Part III I 16 The L I F E of the q. If a man Vow (though fnfully) to do a thing which hemay lawfully do, if he had not vowed it, are you fare it isa fin (and not Duty) to keepthat Vow in Ma- teriaLicata (which he thinketh Neceftaria) ? I put the Qpeftion as de futuro, if I and Millions fhould make filch a Vow (culpably, without and against the Will of my Su- reriou rs) for the time to come, areyou farethat it bindeth no man of them ah ? I believe, that no private arbitrary Vowcan forestallmy due Obedience to myGavel - nours: But antecedent Duty fo made by God (as Reforming by lawful means of Endea- vour), it is fuppofed they do not forbid : For every Member of the Church is in his place obliged to promote theCommon Good by lawful means : as they might for- bid us all to exhort or admonish any fanner, or to pray, or preach, or difpute a- gainst fin, as wellasto petition againit it. a. And 'tis fiI,ppofd that eve: yBrfhap, or Parliament-man, or Ruler, is not forbidden all filch lawful Endeavours ; and fo that a Prohibition rendereth itnot (to themat leaft) unlawful. For I fpeak of no other Cafe: But how fad a Cafe is that Nation in, where thç,Cleryy would have all men take then for fo infallible and perfe&, without the fmalibst Faust or Errour in their Go- vernment, as that neither Parliament-man, Clérgy-man, nor any one of the Peo- ple, may by lawful means endeavour the leaft Reformation of them : when even the Roman Bishopof Gloucefier, Godfrey Goodman, writeth fo sharply againft.the Lay- Chancellor'sPowerof the Keys ? a. Prop. TheNonconfarmífis hold it high Sacriledge [to alienate themfelves.] Stria. (e) But what if they be f+, fpended, or filmed by Authority? Ant i. When it is by true Authority, doing it either juflly, oreife unjustly, in cafe their preaching be unnece/fhry, or left no)]o: y thanObedience to the unjuft prohibition, we will farceafe, and take it as a ficknef, or difahlement. But if itbe done byVfter- peto, hive Papal Pick tea, or by our. Governours unlawfully, in cafe thatour preach- ing reinaibmorenecenàry to the PublickGood, than o:`zciest forbearance ; we will exer- cife our V;niftrytill Death; Prifon,.orother Force disable us. If youask, Who (hall .be `Yudge ? I answer, T. Thei 'agiftratc, bypublirk Dedfion, in Order to hisown Ex- erstion; and if he do it uisjufily, God isthe Avenger. a. And the Ninifier by apri- vateRational Judgment cf Difcretion, difcerning Duty fromSin; and if he were God and Man, will punishhim ; if no*_, God will rewardhim. . J alto ask; Were not ConJtantius and Valens (tho Erroneous) Lawful Princes? And did not the holyBithops of theEaft, refufe to furceafe their Ministration when they prohibited them ? And do not Papists, andother Protestants, as well as Bp. Bitfon and Andrews, agree, That we mutt dothe like upon filch unjuft Prohibitions? Andbathour Diocefan more power to filenee usthan theKing!. Or were we Conse- crated to the Miniftryinour Ordination, onthat Condición, to preach till forbidden mijuftly? Aiddidnot the Apoftlesand all Pallors,for goo Years, Exercife theirMi- nìftry againlft the Wills of Lawful Magiftrates (thoHeathens.) z. Prop. [Topreach Le&oreswith the IncumbentsConfent.] Stria: (f) [Andwith the Allowance of the Bifhop.] Anf. And that is, Let King andParliament by Law allow us to preach thrill's Gofpel, if theBilhop will allowus foto do; and let the Law leave it to his power to forbid us: And what Good will Lawsthen dousfor our Miniftry, when thefe E- leven Years have already told us what wemolt truft to fromthe Bífhops (fome at leaft.) Provide fuels Ilipply for theSub jeErs Souls, as their Numbers and NeceJfities require, that the meaning maynot be [Let men be faved, if the Biifhop content], and for mypart, I`ll Joyfullybe filent. But I will not fo fardenymy Senseand lteafon (and the Senfeof the Countreyalto) as to believe this_is done, if another will but confidently fay it's done, or faythat we do more harm than good ; no more than I will believe there are noEnglen inEngland. I. Prop.. Let not the Incumbent be difcóuraged by the Bishop from receiving them ] Stria. ) So they will conform.] Anf. So theywill conform as far as aforefaid, oras in thePropof is : But other- wife if it beprefent,full Conformity, that mutt hill be,neceffary,what are wefpeak- ing for? Thiswas written inorder toour Concord, by the means of fome Alterati- .9ns or Abatements of Conformity, becaufe it was told abroad that fome Bifhops
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