A SHORT DISCOURSE, TOUCHING The Cause of the present unhappy Distractions, and Distempers in this KINGDOM, and the ready Means to Compose, and Quiet them.  
Printed in the year, 1642. feb. 8th  
I Am persuaded that whosoever shall cast a judicious eye upon the present state, and condition of Affairs in this KINGDOM; and shall examine the cause of the unhapy Distractions, and Distempers that reign in it; will soon discern that they have their spring and nourishment, rather from spiritual, than from temporal interests, for that in this latter, all the Subjects of this KINGDOM concurring, and agreeing in the same ends, it is but one work to satisfy every single man's desire; when the Liberty of men's persons, the propriety of their goods, and their being governed by the Laws of the Kingdom is secured; every man's heart will be at quiet (for what concerneth temporal regards) and in securing and satisfying one man, the whole Kingdom, and each single man it, is likewise thereby contented and secured.  
But the differing interests between men in spiritual regards, cannot so easily be reconciled by any obligatory sanctions or determinations; For that which may stand with the liking of one party, cannot be hoped to be allowed of by ●he Adverse; but rather we may believe, that since there are many several persuasions among eminent men (yea all men in this Kingdom; It cannot be expected, but that the satisfaction of one, must needs carry along with it the displease of all ●he rest; And this discrepance of opinions, being in a business of the highest concernment that can be (as importing no less than every man's eternal happiness or misery) it must needs follow; that whilst any party is in Jealousy, or apprehensi●● of the others getting the advantage, so as to impose their Doctrine and practice upon consciences governed b● different Principles; there cannot choose but be nourished in their minds a great alienation of their affections one from another; and a struggling of each side to get the mastering hand; And a distrust and suspicion of each others actions; so as whiles every one striveth to put his Adversary into a condition of not being able to hurt him, the whole frame of the Commonwealth is weakened, and disjointed by each Members drawing and pressing a several way; It were to be wished that the cure of this disease, might be effected by bringing into one fold all the sheep, that bear the Mark of our supreme Shepherd Christ, and have given their names to be Soldiers in his Militia. But si●ce this is a blessing rather to be wished, than hoped for (men's apprehensions being so various: And the principles depending of them, whereby they govern themselves, being so different, that they are not easily to be reconciled.)  
The next remedy of the present inconveniences, surely is to provide that they may not destroy one another; but every party being at ease, and contented within themselves, in those affairs that regard God and their own Consciences, and being secured from any encroaching or pressures upon them that way, they may then with unanimity and comfort, join all their endeavours together for promoting, and advancing their temporal emoluments.  
Which course certainly is not only the most judicious, and the most prudent in humane wisdom; But is also the most pious, and the most godly in Divine respects, nay, to do the contrary, were most impious and wicked; for since it is clear, that no man could be so much an Enemy to himself, as to undergo present and evident inconveniences for matters of Religion, if his conscience did not assure him that God required it at his hands, and that it is no less than a matter of damnation, wilfully to deny his obedience to his maker, the great God of Heaven and Earth, and to give it to human power, It cannot therefore be denied, but that it is a high impiety for any power to force another unto what he beleiveth to be sacrilegious and damnable, and extreme cruelty and tyranny, to punish one for doing what in his conscience he is clearly convinced, is the only best; man's reason cannot be forced by outward violence; all that can be expected from such a course, is to have weak minds through humane frailty become Hypocrites; for this is undeniable, what is not of faith is sin, yea it comes near that sin against the Holy Ghost, if that sin be to do in the Worship of God contrary to the express dictamen of their own conscience.  
The Tenor of God's proceed in propagating Religion is quite different from this inhuman course; he hath power to ruin, and destroy in a moment, those that shall be refractory to his Laws; yet he imposeth no fear or constraint upon any man; he disposeth all things sweetly, and leaveth every man in this World, the freedom of his own choice proceeding therein as stands with justice, and the truth of God, with the Council of his will and nature of his Decree determined, that is not without Christ the satisfaction of his justice, nor yet without free consent of the creature, which is by his own grant a free power in nature, uncompellable, especially by humane power; God accepteth only the free giver, he rejecteth the worship of them that unwillingly pay it him, nor will he let them go with Gideon to fight his battle, that have more mind to stay at home.  
We may then safely conclude, that since true Religion is a supernatural thing, and a mere gift of God, not possible to be forced into men's souls by humane compulsion; The establishing of it in men's minds ought wholly to be left unto his Divine ways of working and planting it, for it is an effect that floweth from a supernatural principle of grace, which worketh upon our hearts, by those inscrutable paths that none but God can tread: Let us then take heed of intruding our unworthy sickles into his harvest, lest with Vzziah, we be in this life or the next, stricken dead for presuming to prop up his Ark unwarrantably.  
