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england_n	church_n	head_n	supreme_a	4,494	5	9.0477	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91879	The falsehood of Mr. VVilliam Pryn's Truth triumphing, in the antiquity of popish princes and Parliaments. To which, he attributes a sole, sovereigne, legislative, coercive power in all matters of religion; discovered to be full of absurdities, contradictions, sacriledge, and to make more in favour of Rome and Antichrist, than all the bookes and pamphlets which were ever published, whether by papall or episcopall prelates, or parisites, since the reformation. With twelve queries, eight whereof visit Mr. Pryn the second time, because they could not be satisfied at the first.	Robinson, Henry, 1605?-1664?	1645 (1645)	Wing R1672; Thomason E273_16; Thomason E282_11; ESTC R200048	28,156	36

pamphlets notwithstanding which have been published of late may be observed more corrupted principles and a far worse spirit of persecution than ever was discovered in the late Delinquent decapilated Archbishop from his first ascending unto his highest growth of authority and greatnesse and in the Diary of his life which I suppose Mr. Pryn printed not to do him honour though after ages will not be tyed to be no wiser than Mr. Pryn I finde such eminent signes of a morall noble pious minde according to such weake principles as hee had beene bred up in his owne persecuting disposition disabling him from being instructed better and particularly so ingenuous a passage in his Funerall Sermon whereby he justifies the Parliament in putting him to death as I may safely professe unto all the world I never could yet discerne any thing neare of like piety or ingenuity to be in Mr. Pryn by all that ever I yet heard of him from first to last or by all the bookes of his which ever came to may hands wherein yet I have hitherto done him the honour in being at charges to buy as many I meane one of every sort as I could ever meet withall But I wish seriously that both Presbyteriall Prelates and all others now surviving who are any wayes possessed with this unruly spirit this legion of persecution would even for their owne sakes not so suddenly forget the little late Arch-Prelate though his head bee off since for my part through some small knowledge and experience of him both in his life and death I am fully satisfied that his endeavouring to subvert the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome and introducing another Religion for which he was charged and suffered death arose only from that depraved principle of enduring no body of any other Religion or opinion but his owne I hope both Mr. Pryn and others of the same alay may thinke it worth revolving in their saddest thoughts Persecuters are worse than birds and beasts of rapine amongst the rest whom even Nature teaches to associate and joyne together against this common and most pestilent of all enemies Beares and Lions are not so hurtfull in a Country as a misguided zeale growne furious is torrent like and carries all before it Such whose Religion teaches to persecute or but prevailes upon to make use of Civill coercive meanes for differences of Religion of Opinion will easily be carried on from one degree unto another untill their ends be compassed whether by fire or water Gun-powder-plots or Maritim Invasions Nothing comes amisse to them whom Religion once innitiates with the cruelties of compelling consciences 'T is worth observing how whilest the truth constrained Mr. Pryn to acknowledge the Independents piety with their reall and cordiall affections and actions unto the Parliament and Church of England in his Epistle to the Parliament he tells them only that they are justly to bee blamed as great disturbers of our publicke peace and unity the better to amuse them whilst in his other pamphlets and this farraginous hotch-potch of obsolet Anticke Popish Histories and Presidents for the most part which perhaps he thinks few or none of them will voutsafe to read through he seeks to captivate and poyson the peoples understanding into an evill conception of the Independents and so incense them whilest he himselfe exclames traduces and persecutes them unto his power with fire and fagot meerly for nothing but because they sue and seeke for in all humility and meeknesse a possibility of keeping a good conscience both towards God and man This is all they desire as touching Ecclesiasticall matters let Mr. Pryn who thinks himselfe to have deserved so well of Parliaments become their Advocate procure but thus much for them and take the rest for his fees He flourishes and cryes out against the Arminians of the Netherlands about ascribing at the first unto the Civill Magistrate a power of passing ultimate judgements in all controversies of Faith and other Ecclesiasticall matters arising in the Church and afterwards contracting or denying such a power belonging to the Civill Magistrate Might he not even as well nay much better blame former Parliaments of