all civil Causes are hook'd in within Cognizance of the Consistory and found within the Purlues of their Discipline As their Ambition is remarkable in all Cases so is their Purpose most observable in this before us What signifies the necessity of Their Discipline to Our Peace but that Bishops must down and Presbytery up or we shall have no Quiet with them For a Come-off All things must be done with singleness of heart they tell us as having all things in common Act. 2.46.4.32 This is a morfel for the Independents No such Things as our controverted Inquisitions were then made necessary c. Never had men worse luck with Texts Mark but these two Quotations now and then admire the subtle Inference from them No Impositions Then and consequently none must be Now. Would our Reformers have had the Church order'd before it was gather'd Rules for Church-government establish'd before Christianity it self was acknowledg'd The Apostles had but newly receiv'd the holy Ghost and to convince the Jews of the Divinity of that IESUS whom they had crucified was their first Business and Commission Faith and Repentance was their Theme the Question Men and Brethren What shall we do not how Then Peter said unto them Repent and be Baptized Act 2.37 38. Then says the Text they that gladly received his word were Baptized and they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers vers 42. If the Apostles had been Presbyterians they would perhaps have begun with their holy Discipline and laid the Sacraments aside to be considered of at leisure Had it not been a most preposterous course to have directed the manner of our Worship before they had laid the foundation of our Faith 'T is said again chap. 4. vers 32. that the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. And here 's no mention of Impositions neither whence they infer the non-necessity of Impositions as to Concord When these Gentlemen shall have prov'd Impositions unnecessary they have a long way yet to go ere they shall be able to prove them unlawful But till they have done the former we shall persist in our opinion of their necessity at least conveniential not to Salvation but to Vnity It must be noted that this unanimity in the believing multititude was a miraculous grace They were all filled with the holy Ghost says the verse next antecedent and the connexion fairly implies this wonderful Agreement to be the immâ—diate working of that blessed Inspiration We find a while after when the number of the Disciples was multiplyed there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration Chap. 6. vers 1. The bond of Universal Unity begins to slacken already This Difference gave occasion to the institution of Deacons Church-Officers being already appointed Apostles and Presbyters by our Saviour himself and Deacons by the Apostles we come now to Church-Orders or in the holy Language Impositions Concerning which one General serves for All Let every thing be done decently and in order But the determination of that Decency is left to the Church THe common Adversaries of our Religion and of the King and Kingdom will rejoyce to see us weakned by our Divisions and employed in afflicting or censuring one another and to see so many able Ministers laid aside that might do much displeasure to Satan by the weakning of his Kingdom and by promoting the Gospel and Kingdom of the Lord. NOTE XXV SInce our Reformers have not over much Modesty I wish they had a little more Argument that a man might either with Charity believe them in a mistake or with Honor shew them the way out of it Who are the common Adversaries now The King and his Party were wont to be the common Enemies But here they talk of Adversaries to our Religion the King and Kingdom They may intend the King still for ought I know They charg'd his Royal Father with Popery and yet They themselves brought him to the Scaffold because he would not set it up under forsooth the disguise of Presbytery They declar'd him likewise an enemy to King and Kingdom by making his Person an enemy to his Authority as they distinguished them Briefly who ever they are that hate us they may well rejoyce to see us thus Divided but woe be to them from whom these Divisions come 'T is not for Subjects to expostulate with Rulers to start from the Laws and bid Authority follow them Bishop Taylor says very well concerning Scandal Before the Law be made the Superior must comply with the Subject After it is made the Subject must comply with the Law The latter is our case and the Imposition lies on the other side upon the Law not upon the People But the great pity is so many able Ministers are laid aside Truly as to the ability of good lungs loud and long talking we 'l not contend with them But that they are such Champions for the Lord's Kingdom against Satan's is more then without better proof we are bound to credit However they had better have a tug with Satan here than hereafter but they must go another way to work then for to destroy the Kingdoms of this world without commission