did not write this to a private Brother or in some special Case but to the Church as a General and standing Truth and therefore now as Authentick and proper as then And if this be true I cannot see how any or even the most part of the Church that are still but Brethren to the rest of one voluntary Communion and Profession can with any shew of Reason impose upon them and escape the Reproof of this Scripture for all Societies are to govern themselves according to their Institution and first Principles of Union Where there is Violence upon this part Tyranny and not Order is introduced Now since Perswasion and Conviction began all true Christian Society all Christian Societies must uphold themselves upon the same free Bottom or they turn Antichristian I beseech you here let us examine our selves faithfully and I am of belief that something of this will yet appear amongst us that shew great Reverence to that free Name But to make good their unreasonable conceit of Church Authority they object Christ's Words GO TELL THE CHURCH that is say they The Church is the Rule and guide of Faith whatever the Church agrees upon and requires your assent to and Faith in that you must necessarily believe But though as before 't is confest in a sense we must believe as the true Church believes yet not because she so believes but for the same Reasons that she her self does so believe because none can truly believe as she believes but must so do upon the same principles and motives for which they believ'd that first made up that Christian Church To talk of being the Rule and Guide in point of Faith is to contradict Scripture and justle Christ out of the Office which is peculiar to him and his Spirit he is given to his Church an Head that is a Counsellor a Ruler a Judge and is called a Lawgiver and says the Apostle The Children of God are led by the Spirit of God And he was Wisdom and Righteousness to the Church Apostolick and is so to his own Church all the World over Besides 't is absurd that the Church can be the Rule and Guide of Faith for as such she must be her own Rule and Guide the Faith of the Members being that of the Church which cannot be But what then can be the meaning of Christs words Go tell the Church Very well I answer 't is not about Faith but Injury that Christ speaks and the place explains it self which is this Moreover if thy Brother shall TRESPASS against thee go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone here is Wrong not Religion Injustice not Faith or Conscience concerned as some would have it to maintain their Church power if he shall hear thee thou hast gain'd thy Brother but if he will not hear thee then take with thee one or two more that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them TELL IT UNTO THE CHURCH but if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican Verily I say unto you whatever ye shall bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on Earth shall be loosed in Heaven c. The matter manner of which passaged eliver'd by Christ shews that he intended not to set up Church power about Faith and Worship unto which all must bow even without if not against conviction The word TRESPASS and FAULT prove abundantly that he only means private and personal Injuries and that not only from the undeniable signification and use of the word TRESPASS and FAULT but from the way Christ commands for accommodation viz. that the person wrong'd do speak to him that commits the Injury alone if that will not do that he take one or two with him but no man can think that if it related to Faith Worship I ought to receive the Judgment of one or two or three against mine own This has not been the practice at least not the principle of the most degenerated Church since the Primitive times for most if not all agree that nothing below the Church can detemine about matters of Faith and even many with reason cannot go so far yet Christ seems to fix a blame upon him that complies not with the Person he has offended but more if he refuse to give satisfaction after one or two have also intreated him therefore it cannot relate to matters of Faith and scruples of Conscience but personal and private Injuries Which is yet clearer from this part of Christ's saying viz. That in the Mouth of two or three Witnesses every Word may be established Which Implies a Tryal and Judicial proceeding as is customary in civil cases about personal and private Trespasses for it were not so proper to speak of Witnesses on any other account This is interpreted beyond exception by the Apostle to the Corinthians where he reproves and forbids them to go to Law one with another before Unbelievers arguing thus Do you not know that the Saints shall Judge the World and if the World shall be judged by you are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters This shews the meaning of Church Authority is those dayes and is a natural Exposition upon Christ's words in case of Trespass and Refractoriness Tell the Church And 't is yet the Practice of all sober just and quiet People raher to refer their Controversies to approved men than to tare one another to pieces at Law But it is worth our notice that as any Decision up on an arbitration oblieges only the Parties to sit down content with the awardment of such loss or gain as they the Arbitrators think equal as the next best way to accommodate differences and not that such awardment should alter their first Thoughts and Opinion they had of their right or force them to declare they are of the Arbitrators mind So is it most unreasonable where the Church is only an Arbitrator about Personal trespasses or umpire at most to imagine a Power to determine and impose Faith and that upon severe Penalties as well of this unto which Christ's Church has no relation as of the other World I say this very thing well weigh'd breaks all their Fallacies to pieces and decides the business beyond all contradiction between those that stand upon the Spirit within and the Scripture without on the one hand and such as meerly rest upon the Traditions of Men and Authority of the Church on the other hand For if in an Arbitration I am not bound to be of the Arbitrators mind though for Peace sake I submit to their Award and that the Church Power in this place controverted relates only to external and personal Trespasses Injuries or Injustices as the place it self plainly proves there can be no sense reason or modesty in the Earth on the part of those high Church men who would from hence wring and extort the Power of defining resolving and imposing upon all people under temporal and eternal punishment Articles of Faith and
Deceit is irrepairable Again since Mankind is a reasonable Creature and that the more reasonable he is in his Religion the nearer to his own being he comes and to the Wisdom and Truth of his Creator that did so make him a Religion without Reason Imposed by an unaccountable Authority against Reason Sense and Conviction cannot be the Religion of the God of Truth and Reason for it is not to be thought that he requires any thing that carries any violence upon the Nature of his Creature or that gives the Lye to that Reason or Sence which he first endow'd him with In short Either Convince my understanding by the Light of Truth and Power of Reason or bear down my Infidelity with the force of Miracles for not to give me Understanding or Faith and to press a submission that requires both is most unreasonable But if there were no other Augument then this it goes a great way with me that as to such as have their understanding at liberty if they are mistaken there may be hopes of reclaiming by Informing them but where the Understanding and Conscience are enslav'd to Authority and where Men make it a Principal Doctrine to suspect their own Sense and strive against their own Convictions to move only by other mens Breath and fall down to their Conclusions nothing seems to be left for the soundest Arguments clearest Truths to work upon They had almost need to be re Created in order to be converted for who can reasonably endeavour to make him a Christian that is not a Man which he cannot be truly said to be who has no understanding or resolves not to use it but reject it which is yet worse for he that has no understanding has no prejudice