m m •••.'. V>C5 #liXn f. r ?-d BALM from GI.LEA& OR, THE DIFFERENCES ABOUT THE Stated and Impleaded In a lober and ferioiis LETTE TO Mihifters and Chriftians m Sevtldtid. f By an Healing Hand. Rom. i€. 17 ~—Mar\.tbefn which caufe Divijions, &c. Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thine own name tkofe thou haftgvien me, that they may be one as we are. Si in Necejfariit fervaremus mitatem 5 in Adiaphoris, Libe*- mem \ in utrifque charitatem 3 qua'm miilro melius & haberentresEcclefiae? fypert. Melden. in Pahenifi vo- r tiva pro pace EccU A Do&ore gloriofo, aPaflore contentiofo, & $b hitiilibm quefKonibus, libefec Ecclefiam Deus. Luth* LONDON; Printed for Tho. CockerilL at the -Tire* le ^}^ ^ ■ Poultry iover againft iHcStoe^Market.i^Bu ., '/'%0V1 : **. ' ; The Printers Advertifement to # the Reader. Courteous Reader, THIS enfuing Letter having Jong lurked in fome private hands, not communi- cated to them for whom it has been prin- cipally defigned ; Tranfcribing and tead* ing of large Papers being uneafie'^ efpeci* ally to the vulgar, falling now at length into my hand, I do here prefent it to thee m Print, for thy eafe and profit I know not the Author, nor does it much concern you or me, Quis dixit, but, Quid didUm. Naked truth will doubtlefs be acceptable to lovers of Truth and Peace, whoever the Herald be that publijhes it: Nor is it my part' to write an Epi-. file Commendatory ; all I fhall jay is, Tolle&Lege, do but once ferioufly, and without a preoccupied mind perufeit,and read it through, and it is hoped ztjhall not repent you of your labour. Tcu fee it is an Ireni- cum, defigned to cafi water upon thefe unhappy flames, which have burnt up,- con fumed and defiroy- ed more of the interefi of Piety in that Land, than Tongue or Pen can exprefs. And fince our Bleffed Lord hath [aid, bleffed are the Peace-makers, it is expected the children of Peace will not refufe an ear to the counfels of peace, nor count it an unhappinefs ' to be charmed by the words of truth and peace here held forth with convincing light, and perfwafive A % power. power. The Author tt feems hath not affecled to be like fome, Verbornm Mare, Rerum Inane. De- light mil projicere ampullas , & fefquipcdalia Verba,f0 bogle consciences with big and busked words ; the /implicit y of the Gojpel feems the mofi native and proper drefs for the Truths ofChrift. Te know whoje char abler it is, to fteak r£ tifytyw, ^ J> ef . i. i$. This Treatife being calculated for the capacity of vul- gar Chriftians, yet not below the Genius of the more Learned (both of whofe confciences, humours at leafl, needed cure) has ftudied rather fortia, than Phale^ rata, to be found, nervons, fincere and plain, rather than polite. It is true, none of thofe dividers , with whom the Author deals , had than unmask* ed themfelves, nor run to that height of extravagan- cy % which fome of late have been carried unto ; and therefore all are mildly and modeflly dealt with. But confidering the ft ate of the Controverfie, and of the perfons, as then it was, and ftill (for moft part) is, it is hoped ye will find this Taper, through the blef fing of the Prince of Peace, not a little ufefulfjot clearing doubts, compofing differences, and binding up of wounds. And feeing that fire ftill bur net h (and is like to burn all into ajhes) among that poor afflicled remnant, to contribute my mite of help to extin- gttijh the fame, is my aim in letting thee have it in Print, Farewelh BALM to &&&&&&& ft Aft&ftft ^ft ft * & ft ft 4 BALM FROM G I L E A D : OR AN Admonitory LETTER to the Ho. »eft Minifters and People in Scotland? Jan. 1674. Reverend Brethnn, and. Chrifiian Friends. ' E falute you heartily in the Lord : Grace and Peace, through Jeius Chrift be mul- tiplied unto you. And bein- treated, we pray you, to al- low us liberty to ufe a little freedom with you, being conftrained in duty to lay fbme things before you, concerning your late Differences, whiqh are like to run to luch a la- mentable height, and to have fuch fad effe&s, as: A 3 may CO may make you the aftonifhing wonder as well of your felves, as of others. An Addrefs, which we confefs may feem ftrange, upon divers confide* nations, efpecially that fuch as we fhould pre- fume tq interpofe with fuch as you, of whom iv* becomes us to learn, rather than to warn and ad- moniih. But our Apology is, Necejfity has no Law. Were your Malady like to heal of it felf, (as we once expected time fhould have cooled your Fe- ver, worn out fuch diftempers, and not augmen- ted them), or were it tolerable, and not like to be a nckriels unto death ; or, were others (of whom there are many fitter than we) underta- king the Task, to apply Balm to your bleeding wounds: We fhould have been glad to have flood by , and let better hands deal with you, and We to be joyful fpectators of your Cure, as we have been, and are fad witneffes of your Difeafe. We know aflp how dangerous and thanklefs an office it is (itfually) to meddle with Divifions ; how ready fuch are (like parters of a Fray) to get the redding-ftroke, arid be divided themfelves, and torn in pieces by thbfewhp are moftout of humour, whether moft in the right pr not, AB. y. zy. Who can meddle with fucli a f?3me as is kindled amongft you, and hot burn his j§tee or fingers, even when he cafteth water to quer^* 1 it ? To get behind the hedg, and lye under tier wind, were more eafie and fecure for us, than to Hand up in the gap, and offer to pacine the quarrel ^ the coratentioris of Brethren being (like * « that C 3 ] that of the Epkr'antites, Judg. tja-Jt!) (harper and harder to be compofed than the jars and embroil- ment of an offended City, Prov. 18. 19. Moreover, trtie is Solomons word; Tro of which here- after. And had your diiferent apprehenfions of that matter been managed with fbbriety and modera- tion , and no fbul-wafting and Church-ruining coatefts been raifed thereabout ; but God w r aited iipon, and mutual forbearance exercifed , till your different meafiires of light had come to fbme happy accommodation; Bleffed had ye been, Ffal. 133.1,2. And fome, we grant, yea a good many, have obtained mercy to do fb. But others, alas! have carried otherwife, not contenting themfelves to enjoy and follow their bwn light, have alio laid, and ftill lay fore at thqfe who differ from them. What woful heart- burnings, rentings, alienations, fierce and fiery clamours, [6] clamours, and pitiful confuftons, are fallen in a- mong you ! as if a judicial fpirit of Divifion were poured out upon you, ( ah ! the anger of the Lord hath divided them ! and will he no more regard them?) Which who can look upon, 'and not be pained at the very heart with fbrrow ! Who can hold their peace at flich a doleful thing ! Whofe tongue w r ould not loofe , as Crxfm his Son's did, in a like cafe, and cry, Spare ! Under- iranding therefore fuch exorbitant heats and extra- vagant courfes to be in fbme of you againft others, meerly for their following their light in ufe-ma- king of that Licenfe to exercifc the Miniftry which they have and hold of the Lord \ Albeit we may not prefume to be Palamon or Umpire betwixt you, yet (judging the part of a Monitor not in- competent unto us) we cannot but interpofe,and with the tear in our eye, cry. What mean ye to fall at juch odds 1 Dear Brethren ! Can there be no difference a- mong you without divifion ? no di-verjity of ap- prehenfions of things without running into Par- ties and contefis about them ? Is difference of judg- ment in every lefler thing, inconfiftent with uni- ty and peace, concord and communion in things wherein ye are aggrie ed? And may ye not be of one heart , till ye be of one way in things wherein ye differ? Muff, ye call out and con- tend, when ye cannot all be of the lame mind, in fuch infer wur things , albeit ye agree in the Main ? Are ye not united in Doctrine, Worfhip, Principles of Difcipline and Government ? and will ye rent at fuch a rate about the Application of [73 of one principle to a particular cafe ? Will ye fall 'out among your felves, while ye are jointly ingaged in one common caufe againft a common adverfary, who watcheth for your halting, and faith of your jarrings, Aha I fo would we have it! Have ye forgotten the former Perfecution, that ye are fb fbon fallen by the ears among your {elves ? Are ye not under their eye, who rejoice at the (port, clap hands and cry, Hui to the fray ? Could ye gratifie them, and difadvantage your felves more than by fiich reelings ? Is not this that which their very fouls longed for ? and now you grant them their Hoc ^ff defire, as Lam. z. 15-, 1 6. You are ri- J*j velit » ven with a wedg of your own timber, ma 8*o whom all the enemies fury could not jfrrU* undo ! Are ye not become the fcorn of the Adverfary, the fhame and forrow of your friends? Ahi tell it not in Gath y &C. How much alfb of the indignation of the Lord doth Schif. matizing import ? What fatal judgments dqth it portend? jer.'i^i^ 14. And what a fcandal is it to fee the Sons of Peace, as it were, intoxi- cated with the waters of Miffah and Mtribah \ W T ill not this be Marab, bitternefs in the end ? Is it not your great plague to be thus disjointed, Ifa.9. 19— 21 ? We're it not your rich blefling to be compofed, and unite, for the better follow- ing of common duties, IfaSiui 3, 14? And will not your foes carefully improve flich advantages againft you ? And being broken among your felves, are ye not become weak and contempti- ble, and expofe your felves a prey to all the beads C 8 3 beafts of the field that pleafe to devour ? And utterly incapacitate your felves for Duty or Outgeate ? What will probably become of fuch a diftra&ed divided company ; crumbled into fb many Atoms and fractions ? Yea, Subdivisi- ons and new debates ftarting daily, fra once Di^ vifion beginneth, being like the letting forth of water, breaches multiplying and waxing wider and wider, Pro. neither Emperour nor Senate, &c. as is there marked ? And ABs 16. 1 . upon a P oft 'we Permifli- on, he not only Apologized, but Preached to A- grippa. Now , furely , if to Preach Occafionally upon fiich a Warrant, be not ill, neither can it be to Preach in a more ftated way (as you* Brethren do) upon a ftated permiflion. And who can deny, but that Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, their Grants of Liberty (recorded by Efdras) to go up to Jerufalem, and build the Honfe of the Lord, and offer Sacrifice, &c. there, was a mercy, and more valuable than for the Children of the Captivity to have gone up and done this at their own hand ? And is this your like piece of Li- berty, though of alefler fize, not at all to be em- braced ? What would the Proteftants in Hungary and Spain efteem of the like favour? Further, Did not your (elves generally allow of the firft Indulgence ? counted it an hopefiil begin- ning of good to your poor afflided Church ? (as can be attefted.) How come ye then now to con- trovert it ? And would ye not yet (as is informed) aceeptof a general Indulgence? much more of a complete Reftauration of the Church to her former Integrity j Integrity ? And is it fuch a fin to take part of that Liberty, till God put it into the heart of the Ma- giftrate to grant more ? Doth mag-is & minus vari- are fpeciem ? Will ye either have all or nothing, 3§d defpife a day of (mall things ? (contrary to the Saints humble and good way of old , Efdra* g. about the matters of God , formally civil , and only objectively Ecclefiaftical, and to beputforth modo . [ =7 1 modo ch>iij 9 in a civil way, and by civil means I fo 'that there is nothing 16 facred in the vifible matters of Religion, but it is the object of his care and Procuratorfhip, and his power to be o*nverfant about it, in manner competent, (as Awe (ins tells, Caf. confc. lib. f. cap.zj. thef. 8.) He being cuflos & v'mdex utriufa tabula, keeper of both Tables of the Law, of the firft as well as of the fecond, as the fourth Command appoint- ed \ whence it is called by fbme eminent Di- vines, the Magiltrat^ Charter for taking tare of Religion^ Which is alio confirmed from Deut.31. 9. &&DeM. 17. 18, 19. with Jojl. 1.7, 8,9. This power, arid by virtue of it, his juft intermediing for the good of Religion, is uncontroverted by Orthodox Divines, and confirmed by that ap- plauded pradice of Artaxerxes, Decreeing, Ezra 7.23. Whatfoe e uer is commanded by the God of Hea- ven, Itt it be diligently done for the H'.tife of the Cod of Heaven, eye. Which power (if through error or wickednefs) the Magiftrate imploy for the hurt,rather than for the good of the Church, (though that be a fault) yet we judg ye will not call it Eraftianifm, or an ufiirpation of an un- lawful power, but an abufe or mifapplication of a lawful ; and will count him peccant in the matter, not in the siuthunty or power. Now this power of his is extended by Divines to no lefs, if not to more, than your Indu gence (in 16 far as it is accepted by the Brethren,) a- monnts Unto. And that, conform to the word of God in the commended practices of feveral Kings mentioned in Scripture, who warrantab.y took C 28] took upon them by vertue of their calling to do as much and more , without the leaft imputati- on of invading the Prieftly or Spiritual power ; Aarons Rod, and Judahs Scepters, remaining ftill diftinft notwithstanding. Particularly, d'v? not He&ekiah in i Chron. 19. 3. Of en the doors of thehoufe of the Lord, which had been (hut for a long time, as v. 7. and 1/.4. it is faid, He brought in the Priefis and Levites. And v. 5. he juts them to their Work, to fantlifie and cleanfe the houfe. And *v. 11. To offer facrifices is commanded by him. And %$. hefet (orreftored to their place) the Levites in the houfe of the Lord "with Cymbals, &c. And v. 3 o. Commanded them to fing praife, &c. Now in all thefe things the Priefts and Levites did give obedience not only out of duty to God, as obliged to do thele things by vir- tue of their office, but alio out of rejpetl to the Kings Commandment, as ye find *v. 1 5, 14. The like is faid, % Chron. 3 5. x. that Jofias fet the Vnefts in their Charges. From thele Citations Note three things : (1) That as it is proper to the Spiritual Offi- cers of the Houfe of God Operari m Sacris, Or elicitively to ad in the exercifes of Religion , (0 it is not incompetent to the Civil Ruler to com- mand, and put forth his authority about the fame imperatively, but jure he may, yea ex Officio he ought to do fb ^ even to put the Church -Offi- cers to their duty and work, when need requi- reth ; and that not only by removing Reftraints and Impediments , nor by naked permiffion on- ly, but even by way of Authoritative order and com- C 293 command. As there, the Prince appointeth, and the Prieft adeth. (2) That this is efpecially competent, yea in- cumbent to him, In ftatu Ecckftse Turbato, vet corrupto, in a perturbed or corrupted ftate of the . Church, fach as then was, and as yours was and is. (3) That it is no crime for the Minifters of the Lord to obey the Magiftrate in fuch a cafe As the Magiftrate adeth no Eraftianifm, nor Papal Supremacy in this kind of doing ; fo nei- ther does the Minifter homologate or involve himlelfinany fuch crime, nor is to be loaded with fuch Imputations in and for going along (in his place)with(uch appointments oftheMagiftrate* However Uzziab was faulty in the one fort (as 2 Chron. 26. 16^18.) and Jeroboam in the other fort of folecifms in the exercife of Magiftratical power about Religion , (as 1 King.- iz. 28, 29, 31, 32, 33.) XJzjzjah invading the Priefts Office, like an Eraftian indeed, and [feroboam ufurping that unlawful Supremacy like Lord and Head of the Church ; vet ?ood Hezekiah did neither of c them : Nor does any other Prince, who contains himfelf within his line, as Hezekmh did. And the Licenfing of your Minifters to return to their publick ftations, is no other, (as afterward fhali be cleared) but molt like unto Hezekiahs pra- ctice in ieveral points above rehear fed. And cori- (equently no fault in your Minifters acceptance thereof in fo far as it is accepted by them. Add to this Jehofoaphats approved practice iri %Qhron, ij< 7, 8.. where we find he jent the Le- C <&ma [3o1 3 their deed, feeing they difclaim and never owned moft of thefe things more than thole do who re- jed all. And is it not hard from their acceptance of apart, viz. the naked permitted liberty ,to in- fer and caft upon them an Homologation of the^ whole contents of thefe ads ? Here then it would be remembred what the true ftate of the Queftion is: Which is not, (i) Whether thefe acts forementioned be in all things approvable and rightly done ? But what . in all or any of thefe ads might be and is law- fully done ? Particularly, \\ hether or not the Magiftrate might and did jure order thefe Mini- fters, and repair unto, and grant them a permit fion to Preach and exercife the other parts of their Miniftry in fiich and fiich places as are men- tioned in the Ad ? In a complex Ad there mav be many things largely cenfurab!e, and verv finful, upon the Magiftrates part ; yet may there be other things not unwarrantable, x^nd in that cafe the one are not to be condemned out of di- ftafte at the other. And certainly, whatever in- competency or iniquity may be alledged to be in other points of thefe Ads, it will be hard to find any in the particular forementioned, i/«U the Indulged liberty. (x) It is not fo much to be Queried, what is Lawfully, as what is Legally done in this by the Magiftrate ; for a thing (for example, the con- finement of a Godly Minifter for no fault) may be very unlawfully and unjultly done, and a real fin upon the Magiftrates part, like other ads , of Injuftice ; yet may it be legally done, that is it/ [43] to fay, not Heterogeneous and incompetent to his Office, not beyond the bounds of his power ; .and therefore cannot therein be counted an Ufur- per (or Eraftian \ though perhaps not free of hi- ^ulty. This confideration well obferved,may help to clear a frequent miftake in many fimple people who count every sA of injuftice real or fuppofed' Sri the Ruler about matters of Religion, an ael; of Eraftianifm or Papal Supremacy. (3) Neither is the Queftion (b much* What has the Magiftrate done in all this, as, What ha? the Minifters accepted^ or (ubmitted unto ? For s perhaps there are many more things enacted by Km, than, imbraced by them. Now what are the Minifters concerned farther, than as to what they have accepted, or yielded fubmiffion unto ? Let each bear their' own burden, and not every thing, wherein it is fuppofed the Magiftrate hath done amifs,be charged upon the Minifters. (4 ) It is not the Queftion either, Whether or not it be lawful for Minifters to have clofed with the whole complex of both thefe Ac~ts ? .This ye know they never did : nor do they allow of all contained in thefe A6ts more than you do. But the Queftion is, Whether might they lawfully accept of, or fubmit unto any thing contained therein, reje&ing the reft as evil,or inconvenient ; Particularly, whether they might upon the above- mentioned order,repair to fiich and fiich Parifhcs, and there Preach the Gofpel , and exerciie the other parts of their Miniftrv, being permitted by the Magiftrate, and alfb called thereunto by the people, and this for fiich time only ( in cafe it be not [44] not their former charge) until they fhould have regrefs to their former Parifhes ? This ye know is all they did embrace. And in a complex bilfi- finefs, why might not the good be taken hold of, and the evil abftraded from, waved, and laid by ? as is direded in the like cafes, i Thef.5.11. Vrcvf all things, fays the Apoftle, and held fafl that which is good. And commended in Ifa. 7. 15-. Heb. y. nit. and recommended in Phil. 1. 9, 10. And whatever the Magiftrate did cverftretch in, what is* it to the Minifters if they did not cloj'e with thefe exceffes, as they did not ? If ye fay, the circumftanceSjOr concomitants or parts of an adion cannot be morally abftraded from, or fe- parated the one from the other, feeing all con- curs to make up the morality of the adion ; Therefore no circumftances or parts of the Ma- giftrates deed can be by the indulged feparate, more than by himfelf. Anf. Howbeit the circumftances of the adion cannot be juftly waved by the Agent, as relating properly to him ; yet no doubt but the Patient- well may ; and falfe it is to fay, all the circum- ftances upon the Agents part, does alfb terminate upon the Patient, and refled upon the one as well as upon -the other ; as both Philofbphy and Divinity teacheth. It is not therefore to be doub- ted but a complex frame of Indulgence, clothed with vicious circumftances, and ftutfed with ill ingredients upon the granters part, might very well be divided by the accepters, and the good feparated from the bad," very warrantably ; and this to be counted no more Logical abftradion, but [45] but wife and Chriftian difcretkm and difcrimina- tioii ; aiid cbnfequently they ought not to be char- ged in this cafe, with accepting the Indulgence as circumftaiitiat in the Magiftrate. But more of ^:his after. And fo they are not acceffary to the guilt may be complicated in it, as it comes from me Magiftrate. From all which ye fee, It is no fmall perverfion of the ftate of the Qiieftion, as it is moulded by fbme in their Papers, making it to be this ; Whether the Magifirate, by ''virtue of his Office, tnay, bfhirn~ [elf, and i?nmediately without the Church, and the pre-viom Eletlion of the People, ajfign 'and [end Mini- fiers to particular Churches , to take the Fixed and Pafioral Qverjight of them ? And prefiribe Rules and Directions to them, for the exercife of their Miniftry^ and confine them to the [aid Congregations ? And then Impugning this multiplex Qiieftion , renders their exceptions againft it, as Reafans why they could not embrace the Indulgence, as their Ere^ thren have done : As if Exceptions at any part of the Magiftrates Deed, did juftifie their refufing of the whole, and reflected guilt upon thofe who did riot wholly reject it as they did ; or as if their Bre- thren embraced all and whole of it, not feparating the good from the evil. What unfair dealing is this ? And among the many iniquities obfervable in this framing of the Qiieftion (whereof feverals lliall be fpoken to afterwards, namely, concern- ing the Confinement, and Act of Regulation) thefe two atprefent would be noticed. . I. That more is charged upon the Magiftrate, than really he hath D don4f [4n done, namely, i .It is fupponed, that by the Indul- gence he gives the Minifters a jpiritual potejlatiue mijfwn fas they call it) for Preaching to ftich Con- gregations, and taking Paftoral Charge thereof : Hence they frame their Arguments to militate a- gainflrthe Indulgence, as if therein the Magiftrat/ took upon him the Spiritual Power of the Church in Ordination and Admijjion. Whereas all his Mif- fion or Aflignment is purely Civil and Local (as ap- peareth by the Tenor of the Act) ordering them to repair to fuch Parifhes, and be confined there- in; only (for mitigation of their Confinement) he permits and allows them alfb liberty to Preach there, yet leaving it to peoples liberty to call them, and to their own liberty to embrace that call, to exercife their Miniftry there, or not, as they plea£ ed; (for their Freaching is not enjoyned, but per- mitted.) Whence it is plaiu, there was no Moral Or Spiritual Mifjion, nor Ecclefiaftical Admijjion and Setting of thefe Minifters oyer thefe Congregations, like that in Tit. i. 5-. Acls 14. ^^. (unlefs ye call confinement to the place, with a civil permiflion to Preach there, a fpiritual and poteftative MifTion which were abfurd.) And therefore all the Argu- ments muftered up ( upon this account) againft the Indulged Liberty cum larvzs lutJantur, fights with their own Fancy only, and makes nothing a- gainft the true queftion. Yea further, Suppofe there had been fome fort of Yolitical Million, or Appointment and Command, fiich as Jehofoapbat gave to the Levites, and Hez,ekiab to the Priefts, as aforefaid ; yet that diners toto genere from an JLcckjiajtical Million, fuch as the Church gave Bar- nabas C 47 3 nab as and Vaul 9 AH. i 3. a, 3. % The Magiflrates political Appointment in this cafe, being not a Spiritual Authorisation ih the Name of Chrill, but merely a Lr^/ Warrant '< fi&t ^conferring intrinfick power and right to Preach, or be Pallors to thefe people, but only: 'warranting them (in point of Law) to exercife their Miniflry to and among them. 2. Itisfnpponedhere, that theMinillers are fent to take the Fixed and P/tftc- ral Charge of thefe Congregations 5 whereas there is no mch thing in the Adt; but limply a confining, with a Licenfe to Preach, without defining in what capacity,, whether as a fiated Pallor of that people, or in occafional way only, as they and the people mould agree : So that as their Alignment is but lo- cal, their Liberty but legal and permiffive, their capacity alio of Preaching there is left undetermi- ned by the Magistrate. Thus ye fee* more is al- ledged (in this fort of Hating the queftion) to be done by the Magiftrate, than indeed He hath done. How unequal is this , that men fhould put their Commentary and Senfe of the Matter , for the Text ! And Hate the Queftion according to their millaken Notion, and not according to Truth ? The Second Enquiry in this Hating of the Que- ftion, and in determining and impugning thereof as fo Hated, is, That it is fuppofed the Contents of the Councils Acts were propofed to be accepted all and whole together, or elle none, and nothing at all : And that thefe wha have embraced the In- dulged Liberty, have joyned with all. Whereas, fb notorious it is,that neither the one nor the other is true, that we need not infill to dempnftrate the D z fame. [481 fame. And if any be ib bold, as to affirm the con- trary, it is incumbent to them to prove it, before their aflerting can merit any credit with Rational Men. In fum then, the genuine and plain ftate of the queftion is , Whether or a*, when the Lmi\ had outed you all of your Charges , and retrained you moft Jeverely from all publick , free , and peaceable Eocercife of your Miniflry, in any part of the Kirk and Kingdom of Scotland ; whether or not ( I fay ) did the Magifirate lawfully dijpenfe with , and take off that Reftrainty as to fome l*erfons a',id V laces ? And the Minifters thereby Licenfed, did they lawfully make ufe of that liberty , being withal mofi fericufly called thereunto by the People ? Now , what is exceptable againft this ? This is the true ftate of the Contro- , verfie betwixt you and your Brethren ; what is your quarrel at it ? There are nine particular Obje&ions (the moft material and moft ufiial, fo far as we can learn) which here we (hall confider and anlwer, finding them not Relevant to prove the conclulion they drive at. • i. Some fay , This Indulgence it is mere Era- ftianifm, and an Homo^gation of the Supremacy. i. They object the Rules and Inftrncliions fore- mentioned. 