is without controversie to advance the Kingdom of Darkness and to do the Devil a special piece of service IF what you study for be indeed of God this course of unmercifull imposition is the greatest wrong to it that you can easily he drawn to unawares while so many truly fearing God are cast out or trodden down and tempted to think ill of that which themselves and the Church thus suffer by and when so many of the worst befriend this way because it gratifieth them it tendeth to make your cause judged of according to the quality of its friends and adversaries And how great a hand this very thing hath had already in the dislike of that is befallen Diocesans Ceremonies and the Liturgy is a thing too generally known to need proof NOTE XXVI MEthinks the Sir Johns grow a little pernicacious as our Author has it unmerciful Impositions What no more Covenants I hope But 't is at unawares they say That helps the matter It seems the Bishops do they know not what a Jolly Garb for a Petition This. But see the Godly men are not only Oppressed but Tempted to think ill of what they suffer by They are clearly for Ruling with the Ungodly and Flourishing like a Green Bay-Tree but they do not love to think of being cast down with them from Slippery places and destroyed of Consuming Perishing and Coming to a Fearful End of suffering their most certain Fate to be rooted out at last As nothing can be clearer then that their Cryes are Causeless so is it not less Evident that were they Truths their Practises are yet Vnchristian and that they are
in the Rites of our new Birth for their Pieties Sake that offer us thereunto In Matrimony the Minister may talk his Pleasure concerning the Institution c. of Marriage and Bury the Dead as he pleases Vpon the receipt of great and Extraordinary mercies the Church having opportunity that is if the King be at Oxford is to assemble for Publick Thanksgiving unto God and the Minister to do no matter what nor for the Kings Authority in the Case Further Though it be not unlawful or un-meet to keep Anniversary Commemmoration by Festivals of some great and notable mercies to the Church or State as for the Root and Branching of Episcopacy some great Victory over the King or the like Yet because the Church-Festivals are much abused and many sober Godly Ministers and others unsatisfy'd in the Observation of them as Holy Dayes Let not the Religious observation of them by publick Worship be forc'd upon any c. Oh have a care 't is Lawful to Kill and Steal upon the Lords Day but not to serve God Publickly upon a Saints Day These Following Prayers or the like for the Sick In their Thanksgiving for Deliverance in Child-bearing Thus If the Woman be such as the Church hath cause to Judge ☜ Vngodly and a small matter will make the Kirk judge so Then the Thanksgiving must be in words more agreeable to her Condition if any be used This is in English either no Thanks at all or else to Publish the Mother a Whore and the Child a Bastard Methinks the Holy Sisters should not like this kind of Fooling but in some cases the Reverend will wink at small Faults Of Pastoral Discipline NOTE V. THeir Forms of Pastoral Discipline follow which may be varied as the Variety of Cases do require Never such Engrossers of Liberty to Themselves and such Niggards of it to others and yet they advise that Ministers may CONSENT to give accompt when they are accused of Male-administration But what if they will not consent to give Accompt If any by notorious persidiousness or frequent COVENANT-BREAKING have forfeited c. Marque how they hang upon the Haunt This Covenant-breaking signifies one thing to the Law and another thing to the People In the Penitents confession before the Congregation The Sin must be named and aggravated when by the Pastor it is judg'd Requisite Pag. 85. As for Instance if any man has been a Traytour a Schismatique an Oppressour a Murtherer a Hypocrite or a Perjur'd Person Let him say I have fought against the King or I have Preach'd against his Authority and Provoked Tumults against his Person Behold I am a Traytour I have renounc'd my Mother the Church and Preach'd others into Schisme and Separation I have destroy'd the Apostolical order of Bishops and countenanc'd all my wild extravagancies with Forms of Religion Lo I am a Schismatique I have Impos'd upon mens Consciences unlawful Oaths and Covenants Enslav'd my Fellow-Subjects Robb'd and Imprison'd my Sovereign Enter'd upon the Ministry without a Call and thrust out Lawful Ministers from their Livings Scatter'd their miserable Families and snatch'd the Bread out of the Mouths of the Widow and Fatherless Behold I am an Oppressour I have Embru'd my hands in the Blood of the King and of his Friends bless'd God the more for the more mischief Father'd the Rebellion and Bloudshed upon the Holy Ghost See here a Murtherer I have led and encourag'd men against his Majesty under Pretence to save him Subverted the Law under pretext of defending it made the People Slaves under Colour of Setting them at