AN ANSVVER TO Mr. WILLIAM PRYNN'S Twelve Questions concerning Church Government At the end whereof are mentioned severall grosse absurdities and dangerous consequences of highest nature which do necessarily follow the tenets of Presbyteriall or any other besides a perfect Independent Government Together with certaine QVERIES SIR HAving perused certaine Questions concerning Church Government which carry your name Imprinted in the Frontice-piece The well-wishes which I bare towards you did soone prevaile with me to make an Answer to them conceiving you may cast an eye thereon as purposely directed to your selfe by an unknowne Well-willer rather than on sundry larger Discourses which if you had seriously considered I cannot but imagine you would have been better informed than for the present I perceive you to be in this particular The Title sayes Considerable serious questions sadly propounded And the Preface tells the World You have neither leasure nor opportunity to debate the late unhappy differences touching Church Government c. which moved you to digest your subitane apprehensions of these distracting controversies into the ensuing considerable Questions to be sadly pondered and solidly debated by sober minded peaceably disposed men of greater ability and vacancy for such a worke c. Surely 't will seem strange to many that subitane apprehensions should so easily be digested into considerable questions by one who in his owne confession had neither leasure opportunity nor ability for the worke and yet it will likely be thought more wonderfull that you seem to thinke so lightly concerning the distractions of the Churches from whence not a few of no little piety and judgement conceive the distractions of the Kingdome to arise as to imagine the publishing of subitane apprehensions should in any considerable degree conduce to a composing of them 1. To the first Question then I answer That the Gospel being by Christs owne injunction to be preached to all Nations Matth. 28. 19 20. c. who have their established different formes of Civill government Christ hath not peremptorily prescribed one and the selfe same forme of Ecclesiasticall Government Discipline and Rites unto all Nations the more to blame are such as go about to prescribe one throughout whole Kingdomes throughout the world and that every severall Nation Republique yea and every particular Christian ought to have under the Gospel a liberty and latitude to choose such a forme of Church government as he himselfe for his particular use in his owne reason and understanding apprehendeth to be according to Gods Word and not runne on implicitely subjecting himselfe to whatsoever shall be projected or set up by others whereof he himself doubting incurres damnation Rom. 14. 22 23. But for the Articles and Statutes of England or Ireland you know they are for Episcopacie and were once as strong for Popery never for Presbytery but what if they should be for Popery againe Judaisme or Turcisme 't is no offence to make a querie nor impossible to come to passe the greatest part of such as choose our Parliament men are thought to be Popishly or Malignantly affected and if it ever happen so by the same Law and Doctrine the whole Kingdomes must in consequence and such obedience as you dictate conforme themselves to Popery Judaisme or Turcisme But you will meane the State may impose no other government but what is consonant to the Word of God I answer That the Papists Jewes and Turkes doe all affirme that both their discipline and doctrine are according to the Word of God and their yea is full as good as your no If then you say we must suffer rather thâ—n submit unto such Antichristians you say well but withall I answer that you agree with them or approve them even whilst they persecute you in theirs or your principles for both have one and the selfe same of persecution and though many things in all Church governments Discipline and Ceremonies are left to humane prudence the Magistrate may not impose ought upon the Subjects in generall or upon any one in particular which by them or him cannot be assented to or performed with a good conscience both towards God and men Act 24. 16. But since you take notice of Christs injunction for preaching of the Gospel to all Nations Matth. 28. 