But that it may appear yet more evident, how unfit it is to make coercive Laws for Religion, and men's Consciences, let us consider how unagreeable such a proceeding is aswell to reason, as to the rules of God's wisdom and goodness; those that make such Laws are men: who supposing them never so good, and never so wise, yet as long as they are men, they are still liable to error; and all their Ordinances may be defective: we find no spirit of infallibility promised to humane consultations; Amongst the Apostles, Peter was found reprehensible; even after receiving the holy Ghost, and as great confirmation and riveting in faith and piety, as humane nature is capable of: if then any misapprehension, or mistaking should creep into their Counsels, and their Orders or Laws thereupon prove erroneous, and unwarrantable; how lamentable a case were it, that the godly tenderhearted that are in the right (as they must be that oppose them) should suffer either in persons, or Estates, for adhering to truth and justice.  
Certainly the rule which Christ prescribeth of giving to Caesar those things which are Caesar's, and to God what is his, doth fully determine this point, and setteth a period to all further questions about it; Reverence, Duty, and Obedience in temporal matters belong to the civil Magistrate, and whosoever shall break the tye of civil Society, let him suffer for it, by the hand of humane justice; But to take Gods own peculiar work out of his hand, let no man presume: He only hath the floodgates of Grace in his power; he only can speak to our hearts, and from his whispers and instructions only can true Religion be derived. To his infinite goodness then, let that task be wholly referred; It is our part to pray, and use such other helps for the instructing of others as God hath directed in his word, but his only with power to effect it.  
But peradventure you will ask then, whether the godly may use no weapon against those that have a spiritual War with them by being different in their judgement, & practice? yes surely (if it be sinful) they may use that weapon which God hath put into their hand to sight with in this Cause; It is aspitituall weapon, and therefore proportionable to a spiritual conflict; Let wicked persons and unbelievers be cut off from the rest of the Church, by the sword of excommunication, not from the world by the Sword of Justice: for that is directly contrary to the Apostles rule.  
In this particular, where he appointeth the use of excommunication, and telleth the Church, they must with patience expect repentance and amendment from such offenders; which expectance being ordained by the Holy Ghost, surely it must be a great impiety, to disobey this Divine Constitution, and press further by any impious zeal, to extirpate by civil power those plants, that are blasted by a spiritual breath; so that the result of this discourse is, that it cannot be hoped, that any Kingdom or State, should be happy, or flourish under God's blessing, until all men's hearts are united together, and made to concur joynely, and unanimously, in advancing the temporal interests of it, by every man's being secured, and quieted in the possession of his spiritual ones, which can be done no way but by freedom in matters of Religion; wherein though a certain tenor of Faith and form of Divine Worship be agreed of, and established in general for those that have their consciences, moulded that way; yet others, that cannot yield their assent thereunto, may to themselves enjoy the freedom of their conscienes as long as they do nothing to interrupt the civil society.  
And if any worldly man, that taketh a scantling of the ways of God by a humane measure, should apprehend that such a toleration (as men call it) might in tract of time suffer a false Doctrine to take so deep root, as at length it may grow so strong, and spread so wide, that the now prevalent party may in the end be put to the worst, and when they are grown to be the weakest side, may not be treated with such moderation as is now desired at their hands.  
All which may appear possible enough (saith he) to whosoever shall consider, how without careful weeding, the best corn will soon be choked up with thistles, and such other perverse excrescences of depraved nature.  
I shall but desire him to examine seriously and calmly, in the particular progress that must be allowed to such a turn, how improbable, or rather impossible it is; And not content himself, with a specious objection, drawn from generals, that in their due sense are true; but are wrested in their application to this purpose, let him consider, how unlikely it is that falsehood should prevail against truth (for so he conceiveth it) when it carrieth with it no bias of humane advantage, to warp men's minds that way: number, power and reputation, is yet of his side, what should afterwards supplant it? what invitements, or allurements, hath the other, to bewitch men to forsake Divine truth, to their temporal prejudice? for all the advantage the other can boast of, is but impunity. It is discountenanced, they have power, are not cherishing Fathers, nor nurceing Mothers to it; It hath no weapons to fight with; it must wrestle naked against the others advantageous Arms, so remote a Providence then, or rather such a distrust, argueth some secret consciousness of inward deficiency and weakness, and then, why should they not conclude with Gamaliel, that if the Doctrine, whose progress they apprehend be of God, it is not in their Power, nor of all mankind together to hinder the growth of it?  
But if they believe it false, and are firmly persuaded of the perfection and verity of their own; they should not doubt, but that God who made the Egyptian Magicians sticks break in pieces at their Encounter, with Aaron's rod, And that made Dagon fall to the ground at the approach of the Ark, and that consumed Baal's Priests with sire, When they stood Competition with his true Prophet, will also unmask the Counterfeit beauties of a false Religion, when it raiseth itself aghast the true one, and hath no support of temporal Advantages, to underprop it.  
Now that which I draw from the former grounds, and upon which I conclude the truth of my conceit, is, that as it doth in every part singularly well agree with itself, so no way thwarting, but agreeing also most fully with these seven things, viz. Election, Predestination, Grace, Faith, Redemption, Religion, and with God. and that with seven things in the nature of God, viz. his infinite Essence or Law of his omnipotent power; his excellent wisdom, his wonderful Goodness, his free love, his exact justice, his unspeakable mercy, and his unfaylable truth, all which may be declared in their place.  
FINIS.