against it but he that purposely denys abuses it is so much worse as that he turns Enemy to him that has and uses his understanding He therefore can never be convinced oâ— his Error who is prejudiced against the necessary means of Conviction which is the use of his Understanding without which 't is impossible he should ever be Convinced To Conclude I have reserved till last one Argument which is ad hominem unanswerable by us Protestants and without yielding to which we cannot be consistent with our selves or be thought to do unto others what we would have others do unto us and that is this The Translation of the Scripture was the painful work of our worthy Ancestors This I call their most solemn Appeal to the People against the Pope and Traditions of Rome in the business of their Separation For when the question rose of the divine Authority of this or the other Practice in the Doctrine or Worship of the Roman Church presently they recur'd to the Scriptures and therefore made them speak English that they might witness for them to the people This appeal to the People in defence of their Separation by making them Judges of their proceeding against the Church according to the Testimony of the holy Scriptures puts every man in possession of them Search the Scriptures say the first Protestants Prove all things see if what we say against Pope Church of Rome be not true and in case any difficulty did arise they exhorted all to wait upon God for the divine aid of his Spirit to illuminate their understandings that one should not impose upon the other but commend them to God be Brotherly Patient Long suffering ready to help the Weak inform the Ignorant shew tenderness to the Mistaken and with reason and moderation to gain the Obstinate In short Protestancy is a restoring to every man his just right of Inquiry and Choice and to its honour be it ever spoken there is greater likelihood of finding Truth where all have Liberty to seek after it then where it is denyed to all but a few Grandees and those too as short sighted as their Neighbours But now let us Protestants examine if we have not departed from this Sobriety this Christian Temperance how comes it that we who have been forgiven much have our selves fallen upon our sellow Servants who yet owe us nothing have not we refused them this reasonable choice have we not threatned beaten and imprisoned them Pray Consider have you not made Creeds set Bounds to Faith form'd and regulated a Worship and strictly enjoyn'd all mens obedience by the help of the Civil Power upon pain of great Sufferings which have not been spared to Dissenters though in Common Renouncers and Protestors with you against the Pope Church of Rome for this the Land mourns Heaven is displeas'd and all is out of due course To give us the Scriptures and knock our Fingers for taking them to Translate them that we may read them and punish us for endeavouring to understand and use them as well as we can both with respect to God and our Neighbour 't is very unreasonable upon our Protestant Principles I wish we could see the mischief we draw upon our selves which is worse our cause for the Papist in this case acts according to his Principle but we against our Principle which shews indeed that we have the better Religion but that we also are more condemnable For if we will consider it seriously we shall find it not much more injurious to Scripture Truth and good Conscience that we believe as the Church believes then that we believe as the Church says the Scripture would have us believe For where is the difference since I am not allowed to use my understanding about the Sense of Scripture any more then about the Faith of the Church and if I must not receive any thing for Faith or Worship from Scripture but what is handed to me by the Church or her Clergy I see my self in as ill terms as if I had sat down with the old Doctrine of believing as the Church believes And had the Controversie been only for the Word Scripture without the use and application of it for at this rate that is all that is left us truly the enterprise of our Fathers had been weak and unadvised but because nothing less was intended by them and that the Translation of the Scripture was both the Appeal and Legacy of those Protestant Ancestors for the reasons before mention'd I must conclude we are much degenerated from the simplicity of Primitive Protestancy and need to be admonisht of our Backslidings and I heartily pray to Almighty God that he would quicken us by his present Mercies and Providences to return to our first Love Let the Scripture be free Sober Opinion tolerated Good â—ife cherisht Vice punisht away with Imposition Nick-Names Animosities for the Lord's sake and let Holy Writ be our Common Creed and Pious Living the Test of Christianity that God may please to perfect the good work he has begun and deliver us from all our Enemies I am now come to the last point and that is PROPAGATION of FAITH by FORCE In which I shall with the
of Rebellious Servants he that has not the Wedding Garment must be cast out the Branch that brings not forth Fruit will be cut off But those that truly believe in his Name walk in his Light and are taught by his Grace to renounce the Lusts of the Eye the Lusts of the Flesh and Pride of Life the Unjust Profits Pleasures and Pomps of this World and chuse to follow him in his own Holy Way of Regeneration the same is his Brother his Sister and his Mother And whatever Losses they may sustain for his Names sake they have the Promise of an Hundred fold here and the Inheritance of Everlasting Life And I do fervently beseech Almighty God the Giver of all Saving Faith mercifully to Vouchsafe more and more to beget a Serious Enquiry in us What that Eaith is which we have who is the Author of it and what Fruits it hath brought forth that we may not prophane the Name of God by a Vain Profession of it nor abuse our selves unto Eternal Perdition But that we may endeavour by God's Assistance to approve our selves such Believers as sincerely fear God love Righteousness and hate every Eyil Way as becomes the Redeemed of God by the pretious Blood of his Son Since therefore we are not our own but the Lord's who hath bought us with that Great Price let us glorifie him in our Bodies in our Souls and in our Spirits which are his Then shall we be Children of Abraham indeed Heirs of the Promises partakers of that Resurrection and Life that Immortality and Glory which God the Righteous Judge will one Day plentifully distribute to them that abide in this pretious Faith unto the End This naturally brings me to my Third Head and an Unhappiness we have long labour'd under to wit A Debasing of the true Value of MORALITY under pretence of Higher Things mistaking the very End of Christ's Coming By MORALITY I understand Vertuous Living Purity of Manners that Justice Temperance Truth Charity and Blamelesness in Conversation which may well Denominate the Man that lives that Life a MAN JUST in short one that does unto all men as he would have all Men do unto him this is the Moral Man It is Notorious how small an Estimate Two sorts of people have put upon him the Prophane and the Professors the Publican and the Pharisee The First despise him as too Squeamish Nice and Formal they deride his Regularity and make a Jest of his Preciseness And thinking No Man can be good because they are Nought and that all must needs fall by those Temptations they will not resist they construe Sobriety to be a Trick to decoy Mankind and put a Cheat upon the World If they hear any one say Such a Man is a Sober and Just Person They have learned by themselves to call him Knave that he has a Design upon some body by being Just in little things to Cheat in things of more Moment This Man is very Unfashionable among Men of Immoral Principles for his very Looks and Life carry a Reproof with them upon Vitious Men who as if Virtue were their Common Enemy are in Combination against the Lovers and Entertainers of her Because such true Virtuosâ— will neither do the Ill things they would have them nor flatter them in the Ills they do and therefore where Ill Men have the Power Good Men are sure to be made the Common Enemy But the Reproaches that Men of Morality receive at the Hands of Lewd Men are more their Honour than