is absolutely infallible by the absolute Infallibility and Veracity of the revealer.

7. Gods Laws are not only sufficient but Perfect, as made by him that hath no imperfection.

[Page 23] 8. Their sufficiency and perfection is not to be measured by humane presumptions, or by Carnal wit, that would teach God what to speak, and how: and then accuse his Law of material or modal imperfections, because it is not such as they think it should be; or else affirm that to be there which is not there, because they judge that it ought to be there: But it consisteth in their perfect Aptitude to their proper ends.

9. It is wise and valid reasoning to prove first that it is Gods Law, and thence to infer that it is sufficient and perfect: But it is a foolish Reasoning to being with the more uncertain assumptions, and to argue that It is not perfect, Ergo it is not Gods Laws; or to dream, that to be Gods Law, and to be imperfect are consistent.

10. When we say it is Perfect, we mean only as is said, formaliter and respectively as to the proper end, but not, 1. Materialiter, 2. modaliter, 3. vel finaliter absolute & simpliciter; As if the Angels in Heaven had not, 1. more perfect work prescribed them, 2. and by a more perfect mode of Revelation, 3. or to more perfect immediate ends: But as the sinless Saints in Heaven may be less perfect in positive Holiness than some Angels, and yet as perfectly Innocent and free from all sin; even so Gods Law for the Government of imperfect man on earth, is posi­tively in the foresaid respects less perfect than the Hea­venly Laws; and yet as blameless and perfect in its kind as to its proper use and ends.

11. Therefore the Historical method and the repetitions, and the vulgar phrases, and the absence of Philosophical ni­ceties, is part of the perfection, and not of any imperfecti­on of the Laws.

12. The work of Gods Laws is by Authoritative In­stitution to determine what shall be due from man by way of obedience, and what shall be due to man by way of Reward and [Page 24] Punishment, and so to be the Rule, first of Duty, and then of judgement.

13. Only Gods Laws can make due everlasting Re­wards or Punishments.

14. No man is to make himself a publick judge or Exe­cutioner of Gods Laws, without Gods Commission.

15. Gods Laws are not only Perfect as to Essentials, but as to Integral parts also, yea and to all Accidents and appurtenances of them.

16. It belongeth not to Gods Vniversal Laws to com­mand in particular all that ever shall become a Duty to particular persons, to the end of the world.

17. As the particular case of Countries, persons and things do vary, so many things may be one mans duty that are not anothers, and a duty at one time, and in one place, which are not so in another: which therefore were not to be particularly determined in an Vniversal Law; but only General Laws given for their future deter­mination.

18. Gods Laws are as perfect for duties of Love and Justice to man, as for duty of Love and worship to God.

19. But because the materials of humane justice and Be­neficences are more mutable than those of holy love and worship, therefore there is incomparably more left to humane determination in that, than in this.

20. It belongeth to the sufficiency and perfection of Gods Laws, to determine of all things in specie (or parti­cularly) which as moral means are Vniversally necessary to the good of all mankind (whether greater or lesser good) in all times or places of the world. And to make all that Duty for men, which shall be Universally duty to all the world; and to forbid all that evil which shall be sin Universally to all. For there is no Universal Gover­nour but God and our Redeemer, therefore there is no [Page 25] universal Law but his. It is usurpation against the Right and Laws of God and of Jesus Christ, for any either Person or Collective body, Prince, Pope or Council, to claim an Universal Soveraignty over all the persons, Kingdoms or Churches in the world. For as none of them are naturally capable of such a trust, as to the ex­ercise, so de facto God hath not committed such a So­veraignty and trust to any personal or collective Vicege­rent under Christ. Therefore they accuse Gods Laws of Imperfection, who say that he hath left out any thing (both in Nature and Scripture) which is of universal necessity, or which man may make to become a duty by any one Universal Law.

21. Every particular Kingdom and Church, being part of Christs Universal Kingdom and Church, no man may Usurp any of Christs power, or office, over a part, no more then over the whole (Though the universal usur­pation be far the greatest sin against him).

22. Therefore no man may do that which either im­porteth that they have the same Power in that Church or Kingdom as Christ hath, (but only subordinate pow­er) or that his Laws are defective and imperfect, as to that particular Church or Kingdom.

23. What Christ hath appropriated to himself, as the work or matter of his own Law, must appear from the perusal of that Law it self, and by seeing what he hath there determined of, and so not left for man to do, (un­less as the executioners of his Laws, repeating them by commanding that they be practised.)

24. It is certain that as Christ as Mediator is King of the Church, and hath Legislative power, and did ex­ercise it partly by himself on earth, so he commissioned his Apostles in general to teach all Nations to observe all things whatever he had commanded them, and pro­mised [Page 26] them the Holy Ghost, as his Agent or Advocate to bring all that he had taught them to their remem­brance, and to inspire them infallibly and lead them into all truth, so that the work of Legislation was perform­ed by Christ, by the Holy Ghost as his Advocate or A­gent in the Apostles, Matth, 28. 19, 20. Eph. 1. 21, 22, 23. Eph. 4. 8, 10, 11. Joh. 14. 26. Joh. 16. 7, 8, 13. Mic. 4. 2. Isa. 2. 3. & 8. 16; 20. & 42. 4. Heb. 7. 12. James 1. 25. & 2. 12.

25. It is visible and certain that Christ by himself and his spirit in his Apostles hath particularly ordained, what Articles of faith shall be believed, by Revealing to us so compleatly the will of God, that there shall no other supernatural Revolation be needful of things to be believed as necessary to Salvation, or to the right worshipping of God. Gal. 1. 7, 8, 9. Eph. 4. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17. Heb. 11. 40. Jam. 1. 25. Col. 4. 12. &c.

26. The Law of Nature and of Christ also have or­dained that God shall be worshipped publickly in solemn Assemblies, in a reverent and holy manner, at certain stated times.

27. Christ hath ordained, what persons they shall be, and how qualified, who shall be admitted into his Church, as the members of it; and who shall be kept out.

28. Christ hath ordained that Baptism shall be the door into his Church, and described that Baptism, and required that all that will enter do thus Sacramental­ly Covenant with God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, and dedicate themselves to him. Matth. 28. 19.

29. Christ hath ordained that certain persons qualified for that office, shall be separated as his Ministers to preach his Gospel, and baptize those that are converted, and gather Churches, and to be Pastors of the Churches ga­thered, and this to continue to the end. Matth. 28. 20. [Page 27] Act. 14. 22, 23. Tit. 1. 3, 4, 5. 1 Thess. 5. 12, 13. Eph. 4. 8, 9, 10, 13, 14.

30. He hath appointed to these Officers, a threefold work in subordination to his own Prophetical, Priestly and Kingly office, that is, to Teach the Churches, to guide them in publick worship as their mouth to God, and to Rule them by sacred Discipline. Matth. 28. 19, 20. 2 Tim. 2. 2, 24. 1 Cor. 14. 15, 16. &c. Act. 20. 7, 11. Act. 2. 41, 42. Heb. 13. 7, 17, 24.

31. He hath given them in Scripture a compleat body of the doctrine which they must preach, as the word of God; and hath ordained that publick prayers, and praises of God, and administration of the Sacrament of the Lords supper, shall be the publick worship which they shall offer to God; and hath left them instructions how to exercise Church dis­cipline, as to admonitions, excommunications and absolu­tions. 2. Tim. 3. 16, 17. Act. 2. 41, 42. 1 Cor. 11. 20, 22, 23. 1 Cor. 14. Math. 18. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. 1. Cor. 5. 2 John 10, 11. Tit. 3. 10. 2 Thes. 3. 6, 14.

32. Christ by his spirit in his Apostles hath separated the Lords day, the first day of the week, to be the weekly stated day for the sacred Assemblies for the publick worshipping of God: As Scripture and Church history fully prove.

33. These things ordained by Christ himself are cal­led Gods Worship, in a double respect, both as they are Actions done to his immediate honour; and as they are means by himself appointed to that use, and so are his Worship-Ordinances or Institutions: And so they are called Gods worship, in the Primary and eminent sense.

34. There are abundance of Actions subordinate to these, being but the right modifying and circumstantia­ting of them, which may be called Worship and secundary diminutive sense (as being uncovered, [...]bowing, [...]stand­ing, kneeling, the words of prayer and praise, &c. anon­enumerated); [Page 28] which as to these Worship-ordinances are but Adjuncts or modes; which God hath not command­ed in particulars; but given general Laws for the performance of them, requiring men themselves to choose and use them prudently, not as they will themselves but according to these General Laws: And such an act of man is no sinful addition to the Laws of Christ.

35. Christ hath taken down the Judaical Law of Moses.

36. No man hath any authority to make Laws about Gods worship, but what Christ hath given him; he being now made the Universal King.

37. When a controversie ariseth between Christs prerogative and mans, we take it for a case to be tender­ly handled. We would go as far in acknowledging the Authority of Princes, as will stand with our Loyalty and fidelity to Christ; But as we must be tender of their Rights and honours, so we must be more tender of his. And nothing can be due to the servant which deroga­teth from the honour of the Master.

38. Therefore Princes and Pastors should not unne­cessarily bring their subjects into so great a strait, by needless Laws for additions in Religion, where the con­sciences of men fearing God, must unavoidably be trou­bled and tormented by the difficulty, viz. between a fear of Treason and disobedience against Christ, and of disobe­dience to their Prince or Pastors.

39. And it is the more unexcusable to rack and torment and divide the Church by unnecessary Additions in Re­ligion, because Christ hath commanded us so much him­self already, as the carnal heart of man repineth at, and therefore will not be brought to practise it; but most men flie it as a precise and too tedious and strict a course. And when we grudge at Christs Laws [Page 29] as too great a burden, and too much ado, we should not condemn our selves by adding more.

40. Christ hath declared it to be against his mind and Law, that unnecessary Laws and burdens in Religion should be made for and laid upon the Churches, Act. 15. 28.

41. It is against the will and Law of Christ, that we should use things otherwise indifferent, scandalously or temptingly, to the ensnaring and endangering of mens souls and the dishonour of Religion. Rom. 14. & 15. 1 Cor. 8. No man therefore ought to make Laws about Reli­gion, which shall enjoyn such an evil use of such things.

42. To invent and command new publick worship-ordinances (either as in Gods name or their own) which are not the meer commanded modifying and ordering of Gods own worship-ordinances, but as to the Nature, use and Reasons of them, are coordinate or of the same kind, and which have no peculiar usefulness to our age or people more than to another; nor any new reason for them but what was extant at the making of Gods Laws; so that though the Imposition be not universal, yet there is none but an universal reason for that imposition; this seemeth to us to be an accusation of Christs Laws of omission and defectiveness, and an Usurpation of his Le­gislative power.

43. To add more doctrines or articles of faith, which God hath not revealed in nature or Scripture, and to require belief or profession of belief of them, as to the pleasing of God, or any religious ends, doth seem to us an Usurpation, and an unjust accusation of Gods word as insufficient.

44. To forbid Religious Assemblies, or alter their ends and principal use, is to usurp, and to contradict the Laws of Christ.

[Page 30] 45. To alter the qualifications of Church members, and forbid those that Christ requireth us to receive, or receive such as Christ forbiddeth us to receive, is to con­tradict his laws, by usurpation, whether Magistrates or Pastors do it.

46. To forbid Baptism, or to alter it, or make a new Sacrament of admission, or a new consecrating, or de­dicating Symbol for the solemnization of our Covenant with God, as signifying his grace or the conveiance there­of, and a new Symbol of the Christian Church, or vi­sible badge of Christianity (as if the Knights of the Gar­ter should make a Symbol or badge of their order, be­sides that which the King hath made) this doth seem to us an usurpation, and an accusation of Gods Law as insufficient. Upon which account (not presuming Prag­matically to judge of other men) we fear for our selves, lest we should sin if we used the Cross in Baptism in the English manner. Because it is called a Dedicating sign, and signifieth the Passion of Christ and the grace procu­red by it on his part, and also our solemn dedication to Christ, as Baptism doth, and so seemeth to us a kind of Sacrament, and a badge or Symbol of our Religion. And hath no reason for its Institution which concerneth not all Christians as well as us, and which was not ex­tant in the Apostles time; so that if it had been fit to be made a Law, it was as fit then as now, and as fit to be an universal Law as a particular: and therefore we dare not so accuse Christ of omission. And it is not a meer decent ordering of Baptism, but a new ordi­nance of men, to most of the same uses. Yet we deny not but it is left to us, by what sign we will profess our own consent to the Covenant of Grace (by word, writing, or gesture,) which nature or Custome maketh a sign of Consent; But not on that pretence to institute a Sym­bol [Page 31] of our Religion for self-dedication signifying the causes and Graces of the Covenant.

47. To forbid preaching, or Prayer or Praise, or the Lords Supper, or alter them, and to ordain homogeneal means of our own, seems to us usurpation and unlaw­ful.

48. To alter the qualifications of Christs Ministers, or the nature of their Office, and to invent new Co-or­dinate Officers, or Church polities, seemeth to us to be usurpation. Though as actions circasacra, so Officers for those actions, may be appointed.

49. How many Pastors one Church shall have, and how oft and where they shall assemble, and how far the Ju­niors or weaker shall be guided by the Abler and Elder, is undetermined particularly.

50. Though on new occasions anniversary days may be appointed for holy worship, and may meet for it any day of the week, yet to set apart another weekly day for holy worship, wholly and statedly, seemeth to us usurpation and an accusation of Gods Laws.

51. To overthrow, or prohibite Christs Church Dis­cipline, or to set up another (that is not meerly sub­ordinate to it, modally to promote it,) seemeth to us an usurpation.

52. So is it for Lay-men to usurp the Power of the Keys given to the Pastors, or for a New kind of humane Bishops or Pastors to usurp them. Much more to make an Universal Pastor of Pastors, personal or Collective, Pope or General Council.

53. Gods Universal absolute Laws may not be nulled, abrogated, derogate, relaxed or dispensed with by any Creature whatsoever.

54. It is a great Law of God, about the modes of holy Assemblies and worship, that all be done, 1. to his Glory, [Page 32] 2. and to Edification: For they are the very natural Law, which determineth of the End of Instituted mediàte Laws.

55. The Grand Law of LOVE is the first and last, the Summary and the final Law of God; that is, to LOVE GOD first, in and for Himself, and then to love his Image appearing in his works, especially on the Rati­onal creature, according to the measures of that Image on them; which is, to Love God as God with all our heart and soul and might, and our neighbour as our selves.

56. This Love was mans great duty in Innocency; and in perfection shall be our work in Glory.

57. This was that state of Holiness that man fell from, and which Christ came to reconcile and to restore him to: And which is peculiarly called GODLINESS or SANCTIFICATION in the New Testament, as distinct from Faith, in its narrower, mediate, official notion.

58. As the work of Christ our Redeemer and Media­tor is to bring man back to God the Creator; so Faith in Christ, and all Evangelical positive Institutions, are the Bellows and fewel of this Love; and means to it as the end.

59. The expressions of this Love are not of equal ne­cessity with the Love it self; but some of them more mu­table.

60. Caeteris paribus the expressions of our Love of God, are to be preferred before the expressions of our Love to men. But God hath made some Great Acts of Charity to men, to be Greater expressions of our Love to Him­self, than some smaller Immediate expressions of it to Him.

[Page 33] 61. Our Love to the whole world is a greater duty than our Love to our Countrey, and our Love to our Countrey is a greater duty than our Love to our Parents, Magistrates, or our selves; As the Goodness of the Objects is diver­sifyed.

62. In some cases God hath laid some special charge on us by his own Law, which way first to exercise our Love: But where he hath not so done, the Greatest Good in the exercises of Love is to be preferred to a lesser, and the lesser is no duty but a sin, when it would exclude the greater, (Comparatively).

63. If a King or Parent command me to forbear a necessary Act of Love (or expression of it) (as to save a mans life, or soul as far as I am able when there is great hope of the success) unless finis gratiâ, a Greater Good oblige me to forbear it, the Authority of the commander doth not oblige me; as not dissolving Gods obligations.

64. The command of Order and Decency in the cele­bration of publick worship in the Assemblies, is a gene­ral precept of Natural right: But it is only the media, which (in some cases propter finem) do cease; that is, when necessity imposeth some disorder and undecency, as without which the end or thing ordered must be for­saken; and so they cease to be a means. But out of such cases of Necessity, they are of perpetual obligation.

65. Though Order and Decency be necessary, and some particular circumstances by which it is expressed indefi­nitely; yet not always the very same Circumstance and expression: But one may serve as well as another.

66. If one man will call these mutable Circumstances, (as genuflexion, putting off the hat, &c.) by the name of Worship, and so say that man may command new-external worship; And another will call them only Circumstances of worship, and not worship, and then say that man may [Page 34] not command new acts of worship] this is but lis de nomine: and they must agree first of the sense of the word wor­ship before they trouble the Church with strife.

67. I will instance in twenty particulars in which we called Puritans and Non-conformists do grant that it be­longeth not to the Perfection of Gods word particularly to determine, but only to give General Laws for deter­mination.

1. What day and hour (besides the Lords day) the Church shall meet. 2. Of what length Readings, Ser­mons, prayers and meetings shall be. 3. When and how of­ten publick fasts and thanksgiving are to be celebrated. 4. In what place the Church shall meet. 5. Of the convenient shape of the Temples, Ornaments, seats, bells, Clocks, &c. 6. Of the place and shape of the Pulpit, reading place, font, table, &c. 7. Of the subject of the present Sermon. 8. Of the Method of the Sermon. 9. Of the words of Sermon and prayers and praises. 10. Of the using or not using Sermon notes, or other helps for memory. 11. What translation of the Scripture shall be used. 12. And what Version or Meter of the singing Psalms. 13. And what tune they shall be sung in, and with what melody. 14. What form or words of Catechism shall be used. 15. What comeliness shall be observed in vesture or habit, in publick worship. 16. By what signs we shall profess our consent to the Common faith and Covenant; whether by standing up, or speaking, or writing, or holding up the hand, &c. 17. By what Gestures in pub­lick worship, decency and order shall be shewed and kept. 18. Of abundance of Church Utensils in Baptism, and the Lords Supper, fonts, vessels, Cups, cloaths, tables, &c. 19. Of circumstantial Officers and their offices, circa Sacra; as Clarks, Church-wardens, door-keepers, &c. 20. When any of the people shall speak [Page 35] in the Assembly▪ and who: and when they shall be silent.

But because the Concession of all these, and all of the same nature, will not serve turn, how odious is our doctrine of Scripture perfection made? and we our selves are judged unmeet (notwithstanding the necessities of many hundred thousand souls) to preach the common doctrine of the Gospel.

1. KIngs and all other supream Powers are the Officers of God the Creator, and of Christ the Redeemer, to whom all power is given by the Father.

2. All their Power is derived from God, and subordi­nate to him.

3. Therefore they can have no more than he giveth them.

4. He is the End as well as the Original of their power; and they have none but for him and his ends, which is His Pleasure and Glory and the publick good.

5. Their own Honour is included in both these; both as part of the splendor or Glory of God in the Image of his soveraingty, and as part of the common good, they them­selves being a Constitutive part of the society.

6. Therefore it is lawful for Kings and all Magistrates to go much further than private men in pres [...]rving their [Page 36] Honour; (Though even they are in very great danger of excess, and pride.)

7. Therefore no Creature hath an Absolute or unlimited power; because they are all limited by God the universal Soveraign. They that with fiery indignation have num­bered this doctrine with our errors, should have conside­red, that how small a matter soever it is, to say that all the lives and estates of the subject, are unlimitedly at eve­ry Soveraigns will, yet it is not a small thing for a Divine to hold, that a King may make Laws to command men to curse God or deny him, or renounce Christ and the hope of salvation, or to kill father, or mother without cause &c. which must follow if he be unlimited by God. Dr. Sib­thorpe never said so.

8. It is one of the tricks of the Enemies of Soveraignty, cunningly to maintain that Kings have a Power to do all the mischief in the world, and want nothing but a will; that so they may put the subjects in a fright when they hear the description of one that is impowred to do so much evil, and may make them still distrustful, as thinking that one mans will is insufficient security for all their estates and lives and souls; and so may turn their Love and trust, in­to hatred and distrust. Therefore such flatterers are hated by wise Princes.

9. The people have not (as many Politicians ill affirm) the Majestas realis, the supream power, either to give or to exercise; no nor any Governing power at all, qu [...] populus; but only where the Government being in part or in whole Democratical, the constitution giveth it them as Rulers.

10. It is not every mans natural power over himself conjoyned by the voluntary consent of many, that is the Original of Political power (or Soveraignty) they being specifically distinct: nor is it left to the will of men whe­ther there shall be Government or not.

[Page 37] 11. Nor doth the Power of Kings arise naturally from Paternal Power; nor do they need to prove them­selves of the eldest house, to prove their right to Govern­ment.

12. But God as the Vniversal Ruler hath signified his will in the nature of man and of things, than he will have the world live in Political order, and have Government and obedience; so that it is Commanded by him in the Law of Nature, antecedently to mens voluntary conjuncti­on (though it may possibly fall out that some uncapa­ble Individuals, (as those cast upon a foreign continent or solitude) may be under no such obligation.)

13. The people therefore give not the King or any other Soveraigns their Power.

14. Their power resulteth from Gods Law which in­stituteth Government, under him, and that Immediately, as to any mediate Donor, though not Immediately as without any mediate condition sine qua non. For though Originally the peoples consent was necessary to deter­mine of the person, or in hereditary Government, of the family, that should receive the power from God; yet that is no Donation of the Power it self. Even as the Kings Charter immediately giveth the power of a Mayor or Bailiff to a Corporation, though by the same Charter the people choose that person that shall receive it. Or as a woman chooseth the man that shall be her Husband, but giveth him not the Government of her, for that is given by Gods institution, to that person whom she contracteth with▪ and if she should agree with him that he should not be her Governour, it were a nullity.

15. The chief use of Kings and Magistrates is, to rule according to Gods Universal Laws, and to see them put in execution as far as the Ends of Government require in this world.

[Page 38] 16. To which end they are to make Laws of their own.

17. Their own Laws argue not the imperfection of Gods Laws, nor stand in co-ordination with them as a supplement, but are meerly like the by-Laws, or Local Laws of Corporations, subordinate to the Universal Laws of the King, and made only by a power given by him: Kings themselves being much more under God, than Justices are under them.

