Banishment to Abjuration How will it sound in that Day I was in Prison and ye committed me I was banished and ye banished me I was impoverished and ye impoverished me what ye did to the Preachers whom I sent yet did to me When you shall be judged what will you plead or how can you pray Thy Kingdom come and obstruct the coming of it to any People in any place in the Land If there be nothing in what I humbly offer reject it if there be any Conviction in any thing be pleased to consider of it Philagathus THE Conformist's second Plea FOR THE NON-CONFORMISTS IT must be confessed that there is some turpitude in all Apologies either imputed or committed To Preface a Book with an Apology when the matter is good is to put a foul face upon a good matter but then it is a foul face only in some Men's Eyes which are diseased and will appear if not beautiful yet tolerably handsom to the eye of them that look for nothing perfect and free from humane frailty and that make daily use of a Towel and fair Water themselves Plead for my self I must and I shall make some requests with my Pleas that so if I may not come off without guilt and blame I may come off with my Pardon I did not think the Reverend Non-Conformists so few or weak as to need an Advocate in some things of another Judgment and so far of the other side for as they are most sensible of their own condition so they can both rationally and pathetically open and plead their own Cause and in my mind they have said a great deal to purpose if after all it will be to purpose I am sure had I been one of them I could not have said for them what they have done But knowing how ill they are represented I was resolved in what I could to do them right and therein to express my Compassion proportionable to my Religion which as such is not confined but Catholick and if my Charity and Compassion must extend to all that call on the Name of the Lord Jesus I am certain I must shew it to them whom I take to be sound in Faith and Worship and whom I have known and heard and by whose Works I may profit if I have not My request to them is that they would believe there are many in the Church of England that wish an Union they with us and we with them and it must needs be so in all them that are animated by the same Holy-Spirit of Truth Faith and Love I do also beg their pardon that I have pleaded for them with no more Life and Strength I do understand and I easily believe that many of the Reverend Conforming Church-Men are offended that a Conformist should plead for the Non-Conformists It hath seemed to some almost incredible and to look like a Cheat or a Jesuit in Masquerade I am glad I am not to be tried by Judges of that Complexion by whom I am condemned at the very first sight of the Title Page and that it hath found Approbation from them whom I take to be of a better Temper Before I plead I do humbly beg their Pardon and Excuse who have been dishonoured by the Suspicion of being the Authors of the Plea for the Non-Conformists by my concealment of my Name It hath been a greater Honour to me than I ever expected or thought of that it hath passed under some very Reverend Names but it is a Dishonour to them to be counted the Fathers of such a Birth which represents neither their Strength nor Statures neither Feature nor Speech These worthy Men may vindicate themselves with one Negative but I cannot undeceive the Inquirers without running upon considerable Trouble and Temptations I perceive the Injury is so common that I cannot without a greater distrust their Pardoning Ingenuity Having said this I next put in my Apology That Book was fitly called the Conformists Plea because it becomes the Conformist to read and weigh the Case and having done so to be righteous and compassionare to be a good Instrument between his Mother and his Brethren at such a time when ill Agents pass between them and because the greatest Authorities he hath used have been eminent Fathers or Sons of the Church of England Why should it seem strange to any Man in such an Age as this when many that seem Enemies to Popery yet plead for Papists Why should it seem strange that one should labour to prepare the Hearts of Men of the same Faith to meet or to receive Dissenting Protestants into Church-Communion with them by opening the hardness of their Case the Worthiness of their Persons and of their Ministerial Abilities Soundness of their Faith Exemplary Morals peaceable Demeanour c. Why should it offend any Man that I should open their Case and testify for them when we all that have any sense bewail our Divisions and from thence fore-tell our Destruction and profess a desire of Union tho upon different Terms How many in the Land do declaim against their Principles and Practises and are ready to raise a Wind if it were in their Power to carry them away that know neither the Men nor their declared Principles Is it not necessary first to remove Prejudices and next to beget good Thoughts of them in all that through unacquaintance with them or Disaffection