travel in blood and persecution and to stop the issue of blood which for a long time for the most part had infested the Christians they could not be content to be at rest but differing in some things amongst themselves they knew not how to bear one another but being unsensible of the hand that had so wrought for them at least not so as they should be they began to impose one upon forcing forms of Faiths with torments and the Sword another and to force their several Faiths with torments and the Sword which wrought sore destraction and trouble among them and shamed the Christian Religion which is not a Law of blood or as seeking to enforce it self by the destroying of mens lives but a Law of Peace endeavouring by distilling not by coertion to preserve and save In the dayes of Constantine free liberty was given to all men Constantine gives freedom of Religion to all to use what Religion they pleased as by repeating the particular Constitutions and Edicts which here I shall omit I could shew at large so that there was liberty now of complaints and Synods called to refute at least take off the opposition of the contrary but when that Emperors succeeded which leaned to this or that But as succeding Emperors leaned to this or that Faith the contrary came to be persecuted Party or confession of Faith or Opinion then force of Arms or carnal extremities were exercised towards those who were of the contrary disposition banishment torments death It s sore to remember all the particulars and indeed besides my A lamentaâ—ion for the Divisions and the reasons purpose for rather would my eye run down with tears when I view them over that such a reproach through such their doings should rest upon the Christians then to give an account of them but seeing that the things are past silence and oblivion so many Histories speaking at large of them which cannot be called in nor taken out of the memories of men and seeing that they are Wherefore they are now mentioned of use as to this Generation or present Age what hath been wrote in the former that they may see at what door the enemy then came from the Heathen into the Christians and so may learn to beware by the consequences And lastly in regard it suits my purpose and the particular I am upon to shew or give instance how in all Ages and among all sorts of men when Religion became National and was required by Laws of men or imposed what were the consequences I shall as briefly as I can give some instances even among the Christians to this particular and the rather because the instance hath particular relation to this Age in which I write or the present Generation Maxentius the Tyrant and Maximinus being gone and the Cap. 11. The Introduction to the ensuing Relation of the Christians difference and suffering one by another whole race of Maximinus cut off his Children Kindsfolks and the chiefest favourers of the persecution in particular Paucetius his greatest favorite and Culcianus who shed the blood of multitudes in Egypt and Theotecnus aforesaid who set up the Image of Jupiter at Antioch and wrought that later and sore persecution together with the Prophets and Priests of that Idol who confest before they were executed that by Inchantments the Oracle of that Idol was produced being first diversly tormented by Lycinnius This Edict reversed his Monuments and his Pictures were overthrown and defaced and he declared by publick Edicts to have been the chief and most deadly enemy the most impious the most ignominious and a Tyrant that was abhorred before the Face of God and the Heathen confessing diversly The the only Euseb lib. 10. Cap. 1. Cicilianâ—s Bishop of Carthage and the Bishops with them begâ—n the Tragedy in Africa true God was the Defender of the godly Christians The enemy being shut out at this began to enter at the other door as I have intimated A difference fell out between Cicilianus Bishop of Carthage and the Bishops with him the one siding against the other in Africa which occasioned Constantine to summon a Synod of Bishops to meet at Rome for the hearing and reconciling thereof Cap. 5. A Synod at Rome appointed thereabouts at which something being attempted and the judgement given by the other party not being acquiessed in but after the rising of the Synod the difference increasing instead of being ended amongst them a second Synod he called at Orleance in France Who ending not the difference a second Synod is called at Orleans in France As a scourge hereunto Lycinnius Cap. 8. comes forth a persecutor He falls upon the Christians Cashires such as were Souldiers of Place and Dignity Commands no relief to be given to the Prisoners to the end it might be determined as a scourge or rebuke unto which dissentions or the differences that then arose among the Christians Lycinnius aforesaid who being Emperor and together with Constantine had wrote with Constantine enjoying the liberty of the Christians comes forth and fell upon the Christians under his Dominion who never did him evil practising the same things upon them as those had done whom for so doing he had cut off First He banished them from his Court then the Souldiers he deprived and spoiled of their Honour and Dignities who would not sacrifice commanded no charity to be given to them that were in Prison and in Fetters no not by their Kinds-folks and punished with the like penalties of the relieved those Throws down some of their Meeting-places shuts up others who were the relievers of the Imprisoned and Fettered he overthrew some Meeting-places of the Christians to the Pavement and others he shut up his flattering Presidents to gratifie him Bishops are tormented and their bodies minced and cast into the Sea The good Roman Laws revoked Barbarians introduced A short Catalogue of his other abominable wickednesses tormented some of the Bishops whose bodies being cut into many small pieces as Butchers use to do their meat were cast into the Sea for food for Fishes He revoked sundry good Laws of the Romans brought in barbarous and cruel Laws unjust and unlawful and cruel deceits sundry Taxes of Gold and Silver surveys of Land gainful penalties on the Lands of those which were deceased long before and devised abjurations for them who had done no evil and making away of noble and honest Personages whose youthful and tender Wives he delivered to his Servants to be contumeliously and shamefully handled Many Wives Virgins and Maidens he abused shamefully though he was now stricken in years Constantine made War against him seeing things Constantine fights him and Anno. 367 overthrows him and with his Son Crispus rules the Empire come to this pass who practised against Constantine overthrew all Chrisopolis a City of Bithinia So the Christians from those persecutions had rest and Constantine with his Son
the Principles and Practices of the People called Quakers in this day are the same as were the Principles and Practices of Christ and his Apostles in that and of the Holy-men of God since and the Martyrs of Jesus who have prophesied in Sackcloth and that the Apostacy hath held all other professions ever since the dayes of Christ and his Apostles in which I shall of necessity be somewhat large because the nature of the thing requires it but with what brevity I can I shall reduce them to what I have laid down and determined And because I may not seem too prolix and tedious I shall comprehend much of what I have to say under these four heads or the following four heads are the things in which I shall comprehend much of what I have to say First National Worship how it came in when it ended and what testimonies the Scriptures and History afford against it since it was at an end Secondly Swearing and what appertains to that when and how it arose and when it had an end and since it was at an end what testimonies are against it Thirdly Bearing of Arms when and how that was and wherefore it is that now it is declined by us and what may be said as to that during the Apostacy Fourthly The changeable Priesthood its rise date time and end and of what concerns it and of what hath been said and suffered in opposition thereunto since it had its end Of these things I intend to treat and begin in their order First General Head concerning National Worship First With National Worship National Worship had its institution under the Jews or the Jewish was the only Nation which the Scriptures mention to have had a Worship that was National ordained of God who as a Figure or Representation of what was to be Universal in reference to those throughout the World whom the Lord would gather to be Kings and Priests unto God a Chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an Holy Nation a Peculiar People This Nation of the Jews had their Laws and Ordinances their Kings and Governors their Religion and Worship all outward though they had their inward signification which was Christ the Messiah the Prophet which was to come who according to the flesh was of theirs who were of the Seed of Abraham whose Seed in the Spirit the Seed of Abraham are the Elect the Children of Abraham whom to redeem he came in the flesh so the whole constitution of the Jewish Kingdom whether as to the Civil Policy or Ecclesiastical had its face looking hitherward which it signified which it represented Now in the fulness of time he coming whom these things did hold forth and typifie and which in his flesh the last of all was accomplished the things themselves ceased and he whiles he was not yet offered up and all things yet were not accomplished began to end them as the morning doth the night as the day approacheth And he said unto the Pharisees The Kingdom of God is within you it cometh not by observation Luke 17. 