340 The L IFE of the I.IB.' of England,was a Commander of the Forces for theParliament in Wald i At which theywere filent, and that Argument was at an end. Upon en- § zoz. When I told them that if they calf out all the Non-conformifis, there thuerlñha_ would, not be tolerable Minifters snow to fupply the Congregations : BithopMorley bitants anfwered that fo it was in the late Tinies, and that fome Placeshad no Mìnifters at fence,[ on- all, through all thofe Times of Ufurpation : and namedAylesbury, which he knew dedtand to have had none upon his own knowledge. I told him that I never knew any notuch lush and therefore I knew there were not manyfuch in England : And if it were wing but fo,I hoped that he would not plead for fuch a Mifchief by the Example ofthe Ufur. thatAylef- pers. But fence, I have enquired of theInhabitants about Aylesbury, and they tine. terywas moully profeffed that it was notorioufly falte, and named me the Minifters thathad wen fop- been there fuccetlìvely, andufually two at once. Pled' et § ao Alfo thefaid Bilho when I talky of filencing Minifters for things in- ther by 3 Pe $ felled In- different, told me, That we fhould remember how wedid by them ; and that we cumbent, talkt not then as now we db. I anfweredhim, ThatI was confident there was no or the Man there prefent that had ever a hand in filencing any of them : For my of own part, Ihad been in Judgment for calling out the utterly Infufficient and noto- theca- P ) g X rifon. , .rioufly Scandalous, indifferently of whaiOpinion or Side toever; but I had pub- lickly writtenagainst the filencing or dtfplacingany worthy Man for beingagainft theParliament: And if it had beenotherwife, he should take warning by others Faults, and not imitate them, and do evil becaufe Cromwell did fo. § 204. Upon this , Dr. Walton Bithop of defier faid Indeed Mr. Baxter did write against theGallingof usout : But, Mr. Baxter did not you fay, That ifour Churches had no more than bare Liberty, as others had, without the compullon of the Sword, that none but Drunkards would joyn in them. I anfwered,No,my Lord, I didnot : I only faid, that (as they had been ordered) ifthey had but equal liberty for Volunteers, theywould be like Ale.houfes, where many honeft Men may come, butthe number ofworfeComers is fo great,as maketh it dithonourable.] There is no impleadingMens Writings, unlefs theBook be opened, and the words and context well peruted. § 20f. Dr. Bates urged Dr. Gunning that on the fame reafons that .they fo loupo- fed the Grofs and Surplice, they might bring in Holy Water, and Lights, and a- bundance of fuchCeremonies of Rome, which we have caft out. He anfwered, Yea, and tò I think we ought to have more, and not fewer, if we dowell, (or to that fence). § 206. They told us of the Antiquity of Liturgies : And I earneftly intreated them to let true Antiquitybe imitatedby them : and defired any of them toprove that ever any Prince did impofe one Form of Prayer or Liturgy, for Uniformity, on all the Churches inhis Dominions: Yea, or upon any one Province, or Coun- tty under them : Or that ever any Council, Synod, or Patriarchs , or Metropoli- tans, did impofe one Liturgy on all the Bithops and Churches under them. I pro- ved to them not only from the intlances of Bafil , and the Church of N.eoceJarea, but others,that everyBithop then chofe what Forms he pleated for his own Church. They could deny none ofall this : But Antiquity isnothingto thermwhen it Makes against them. § 207. Towards the end of our Meetings, Bithop Cefina, taking the Chair, told us, Thata very worthy Perlon had offered untohis Superiours a Paper containing the way toour Reconciliation, which he thought fo reafonable and fit, that hede- fired us to take them into our Confideration, and fo delivered me the Paper. I asked him, from whom he expeEtedan Anfwer : He laid from me : I told him that he might well know that 1 would enter upon nonew Debates, without the Con- fent of my Brethren prefent, and whether they would meddle in it, and undertake new Work without the Confent ofour Brethren, who areabfent, I could not tell; efpecially when long and wandering Difcourfes had already taken up almoft all our time. But upon perufal of the Paper, I perceivedthat,it was a cunning Snare for us ; but adviled our Brethren prefent that we might promife them an Anfwer by the next Morning, but only in the name of us three, and that our Brethren ab- tent fhould not be judged tobe concerned in it. This I the rather did , becaufe I perceived it cameby the notice6f fome above us, who would enquire after it,and that an Anfwer in Writing would be a betterfpending of our time, than that ram. bling Difcourfe which there we fpent it in; where a multitude. of Men would needs fpeak, and yet would be angry ifthey wereanfwered. The Paper with the Anfwer is as follows. Tb' 4ri
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