towards them before ever we can either desire or admit an Union with them It is a good preparation for an intire affectionate Closure to shew how near they come to us what Abatements other great and excellent Men would have made had they had the management of Church-Affairs in our Days and what Concessions they formerly thought fit to make and more especally in a time when the great Counsellours and Trustees of our Peace and Liberties have unanimously voted for a Legal Union or that which is to some a hateful Word Comprehension It is most unlike a Minister of Christ and a Member of a Christian Reformed Church to kick and spurn at Protestant Brethren that would gladly come into the Arms of a Legal Constitution upon no other terms and by no other ways than such as Wisdom shall find out and the Government resolve upon for the Honour of Christ and his Religion and the safety of the Church In vain do we use the names of Unity and Peace and Uniformity and yet at the same time in the same Discourses revile and bear false witness against our Brethren To commend Peace and dislike fair Proposals is flatly to hate Peace to commend Peace and with Tongues and Pens to persecute them with whom the Peace is to be made is a Method for Peace which I never learned To invite Men to my House and keep the Doors shut as against Thieves and Contentious Persons that will never be quiet or that are not fit to be trusted in it is such a kind of Civility and Complement that can never
and latter Times in their Controversials that surely these Men were an excellent part of the Church inspired by the Spirit of Grace and Truth and deserved better usage and a higher place than a Barn or a Hall to preach in In speaking well of the Nonconformists I have followed the Example of them that I reckon among the Chief of the Church of England and if my Affection to them and in them to Christian and Protestant Name and Religion hath prevailed upon me to an unusual Undertaking if it be not pardonable with some if it be acceptable to Jesus Christ and suitable to the Minds of many good Men in the Church and do some tolerable service to the suffering part I doubt not but I shall be saved without the Pardon of them that cannot pardon the Vertue of Moderation any more than the aggravated offence of Nonconformity I have gone no further than to plead a trampled Cause which they that hold it think too good and precious to be trodden on by the proudest Foot as sit to be taken into Consideration by the Wisdom and Authority of the Nation I have not presumed to make Proposals or Demands that 's left to wise and great Men. But if some of our Eminent * Dr. Stilling Preface to the Vnreasonab of Separation Church-Men have made Proposals of Abatement and have not violated their Subscriptions not to endeavour any alteration of the Government in Church or State I hope I have not forfeited my Sonship or broken Faith by doing far less and keeping within the Bounds of a well-meaning Man And so much and perhaps too much by way of Apology I have opened in the Plea the Hardness of the Case Greatness of the Sufferings Worthiness of the Persons of the Non-Conformists and the Loss to the Church by their Exclusion or Suppression I might infer Conclusions from every of those Head of the Arguments and drive the Plea more home but now because their Sufferings are like to be more and greater and they are to be a Carkass to the Eagles I will take leave to discuss this seasonable and necessary Question Q. Whether it be not better that the Penal Laws against the Non-Conformists to which they are obnoxious by their Preaching and Praying and other Religious Exercises should not be executed but forborn rather than put in Excution until such time as our Gracious King and Parliament in time to come shall maturely take the State of divided Protestants into their wise Consideration and bring us all into a happier Legal Establishment than we are in or can be in while our Divisions and their Causes continue It may be thought high Presumption in a private Person to determine which is the better but I conceive that because the Civil Magistrate is not Omniscient but takes his Information from Inferiours and private Men coming to him through Publick Persons it 's rather a Duty than an Offence to propose such a Question and discuss it when too many determine perhaps without due Examination of the Case that the rigorous Prosecution of Dissenters is best and needful In the handling of this Question it will be necessary to state it and shew 1. Who I mean by the Non-Conformists 2. State the Controversy between them and the Church from which they dissent 3. Open the nature of the Offences for which they are liableto the Laws 4. Explain what I mean by Forbearance of them or the Execution of the Laws 5. Why I limit the time until our Gracious King shall take our divided State into further Consideration After which done I will 6. Produce my Arguments for the Affirmative That it is better the Laws should not be executed than put