21. or it is not outward that is to say such as your Kingdom is an Administration which is to be seen with the outward eye but it is of an inward and intrinsecal nature seen by another eye that seeth not as man seeth but beholds things as they are which gives Law to wickedness reproves judges it as your outward Administration represents which shews you how God will be worshipped and when and what you are to do which your outward Government in all the particulars thereof had reference unto which because of transgression which came over and had blotted out the other the Law written in the heart and the fear put in the Heb. 8. 10. Gal. 3. 6. inward part the Seed which is Christ the High Priest of his People was added or given which was not at first to wit the Law written in Tables of Stone but in the fleshly Table of the Heart and which was promised should be again and which now came to be fulfilled So the Partition-Wall came to be removed and that which was general to the Jews in the Figure who were singled from all the Nations in particular came to be general to the Jew in the Spirit throughout all Nations and to be no more particular to the Jew and this was that which Peter aforesaid came to be informed of when in the Vision he was sent to the Centurion and which made him speak having been so informed as aforesaid I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him So the thing being come Christ Jesus the Universal Head of the Church which the Priesthood signified to the Nation of the Jews the Partition that is to say the Nation of the Jews or the Laws Ordinances and Administrations of Moses which were outward came to be taken away and the Vail to be rent and no more was the National Church-Worship to be minded which that constitution held forth but the Worship which was to be Universal Now through the offering of him up and the Law in the Heart and the fear in the inward parts Christ the Seed was that which every one was to know and worship by as it was in the beginning before transgression was and as before the Law was given by the Prophets and holy men of God Abraham who saw his day and rejoyced who said Before Abraham was I am Noah Enoch c. The Law came by Moses but Grace and Truth by Jesus Christ Hence it came to pass that upon the first encounter when after he was risen from the dead and ascended and the Holy Ghost was given the Comforter which he said he would send to them which should abide with them for ever the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father which he said should receive of his and give unto them the Latitude or rather Narrowness was no longer to the Nation of the Jews but its extent was to the end of the World How hear we every man in his own tongue wherein he was born Parthians and Medes and Elamites and dwellers in Mesopotamia and in Judea and in Cappadocia in Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia in Egypt and in the parts of Lybia about Cyrene and strangers of Rome Jews and Proselytes Creets and Arabians We do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful Works of God And there were added the same day unto them about three thousand Souls Peter a Jew according to the flesh preaching to them who were Gentiles and Jews now promiscuously together and to the Gentiles The promise is to you and to your Children and to those that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts 2. 8 9 10 11 39 41. So that the limits of the Church was now no longer restrained to the People or Nation of the Jews nor the Worship
of his wits and Maximinianus depose themselves which bereaved him of his wits together with Maximinianus the second to him after they had been Emperors for the space of twenty years as aforesaid deposed themselves and lived a private life from which time to his end Dioclesian wasted and pined Dioclesian wasts away with Diseases Maximinian hangs himself Constantius and Maximinus sole Emperors away with Diseases and Maximinian hanged himself Constantinus and Maximinus then took the sole government of the Empire which had before four Princes at one time governing Constantius was very friendly and Persecution on his hand loosened from the Christians Maximinus persecuted them sorely though at Maximinus sorely plagued in his body at Tarsus times he would seem to be otherwise minded The Hand of God pursued him so that at Tarsus a great plague fell upon him first taking hold in his flesh and afterwards proceeding to the very Soul for there arose suddenly in the secret parts of his body an impostume or running sore afterwards in the lower part of his Privities a botchy corrupt Boyl with a Fistula whence issued out with a Botch corrupt matter eating up the inward bowels and an unspeakable multitude of Lice swarming out and breathing a deadly stench and Lice and stench when as the corpulency of the whole body through abundance of meat before the Disease came was turned into superfluous grosness and then being grown into matter yeelded an intolerable and horrible spectacle to the beholders wherefore of the Which flew some of his Physicians Physitians some being not able to digest that wonderful noysome stench were slain some other when there remained no hope of Others were executed because they could not help recovery by reason of the swelling throughout the whole body being not able to help at all with their Physick were cruelly executed themselves Whilst the Hand and Plague of God was on him and he lay in his miserable plight he pondered with himself the rash enterprises he had practised against the Worshippers of God Cap. 18. In this plight he repents confesses to God Commands persecution to cease wherefore returning unto himself first he confesses his sins to God next calling upon him such as were about him he gave commandment that with all speed they should cease from persecuting the Christians and that by Decree and Commandment of the Emperor they should build again their Churches and that they should meet often to celebrate their wonted Ceremonies and pray for the life of the Emperor And immediately that And desires Prayers of the Christians for his life The Proclamations hastned which by word he commanded was indeed brought to pass The Proclamations of the Emperor were published throughout the Cities containing a recantation of those things formerly prejudicial unto the Christians in this form The Emperor Caesar Maximinus Puissant Magnificent chief Lord The Copy of the Edict Lord of the Thebais Lord of Salmatia five times Conqueror of Persia Lord of Germany Lord of Egypt twice Conqueror of the Carpyans six times Conqueror of the Armenians Lord of the Medes Lord of the Adiabeni twenty times Tribune nineteen times general Captain eight times Consul Father of the Countrey Proconsul And the Emperor Caesar Flavius Valerius Constantius some read Constantius but it is not so found in the Greek Vertuous Fortunate Puissant Noble chief Lord general Captain and Tribune five times Consul Father of the Countrey Proconsul Among other things which we have decreed for the Commodity and profit of the Common Wealth our pleasure is first of all to order and redress all things according to the antient Laws and Discipline of the Romans and withal to use this provisoe That the Christians which have forsaken the Religion of their Ancestors should be brought again to the right way for after a certain humour of singularity such an Opinion of excellency puffed them up that those things which their Elders had received and allowed they rejected and disallowed devising every man such Laws as they thought good and observed the same assembling in divers places great multitudes of people Wherefore when as our Edict was proclaimed that they should return unto the Ordinance of their Elders divers standing in great danger felt the penalty thereof and many being troubled therefore endured all kinds of death And because we perceive many as yet to persist in the same madness in their yeelding due worship to the Caelestial Godds nor regarding the God of the Christians having respect unto our benignity and godly custom pardoning all men according to our wonted guise we thought good in this case to extend our gracious and favourable clemency that the Christians may be tollerated again and that they may repair again the places where they meet together so that they do nothing prejudicial to publick Order and Discipline We mean to prescribe unto the Judges by another Epistle what they shall observe