Liberty erased the Order of Episcopacy under the notion of accusing the Persons that exercised it and stripp'd his Majesty of his best Friends under colour of removing Evil Counsellours I have call'd those Ministers Scandalous that had good Livings Those men Delinquents that had good Estates and those People Jesuits that had either wit or Conscience I have belyed the Holy Spirit in pretending Revelations and I have covered my Ambitious Bloudy Covetous and Factious Purposes under a Cloke of Holiness I have stumbled at a Ceremony and leap'd over the Seven deadly Sins Lord I am an Hypocrite I have renounc'd my Oath of Allegiance and that of Canonical obedience and taken other Oathes and broken Them too and multiply'd my Perjuries I swore to defend the late King and I have destroy'd him and I have now sworn to the Son with an Intent to serve him as I did his Father I am a Perjur'd Wretch In Truth This Pastoral Discipline put duly in Practise by the Composers of it would be of Singular benefit and of great Satisfaction to the Nation This Discipline is follow'd with a Letany and That with a Thansgiving both at Discretion Observe now what a Mockery is this Pretense to a Prescript Form and do but think how irreligious a Confusion would certainly ensue upon a Publique Sufferance of these peevish Liberties for doubtless such they are They have thrown out what they undertook to mend and the new Service they have introduced is left Arbitrary and values norhing or at the best 't is but an Execution of the Directory As the Contrivance of it is a Jewd design upon the Publick Government so is the Printing of it a Practice no less foul upon the Publick Peace The Instruments employ'd in 't were the Last Kings Base and bitter Enemies and the prime Agents in This Enterprize were grand Confederates in the late Rebellion These are ill Signs my Masters Truly among matters that arrive frequently I wonder at nothing more then that ever a Presbyterian Faction deceiv'd any man Twice for of All Parties that ever divided from Truth and Honesty I take them for a People the most easily distinguishable from other men and Trac'd to their Ends. Their first work is still to find out the Faults of Rulers and the Grievances of the People which they proclaim immediately but with great Shews of Respect toward the One and of Innocent Tendernesse for the Other The Offending Persons ye may be sure are Bishops where the Episcopal Order is in Exercise But where they have thrown it out and introduc'd themselves ye hear no more news of Ecclesiastical Errors but of Church-censures in abundance The Civil Magistrate is then to blame and never will these People rest till they have grasp'd all In Fine Where you find a Private Minister inveighing against the Orders of the Church bewailing the Calamities of a Nation under Oppression Preaching up Conscience AGAINST Authority and stating in the Pulpit the Legal Bounds of King and People A Boaster of himself and a Despiser of his Brethren a Long-winded Exhorter to the Advancement of Christs Temporal Kingdome and a Perpetual Singer of the Lamentation A Cryer up of Schisme for Conscience Faction for Gospell and Disobedience to Temporal Magistrates for Christian Liberty where ye find such a
from the Creature and in That point we are all agreed upon a Common Principle of Reason that 't is our Duty to Adore Love and obey that Gracious Power that made us That This is the Prime end we all Agree and that our works are only Good or Evill according as they correspond with or recede from it In the next place as we consist of Soul and Body we seem to fall under a mixt Concern and There the Skill is how to temper the Angel and the Brute in such sort as may best comply with the behoof and Comfort of the Individual subjected still to the great Law and Purpose of our Being Our Reason we submit to the Divine Will and our Affections to our Reason Behold the Scale of our obedience and Universal Dictates of our Reasonable Nature In These Particulars God as the Sovereign Prince of the whole World binds all Mankind alike with an unlimited and undistinguishing Authority Our Souls the Almighty Governs by his Immediate and blessed self our Bodies he referrs to his Deputies whom in all sensible and common Actions we are to obey as Gods Commissioners We come now to the point that moves the great dispute our state of Liberty in matters of themselves indifferent In This Question we are to consider that every man is born first for the Publick Next for Himself He that Rates any thing except his Soul above the common Benefit of Social Nature is an ill Member of the Vniverse While every man consults his own Particular how easily he 's drawn to Think That Fair which he finds Pleasant Employing much more cunning to perswade himself that what he Likes is Lawful then strictly to Examine it for fear it should prove otherwise Are we not All made of the same Lump born to the same Ends Dignify'd with the same Reason What is it Then but an Injurious Custome and oppression that puts the