London pag. 11. of the Preface Onely this I shall take leave to observe and say that these Antiquerie-masters are their crafts-masters in this Pontificall artifice for oh how are they troubled how are they pained and afflicted in soule about the Queries not good men that themselves or their Interests in the cause of Presbytery are any wayes disturb'd struck at or in danger to suffer by them wee heare ne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quidem not the least mutter or whisper of this sorrow or complaint throughout the whole discourse but the great anguish and vexation the amazement b page 5. of their devout soules is that the honour of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Authority of the Spirit c page 6. are blasphemeâ— in them that in stead of bringing the true Doctrine of the Father and the Sonne the Queries have brought all the Doctrines of God into so absolute an uncertainty O thou that searchest the reines and the hearts wilt thoâ—e not judge the hypocrisie of these men if yet they be hypocrites and give to every one of them according to their worke d Revel 2. 23. For what are the men so super-superiatively zealous for the honour of God and of our Lord Jesus Christ and for the Authority of the Spirit and yet all their Faith all their knowledge all the Doctrines they have received concerning God brought into an absoluâ—â— uncertainty by one poore Querie or Question If a question hath so dangerously shaken the Religion of these men surely even a weake Argument would turne it upside downe O Church of England Sect. 7. whatsoever thou art tremble to build thy Faith upon the foundation of these thy Teachers for they confesse if they mean as they say that in all these Doctrines concerning God and Christ they are brought into an absolute uncertainty and that by the force of one Question onely It seemes that their beliefe of all they know of all they teach concerning God and Christ is suspended upon the hope they have of the goodnesse of the cause of High Presbytery so that when the goodnesse of this cause is any wayes made doubtfull or questionable unto them a pang of a proportionable uncertainty in those other things also seizeth on them They say that they perceive that which no man perceives besides themselves viz. that the Querist is in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity but the Querist perceives that which is of a farre cleerer vision viz. that â—f all the Doctrines of God and Christ be with them brought into an absolute uncertainty they are if not in yet very neere to that gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity whereof they speake But what strange accident befell the learning of these men that Sect. 7. intending to goe to Dothan they should take the way to Samaria that intending or at least pretending to Answer Questions they should gird their Logick to them and make Syllogismes and fall upon answering these Is Soul also among the Prophets Are the members of the Assembly come to their new lights too For to this day doubtlesse it was never knowne or heard that men should frame Arguments and Syllogismes of their owne and call their Answers unto these Answers to the Questions of another When they taught the late Catechisme of their present Church and asked the child What is your Name and who gave you this Name did they teach the child to answer first by framing Syllogismes out of or upon the Questions and then by answering these Syllogismes in stead of the Questions If they had meant fairely and nothing but what was upright in the sight of God and men in addressing themselves to Answer the Queries these being fairely and directly proposed why did they fetch about by the way of the fullers field by which Rabshekah came against Jerusalem a Esa 36. 2. I meane by the way of Syllogismes and Arguments by which the truth is wont to be opposed by her adversaries not the Questions of the friends of Truth answered why did they not answer to the particulars demanded immediately and directly Sect. 7. either by affirmation negation or distinction which is the way and method by which Christ and his Apostles answered all the Questions proposed to them which they thought meet to answer Or howsoever they never made Syllogismes calling their Answers to these Answers to the Questions proposed unto them by others Certainly these men would not have travelled out of the Kings high-way but to lie in waite to rob and steale from those who travell honestly and peaceably in it There was out of all doubt some Clergie-Classique fetch or reach in the projecture the men are better husbands of their Syllogismes and Logicke then to pursue or hunt after Truth or spirituall things with them these they still take and come by with as much ease and expedition as Jacob came by his Venison which he fetchd out of the stock b Gen. 27. 9. 