Wherefore as this our gracious Pardon deserveth let them make intercession to their God for our Health for the Common Weal and for themselves that in all places the Affairs of the publick Weal may be safely preserved and that they themselves may live securely in their own houses I have mentioned this Edict or Proclamation the rather that men The reason of the reheaâ—sal of the Copy of the Edict however swel'd with Titles Dominions and Honours notwithstanding all that they can say of them and do by them must come to bow to him whom in their hearts they despise and seek to trample his Worship and Worshippers under foot who is a Spirit and will be worshipped in Spirit and Truth Great calamities attended the Roman Empire whilst their rage was The sad consequence of these persecutions to the Roman Empire and the forbearance of them great against the Christians whilst they imposed the Worship of their Heathen Godds and destroyed all those who could not bow down unto nor worship them which when they forbore and left to these who worshipped the Lord to worship him according to his Spirit not according to their Law it flourished was safe and increased I should be marvellous large if I should go through those things also in particular The rebellious invasions divisions amongst themselves Plagues Pestilences Famines Earth-quakes and untimely deaths that befel those Emperors themselves the Lord when he saw time cutting short their race who ordaineth his Arrows against the Persecutor notwithstanding that he saw it good also to suffer those things to be to prevent greater The end of the Lord to the Christians in suffering these persecutions mischiefs amongst the Christians and to give testimony before all the World of his Power that was in them wonderfully to carry them through whatsoever was laid upon them for the testimony unto his Name For the Christians when a little ease and liberty befel them and the Hand of the Lord so wrought that instead of being cast out like Dogs
purpose gathers together great Forces and at length being drawn forth somewhat from the City of Rome near unto which Constantine Maxentius and many of his Souldiers fighting with Constantine are sunk in the River Tiberis had approached having overcome a good part of Italy he was totally overthrown first himself then his Guard sinking as Lead into the deep Waters through the falling of a Bridge of Boats that he had caused to be made over the River Tiberis for the passage of his Souldiers so that he was utterly foiled and overcome And as for Maximinus his end was not long after for Anno. 318. Dioclesian died about the same time Cap. 10. Maximinus overthrown by Licinnius under great ignomy slayes his Priests and Inchanters Ordains liberty to the Christians he waged Battle with Lycinnius that was Emperor with Constantine was overcome also and forced to fly he slew many Priests and Prophets of their gods being strucken with rage and madness and made subject to most vile shame and reproach as Inchanters and Deceivers which had villanously betrayed his Person by the procurement and trust of whose Oracles he had gone forth and waged Battle And as for the Christians after he had glorified the God of the Christians he ordained a most perfect and absolute Decree in behalf of their liberty as he had upon the Letters of Constantine and Licinnius after the overthrow of Maxentius wrote something before but this served not his turn for he had been an old dissembler as well as a bloody persecutor driving up and down as I have given instance so that as the They trust him not Christians trusted him not notwithstanding his Edict upon the Letters from the Emperor who had dealt so contrary with them before for neither gathered they a Synod nor medled with publick Affairs neither did the Lord who releasing him of his former Neither did the Lord. extremity upon his bowing by affliction and freeing the Christians which he revearsed and persecuted again thereupon now give him any release but notwithstanding he was made to confess and give glory to him whom he had ran against yet his measure being full now cut him off so he died not as Captains in War saith the Historian who fighting manfully in Battle for their Countrey for Virtue and their Friends are commonly wont to endure couragiously a glorious death but like an impious person and a Rebel against God his Army as yet lying in the Who whilst he lay in secret his Army being in the field smote him with an incurable Plague Field and he tarrying at home and in secret he suffereth due punishment being stricken with a sudden Plague of God over all his Body so that he was vexed with great torments and griefs pined away with hunger fell down from his Bed his flesh altogether wasted by invisible fire sent from above so that it consumed dropped away and lost all the fashion of the old form whereas there remained nothing unto him save only the bare bones like a painted Image dried up of a long time Neither did the beholders Which after most grievous torments and unheard of take his body for other than the Sepulchre of the Soul buried in a body that was now dead and altogether consumed when as yet he burned more vehemently than the boyling Baths are wont out of the inward Closets of the Marrow his eyes leapt forth and passing their bounds left him blind but he breathing as yet And his confession to the Lord that he suffered justly in the torments making his confession to the Lord called for death and at length confessing himself to have suffered these things justly and instead of revengement for the madness he presumed and practised against Christ Jesus gave up the Ghost Gave up the Ghost Thus ended Maximinus and thus ended Maxentius and so let all The end of both these Tyrants The persecution of Lycinnius thine enemies O God perish And thus ended the fierce persecutions of the Christians from the Heathen onely Lycinnius gave now and then some overtures but he being laid aside through some workings against Constantine the persecutions had a full end and the Christians as from the Heathen had rest from persecution though from themselves and as doing that unto one another which the Heathens exercised towards them what I have to say yet giveth instance So I proceed in the particular of the Christians to give particulars to this first thing laid down by me viz. National Worships Creeds or confessions of Faith Laws or Doctrine and Government concerning Religion enforced by men what it hath produced in the World as it is in enmity unto God unto the Religion the Worship of him which is in Spirit and in Truth And here I shall gather up matters as narrowly as I can and yet bear The 〈◊〉 praeludiu◠〈◊〉 the followâ—â—g matter the intent and drift of this Discourse to what I have proposed which I suppose will not be unprofitable seeing that on this very foot what hath been the consumption of multitudes of thousands in the former dayes is the present sufferings in this of such who being come to Spirit and Truth cannot conform to the Worship either on this Mountain or at Jerusalem as was said in the beginning And so I come to this second Particular and therein to the close of this Head which I hope will not seem large to the sensible and men of understanding seeing that the end and drift of what I have said and have yet to say is in a matter of highest importance viz. the Worship of God and to the present case as to imposition in relation to Worship And here as I said before I shall mind no affected Stile or to please the ears of men but as I shall receive by that which leads into all truth so I shall communicate the counsel that shall be with me in this matter No sooner were the Tyrants cut off and throughout the whole Empire Anno. 330. The Heathen persecution ceasing the Christians fall a persecuting one another of Rome Peace and Quietness was setled to the Christians by the means of Constantine and Lycinnius who married with his Sister whom he made Emperor with him who as yet had attempted nothing against the Christians and the Heathen persecutions on all hands laid aside but difference began to arise among the Christians as it had done before as I have intimated which produced the last persecution of which I gave former instance and they who joyntly and together withstood the force of the Heathenish persecution came now to be at variance and at length to do the same things one to another as the Heathen had done unto them together The difference began among themselves for having all quiet in the When all things weâ—e quiet in the Empire and Empire through the wonderful working of the Lord who thought it fit to give a little rest after their sore