3. Some alledg this Preaching with the Magi- ftrates permifiion and allowance, to be a Renoun- cing of their former Commiflion from Jefus Chrift, and a taking of a new one from the Magiftrate, and an holding of their Miniftry of him with fu re- jection unto him, and dependance upon him, like other Civil Judges of the Land. \. Divers C49T 4. Divers offend at the Magiftrates intent and dejign in this Indulgence. 5*. Others ftumble at the narrownefs of the Li- berty, as to Perfbns and Places; and alio as to the ^xtentofthe Exercife of Government permitted to thefe Minifters. 6. The manner of their Entry is quarrelled bv fome, as not being called by the people, nor ad- mitted bv Order of Presby teiy, as wont to be. 7. Other fbme cry out for want of a Teftimo- ny againft the Magiftrates Incroachments, and o- ther fad grievances , in thefe and other of his Acts. 8. Some exagitates them for their confinement, yea for their fixing at all , though it be in their former Charge. 9. Others ftumble at this , that fo many other zealous and godly Minifters and people are againft it, and all the Godly divided about it. To .all thefe we mail fay fomewhat fhortly, to clear the miftakes therein. As to the Firft, D fays fbme , Is not this Indul- gence a Mafler-pkce of the States Eraftianifm^ and of the Prince his farful Supremacy now ajjerted by Law ? And confeauenijy the accepting thereof an homologa- ting and fuppcrting of boM? Upon this Head, how admirably do fbme Tri- umph, intuit, yea and anathematize the Indul- gence, and all that has accepted thereof, or hears the Indulged Men ! What fierce Outcry es are made, efpecially t>y fbme Novices and Vulgars, harping continually (almoft) uporythis String, as their rnoft melodious Mufick to pleafe themfelves D 3 with a [5o] ivitfi, and their greateft Argument to decry thefe Licenfed Brethren by ; canting thefe jingling Vo- cables of Supremacy, Homolcgat, Er apian, ad Pa- wn ufque: And yet knows not perhaps what they fay, nor whereof they affirm ; nor are able at all to rid marches, and diftindtly tell what power about Ecclefiaftick matters does of right belong to the Magiftrate, and what not ; : nor what is Eraftianifm, or fmful Supremacy, or Homolo- gating of either. Expert i loquimur. But let all that quarrel upon this fcore, feri- onfly ponder thefe few things, which we pref lime to lay before them, to take off their offence as to this : (i) Ee ye well affured, your indulged Bre- thren and ye agree well enough in Thefl (in the general), That no Eraftianifm, nor unlawful Su- premacy fproperly and truly fb called ) is to be Complied with? They abhor both as much as you do. All the difference is about the Hypothefis (or particular application ) % that they cannot call every thing fa, which you do call fb * particu- larly, that in this indulged liberty, as accepted by them, they can fee neither of thefe. If you fee further than they, bring forth your ftrong reafbns, plead with them in love,^nd labour to convince them. Mean time be fober till ye prove your AC- fertions demonftratively, and not by confident averring, nor by weak and unconcluding Rea- sons. Certainly Portia, ?wn Thaler at a, fbft words and hard arguments were your beft for convin- cing and reclaiming your honeft Brethren,in cafe they err here" (%) As for the charge of Eraftianifm, let it be •■ r •- - ;: • • ' * con- C 5i 1 eonfidered what is Eraftianifm, but when the Ma- giftrate nfurps in whole or in part the internal, proper, formal fpiritual power of Church-Go- vernment (called in Scripture, The power of the *Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven) ? and fb Wre fl- ing thefe Keys out of the Kirks hand, and in- groflmg them to himfelf, accordingly exercifeth them, or delegates them to others. Now who can warrantably lay, this indulged liberty is of that nature ? being ineerly a Civil or Legal per- ■miflion to exercile their Miniftry,notwithftanding the Laws to the contrary. Whatever may be deemed of the Act of Inftructions fb called, f wherein they are not much concerned, as after may be cleared \ furely this Act of Licencing them to Preach in fuch and fuch places, is no proper, formal, intrinfick Ad of the power of the Keys frtp more than the Roman Governpurs permitting of Paul to Preach, Atl. u. 39,4-°- & 1.6.1.) But rather an Act of the Regal Scepter • and is only objectively Ecclefiaftical : And con- sequently no Eraftianifm, nor without the verge of the Prince his juft power, as hath been former- ly (hewed. Any that are contrary minded,we hum- bly judg their Brethren will think themielves much obliged to them if they will convince therii of their miftake in this, if there be any. Mean time it is hoped thefe Opponents will not ob- trude big words, or bold AiTertions, or crafty infinuations,in(tead of fclid probations.Let School Doctors digladiat nimbly among themfelvcs, contending for the palm of Victory, rather than for Verity ; and let them dictate to their DifcU D 4 P^ e V pies, as if their «uto; \$h, their bare authority were enough to reft upon. It is hoped Divines and Chriftians will be far from fuch humours and practices ; and will know, that every man mu(t live by his own faith, and not implicitely upon anothors word. Convince your Brethren then of what Eraftianifm, or overftretch of the Magi- itrate his power is in this particular, as accepted by them, if ye find any in it ; and hear what they have to lay for themfelves, before ye condemn them, and divide from them, as is taught you, c foh. 8. 46. & 7. 71. Act. 25. 16. Yea, liippofe the Magistrate had ftretched a little beyond his ordinary line, in the permiffion granted (which yet we fee not), neverthelefs may not the extra- ordinary cafe of the Church do much to excufe, yea purge it ^f crime ?' in which cafe the moft ftriel; Presbyterians and Anti-Eraftian Divines are loth to charge him with the odious imputation of Eraftianifm. Read your worthy Mr. Gi Hefty, jiarons Rod, pag. 182. In extraordinary cafes (fay $ he) ivhen Church-Government doth degenerate into Tyranny (as under Popery it is for the moft part") then — the Chrifiian Magi fir ate may and ought to do divers things in and for Religion, and inter- •pofe his Authority divers ways , jo as doth not be- long unto his< Adminifiration , ordinarily in a Reformed and well cenfiituted Church : Becaufe ex- extraordmary Difeafes mufi have extraordinary Remedies. To this fame purpofe fpeaks blefied Mr. Rutherford m his Pue Right of Presbytery, fag. 416. Here more is conceded by your ftricl> eft Writers, than the accepted liberty amounts unto, (3) As [ 53 1 - (3) As for the Supremacy, as it is now efrafc* lifted by Law, Parliament id, Car oil 2. Sejj'. i. Act. i. We (hall not at prefent fcan the nature of it, whether it be only (as fbme of your felves «judg) a meer Civil Supremacy about Ecclefiaftical peffbns and things, but exalted to a dangerous height, devolving all the Legal power (about matters of Religion) into the Kings hand 3 making him abfolute , and intirely fupreme, ^uo ad Sfytum Pohticum, that is, in point of Civil Pre- rogative, Arbitrary ; fb as he may do in Church- matters (in point of Law or Civil capacity) as he trr'nks fit, without advice or content oftheEftates of Parliament ? or whether it be (as moft others judg) a Cafarec-Papatf/s (as they (peak) or a Pa- pal, Spiritual. Supremacy, [that is] a power to di£ pofe aWblutely in a Soveraign, Arbitrary, Defpo- tical way, (as well in genere Ethico, as in genere Politico), upon the matters mentioned in that AlI ; Particularly, to fettle what kind or Form of Government in the Church he pteafeth, and in whofe hands he pleafeth ; as if all the fpiritual power of Church-Government were in him as Head and Fountain, and Mo dell able by him at pleamre ; even as the Civil perhaps at firft was ? and confequently it be an high incroachment up- on Ch rifts Crown, to whom alone, as the only King, Head, and Monarch of his Church, fuch a tranftendent power and priviledg does belong: We fay, we judg it not neceffary to examine, that matter now. But this we may offer to be confidered, That whatever Overftretch of the Sovereigns power be made in that Aft of Supre- macy: ~i C 54 3 inacy, as (upon the one hand) none of the In- dulged alloweth thereof, more than any others ; but lament, as much as any, the extravagan- cies of this or any other Acls of Parliament, tending to the prejudice of our Lord JefusChrifl his Rights, of of the intrinfick Rights and liber- ties of his Church ; fb (upon the other hand) who can, with any reafbn affirm, that this In- dulged Liberty (in fb far as it is accepted by your Brethren) hath any affinity with fiich a Papal Supremacy, or is a part of the unclean thing that might not be touched ? Any that aver it to be fb, we humbly beg their Reafbns : for, hitherto we have feen few, but fbme quirks and iniquons lame fimilitudes and companions, which are not Argumentative, as all Scholars know, however taking they be with the vulgar ; and you know too, that, Affirmant i incumbit pro bat to, the bur- den of probation is incumbent to the purfuer. Neverthelefs (for exculpation) we fhall lay before you five reafbns, which we humbly judg may weigh much with any fbber and unprejudicate perfbns to evidence the contrary. (i) Confider the nature of this Toleration or Indulgence : It is (as hath been fhewed already) meerly an ACt of flipreme Civil power Circa Sacra, and therefore differs toto genere (as far as Heaven from Earth), from Spiritual Supremacy, and is nothing of kindred to it ; though fbme- what of the name. (x) A Politico-Papatrrs, or Papal fpiritual Su- premacy, feated in Cxfar, confifts (as Winters de- fine it) in a power to alter and difpofe arbitrarily upon I 55 ] upon Chrifts Inftitutions , and to pervert thg frame of Religion- at pleafure, and to fet up £4ii- mane Inftitutions in their room, as Jeroboam did. But this Indulged Liberty is not of that nature 1 , %\xt rather an ad of his power as Nurfe-Father to the Church, (I fa. 49. 23.) being for reftoring and countenancing Chrifts own Minifters and Ordinances, and not of Humane inventions , for promoving, not mbverting of Religion \ for the good, not the hurt of the Church ; an Auxiliary, not a privative exercife of his power. Therefore being an Ad of the Magiftrates killing the Son of God, ( PfaL 2. 1 2.) and miniftring to the Church in her diftrefs, (as Ifa. 60. 1 o.) furely it can be no ad of that Papal Supremacy, deroga- tory to Chrifts Prerogative. Who can (with the leaft grain of reafon) fay, that the reftoring (in auy part) of Chrifts Minifters and Ordinances, is a taking of Chrifts Crown off his head, (asfome of you call the Indulgence) and not rather an helping to put it on ? (3) Mamfeft it is, that the Supremacy after red in that Ad of Parliament, relates diredly only to the matter of Church-Government, the di( : pofal thereof, and of perfonsno be imployed therein, and matters to be treated therein. And fb whatever difpofal of the Key of Bifcipline it put into the Prince his hand, y& no ways med- leth with the Key of Dodrine, and power of <>/- tier, i e. the invefting of men with the power cf Preachings and Miniftring the Sacraments • for the Ad exprefly limits the Supremacy to the or- dering and difpofal of the external Government -*■ -- - - 'i ' ■■'".)• - ... ; ■ ^r C 56-] of the Church. But fo it is , that this Indulged liberty (as the Copies of the Aft which we ha^ happened to fee, bears) is only, a permifflm to Preach (including virtually a permifTion to admi- nister the Sacraments alio), but no Licenfe i§ mentioned therein to exercife Church-Govern- ment (albeit they venture upon fome parts of Government alfb, competent to a Congregation, being connhsed at therein) - y whence it followed, the Indulgence granted them can be no efflux of that Supremacy, being not ad Idem. Or if the Ad of Indulgence be of this tenor (as. is (aid fbme other Copies bear) permitting them to preach and exercife other parti of their Miniftry ; thence it is evident that the Aft of Indulgence p-efwpofes their power and right to Preach, &c. and that they have a Miniftry, and intrinfick right to ex- ercife all its parts, antecedently to that Indulged Liberty j but no way confers a new Copy-hold of their Miniftry : Only it fays, the exercife there- of was under a Civil Inhibition, or Legal Re- ftraint, which this indulgence takes off. But fo it is, that the Supremacy, as it is aliened, is a power of conferring power of the matters there- in exprefted (as %e your felves grant) as if the Prince were head and fountain thereof Sith therefore by the Indulgence the power of Preach- ing and exercifyig the other parts of the Mini- ftry is not delegate, nor derived unto them, but only the free and peaceable exercife thereof per- mitted, and reftraints removed, plain it is that the Indulgence is no Act of that Supremacy. And chat even the power of Kirk-Seifions,or Confifto- rial C57l -ramparts of Government exercifed by then?, di£ fers fpecifically , and in kind, from what the Su- premacy can pretend to give. 4. Power of indulging is a thing which the Ma- ^iftrate uncontrovertedly had , and did exercife anteriorly to the forelaid AlTertion of Supremacy ; for the firit Indulgence was before it, and your {elves grant that that Act Affertory of the Supre- macy is not declarative only , (though it run in that Style, as the Stylus Curia) but Collative and Conftitutive , conferring upon him more than e- ver he had before, elfe why did not ye and your Church Refent it before that Aflertion of it ? Whence it follows , that the Indulging Power is not a proper part of that new Supremacy, being exiftent before it had a Being ; nor the Act of In- dulgence, a Native Product of that Supremacy, but the Efflux of a power prior unto it. 5-. The Ad of Indulgence does not, in any the leaft Syllable or Jot of its Tenor, Refer unto," or Bottom it lelf upon, the "afletted Supremacy * but runs in common Form and Style of other Civil Acts of the Council. Whereas it is obfervable , that the Ad of Re- ftkution of the Bifhops, and the Act anent Con- ftitution of their National Synod , are exprefly Founded upon the Kings Supremacy, as the Nar- ratives thereof bear. Whence it is mamfeft, that even the Magiftrate himfelf did not grant the In- dulgence as an ACl of that fpiritual Supremacy, that new Jewel of his Crown, but merely as an Act of his ordinary Supreme Civil Power. Why then will ye Strain h Force 5 and Father it upon that [ 58] thar his Tranfcendent Supremacy , when himfelf does notfo? Upon all which Reafbns, ye fee that the Irwlnl* gence, in fo far as accepted by the Brethren, h.- H no Confanguinity nor Affinity with that Suprema- cy as now afferted, and as expounded by you ol a fpiritual Supremacy. From all thefe Confiderations alfb it is plain, that the Argument ufed of late by fome of you, to prove the Affinity of the Indulgence with the Supremacy, isbutaverySophifm, viz* ToEnatt, Settle, and make Constitutions , concernmg Matters, Meetings , and Perfons Ecclefiaftical , according to Royal Tleafure , is the very fubftanee and defini- tion of the Supremacy, expreffed in the Adt Afler- tory of. it : But the Indulgence is to Enact, &c. therefore it is the very fubftanee and definition of the Supremacy. How do fome Triumph in this, as a Demortftration , and Achillean Argument ; But, Beloved in the Lord , take with us a fecond look of it , and weigh it in the Ballance of Right Reafbn, and fee the weaknefs and fallacy of it in thefe few particulars. i. The Major Proportion is an unfaithful ac- count of the Supremacy, as defined by the Adt of Parliament : for the Adt exprefly reftri&s it to Matters, Meetings , and Perfons of Eeclefiaitical Jurifdidtion and Government, as is before obferved. And yet the Argument ampliates and extends it indefinitely unto all Matters, Meetings, and Per- fons Ecclefiaftical^ of what kind foever,' even of Worfhip as welgas Government : And indeed it could not othentfife fuit with the Subfiunption, which C 59 1 which comprehends thefe. Now, In this gene- ral Comprehenfion, it is a very great miftake; and if ye Limit it to matters of Government, (as it Ihould be) then it varies the Suppofition , and does not quadrate with the Subfiimptioh ; and %vou!d be ex mdjori particular tin prima figura, which is badLogick. 2. As for the Minor Proportion , wherein ye apply your forefaid definition of Supremacy to the Indulgence, obferve thefe miftakes in it. i. That it meaneth of the whole Complex and full Latitude of the Indulgence , as comprehend- ing all the parts and pendicles of it , the Act, of Re ftridive Rules and ail; for fo the Reverend Au- thor in his Paper (called Mr. B. Teftimony) la- bours to prove his Charge , by adducing thefe Rules and Canons, &c as witneffes of it. Whereas ye know ( as was abovefaid) that is not the State of the Queftion betwixt you and your Brethren ; diftinguifh betwixt the Indulgence as EnaB-ed , and as Accepted : And know , that whatever the Indulgence, as Enacted by the Ma- giitrate in its full Latitude, may be charged with, or judged to comprehend, yea or not; fiirc ye'll find that part of it , which is accepted by your Brethren, not to be as is by you alledged, being only a permiffion or allowance of Liberty to Preach and Exercife the other parts of their Mi- niftry, wherein no Veitige of the Supremacy (as expounded of a Papal, Arbitrary, Architedtonick, Spiritual Supremacy) is to be found, as hath. been already cleared. And for further clearing of which, confider, a, That i. That in this grant of Liberty, the Magiftrate acteth not merely according to pleafiire (except it be m genere politico, that is, as to his own deed, doing it without conftraint, controul, or counta- blenefs to any perfbn) but rather againft his mine) in genere Ethico , permitting that which lie does not approve , as Mo ( es did the Bill of Divorce : So that herein he acts not as a Cxfarec-Papa , or Head of the Church, and Fountain of Church-Of- fices, Enacting what he will in difpofal of Church- matters, as modellable by his pleafiire ; but only and limply , as a Supreme Civil Magiftrate , he fufpends and difpenfes with the Laws which cur- bed and hedged in your Brethren, and permits them now to enjoy a portion of their wonted Li- berty , for Reafbns of State exprefled in his Act j fb that while the major Propoiition of the Argu- ment tells US , that , to Enacl , Settle , and make fuch Constitutions about Alatters^ &c. Ecclefia flick , according to Royal Vleafure ; that is, to make any Acts anent them he will, as modellable, in their kind, at his Arbitriment, is the Definition of the Su- premacy^ (for in this Senfe only it is truly fb defi- ned , as Apollonius and others tell.) And then fiibfumes, that this AB of Indulgence , even as ac- cepted by the Brethren, is of that Nature ; it is ap- parently a very great miftake ; which might give us occafion to Remark what multiply ed Sophiftry is in this Argument, a compofitione & divifione, ab ***.£{ ad **tc£ ri, ab Hcmonywid, &c. . But thefe we pais, as alfo to criticife upon that ftrange con^ clufion here inferred , That the Indulgence is the Very fubftance and definition of the Supremacy ; and and confequently the All of k , and convertible with it, as if the Supremacy and this Indulgence were reciprocal Terms , and whatfbever the Su- premacy can pretend to , to that fame is this In- dulgence applicable , according to the Rule, cui comvetit definitum^ ei comfetit definition & vice *verfa. But filch Logical Remarks we forbear ; only we are forry to find fiich paralogizing among you in a matter fb grave and ferious : But more fbrry that fiich a caption mould deceive and infhare the fimple. Had this Syllogifm been applyed to the Act of Ejecting you, and that of demolifhing the Church-Government, and erecting Prelacy in its ftead , we mould have thought it more perti- nent and considerable. Thefe being Ads of his Privative and Defpotical power, and favouring of a more Dominative Supremacy : But while ye ap- ply it to this Indulged Liberty , which is but a Cumulative and Auxiliary Act of his power , as Nurfe-Father , and call this the very . Effence, Exercife,and Application of the Supremacy (mean- ing Spiritual and Architectonick) who may not with half an eye fee it a vifible miftake ? And pray you if the King mould write down to the Coun- cil , and thereupon a Proclamation "be made, for permitting, yea appointing and commanding that . no Government be exercifed in ycur Church, but the Presbyterian , and that forthwith it. -be fet up and exercifed, and all cuted Miniilers be allowed accefs to the free exercife of their Miniftry any where ; would you fay, This were the Enact- ing, Settling , and Emitting Conftitutions about Matters, Meetings, and Perfbns Ecclefiaitick, ac- E cording r 63 1 cording to Royal pleasure, and the very fubftance and definition of the Supremacy, and fbcaft at it, as a thing vile, not to be touched ? If not, (as no fober, rational, man, will think ye (hould) why judge ye otherwife of this partial Liberty ? Both the; one and the other being of one and the fame grain, piece, and kind , though differing in meaflire.Upon all that is faid then, ye fee it ftill plain, that this indulged Liberty, in fb far as it is accepted, hath nothing to do with this afferted Supremacy. But Jay ye , Many are of the opinion that this power of fb Indulging, though pre-exiftent before, yet now is included in the Affertion of the Supre- macy. Anfwer. Though this be not evident, but much appears to the contrary by what is faid ; yet, fup- pofe it were fb, that the clean and unclean power of civil and fpiritual Supremacy , w r ere compacted together in the fame affertive Law, and declared Inherent to the fame Crown, what then ? Being, in it felf lawful, does its Neighbourhood (in eodem fubjetlo) with what is counted unlawful , defile it ? Does the Acceffion or Conjunction of an In- competent power, nullifie or corrupt the whole Syfteme of the Regal Authority ? And confequent- ly, even that juft power which did without con- troverfie belong to the Crown before that unjuft Superaddition ? And that , to fiich a Degree , as neither he may exerce, nor yet make ufe (without Jin) of the Effluxes of the juft power, till firft he difclaim, and lay by the Addition of what is un- due? How Irrational were this? For, as Lawyers fell, Ac cedent e injuftiti*, non decedit y nee carrum* pitur fitur jufta potejlas. For example , An Husband, Father, or Matter , ufurping the power of aMa- giftrate or Minifter, does he therefore lofe and fall from his Marital, Paternal, or Mafterly Authori- ty ? Or is it a fin in the Wife , Son , or Servant, to fiibmit unto , or make life of, the exercife of the one, while he doth not difclaim the other ? Sic-like Uz,z,aFs going beyond his Line, intrench- ing upon the Prieftly Office , did it evacuate or vitiate his Levitical Power , Co as (had he lived) no man might lawfully have made life of his Le- vitical Service ? Or did Saul and U&ziah their In- vading the Priefts Office, yea or Jeroboams ufurp- ing that finful Supremacy in the matters of God, render all their Regal Power circa facra, null or unclean, fb asnoufe might be made of it, no not to the belt ends ? What a frrange Principle were this ? And confequently it cannot be admitted (which feme, but few of you , have bigottly al- kdged) that it is not lawful either to feek or take any Indulgence or Benefit of the Magiftrates pow- er about the matters of Religion , until he Re- nounce xvhat he has by Law or Practice afTumed of Ecclefiaftical Supremacy. Moreover , w 7 ere this Principle admitted , how defperate would it render the cafe betwixt your Church and the Ma- giftrate ? It not being likely he may be readily induced to Refcind that new afierted Supremacy (which he takes for a Flower of his Crown : ) And it riot being lawful for you (according to this priii* eiple ) during the Non-Retractation of that Su- premacy , to receive any favour of his hand, #ere it even to an Universal Indulgence, or Efta- E- % , blifliment blifhment of the Presbyterian party and Govern- ment , among themfelves, or m all the Land. Dear Friends ! Have your Senfes exercifed to dif- cern betwixt things that differ, and feparate what is ieparable in their Nature and Exercife : Diftin- guim betwixt Gods Ordinance, viz,, the Magiftrates Civil Supremacy , and Mans annexed Corruption, viz. his Spiritual and Ecclefiaftick Supremacy : And when the former acteth its part purely, with- out the mixture of the latter , and contains it (elf intra Spharam Debit a ABivitatis, within its proper bounds (as it did in the matter of this Indulged Liberty, abftracted from the Reftrictions and 1m- pofitions annexed, and in fo far only it is accept- ed) what hinders, but ye and your Brethren mi ght take the benefit of its favourable Acts, notwith- ftanding it lodgeth in the fame Crown with the other ? Yea , though they did put forth both their Actings befide other , in different points , in one and the fame Complex Law ? As was in that Or- dinance of the Englifh Parliament, Anno for letting up of Presbyterian Government, with Refervation of Appeals from the Church-Judicato- ries to the Parliament. Here is an Act of that mixture and complexion we fpeak of, yet your Brethren in England wifely diftinguiihed and iepa- rated the Good from the Evil, Embracing the one, and Rejecting the other. $. If any be againft Diftinguifhing and Separa- ting betwixt thefe things fovaftly different, which they fuppofe to be fb confounded and complica- ted now in the fame Supremacy, that they cannot well be put afunder; we crave leave to tell them two two things:One is (as is (aid already) That different Powers and Principles of Ading , may very well remain diftinguifhable and feparable in their Na- tures and Adions, notwith Handing their Conjun- ction in the lame Subjed, as the former Inftances fhew : So that in this cafe , it is (almoft) jnft as in the- cafe of Jordan running through the Lake of Gene far eth , with which ( notwithstanding ) it mixeth not, but remains pure and feparate. The other thing is, that when Folk begin to caft at juft diftinguiihing and feparting the precious from the vile , as mere notional and metaphyseal Abftra- dions , unfit for Chriftians or Men , (as (bme of you are pleafed to talk:) We fear they be found Builders of Babel , not of Salem ; but love who will to be Mafters of Confuiion , far be it from you. But here (bme Objetl , That the Indulgence oweth all its Legal Being , Life , and Warran- ty , to the Ad of Supremacy now eftablifh- ed by Law ; and therefore it cannot be abftraded - from , nor the Indulgence considered without it, whereon it (b much depends , as its Patron and Protedor in Law 5 it being for the fake and lafe- ty of the Indulgence, that this Supremacy wras e- ftablifhed in the King. Thus, we confefs , (bme Argue , who would feem very Nofe-wife and prying ; drawing (if their AfTertion will pais for proof enough) all things done by the Magiftrate about matters of Reli- gion, to have, either diredly or indiredly, Kin- dred and Relation to the Supremacy I Alledging What Indulgence was after the Supremacy, to be E 3 an 166-] an efflux of it, and defigned for fupport of it , and what Indulgence was born before the Supre- macy, mult be drawn back to crouch under the Supremacy, for fhadow and fhelter in Law. < But to the Objecl we anfwer, i. This Alledg- ance, if true, fays, that the Supremacy and In- dulgence muft needs be of a civil nature, not Spiritual ; feeing (as ye alien) both its fountain and end are civil. For, firft, being of the Parlia- ments beftowing, who never pretended to have any other but a Civil Legal power, (and more than themfelves had, they could not bequeath upon their Prince), thence it appears (upon this ground of yours) to be but of a civil alloy. A- gain, the end and ufe for which ye fay this Su- premacy was Ena&ed, was for warranting and fecuring the King and Council in Law, for what was paft and done in the Indulgence, being a difpenfing with fome poenal Statutes, and allow- ing fbme a liberty to preach contrary to fuch Handing Laws ; and for mailing him and them to do more of that in the future. Whereupon ye fay, the Indulgence owes all its Legal life and being to this Adl of Supremacy as its Charter. Whence it is plain, that ye make the Adt of Su- premacy to be but a Legal and Civil fecurity for the King to grant, and Minifters to accept this Indulgence : and confequently, that the In- dulgence derives nothing but Legality, not any Spirituality from that Acl: of Supremacy. And therefore no efflux of any Ecclefiaftick Archite- ftonick power is judged to be in it, nor does not Homo- C 67 ] Homologate the fame : owning only what is Ci- vil, for its Legal protedtion. But pairing this, know, 2. that this Alledg- ance of yours, is but a meer fidtion to cart an > odium upon the Indulgence. Kow initrudt ye this to have been the drift and end of that Adt? Does not all that know the myltery of that matter, know that it was upon another occafion, and for another end? vfy. to curb the infbiency of the Prelates , who thinking themfelves and their Church-dignities and power cock-fure in Law> were become bold to fpeak liberally of the King, and again It his Minions, as the Archbifhop of Glafgow has done. Therefore to keep them in awe and dependance, as wholly in the Kings reverence, and confequently obnoxious to his Minions, that Adt was made, inabling the King with his Council to alter their eltablifhed frame of Church-Government, and looie the.