their Suffering But that which is most of all Anxious is that Morality is denyed to be Christianity that Virtue has any Claim to Grace and that those who glory to be called Christians can be so Partial and Cruel as to renounce a meer Just Man their Society and send him preaching among the Heathen for Damnation And pray what 's the Matter Why though this Person be a sober Liver yet he is but a General Believer his Faith is at large 'T is true he believes in God but I hear little of his Faith in Christ Very well Does he not therefore believe in Christ or must he therefore be without the Pale of Salvation Is it possible that a Man can truly believe in God and be damned But as he that believes in Christ believes in God so he that believes in God believes in Christ For he that believes on him that raised up Jesus from the Dead his Faith shall be imputed to him for Righteousness And says Christ himself He that believeth my Word and believeth on him that sent me hath Everlasting Life Has he that believes in God no Interest in this Expression But more particular is that place of the Apostle to the Hebrews viz. For he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a Diligent Rewarder of them that seek him Now. if those who so belieâ—e can come to God the Moral Man's Condition is not Dangerous even in the strictest sense of the Word not only such as have a General Faith of Christianity and never adhered to any particular Party a Sense we shall anon consider but even those who never heard the History of Christ nor had a distinct Knowledge of him as we profess him For it seems a most-unreasonable thing that Faith in God and keeping his Commandments should be no Part of the Christian Religion but if a Part it be as upon serious Reflection who dare deny it then those before and since Christ's time who never had the External Law nor History yet have done the things contained in the Law their Consciences not Accusing nor Hearts Condemning but excusing them before God are in some degree concern'd in the Character of a true Christian For Christ himself preach'd and kept his Father's Commandments he came to fulfil and not to destroy the Law and that not only in his own Person but that the Righteousness of the Law might be also fulfilled in us Let us but soberly consider What Christ is and we shall the better know whether Moral Men are to be reckoned Christians What is Christ but Meekness Justice Mercy Patience Charity and Virtue in Perfection can we then deny a Meek Man to be a Christian a Just a Merciful a Patient a Charitable and a Virtuous Man to be like Christ By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice saith Wisdom yea the Wisdom that is from above see Prov. 8. 15. so may I say here By Christ men are Meek Just Merciful Patient Charitable and Virtuous And Christians ought to be distinguished by their likeness to Christ and not their Notions of Christ by his Holy Qualifications rather than their own Lofty Professions and Invented Formalities What shall we say then of that Extravagancy which those Men are guilty of who upon hearing a sober Man commended that is not of any great Visible Profession will take upon them to cast him off with this Sentence Tush he is
Ignorance ought to be the Mother of Devotion with none but those that cannot be devout upon better terms it is the glory of a man that he is Religious upon Reason and that his Duty and Sacrifice are not blind or forc'd but free and reasonable Truth upon Knowledge though vext with Schism wise and good men will chuse before Ignorant Religion with Uniformity Enough of this But this Notion of an Infallible Visible Judge is as false in Reason as in Fact For first it takes away the Use of every Man's Reason and it is a Contradiction to have any unless he were such an Interpreter and such a Judge as would conclude us by Conviction and not by Authority that would be the most Wellcome person in the World But to over-rule my own Sight to give the Lye to my own Understanding say Black is White and that Two and Three make Ten thus Subjugare intellectum in Obsequium fidei to yield my Understanding to such an In-evident Way of Faith nay which is worse to believe a Lye for so it is to them to whom the thing to be believed appears Untrue is most-Unreasonable If we must be Led it had been easier and better for us to have been born Blind we might have follow'd then the Dog and the Bell for we could not mend our selves but to see and to be Led and that in ways we see to be foul or wrong this is Anxious Here lies the Dispute and truly here the Question might fairly end Either put out our Eyes or let us use them but if we have Eyes for our Minds as well as for our Bodies I see no Reason why we should trust any man or men against the Eyes of our Understanding any more than we ought to confide in them against the Sense and Certainty of the Eyes of our Bodies Where is the poorest Mechanick that would be paid his Labour in Brass half Crowns for Silver by either Pope or Bishop and can we be so bruitish as to think our Nobler part void of Distinction about that Treasure which is of eternal Moment For though Peter was to feed the Sheep yet the Sheep were not to follow Peter but Christ My Sheep hear my Voice and follow me and a Stranger they will not follow Here is no Mediator betwixt Christ and his Sheep nor does any body else hear his Voice for them but they hear his Voice themselves And though the Shepherd may have many Servants yet he only is their Shepherd and they are only the Sheep of his Fold But there are three places of Scripture that come fresh into my Remembrance that are very pertinent to the present Occasion The first is this That which may be known of God is Manifest in Men for God hath shewed it unto them That is The Spirit of man being the Candle of the Lord God hath enlightned it to manifest unto Man what is necessary for him to know both of God and himself Here is no need of Wax-Candles or Tapers or a Visible Guide and Judge for â—e that believes has the Witness in himself Another Passage is this Be ye Followers of me even as I am also of Christ In which the Apostle is so far from setting himself up a Judge over the Church of Corinth that he makes his appeal to them concerning his Doctrine and Conversation bounding both with that of his Lord Jesus Christ and making them Judges of the Truth of his Conformity to that Example Be ye Followers of me How after what manner What! Absolutely without Examination must we believe thee without any Tryal and take what thou sayest for granted without any more to do no such thing Be ye Followers of me even as I also am of CHRIST I submit my self to be judg'd by you according to that Rule and all Men and Churches are to be thus measur'd that lay Claim to the Name of Christian The Third Passage is in his Second Epistle to the same Church of Corinth 't is this Therefore seeing we have this Ministry as we have received Mercy we faint not but have renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty not walking in Craftinesses nor handling the Word of God deceitfully but by manifestation of the Truth commending our selves to every man's Conscience in the sight of God Here is the Utmost Imposition the Apostle makes use of he requires not Men to receive him without Evidence and refers himself to that of their own Consciences in the Sight of God This was the Way of making Christians then and this is the Way of making and keeping Christians now Conscience in the best Sense has ever been allow'd to be a Bond upon Men in all Religions But that Religion which under Pretence of Authority would superceed Conscience and instead of making Men better the End of Religion makes them worse by confounding all Distinction betwixt Good and Evil and resolving all into an Implicite Faith and blind Obedience unto the Commands of a Visible Guide and Judge is false it cannot be otherwise For to admire what Men don't know and to make it a Principle not to inquire is the last mark of Folly in the Believer and of Imposture in the Imposer To be short a Christian implies a Man and a Man implies Conscience and Understanding but he that has no Conscience not Understanding as he has not that has delivered them up to the Will of another Man is no Man and therefore no Christian I do beseech you