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<DATE>2009-01-12</DATE>
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<NAME>Judith Siefring</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<STC T="T">669.f.4[31]</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99869050</BIBNO>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="petition">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>To the Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maie&s;ty, and the Honourable Court of Parliament.</HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">The humble Petition of many his Maie&s;ties loyall and faithfull &s;ubjects, &s;ome of which having beene mi&s;erably per&s;ecured by the Prelates and their Adherents, by all rigorous cour&s;es, for their Con&s;ciences, practi&s;ing nothing but what was in&s;tituted by the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who was Lord of all <HI>Admini&s;trations,</HI> Math. 28.19. <HI>and practi&s;ed by the Primitive Christians; &s;ubmitting to his Maie&s;tie and his Lawes, &s;o farre as concernes our E&s;tates, Libertie, and Lives; and &s;o, as we conceive, give to</HI> Cae&s;ar <HI>the things that are</HI> Cae&s;ars, <HI>and to God tho&s;e things that are his.</HI></HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t, then were our Religion as fal&s;e as our Adver&s;aries pretend, yet were that no ground to take away our Lives or E&s;tates: for Securitie being had, for our Loyaltie to our Prince and Countrey (which when wee refu&s;e to give, wee de&s;ire no longer to live) wee &s;ay, our Errors in Judgement were it proved again&s;t us (as wee are &s;ure by the Word of God it can never be) were no ground for Per&s;ecution; as is cleare by the Parable of the Tares and Wheat, <HI>Math.</HI> 13. By the Tares, mu&s;t needs be under&s;tood men profe&s;&s;ing a fal&s;e Religion: which when &s;ome de&s;ired to have pluckt up, the Lord declared his mind to the contrary, and gave command they &s;hould be let alone,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 18.17.1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.5. <HI>John</HI> 16.2. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1.7, 8. <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.8, 9, 16. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13.1.1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.13, 14.</NOTE> and grow with the Wheat unto the Harve&s;t in the World, not in the Church, le&s;t men undertaking to pluck up the Tares, wanting wi&s;edome to di&s;tingui&s;h, &s;hould pluck up the Wheat in &s;tead thereof, as it hath and &s;hall come to pa&s;&s;e: according to the words of Chri&s;t, which &s;heweth, that &s;ome &s;hall be &s;o blindly devo|ted, as to kill the Saints, thinking they doe God &s;ervice; and therefore Chri&s;t will have the Tares let alone with the Wheat untill the Harve&s;t: Then who, without &s;inne, can attempt to pluck them up, before that time? And this doth no way contradict Gods Word, which &s;aith, That the Magi&s;trates are Gods Mini&s;ters, to take vengeance on them that doe evill: the Tares being &s;inners again&s;t God in fal&s;e Religion, whom he hath re&s;erved to be puni&s;hed with flaming fire at the day of Chri&s;t; the other being tre&s;pa&s;&s;ers again&s;t men, and are ju&s;tly to be puni&s;hed by the Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P>Secondly,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 15.14.</NOTE> the &s;ame Chri&s;t our Lord commandeth, That tho&s;e that are blindly led on in a fal&s;e Religion, and are offended at him for Teaching his, &s;hould be let alone; and referreth their puni&s;hment, to the falling into the Ditch.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the Lord Chri&s;t reproveth tho&s;e Di&s;ciples, that would have had Fire come downe from Heaven, and devoure tho&s;e <HI>Samaritans</HI> that would not receive him,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luk.</HI> 9.54, 55, 56.</NOTE> in the&s;e words; Ye know not of what &s;pirit ye are, for the Sonne of man is not come to de&s;troy mens lives, but to &s;ave them. Which &s;heweth plainely, that Chri&s;t would have no man hurt for Religion, yea, though they were refu&s;ers of him&s;elfe.</P>
