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<DATE>2012-09-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Jayanthi Reddy</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
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<P>AN <HI>EPISTOLARY</HI> DISCOURSE Wherein (among&s;t other particulars) the&s;e following Que&s;tions are briefly re&s;olved.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>I. <HI>Whether or no the State &s;hould tolerate the Independent Government?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>II. <HI>If they &s;hould tolerate it, How farre, and with what Limitations?</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>III. <HI>If they &s;hould not tolerate it, what cour&s;e &s;hould be taken to bring them to a conformity with the Presbyterials?</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Written by Mr. JOHN DURY.</P>
<P>To
<LIST>
<ITEM>Mr. THO. GOODWIN.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mr. PHILIP NYE.</ITEM>
<ITEM>Mr. SAMUEL HARTLIB.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><HI>Publi&s;hed by a Friend, for more common u&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>Iul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> 27. 1644. Imprimatur, JA: CRANFORD.</P>
<P><HI>LONDON,</HI> Printed for <HI>Charles Greene,</HI> and are to be &s;old at his &s;hop in lvie Lane. 1644.</P>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="discourse">
<DIV2 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="2">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>The copies of Letters to Mr. <HI>THO. GOODWIN,</HI> and <HI>Mr. PHILIP NYE.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Worthy Sirs,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_ALthough I am not yet &s;etled here, nor can promi&s;e unto my &s;elfe any lea&s;ure and freedome of &s;pirit from other nece&s;&s;ary thoughts, which my pre|&s;ent condition doth obliege me unto: and al|though I might imagine that there is little u&s;e, as yet, to be made among&s;t you, of any thing that I can propo&s;e tending to moderation in matters Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, by rea&s;on of the di&s;tracted condition of the Civill State; Never|thele&s;&s;e, beau&s;e I did promi&s;e you that I would put &s;omething to paper concerning the &s;cope of my Negotiation, and the Argu|ments which I have u&s;ed to per&s;wade mens &s;pirits unto mutuall forbearance; and becau&s;e I know, that if one will ob&s;erve the winde very narrowly, he &s;hall hardly ever &s;ow his &s;eed, [<HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 11.4.] or if he regard the clouds, reap his corne; therefore I will not delay any longer the performance of that which I under|tooke: Which that I may doe in &s;ome order, I will branch out this Di&s;cour&s;e into the&s;e particulars.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, I will relate unto you the true &s;tate of my negotiation with the Lutherans, to bring them to moderation towards us.</P>
<P>Secondly, I will &s;et down the heads of Rea&s;ons which indu|ced me to this endeavour, and which I u&s;ed to per&s;wade others to that duty, which I have pre&s;&s;ed upon them.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="3">
<P>Thirdly, I will let you know my opinion concerning you ca&s;e, for which you de&s;ire to know the&s;e matters; that you may under&s;tand how far I take it to be agreeing or di&s;agreeing with that which hitherto I have agitated, and what I would advi&s;e you to doe in it, for the advancement of Chri&s;ts kingdome, and the publique edification of your Brethren.</P>
<P>The true &s;tate of my Negotiation is this, That I have endeavo|red to bring the Lutherans to &s;ome orderly treatie with us, and joynt re&s;olution among&s;t them&s;elves, concerning the wayes of Peace and Unity in the publique and private profe&s;&s;ion of Chri|&s;tianitie, that the &s;candalous and uncon&s;cionable effects of our divi&s;ions being taken out of the way, &s;ome joynt cour&s;e might be &s;e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">led to &s;et forward the Reformation of Prote&s;tant Chur|ches, unto that period whereunto it may by Gods a&s;&s;i&s;tance be brought. To this effect, having fir&s;t dealt with our own &s;ide, and gotten their con&s;ent unto this Aime, I have offered my &s;elfe al&s;o unto the re&s;t as a Sollicitor of the Councels of Peace, and a Servant of the Communion of Saints in this matter. In this po|&s;ture I have taken the freedome to provoke all unto the duties of love and of good workes, either by propo&s;ing or asking coun|cell of them, or making motions tending to the compo&s;ure of dif|ferences. For, having made my &s;pirit voyd of partiality, and laid a&s;ide all private aimes, I took up univer&s;all rules which I thought app<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="4 letters">e unto all mens under&s;tandings in Theoreticis, and to their con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="6 letters">es in Practicis; that by this meanes we might be brought to f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">llow the Apo&s;tles councell unto the Philippians, <HI>chap.</HI> 3.15.16. which is, that &s;o far as we are come, we &s;hould mind the &s;ame things, and walke by the &s;ame rule, as it becom|meth tho&s;e that i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">deed are brethren in Je&s;us Chri&s;t. For I did not aime &s;o m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ch at a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">are Toleration betwixt us and Lutherans, as at a pub i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ue prof<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;ion of Brotherhood, whereupon I con|ceived a Toleration would follow of it &s;elfe in matters of le&s;&s;er difference, which c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">uld be no ju&s;t occa&s;ion of a breach: and as for things of greater importance, wherein &s;ome did &s;eeme to find &s;ufficient cau&s;e of breaking of Brotherhood from us: I &s;up|po&s;ed the&s;e might be removed two wayes; fir&s;t, by a fundamentall confe&s;&s;ion of faith, and of duties requi&s;ite unto &s;alvation, which
<PB N="3" REF="3">might be common to all, and openly profe&s;&s;ed as the &s;umme and &s;ub&s;tance of our Religion, and badge of our fraternall union. Se|condly, by a common and infallible rule of interpreting the Text of holy Scripture, by which all Doubts incident in other matters, not fundamentall, may be cleered and decided: and as the fundamentall Confe&s;&s;ion &s;hould &s;erve for all in common, &s;o this Rule of interpretation &s;hould be a meanes to joyne the more learned &s;ort in one &s;en&s;e and meaning, le&s;t their differences a|bout matters of le&s;&s;er moment might rent the body in pieces, notwith&s;tanding the former tye of Union in fundamentall truths. For &s;eeing we &s;ee daily, that among&s;t men of good repute other|wi&s;e for godlines in their life and conver&s;ation, and for zeale in their profe&s;&s;ion of Religion, great di&s;putes fall out for &s;mall mat|ters, (as for the different acception of a word in a place of Scrip|ture, or for the meaning of a &s;entence which may be diver&s;ly in|terpreted according to the different relations which it hath unto the matters precedent and con&s;equent:) and the&s;e di&s;putes oft|times come to &s;uch a height betwixt them, that they not onley lo&s;e all charitable affections and amicablene&s;&s;e of conver&s;ation one towards another, but al&s;o involve others, their hearers, into the &s;ame breaches of Chri&s;tian love, from whence Schi&s;mes and Seperations at la&s;t ari&s;e and increa&s;e in the Churches, although there be no ju&s;t cau&s;e thereof in re&s;pect of the &s;ub&s;tantiall and materiall points of Faith and Practice: &s;eeing (I &s;ay) we daily &s;ee that this doth fall out, and that this alone is able to breed ma|ny divi&s;ions among&s;t the Learned, notwith&s;tanding all other tyes of brotherly union and friend&s;hip betwixt them; therefore I thought it would be expedient, if not nece&s;&s;ary, to find &s;ome re|medy for this inconvenient, which at la&s;t I &s;uppo&s;e is found, and if God would be plea&s;ed to enable me to propo&s;e it, I hope it would prove effectuall towards Men that are not &s;elf-conceited, but tractable, either by the grounds of Rea&s;on, or of Con&s;cience led in a&s;pirituall way, which is above, but not contrary unto Rea|&s;on; for &s;pirituall Truths are rationally delivered in the Scrip|ture, although men that are naturally rationall, are not able to c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">mprehend the &s;en&s;e thereof. In a word, I conceive the reme|die to be this; That when we have agreed upon the &s;ub&s;tance of
<PB N="4" REF="4">Faith and Practice, we may have al&s;o &s;ome undoubted Rules whereby to reduce all matters which are extra-&s;ub&s;tantiall, unto their owne Principles, that the doubts which ari&s;e concerning the &s;ame, may be decided according to the Analogie of that Faith which is out of all doubt, and according to the cleere &s;en&s;e of the Word regularly analy&s;ed: So that the Rules, fir&s;t, of de|termining Fundamentalls in Faith and Practice; Secondly, of reducing doubtfull matters concerning Faith and Practice unto their own Fundamentalls; and Thirdly, of analyzing the Text of Holy Scripture demon&s;tratively, are the meanes whereby the di&s;orderly proceedings of all our di&s;putes may bee remedied. And the whole &s;tate of my Negotiation hath properly been imployed in this, to bring the Lutherans as well as our own &s;ide, to intend joyntly the right apprehen&s;ion and application of the&s;e Rules, as Antidotes to cure our di&s;ea&s;es which are infectious, and &s;pread their di&s;temper in the &s;pirits of all men that walk not by the &s;ame, to order their Theorie and their Practice, to the ends of Godlines and of mutuall edification through Love. You may perceive then, that I doe not negotiate for the deci&s;ion of this or of that particular Opinion, about which mo&s;t men are &s;o earne&s;tly &s;et, either <HI>pro</HI> or <HI>contra;</HI> for I leave all &s;uch Di&s;putes as matters of indifferencie to me, in regard of the &s;cope of my Ne|gotiation (although I make them not matters of indifferencie in regard of their weight, and in regard of my private judgement concerning them) and in&s;i&s;t only upon the Rules which all men that handle Controver&s;ies rationally or con&s;cionably &s;hould fol|low as well in Theorie as in Practice, to come at la&s;t unto the deci&s;ion thereof. In this &s;tate my Negotiation doth &s;tand at this time with all parties, and my aime is to meddle with you no fur|ther than to this purpo&s;e at this time. Yet I never refu&s;e, chiefly if it be required at my hand, or if otherwi&s;e I find it fit for edifi|cation, to let my judgement be knowne concerning particulars of Doctrine or Practice, which may be doubtfull; but I &s;tand not upon that as a matter of con&s;equence in my Negotiation, but rather doe it in obedience to the command of <HI>Peter,</HI> c. 3.15. and leave my opinion to be judged by others according to the rules of deci&s;ion of doubts, whereupon we doe agree. Nor mu&s;t
<PB N="5" REF="4">you imagine that I doe by this Negotiation &s;eeke to pre&s;cribe Rules and Methods unto others, as one that would have ma&s;terie over their under&s;tandings, and per&s;wade them to follow my di|rections; but I endeavour to draw them to a Con&s;ultation about &s;uch matters, that by an amiable Conference, matters of this nature tending to regulate our thoughts and affections in the worke of Reconciliation, may be beaten out and cleered, that when we have found the rules of proceeding without di&s;order and confu&s;ion, we may make u&s;e of them for the publique good, and our mutuall edification: and if you doe not di&s;allow of this undertaking, you may come in as a healer of the breaches, and a repairer of the ruines of many Generations: For all that I de&s;ire, is to engage every one who is able, to helpe to contribute a&s;&s;i|&s;tance unto this worke of Reformation: and becau&s;e you &s;eeme de&s;irous to draw from me &s;ome helpe unto your private Ca&s;e, that others may be per&s;waded to u&s;e that Moderation towards you, which you thinke is ju&s;t you &s;hould enjoy, therefore I am reciprocally de&s;irous to draw from you &s;ome help towards the Publique, that all may be per&s;waded to u&s;e that Moderation one towards another, which you would obtaine from tho&s;e of <HI>Eng|land</HI> towards your &s;elfe: and if you worke effectually for this, and that according to Rules which no man can refu&s;e, I &s;uppo&s;e in doing good to the Publique, you will find the benefit immedi|ately redound unto your &s;elfe; For if you &s;tudy to doe all things by a Rule, and can make others &s;en&s;ible that the Rule which you follow in your profe&s;&s;ion, is the be&s;t and mo&s;t perfect way of Peace and Edification among&s;t all; you may be &s;ure that you &s;hall enjoy the liberty which your Rule yieldeth, when others &s;hall perceive the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e thereof. Let us then beat out the matter of Regulating our proceedings, and ordering our Theorie and Practi&s;e towards Peace, Truth, and mutuall Edifi|cation in Godlines, and we &s;hall find in the end that our labours will not be in vaine in the Lord. For if we truly &s;tudy to keep the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace; and if we doe the truth which we know, in Love, no doubt others will doe in like man|ner to us, not only becau&s;e our example will be a provocation and patterne unto them to walke as we doe, but al&s;o and chiefly
