/' (« .2 1 s? 1c -a • ftl * i? TERATU L SEMIN. >< w | O c < >LOGICA W i 53 s ~H3 3 a, 3 s* w <-> M (1» E 03 CO CTION THEOL THE T. h u 2 1 ^ 2 .a 1 V* u § 2 $ c tq « 1 £ a) to 3 #> CL _j| r < 5CB | /3/r ° ~*f - a VINDICATION OF THE AUTHORITY, ; CONSTITUTION, AND LAWS OF THE CHURCH AND STATE OF SCOTLAND. IN FOUR CONFERENCES. Wherein the Anfwer to the Dialogues betwkfc the Conformift and the Non-con- formift, is examined. By GILBERT ^BURNET, TrofeJJbt of Theology in Glafgow. GLASGOW, By ROBERT SANDERS, Printer to the City, and Univerfity, M t D€. LXXIIL TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF LAUDERDALE, &c HIS MAJESIES HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR SCOTLAND. AT tT P 'LEASE TOVR GRACE. T-he nolle Character which you do now fo worthily bear i together with the more laffi A 2 ing The Epiftle Dedicatory, ing and inward Characters of Tour Princely mind, did fet me beyond doubt ing to whom this Addrefs was to be made ; For to whom is a vindication of the Authority and Laws cf this Kingdom fo due, as to Your Grace, to whom His Majefly hath by a Royal De~ legation, committed the adminiji ration of Affairs among us ; and under whofe wife and happy conducl, ive have enjoyed fo long a trail of uninterrupted tranquillity ? But it is not only Tour illuflrious quality that en* titles Ton to this Dedication. No, Great Prince, greater in Tour mind, than by Tour fortune ; there is fomewhat more inward to Tou, than the gifts of fortune $ which, as it proves her not Hind in this inflance, fo commands all the refpeff can be payed Your Grace, hy fuch who are honoured with fo much knowledg of Tou, as hath fallen to the happy (hare of Tour poorefl fervant. But, My Lord, face all I can fay either cf the vafl endowments of Tour Mind, or of the particular engagements I lie under to honour Tou, muft needs fall fhort of my fenfc Th« Epiftle Dedicatory; fefffe of both ; and what is jud to be faid* is not fit for me to exprefs ; tlte leafl ap- pearances of flattery being as unpleafant to Tou, as unbecoming me of my Station : J rnuft quit this Theme, which is too great for me to manage ; and only add, that I know Tour underfianding, in fuch debates as are here managed, to be fo profound, and your judgment fo well balanced, that as Tea defervedly pafs for a Majler in all learning; fo, if thefe Sheets be fo happy as to be well accounted of by Tou, 1 jhall the lefs value or apprehend the fnar lings of a/l Cenfurers. I pretend not by prefixing fo great a Name to thefe Conferences, to be fecure from Cen- fure by Your Patrociny, fince thefe Ene- mies of all Order and Authority ( with whom I deal ) will rather be provoked from that, to lafh me with the more feverity. I Jhall not to this add my poor thoughts of what this time and the tempers of thefe with whom we deal , feems to call for 9 fince by fo doing, I fhould become more ri- diculous than Phormio was, when he enter- A 3 tained The Epiftlc Dedicatory: tained the redoubted Hannibal, with a pe- dantick difcourfe of a Generals condutf. It is from Your Graces deep judgment and great experience, that we all expett and long for a happy fettlement, wherein that fuccefs and bleffings may attend Tour endea- vours* fhall he prayed for more earnefily by none alive, than by, May it pleafe YOUR GRACE> Your Graces moft humble, moft faithful, and moft obliged fervant, G. BVRNET. READER. O W fed, but how full a Com- mentary doth the age we live in, give on thefe words of our Lord, Luke 1 2. 49. I am come tg fend fire on the earth : fuppofe you that lam come to give peace on I tell you, nay ; but rather divtfion : for from henceforth there (hall be five in one houfe di- vided. Do we not lee the Father divided a- gainft the Son, and the Son againft the Father, and engaging into fuch angry heats and mortal feuds 3 upon colors of Religion, as if the feed of the Word of GOD, like Cadmus teeth, had fpawned a generation of cruel and bloud-thir- fty men : But how furprizing is the Wonder, when Religion becomes the pretence,and feems to give the rife to thefe animofities, fince the wifdorn and goodneisof GOD hath devifed no- thing more proper and powerful for over-ru- ling all the (eeret paffions of the mind^ and for A 4 mor- To the Reader. mortifying of all boifterous diforders ? The Do&rjne delivered by our meek and lowly Ma- iler, teacheth us the great LefTons of humility, of (elf- diffidence, and felf contempt, guards a- gainft the undervaluing of others, and the over- rating of our felves, gives check to wrath,anger, emulation and envy, hatred and malice, railing and cen faring : And in a word, defigns the moulding our natures into a conformity with its bleifed Author : who when he was reviled, reviled not again ; but practifed without a ble- mifh, thofe great Leflbns he taught his Difci- ples, of doing good for evil, loving his Ene- mies, and praying for fuch as defpicefully u(ed him. But how far have we fallen from that love- ly Pattern ? And how is the ferene and peace- able vi (age of Chnftianity transformed into a (our cankered and furly temper, as if chat which obliged us to love all men, mould engage us to look morofe on all but a handful or a party : and that which mould dilate our love to all man- kind, is given for a ground of contracting it to a few as ill natured as our ielves. Is there not a generation among us who high- ly value themfelves, and all of their own form ? but whofb differs from themes (Lire of their fier- cer!; fpite, and bittereft Genfures. Are the lives of fuch as differ from them vertuous, then they Ivj they aregoo4 moral men : But, alas ! they know To the Re^er. know not what it is to be fpiritual. Again, are they devout and grave,then they are called Mo- naftick people, Juglers, orPapifb.. And if no- thing can be fattened on them, the charge of hypocrifie is the laft ftiift of malice : Or if they have been guilty of any failings and miftakes, thsy are fb far from covering or difguifing of them ; that on the contrary, the relating.the ag- gravating, and the commenting on thele, is the main fubje£fc of all their difcourfes. And if they go on a Vifit,the firft Civilities are fcarce over 5 when thele Stories ( true or falfe, all is to one purpofe ) come to make up their converfation. Who can have the lead tin&ure of the Chriftian Spirit, and look on without fad regrates, and lee this bitter, fierce, and cruel venom poifbn* ing the feverai Sefts and divifions of Chriften- dom ? The root and fpring whereof is no other than a carnal, proud, and unmortified temper : for few are fo Atheiftical, but they de fire to pais, both in their own account, and in xhe opi- nion of others, for good Chriftians : but when they find how hard a thing it is to be a Chriftian indeed, and that they mud mortifie all their carnal appetites, their fierce paffions, and fwel- lings of pride, defpife the world, and be refign- ed in all things to the Will of GOD 3 before they can defer ve- that noble Character, t\\Qn they rairfue another method more grateful to their corrupt lo the Readeri corrupt minds, which is to lift themfelves un- der a party, to cherifh and value the Heads and Leaders of it, and to divide their kindnefs to all of their ftamp : they ftifly adhere to the forms, and maintain all the humors and opini- ons of that Party to which they have aflbciated themfelves, and they whet their Spirits and fliarpen their Tongues againft all of another mould, which fame do with an undifguifed fiercenefs : Other with a vifage of more gra- vity, by which they give the deeper wounds. What fad effe&s flow from this Spirit is too vi- able ; andl love not to play the Diviner, or to prefage all the mifchief it threatens: but cer tain it is that the great bufinefs of Religion lies under an univerial n eg led, while every one looks more abroad on his Neighbor, than in- wardly on himfelf; and all ftudy more the ad- vancement of a Party, than the true interefl of Religion. I deny not but zeal for GOD muft appear, when we fee indignities done to his holy Name, in a juft indignation at thefe who fo difhonour him ; but what relation have little fmall diffe- rences about matters which have no tendency for advancing the Image of GOD in our Souls, to that ; iince both fides of the debate may be well maintained without the leaft indignity done to GOD, or his holy Gofpel ? What - op- To tfje Reader. ©ppofition to the Will of GOD, or what harm to Souls can flow from fb innocent a practice, as the fixing fbme Churchmen over others, for obferving, dire&ing, reproving,and coerc- ing of the reft, that this fhould occafion fuch eridlefs brawlings, and fuch hot contentions i But fuppofing the grounds of our divifions, as great as any angry Difputer can imagine them, then certainly our zeal for them mould be tempered, according to the Rules and Spirit of the Gofpel. Is it a Chriftian temper that our fpirits fhould boil with rage againft all of ano- ther perfuafion^fo that we cannot think of them without fecret commotions of anger and diP dain, which breaks often out into four looks, ridiculous jearings, bitter fcoffings and inve- dives, and in attempts at bloud and cruelty ? How long fhall our Nadabs and Abihus burn this wild- fire on the Altar of GO D, whofe flames fhould be peaceful, and fuch as defcend from Heaven ? When we fee any endanger- ing their Souls by erroneous Opinions., or bad pra&ices^had we the divine Spirit in us,it would fee us to our fecret mournings for them : our hearts would melt in com pa ffion towards them, and not burn in rage againft them : and we would attempt for their recovery, and not contrive their ruin. The one bears on it a clear imprefs of that nature which is Love, in which To the Reader* which none can have intereft, or union, but Juch as dwell and abide in Love : but the other bears on it the lively fignature of him that was a murderer from the beginning : and all that is mifchievous or cruel, is of that evil one, and tends to the fubverfion of mankind ; as well as the ruin of true Religion. Another great Rule by which the Peace and Order of all human Societies is maintained and advanced, is obedience to the Laws, and iub- miffion to the Authority of thefe whom GOD hath fet over us, to govern and defend us ; to whole Commands if abfolute Obedience be not payed, ever till they contradid the Laws of GOD, there can be neither peace nor order among men, as long^as every one prefers his own humour or inclination to the Laws of the Society in which he lives. Now it cannot be denied to be one of the fins of the age we live in, that fmall regard is had to that authority GOD hath committed to his Vicegerents on earth : The evidence whereof is palpable, fince the bending or flackeningof the execution of Laws is made the meafure of moft mens Obedience, and not the confcience of that duty we owe the commands of our Rulers : for what is more fervile and unbecoming a man, not to fay a Chnftian, than to yield Obedience when over- awed by force; and to leap from it when allured by To the Reader. hy gentler methods? If Generofity were our principle, we fhould be fooner vanquiftied by the one, than cudgelled by the other : Or if Confcience a&ed us,the Obligation of the Law would equally bind, whether backed with a ftrid Execution, or flackened into more impu- nity. Hence it appears how few there are who judg themfelves bound to pay that reverence to the Ferfbns, and that Obedience to the Com- mands of thefe GOD hath vefted with his Au- thority, which the Laws of Nature and Reli- gion do exa£L And the root of all this difbbe- dience and contempt, can be no other, but un- ruly and ungoverned pride, which dildains to fubmit to others, and exalts it (elf above thefe who are called Gods. The humble are trad- able and obedient ; but the felf willed are ftub- born and rebellious. Yet the height of many mens pride refts not in a bare di (obedience, buc defigns the fubverting of Thrones, and the ftakmg of Kingdoms , unleis governed by their own meafures. Among all the Herefies this age hath fpawn- ed, there is not one more contrary to the whole defign of Religion,and more deftru£tive of man- kind, than is that bloudy Opinion of defend- ing Religion by Arms, and of forcible refift- ance upon the colour of preferving Religion. The wiidom of chat Policy is earthly, fen dial and To the Reader* and devillilh, favoring of a carnal unmodified and impatient mind^that cannot bear the Crofs, nor truft to the Providence of GOD: and yet jvith how much zeal is this de&rine maintained £nd propagated, as if on it hung both the Law ^nd the Prophets ? Neither is the zeal ufed for its defence only meant for the vindicating of what is paftj bat on purpofe advanced for re- ading the fame Tragedies : which fome late vil- lanous attempts have too clearly difcovered, fbme of thefe black Arts ( tho written in white) being by a happy providence of GOD ( by the intercepting of R. Mac his Letters which con- tained not a few of their rebellious pra&ifings £nd defigns ) brought to light. Indeed the conlideration of thefe evils Ihould call on ail to refled on the fad pofture wherein we are^and the evident iignamres of the Divine dtfpleafure under which we lie : from which it appears that GOD hath no pleafure in 115, nor will be glorified among us : that to we may dif- cern the figns of the times s and by ail thefe fad indications may begin toappehend our danger, and io turn to GO D with our whole hearts ; every one repenting of the works of his hands, and contributing his prayers and endeavours for a more general Reformation. It is not by ical Arts, nor by the execution of penal 5j that the power of Religion can be reco- vered To the Reader. Vered fromthefe decays, under which it hath fa long fuffered. No, no,we muft confider where- in we have provoked GOD to chaftife us in this fafhion, by letting loofe among us a Spirit of uncharitablenefs, giddinefs, cruelty and fe- dition : And the progrels of thefe and other great evils, we ought to charge on our own faultinefs, who have provoked GOD to plead a Controverfie with us in fb fevere a manner. This is the method we ought to follow, which if we did, we might fboner look for the Divine protection and affiftance : and then we mould experience it to be better to put our confidence in G D, than to put our confidence in men. Indeed f urh a Reformation of our lives and hearts, would more ftrongly plead our caufe, and advance our intereft,than the mod learned Difputes, or the fevereft Laws, tho followed with a moft vigorous execution: Let us not therefore repine at the contempt we lie under* or the hazard we are expofed to; nor complain of the non-execution of Laws ; but let us exa- mine wherein we have walked contrary to the; Laws of CHRIST' in hisGofpel, by which we have provoked GOD to render us bafe and con- temptible before the people. In a word, till we condemn our felves more, and others lefs, and think more of reforming our felves, and lefs of puniJhing others, we look not like proper Objeds To the Reader. Obje&s of Mercy, or fit for a deliveranee. But I (hall quit this purpofe to give (bme ac* count of the following Conferences. Some years ago, a fmall Book of Dialogues betivlxt the Conform ifi and Nonconformifi was publifhed, and received with the general applaufe and good liking of all, who were Co far unprepofleiled as to confider the plain and fimple reafonings were there laid open ; but prefently all the mouths of the enraged Zealots were fet a yelping and mar- ling at it, and at its fufpe&ed Author : fome laughed at it, others defpifed it, and all of them were angry : fome threatned a ipeedy anfwer, others doubting of the performance, (aid, it de- ferved none. At length divers Pens were (aid to have undertaken the Task; but in end we had an anfwer from beyond Sea to it, which was received with an umverfal fhout of vi&ory and triumph : the Anfwerer a&ing his part with fo much confidence, and edging his fmatterings with fo much bicternels, as if he had engaged with a compound of Ignorance arid Atheifm^ At firfl reading I could not but pity one who triumphed (b confidently with fo little reafbn, and regrate thebitternelsofhis fpiritjW ho belch- ed up gall and wormwood upon every occafiom Yet in forne matters of fad and Hiftory, I de- ny not but his confidence made me imagine truth might be on his fide ; but when I examined things To the Reader. /nings from their Fountains, I know not wha t verdid tQ pafs on him, who fell in fo many mi- stakes, and Humbled at every ftep. Moft of his ' errors I imputed to his fecond-hand reading/or he feems to have riien no higher in his learning than the reading of Tamfhktsr and it is like^ hath that quarrel with Antiquity /hat there is not a forty year old Author in his Clofet ; and fo much is he beholden to the labours of others, that if one unplumehim of what is borrowed ,» nothing will remain but fcoldings, and non~ fenfe. For when he meets with any thing out of the Road, it is not unpleafant to fee how brow- illied be is; aud fo unequal in his ftile, that Sometimes he flies high on borrowed wings,and immediately he halts and crawls when on his own legs. I was not foon refblved whether fuch a Scribkr deferved an Anfwer, fince all he faid that was material,had both been printed and an- fwered full often; yet the confidence of the Au- thor,and the value which others^much about his own fize of knowledg and modefty, did fet on his labors, made me think it neceflary to fay a little more on thefe things, which were perhaps too overly glanced at by the Conformift in the Dialogues : and my intereft in that Perlbn fecu- red me from apprehending his miftakes of my interpofing in this quarrel ; for indeed what he faid was fo far from being fhaken by this pre- tended To the Readdrl tended trifling Anfwer,that as a Perfbn of great ■ judgment and worth, laid, No more fains was needful for refuting the Anfwer, but the reading over the Dialogues, whofe firength remained en- tire after all his attempts again ft them, I was doubtful what method to purfue in the following ftieets,fmce I ever loathed the anfwer- ing of Books by retail, as an endlefs and worth- lefs labor: for when fhould I have done, did I call him to account for all his incoherencies and impertinencies, and examine all his fimpering diftin&ions, and whiffling anfwers? I relblved therefore at one dafli to Wave all that, and to examine the matters of greater and more pub- lick concern, with that clearnefs of expreffion which befits luch Subjects, and with fo much brevity, as might not frighten away the more | fuperficial Readers, nor furfeit the morelabori- j oiis. Therefore I have not flayed to make good I all the Conformifts Opinions or arguments, hint- | ed in thefe fhort Dialogues ^but have left the exa- mining of them,and the Anfwers made to thenij to the consideration of the unprejudged Rea- der, and fo have confidered nothing of what he anfwers to the fifth and fixth Dialogues. To the fifth Dialogue, wherein let forms for Wor- ship are pleaded for, he anlwers by confeP fing their lawfulnefs, arguing only againft the impofing them; but this I meet with in my fecond 1 To the Reader. fecond Conference, wherein I affert the binding Authority of Laws in all things lawful. And for his Anfwers to the fixth Dialogue, they con- cern me not, beingrnadeupof reflexions: It is true, to mew his Common place reading, he gives a long difcourfe of juftification, but to Very little purpofe,fince upon the matter the Con- formifi differs nothing from him : And for the juftifying or condemning fbme phrafes or modes of fpeech, they are not worth the while to debate about them : All my quarrel at thefe long winded Common places^ being, that by a pretence of making matters clearer, they dar- ken them with a multiplicity of words* and art intricacy of phrafes. And as this is juftly -cen- furable on every head about which it is im ploy- ed, fo it is more particularly in the matter of juftification, which being the ground of our hope and joy, ihould be fa cleared, thatnodif* ficulty nor nicety get into our conceptions a- bout it. What then can be clearer than that GOD in confederation of his Sons (titterings, offers free pardon to all tenners, on the terms or their forfaking their fins, their accepting his mercy through his Son, and their obedience to the rules of his Gofoel, . which whofbever do^ are actually in the favor of GOD, made parta- kers of hisGrace^ and mall m due time be ad- rait ted to his Glory ? This being the Gonformifii { a ) fcnA To the Reader. fenfe on that head, I leave it with all to con- fider what reafon there was for making fiich ado about it, or for charging him with lb hea- vy imputations. But he fhrouds himfelf under his own innocency, and will patiently bear all the infultings and ungodly rage of that Adver- fary, without recriminating or anfwenng him in his own ftyle and dialed. I purfue the method of a Conference, as be- ing both morefuitable to the purpofes here can- vafTed, and more agreeable to the Dialogues, only I furnilh the Scene with more perlbns ; arid I am much miftaken if the Anfwerer him- felf mail have ground to accufe me of not laying out the ftrength of his reafbnings faithfully, fince upon every occafion I put in Ifotimus his mouth the fubftance of his arguings, as far as I could reach them. But to make this unpleafant peace of contention go the more eafily of£ I nave fubjoyned to it an account of the form and rules of Church Government, as I found them to have been received in the firft and pureft ages of the Church: But I add no more for Preface to chat work, fince in the end of the laft Conference enough is laid for introduction to it, 1 have divided my work in four parts and Conferences : The firft examines the opinion of refifting lawful Magiflrates upon the pre- tence of defending Religion. The fecond con- fiders To the Reader. fiders the Authority of Laws, and the obedience due to them, together with the Kings Supre- macy in matters Ecclefiaftical. The third ex- amines the fpirit that a&ed during the late times and Wars, and continues yet to divide us by Schilrn and fa&ion. And the fourth examines the lawfulnefs and ufefulnefs of Epifcopacy. I muft now releafe my Reader from the de- lay this Introduction may have occafioned him, without the ufual formality of Apologies, for the defe&s the following papers are guilty of, fince I know thefe generally prevail but little for gain- ing what they defire : but fhall only (ay, that this morofe way of writing, by engaging in- to Controverfies, is as contrary to my Genim as to any mans alive : For I know well how lit- tle fuch writings prevail for convincing of any, and that by them the moft part are rather har- dened into more wilfulnefs, and exafperated into more bitternefs : Yet for this orjce I was prevailed on to do violence to my own inclina- tions, by this Vatrociny of the authority and laws of that Church and Kingdom wherein I live- I am (b far from thinking my (elf concerned to make Apology for the flownefs of this Piece its appearance in publick, that I encline rather to make cxcufes for its coming abroad too loon* That it was ready near a twelve- month ago, can be witneffed by many who then faw it. Yet I ( a % ) was To the Reader. was willing toletitlyefome timeby me,and my averfion from the motions of thePrefs, put it often under debate with me whether I mould ftifle it, or give it vent : at length I yielded to the frequent importunities of my friends who ailauked me from all hands, and told me how much it was longed for, and what infultings were made upon the delay of its publication. And by what is near the end of the third Con- ference, it will appear that it was written before the difcovery of thefe who had robbed and wounded the Minifters-in the Weft of Scotland. I let what is there (aid continue as it was written, before the difcovery, buj lhall add fbmewhat here. In September laft, after a new robbery had been committed on another conformable Mi- nifies whole a&ors no fearch- could difcover; fbme few days had not pa fled over, when by a ftrange Providence one of them was catched on another account by a brave Soldier, and be- ing feized, fuch indications of his acceflion to the robbery were found about him, that he to prevent torture, confeffed not only his own guilt, but diicpvered a .great many more : moil of them efcaped, yet three were taken, and had Juflice done on them, with him who had been their chief Leader : and who continued to cant it out highly after he got his Sentence, talking of his blood as innocently fhed, and railing To the Reader. railing again ft the Prelats and Curats ; though before Sentence he was bafely fordid, as any could be. One of his complices who died with more fenfe, acknowledged, when he (pake his laft words, that bitter zeal had prompted him to that villany, and not covetouiheis, or a de- fign-~of robbing their goods. Yet I mall not conceal what I was a witnefs to, when a Mini- fterof the Presbyterian perfwaiion being with them ( for two of them would willingly admit of none that were Epifcopal) after he had ta- ken pains to convince the chief Robber of the atrocioufnefs of his crimes, which was no eafie task, he charged him to dif cover if either Gen- tlemen, or Mini iters, had prompted or cheriuV ed him in it, or been confcious to his commit- ting thefe robberies, he cleared all, except a few particular and mean perfbns who went fharers with hint. And by this fair and inge- nuous procedure, the Reader may fudge how far the Author is from a dehgn of lodging in- famy on thefe who differ from him, when of his own accord he offers a tefnmony for their vindication, Bat I mall leave this purpofe^ and the further prefacing at once. If my poor labors be blefled with any mea- sure of fuccefs, I humbly offer up the praifeofic to him from whom I donvQ all I have, and to whom I owe the praife of all I can do. But if thefe To the Reader. thefe attempts bring forth none of the wifhed- for effe&s, I mall have this fatisfacftion, that I have fincerely and ferioufly ftudied the calm- ing the paffions, and the clearing the mi- ftakes of thefe among whom I live : fo that more lyes not on me,, but to follow my en- deavours with my moft earned prayers, that the GOD of Peace may in this our day, caufe us difcernandconfider thefe things which be- long to our Peace. THE THE HEADS TREATED OF in chefe Conferences. THe fir ft Conference examines the orig'me and power of Magiftracy 3 and whether Subjects may by arms refift their Sovereigns on the account 9 or pretence of defending Religion againft Tyranny, and unjuft oppreftion ? And whether the King of Scotland be a Sovereign Vrince 3 or limited 3 fo that he may be called to account 3 and coerced by force £ The fecond examines the nature of humane Laws, and of the obedience due to them y and the Civil Magistrates Right of enacling Laws in matters. Eccle/iaftical. The third examines the grounds and progrefs of the late Wars, whether they were Defsnfive or Invafive, and what Spirit did then prevail ? And the grounds of our prefent Schifm are ccnjidered, The fourth examines the origine 3 lawfulnefs, and ufefulnefs of Epif copal Government s which is con- cluded ; with an account of the Primitive Confti- tution and Government of the Churches that were, fir ft gathered and planted \ THE The COLLOCUTORS. EuLumon. A Moderate man. . I.jUarchaits. An Epifcopa'l man. Ifotimus. A "Presbyterian. Bafilius. An Ajjcrter of t Joe Rings Authority, Criticus. One well fiud'ied in Scripture* Pvlyh'ifar. An Hiftorian, ' THE THE FIRST CONFERENCE. Eudaimon. YO U are welcome, my good Friends, and the rather that you come in fuch a number, whereby our converfe mall be the more agreeable. Pray, fit down. Vhilarcheits. The rules of Cuftom mould make us begin with asking after your Health, and what News you have. Eud. Truly the firft is not worth enquiring after ; and for the other, you know how fel- dom I ftir abroad, and how few break in up- on my retirement, lb that you can exped no- thing from me; but you have brought one with you who ufes to know every thing thac is done. Ifot'wm. I know you mean me : the truth is, I am very glad to hear every thing that pat feth • and think it no piece of Virtue to be fo B uncon- a The Fhfl Conference. unconcerned in what befals the Church of GOD; as never to look after it : but you are much wronged, if notwithstanding all your feeming abftra&ion, you be not deeper in the knowledge of Affairs than any of us : however fince you exped News from me, I was juft now reading fome Books lately printed at Holland, and particularly an accurate and learned Con- futation of thefe virulent Dialogues you were wont to magnifie (o much : and it doth my heart good to lee how he baffles the writer of them on every occafion ; for he hath anfwered eve- ry word of them fo well, and fo home, that I believe we mail not fee a reply in hafte, Vhilarcheus. I fuppofe we have all feen the Book, but it is like you are fingular in your opi- nion of it : I fhall not deny its Author his de- fended praifes : he hath been faithful in fetting down moft of the Arguments ufed in the Dia- logues, and no left careful to gather together all the vulgar anfwers to them, and truly hath faid as much as can be faid for his Caufe. Neither writes he without art ; for when he is pinched, he drives offthe Reader with a great many pre- liminary things, to make him forget the pur- pofe, and to gain a more eafie artent to what he afferts. I confels his Stile is rugged and harfh,fo that it was not without pain I wreftled through it : but of all I have feen, he hath fallen on the fureft The Firji Conference. J fiireft way to gain an Applaufe from the Vul- gar ; for he acts the greater! Confidence ima- ginable, and rails at his Adverfary with fb much contempt, and malice, that he is fure to be thought well of, by thefe who judge of a man more by his voice, and the imprefles of earn- eftnefsV, and paffion he difcovers, than by the weight of what he faith. Eud. Thefe things may well take with the ignorant Rabble, with whom it is like he de- figns to triumph : but truly fuch as underftand either the civilities of good Nature,or the meek- ne(s of a Chriftian, will be little edified with them. Indeed I am amazed to fee fb much indifcretion and bitternefs fall from any mans Pen who hath read S. Vaul y condemning rail- ings, evilfurmifingi; and ferverfe dijfiutings. Ifot. Who begun the fcolding ? The truth is,thereare feme who think they may rail with a pnviledge,and if any in fbbernefs tell them of their faults, they accufe them of bitternefs : but was there ever any thing feen more wafpifli than thefe Dialogues f whofe defign feems to have been the difgracing of a whole Party, and all their actions for many years : If then the Atheifm, the blafphemy, the mockery, the en- mity to GOD and Religion, the ignorance, the malice, the folly and arrogance of fuch a Confident Babler be difcovered, you are fb ten- li efcf 4 The Firft Conference. der hoofted fcrfomL as to complain of railings. End. It feeuis thefe writings have made a deep Impreffionon yauj you have got fo exact- ly into their ftile : b/it this is a place where Paflion is feldom cherifhed, therefore we will expect no more of that drain from you. But to deal freely with you, there were Ibme Expref- Uc-ns in thefe Dialogues with which I was not well (atisfied ; but the whole of them had fuch a vilage of Serenity, that I wonder how they are Co accufed. It is true the Conformist deals ve- ry plainly, and yet ere we part, I can perhaps fatisfii yea: he faid but a little of what he might have (aid : But withal, remember how fevere- ]y, he that was meekneis it felf, treated the Scribes and the Pbar/fees, and he having charg- ed his Followers to beware of their leaven, it is obedience to his Command to iearch out that leaven, that it may leaven us no more. And when any of a Party are fo exalted in their own conceit, as to defpife and difparage all others, the love, Minifters of the Goipel owe the Souls of their Flocks, obiigeththem ro unmask them. As to thefe poor fimple Reproaches that are caft on the Perfbn of that Author, as they are known to ba fa lie and unjuft, fo they are done in a ftrainthat feems equally void of Wit and Goodnefs. But we fKa.ll meddle no more m thefe perfonal differences, after I have told you what I heard The Firfi Conference. 5 I heard the Author of that Conference fay upon this fiibje£t : he laid, He was fo far from being dif f leafed with the Author of this Anfwer, that he was only firry he knew not who he was ,t hat he might feek an opportunity of obliging him. For the things charg- ed on him, if he was guilty of them, he needed very many prayers ; but if innocent, the other needed no fewer whofo unjufly accufed him : but a day comes wherein a right tons Judge will judge betwixt them : and this was the utmoft difpleafure he expref fed; adding, That he had another fenfe of the ac- count he mu ft give for his hours, than to engage in a Count erf cuff e, or to flay at fuch fmall game, as a particular examen of that Book would amount to : And hejudged it unworthy of him to turn Execu- tioner on that mans Reputation, by enquiring into all the efcapes of his Book which are too obvious. But he is willing to (land or fall by the decihon of rational and impartial Minds, only where he was either too inert, or where the Anfoverer hath railed fo much Mift as might obfeurea lefs difcerning Reader : he will ( when he gets out of the throng wherein his Employment doch at prefent engage him) offer a clearer account of the matters in queiiion, without tracing of that poor Creature, who, it is like^ expe&s to be recorded among the Learned Writers of the Age, and the Champions of Truth. B$f- We haye nothing to do wich what is B % per- 6 The Firft Conference. perfbnal among thefe Writers : But fince fo many of us have met (b happily, and feem a little acquainted with thefe Queftions, let us according to our wonted freedom, tofs theie debates among us, without heat or reflections : which fignifie nothing but to exprefs the ftrength of his Paffions, and the weaknefsof his Reafons who makes ufe of them. And in- deed the matter of the greateft Importance is, the fo'mt of Subjetls refifiing their Sovereigns, in the defence of Religion, which deferves to be the better cleared, fince it is not a nicety of the School, or a (peculation of Philofophers, but a matter of Pra&ice, and that which (if received) feems to threaten end!e(s Wars and Confufions. Crit. I am no great Difputer, but {hail be gladly a witnefs to your debate, and upon oc- cafions {hall prefume to offer what I have glean- ed among the Critical Writers on Scripture : and I hope Ifotimtts** Memory is fo good, that he will carefully fugged the Arguments ufed by the Patrons of defenfive Arms. Ifot. I will not undertake too much,but mall take care not to betray this good Caule, yet I will not have the Verdid: pafled upon my defence of it; however I mall not fneak (b lhamefully as the Nonconformist did in the Dialogues. End. I hope I (hall not need to caution you any The Firfl Conference. 7 any more againft reflexions : but as for the al- ledged treachery of your friend the Nonconform mifi, it may be referred to all Scotland, if what he faith be not what is put in the mouths of all the People about thefe matters, and truly th : s Anfwer adds fo little to him, that nothing can free him fo well of that treachery, as the read- ing of this new Book. But to our purpofe : The Queftion is fir ft in general, IfSubjeks un- der a lawful Sovereign when ofprefjedin their efta- blijhed Religion) may by Arm* defend themfehes, and reftft the Magifirates ? Let this be firft dif cuffed in general, and next it ihall be consi- dered how far this will quadrat with our pre- lent Cafe, or our late Troubles. Ifot. I like your method well, and that we may follow it, confider ( fee fag. 10. of 'the An- fwer , and Jmpopuli all over ) if their can be any thing more evident from the Laws of Nature, than that men ought to defend themf elves 3 when un- jufily aJJ'aulted? And fince the Law of Nature teacheth men not to murder themfelves, it by the fame force binds them to hinder another to do it.fince he that doth not hinder another from committing a Crime, when it is in his power fb to do,becomes guilty of the crime committed ; he is then a (elf-murderer who doth not defend himfelf from unjuft force. Befides, what is the «nd of all Societies, but mutual Protection ? B4 Did 8 The Firft Conference* Did not the People at firft choofe Princes for their Prote&ion ? Or do you imagine it was to fatisfie the Pride and Cruelty of individual per- sons ? It was then the end of Societies, that Ju- ftice and Peace might be maintain'd : fb when this is inverted, the Subje&s are again to relume their own conditional (urrendei\and to coerce the Magiftrate, who,forgetful of the ends of his Authority, doth fo corrupt it. And fince the great defign of man mould be to ferve GOD, and to wcrjhip him in (pirit and in truth > this is to be preferred to all things elfe, as being of the greateft Importance. If then Magiftrates, whom S. Peter ( i Pet. z. I %. ) calls the Ordinan- ces of men, or humane Creatures, do force their Subjects from the true Worihip of G O D, they ought to be reftrained, and the Cauie of G O D muft be maintained, notwithstanding their unjuft Laws or cruel Tyranny. Baf. You have indeed put fuch colours on vour Opinion, that I mould be much fhaken from mine, were not my perfuafionweil groun- ded. But to examine what you have laid, you muft diftinguiih well betwixt the Laws of Na- ture } an<\ the Rights or fermijjions of Nature : the firft are unalterable Obligations, by which all men are bound, which can be reveried by no pofitive Law, and tranfgreffed by no Perfbn, upon no occafion : for the Law of Nature is tho- Image The Firfi Conference. 9 Image of G O D yet remaining in fbme de- grees on the Souls of men, and is nothing elfb fave certain notions of Truth, imprefled by G O D on the Souls of all men that enjoy the excrcifcof Reafon. Now felf-defence cannot be a Law of Nature,otherwiie it could never be difpenfed with without a Sin ; nay, were a man never fb criminal : For as in no cafe a man may kill himfelf, were lie never fb guilty ; fo by that reafbning of yours, he ought not to fuffer himfelf to be killed, neither mould any Male- factor fubmit to the Sentence of the Judge, but ftand to his defence by all the force he could raife. And it will not ferve turn, to fay, that for the good of the Society he ought to fubmit ; for no man mufl violate the Laws of Nature, were it on never (b good a defign: and fmce the utmoft ftandard of our love to our Neigh- bors, is to love them as our felves, no conn- deration of the good of others can oblige one to yield up his Life, if bound by the Law of Nature to defend it. Cnt. If I may interrupt you, I fhould tell you that as among all Nations it hath been counted Heroical to die for ones Country, or for the good of others, fb the Apoftle (peaks, ( Rom, 5. 7.) of thofe who for good 'mm would dare to die, But chiefly C H R I S T 'S dying for us, fliews that (elf- defence can be no- Law of Nature : other- IO The Firfi Conference. otherwife CHRIST who filled all Righte- oufhefs, had never contradi&ed the Laws o^ Nature. Baf. I thank you for your remark, which was pertinent. But next, confider there are fome rights or permijfions of Nature, which are allowed us, but not required of us, as propriety of goods, marriage, and other fuch like things, which whofo doth not pretend to,he cannot be (aid to violate the Laws of Nature,only for fome great- er confederation he forgoes thefe Priviledges it allows. And take men out of a Society, I ac- knowledge forcible Refiftance of any violent Aflailant, to be one of the rights of Nature, which every man may make ufe of without a Fault, or difpenfe with likewife at his pleafure: But Societies being Aflociations of People un- der a Head, who hath the power of Life and Death, that fets it beyond doubt, that the Head mull: only judge, when the Subjects do juftly f ore-feal their Lives or not : which before I go about to evince, I muft remove that vulgar Er- ror, of a Magiftrate's deriving his power from the furrender of the People. None can lurren- der what they have not: take then a multitude of People not yet aflbciated, none of them hath power of his own Life, neither hath he power of his Neighbors, fince no man out of a Socie- ty may kill another, were his Crime never fo great, The Firft Conference. \ \ great, much lefs be his own murderer; and a multitude of People not yetaflociated, are but fb many individual Perfons; therefore the pow- er of the Sword is not from the People, nor any of their Delegation, but is from GOD. Ifot . You will pardon me to tell you,that the People muft give the power, fince GOD did it never by a Voice from Heaven, or by a Pro- phets command, except in fbme Inftances among the IfraeUtes, where even that was not done,but upon the previous defire of the People. And for what you fay of the Peoples having no right to kill them (elves, they only con fen t to fubmit to the Magiftrates Sentence^when guil- ty. Bap. This will then infallibly prove, that forcible felf defence cannot be a Law of Na- ture, but only a Right ; otherwife we could not thus difpenfe with it. But if though guil- ty, I ought not to kill my (elf, neither can I fo much as content that another do it : Hence it is, that the original of Magistracy muft be from GOD, who only can inveft the Prince with the power of the Sword. Folyh. I could fay much in Confirmation of that, from the univerf al Senfe of all Nations 3 who ever looked on the Magiftrates power, as Sacred and Divine : but thefe things are (b co- pioufly adduced by others, that I may welf fpare my labor, Crit, ix The fir ft Conference Crlt. Nay, a greater authority is St. Tad's, Rom. I ; . i . who iaith, That the powers that were then ,were or darned of GOD: which on the way faith ftrongly, for averting the right of a Con- querour,, arter forne prefcnption, fince if either we confider t\\Q power of the Roman Empire over the world,, or of their Emperours over them/boih will be found to have no better title than Conqi eft, and yet they were ordained of GOD,and not to be refilled, but fubmkted to, under the hazard of refifimg the Ordinance of GOD, and receiving of damnation > Cp.2) And itislike,the facredne(s of the M agijtr at es power 3 wasa part of the traditional Religion conveyed from Noah to his pofterky, as was the practice of extraordinary Sacrifices. Bap. It is not to be denied but a people may chule their own form of Government, and the peribnsin wfiofe hands it fhall be depo- sited : and the Sovereignty is in their hands, of whom they do thus freely make choice: iq that if they expreily agree,that any Administra- tors of the power, by what name foever de- figned.Kings, Lords, or whatever elfe, mail be accountable to them; m that ca(e, the Sove- reignty lies in the major part of the people, and thele Adminiftrators are fubjed to them, as to the Supreme. But when it is agreed in whofe hands, the Sovereign power lies, and that ir is not 1 he Fir jl Conference, ig not with the people; then if the people pretend to the fword, they invade GODS right, and that which he hath devolved on his Vicegerent. And as in marriage either of the parties make a free choice ; but the Marriage-bond is of GOD, neither is it free for them afterwards to refile upon pretence of injuries, till that which GOD hath declared to be a breach of the bond, be committed by either party : io though the ele- ction of the Sovereign may be of the people, yet the tie of -fubje&ion is of GOD,and there- fore is not to be ihaken off, without we have exprefs warrant from him. And according to your reafbning, one that hath made a bad choice in his marriage,may argue that marriage was intended for a help and comfort to man, and for propagation ; therefore when thefe things are milled in a marriage, that voluntary contract may be renled from ; and all this will conclude as well to unty an ill chofen marriage, as to make off a Sovereign. Fhilarch. To this reafoning I mail add what fesms from rational conjectures., and flich hints as we can exped of things at (6 great a diftance from us, to have been the rife of Magiftracy.< We find no warrant to kil],no not for murder before the Floud, as appears from the inftances of Cain and Lamecb, fo no Magifrracy appears to have been then : Yet from what GOD faid to 1 4 the Fir (I Conference. to C 'am , G en. 4.7. we fee, the elder brother was to rule over the younger Rut the want of Magiftracv before the Flood, was perhaps none of the leaft occafionsofthewickednefs5^/c^ was great up- on earthy but to Noah was the Law firft given of punifhing murder by death. Gen. 9. 6. and he was undoubtedly cloathed with that power.So his eldeft Son coming in his place by the right of reprefentation, and being by the right of primogeniture aiTerted before the Flood to be over his Brethren, was cloathed with the fame power, and fo it mould havedefcended by the order of Nature ftill to the firft-born. But af- terwards Families divided, and went over the world to people it, whereby the fingle jurifdi- cliion of one Emperor, could not ferve the end of Govern ment,efpecially in that rude time, in' which none of thefe ways of correfpondence, which after Ages have invented, were fallen upon. Thefe Families did then, or at leaft by that Law of G O D of the elder Brothers power,ought to have been f ubjed to the eldeft of their ieveral Families. And another rife otMagiftraty, was the po- verty of many who fold themfelves to others that were Richer, and were in all Nations fub- jed to them, both they and their children : and this was very early begun,for Abrahams family confifted of 318*. perfbns, and the many little Kings The Fir (I Conference 1 5 Kings at that time feem to have rifen out of thefe Families : for the pofterity of thefe fer- Vants were likewife under the Mafters Autho- rity : and thefe fervants were by their Mafters pleafure to live or lie; nor had they any right to refill: this unjuft force : But afterwards emanci- pation was ufed, fbme dominion being Hill re- served : and it is highly probable, that from thefe numerous Families, did moft of the little Kingdoms then in the world fpring up ; after- wards the more afpiring came to pretend over others, and fb great Empires rofe by their Conquefts. Crit. I know it is ftrongly pretended, that the ftate of fervitude, or fuch a furrender of ones life, or liberty, as fubje&s it to the tyranny of another,is not lawful: but this will be found groundlefs : for though even the Law ofG O D counted the fervants a Mans money Jo that he was not to be punifhed \though he had fmitten them with a rod,fo that they died, provided they lived a day or two after it, Exod.i 1 .20_,2 1 . Yet in that difpen- fation it was not unlawful to be a fervant; nay^ nor unlawful to continue in that ftate for ever, and not accept of the emancipation which was provided to them in theyearofjubily. Neither is this ftate declared unlawful under theGofpei, fince S. Paul faith, 1 Cor. 7. 21. Art thou called being a fervant fare not for it : but if thou may jibe free s 1 6 The Fir ft Conference. free, ufe it rather : By which we fee the Gofpe! doth not emancipate fervants, but placeth that ftate among things which may be lawfully fubmitted to,, though liberty be preferable. Bafil. From this it may be well inferred, that if a Society have (o mtirely furrendred them- felves that they are in no better cafe than were the fervants among the Romans or Hebrews ,the thing is not unlawful; nor can they make it void, or re fume the freedom without his con- tent whofe fervants they are : and as S. Peter tells, I Pet.l.lS. The fervants to fnbmit to their Mafters jho punifhing them 7vrongfully. By whom all know that he means not of hired,, but of bought fervants : fo if a people be under any degrees of that ftate, they ought to fubmit, not only to the good, but to the froward : and ftili it appears that the Sword is only in the Magi- ftrates hand,and that the people have no claim to it. It is true, in cafe the Magiftrate be fu- rious, or defert his righ?:, or expofe his King- doms to the fury of others, the Laws and Senfe of all Nations agree, that the States of the Land are to be the Adminiftrators of the power, till he recover himfelf : But the in- france of Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 26. fhews, that 11 ill the Kingdom mould be fure to him when he recovers. Ifot. Now you begin to yield to truth, and con- The Firjl Conference. 1 7 confefs, that a Magiftrate, when he grofly ab- th his Power,, may be coerced : this then u mews that the People are not (laves. Bafil. The Cafe varies very much when the abufe is fuch that it tends to a total Subveriion, which may be called juftly a?hrenpe> fince no man is capable of it till he be under feme lefion of his mind ; in which cafe, the Power is to be admimftred by others, for the Prince and his Peoples fafety : But this will never prove that a Magistrate governing by Law, though there be great errors in his Government, ought to be coerced : otherwife you muft open a door to perpetual Broils, fince every one by thefe Maxims becomes Judge; and where he is both Judge and Party, he is not like to be caft in his Pretentions: And even few Malefactors die/ but they think hard tneafure is given them. If then forcible i elf defence be to be followed, hone of thefe mould yield up their Lives with- out ufing ail attempts for refcuing them. End. Whatever other Cafes allow of, certain- ly the defence of Religion by Arms is never to be admitted: for the nature of Chriftian Reli- gion isfuch, that it excludes all carnal Weapons from its defence. And when I coniider how ei= prefly CHRIS T forbids his difcifhs to re ft ft evil, Matth.,z$. 39. how feverely that rehftance is condemned by S. Faul, and that cm damnation is C &4dd 1 8 The Firjl Conference. declared the Punifhment of it, I am forced to cry out, Oh! what times have we fallen in, in which men dare againfr the exprefs Laws of the Gofpel, defend that practice upon which GOD hath pafled this condemnation, If who- soever break the le aft of thefe Commandments, and teach men fo to do 3 (liaU be called the leaft in the Kingdo?n of GOD: What fhall their portion be who teach men to break one of the greatest of thefe Commandments, inch as are the Laws of Peace and Subjection ? And what may we not look for from fuch Teachers, who dare tax that glorious Doctrine of patient Sufferings brutim and irrational, and though it be exprefly (aid, I Pet. 2. z\. That CHRIST by fufftrivg for usjeft us his Example how to follow htsfiepSyWhich was followed by a glorious Cloud of Witnefles ? Yet in theielaft days,what a brood hath fprung up, Of men who are lovers of their own [elves, trajtors y heady , high-minded, levers of pleafures, more than lovers of GOD: having a form of god- line fs, but denying the power thereof ; who creep in- to houfesy and had captive fiUy women laden with fin ? It is our fins that provoke G O D to open . the bottomlefs pit , and let loofe fuch locufis^- but were we turning to GOD, and repenting of the works of our hands, we might hope that their power mould be taken from them, and that their folly mould be made known to all men. Ifot, The Fir ft Conference. ip Ifot. Who talk bigly now ? But let Reafbn and Scripture take place, and you mall find good Warrants in the Old Teftament for coercing the Magiftrate,and fubje&ingthe power in the Peo- ples hands, (feep.n.) for the People were warranted to funi(h Idolaters, Dent, 13.12,. And from the beginning of Deuteronomy, it appears that Book was directed to all i/?W,therefore any might have punifhed Idolaters ; therefore the power of Reforming is with the People : And again {fee p. 1 ; .) the Law of the King is fet down, Deut. 18. 14. which gives a clear Evidence, that the People might coerce him : Otherwife why was that Law delivered to the People? Crit. I am much deceived if thefe Inftances do conclude for your defign, fince the utmoft they can prove, is, that fome mare of the execu- tive power lay in the hands of the People among the Jews ; but that proves nothing : where by Law and Pra&ice it is clear the power is wholly in the hands of Superior unaccountable Magi- ft rates. But that the Law of the King, or of puniihing Idolaters was delivered to the People, proves not that they muft execute it : For the Law of Sacrifices, and all the Temple worfhip was alio delivered to them : but I hope you will not from that infer, that the People were to fudge in thefe matters, or to give Laws to their Priefts ; neither wilithe Law/beeaufe addrefled C % h 20 The Fir ft Confer erne. to the People, prove themfelves to be the exe- cutors of it ; otherwife the Epifile to the Corin- thians addreiled to all the Saints in Corinth, will prove the People the Judges of Excommunication j and of the Rules of Chmch-ivorjlip, which are there delivered : fb that though the Law was dire&ed to all the People, yet that proves not that every precept of it concerned all the Peo- ple, but that the whole of the Law was addref- fed to the whole People, and the refpe&ive parts of it, to all the individuals, according to their feveral ftations : And after all this, you are to confider that forne tilings were allowed by that Law to private Perfons, which ought never to be made precedents: for the Law allowed the Friends of one that was killed by chance, to avenge the Blood on the Perfon that flew him, if he kept not within the City of Refuge : but that being a particular provision of their Judi- cial and Municipal Law, will be no warrant for fuch revenge in other States. Ijot. But what fay you to the revolt of Lib- vah, 2 Cbron. 