Dioscorus who succeeded Cyril in the Bishoprick Cap. 10. of Alexandria was Moderator through the working of Chrysaphius Governor of the Pallace for the hatred he bore to Flavianus whom the Council before Eutyches had charged with the forging of the Records which concerned him but being searched it was found otherwise and the Records were confirmed at the Council Now at this Council Elpidius having acquainted them with the command of Theodosius which was this Such as in time past gave Sentence of Eutyches the most virtuous Abbot good leave have they to be present at the Council but let them be quiet and their voices suspended My Will is That they wait for the general and common Sentence of the most holy Fathers seeing that such things were aforetime decided by them are called in controversie Dioscorus and the Bishops with him restored Eutyches Eutyches restored Flavian and Euseb deposed four Bishops more excommunicated and deposed two removed The Council ends whom the other Council had degraded unto his former dignity and Flavianus and Eusebius they deposed they excommunicated and deprived also four Bishops more and two more they removed so this Council broke up This kind of contrary work one Council undoing what the Cap. 11. The Historian constrained through these contradictions to apologize for the Christian Faith to the Heathen His whole History a continuation of the rehearsal of the Division other had done and concerning Faiths and Creeds varying and changing as aforesaid put the Historian eftsoons to Apologize for the Christian Faith because of these things with the Heathen among whom his History could not but come which in this Chapter he endeavours Yet the whole series of his Book holds forth little less than the continuation of such division and contradiction which shews the fruit and consequences when men undertake to determine of him whom they cannot comprehend The natural consequence of imposing Religion who should let alone things of that nature which is too high for them and if they have Faith have it to themselves that is to say in such freedom and liberty unto every man that they seek to impose no more on another man than they would have imposed upon themselves in that which is contrary Theodosius decreed Nestor condemned by the Emperor to perpetual exile and accursed him He yet boasts of the Emperors good will Nestorius to perpetual exile and pronounced him therein to be accursed being moved thereunto no doubt saith the Historian by the instinct of the Holy Ghost yet Nestorius elsewhere boasted That the Emperor bore him intire and singular good will We Decree moreover saith the rehearsal of the said Decree Cap. 12. Another Decree against Nestor and his Favourers Cod. de sum trin fid cath tit 1. l. 3 sancimus found in the Code of Justinian the third Law of the first Title that whosoever doth imbrace the wicked Opinion of Nestorius and give ear unto his lewd Doctrine if they be Bishops that they be banished the Holy Churches if Lay persons they be accursed Other Laws also he made in the behalf of Religion Many things ran up and down in this Generation for as the Many opinions ran up and down in this day and superstition times drew off the dayes of the Apostles or were at a greater distance from them so superstition folly as well as confusion and division entered in among the Christians To give one instance for many In these times there was one Simeon a man famous and Cap. 13. One instance for all Simeons living in a Pillar upon pretence of the Angelical Life The particulars thereof of renown as the History saith for a godly man he in pretence of imitating in life the trade of the Angelical Powers withdrew himself from worldly Affairs forced Nature which of her self leaneth downwards and followed after lofty things being placed as it were in the midst between Heaven and Earth he sought conference with God he praised him together with the Angels he lifted the prayers of men up to Heaven and offered them to God he brought the goodness of God from Heaven to Earth and made the World partaker thereof Thus saith the History a ridiculous kind of Superstition by placing himself in a Pillar high from the Earth and scarce two Cubits wide to think that this brought him nigher to the Angels and to accomplish that which thereof hath been quoted by the History and all this as I have intimated springs from the ignorance of the Principle of God in man by and in which and as that revealeth him man only can know God I should write very much if I should be particular in what is said of this man and what reckoning was made of him whilst he lived and how his body being dead was worshipped and carried His dead body adored and carried up and down as Reliques about in pieces as Reliques The people of Antioch desired of the Emperor Leo who desired the Body that they might have it for a fortified Wall to their City and so exprest it because the anger of the Emperor had caused the Wall to be pulled down so much they put of preservation in a dead Carkass Gregory Bishop of that Church and Philippicus required That the Reliques of the Saint for the speedier execution of his martial Affairs in The Reliques of the dead required for the expedition of Martial Affairs the East should be sent unto him such blind superstition was amongst them at that day First A singular humour and fantastical imagination they hold forth as the height of Religion then the Carkass of the humorists they adore as Religion they say he lived six and fifty years nine years in a Monastery seven and forty years in Mandrya ten of which in a very narrow Room An account of his life and of the Iron Chain about his neck seven in a very strait Pillar and thirty years in a Pillar of forty Cubits they speak of the Iron Chain that hung about his Neck and with it the Corps so renowned saith the History of all men and for induring so great hardness and misery was honoured with Divine Praises and yet in the same Chapter he quotes the Religious men of the Desart to have sent a Messenger unto him to And the message of â—â—e Monks to require him to give an account of his so living demand of him What he meant by that new-found and unknown kind of life and wherefore he forsook the wonted Trade the steps and traces of the Saints which went before and devised unto himself a forreign and unknown way and moreover to have exhorted him by the Messenger to come down from his Lodging and to follow the Holy And to come down Fathers which were his Predecessors and to have given the Messenger in charge that if he saw him yeeld and come down he should license him to go on in his own way for they perswaded
of any part of his Host and tryumphed that Summer on the parts that separate the Roman and Persian Dominion Chosroes being afflicted with this deep distress dismayed and Cap. 15. Chosroes with deep distress dies having made a Law That the Persians should never make War with the Romans The Roman inundation of Judgment stopt Little mentioned of Tiberius as to Religion The Reasons supposed and given discouraged pining away and languishing with sorrow died leaving a Law behind him That the King of Persia should never make War with the Romans as an everlasting memorial of his utter foyl and flight whom succeeded his Son Hormisda Thus the Affairs of the Romans had success and a stop was put on the inundation of Judgement which had like to have over-run the whole Roman Empire and put it in the dust There is little or no attempt that I hear of made by this Tiberius about Religion the History therein is silent It 's very like there was a good sence remained of what was the cause of the former Judgments which he was loath to draw further upon him by new matters for the Empire was like to have fallen by what had been already only Anatalius of Antioch being found to have sacrificed to Cap. 18. Anatalius of Antioch Sacrifices to Idols A great ado about him and with Gregory because of him Idols and he having got into great friendship with Gregory the Bishop a great ado there was and suspition was had of Gregory so that the Emperor was constrained to sift out the matter and by torment to put Anatalius to it whether Gregory was in such things as those Anatalius hearing what should befal him ere he was brought from Antioch is said to have run to the Picture of Is brought from Antioch An instance of their Superstition Mary called the Mother of God which hung by a Cord in the Prison setting his hands behind him and making supplication and praying unto it the Picture is said to have turned away from him detesting him as a wicked person and one that God abhorred Also that she appeared to many that are called faithful and set them against Anatalius saying He had reviled her Son Which things I quote to shew how Superstition was entred in those dayes and how the Historian seemed to be addicted thereunto The Sacrificers condemned to perpetual banishment The people put them into a Boat burns them quick In the end nothing could be found against the Bishop but the Sacrificers were condemned to perpetual banishment which the People would not suffer but putting them into a Boat burnt them quick Also against the Emperor and Eutychius they cryed out as Traytors to the Faith and both Eutychius and those who sat in Commission on Anatalius had been dispatched could they have been found whom they diligently sought for As for Natalius he was first thrown to the ravenous Beasts in compass of the Theatre Anatalius thrown to the ravenous Beasts Then hanged on a Gallows The wolves haled