<PB N="6" REF="5">becau&s;e they &s;hal &s;ee that we do not walk at random or partially, but by a Rule which is univer&s;all, and will lead all men that will take it up, unto the fruition of that happines which we aime at, which is no more but the unblameable Libertie of the Sonnes of God in the Kingdome of their Father, to &s;erve him, and declare the prai&s;es of his goodne&s;&s;e towards us, through Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in the great Congregation. This libertie of &s;erving God according to his will, and of &s;peaking of his prai&s;es, and of his goodne&s;&s;e, if we can &s;hew how it &s;hould be u&s;ed without partialitie and &s;elfe-&s;eeking, according unto cleere and infallible Rules tending to the Edification of all men; I &s;ay, if we can &s;hew to this Gene|ration this Libertie, what it is, and how it &s;hould be u&s;ed, not to contradict and overthrow, &s;o much as to build up, and gaine a&s;&s;ent; we &s;hall enjoy our &s;hare thereof without oppo&s;ition: And becau&s;e I am very confident hereof through Je&s;us Chri&s;t, I make bold to provoke you unto this Meditation with me; and will now leave you at this time to thinke upon the matter, till the next occa&s;ion of writing, wherein I purpo&s;e God willing to in&s;i&s;t upon the &s;econd Head which I did propo&s;e unto my &s;elfe in the beginning of this Di&s;cour&s;e: In the meane time let us pray one for another, and for light towards all that are in errour and darkne&s;&s;e, from the Father of lights; To who&s;e favour I commend you, as</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Friend and Servant in Chri&s;t, <HI>JOHN D&V;RY.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>HAG&V;E,</HI> <DATE>24 <HI>June.</HI> 1642. 4 <HI>July.</HI> 1642.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="7" REF="5">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q>Grace and Peace be multiplied unto you from God the Father and our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t. Amen.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>I Made a beginning on the 24. day of <HI>June</HI> la&s;t, to write unto you concerning the things which you de&s;ired to know of me touching my Negotiation of Peace among&s;t Prote&s;tants: then I did &s;hew you fir&s;t, that my Aime was not to procure a bare Toleration betwixt Us and Lutherans; but rather a Reall Profe&s;&s;ion of true Brotherhood. Secondly, that to procure this, I had laid the Foundation of my Worke upon the Apo&s;tles Rule, which is <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.15.16. Thirdly, that to make u&s;e of this Apo|&s;tolicall precept, and apply it unto the pre&s;ent occa&s;ion of the Churches, I had laboured to find out Three things. Fir&s;t, Rules whereby the Fundamentals of Faith and Practice might be de|termined. Secondly, Rules whereby Doubtfull Matters which are not Fundamentall, may be reduced to their own Principles of Faith and Practice, according to the Analogie whereof they &s;hould be decided. Thirdly, Rules of True and Demon&s;trative Scripturall Analy&s;is, whereby the &s;en&s;e of the word, which is the la&s;t Judge of all Controver&s;ies, may be known. Fourthly, that to find the&s;e Rules, I did ab&s;tract my thoughts from all particular opinions in the way of my Negotiation, not endeavoring to pre|&s;c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ibe unto any my &s;en&s;e concerning the&s;e Rules, but rather to draw others to a Con&s;ultation and &s;earch with me of the Way of finding out the &s;ame: that when we &s;hould have agreed upon an Orderly way of proceeding in all doubtfull matters, to finde the deci&s;ion thereof, we may at la&s;t come to &s;ome i&s;&s;ue of the Controver&s;ies which hitherto by rea&s;on of the confu&s;ed manner of agitation have been undecidable. This was the whole pur|po&s;e of that Di&s;cour&s;e. The &s;econd principall matter where|upon I was to in&s;i&s;t towards you, was concerning the Rea&s;ons and Arguments which fir&s;t have induced me to this &s;tudy of Mo|deration, and which &s;econdly I have u&s;ed to per&s;wade others to|wards the &s;ame.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t then, concerning my &s;elfe, I doe ingeniou&s;ly confe&s;&s;e,
<PB N="8" REF="6">that the meere love of Peace and Quietne&s;&s;e, and the hope of doing good to the Church of God, did move me to embrace this endeavour, when I was called thereunto in <HI>Pru&s;&s;ia</HI> by Dr. <HI>Gode|man</HI> a Councellour of State to the late King of <HI>Sweden,</HI> in the yeere 1628. Since which time, as I have never intended to di&s;|continue my purpo&s;e of folliciting the Publique Wayes of Peace, &s;o I have had &s;everall kinds of inducements binding my Con&s;ci|ence to the duty, and &s;ome encouragements which were able to &s;upport me again&s;t the manifold difficulties and impediments which have been incident to my way. The fir&s;t inducement which bound my Con&s;cience to thinke upon the&s;e Endeavours, was the Call which I had to thinke upon the &s;ame, which I could not but an&s;wer, except I &s;hould have been wanting to my duty in the Mini&s;tery of the Go&s;pell. Therefore as I was provo|ked to thinke upon the Object of Peace and Truth, &s;o I thought others would be moved in like manner to doe the &s;ame, if I did call upon them to that effect. Hence it was that I tooke upon me to become a publique Sollicitor of the&s;e Endeavours; For I con|ceived that none that was Godly, wi&s;e and Learned, would refu&s;e to concurre in &s;o nece&s;&s;ary a Worke, &s;o profitable for holy Com|munication, and &s;o fit for Corre&s;pondencie in the Communion of Saints. Upon this ground you know that I drew a certaine Forme of a Declaration to be &s;ub&s;cribed by all &s;uch as would joyne to helpe by &s;pirituall Councell the&s;e endeavours: To this you both did &s;ub&s;cribe, and I did in &s;ome occa&s;ions require your advi&s;e and a&s;&s;i&s;tance; but what hath hindered the accompli&s;h|ment of your promi&s;e, you your &s;elves be&s;t know; perhaps God would have the fruits of your Meditations in this kinde re&s;erved till this time, wherein they would be mo&s;t &s;ea&s;onable. The Se|cond inducement was the Nece&s;&s;itie of the times, wherein no|thing could be more u&s;efull for the Publique Good, then to heale the breaches of Prote&s;tant Churches, which we are all bound to pray for: and I in my &s;implicity did then, and &s;till doe conceive, that what I am bound by prayer to &s;ue for unto Almighty God, I ought al&s;o by my be&s;t endeavours &s;o far as God doth enable me, actually to accompli&s;h and promote. The Third inducement was the nature and property of the Work if &s;elfe, as it hath Place
<PB N="9" REF="6">in the Kingdome of God. This Con&s;ideration did not come at fir&s;t &s;o fully into my minde, as afterward when I had been a cer|taine &s;pace in action; for then upon tryall of my heart, and exa|mination of my aimes, I found that in all the Scripture there was not any one duty &s;o oft and &s;o earne&s;tly recommended, as this, which tendeth to the keeping of the unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace, and to the Care of mutuall edification through love: Therefore I &s;et my &s;elfe with &s;o much more zeale and dili|gence to dive into the properties of the&s;e virtues, whereby to di&s;cerne the excellencie thereof, and what their u&s;efulnes is in the Kingdome of God: And when I perceived that all other virtues and Graces are u&s;ele&s;&s;e, and unprofitable to the glory of God, and good of his Saints, except the&s;e be effectually joyned unto them: I rectified my purpo&s;es in many particulars, to make them an&s;werable unto the nature of the&s;e duties, and &s;etled a re|&s;olution unalterable, to pur&s;ue this aime continually, more then any other &s;tudy what&s;oever. I had be&s;ides the&s;e many other motives to draw me on towards the&s;e endeavours, which it is not needfull to mention; yet becau&s;e &s;ome of them are of moment, and have much wrought upon me, I will name them briefly; as this, That I found the pronene&s;&s;e of mans &s;pirit to &s;trive &amp; to lift it &s;elfe up again&s;t others for &s;ome particular matters of Diffe|rence very great: and then perceiving the danger of &s;uch &s;trife, and the mo&s;t pernicious effects thereof in the &s;oules of men, and in the body of the whole Church, I was exceedingly confirmed in the love of Peaceable endeavours, as the only meanes to pre|&s;erve my &s;oule from being involved into the great inconvenien|ces whereunto I perceived mo&s;t men were wrapped unawares, for want of a Rule to walke by in &s;eeking Peace. Al&s;o this, that the only way to encounter with men of cro&s;&s;e humours, and that are &s;trongly led away into gro&s;&s;e errors, is to bring them unto the thoughts and affections of Peace and Unitie, to be intended according to ju&s;t and equitable Rules with them from whom they di&s;&s;ent: for in convincing their under&s;tandings that they ought to walke by the Rules of Love, which lead us to maintaine Peace, and aime at the wayes of edification, they are made void of prejudices, and tractable to receive in&s;truction. Moreover this,
<PB N="10" REF="7">that all Di&s;putes turne at la&s;t to bitterne&s;&s;e and vaine jangling a|mong&s;t all men, and become endle&s;&s;e and without fruit, except the ayme of Peace and Reconciliation be intended, and a Rule of proceeding be u&s;ed, which may l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ad us unto the &s;ame.</P>
<P>The&s;e are the principall heads of the Inducements which mo|ved me to the&s;e endeavours, to which divers encouragements from time to time did co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">re, whereby I have been &s;trengthe|ned again&s;t the &s;traits and oppo&s;itions which are fallen in my way to &s;top me in this cour&s;e of Negotiation. Fir&s;t I had from time to time the cleere con&s;ent and full approbation of all the mo&s;t Godly Divines of both &s;ides, &s;o long as their judgements were free and voyd of partialitie: and when they did fall off from me, I perceived that it came from groundle&s;&s;e jealou&s;ies and fal&s;e informations or &s;u&s;pitions, which did make them leave their true Principles and Rules of edification, which at fir&s;t they had inten|ded. Secondly, I had the concurrence of the chiefe States-men that were Rationall and Prudent in he wayes of true Govern|ment, who engaged them&s;elves to give me reall a&s;&s;i&s;tance by their Authority. Thirdly, I found not only great hopes of pro|ceeding, but reall eff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cts of my w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">ke, by Gods ble&s;&s;ing di&s;po|&s;ing the &s;pirit of leading men unto the wayes of Moderation. Fourthly, I &s;aw that the very oppo&s;ition of unrea&s;onable men did turne to the greater advantage of my work, and the manife|&s;tation of the truth, &s;o that at la&s;t it was almo&s;t indifferent unto me, whether I met with oppo&s;ites or no, &s;eeing I could turne all to my advantage. And la&s;tly, I came to this re&s;olution, that I made a Vow of per&s;everance in the Work, whether I perceived any temarkable furtherance of the Worke or no, in re&s;pect that I conceived it to be a Nece&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ry Duty, whereof the event did depend upon Gods &s;peciall providence, to whom I was bound to referre the i&s;&s;ue, what&s;oever be came of me or my endeavours. So that now I looke no more to the outward appearance of Men in this Negotiation, but unto the tenor of my Vow, which I am &s;ure is an&s;werable unto the expre&s;&s;e will of God, and by this meanes I hope I am confirmed invincibly again&s;t all oppo&s;itions what&s;oever.</P>
<P>The&s;e are briefly the Motives and Encouragements which have
