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<DATE>2011-05-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Louis Rosenberg</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A95594">
<STC T="W">T54</STC>
<STC T="T">E1015_8</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99867153</BIBNO>
<VID>119445</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<P><PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<HI>MODERATION: OR ARGUMENTS and MOTIVES tending thereunto, Humbly tendred to the Honourable MEMBERS of PARLIAMENT.</HI></P>
<P><HI>As al&s;o indifferently calculated for common con&s;ideration.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Together with a brief Touch of the reputed German Anabapti&s;ts, AND Mun&s;ter Tragedy.</HI></P>
<P><HI>By</HI> S. T.</P>
<Q>Let your moderation be known unto all men, the Lord is at hand. <BIBL><HI>Phil</HI> 4. 5.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Shoulde&s;t thou not al&s;o have had compa&s;&s;ion on thy fellow-&s;ervant, even as I had pity on thee? <BIBL><HI>Matth.</HI> 18 33.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>Who is a wi&s;e man and endued with knowledge among&s;t you. Let him &s;hew out a good conver&s;ation his works with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom. But the wi&s;dom that is from above, is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and ea&s;ie to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without <HI>partiality,</HI> without hypocri&s;ie. <BIBL><HI>James</HI> 3. 13, 17.</BIBL></Q>
<Q>In revenge of injuries, he is the lo&s;er that gers the better. <BIBL><HI>Ba&s;il.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>Henry <HI>the fourth of</HI> France <HI>was wont to &s;ay,</HI>That he made all the days of &s;uch <HI>Golden,</HI> who had mo&s;t offended him, that &s;o the <HI>Lead</HI> of their <HI>Fault</HI> might be darkened by the <HI>Gold</HI> of his <HI>Goodne&s;s.</HI><HI>Vid.</HI> Traps <HI>Comment.</HI> on <HI>Rom.</HI> 12. 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.</Q>
<P>LONDON, <HI>Printed by</HI> Henry Hills, <HI>dwelling in</HI> Alder&s;gate-&s;treet, <HI>next door to the Sign of the</HI> Peacock. 1660.</P>
<PB REF="2">
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_FOr the divi&s;ions of <HI>Reuben</HI> there were <HI>great</HI> thoughts of heart: but though the breaches of <HI>England</HI> (in Church and State) are <HI>very many, and, indeed great,</HI> yet how few do &s;e|riou&s;ly, with a right &s;pirit, lay them to heart, <HI>mourn</HI> in &s;e|cret, <HI>&s;earch</HI> the cau&s;es indifferently on all hands, <HI>&s;tudy</HI> the Remedies, <HI>apply</HI> Balm and Oyl, and <HI>cry mightily</HI> unto al|mighty God for <HI>help</HI> and <HI>healing,</HI> without whom, in vain is the help of man? But in &s;tead hereof men are &s;upine, &s;en&s;le&s;s, touching common danger and Chri&s;tian duty; or otherwi&s;e, &s;ome with <HI>virulency,</HI> others with <HI>vani|ty,</HI> rejoycing in uncovering their neighbours nakedne&s;s, triumphing and &s;porting them&s;elves over others <HI>&s;ins</HI> and <HI>&s;orrows,</HI> thereby <HI>widening</HI> our breaches, <HI>adding</HI> fewel to the fire, <HI>augmenting</HI> the &s;in and &s;hame of our Nation, and <HI>rendring</HI> its mi&s;erable wounds <HI>more</HI> incurable. All which, as by <HI>words,</HI> &s;o by vicious and luxuriant <HI>Pamphlets,</HI> i&s;&s;uing from <HI>violent pa&s;&s;ions, humour, faction,</HI> others from <HI>filthy frothine&s;s</HI> with which the City and Nation is <HI>pe&s;tered</HI> at this day, as with a contagious corrupted air: which &s;heweth, that through our <HI>long inte&s;tine</HI> di&s;|cords and animo&s;ities (e&s;pecially tho&s;e among the <HI>Godly</HI> of <HI>all</HI> per&s;wa&s;ions, for which I de&s;ire <HI>more</HI> to mourn) <HI>Religion</HI> wants cheri&s;hing, which &s;ubdues the exorbitant lu&s;ts of men, <HI>Irreligion</HI> and <HI>Athei&s;m</HI> begins to overgrow us, and the <HI>fear of God,</HI> and the power of <HI>Godline&s;s</HI> is brought to a very low ebb in the world, to the <HI>di&s;honour</HI> of God and his Go&s;pel, the <HI>dammage</HI> of all &s;orts, and the great <HI>detriment</HI> and <HI>hazard</HI> of the <HI>Reformed Prote&s;tant cau&s;e</HI> among us.</P>
<P>Do not <HI>the&s;e things</HI> call <HI>aloud</HI> for <HI>earne&s;t</HI> endeavours of peace and unity, <HI>e&s;pecially</HI> and <HI>primarily</HI> among the <HI>orthodox</HI> and <HI>Godly,</HI> which will never be effected, without <HI>moderation,</HI> and that <HI>indifferently</HI> on every hand, whereby <HI>each</HI> may <HI>mode&s;tly</HI> retain their different apprehen&s;ions in le&s;&s;er matters, yet <HI>affectionately</HI> and <HI>mutually</HI> &s;ubmit and conde&s;cend in the fear of God, &s;o as to <HI>pity</HI> each others <HI>infirmities,</HI> and <HI>jointly amitably &s;trive together</HI> (in Gods way) for the faith and holine&s;s of the Go&s;pel, again&s;t gro&s;s delu&s;ions and profanene&s;s, which both abound among us. As my own temper tells me, &s;o my knowledge of the dispo&s;ition of many of tho&s;e called <HI>Independents, Anabapti&s;ts, &amp;c.</HI> per|&s;wades me, that &s;uch a clo&s;ure is attainable: wherein others di&s;compliance hinder|eth, let that with the i&s;&s;ues of it be on them, mean while I think this a fit oppor|tunity
<PB REF="3">
humbly to expre&s;s my thoughts which are not new: that the interest of <HI>all the&s;e equally,</HI> with the intere&s;t of Religion <HI>among all,</HI> lies in mutual modera|tion. Wherein I have <HI>mi&s;&s;ed it,</HI> or been <HI>defective</HI> in this &s;hort <HI>E&s;&s;ay</HI> upon &s;ome <HI>few</HI> particulars now in que&s;tion, I crave pardon of the &s;ober and judicious, but not of the <HI>cen&s;uring captious</HI> &s;pirit of this Age, that delights to fi&s;h in <HI>troubled</HI> waters, and to whom <HI>moderation</HI> is a crime. The grave <HI>Oratour</HI> &s;u&s;pected that he had &s;poken &s;omething <HI>ami&s;s,</HI> when at the end he heard the <HI>lauding acclamations</HI> of the <HI>vulgar:</HI> and our Saviour pronounces a Wo to him of whom <HI>all men</HI> &s;peak well: wherefore not valuing this, I thought it my duty <HI>at this time</HI> to &s;peak, though I &s;hould do <HI>little more</HI> than audibly pronounce the [Word] <HI>moderation,</HI> yet I &s;hould have been glad &s;ome abler precur&s;or might have fore&s;talled, anticipated me in my de&s;ired retirement.</P>
<P>If my <HI>conce&s;&s;ions</HI> of the <HI>faults</HI> of any are beyond their <HI>own convictions,</HI> I hope they will be &s;atisfied that none will think that I &s;hould be able to &s;peak for others &s;o well as they for them&s;elves, nor is it fit for me to &s;peak my utmo&s;t, be|cau&s;e of brevity and inoffen&s;ivene&s;s. Finally, for my part I neither <HI>de&s;ign</HI> nor <HI>de|&s;ire</HI> the advance of any of my opinion above others, but onely that <HI>moderation</HI> in <HI>Phil.</HI> 4. 5. as it is render'd in our <HI>Engli&s;h</HI> Annotations, <HI>Equity or equal carriage towards all,</HI> which is the <HI>undoubted</HI> way to beal <HI>all</HI> our breaches, and make us yet an <HI>honourable</HI> and <HI>happy</HI> Nation, among whom God may yet delight to dwell.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>January</HI> 23. 1659.</DATE></DATELINE>
<SIGNED>Which is the de&s;ire, prayer, and poor endeavour of <HI>S. T.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>Moderation, or Arguments and Mo|tives tending thereunto, Humbly tendred to the Honourable MEMBERS of PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<P>_IT was the &s;aying of a Coun&s;ellour to <HI>James</HI> the fifth of <HI>Scotland,</HI> (as a <HI>Preludium</HI> to his Argu|ment for Moderation) <HI>[That it was then their happine&s;s, the meane&s;t Subject might freely &s;peak unto their Sovereign.]</HI> Yet do I not adventure to &s;peak to you as a <HI>Collective Body</HI> in your <HI>Sove|reign State,</HI> but in an <HI>individual per&s;onal</HI> capa|city, as Members thereof. Pardon therefore my humble boldne&s;s, that in this way, and upon this occa&s;ion and &s;ubject I addre&s;s my &s;elf to your <HI>Honours,</HI> being the more induced by that prudent Dictate of <HI>Francis</HI> Lord <HI>Verulam, That the wi&s;e&s;t Princes need not think it any diminution to their greatne&s;s, nor derogation to their &s;ufficiency to hearken to, and rely upon coun&s;el.</HI> The Argument and &s;ubject treated of will (I am &s;ure) <HI>apologize</HI> for it &s;elf<HI>: meekne&s;s, temperance,</HI> and <HI>moderation</HI> being &s;uch virtues, that (whether <HI>natural, moral,</HI> or <HI>&s;piritual)</HI> are highly accepted of God, approved of men, and again&s;t which there is no <HI>Law, Gal.</HI> 5. 23. Never any Age or Nation needed it, and groaned under the defect thereof more than this. Were it more in the hearts, tongues, and pens of men of all &s;orts a|mong us, <HI>England</HI> might be as happy a People as any under Heaven; which now being a Nation &s;adly divided again&s;t it &s;elf cannot bear up long in this epidemical Di&s;temper, (without a &s;peedy Remedy) from &s;inking into a&s;hes.
<PB N="2" REF="4">
where there is biting and devouring one of another, (by <HI>&s;ecret whi&s;pers, evil &s;urmi&s;es, har&s;h interpretings, and paper incendiaries,)</HI> it tends to a con&s;uming one of another, and making us a publick &s;corne, re|proach; <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal.</HI> 5. 15.</NOTE> yea a prey to Dome&s;tick and forraign enemies.</P>
<P>Our malady then is manife&s;t, as al&s;o the mortal and pernicious tendency thereof<HI>:</HI> all &s;orts of men concentre and agree in this, <HI>that animo&s;ities and de|vi&s;ions are our di&s;ea&s;e and will undo us.</HI> And why might not all as ea&s;ily agree in the <HI>remedy?</HI> which when all is done will be found to be <HI>Moderation.</HI></P>
<P>The cru&s;hing of <HI>this Sect,</HI> and the violent &s;ubduing <HI>of that &s;ort,</HI> which many hot and ha&s;ty &s;pirits cry out for, as that which will mend all, would prove a remedy wor&s;e than the di&s;ea&s;e, tempting and provoking every man (judging his own opinions <HI>right,</HI> and his <HI>right</HI> to be free from others impo&s;ing) to lift up his hand again&s;t his neighbour, and render our wound more incurable. I cannot here forbear citing that pa&s;&s;age of a very learned man, <HI>It was</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>a notable ob&s;ervation of a wi&s;e Father, and no le&s;s ingenuou&s;ly confe&s;&s;ed, [That tho&s;e which held and per&s;waded pre&s;&s;ure of con&s;ciences were commonly intere&s;&s;ed therein them&s;elves, for their own ends.]</HI></P>
<P>Religion and Rea&s;on, the Spirit of Chri&s;t and the Go&s;pel &s;hould rather be hearkened unto, who all offer and u&s;her in this remedy of <HI>Moderation,</HI> &s;o that it needs not any Epi&s;tle of commendation. And, did we &s;trive to approve our &s;elves Chri&s;tians, we &s;hould &s;trive who &s;hould excel in this vertue and work. How can this be put <HI>in u&s;e,</HI> without &s;ome <HI>Publique Phi&s;icians of value to be as Hee-goats before the flock, leading Moderators?</HI> And who &s;hould be the <HI>Mo|derators</HI> in the&s;e our publick di&s;cords, but you our <HI>Senators?</HI> and where &s;hould you begin with <HI>Moderation,</HI> if not at your own hearts and hou&s;e, in the ca&s;es depending before you concerning Military Officers and other Gentlemen who have acted in your Interval.</P>
<P>Surely the more cordial, voluntary and exten&s;ive, you are herein, the more honourable<HI>:</HI> and I hope it may not be con&s;trued as a limiting or pre&s;cribing to propo&s;e, <HI>that now it may be written upon you in legible characters, &s;o as to be read and known to all men.</HI></P>
<P>Though this propo&s;al come from an ob&s;cure per&s;on, yet it is from one un|intere&s;ted, and who among others of your Subjects did di&s;gu&s;t and ill re&s;ent the Act of your late interruption, with all the preceding occa&s;ions thereof; hoping your rece&s;&s;ion (which is now effected) might mo&s;t effectually tend to our common &s;afety and &s;ettlement: which, as it is my de&s;ire and prayer (with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion to the will of God) &s;o that my endeavours may be &s;omewhat con|ducing, I humbly propo&s;e the&s;e few following <HI>healing con&s;iderations.</HI></P>
<P>And although it be but a mite, and like the Goats-hair to the publick work of the <HI>Tabernacle,</HI> yet its offered not with any willingne&s;s to go beyond my line or &s;phere, nor pre&s;umption to be wi&s;er than my teachers, and therefore hope I &s;hall not hereby make my &s;elfe a p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">ey<HI>:</HI> as I do it with much &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, &s;o without the lea&s;t intent (God knoweth) of imputation or evil reflection on any hand, that may any way interfere with my pre&s;ent aim of <HI>Moderation,</HI> in order to which I humbly offer.</P>
<DIV2 N="1" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 1.</HEAD>
<P>That humility is the direct and only way to honour, <HI>Prov.</HI> 18. 12. It is a badge of honour in it &s;elf, and in the acceptation of men, the path ordained of God, and pointed out with his finger to be ble&s;&s;ed with
<PB N="3" REF="4">
that which is truely honour, rooted in the inward affections and e&s;timations of men. This is applyed as adapting for the great work in your hands, <HI>which is to deliver the I&s;land,</HI> Job 22. 29, 30. <HI>God hath &s;tained the pride of many pub|lick per&s;ons in this Nation, &s;hewing him&s;elf to be above them.</HI> Wherefore having by a &s;trange providence once more inve&s;ted you with power, <HI>Behold the goodne&s;s and &s;everity of God, and be not high minded but fear,</HI> Rom. 11. 20, 22. <HI>God &s;itteth with an in&s;picious eye among the Gods, who &s;hall dye like men, and &s;hall fall like one of the Princes,</HI> [or like other Princes] <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 82. 7. <HI>When Ephraim &s;pake trembling, he exalted him&s;elf in I&s;rael,</HI> Ho&s;. 13. 1. <HI>but when he did otherwi&s;e he dyed,</HI> like as <HI>Nebuchadnezzar</HI> for his loftine&s;s was &s;ent &s;even years grazing among the Brutes, till he had learned to acknowledge <HI>that God ruled in the Kingdomes of men, and pulled down and &s;et up whom it plea&s;ed him.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="2" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 2.</HEAD>
<P>Nor is <HI>Humility</HI> &s;o excellent, but that <HI>Meekne&s;s, Mercy</HI> and <HI>Clemency</HI> (whether reckoned concomitants or fruits thereof) they do bear an excellent <HI>proportion</HI> with it, to the adorning of them in whom they are found. What greater argument then that <HI>they are in the &s;ight of God of great price?</HI> who hath therefore in&s;tructed Rulers, <HI>that its their glory to pa&s;s over a tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ion,</HI> Prov. 19. 11, 12. <HI>And the throne &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed, as by righteou&s;|ne&s;s, &s;o by mercy,</HI> Prov. 20. 28. <HI>But without mercy, &s;uch &s;hall have judgement without mercy,</HI> Jam. 2. 13.</P>
<P>This is the more magnified and thank-worthy, by how much there is an opinion of advantage and opportunity for the contrary, and indeed this is mo&s;t like God him&s;elf, the &s;imilitude and imitation of whom is one principal rea&s;on why Rulers are <HI>called Gods,</HI> who in this &s;hould be publick patterns and examples to the world, and e&s;pecially in this iron age and Nation.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="3" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 3.</HEAD>