19. let it not seem strange if I affirme it to be impossible for man to propound a rationall way or so much as a possibility of preaching the Gospel unto all Nations without Liberty of Conscience or in any other than an Independent way for how can you imagine that Hereticks or Unbeleevers will come and live amongst you that they may be wonne unto the Gospel by your conversation or by your convincing them from evidence of Scripture if they know your manner is to ravish their Religion from them before their judgements be fully informed and satisfied or what hopes have you that erronious or misbeleeving States and Princes will suffer such to lurke within their territories under pretence of propagating the Gospel in simplicity and truth who hold opinions too much savouring of Popery that when they have converted a sufficient party unto their beliefe they may therewith under pretext of pulling downe Idolatry and superstition divest them of their power and Country unlesse they will forgoe their Religion from which only how erronious soever they expect salvation Suppose a Turke desirous to turne Christian the Calvinist Lutheran Papist Brownist and Anabaptist seeking to make him a Proselite to their faith each of them produce their grounds and reasons from the Scriptures as the rule and guide to warrant and direct them in this Christian warfare Suppose againe that these severall sorts of Christians may differ about the sense of Scripture nay about the translation or originall Text it selfe how must this Turke be directed which of them to yeeld unto or be swayed withall must it be to them that have the sharpest sword or buffit him the most doubtlesse he must not respect the numbers or persons of the men nor yet be led away by the opinions of either which may be more complying with his lust so are the yea and nay of one or other of them all alike 'T is true the Papists pretend miracles to confirme their doctrine with and I have heard the truth and reality thereof affirmed by many travellers whereof some have passed for Protestant Gentlemen but though I conceive my selfe to have been as desirous and to have had greater opportunity than many others as having lived much amongst them to have been a witnesse of them if possible at some time or other yet could I never attaine so neare as to conceive the least likelyhood thereof and yet if the Papists could and did make use of false miracles how may they be knowne from true ones the very Divels are reported to be subject and subordinate amongst themselves according whereunto they submit unto or vanquish one another and we know the Aegyptian Sorcerers went very farre in competition with
Moses and Aaron so that we must not be swayed with miracles neither little more than with the bare yea and nay of men untill we see an evident demonstration an infallible guide the very finger of God himselfe in the gifts of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 4. 5. who requires of us no other than a reasonable service Rom. 12. 1. and will in likelihood at the great day of judgement condemne more for believing false Gospels without just grounds than for rejecting of the true Gospel notwithstanding it was accompanied with such signes and wonders as were never done before Joh. 15. 24. As in naturall things we beleeve nothing but what we see a naturall reason for so in supernaturall things lesse than a supernaturall evidence will not suffice But how then must this Turke be guided and directed to whom he should yeeld himselfe a convert Surely I know no guide he has besides the reason which God has given him no thing in the whole creation is to beare such sway with us as reason but what should then induce this Turkes reason to beleeve the one rather than the other concerning the revelation of Gods Will unto the World by the publication of the Law and Gospel whether any or which of their translations is the truest with the most orthodox interpretation of any or every portion of the Scriptures and in summe which is the right or truest Religion of them all And since they all alike pretend authority of Scripture with no lesse confidence than the Jews who ceased not to cry The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord even whilest they were deepest engaged to their sinnes Jer. 7. 4. I querie what may be the infallible unerring rule to lead this Turke unto the true Religion what it was in the beginning whether it be still the same whether lesse then infallible be a good guide herein whether rectified reason be not an infallible guide how came reason to be offuscated and depraved how may we know when it is vitiated how recover it and keep it so And if upon serious disquisition of the truth we be found involved over head and eares in ignorance and errour no small portion of pretended knowledge to be bare opinion only and the greatest part of most religions Antichristian void of reason how ought such as goe about to fasten a yoake of their owne doctrine and opinions on others be accounted the most ignorant absurd presumptuous and the greatest enemies both to God and man of any people under heaven deserving death more then a murderer or traitor besides it will easily appeare upon due scrutiny That the compelling men to a uniformity by Civill Powers the enforcing of a Nationall Church the exacting obedience to whatsoever Religion shall be established by Law and consequently to change so often as the Politick Civill State shall finde requisite