14. Therefore when they take their Bo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and their quiver when they come to Syllogismes and painefull reasonings and debates it is a great signe they have some secular game or other in chase which for the most part is not so tame nor so easily brought to hand as the other But is it lawfull for me upon this occasion to doe as these men frequently doe in their preaching I meane conjecture Reader with thy leave I shall take the boldnesse to present thee with my notion upon the case These contraquerists prudently considering that in the Queries as they came from the Author there was nothing at all either affirmed or denyed so that whatsoever the tenour or purport of them was they could not with any tolerable colour or pretext fasten any opinion either 〈…〉 〈…〉 negative or affirmative upon him that framed them wherewith to blast either the reputation of his person or his Queries therefore to blind vulgar eyes and to set a face upon a backsidebusinesse they judg'd it of best comport with the Classique cause presumptuously to conclude that whatsoever the Querist questions in the negative he holds and asserts in the affirmative as on the contrary that whatsoever he querieth in the affirmative he holds in the negative and so to take of these affirmatives and negatives and digest them into Syllogismes as they please which Syllogismes forsooth the simple Presbyterian for his better edification in the delusions of his Teachers must compell his fanâ—â—â— to believe to be mine and the Answers given to them to be theirs and these insoluble at least and more sacred then to be Sect. 8. 9. touch'd with the least finger of an Examination But ô◠all you that are the Sonnes and daughters of God Sect. 8. whether in the way of Presbytery or in a better stand still and behold your Heavenly Father at this day in the same posture of working wonders wherein he stood in the yesterday
the Ordinance doe nothing else therein that can be interpreted a desire to be called Rabbi then to charge men that they teach no other Doctrine then what the word of God holds forth and the Prophets and Apostles have taught a Pag. 7. Most unworthy men First there is not one jot or tittle of any such charge as this in the Ordinance 2. There is that in the Ordinance which was even now mentioned which in the strictest and most proper sence of the phrase is to compell men to call them Rabbi and this of no affinitie at all with the tenour or substance of such a charge And whereas it further addeth that if any Church-Censures be to be used for any matter of Doctrine this will be as much to force men to call them Rabbi as the Civill Magistrates making this Ordinance forces any to call them Rabbi I answer this assertion or comparison is true onely with this explication viz. when any Church-Censure shall be used for any matter of Doctrine without any sufficient account given by this Church of the erroneousnesse of this Doctrine unto the person or persons against whom the censure shall passe In this case Church-Censures for matters of Doctrine and the Ordinancecensures are much of one and the same consideration 3. As this Answer saith that for the proofe of the minor it is nothing else but a reiteration in other language of the former blasphemies against the Doctrine of God and Christ belched out in the former Querie and needs no other answer then that so say I of this assertion it is nothing else but a reiteration in fewer words of those truth-lesse reason-lesse sap-lesse sence-lesse imputations belched out against that Querie and needs no other Answer then what hath been already at large given to it But 4. And lastly This Answer is a most notorious Delinquent Sect. 33. against the truth in asserting that those that have any sence of Religion Sect. 40. know whether the Magistrate should recommend them or not those Doctrines viz. which are any wayes sentenced in the Ordinance for the Querie on which this Argument pretends to be built queries concerning all the Doctrines specified in the Ordinance to be the sacred Truths of God as being the KNOWNE PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIANITIE and clearly to be proved out of the word of God Certainly there have bin and are thousand thousands in the world who have had as rich and deep a sence of Religion as our Anti-Querie-masters themselves who never esteemed either the Government of the Church by Presbyterie or the lawfulnesse of Baptizing Infants or the being of the Churches of England true Churches with many Doctrines more punishable by the Ordinance to be any of the known principles of Christianitie Nay did there any untill now even among those whose judgements stood for Church-Government by Presbyterie or that held the Churches of England to be true Churches ever assert these for the knowne Principles of Christianitie That N. B. ought to be Parson or Pastor of the Parish-Church of D or that M. N. ought to stand in the same relation to the Parish-Church of another D. are not these also the knowne Principles of Christianitie O Church or Churches of England be ye true or be ye false as you love the things of your peace look out better Oracles then such Teachers as these to consult