<P>Nor are tho&s;e vertues more worthy, valuable, venerable, then <HI>exce&s;&s;ive anger, wrath, revenge</HI> are the contrary. A <HI>precipitant &s;pirit</HI> will ne|ver hit the mark, nor do the bu&s;ine&s;s. Examples are infinite, that it hath car|ryed to &s;uch actions and i&s;&s;ues in ha&s;te, by changing times, per&s;ons, laws, as hath been repented of at lea&s;ure, proving unretractable, beyond fir&s;t intentions or expectations<HI>:</HI> God would make the pa&s;&s;ionate Prophet <HI>Elijah</HI> know, <HI>that he was not in the whirlwind, nor in the thunder, but in the &s;till and &s;oft voice.</HI></P>
<P>And when the Di&s;ciples would needs have had fire from heaven upon tho&s;e <HI>who followed not with them,</HI> our Saviour in&s;tructs them in the &s;ame le&s;&s;on, <HI>[You know not</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>what &s;pirit you are of.]</HI></P>
<P>And above all doth it lea&s;t become grave <HI>Senatours</HI> to do any thing in rage and ra&s;hne&s;s, witne&s;s that remarkable example of good <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> P&s;al. 106. 32, 33. That albeit its only noted he <HI>&s;pake</HI> unadvi&s;edly with his lips, and although <HI>the people angred him,</HI> and <HI>[they] provoked his &s;pirit,</HI> yet it went ill with <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> for <HI>[their]</HI> &s;akes<HI>:</HI> this <HI>one</HI> ha&s;ty, angry act, judicially deve&s;ted him of his dignity, occa&s;ioned his fall and death in the wilderne&s;s, and mi&s;&s;ing <HI>Canaan.</HI></P>
<P>And although rigour and &s;everity may &s;ometimes be termed ju&s;tice, and done for &s;ecurity from like actions; yet there is need of care, that <HI>revenge</HI> be not in the <HI>root,</HI> nor yet <HI>Lextalionis</HI> the <HI>rule</HI> of &s;uch proceedings, nor rigour to be u&s;ed in all ca&s;es till favour hath been tryed to effect the &s;ame ju&s;t end, <HI>for the wrath of man worketh not the righteou&s;ne&s;s of God,</HI> Jam. 1. 20.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="4" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 4.</HEAD>
<P>An opinion of &s;ome kind of victory and conque&s;t, may have a
<PB N="4" REF="5">
potent influence to &s;crew up the minds of men to a more then ordinary rigour towards the conquered, either in order to their own triumph, or their &s;uppre&s;&s;i|on: may it not be &s;aid, as St. <HI>Paul</HI> in another ca&s;e? <HI>&s;uch glorying is not good;</HI> and Events have oft-times proved it &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Charron</HI> tells us not untruely, <HI>the greate&s;t conque&s;t in the world is that of a mans &s;elf, gaining Government and dominion over his own pa&s;&s;ions</HI> and affecti|ons<HI>:</HI> and <HI>Solomon</HI> avoucheth it, <HI>that he that ruleth his &s;pirit is better than the mighty, and doth more than he that takes a City,</HI> Prov. 16. 32. Had <HI>Alexan|der</HI> done this one exploit, it would have rendred his name more worthy than his conque&s;t of the world<HI>:</HI> As it did that <HI>Heathen King,</HI> who in his tont hearing one of his own Souldiers without in the Camp reproaching him, <HI>only bid him go further off, le&s;t the King &s;hould hear him.</HI> Such forgiving and pa&s;&s;ing over injuries (&s;aith one well) <HI>&s;hews a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">According to <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 7. 21, 22.</NOTE> <HI>mind planted above them and beyond their reach:</HI> Many Princes, not thus conquering them&s;elves in the way of their <HI>Pa&s;&s;ions,</HI> have &s;oon, and before they have been aware, van|qui&s;hed them&s;elves in the way of their <HI>Intere&s;t.</HI> Governours and Go|vernment being ordained of God to curb the exorbitant lu&s;ts of men, &s;hould begin at home, and not &s;uffer any thing in <HI>them&s;elves</HI> to &s;well beyond the regiment of <HI>Rea&s;on and Moderation.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall conclude this Section with a pa&s;&s;age of a wi&s;e man in like ca&s;e, <HI>Its an a&s;&s;ured &s;ign of a worthy and generous &s;pirit whom honour amends; for ho|nour is or &s;hould be the place of vertue: and as in nature things move violently to their place: &s;o do they move calmely in their place,</HI> &s;o let it be with you.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="5" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 5.</HEAD>
<P>The con&s;ideration of <HI>Vici&s;&s;itude</HI> I conceive not un&s;ea&s;onable nor impertinent in this matter; nothing being more notoriou&s;ly obvious in our dayes, then that all things under the Sun are &s;ubject to <HI>changes and mutations.</HI> This makes one &s;ay pithily, <HI>All knowledge is but remembrance.</HI> Another, <HI>All novelty is but oblivion:</HI> agreeable to <HI>Salom, there is nothing new:</HI> the moral of all is this; that &s;eeing all things are in <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 3. 15.</NOTE> a tickle tottering revolving po&s;ture, and that Government and Governours are &s;ubject to flux and reflux: moving too and fro: run|ning the circle as much as any other things, that therefore nothing be done upon an opinion, <HI>that the mountain is &s;o &s;trong that it cannot be removed.</HI></P>
<P>That which is a dayly object to the eye, &s;hould be dayly in the mind: <HI>that that &s;poak of the wheel that is now up, is by and by down again.</HI></P>
<P>As this ob&s;ervation made the <HI>vanqui&s;hed King rejoyce</HI> when he was drawing the Chariot of his <HI>Conquerour,</HI> becau&s;e it &s;hewed him a po&s;&s;ibility of read|vancement, &s;o &s;hould it make others in pro&s;perity <HI>humbly fear,</HI> in order to their <HI>judging as they would be judged, and meting</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math</HI> 7. 1, 2. <HI>Judges</HI> 1. 7.</NOTE> <HI>that mea&s;ure unto others they would &s;hould be mea&s;ured to them a|gain, to provoke to</HI> which, <HI>Adonibezek</HI> is a pregnant example, and that Emperour upon whom that ob&s;ervation afore&s;aid had &s;uch an influence.</P>
<P>Neither is it enough to look at the <HI>outward wheels,</HI> but al&s;o at the <HI>wheel of Gods Providence within the wheels,</HI> Ezek. 1. 16. this tends to moderate the heart under all <HI>changes,</HI> and puts upon enquiry what God teaches by every turn. Thus <HI>David,</HI> not terminating his ob&s;ervation upon <HI>Shimei</HI> that cur&s;ed him, but elevating his mind above the in&s;trument, &s;aith, <HI>It may be the Lord</HI>
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<HI>&s;ent him to cur&s;e me this day,</HI> 2 Sam. 16. 9, 10, 11. and thereupon forbore to puni&s;h him, though by many about him he was earne&s;tly incited there|unto.</P>
<P>Contrariwi&s;e the King of <HI>A&s;&s;yria,</HI> I&s;a. 10. 9, 10, 11. reckoning and ac|compting him&s;elf above all providential <HI>vici&s;&s;itude,</HI> boa&s;ts thus, <HI>Is not Calno as Charchemi&s;h? is not Hamath as Arpad? is not Samaria as Dama&s;cus? as I have done unto Samaria and her Idols, &s;hall I not do unto Jeru&s;alem and her Idols?</HI> not con&s;idering the <HI>&s;tern</HI> of all affaires to be in Gods hand, and that he was now to deal with <HI>Gods people, whom though under &s;in,</HI> yet God would not utterly for&s;ake. <HI>It greatly alters the ca&s;e when we deal with good men though &s;uppo&s;ed erring, yea though really erring.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="6" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 6.</HEAD>
<P>Shall I crave leave to pa&s;s from the&s;e <HI>premi&s;ed Generals</HI> to &s;ome|what more <HI>particular</HI> relating to the reputed fault of tho&s;e who are now under|mo&s;t: who are of two &s;orts, either &s;uch who acted in the <HI>Interruption,</HI> or &s;uch who only acted in &s;ome publick affairs in the <HI>Interval</HI> of the Parliament.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, not to e&s;pou&s;e or ju&s;tifie the fact of interrupting, nor yet to inter|meddle with the cau&s;es or occa&s;ions of jealou&s;ies and offences, real or &s;uppo&s;ed, given or taken any way: yet I hope I may without offence tenderly touch the circum&s;tances, being &s;imply in order to my aim of <HI>Moderation.</HI></P>
<P>To go no farther back then that Act of Parliament made <HI>Octob.</HI> 12. Let it fir&s;t be &s;uppo&s;ed thereupon, that the Officers of the Army did accompt of them&s;elves as <HI>har&s;hly and &s;everely</HI> dealt withall, by the &s;aid Act, <HI>Vacating</HI> &s;o many Commi&s;&s;ions, <HI>Altering</HI> &s;o greatly the Conduct of the Army, <HI>Ejecting</HI> nine of the old con&s;iderable Officers: yet do I not hereupon &s;ay they &s;hould do as they did, put a force upon the hou&s;e: &s;uch ca&s;es are very tender. Its a received maxime, <HI>the be&s;t Coun&s;els may erre; yet Parliaments are the highe&s;t Cou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;els</HI> (though &s;ome judged this not to be &s;o.) And therefore although the Officers might think and revolve in their minds, that they were lately in&s;tru|ments of introducing this Parliament to a <HI>re&s;e&s;&s;ion,</HI> though not giving the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter"> the <HI>right,</HI> yet the <HI>opportunity</HI> of &s;itting, that they had <HI>&s;erved</HI> them faithfully, and lately again&s;t their enemies both old and new, that they were free from all <HI>fore intentions</HI> of force towards the Parliament; according to the <HI>jealou&s;ies</HI> they deemed unduely conceived of them, that they feared the altering of the conduct of the Army might tend to de&s;troy the only outward &s;ence again&s;t the old re|pated enemy, <HI>by a gradual change of the whole,</HI> and thereby in a little time <HI>endanger their common cau&s;e.</HI> All the&s;e and more &s;uch like con&s;iderations might have been in a fair and &s;ubmi&s;&s;ive way tendered to <HI>an uninterrupted hou&s;e,</HI> with a de&s;ire of a favourable hearing, and then &s;ubmitted to their final judgement: but &s;uch a hearing not being <HI>fore provided</HI> and <HI>prepropo&s;ed,</HI> and they di&s;pairing of obtaining it, by ob&s;erving the preparations made, and making for the forcible and pre&s;ent execution of the &s;aid act, and &s;uppo&s;ing ill con&s;e|quences to their cau&s;e, as well as per&s;ons, might and would en&s;ue, (as hath by them been alledged) did thus proceed to put it upon the i&s;&s;ue of an <HI>Inter|ruption.</HI> How far this <HI>fact</HI> was <HI>faulty,</HI> is not now a &s;ea&s;on to <HI>aggravate,</HI> nor yet how far in any re&s;pects it might be <HI>venial.</HI> I &s;ubmit the whole thus &s;tated to the remembrance of all per&s;ons any way concerned, to make the be&s;t in|provement thereof to <HI>Moderation,</HI> &s;ave only (not to judge the Parliaments Act and Judgment, yet were it not beyond the &s;ea&s;on I might humbly offer) that
<PB N="6" REF="6">
it was the &s;ober opinion of <HI>not a few</HI> at that time, that &s;uch a <HI>hearing</HI> of tho&s;e Officers afore&s;aid, might probably without any inconveniency have produced and pre&s;erved a good under&s;tanding, and prevented all the evils &s;uppo&s;ed en|&s;uing the defect thereof<HI>:</HI> how far this may be argumentative now to <HI>Moderate,</HI> I only mention it, and &s;ubmit it.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="7" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 7.</HEAD>
<P>But may there not be many things fit for <HI>after con&s;ideration</HI> tending hereunto? admit the fact <HI>Exorbitant,</HI> yet may not their <HI>ends</HI> therein be <HI>publick, ju&s;t and good,</HI> and not <HI>&s;ini&s;ter private nor injurious unto any?</HI> that there may be <HI>good intentions,</HI> where there may be <HI>obliquity</HI> in &s;ome pro&s;ecuting <HI>actions,</HI> is a thing <HI>indubitable;</HI> to believe they were <HI>&s;uch</HI> here, by tho&s;e who know the per&s;ons well, is I think groundedly <HI>charitable;</HI> to in&s;i&s;t upon <HI>ends and de&s;igns,</HI> to that <HI>u&s;e and end</HI> for which I urge them, will I &s;uppo&s;e in the clo&s;e be judged <HI>rea&s;onable.</HI></P>
<P>That then they did not do this from <HI>revenge,</HI> nor a&s;piring after <HI>&s;ole Go|vernment, or domination,</HI> nor being unwilling to be <HI>&s;ubject</HI> &s;o they might be <HI>&s;afe,</HI> much le&s;s out of any intent to <HI>&s;ubvert the Magi&s;tracy or Mini&s;try</HI> of the Nation, nor overthrow <HI>Religion</HI> and <HI>Learning,</HI> as &s;ome ungroundedly &s;ugge&s;t, that they did not do it upon the pretended <HI>Mun&s;ter Spirit,</HI> nor in pur&s;uance of any <HI>Euthufia&s;tical, Prophetick, Fanatick</HI> opinions of any <HI>peculiar divine right,</HI> that <HI>they or any</HI> have to civil Government, but as members of the Nation, having been long embarqued under the greate&s;t obligations in a <HI>Common cau&s;e,</HI> wherein, among other things, <HI>civil and Religious liberty</HI> for all who live hone&s;t, godly and peaceable of all per&s;wa&s;ions is involved; apprehending that in &s;ome hazard of a &s;hipwrack, (I &s;ay not groundedly) were led hereunto, thus far their own plea to all which profe&s;&s;ions of theirs, it may be hard to gain the credit of &s;uch readers, who are prejudiced by looking on them through the red gla&s;s of mi&s;repre&s;entations, and know not the per&s;ons, nor their or any of their <HI>In|tegrity, Piety and Morality</HI> in their <HI>private Conver&s;ations, Church-communi|ons, or family behaviours</HI> towards God and their neighbour, wherein it mu&s;t be affirmed from undoubted knowledge, for many years pa&s;t to this day, that mo&s;t of them <HI>do excel in Vertue,</HI> and that from <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>Orthodox principles</HI> of the Chri&s;tian Religion, generally received and acknowledged to be &s;uch.</P>
<P>Now although all this (&s;uppo&s;ed true) doth not <HI>ju&s;tific</HI> this act, nor do I al|ledge it to that end, yet doth it wipe off the dirt of tho&s;e calumnies, al&s;o <HI>ex|tenuate</HI> the fault, upon the &s;ame rea&s;on that they are alledged to increa&s;e it, and abate and dimini&s;h the <HI>aggravations,</HI> with a <HI>reference</HI> to the&s;e per&s;ons; and con&s;equently render them (if not the more <HI>de&s;erving,</HI> yet) the more <HI>fit</HI> for favour and free impunity.</P>
<P>I &s;hall &s;hut up this Section with that advi&s;ement of a prudent writer<HI>: One &s;pecial remedy again&s;t exce&s;&s;ive anger, is to &s;ever the con&s;truction of the injury from the point of contempt, imputing it to mi&s;under&s;tanding, fear, or other pa&s;&s;ions and infirmities, what you will.</HI> Sir <HI>Fra. Bacons</HI> E&s;&s;aies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="8" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 8.</HEAD>
<P>The various and manifold <HI>turnings</HI> and <HI>revolutions</HI> in <HI>Govern|ment</HI> and <HI>Governours</HI> for many years together in this Nation, made and at|tempted to be made, by <HI>other hands</HI> and <HI>heads</HI> be&s;ides theirs of the Army, toge|ther with the manifold <HI>violent claims</HI> of divers and contrary parties and in|tere&s;ts to the <HI>Sovereign Rule</HI> of very late days, &s;everal of whom <HI>menacing be|fore hand a Ravelling out and Reverting all,</HI> to the fir&s;t &s;tate of affairs before
<PB N="7" REF="6">