<P>Fourthly, when the Lord Chri&s;t &s;ent forth the Twelve to preach the Go&s;pel of the Kingdome, this is the utmo&s;t that he directed them unto concerning tho&s;e that &s;hould refu&s;e to heare their words,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 10.14, 15.</NOTE> namely, to &s;hake off the du&s;t of their feet for a Te&s;timonie again&s;t them, leaving their further puni&s;hment to the Day of Judgement. This was cleare under the Law, where none was compelled to the wor&s;hip of God by the Authoritie of the Magi&s;trate, but as the Lord did per&s;wade the heart by his Word. And as this was &s;o under the Law, much more in the time of the Go&s;pel,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 9.27. <HI>Exo.</HI> 35.5.21, 22, 29. <HI>Levit.</HI> 3.1. <HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 2.17. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 18.44. &amp; 110.3. <HI>Mat.</HI> 28.19, 20 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.4, 5.2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.24.</NOTE> the Body being of Chri&s;t: as fir&s;t, by the Commi&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t given to the Apo&s;tles; where Chri&s;t &s;heweth, though all power in Heaven and Earth was his, yet hee onely appoints Preaching the Go&s;pel for the gathering his Churches throughout the world: according to <HI>Pauls</HI> words, where hee &s;aith, The Weapons of our Warfare are not carnall, but mightie through God, to the pulling downe of &s;trong Holds, ca&s;ting downe Imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth it &s;elfe again&s;t the knowledge of God.</P>
<P>Againe, the &s;ame Apo&s;tle commandeth, That the &s;ervant of the Lord &s;trive not, but be gentle towards all men, &s;uffering the evill, in&s;tructing with meekene&s;&s;e the contrarie-minded, proving if God at any time will give them repentance, that they may acknowledge the Truth, and come to amendment, out of the &s;nare of the Devill. Which plainely &s;heweth, that Repentance mu&s;t be continually waited for, and not con&s;trained by violence or per&s;ecution;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 2.5.</NOTE> and that becau&s;e Repentance is the gift of God, and cannot be given by man: and therefore Religion not to be forced or compelled.</P>
<P>According to the&s;e Commands, the holy Prophets fore-told, That when the Law of <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;hould cea&s;e in matters of wor&s;hip, and the Law of the <HI>Me&s;&s;ias</HI> &s;hould be &s;et up in &s;tead thereof, that then the carnall Weapons &s;hould cea&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 2.4. <HI>Micha</HI> 4.3, 4. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 11.9. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 42.1, 2, 3. <HI>Math.</HI> 12.18, 19, 20.2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.24.25, 26.2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 10.4.</NOTE> They &s;hall breake their Swords into Mattocks, and their Speares into Sythes, Nation &s;hall not ri&s;e again&s;t Nation, neither &s;hall they learne Warre any more; They &s;hall &s;it every man under his Vine, and under his owne Fig-tree, and none &s;hall make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord hath &s;poken it; There &s;hall none hurt nor de&s;troy in all my holy Mountaine, for the Earth &s;hall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the Waters cover the Seas. Which when Chri&s;t came, he taught and practi&s;ed, and &s;o did his Apo&s;tles and &s;ervant: Behold my &s;ervant whom I have cho&s;en, my beloved in whom my Soule is well plea&s;ed; I will put my Spirit upon him, and he &s;hall &s;hew Judgement to the <HI>Gentiles;</HI> he &s;hall not &s;trive nor crie, neither &s;hall any man heare his voice in the &s;treets; a brui&s;ed Reed &s;hall he not breake, and &s;moking Flax &s;hall he not quench, till he &s;end forth Judge|ment unto Victorie. Advi&s;ing them to be &s;o farre from per&s;ecuting tho&s;e that &s;hould oppo&s;e,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 12.14. <HI>to the</HI> 20.</NOTE> and not be of their Religion, that when they were per&s;ecuted they &s;hould pray, when they were cur&s;ed they &s;hould ble&s;&s;e, leaving the Judgement to God.</P>