21. I o which revolted from Je~ horam i becaufe he forfook the LORD GOD of his fathers: And of Amaz,iah 3 2 Chron. 2f. 27. who when he turned away from following the LORD, his being killed by a Confpiracy of the (e in fcrufalem, and the four [core valiant Trie ft s who withftoodl7&&//7^when he went to offer The Fir [I Conference, %\ offer incenfe ? 2 C£r<5fz. 26. 17. .SV* p. 15, 1-4. Crit. As for your inftances, confider chat ma- ny things are fet down in the Old Tefiament, that are undoubted faults, and yet fo far are they from being taxed, that they rather feem to be applauded : fb it is in the cafe of the Mid- wives lk y not to mention the Polygamy of the Pa- triarchs ; therefore it not being clear to us by what fpecial warrants they a&ed, a Practice of that Difpenfatlon will be no precedent to us. But for that oi Libnah > it may be juftly doubted if the Libnah there mentioned, be that City which was affigned to the Priefts : for Numbers 2 ;. 20. we meet with a Libnah in the journyings of Ifrael ; and both the Syriack and the Arabick verfion, have underftood the place of that City ; for they render it, the Idumeans that dwelt at Lib- nah. But whatever be in this, the particle be* caufe, doth not always import the defign of the doer : which if you examine the Hebrew, will be very clear ; and I mall name but one place to fatisfie you, I Sam. 2. 25. Elies fons hearkned not to the voice of their father^ becaufe the LORD would flay them. But, I doubt not, you will confeis this was not their motive to fuch difo- bedience: fo this will import no more, but that G O D 111 his Providence permitted that revolt for a Puniftiment oijehorams Apoftafie; neither will fair Pretences juftifie bad Actions : C 3 fo 2% The Fir ft Conference. fb the utmoft that place can prove, is, that they made that their pretence. But that their revolt could not be without they had alfb revolted from GOD, will appear from this, that the Priefts were bound to give attendance by turns at the Temple, fo none of them could have re- volted from the King without their rejecting of GOD'S Service, as long as the King was Ma~ ffer ofjerufalem, whither no doubt they would not have come during their revolt. As for your inftance oiAma^iah, I confefs it is plain dealing, and you difclofe the Myftery cfdefenfive Armsxhzt it is but lamely maintain 'd, till the Do&rme of murdering of Kings be alio afferted : And indeed your Friend by this inge- nuity of his, hath done that Caufe a prejudice, of which many are fufficiently ienfible; for this was a fecret Do&rinetobe in frilled in corners, in the hearts of Difciples duly prepared for it, but not to be owned to the World : For if that place prove any thingpt will prove that when a King turns from following the LORD, his Subjects may confpire and flay him; how this would take among the Fifth -Monarchy Men, I know not ; but I am lure it will be abhorred by all Yrotefiants : and particularly by the(e who made it an Article of their Confeffion of Faith, That infidelity or difference or Religion, doth not make void the Magiftrates juit power: there- The Firfl Conference. z$ Therefore this being a dired Breach of both fifth and fixth Commands, though it be nei- ther marked as condemned, norpunifhed in that fhort account there given, yet it will never warrant the refilling the Ordinance of G O D, upon which GOD hath entailed Damnation. And whereas your Friend alledgeth the juftice of this may be evinced from Scripture, it fliews that in his Judgment, not only Tyranny, but the turning from following GOD, is a juft caufe for confpiring againft, and killing of Kings: But I cannot fee where he finds what the caufe of this Conlpiracy was, fince the Text taxeth only the time, but not the caufe of it. And for the inftance oll7z^mh i the Priefts indeed withftood him, as they ought to have done, as the Minifters of the Gofpel ought yet to do, if a King would go and confecrate the LORD'S Supper ; but their withftanding of that, imports no violent Oppoiition ; the irrid fignification of the word being only, that they placed themfelves ever againft him, and io it is rendered by the LXX Interpreters ; and re- member that .S.Paul with flood S. Peter to his face , Gal. 2. 1 1 . Yet I do not apprehend you will fufped he ufed force. As for what follows, that the Priefts did thruft him out^ it will not prove they laid hands on him, that word Hgm- fying only, that they made him hafie out of the C 4 Tm~ 24 The Firfl Conference. Temple : and is the fame word which Efther 6. 14. is rendered, hafled, where none will think that the Chamberlains laid violent hands on Raman: Co all that the Priefts did, was t6 charge Uzz.iah, when his Leprofie appeared, to get him quickly out of the Temple : and fbme Copies of the LXX. have it (o rendered : and the following words (hew there was no need, of ufing force, fincehimfelf made hafte. And for the 1 word rendered valiant, ox fons of valor, that word is not always taken for valor, but fometimes for affinity; fb Gen. 47. 6. fbmetimes for riches $6 Rutbz. 1. It is alio rendered wealth, Gen. 54. 29. ib this will not prove that A^ariah made choice of thefe men for the ftrength of their Body, but 'for the Refolution of their Mind, that they might ftoutly contradici lf&- z*tah ; and thus you have drawn a great deal more from me than I intended, or thele mif- applied places needed, for clearing of them from the deiign you had upon them. ' Jfit. But is it not dear from 1 Sam. 14. 45. that the people of Ifrael refcued Jonathan from his fathers blocdy jetitence a^atnfi him, and jw ore he fhduld not die ? See pag. 15. Crit. That will prove as little; for no force wasuled in the matter, only a iblemn Protesta- tion was made. Next, the word rendered, re- (cued, is, redeemed^ which is not ufed in a ienle that The Fir ft Conference, 25 that imports violence in Scripture : but rather for a thing done by contract and agreement : And the LXX. Interpreters render it, the people intreat- ed for Jonathan: nor need wc doubt but Saul was eafily prevailed upon to yield to their de- fire. Befides any King that would murder his eldeftSon and heir of his Crown upon (o bare a pretence, after he had ftgnalized his courage io notably, as Jonathan did, may well be looked upon as one that is furious ; and fb the holding of his hands, is very far different from the caie of defensive Arms. Ifot. But David, a man according to G ODS heart, gathered four hundred Men about him, and pood to his defence , when cruelly ferfecuted by Saul, I Sam. 21. 2. BafiL Many things meet in this inflance to take away any colour of an argument might be drawn from it : for David was by GODS command deiigned fucceiior to the Crown,and fo was no ordinary Subject. Next, Saul was become furious.and an evil (pint feized on him, fo chat in his rage he threw Javelins,not only at David, but at his Son Jo?iathan. Now all con- . fefs.that when a Sovereign is frenetick, his fury may be rehVained. Further, we (ee how far Da- vid wasfom refillance, heftandingon a pure defence, fb that when he had Saul m his power twiee 5 he would do him no hurt ; yea, his heart; [mote 2.6 The Fir ft Conference, [mote him 'when he cut off the hem of his garment y I Sam. 24. 4, 5. This was not like fbme you know of, who fet Guards about their King (for the fecurity of his Perfon forfooth ) when he had trufted him (elf into their hands. And it is very doubtful if David's gathering that force about him was lawful; for thefe who came to him were naughty Men, and difcontented and broken with debt ; whereas had that been a ju- ftifiable practice, it is like he mould have had another kind of following. And his offering his fervice to the Philifims, who were Enemies to GOD, to fight for them againfl the people of G O D, is a thing which can admit of no excufe. But after all this, if the a&ions even of renowned Perlbns in the Old Difpenfation be Precedents, you may adduce the inftances of Ehud^o prove that we may fecretly aflaffinate a Tyrant; and of Jael y to prove that after we have offered prote&ion to one who upon that trufts to us, we may iecretly murder him. Ifct. But what fay you to the refinance ufed by Alattathias, and his Children, who killed the Kings Officers, and armed againft him ? which rehftance,as it was foretold by Daniel, io it is (aid by the Author of the Epifile to the He- hrews } That by faith they waxed valiant in fight, and turned to flight the Armies of Aliens : which by all is 'applied to the Maccabees. And who are The Firft Conference. 27 are you to condemn that which the holy Ghoft calls the work of faith in them? See p. 18, 19. Bafil. I fee Criticus is weary of f peaking, and therefore will relieve him for this once, and cell •you, tharthe title Antiochm had to command the Jewsjs not undoubted : for Jofephm lib. 1 ^> cap. 7. and 8. mews how the Jewijh Nation was tofled betwixt hands, and fbmetimes in the power of the Kings of Egypt, and fbmetimes of Syria;mi that the factions among the j^w;,gave theoccafion to their being fo invaded ; for am- bitious pretenders to the High Priefihood , fought the favour of thefe Kings, and fo facrifi- ced the interefts both of Religion, and their Country to their own bafe ends : which was the cafe in Antiochm Epifhanes his time, who after his attempt upon Egypt y came againft Jerufa- lem, to which he was admitted by the men of his party, who opened the gates to him: alter which, he polluted their worfhip and Temple, and fell on the cruelleft perfecution imaginable. Now his tide over them being fo ill grounded, their aflerting their freedom and Religion againft that cruel and unjuft Invader, was not of the nature of Subjects refitting their Sovereign. Be- fides, what is brought from the Epiftle to the Hebrews ch.i i. for juttifying thefe Wars, feems ill applied: for from the end of the % z.^verfe, it appears he only fpeaks there of what was done 2 8 The Firjl Conference. done in the times of the Prophets, and none of J thefe being during the time of the Maccabees A that is not applicable to them. Next, as for Mat- 1 tathia>\ mud tell you that GOD often railed up 1 extraordinary perfbns to \udglfrael, whofe pra- ] <5hces mull be no rule to us: for GOD fets up I Kings and Rulers a: his pieafure : and in the Old 1 Difpeiifation he frequently fent extraordinary j Perions to do extraordinary things, who were J called Zealots: and fuch was Samuels hewing A- I gagin pieces before the Lorc\ 3 Elijab's caufingto I kill thePriefts of Baal, which was not done upon the peoples power to kill Idolaters : but Elijah | having by that fignai Miracle of fire falling from heaven, proved both that GOD was the LORD, and onely to be worihiped, and that j he was his Prophet, and commanding thefe I Pr lefts to be killed, he was to be obeyed. Of zhz fame nature was his praying for fire from heaven on the Captains who came to take him, and Elifha his curling of the Children who re- proached him. From thefe Precedents we fee it IS apparent that often in the Old Difpenfation, the power of the Sword, both ordinary and extraordinary, was afliimed by perfons fent of. GOD, which will never warrant private and ordinary uninfpired Perfons to do the like. Ifot. 1 acknowledg this hath fome ground; but the firft iullan.ee of thefe Zealots, vtasPhinehasi m The Firjl Conference. 29 in whom we find no veftige of an extraordinary million, 'and yet he killed Zimri and Cosbi 3 £ov which he was rewarded with an everlaiting Priefthood : So a zeal for G O D in extraor- dinary cafes,, feems warrant enough for extra- ordinary practices. Pag. 581. 70405. Bafil. If you will read the account of that action given by Mofes, it will clear you of all your miftakes: fince Vhinehas had the warrant of the Magiftrate for all he did; for Mofes being then the Perfbnin whofe hands the Civil Power was committed by GOD,, did fay to the Judges of Ifrael } Numb. 25. 5. Slay ye every one his men that were joyned to BaalFeor. Now ths&Vh'mehas was a Judg in Ifrael at that time., is not to be doubted ; for Eleazer was then High Prieft, and by that means exempted from that Autho- rity, which when his Father Aaron lived, was in his hand, Ntimh.%.%1. and he being now in his Fathers place, there is no ground to doubt but Vhimhas wasalfo in his,and fo as one of the Judges, he had received command from Mofes to execute judgment on thefe impure Idolaters^ which he did with fo much noble zeal, that the ! Plague was Rayed, and GO D*S wrath turned ; away. But if this conclude a Precedent, it will ! prove too much,, both that a Church-man may I execute judgment, and that a private perfbn in ' the fight of a holy Magiftrate, without tvait : ™g 30 The Firfl Conference. ing for his Juftice, may go and punifh Crimes. From the inftances adduced,it will appear how 'Zealots were ordinarily railed up in that Di- fpenfation: But when two of CHRISTS Di- fciples lay claim to that priviledg of praying for fire from heaven,he gives check to the fervor of their thundring zeal, and tells them, Luk. 9.55, 56. Ton know not -what Jftirit you are of: adding, that the Son of man was not come to defiroy mens lives Jout tofave them: whereby he ihews that tho in the Old Difpenfa.tion,GOD having by his own command given his people a dele to invade the Nations oiCanaan, and extirpate them, having , alfb given them Political Laws for the admini- ftration of Jufticejand order among them,it was proper for that time that GOD fhould raife up Judges to work extraordinary deliverances to his People, whofe Example we are not now to imitate: GOD alfo fent Prophets, who had ic ibmetimes in Commiffion to execute Juitice on Tranfgreflors ; yet in the New Difpenfation, thefe things were not to take place, where we have no temporal Canaan, nor Judicial Laws given us; and confequently none are. now ex- traordinarily called in the Name of G O D > to inflict ordinary and corporal puni foments. Having (aid all this, k will' be no hard task to make it appear that Matt at bias was a Perfbn extraordinarily railed up by GOD 3 as were the Judges. The Firft Conference. 3 1 /fudges. And though no mention of that bs made, neither by Jofephm, nor the Book of Maccabees, that is not to be ftood upon ; for we have many of the Judges of J/5 W, of whofe call no account is given, and yet undoubtedly they were warranted to acl: as they did,, other- wife they had been Invaders. But if that pra- ctice of Mattathias conclude any thing byway of Precedent, it will prove that Church- men may invade the Magiftrates Office,and kill his Officers, and raife War againft him. Crit. I wonder we hear not Ifotimus alledging the pra&ice of the tQn Tribes , who rejected Rehoboam,2.nd made choice of Jeroboam > which ufeth to be very confidently adduced, for pro- ving it to be the peoples right to give Laws to their Princes,and to make them off when they refufe obedience to their defires. But to this and all other inftances of this nature, it is to be anfwered, that the Jewijh State being a Theo- cracy, as it is called by their own Writers, their Judges, and many of their Kings had their title from G O D's defignation, and the pofleffion was only yielded to them by the People,accord- ing to the command, Deut. 17. 1 5. To fet him \ King over them whom the LORD their GOD did chufe : So when they fought a King, they came to Samuel^s the known Prophet of GOD, and defired him to give them a King, which h@ 3% The Fir ft Conference. afterwards did. In like manner was David de- figned to Cicceed Saul, by the fame Prophet; and upon SaaPs death,the Tribe or Judab came and aknowle Iged., and anointed him King, which was the (blcmn inveftiture in that to which he had formerly a right. Jeroboam being by the fame authority dengn- ed Kingoyec the ten Tribes by the mouth of Abijab in the name of GOD, i Kings n. Ch. from f .28. he derived hia Title from that : and there was as good warrants for the people to tq\q&l Rebel o am ,zn& follow hinvis was formerly to quite Ifobofljeth, and follow David. Another in fiance of this nature is Eliflia his fending one to jW«,where that young Prophet lakh, z Rwgs 9. 6. Thus faith the LORD GOD. of Ifrael, I have anointed thee King over the people of the LORD ; even over Ifrael: Upon the notice whereof, and all fuch as mi flaking the nature of the Chriftian Difpen- fation, do take the Sword. But next, confider CH RIS T'S words to Pilate .John 18. %$. My Kingdom ts not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this worlds then would my fervants fight jhat I Jhould not be delivered to the Jews * hut now is my Kingdom not from hence. .And this being faid upon the Accufation the Jews had given againft him to / 7/^/6% that he call ci himfelf a King>charg- ing him upon his fnendfhip to Cefar, to put him to death, C H R I S T'S anfwer ihews that earthly Kings need apprehend no prejudice f.om his Kingdom, (ince it not being about worldly things, was not to be fought for. Ifot. Speak plainly,- do you mean by this that The Firfl Conference. 39 that CHRIST mould have no Kingdom upon Earth ? which I fear too many of you de- Jire, fince you prefs this fb warmly. But confi- der you not that by this CHRIST only means he was not to fet up a Temporal Domi- nion uponEartrr,to juftle'Ce/W from hisThrone, fu.ch as the Jevjs expe&ed from their Mejfiah ; and therefore this place is indeed ftrong againft the pretences of fome Carnal Fifth- Monarchy ■ Men i but is ill adduced to condemn defence^ when we are unjuftly aflauked by a perfecuting Tyrant. See p z$. Crit. It is no new thing to find the fincere Do&rine of the Gofpel milreprefented by Sons of Belial ; but learn the difference betwixt a Kingdom of the World/and in the World, and £0 temper your Paffion. CHRIST mufthave a Kingdom in the World, but not of it. And the greateft hazard of a pretending King.being the railing of Wars and Commotions upon hisTitle^ C H R I S T 'S words are not truly commented on by the practice of his Servants, unlels they fecare Princes from their Fears of their raifing Wars upon his Title : Therefore as the fighting at that time, for preferving CHRIST from t\iQ Jews, had been contrary to the nature of his Spiritual Kingdom ; fb the Rule of the Gofpel binding all the (ucceeding Ages of the Churchy no lefsthan thefe to whom it was firrt delivered, D 4 what 4© The Fir (I CoKfereace. what was then contrary to the nature of C H R I S T 'S Kingdom, will be fo ftill. And to this I might add the Do&rine of Peace fb much infilled on in the NewTefiament. it being the Legacy CHRIST left to his Difciples, which we are commanded to fellow with all men, as much as is foJ]ible 3 and as tit us lies. And if with all men, fure much more with the' Magi- itrate. AndS. Paul's words in the xiii. to the Romans arc fb exprefs, that methinks they mould ftrike a terror in all men from refilling the Superior Powers, left they refifl the ordinance of G O D, and receive damnation* And it is ob- fervable, thatS, Paul, who, as a Zealot, had for- merly perfecuted the Chriftians, doth now fo dire&ly contradid that Do&nne, which was at that time fo horridly corrupted among the Jews, This place is (b exprefs, that it needs not the ad- vantages may be given to it, ehher from the confiqeration or the power the Roman Empire had ufurped over the World, or from the Em- peior who then reigned, who muft have been either Claudius or Nero : and if the former, we find, Affs 1 8. 2. that he banijhed all the Jews from Rome, and with them the Chriftians, not being diftinguifrfd by the Romans from the Jews, were alfo bamihed : and here was a driving of Chri- ftians from Rome, which you will not deny to have been a Pcrfecution. But if it was Nero, , •• ' we The Fir ft Conference. 41 we know very well how the Chnftians were ufed by him. But thefe words of S. Paul being as at firft addreffed to the Romans, lb alio de- signed by the holy Ghoft to be a part of the Rule of all Christians., do prove, that whoever hath the Supreme Power, is to be fubmitted to, and never redded. Ifot. If you were not in too great a hafte, you would not be fo forward, confider there- fore the reafon S. Paul gives for fubmiffion to Superior Rulers, is, becaufe they are the Minifter s of GOD for good. If then they fwerve from this, they forfake the end for which they are raifed up, and fo fall from their power and right to our obedience. Bafil Truly what you have faid makes me not repent of any hafte I feemed to make ; for what you have alledged proves indeed that the Sovereign is a Minifter of GOD for good, Co that he corrupts his power grofly when he pur- fues not that dofign : but in that he is only ac- countable to G O D y whofe Minifter he is. And this muft hold good, except you give us good ground to believe that GOD hath given au- thority to the Subje&s to call him to account for his truft; but if that be not made appear, then he muft be left to GOD, who did inv power him, and .therefore can only coerce him. As one having his power from a King, is count- able 4* The Firfl Conference able to none for the adminiftration of it, bui to the King, or to theft on whom the King fliall devolve ic : fb except it be proved, thai GOD hath warranted Subjects to call theii Sovereigns to account, they being his Mini , fters, muft only be anfwerabie to him. Anc according to thefe Principles of yours, the Ma- giftrate's authority mall be fo enervated,that he fhallno more be able to ftrve theft defigns, for which GOD hath vefted him with Power i every one being thus taught to make off his Yoak when they think he acts in prejudice of Religion. And here I fhall add one thing which all Cdfmfts hold a fafe Rule in matters that are doubtful, that we ought to follow that fide of the doubt which is freeft of hazard ; here then damnation is at leaftthe feeming hazard of refi- ftance ; therefore except upon as clear evidence you prove the danger of abfoiute fubmiffion to be of the fame nature that it may ballancethe other ; then abfoiute fubmiffion, as being the fecureft, is to be followed. Next, we find Saint Teter y i Vet.i. i^.&c. who being yet infected with the fpiritof a Jewifh zealot, had drawn the Sword; afterwards when indued with power from on High, at length preffing the doctrine of Obedience adding that the pretence of the Chriftian freedom mould not be made a Cloak of malicioufhcfs. And this fubmiffion he re- corn- The Firfl Conference. 43 commends not only to Subjeds, whofe obe- dience was more eafie., but to fervants who were under a heavier Yoak, according to the Laws of fervkude.both among the Jews and the Romans: and he tells them., That when they did well ^ and fuffered for it>and took it patiently > that was accep- table. Withal adding, For even hereunto were you called ; becaufe CHRIST alfo fuffered for us, leaving us an example , that.we Jhould follow his fieps. Further j it is to be coniidered how the Jews did upon the firfl: preaching of the Gofpel perfecute the Chriftians every where: S.Stephen was ironed, ana Saul got Commiffions for ma- king havock of the Church * but becaufe this was done by the authority of the Sanhedrim > no refiftance was made them,, though fince at two Sermons we hear of 8000 Converts, we may be induced to believe their number was great. And from hence iubfume that the cafe of perfecti- on being then not only imminent, but alfo pre- fent ( befides the grievous perfections were abiding the Churches for three Centuries ) it muft be confeffed to be ftrange, that the matter of refiftance being at leaft (b dubious, no deci- fion fliould be given about it in th& New Tefta- went ; nothing being aliedged from it that hath any afpect that way. And indeed I cannot con- ceal my wonder ae them who piead fo much the .authority and fulnefs gf Scripture, to reach even the 44 The Firft Conference. the rituals of Worfhip and Govern merit, and yet in fb great a matter adventure on a practice without its warrant. Truly Ifotimm, if thefe things prevail not with you, beyond your little miallfhufflings, I doubt it is becaufe you have loft the Standard to meafure Reafbn by, and have given up your Judgment to your paffions and mterefts. Ifot. I am far from denying the Do&rine of theCrofs to be a great part of thefe duties we are bound torn the Gofpel ; but this mud not be ilretchsd too far, left it infer an obligation on us to fubmit to a forein Prince, the Turk, or any other, if he come by force to lmpofe on us the Alcoran, under a pretence of fuffering for Religion. See pag. 17, and 28. BafiL Truly when I hear how much weight is laid on what you have now faid, as if it amount- ed to a demonftration againft all hath been hi- therto adduced; I am in doubt whether to pity their weaknefs, or blame their perverfhefs,who dare adventure on that,thepunilhment whereof the holy Ghoft hath made damnation, upon fuch miftakes : for God hath put the Sword in their hands who have the Sovereign Power, which they bear not in vain; for they are the Minifieri 0/God, and his Revengers, to execute wrath on hint that doth evil : The Magiftrates then are both by the Laws of God, and of all Nations, The Fzrfi Conference. 45: Nations, the Protestors of their Subje&s, and therefore Tributes and Cuftoms are due to them, for defraying the expence to which that muft put them ; and Prayers are to be offered up for them, that vje may lead a quiet andfeace- Me life in all godlinefs and hone fty. Ir then a forein Prince invade a Country, under what- ever pretence, the Sovereign is bound to defend his Subje&s, with the Sword GOD hath put in his hand, which comes to be a moft lawful War on his fide ; nay fuch, as he were a be- trayer of his truft, if he omitted it. I(ct. But what if our Prince fhould content to fuch an Invafion, and expofe his Subjects to be a prey to fuch an Invader, muft they look on and fee themfelves deftroyed, upon the pre- tence that GOD hath not put the Sword in their hands,and therefore they muft not^ake it; and becaufe Chrift's Kingdom is not of this World, therefore they mull not fight for him ? Bafil. You fuppofe a Cafe not like to fall out in hafte; but were it real,that Invader having no Title to that peoples obedience,they may make ufe of the right of Nature which allows to one out of a Society forcible felf defence, if violent- ly affaulted : and therefore fuch hoftile invafion, be it upon what pretence fbever, may be as lawfully refiftedjas one private Man may refill another in his own defence^if he threaten to kill him, 46 The Firfl Conference. him, unlefs he renounce GOD. If then one Man may refill another,fo may more men refilt a great force coming againft them: for to us who live here,the Grand Seignior is but a fellow of our nature, and hath no right over us, no more than one private perion hath over his Neighbour. And if you do not acknowiedg a great difference betwixt fuch anafTerting of our Liberties, from one that hath no Title to them, and the refilling of a lawful Magiftrate,though unjuftly perfecting his Subje&s, you muft be let to your horned book again. Ifit. But at leail you will confefs that private Men living m a fettled Society,have no title to the Sword, according to your Principles ; muft we then yield out Throats to a Robber that af- faults us on the High way ? Or to come nearer you, if one threaten to kill us, if we yield not to their Religion, muft we give way to their fury ? BafiL Remember frill how I told you, that Men living cut of Societies have a right to f elf- defence, and when they come under Societies, they retain all their former rights, fiich only ex- cepted as are by mc laws of the Society judged inconfiftent with its order and peace : therefore refiftingof the Supreme Powers, or thole ha- ving their authority, being only difcharged, the right of felf defence againft equals ftill remains i'ntirej The Firjl Conference. 47 intire, fo that a private perfon may claim it or nor, as he will : and therefore in the cafe of fiich an Aggreifor, the Laws of Nature and Na- tions do warrant me to life force when afiault- ed ; yet if a greater consideration appear, and k be evident that my giving way to fuch unjuft force will be more for the honour of the Go- ipel, if I refiftj, I do not fin, but do well; but if I refill not, certainly I do better. End. I have been a witnefs to this Difcourfe, not without much pleafure, and do acknow- ledg my felf fully convinced of theneceffityof obedience,and (ubmiffion to the Supreme Pow- er, fince without that be once eftablifhed, as the foundation of Societies,! fee not what peace 'or order can be looked for, but every one will take on him to judg the Law-giver : and if he ilhave fo much power or policy as to make a par- ity, he will never want pretences, chiefly about 'Religion>confidering in how many various opi- nions theChriftian world hath divided about it. And it is a poor Anfwer to fay, it muft be the true Religion that we mould defend, fince it is to be fuppofed every one judgeth the Religion he is of to be the true one : If then according to that Doctrine, Religion be to be defended; certainly though the Religion be wrong, yet every one oppreiled in his' Confidence, and judging it to be. according to truth, is bound to defend 48 The Firft Conference. defend it ; fince even an erring conscience doth at leaft tie,if not oblige. For the common refb- lution ofCafuifts being that a Man under an er- roneous Confcience,is yet to follow its dilates, though he fin by fb doing : then all parties that are oppreflid, ought to vindicate what they! judg to be the truth of GOD. And by this you may fee to what a fair pafs the peace of! mankind is brought by thefe Opinions. But miftake me not, as if I were here plead-) ing for fubmifllon, to patronize the tyranny or cruelty of perfecting Princes, who ftiall anfwer j to God for that great truft depofited in their! hands ; which if they tranfgrefs, they have a dear account to make to him who fits in heaven \ and laughs at the raging and confultings of thefe I Kings or Princes, who dejign to throw off his Yoak> or burfi his bonds in [under. He who hath fet his King upon his holy Hill of Zion } jhall rule them with a rod of Iron, and break them in pieces as a V otter s Veflel. And he to whom vengeance doth belong, will avenge himfelfofall the injuries they do his truths, or followers : but as they fin againft him, fb they are only countable to him. Yet I need noc add what hath been often faid, that it is not the name of a King, or the ceremo- nies of a Coronation, that cloaths one With the Sovereign Power ; fince I know there are,and have been titular Kings, who are indeed but the firft The firjl Conference, 49 firft Perfbns of the State, and only Adrmniftra- tors of the Laws, the Sovereign Power lying in fonle Aflembly of the Nobility, and States, to whom they are accountable. In which Cafe, that Court to whom thefe Kings, muft give ac- count, is the Supreme Judicatory of the King- dom, and the King is but a Subject. Ifot. But doth not the Coronation of a King, together with his Oath given, and the confent of the People demanded at it, prove him to have his Power upon the Conditions in that Oath ? And thefe Oaths being mutually given, his Co- ronation Oath firft, and the Oath of Allegi- ance next,do fhew it is a Compact ; and in all mutual Agreements, the nature of Compacts is, that the one party breaking, the other is alio free. Further, Kings who are tied up, fo that thev cannot make, nor repeal Laws, nor im- pofe Taxes without the confent of the States of their Kingdom, mew their Power to be limited, and that at leaft fuch Affemblies of the States ftiare with them in the Sovereign Power, which is at large made out by Jus pvuli. Bajil. It is certain there cannot be two co-or- dinate Powers in a Kingdom ; for no man can ferve two Mafters : therefore luch an Affembly of the States muft either be Sovereign or lub- je£t ; for a middle there is not. As for the Co- ronation of Princes, it is like enough that at E firft £0 The Firji Conference. firft it was the formal giving their Power to them ; and the old Ceremonies yet obferv'd in it, prove it hath been at firft fb among us: But it being a thing clear in our Law, that the King never dies, his Heir coming in his place the ve- ry moment he expires, fb that he is to be obey- ed before his Coronation, as well as after ; and that the Coronation is nothing but the fb- lemn inaugurating in the Authority which the King poilefled from his Father's death, mews, that any Ceremonies may be ufed in it, what- ever the original of them may have been.do not fiibject: his Title to the Crown to the Peoples confent. And therefore his Coronation Oath is not the condition upon which he gets his Pow- er, imce he poflefs'd that before ; nor is it upon that Title that he exacts the Oath of Alegiance, which he likewife exacted before his Corona- tion. This being the practice of a Kingdom palled all Prefcription, proves the Coronation to be no com pad betwixt the King and his Sub- jects : And therefore he is indeed bound by his Coronation Oath to God, who will be aveng- ed on him, lh he break it, fb the matter of it were lawful : but the breaking of it cannot for- feit a prior Right he had to the Peoples Obe- dience. And as for the limitations Kings have contented to pals on their own Power,that they may act nothing but.in fiich a form of Law,theie being The Fir ft Conference, 5t being either the King's free Conceffions to the People, or refrraints arifing from fome Rebel- lions^ which extorted fiich Priviledges, will ne- ver prove the King a Subject to fuch a Court, unlefs by the clear Laws and Pra&ices of that Kingdom, it be lb provided, that if he do mal- verie, he may be punifhed ; which when made appear, proves that Court to have the Sovereign Power : and that never weakens my deiign,thac Subjects ought not to refill their Sovereign. V hilar. You have dwelt, methinks, too long on this, though confidering the nature of the things it deferves indeed an exad difcuffion z yet this whole Do&nne appears fo clear to a diP cerning Mind, that I cannot imagine whence all the mift is raifed about it can fpring, except from the corrupt Paffions or Lufts of men,which are fubtle enough to invent excules, and fair colors, for the blackeft of Crimes. And the fmoak of the bottomlefs pit may have its mare^ in occasioning the darknefs is raifed about that, which by the help of the light of God, or of reafbn, ftands fo clear and obvious. But when I coniider the inftances of fufferings under both Difpenlations, I cannot fee how any ftiould efcape the force of (o much evident proof as hangs about this opinion. And if it had been the Peoples duty to have reformed by the force of Arms under the Old Difpenfation, fo that it E ^ * was- yx , the Firft Conference. was a bafe and fervile Compliance with theTy- ranny and Idolatry of their Kings, not to have refifted their fubverting of Religion, and fet- ting up of Idolatry, where was then the fidelity of the Prophets, who were to lift up their voices as Trumpets , and to jhew the houfe of Jacob their iniquities ? And fince the watch- man who gave not Warning to the wicked from his wicked way, was guilty of his Blood, I fee not what will excufe the filence of the Prophets in this, if it was the Peoples duty to reform : For it is a poor refuge to fay, becaule the People were fo much inclind to Idolatry. that therefore it was in vain to exhort them to reform ; (See pag. i o, 1 1 J fince by that Argument you may as well conclude it to have been needlefs to have exhorted their Kings to Reformation, their inclination to Idolatry being (b ftrong : but their duty was to be dis- charged, how imall foever the likelihood was of the Peoples yielding obedience to their warn- ings. If then it was the Peoples duty to re- form, the oanffion of it was undoubtedly a Sin ; how then comes it that they who had it in com- miffion to caufe Jerufalem to know her abomina- tiont) under fo fevere a Certificate, do never charge the People for not going about a popu- lar Reformation, nor coercing thefe wicked Kings who enacted fo much Idolatry, backing it with fuch Tyranny, nor ever require them to The Firfi Conference. 53 to fet about it ? I know one hath pick'd out fome Expreflions/SV* Anfwer to the Letter to the Author of Jus populi) which to his thoughts (bund that way : but truly they are fo remote from the fenfe he ftretches them to, that I fhould wonder much at his Glofles^did I not know that the Bell feems often to ring the hearer's fancy. From thefe, let us pais to the inftances of the firft ChnftianSj who endured the fharpeft Per- fections with the greateft patience. Poljh. Here is a large Theme for much dif- courfe, if I mould adduce all might be laid on this head. Indeed the Perfections the Chri- ftians groaned under for three hundred years, are fuch^ that fcarce can they be read without horror; the lad efpecially, which continued for about twenty years under Dioclefian^ and his Colleagues and Succeflbrs ; and by the number that differed, we may eafily guefs what the ftrength of the Chrifhans was. But this can be doubted by none who have ever looked upon Hiftory. Pliny lib. 10. Ep. 97. writes to Trajan ( which is reckoned to have been the 1 04. year of Chrift) that in Pont us and Bithynia, where he was then Proconfiil, there were many Chri- ftians of all Ages, Ranks and Sexes : and thac not only in the Cities, but through the Villages and Country Places: that the Temples were al« mod defblate, the Sacrifices long intermitted, E % ancl 54 The Fir(t Conference. and that none almoft were found to buy the Vi- &ims. The number of the Chnftians being fo early rifento that height^we may eahly imagine to what ic fweiled before Conftmtmes times: not long after that, we find -a whole Legion of Marcus Aurelim his Army to have been Chri- ftians. And if we believe Tertullian, their num- bers were formidable in his time ; for after he had purged the Chnftians of his times from the dehgns of doing mifchief to their Enemies by Healthy he adds,, Apol, cap. 37. Should we carry towards you not as fecret avengers, but as opeji ene- mies, would we want the flrengtb of numbers and armies? Are the Maurs, the Marcomans, or the Parthians themselves, or any Nations (hut up within their own Country or bounds, more than the whole World? J Ve are fir angers to you, and yet we fill all your places, your Towns, your Ijlands, your Caftles, your Villages, your Councils, your Camps , your Tribes, your Decuries, your Palaces, your Se- nate, and your Market place : Only we come not to your Temples, but abandon thofe to you. To- what War had we not been both fit and ready, even tho - cur Forces had been fewer, who are butcher d fo wil- lingly > if our Difciplhe did not allow us rather to be Med than to kill? And he goes on, telling that ftich vjas the number of the Chnftians, that would they but change their dwellings, and leave the Roman Empire 3 it would have thereby become an amazing Solitude, The Fir (I Conference. 55 Solitude, fince almofb all their Citizens 'were Chri- stians. And the fame writer faith elfewhere, ad Scap, cap. 2. That tho the Romans who were Ido- later s 3 were found guilty of many Con/piracies againfi their Emperors, yet never were any Chrift tans found guilty ofthefe Practices. And adds. That a Chri- fiian was no mans enemy, much lefs -the Emperors ; but knowing him to be confiituted by God, he doth find himfelf bound to love, reverence, honor, and wife well to him, with the whole Roman Empire, as long as the World lafis. Therefore, faith he, We wor~ Jbip the Emperor fo as befits him, and is lawful for us, as a man next God, who hath obtained all he hath from GOD, and is inferior to none, but God only. And a little after, Cap. 5. he tells us of the numbers of the Chriftians, and how undaunt- ed they were at the Perfection \fo that when one Ar~ rius Antoninus in Afia, was perfecuting the Chri- fiianS) the vihole City ran to his Tribunal, declaring them] elves Chrifiians. And he adds, If the like were to be done at Carthage, what would become of all the thoufands were there, of every Sex, Age and* Rank ? From this we may guefs both of the ftrength and numbers of the Chriftians of that time, and yet there was not the leaft inclination among them to refiftanceJf any doubt the truth of what TertullianGikh, as is p. 50. he mull charge him with very much Impudence, who durft of- fer fuch writings to the Heathens^ in matters of E 4 &&, §6 The Firfl Conference. fa&,which could not but be notorioufly enough known: Neither do I adduce thefe places, be- caufe I lay fo much weight on Tertullians opi- nion in this matter,but becaufe he fhews us what was the fenfe of the Chriftians of his time. A little after him Cyprian lived, who alfo tells us, ad Demetrianum, That none of the Chriftians when apprehended, ftruggled with tbofe who feized on them, nor avenged themfelves of that unjuftice, though their number was great and copious : But their belief of the Vengeance foould follow on their Terfecutors, made them patient, fo that the Inno- cent yielded to the Guilty. And we may judge of the number of the Chriftians of that Age, by what Cornelius who wasBiihop of Rome, anno 154. in Eufeb. 6. Book, cap. 43. tells of the State of the Roman Clergy in his time, how there were in it 46 Presbyters, 7 Deacons, 42 Acolyths, 51 Exorcifts, Lectors and Porters, and of Widows and poor Perfbns 1 500, and where fo many Poor were maintain'd, you muft confefs the number of the Chriftians was very great. But if we go to Dioclefians time, we hnd the number of the Chriftians incredible ; and the Cruelties ufedagainft them to have been fuch, that Hell could devife nothing beyond them. Some were burnt alive, others had boil- ing Lead poured on them, others had their flefti and joints torn off them by burning Pincers, others The Firfl Conference. 57 others were broken to pieces,others ftretched all out of joint, others hanged up by the Thumbs and cut in flices, others hanged up by the heels. And this was universal through the whole Em- pire, and to fiich a degree, that it continued for many years; and in Egyft alone they were of- ten killed by hundreds a day, as Enfebim tells, who was a witnefs to much of it. And Godean reckons, that in one month there were Seven- teen thoufand Martyrs killed: and during that perfecution in the Province of Egypt 3 merQ were an hundred forty and four thouland, who died by the violence of their Perf ecutors, and feven hundred thoufand who died through the fa- tigues of Bamfhment, or of thepublick works, to which they were condemned. I had almoft forgot one fort of perfecution, which as it was the molt dreaded, (b hath in it that which could not but provoke all to the utmorr of horror and defpair, which was the profhtuting of their Vir- gins, more dreaded than any death. But among all thefe va ft numbers,none offered to refift with the Sword : and yet they were fo marvelloufly affifted by God, that in their fuffenngs they ex- prefled the greateft joy in God, by their Hymns and Pfalms, and the moft of mildnefs to their Perfecutors. And dare you fay, Ifotimw, that thefe were a ft lipid felf- murdering Crew ? Or do you think that had they been guilty of fuch a Crime, J 8 The Fir ft Conference. a Crime., as you feem to fiflen on the Doctrine of abfblute (ubmiffion; God had appeared for them in fuch a fignal manner, to the conviction and horror of their Perfecutors ? I confefs there is no piece of Story I read with fuch pleafure as the accounts are given of thefe Martyrs ; for mechinks they leave a fer- vor upon my mind, which I meet with in no ftudy, that of the Scriptures being only except- ed. Say not then they were not able to have flood to their own defence, when it appears how great their numbers were : Or mail I here tell you the known Story of the Thebean Legion, which confifted of 6666. who being by MaxU minus Herculem i an. 287. preffed in the Oath they gave the Emperor to fwear upon the Altars of the Idols, withdrew from the Camp eight miles off; and when he fent to invite them to come and (wear as the others had done ; they who commanded them anfwered in all their names, That they were ready to return and fight ftoutly again fi the Barbarians ; but that being Chri- fiiansythey would never worflnp the Gods. Where- upon the Emperor caufedtith them, which they received with fuch joy, that every one defired the lot might fall on himfelf. And this prevail- ing nothing on them, he tithed them a fecond time ; and that being alfo without erTecl^he cau- fed to murder them all, to which they fubmitted with- ' The Firjl Conference, ^p without refiftance. And it isnot to be denied, but fuch a number being driven to fuch defpair^ and having fo much courage as to dare to die in cold bloud, might have ftood to their defence a great while,andat lead fold their lives at a dear rate, efpecially they having got off eight miles from the Army. Were it my defign to back thefe inftances with the great authorities of the molt eminent Writers of the Church in thefe times,Ifhould grow too tedious: but this is (b far from being denied,that the only way to efcape fo ftrong an aflault, is to ftudy to detrad from thefe holy Men by enquiring into any over-reachings, to which their fervor might have engaged them. Ifot. All their practices are not binding upon us, for many of them did precipitate them felves into hazards,others were againft flight, 8c others againft refilling of private affailants, who with- out warrant came to murder them; therefore the Spirit that a&ed in them , tho it produced effects highly to the honour of the Gofpel, is not to be imitated by us: yet on the other hand, I ackno w- ledg we ought to be flow to judg them. One thing is obfervable, that Maximinm was re lift- ed by the Armenians, when he intended to fet up Idolatry among them. Conftantine alfo inva- ded Licinius when he perfecuted the Chriftians in the Eafi • and the Perfews, when perfected by 60 The Firjl Conference. by their King, implored the help of the Roman Emperor. Befides, I have feen a Catalogue of many inftances of refiftance ufed in i'ome Cities, when their good Bilhops were forced away from them, which fhews they were not to ftupid as you defign to reprefent them. See fag.2%. Sec. and Jus populi at length. Bafil.lt is certain all Chriftians have one Law and Rule ; and the Laws of Nature are eternal and irreversible : if then the Law of Nature en- gage us to (elf defence, it laid the fame ties on them : therefore except' you turn Enthufiafb, you mu ft fay^hat what is a Duty,or a fin now, was fo then likewife; and (o you muft either charge that Cloud of Witnejjes with brutiih ftu- pidity, qtherwife acufe our late forwardnefs of linjuft refiftance, fince one Rule was given to both ; and contradicting practices can never be adjufted to the lame Rule. And for thefe invi- dious afperfions you would feften on them,as if they had not underftood their own Liberties, they are but poor elcapes ; for it being already made out that violent refiftance even of an e- qual,is not a Law, but a right of Nature ; if they thought it more for the glory of the Gofpel to yield even to private injuries, who are we to ta^ them for it ? But lor flying from the Persecu- tors, it is true Tertulltan condemned it, but that was neither the opinion nor practice of the Chriftians in thefe Ages. As The Fir ft Conference. 6i As for what you alledg about the refinance made by the Armenians to Maximinus > I wifh pour friend had vouched his Author for what he faith of them ; for I am confident he is not (b impudent as to prove a matter of fad done twelve Ages ago,by a Writer of this Age. Ail I can meet with about that, is from Eufebzm, Ub.<}. caf.6. who tells, That in thefe times the Tyrant made War again(t the Armenians (men that bad been of old Friends and Auxiliaries to the Romans ) whom becaufe they were Chrifiians i and were fious^ and zealoujly fiudiom about divine matters ^that ha,~ ter of GOD, intending to force to worjhip the falfe Gods and Devils ^made to become Enemies infiead ef Friends, and Adverfaries infiead of Auxiliaries, And in the beginning of the next Chapter, he fells how in that War he and his Army received a great defeat, Now how you will infer from this, that Subjects may refift their Sovereign for Religion, I fee not : for thefe Armenians were : his Confederates, and not his Subje&s : and it is clear by the account Eufebim gives,that Armenia, was not a Province, nor governed by a Pre- fect, as were the Provinces. Befides, confider how Maximinus came in the fag-end of thac great perfecution begun by Diockfian and Her- culins , continued by Galerws, and confumma- ted by Maximinus hirnfelf, in which for all the numbers of the Martyrs, and the cruelty of die 6z The Firft Conference. the Per(ecution,there was not fo much as a Tu- mult: which makes ic evident the Chriftians at that time underftood not the Do&rine of Refiftance. But the Armenians cafe varying from that of Subje&s, it was free for them to refift an unjuft Invader, wlio had no Title to their Obedience. For your Story of Licinm> the true account of it will clear mi (lakes beft (as it is given by Euf* I o. cap.*;.) Con ft amine after he turned Chriftian, being then Emperor of the£%?, called for Lici- nins, whom Galertm had made Emperor in the Eafi } and they both from Millain gave out E- di£ts m favour of the Chriftians, giving them abfblute liberty,and dilcharging all perfecution on that account,which is reckoned to have been in the year 513. afterwards he allied with Lici- 7iius > 2xA gave him his Sifter in marriage.and ac- knowledged him his Colleague in the Empire. But feme years after that Wars aroie betwixt them,which 'Zofirnm SLti&Rutropius impute to Ccn~ jtantines ambition,and impatience ofa Rivahbut if we believe the account Eufebws gives of it, Li- dnius provoked with envy at Confi amine ^nA for- getting the Laws of Nature,the bonds of Oaths, alliance and agreement.raifcd a peftiferous and cruel War againfthim, and laid many deiigns and mares for his deftru&ion, which he attempt- ed long by fecrec and fraudulent ways, but theul The FirftConference'. 63 thefe were always by G O D's Providence di£ covered,and fo Confi amine efcaped all his design- ed mifchief: At length Ikinim finding his Se- cret Arts did not lucceed, he openly made War againft Csnfiantine. And as he was preparing for it,he made War likewife againft GOD,and perfecuted the Christians, becaufe he apprehen- ded they all prayed for Confi amine s and wiihed him fuccels; whereupon he made fevere Laws againft the Chriftians, forbidding the Bilhops ever to meet among themfelves, or to inftrudl any Women : afterwards he baniShed all that would not worlhip the Gods, and from that he went to an open Persecution; and not content with that, he by fe v ere Laws difcharged any to vilit and relieve fuch as were in Prifbn for the Faith. Yet notwithftanding all this, none that were under his part of the Empire did refill him ; nay^not fo much as turn over to Confi amine againft him, for ought that appears: But upon thefe things a War followed betwixt Ccnfi amine and him,wherein Licinim was defeated,and for- ced to Submit to what conditions Confi amine was pleaSed to give ; who took from him Greece and lUyricum, and only left him Thrace, and the Eafc But Licmius returning to his old ways, and creaking ail agreements^ Second war followed, wherein Licinim .was utterly defeated, and Sent to lead a private life at ThejJalonica^hQiQ he was £ome~ 64 The Firfl Conference. fometime after chat killed, becaufe of new de- figns againft Conflantine. This being the true account of that Story, I am to divine what ad- vantage it can yield to the caufe of Subje&s re- fitting the'r Sovereign ; for here was a Superior I Prince defending himfelf againft the unjufr at-| temprs,and hoftileincurfionsof his Enemy, whw was alio inferior to him, as Eufebius ftates it :\ whom con fult. 10. Bookfi.cb. and 1. BookofConfiA life, ch. 41. andi. Book, ch.z, &C. And for your infiance of the Verfians imp!o-l ring the aid of the Romans, I am afraid it inall 1 ferve you in as little ftead : for the account So- crates gives of it (Ubsi.cap.i%. )is, that Baratanes King of Perfia, did ievei ely perfecute the Chri- stians, whereupon the Chriiiians that dwelt in] Per/£?,were neceflitated to fly to the Romans ^ni. befeech them not to negledi them who were io I deftroved, they were kindly received by Aticus the Bifhop of Conftantmopk, who bent all his Care and thoughts for their aid, and made the; matter known to Theodofius the fecond then Em- peror : but it happened at that time the Romans had a quarrel with the Perjians, who had hired a great many Romans that wrought in Mines, ; and lent them back without paying the agreed hire; which quarrel was much heightned by the 1 Terfian Chnftians complaint; for the King of J Perfa fenc Ambafladours to remand them as fugi- The Fzrft Conference. 