^ pins of their Fabrick at his pleafure"; which then was threatned to them by fome Stateimen to keep them fbber ; and therefore the Bifhops were ve- ry backward to confent to the paiTmg of that Adt, till awed thereunto. That this was the frofejj'el end of the Adt, can (as we are furely informed) be attefted by the prime movers in it. So that, whether the Indulgence had been or not, this Adt would have been to put the difpofal of the Church-Government in the Kings lurch. Falfe and groundlefs therefore is it, and mn caufa fro caufa, to iay the Indulgence was the rife of this Adt, or that it was done in reference to the fame. 3. Suppofe the Indulgence had been Illegal with- E 4 out £68] out this, or fbme other Aft to warrant it, yet feeing ye judg the* Laws that were oppofite to this liberty were not juft upon the matter,' it teems ftrange to us, that ye, who fo much jufti- fie, yea magnifie the liberty of Conventicling (which your Brethren do not condemn if right-' ly managed) taken at your own hand,againft the fame Laws, and many more, and confequently as illegal, though not unlawful • mould lb de- cry the Magiftrates deed, in difpenfing with thefe Laws, and granting your Brethren liberty of their Miniftry. Maugre them. Is your liberty taken fb Divine ? and theirs granted, an illegiti- mate or Baftard-brood , as in your papers ye call it ? may not theirs be juft and lawful,though not according to Law, as well as yours ? does not this unequal dealing fay, nothing of this fort pleafes you but what is taken at your own hand ? and that your quarrel at the Indulgence is, that it is granted, not taken ? 4. Whether the King had fuch a Prerogative or not (before the Ad) as to indulge Nonconfor- mift Minifters liberty of their Miniftry,befide the Laws allowance,' we humbly judg is not theirs, nor your concern to debate • being jm tertii, viz. the Parliaments intereft. If the thing was juft and right in it felf, you and your Brethren were not to ask quo jure, the King took it on him ? Let the Parliament ask that , was it not enough for your Minifters acceptance of it, that the thing was good and right in it felf, and not fin- fal upon the matter ; the King being to anfwer ibr the legality of his own deed ? and whatever hazard I 6 9l hazard the indulged might have incurred for want of the alledged legality ,yet we hope ye will not fay they finned in taking their hazard upon the Magiftrates allowance. j. We humbly fuppofe the obje&ers of the *King his not being inftructed with Legal power to indulge, before the Act of Supremacy was made, may find themfelves much in a miftake. Whoever qneftioned it to be a part of your Kings Prerogative to difpenfe with poenal.' Statutes (we mean in foro fol'i) at leaft as to the execution of them ? Hath it not been his uncontroverted pra- ctice, paft memory of man, as to other pcenal Laws ? and why ihould it be denied him in this kind more than in others ? is not a current, un- controverted cnftom , equivalent to a Law ? Whereupon you know the King did feveral times- write down before, for allowing liberty to feme Minifters, but it was obftructed and mppreflecL by, the Archbifhop of St. Jndroj/s^ and his Com- plices y till at laft one of you, Mr. John Smkb, was by fpecial and peremptory command of the King to the Council, allowed to preach at- and feme years hereafter, your tirft more gene- ral Indulgence came ; all this while the King and Council never doubting, nor any other queftion- ing this power of indulging. How then can ye fay, that to this Act of Supremacy the Indulgence oweth its whole legal being ? Upon all therefore that hath been faid,is it not rnpft evident to be a meer miftake to think, and a groundlefs aflertion to affirm, as ye do, That the foundation, bafis, fountain, and ground- right C 70] right of the Indulged liberty, is this Act of Su- premacy ; feeing (befides the reafbns forementi- oned to difprove their affinity) this liberty did, and doth fubfift without the Supremacy, and borroweth neither its natural nor moral being, from this afTertion of Supremacy, and hath nei- ther Legal nor Spiritual dependance upon it? Nor is it the exercife of any other but a lawful civil Supremacy, competent to the Magiftrate, before ever that new Ad had a being, and for whofe caufe that new Act was not at all hatched, as ye would fain bear the world in hand. Having thus cleared, that in the Indulgence (abftra&ly confldered, as it is accepted by the Brethren) there is nothing of Eraftianifm, nor any fibnefs unto,or homologation of the fo much talked of Supremacy ; let none (tumble at them, nor divide from them upon that (core ; nor de- claim impetuoufly againft them, as fupporters of the unlawful Supremacy; for how groundlefs that imputation is, the premifes may abundant- ly (hew. For our part we cannot fee how their Preaching with the Magiftrates Tolerance and leave, can be a pillar and prop to his Ecclefiafti- cal Supremacy, more nor your Preaching with- out his leave is. If ye fancy any accidental influ- ence that may redound from theirs to uphold it ; as ye can hardly name that, fb may not the like be found to flow from yours , by its occafioning the fetling of a military force to maintain the Supremacy, and the Hierarchy depending there- upon, and to fupprefs your liberty ? which is the States fault, we grant ; yet by you occafioned. Con* • C 7*1 Confider feriouily then, that their Preaching with the Magiftrates Civil permifFion, is not fo much, let be more, a prop to this Decantated Supre- macy, than your Preaching without permiflion is : (Though it can be juftly attributed to nei- ther.) And let out-crys on this head, go, and indulge not your humours, while ye cry out up- on this Indulgence f nor ftate your felves Judges paramount and infallible, as if you had a Supre- macy over all perfbns, and in all caufes, while ye go about unjuftly to task your Brethren with Communion with this juftly lamented Suprema- cy. But if ftill fbme cannot part with that high- founding word of Supremacy, and ftill will be im- puting the indulged liberty to Supremacy, ufing that ambiguous word as a Gorgons Head, ©r Bug- bear to fright the vulgar by, and fcare people at the Licenfed Minifters \ will they be intreated to deal as candidly in their difcourfes, as fbme of yon. have done in their publick Papers, to diftin- guiih betwixt the Civil Supremacy (whence the Indulgence flows), and the Ecclefiaftical Supre- macy (with ivhich it hath no affinity),- and then the mare were broken. But to talk of Supremacy in the general, and thence to inlinuate a compli- ance by the accepted Indulgence, with the Ec- clefiaftical Supremacy in fpecial, is to argue a genere ad Jpeciem, affirmative, (from a general to a particular, affirmatively), which is fallacious and unfair dealing. And finally, what better reafbning is it to fay (as fome do), Thatbecaufe the Magiftrate no* minates C 72 ] minates in the fecond Indulgence fuch and fuch Minifters to preach in fuch or flich a place, . if they and the people pleafe to have it fo, without impofing a necerfity or compuliion upon them thereunto ; therefore he takes upon him the Ele-< ction of Minifters, and judging of their Qualifi- cations and-fitnefs for thefe places, and confe- quently (fay ye) he ads in this Eraitianifm and Supremacy. For removing this miftake, firfi, as to the No- mination, confider, (i) This doth not concern thefe of the firft Indulgence, who were pitched upon, nominate, prefented, and petitioned for, by fbme reprefenting the Parifh,before the Coun- cil Licenfed them to the place Confider (i) that the Nomination of Minifters in the fecond Indulgence, was primarily a No- minating of them to confinement in the place, and but fecondarily to the free liberty of Exercife of their Miniftry there ; but not to itate them in the relation of Paftors to thofe people. The peo- ples call doth this. (3) Suppofe in this troubled and unfetled ftate of the Church, the Magiftrate had nominate them to be Paftors there, what is that but what the Books of Difcipline of the Church of Scotland al- lows in fuch Exigents, as in the forecited place, Book 1. pag. 37. For this prefent (fay they) we think it expedient, that either your Honours by your felves Nominate /o many as may ferve the for ewr it- ten Provinces, or that ye give Commiffion to fuch men as ye fuppofe the fear of God to be in, to do the faty*. And the fame men being called into your pre- fence, C73l fences jhatt be by you, andfuch as your Honours plea- fes to call unto you for constitution in that cafe, Ap- pointed to their Provinces. Where you fee the No- mination of the Superintendents, and the Defrg- ^ nation of their Province is given to the Council for that jun&ure, yea, and they to be called Co- ram, and in prtefentia, in the face of Council to be appointed to their Charges. And Charges were they much beyond what your Brethren pretend to in the places of their confinement. Nor was it here thought a fubjeding the Miniftry to the Magiftrate, or putting on him an Eraftian power, or a renouncing Chrift, and a taking of the Mi- niftry from the Magiftrate by a new Commifli- on, For Minifters to appear Perfonally before the Council, and be appointed to Provinces': Will you fay, your Church here eftablifheth Eraftianifm , or a finful Supremacy? or allows an encroachment upon the Church and peoples Right ? x^nd does not your Presbyterian Writers, fu.ch as Mr. Bcwels in his Pafior JLvangelicus, Lib. i. Cap. i. allow the like ? (4) Whatever pretence this Nomination might have of opprejjing the liberty of the people \ yet we wonder ye count it Eraftianifm, being no Adr, of Church-Government, no exercife of the pow- er of the Keys 5 elfe when people, to whom no power of the Keys belongs more than to the Ma- giftrate, does nominate and eledt a Minifter to themfelves, they mould Eraftianly ufurp and in- vade the Government of the houfe of God. Your own Divines aftert Ele&ion to be a matter of Li- berty or priuiledg, not a power ofjurifdittion. Nexti [ 74 D Next, as for the Magiftrates alledged judging of Minifters Qualifications and fitnefs for places, we prefume to propofe four things to be confi- dered : (i) Whereupon ground ye this plea? what < Act of Judicial cognition, or definitive Determi- nation concerning your Brethrens gifts, did the Magiftrate put forth ? (x) What judging upon Minifters Qualificati- ons did the Council here exercife more than in the forecited cafe of their Nominating and Ap- pointing the Superintendents to their Provinces ? or, then people does, when they elect; a Minifter to themi elves ? (4) To clear all, diftinguifh betwixt a Cba- ritative, or Difcreti-ve judgment, and a Judicial, Forenfick, Definitive judgment. The former Quiz,. a judgment of Difcretion) is not, ye know, to be denied to any man or people concerned, much lels to a Chriftian Magiftrate : and more than that, yours did not take upon them ; yea, nor that either, but fiippofed thefe Minifters able and qualified , being before tried and ordained by Presbyteries, to no lefs eminent Charges than now they were indulged unto. And for the lat- ter, (viz,, the judgment of Jurifdiclion, which is properly the work of Church-Judicatories)' they medled not therewith. W ? hat then did they in this matter, without their fphere ? If ye fay, by his Majefties Letter they were appointed to Licenfe only Sober and Peaceable men ; and is not this for judg of their Qualifications ? Anfi Manifeft it is, that that is meant only of [751 fome Civil or Moral Qualifications, not of Pafto- ral Gifts ; and this alfo they confidered and cog- nosced upon only Difcretively^ not by a Judici- al and Declarative fentence. Did they at all, in m foro, Iriftitute a trial and cognition of thefe or "any other their Qualifications ? not at all, but contented themfeves with a Negative Teftimony thereof, that is, if no body objected againft their peaceablenefs. What Eraftianifm then, or Eccle- fiaftical Supremacy was here ? But finally, Tuppofe the Magiftrate had over- reached and gone beyond his line, in nominating thefe Minifters to fiich places, and judging of their Minifterial parts and fitnefs : What is that againft the Minifters themfelves, who did not ? does not preach to fiich people upon the Magi- ftrates Nomination or Defignation (except in fo far as it imported a taking off their civil Reftraints) but upon their own office (as their MiJRo Votefia- ti-va) and the peoples call (as the Determiner of them to officiate in that place) ? neither did they fiibmit the trial of their Minifterial Qualifications and fitnefs for fiich a place to the Magiftrates cognition : But as the Magiftrate prefumed they were competently fit , fb, they (without any Ju- dicial Recognition of their abilities and mitable- nefs) condefcended upon the peoples earneft calf to imploy their Talents, whatever their meafure were, for the edifying of that people for an inte- rim. Now, upon all this, what juft ground of out-cry is there againft your honeft Brethren ? wherein have they homologate EraftianHrn, or a Spiritual Supremacy ? The L76-] The Second Objection is , Concerning the Acl; of Rules or InftrucYions ( fb called ) wherein *he Magiftrate does, by his Civil Authority , Statute and Ordaiu , that fuch and fuch things (already mentioned) be done and obferved by the Indul-* ged, under Civil pains. This Ad: is Reprefented unto People (in odium of the Indulged Minifters) as both moft cenfurable upon the Matter, and Eraftian in its Nature, and as infeparable Clogs, yea Conditions , of their Li- berty. But, Dear and Worthy in the Lord, con- fider in fober fadneis, what can be juftly charged upon thefe Brethren in this matter, and what not. For our part , we cannot apprehend ; and therefore wave to examine, whether this Act be formally civil, and only objective'y Ecclefiafti- cal, and that only in a few particulars, the reft being Civil ; or whether the Magiftr- ^ . ^rror here be in the Form , ufurping an unj alt Power • or only in the Matter, abufing his juft power, and mifapplying it to unjuft purpofes , as fbmetimes he may do in civil cafes ; which we think, the inverting of thefe Rules to their contrary,may help to clear. Nor is it neceffary to dip into that Que- ftion, Whether it be altogether heterogeneous and incompetent, as well as it may be inconveni- ent , for the Civil Ruler to make Civil Laws and Conftitutions about the Circumftances , Order , and Exercife of matters of Religion, without the previous cognizance and pre-determination of the Church thereupon , And that even in the moft broken and ruined State of the Church , when there is no Governing-Church exiftent , that can L77l be owned. Parting alio to confider , whether or no % this Ad be properly an Ad of Paftoral lnfrru- dions (fuch as only Chrift Jems , and no mortal man can give to his Embafladors.) ? or, whether jhey be properly Ecclefiaftical Canons (of the fame formal and fpecifical Nature with Church-Decrees, about matters of Order )? Or, whether, they be only .improperly and abufively called Inftrudions and Rules : As in fome fenie, all Laws , even Ci- vil, are laid to be Regulative and Diredive of .Pra- dice ? Whatever may be (aid to thefe Queftions, upon the one fide or the other, to excufe or con- demn the Magi urates Deed, feemeth little to con- cern the purpoie in hand, feeing your Indulged- Minifters , looking upon thefe Statuted Rules, at leaft ways, as unjuft upon their matter, have "ne- ver embraced nor obferved them, except it be in (bme civil points ( inflided on them as penal) ; and that only ib "far as they judged might be lawfully flibmitted unto, however unjuftly impo- fed. What ground then is there, of {tumbling at them, upon this Head ? Does not their non-accept- ance , and non-obiervance , of thefe Rules-, free them of all crime fuppoied to be therein ? But to fatisfie theObjedion more fully , confi- der in ferious fobriety, That, be this Ad of Re- ! gulation as cenliirable.as you will, yet was arid is it quite exirmfick and accidental to the granting and accepting of the Indulgence ; and therefore the vitioulhefs of the one, cannot defile the other 5 nay nor be fb much as the Minilters fer final guilt, unlefs they had clofed with it , which ye know thev did not. But to evidence, this confideratiou F tQ- C 78 1 to be true and confiderable , ponder thefe two things which ferves to clear the point of this Aft of Regulation its being extrinfick and accidental to the Indulgence. (i) That Ad of Rules is no part of the Aft oL. Indulgence, but a diftinft Aft by it felf, Enafted after the Indulgence, even in another meeting of the Council (as is informed) though the fame day: nor was it at all legally intimated to the indulged (but lay dormant in the Council-Books) until a confiderable time after their entry to their Char- ges. Now who can with reafbn think, that a Po- sterior Law, impofed only fubfequently to their acceptance of their Liberty (for how fbon fo ever it was paft in the Council-Books, is nothing to them, feeing Lex non promulgata eft quafi non lata, a Law not legally intimated fignifies nothing) how can it, we fay, be thought to affeft,burthen, and prejudice their acceptance of their Liberty, and to conftitute it finful, which was long in be- ing before that Aft of Rules came forth by Pub- lication into the world ? Hence plainly appear- eth, that it is no Constituent part of the Indul- gence, nor an Inseparable attendant ; much lefs Terms and Conditio?is of the fame, as fbme invidi- oufly call them. Had it been intimated to them conjunftly with the Aft of Indulgence, there had been fbme more appearance of its being an Onm Liber tat is , but fince it was not fb, who can fay with any (hew of reafbn, that it was a burthen afFefting their liberty , and that their accep- tance of the one was a compliance with the other ? Suppofe a man purpofed to difpone his Eftate C 79 1 Eftate to another, with fuch or fuch a provifion or burden of Legacy, Debt, or fervice-upon it • if this Claufe was- not inferred into the Difpofition, nor therewith delivered in a Paper apart unto the Succeffor ; but the Difpofition was at hxft fine cfc?rf,pure,free,and unconditional,as it was draw r n up, fubfcribed and delivered unto the man • yet fbmetime the Refter, the Cedent, thinks fit to add in a new Paper apart, fuch a burden and clog to his former difpofition, intending to aned his A£ fignee with it. Now who will not think inch a Polterior oneration altogether extrinfick to the difpofition , and no ways to atfedt the Eftate or Succeffor ? And that the Afc fignee's acceptance of, or adherence to the fore- faid difpofition, does no ways Homologate that fubfequent addition, nor oblige him in Law to own it (if gratitude and kindnefs conltrain him not thereto) ; but ftill he ftands free of, and un- concerned in that new-added burden ? It figni- fres nothing here to fay, that the Disponent never intended to difpone his Eitate otherwife than with that burden ; but in his mind, orfbme pri- vate perfbnal deed lying by him, he purpvfed from the beginning to have his Succeffor affected with o o it, as a condition annexed to the difpofition ; yea, and perhaps talked of it to many; fb that the Ceffioner was not Phyfically ignorant of his mind and matter. What then?does his purpofe,or private feparate deed, infer any obligation upon his Af- (ignee ? or private fignifications of his mind, im- port any thing in Law without Legal and ti-> mous Intimation ? No fiirely. " The Cefuoner is F % ftill [&0] ftifl free. Is it not juft fb in your Brethrens cafe ? How can they be laid to have accepted their Li, berty cum onere, feeing there was no fach terrm propofed to them in the Aft of Indulgence deli- vered to them, nor with it at their acceptance ? (as the extracts of their Licenfes lent to them will teftifie.) And thefe Infixudions (fo called) was not intimated to them, till long after they were in poffeflion of their liberty; and when intimated, refilled ; nor was it equitable they mould have abandoned the favour of their liberty, upon the intimation of thefe Rules to them ; becaufe not propofed (even then) as terms, but impofed as Laws. And alfo being fiipervenient, like a fiiper- fcetation,and confequently extrinfick and acciden- tal to the favour. If ye fajr 9 The Magiftrates im- pofing them by way of Laws, was but out of State, as counting it below him to feek their con- tent thereunto. Anf. May ye not fay the fame of all Laws ? and fo threap upon the mbjedts, that they are terms, though no confent be explicitely fought ? which were abfiird. Again, know, that when the Council minds to deal with any, even a fingle perfbn, by way of terms, they do not count it below them to require confent, yea fubfeription : As in fbme of your banifhed Minifters cafe} who was required to, and did flibfcribe their own k€i of Banifhment ; and fbme others of you at home, for redeeming their Liberty from Procefs, were required, and did take the Oath of Supremacy. But to leave this : we only add, If ye by your a- vowed and bold alledging the Indulgence to be i . granted granted and accepted upon the terms of obferving their Rules, do teach the Bifhops (who will- like well to confirm you in your Arguments and Ob- jections, thereby to blow at the coal of your Animofities and Contentions) and put it in their lieads to fpeak in the fame language, blame your felves for it, but ufe it not as a Teltimony againft your Brethren, not being witneftes (in the cafe) without juft exception. If, 6nally,ye Object^ that the Kings Letter con- cerning the firft Indulgcnce,comprehended in. the bofbm of it an order alfo concerning the Inftru- clions which after followed ; and confequently thefe Inftru&ions cannot be divided from the Act •of Indulgence, in confidering Minifters accept- .ance thereof. Anf, That Letter of his Majefties to the Council, was to them directed (not to the Mini- iters) as the Councils Rule and Warrant, not the Minifters Legal Act of Indulgence 5 and there- fore (whatever was in it) it did concern the Mini- fters no further than was legally communicate unto them ; and this at firft was only in a very iimple and unconditionate, or undogged Act of Licenfe, as the Copies thereof under the Clerks hand lent unto them, evidenced!. The Injuncti- ons were not intimated unto them till upwards of a year thereafter. Now it's only the Councils Ad: put into the Minifters hand, which is the publick legal deed wherein they are concerned ; . the Kings Letter, though Regiitrate in the Council- Books, is a private matter as to them, as for any thing not intimate unto them. Whatever they did P j v Phyfr [82 ] phyfically know thereof (by private information), which thefe not indulged alfb knew) fignifies no- thing 3 at leaft no more to them than to others. So that ftill it is plain the Indulgence was fine cnere. * \ If it be (aid, The Kings Letter was read to the firft Ten indulged, when they were called before the Council j and did not their filence,and not bearing Teftimony againft thefe Injunctions, and other things of the like nature, import an Homologation thereof ? Anf. Befides that the matter of facYalledged is much queftioned, yea plainly denied as falfe, let us (ivppofe the Letter to have been all and whole read to them, yet the fpeech delivered by one in name of the reft , by (hewing pofitively how they held their Miniftry, did (in all fober mens judgment) fufficiently (though indirectly) intimate their difallowance of all things repugn nant thereunto ; for, ReHum efi norma^ & index fui & obliqui. But fuppofe they failed in not being plain, full and free enough in their Teftimony, is that a ground mfficient to charge the odious im- putation of Eraftianifm on them ? or to illegiti- mate their indulged Liberty , or their Miniftry, fo as it were unlawful to hear them?or what is it to the