England for first acknowledging the Pope head of the English Church and afterwards renouncing of the Pope much against his Holinesse his good liking no doubt to choose Henry 8. in his stead And if Henry 8. then but a Papist were a fit Head of the Church Queene Elizabeth was no lesse though the Papists cry out of a femall Head of the Church of England as much as Protestants of a femall Pope of Rome and then surely King Charles must have succeeded in this Headship of the Church of England and here I desire to leave him and yet to finde him here rather than a Presbyterian Synodall Head untill Mr. Pryn resolve me what it is to be Head of the English Church what his Power and Authority is over the Churches Body whether the Body may or can doe any thing without the Head And whether any or what power one member or part of the Body hath over another But before you put pen to paper or your paper to the Presse at least that you will remember how King Charles the only supreme Head of the English Church according to the oath of Supremacy is now at Oxford with such and so great a part of the English Nationall Church which if they should call another Assemby of Divines would likely passe judgement in sundry points of Faith and other Ecclesiasticall matters quite contrary to the Parliament and Divines at Westminster Page 29. of your Discourse you quote a passage out of the last Convocation Canons that had the c. in the tayle which you approve of saying The power to call and dissolve Councels both Nationall and Provinciall is the true right of all Christian Kings within their owne Realmes or Territories Now if this be so to what purpose doe the Assembly of Divines at Westminster spend time in sitting there Why should the Commonwealth be at 4s a day charges for each of them Why do they not repaire unto their flocks Where will King Charles his Writ appeare for summoning them and for want thereof will not all the paines they take be lost Might not therefore the disturbance and offence they give their Independent Brethren have well beene spared Are not both Houses of Parliament tacitly aspersed by Mr. Pryn for causing them thus to assemble without King Charles his Writ and so against his true Rights and Prerogative Royall and lastly if this be not an absolute making void and null whatsoever the Assembly shall conclude on or the Parliament establish by their advice besides a justifying of the Independents for not submitting thereunto let Mr. Pryn himselfe upon review be judge For certainly it will seeme strange to every body else how Mr. Pryn producing besides others in page 25 26 27 28 29. no lesse than foure of King Charles his letters only to prove the due

lucubrations you may like enough say dreames borrowed from the houres allotted to your necessary naturall rest Epist Dedic One would have thought the Answerer of your subitane apprehensions digested into 12 considerable serious questions when you confessed you had neither leisure nor opportunity had given you a seasonable and sufficient item not to trouble the world with such trash againe and yet you are not ashamed to say you published them principally for satisfaction of the learned and such as most seduce the ignorant when doubtlesse such learning as this of yours is good for nothing else but to seduce the ignorant who more admire a margent full of rusty antick Authours than whole leaves and chapters of arguments and sound reason and according to your own arguing you do hereby as you think with your indigested readings of superstitious Popish writers enable such as you call learned still farther to seduce the ignorant You tell the Parliament in your Epistle Dedicatory that having had the honour of vindicating their sovereigne power in all Civill and Military affaires you expected a quietus est from all other coutroversies concerning the jurisdiction of Parliaments especially in Ecclesiasticall matters Surely you might have said with as much truth and reason that having vindicated the sovereigne power of the Roman Emperours suppose the persecuting Nero Domitian Trajan or who else lived in any of the Apostles or Primitive times you had likewise vindicated their legislative power in matters of Christianity about propagating the Gospell c. justifying them in putting to death our Saviour and so many of his Saints The just rights and power of Magistrates are to all Magistrates alike all one whether they be Christian or Pagan Their power is given them as Magistrates not as Christians and the subjection which we were commanded in the Gospell Matth. 22. 21. Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 12. 