<PB N="11" REF="7" MS="y">brought me to the Negotiation of Peace, and confirmed me therein hitherto. Now I mu&s;t tell you the &s;umme of the Argu|ments which I have u&s;ed to per&s;wade others unto the &s;ame di&s;po|&s;ition towards Peace and Moderation, which God hath wrought in my heart.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, the Woe which is denounced again&s;t the world by rea|&s;on of Offences, <HI>Mat.</HI> 18 7.8.9. is to be feared, and therefore we &s;hould take heed that we be not acce&s;&s;arie to the multiplying of the &s;ame. Now it is evident that many &s;candals are multiplied by rea&s;on of &s;uperfluous and di&s;orderly di&s;putes, which &s;canda|lize the little ones; and by rea&s;on of Contentions and partiall proceedings, which divide the minds of the Profe&s;&s;ours, &amp; draw them into factions: and if we connive at the&s;e &s;candals, and la|bour not to take them out of the way when occa&s;ion is off red to us, we are acce&s;&s;ary thereunto, and &s;o are liable to the woe denounced again&s;t the world, and the authors of off<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">nces. Se|condly, the mi&s;erable effects of our endle&s;&s;e &s;trife and divi&s;ions is a large field of di&s;cour&s;e to &s;hew how the progre&s;&s;e of the Go&s;pel is &s;topped thereby, how the Truth is darkned, how the practice of Godlines is neglected, how the Churches are con&s;umed one by another, and made a prey unto the Common Adver&s;aries, who lye in wait and watch for our de&s;truction, and prevaile by noth<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ng &s;o much as by our inward confu&s;ions, di&s;orders, and pa&s;|&s;ionate debates among&s;t our &s;elves. This Argument is made plain from the pre&s;ent &s;tate of all the Prote&s;tant Churches in all Coun|tries which are expo&s;ed to all manner of dangers, and laid wa&s;te in many places, by rea&s;on of the prevailing plots of the Papi&s;ts and Socinians, which take effect, only becau&s;e we doe not intend to walke by one Rule, to be like minded in that whereunto we are come, and to Edifie one another (in that wherein we are at v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">riance) by Common Principles, and Orderly Wayes of Pro|ph<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cying. Thirdly, the Benefits which would redound to all the Churches from Peace and Unitie among&s;t them&s;elves; and what Advantage the Go&s;pel it &s;elfe would receive thereby; and how by the joynt and Brotherly endeavours of Prote&s;tants, all Nati|ons of he World, both Jewes and Gentiles, and Mahumetans, might be brought unto the &s;heepfold of Chri&s;t, and the Man of
<PB N="12" REF="8">Sin in a &s;hort time quite overthrowne. This is a mo&s;t ample and large &s;ubject to be in&s;i&s;ted upon towards tho&s;e that believe the Rai&s;ing up of the Kingdome of Chri&s;t, and the Overthrow of Babylon in the latter times.</P>
<P>Fourthly, The expre&s;&s;e Commandements of God to &s;eek peace with all men, and the manifold exhortations tending to in&s;truct us in the wayes and meanes of love and peace, and happy condi|tion of tho&s;e that &s;tudy to ob&s;erve the &s;ame in the feare of God; are &s;o many well-&s;prings of rea&s;ons to move the con&s;ciences of men unto this duty and endeavour.</P>
<P>Fifthly, The example and forwardne&s;&s;e of others in former times, and in the&s;e times al&s;o, with the preparatives u&s;ed and made ready on all &s;ides to entertaine the motions of agreement, and to concurre in the Councells of Peace, are alledged as a call offered from God, which all godly men are bound to entertaine with readine&s;&s;e, except they will be found wanting to their duty before God in the Go&s;pell of Peace, and guilty of the Evills which fol|low upon &s;trife and debate among&s;t Brethren.</P>
<P>Sixthly, The Brotherly Relation which is really by rea&s;on of the acknowledgement of the &s;ame &s;aving Faith, betwixt us; doth binde us to make profe&s;&s;ion of Brotherhood and labour to edifie one another therein, except we will betray the Truth, and breake the tye of one Faith and Hope, which obligeth us to pro|vide and &s;eek for one anothers Spirituall and Temporall good, as Members of one and the &s;ame Head Je&s;us Chri&s;t: For it being evident that the Lutherans and We are one in the &s;ub&s;tance of the &s;ame Faith and Hope; it followeth that we are bound in Cou&s;cience to make this unity manife&s;t by our Publike Profe&s;&s;i|on; becau&s;e we doing otherwi&s;e, &s;uppre&s;&s;e the chiefe fruit of that Truth whereby God is to be glorified, and Chri&s;t made knowne unto the World, as he doth intimate, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.21, 22, 23.</P>
<P>La&s;tly, This Argument I have oft-times pre&s;&s;ed, and found it Unan&s;werable; I &s;ay then, that as I finde my &s;elfe bound to profe&s;&s;e Brotherhood towards another, &s;o I &s;uppo&s;e every one will finde him&s;elfe obliged unto the &s;ame duty towards me, if he will con&s;ider me as I doe him. Now I con&s;ider every one with whom I &s;eeke Brotherhood in profe&s;&s;ion as he hath a Relation
<PB N="31" REF="8">unto God, who is my Father in Chri&s;t: If then I finde that hee hath the &s;ame intere&s;t in God which I have, and doth call him Father upon the &s;ame grounds which I do: namely, by vertue of the &s;ame new Covenant whereby I am united unto God in Chri&s;t; then I doe conceive him to be my Brother, in re&s;pect that his &s;oule is begotten by the &s;ame heavenly Father through the &s;ame &s;pirituall Seed, and in the wombe of the &s;ame heavenly Jeru&s;alem, and to the &s;ame lively hope, by whom, through which Seed, in which wombe, and to which hope my &s;oule is begot|ten. And if I finding him &s;ound in the tenour of the New Cove|nant, mu&s;t needs acknowledge him in my heart my Brother, and a &s;onne of the &s;ame Spirituall Father and Mother, then I ought not before Men to conceale the &s;ame acknowledgement, but am bound in Con&s;cience (chiefly when it may tend much to his good, and to the manife&s;tation of Gods glory) to make open profe&s;&s;ion thereof; although in &s;ome other re&s;pects there may be &s;ome differences of opinions and of cu&s;tomes of behaviour be|twixt us: for all Brethren are not of the &s;ame &s;tature, and clo|thed alike, and &s;peake with one and the &s;ame tone, and alike rea|dily: &s;ome are taller then others, and more comely: &s;ome more neat in their cloaths, and &s;peake more di&s;tinctly, and with more rea&s;on then others do; and yet this doth make no difference in the intere&s;t which they have all alike unto their Father, and to his in|heritance, and in the Brotherly Relation which they have one to another.</P>
<P>If the&s;e Arguments were enlarged according to the richne&s;&s;e of their &s;ubjects, they could fill up a great volume: But I &s;uppo&s;e you de&s;ire nothing el&s;e of me but the intimation of the&s;e heads, to which &s;ome others could be added if time did permit; but I am &s;traitned many wayes and &s;till di&s;tracted, by rea&s;on of the new frame of life, and the un&s;etled condition of attendance, where|unto I am come of late, wherein neverthele&s;&s;e as I &s;hall never for|get the Publike Good, &s;o I &s;hall alwayes be ready to &s;hew my &s;elfe.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your faithfull Brother and Servant in Chri&s;t, <HI>JOHN D&V;RY.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>Hague,</HI></DATELINE>
<DATE>7/17 <HI>July,</HI> 1642.</DATE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="14" REF="9">
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q>Grace and Peace be with you from God the Father, and our Lord Ie&s;us Chri&s;t, Amen.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>YOu have received, I make no doubt, the two former let|ters, wherein you have &s;een the &s;tate of my Negotiati|on, with the Rea&s;ons which have moved me to under|take it, and which I propo&s;ed unto others to move them to joyne with me in the &s;ame Endeavours: I conceive that therein I have &s;atisfied your de&s;ire, and my promi&s;e. I might therefore &s;u<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ce<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters"> from this &s;ubject; but becau&s;e I hope it will be profitable unto you and the Publique al&s;o, and I find it an&s;we|rable unto my ayme of Sollicitation, to draw you unto a neerer con&s;ideration of tho&s;e matters; For this cau&s;e I will proceed un|to the Third point, which at fir&s;t I did mention; which was to let you know my opinion concerning your Ca&s;e, for which you did require the&s;e Declarations from me; for I &s;uppo&s;ed you would make u&s;e of my Rea&s;ons for your private Advantage to gaine the End for which you treat with &s;ome of your Brethren now in <HI>England,</HI> that namely they might be induced to beare with you, as you &s;uppo&s;ed I would have per&s;waded the Lutherans to have borne with Us. I doe not di&s;allow of your purpo&s;e, nor am I unwilling to contribute a&s;&s;i&s;tance to it, &s;o far as I judge it an&s;werable unto the Rules of our holy profe&s;&s;ion, &amp; the lawfull libertie whereunto we are called in the Kingdome of our Father: But I mu&s;t truly confe&s;&s;e, that I would be loath to &s;erve a parti|cular Aime, as it is a particular, and not directly &s;ubordinate un|to the univer&s;all end of Publique Edification in the Communion of Saints. For if I live not unto my &s;elfe in particular, nor dare I aime at my own advantages in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel; and if I may not &s;eeke mine own, far le&s;&s;e &s;hould I &s;eeke another mans particu ar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> as it is a particular: but as the Publique Good of many is made up of &s;everall particulars, &s;o I am bound to doe &s;ervice unto every one; therefore I keep my &s;elfe free from all, that I might be a &s;ervant unto all, in that which is truly good;
<PB N="15" REF="9">which is alwayes common and appliable unto every one. You &s;ee then the Rule by which I walke, which doth keep me without prejudice, becau&s;e I looke more unto the Spirits of men as they &s;tand in relation towards others, to find a Way how to bring them to the &s;ame Rules of intending Mutuall Good and Edifying one another in that whereunto they are come, than unto their outward particular Actions or De&s;ignes, which I never reflect otherwi&s;e upon, but as they mu&s;t be taken up and compared with the infallible grounds of Charity and Holines, wherein all the Meanes of Publique Edification are contracted. For all truths of knowledge and of Practice (for which mo&s;t men &s;o earne&s;tly contend, in maintaining &s;everall Opinions) mu&s;t end at la&s;t in the&s;e Two; or if they lead us not cleerely unto the&s;e, they are Matters of no con&s;equence; but if they can be found directly Meanes to advance the&s;e, it is certaine that in all mens con&s;ci|ences they will ea&s;ily be made manife&s;t, if the Manner of propo|&s;ing Evangelicall Truths Inoffen&s;ively be known and ob&s;erved. Hence it is that before we propo&s;e Fruths unto others (though never &s;o important) we &s;hould alwayes premeditate the Inof|fen&s;ive Way of dealing with them, that out te&s;timony may be received and without prejudice admitted by them. And I finde that this was the maine care of the Apo&s;tle, and &s;uch a matter wherein he doth place the chiefe character, as of the Children of God, who are fit to hold forth the word of life to a froward gene|ration, <HI>Phil.</HI> 2.15. &s;o of his own divine Mini&s;tery, 2 <HI>Cor.</HI> 6.1, 2, 3 4. for the fulfulling of which without offence to others, he was willing to undergoe all manner of afflictions and di&s;tre&s;&s;es in all patience &amp; long &s;uffering, o &s;hew that no inconvenience befal|ling to our &s;elves, is &s;uch a hinderance unto the Go&s;pel, as the lea&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">nce which may be given unto any to whom the Truth is to be propo&s;ed. So then although I be never &s;o fully a&s;&s;ured of a Truth, yet I mu&s;t not propo&s;e it without a Rule which may teach me to doe it without offence unto Edification. And now I am fallen upon this di&s;cour&s;e with you, to lay a ground of Commu|nication betwixt us, and to prevent jealou&s;ies which you might have of me, in ca&s;e I &s;hould &s;eeme to di&s;&s;ent from you in &s;ome things, or if perhaps I interpreted your dealings otherwi&s;e then