for worldly ends is the only way to banish all Religion from their hearts and breed in men a doubting of the Scriptures if not of God himselfe If true Beleevers having got the upper hand may banish Misbeleevers for feare of being tainted with their errours than ought not the true Beleevers when they are few in number suppose them Protestant Merchants or others in Turkish or Popish Countries by any means remain among the misbeleevers but forthwith to depart their territories which the Apostles and Primitive Christians did not practise nay the contrary is insinuated whilest Peter exhorted the Jews turned Christians to have their conversations honest amongst the Gentiles that they which spake evill of them as evill doers might by their good works which they should see glorifie God in the day of visitation 1 Pet. 2 12. Pauls advice likewise was That the beleeving husband should not put away the unbeleeving wife in hopes of her conversion 1 Cor. 7. 12. 16. And Peter bids wives be subject to unbeleeving husbands for the same reason 1 Pet. 3. 1. 2. And since the power of miracles through want of saith is ceased we have no meanes so efficacious for convincing people of their errours and bringing them unto the truth as a godly conversation the benefit and fruit whereof would be quite frustrated if the Saints of God being the greater party were either to banish the misse or unbeleevers or to withdraw themselves if they were fewer I desire this argument may be well reflected on which though it be briefe and not enforced I conceive it very pat and apposite unto the point in controversie I know the permitting men of so many different opinions in a Country is usually objected as a Bug-bear of all confusion and disturber of the Civill State but to wave the experience of the contrary truth which we see in Holland Germany France Poland Hungarie Turky Barbarie and elsewhere why may they not as well live as peaceably and civilly under one Prince or State as under different neighbouring or remoter powers betwixt whom viz. Christians and Turkes Protestants and Papists Lutherans and Calvinists we see concluded and maintained peaceable leagues and covenants with a free egresse regresse or continuance of the respective Subjects in one anothers territories why should it breed greater confusion or discompose the Civill peace of England by permitting an English Lutheran Brownist Antinomian Anabaptist Jew Turk or others more than if they were of any other Nation or with what sense or reason can that priviledge or freedome be denyed unto an Englishman in his owne Countrey because he differs from the State Religion or opinions that be in fashion which every forreigner of any Nation of what profession soever in amity with England enjoyes without controle would it not be a pretty fancie to banish English Anabaptists or others dissenting in opinion from their native inheritance their friends and livelihoods whilest all our Ports Townes and houses are open to receive Spanish Papists and Dutch Anabaptists to take the bread out of our mouths I only make a querie of it that better judgements may reflect thereon 2. Particular Churches members of a Kingdome and Nation are not obliged in point of conscience and Christianity to submit unto whatsoever publique Church Government Rites and Discipline a Nationall Councel Synod and Parliament shall conceive most consonant to Gods Word unlesse it prove so in the whole Kingdomes Nations and those very particular Churches judgement for by the contrary position they and Mr. Pryn himselfe should be subject unto the Popish or Episcopall government again if this present Parliament and Synod doe but say the word and the Scriptures you aime to prove it with doe not only faile but make against you viz. 1 Cor. 32. 33. which text makes the whole Church or rather every member thereof capable of prophesying all alike and I finde not but the Spirits of the Prophets which the Apostle insinuates to be subject might possibly be of as wise learned and noble as any the Christian world afforded in that he said Ye may all prophesie one by
be taken from them rather then resist the Powers so they may quietly enjoy the Liberty of their Consciences the Scriptures the principles on which they ground themselves doe necessarily inforce them to it 6. Doubtlesse in all Nations from the first preaching of the Gospel till now Christians did multiply and particular Churches likewise which for the most part had dependencie on and communion one with another and were all subordinate to Nationall and Provinciall Synods and publique Ecclesiasticall constitutions but such Churches as were chiefly Papall or Episcopall and never Presbyteriall till within the memory of our Fathers and why we may not retreat backe againe into the errours of a hundred yeares as well as not passe forward unto a farther measure of light and knowledge I finde little satisfaction Phil. 3. 