reft of the Brethren, who were never call- ed before the Council, nor the Letter and its Contents read to them ? muft the failing of fbme few be caft upon all ? and all alike condemned as guilty ? what partial and unjuft dealing is this ? (2) Confider the form or quality of thefe Sta- mted Rules - y viz,, That they were not propofed to to them, as prercquired, or fimultaneous, or fu- ture conditions of their Liberty , but imp fed as Laws, and authoritatively enjoined under Civil pains, Penalties and Certifications, like other ♦Laws. . Suppofe then they had been antecedently unto, or conjun&ly with the grant of their Liberty, in- timated unto them (which yet was not) • yet fee- ing they were not propofed as terms, by way of Bargain required to be approved and confented unto, or obferved as Irritant conditions of their li- berty, nor promife to obferve them, fought or given, nor at that time pretended or declared to be Conditions upon which the Indulgence was granted \ but were fimply impofed upon them as Laws , but not confented unto, nor accepted by*them : Who can think the very making and being of fuch an Act, did juftly bar them up from making ufe of the liberty granted ? or doth now fo affecl; it, or the Exercite of their Miniirry by it, as that they are wholly polluted thereby ? or, that the bare acceptance -of that Liberty, doth neceffarily and natively involve them in tne guilt of that Ad.and of all comprehended in it , even albeit they obferve it not ? Will not eqnira- ble judges think thefe Rules fo Enacted, were and are only the Law-givers, not the Miniirers fin , no more than the Law 7 enjoining and ap- pointing the Declaration, or Abjuration of your Covenants, to be taken by all Magiftrates of Burghs, can be juftly interpreted to fix guilt up-. on every one that happeneth to bear that Office, .afceir he conform not to that Law ? Who will- F 4 charge L8 4 ] charge filch aMagiftrate as guilty of accepting the Office cum onere, with the burden of the legally annexed Declaration ? and that his feparating between the Office and the Declaration, is mo- rally impofTible, and but a cheat ? or, that his#" bearing Office in this cafe is an Homologating the Adt anent the taking of the Declaration , as ye do charge your Brethrens acceptance of the indulged liberty , in reference to that Ad of Rules ? Certainly it were no fmall wrong to fuch honeft Magi fixates, your felves being judges, to charge them with that guilt. And is not your Brethrens cafe juft the fame ? Add hereto, put the cafe the Council emitted an Edid licenfmg and allowing Conventicles to be kept in Houfe or Fields (while there is noaccefs to your Churches) adding withall, certain Rules and Reftrictionf of an Eraftian nature, and favouring of the aliened Supremacy, in its molt fpiritual part \ would ye therefore have judged your felves obliged to have forborn Conventicling upon that account, or yet to give it over ? or, that ye finned if ye did Con- venticle, meerly becaufe of the Injunction of ihofe Rules, albeit ye obferved them not ? We (lippofe not. And is not this a like cafe with your Brethrens, as to the point in hand ? pray you then, have not divers weights, and divers mea- flires. And yet the more ftrongly does this defexice militate for your Brethren, that thefc reftriclive and encroaching Impofitions were not antea dent unto, nay nor concomitant with their Ii Hulgenoe, (as is before faid) but fiibfequent evei u Q8 5 ] to their entry, and long after, even* for fbme years after the flrft Indulgence, and many a Month after the fecond. And do ye think in rea- fon, that upon the intimation thereof unto them > at that after-time, they mould have given over their Miniftry for that very caufe ? If that were a Relevant reafon, then were it eafie for the Ma- giftrate, when he pleafed, to lay afide all Mini- iters, you as well as them, by making and im- pofing fiich kind of Laws and Ads of Rules upon you. Was and is not non-obedience fiifficient to difcharge them of compliance therewith , as is reckoned in the cafe of other Laws, albeit pub- * lickly and folemnly promulgated ? Yea, to this non-obfervance of thefe Inltructions, remember to add this, that in [fuly — Anno 1 67 3, in face of Council, when thofe. Rules were inti- mated unto many of them, it was declared by them, that they could not obferve them, but fhould rather fubmit to whatfbever penalty or punifhment, as the written Narrative of their carriage at that time doth attefr. So that when they were intimated unto them, if ye call them the condition of their Liberty, you fee that Re- cufabant enrts & coruhticnan rctudlahant. All which things impartially conlidered, it is hoped whatever evil be in that Adt, ye will let it reft upon the Authors, and not impute it to the Minifters,* being. fo innocent of compliance with it by any Rule of Scripture or right reafon. Oh then away with thefe hideous out-crys, which are made amongft the people upon this fcore, by fome Trafficking Novices, and their Pragmatical Fellow- C 85] Followers ; who teazle up this Act to the height of all imaginable wickednefs, and then Applyes it to the Minifters , to make them odious ; dealing herein with them, as the Heathen did with fbme Chriftians in the Primitive Perfections, who firft • clothed them up in Wolves Skins and Bears Skins, and then hunted their Maftives at them , which did run upon them, as not men, but wild Eeafts of the Wildernefs, and (b did tear them into pie- ces. Ah fad ! to fee the like done to honeft men, by pretending Friends, but herein real Foes, drefc fing them up in foul mif-reprefentations , to egg on peoples envy and wrath againft them, and all to break and tear their Miniftry down ! Is there any perfecution or grief like to this ? Oh that our Heads were Rivers of Tears, to mourn for fuch unparallel'd Animofities, which, all things confi- dered , hath fcarce ever had its like ! The Third Objection is, Some alledge this In- dulged Preaching with the Magiftrates permiflion and allowance, to be a Renouncing their former Commiflion from Jems Chrift , and their depen- dance upon him, and a taking from the Magiftrate a new Commiflion, and an holding of .their Mini- ftry of him, with fubjection to him, and depend- ance upon him, like other Civil Judges of the Land, and Minifters of State. Anfiv. Ah bitter and groundless Cenfure ! nor could we have believed fuch an Imputation would have been laid upon the Indulged by any Perfbn of a fpark of Reafon and Religion, yea or of com- mon feme , had not our Eyes feen, and our Ears heard it. But to the matter we fay, i. Dear C 87 ] 1. Dear Friends, How prove ye this charge ? [Is confident afferting, enough to ground fifth an heavy Accusation ? If your Brethren have lina- I wares committed Such an Abomination, O why Wo ye not run to them, and plead with them a- bout it, to Save them from the Error of their Way ? Why have ye not ere now ferioufly Remonstrated this dreadful guilt to themfelves, and not whi£ i pered it in corners unto others ? Certainly, to deal with them at this rate behind theit backs, to {peak or write this of them unto others, Firft, for a long time by private Suggestions and SurmiSesa- mong the People, then by Miffive Letters and Li- bellous Papers ; and yet never to have waired a Word or Line upon themfelves, with any reafon, to evince the Charge: What Spirit favoureth this of, and to what good can it tend, even your felves being Judges? And till the Charge be proved, is it not a Sufficient anfwer to deny it ? But for fur- ther Vindication and Satisfaction (for we hope it is tut amiitake, there are fiich hard thoughts taken up of them) we humbly propoSe to you, ^. Were the Priefts and Levites in Hez-eli^^s days guilty of this Charge, becaufe they had, by the Magiftrates Authority , accefs to their Service of the Temple, and did make uSe of the Same ? Was their Office altered or innovate , and quite Spoiled thereby, as if they renounced their depen- dance upon God, their Lord, and Mead, and IV.' a- fter, and Subjected* their Function to the Civil Ru- ler, and took itholdenof him, becaufe of his Su- pervenient Civil Liberty granted them? Or, were the Levites Subordinate to jeheftaphat ? like other Civil C 88 ] Civil Judges, becaufe of his, not only permitting, but appointing them to go Preach through -the Land? And does not your Mini Iters hold as little of the Magiftrate as thefe did ? Can any with truth fay, that the Prince his Perrniilion or Ratification of the exercile of their Office, or their uie-making of the fame, implies a Renunciation of Chrift, or Reiignation of their Office into the Kings hands for a No-vodamxsl How will fuch a Paradox-Point be made out ? 3 . Will you fay, Becaufe ye were outed of your Charges by the Magiftrates Interdict of the Act at Glafgow, Anno 1 66 it or other the like, and did Ced thereunto, that therefore vou did hold your Miniftry of him (like other Judges and Officers of State) and were deprived of it by him ? If not, What more does your Brethrens Civil Licenfe (rate them in fiibordination unto , and depend- dance upon him, than your quitting of your Char- ges at his command did you ? For, outing and ining of Minifters teems to be of the fame Catego- ry, and to argue a like dependance. 4. Diftinguiih (as Apollonivs and other Anti- Eraftian Divines do) betwixt the Subftance of the Miniftry, or the Function it (elf, -and the Exerafe thereof. Your Minifters , by their Indulgence , has not their Function or Office derived from the Magiftrate; by it they do not Renounce their old Office, Mafter, and Head, Jefus Chrift, nor get any new Office , or Minifterial Power conferred upon them by the Magiftrate, prove the contrary if ye can : Yea, the Tenor of the Act of Indulgence will declare it ; being a permitting them to Preach* not [2 9 j iot a giving them power, to Preach , and therefore ike-is the Charge above alledged] All that; they fiold of the Magiftrate , is only fomewhat about jhe exercife of their Function ; fomewhat like an kmbafladors getting a Pafs from another Prince, | o pafs through or ltay in his Territories without Lett or Moleitation ; or to difcharge his EnrbaiTy | vithin that Dominion, unto fome certain Perfons le is lent unto. Does that Embaffador, by taking his fafe Conduct or Leave of the Prince of the Bounds, quit his own proper Mafter , and take tommiffion-power of that other Prince? No, no. Slow as to this fort of Dependance which Mhiifters iaave upon the Magiifrate,in the Aelual Difcharge of their 'Office, for clearing thereof, diftinguifh next between the exercife of the Miniftry /#??/;■ and hi it felf conMered, and the 6rcumfta?ices of that jExercife: Or, Diitinguim Subordination inro that phich is Ahfllme, and that which is only fecundi-?^ mriJi or in fome certain refpects. Now, as by this (Indulgence, your Minifters do not depend upon [the Prince Efftn: tally and Derivatively, as to their ■Office, and Authority, and Matter of their Embaf- ifagej Co neither (Imply and abfhluteJy for the c^cr- ■ci e of it (both tlveie thev have and ho 7 d immedi- ate! v of Ch rife alone) but onlv and merely in re- gard of the Ginciimfiimck and Adjundl of the peace- ablenefs and Ltga'l hwrnmity of the publick exer- ciie of it in inch and fuch places of his Realm r Even as the exerciie of the Proteftant. Religion, being Authorized by -Law, dependeth upon him; and as the exercife of your Minifrrv within any Family, dependeth upon the Mafter of the Fami- IV. [9o] | ly. And your (elves , in your Papers upon this Subject, acknowledge this kind of Subordination and Dependance (viz,, in refped of the publick, free, peaceable, exercife of theMiniftry) to be not unlawful. To this Apollonius alfb accordeth, Van* lap, Seel. ±. Cap. 3. Neither is it to be thought that this does .fubjecl: the Minifiry, but the Man j not the Function , but the Perfon, to the Civil Power \ except it be (as fbme of your felves fay) in obliquo , Indirectly, and Objectively, even as the other matters of God are, being Objects about which his Imperative and Coercive Power is con- versant. Thus ye fee that it is only in refpect of Circum- ftances of the exercife of their Miniftry (at moft) wherein the Indulged depend upon the Magi fixate, and that that is no abfurdity, nor no ground for your objected Alledgance : being not unlike to this cafe 5 as if anEmbaffador of another King or< State, were fent to your King, or any part of his People; albeit in his Authority and Embaffy he depend not upon your King, but allanerly upon his own Mafter j yet is it not in your King's power, and dependeth upon him, whether he will admit him in his Territories to difcharge that Meflage ? Or, when and where he fhall have Audience, &c ? Ay, but your Parallel of Civil Judges and their Offices depending on the King, correfponds not adequately unto this, but is of a different nature and wider extent , being otherwife fubordinate unto, and depending upon the Prince, viz. Di- reclly and Derivatively as well as Objectively ; and consequently he hath a power over them, which he [90 he hath not over Indulged Minifters, ^i£. toe*~ auBorate and J/ non-entibtts & ncn-apfarentibzts % ., idem judicum : Surely,* the Ruler profened no fiich end, as the A pie or Minrfters mould take lip that fame Argu-* fnent againft your felves, and tell you they are jealous (not without pregnant prefiimptioris) of no good ends- in fbme of your Preachers and their Preachings, and therefore judgeth it unlaw- ful to hear them, join with them, or any way countenance them therein ? Would you think if valid reafontng ? And were ye not but met witli your own Ell-wand ? %. Some are bold to fay. The intent of the trh diligence was to fubjed the Miniftry and things of God unto, and bring them all into dependant upon the Civil Magiftrate ; and therefore not lawful to meddle with that that ferves for (Itch an end. Anf. Had this been faid of the Outing of you* it might had more colour • the Exercife of, and fubmitting unto the Magistrates privative power, circa facra, tending more natively hereunto. But how this can be juftly alledged of the Exercife' and acceptance of the benefit of his Auxiliary power and ad of his Nurfe-Fatherthip, in indulge tag part of that liberty formerly taken from yoii, we fee not. Again, as ex natura rei> it pttts Miniftefs into Tubjedion unto, and dependance upon the Ma- giftrate, not in regard of their Fundion, nor. of the Exercife of it fimply ; but only in regard of the free and undifturbed Exerrife thereof * Q % (which • L961 (which the Objectors themfclves grant to be not incongruous), ib neither doth this end affzar (by any Demonftratlve Evidence) to have been the Project No mans guefling, and Magifterial Al- ledgances, fufficeth here for proof Non-ccnftafs and Non-Hyuet's may very well be repell'd as Non- entities., fpecially if there are preemptions to the contrary, as here there are. 3//. Some more colourably ObjeB, That the very profeifed end of this indulgence (as {he Act beareth) is to remedy (or remove) Conventicles, which the Act calls Difbrders. And is not this an evil end ? And to accept that Indulgence^ it not to comply with that end ? For Anfivtr to this, confider, (1) That the Act calleth Conventicles Difbrders, only in a Or p0& the Ruler had made an- Act, lii L e that of , . . o. 7. difcharging all Preaching, (as he -did Pravcr to God), and the Reiter mould grant liberty of *11 fort of Con- venticling, upon this ground and iiltenjt,, to wear out and put away all Preaching in a let'ed way, would ye think he that mould S reach, were it but in a corner, were guilty of this fnifu Narra- tive and end ? we fhppofe not. Or, i f ' he mould diieuarge all Family-prayer, and the Refter li- cenie it, upon this Narrative, and with lelpecl: to this end, that it might iatisfle peop e , and exclude all feeking after publick preaching, &c would it in that cafe.be unlawful to perform Fa- mily-Fray er ? Or, would doing the fame, con- clude yen under the guilt of compliance with; the Narrative and grounds whereupon the Ruler permits it ? we fuppofe ye will not (ay it. And why any more fliould ye aver it in this cafe 01 the indulged Preaching, which • is no lefs a ne- ceflary' and commanded duty, than that of in- dulged Praying, &'c ? Thus you fee how little ground there is to fern pie at the Indulgence, or queftion the In- dulged upon this Icore, of a fuppofed ill defign in it. - The Fifth Objection is. The narrownefs of the In* c ion Indulged Liberty, both as to Terf&ns and F*ivjk ledges ; not all the outed Miniiters being com- prehended in that favour, nor all plates made partakers, nor liberty of the whole Presbyterian Government had ; but only a part of Miniiters and people has it vouchfafed on them ; and no more of the Government reitored,but only Con- gregationl Seffions at molt And is it not a fault to accept of inch a ftraitned liberty ? To this we (ay thele rive things : (i) This Objection mpponeth the Indulgence in its nature not unlawful : elf e, how can the Objectors plead for its inlargement, or complain of its ftraitned- nefs ? for, were it intrinfecally evil, the more ample it were, the w 7 orfe it were. But (i) know 7 , that its ftraitnednefs i? the Ma- giftrates fault, but the Miniiters affliclion only ; and fhould ' not the jVlagiftrates fault reft with hkwfelf, and not be imputed to the Mmifters ? Let ez'ery man tpear his own burden*, Gal. 6. «< . 'And (3) as his not -granting all he mould, did; not make it fimply unlawful to grant a part ; iq who can rationally fay, that Miniiters might not > take, and make ufe of that part, till God fhoukk incline him ,to grant more ? Grieved w 7 as their fouls that the liberty was not univerlal, and alt perlons and places concerned not 5 made fharers^ all their own rights not fully reftored. And theif hearts defire to God, and endeavour with man, was and is to have it extended. They fit not; down upon their priviledg, carelefs of their Ere- thren, who were fecluded and debarred for the time- but fympathizes and laments their hard " " • lotJ C 102 ] lot, praying for redrefs, even as they who re- turned out of the Captivity before the reft, for- got not thofe who w T ere detain'd in Babylon be- hind them, Pfal. 116. i, i, with 4. But who will lay, that becaufe in Providence others bonds are . not taken off, therefore they mould have caiten at the mercy of their liberty ? or, that it was their fin to take hold of it and improve it ? no more than it was Pharaoh's Butlers fault to ac- cept of his Liberty and Reftauration, though the Baker and Jofeph were left (till in prifbn behind him, Gen. 40 ? Did Jofeph quarrel or difcharge the Butler to accept of his liberty, unlefs all his fellow-prifbners were partakers of the like ? no, but only fays, When it is well -with thee, then re- member me. To ftate this for a Principle,That it is not law- ful for any man to preach the Go (pel, having li- berty, while his neighbour gets not the like liber- ty ; or, to preach in any one place, becaufe he is not licenfed equally to all places ; or, that one place mould fay, I will not be rained upon while other places and fleeces are dry ; it feemeth to favour more of humour than of folid and juftifi- able reafon. Was it a crime for the Children of Judah and Benjamin to come up out of their Captivity to Jerufalem and build the Temple, offer Sacrifice, &c. (as Ez,ra 1. 5 J becaufe their Brethren of the Ten Tribes were not alio per- mitted to return to their land, and concur in the Building ? yea, or that part of the Jem who came up at fir It with Zerubabel, did they fin, be- caufe they returned, while others ftayed ftill in Bab)" I »©3 ] Babylon, (perhaps detained, notwithftanding C/. ir$r his Proclamation) till afterwards Efdra obtai- ned of Artaxerxes liberty for himfelf and them ? (as Efdra 7. 6, 7.) or, if twenty of you were in- carcerate for the Gofpel, and in providence the Civil Power were moved to liberate ten of them, ought thefe ten necelfarily to reject their offered Liberty ; or were it their fin to go forth of Prifbn, becaufe their Fellow Prilbners obtain not the like ? Or might, and fhould one Nation refufe the liber- ty of the Gofpel, becaufe all other Nations has not the like ? In a word, where no Law is , there is no TranfgreJJion ; and what Divine Precept is bro- ken, in accepting Liberty to Preach in the Welt, becaufe Orkney, Shetland, and the High-Lands, &c. are not provided for , nor priviledged with the liberty of a Presbyterian Miniftry? But fur- ther, Confider, (4.) That it is not left at Mini- fters Option or Choice, to Preach or not (having liberty) as they pleafe. A Dijfienfation is commit ted unto them, 1 Cor. 9. 16, 17. and wo apon them if they f reach not , having an open door from the Lord fet before them, by the means of the Magi- strate, who had fhut it. It was and is therefore not indifferent unto them, to accept or reject the liberty and open-door of Preaching , as feemed belt to them ; but was, and is a neceffary, indil- penfable duty to take hold of it. Hence it follows, that whatever Neighbourlinefs and Kindiinefs might feem to plead for Refilling, yet furely it was and is no breach of Conference to accept, nay rather were it not a finful, fond Affection, to flight fiich an opportunity of ferving God in the Gofpel of i 104 ] of his Son? Becaufc, forfbotb, fbme Neighbours get not the like liberty , Vv 7 ere not this too high a complement of kindnefs to your Neighbour, to prefer the taking an unnecefTary.fhare in a com- mon fullering with them, unto a finlefs liberty of neceflary ferving of God in the higheft Sphere of Gofpel-acYing? In Tike manner, (5*.) As for taking tbe liberty of all Chrifts Ordinances, competent to a Congregation , without liberty of Claftkal Presbyteries , Provincial Synods, or General Af- femblies ? Wliat Scripture or Rcafon pleads again ft this, or proveth the Accepters Sin ? Namely, what is withheld • being their involuntary, and not con- fented-unto want. Muft ye have all, or will ye take nothing ? Yea, and count it an unpardona- ble crime to accept of a Day of (mall things till God incline the hearts of Rulers to condefcend to further ? Had it been unlawful to Zcmbabel^-to; have accepted a confidcrable part of the VeiTe is- of the Temple, if theother part had been kept back ? By this ground was not E'dra in a miftake, when lie bleffed God for a Nail in the Holy Place ? Eldra 9. And was not your own Ch arch far out, when in the late Ufurpers time , and afterwards , her liberty of General AflTemblies was broken ; yet kept Synods, Presbyteries, and Sefhons, holding faft what of her Liberty fhe could, while the o- ther part was infringed ? Is aut Cafar, ant nihil, your Principle ? We hope fiich Axioms ye will not own { nor charge the contravention thereof, as a fault upon your Brethren. Were Chrifts Cloaths taken from him, what forbids, but ye might law- fully receive back his Coat to put upon him, un- til C *05] til ye get his Cloak al(b ? Remember here, that what part of the. Churches Liberties is kept back from your Minifters, is not difchafged nor quail bv them ; nor what they have got accepted in lieu o~ the whole ; but only taken as a part of the Churches right, till more come : Like a Credi- tor's receiving part of his Sum, to be doing with, for the time, until he get the reft. In all thisDe- tenfion, are not your Minifters merely paffive ? And what they receive , is cumulative % and but prejudice, not frwjti-ve unto what remains to be fought and granted thereafter, when God giveth occafion. From all thefe Confederations-, is it not plain, What a groundlefs Humbling there is at Minifters accepting this ftraitned Liberty, Lame and Nar- row as it is? whidv imperfection of it, -mould be, and is indeed a Gravamen*, a grief of heart, and burden to their Spirits ; but could be no jii&Liga- men Confcientisz^ a thing to have hedged up Con- Icience from making ufe of it, or that imports a violation of the Law of God, and a Breach upon the Confcience, if it be made ufe of If any fay, The accepting of this partiai Indul- gence -precludes from, and ftandsan the way of a more general ; and if this had been refilled^- a full Liberty would have been granted e're now. i^f,W@ confefs thefe are Politicks ftrongly afc ferted by feme who. would feem very prying ; but founded upon lb .little Reafbn or Religion, yea or common Settle, that it tranfeends our capacity to comprehend them, ' What probability or" ground of Ailiirance can ye produce for flichan expecta- tion? [ 106] tion ? By what Almanack do ye Divine this ? yea, fuppole fbme weak probables might be adduced for it, yet how can it bethought that fuch uncer- tain, conjectural Politicks , relating unto Future Contingencies, mould juftly have debarred thefe Minifters from entertaining a prefent , certain Mercy and Duty ? But, Dear Friends, Did ye find the firft Indulgence bar the door upon, and not rather make way for , the fecond ? And- if we might take a liberty to foretel, as you do, might it not be faid upon no lefs Reafon, that, had the Second been kindly entertained and well impro- ved , the good effects thereof might have induced many to feek, and the Magiftrate to grant, a third, more ample than any of the former : But your carping difobligeth him, and your reeling makes you contemptible, and thought unworthy of Fa* vour. If again any fay, How can we be content, when fbme are thus favoured , and get leave to dwell at eafe under their Vine, while others are hunted and haraffed ? We will never be right, till all be in one condition again , either all out, or all in* Anfii/. May not people object the fame again ft one another, to whom Providence carves out va- rious Lots ? And what , Shall there be , mould there be no peace , until all be of the fame out- ward Lot and Condition ? O Salamandrin Para- dox ! And what is this elfe but the very foam of envy, like the Patriarchs envying Jofepb for their Fathers kindnefs unto him beyond them ? or, as if Jofepb (hould have grudged at the Butler his get- ling and accepting of Liberty, while himfelf lay ftill L *o7 ] frill in prifbn, till the Irons entred into his Soul ? Qr, as if the reft of the Children of the Captivity ftiouldhave quarrelled at Daniel and his Fellows promotion, while their Brethren fate by the Banks of Babel weeping ? Why fixuldyour eye be evil where the Lords Hand is good ? Are ve worfe that it's well, or any whit better with others ? Count ve what is granted to your Brethren, detra&ed from you ? and their Liberty , your Mifery ? Why grudge ye ? Do ye well to be angry ? might not the differing part of the people grudg and quarrel in like manner, that all their Neighbours are not in Prifbn with them ?. or, that one or more gets out of Prifbn , while others are detained ? Should there be no peace among you, unlefs all be in the fame cafe , and have the fame Lot ? Is not this much like the fault of the Corinthians, who fchif- matized and rent the Bodv of Chrift , becaufe of their different places and employments in the Church, that all was not Eye, or Ear, or Hand; i Cor. ix.8,9,io,i i. with 15, 16,17, 18^5 ? And (hall there be no concord, but a ftanding mutiny in an Army, becaufe fbme are put up into Quar- ters, others in Garifbn , fbme to lye in the Fields, others to range abroad in parties, &c. In Acls 8. 