Protestants of all Sorts to consider of the danger of this Principle with respect to Religion Of old'tw is the Fool that said in his Heart there is no God But now upon this Principle Men must be made Fools in order to believe Shall Folly which is the Shame if not the Curse of a Man be the Perfection of a Christian Christ indeed has advised us to become Little Children but never to become such Fools for as the Proverb is this is to be led by the Nose and not by our Wits You know that God hates the Sacrifice of Fools I will pray with the Spirit and with Understanding also saith the Apostle Let us commend that Testimony which we believe to be true to the Consciences of Men and let them have the Gospel priviledge of Examination Error only looses upon Trial. For if this had been the Way to Christianity with Reverence be it spoken God had not made our Condition better but worse For this translates our Faith and Dependence upon God to Man and the Possibility if not Probability of Man's erring exposes us to greater insecurity than before For where I never trusted I never could be deceived But if I must abandon my own Sense and Judgment and yield my self up to the Faith and Authority of another to say no more of the Blindness and La neness of such Belief and Devotion what Security can I have that the Man or Men whom I trust may not 〈◊〉 and deceive me and that
of Government by all laudable Means to preserve Sincerity for without it there can be no Faith or Truth in Civil Society Nor is this all for its a Maxim worthy of Caesar's Notice NEVER TO THINK HIM TRUE TO CAESAR THAT IS FALSE TO HIS OWN CONSCIENCE besides raped Consciences treasure up Revenge and such Persons are not likely to be longer Friends to Caesar than he hath Preferments to allure them or Power to deter them from being his most implacable Enemies 11thly There is not so ready a Way to Atheism as this of extinguishing the Sense of Conscience for Worldly Ends destroy that Internal Rule of Faith Worship and Practice towards God and the Reason of my Religion will be Civil Injunctions and not Divine Convictions consequently I am to be of as many Religions as the Civil Authority shall impose however untrue or contradictory This Sacred Tye of Conscience thus broken farewel to all Heavenly Obligations in the Soul Scripture Authority and ancient Protestant Principles Christ may at this Rate become what the Jews would have had him and his Apostles be reputed Turners of the World up-side down as their Enemies represented them and the godly Martyrs of all Ages so many Self-Murderers for they might justly be esteem'd Resisters of Worldly Authority so far as that Authority concern it self with the Imposition of Religion because they refused the Conformity commanded even to Death And it may not be unworthy of Caesar's Consideration if from these Proceedings People are tempted to infer there is nothing in Religion but Worldly Aims and Ends because so much Power is abus'd under the Name of Religion to vex and destroy Men for being of another Religion that he hazards the best Hold and Obligation he hath to Obedience which is Conscience For where they are taught to Obey for Interest Duty and Conviction are out of Doors By all Means let Conscience be sacred and Virtue and Integrity though under dissenting Principles cherisht Charity is more powerful than Severity Perswasion than Penal Laws Lastly To the Reproach of this Course with Wise Men it hath never yet obtain'd the End desir'd for instead of compliance the Difference is widened the Sufferers are pitied by Spectators which only helps to increase the Number of Dissenters for whoever is in the Wrong few think the Persecutor in the Right This in all Ages having been the Issue of severe Prosecution of Dissenters for Matters of Religion what a Cruel Troublesom Thankless Succesles Office is it for Caesar to be imployed in May he take better Measures of his Authority and Interest and use his Power to the Encouragement of all the Virtuous and Industrous and Just Punishment of the Lazy and Vicious in all Perswasions so shall the Kingdom Flourish and the Government Prosper Church Power supposeth a Church first It will not be improper therefore to examine first What a Scripture New Testament Church is and next what is the Scripture-Power belonging to such a Church A Scripture-Church as she may be called Visible is a Company or Society of People believing professing and practising according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ Jesus and his Apostles and not according to the Scribes and Pharisees that taught for Doctrine the Traditions of men They are such as are Meek in Heart Lowly in Spirit Chast in Life Virtuous in all Conversation full of Self-denyal Long-suffering and Patient not only forgiving but loving their very Enemies which answers Christ's own Character of himself Religion and Kingdom which is the most apt Distinction that ever can be given of the Nature of his Church and her Authority viz. MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD Which well connects with Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's It was an Answer to a very suspitious Question for it was familiarly bruitd that he was a King and came to possess his Kingdom and was by some called the King of the Jews The Jews being then subjected to the Roman Empire it concern'd Pilate Caesars Deputy to understand his pretentions which upon better information he found to center in this My Kingdom is not of this World else would my Subjects fight for me As if he had said these Reports are a meer perversion of my Peaceable and Self denying Intentions an Infamy invented by malicious Scribes and Pharisees that they might the better prevail with Caesar to Sacrifice me to their hatred and revenge I am Caesar's Friend I seek none of his Kingdoms from him nor will I sow Sedition plot or conspire his Ruin no Let all Men render unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar's that 's my Doctrine for I am come to erect a Kingdom of another Nature then that of this World to wit a Spiritual Kingdom to be set up in the Heart and Conscience is my Throne upon that will I sit and rule the Children of Men in Righteousness and whoever lives Soberly Righteously and Godlily in this World shall be my good and loving Subjects and they will certainly make no ill ones for Caesar since such Virtue is the end of Government and renders his Charge both more easie and safe then before Had I any other Design then this would I suffer my self to be reproached traduced and persecuted by a conquered people were it not more my Nature to suffer then revenge would not their many provocations have drawn from me some Instance of another kind then the Forbearance and Forgiveness I teach certainly were I animated by another principle then the perfection of Meekness and Divine Sweetness I should not have forbidden Peter fighting saying Put up thy Sword or endoctrinated my Followers to bear Wrongs but revenged all Affronts and by Plots and other Stratagems have attempted Ruin to my Enemies and the acquest of worldly Empire and no doubt but they would have fought for me Nay I am not only patiently with Pity to Enemies sensible of their barbarous Carriage towards me for my Good Will to them for their Eternal Happiness I only seek but I fore-see what they further intend against me they design to crucifie me And to do it will rather free a Murderer then save their Saviour They will perform that Cruelty with all the Aggravation and Contempt they can deriding me themselves and exposing me to the derision of others for they will mock my Divine Kingship with a Crown of Thorns and in my Agonies of Soul and Body for a Cordial give me Gaul and Vinegar to drink But notwithstanding all this to satisfie the World that my Religion is above Wrath and Revenge I can forgive them And to secure Caesar and his People from all Fears of Imposition whatever Authority I have and how many Legions of Angels soever I might Command both to my Deliverance and the Enforcement of my Message upon Mankind I resolve to promote neither with worldly Power