18. The Soveraign Power is unlimited and absolute, to as any limitation of any superiour humane Power (else it were not Soveraign).

19. But besides that it is ever limited by God, it may be also limited by Contract with the people, called by some Fundamental or Constitutive Laws, when a people that have a right to their lives, limbs, liberties and estates, do in the constitution of the Common-wealth, secure these from the absolute will of the Soveraign▪ and reserve cases of innocency in which they shall not be taken away: which are called the peoples Liberties.

20. Absolute slaves have no Liberties or security for their Lives, limbs or estates.

21. A Domination over slaves is not finally for their good, but for the will or benefit or ends of the Lord or pro­prietary.

22. A Common-wealth is not a society of slaves, but of free subjects and of such a Soveraign as is to Rule for the publick Good of the society.

24. He is the wisest and happiest King, that by his Govern­ment most promoteth the publick Good; which also is his chiefest Honour.

23. They are the wisest Counsellours of Kings that most inseparably twist their interest with the peoples, and so promote them: And they are their most pernicious e­nemies, [Page 39] that would untwist and separate their interests, and set them in jealousies of one another, and in a stri­ving how to get all from one another to themselves.

25. Humane Lawgivers may subordinately determine of those things in particular, which God hath only com­manded in general; when the ends of Government re­quire a Legal determination of them.

26. As Gods Laws bind us by Primitive power to a conscientious obedience, so the Kings Laws bind us by a Derived power to conscientious obedience, which some in­eptly call binding Conscience]: The meaning is, mens Laws bind the man, and therefore primarily the soul (which they call the Conscience); And there is no ob­ligation at all of Laws, which is not primarily on the soul. And this obligation we must be conscious of: Irons and Cords to bind the body immediately. To deny therefore that mens Laws thus bind the Conscience is to deny them to be Laws.

27. But as Conscience is taken Theologically, for the judgement of a man of himself, as he is subject to the judgement of God, so it is all one to say, [men rule our Consciences] and [men are God]. It is contradiction, and can be no con­troversie. Therefore we verily believe that there is no difference among us in this point, which confounded heads pretend so wide a difference in: For it is scarce possible.

28. Though men may as aforesaid bind Consciences, that is, bind the soul to conscionable obedience under God, yet can they not bind us against Conscience, that is, against the Conscience of our duty to God, when we do not err; for that is to bind us to sin against God when we know it to be sin.

29. Whoever disobyeth Gods known Law, because man commandeth him; preferreth man to God, and in­curreth Gods displeasure and judgements.

[Page 40] 30. Conscience is not a Law-giver, Governour, or maker of duty, but a discerner of duty made by Laws.

31. It is therefore their error that say Conscience maketh it a mans duty to sin, or maketh it no sin to do what God forbiddeth: An erring Conscience ligat non obligat; ensnareth in a necessity of sinning till it be rectified, but doth not make sin to be none.

32. It is therefore the practice of the muddy-headed troublers of the world, to pretend that the Controversie betwixt us is, whether the King or Conscience be the su­pream Governour; whenas we hold that Conscience is no Governour at all unless as your eyes that read the Law, or your understanding which knoweth it and your duty, may be equivocally called Governours. But the question (if they will make any difference from us) must be this, [whether the Conscience or apprehension of our duty to God, and of his Commands, or of the Kings Commands, should be most prevalent with us for obedience?] Either dispute this, or go on to rave against us in your dreams.

33. God doth not change his Laws, because or when men err in their understanding of them: But whatever antece­dently is commanded, he still commandeth though men think he forbiddeth it. And whatever he forbids he still forbiddeth, when men think that he forbiddeth it not or commandeth it.

34. The esse vel non esse is antecedent to the scire esse vel non esse: And when ever men ask, [How shall we know? or, who shall judge?] every man of brains will consi­der, that [either the thing really is, or it is not; which is to be known and judged of.]

35. The common cheat of the ignorant in all these kind of disputes is, by suppressing or overlooking the question do ess [...], and beginning with the question de scire vel judicare: and asking first, [who shall be the judge?]

[Page 41] 36. So some ask [what is our duty when one saith this is the truth, and another saith nay but that is the the truth?] Answ. It is antecedently true, that either this, or that, or neither is the truth] And (supposing it revealed to you) God bindeth you to believe that which really is the truth, whatever men say against it.

37. So some say, that if the King command one thing, and Conscience tell me, that God doth command ano­ther thing, which must I obey?] Answ. It is antecedent­ly true, that either God doth command the contrary, or he doth not: If he doth, you are bound to obey him, and not the King. If he do not, you are bound to obey the King. For your knowledge or ignorance changeth not Gods Laws.

38. So it is asked, what shall a man do whose (Con­science telleth him that this or that (commanded perhaps by man) is duty or sin, commanded or forbidden by God, but yet is not absolutely certain?] Answ. Either (antece­dently) it is a duty, or sin, or it is not: If it be, he is bound to do it, or forbear it accordingly; whatever he think of it himself: His doubts change not Gods Laws.

39. So the question is, what a man should do that hath an erring Conscience? Answ. 1. An erring Conscience is im­properly called Conscience; because error is not properly science: But let that pass. 2. He is under a double obligation: The first is to obey Gods Laws, about which he erreth: The second is, to lay by his error.

40. Quest. But must he in the mean time go against his Conscience? Answ. No; nor against Gods Law: what God hath conjoyned, none of your questions must tempt us to put asunder: He is still under the double obligation of rectifying Conscience, and obeying God. And both must be done and not one alone.

41. Quest. But it is supposed that he cannot change his judgement. What then must he do? Answ. Were it through [Page 42] a natural inculpable impotency and impossibility, the Law would not oblige him, and so there would be no Law and no transgression: But that which we speak of is a moral Impotenc [...], through the vicious blindness of the mind, and corruption of the will; and God will not change his Laws, because men are sinfully indisposed to obey them: When you have questioned to the utmost, the double obligation still remaineth: And so you must be an­swered.

42. But what order here must we observe; must we not change our judgement before we can obey? Answ. The obli­gations to both are both at once; But because an undi­scerned command cannot be obeyed, the order of natural ne­cessity, is, that you first rectifie your judgement, and then o­bey the other commands.

43. But how shall a man rectifie his erring judgement? Answ. Gods means are commonly known, though not commonly used. Hear, read, meditate, pray, forbear the sin which grieveth your Guide; cast out corrupt af­fections, passions and lusts, and lay by carnal interests that would pervert the judgement.

44. Quest. But what must we do till all this can be done? Answ. You must hasten your cure with all diligence. For till it be done you will certainly live in sin.

45. So also if the Magistrates commands be lawful (the esse still being antecedent to the scire) and yet the sub­ject think them unlawful, his error will not justifie his disobedience: but he is bound to judge better and to obey.

46. And if the Magistrates commands be against our duty to God, and the subject think them to be lawful, his errors will not make them or his obedience to them to be lawful.

47. Those persons who make it the principle of their obedience, that [we must obey the Magistrate when we are [Page 43] uncertain, whether it be sin which he commandeth or not; because we are certain that obedience is a duty, and the certain part must be preferred before the uncertain] I hope do not err with the flagitious aggravations (villanie, pious-wick­edness, impudency &c.) which the Non-conformists errors are charged with; But rather only the dust of worldly business and contention may have confounded and sullied Natures tables, or the heat of passion may have melted down its tender Characters.

48. Were this universally and formally true, it would follow, that a mans blindness, error, ignorance, and so his doubtfulness, and uncertainty would justifie him in any villany against God and nature, that man can com­mand: For instance, An Indian may be certain that it is his duty to obey his King, and yet uncertain whether it be a sin to murder his parents, to eat his enemies, to be adulterous, perjured, &c. A Turk may know that it is his duty to obey his Prince, but be uncertain whether it be a sin to curse Jesus Christ and renounce him, and to believe in Mahomet &c. A Papist may know that it is his duty to obey his King, and yet not know whether it be a sin to wor­ship the bread as God, and to torment those that are called Hereticks, or to worship Images, or suppress the Scriptures, &c. And all this should be done according to this rule, if Rulers be but bad enough to command it. Nay if the Popes own subjects at Rome do but doubt whether it be a sin when he commandeth them, to go and murder a forreign Prince; must they do this think you, because of their uncertainty of the matter?

49. If the matter were unrevealed, and so men were uncertain, because God had not made known his mind, then their Rule of precedency were to be regarded; But if God have sufficiently revealed his will, no vicious uncertain­ty of it will make it a duty or lawful, to obey the contrary command of man.

[Page 44] 50. It is one thing to be sure that I must obey my Rulers in all things lawful, another thing to be sure that I must obey them hic & nunc: The Rule obtruded on us con­foundeth these; And so is meerly fallacious. For the former is nothing at all to our business: And of the se­cond, I can be no more certain, than I am whether it be a lawful thing which is commanded by them: for as I am sure in general that I must obey them in things lawful, I am as sure that I must not obey them in things forbidden by God. Therefore so far as I am uncertain whether the thing be sinful or not, I must be as uncertain whether I must or may obey my Rulers in that thing.

51. And we called Puritans (being the more out of love with Confusion for the effects of it in this age among Divines) do use also farther to distinguish, of a greater evil and a lesser, (when neither of them is to be chosen be­cause neither is good.) And we say it is an aggravated Crime to choose a Greater sin before a less, when a man hath brought himself into a present moral impotency of avoiding both: we distinguish also between the Matter, or Nature and weight of the things doubted of.

And so we resolve, that if I be certain that I who am a poor low subject, am bound to obey a Justice of Peace, in all things lawful (by Gods Laws and the Kings); And a Justice commandeth me to do some little act, which I know not whether the Law forbid or not, I will obey him: But if he bid me do that, which I am in doubt whe­ther it be Treason, and would endanger the life of the King, or the safety of his Kingdoms, though I be uncer­tain, yet I will forbear.

And if a Ruler bid me read a Chapter in the old Testament to day, and I be uncertain whether God would not have me read one in the New Testament, as fitter to the [Page 45] Auditors, I will obey my Rulers in this case, not because I am certain at all that hic & nunc it is my duty formally to obey them; but because I take the disobeying them, in case it should now prove a sin, to be a Greater sin than the mischoosing of the Chapter would be if that should prove the sin; and to choose the greater sin, is a greater aggravati­on of that great sin.

But on the other side, if man command me the do­ings, or the omissions, which if they should prove unlaw­ful would prove to be Perjury, yea the stigmatizing of Cities and Corporations, Church and Kingdoms in the front with PER, or would prove a murdering of mens souls; and if on the contrary, it should prove lawful to do these things, yet the not doing them will have no other evil, than not obeying the Law; (in such uncertainty) or my own personal suffering; here I would rather not obey, be­ing uncertain of the matter commanded. Not because I am sure which is my duty at all in it self; but that I am sure that to prefer the greater evil, when I know not the good, is an aggravation of that evil: And so to sin, is a double and more dangerous sin.

52. Every Rational creature under Heaven hath a judg­ment of Discerning, called a Private judgment, by which all must try, know and guide their duties to God and man: And to deny them this is to make them Bruits, and Kings to be but Governours of Cattel; and to tell men, that they must not know when to obey or whom: And it is to go against the judgment of all the sober world.

53. But no subject as such, or private man, hath any Publick decisive judgment; nor must in cases Religious or Civil claim the least degree thereof.

54. Inferior Magistrates have all their Power from the King as supream.

55. There is no external coactive or forcing power, no [Page 46] not about matters Religious or Ecclesiastical, but in the King and Magistracie; and therefore none in Church­men or in any subjects, unless as Magistrates under the King. That is, no other hath the power of the sword, or to touch the Bodies or Estates of men.

56. Power may be called [EXTERNAL] or In­ternal in several respects; 1. In regard of the Agent: And so the Spirit of God hath the Internal Power, and Magistrates, Parents and Pastors have External.

2. In regard of the Actions commanded, Internal or ex­ternal: And so the Power of Magistrates is both Inter­nal and External, that is, They may command inward fidelitie, honour, &c. to God to Parents and to themselves (though they cannot see when it is performed alone;) And they may command outward actions; But the later is their most common work. And Pastors have both Internal and External power; And may in Gods name as his Ministers, command inward Love and Repentance, and outward worshipping of God, Prayers, Sacraments, Assemblies, Confessions, learning Catechisms, obeying the King and Parents, &c.

3. In regard of the Act or instrument of Government. And so God hath the Internal Power, because he only can by In­ternal spiritual agency rule the mind: And Kings and Pastors have the external Power, that is, do Govern by Voice and Writings, which are external signs and means.

4. In regard to the part of the subject Governed: And so the Power of Magistrates is both Internal and external; for they Govern both mind and body: For there is no Ruling of mens Bodies by Laws, unless they first rule the mind: for Laws force not the Locomotive power immediately. And so Pastors have both External and Internal Power, because by Gods word they Rule first the mind, and by that the Body; as to forbear sin, to worship God, &c.

[Page 47] 5. In regard of the Nearest Ruling Act. And so the King and Magistrate hath the Internal and External Pow­er: Internal; because he may speak in his Precepts to the Mind even in Gods name, as well as Ministers may: External, because he may punish the body immediately. But Pastors so have none of the External Power, because they touch not the outward man, that is, Body or Purse immediately, nor Rule it but only mediately by perswa­ding the Mind: so that if you will ambiguously apply the name of External Power, only to Coercive or Coactive Power by Outward force, no subject, no Pastors have any such, but only the King and Magistrates.

57. O that Kings would once all agree to make the Church and world so happy, as to keep all this Exter­nal forcing power to themselves: and not to trust it in the hands of Clergymen, nor lend their swords to angry Priests to revenge their quarrels on one another; nor yet be themselves the meer Executioners of the sentences of the Presbyters or Prelats; but if they will needs quar­rel, leave them to do it with their proper weapons, while the Magistrate himself doth repress their insolen­cies, and keep the peace. The worst Magistrates almost were like to use the sword more harmlesly, than the Secular Clergy hath hitherto done, through most of all the Christian world.

58. Though Kings have no Authority against God, they have a Power which it is too possible to abuse to sin, against many of Gods Laws, and yet not forfeit their office or true Authority thereby.

59. In case of some abuse of Power, the subject may be bound to obey him that abuseth it in that very act or thing. That is, when it is a thing that God forbiddeth the Magi­strate to command, but doth not forbid the subject to do, it may become a duty on several accounts to do that thing.

[Page 48] 60. The reason is, because it is Gods Law to subjects, and not Gods Law to Kings, which subjects must be ruled by, and their actions judged by.

61. And modest subjects must rather study what Laws God hath made for themselves, than what Laws he hath made for Kings: and what is their own duty than what is the Kings: (Though of this they are not bound to be ignorant.)

62. When subjects may not obey, yet may they not by arms resist authority.

63. To pretend Religion for Rebellion or sedition (which is the greatest enemy to it in the world) is to aggravate the sin, by intimated blasphemy against the Author of Religion.

64. When subjects suffer from Kings for obeying God, they must not take occasion by it to dishonour Kings by aggravating the injury: Because the Kings honour is more necessary to the publick peace and welfare, than the righting of a subjects injured reputation is.

65. Therefore we must nor make too great a noise in complaining of such sufferings, nor make them seem greater than they are; but rather (secretly rejoycing in Gods justification of the innocent) openly take as much of the blame to our selves as we can in truth, and men­tion the benefits which we have by suffering, and the Commonwealth by Magistracie.

66. It is not lawful for any Pastors to publish excom­munications against Kings, (no nor against Parents, or any Magistrates, on whose Honour the publick good dependeth.) The reason is, because that the Natural Law [...] honouring Rulers taketh place of the positive instituti­ [...] of excommunication: the later being but a means to [...] ends which are collateral with the former; are [...] when contrary to such ends or greater duties: [Page 49] which made Christ send the Pharisees to learn [what that meaeth, I will have mercy and not sacrifice] And affirmatives bind not ad semper.

67. But if a Pope or Prelate or Presbytery, to whom Kings never committed the care of their souls, shall by usurpation pretend to a power over Kings, which they have not, and so excommunicate them to their publick dishonour, this is a more hainous crime; being treasonable in subjects, and hostility in fo­reigners.

68. Yet those Pastors whom Princes have chosen to that special trust, must be very faithful in acquainting them with their sins and duty to God, and not for fear or flattery betray their souls and the publick good.

69. And so great is the sin of Tyranny and oppression and persecution, and so grand an impediment to the Gos­pel and mens salvation among Turks, Tartarians, Indi­ans, Persians, and the far greatest part of all the world, that all wise and good Princes will take those for their most pernicious enemies, that would by flattery tempt them to so great a sin, (though on pretence of honouring them)

THat mistake, design or malice may not make a charge of disloyalty, or seditious principles and minds, to pass for a pretence of our restraint from the preach­ing of the Gospel, which we were devoted to in our Ordination, three things seem needful for us to make known. I. What are the principles of policie, which we hold. II. Our profession, resolution and promise as to our practice. III. what disloyal, Traiterous and seditious opinions and practices we renounce.

§. 1. IF I own that political doctrine which is justi­fied by these three: I. The constitution of this Monarchy, II. The Articles of Religion and Canons of the Church, III. And the judgment of those Prelates who have been accounted the most Loyal and Learned of their order, and the most hot and strong defenders of it, I suppose such doctrine will be vindicated from the charge of Noncon­formity.

§. 2. But I find that the first is a point not agreed on by all, viz. what the constitution of the Kingdom is; while Parliaments have claimed that as their Power and priviledge which the King hath denyed to be theirs; and the King hath claimed that as his power and preroga­tive which Parliaments have denyed to be such. Therefore I (that am very unfit to judge between them) must take up with that which is on both hands agreed on. And that I will take only as in the Kings own words, in his answers to the Parliament 1641 in several of his De­clarations.

§. 3. In his Majesties answer to the 19. Propositions he thus describeth the Constitution.

‘There being three kinds of Government amongst men, Absolute Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy, and [Page 82] all these having their particular conveniencies, and in­conveniencies; the experience and wisdom of your an­cestors hath so molded this out of a Mixture of these, as to give to this Kingdom (as far as humane prudence can provide) the conveniencies of all three without the in­conveniencies of any one, as long as the ballance hangs even between the three Estates, and they run joyntly on in their proper Channel (begetting Verdure and fertility in the meadows on both sides) and the over [...]lowing of either on either side raise no deluge or inundation. The ill of Absolute Monarchy is Tyranny: The ill of Aristo­cracy is faction and division: The ills of Democracy are tumults, violence and licentiousness. The good of Monarchy is the Uniting of a Nation under one head to resist invasion from abroad, and insurrection at home: The good of Aristocracy is the conjunction of Council of the ablest persons of a State for the publick benefit. The good of Democracy is Liberty, and the Courage and Industry which Liberty begets.’

‘In this Kingdom the Laws are joyntly made by a King, by a house of Peers, and by a house of Commons chosen by the people, all having free Votes and parti­cular priviledges: The Government according to these Laws is trusted to the King; power of Treaties of war and peace; of making Peers, of choosing Officers and Counsellors for State, Judges for Law, Commanders for Forts and Castles, giving Commissions for raising men to make war abroad, or to prevent or provide against invasions or insurrections at home, benefit of confiscati­ons, power of pardoning, and some more of the like kind, are placed in the King: And this kind of regulated Mo­narchy, having this power to preserve that authority, without which it would be disabled to preserve the Laws in their force, and the Subjects in their Liberties and [Page 83] proprieties, is intended to draw to him such a respect and relation from the great ones, as may hinder the ills of division and faction, and such a fear and reverence from the people as may hinder tumults, violence and licentiousness.’

‘Again, that the Prince may not make use of this high and perpetual Power to the hurt of those for WHOSE GOOD HE HATH IT, and make use of the name of Publick necessity for the gain of his Private favo­rites and followers to the detriment of his people, the house of Commons (an excellent conserver of Liberty, but never intended for any share in Government, or the choosing of them that should govern) is solely intrust­ed with the first Propositions concerning the Levies of moneys (which is the sinews as well of peace as war) and the impeaching of those who for their own ends though countenanced by any SURREPTITIOUS­LY GOTTEN COMMAND of the KING, have violated the Law which HE IS BOUND (when he knows it) to protect, and to the protection of which they were bound to advise him; at least not to serve him in the contrary.’

‘And the Lords being trusted with a Judicatory pow­er are an excellent Skreen and bank between the Prince and people, to assist each against any incroachments of the other, and by just judgments to preserve that Law, which ought to be the Rule of every one of the three.’

‘For the better enabling them in this, beyond the examples of any of our ancestors, we were willingly contented to oblige our self, both to call a Parliament every three years, and not to dissolve it in fifty daies.]’

‘We told you in our first Declaration printed by the advice of our Privy Council, that for differences among [Page 84] our selves for matters indifferent in their own nature concerning religion, we should in tenderness to any number of our loving Subjects, very willingly com­ply with the advice of our Parliament, that some Law might be made for the exemption of tender Consciences from punishment or prosecution for such ceremonies, and in such cases which by the judgment of most men are held to be matters indifferent, and of some to be abso­lutely unlawfull. Provided that this case shall be attempted and pursued with that modesty, temper and submission, that in the mean time, the peace and quiet of the Kingdom be not disturbed, the decency and come­liness of Gods service discountenanced, nor the pious, sober, devout actions of those reverend persons who were the first Labourers in the blessed reformation of that time, be scandalized and defamed]. And because his Maje­sty observeth great and different troubles to arise in the hearts of his people concerning the Government and Liturgy of the Church, His Majesty is willing to declare that he will refer the whole consideration to the wisdom of his Parliament.]’ See the rest in the Decla­ration.

§. 4. In his Declaration of Jun. 3. 1642. ‘[For the Law, it being the Common inheritance of our peo­ple, we shall never enforce any prerogative of ours be­yond it; but submit our selves to it; and give you and all our Subjects the fullest latitude of it, both for the liberty of your persons, and the propriety of your estates. And for an inviolable confidence and assurance hereof, as we take God the searcher of all hearts to witness our real inten­tion herein, so we shall no longer, desire you to stand for the defence of our person, honour, and just prerogatives, than we s [...]all maintain the Laws of the land, the liber­ty of your persons, and the propriety of your goods.’

[Page 85] §. 5. In his Declaration of Jun. 13. 1642. to the Lords ‘[We do declare that we will not require nor expect any obedience from you, but what shall be warranted by the known Laws of the land: as we do expect that you shall not yield to any commands, NOT LEGALLY GROUNDED, or imposed by any other. We will defend the true Protestant Religion e­stablished by the Law of the Land; the lawful liberties of the Subjects of England, and just priviledges of all the three Estates of Parliament; and shall require no further obedience from you than as accordingly we shall perform the same.’