13. to render them was as to Heathen Magistrates since at that time there were no other But why tro doe you say how most men imagined that controversies about the Parliaments jurisdiction in Ecclesiasticall matters had been put to eternall silence when our lordly Prelates lost their votes and session in Parliament by a publique law Did you not intend that Presbyters should succeed Bishops or did you thinke them to be lesse lordly than their Reverend Fathers from whom they spring Surely you show your selfe very ignorant of the Presbyterians pretences or endeavour much to conceale them Meethinks you might have seen a Pamphlet entituled The readinesse of the Scots advance into England wherein besides others is a letter bearing date the 6 of November 1643. from Edenborough upon occasion as it relates of certaine propositions made by the French Agent unto the Privy Councell there which sayes The Generall Assembly is subordinate to no Civill judicature whatsoever c. And because I finde Mr. Pryn so captious and apt to seeke subterfugies lest he should cast this off as the bare assertion of some Anonimous he may if hee please finde not a little to the same purpose in A. Stewards Observations and Annotations upon the Apologeticall Narration in these words The Civill Magistrate arrogates not unto himselfe not so much as any directive power in matters of Religion p. 5. The Civill Magistrate arrogates no spirituall authority to himselfe p. 48. The Parliament indeed is the supreme Judicature severe Tribunall the most sacred Refuge c. in Civill causes but it pretends no directive power in matters of Religion by teaching or preaching or judging of controversies of Religion nor any executive power that is intrinsecall to the Church as in the vocation deposition and suspention of Ministers c. which are meerly spirituall p. 6. If your meaning be that the Parliament should judge between the Independents and Presbyterians you goe against the Parliaments intentions ibid. and lastly For intrinsecall spirituall power it is not in your power to grant the Civill Magistrate any at all neither can you give him more spirituall obedience than Scripture permitteth you or give him a part of the spirituall power which you have received of God It is only in God who can give power therein to any man we dare not be so bold p. 28. All this the Answerer of your 12 considerable Questions as you called them auvertised you of in p. 26. And for Apollonius whom you so much glory in as I told you a little before he sayes that both particular Churches as well as Generall Assemblies have their authority immediately from God p. 108. which diametricall variance amongst these Presbyterian Champions doubtlesse must needs be ominous and presage no lesse than ruine so much more speedier as they protract the reconciling them In which respect if Mr. Pryn would be so good for the Gospels sake as to give the Independents rest and take A. S. with Apollonius to taske who knowes but that they may doe some good upon one another I am sure it were not more than needfull each of their phansies abounding with excrescencies which they might much advantage each other in cutting off But what availeth it to have the head of one lordly Episcopall Prelate cut off when a Hydra a multitude above 77 times as many Presbyteriall Prelates succeed instead thereof Prelatia Prelaty Prelacy as we use it vulgarly is a preferring one before another and the Presbyteriall government is much more truly said to be Prelaticall than either Episcopall or Papall unlesse you will say that neither Episcopall nor Papall be Prelaticall at all for in either of those Governments there are but few Prelates but in the other there are many to wit so many Prelates as there are Presbyters each whereof is an absolute Prelate that is one preferred above his Brethren You speake of the defunct Prelates soules transmigrated into the Independents acknowledging them for the most part really cordiall in their affections actions to the Parliament and Church of England for which and for their piety you say they are to be highly honoured But mee thinks this amounts to little lesse than contradiction Can the earthly Tabernacles of Independents with the defunct Prelates soules in them make men of piety cordiall in their affections actions to the Parliament and Church of England highly to bee honoured I wish Mr. Pryn would tell me whether it were the Prelaticall soules or their earthly Tabernacles for whose sake he casts this grand Elogium on them Doubtlesse the soule must have preheminence of the body unlesse your minde bee altered and hold the immortality of the soule which you seemed to discountenance in your 12 Inconsiderable serious Questions p. 7. But if Independents having Prelaticall soules in their earthly Tabernacles are for the most part men of piety highly to be honoured why should not the Prelates bee so too The truth is I cannot deny but Mr. Pryn was once by more then a many and they godly too held to be a man of piety and was highly honoured in whose books and

