A SHORT anwer TO SOME objections against the practices of those who are called Independents, and a declaration against the things they are supposed to hold.  1 PET. 3. 41. 15. 
But and if ye suffer for righteousness s●ke, happy are ye and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled.  
But sanctify the Lord in your hearts, and bee ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness, and sear.  GALAT. 5. 1. 
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.  EPHES. 6. 14. 
Stand therefore having your loins gird about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.  
Printed in the year. 1644.   

A Short Answer to some Objections against the practices of those who are called Independents, and a Declaration against the things they are supposed to hold.  
THere being many mistakes of the practise and judgement of those that are slanderously called Independents, amongst which are these.  
First, some say by our hearing of those that say they are Officers of the Church of England, Ordained, and made Ministers by the Bishops, we do justify the Kingdom of England, to be a true Church, a body politic, and the Officers thereof true Officers, and also that all their Parish assemblies are true Churches, which we do not.  
Others say of us that we sin in not holding Communion with the Parish assemblies in all Church Ordinances, but that we leave them to join with Independent Churches, and that we gather Churches out of Churches, and that wee choose such men to bee our Officers as were never Ordained by the Bishops. This they say, though they have been declared as Antichristian roote and branch, and pernicious to Church and State where they are, and the Lord would not have us so much as take out of babylon a ston fo a foundation, or for a Corner. ler. 51. 26. They say also that wee sin in meeting in private houses, and that it is sit we should meet in public in Churches that are consecrated for that purpose. We shall answer their charge on both sides very briefly: that we may not be charged with sin on either side while we do but that which is our duty, but until the truth be made manifest, there is a show of an appearance of evil.  
WE ought to give no offence to Jew nor gentle, nor to the Church of God, 1 Cor. 10. 3●. no not that which hath an appearance of evil; 1 Thes. 5. 22. though while we are here below we fall short in many things, Rom. 3. 23. but condemn us not in those things you have not the word for; for he that judgeth his brother, judgeth the Law, Jam. 4. 11. That is, if you condemn where the law doth not, it is a judging the Law imperfect. Be not wiser then it is written, for where a good construction can bee put on things truly, do it, Love thinks no evil. 1 Cor. 13. 5. Let us not smite fellow servants. Mat. 24. 4●. Let wickedness proceed from the wicked. 1 Sam. 24. 13. The time will come( let us all pray for it) that the envi● of Ephraim shall depart, & the adversaries of Judah shall bee ●ut off. Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim ▪ They shall not hurt, nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. Isa. 11. 1●. 9. In the mean time wee desire to hold forth the truth in love according to what we haver eceived  
And for answer to those that take offence on both sides, we answer: For the first, that say by our hearing those that say they are Officers of the Church of England, we justify the whole kingdom to be a true Church, and all the Parish Assemblies true Churches, we do desire to testify the contrary, that wee may give no offence.  
For first in the New Testament, we red of no Church, a body politic, but such as met together in one place, that for the matter were to be esteemed Saints, 
* Though this is the greatest Church wee read of, the Holy Ghost saith they met in one place.  Acts 1. 15. c● 2. 6. 44. 46. c. 4. 23. 24. 31. c. 5. 12. c. 6. 2. 5. and joined together by their voluntary consent. 
* It appears none could force them. Paul offered himself voluntarily.  Acts 5. 13. c. 9. 26 ▪ to walk together according to the rules of the New Testament Isa. 33. 22. Mat. 28. 20. Iam. 4. 12. Heb. 3. 2. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 14. 33. 37. and to such a Church, a body politic. Christ hath given his power to do all things that ought to bee done in a Church, Mat 16. 19. c. 18. 
* Without Apostles no power but of advice, who else can say it seemeth good to the Holy Ghost and to us.  17 18. 1 Cor. 5. 4. 2 Cor. 2 ▪ 6. 7. only that they should harken to the advice of other Chur ches, but over a true Church politic, no Church hath power of jurisdiction. Acts 15. 2. 22. 23. 28. But we never red of prophecy, or promise that God will take any whole nation to be his Church but Israel, but of every Nation they, and they onely that fear him, and work righteousness are accepted of him, Act 10. 35. though all believers are members of the invisible Church, whereof all the believers in England are a part, but al in England together not a visible Church, that is a body politic, in which collectively the government of Christ lieth.  
Secondly, the kingdom of England, being no true Church politic, then the ministry of it as such is no true ministry. But it is no true Church. Therefore the Officers therof no true Officers. What cannot bee proved out of the Word to be a true Church is none. But this cannot bee proved out of the Word. Therefore is it none. It was not the Church of Asia but the seven Churches of Asia that were bodies politic. The power lay not in them together, but particularly, each Church commended for its own virtues, and reproved for its own faults, but not all joined together in the fault: or in the power of making the cure. Revel. 2. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 13. 14. 15. 16.  
Thirdly, we say Parish congregations are not true Churches, unless for the matter they are visible Saints,( Philip. 1. 1. 6, 7. 1 Cor. 1. 2.) and for the form gathered together, and joined by voluntary consent to worship God according to the rule of the New Testament. 1 Pet. 2. 5.  
Secondly, for answer to the second sort of objections against us, wee answer. First, leaving those Parish Assemblies that say they are Churches, and are not to join to a true Church, a body politic, is undoubtedly necessary, and wee may not have Communion with them in all Church Ordinances. 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17.  
Secondly, Churches may bee gathered out of such as were true Churches, but have apostatised, and live in sinful practices, and having been dealt withall according to the rule of the Word remain obstinate, one ought to separate from them, 2 Cor. 6. 14. 15. Revel. 18. 4. or from any Church, when I cannot have communion with them, but I shall contract personal defilement.  
Thirdly, we do hear none as Officers that preach, but as gifted men, unless it bee such as are chosen by a true Church, a body politic, and they when they exercise in their own Church, but in all other places we hear them but as gifted men, though we aclowledge their Office else where; And so those that are slanderously called Independent Ministers do preach, and their people hear in all places where they come. And none of them do hold their Ordination by the Bishops, or any other false power to their Ministry, for they do in no sense make a man a Minister, either in his own Church, or else where, but onely the call of a true Church, a body politic. Though otherwise Churches may, and ought to advice and bee advised by each other in their choice, yet they have no power, if they dissent to make the call of the Officer so chosen voided.  
Fourthly, though wee think it convenient to meet with our Churches in public places, by some called Churches( if we might have liberty) yet we account no holinesse to be in the places 
* Though it is fit to meet in convenient places, yet God looks rather at the persons than the place. Pauls preaching neither justified the place nor their worship he declaring against it: Acts. 17. 22.  John 4. 20. 23.) and that the consecration thereof was sinful, though in regard of their room●h, and seats, and publikenesse we judge them convenient.  
We have done this that we may not bee partakers of other mens sins, but keep ourselves pure, 1 Tim. 5. 22. that by our presence in hearing, or preaching we may not lay a stumbling block before the eyes of the blind Lev●. 19. 14. Rom. 14. 13. c. 14. 20., or offend any of our brethren, in giving them occasion to think we sin while we do but what is our duty.  
FINIS.