§. 6. Aug. 12. 1642. Declaration ‘[The High Com­mission Court had proceeded with too much strictness in many cases; where the tender Consciences of ma­ny of our weak Subjects were concerned; and had so far outgrown the power of the Law, that it would not be limited and guided by it, but censured, fined and impri­soned our people, for matters not punishable by the Law.’

§. 7. In this great and full Declaration Aug. 12. 1642. ‘[What our opinion and resolution is concerning Parlia­ments, we have fully expressed in our Declarations: We have said and will still say, They are so ESSEN­TIAL A PART OF THE CONSTITUTI­ON of this Kingdom, that we can attain to no happiness without them, nor will we ever make the least attempt (in our own thought) against them. We well know that OUR SELF and our two Houses make up the Par­liament, and that we are like Hippocrates Twins, we must laugh and cry, live and die together; That no man can be a friend to one and an enemy to the other].’

§. 8. The Kings Protestation Sept. 19. 1642. be­tween Stafford and Wellington. ‘[I do promise in the pre­sence of Almighty God, and as I hope for his blessing and [Page 86] protection, that I will to the utmost of my power de­fend and maintain the true Reformed Protestant Religion established in the Church of England, and by the grace of God in the same will live and die.’

‘I desire to Govern by the known Laws of the land, and that the Liberty and Property of the Subject may be by them preserved, with the same care as my own just rights: And if it please God by his blessing upon this Army raised for my necessary defence, to preserve me from this rebellion, I do solemnly and faithfully promise in the sight of God to maintain the just priviledges and freedom of Parliament, and to govern by the known Laws of the land to my utmost power; and particular­ly to observe inviolably the Laws consented to by me this Parliament.]’

§. 9. How far our present King hath declared himself for the same principles, it is needless to recite, while his frequent Professions of them, and his Declarations for just Liberty of Conscience, and his Gracious Declara­tion about Ecclesiastical Affairs, and his professed resolu­tion to draw the Bishops to meet us and make necessa­ry abatements for concord, &c. are in our remembrance or before our eyes.

And we disclaim their censures, who say All this was done but for a time to draw us into what hath followed: And when others say, It was by a—Parliament that it was frustrated, and that all was long of the Bishops and Clergy whose Reverence prevailed with them to do all against us which they did, though we cannot confute them, we leave all to the approaching judgment of the all-knowing God.

§. 10. II. The Article of Religion for the power of Kings and obedience of Subjects we need not transcribe, [Page 87] but do consent to it: so do we to the Canons which re­quire the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacie, and answerable obedience, and to all the Homilies against Rebellion and for obedience, and all that ever we found to be for this the publick doctrine of the Church.

§. 11. III. The judgment of Bishop Jewel, Bishop Bilson, Mr. Richard Hooker I have elsewhere cited, and confuted some of Mr. Hookers mistakes, who putteth the peoples power to give Authority, instead of their power to choose the family or person that shall receive it im­mediately from the Law of God.

The words of Barclay and Grotius the two most eminent defenders of Monarchy (as I said before) I will not recite in their words (how far and when Kings may be resisted, specially by those that have part in the Legislative pow­er which is part in the supremacy) lest I be mistaken as approving all that they say: It may be seen at large in Grot. de Jure Belli & Pacis li. 1. c. 4. pag. 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91. And de Imperio sum. Potest. cap. 1. pag. 7, 8. much less will I cite the common writers of Politicks, who are more for popular power a great deal than I am (of which after).

§. 12. At this time I will take up with the words of Bishop Jer. Taylor, in his notable Ductor Dubitantium about both Civil and Church Power, because he is a very ingenious writer, and of great authority even with those of the Clergy who follow Archbishop Laud, whom Ab­bots followers accused.

§. 13. Lib. 3. c. 3. p. 130. Rul. 1. ‘That in every Commonwealth there is a supream power, is without all question—It matters not whether this supream pow­er be subjected in one or many, that's as to the Good­ness or badness—not the absoluteness of it.—He that hath the supream power is only under God—sup­pose a King that hath Power of the Militi, and his [Page 88] Senate of making Laws, and his people by their Com­mittees of raising money, This power of making war, and Laws and Levies is the supream Power, and is that which can do all things: And though one be accoun­table for monies, and the other subject to Laws, and two of them under the power of the Sword, yet this is but the Majesty or supremacy parted, and whether well or ill I dispute not, but when it is parted and when it is united, it is all.—’

‘P. 133. But then it must be considered that the abso­lute power of the Prince, is but an absolute power of Government, not of Possession. It is a power of do­ing right; but not a power of doing wrong; And at the worst, it is but the power of doing private violences for the security of the publick. He is Princeps Regni, but not Dominus; a Prince, not a Lord; and the di­stinction is very material. For to be Lord signifieth more than the supream power of Government; It means an Ab­solute power to dispose of all lives and all possessions; which is beyond the power of the King or Prince: He that is a King, rules over a free people, but a Lord rules over Slaves, Tacitus, according to the popular humour of the Romans, supposed the power of a King to be too great a Violation of Liberty: but Domination was in­tolerable —The supream power of Government is at no hand a supream power or an arbitrary disposer of life and fortunes; but according to Law, or according to extream necessity which is the greatest Law of all. In the sense of Honour and moderate power the King is a Lord: but not in this sense of law: By a Lord is meant He that hath power to dispose of the goods of the Vassals, but that a King or Prince hath not. This is not the supream power of Government: A King is not the Lord of his Kingdom; of the Territories of his Subjects.—’

[Page 89] ‘P. 134. The supreme Power must defend every mans right, but must usurp no mans—A King is to Go­vern all things; but to possess nothing but what is his own. Only of the necessity, if the question be Who shall be judge; it is certain that it ought to be so noto­rious that every man might judge—if ever there be a dispute who shall be judge of the necessity, it is certain the necessity is not extreme.—p. 137. The plenitude of power of all things ought the least to be feared, because it never is to be used but for the great­est good—p. 142. All that he hath been pleased to pro­mise, the forms and Laws of Government, and to what­soever himself hath consented, by all those Laws he is bound—when he hath bound himself, there is the same necessity upon him as on his Subjects.—’

‘P. 144. The custome of supreme Princes swearing to govern by Laws was very ancient—And indeed abstract­ing from the Oath and promise, Kings are bound by natural justice and equity to do so: For they are not Kings unless they govern; and they cannot expect obe­dience unless they tell the mesaures by which they will be obeyed; and these measures cannot be any thing but Laws;—Now this is the natural way of all good government. There is no other: And to govern other­wise is as unnatural as to give children meat at their ears, and hold looking-glasses at their elbows that they may see their faces. If Kings be not bound to govern their people by their Laws, why are they made? by what else can they be governed? By the will of the Prince?—The Laws are so: Only he hath declared his will and made it regular and certain, and such as wise men can walk by, that the Prince may not Govern as fools Govern.]’

[Page 90] Of Church Government and Ceremonies and Subscriptions, the same Author, ibid.

‘§. 14. Lib. 3. c. 4. p. 217. [The use of the Keys dif­fereth from proper jurisdiction in this great thing, that if the Keys be rightly used, they do bind or loose respectively; but if they err they do nothing on the subject; they neither bind nor loose. In proper juris­diction it is otherwise: for right or wrong if a man be condemned he shall die for it; and if he be hanged he is hanged: But the Church gives nothing but the sen­tence of God, and tells upon what terms God will or will not pardon. If the Priest minister rightly, and judge according to the will and Laws of God, the sub­ject shall find that sentence made good in heaven by the real events of the other world:—But if the priest be deceived, he is deceived for himself and no body else—He alters nothing of the state of the Soul by his quick absolution or unreasonable bind­ing. The power of remitting sins given to the Church is nothing but an authority to minister that pardon which God gives by Jesus Christ—Ecclesiastical authority is a power of Jurisdiction, just as Excommuni­cation is a Sword. But so is the word of God sharper than a two-edged sword, and so is a severe reproof— But how little there is of proper jurisdiction in excom­munication we can demonstrate but by too good an argument (citing many instances of its uneffectualness) —Only the obstinate and incorrigible are to be proceeded against by that extreme remedy: And to them who need that extreme it is no remedy: for they that need it care not for it, and what compulsion then [Page 91] can this be?—It must work only by opinion, and can af­fright them only who are taught to be afraid of it. It can only do effort on them who are willing to be good in the way of the Church; for it is a spiritual punishment, and operates only on the spirit, that is, on the will and under­standing which can have no coercion—] That which Ecclesiasticks can do, is a suspension of their own act; not any power over the actions of other men: and therefore is but an use of their own liberty, not an exercise of jurisdiction. He doth the same thing in Sa­craments which he doth in preaching: In both he de­clares the guilty person to be out of the way to hea­ven, to be obnoxious to the Divine anger, to be a debtor of repentance; and refusing to baptize an ill Catechumen, or to Communicate an ill living Christi­an, does but say the same thing. He speaks in one by signs, and in the other he signifies by words.— The other effects are the caution and duty of the Church to abstain from the society of the Criminal.’

‘§. 15. Rule 2. p. 220. &c. The Church hath power to make Laws &c. By the Church I must first mean the Church Catholick, or all the Governours of the Christi­an assemblies in the world—But because all did never meet since the Apostles days, who being few and united and absolute and supreme could then do what ne­ver could be done since, it is necessary that the Legislation be subjected in some more particular subject, and there­fore I shall instance in the least. By the Church I mean eve­ry particular Church joyned to the Head of Union; and by the particular Church I mean the Angel of that Church the Bp.—A Diocess is the least circuit of Go­vernment, but it is an intire body subject to distinct com­mands— whether the Diocess be little or great, allowed or disallowed, in City or Countrey, divided into Parishes or not divided, under Metropolitans or not under, of ma­ny [Page 92] Churches or but of one, it matters not: where there is a Bishop and a Congregation, there is a Diocess —As for Parishes in the late sense of the word, that is, the charge of a single Presbyter, it is no bo­dy politick of Apostolical or Divine appointment. For the Presbyters were called in part in solicitudinis into the help of the Ministry, but they had NO CURE OF SOULS save only by delegation and special temporary appointment for some whole ages in the Church. And therefore the Govern­ing and Commanding authority cannot be extended to Parishes and their Curats, which are of late date1. Note that elsewhere he saith, A man cannot be answerable for the souls that he cannot know. 2. Note that he maketh a Bishop essential to a Church (in the proper political sense) And so our Parishes are all unchurch­ed by the Bishops way. 3. One Congregation with a Bishop is a Diocesane Church. 4. Parish Curats have no Government. 5. All this fully proveth that Diocesses in those ages that he speaks of were no bigger than one man could govern, that is, than our Parishes. 6. Quer. By what right were the changes in specie made.] p. 222. If we go higher (than a Bishop) we can never come to a society of Apostolical or Di­vine institution in the Church, be­cause between the whole Catho­lick Church either in diffusion or representation, and a single Dio­cess, all the intermedial unions, as of Metropolitans, Primates, Pa­triarchs, Councils Provincial or OECUMENICAL are by consent and positive and humane institution, but they directly esta­blish no Divine Government: This only is properly such—A Bishop and his charge more or less is an intire society or Common-wealth, that is, an intire Government, and Pre­late and people make the parts of the integral constitutionThis with Dr. Hammonds denying that there were any subject Presbyters in Scripture times, make up pure Independency..’ (What Laws he meaneth see him after.)

‘§. 16. But this (Commanding power) is not to be ex­tended [Page 93] to such Decencies as are only Ornament, but is to be limited to such as only rescue from Confusion: The reason is, because the Prelates and spiritual Guides cannot do their duty, unless things be so orderly that there be no confusion, much less can they do it with joy: and so far their power does extend.—But if it can go beyond this limit, then it can have no natural limit; but may extend to sump­tuousness,☜ to Ornaments of Churches, to rich utensils to splendour, to Majesty—But because this is too subject to abuse, and gives a secular power into the hands of Bishops, and an authority over mens for­tunes and estates, and is not necessary for souls, and no part of the spiritual government, it is more than Christ gave to his Ministers.’

‘§. 17. This is to be added, that because this power is—such—it is only left to the people to do it or not, under the pain of sin, but they are not to incur spiritual censures upon the stock of non complyance in things not simply necessary or of essential duty.Nonconformity.’

‘§. 18. P. 233. Beyond this, the Bishops can direct­ly give no Laws that properly and immediately bind the transgressours under sin: my Reasons are, 1. Be­cause we never find the Apostles using their Coercion on any man but the express breakers of a Divine com­mandment, or the publick disturbers of the peace of the Church, and the established necessary order. 2. Be­cause even in those things which were so convenient that they had a power to make injunctions, yet the Apo­stles were very backward to use their authority of commanding, much less severity, but intreating. 3. In things where God had interposed no command, though the rule they gave contained in it that which [Page 94] was fit and decent, yet if men would resist, they gently admonisht or reproved them, and let them alone. 4. If the Bishops power were extended further, it might extend to Tyranny, and there could be no limits beyond this pre­scribed to keep him within the measures of sweetness of the Government Evangelical—yet the power of spiritual Rulers may extend further by fame, consent, reputati­on, opinion of his wisdom, voluntary submission, avoiding scandal.’

‘§. 19. P. 258. [It is certainly unlawful to excom­municate any man for not paying the fees of Courts: For contumacy there is an offence against the Civil power, and he hath a sword of his own to avenge that. But excommunication is a sword to avenge the contumacy of them who stubbornly offend against the discipline of the Church in that wherein Christ hath given her authority; and that is in the matters of Sal­vation and damnation immediate; in such things where there is no secular interest; where there can be no dis­pute; where the offender doth not sin by consequence and interpretation, but directly and without excuse.’

‘§. 20. I add one thing of great use and consi­deration, and that is, That when a Law is made that whoever shall commit such a fact shall be ipso facto excommunicate, it must never be understood of the Greater and proper excommunication: for if it be, it is unlawful, and it is ridiculous: for the abscission from the Church is not to be used but after all other remedies; when the Crime is delated and notorious, and when he hath been admonished and reproved and cal­led to repentance, if after all he refuseth and rebels, then he is to be cut off, else not: And therefore no man is cut off ipso facto—If it be enquired whether all such sentences in Law which declare a man in certain [Page 95] cases ipso facto excommunicate, be unlawful, the Arch-Bishop of Spalato (Lib. 5. de Rep. Eccles. c. 9. n. 23, 24.) who is fierce against them,Honest Dr. you made not our Canons which ipso facto excommunicate the professed Nonconfor­mists: Yet I will venture to give one exception: viz. He that openly and deliberately renounceth God or Christ or any essential part of his Bap­tismal Covenant, or Chri­stianity, thereby ipso facto cuts off himself; And therefore the Law may justly say that he is ipso facto excommunicate, and declare him so. Doubt­less our Canon meaneth the proper excommuni­cation, when it addeth, let him not be restored but by the Archbishop, and till he publickly repent & renounce his wicked er­ror. answers affirmatively and confidently, and disputes well against them.’

‘§. 20. Pag. 262. The Church intends not to forbid any such entercourse or Communion to which we stand preobliged by the Law of Nature or any Law of God—Even the King cannot command a wife not to pay her duty to her husband, nor a child to his mother: To these they are bound by God though they die for it.So a Minister to his office. When (an action of) piety is necessary, and not under choice and Counsel, but under a commandment, the King and the Bishop singly or conjunctly have no power to for­bid it. p. 264. In this there is no other Rule of Conscience, but that we first attend to the Laws of God concerning our other duties, and then to the Laws of the King in this.’

‘§. 21. p. 275. The Lent fast is not a Tradition or Canon Apostolical, proved at large and unanswerably, to pag. 285. and again after.’

‘§. 22. P. 285. The Authority of a General Council in matters of Government and Discipline, is no greater, no more obligatory, than the authority of a provin­cial Council to those that are under it.—It is [Page 96] an Union of Government; a consent of Princes and Bishops—the consent of opinions adds moment to the Laws; Those Princes which are there, and Bi­shops which consent are bound by their own act,— till reason alters—but the Prince can as much alter that Law when the case alters—as he can abrogate any other. But those Princes who were not there, whatever the cause of their absence be, are not obliged by that General Council; and that Coun­cil can have no authority but what is given them by consent; And therefore they who have not consented are free as ever.’

‘I mention this that those religious and well meaning persons who are concluded by the Canon of an ancient Council, and think that whatever was there command­ed it layeth some obligation on the Consciences of us at this day, and by this means enter into infinite scru­ples, and a restless unsatisfied condition, may consi­der that the ancient Doctors of the Church had no juris­diction over us who were born so many ages after them—Interests and manners are infinitely al­tered since that time—Their authority could not be longer than their lives; It's certainly not grea­ter than that of Kings, which must die with their per­sons, that their successors may be Kings as well as they and not subjects of the dead—If the thing be good we may use it—and we may choose —That the fathers met at Liodicei, Antioch, Nice, &c. 1000, 1100 or 1300 years ago, should have authority over us in England so many ages after, is so infinitely unreasonable, that none but the fearful and unbelievers, the scrupulous and those which are [...] of a slavish nature, and are in bondage by their fear, and know not how to stand in that liberty [Page 97] by which Christ hath made them free, will account themselves in subjection to them. The Canon for being in the old Codes of the Church, binds us no more than the Laws of Constantine.’

‘§. 23. P. 290. [An Ecclesiastical custome must be reasonable or useful, or it cannot oblige the Consci­ence, except to avoid scandal (for that is in all things carefully to be observed, right or wrong, so it be not sin) for no man is bound to be a fool, or to do a fool­ish action. Now a Custome in the Canon Law is con­cluded to be reasonable, if it tend to the good of the soul.’

‘§. 24. P. 301. &c. [Ecclesiastical Laws must be imposed so as to leave our liberty unharmed; that is, that the Law be not Universal; not with an intent to oblige all Christendom; except they will be obliged, that is, consent.—The Catholick Church ne­ver met since the Apostles days in any Assembly to make a Law that shall bind all Christians whether they consent or no: And because one Church hath not by any word of Christ's, authority over another Church, and one King is not superior to another King— therefore no Ecclesiastical Law can be made with a power of passing necessary obligation on all Christians: —When Christ had made us free from the Law of ceremonies which God appointed—it would be in­tolerable that the Churches should submit themselves to a Yoke of ordinances, which men should make.—’

‘§. 25. P. 303. [Ecclesiastical Laws are made relative to time and place, to persons and occasions, subject to all changes, fitted for use and the advantage of the Churches, ministring to edification, and complying with Charity: Whatsoever Ecclesiastical Law hath not [Page 98] these conditions, the Churches ought not to receive, because they are impediments, not advantages to the service of God: If they be thus qualified, no good man will refuse them: If they be not, they are the Laws of Tyrants, not of spiritual Fathers.—1. Whatever had its foundation in the opinion of men, and not somewhat certainly derived from God, if brought into Religion, &c. 2. If what is deduced only by probable interpre­tation be obtruded as matter of faith, 3. If what is piously counselled be turned into a perpetual and abso­lute Law, 4. If that which was left to the choice and conduct of the Governors, be handled not as matter of Liberty, but of necessity; in all these cases the command­ments of men are taught for doctrines. P. 305. Under this they are involved who persecute for opinions and doubtful disputations. And They are guilty of the 4th. kind who persecute the breakers of an Ecclesiastical Law with a severity greater than the Violators of a Divine Commandment.—For they that do such things must needs at least say that such humane injun­ctions are as necessary as the Divine commandments: for else why are they more severely punished? Not only they that expressly teach that what they have invented is a commandment of God—but all they that—press indifferent things up to the height and necessity of Religion and a Divine commandment, are guilty of this Phariseisme,—and bind themselves but not the Consciences of their subjects—An Ec­clesiastical Law which doth in any degree break this Law of our Saviour (Teaching for doctrines the commands of men) is therefore void and become intolerable— As the Roman Law of keeping Lent—Bellarmine prevaricateth one of the most glorious propositions of [Page 99] Christianity, placing the Kingdom of God in meat and drink, not in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.—’

‘If a Law were made that every man at a certain time of the year use a certain discipline to mortifie his lust, it were a foolish Law.’

‘§. 26. p. 310. Laws of burden are always against Charity.—’

‘P. 312. If there be a just cause to omit the observa­tion, the omission is not disobedience.—’

‘Rule 18. p. 313. Ecclesiastical Laws of Ceremonies and Circumstances do not bind the Conscience beyond the case of contempt and scandal—P. 314. Nothing can be religion but that service which God hath chosen of himself, &c. Ceremonies oblige no longer than they minister to the end of their designa­tion. P. 315. The Canons of the Church oblige on­ly for their Reason and Religion, for Edification and for Charity, when the thing is useful to others, or good in it self: But the Authority it self being wholly a Ministry for these purposes, is a Ministry of Religion, but hath in it nothing of Empire, and therefore doth not oblige for it self or by it self, but for the doing good and avoiding evil.’

‘§. 27. Ecclesiastical Laws must be charitable and easie, and when they are not, they oblige not. P. 316. When the Ecclesiastical Law is indicted by the spiritual power, the Civil power only consenting and establishing the Canon, that Corroboration adds no other band to the Ca­non, than that it be obeyed according to the intention of the spiritual power; only so it becomes a Law in­deed; but it is a Law only as the Church can intend a Law, or desire it to be imposed; that is, what the Church might reasonably perswade, and fitly enjoyn, so much [Page 100] and no more, in that manner and no other, the Civil power doth corroborate it—It must be such as is fit to be perswaded: such which men can be WIL­LING to, and easie under, and of which they shall have no cause to complain: For the Church in these things hath no Power but to exhort and perswade, and therefore can enjoyn nothing, but what can be reason­ably perswaded; she must not by the aid of the tempo­ral power enjoyn those things which are cruel and vexa­tious, and such to which no argument but FEAR can make the subject willingThe summ is, The Church govern­eth only Volunteers by consent procured by Reason and Love.— When she makes judgments, she med­dles not with blood—and when she is admitted to a Legislative, she en­joyns an easie and gentle yoke, And when she does not, the Subject is con­cerned to avoid the temporal evil threatened by the Civil power, but not to give obedience to the intolerable Law of the Church as in that capacity. For unless the Law of the Church be such that good men may willing­ly obey it, it cannot be injoyned by the Church; and the Church ought not to desire the Civil power to do it for her. For since she hath no power to command in such things where the Divine authority doth not intervene, all the rest is but PERSWASION; and he that hath power ONLY TO PERSWADE cannot be supposed to perswade against our wills: and therefore matters of intolerable burden are not the matter of Ecclesiastical Laws, because they are certain­ly against the will of all men, who can serve God and go to heaven without them.’

