A LETTER Concerning the present State OF RELIGION AMONGST US.   

A Letter concerning the present State of Religion amongst us.  
MY dear Brother in Christ, no less then by birth; I have perused the Ordinance for ejecting of Scandalous Ministers, and finding it likely enough to send you a Pastor, that shall have have no authority from the Church, have thought it necessary for me, to give you the reasons of that opinion which I declared unto you, that in that case, you ought not in conscience to acknowledge such a for one your Pastor, by going tohear him preach, and seeming to join in his Prayers, much less to receive the Eucharist at his hands, if such a one shall be so audacious as to celebrate it.  
This that I may do, I must first propose the Case, as it is stated by those Acts which pretend to settle Religion among us. For, first, the Act whereby the present Government is established, declareth, that the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures shall be held forth, as the public profession of these Nations; And that, such as profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ, though differing from this profession, in doctrine, worship, or discipline, shall be protected in the exercise of their Religion, excepting Popery and Prelacy, and those who under the profession of Christ, hold forth, and practise licentiousness. In prosecution hereof an Ordinance is issued forth, giving commission to certain persons, named in it, to examine and try all that have come into possession of Churches since April. 13. 1653. all that have augmentations from Parliament, all that shall pretend to come into Churches that shall be void, whether fit for the Office and Benefice, by no other Rule, than the Certificate of three godly Neighbours, (one at least a Minister) concerning their conversation in godliness upon their own knowledge, and the judgement of five Commissioners, that the grace of God is in their hearts, and that they are fit to preach. In further prosecution hereof, issues forth this Ordinance, whereby, no man is made scandalous for his judgement, but he that is liable to the Act against Blasphemy of Aug. 9 1653. And with him is ranked, he, who shall frequently and publicly have read the Service since Christmas 1653. whereby it appeareth, that those who have declared their perseverance in the Religion which they have hitherto professed, by reading the Service, are therefore counted scandalous; But those that can obtain the certificate of such men as these Triers count godly men, together with their own opinion, that so they are, and fit to Preach, are thereby qualified in Law, to be Pastors of Parishes: And consequently to succeed those that adhere to the Christianity which hitherto they have professed, being cast out by the Commissioners for ejecting of scandalous Ministers.  
In the first place then, I say, that the effect of these Laws is, to nullify, and make void one Article of t●e Creed, which hitherto to we profess; To wit, the belief of one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. This word Church may signify two things. First, only the whole number of Christians; Secondly, a Communion and corporation of those that profess true Christianity, founded by the will of God, and the ministry of our Lord Christ, and his Apostles. That Christians, when they profess to believe the Catholic Church, do not mean, that they believe that there is in the world a number of men that profess to be Christians, it is manifest, because all Christians hope to be saved by their Faith: but they cannot hope to be saved, by believing that which they see; Now all men see, that there is such a company of men in the world: therefore when they say, they believe the Catholic Church, as part of that Faith, whereby they hope to be saved, they do not profess to believe that there is such a company of men, but that there is a Corporation of true Christians, founded by our Lord Christ and his Apostles, which Heretics and Schismatics cannot have Communion with, and that they hope to be saved by this Faith, as being members of it. And this is that, which the stile of the holy Catholic and Apostolic Church signifies, as distinguishing the Body of true Christians, (to wit, so far as profession goes) from the Conventicles of Heretics and Schismatics. For this title of Catholic would signify nothing, if Heretics and Schismatics were not barred the Communion of the Church. And let no man imagine, that the Schism which the Reformation hath made between us and the Church of Rome, hath dissolved the obligation of being members of the Church: if that change which is called Reformation, preserve not such a Church, as aught to be acknowledged for a true member of the whole, or Catholic Church, it is no Reformation, but the destruction of Christianity. Now when these Laws enable Soldiers, and Justices of the Peace, as well as those that call themselves Ministers, to make public Preachers; as well such as have received no Ordination from the Church, as those that have; It is manifest, that all difference between Clergy and People, is by them dissolved, and made void; And by consequence, the Corporation of the Church, which grounds and creates all the difference, which hitherto by all Christians hath been received, between these two qualities. True it is, that for the present, as well those who have lawful authority to officiate the public Service of God by Ordination from the Church, are admitted or maintained in their Benefices by these Laws, as those that have none; Though it be well enough known, that those who have such authority do pretend to act by virtue of it, and not by this Law, further then, as by submitting to it, they remove that force, which hinders their right, otherwise gotten, to take effect. But it is as true, that supposing this Law to continue an age, none such can remain. And when none such remains, than there shall be no Church in England, but by equivocation of words, if the premises be be true. And therefore, those that acknowledge such as have ●o other authority but from this power, for their Pastors, cannot consequently profess to believe one Catholic Church, nor hope for salvation by being members of it. For supposing for the present, though not granting, that the power which makes these Laws is from God, yet can it not be pretended to be from our Lord Christ and his Apostles. And therefore this authority derived from it, cannot be derived from any act of theirs constituting the Church, and enabling it to give this authority, by acknowledging whereof, Christians presume that they are members of the Church.  