Difference betwixt Governours and Slaves That prostitutes so many Millions of Free-born Christians to the Command of any Single Person These are the Stirrings and Debates of Mutinous and unadvised Natures They scan but the one half and that the Grosser too the vulgar part of the Question Can the whole Perish and the Parts ' scape Can any thing be beneficial to Particular Persons that is Destructive to the Community what by one Violence they Get they Lose by Another and in exchange for the Soft Honest bonds of Order and Obedience they leap into a Sinful Shameful Slavery Was not the late War undertaken in Shew for This Imaginary Freedome and yet at last what was the Event but Tyranny and Bondage not by miscarriage neither but by a Regular Fatality and Train of Causes Do we not find mens Minds and Humours as various as their Complexions or their Faces Every man likes his own way best Pleads for his own opinion There 's no such thing as right or wrong in things Indifferent but as they are circumstanc'd by Application and here 's the very Case of our Reformers Some are for Kneeling at the Eucharist others for Standing Sitting or the like They differ too about the manner of Receiving Capricious Holyness Shall That confused and Promisenous use of several Forms and Postures pass for a Decency in the Lords house and on so solemn an occasion which at a Private Table would be exploded for a grosse and ridiculous Immorality The Church for Order sake and Uniformity enjoyns one form or Posture This or That 't is Indifferent where lyes the Conscience of Refusing Should but the Rubrick say Let the Minister enter at the Church Dore Would not our Teachers make it a piece of Conscience to creep in at the Window Marque it 't is That That That 's the Businesse 'T is POWER they Tug for and to bring MONARCHY under the Yoke of PRESBYTERY They argue the Expedience of granting Liberty because forsooth of the differing humours of Applying it The strongest Reason in the World against them For in this State of Disagreement take but away that Limiting and Binding Rule that prescribes Vniformity what other Consequence can be expected from letting loose so many wild and Petulant Passions so many Raging and dividing Factions but Tumult Heresie and Rebellion IF any shall make men disobedient by imposing things unnecessary which they know are by learned pious peaceable men esteemed sins against the Lord and then shall thus heavily afflict them for the disobedience which they may easily cure by the forbearance of those impositions let not our souls come into their secret nor our honor be united to their Assembly If they shall smite or cast out a supposed Schismatick and Christ shall find an able Helper peaceable Minister or other Christian wounded or mourning out of doors let us not be found among the Actors NOTE XIX VVHy did not the Reformers rather say If any shall make people Rebellious by preaching down Obedience to Authority as a thing unnecessary or abuse the simple by calling Good Evil and Evil Good Let not our souls Whether is greater the boldness of these Teachers or the blindness of their Disciples Does not this way of Reasoning root up all Government And has not the Practice of These men made good the worst that any man can say or think of their Designe Were they New Folks yet a man might find some Charity for the soft-headed Gulls that believe them but to be Twice catch'd in the same Trap Twice fool'd by the same Persons were an unpardonable sottishness Let the three Kingdoms cast up the Accompts of the late War and see what they have gained clear by the Reformation These very Gentlemen were one and twenty years ago upon this Argument infinitely troubled about Additions to God's Worship in things unnecessary Oathes of Subscription c. To obviate these crying evils they set to work a Preaching Ministry and Lectur'd up the people into a Gospel-frame for that 's the Knack of Disobedience The People heard their Prayers for 't was to them they prayed Meroz was curs'd and curs'd and the right Reverend Matrons sent forth their Bodkins and their Thimbles to help the Lord against the Mighty In fine The Cause prosper'd under their Ministery and Things unnecessary were taken away that is King Bishops the Law of the Land the Liberty of the Subject the Heads and Fortunes of his Majesty's best Friends Some Oathes that were of exceeding scandal and burthen to weak consciences were taken away too or rather exchang'd for others less offensive to the sense of the Learned Pious and Peaceable men they speak of As for instance in stead of that Abominable Oath of Canonical Obedience to the Bishop and his Successors in omnibus Licitis honestis in all things lawful and honest A Covenant was introduced of Combination against them But no man was compell'd to take it neither for 't was but losing the capacities of Englishmen a Sequestration Rotting in a Gaol or some such trivial