‘§. 28. Rule 20. p. 323. Ecclesiastical Laws must ever promote the service of God and the good of souls, but must never put a Snare or Stumbling-block to Consci­ences [Page 101] —The authority which the Lord hath given is for edification and not for destruction, 2 Cor. 10. 8. and 13. 10. And this is not only so to be under­stood, that if the Church makes Laws which are not for edification, she does amiss; but that she OBLI­GETH NOT, HER LAWS ARE NULL, and do not bind in Conscience—When the Church does any thing beyond her Commission, she does no way oblige in Conscience, neither actively nor passively— All this is greatly to be observed in all cases of Consci­ence about Ecclesiastical Laws. If we can understand where the spiritual power can command, and where she can exhort and ought to prevail, we have found out all the measures of our obedience: But if she goes beyond her Commission, she hurts none but her self: for she hath nothing to do with our bodies, and our souls are in safe hands. And the case is much alike if the spiri­tual Law be bound by the Civil power: For the King when he makes Laws of Religion, is tyed up to the E­vangelical measures; and if he prevaritates, he does indeed tye us to a passive obedience, but the Conscience is no otherwise bound: and he is to govern Christs Church by the same measures with which the Apostles did, and the Bishops their successors did and ought to do before the Civil power was Christian: For he hath no more power over Consciences than they had, and ought not by the afflictions of the body to invade the soul. But if he does, [...], he hath only power over bodies, but no authority over the Conscience.]’

‘§. 29. P. 325. I instance in the institution of signi­ficant Ceremonies, that is, such which are not matters of order and decency, but meerly for signification and the representment of some truth or mystery— [Page 102] (as pictures in the Greek and Lutheran Churches)— Because these can and do often degenerate into abuse and invade religion, to make a Law of these is not safe; and when that Law does prevail to any evil that is not easily by other means cured, it does not pre­vail upon the Conscience: And indeed to make a Law for the use of them, is not directly within the Commission of the Ecclesiastical power.]’

‘But there is more in it than thus. For though signi­ficant Ceremonies can be for edification to the Church in some degree, and in some persons, yet it's to be consi­dered whether the introducing of such things doth not DESTROY THE CHURCH, not only in her Christian Liberty, but in the simplicity and puri­ty and spirituality of her religion, by insensible chang­ing it into a Ceremonial and external service. To the Ceremonial Law of the Jews, nothing was to be ad­ded. —And in Christianity we have less reason to add any thing of Ceremony, except the circumstances and advantages of the very Ministry, as time and place, and Vessels and Ornaments and necessary appendages. When we speak of Rituals or Ceremonies, that is, exterior actions or things besides the institutions and commands of Christ, either we intend them as part of the Divine service, and then they are unlawful and intolerable; or if only for signification, that is so little a thing, and of so inconsiderable use in the fulness and clarity of the revelation Evangelical, that besides that it keeps Christians still in the state of infancies and minority, —it ought not to stand against any danger or offence that can by them be brought to ANY WISE and GOOD CHRISTIANS.’

‘In some ages—and Churchs they gave persons to be baptized, milk and hony, to signifie, &c. As this [Page 103] was not usual to give Hieroglyphicks where they had plain precepts—it was of so very little use, that all Churches that I know of have laid it aside—And indeed if the Church might add things or rituals of signification, then the walls might be covered with the figures of Doves, Lambs, Serpents, Birds, and the Communion Table with Bread, Wine, Herbs, Tapers, Pigeons, Hony, milk or whatever the wit of man—might invent.’

‘To prepare the figure of the Crucifix and to buy an Image to describe the Sacrifice of the Cross— are things to no purpose, not only for the levity and theatrical gaieties and representments unbefitting the gravity and purity and spirituality of the Christian reli­gion, but also the manner of teaching these truths by symbolical things and actions, is too low, too suspicious, too dangerous to be mingled with the Divine Liturgies —A Symbolical rite of humane invention to sig­nifie what it does not effect, and then introduced into the solemn worship of God, is so like those vains imaginations and representments forbidden in the second Commandment, that the very suspicion is more against edification, than their use can pretend to.—’

‘§. 30. p. 353. Nothing can oblige to a Divine faith but Divine authority, to which Councils can no more pretend for being General, than for being Provincial, and to which great Assemblies have no other title or pre­tence of promise than the private Congregations of the faithful, who though but two or three, shall be assisted by the Divine presence. But General Councils are so whol­ly of humane institution, that though by the dictate of right reason and natural wisdom they are to be convened, [Page 104] That is, such as are called General, as many as can well meet. yet to make them a formal Judicatory, and to give them a Legislative power or a dominion and Magistracy in faith, there are so many conditions required both to their indiction and convention, to their constitution and integity, to their conduct and proceeding, to their conclusion and determination, that men are not to this day agreed about any one of them; and therefore they cannot be a legal Judicatory oblig­ing any but them that do consent, and so oblige them­selves.’

‘§. 31. P. 356. &c. Rule 23. Subscription to Articles and forms of Confession in any particular Church, is wholly of Political consideration.—Subscription ought to be so intended, that he who hath subscribed may not perceive himself taken in a snare: but yet he that subscribes must do it to those purposes, and in that sence and signification of things, which the supreme power intends in commanding it; that is, at least, that he that subscribes do actually approve the Articles over­written: that he does at that time believe them to be such as it's said they are; i. e. true, if they only say they are true; useful, if they pretend to usefulness; necessary, if it be af­firmed that they are necessary. For if the subscriber be­lieves not this, he by hypocrisie serves the ends of pub­lick peace and his own preferment.’

‘When Articles are established without necessity, subscription must be required without Tyranny and imperiousness. That is, it must be left to the liberty of the subject to profess or not profess that doctrine— To bring evil on men that do not believe the Article and dare not profess to believe what they do not, is injustice and oppression; it is a law of iniquity, and therefore it is not obligatory to Conscience, and no humane au­thority [Page 105] is sufficient for the Sanction and imposi­tion.—’

‘Quest. Can it be lawful for any man to subscribe what he does not believe to be true, giving his hand to pub­lick peace, and keeping his Conscience for God?’

‘Answ. No, if subscription signifie approbation; for in that case it is hypocrisie, &c. But if subscription were no more than the office of a Clerk of the Sig [...]e or Coun­cil, who in form of Law is to sign all the Acts of the Council, it were different, For it is not as an account of his own opinion, but as a formality of the Court: all the world looks on it as none of his personal Act—▪ But in subscription to Articles of Confession every Eccle­siastick that subscribes, does it for himself— [...]u­bens & ex animo subscripsi, is our form in the Church of England—If the intention of our Superior be to require our Assent—he that subscribes does pro­fess his assent; and whatever he thinks himself, it is the intention of the Imposer that qualifieth the sub­scription. —No particular Church ought with rigour to require subscriptions to Articles not evidently true, and necessary to be professed: because in the di­vision of hearts that is in the world, it is certain that some good men may dissent, and then either they shall be afflicted or tempted to hypocrisie: of either of which if Ecclesiastick Laws be guilty, they are not for edification, they are neither just nor pious; and therefore oblige not.]’

‘§. 32. P. 358, 359. At least let the Articles be made with as great latitude of sence as they can, and so that subscriptions be made to the form of words, let the subscribers understand them in what sence they please, which the truth of God will suffer and the words can be capable of. This is the last remedy; but it is the worst: It hath in it something of Craft, but [Page 106] very little of ingenuity; and if it can serve the ends of peace, or of external Charity, or of Phantastick concord, yet it cannot serve the ends of truth and holiness, and Christian simplicity.’

LEt it be noted that yet this Doctor largely pleadeth for the Lawfulness of Lying, when it is not injurious but profitable: And if such a man condemn the hypo­crisie of such subscriptions, who can justifie them? when that medium of Lawful profitable Lying seemeth the like­liest to do it in the world.

Note also that I profess not Assent to every word in the foregoing Citations; But how far they justifie me and such others, I leave the Reader to judge, desiring him to read all fullyer in the book, lest he think I wrong the sence by my omitting any thing, which lest I be te­dious I am forced to pass by.

WE know nothing else that suspicions do call us more to give the world an account of our Doctrine of, than the nature, Government and Communion of the Church and the manner of Gods worship in it: which yet having some of us already published more largely, and also in 1660. when allowed by his Majesty, given in our desires thereabout (in offering Arch-Bishop Vsh­ers from of Primitive Government and a specimen of a Reformed Liturgy) we suppose no more than these fol­lowing Propositions will be needful to be here added.

1. The CHURCH is a word of many significations, of which the principal is The UNIVERSALITY OF CHRISTIANS HEADED BY CHRIST.

2. In a narrower sense it signifyeth these Christians as Christs Body or Kingdom contradistinct from Christ the Head; As the word [Kingdom] sometimes includeth the King, and sometimes signifieth the people as contra­distinct from him.

3. The bond of Union between Christ the Head and his Subjects or members is, 1. Faith and the Holy Spirit internally, 2. The Covenant of Baptism external­ly; or Heart Covenanting and Outward Covenanting.

[Page 134] 4. Accordingly those that Covenant sincerely with the Heart and are true Believers, are Justified and Adopted heirs of Heaven: and as they Covenant with the mouth or the Outward reception of Baptism, they are outwardly or by Sacramental Profession, members or Christians. With respect to each, the Church is usually called in­visible, and visible, or the sincere Regenerate Church, and the Professing Church. But Heart consent and Outward Profession conjoyned make one Church, as Soul and Body make one man: And the Hypocrites that Covenant with the Lips alone are but members secundum quid, and on­ly of the Outward Society. 5. It is by the Outward Covenanting and Profession, that we must judge of the Heart covenanting and Sincerity: and all are to be taken for visible Chri­stians or members of the Vniversal Church, who are Bap­tized professors of Christianity, and have not by contrary Profession or practice Apostatized.

6. The Vniversal Church as Believing or as Professing (mystical or visible) hath no universal Head but Christ: who is an Invisible Head as he is unseen to us in Heaven, but Visible as he is there now seen (as the King by his Cour­tiers) and as he was seen on earth, and will be shortly seen of all the world. But as for the Pope or any other pre­tended head, 1. No man giveth us any proof that ever Christ appointed and authorized any such Head: and it's Treason against him to usurp such a power.

2. No mortal man hath Natural capacity of such an office. An Vniversal Head must relate to the Church in all parts of the world, not only as it is now extended, but as it shall be at any time: and no man is able to do the work of a real Go­vernour and Guide at the Antipodes, and in all Nations of the earth, even in the Kingdoms where Princes by wars or Infidelity deny access to foreigners, and subjects of their enemies: and where cases that require a speedy decision [Page 135] may wait half an age till the parties are dead, before it can be dispatcht at Rome, and witnesses cannot go so far: And when Church Government extends no farther, than to judge who shall be in the Ministry and in Church Communion, and to decide particular cases of faith and Life in order to this end, Princes and People are un­happy men, if they must be without Teachers or Sacra­ments, or without a certain Faith in Abassia, Armenia, at the Antipodes and in all the world, till they receive a just determination from Rome.

And if his universal Government be but to commit the Government of several Kingdoms of the world to several Generals under him, Princes and People that are at hand do better know how to choose meet men to Teach them­selves, of those that are of their own language, and ac­quainted with the place, than a stranger at Rome can do, to whom at the death of every General some Countries may be many years in sending and receiving back a General, who it's two to one will not come alive to them, or it's three to one, will be one unfit for them: and in some Kingdoms cannot come at all, because of the interjacent countries of enemies: no nor messages pass, about the business. What work the Prelates of England (which is near) have formerly made by running to Rome, and waiting for decisi­ons, is known by current history. None on earth will pretend to a sufficiency to govern all the world in things spiritu­al, any more than in Temporals, except it be a Proud Fool or a Proud deceiver, both which are the most unfit to be rulers of all the world.

3. Rome never pretended to a Government of all the world, but only to a Primacy in one Empire, for many hun­dred years after Christ, Proved, 1. Because only the Prince of one Empire did frequently choose and ever rule them, who had no power over any other Kingdom.

[Page 136] 2. Because the four other Patriarchs, whom he pre­tended to have a Primacy among, had no power out of the Empire, at least not over all the world: and the Pope never then pretended to a Primacy of any fur­ther extent than the four Patriarchats.

3. Because the General Councils where he presided, or pretended to preside were General at the utmost but as to one Empire: as the Church History, and the names of the subscribers shew to every impartial searcher. None out of the Empire came thither, unless now and then an odd person of some neighbour countrey that was glad to be strengthened by the Roman Vicinity, or some that had been before of the Empire, and were conquer­ed by Infidels or Hereticks and kept their former Custome. And those Councils that were most General were sum­moned by Emperors, who had nothing to do in the rest of the world.

4. No History mentioneth that the Pope then pretend­ed to or exercised any government in the Empire of Abassia (of which see Godignus) nor in Persia, India, or Britain till Austines times: but when the Romans per­swaded any poor neighbours Countrey to the saith of Christ, those Countries were willing after to be direct­ed by the Romans, especially being ambitious of the honour and protection of the Imperial savour. Reinrius saith [Armeniorum Ecclesiae & Aethiopian & Indorum & caeterae quas Apostoli converterunt, non subsunt Ecclesiae Ro­manae] Biblioth. Patr. To. 4. p. 773. [The Armenian Churches and the Aethiopian and [...], and the rest which the Apostles did covert, are not under the Church of Rom.]

4. Rome's pretended Primacy in that one Empire was not of Divine authority but of Human [...]. For, 1. No Di­vine Authority is proved.

[Page 137] 2. The Popes Authority and the Patriarchs of Alexan­dria and Antioch had the same foundation, as is evident to any knowing man in Councils and Church History: but the Authority of the Patriarchs is confessedly of humane Institution, and therefore Jerusalem and Constantinople were after added by men. The Council of Nice, of Chalcedon, &c. testifie this. See Comment. in Epist. Synodal. Basil. p. 31. & 40. Impress. Colen. 1613.

3. The whole Greek Church from the first comp [...]ition of Constantinople to this day hath taken the Roman Prima [...]y to be of humane institution; which is infallibly proved be­cause they set up that seat against it, which they all confess to have its dignity by humane institution. And no Christian can set up humane institution against that which he ac­knowledgeth Divine: Therefore by their competition they shew, that they never took Rome to have any other foundation, than Constantinople, which was humane: and so their Councils profess, and consequently all the Greek Church even in its Glory did believe that there was no such head over all the world; (for the Emperor had no such power) nor any of Divine institution over the Empire: nor did John of Constantinople when he claimed that universality which Gregory condemned, extend his claim any further than the Empire, or at least not to all the world. It is therefore most evident that Rome was in one Empire, but as Canterbury in this one Kingdom, the prime Patriarch in a National or Imperial Church, of mans appointment.

4. The Papists (even those that have Ruled in Eng­land) confess that [it is no point of faith, that it is of Divine Right, and not only of Humane, that the Bishop of Rome is St. Peter successor] So saith their Bishop of Calced. Rich. Smith Surv [...]y cap. 5. And their Davenport or [...] à S. Clara first. sid. cap. 48. pag. 531. telleth us of Erar­dus Billius a Jesuite who 1644. Publickly and confident­ly [Page 138] taught that Rome may have two Popes at once divid­ing the Popedom (as Peter and Paul are by Irenaeus, Epi­pha [...]i [...]s and many Ancients there placed at once) and this in order to prove that the Papacy was ex jure humano of humane Right. And he himself saith, ibid. c. 47. p. 507. of the Question An Papatus, &c. whether the Papacy which and as it resteth in the Roman Pope be of Divine Right, [Inter Doctores solennis ed de re controversia est, alii huc, al i illuc, illibatà fide ferunter] that is [Among the Do­ctors this is solemnly controverted; some go one way and some the other, without any blemish of faith: mentioning as against the Divine Right, Sotus 4. d. 24. q. 2. a. 5. q. 2. Corduba Quaestionario li. 4. q. 1. prop. 8. dub. 1. and many other grave Doctors, &c. (of whom Cardin. Cu­sanus de concord. is one).

5. Indeed had they not first falsly described the Priest­ly or Pastoral power, they could never have perswaded men to receive an Universal Priest or Pastor: For the truth is, the office of the Ministry is like a Schoolmasters or like a Physicians, a work of personal attendency and skill, and it is essentially constituted of a threefold sub­ordination to Christ the Head, viz. to his Prophetical of­fice as Teachers, to his Priestly as worshippers, and to his Kingly as Church Guides or Governors: And to set up one to teach all the world, and to worship with all the world, and to call each sinner in the world by name to Repen­tance, and try his case and absolve or excommunicate him, would be no wiser, than to set up an universal Schoolmaster, Physician or Judge to all the world. But d [...]mentation followeth judicial desertion, and precedeth the Perdi [...]ion of the deserted. So much of the Papacy.

6. As for General Councils I have elsewhere proved at large, 1. That there never was such a thing in the world (unless the Apostles may be called such): but that those [Page 139] called General Councils, were but General Councils of one Empire, and now and then two or three neighbours, or such as were lately cut off from the Empire as aforesaid. 2. That a true General Council is morally impossible, 3. And so unlawful, as to be a pernicious form of Head­ship to the Church: because some Bishops must be ma­ny years coming, and will likely die before they come and return, and have not a language which the rest un­derstand; nor can there be any equality of members, while those of Mexico, Abassia, Armenia and the Antipodes send but few, and the nearer parts a multitude; and so (as at Trent) it will be but an Italian Council: And it will be sinful to rob the Churches of them, and to cast away the lives of old weak worthy men in such Voyages and Travels of many years. And interposing enemies will not let them pass through their countries, with many such reasons. So that a General Council is a non Ens, and a name made for a Papal cheat. 3. And should it be the constitutive head of the whole Church, how little a while hath there been any Church on earth since Christ? For when a constitutive essential part ceaseth, the essence ceaseth; and so Christ hath had no Church on earth since the mockery of Trent; where in the beginning there were 42 Bishops with counterfeits and all, and 4 Arch-Bishops, if you will take the counterfeits Wancop of Armagh and Olaus Magnus for two; but indeed by the seventh Session there were 52 Bishops counterfeits and all, and in Ses­sion 8. 29 besides 6 Arch-Bishops, such as they were, whenas the Provincial Synods in Africk were wont to have many hundred Bishops; but how many thousand must a Synod of the whole world have in proportion to the Italian number at Trent?

7. God hath provided much better means than a Pope for the concord of Christians in the world (which is [Page 140] the only considerable pretence for the Papacy) that is, 1. On [...] sacred word to Rule them (which Papists them­selves confess to be Divine) 2. One Spirit within to guide and actuate them, 3. One Sacred Ministry of the same species and Divine description in each assembly to instruct and guide them (even to Guide a single Congregation, which is a work more suitable to humane frailty than to Rule Provinces and the world). 4. One prescribed sort of pub­lick worship (in word, Prayer and Sacraments). 5. The same [...]d, even God and Heaven for all to seek. 6. Synods and Consultations for advice and concord. 7. M [...]gistrates to Rule them all by the sword (as they do Physicians, Schoolmasters, Philosophers) and to keep peace among them, and restrain intolerable abuses. And they that will have [...], will have none; but by overdoing will undo all, and be the greatest dividers and plagues to the Church on pretence of its Union and preservation.

8. Every Church must have its proper Pastor (one or more) who must know the people of their flock and be known by them.

9. But whether a Church shall have One only or ma­ny, is left to be determined according to the number and necessities of the people, and the store of worthy men.

10. The Essence of the Holy Ministerial office con­sisteth in [...] and Authority to call the unbelievers and imp [...]it [...]nt to Faith and Repentance, and to Baptize persons into the Church, and to guide the Church [...]s by Teaching, worship and Discipline, as under Christ its chief Prophet, Priest and King. And though the exercise of each be not essential to the Office, the Power and general obliga­tion is.

11. A particular Church (part of the Vniversal) is [...] by the same Pastors and the same [...] [Page 141] for Personal holy Communion (as distinct from distant Communion by Letters or Delegates).

12. Where one Church hath many Pastors, their Pa­storal Office is the same: but how far any one either for his age, grace or gifts, or for order sake shall be submitted to by the rest, we think God hath left to be determined prudently, as the Churches edification shall require: but if any think otherwise, it shall not turn us from Love and Communion with them.

13. About Ruling Elders we are not all of a mind among our selves: some of us think that the Eldership or mini­stry is but one and the same Office, and that all of them should be ordained and have power of word, Sacraments and Discipline; but that one in a Church (or two) be­ing usually the ablest speakers, the rest quoad exercitium may be usually imployed in private Vigilance and Dis­cipline, and some assistance in other parts of worship, except when necessity calls them to Preach. Others think that Elders without power of word and Sacraments, is an Office of Divine Institution: but this maketh no division between us, because we force not each other to subscribe to the same opinions, but can unite in one practice upon different principles.

14. It is the Pastors office to hold Church Assemblies for the aforesaid worship: Especially on the Lords Days, which the spirit of God hath separated to such holy exercises.

15. Gods worship must be performed rationally, holily, according to Gods word in all things there determined, and decently, orderly, and to edification in all the undetermined cir­cumstances.

16. Whether Sermons and Prayers shall be by pre­pared Forms of words, or from the Habits of understand­ing and affection presently uttered; whether read out of Notes or Books, or spoken without, is left to the prudent [Page 142] determination of the Pastor, whose Office it is to word his own conceptions, according to mens various qualifica­tions: in which none should contemn or judge another, nor avoid the Communion of those that do not as they do.

17. We must not give Divine worship or Honour to any Creature.

18. When Pastors do usurp Power over one another to command all about them to speak to men from God or to God for men, in no other words but what the usurpers shall write them down, and so make Ministers but Cryers to read their prescripts or Proclamations, and also do prescribe to others the necessary use of unnecessary things, according to the Vsurpers will, this is and hath been the Grand Engine of Church Divisions, by which the Church­es have been torn in pieces for above a thousand years. And because every age doth bring forth men Proud enough to usurp, and few wise enough to learn by the Churches many hundred years experience, thereby the mischief proceedeth unremedied.