6$ fugitives : but the Romans refilled to reftore them, and not only gave them San&uary, but refolvedby all their power to defend the Chri- ftian Religion, and rather make War with the Verfians, than fee the Chriftians ib deftroyed. Now it will be a pretty fleight oiLcgick, if from Subje&s hying from a Periecution, and feeking ftielter under another Pnnce,you will infer that they may refift their own King. And for Theo- dofius his War, we fee other grounds affigned by the Hiftorian : and the Politicks even of good Princes in their making of Wars, muft not be a Rule to our Confcienees : neither know I why this inftance is adduced, except it be to juftifie fbme who are (aid (during the Wars betwixt their own Sovereign and the Country where they lived J to have openly prayed for Victory againft their Country, and to have correfpond- ed in oppofition to their native Sovereign. But I muft riQxt difcufs that Catalogue of Tu- mults in the fourth and fifth Century, which are brought as Precedents for the refilling of Sub- jects : and here I muft mind you of the great change was in Chriftendorn after Con/i amines days, before whom none were Chriftians, but fuch as were perluaded of the truth of the(3o£ pel* and were ready to fuffer for its profeffion ; fb that it being then a Do&rine objected to many Perfecutionsj few are to be foppofed to have 66 The Firft Conference. entred into its difcipline without fbme Convi- ctions about it in their Conferences : but the cafe varied much after the Emperors became Chri- ftian ; fb that what by the feverity of their Laws, what by the authority of their Example, almoft all the World rendered themfelves Chriftian ; which did let in fuch a fwarm of corrupt men in- to the Chnftian Societies, that the face of them was quickly much changed, and both Clergy and Laity became very corrupt,as appears from the complaints of all the Writers of the fourth Century : what wonder then if a tumultuating Humor crept into iuch a mixed multitude? And indeed molt of thele inftances which are alledg- cd, if they be adduced to prove the corruption of that time, they conclude but too well : But, alas ! will they have the authority of Prece- dents, or can they belook'd upon as the fenfe of the Church at that time, fince they are nei- ther approved by Council or Church-Writer? And truly the Tumults in thefe times were too frequent upon various occafions; but upon none more than the popular ele&ions of Bifhops, o£ which Naz,ianz,en gives divers inftances, and for which they were taken from the People by the Council of Lacdicea, Can. 13. It is alfo well enough known how theie Tumults flowed more from the tumultuary temper of the Peo- ple, than from any Doctrine their Teachers did the Fir ft Conference. 6y did infufe in them. And therefore Socrates lib. 7. cap a ;. giving account of one of the Tumults of Alexandria (made ufeofby your Friends, as a Precedent) tells how that City was ever inclin- ed to Tumults, which were never compefced without blood. And at that time differences falling m betwhtOreftes the Prefect and Cyril the Biihop, who was the firft that turned the Priefthood into a temporal Dominion, they had many debates : for Orefles hating the power of the Biihops, which he judged detracted from the Prefect's authority, did much oppofe Cyril; and Cyril having raifed a Tumult againft the Jews, wherein feme of them were killed, and the reft of them driven out of the City, Otefies was fo difplea(ed at that,that he refufed to be re- conciled with him ; whereupon $oo Monks came down from Niiria to fight for their Biihop, who fee on the Prefe&,and one of them named Ammonim^ wounded him in the head with a ftone; but the People gathering,they all fled,on- ly Ammonius was taken, whom the Prefect tor- tured till he died ; but Cyril buried him in the Church, and magnified his Fortitude to the de- gree of reckoning him a Martyr, of which he was afterwards afhamed, And their being in Alexandria at that time a harned and famous La- dy, called Hyppatia, whom the People fulpeded of inflaming the Prefed againft the Bifliop,they F % ted 68 The Fir ft Confer erne. led on by a Reader of the Church, fet on her, and dragged her from herChariot into aChurch, and ftnpt her naked, and moft cruelly tore her body to pieces, which they burnt to afhes. And this, faith the Hiftorian, brought no [mall Infamy > both on Cyril, and on the Church of Alexandria, (ince all wht profefs the Chrifiian Religion y fliould be fir angers to killings fightings, and fuel like. Truly, Sir, he that will found the Do&nne of Refift- ance on fiich grounds, hath a mind on very eafie terms to run himlelf upon Condemnation. And yet fiich like are the warrants your Friends bring from Church Hiflory. Therefore I fee there is yet good ground to aflert that Do&rine was unknown in the Chrifhan Church, till the times wherein the Popes pretended to the Tem- poral Power over Princes : all whofe plea was managed upon the grounds of the great Impor- tance of Religion to be preferred to all human Interefte, and that Chrifi had told his Difci- ples to buy a fword; and that Princes being the Minifters of God, were to be no longer acknow- ledged, than they obierved that defign for which they were let up. Only in one particu- lar, lefs difbrder may be apprehended from the pretenfions of the Roman Bifhops, than from thefe Maxims that put the power of judging and controuling the Magiftrate in the Peoples hands,which opens a door to endlefs confufions, and The Fuji Conference. 69 and indeed fets every private Perfon on the Throne, and introduceth an Anarchy, which will never admit of order or remedy ; whereas thele who had but one pretender over them, could more eafily deal with him, and morevi- goroufly refift him. Ifot. You have laid very many things from Hiftory, which I Hull not at this time under- take to examine *• but I am fure it hath been both the Pra&ice and Do&rineof the Reform- ed Churches, that in cafe of unjuft Tyranny, the States of a Kingdom may put a ftop to the fury of a King : and therefore where the Re- formation was oppo(ed by Cruelty, it was alfb defended by Arms. And let me add, that I be- lieve your great quarrel at this Do&rine, is, be- caule the pra&ice of it was, lb great a mean of preferving the Reformation, which though, in good manners, you muft commend, yet lam afraid you hate it in your heart. Pbilar. Whether you or we be greater friends to the Reformation, let the world judge by this one Indication, that you Itudy to draw all can be deviled for the ftaimng it with blood, which is the conftant calumny of its adverlanes,whereas we offer with the cleareft evidences to evince its Innocence. But let me premile the diftin&ian of Do&rine from Pra#ices; andtho fbme un- juftifiable Practices appear, thefe muft never F 1 be 70 The Firfl Conference. be charged on the Reformed Churches, unlefs it be made appear they were founded on their Doctrine. Befides, the Reformers coming out of the corruptions of Popery., in which the Do- ctrine and Practice of Refiftance upon pre- tences of Religion were triumphant, it will not be found Arrange tho fome of that ill-tempered Zeal continued ftill to leaven them. But for their Doctrine, I take the Standart of it to be in the Confeffions of the feverai Churches; all which being gathered in one harmony, we are in the right (cent of their Opinions, when we fearch for them there. Now the Doctrine of refifting of Magiflrates is by divers of their Confeffions exprefly condemned, but in none of them afler ted. It is true, there were fome ambiguous expref fions in our Scots ConfefTion,regiftred in Parlia- ment Anno 1 $67, for Art. 1 4. among the tranf greftions of the fecond Table, they reckon to difobey or refift any that God hath placed in autho- rity, while 1 hey pafs not over the bounds of their of- fice; which ieems to imply the lawfulnefs of Refiftance when they fb tranfgrefi : but befides that it is not clearly allerted, and only infer- red, this doth not determine what the bounds of the Magistrate s Office are : And if it be found that his OfiicQ is to coerce with the Sword, fo as to be accountable to none but to God } then no The Firji Conference. yi no Refiftance will follow from hence, except of a limited Magiftrate who is accountable to others. The lame Explication is to be given to that part of the 24. Art, where all fuch are condemned who refifi the Supream Power, doing that thing which appertained to his charge. Bat in the fame Article the Magiftrate is called God's Lieutenant, in whofe Sejfions God him f elf doth [it and judge. But with this, it is to be consider- ed, when that Confeflion was ratified in Parlia- ment, even when no Sovereign was to look to the clearing of any ambiguities, which might have been upon defign by fbme, and through the negled of others, let pais. The ConfeC fions of the other Churches are unexceptiona- bly plain, and without reftn&ion in the point of fubje&ion : For what (eems like a Reftri&i- on in the French Confeffion (that the yoke offuh- jeclion is willingly to be bom, though the Magi- strates were Infidels provided that God'* Sovereign authority remain entire and uncorrupted ) imports nothing, but that our fubje&ion to them, which takes in both Obedience and Suffering, is not to ftrike out the great Dominion God hath over our Souls, whom we fhould obey rather than man. And even the Confeflion of the Af 1 fembly of Divines, ratified by the Scots General Affemlljfy$2Lkso( fubmiflion to Authority in ab~ fbluce termsj without the exception of Refiftance ? 4 in y% The Fir ft Conference. in cafe of Tyranny, Cap. 23. art. 4. It is the duty of People — to befubjecl to their authority for Con- fciencefake. Infidelity or difference in Religion, doth not make 'void the Magistrates -jujt and legal Au- rityjiorfree the people from their due obedience to him. If then the Doctrine of Refinance be to be own- ed as a Law of Nature, and as a part of the Chri- ftian Freedom,how came it that it was not more exprefly owned in this Confeffion, efpecially fince it is known to have been the opinion of mod of both thefe Aflemblies? But on the con- trary, it feems condemned, and only the undif- cerned referves ofjuft, legal, and due, are dipt in for the defence of their actings. Truly this feems not fair dealing, and fuch an aOerting of Subje- ction at that time, looks either like the force of truth extorting it, or intimates them afraid, or afhamed to have owned that as their Doctrine to the World. And by this time, I fuppofe it is clear that the Reformed Churches ought not to be charged with the Doctrine of Refiftance. Poly. Nay, nor the Reformed Writers nei- ther, with whofe words I could fill much Paper, and mew how they do all generally con4emn the refiftance of Subjects.: and when any of them gives any Caveat to this, it is not in behalf of the People, but of the States of the Kingdom, who, they fay , per haps are impoiverefdwith authority to curb the tyranny of Kings, as the Ephori among the The Firji Conference. 75 the Lacedemonians, the "Tribuns of the people, and the Demarchs in Rome and Athens. Now it is ac- knowledged, that if by the Laws of the King- dom it be found that the King is accountable to the States, then their coercing of him is not the refiitanceof Subje&s,but rather the managing of the Supreme Power which lies in their hands. If then you willftandto their decifion in this Point, of the Peoples refilling of their Sove- reigns, though Tyrants, the debate will not run long, they being lb exprefs. And this will be nothing fhaken by any thing you may alledge in fome corner of a 'Peter Martyr^ or fome o- ther Perfbns of iefs name ; for as from the fame Writers, other places may be brought to the contrary; fb what can thefe ferve to enervate (b much evident proof? Befides, we are not to confider the Writings of ibme particular Per- sons, ib much as what hath been the generally received opinion among theProteftant Writers, and molt taught in their Pulpits and Schools. And whoever will attempt the contradicting that this hath been for abfolute fubmiffion, ic muft be confefTed to be hard to determin, whe- ther his ignorance be moft to be pitied, or his confidence moft wondered at. By thefe things all may guels, if there be not ftrong grounds to apprehend the Reformed Churches muft be in- nocent of that, which both their Gonfeffions difow% 74 The Firfl Conference. difcivn. and their Writers condemn. Ifct. I confeis the Author of the Dialogues did with great confidence undertake the refu- ting of what is generally acknowledged about refiftance ufed by the Reformed Churches : but his Anfwerer hath ib refuted all he alledgeth from Hiftory.that I am confident herepentsof his undertaking : and were it to be done again, pc haps he would think on other tasks, than to attempt what hath mifcarried fb in his hand, that truly I cannot but pity him in my heart. End. It will be ftrange if he be fo much mifla- ken as your Author reprefents him, yet his de- sign in that was fb good to deliver the Reforma- tion from fuch a Challenge, that methinks he deferved a little better ufage than your Friend beftows on him. But I am much deceived if he be notable to make good all was aflerted by him : let us therefore hear what Folyhiftor faith on thefe matters. Ifot. Begin then with the matter of the AU bijrenfes, where force was ufed againfl: Simon Montfort, who had not only the permiflion of the French King, as is acknowledged, but was affifted by him by 1 5000. men, which is vouch- ed by feme Authors : Befides, that the cruel- ties then ufed (which are made ufe of to aggra- vate their not refilling the King of France) if pertinently adduced, prove the King of France guilty The Firft Conference. j$ guilty of acceilion to them. And the Kings Son, Prince Lewis, coming with an Armv after- ward, fhewsail to have been done by the Kings Command. And what is alledged from the Count of Toloufe, bis being a Peer of France, by which he was a Vaflal,and not a Subjects to no purpofe ; fince by the Feudal Law, Vaflals are Subjects; and whatever authority they may have within their own Dominions, they are frill Sub* je&s to the Lord of the Feud. See p . 41 8. Poly. I (hall not with big words blow away what you aliedg ; but mail examine it from the accounts are given of that War. It is true, the Writers of that time do fo ftrangely mifrepre- ihnc chefe Innocents, that little credit is due to moft of the Hiftories about them : but thus much is clear, that the Waldevfes were every where perfecuted, both in Dauphine, Provence*, Piedmont, Calabria, Boheme, and other places, to which they fcattered themfelves, and fled for fhelter : and notwithflanding all the Perfe- ctions they lay under, from the Inquificion in Fr ance, they never armed again ft the King's au- thority. Thefe about Alby embracing the fame Do&nne with the Waldenfes, and called from the Country they lived in Albtgenfes, were thundered againft by the Pope, and a Jacobin Monk being killed in their Country, Pope Inno- cent proclaimed a Croifade, promiiing Paradife to j6 The Firfl Conference. to all who came and fought againft thefe Here- ticks, and avenged the blood of that Monk: and in particular fufpe&ing Raymond Count of Toloufe, he Excommunicated him, and abfblved his Subjects from their obedience, permitting any to purfue his Perfbn.andpoffefs his Lands ; with which he wrote to all Chriftian Princes to come into his Croifade. But the King of France was imployed in Wars both with the Emperor and King of England } m& (b could not join m it, but gave way to his Barons to take the Crofs : And here the King contenting to fb cruel an In- vahon,did undoubtedly make much of his right to thefe Provinces, 11 nee he thus expofed them to the fury of an unjuft Invader; lb that tho they had abfoluteiy rejected his Authority, this had quadrated with the cafe of a Kings defert- ing of his Subjects. However the War went on, all managed by the Legatees the Popes war. But Raymond came and fubmitted himfelf to the Pope, yet the Legate went on againft Betters and Carcajjon, who had a great deal of i eafon to refift fuch an unjuft Aggreflbr. Afterwards the Legate gaping for the County of 7o/o«/e,picked another quarrel with Raymond, and did excom- municate him of new,tho he had got the Popes ablbiution : whereupon he armed, with the af fiftance of the King of An agon, againft the Legate^ and his General Simon Montfort : but after- J he Fir ft Conference. 77 afterwards the King of An agon was defeated!, yet all this while the King of Francehy neutral, and would not permit his Son to go againft the Albigenfes, bQczuk he had promifed to the King of 'An •agon to be neutral ; but the King of Ar- ragon being dead,he gaye way to it, and fo his Son came to the Army i and this muft be that which Gulielmus Brito confounds with the be- ginning of the War. This alfo is that Affair which the Centuriatcrs lay Fbilippus Auguftus had with the Albigenfes. But the Legate fearing the numbers Prince Lewis brought with him, and apprehending he might have poflefledhim- felf of the other places which belonged to the Albigenfes, granted them all abfblution, with the protection of the Church ; and aflumed the confidence to tell the Prince, that fince he had taken the Crofs, he was to depend on his Or- ders, he reprefenting the Pope,andnot to com- mand in that Army asjthe Kings Son; reproach- ing him,becaufe his Father had given no affift- ance to the defTru&ion of the Albigenfes when there was need of it : but that after the miracu- lous Vi&ories had been obtained, he was now come to reap the Harveft of what was due to them who had hazarded their lives for the Church. And for all this, I refer you to the Hiftory of the Albigenfes , compiled by M. Per- rin Uk 1 1 cap. 1 2j&c, But what if by an, overplus yS The Firft Conference. I mould juftifie the Count offoloufe, tho he had armed againft the King of France, upon the ac- count of his being a Peer of France, which ex- empted him from the condition ofordinary Sub- je&s.ofwhom Pafyuier Recherches de France Jib.l. cap.% faith, It was the vulgar Opinion,that they were conftituted by Charles the Great, who is be- lieved to have given them almoft as much autho- rity as himfelf had,referving only to himfelf the principal voice in the Chapter : but he refutes that vulgar Error, and fhews how inthe end of thQCarolovingian Race,greatconfufions were in France, partly through the various Pretenders, but more through their folly: at which time, the Crown of France did like wife become Ele- ctive : and he fhews how Eude, Robert, Raoul 3 .L*w^j,furnamed beyond the Sea, Lot hair, and ano- ther Lewis, were chofen Kings of France; and the chief Perions who at that time were moll arrive, were chele Dukes, Counts, and Biihops, who afterwards were made Peers. Hugo Capet therefore taking poffeffion of the Crown, for fecuring himlelf peaceably in it, did confirm thofe Peers in thac great Authority thev had af- fumed ; which if he had rot done, they had gi- ven him more trouble. And their conftitution was, that if any difference arofe, either betwixt the King, and any of the Peers, or among the Peers chemfelves, it mould be decided by the Council The Fir/} Conference* 79 Council of the whole twelve Peers. And he proves from an old Vlacart, that rhey would not admit the Chancellor, Conneftabh, or any other great Officer of France to judg them; they being to be judged by none, but their fellow Peers. Thefe were alfb to be the Electors of the King. But Hugo Capet apprehending the danger of a free Election, caufed,for preventing it, Crown his Son in his own time, which was practifed by four or five fucceeding Kings. And Lewis the Grofi not being crowned in his Fathers time,met with fbme difficulty at his entry to the Crown; which to guard againft, he crowned his Son in his own time,and (b that practice continued, till the pretence of electing the King was worn out by prefcription. Yet fbme veftigies of it do ftill remain, fince there mutt be at all Coronations of France twelve to reprefent the Peers : and by this time, I think it is well enough made out, that the Count ofToloufe was not an ordinary Subject And as for your confounding of Sub- ject and Vaffal, Bodinus lib. de Rep. cap: 9. will help you to find out a difference betwixt them, who reckons up many kinds ofVaflals and Feu- dataries who are not Subjects : for a Vafial is he that holds Lands of a Superior Lord, upon fuch conditions as are agreed to by the nature of the Feud, and is bound to protect the Superior, but may quit the Feud 3 by which he is free of that fub* 80 The Firft Conference. fubje<5Hon 5 fo that the dependence of Vaflals on their Lord, mull be determined by the Contract betwixt them, and not by the ordinary Laws of Subjects. And from this he concludes, that one may be a Subject and no Vaffal,a Vaflai and no Subject, and like wife both Vaifel and Subject. The Peers of France did indeed give an Oath of homage, by which they became the Liege- men of the King, but were not for that his Subjects: for the Oath the Subjects fwore, was of a far greater extent. And thus I am deceived if all was ailerted by the Conformift in the Dialogues on this head, be not made good. Ifot. But fince you examine this inftance fb accuratly,what fay you to thofe of Piedmont, who made a League among themfelves againft their Prince, and did refift his cruel Perfections by Armies. See pag. 413. Poly. Truly, I can fey little on this Subject having feen none of their Writings or Apolo- gies* (0 that I know not on what grounds they went: and I fee fo much ignorance and par- tiality in accounts given from the fecondhand^ that I feldom conlider them much. Ifot, The next inftance in Hiftory, is, from the Wars of Bofoeme^liQrQ becaufe the Chalice was denied, the People did by violence refift their King, and were headed by Zifoa, who gained many Vi&oriss in the following War with The Firfl Conference. 81 with Sigi[mund\ and in the fame Kingdom fifty years ago, they not only refifted firft Matthias, and then Ferdinand their King, but rejected his authority, and choofed a new King: and the ac* count of this change, was,becau(e he would not make good what Maximilian and Rodotpb did grant about the free exercife of their Religion : and thus when engagements were broken to them, they did not judge themfelves bound to that tame fubmiflion you plead hr.Seep* 424. ?oly. Remember what was laid down as a ground, that the Laws of a Society muft deter- mine who is inverted with the Sovereign Power, which doth not always follow the Title of a King : but if he be accountable to any other Court, he is but a Subject, and the Sovereign Power refts in that Court. If then it be made out that the States of Bohemia are the Sovereigns^, and that the Kings are accountable tothem,this inftance will not advance the plea of defenlive Arms by Subjects. That the Crown of Bohemia is eledive, was indeed much contra verted; and was at length, and not without great likelihoods on both lides, of late debated in divers Wri- tings : but among all that were impartial, they prevailed who pleaded its being ele&ive. Yet I acknowledge this alone will not prove it free for the People to refift, unlets it be alfo apparent that the Supreme Power remained with the G '>•"'■•• States 8x The Fir (l Conference. States, which as it is almoft always found to dwell with the People,when the King is ele&ed by them. Bodin doth reckon the King of Bohemia among thefe that are but Titular Kings : and the Provincial Conftitutions of that Kingdom do evidently demonftrate, that the King is only the Adminiftrator, but not the fountain of their Power : which is made out from many in fian- ces, by him who writes the Republtckof Bohemia, who mews how thefe Kings are bound to fol- low the pleafure and Counfel of their States: and in the year 1 1 $f , it was decreed, that the ele&ed Prince of Bohemia mould bind him (elf by his Coronation Oath to rules there fet down ; which if he broke, the States were to pay him no Tributes, nor to be tied to any further Obe- dience to him, till he amended. See Hagecus ad ann. i 1 ;f. And this Oath was taken by all the following Dukes and Kings of Bohemia; which is an evident proof that the States had authority over their Kings, and might judge them. To this alfb might be added divers inftances of their depoling their Kings, upon which no cenfure ever palled. Thefe being then the grounds on which the Bohemians walked, it is< clear they never juftified cheir Refiftance,on the account of Subjects fighting for Religion, but on the liberties of a free State, aflerting their Religion when invaded by a limited Prince. The The Firft Conference. 83 The account of the firft Bohemian War, is, that John Hufs and Jerome of Prague, being notwith- standing the Emperors Sate-condudt burnt ac Confiance, the whole States of Bohemia- and Mo- ravia met at Prague, and found that by the burn- ing of their Doctors, an injury was done to the whole Kingdom, which was thereby marked with the ftain of Berefie : and they firft expo- ftulated with the Emperor and Counfel about the wrong done them ; but no reparation being made, they refolved to feek it by force, and to defend the Religion had been preached by Hufs ; and did declare their defign to Wmceflaus their King ( whom the States had before that time made prifoner twice for his maleverfation) but at that very time he died in an Apoplexy, jfome fay through grief at that. After his death, Sigifmund his Brother pretended to the Crown of Bohemia : but not being elected, was not their righteous King: fo in the following Wars that were betwixt him and Zifca, the renftance was not made to the King of Bohemia, and therefore all that time was an interregnum, and is fo mark- ed by their Hiftorian, who tells* that the Bohe- mians could not be induced to receive him to be their King : he indeed invaded the Kingdom^ and crowned himf elf, but was not chofen by th« States till fifteen years after that a Peace was con- cluded, and he with great difficulty prevailed G % upon 84 The Fir (I Confer erne, upon the States to ratifie hisCoronation^and ac- knowledge him their King. See Dub. lib. 14. & lib. 16. And by all this, 1 doubt not but you are convinced that theWarsof Zifca were not of the nature of Subje&s refilling their Sovereign. And for the late #0&£wmwWar,befides what was already alledged of the Power of the States , their War againfl Ferdinand ,and the reafbn why by a folemn decree they rejected him, was, be- caufe he invaded the Crown without an Ele- ction, contrary to the fundamental Laws of the Kingdom : hereupon they choofed the Prince Elector Palatine to be their King. It is true, they rofe alfo in Arms while Matthias lived, though he did not long furvive thefe Tumults: but in all their Apologies they founded their plea on the I Liberties of the Kingdom of Bohemia. And yet though this fiy much for their defence, I am I none of the Patrons of that War, which had very few defenders among the Proteftants. Ifot. At length you muft yield there was War for defence of Religion : but if without thein- clofore of Bohemia we examine the Hiftory of Germany, there we meet with that famous Smal- caldick War, m opposition to Charles V. who was dehgning the overthrow of the ProteftanC Do&rine., which the EleBor of Saxony, with the Landgrave of HeJJen, and other free Cities, ma- naged againft him. See p. 417. Poly, The Firfl Conference. 8 $ Voly* If any of the Paffions of men have min- gled in the a&ions of Proteftants, mult thefe therefore be faften'd on them as their Do&rine \ efpecially when they went not upon Pi in ci pies of Religion, but of Provincial Laws ? As for Germany > let me firfl: tell you how far the Prote- ctants were againft Rebellion ,upon pretence of Religion. At firft the Rufiick War had almoft kindled all Germany , which indeed began upon very unjuft Caufes; but Sleydan lib.$ . tells, That fome troublesome Preachers had been the caafers of that great and formidable War. Now it « to little purpofe to fay they were in many errors, and ib fought not for the true Religion ; fince it was before made out, that if Religion be to be fought for, every man believing his own Reli- gion to be true, is bound to take Arms in its de- fence, fince even an erring Conference binds : But as cheie Tumults did fpread through Ger- many, Lather publifhed a Writing, defiring all to abltain from Sedition, though withal he told he apprehended /M»*y?r*w£e Judgment was hang* ing over the Church-men: but that was to be left to God. After which he explains the duty of the Magistrates : And adds, That the People fljould be fever ely charged not tofiir without the command of their MagifirateSy and that nothing was to be at- tempted by private Perfons : that all Sedition was ^ am $ ^ e command ofGod^ and that Sedition was. G } mthmg 86 The Firfi Conference. nothing but private Revenge, and therefore hated by God. Adding, That the Seditions then fiirring, were raifed by the Devil, whofiirred up thefe wha profejjed the Goffiel to them, that thereby the truth wight be brought under hatred and reproach, as if that could not be of God which gave occafion tofo great evils* Then he tells what means were to be ufed for advancing of the Gofpel, That they were to repent of their fins, for which God had per- mined that tyranny of the Churchmen. Next, That they jhould pray for the Divine aid, and publickly af fert the truth of the Gofpel, and dt [cover the Impo- fiures of the Topes. And he adds. That this had been bis method, which had been much bleJJ'ed of God. In a word, the whole ftrain of that firft Paper fhews, that the great bait ufed to train all into that Rebellion, was the pretence of the liberty of Religion, and the tyrannical oppreffion they were kept under by the Eccleiiafticks. But upon this the Boures published a Writing containing their Grievances : The firft where- of was, That they might have liberty to choofe j\4mifiers 3 wbo might preach the Word of God pure- ty to them, without the mixture of mens devifes. The other particulars related to their Civil Li- berties. And upon thefe Pretentions they ap- pealed to Luther, who wrote again, Acknowledg- ing the great Guilt of thefe Princes who received riot the purity of the GoJpel' y but he warns the People to The Firft Conference. 8? to confider what they did, left they loft both Body and Soul in what they attempted. That they were neither to confider their own firength ,nor thefaulti- nefs of their Adver[aries i hut thejuftice andlawful- nefs of the Caufe ; and to he careful not to believe all Mens preachings \for the Devil had rat fed up many Seditions and bloody Teachers at that time. Where- fore he forbids them to take God'/ Name in vain 9 and pretend that they de fired in all things to follow bis Laws: But minds them who threatned, that they who took the Sword, fhouldperifh by the Sword: and of the Apofile, who commands all to be obedi- ent to Magistrates 3 charging on them, that though they pretended the Laws of God, yet they took the Sword, and refified the Magifirate. But he adds, Tou [ay, the Magi(trates become intolerable , for they take the Do&rme of the Gofyelfrom us, and op- frejs us to the highefi degree : But be it [o,fiirs and [editions are not therefore to be raided, neither mufi every one coerce crimes, that belongs to him to whom thepo-wer of the Sword is given, as is expre[s in Scri- pture. And befides, this is not only according to the Laws, but is by the light of Nature imprefied on all mens minds : which (hews, that no man can cognofce and judge in his own Cau[e, jince all men are blinded with f elf love : And it cannot be denied, but this Tu- mult and Sedition of yours, is a private Revenge : But i[you have any warrant for this from God, you mufi make it out by [owe fignal Miracle, The G 4 Magi. 88 The Fir (I Conference. Magifirate indeed doth unjuftlf, but you much more fo, who contemning the Command of God, invade another s Jurifdiclion. And he tells them, That if thefe things take place > there will be no more Magi- firacy y nor Courts ofjuflice, if every man exercife private Revenge* And if this be unlawful in a pri- vate PerJon t much more is it fo in a multitude gather- ed together. Wherefore he counts them unworthy of the name ofChriftians>nay worfe than Turks t who thus violate the Laws of Nature. Then for proof of his opinion, he adduceth that of our Lord's, refi[l not evil ; as alfo his reproving of S. Peter for fmiting with the Sword. Thefe fieps were to be fol- lowed by you, (aith he, or this glorious Title mujl be laid down. And if you followed his Example t Qo^s power would appear , and he would undoubtedly have regard to you, Aad he adds, How far he had hen always from fuch Practices, and how God hadbleJJ'ed his work in his hands : but for you, you advert not how much you obfirucl that ivhich you think to premove. Theie are a few of Luther 's words, by which it will appear both upon whac pretences theie Boures went, and what his fenfe of them was. But I know it will be (aid, that as in the firft ages of the Church, thefe good Am- ple men underftood not their Liberties nor Pri- vileges, but were wheedled into a Iheepifli tame- nefs: 16 like wife whsn the Reformation was firft fpringing, they did not in that infancy under - The Firjl Conference. 89 underftand the heroick do&rine/,that the follow- ing ripenefs of fome Martial Spirits did broach and maintain. Alas ! Luther, poor Man ! he had been bred in his Monaftery, and underftood not the brave Achievements of Chriftiaa Chivalry. But who would bear with fiich difingenuity, as to fay, that becaule he defines Sedition to be private revenge, and afterwards condemns private revenge, therefore he muft be under- ftood as only condemning that ? p The Fir ft Conference. which was then received among them. Ifot. But he afterwards changed his Opinion when the League of SmaleaU was entred into, and then we rind the Proteftants in another tune ; for upon apprehenfions of mifchief de- fignedagainftthem,they entred intoadefenfive League among themfelves : tho the Confti- tution of the Empire being feudal,the Emperor was their Sovereign : yet both Princes and free Cities entred into this League, which after- wards broke out into War. See p. 43; . Pa/y.Before I examine that AiFair,I muft firft clear the way by removing a miftake, which truly I judged none capable of that had ever read any thing of the Conftitution of the German Empire, or of the Power of the Elefiors, Prmces, and free Cities. I muft therefore fince I have to do with lb much ignorance or perverfnefs,fhew that the Emperor is not Sovereign in Germany; though the thing is (b plain, that I am almoft alhamed to go about it. The German Empire was hereditary from the days or Charles the Great till Henry the Fowler, and then it begun to be Ele- ctive: and as is ufual in all fuch cafes 5 they who had the right of £le&ion,got by degrees the au- thority transferred upon themfelves : but the [>articular time when this begun, is not (o clear- y defined by the German Writers. It is true, the Diet of Germany is not like the League of the The Firfl Conference. ox theUnited Provinces, or of ths Cantons of Swit- zerland, where the Authority remains with the feveral States and Cantons, and they only meet for Counfel : buttheD/€f hath the fupreme Au- thority, both of depofing of Emperors, as was praclifed in the cafe of Adolphus and Wenceflaus, and of fining, banifhing, and forfeiting, either Princes or Cities. And the Princes declare afc ter the Emperor is Crowned, that they are the Vaflals of the Empire, and not of the Emperor. And when the Diet fits not,all things are judged by the Imperial Chamber, whofe Prefidentmuft be a Prince of the Empire, who hath fix AffeC fors from the Emperor, feven from the feven Eleclors, twenty from the ten Circles, two from each of them ; and by them all the differences among the Princes or Members of the Empire are decided. Upon greater occafions, the Diet is called ,which Thuan compares to the Affsm-. bly of the AmphiByons inGra^that was made; up of Princes, who had no dependence one upon another. The Diet is not called by the Emperor,but by the Decree of a former Die:t : or if the Emperor call one, the Princes a re not bound to come to it» And fo the Princes refilled to come Anno 1 5 f 4. and An. 1 566. J By the Diet Laws are given to the Emperour, as well as to the other Princes : and any Mon*f is raiftdfqr the u(e of the Empire^ is not put iri the 9& The Firfl Conference. the Emperors hands, but in the bank of fbme Town, as ftiall be agreed on. Bodm tells he (aw Letters from a German Prince to Monmorancy y telling him, that the King of France had reafon to complain of Charles the Fifth,and of his Bro- ther, to the Duke of Saxony, and the Count Pa- latine, who were the Vicars of the Empire, be- caufe they had,contrary to the Laws of the Em- pire,and former Cuftoms, (upprefled the Kings Letters to the States of the Empire. And Maxi- milian thefirft in a Diet at Conftance,Anno i J07. acknowledged, that the Majefty of the German Empire confifted in the Princes, and not in the Emperor himfelf. I might here add much from the way of the Emperors treating with the Princes, by fending and receiving of Ambafla- dors that go betwixt them, by the ilate in which he receives Vi fits from them, and returns them to thereby the Princes treating and being treat- ed with, by all forein Princes, who write to them Brother, and not Coufin, by their making of Peace and War among them (elves: and ihould indeed run out into a long digreflton, iC I adduced all might be alledgedfor proving the Princes of the Empire to be none of the Empe- rors Subje&s : but I have no mind to engage in a vain mew of reading upon to plain a Subject. One thing I lriall only add,that by the 1 i.Chap- ter of the Bulla Aurea, it is exprefly provided, that The Fir ft Conference. 9 3 that the Electors fhall meet together yearly in the four weeks that follow Eafier, for confult- ing about the Affairs of the Empire : and this is thus explained in the 4th Article of the Cefa- rean Capitulation, That it Jhall be free for the fix Electors by the 'vigor of the Bulla Aurea, to meet together as often as they fleafe, for confulting about the Commonwealth, and that the Emperour jhall make no hinder ance to it, nor take it in ill part. And hence it is that thefe who give account of the ftate of the Empire, laugh at their igno- rance, who through a childifh miftake afcribe the Sovereign Power to the Emperor. The fame may be added of the free Cities united toge- ther by a League at leaft 500 years old, called the Hanfe- towns, who came under the prote&ion of the Mafter of the Teutonick Order, that pot feffed PruJJe : and an. 1206. they were (b free, that they lent a Navy to Henry III. of England, and got great priviledges from him for their traffick in England. There were then 72. Cities in the League,who renewed their League every tenth year, and confiilted whom to receive, or whom to exclude from their friendihip, and choofed a Protestor to themfelves. And one of the Conditions on which any City might be of this League, was, that they were free Towns : and therefore it was that feme Towns in the Netherlands being of this League, their 94 T^€ Firft Conference, their Princes were by Oath to confirm their free- dom, otherwife they could not be comprehend- ed within that League ; the end whereof was to defend one another in any neceffity they might fall in. Let thefe things then declare whether Germany be a Monarchy or not, and it will never prove the Emperor to be the Sove- reign, becaufe the Empire is feudal, and the Emperor gives the Inveftitures to the Princes ; for they are not the Feudatories of the Empe- ror, but of the Empire : and the Emperor by giving the Inveftiture becomes not their Lord : for in the lnterregn of the Empire, the Electors of Palatine and Saxe are the Vicars of the Em- pire, and give the Inveftitures, who are not clothed with any authority over the reft,but only as they are the Vicars of the Empire,and not of the Emperor. And moft of the Princes of Italy receive ftill their Inveftiture from the Emperor, but are far from concluding themfelves his Sub- jects upon that account. And who thinks the King of Naples the Popes Subject, tho he re- ceive his Inveftiture in that Crown from him ? Thefe things being thus cleared, it will be evi- dent that the Wars betwixt Charles V. and the Duke of Saxony, will never be a Precedent for Subjects refifting their Sovereign. And having faid lb much, it will be to no purpofe to exa- mine the rile and progrefi ot the Smalcaldtc League, The fir ft Conference. p5 League and War, only thus much is clear, that the leaguing of the Princes and Cities together among themfelves, or with other Princes, was not held contrary to the Laws of the Empire:for after the Smalcaldk League, both the Emperor and other Kings,as France and England, treated with them,and fent EmbafTadors to them : Yea, the Pope fent a Nuncio to the Eletlor of Saxe, and Landgrave oiHeflen at Smalcald^and yet ne- ver were they accufed by the Emperor for en- tring into that League of mutual defence: which fhews it was not judged contrary to the duty of thefe Princes to aflociate among themfelves, or with others. And the City o£ Strasbnrg, and after them the Landgrave of Hejjen, made a League with the Switz>er Cantons that received the Reformation, for mutual defence againft any Invafion upon the account of Religion. Ac Aushurg the Emperor did on the n.of No- vember 1530. declare, that fince the Proteftants did rejeft the Decree made about Religion, he had entred in an agreement with the reft of the Diet, not to offend any, but to defend them- felves, if any force were ufed againft thefe who owned that Religion. And in the following December the Proteftant Princes met at SmaU cald,and made an agreement among themfelves in the fame ftrain : neither were they ever con- demned for fb doing 3 but continued in a good cor- 9 6 Th$ Fir ft Conference. correfpondence with the Emperor many years after that, till being invaded by the Duke of Bmnfwkk the War took its rife, which is all along proved to have been according to the Laws and Liberties of the Empire. And thus this Cafe doth vary exceedingly from the mat* ter of our Debates. Eud. If I may glean after your I Jarveft, I could add, that the Divines of Germany were notwithftanding of all the immunity of the Princes, and injuries they met with, very much againft all warlike preparations. Many vefti- gies of this appear through Melancloris Letters, particularly in his 71. Letter to Camerarius an. 1 518. where he gives account of the inclina- tions many had to War,and with how much di- ligence he had ftudied to divert them from it, though great injuries had been done them ; and that it was believed that many of the Princes had figned a confpiracy againft them. And Scultet Exer. E'vang. lib. 2. cap. f . tells how Grurnbachius and Jujttts Jonas animated the E? le&orof Saxe to the War, affuring him of the Empire of Germany } if he would adventure for it : which, he adds, the Ele&or did : and his Co doing, he compares to his throwing himfelf over thePinacle of the Temple ; but all quickly repented them of the attempt, the Elector be- ing defeated, taken, and kept Pnfbner many years, The firfl Conference* 97 years, and his ill Counfellors were well ferved for their advice, Grumbachim was quartered!, and Jonas was beheaded. Thus you fee how that war is cenfored by one of the beft of the late German Divines. By this time, I think no fcruples can dwell with any about the German War, and that it agrees with the cafe of a Prince defending his Religion and Subjects, againft the unjuft invafion of another Prince, to whom he owes neither obedience nor fubjeciion : and this will eafily fatisfie all that know either Law or Hiftory, whether the Author of ths Dialogues deferred to be treated as his Anfwerer doth? But it is no new thing to find ignorants full of confidence, and cowards full of boaftings* Ifot. But for Sweden, you yield it, and ac- knowledge , that beeauie their King came againft them in an unjuft invafion, deiigning to fiibvert their Religion, they not only armed •againft him, and refifted him,butdepofed him, and put his Uncle in his place, than which no? thing can'be more expreis. See f. 441 . Poly. The defign of the Conformift was to prove that the fir ft Reformers did nor teach the do&rine of Subjects their refinance upon the account of Religion ; but he meant not to make good all that followed after that : therefore left- the more inconfiderat when they -heard of the States of Sweden their depofing of Sigtfmund^ H mighc 98 The firfl Conference. might have miftaken that, as he knows fbme have done, and confounded it with the Refor- mation, he gave the true account of that Affair as it was : and it being feventy years after the Reformation was firft brought thither, cannot be fattened on the Reformation. Betides the whole Trad of the Swedifh Hiftory proves, that the Eftates, as they ele&ed, fo alio coerced, and frequently depofed their Kings : and therefore Bodin reckons Sweden among thefe divided States, where the Supreme Power lay betwixt the King and the Nobility : and tells how in his own time Henry King of Sweden having kil- led with his own hand, one that prefented a petition to him, the States forced him to quit the Kingdom to his Brother : and that he had been , for Seventeen years a prifbner wken he wrote his Books de Republica : It being thus frequent in Sweden upon malverfation, not only to refift, but to depofe their Kings, it was no wonder if when Sigifmund came againft them with an army oiPolanders, whofe Sovereign he was not, (for none are (b ignorant to think the King of Po- land is a Sovereign ) they refilled him: fince , that was a fubjectlngof Sweden to foreign force, and fo did totally overturn the whole Founda- :j tion of the Kingdom. But after all this, I may I add, that Charles Duke of Suderman, was not too well reported of, for that abrogation of his Nephew The fir ft Conference. 99 Nephew, it being generally imputed to his am- bition. And thus you lee upon how many Ac- counts that A&ion of the Swedish State will not ferve your turn. Ifot. But thefe of Zurich refilled the other five Cantons, and being provoked by their in- juries, they ftop'd the Paflages of Visuals to them, upon which a War followed. As alfc at Bafel^ho people did maintain and aflert the Re- formation by Arms againft their Superiors, and brake the Images, and burnt them : they alfb made the Senate turn off feme of their number who favored the Mafs. See p. 443, 444. Poly. As for the War among the Cantons, it is undeniable that it was not of Subjects again!! their Sovereigns, fince the Cities of Helvetia have no dependence one upon another ;' nor can any one City be tied to the opinion or decree of the reft, without their own confent : which jhews that every Canton is a free State within it felf, and therefore their warrings among them- felves, makes nothing for fubje&s refilling of their Sovereigns. And what is alledged from the tumult of Bafel, is as little to our purpofe : for thefe free Cities being Damocratical, it was no wonder if the people offended with the Se- nate, did raife that Commotion : and the Hifto- rian exprefly afferts, that what they did, they o- penly declared^was not for defence of Religion, H % bus 100 The firfl Conference. but for vindicating of their own liberty. And in the end of the Story it appears what they de- signed, for they made the Senat receive 160. out of the Companies of the Citizens, whole coun- lei ihould be carried along in the greater con- cernments, that might be either for GOD's Glory, or the Good of the Common wealth.But if you lay claim to this Story as a Precedent, you mufl acknowledge that a Reformation may be not only maintained by force, but that Magi- ftrats may be removed from their Office, if they go not along with it; and that the people may in their own Authority, without waiting for the Magiurats concurrence, go by violence and break down Images, and throw out an eftabli- flied Religion. But this belongs not to the cafe of Subjects, fince in thefe free Cities th e power is certainly with the people, and fo they are not Subjects to the Senat. And for Geneve, i c is fo fuliy proved, that it was a free Imperial City, that I need add nothing to make it out One inftance will abundantly fuffice to prevail" upon the belief of any who can doubt whether the Bifhop of Geneve was their Prince, which .is, that the Bifhops of Geneve did frequently be- come BurgelTes in it : In particular, Peter de Baulm, the laft who fite there, was received a Citizen by. the Senat of Geneve i^july 15*7. which doth fully prove that he could not be thek the fir fl Conference, loi their Lord. But as for the Reformation of Ge* neve^ it is true Sky dan hints as if the Bifhop and Clergy had left the City, being angry at the Reformation : but in that he was miftaken, for their Bifliopleft the City an* 1528. and made war againft it upon fome difputes were betwixt him and them about their privileges : for though he was not Lord, of the City, yet the Countrey about it belonged to him. But an Q 1 ? % % . he returned to the City, and left it in the July of the fame vear, fearing fome feditious Tumults, which he had the more reafon to ap- prehend., becaufe of his Tranfa&ions with the Duke of Savoy y whereby he made over to him his intereft in the City. And it was two years after this before the Reformation was received by that City. For after he left them, they pat fed a Decree for preferving the old Religion* and difcharging of the Lutheran, and banifhed two of the Minifters of that Religion. And 012 thefirft of January 1554. after the Bifhop was gone, his Vicar publifhed an Edi&, difcharging all Aflernblies for Divine Worlhip, without the Bilhops permiffion ; and all Bibles in the French or German Tongues, were condemned to be burnt. And for the Duke of Savoy his inva- ding them, andbeing refifted by them, it makes ' nothing for your defign, this being a free Im- perial City, refifting an unjuft Invader, For all this, fee Geneva refimtk H § Jfit* ioi The firfl Conference. Ifot. But at leaft the States of the United Pro- vinces did maintain their Religion by Arms, when Vhilip the Second was introducing the In- quifition among them: and tho the (e Wars were upon mixed grounds, fo that Papifts as well as Proteftants concurred in them, yet it is undeniable that Religion gave the chief rife to them, and was the main confederation that en- gaged the Proteftants into that War. See fag. 446. Poly. One error runs through all your fmat- terings, which is, that you never diftinguifh be- twixt a State governed by a Monarch, where fubjec^on is due to him by the conftitution of the State, and a limited Prince,who by the Laws of that Society is accountable to,and cenfurable by the Nobility and people ; which dates io great a difference, that he muft be very pur- blind who doth not obferve it ; And therefore I will firft (hew you, that the Prince of the Ne- therlands was but a precarious Pnnce,governing a free people at their pleafare and precanoufly, as Heuterus and Grotius de Ant. Keif .Bat av. call him : And among the Laws of the Government of Batavia, one was, that the old Cuftoms and Laws fhouid be facred; and that if the Prince decreed ought againft them, he was not to be obeyed : and id it was ufiial among them upon a ti anigreffion,to depofe their Princes, of which many The firfl Conference. 