<PB N="16" REF="10">you would have them under&s;tood: and indeed there is great dan|ger in mi&s;takes of this nature; therefore before I proceed, I think it would be very expedient you &s;hould briefly State your Ca&s;e wherein you are in <HI>England,</HI> and let me know your true Aime, as I have made mine known unto you; For if I &s;hould gue&s;&s;e, &amp; &s;ay that your Aime is to have the Libertie of Independencie; and if I &s;hould de&s;cribe that Independencie &s;o as others do, I &s;uppo&s;e you would think your &s;elfe wronged: Now I am loath to wrong tho&s;e whom I de&s;ire to edifie, and by whom (I &s;uppo&s;e, if we un|der&s;tand one another aright) I may be edified. Let me then have the benefit of a true Information before I proceed; and I will promi&s;e, that if your Aime and Way of proceeding approve it &s;elfe to my judgement, that my Con&s;cience will binde mee to a&s;&s;i&s;t you in it; For I have dedicated my &s;elfe and my labours without partiality, unto all good undertakings which tend any way unto the Advancement of the Kingdome of Chri&s;t. If then you will &s;hew me what your proper Endeavour is towards the &s;etting up of Chri&s;ts Kingdome, and by what Rules you frame your proceedings, as well in Spirituall as Temporall underta|kings, as well in Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall as Civill Relations: I &s;hall be obliged to &s;hew my &s;elfe effectually according to my light and abilitie,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your faithfull Brother and Servant in Chri&s;t, <HI>JOHN D&V;RY.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>HAG&V;E.</HI> <DATE>28/7 <HI>July. Augu&s;t.</HI> 1642.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="17" REF="10">
<HEAD>A Copy of the Letter to Mr. <HI>SAMURL HARTLIB.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Loving Friend:</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_THe Apologeticall Narration of the Mini&s;ters who formerly were named Independents, but now refu&s;e that title, which you have &s;ent me, is pen|ned with much art, circum&s;pectly and advanta|giou&s;ly for their end; &amp; to me it hath given &s;ome generall &s;atisfaction in that which I did require hitherto from them, but never could obtaine, which was to know the true point of difference betwixt them &amp; the other Reformed Churches. Seeing then you de&s;ire to know my opinion of their Way, I am willing to propo&s;e it; not to cen&s;ure but to edifie you, and warne them, if my Di&s;cour&s;e may be taken up without prejudice, which I hope both you and they will doe, becau&s;e you know fully that hitherto I have not beene, and I a&s;&s;ure you that henceforth I will not be wanting to them in any duty of love which may advance the Kingdome of Chri&s;t; although in matters of Spirituall Communication with me about that &s;ubject, I never could finde any reciprocation on their part, even then when they have been entreated &s;o to doe. But I will not make this a complaint, nor mu&s;t you thinke that I am le&s;&s;e charitable unto them for it: For I &s;ee that their aime is rather Private then Publicke, and that their whole Way is an&s;werable to a particular Intere&s;t, to commend them&s;elves in a di&s;tance from others, by &s;ome di&s;tinct practi&s;es wherein they &s;uppo&s;e they come nearer to the right Way of Church government then others doe; where|of you &s;hall know by this Di&s;cour&s;e my Judgement.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="11">
<P>Their End in this Apologie is &s;et downe in the clo&s;e thereof to be this, <HI>that they would per&s;wade the Hou&s;es of Parliament to &s;uf|fer them to have a &s;ub&s;i&s;tance in their owne land, with the enjoyment of the Ordinances of Chri&s;t peaceably, with the allowance of the latitude of &s;ome le&s;&s;er differences.</HI> The chiefe force of rea&s;on to per&s;wade them to yeeld to this, is herein, 1. That el&s;ewhere they cannot be in &s;af<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ty and health with livelihood. 2. That they have been &s;ufferers in the &s;ame Cau&s;e with the Kingdome in former times, even to exile, and in the&s;e pre&s;ent times that they endure the op|po&s;ition and reproach of good men, even to the threatning of a|nother bani&s;hment; and yet that they are not changed from their re&s;olution to walke as they doe. 3. That they differ little from the Reformed Churches in their Judgement about the pre&s;ent Worke of Reformation of Wor&s;hip and Di&s;cipline. 4. That if they have not beene furtherers of the Reformation which the Hou&s;es intend, yet they have not been hinderers thereof, nor di|&s;turbers of the Publike Peace. And to make all this appeare to be &s;o, the Apologie is penned with a great deale of in&s;inuation and &s;trengh towards popular capacities who looke not deeply into matters of this nature, and to whom the plea of Equality in Government, and the Liberty from being &s;ubject to Authority is very plau&s;ible; nor can the mo&s;t Judicious greatly except again&s;t the thing pleaded for, if it be &s;uppo&s;ed that the particularities of their W<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">y are truly an&s;werable to that which the generall Nar|rative doth fairly in&s;inuate; And if they be granted free from tho&s;e inconveniences, which a &s;tranger to them will hardly &s;u&s;|pect. Bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;ome here who have beene more nearly acquainted with their particular cour&s;e then I am, &s;eem to have &s;omething to &s;ay to that, yet I will not prejudge them in my thoughts, but doe beleeve charitably all they &s;ay for them&s;elves, as I would be be|leeved in the like ca&s;e; and &s;uppo&s;ing all to be as true as may be imagined: I will di&s;cover my Judgement concerning the main Matter, which I take to be this:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. Whether or no they &s;hould be Tolerated by the State as they doe de&s;ire?</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. And if they &s;hould be Tolerated; How far, and How long that &s;hould be; and What latitude of differences &s;hould bee
<PB N="19" REF="11">permitted unto them, and What limitations laid upon them?</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. But if they &s;hould not be Tolerated, How they &s;hould be dealt withall to bring them unto that Union and Communion of Spirituall things with their Brethren, which by their owne Prin|ciples they will be bound in Con&s;cience to maintaine, and which their Brethren ought to re&s;t &s;atisfied withall.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Of the&s;e heads I will &s;peake as one that looketh without par|tiality upon their difference, yet taking notice that they are with their Brethren joyned in con&s;ultations to advance the Kingdome of Je&s;us Chri&s;t by the meanes of His true Publike Wor&s;hip, Go|vernment and Di&s;cipline which &s;hould be &s;etled in <HI>England</HI> by the Authority of the &s;upreme Magi&s;trate.</P>
<P>To come then to the matters which I have propo&s;ed to my con&s;ideration: The fir&s;t Que&s;tion is, whether or no they &s;hould be Tolerated as they doe de&s;ire? To which that I may know what to &s;ay, I mu&s;t con&s;ider their plea for them&s;elves, and &s;hew how far my judgement doth finde &s;trength therein, to evince the conclu&s;ion which they would have the State to yeeld unto.</P>
<P>They plead then for a Toleration in their native Countrey, be|cau&s;e they cannot live out of it, becau&s;e they will rather &s;uffer all outward inconveniences then goe out of that Church Way wherein they are, becau&s;e that Way is little different from that of their Brethren, and becau&s;e they hitherto have not beene hinde|rers of the Reformation, nor di&s;turbers of the Peace of the State by it.</P>
<P>The fir&s;t Arguments are properly motives nece&s;&s;itating them to demand the favour of a Toleration; and the two la&s;t are Mo|tives inducing the State to yeeld thereunto.</P>
<P>Their nece&s;&s;ity is both Bodily and Spirituall: in re&s;pect of their body, they &s;ay, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">hey cannot live el&s;ewhere out of their Countrey conveniently: and in re&s;pect of their Spirit, they &s;ay, that except they have the freedome of their owne way, they cannot live in it contentedly, but will rather choo&s;e to be in exile. As for the commendablene&s;&s;e of the Way whereupon their &s;pirits are &s;o &s;trongly &s;et to enduce the State to give it a Toleration: They &s;ay that it is but a little diff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">rent from the Way of the re&s;t of their Brethren, and &s;o may be Tolerated without danger, and that the
<PB N="20" REF="12">rather becau&s;e they have hitherto given a proofe of their peace|able di&s;po&s;ition therein.</P>
<P>The&s;e pleas are made credible by a Narrative of their life and conver&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">tion in their charges, and by a declaration of their Judge|ments in matters of difference from their Brethren. And if any will take notice more di&s;tinctly of the Particular Heads of the Narrative, he &s;hall &s;ee that they in&s;inuate.</P>
<P>Their Sincerity, Page 1. and 2. Their Unpartiality, p. 3, 4, 5. Their Amiable and Brotherly Corre&s;pondence with others at home and abroad, p. 6. and 7. Their Way of Church Govern|ment, p. 8. and 9. taken up from three Principles, p 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. differing from the Presbyteriall, p. 15, 16, 17. and in no|thing inferiour to it as they &s;uppo&s;e, p. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21. Their Innocencie from things laid to their charge, p. 22. and 23. From factiou&s;ne&s;&s;e although provoked to &s;trife, p. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. Their Oxthodoxie, p. 28. and 29. Their Moderation to bring matters of Di&s;cipline to a temper, p. 29. declining the Schola&s;ti|call debatement thereof in Publike, p. 30. The Conclu&s;ion in|ferring from all the&s;e premi&s;es the lawfulne&s;&s;e of their de&s;ire in|&s;uing for a Toleration, in page 31.</P>
<P>Now how far the Conclu&s;ion is evinced from the&s;e Premi&s;es, and &s;hould be yeelded unto by the State, I will briefly declare: Fir&s;t, let it be &s;uppo&s;ed that all matters of Fact are true in this Narrative, and as full as they &s;hould be. Secondly, let it be gran|ted that all the&s;e good di&s;po&s;itions of &s;pirit whereby they com|mend them&s;elves are fully in the&s;e Men, and will be in their Suc|ce&s;&s;ours, which no man can promi&s;e: yet I think under correcti|on, that except they can make it clearly appeare to the State that their Church Way of Non-Communion (for I know not what el&s;e to call it) is the only true Way of God, and that the Presby|teriall Way is not agreeable to the Word of God, in that where|in it differeth from them; I &s;ay, except they be able to make the&s;e two things clearly appeare, I thinke it would be no wi&s;|dome in the State to give them the Toleration which they do de|&s;ire: and that for the&s;e Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e the Wi&s;dome and Pietie of the State doth intend to erect the true Ordinances of God: Except then they can &s;hew
<PB N="21" REF="12">that the true Ordinance of God is not in the Presbyteriall Way, but in their Way of Non-Communion, they have no plea for their reque&s;t; For if they can enjoy the Ordinances of God, and all the Ordinances of God, and every Ordinance fully in the Presbyteriall Way; they have no cau&s;e to de&s;ire the Toleration of another Way of Church Government, nor would it be Wi&s;|dome in a State to yield it; except it be made to appeare, that in the Presbyteriall Way &s;ome of Gods Ordinances in their full &s;trength cannot be enjoyed.</P>
<P>Secondly, becau&s;e it is no wi&s;edome in a State to reject an approved Way of Government, which all the be&s;t Reformed Churches have received all this while, and acknowledged to be Gods Way, and by experience found to be &s;afe and &s;ound, and a &s;trong hold again&s;t all manner of corruptions; and in &s;tead of it to take up another, which is not yet known what it is, nor was ever tryed but in two or at the mo&s;t three Churches, and that for the &s;pace of a few yeares, wherein a mo&s;t dangerous Paro|xi&s;me of a great rent did ari&s;e among&s;t them, as I am credibly in|formed, and which may be gathered from their own Apologie.</P>
<P>Thirdly, it is no Wi&s;edome to authorize two different Wayes of Church Government in a State, except it be to lay a foundati|on of Strife and Divi&s;ion therein, which may agree with &s;oure Machivilian, but with no Chri&s;tian Policie. Therefore if the Toleration &s;ued for, be not a thing done by divine right unto tho&s;e that &s;ue for it, but be craved onely as a humane favour (as this &s;eemeth to be craved) it will be no Wi&s;edome in State to yeeld unto the &s;uit, except it be induced thereunto by the nece&s;&s;ity of avoyding &s;ome greater inconveniences then is the admitting of a &s;eed of perpetuall Divi&s;ion within it &s;elfe, which in my appre|hen&s;ion is the greate&s;t of all others, and mo&s;t oppo&s;ite to the Kingdome of Chri&s;t. Now the le&s;&s;e the cau&s;e of a Seperation is, the greater the fault is in tho&s;e that make it, and the le&s;&s;e cau&s;e the State hath to give Way to the making of it.</P>