the War began, to the lo&s;s of all the&s;e twenty years Conte&s;t. All this renders the <HI>Fact</HI> it &s;elf, and con&s;equently the reputed <HI>Fault</HI> thereof the more <HI>disputable</HI> and <HI>doubtfull</HI> to many judicious men, and doubtle&s;s not plainly a Fault to the judgements and con&s;ciences of tho&s;e e&s;pecially concerned therein<HI>:</HI> whereas in other manife&s;t faults, it may be well pre&s;umed, that mo&s;t of the &s;ame per&s;ons would avoid doing the <HI>lea&s;t</HI> apparant known evil, to obtain the greate&s;t good unto them&s;elves; <HI>neither is this urged at random.</HI> And if all <HI>advantages</HI> &s;hould be taken upon an exact di&s;qui&s;ition and marking all that hath been <HI>done ami&s;s</HI> of this kinde, what &s;ort of men will not be <HI>culpable,</HI> and &s;ome way or other <HI>obnoxious</HI> both to <HI>cen&s;ure</HI> and <HI>danger?</HI> If therefore they be <HI>allowed</HI> but the &s;ame <HI>grains</HI> for their infirmities with <HI>other</HI> men, then their falling <HI>la&s;t</HI> and <HI>late&s;t</HI> un|der the eye and hand of offence might not augment their <HI>cen&s;ure,</HI> but in &s;tead thereof there would be room for <HI>Moderation,</HI> which teacheth (among other) this whole&s;om Le&s;&s;on,</P>
<Q><L>That wherein all their errours have,</L>
<L>Let all &s;orts pardon give, and pardon crave.</L></Q>
<P>It being al&s;o notorious how <HI>little</HI> the <HI>publick Pul&s;e</HI> did beat towards the late Return, and how <HI>much</HI> the <HI>Authority</HI> of this <HI>Parliament</HI> is di&s;avowed and im|peached by publick Prints that freely and currantly pa&s;s up and down City and Countrey, imputing as <HI>great,</HI> yea <HI>greater Extraordinaries</HI> and <HI>Exorbitancies</HI> unto them than tho&s;e now in que&s;tion; al&s;o avowing the ho&s;tile undertakings of Sir <HI>George Booth</HI> as mo&s;t worthy upon that account, for the introduction of a <HI>free</HI> and <HI>full Parliament,</HI> the cogency of who&s;e Plea I meddle not withall, but upon a &s;uppo&s;ition of their prevailing, many may be accounted to &s;tand in as much need as others of <HI>moderation</HI> and <HI>indemnity.</HI> And whether it may be <HI>denied</HI> them, the Lord knows, things being on the reverting hand, God knows where they will &s;top and &s;tand.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="9" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 9.</HEAD>
<P>The <HI>manner</HI> of their managing this <HI>Revolution,</HI> is not incon&s;idera|ble to the <HI>mitigation</HI> of the <HI>fault;</HI> for as much as both in the Act of <HI>inter|ruption,</HI> as al&s;o in the pro&s;ecution in all other parts and places both North and South, they have u&s;ed all po&s;&s;ible care to avoid and prevent the <HI>lea&s;t</HI> drop of <HI>blood</HI> in the <HI>Conte&s;t,</HI> wherein the providence of God hath eminently concurred thereby, <HI>as with a finger</HI> pointing out <HI>Moderation.</HI> How <HI>backward</HI> have they been to <HI>action,</HI> how forward to admit of delays, how ready for any amica|ble <HI>Conferences</HI> in order to a <HI>right</HI> under&s;tanding and <HI>peaceable</HI> accord. More|over, their indulgent re&s;pects towards both <HI>Parliament Members</HI> and <HI>di&s;|&s;enting Officers,</HI> not <HI>&s;eizing</HI> and <HI>&s;ecuring</HI> their per&s;ons, when it was in the power of their hand to do it: yet they rock not tho&s;e <HI>advantages</HI> they had and might have had (as well as others) to pur&s;ue their bu&s;ine&s;s, had they been di&s;po&s;ed to <HI>violence</HI> in tho&s;e re&s;pects. All which, as it doth from God, &s;o from them be&s;peak <HI>tenderne&s;s</HI> and <HI>moderation</HI> towards their <HI>per&s;ons, families, friends.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="10" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 10.</HEAD>
<P>Neither may it be forgotten the <HI>generally acknowledged</HI> faithfull and eminent <HI>Services</HI> they have done both formerly and lately for this <HI>Parlia|ment</HI> and the <HI>Nation;</HI> which is more a <HI>Plea</HI> in the pre&s;ent <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> than in many other; becau&s;e (among other things) it was an <HI>opinion</HI> in <HI>them</HI> of an <HI>ill requi|tal</HI>
<PB N="8" REF="7">
for all tho&s;e <HI>&s;ervices,</HI> burying them with their names under <HI>infamy,</HI> that did precede and provoke unto the <HI>fault,</HI> which whether it excu&s;e or not, yet it freeth it from &s;ome aggravation.</P>
<P><HI>Object.</HI> And whereas <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 10. 1. and <HI>Ezek.</HI> 18. will and may be objected.</P>
<P><HI>An&s;.</HI> Yet let me &s;ay, It is one thing for a man to <HI>apo&s;tatize,</HI> &s;o as to depart from all righteou&s;ne&s;s, to <HI>violate</HI> manife&s;t morals, another thing for a man to <HI>erre</HI> in &s;ome <HI>one</HI> act, and that act &s;o <HI>circum&s;tantiated</HI> as it is; for <HI>now</HI> in our times, mo&s;t &s;orts of men think it not unrighteous to attempt the <HI>&s;ole</HI> po&s;&s;e&s;|&s;ion of the <HI>Soveraign power,</HI> wherein <HI>the&s;e</HI> po&s;&s;ibly may reckon upon a <HI>right|ful &s;hare,</HI> as <HI>much,</HI> if not <HI>more</HI> then many others, having been <HI>&s;o long,</HI> and <HI>&s;o much</HI> engaged under <HI>Parliamentary authority</HI> in the greate&s;t hazards, above others, to obtain a <HI>certain &s;ecurity</HI> to the Nations and them&s;elves, in the en|joyment of their properties and ju&s;t liberties, and yet far from <HI>de&s;igning</HI> to abridge or oppre&s;s others in matters <HI>Religious</HI> or <HI>Civil</HI> (as by-pa&s;t time witne&s;&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">th) wherein others <HI>threaten</HI> to abridge and oppre&s;s them if uppermo&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="11" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 11.</HEAD>
<P>E&s;pecially this being added, that their <HI>revolving</HI> was not a <HI>revolt</HI> from the <HI>main cau&s;e</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t</HI> of the Nation to e&s;pou&s;e another of a reputed enemy, either Dome&s;tick or forraign, as many others have done both <HI>formerly</HI> and <HI>lately;</HI> now <HI>Moderation</HI> will con&s;ider <HI>others</HI> faults <HI>negatively what they are not,</HI> rather then <HI>po&s;itively what they are:</HI> and it is &s;uppo&s;ed their <HI>fault</HI> will not be <HI>greater,</HI> or receive a <HI>greater</HI> &s;entence, becau&s;e not of that kind.</P>
<P>Wherefore &s;eeing they remain <HI>embarqued</HI> in the &s;ame <HI>bottome</HI> with all others concerned as firme as ever, though they may have <HI>erred</HI> in the agita|tion and pro&s;ecution of the &s;ame <HI>publick ends,</HI> (as who have not?) why may it not be deemed and adjudged an errour of the <HI>right hand,</HI> and imputed to their <HI>frailty,</HI> and not their <HI>malice,</HI> and therefore to be <HI>re&s;tored with the Spi|rit of meekne&s;s,</HI> all being &s;ubject to temptation? <HI>Gal.</HI> 6. 1, 2.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="12" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 12.</HEAD>
<P>As touching tho&s;e <HI>Gentlemen,</HI> who in the late <HI>Interval</HI> did <HI>act</HI> in <HI>publick capacities,</HI> either the <HI>Committee of Safety</HI> or in <HI>Militia's,</HI> upon <HI>new Summons; Commi&s;&s;ions,</HI> &amp;c. of the&s;e whether any did <HI>de&s;ignedly</HI> re&s;i&s;t the Parliaments <HI>Re&s;titution</HI> I know not, yet if any &s;uch be, they may not have <HI>outacted</HI> the <HI>favour</HI> of <HI>full in indempni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">y</HI> upon all the <HI>Con&s;iderations</HI> afore&s;aid. But po&s;&s;ibly <HI>all</HI> or mo&s;t of them, did but meerly <HI>aym</HI> and <HI>act</HI> for the pre&s;ent <HI>pre&s;ervation of the publick peace</HI> and <HI>&s;afety</HI> of the <HI>whole,</HI> in an <HI>Inter regnum,</HI> and time of <HI>common danger.</HI> This is offered not only as <HI>po&s;&s;ible,</HI> but <HI>well known</HI> of &s;undry &s;ober and judicious per&s;ons, and may of others be <HI>pre&s;umed,</HI> that they <HI>de&s;igned</HI> nothing directly again&s;t the <HI>Parliament,</HI> but only whiles <HI>founda|tions</HI> were out of <HI>cour&s;e,</HI> did endeavour to keep all from <HI>&s;inking</HI> into a <HI>Chaos</HI> of <HI>confu&s;ion,</HI> to which the <HI>&s;pirit</HI> of the people &s;eemed to tend by a direct oppo&s;ition to you. Now it hath been accompted a warrantable <HI>ground</HI> and laudable rule of <HI>action,</HI> to take <HI>Affairs</HI> in their pre&s;ent <HI>con&s;titution</HI> (however they came &s;o) and to put a helping hand or &s;houlder upon a <HI>publick &s;ummons</HI> to pre|vent all the <HI>evil,</HI> and u&s;her in all the <HI>good</HI> that may be.</P>
<P>Upon which accompt it is &s;uppo&s;ed (no other &s;ub&s;tantial ground being known) many of the honourable <HI>Members</HI> of this <HI>Parliament,</HI> have <HI>&s;ate</HI> as <HI>Members</HI> upon new <HI>Elections</HI> in &s;ome of tho&s;e <HI>Parliaments</HI> and <HI>Coun&s;els</HI> that
<PB N="9" REF="7">
have <HI>intervened</HI> their fir&s;t <HI>interruption</HI> in 1653. and their fir&s;t <HI>re&s;e&s;&s;ion</HI> on <HI>May</HI> 7. 1659. and done many other <HI>publick actions,</HI> which at one &s;tep farther may be po&s;&s;ibly reckoned equal with this in hand.</P>
<P>If &s;ome few particular <HI>per&s;ons</HI> have <HI>re&s;erved</HI> them&s;elves meerly <HI>pa&s;&s;ive</HI> and <HI>neutral</HI> in all <HI>changes,</HI> they be&s;t know whether their grounds and ends were <HI>private</HI> or <HI>publick, &s;ufficient</HI> or <HI>formalities,</HI> but that <HI>&s;ort</HI> or <HI>Sect</HI> of men throughout the three Nations that &s;hall plead <HI>not guilty,</HI> may throw <HI>the fir&s;t stone,</HI> and try whether it will not <HI>recoyle</HI> and <HI>rebound</HI> fir&s;t upon them. Let <HI>&s;uch</HI> al&s;o be added to the&s;e, who have been <HI>forward</HI> at &s;uch times for <HI>publick</HI> action without <HI>publick Summons, Commi&s;&s;ions,</HI> &amp;c. for &s;ome third intere&s;t, and then upon a &s;crutinous <HI>&s;ub&s;traction,</HI> there will be very few found to be employed in the <HI>late&s;t turn</HI> without oblivion.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="13" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 13.</HEAD>
<P>And as it is judged <HI>rea&s;onable,</HI> that the&s;e nor none of the&s;e (above due proportion and equality) &s;hould fare the wor&s;e, becau&s;e they are of <HI>this</HI> or <HI>that</HI> opinion about &s;ome <HI>in&s;tituted</HI> parts of Religion, &s;o much le&s;s &s;hould there be in any, <HI>an ill opinion,</HI> or an <HI>ill a&s;pect</HI> towards tho&s;e people, who in &s;ome <HI>&s;uch</HI> matters of Religion (far remote from, and forraign unto all conte&s;ts about civil Government) may <HI>agree</HI> with the&s;e, or &s;ome <HI>few</HI> of <HI>the&s;e per&s;ons,</HI> who may be the <HI>objects</HI> of di&s;plea&s;ure, fora&s;much as the&s;e people and congrega|tions with all peaceablene&s;s (attending only their religious concerns and bu&s;i|ne&s;s in their places) have been and are <HI>unconcerned</HI> in the&s;e <HI>tran&s;actions,</HI> as much as if <HI>none</HI> of their <HI>per&s;wa&s;ion</HI> did at all intermeddle with them. What therefore hath been done by any of tho&s;e called <HI>Independents</HI> or <HI>Anabapti&s;ts among many others</HI> in the Army, hath not been as they were <HI>Members</HI> of <HI>this</HI> or <HI>that</HI> congregation, but as <HI>Members</HI> of the Nation, not aiming at any <HI>peculiar benefits,</HI> but the enjoying of a <HI>publick, common right of equal &s;afety and liberty, with all others in the&s;e Nations,</HI> which mu&s;t be acknowledged to be more ob|noxious to <HI>danger</HI> in all hands then the <HI>right</HI> of mo&s;t others, who&s;e <HI>Religion</HI> may be more approximate and coherent with the &s;pirit of the people in general. Let me herein not be under&s;tood to gird tho&s;e call'd <HI>of the national way,</HI> but only moderately to expo&s;tulate with tho&s;e, who are &s;ober and godly of them. Are not, or may not &s;uch be <HI>&s;ecure</HI> from all <HI>fears</HI> of <HI>per&s;ecution</HI> in all <HI>changes?</HI> do they not in that re&s;pect <HI>pitch</HI> upon their <HI>feet</HI> in every turn<HI>:</HI> if therefore they a&s;pire <HI>&s;ole</HI> and <HI>Supreme rule,</HI> have not godly di&s;&s;enters grounds to <HI>fear,</HI> that its for <HI>impo&s;ing</HI> on <HI>others,</HI> more then &s;imply for <HI>&s;elf &s;ecurity.</HI> I grant there is two <HI>national wayes</HI> of <HI>wor&s;hip</HI> in <HI>conte&s;t</HI> again&s;t <HI>each other,</HI> which &s;hould teach them both <HI>Moderation</HI> towards <HI>&s;ober di&s;&s;enters</HI> from <HI>both,</HI> &s;eeing they are each <HI>di&s;&s;enters</HI> from the other, but both concurring again&s;t the third<HI>:</HI> mu&s;t it not be rationally acknowledg'd, that there is a <HI>grounded provocation</HI> of this third &s;ort to &s;trive and contend for their <HI>equal right</HI> in their <HI>native country.</HI> I con&s;ent, that they &s;hould &s;trive lawfully in their places. and &s;o &s;hould others as much, but if any of them <HI>erre</HI> herein, mu&s;t it not be <HI>conceded</HI> that they are upon <HI>di&s;advantages</HI> in &s;ome re&s;pects <HI>more</HI> than others, which doth plead <HI>more</HI> for their <HI>indempnity.</HI> But would it not be <HI>more &s;afe</HI> for <HI>all</HI> the&s;e &s;orts, who agree in the <HI>main foundation, principles of Chri&s;tian Religion,</HI> to under&s;tand and di&s;charge each other from all jealou&s;ies of Impo&s;ition, that <HI>all</HI> may &s;it down <HI>&s;afely</HI> in their <HI>rights,</HI> and under their <HI>vines</HI> and <HI>fig-trees,</HI> none making them or any of them afraid.</P>
<P><PB N="10" REF="8">
<HI>Interim,</HI> Its then very <HI>undue</HI> to attribute all our di&s;turbances and di&s;tra|ctions unto tho&s;e called <HI>Independents, Anabapti&s;ts</HI> indefinitly, as <HI>too</HI> com|monly it is. Whereas its well known by all, who addict them&s;elves to a <HI>right under&s;tanding</HI> of what they affirme, that generally they in their &s;everal <HI>congregations,</HI> do attend only &s;uch things as are appropriate to their religious wor&s;hip and Chri&s;tian edifying. And other &s;orts of men (whom for Modera|tion &s;ake (which is my only work and end) I &s;hall not name) have done that again&s;t authoritie, <HI>yea</HI> again&s;t this con&s;titution of <HI>Parliament</HI> more de&s;erving the&s;e imputations. Neither is this a <HI>new</HI> or <HI>&s;trange</HI> thing for men by <HI>ma|ledictions</HI> to lay their <HI>own</HI> faults wholly on <HI>others</HI> &s;houlders, <HI>for Ahab could call Elijah the troubler of I&s;rael, when as Elijah ju&s;tly retorts it upon him&s;elf,</HI> 1 King. 18. 18, 19. I &s;peak not this (the Lord knoweth) from the <HI>lea&s;t</HI> de|gree of <HI>Envy,</HI> for I am <HI>&s;incerely</HI> bent for <HI>peace</HI> and <HI>unity,</HI> and do highly e&s;teem and honour the <HI>&s;ober and godly</HI> of all the&s;e per&s;wa&s;ions, but that no per&s;ons <HI>forgetting them&s;elves,</HI> may <HI>uncharitably vaunt,</HI> and lift up them&s;elves and &s;tir up others again&s;t tho&s;e, who, holding <HI>Orthodox principles,</HI> de&s;ire to <HI>fear God</HI> and live <HI>peaceably</HI> in the land, in <HI>lawful &s;ubjection</HI> to ju&s;t authorities that are or &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="14" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 14.</HEAD>