1 03 many inftances are reckoned by Grotim, and therefore he compares their Princes to the La- cedemonian Kings, upon whom the Ephori and the Senat might have cognofced. The Bra- bantins had indeed looked better to their liberty than the reft,and lb had guarded againft the de- ceit of their Princes (who might have broken their Laws upon the pretence of a publickgood) by an exprefe agreement, that if their Prince fhould violate the Laws, they fhould not be tied to obedience nor fidelity to him, till their inju- ries were removed : and this was confirmed by the examples of their Anceftors, Gr. An. lib. i. And a little after, he adds, That the other Pro- vinces in Belgium, had by practice that fame pri- vilege, and that the rather, that being all uni- ted to Brabant , by Maximilian, they were to enjoy the fame privileges with them. The Brabantim had alio a privilege of chufing a Gonfervator in any great hazard, called Ruart y Strada torn. 1. lib. 9. whole power was equal to the Roman Dictators: this they had by the privileges of the Latus introitm: And upon this they chuled the Prince of Orange their Ruart, anno 1^77. And to run no further for proofs of this, when ThiUp was inaugurated their Prince, he exprefly provided, that if he broke their privileges, they fhould be free from obe- dience and fidelity to him ; and this was the H 4 ground 104 The firfl Conference. ground on which they depofed him, as appears: by their Decree, St. "torn. 2. lib. 4. By thefe in- dications it is apparent, that the Prince of the Netherlands was not Sovereign of thefe Provin- ces, imce they could cognofce upon him, andl Shake off his authority. But I ihall next make} out, that Religion was not the ground upon which thefe Wars were raifed : The Reforma- tion came umo the Provinces in Charles the V. his time, who cruelly persecuted all who recei- ved it, fa that thefe who were butchered in his time, are reckoned not to be under 1 00000, Gr. Annal. Ub. 1. All this Cruelty did neither provoke them to Arms, nor quench the Spirit of Reformation ; whereupon Philip defigned fo introduce thelnquifition among them, as an af- lured mean of extinguishing that Light. But that Court was every where 16 odious, and pro- ceeded fo illegally, that many of the Nobility, among whom divers were Papifts, entered in a Confederacy againft it,promifing to defend one another, if endangered : Upon this, there were firft petitions, and after that tumultsjbut it went no further till the Duke of Alva came, and pro- ceeded at the rate of the higheft Tyranny ima- ginable, both againft their Lives and Fortunes, particularly againft the Counts of Egmont and Horn, fuipe<5t of favoring the former difor- fiuc ( it being needlefs to make a vain ftevr The fir ft Conference. iof /hew of reading in a thing which every boy may know) after the Duke of Alva had fo trant grefTed all Limits, the Nobility and Deputies of the Towns of Holland, who were the Deposita- ries of the Laws and Privileges of that State, met at Dort, anno 1 572. Gr. de Ant. Bat* cap. 6. and on July 19, decreed a War againft the Duke of Alva 3 and made the Prince of Orange their Captain, which was done upon his exa- cting the twentieth penny of their Rents, and the tenth of their moveables., m all their tranf a&ions and merchandifes. Yet all this while the power was in the hands of Papifts, Gr. An- nal. lib. 3. Nor was the Protsftant Religion permitted till the year 1578. that in Amfterdam, Utrecht and Harlem, the Magiftrats who were addicted to the Roman Religion, were turned out, which gave great offence to (bme of their Confederates who adhered to Popery. And upon this the Proteftants petitioned the Arch- Bnke Matthias, whom the States had ehoien for their Prince., that fince it was known that they were the chief object of the Spamfh hatred, r and lb might look for. the hardeft meafure, if they prevailed: k was therefore juftthey who were in the chief danger, might now enjoy ibme fiiare of the Liberty with the reft ; wherefore they defired they might have Churches allowed them., and might not be barred from publicfc truffc, io6 The fir [I Conference. truft, which afcer ifbme debate was granted! And let this declare whether the War was mana- ged upon the grounds of Religion, or not. The year after this, the States of Holland, Geldres^ Zeland, Utrecht, and Friefland, met at Utrecht j and entred in that Union which continues tc this day : by which it was provided , that the Reformed Religion fhould be received in Hol- land and Zeland, but the reft were at liberty, either to chufe it or another, or both, as they plea fed. So we fee they did not confederate agamft Spain upon the account of Religion, it not being the ground of their League ; but in opposition to the Spanifh Tyranny and Pride. And in their Letters to the Emperor, Jan. 8, 1578. Str. tern. 2. lib.i. they declared, that they never were, nor ever mould be of another mind, but that the Catholick Religion mould beftill obferved in Holland: and in the end of the year 1581. they decreed, that Philip had forfeited his Title to the Principality of Bel- gium, by his violating their Privileges, which he had fwomtoobferve : whereupon they were ( according to their compact with him at his in- auguration ) free from their obedience to him ; and therefore they chufed the Duke of Alen- (on to be their Prince: And now review all this, and lee if you can ftand to your former af- fertion, or believe thefe Wars to have proceeded upon The fir ft Conference, i©7 upon the grounds of fiibje&s refilling their So- vereign, when he perfecutes them upon the ac- count of Religion, and you will be made to ac- knowledge, that the States of Holland were not fubje&s, and that their quarrel was not Reli- g'on. Ifot. All this will perhaps be anfwered in due time : but from this let me lead you to France, where we find a long Trad of Civil Wars upon the account of Religion, and here you cannot pretend the King is a limited Sovereign; neither was this War managed by the whole States of France , but by the Princes of the Blood, with the Nobility of (bme of the Provinces ; and thefe began under Francis the Second, then about fix- teen years of Age, fo that he was not under Non-age: and tho they were profecuted under the Minority oiCharks the Ninth, yet the King of Navarre , who was Regent, and fo bore the King's Authority, was refifted : and after Charles was of age, the Wars continued, both during his Reign, and much of his Brother's^and did again break out in the laft King's Reign. The Prote- ctants were alfb owned and aflifled in thefe Wars, not only by the Princes of Germany, but by the three laft Princes who reigned in Britain. So here we have an undeniable mftance of Sub- jects defending Religion by Arms. See/^g. 454- Tofy. :>m§ ootf ed IcS The fir ft Conference. Poly. I mud again put my fe.lf and theco pany to a new penance by this ill underdo piece of Hiftory, which you have alledge- and tell you how upon Henry the Second's death Francis his Son, was under age by the Frenct Law 5 ( for which fee Thuan. lib. 1 6> ) which ap pointed the Regents power to continue till the Kmg was 22 years or age at lea ft, as had been done in the cafe of Charles the 6. which yet the Hiftory of that time faith, was a rare pnvi lege, granted him becaufe of his Gracefulnefs and the love was generally born him, whereas the year wherein the Kings were judged ca- pable of the Government was 25. Bat Francis^ tho under age, being everyway a Child, did kt away both the Princes of the Blood, the Con-] ftable and the A.dmiral from the Government J which he committed to his Mother, the Car- dinal of Lory am and the Duke of Guife. Upon this the Princes of the Blood met, and (em the King of Navarre who was the firft Prince of < the Blood, to the King, to complain of their ill 1 ufage: but tho he was much neglected at Court, yet his fimplicity was fuch, that he was eafily whedled out of his pretenJions.Upon this the Prince of Conde having a greater fpirit, and T >eing poor, thought upon other Courfes, and as it is related by Davda, tiki, gathered a meet- ing at Ferte, where he propoied the injury done The firfl Conference. 1 09 ione the Princes of the Blood,who in the mino- ity of their King were now excluded the Go- em ment:which,contrary to the Salick law^was «t in a womans hand , and trufred to Strangers : therefore he moved that ( according to the pra- lices of other Princes of the Blood, in the like" 2afes, which he adduced ) they might by arms lake good their right, andailume the Govern- nent in the Kings minority. But the Admiral ;onfidering well the hardmefsof the enterprife, aid, that another way muftbe taken to make ic licceed, which was, that fince France was full )f the followers of Cahin^who through the per- secutions they had lainunder,were now almoft lefperat, and had a particular hatred at the Bre- men oiLorrain as their chief enemies, therefore t was fit to cherifh them, and make a party of :hem, by which means affifiance might be like- wife hoped for from the Princes of Germany, and :he Queen of England : and to this advice all pre- (ent did yield. Upon this, faith Thuan>Uh.iQ> many Writings were publiihed, proving the Go- vernment of the Kingdom in the King's mino- rity to belong to the Princes of the Blood, and that by the Laws of Francs^ the Regents power was not abfolute, but to be regulated by the Af- fembly of the States, wherein many mftances of the French Law were adduced : and whereas it was alledged that the King was major at 1 $, whicft no The fir ft Conference. which was proved from an Edict of Charles thej Fifths this was fully refuted ; and it was (hewedj that notwithftandingof theEdid of Charles the Fifth, his Son was not admitted to the Govern- ment till he was full 12 years of age,and that in Tiis minority the Kingdom was governed by a Council of the Princes and Nobility, which wa< eftablifhed bv an Aflembly of the States. Ifhali not meddle further in the debate which was on both hands about the year of the King's ma joii ty, or the Power of the Princes of the Blood in his minority, but mall refer the Reader to the iixth Book ofche voluminous Hiftory of France, for that time, whole Author hath fupprefled hi< Name, where a full abftracl: of all the writing* that palTed on both fides about thefe matters ii let down : but this (hews how little your Friend* uhderftand the Hiftory of that time, who take ii for granted that Francis the Second was then .Major, fince it was the great matter in contro- verfie. But to proceed in my Accounts. Thefe grounds being laid down for a war,the Prince of Condi > as Thaan relates^ would noi openly own an acceffion to any defign, till ii fhould be in a good forwardneis, but trufted the management of it to one Renaudy, who the a Catholick by his Religion, yet drew a great meeting of Proteftantsto Nantes, in the begin- ning of February i anno 1560. where heftirrec then: The fir/i Conference. 1 1 1 hem up to arm : and in his Speech, after he had eprefented all the grievances, he added, that the ;reateft fcruples that ftuck with many, was the Ling's Authority, again ft which who (b rofelhe id rebel : and he anfwered, acknowledging the ibedience due to Kings , notwithftanding heir wicked Laws ; and that k was without loubt, that all who refifted the Power con fti- ated by G o d , refifted his Ordinance : but ad- ied, their refiftance was of thefe Traitors, who raving porTefled themfeives of the young King, lefignedthe ruin both of King and Kingdom. rhis then will clear whether they walked on the ^inciples of Subje&s refilling when perfecuced >y their Sovereign, or not. Upon this they defigned to have feifed on he King, but as it was to be executed, though t had been long carried with a marvellous ie- :recy, it was at length difcovered, and the ung conveyed to Amboife : and as the Pro- eftants were gathering to a Head, the King's forces came upon them, and defeated and (cat- ered them. But a little after this the King lied , in good time for the Prince of Conde; for lisacceffion to thefe Commotions being difco- 'ered, he was feifed on and fentenced to death ; >ut the King's death as it delivered him, did alio >ut an end to the queftions about the King's ma- onty, his Brother Charles the Ninths being a child, 1 1% The fir ft Conference. child, fo that the Regency was undoubtedly the King of Navarre his right ; yet not fo entire- ly but that the other Princes were to ihare with him, and the Affembly of the States to direcl him, as the Lawyers proved from the French Law. The confutation about the Proteftant* took them long up, and a fevere Edid paffed againitthem in July i $6 1. But in the January oi the next year a (blemn meeting was called of all the Princes of the Blood, the Privy Councilors and the eighth Parliament of France^ in which the Edid of January was pafled ; giving the Pro- tectants the free exercife of their Religion, and all the Magiftrats of France were commanded to puniih any who interrupted or hindered this li berty, which Edi& you may fee at length, Hift, d" Aubig.lib.i.>c.yi. But after this, as Davilajib.%. relates how the Duke of Guife coming to Faris did difturb a meeting of the Protefknts, fo that it went to the throwing of Stones, with one of which the Duke was hurt, upon which hede figned the breach of that Edi6t,and fo was the Author and Contriver of the following Wars, After this the Edi6fc was every where violated, and the King of Navarre united with the Con- ftable, and the Duke of Guife for the ruin of the Proteflants: upon which the Prince ok Condi, as the next Prince of the Blood, afferted the Edi&s a ib that the Law was on his iide: nei- ther The Fzrjl Conference, 14% ther was the Regents power abfblute or Sove- reign : and the Prince of Condi m his Manifejto declared, he had armed to free the King from that captivity thefe ftranger Princes kept him in, and that his defign was only to affert the au- thority of the late Edid, which others were violating. Upon this the Wars began, and ere the year was ended, the King of Navarre was killed: after which the Regency did undoubted- ly belong to the Prince of Condi And thus you fee upon what grounds thefe Wars began : and if they were after that continued during the majo- rity of that fame King, and his Succeflbrs, their Cafe in that was more to be pitied, than imita- ted : fb>r it is known that Wars once beginning, and Jealoufies growing ftrong, and deeply root- ed, they are not eafily fetled. And to this I inall add what a late Writer of that Church Sieur d'Ormegrigny hath (aid for them, in his reflexions on the Third Chapter of the Politicks of France : wherein he juftifies the Proteftants of France from thefe Imputations. What was done that way, he doth not juftifie, but chargeth it on the defpair of a lejjer Party among them, which -was dif avowed by the greater fart. And ihews how the firft Tumults in Fran- cis II. his time, were carried mainly on by Renaudy a Papift, who had Affociates of both Religions, He vindicates what followed from I the 144 Ike Firjl Conference. the Intereft the Princes of the Blood had in the Government in the minority of the Kings. And what followed in Henry III his time, he fhews, was in defence of the King of Navarre ,the righ- teous heir of the Crown, whom thofe of the League defigned to (eclude from his right. But after that Henry IV. had fetled France, he not only granted the Protectants free Exercife of their Religion., but gave them fbme Towns for their fecurity, to be kept by them for twenty years : at the end whereof the late King remand- ing them, the Protefrants were inftantto keep them longer , to which he yielded for three or four years : in the end, he wifely determined (faith that Gentleman ) to take them out of their hands. Upon which they met in an Aflembly at Rochel ; and tnofi imprudently, he adds, and againft their duty, both to God and the King, they refolded to keep them ft ill by force. But at that time there was a National Synod at Alais, where M. du Moulin prefided, who fearching into the po- fture of Affairs in that Country, where many of thefe places of ftrength lay,he found the greater and better part inclined to yield them up to the King : upon which he wrote an excellent Let- ter to the Affembly at Rochel, diflwading them from puriuing the Couri.es they were ingagmg in : where he ihe ws,it was the general defire of their Churches i tk#t it might pleafe God to continue peace The firfl Conference. 145- peace by their giving Obedience to the King ; and fence his Majefty was refolved to have thefe "Places in his own hands, that they would not on that ac- count ingage in a War. But that if Verfecution Was intended againfi them, all who feared God de- fer edit wight be for the Profeffion of the G off el, and Jo be truly the crofs ofChnik. : and therefore affured them the greater and better part of their Churches de- fer ed they would diffblve their meetings if it could be with fecurity to their Perfons. And prefles their parting from that Aflenibly, with many Argu- ments, and obviates what might be objected a- gainft it: And craves pardon totellthem^ They would not find inclinations in thofe of the Religion to obey their refolutions, which ?nariy of the befi quality % and greats f capacity avowedly condemned fudging that to fuffer on that account, was not to fujferfor the Caufe of God. And therefore exhorts them to depend onGod^mA not precipitate themfelves into Ruin by their Impatience. And he ends his Letter with the warmefr and ferventeft lan- guage imaginable for gaining them into his opi- nion. It is true, his Letter wrought not the deiired ErFed, yet many upon it deferted the meeting. Upon the which that Gentleman fhewsjthat what was then done, ought not to be charged on the Proteftant Churches of France^ fince it was condemned by the National Synod of their Divines , and three parts of four who were I 1 ol 146 The Firft Conference. of the Religion continued in their dutiful Obe- dience to the King, without ingaging in Arms with thofe of their Party. Amirald alio in his incomparable apology for thofe of the Reformed Religion, Setl. 1. vindicates them from the impu- tations of difloyaky to their Prince : and after he hath afferted his own opinion, that Prayers and Tears ought to be the only weapons of the Church, as agreeing belt with the nature of the Gofpel, and the practice of the firft Chriftians, he adds his regrates, that their Fathers did not crown their other Virtues with invincible Pa- ! tience,in fuffering all the Cruelty of their Perfe- cutors without refiftance, after the Example of the Primitive Church, by which all color of re- proaching the Reformation had been removed. Yet he mews how they held out during the Reign of Francis I. and Henry II. notwithstand- ing all the Cruelty of the Perfecution, though their Numbers were great. What fell out after that, he juftifies, or rather excufes (for be faith, he cannot fraife, but blame it ) on the Grounds we have already mentioned, of the minority of their Kings, and of the Intereft of the Princes of the Blood. And for the bufi- nefs of Renaudy in Francis II. his time, he tells how Calvin dilapproved it : and obferves from Thuan, that he who firft difcovered it was of the Reformed Religion, and did it purely from the The Fir/} Conference. 147 the Di&ate of his Conference. He alio (hews that the Proteftants never made War with a common Confent, till they had the Edi&s on their fide, fo that they defended the King's Au- thority, which others were violating. But adds withal, that the true caufe of the Wars, was reafon of State,and a Faction betwixt the Houfes of Bourbon and Gmfe : and the defence of the Proteftants was pretended, to draw them into it. And for the late Wars, he charges the blame of them on the ambition of fbme of their Gran- dees,and the fa&ious Inclinations of the Town of Rochel. And vindicates the relt of their Church from acceftion to them, whatever good wifhes the common Intereft of their Religion might have drawn from them,for thele whofe danger they fo much apprehended. And for the Affairs of our Britain, which was then in a great Com- buftion, for which the Proteftants were gene- rally blamed, as if the Genius of their Reli- gion led to an oppofition of Monarchy,he faith, ltrangers could not well judge of matters fo re- mote from them; but if the K ln S of England was bythe conftitutions ofthatlvingdom aSo^ereign Pnnce(which is a thing in which he cannot well offer a diciiion ) then he fimply condemn:) their railing a War againft him, even though that re- port which was fb much fpread of his deiign I to change the Reformed Religion fettled there, I 3 were 148 The Firffi Conference. were true. Neither are thefe opinions of Ami- raid to be look'd on as hrs private thoughts ; but that Apology being publifhed by the approba- tion of thefe appointed to licenfe the Books of the Religion, is to be received as the more com- mon and received Doclxine of that Church. And what ever approbation or affiftance the neighboring Princes might have given the Pro- teftantsin the latter or former Wars, it will not infer their allowing the Precedent of Subjects relifting their Sovereign, though perfecuted by him, fince it is not to be imagined many Prin- ces could be guilty of that. But the Maxims of Princes running too commonly upon grounds very different flom the Rules of Conlciencej and tending chiefly to strengthen themfelves, and weaken their Neighbors, we are not to make any great account of their approving or abetting of thefe Wars, And thus far you have drawn horn me a great deal of Difconrie for ju- stifying the Conformifts defign of vindicating die Reformed Churches from the Qodrine and Practice of Subicds rehfting their Sovereign, upon pretexts c\ Religion. Jfot, A little time may produce an Anfwer to all this, which I will noc now attempt, but ftudy thsfe accounts more accurately. But let us now come home to $:ctumd, and examine whether iheKing be an account): P) inec,or not? You know The Firfi Conference. i^q know well enough how Fergus was firft called over by the Scots, how many inftances there are of the States their coercing the King, how the King muft fwear at his Coronation to obferve the Laws of the Kingdom, upon which Alle- giance is (worn to him, fo that if he break his part, why are not the Subjects alio free, fince the Compact feems mutual ? I need not add to this, that the King can neither make nor abro- gate Laws, without the conlent of the Eftaces of Parliament, that he can impofe no Tax with- out them. And from thefe things it appears that the King of Scotland is a limited King, who as he originally derived his Power from their choice, fo is ftill limited by them, and liable to them, All which is at large made out by the Author of Jus populu Ba/iL Now you are on a rational Point, which I acknowledge deferves to be well difcufled, for if by the Laws of Scotland the King be liable to -his People, then their coercing him will be no Rebellion. But this point is to be determined not from old Stories, about which we have nei- ther Record, nor clear account for giving light how to direct our belief, nor from fbme tumul- tuary Practices, but from the Laws and Records of the Kingdom : and here the firft word of our Laws gives a fhrewd Indication that the King's Power is riot from the People, ( which is anno I 4 1004, 1 50 The Firft Conference. 1004, according to Sir John Sheen's Colle&ion of them:) King ^AalcomQ gave and distributed all his Lands of the Realm of Scotland among his men, a?id referred nothing in property to himfelf but the Royal Dignity, and the Mute-hill in the Town of Scone. Now I dare appeal to any Perfbn whether this be not the Stile of a Sovereign, and if this prove not the King ? s Title to the Crown to be of another nature, than that of a voluntary Com- pact i The next veitige is 60 be found in the Books or Regiam Majefiatem, held to be pub- liihed by King David I. Anno 1 1 24, and de- clared authenncal by following Parliaments, where the third Verie of the Preface is, That our tnofi glorious King having the Government of the Realm^ may happily live both in the time of Peace and of warfare, and may rule the Realm commit- ted to him by God 3 who hath no Superior but the Crea- tor of Heaven and Earth, ruler over all things, &c. And let the plain lenle of theie words tell whe- ther the King of Scotland, hath his power from the People, and whether he be accountable to any but to God ': It is alio clear that all were bound to follow the King to the Wars, and pu- nifhment was decree^ againft thofe who refuled u, fee the Laws of Alexander II. Cap. 15. and Jac. 1. Pari. 1. Cap. 4. Jac. 1. p. J 2. Cap. 57. And this ihews they were far from allowing War The Firfi Conference* 151 War againft the King. The Parliaments were alfo originally the Kings Courts,at which all his Vailals were bound to appear perfonally, and give him Counfel, which proving a burden to the finall Barons, they were difpenced with for their appearance in Parliament, i .Jac.ParLj.cap m 101. which ihews that the coming to the Par- liament was looked on in thefe days rather as an homage due to the King, than a priviledg be- longing to the Subje&s, otherwife they had been loth to have parted with it fb eafily. And 1. Jac.6. Pari. cap. 14. It is ordained that none re- bel againft the Kings perfon nor his Authority, and whofo makes fuch Rebellion is to bepunijljed after the quality and quantity of fuch Rebellion by the advice of the three Eftates. And if it happens any within the Realm openly or notorioufly to rebel againft the Kwg t or make war againft the Kings Liege s^gam ft his forbidding^ in that cafe the King is to go upon them with ajftjiance of the whole Lands } and to fttmfh them after the quantity ofthetrefpaf. Here iee who hath the Sovereign power,and whether any may take Arms againft the King's command : and the if. Ch. of that lame Pari, defines the points of Ti ea- fon.It is true by that A& thole who aflaultCaftles^ or Houfes where the King's perlon was, without theconientof the three Eirates,are to be punch- ed as Traytors : From which one may infer that the Eftates may bdiege the King ; but it is clear 1 5 z The Fir ft Conference. clear that was only a provifron againft thefe who in the minority of the Kings ufed to feize upon their Perfbns, and fo aflumed the Govern- ment : and therefore it was very reafonable that in fiich a cafe provifion mould be made, that it were not Treafbn for theEftates to come and beliege a place where the Kings Perfbn were for recovering him fromfuch as treasonably ieized on him. And this did clearly take its rife from the confuiions were in .that King's minority, whom fometimesthe Governor, fometimes the Chancellor got into their keeping,and fo carried things as they pleafed having the young King in their hands. The King is alfo declared to have full Jurifdi&ion and free Empire wichin his Realm, ^.Jac.Parl.^.cap.^o. And all along it is to be obierved that in auerting his Majcfties Prerogative Royal, the phrafes of ajjerting and acknowledging, but never of giving or granting, are ufed, io that no part of the King's Prero- gative is granted him by the Eftates, and Jac. 6. Farl.tt.cap. 129. his Majefties Royal Power and Authority over all Eftates, as well fpiritual as temporal, within the Realm, is ratified, ap- proved, and perpetually confirmed in the per- son of the Kings Majefty his Heirs and Succef- fors. And in the 1 5. Pari, of that fame King, Chap. 151. thefe words are, Albeit it cannot Ire denied , but his Majefty is a free Prince, The Fir ft Conference. 153 of a Sovereign Tower, having as great liberties and Prerogatives by the Laws of this Realm and Urivi* ledg of his Crown, and Diadem, as any other Ktng % Prince , or Potentate whatfoever. And in the 1 8. Pari, of the fame King, Ad. I. The Eftates and whole body of that frefent Parliament, all in one va- luntary faithful and united heart, mind and confent, did truly ac know ledg his 'Majefties Sovereign Au- thority, Princely Power, Royal Prerogative, and friviledg of his Crown over allEfiates, Perfons and Caufes within his faid Kingdom By this time I fup- pofe it is paft debate, that by the Trad of the whole Laws of Scotland, his Majefty is a Sove- reign unaccountable Prince, fince nothing can be devifed more exprefs than are the Ads I have cited. For what yon objected from the Coro- nation Oath, remember what was faid a great while ago, that if by the Coronation the King got his Power, fo that the Coronation Oath, and Oath of Allegiance were of the nature of a mutual ftipulation, then you might with fbme reafon infer that a failing of the one fide, did free the other;but nothing of that can be alledg- ed here, where the King hath his Authority, how foon the breath of his Father goes out, and ads with full Regal power before he be crown- ed ; fo that die Coronation is only a lolemn in- auguration in that which is already his right. Next ; let me tell you* that the King's (wearing ac 1 54 The Firft Conference. at his Coronation,is but a late pra&ice; and (b the Title of the Kings of Scotland to the Crown, is not upon the (Wearing of that Oath : And here I mall tell you all that I can find in our Laws of the King's {wearing or promifing. The firft inftance that meets me is, Chap. 17. of the Sta- tutes of King Robert the Second, where thefe words are, For fulfilling and observing of all the premifes, the King Jo far as concerns htm in his Parliament, hath obliged himfelf in the word of a Vrince,and his Son the Earl of Can iff (afterwards Robert the third ) being confiituted by the King for fulfilling of the premifes , fo far as touches him > gave and made his Oath, the holy Evangils being touched by him, and then the States of Parliament did alfo [wear to maintain the Earl of Carritt, made then Lieutenant under the King. Now the reafon why theie mutual Oaths were then given, is well known, fince the King's Succef iion was (b doubtful. But after that, no Oath feems to have been given : and tho K : ng James the Second his Coronation be fee down in the Records or Parliament, there is not a word of an Oath given by any in his Name. It is true in the 1 1. Pari, of that King, cap.41. for iecunng of the Crown-lands from being alienated, it is appointed, That the Kmg who then wdsfnould be fivorn\ and in like manner all his Succejf or s, Kings of Scotland into their Coronation, to the keeping of that Statute, The Firjl Conference. 155 Statute, and all the joints thereof. But this is not fuch an Oath as you alledg. Likewife in King James the Fourth hisReign,i.P^r/,C&.ia. where the Council wasfworn,it is added. And our So- vereign Lord hath humbled his Highnefto promit and grant in Parliament, to abide and remain at their Ccunfels 'while the next Parliament, But it is to be obferved, the King was then but 17 years old,and fo not of full age : this promife was alfo a temporary provifion. Befides , the very ftile of it mews, that it was below his Majefty to be fo bound. But the firft Act for a Coronation Oath lean meet with, is Cap&. of the i.Parl of King James the Sixth, An. 1567. where the (tile wherein the A& runs, fhews it was a new thing, it bearing no narrative of any fuch for- mer Cuftom : the words of the A& are, Item, becaufe that the increafe ofVertue and fupprejjlng of Idolatry craves, that the Prince and the people be of fine perfect Religion, which of COD'S mercy is now prejently profejjed within this Realm ; Therefore it isfiatute and ordained by our Sovereign Lord, my Lord Regent , and the three Efiates of this prefent Parliament, that all Kings and Princes, or Magi- ftrates whatfoever , holding their place } which hereaf- ter may happen to Reign, and bear Rule over this Realm,atthe time of their Coronation, and receipt of their Princely authority, make their faithful promife byOathj&c. Now you fee the beginning of the Coro- 156 The Fir ft Conference. Coronation Oath,and I need not here reflect on the time when that A<5fc paffed, it being fo ob- vious to every one. But I fuppofe it is made out, that the Kings of Scotland have not their Authority from any ftipulation ufedat their Co- ronation. The next thing you alledg to prova the King of Scotland a limited Prince, is, be- caufe he muft govern by Laws,which cannot be enacted without the Authority of the three E- ilates in Parliament: But this will not ferve turn, unlefs you prove that the Eftates can cognofce on the King, and coerce him if he tranfgrefs : for which there is not a tittle in our Laws. I acknowledg the Conftitution of Parliaments to be both a rational and excellent Model,and that the King becomes a Tyrant when he violates their Pnviledges, and governs without Law : • But tho his Miniflers who ferve him in fuch ty- rannical ways are liable to punifhment by the Law, yet himfelf is fubje& to none but GOD. And from our Kings their Juftice and goodnefs in governing legally by the Councils of their Parliaments,you have no reafon to argue againft their abfolute Authority; for their binding them- felves to fuch Rules, and being tied to the ob- fervance of Laws enacted by themfelves., will never overthrow their Authority, but rather commend it, as having fiich a temperature of Sovereignty, Juftice^ and Goodnefs in it. Jfot. The Firjl Conference. 157 Ifot. But was not King James the Third re- fifted and killed in the Field of StriveUng, and afterwards in his Sons firft Pari. Aft. 14. all who were againft him in that Field, were declared in- nocent, and his (laughter was declared to be his own fault, which was never refunded ? As alfb Caf.1%0. of Jac.6. VarlH. the Honour and Au- thority of Parliament upon the free Vote of the) three Eftates thereof is ailerted. And are not you animpugner of the Authority of the three Eftates,who plead thus for the King s Sovereign Power ? See Anfwer to the Letter 'written to the Author of Jus PopuIi. BafiL I mall not engage far in the Story of King James the Third,which even as it is repre- fented by Buchanan, hk 11. (no friend to Mo- narchy ) is very far from being justifiable on the fide of thofe who fought againft him : nor was it the leaft part of their guilt, that they for- ced his Son, being then but fifteen years old, to own their Rebellion : And what wonder was it, that they who had killed the Father, and kept his Son in their power, pafled fiich an Ad in their own favors ? But King James the Fourth quickly difcovered what a lincere Penitent he was for his Acceffion to that Rebellion, as ap- peared by the Iron Belt he wore all his life, as a penance for this fin : yet the meeknefs of his Spirited the power of that Faction, made that things 1 58 The Firjl Conference. things continued in the pofture they formerly were in. It is true, that Ad was not exprefly re- pelled, which perhaps was not fafe at that time to have attempted : but it was really done by his Revocation ratified in his 6. Pari. cap. 100. wherein with con lent of the three Eftates, He annuls and revokes aU Statutes and Acts of Parlia- ment which he had enacled in his former years, that tended either to the prejudice of the Catholic Church, bis Soul, or of the Crown, declaring them to have no forcejyut to he deleted ,and cancelled out of the Books. And it is not to be doubted,but in this he had an eye to that former Ad: : but for your Act. avert- ing the Authority of Parliament,look but what immediately precedes it, and you will find the King's Authority and Supremacy fully efta- blilhed : and I acknowledg, that whofoever- impugns the Authority of Pathament, as the King's Great Council, doth incur a very high puniihment;but this will never prove an Autho- rity in the States to coerce and refill the King. One thing I muft mind you of from that Aci, which is, That none of the Lieges muft prefume to impugn the dignity and Authority of the faid three E/tate<, ortofeek or procure the innovation, or diminution of the Vower and Authority of the fame three Eftates ^ or any of them in time coming, under the pam ofTreafon. And can you befo ignorant of our Laws, as not to know that the Church was The Fir ft Conference. Ij and they being his Minifters, do aft- as his De- puties : and the tie which lies on us to obey God 3 being the foundation of our fubje&ion to them, ic cannot bind us to that which over- throws it feif : Therefore it is certain God is firft to be obeyed ; and all the Laws of men which contradict his Authority or Commands, are null, and void of all obligation on our Obe- dience : but 1 0>uft add, it is one of the arts of you know whom^ to faiien Tenets on men who judge thefe Tenets worthy of the higheft Ana- thema, for if ic be maintained, that the Magi- ftrate can bmd obligations on our Confciences, then The Second Conference. 165 then it will be told in every Conventicle, that here a newTyranny is brought upon Souls,which are God's Prerogative, though this be nothing more than to fay we ought to befubjeBfor Conscience fake. If agam it be proved that the determining of the externals of Government or Worfliip, fails within the Magiftrate's Sphere, then comes in a new Complaint, and it is told, that here Religion is given up to the Lufts and Pleafure of men, though it be an hundred times repeated, that command what the King will in prejudice of the Divine Law^ no Obedience is due. If again it be proved that Church Judica- tories, in what notions foever, are fubje&s, as well as others, and no lefs tied to obedience than others,; upon this come in vehement out- cries, as if the Throne and Kingdom of Chrift were overturned and betrayed , with other fuch like Expreffions in their harm Stile. Whar is become of Mankind and of Religion, when Ignorants triumph upon thefe barren Pretences, as if they were the only Mafters of Reafbn, and directors of Confcience ? You know what my Temper is in moft differences: but I acknowledge my mind to be full of a juil difdain of thefe ignorant, and infolent Pedlers ; which is the more inflamed,, when I confider the Ruins, not only of (bund Learning, but of true Piety, and the common rules of Humanity, K 4 which 1 66 The Second Conference. which follow thefe fimple Contefts they make about nothing. Bafil. To {peak freely, Icherilh Reflexions no where, therefore I ihall not conceal my mif- like of thefe Inve&ives, which though I am for- ced to confefs, are juft ; yet I love to hear truth and peace pleaded for with a calm ferene Tem- per : and though the intolerable and peevifh railings of thefe Pamphlets do juflifie a fevere Procedure, yet I would have the fofter and mild- er methods of the Gofpel ufed, that (6 we may overcome evil with good. To take you therefore off that angry engagementjet me invite you to a fober Examen of the Magift rates Authority in things Divine. But before this be engaged in^ let it be firft considered whether there be any Legiflative Power on Earth about things Sa- cred : and next, with whom it is lodged. Ifot. I will to far comply with your defires, that for this once without retaliating, I quit to Tbilarchem the laft word of fcolding. But to come to the purpofe you have fuggefted, consi- der that Chnft hath given us a complete Rule, wherein are all things that pertain to Life and God- linefs. Ic is then an Imputation on his Gofpel, to fay any thing needs be added to it, and that it contains not a clear direction for all things ; therefore they accufe hisWifdomorGoodnefs, who pretend to add to his Laws, and wherein he The Second Conference, \ 6j he hath not burthened our Conferences : what tyranny is it to bind ay oak upon us which our Fa- thers were not able to bear ? Whereby as our Chriftian liberty is invaded, Co innumerable Schifms and Scandals fpring from no other thing fb much,as from thefe oppreflions of Con- fcience 3 which arefb much the more unjuft,that the impofers acknowledging their indifferency, and the refufers fcrupling their lawfulnefs, the peace of the Church is facrificed to what is acknowledged indifferent : neither can any bounds be fixed to thofe impofitions ; for if one particular may be added, why not more and more ftill, till the yoak become heavier than that of Mofes was ? which is made out from ex- perience: For the humor of innovating in divine matters having once crept into the Church, it never ftopp'd till it fwelled to that prodigious bulk of Rites, under which the Roman Church lies opprefled. And belides all thefe general confederations, there is one particular againft fignificant Rites, which is, that the inftituting of them in order toa particular lignification of any Grace, makes them Sacraments, according to the vulgar definition of Sacraments, that they are the outward figns of an inward Grace: but the inftituting of Sacraments, is by the confef- fion of all, a part of Ch rift's Prerogative, fines he who confers grace, can only inftitute the figns 1 68 The Second Conference. figns of it. Upon all thefe accounts, I plead the Rule of Scripture to be that which ought to determine about all divine matters, and that no binding Laws ought to be made in divine things wherein we are left at liberty by G O D, who is the only Mailer of our Conferences. See from fag. 17%. to pag. 1 80. Phil. You have now given me a full Broad - fide, after which I doubt not but you triumph as if you had mattered me all to pieces : but I am afraid you mail find this Volley of chained Ball hath quite miffed me^and that I be aboard of you ere you be aware.No man can with more heam- nefi acknowledgthe compleatnefs of Scripture than myfelf: and one part of it is, that all things which tend- to Order, Edification and Peace be done 5 and the Scene of the World alter- ing fc, that what now tends to advance Order, Edification, and Peace, may afterwards occa- sion difbrder; deftruchon and contention, the Scripture had not becrn compleat, if in thefe things there were hoc an Authority on Earth, to make and unmake Laws in things indifferent. Iacknowledg the adding of new pieces ofworfljip, hath (o many inconveniencies hanging about it, that I mould not much patronize it : but the determining of what may be done,either in this or that faihion to any particular Rule, is not. of that nature : Thereforc ; iince Worlhip mull: be in The Second Conference. j 69 in a certain pofture, a certain habit, in a deter- minate place,and on fuch times, ail thefe being of one kind ; Laws made about them upon the accounts of order, edification, or peace, do not pretend to prejudg the perfection of Scripture, by any additions to what it prefcribes; finceno new thing is introduced : Indeed did humane Law-givers pretend that by their Laws thefe things became of their own nature more ac- ceptable to GO D, they mould invade GO D's Prerogative ; but when they are prefcnbed only upon the account of Decency and Order, it is intolerable peevifhnels to call a thing indif- ferent of its nature, unlawful, becaufe com- manded : For the Chriftian liberty confifts m the exemption of our Conferences from all hu- mane yoak, but not of our actions, which are ft ill in the power of our Superiors, till they en- join what is finful, and then a greater than they is to be obeyed. I acknowledge the fimplicity of the Chriftian Religion is one of its chief Glo- ries, nothing being enjoined in it but what is moii properly fitted for advancing the Souls of men towards that wherein their bleiTednefsdoth confift : And therefore I never reflect without wonder, on that Cenfure Ammian Marceltin, a Heathen Writer, gives of Conftantius* That he confounded the Chriftian Religion , which was of it felf $ure and fiwpkjmth doating Cuprftition$i So 1 70 The Second Conference. So I freely acknowledg that whofbever intro- duce new parts of Worfhip, as if they could commend us to GOD, do highly encroach on GOD's Authority, and man's Liberty. But as for the determining of things that may be done in a variety of ways into one particular form, fuch as the preferring a fet form for WorJhip, the ordering the pofture in Sacraments, the habit in Worihip, determinate times for com- memorating great mercies, the time how long a Sinner muft declare his penitence, ere he be admitted to the ule of the Sacraments, and the like ( which is all in queftion among us ) they are quite of another nature. And it is a ftrange piece of nicety, if in thefe things, becaufe Su- periours command what feems moft proper for expreffing the inward fen(e we ought to have of things, that therefore thefe injunctions be- come criminal, and not to be obeyed. For the figmficancy alledged to be in them, is only a dumb way of expre/fing our inward thoughts ; and as we agree to exprefs them by words, fo fbme outward figns may be alfb ufed : as by fackcloth the penitent exprefleth his fbrrow, and by a Surplice a Church- man exprefleth his purity ; lb thole habits are only a fiient way of jpeaking out the fenfe of the heart. Only here on the way, if you have a mind to eale your fpleen a liccle, read what that late Pamphlet faith The Second Conference, 171 faith, to prove a diftin&ion betwixt thefe two Ceremonies, pag.m. That vulgar Sophifm of making Sacraments, is the pooreft Cavil imagi- nable: for a Sacrament is a federate Rite of ftipulating with G O D, wherein as we plight our faith to GOD, fo he vifibly makes otter of his Gofpel to us, which he accompanies with the gracious effufions of his Spirit : and indeed to inftitute any fuch Rite, were the higheft en- croachment on the divine Authority : But what Sophiftry will faften a pretenfion to this on the inftitution of a Right, which ihall only lignifie that Duty a creature ows his Maker and Redeemer, tending both to quicken the perfbn that performs it to a fence of it, as alfo to work upon Spectators by fuch a grave fblemn Rite ? To fay Men can inftitute means of conveying , the divine Grace,is juftly to be condemned; but how far differs it from that, to ufe figns, as well as words, for expreffing our duty to GOD? Thus you fee how ill founded that pompous Argument is, with which we have heard many triumphing among Ignorants, or where none could contradict them. Crit. If I may have liberty to add a little, I would fuggeft fomewhat of the true Notion of Chrifiian Liberty ,and how it is to be made ufe of^ or reftrained. For the clearing whereof.we are to call to mind how upon thefirft promulgation of 171 The Second Conference. of the Gofpel, a Contention did early rife abou the obfervation of Mofes Law, the ftipulation I whereto was given in Circumcifion; the Judai- \ %ers pleaded its continuance, and the Affiles I aflerted the Chrifiian Liberty : the JudaizersprQ- I tended a divine Obligation from Mofes his Law; the Apoftles proved that was now vacated by the death of CHRIST, which freed all from that Yoak, and that therefore to be circumcifed,as a ftipulation to Mofes's Law, was to continue fub- jecl: to that Yoak,and (b to deny the Mejfias was yet come, by which CHRIST mould, profit them nothing. But the authority of? aid and Barnabas not being great enough to fettle that Queftion, they were fent from Antioch to the Apoftles, %xi& Presbyters at Jerujakm, who deter- mined againft the neceffity of Circumcifion, and confequently of the obfervation of the Mofaical Law, and appointed that thefe who were profelyted from Gentiliftm to the Chriftian Faith, mould be received, not as Profelytes of Juftice, but as Profelytes of the Gates, who were only bound to obey the ieven Precepts of the Sons of Noah; which I ftand not to make our, it being fufficiently cleared already by others. Here then the Chriftian Liberty was ftated in an exemption from the Law of Mofes. But for all this, we fee into what compliances the Apoftles confented, for gaining upon the Je ws by that con- The Second Conference. 173 condefcenfion,^they Circumcifej they Purine ( which was done by fprinkling with the allies of the red Cow ) they take the Vows of No- z,arifm , they keep the Feafts at Jerufalem ( which I wonder how that Pamphleteer could deny, fag. 301. it being mentioned exprefly, ABs 18. 