thanks to Valentinian and Theodosius for assembling the Councell of Illirium which sayes Vt nemo deesset volens nemo cog●tur invitus That no Bishop might be absent who was desirous to be there and none compelled who were unwilling to be present from whence followes an irrefragable consequence that their Councells Decrees or Canons did not binde all people universally but only such as of their owne accords submitted thereunto If Mr. Pryn will but procure the same just priviledge for his Independent Brethren they will have the lesse occasion of exceptions if he domineere over the volunteers of the Presbyterian party Page 87. You say The Statutes in Q. Maries dayes repealing divers Acts touching Religion in K. Edward 6. his Reigne and setting up Masse and the old Popish Liturgies againe doe sufficiently evidence the jurisdiction of our Princes and Parliaments in matters of the Church and Religion which is in effect first That this present Parliament or any other hereafter have a jurisdiction to set up Popery againe and so Judaisme or Turcisme even what they please for all Parliaments have equall power And secondly that if they doe set up Popery Judaisme or Turcisme that then all England must submit thereunto and consequently become Papists Jewes and Turkes or Hypocrites which is more worse then either for whatsoever a Magistrate especially the supreme has jurisdiction in that he may justly and lawfully put in execution and that the people may not disobey upon paine of sinning and danger of damnation Rom 13. 2. But under what colour and pretence then did Mr. Pryn refuse subjection unto Church government by Episcopacy and according to the Common-Prayer-Booke Doe not take it ill that I spur the question so soone unto you againe I may aske it oft-times before you will be able to answer once without condemning your selfe according to your principles and lawes by which you proyoke justice against the Independents Were not Episcopacy and the Common-Prayer-Booke established by Act of Parliament which had as great a power than as this present Parliament has now or any other can have hereafter Nay you say expressely p. 88. That the Statute 1 Eliz. chap. 2. for uniformity of Common-Prayer and Service in the Church and administration of the Sacraments enjoyning conformity under temporall and Ecclesiasticall punishments is an irrefragable proofe of the Parliaments power in all Church matters What was it tro that then encouraged you to withstand the jurisdiction of Parliaments when they agreed not with your owne humour and disposition which you now presse so violently upon the tender consciences of your Independent Brethren Can there appeare any other clearer reason for it to the apprehension of standers by moderate men even of Mr. Pryns best friends or any that have their wits about them than that Mr. Pryn having suffered for Christs cause as he thought to thinke more charitably of him than he doth of others upon false principles grew weary of it and resolv'd that as the Bishops domineer'd and persecuted him so he would repaire himselfe by persecuting others But did the only wise God thinke we resolve to create man after his owne Image to estate him in such a sad and execrable condition worse then that of Beasts Wolves Beares and Tygres as that hee must necessarily tyrannize or be tyrannized over both in soul body and yet it cannot possibly be otherwise if you will grant a power to Kings Parliaments or Synods to require conformity from others in any thing which is not agreeable to their consciences for if such a latitude and height of jurisdiction be granted but to the more orthodox Kings Parliaments and Synods both Papists Lutherans Calvinists and Independents pretending and really taking themselves to be the most orthodox are bound in conscience to lay claime to and put in execution this power of compelling all the world unto their uniformity and so infallibly produce the most cursed enmity and hatred betwixt all people but differing in opinion exceeding that of Cannibals or the profoundest of antipathies between any irrationall creatures whatsoever and therefore you are mightily mistaken p. 96. to be so confident that Independents would preach universall obedience and subjection under penalties Ecclesiasticall and Civill if the Parliament should establish an Independent government which are clearly incompatible and contradictory to themselves and principles the ignorance whereof though to some it may seeme as slight as easily apprehended by a willing and enquiring spirit I perswade my selfe hath not only transported Mr. Pryn himselfe but many others into multitudes of impertinencies and absurdities Oh that Mr. Pryn therefore or any one of the Presbyterian way who wishes well to godlinesse would but please to cast an eye upon John the Baptist chap. 10. and considerately give their opinion whether to be persecuted be not even the most infallible marke of the true Church and Saints of Christ notwithstanding most Christians thus persecute one another Page 94. and 109. You say the opposites to Parliaments Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction have formerly and more especially in this present Parliament addressed severall petitions to this High and Honourable Court for Reformation of the Church c. wherein under favour I conceive you have misapprehended their proceedings and intentions which