19. But if any find it best to use the same words, or many Churches, to avoid inconveniences, shall see cause to agree to use the same words in Confessions, in Psalms, in Prayers or Sacraments without usurpation over others, we are no opposers of such agreements. And if our lawful Governours do prescribe, e. g. One translation of the Scripture to be read, One Version of the Psalms to be Sung, we do obey: and if mistakingly they should take any part of the Pastors work out of his hands by their im­positions, though we may not neglect our necessary du­ty, we shall behave our selves as true peaceable­ness ☞and the honour of our Rulers with the Church­es edification doth require.

[Page 143] 20. The Office of the Sacred Ministry being Instituted by Christ, 1. from Gods gifts (of nature and grace) we have our Dispositive Aptitude, without which the Per­son is not receptive of the Power. 2. From the said word of institution, sloweth our power and obligation it self. 3. From the peoples and ordainers election or consent is the de­signation of the Individual person that shall receive it, 4. to which also his own consent is a cause sine quâ non. 5. And the Ministerial investiture is by Ordination; 6. And Liber­ty and defence and incouragement are from the Magistrate; 7. And Opportunity is from Gods Providence, the peoples present willingness, and usually from the Magistrates leave. Thus do these severals severally concur to the Ministeral Office, and to its exercise respectively.

21. Two causes fill the Churches with bad Pastors: The one is when the Honours and Riches of the Office are so great as to be a strong bait to Pride and Covetous­ness (under the name of encouragements to Learning) for then most certainly the most Proud and Covetous (that is the worst) will be the eagerest seekers, and most probably they that seek shall find. The other is when bad Rulers, Patrons or people are the choosers.

22. Wicked, Covetous, carnal, proud men admitted into Bishopricks and Ministry have been the woful plague of the Church, especially for thirteen hundred years: For bad men will so teach and so live, that the Best of the flock will most dislike them, and then they will turn enemies to the Best for disliking them, and will Preach against them and make them as odious as they can: and this will re­joyce the prophane part of the flock which naturally hate holiness: and so the wicked Pastor, and wicked People will become a Party against the Best, and keep them un­der reproach and persecution: Whereupon the sufferers will be tempted not only to greater dislike, but to undue [Page 144] passions and separations; and if the Magistrates take part with the wicked party, they also will partake of the dis­like; and so wicked Pastors are the floodgates of con­fusion, and happy are those Rulers that curb them, and help the Churches to faithful men.

It grieveth some of us to read so much undenyable truth in the foresaid Infidel's Tractatus Theologico-Politi­cus, as the reason of the wicked lives of Christians, Praesat. p. 4. [‘Hujus mali causam quaerens, &c. Seeking the cause of this mischief, I doubted not but hence it sprang, that Vulgarly it was a piece of Religion to esteem the Ministeries of the Church as Dignities, and its Offices as Benefices, and to gave the Pastors the highest honour: and as soon as this abuse cr [...]pt in, presently all the worst men were invaded with a greater desire of sacred administrations, and the Love of propagating divine Religion, degenerated into sordid Avarice; and so the Temple it self into a Theatre, where were heard, not Church Teachers, but Orators; of whom none thirsted to teach the people, but to draw them into admiration of them­selves, and publickly to carp at dissenters, and to teach things [...] and unusual, and such as the vulgar most admire: whence great contentions, envy and hatred, which no antiquity could appease, must needs arise. No wonder therefore that of the old Religion nothing doth remain but the outward wor­ship (by which God is rather flattered than adored) and that faith is become nothing but credulity and prejudice, &c.’] As to the greatest part of the Churches, ‘pu [...]et haec opprobria nobis, &c.’

23. We fear this evil will never be cured, till Church Dignities and Riches be so far taken down that they may be no strong temptation to the Proud and Covetous, and so may not entail the Ministry for ever on the worst of men: but only by a competent s [...]pend prevent the temptations of Poverty and worldly cares to those that seek the holy of­fice [Page 145] for holy ends: Lest one part of the Ministry being Great and worldly, and the other through Poverty left base and unlearned, both should subserve the enemy of souls.

24. No Bishops or Pastors have any secular coactive Power (unless the King make them his Officers): and therefore of themselves can Rule none but Volunteers.

25. Whether the Apostles or Evangelists have any successors in the ordinary work of taking care of many Churches, without being fixed to any one, and whether Magistrates may appoint any Pastors to be General Visitors of the Churches in their Dominions, are questions which we would not be too bold in determining, nor will we about them be troublers of the Church. But we believe that God hath not made such an inequality of Churches whether Rome, Alexandria, or any as Metropoles, as to make one Church a Governor of other neighbour Church­es. And we wonder at them that know that Civil Rulers did set up the Patriarchs and Metropolitans in the Roman Empire, in conformity to their Civil Policy, and know that this Empire is now dissolved, and the reason of the thing (had it been lawful) ceased; and yet talk of forming General Councils by the five Imperial Patriarchs, and of subjecting themselves to the Pope as to one of the five.

26. Councils or Synods and that stated as to time and place are very useful among good Pastors, for concord, Counsel and correspondence: but the major part are not the Governors of the minor, nor of their absent brethren: nor are stated Synods absolutely necessary; nor conveni­ent when, 1. they are degenerating into the Church Tyranny of a major Vote, 2. or are displeasing to Rulers and inconsistent with liberty or peace.

[Page 146] 27. Therefore we take not a National Church to be a Body Politick of Divine Institution, either headed by one Bishop, or by a National Assembly, as a proper con­stitutive Governing part. But we hold that the King is the Governor of all the Churches in his Kingdoms, as far as they must be governed by the Sword: and that National Synods and others inferior to them are fit means for the said Council and concord among the seve­ral Pastors.

28. Whether one in each Synod shall be Moderator, and that pro tempore or durante vitâ as oft as there are Synods? and whether one shall be trusted to summon such Synods, and how he shall preside to preserve peace and order, are matters prudently to be determined, as the edification of the Church requireth, so that Church Tyranny be not introduced.

29. As Pastors of several Churches have not a Govern­ing power over other Bishops and Pastors, but only by Synods are to give counsel and keep concord; so none of them in the world can excommunicate other Bishops or Pastors, as Governours of them: but only dis­claim Communion with such publick Hereticks and Incendiaries as deserve it, and counsel others to do the li [...]e: but when they have done, they have done their part. But if moreover they will do as the Pope doth, and ex­communicate people and Pastors of other Churches and countreys, and Kings themselves as if they were their Governors, and also stir up others to draw the Sword against them, and seek to force Kings to kill or banish or punish those that they have excommunicated, meer­ly as such, we take such to be professed Incendiaries in the world.

30. No proper part of the Pastoral Office, whether it be by Teaching, Administring Sacraments, or the pow­er [Page 147] and use of the Ecclesiastical keys, belong to any Lay­men, whether Chancellors or others.

31. All coactive Church Government belongeth to the King and Magistrates who are the Keepers of the Churches peace, and need not a Church-Office of Pre­lates to do their work, and take the honour of it to them­selves.

32. The foresaid Usurpations of Proud Pastors over the Consciences of others, out of their own Churches, with their turning the ancient practical Christianity into contentions for speculations and notions of their own, proceeding at last to a Tyranny over Kings and Magi­strates themselves, yea even to impose Oaths on men to obey them, and never to reform them, or endeavour any alteration of these evils, hath been the corruption, con­fusion and calamity of the Christian world, which too many Princes of the world have endured, and some in blind devotion and some for selfish ends promo­ted.

33. The weakness of the people, even the zealous sort, sometimes taking up some little unjustifiable conceits and singularities, and sometimes too passionately renouncing bad Pastors, and sometimes falling into scandalous actions or shameful divisions among themselves, hath been the in­crease of the Papal Kingdom, and the great and prevailings pretence for Church Tyranny: And some otherwise sober men have been tempted to think that the peoples giddiness and unruliness is such, that there is no other way to peace.

34. And the very fountain and foundation of almost all this calamity hath been the forsaking of the Primitive, necessary, sure and simple Test and Symbol of the Christian Profession and Terms of Church Vnion and Communion; [Page 148] and substituting a multitude of unnecessary, uncertain, late Inventions, which Proud men that think themselves the most Orthodox have introduced and imposed: And when we return to the Primitive simplicity and to Vinc. Lerinensis his [Quae semper, ubique & ab omnibus] as con­scious of the darkness of mans understanding, and lov­ing Holiness more than speculations and domination, and Loving our Brethren as our selves, we shall then have blessed Peace and concord: And while we drive it a­way and will rather be at the greatest cost and dan­ger to expel it by our Inventions, than entertain it on Gods cheap, sweet, easie terms, no wonder if we be without it; and if the harmless neighbours suffer, when a mad man sets his own house on fire. But Blessed are the Peace-makers, for they shall be called the Children of God, though now men call them, what Pride, malignity, or carnal worldly interest list.

1. EVery mans own welfare and peace is his own in­terest.

2. Therefore every man is for his own peace.

3. The Common peace of the State and of the univer­sal Church, is the interest of all that intend not as Rebels and Hereticks to set up themselves against them both, or either of them.

4. Peace therefore hath the good word of almost all, be­cause few dare own their Rebellious or Heretical inclina­tions.

5. Unity and peace are betrayed as Christ, with the Judas kiss of Covetous hirelings: And none do more to kill it, than some that have most cried it up.

6. As every Hypocrite will be very Religious, but on­ly by subjecting the true Common Religion to his own interest and lusts; so every enemy of Peace would have nothing else but Peace; But it is only by making his Own Peace the rule of the Common Peace, and bringing all men to Center in his interests, and to take their Peace upon his terms, from him.

7. The greatest pretenders to unity and Peace in the world, have been the Roman Clergy; and next them those of Constantinople: And none in the world have been [Page 150] greater Church dividers, by making impossible Terms of unity and peace.

8. The chiefest impediments to unity and Peace in the world are, 1. A wicked selfish heart, and 2. Impos­sible Terms; and under both the Church still bleed­eth.

9. As the Terms of Gods first sentence did put an everlasting enmity between the Womans and the Serpents seed, so it was shewed in the two first Brothers that ever were born into the world; who had the same Parents and education, and were of the same Religion, and yet the elder slew the younger for offering to God a more faithful and acceptable Sacrifice, and for a better manner of serving God in the same religion: Even because his own works were bad, and his brothers good. Gen. 4. 4, 8. Heb. 11. 4. 1 Joh. 3. 12. Jud. 11.

10. And it is not inconsiderable that Christ himself calleth the Devil the father of malignant enemies of the truth and of liars, and saith, they do their fathers work, Joh. 8. 44. And that, 1 Joh. 3. 8, 10. it is said that he that commits sin is of the Devil; And that there the difference between the faithful and the wicked, is cal­led, The difference between the Children of God and of the Devil: And that the Devil is said to lead Captive the ad­versaries of the truth, 2 Tim. 2. 26. and to steal the word out of mens hearts, Luk. 8. 12. And that envious wisdom is called Devilish, Jam. 3. 15. And that the Devil is said to enter into Judas, Joh. 13. 2. Yea Christ saith, that he was a Devil, Joh. 6. 70. And final­ly the wicked must go into the everlasting fire which is prepared for the Devil and his Angels, Mat. 25. 41. All which sheweth that it is no wonder if such are partly meant by the Serpents seed.

[Page 151] 11. And the Holy Ghost telleth us also from the in­stance of Ishmael and Isaak, that as he that was born of the flesh, did persecute him that was born after the spirit, even so it is now, Gal. 4. 29.

12. And the universal history and experience of all the world, from Cain till now, doth so fully confirm this truth, as tends much to confirm our belief of the pre­diction.

13. This enmity proceedeth from the Carnal vicious inclination and interest of wicked men, and the unchange­able enmity of the word and way of God to such in­clinations and interest, and the devoted resolution of all true Christians, to stick to Christ and take his part, and to fight against the flesh, the world and the Devil to the death.

14. The Godly must not, dare not, will not forsake their master and rule, and come over for peace to the way of the ungodly; because it will be too dear a peace, that is bought with the loss of God and heaven.

15. The wicked may change and come over to the Godly (and must, or be undone for ever) The enmity therefore is long of them.

16. It is not meer Learning, or civility, or a pastoral office, or knowledge and utterance for the Ministerial work, which will remove this enmity, from a Cainites heart; but it must be done by the true sanctification of the spirit, Joh: 3. 5, 6. Rom. 8, 6, 7, 8, 9.

17. Abundance of particular occasions and differences may lye in sight, but underground this is the radical difference, which causeth most of the calamities of the Churches.

18. Especially if Cainites get into the Pastoral Chair, they have great advantage to fight against Christ in his own name, and scatter his flocks, and make Merchan­dize [Page 152] of souls as by his own authority, and lay the blame of all on others; Till Christ shall come and gather his scattered ones and plead his own cause (which Rome is like to see with sorrow.)

19. Yet even among the best the Principles and causes of divisions are proportionable to the remnant of their sins, and the family of Christ hath ever been troubled with the peevish quarrellings of his children.

20. The best way then for universal peace, is to make all men Holy, and the best more holy: And then they will have all, one Center, one end, one Rule, one interest, one Nature, and one spirit and fervent Love to one another, as to themselves; with all the peaceable graces, humility, lowliness, meekness, patience, &c. But this is a way rather to be desired and hoped for in heaven, than hoped for among such a world of sinners here.

21. The next way therefore, that must do our work, if ever it be done, is while we are endeavouring to make men better, to find out and use the fittest terms of their peace and concord as they are. It is JUST TERMS that must heal the Church on earth; and which all the sons of peace must seek after.

22. These terms must be such as oppose not Holiness, but subserve it and promote it. The wisedom from a­bove is first pure, then peaceable, &c. Jam. 3. 11. And peace and holiness must not be separated, Heb. 12. 14. Though if possible, as much as in us lieth, we must live peaceably with all men, Rom. 12. 18.

23. These terms must be such as take in all that Christ taketh in, and would have us take in: that is, All that are fit for Church Communion.

24. They should be such terms as all true Christians fit for such Church Communion if imposed would have [Page 153] united in, in all ages and places of the Church since the days of Christ till now. For those terms that would have divided the Church, are not the fit means to unite it.

25. And they should be such terms as the Church hath been at least in some age, if not in all, united actu­ally in. For why should we think that the Church should now unite upon such terms, as it never united in be­fore?

26. Christ himself who is the Center of the Churches Union, and the great Lawgiver, and Master of our faith, hath certainly in his Laws, prescribed to his Church, the necessary and best terms of Vniversal concord in parti­culars; and of the Concord of particular Churches, at least in general Laws. If he have left out the necessary terms of Union, what are his Laws for? how is he our Head? How shall his Church be one, and what shall cement and unite the members? sure this is none of the things in­different.

27. The terms that Christ hath appointed for Church Union is the Baptismal Covenant, Matth. 28. 19, 20. [Whoever believeth in the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as his reconciled God and father, his saviour and sanctifier, and giveth up himself faithfully to him in Covenant ac­cordingly, shall be saved and taken into heaven, if he so continues:] And whosoever doth this Sacramentally, by the open Vow and profession of baptism, was by Christs appointment to be taken into the Church. Therefore he then wanted nothing necessary to admittance and Church Communion.

28. Since the proud Diotrephes's on one side, as Lords of Gods heritage (1 Pet. 5. 3.) have violated this fun­damental sacred rule; and self-conceited strictness and superstitious rigor hath violated it on the other hand (by calling for other kind of Titles, and discoveries of mens [Page 154] sincerity, and by imposing new Laws (as various as mens strictnesses and opinions) on the Church, the Christian world hath had little concord, or quiet peace.

29. Because men must do what they do understand­ingly, in matters of such moment, the Churches in the Apostles times and by their consent, did explain these three Articles of the Baptismal Covenant to the baptized, and required an understanding profession of their Belief and Consent to it, as thus expained: which explication is now called the Apostles Creed; Because though the Churches might not tye themselves to every one of the same words as now they stand (as the Formula's in Ire­naeus, Tertullian and others shew, and those collected by Vsher and Vossius) yet as it cannot be imagined that they took the three words of the Covenant without any explication, so neither can it seem credible that they allowed any such variation of terms, as might hazard a variation or corruption of the sence: Besides what Church History telleth us of the antiquity of the Creed.

30. As the Apostles in their times used no stricter or larg­er tests or terms of Church admittance, so neither did the Churches after them for a long time: But the Catechists expounded the Creed to the Catechumens, and used it as a sufficient test. Nay Synesius was made a Bishop be­fore he well believed the article of the Resurrection.

31. Christ who made the Covenant of Baptism the test and standing terms of entrance, did yet set up Pa­stors over his Churches, to be the Guides of the flock, and preservers of its unity: not to make new and stricter terms and Laws; but to preserve concord on the terms that he had founded it; and to see that men lived in Uni­ty and piety according to the terms of the Covenant which they had entered. This therefore is the Pastors work.

[Page 155] 32. Though the Keys be put into the Pastors hands yet so is not the Legislation to make new terms of Chri­stian Unity; but to make such particular determinati­ons of the circumstances of order and decency as are agree able to Christs general Laws; And when they have as Ministers not Lords, received men on Christs own terms, they are not to excommunicate and turn them out again, for want of more, but for violating these; nor arbitrarily to rule the Churches, but to teach them all things that Christ commanded, Matth. 28. 20. And to cast out only the impenitent violators of his Covenant.

33. If therefore the Pastors shall contrary to the decree of the Holy Ghost by the Apostles, Act. 15. impose unne­cessary things on the Church, not only under the obli­gation of duty, but as a necessary condition of Church communion; they will tyrannize over Gods heritage, and usurp a power never given them, and contradict one end of Christs own Sacraments, and the ancient Creed.

34. The long and sad, experience of all the Christian Churches, which have been divided by necessary humane impositions, and the voice of all wise peace-makers in all times (who have still called for [Vnity in things necessa­ry, Liberty in things unnecessary, and Charity in both] do leave those that yet will not be perswaded to these terms, as unexcuseable persons, as almost any in all the world; worse than Physicians that would use all those things as the only remedies, which have killed all that ever used them for 1500 years.

35. A Pastor should love his own flock as well as the people of a forreign land: Therefore they that confess that for the communion of all the Churches, there are no terms like these which we now mention, should not be more cruel to their own at home, nor turn them out of their [Page 156] fathers house for every ceremonial difference, nor make them any work which should prove their snare.

36. Yet we know that every Pastor is to guide his own Church in needful circumstances, as the time and place of worship, the method, the versions, the tunes, the utensils and other things formentioned: And no Chri­stian should be peevishly froward, and disobedient against such determinations. But as none that are needless should be imposed (for the determination one way or other must be necessary, though this or that way be not comparatively necessary), so they are not to be made more necessary by mens wills than they are in their use; At least not made the matter of excommunication. But if the Pastor necessarily appoint one time, one place, one tune, one translation, &c. and any of the people there­fore fly away and causlesly a void the Church, it is they then that cast out themselves by departing: But if he needlesly say, You shall say this, or subscribe, or con­form to many needless burdens, or else have no communion here, the act of exclusion then is his.

37. True Love would end our greatest difference: Let men Love their neighbours without dissembling as themselves, and do but as they would be done by, and we will not fear them.

38. Yea if many of the children of the Church were injudiciously scrupulous, when fear of sin and hell was the cause, a tender Pastor would abate them a Ceremo­ny in such a case, when his abating it hath no such danger.

39. Unmerciful Pastors cause the people to question whether they be sent of God, because they are made the fathers of the flock to rule them only by Light and Love; and have no power of the sword: And their rod it self and excommunication, is only by application of Christs law. And what they cannot do by Reason, Scripture [Page 157] and Love, they cannot do at all as Pastors: Hurt they may do otherwise, but no good. And the people judge of Pastors as Solomon of the true mother of the child; that the merciful and Loving is the true Pastor, and the hurtful is the usurper.

40. And the main Controversie that troubleth the Christian Churches is but, when the nurses offer such morsels to the children which they cannot swallow, whether the bits shall be cut less (which will hurt no body) or the childrens throats shall be cut wider.

41. We are so far from thinking that Pastors should not guide the people by Love and by their own consent, and from thinking with Doctor Heylin, (speaking of Arch-Bishop Abbot in the Life of Arch-Bishop Laud) that it's doubtful whether the Church have a greater plague than a popular Prelate], that on the contrary we think that all Pastoral power and Govern­ment is only instructive, Perswasive and Directive, or such precept as worketh only upon the Conscientious and Consenters, and can work on no man any further than he consenteth, or as it operateth on his judgement, will or affection. For they have no instrument but Gods word to govern by. Yet are they (as a father) Perswaders Au­thorized and in Office, and not only such as perswade men meerly out of Charity and occasionally as private men.

42. The Universal Church hath long had Vnity upon the terms of Baptism and the Creed and Scriptures, with­out any other subscriptions, Oaths or other Professions made necessary to communion. But it never had Union upon such additional terms, of new professions, subscriptions and Oaths, as most Churches now impose and require. When they departed from the ancient simplicity, and the primitive terms, they departed from Unity and concord, and so continue divided to this day.

[Page 158] 43. As for the indifferent modes and circumstances of worship, some most of the Churches voluntarily agreed in; some they differed in; some the particular Bishops made to be the Order of their own particuar Churches, (which were for 200 or 300 years no more populous than our Parishes), and this not against the peoples will; But none of them were imposed by any Bishops upon other Churches, nor made necessary to Communion a­gainst the wills and consciences of the Presbyters and people, nor Ministers silenced nor people excommunica­ted for refusing them; But they were used as things In­different with mutual charity, till the decay of Charity and the entrance of Pride and Church Tyranny turned things indifferent into those engines of divisions, which have wracked, and dismembred and torn in pieces the Churches through the world unto this day.

