of his own Conscience yet there are many Cases wherein men ought to be severely punish'd for Acting according to their Consciences For Conscience may be misinform'd and beyond doubt there never yet was any Heresie but had some well meaning Believers of the opinion Grant but this Liberty to the Presbyterians as upon Equity of Conscience all other Factions have the same Title to it Where are we Then but in an universal State of War His Conscience will have no King Anothers no Bishops a Third no Laws a Fourth no Religion One will have Women in Common Another Goods In fine Our Peace Comfort and Reason nay and the Dignity of Humane Nature All that is Noble in us or belonging to us is by This Presbyterian Argument of an Imaginary Conscience drown'd in Brutality and Confusion What Remedy then when betwixt Law and Conscience there is a real Disagreement Where so it happens rather let People Innocently suffer though they lose their Freedom then by a foul Resistance endanger their Salvation to recover it But They'd be quiet they say if some needless Laws were taken away Yes as they were before when under Colour only of Regulating some such needless Laws they destroy'd all the Rest. F Their next compleynt is for want of Competent men to supply the place of Their Ministers Still they confine the Competent to their own Party Reasoning the weaknesse of the Ministers because they may not be Entrusted to Pray in their own words or to choose their own Chapters c. These Gentlemen have some reason to know that there are Knaves as well as Fools and that the Factious are less fit to be Trusted with That Liberty then the Simple A THE persons that we now speak for are ready to subscribe to all contained in the Holy Scriptures and willing to be obliged by the Laws of men to practice it B Seeing then you do profess that none of your Impositions that cannot be concluded from the Scripture are necessary to Salvation let them not consequentially be made necessary to it and more necessary than that which is ordinarily necessary C That smaller things must not be imposed by unproportionable penalties D The Church may not make any thing necessary to preaching it self that is of it self unnecessary and not antecedently necessary at least by accident NOTE XIII A TRuly we have an Obligation to These Reformers that if the Law requires it they will subscribe to the contents of the Holy Bible But That must be with their own Comment too They puzzle the Vulgar with a blind notion of Things necessary to Salvation as if the sole belief of the Divine Authority of Sacred Writ and of the Mysteries therein comprised were enough to carry a man to Heaven Some Things are necessary to Salvation as we are Christians That is the Summe of the Catholick Faith according to our Confession which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved or in short an un-doubting Resignation and Submission to the explicite Doctrine of the Bible teaching Salvation These are things Primarily evidently and unchangeably necessary equally binding all Humane flesh without distinction Some things again are necessary to our Salvation as we are Men in Society for Instance Subjects And these are matters commonly in Themselves Indifferent Changeable in their Qualities Temporary in their Obligation and yet necessary by Collection The short of all is This Where the Law of the Land does not Thwart the Law of God or That of Nature we are to obey the Politique Magistrate upon pain of Damnation B That Impositions are not necessary to Salvation We answer They are not necessary to be impos'd but necessary to be obey'd C Concerning the measure betwixt the Fault and the Punishment Let the Law estimate the one and proportion the Other Private Persons are not to Correct the Publick Laws D The Church may not c. Many a man may be duly qualify'd to Preach in point of Ordination for the purpose or Ability that yet in other regards is not fit to come into a Pulpit I hope refusing to communicate with the Church may pass for as fair an Impediment as refusing to Covenant against it I am enforc'd to refresh these Gentlemens memories ever and anon IF our Religion be laid upon your particular Liturgy we shall teach the Papists further to insult by asking us where was our Religion two hundred years agoe The Common-Prayer-Book as differing from the Mass-Book being not so old and that which might then be the matter of a change is not so much unchangeable it self but that those alterations may be accepted for ends so desireable as are now before us NOTE XIV TO This we answer that our Religion is unalterable our Liturgy not If a Papist asks a Presbyterian where his Religion was two hundred years agoe he might as well ask him where 't will be two hundred years hence But That 's a harder Question to a Puritan then to a Catholique Further to presse the Differings or agreement of the Common-Prayer-Book from or with the Mass-book is more a shift then an Argument Wee 'll keep to our Adversary 'T is our Profession that the Form is Alterable but by the same power onely that Establish'd it Not by a Conventicle or a Club of Running-Lecturers but by a grave consult of Reverend Divines that is Prepar'd by them and fitted for the stamp of the Supream Authority IF we may not have the Liberty of the Primitive times when for ought can be proved no Liturgical Forms were imposed upon any Church yet at least let us have the Liberty of the following Ages when under the same Prince there were diversity of Liturgies and particular Pastors had the power of making and altering them for their particular Churches NOTE XV. HOw these good people beat the Bush and yet start nothing The Liberty of the Primitive Times c. what Primitive Times where will these men begin their Reckoning The late Primate of Ireland tells us that all the Churches in the Christian world in the first and Best times had their set forms of Liturgy whereof most are extant in the writings of the Fathers at this day when you Pray say Our Father c. In the Apostles age the Holy Ghost abundantly supply'd all humane needs by super-natural Graces and Inspirations But the Use of Liturgies is too cleer to suffer or admit a contradiction Yet this they are not very earnest in allow them onely the Liberty of the following Ages and what was that I beseech ye Onely the Power of making and Altering Liturgies themselves as under the same Prince ha's been formerly permitted to Particular Pastors Away away for shame with These Horse-coursing Tricks they dresse a sound Leg to amuse the People when the Jade wants an Eye Look ye be not Cheated with Their Ambition and never trouble your selves for their Consciences They 'll shift in all weathers for in case of
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