Now that you may see why the belief of Christ's Church is an Article of our Creed; I say further, that you cannot acknowledge such men for your Pastors, because you are not secured by these Laws, that they are not Heretics. For, seeing the Act of Establishment pretends only to hold forth the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures, and that all the Heresies that are this day in the world, do maintain themselves to profess the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures, it is manifest, that these Laws provide not, that they shall not be Heretics, which are sent you for Pastors. Here I must not complain, that, whereas all that profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ, though differing from the profession held forth, are protected in the exercise of their Religion, Popery and Praelacy are excepted; though it cannot be denied, that both profess Faith in God by Jesus Christ. Nor, that, those who hold the profession established by the Laws under which we were born, are resused that protection, which is tendered Socinians, enemies of the Trinity and satisfaction of Christ, who manifestly profess Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures, and Faith in God by Jesus Christ. For, my business is not to say, what they that made these Laws, should have done by them; but, what you are to do now they are made. But, if it be answered, that, those that make these Laws, repose trust in them to whom they grant these Commissions, that they will not take any to be godly men that are Heretics; To this I say, that will not serve your turn for several reasons. For, those that profess all that the Law requires them to profess, that is, Faith in God through Jesus Christ, and the Christian Religion Contained in the Scriptures, cannot be judged ungodly for whatsoever they profess besides, by any Power derived from this Law, but by an arbitrary power to be exercised at the will of the Commissioners. And, how are you assured that no Heretic shall obtain a certificate of three Neighbours, and so answer their demands, that they shall have cause to think him in God's grace? However; you are not warranted to trust your salvation, and the salvation of those that depend on you, either upon the judgement of these Commissioners, or of them that make the laws. If it be demanded, why the secular Power, and the Commissioners thereof are not as well to be trusted with the salvation of the people, as those that may pretend authority from the Church? the answer is ready: That, when you acknowledge a Pastor sent by the Church, you neither trust his person, nor the person of him that sends him, but the Laws which the Church hath received from our Lord and his Apostles: in as much as, by professing Christianity so limited, and according to them to exercise the function which he receiveth, he becomes qualified for the charge in which you acknowledge him: which Laws he that destroys, by dissolving the Corporation of the Church, destroys the trust you are to have in those whom you acknowledge your Pastors, that they are not Heretics.  
And here I must not fail to give you notice, that those Presbyterians and Independents, who, having departed from the Church of England, upon pretence of erecting Presbyteries and Congregations, do now make themselves Commissioners to execute these Laws, which destroy both Presbyteries and Congregations; have thereby destroyed the ground of all trust which the Church might have had in them, for conduct in Christianity. For what profession can it be presumed that they will hold, when they hold not that, for which they have destroyed the Unity of the Church? which is the reason, why Heretics and Schismatics, though they may be readmitted to the Communion of the Church upon repentance, yet, by the Rules of the Catholic Church cannot be readmitted to be of the Clergy. These Apostasies having made them uncapable of that trust, which the Church must necessarily repose in the Clergy.  