12 13 14. 7. The selfe same Law of Nature God and rectified reason which instructed and warranted all Nations to subject themselves unto some publique forme of Civill government obliging all persons and societies of men alike which they conceived most advantagious doth not warrant us to doe the like in Church affaires because whatsoever civill action the Civill Magistrate requires may be performed by the outward man or else be expiated by penalty without taint of conscience But the Church government as it aimes at and regards the Spirituall service and performance Joh. 4. 24. so the punishments must have a Spirituall effect Mat. 18. 18. and cannot be undergone or worke upon a mans spirit unlesse he will himself neither may he be willing thereunto unlesse he apprehend them to be according to Christs Government and Institution 8. From Exod. 23. 17. and 34. 23 24. with Exod. 34 23 24. and Deut. 16. 16. Levit. 17. 3. 4. 8 9 which speakes of the Nationall Church of the Jewes appearing at Ierusalem thrice a yeare you can no fitter apply it to prove a Nationall Church of Christians than make it possible for all the world if they were Christians which in such a sense must be Nationall to appeare thrice a year at Ierusalem or excuse them if they did not appear and if you grant a Catholicke Church throughout the world which may reach from one end thereof even to the other I wonder how it can be denyed that such as joyn in an Independent Church way may not as possibly be accounted and prove true members of the Catholicke but for the distinct Synagogues and Parochiall Assemblies as you call them of the Iews to which the people living together in a City were alotted and restrained I finde no ground in Scripture but strong evidence for a kinde of Independent Churches amongst the very Jewsd as you may gather from Deutt 12. 12. 18. c. 16. 11. 14. c. 26. 11. 12. Judg. 17. 18. Chapters by such of them as kept Levites to officiate in their families The Synodall Assembly you point at in the Acts 15. was no formall Synod neither would you as I conceive be contented to be bound by such an other to wit by a particular Church that is a Parish Church in your account if you hold any such in those dayes of another place whereof you your selfe are no member If you say an assembly of brethren at Jerusalem or any other particular place would now want inspired Apostles to make them Synodall or their Decrees of binding power I cannot help you till it please God to send us others neither doe I finde it in the power of man because they have not an Apostolicall spirit to supply the want thereof by numbers by multiplying or assembling so many more Presbyters or Presbyteries all men subject to the same passions with our selves Act. 14. 15. which is such a peece of simonie as we must be driven to grant that God Almighty hath hertofore infatuated such inventions or yeeld the Papists therein the upper hand But where doe we finde that those of Jerusalem sent binding decrees to the Churches of the Gentiles I see it not in Act. 15. 22. to 32. c. 16. 14. â— 21. 25. which you produced for that purpose since whatsoever their decrees were though they were infallibly assisted by the presence of the Holy Ghost v. 28. the penalty thereof was no more than If you doe observe these things you shall doe well v. 29. In Gods name then if you will needs have Synods and equalize them with the Apostles in making of decrees which I feare mee may amount unto presumption let them at least binde no otherwise than the Apostles than these of Jerusalem to wit Spiritually give them no sting or poison of Civill power which will subtilly undermine enervate and quite eat out the spirituall other than which you will and may well for this very cause acknowledge the Apostles neither had nor exercised But what are these binding decrees of that Synodall Assembly are they any other than a small portion or Historicall narration of the Acts of the Apostles did they then binde the Churches of the Gentiles or all Christians since any otherwise than other portions of Scripture doe And if you will have Synods and Parliaments to make the like binding decrees at present doe you not say by consequence and in effect that they may prescribe us another Gospel other Scriptures which though they were not differing but alike to what we have received are we not forbid to adde unto them upon perill of damnation Rev. 22. 18 19. But for the Churches of England Ireland Wales Scotland c. recorded by Historians and Canons I feare me if well examined they will rather be found Church walls than Church Assemblies living Temples of the Lord whereof Christ Jesus is the corner stone 1 Cor. 3. 16 17. Eph. 2. 