workest Wonders in the Earth whose Power cannot be Control'd in whose Hands are the Souls of Men and the Spirits of all Flesh who canst turn them in a Moment Turn thou the Hearts of King and People unto thee and One unto another Do thou proclaim a FAST FROM SIN throughout these Sinful Kingdoms let Wickedness and Oppression find no place among us Turn away thy Fierce Wrath Wipe away our Reproach and Love us Freely O God for thy dear Son ' s sake THE SECOND PART OF THE Address to Protestants UPON THE Present Conjuncture HAving then finisht the First Part of my Address relating to the Immoralities of the Times and left it with the CIVIL MAGISTRATE as in Conscience I found my self Oblig'd to do whose Peculiar Charge it is and I Earnestly and Humbly desire and pray that it may be his Great Care Effectually to Rebuke them I shall betake my self to the Second Part of this Address that more immediately concerns us as Profest Christians and Protestants But before I begin I desire to premise and can with much Sincerity Declare that I intend not the Reproach of any Person or Party I am weary with seeing so much of it in the World for it gains nothing that is worth keeping but hardens to a Desperateness what 't is our Duty to endeavour to soften But if without Offence I may speak the Truth that which to the best of my Understanding tends to the Present Settlement and Future Felicity of my Poor Country I shall by God's Help deliver my self with that Modesty Plainness and Integrity that becomes a Real Christian and a True English-Man Those Capital Sins and Errors that relate to the ECCLESIASTICAL STATE or Church-Capacity of these Kingdoms and which are so Inconsistant with Christian Religion and purest Protestancy and that above all displease Almighty God are First Making Opinions Articles of Faith at least giving them the Reputation of Faith and making them the Bond of Christian Society Secondly Mistaking the Nature of True Faith and taking that for Faith which is not Gospel-Faith Thirdly Debasing the true Value of Morality under pretence of Higher Things mistaking the very End of Christ's Coming Fourthly Preferring Humane Authority above Reason and Truth Fifthly Propagating Faith by Force and Imposing Religion by Worldly Compulsion These I take to be those Church Evils that have too much infected even these Parts of the reputed Reformed World And though the Roman Church for the most part hath transcended all other Societies in these Errors and may in a sense be said to be the Mother of them She from whom they took Birth by whom they were brought forth and propagated in Christendom yet there hath not been that Integrity to the Nature of Christianity and First Reason of Reformation from Papacy in our own Country as had been and is our Duty to conserve First In that Opinions pass for Faith and are made Articles of Faith and enjoyn'd to be embrac'd as the Bond of Communion That this is so let us take the most impartial View we can and we shall find it to be true both of the National and many other Select Societies That I may be understood in the Signification of the word OPINIONS I explain it thus Opinions are all those Propositions or Conclusions made by Men Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion which either are not Expresly laid down in Scripture or not so evidently Deduceable from Scripture as to leave no Reason of Doubt in their Minds of the Truth of them who sincerely and reverently believe the Text or lastly such as have no New or Credible Revelation to avouch them That this is our Case let the several Confessions of Faith published by almost every Party in England be perused and ye will find such Propositions translated into Doctrines of Faith and Articles of Communion as are First not only not Express'd in Scripture but perhaps not Deduceable from Scripture If one Party may be but believ'd against another this will want no Evidence to prove the Point And in the Next place such as are though not Exprest yet it may be Deduceable as to the Matter of them but either carried so high spun so fine or so disguised by Barbarous School-Terms that they are rather a Bone of Contention than a Bond of Concord to Religious Societies Yet this has been the Unhappiness even of this Kingdom after all the Light of Reformation which God hath graciously sent amongst us Men are to be received or rejected for denying or owning of such Propositions Wilt thou be an Episcopalian then Sign the Thirty-Nine Articles Renounce the Covenant and Conform to the Discipline and Jurisdiction of the Church Wilt thou be a Presbyterian Embrace and Keep the Covenant subscribe the Westminster-Confession and Directory and so on to the End of every Society that grounds Communion upon Conformity to such Propositions and Articles What a Stir have we had in England about the poor word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that says it signifies an Higher Office than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall have no part or fellowship with us On t'other hand they that will debase Episcopos to Presbyteros and turn Levellers of Episcopal Dignity shall be Excommunicated silenc'd punish't Is not this Fact can any deny it that love Truth more then a Party The Fire kindled by this Contention hath warm'd the Hands of Violence It had been well if Men had entertain'd Equal Zeal against Impiety and been but half asmuch Enemies to the Sin as they have been against one another If we look a little back we shall find that the Debate of Free-Will Unconditional Reprobation fill'd this Kingdom with Incharitableness and Division In the Arch-Episcopacy of Abbot reputed in himself a Good Man who ever held that Christ died so for all Men that all men might be saved if they would accept the Means and that none were absolutely decreed to Eternal Reprobation waa near akin to Heresie and Excommunicated as an Enemy to the Free Grace of God which it seems lay in being Narrow In the time of Arch-Bishop Land the Tide turns those that hold an Absolute Election and Reprobation without regard had to the Good or Evil Actions of Men and assert that Christ only died for the Elect and not for all must be discountenanc'd displac'd and pointed at as Men out of Fashion though at the same time Conscientious Sober and at worst Mistaken to be pittied rather than prosecuted and informed rather than confounded This Controversie begot the Synod of Dort he that reads the Epistles of that Judicious man J. Hails of Eaton upon the Matter and Conduct of the Assembly will find cause of being sad at Heart too many of them talked of Religion without the Spirit of it Men perhaps Learned in Books but few of the Sticklers gave any great Testimony of their Proficiency in that Science which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be entreated This Flame kindled
relying upon his Conduct dâ—an Mercies respecting this Life and that to come This is in Scripture called the Gift of God and well it may for it is Supernatural It crosses the Pride Confidence and Lust of man It grows out of the Seed of Love sown by God in the Heart at least it works by Love and this distinguishes it from the Faith of Ill Men and Devils that though they do believe they don't Love God above all but something else instead of God and are full of Pride Anger Cruelty and all manner of Wickedness But this Faith that works by Love that Divine Love which God plants in the Heart it inclines Man and gives him Power to forsake all that displeaseth God and every such Believer becomes an Enoch Translated that is Changed from the Fashion of this World the Earthly Image the Corrupt Nature and is renewed in the Likeness of the Son of God and walks with God The Just shall live by Faith they have in all Ages liv'd by this Faith that is been sustain'd supported preserved the Devil within nor the World without could never conquer them They walked not by Sight but by Faith they had regard to the Eternal Recompense No Visible things prevailed with them to depart from the Invisible God to quench their Love or slacken their Obedience to him the Great Testimony of their Faith in him This Holy Faith excludes no Age of the World the Just Men thâ— Cornelius's in every Generation have had some degree of it 't was more especially the Faith of the Simpler Ages of the World such as those in whom the Patriarchs lived who having not an Outward Law became a Law to themselves and did the things contained in the Law for they believed in God and through