That you may see this is not for nothing, I say further, that there is among us a damnable Heresy of Antinomians, or Libertines, formerly, when Puritan were not divided from the Church of England, known by the name of Grindletonians and Etonists. These, do believe so to be saved by the free grace of God, by which Christ died for the Elect, that true faith is nothing but the revelation hereof, and by consequence, that all their sins, past, present, and to come, being remitted by this grace; to repent of sin, or to contend against it, is the renouncing of God's free grace, and saving faith.  
Another opinion there is, which I cannot say the Presbyterians hold, or require to be held; but in regard their confession of Faith, and Catechism disclaims it not, and therefore allows them that hold it to be of their Faction, may well be said to maintain it; That, for a man to believe that he is praedestinate to life, and that Christ died for him, is that faith, which alone justifieth a Christian. Whether of these opinions is the better, or the worse, or, what is the difference between them, let the parties dispute. This I say, that, allowing the merits and satisfaction of Christ to the Elect for remission of sins, and a title to everlasting life, in no consideration, but of their persons, it is more reasonable to say, that they can never become guilty of sin, then, that the remission of their sins, and their right to life, should depend upon the knowledge of their praedestination revealed by Faith: seeing nothing is true because it is believed, but believed because it is true. And therefore, I say, that both of these opinions are destructive to the foundation of faith which the Church of England teacheth, when, in the Office of Baptism, and the beginning of the Catechism, it requireth all that are baptised, not only to profess the Faith of Christ, but to renounce the flesh, the world, and the devil, and to fight with them till death, for the keeping of God's Commandments, assuring them hereupon, that they are regenerate and adopted Gods children by his Grace in Christ. For he that is saved by undertaking and persevering in this, canno● be saved by believing, that he is absolutely predestinate to life without it. For, I must say, that it is one thing to be absolutely predestinate to life; another thing to be predestinate to life, by being absolutely predestinate to persevere till death. For he that is predestinate to life, by being absolutely predestinate to persevere in the Covenant of Grace till death, is predestinate to life in consideration of the Covenant of Grace, in which he is predestinate to persevere. And whether a man can be absolutely predestinate to persevere in it, of his own freewill, and voluntary choice, or not, is that which remains in dispute among Divines, which I suppose not here, to be either true or false. But to say, that a man is absolutely predestinate to life, and to say, that he is predestinate to life, in consideration of his undertaking and persevering in the Covenant of Grace, which must be the act of his own freewill and choice, is to say express contradictions, and to destroy the Covenant of Grace, (into which, by the Baptism of the Church of England, every man entereth) and all hope of Salvation, which is merely imaginary, if not grounded upon it. Seeing then, that the trial upon which these Commissioners proceed, is, the marks of predestination, whether true or false, not distinguishing whether they suppose the Covenant of Grace, the undertaking of it, and persevering in it, or not; I say, that you are no way secured by these Laws, that the Triers themselves, much less those whom they shall send you, are not complices of this damnable Heresy.  
I must not forget to advise you, that Dell, one so far of this Heresy, that he hath written a Book against Baptism itself, is now, and is acknowledged by these Commissioners, master of a College in the University, (whereof several fellows have been notorious Preachers of this Heresy) who cannot be acknowledged a member of the Church by any good Christian.  