with about the Principles of your Christianitie In their fourth Argument as likewise in their Answer to it they Sect. 34. take no notice at all of what the Querie honestly desired to remind them viz. of any dying themselves for the maintenance and defence of their Religion but onely of putting others to death for thâ—se ends I hope they do not intimate hereby that their lives are dearer to them then their Religion though other mens lives be not Well but how doe they prove that it is Christian to maintaine Religion by putting others to death though they know not it seemes what to say of maintaining it by dying themselves Their proof is that staple commoditie in the Classiqâ—e Trade viz. the Law of God in the old Testament which commanded false Prophets and Blasphemers and those that seduce to Idolatrie to be put to death But if I should goe about to prove that the man Moses is now alive by this argument viz. because he was alive under the old Testament should I not spread a table of mirth for these men Or if I should goe about to prove that such or such an habit is of the French fashion because it is of Sect. 34. the Spanish would they approve my Logique If they did I should scarce approve of their approbation And is there any better sinew in their reasoning wherein they prove a thing to be Christian because it is Jewish Yea but they were aware of this exception and way-layed it thus This Law of God given under the old Testament for putting false Prophets Blasphemers and seducers to Idolatrie to death is still in force even for the maintenance of Religion But how doe they prove this thus because the reason which God gives of such a Law is this that all the people may heare and feare and doe no more so wickedly Deut. 13. 11. The ground upon which this reason stands and must be made Orthodox if there be any such thing in it is this that whilst the reason of any Commandement or Law takes place or is in force the Law or Commandement it selfe grounded upon that reason must take place and be in force also But of how ill a compliance such a reason or assertion as this is with the Truth will sufficiently appeare by these parallels Abraham received the signe of Circumcision a seale of the righteousnesse of Faith a Rom. 4. 11. i. in the nature of a seale or that it might be a seale unto him and his posteritie of the righteousnesse of Faith But this end of Circumcision the sealing of the righteousnesse of Faith still takes place i. it is still necessary that the righteousnesse of Faith be sealed unto men Therefore Circumcision or the Law commanding Circumcision is still in force Take another God commanded the children of Israel under the old Testament to make them fringes in the border of their garments thoroughout their generations there is no such clause as this in the Law for putting blasphemers or Idolaters to death for the perpetuation of it and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue And that it should be unto them for a fringe that they might look upon it and remember all the Commandements of the Lord and doe them and that they seek not after their own heart and their own eyes b Num. 15. 38 39. But the end of these fringes and of the looking of them viz. the remembring of all the Commandements of the Lord and the doing of them and the not seeking after our own heart or eyes takes place and is still
are fornicators adulterers drunkards deceitfull covetous oppressors proud persecutors c. Doe they suppose I say that such abomination-workers as these doe not at all provoke God against the State or bring dishonour to him or do mischiefe unto his people For without such a supposition as this it is evident that those who maintain some one yea or more of the heresies so called or errors made punishable by the Ordinance may be as truly serviceable to the State as those of contrary judgement yea and this with the full consent of that very reason which is here brought to prove the contrary Or doe these men conceive that whosoever will undergo the penance of bowing downe his neck to the yoke of high Presbytery shall hereby obtaine Sect. 66. a plenary remission of all his sinnes from God yea and Doâ—aâ—iâ—tae qui prae sâ— omnes alios Christian as condemnaâ—ant severitatem censurae in suos reâ—ana 〈…〉 et in suis â—aetibus hâ—mi es 〈…〉 os â—â— optâ— oâ— Gildoâ—iaâ—â—s Primianosque pa â—â—â—auturâ—â— Mart. Loc. Class 4 cap. 5. â—â—ct 15. further be made uncapable of all further provocation These men who are so furiously clamorous against Sectaries and Heretiques in which bundle of clamour they binde up the names of many that are precious in the sight of God and good men doe themselves imitate one of the worst straines that was found in one of the worst kinde of Sectaries I meane the Donatists with the reproach of whose memory and practise they so frequently stigmatize those who dissent from them The Donatists saith Peter Martyr who condemned all other Christians in comparison of themselves were very remisse in their censures of those of their owne Sect. and