44. A diversity of such circumstances and indifferent modes in divers Churches or Parishes, and sometimes in the same Church, is no such dreadful mischief as some frightful Pastors would make themselves or others believe: much less to be compared with the consequents of un­necessary impositions. What harm is it if one Parish or Pastor use one Liturgick form or ceremony, and another use another, (so that neither of them be evil) any more than that now one Minister in the Pulpit useth one prayer, one Sermon, one method, and another useth another: Our Cathedrals and our Parish Churches have great difference of such modes, without any such mischiefs: And now one Parish Minister prayeth in the Pulpit, and another only biddeth Prayer (and pleadeth for it as the principal way): And one that prayeth in the Pulpit useth his own words, and another doth it in the words of the Liturgy: One useth a form (the same ordinarily) and another varieth according to the matter of his Sermon [Page 159] and the occasion: One Minister preacheth Arminianism, (in the points of free-will, effectual grace prede­stination, Redemption, and perseverance); And another preacheth zealously against it, as a dangerous sort of error: One is for the morality of the fourth commandement, and another against it. One thinketh that the Lords day is of Ecclesiastical institution (and perhaps mutable) and another that it is of Divine institution. Bishop Tailor writeth against Original sin, and Bishop Warner, for it. Doctor Gunning writeth for the Religious observation of Lent, and Doctor More for the Civil only. One sitteth at the singing of a Psalm, and another standeth and ano­ther kneeleth (and so at Sermon): One boweth only at the name of Jesus; another boweth also at the name [Christ] and [God] &c. One standeth up at the Reading of the Psalms, and not at the singing of the same Psalms; another sitteth at both, and a third standeth up at both: One thinketh Episcopacy to be of Divine institution; and another thinketh that it is but of humane, and God hath instituted no form of Church Government (as Doctor Stillingfleet, Bishop Reignolds and others think). The Canons of 1640. which set up Altars and Rails, and bowing towards the Altar, leave it indifferent, ad­vising dissenters not to despise or censure one another: One receiveth the Lord supper (the elements) kneeling, and then standeth or sitteth to eat or drink it (supposing that the obligation to receive it kneeling, extendeth not to the eating or drinking of it kneeling): Another doth both receive and eat and drink it kneeling. One useth the names of Altar, Sacrifice, Priest, &c. and another is afraid lest they will introduce the Mass. One that De­clareth his assent and consent to all things contained in and prescribed by three books, doth tell us, that he meaneth only that it is lawful to use so much of them as concerneth [Page 160] himself to use, and indeed no further to assent or consent to the things or words: Another meaneth plainly as he speaketh. One that taketh the Oxford Oath or that sub­scribeth not to resist any Commissioned by the King, &c. meaneth it only of a Lawful Commission, and saith, No o­ther is a Commission: Another meaneth it of any Com­mission. One that sweareth or subscribeth never to endea­vour any alteration of Church Government meaneth, by Alteration properly qualitative Alteration; Another meaneth only a change of Episcopacy in genere into an­other kind: One by Government meaneth the external Government of the Church as it is in the King, accord­ing to the Oath of supremacy (which none of us scruple) Another meaneth the spiritual Internal Government by the Keys, that is, the Authoritative management of Gods words. One by [endeavour] meaneth only [un­lawful endeavour] Another meaneth as universally as he speaketh Any kind of endeavour, in his place and calling, or out of it. And as to practice we come not into two Churches of ten, where just all the same prayers and parts of the Liturgy are daily read; but one readeth more, and another less; one this part and another that: Nay I have my self communicated in a conformable Parish Church in London, where one half kneel at the receiving of the Sacrament, and the other sit; And all this with­out any violation of Love or concord; without any grudg­ing or mischievous effects: so that experience shameth the dreaming fears of imposing men.

And in Doctrines Doctor Heylin tells you in the end of his Preface to the Life of A. B. Laud, what liber­ty of judgement the Church hath left, for how good reasons.

45. One of the greatest dividers and troubles of the Church through the world is the Lordly, proud, impatient [Page 161] spirit of the Pastors; who when they should be as Nurses to the children of God, and should bear with their cryings and frowardness and foulness while they are breeding them up to a more mature and solid and peace­able temper, do treat with infants as with equals, and snuffe at all the quarrels and complaints which they under­go, and look that before and without their education, they all be as wise and staied as themselves, and are ready to bring their actionat Law against every child that cryeth or complaineth, and to turn them out of the family of God: And are so quite contrary to that tender and gracious spirit and example of Christ, that when they themselves should be as little children, and the servants of all, they are so proud and Lordly, that they cannot bear any contradiction, dissent or disobedience to their Laws and dictates; But set up a cry, as if the Church were all on a fire, and the enemy were at the gates, and all were undone, as soon as their imperious and imposing wills are neg­lected in a ceremony or an indifferent thing. God give his children tender Nurses.

46. I my self have found by experience, that Christians may be kept in Unity and peace, without any heresies, factions or divisions, by means of Scripture, Rea­son and Love, by their own consent, without compulsion.

47. many of us have found, that in case of the peevish self-conceitedness of any of our people, that fall into heretical dispositions, noise and violence are the bellows of their zeal, and the chief increasers of their folly and fury: And neglect extinguisheth it: so be it that they be but solidly confuted to the more judicious, and the rest kept in Unity and peace; The very neighbour­hood of the Orthodox that are unanimous and concordant, doth quickly drain the heretical conventicles, and make the erroneous ashamed of themselves, and a weary of their impetuousness.

[Page 162] 48. They that can bear with such in their constant congregations and Communion, who understand not the essentials of Christianity, or whose understanding they are utterly unacquainted with; and also with drunkards, tiplers, swearers, cursers, railers, prayerless families, forni­cators, gluttons, sensual riotous persons, &c. and yet will rather cast Kingdoms into confusion than they will bear with an honest godly Christian, that differeth from their way of worship in no greater matter than a Cere­mony, have something more amiss within than a Ce­remony.

49. We suppose that errors and faults of subjects must be distinguished of by Magistrates and Pastors; some are Tolerable, and those must be Tolerated: some are in­tolerable, and must not be tolerated: we are not therefore for an universal unlimited toleration. And we think that those, who cry out [One and All, why not one as well as another] have much themselves of design or necessity to be tolerated, or else very little of understanding: And they may as well say, [If an idle talker may be endured in the Commonwealth, why not a Traytor? If there be no Law against Lying, why should there be any against murder or Rebellion? If a foot must be cut off for a Gan­gren, why not for a Corn?] Wo to the world when it is ruled by such wits.

50. Nay we suppose that no fault even in publick mat­ters of Religion is therefore to be left incorrigible, be­cause the Magistrate wanteth power to meddle with it (though Heart-sins and unproved sins are out of his cogni­sance): we doubt not but the Magistrate may punish evil doers where God or nature make no exception, or disable him not, Rom. 13. 4, 5, 6. He must take more care of Gods interest than his own; and of our souls than of our bodies, and of Religion than of Commerce: But the [Page 163] question is only what he can do effectually and what not: and what means prudence requireth him to use.

51. We would not have the Magistrate forbear to cure the smallest fault or error, of what kind soever which he can really cure: But what he cannot cure must be tolera­ted: He cannot make his Subjects perfect. And we would not have him kill under pretence of curing, nor set the house on fire to kill the rats and mice, nor cure a low­sie headed child by cutting off his head, nor cure his cry­ing by cutting his throat; Nor to divide and destroy the Church by ordering it, nor for a needless subscription or a ceremony, to forbid the preaching of the Gospel of Christ, when it is necessary to the saving of souls.

52. He that knoweth not himself to be a man and a sinner, is not sit to be a Pastor: And he that doth, and is penitently conscious, what abundance of greater sins he hath than the Conscientious forbearance of a Ceremo­ny or needless Oath or subscription, will be very tender in his usage of others.

53. A fear of sinning is necessary in all that will be obedient to God, and will be saved: It is that fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom: It is therefore to be loved and cherished, even when scrupulousness mistak­eth the matter; And not to be reproached, discouraged, or persecuted out of the world.

54. By a tender Conscience we mean the same that God in his promise doth by a heart of flesh in opposition to a stony heart: We suppose Holiness to consist in the sanctity of the three natural faculties, Active power, understanding and will; and [...]o consist in Life, Light and Love; As a state of unholiness consisteth, in Deadness, Dark­ness and Disaffection. It is therefore a Conscience that hath Spiritual life and feeling that we mean, and that percei­veth more the evil of the least sin, than a fornicator or [Page 164] a drunkard, or a proud oppressor doth perceive the greatest. Therefore as for them that take a tender Conscience to be but a tender (that is, a soft or foolish) head, we envy them not the honour of a s [...]ared Conscience, or a hardned heart, that is p [...]st feeling, Eph. 4. 19.

55. The imposing of unnecessary subscriptions, professions or Oaths, is the way to fill the Church with men that are not troubled with tender Consciences, and that have no fear of God or sin: For if there be a thousand Atheists, Infidels or impious debauched persons, that either believe not, or regard not the life to come, and make no Con­science of any sin at all, what should hinder all or any of these, from saying, subscribing or swearing any thing, that their profit or honour or ease or safety doth require? And seeing undoubtedly it is so, Quaere, whether he that believeth that ever he shall be judged by the great Pa­stor of the flock, should not be as much at least afraid, of letting in such Presbyters as these into the Churches of his Diocess, as of enduring holy faithful men, that fear a lie or Oath or superstition.

56. All are for Toleration (usually) that need it: And so would they be that now deny it.

57. He that knoweth the frailties of all mankind and the weakness of most Christians yea and Ministers, doth know that all mankind, all Christians, and all Prelates and Pastors have great need of some (yea of much) tolerati­on, not to cherish their sin, but to endure the smell and trouble of their Ulcers, till they can be cured. And as Seneca thinketh that he speaketh against mankind, that reproacheth a man with faults that are common to mankind; so we do more soundly judge, that he that maketh a Ca­non to silence or excommuniate or cast out men, for a fault common to all preachers, Christians and men, doth make a Canon to silence or cast out all Preachers, Pastors or men.

[Page 165] 58. If we deserve to be cast out of Church and King­dom, in this case of nonconformity to the present Im­positions, it is because we are either weak or Ignorant or wicked (for nature hath no other fault.) And on conditi­on that the Diocesans will effectually provide, that none more weak, more ignorant, or more wicked shall be tolerated in Church and Kingdom when we are gone, and no detri­ment befall his Majesties dominions by the diminution of his Subjects, we here profess to the world, our joyful consent to be silenced and banished. And I am so far from speaking this in overvaluing of my self, that I profess that it is my brethren that I now intend: (Though he is a fool that taketh himself to be no wiser than a stark fool; And it's like they that deride our self-abasing conses­sions, will not expect that we should belie ourselves, or equal the up right with the hypocrite). And I tell posterity, if this age will not hear, that though I am ac­counted one of the greatest bewailers and reprovers of the sins of the Nonconformists, Ministers and people, and no flatterer of either of them, that I do verily believe [that under all the Heavens of God, there is no one party, of Mini­sters and people, more able, holy, wise and faithful, than those that are now silenced and reproached as Puritans in his Majesties Dominions; And that they are the glory of the Churches, and of the King and his Kingdoms; and such as no o­ther Prince in all the world is equally blest with.] Let malice and ignorance and interest say its worst, I have nothing that I know of to make me partial to them, but have born as many contradictions from them as most men living; yet this is my unfeigned testimony upon my long acquaintance with them, which I leave to posterity as a dying man.

59. Yea moreover, If the Diocesans will but (not talk, but really) fill up the vacancies in the Kings Dominions with persons who for Quality, diligence and numbers, may suf­ficiently [Page 166] supply the peoples wants, so that in the eye of any knowing experienced person, that careth for souls, and believeth the Gospel, our Ministry shall not be palpabl [...] and notoriously needful, to the instructing, edifying and saving of many thousand (or hundred thousand) souls, we do solemnly as before God and man profess, that we will not only cease our Ministration, but quietly live in pri­vate communion with the Churches, and take it for the joyfullest day, that ever did shine upon us since we were born. But alas, what frivolous talk is this!

60. Though we ought not to be void of compassion to those faithful and pious Ministers, and private Christi­ans, who have suffered long imprisonments; nor of their case who want their daily bread, for themselves and fa­milies, who might have lived as plentifully as their neigh­bours, if they had not been consecrated to the sacred Ministry, but betaken themselves to a secular life; yet so small a matter is the hunger, or imprisonment of Ministers, in comparison of the miseries of the souls of men, that for my part I would never mention it, nor meddle in an apology or such displeasing writings for them, if their own greatest corporal sufferings were the worst; and the punishing the souls of the ignorant and ungodly, called not louder for pity and relief.

61. And those of us that (through Gods mercy) want not necessaries, find small temptation from the world and flesh, to desire ever to exercise our Ministry more. For my own part, if I had not other ways had more than ever I received any way for my ministerial work & office, I must have lived in it (to others, though not to my self) at far lower rates than I did: And we are few of us such dullards I think, but by Law, Physick, trading or other secular means, we might live in more plenty and less obloquy than we do. When I gave men Medicines for their bodies, [Page 167] they thankt me for it, and none rose up against me for it with displeasure, as many have done for ministerial sidelity: we have flesh and blood as well as others, and know what belongeth to our ease and fleshly interest: How glad would our fleshly part be to be eased of this unthankful work, which brings the revilings and threats of men (and more) about our ears? He that hath such list to talk, that he is contented to suffer all this, that he may but hear himself speak, or be heard and applauded by such as do applaud us, verily he hath a poor reward, and I account him worthy of all his sufferings.

62. They that by thrusting out the Orthodox and sober Ministers and private Christians equally with the hereti­cal and intolerable, will tell them when they desire to be restored, that it's they that would bring in an Vniversal Toleration of all the intolerable, do play so naked a game, that it's easily understood, though it must be silently and patiently endured: And if the Diocesans cannot tolerate our Preaching, we will quietly tolerate their Per—

63. We thought that Bishop Taylor went too far in his Book for Liberty of Prophesying, but tempor a mutantur, and Conformists can change: we think it fit that the Magistrate go further in Restraining than in Constraining: And that he should hinder hereticks and blasphemers from reproaching the truth, and seducing souls; Yea hinder any sin in the world; as far as he can do it with­out greater hurt than the good will compensate. And as the Church must not suffer the doctrine of the Nicola­itans which Christ hateth, nor the woman Jesabel to teach and seduce the people to filthiness, Idolatry, &c. and as Pa­stors must stop such mouths with sacred argument, and shame them by the convincing light of truth; so Ma­gistrates in their places must hinder them so far, as that by pulling up the Tares, they be sure that they pull not up the wheat also.

[Page 168] 64. Leaving the Civil peace to the care of Magistrates, we must say of Church Vnity and peace, that it will hardly long be kept up by bad Pastors; (till they can make the people bad enough to be willing of them, Isa 5. last) And then it is a conspiracy against Christ, and not true peace.

65. For Good people will never be well contented with bad Ministers, nor bad Ministers ever well like or comply with the desires and ways of pious people.

66. Great Temptations cause bad interests, and bad in­terests make bad Ministers worse.

67. Great Preferments, power, wealth and fulness are Great Temptations.

68. They that Love these best, are the worst men, and unfittest for the Ministry, as having least the Love of God and holiness and heaven and souls. 1 John 2. 15, 16. Phil. 3. 18.

69. They that Love these best, are likeliest to get them because they will use all their wit and industry to get them: And he that seeketh is likest to find.

70. Therefore whilest the Ministry is in a state of great worldly wealth and honour and power and fulness, and so of Temptation, the worst men are likest to be the Pa­stors of the Church, except where Princes of rare piety do prevent it.

71. Such Carnal minds are enmity to God, and neither are nor can be subject to his Law, because they savour not the things of the spirit, but of the flesh: Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8. And how Christs enemies are like to guide his flock, and preserve the parity or Vnity of them, I leave to all to judge.

72. They wrong us that say, we would reduce the Church to the primitive persec [...]tion and povertie, when we call them to the Primitive terms of Vnity (Though we should be glad that our worse corrupting prosperity were [Page 169] changed into their holy suffering and poverty, rather than go on to be the Churches ruin) we bless God that we live under a Christian Protestant King, and we commend our Rulers pious zeal, for the saving of the Clergy from po­verty and contempt; And we are of their mind that think that excellent Godly painful Pastors or Bishops may do much good with a great deal of wealth and power: But we doubt that they talk but by the book, or of some rare won­ders, and never think how such excellent persons are ever like to have those advantages, nor what hurt others will do with them. He that said, If the Pope were a good man, what a deal of good might he do, to all the Christian world; did never live to see that good done.

73. The Apostles and first Churches were as wise as our Diocesans or any now, to know the fittest terms of Church concord, toleration and Communion.

74. If Act 15. it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and such a Council of Apostles, to lay nothing but a few Ne­cessary things on the Churches, lest they should bur­den them: we supose that determination of the Holy Ghost and the Apostles is obligatory to all Rulers and Churches upon earth, even to this day: And all that think not themselves wiser, should confess that at least it is safe to follow it.

75. The Apostle having so clearly and fully decided the case before us, in Rom. 14. & 15. against ei­ther censuring or despising one another for things indiffe­rent, we cannot wonder that they, who will neither un­derstand nor stand to this decision, will neither understand nor be satisfied with our most cogent arguments.

76. They that say that the Apostle doth not speak there of things indifferent after they are imposed by authority, say very true; Because he there taketh away that very subject, and preventeth all such cases, while he deter­mineth [Page 170] that such things should not be so imposed, but so far left free, that none may be rejected out of Church Com­munion for them, nor any censured or despised for them.

77. They that say the Apostle doth not forbid such Im­positions there, cannot see day for light.

1. If he forbid censuring, despising and not receiving one another, and command dissenters to receive one another, then he forbiddeth such imposition as is inconsistent herewith. But the antecedent is plain in the text, Ergo.—

2. If he direct this command to all the Church of Rome, even the Authorized Pastors as well as the people, then he extendeth it to the Authorized Rulers of the Church. But the Antecedent is evident in the first and last Chapters of the Epistle—Ergo.—

3. If he himself being a Pastor or Ruler of that Church, as fully authorized as any that should succeed, do declare his resolution even on moral reasons, to use that Church with the described toleration himself, then he thereby declareth that he would have other Rulers to do the like. But the antecedent is undeniable. Ergo so is the consequent.

4. If this Scripture (as others) be written for a standing Rule, for future ages as well as for that in which Paul lived, then it is obligatory to future Rulers— But—Ergo—.

78. They that say it speaketh not of rejecting from and receiving to Church Communion, neither directly nor con­sequentially, do deny to understand or believe plain words, and are contradicted not only by their own Annotator Dr. Hammond, but by so many more Expositors as should make them more modest in their conceits.

79. Yet we our selves confess (which many late Ex­positors note) that this doth not decide the case of the peoples Church Communion when Authority shall impose in­different [Page 171] things, nor doth it allow any private Christian to take liberty to use or not to use them, when Authority taketh away that liberty: For though the Apostle doth both forbid such impositions to the Rulers, as shall take a­way the liberty there expressed, and doth also forbid all pri­vate Christians, to censure, despise, or to deny to receive each other on any such accounts; yet if the Rulers shall break this Law of the spirit of God, and shall make such im­position of things indifferent as are here forbidden them, 1. Subjects must obey them, and take them as no longer indifferent to them, but a necessary duty, because their governours have taken away their liberty; 2. And if the Pastors unjustly cast out men on such small accounts, from the publick Communion of the Church, it is not in the power of the people to restore them, as being not intrusted with the Keys of Government.

Object. But how can any man take away the liberty that God hath given us?

Answ. Though he cannot do it without sin, he may do it so far as that you shall be obliged to obedience: A judge cannot against right adjudge any part of your possessions to another, without sin: But if he do it, though sinfully, you must not break order, nor reassume your own.

And it is to be noted that your Gift of Liberty is the consequent of the Rulers duty, who is here required to use you with this tenderness: And if he performeth not that duty, there wanteth the hand that should reach out this gift unto you, so that you had a distant jus ad rem, but no jus in re.

Obj. But is not a Rulers act null, which is done against the command of God: and consequently without authority?

Answ. He hath a General Authority in his Office it self to Rule you; though this text forbid him this parti­cular act: And his sinning against this one command of [Page 172] God, doth not nullifie the authority of his office: And as a subject you are bound to obey him in all lawful things, belonging to his general office: So that if it be lawful for you antecedently, it is your duty consequently to obey, though he sin in commanding: And every mistake of a Ruler will not disoblige the Subject from obeying.

But remember that all this is spoken only of things indifferent, and not of things forbidden by God.

80. The present full conformity now required will never be the terms of the full desirable unity and concord of the Christian Protestants in his Majesties dominion: They are Impossible means of such an end, and therefore will make such a Unity and concord to be impossible, Proved.

If it be both impossible to bring all good Christians judge­ments to hold all this conformity to be lawful, and impossible to bring them all to conform to that which they judge un­lawful; Then is it impossible to agree or unite them on these terms—But the antecedent is true—Ergo so is the consequent.

Remember that by Impossible, we mean not that which God cannot do, to whose omnipotency all things are pos­sible; But that which is Morally impossible, and never to be done, or expected by man.

1. That it is Morally impossible so far to alter their judgements, is evident, 1. In the numbers that must be changed, 2. In the natural operation of the intellect, which is not free, nor subject to the Laws or the will of man, nor fully or directly to the will of the person him­self; but receiveth things as they are represented by evi­dence, necessarily & per modum naturae, further than as the will in part overruleth the Cogitations. 3. In the great variety of natural temperatures, and degrees of do­cibility and apprehensiveness and ingenuity. 4. In the great [Page 173] diversity of Parents minds and their education of their children. 5. In the different converse of persons, with men that have several judgements, and all of them advantage to instill their principles into others. 6. In the marvel­lous variety of circumstances that men stand in, and con­sequently the diversity of light, representations and ap­pearances of things, as men and their affairs and interests stand in different postures. 7. In the difficulty of the controversies which must be so generally decided: were they not difficult, so many, so wise, so learned, so god­ly and impartial men would not have disagreed so long about them. 8. In the reverence which they have re­ceived and will retain, of the worth and judgements of such persons as Amesius, Hildersham, &c. Calvin, Be­za and multitudes more that have gone before them, whose honour no power on earth is able to destroy. 9. In the paucity, and distance of those conformable Ministers from most of the people, who must change their judge­ments; And the unaptness of most of them for such a work; especially when they come to plead against such as Blondel, Salmasius, Chamier, &c. 10. In the marvellous suspicion and scrupulousness that most tender conscienced Christians have against seeming additions, detractions and corruptions of Gods instit [...]d worship: And their fear of sinning in what they do, especially deliberately. 11. From the frightfulness and horridness of the evil which they fear in conformity; which is no less than deliberate ly­ing and perjury, yea the justifying of perjury in thou­sands, and the publick renouncing their duty of en­deavouring reformation, and many other grievous sins. I am not saying, that all these or any of them are such as they fear them to be (that is to be spoken to by it self) but only that they fear them to be such. And men will never be all bold among such dangers as these [Page 174] seem. 12. From the nature of mans understanding, and of God Grace, and of his promise, which will never suffer all his children to agree in such things as we think some of these in controversie to be. 13. And expereince of the continuance of these differences sheweth, what may be ex­pected for the time to come. One that hath not commen­ced Doctor of Divinity, nor is eminent for Reason, may easily know, 1. that All the Kings Subjects in three King­doms and America, are not like to attain to more Learn­ing, wisdom or honesty for the just decision of such con­troversies, than Doctor Ames, Doctor Reignolds, Do­ctor Humphrey, &c. or than at present Doctor Tuckney, Doctor Seaman, and many other such men have. 2. And (unless they prove much wiser and more learned than they have done of late) it is almost as easie to prognosticate, that conformity will not be better justified by them that must change the judgements of so many, than it hath been already by Downame, Morton, Burges, Covel, Bridge, Bilson, Hooker, and the most judicious Doctor Field: Much less that our Diocesans are like to exceed them so exceed­ing far in ability and success, as the maintaining of the pre­sent conformity exceedeth in difficulty the maintaining of the old. (For I do verily think that if Doctor Burges, Doctor Field, Bishop Downame, &c. were now alive, they would all be Nonconformists; And their own wri­tings put us past doubt, that Hooker and Bilson would be Nonconformists, unless they would forsake their publi­shed judgement: yea and more than Nonconformists.)