his Carkass to the Earth of them to be torn in pieces next hanged on a Gallows on which hanging the Wolves came and haled the Carkass to the Earth and with great ravening rent it in pieces which was never seen before Nor was the Empire free from other troubles but in the third Cap. 17. A great Earthquake at Daphne and Antioch Anno. 580. Other troubles at Constantinople Antioch year of the Reign of Tiberius about noon-day there arose such an Earthquake at Antioch and Daphne that Daphne with the force and violence thereof fell to the ground and many both private and publick buildings in Antioch were unjoynted and broken asunder Other calamities at Constantinople and Antioch followed which vexed the Cities out of measure with great Tumult and Sedition The Affairs of the Empire standing as aforesaid in reference Cap. 19. Justin dies Tiberius sole Emperor Sends Mauricius against the Persians His great success to Persia Justinus being dead and Tiberius being clad with the Imperial Robe saw cause to put Justinianus from his command his latter enterprises having not so good success against the Barbarians and to place Mauricius a wise and sober man very diligent and politick and moderate in his diet and otherwise in his room who waging War in Forreign Countries took both Cities and Castles which lay most commodious for the Persians and carried thence so great a prey that he filled Isles Towns and Countries that had lain a long time desolate and not inhabited with the Captives manured the untilled Land and made it arable and filled his Armies who valiantly fought with him against other Nations and stored Families with Captives of which there were both good cheap and store With the Head and chief of all Persia he also made War to Cap. 20. The overthrow of the greatest Captains of Persia wit Tamo Chosroes and Adaarmanes who led great Armies in the field the former was overthrown in the front of his Host not saith the History with the fortitude of the Roman Army but the only piety of the Captain and his Faith in God Adaarmanes by plain force was put to flight and that not onely when Alamundarus Captain of the Barbarians called Scenetae betrayed him in that he would not come over the River Euphrates and aid him but also when Theodorichus Captain of the Scythians durst not tarry within the reach of the Enemy but shewed them immediately a fair pair of heels together with the men whom he led Tiberius being now ready to give up the Ghost he caused Mauricius Cap. 22. Anno. 585. He dies having caused Mauricius to be proclaimed Emperor and given him his Daughter full of Glory to be proclaimed Emperor and to him gave in marriage his Daughter Augusta giving him the Empire in Dowry and his own title of Tiberius and Augusta the name of Constantia So he ended his dayes leaving behind a name of glory and praise to future Generations Justinus reigned alone twelve years ten months and odd dayes with Tiberius three years and eleven months Tiberius was Emperor by himself four years During the Reign of Mauricius there is nothing mentioned Mauricius is not mentioned Evagr. lib. 6. per totum as medling with Religion So the History of his Wars is not made mention of in this Tract which hath relation only to Religion and as the medling therewith was a consequent because of which Wars Fire Earthquakes other Judgments are mentioned as a Looking-glass for and an admonition to England in the History of matters of Religion imposed or sought to be so by him at all only variable conditions of the Empire as good and bad men had to doing in the under management thereof Therefore I need not be particular in those things which related to the Wars which no otherwise stand me in stead or serving my purpose then as I can produce them as consequences of having to do with Religion and the imposing
Then which what can be more clear to the thing which I have asserted and for which I quote the Doctor A Teacher dwelling in our Natures A natural kind of Christianity A Law which with the common Notions of good and evil is planted in our Souls An eternal Righteousness A Law written in our hearts An infallible Law not a mortal Rule given by this or that mortal No liveless Precepts written in Paper or upon Pillars but immortal being ingraven by the eternal Nature in immortal minds A Law not written in Tables or Books but dwelling in the mind alwayes as a living Rule which never permits the Soul to be destitute of an interior guide Neither shall they ever be forgotten or abrogated for there is in them a great God that never waxeth old The Laws of reasonable Nature eternal and indispensible not customs of men or constitutions of Princes alterable at pleasure but written in our Souls by God I think I need say no more but leave this thing to the consideration of all moderate men concerning our Principle which being as much as I need say to it let me onely add what the Doctor presently by way of anticipation produces in reference to the aforesaid Aphorisms or Positions as to what may happily be objected by such as see not Nature to be so or such as is here asserted Nature saith he may be so perverted by vice that men will not acknowledge the innate motions of Truth so Justin Martyr saith the Doctor told Trypho (h) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being corrupted by a bad education evil custom and wicked institutions they destroy their natural Notions And as Porphryry's Phrase is (i) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do speak falsly of our Nature And are therefore justly rejected by Aristotle as incompetent Judges of Nature Pol. 1. 5. in these words (k) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We are to enquire concerning what is natural of these who are in their natural temper and not of those who have corrupted their Nature I think no more needs be said then the very words before rehearsed in reference to those who take upon them to judge and speak evil of this Principle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Doctor of vulgar Practice and the M. Tyr. Dissert 20. producing thereof for slight justifications of actions in the Preface aforesaid For no place can create Virtue by common Suffrages But it is the glory of men saith he to conform their lives to the external reasons of goodness whose indispensible Principles is connate with our Souls And saith he do not men perceive in their Souls Bentevol and Vran. 2 Part cap. 6. a natural Obligation to the practice of Justice and know certainly they should not invade the rights of others because they would not be disturbed in their own possessions Which answers to what he said as to the Principle which is the Law and the Prophets That is all that is religious or relative from one man to another in that little or narrow Sentence is comprehended to wit saith Christ Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Mat. 7. 12. To this of the Doctors let me add a few more instances of the Antients which seem both to speak and explain what I have quoted of his and what he hath spoken concerning Nature and God Out of the Minor Poets pag. 213. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The mind is God in us in the particular And pag. 227. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. God is Conscience in all mortal men Thus as to the Mind and Conscience As to Nature saith Seneca De Benefic cap. 7. (a) Quid enim aliud est natura qnam Deus est Divina ratio toti Mundo partibus ejus inserta What other thing is Nature than God and the divine Reason placed in the whole World and its parts And the same Seneca in his Epistles lib. 1. saith Epist 31. (b) Debit tibi illa quae si non diserueris par Deo surges Nature hath given thee those things which if thou forsakest not thou wilt arise like God I may now proceed to another viz. Doctor John Owen sometimes Vice-Chancellor of Oxford who taking upon him to write against the People called Quakers thus wrote for them and their Principles Concerning the interpreting of the Scriptures he layeth it down as an indubitable Truth and which hath been proved to be such by the reformed Divines as they are called the things following viz. That the only publick authentick and infallible Interpreter of Doctor Owen's Exerc. 2 9 7. against the Quakers the Holy Scripture is he who is the Author of them from the breathing of whose Spirit it derives all its Verity Perspicuity and Authority This Author and Interpreter of the Scriptures is the Spirit partly speaking in the Scripture and setting down its mind therein and if there be any doubtful and obscure passages therein explaining himself by that Analogy or Harmony of the whole Doctrine which is found therein and partly infusing a spiritual Light into our hearts whereby we may be led into the knowledge of all necessary Truths revealed in the Word And therefore as there never was any visible Judge of Faith then man quatenus as man hath nothing to do in it and so what is become of all the institutions and inforcings of men or their medling with Religion and the imposings which the Doctor himself wrought the Council of the late Army to in their Address to the then called Long yet ending Parliament which undid the Army and wrought them against their Declarations and Engagements appointed by Christ So neither is there any use or need of such an Arbitrator Again he saith That every Christian hath it as a duty incumbent upon him to inquire into the mind of God in the Scriptures and no man knows the things of God but the Spirit of God and he to whom the Spirit shall reveal them but we have the mind of Christ then Christ must be within the Hope of Glory for where the mind of Christ is there is Christ that is to seek into the meaning of them and that must be by the Spirit as are his own words as aforesaid by all requisite means and himself saith there is no other but the Spirit the only publick authentick and infallible Interpreter as aforesaid and to expound them to himself which must be by knowing his Teacher within for his own edification for the just shall live so every man must have it in his own particular by his Faith Thus as to the Interpretation of the Scriptures Now as to Teaching and the teaching of others or Preaching Sect. 14. In that community saith he between God and man through a Relation which a reasonable creature cannot but have to a good Creator from whence arises this indispensible necessity to worship and obey him it