penalty if they refus'd it Indeed to serve the King after the taking of it was a little dangerous because of an Article of Aug. 16.1644 declaring that whosoever shall voluntarily take up Arms against the Parliament having taken the National Covenant shall die without mercy The truth is the Covenant was somewhat more in Scripture-phrase and suited better to the gust of the godly So for the Positive Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy They gave us Negatives still mov'd by tenderness of Conscience They made a scruple forsooth of swearing with Vs to serve the King but they made none of forcing Oathes against him To make an end The late Presbyterian Rebellion has cost the three Kingdoms at least fourscore millions of Treasure besides Souls and Bodies and now they are hammering of the Nation into another They talk of Conscience so Peters their fellow-labourer was a man of conscience was he not the foulest part of whose lewd life was That wherein they wrought in common fellowship In short the Presbyterians bound and prostituted the Virgin and the Independents were the Ravishers These drops are sharper than in any other case would stand with Modesty but they are Truths so timely and so needful for the Publick that they shall out what ere they cost me What do these Creatures keep a coil with Sin for that Act as if there were no God and yet they talk as if they thought of nothing else Are not their Contradictions upon Record has not the Nation in all Quarters the witnesses of their very Tongues and Pens against them Was ever any Tyranny so barbarous as what these people exercis'd over the consciences of their fellow-subjects and against the Government which they had sworn to preserve Yet now when the Authority requires Obedience the learned pious men are taken of a sudden with strange fits of conscience FROM SUDDEN DEATH in the Letany must be forsooth FROM DYING SVDDENLY a most important Scruple Well but forbearance they say cures and eases them We do not know had the Rebellion of the Angels been once pardon'd what such a mercy might have wrought upon the Devils But here we are upon Experiment After so large an Act of Grace so flowing and magnificent a Bounty so prone a goodness toward their whole Party now to Re-revolt Misereatur Deus They are much careful not to take an able Minister for a Schismatick they take not half that care to distinguish a Schismatick from an able Minister If Christ they say should find that able Minister cast out for a Schismatick what then good people But what say I if Christ should find Schismaticks kept in for able Ministers what then good Brethren A MEn have not their understandings at their own command much less can they be commanded by others if they were never so willing to believe all that is imposed on them to be lawful they cannot therefore believe it because they would the Intellect being not free B Few men are obstinate against the opinions that tend to their ease and advancement in the world and to save them from being vilifi'd as Schismaticks and undone and when men professe before the Lord that they do impartially study and pray for knowledge and would gladly know the will of God at the dearest rate we must again say that those men must prove that they know the Dissenters hearts better then they are known to themselves that expect to be believed by charitable Christians when they charge them with wilful ignorance or obstinate resisting of the truth NOTE XX. A EXceeding fine and Philosophical Men cannot believe all that they would believe and no man is to profess or act against his belief that hits it The Reformers cannot believe the Orders of the Church to be Lawful and Binding The Church cannot believe the Recusancy of the Reformers to be Reasonable or Conscientious The Reformers cannot believe that they ought to be kept out for Inconformity the Church cannot believe that they are to be taken in unless they conform The Reformers take Discipline to be essential to Salvation the Church thinks otherwise The Reformers cannot but believe the Separatists to be Saints the Church on the other side cannot but belive them to be Schismaticks So that in fine if the Church cannot grant what the Reformers cannot but ask Whether shall the Law yield to a Faction or the Faction to the Law B Few men are obstinate c. This Objection is already Answered but I shall add something All Popular Attempts upon change of Government are hazzardous to the Undertakers are there therefore no Rebellions But here 's the state of their Adventure If the Design takes and the People Tumult then are they in at pleasure in the head of the Faction If it miscarries they have no more to do but keep their countenance retire and grieve because of the Vngodly That disappointment they nick-name A suffering for the Gospel a Persecution and in that shape they get more by private Collections then many an honester man does by a good Benefice Beside They are bold upon a confidence in the King's Lenity They pray to be inform'd they say That was Scot's Plea concerning the Murther of the late King and may be any man 's by the same equity that shall be