<P>How far yours and publick intere&s;t, if <HI>duely</HI> weighed and con|&s;ulted (upon a pre&s;umption its not changed) doth lye in this of <HI>Moderation</HI> being a tender point, I &s;hall <HI>now</HI> much forbear the enquiry. Howbeit, though tho&s;e upon the <HI>hill</HI> may fore&s;ee and de&s;cry far, yet tho&s;e who are in the <HI>valley</HI> in dayly conver&s;e with men of all &s;orts, are not unacquainted with the <HI>jea|lou&s;ies</HI> of your friends, and the <HI>boa&s;ts</HI> of tho&s;e who are not your friends, <HI>that like the bleating of the &s;heep and lowing of the Oxen, are very &s;ignificant:</HI> The ejecting old Officers in the three Nations <HI>by hundreds,</HI> many of whom deemed much unconcerned in the late tran&s;actions, as it is humbly conceived, it tends to di&s;oblige many fa&s;t friends forward in your late return, &s;o al&s;o doth it not gra|tifie the de&s;ires and vivifie the expiring hopes of tho&s;e, who are no better friends to you than to the Army? touching the tendency of which many <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial men</HI> are the more in&s;picious, doubting <HI>a&s;trenuous</HI> pro&s;ecuting of a change may <HI>too</HI> &s;uddenly run upon an un&s;een <HI>precipice</HI> beyond retreat: and the rather, that whiles the <HI>Aim</HI> in all this may be to <HI>preoccupate</HI> a force on the one hand, other &s;orts of men may be <HI>employed,</HI> who in pro&s;ecution of their peculiar intere&s;ts<HI>:</HI> may not be to <HI>learn</HI> to employ <HI>force</HI> both upon and again&s;t <HI>Parliaments, e&s;pe|cially</HI> this Parliament; and whether upon <HI>better</HI> or <HI>wor&s;e</HI> accompts, I &s;pare now to determine, but rather humbly propo&s;e it as thought advi&s;eable, whe|ther &s;o <HI>great</HI> and <HI>general di&s;locations</HI> of <HI>able</HI> Officers in <HI>all</HI> parts and employ|ments, doth not <HI>tend to tear and rend</HI> your own <HI>intere&s;t</HI> in pieces.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="15" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 15.</HEAD>
<P>Moreover it is ob&s;ervable and memorable how <HI>able</HI> they have been, not only for <HI>Coun&s;el</HI> and <HI>Courage</HI> in their <HI>Conduct,</HI> but al&s;o how much of a <HI>good con&s;cience</HI> they have &s;hewn in their <HI>righteous, pious</HI> Government and <HI>di&s;cipline</HI> of the Army, <HI>&s;trictly</HI> puni&s;hing and &s;uppre&s;&s;ing all vices, e&s;pecially the&s;e <HI>three</HI> mo&s;t incident to Martial bands, <HI>viz. Swearing, violence</HI> and <HI>drunkenne&s;s,</HI> the <HI>fir&s;t &s;in</HI> being more immediately again&s;t <HI>God,</HI> the <HI>&s;econd</HI> again&s;t the <HI>neighbour,</HI> the <HI>third</HI> again&s;t the per&s;ons <HI>them&s;elves:</HI> by which <HI>di&s;ci|pline</HI> they have brought and kept the Army in that temperate po&s;ture, as is <HI>famou&s;ly</HI> acknowledged to <HI>&s;urpa&s;s all</HI> the Armyes in the world. That this is
<PB N="11" REF="8">
already broken and impaired to a great degree (which is great pity) there are &s;ome in&s;tances &s;ugge&s;ted, and ob&s;erved.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="16" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 16.</HEAD>
<P>Upon the whole, the greate&s;t <HI>cau&s;e</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t</HI> of the <HI>three Nati|ons</HI> (out of other hands) is now in your hands <HI>to interpret, mannage, and con&s;erve,</HI> (which taken in general) <HI>it is the common right of all men in their properties and liberties, and the &s;pecial countenance, encouragement, and &s;ecuri|ty of all who walk in the fear of God, and exerci&s;e them&s;elves unto godline&s;s, of different per&s;wa&s;ions, relating to Church-government and di&s;cipline.</HI> I hum|bly propo&s;e then, that as <HI>righteous, &s;olid,</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial</HI> men &s;eem <HI>onely ade|quate</HI> and <HI>apt</HI> for &s;uch a <HI>&s;olid</HI> and <HI>&s;ub&s;tantial</HI> intere&s;t; &s;o a <HI>moderate, meek,</HI> and <HI>flexible</HI> temper and di&s;po&s;ition is a <HI>qualification</HI> as undoubtedly nece&s;&s;ary for Officers of tru&s;t and power, <HI>con&s;idering</HI> all tho&s;e <HI>Differences</HI> among good men throughout the&s;e three Nations. A <HI>particular intere&s;t formed</HI> and <HI>framed out</HI> of any <HI>one</HI> of the&s;e in a <HI>diametrical oppo&s;ition</HI> unto, or upon the <HI>head</HI> of <HI>others,</HI> is humbly conceived to be the ready way to keep open, and make wider the <HI>Wounds</HI> and <HI>Breaches</HI> already made, to <HI>&s;tave</HI> off our <HI>Settlement,</HI> if not <HI>aug|ment</HI> divi&s;ions and contentions to the <HI>breaking all.</HI> As publick tru&s;t &s;hould be withheld from <HI>profane</HI> men, that may open a Flood-gate for <HI>profanene&s;s</HI> and <HI>ungodline&s;s</HI> by evil <HI>example</HI> and by a <HI>Law:</HI> (which through the providence and mercy of God hath for many years been kept out to a very great degree,) &s;o al&s;o not put or inve&s;ted in the hand of <HI>violence,</HI> that may prove to any fearing God as the <HI>&s;hadow</HI> of a <HI>Bramble:</HI> for although they cannot expect <HI>Grapes from Thorns, nor Figs from Thi&s;tles,</HI> yet they can look for deliverance and help to come from Heaven &s;ome other way, from him who is <HI>the hope of</HI> I&s;rael, <HI>and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, and no Rock like this Rock to all that tru&s;t in him, all Enemies them&s;elves being Judges.</HI> It's de&s;irable that tho&s;e that are or may be in Authority may have <HI>that wi&s;dom of the poor wi&s;e man whereby to deliver our I&s;land and City, Eccle&s;.</HI> 9. 15, 16, 17, 18. that making <HI>&s;ure</HI> of being in the way that God will <HI>ble&s;s</HI> and not <HI>blow</HI> upon and <HI>bla&s;t;</HI> good men <HI>of all &s;orts</HI> may according to the Rule of Saint <HI>Paul,</HI> 1 <HI>Tim.</HI> 2. 1. not onely <HI>make &s;upplications</HI> (according to their duty) but al&s;o <HI>offer up thanks|givings unto God on their behalf.</HI> Which as it will be the comfort of the ru|led, &s;o will it prove the crown and comfort of the Ruler, both now and an|other day.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="17" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 17.</HEAD>
<P>Contrary to the <HI>tenour</HI> of this la&s;t <HI>Section,</HI> &s;ome think it the in|tere&s;t of God, others the intere&s;t of the Nation, to &s;uppre&s;s the <HI>Liberties,</HI> if not to de&s;troy the <HI>Lives</HI> of a company of people, &s;tyled by them <HI>Sectaries,</HI> that is, <HI>Followers,</HI> which name of <HI>Sect</HI> and <HI>Sectary</HI> is equally fit for all &s;orts, But if it &s;hall prove in the i&s;&s;ue, that they or mo&s;t of them are and aim to be <HI>Followers</HI> of God according to his <HI>Image</HI> and <HI>Word</HI> in <HI>righ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">eou&s;ne&s;s</HI> and <HI>true holine&s;s,</HI> &s;urely then it will neither be the intere&s;t of <HI>God</HI> or of the <HI>Nation,</HI> (admit they do erre, as all others el&s;e do) to attempt <HI>thus</HI> to u&s;e them, but ra|ther prove to &s;uch as <HI>Christ</HI> fore&s;heweth, <HI>Matth.</HI> 18. 6. <HI>Who&s;oever &s;hall offend one of the&s;e little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a Mill-&s;tone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depths of the &s;ea.</HI> Though they may be but <HI>little ones,</HI> and <HI>weak in faith,</HI> yet <HI>received of God,</HI> and therein not to be <HI>despi&s;ed and judged of men, Rom.</HI> 14. 1, 3. Mr. <HI>Trap</HI> in his <HI>Commentary</HI> upon this place runs thus, Affectu charitatis, <HI>&amp;c. Put him into</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="9">
<HI>your bo&s;om<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">, bear with his weakne&s;&s;es, &amp;c. Bucer</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>rejected none, though different in &s;ome opinions in whom he found,</HI> A liquid Chri&s;ti, <HI>Any thing of Chri&s;t, who&s;e weaklings are to be handled with all tenderne&s;s.</HI> (And further wittily) <HI>Wring not mens con&s;ciences, you may hap to break the wards if ye do.</HI> And why &s;hould this Indulgence be <HI>peculiar</HI> to any &s;ort? why &s;hould that tenderne&s;s and liberty be doled and di&s;tributed under the notion of <HI>favour</HI> and <HI>privilege,</HI> which is a <HI>common</HI> and <HI>equal right?</HI> The truth is in <HI>this ca&s;e,</HI> men run the greate&s;t <HI>hazard</HI> in the world of <HI>fighting</HI> again&s;t God, and thereby drawing the judgement of God upon them&s;elves <HI>even</HI> of the <HI>&s;ame kinde.</HI> For example, <HI>Henry</HI> the &s;eventh of <HI>France enters into a League for the extirpation of the Prote&s;tants, and &s;uddenly after the &s;ame returned heavily upon his own head.</HI> And &s;urely there is the <HI>&s;ame rea&s;on</HI> to expect it &s;o in <HI>England;</HI> if we con&s;ider that tho&s;e who mo&s;t &s;olicit the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of <HI>Sectaries</HI> are them&s;elves of dif|ferent and contrary <HI>Sects</HI> in the external parts of religious wor&s;hip<HI>:</HI> though the&s;e do <HI>joyntly</HI> declaim a <HI>third</HI> &s;ort of <HI>Sectaries,</HI> who are therefore like the <HI>Sect</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;tians, Acts</HI> 22. 28. <HI>Every where &s;poken again&s;t.</HI> This <HI>conjunction</HI> is not from a near <HI>Similitude,</HI> much le&s;s from an <HI>identity</HI> and <HI>&s;amene&s;s</HI> in external profe&s;&s;ion of <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Di&s;cipline</HI> among <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> but onely from an agreement in <HI>Nega<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ives</HI> complicate in a <HI>&s;pirit</HI> of <HI>oppo&s;ition,</HI> which when <HI>Po&s;itives</HI> come in que&s;tion among <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> they are no more capable of incorpora|tion and admixion than Iron and Clay. And if this <HI>third</HI> &s;ort of <HI>Sectaries</HI> were a &s;hort time <HI>dormant,</HI> it would &s;oon appear there were <HI>other</HI> &s;orts of <HI>Secta|ries</HI> in <HI>England</HI> by their publick conte&s;ts <HI>as of old.</HI> Is it not then mo&s;t rational and Chri&s;tian, and mo&s;t <HI>equally</HI> profitable for all, that <HI>all</HI> the&s;e (in pur&s;uance of the negotiation of worthy Mr. <HI>John Dury)</HI> &s;hould <HI>mutually</HI> comply upon fair terms of <HI>Moderation</HI> and Chri&s;tian <HI>forbearance?</HI> e&s;pecially being all <HI>embarqued</HI> in <HI>one common Prote&s;tant Cau&s;e,</HI> agreeing in the <HI>grand</HI> points and articles of Faith and Doctrine, again&s;t the common Enemies of <HI>Chri&s;tianity,</HI> and its pu|rity, whether <HI>Pagans, Mahometans, Jews, Papi&s;ts,</HI> or profane per&s;ons; withall con&s;idering that this <HI>third &s;ort</HI> have the <HI>&s;ame native right,</HI> and are <HI>not</HI> an <HI>in|con&s;iderable intere&s;t</HI> in the three Nations.</P>
<P>The&s;e things do call <HI>aloud</HI> upon tho&s;e at <HI>Stern</HI> to <HI>moderate among all,</HI> as they will <HI>&s;ave</HI> and <HI>heal</HI> a bleeding langui&s;hing State, from <HI>peri&s;hing</HI> and <HI>&s;inking</HI> un|der <HI>inte&s;tine</HI> di&s;cords. <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI>'s indulgence towards tho&s;e he judged <HI>erro|neous</HI> pre&s;erved the unity of <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> and the peace of the <HI>Empire</HI> and rendred him a worthy <HI>Moderator</HI> at &s;everal turns. And what learned Author, <HI>ancient</HI> or <HI>modern,</HI> or what <HI>&s;ort</HI> of men will not acknowledge this mo&s;t worthy in the <HI>doctrinal part,</HI> and in their <HI>own ca&s;e,</HI> till being violent and uppermo&s;t the &s;uf|f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ng ca&s;e becomes applicable unto <HI>others?</HI> And it mu&s;t be as freely acknow|ledged by all acquainted with <HI>Hi&s;tory,</HI> that for <HI>one real Heretick</HI> there have been a <HI>thou&s;and good Chri&s;tians</HI> de&s;troyed by the principle and practice of per&s;e|cution, in all Nations and Ages.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="18" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 18</HEAD>
<P>It is not to be omitted, that albeit the <HI>radical common</HI> ground of endeavours of &s;uppre&s;&s;ing <HI>&s;ome &s;orts,</HI> is <HI>mo&s;tly,</HI> if not <HI>meerly,</HI> their <HI>Religious</HI> opinions, yet the <HI>grand guize</HI> and <HI>vizard</HI> that is commonly put and &s;ought to be put upon &s;uch De&s;igns is, a publick pretence of &s;ome flagitious opinions or crimes of a <HI>civil</HI> kinde and nature, <HI>viz. That they are Enemies to Magi&s;tracy, Government, &amp;c</HI> The like ca&s;e of <HI>Daniel, chap</HI> 6 4 5. <HI>Then the Princes and</HI>
<PB N="13" REF="9">
<HI>Pre&s;idents &s;ought to finde occa&s;ion again&s;t</HI> Daniel, <HI>concerning the Kingdom; but finding none,</HI> v. 5, <HI>Then &s;aid they, We &s;hall not finde any occa&s;ion again&s;t this</HI> Daniel, <HI>except we finde it again&s;t him concerning the Law of his God. Thus</HI> Chri&s;t <HI>was a reputed Enemy to</HI> Ce&s;ar. <HI>And</HI> Paul <HI>in like manner, (with this addition) that he was a mover of &s;edition.</HI> An&s;werable to all which, <HI>Eccle&s;ia|&s;tical Hi&s;tory</HI> tells us, that when the <HI>Heathen</HI> had a de&s;ign to <HI>cut</HI> the <HI>throats</HI> of the <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> they made their way to it by fomenting and &s;preading this fal&s;e calumnious accu&s;ation, <HI>that the</HI> Chri&s;tians <HI>intended to cut their throats;</HI> in which ca&s;e I &s;uppo&s;e none will blame the <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> if then they &s;hould endea|vour to <HI>anticipate</HI> &s;uch a de&s;ign, and <HI>forcibly</HI> defend them&s;elves from general de&s;truction, e&s;pecially from a <HI>popular Ma&s;&s;acre,</HI> though countenanced and en|couraged by the <HI>Magi&s;trate, without</HI> interpreting that a re&s;i&s;tance of Gods or|dinance of <HI>Magi&s;tracy. Nay the</HI> Walden&s;es <HI>under the Duke of</HI> Savoy <HI>after &s;a|tisfaction in &s;ome &s;cruple about it by the judgement of their learned Mini&s;ters in the year</HI> 1555. <HI>did martially endeavour to obviate the pernicious De&s;ign of the Duke, [Acts and Monuments] and the &s;ame again of late days in</HI> 1655. <HI>upon a new attempt to de&s;troy them, as is memorable to all.</HI> The ground and rea&s;on of all which is rendred by the <HI>Learned, that for as much as protection and &s;ub|jection are reciprocals, where the former is not &s;oundly a&s;&s;ured, or manife&s;tly vio|lated, the later is relaxed, and not obliging, at lea&s;t in that natural moral ca&s;e of &s;elf-pre&s;ervation from publick ruine.</HI></P>
<P>I mention not this Po&s;ition as mine <HI>own,</HI> nor with any intent to <HI>prompt</HI> to any di&s;turbance, nor am I ignorant that <HI>ca&s;es</HI> may <HI>vary</HI> according to circum|&s;tances, and the point is tender, but my <HI>aim</HI> is, it may be improved to <HI>Modera|tion,</HI> both in <HI>words</HI> and <HI>actions</HI> in this <HI>Cri&s;is</HI> of our publick affairs, that no &s;ort of men, (particularly tho&s;e called <HI>Sectaries)</HI> may be put upon any <HI>tempta|tion</HI> through fears of hurt, (which oft times works &s;tronger than the feeling) and then blamed and reproached by <HI>tho&s;e</HI> who put the <HI>temptation</HI> on them, who yet <HI>of all other</HI> in &s;uch ca&s;es &s;hould <HI>mo&s;t</HI> forbear to blame and reproach; for as much as <HI>tho&s;e</HI> who put the <HI>temptation</HI> are <HI>parties</HI> in the <HI>fault,</HI> if any happen, and <HI>con&s;equently</HI> in the <HI>reproach</HI> due thereunto.</P>
<P>All this I ground upon tho&s;e <HI>notorious publick</HI> and <HI>general</HI> &s;ugge&s;tions all the Nation over (I cannot but call <HI>calumnies)</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e called <HI>Sectaries</HI> pro|mi&s;cuou&s;ly like that of the <HI>old</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> afore&s;aid, which &s;eems like the <HI>black cloud of the bigne&s;s of a mans hand,</HI> to portend a de&s;igned de&s;tru|ction of them, <HI>especially</HI> wherein in any <HI>respects,</HI> and in any <HI>places,</HI> they are not detected and &s;uppre&s;t by <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> but <HI>rather</HI> countenanced in tho&s;e <HI>fal&s;e reports,</HI> when they bring them, without <HI>a due inquiry,</HI> in order to peace and impartial ju&s;tice, that the <HI>nocent</HI> may be puni&s;hed, and the <HI>innocent</HI> cleared and &s;ecured from injury and violence in their habitations, which is no le&s;s their native right than any others what&s;oever, as therefore <HI>&s;ubjection</HI> is expected from <HI>all,</HI> let <HI>equal protection</HI> be admini&s;tred and a&s;&s;ured likewi&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="19" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 19</HEAD>