1. we read, There was a great persecution at Je- rusalem again ft the Church, and all were fcatt ere d a- broad except the Apoftles : And v. 4. They that were Scattered abroad , went every where preaching the word. Here are different Lots, and different em- ployments , fome perfecuted, fbme fpared , fbme going abroad to preach at their peril, others ftay- ing at Jerusalem in a more fixed, way , as James and Cio8] and other Brethren did, as is clear by comparing this place with ABs n. 18, yet who finds any dif- cord among them upon this account ? Remem- ber, that it is the Magiftrates fault, not your Bre- threns, that ye are not all equal (harers ; Why then dp ye let fdrth your Crab at the Innocent ? Olook higher than Man in this ! Is it not the dif- ferent difpenfation of his Sovereign Providence , who is not countable to us of any of his matters, Trov. 29. 26. 1 Cor. n. 18. and may do with his 6wn what he will, Matth. 20. 1 5-. may Jet up one Star to fhine, and let another better lye by ? Who may fay to him what doit thou ? Is not this diffe- rence of dealing to be ftooped unto and adored, and not to be quarrelled ? Tolle yuad tuum efi 9 ut wade, Matth. ic. 13, 14. Submiffion unto, and Improvement of r your own Lot and Cafe, and not to dive much into others, is your blelfed Duty, John laft. t>. 2 1, 22. But to fay no more, not a few, and thefe none of the fimpleft, do judge , if your fierce Divifions and brisk Animofiues did not Co much ferve the bad Defigns of fome, who bear fway in Affairs (Who therefore love tocherifh them, by fretting you with exc] ufion from favours, while others get) belike yon might foon have your defire of a general liberty. But your contendings are too good a game ( for promoting their ends) to let them die out for want of fewel: O then let not this defe&ivenefs and lamenefs of the favour, be a bone of Contention any more ! The Sixth Obje&ion is, the manner of their eti- try unto thefe Charges, wherein they Officiate, not being called by the people ( as is alledged) nor' C l °9 1 nor admitted by the Presbytery, as wont to be, and fojthey Teem not to come in at the door, (in an orderly way) but at the Window, or by a by-way. Anfw. Here indeed , there are ftrange , but groundlefs , and unjuft outcryes made againft them : For evincing whereof, and fatisfying the misinformed, let thefe following Confiderations be pondered. Firft, As to the alledged want of the peoples previous Election and Call, we fay thefe things. i . What needed thefe Minifters any new Electi- on or Call, who were, by the Indulgence, return- ed to their own former Charges? a. As for thefe who were licenfed unto other parts, we affirm, it is a great miftake to fay they ; came without the call and content of the people : I For, in the firft Indulgence, Licenfes palled not i but upon Addrefs firft made to the Council for the ifame, by fbme in Name of theParifh, and as re-' iprefenting them, which after the Licenfe paired, was backed by a fecond and more ample Call, and ! moft ferious Invitation by the Eiders, Gentlemen, 'Mafters of Families, and other flich raoft confi- ; derable parts of the people, in their own name, i and of the reft of the Parifh ; earneftly befeeching i thefe Indulged Minifters to come and labour a- : mong them in the Gofpel , till God fhould open i a door for their return to their former Charges : So that they had the Election of the People dou- bly, both Prior and Pofterior, unto the Councils Licenfe ; and always anterior to their own mint- ing^ irithe leaft, to come to the Charges ti^ey were Licenfed unto, Sic like in the fecond Indulgence, H albeit C 11° 1 albeit* the Magiftrate waited not upon Peoples Ele&ion, but fiipponing all thefe outed Minifters men of approved qualifications, (being formerly ordained by Presbytery , and in no lefs eminent charges, than he allocated. them unto : and alfo much flocked after by peop 1 e, when they Conven- ticled : ) And thinking his Giant of Licenfe or Aft of Toleration, did no more ( finch jufi) depend upon peoples call, than their call doth upon his Toleration ; did therefore do his part anteriorly to the Peoples call, (a method indeed,though not fimply and intrinfecally fulfill, yet full of hazard, and liable to many inconvenients in a conftitute Church- ) yet none of thefe fo indulged did offer to come to beftow their labours in thefe Parifhes, without the Parifhes call firft had. Now, what doth it import to theMinifters, whether the Peo- ples call did precede or follow the Prince his Civil Licenfe? Or what reafon hath any to object, if the people was fatisfied with the Minifter Licen- fed, and did cordially call him ? If any think the Prince his Nomination, was a taking upon him the peoples right of Calling, it is a great miftake ; being only a Civil and Legal Licentiating, not an Ecclefiaftick Calling. If ye fay, It praelimited the people in their free- dom. Anfw. Not at all: They were (till left to their freedom , as well as when a Presbytery giveth them a Lift, as often wont to be. Hence fome peo- ple called others, and obtained the Licenfing of them too, and paffed by fuch as the Council did nominate for them ,, as lefs fit for them> How* ever, ever, if the Prince did in this method pfetimi^ and incroach upon the peoples freedom ; as ye will readily find it an Adt of Opprelfion only, not of Usurpation; fb is it his fault aloile , but doth not cencern the Mini Her, nor can be any juft except tion agaifift him whom the People acquiefced iii^ and cordially called ; and hitherto we have heard of none of them repenting of their choice, More- over, Suppofe the Magiftrate had nominated arid ele&ed Fuch and fiich Minifters to fuch and fiicli places (which yet he did not) in this broken State of the Church , we defire to know what wrong | were done thereby, more than when your States | and Council did nominate and chufe the Super- ■ intendents for fuch and fuch Provinces, as ydltr ! Church alloweth in her mattered cafe, in the fir ft ; Book of D{fcipline, p. 37. Sic like, did not all the j Ministers in the Church of Scotland, before the I year 164 c enter by Prefentations from the Pa- I trons, without the Ele&ion or Call of the People ? jj But was this ever counted a Relevant Objection [againft their Miniftry., or for feparating from 1 them againft the lawfulnefs of hearing them ? Why then are the Indulged mens entry quarrelled as- I iinflil , and their Miniftry as defiled , who yet || wanted not the peoples full call ? Thus ye fee it I is a miftake, to alledg their want of a due and va- lid call : And for the quibbles about the method of it, how weak a ground are they to caft at them., and plead for Separation from them, for the fame 9 fith they militate only againft the Magiftrates pre- cipitant or prepofterous proceeding (if fb you judg it) but makes nothing againft the Minifters • it H % being being all one to them (as to the validity of their Call) whether the Peoples EJedtion was antece- dent or fiibfequent to the Rulers Licenfe : See A- mef. Caf. Confc. Lib. 4. Chap. *c, Th. 7.9. Yea, Di- vines tell us, that peoples content fiibfequent to a Minifters entry (though it abfblve him not of difbrderlinefs, yet) doth ratifie and make good his right to labour among them as their Paftor : even as Leah (unjuftly obtruded upoh Jacob) did by his confequent content become his Wife ; and might no more after that be repudiate, than his beloved Rachel, whom he choited before he mar- ried her. But here, fbme as we underftand, Object, How can Minifters having another people, to whom they have a prior ftanding relation, be counted, though elecled and called, the Paftors of thefe people, to whom they are indulged ? Can a man have two charges at once ? To this we anfwer, (1) That they may very well be called, counted, and fubmitted unto by the indulged people, as their own Minifters, juft as your honeft Mini- fters Mr. Robert Blair, and Mr. John Li r u'wgBon i and others, became Paftors of Churches in Scot- land, notwithftanding their relation to their for- mer charges in Ireland, from w 7 hich they were driven away by the violence of the time. And as famous Mr. Welfli did take charge of a Congre- gation in France, being banifhed Scotland. And as we fuppofe your banifhed Brethren in Holland 1 would not fcruple to take charges there, if Pro- \ vidence offered the fame, even as others of your j number has accepted of Charges in Ireland, and J tjiat that without the confent of your Church in Scot- l-dnd, and alfo without your quarreling at them. We wonder why ye impugn thofe indulged men fb briskly, when others of the fame pra&ice as to this - are allowed. Shall it be counted vice in the one, which is counted virtue in the other ? (2) Not to debate, if when by violence of a time, a Minifter is incapacitate to exercife his Miniftry among his people, (as your Minifters were by Law^ and that backed with force), and fb it became morally impoiTible to difcharge his Office unto them; whether in that cafe he be Ci- viliter mortum, dead in Law unto them, and his Minifterial tye and relation, Divino nutu loofed, or Providentially broken and diffolved, as Amef. afferts in his Caf. confc. lib. 4. cap. 25-. $. ff. We are made to underftand that fome of thefe who impugn their Brethren moft hotly,are of this opi- nion, and therefore count not themfelves obliged to look after their old Charges, more than after any other. Whereupon we wonder at their call- ing their Brethren men of Pluralities of Charges, whilft themfelves take the whole Church univer- sal for their charge, at leaft all the Parifhes in Scotland indefinitely, & a^uo jure. But let us fup- pofe the relation to ftand undiflblved quo ad ha- bitum 9 or jm ad rem ; yet feeing there is a Sup err fedeas put, by the times to the atlual exercije of it, what hinders but they may and fhould law- fully beftow their labours in any other part of the Lords Vineyard, being called thereunto, un- til Providence open a door of regrefs to their for- mer Charge ? in which cafe, though they be not H 3 firn* C "4 1 Jtrrifhciter and abfolutely the fixed, ftated Paftors of thefe people, yet are they conditionally, and for that interim ; and not like meer itinerant and oceafional Preachers. Their call determineth them unto, and ftateth their relation to thefe people, until cccafion of regrels. Nor is it abfi'rd for them to have relation to two different flocks at the fame time in a different manner, viz. to the one babitu, to the other aBu ; or thus, to the one xtjktw, or by way of propriety, to the other /&«*", or by way of loan and ufe for the time. Next, as to the plea of their not being admit- ted to thefe places by the Presbytery, as wont robe. For taking off this, know (i) that they being Minifters already, needed no new Ordina- tion or Miffion. As for that folemnity of adrriifll- on ufed formerly in Tranfportations, what is it as to the ftating the man Paftor of that people, but a publick folemn Declaration of the peoples confent and fubjeclion unto him ? and a folemn Introduction of him into his work ? 'and was ma- terially had by the indulged in the peoples exprefs and full calling of them, .Which they d id exhibit, and practical fubjedlion to not only de futuro , as their Miniltrv : That fo- Whea they call an cxpe- lemnitv therefore of Ad- etant 5 but de prefenti. miffio ^ (fo ^jj^ bdn§ ^ molt, and in beft times, not necejjarj ad ejft, but only expedient ad bene ejje 9 - that is to fay, not effential and abfolutely neceifa- ry, but only for folemnity and conveniency of ftating the relation , (as learned Voettm fhew- eth in his Dejfterata can fa Papatz/f, pag, 163.) > . U . What ? £ "5 ] What hinders but it may be wanted without any detriment to the relation ? like marriage confum- mate without fbme of the Rites and Solemnities, ordinary, and fit when they may be had. Can any with reafbn fay, that Preaching of the Go- fpel by actual Ordained 'Minifters, invited and earneftly called thereto by people, dependeth fo abfblutely and eifentially upon that punctilio of order ; and Subftance is fiich an underling to Form, that if this be not (nor poffible to be had) that mould not, may not be in no cafe, no not of much extremity, and urgent necefhty, as this was ? Sure what Divinds fay of Baptifm, may be applied here, Now privatio^ fed contempt 'its damnat^ fo not the bare want, but the neglect of Admifll- on is a fault and marring defect, being only a point of order, which in fiich a broken time could not be had. And therefore the want of it dero- gates nothing from the validity of their intereit in that people, nor from the lawfulnefs of their labouring among them. And to object it againft them, feems to fi vour more of prejudice than of any real fcruple. But (2) -remember this was a. > broken (tate of the Church wherein ordinary Formalities and Solemnities (fit to be obferved in a cm&kuisd Church) could not be obtained ; for,feemg there were no Presbyteries in being, who can jultiy quarrel thefe Minifters for want of the Presbyte- ries folemn concurrence ? Namely, if Lrechrens content and approbation was generally had dif- junctly (as far as there was accefs to acquaint them with the matter in the fcattered condition H 4 they [u61 • they were in) either formally and expreflv, or tacitely and in fbme equivalent way. What more could have been done in fuch an extraordinary cafe ? and the extraordinarinefs of the cafe, did it not fufTiciently difpenfe with, and excufe the w 7 ant of that ufual point of Order? which there- fore in this cafe is no irregularity and diforder, frivaiive. (3) It meriteth Confederation, that the indul- ged did not come unto thefe Parifhes like trans- ported Minifters, to fix with them without ai eye of return to their former Charges ; but only for an interim^ till accefs to their old flocks be granted ; and confecmently there was no necefTi- ty of the Solemnities ufual in the admifTion of Cranfported men. From all this is it not plain, that their manner of entry is not fb culpable as it is by fome repre- fented to be ? and we hope thefe probationers and others who come and Conventicle within the Indulged mens bounds, or in other places, not only without, but perhaps againit the con- lent or due call o ; the Minifters or Elders, and people of thee bounds, let be without any Pres- byteries Million, as wont regularly to be, accor- ding to the A&s of your General Affemblies, will not think it fair and juft to make ufe of this ex- ception, left it fall heavier upon themfelves. Shall it be a right door for the one to enter in at, which is reckoned wrong in the other \ or contrary ? The Seventh Objection is, The want of a fnH and free Teltimony (as is ailed ged) againft the In- [ ™7 1 fncroachments and Ufiirpations made upon the Churches Rights, and Chrifts Prerogative, in and by this Indulgence, and otherwife. AnC (i) Sith the Indulgence as accepted by the Brethren, is free of all Eraftianifm, or Homo- logation of the Supremacy, as is already clear- ed ; what are thefe Incroachments where anent the Indulged were concerned to bear witnefs more, than the reft of you ? why then fingle ye them out, and make them the Butt of this Ob- jection ? (i) We are informed, that at the firft Indul- gence, fufficient was (aid by one of their number, in name of himfelf and the reft, before the Kings Council, to clear that they hold their Mimicry only of Chrift, and did not at all allow of, or comply with any jot of Eraftianifm. And further, that all of them, both of the firft and (econd In- dulgence (the moft part having no immediate accefs to declare before the Magiftrate) did at their entry to their feveral Charges, publickly declare to their people to the fame purpofe. As alfb, that divers of them being con vented before the Council in June Anno 1673, did £x- prefs their fenfe of that Ad: of Rules then inti- mated to them, to the fatisfaction of all fbber and unprejudiced perfbns , as the Narrative of their carriage at that time at more length bears. Though it be true, we grant,enough was not faid to ftop the mouths of all Cavillers, whom no- thing would fatisfie, except it had amounted ta have produced the effeft of Imprifbnment,as be- fell one of them, &c. Yet fure it was more than anv any others of you did, when ye were Convented before the Council for not repairing to the places of your Confinement, &c. Does it not then favour of prejudice and partiality to accufe only the Licenfed Brethren as deficient in a Te- itimony, when no others had done fo much, let be out-ftripped them, except it be in a corner among fbme vulgar people ? Moreover, it is credibly informed, that the in- dulged upon all competent occafions, tefriiies a- gainft the iniquities of the times in their Sermons, as well as others do ; (though not indifcreetly to irritate, rather than edirie) ; and particularly, they have not been wanting to teftifie againft all things contrary to Chrifts Prerogative of being the alone King and Head of his Church • as their conftant Hearers can witnefs. Whence it is appa- rent they are not (o finfully filent (as fbme alledg) though they make it not their ordinary Theme as fome others do. Neither are they involved in any Interpretative compliance,or fymbolizing with the evils under consideration, Co far as a juft Tefti- mony can exonerate them thereof. And moreo- ver they are not wanting to give^PraBkal Tefti- mony for God againft the evils of the time, in re- fufing all praftical conforming thereunto,or com- pliance therewith; and is not this more than much Verbal Teftimony ? Yet ( 3) becaufe many do force mifconftrucli- ons upon their accepted liberty, and have been ready to take offence that fo little has been faid or done by way of Teftimony againft the in- croachments of the time, it could have been wilh- C"9] wifhed, that (befides your Nonconformity there- unto, and fuffering upon that fcore which the fober cannot but think a real, material, great, practical Teftimony of far more importance and fignificancy than much verbal ; as is plain from Luk. 21. 12, 13. Matth. 10. 17, 18.) We wifh there had alfo been, or yet were, a formal, fo- lemn, exprefs Teftimony, in ample and difcreet form, agreed upon, and publifhed by both the indulged and unindulged Minifters and people jointly, being jointly concerned therein as a mat- ter of common intereft, that the world might fee plainly your mind and harmony in this. And this ye know the Indulged were never refractory unto,more than others • yea, was forward for it; but ye know by whom it was obftructed, and who did draw back and decline to concur with them, and fo by deferring them , difcouraged them from proceeding in Co choice a duty. But albeit this general concurrence in a full Teftimo- ny, feems neceiTary for fundry grave Reafbns, namely for the benefit of pofterity and after-ages 5 yet feeing nothing of this kind is done, yea coun- ted by fome fcarce practicable in the Circumfran- ces ye are in, let all of you join in lamenting the defect; and feeing the unindulged are no lefs fhort in giving the Magiltrate a true information and juft reprefentation of the iintiilnefs of thefe matters, and have ftood as little up towitneis and plead for God before the Ruler as the in- dulged, let both the one fort and the other, lay their hand on their mouth, and confefs fainting and failing, and pity and pray for one another. * But [ 120 ] But none to upbraid it to another. How- ever, be it fuppofed, the Indulgent were de- ficient in this point of duty, even beyond other?, yet what were that but their perfbnal failing, but nothing juftly to reflect upon their liberty, nor to caft at their Miniftry , unlefs ye make every perfbnal failing of that coniequence; which were a wild and dangerous principle ? The Eighth Objection is taken from their obfer- ving of their Confinement (as is alledged), yea, their fetling at all in a fixed Miniftry , and not rather continuing loofe of all particular charge to ferve the Church in an indefinite itinerant way, as others do in this time of her need. As to the matter of their Confinement, we fay, (i) The Act of Confinement, being not of a Spiritual, but of a Civil nature, like Imprifbn- ment, however unjuft it be, yet we hope ye will not call it Eraitianifm, nor Spiritual Supremacy ia the Magiirrate to impofe it ; nor an Homolo- gation of that Supremacy, if Minifters fiibmit to it ; it being in its kind not extra fcrum civile, or illegal and incompetent ; no more nor other Ci- vil punifhments and prefTures unjultly inflicted upon, and fubmitted unto by the Godly in all Generations. And furely, to confine one particu- lar Minifter, or the whole party, is all of one kind, differing only in ma^is & minus , which varieth not the kind, whatever Inccmmcda or ill confequents follow upon the one more than on the other, that aifo makes no Intrinfecal differ- ence. (a) We C»*3 (2) We would fain know why ye quarrel your Brethrens fubmitting unto, and observing of their confinement (though exereifing their Mi- nilhy in the place, to the edification and fervice of this poor Church not a little), more than ye quarrel others ilibmitting unto, and obferving inviolably their Banifhment from their former Charge, yea and others their Banifhment from Scotland^ by which means this Church is wholly deprived of their fervice ? (3) We hope, ye will not fay, that it is (imply and abCbiutely unlawful to fubmit, even to un- juft confinement, or to obferve it for any time \ for that were both againit Scripture and Reafbn, and to condemn the Generation of the Righte- ous, who have fubmitted to the like, yea to more hard and prejudicial fiifferings. Did not John the Apoftle fubmit to his Confinement unto Patmos I Rev. 1. and Paul to his at Rome, Act. 28. Did not your worthy Mr. R. Bruce fubmit to his Con- finement unto fonemtfi ? Others alfo to theirs* in Kintyre, Boot, Aryan, &c ? and Mr. D. Dickson f tohlsatT&raff? Mr. Rutherford to his at Aber- dtn I when yet their Miniftry was no lefs. need- ed elfe-where, yea much more than your .Bre- threns is now. And if any Confinement or other prejudice redound to the Gcjfiel, through the re- ftraint laid upon their perfons, they being paffive therein, and only the Magiftrare active, what guilt lyes at their door, more than if they were imprifbned ? are not flifferers to be held inno- cent ? Is not Confinement (upon their part) a fad |>iece offuifering? and fhall they be counted "" finners [ I22 1 Tinners for differing ? Look on it then henceforth as their affliction, not their fin. (4) Whatever finfulnefs might be a Hedged in fubmitting unto this fentence of Confinement in an abfolme way , as being obfrru&ive tr feveral neceffary duties that lye upon them, which can- not be followed with a peremptory obfervation of Confinement ; yet what doth that fay againii a * limited obfervation thereof, viz,, in Co far as may be confident with neceffary Duties to the Church and Gofpel, and in as far as they are not called by any duty to break it ? what fault is it to ob- ferve it, while it doth not compet with any duty? that is, while no duty occurs which cannot be gone about without tranfgreffing it ? And who of all the indulged did ever fubrnit further unto it ? being ready to difbbferve it, when ever duty otherwife called them Co to do. Only they love not to trample upon the Magiftrates Authority, to tranfgrefs without juft caufe his hardeft fen- tences. Yet fb far only, arid no further, do they regard fuch fentences, as that when the Autho- rity of God interpofes, difobliging them to ob- ferve them, they fcruple not to fay with the Apo- ftles, Better obey God than man. (5) Seeing the Confinement is a Civil fentence, though mollified with a liberty of Preaching, queftionlefs the transferring that Confinement to another place with the fame liberty, is of the feme very nature \ and no pure exercife of Ec- clefiaftical power and Government ; whence it is evident that it is a great miftake to fay, it is a planting and tranfplanting of Miniflers Ecclefiafti- - calj [ T2 3 1 cal ; but a meer civil and local mutation of their Perfonal abode, which only consequently draws along with it the Exercife of their Mini-ftiy,where- fbever their perfons go ; even as if they were tranflated from one Prifon to another. And who but Fapifis will fay, but Minifrers bodies and per- fons are under the Magiitrates juriidiclion as o- ther mens ? and that it is no Eraftianifin at all to difpofe of them ? (6) What reafon is there to fay this Cantoni- zing of thole places and Minifters, and confining of the Gofpel, is their fin ? for, albeit it be the Magiftrates fault to fhut them up thus into cor- ners,yet who can juftly lay it to Minifters charge being flifferers therein ? and albeit they be put under chains and fetters of Corporal confinement, as Faul was at Rome, and John in Fatmos, yet the word of God is not bound, 2 Tim. 2.- 9. but may have, arid has free courfe, not with ftanding people not being debarred from coming to them, though they like Jeremiah be fhut up (as it were) in the Court of the Prifon that they cannot go far abroad among people, fez Act. 28. 30, 31. Fur- ther know, that Minifrers (as above faid) fiibmit no further to their Confinement than may con- fift with the duties of their calling ; ib that when God calls them to go vifit or Preach to other parts, in that cafe they obferve it not, nor ftick to tranfgrefs it, God calling them thereto, as he did Peter to go forth out of Prifon, Acl. 5.19,20. when yet Vaul and Silas having the fame open doors, but not the fame call to go forth, lay foil till Authority put them forth, Ach 16. 26,28, 37. As [in] As to all this, that it feems a ftrange conceit, to fay the Gofpel is quite confined and fhut up where- ever the perfbns of fb many Minifters are confined ; as if there were no Gofpel to be had in the Land, but from them; no not from the hand of the reft of Non-Conform Minifters not comprehended in this confinement. Next, As to their fixing, and that in this cafe, when there is fueh paucity of honelt Minifters, and the neceflity of the Church is great, calling for mens labours to be extended throughout all the Land ; obferve, i . That this Objection militates nothing againft the ufe-making of the Indulged Liberty, in the general , but only again It the containing the exer- cife of their Miniftry within thefe Parifhes ; an Ob- jection common againft all fixed Minifters, what way fbever they enjoy it : And therefore it is won- dred at, that the Indulged only mould be prelfed with it, and all the out-cry made upon them • when they are not alone in the fault, if a fault it be. How many of the outed Minifters lye by in corners, Iefs extenfive in their ufefulnefs to the Church, than the Indulged ? And yet the edge of the Objection is whetted only againft the Licenfed Brethren : what this favoureth of, we leave to your felves to judge. 