<P>Fourthly, the Wi&s;edome of a State might retort the Argu|ments of the&s;e Sutors thus: If the&s;e men that are but few in number, and if tho&s;e whom they acknowledge to be their Bre|thren, are very many and great Churches; and if the matter of
<PB N="22" REF="13">difference be very &s;mall, and &s;uch as ought not to di&s;turbe the Publique Peace, as they profe&s;&s;e, and by their practice &s;hew: then it followeth, that the&s;e few ought not to &s;tand by them&s;elves at a di&s;tance from the re&s;t of their Brethren, but they &s;hould joyne to them, not making a rent, and thereby expo&s;e them&s;elves to the extremities of bani&s;hment and want of livelihood in a &s;trange Countrey. Now the&s;e men are but few, and their difference, as they &s;ay them&s;elves, is but &s;mall, and ought not to di&s;turbe the Publique Peace; Therefore they ought to joyne with their Bre|thren, and we ought not to allow them the libertie of a &s;epera|tion, le&s;t a Schi&s;me ari&s;e from thence in the Church, and further trouble to the State.</P>
<P>And truly this Conclu&s;ion may be inferred from their premi|&s;es, with more &s;trength then that which they draw from it. If then they will puni&s;h them&s;elves with exile, becau&s;e they cannot have their wills, they can blame none but them&s;elves. For in this ca&s;e I &s;hould judge them per&s;ecuted by their own di&s;con|tentednes.</P>
<P>Nor will the plea of Chri&s;tian Libertie availe here; for the li|berty whereunto we are called in Chri&s;t, doth not give occa&s;ion to Singularitie, or permi&s;&s;ion to breake the bonds of Spirituall Unitie; which by the allowance of a publick Toleration of diffe|rent Church Government, may be occa&s;ioned. Therefore to keep the Unitie of the Spirit in the bond of Peace entire, and to pre|vent occa&s;ions which may be taken to abu&s;e Libertie, a few &s;hould yeeld unto many, except they can fairely per&s;wade tho&s;e many to yeeld unto them: and if both &s;ides in matters Tolerable &s;hould intend mutually to yield one to another, their Way will be, not to &s;eperate from each other, but to keepe the intere&s;t of love and Communion entire, till God open all our eyes to ap|prove of things that are mo&s;t excellent: For we that are Spiri|tuall or thinke our &s;elves to be &s;o, are commanded not to plea&s;e our &s;elves but our Brethren to edification: If then we de&s;ire to approve our &s;elves more then others Spirituall towards God and his Church, let us &s;trive to goe before others in all forbearance and long &s;uffering, with meeknes bearing the weake and their burdens, to heale them, and no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">to open a &s;luce to let in &s;trife and
<PB N="23" REF="13">debates chiefly in publique, and for matters confe&s;&s;ed to be of no great moment. Let us remember that the &s;ervants of the Lord mu&s;t not &s;trive, but be gentle unto all men; and if to all men, chiefly then unto their neere&s;t Br<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ren; for &s;uch we are com|manded e&s;pecially to con&s;ider, to exhort daily, and to provoke unto love and to good works: And as at all times this duty is re|qui&s;ite, &s;o now chiefly in this &s;ad conjuncture of Publique Aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">irs, and at this occa&s;ion of Publique Deliberation whereunto the State hath called them, for the advancement of a &s;etled Refor|mation. Suppo&s;ing therefore that this will be, and is the ayme of tho&s;e to whom I &s;peake, as they are my beloved Brethren in Chri&s;t, &s;o I de&s;ire from my heart their perfection, that I may be partaker of the Go&s;pel with them in the greate&s;t liberty thereof, which in my judgement can &s;tand very well with the &s;tricte&s;t obligations of &s;pirituall Unitie. Only two Rocks mu&s;t be avoy|ded in the outward cariage of matters towards Publique Edifi|cation: the one is, that under the pretence of Libertie, no Li|centious and Selfe-&s;eeking Singularitie take place: the other is, that the obligation to Unitie become not a yoke to Tyranny, to bring the Spirits of Gods Children in bondage under humane Ordinances. If the&s;e that are called to give advice in Spirituall matters unpartially, can as good Pilots &s;teere their cour&s;e in this troubled and grown Sea of the State, betwixt the&s;e two hidden rocks which are be&s;et with dangerous quick&s;ands on all &s;ides; then they &s;hall by Gods grace helpe to &s;ave the weather-beaten &s;hip of the Church from &s;hipwrack, and bring her to a &s;afe har|bour in the quieted &s;tate of the Kingdome. And in hope that the good hand of God may be upon them to helpe the furtherance of &s;o good a Worke, I will &s;uppo&s;e that the Apo&s;tolicall Rule of compo&s;ing differences, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3.16. may be practi&s;ed in this ca&s;e among&s;t tho&s;e that are profe&s;&s;edly Brethren. The Apo&s;tle &s;ai h then, <HI>Whereunto we have attained already, let us walke by the &s;ame rule; let us be like minded, or minde the &s;ame things.</HI> To &s;uch then as are &s;piritually di&s;po&s;ed, let me &s;peake in the words of the Apo|&s;tle, as a joynt member of the body of Chri&s;t: I would entreat them to &s;et down that whereunto they are attained, and wherein they fully agree in the profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel: Then when this
<PB N="24" REF="14">is known, let Rules be thought upon to walke by; and let the&s;e be received on all &s;ides for the ordering of their cour&s;e without offence one towards another, and for the &s;etling of the bounds of their mutuall freedome, and of the ingagement to mutuall &s;ubjection and yielding to one another in the Communion of Saints. The&s;e Rules being taken from the cleere precepts of the Word; the tye of the Con&s;cience binding every one <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">o minde the &s;ame thing, or to be like minded each towards another, &s;hould be &s;uperadded thereunto. The thing then which &s;hould be minded unanimou&s;ly by all, is the duty of Mutuall Edification, by &s;erving each other through love. This duty is to be tyed upon the Con&s;cience by &s;ome Speciall Promi&s;e which is to be taken by all in the pre&s;ence of God, as being profe&s;tedly &s;ubject to his will by the tenour of the New Covenant, which he hath made with us in Je&s;us Chri&s;t; that we being all bound over to him in Chri&s;t, may by the &s;ame tye of love be knit each to other, as mem|bers of Chri&s;ts my&s;ticall body, by our &s;pirituall Relations. The&s;e Rela<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ions then are to be &s;etled in the acknowledgement of the duties which one member oweth to another, as they &s;tand joint|ly under the &s;ame head Chri&s;t Je&s;us. And verily me thinkes this were no difficult matter for Men of Spirituall and impartiall di|&s;po&s;itions to doe freely among&s;t them&s;elves, without troubling the Secular Magi&s;trate with debates of the Formes of Spirituall Government, as matters meerely Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall, whereof he is no competent Judge. But if the&s;e Spirituall Relations cannot be &s;etled by the Wi&s;dome and loving Affections of Spirituall Office-bearers within the Church, among&s;t them&s;elves, then it is ju&s;t that they &s;hould forfeit their Spirituall Right and Libertie, which Chri&s;t hath conferred upon them, and fall under the arbitrement of a Secular Power, which ought to looke unto its own Safetie, le&s;t tho&s;e that make divi&s;ions, and multiply breaches in the Church about &s;mall matters, di&s;turbe al&s;o by that meanes the Publick Peace of the State; and then the Magi&s;trate in his Charge over the Vi&s;ible and Outward behaviours and actions of Men, as well Religious (&s;o far as they are Publick) as Civill, in re&s;pect that they are Naturall; ought to become a <HI>Zorobabel,</HI> and take the plummet of ju&s;t Authoritie in hand, to interpo&s;e and make Or|dinances
<PB N="25" REF="14">of Innocencie and harmle&s;&s;e Carriage among&s;t tho&s;e that in their &s;trife about Spirituall Matters forget their Morall du|tifulne&s;&s;e unto the lawes of Nature and Civility.</P>
<P>If then the&s;e Men that pretend a freedome of Non-Communi|on &s;hould gather every one their owne Churches, and get fol|lowers unto them&s;elves, which would have the &s;ame priviledge to be under no Authority re&s;ulting from the Spirituall Combi|nation of Church officers; and if the State &s;hould finde it nece&s;&s;a|ry to Tolerate &s;uch Non-Communioni&s;ts for a time to avoid greater Publike Evills, then I thinke that the Second Que&s;tion &s;hould be taken into con&s;ideration; Namely, What latitude of difference from others &s;hould be permitted unto the&s;e in their Publike Wor&s;hip? and What limitations of behaviour &s;hould be laid upon them to avoid di&s;order and trouble in that Church which is Principally allowed in the State? For if a Chri&s;tian State &s;hould have but one only Church which it &s;hou d owne as the childe whereof it is a nur&s;ing Mother; and if the owning of many Churches alike will be an inevitable cau&s;e of divi&s;ion with|in it &s;elfe; then it followeth that all the Churches which wee Tolerated publikely be&s;ides that which it owneth, &s;hould be &s;o Tolerated, as may be no prejudice unto that whereof it &s;elfe is profe&s;&s;edly the nur&s;ing Mother. And becau&s;e the Sub&s;tantiall Truth of Chri&s;tianity is but one, the Wi&s;dome of a State &s;hould Tolerate nothing that may darken, oppo&s;e, or eat out the Sub|&s;tantiall Truth. But becau&s;e all tho&s;e that make true profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity, doe it for con&s;cience &s;ake towards that which they conceive to be &s;ub&s;tantiall in that Truth; and for this cau&s;e al&s;o de&s;ire to have the Liberty of their Profe&s;&s;ion, as thinking it an injury to have their Con&s;cience re&s;trained from &s;erving Chri&s;t, or any thing forced upon it, which it cannot acknow|ledge to be Chri&s;ts&punc; therefore as it is with the Con&s;cience of e|very hone&s;t hearted Chri&s;tian in this Ca&s;e, &s;o it ought to be with the Con&s;cience of a State. For as no hone&s;t hearted Chri&s;tian would have his con&s;cience at perpetuall uncertainties in mat|ters of Divine Wor&s;hip, nor would he have any thing which is not agreeable to the Will of God forced upon it; nor would he be obliged to give a&s;&s;ent thereunto, before he &s;hould know it to
<PB N="26" REF="15">be of God, or at lea&s;t no way contrary to his undoubted Ordi|nance: So in like manner the Con&s;cience of a State &s;hould not be &s;uffered to be at perpetuall uncertainties, nor &s;hould it &s;uffer any thing to be forced upon it &s;elfe, which it is not &s;ure is of God, and &s;ubordinate unto his will; but in ca&s;e to avoid a greater e|vill it be found a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary to admit a doubtfull profe&s;&s;i|on in Pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">like, then a good con<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">cience of two unavoidable evills m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters"> chu&s;e the lea&s;t, as we &s;ee <HI>David</HI> did, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 21. and 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 3 39. and at other times: yet it will endure that evill no longer then it needs mu&s;t, but it will take it up onely as a burthen to bee laid downe againe as &s;oone as it may be with conveniencie. Thus then if the Non-Communion Way be found unavoidable, and yet not knowne to be Gods Ordinance, it may be admitted till it c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">n be either laid downe or rectified, or approved to be of God; all which the Con&s;cience of the State &s;hould declare in the Act of Tolera<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ion: Nor doe I thinke that the Non-Commu|nioni&s;ts them&s;elves, if they will not goe from their Principles, will de&s;ire a Toleration upon other termes. And that it may be determined whether it be the Way of God or no; a cour&s;e of O derly Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ference &s;hould <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e &s;etled, which may not turne to a|ny heat or breach of Brotherly Aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ctions, but be a meanes to &s;tate the Qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;tion truly without mi&s;takes; and to cleare the truth thereof by the evident Word of God. This manner of con|ference may be de&s;cribed in due time, if the State &s;hould encline to yeeld unto a Toleration upon the termes forenamed.</P>