in Execution And 7. Answer Objections to the contrary 1. By Nonconformists I mean only such Ministers Teachers Pastors and People as are sound in the Fundamentals of the Christian Faith and substantial Worship that are Protestants or reformed from the Corruptions of Popery that peaceably submit to the Civil Government of the Kingdom and the Temporal Laws thereof Secondly The Controversy between the Nonconformists and the Church or the Conformists lies not in Matters Political and of Civil Government for they agree in that according to the Laws and Constitution of the Realm * Vid. Dr. Stilling Misch Separat p. 21. and their own many Books Cum illis quos tu Puritanos vocas non est nobis de fide aut Fidei dogmate lis ulla de Ritibus illis disciplina Ecclesioe nostrae contendunt Crakenthorp Eccles Anglic. Defensio c. 33. p. 203. Nor is the Controversy in the Fundamentals or Articles of Faith or between a Church-Government and Anarchy or no Government but about Matters of Form and Ecclesiastical Discipline and Terms of Church-Communion or of Exercise of their Publick Ministry consisting in Subscriptions Oaths and Declarations and some private Doctrines to be assented to But this is too general an Account more particularly it is carefully to be noted 1. That the Controversy berween the Nonconformists and the Church as now Established by Law is not the same it was between the Church and Nonconformists or Puritans from the Reign of Q. Elizabeth to our King's Reign The Nonconformists in those days and following time asserted a Government and Discipline of Divine Right by Presbyterian Classes Synods and Lay-Elders and dissented from the Government by Diocesan Bishops and Ceremoines principally yet these were against the Brownists who separated from the Church of England as no true Church which the meer Nonconformists did not But since his Majesties wonderful Restauration that part of the Controversy which relates to Church-Discipline and Government is altogether new and quite different from the old No single Person nor Combination of Men did ever desire of the King or Parliament the Establishment or the Toleration of the Presbyterian Government or Discipline See Mr. Baxt. Preface to Bp Morley and Bp Gunning before his True and only way of Concord either in the Presbyterian or Independent Way And therefore the pains of those Writers who have revived the Opinions and raked into the Miscarriages of the Presbyterians might have been spared as not at all to the purpose except to that which is unbecoming either peaceble or wise Men They do only kindle Wrath by stirring Fire and cry Fire Fire in the Church and State when there is not so much as any Smoak ascending from the Embers of Presbyterian Principles Those Tragical Stories of Presbyterians whether true or not which some Men bring to remembrance seem to serve another Design than the union or preservation of the Church and apparently to render the Nonconformists suspicious and odious and to hinder a Reconciliation 2. There are especially two sorts of Dissenters from the Legal Church First Those who are called Presbyterians but wrongfully so called and by me only for Distinction sake the other are the Congregational or Independents The Fanaticks and Sectaries fall under this last Division
The Argument runs thus It is not good to execute the Laws upon Dissenting Protestants therefore it is better to forbear their Execution than put them in Execution The Proposition is be proved by an Enumeration of the Laws that Men are pressing upon them 1. It is not good to execute the Statute of 35th of Q. Elizab. which they who are in danger are threatned with That which the whole Parliament thought dangerous to the whole Protestant Interest in England and did as far as in them lay disanul a Bill being prepared to be signed by His Majesty should not be thought good or fit to be executed upon one part of Protestants by some particular Justices of the Peace on the irreligious covetous Information of a sorry sort of Men. The loss of that Bill was judged so great a loss to the Nation of Protestants that the next Parliament made diligent Inquiry into the Causes of that dangerous Frustration of what was thought as much for the Preservation of Protestants from Banishment by Abjuration as for the Preservation of our Bodies from burning by the Act de Heretico comburendo But if this Argument be not of force against them that can handle a Sword better or sign a Warrant than answer an Argument or that will not be reasoned out of a Resolution it may receive some further Strength by this further Enumeration 1. The impartial Execution of that Statute will be ill for all the Papists in the Land that owning the Supremacy of the Pope do impugn the King 's in Causes Ecclesiastical and have absented from Common-Prayer They must abjure the Realm and truly a little respect to Nonconformists because they are not Papists but Protestants should direct our Magistrates to begin with the Papists and try if by ridding the Land of Papists