The like I allege in regard of the Sect of the Anabaptists. In which point I must suppose two things. First, that the Christian Faith supposeth Original sin. Secondly, that without Baptism there is no cure for it; which depends upon the Premises, that there is no absolute predestination, without consideration of the Covenant of Grace, which Baptism executeth, to cure it. For, whatsoever our Lord meant, when he said, unless ye be born again of water— it is manifest, that, though no man can become a true Christian, without the operation of the Holy Ghost, yet the Grace of the Holy Ghost dwelling in a man, is not granted, but, in consideration of his entering into the said covenant, and that this only is the cure of Original sin. There is then no necessity of showing an express precept in Scripturre, that all Infants be baptised: or that the Church from the Apostles time did Baptise all while they were Infants. If the Christian Faith suppose Original sin, if no cure for that, but by the covenant of Grace, if no execution of that Covenant, but the Baptism of the Church, (unless, where the outward act is prevented by inevitable necessity, after the inward desire thereof was sufficiently resolved and declared) then is this necessity a constraining precept, and hath been so reputed by the Church, even since the Apostles; which always hath taken order, not that all should be baptised Infants, but that no Infant should die without being baptised. For, the diligent watch over all occasions, that might carry Infants out of the world unbaptised, observed by the Church from the beginning, though neglected since, demonstrateth, no legal assurance of the salvation of such as should die unbaptised, whatsoever might be presumed of God's goodness over and above what he declareth. But, as for those that shall become obliged and engaged to the covenant of grace, by being consecrated to God through the act of the Church, thereby obliging itself to show them the truth of Christianity, which obligeth all to whom it is shown; the necessity aforesaid, together with the practice of the Church, is a legal presumption, of the cure of Original sin, and the opening of Paradise, which it only shutteth. If therefore our Anabaptists do not believe original sin, they are Pelagian Heretics. If, believing it, they believe notwithstanding, that it is cured by Predestination without the Covenant of Grace, they fall into the damnable Heresy premised: And seem to make, not only that Baptism whereby they make void the Baptism received in the Church of England, a renouncing of the Christianity which they received and professed at their Baptism; but, that also, which they give those whom they will not have baptised while they are infants, utterly void, and ineffectual towards God, as not pretending to bring them into Covenant of God's Grace by Christ, that is, into the profession of the true Faith, and of fight against sin till death, under the same: which, they that believe Salvation by God's Predestination revealed by faith, without undertaking and persevering in the Covenant of Grace, can by no means pretend to do. Seeing then, that the necessity of Baptism cannot be denied, but upon such a ground, as voideth the Covenant of Grace, and seeing the Triers are either Anabaptists themselves, or complices in the same Commission with Anabaptists (whereof there are in the Commission of Triers, five or six that I hear of by name, and how many more God knows, and in the Commission for ejecting of scandalous Ministers, in one County of Hertford, nine of fifteen, as I am credibly informed) it is evident, that, by these Laws, you are no ways secured of having Anabaptists for your Pastors, who are expressly Schismatics (forsaking the Church for that which the Church always did), and, by consequence of the premised reasons, Heretics.  
As the Baptism of those men whom they pretend to send you for Pastors, is, by this reason, void in point of right, so the Eucharist which they may pretend to celebrate, will be void of the effect of a Sacrament toward you, but not void of the crime of Sacrilege towards God. The reasons are two. The first, because those who have not received the Order of Priesthood shall pretend to celebrate it. For, the Scripture, interpreted by the uninterrupted practise of the Church, allows no man, under the Order of a Priest, to celebrate the Eucharist. Not, as if those who call themselves Ministers did commit this Sacrilege, in consecrating the Eucharist: Though the name of Ministers signifies no more than deacons', and, that it is truly Sacrilege for deacons' to celebrate the Eucharist: But, because those whom the Church lawfully gives not the power of celebrating this Sacrament to, (though, by misunderstanding, those whom it gives it to, may be called Ministers, and aught to be called Priests) their Eucharist is no Sacrament, but Sacrilege. The second, because they know not, nor acknowledge, the Consecration, that is requisite to the celebration and being of this Sacrament, by the same Scriptures, understood according to the uninterrupted custom and practice of the Church. For, the whole Church of God, allowing the elements consecrated to be the Body and Blood of Christ mystically, or in the Sacrament, alloweth this change to be made by the consecration, before which they were only Bread and Wine. Not, as if after the Consecration they were not so, but because they are then become that which they were not afore, to wit, the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood, or the Body and Blood of Christ spiritually, and mystically, that is, in the Sacrament. This Consecration being exactly maintained by the Church of England, they that presume to celebrate the Eucharist, without acknowledging the fame, and pretending to destroy the Law by which it is exercised, must be presumed, not to acknowledge the necessity thereof, to the being of this Sacrament. And therefore, they, and their complices in the Communion thereof, to be guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ, as not distinguishing a sign of man's institution from a Sacrament of God's appointment and Ordinance.  