20 21 22. such stocks and stones have the lazie covetous aspiring and which is worst of all persecuting lergie-men endeavoured to bring poore Christians to the laity as they call them that they might afterwards hew and hammer them into whatsoever else their owne lusts most desired 9. In my answer to your 3. and 4. Questions I hope to have given you if you consider of it some satisfaction that even in the Apostles times the Christians if they had been inspired thereto or so desired might have made themselves a Nationall Church what ever the Civill Magistrate had beene as well as Papists in England who alwayes were and still are subject to their Bishop in chiefe from whom they have appeale to Rome or the Jewes themselves which so long as they were a Church were still a Nationall Church though subjected to heathen Princes as touching Civill matters in captivity and strictest bondage For suppose England ought to be and were a Nationall Church of Calvinists or other kinde of Protestants if the Prince thinke good to alter his owne Religion or some party of the Subjects a fourth fift or so does the Kingdome cease to be a Nationall Church if it do not let the Kingdome enjoy their Nationall Church and particulars such as will their
Independent way but if it do it is a strong argument that the erecting of Nationall Churches is no Ordinance of God as being over liable to casualty and subversion if the Prince thereof only or every lesser part has a capacity to overthrow it But whereas you say that as the Christians multiplyed so were Church Officers and their Church Government and Discipline varied the Church Officers encreased new Gospels written prescribing new necessary rules canons and directions c. and transmitting the same liberty unto posterity of supplying and instituting the like as they themselves should afterwards finde requisite the phrase or rather doctrine of new Gospels stumbles me not a little conceiving we finde it branded with a curse Gal. 1. 8. 9. 1 Tim. 1. 3. and I feare me you may as well question whether we have that true Gospel which was once delivered to the Saints Jude 3. as multiply or coine us new ones for if there be more then one or since all Christians are endowed with Christian liberty all alike if a Lutheran Calvinist Anabaptist or Brownist if a Papall Presbyteriall or other Synod if Rome Spaine France or England may make new Gospels all other States Synods and People of what opinion soever may doe the like and then what spirit lesse than wonderfull and infallible can assure us which is the true one and yet such as will make new Rites and Ordinances their very Ceremonies becomming Ordinances by their enjoyning them to binde the consciences of their brethren must necessarily derive their warrant from some new and unknowne Gospel or have no new ones their owne confession implying no lesse in that they hold a necessity of new Rites and Ceremonies whereof they acknowledge to have no expresse warrant for them in the Scriptures which are common to us and for the liberty you say Independents use in this respect they impose it no otherwise upon any but that every particular man which apprehends it not to be Gods way may peaceably withdraw himselfe But for Micah 4. 1. to 5. Zach. 8 22. and Es. 2. 2. 3. And it shall come to passe in the last dayes that the mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the mountaines and shall be exalted above the hills and all Nations shall flow unto it And people shall goe and say come ye and let us goe up to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his waies and will walke in his paths for out of Zion shall goe forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem which you bring to prove the Prophets prediction of Nationall conversions and consequently of Nationall Churches after their dayes but you can no more justifie a Nationall Church of Christians from thence than that the same Nationall Church of Christians shall likewise goe up to the Temple of Jerusalem from whence by the same Prophesie they are also to receive the Word of God and not from Parliament Pope Synod or Presbytery nay the same Prophesie goes futher and sayes That they shall then breake their swords into mattocks and their speares into sithes Nation shall not rise up against Nation neither shall they learne to sight any more v. 4. May then a Presbyterial Spirit carve or mince this Prophesie out unto us by peece-meales which the Spirit of the most High hath joyned and if it be to be verified of our times that Nation shall not lift up sword against Nation neither shall they learn to fight any more must not these sonnes of thunder these men of Warre these Church Incendiaries which doe little besides preaching fire and sword with incensing of their over credulous disciples to drive out of the Country out of the World or persecute even unto death such as only dissent from them in opinion must they not I say condemne themselves this course may make a People become a Nation of Divels or sooner cut a whole