the Stifness of the Dissenters may not bend towards Conformity But to begin with Protestants and leave the Enemies of the King and Church to stay behind them that have potent Confederates is not safe nor kind and respective to Protestants 2. It will be ill for thousands of them that go under the Name of Protestants of the Church of England that may be proved not to have been at Common-Prayer in any Church or Chappel or place where Common-Prayer is wont to be made To prosecute Protestants that preach or are present at Religious Duties tho not after the manner of the Liturgy and to spare them that are oftener present at a Coffee-House or Tavern than at any Worship of God is too partial a Proceeding and argues little kindness to Religion by shewing more to them that wear a Name of Religion and not so much as a Cloak of Religion besides 3. It is not for the King's Honour Profit or Safety and therefore it is not good that a general Riddance should be made of all Dissenters both Papist and Protestant out of the Land by Abjuration when the Papists have many Friends that can furnish them with Arms to make their way back again with some Armies and Auxiliary Forces to help them to pull down the Church of England and set up what King they please 4. It cannot be good for the Church of England I mean the severe and rigorous tempered Men who will multiply Enemies against them when they see that Severities are used upon good Subjects and the moderate and sensible part of the Church will be grieved to see their Brethren in the Faith drawn out first for Sacrifice 5. It cannot be good for those Gentlemen who have expressed their dislike of our last Parliaments and that hope for another and labour to be in it themselves when the whole Nation see and know how friendly they are to the Popish Party how hard to believe as much a Popish Plot and have as soon as possibly they can after their Thanks to the King for his Ruling by Laws declared what Laws they are ready to execute Can they think that any besides a terrified servile Dependent Part of the Nation will vote for them or for their Friends Interest That therefore which is good for none ought not by any to be executed and none will but such as are resolved against all Reason and the highest Wisdom The other two Laws are directly against Protestant Dissenters Secondly It is not good to execute the five Mile Act upon them 1. It is not a righteous thing to execute that Law upon them except they are guilty of that Crime for which that Law doth principally and ' mainly provide The Crimes recited in that Act are Whereas they conformed not c. nor made the Delcaration in the Act of Uniformity but setled themselves in Corporations taking occasion thereby to instil the Principles of Schism and Rebellion into the Hearts of His Majesties Subjects to the great danger of the Church and Kingdom This is the pretended Mischief against which that Act was made and if so then it cannot with any Justices be executed but upon such as have sowed those Principles If such have been no Favour is asked for them But who comes out to prove that any Nonconformist Preacher hath instilled such Principles If some have why should those that have not suffer as if they had if some have find them out if all have spare none if none have why should any suffer If they have those Principles are very weak and ineffectual have had many Years to work in and yet for the honour of the Religion which they profess no Rebellion hath been as much as moved Was their Nor conformity a Crime they patiently bore the sentence of the Law Their living in Corporations could be no Crime their preaching Orthodox Doctrine could do no hurt to Church nor States their not taking that Oath was no greater a Crime in them than in all the Lords and Commons who then and since have argued against it and opposed it To instil the Principles of Schism and Rebellion must be the Crime Now if none of them have been guilty of that Instillation it is not good because not just to execute the Laws upon them 2. It is not good to execute that Law upon Dissenting Protestants which at first making was promoted by Men Popishly inclined and since appeared to be Papists and was never executed but in Favour of Popery and was opposed by Loyall Protestants I know not in what rank of Protestants to place him with whom this Argument is weak except among those good natured Protestants that have served the Popish Designs Who were the Promoters of it but Sir Tho. Clifford since Lord Treasurer and a professed Papist Sir Solomon Swale Growth of Popery under the Name of Andrew-Marvel Esq and Sir Roger or Tho. Strickland that since appeared to be Papists Who more opposed it than the wise and Loyal Earl of Southampton Lord Treasurer Earl of Shaftsbury who scented the Popish Plot and pursued it before many were aware the Lord Wharton and others firm to the Protestant Interest Take the good