<P>And then in the interim whiles the matter is in debate, the whole difference of their cour&s;e in Publike, and the Underhand Pract<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;es which perhaps &s;ome of them might intend, &s;hould be &s;o limited, as that the Peace of the Church and Government ow|ned by the State &s;hould &s;uffer nothing thereby. And to finde out the&s;e Limitations &s;o as they them&s;elves &s;hall have no cau&s;e to ex|cept again&s;t the &s;ame; the State may command them to give up a Draught of the Whole Way which they intend to follow in Ga|thering, Framing, and Governing their Churches according to Gods Ordinances; requiring them to &s;hew wit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">all, what Limi|tations they would admit of, voluntarily in re&s;pect of others, that the latitude of difference wherein they de&s;ire to &s;tand, may
<PB N="27" REF="15">be no di&s;turbance to the Peace of their Brethren, or occa&s;ion of Scandall to the Publike Profe&s;&s;ion of the Go&s;pel: and when this Draught is given up, then the State may give it to the other &s;ide to be con&s;idered, de&s;iring them to declare if any thing more &s;hould ju&s;tly be required of them to prevent &s;candalls, and main|taine the Publike Peace of that Religious Profe&s;&s;ion, whereby the Go&s;pel may be mo&s;t honoured and advanced, till in due time the cau&s;es of their Separation may be taken out of the way: and when the&s;e have given up their Con&s;iderations to that effect, the State may &s;hew the &s;ame to the Non-Communioni&s;ts to &s;ee what they will except again&s;t them; and if they except not a|gain&s;t the Limitations required by the Presbyterians, then the Authority of the State may Ratifie the &s;ame; but if they do except again&s;t the fore&s;aid Superadded Limitations, then the State is to judge and determine the matter as it &s;hall thinke fitte&s;t for the Publike Peace and the honour of God in the Meanes of Out|ward Edification: Now becau&s;e difficulties may be incident, and many doubtfull Ca&s;es ari&s;e in the J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">dgement of a State, How to determ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ne of &s;uch Limitations, as may be di&s;putable betwixt Parties of &s;everall Intere&s;ts; Therefore it ought not to be with|out &s;ome Rules whereby it may di&s;cerne what is Ju&s;tice, and give &s;atisfaction unto its owne Con&s;cience in a matter of &s;o great concernment: It will then not be ami&s;&s;e to &s;et downe &s;ome Propo&s;itions tending this way, which if all &s;ides agree unto, it may be hoped that the Limitations will not be very difficult to be found.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, then it belongeth to the Con&s;cience of a State, to look both to the Ou ward Vi&s;ible Wor&s;hip of God in it &s;elfe, and to the frame of Humane Societies wherein God is publikely wor|&s;hipped; that neither in the Manner of Wor&s;hipping God, nor in the Society of the Wor&s;hippers, any thing be admitted which may overthrow the truth of Chri&s;tianity, or cro&s;&s;e any maxime of Civill Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and Tranquility. By this Rule the Ci|vill Magi&s;trate will be bound to &s;uffer no Idolatry and Super&s;ti|tion in the Forme of Publike Wor&s;hip, and to repre&s;&s;e all Confu|&s;ed Tumul uous and Factious Meetings of the Wor&s;hippers, and the Occ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ions thereof.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="16">
<P>Secondly, as that which is meerly Spirituall, belongeth to the charge of Spirituall Office-bearers, wherein they are to be ruled by the Word only, within them&s;elves: and that which is meerly Civill, belongeth to the Charge of the Civill Magi&s;trates, wherein they are to be guided within them&s;elves, by the grounds of Right Rea&s;on, teaching the Fundamentalls of Humane Societie, con|&s;i&s;ting in the Principles of good Order and mutuall Innocencie to be pre&s;cribed unto their Subjects. So in things of a mixt na|ture, the care thereof belongeth to the Spirituall &amp; Civill office-bearers joyntly, wherein both are to concurre to determine the matter according to their &s;everall Intere&s;ts therein. By which Rule, as the Civill Magi&s;trate is bound not to meddle with the Spirituall, nor the Spirituall Office-bearer with the Civil Charge and Authority; &s;o both are obliged to make their Charges u&s;efull to the good of each other in the advancement of Gods glory. Therefore what&s;oever may tend to make a Confu&s;ed mixture of the&s;e Charges (&s;uch as is in Poperie and Papall Epi&s;copacie) or to breake the amiable Corre&s;pondencie which &s;hould be betwixt them in their di&s;tinct charges, &s;hould be taken out of the way.</P>
<P>Thirdly, although the Spirituall Charges of the Kingdome of God belong not to the Civill Magi&s;trate, yet the Con&s;cience of the State profe&s;&s;ing Chri&s;tianitie, is bound, not only to looke to the inconveniences which may hinder the progre&s;&s;e, or over|throw the truth of Chri&s;tianite, that they may authoritatively be taken away, but al&s;o to the Conveniences advancing that Truth, that the&s;e may be furthered, &s;o far as his &s;phere doth reach, in the Nur&s;ing care of Religion. By which Rule the Con&s;cience of a State is bound, as I &s;uppo&s;e, to the&s;e following duties. Fir&s;t, to &s;atisfie it &s;elfe in the knowledge of that which is the Infallible True Wor&s;hip of God, and in that which is ab&s;olutely requi&s;ite in the publike Profe&s;&s;ion thereof; that it may be fully &s;etled in the bo&s;ome of the State, and none &s;uffered therein that will oppo&s;e the &s;ame. Secondly, to beare a hand over it, to nur&s;e and protect it from Outward and inward Enemies, when&s;oever the Church &s;hall make a true di&s;coverie of the &s;ame to the State. And thirdly, to over&s;ee within it &s;elfe the Outward di&s;charge of all Duties be|longing to Gods Ordinances, that for the matter, Iu&s;tice, and
<PB N="29" REF="16">for the manner, good Order may be ob&s;erved therein: For al|though the Spirituall Ordinances are not to be admini&s;tred by the Civill Magi&s;trate him&s;elfe; yet the ju&s;t and Orderly behavi|our of tho&s;e that doe admini&s;trate the &s;ame, in the di&s;charge of their duties, belongeth unto his Cognizance; and if he findeth that Inju&s;tice and Di&s;order is practi&s;ed by any who is intru&s;ted with the di&s;charge of Spirituall duties, he ought to take Councell with the Spiri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">uall Office-bearers of the Churches owned, and (as the ca&s;e may be) al&s;o of the Churches Tolerated; how the &s;candall thereof may be taken away, and prevented in time to come. Fourthly, becau&s;e the Right and Orderly Outward Cal|ling and Authorizing of Mini&s;ters to a Spirituall Charge, and the appropriating of them to the Churches wherein their Charges are to be exerci&s;ed, is the ground-worke and Corner-&s;tone of the Outward &s;ettlement of Congregations, and con&s;equently of the Publick Profe&s;&s;ion of Religion: therefore the Con&s;cience of the State ought to looke narrowly unto this, that by the Congrega|tions Tolerated, no root of Confu&s;ion in any kind be planted or admitted to &s;pring up, and trouble many in their Publick Socie|ties: but all prudent and circum&s;pect Limitations &s;hould be u&s;ed to prevent, &s;o far as the Sphere of the Magi&s;trates charge in this kinde reacheth, that neither the Multitude having itching eares &s;hould be permitted to heap unto them&s;elves Teachers after their own lu&s;ts; nor the Teachers following their owne humours, &s;hould be &s;uffered to draw away Di&s;ciples after them&s;elves, or to come in &s;ecretly upon the flocks as theeves, to &s;teale their hearts from the Shepherds, or to breake in violently as grievous wolves, leaping over the pale, or breaking through the fold.</P>
<P>By the&s;e generall Rules, and the Inferences which will cleer|ly follow thereupon, I &s;uppo&s;e all, or mo&s;t of all the Ca&s;es requi|ring a Limitation, may be determined, and that without any undue Authoritative Power, which the Non-communioni&s;ts &s;o much feare: For although they &s;ay that they yield not le&s;&s;e, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ut more then their Presbyteriall Brethren doe to the Civill Magi&s;trate in Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Affaires; yet becau&s;e they dwell in Generalities, wherein it cannot be di&s;cerned what
<PB N="30" REF="17">they yeeld unto the Magi&s;trate; therefore it &s;eemed expedient to me to propo&s;e al&s;o in a generall Way the&s;e grounds, that if they have nothing to except again&s;t them, the Particulars may be thought on; the Toleration which therein they require may be ju&s;tly limited thereby; and the trouble&s;ome uncertainty whereby all things are kept in &s;u&s;pence may be determined: For by rea&s;on of the doubtfull Generall way wherein they walk, and by rea&s;on of their great &s;ilence (concerning the Rules of Government, and the duties of Spirituall Communion) which is like a guard of darkne&s;&s;e over their proceedings; they trouble &s;ome, and give cau&s;e unto others that are no wayes partiall, to &s;u&s;pect, that they lye at their advantages, and love not the light; and this becau&s;e their proceedings are not &s;etled, and &s;o cannot be brought to any tryall by the evidence of Common Principles. In the meane time they finding the app<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">au&s;e of many that love the ta&s;te of liberty, grow &s;trong, and thus keepe the State of the Church in Un&s;ettlement.</P>
<P>And truly this &s;u&s;pen&s;ion and uncertainty of matters Eccle&s;ia|&s;ticall leaving all the bonds of di&s;&s;olved Government in loo&s;e|ne&s;&s;e, may prove fatall both to Church and State, if God in mer|cie doe not prevent the danger which may en&s;ue thereupon: Therefore I am troubled, and would faine be able to &s;peake &s;eri|ou&s;ly, as unto tho&s;e whom I e&s;te<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">me my truly beloved Brethren in Chri&s;t, as unto tho&s;e to whom I acknowledge my &s;elfe a deb|ter in the Go&s;pel (for &s;ome of them have obliged me in the out|ward part of my Negotiation in the Lord) as unto tho&s;e who&s;e gifts I reverence, as unto tho&s;e whom I love &s;incerely, even to be jealous of them with a godly jealou&s;ie; to them I &s;ay, I would faine &s;peake in the freedome, meekne&s;&s;e and &s;incerity of my love, as in the pre&s;ence of Je&s;us Chri&s;t to warn and to exhort them for the love of the Go&s;pell, that they &s;hould neither give their Bre|thren cau&s;e to be offended at their di&s;tant walking, nor the Ene|mies advantage who watch for both their haltings, nor to me who have unfainedly &s;ought to have communion with them, oc|ca&s;ion to feare, that the frame of their Spirit and Way in the Go&s;pel, will be mainly, or is, to plea&s;e them&s;elves, and that the i&s;&s;ue of it will be a Non-Communion, not only with the Presby|terians,
<PB N="31" REF="17">but even with them&s;elves, in the end the one falling from the other. All which I be&s;eech the Lord in mercy to prevent, that the tran&s;cendent gifts which many of them have received, may not become either u&s;eles or hurtfull to the Communion of Saints; For hereunto as I have not been wanting to invite &s;ome of them heretofore, &s;o now I would againe Exhort them all, in the bowels of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in whom al&s;o I would intreat them to receive this word of Admonition and Exhortation kindly; namely with that &s;pirit wherewith they would de&s;ire me to bear with them in the like ca&s;e; that is, if they &s;hould apprehend me to be in that dangerous condition wherein I may apprehend them to be, if I looke to &s;u&s;pitious appearances. But I love not to &s;u&s;pect evill, nor will I give way to &s;ini&s;ter Reports; but ho|ping the be&s;t, I labour al&s;o to make the be&s;t of every thing, knowing that for the mo&s;t part the mending or marring of mat|ters, is in the right or wrong taking up <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">f them. Let us then not judge by appearances, but let us judge a righteous judgement, as we would be judged: and if the impre&s;&s;ion which I have taken up of them is innocent and harmele&s;&s;e, voyd of prejudice, and without partialitie; then I hope that they will have the &s;ame minde concerning me, and thinke well of the&s;e &s;ollicitous ex|pre&s;&s;ions of my mind for their good. For I &s;peake the truth, and lye not, that I am in paine, and afraid of &s;omething which may &s;pring up from the opinion and con&s;ideration of ones &s;elfe in the &s;ight of more light and perf<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ction then others have; which may be a dec<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">it tending rather to make a &s;hew then to edifie, to &s;eeme &s;omewhat at a di&s;tance, rather then to be what we ought to be towards others in neerene&s;&s;e. The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 8.9. that <HI>knowledge doth puffe up, but it is Charitie that edifieth:</HI> and there he telleth us al&s;o, that <HI>of any man thinketh that he knoweth any thing, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.</HI> It is then very dangerous to have an opinio~ that we know &s;omthing, or that we are &s;omthing in compari&s;on and beyond others, and that we may &s;tand by our &s;elves: and from this danger, if I look to what is &s;aid &amp; practi&s;ed by the Brethren of the Non-Communion, I cannot judge them free: &amp; how far they authori&s;e by this way of di&s;tance, in private Chri&s;tians (which have gotten &s;ome &s;mattering of light in a heat