doubtlesse were for the most part or best affected that the Parliament in whom they acknowledged the sovereigne power to reside would permit countenance and encourage all godly men of gifts in preaching downe Heresies errours Idolatry Popery c. many whereof had either beene formerly established by law or not permitted to be preached downe through the Prelates corruption contrary to the Law This is the best even all the Reformation which the Civill Magistrate as Civill has a capacity of compassing against all Heresies and errours which must necessarily be vanquished by the sword of the Spirit and cannot possibly be suppressed by carnall weapons or the Civill sword they may destroy the flesh but cannot properly be said to touch and worke upon the spirit Page 109. After a franticke infectious pestilentiall feaver-fit of rayling the likest that of Billingsgate you tell Mr. John Goodwin with much gravity forsooth but far more saucie ignorance that it was no lesse than high presumption for him being a meere Divine and a man altogether ignorant of or unskilfull in the ancient Rights and priviledges of our Parliament as his writings demonstrate and himselfe intimates page 5. to undertake and determine to judge of them so peremptorily and in such manner as he has done c. But how come you tro a meere Lawyer I wish you were good at that at any thing to take so much upon you in Divinity if Divinity and the knowledge of Parliamentary priviledges be inconsistent as you seeme to insinuate to pin the Gospel with its propagation and whole affaires upon Civill powers the greatest share or major part whereof which should both by your politie and divinity be submitted to is in the hands of Turkes of

23. 8. Their owne reason must guide them Their owne understanding must bee the ultimate resolver of their wills and none but their owne faith can save them 2 Cor. 13. 5. Gal. 6. 4. 5. Rom. 14. 12. From the non-submitting unto some Councells Synods and Parliaments which you perhaps may not thinke erronious will follow no other worse consequence than this That a man may likewise refuse to heare or not believe some Sermons which you perhaps may hold worth hearing and necessary to be beleeved though others as wise and godly as your selfe doe thinke the contrary which you may well be so indulgent as to grant your Independent Brethren since they will doe the like for you expecting with long-suffering untill you be convinc'd or you convince them peaceably Page 154. You proceed and say admit Synods Councells Parliaments have sometimes erred out of human frailty yet this is a most certaine truth that they are not so apt to erre as private men or Conventicles of persons lesse learned lesse experienc'd c. But this may not passe for orthodox neither if not many wise not many learned are called be Scripture 1 Cor. 1. 20. 26. besides experience teaches us that God doth not discover his truth by whole-sale nor to whole Nationall Churches or Generall Councells at once but rather by degrees and that for the most part at first to some contemptible person perhaps in the eyes of the world who had no earthly superfluities or so much as any naturall preheminence to tempt or to withdraw him from being Gods Ambassadour or Trumpeter to publish it unto a people or whole Nation it may be not without his utmost perill And besides doe we not finde that even these more learned of whom the Councells and Synods are pretended to be compacted are they who most of all deceive Are they not by their unsanctified human learning and wisdome the better enabled nay doe they not by that meanes become like so many decoy's to lead the multitude the rabble after them over hedge and ditch and too too often into the very ditch it selfe But what if Synods Councells and Parliaments were lesse apt to erre and best qualified to discover Truth and debate matters of controversie It will not follow from thence that either of them may therefore impose their supposed Truthes for other than suppose they cannot be for want of infallibility or finall determinations upon the other If there were a necessity that the greater part should have this spirituall dominion or rather a Civill power in a spirituall government over the lesser or the lesser over the greater then there might be some colour for the greater to have precedencie in some respects But since either of them would be absolutely sinfull we must grant it unto neither Page 155. You say That though it cannot be proved that all the Elders Brethren and whole Church of Jerusalem were infallibly inspired yet they all said it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and them To which I answer that their saying so was an infallible signe that all of them were then as concerning what they affirmed infallibly inspired otherwise not only the Brethren with the rest of the Church but the Apostles also might possibly have told a lie in saying so in joyning with them in one common verdict Act. 15. v. 23. Nay it might even now and ever may be said hereafter to