and preached there to his Death Mr. Travers ordained by Presbyters in Antwerp after a sharp Controversy with Mr. Hooker was made Provost of Trinity Colledg near Dublin by A. B. Loftus See Fuller's Hist B. ix Chancellor of Ireland Rob. Brown that deserved worst held his Rectory of A-Church Mr. Stone continued in his Parsonage of Warkton A. B. Whitgift whose Stiff constancy was known and proved wrote thus to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh My Procceedings are neither so vehement nor so general against Ministers and Preachers Ibid. p. 139. as some pretend doing me therein great Injury In another to Sir F. Walsingham I have forborn to suspend or deprive any Man already placed in any Cure or Charge for not subscribing Only Bishop Anthony Rudd in his Speech in Convocation An. 1604 said See Addenda to the first Plea That many Learned Preachers enjoyed their Liberty conditionally that they did not by Word or Deed openly disgrace or disturb the State established would that do now we should see a return of many cast out if not of all What need I say of the Indulgence of Arch-Bishop Abbot Remarkable is that Discourse between A. B. Bancroft who was a sharp Adversary of the Puritans with a N. C. An honest able Man protested to him that it went against his Conscience to conform which way quoth the A. B. will you live if put out of your Benefice The Minister answered He had no way but to go a begging Full. B. 10. p. 57. or put himself on the Divine Providence Not that said the A. B. you shall not do so but come to me and I will take order for your Maintenance Many had Lectures or were connived at by Bishops or protected by Great Men as is proved in Particulars by Mr. Baxter Second Part of the Defence against Dr. Stillingfleet c. 4. Hist B. ix p. 135. Sect. 18. Pertinent is that to my purpose which Dr. Fuller writes of some in the Time of Q. Elizab. Reign The Practises of the Presbyterians now found so much Favour as almost amounted to a connivance at their Discipline For whilst the Severity of the State was at this time intended to the heighth against the Jesuites some Lenity of Course by the very Rules of Opposition fell to the share of the Nonconformists on the score of their notorious Enmity to the Jesuitical Party The Earl of Leicester procured great Favour for them from the Queen and snibbed the Bishops for urging Subscriptions The great and wise States-men were Intercessors for some of them witness the Letters of the Lord Treasurer Burleigh and Sir F. Walsingham in that Church-History But now is there no Mittigation to be looked for when our present N. C. approach nearer to a Closure and when their Opposition to the Jesuites doth provoke that Party to strain all their Policies Power and Malice against them Consider if it be not a time to shew Mercy to our Brethren and not to oppress them as Enemies when the whole Protestant Interest among us is saved by meer Mercy How contrary will the impoverishing of them be to that Duty If thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thurst give him Drink Surely if we ought to relieve an Enemy so far as to keep him alive we ought to spare our Brethren and preserve them from a Necessity to beg their Bread But here I seem to some to beg a Question I call them Brethren when they are not It is true I do and if they who profess the same Faith Worship and live under the same Laws are not Brethren have we any in any part of the World Is there any Houshold of Faith out of the Houshold of Conformists If not then our extream Zeal against Nonconformists will carry us to Donatism and confine the Church within the Lines of our Uniformity If to avoid this we acknowledg a Catholick Church out of those Bounds then why shall not that Right be allowed to them that dwell among us as well as to them that live in Forreign Nations and differ as much from our Form of Discipline as they do If therefore they are Brethren let them receive from us some Tokens of Affection and not be burnt with the Marking-irons of Anger as unfit Objects of any thing less than Exclusion from all Favour And let not the Mercy and Mildness of former times come into Judgment against this Generation I do hope there are many that have Sorrow in their Hearts daily for them and that have Hearts of Flesh to them Arg. 3. Both Church-men and Magistrates should forbear this Course of Rigor for fear of being guilty of the great Sin of Persecution or approaching near it All good Christians should be tender of falling into degrees of that Sin which in the highest degree is proper to the Enemies of Christ There are now none in any place of Power but such have by Oaths and Tests avowed themselves to be sincere and honest Protestants and if they will hear Reason on their Brethrens behalf what Mercy can Protestants expect from Papists or perjur'd Hypocrites Abstain from punishing and hurting the Servants of Christ lest ye be found fighting against God and obstructing the Prosperity of Christ's Kingdom by quenching any Light of the Gospel because it is not set up in a branched Candlestick or in the Church They would all burn in the Church but for