pleas'd to call it Conscience to do as much again Now for the knowledge of their Hearts the last thing they insist upon we 'l follow the Scripture-rule Know the Tree by its Fruits measure their Faith by their Works Judge of their Fidelity by their breach of Vows of their Honesty by their breach of Articles of their Scruples by their Sacrilege of their Loyalty by their persecution of their Soveraign of their Tenderness by their deliberate Murthers and in fine of all their pretended Virtues by their contradicting Impieties VVE crave leave to ask whether you do not your selves in some things mistake or may not do so for ought you know and whether your understandings are not still imperfect and all men differ not in some opinion or other And if you may mistake in any thing may it not be in as great things as these Can it be expected that we should all be past erring about the smallest Ceremonies and Circumstances of Worship And then should not the consciousness of your own infirmjty provoke you rather to compassionate humane frailty than to cast out your Brethren for as small failings as your own NOTE XXI THis is but loosely argu'd to Reason from an universal Fallibility to an universal Toleration Because all men may commit errors therefore all errors must be suffered The Law respects common equity and politick convenience not the degrees of Wisdom or Folly in the Transgressors of it If Fools were priviledg'd all Knaves would plead Ignorance There may be subsequent allowances in favour of misguided Vnderstandings but they are of Charity and Relaxation not of strict Justice All stated Laws better or worse no matter if they
not the men truly fearing God they would be thought to be Beware of False Prophets says our Saviour that come to you in Sheeps Clothing but Inwardly they are Ravening Wolves Ye shall know them by their Fruits Here 's our Authority to judge the Hearts of men by their Notorious Actions Will they be tempted to think Ill of what they suffer by So may the Traytour of the Law that makes Rebellion Capitall The Plunderer of the Command that sayes thou shalt not Steal and in like manner all Offenders may Quarrel with that Constitution which Orders and Directs their Punishment Yet we all know the Fault lyes in the Malefactour not in the Appointment At this rate they may Cavil at Divine Justice and disclaim Christianity it self if they come once to suffer by it Good manners they have shak'd hands with already for they tell us that so many of the worst befriend this Ceremonial way That it tends to make the Cause judg'd of according to the Quality of its Friends and Adversaries It were a good Deed to tell this Faction as they told the Late King That the Suggestion is as false as the Father of Lies can Invent Sure these Ill-Tutour'd Pedants know that his Sacred Majesty is a Friend to this way The Law Antiquity and Reason But since they offer to try the merits of the Cause by the Quality of its Friends and Enemies We shall accept the Challenge and let them thank Themselves if they come off with the worst on 't and first we 'll take a brief view of the Opposers A Rabble of People next dore to Brutes for Knowledge and Morality began the Action These were Instructed and prepar'd by a Cabale of Factious Lords and Commoners and by Their Instruments to be afraid of Popery and Invasions Bawle against Bishops and Evil Counsellours and finally these Virtuous Sages were made the Judges and Reformers of Laws and Manners In Time these Ostlers Tinkers Ragg-men Coblers Draymen Thimble-makers c. Grew up to be our Governours So much for the Rise Fortune and Extraction of the first visible undertakers Now for their Honesty They Plunder'd Murther'd Rebell'd Forswore Themselves Mean while the Mock-Priests in their Pulpits proclaim'd this Medly for the Godly Party Wedded their Cause took in all sorts of Heretiques into the Combination Defam'd the King Enflam'd the People against the Government Cast out the B'shops Swore fast and Loose and Preach'd three Kingdomes into Bloud and Ruine These were the Tender Consciences The Holy Thousands and the men truly fearing God that were cast out and trodden down c. This is no General Charge for I allow that many well-meaning but mis-guided Persons sided with the Party I speak of Those Members that stuck to the Work and of those Ministers that fluck to Them to shew the World what sort of Persons our Challenging Divines are now pleading for under the Notion of People grieved because of Vniversal Impositions Methinks Those that were In Before and have their Pardons should be very tender how they engage the Nation in New Broyles Especially against That Prince whose Single and Pure Grace it is that puts a Difference betwixt the Heads They wear and Those upon the City-Gates Whosoever is offended at This plain Freedome let him blame Those that have so spitefully and so unseasonably put this comparison of Parties to the Question We have in Grosse laid open the Opposers of our Church-Government Rites and Ceremonies Their Friends