As for the Office of Preaching and Praying, which they pretend to, in behalf of the Church, I will mark you out two monstrous Impostures, in all the Sects of this time. The first is this ground of the blessed Reformation of Religion in England; That the Church is not to assemble for the Service of God, but when there is preaching. This seems to stand upon a very gross mistake, of those passages of the Apostles writings, which declare, the necessary means of salvation to consist, in hearing the Gospel preached; As if they were meant of Sermons in the Pulpit, which are only made to those that are already Christians, not of publishing the Gospel to those that knew it not afore, convincing them that it is true, and instructing them wherein it consists. Or, as if those that are already Christians wanted any thing necessary to Salvation, supposing them to persevere in the Christianity which they have professed. Not as if their Christianity did not oblige them to hear Sermons, when the authority of the Church assures them to be without offence; But, because, the Offices of public Prayers, and the Praises of God, especially in celebrating the blessed Eucharist, are the end of all that instruction in Christianity, which Christians receive from the Church; and therefore, all Preaching subordinate to the same, as the means to the End: And because, they may be daily so frequented, without offence, and to the increase of the reverence of Christianity, as the experience of our time shows, that Preaching cannot be. The second is, that, the first day of the week, called Sunday, is the Sabbath, by force of the fourth Commandment. An Imposture so gross, that it may well serve for an instance, what Faction can do, with men that are sober otherwise. That God, by commanding the Jews to keep the seventh day of the week, to wit, that day on which he ended the Creation of the world, and, for that very reason commanding it, should be thought to command Christians to keep the first day of the week, on which he began the Creation, and our Lord Christ arose from the dead; That is, that the same words of the same Commandment in writing, should oblige Jews to rest on the Saturday, which oblige Christians to rest on the Sunday, is a thing, which when this fit of frenzy shall be passed us, will scarce be believed, that ever any man would believe. True it is, this first day hath been observed, in, and ever since the Apostles time, but not by virtue of that Law, which their office was to declare was expired, and out of date; but, by the Act of their own authority, whereby they gave Laws to Christ's Church. Let us now only compare the daily morning and evening Sacrifice of Prayer and the Praises of God, established by the Order of the Church of England, together with the more solemn service of Lords days and Festivals, with a bare Sermon upon Sundays, ushered in and out with a Prayer of every man's own conceit, (setting aside the Heresy and false doctrine, the Faction & Schism, the blasphemy and slander, the ridiculous follies which this Sermon and Prayer may, and which we have known them contain) I say, comparing these together, the blessed reformation pretended, is and aught to be accounted, the abomination of desolation, in comparison of that Order which it destroyeth. And therefore upon this account alone, those, who, not being invested with that ordinary Power by which the Church is enabled to correct abuses in the Church, shall usurp the Power of the Church to introduce this disorder, are thereby Schismatics themselves, and those that acknowledge them for their Pastors, complices of Schismatics.  
It will be said, that these Laws will be amended, as it was many times said awhile since, that the Parliament would settle a Ministry. To this I say, that those that are sent you by virtue of these Laws, have every way as good authority, as any, the Power that made these Laws, joined with a Parliament can give to them, that are not otherwise qualified by the authority of the Church. That is, that this Power of a Parliament together, though, advising with divines, how the qualities of those whom they make Ministers are to be limited, can do no more, than this Power, with advice of those Divines it useth, hath done: Both being Secular, and able to make men their Ministers, to maintain the Interest of that Government which their Power constituteth, but not Ministers of the Church, to maintain the interest of that Faith, and service of God, which it is trusted with. If it be said, that, at the Reformation, those from whom the Ministry is propagated, had not received by their Ordination, Power to ordain others; I answer, that, it is agreed among all that profess the Reformation, that the abuses crept into the Church were so great, that particular Churches, that is, part of the whole, might, and aught to reform themselves, without consent or concurrence of the whole: It is also agreed among them that maintain it, that, there is in the Church a succession of persons, endued with authority in behalf of it, as well as of doctrine, and of the service of God; Though the succession of persons be of less consideration, as subordinate to the succession of doctrine, as the means to the end. In this case than I say, that, such inabilities, in persons vested with Ecclesiastical Power by the Reformation, as became unavoidable by the refusal of the rest of the Church to concur in it, cannot make Churches so constituted, no Churches, nor void the effect of those Offices which persons so qualified shall minister unto God's people. But, such inabilities, as became unavoidable, only for want of due information in those that undertook to reform themselves, as it would be malice in man to justify, so, it may reasonably be presumed, that the mercy of God excuses. But supposing, according to the premises, and the sense of all that adhere to the Church