something that keeps them out in the Church-porch Now as every Christian that hopes for Salvation alone by Christ should be afraid of hurting Christ in his Members so must every Man be tender in affixing the Charge of Persecution upon any which that I may not do I will 1. Open the nature of Persecution 2. The kinds of it 3. Consider what is said to free the Prosecution of the Laws from being a Persecution First To persecute in this place is taken in an ill sence for any kind of Vexation or Trouble brought upon others especially such as is grievous to be born Grot. in Math. 5.10 Petr. Ravan it is ardenter pertinacitèr dilgenter insectari ad nocendum or as others To follow as a Hunter doth his Game In respect of the Sufferer it must be causeless and undeserved and by Consequence not for doing ill in respect of the Inflicter it must be injurious and in respect of the Cause it must not be a civil Cause but Religious in Whole or in Part. It is Persecution if it strike at any part of Religion or for any Exercise of Religion Secondly There are many kinds and degrees of Persecution distinguished by the Afflicters Affliction and Afflicted and the Reasons Causes and Ends. The menaced Sufferings of the Nonconformists are not 1. From an open professed Enemy of the Faith but what is marvellous from Men professing the same Faith as Protestants the Power being in no other hand 2. It is not for Christianity for the Name of Christ or being Christians 3. It is not directly a suffering of Death
or Banishment tho it may come to it as it is a proceeding upon the Act of the 17th and 22d of our King but such hath been the Zeal of some Justices in some parts of this Kingdom as to threaten Dissenters with Abjuration Banishment and Death But ordinarily the threatned Punishments are of loss of Goods of Liberty to do good to Souls of Imprisonment for particular Acts and Exercises of the Christian Religion only because performed in an undue manner as to human particular Laws by Preachers that have not conformed upon the imposed Terms of exercising their Ministry and upon such as hear them beyond such a Number and these Punishments are threatned by Christian Protestant Magistrates against professedly Protestant Preachers and Hearers They who suffer say They suffer for Conscience and Religion and therefore they are persecuted they who punish them say It is not for Religion but for doing ill Let us impartially examine the Case as urged by the Nonconformists and as defended by some Conformists The Nonconformists argue thus Preaching and Praying are necessary Duties But the Nonconformists are punished for Preaching and Praying Therefore for necessary Duties and by Consequence they are persecuted A Reverend and by his many serious Professions Toleration disapproved Ox. 1670 2d Edi. which I admit a good Man undertakes to take off this Argument Indeed the Argument is laid down defectively because the words of the Laws are upon pretence of Religious Exercises there are other Exercises of Religion besides Preaching and Praying The same Reverend Author doth distinguish to the major Proposition and flatly denies the minor Preaching and Praying saith he are necessary Duties quoad Substantiam but quoad Circumstantias they are not necessary and he reckons some Circumstances in which 't is true they are not necessary as to two or three thousands c. 2. He utterly denies the minor as false They are punished for not observing those Circumstances saith he about Preaching and Praying which Authority requireth or for not performing those Duties in such a manner or more plainly for not submitting to those Constitutions established for the better ordering of those Duties which Constitutions he proves to be good from an Enumeration of all the Causes They are good respectu Efficientis sufficient Authority 2. Materiae the matter not unlawful or contrary to a former Obligation 3. Formae a sufficient Promulgation 4. Finis the publict Peace and Safety To consider all these things distinctly Let me say 1. By necessary Duties we agree are meant Duties necessary by the Divine Precept or as Means to the Ends of Christian Religion 2. Ministers and People are first obliged to Christ as their Governour absolute according to his Laws and to temporal Governours subordinately in and for the Lord. Therefore the first and principal Regard of Obedience is to Jesus Christ with that strictness he hath bound us to 3. No Action of Religion can be done without Circumstances 4. Circumstances are subservient to Duties and we are sure that God doth not tie up to such Circumstances as do always tie up from the Duties tho in some Circumstances the Duty may be omitted but they are such as render the Duty for that time unnecessary and if Men would learn from God they would never enjoyn such Circumstances as shall hinder any to perform them from whom God requires them 5. Those Circumstances as you call them are such as no private Man can take away because required by Laws Being such it shall never be lawful for any