Nation off than make them grow into a Nationall Church to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth But what if whole Nations should be converted if Nationall conversions may or ought to prove so many Nationall Churches suppose English Scotch Dutch French whereof no one will submit unto the other though they were all orthodox Protestants would not they be all independent in respect to one another why then may it not be tolerable in the eyes of God for as many lesser Churches or Congregationall Assemblies in one State or Kingdome to enjoy a like independencie is God a respecter of numbers or of Nations but if the severall Nations so converted ought to make but one Nationall Church why may not the proselites of all Countries as well make one Nationall Church since we find in Zach 14. 16. whilest he prophesieth of a Nationall Church and worship that every one that is left of all the Nations which came against Jerusalem shall goe up from yeare to yeare to worship and which of them shall have the honour of the denomination and christning of it wherefore should it be called after one rather than after any other of them I feare me the Gossips will not agree about the name especially the Spaniards who have the Catholicke King and thinke all Nations of the World bound to leave their owne and learne their fashions language and what not and yet the Jewes will tugge hard for it both with Rome the Spaniard and all others pretending that all Prophesies and other Scriptures which doe make for a Nationall Church declare it plainly to be Iewish Es. 49. c. Mic. 4 1. 5. and the truth is that under the Law whoever of the Nations were then converted were properly said to be of the Iewish Church in whatsoever climate or Country they were resident but how an English-man can be a member of severall Nationall Churches at once as he may happen in his life time to have lived severall yeares in severall Countries or be one yeare a member of one Nationall Church and another yeare of another I know not but conceive it to be totally inconsistent and yet you will make him be a member of the Nationall Church where ever he resides for the present and that if the Church be now Nationall whosoever is once a member can no more cease to be a member by leaving one Nationall Church and joyning to another than in time of the Jews when there were but two estates to wit within or without the Iewish Church But if severall Nationall Churches may make up one Catholique why may not so many more Independent Churches doe so too And if all beleevers must now make but one Nationall Christian Church must it not insinute one High Priest one Pope to be head thereof that it may the better hold parallel with the Jewish If well examined 't is not unlikely something equavalent thereunto may be discovered will not these changelings like Micha's vagabond Priests which remove from one Benefice
the obtaining and exercising dominion over the consciences of your brethren Oh the impartiality and falshood of a mans owne heart and understanding At the beginning of this Parliament the whole Kingdome sided with both Houses in the vindication of their Liberties and so it continued untill such as did overmuch idolize Presbytery prevailed for a Bill to damne Episcopacie root and branch that Presbytery might succeed it with its fascibus fustibus with its Pentifiealibus Synodalibus nothing to be abated which concerned either wealth or jurisdiction only an Episcopall tyranny to be exchanged for a Presbyteriall slavery which so soone as the Court Clergie discovered they quickly plotted a countermine they quickly prevailed to bring Armes into the Field for asserting the Nationall Church Government and Discipline established by Law and thus betweene Episcopacie and Presbytery between the covetous and aspiring dominering Clergie-men of War on both sides not only the Grand Designe the vindication of our just Liberties through Gods just judgement is well neare blasted which was so likely to be compassed by a universall union and concurrence without the least bloodshed save of some few notorious Delinquents and in stead thereof by their severall and yet joynt contrivances like Sampsons Foxes the depraved Clergie-men of both sides have engaged all three Kingdomes in so violent and execrable a Civill Warre to the destruction and sudden death of so many thousand Christians Protestants as the whole Christian World in so short a time had never felt the like Can Mr. Pryn deny but that the parties now in Armes at least the Grand Instruments those principall Engines which set all the wheeles a running till they are growne quite giddy may notwithstanding their subtle carriage of it be justly denominated Episcopall and Presbyteriall have they not as the Prophet Daniel saith 11. 39. divided the Kingdomes betwixt them at present and as Esaiah tells us 56. 