Faith obtained a good Report But because that it hath pleased God in Order to Man's Recovery from that grievous Laps Disobedience had cast him into at sundry times and in divers manners to appear to the Sons of men first by his Prophets and last of all by his Son that these several Manifestations have had something peculiar to them very remarkable in them so that they claim a place in our Creed It will not be amiss that we briefly consider them The first was that of the Prophets in which Moses preceded by whom the Law came to the Jews but Grace and Truth to mankind by Jesus Christ The first brought Condemnation the last Salvation the one Judgment the other Mercy which was glad Tidings indeed The one did fore-run the other as in Order of Time so in Nature of Dispensations the Law was the Gospel begun the Gospel the Law fulfilled or finisht They cannot be parted The Decalogue or Ten Commandments were little more than what had been known and practised before for it seem'd but an Epitome and Transcript of the Law writ in Man's heart by the Finger of God This is confest on all hands and in all Ages since This therefore must needs be a Part of our Creed for it relates to that Righteousness which is Indispensible and Immutable The other part of their Constitution that was peculiar to their Politic Typical and Mutable the Gospel is either Unconcerned in it or else ended it by the bringing in of a more Enduring Substance But Grace and Truth came by Jesus Christ Grace is opposed to the Condemnation of the Law and Truth to Shadows This is the most-Excellent Dispensation it is ours and it becomes us to weigh well our Interest in it God who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past unto the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son For God so loved the World that after all the World's Provocations by Omissions and Commissions he gave his Only Begotten Son into the World that the World through him might be saved And here Two Things present themselves to our Consideration First the Person who he was what his Authority Secondly his Message his Doctrine what he Taught which though never so Reasonable in it self depended very much in its Entertainment among the People upon the Truth of his Mission and Authority that he was no Impostor but came from God the Promised Messiah This was done Two Ways by Revelation and by Miracles By Revelation to such as were as well prepared and inclined as honest Peter the Woman of Samaria and those that were mov'd to believe him from the Authority in which he spake so Unlike that of the Formal Scribes By Miracles to those that being blinded by Ignorance or Prejudice needed to have their senses struckwith such Supernatural Evidences from many of whom this Witness came that he was the MESSIAH the Christ and SON of GOD. In fine all was done within the Compass of People among whom he daily conversed that was needful to prove he was from God and had God's Message to declare to the World Insomuch that when some of his Disciples were not so firm in their Belief of his Authority as he deserved at their hands he calls his own Works to prove his Commission and convict them of Infidelity If ye will not believe that the Father is in me that he doth these Works by me believe me for the very Works sake Thus he argued with the Jews Say ye of him the Father hath sanctified and sent into the World thou Blasphèmest because I said I am the Son of God if I do not the Works of my Father believe me not this is reasonable he that will Judge the World offers to be Tryed himself he goes on But if I do though ye believe not me believe the Works that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me And he laid the Sin of the Jews upon this Foot viz. That they rejected him after he had made proof of his Divine Mission by such Extraordinary Works As no men among them all could do which to give them their Due they do not deny but shamefully pervert and foolishly abuse by attributing them to the Power of the Devil To which Malice and Slander he returned this Inconfutable Answer A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand What! cast out Devils by the Prince of Devils 't is a Contradition very Madness it self I have nothing to do now with Atheists or those that call themselves Theists but such as own themselves Christians and shall therefore keep to my Task namely What of the Christian Dispensation is so Peculiar and Important as to challenge of Right the Name of Articles of Faith I say then That the Belief of Jesus of Nazareth to be the Promis'd Messiah the Son and Christ of God sent to restore and save Mankind is the first and was then the Only requisite Article of Faith without any Large Confessions or an Heap of Principles or Opinions resolv'd upon after Curious and Tedious Debates by Councils or Synods and this may be proved both by Example and Doctrine It
which conquers the World and purifies the Heart by no means But 't is to believe that the Church of Rome is the True Church and the Pope Christ's Vicar and the Visible Head of that Church So as that Self denyal which relates to our Wills and Affections in a corrupt State they apply to the Use of our Understanding about Religion as if it were the same thing to deny that which we understand and know to be Evil which is the Christian Self denyal and to deny that very Knowledge and Understanding which is God's Gift and our Honour Whereas Religion and Reason are so Consistent as that Religion can neither be understood nor maintain'd without Reason For if this must be laid aside I am so far from being Infallibly assured of my Salvation that I am not capable of any Measure of Good from Evil Truth from Falshood Why I have no understanding or use of any which is the same All the Disadvantage the Protestant is under in this is that of his greater Modesty and that be submits his Belief to be tryed which the other refuses under the Pretence of unaccountable Infallibility to that Authority Reason decides So that whereas some people excuse their embracing of that Religion by urging the Certainty that is in it I do say 'T is nothing but Presumption For a man can never be Certain of that about which he has not the Liberty of Examining Understanding or Judging Confident I confess he may be but that 's quite another thing than being Certain Yet I must never deny but that every Christian ought to believe as the Church believes provided the Church be true but the Question is Which is that true Church And when that is answered as a Man may Unlawfully Execute a Lawful Sentence so he may falsly believe as the True Church believes for if I believe what she believes only because she believes it and not because I am convinced in my Understanding and Conscience of the Truth of what she believeth my Faith is false though hers be true I say it is not true to me I have no Evidence of it What is this Church or Congregation rather as worthy Tindal every where translates it but a Company of People agreed together in the sincere Profession and Obedience of the Gospel of Christ Now look what Inducement they severally had to believe and embrace the Gospel that we must have to joyn with them for as they made not one another an infallible Authority to one another upon which they first embrac'd the Gospel neither are we to ground our Belief thereof upon their Authority joyntly but as they had a Rule to believe and commune so must we have the same Rule to embrace their Communion So that that Church cannot be the Rule of my Faith that have the same Faith and Object for my Faith that she has I argue thus I must believe as the Church believes that is I must have the same Faith the Church has then I must have the same Rule because the Church can be no more the Rule of that Faith then she can be that Faith of which some would make her the Rule If then the Church has Faith and that Faith a Rule and that she can no more be the Rule of her own Faith then she can be that Faith it self it follows she cannot be the Rule of the Faith of her Members because those Members have the same Faith and that they in Society are this Church For that which is the Rule of the Congregation's Faith in general must reasonably be the Rule of every Member's Faith that makes up that Congregation and consequently of every Member