Nonconformist to preach to more than Four beside the Houshold yet they are bound absolutely to Christ to preach without any Restriction if the Bishops please for else they would be only conditionally bound to Christ and absolutely bound to the Bishops If the Bishops allow them then Christ allows them if the Bishops forbids them then Christ forbids them for all Power derived from Christ is for Christ If the Nonconformists neglect necessary Duties out of respect to human Circumstances who do obey He that requires the Duty quoad Substantiam or them that shut them up or rather out per Circumstantias which is best to neglect the Duties required by Christ when they cannot without Sin observe the Circumstances or neglect those Circumstances and do the Duties in such other Circumstances as they can have This were to make the Observation of Human Circumstances more necessary than Divine Ordinances 6. It is in some Circumstances as necessary for a Nonconformist to preach without our Circumstances as it is for us to preach with them 7. The Case hath been and may as it was to Peter Martyr before he lest Italy to preach and administer Sacraments in a Conventicle of many hundreds or some thousands and necessary to venture Life and all for it Apology for N. C. preaching to the Bishops p. 15 16. §. 12. What R. Mr. B. writes is to the point of Circumstances If the Magistrate forbids us to preach the Gospel either our Preaching is necessary or unnecessary and this either notorious or doubtful If our Preaching be notoriously unnecessary we will obey him and forbear If it be a doubtful Case we will use all means God hath appointed us to know the Truth and if yet it be doubtful and our Minds in suspence we will stand to the Judgment of the Magistrate and forbear But if our Ministry be notoriously and undoubtedly necessary to the just Ends which is the Edisication of Mens Souls we will obey God in Preaching as we are able and humbly and patiently bear what is laid upon us by our Rulers nor do we take our selves bound by Christ to one Place or one Time or manner of Teaching or to speak always to a great Assembly but all these are Circumstances which we must fit to the end and success of our Work To conclude this Head Altho the Nonconformists cannot preach in those Circumstances as you call them enjoyned by Law for fear of sinning as they do confidently and seriously declare and for no other Reason they must preach and pray and perform other Religious Exercises upon such Circumstances as they can have and that if it cannot otherwise be upon hazard for it is a greater Sin and deserves a sorer Punishment to neglect a necessary Duty enjoyend by Christ than to neglect the Observation of such Circumstances as are enjoyned by a lawful Authority except Jesus Christ hath given such Power to Magistrates and Church-Governours as to command Circumstances which all his Servants without dispute or hesitancy must obey and that Christ doth rather approve of the neglect of necessary Duties than for respect to them transgress human Circumstances by which necessary Duties may be suspended or rendred unnecessary If both cannot be done the one without the other which must give place the Circumstances to the necessary Duties or the Duties to the Circumstances Especially when we consider that Christian Preachers and People are first and absolutely obliged to
one against them There is no such Preaching and Praying and performing good Duties as is absolutely perfect and free from all Faults and often-times in necessary Ingredients and Conditions the best Man faileth This supposed the Question arising is Whether they who observing the Call of God Answer of their Conscience need and benefit of Souls are blessed of God in their Work tho but in some measure do not do better to preach and pray at all hazards if otherwise it cannot be than if they did forbear because in one point they offend against a revokable Law and for that how many Circumstances do over-match that one First For their Persons they are else in all points subject to the Laws Secondly For their Doctrine ready to give an account Thirdly For the manner of doing it is in a peaceable way without any kind of Riot they meet and part as peaceably as any of our Church-Assemblies do There is I say again no such performance of Duties as is absolute faultless and perfect in all Circumstances The Duties they perform are religious defective only in outward Form and is it not comparatively better to perform them than forbear them And can he that punisheth them for such Religious Exercises neither materially poisonous nor effectually poisoning Subjects ever be excused from punishing Well-doing and for Religion if these Considerations have any Reason in them Obj. It is not Religion but their Nonconformity to the Laws that 's punished Answ Their Nonconformity was punished once before by their loss of their Livings and temporal undoing how often must the same Men be punished for the same Fault as you and not they account it Obj. They are