21.) and upon the whole matter Saint Vaul gives the following Rules and A£ fertions. The firft was, that thefe things did not com- mend a Man to GOD: Ferthe Kingdom of GOD conffied not in meat and drink, ( which clearly relates to the Mofaical differencing of Meats* clean and unclean ) that neither Circumcifion nor tmcircumcifion availed anything. And if nei- ther branch of that Controverfie did of its own nature commend men to GOD; what judg- ments may we pafs on our trifling wranglings ? Whence we may infer, that we ought to in- fix U& ail Chrifiians in the Faith > but not in thefe doubtful Difputations. The next Aflertion is., That even in thefe matters men might be acceptable toGOD, on which fide fbever they were, fb they judged what they did was done to GOD, He that made diftin&ion of DaySiOr Meats, made it to the LORD; and he that regarded them net to the LORD 3 he regarded them not. So that GOD may be acceptably ferved by leveral men 174 The Second Conference, men doing things contrary one to another. Another Rule is, That in thefe things every Man muftbe fully perfuaded in his own mind, and proceed out of a clear conviction in his Confcience. A fourth Rule is., That in thefe matters none ought to prefcribe or dictate to another: fuch as had a liberty in them, were not to defpife the fcrupulous,as unreafbnabie ; neither were thefe who fcrupled at them , to judg fuch as acted in a higher Sphere of Liberty, as profane or li- centious : Co that all were to be remitted to G O D's Judgment Seat. Another Rule is, That for the Peace of the Church, many things which are otherwife fub- jed to great inconveniencies, may be done for the gaining our Brethren : but if fuch compli- ance harden people in their imperious humor, what was formerly to be done for gaining up- on them, becomes unfit when lo abufed by them ; and therefore if after we have complied with the weak exceptions of others, in matters indifferent, they become ib hardy as to prefume upon our goodnels to invade our Liberty, by enjoying fuch things as neceffary, pretend- ing to an authority over us ; we are not to give place by fubjeBion to fuch, no not for an hour. The lalt Rule is, That in matters of indifferent cy, we are to poftpone our own inclinations or deures The Second Conference. tff defires, when the hazard of our brother's {tum- bling, or of the Peace of the Church lies in our way. All thefe are fo clearly aflerted by S. Paul 3 and withal are fb oppofite to our prefent HeatSj that I wifh they were more minded by thetrou- blers of our Ifrael, and they would certainly give a fpeedy decifion to thefe Feuds about doubtful difputations, which have lb long prey- ed on the Peace of the Church. Bafel. And I am fure if fo great a Compliance may be given to the weaknefs of our brethren, much more is due to the commands of our Su- periors ; except you fay, we are more fubjecT: to equals than to Superiors, or that the weaknefs of a Brother mould weigh more than the autho- rity of a Father : And in fine, that the Obliga- tions of Charity mould be more prevalent than thofe oijufike ; Obedience being a debt we owe* whereas Compliance is a Benevolence given. I do not deny but great caution and tendernefi muft be ufed in making of fuch Laws, and that their fitnefsfor attaining the ends of order , edi- fication and feace> mould be well confidered a and they no longer adhered to,than thefe effects can be drawn from them : fo that if the nature of Circumftances which vary all things indiffer- ent, come to change, the fame reafon that ex- acted their being hrft impofed, will plead a L change* 176 The Second Conference. change. I alfb acknowledge, that great abufe hath followed upon the innovating and prefcri- bingin Divine matters ,and that nothing hath oc- cafioned more divifions among Cbrtfiians, than the overftraining an Uniformity. Bat if becaufe of abufes you over- turn all Legjflative Power in matters facred, nothing that is humane fhall {cape your fury, fince every thing is fubjecl: to abufe. And nothing will curb ones Career till he turn Quaker, that follows thefe Maxims. But one thing is ftili forgotten, that the diclates of Reafots are in their kind the Voice of God ; Reafon being nothing, fave an imprefs of the Image of God on the Soul of man ; which be- caufe much obliterated by the Fall, was to be fuppliedby Revelation: but wherein it remains clear, its directions not contradicting any pofi- tive or revealed Law, are frill to be followed as the Laws of God. Folj. For proving all this, I fhall not run fb far back as to examine the nature of the Vrieft- hood, and. Sacrifices were before Mofes, to confi- der whether thefe flow 'd from a Revelation con- veyed by Tradition ,or from the diclates of Reafon? But after Mofes his Law was given, wherein all was modelled by Divine prefcript, yet what a vaft heap of additions did flow upon that woi fhip before our Saviour's days, all that have written on the Temple fervice do abundantly difcover. Here The Second Conference. jyy Here is a Field fpacious enough for any that de- fined a vain mew of much reading, but a view of Doclor Lightfoofs Temple- Service will quickly convince any, that the whole Service of the Temple was interpalated by many Additions, whofe firft Author cannot be traced. They al- io ufed Baptifm to all who were profely ted from Gentilifin. And in thtVafchal Fefiivity alone, how many new Rites do we find ? Every School- boy may know that they had a Dim, called Cha~ rafetb, which was a thick Sawce of Dates, Figs, Almonds, &c. pounded together, which looked like Clay, to mind them of the Clay in which their JFathers wrought in Egypt, which was a fignificative Ceremony ; and was the Difli wherein they dipped their hand, which we find was-not wanting in our Lord's PafTover ; which proves fignificant Rites, tho of humane ap- pointment, cannot be criminal And if to this I mould add the feveral Gups of Wine, the di- vers removes of the Table, and covering it of new, the frequent warning of their hands, and divers other things, I fhould grow tedious. But our Lord never reproves thefe things ; nay^ on the contrary he lymbolized with them. It is true, when their Zeal for their Traditions made them break the Commandments of 'God , or adhere fo ftifly to them, as to judge the Con- fidences of fuch as did not comply with them in L % she? lyS The Second Conference. the ufe of them, then he checks their Hypocri- fie, and accufes them, not for the ufe of thefe things, but becaufe they placed all Religion in them, and impofed the Precepts of men as do- drines. To this I might add the whole frame of the Synagogues, both as to Government, Difct- fline and IVor(hip: for whatfbever fcraps may be brought which may feem to prove there were Synagogues before the Captivity, which yet is much controverted ; yet the form of Government in thern>the rules of Excommunication ,and its de- grees, together with their Philafieries, and let forms ofJVorjlrip, will never be proved from Seri- fture. Now iince the Law of God was no lefs perfed in the Old Di/penfation, than the Gojfiel is now, it will follow that Additions in things purely external and ritual, do no way detract from the Word of God : For nothing can be brought to prove the New Teftament a com- plete Rule for Chriftians, which will not plead the fame full authority to the Old Teftament, during that Di/penfation ; fince though the Dif- fenfaticn was imperfect, yet the Revelation of God to them* was able to make them perfect and throughly furnished foe every good work : and the Scriptures which S. Faul iaith, were able to make wife to falvation, can be no other than the Old Teftament writings. For befides that by Serif nre s nothing elfe is underftood intheivw Tefta- The Second Conference, iy^ Teftamnt, there could be no other Scripture known to Timothy of a Child, but thefe of the Old Teftament. If then they trefpafs upon the au- thority of the New Teftament, and its bleiled Author, who aflert a Power to determine about Rituals in Worfhip,or other matters of Religion \ they committed the fame Cnmo who pretend- ed to add to what Mofes prefcribed, fince he Was alfb faithful in all hk houfe. Or i f any plead a Divine Warrant for thefe Inftitutions which were traditionally^ conveyed, this will open a door for all the pretences of the Roman Church, fince the Expreffions that cancel Traditions, are as full in the Old Teftament, as in the New, And thus far I think I have evinced., that there were great additions in Rituals made by the Jews, and that thefe were not unlawful, fince com- plied with bv him who never did amifs, and' yet thefe could have no higher original than hu- mane Authority. I go on to the New Diftenfa- tion, wherein I doubt not to evince, that as for rituals^moft of thefe they found in the Synagogue were retained, without any other change than what that Di/penfation drew after it, and chat they took both the Rules of Government, Wor- fhip and Difcipline from the Synagogue. The re- fore the Epiftles do not, when treating of thefe matters, {peak in their Stile, who are inftitu- ting new things ; but of thofe who are giving L % ding- i8o The Second Conference. directions about what was already received and known : For if new rules had been to be deli- vered, the Inftitution had been exprefs, either in the Gojpels, ABs> or Epiftles. Now if any will read thefe without prejudice, no fuch thing will appear: of which manner of Stile, no account can be given ; but that things, as to Rituals con- tinued as they were, the u(e of the Sacraments being only inftituted by ChriB^ where the Language of an Inftitution is exprefs. About two hundred years after Chrift, out- ward Penitence was brought into the Church, and fcandalous Perfbns were, according to the nature of Scandals, debarred from the Sacra- ment for a long (pace, and were by degrees, and according to the heighth of their Penitence, re- ceived to the Communion of the Church, but not after fbme years had pafled in outward pro- feffions of Penitence: and the modelling of this became after that, the chief Care oi Synods for divers Centuries. Now if one will argue, that though it be true a fcandalous Perfon mould be excommunicated ; yet fince God hath mer- cy at whatfoever time a Sinner repents, fb fhould ths Church ( which only judgeth of the Profeffion j forgive at whafbever time one pro- Feffeth Penitence. It will not be eafie in your Principles to aniwer this : and fee how you will clear this practice of Difcipline from Tyranny, fince The Second Conference. \ 8 1 fince to debar men from the Sacraments, is a greater dominion over Confciences than thg determining about Rituals. But to come nearer home, there was a certain Society you have heard of } 'clef ed the Kirk, which had divers Books of Difcipline containing rules for that, and a Directory for Worlhip, which had no few rules neither : they had alfo a frame of Government.the Supreme Judicatory where- of was compofed of three Mmifters, and one ruling Elder from each Presbytery, a ruling Elder befide from each Burroughs two being allowed the Metropolis, and a Commiffioner was fent from each Univerfity; and in this High Court the King came in with the Privi- lege' of a Burgh: for though the Metropolis had two, he was allowed to fend but one with a fingle Suffrage to reprefent him ; and this Courc pretended to an Authority from Chrift, and their Authority was Sacred with no left certi- ficate, than he that defpifetb you ) defpifkth me. Now how a Power can be committed to dele- gates without any Commiffion for it from the Superior, will not be eafily made out. And they will fearch long ere they find a Divine Warrant for this Court, unlefs they vouch Mary MitcheU fons Tefiimony for it, whole hyfterical Diftern- pers were given out for Prophehes. And where- as they are fo tender oiCbnfitan Libert] ,that no L 4 Law i8x The Second Conference. Lawmuft pafs about the Rituals of Religion,yet their Books of Difcipline and Model of Govern- ment, were not only fetled by Law, but after- wards fworn to be maintained in the Covenant, wherein they (wore the Trefervation of the Re- formed Religion in Scotland, in Doffrine, IVorfhip, Difcipline and Government. Thefe were the ten- der Conferences that could not hear of any Law in matters indifferent , and yet would have all fwear to their Forms, many of which they could not but know were indifferent: which was a making them neceflai y at another rate, than is done by a Law which the Legiflator can repeal when he will : and never were any in the world more addi&ed to their own Forms than they were. An inftance of this I will give, which I dare fay will furprife you : When iome defigners for popularity in the Wefiern parts of that Kirk, did begin todifufe the Lord's Prayer in Worfhip, and the finging the Conclufion or Doxology after the Pjalm, and the Mmifiers kneeling for private Devotion when he entred the Pulpit, the General Ajjembly took this in very ill part, and in a Let- ter they wrote to the Presbyteries, complained fadly,Ofa Spirit of Innovation was begmnmg to get tnto the Kirk } andto throw theje laudtble practices out of it, mentioning the three I named, which are com- mandedto be ft ill pracli{ed\ and fuch as refufed obedi- ence } are appointed to be conferrd with m order to the giving The Second Conference. 183 giving of them [atisfaBion : andif they continud un- traceable, the Presbyteries were to proceed againfe them^ they Jhouldbe anfiverable to the next general Ajjembly. This Letter I can produce authenti- cally attefted. But is it not ftrange, that fbme who were then zealous to condemn thefe Inno- vations, mould now be carried with the herd to be guilty of them ? I am become hoarfe with fpeaking fo long, and fo 1 niuft break off, hav- ing, as 1 fuppofe, given many great Precedents from Hiftory for the uiingof Rites in divine mat- ters > without an exprefs Warrant, and for paffing Laws upon thefe, and have cleared the one of Superftition, and the other of Tyranny. End. Truly, all of you have done your parts fo well, that even Ifotimm himfelf feems half convinced : It is then fully clear, that as no- thing is to be obtruded on our Belief without ciear revelation ; (o no facred duty can be bound on our Obedience without a Divine Warrant : but in Rituals, efpecialiy in determining what may be done in a variety of ways to one parti- cular Form, there hath been, and ftill muft be,a Power on Earth ; which provided it balance all things right, and confider well the fitnefs of thefe Rites, for attaining the detigned end, doth not invade God's Dominion by making Laws about them : Nor will the pretence of Chrifiian Liberty warrant our Difbbedience to them. i &4 The Second Conference. them. It remains to be considered, who are veiled with this Power, and how much of it be- longs to the Magiftrate, and how much to the Church. Bafil. I now engage in a Theme which may perhaps lay me open to cenfure, as if I were courting the Civil Powers by the afferting of their rights : but I am too well known to you to dread your jealoufly much in this ; and I am too little known to my (elf, if flattery be my foible. I mall therefore with the greater! frank- 'nefs and ingenuity, lay open my fenfe of this matter, with the Reafons that prevail with me in it : but I dciire firft to hear Ifotimtts his opi- nion about it. Ifot. I do not deny the King hath Authority and Jurifdi&ion in matters Sacred : but it mult be ailerted in a due line of Subordination : Firft, to Chrifi the King of Kings, and the only Head of his Church. And next, to the Ru- lers and Office bearers of the Church, who are entrufted by Cbrift, as his Arnbaffadors, with the Souls of their Flocks, and who muft give him an account of their Labors ; therefore they muft have their Rules only from him who empowers them, and to whom they are fubjed: : They muft aifb have a Power among them to prefervethe Chrifiian Society ; in order to which, they muft,accordingto the practice oftheApofiles, when The Second Conference. 18^ vhen difficulties emerge, meet together, and :onfiilt what may be for the advancement of the Zhriflian Religion ; and whofb refufeth to hear :he Church when fhe errs not from her Rule, he is to be accounted no better than a Heathen and a Vublican. And fince the Church is calied one body, they ought to aflbciate together in meet- ings, feeing alio they have their Power of Chrift, as Mediator, whereas the Civil Powers hold of him as he is God, they have a different Tenor, diftind: Ends, and various Rules ; therefore the Authority of the Church is among the things of God, which only belong to him. And indeed Chriftians were very ill provi- ded for by Chrift, if they muft in matters of Religion be fubjed to the pleafure of fecular and carnal Men, who will be ready to ferve their own Interests at the rate of the Ruin of eve- ry thing that is Sacred. It is true, the Civil Towers may and ought to convocate Synods to confult about matters of Religion , to require Church-men to do their duty, to add their San- ctions to Church Laws, and to join with the founder part for carrying on a Reformation But all this is cumulative to the Churches intrinfick Tower 3 and not privative ; fb that if the Magi- ftrate fall fhort of his duty, they are notwkrt- ftanding that, to go on as men empowerd by Jefas Chrift, and he who deffitfeth them ( be his qua- 1 8 6 The Second Conference. quality what it will) defpifeth him thatfent them. See p. 105. to p. 109. and p. 467. top . 486. Bafil. In order to a clear progrefs in this matter, I {hall firft difcufs the nature and power of the Church, by which a ftep fhall be made to the Power the Magifirate may pretend to in mat- ters Sacred. The Apoftles being lent by Jefus Chrift, did every where promulgate the Gofpel, and required fuch as received it, to meet often together for joint Worihip, and the free profef fion of the Faith, wherein they were particular- ly obliged to the ule of the Sacraments. The Apoftles,and after them,all Church-men, were alio endued with a double Power: The one was declarative for promulgating the Gofpel : the other was directive, which properly is no pow- er; and by this they were to advife in fuch mat- ters wherein they had no warrant to command: SoS. Paul wrote (6 me times his own fenfe, which he did by pcrmiffion, and not by commandment , only he advifed, as one that had obtained mercy to be faithful. But becaufe Chnfi was to be in bis Church to the end of the World, the things they had heard were to be committed to faithful men, that they might be able to teach others. All Church men being thus the Succeffois of the Apoftles, they are veiled with a Divine Autho- rity £qt (blemn publishing the Gofpel ; but with this odds from the Apoftles, That whereas they were The Sec en J Conference. i 87 were infallible s their SucceJJ'ors are fubjeB to error. And the power of Church-men confifts formal- ly in this, that they are Heralds of the Gofpel : and by their preaching it,a foiemn offer of it is made to all their hearers, which to defpife, is to deffife him that fent them. But in this power they are bound up to the Commiffion they have from God,fo that what they fay beyond that, is none of the divine Meflage. Yet becaufe many par- ticulars may fall in, about which it was impof- fible Rules could be given, they have a directive Authority, which if it be managed as S.Fauldid, we need fear no tyrannical impofition from it. And therefore in thefe matters their definitions are not binding Laws, but Rules of advice : for in matters wherein we are left at liberty by God, if Ghurch-men pretend to a Dominion over our Souls, they make us the fervants of Men. And indeed it is the rnoft incoherent thing imaginable/or thefe who lay no claim to Infallibility, to pretend to abfolute obedience. It is true, the Laws of peace and order bind us to an aflbciation,if we be Chriftians : and there- fore we ought to yield in many things for peace : but fince we are all a Royal Friefihood, why Church- men fhould pretend to Authority or Junididion, except in that which is ex- prelly in their Commiffion, wherein they are ' purely Heralds,, I do not fee. Jt is true, Chri- ftians 1 8 8 The Second Conference. ftians ought to affemble for Worfhip,but for the aflociations of Churches in Judicatories, I can- not imagine in what corner of the New Tefia- fiammt that fliall be found : In which I am the more con firmed. fince all the labor of that Pam- phleteer from p 1 1 6.to i 44.conld not find it out. For it is a itrange Method to prove a divine Warrant, becaufe fbme reafons are brought to prove it muft be lb : to have cited the words, where a morter and clearer method of proof; fince to prove that fuch a thing mult be, and yet not to jhew that it is, is only to attempt a- gainft the Scripture, for being defective in that which it ought to have contained. But if the phrafe of one body conclude a proof for Aflocia- tions, then fince the Body includes all Chri- ftians, the whole faithful muft meet together in Councils. For where have you a difference in that betwixt the Clergy, and the faithful Laicks? But here yielding your Laick Elders of divine Inftitution, and to have from G O D an Au- thority of Ruling,as well as the Minifters have, then why do they not all come to Presbyteries ? And why but one deputed from them ? Was not this an Encroachment on them ? For if they have from CHRIST a power to Rule, as well as Minifters,why mould not all the Elders meet in Presbyteries and Synods, as well as Mi- nifters ? And why but one Elder from every Pref- The Second Conference. 1 89 Presbytery, when three Minifters goto the Na- tional Synod ? For it is folly to fay,becau(e Mi- nifters have a power of teaching, therefore in Presbyteries and Synods the Elders muft only equal their number, and in National Synods be near half their number: for that will only fay that in matters of do&rine the Elders mould be quite filent^but in matters of difcipline^why all mould not come if any have a right from Chrift, will not be proved. And is not this to Lord it over your Brethren ? And do not your Minifters thus tyrannize over their Elders? But thereafonof it was vifible, left the Elders had thereby got the power in their hands, had they been the plurality in the Judicatories: which was well e- nough forefeen and guarded againft by your Clergy, who though they were willing to ferve themfelves of them for a while,yet had no mind to part with their beloved Authority. But for Synods, if the obligation to them he from die unity of the Body, then nothing under an OE- cumenical one will anfwer this, which yet is limply unpra&icable. Now as for your National Synods,, it is vifible they are and muft be framed^ according to the divifions of the World in the feveral Kingdoms : for according to the Rjfes I are pretended from Scripture (tell the Church /fe v binding and loofing of fins , or the like) it follows -that Parochial Congregations^ and the Paftors 190 The Second Conference. in them>are verted with an authoritative power: now why they mould be made to vetign this to the plurality of the Church-men of that Kingdom, will be a great Achievement to prove in your Principles.For why mall not a Pa- rochial Church make Laws within it felf ? And why muft it renounce its priviledg to fuch a number of Church-men caft in fuch a Claflisby a humane power ? As likewife, where find you a divine Warrant for your delegating Commit fioners to Synods ? For either they are Plenipo- tentiaries^ iuch as go upon a reftri&ed depu- tation, but fo as their Votes beyond their Com- * miffion fhall (Tgnifie nothing, till they return and be approved by thofe who fent them ; if they go with a full power, affign a Warrant for (uch a delegation, or that many Church-men may commiffionate one in their name,and that what mall be agreed to by the major part of thefe delegatesjhall be a binding obligation on Chri- ftians : and yet I know you wili think the Inde- pendents carry the Caufe, if it be (aid that the appointments of thefe fuperiour Courts have no authority till ratified by the inferiour, which will refolve the Power into the inferiour Courts. By all which I think it is clear abundantly, that the affbciations of Churches into Synods^cannot be by a divine Warrant. But I muft call in fbme relief, for I grow weary of (peaking too long. End, The Second Conference. t§i Eud. I fuppofe none will deny the aflbcia- tion of Churches to bean excellent mean for preferving unity and peace:but to aflert a divine original for them^methinks^is a hard task ; and truly toailert the divine Authority of the major part which mud be done according to the prin- ciples of Presbytery, is a thing fuller of Tyran- ny over Conferences, than any thing can bg feared from Epiicopacy ; fince the greater part of mankind being evil, which holds true of no fort of people more,than of Church-men, what mifchiefrnay be expected if the plurality muft decide all matters ; And to (peak plainly J look on a potion of Phyfick as the beft cure for him, who can think a National Synod, according to the model of Glafgow, is the Kingdom oiChrift on Earth, or that Court to which he hath com- mitted his Authority, for he feems beyond the power orconvi&ion of Reafon. Crk. The Scripture clearly holds forth an au- thority among Church-men, but vifibly re- firi&ed to their Commiffion, which truly is not properly a power refiding among^them > for they only declare what the Rule of the Gofpel is ; wherein if they keep clofe to it, they arc only Publiihers of the Laws of CHRIST: and if they err from it,they are not to be regarded.: It is true, the adminiftration of Sacraments' is appropriated to them, yet he that will argus M this I t)i The Second Conference. this to have proceeded more from the general rules of Order, the conftant practice of the Church, and the fitnefs of the thing, which is truly futable to thedi&ates of Nature, and the Laws of Nations ; than from an exprefs pofitive Command, needs much Logick to make good his attempt. It is true,the ordaining of Suc- ceflbrs in their Office belongs undoubtedly to them, and in trying them, Rules are exprefly given out in Scripture, to which they ought to adhere and follow them: but as for other things, they are either decifions of opinions, onrules for pra&ice. In the former their authority is purely to declare, and in that they ad but as Men, and we find whole Schools of them have been abufed ; and in the other, they only give ad- vices and dire&ions, but have no Junldidion. It is true, much noife is made about the Council o£Jerufalem,p. 106, as if that were a warrant for Synods to meet together. But firft, it is clear no command is there given, fb at moft that will prove Synods to be lawful, but that gives them no authority, except you produce a clear Command for them, and obedience to them. Next,what Arrange wrefting of Scripture is it, from that place to prove the fubordination of Church Judicatories ? for if that Council was not an OEcumenical Council, nor a Pro- vincial one, which muft be yielded, fince we fee nothing The Second Conference. %$% nothing like a Convocation ; then either Paul and Barnabas were fent from Antioch } &s from one fifter Church to ask advice of another; and if fb, it proves nothing for the authority of Synods, fince advices are not Laws:or Antioch fent to Je~ rufalem,zs to a Superior Church by its conftituti- on^which cannot be imagined : for what autho* rity could the Church of Jerufakm pretend over Antioch ? And indeed had that been true, fbme veftige of it had remained in Hiftory; which is fb far to the contrary,that the Church of 'Jerufakm wasfubordinate to the Church of Cefarea, which was Metropolitan in Pakftine,wzs fubjed: to An- tioch,the third Patriarchal Sea. It will therefore remain that this was only a reference to the other Apoftles, who befides their extraordinary en- dowments and infpiration, were acknowledged by all to be men of great eminency and autho- rity : and therefore the authority of Paul and Barnabas not being at that time fb univerfally acknowledged, they were fent to Jerufakm^ where S.James wasrefident, and S. Peter oqcz- fionally prefent. Now the Authority of the Decree muft be drawn from their infallible fpi- rit ; otherwife it will prove too much, that one Church may give out decrees to another. But will the Apoftles mutual confulting or confer- ring together, prove the National conftitution, and authority of Synods or Affemblies ? M % ftly. 1^4 The Second Conference. Voly. All that hath been (aid illustrates clear- ly the practice of the jr^^arnon-g whom as the High-Prieft was poflefled with a Prophetical Spirit, which fbmetimes fell on him by lllapfes, as apears from what is (aid of Caiaphas ; and fbmetimes from the mining of the Stones in the Pectoral, called the Urim and Thummim ; fo the Trie 'fi s and Levites being the chief Truftees and Depohtaries of the Law, Their lips were to pre- ferve kno7vkdg, und the Law was to be fought at. their mouthy yet they had no Legiflative Autho- rity : they had indeed a Court among them- felves, called the Tarhedrim s made up of the heads of the Orders, and of the Families ; but that Court did not pretend to Jut iidiclion, but only to explain things that concerned the Tem- ple- worfliip: nay, the High-Prieft was fo re- ihi&ed to the King and Sanhedrim ,that he might not confult the Oracle without he had been or- dered to do it by them : neither do we ever hear of any Laws given out, all the Old Teftament over, in the name of the Priefts: And in the New Teftament, the Power fit feems) was to be managed by the body of the faithful, as well as by Church- men. It is true, the Apoftles were clothed with an extraordinary power of binding and loofing of fins ; but no proofs are brought to juftifie the pretences to Jjurifdi&ion that are found among their SuccefJors. For in the Efifih to The Second Conference. tpy to Corinth ,the Rules there laid down, are addreC fed to all the Saints that were called to be faithful: fo aifo is the Epifile to xk&Thefjalonians, where he tells them to note fuch as walked diforderly, and have no fellowjhip with them ; which are mre wd grounds to believe that at fir/l all things were managed Parochially, where the faithful were alfo admitted to determine about what occur- red: but for Synods,we find not the lealt veftige of them before the end of the iecond Century, that Synods were gathered about the Contro- verfie concerning the day of Eafier; and the fol- lowing Aflociations of Churches, jliew clearly, that they took their model from the divifion of the Roman Empire, and fb according as the Pro- vinces were divided, the Churches in them did affociate to the Metropolitans, and became fub- ordinate to them, and t-hefe were (ubordinate to the Patriarchs ; by which means it was that the Bifbops o[ Rome hid the precedency, not from any imaginary derivation from St. Peter : for had they gone on fuch Rules, Jerufakm where our Lord himfelfwas,had undoubtedly carried it of all the World : but Rome being the Imperial City, it was the See of the greateit Authority. And no fboner did Riz>antium creep into the dignity of being the Imperial City, but the Biihop of Confiantinopk was made fecond Pa- triarch, and in all things equal to the Biihop of M % Rom§i 196 The Second Conference. Rome, the precedency only excepted. Much might be here laid for proving that thefe Synods did not pretend to a divine Original, though afterwards they claimed a high Authority, yet their appointments were never called Laws, but only Canons and Rules, which could not pretend to a Jurifdi&ion. BafiL But that I may not feem to rob the Church of all her Power, I acknowledg that by the Laws of Nature it follows,that thefe who unite in the fervice of GOD, muft be warranted to affociatd in Meetings to agree on generals Rules,and to ufe means for preferving purity and order among themfelves,and that alllnferi- ours ought to fubjed themfelves to their Rules. But as for that brave diftin&ion of the Churches Authority, being derived from CHRIST as Mediator, whereas the Regal Authority is from him as GOD, well doth it become its inven- tors, and much good may it do them. For me, I thinkjthac CHRIST'S aflerting, that all pwer m heaven and m earth was given unto him ; and his being called, The KING of Kings >and LORD of Lords, make it as clear as the Sun, that the whole OEconomy of this World is committed to him as Mediator : and as they who died before him, were faved by him, who was flam from the foundation of the -world: fo all humane authority was given by vercue of the fecond Covenant, The Second Conference* 107 Covenant, by which mankind was preferred from infallible ruin* which otherwife it had in- curred by Adams fall. But leaving any further enquiry after fuch a foolifh nicety, I go now to examine what the Magifirates Tower is in matters of Religion : And nrft, I lay down for a Maxim, That the externals of WorflriptOr Govern- ment > are not of fuch importance, us are the Rules of Juflice and Peace, wherein formally the Image of GOD conjtfts. For CHRIST carne to bring us to GOD : and the great end of his Gofpei, is, the affimilation of us to GOD, of which, ju (lice, righteoufiiefs, mercy and peace make a great part. Now what facrednefs (hall be in the out- wards of Worfhip and Government, that thefs muft not be medled with by his hands ; and what unhallowednefs is in the other, that they may fall within his Jurifdidion, my weakness cannot reach. As for inftance, when the Ma- gistrate allows ten per cent of intereft, it is juft to exad it ; and when he brings it down to fix per cent, it is oppreffion to demand ten per cent; fb that he can determine feme matters to be juft or unjuft by his Laws : now why he mall not have fuch a power about outward matters of Worfhip, or of the Government of the Church, judg you ; fince the one both in it felf, and as it tends to commend us to God, is much more important than the other. It is M 4 true 198 The Second Conference, true, he cannot meddle with the holy things himfslf ; for the Scripture rule is exprefs, thart men be feparated for the work of the Minifiery : And without that feparation, he invades the Altar of GOD, that taketb that honor upon him, without he be called to it. But as for giving Laws in the externals ofReligion,! fee not why he may not do it, as well as in matters Civil. It is true, if he contradict the divine Law by his com- mands, GOD is to be obeyed rather than man. But this holds in things Civil, as well as Sacred. For if he command murder, or theft, he is un- doubtedly to be difbbeyed, as well as when he commands amifs in matters of Religion. In a word, all Subjects are bound to obey him in every lawful com mand. Except therefore you prove that Church- men conftituted in a Synod are not Subjeds,they are bound to obedience, as well as others : Neither doth this Authority of the Magiftrateany way prejudge the power Chrift hath committed to his Church : For a Father hath power over his Children, and that by a divine Precept, tho the Supreme Authority have power over him, and them both i fo the Churches authority is no wav inconfiftent with the Kings Supremacy. As for their Decla- rative Power, it is not at all fobjed: to him, only the exercife of it, to this or that perfbn, may be fufpcnded : For liicethe Magiftrate can baniftn his The Second Conference. 199 ■his Subje&s, he may well filence them : Yet I : acknowledg if he do this, out of a defign to drive the Gofpel out of his Dominions, they •ought to continue m their duty, notwithstand- ing fuch prohibition ; for GOD mufb be obey- ed rather than man. And this was the cafe of the 'Primitive Biftjops, who rather than give over the feeding their Flocks, laid themfelves open to Martyrdom. But this will not hold for war- ranting turbulent peribns, who notwithstand- ing the JViagiftrates continuing all encou- ragements for the publick Worihip of GOD, chufe rather than concur in it ( tho not one of an hundred of them hath the confidence to call that unlawful ) to gather fepa rated Congrega- tions, whereby the flocks are fcattered. Phil, Nay, finceyouare on that Subjed, let me freely lay open themifchief of it : It is a di- rect breach of the Laws of the Gofpel, that re- quires our fblernn affernbling together, which mufl ever bind all Chnftians,till there be fbme- what in the very conliitutions of thefe Affem- blies, that renders our meetingin them unlaw- ful : which few pretend in our cafe. Next, the Magift rates commanding thefe publick Af- fembties, is certainly a clear and luperadded ob- ligation,which mud bind all under fin, till they can prove thele our Meetings for Worfhip un- lawful. And as thefe leparated Conventicles are 200 The Second Conference. are of their own nature evil, fo their effe&s are yet worfe, and fuch as indeed all the ignorance and profanity in the Land is to be charged on them : for as they diflblve the union of the Church, which muft needs draw mifchief after it, ib the vulgar are taught to defpife their Mi- nifters, and the publick Worlhip, and thus get loofe from the yoak. And their dependence on thele leparated Meetings, being but preca- rious, as they break away from the order of the Church, fo they are not tied to their own or- der : and thus betwixt hands, the vulgar lofe all fenfe of Piety, and of the Worlhip of GOD. Next, in thefe feparated Meetings, nothing is to be had but a long preachment, (6 that the knowledg and manners of the people not being look'd after, and they taught to revolt from the fetled Difcipltne, and to ditdain to be citechifed by their Pallors, ignorance and profanity mull be the fore effed: of thefe divided Meetings. And in fine, the difufe of the LORD\ Supper is a guilt of a high nature ; for the vulgar are taught to loath the Sacrament from their Mini- fters hands, as much as the Ma(s : and preach- ing is all they get in their Meetings ; fo that what in all Ages of the Church hath been looked on, as the great cherilhing of Devotion and true Piety and the chief preferver of Peace among GhriftianSj is wearing out of pra&ice with our new The Second Conference, %q i new modelled Chriftians. Thefe are the vi- fible effects of feparating pra&ices : But I lhall not play the uncharitable Diviner, to guefs at the fecret mifchief fuch courts may be guil- ty of. Bafil. Truly, what you have laid out is Co well known to us all, that I am confident Ifoumus himfelf muft with much fbrrow acknowledg what wicked Arts thefe are that lome ufe to diflocate the Body of Chrift, and to facrifice the interefts of Religion to their vanity, humor, or perhaps their fecular interefts. But I hold on my defign, and add, that if the Magistrate encroach on God's Prerogative, by contradict- ing or abrogating divine Laws, all he doth that way, falls on himfelf But as for the Churches Direblive Power 3 fince the exercife of that is not of obligation, he may command a furceafe in it. It is true,he may fin in (b doing ; yet cafes may be wherein he will do right to di (charge all Allo- cutions of Judicatories, if a Church be in (iich commotion, that thele Synods would but add to the flame : bat certainly he forbidding fuch Synods^ they are not to begone about, there being no pofitive command for them in Scri- pture, and therefore a difcharge or them con- tradicts no Law of God, and fo cannot be diP obeyed without fin : and when the Magi ft rate allows of Synods, he is to judg on whether fide in 202 The Second Conference. in cafe of differences, he will pafs his Law : nei- ther is the decifion of thefe Synods obligatory in prejudice of his authority ; for there can be but one Supream ; and two Coordinate Powers are a Chymcera. Therefore in cafe a Synod and the Magiftrate contradid one another in mat- ters undetermined by GOD, it is certain a Synod fins if it offer to countermand the Civil Autho- rity, fince all mud be fubjed to the Powers that are,of which number the Synod is a part ; there- fore they are fubjed: as well as others. And if they be bound to obey the Magiftrates com- mandsjthey cannot have a power to warrant the fubje&s in their difobedience, fince they cannot fecure themfelves from fin by fuch difobs- dience. And in the cafe of fuch countermands, itisindifputable the Subjects are to be determin- ed by the Magiftrates Laws, by which only the Rules of Synods are Laws, or bind the con- fciences formally ; iince without they be autho- rized by him.thev cannot be Laws ; for we can- not ferve two Mafters, nor be fubject to two Legiflators. And thus, mechinks, enough is laid for clearing the Title of the Magistrate in exatlmg our obedience to his Laws in matters of Re- ligion. Cnt. Indeed, the congefting of all the Old Teflament offers, for proving the Civil Powers their authority in things facred, were a task of time: The Second Conference. 103 ime : And firft of all, that the High Prieft night not confult the Oracle, but when either lefired by the King, or in a buiinefs that con- cerned the whole Congregation, is a great ftep to prove what the Civil Authority was in thofe matters. Next, we find the Kings of Ju- dah give out many Laws about matters of Re- ligion : I fhall wave the inftances of David and Solomon, which are fo exprefs^ that no evafion can ferve the turn, but to fay they afted by im- mediate Commiffion, and were infpired of GOD. It is indeed true, that they had a par- ticular direction from GOD. But it is as clear, that they ena&ed thefe Laws upon their own Authority, as Kings, and not on a Prophetical Power. But we find Jehofljaphat^ i Cbr. 1 7. v. 7. (end- ing to his Princes to teach in the Cities o£Ju- ■dah, with whom alfo he lent Prieft s and Le- vites, and they went about and taught the peo- ple. There you fee fecular m en a ppointed by the King to teach the people : he alfo,2. Cbr. 1 9. g. 5. fet up in Jerufalem a Court made up. of Levttesy Prieft^ and the chief of the Fathers of 1ft rael 3 for the judgment of the LORD, and for the contr over fie s among the people ; and names two Prefidents, Amanah the chief Pneft to he over them tn the matters of the LO RD, and Z*e- badiabfor all the Kings matters. And he that will 104 The Second Conference. will confider thefe words, either as they lie in themfelves, or as they relate to the firft in- ftitution of that Court of feventy by Mofes, where no mention is made but by one Judicato- ry, or to the Commentary of the whole Wri- tings, and Hiftories of the Jews, mall be fet beyond difpute, that here was but one Court to judg both of facred and fecular matters. Tt is true, the Priefis had a Court already mention- ed, but it was no Judicatory, and medled only with the Rituals of the Temple.The Levites had alio, as the other Tribes, a^ Court of twenty three for their Tribe, which have occafloned the miftakes of feme places among the Jewifflj Writings: but this is fo clear from their Wri- tings, that a very overly knowledg of them will fatisfie an impartial Obferver. And it is yet more certain, that from the time of Ez,ra, to the deftru&ion of the Temple, there was but one Court, that determined of all matters both Sacred and Civil ; who particularly tried the Priefts, if free of the blemimes which might caft one from the fervicey'and could cognofce on the High Prieft, and whip him when he failed in his duty. Now this commixtion of thefe matters in one Judicatory, if it had been lb criminal, whence is it that our LORD not only never reproved fo great a diforder, but when Convened before them, did not ac- cuse The Second Conference. 2oj :u(e their conftitution, and anfwered to the High Pricft when adjured by him ? Likewife, when his Apoftles were arraigned before them, they never declined that Judicatory, but plead- ed their own innocence, without accufing the conftitution of the Court, though challenged upon a matter ofdo&rine. But they 3 good men, thought only of catching Souls into the Net of the Gofpel, and were utterly unacquainted with thefe new coined diftinclions. Neither did they refufe obedience, pretending the Court had no Jurifdi&ion in thefe matters, but be- caufe it was better to obey GOD than Man 5 which faith, They judged Obedience to thae Court due , if it had not countermanded GOD. But to return to Jehojhaphat, we find hint conftituting thefe Courts, and choofing the perfbns and empowering them for their workj for he conftituted them for Judgment and for Con- troverfie; fo that though it were yielded, as ic will never be proved, that two Courts were here inftituted, yet it cannot be denied, but here is a Church Judicatory conftituted by a King, the perfons named by him, a Prefident appointed over them, and a truft committed to them. And very little Logick will ferve to draw from this, as much as the Ads among us ? aflerting the King's Supremacy yield to him. Next* iq6 The Second Conference. Next, We have a clear inftance of Hez,ekiah,, who, l Chron.^o. ver. i. with the Counfel of bis Princes, and of the whole Congregation , made a decree for keeping the Pafiover, that year on the fe* cond Month, whereas the Law of GOD had affixed it to the firft Month, leaving only an exception, Numb. 9.I0. for the unclean, or fuch as were on a journey, to keep it on the fecond Month. Npon which Hez,ckiah with the San- hedrim and people, appoints the Pafsover to be entirely caft over to the fecond Month for that Year. Where a very great point of their Wor- ship ( for the d.iftin&ion of days was no fmall matter to the Jews) was determined by the King, without asking the advice of the Priefts upon it. But that you may not think this was peculiar to the King of Ifrael, I mall urge you with other inftances : When Ezra came from Artaxerxes, he brings a Com million from him, Ezra ch. 7. 's Pre- cepts,neither in their natural nor intended fi£- nification, they are to be obeyed, whatever the grounds xi 8 The Second Conference. grounds were for enacting them, which is only the Magiftrates deed/or which he fliall anfwer to GOD. Poly. This calls me to mind of two Stories not impertinent to this purpofe : The one is of Julian the Apoftate, who to entangle the Chri- ftians, that never (crupled the bowing to the Emperors Statue, as a thing lawful, caufed to fet up his with the Images of fame of the Gods about it, that (uch as bowed to it, might be un- derftood, as (likewife ) bowing to the Images : which abufed fomeofthe hmpler: but the more difcerning refuted to bow at all to thole Statues, becaufe he intended to expound that innocent bowing to his Statue, as an adoration of the Gods about it. A Chriftian likewife being brought to the King of ' Perjia, did according to the Law bow before him ; but when he un- derllood that to be exacted as a divine Honor to the King, he refufed it. End. This is clear enough that all a&ions are as they are' imderftood, and accordingly to be performedjor ilirceafed from. But it feems mores difficult to determine what is to be done in cafe a Magistrate enact wicked Laws: Are not both Ins Subjects bound to refufe obedience ; and the Heads of the Church, and the watchmen of Souls likewife to witnefs againft ic ? And may they not declare openly their difhke of fuch Laws The Second Conference. , 219 Laws or pra&ices,and proceed againft him with the cenfares of the Church ? fince as to the Cen- iiires of the Churchy we fee no reafen why they fhould be dilpenfed with re (peel ofperfonsj which S. James condemns in all Church Judicatories. Bafil. I mall not need to repeat what hath been fb often faid, that we mufi obey GOD rather than wan: if then the Magistrates enjoyn what is di- rectly contrary to the divine Lan> } all are to re- ^ fufe obedience, and watchmen ought to warn their Flocks againft fuch hazards ; and fiich as can have admittance to their Princes, or who have the charge of their Con fciences, ought with a great deal of fincere freedom, as well as humble duty, reprefent the evil and finfulnefs of fiich Laws : but for any Sj 'nodical Convention, or any Declaration againft them,no warrant for that doth appear; and therefore iftheMagi- ftrate fhalliimply difcharge all Synods J cannot lee how they can meet without fin. But for Pa- rochial meetings of Chnftians for a fblemn acknowledgment of GOD, fuch Aflemblings for divine Worfhip, being enjoined both by • the Laws of Nature, and Nations, and particu- larly commanded in the Goipel, no confidera- tion can free Chnftians from their Obligation, thus to allemble for Worfhip : if then the Ma- giftrate iliould difcharge thefe or any part of them, fuch as Prayer, Praifts, and reading of Scrip- a i o The Second Conference* Scriptures, preaching the Gofpel, or the ufe of the Sacraments, they are notwithftanding all that to be continued in. But for the consul- tative or diredive Government of the Church, till a divine Command be produced for Synods or Difcipline, it cannot lawfully be gone about without or againfl his authority, Cnt. For refufing obedience to an unjuft command^ of furceafing vilible Wbrfhip, the inftance of Daniel is fignal : who not only con- tinued his adorations to Q O D, for all Darius his Law ; but did it openly, and avowedly, that (b he might own his fiibje&ion to GOD. But for reproving Kings, we fee what caution was to be oblerved in it ; fince GOD (ant Prophets with esprefs Commiffions for it in the Old Terrament : and Samuel notwithftanding this fevere meflage to Saul, yet honored him be- fore his people. It is true, there Ifiould be no re- jpe£fc of perfbns in Chriftian Judicatories : but that is only to be understood of thefe who are fubjecl to them : and how it can agree to the King who is Supream, to be a Subject, is not eafily to be comprehended. Since then honor and obedience is by divine precept due to Ma- gistrates, nothing that invades that honor, or detracts from that obedience, can be lawfully attempted againfl them : (uch as is any Church- cenfure or excommunication. And therefore I can- The Second Conference. 2.0 1 cannot fee how that pra&ice of Amhrofe upon TheodoJim 3 or other later inftances of fome Bi- fhops ofRowe, can be reconciled to that. Render fear to whom fear , and honor to whom honor is due. Phil. I am fore their practice is far lefs jufti- fiable, who are always preaching about the Laws and times to the people, with virulent reflections on King, Parliament and Council : much more (uch as not content with flying diP courfes, cfcrby their writings, which they hope fhall be longer lived, ftudy the vilifying the per- ions, and affronting the authority of thefe GOD hath fet over them. And how much of this fluff the Prefs hath vented thefe thirty- years by paft, fuch as knew the late times, or fee their writings, can beft judge. Eud. Now our difcourfe having dwelt lb long upon generals, is to defcend to particu- lars : That we may examine whether upon the grounds hitherto laid down, the late tumults, or the prefent Schifms and divifions can be jufti- fied, or ought to be cenfured ? I know this is a nice point, and it is to be tenderly handled, left all that mall be (aid be imputed to the fug- geftions of paffions and malice. Wherefore let me intreat you who are to bear the greater part of that difcourie, to proceed in k calmly, that it may appear your deiigns are not to lodge infamy on any party or perfbn, but (imply to lay izz The Second Conference. lay out tilings as they are: hoping withal, that you will not take your informations of what you fay from the tatles of perfons concerned, hut will proceed on true and fine grounds. And that we may return to this wifh the greater compofednefs of fpirit ; let our ferious thoughts be interrupted with fbme chearfuller diversions : for our fpirits are now coo far engaged to fall upon fuch a Head. Ifot. You have a great deal of reafbn to guard your Friends well when they are to fall upon fuch matters, left they iin againft the ge- neration of GOD's Children. For my part, I am not afraid to enter on a difbuffion of thefe things, and doubt not to make it appear how the LORD's work was finally carried on by his faithful Servants, and that he himfelf ap- peared in it, even to th^ convi&ion of all be- holders. If there were any either of the Church or State, who covered their own bad defigns, under thefe pretences, that makes not the caufe a whit the worfe : for CHRIST cbofe twelve, and one of them had a Devil. Phil. Were I at prelent to fall a canvafing thefe things ,1 doubt not I mould quickly make all your Plumes fall off: but I am willing at this time to break offour Conference : for this point will neither be fbon difpatchednor eafily mana- xuged ; therefore we (hail now part with an ap- point- The Second Conference. %zj pointment to meet next day in thirfame place after Dinner. Bafil. I believe none of us are fo weary of another, or of the Difcourfes we have toiled thefe two days, that it is needful to apprehend any will fail of being here at that hour: there- fore* good ilight to you all. ijot. Be fure, I fliall keep it,tfan unavoidable excufe detain me not. Adieu. Crit. For me and Volyhifior, though it is lilc3 we {hall not have great occafion of bearing our fhare in your Dileourfe, yet we will not fail to be here. Eud. I cannot exprefs my fenfe of the Ho- nour you do me, in making this place ftill hap- py with fo many good Company, and Co much pleafant Difcourfe: and therefore you may aflure your felves, I will wait for your return* not without impatience. And io I bid you ail a good night. O THE 3M THE THIRD CONFERENCE. Ifotimus. E are again as good as our word in keeping this ap- pointment, and I hope we fhall be no lefs exad in ob- ferving the Rule we con- cluded laft night of tem- pering our paflions ; only I muft guard you againft the miftaking my zeal I may exprefs for paffion : remember who faid, The zeal of thy houfe hath eaten me up y who alfo fcourged the buyers and fellers out of the Temple. Eud. I confefs, I want not my fears of fome heat and excels in this days Difcourfe : but I will crave leave to check it on what fidefoever it appear, I know there is a holy zeal for GOD, which will inflame a devout mind. But its fire is mild and gentle, free of bluftering and difbr- der : and that rage which is in many, for fome Parties or Opinions, and againft others, being as The Third Conference. 225 as void of knowledg as of Charity, ought not to pretend to Chrift's Example, unlefs they be likewife a&ed by his Spirit. A diligent fearch will quickly difcover, if our motives and ma- xims have a tin&ure of his lowly meek and felf denying fpirit in them. And certainly if our zeal be for GOD, it will take its degrees from the proportion of its Obje&s. It is there- fore a Pbarifaical pretence to own a zeal for fbme fmaller matters, which have fcarce been thought upon by the whole feries of Chriftians in all Ages, till of late, when we are fb cold in the defence of Peace, Charity, obedience to thofe over us, and the Unity of the Church : which are great, certain, and indifpenfible Du- ties. That zeal likewife which tranlports a man unto unjuftifiable heats of railing againft parti- cular perfbns, and appears in a bitter humor of dull jeering, and bold detraction, hath no rea- fon to fhroud it felf under the Example of CHRI S 7*s holy zeal ; who tho in the fpirit of a Zealot, having proved his divine Miffioa and authority by Miracles, he whipped the defilers of the Temple out of it ; yet that difpenfation wherein fuch practices were not unufaal from extraordinary perfbns, being now changed into the new one,whofe diftingmftiing Character is Charity, we are to bridle all the motions of diftempered heat, left theefie&s © % of 2i6 The Third Conference* of it be as unjuftifiabie as it felf is. For it is to be confidered, that the proper characters of the Gofpel Spirit, are not devotion towards GOD, or zeal for his truths, which were common both with the Religon traditionally conveyed from Adam, and Noah, and that which was de- livered to Mofes; but that which CHRIST hath made the cognifance of his Difciples, is, That they love one another, whereby all muft know them to be fuch. And therefore all thefe who difcover a fpirit of hatred, rage, and ma- lice at thefe, of whom they cannot deny but they may be Chrijt\ Difciples, prove themfelves to be void of his Spirit. Now, I[otimus, what endlefs complaints could I here make of fome you know of, who are perpetually trafficking to make all who differ from them odious, who catch up every Tattle they hear that may de- fame them, and are fure to fpread it as far as either their Tongue or Pen can reach : nor are they Niggards of their additions tothem,to make them (well bigger. With what marvel- lous joy do they fuck in an ill report ? and tho it be but dubioufly related, they will be fure to vent it as the greatefl truth in the World. And when the flock of Reports fails them,then they break in upon their Magazins of Forgeries : and here is an endlefs Trade. Sometimes they will piece up things as incoherent as the Rags of The Third Conference. 