<P>Now for as much as <HI>among others</HI> bearing the name of <HI>Sectaries,</HI> the name of <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> is mainly &s;ingled out for <HI>publick reproach,</HI> if not for <HI>ruine,</HI> and that their <HI>grand</HI> Impeachment is their oppo&s;ing <HI>Magi&s;tracy, Govern|ment, &amp;c.</HI> upon which account the <HI>Mun&s;ter Tragedy</HI> is &s;o <HI>much</HI> and <HI>often</HI> in all places (by Prints, and otherwi&s;e) laid to <HI>their</HI> charge, as indeed it could not <HI>lightly</HI> be <HI>more,</HI> if tho&s;e bearing that name in <HI>England</HI> had been the very <HI>indi|vidual</HI>
<PB N="14" REF="10">
actors thereof at <HI>Mun&s;ter,</HI> will not the <HI>&s;tones &s;peak,</HI> if all <HI>men</HI> &s;hould be wholly <HI>mute</HI> under &s;uch <HI>clamours?</HI> Wherefore in an&s;wer hereunto, I hope it will not be a crime very briefly to <HI>apologize</HI> &s;o far as to do <HI>them truth,</HI> and <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> it &s;elf a <HI>little right,</HI> without doing <HI>others</HI> any <HI>wrong,</HI> further than to undeceive them, and exonerate <HI>all</HI> as much as may be from <HI>mispri&s;ions,</HI> which in this and other things are the <HI>bane</HI> and <HI>poy&s;on</HI> of publick peace and amity.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, let it be noted that <HI>other &s;orts</HI> of men in <HI>England</HI> do impeach one the other with the <HI>&s;ame crime; &s;ome</HI> men charge the <HI>whole Parliament</HI> both <HI>Lords</HI> and <HI>Commons,</HI> and <HI>all</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid. Vindiciae Regum,</HI> or <HI>The grand Rebelli|on, Gr. Williams</HI> Bi|&s;hop of <HI>O&s;&s;ory.</HI> Al&s;o Dr. <HI>Fern. Salma&s;ius. Mr.</HI> Edw: Symons <HI>the Loyal Subjects belief] with the &s;everal An|&s;wers unto the&s;e by other Mini&s;ters.</HI></NOTE> their <HI>adherents,</HI> with <HI>re&s;i&s;ting the Authority of the King,</HI> &s;aying, Such of them were onely <HI>loyal obedient Subjects</HI> who went to <HI>Oxford</HI> upon the <HI>Kings Sum|mons</HI> to &s;it in <HI>Parliament</HI> there, or to aid and a&s;&s;i&s;t him in his War. <HI>Others</HI> charge all tho&s;e <HI>Members</HI> who have <HI>e&s;pou&s;ed</HI> the <HI>Seclu&s;ion</HI> of &s;o many of their <HI>own Hou&s;e,</HI> and turned out the <HI>Hou&s;e</HI> of <HI>Lords; others</HI> have been adjudged and proceeded again&s;t as <HI>Delinquents</HI> both formerly and lately for <HI>re&s;i&s;ting the Parliament</HI> upon the Kings acccount. I mode&s;tly mention <HI>onely</HI> matters of <HI>fact,</HI> and that but <HI>hints,</HI> without judging the <HI>merit</HI> of them, onely to the end, it may be ob&s;erved, that (&s;etting <HI>the&s;e</HI> a&s;ide) <HI>others</HI> do and will mutually charge with <HI>illegalities</HI> and <HI>exorbitancies</HI> relating to <HI>ci|vil power</HI> and <HI>Government: and indeed things are not judged illegal</HI> (now in our days) <HI>&s;o much for what they are &s;imply and in them&s;elves, but either as they may not pro&s;perou&s;ly &s;ucceed, or as being done by other hands, and not in pro&s;e|cution of their own intere&s;t and opinion who &s;o judge of them:</HI> which &s;a|vours more of <HI>faction, pa&s;&s;ion,</HI> and <HI>intere&s;t,</HI> than of <HI>rea&s;on</HI> and <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> in the eys of <HI>wi&s;e</HI> ob&s;ervers.</P>
<P>Secondly, their opinion wherein <HI>other Chri&s;tians</HI> differ from them about the <HI>&s;ubject</HI> and <HI>form</HI> of that in&s;tituted Ordinance of <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> is as far <HI>off</HI> the point of <HI>Magi&s;tracy,</HI> and oppo&s;ition to it, as <HI>Paedobapti&s;m</HI> it &s;elf, or any <HI>other</HI> thing in the world. What though therefore &s;ome holding that opinion either in this or other Nations &s;hould be in any wi&s;e <HI>enormous,</HI> yet their opinion and practice of <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> would be no <HI>more</HI> impaired nor untrue than our Saviour <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s and his Apo&s;tles Doctrine was by the <HI>treachery</HI> of <HI>Judas,</HI> and the apo&s;ta&s;ie of <HI>multitudes</HI> in the <HI>primitive times.</HI> And why the denomination of <HI>Anabaptists</HI> (which they di&s;own) &s;hould be fa&s;tened upon them, they are yet to &s;eek of &s;ufficient rea&s;on, not onely &s;eeing they acknowledge <HI>but once baptizing,</HI> but al&s;o they, laying <HI>no more</HI> weight upon that in&s;tituted Ordinance than upon that other of like in&s;titution, <HI>the Lords Supper,</HI> and then <HI>others</HI> do who hold the <HI>other</HI> way of <HI>baptizing;</HI> yet this <HI>name</HI> is <HI>abu&s;ively</HI> put upon them, as if all their <HI>Religion</HI> lay in <HI>Bapti&s;m;</HI> whereas in the cour&s;e of their Doctrine touch|ing Principles of Faith, and Piety, and Morality in <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> practice, is &s;uch as is generally received for orthodox: even by the mo&s;t accounted <HI>&s;uch,</HI> who have read confe&s;&s;ions of their Faith, and heard their common Do|ctrine.</P>
<P>Thirdly, the generality of the per&s;ons who hold this opinion have given <HI>&s;ufficient</HI> proof for divers years, that their principles and practices are as <HI>con|&s;i&s;tent</HI>
<PB N="15" REF="10">
with humane <HI>&s;ociety,</HI> peaceable <HI>Cohabitation,</HI> and <HI>due &s;ubjection</HI> to civil <HI>E&s;tabli&s;hed</HI> Government as any other in the land; nor only do their manifold <HI>Declarations,</HI> if examined, give &s;atisfaction in this point, but withal, neither the <HI>time,</HI> nor <HI>place,</HI> nor <HI>per&s;ons of them</HI> can be mentioned, touching any <HI>in&s;urrection</HI> they ever made again&s;t the <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> in <HI>England;</HI> but if any per&s;ons of them had done it, would it be <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> to impute that to the <HI>whole?</HI> would tho&s;e of <HI>other ways</HI> be &s;o judged? of whom there have been <HI>many,</HI> who have both plotted and actually perpetrated publick in&s;urrections, which yet was never called <HI>the Mun&s;ter tragedy of Paedobapti&s;ts,</HI> becau&s;e, though the <HI>&s;ame</HI> rea&s;on, yet <HI>Moderation</HI> would not allow it, for <HI>per&s;onal faults</HI> ought to have only <HI>per&s;onal imputations,</HI> and <HI>they</HI> de&s;ire to do therein, as they would <HI>others</HI> &s;hould <HI>deal</HI> with them.</P>
<P>As what hath been &s;aid will much <HI>obviate</HI> an objection, touching tho&s;e <HI>few</HI> of <HI>this way</HI> in the <HI>Army:</HI> &s;o let me add, that what they have done in that <HI>publick capacity</HI> under an opinion of <HI>publick obligation</HI> hath been &s;o far <HI>per&s;onal,</HI> and as members of the <HI>Nation,</HI> that &s;uch do wrongfully who impute it unto their <HI>profe&s;&s;ion;</HI> but if it mu&s;t needs be &s;o, then let it be tryed and proved whether there have not been <HI>[many]</HI> called <HI>Paedobapti&s;ts,</HI> joynt in all tho&s;e very actions <HI>for [one] of tho&s;e,</HI> called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> even in the <HI>highe&s;t acts</HI> done, whatever unfairly and di&s;ingenuou&s;ly hath been by any repre&s;ented <HI>otherwi&s;e</HI> to the world. Neither have the&s;e things been done in <HI>corners,</HI> to be hid from the eyes of <HI>indifferent</HI> &s;pectators, who are well able to judge of Par|tiality.</P>
<P>Fourthly, As touching <HI>tho&s;e now,</HI> who hold &s;ome opinions about Chri&s;ts Kingdom on earth in a reputed offen&s;ive way; is it not notorious, that they are many of them <HI>Paedobapti&s;ts them&s;elves,</HI> and as much again&s;t tho&s;e called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> as others, even as well in the &s;ubject of bapti&s;me? and on the <HI>other hand,</HI> the generality of tho&s;e called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> are as much again&s;t all their offen&s;ive opinions in tho&s;e points (though &s;ome few of <HI>one</HI> as well as the <HI>other</HI> &s;ort may own them) as any others in the world pittying, tho&s;e who <HI>erre</HI> therein, and <HI>publickly</HI> in their congregations and doctrines detecting &s;uch <HI>errors,</HI> di&s;claiming and refuting them. Yet albeit, there are many &s;uch called <HI>Paedobapti&s;ts</HI> of them, the <HI>others</HI> have more of <HI>rea&s;on</HI> and <HI>Moderation,</HI> than to lay the <HI>Mun&s;ter Tragedy</HI> upon that <HI>name,</HI> though there may be the <HI>&s;ame</HI> ground. If therefore there &s;hould be any <HI>Exorbitant Irruption</HI> in <HI>words</HI> or <HI>actions</HI> of that &s;ort of people, <HI>thus mixt,</HI> either let &s;uch fault be reputed meerly <HI>per&s;onal,</HI> and no further, or el&s;e <HI>Indifferently, Ju&s;tly</HI> and <HI>Impartially</HI> be imputed to <HI>one &s;ort</HI> as well as <HI>another,</HI> more than hitherto it hath been, which indeed (among other things) may <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> call in que&s;tion the <HI>ju&s;tice</HI> of <HI>Hi&s;torians</HI> touching the <HI>Mun&s;ter people,</HI> which was about 130 years pa&s;t<HI>:</HI> fora&s;much as <HI>Truth</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> is &s;o much <HI>wronged</HI> before our <HI>eyes,</HI> and at our own <HI>doors,</HI> as it is by <HI>publick prints</HI> and <HI>otherwi&s;e</HI> dayly.</P>
<P>Fifthly, All Hi&s;torians about the &s;editions in <HI>Germany</HI> confe&s;s <HI>thus far inge|nuo&s;ly,</HI> that the <HI>intolerable oppre&s;&s;ions</HI> of the Magi&s;trates then, gave one <HI>great</HI> oc|ca&s;ion of their <HI>ri&s;e</HI> and <HI>progre&s;s</HI> to that heighth. Wherefore at the &s;ame time, (a|bout the year of our Lord 1525.) in <HI>Suevia</HI> and <HI>Franconia,</HI> there aro&s;e in arms about forty thou&s;and men, (who pretended nothing at all to that called Ana|bapti&s;me) to exonerate and acquit them&s;elves by force from their heavy bur|dens,
<PB N="16" REF="11">
which was more a rebellion than the other: for they killed the greate&s;t part of the Nobility, pilledged, &s;ackt and burnt their hou&s;es, Ca&s;tles and For|tre&s;&s;es, and violently overflowed and de&s;troyed the Country like an inunda|tion: yet concerning <HI>the&s;e,</HI> we have <HI>only</HI> the <HI>gentle tender hints</HI> of our <HI>Hi|&s;toriographers,</HI> giving us in few lines <HI>meerly narrative of fact,</HI> without any odium on their <HI>fault,</HI> or any <HI>black characters</HI> at all upon their <HI>Names, Per|&s;ons</HI> or <HI>Religion,</HI> when as the &s;ame hi&s;tory of the &s;ame fact imputed to &s;ome called Anabapti&s;ts there, is wrote in mo&s;t dreadful letters of <HI>blood,</HI> concerning their per&s;ons, names and religion, which (by the way) may guide the impar|tial reader in his ob&s;ervation and credit of hi&s;tories wrote by adver&s;aries. Now &s;omewhat contemporary with this great in&s;urrection (according to the &s;ame &s;tories) <HI>Carolo&s;tadius, Stock, Muntzer,</HI> and other publick Mini&s;ters of the Go&s;pel (as <HI>Luther</HI> then was) fell from good principles to dangerous opi|nions, dreams, enthu&s;ia&s;mes, pretences of extraordinary vi&s;ions and revela|tions, (all which the&s;e called Anabapti&s;ts that I defend, do and ever did as much di&s;claime and abhorre as any others in the world, holding firmely to the &s;acred Word of God, the holy Scriptures) of whom <HI>Muntzer</HI> chiefly manageth the&s;e opinions with the oppre&s;&s;ions unto di&s;turbous practi&s;es, to his and others ruine and reproach, about &s;ix or &s;even years after, which was about the years 1531. 1532. and forward; broke out the like unhappy bu&s;tle at the City of <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> in <HI>We&s;tphalia,</HI> by <HI>John Becold Knipperdolling,</HI> and one <HI>Bernard Rot|man</HI> a publick Preacher in that City, and this was accompanied with the like fooli&s;h mad-vain opinions, being as far <HI>remote</HI> from, and as <HI>forraign</HI> unto <HI>the&s;e</HI> people in <HI>England,</HI> in their <HI>opinions,</HI> as they were in their <HI>per&s;ons, place</HI> and <HI>time;</HI> who therefore are unduely and unworthily called their <HI>&s;pawn,</HI> their <HI>off-&s;pring</HI> and <HI>generation,</HI> &amp;c. and what not? Howbeit, let it be ob|&s;erved how <HI>Mon&s;trous,</HI> and <HI>prodigious</HI> this is made, and how much the world is made to <HI>ring</HI> of the noi&s;e of this <HI>One</HI> di&s;a&s;ter, that happened in <HI>one</HI> little com|pa&s;s of time, and how unchri&s;tianly and unrea&s;onably it is now <HI>raked</HI> up and <HI>reckoned</HI> to a company of people, who in &s;uch things are as innocent now of the like, as they were of that very fact there, being then unborn. Whereas I have mentioned <HI>like fact</HI> at the <HI>&s;ame time in others,</HI> and may add the like hints in tho&s;e hi&s;tories of the <HI>Switzers,</HI> who about 200 years before aro&s;e, and violently de&s;troyed their Lords, and as violently changed (without blame) both their Governours and Government, not reverting to this day; which if tho&s;e of <HI>Germany</HI> had &s;ucceeded as pro&s;perou&s;ly they might have been no more blamed. I might infinitely multiply examples, if I &s;hould rake in the du&s;t and a&s;hes of other &s;orts throughout all ages in Chri&s;tendom, but what need I go farther then our divers and manifold in&s;urrections in <HI>England,</HI> again&s;t all kinds and degrees of authorities, nei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">her need I mention <HI>by whom</HI> they have been perpetrated, yet all this without the lea&s;t remembrance or reckoning of <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> unto them, or any of them; &s;uch is the power of partiality, and prejudice.</P>
<P>Moreover I mu&s;t not omit to return the readers <HI>eye</HI> again to <HI>Mun&s;ter,</HI> of which <HI>&s;ame</HI> City we have had certain accompt year by year to this very day for &s;ome con&s;iderable time, <HI>that they ri&s;e in armes, re&s;i&s;t and oppo&s;e their lawful Magi&s;trate, refu&s;e obedience to his edicts, and maintain the &s;ame City again&s;t him by publick force,</HI> and all without the lea&s;t <HI>brand</HI> of <HI>infamy on them.</HI> On
<PB N="17" REF="11">
the other hand &s;uch are very great &s;trangers in the world, who know not that in <HI>Holland</HI> are <HI>ver many,</HI> and have been <HI>very long,</HI> that bear the &s;ame name of <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> that are as <HI>famous</HI> for peaceable living and &s;ubjection, as any others have been <HI>infamous</HI> for the contrary.</P>