2. And now I come to the second branch of my Ante­cedent; As it is not morally possible, for to change the judgements of so many in this point, and to keep them in that mind from age to age; so it is as impossible to bring them all to conform against their judgements by any force that can be offered. I need not prove this to any that believ­eth [Page 175] that there is a God and a life to come, and believeth that any others do believe it: And those that believe nei­ther of these, should be no Bishops if I could help it. 1. From the Nature of faith and holiness: Every one that unfeignedly believeth that there is a God and a life to come (with a true practical belief) will rather die than deliberately and continuedly do that which he be­lieveth doth displease God, and forfeit everlasting hap­piness. 2. Gods promise is to strengthen his servants against such wilful impenitent sinning, and to keep them by his power through faith unto salvation: If Christ should suffer all his members to be deliberately and impenitently guilty of that, which they verily think is aggravated Per­jury, Ministerial Lying, renouncing reformation, justi­fying the sins of thousands, &c. then should the gates of hell prevail, and his Church be no Church (because not holy), and consequently Christ be no Head of a true Church, that is, no Christ. He that hath commanded, Fear not them that can kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do; but fear him, &c. Luke 12. 4. will give grace to his servants to obey his commands; for he hath promised to write his Laws in their hearts, &c. 3. And the Martyrdom undergone in so many ages doth assure us, that men will rather die, than deliberate­ly do that which they judge to be so great a sin. 4. And the sufferings of these times do tell you what men will further undergo, if you follow it on to the utmost: Some have died in prison already; And some have died of the diseases there taken; And many families live in very great necessities, that in the days of Usurpation had food and raiment. Lately I saw a credible letter craving relief for a godly Minister in Kent, who (when his infirmities lately contracted will permit him) doth spin at the wheel to get some bread for his family: And many others have suf­fered [Page 176] more. It is therefore evident that Violence will never make them forsake that which they judge of so great truth and necessity to their own and others mens Salvation.

81. He that thinketh that all other men will do that which they think is sin against God, and will damn their souls, to escape any penalties of humane Laws, doth thereby tell the world, either that he thinketh him­self more honest than all such others, or else that he would do thesame himself, which he expecteth from them, if it were his own case; And so, that he would sell his soul to save his flesh. A Bishop therefore should especi­ally be against such violence lest he disgrace himself, and tell the world what he is, and what he would do, by tell­ing them what he thinks others will do.

82. My own acquaintance in England perswadeth me confidently to believe, that (however very many would venture their souls to save their bodies, yet) if the Bi­shops could get Laws to hang all Nonconformists, or burn them as the Protestants in Queen Marys days, there would many hundred Ministers, and many thousand of private Christians, rather be burnt than do the things now questioned against their Consciences.

83. He that trusteth to punishments to procure Church concord, must in reason look to the end of such punish­ments, and not delude himself and his superiors, by think­ing that they will do what he would have them do. When lesser punishments are tryed, either he will proceed to greater, or not. If not, he hath but confirmed those whom he thought to change, and made the matter worse than before: If yea; then he must resolve how far to go. If he come short of banishment or death, the persons are still left alive, uncured and more stiffned. If he would have our Rulers proceed to banishment or death, either it must be of some, or of all Nonconformists. If but [Page 177] some, the rest will survive to be a differing party, and will increase their company by the advantage of their brethrens sufferings. Would any man have thought that when Queen Marys flames had consumed so many, the remnant should change Religion so soon? Or when the French Massacre had murdered forty thousand (as D'a­vila computeth, or thirty thousand as credible Th [...]anus) that the remnant (even when the Leaders were cut off) should be thereby so increased, exasperated and streng­thened, as to do that which was shortly after done, till their Head was King? Or when the Irish had so quick­ly murdered two hundred thousand, that the survivers should so quickly use them more severely than ever they had been used before?

But if you would have All cut o [...] or banished, 1. It will be a greater loss to the King and to the Conformists left behind, than ten more Oaths or Ceremonies will countervail. 2. It will but send many beyond Sea to defame you by their sufferings. 3. All foreign nations that favour their cause, will the more abhorr you. 4. As Tertullian faith, dum solitudinem faciunt, pacem vocant; you will but make desolation and solitude, though you may call it Vnity and peace: you cannot indeed do what you think to do: For thousands that will stretch their Consciences to conform, will hate you and your ways the more, and will be but such as were formerly called Conformable Puritans; and will have the more ad­vantage to supplant you, by standing so much nearer to you. You know what a Conformable Episcopal Parliament did; and you know what an Assembly of Conformable Divines did, not long ago. 5. And if you could cut them all off, you cannot prevent the resurrection of them in their posterity. If ever blood would have extirpated dissenters, the Waldenses and Albigenses had been rooted [Page 178] out; when Historians tell us of so many hundred thou­sand killed, as is almost incredible. 6. The histories of cruelties are one of the greatest encreasers of the party for the time to come, in other lands and Generations. 7. And lastly, it is such kind of fame that it leaveth upon the agents, that few men that care for their surviving names, if they know it, can be willing of. It is no ho­nour to Pilate to have his name in the Creed; nor to Herod to have his name in the Gospel; nor to Nero to have killed Peter and Paul, &c. No nor to those great Princes who killed such persons of their own Religion as Seneca, Lucan, Cicero, Demosthenes, Cato, &c. or that banished Juvenal, and many such more: Nor to the state or people that killed Socrates, &c. nor to the Athenian Tyrant from whom Solon and such others fled; no nor to the Roman Clergy that killed Sovonarola, and tortu­ced Campanella, and imprisoned Galilaeus and many the like: seeing, as Sir Walter Raleigh noteth (though not to his own escape) that Learning it self (and if joyned with great piety, much more) doth leave so great vene­ration on the minds of men, that though the owners of them prove to be faulty, yet posterity use to have dishonouring thoughts of those by whom they suffer.

It remaineth therefore that we must either despair of ever having Unity and Church concord, or else we must have it on other terms, than the masters of Prelacy contrive and endeavour it. One of the two must needs be chosen.

84. To have no Church concord, will bring as many evils as they themselves foretel when they write against Tole­ration. The more to be blamed is that man whoever he be that will cut out mens tongues, and then write for the great necessity of speech, or that will put Colloquin­tida into the pottage, and then write of the danger of purging and loosness! If offence, and division must needs [Page 179] come; yet wo to the Church because of offences, and wo to the Pastors by whom they come.

85. The greatest plague of our continued Divisions, will be (and is) the destruction of Christian Love, which is the essential mark of Christs disciples, and of absolute necessity to Salvation. If it were possible for such fiery and bloody books to be written against brethen as by some now are, or such scornful books as Martyn Marprelate and Martyn Marpriest wrote, without any abatement of Love in themselves, can they believe that they will do nothing to destroy it in others: can all of their own side read words that are written to make men odious, and not hate them: Or all of the other side, hear themselves re­viled without the least temptation to uncharitableness? Is it more natural to water to quench fire, than for such books, and other effects of discord, to quench brotherly love? (Allowing the difference between a natural agent and a Voluntary). Nay the authors themselves do plainly profess that they do it to draw men to hate those that they write and speak against: and will scarce call them Brethren themselves, unless in a fit of special hu­mility.

And if really they can possibly believe themselves, that they have lost none of their charity (if they ever had it) I suppose they scarce look that any one else should believe them; whilst, as Persius faith,

86. And it is no small mischief, that the King (and his Magistrates) should be so greatly wronged in his Sub­jects; to be put to Govern a divided people, when they might easily have an united people to govern. Besides the comfort, ease and honour of Ruling an Vnited people, and the sadness, difficulty and reflections on the contrary, [Page 180] Who can be sure, or imagine that we shall never have a foreign enemy, or that the King will never have any use for the Union and concord of his Subjects, for their rea­dier and surer defence of him and of themselves? And who knoweth not how usually divided Cities and Kingdoms have been a prey to common enemies?

87. And if Bishops above all men, who think that Vnity is the very reason of their order and Office, should have less wit for, or care of the Kingdom of Christ, than the Devil himself hath of his own, who knoweth that if it be divided it cannot stand, Mat. 12. what friends to Unity can such men be?

88. All the arguments for Vnity and Peace which are made use of against Toleration by the Prelatists, and all the mischiefs of Division which they aggravate, if it prove that they are the greatest causes of Division, and hinderers of Church concord, do principally fall upon themselves. It is an easie song for any man to sing [O the ma­nifold mischiefs of Division]; And a ready staff to strike any dissenter with, for him that can but get the handle. The Romanists use it with as much vehemency and Spleen against the Protestants. But all the question is, who is the true cause? and what is the true cure?

89. Either these writers and talkers think something or nothing to be sin▪ themselves: and either the imposition of what they think unlawful would make them Noncon­formists, or it would not: If it would not, they are fitter Ministers for Machiavel, or Vaninus (nay Vaninus dy­ed for his Atheism) than for Christ. But if it would (as I will believe) were it not as easie then when they conformed not themselves, to write Volumes of the mis­chiefs of division and Schism, and disobedience to Laws, and of judging when we should obey, and of sects and to­leration, as it is for them to do it against us?

[Page 181] 90. Seeing then all wise men and good men are for Vnity, and I have proved even to the purblind, that it is Impossi­ble on the present terms (though I justifice not all that maketh it impossible), It must needs be a plain resolved case that other possible terms must be found out; which is not difficult to do. O that it were as easie to make men willing of them.

91. Vnity may be had either with Vniformity or with­out it.

92. Vnity with Vniformity is never to be had (univer­sally, really and durably) save only by placing Vnifor­mity in the Scripture or primitive simplicity, even in a few things so needful, or so lawful, that no sober, judici­ous Christians can question them; yea such as the weak may be generally and easily satisfied in.

93. Vnity without Vniformity (of several Churches) must be by Toleration in the points of Vniformity a­bout things indifferent, leaving each Church to its pro­per liberty; but making those things necessary to all, which are necessary indeed to the Vnity of all; which is the Essentials, or plain great points of Christianity, in which we are all one in Christ, the center of our Unity.

94. The best way is, 1. to Vnite in things necessary to all, by necessary imposition (on such as are capable,) and 2 in things of unquestionable conveniency, by a prudent reduction of them to the primitive simplicity, and this not by necessitating Laws, which urge by great severity, but by such gentle corrections, as conveniencies, order and decency should be urged with: And, 3. if any will go further (as to Organs, Ornaments, Crossing &c.) to let them do it as a matter of liberty, (as the Cathedrals and Parish Churches now differ, and many Parish Churches each from other) without repining or breach of Charity; thus joyning all together according to the nature of the things.

[Page 182] 95. He that will Vnite all mankind must Unite them in somewhat that all men are really agreed in: And he that would Unite all Christians, must do it in something that all Christians are agreed in. And he that will Unite all Protestants (or English Protestants) must do it in some­what which all Protestants (or English Protestants) are agreed in. For that which they agree not in, cannot be the [...]erms of their agreement, unless you could undertake to change their judgements.

96. All men are agreed in Reason, and in the Love of Nature (for so far as men have put off Nature, they have put off humanity): Therefore the Laws of Nature and Rules of equity which Reason dictates, are the true Jus gentium, which is the ground of Commerce in the world, without which men live as strangers or as foes.

97. That which all Christians are agreed in, is Christi­anity and Godliness; that is, in their one Baptismal Cove­nant, and in that one faith or Creed which is there pro­fessed, and in the Lords Prayer and Decalogue as the sum­maries of things to be Willed and to be Done; In these I say, explicitely or particularly, and in the holy Scriptures generally, as far as they can understand them. Greeks, Papists and Protestants are agreed in all this; that is, 1. In the Sacramental Covenant, 2. In the three sum­maries of the Credenda, Appetenda, Agenda, 3. And in the Ca­non of the holy Scriptures in General, that is, in so many books as they are convinced are the true Canon, and in so much of the sence as they can understand. And who can Unite them upon other and narrower terms than these?

98. All (English) Protestants are agreed, 1. In all the three forementioned formula's of Christianity (the Sacramental Covenant, the three summaries and the Scrip­ture) 2. And in the sufficiency of this Scripture, as con­taining [Page 183] all things necessary to salvation (though some may question some particular books) 3. And that Magistrates and Pastors are appointed to Govern the Church, one by the sword and the other by the word and Keys, according to this holy Scripture.

99. He that will make a Law that all mankind shall Vnite in Vniformity of language, habit, temperament, dyet, &c. would set them more together by the ears. And he that would make a Law (as the Council of Trent hath done) that all Christian Churches shall Unite in an Oath of obedience to the Church of Rome, or in any of their superadded doctrines or Traditions, would but set the Churches in a greater slame: Before such divid­ing Councils as the Lateran, Roman, Florentine, Triden­tine, &c. there was some hope of a restored concord; But now till the renunciation of their pretended Infallibility shall make way for their Repentance, it will be impossible to the end of the world; any otherwise than to confess that they grant the truth (though not the sufficiency) of our Religion, and that we approve of so much of theirs; and therefore resolve to live together without the exer­cises of uncharitableness and cruelties. And this much, no question should be done.

100. Accordingly those Pastors who will make Canons, that all English Protestants shall agree in subscriptions, professions, Oaths, forms, and Ceremonies which they are not agreed in, nor ever will be, do but say, we will break them more into pieces, and set them farther from each other than before.

101. If Socinians, Fanaticks or any Hereticks or Schis­maticks, will subscribe the said summaries of Religion and the Scriptures, equivocally, while they falsely interpret them, the way is not presently to devise a new form of Articles for them to subscribe to; but maintaining the [Page 184] Scriptures sufficiency, for the Rulers Civil and spiritual, to call them to account whenever they prove that they utter or teach a doctrine contrary to the Scriptures which they subscribe, and to punish them according to the offence, or judge them to be o [...]fenders, when it's proved against them that they have offended. For, 1. Else (as Hilary complain­eth of Creeds) there will be no end of new Articles and forms of subscription, if we must have new ones as oft as deceivers will juggle and equivocate with the Old. 2. And it will do no good, for they will equivocate still. If Scripture be not large and plain enough, neither will your Articles be so. 3. Offences require not new Laws, but new judgement and punishment.

1. I Et every one subscribe his Assent and consent to the sacramental Covenant, and to the Creed, Lords prayer and Decalogue, verbatim; and that he be­lieveth all the Canonical Scriptures which the Christian Churches concordantly receive to be the word of God, of infallible truth, and that he will faithfully endeavour to understand and practise them. (Read Chilling [...]orths Reasons at large for this cause).

2. Let every Church have its proper faithful Pastors; related to them and set over the [...] by the joynt consent of the Ordainers and of the flock; (and all this under the Ma­gistrates oversight and rule.)

[Page 185] 3. Let the Magistrate be the only Governor by the sword, and Bishops and flock be subject to him: and let him be the keeper of the Peace in all the Churches, And take all prudent care that both Pastors and people do their duties; As he ruleth Physicians, Philosophers, and all other professions in his dominions.

4. Let there be Articles, or a Catalogue written of such great and clear and considerable points in Religion, which are not sit to be contradicted; and because Pastors must know more, necessarily, than the people, and must not corrupt the sacred doctrine under pretence of preach­ing it, Let every Pastor before his Ordination be examined of his understanding of those articles; and let there be a Law that no one shall preach against any of them. But be sure that they contain no uncertain or unnecessary things. We can conscionably forbear preaching against many points, which we cannot conscionably subscribe Assent or consent to in themselves.

5. Let men be punished according to the quality of their offence, who preach against the Government Civil or spi­ritual, and against the Laws and established order of the Churches; or that rail and revile their brethern, and turn the preaching of the Gospel into the preaching down of mutual Love. After the first and second admonition, let the heretical and turbulent be avoided by the Church; and let the Magistrate restrain them at his discretion as is meet.

6. Let Homilies or forms of preaching and Liturgies or forms of Prayer, &c. be imposed (at least ordinarily) on none but the less sufficient that need them; and let able Pastors have liberty, sometime to use more, and sometime less according to the time, occasion and auditory. And let such forms have nothing in them doubtful or needless; But for matter, method and phrase, be as much fitted to the peoples case and to the Scripture as may be done.

[Page 186] 7. Let all other circumstances, which are variable ac­cording to variety of occasions, and belong to the office of the Pastor, be left to his discretion (as what Chapter, Psalm, tune, subject of preaching, method, &c.) so he be responsible for gross abuses and mal administration.

8. Let it be the work of every Pastor, to baptize, to preach and pray and administer the Lords supper; refu­sing the grosly ignorant, Infidel, Heretick, and proved scandalous by gross sin, till such time as they Repent; so be it that for his abuse of his power he be responsible to the Magistrate, or Ecclesiasticks after mentioned: Also let him Catechise, visit the sick, and personally instruct the ignorant, exhort the obstinate, and comfort the weak.

9. Let neighbour Churches keep such correspondence, as is necessary to their concord, that he that is cast out of one Church, or that communicateth with it, may not be causelesly used contrarily by others. And those Pa­stors and Churches that shall prove heretical or impious, are to be admonished by the rest, and disowned if they continue impenitent.

10. If it be thought meet by Christian Rulers that these neighbour Pastors have often meetings or Sy­nods, they are to be improved only for concord and uni­ty and corroboration of all, and for the edification of the younger and weaker sort of Ministers.

11. If it seem good to the Magistrate, that any one Pastor in every Church have the chief oversight of that Church, or any one be the constant moderator in the Synods, or any one in a Diocese or Province have a General inspection over all the Ministers and Churches; Let none be forced to swear him obedience, nor to profess or subscribe to the Lawfulness of his place; but only Actually to obey him, upon such moderate penalties that hinder not the Gospel. And if this Prelate claim only the Spiritual power, let him not [Page 187] exercise it as a Prince without the Counsel of the Pastors; and let him go no further than the spiritual power goeth, which reacheth but to Conscience and consenters; And let not the Magistrate be his executioner with the sword; nor put any forcing power of the sword into the Cler­gies hands. But if the King will needs make Clergymen Magistrates, let it be declared so, that they and their Courts do use Civil power in Ecclesiastical matters, only as the Kings officers, and then we shall readily obey them. And let no lay Chancellors or others exercise any of the spiritu­al power of the Keys.

12. Let all Ministers and people swear or promise Al­legiance, Loyalty and fidelity to the King, and take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy to that end; and be punished according to Law if they offend, either against the person or honour of the King, or against any inferior Magistrates, or fellow subjects, or against the quiet, peace or safety of the Kingdom.

1. OUr judgement is, that the ba [...]e name of a Christian, and outward forms and words and ceremonies, without true faith, and Love and Obedience, a spiritual and heaven­ly Heart and life, will save no man, (that hath the use of reason): But that wicked nominal Christians are in that more miserable than the Infidel Indians, that they [Page 188] are greater abusers of mercy, and greater Hypocrites.

2. Spiritual knowledge is not born with the children of Christians, but it must cost as much labour in us to teach, and in them to learn, the doctrine of the Gospel, and the nature and work and hopes of Christianity, per­haps as if they were the children of some heathens. Their birth priviledge without our labour will not make them wise and faithful and obedient Christians.

3. The most among us are so dull of understanding, and so averse to spiritual and heavenly things, and so drowned in sin, and taken up with the flesh and the world, that the cure of their souls is a very great and difficult work, and must by us and them be carried on at leisure, by great diligence and usually by slow degrees.

4. True Grace and virtue will not (usually) supply the want of learning or Urbanity, and of an Academick or ingenuous education; nor will make men of Rustick wits and breeding, to have compt, polite and elegant speech: Though yet it may suffice to save their souls.

5. Those that have such Academical education, and polite wits, and expression, and can congruously discourse of Civil and Religious things, and have not the foresaid lively faith, Love and obedience to God, nor a heavenly mind and lise are miserable persons, and cannot be saved in that condition, however they be esteemed in the world.

6. Where both inward holiness and learning and ut­terance concur, it maketh men most serviceable to God and the Church, and an honour to their Religion.

7. For want of clear parts and good expression, many Christians excellent in Grace, (that is, in faith, Love and o­bedience) do dishonour the holy things which they discourse of, and to captious proud Wits do make themselves oft ridiculous and contemptible.

[Page 189] 8. He that hath spent ten or twenty or thirty years in studies, and among books and learned men, and is pufft up because he can speak more congruously than an honest plowman, that never learnt more than to write and read, nor perhaps so much, or because he can talk more pertinently and composedly, than ordinary good wo­men, that could never speak or write true English, may next be proud that he is not an infant. And he that on such accounts despiseth the honest vulgar Christians, that perhaps have much more faith, Love and obedience than himself, is more foolish than the East-Indians that made a laughing-stock of the most learned Jesuits, that had but be­gun to learn their language, because they spake it bro­kenly in their preaching to them.

9. We encourage none in the least of their weaknesses; but do our best to encrease their understanding and expres­sive faculty: But we labour first and much more about the greatest needfullest things; to make them holy, and save their souls.