11. doe they not looke to their owne way only whilest every one has his chiefe aime at the gaine which comes from his quarter nay hath not each of them designed to reduce all three Kingdomes totally to their command and bondage hereafter may not the Apostle James his reprehension bee thought purposely directed to them From whence come warres and fightings among you come they not hence even of our lusts James 4 1. aut Caesar aut nullus nothing will serve their turnes lesse than absolute conquest of the Kingdome of the whole man both soule and body imprisonment and banishment fire and sword to all alike to Independents as well as to Papists though the Papists till they renounce some certaine tenets can be true to neither but the Independents unto either as well as the Apostles and Primitive Christians were to the Antichristian Roman Emperours Did Micah to whom the Word of the Lord came c. 1. 1. tell the Jews how they hated the good and loved the evill that they plucked off the skin and flesh from their bones that they did eat the flesh of Gods people and flay'd their skin from off them that they brake their bones and chopp'd them in peeces as for the pot and as flesh within the caldron they build up Sion with bloud and Jerusalem with iniquity the heads thereof judge for reward the Priests teach for hire and the Prophets thereof divine for money yet will they say is not the Lord amongst us Micah 4. 2. 3. 10. 11. and may it not now as truly if not then Prophetically be said of too too many on both sides at present that they seeke to settle uniformity and build up a Nationall Church in bloud and rapine did Micah then tell the Jewes v. 11. That their Heads did judge for reward and may it not now be said as truly that neither widow nor fatherlesse neither poore nor oppressed can tell whom to flye to for reliefe or comfort no Saint to helpe them within hearing the Drummes and Trumpets with imminent necessities are made excuses to continue the whole Kingdomes in unsufferable miserie except such as can make friendship by their unrighteous mammon which they have got with fishing in these troubled waters Luke 16. 9. may it not now be said as justly that the Priests of both sides the Episcopall and Presbyteriall Clergie do teach for hire and prophesie for money doth not the same Prophet Micah say truly of them He that putteth not into their mouthes they even prepare War against him doe they not with the most prostitute Popelings cry out No penny no Pater noster Is not maintenance maintenance the burthen of all their Parlour or Pulpit pastime and why should they so sacrilegiously set a price on that which is but supposititious the phancie of their owne braines the reall truth whereof God required all true Disciples to give for nothing Mat 10 8. Es. 55. 1. 2. or why should people be forced to buy the chaffer of these Clergie-merchants rather than the wares or labour of a Shoomaker or porter would not such dealing be damned for an unjust monopoly which yet these encroachers practise without a patent if any but themselves should doe the like nay why must we be forced to pay these mercenary Clergie-men for such counterfeit service and ministration which others will discharge better and that for nothing is not this the greatest infringing of the Subjects propriety which the Kingdome suffers I say not this to under value the Ministery of the Gospell or to disswade an ample and abundant maintenance to such as truly labour in Gods Vineyard but to exaggerate the heynousnesse of those that do not only set as they pretend the inestimable treasure of the Gospell the unvaluable Word of God to sale as if it were an unholy thing Heb. 10. 29. but as much as in them lyes compell all people and Nations by fire and sword to buy trash and trumpery in stead thereof and that at what price they themselves please And lastly as Micah pronounced a curse upon the Israelites for these iniquities of theirs v. 12. so have we instead of peace and propriety nothing remaining besides direfull Wars and barbarous devastations and instead of a Nationall Church through Gods just judgements we see three Nations weltering in one anothers blood If then we have thus fallen into these miseries may we not by retrograding get cut againe if Episcopacie and Presbytery have set the State on fire through an ambitious desire of Empire together with a pestilent spirit of persecuting one another may not the serving both alike reduce us to quietnesse againe they are these pretended Clergy-men that love to be called the great Rabbies and Doctors that affect the uppermost seats at feasts and meetings Mat. 23. 6. 7. these thinke the Blessed Spirit departed from all the Saints to be retreated and confined unto their breasts they will allow no body to Prophesie besides themselves contrary to Pauls testimony 1 Cor. 14. 31. in which respect the people being for the most part bred up