<P>All which &s;trongly re&s;ults and concludes in this, that there is no <HI>end</HI> not <HI>bounds</HI> of impeaching, if there be not <HI>&s;trickt re&s;traint</HI> of publick faults unto their <HI>propper Authours,</HI> acquitting <HI>other opinions</HI> they hold, except <HI>only</HI> &s;uch opinions as do naturally and directly tend to &s;uch faults. Wherein indeed Mr. <HI>Jo&s;hua Scotton</HI> (though a Paedobapti&s;t) deals the mo&s;t ingenuou&s;ly of all other, who in his tran&s;late of <HI>Guy du Brez German</HI> &s;tory calls it, <HI>the German Enthu&s;ia&s;t:</HI> in the Title page, and not the <HI>German</HI> Anabapti&s;t, and in the latter end of his Epi&s;tle to the Reader, hath the&s;e words<HI>: tho&s;e</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>which he &s;tyleth Anabapti&s;ts between whom and meer di&s;&s;enters in the point of Paedo|bapti&s;me, being otherwi&s;e Orthodox and peaceable, the Reader ought alwaies con&s;cientiou&s;ly to di&s;tingui&s;h.</HI></P>
<P>Sixthly, Let me a little further inforce this by ob&s;erving<HI>:</HI> that all this <HI>German</HI> &s;edition that is now (about 130 years after) put to the accompt of the <HI>innocent</HI> reputed Anabapti&s;ts in <HI>England,</HI> was in <HI>like</HI> manner <HI>as much</HI> charged upon <HI>innocent Luther</HI> at that very day<HI>:</HI> as the <HI>&s;ame</HI> Hi&s;torians do jointly and generally report, and is confe&s;&s;ed by Mr. <HI>Samuel Clerk in his lives of the Fathers:</HI> yet had they <HI>as much</HI> rea&s;on for that, (though none at all) &s;eeing the <HI>principal</HI> fomenters of the &s;edition had been <HI>publick Preachers</HI> of the Go&s;pel as <HI>Luther</HI> was, who then and thereupon could but purge him&s;elf, by publick manife&s;to (which is yet extant) as <HI>the&s;e</HI> in <HI>England</HI> have done, time after time, <HI>not only</HI> by their <HI>confe&s;&s;ion of faith</HI> oft imprinted, &s;hewing their con&s;tancy, be&s;ides their manifold declarations <HI>more particularly</HI> upon this point in hand, but confirmed by <HI>con&s;tant practice</HI> in their <HI>peaceable cohabita|tion</HI> with their &s;everal neighbourhoods both in City and Country.</P>
<P>Seventhly, Is not this <HI>&s;ame</HI> imputation to&s;&s;ed like a <HI>ball,</HI> or rather a <HI>&s;tone</HI> between the <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> in general, and the <HI>Papi&s;ts</HI> in all their paper conte&s;ts, and <HI>which</HI> and <HI>who</HI> can acquit every <HI>individual</HI> of their party? If therefore any <HI>particular per&s;ons</HI> of this <HI>name</HI> &s;hould (among others) prove extravagant, it will no more make this <HI>their glorying void,</HI> then that of <HI>others,</HI> who may rather (for want of Moderation) watch for haltings in the&s;e more than in <HI>all other</HI> &s;orts be&s;ides. Its evident then, that the prevalency of <HI>intere&s;t</HI> and <HI>faction</HI> above <HI>commutative ju&s;tice, right and rea&s;on,</HI> in too many of this age doth influ|ence them to this great unfairne&s;s, which whether the de&s;ign be (in this way) to <HI>&s;tifle</HI> their <HI>opinion</HI> about <HI>bapti&s;me,</HI> or to bring <HI>&s;wift de&s;truction</HI> upon tho&s;e who hold it, though they hold it with never &s;o much <HI>piety</HI> towards God, <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s and peace</HI> towards men: <HI>Moderation and re&s;pect</HI> towards tho&s;e <HI>Chri&s;tians</HI> who con&s;cientiou&s;ly differ from them, yet (leaving that to God that knows their purpo&s;es &amp; is above them) they de&s;ire the Lord to forgive tho&s;e who thus <HI>traduce</HI> them, and <HI>detract</HI> them, and that (through the a&s;&s;i&s;tance of Gods grace) they may be enabled to walk inoffen&s;ively towards Jew or Gentile or Church of God, &s;o as to put to &s;ilence the ignorance of all fooli&s;h men, who delight to &s;peak evil of <HI>what</HI> and of <HI>whom</HI> they know not, at lea&s;t many of them.</P>
<P>Eigthly, As touching extraordinary <HI>Impul&s;es, Enthu&s;ia&s;mes, Dreams, Vi&s;ions,</HI> &amp;c. Such who lay all this upon tho&s;e called Anabapti&s;ts promi&s;cuou&s;ly
<PB N="18" REF="12">
in <HI>England,</HI> they &s;hew them&s;elves to be <HI>very great &s;trangers,</HI> not under&s;tanding whereof they do affirm, the contrary whereof &s;hineth &s;o bright, <HI>as</HI> in their or|dinary teachings and Church Government; <HI>&s;o</HI> in the manifold Treati&s;es, Commentaries, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> printed and publi&s;hed by many learned of them, upon all points in the Chri&s;tian Religion. Wherein let it be <HI>duely</HI> noted, that one grand occa&s;ion of this and &s;uch like imputations, is plainly this: That one writing Author meeting with <HI>Heterodox</HI> and gro&s;s opinions in his readings of others, laid upon that <HI>name,</HI> he tran&s;mits it to another that follows, and &s;o the <HI>&s;econd</HI> to the <HI>third,</HI> and none of all (for the mo&s;t part) receiving any &s;uch affer|tions from the per&s;ons them&s;elves, much le&s;s from any confe&s;&s;ion of faith com|prehending the judgment of the <HI>generality</HI> of that name, by which both writers and readers both do and &s;uffer wrong in creating to them&s;elves and others groundle&s;s prejudices, conveying them over from age to age, and ren|dring them a hiddeous mon&s;trous people<HI>:</HI> and though I could multiply in|&s;tances hereof in my own &s;mall readings, yet I &s;hall mention but <HI>one,</HI> which was called a Catalogue of the damnable errors of the Anabapti&s;ts, enumerating <HI>thirty</HI> and <HI>one;</HI> Yet of <HI>all</HI> the&s;e, there was but that <HI>one</HI> reputed error of Anti|paedobapti&s;me, which they will e&s;pou&s;e, di&s;avowing the re&s;t as much as he that accu&s;ed them, who was a Mini&s;ter of no inferior note, yet &s;hall I forbear to mention any names, becau&s;e I want not due regard to &s;uch per&s;ons, who may be otherwi&s;e godly and &s;erviceable in both teaching and writing, &s;etting a&s;ide &s;uch mi&s;pri&s;ions, and with all few ob&s;erving readers are unacquainted herewith, to need in&s;tances.</P>
<P>Ninthly, Neither is it le&s;s manife&s;t, that mo&s;t of tho&s;e very errors are held and maintained by <HI>Paedobapti&s;ts</HI> one again&s;t the other, the manifold con|te&s;ts among them about mo&s;t <HI>Principal</HI> points of <HI>Doctrine;</HI> and al&s;o mo&s;t things appertaining to <HI>Church Government</HI> and <HI>Admini&s;tration of all Ordi|nances,</HI> have been upon the hou&s;e top to be publickly known and read of <HI>all</HI> men, more particularly tho&s;e called of the <HI>Epi&s;copal, Presbyterian</HI> and <HI>Era&s;tian</HI> ways, not to mention more, nor yet the&s;e with the le&s;t immoderate &s;pirit to|wards them, but <HI>rather</HI> de&s;iring it may be u&s;ed by them to a moderation of mind towards each other, and al&s;o to enquire whether the <HI>reputed errors</HI> chargeable upon tho&s;e called Anabapti&s;ts, are any way comparable in <HI>number</HI> or <HI>weight</HI> to tho&s;e in Controver&s;ie among them&s;elves, and whether the cau&s;e of &s;uch e&s;trangedne&s;s and enmity (on their part) be not mi&s;under&s;tanding, or in|tere&s;t of &s;ome kind or other, which in like manner hath led them&s;elves to &s;uch <HI>heat</HI> of oppo&s;ition, as hath ended in <HI>removing</HI> and <HI>revolving</HI> of <HI>Church Governments.</HI></P>
<P>Tenthly, To conclude the&s;e particulars upon this general Section, we find the &s;tories of a company of people in <HI>Germany,</HI> who are long &s;ince dead and buried, under the greate&s;t reproach and infamy that can be, of whom none can be left to an&s;wer for them&s;elves, their reported <HI>Extirpation</HI> and <HI>Extinction</HI> being about 130 years pa&s;t, their ri&s;e and fall, <HI>lives</HI> and <HI>deaths</HI> wrote by their <HI>adver&s;aries,</HI> no <HI>aggravating</HI> circum&s;tances, either for <HI>opinion</HI> or <HI>practice</HI> &s;eems to be omitted, no <HI>extenuating</HI> pa&s;&s;ages <HI>confe&s;&s;edly</HI> in&s;erted; now that upon the <HI>whole,</HI> there might be &s;uch a <HI>people</HI> and &s;uch <HI>per&s;ons</HI> bearing that appella|tion of <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> who (mixt with others) may be faulty in opinions and practices, is a matter much undoubted, but that every <HI>aggravating pa&s;&s;age</HI> is true, or that any <HI>one</HI> Hi&s;torian (admitting him otherwi&s;e ju&s;t) was an <HI>ear</HI>
<PB N="19" REF="12">
<HI>witne&s;s</HI> of all their <HI>opinions,</HI> and an <HI>ocular witne&s;s</HI> of all their <HI>tragical actions</HI> is rea&s;onably to be <HI>doubted,</HI> and con&s;equently their te&s;timony in every <HI>puncto</HI> not &s;o much to be <HI>regarded;</HI> becau&s;e fal&s;e reports of contrary minded men touching both &s;uch and other per&s;ons and things are &s;o <HI>abounding</HI> and <HI>notorious,</HI> in our <HI>own</HI> Nation and Age, like that of <HI>Jer.</HI> 20 10. <HI>Report, &s;ay they, and we will report: they watched for my halting, &amp;c.</HI> In &s;o much that indeed we have little ground of credit to common fame (at lea&s;t) touching <HI>particulars</HI> of <HI>words</HI> or <HI>acts</HI> &s;poken or done at the very next town, and lea&s;t of all from <HI>adver|&s;aries</HI> to the per&s;ons and things reported of; yet all &s;uch things thus brought upon the <HI>wings</HI> of <HI>fame</HI> is notwith&s;tanding as commonly and credibly <HI>re|ceived,</HI> and thereupon again <HI>reported,</HI> yea <HI>printed</HI> and <HI>publi&s;hed</HI> even in all the aggravating circum&s;tances, as if nothing in the world were more authentique and indubitable, &s;uch is the blinde and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;h <HI>credulity</HI> of men (though &s;ome otherwi&s;e hone&s;t) where they are <HI>predi&s;po&s;ed</HI> and <HI>prefixed</HI> in their affections or di&s;affections.</P>
<P>But &s;uppo&s;e and admit it granted to be <HI>wholly true,</HI> yet ob&s;erve what <HI>proxi|mity</HI> and <HI>nearne&s;s</HI> of relation is there between <HI>tho&s;e</HI> per&s;ons and enormities in <HI>Germany</HI> to <HI>the&s;e</HI> now in <HI>England, that their eating of &s;owre grapes &s;hould &s;et the teeth of the&s;e on edge?</HI> For there is not any <HI>one</HI> thing of <HI>agreement</HI> is or can be pretended but in that of <HI>Bapti&s;m;</HI> and if the &s;tories them&s;elves be true, they do not <HI>&s;o much</HI> agree in that neither, (all things con&s;idered and ob&s;erved) as tho&s;e called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts</HI> and <HI>Poedobapti&s;ts</HI> do here agree; for they relate, that they grounded their practice of Bapti&s;m upon pretences of <HI>immediate re|velations,</HI> that they baptized <HI>all</HI> who came unto them, that they threatned <HI>damnation</HI> to <HI>all</HI> who neglected it, that they forced <HI>all</HI> per&s;ons to be baptized by proclaiming that all who refu&s;ed <HI>it</HI> &s;hould be killed; all which &s;ignifie &s;o much of frenzy and madne&s;s, that to tho&s;e of <HI>that name</HI> in <HI>England</HI> nothing is more ab&s;urd and abominable, and that there were ever any &s;uch rude and heady per&s;ons, an&s;werable to this their portraicture &amp; picture, &s;carce any thing <HI>to them</HI> is more <HI>incredible.</HI> Be&s;ides their practices of <HI>Poligamy,</HI> and de&s;troying pro|priety is unto the&s;e in <HI>England</HI> dete&s;table, and <HI>both</HI> (among other things) de|tected in their <HI>Declaration</HI> 1647. Wherefore I do humbly and fairly propo&s;e on their behalf in <HI>England,</HI> that if the <HI>denomination</HI> of <HI>Anabapti&s;t</HI> be derived <HI>from,</HI> or at lea&s;t imputed reproachfully <HI>upon</HI> that abominable abu&s;e of <HI>Bapti&s;m</HI> by the&s;e men in <HI>Germany,</HI> (waving the proper &s;ignification of the word as un|duly applied) that then and from henceforth the&s;e who bear the <HI>name</HI> of <HI>Ana|bapti&s;ts</HI> in <HI>England</HI> may be for ever acquitted and di&s;charged thereof, never more to be called by that <HI>name,</HI> which di&s;charge is a <HI>due debt</HI> from <HI>ju&s;tice it &s;elf,</HI> &s;eeing they can as clearly and truly plead <HI>[not guilty]</HI> as any other people in the world; but if any <HI>notwith&s;tanding all</HI> mu&s;t &s;till needs <HI>reproach</HI> them with this <HI>name of reproach,</HI> that then and therewithall (as of right they ought) they do fully and particularly acquit and di&s;charge them from tho&s;e horrid exorbitancies of opinion and practice <HI>&s;aid</HI> to be perpetrated by the&s;e <HI>German</HI> people, and u&s;ually (hand over head) attributed to <HI>all</HI> that bear this <HI>name,</HI> in <HI>England:</HI> for let but other men &s;uppo&s;e their <HI>own names</HI> and <HI>reputatio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">s</HI> in <HI>the&s;e</HI> mens &s;tead, and that they do &s;tand <HI>fair</HI> and <HI>clear</HI> from the&s;e pretended faults, and then nothing would be to them more apparently <HI>equitable</HI> and <HI>rea|&s;onable,</HI> than that <HI>all &s;uch</HI> &s;hould enjoy <HI>the precious ointment of their good</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="13">
<HI>name,</HI> con&s;idering al&s;o that it is one <HI>great</HI> Branch of the <HI>&s;econd Table of the Law</HI> to pre&s;erve the <HI>Reputation</HI> and <HI>good name</HI> of our Neighbour, as well as life, liberty, e&s;tate, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> More e&s;pecially do I urge this, that <HI>Gods name</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;ts name</HI> that is called <HI>upon</HI> the&s;e people, and called upon <HI>by them,</HI> may not be bla&s;phemed upon by any mi&s;pri&s;ions or mi&s;takes, which is (I hope) more dear to them than their own names or humane concerns.</P>
<P>Moreover, let not any hereafter <HI>travel</HI> beyond the <HI>Seas,</HI> &s;o far as <HI>Germany</HI> to <HI>under&s;tand;</HI> and <HI>calculate</HI> any people in <HI>England,</HI> nor yet look upon <HI>the&s;e</HI> in <HI>England</HI> through the <HI>bloody Pro&s;pective-gla&s;s</HI> of <HI>Mun&s;ter,</HI> but look upon them with their <HI>own eyes</HI> in their <HI>writings,</HI> and hear them with their <HI>own ears</HI> in their <HI>Doctrines,</HI> and then ob&s;erve the <HI>generality</HI> in their ordinary <HI>conver&s;ations,</HI> and either compare them with the <HI>Word</HI> of God, or with <HI>other &s;orts</HI> of <HI>Chri&s;ti|ans,</HI> or <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> and do all this without prejudice, partiality, and uncharita|blene&s;s, (that being like the di&s;temper of the <HI>Yellow Jaundies,</HI> which doth re|pre&s;ent the <HI>object</HI> as <HI>yellow</HI> as the <HI>eye)</HI> but allow <HI>them</HI> the <HI>&s;ame</HI> grains for frailty with <HI>others,</HI> and then make a <HI>Judgement</HI> on them <HI>freely,</HI> and if upon the whole you judge they erre (as who may not) then <HI>without</HI> reproaching, or u&s;ing vio|lence, deal with them in <HI>&s;uch a Chri&s;tian manner</HI> as you will do tho&s;e of your <HI>own</HI> way, and as you would <HI>others</HI> &s;hould do to you<HI>:</HI> this is <HI>Moderation,</HI> which teacheth to con&s;ider that if <HI>they di&s;&s;ent</HI> from you, <HI>&s;o do you</HI> from them, ye are <HI>both in the &s;ame</HI> predicament</P>