patiently suffered even the most impure of men in their Assemblies * And of Eunomius the Heretique it is reported that suis sectatoribus quodvis scelus indulgebat That is he favored Sect. 68. his complices or followers in any mischiefe whatsoever Fourthly whereas they alledge that each of the erroneous opinions punishable by the Ordinance hath somewhat of visible prejudice Sect. 67. to the Church and state and from hence argue that those who hold and publiquely maintaine any of these opinions cannot be so serviceable to the State as those who hold the truth in those things may be this is a bird of the same feather and hath beene pluck't already Doubtlesse they who hold the truth in thâ—se things may notwithstanding hold such erroneous opinions otherwise and withall be so unworthy beyond the others in their practises and course of conversation that there may be much more visible prejudice both to the Church and State in these yea in either of them then in the errors of the other But when they adde that the Queree against which they argue seems to inferre that no Law is to be made to afflict or punish those that are godly and serviceable to the Common-Wealth they lay a necessity upon me either to judge them selfe-condemned in the charge or else weak beneath the line of such men who understand plaine English For the cleer truth is that there is not so much as the least sâ—emingnesse of any such inference or intimation in the Querie In their Answer to their seventeenth Argument they follow Sect. 68. their occupation first they dictate and then calumniate They dictate that the Ordinance is not like to discourage they meane from the Ministery any but hereticall and erroneous spirits who would do mischiefe in the Ministery if they were admitted unto it By the way is it not much that Ministers of an Anti-Congregationall Interest should speake against those who doe mischiefe in the Ministery Therefore saith the Apostle thou art unexcusable O man whosoever thou art that judgest for wherein thou judgest another thou condemnest thy selfe for thou that judgest dost the same thing * Rom. 2. 1. But how doe they prove that the Ordinance is not like to discourage any but hereticall and erroneous spirits No otherwise then by the profound demonstration of an Authoritative silence They are nâ—â—i ad imperium borne to Sovereignty and it is an indigne thing to put them upon the servility of disputing The rule is Lex imperet non disputet and is it not meet that Law-makers should partake of the honour and priviledges of the Law But if they could content themselves with the office of Dictatours and not Sect. 69. intrench upon Sathans imployment also of calumniating it were a very considerable deduction from that summe of misery wherewith the nation is now charged by them Our Anti Querists have borrowed Gangrena's forehead and are not ashamed to say that it is the Querists calumnious insinuation that the common doctrines of the Churches of God in this present age are but misprisions and common errours in matters of Religion Reader if there be so much as the quantity of a moâ—e in the â—unne of any such insinuation in the Querie let them weare the crown of Sagacious and quick-discerning men and let the dung hill meet for slaunderers to sit on be assigned unto me for my portion But if they in the charge have sinned the sinne of the dung hill why should sinne and shame part company All the Querie can so much as seem to intimate about this point is that men of greatest worth for parts and abilities are more likely then other men to discover the common errours and misprisions of the present age in matters of Religion But doth he that supposeth there are common errours and misprisions in matters of Religion intimate that the common doctrines of the Churches of God are but misprisions and common errours in Religion Or doth he that supposeth that there is much base and counterfeit coine abroad intimate that the best Silver and Gold are but counterfeit Or doth he that supposeth that illiterate and ignorant men are common in the world intimate that the wisest and most learned men are but illiterate and ignorant Apagè calumniarum quisquilias In their eighteenth Answer p. 20. pretending to answer an Sect. 69. Argument drawn from the parable of the tares they say that the parable doth not forbid to pluck up the tares in one field for feare left others should plucke up the wheat in another field In this doubtlesse they speake most truly For Christ was not afraid left the plucking up of the tares in this world should occasion the plucking up of the wheat in the next world For the field wherein both the wheate and the tares are to grow together is expresly said to be the world i. e. this present world The field is the world Matth. 13. 38. So that our Antagonists thus farre in the point in hand speake most substantially for matter of truth but most childishly as for matters of Answer or reason otherwise Whereas they adde that the parable forbids to pluck up the tares when by the Sect. 70. same act they may be in danger to