Men of ill Designs c. Answ Why do not you prosecute them as such if they are such and leave out their Preaching and Praying out of your Informations and Warrants Obj. If the Execution of Laws shall be termed Persecution then wo to Magistrates will any Man dare to call it Persecution This 〈◊〉 the case c. Answ All due Reverence to the Laws and to the Magistrates premised the Administrators of Laws may be guilty of undue Prosecutions and persecuting Men with good Laws Merciless and uncharitable urging of good Laws beyond their intention and scope and with Revenge and Rigor upon the Peccant is Persecution in the common Acceptation of Men. To conclude this Disquisition It is undeniable that nothing but Preaching and Praying and other Religious Exercises are the Cause of Trouble and Sufferings to very many who had not been at all molested but for those Duties If there be a house full of Friends or Strangers that come and go in a peaceable manner yea altho many or all of the Men are armed with ordinary Weapons if there be nothing but eating and drinking and common Discourses they are not molested yea if a great deal of their Discourse be religious there is no Information nor issuing out of Warrants but if there be a Preacher among them and any Solemnity in the Duties of Religion this becomes offensive and liable to the Laws It is the Exercise of Religion that gives the Offence and makes the Company guilty and how Punishments fall upon such when met without Weapons or quarrelling or disturbance of the Peace to make it a Riot but for Religion is not to be thought There is no Question to be made but many Justices have been guilty of gross Persecution abusing the Laws to the service of their Anger and Revenge and have gone beyond the Law when they have wanted sufficient Evidence either of Preaching Praying or Expounding or of any Preacher being in Company but have told the Informers if they heard but a Tone like Preaching it was sufficient It can be proved of one Justice that without any other Proof sent out his Warrant to levy upon the Goods of them that were present and I have seen a Copy of another Warrant for levying of 20 l. when it was not proved that there was a Preacher in the House If these are true then such Executioners of Justice do execute for Religion and for no other Offence Such also as threaten they will not leave a Meeting-house standing who know bo h the Preachers and their Auditors to be peaceable Persons and cannot pretend any cause of Fear From their Assemblies do threaten as displeased with their Religious Exercises and for no other Cause for if they can suffer many lazy irreligious Persons to absent from Church and not punish them tho they have no lawful cause of their Absence and threaten to punish them that are religious but in another way it is not Conscience and Zeal of Duty to the publick Worship that moves them for then they would punish the lazy 〈◊〉 idle or prophane and say They will not suffer any Person to be absent from the Common-Prayer but be zealous against some as against others But this is not the Temper of all therefore I will not bring in a charge of Persecution against all but I will endeavour to shew what is required of a Man that cannot be said to persecute and leave it to the Examination and sentence of every Mans Conscience 1. He must be a knowing Man not in Christian Religion in general only but in these controverted points about Religion he must not be so senceless as to call Religion Sedition nor to make a different Form to be a different Religion or that Religion is subverted by a Difference from some humane Constitutions He must be a knowing Man lest he rush ignorantly upon the Servants of Christ Paul was a Persecuter when he was ignorant Ignorance did excuse him from the Malice but not from the Persecution He must not only think he doth God good Service for so did others who for all their thought did persecute the Disciples but be sure he doth God good Service 2. He must be a sincere Lover of Jesus Christ of his Holy Ordinances of all that believe on him and that worship him for if he hate Christ hate his Gospel Preaching Praying and Religious Duties or hate the Disciples of Christ he must needs be a Persecutor and of the grosser sort 3. He must be sincere in what he doth for the thing which he doth he must be satisfied that he doth well and he must intend the Glory of God and the honour and preservation of Religion in it If he pretend in his Warrants Sedition or evil Designs when there is none he acts falsly and pretends that to be the cause of his Commands which he verily knows is not the cause as not being as much as alledged or proved If he thus proceeds he strikes at Religion under pretence of Sedition and Rebellion 4. He must consider the Circumstances of the Persons both Preachers and Hearers the time of their Meeting the need they have in their Places and other Circumstances But if without Examination or making any difference for his Information he follows the story of the Informer then