5 ' be LI FEof the PartIlT I undertake to prove to them to them, i. That our Enlifk Species of Diec fn Fitlacy, and LayChoncelloars power of the Keys, is contrary to God's Werd, and deftruedve of true Difcipline, and of the Church form and Offices inilituted by Chris. z. That were the 0E es Lawful, themen have no true calling to it, being not chofen or confentedto by the Clergy, or the People. 3. That if their Calling were goad, they have no power to forbid the prefentSilenced Minigers to Preach the Gofpel ( but thereby they ferve Satan againft Chilli: and }Men's faivation. ) Paul himfelf hadhis power to edification, and not todeftrualon : And Chrift the Saviour ofthe World, giveth his Minigers only a Living power, and to none a power to famish and damn the people'sSouls 4. That we are Dedicated as Mi- nigers to the Sacred Office, and it is Sacriledge in our felves or others to alienate us fromit, while we are not unfit or unable for it. q. That we are Charged (as well as 7Mealy) before God and the Lord Jefas Chrin,who fha11 judge the quick and the Dead at his appearing, that we Preach the Word, and be in feafon, and out cf feafon, reprove, rebuke, exhort, &c. 6. That the Ancient Parlors for many Hundred years did Preach the Gofpel againft the Wills of their Lawful Pi lutes, both Heathens and Arrians. 7. That the Bilhop hath no more power to forbidus to Preach, than the King hath : And thefe men confefs that ]iinigers nnjunly Silenced may Preach againn the Will of Kings ( but not fay they of Bifhops. ) 8. That were we Lay-men we might teach and exhort ( as Lay- men, as Origen did ) though we might not do it as Paftors much more being Ordained the Minigers of Chrift. And that now to us it is a work which both the Law of Nature and our Office or Vow do bind us to, even a Moral Duty And that when Chrift judgeth men for not Feeding, Clothing, Vifiting his Mem- bers, it will not excufe us to fay ; that the Bilhop forbad us : That ifKing, or Bithop forbid us to feed our Children, or to fave the lives of drowning, or fa- milhing men, we muff difobey them, as being againft a great command of God ; Love and the Works of Love being the great indifpenfable Duties. And Souls being greater Objedìs of Charity than Bodies. 9. That it was in a Cafe of Phari- faical Church Difcipline, ( when Chrift avoided not converfe with finnera when their good required it) that Chrift feat the Pharifees to learn what this meaneth, I will have mercy and not facrifice : and at two feveral times repeateth the fame Words. s o. That Order is for the thing Orderedand it's ends ; and a power of Ordering Preachers is not a power to depofe necetfary Preaching and famish Souls. sr. And I thewthem that I my felf have the Licenfe of the Bilhop of this Diocefs, as well as Epifcopal Ordination; and that my Licenfe is in force and not recalled : In. And that I have the King's Licenfe. i 3. And therefore after all this, to obey thefe Silencers ( nay no Bithop doth forbid me, otherwife than as his Vote is to the Actsof Parliament, which is as Magiltrates,) and to fulfill their will that will be content with nothing, but our forfakingof poor Souls, and tear- ing to Preach Chris, this were no better than to end nur Life of Cmnfartable Labours, in obeying the Devil the Enemy of Chrift and Souls ; which God forbid. §, 27' -. Yet will not all this fatisfie thete men, but they cry out as the Papiffs, Schiln, Schifis, unlefs we will ceafe to Preach the Gofpel : And have little to fay for all, but that No focicty can begoverned, if the Filers be not the 'Judge. Yet dare they notdeny but a `lodgment of difcerning duty fromfin, belongeth to all Subjects ; or elfe we are Brutes, or muff be Atheilts, Idolaters, Blafphemers, or what ever a Bilhop lhall command us. But under the Cenfures of thefe unreafonable Men, who take our greatenDuties for our heinous fin, mug we patiently ferve ourLord : Bat his approbation is our full reward. 4. 273. On `hsy 5th ( 1674.) at our Meeting over St. famfcfs Market-honfe, Seemore God vouchfafd us a great Deliverance. A main Beam before weakened by the of this weight of the People fo cracked that three times tliey, ran in terronr out of the in my room, thinking it wasfalling: But remembring the like at Dunfian's Weft, I re -, Wife's proved their fear as caufelefs. But the next day taking up the boards ive found Lilo. that two rends in the Beam, were fo great that it was a wonder of provi- dence that the floor had not fain, and the roof' with it, to the deltrulion of mul- titudes. The Lord make us thankful. S. 2.74,
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