227 of a Beggars Cloak, and mew either their pre- tended intelligence , or profound fagacity, to fmell out bad intentions. If they can fix no* thing on their Adverfary, then that he is an Hypocrite, or a DiJJ'embler, comes well to ferve all purpofes, and to defeat the beft intentions : And, oh! but the jealoufies of Popery andje- fuitical practices, work wonders on their Be- lief! Indeed, Sir, I muft tell you freely, 1 ies a Spirit ftirring among us, which I look upon as tin&ured wich the deepeft dye of Antichri- fiianifm, and fo Void of the common impref fions of good nature and civility; but much more of his Image, who will have us learn of him, in that he is meek and lowly, that really a Man had as well live among Scythians and Bar- barians, as among fuch Wafps and Vipers. Every thing is alike for their malice. Do fome that differ from them live in a franker way, thefe are fure to be called licentious and profane* Are q- thers more fevere, filent, and retired, who ex- prefs a contempt of the world with all its enjoy- ments, thefe muft pals forPapifts,Juglersand Hypocrites; and their beft actions muft be lam- ed wich the worft Cenfures. Again, if we treat them foftly with gentlenefs and refpccl:, then they are infblenc, and impute fuch ufage to our diftruftof our own Opinions^and a forced value of their way. And if we ule a little more fre&- O 3 dom z 1 8 The Third Conference. dom to (peak home, and difcover their weak- nefs and perverfhefs to them,then they rage and fome, and call us Blafrhemers ; and apply all the threatnings againft mockers of GOD and Piety, to fuch as (hall ofFer to unmask them, or difclofe any of their follies* If thefe in Autho- rity coerce them, nothing is to be heard but complaints of perfection, and revilings, and evil furmifingi : But will gentle courfes molhfie their hearts ? No, not fo much as to be grateful or civil to thole to whom they ow them : but they will be fure to obferve how GOD binds up the hands of the wicked,and how marvelloufly he prote&s his own : and all the favor ihewed them will have no better character than a very mean andfcant act of Juftice, elicite by a vifible State converiiency 3 if not necejfity. See p .49?. You know of whom I mean, and how juftly appli- cable thefe Characters are to them : and that they are not the dreams of an extravagant fancy; but true, though imperfed defcriptions of what every one lees to be among us. Ifit. I am heartily forry to find you the firft that fwei -yes from your own Rule, and to hear you engage in a Difcourfe fo unlike your felf,at leaft fb different from the character is conceived of you: thefe in vedives being fitter for the Au- thor of the friendly Debate, the Scribler of the Dia- legues, or the Ajjerter of Ecckfaft'ical Tolicy, who have The Third Canference, ^29 have mortally wounded Religion, and all the profeffions and expreffions of it, under a pre- tence of unvailing the Pbarifaical fpirit. And indeed you are now in the fame Tra6t, your defign being to charge all the faithful fervants of C H R IS T 3 with this tatling, whifpering, and cenforious temper ; becaufe perhaps feme idle people who own a kindnefsfor thefe Opi- nions, but really are of no principles, may be guilty of thefe ways. Eud. I befeech you, wrefl not my words be- yond my defign, and their meaning. I charge not the whole Party with thefe Arts: yet that there is too great compliance given to them, and too little freedom ufed againft them, by too many,may without unjuftice, or breach of Cha- rity, be averred : but thedifelofing of thefe is (b far from injuring Religion , that I know nothing io proper tor recovering the World from the jealoufies thefe Arts have occafioned at it,as the unmasking of that Spirit ; that fb the amiable and lovely viiage oitrue Reltgion may appear ia its own luftre,and free of thele falfe Colors fome unjuft pretenders to it, have call: over it: and therefore thefe Writings you mention, feem to have purfued a noble Defigri, which (hall not want its reward. But remember I make a vaft difference betwixt the being of an Opinion,and the purfuing all thefe crooked and wicked O 4 pra- 2,30 The Third Conference; ^radices for its defence, which I have laid be- fore you. At the former, I have no quarrel : for knowing how fubje<5t my felf is to miftakes, I cenfure and judg none for their Opinions, till they ftrike at the foundations of Faith, or a good life : And (b do not only not charge all your Party with thefe imputations, but know a great many of them who are very free of them: but that many are too guilty of them, is what your felf dares not deny. And how much of that temper appears in the late Pamphlets, I leave with every rational Reader to confider : for it is not worth the whi le for any of us to fit down ,and eanvafs them all. But how guilty are moft of you in this which you here blame me unjuftly for, which is the charging a Party with the efcapes, how great orfignal ioever, of fome individuals. For to undertake the Patrociny of every man in every Party, is that which none in his right wits will do : To deal therefore equally with you, I neither think your Party nor ours, culpable for the faults of lome particular perfons. Bat, Sir, when a perverfe detracting Spirit gets in to chefe who pretend highly, certainly they ought to be told it, ahii that roundly too. For you know the greateft danger to Relig-ion, is to be appre- hended horn the leaven of the Scribes and fhari- fees ; iince open and diicermbie faults do not lb much prevail ror infedhng tk&Qbrffiw Societies, as The third Conference. 231 as thefe fecret and more eafily palliated errors, Confider therefore a little what was the righ- teoufhefs of the Pharifees, and what was their leaven, and fearch for it ; left it yet leaven you^ and left your righteoufnefs exceed not theirs. The Pharifees prayed often, and long, both in the Synagogues , ftreets , and widows houfes ; they ftudied the Law exa&ly, and had a great reverence for Mofes and the Prophets , and much zeal againft blajfhemers, falfe teachers and hereticks : They were ftrid obfervers of the Sab- bath, and were careful to prepare for their Pajf- cver [olemmties : They had great refped: for the opinions oft heir Ancefiors : They looked grave and folemn : They fafied often 9 and gave tythes of all they had : Their outward deportment was not only clean, but beautiful : They were zealous to gain Profelytes, and expreffed a tenderneft of cow- jcience, even in the fmalleft matters : They wqtq careful to avoid all converfe with profane or wicked perfbns. In a word, they had many things, which to a vulgar and le|s difcerning eye, made a fair {how in. the fleih. But with all this, they wera proud, and exalted in their own conceits, fb that they del piled ail other perfbns ; They were Magiftenal, and defired to prefcnbe to every body: They were full of empty boa- flings, and aflumedto themfelves big and (wel- ling Titles : and all their opinions they obtruded as X 3 2 The Third Conference. as Oracles. They did all to be feen of men, and loved falutations in the market places, and the up- fermop rooms atfeafis. They envied any they Jaw outftrip them in true worth ; and hated and contemned all that followed thefe. They ftu- died to calumniate and revile every per (on that oppofed them, with the mod unjuft and cruel reproaches, excommunicating all who adhered to them: Neither would they yield to the clea- reft evidences were offered for their convidtion : and nothing but the blood of the moft innocent could fatisfie their revenge. They were cove- tous, and devoured widows houfes, with their pre- tences of devotion. They were falfe and (lib- dolous, ftudying toenfiiare others in their (pee. ches, or wreft what they (aid to a contrary and mifchievous fen(e. They were traytors to thefe in Authority, though when it might ferve their ends, they (pared not to pretend much zeal for them: and the fervor of their zeal made them often attempt the murdering of thole whoop- pofed them, and diicovered their falfe pretexts, and mifchievous deligns. And from this, let all judge how much of that Phanfaical leaven 0/} Petition, which had no other defign, but the diverting thefe Lords from interrupting the Peace of Scotland, by medling in the Englijh quarrel : upon which Thunders were given out againft thefe Petitio- ners ,both from the Pulpits,and the Remonfirances of the Commiffion of the General Ajjembly ; and they led Proceffes again ft all who fubferibed k. But His Majefiy ftill defired a neutrality from Scotland'^ and tho highly provoked by them, yet continued to bear, with more than humane pa- tience, the affronts were put on his Authority, Yet for animating the people of Scotland into the defigned War,the Leaders of that Party did every where ftudy to poifon the people with damnable jealoufies of the Kings inclination to Popery ,o[ his acceffion to the Majj'acre of Ireland, and of his defigns to fubvert by force the late a- greement with Scotland $ his Armies wereblet led with fuccefi in England. It were an endlefs work to tell all the ways were ufed for rooting, thefe wicked jealoufies in the peoples hearts : neither were all His Majefiies protections able to overcome them : yet in end, when H*r Majefiy finding what their inclinations were, did refufe to admit the Commiilioiiers from Scot* landto mediate betwixt himlelf and the Houfes, they returned home ; and immediately upon P 3 that 244 The Third Conference, that,contrary to all the Laws of Scotland & great meeting of CounfeUors, Confervators^and Commif- fioners for the fublick £#n&»j,ordained a Conven- tion ofEfiates to be fiimmoned, which was never before done without the King's command, ex- cept in the minority of the Kings : neither did jhey lb much as wait for the King's pleafure,but only fignified their refolution to him, and defi- red His Commands again ft the day prefixed. Herewasaninvafion of the King's Prerogative^ which deferved a high Cenfure : yet Co far did His Majefifs clemency, and love to his native Kingdom lead him, that he difpenfed with this tranfgreiIion,and allowed their fitting in a Con- vention, provided they meddled not in the bufi- tiQlsot England, nor railed an Army in order to it : But notwithstanding this, they voted themfelves a free Convention, and not reftri&ed to the bounds prefcribed in the King's Letter, which they refufed to regiftrate. And after this, they leagued wirh England. But having fpoke mv felf our of breath, I quit the giving account of what follows to Bafilius. Bafil. I have oblerved one defed in your Narration, for which I will be very favorable to you, becaufe I intend to be guilty of that fame fault my (di\ which is,that you have fpoken no- thing of the National Covenanting I mean to fay as htcle of the League. And I am apt to guefs that your The Third Conference* 24 £ your filence was defigned upon the fame grounds that mine is: for indeed lcanfatisfiemy (elf with nothing I can fay upon the League^ ex- cept I told all I know of the Arts and manner of its contrivance. And truly,I cannot prevail upon my felf at prefent,for the faying of chat. There- fore I will draw a vail over ic 3 and fay nothing, till I fee further reafon for a more full difcove- ry; and then I am afraid Ifotimus fhall confefs, it was not prudently done to have extorted it from me. But to quit this,and pui fue the Nar- ration P "hilar cheus hath devolved on me, £ ihali tell you how Commiffioners came from Eng- land to treat for an Army from Scotland \ for their afliftance in the War they were then en- gaged in againft the King : Upon which all Ar- ticles being agreed to, and a League fworn, an Army was lent into England 3 which turned the fcales that did then hang in an even ballance, to the King's ruin. And truly, my invention cannot reach an argument, or color, for proving thefe to have been defenfive Arms, they being the erFed of a combination with the Subje&s of Eng- land againft our common King. Bat fhall I next tell you what followed after the fatal revolution of tilings in England, upon his Majefiies fruiting himfelr to the Scots Army % I am fure I fliould tail your minds with horror. For though His Ma- jefy offered Conceffions, juftly to be wondered P 4 ** 2^6 The Third Conference. atjhe having been willing to quit the Militia for divers years., and to fee up Presbytery for three years; and that in the mean while there ihould be a free Synod, in order to a final fettlement with other great diminutions of Royal Authori- ty ; which mew how willing he was at his own coft to have redeemed the peace of his Kingdoms : only he added, that his Conscience could not allow him to take the Covenant mor authorize it by Law, nor confent to the abolition of Epifcopacy, or the Liturgy ; prouefting that howfoon he could do thefe things with a good Confcience, he ihould yield to all the defires of his Subjeds : in the mean while,he mtreated for a perfonal Treaty, m order to mutual (atisfaction. Yet with how much fury did that Party prefs the feeling of the Government without him, the dilowning his in- tereftj and the abandoning or his Per (on to his Enemies ; tho at that very time, the defigns of the Setlarian Party, agamft both Monarchy and His Majefiies Perion,were breaking out^and had been made known to them by thole who under- flood them well ? What followed upon this, I whTi my filence could bury from the knowledg of all the World. But, alas ! it is too well known what infamy thefe Men brought upon themfelves, and their Country : which in the Opinion of the World, was generally held guilty of that which was the Crime of the prevailing Party; The Third Conference, 247 Party, whom ,the Leaders overawed and in- fluenced. But after that,when His Majefiy was made Prifoner ; when he was carried up and down by the Army ; when the Army forced both the Houfes,and the City of London ; when the Treaties of Scotland were violated in all their Articles; when the Propositions agreed on by both Kingdoms, were laid afide, and the four Bills iht in their place, wherein the Covenant was not mentioned ; when upon His Majefiies refufing of thefe he was made Prifoner, and the Vote of Non-addreffes pafled againft him, then did the Loyalty of the Scots Nation begin again to revive : and what through the fenfe of duty, what through the remorfe of their former a&ings, every one was forward to real refent- ments of thefe unworthy indignities put both on their King and Country : but when the Parlia- ment of Scotland had voted the Country to be put in a pofture of War for the defence of their Sovereign, then where fhould I end, if I told all the feditious Papers, Preachings, and Difcourfes of fome of the Clergy, who contra- dicted and countermanded the Parliament to a height of unparalelled boldnefs, even after all their defires, which they gave in a large Remon- firance, were granted ? But did that fatisfie ? No: they then took refuge in their common San- Unary of jealoufies and fears. They threatned all 248 The Third Conference. all who obeyed the commands of the Parlia- ment, not only with their Church- cenfures, but with damnation. They did every where incite the people to rife in Arms againft the Parlia- ments Forces : and at a Communion at Matchlin> they did fo work upon the Vulgar, that they prevailed to get them draw up in a Body, pro- mifing them great affi (lance both from GOD and men. They kept a correfpondence with the Sectarian Army, and continued by many Letters to preft their fpeedy march unto Scotland; and after the Scots Army marched unto England ^ni was by the wife judgment oi GOD defeated, then did many of the Minifters, with all the vehemence imaginable, inflame the people to Rebellion,and got them to rife.and they march- ed before their Pari[hes like Captains. They alfo called for the help of the Sectarian Army to them. And thus did they (land to the Covenant, in maintaining the Privileges of Parliament, and preferving the Kings Per [on and Authority. And when His Majefiy was murdered, what attempts made they for the preservation of His Perfon, or for the refenting it afcer it was done ? This was the Loyalty of chat Party ; and this is what all Princes may exped from you, unlefs they be abfolutely at your Devotion. Let thefe things declare whether thefe Wars went upon the grounds of a pure defence. But if next to this, The Third Conference. 349 I ftiould reckon up the inftances of Cruelty that appeared in your Judicatories for feveral years, I mould have too large a Theme to run through in a fhort Difcourfe. What cruel Ads were made againft all who would not fign the Cove- nant ? They were declared Enemies toGOD, the King, and the Country, Their perfons were appointed to be feizedon, and their goods eonfifcated. And in the November of the year 164?. whenfomeof the moft eminent of the Nobility refufed to fign the Covenant, Commit fions were given to Soldiers to bring them in Prifoners, warranting them to kill them if they made refiftance. And, pray, whether had this more of the cruelty of Antichrist, or of the meeknefs of JESUS ? Or mail I next tell you of the bloody Tribunals were at S Andrews, and Other places after Fhilips-haughs ? And of the cruelty againft thofe PrifonersofWar,who bore Arms at the King s command,and in defence of his authority ? What bloudy Stories could I here tell ; if I had not a greater horror at the re- lating them, than many of thefe high Preten- ders had at the ading of them ? And ihould I here recount the procedure of the Kirk Judica- tories, againft all who were thought difaffeded, I would be look'd on as one telling Romances, they being beyond credit. What Procejfes of Mmifiers are yet upon Record, which have no better I a 50 The Third Conference. better foundation than their not preaching to the times : their fpeaking with, or praying be- fore My Lord Montrofe : .their not railing at the Engagement, and the like ? And what cruelty was pra&ifed in the years 1649. and i6fo? None of us are fb young,but we may remember of it. A iingle death of one of the greater!: of the Kingdom, could not fatisfie the bloud thir- fly malice of that Party, unleft made formidable and difgraceful, with all the ibameful pagean- try could be devifed. Pray, do you think thefe things are forgotten ? Or Ihall I go about to narrate, and prove them more particularly? Iconfefs, it is a ftrange thing to fee men who are fo obnoxious , notwkhflanding that (b exalted in their own conceits : and withal re- member that the things I have hinted at, were not the particular a&ings of (ingle and private perfons,but the pubhckand owned proceedings of the Courts and judicatories. Thefc are the grounds which perluade me that with whatsoe- ver fair colours (bine may varniih thefe things, yet the (pint that then a&ed in that Party, was not the Spirit of G O D. Ifot. Truly, you have given in a high charge againft the proceedings of the late times, which as I ought not to believe upon your aflertion, fb I cannot well anfwer; thofe being matters of fa#,anddone moft of them before I wascapable of The Third Conference. i § i of bbferving things : And therefore when I fee men of great experience, I mall ask after the truth of what you have told me. But what- ever might be the defign of fbme Voliticians ac that time,or to whatever bad fenfe fbme words of the League may be ftretched, yet you cannot deny, but they are capable of a good fenfe,and in that I own them, and fo cleave to that Oath of GOD, which was intended for a folemn Cove- nant ingwith GOD : and the people meant no- thing el(e by it,but a giving themfelves to Chrift: to whofe truths and Ordinances they refblved to adhere at all hazards, and againft all oppo- fition : and in particular to oppofe every thing might bear down the power and progrefs of Religion, which was theconftant effed of Pre- lacy : therefore we are all bound to oppole it upon all hazards. And indeed when I remem* ber of the beauty of holinefs was then every where, and coniider the licencious profanity, and fcoffing at Religion, which now abounds: this is ftronger with me than all arguments, to perfuade me that thefe were the men of GO D> who had his Glory before their eyes in all they did, or defigned : whereas now I fee every one feeking their own things, and none the things of JESUS CHRIST. And all thefe plagues and evils which thefe Kingdoms do either groan under, or may apprehend, ought to be impu* a $ '% The third Conference* imputed to GO DS avenging Wrath for a bro- ken Covenant, which though taken by all from the higheft to the loweft, is now condemned, reviled , abjured , and fliamefully broken. Thefe things mould afflid our fouls, and fet us to our mournings, if haply GOD may turn from the fiercenefi of his anger. Fbil. As for thefe Articles that relate to tha combination for engaging by arms in prejudice of the Kings Authority, or may feem to bind us to the reading the(e Tragedies, they being founded on the lawfulnels of Subjeds refilling their Sovereigns, if the unlawfulnefs of that was already evinced, then any obligation can be in that compad for that effed, muft be of it felf null and void: and therefore, as from the be- ginning it was linful to engage in thefe wars; ib it will be yet more unlawful, if after all the evils we have feen, and the judgments we have fmarted under, any would lick up that vomit : or pretend to bind a tye on the Subjeds Con- ferences to rife in armsagainft their Lawful So- vereign. And let me tell you free) y , I cannot be fo blind or ftupid, as noc to apprehend thac GODS wrath hath appeared very vilibly a- gainft us now, for a trad of thirty years and more ; neither 'doth his anger feem to be turned away, but his hand is fir 'etched out ftill* But that winch Hook on as the greater matter of hiscon- tro- The Third Conference. 255 troverfic with us, is that the Rulers of our Church and State did engage the ignorant multitude, under the colors of Religion, to defpife the LORDS anointed, and his Authority , and by Arms to fluke off his yoak, and afterwards abandon his Perfon, difbwnhisintereft, refute to engage for his refoie, and in the end look on tamely, and fee him murdered. Do you think it a fmall crime that nothing could fatisfie the Leaders in that time, without they got the poor people entangled into things which they knew the vulgar did not, and could not underftand, or judge of, and muft implicitly rely upon the Glofles of their Teachers ? For whatever the General Affembty declared, was a duty following upon the Covenant ( which was an eafie thing for the leading men to carry as they pleafed) then all the Minifters muft either have preached and publiftied that to their people, with all their zeal, otherwife they were fure to be turned out* The people being thus provoked from the Pul- pits, they were indeed to be pitied, who being engaged in an oath (many of them, no doubt in f inglenefs of heart, having the fear of an oath upon their conferences ) and not being able to examine things to the bottom, were entangled thus, and engaged which way the leading Church-men pleafed. and the guilt of this, as ic was great in thofe who without due Confedera- tion 25*4 The Third Conference. tion engaged in thole oaths, fb it was moft fear- ful in them ; who againft the clear convictions of confcience, were prevailed upon by the thunders of the Church,or the threats of the State,to fwear what they judged finful. I confefs, their crime was of a high and crying nature, who did thus for the love of this prefent world, not only make jliipwreck of a good conference ^out perfifted long in a trad of diflembling with GOD, and juggling with men. But the wickedness of this comes mainly to their door, who tempted them to pre- varication by their feventies againft all refuted a concurrence in theie courfes. And the fin of all this was the greater, that it was carried on with luch pretences, as if it had been the caufe and work of GOD, with fading , prayers, tears, and mews cf devotion. For thefe things the Land mourns, and GOD continues his controverfie againit us. To which I muft add the great impenitence of thofe who being once engaged in that courf e oi Rebellion, have not yet repented of the works of their hands. For even fuch as own a conviction for it,do not exprefs that horror and rcmorfe at their by- paft crimes which become penitents : But think if by rioting, drinking and (wearing, they declare themfelves now of another mind than formerly they were of, that they are warned free of that defilement. In a word, none feem deeply humbled in the pretence The Third 'Conference, 2££ pfefehce of G O D, for the finfulnefs of thefe pra&ices, into which they entered themfelves, and engaged others. And till I fee an ingenuous fpirit of confejfing and repenting for thefe great: evils, for all that rebellion, that bloud, oppreP on, and vaftation which thefe courfes drew on, Khali never expect a National pardon, for that National guilt. For when on the one hand, ma- ny are" {till juflifying thefe black Arts, and not humbled for them; nor owning their penitence a s openly as they committed their fins : And on the other hand, thefe who confefs the faultinefs of their courfes, do it in a fpirit of traducing o- thers, of railing, and reviling, perhaps riot with- out Atheiftical fcoffings at true Religion^ but not in a fpirit of ingenuous horror, and forror for their own acceffion to thefe courfes, it appears we are ftill hardened, either into a judicial blindnefs of the one hand, or of objuration of heart on the other.. That profanity doth much abound, I muft with fbrrow confefs it, in the prefence of my GOD : And I know there are many who roll themfelves in the duft daily before GOD, and mourn bitterly for it : But when I enter in a deeper inquiry what may be the true caufes of it, thole that occur to me are 3 firft, a judicial ftroke from GOD upon us, for pur by-paft abominations : and chiefly for our hypocritical mocking of G O D 9 faftning the Q defigns \t)& The Third Conference. defigns or humors of a Party on him, as if they had been his Ordinances, interefts, and truths. And therefore becaufe we held the truth of GOD in unrighteoufnefs, his wrath hath been revealed againit us. Next, the frequent involving the Land in reiterated Oaths,fubfcriptions,and pro- feffions of repentance, under fevere Cenfures, which prevailed with many to (wallow them over implicitly, and made others yield to them againft their Confcience, hath fb debauched and proftituted the Souls of people, that it is no wonder, they be now, as feared with a hot Iron, and incapable of reproofs or convi&ions. Befides, is it any wonder that thefe whofe hearts naturally led them to Atheifm, when they fee what juggling was ufed about fbme pretences of Religion, and how the whole Land was invol- ved in (b much bloud, about fuch trifling mat- ters, come thereupon to have a jealoufie of Preachers and preaching, as if all they (aid, was but to maintain and advance their own interefts and greatneft, and thereupon turn Scoffers at all Religion, becaufe of the bafe and irreligious practices of fbme, who yet vouched GOD and CHRIST 'for all they did ? And on remark I fhall offer on the way, that the fin of your Church was legible in your judgment : their fin was the animating the people to Rebellion,upon co- lors of Religion ; and their judgment was, not only The Third Conference] $t[f 6nly to be fubdued, and opprefled by another rebellious Army, who were not wanting to pre- tend highly to the caufe of G O D in all their a&ings : but that they brake in pieces among them (elves about a decifion, who might be im* ployed to ferve in the Army, which at firft dif- jointed,and afterwards deftroyed your Church : and the fchifm is ftill among us, which is like to eat up the power of Religion, is but the dreg and genuin effect of thefe courfes, and fb all the prejudice it produceth to Religion, and the true interefts of Souls is to be charged upon that fame (core, Ifot. Really, I am much fcandalized with this Difcourfe, which if it were heard abroad, I know would much offend the hearts of the LORD's people. And indeed, I think it ought "not to be anfwered, no more than Rahjhakettfs railings were by Eliakim. I.wifh I. could with good Hezekiah ffread it out before the LO RD, and mourn over it, and for you who do fb blaf- pheme GO D, and his Caufe. But whatever you may fay in the point of Refiftance,yet you cannot deny, but we are all from the higheft to the loweft bound in our ftations (at leaft) to withftand Prelacy, againft which we did fb for- mally fwear in that Oath of GOD, which moll of you are not only content to break, but muft needs defpife and mock at. Q.1 pah 258 The Third Conference. Vhl. GOD is my witnefs, how little plea* fare I have in this fevere Difcourfe,into which the petulancy of thefe Writers hath engaged me : but examine what I faid from Religion and Reafon, and you will perhaps change your ver- dict of it. For my part, I fay none of thefe things in a corner,neither do I expect that they mall not fly abroad, and if they do, I will look for all the feverities which the cenfures and ma- lice of many can amount to. But I will chear- fully bear thatcrofs, and will be content to be yet more vile, for declaring freely what I judg to be GOD's Cbntroverfie with the Land I live in. If for this love to Souls, many be my Ad- verfaries, I will betake my felf to prayer: and fhall only add this, that few who know me fu£ peel: my temper guilty either of flattery or bit- ternefs. And the fearcher of hearts knows, that I neither defign by this freedom, to commend my felf to any, nor to difgrace others, but meerly to propofe things as they are. If this produce any good effect, I have my defign ; if not, I have diicharged my confcience,and leave theiflue of it with GOD, who can out of the mouths of babes and fucklings, ordain ftrength and perfed praife. As for any obligation you may fuppofe the Covenant brings upon us to oppole Epifcopa- "cy, I ihall difcufs it with all the clearnefs I am matter The Third Conference, 2 5-9 iriafler of. I ftiall not tell you, how much many who took that Covenant, and do ftill plead its obligation havefaid ("from the words of the fe- cond Article, and the explication given in it to Prelacy ) for reconciling as much of Epifcopa- cyas is fetled among us, to it, according to the declared meaning of its firft impofers, when they took it,and authorized it. But leaving you and them to contend about this.upon the whole matter confider, that Epifcopacy is either ne- ceilary, unlawful, or indifferent : if the firft be true, then you will without much ado confeis that no Oath in prejudice of a neceilary duty, can bind any tie upon our conference. If it be unlawful, 1 mall freely acknowledg that from the oaths of the Covenants, there is a fuperveni- ent tie lying on us for its extirpation. But if it be indifferent, then I fay it was a very great fin for a Nation, fb far to bind up their Chriftian liber- ty, as by Oath to determine them (elves to that to which GOD had not obliged them : for the circumftances of things indifferent, may fb far vary, that what is of it ielf indifferent, may by the change of thefe become neceilary, or un- lawful. Therefore,in thefe matters, it is a great invafion of our Chriftian liberty, to fetter con- fciences with Oaths. And though the Rulers and chief Magiitrates of a Society, have either ralhly or out of fear, or upon other unjuftifiable QL 3 ^counts 2 6o The Third Conference. accounts, fworn an Oath, about indifferent things, which afterwards becomes highly pre- judicial to the Society, then they muft confider that the Government of that State is put in their hands by GOD, to whom they muft anfwer for their adminiftration. Theeefbre theyftand bound by the Laws of Nature, of Religion, and of all Societies, to do every thing that may tend moft for the good of the Society. And if a Cafe fall in where a thing tends much to the good and peace of a Land, but the Prince ftands bound fome way or other by Oath againft it,he did indeed fin by fb (wearing ; but iliould hn much more^if by reafbn of that Oath he judged himfelf limited from doing what might prove for the good of the Society. Indeed when an Oath concerns only a man s private rights, it ties hini to performance, tho to his hurt ; but the admini- f ration of Government is none of thefe rights a Magistrate may difpofe of at pleafure ; For he mult condud himfelf fb,as he fliallbe anfwer- able to Go^whofe Vicegerent he is : and when theie two Obligations interfere, the one of procuring the good of the Society, the other of adhering to an Oath,fo that they ftand in terms of direct opposition, then certainly the greater muft (wallow rip the lefTer. It is therefore to be under conlideration, whether the Obligati- on of procuring the good of the Society, or that of The third Conference. _ z6i of the Magiftrates Oath be the greater? But this muft be foon decided, if k be confidered that the former is an Obligation lying on hirn by GOD, who for that end railed him up to his power, and is indeed the very end oi Govern- ment : whereas the other is a voluntary engage- ment he hath taken on himfelfi and can never be equal to that which was antecedent to k t much lels juftle it out. But if it contradid: the other, the Magiftrate is indeed bound to repent for his rafli fwearing ; but cannot be imagined from that to be bound to go againft the good of the Society, for the procuring whereof he hath the Sword and power put in his hands by GOD: And fo much of the tie can lie upon a Magiftrate by his Oath about things indifferent, in ordering or governing the State that is fub- je& to him : in which he muft proceed as he (hall anlwer to GOD in the great day of his ac- counts : and ought not to be cenfared or judg* ed for what he dorh by his Subjects. But he enacting Laws in matters indifferent, they become neceflary Obligations on his Sub- jects, which no private oath of theirs can make void. Indeed the late Writer his arguing againft this, is fo fubtil, that I cannot comprehend it fo far as to find (enfe in it ; for heconfelleth, Pag, 2 5 if That the Magi fir ate is vefied with a foiyer proportional to the ends of Government 9 fo that no Q.4 M- 26 z The Third Confer encf. SubjeB may decline his lawful commands, or bind himfelf by any (uch Oath, ■ as may interfere with a fupervenient rational command. All this is found, and indeed all [pleaded; only his explication of rational, I cannot allow of: For tho a Magi- ftrate may proceed to unreasonable commands, yet I fee no limits (et to our obedience, butfrorri the unlawfulnefsof them. But in the next page, he eats all this up by telling, That there are many things ft ill left toour [elves, and our own free difpo- fal, wherein we may freely vow: and having vowed, muft not break our word. And for inftance,he ad- ciuceth a mans devoting the tenth of his fubftance to the L*oi;c\,from which no countermand of the Ma- gifirates canexcufe. Bat flill he concludes, Page 334. That the Magistrates Power may make void (uch vows as are direBly, or dejignedly made t&fru- ftrate its right ^or to fu [fend the execution of others, in -t) jar as they do eventually crcfs its lawful exercife. This lait yields to me all I pretend in this ca(e : For the Covenant being made on purpofe to ex- clude Epfcopacy, though at that time fetied by Law ' if Epifcopacy be not unlawful, but lawful, which 1 now iuppole, then the Kings authority enjoining it, and it being a great part likewile of the Government of the Subjects, it is to be fub- initted to, notwithstanding the Oath made again!* it. So that your Friend yields without omijderation^ that which he thinks he denies : ' ; and The Third Conference, 26*3 and therefore the reafcning in the Dialogues liolds good,that the Oath of a Subject in a mat- ter indifferent, cannot free him from the obe- dience he owes the Laws. It is true, his private vows in matters of his own concern, are of ano- ther nature, and fo not within the compafi of this Debate, which is only about the obedience we owe the Laws, fuppofing their matter la wful,not- withftanding our Compacts made in opposi- tion to them : and therefore I ihall not difcourfe of them, but ftick dole to the purpofe in hand. But my next undertaking mull be to free Chil- dren from any tie may be imagined to lie on them from the Fathers Oath : which was a mat- ter fo clear to my thinking, that! wonder what can be {aid againft it. Ifot. Indeed here your Friend the C&nformijt bewrayed his ignorance notably, not conhder- ingthe authority Parents have over their Chil- dren by divine command > which dies not with them; their com mands being obligatory even af- ter their death: for God commends the Rechabites for obeying Jcnadabs command iome ages after his death : Therefore Parents adjuring Chil- dren, they are obliged by it^as the people oilfrael by Saul's adjuring them not to eat food till the evening, were obliged to obedience. And i'uch adjurations may not only bind the Children gdjured, but all their poftentv after them : as '"' ■ ' did 264 The Third Conference. did the Oath for carrying Jofepb's bones out of Egypt- And further, a Society continuing ftill under the fame notion,is bound through all ages to make good the compa&s of their Progeni- tors, they continuing to be the fame Society. And this is' not only the ground on which the obligation of all alliances among Kingdoms is founded ; but is alfbthe haps on which our tie to the Allegiance due to our Sovereign is grounded. Therefore as we find GOD in Scripture cove- nanting with Men, and their pofterity, as in Abraham's cafe, and Fathers like wife engaging to GOD for themfelves and their Children, as did Jojlwa for himfelf and his Hoiife; (b our Covenants being unanimoufly (worn by almofi: the whole Nation, and confirmed by all the au- thority in it, mud have a perpetual obligation on all the fubfequent Generations. See from pag. 205. to pag. 219. Phil. I.fuppofe, if it hold good that the Co- venant binds not thefe who took it, to oppofe or extirpate Epifcopacy when fetled by Law, all this reafoning will of it (elf evanifli in imoak: But to give your Difcourfe all advantage, and to yield its obligation on thefe who took it, what you infer will never be made out ; lince it is founded on the fuppofition of a Parents authori- ty to adjure his Child, that ties him after his Fa- thers deaths which you apply to the Covenant* But The Third Conference. 2.65 But in this there is a triple error committed by you : one of fa#,andtwo of right. That of fa6t, is, that you fuppofe that in the Covenant the fub- kquznt generations zl\:q adjured to itsobfervance : whereas not a word of this is in the Covenant. On the contrary,in the end of the Preface to the League, it is (aid, that, every one for himfelf doth [wear : Neither is there a word in it all that im- ports an adjuration on posterity. It is true, in the 5. Article, every one is bound according to their place and intereft, to endeavour that the King- doms may remain conjoined in a firm peace and uni- on to all pofierity. But he that will draw an adju- ration on pofierity from this, mu ft have a new- Art of Logic k, not yet known. And in the Na- tional Covenant, as it was taken by King "James, there is not a word that imports an adjuration on pojferity. It is true, in the addition was made to it, Ann. 1658. it is declared, That they are con- vinced in their minds .and confers with their mouths £ that the prefent and fubfequent generations in this Land, were bound to keep that National Oath and fubfcription inviolable. But this was only their opinion who figned it : Yet for all that, there is no adjuration on pofierity for oblerving it, no not in that Addition then fworn to. The nest error of your Hypothcjis, is, that the Parents commands can bind the Childrens conscience, in prejudice of the Magtftrates authority : for yoii muft %66 The Third Conference. muft either fuppofe this, otherwife your argu- ing is to no purpofe, fince the King's authority is in this cafe interpofed, and therefore all our Fathers commands muft yield to it : which be- caufe none deny Jihall not ftand to evince. For if my Father be bound to obey the King,as well as 1 am; both he fins, if he enjoin me difobedi- ence, and I am likewife guilty, if upon that I difobey. For he that hath no warrant for his own difobedience, can be imagined to have none for fecurmg me in mine. And in end, you fup- pofe a Parents command or authority can bind the Confcience after his death : which is mani- festly abfurd ; for certainly his authority muft die with himielf. It is true,a piety and reverence is due to the memory of our Parents: and ib much reverence ihould be payed to their alhes, fhat without a very good reafbn, the things they enjoyned ihould be religioufly obferved : but this is not a necefiary Obligation : for cir- cumfrances may fb vary things, that we may be allured, that as our Parents enjoyned fuch a thing, ib had they feen the inconveniencies of it, they had not done it. Now while a Father jives, a Child hath this liberty to argue with him : where it is not to be doubted, but the affection of a Parent, together with the reafons adduced would make him change his Com- mands: but indeed did their Commands tie us after The Third Conference. £6f after their death, we fhould be more in fubje- <5t.ion to our Parents, when dead, than we were when they lived : which goeth againft the fenfe of all mankind. And what equality is there in fuch mens reafons, who will deny abfblute obe- dience to Magiftrates, tho we be allowed to petition/ and reprefent the grievances their Laws bring upon us , and yet will affert an abfolute and blind obedience due to the com- mands of our Parents,tho dead ? Your inftance of the Rechabites makes againft you, for their Progenitors had appointed them to dwell in Tents, yet the fear of Nebuchadnezzar had dri- ven them to Jerufakm: andconfiderif the inv curring our lawful Sovereigns diipleafure, toge- ther with the hazard fiich obedience may draw after it, be not a jufter ground of excufing our felves from obedience to any fuch Command, fuppofeit were real. The Rechabites did indeed abftain from Wine^ upon Jcnadab's command, for which they are commended, and blefled ; and fo I acknowledg it a piece of piety to o- bey the commands even of a dead Father ; yec in that place, it is not afierted, that that Com- mand tied their Conference ; but on the con- trary, the bleffing pafied upon their obedience, feems rather to imply that it was voluntary, though generous and dutiful. The fame An- fwer is. to be made t&Jofefb's adjuring the Chil- dren 268 The Third Conference. dren oC'Ifrael to carry up his bones; which ought to have obliged even the Children of thefe that were fo adjured, out of the gratitude due to the memory of fo great a Man, efpecially no- thing intervening that rendered obedience to it, either unexpedient or unlawful. But in general, confider that when a con- trad: is made, either of an Ajjociation under a form and line of Magiftracy,or of alliance be- twixt two States, and confirmed by Oath ; there is an obligation of Juftice that arifeth from the Com pad, whereby fuch rights were tranflated unto the perfon compaded with : and thereby he and his pofterity according to the Compad, are to enjoy thefe Rights,becaufe tranflated un- to his perfon by the Com pad : but being once legally his, with a provision that they mail de- fend to his Heirs, then his Heirs have a right to them formally in their perfons after his death, to which they have a title in juftice, and not by the fidelity to which the pofterity of the firft compaders are bound by their Fathers deed, but becaufe the right is now theirs : £o that though the firft Compaders were bound by promife and Oath, their Succeflbrs are only bound by the rules of juftice, of giving to every man that which is his right : therefore whatever our An- ceftcrs may be (ii ppo fed to have compaded with the Kings Progenitors, or whatever by Treaty one The Third Conference: 1.69 one State yields over to another, that Vro- tnife, Donation and Oath is indeed the ground on which the Kings right may be fuppofed to have been firft founded. But now his Title to our Obedience proceeds upon the rules of JufticeXof giving him what is his, by an immemorial Pof feffion, paffed all prefcription, fb many ages ago, that the firft veftiges of it cannot be tra- ced from Records , or certain Hifiories ) and not of fidelity of obferving the promife of our An- cefiors to him, though I do not deny a pious Veneration to be due to the Promifes and Oaths of Parents, when they contain in them adjura- tions on their Childern. And thus the Gibeomtes having a right to their lives, confirmed to them by the Compact of the Princes of Ifrael : they and their Pofterity had a good title in Juftice to their lives, which was bafely invaded by Saul, and had this aggravation, that the compact made with them was confirmed by oath, for which their pofterity fhould have had a juft venera- tion: But though that Oath did at firft found their title to their Lives, and their Exemption from the forfeiture all the Amontes lay under ; yet afterwards their title was preferved upon the rules of Juftice, and the Laws of Nature, which forbid the invading the lives of our Neighbors, when by no injury they forfeit them. Thus your confounding the titles of In- heritance iyo The Third Conference. heritance and prefc-iption, with the grounds' upon which they firft accrefced, hath engaged you into all this miftaking. But from all this,you fee how ill founded thatreafbningofthey4»/W- rer of the Dialogues is for proving the poftenty of thefe who took the Covenant, tied by their fa- thers oath,which yet at firft view,promifed as fair colors of reafbn, as any part of his Book, had he not intermixed it with fhameful infultings and railings at the Conformist : which I iuppofe do now appear as ill grounded,, as they are cruel and bale. But I am not fb much in love with chat ftile, as to recriminate : nor mall I tell you of his errors that way of which I am in good earned afhamed upon his account : For it is a ftrange thing,if a man cannot anfwer a difcourfe without he fall a fleering and railing. To con- clude this whole purpofe, I am miftaken, if much doubting will remain with an ingenuous and unprejudged Reader, if either we or our poftenty lye under any obligation from the Co- venants, to contradict or counteract the Laws of the Land, fuppofing the matter of them lawful : which being a large Subject, will re- quire a difcourfe apart. But i will next examine fome practices among us, and chiefly that of Schifm and leparation from the pubhck wor- ship of GOD; to which both the unity of the Spirit, which we ought to preferve in the bond of The Third Conference. 271 df peace, and the lawful commands of thefe in authority, do fobind us, that I will be glad to hear what can be alledged for it. \ -Ifot. A great difference is to be made betwixt feparation and non-compliance : the one is a withdrawing from what was once owned to be the Church : the other is a with-holding our concurrence from what we judg brought in up- on the Church,againft both Reafon and Religi- on : and any thing you can draw from CHRISTs pra&ice or precept, in acknowledging the High Priefts] or commanding the people to ob* ferve what thsPharifees taught them, is not ap- plicable to this purpofe : For fir.ft, thefe wera Civil Magiftratesj as well as Ecclefiafticks, and Dodors of the Civil and Judicial Law, which, is different from the Cafe of Churchmen with us. Further,the Jewish Church was ft ill in poileC fion of the privileges given them from GOD? and lb till CHRIST erected his Church, they were the Church of G O D ; and there- fore to be acknowledged, and joined within Worfhip. But how vaftly differs our Cafe from this ? See fromf. 189. top. 204. Phil. You have given a Ihort account of the lacge reatbnings of the late Book on this head^ only he is io browilled m it, that there are whole pages in his Difeourfe, which I confels my weakness cannot reach, But to clear the way R for 1*1 1 The Third Conference. for your fatisfaction in this matter, which I look upon as that of greateft concern ment,next *o the Do&rineof Non-refiftance, of any thing is debated among us; fince it diflblves the unity of the Church ; and opens a patent door to all difbrder, Ignorance and Profanity. I fhall confider what the unity of the Church island in what manner we are bound to maintain and preferve it. All Chriftians are commanded to love one another, and to live in peace together : and in order to this, they muft alfo unite, and concur in joint Prayers, Adorations, and other acts of Worfhip, to exprefs the harmony of their love in Divine matters : Sacraments were alfo inftituted for uniting the body together ; being fblemn and federal ftipulations, made with God, in the hands of Ibme who are his Ambafladors and Reprefentatives upon Earth : by whofe mouths the Worfhip is chiefly offered up to God > and who muft be fblemnly called and feparated for their Imployment. Now thefe Afiemblings of the Saints are not to be for- faken, till there be fuch a Corruption in the Conftitution of them, or in fome part of the Worfhip, that we cannot efcape the guilt of that, without we ieparate our felves from thefe un- clean things. Wherefore the warning is given, Corns out of Baby Ion i phat we be not partakers of her fins The Third Conference. 275 jim^ and fo receive not of her plagues. But though there be very great and vifible corruptions in a Church ; yet as long as our joining in Worfhip in thefolemn Aflemblies,doth not neceflarily in- volve us into a Content or Concurrence with thefe; we ought never to withdraw, nor rent the unity of the body, whereof CHRIST is the head* Confider, how pleafant it u for brethren to dwell together in unity. And our Saviour Iheweth of what importance he judged it to his Church, fince fo great a part of his laft and moft ravilhing Prayer, is, That they might be one : And this he five times repeats, comparing the unity he prayed for, to the undivided Unity was betwixt him and his Father. How mall thefe words rife up in Judgment, againft thofe who have broken thefe bonds of perfection upon flight grounds ! With the fame earneftnefi do we find the Apoftles preffing the Unity of the Body, and Charity among all the members of it : which is no where more amply done than in the Epiftkt to the Corinthians, whom the Apoftle calls, the Churches of GOD; and yet there were among them falfe Teachers, who ftudied to prey upon them, and to ftrike out the Apoftles authority : Some among them denied the refurrection> there were Contentions and Diforders among them in their meetings; fuch confufions were from the (Irange Tongues fbme fpake, that had one unac- K x quainted 274 ^fe Third Conference i quainted with them, come in upon them, he had judged them mad : fbme were drunk when they did receive theLORD's Supper : they had an inceftuous Perlbn in their Society; and it feems he was of quality,and much accounted of, fince they were puffed up with him : they were alfo a fcandal to the Gofpel with their litigious Law futes. Thefe were great evils, and I hope beyond what you can charge on us : and yet though the Apoftle commands them to be re- drafted, and redihed, doth he ever allow of thefe in Corinth, who were pure and holy,to for- fake the folemn Affemblies, till thefe things were amended ? Or doth he not highly commend Charity and Unity to them? Next, confider what Teachers thefe were who preached CHRIST of envy and ft rife, out of contention 3 and not fencer el) ', that they might addaffliclion to the Apoftles bonds : And yet of thefe S. Paul's ver- dict \sJVhat then ? notwith [landing every wayjvhe- t her in pretence , or m truth, CHRIST is preach- ed, and I therein do rejoice , yea y and will rejoice. Now if he rejoiced that Chrift was preachedi at any rate, what Spirit have they, who becaufe they iuppofe feme preach out of Envy, or de- fign to add to their affli&ion, do thereupon ftudy to blaft their reputation, and to withdraw firft the Hearts, and then the Ears of all from them i Certainly, this is not th^ Spirit of Chrift - The Third Conference. 