<P>The rea&s;on of all is, They who are now blind, may &s;ee; They who now reject the Truth, may receive it; They who are now Tares,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 8.3. <HI>Acts</HI> 9.5, 6.1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.9.1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2.10.</NOTE> may become wheat; They who are now in the &s;nare of the Devill, through wicked workes, and Adver&s;aries to the Truth, may hereafter come to Repentance; They that are now Bla&s;phemers and Per&s;ecutors, as Saint <HI>Paul</HI> was, may in time become mo&s;t glorious aod faithfull Witne&s;&s;es, as he did; They that are now Idolaters, as the <HI>Corinthians</HI> &s;ometimes were, may hereafter, as they, become true wor&s;hippers of God; They who for the pre&s;ent are no people of God in vi&s;ible appearance, nor under mercie, may hereafter become the people of God, obtaining mercie as the Saints have done:
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 20.6.</NOTE> for &s;ome come not till the Eleventh Houre, though &s;ome came at the Fir&s;t, Third, and Sixt Houre, yet &s;ome not till the La&s;t; which, &s;hould they be put to death, becau&s;e they come not with the Fir&s;t, they then would be prevented from comming at all.</P>
<P>It is affirmed by King <HI>James</HI> of famous memorie, in his Speech at the Se&s;&s;ions of Parliament, <HI>Anno</HI> 1609. That it is a &s;ure Rule in Divinitie, That God never loves to plant his Church with violence &amp; Bloud&s;hed.</P>
<P>Againe, in his Apologie for the Oath of Allegeance, <HI>Pag.</HI> 4. &s;peaking of tho&s;e Papi&s;ts that tooke the &s;aid Oath, &s;aith; I gave a good proofe for it, that I never intended per&s;ecution for Con&s;cience cau&s;e, but onely de&s;ired to be &s;ecured of them for Civill obedience. It was u&s;ually the condition of the Chri&s;tians to be per&s;ecuted, but not to per&s;ecute. And lamentable it is to &s;ee the folly of late times, and we cannot but grieve at the folly of men, who thinke by humane Inventions, and carnall aide of Lawes and Statutes, to helpe God, and with worldly power and pompe to defend the Churches of Chri&s;t;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 26.52, 53, 54.</NOTE> as if he by his owne power were not able to doe it, and to performe his owne will.</P>
<P>The Church of Chri&s;t hath formerly beene knowne, by enduring Mi&s;erie and Impri&s;onment;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>John</HI> 15.18, 19. <HI>Revel.</HI> 13.3.</NOTE> but it is the marke of the Church of Anti|Chri&s;t, to terrifie others by Impri&s;onments, Bani&s;hments, and Per&s;ecuti|ons, boa&s;ting her &s;elfe, that &s;he is highly e&s;teemed in the world, whereas the true Church cannot but be hated of the &s;ame.</P>
<P>It was commanded by the Law,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 22.25. <HI>Ao&s;ea</HI> 2.19.2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 11.2.</NOTE> If a man met a betrothed Dam&s;ell in the field, and the man force her, he was to die: Then what &s;hall tho&s;e expect, that &s;hall force the Con&s;cience, the Spou&s;e of Chri&s;t?</P>
<P>The example of many Nations, both in Scripture, and at this day knowne, may &s;uffice to &s;uffer the Con&s;cience free:
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 20. <HI>Gen.</HI> 23. <HI>Gen.</HI> 13. <HI>Gen.</HI> 26.</NOTE> <HI>Abraham</HI> lived in <HI>Egypt,</HI> in <HI>Gerar,</HI> among the <HI>Phili&s;tines;</HI> after, with the <HI>Hittites: Lot</HI> in <HI>Sodom; I&s;aac,</HI> in <HI>Gerar; I&s;rael,</HI> in <HI>Egypt</HI> 430 yeeres; after, in <HI>Babylon</HI> 30 yeeres; yet never con&s;trained in their Religion. Al&s;o in the dayes of our Saviour, how many Religions were there in that Empire of <HI>Cae|&s;ars,</HI> yet not by him per&s;ecuted, or con&s;trained to his Religion.</P>
