336 The LIFE of the __ E á. I. ration and Commifïìon, r. That the ends expreffed are [fort& removal of all Ex- ceptionsand Dail/ions of Exceptions, and Differences 1;W/310402gourgood Subjels, ] and [forgiving Satisfaflion to tinder Confciences, and the refloring and continuance of Peace and Unity in the Churches.] 2. And themeans is [ to make fuch reafonable and necef- fary Alteration, CorreElions, and Amendments therein, as fball be agreed upon to be need- ful and expedient, fir the giving SatisfaElion to tendonConfciences, and goring and con- timing Peace, &c.] We plainly fhewed hence that the King fuppofeth that fomc Alterations muff be made : But the Bilho s in&Bed on two Words [nerefáry] Aire. rations, and [fuch as fhould be agreed ea] We anfwered them, That the Word [neceffary] hath reference to the Endsexprel%d, viz. [the fatisfying tender Confcien. eel ] and is joined with [Expedient]: And its ['range if when the King bath fo long and publickly determined of the End, and called us to confult of the means, we fhould prefume now at left to coneradiet him, and to determine that the End is felf is unneceffary, and confequently no means neceffary thereto: What then have we all this while been doing ? 2. And when theyare called to [agree] on tech neceffary means, if they will take the Advanta a of thatWord, to [agree on , thing] that fo all Endeavours may be fruftrated for no want of their Agreement, God and the World would judge between us, who it is that fruftrateth the King's Coin- niiffion, and the Hopesofa divided bleeding Church. Thus we continued a long time contending about this Point, [Whether fame Alterations be fuppofed by the Xing'i Declaration andCommiflion to be made by no? or whetherwe were anewto difpute that Point t But the Bifltops would have that to be ourTask or none; to prove by Difputation that any Alteration was nece/Jary to be made; while they confuted our Proofs. We told them, that the Endbeing [to fatisfy render Cenfciences and procure Unity,] thofe tenderConfciences did themlelves profef(s, that withoutfome Altera- tion, and that confiderable too, they could not be tatisfied; and Experience told them, that Peace and Unity could not without it be attained. But Bill they fold, that nonewas necefjary, and they would yield to all that we proved ñeceffary. And here we wereleft in avery great Strait : Ifwe lltouldenter uponDifputewiththem, we gave up the End and Hope of our endeavours: If we refuted it, we knew that theywould boaít that when it came to the fetting to, we would not fo much as attempt to prove any thing unlawful in the Liturgy, nor dunk difpute it with them. Mr. Calamy withTome others ofour Brethrenwould have had usrefufe the Motion of difputing, as not tending to fulfil the King's Commands : We told the Bithops over and over, that they could not choofe but know that before we could end one Argument in a Difpute, our time would be expired ; and that it could not polfibly tend to any Accommodation: And that to keep off from perfonal Conference, till within a fewDays of the Expiration of the Commiífion, and then torefolve to do nothing but wrangle out the time in a Difpute, as ifwe were between jeaft and earneft in the Schools, was too vifibly in the fight of all the World, to defeat the King's Commilliion, and the Expedtations of many Thou. lands, who longed for our Unity and Peace. But we fpoke to the Deaf; they had other Ends, and were other Men, andhad the Art to fuit the means unto their Ends. For my part, whenwe few that they would do nothing elfe, I per- loadedour Brethren to yield to a Difputation with them, and let themunderfand that we were far from fearing it, feeing they would give us no hopes of Concord: but withal, firft to profetito them, that the Guilt of difappointing his Majefty and the Kingdom, lay not upon us, who defined to obey the King's Commiflion, but on them. Andfo we yielded tofpend the little time remaining, in difputingwith . them, rather thango home and do nothing, and leave them to tell the Court that we durit not difputewith them when they fo provokedus, nor wereable to prove ourAccufations of the Liturgy. §19;. When this was refolved on, we fpent many Hours with themabout the Order of our Difpuration: I offered them to fpend one half of the time in the Opponents part, if they would promifeto do the like the other half of the time, when we had done, that our Difputation might beon equal Terms. They relu- fedthis, and anfwered, That it belonged tous only to argue who were the Accu- fers, and not at all to them who were on the Defence. I told them it was we that are the Defendants againf.their Impofitions : They command us to do fuch and fuch things, 'or elfe wefhallbeexcommunicate, filenced, imprifoned, and undone; We defend our felves againf this cruelty, by calling upon them to thew their,Au- thority from Godfor fuch tmpofirions: Thereforewe Bill call upon them to prove that God path authorifed them to any fuchthing : And if they refute this, they do give up their Cauf. We offered firft to' prove the unlawfulnejc of theirImpofitiooss if
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