of England, that the Presbyterians Ordinations tend no more to maintain the primitive faith and service of God, once delivered to the Church, and established in it by the Apostles, than they do to maintain that which is hitherto established in the Church of England; I say supposing this, to imagine, that an Assembly of Divines, by being lawfully ordained to the office of Priests or Deacons, according to the Laws of the Church of England, can by commission from the secular Power, make ordinations, which the Laws under which they were ordained forbidden, is to imagine, that God can enable man to sin, or, that a Sovereign Power can authorise the subject to rebel against itself. And therefore, though the qualities of persons to be sent you for Pastors may be otherwise limited by Acts which Parliaments may make, yet these qualities, (not being derived from the authority of the Apostles sounding the Church, by any act of the Church, but from secular Power, and Commission issued from it) make them no more Ministers of the Church, that are made by Assemblies of Divines and Presbyteries, than those that are made by commission of Triers, and ejecting scandalous Ministers: That is, both of them, being by their creation Schismatics, and their profession not clearing them of misprision of Heresy, they can no more be acknowledged by those that pretend to adhere to the Church of England, than Belial by Christ, or darkness by light.  
Hereby than you may conclude how to receive those, whom the Presbyt●rians may send you for Pastors, by any change in the secular Power. For I charge not them, that they do not believe the Church: which they would be themselves. I acknowledge that they secure you from all Sects but themselves. But in as much as they maintain Praedestination to life, only in consideration of what Christ hath already done or suffered for the Elect; in so much, I say, that they do not, nor can Baptise into the Cross of Christ; that is to say, into the hope of Salvation, in consideration of fight against the flesh, the world, and the Devil, for the keeping of God's commandments, under the profession of the Christian Faith. For, that which is absolutely due, as salvation is due to the elect by the gift of God's Praedestination, cannot be burdened with any condition of Christianity afterwards. And therefore that Baptism is no effectual Baptism before God, (if Baptism received in the Church of England be such) that is to say, it is no Baptism, but by Equivocation of words, in as much as, the obligation of a man's Christianity is not declared, or understood, to take hold of him, by virtue of it. For seeing the hope of salvation which Christians have by their Baptism is grounded upon the condition of their Christianity, that Baptism which promiseth salvation without providing for this condition, is no Baptism, but by equivocation of words. I say further, that the change, which they call Reformation, visibly tends, to introduce that monstrous imposture of two Sermons every Sabbath, in stead of the daily and ordinary service of God, (together with the more solemn service of God upon Festivals and Lords days, and other extraordinary occasions) which the Church of England, with the whole Church of God from the beginning hath maintained, so far, as there was means to maintain it. I will not here insist upon the order of Bishops, and their chief power in their Dioceses, as of Divine Right, that is, instituted and introduced by the Apostles. Let The Presbyterians think themselves privileged to erect altar against Altar, upon so desperate a Plea, as now they insist upon, that the Presbyteries are rather of divine right, than the chief Power of Bishops, in their Dioceses; I insist now only, that this Power of the Bishops, was not against God's Law: which every man must grant me, that acknowledges a Church in from the Reformation till now. In this case, they, who, to introduce this Christianity, and this public exercise of it, transgressing that authority to which they were called by the visible act of the Church of England, take upon them, to share that Power from which they had their authority, among themselves, and, to execute it by consent among themselves, in their several precincts, cannot be said to constitute a Church, by virtue of any act of the Apostles, or any authority derived from such act, but by virtue of their own act, as all Apostates and usurpers do; That is to say, that, they do not constitute such a Church, by being a member whereof a man may reasonably assure himself of salvation, upon any principle of Christianity, but such a Church, as is indeed no Church, unless it be by equivocation of terms, but a conventicle of Schismatics with misprision of the Heresy aforesaid. And therefore their Priesthood is no Priesthood, their Eucharist is no Eucharist, (unless it by equivocation of words) but Sacrilege against God's Ordinance. Besides, that, what is requisite to the consecration thereof, or, wherein it consists, they seem to be as secure of, and as little to regard; as the most ignorant of those sects into which the once common name of Puritans stands divided at this time. Neither is it in any secular Power, though never so unquestionable, to cure these nullities and incapacities, in the pretence, upon which they take upon them to be a Church; Though for the present they are not so much as authorized to the world, by any privilege or penalty enacted by any secular Power, but only protected by it. That all the world may see, that there is nothing but their own usurpation, and the consent of those whom they have debauched to their Schism, whereby they subsist as a Church: And, that they will, by virtue of their Original, be as malignant to any secular Power, that shall not maintain and authorise them, as ever they were to that which they have destroyed, to introduce this shadow of a Church.  