the end of the world that this passage in the Acts of the Apostles It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us is not of infallible truth unlesse that both the Apostles Brethren and whole Church had beene infallibly assisted in saying so They spake not One for All but All of them in One or One Spirit even God himselfe who is One in All of them infallible Say but as much and upon as good grounds and reason in behalfe of the Synod which sits now at Westminster and you say something but for your great promise under the Gospell that God will powre out his Spirit upon all flesh surely it makes as much for Independents unlesse you suppose them to be some New-found Land-fish But you yeeld it may be objected how perhaps all or the greatest part of the Parliament and Assembly are not endued with the sanctifying Spirit of God therefore they cannot use this language It seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and us This objecting of yours I confesse is somewhat ingenious but alas it seemes you desire not to continue so in that you take such paines in shruging and shifting to evade the force and truth thereof by saying 'T is only knowne to God who are his and admit there may be some few among them who have not Gods sanctifying Spirit yet I doubt not but very many if not the major part of them have Is not this profoundly answered Thousands of conscientious godly people object how it is possible that all or the greatest part of the Parliament and Assembly may not be indued with the sanctifying Spirit of God and Mr. Pryn pretends to answer them by saying he doubts not but they have Is he not a doughty champion But what if it should be objected that it may yet more fully than by perchance be said it cannot be made appeare that there is so much as one neither in the Parliament nor Assembly who have had an infallible assistance of the sanctifying Spirit in any thing they have done already or shall ever doe hereafter and must we then necessarily be of their Religion of their faith implicitly yet we submit you see unto them in Civill matters our estates our lives and what ever we have that is mortall has beene devoted if not sacrificed to justifie their power and our subjection but the rest must be reserved for him only who is Lord Paramont of spirits as well as flesh Surely Mr. Pryn 't is no small disservice which you doe both Parliament and Assembly in thus exposing their proceedings to be questioned by no little and that the most conscionable and best affected party of the Kingdome such spirits of contention as this of yours were those which made the first great breach amongst the Parliaments friends I meane betwixt the Independents and Presbyterians and now your selfe as the chiefe Ring-leader has begun a subdivision even among the Presbyterians by attributing after such an imperious and reproaching manner towards all such as dissent from your opinion that supreme legislative power to Civill Magistrates in all matters of Religion which our Brethren of Scotland appropriate only to Nationall Assemblies How great a stumbling-blocke this may grow to in time and the miserable consequences thereof I leave to your saddest morning thoughts to be better considered on and wish you would forbear to publish such midnight subitane distracted lucubrations as you your selfe well call them to the great detriment and endangering both of Church and Common-wealth Twelve Queries Eight whereof presume to make a second visit to Mr. Pryn importuning his resolution in

Christian modesty and charity for the satisfaction of many troubled consciences 1 WHether have not Parliaments and Synods of England in times past established Popery And whether may they not possibly do so again hereafter 2 Whether in case a Parliament and Synod should set up Popery may they therein be disobeyed by the people If they may be disobeyed in one particular whether may they not upon the like grounds be disobeyed in another whether the people be not judge of the grounds for denying obedience to Parliament and Synod in such a case Whether the pretence of giving a Parliament and Synod power to establish Religion and yet reserve in our own hands a Prerogative of yeelding or denying obedience thereunto as we our selves thinke good be not an absolute contradiction and lastly Whether they that attribute such a power to Parliaments and Synods as they themselves will question and disobey when they thinke good doe not in effect weaken and quite enervate the power of Parliaments or else condemne themselves in censuring the Independents for withholding of obedience from Parliament and Synod in such things wherein they never gave or meant them to have power 3 If the whole Kingdome may deny obedience unto Popish Acts and Canons or upon any other the like just occasion and they themselves be judge whether the occasion be just or no whether may not Independents a part of the Kingdome only doe the like in all respects or whether ought they because a lesser part of the Kingdome to