<PB N="32" REF="18">of zeale) the murmuring, complaining, comparatively cen&s;orious humour of the Age; I would de&s;ire them to judge by them&s;elves, in the unlimited libertie which is taken this way by their Mem|bers, and which is naturall to follow upon that frame of Church Government which they &s;eeme to pitch upon. For having ca&s;t off the yoke of &s;ubjection, and ab&s;olute obedience under Epi&s;co|pacie, if now they will di&s;&s;olve al&s;o the bonds of brotherly Cor|re&s;pondencie in a Presbyterie; let them looke to it, they will find little or no Authoritie in a Con&s;i&s;torie; and the libertie which their members will take, and which indeed is permitted to them, to take over their Rulers, for want of an Aweband of ju&s;t Autho|ritie, will prove contagious, and a leaven of Corruption unto all that have to doe with them. And for this cau&s;e I have laid the grounds of nece&s;&s;ary Limitations for them, in ca&s;e it be found ab&s;olutely nece&s;&s;ary by the State to give them a Toleration, &s;uch as they de&s;ire.</P>
<P>Thus I have uttered my feares and jealou&s;ies, to give them warning of that which may &amp; ought to be apprehended in their way, to prevent the wor&s;t, becau&s;e I hope the be&s;t, and make no doubt of their ready willingnes, not only to take this Bro|therly di&s;covery in good part, but that they will al&s;o concurre gladly with me and others in the meanes which may remedie the &s;ame: of which now I mu&s;t come to &s;peake in the Third place.</P>
<P>Thus I have done with the Second; Now I come to the Third Que&s;tion, wherein the Remedie of the breach betwixt them and their Brethren is to be thought upon in ca&s;e the State &s;hould not yield unto that Toleration which they doe require. In this Ca&s;e two things mu&s;t be &s;uppo&s;ed; Fir&s;t, that the State will finde no &s;uch &s;atisfaction in their Way, as to thinke indifferently of it: Secondly, that they of the Non-Communion can finde as little &s;atisfaction in the Presbyteriall Government; For if either of the&s;e were, they would either get a Toleration, or need none. The way mu&s;t be then, either to give &s;atisfaction to their Bre|thren, or to receive it from them. I would advi&s;e then that they &s;hould labour to beget a good under&s;tanding betwixt them and their Brethren. For if their difference doth ari&s;e from a &s;cruple
<PB N="33" REF="18">of Con&s;cience, the State is no competent Judge thereof: but it &s;hould be brought unto the Tribunall of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and judged by his cleere Word, among&s;t tho&s;e that are Officers in his king|dome: and if it be no &s;cruple of Con&s;cience, then I &s;ee not why they &s;hould &s;tand &s;o much upo~ it: why the con&s;cience of the State &s;hould be troubled with it; why the Church kept in &s;o dangerous uncertainties for it. I &s;uppo&s;e then that it is a Scrupulo&s;itie of Con&s;cience rather then any worldly Con&s;ideration, which keeps them at a di&s;tance from their Brethren: and if it be &s;o, the nee|re&s;t way to receive &s;atisfaction therein, is to deale with Men that make no le&s;&s;e Con&s;cience of their wayes then they doe: who&s;e Con&s;ciences are ruled by the &s;ame Principles that theirs are; who are every way alike and equall with them in the Kingdome of Chri&s;t, and who &s;eeme to be offended at their cariage in the Go|&s;pel, as they &s;eeme to be offended at theirs: therefore they are bound mutually to take notice of, and to give &s;atisfaction unto each other; not &s;hould the Civill Magi&s;trate be troubled with a Judicature of meere Spirituall Matters. Now the be&s;t Way to deale with one another for an Agreement, in my opinion is this; that either &s;hould propo&s;e to the other a faithfull Promi&s;e of mu|tuall love and willingnes to yield one to another, in that wherein they &s;hal &s;ee the will of God directing them to further the means of Mutuall and of Publike Edification. This Promi&s;e being made, they &s;hould intend to declare each to other their Sen&s;e of that wherein they conceive the Meanes of Mutuall and of Publike Edification to &s;tand. Now then give me leave to lay open my thoughts unto you, that if by the Grace of God I may be able to let them &s;ee that they really agree in all tho&s;e Meanes which are any way Fundamentall; and that the way of making u&s;e of the &s;ame may be intended Uniformally by both &s;ides each toward o|ther; then their difference may be compo&s;ed, and their hearts joy|ned in the Lord for the advancement of his glorie, through the Unitie of the &s;pirit, in the bond of Peace. I am per&s;waded then, that they have both the &s;ame Sence of the New-Covenant of Grace, whereby the Soules of believers are joyned to God in Chri&s;t. This their Sence of this Fundamentall my&s;terie of Godli|nes may be declared from the cleare Words of Scripture which
<PB N="34" REF="19">may be made a Fundamentall Confe&s;&s;ion of Faith, <HI>as I have el&s;e|where in an Epi&s;tle to the Lord</HI> Forbes <HI>advi&s;ed.</HI> And to this ground of all Fundamentalls in Chri&s;tianity, all the points of nece&s;&s;ary Doctrine, and of duties of Practice (which are no le&s;&s;e Funda|mentall in the profe&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;tianity then the knowledge of Truths) wherein they al&s;o fully agree, may be referred: For it is cleare, that all which we either need to know or doe, is onely needfull for this end, to enable us to walke faithfully, and up|rightly with God, according to the Tenour of his Covenant made with us in Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>This Declaration being agreed upon, they &s;hould acknow|ledge them&s;elves therein, and thereby Brethren in Chri&s;t, and Sonnes of the &s;ame heavenly Father, Servants of the &s;ame Ma|&s;ter, &s;et in his Hou&s;e, and over his Hou&s;hold, to bring all men by their Mini&s;try, through the Tenour of that Covenant unto him: Here then they &s;hould take into con&s;ideration the duties of their Mini&s;try, to agree upon that which they &s;hould doe in it for Mu|tuall and for Publike Edification. For &s;eeing they take them&s;elves to be Servants of the &s;ame Ma&s;ter, &s;ent forth by him in the &s;ame Commi&s;&s;ion, to preach joyntly to the &s;ame people the &s;ame Word: I conceive that it will be no hard matter, if they know their Ma&s;ters will, to agree upon the Manner of doing his work: But to proceed orderly herein, the fir&s;t Matter &s;hould be concer|ning the calling of Mini&s;ters, for you know that no man may take this Honour unto him&s;elfe, but only he that is called by God unto it, as <HI>Aaron</HI> was, <HI>Heb.</HI> 5.4. Therefore they &s;hould determine from the Word and the Practice of the Churches of all Ages, What it is to be lawfully called unto the Mini&s;try? and What it is to be lawfully called unto a Particular Congregation to exerci&s;e the Mini&s;tery therein? If they agree in this (which I hope they will doe) by looking to the Word of God, and following the Practice of the be&s;t Reformed Churches; then their next care &s;hould be to con&s;ider what Rela<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ion Fellow-&s;ervants in one and the &s;ame Worke of the Mini&s;try &s;hould have one to another, and how they &s;hould doe to &s;trengthen one anothers hands, and to prevent the occa&s;ion of &s;candalls. And if they finde that they ought as Members or the &s;ame Body to have the &s;ame
<PB N="35" REF="19">care one for another, and that to &s;hew this care to &s;trengthen one another in their Mini&s;teriall duties, and to prevent &s;candalls, nothing is &s;o nece&s;&s;ary as to doe all by mutuall Councell and joynt con&s;ent; then they &s;hould agree upon the Forme of &s;uch Con&s;ultations, and upon the Authority, which their decrees ought to carry in matters of doubt: Wherein as I would have them whom I call the Non-Communioni&s;ts not to maintaine any thing which may &s;eeme to exempt the Spirits of Prophets from being &s;ubject unto the Prophets, from whence confu&s;ion and trouble will inevitably ari&s;e in the Churches: So I would not have the Presbyteriall Brethren to pre&s;&s;e upon the other any ob|ligation to make them &s;ubject unto &s;uch decrees, further then &s;hall be nece&s;&s;ary to make up breaches and prevent &s;candalis, which otherwi&s;e will be unavoidable: And this I make no doubt they will yeeld unto; that the joynt Con&s;ent of many in a Spiri|tuall Senate &s;hould &s;way the Spirit of one or of a few to &s;ubmit it &s;elfe in Circum&s;tantiall Matters which are not preci&s;ely deter|mined by the Word, but left unto the generall Rules of Chri&s;tian di&s;cretion, becau&s;e the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, that the wi&s;dome which is from above is peaceable, gentle, and ea&s;ie to be entreated, <HI>Jam.</HI> 3.17. from whence it followeth that &s;uch as are endued with this wi&s;dome, will ea&s;ily be entreated, and not &s;elfe conceited, but yeelding to the Common advice of their Brethren in matters only determinable by Spirituall di&s;cretion: For even as one member in the naturall body, will be &s;wayed by the joynt incli|nation of the re&s;t, &s;o it ought to be in the Mini&s;teriall &s;ociety of Spirituall Office-bearers in the Senate of Chri&s;ts Kingdome: Now that they ought to be joyned in a Spirituall Senate, and Mini&s;teriall Society among&s;t them&s;elves, is cleare from the ne|ce&s;&s;ary end of Mutuall Edification, from the evident and con|&s;tant Practice of the Primitive Church; from the precept of Chri&s;t who commandeth a Brother offended at an incorrigible Brother, after private admonition, to tell the Church; and from the Precept commanding all to endeavour to keepe the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, <HI>Eph.</HI> 4.3. which cannot be effe|cted without &s;ome joynt care to walke uniformally in the Pub|like Wor&s;hip of God as it becommeth the Members of the &s;ame
<PB N="36" REF="20">body, whereof Chri&s;t is the head, that the world may &s;ee that they all belong unto him: For this is that which Chri&s;t prayed for unto his Father, <HI>Joh.</HI> 17.21.23. <HI>That all beleevers may be one;</HI> and if all beleevers, then farre more all Mini&s;ters of the Word, be|cau&s;e they are &s;ent forth to edifie the body of the Church, till we <HI>all come unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, Eph.</HI> 4.13. if then they are appointed to bring others unto the Unity of faith and love, it is cleare that to doe this they are obliged to maintaine the bonds of Mini&s;teriall Communion among&s;t them&s;elves, which cannot be done more effectually then by &s;uch Con&s;ultations as are u&s;ed in Con&s;i&s;tories, Presbyteries, and Synods, the true intention and nature of which, is not Co|active, but Auxiliary. And if to make up one &s;ingle Congrega|tion they require a Covenant betwixt each Beleever and his Bro|ther, and betwixt them All and the Pa&s;tor that &s;hould watch over their Soules; I &s;ee not why they &s;hould refu&s;e the like Cove|nant to be e&s;tabli&s;hed among&s;t the Pa&s;tors of &s;everall Flockes, who are bound as Officers in the &s;ame hou&s;hold of Faith, to watch one over another under the direction of the &s;upreme head of the Family, and Shepheard of &s;oules, Je&s;us Chri&s;t. I will not &s;ay that the tye is alike &s;trong, or the Relation equally bin|ding betwixt Pa&s;tors and Pa&s;tors, as it is betwixt Member and Pa&s;tor, or betwixt Member and Member in one Congregation; I &s;ay I will not po&s;itively affirme it, but that it ought to be made as &s;trong as a Covenant of Brotherly love and care for one another in Chri&s;t, can make it; and as the aime of &s;trengthning one ano|thers hands in the worke of the Lord, and of &s;tanding joyntly in a fight again&s;t the world, can require it, I doe &s;trongly a&s;&s;ert, and thinke tho&s;e, that doe not minde this aime, and the true meanes of entertaining the &s;ame, guilty of a great &s;inne again&s;t the Com|munion of Saints, becau&s;e they &s;eem to &s;eek a Particular Intere&s;t of their owne, rather then the good of others, whom they are bound to &s;erve for their edification, although it may be with &s;ome inconvenience to them&s;elves by &s;tooping to their infirmities and bearing of their burthens. But this duty is little minded on all &s;ides, and therefore the wayes of Peace are &s;o difficult.</P>