are briefly Those The Warrant of Holy Writ The universal Practice of Ordering the Externals of Worship The Establishment of the Particulars by the Consent of the People The Regular Injunctions of a Lawful Authority and in fine Every Person that loves the Religion Law Honour Peace and Freedome of the English Nation Once more for All what is the Kings Person to the Church-Ceremonies Yet the same Covenant and the same Persons destroy'd Both. Which shews as I have often said that the Design is Power not Conscience and that the Friends and Enemies to the Church are the same Thing respectively to his Majesty Touching the Dislike which they say is befallen Diocesans c. They tell us here a Truth which they Themselves have well-nigh totally procur'd for to infame the Hierarchy and blast the Constitutions of the Church has been ever since the Kings Return the better half of their Businesse in the Pulpit Not forgetting His Majesty neither A A Weak Brother that maketh an unnecessary difference of meats and dayes is not to be cast out but so to be received and not to be troubled with such doubtful disputation B Impositions are not indifferent in the judgement of dissenters though they be so in yours C We beseech you therefore plead not Law against us when our request is that you will joyn with us in Petitioning to his Majesty and the Parliament that there may be no such Law D The cause of the Non-conformists hath been long ago stated at the Troubles at Franckford and having continued still the same you have no reason to suspect them of any considerable Change E We have now faithfully and not unnecessarily or unreasonably spread before you the Case of thousands of the upright of the Land We have proposed honest and safe remedies for our present Distraction and the preventing of the feared increase NOTE XXVII A VVOuld our Divines perswade us that the Case of Meats and Dayes whereof the Apostle speaks is of the same nature with That of Ceremonies which we are now Debating or that a weak Brother is not to be distinguish'd from a Peevish See how perverse and vast a difference lyes betwixt them but right or wrong if it be Colour'd for the Multitude no matter for the Reason Under the Law God himself put a Difference betwixt Meats and betwixt Dayes which Difference ceas'd upon the coming of our Blessed Saviour Some thought it still a point of Conscience to observe the Law and These the Apostle calls weak Brethren Others again that knew the Law was abrogate quitted those Scruples and of These it is that St. Paul says we which are strong ought to bear the Infirmities of the weak Now Marque That which was formerly impos'd is now become a thing Indifferent That is Indifferent to the strong and knowing not so to Those that were not yet convinced of the determination of the former Tie and Duty and This is the true ground of the Apostles Tenderness here concerning Scandal Destroy not him with thy Meat for whom Christ Dyed See how their Case now matches ours They durst not Eat because they knew that once they were bound and they did not know likewise that they were now discharg'd Let our Reformers shew as much for Ceremonies Either that Humane Impositions were ever forbidden or that Those practic'd in our Church are in themselves unlawful And yet These men are not so totally Indifferent as they appear to be
concerning Meats and Days Was ever any thing more sourly Superstitious then their Monthly-Fast Those Days wherein the Church enjoyns Abstinence they choose to Feast upon and Sunday is the only Day for Humiliation B Laws are compos'd for the Publique welfare not for the Humours of Particular Persons and shortly They that do not like the Law where they Live should do well to search the VVorld for a Law they like Si non ubi sedeas locus est est ubi ambules C We come now to a fine Request That is they desire the Bishops to Petition the King to establish Presbytery for That is directly the Effect of it to destroy the Act of Conformity Do not people understand that when Laws are form'd to a Complyance with Phansie and Humour there is no other Law but Humour They tell us hitherto what they would not have see now what 't is they would have D The cause of the Non-conformists they say is long since stated at Frankford Is that it then they would be at Yes that or thereabouts We have no reason to suspect them of any considerable change they tell us Truly nor much to thank them for sticking there But the late War is the best Measure of their Aims and yet they did no more there than they attempt every where for I defie the world to shew me one story where ever That Faction was quiet unless they govern'd But they have confess'd enough we are to look at Frankford for their model and by the spirit of the Reformers There to judge of These Here. In the days of Edw. 6th this Island first began to be leaven'd with Presbytery through the particular craft and instigation of Calvin whose late success and absolute dominion at Geneva gave no small pretence and encouragement to an allowance