yeeld obedience to Popish Acts and Canons because a major part approve of and agree with a Parliament and Synod in establishing them 4 Whether would it not be an ungodly course for any people to hazard any thing at the disposall of others or to be carried by most voyces which may possibly if not more then probably be decided in such a manner as the yeelding obedience therunto would be burthensome to their consciences if not absolutely sinfull 5 Whether were it not an ungodly course for the whole Commons of a Kingdome so far differing in Religion as that they professe before hand that they dare not yeeld to one another upon perill of damnation to make choice of a Parliament and Synod with entring into Vow and Covenant to become afterwards all of that Religion whatsoever the Parliament and Synod should agree on whether it be not absurd for men to say they will be of such a Religion as shall be setled before they see evidence to convince them and whether it be in the power of man to be really of what Religion he will untill he see reason demonstration for it 6 If a representative State or Magistrate may make Laws for setting up a Religion or establishing what Church government they please whether have not the people the same power originally in themselves to assume again and put it in execution when they please and whether were this otherwise then to attribute unto a mixt multitude to the World if not absolutely as it is distinguished from the Saints in Scripture Joh. 15. 18 19. and 17. 6. 9. 11. 14. at least by most voices to make choice of a Religion Laws and Discipline wherewith the Saints houshold and Church of God must necessarily be governed 7 Suppose a Luther an and Calvinist or any others differing in opinion whether they may out of hypocrisie or implicitly submit and be conformable to one anothers discipline and doctrine whereof they doubt before they be convinced Whether have either of them an infallible way to convince the other and bring them over to be sincerely of their opinion before their understandings besatisfied if they have why doe they not put it in execution if they have not why should they be offended with one another if they continue differing 8 Whether opposing Gods people or their wayes be not a fighting against God whether it be not extreamest rashnesse if not absolute madnesse and presumption to attempt any thing which may possibly prove a fighting against God and whether any man in these dayes can have a fuller assurance in his owne conscience or give better evidence unto others that he doth not oppose the people of God whilest he opposes such as differ from him in opinion than Paul whilest he persecuted the Church Phil. 3 6. thought he ought to do many things contrary to the Name of Jesus of Nazareth Act. 26. 9 9 Which of the two parties may best be thought proud presumptuous or contentious whether Independents who seeke only to enjoy their owne consciences in all peaceablenesse and meeknesse without giving the least disturbance to such as differ from them in opinion or the Presbyterians who Haman like are never at rest within themselves untill they bring all others to be conformable unto them both for Discipline and Doctrine though to an equall judge they may probably be as erronious as other mens and possibly most superstitious and hereticall 10 If there be but one Christ and many Antichrists one true way and many false Whether doe not all men and women in generall and every one in particular run a greater hazard to have the truth with-held from them both in Discipline and Doctrine if all manner of opinions and religious worship but one were banished the Country where they live than if there were a toleration of them all 11 If a State may lawfully compell a Nation to be of this or that Religion as in Spaine Italy and England during the Bishops Reigne Whether is it possible for the people of such a Nation to be damned by submitting to such State Religions though false Whether are not such respective States bound in justice to be accountable for all the soules which doe miscarry by conforming unto such State Religions And whether were it discretion for any man to runne a hazard of so many soules though he might thereby gaine the Empire of the World 12 Whether are not all Religions alike nothing available to salvation to him that takes his Religion upon trust If we be obliged to try the Spirits to search the Scriptures and hold fast the truth whether must we not be fully perswaded thereof in our selves according to our owne reason and understanding Whether is there a necessity that the State Religion for the time in fashion must alwayes appeare to be the true one in every mans judgement who really endeavours and desires to have such an opinion of it so it might be with a good conscience And what Gospell warrant is there for Magistrates imprisoning fining banishing or so much as discountenancing any man for not beleeving or not doing that which he could not possibly beleeve or doe without sinning damnably FINIS