<P>If then it cannot be denyed that Gods Servants in his Hou&s;e,
<PB N="37" REF="20">and worke, &s;hould not live at a di&s;tance as &s;trangers, but &s;tand together as Members of the &s;ame body, in a Sociable Relation, to entertaine the Unity of the Spirit in the Communion of Saints; and if this Sociable Relation in matters belonging to their charge of Mutuall and Publike Edification, is a meanes to main|taine that Authority, towards their particular Congregations, which in matters of doubt is nece&s;&s;ary to come to a deci&s;ion thereof, and if this be the mo&s;t naturall and milde way of Govern|ment, when every Church is directed by its owne Officers, through the con&s;ent of the whole; I &s;ay if the&s;e things cannot be denied, I &s;ee not what can be excepted again&s;t the Presbyteri|all Way of Church Government and Di&s;cipline: and if the Au|thoritie of one Pa&s;tor, to whom the Charge of Soules is commit|ted, is &s;uch, that his flock is bound by expre&s;&s;e Commandement of the Word to obey and &s;ubmit unto him, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 13.17. and if the Non-Communioni&s;ts will not exempt any of their flocks from this Subjection to their Pa&s;tors, though they &s;tand by them&s;elves alone; I cannot imagine why they &s;hould exempt tho&s;e &s;ame flocks from the Authority of the &s;ame Pa&s;tors, when their Au|thority is &s;trengthened by the con&s;ent of all their Brethren. For (to u&s;e their own words) <HI>If it be a mo&s;t abhorred Maxime, that any &s;ingle and particular Societie of men profe&s;&s;ing the name of Chri&s;t, &s;hould arrogate unto them&s;elves an exemption from giving account or being cen&s;ureable by any other neighbour Churches about them;</HI> then it followeth, that the Meanes as well of giving an account and inflicting of a Cen&s;ure, if need be, as of preventing Scandals which may de&s;erve Cen&s;ures, ought to be u&s;ed among&s;t neigh|bour Churches: which meanes is none other then the Conjun|ction of Brotherly Coun&s;els in the Eccle&s;ia&s;ticall Senate of a Presbyterie or Synod. Now the Authoritative &s;way which &s;uch Councels and Cen&s;ures &s;hould beare, is no extrin&s;ecall matter, but a thing intrin&s;ically inherent, and the immediate re&s;ult of the combined body of the Senate, wherein all the Authority of the whole Mini&s;terie is ca&s;t together in one: nor can it be imagi|ned that the decrees of &s;uch a Senate can be without that Autho|ritie which the Charge of every member thereof doth yield unto him by Gods appointment, towards tho&s;e over whom he hath a
<PB N="38" REF="21">Charge. Except then it be thought, that Chri&s;t never intended that any &s;uch Senate &s;hould be convocated or e&s;tabli&s;hed in his Church to prevent or rectifie Scandals, I am not able to con|ceive what can be excepted again&s;t the Authoritative &s;way of the Decrees thereof, &s;uppo&s;ing matters to be fairely and openly &s;canned. But if otherwi&s;e there &s;hould be any fault in the Man|ner of proceeding of tho&s;e that belong unto the Senate, then the cau&s;e and the effect thereof &s;hould be meekly di&s;covered, and a way propo&s;ed to rectifie it; but the bond of Brotherly Unitie a|mong&s;t them&s;elves, and the ground of their Authority towards their Churches &s;hould not be &s;haken. Now the ground of their Authority is their Unity in their Charges, and the bond of their Unity is the &s;incerity of their Intention<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> to care and looke one to another, according to the Commandements which are ex|pre&s;&s;ely given, <HI>Heb.</HI> 3.12, 13. and 10.24. and 12.15.</P>
<P>But here it may be &s;aid, that the&s;e Commandements belong un|to all the Members of the Body, and are not peculiar unto the Pa|&s;tors and Elders more then to others: I an&s;wer, that it is true, all are bound unto the &s;ame care for one another as Members of each other; But although the Principle of this duty which is their Co-member&s;hip and Covenant in Chri&s;t be the &s;ame, yet the di&s;|charge of the duty is to be differently performed according to the di&s;tinct property of every member wherewith God hath en|dued it, as the eye, the eare, the no&s;e, the tongue, the hand, the feet, are all members, and as in one body, and moving by one &s;pi|rit, are bound all to have the &s;ame care each for another, yet their care is in a different way according to the place and property which they have in the body: For &s;ome of the&s;e members have a more eminent place and property then others, and according to the nature of it, their care is commanded. The members then which have their property and place in the head, are com|manded to care in the nature of the head, which in compari&s;on of the re&s;t of the members is Authoritative; thus the property of the eye is towards the foot and hand Authoritative; namely, to direct it, by judging and di&s;cerning the way wherein to walke, or the matter that is to be felt: Now the property of the hand is not of this nature, yet it careth for the body, and it hath the faculty of
<PB N="39" REF="21">feeling to none other end; but the propertie of the facultie is not Authoritative and directing further then it is directed by the &s;u|periour Members, or the faculties of the head. By all which I intend to intimate thus much: Fir&s;t, that the Commandement of mutuall care doth not give to Members of an inferiour facultie any power to act above that which is in the nature of their place in the body, far le&s;&s;e to over&s;ee or overrule the Rulers, as the cu|&s;tome of &s;ome is or hath been. And &s;econdly, that this &s;ame Commandement doth give to the Members of a &s;uperiour facultie a Charge to act lovingly, according to the nature of their place and office in the body. For the office of every Member doth make the actions done therein according to the Rule, and to the end of Common good Authoritative: and as it is in the Naturall, &s;o it is in the Spirituall and My&s;ticall body. Therefore as in the head of the Naturall body, there is a Senate of &s;uperiour Sen&s;es, which in the acts of their Charges cannot be without Authority to|wards inferior Members: &s;o in the My&s;ticall body of the Church, the&s;e Officers which partake of the Sen&s;es of the Head, cannot be without Authoritie in the Acts of their Charges, and their care which is recommended to them for the body in their charge is to be under&s;tood different herein from that which belongeth to the re&s;t of the Members: and if the looking to, and caring thus for one another, be an expre&s;&s;e Commandement of God, as well to Mini&s;ters one towards another in their Charges and pla|ces, as to Members each to others; then it mu&s;t be granted, that the be&s;t Meanes to performe this duty, is al&s;o commanded: and if this be found to be the Presbyteriall Conjunction of Mini&s;ters, then I mu&s;t conceive that a Combination of the Mini&s;ters of many Churches, is the compleat and entire &s;eat of Church pow|er over each Congregation &s;o combined, which is the thing whereof they made a que&s;tion. Now if this Relation of Mini|&s;teriall Authoritie and Re&s;pective Subjection for mutuall Edifi|cation, be once &s;etled; then all other matters tending to Publike Edification, will ea&s;ily be determined in matters of Publike Wor&s;hip for Uniformitie therein, according to the Rules of the Word, which to prevent &s;candals and divi&s;ions is ab&s;olutely ne|ce&s;&s;ary: and that this Uniformitie may be obtained, I conceive
<PB N="40" REF="22">that the&s;e things &s;hould be taken notice of.</P>
<P N="1">1. That in and about the Acts of the Publike Wor&s;hip of God &s;ome things are his own immediate Ordinances; &s;ome things are not of that nature.</P>
<P N="2">2. His own immediate Ordinances, as they are unalterable, &s;o they are of nece&s;&s;itie to be ob&s;erved, and mu&s;t be done in his name.</P>
<P N="3">3. All things of another nature are not nece&s;&s;ary, but alterable, and may not be done in his name</P>
<P N="4">4. The things of an Alterable nature relate the bodily and Outward part of the Wor&s;hip, as it is clothed with Outward Circum&s;tances; For what&s;oever is Spirituall, and relating the in|ward truth and &s;ub&s;tance of the Wor&s;hip, is determined in the Word, and not &s;ubject to Outward Circum&s;tances.</P>
<P N="5">5. The power to determine what is Alterable, and How it is to be altered for Publike Edification, doth belong to tho&s;e that have a Publike Charge in the Church.</P>
<P N="6">6. Yet in &s;ome Ca&s;es which may relate the Rights of the Ci|vill Magi&s;trate, his power is not to be neglected, but re&s;pected joyntly with the Church Officers.</P>
<P N="7">7. The limits of the joynt powers in ca&s;es of a mixt nature, are to be taken from their different Objects, Ends and Properties of Fundamentall Rights and Lawes of Government, by which they attaine their End &s;everally.</P>
<P N="8">8. No particular Church lo&s;eth her Right to order within her &s;elfe matters of Particular Edification; onely the occa&s;ions of Scandall to others mu&s;t be avoyded, and may be prevented by a Brotherly Communication of Rea&s;ons why things mu&s;t be &s;o or|dered in a private way.</P>
<P N="9">9. Therefore the Uniformitie of Publike Wor&s;hip is not to be e&s;teemed by meere Circum&s;tantials, which ought not to be too preci&s;ely determined, but by the Fulne&s;&s;e of Sub&s;tantials agree|ing, and by the con&s;ent of a Latitude under certaine Rules of Bro|therly Corre&s;pondencie therein <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">etwixt United Churches.</P>
<P N="10">10. The Manner of introducing new Orders to be ob&s;erved, or of altering any thing which hath been ob&s;erved, &s;hould not be without a due preparation of the under&s;tandings of that flock
<PB N="41" REF="22">towards which the Alteration is to bee applied.</P>
<P>If the&s;e Po&s;itions be not denied, I &s;uppo&s;e that mo&s;t of the Scrupulo&s;ities of the Non-Communioni&s;ts may be re&s;olved there|by, in matters of Publike Order, Decencie and Government, about which they &s;eeme to intend a Schola&s;ticall di&s;putation: but I would entreat every one who&s;e ayme is Publike Edificati|on, to beware of the di&s;putes of that nature, which may ea&s;ily breed heat and needles contradictions about matters of no great con&s;equence: Or if they undertake them, to agree with tho&s;e with whom matters are to be di&s;cu&s;&s;ed, of the manner of debating, which ought to be limited and regulated, and free from all Per&s;o|nall reproaches, which lay open the nakednes of other Infirmi|ties, or cen&s;ure faults prejudicially; For except the&s;e cautions be prudently u&s;ed, tho&s;e that take in hand to di&s;pute, will lo&s;e their way, and be taken off from the maine worke of the Mini&s;terie, which is to declare the Te&s;timonie of Je&s;us without partialitie, as it may be for the Edification of all. We know, and that expe|rimentally, that Knowledge doth puffe up the &s;pirit, but it is Cha|ritie that doth edifie: Now to maintaine the affections of Chari|tie in the bonds of Spirituall Unitie, there is nothing &s;o effectuall as the Way of Brotherly Con&s;ultation, by which all can be &s;aid, which in a Schola&s;ticall or di&s;putative way can be propo&s;ed; and with more force, by how much the ayme is more friendly and in|&s;inuating then that of a Contradictorie debate.</P>
<P>Thus I have briefly done with the la&s;t point of this Di&s;cour&s;e, where many other things might be in&s;i&s;ted upon, which I pur|po&s;ely omit, as not being willing to de&s;cend unto Particulars which may be ob&s;erved in the &s;everall pa&s;&s;ages of the Apologe|ticall Narration. Hereafter, if it be found expedient, and you re|quire it, I may adde an Appendix to this Di&s;cour&s;e, containing the &s;ame. Till then and ever I commend you to the Grace and love of the God of Peace; in whom I am</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your faithfull friend and &s;ervant, <HI>JOHN D&V;RT.</HI></SIGNED>
<DATELINE><HI>Hague,</HI> <DATE>17/7 <HI>March.</HI> 1644.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