of his Discipline While Discontents were gathering That Prince dies leaving the Government to Queen Mary in whose Reign diverse of the Reformed perswasion fled into Germany No sooner were they met at Frankford but Calvin's model was there ready to bid them welcom Some liked it but too well and to make easier way for 't made it their first work to disgrace the English Forms just as our Consistorian Puritans do at this day Knox Whitingham and some others of the Geneva-humor made a Cull of the particulars they faulted and sent them to Calvin for his opinion whose Answer was That there were many tolerable Fopperies in the English Liturgy This Letter was made publick and a great furtherance to the ensuing Breach which ended yet in the establishment of the English way at Frankford the Calvinizers flying off to Geneva So that Their Reformers and Ours agree Both Enemies to the English Ceremonies and Common-Prayer The cause the same too both are friends to the Geneva Platform Nay they agree in Practise likewise That Faction cast off their PRINCE and BISHOP there ours did as much for KING and BISHOPS here If those Nonconformists and These are of a judgment as our Divines unwarily imply we shall best read what these men think and mean srom what those said and did and rather proceed upon their own confession than summon the three Kingdoms to bear witness of their Actions We shall begin with Knox one of the intermedlers whose Letters and Discourses are sufficient to his condemnation without that History of the Church of Scotland of which though generally ascrib'd to him Spotswood acquits him In 1559. Willock and Knox were advised with concerning the discharging the Queen of her Regency Willock gave his opinion That they might justly deprive her from all Regiment and Authority over them Knox follow'd and added That she ought now to be deprived Those of most note among the Frankford-sticklers were Goodman Whittingham and Gilby See them at large in Bancroft's dangerous Positions from whence we 'l borrow some Collections out of them If the Magistrates says Goodman shall refuse to put Mass-mongers and false Preachers to death the people in seeing it performed do shew that zeal of God which was commended in Phineas destroying the Adulterers and in the Israelites against the Benjamites Now see the men that these Reformers call Mass-mongers and false Preachers The most part of our Ministers says Gilby are either Popish Priests or Monks or Fryers Procters of Antichrist's Inventions Popish Chapmen c. If Kings and Princes refuse to reform Religion says Whittingham the Inferior Magistrates or People by direction of the Ministery may lawfully and ought if need require even by Force and Arms to reform it themselves To the Multitude says Goodman a portion of the sword of Justice is committed from the which no person King Queen or Emperor being an Idolater is exempt he must die the death These are the opinions of those Persons whom our Reformers make their Pattern How they proceeded the story of Queen Elizabeth sets forth abundantly and our own memories may enform us how close our Covenanters have follow'd them E We have now faithfully c. With what Faith Reason or Necessity soever the case was spread before the Bishops we 're sure 't was fouly done to spread the case before the People But where 's the Faith of taking an Ell for an Inch of abolishing what they pretend to alter of perverting Scripture and of putting an Arbitrary Nothing upon the People instead of a Set-form Where lies the Reason of presenting the Opinions of the Simple as Arguments to the Wise of opposing Number to Equity Tumults to Authority and of pressing his Majesty to put himself into the power of those very people that dethron'd his Father Lastly where lies the necessity of insisting upon so many variations as are already prov'd to be utterly unnecessary Now see the Remedies they offer us which come to this They propose to cure good Order by Confusion Honest and safe they say they are and honest and safe we may believe them but we must first believe that there 's no Knavery in Nature for set mens consciences at liberty once to think what they please their hands will not be long restrained from executing those thinkings Never was a general Freedom demanded but for a particular design nor was it ever granted but the next proposition was Equality But they propose it here it seems as to prevent the fear'd enemies of our distractions Behold a drop fallen from the lips of Prudence it self Are we in danger already and shall we be in less when those we fear are in more power Either the Reason's naught or the Design let them say whether APPENDIX SO far as open and clear Dealing to their Arguments or Justice to their meaning may acquit me I think I owe them nothing and yet methinks I'm in their Debt unless I match their Twenty Reasons in favour of their Propositions with as many against them And which is more since 't is the Multitude they Court I am content their friends shall be my Judges When I have