<P>But if yet further any will think them&s;elves concerned to write an <HI>Hi&s;to|ry</HI> of tho&s;e called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> let me crave leave to make a few <HI>fair in|different</HI> Propo&s;als, to them, <HI>viz.</HI> 1. That they will write from <HI>exact</HI> and <HI>perfect</HI> knowledge of them, and not upon rumours and reports. 2. That they <HI>charge</HI> nothing upon the <HI>whole</HI> or <HI>generality</HI> of them, but what bears their <HI>own publick</HI> and <HI>general</HI> impre&s;&s;ion. 3. That where <HI>Paedobapti&s;ts</HI> are <HI>equally</HI> or <HI>jointly</HI> concerned <HI>with them</HI> in <HI>any</HI> errours or faults, they may not be <HI>partially &s;evered;</HI> but <HI>faithfully</HI> and <HI>expre&s;ly</HI> put together; &s;etting down <HI>(both alike)</HI> their <HI>denominations</HI> by which they may be <HI>equally</HI> known: to exemplifie this further, that no Errour in Doctrine or manners be <HI>imputed,</HI> at lea&s;t not <HI>appropriate</HI> unto them, that is not <HI>peculiar</HI> but <HI>com|mon</HI> to <HI>others,</HI> but if it &s;hall be found that any <HI>Prote&s;tant Paedobapti&s;ts,</HI> have in <HI>any</HI> place, and at <HI>any</HI> time held or done the <HI>&s;ame</HI> or <HI>like,</HI> then mu&s;t <HI>that</HI> be <HI>ex|pre&s;ly</HI> mentioned, and <HI>ingenuou&s;ly</HI> confe&s;&s;ed with it al&s;o. 4. That no faults be <HI>in&s;erted</HI> but <HI>&s;uch</HI> as <HI>nece&s;&s;arily</HI> follow from <HI>that</HI> opinion that is the <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> of their <HI>di&s;tingui&s;hing denomination.</HI> 5. That &s;uch faults may onely be de|clared, as wherein they were <HI>wilfully ob&s;tinate</HI> and <HI>pertinacious</HI> in their pre&s;e|verance and per&s;i&s;tance after all <HI>due Chri&s;tian</HI> means u&s;ed for their conviction and recovery to a rectitude. 6. That the &s;tory be re&s;trained to the People of that Age and Countrey, and not the faults of others put to their account. 7. That &s;uch Errours may be in&s;i&s;ted upon (if any be) that are <HI>incompatible</HI> with the <HI>temporal &s;afety</HI> of the <HI>bodies properties,</HI> and <HI>incon&s;i&s;tent</HI> with the <HI>eternal &s;afety</HI> of the <HI>&s;ouls</HI> of men. 8. <HI>Finally,</HI> that all this may be <HI>fairly</HI> done (like the four <HI>Evangeli&s;ts</HI> writing of the Hi&s;tory of the <HI>Go&s;pel)</HI> whiles <HI>all things</HI> are fre&s;h in <HI>memory,</HI> and the <HI>per&s;ons concerned</HI> yet <HI>living</HI> and at <HI>liberty</HI> to an&s;wer for them&s;elves, lea&s;t men in the &s;tating <HI>others cau&s;e</HI> and their <HI>own</HI> may <HI>&s;eem ju&s;t, and their Neighbour not have oportunity to &s;earch them. Prov.</HI> 18. 17. in which
<PB N="21" REF="13">
ca&s;e it may be &s;aid, as <HI>Job</HI> 6. 24, 25. <HI>Teach me and I will hold my tongue, cau&s; me to under&s;tand wherein I have erred,</HI> and <HI>How forcible are right words? but what do your</HI> [&s;uch] <HI>arguings</HI> reprove? To which may be added that <HI>remarkable</HI> Dictate of <HI>Nicodemus, Doth our Law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doth? John</HI> 6. 51. Contrariwi&s;e, the <HI>Backbiter</HI> and his <HI>backbiting</HI> is reckoned and ranked among the wor&s;t of &s;ins and &s;inners, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1. 30. And, <HI>Who</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) &s;hall abide in thy tabernacle? Who &s;hall dwell in thine holy hill? P&s;alm:</HI> 15. 1. What is the an&s;wer? <HI>(ver&s;.</HI> 4.) <HI>He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doth evil to his Neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach again&s;t his Neighbour.</HI> As mo&s;t certainly, <HI>Every man mu&s;t give an account for every [idle word,] Matth.</HI> 12. 36. &s;o al&s;o for every <HI>[hard &s;peech,]</HI> either &s;poken a|gain&s;t God or good men, <HI>Jude v.</HI> 15. O that all men, <HI>e&s;pecially Chri&s;tians</HI> (of all &s;ides and &s;orts) would lay the&s;e and &s;uch like <HI>Scriptures &s;eriou&s;ly</HI> to their hearts, and <HI>accordingly</HI> and <HI>con&s;cientiou&s;ly</HI> ponder the <HI>words</HI> of <HI>their mouths,</HI> and <HI>paths</HI> of their <HI>feet,</HI> which indeed would yield <HI>as much</HI> inward peace and comfort to their <HI>own &s;ouls,</HI> as <HI>honour</HI> to God, and <HI>credit</HI> to their <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> pro|fe&s;&s;ion.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="20" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 20.</HEAD>
<P>That I may be <HI>indifferent</HI> and <HI>impartial</HI> towards <HI>all,</HI> let me in <HI>like</HI> manner on the <HI>other</HI> hand, not &s;pare to warn tho&s;e called <HI>Independents, Ana|bapti&s;ts, &amp;c.</HI> again&s;t the &s;ame evil of <HI>Immoderation,</HI> both in the <HI>matter</HI> and <HI>manner</HI> of either <HI>words</HI> or <HI>carriages</HI> towards tho&s;e who are <HI>godly, Mini&s;ters</HI> or <HI>Chri&s;tians,</HI> called of the <HI>national way;</HI> in order to which, let me advi&s;e the reading of that excellent <HI>Epi&s;tle</HI> of Mr. <HI>William Allen</HI> forerunning his <HI>Book,</HI> entituled <HI>[A Gla&s;s of Ju&s;tification] And let your Moderation in this respect be known to all men.</HI> It is one <HI>great</HI> proof of <HI>Chri&s;tianity</HI> to <HI>value, e&s;teem,</HI> and <HI>ac|knowledge</HI> the image of <HI>Chri&s;t where ever it is;</HI> which that you may <HI>&s;ee</HI> more in them or <HI>&s;ome</HI> of them, be <HI>more Chri&s;tianly</HI> conver&s;ant with and <HI>le&s;s</HI> e&s;tran|ged from them. As you will manife&s;t a Go&s;pel-&s;pirit, forbear <HI>your &s;elves,</HI> and reprove in others all <HI>har&s;h, cen&s;orious,</HI> and <HI>reproachfull</HI> &s;peech, <HI>and all immode&s;t</HI> ap|pellations. <HI>Let your &s;peech be always with grace, &s;ea&s;oned with &s;alt, that ye may know how ye ought to an&s;wer every man, Col.</HI> 4. 6. which is <HI>with meekne&s;s and fear:</HI> 1 <HI>Peter</HI> 3 15. <HI>If you would not judge &s;o [as] to be judged, Matth.</HI> 7. 1. <HI>Then learn to judge [as] you would be judged. Give</HI> the &s;ame you will <HI>take, and do to them as you would they &s;hould do to you, this is the Law and the Pro|phets,</HI> and this is taught by the great Prophet. <HI>Matth.</HI> 7. 12. And as on the <HI>one hand</HI> you &s;hould avoid all &s;uch <HI>&s;currilous</HI> and <HI>provoking</HI> &s;peech, as <HI>altogether unbecoming</HI> the Go&s;pel, &s;o on the <HI>other hand,</HI> withhold not any <HI>due</HI> re&s;pect, and encouragement you are capable of giving to <HI>tho&s;e</HI> who <HI>labour</HI> in the Word and Doctrine, though they may not be in all re&s;pects of your <HI>opinion</HI> and <HI>way,</HI> remembring that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI>'s Di&s;ciples, being cap<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">iou&s;ly offended with <HI>tho&s;e that followed not with them,</HI> and therefore provoked him to <HI>forbid</HI> them do|ing a <HI>good work,</HI> they were in &s;tead thereof <HI>rebuked</HI> for their labour, <HI>Luke</HI> 9. 49, 50. which is a teaching Example unto us, <HI>as</HI> not to <HI>hinder,</HI> &s;o to <HI>further any</HI> &s;ervice for <HI>God,</HI> e&s;pecially that in the <HI>Gospel,</HI> tending to the eternal &s;alva|tion of the <HI>&s;ouls</HI> of men. Is it not <HI>very</HI> &s;ad to think <HI>how many thou&s;ands</HI> of poor &s;ouls <HI>may peri&s;h for want of knowledge,</HI> if the &s;upply of <HI>all</HI> places depend|ed <HI>onely</HI> on the preaching of &s;ome <HI>one way.</HI> Let tho&s;e then of <HI>every way</HI> be countenanced and encouraged, <HI>who</HI> by <HI>&s;ound</HI> Doctrine, and dividing the <HI>Word</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="14">
<HI>aright,</HI> may give to <HI>every one</HI> their portion in <HI>due &s;ea&s;on,</HI> that if it be the will of God, the <HI>weighty</HI> work of <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> (I mean from the power of Satan unto God) may be <HI>more</HI> revived and made pro&s;perous throughout all the dark corners of the land: that all our <HI>&s;trenuous &s;trifes</HI> may be re&s;olved into this, who &s;hall <HI>mo&s;t excel</HI> in vertue, and gather in <HI>mo&s;t</HI> wheat of Gods harve&s;t <HI>out</HI> of the field, <HI>into</HI> his Garner.</P>
<P>And for my &s;elf, wherein <HI>to &s;ome degree,</HI> I have been in former time, &s;ur|pri&s;ed with this <HI>common</HI> infirmity of har&s;hne&s;s in judging others: I do hereby publickly retract it, having better learned to hold <HI>tho&s;e</HI> opinions <HI>mode&s;tly,</HI> about <HI>le&s;&s;er</HI> matters, wherein <HI>&s;o many</HI> able and godly men may be of another mind. And therefore in that particular (without incon&s;tancy) to redeem my time in <HI>Moderating,</HI> as far as my <HI>&s;mall</HI> talent, and a <HI>pure</HI> con&s;cience to God and men will carry me. Wherein I have for &s;ome <HI>later</HI> years di&s;po&s;ed my &s;elf, not upon any <HI>&s;ini&s;ter</HI> con&s;iderations, (which is known to the Lord) but from <HI>Judgement, Con&s;cience</HI> and <HI>Affection,</HI> which whatever &s;ucce&s;s it hath had on <HI>others,</HI> yet not without reflection of comfort to my <HI>&s;elf:</HI> all which I direct to tho&s;e <HI>aforementioned,</HI> if it may be to rea&s;on them into (no other then) a <HI>Chri&s;tian Moderation.</HI></P>
<P>And the rather whereas &s;ome <HI>few</HI> of that <HI>name</HI> afore&s;aid, (far from conclud|ing the generality) being yet <HI>&s;owre</HI> and <HI>har&s;h</HI> again&s;t tho&s;e <HI>called</HI> of the <HI>national way,</HI> have ca&s;t upon them the <HI>names</HI> of <HI>Antichristian</HI> and <HI>Babyloni&s;h,</HI> whom though I <HI>tender</HI> for that they may be <HI>otherwi&s;e</HI> godly, yet let me &s;ay without <HI>partiality,</HI> that this doth not proceed from the wi&s;dom that's from above, that's <HI>gentle</HI> and <HI>peaceable,</HI> as well as <HI>pure,</HI> Jam. 3. 17. and its different from the Tenour of that <HI>Declaration dated and publi&s;hed,</HI> Decemb. 12. 1659. in the <HI>name</HI> of <HI>many</HI> called <HI>Anabapti&s;ts,</HI> which however its har&s;hly, weakly and mi&s;takingly interpreted; yet is it well known (to many wi&s;e ob&s;ervers) that the <HI>matter</HI> and <HI>&s;ober &s;pirit</HI> thereof, is no <HI>new thing,</HI> but contrariwi&s;e a con&s;tant pur&s;uance of the <HI>meek</HI> and <HI>humble &s;pirit</HI> of the old <HI>confe&s;&s;ion</HI> of their <HI>faith,</HI> and many other <HI>old</HI> Declarations, to which they <HI>firmly</HI> adhere, &s;ome particulars of <HI>whom</HI> &s;hould have been here recited, had it not been for avoyding <HI>prolixity</HI> and <HI>tediou&s;ne&s;s</HI> to the reader<HI>:</HI> &s;ave only this mu&s;t be duely ob&s;erved, that <HI>even</HI> tho&s;e per&s;ons fir&s;t above mentioned, do al&s;o acquit and di&s;charge them&s;elves from <HI>tho&s;e</HI> a&s;per&s;ions about <HI>&s;ubjection</HI> to Magi&s;tracy and <HI>peaceable</HI> cohabitation among other men, though &s;omewhat &s;evere again&s;t tho&s;e of the national way, and the more becau&s;e they judge them of a per&s;ecuting &s;pirit.</P>
<P>But with &s;uch who <HI>thus</HI> exert the har&s;hne&s;s of their &s;pirits in a girding cen|&s;uring &s;peech, let me in few words expo&s;tulate: you account tho&s;e of the <HI>national way Babyloni&s;h, Antichri&s;tian,</HI> the&s;e are very <HI>big</HI> and <HI>ambiguous</HI> [words,] <HI>ea&s;ily</HI> &s;poken, more <HI>hardly</HI> under&s;tood, yet <HI>too</HI> commonly to&s;&s;ed to and fro upon di&s;agreement in the <HI>&s;malle&s;t puncto's</HI> of opinion, by tho&s;e who never explain <HI>tho&s;e words and things,</HI> to demon&s;trate from the Word of God, <HI>where</HI> and <HI>who</HI> de&s;erves the Imputations. But whereas you <HI>Impute</HI> tho&s;e names, may not they <HI>retort</HI> them back on you with other additions, and you again on <HI>others,</HI> and <HI>&s;o</HI> run the <HI>circle?</HI> for where will this <HI>end,</HI> and to what doth it <HI>tend,</HI> but to make many judge you <HI>all</HI> in <HI>Babylon?</HI> &amp;c. and &s;o run either to the Church of <HI>Rome,</HI> or to Athei&s;me and prophanene&s;s. Fur|ther, (as <HI>Job</HI> &s;aith) <HI>What do &s;uch arguings reprove?</HI> who will be ever the
<PB N="23" REF="14">
<HI>better</HI> or the <HI>wi&s;er?</HI> who is hereby convinced of an <HI>error,</HI> or brought to the <HI>knowledge</HI> and <HI>acknowledgement</HI> of any <HI>one</HI> truth? nay rather doth it not <HI>prejudice</HI> others again&s;t you and your differing opinions? The like may be &s;aid on the other hand of tho&s;e who u&s;e the words <HI>Sectary, Fanatick,</HI> &amp;c. upon every trivial difference, as if that were enough to confute an opinion, or make it ever the wor&s;e. But would it not be a <HI>good</HI> expedient, and better becoming wi&s;e men and &s;ober Chri&s;tians on <HI>all</HI> hands, in&s;tead of giving foul and doubt|ful <HI>names</HI> to a <HI>reputed</HI> error in <HI>others,</HI> to a&s;&s;ert rather <HI>po&s;itively</HI> and <HI>modefily</HI> what them&s;elves do hold for <HI>truth,</HI> and then u&s;e the mo&s;t <HI>pregnant</HI> arguments to convince thereof, and the mo&s;t <HI>powerful</HI> Motives to per&s;wade thereto. In which <HI>way,</HI> men may kill <HI>three</HI> birds with <HI>one</HI> &s;tone <HI>(viz.) convince</HI> of er|ror, <HI>informe</HI> in the truth, and manife&s;t to others, you hold your opinions for <HI>con&s;cience</HI> and not <HI>contention:</HI> and if you mu&s;t needs give error a <HI>name,</HI> then call it <HI>error,</HI> and <HI>well</HI> confute it, and deal not <HI>oprobriou&s;ly</HI> with any per|&s;ons who may hold it, which never will <HI>convince them,</HI> but <HI>reflect</HI> the impu|tation of malice and envy upon your <HI>&s;elves,</HI> and &s;tir it up in <HI>others,</HI> whereby <HI>too</HI> commonly the <HI>truth it &s;elf</HI> between <HI>both,</HI> is drowned and lo&s;t in jars and di&s;cords, and per&s;ons gradually lo&s;e their &s;piritual <HI>&s;avour,</HI> and grow &s;trangers to <HI>godly</HI> edifying<HI>:</HI> by all which faults on both hands, this follows, that <HI>Ichabod</HI> is &s;adly written upon <HI>Religion,</HI> the <HI>glory thereof being much departed.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="21" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 21.</HEAD>
<P>And becau&s;e the fault of this kind is of both &s;ides, I &s;hall there|fore offer to both. I hope its well under&s;tood on both &s;ides, that the <HI>main</HI> of Religion and <HI>power</HI> of godline&s;s, doth neither <HI>only</HI> nor <HI>chiefly,</HI> but <HI>lea&s;t</HI> of all lye in tho&s;e particular <HI>in&s;tituted</HI> matters, which are the matters in <HI>difference:</HI> why then the conte&s;t &s;hould be <HI>&s;o hot</HI> and <HI>&s;evere,</HI> accompanied with <HI>&s;o great</HI> alienations and oppo&s;itions on <HI>both</HI> &s;ides, for my part I under&s;tand not, <HI>e&s;pe|cially</HI> when I con&s;ider that the difference is not &s;o much about the <HI>Doctrinal</HI> part, as the manner of <HI>practi&s;ing</HI> tho&s;e particular in&s;titutions. But the <HI>plain main</HI> things of Chri&s;tianity then are &s;ummarily &s;uch as the&s;e, wherein tho&s;e called <HI>Puritans</HI> of old did excel, <HI>viz.</HI> right principles of doctrine about <HI>God</HI> the Father, Son, and holy Spirit; the right way of <HI>Ju&s;tification</HI> by Gods grace through a <HI>lively</HI> &s;aith in the <HI>blood</HI> and <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s</HI> of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in oppo&s;ition to the <HI>merit</HI> of inherent righteou&s;ne&s;s, or external works. This <HI>rectitude</HI> in the point of <HI>ju&s;tification,</HI> as <HI>Luther</HI> calls it, and Mr. <HI>Anthony Burge&s;s</HI> likewi&s;e well, <HI>its both the &s;oul and pillar of Chri&s;tianity:</HI> Together with the great work of <HI>regeneration</HI> by the holy Spirit, cooperating with the Go|&s;pel, likewi&s;e <HI>progre&s;&s;ive &s;anctification,</HI> chiefly con&s;i&s;ting in a con&s;tant con|tinued cour&s;e of <HI>Repentance</HI> and <HI>Faith, Mortification of &s;in</HI> and lu&s;t, <HI>lively exerci&s;e</HI> of <HI>grace</HI> in all good and holy works, <HI>(viz.)</HI> whether Practice of Piety in all Chri&s;tian duties, <HI>moral</HI> or <HI>in&s;tituted,</HI> either <HI>publick</HI> or <HI>private,</HI> immedi|ately towards God: Or <HI>righteou&s;ne&s;s, love</HI> and <HI>mercy</HI> towards men, either in <HI>propper</HI> and <HI>peculiar</HI> relations, or in <HI>common</HI> towards our neighbour and <HI>all</HI> men <HI>even</HI> our enemies; finally <HI>per&s;everance</HI> in all this to the &s;econd coming of Chri&s;t to rai&s;e the bodies of the dead, and render to every man according to his works, with eternal happine&s;s in heaven, or eternal mi&s;ery in hell. Fora&s;much then, as there is an agreement very much <HI>mutually</HI> known about all the&s;e and much more (except only that one branch of in&s;titutions) is there not a thou|&s;and fold more rea&s;on of <HI>Moderation</HI> and mutual <HI>tenderne&s;s</HI> and <HI>forbearance,</HI>