175 C H R I S T, or of his Apoftles. And though we fee what corruptions had crepe into the Churches of AJia, yet in the Epifiles to them in the Revelationfih&y are ftill call'd the Church- es of G O D, in the midft of whom the Son of GOD walked. They are indeed com- manded to reform any corruptions were among them ; but fuch as had not that doctrine*, and knew not the depths of Satan, but had kept their garments clean, are not commanded to Separate from the reft : on the contrary, no other burden is laid upon them ; nor are they charged for not ieparating from the reft. From which premifes I may in- fer, that as long as the Communion of Saints may Jbe kept in, without our being polluted in feme piece of finful concurrence, all are bound to it, under the hazard of tearing ChriJPs Body to pieces. And this ftands alfo with the clofeft Iieafbn ; for fince Unity is that which holds all the body firm, whereas divifion diflocates and weakens it ; nothing doth more defeat the ends of Religion, and overturn the power oiGodlinefs^ than Scijms and Contentions ; which give the greateft offence to the little ones, and the fulleft advantages to the common enemy imaginable. If therefore the Worfhip of GOD among us continue undefiled,even in theconfeffionor all; if the Sacraments be adminiftred as before; if |he Perlons that officiate be Minifters of the R 3 GoipeL %j6 The Third Conference. Gofpel, then certainly fuch as feparate from our publick Meetings, do for 'fake the AJJembliesofthe Saint s y and fo break the unity of the Sprit, and the bond of Peace. And what you faid of a non-com- pliance as diftin6t from reparation, hath no re- lation to this purpofe, where nothing of a com- pliance is in the cafe, but only a joining with the Saints infolemn Worjhip. And doth the change of the Government of the Church,m fo fmall a mat- ter as the fixing a conftant Prefident,wkh fbme additions of power over your Synods , in ftead of your ambulatory Moderators, derive a Contagi- on into our Worlhip, fo that without a Sin it cannot be joined in i Indeed if a Concurrence of Worfliip required an owning of every parti- cular in the Conftitution of the Church,a man muft go to the New Atlantis to feek a Society he fhall join with, fince few of clear unprepoiTefled minds will find fuch Societies in the known Re- gions of the World, againft all whole Conftitu- tions they have not fome juft exceptions : and the World fhall have as many parties as perfons, if this be not fixed as the rule of Unity, that we cleave to it, ever till we be driven tcrdo fbme- what which with a good Confcience we cannot yield to. And even in that cafe, except the cor- ruption be great and deep, a bare withdrawing, wkhouca direct oppohtion, is all we are bound '„o. You are therefore guilty of a dired feparation The Third Conference, 277 who forfake the Ajjemhlies of the Saints, they continuing in their former purity, unchanged and unmixed, even in your own Principles. Ifot. But one thing is not confidered by you, which is a main point,that we had our Church fetled, according to CHRIST'S appoint- ment, and ratified by Law. And a change of that being made, all our faithful Ministers were turned out by the tyranny of the prefent Pow- ers ; who in ftead thereof, have fet up a new form of Government , of none of CHRIST'S appointment : and to maintain it, have chruft in upon the LO R D's People, a company of weak, ignorant, fcandalous and godlefe Men, called Curates ; who in ftead of edii-ying,ftudy to deftroy the flock : of whom I could fay much, had I a little of your virulent temper : But their own actions have (o painted them out to the world, that I may well fpare my labor of ma* king them better known, it being as unnecefla- ry as it is unpleafint. Now if the true isekers of GOD do ftill ftick to their old Teachers, and feek wholtbme food from them in corners, and are afraid of your falfe Teachers, accord- ing to C H R IS T's command , of being aware of fuch men ; call you this a Reparation ? which is rather an adherence to the true Church, and the keeping of our Garments clean from tha contagion of thele men. And indeed thefe who R 4 do iy2 The Third Conference. do join with your Curates, do profit fo little by their Miniftry, that no wonder others have no heart to it. And I have known fbme whole conferences are Co tender in this matter, that their having at fbmetimes joined with thefc Curates in Worfhip, hath been matter of mourning to them, even to their graves. And this may ferve to clear us of the guilt of Schifm in this matter, when our withdrawing is only a non- compliance with your corruption. Phil. All this faith nothing for juftifying your feparation. As for the turning out of your Minifters, if the Laws to which their obedi- ence was required were juft ( which fhall be next conhdered) then their prejudices >mifinform- td consciences , or peevijhnefs, and not the tyranny of the Rulers, mult bear the blame of it. And for thefe let in their places, if upon fo great a defei tion of the Church by fo many Church- men, ail their charges could not be of a fudden fupplied with menio well qualified, or of fuch gifts and worth as was to be defired; it is no- thing but what might have been expe&ed upon fuch an occaiion. And for your revilings, they well become the fpirit which appears too vifi- bly in the reft of your adings ; but we ftill ftudy *o bear thefe bale and cruel reflexions, with the patience becoming the Mimfhrs of the Gofpel, 2nd of thefe who ftudy co learn of him^ho ivkep be The Third Confer erne. % 7 9 he was reviled \reviled not again ; but flood iilent at thofe unjuft Tribunals, when he was falfly and blafphemoufly reproached by his enemies ; and therefore I mall leave anfwering of thefe fearful imputations you charge on our Clergy, to the great day of reckoning, wherein judgment (haU return to the righteous 3 and all the upright in heart fhall follow it. And in the mean while fhall ftudy to blefs when you curfe^d fray for you who do thus defpitefutty ufe m. We truft our witnefs is on high, that whatever defe&s cleave to us, and though, may be, we have not wanted a corrupt mixture (as you know among whom there was a ion of Perdition) yet we are free of thefe things you charge on us promifcuouily, and that thefe imputations you charge us with, are as falfe as they are bafe. But all this will not ferve the turn of many of your dividers, whofe Minifters continue with them as formerly, and meerly becaufe they hold themfelves bound in Confcience to obey the Laws they are feparated from. Truly if you can clear this or feparation, you are a Mafter at (ubtil reaibning. For you know it is not the third part of this Church which was abandoned by the former Minifters upon the late change, and yet the humor offe- farating is univerfaL And though (bme few of your own Minifters have had the honeft zeal to Fvitnefs againft this fepMratwn., yet how havie they *8o The Third Conference. they being pelted for it by the cenfures and wri- tings of other Schifmaticks ? which have prevail* ed io much upon the fear or prudence of others, that whatever miflike they had of theft fepara- ting practices, yet they were willing either to comply in pradiice, or to be filent Jpetlators of fo great an evil. But \f Reparation be a Sin, it muft have a guilt of a high nature, and (iich as all who would be thought zealous watch- men, ought to warn their people of And what mall be (aid of thefe ( even Church- men ) who at a time when the Laws are mar ply looked to, do join in our Worihip ; but if there bean unbending in thefe, they not only wichdraw, and become thereby a fcandal to others, but draw about them divided Meetings; are not thefe time (ervrers? For if concurrence in our Woi ihip be lawful, and to be done at any time, it muft be a duty which fliould be done at all times : and therefore (iich Mafiers of Conscience ought to exprefs an equa- lity in their ways, and that they make the rules of their concurrence in worflnp, to be the Laws of GOD, and not the fear of civil punifhments. Finally, iuch as think it lawful to join in our Woi fhip,and yet that they may not difpleafe the; people,do withdraw, mew they prefer the plea- iing of men to the pleafing of G O D : and that they make more account of the one than of the other. For if it be lawful to concur in our worjhjp, what; The Third Conference. z8i what was formerly (aid, proves ic a duty : Are not thefe then the (ervants of men, who to pleafe them, difpenfe with what by their own conceffion muft be a duty ? Befides, fiich per- sons withdrawing, gives a great and real fcan- dal to the vulgar, who are led by their Exam- ple, and (6 a humor of feparating comes to be derived into all : whereby every one thinks it a piece of Religion, and that which will be fare to make him considerable, and bring cuftomers to him, if he be a Merchant or Trades-man, that he defpife the folemn Worlhip, and rail at his Minifter : and if he bur go to Conventicles, and be concern d in all the humors of the Party, he is fure of a good name, be he as to other things what he will. Eud. Much of this we know to be too true : and certainly, nothing delerves more blame for all the dilbrders are among us than this Se- paration. Difcipline goes down, Catechifing js defpifa:!, the Sacraments are loathed, the fblemn Worfhip deferred. I know the poor Curates bear the blame of all, and all of them muft be equally condemned, if a few of them have mifcarried ; for which when ever it was proved, they were cenfured condignly : In end y ypu charge their gifts, and that their People are not edified by them : But I pray ypu, fee whether the prejudices yon make them drink in againil x82 The Third Conference: againft them, occafion not that. For it is & more than humane work, to overcome preju- dices. Read but the complaints of the Pro- phets, and you will confefs a Churchmans not being profitable to his People, will be no good argument to prove him not fent of GOD, And yrhQti I confider,that even the Apoftles call for the help of the Churches Prayers, that utterance wight be given to them ,yea and defire them tofirive together in their Prayers for them ; I muft crave leave to tell you, that the defe<5fc of that utter- ance, and power in preaching you charge on the prefent Preachers, may be well imputed to the want of the concurrence of the Peoples Prayers, whom prepotle (lions have kept from ftriving together with them in Prayer, that they might come among them with thefulnejs of the blejjing of the Gojpel. And if there be any of fuch tender and milled Conferences, who have been f mitten with remorfe for fuch concur- rence in Worftiip, as their tendernefs is to be va- lued, fo their ignorance is to be pitied : and they who thusmifled them,deferve the heavier cenfure, iince they have involved fimple and weak Conferences with their pedling Sophiftry jnto fuch ftraits and doubts. In fine, you cannot jay, that a Minifter is by a Divine right placed o/er any particular flock. If then it be humane, jit with all other things of that nature, is within the The Third Conference. 283 the Magiftrates cognizance ; fo that when he re- moves one, and leaves a legal way patent for bringing in another, upon which there comes one to be placed over that flock, what injuftice fbever you can fancy in fuch dealing, yet cer- tainly, it will never free that Parifh from the tie of aflbciating in the publick Worfhip, or re- ceiving the Sacraments from the hands of that Minifter, whom they cannot deny to be a Mi- nifter of the Gofpel : and therefore no irregu- larity in the way of his entry, though as great as can be imagined, will warrant the peoples fepa- rating from him. Neither can they pretend that the firft Incumbent is ftill their Minifter,for his relation to them being founded meerly on the Laws of the Church, it is (as was proved in the Second Conference) fubjed to the Magi- ftrates authority, and fb lafts no longer than he fhall difloive it by his commands : unlefs it ap- pear, that he defigns the overthrow of true Re- ligion;^ which caie,I confefsPaftors are,accord- ing to the practice of the firft Ages of the Church, to continue at the hazard of all perfe- cutions, and feed their flocks. But this is not applicable to our Cafe, where all that concerns Religion continues as formerly: only fomc combinations made in prejudice of the Supreme Authority are broken : and order is reftored to the Church, infteadofthe cor^ufions and divi- fions 184 The Third Conference. fions were formerly in it. And if this change have occaiioned greater di (orders, wherever the defeat of Policy or Prudence may be charg- ed, yet certainly, if the change that is made, be found of its own nature both lawful and good, the confufions have followed upon it, are their guilt, who with fb little reafbn, and fb much eagerneft, have not only refufed obe- dience themfelves, but hindered fuch as Were willing to have yielded it. Cnt. Indeed this point of withdrawing from thepublick worfhip, for their faultinefs who of- ficiate, or for the errors are fuppofed to be in the way of their entry,doth (o contradid the whole feries of the Sacred Rule, that nothing can be more exprefly condemned in it. The Sons of Eli made the People abhor the offering, and they defiled the Tabernacle of G OD; yet for all that, the people continued to come and offer their Sacrifices. The Prophets do alfb tell us what kind of People thePriefls in their times were, and yet never a word of the peoples withdrawing from the Worfliip. Now this muft by the parity of reafon, hold good under the New Dijpenfatton ; except you lay, we are Hot fo much obliged to worfhip GO D in the unity of the Spirit, as they were ; the contrary whereof will be found true. Next, the High Twfthood being encaikd on the line of Aaron^ was The Third Conference. zt$ was certainly to defcend (as all other rights did among the Jews ) by the right of reprefentation and primogeniture; and (b did Eleaz,er and Phi- nehas follow in a line from Aaron. It is true, the High Priefihood was afterwards in Ithamars line, but it doth not appear by what conveyance it went to them,which certainly muft have been Divine, if lawful : And none can limit GOD from difpenfing with his own pofitive Laws. But the High Priefihood was again let in its own channel by Dawa^ni (b continued downward, till after the fecond Temple, it becoming the chief Secular Power, wasexpofedtolale: and this appears from a paflage cited by DoBor Light foot outoftheTalmudofJerufalem, in the firfi Temple the High Priefisftitt fervid, the Sonfuc- ceeding the Father ■, and they were i%in number : but in the fecond Temple they got the High Prieft* hood by money. And fome fay, they deftroyed one another by witchcraft : fo that fome fay, there were 80 Priefis in that [face ; fome 8 1, fome %i,fome 8 % ,fome 84, and fome 8 $ . And that Learned Do- clor reckons 5; in order, till he brings the Sue* ceffion down to the time of the Wars, after which it was fo confuted, that he purfues it no further. And in the beginning of the 3 chap, of his Temple- fer vice, he proves the High Pneft- hood to have defcended to the firft-born,as the Pnefthood* before the Law, belonged to the firft ±$6 The Third Confer end* firft-bbm of every Family. And therefore k was that when Simeon the Juft would have put Onias his (econd Son in the Priefthood, he could not do it. But Simeon the eldeft Brother obtained his right, and Onias was put to fly to Egypt, where he built a famous Temple. This will prove that the High Priefts in our Saviour's time had no juft title to their office ; and yet our Saviour, being by his humiliation in the chara- cter of a private Per (on, never queftioned it, no not when he was upbraided, as if he had anfwer- ed G O &s High Prieft irreverently, which looks like a cafe of Confeffion. And S. Paul did the fame. Now as to what is faid of the High Priefts being a Civil Magiftrate, it will not ferve to deliver you ; for his title to the Civil Power flowed from his office : therefore the owning him in that, did alfo acknowledge his office, fince he had no other right to the Civil Power, but becaufe he was High Pneft, and yet fubje •ftton was given him by our LORD, who ac- knowledged the High Prieft. Did he not alfo continue in the Temple Worfhip, and go thi- ther on their feftivities ? where you know he mu ft have offered Sacrifices by the hands of thefe Priefts : and yet we know well enough what a fort of People they were. If then we are no lets bound under the Gof pel to the rules of Order and Unity, than they were under the Law ; The Third Conference* 287 Law, it will follow that no perfcnal corruption of Church- men, can warrant a ieparation from Worihip, even though their Opinions were er- roneous, and their practices naughty: for the impertinency of the diftin&ion of Non-com- fliance and feparation was already proved. But next to the Temple-worfhip, was the fervice of the Synagogue, which was for the moft part in the hands of the Scribes and Pharifees, who ex- pounded the Law to the people : And Chrijfs commanding the people to obferve what they taught, {hews clearly his pleafure was, that they ftiould not forfake the Synagogues where they taught: And his own going to the Synagogues ^ in which it is not to be doubted but he concur- red in the Prayers and Hymns, proves abundant- ly that their Worfiiip was not to be feparated from. As for your Friends involved difcourfe, about the declining of Churches, Pag. 1 93. I muft let it alone, till I can make fenfe of it : For if he intend to compare our Lord and his Apoftles, their joining in the Jewifh JVor[hip M with the mifguided, though iincere devotion, of fbme holy Souls who worfhipped God with all the corruptions of the Roman Church, X hope he will repent the blafphemy of fuch a miftake. And as for what is aiiedged, Pag. 1 98, that the Jewifo Difpenfation being mixed, and their Law made up of matters Political^ well as S Spin- a88 The Third Conference. S/?in7«d/,thereforethefe Scribes were the Oracles of the Civil Law, and fo to be gone to, it is as weak as the reft : For the Law being to be fought from the Priefis lips, as to all the parts of it, any power the Priefts had of pronouncing about the queftions of the Law, was becaufe they were Priefts, or as they were men feparated for offi- ciating in the Synagogues : fo the receiving their decifions in matters judicial, did acknowledg their Office, which was purely Ecclefiafiical and [acred. From all this I may infer, that as long as any Society continues to be the Church and people of G O D, and hath the fervice and worfhip of GOD performed in it by men fblemnly fepa- rated, according to GOD's appointment, what- ever irregularities be either in their entry to fuch charges, or of their opinions or pra&ices, thefe fhould indeed be cognofced upon, and cenfured by the Supreme Powers in the Society ; but will never warrant private perfons to fepa- ratefrom the Worfhip, unlefs it be fo vitiated in any part of it, that without fin they cannot concur in it : in which cafe, they are indeed to keep themfelves clean, and to withdraw, but not to divide until the Worfhip be fo corrupt- ed, that the ends of pubJick Worfhip can no more beanfwered by fuch Ajfemblies. Poly. I know ic is thought a piece of noble gallan- The Third Conference] 2.89 gallantry among our new modelled people^ to defpife the fentiments of the Ancient Church ; and therefore whatever I could adduce from them, would prevail little for their conviction : otherwife many things could be brought to this purpofe from thefe two great Afiertors of the Unity of the Church againft Schifms and Di» vifions, S. Cyprian, and S. Auguftin : the latter e- fpecially, who by many large Treatifes ftudied the conviction of the Donatifts, who maintained their feparation from the Church, much upon the fame grounds which are by your Friends afc ferted. But I mall dif mifs this point with one Sentence of S. Augufiin, lib.z. contra Parmen. Quifquis ergo vel quodpotejl arguendo corrigit ; re I doubt not of your return, tofinifh what y ou hitherto carried on. And {0 a good night to you. THE THE FOURTH CONFERENCE. Ifotimu*. ICO ME now upon our lafl Nights appointment, to purfue this Conference to its end, and to examine what thele grounds are which endear Epifcopacy to you ib much, efpecially confidering the great dilbrders and confufions its re-eftabliihment among us hath occafioned. For my part, I cannot fee what can reconcile the World to it, much lefs what mould ena- mour you fo of it, as to make you adhere to it, notwithstanding all the evils fpring from it, and all thefe black Chara&ers of G O D's dif- pleafure are upon it : which really appear fo iignaily to me, that it feems a righting againft G O D, to adhere longer to it. Phil. Truly, you and I enter on this Sub- ject with an equal furprizs, though upon very differ- The Fourth Conference, a pp different accounts: For I muft tell you freely, that after I have with all the application of mil id* and freedom of thoughts imaginable, confid er- ed what could engage fb many in this Ifland, .in- to fo much zeal and rage againft the Order, I aim not able to fatisfie my felf about it. That vei le- rable Order having fuch a native tendency ifbr advancing of true Religion, Peace, Order, and every thing that is excellent : that the averfion and prejudices fb many have drunk in againft it, feemasunjuft, as unconquerable, and look like a part ofGOD's controverfie with us; whereby we are blindly carried into fb much un- juftifiable zeal againft that, which if well man a- ged,might prove an excellent mean for reviving the power of Religion, that hath fuffered fo great decays. I fhall not deny, but on our pare there have been great failings , for which G O D's anger hangs over our heads : and that he permits all this oppofition we meet with for punifhmg us for our fins, which have juftly provoked GOD to make us bafs and contemptible in the fight of the people. And this I hope fhall be an effe&ual mean of hum- bling us, and of purging us from our drofs : whereby this holy Order being again managed with the ancient Spirit, may appear into the World in its Primitive hftre ; and be attended wich the bleflings that then followed it, to the wonder 3 (DO The Fourth Conference. w. onder and conviction of all men. But let me acid, the oppofition fbme firy fpirits have gi- ven the eftabliihment of Epifcopacy, deferves much of the blame of its being (b little fucce£ ful in the great work of the Gofpel : for always bi.tr er envy and fir if e produce confufion and every ttnlwork: therefore when you are to view £- pfcopacy in its amiable and lovely colors, let me fe nd you back to that cloud of witnejjes, who for thie teftimony of J E S US endured all manner ot r torments, were torn by beafts, (lain by the fWord, burnt in the fire ; and in a word, who preached the everlafting Gofpel through the Vi^orld. How many Churches did thefeBiihops found with their labors in preaching, and water not only with their tears, but their blood ? bow fublime was their piety ? how frevent were (their Sermons? how conftant were their la- bors ? how ftnd was their difcipline ? how Jealous were they againft herehes? and how watchful againft vice ? In a word, read but the Hiftories and Writings of thole great Worthies, who were by the confcffion of all men, Bifoops, and had more abfolute Authority over the Infe- rior Clergy, than is pretended to among us ? and then tell me, if you have not changed your ver- dict of that order. Have there been fuch men in the Chriftian World, as were Ignatius, Poly- carp, Inn gut, Cyprian, Thaumaturge Athanafius, BaCiL The Fourth Conference. 30 * Bafil , Nazianzen, Martin, Amhrofe, Chryfo- ftome, Augufiin, and a theufand more ? Tnefe were, after the Apoftles, the greateft glories of the Chriftian Church : and were burning and finning lights. It is in their lives, writings and decrees, that I defire you to view Epifcopacy : and if it have any way fallen from that firft and fair Original, dired your thoughts and zeal to contrive and carry on its recovery to its for- mer purity and fervor : but take it not at the diC advantage, as it may have fufFered any thing from the corruptions of men, in a (ucceilion of (b many ages ; for you know the Sacraments, the Miniltery, and all the parts of Religion have been foiled, and ftained of their firft beauty by their corrupt hands, to whole care they were committed. But he were very much to blame, who would thereupon quarrel thefe things. I ftiall therefore intreat you will con- fider that Order, either in it (elf, or as it flou- rimed in the firft ages of the Church, and not as prejudices or particular eicapes may have re- prefented it to you. End. That you may both under ftand one an- other better, let me fuggeft to you the right ftating of that you differ about, that you be noc contending about words, or notions of things, which may appear with various ftiapes, and fa- ces; one whereof may be amiable, andanother ugly 301 The Fourth Conference. ugly: give therefore a clear and diftin& account of that Epifcopacy you own and aflert. Poly. Since Vhtlarchem hath appealed to the ancient Church, for the true pattern of Epifco- facy, I (hall faithfully reprefent to you, what the office and power of their Biihops was, and how it took its firft rife and growth among them ; and then I mail leave it to be difcuiled, how lawful or allowable it is of it felf The jfen?.f had among them, beiide the Temple-ivor- Jbip, which was Typical, their Synagogues, not only over the land, but through all the corners of the World into which they were difperfed ; which were called their Vrofencha among the Greeks, and Romans. Thither did they meet for the dayly worfhip of G O D ; there did they likewife meet on their Sabbaths, and recited their Pbilacleries, or Liturgies, and heard a por- tion of the Law read : which was divided in lb many Se&ions, that it might be yearly read o- ver : there was alio a word of exhortation ufed, after the Law was read : and there were in thefe Synagogues, Office- Bearers (eparated for that Work, who were to order the Worfhip, and the reading of the Law, and were to cenfure fins, by fe vera I degrees of Excommunications, calling them out of the Synagogue : they were likewife to fee to the fupplying the neceffities of the Poor. Now if we conilder the practice of our Saviour The Fourth Conference] 503 Saviour,and his Apoftles, we ihall find them ftu- dying to comply with the forms received among the Jews, as much as was poflible, or confid- ent with the new Difpenfation ; which might be inftanced in many particulars, as in both Sacraments, the forms of WoHhip, the pra&ice of Excommunication, and thefe might be branched out into many inftances. And in- deed fince we find the Apoftles yielding fb far in compliance with the Jews about the Mofai- col Rites > which were purely typical, andconr fequendy antiquated by the death of CHR IST M we have a great deal of more reafon to appre- hend they complied with their forms in things that were not typical, but rather moral, fuch as was the order of their Worfhip : thefe things only excepted, wherein the Chriftian Religion required a change to be made : And this the ra- ther, that wherever they went promulgating the Gofpel, the firft offer of it was made to the Jews; many of whom believed, but were ftill zealous efthe Traditions of their Fathers. And fo it is not like, that they who could not be pre- vailed upon to part with the Mofakal Rites a for all the reafons were offered againft them, were (b eafily content to change their other forms, which were of themlielves ufeful and in- nocent. Now fince we fee the Apoftles retain- ed, and improved fb many of their Rites and T Cuftoms 5 204 ^ e F° tiri h Conference. cuftorns, why thev mould have innovated the Government of their Synagogues, will not be eafily made clear : efpeciaily fince they retained the names of Biflwf , Tresbper, and Deacon, which were in life among the Jews, and fince they did blefs and feparate them by the impoii- tion of hands, which had been alfo pra&ifed among the Jews: and all this will appear with a clearer vifage of reafbn, if weconfider the ac- counts given in the ABs, or rules prefenbed in the Eft files of the Afofiks, about the framing and conftituting their Churches. All which fpeak out nothing of a new Conftitution, but tell only what rules they gave for regulating things ; which from the ftile they run in, feem to have been then conftituted : and is very far either from Mofes's Language in the Pent a- teuch, or from the forms of the Inftitution of the Sacraments : And except the little we have of the Inftitution of Deacons, nothing like an Inftitution occurs in the New Teftament ; and yet that feems not the Inftitution of an Order, but a particular pro virion of men for ferving the Hellenics in an office already known* and recei- ved. Now let me here lend you to the Mafters of the Jewifi) learning, particularly to the emi- nently learned, and judicious Doftor Lightfoot, who will inform you, that in every Synagogue there was one peculiarly charged with the Wor- ship the Fourth Conference, 305 ihip, called the Bifbop of the Congregation, the Angel of the Churchy or the Minifter of the Syna- gogue : and befides him, there were three, who had the Civil Judicatory ; who judged alio about the receiving Profelytes, the impolition of hands, &c And there were other three, who gathered, and diftributed the almes. Now the Chnftian Religion taking place, as the Gofpel was planted m the Cities, where it was chiefly preached, thefe forms and orders were retain- ed, both name and thing : for we cannot think that the Apoftles, whole chief work was the gaining of Souls from Gentilifm or Judaifm>WQre Very fbllicitous about modes of Government ; but took things as they found them. Only the Elder and greater Chriftlans they fepa- rated for Church Offices, and retained an infpedion over them themfelves. And ab- ftra&ing from what was faid about the Sy- nagogues ■, it is natural to think, that when the Apoftles left them, and died, they did ap- point the more eminent to be Over-feers to the reft; which why not every where,as well as was done by S. Pjul to Timothy and Titw, is not ea- fily to be proved. But this is yet more rational from what was premifed about the Synagogue Pattern ; only they did not reftrid: themieives to that number, for the number of the Fresby- tsrs was indefinite ; but the Deacons were accord- T % mg 306 The Fourth Conference. ing to their firft original, reftri&ed to the num- ber feven. Thus the firft form was, that there was one whole charge it was to over-lee, feed, and rule the flock : and where the number of the Chriftians was fmall, they met all in one place for Worfhip, and it was eafie for the Bi~ (hop to' overtake the charge. But for the fpread- mg of the Gofpel, he had about him a compa- ny of the elder, and more eminent Chriftians, who were defigned and ordained for difFufing the Gojpel through the Cities, Villages, and Pla- ces adjacent : and thefe Presbyters were as the Bi- fhop's Children educated, and formed by him, being in all they did, directed by him, and ac- countable to him, and were as Probationers for the Bifhoprick: one of them being always cho- fen to fucceed in the feat when vacant through the Bifhop's death. Now all thefe lived toge- ther, as in a little College, and were maintained out of the charitable Oblations of the People, which were depofited in the Bifhop's hands, and divided in four parts; one falling to the Bi- fhop, another to the Clergy, a third to the Wi- dows and Orphans, and other poor Perfbns, and a fourth to the building of edifices for Wor- fhip. Thus the Churches were planted, and the Gofpel was d gemmated through the World. But at firft every Bifhop had but one Parilh, yet a? forwards when the numbers of the Chriftians engrea- The Fourth Conference. 307 encreafed, that they could not conveniently meet in one place ; and when through the vio- lence of the Perfections they durft not aflemble in great multitudes, the Bifhops divided their charges in lefler Parifhes, and gave alignments to the Presbyters of particular flocks, which was done firft in Rome, in the beginning of the Se- cond Century : and thefe Churches affigned to Presbyters, as they received the Gofpel from the Bifhop, fo they owned a dependence on him as their Father, who was alfo making frequent ex- curfions to them, and vifiting the whole bounds of his Precind. And things continued thus in a Parochial Government, till toward the end of the Second Century, the Bifhop being chiefly en- trufted with the cure of Souls, a lhare whereof was alfo committed to the Presbyters, who were iubjeft to him, and particularly were to be or* dained by him ; nor could any Ordination be without the Bifhop ; who in ordaining, was to carry along with him the concurrence of the Presbyters , as in every other a6t of Ecclejiafiical JurifdiBion. But I run not out into more parti- culars, becaufeof an account of all thefe things which I have drawn with an unbiafs'd ingenuity, and as much diligence as was poffible for me to bring along with me to fo laborious a work: and this 1 (hall (knd you when our Conference mall be at an end. But in the end of the Second T 1 Qen* jo8 The Fourth Conference. Century , the Churches were framed in another mould from thedivifionofthe Empire: and the Bifhops of the Cities did, according to the feve- ral divisions of theSwpir^aflbciate in Synods with the chief Bifhop of that Divifon or Province, who was called the Metropolitan, from the dignity of the City where he was Biflnp. And hence fprang Provincial Synods, and the Superiorities, and Precedencies of Bijhopricks , which were rati- fied in the Council of Nice, as ancient Cufioms y they being at that time above an hundred years old. ' In the beginning or the Third Century, as the purity of Churchmen begun to abate, (o new methods were deviled for preparing them well to thofe facred Fun&ions, and therefore they were appointed to pafs through feveral de- grees before they could be" Deacons, Vresbyters, or Bifhops* And the Orders of Porters, Rea- ders, Singers, Exorcifis ( or Catechifis ) Acolyths (who were to be the Bishops attendants) and Sub- deacons, were let up ; of whom mention is made firit by Cypnan: and thefe degrees were (o ma- ny fteps of probationer fhip to the fuprerne Or- der. But all this was not able to keep out the corruptions were breaking in upon Church Of- ficers, efpeqally after the Fourth Century, that the Empire became Chriihan : which as it brought much riches and fplendor oa Church Employments, fo it let in great i warms of cor- The Fourth Conference. 309 corrupt men on the Chriftian Aflemblies : And then the election to Church Offices, which was formerly in the hands of the people, was taken from them, by reafon of the tumults and difor- derswerein chef e elections: which fometimes ended in blood, and occasioned much fadion^ and fchifin. And Ambitus became nowfuch an univerfel fin among Churchmen, that in that Century, Monafieries were founded in divers places by holy Bifnops, as by Bafile, Augufline, Martin, and others; who imitated the Ex- ample of thofe in Egypt, and Nitria ; whofe de- iign was the purifying of thefe who were to ferve in the Gofpel. It is true, thefe Semina- ries did alfb degenerate,and become nelxsof fu- perfticion and ldlenefs : yet it cannot be deni- ed, but this was an excellent Confticution, for rightly forming the minds of the defigners for holy Orders ; that being trained up in a courfe of Devotion ; .Fafting, Solitude, abftrailioh from, the World, and Poverty, they might be better qualified for the discharge of .that holy Fun- ction. And thus I have given you a general draught and perfpe&ive of the firft Conlritu- tion of Churches, together with iome fteps of their advances, and declinings : But I deipair not to give you an ampler account, and plan of their rules and forms. Mean while, kt this fufEce. T 4 ?ML gxo The Fourth Conference. FhiL From what you have told us, I {hall propofe the notion I have of Epifcopacy, that the work of a Bifhop, as it is chiefly to feed the flock, (b it is more particularly to form,educate, and try thele who are to be admitted to Church Imployments ; and to over- fee, direct, admonim, and reprove thefe who are already fetled in Church Offices : fo that as the chief tryal of thofe who are to be ordained, is his work, the Ordinations ought to be performed by him ; yet not fb as to exclude the artiftance and con- currence of Presbyters Jooth in the previous tryal, and in the Ordination it (elf. But on the other hand, no Ordination ought to be without the Btjbop. And as for Jurifdidion , though the Btjh&p hath authoricy to over- fee, reprove, and admonifh the Clergy ; yet in aH ads of publick jurifdiclion, as he ought not to proceed without their concurrence, (o neither ought they with- out his knowledge and allowance, determine about Ecclejiaftical matters. As for the notion of the diftind: Offices of Btfhop and Presbyter, 1 confefs, it is not fo clear to me : and therefore Jince I look upon the lacramentai A&ions, as the higheftof (acred Performances ; I cannot but acknowledge thefe who are empowered for them, muft be of the higheft Office in the Church. Sq I do not alledge a Bijhop to be a diftind: Office from a Presbyter; but a different degree The Fourth Conference* 311 degree in the fame Office, to whom for order and unities fake,the chief inipeftion and care of Ecclefialrical Matters ought to, be referred, and who fhail have authority to curb the In (blendes of fome factious and turbulent Spirits, Kis work fhould be to feed the flock by the Word and Saeraments,as well as other Presbyters ; and efpecially to try and ordain Entrants, and to over- fee, direct, and admonifti fuch as bear Of- fice. And I the more willingly incline to be- lieve Bifkops and Presbyters, to be the feve- ral degrees of thd fame Office, fince the names of Bijhop and Presbyter, are ufed for the lame thing in Scripture ; and are alfb ufed promif- cuoufly by the Writers of the two firft Centuries. Now IfotimW) when you bring either clear Scripture, or evident Reafon, for proving this to be unlawful, or inexpedient, you ihall ihake my kindnefs to this Conftitution, whofe vene- rable Antiquity hath conciliated lo much reve- rence from me to it, that it will be a great at- tempt to change my value of it. Ifot. Thefe are all brave Stories well contri- ved for triumphing among ignorants. But thefe pretences from Antiquity have been fp baffled by the learned Aiiercors of Presbyterial Government, that 1 wonder how you can io con- fidently vouch them, fince there is not a veftige of any difparity before the 140th year after Chrifi gifc The Fourth Conference* CHRIST. And we know the My fiery of Iniquity wrought in the days of the Apoftles, and that then there was a Diotrophes who loved the preeminence, and the darknefs and obfeurity of the rife and progrefs of Prelacy, doth the more confirm me, that it was the My fiery of Ini- quity. The pretence from Ignatius s Epiftles, hath been often overthrown ; and there are words in thefe Epiftles which clearly prove them to be the contrivance of fome Impoftor, they being (o inconfiftent with the ftrain of Re- ligion, and truth of the Gofpel, not to (peak of the Orthodoxy and Piety of Ignatius, and the fimplicity of thefe times, which demonftrate their interpolation evidently, for all the pains Doctor Hamond hath been at to aiTert their faith : and therefore thefe can furnifh you with no argument. See pag. 145. and 151; Poly. I confefs I can hear you tell over the arguments of thefe Pamphlets with fome pa- tience : But truly in this inftance, I know not how to treat you, or rather him in whole name you (peak, who yet would earneftly perfwade the World of the great skill, he and his fiends have in thefe things. Surely they are the men oflVtjdom ! And one may as fecurely pull the hairs out of a Lion s beards as twic them with the leaft degree of ignorance. But, pray, tell your Learned Friend, that in his next publick appear- The Fourth Conference 313 appearance,, he meddle no more with Antiquity before he know it better, and difcover not lb much ignorance, that one of a months Handing in that ftudy may laugh at him. Pray, Sir, are you m earned:, when you tell me that for 140 years after CHRIST, there is no veftige of Prelacy on record ? Will you not believe Irenatts, who lived at that time, though he wrote fbme years after, and reckons thefucceffion of theBiihops of Rome from the days of the Apoftles ? Or if the Writings and Records of that time be loft, will you give no credit in a Hiftoricai matter to thofe who fol- lowed that time, and drew their accounts from Writings then extant, though now loft, fuch as Tertullian, Cyprian, but efpecially Eufebim* who gives the fucceffion of the Bifhops, in the feveral great Sees, from the Apoftles days? Certainly, he who was born but about an hun- dred years after the time you mark, would have had feme knowledge of fo great a change. But if there was no veftige of Prelacy before the year 140 in which it firft appeared, what time will you allow for its (breading through the World } Or was it in an inftant received every where? Were all the pretenders fo eafily enftamed to this Parcxifm of Ambition ? And were all the other Presbyters fotame, as to be lb eafily whe- eled out of their rights,, without one proceftatioh on 314 The Fourth Conference. on the contrary ? How came the Eclipfe of the Church to a total Obfcuration in one minute ? What charm was there in Prelacy at that time, that the World was fo inchanted with it ; and j that fb (bon after S Johns death, when ?olycarp % 1 and many more of the Apoftolical men did yet \ furvive ? And how came it,that all the Church- 1 es did (b unanimoufly concur in the defe&ion, and not fb much as two witnefles appeared to fight againft this Beaft ? Let me tell you free- ly, there is not a ravery in Don Quixotes Ad- ventures, or Amadis de Gaul y but is liker to prevail on my belief, than this Romance, But for Ignatius'* Epi files, the hazard of the iflue of the debate about them is very unequal : for if thefe Epiftles be his, then he dying fb near S. Johns days,the Caufe of Presbytery will be un- done. But though they be not his, the Epifco- pal Party fuftain fmall prejudice : For from other traces of Antiquity, it can be made as clear, that Epifcopacy was in the Church from the days of the Apoftles, as any hiftorical thing which is at fb great diftance from our time. But for your friends exceptions at thefe Epi- ftles, they betray his great skill, and tell clearly, that he under/lands not the queflion, and that he hath never read a Page of Dotlor Hamond, though with his ufual arrogance, he flights all he faith : For had he read any part of his differ- The Fourth Conference. 3 1 y diflertation, he would have made a difference betwixt the old vulgar Edition of chefe Epiftles, whole Interpolations that learned Dofior ac- knowledged*, and the late Edition of them by the learned Vojfiits, according to the Medkean Codex, whofe authority he only voucheth. Now had he known this,, would he have cited words out of them, which are not of the true Edition aflerted by DoBor Hamond, but are of the old vulgar and rejected one ? Certainly, had he read any thing of that debate, which hath been truly managed with much fiibtil critical learn- ing on both fides, he could not have ftumbled unto (uch a miftake. But his reading, it is like, rifeth not above Pamphlets; and finding thefe words cited on the fame defign, before the late Editions of Ignatius came out ; he, without exa- mining,took them upon truft from fecond hand. But I fhallnot run out farther upon Ignatius'sEpi- ftles, than to recommend their perufal to yo.u, and then I am confident you will difcern fuch a native, fimple, and fmcerely pious, and devout ftrain in them, lb unlike the Iwelled Stile, or purpofes of interpolated Writings, that they will be their own teitimony for convincing you of their genuinenefs : but the exceptions againft them being fo fully, and fb lately, with an amazing diligence, anfwered by Doctor Vur[on^ I mall remit you to his Labors, if you mtend 316 The Fourth Conference. intend to examine this matter accurately. ■ Ijou Your Conformist did likewife aliedge the 40, but he mould have faid the ;8 Afofib- heal Canon, with a hint, as if fifty of thefe might have been the Apoftles appointments: though the heap of them is fo full of novelties, that their Antiquity cannot be pleaded by any who knows the date of the ancient Church ; as ap- pears from the 5, 1 7, and 25 Canons : and were thefe Canons received, they would prejudge more than advance the caufe you maintain, as will appear from the 4, ; $ , ;6, and 80 Canons, not to mention the 14J 26,28,41,5 3, 57,and 75* And in a word,thefe Canons do only allow of a precedency of Order, but not of your Prelatick power and fuperiority,that claims the fole power of Ordination and Jurifdi&ion : See fag. 148. Poly. Truly, Sir, if the former exceptions did prove your Author a (econd hand writer, who voucheth Antiquity upon the tedimony of others, this doth it much more. For I am fure had he but read over thofe Canons, which might be done in half an hour, he had argued this point at another rate : and had he feen the Edition of Dionyfim Exiguits, he had not accu* fed theConformift for citing that Canon,as the fortieth, fince it is fb in his divifion, who was their firft publisher in the Lattne Church, tho it be the thirty ninth in the Greek divifion. But I The Fourth Conference. 317 I will deal roundly in this matter, and acknow- ledge that collection to be none of the Apoftles nor Clement 's,fince all that pafled under Clement's name was accounted fpunous, except his firft Epiftle to the Corinthians. Nor was this a pro- duction of the firft two ages. For the filence of the Writers of thofe Centuries gives clear evi- dence for their novelty: They not being cited for the decilion of things then in controverfie, wherein they are exprefs, as in the matter of Eafier y the rebapti&ing Hereticks > and divers other particulars. Yet in the Fourth and Fifth Century, reference is after made to fome Elders rules of the Church, which are to be found no where but in this Collection. The Apoftolical Canons are alio ibmetimes exprefly mention- ed : and this gives good ground to believe there were from the Third Century and forward, fome rules general received in the Church, and held Apoftolical, as being at firft introduced by Apoftolical men. This was at firft learnedly made out by De Marca Concord, lib. 3. r. 2. and of late more fully by that mod ingenious and accurate fearcher into Antiquity Beveregim in his Preface to his Annotations on thefe Canons. Yet I am apt to think, they were only preferv'd by an oral tradition : and that no collection of them was agreed on,and .publifh'd before the fifth Ctntwy. It is certain, the Lame Church in Tepe hno- 3 1 8 The Fourth Conference. Innocenfs days acknowledged no Canons bifi thofe of Nice. And many of the Canons in thii Collection, we find among Canons of othei Councils, particularly in that of Antioch ; with out any reference to a preceding authority that had enjoined them : which we can hardly think they had omitted, had they received the collection (I fpeak of) as Apoftolical. And that of the triple immerfion in Baptifm, looks like a Rule, no elder than the Arrian Controverfie. They began firft to appear under the name of the Apoftles Canons in the Fifth Century, which made Pope Gela/iz/s with a Synod of feventy Bi- fhops condemn them as Apocryphal ; though I muft add, that the authority of that pretended Council and Decree, though generally receiv- ed, be on many accounts juftly queftionable : And yet by this we are only to underftand, that he rejected that pretended authority of the Apoftles prefixed to thefe Canons. In the be- ginning of the Sixth Century they were publifh- ed by Dionyfim Exigum, who prefixed fifty of them to his tranilation of the Greek Canons ; but he confeiTes they were much doubted by many. At the lame time they were publifhed in the Greek Church with the addition of thirty five more Canons, and were acknowledged ge- nerally. Jufitnian cites them often in the No- vel s> and in the fixth Novel calls them, the Ca- nons The Fourth Conference. 319 nons of the holy Apoftles, Kept and interpret- ed by the Fathers. And the fame authority was afcribed to them by the Council in TmUo. Thefe things had been pertinently alledged if you had known them,but for your Friends nib^ lings at them, if you will but give your felf the trouble of reading thefe Canons, you will be ailiamed of his weakness, who manageth his advantage lb ill. And to inftance this but in one particular, had he read thefe Canons himfelf, could he have cited the eighty which is among the latter additions, and pafled by the fixth, which is full to the fame purpofe ? But for that impudent allegation,, as if a bare precedency had been only afcribed to Bifliops by thefe Ca- nons, look but on the 14. the 30. 37. 40. 54, and 75. and then pafs your verdict on your Friends ingenuity,or his knowledg. By the 14. No Churchman may pafifrem one Pari(h to another without his Bijhop's jentence, otherwise he is fufpend- ed from Ecclefiaftical Fun El ions : and if he refufe. to return, when required by his Bijhop, ha is to be. accounted a Churchman no more. By the 30. A Presbyter, who in contempt of his Bifoop gathers a Congregation apart, having nothing to condemn his Bijliop of either as being unholy or unjuft, he is t» be depofed, as one that is ambitious, and tyrannous - and fuch of the Clergy or Laity as join with them^ are likewife to be cenfured. By the 37. The Bi(hop U hath 320 The Fourth Conference^ hath the care of all Church matters , which he muft administrate as in the fight of God. By the 39. The Bijljop hath power over all the goods of the Church ; and the reafon given is, that fince the precious fouls of men are committed to him, it k much morejufi he have the charge of the goods of the Church, By the 54. If a Clergy -man reproach their Biflwp, he is to be depofed, for it is written, Thouflialt not curfe l the Ruler of thy people. And by the 73. A Bi-\ Jhop, when accufed, u only to he fudged of by other &i(hops. Now from thefe hints, judg whether there be truth in that AiTertion, that only a pre- cedency is afferted in thefe Canons : and if all the power is now pleaded for, be not there h eld out ; not to mention the Canon was cited by the Confermift, that Presbyters or Deacons might fimm nothing without the Bifhop's Sentence, fince the Souls of the people are trufted to him. As for the fole power of Ordination and JuriC diction, lam fore none among us do claim \i\ but willingly allow the Presbyters a concur- rence in both thefe. And as to what your friend iaith o£ Cyprian, it is of a piece with the learn- ing and ingenuity that runneth through the reft of his Difcourfe,/?w» page 1 50 to page 160. where for clivers pages he belabours his Readei with brave {hews of Learning and high inven tion 3 fb that no doubt he thinks he hath perform ed Wonders, and fully fatisfied every fcrupk con- The Fourth Conference: j2f concerning the rife and progrefS of Epifco- pacy. got: I pray you, do not fly too high, and make not too much ado about any (mall advan- tages you conceive you have of my Friend : but upon the whole matter I arn willing to believe there was a precedency pretty early begun iri the Church, which I fhall not deny was ufeful and innocent, tho a deviation from the firft pattern : Neither fhall I deny, that holv men were of that Order : but when it is considered what a ftep even that Precedency was to Lord- ly Prelacy, and how from that the {on of perdi- tion role up to his pretence of Supremacy ; we are taught how unfafe it is to change any thing in the Church, from the firft institution of its blefled Head, who knew beft what was fit for it, according to whole will all things in k Should be managed Volj. It hath been often repeated, that no- thing was ever fo {acred, as toefcape that to which all things, when they fall in the hands of Mortals, are obnoxious. And may not one that quarrels a ftanding Miniftery, argue on the lame grounds, a Mimiters authority over the people, gave the rife to the authority Bifhops pretend over Minifters, and (b the Miniftery will be concluded the firft ftep of the Beafts Throne? Or may not the authority your Judi- U i< eatories 3 22 The Fourth Confer excel catories pretend to be at the fame rate ftruck out, fince from lefler Synods fprung greater ones, from Provincial rofe Generals, and from thefe Oecumenical ones with the pretence of in- fallibility i But to come nearer you, that whole frame of Metropolitans and Patriarchs was taken from the divifion of the Roman Empire, which made up but one great National Church: and fb no wonder the Bifliop of the Imperial City of that Empire* was the Metropolitan of that Church : yet he was not all that neither, fince he had no authority over his fellow Patriarchs, being only the firft in order, which truly were the Biftiops of that Church : what they were for the firft four Ages, it was never judged an ab- furdity to grant to themftill: tho the ruin of the Roman Empire, and its divifion into fo many Kingdoms, which are conftituted in various National Churches, do alter the prefent frame of Europe fo entirely, from what was then ; that with verv good reafon what was then fubmitted to, on the account of the Unity of the Empire, may be now undone by reafon of the feveral Kmgdoms,which are National Churches within themfelves;and need not to own fb much as the acknowledgment of Primacy to any, but to the Metropolitan of their own Kingdom. And it feems the intereft of Princes,as well as Churches,to af fct this. But for the pretence of the Pope's fupre- macy The Fourth Conference. 323 tnacy, Epifcopacy was fo far from being judged a ftep to it, that the ruin of the Epifcopal autho- rity over Vresbyters 9 and the granting them ex- emptions from the Jurifdi&ion of their Ordina- ry, was the greateft advance the Roman Bifhop ever made in his tyrannical ufarpation over Churches. I need not here tell Co known a mat- tQV > as is that of the exemption of the Regulars, who being fubje<5fc to their own Superiors and Generals, and by them to the Pope, were fenc through the World in {warms ; and with great (hews of piety, devotion, and poverty, earned away all the efteem and following from the le- cular Clergy ; who were indeed become too fecular, and thefe were the Pope's Agents and Emiffaries, who brought the World to receive the mark of the Beaft, and wonder at her. For before that time, the Popes found more difficul- ty to carry on their pretentions, both from ie- cular Princes and Bifhops : But thefe Regulars being warranted to preach and adminifter the Sacraments without the Biihop's Hcenie, or being fubjed and accountable to him ; as they brought the Bifhops under great contempt, fo they were the Pope's chief confidents in all their treafonable plots againit the Princes of Europe. And when at the Council of Trent } the Bifhops of Spain being weary of the inlblencies of the Re- gulars, and of the Papal yoak, defigned to get U 3 free 334 jfbe fourth Conference. free from it. The great mean they propofed. Was to get Epifcopacy declared to be of divine Right, which would have ftruck out both the one and the other. But the Papal Party forefaw this well, and oppofed it with all the Artifice Imaginable : and Lainez, the Jeftiit^ did at large difcourfe againft it ; and they carried it Co, that it was not permitted to be declared of divine Right. And by this, judg if it be likely that the Papacy owes its rife to Epifcopacy, fince the de- claring it to be of divine Right, was judged one of the greatefl blows the Papal Dominion could have received, as the abufing of the Epifopal authority, was the greateft ftep to its Exalta- tion. If at. Be in thefe things what may be, lam ft re from the beginning it was not fo, hnce Chrift did fb exprefly prohibit all dominion and autho- rity among his Difciples, when he faid, But it jfhall not be fo among you: but whofoever will be great among you , let him be your minifler, Luke ax. x6. Whereby he did not only condemn a tyrannical domination, but fimply all Autho- rity, like that the Lords of the Gentiles exercifed ever them. See page 88. Crit. I conrefs, the advantages feme have drawn from thefe words of CHRIST ', for deciding this queftion, have many times ap- peared Grange co me, their ptirpofe being fo vihbly The Fourth Conference. y£& vifibly different from that to which they are applied. Bat if we examine the occafiorr that drew thefe words from CHR IST> it will furnifh us with a key for underftanding them aright: and that was the frequent contentions were among the Difciples about the precedency in the Kingdom of CHRIS T: for they were in the vulgar Judaical Error, who believed the Mejfiah was to be a temporal Prince, and fo un- derftood all the pompous promifes of the New Difpenfation liberally, and thought that CHRIST fhould have reftored Ifrael in the literal mean- ing: therefore they began to contend who jhould be preferred in his Kingdom : and the Wife of Zebedee did early befpeak the chief preferments for her Sons. Yea, we find them flicking to this miftake even at CHRIST'S A!