2,. We demand, What is this great neceflity, fo much decantated and objected againft the Indul- ged's Fixing? What, are there not enow of hands befides to overtake that work, were they all pur to it, and regularly difpofed of? Sure, the princi- pal Objectors, however they make clamour of the C 125 3 necefllty of defolate and indigent parts , to caft odium upon fixed Minifters, yet feem they to be able enough of themfelves alone for that work ; yea and to fpare now and then a vifit alfo to Indul- ged mens bounds, or near their Confines, whither their People may refbrt. What neceflity is there of this ? And why do not thefe Objectors go and labour in a more permanent way, in thefe needy places, and not be fb oft where there is fb little need? 3. If theHarveft be great, and Labourers fexv; Chrifts Direction is, Pray the Lord of the Harveit to raife up, and thruft out Labourers into his Vine- yard, as in Adatth. 9. But where doth he advife, that till all the Vineyard be cultivated and drelfed equally well in all its parts, at leaft provided with Labourers, none mould fix to a particular Station or Charge ? Do we not know , that in the pri- mitive times there were no lefs neceflities of the 1 People , and paucity of Minifrers ; the Church then being but in her Infancy, and much of the Countrey Pagan ? Yet did they not fettle Paftors in every Church and every City, as they could have accefs? As in Acis 14. z 3. Tit. 1. 5-. And in the times of your firft Reformation , was it not your Church her care (though her need wasfeven fold more than now) to fettle and fix a Miniitry, by degrees, as it could be attained ? Settling, and not unfettling , being ever accounted the greater perfection of the Church. 4. Confider, That the Indulged, as upon the one hand, they look upon themfelves not as be- ing Apoftks, or actually universal Minifters of the I Uni* Univerfal Church (though Minifters of the Church Univerfal, habitu & aciu primo ; ) neither as Payors at large , in the Prelatick way , to take a whole Province for their Charge and Diocy, as the Pre- lates do ; but for ordinary, and ftatedly, they are Watchmen, to ftand at a particular Poftj or like Shepherds, to feed a particular flock , of which the Holy Ghoft hath made them Overfeers, (Atls ao. a8J And confequently, that the charge of all the Churches doth not lye equally upon them ; Pallors being, by Office, fixed Stars : And it being proper to the great Luminaries, Apoftles, Pro- phets, Evangelifts, to have no definite Sphere to move in • fb upon the other hand, they do not fix in their Charges in the Independent way, as pe- remptorily tyed and limited to that particular People ; but they fix in the good old Primitive and Presbyterian way, *vk» ordinarily, and in a ftated way, to labour in a particular charge ; yet fb as they may, and will, upon a fufficient occafi- on and call, go and Preach any where for a time, for the Church's good. And who can look upon this qualified and fcriptural fixing, as a fault ? 5-. The Indulged ( we judg ) do exceedingly compaffionate the need of other places, fb dark and defblate ; and are willing to concur to pro- pagate the Gofpel in thefe places, fo far as may be competent unto them, Rom. 1. 14, 1^. But they may perhaps humbly defire to be confider- ed thefe few things, which feem to plead excufe for their not going (b much abroad, as fome would have them , who complain of their not doing as ethers do. Firfr, [ I2 7 ] ~„ Firft, Until all the Minifters out of charge (who have no other work to do) be put to it, to fupply needy places in a way of watering, at leaft ■ and that done, it be apparent, that the work of the Gofpel cannot otherwife be carried on, unlefs the Indulged relinquiih their prefent Station, and go forth and Travel in an Evangeliftical way to pro- mote it : They think the need of them not fo very great. Secondly, It would be confidered, they are not idle where they are, they are at work in the Lords Vineyard in this Land ; (not wholly ufelefs to this needy Church, as feme worthy Brethren in exile are ) yea and in a peculiar fort, tyed to labour I in thefe places before others ; and thefe places needing and defiring all they can do and more, How then can it be any other, than to Rob Peter ko pay Paul j to put them from their prefent nee- dy people (who think they cannot, without lofs . and prejudice , want them almoft a day) to go and travel among others ? And would it not give Minifters juit ground of complaining in the words of the Spoufe, Cant. 1.6. My mothers children were I angry with' me y and made me keeper of the Vineyards, * but mine own Vineyard have I not kept. Look what advantage ye think their going abroad would do ) to other places ; would it not damnihe their own {people as much? And fhould they rob their own, I to fupply others ? Add to this, Thirdly ,That the Indulged Mini- * iters ftand in fuch Circumftances, that if they ad- venture, were it but to go for a time , to labour among other people, contrary to the Rulers leave ; I % * ye ye know what inevitable hazard they are in, not only of perfbnal prejudice , as others are, btft oflofs of that publick peaceable exercife of their Minifiry they now enjoy : A priviledge, which all the good may be done by their excurfions to preach here and there, will not countervail the damage of lofmg it • fpecially, fith many of the Indulged, were they deprived of their Liberty, and laid by, ■would be certainly rend red ufelefs and unfervice- able to the Church, at lead much lefs capable ; being unable to traverfe up and down, and preach in the Fields, as others do. And what advantage will redound to the Church, by hudling them up again in a corner, who now are fteadable in their publick Station to whole Country-fides about them, who refort to hear them, though they go not forth unto them ? Since therefore it is doubt- ed by them, if it be in majus bonum Ecclefia^ for the greater good, and not rather for the greater detriment, of the Church, to adventure upon that which inevitably draweth the ruin of their prefent liberty along with it • who can blame them not to be rafh therein ? Namely , confidering , that if Hazard be a diffident argument to excufetheba- nifhed Minifters their not returning to the work, and others their lurking when looked after by the Magiftrate ; certainly it cannot but plead as ftrong- ly, and more , for excufing the Indulged for not going to preach otherwhere; their hazard being more than any's, viz,, not only Perfbnal. but Mi- nifterial. And further , the people over whom they now are,being particularly interefled in them, it feems they are not fwjur& 7 i e. not free to dif- pole [ 129 "] pote of themfelves to preach where they may (tipon all perils, as other Mi nifters are) without their Flocks content, to whom they owe all they can do, as Minifters ; and whom they may not adventure to rob of their Miniftry, by expofing themfelves to the danger of that itinerant preach- ing, without their leave : Till therefore their peo- ples content be had, pardon them to be ihy of this matter. Fourthly, Since this general way of Preaching, which fbme would put them unto, if pra&ited by them, would doubtlefly inter the forfaultry and lofs of their pretent Liberty ; and they may Preach their Valedictory to their pretent Charge that day they go forth to the new : We would fain know who {hall just them to run this Risk ? And who fhall direcl: them where to go unto ? or for how long? We think ye will not fay, they mould ^run at random uncalled or untent. Sure, they need fiich a Relevant Call and Million as may war- rant them to*hazard their pretent freedom, and may quiet their Confcience in cafe of fnifering the lofs of.it, befides perfonal futlerings, which may by and attour happen them. Now, what is the call or miffion they have to that work ? V) ill ye fay they fhould go propria motiti of their own heads ? What a door might that open to Coniii- fion ? And will that fatisfie their Confcience, when \t\s faid to them, as to Elijah , What (Lfi thou here ? If ye fay , they mould go to fatisfie their Bre- thren , who grudgeth at their tarrying at home, and be difpoted of, and ordered by them. I 3 Anfii\ Anfw. Who made thefe Rulers over their Bre- thren? And were not this to fet them up as Pre- lates and Dictators to their Brethren ? And to pro- ftitute their Miniftry to gratifle the humors of men , even to facrifice it to their difcontents ? Wherein what peace or anfwer of a good Confci- ence they would have, namely, if differing come, we fee not. All which Premifes being ferioufly weighed in the Ballance of Chriftian Sobriety, who can juftly wonder that they ftick fq clofely by their prefent Stations ? Neither need this difference of pradtife make any Divifion , no more than the different employments of Soldiers in an Army, allows them to mutiny • fbme being allocate to ftay in Gari- fbn, fbme to lie in the Fields, others to fcout forth here and there , as the Prince pleafes to order. As the Indulged withes a bleffing upon the Labours of their honeft Brethren, who vifit needy places - % (b it were fit thofe , who, in providence, are loofe of all particular charge, would ba doing at that general ,' indefinite, itinerant way of Preaching, unto thefe needy parts, till God otherwife provide ; and not grudge at their Brethren, who are not i- dle at home, : though they be not free to come a- broad with them. And, leaftofall, (hould peo- ple make it an exception againft hearing them ; to fay I" will not, ihould not , hear fuch a man Preach within his Parifh, becauft I get him not al- io abroad elfewhere to hear. How ridiculous were that ! If it be fat J, Then what (hall be done to fupply the needy parts of the Land? '" Anfwn C m 1 Anfw. If there be not enow of hands among the llnindulged ( who feems lyes neareft that work, wanting other work) then let an orderly way be taken, by common confent, to provide for thaC; and it is not ( we judg) to be doubted, but the In- dulged wi:l fubmit unto whatever (hall, by com- mon counfel and cpnfent, be determined and laid upon them, as competent unto them, and confid- ent with their prefent Miniftry ; yea and albeit it tend to undo their prefent Liberty, if it be judg- ed by the Judicatory more for the good of theGof- pel ; they are willing to be Ruled by the common advice and determination of Brethren. Rut to un- hinge and caft themfelves loofe upon no other war- rant, than to pleafe fome male-contented Spirits, will ye not think it very pardonable in them to forbear it? Specially, while all others not in their condition, are not put to work ; who feem to be more nearly concerned in that itinerant way of Miniftry, having no accefs unto a fettled Miniftry, as your Brethren have. If ye fay, Peoples Neceffity is Call enough to determine Miniiters to go and Preach to them. Anfw. i. Then mult ye goto the Indies rather than ftay in Scotland; and to the Highlands, ; rather than Lowlands of Scotland , becatife the necefhtv there is greater, yea and accels alio, if .ye will but try it. i. Neceflity alone is only Relevant to determine idle men, or Freemen, that are at their own dif- pofal ; ftich as the Indulged are not , being tyed to particular charges, as others are not. Should they commit Injuftice, in robbing other Churches I 4 of [1323 of their Labours , ( whofe debtors they are in a fpecial way) to the intent they may charitably re-' Jieve the neceflities of others ? Ought not ] uftice to preponderate to works of Charity <* Now Eleventhly and Laftly, It is Objected, That this Indulged Liberty is, and could not but be, of direful confequence and effects 5 and the Indulged in accepting it, have done more ill than all the Bifhops and Curates in Scotland : What an unhap- py, unhallowed Hemlock rouft it then be ? Not a plant of Gods planting ? Anfw. Pitiful it is, what a deal o^ Hue and Cry is here fet againft honeft men by virulent paflion ! We are aftonifhed at fiich rage and raving ! why, what are thefe bad ene&s the acceptance of their liberty doth natively produce ? Ye fay, more ill have they done thereby to the Church, than all the Prelates and their Party. Were this true, why then has the Prelates and their Friends ftich an antipathy againft it ? Do not all know it was gran- ted over their Bellies, and lore againft their Mind ? It is their eye-fore as it is yours ; and to this day never did they like it, except in fc far as ye made it an Apple of Contention among your felves, and thereby diverted your edge of them. Did not many of them lay , it was the high way to break, undermine, and wear out their Govern- ment ? Thinking that as Dagon could not ftand before the Ark, neither Prelacy befide any little of Presbytery, without lofing ground daily . ? Did they not exclaim againft it as a reviving,' perpe- tuating, and rivetting the Presbyterian Intereft, which they thought had been quite broken and : •-•■■'< ■■•■ buried? Bvricd? Sure they have other thoughts of it, than | you. Again, What one point of the received Do&rine, Wormip ,,Difcipline<, and Government of the Church ot Scotland, has your Brethren, by their Indulgence receded from , whilft the Prelatick party have overturned the whole Fabrick of her Governmen t, and bears down all that joyn not ifllies with them therein ? Does your Brethren per- fecute you as they do? do they not rather plead for you, excule your extravagancies ; protect and fhelter and feed you, ib far as they can ? Or is the pure and free Preaching of the Gofpel by them, any harm to the Church ? Is the reftoring of (b much of an honeftMiniftry to the free exercife of their Miniftry, a Nail of the Lords Interefr, in the Holy Place, ftich an intollerable evil ? The Pre- lates indeed count it no (mall evil, and are you and they in fb far agreed ? • But while ye charge them fo heavily, what if they mould retort and tell you, that as Hereticks deitroy the Fmdamen- "talia Doilr'ma ; fo do Schifmaticks and Dividers, Fundament alia Ecckfise, by diflblving the Compa- ges of Chrifts Myftical Body into fo many fracti- ons; and that a Mutiny in an Army is nolefs de- ftrucYrve,than Treachery 5 and cutting and wound- ing of a mans body , may be no lefs fatal to his life, than ftripping him ofhisCloaths and Orna- ments, yea or fbme grains of poifon. But becaufe Dolm verfatur in General 'ibtti ', we pray yoii condefcend upon the evils particularly, which their acceptance of this. Liberty hath done: And becaufe Si accufaJJ'e fatis effef, tftrk erit inf&cens y we C i?4 3 we pray you prove what ye aflert and alledge up- on them. If ye ftrike upon the old firing of their letting up Eraftianifm, homologating the Supre- macy,^, that is refuted,and they vindicated there- from already. But there are three Inftances fur- ther, we hear fomewhat of. i. Say ye, By this means the reft of their Bre- thren are expofed to fuffering, who are not free to accept that liberty, or are fecluded from it • did all ftick together, it might be more fafe. Anfw. Here is ftrange Policy, inftead of (bund Divinity ; What trouble cometh on any for refu- fing or not getting a fhare in the Liberty ? On this (core who* are put to fuffering ? What acceffion then hath Brethrens acceptance, to the trouble of the Refufers ? If trouble befal them upon other ac- counts, what is that to the Indulgence? Or, would the Indulged, their refufal of their Liberty, leni- fied the Magiftrates offence, and protected all the reft from fuffering? or rather irritated him more, and drawn on fuffering on themfelves with others ? Who will fay, thofe of the Children of the Capti- • vity, who returned to JetuQiIem, when Liberty was granted, did expose the reft who ftayed ft ill, or were detained in Babylon, to further bondage and fullering ? Will ye not be pleafed if fuffering befal you, unlefs all drink of that fame Cup; al-" beit in Providence they be not called unto it ? Muft your Brethren tarry and take part with you, mere- ly for company-fake , and let the Lords work, to which they hava a call and free accefs, ftand? andrefufe a lawful Liberty of a necelfary duty, ally becaufe others are not pleafed, or not parta- kers ? C*35 1 kers ? But, as we think they wrong the Indulged "who look upon them as altogether free of differ- ing, feeing their very Liberty is annexed to Con- finement ; fb we biers God to fee the Generality of other Minifters as yet meeting with fb eafie a mea- flire ; and fbme of thofe that make the greateft noife of complaint , enjoying their own accom- modations (God fo providing) every way compa- rable, if not preferable , to thefe fb much magni- fy ed % falling to the (hare of the Indulged. But in fine, while ye (peak of their expofing you to the Magiftrates difpleafitre by their acceptance of the favour , think how ye can clear your felves of ex- pofing your Brethren to the Peoples obloquy and fury, by your non-acceptance. z. Some fay, It tends to (hut up the Gofpel in a corner, and to harden the Magiitrate in his Era- itian Incroachments. Anfw. As for the former of thefe, it is taken off already in anfrver to the Eighth Objection : Sure their confinement is a grievance, an affliction, but not their fin : If the Magiitrate, who has power over their perfbns, do fhut them up not only in one Province, but in one Parifh, yea in one Pri- fonj and if they fubmit and yield their bodies to the power of the Magiitrate, what fault in all this can.be charged upon them, who are merely flif- ferers in the cafe ? And as for the alledged hard- ning the Magistrate • unlefs ye prove that their ac- ceptance of the Liberty is either in it felf finful, or at leaft but indifferent, and no ways neceffary ; what doth your Hyfothefis and -arguing reprove? Muft duty be deferred be§aufe any ftumble on it B But C 136 ] But befides, your Hypothecs, we humbly fuppofe, is groundlefs, and merely ailed ged by you, who pick quarrels at, and ftrain all Topicks to fiigillat their forefaid acceptance : Sure it hath no native tendency to fuch an effeft. But fee if your refu- fing to accept, do not harden the Magiftrate in his hard thoughts of you , and of the perfwafion ye own, and in the fevere refolutions and courfes ufed , or may be ufed , toward you and the Caufe. 3. Some do criminate the accepted Liberty, as a fxnKoy €?iJV, has occafioned much Divifion and Difference , and is much difliked by many godly • and therefore cannot be fbnfy, but fome woful, unhappy thing. Anfw. This was briefly cleared before in an- fwer to the fourth Objection ; and therefore we lhall now fay no more to it, but thefe five things. 1. That there are as manyj and far more, god- ly, not againft it, as are againft it : Is it not too Pharifaical a Cenfure , to monopolize the Title and Reputation of Godlinefs to you and your party that be againft it , and to condemn all as ungodly and backflidden that are for it ? Good Information fays, the generality of the grave, ju- dicious, ferious, and fbber godly, are not againft it, as it is accepted by your Brethren ; yea and that fewer are for dividing and renting from their Brethren upon that fcore. It is by good hands faid, there are not above ten or twelve Minifters, and but few aho of the old Chriftians, in all the Land, againft the liberty as it is accepted , but only againft the Complex of the Bufinefs, which the the Indulged arenot for either, as was cleared in ftating of the Queftion : Neither are there many of thefe Ten or Twelve for making it a ground of Divifion or Separation. The only perfons that be fimpliciter againft it, and for dividing, (fo far as we can learn) are a very few,and thofe moftly of the younger incon- fiderater fort, both of Preachers and Profeffors. (2) As for difference of practice, that needs no more breed divifion or animofity,nor Jephthas was a juft ground of Ephraims quarrel, Judg. 1 1. 1,2, 3. Or thefe Difciples was for the reft their fharling at it, in Luk. 9. 49, 5:0. When fbme of the Children of ^fudah returned to Jerufalem up- on Cyrm his Proclamation, and others ftayed ftili, or were fbme way detain'd in Babylon, what ground of divifion or out-caft was this? or fhould difference of lots divide your hearts and affecti- ons ? See what was faid to this before in anfwer to the fifth Objection. And further, fiiffer us to tell you, that as when the generality of Non-con- form Minifters were ejected, fbme were in Provi- dence overlooked and fpared, and that without the envious eye or grudg of heart of thofe who were thruft out ; fo we wonder how this differ- ence of lots when fome are favoured with liber- ty, others not, fhould make any breach among fbber men. Is not God to be eyed and ftooped unto in this, and to be waited on by faith and pati- ence till it be otherwise ? (?) m C 138 ] (3) Do we not find oiir Lord Jefus himfelf,. his Gofpel, and Gracious Miracles, fbmetimes a ftone of fhlmbling, and rock of offence, matter of divifion to many vifible profeifors of Religion ? asLuk.i. 34, 3 j. Job. 9. i(>. Job. 10.19,20,21. Mat. 10. 34, 35*, 36. L»£. ix. 49, ^1, 5^, 5-3. jfo&. 7. 40,41,42,43. AB. 13.4?. AB. 28. 22, 24, 25". But who will therefore lay, they were not of God, but unhappy things being the mat- ter of fuch difturbances, obloquy and contradi- ction, every where fpoken againft, and occafion- ing fad confequents ? they that take offence, when no juft ground of offence is gix'^let them fee to it, the blame lyes at their own door, Mat. 15:. 12, 13. Suffer us to fay, like as Chrift laid of himfelf, Mat. 1 1 . 6. Blelfed is he whofbever (hall not be offended at a thing fb innocent, fb neceffary as this permitted liberty (in fb far as it is accepted) is. (4) Sith, as was faid before, your Brethrens acceptance of that liberty is in it felf a guiltlefs practice, then flire, however it be an occaJtcn 9 yct can it be no culpable catffc of divifion. The only caufe (that fhould bear the blame) is mens mi- ftakes and corruptions, whereof even profeffors are not free. Thefe are the wedges of Divifion which a&ively rents you amnder. (5) We are made to underftand that any of the truly ferious Godly their being againft this matter, is through want of right Infcrr/tatim, yea fbme's induftrious pradifing upon, and daubing them with moftinjuricvsreprefentations of the ftate of the matter, and odious calumnies of their Bre- thren, [ '39 1 thren, done on piirpofe to draw honeft people a- way after them, AB. ioKgb; Who (almoft) of all thefe good people underftand the Controver- fie or true ftate of the Queftion , but are led,not by light, but prejudices, and byaffed affection ? Are they not made to believe that the Indulged have clofed with all the whole Complex of the Magiftrates Acts forementioned, and have Homo- logated the Spiritual Supremacy , and joined iffues with Eraftian Incroachments, and other fuch like falfe and foul alledgances, whereof the Brethren are free, as is above cleared? How have we oft been afhamcd upon your behalfs , to find in your writings, private difcourfes, and publick Sermons, your greateft Topick, and Achillean Arguments to be Reproaches , and groundlefs Accufations of your Brethren ? and thefe born in upon people as Divine Oracles, and certain Truths ? Thus good people have been and are abufed by feme Ardelio'sjivho make it their Work to infufe into their minds prejudi- ces at the Brethren, as guilty of a defection, and then -to work upon their mifinformed zeal, to turn their edg againft the Brethren ? How many can atteft thefe undeniable Verities ? whence it is evident how much honeft peoples cafe is to be pitied and lamented, as hugely abufed and im- pofed upon for ftrengthening of a. party ,. and making up a faction, the tendency whereof is not feen by well-meaning people, who are led like Ahfaloms followers in the Simplicity of their hearts. And had not the indulged Brethren been ! too filent for peace-fake, to (peak for themfelves 9 C T 4ol expe&ing that God and Time would have clear- ed people of their miftakes and mifapprehenfions, ■ much of all this mifleading of people into fuch rancors and rage, might have been happily pre- vented by a full and true ftating and vindicating of their practice. And if this mean Eflay of ours do contribute clearing unto any one, even the leaft of Saints, and (hall provoke fome of thefe Brethren to do fuch a necellary work better and more fully, being better able for it, we mail not repent our adventure, but blefs the Father of Lights for it, Jam. 5-. 19, zo. Now, Dear Friends, all thefe things confider- ed , how little ground teems there to be for ma- king fo great a ftir , as ye do ? as if the All of Religion lay at the (lake in all this matter, and thefe honeft men had made the vileft defection ! Whereas lay afide prejudice, byafs, and perfb- nal flanders, and let any weigh their caufe in an even Ballance, the Ballance of the San&uary, they will be found in it not fb black by far, as fome take them to be. Be intreated therefore in the Lord to hearken to that warning, Aft. 10.15:. What God hath cleanfed^ that call not ye common or unclean. We hope ye will tremble to be found perverters of the right ways of the Lord. Call not light darknefs, no more than darkneft light. Is not as well he that condemneth the juft, as he that juftifieth the wicked, an abomination to the Lord ? Prov. 17. if. And fuppofe all that is faid, do not meet with, nor fully clear every fcruple (it being hard to fa- tisfie where prejudice is great - 7 and a quibling wit C Hi ] wit may ftart more Objections than we have beard of, or has leifiire to fpeak unto), yet con- ceive by what is laid (though weakly), more cha- ritable thoughts of your Brethren, and of what they have done ; and let them not ftand con-* demned tvith you under fo grdfs a character as hitherto j Ro?n. 14. 3,4. 