<P>It was the judgement of <HI>Luther,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 89.27. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33.22. <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.9.2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3.16. <HI>James</HI> 4.12. <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.18, 19.</NOTE> That the Lawes of the Civill Magi|&s;trate extended no farther then over the bodies and goods, and that which is externall; for over the Soule, God will have none to rule but him&s;elfe. And therefore, where-ever the Civill Magi&s;trate undertaketh to &s;et Lawes for the Soules and Con&s;ciences of men, he u&s;urpeth that Government and Authoritie to him&s;elfe, which appertaineth onely to God.</P>
<P>And therefore wee conceive it the highe&s;t of Antichri&s;ts impierie, &s;itting in the Temple of God as God, &s;hewing him&s;elfe that he is God, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 2.4. in giving Lawes to the Con&s;cience, which is Gods Pre|rogative.</P>
<P>In the building of the Temple,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 27.5. <HI>Jo&s;uah</HI> 8.31. <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 60.11. <HI>Revel.</HI> 21.24.</NOTE> there was no &s;ound of Iron heard, to &s;hew, that Chri&s;t will have in his Church a free con&s;ent, not compelled nor con&s;trained by Lawes and Statutes, for the Kings of the Earth &s;hall bring their glory unto it.</P>
<P>Againe, the Churches of Chri&s;t mu&s;t looke for &s;uffering,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 8.29. <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.10. <HI>Heb.</HI> 2.10.</NOTE> with every particular member thereof, as he him&s;elfe did, who is their Head, being thereby made perfect, being the way and meanes that God hath ap|pointed to publi&s;h the Go&s;pel: Which cau&s;ed the Fathers to &s;ay, The Bloud of the Martyrs was the Seed of the Church.</P>
<P>Therefore Chri&s;tians are to be exhorted, not compelled: for he that will not doe that whereunto he is exhorted and per&s;waded, the Go&s;pel injoyning, is no true Chri&s;tian as yet;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2.24.</NOTE> and they that goe not this Go&s;pel way, to per&s;wade men by exhortation and coun&s;ell, but &s;eeke to doe it by con&s;traint, &s;hew them&s;elves not Go&s;pel Teachers.</P>
<P>For con&s;ider, if an earthly King will take it &s;o ill, as &s;urely he may at his &s;ubjects hands, to have any equalize them&s;elves with him, or to make Lawes for his &s;ubjects to be guided and ruled by;
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 4.2. <HI>Prov.</HI> 30.6. <HI>Rev.</HI> 22.18, 19. <HI>John</HI> 4.24. <HI>John</HI> 3.8.2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 5.10. <HI>Gal.</HI> 1.10.</NOTE> how much more the King of Kings, Chri&s;t Je&s;us, by whom alone Kings reigne, will he &s;uffer him&s;elfe to be di&s;placed, and an earthly King placed therein?</P>
<P>Thus wee conceive it is cleare, That no man ought to be forced in matter of Religion, the Go&s;pel being &s;pirituall, and requireth onely &s;pi|rituall wor&s;hippers, like to it &s;elfe: which cannot be made &s;o, but by the Word and Spirit of God, which breatheth where and when it li&s;teth, and not where and when mens Lawes and Statutes plea&s;eth; which may make hypocrites, but not true Chri&s;tians.</P>
<Q><HI>Give glory to God through Je&s;us Christ alone,</HI>
<BIBL>Phil. 3.3.</BIBL></Q>
<BYLINE>By <HI>Edward Barber,</HI> &s;ometimes Pri&s;oner in <HI>Newgate</HI> for the Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t. <HI>In all humilitie &s;ubmitting to better Judgements.</HI></BYLINE>
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<P>Printed in the yeere 1641.</P>
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