that may hereafter adhere to it So that to talk of believing as the Church believes to flowrish upon that Self-denyal and Humility which takes all upon Trust and revile those with the bitterest Invectives that are modestly scrupulous and act the BEREANS for their Souls who think that Easiness of Nature and Condescention might be better bestowed and in this occasion ill-tim'd and dangerous is to put the Knife to the Throat of Protestancy and what in them lies to socrifice it to implicit Faith and blind Obedience For it cannot be denyed but that the great Foundation of our Protestant Religion is the Divine Authority of the Scriptures from without us and the Testimony and Illumination of the Holy Spirit within us Upon this foot the first Reformers stood and made and maintain'd their Separation from Rome and freely offered up their innocent Lives in Confirmation With good Cause therefore it is the general Consent of all found Protestant Writers That neither Traditions Councils nor Canons of any visible Church much less the Edicts of any Civil Session or Jurisdiction but the Scriptures only interpeted by the Holy Spirit in us give the final Determination in Matters of Religion and that only in the Conscience of every Christian TO HIMSELF Which Protestation made by the first publick Reformers against the Imperial Edicts of Charles the fifth imposing Church Traditions without Scripture Authority gave first beginning to the Name of Protestant and with that Name hath ever been received this Doctrine which prefers the divine Authority of the Scripture and Spirit to that of the Church and her Traditions And if the Church is not sufficient implicitly to be believed as we hold it is not what can there else be named of more force with us but the Divine Illumination in the Conscience or Conscience in the best Sense of the Word then which God only is greater But if any man shall pretend that the Scripture judges according to his Conceptions or Conscience for other men and that they must take their Religious Measures by the Line of his Direction such a person makes himself greater then either Church Scripture or Conscience And pray let us consider if in any thing the Pope is by our Protestant Divinity so justly resembled to Antichrist as in assuming Infallibility over Conscience and Scripture to determine as he thinks fit and so in effect to give God Scripture Magistrates and Conscience the Law To this they have without scruple applyed that to the Thessalonians Sitting in the Temple of God exalting himself above all that is caled God To check this exorbitancy the Apostle Paul demands Who art thou that judgest anothers Servant to his own Lord he stands or falls which sheweth with great Evidence that Christians of all sizes great and small are but Brethren and consequently all superiority Lordship and Imposition are excluded But if there be a Difference 't is in this that as Christ taught He that is greatest is to be Servant to the rest but what is more opposite to a Servant then a Lord and to Service then Injunction and Imposition and that on Penalties too Here it is that Christ is only Lord and Lawgiver who is only King of this inward Kingdom of the Soul And 't is to be noted that the Apostle
God for himself from the least to the greatest My Sheep says Christ hear my Voice And let us remember that there is no possibility of deception here where there is no necessity of trusting In fine Ye are bought with a Price be not made the Servants of men One is your Lord even Christ and ye are Brethren But methinks I hear a stout Objection and 't is this At this rate you will everthrow all Church Discipline all Censure of Errors if no man or men can determin My Answer is ready and short No Scripture Church Discipline is hereby oppugn'd or weakned Let not the Sentence end in Violence upon the Conscience unconvinced Let whoso will expound or determin so it be according to true Church discipline which can be exercised on them only who have willingly joyn'd themselves in that Covenant of Union and which proceeds only to a separation from the rest a disavowing or disowning but never to any Corporal or Pecuniary Punishment the two Arms of Anti christ or rather that great Beast which carries the Whore But let us observe what sort of Church Government the Apostle recommends Avoid foolish Questions and Genealogies and Contentions and Striving about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth being CONDEMNED OF HIMSELF or Self-condemned It s very remarkable First That this great Apostle instead of exhorting Titus to stand upon Niceties and sacrifice mens Natur I Comforts and Enjoyments for Opinions of Religion injoyns him to shun Disputes about them leaving People to their own Thoughts and Apprehensions in those Matters as reputing the Loss of Peace in striving greater than the Gain that could arise from such an Unity and Conformity wâ—â—ch excellently well coheres with another Passage of his Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall REVEAL even this unto you He did not say You shall be FINED PILLAGED EXCOMMUNICATED FLUNG into Prison if ye be not of our Mind 2dly That in the Apostles Definition an Heretick is a Self confounded Person one conscious to himself of Error and Obstinacy in it but that are not Conscientious Dissenters for many Ten Thousands in this Nation act as they believe and dissent from the National Religion purely upon a Principle of Conscience to Almighty God And with Men of any Tenderness or common Sense their continual great Sufferings in Prison and Estate and their Patience under them are a Demonstration or there can he none in the World Nor can their Persecutors disprove them unless they could search Hearts and that is a little too far for a Fallible Spirit to reach and an Infallible One they deny So that the Apostle makes not the Heretick to lie upon the side of Mis-believing or not coming up to his Degree of Faith and Knowledge but upon the side of Wilfully Turbulently Obstinately and Self condemnedly maintaining inconsisting Things with the Faith Peace and Prosperity of the Church Granting us then not to be Obstinate and Self-condemned Dissenters and you cannot reasonable refuse it us how do you prove us Erroneous in the other Part All Parties plead Scripture and that for the most opposite Principles The Scripture you say cannot determine the Sense of it self it must have an Interpreter he must either be Fallible or Infallible If the first we are worse then before for men are apt to be more confident and yet are still upon as uncertain Grounds If the last this must either be an external or an internal Judge if an external you know where you are without pointing for there stands nothing between you and Popery in that Principle If an internal Judge either it is our selves or the Spirit of Christ dwelling in us not our selves for then the Rule is the Thing ruled which cannot be and if it be the Spirit of Christ Jesus and the Apostle tells us That unless we have the Spirit we are none of Christ's then is the Neck of Imposition broken and what hast thou to do to judge me let me stand or fall to my own Master And upon this Foot went Luther Calvin Melanâ—…on Beza abroad and Cranmer Ridlâ—y Hooper Jewel Bradford Philpot c. at home and as good Men and constant Martyrs in Ages before them But suppose Conscientious Dissenters as ill Men as the Apostle describes an Heretick to be what is the Punishment this is close to the Point stand it 3dly A Man that is an Heretick after the first and second Admonition reject that is deny his Communion declare he is none of you condemn his Proceedings by a publick censure among your selves What more can be strain'd by the fiercest Prosecutors of Men for Religion out of these words But will we be govern'd by the Rules of Holy Writ have we any true Veneration for the Exhortations and Injunctions therein then let us soberly consider what the Apostle Paul advises and recommends to his beloved Timothy upon the present Occasion and I dare promise an End to Contest and Persecution for Religion Flee Youthful Lusts but follow Righteousness Faith Charity Peace with them that call on the Lord out of a pure Heart but foolish and unlearned Questions avoid knowing that they do gender STRIFES And THE SERVANT OF THE LORD MUST NOT