for matter of Conscience or Religion sect 14. 18. Whether the second Querie supposeth that the makers of the Ordinance doe not certainly know the opinions therein threatened with death to be damnable heresies sect 16 17 18. 19. Whether it be contrary to the manifest word of God to say that God is not one in three persons sect 21. 20. What belongs to a certainty of knowledge in matters of Religion sect 24 25. 21. What opinions sentenced with death in the Ordinance are not contrary to the manifest word of God sect 26. 22. How hard it is to know what the Ordinance meaneth by the word Scriptures when it sentenceth with death the deniall of them to be the word of God sect 28. 23. What infallibilitie the second Querie intends sect 29. 51. 24. How passionate the Anti-querists are against the second Quere and wherefore sect 30. 25. Whether all the Opinions sentenced by the Ordinance be the knowne Principles of Christianitie sect 33. 26. Whether the Lawes of God in the old Testament which commanded false Prophets Blasphemers Idolaters to be put to death be in force under the New sect 34 35 36 37. 27. Whether our Saviour reproved either the Jewish Church or State for tolerating errors and sects amongst them sect 41. 28. Whether waies of violence and bloud for the support of true Religion be according to the light and law of Nature sect 43. 29. How the Counter Querists prove that Luther maintained no error about free-will sect 52. And whether Consubstantiation be not as grosse yea and as dangerous an error as some threatened with death by the Ordinance sect 53. 30. Whether or what cleering or setling of Truth there is amongst us more then in the beginnings of the Reformation sect 54. 31. Whether the open and publique profession of errors be more or lesse pernicious then the practise of sinnes in a like kind and degree sect 57 58 59. 32. Whether any great difference between imprisonment for life and death sect 59. 33. In what sense onely it is true that they who hold damnable heresies have no true grace c. sect 64. 34. Whether the Parable of the tares be meant onely of Heretiques and false Teachers sect 69. 35. Whether and how the Ordinance is bent against the faces of many that are conscientious sect 75. 36. Whether they be alwayes instruments of evill who publish Doctrines in any sence hurtfull to the peace of the Church and State sect 76 77. 37. Whether zeale or lukewarmnesse the more likely cause of the Bishops casting out sect 79. 38. What the wisdome of the Parliament can and their Justice will doe for the undoing of all the Ordinance intends to doe Sect. 81. 39. Whether the Anti-Querists sufficiently prove the Morall Law in the ten Commandements to be the rule of a Christians life and whether the Christian Sabbaoth be included in the generall scope of the fourth Commandement Sect. 82. 83. 40. Whether the Anti-Querists know what they meane by Arminian free-will Sect. 84. 85. 86. 41. Whether their Description of Blasphemy and impugning the word of God be competent Sect. 87. 42. Whether and how far they concurre with the Querist about the necessity of Reason to direct or lead their Faith Sect. 89. 90. 91. 43. Whether any of the Querists Friends are to be thanked for that strong opposition which is between the two Governments by Presbyterie the one established by the Parliament the other importunely desired by the Ministers Sect. 93. 94. 95. 44. Whether the Anti-Querists have sufficiently justified the Ordinance about the words presumptuously Sect. 96. 97. 45. Whether they doe not grant the Ordinance to be neither Christian nor reasonable in the punishment of Blasphemy there injoyned Sect. 99. 46. Whether the duties of Magistracie rise and fall are more or fewer according to the different qualifications of the Magistrates themselves Sect. 99. 105. 47. Whether it be lawfull to teach Children or others to pray whom we cannot reasonably judge capable of our Instruction in this kinde Sect. 102. 48. The two mountaines from the tops whereof the fairest prospect of High-Presbyterie in her exaltation may be taken Sect. 104. 49. Whether persons engaged be so much the more meet to be Judges Sect. 105. 50. Whether it be probable that there is not any one point in Religion but hath been controverted Sect. 106. 51. What is the true ground of Gangrena's satisfaction about the truth of her stories Sect. 97. 52. Whether God made any controverted point in Religion especially between Priest and Priest c. matter of death or imprisonment under the Law Sect. 106. 107. 108. 53. In what sense the Civill Magistrate is said to be custos utriusque tabulae Sect. 109. Texts of Scripture unto which some light is given either in the Epistle or discourse it selfe 1. COr 15. 24 25. Then commeth the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God even the Father when he shall have put downe all Rule and all Authority and power For he must reigne till he hath put all enemies under his feet Epist Sect. 9. 1 Cor. 15. 