destroy the Law and This we begg for Conscience Were it not Breach of Trust in These to whom the Care of the Publique is committed to gratifie a Private Scruple by a General Inconvenience So that their Conscience stands engaged against us But 't is reply'd that we are many Thousands All are but One in point of Conscience Take them together they 're a Faction At last if we can yield no Reason why they should either Believe or Trust us Where lyes the Sadnesse of our Condition save only in the Losse of what we never had Unless Thus or so Qualify'd we must not be admitted A IT is easier to agree in few things than upon many upon great and certain and necessary things than upon small uncertain and unnecessary things and upon things that God himself hath revealed or appointed than upon things that proceed from no surer an Original than the Wit or Will of man The strict prohibition of adding to or diminishing from the things commanded by the Law-giver of the Church Deut. 12.32 B It 's easie to forsee how those expressions in mens Sermons or Prayers or familiar Conference which seem to any mis-understanding or suspicious or malicious bearers to intimate any sense of sufferings will be carried to the ears of Rulers and represented as a crime And nature having planted in all men an unwillingness to suffer and denyed to all men a Love of Calamity and necessitated men to feel when they are hurt and made the Tongue and Countenance the Index of our sense these Effects will be unvoydable while such Impositions are continued and while a fear of Sinning will not suffer men to swallow and digest them and what wrongs such divisions about Religion will be to the Kingdom and to his Majesty we shall not mention because our Governours themselves may better understand it C What universal ease and peace and joy would be the fruits of that happy unity and concord which the reasonable forbearances which we humbly petition for would certainly produce how comfortable would our Ministerial labours be when we had no such temptations burdens or disquietments D It must be the Primitive Simplicity of Faith Worship and Discipline that must restore the Primitive Charity Unity and Peace and make the multitude of Believers to be of one heart and of one Soul and to converse with gladness and Singleness of heart as having all things common Act. 4.32 and 2.46 No such things as our controverted Impositions were then made necessary to the unity and concord of the Members of the Church NOTE XXIII A IT is not good to make Little matters seem Great and Great small to make less difficulty of Doing what God h 'as directly forbidden then of complying with what he has not expresly commanded Observe here a Text most miserably forced What-thing-soever I command you observe to do it thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it Deut. 12.32 which our new Scholiasts render thus Do nothing but what God commands even where God commands nothing at all Does not what-thing-soever I command Observe to do it imply that some things there are which God does not comcommand and that in those Cases we are at Liberty the Observe waiting upon the particular thing Commanded B It 's easie to foresee c. Our Reformers fore-sight is in this place an Almanack for the last year The Poyson of their Sermons Prayers and Conferences has been already reported to the Ears of Rulers by hearers not malitious neither but griev'd to see the Pulpits fill'd with Faction Ignorance and Scandal and to hear onely Hortatives to Tumult Defiances and Alarums instead of Evangelical and healing Comforts But these effects they tell us will be unavoidable while such Impositions are continued Nay rather while such Freedom is allow'd Do these men Preach and yet complain of a Restraint They cannot swallow and digest c. Yes Sequestred Livings they can not Ceremonies In truth the One is a little hard to go down and the Other is as hard to come up If these Divisions threaten wrong to the Kingdom and his Majesty as they say they do a timely order would be taken with the Dividers C To sweeten the last Menace where they tell us the hazzard of not complying with the Faction We are now blest with a view of their Land of Promise What universal peace and ease c. the giving them all they ask would certainly procure Indeed I suppose the Nation might be at Vnity That way for betwixt Hanging and Transplanting all men of Differing opinions there must needs ensue a pleasant state of Concord Less rigour cannot reasonably be expected by any man that either considers the Faction since it first got footing in the world or the late practises of these very people Concerning their extraction and proceedings I have given some accompt in my Holy Cheat Of their late practises enough is said too onely a word touching the Quality and Temper of our Reformers Which word Reformers must not be understood singly of those that published this spurious Liturgy and bold Petition but likewise of their aiding and consociate Brethren The foulness of the late War is notorious and the King's Mercy toward the Conspirators surpasses all example in which number I reckon the revolting and intruding Church-men as Criminals of the first Magnitude Of these some keep their Benefices others are laid aside in right perhaps of the due Incumbent or for want of Orders Those that continue help the rest set up their Lectures call in the ejected and the deep-mouth'd Brethren to their assistance and now they 're in full cry against Church-Government and Persecution In fine out of the whole Crew of these Reformers let any man produce one single person that ever was a friend to the late King I 'l shew him divers of his bitter enemies nay some ☞ of those yet publick Preachers in the City that press'd the Murther of our late blessed Soveraign rankly and openly in the very Pulpit Now let the world judge what these people mean by Reformation But we are told that forbearances will quiet them They are no Presbyterians then for ever since they have had a beeing kindness has made them worse and the very Moment of his Majesty's Return was watched by their impatient and seditious Libels D What an Amphibion is a designing Presbyterian a Levelling Prelate We have here a Complement to New-England from the Kirk of Scotland All things in common according to the Primitive Discipline That the Primitive simplicity of Faith and Worship as Worship may be taken is necessary to Christian Unity I think no man questions that writes Christian but to bring Discipline up to an Essential is under favour a Religious Soloecism or rather an Audacious Imputation upon all Churches that ever yet embrac'd Christianity 'T is in effect a Feather pluck'd from the Soveraignty a consciencious encroachment upon the Supreme Power for by this Knack
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
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