1 Cor. 10. Jo. But u- nite in the Lord,notwithitanding yor.r Differences, the Grounds thereof being io inconliderable as hath been feen. We doubt not but themfelves could , 3itd would, give you a more convincing vindication, W 7 ere not their averfation even from leeming to contend, and their hopes that their Integrity will defend it fell", makes them loth to enter the lifts. However our ardent defire to beget a good nil- demanding between you, has thus far carried lis forth unto, not an Eriitick debate, but a ierious difquifition for difcovery and removal cf mi- ftakes. To return -then to our propofed courfe of Advices. Advice 6. In the i'ixth place, let us lay this before you, That however your judgment ftand in the matter contra verted (for we are to impose upon no bodies judgment., but to leave every one to their owa light), yet ye who are againit the Indulgence, as accepted, and fomenters of the Divifion, confider, though ye be but few, yet the ftir ye make is great, and one man will eafily raife moreftr^ than twenty will be ab:e ro extin- K guiiii. C 142 1 gllifh. Therefore be exhorted in the fear of God to carry the difference more foberly. Are your Brethren willing to let you enjoy your judgments^ and ferve your light in your own practice ? and to live in peace with you, notwithftanding the dif- ference ? And as to things wherein ye and they are agreed to join with you therein, till God in his time clear up the miftake that is betwixt you, and (hew upon whole fide it is ? and will not ye be content, unlefs ye impofe your apprehenfions upon them, and have them conform unto, and lackey after your opinion and practice ? muft your judgment be the Standard and Canon to every bodies elfe? and all be Anathematized that differ in the leaft from ^ou ? Can there be no peace with you, unlefs ye have leave to trail them at your heels ? will ye agree with none that are not of your mind in every thing ? then AHum eft de pace, peace is gone for ever on this fide of time ; for, Ncn datur intellect us Averroifii- cits,, mens minds to jump to an Ace in all things is hardly to be expected. While we know only in part, will there not be perpetually different meafures of light ? and diverfity of Apprehenfi- ons in many things ? Theology having its own Problems, even in greater points than this, which calleth for fbbriety and mutual Tolerance. As we are not for Scepticifm,nor finful Syncre- tifms ; fo we tremble at the vanity of Dogma- tizing in things of this nature. But whatever ye deem it, Treat not your Brethren undifcreetly. Speak or write tathem, rather than of them. Ar- gue the cafe with them, convince them if ye can,- Luk. t M-3 1 ZuL 19. 17. But ufurp not a Magiftery over them ; premme not to be Dictators to them more, than ye would take it well they mould impofe on you, Jam. it 1. Remember they muft ferve their own Conferences, and be guided by their own light, and not yours, Rom. 14. 12. Ye think them wrong, fo do they, no doubt, you : But How would ye take it, if they ferved you as ye do them, with outrageous ont-crys, virulent £pi- ftles, and Vhilippck Declamations ? What if they did Preach againft you, your Divifive Principles, and unbrotherly practices, as Erroneous and Do- natiftical (if not wor(e),as ye call theirs Eraftian ? What a pitiful taking would ye and they be in by fiich Contradictions and Invectives? Do there- fore no otherwife than ye would be done unto, ■Mat. 7. 1 2. Think ye are but men fallible, and may be miitaken in riot a few of your confident notions ; and that it is pollible they may have as much of the mind of Chrift as you. Therefore reverence their Judgments, fb far at leafr as not lightly to trample upon the fame : Or, if ye were {lire they were in the wrong, yet think, furely they mind honeftly (as they judg ye do) and wave n:t wickedly departed from the Lord, Pfah ! 1 8. 21. If they be ftept afide, it is but for want of light, which ye (who think ye fee more) ihould [pity and bemoan to God, and labour to dkcover ) their. miftake unto them, (for as yet ye cannot Charge them with contumacy, fiifficient convicti- on never being yet held forth unto them.) But, O I reproach them not ; rate them not be- hind their backs ° 7 go not to Preach them down, K 2 nor C *44l nor out of the hearts of honeft people, much lefs to Preach their own people from them ! What fervice were that to Chrift, or his Kingdom ? or what edification unto people ? Sure ye do more hurt than ye are aware of by this courfe, ftag- gering and unfetling people, weakening your honeft Brethrens hands in the Gofpel, and mar- ring the fuccefs of their labours what ye can. See Jam. 3. 16. Gal. 5. 14, fly. But what ? are not ye and they agreed in chiefeft Principles and Thefes ? W 7 hat's your difference then but about the application of Principles to fbme Hypothefes or particular cafes and practices ? The Intricacy whereof, with the fenfe of your fhort-fightednefs, may teach you to think, fpeak, and acl; more fbberly, and with all due refpecl: to them that differ from you. O fall not into a ftated Schifm upon fo fmall and difputable a matter ! nor lift up your (elves in conceit above your fellows ! Are ye Preachers of Chrift ? Co are they : Have ye the feal of your labours, fo have they • and that they have not more, is perhaps through your fault, your con- tending with them, thereby confounding and diffracting their people • and taking them off their fouls eafe, by your perplexing controverfies and exceptions again ft their Minifters. And if ye continue by this contending, to dilcourage your Brethren, and enervate the work of God in their hands, fear left ye be found guilty of deftroying fo much of the Kingdom of Jems Chrift, and countable for the blood of thefe fouls whofe edi-f ficatiorjye mar, by abufing and amufing them; with [ »45 1 with your bartering at their Miniftert 5 and bring- ing them and their Preaching into difefteem, ih far as ye can, as Zach. i g. 7. Smite the Jhepberd, and the jheep jhall be fcattered. And what have ye. gained when this is done ? What advantage is it to the Gofpel, to break (b many faithful mens Miniftry ? And what peace will it yield you when accomplished ? Bella geri placuit, nullos ha- bitura triumphos. It were but a Cadmean victory, What ! may frill the old queftion be put unto you, Does your piety aed z,eal lye all in Negatives ? (as theirs in Col i. u.) Are ye only skilful to de-ftroy ? and bold to treat the friends of Chrift like foes ? Preach the Gofpel, and propagate real Godlinefs as much as ye' can : but O ! be- ware of hurting the Lords work and vineyard in your Brethrens hands ! Will it not be but a poor vaflalage to preach down your Brethren, while ye mould preach up Chrift ? and to propagate your private opinions more than the power of Piety ? or to draw Difciples after you more than after Chrift ? Were it not better make one real Chriftian, then prcfelyte twenty to your fide and party ? Ye complain of your Brethrens want of fuccefs, as Tenmnah upbraided Hannah with her barrennels 5 but do not ye much mar theirfmit- f duels ? O be tender of them, for the Gofpe's fake ! Go, we pray you, convert the prophane to Piety, rather than preach Profeflbrs into faction and parties. Mind the great intereft of the Go (pel more than your particular debates, or per- fonal interefts. Away with fellim defigns under a Spiritual mask I Beware of giving ground for K 3 that en*] that old complaint, Faciunt caufam fuam^ caufam fublicam. Let not not your excellent parts, fer- vor, zeal and fpitits, be (pent upon fo unprofitas ble a task, as this of jangling, plunging, and con- founding is. And tempt not people to any un- happy courfes, which your felves may repent of in the end, and come off with that inconfiderate Warriours word in your mouth, Non putamm It is eafie to kindle a fire, but not fb eafie to fet bounds unto it, when and where ye lift, faying, Hitherto (halt thou come, but no further. Nay, once kindled, it may rage whither foever the winds and aptnefs of the matter to take with it, rnay garry it, till all be burned down to afhes. — And finally, let not your Brethren have caufe to take up that fad regrate of the Pfalmifts, Vfal. ^y. iz 9 I 3, 14. Had it been an enemy ,(jc. How bitter is this ? Were it Rampant Romanics, or Inimical Prelatifts, or foul mouth'd Se&aries, who thus battered at honeft Minifters, it were more tolerable ? But to fee Brethren at fuch odds, tearing the flefh (as it were) off the bones of their Brethren, by bitter railings and reproaches, (which are as drawn fwords, Vfal. 57. 4.) how incongruous and unkindly is that ? and may not the world wonder at it ? What ! fhall all your edg and fting be turned againft them, no lefs up- right than your felves ? Shall they have no fuch Adverfaries as you whom they love and defire to be at peace with ? and with whom they agree in all things (almoft) elfe ? Will ye do the Pre- lates work for them, in breaking that little liber- ty which at firft they trembled at, till they faw . you C Mi 1 vou made it a bone of contention? and (b more |ikely to break your felves and it both, than to hurt them, while ye ftumble fo upon it. What thanks will ye get for joining, iflues with them ? See Obad. v. 10, n, n, 13, 14. And will ye fb pofitively condemn your Brethren unheard, (Job. 7.5-1.) and perfecu te them as Apoftates, before ever ye wair an admonition on them ? It is our admiration and aftonifhment, that Come of you (as is informed) takes the confidence to baffle them in Sermons, Letters, and private Difcour- fes to the people and others; and yet to this day never ufed the brotherlinefs to write or (peak un- to themfelves, what might have fufficed to con- vince them of their error, if any be. Thegroff- eft of Hereticks are not allowed by the rules of the word to be fo hardly dealt with, Tit. 3. 10. Pronounce no Anathema upon them, till ye firft take pains fufficient to reclaim them, and find them obftinate. Shall ye be (harper fcourges in their fides, and thorns in their eyes, than any others ? Do ye like it, to pat them to cry to God againft you, and (like Job) to complain of their friends mockage, injuftice,and cruel ufage? Shall not God vifit for thefe things ? Zepb. x. 8, Obad. *v. 10, 11, ix, 13, 14. Beware of inventing, or venting Stories and Reproaches of fuch friends of Chrift ! And make not calumnies the ftrongeft Arguments you plead againft them with. Mono- polize not the reputation of honefty to your felves ; give your Brethren charity, and treat them not diire(pec"rjvely. To itigmatize your Brethren with black Characters, and odious In> K 4 puta- r 1433 putations, confider again and again what fpirit it; cometh from, Jam. 3.9,1c, n, 12. Upon all thefe Grounds,and many more which might be added, be int reared (in the bowels of Chrift) to remit and relent of your Acrid fervor, and bring your difpofitions and differences to fbme temper, and manage your difcord with more fbbnety. We think we may fay, the two part of your differences lyes more in the Acri- mon} of your fpirits and alienation of affection, than in the diftance of your Principles. Would ye let go the mifunderftanding and prejudices that are between you, and God heal your difpo- fitions and diftempcrs, the two part of your Di- "feafe were away. Advice 7. Ye who are Indulged, a word next to you : O bear with your Brethrens differing from you • and judg charitably of them, as to the meft fart at Ieaft. Conftruct it want of light, not finift- roufnefs of intention or affection. He that keep- pth a day, keepeth it to the Lord ; and he that keepeth it not to the Lord, he keepeth it not. In Problematick queftions not defined by the Church, allow others a latitude, and continue your bro- therly forbearance. If even with Infidels and He- reticks the fervant of the Lord muft not ftrive, but be gentle, &c. (as % Tim. 1. 24, 25 .) how much lefs with fick and feverifh Erethren ? If any mans inconfiderate and opinionative zeal carry them unto any unbrotherly word or deed to- ward you, be not ye overcome of their evil, but overcome their evfl with your good. Pack up their t H9 1 their Reproachings,and fay, Father, forgive them, they know not what they are doing. Let not their vexing you fret you into a wearying of your work, (Pfal. 5^. 6, 7, 8.) nor unto any difaffe- cYion or lettering of your refped unto them. Love them as Brethren, notwithftanding all in- juries (as Jofefh did his), and honour their zeal in the Lord, and pray he may channel it right, and fet its bounds j for fo it might do him.excel- lent fervice. Tolerate alfb good peoples Infirmities; let none of their capricious humours (which thefe reeling times tempts them unto) diminifh your tender care of them. Seek that which ftrayeth, heal the difeafed, and by gentle dealing convince them that ye walk in the Spirit of Jefus, whom ye ferve. Hard things (we confefs) are cut out for you ; but put on patience and holy refblution, itand your ground notwithftanding all Batteries, and do your work over the belly of all difcourage- ments, (Heb. 12.1, 3.) What though ye be the Witnefles Prophefying in Sackcloth, (Rev. 11.3.) your Crown will be the maffier. Serve the Lord through good report, and ill report, honour and difhonour ; and make full proof of your Miniitry, which is thought fo con- flderable by Satan, elfe he would not oppugn and oppofe it fo, upon the right hand and the left. You are the eye-fore of the Prelates and their party, and the Butt of thofe your Brethrens mi- staken zeal. Be ftrong therefore in the Lord, &c. Our foul pities you, being as the fpeckled Bird among C 150 1 among the Birds of the field, laid at upon alj hands, and grinded as betwixt two Mill-ftonesi tj'iz,. the Prelatick parties enmity upon the one hand, and the fiercenefs of thefe male-contented friends upon the other, (and who may ftand be- fore envy I Pro v. tj. 4.) But learn of your Ma- iler to endure Contradiction, and to be fet for a fign to be fpoken againft, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed, (Luk. 2. 34, 35-.) Endure the Crofs,and defpife the fhame. Wounds in the houfe of Friends as well as of foes, muft be born rill he arife and plead your caufe,and bring forth your Righteoufhefs as the light, &c. This is the day of your trial, and thefe are the Inftru- ments chofen of the Lord for that end ; acquit your felves like men, like Chriftians, like Mini- iters in it. Bear the indignation of the Lord pa- tiently, becaufe perhaps ye have finned. If Shimei rail, he may be a good Monitor, though a bad Judg. Take your vexations as fo many whetftones, to keep you in an holy edg, that ye blunt not in thefe up-fitting times ; and as fpurs in your fides, to prick you up to diligence in duty ; and fb may you get meat out of the eater, &c. Stoop to your lot, there may be a bleffing in it, (2 Sam. 16. 10, 1 1, 12.) But bitter though your life and labour be, yet faint not, O faint not ! but ap- prove your felves to God and man in your Ma- ilers fervice ; and by piety, painfulnefs and pow- erfulnefs in the Gofpel, convince gain-fayers, ftop the mouths of thofe that fpeak evil of you falfly, and Preach home again all the refpeft and affe- ction dion which thefe times of difference has deroga- ted from you. What ? have ye not the feal of >your Miniftry (a witnefs of Gods approbation) upon the hearts of many ? even of fbme who perhaps are now alienated from you, who once fpake of a bleffednefs in your Miniftry, and re- ceived you as Angels, though now in the hour of tentation,they are become as an enemy ? Gal 4. 1?, 16. Though Converfion of Sinners be not lb frequent (and yet fbme there is) yet has not God been evi- dently with you for Confirmation and building up of the Saints, and for Convi&ion upon all, who, whether they be better of you or not, yet are for- ced to fay , God is • in you and with you, and a Prophet hath been among them ? as Ez>ek. 2. 4,^ Now, may not thefe eminent Divine AfMances, SuccefTes, and Proofs of acceptance, abundantly compenfe all your tears, mrTerings, and forrows ? and anflver the queftioning of your being fent of God, being proofs of Chrift fpeaking in you? Confider, the priviledgeofyonr liberty, and think, is not fervice to God and his people (which here- by ye get done) well worth the enduring much contradi&ion, obloquy and heart-breaking re- proach? Remember alio your Brethrens fiifferings are fad at other hands, though none at yours ; and let your fympathizing with them fweeten your own at their fiands. And Oh r be ftirred up to make good life of your Liberty which cofts yoii (0 dear. Let your people find through Gods help, that it has been ' their C *5* ] their mercy, that ever ye were fent among them * % or whether they hear or forbear, that there has* been a Prophet among them. Keep in good terms* with your Matter, (land in his counfel, know the Times, and tell what of the Night, and what JCrael ought to do ; be faithful in all his houfe as fervants ; and good Stewards of the Myfteries of God. Bear burden witJi your Brethren in their tedi- ous liuTerings conftantly. And pray for a blefling upon their Preaching of the Gofpel, albeit fbme of them would ruin yours : And whofoever of them may preach Chrift out of contention, or fall for ftrife and debate, fuppofing to add affli- ction to your griefs, and to detract from your efteem, yet rejoice ye that Chrift is Preached, and that fincerely by the mo ft, Phil. i. if, 16, 17,18. Eighthly, Both of you, Take heed ye bring not your differences any more unto publick, nor otherwife ■put them among the people : Keep them amongft your felves,where they may abide with lefs hurt, Rom. 14. 1, 2 a. Confidering the mifchiefs of evulgating them, it will evidently appear happy to bury them in filence or oblivion, if ye intereis and engage the people therein, then are ye gone : and befide other inconvenients thereof, ye fhall not get leave to unite again without their con- fent, which may be hard to gain. How long fhall any affect popularity, and thereby fubject their Minifterial Authority to the humours of men and women, for drawing them to their fide, to ftreng- , ftrengthen their party ? by which means people » are taught to domineer over Miniflers, and may 'fore-run you, and call at your felves next, when - ye begin to fit up and not go along with all their • notions and inclinations. Ye may perhaps find no fmall difficulty to regulate and bridle their hu- mours, being once aloft, Fortur eqm auriga^ nhi audit currm habenas. Moreover, what do ye by filling peoples heads with flich intangling controverfies , but divert their minds, and take them off the main thing ? and turn Religion into factions and debates ? and wear them out of hear t- tender nefs, real ex- ercife of Confcience, and the ferious ftudy of univerfal Holinefs ? If any make it their work to kindle in Religious Hearers, a factious, opinion- ative zeal, you may thereby trouble their heads, not better their hearts ; and may fooner make them fire-brands to burn down the peace, purity, and order of the Church, than living polifhed Hones for the New Jerufalem. Yea,likely you may unhinge them fb, as to tempt them to call at all Miniflers, at all Religion,and turn either Atheifls 3 or Seekers, and Se&arians, as woful experience hath many times proved, even in our own days; fb fmall a friend to the promoting of piety, is di- viilon. Avoid then carefully to difcover your inte- lline jars and animofities before the people in piiblick or private. Bear not your nakednefs to their eyes. — -Teach them not to meddle with things above their fphere, and beyond their line? (Pfal. 131. 1, 2.) and turn them not afide unto vain C 154 1 vain janglings, Tit. 3 .9. 7. Tim.z. 1 7, 1 8. 1 Tim. 1 . . 6, 7. <£* 4.7. d* 6.4, 5-. Make it rather your work' to edifie them in the Subftantials of Religion,and' Vitals of Piety, fiich as Faith, and Repentance, Humility, Sobriety, Mortification, Self-denial, Love and new Obedience, &c. How much bet- ter were it to fire their hearts with the love of God and man,than to heat their heads with puz- ling debates, which do but perplex, not edifie, and are far out of the way of theit Salvation or Duty, and doth not at all concern their practice. What profit reap they by being inveigled into fuch quick-fands ? we have feen many unfleeced of their wool, yea torn in their flefh, by being involved in fuch thorns , but never any ad- vantaged ? Ninthly, Study Moderation in all things : Let not Chriftian prudence pafs with you for wifdom of the flefti, nor Chriftian Moderation for Lacdi- cean lukewarmnefs. Let your moderation be 'known to all men ; let it be vifible and apparent, both in your pallions, opinions, and difcourfes. 1 ft. Moderate your Affettions^ let not wild-fire take the place of zeal, nor zeal turn palfionate, pickifh, peevifh and bitter. What is *i*f •&*■'*> but K*K*£«h.U ? Nor does the wrath of man work the Righteoufnefs of God. idy. Be moderate in your Opinions : This Mo- ral Idol of the mind (Opinion) is too apt to be adored, and overfway. Put a temper to it, and hang a Ballance upon it, to keep it in poife and courfe j for true is that in common experience, though t '55 1 though a fallacy indeed, that Opinio eft veritate \ major. And for Moderation in Opinion, fhidy * well, (1) Your Fallibility and aptnefs to miftake, and confequently to dwell in a conitant felf-jea- loufie and fufpicion. We like not to allow of flu- ctuating and Pyrronian doubting about neceflary and vital points, nor to hang all opinions either (like Mahomet s Tomb between the two Load- ltones) in an tequilibrio. Yet too much confidence in matters of meer opinion is oft a vanity, refuted fufficiently by the new difcoveries time and in- duftry produces, compelling us to alter. But what one thing does contribute more to beget and continue ruptures, than conceit and Idoli- zing of feli-wifdorrij and felf-opinion, with an un- dervaluing of all that differ from us, while yet (perhaps) they may hit nearer the mark of truth than we, and have better advantages to difcover it than we ? (i) Study (elf-refleclion, to confider how oft ye have found in time your (once confident) opi- nions to have failed you, that you have been ne~ ceflitate to change and take up new Meailires. And this will help you to much moderation, ex- perience being the Schoolmate of very fools. (3) Be moderate in your Difcomfes ; how are fbme's tongues dipt in gall,and fet on fire of Hell! and inftead of edifying Communication that may minifter grace to the hearers, little other than rigid cenfiiring, and bitter back-biting of one an- other ! O when mail our tongue be our glory, not our (hame i but to bridle the intemperancy of of the tongue, fttidy to fpeak nothing but what God may hear, and as in his hearing ; fpeak of others as of your felves ; and this will make you ,' fpeak fparingly, charitably, and with due mode- ration. And were tongues once well governed* and that unruly evil tamed, no doubt but differ- ences Would fbon diminifh. Let your moderation then in all things be known to all men^ the Lord is at band. Moderaion in our way, is like the fym- metry in the humours of the body, which keeps all in health and happinefs. Tenthly, Seeing ye are generally refuted the befi of Mini(lers 7 let both of you prove your felves to be fuch indeed^ by faining in the exercife of real good- nefs 9 and of a lively Mmiflry, as ye have accejs to it. Let not the world be miftaken of you. They judg you pious, painful, lober, grave, .learned, judicious, and truly zealous for God, making his Statutes (not humour nor intereft) the men of your counfel, and rule of your a&ings. They take you for excellent heart-warming Preachers* &c. O deceive not their good opinion and expe- ctation of you. Let them have a proof that ye may be ill wanted from the work of the Lord, and that it is no fmall lofs to the Church for you to be laid by, and creep into corners. Take not meer Non-conformity for Religion enough, nor honeft-heartednefs for a ground to juftifie mifcarriages, or to excufe weaknefles, much lets for Canonizing all your practices and opinions as Sacred, as if ye were infallible be- gaufe honeft. It is believed there are not (6 many able C *57 ] able and godly Minifters and Chrtftians in any .party, proportionally to your number. Yet if any "of you be found weak, raw, unftudied Divines, will it not refled upon all,and bjemifh the party ? Be not. fatisfied then with the applaufe of thofe that follow you, who may in. their chanty com- mend you, while others, impartial or mimical* may obferve cenfurableweakneiTes. O ftudy hard, read and pray much , that you may be found Champions for God, and accomplished Divines, jTw, 4. 15-5.16. O that Tome of your NVxes, Itinerants especially, would take more. pal s in ftudy, that they might be well furni fried Series, &c. and not berafh, to bring forth crude, undige- fted Preachings, or Refojutions of Cafes of Con- fcience. It grieveth fouls to get (at any tin e) empty, unedifying Harrangues of Railing or Re- flections, imtead of foul-feeding Sermons or L f- courfes. Beware of a Ga'd of venting your paf- fions^ancourjbitternefs, under pretext of Preach- ing againft the fins of the time. Subtle are the tentations of Sin and Satan J Eleventhly, E'^erclfe- your J f elves unto ftedf- fb$? r s 9 and repentance:Be men of Principles andundeTftard your Principles, and ftand to them,#ez;. v 3. Qu.it hot eafily good oA Principles for any plaufible new ones. Hold faft by the Doctrine, Worm 'p, Difoipline and Government of the Church of Scot- land , to which ye are fo folemnly and ftrictly ty- ed. And let not new interefts ftart new principles, rior put you out of the good old way. Take the Law and the Teitimony for your only ra'preme judg of Ctfntroverfies, Rule ofFaith, and Dire- C 158 1 #ory of Duty. Cleave to the Lord with full pur- pofe of heart ; and be not foon fhaken in your minds with any blait of tentation, nor bewitched with any Novelty, (Gal.^.i^&c.) Keep your Gar- ments clean in all Revolutions • and change not Articles of your Creed and Duty, with change of times, as moft of Conformifts do. Ecebolws's (or Weather-cocks) are hateful to the Lord, Jer.i. 1 1. It becometh honeft men to be no time-fervers, or fickle Changelings, 1 Cor. 16. i^.& iy. 5-8. Col. i.ii^-l^. 