180 / 846
I¢6
The
L
I E
E
of
the
L
I
B.
I.
for Subdivifons,
than the
few fober Perfons among them. could
do for unity and
Peace
;
too much miftaking the Terms of Church Communion, and
the
difference
between the Regenerate
( invifible
)
and
the Congregate
(
or vitible)
Church.
The
Anabaptifts
Party confuted
of
fume
(
but fewer
)
fober
,
peaceable
Perfons,
and orthodox in other Points;
but withal
,
of
abundance
of
young
tranf
rted
Zealots, and
a medley
of
Opinionifts, who
all
hafted dire
&1
to
Entbsrgafm
and
Subdivifew,
and
by the
Temptation of Profperity
and Succefs in Arms, and the
Policy
of
fome
Commanders, were
led
into
Rebellions, and
hot
Endeavours againft
the Miniftry, and other
fcandalous Crimes
;and
brought forth
'the horrid
Sects
of
Ranters,
Seekers,
and
Quakers
in the
Land.
§
z
;.
But
the greaten Advantage
which
I found
for
Concord
and Pacification,
was
among
a
great
number
of
Minifters and People who had addi&ed
themfelvés
to
no
Se&
or Party
at
all
;
though the Vulgar
called
them by the Name
of
Presby-
terians: And the
truth
is,
as'far
as
I
could difcover, this
was
the Cafe
of
the great-
en
number of the godly Minifters and People throughout
England.
For though
Presbytery
generally took
in
Scotland,
yet it
was
but
a
ftranger here
:
And it found
fome Minifters
that
lived
in conformity
to
the
Bithops ,
Liturgies and Ceremonies
(
however they wilht for Reformation
)
;
and
the molt
(
that quickly after were
ordained
)
were butyoung Students
in
the Univerfties, at the time
of the
change
of Church
Government, and had neverwell nudied
-the
Point on either
fide: And
though molt
of
the Minifters
(
then ) in
England law
nothing
in
the Presbyterian
way
of
praíïiee,
which they
could
not
cheerfully concur
in,
yet it
was
but
few
that
had
refolved
on their
Principles
:
And when
I
came
to try
it,I
found
that mov
( that
ever
I
could meet
with)
were againft the
Ito
Divinum
of
Lay
Elders,
and
for the moderate Primitive Epifcopacy, and
for
a
narrow Congregational
or
Pa-
rochial Extent
of
ordinary Churches, and
for an accommodation
of
all
Parties,
in order
toConcord,
as
well
as
my
felf.
I
am fure
as
foon
as
I
propofed it
to them,
I
found molt inclined
to this
way,
and therefore
I
fuppofe
it
was
their Judgment
before: Yea, multitudes whom I had no converfe with,
I
underftood to be of-this
mind
; fo
that
this
moderate Number,
(I
am loth
to
call
them
a Party
,
becaufe
they
were for Catholicifm againft Parties),
being no
way pre-
engaged
,
made
the
Work
of
Concord
much more hopeful
than
elfe
it
would have been
, or than
I
thought it to be when I
firft
attempted
it.
§24.
Things
being in this Cafe,
I
Rood
vill
fonte years,
as
a
looker
on, and
contented my
felf to
with
and
pray
for Peace,
and
only drop
now
and
then aword
for
it
in my practical
Writings
;
which hath
fine
been none
of
my fmallev
troubles.
The
Reafons were,
r.
Becaufe
I
was
taken up in
Pradicals,
and in
fuch Controverfies
as
tended to Doctrinal
Agreement.
2. Becaufe
I
looked when
fume
abler and
more
eminentDivinesattempted it.
;.
But
the chief
Reafon was,
Defpair:
I
was
fo
conklous
of
mymeannefs and
in
confiderablenefs
in the Church,
that
I verily thought,
but very few will regard
what
I faid.
But
when I once at-
tempted it,
God
convinced me
of,
this
Errour,
and
(hewed
me how little Inftru-
ments
lignifie,
when
he will work
:
and
that
his
Mininers
and People
were more
humble to
hear
the
meaneR
of
their Brethren, than
I
before believed.
Atlaft the
workings
of
my earneft Defire, and the apprehenfwn
of
my
Duty, to do my
heft,
and leave
the
Succefs
toGod, engaged me
as
followeth.
§
zy.
I
firft began
in
Conference and Writing to Reverend Mr.
Anthony Burgeß,
and
fome others,
to put the
main
Que!tion, Whether
all
Church Government
be
not,
as
Carriers
holdeth,
only
PerfwaJive,
not
by private, but
.publick
or
authorized
Do
&oral Perfwafion,
and
-fo
can work on none but theConfcientious
or
Affenters?
And whether the
ufurparion
of
a
flridlÿ
Legiflative and
Judicial Power
(fave
only
to
judge what
eve
are to execute), or
a
power
of
binding Diffenters
,
even
Clave
errante
,
efpécially binding Magiftrates to
execute
by
Corporal Penalties and
Mulls,
and
other
Punifhments
,
Eo nomine
,
becaufe
by Excommunication the
Church
hath punished them,
I
fly,
whether
this be
not
a
robbing the Magivrate
of
his
Power, and making the Exercife of
ehe
Keys, to
be
too
like a Coercive
Secular
Judgment,
and
fo
the Ground
of
all
the Quarrels in the Church
?
For
I
faw plainly
that
the Pàpifls, and thofe Prelates and Presbyterians'
who
are for fuch
an
unexamined Judicial
Power,
do but ftrive for
that which
belongeth to none
of
them
all.
Upon the
railing
of
thefe doubts
I
was
fufpeeted to
be
an Erailtan, and
had no
other
An-fiver,
or Satisfaction
:
But
the
Rudy
of
the Point
fomewhat cleared
my own
Judgment.
I
26.