10. He that ever made conscience of labouring faithful­ly for souls, cannot choose but know, how very hard a work it is to bring the vulgar to a true understanding of their Baptism, the Creed, the Lords Prayer and the Deca­logue, (yea the very servants of our own families). And as Arch-Bishop Vsher told King James in his Sermon on Eph. 4. 3. Let the best and learnedst of them try it when they will, they shall find what skill (and in­dustry) is necessary to teach the people these principles that we all agree in: And to reproach them and us, for incongruities of speech, long before these necessary things can be learned, is to reproach the boys of the lowest form, and the Master with them, because they are not accurate Graecians.

[Page 190] 11. It is in most places but the far smaller part of the people, that we can ever bring to so much as aforesaid; And the greater part in most places are still ignorant and unwilling to learn, or meer worldlings and servants to the flesh, and great neglecters of all that is higher than their belly and their eye-sight.

12. If the Great and Rich be bred up to better utter­ance, they are very happy persons among them, that are not more worldly, sensual and prophane; yea and more ignorant too of the matters of salvation, how knowing so­ever as to words.

13. That Pastor who preferreth this ungodly sort be­fore the faithful now described, and that gathereth together all the weak expressions of the later, to make them ridicu­lous to the former; or (if with no such intent) doth pro­claim them persons of a foolish Religion, because they cannot talk so wisely as they ought about religion, and this at a time and in a manner, as is likest to harden the sensual in the opinion that their case is the better, and that learning and labouring to be seriously religious, is but a foolish fanciful thing; I say, that Pastor is— Let his conscience hereafter tell him what.

14. When there is no known way, (but by the Schools, or by a Miracle) for the world of the vulgar to come to the higher form of wisdom but by the lover; nor to come to Heaven but by such weak beginnings; And when Grace as well as Nature beginneth with infant un­utterable desires and groans, Rom. 8. 26. and with an Abba father, Gal. 4. 6. (which our heart-searching fa­ther understandeth, Rom. 8. 27.) And when all Christs Disciples must enter first as little children into the low­est form (Matth. 18. 3. & 28. 19, 20.) And when the Apostles own followers were dull of hearing, and after long teaching (which should have made them fit to be Teach­ers) [Page 191] had need still to learn the principles, and to be fed with childrens milk, Heb. 5. 11, 12, &c. And few ever get above the lower rank, which all first enter; I say whenas all this is so, and certainly so, to make these lower Chri­stians a scorn, as being of a foolish religion, and to discourage them, and disgrace their rank unnecessarily, is to endeavour to drive all serious Religion out of the world, and to keep men from salvation, and to brandish their flaming swords at the entrance of Paradise, to keep men from the tree of life—But for the Schoolmaster himself to deride the lower form which with patience and condescension he is obliged by office and salary to teach; This is beyond a strangers crime.

15. We tell them of their weaknesses and faults as tru­ly and plainly as Reproachers do, though we do it in way of Love and not of wrath and discouraging words; which even fathers are forbidden to use to their children, Eph. 6. 4. See Baxters Directions to weak Christians, and his Character of a sound Christian: and his Life of Faith.

16. If any of them grow Proud with their Ignorance, we deal more sharply and severely with them, as know­ing the odious nature and tendency of that sin.

17. We take not men to be good because they are not conformable; nor do we disown any of the people for their conformity to your worship, Ceremonies and discipline, as if they were not the members of Christ; or were to be despised or censured by others. But instead of speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after us (as seducers do, Act. 20. 30.) we labour to speak the words of truth and soberness, and keep to the form of sound and ancient doctrine, (even that which sem­per, ubique & ab omnibus recepta est, as Lirinensis Characte­rizeth Catholick verity) and to avoid novelties and vain janglings and inflaming the hearers against Bishops, [Page 192] Liturgy or Ceremonies, or against each other; But re­buke those that for such differences censure or despise each other, Rom. 14. 1, 2, 3. And exhort them to reverence and obedience to Governors, especially Loyalty to the King, to Love to all men, and to Unity with the whole Catholick Church, and to peace among themselves.

18. Our Doctrine is published to the world so fully that no sober man can question us as a Party for it; but if any individual err, he must be named, and proved faulty. For our very Religion is nothing but the Law of Nature and the holy scriptures (which we pro­fess to the Papists that would have more, and to all the world:) And we subscribe the Doctrine of the Church of England in the Articles, as our Explication of the sence of Scripture in those points: Though Gods word only be our Religion in the Rule, and we profess to disclam all addi­tions or diminutions, yet not all explications of our un­derstanding the meaning of it; And therefore are still ready to give such explicatory Professions to any that suspect or accuse us of error. And so the West­minster Assembly did in their Confession, as all the Resor­med Churches have done. But our Religion in the Di­vine Rule we take for infallible; but our explications we take for the corrigible words of fallible men; and as we will take no other mens for infallible, so we are ready to retract and correct whatever shall be proved faulty in our own.

19. Much less can we boast that no Minister among us doth ever speak or write incongruously, or hath any imperfection or misapprehension of any point or me­thod in Theology: we rather wish than hope for such perfection here. But besides the foresaid Confessions, our Professed Doctrine is known by many printed Cate­chisms and Treatises, such as Mr. Balls Cat. and Mr. [Page 193] Gouges, &c. Amesii Medulla & Conscientiae Cas. Dudl. Fen­ [...]ri Theolog. Sohmius, Baxters Reasons of the Christian Re­ligion: And our notions of Godliness and Christianity, in his Character of a sound Christian, and his life of faith, which shew whom we take for the best Christians. And our Popular way of preaching which we like, you may see in old Mr. H [...]ld [...]rshams Lectures, and in Mr. R. Allens Victory of faith, and other writings, and in Mr. Antho­ny Burgess's Lectures, and many other such; And our exposition of the Scriptures, in Mr. Gatakers Annotat. on Isaiah and Jeremiah, and some other parts of those Annot. and in Dr. Ma [...]on on Ja [...]s, and in Calvin and B [...]za, and other such Nonconformists: And our manage­ment of Controversies, in Amesii Belharm. enervat. Cart­wright against the Rhemis [...]s, Chamier, S [...]de [...], Rivet, Dr. John Reignolds, &c. Of such as these we are not ashamed, though none of them were (as we suppose) Prelatical.

20. We are so far from believing our selves, that the soundness of a mans judgement or excellency of his parts in other matters, hath any necessary connexion to his Conformity or Nonconformity, that we can hardly believe that any of the most fiery of our Reproachers that is so­ber, doth himself believe it, when the world hath so large a proof in the effects, of very great Learning, judiciousness and worth in many of both parts.

21. And so far are we from thinking that no Ministers that conform not are defective, weak or imprudent in ex­pressions, or injudicious in some Controversies of Reli­gion, that we are past all doubt, that the far greatest part of the Clergy in the world are so; and alas, much worse than so! And that it is the great numbers of ig­norant, weak, injudicious, or proud, self-seeking, Car­nal, Covetous Pastors, that is the great plague and ca­lamity of the Christian Church through all the earth: [Page 194] The great cause of the ignorance and ungodliness and unprofitableness of the people, and the dominion of sensuality, and the increase of Atheism, Infidelity and Heresie, and of the great divisions and confusions among Christians in East and West, is a Clergy that is either so ignorant as to be unable, or so ungodly as to be unwilling, or sloathful about their masters work; or so proud and world­ly and malignant, as to set up their own Domination, wealth and will, as the Rule of order and unity, and to account their sleshly interest to be the interest of Christ, and to hate and persecute all those as schismaticks and disobe­dient, that will not serve such sinful ends.

22. Therefore in the midst of such a Clergy that is the worlds Calamity, as we bless God for the worth both of the Conformable and Nonconformable in these three Kingdoms, and in many other of the Reformed Churches; so we think it to be the wisdom, duty and interest of the worthy of each opinion (in these points) to unite and strengthen one another, and on both sides to disown the insufficient and ungodly ones, rather than to seek to strengthen themselves by numbers of the vile and into­lerable (that will be their shame and weakening at last), or to weaken their brethren as Adversaries, either by censuring, reproaching, silencing or suppressing them.

23. And in such a world, we take it for a great ho­nour that is done to the Nonconformists in this land, when we read such accusations, as of an incongruous expression, and an invalid argument about a Ceremony, or such like; And that such as by their writings tell the world, that they want not will to open the worst, do charge them with no worse crimes than they do; And also that they are not silenced at this time, for Treason, or rebellion, or drunkenness, or swearing, or incontinency, or railing, or for insufficiency or idleness, or for seldom preaching, or for [Page 195] plurality of benefices, or nonresidency, or any such immo­ralities as these; but because they dare not deliberately give it under their hands, that no person in three King­doms is obliged to endeavour the alteration of the present Prelatical Diocesan Government, that vowed to God, in his place and calling to endeavour it, by a certain Oath illegally imposed on the people, And because they dare not Ministerially in the Congregation declare that they Assent and Consent to all things contained in and prescribed by three books; and because some dare not be reordained in words, that make them first Deacons that were ordained Presbyters, and such like.

24. The most credible way to shew which party is the foolisher and the ungodlier, is to make strict Laws against an Ignorant, insufficient, vicious, sensual, scandalous and negligent Ministry; and whoever is proved guilty, of which side soever, let them be cast out: This we re­fuse not; this we would earnestly beg upon our knees.

25. We are so far from desiring the disgrace even of vicious or worldly Pastors, that have laudable parts, that we thank God that the learning even of such hypo­crites, is made any way serviceable to the Church; And we would promote and not cloud their due reputation. But we had far rather have experienced, truly Godly Pa­stors, to watch over the peoples souls, as in many and great respects to be preferred.

26. And he that writeth this professeth for himself, that when the people cry out [We cannot in Conscience hear an ignorant man, a silly empty sayer of a Sermon, nor a Ministry that openly justifieth Perjury, or renounceth a ne­cessary reformation, &c.] if he had not a far larger cha­rity to stop such persons mouths with, and to hide or excuse greater faults, than such as some now aggravate, [Page 196] he must be oftener silent, and a greater Separatist, than now he is. I confess I would have them to use some lit­tle Charity, who have need of much; And til they have better washt off the accusation of a leprosie, I would not have them too loud in the defamation of him that hath a boile. I justifie not the Accusers clamour, but still rebuke them: but I as little justifie the ingenuity of such, as have skill to aggravate a weakness, and not to avoid a crime.

27. And he further sincerely professeth, that (being almost a constant hearer of their Ministers,)This was written when I li­ved out of London. if of many and many that he hath heard and been under in certain years or months past, he could have had the happiness to have lived under one that were but near as judicious, and able to manage holy things, for matter, method and expres­sion, as many of those plowmen and poor shop­keepers be, that are now called, Our Nonconformable followers, he should have greatly rejoyced in the peoples felicity and his own. And for the homely stile so much complained of I never heard one Presbyterian use such homely words and similies as good Bishop Latimer in his Sermons useth.

28. Yet we are so far still from thinking that the bet­ter sort of Christians have not many faults, that it is one of the greatest and most continual sorrows of our hearts, to think how too little they excel the better part of un­believers, and how great and common failings are a­mongst them, and how much their faults do dishonour their blessed Master and holy profession: and what a hin­derance this is to the conversion of the Infidel and Hea­then world: and what a malignant influence it hath upon the Church by corrupting, troubling and dividing it; and upon the peace of Kingdoms many times, and always on their own peace and true felicity: Especial­ly through the common sin of being overconfident of their own opinions.

[Page 197] 29. But we perceive that their faults are but the re­licts of that which is common to the world, and pre­dominant in the unsanctified: If any of them err about Church Communion or discipline or infant baptism, we would gladly heal their error; but we account it not so mortal, as the common practical error of the ungodly, who think a sensual worldly life to be better for them than a holy life, and value earth above heaven, and the body above the soul, and the creature above the Crea­tour, and the pleasures of time, before those of eternity. And the very sin of self-conceitedness we find so natural and common to mankind, that in all Civil or worldly mat­ters, it is hard to meet with those that in their mistakes are not still confident of the rightness of their own ap­prehensions: And in matters of Religion even old igno­rant sinner, that know not the Creed, do usually think themselves too wise to be taught, and are as stiffe and ob­stinate in their most erroneous conceits as the grossest sectaries.

30. Therefore as the very Papists difference mortal sin from Venial, and we approve of the distinction as it sig­nifieth the sin which is inconsistent with spiritual life and Love, and so an evidence of a state of death, and that which is consistent, and therefore pardoned] And as God himself who more hateth sin than any of us, doth yet love and pardon and save those who have no other sin, but what consisteth with a predominance of faith, Love and obe­dience, and doth not equal such with the fleshly worldly and ungodly; even so must we his Ministers in imitation of our heavenly father.

31. And we the less wonder that there are more dif­ferences among the zealouser sort in matters of Reli­gion, than among the ungodly who really have no Re­ligion, but are indifferent to all, which letteth them [Page 198] quietly enjoy their sin: For men that highliest value any thing, are likest to be tempted to strive about it. If you cast gold and jewels in the street, men are liker to fight and quarrel for them, than dogs or swine. We are glad they seriously value truth, though we are sorry that they cannot more clearly and concordantly understand it.

32. If we thought that meer Civil good neighbourhood, and the common state and life of men in their unrenewed naturals, were better, or as good as the state and life of imperfect believers, with all their troublesome mistakes and [...], we would next become humble Petitioners to Authority, that they would put down both Prelates and Presbyters, and take their lands and Tythes into their own lands, and employ them to some better use; and that they would shut up the Church doors, and banish the Clergy as the plague and troublers of the land, that do but vex the world with fables, and will not let men live in peace. For experience assureth us that Perfection is not the state of Christans in this life.

33. Nor can we think that it is any real disgrace to Christianity, Religiousness or the Scriptures, that men are so faulty and of so many minds, any more than it is a disgrace to Health that men are sick, or to food that some are weak, or to wisdom that most have little of it; or to a Schoolmaster, that his Scholars have defects, and va­rious degrees of knowledge and apprehension. And if we would concur with them that hence argue against the common use of Scripture and Religion, because men abuse them, or imperfectly receive them, we must much more condemn humane Reason it self, and wish that all the world were beasts; because there is nothing so troubleth the peace of Church and State, nothing so much causeth rebellions, treasons, contentions, injustice, and all the villany of the world, as imperfect and abused Reason. [Page 199] But we know that nothing in all the world is so con­trary to Rebellion, Pride, Contention, and all sin, as Christ and Religion and the holy Scriptures: and that if men be bad, it is not because they have too much Religion or holiness, but because they have name, or else too little; And that it is more and not less that must cure them, if ever they be cured.

34. We take it therefore to be the duty of all Chri­stians, freely to confess their sins, and to take their faults to themselves; and for Ministers to lay them plainly on the persons that are guilty, lest they should be thought to be the product of the Christian Religion: And that the partiality of those that justifie all or any of the crimes or faults of Christians, doth intimate blasphemy against Christ, as if he taught, or justified such things. And therefore the holy Scriptures do so plainly open the sins even of good men, to teach us to take our shame unto our selves, and not to cast it on Christ and Religion, which most condemn all sorts of sin.

35. And sin is so far from being ever the better, for being found in a Noah, a David, or a Peter, that it hath manifold aggravations in such, which it hath not in other sorts of men. And it is no less abhorred of God, who is not reconcileable to the sins of any: However we still know that the failings of a froward and careless child or friend, are not so mortal as the contempt of a despiser, or the malignity of an enemy.

36. We do also with lamentation confess, that besides the multitude of common hypocrites which are in all the Christian Churches, who by open sensuality and pro­phaness do shew that they dissemble in professing Christia­nity, there are also many Hypocrites who profess a greater zeal and forwardness in Religion, who at the heart are Lovers of this present world, and slaves to the flesh, and use Religious shews and forms, but to quiet their Con­sciences [Page 200] with a deceitful hope, that they may have hea­ven for a reserve, when they can keep the world no lon­ger. And these are the men that most dishonour religion by pride and Rebellions and scandals and heresies, who indeed are numbred by the searcher of hearts amongst the enemies of religion.

37. Accordingly we do believe there are many among the Conformists and Nonconformists, of both the fore-de­scribed sorts, (faulty true Christians and hypocrites): And that many of the real faults and [...]ollies, mentioned by the Books which are too imprudently and unjustly written as to the [...], are to be found among such persons: And that it is the duty of such faulty persons, to learn and take reproof, even from the faultiest reprover; and to take heed of that snare of Satan, who by the reprovers faultiness would tempt them to excuse or justifie themselves, and to reflect on others as the greater sinners.

38. As Christ was crucified between two thieves, so hath the Church from the beginning suffered between Malignant worldly proud [...], and Factious Fanatick self-conceited dividing Zealous: We shall not wonder there­fore, if it be so still: Neither of them is a new thing in the world.

39. These two sorts of enemies have still used by their extreams, to increase their several sins by their fierce oppo­sition to each other: The Sectary justifieth all his divisi­ons and [...] by saying [light hath no communion with darkness; nor sincere believers with proud, profane, ignorant and malignant persecuting usurpers, that ob­trude themselves on the stock of Christ against their wills]: And the other extream hath been used to justi­fie their idleness, ungodliness and cruelties, by saying [These rebellious, factious, disobedient people, are enemies to peace and order, and commit all insolent villanies [Page 201] against their Pastors, while they account themselves the only Saints.] And so while neither side observeth that which is good in the other, but both sides aggravate the evil (with which they are both too much corrupted) they keep up wars and contentions in the Church, and make one another mad and miserable, the one sort censu­ring, and the other despising, as they in Rom. 14. 1, 2, 3. And in their rage the sober standers by are reviled and falsly accused by both, as the interest of each party dictates to their spleen; And must patiently suffer the reproaches of their fury.

40. It is needful that the King be the Peace-keeper impartially between them both, and that he restrain the insolencies and furies of both; For both are troublers of the common peace. And though neither side be so bad as the other maketh them, yet neither of them are fit for unlimited liberty; Much less to be armed with the sword, to exercise their fury on dissenters.

41. And when discontents grow among the Secular subjects, and Civil distempers in the State, each of these parties are fit for the Great ones that head the several Factions to make use of: And by their railing at one ano­ther, they become Bellows of the common flames.

42. And it is one of the Devils policies to urge States­men to draw the Clergy into their Factions, that which side soever gets the better, one part of the Ministry may not only be silenced and useless, but be made a reproach to their Profession, as the Incendariies and seditious troublers of the State.

43. It is a great injury to Christanity and the souls of men, when disagreeing States men will not suffer the Clergy to live quietly by them, but will constrain or tempt them to interess themselves in any of their Factions, [Page 202] (except in the necessary discharge of their Allegiance and Fidelity to their King and Countrey) And will force them that are unstudied in humane Laws, to decide those State controversies, even by assertive Oaths, which Law­yers and Parliaments cannot agree about: And it is a [...] heinous cruelty and injustice, when after all this, they will pretend that their political differences are con­troversies in Religion, when it is not so, and will thence denominate parties in the Church.

44. The difference between the aforesaid Extreams (the formal and malignant persecutors, and the censo­rious Fanatick Sectaries) is more in the manner and way of Exercise, than in their Principles themselves. For they are both agreed in the main, against the true nature and principles of Christian Love and Concord. They both think others more odious and less amiable than they are: And they both are possessed with an envious zeal (which S. James saith is earthly, sensual, and Devilish, James 3. 15. introducing confusion and every evil work); a zeal, I say, to make each other seem odious also to all others: And though they understood not the sense or transcript of their own dungeon hearts, yet the children of light can easily understand that the Epitome or Contents of the Doctrine of their learned writings and discourse is but this [My adversaries are not amiable, but odious] And the sum of the application is [Therefore we exhort you not to love them, but to hate them]. But here now they part, and the side that is uppermost useth, as the more particular application [Ergo, we pray you, silence, imprison, banish, hang or burn them, and curse and excommunicate, and de­pose those temporal Lords that will not do it, as Concil. Later. sub Innoc. 3. Can. 2, 3.] The other side say [Avoid all Church Communion with them as wicked persecutors; and hold no communion with any of their side or way]. So that [Page 203] the difference between these Love-killers and peace-ha­ters is but in the top branches [Hate and destroy them] saith the one side, [Hate and avoid them] saith the other side.

45. The true servants of Christ do differ from them both, not in approving either of their furies, nor in falling in as parties with either of the factions; but in living in Love as the servants of the God of Love, and making Love their end and work, and addicting themselves to promote it in the world; by observing all that is good in all others, and not searching needlesly after their faults, nor censori­ously enviously or malignantly aggravating them, but ho­ping the best till the worst be proved, and bearing with the infirmities of the weak, remembring that we also may be tempted, Gal. 6. 1, 2. And if possible as much as in them lieth, living peaceably with all men, Rom. 12. 18.

46. If one side (that are all for the dead image of Chri­stianity, and are not able to endure the serious practice of their own profession) would cease their Hypocrisie, and either be what they profess, or profess to be what they are, and would value the soul as well as the adorned Corps; And if the other side would lay by their pride and ignorance, and know how little indeed they know, and remember that in this Corporeal world, Religion must have a Body as well as a soul, the Church would the better escape them both.

47. Serious heartiness in prayer is more acceptable to God, than formall babling in the most decent words; And God will bear with the rude expressions of his children, that have sincere desires. But yet before others our words also must be well ordered, that we be not a hin­drance to them, and a shame to the work which we have in hand.

48. And in preaching, as affected jangling, and starched [Page 204] words, that savour not of reverent seriousness, are loath­some, and usually lost labour; so careless, ignorant, slo­venly, and over familiar and rustick expressions, must be avoided, which shew that we are too bold with holy things.

49. The frothy empty wits are aptest to nauseate and scorn an incongruous expression, in the most serious use­ful Sermon which they hear; And their temptation must not be cherished by our negligence of speech. But yet God usually blesseth the labours of plain and hearty serious preachers, though they speak not every word in Print. And godly serious humble Auditors have not such quea­sie stomachs as to make a great matter of a word or sylla­ble or sound and tone, when they perceive that the mat­ter is sound and wholesome, and the manner plain and close.

50. That pride and emptiness of solid matter, which maketh men loath such wholesome teaching, for want of a neatness in phrase and stile, doth often lead them at last to quarrel with the stile and phrase of Scripture, and to be Infidels in heart, while for profit and honour they seem to keep up a trade of Clergy-Christianity.

51. When great secular and personal interests stand up in any Nation against serious Christianity, or against the most devoted serious preachers of it, Arguments and In­nocency then signifie nothing: Interest hath neither eyes nor ears; The faithful must patiently wait in suffering, till the righteous God shall plead their cause, Psal. 12.