in the life time of the late King Charles whose Chaplain he then professed himself to be when those called the Synod were sitting at Westminster and had consulted the Directory and Catechisme his words in a Printed Book of three Sermons preached by him at Dublin in Ireland out of the first of which these are taken are these Speaking from that Scripture Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 5. 20. Which is the Text from which he preached and in particular of the Law of Moses in or according unto which stood the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees which must be exceeded he saith When Christ brought life and immortality to light Evang. Righteous Page 3. through the Gospel and hath promised to us things greater than all our explicite desires bigger than the thoughts of our hearts then saith the Aposile (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then we draw near to God and by these we are enabled to do all that God requires and then he requires all that we can do more love and more obedience then he did of those who for want of these helps and these Revelations and these Promises which we have but they had not were but imperfect persons and could do but little more than humane Services Christ Page 4. hath taught us more and promised to us more than ever was in the World known or believed before him and by the strengths and confidence of these thrusts us forwards in a holy and wise Oconomy and plainly declares that we must serve him by the measures of a new love to do him honour by wise and material glorifications be united to God by a new Nature and made alive by a new Birth and fulfil all Righteousness to be humble and meek as Christ to be merciful as our Heavenly Father is to be pure as God is pure to be partaker of the Divine Nature to be wholly renewed in the frame and temper of our mind to become people of a new heart a direct new Creation new Principles and a new Being to do better then all the World before us ever did to love God more perfectly to despise the World more generously to contend for the Faith more earnestly for all this is but a proper and just consequent of the great promises which one Law-giver came to publish and effect for all the World of Believers and Disciples The matter which is here required is certainly very great for it is to be more righteous than the Scribes and Pharisees more holy than the Doctors of the Law than the Leaders of the Synagogues than the wise Princes of the Sanhedrim more righteous than some that were Prophets and High Priests than some that kept the Ordinances of the Law without blame men that lay in Sackcloth and fasted much and prayed more and made Religion Page 6. and the study of the Law the work of their lives This was very much but Christians must do more they did well and we must do better their Houses were Marble but our Houses must be gilded and fuller of glory but as the matter is very great so the necessity of it is the greatest in the World it must be so or it must be much worse unless it be thus we shall never see the glorious Face of God Here it concerns us to be wise and fearful for the matter is not the question of an Oaken Garland or a circle of Bayes and yellow Ribbond it is not a question of Money or Land Page 7. nor of the vainer rewards of popular noise and the undiscerning suffrages of the people who are contingent Judges of good and evil but it is the great stake of life eternal We cannot be Christians unless we be righteous by the new measures The righteousness of the Kingdom is now the only way to enter into it for the Sentence is fixed and the Judgment is decretory and the Judge infallible and the Decree irreversible for I say unto you said Christ Unless your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter the Kingdom I have put these things together as they lie in the Bishops own order and words that I might not seem by dis-joyning them to vary his sence whilst I repeat his words In what follows I shall be more short In speaking of the Scribes and Pharisees wherein the Righteousness did consist and wherein it fell short of the Evangelical Righteousness which he saith is required he saith It was a great innocence if they Page 15. did not rob the poor then they were righteous men but thought themselves not much concerned to acquire that godlike excellency a Philanthropy and love to all mankind Again in the conclusion of such his discriminations of them he saith Page 18. Page 19. This was the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees and their Disciples the Jews which because our Saviour reproves not onely as imperfect then but as criminal now calling us unto a new Righteousness the Righteousness of God the Law of the Spirit of Life to the Kingdom of God and the proper Righteousness thereof It concerns in the next place to look to the measures of this And as for these measures he saith Ibid. As for this in my Text it is indeed our great measure but it is not a question of Good and Better but of Good and Evil Life and Death Salvation and Damnation for unless our Righteousness be Page 20. weighed by new weights we shall be found too light when God comes to weigh the actions of all the World and unless we be found more righteous than they we shall in no wise that is upon no other tearms in the World enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Now concerning this we shall do very much amiss if we take our measures by the manners and practises of the many who call themselves Christians for there are as Nazianzen expresses it the old and the new Pharisee I wish it were no worse among us and that all Christians were indeed righteous as they were it would not be just nothing but I am sure that to bid defiance to the Laws of Christ to laugh at Religion to make merriment at the debauchery and damnation of our Brother is a state Page 21. of evil worse than that of the Scribes and Pharisees And yet even among such men how impatient would they be and how unreasonable would they think you to be if you should tell them Then there is no present hopes or possibility that in this state they are in they can be saved But the World is too full of Christians whose Righteousness is very little and their iniquities very great And now adayes a Christian is a man that comes to Church on Sundayes and on the week following will do shameful things being according to the Jewish Proverbial