28. And when all things shall be subdued unto him then shall the Sonne also himselfe be subject unto him that put all things under him that God may be all in all Ep. Sect. 2. Rev. 21. 22. 23. And I saw no Temple therein for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And this Citie hath no need of the Sunne or of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did light it and the Lamb is the Light of it Ep. Sect. 9. Dan. 12. 4. Many shall run to and fro and knowledge shall be increased Epist Sect. 18. Job 1. 9. Doth Job serve God for nought Disc Sect. 3. Rom. 5. 10. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled unto God by the death of his Sonne much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Sect. 13. Matth. 23. 8. But be not ye called Rabbi Sect. 31. Deut. 13. 5. And that Prophet or that dreamer of dreames shall be put to death c. Sect. 34. 35. 36. c. Levit. 24. 16. And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord he shall surely be put to death Sect. 36. 35. c. 1 Cor. 10. 11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples or tipes Sect. 35. Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall not adde unto the word which I command you neither shall ye diminish ought from it c. Sect. 37. 2 Cor. 10. 4. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling downe of strong holds Sect. 44. Rom. 13. 4. For he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Sect. 45. 46. 47. c. Deut. 12. 48. No uncircumcised person shall eate thereof Sect. 48. 2 Thess 3. 10. This we commanded you that if any would not worke neither should he eate Sect. 48.
roome it selfe whereinto his desire is to enter but steppeth at first upon lower staires which are at some distance from it Nothing is more usuall then in examinations and inquirings out of matters whether by Justices of Peace Judges or others at first to propose Questions or Queries to the persons that are to be examined that are preparatory onely and introductive to such further Questions which strike at the businesse principally intended to be inquired after and found out I presume the intent of the late Catechisme of the present Church of England so called was neither to teach the persons that were to be cathechised what their Names were or who gave them their Names nor yet to informe the Catechist of either of these but to instruct those that were to be catechised in the fundamentall points of Christian Religion Yet we know that the framers of this Catechisme thought meet to begin with those questions VVhat is your Name and VVho gave you this Name which doe not concerne immediately or directly any point of Religion but to serve onely by way of introduction to those questions which follow and whose tendencie was the instruction of the persons catechised in things worthy to be knowne So that to plead or to pretend that because the body of my Queries was compiled upon occasion of the Ordinance therefore the first or second Querie must directly and particularly strike at the Ordinance or any thing contained in it much more at the makers of the Ordinance or else be altogether irrelative to it is a kind of arguing which cannot lightly proceed but from men of one of the worst constitutions that are to be found amongst Christians namely such who are men onely in malice and children in understanding Therefore all that passionate and un-christian bluster of wickednesse blasphemy impudence are you an Atheist or a Devill with all the rest of the black Regiment of unhallowed expressions which spread themselves upon the fift and sixt pages of the Vindication is occasioned onely by that kind of ignorance in the Antiquerists Sect. 18. which the Philosopher calls ignorantia Juris the Ignorance of the Law and excludes from all excuse The men certainly were sick of their disease who sought amongst all the doings and sayings of Christ wherefore to stone him and at last for want of a better or a better coloured for their purpose pitch'd upon that which was as innocent as any of the rest viz. his making himselfe the Sonne of God a Ioh. 8. The Counter-Querists being desirous above measure to find some one or more amongst my Queries that would take compassion on them and ease the burthen of their great griefe by furnishing them with an occasion to disgrace both me and their fellowes have cast their eye and seâ— their heart upon the second as best of countenance for their designe which yet in truth and evidence of interpretation as little favoureth them in the way of this unrighteousnesse as any other Secondly let the Querie in hand be sifted to the bran there Sect. 18. will not so much as the smallest dust be beaten out of it to asperse the MAKERS of the Ordinance whoever they be with any such insinuation as that which the Syllogisme-makers charge upon it viz. that the opinions therein threatned with death may for ought the said MAKERS know be the sacred Truths of God The Querie speakes onely of those who shall inflict the heavie censure of death upon men for holding forth such or such Doctrines and opinions