<PB N="24" REF="15">
then of <HI>e&s;trangedne&s;s</HI> and <HI>cen&s;urings,</HI> and that of one anothers con&s;ciences, even unto a kind of violence upon each others <HI>names, reputations,</HI> &amp;c. neither would I be mi&s;taken: I urge not the abating of one <HI>hairs breadth</HI> of either <HI>matter</HI> or <HI>form</HI> of an in&s;tituted ordinance; neither dare I do it, when I con|&s;ider <HI>that</HI> the great fall of our fir&s;t Parents (and we in them) was by the breach of an in&s;titution, <HI>that</HI> they have Gods &s;tamp upon them, <HI>that</HI> he hath been always regardful about the <HI>&s;malle&s;t</HI> pins and eylet holes, <HI>that</HI> his &s;ervants in Scripture were careful about them, <HI>that</HI> they have an excellency in their nature, u&s;e and ends, <HI>that</HI> the Laws of God <HI>Natural, Moral</HI> and <HI>Go&s;pel,</HI> yea and the nature of grace do all comprehend in&s;titutions, in a general obedience to the will of God<HI>:</HI> from all which I conclude none of them are to be de&s;pi&s;ed, under|valued, neglected, rejected, (as by too many now, highly elevated, they are) nor yet violated by an <HI>undue</HI> admini&s;tration of them. But about this la&s;t, <HI>viz.</HI> the manner of admini&s;tration is the only que&s;tion<HI>:</HI> this is like the <HI>Gordian knot,</HI> cut it we mu&s;t not, untye it we cannot, at lea&s;t not for <HI>another,</HI> though we may each for <HI>him&s;elf.</HI> Being thus brought to the only general point in con|trover&s;ie<HI>:</HI> the next que&s;tion is, whether its either <HI>unlawful</HI> (for truely mo&s;t do carry it as if it were a vice, and not a vertue) or <HI>impo&s;&s;ible</HI> for each cordi|ally to love one the other, and mutually forbear, and Chri&s;tianly corre&s;pond? albeit neither be brought to <HI>own</HI> the others opinion. In an&s;wer to which, &s;urely mutual love cannot be either unlawful or impo&s;&s;ible among true Di&s;ci|ples, (as all are who believe in Chri&s;t, and endeavour a purity of con&s;cience) &s;eeing it is the grand duty of all &s;uch, above other, and character of &s;uch, <HI>John</HI> 13. 35. as al&s;o agreeable to the whole tenour of the Go&s;pel, and judged very ea&s;ily practicable by that excellent reconciler <HI>Jacobus Acontius, in his di&s;covery of Stratagems of the Devil,</HI> and for my <HI>own</HI> part, I do judge there is no other general impediments than tho&s;e <HI>Stratagems</HI> of the Devil, and the remaining <HI>corruptions</HI> in the hearts of good men, (which makes me wonder at the folly of tho&s;e who boa&s;t of pre&s;ent perfection,) neither do I doubt, but that all who can lay a&s;ide <HI>prejudice, pa&s;&s;ion</HI> and private <HI>intere&s;t,</HI> will judge it both <HI>de&s;ireable</HI> and without <HI>difficulty</HI> for his own part; nor do I know how (in this world) its po&s;&s;ible ever to come to an <HI>unity</HI> of mind in one <HI>common opinion</HI> of the truth, without fir&s;t a corre&s;pondency in <HI>unity</HI> of <HI>common Chri&s;tian affection;</HI> nor are the differences much more than the tithing of <HI>Mint, Annis and Cummin,</HI> in compari&s;on with the <HI>weightier matters both of Law and Go&s;pel,</HI> which will well and &s;afely admit of mode&s;ty and humblene&s;s of mind on all &s;ides, without any hurt to the con&s;cience. Upon the whole, where lyes then the <HI>Stiffene&s;s</HI> and the <HI>&s;tick?</HI> who mu&s;t begin fir&s;t to love, and to expre&s;s it? mu&s;t not every one begin fir&s;t? and will not the <HI>foremen</HI> carry the <HI>greate&s;t</HI> honour in the &s;ight of God and Chri&s;tians? and what hurt or hazard can there be to the <HI>truth</HI> (be it where it will) thus to lay a&s;ide <HI>animo&s;ities, prejudices,</HI> evil <HI>&s;urmi&s;es,</HI> evil <HI>&s;peakings,</HI> and conver&s;e together in an amicable way, without looking upon each other as <HI>Mon&s;ters</HI> and <HI>prodigies,</HI> as <HI>too too</HI> much formerly, making every trivial a <HI>bear</HI> and a <HI>lyon</HI> in the way to hinder the <HI>means</HI> of a right under&s;tanding and aff<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">ction</P>
<P>But if it be <HI>impo&s;&s;ible</HI> (contrariwi&s;e) thus to walk in mutual love and for|bearance, improving each others gifts and graces as far as may be, unle&s;s and untill <HI>both</HI> be re&s;olved into <HI>one</HI> common opinion about every <HI>puncto</HI> of In&s;titu|tion,
<PB N="25" REF="15">
then mu&s;t it be by an actual complyance on the one hand or the other. If &s;o, then this que&s;tion follows, which of the parties mu&s;t be the <HI>Standard, which</HI> and <HI>who</HI> will &s;o arrogate and appropriate to them&s;elves the <HI>[Urim</HI> and <HI>Thummim]</HI> as to whom all <HI>others</HI> mu&s;t in every thing <HI>conform?</HI> again this conforming on the <HI>one</HI> &s;ide or the <HI>other,</HI> it mu&s;t be <HI>either voluntary</HI> from change of mind, or <HI>con&s;trained</HI> by force: the former is not probable to be, becau&s;e the <HI>way</HI> unto it &s;eems to be barr'd, fenc't, hedg'd up by an exclu&s;ion of all Chri&s;tian forbearance and amicable conver&s;e. And for the latter, <HI>viz. Coercion,</HI> that ought not to be, becau&s;e <HI>both</HI> will and may plead an <HI>equal right</HI> of liberty in the Nation, from being impo&s;ed upon by his neighbour, and <HI>like equal right</HI> of liberty, to judge which is the <HI>exacte&s;t</HI> way of &s;erving God, and the <HI>righte&s;t</HI> and <HI>directe&s;t</HI> way to heaven; wherefore the final i&s;&s;ue whereto &s;uch a violent conte&s;t tends, it is to make our Land an <HI>Aceldama,</HI> a <HI>field of blood;</HI> yea (which is wor&s;t of all) of <HI>Chri&s;tian</HI> blood, which as I de|&s;ire God from heaven may <HI>forbid,</HI> as he &s;ea&s;onably &s;taid the hand of <HI>Abraham</HI> over his &s;on <HI>I&s;aac:</HI> and countermanded the <HI>Angels</HI> drawn de&s;troying &s;word over <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> at the thre&s;hing floor of <HI>Araunah</HI> the Jebu&s;ite, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 24. 16. So do I humbly propo&s;e, that <HI>rea&s;on, grace,</HI> and the <HI>Royal</HI> law of love and charity may prevail upon the minds of <HI>both,</HI> to meet <HI>each</HI> other in <HI>Moderation,</HI> as the <HI>fir&s;t</HI> &s;tep to Chri&s;tian unity<HI>:</HI> for <HI>you can never be &s;wift to hear each other, unle&s;s you are &s;low to wrath,</HI> Jam. 1. 19. but if after all, any &s;hall <HI>re|tain</HI> their <HI>wrath,</HI> and <HI>remain</HI> irreconcilable: let &s;uch know, <HI>that God knows how to re&s;train it,</HI> P&s;al. 76. 10. But were your affections <HI>thus</HI> united, jea|lou&s;ies and evil &s;urmi&s;es <HI>thus</HI> removed, it would not a little obviate the clan|de&s;tine de&s;igns of Je&s;uits among us, who&s;e prevailing argument, drawn from the pretended <HI>unity</HI> of the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> to prove it <HI>the only true Church,</HI> is &s;adly &s;trengthned by our divi&s;ions<HI>:</HI> the danger of which &s;ort of per&s;ons, is lately &s;ea&s;onably &s;ugge&s;ted by the Mini&s;ters of <HI>London</HI> in their printed exhor|tation; and what gives them &s;o great advantage, but the pa&s;&s;ionate bickerings among godly Prote&s;tants?</P>
<P>Moreover it would as much prevent a &s;trenuous hurtful conte&s;t about the Soveraign power between both, which (without a <HI>mutual</HI> &s;ecurity of this kind, from each others unrightful impo&s;ing) &s;eems hard to fix in any hands, but is perpetually rolling to and fro, and &s;ubjects the nation to continual changes and rotations. And none will then be <HI>blamed,</HI> if they take <HI>all</HI> opportunities and advantages, to relieve and &s;ecure them&s;elves from the &s;troke and yoke of others, and &s;o others again from them; and what and where will be the end thereof? though the <HI>lea&s;t ju&s;t blame</HI> will fall on them, who in &s;eeking <HI>&s;imply</HI> for &s;elf &s;e|curity, &s;hall be led to impo&s;e in any wi&s;e on <HI>others,</HI> and would not otherwi&s;e do it, could they but be &s;afe in peace and <HI>equal</HI> liberty.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 N="22" TYPE="section">
<HEAD><HI>Sect.</HI> 22.</HEAD>
<P>For as much as tho&s;e honourable per&s;ons, who &s;it in &s;upreme Council are Repre&s;entatives of different &s;orts in <HI>common,</HI> and not of any <HI>one</HI> particularly, I do humbly make it my concluding Propo&s;al, whether &s;ome thing extraordinary of an indifferent nature, ballancing and &s;ecuring all &s;orts, till by moderation they can arrive at a better under&s;tanding, and mutual accord, will not mo&s;t naturally tend to our long de&s;ired &s;ettlement, and be&s;t become and truly make it a <HI>Common-wealth?</HI> Whether the common peace being kept a|mong <HI>all,</HI> and <HI>all</HI> &s;aved from the <HI>harm</HI> and <HI>hurt</HI> of others, upon <HI>all</HI> accounts
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<HI>what&s;oever</HI> be not the principal <HI>end</HI> of Gods ordaining <HI>Government</HI> among the &s;ons of men, and the <HI>be&s;t</HI> way to <HI>fa&s;ten</HI> and <HI>binde</HI> together all the <HI>integral</HI> parts of this <HI>broken</HI> Nation, put a <HI>period</HI> to all our publick <HI>changes,</HI> and the <HI>way</HI> to prevent all future <HI>fears,</HI> and &s;urcea&s;e all ju&s;t complainings in our &s;treets: <HI>all &s;orts</HI> feeling the benefits hereof, willingly a&s;cribing to &s;uch Go|vernours the honour of our Settlement.</P>
<P>It is humbly hoped, that no <HI>individual per&s;on</HI> (be he of what religious <HI>Sect</HI> &s;o|ever,) much le&s;s the <HI>generality</HI> of a <HI>Sect</HI> may be judged, cru&s;ht and laid under reproach upon any har&s;h coun&s;el and &s;ugge&s;tion of Adver&s;aries, <HI>without</HI> a full and fair hearing of defence, which is <HI>mo&s;t</HI> expected under a Government of the People, where <HI>no mans ca&s;e</HI> may be &s;uppo&s;ed to depend on any <HI>one mans pa&s;&s;ions,</HI> or <HI>intere&s;t.</HI> This is the more nece&s;&s;ary and con&s;iderable, becau&s;e <HI>whisperers</HI> are always ready to in&s;inuate what may <HI>&s;eparate chief frends, Prov.</HI> 16. 28. There is never wanting &s;ome who wor&s;hip the <HI>ri&s;ing Sun,</HI> and having mens per&s;ons in admiration, becau&s;e of <HI>advantage,</HI> who neither out of con&s;cience to God, nor love to Governours, (but like <HI>Doeg</HI> to <HI>David)</HI> to get &s;ome <HI>benefit</HI> to them&s;elves, will be laying <HI>loads</HI> upon others, by informations.</P>
<P>Wherefore it is <HI>de&s;irable</HI> that <HI>Rulers</HI> may always remember, the beloved Kingdom of God was broken in pieces by <HI>Reheboam</HI>'s taking <HI>har&s;h</HI> coun&s;el, and refu&s;ing that which was more <HI>moderate,</HI> 1 <HI>Kings</HI> 12. 6, 10. whereas <HI>David</HI> re|jected <HI>&s;uch</HI> coun&s;el in that <HI>petty</HI> per&s;onal ca&s;e of <HI>cur&s;ing Shimei,</HI> when yet he had <HI>full</HI> oportunity to de&s;troy him under the <HI>publick</HI> reputation of <HI>ju&s;tice. Such</HI> coun&s;el may &s;ometimes be given with the intent of hurt and damage to <HI>them</HI> to <HI>whom</HI> it is given, like <HI>Hu&s;hai</HI>'s unto <HI>Ab&s;alom,</HI> or with the <HI>&s;ame</HI> De&s;ign the <HI>Phi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="apex" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;tims</HI> had upon <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> to cut off the locks of his <HI>&s;trength</HI> and <HI>glory.</HI></P>
<P>Wherefore in the mid&s;t of all abilities of coun&s;el, fore&s;ight and force, I humbly propo&s;e that you will make the <HI>Word</HI> of God the man of your coun&s;el, and that you follow the Example of <HI>Solomon,</HI> to ask of God wi&s;dom for Go|vernment, not onely becau&s;e you have a <HI>mighty</HI> People as he had, but a People &s;o <HI>greatly</HI> divided, which he had not. As an opinion of &s;elf-&s;ufficiency is a mo&s;t dangerous thing, &s;o the <HI>way</HI> to pro&s;per is to depend on God, and the <HI>way</HI> to depend and lean upon God <HI>aright,</HI> is to make &s;ure of being in the <HI>way</HI> of righteou&s;ne&s;s and uprightne&s;s. <HI>He hath &s;hewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee? to do ju&s;tly, to love mercy, and to walk hum|bly with thy God, Micah</HI> 6. 8. <HI>Remembring how God an&s;wered from</HI> Shittim <HI>to</HI> Gilgal, <HI>v.</HI> 5.</P>
<P>Albeit, I know that the <HI>hearts</HI> of Rulers as well as others are in the <HI>hands</HI> of the Lord, <HI>who can turn them as the Rivers of Waters:</HI> and al&s;o that God governs and over-rules <HI>all</HI> coun&s;els and affairs by his mo&s;t wi&s;e and holy provi|dence to his <HI>own</HI> glory, yet doth not <HI>that</HI> di&s;&s;olve the bond of duty lying upon <HI>all</HI> to do what &s;ervice they can for God in their Generation, upon which ac|count I have adventured to make this humble addre&s;s to Rulers and all men, if at lea&s;t it may move them more to a &s;tudy of Moderation, then I little doubt the <HI>practice,</HI> and where it may to any degree prevent any <HI>har&s;h intentions,</HI> &s;uch may have no cau&s;e of repentance, <HI>but</HI> rejoycing like <HI>David,</HI> when he was <HI>inter|cepted</HI> by <HI>Abigait</HI>'s <HI>moderation.</HI></P>
<P>Although I have been, and am <HI>altogether</HI> unconcerned in the&s;e <HI>mutations</HI>
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and tran&s;actions them&s;elves, yet I mu&s;t be a &s;harer (among others) in the good or ill effects and i&s;&s;ues of them, which gives me &s;omewhat of <HI>right</HI> to offer my poor opinion. This I have done with a <HI>&s;incere</HI> aim at <HI>common</HI> good, with much <HI>&s;ubmi&s;&s;ion</HI> and &s;en&s;e of mine <HI>own</HI> weakne&s;s.</P>
<P>My humble Reque&s;ts to God &s;hall be, that he would make &s;ome (tho&s;e at the <HI>Stern,</HI> if he plea&s;e) to be <HI>Healers</HI> of our <HI>Breaches,</HI> and <HI>Re&s;torers</HI> of <HI>Paths</HI> for us to dwell in, that we may live under a well-&s;ettled <HI>Authority</HI> a quiet and peaceable life in all <HI>godline&s;s</HI> and <HI>hone&s;ty.</HI></P>
<P>And I hope that in prudence and ju&s;tice, all publick Magi&s;trates, Mini&s;ters, and Writers will hereafter forbear that double wrong to their peaceable Subjects and Neighbours; fir&s;t, in giving them unduly the name of <HI>Anabapti&s;ts:</HI> and &s;econdly, in laying the dirt and dung of a mad mi&s;-guided People in <HI>one</HI> for|mer Age and forreign Nation upon them, <HI>viz.</HI> that of <HI>Germany;</HI> for as much as it will give them occa&s;ion and provocation to retort that greater in&s;urrection, and tho&s;e wor&s;er deva&s;tations of fourty thou&s;and at the &s;ame time in <HI>Suevia</HI> and <HI>Franconia,</HI> before recited out of the &s;ame Hi&s;tories; as al&s;o to ob&s;erve all the over-turnings in all Ages and Nations throughout <HI>Chri&s;tendom,</HI> by whom they have been made and perpetrated; all which gendreth and nouri&s;heth need|le&s;s &s;trife and contention on both hands. Wherefore, contrariwi&s;e, <HI>Let</HI> all &s;orts <HI>follow the things that make for peace, and &s;uch things wherewith one ano|ther may be edified, Rom.</HI> 14. 19.</P>
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