Page 22. reproof as so many Mephibosheths their Master teaches them to go uprightly but they still shew their lame leg and shame their Master as if a man might be a Christian and yet be the vilest person in the World doing such things for which the Laws of men have provided both smart and shame and the Laws of God have threatned the intollerable pains of an unsufferable and never dying damnation And in his measure of the Evangelical Righteousness he saith It must at least be so much that is as the Scribes and Pharisees We must keep the Letter of the whole Moral Law We must do all that lies before us all that is in our hand the outward work must Page 24. be done and it is not enough to say My Heart is right but my Hand went wrong a right Heart alone will not do it or rather the Heart is not right when the Hand is wrong for once for all let us remember this That Christianity is the most profitable the most useful and the most bountiful institution in the whole World and the best definition Page 25. I can give of it is this It is the Wisdom of God brought down among us to do good to men Christian Religion is something that is not seen it is the hidden Page 29. man of the heart * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is God that dwells within True Christians are men who as the Chaldee Oracle said †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hos 2. 14. are cloathed with a great deal of mind I will speak unto their Heart To preach the Gospel saith he where the Spirit is the Preacher and the Heart is the Disciple and the Sermon is of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Our Service to God must not be in outward works and Scenes of Religion it must be something by which we become like God solemn Prayers and the Sacraments and the Assemblies of the Faithful Page 31. and Fasting dayes and Acts of external Worship are the Solemnities Page 32. and Rights of Religion but the Religion of a Christian is in the Heart and Spirit And this is that by which Clemens Alexandrinus desired the Righteousness of a Christian * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the parts and faculties which make up a man must make up our Religion but the Heart is Domus Principalis it is the Court of the great King and he is properly served with Interior Graces and Moral Virtues with a humble and a good Mind with a bountiful Heart and a willing Soul and these command the Eye and give Law to the Hand and make the Shoulders stoop but anima cujusque est quisque then he is within A mans Soul is the man and so is his Religion and so ye are bound to understand it No external action can purifie the Soul because its Nature Page 33. and Operation being Spiritual it can no more be changed by a Ceremony by an external Solemnity than an Angel can be carressed with sweet meats or a mans Belly be filled with Musick or long Orations The Sum is this No Christian does his duty to God but he that serves him with all his heart and although it becomes us to fulfil all righteousness even the external also yet that which makes us gracious in his eye is not the external it is the love of the heart and the real change of the mind and obedience of the Spirit That 's the first great measure of the Righteousness Evangelical Our Righteousness must be the purification and the perfection of the Spirit A Christian must not look upon a Woman to lust after her he must hate sin in all dimensions and in all distances and in every Angle of its Reception To abstain from all appearances of evil Charity vaunteth not its self And upon this Saint Basil saith That Ecclesiastick Persons and so every Christian in his proportion ought not to go in splendid and vain Ornaments every thing that is not wisely useful or proportioned to the state of the Christian but ministers only to vanity is a part of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is a vaunting which the charity and grace of a good Christian does not well endure it is no wonder if Christianity be nice and curious it is the cleanness and the purification of the Soul and Christ intends to present his Church to God without spot or wrinkle or any such thing N. B. or any such thing if there be any irregularity less than a wrinkle the Evangelical Righteousness doth not allow it And certain it is he is dull of hearing who understands not the Voice of God unless it be clamorous in an express and a loud Commandment proclaimed with Trumpets and Clarions on Mount Sinai A willing and an obedient ear understands the still Voice of Christ and is ready to obey his meaning at half a word and that is the Righteousnesse Evangelical The Righteousness Evangelical must be like Christ's seamless Coat Page 44. all of a piece from the top to the bottom it must invest the whole Soul Misma Dumah Massah said the Proverb of the Rabbins it is this and it is the other and it must be all it must be an Universal Righteousness not a little knot of holy Actions scattered in our lives and drawn into a sum at the day of Judgment but it must be a state of holiness To be zealous for God and for Religion is good but that will not Page 45. legitimate cruelty to our Brother The Righteousness Evangelical is another kind of thing it is a holy conversation a God-like life an Universal obedience a keeping nothing back from God A Sanctification of the whole man and keeps not the Body only but the Soul and the Spirit unblameable to the coming of the Lord Jesus These are such things saith he a little before which if a man will stand to defend possibly a modest reprover will be more ashamed than an impudent offender Page 40. Page 49. Among the Hebrews the Trees of the Lord did signifie such trees as grew of themselves and all that are of God's planting are such as have a vital principle within and grow without constraint I do not know how to give a fuller expression to the Principle of the People called Quakers and indeed the whole of them are very full as much as in so many words can well be exprest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one said it of the Christians They obey the Laws and by the goodness of their lives exceed the Laws And certain it is no man hath the Righteousness Evangelical if he resolves alwayes to take all his liberty in every thing that is meerly lawful or if he purpose to do no more than he needs must that is no more than he is just commanded for the reasons are plain The sum of all is this The Righteousness Evangelical is Page 67 68. the same with that
and exercised in remitting then exacting the rigor of the Laws there being nothing worse than Legal Tyranny Beware of exasperating any Faction by the crosness and asperity of some mens passions humours and private Opinions imployed by you grounded onely upon the differences in lesser matters which are but the skirts and suburbs of Religion wherein a charitable connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their strength whom rougher opposition fortifies and puts the despised and oppressed Party into such Combinations as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their Persecutors who are commonly assisted by that vulgar commiseration which attends all that are said to suffer under the notion of Religion The more conscious you shall be to your own merits upon your people Pag. 225. the more prone you shall be to expect all love and loyalty from them And to inflict no punishment upon them for former miscarriages You will have more inward complacency in pardoning one than in punishing a thousand And in his Meditations upon Death after the Votes of Non Addresses Head the 28th he saith I can both forgive them to wit those he calls Pag. 239. his Destroyers speaking of his Charity which was his noblest revenge upon them by which he saith I thank God I can both forgive them and pray for them that God would not impute my blood unto them further than to convince them what need they have of Christs blood to wash their Souls from the guilt of shedding mine The Will of God hath confined and concluded mine I shall have the pleasure of dying without any pleasure of desired vengeance And in that Head of the denying of his Chaplains their attendance on him being the 24th he saith They that envy my being a Pag. 198. Pag. 189 190 191. King are loth I should be a Christian whilst they seek to deprive me of all things else they are afraid I should save my Soul I pitty all of them I despise none only I thought I might have leave to make choice of some for my special Attendants who were best approved in my Judgment and most suitable to my affection for I held it better to seem undevout and to hear no mens praying then to be forced or seem to comply with those Petitions to which the heart cannot consent nor tongue say Amen without contradicting a mans own understanding or belying his own Soul Lastly Alexander Henderson in his second Paper to the King thus Alex. Henders second Paper to the King pag. 34 35. speaks Concerning the forcing of Conscience which I pretermitted in my other Paper I am forced now but without forcing of my Conscience to speak of Our Conscience may be said to be forced either by our selves or by others by our selves when we stop the ear of our Conscience and will not hearken or give place to information resolving obstinately Ne si persuaseris persuadebis which is no less than a resisting of the Holy Ghost and the hardning of our hearts 2. Or when we stop the mouth and suppress the clamour of our Conscience resolving rather to suffer the Worm to gnaw and the fire to burn inwardly than to make confession of that we are convinced to be Truth 3. Or when we sear our Conscience as with a hot Iron that it becometh senseless which is the punishment of the former unto which is opposed the truly tender Conscience such as Josiah had 2 Kings 22. 