INDEPENDENCY GOD'S VERITY: OR, THE NECESSITY OF TOLERATION.  
Unto which is added the chief Principles of the Government of INDEPENDENT CHURCHES.  
Written by J. G. B. D.  
London, Printed for William Ley 1647.   

Independency God's Verity: OR, The necessity of Toleration.  
I Am not ignorant, that I am now entering the field, where many Combatants stand ready to encounter me; but I hope the judicious Reader will not lay the crime of presumption to my charge because I undertake in one single sheet, to vindicate that which whole volumes have calumniated, nor that I divulge my thoughts in the defence of that which of late was so much opposed, even that which so many learned and pious men, surviving at this present, both in Town and City, in Parliament and Army, have seen to their grief trampled under foot, and to their joy exalted.  
Many there are who hurried on with the violent stream of their passiions, if they but once hear Independency named with applause, like a galled horse, winch and kick, and bear down all before them: Edwards, Vicars, and Bastwick, have wrote much but proved little or nothing of what they undertook; but like some unskilful Statuaries, who in framing a Colossus, if they make it straddle wide, look big, and gape, they imagine they have equalled Apelles his Masterpiece; so they, binding in one volume a whole bundle of invectives, framed against that, which in truth they are not able to oppugn, conceive they have framed pieces both lasting and inimitable.  
The grand Engine with which our adversaries would beat down Independency, is that Text of Scripture, Cor. 11. every one of you saith, I am of Paul, I of Cephas, and I of Christ: But alas! they do not consider, that this place maketh altogether against them; for in these words, we are given to understand, that there were in the Primitive times divers Churches and Congregations under several Pastors, S. Paul doth not tax their manner of order, but reproveth those contentious spirits, that vaunted themselves to be under a more real Pastor than others were, as that Paul exceeded Apollo's in the gifts of the Spirit, Apollo's Cephas, and a third depraving them all, and causing a Schism, boasting he and those of his faction were the only followers of Christ: some there are that employ these words of S. Paul Cor. 10. to extirpate Independency root and branch, where he saith, Now I beseech you Brethren, by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions amongst you. I answer, that for us to take this saying of S. Paul as a Precept, that all men must be of one belief, and speak one thing, is ridiculous; for it is impossible and cannot be otherwise, but that while there are different men, there will be different minds, and that will seem good and right to some, which to others will appear erroneous and impious.  
Therefore Saint Paul must be understood otherwise then so, and to that end, we ought to consider that S Paul giveth this precept in reference to their temporal actions as well as their spiritual performances, as it were persuading them to policy, lest by their divisions and factions, the heathen amongst they then were conversant, might have just occasion to despise their Worship, and fit opportunity to injure their persons; but let us grant that he spoke to them wholly, in reference to their spiritual performances; yet it will not follow, that the Church of God ought to be tied in one knot, and kneaded in one lump; for the Church of God, though divided into distinct Congregations, as they were in the Primitive time, may speak one and the same thing, although in different manner; and like birds that sing divers notes yet make one harmony agree in one thing, though diversely delivered: besides if it were, as these men would have it, who profess themselves utter enemies to Toleration, that every Christian by these words, aught to be compelled to give outward obedience to what is enjoined, what sundry grievous, and dire inconveniencies may happen I shall set down:  
First, That service cannot be acceptable to God which is not performed with a willing mind, and a curse lies on him that dosthe work of the Lord negligently, which must inevitably happen if this course were taken, to tyrannise over men's Consciences.  
Secondly, by compelling them, to do that which their Conscience alloweth not, they sin against the clear and destinate light of knowledge, and so in part are guilty of the sin of the holy Ghost; but now that all men may have a good conceit of us, and be incorporated with us, let him consider;  
First, What a sweet and heavenly communion we have amongst ourselves, how nothing is attempted prejudicial to tender Consciences; who though perhaps not resolved in some points, yet Christ who alone ought to rule his Church, we know in his good time will inform them.  
Secondly, That though we acknowledge Christ to be the only ruler of his Church, yet ye divest not the temporal Magistrate of his power to punish all gross crimes.  
Thirdly, That we allow none to be capable of our Member-ship, till we have had a sufficient trial of their Conversation, and have heard the confession of their Faith, and the evidences of the truth of their conversion, and till they have entered into a solemn Covenant, and have the joint assent of the whole Congregation, whereby we come as near as in us lies, to the form observed by the Church at Jerusalem, Act. 1. 15.  
But on the other side consider, our adversaries, who are continually at variance amongst themselves, how they constrain tender Consciences to obey their rigorous and Anti-christian commands, how they bestow on the temporal Magistrate, the office belonging only to Christ, how they admit of all persons whatsoever without the least examination, how their Ministers do deny, exclaim, and preach against Christ's kingly Government, how they and all the people under their Ministry, are unconverted, or at least but in part, wanting the main thing, to wit, Christ's kingly office, men visibly out of the Covenant of Grace, who have not so much, as an outward profession of Faith, and deny Christ to be their king.  

The necessity of Toleration.  
Presbytery, is the rival of Episcopacy, but Independency is of another strain, and admiteth not of humane prudence in Church Government: for the Church which is of a spiritual building, framed of such lively stones, as are not of the world, nor of the wisdom of the world, but founded only upon the wisdom of God, revealed in the word by his Spirit, is sufficient to constitute and and maintain a Church without any assistance from the Kingdoms of the world, whose power they leave entire to itself, for the Bishops, and Presbyters, by their Church policy, stand Compettitors with the Magistrate, to whom we leave all save only the kingdom of Christ, (which himself hath said) is not of this world, and so can be no trouble to it, unless it be first troubled by it.  
But as the case stands now at present, Independency is the only line that can staunch our wounds, the only dam that can stay the inundation of blood, which is else likely to overwhelm us; for the very name of Presbytery, is hateful to the people, and it were too strange a relapse to give them again their Bishops and their Litturgy, and if either of the other be permitted, there can be nothing expected but murmur, and clashings, if not open mutinings, but if a Toleration were allowed, it would take away all occasions of tumults and Garboils, for when every man is permitted to use his Conscience according as he is persuaded in himself, they will esteem their burdens not half so heavy as before, and be encouraged to yield obedience to those injunctions imposed on them by their Rulers, which otherwise is not to be expected from them; so that it is not only convenient, but also very necessary that there be a Toleration.  
Again, any man the least enlightened will dispense with any compulsive ordinance more tamely, then when he is constrained in point of Religion, and we know well that the original of our late War was the Bishops assuming to themselves that power, which Christ never gave them, to wit, Of compelling men to yield obedience to what ever they imposed; and men now, are grown more various in their opinions then ever before, and will be as easily persuaded to forsake their meat, as to relinguish their Tenets; and moreover, it is come to that pass, but by what means I will not question, that every man esteemeth it as properly his own, as any Immunity contained in Magna Charta, to use his Conscience without control; and when they shall be debarred of what they have so long enjoyed and so much covet to keep, what they may attempt let the wise judge; therefore there is not only a reason, but also a necessity of Toleration.  
FINIS.    

Imprimatur  
G. M.