noâ— at all of the Ordinance-makers Now a Jurie who shall passe a verdict against a man which in ordinary course of Law toucheth his life and so a Judge that shall give a sentence of death against him yea and the executioner of this sentence may every whit aâ— properly be said to inflict the censure of death upon him as they that make the Ordinance or Law by occasion whereof he suffereth So then though it should be granted that the Querie intimateth or supposeth this that the inflicters of death upon men for holding forth such opinions which by the Ordinance are threatned with death may very possibly not certainly know but that they are the Truthâ— of God yet it no wayes followes from hence that this intimation iâ— levelled against those who made the Ordinance much lesse against the Parliament who made it not which yet the Anti-querie-men most inâ—ulfly and ignobly but so much the more like unto themselves charge the Querie with because there are diverse others Sect. 19. to whom according to the tenour of the Querie it may relate yea and to whom men of ingenuity and understanding might easily have conceived that according to the intention of the Querist it did belong rather then to the makers of the Ordinance For whatsoever may either reasonably or charitably be thought of these confident I am that upon due consideration it will be found that many men who are put upon Juries yea and some Judges too executioners especially know nothing certainly by those Doctrins in the Ordinance threatned with death but that they are or may be the sacred Truths of God And thus we see how grievously an innocent Querie hath been handled rack'd and tortured by the Sonnes of violence to force an accusation from it against the Authors Well â—â— the comfort is that what men make crooked in their day God will make streight againe in his And now having abundantly justified the Querie against the Sect. 19. Syllogisme let us according to our understanding see whether or how farre the Syllogisme it selfe notwithstanding is justifiable against the Answer given in by the Cata-Querists to it We have vindicated it in part already and have cleerely shewed that the first thing they answer to it is either a meere impertinencie or else a Sword to slay their owne opinion with See Sect 15. Wee exhibited the second particular of their Answer at the beginning of Sect. 16. which amounted to this that the makers of the Ordinance must needs certainly know that the opinions sentenced with death in the Ordinance are damnable Heresies because they are contrary to the manifest word of God overthrowing the very foundations of Christian Religion To this I answer earnestly desiring the Reader well to observe and to carrie in mind the tenour and substance of the allegation First if all the opinions sentenced with death in the Ordinance are damnable Heresies contrary to the manifest word of God overthrowing the very foundations of Christian Religion c. How came it to passe that the Honourable House of Commons as we have been once and againe informed by your weekly Intelligence concerning their proceedings after a long and serious debate judged the contrary not suffering the denying of God to be one in three Persons to passe as a damnable Heresie or contrary to the manifest word of God c. which yet is one of the opinions threatned with death in Sect.
confesse there is a great difference between deduction and deduction inference and inference in point of cleerenesse and satisfactorinesse to the Judgement and Conscience of a man one may have such a kind of certainty or evidence in it in respect of him that he is able to lay downe his life in attestation of the Truth of it whereas haply he is not willing to sacrifice the least haire of his head upon the service of another yet the greatest evidence or certainty to me in this kind is no sufficient Argument to evince an absolute or universall Sect. 21 CERTAINTY in the thing I meane a certainty in respect of all other men considering that as one saith the same things Eadem possunt aliâ—ni videri man fâ—stè vera quae alteri videntur manifâ—ste falsa may seeme manifestly true to one man which seeme manifestly false unto another nor can any man have any such assurance of another mans judgement or understanding as that they must needs be without errour or mistake in such things wherein himselfe remaines doubtfull Secondly how much lesse can these impatient and importune boasters of their CERTAINE knowledge know certainly that God is One in three Persons the denyall whereof the Ordinance threatneth with death by the Scriptures alone when as these no where assert it So that for ought I certainly know to vindicate the CERTAINTIE of their knowledge in this point they must flee to the Familists and crave quarter with them in their Sanctuary of extraordinary Revelation Thirdly and lastly to this confident I am that if these great Confidentiaries of the certainty of their knowledge being three in number if report mis-counteth not were but dealt with upon this occasion as