If it be objected, that your Estates will be liable to Penalties, that may be enacted against those that withdraw from the exercise of the Religion publicly held forth; To this I have no answer, but, that we are to obey God rather than man, to prefer the next world before this, and to bear Christ's Cross, if we expect his kingdom. Only thus much I must observe, that these Laws proceed from a profession, that it is not lawful to force men's Consciences, in matter of religion, by penalties. And therefore, though the Praelatical party are not protected in the exercise of their Religion, yet cannot they be punished for it, but by denying that which is declared upon the public Faith. Besides, acknowledging the Christian Religion contained in the Scriptures, and professing faith in God, by Jesus Christ, they are as much qualified for protection, as those that are protected by the act of establishment. And, not to allow the exercise of that Religion, the profession whereof is not disallowed, seems to be, to forbid men to be Christians who are not forbidden to be such Christians, and to expose them to popular tumult, contrary to the public peace, whom no Law punishes. If the Papists continue nevertheless liable to former Penalties, perhaps it is because they are reputed Idolaters. But because these laws, and the profession from whence they proceed, may change, I must confess, you cannot follow my advice, but that your estate may become questionable: Neither would I give it, could I assure you of the kingdom of heaven otherwise.  
If you demand what means I can show you to exercise your Religion, withdrawing from the means which these Acts provide: I answer, that there are hitherto, every where, of the Clergy, that adhere to the Church, who will find it their duty, to see your infants Christened, your children Catechised, the Eucharist communicated to all that shall withdraw from Churches forcibly possessed by them whom you own not for Pastors. And if they cannot continually minister to you, so dispersed, the ordinary Offices of God's service; you have the Service of God according to the Order of the Church, you have the Scriptures to read for part of it, you have store of Sermons manifestly allowed by the Church to read, you have Prayers prescribed for all your own necessity's and the necessities of the Church; To serve God with these in private, with such as depend upon you, and are of the same judgement with you (leaving out what belongs to the Priest's office to say) I do, to the best of my judgement, believe an acceptable sacrifice to God, which you cannot offer at the Church in such case. And though I censure not my brethren of the Clergy, that think fit to comply with the power which we are under in holding or coming by their Benefices, (I suppose in respect of their slocks, rather than to their fruits) yet, if they believe themselves, and their flocks, to be members of God's Church, by being members of the Church of England, they must needs believe, those flocks that acknowledge such Pastors, to be members of no Church, and therefore acknowledge you, and own your departure, and declare themselves to their own flocks, and instruct them to do the like, when the like case falls out: And so the resusing to hear the voice of strangers, will unite us to make a flock, under those whom we acknowledge our lawful Pastors.  
I have found myself pressed, to Print Copies hereof, for mine own use, thereby to declare thus much of my judgement to you, and to the rest of my friends, because the consequence of owning such men for your Pastors, will be, to make us members of several Churches. Which must disable me, to do any office of a Clergy man towards you; unless it be the prosecuting of this, by showing you further reasons, to justify what I say here, and to reduce you to it: Though it shall always be my study, faithfully to serve my kindred and friends, in all Offices of civility. And I hope they will consider, what appearance there is that any thing should move me, to make myself liable to so much harm, as the public declaring of this opinion will make me liable to, but the discharge of my conscience to God and them, as the case shall require me to discharge it.  
FINIS.