19. Again 1. our Conscience is said to be forced by others when they obtrude upon us what is in it self evil and unlawful the other is by doing it against a Dictate of Conscience which is a contempt of God whose Vicegerent it is 2. Or when others urge us to do that which in it self good or may lawfully be done but through error of Conscience we judge it to be evil and unlawful if in this case we do not that which is prest upon us we sin because the thing is good and lawful And if we do it we sin because we do against our Consciences which in this case bindeth but obligeth not And yet there is a way to escape out of this Laborynth it being repugnant to the equity of the Will of God to lay a necessity of sinning upon any man the only way is to lay aside such a Conscience it being a part of the old Man which we are commanded to put off otherwise we being sufficiently informed and yet cleaving to our old error we rather do violence to our Conscience our selves than suffer violence from others Unto this of the late Kings and Alexander Hendersons let me add a few sayings of the Fathers Tertullian writes thus to Scapula (c) Quia Religionis non sit cogere Religionem quae sponte fuscipi debeat non vi It appertaineth not to Religion to force Religion which ought to be freely taken up not by force And in his second Book against Marcian he saith (d) Non imponereâ—ur lex ei qui non habet obsequium debitum legi in sua potestate eadem arbitrii libertas potestas quae fuit in Adamo etiam nunc efficit victorem de eodem Diabolo A Law should not be imposed on him who hath it not in his power to do what the Law requires the same liberty of the Will and Power which was in Adam even now accomplishes dominion over the same Devil And in his fourth Book against Marcian he saith (e) Regnum Dei intra vos est quis non ita interpretabitur intra vos est id est in manu in potestate vestra si audiatis si faciatis Dei praeceptum The Kingdom of God is within you who will not interpret is within you in your hand in your power if you hear if you do what God commands And saith Cyprian in his Sermon about Baptisme (f) Nos quod agendum est scire quod scimus facere posse We know what we should do and we can do what we know Also Arnobius saith (g) Injustum est extorquere invitis in contrarium voluntatis inculcare quod nolint It is an unjust thing to force an unwilling mind to that which is contrary to its will and to press that which men would not have Lactantius concerning true Worship cap. 8. saith (h) Nobis autem lex Dei revelata est quae perinde ut stellae Nautis noctu nobis praelucer ad viam sapientiae Lex illa est recta ratio naturae congruus diffusa in omnes constans sempiteâ—na quae vocat ad officium jubendo vitando a fraude deterriat The Law of God is revealed to us which enlightens or shews the way of Wisdom as the Stars do the Marriner in the dark night That Law to wit the Law of God is right Reason agreeing with Nature diffused or shed abroad in all or put into every one constant eternal which by requiring forbidding and deterring from
Scripture before the Church and acknowledges none but the Scripture the sole Interpreter of its self to the Conscience For if the Church be not sufficient to be implicitely believed as we hold it is not what can there else be named of more Authority than the Church but the Conscience than which God only is greater 1 John 3. 20. But if any man shall pretend saith he that the Scripture judges to his Conscience for other men he makes himself greater not only than the Church but also than the Scripture than the Consciences of other men A presumption saith he too high for any mortal since every true Christian is able to give a reason of his Faith hath the Word of God before him the promised Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ within him 1 Cor. 2. 16. A much better and safer guide of Conscience saith he which as far as concerns himself he may far more certainly know then any outward rule inposed on him by others whom he inwardly either knows not nor can know at least knows nothing of them more sure than this one thing That they cannot be his Judges in Religion 1 Cor. 2. 15. The Spiritual man judges all things but he himself is judged of no man chiefly for this cause do all true Protestants account the Pope Antichrist for that he assumes to himself this infallibility over both the Conscience and the Scripture sitting in the Temple of God as it were opposite to God and exalting himself over all that is called God or is worshipped 2 Thes 2. 4. That is to say not onely above all Judges and Magistrates who though they be called Godds are far beneath infallible but also above God himself by giving Law both to the Scripture to the Conscience and to the Spirit it self of God within us when as we find James 4. 12. There is one Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy who art thou that judgest another That Christ is the only Law-giver of his Church and that it is here meant in Religious matters no well-grounded Christian will deny Thus also St. Paul Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that judgest the Servant of another to his own Lord he standeth or falleth but he shall stand for God is able to make him stand As therefore of one beyond expression bold and presumptuous both these Apostles demand Who art thou that presumest to impose other Law or Judgment in Religion than the only Law-giver and Judge Jesus Christ who can only save and can destroy gives to the Conscience And the forecited place to the Thessalonians by compared effects resolves us That be he or they who or where-ever they be or can be they are of far less Authority than the Church whom in these things as Protestants they receive not and yet no less Antichrist in this main point of Antichristianism no less Pope or Popedom than he at Rome if not much more by setting up Supream Interpreters of Scripture either those Doctors whom they follow or which is far worse themselves as a Civil Papacy assuming unaccountable Supremacy to themselves not in Civil only but Ecclesiastical Causes Seeing then that in matters of Religion as hath been proved none can judge or determine here on earth no not Church-Governors themselves against the Consciences of other Believers my inference is or rather not mine but our Saviour's own that in those cases they neither can command nor use restraint lest they run rashly on a pernitious consequence forwarned in that Parable Mat. 13. 26 to 31. Lest while ye gather up the Tares ye root up also the Wheat with them let both grow together until the Harvest and in the time of Harvest I will say to the Reapers Gather ye together Page 13. first the Tares c. Whereby he declares that this work neither his own Ministers nor any else can discerningly enough or judgingly perform without his own immediate direction in his own fit season and they ought till then not to attempt it which is further confirmed 2 Cor. 1. 14. Not that we have dominion over your Faith but are helpers of your joy If the Apostles had no dominion or constraining power over Faith or Conscience much less have ordinary Ministers 1 Pet. 5. 2 3. Feeding the Flock of God not by constraint c. neither as being Lords over Gods Heritage Much more I might have produced as to this Author even the whole Discourse wherein he fully convinces what in his Title page he asserts to wit That it is not lawful for any power on earth to compel in matters of Religion He is one who pretends to the Church of Christ but not by compulsion to Church-ship or matters of Religion as this his Treatise shews him Concerning God Doctor Ingelo produces Plotin as expressing him Doctor Ingelo See Tabu Bentivo Vâ—an under the respective Heads of this and that which follows to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Root of the Soul And Pithagoras 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fountain of everlasting Nature Concerning a mans knowing of himself he saith He hath called the Governor of Tapinophorosine or Humility because the knowledge of ones self is the natural root of Humility Now what gives the knowledge of a mans self but that which searcheth the Heart And what is the natural root of Humility but the Fountain of everlasting Nature from which humility springs of whose fulness we have all received grace for grace saith the Apostle in whom the fulness of the God-head dwells bodily who saith Learn of me for I am lowly and meek And behold the King cometh meek riding on an Ass the Foal of an Ass who is the high and lofty One who inhabiteth Isa 57. 1â— Eternity whose Name is Holy who dwelleth in the high and holy Heavens in him also that is of an humble and contrite Spirit to revive the heart of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones whose Nature is Everlasting and who is the Spring thereof but he who is without beginning of dayes or end of life who is a Priest for ever after the Order of Melchisedeck as aforesaid from whom every thing that is like him springs Concerning Conscience he saith It is a natural Principle and what that Nature is I have already shewed not to be eradicated by any Act of man so it is Eternal for what man cannot eradicate is not of man a severe reprover and sharp Corrector of those bold sinners who offer violence to it by the Doctors leave if I may so say after the usual manner amongst men that which witnesseth in the Conscience is that which here is put under the notion of Conscience for there be whose very Consciences are defiled who have made shipwrack of Faith and a good Conscience whose Conscience is seared with a hot Iron and so whilst such it answereth not or not aright But that which witnesseth in Conscience which is the severe Reprover the sharp Corrector