- cenfion, by the question then moved, concern- ing his removing the Kingdom at that time to Ifrael. Now thefe Contentions, as they fprung from an error of their judgments, fo alio they took their rife from their proud ambition. And for a check to both, our Saviour anfwers them, by telling the difference was to be betwixt his Kingdom, and the Kingdoms of the Nations : thefe being exercifed by Grandeur and tempo- ral Authority, whereas his Kingdom was Spi- ritual, and allowed nothing of that; fince Churchmeniiave not by CHRIST a Lordly or y 4 Defpq- 3 1 6 The Fourth Conference. Defpotick dominion over Chriftians commit- ted to them, but a paternal and brotherly one ; by which in commanding , they ferve their Flock; (b that it is both a Miniftery arid an Authority. Therefore the words of Chrift, it jhall not befo among you ,relate nothing to the de- grees or ranks of Churchmen, but to the na- ture of their power and jurifdi&ion over their flpck, and not to their degrees among them- feiyes, which appears evidently from the whole contexture of the words. And that he is not fpeakingof any equality among Churchmen in their Church power, appears from the mention is made of the greateft, and the chief; He that *s great eft among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chiefs as he that doth ferve : which (hew he -was not here defigned to ftrike put the degrees of fuperiprity, when he makes exprefs mention of them ; but to intimate that the higher the de- greesof Ecclefiaftical Offices did raife them, they were thereby obliged to the more humility, and the greater labor. All which is evidently con- firmed by the in fiance he gives of nimfelf, which (hews ftill he is not meaning of Church power (tince he had certainly the higheft Ecclefiaftical authority) but only of Civil dominion ; npthing of which he would ailume. And if this place be ro be applied to Church power, then it will ra- ther prove too much, that there ihould be no power The Fourth Conference. 32 f power at all among Churchmen over other Chriftians : For fince the parallel runs betwixc theDifciples, and the Lords of the Gentiles ; it Will run thus, that tho the Lords of the Gentiles bear rule over their people, yet you muft not over yours : lb that this muft either be reftricted to Civil Authority, or elfe it will quite ftrike out all Ecclefiafiical JurifdiBion.But how this ihould be brought to prove that there may not be feve- rs 1 ranks in Church Offices, I cannot yet ima- gine. And as it is not thought contrary to this, that a Minifter is over your Lay- Elders and Dea- cons, why mould it be more contrary to it, that a rank of Bifhopsbe over Minifters ? In a word, fince we find the Apoftles exercifing this pater- nal authority over other Churchmen, it will clearly follow they underftood not Chrift, as hereby meaning to difcharge the feveral ranks of Churchmen, with different degrees of power. But to tell you plainly what by thefe words of CHRI ST is clearly forbidden, I acknowledg that chiefly the Pope's pretence to the Temporal Dominion over Chriftendom, whether dire&ly or indiredly, as the Vicar of CHR.IST, is ex- prefly condemned. Next , all Churchmen under what notion, or in what Judicatory foe- ver,are condemned, who ftudy upon a pretence of the Churches intrinfick power, to poffefs I hem (elves of the authority 3 to determine about 3x8 The Fourth Conference. about obedience due to Kings or Parliaments and who bring a tyranny on the Chriftians,anc procure what by Arts, what by Power, the fo cular Arm to (erve at their beck. Whether this was the practice of the late General Affemhlies. or not, I leave it to all who are (b old, as to re- member how fquares went then ; and if the leading Men at that time, had not really the fe cular power ready to lacquay at their commands, fb that they ruled in the fpirit of the Lords of the Gentiles, whatever they might have pretended. And the following change of Government did fully prove, that theobedience which was lini- verfally given to their commands, was only an appendage of the Civil Power, which was then dire&ed by them : For no fooner was the power mvaded by the Ufurper, who regarded their Ju- dicatories- little, but the Obedience payed to their Decrees evanilhed. Thus, I fay, thefe who build all their pretences to parity on their miftakes of thefe words, did moft iignally de- Ipife and neglect them in their true and real meaning. Now think not to retort this on any additions of Secular Power, which the munifi- cence of Princes may have annexed to the Epi- [copal Office ; for that is not at all condemned here: CHRIST (peaking only of the power Churchmen, as fiich, derived from him their Head, which only bars all pretentions to Civil Power The Fourth Conference,. 3x0/ tower on the title of their Fun ft ions; but doth not lay that their Functions render them inca- pable of receiving any Secular Power, by a (ecu- far conveyance from the Civil Magiftrate. And to far have I considered this great and pompous argument againft precedency in the Church; and am miftaken if I have not fatisfied you of the flender foundations it is built upon : all which is alfb applicable to St. Peter's words,, of not Lording it ever their flocks. Ifot. You are much miftaken, if you think that to be the great foundation 1 of our belief of a parity among Churchmen., for I will give you another,, '(p a g e 9 1 - } which is this, that JESUS CHRIST tl\Q head of his Church, did inftitute a fetled Miniftery in his Church/ to feed and over- fee the Flock, to preach, to re- prove, to bind, loofe,&c. It is true, he gave the Apoftles many lingular things beyond their Succeflors, which were neceflary for that time,, and work, and were to expire with it : But as to their Minifterial Power which was to con- tinue, he made all equal, The Apoftles alfb ac» knowledged the Pallors of the Churches, their fellow- laborors,and Brethren, And the feeding and overleeing the Flock, are duties io compli- cated together, that it is evident none can be fitted for the one, without they have al(b au- thority for the other. And therefore all who have g 3 o The Fourth Conference. have a power to preach, mull alfo have a right to govern, fince Discipline is referable to preaching, as a mean to its stii : preaching be- ing the great end of the Miniftery. Thefe there- fore who are fent upon that work, muft not be limited in the other : neither do we ever find CHRIST inftituting a Superiour Order over preaching Presbyters, which fhews he judged it not neceflary : And no more did the Apoftles, though they with-held none of the Counfel of GOD from the flock. Therefore this Superior Order ufurping the power from the preaching Elders, fince it hath neither warrant, nor infti- tutiomn Scripture, is to bereje&ed, as an in- vafion of the rights of the Church. In fine, the great advantage our Plea for parity hath, is, that it proves its felf, till you prove a dispa- rity. For fince you acknowledg it to be of divine Right, that there be Officers in the Houfe of G O Z), except you prove the inftttution of (everal Orders, an equality among them mud be concluded. And upon thefe accounts ic is that we cannot acknowledg the lawfulnefs of Prelacy. Phil I am fure, if your Friends had now heard you, they would for ever abfolve you from defigning to betray their caufe by a faint Patrociny ; fince you have in a few words laid out all their Forces : but if you call to mind what hath The fourth Conference. % j f Jiath heen already laid, you will find moft of what you have now pleaded, to be afrfwered be- forehand. For 1 acknowledge Bijhop and Tresbyter, to be one and the fame Office ; and fo I plead for no new Office-Bearers in theChurch. Next, in our fecond Conference, the power given to Churchmen was proved to be double, The firft branch of it, is their Authority to publish the Gofpel, to manage the Wormip, and to difpenfe the Sacraments. And this is all that is of divine right in the Miniftery, in which Bifhops and Presbyters are equal fharers, both being ve- iled with this power. But befide this, the Church claims a power of Jurifai&ion, of ma- king rules for difcipline, and of applying and executing the fame ; all which is indeed fuitable to the common Laws of Societies, and to the ge- neral rules of Scripture, but hath no pofitive warrant from any Scripture precept. And all thefe Conftitutions of Churches into Synods, and the Canons of difcipline, taking their rife from the divifions of the World into the feveral Provinces, and beginning in the end of the fe- cond, and beginning of the third Century, do clearly (hew they can be derived from no divine Original ; and fo were, as to their particular form, but of humane Conftic ution : therefore as to the management of this Jurifdi&ion, it is in the Churches power to caft it in what mould fts 232, The Fourth Conference. fiie will : and if lb, then the confbnt practice o the Church for ib many ages mould determine us, unlefs we will pretend to underftand th< exigencies and conveniences of k better thar they who were neareft the Apoftolical time But we ought to be much more determined b} the Laws of the Land, which in all fuch matter: have a power to bind our conferences to theii obedience, till we prove the matter of them (in- fill. Now dilcover where the guilt lyes of fix ing one over a Tract of ground, who iliall have the chief infpe&ion of the Minifiery, and the greateft Authority in matters of Juriidi&ion, fc that all within that Precind: be governed by him, with the concurring votes of the other Presbyters : if you fay, that thereby the Mini- -fters may be reftrained of many things, which otherwife the good of the Church requires to be done • Ianlwer, thefeare either things ne- cefiary to be done by divine precept, or not: if the former, then fince no power on earth can cancel the Authority of the divine Law, fuch reftraints are not to be considered. But if the things be not neceflary, then the Unity and Peace of the Church is certainly preferable to them. I acknowledge a Bijhop may be tyran- nical, and become a great burden to his Vresby- ters ; but,pray, may not the fame be apprehend- ed from Synods ? And remember your friends, how The Fourth Conference. 233 how long it is 5 finee they made the fame com- plaints againft the Synods : and the hazard of an ill Bifhop is neither fo fixed, nor fb lafting, as that of a bad Synod. For a Biftiop may die, and a good one fiicceed : but when a Synod is corrupt, they wh© are the major part, are care- ful to bring in none, but fuch as are fure to their way ; whereby they propagate their corruption more infallibly than a Bifhop can do. And what if the Lay ruling Elders mould bend up the fame plea againft the Minifters, who do ei- ther aflume a Negative over them dire&ly, or at leaft do what is equivalent, and carry every thing to the Presbytery, Synod, or General AJJ'em- bly, where they are fure to carry it againft the Lay-Elders, they being both more in number, and more able with their learning and elo- quence to confound the others ? But mould a Lay-Elder plead thus againft them, We areOf fee-Bearers infiituted by CHRIST, for ruling the flock, as well as you, and yet you take our power from us ; fer whereas in our Church SeJJions^ which are of C HRIS Ts appointment, we are the great- er number, being generally twelve to one^ you Mi- nifiers have got a device, to turn us out of the power: for you allow but one of us to come to your Synods, and Presbyteries, and but one of a whole Presbytery to go to a National Synod ; whereby you firike the refi of ' m out ofmr power: and thus you afert a preemi- nence 5?4 7b e Fourth Conference. mnce over us , to carry matter i as you pleafe ? Now" Ifotimus, when in your principles you anfwer this, I will undertake on all hazards to fatisfte all you can fay, even in your own principles. Next, may not one of the Congregational way, talk at the fame rate_, and fay, CHRIST hath given his Office- Bearers full power to preach, feed y and over fee the flock ; and yet for ali that, their power of over feeing is taken from them* and put in the hands of a multitude, ivho being generally corrupt themfelves, and lu fling to envy, willfuffer none to outfirip them : but are tyrannical over any they fee minding the Work of the Gofpel more than themfelves ? And tnufb this ufurpation be endured andfubmittedto ? And let me ask you freely, what imaginable device will be fallen upon, for fe- curing the Church from the tyranny of Synods, unlefs it be either by the Magiftrates power, or by fele&ing fbme eminent Churchmen, who ihall have fbme degrees of power beyond their brethren ? In a word, I deny not, but | as in Civil Governments, there is no form up- on which great inconveniences may not fol- low ; fb the fame is unavoidable in Ecclefiafiical Government \ But as you will not deny, Mon- archy to be the belt of Governments, for all the hazards of tyranny from it ; fo I muft crave hdVQ to have the fame impreflions oiEptfcopacy. Cnt. But fuller me to add a little for check- ing T/;f Fourth Conference* 335* king Ifitimm his toopofitive aflerting of parity from the New Teftament; for except he find a precept for it, his Negative Authority will ne- ver conclude it : and can only prove a parity lawful, and that imparity is not neceflary. I fhall acknowledge that without Scripture war^ rants, no new Offices may be inftituted ; but without that, in order to Peace, Unity, De- cency, and Edification, feveral ranks and dig- nities in the fame Office, might well have beea introduced : whereby fome were to be empo- wered either by the Churches choice, or the Kings Authority^ as Overleers, or infpe&ors of the reft : who might be able to reftrain them in the exercife of fome parts of their functions, which are not im.mediatly commanded by GOD. And you can never prove it unlawful, that any mould overfee, dired, and govern Churchmen, without you prove the Apofto- lical fundion unlawful: for what is unlawful^ and contrary to the rules of the Gofpel, can upon no occafion, and at no time become law- ful : fince then both the Apoftles, and the E- vangelifts exereifed Authority over Presbjters; it cannot be contrary to the Gofpel rules, that fome mould do it. To pretend that this fuperio- rity was for that exigent, and to die with that age, is a mere allegation without ground from Scripture : for if by our L R 2>'s words, tt x M 336 The Fourth Conference. fhallnot he fo among you, all fuperiority among Churchmen was forbid, how will you clear the Apoftles from being the firft tranfgreflbrs of it? And further, if upon that exigent fuch fuperio- rity was lawful, then upon a great exigent of the Church, a fuperiority may be ftill lawful Befides, it is aflerted, not proved, that fuch an authority as S. Paul left with Timothy and Titus, was to die with that age : for where the reafbn of an appointment continues, it will follow, that the Law mould alfo be coeval with the ground on which it was firft enacted : if then there be a neceffity that Churchmen be kept in order, as well as other Chriftians ; and if the more exalted their office be, they become the more (ubjed: to corruption, and corruptions among them be both more vifible, and more dangerous than they are in other perfbns ; the fame parity of reafon that enjoyns a JurifHi- clion to be granted to Churchmen over the faithful., will likewife determine the fitnefs of granting forne excreting power to the more venerable and approved of the Clergy over others; neither is this a new Office in the Houfe of G O D, but an eminent rank of the fame Office. I fit. You ftudy to prefent Efifcofacy in as harmleft a pofture as can be, yet that it is a di- ftinft Office, is apparent by the fble claim of The Fourth Conference. 337 Ordination and Jurijdiclion they pretend to,, and by their confecration to it, which mews they account it a fecond Order : befides, that they do in all things carry as thefe who conceit them- felves in a Region above the Presbyters. Phil. 1 am not to vindicate neither all the pra- ctices, nor all the pretenfions of fbme who have afierted this Order, no more than you will do the opinions or a&ings of all your par- ty : v/hich when you undertake, then I allow you to charge me with what you will. But it is a different thing to fay, that no Ordination, nor greater ad of Jurifdi&ion, mould pafs with- out the Bifhop's confent,or concurrence ( which is all I mail pretend to, and is certainly nioft ne- ceflary for preferving of Order and Peace) from afferting that the (ole power for thefe (lands in the Bifhops perfbn. And though I do hold it fchifmatical to ordain without a Bifhop, where he may be had, yet I am not to annul thefe Or- dinations that pafs from Presbyters, where no Bifhop can be had : and this lays no claim to a new Office, but only to a higher degree of in- ipe&ion in the fame Office ; whereby the exer- cife of fome z&soijurifdiciion are reftrained to fuch a method ; and this may be done either by the Churches free content, or by the King's au- thority. As for the confecration of Bi(hops by •a new imposition of hands, it doth- not prove X X them 338 TheFourth Conference* them a diftinft Office: being only a fblemfi benediction and feparation of them for the diC charge of that infpe&ion committed to them : and fo we find Paul and Barnabas (though be- fore that they preached the Gofpel, yet when they were tent on a particular Commiffion to preach to the gentiles ) were blefled with im- pofition of hands, ABs 13. ;. which was the ufual Ceremony of benediction. Therefore you have no reafon to quarrel this, unlefs you apprehend their managing this overfight the worfe, that they are blefled in order to it: nor can you quarrel the Office in the Liturgy, if you do not think they will manage their power the worfe, if they receive a new efFufion of the holy Ghoft. And thus you fee, how little ground there is, for quarrelling Epfcofacy up- on fuch pretences. Eud. I am truly glad you have faid (b much for confirming me in my kindnefs for that Go- vernment : for if yoaevinces its lawfulnefs, I am iure the expediency of that Conflitution will not be difficult to be proved, both for the tryal of Entrants, and the overfight of thefe in Of- fice : for when any thing lyes in the hands of a multitude, we have ground enough to appre- hend what the iflue of it will prove. And what forry overly things thefe tryals of Entrants are, all know. How little pains is taken to form their minds The Fourth Conference. 339 minds into a right fenfe of that function, to which they are to be initiated at one ftep, with- out either previous degree, or mature tryal ? And here I muft fay, the mine of the Church fprings hence, that the pallage to (acred Offices lyes fo patent, whereby every one leaps into them out of a fecular life,having all the train of his vanities, paflions, and carnal defigns about him : and mod part entering thus unpunfied, and unprepared, what is to be expected from them, but that they become idle, vain and licen- tious, or proud, ambitious, popular and cove- tous? I confefs, things among us are not come to any fuch fettlement, as might give a provi- fion againft this : But devife me one like a Bi- fljofs Author it 7, who fhall not confer Orders to any, before either himfelf, or fome other feled and excellent perfbns, on whom he may with confidence devolve that truft, be well fatisfied not only about the learning and abilities, buc about the temper, the piety, the humility, the gravity, and difcretion of fuch as pretend to ho- ly Orders : And that fbme longer tryal be ta- ken of them by the probationerflup of ibme pre- vious degree. Indeed the poverty of the Church, which is not able to maintain Semina- ries and Colledges of fuch Probationers, renders this defign almoft impra&icabie. But itretch your thoughts as far as your invention can fend X 3 chsrn 3 40 The Fourth Conference. them, and fee if you can provide fuch an expe- dient for the reforming of fo viliblean abufe, as were the Bifhop's plenary authority to decide in this matter. For if it lie in the hands of a Plurality, the major part of thefe,as of all man- kind, being a&ed by lower meafures, the confi- derations of Kinred, alliance, fnendfhip, or powerful recommendations, will always carry through perfbns, be they what they will, as to their abilities and other qualifications : And a multitude of Churchmen is leis concerned in the iname can follow an unworthy promotion ; which every individual of fuch a company will be ready to bear off himfelf, and fatten on the Plurality. But if there were one to whom this were peculiarly committed,who had authority to flop it,ti!.l he were clearly convinced that the perfbn to be ordained, was one from whole la- bors good might be expe&ed to the Church, he could ad: more roundly in the matter : and it may be prefuppofed that his condition fetting him above thefe low confiderations, to which the infenour Clergy are more obnoxious, he would manage it with more caution ; as know- ing that both before GOD and Alan, he muff bear the blame of any unworthy promotion. And as for thefe in Office, can any rhing be more rational than that the infpe&ion into their ] aborSjCheir deportment, their converfation,and their The Fourth Conference. 3 a j their dexterity in Preaching and Catechifing* be not done mutually by themfelves in a pari- ty, wherein it is to be imagined, that as they degenerate, they will be very gentle to one an- other? And when any infpedlion is managed by an equal, it opens a door to facfcion^nvy^and emulation : neither are the private rebukes of an equal, fb well receivedmor will it be eaiie for one of a modeft temper to admonifh his fellow- Presbyter freely. And yet how many things are there, of which Churchmen have need to be admonilhed, in the difcharge of all the parts of their fun&ion, efpecialiy when they fetout firft, being often equally void of experience and difcretion ? But what a remedy for all this, maybe expected from an excellent Bifhop : who ihall either, if his health and ftrength allow it, be making excurfions through his Diocefe,and himfelf obferve the temper, the labors,and con- versation of his Clergy ? or at leafk truft this to fuch as he hath realbn to confide mod: in* that fo he may underftand what admonitions, directions, and reproofs are to be given, which might obviate a great many indifcretions, and fcandals that flow from Churchmen. And the authority of fuch a perfon, as it would more recommend the reproofs to thefe for whom they were meant, fo it could prevail to make them effe&ualj by a following Cenfure if X 4 neglect- 342 The Fourth Conference. negle&ed. If the confufion fbme keep matters in, have hindered us for coming at a defired fettlement, the Office of Epifcopacy is not to be blamed, whofe native tendency I have laid out before you, and in a fair idea, but in what was both the rule and practice of the ancient Church, and wants not latter inftances for veri- fying it. In a word, I muft tell you, I am fb far from apprehending danger to the Church, from Bilhops having too much power, that I (hall fear rather its flow recovery, becaufe they have too litcle : which might be managed with all the meekhefs and humility imaginable, and in- deed ought to be always accompanied with the advice and concurrence of the worthieft perfbns among the inferior Clergy. But till you fecure my fears of the greater part in all So- cieties becoming corrupt, 1 fhall not fay by the tnajor part of them, but by the better. -part. Ifot. I fee you run a high drain, and far diffe- rent from what was the difcourfe of this Coun- trey a year ago, of an accommodation was in- tended, wherein large offers feemed to be made : but I now fee by your ingenuous free- dom, that though for a while you ( who were called a great friend to thatdefign.) were willing \o yield up iome parts of the Epifcopai Gran- deur, yet you retain the root of that Lordly ambition ftill in your heart 5 and ib though for fbme The Fourth Conference. 343 ibme particular ends, either to deceive, or di- vide the LORDS people, you were willing to make an appearance of yielding ; yet it was with a refolution of returning with the firft op- portunity, to the old pra&ices and defigns of the Prelats,ofenhanfing theEcclefiaftical Pow- er to themfelves, and a {qw of their aflociats. And this lets me fee,what realbn all honeft peo- ple have to blefs GOD that thefe arts and devices took not ; for an Ethiopian cannot change his skin. Phil. I confefs to you freely, I was as little fatisfied with thefe condefeentions as any of you ; and though they gave up the Rights of the Church to a pee villi and preverfe party, whom gentlenefs will never gain : and there- fore am no lefs fatisfied than you are, that they did not take: and (6 much the more, that their refufing to accept of fo large offers, gave a new and clear character to the World of their tem- per : and that it is a fa&ion, and the fervile courting of a party which they defign, and not a ftrid adherence to the rules of confeience, otherwife they had been more tradable. Eud. Let me crave pardon to curb your hu- mor a little, which feems too near a kin to Ifo- timus his temper , though under a different character. For my part, 1 had then the fame fenfe of Epifcopacy which I have juft now own- ed. But when I conlidered the mines of Re~ ligion 344 Th e Fourth Conference. ligion, which our divifions occafioned among us, and when I read the large offers S. Augufim made on the like occafion to the Donatifis, 1 1 judged all poflible attempts even with the larg- ; eft condefcentions for an accommodation, a worthy and pious defign, well becoming the gravity and moderation of a Biftiop toofFer,and the noblenefs ofthefe in authority to fecond with their warmed endeavors : for if it was blefled with faccefs, the effect was great, even the fetling of a broken and divided corner of the Church: if it took not, as it fully exonered the Church of the evils of the Schifm ; fo it ren- dered the enemies of Peace and Unity the more unexcufable. Only I muft lay this upon my Jcnowledg, that whatever defigns men of va- rious fentiments faftened upon chat attempt, it was managed with as much ingenuity and hnce- nty, as mortals could carry along with them in any purpofe. I know it is expe&ed and defired that a full account of all the fteps of that affair be made publick, which a friend of ours drew up all along, with the progrefs of it. But at prefent my concern in one, whom a late Pam- phlet, (as full of falilioods in matters of fad, as ofweaknefsinpointof reafbn) hath mirepre- fented (the cafe of Accommodation, Fage ; 1 ) mall prevail with me to give an account oi: a parti- cular palled in a Conference, which a Bifhop and The Fourth Conference. 34^ and two Presbyters had with about thirty of the Nonconformists ,at Vajley t on. the 14th of December in the year 1670. When the Bifhop had in a long Difcourfe recommended Unity and Peace to them, on the terms were offered ; he withal faid much to the advantage of Epifcopacy as he ftated it, from the rules and pra&ices of the ancient Church : offering to turn their Profe- lyte immediately, if they mould give him either clear Scripture, good reafon or warrant from the moft Primitive Antiquity againil fuch Epi- fcopacy. And with other things, he defired to know whether they would have joined in Com- munion with the Church, at the time of the Council of Nice, (to carry them no higher) or nor ? for if they refuted chat, he added he would have lefs heartinefs to defire communion with them, fince of thefe he might fay, Let my foul be with theirs. But to that, a general anfwer was made by one, who faid, He hoped they were not looked upon, as either fo weak, or Co wilful, as to determine in Co great a matter, but upon good grounds : which were the fame, that the aflerters of Presbyterian Government had built on, which they judged to be conform both to Scripture and Primitive Antiquity. But for Scripture,neither he nor any of the meeting offered to bring a Title : only healledged fonie differences betwixt the ancient Pr eiidencs, as he called 346 The Fourth Conference. called them, and our Bilhops. But this was more fully enlarged by one who is believed to be among the moft learned of the Party : whofe words with the anfwer given them, I (hall read to you, as I take both from a Journal was drawn of that affair, by one whole exa&nefs and fide- lity in it, can be attefted by fome worthy fpedta- tors, who read what he wrote after the Meet- ing was ended, and Judged it not only faithful, but often verbal : And that he was fo careful to evite the appearances of partiality, that he feemed rather ftudious to be more copious in propoiing what was faid by thefe who differed from his opinion , whereas he contra&ed much of what was (aid by thefe he favored. The account follows. Mr. . [aid, That he offered to make ap- pear ^ the difference wot betwixt the prefent Epi/co- facy > and what was in the ancient Churchy in five particulars, Thefirftwas, that they had no Arch- biihops in the Primitive Church. It is true, they had Metropolitans; but in a Council (^Carthage, it was decreed, that no Bifhopjhould be called bum- mus Sacerdos, or Pnnceps Sacerdotum, fed pri- ma? fedis Epifcopus. 2. The Bijhops in the an- cient Church were Parochial y and not only Wr* ttqKiv, but in every Village x&t& m>vmv ; for even in Betha- ny we find there was a Bijbop. 3. Two Bifhops might be in one Church , fuch was (not to mention Alexan- The Fourth Conference. 347 Alexander and Narciflus at Jerufalem) Augu- ftin, who with Valerius, was ordained Bifhop of Hippo. 4. Bifhops were elected by their Pre/by- ters, fo Jerome tells us, that in Alexandria the Trefbyters choofed one of their number to be Bifhop : and finally, the Bifhop were countable toandcenfw rable by their Presbyters : for either this muft have heen, otherwife they could ?iot have been cenfured at all. For though we meet with fome Provincial Synods in Church Hiftory, as that of Carthage in Cyprians time, for the rebaptizing ofhereticks^ and that at Antioch againft Samofatenus,, yet thefe in fiances were rare, and recurred feldom ; therefore there mufi have been a power in Prefbyters to have cenfured their Bifhops, otherwife it could not have been done , which is abfurd to imagine. And upon all thefe accounts, he judged the prefent Epif copacy differed much from the ancient ®€$swri&. Upon this difcourfe, the Biihop being weary of fpeaking much, looked to one of his Presby- ters, whom that Pamphlet in derifion, calls, a worthy Doclor : who faid, He found the ancient writings were fo clear for a difparity among Church* men, and fo full ofit 3 that he was ajjured none could doubt it, after he had looked but overly upon them : But as to what was alledgea^hefirft affumed the five particulars, and fpoke to them in order. To the fir ft, he [aid, It was true, the term Archbifhop, was not uftd in the fir ft Centuries : but in the Council of Nice a ; 348 The Fourth Conference. &ice, mention is not only made of Metropolitans \ but the Canon faith of them, t£ AfX"** ^ fl^TWiw* let the ancient cuftoms have' their force : which pews the fuperionty of Metropolitans to have been I pretty early begun. And the Canon that was cited, calling him, Prima* Sedis Epifcopum, makes him Trimate : now we are not to contend about words, when the thing is clear : neither will 'any Archbi- fhop judg himfe If injured, if inftead of that name, he be called Metropolitan^ Primate. Be fides, Archiepifcopus, doth not import Prince of the Bifliops; but that he ts the chief 'and firfi of 'them. And this prefixing of £^ to &nw7M, was not fo odiom : for Nazianzen calls a Bijhop ctf^jsus, and the Areopagite Is^fjpV. For the fecond particular, it is true^ Bifoopswere in many places very thick fet ; for in S. Auguftin'* time tt appears from the journals of a Conference he had with the Donatifts, that there were about 500. Bijhopricks in a fmall tratl of ground, but this was not universal : /or Theodoret tells he bad %oo 9 Tarifoes in his Diocefe: and Sozomen tells of great Countries where there were very few Bifhops. And to prove this, the Canons of Ancyra make a diffe- rence betwixt the Presbyters of the Country from thofe of the City : and over the former there was a Chorepifcopus; which (luws that the whole Dio- cefe was not within the City. But this was not much to our purpofe, fince the more or the lefi did not vary The Fourth Conference. 349 vary the kind. And if a Bifoop might be over the Minifiers of the City y it cannot be unlawful that he be likewise fet over more in the Country : which can be no more ejj'ential to this matter } than it is, whether a Parijh be great or [matt. So that this dif- ference may well make the one unexpedient, but un- lawful it cannot be, if the other be lawful. For the third particular, there was a Canon of the Council fl/Nice, that there might be but one Bi- fliop in a City. And he was amazed to hear the in- flame of S. Augufkm alledged, who was indeed or- dained Coadjutor ^0 Valerius;^? himfelfin his 1 10. Epift. condem?is that, telling that he did it ignorantly, not knowing it to be contrary to the Nicene Rules 3 And therefore he tells how he defigned Eradius to be his SuccejJ'or, but would not ordain him in his own time,becaufe of that Canon. Other instances of more Bijhops in one City 9 might have been more pertinently \ adduced to this purpofe : but they were either Coad- jutors, fuch as Nazi&riZQn the fon was to bis father^ or it was agreed to for fetling a Schifm,as was done in the Scbifm betwixt Meletius and Paulinus of -Antioch. And [0 S.Augufrin and the African Bi- floops with him.ojfered to the Donatifts, that would they agree with them 3 thefe fcbifmaticalBifhops jhould I he continued as conjunct Bijloops with thofe already I fitted in thufe Sees where they lived. It is truejbme vwill have both Linus and Clemens to havefucceed- W S.Peter at Rome.W Evodius and Ignatius h have- 3 JO The Fourth Conference. have fucceeded him at Antioch : But for this, non\ afj'ert that both fucceeded to S. Peter ; fome bein\ for one i and fome for another : and fo in a hiftoricai matter, the teftimonies ofthefe who lived near eft thai timejhould decide the queftion. But the Cohftituj tions 0/Clemens offer afolution to this, that atfirjt there were in fome Cities two Churches 3 one for thoj, of the Circumcifion, and another for thofe of tk Uucircumcifion : and after the deft rutl ion of Je rulalem, this diftintlion was [wallowed up. Thi. is rational^ and not without ground in Scripture . betides, that that Book, though none of Clements yet is ancient. And from all this it was clear, thai there might be but one Bijliop in a City, As for the fourth particular, it is true, the ancient elections of Biihops and Presbyters were partly by Synods, partly by Presbyters, and partly popular. But as none would fay it made any ejfential alteration of the Conftitution of a Church, if inftead ofthefe elections > Patrons had novJ a right of prefenting to Churches ; fo though inftead of thefe elections the King were Patron of alt the Bifoopricks , it did not alter the nature 0/Epifcopacy, much lefsjuftifie a Schifm againjt it. But befide this, it was known the Capitular elections were ft ill continued. And for the fifth particular, he defired they might give one infiance in all Antiquity, where a Bijhop was cenfuredby Presbyters : it being clear that they could fimfh nothing without the Bijbops fentence, hwjJVV The Fourth Conference] 351 l*775*tt7WGW iviv yvd^i ImoKQ'B*, was the words, of the Canon : And if they could finijh nothing with- out the Bijhop, much lefs could they cenfure himjelf Provincial Synods were begunin t he fecond ^ Centu- ry } whicb appears from many Synods were held about the day of obferving Eafter. Another expedient they had> when a Bijhop was heretical \ that the neigh- boring Bijhops ufed to publish it in their Cicular Let- terSj which went around \ and fo they did excommu- nicate or depofe them. But the regular way ofproce* dure againfi Bifmps was in Provincial Synods, which were now offered to befet up. Tet even this exception could be no ground for feparating 3 no more than in their principles Lay Elders had to feparate from their Minifters,who Were their fixed Vrefident % andyet did not judge themfilves cenfurable by thefe Lay Elders ; tho as to the power of rulings they held them to be equal. With this he ended, faying, He had now propojed what occurred of afudden to his thoughts on thefe heads jhough he believed much more might be adduced \ but he fuppofed there was enough [aid to clear thefe particulars; And it feems the Perfbn who had engaged him to this, judg- ed Co ; fince neither he, nor any of his brethren* offered a reply. And by this account ( of the truth whereof I am willing all there prefent bear witnefs ) let the company judge of the ingenui- ty of thefe Writers, But I ftiall purfue the dif* gourfe of the accommodation no further. Y .Batik 3J2 The Fourth Conferences Bafil. I am fure it hath left thisconvi&ion oil all our Conferences, that that Party is obftinate- ly fixed to their own humors, without the lead color of reafon. But now, I think, enough is faid for juftifying both the lawfulnefs and ufe- fulnefs of Epilcopacy, and that there is nothing in it contrary either to the nature or rules of the Gofpel, or of right Reafon. And for any occa- fional evils may have rifen from the refutation of this Government, they are with no juftice to be faftened on it. I know, many accufe their revenues and honors, thus thefiirit that is in m lufieth to "envy : and the eyes of many are evil, becaufe the eyes of our pious Progenitors were good. But indeed the ravenous Appetites of fome O/t •riches among us, have fwallowed down fb much of the Churches Patrimony, that what remains of it, can fcarce provoke envy. And truly Churchmen beftowing their Revenues well, for Alms-deeds, relieving the Widows and Orphans, and fuch modeft ho(pitality and decency, as may preferve them from the dif- efteem of the vulgar, who meafure their value of men much from thefe externals, there were no ground of quarrelling at them were their riches ieven-fold increafed. I am far from the thoughts of patronizing the German Bifliops, on whom I look as the di(grace of that Order, who live in all things like other Princes, making War s,and leading ■ : The fourth Conference. %$ j leading out Armies : nor do they once confider their Diocefes, or what they owe them as Bi- jfhops, being wholly immerfed in fecular affairs. But for all this, I cannot lee caule for blaming Churchmen, their being either upon the pub- lick Councils of the Kingdom in Parliaments, or on His Majefties Secret Councils, and that both becaufe Ecclefiaftical matters are often in agitation, both in the one, and the other, in which none are fo properly to be adyifed with as Churchmen. Occafion may alio be fre- quently given to thofe who fliould be prefup- pofed to underftand the rules of equity and con- science belt, to lay them before others, who ei- ther know them not, or mind them too little.' And finally, they are Subjects, as well as others, and by the clearnefs is to be expe&ed in their Judgments, and the calmnels of their minds, together with their abftra&ed and contempla- . rive manner of life, they may upon occafions be | very prudent Counfellors : And why a Prince lhall be deprived of the Councils of that which fliould be the wifeft and beft part of his King- dom, no reafon can be given. But for all this, I acknowledge there is great hazard from hu* mane Infirmity, left by fuch medling they be too much intangled in matters extrinfick to them,whereby their thoughts may be drawn out from that inward^ferene,and abftraded temper Y % where- 3 $ 4 ¥be Fourth Conference. wherein their minds fhould.be preferved, both for more fpiritual Contemplation, and for a more clofe purfuing the work of the Gofpel, which ought ftill to be their chief labor. But I muft jtouch this firing no more, left you fay that the Fox preachetb, and methinks our difcourfe is how near its period. Ifot. A great many things do yet remain which are untouched, and deferve to be better confidered : for thefe crude Dialogues poured out a great deal of fluff, which it is like the wri- ter never examined : And in the(e,you who are his friends, muft either vindicate him, or leave him to the mercy of every fevere cenfurer. Eud. His temper is well enough known to us, that he is very little follicitous about the eiteem orcenfures of men : and therefore, if all the particulars in his Book, cannot maintain themfelves to the judgments of rational and unprepofleffed Readers, he thinks them not worthy of his Patrociny. And for that little trifling way of writing, by tracing every word in a Book, or of making good all a man hath laid, it is a task equally mean, unpleafant, and laborious : and looks like one contending For victory more than truth. Were it a worthy thing for us to go and reckon how often am comes about in any of that Pamphleteers lon^ .periods^ how often he writes falfe Grammar tow i . The Fourth Conference^ 35^ how harm his Phrafes, and how tedious his Pe- riods are ? or make other fuch like remarks : : Alas, did we that, there were no end ! and yet iuch like are many of his reflections. But then how beautiful were our difcourfe, if inter- woven with thole elegancies of poor wretch^ h ab- ler % impertinent 1 confident \ ignorant, atheift, [coffer ■, and many more of that fame ftrain? I know well enough why he ufedthofe, his defign being to make his gentle and fimple Readers {land grave- ly, and turn up the white, and look pale, and affrighted with all thofe black Imputations he charges on that poor wretch. Methinks I hear the cenfures of the herd, when they firft read over his Book, to this purpofe; Oh> here is a wor* thy piece , full of deep learning ; and believe me % he [peaks home:he is ajweet man that wrote it,be he who he will> and was marvelloujly born through in it all. And oh, but it zs feafonable ! and well timed: for he hath anfwered the whole Book to a word. And .where we thought it ftrongeft, he (loews its weakne[s mofi. But Iwifo the poor wretch repentance, yet it is a proud Companion , and full of difdain ; but I hope he is humbled for once : it were a pity of him } f or they [ay he hath [ome abilities : but they are all wrong jet : and beivilljnay be^ftudy to healthebeafiofthe wound, which one of our Champions hath given it ; hut had he any [parks of grace > I could yet love him for his good > % -fake. Y % ' \i 556 The Fourth Conference. It were a worthy attempt to go and fatisfie fiich a gang of Cattle : therefore the cavils on the fifth and fixth Dialogue are lb poor, that it were loft time to confider them ; and fo ground- lefs, that he who from reading over the Dia- logues themfelves, is not able to withftand all thofe tricks of Sophiftry, would be little better- ed by all we could add : and therefore we may well quit the Theme, and that the rather, that we have examined all that is of publick concern in thefe debates : and for any thing that was ftarted, which lies ou: of the way, we will leave the difcuffing of thefe to the Conformift himfelf ; fince our defign in this Conference was to get mutual fatisfa&ion to our Confcien- ces, in thefe things which the Laws enjoin: and if we have gained this, we are to leave con- tending about other things, which relate not to us. Only if in thefe greater points it be found that what the Conformift f aid in the Dialogues, was grounded on ib much clear and ftrong rea- fon, as we have difcovered fince our firft meet- ing ; it is to be prefumed that in other things he was not ib rafh or irrational as to utter fuch abfiirdities or errors, as the late Pamphlets do charge upon him. Thil. Oar work was to confider, whether ab- folute iubiedtion was due to the Civil Authority, and how far its dominion over our obedience did The Fourth Conference. 357 did reach, and whether the Principles and Pra- dices of the late times, had fuch evident chara- cters of G O D's acceptance on them, that it was an unpardonable crime to reverie that build- ing, which they prepared with fo much noife, and cemented with fo much blood ; and by con- fluence whether Epifcopacy was that accurfed thing which provoked G O D's Jealoufie fo much againft us, that it was unlawful to unite with it, or fo far to comply with its adherents as to unite with them in Worfhip ? If thefe things be made clear to us, we need not arnufe our felves, nor entertain one another with far- ther janglings, and therefore may break off our Conference. Ifot. Since you will break off, I fhall not ftruggle about it : for it is a conf eflion of your weaknefs, that you pais over fo many things with this flight filence, Bafil, This is the genuine Spirit of the party which you now exprefs to the life ; but when ever the Author of the Dialogues undergoes the penance of examining what youdefire, it will perhaps appear, you have as little ground for this as for your other boafting. But I am fure no fcruple flicks with me about thefe great heads we have examined, fb that upon a narrow furvey of thefe matters, it appears he had more reafon for what he aflerted,than he then vented: Y 4 And 358 The Fourth Conference. And I have as little doubt of his being able to clear himfelf about other matters, which are fnarled at by thefe Pamphlets. But one thing I have not forgot, about which I am more folhcr- tous : which was a promife Volyhiflor made of fending when our Conference were ended, an account of the model and forms of the ancient Government: which I defire with fiich earn- eftnefs, that I wim we were gone, that he might be as good as his word. Fofy. I know not if it iuall anfwer your hopes, but your curiofity mall be quickly (atisfied, after I have given you fbme account of my defign in it. When I confidered the ruines of Religion, and the decays of Piety through the World, I have often bent my thoughts to feek out the moil proper remedies and means for theChurch- es recovery : and that which feemed the moft promiiing, was to conhder the conftitution,the rites and fprms of the Church in her firft and pureft ages ; and to qbferve the iteps of their declining from the primitive fimplicity and pu- rity, which being once fully done, great mate- rials would be thereby congelted for many life- mi thoughts, and overtures in order to a Re- formation. And this is a work, which for all the accurate enquiries this age hath produced, is not yet performed to any degree of perfection, ox ingenuity; therefore 1 reiblvgd to purfue this The Fourth Conference. 359 this defign as much as my Ieiftre and other avocations could allow of. But as I was doubt- ful what method to follow in digeiling my ob- servations, the Canons vulgarly called Apofto- lical, offered them (elves to my thoughts: I thereupon refolved to follow their trad:, and to compile fuch hints as I could gather on my way for giving a clear view of the irate of the Church in the fir ft ages. As for the opinions of the ancient Fathers; thefe have been 1 b copioui- ly examined by the Writers of Controversies, that fcarce any thing can be added to thole who went before us : bet few have been at fuch pains for fearching into their practices, and rules for Difcipline, and Worftiip, wherein their excellency and ftrength lay. In this inquiry I have now made good advances, but at prefent I will only fend you my Obfervations on the two firft Canons : and as you fhall find this task hath lucceeded with me, I wili be encouraged to break it off, or to purfue it farther. Only on the way, let me tell you, that I am fo far from thinking thefe Canons, Apoftolical, . that no- thing can be more evident, than that they were a collection made in theThird Centmy at fboneft : for the matter of almoft- every Canon di (covers this when well examined, and therefore that Epiftle of Xepbinwa the Pope, who lived about phe year 200, that mentions 60 (or as others cite it 360 The Fourth Conference. it 70. ) of the Apoftles fayings,is not to beconfi- der'd: that Epiftle with the other DecretalsJaQmg fo manifeftly fpurious, that it cannot be doubted ; by any who reads them : and the number fixty 1 agrees with no Edition ; for they are either fifty or 85. itertuUian is alfb cited for them, but the words cited as his, are not in his Book contra Traxeam, from which they are vouched. Nor can they be called the work of Clemens Roma- nes, though they were vented under his name. For Athanafim in his Synopfis^ reckons the work of Clemens Apocryphal. And Eufebius tells us that nothing afcribed to Clement was held ge- : nuine, but. his Epiftle to the Corinthians, But the firft Publifhers of thefe who lived, it is like ! in the Third Century y have called them Apofto- lical, as containing the earlieft rules which the Apoftolical men had introduced in the Church. And afterwards others to conciliate more vene- ration for thenl, called them the Canons of the Apoftles, compiled by Clement. And this drew Tope Gelafims cenfure on them, by which the Book of the Canons of the Apoftles is declared Apocryphal : which fbme who afiert their au- thority and antiquity, would foolifhly evite, by applying that cenfure only to the ${. added Canons: whereas the cenfure is fimply paffed on the Book, and not on any additions to it. And this fhall ferve for an Introduction to the Papers The Fourth Conference. 361 Papers I will fend you how foon I get home. Phil. I doubt not but all of us, except Ifoti- •mm, will be very defirous to underftand the particular forms of the Primitive Church : but he is lb fure, that they will conclude againft him, that I believe he is not very curious of any fuch difcovery. Ifot . You are miftaken, for I doubt not, but much will be found among the Ancients for me ; but if otherwife, I will lead you a ftep higher, to let you fee that from the beginning it was not lb: For Antiquity, when againft Scripture, proves only the error ancient. And if you quit the Scriptures to us, we will yield thofe mufty Records to you. JEW. Pray, fpeak not fo confidently, after all your pretences have been fo baffled, that we are alhamed of you : for you are like the Spa- niard \ who retained his fupercihous Looks and Gate, when he was fet to beg. But I will not be rude in a place which owns me for its Mafter, though really your confidence extorts it. Ifot. You are a proud company, and fo ele- vated in your own eyes, that you defpile all who differ from you, and think you cenfure them gently, if you call them no worle thaii ignorants and fools. Is there any arrogance in the World like this? Vbih Pray, let us not fallout, now that we are 3^2 The Fourth Conference, are to part : but I confefs it is no wonder the ' (mart of all the foils you have got,provoke fome paffion in you, and fo I pity you ; for I know 11 none of your Party who would have carried Co difcreetly. Therefore, Adieu, I muft be gone, and leave this good company. Ifot. You will have the laft word of fcolding, but I perhaps will find out one that will be too hard for you all, and will call you to account of all you have both argued and boafted. BafiL I will break off next, fince the defign of your meeting is finiihed : only, Polyhiftor, mind your promife. Poly. I go about it, and therefore, Kuda'imon i I beg your pardon to be gone. Eud. Though Retirement and Solitude be ever acceptable to me, yet it will not be wich- out fome pain that I return to it, when I mil? lb much good company, as have relieved me thefe four days : but the truth is, on the other hand, I am glad to fee an end put to this painful Engagement of which I fuppofe we are all weary. It remains only that I return you my iincere and hearty thanks for the favor you have done me, which I wrlh I could do (b warm- ly, as might engage you frequently to oblige me -with the like civilities. Adieu, my good friends, F I N I $. • Co- &*