An Ordinance presented to the honorable House of Commons, by Mr. Bacon, a Lawyer in Suffolk, and Mr. Taet, both of them Members of the same House, and by their means was twice read, and referred to a Committee.
BE it ordained, that all such as shall from and after the date hereof, willingly preach, teach, print, or write, publish and maintaine, any such opinion contrary to the Doctrines ensuing;
Viz. That God is present in all Places, That God is, or that he is One in three Persons, Or doth know or fore-know all things; Or that he is Almighty, Or that he is perfectly Holy, Or that he is Eternall. Or that shall in like manner publish, That Christ is not God coequall with the Father; Or shall deny the Manhood of Christ, Or that the Godhead and Manhood of Christ are severall Natures, Or that the Manhood of Christ, is pure, unspotted of sin; Or that shall publish, that Christ did not die, or rose from the dead; nor is ascended into Heaven bodily, Or that his death is meritorious in behalfe of Beleevers. Or that shall publish or maintaine, as aforesaid, that Christ is not the Son of God, Or that the Holy [Page 2] Ghost is not God, Or that the Scriptures are not the Word of God, Or that the Bodies of Men shall not rise after they be dead, Or that there is no day of judgement after death.
Such publishing with obstinacie, shall be judged Felony: Such persons shall by two witnesses be bound over by two Justices unto the Gaol-delivery, and the Delinquent shall be indicted for Felony; and upon finding the same indictment, and that the party be found guilty, and shall not abjure his said error, he shall suffer the pairs of death, without benefit of Clergy: But upon abjuring of the said error, he shall upon two sufficient Sureties be bailed.
And be it further ordained, [...]hat if after abjuring the said errours, he shall publish it again, he shall be indicted and put to death.
And be it further ordered, that if any person shall wittingly and presumptuously, or contrary to admonition, blaspheme the name of God, or any of the holy Trinity, or shall impugne the word of God, such offences shall be adjudged Felony, and the Offender committed without Bayle or Mainprize; and the partie being found guilty, shall be branded in the left Check, with the Letter B. and upon the like offence the second time shall suffer death.
And be it further ordained, that all persons who shall publish any of the severall errours hereafter ensuing, viz That all men shall be saved; that a man by nature hath free will to turne to God; That God may be worshipt by Pictures or Images; or that the soule of any man after death goes neither to Heaven nor Hell, but to Purgatory; or that the soule of man [Page 3] dyes or sleeps when the body is dead; or that the revelations or workings of the Spirit, are a rule for a Christians life; though divers from, or contrary to [...]he written Word of God; or that a man is bound to believe no more then by his reason he can comprehend; or that the Morall Law contained in the Ten Commandements, is no rule of a Christians life; or that God sees no sinne in the justified; or that a Believer need not repent nor pray for the pardon of sin; or [...]hat the two Sacraments of Baptisme; and the Lords Supper, are not Ordinances commanded by the Word of God; or that the Baptizing of Infants is unlawfull; or that such Baptizing is void, and of none effect; or that such persons are to be Baptized again: and in pursuance thereof, shall baptize any person formerly baptized: or that the observation of the Lords Day, as it is injoyned by the Ordinances and Lawes of this Realm, is not according, or contrary to the Word of God, or that it is not lawfull to [...]yn in publique, or Family Prayer, or to teach Children to pray; Or that the Churches of England are [...]ot true Churches; Or that the Ministers or Ordinances, are not true Ministers or Ordinances, Or that the Church government by Presbyterie, is Antichri [...]ian, or unlawfull; or that the Magistracy, or power of the Civill Magistrate by law established in England, is unlawfull; or that all the use of Armes for Publique defence (be the cause never so just) is unlawfull.
And in case the party so accused for any of the said [...]rrours, be committed before two Justices, the party [...] committed shall be ordered to renounce his said [Page 4] errour in the publique Congregation of the Parish Church whence the complaint comes; and in case he refuses or neglects the same at or upon the day, time, and place appointed by the said Justices, that he shall be committed to prison by the said Justices, untill he shall find two Sureties, of Subsidie men that he shall not publish or maintaine the said errour or errours any more.
Some briefe Observations upon the foregoing Ordinance.
1. THat Mr. Taet and Mr. Bacon be desired to offer to the consideration of the Honorable House, seriously to debate, how far their power can extend (as to the knowledge or worshipping of God) over the persons and Consciences of the people who in trust them.
For how can there be an intrusting power of any thing, from any or many men, to the custody or ordering of any compacted body, but only such power which evidently appeareth to reside in every Individuall part thereof in themselves.
2. Mr. Taet and Mr. Bacon should doe well first to prove, that any individuall part of this Parliamant, or people, of any Nation, injoyes such a power in themselves, either to direct or compell their owne consciences, in the knowledge or worship▪ of their Creator▪ which as yet is not evident, for
It is Impossible that any finite creature can comprehend an Infinite incomprehensible God, for it appears by many texts of Scripture to be the only act of [Page 5] Love, that dwels with God to regulate and guide the hearts of men, according to his owne good pleasure; who requireth no man to adore him in knowledge or worship, more or lesse, but as every man is fally perswaded in his own mind.
For man in himselfe hath no kdowledge of God, But as God manifesteth himselfe unto him, therefore man of necessity must follow in practice the dictates thereof, otherwise man sinneth against the light of knowledge, whereby his condition is more abominable then the brute Beast that perisheth.
3. That Mr. Taet and Mr. Bacon notwithstanding, they have done in this the Clergies worke, will now at last move the Honorable House to remember how odious and abominable former Acts of Parliaments in such cases hath proved in the sight of this generation, some Parliaments establishing that Idoll of poperie, requiring conformity thereunto, under the paines of Death, affirming it to be agreeable to the Word of God. Other Parliaments condemns this way as Antichristian; and establisheth Episcopacy, alledging that agreeable to the mind of God, with the use of Common Prayer, Surplices, and other devices, requiring obedience thereunto, under the like pains and punishments. So that many for adhering to their judgements, suffered Death, for pretended Heresies and errours: which pretended errors since appeareth to be truth, and the guilt of their blood remains on this nation at this day, and had not such men out-went the limitation of Parliaments, we might have sate in darknesse till this time. That this Parliament hath declared Episcopall government to be Antichristian, and [Page 6] setled Presbyterie in stead thereof, but the Priests not contented therewith, without a sole power of Iurisdiction over the lives and consciences of the people of this nation, indevoreth to inslave all inquiring people to seeke knowledge from their lips, to believe as they believe, to know no more then they judge fit we should know.
The contrary minded shall be inflicted with imprisonment, and death, under pretence of Blasphemie and errours, when there is no such thing can be brought forth by the contrivers thereof, much like the old Religion in Henry the eights time, hanging in Smithfeild a Protestant on one day for his judgement, and a Papist the next for his; to such a condition are we like to be reduced through the instigation of the Clergie of our times, whose end is their interest and domination over us the free people of England.