STRIVE but BE GENTLE UNTO ALL MEN APT TO TEACH PATIENT IN MEEKNESS INSTRUCTING THOSE THAT OPPOSE themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance to the acknowledging of the Truth There is such a depth of Wisdom lodged in this one Passage that I find difficulty to express my self upon it and yet I shall with pleasure endeavour it Here is both Faith and Government Religion and Duty all that becomes us towards God our Brethren our Neighbours yea our Opposers and Enemies Flee Youthful Lusts that is avoid Sin turn away from every Appearance of Evil flee the Temptation as soon as thou seest it lest it ensnare thee but follow Righteousness Charity and Peace seek and love Holiness and there will be Charity and Peace to thy self and in thee to all men For the Kingdom of God stands in Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the holy Ghost not in Contest about Words nor in maintaining foolish and unlearned Questions such as reach not the Soul nor carry any force upon our Affections that learn not men to be better to have more piety vertue goodness but are meer Notions and Speculations that have no influence upon holy Living or tendency to the Regiment of our Passions Such Questions as the Curiosity or Wantonness of Men's Wit or restless Fancy are apt to start under Pretence of Divine Truth and Sublime Mysteries these Niceties Conceits and Imaginations of Men not bottomed on the Revelation of the eternal Spirit but humane Apprehension and Tradition such Questions avoid meddle not with them but next
Byass Tradition gives to those men who have not made their Religion the Religion of their Judgment For such will forbid all the Inquiry which might question the Weakness or Falshood of their Religion and had rather be deceiv'd in an honorable Decent then be so uncivil to the memory of his Ancestors as to seek the Truth which sound must reprove the Ignorance of their Ages of this the vainest of all Honours they are extream careful and at the very mention of any thing to them new though as old as Truth and older then this World are easily urg'd into a Tempest and are not appeased but by a Sacrifice This Ignorance and want of Inquiry helps on Persecution 5thly Another Reason and that no small one is Self-love and Impatiency of Men under contradiction be it out of Ignorance that they are angry with what they cannot refuse or out of private Interest it matters not their Opinion must reign alone they are tenacious of their own sense and can't indure to have it question'd be there never so much reason for it Men of these Passions are yet to learn they are Ignorant of Religion by the want they have of Mortification such Persons can easily let go their hold on Charity to lay Violent hands upon their Opposers if they have power they rarely fail to use it so not remembring that when they absolv'd themselves from the tye of Love Meekness and Patience they have abandon'd true Religion and contend not for the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints which stood therein but for meer Words It is here proud Flesh and a capricious Head that disputes for Religion and not an humble Heart and a divine frame of Spirit Men that are angry for God Passionate for Christ that call Names for Religion and fling Stones and Persecute for Faith may tell us they are Christians if they will but no body would know them to be such by their Fruits to be sure they are no Christians of Christ's making I would to God that the Disputants of our time did but coolly weigh the Irreligiousness of their own Heats for Religion and see if what they contend for will quit the Cost will countervail the Charge of departing from Charity and making a Sacrifice of Peace to gain their point upon so seasonable a reflection I am confident they would find that they rather show their love to Opinion then Truth and seek Victory more then Concord Could men be contented as he whom they call their Lord was to declare their Message and not strive for Proselites nor vex for Conquest they would recommend all to the Conscience and if it must be so patiently endure Contradiction too and so lay their Religion as he did his not in Violence but Suffering But I must freely profess and in duty and Conscience I do it that I cannot call that Religion which is introduced against the Laws of Love Meekness Friendship Superstition Interest or Faction I may There is a Zeal without Knowledge that is Superstition there is a Zeal against Knowledge that is Interest or Faction the true Heresie there is a Zeal with Knowledge that is Religion therefore blind obedience may be superstition it can't be Religion and if you will view the Countries of Cruelty you shall find them Superstitious rather then Religious Religion is gentile it makes men better more Friendly Loving and Patient then before And the success which followed Christianity whilst the antient Professors of it betook themselves to no other defence plainly proves both the force of those passive Arguments above all corporal Punishments that we must never hope for the same Prosperity till we fall into the same Methods Are men impatient of having their conceits own'd they are then most to be suspected Error and Superstition like crackt Titles only fear to be toucht and run for Authority and number Truth is plain and stedfast without Arts or Tricks will you receive her well if not there is no compulsion But pray tell me what is that desired Uniformity that has not Unity and that Unity which has not Love Meekness and Patience in it I beseech you hear me for those men depart from the Spirit of Christianity that seek with Anger and Frowardness to promote it Let us not put so miserable a Cheat upon our selves nor affront upon Christianity as to think That a most gentle and patient Religion can be advanc'd by most ungentle and impatient Ways I should sooner submit to an humble opposition then to the greatest Zealot in the World and sooner deliver my self up to him that would modestly drop a controverted Truth then to such as seek tempestuously to carry it for even Error bashfully and patiently defended endangers Truth in the management of impudent hasty Zeal and gives to it that Lnstre which only good Eyes can see from Gold Alas 't is for want of Considering that men don't see that to disorder the mind in Controversie is a greater mischief then to carry the point can be a benefit in that it is not to be Religious to apprehend rightly but to do well the latter can scarcely be without the former but the former often is without the latter which brings me to my sixth Cause of Persecution 6 hly Another and that no small cause of Persecution is a misapprehension of the word Religion For when once the Ignorance or Prejudice of men has perswaded them to lay more weight upon their own Opinion or Dâ—ssent of their Neighbours then in truth the thing will bear to excuse their Zeal or justifie their Spleen they presently heighten the difference to a new Religion whence we so frequently hear of such reflections as these new Gospels and Faiths upstart Religions and Lights and with the like Scare-crows amuse the Vulgar and render their own design of ruining honest men the more practicable But I would obviate this mischief for a new Religion has a new Foundation and Consequently where there is the same Foundation there cannot be a new Religion Now the Foundation of the Christian Religion is Christ and that only is another Religion then the Christian which professes another Foundation or corruptly adds to that Foundation by adding other Mediators and introducing a new way of Remission of Sin Which cannot be said of the several sorts of Protestants therefore for Protestants to reproach each other with new Religions and Gospels and by their Indecent and Unchristian behaviour to enslave their own Reckoning and draw into more discord is a Sin against God an Injury to the common Cause of Protestancy and to the Security of the Civil Interest of that Country where the Inhabitants are of that Religion as well as a real Injustice to one another for Protestants don 't only agree in the same Fundamentals of Christianity but of Protestancy too that is in the reasons of Separation from Rome which indeed is Christianity Let not every circumstantial difference or Variety of Cult be Nick-named a