those base and bloody Elders are reported in the Apocryphall story of Susanna to have been serv'd by Daniel upon another occasion I meane were they presently taken and examined apart each from other what they meane by the word PERSON when they say God is one in three Persons they would agree no better in their Answers then those Elders did in theirs but one would answer that a Person was a Myrtle tree the second a lentish tree the third a tyle tree my meaning is that no one of them would agree with either of his fellowes in his notion or definition of a PERSON And then with what face can these enemies both of nature and Grace require of poore weake simple and illiterate people that they under paine of death believe that God is One in three Persons when as themselves who conceive they ride upon the wings of all knowledge Learning and understanding cannot agree among themselves what a PERSON is or if they doe agree it is ten to one but it is an agreement in errour and disagreement with the Truth Poore English soules Were you ransomed with the precious bloud of Jesus Christ to sell your selves under the hand and power of such hard and cruell Masters as these But Thirdly I would gladly know of these Classique Authors why Sect. 22. Sect. 22. or how this should be a reason to demonstrate that the makers of the Ordinance must needs certainly know that all the Opinions threatned with death in it are damnable heresies viz. because they are contrary to the manifest word of God and overthrowing the very foundations of Christian Religion For first if this be a demonstrative reason to the makers of the Ordinance of the conclusion specified why is it not so to all others and particularly to those who are supposed either for the present to hold or at least to be in a possibility of holding the Opinions threatned with death in the Ordinance God forbid that I should cast the least prejudice or aspersion upon the makers of the Ordinance whose Persons are to me altogether unknowne I am willing to hope the best and to judge charitably of them as viz. that they are men truly fearing God But yet if the strength or stresse of these mens Answer to their Syllogisme lieth in this supposition I shall crave leave I hope without offence to require of them a probate of it Nor for any doubt I have of the thing but because I doe not love to gratifie men in loose disputes But this I confesse is no part of my charity towards them to judge that to be demonstrative unto them which unto others of equall capacity and understanding if not superior is not so much as Topicall or probably concluding Porphyrie Julian the Apostate with many other adversaries of Christian Religion of great abilities and Learning knew that all or most of the Opinions threatned with death in the Ordinance were contrary to the manifest word of God I meane the Scriptures and likewise overthrowing the very foundations of Christian Religion and yet they were so farre from knowing CERTAINLY hereby that they were damnable heresies that they apprehended them not in the least to be so much as errours And in case any roote of this bitternesse shall at any time spring up amongst us if any such person one or more shall arise in this City or elsewhere in the Kingdome teaching or publishing any of those perverse things a possibility at least whereof the Ordinance it selfe supposeth it cannot well be concâ—ied but that they must needs know them to be contrary to what these men I suppose call the manifest word of God and likewise overthrowing the foundations of Christian Religion and yet if we shall suppose them to be CERTAINLY KNOWNE unto them for damnable heresies wee Sect. 23. 24. cannot with any good accord to this supposition suppose they will ever hold or publish them Or Fourthly if wee shall suppose that these men who shall or may Sect â—3 hold or publish any of those Opinions sentenced in the Ordinance may possibly not know them to be contrary to the manifest word of God or overthrowing the foundations of Christian Religion how can this contrariety or destructive nature to Religion in these Opinions be any sufficient proofe or demonstration that the makers of Ordinance must needs CERTAINLY know them to be damnable heresies That which one man living in England is ignorant of there is a possibility at least that another may be ignorant of it also Now then if there be but so much as a possibility that the makers of the Ordinance may not know that the said Opinions are contrary to the manifest word of God or destructive to Christian Religion these ill properties in them can be no sufficient or demonstrative proofe that they doe CERTAINLY KNOW them to be damnable heresies For that which a man may possibly bâ— ignorant of can be no suffient ground to another upon which to conclude any CERTAINTY OF KNOWLEDGE in any point whatsoever in such a man If I suppose for example that Peter may be ignorant whether James be in London or no I cannot conclude that Peter knowes any thing much lesse knowes any thing CERTAINLY by meanes of James