2. f, 6, 7. Add to this nxednefs. the ex- ercife of Repentance. Be fharp upon your own, even feverer agaifift your own faults,than againft any others. Witnefs againft the publick ills of the time, as ye have accefs in your ftation ; but neg- lect not your own iniquities, for which God is contending fo hotly. For what caufe is his Con- troverfie pleaded fo long againft you, But for the provocations of Sons and Daughters, and the ini- quities of your holy things ? Is there no accurfed thing among you, which makes you fall before the Adverfary ? Blame not one another, but ra- ther each fufpedt himfelf, laying, Is it I? Is it I? Every one of you, no doubt, hath laid to your coal to make up this great indignation. Therefore let every one be mourning as the Doves of the Valleys, each one for his own iniquity (perfons and families apart) as well as keeping publick Fafts for the Abominations of the Land What a Token fo r S 00 ^ would this be ? and would put you in cafe to figh and cry, and wreftle with God for the Nations fins. And were ye thus lying in the dull before the Lord for your felves and Ztmi and c 159 i rid running with your Center in your hand, be- tween the living and the dead,for Atonement,crying, j ■pdre 9 O Lord, &c. we doubt not but your heats arid nimofities among your telves would foon eool arid aim. Twelfthly, Guide wifely and tenderly honeji people^ et fo as ft ill to keep your own place,, to be their Guides , nd not let them guide you. Cherifh their good, bear vith. their infirmities 5 but humour them not in their onceits and follies. Let never Popularity be yotir hare. Spare Hot td admonifh and rebuke with difc letiori and authority, when need is. Take pains gs veil to inform their Cbnfciences rightly, as to raite heir affections keenly. Study prudently to crofs arid ;ure what may be healed, and patiently to endure vhat cannot be cured. But clap no perfbns heads iri heir miftakes,or irregularities, for fear ye lote therrl f ye crofs them ; elfe ye may be made to lofe them lpon a worte account, with an ill conference to )oot. Defpife not the counfel or admonition of my, Job 31/13.)* Yet if you permit them to turn Dictators and Leaders to you, your well-days and xace are gone, (Vrov. 19. zi.) Luther faid, there s a Pope in every mans belly ; ye may find a Bifhop n every man and womans breaft- each inelineth to :hink themtelves infallible,and would be a Lawgiver into others, and cannot endure others not to con- brm to their mind in every thing: Wnich ufurping iifpofition iri people would be checked. Be fare if Dnce ye give up your felves to ferve humours, as .twill put you out of Service to God, GaL 1. 10. h will your tervitude be a fort of Egyptian bon^ iage- and if ye .fing not to every tune of theirs^ -t&e L % tip- upfhot will be as bad, as if ye had never gratified them at all. O be tender of their Conferences, a;nd wifely regulate their humours, not by iervilc com- pliance, but by happy conviction, or canny diverfi- ort. Aufterity and fondnefs are (aim oft) equally dangerous. And that ye may manage them rightly, not only feek Gods good guiding, but alfb be deni- ed to their applaufe, and dead to their cenflire. The fbber and wife will approve you, when perhaps thej peevifh or proud kick at you. Eut it is enough if wifdom be juftified of her children Thirteenthly > Live daily in the jrofpetl of further Offerings, and therefore unite fo far as ye can ; left the enemy finding you in a divided diffracted condition, prey eafily upon you. Doubtlefs your trial is not ai an end. The furnace is hearing feverifold more. Think not at every refpite the bitter nefs of death it over, and the worft is paft , and (o begin to pluck up your Crift, and wax wanton and fecure ; if yt do, it fays a new ftorm is near, i Thef. 5-. 3. TfaL 5 c 1 6, 7. The Prclatick violence is indeed f2d enough but what in comparifon of the Papiftick,which is a' your door , and is dividing, biting, and devourinj one another, fit providing for fuch a ftorm ? Y\ er< it not more your wifdom and happinefs to be hear kening to the Apoftles Rule in ThiL^. 15-, 16. to bf compofing rather than heightening differences , an( Ivherein ye agree, uniting, and forbearing one ano ther in points of difference, till the Lord decide th« Controverfie ? otherwife the enemy may perhaps decide it with the broad (word. Will ye be like^r. chimedes, who while he was bufie at his Mathematif cal Lines, the Enemy entered the Town, and killeJ him at his SkeamsPOr like the Zealots mjerufalemm wh(f who while they wafted one another within die Walls,. Vejpafian and his Army are ready without to invade and deftroy -both ? Shall it be that Dum agimtur partes, perlt Saguntum ? How weak are ye, and a ready prev to every beaft of the field that pleafeth to devour, while thus disjointed and fepa- rate ! Vis win a, fdrtior. If .ever ye mind to ftand effectually to the maintenance of the Gofpel, unite in time, it will be too late when the Ftpift is got jpon your back. Fourteenthly, NGtiinthfianding the fe-verity of thofe m Authority, unt o you, be not ye tempted to Jlicrht duty unto them, Let not their commanding unlawful things diminifh your readinefs of obedience in rhings lawful. Remember they are the Ordinance of God, and reverence them accordingly," (Row. 1 3. 1, 2, 4.) Pray for them, (1 Tim. 2. 1^1,^,4.) Elle f ye caft them out of your prayers, God may juft- y leave them to be a fadder fcourge unto you; and /e may have little peace of Confcience there- under, :onf!dering how little ye wreftle with God upon :heir behalf, that he would guide them right. Ye might perhaps rule your Kings heart, Counfels and pourfes , were ye Nehemiah-like, or S^r^-like, high in Court with God ? and plying the Throne of Grace lard for him. Ee admonifhed withal not to (peak fcyil of Dignities, (Exod. iz. 28. AB. 23.5.) Defpife lot Dominions, (Jud. v. 8.) However they mifcany, ament ye that to God, yet (peak not difrefpe&ive- y of them. Bear all due reverence to them, for the Lords fake, as the fifth Command obligeth ; and while they gall you, do not ye fret your felves to iny reciprocal exorbitancy. Let not fharp fufferings 1 anker and imbitter youi Learn to be fubject and L 3 re C i<5a 3 refpe&ive, not only to the good and gentle, but 1 the bad and affii&ive, i Pet. 2. 13, 14, 1 5-. Obe none of their unlawful commands, yet fubmit (nc uncheerfully) molefting of you j bearing the Croi patiently, meekly, contentedly, 1 Pet. z. 18,19,2c 21,22,13. And who knows what mollifying infk jence upon the heart of Rulers, your meeknefs i buffering might have ? fee Prov. 25-. 15. Ecclef. 10.4. However, we are perfwaded in the Lord, your p; tient Chriftian bearing of hardeft things, will ador the Gofpel,and in end be victory to your caufe^corn pfperfons and particular inter efts what will, fee Reve 12. 11. Rom. 8. 36, 37. Often has the Church an Truth of God conquered more by fufferings, tha by actings. Sanguis Martyr urn, femen Ecclefia. Crefc fub ponder r virtus. But beyond many other thing! fceware of^wronging your Confcience and Caufe b being tempted by your fufferings to take up eithe ill Principles, or ill practices againft the Magiftrat* Let none dare to think,as we hear fbme one or tw begins to mufTitate, that the Magistrates mifcarrk ges about the matters of Religion,- does forfau Jhim of his right to govern, and fo cadens titulo, j no more to be owned as King. A principle whic all found Presbyterians abominate, as witnefs you tonfeflion of Faith, cap. 23. $. 4. Sure none butP* pz,antes, or Novaturientes, will own fuch unwarran table Principles. O let no feverities byafs your jud? merit unto error, nor tempt you to put forth yon laand to iniquity ; if any unhappy one or other, b fb doing, bring an odium upon an honeft caufe an party ,whofe foul hateth to efpoufe fiich things, the Baye much to anfwer to God foj*. And no lefs inji IHce will it be for any to lay the dotages of one g - twe C 1&S 1 two bearing your name, to the charge of the whole. We heartily wifh in fo far as may be without fin 9 (and farther we deiire it not), that Friends of Re- formation (as you pretend highly to be) would in- ftead of irritating, ftretch themfelves to infinuate upon the Magiitrate \ and to fet what value they lawfully may upon any thing of favour from him. Whatever the Rulers have done, or are, (for which ye are to beg repentance and remifTion, and refor- mation to them), neverthelefs they are the Ordi- nance of God to be mbmitted unto,tendered and re- ceded for Confclence-fake. And though we are not to fet limits to the Soveraign Grace, Wifdom and Power of God, who can deliver his people and inte- refts -when and by what means he pleaies \ yet we are fure ye are in the way of your duty, when ye look to God for deliverance by their means, by the returning of Judgment to Righteoufnefs • being fenfible that, if he take not that method readily, he will plead both with Rulers and people, which will rather increase (piritual Plagues than diminifh them. And in order to this,it is your duty and wifdcm not to fofter the Magiftrates jealoufie that Chrifts-inte- refts cannot rife but to their prejudice, which (it is feared) hath no (mall influence upon them • but ra- ther by all your deportment, to convince them,that they do-well c-onfiit together ,and that the promoting of Chrifts intereft,and (hewing favour to the friends thereof, is the (ecuriry and ftability of the Throne. Bear Brethren ! we doubt not but all thefe counlels are your ftudy and care, yet pardon us to ftir your pure minds, and let that of i Fet. i. 1 2, 1 3. be Apo- logy for our prefumption. And hoping God writeth his Laws in you£ hearts, and after .the hour and L 4 power f 164*5 power, of darknefs is over, will recover you from • your diitempers, we fhall therefore fupercede to fay ' anv more, a word to wife men being enough. Only in the ) aft place we would fpeak a word or two to you the food people, who adhers to the Truth, and labours to keep your Garments clean pubiick pollutions. Verily, your refblution, p rage, conftancy, and zeal for Gcd, your affecti- on to- the purity and power of Ordinances, your re- fpecl: to an heneft Miniftry, &c. are moft commen- iible ; your adventuring to fiifter hardefi: things, rather than liam your integrity in the meanefl point ; your taking joyfully the fpoilinc; of your loods, and tedious Imprifonments, exile from your - "ative land, and other : feverities, and all for the ke of Chrift -j is no fmall document of much good yon. Pity it were fiich a choice Generation of : r srd Chriftians were not always rightly acted,or in any thing itumble. Yet alas ! -who that looks i an impartial eye, may not fee feveral things ■e lamented in you? To meet with, and amend • ; "b.c:i, tuner us,dear friends, to propofe a few coun- fels unto you, in like manner. We hope ye fhall not find them diffonant from the mind of Chrift, nor find caufe to re'ufe to follow them, as caufing to err Firft of all, Let not all your Religion confifi in pub- lick matters* Make fure your perfbnal interefr. in God ; neglect not your own Vineyard, your own fouls cafe ; and wear not out of Heart-exercife, and (elf-judging, &c while ye are fb much taken up about the pubiick ; but let Perfbnal Godlinefs be happily joined with publick-mindednefs ; elfe your felves may be caft-awaysj after* ye have done and iv '; • . 1 0,1 i, 14, 1 5-.) to ugh over you, and groan under you , and complain to God for -your tickUmnefs,*frowardnefs, and ftiff-neckednefs ? And that your reeling is like to undo all ? Ee not a fnare and tentation to your Minifters , but an encouragement and Itrengthning of their hands. Be neither too facil, nor yet like the untamed Heifer • be neither coldrife ? like Laodi- cea, ncr drive furioufly like Jehu. Stupid dulnefs and unconcernednefs (upon the one hand) and fro- thy light farraudnefs and frazinefs (upon the other) are both to be fhun'd ; and defer oy not the true inte- reft of the Gofpei by either, while ye pretend to be the great pillars of its (upport. * VI. Take the Law and the Tefiimony for your alone Oracle in all things , I fa, 8. 20. Set not up your own imaginations, nor yet take any mans bare afTertion, for the Supreme Judg of Controverfies , or rule of right, and directory of your Way. Liftento Mini- fters, and be not lightly fiupicioiis of their Judgment, but take nothing upon truft • but fee with your own eyes, as they Atls 17. 1 1.. wellfaid, Ambrofc defidc adGratian. lib. 1. cap 4. Noli argument ere das Impe- rat or & no fir -a dijputationi : Script ur as interrcgemzrs, interrogemzts Apoftolos , interrogemus ipfum Chriftutn* Prove all things by the Word, and if any, were he an Angel from heaven, ipeak not according thereun- to, think there is no light in them. Let C 170 1 Let nothing that wants a Scripture-warrant, pafs currant with you, nor condemn nothing which the O- racles of God condemileth not : Take never the vi- rions of your own heart, nor the di dates of them, for your Bible. Gods word alone, and not Mans, Jutos iw is the unerring Rule of Faith and Duty, Rom. 3. 4. Stick therefore dole by it in all things, without decliiaing to the right hand or the left, Dent. 5-. ult. If any thing be brought unto, and preffed up- on you, without a real Tom faith the Lord, receive it not, 2 TheJ]'. 1, 2. Tremble to give an ear unto, or to be fwayed by fbphiftical and unfcriptural Rea- fbnings about any matter ; hold fall by the fiire word of Prophecy, and be fafe, 2 Pet. 19. If ye ftate your felves into parties, as the Cor in- ihians did, how will ye avoid being puffed up for one againfi another ? And what one fays, be taken as an Oracle, and what another (ays, cryed down according to Intereft and Affection ? Cum res tranfit in affettum, pent judicium. Beware of a wrong Byafs upon your affedtiori , for that will byafs and bribe your judgment, and forbear rafh judgings and fpurn- ing at iMinifters, 1 Cor. 4. 5-. Cenfure only what the Scripture cenfureth , and approve only what it ap- proves , elfe ye may foon take Light for Dark- nefs, &c. VII. Cleave clofe to your Reformed Religion and co* tenanted Duties, againfi defections on all hands. Con- tent never by word , write, or deed, to any thing contrary thereunto , fpecially what is exprefly and plainly renounced thereby : Yet take heed of capti- ous glofles, and fi liftrous applications of your Cove- nant : It may be wrefted, as fbme do the Scriptures - ? always flick to its true intent and native meaning, faithfully i faithfully; and refblve to follow the Lamb whither- foever he goes, through thick and thin ; and be ra- ther arming your felves for fuffering, than contend- ing in the very fire. A common Prifbn, or burning at one Stake together, may perhaps be made to a- gree you (as it did Ridley and Hooper ) who would not in your liberty accord, and ferve the Lord with 6ne content, without a jar, as was your duty to have done. VIII. Next to Fidelity towards God? fludy to adorn your Caufe with Loyalty to your Kingjn the Lord, Rom. 13. i, 5*. Prov. 2.4. 1 1. i Pet. £. i %. Give unto God the things which are Gods , and unto Cefar the things which are Cefars ; that hereby ye may Hop the mouths of them that falfly {peak evil of the Preshy- terian Intereft and Party , as inimical to Kings Crowns, 1 Vet. 2. 1 5-. Did he not in the Usurpers time find you the molt faithful party to him of any? And albeit ye be but ill Requat, yet difcourage not to follow your duty for the Lords fake. We are apt to believe, if any other party in the Nation had ^een (b crufhed and harafled by his Power as ye, none would have born it better. Let him ftill find that no difcouragement will fret or tempt you from your duty, and that forconfcience-fake, without by- ends ; yea, bear due Allegiance to him, fo far as may ftand with your Allegiance to the King of kings 5 and Lord of lords. And who knows what a con- viction this may produce in end ? 1 Sam. 24. 1 7, 1 8, teftifying to him and all men, your Caufe is of God, which leads you to be fb confcientious toward man; and that you are the only faft and faithful friends to Authority , who will cleave to it in a ftormy day r Out of the fear of God , when all its felf-feeking friends. friends will defert it, when their Intereft parts with it ; and that it is not humour, but confeience, which keeps you off from complying with his will in the matters of your God, wherein ye differ from htm. IX. Spend more time in praying together about what is amifs in the Vublick , than in empty talking about it, Jer. -5-0. 4. Remember you have fomewhat elfe a : do, than to be idle News-mongers. Go fpread ay your lad matters before the Lord, as good Nehem;- ah and Hez»ekiah did ; Table all your complaints in Heaven. This would be both . a prefent eafe to your mind, and the compendious way to a blelfed Remedy. How much fooner might ye get a good account of matters, . if ye did put them more in Gods hand, who has the Balm of Giiead for flich fores ? And it would fweeten your Spirits and car- riage thereunder. Bleed with Zion'm all her bleed- ings. Do not laugh while ffle fighs ; nor yet look idly on, and only talk ; but be her careful Remem- brancers before the Throne j.efpecially let thedi- vifions of Reuben breed great thoughts of heart. Let your Paftors differences ( which are your grefc judgment and skaith ) be your fbrrow , and lye heavy, heavy, upon your fpirits. They who bear them lightly, or rejoice in them, what a deferted and diftempered frame muft they be in? But would ye oftner meet and pray about thefe lamentable matters, who knows but ye might pray away your Minifters differences, and cement your own hearts in greater Chriftian union, by uniting and concen- tring in God ? And might pray home the Ark out of Captivity, and get the Lord to arife and build Zkn as in the days of old: X. Bt C 173 X X, Be not eafily tempted to cafv at your Mmiflers^of 'whofe heart-hcnefiy you have had faff, dent demon f ra- I tion. If once Satan get you to begin a little to fpurn at them, he will not ceafe tempting, and Providence may juftly let wares be rained on you, occafions of ftumbling be afforded you, till ye turn quite otf 5 and become wild. Notorious it is, that peoples idoli- zing, inamourednefs with fbme , and rooted preju- dice at others, upon partialities and by-refpecl:s,are both acaufe, foment, and confequent of woful divi- lions, 1 Cor. 1. 1 1,12. and 3.3,4. O efteeni your Pa- llors highly in love for their works fake, and let not every petty difference caft you and them put : Keep not diftance with them, but go and lovingly confer with them anent what ye and they differ in : And if ye get not fatisfa£tion 5 recommend the matter to God, but let Love and Peace ftand intire notwithftanding. What is Satans great Engine, and confequently his defign for marring your good of Minifters ; but by ftating prejudices in your minds at them ? Shut your ears and hearts then to all charms that would fuggeft ill thoughts of your honeft Minifters, Receive not lightly ill reports of them, fpread perhaps induftri- oufly to make them odious, (Jer.10.10.) to alieiiate you from them, as G0/.4. 1 5, 1 6. Be not then too cre- dulous, try e're ye truft, and admit nobadimprefll- ons of them, before ye have found that truly they deferve. . To add no more, In the XI and laft place, Care* fully avoid the Sin of Separation^ as well as Conformity^ fo called. Is not Schifm one of your abjured ills$ and £oiitrary to the Word of .God, as well .-as Prelacy? O jun hot upon the one rock, while ye ihun the o- iter: Guard well againft eomplyance with she Pr^ C 174 1 lacy, and all Eraftianifm too, (which ye fee by what is fa:d your Minifters are free ofj but ftand no lefs at difkmee from dividing and (eparating, either from Communion with your Minifters, or with the Con- gregations whereof ye are ftated Members. We hope we need not infift to convince you of the evil of Schifm, what a finful, and what an hurtful ill it is ! Nor when, and in what cafes it is that Separation is un- lawful.Read precious Mr. Rhetorfoord his Piece againft the Separatifts,entituled,P^^/tf Plea,Chap. 1 o. Alio the eminently,godly,and Learned Mr. Durham, in his Commentary upon the Revelation, Ch.x. Pag. 1 71, 1 7 3. and his Treatife of Scandal,part ^.chap.y. nor dafe we think ye will contemn to perufe alfo fbme of the En- glifli Presbyterian Writers upon Schifm, who treat thereof judicioufly,and with tendernefs ; fiich as learn- ed Cartwright, holy Hilderfliam, pious Mr. Bayn ; but namely Mr. Bradfitaw his Book of the Unreafonahlenefs of Separation ; and Mr. Ball his Tryal of the Grounds tending to Separation : As alfb Mr. Hales Traclate of Schifm 9 Brinfley his Arraignment of Schifm, and Mr.' Baxter in his Chrifiian DireBory, part %.cap. 8. Thefe and fiich others will inform you, in what cafes Se- paration is unlawful, how unwarrantable and weak many pleas for Separation are, (and yet perhaps more plaufible and ftronger-like than yours) and what is the lamentable mifchief of it. Read them carefully, and ponder what of the mind of Chrift they hold forth, and fee it no Presbyterian, but a Browmfiical, and Independent Principle, to be either for rigid or mo all things, &c. And thereupon been made to honour** them in your hearts, and fay as 1 Cor. 14. 24. Of a truth God is in them* Have you not oft been made to lay,the Indulged Minifters Preached belt to fouls cafes, though, ye laid the Field-Preachers (poke belt to the Times ? Now, how unchriftian is it to depart from their Miniftry, with which Chrift continues yet his pretence ? Have you any warrant to leave them before Chrift leave them ? Will ye be ftricler and holier than he ? Will ye caft off whom the Lord cafts not off? When Jacob found God in Be- thel,\\t let up his Pillar there. (5*) Beware of having the per fins of men in admira- tion, either for gifts or grace, or becaufe of advan- tage, jrW.V. 16. This was it which occafioned the Schilrns in the Church of Corinth, admiring their Teachers, they were puffed up for one againft an- other, and one laid, I am of V aid, another, I of Apollo, ethers, I of Cephas, &c. even according as their hu- mour and liking led them ? take heed of being ta- ken in the fame fharc. All fiefh is grafs, none infal- lible, and therefore none to be doted upon. Ne />/- dicemtts ex jserfonis fidem, fed ex fide perfinas, laid Tertullian.Let not your eyes be lb dazled with what- ever eminency of Parts or Graces ye apprehend to be in any, as to let up their bare word for your Oracle, or their example for your rule. This was it which drew many of the Jews (and Barnabas a- liiong the reft) into a finful Separation, {Gal 2. 1 2, 13.) becaufe they faw Peter a leading man,a prime and eminent Apoftle, going that way before them. And yet that Pillar of the. Church did therein halt, and walked not with a ftraight foot, and was to be t>lamed; [ i8i 3 ^blamed ; and confequently to be not imitated, but "ftiun'd. It is dangerous to fhape onr courfe by ano- thers compafs ; as many a Ship has been loft and run on Banks by following their Admirals Lanthorn. Give eminent and godly men their due refpexw,ble- mifhes, adhering thereunto, doth make the people Homologaters of,and communicaters in thefe defile- ments,our blefTed Lord would never have infmuate (in Mat.i 3.x, 3.) his approbation of partaking in fuch a Miniftry. If further ye fcruple and think your hear- ing the Indulged Minifters may harden them in their (deemed) fin, which to be acceffary unto thereby, ye judg would be your fin. We anfwer^ doth the fpotlefs and holy Lords making his Sun to fhine,and rain to fall as well upon the unjuft as the juft, tend to harden them? what more doth your hearing tend (natively) to harden and encourage thofe Minifters ? We grant it may be abufed thereunto (were they in a courfe of fin as ye fuppofe)yet that is but accidental, not natural to your deed, and therefore you are in- nocent ; nocent ; efpecially your deed being otherwifenecefia* I ry. Surely it makes you no more guilty of their har- *dening (in cafe they harden themfelves upon it) nor Tubjecfs loyalty and duty to their Prince (who having a righteous title, yet hath ufed fome indited means to attain poflefiion of the Crown and Government) does render them guilty of hardening him in impe- nitency for thefe evil arts ufed for getting into the Throne. Ought ye not to remember that whatever forbearance of matters of Liberty and Indifferency (fiich as intimate perfbnal unnecefTary converie, or the like) another mans abufe thereof calleth you un- to ; yet neceflary and weighty duties (mch as youi* keeping Church-communion is, Heb. i o. &gj) may not, mull not, be omitted upon mch a fcore r of an ac- cidental emergency ; for as evil is not to be done that good may come of it-fo,nor duty to be left un- done, for avoiding fiich an accidental abufe thereof- elfe it were in the power of others by their Humb- ling upon,and abufing of our doing of duties, might vacate us from them all, and fb make all the Com- mandments of God of non-effecl; \ yea,the Scripture it felf mould be (on that reafbn) laid by, becaufe ma- ny wrell it to their owndeftru&ion. If they will har- den themfelves upon your not feparating, your fol- lowing of duty ismeerly the innocent object and oc- cafion thereof themfelves only are the tranfgreffors, becaufe you are purely fojji-ve, they aB'vvt in the cafe.Thus ye fee,that fuppofing there were fiich real faults in your Minifters accefs to the publick undi- fturbed exercife of their Miniftry as ye talk of, (whereas in fober and unprejudiced fearch you will find none), albeit thefe mould call you to mourn to God for them, and endeavour their conviction and refer- reformation, yet not to reparation. Since without acceflion to thefe faults,ye may join with the men and their Gofpel- * adminiftrations 5 Lugendum & ferendum eft, quod me Jen ne- • quit fays Judicious and Holy Cdvin. Be ye therefore Moni-< tores & Correclores (if ye can) non Deferi.nres. But bjcffed be God there is in truth fo far as we can fee, no juft ground of (tumbling at them ; fo, at leaft as to fcare you from their Shepherd-tents. And would fome lay afide prejudice, paffion, felf-intereft, &c. and not be over righteous, nor over- wife, (which the wife Solomon dehorteth from in. EccU 7. ie.) nor (by fcrupulofity or cenforioufnefs) make more fins than ever God by his Law hath made ; nor feek a knot in a Ruth (tho- rough nicenefs, or timoroufnefs, or captioiilnefs) 5 we per- fwade our felves your Controversies would foon be at an end, and your terrible Con vuliion fits of dividings and fepa- rating, rid more overtake you. But to draw to a clofe, We iTiall fay no more, nor had we faidfo rrluch, had not the urgency of your .cafe compelled us. Only this we add, that having thus far prefumed upon your patience and candor to fpeak our mind freely concern- ing your cafe and carriage, out of Chriirian companion to your diffractions and diftcmpers,and affe&ionate zeal to your recovery, \v: humbly crave you pardon for. our freedom : intreating you in the Lord to confider what is faid, F.t agm[- cere quod Dei eft, Ctf ignofcere quod kominis eft. Himfelf give underftanding in all things, which concern his honour, the good of his poor diftrened Church and people^, and your own duty and peace. And finally, Brethren, we bid you fare- well 5 wifliing the Prince of Peace, after ye have fufrered a while, to ftablifii and fettle you. And to him thar is able to heal your breaches, to keep you from falling, and to reco- ver the fallen, and prefent you fpotlefs before the Father^be Glory. And if in any thing we can ferve your edification and peace, we willingly fubferibe our felves, Tour affectionate Friends and Servants in Chriffi* FINIS y : «--. C= ■J \ s / is m * •$ .A r % ^ ft >> (^ .4 ■* sT / '/"> *>.•■* fa