Chap. VIII. The HISTORY of the PURITANS. 355 " ufed, as other minifters have done (as we think in moft parts of the Queen `° land) to meet fometirnes and confer together; which being granted to Elizabeth, all good and dutiful fubje is upon occafion to refort and meet together, ' v " we efteem it is lawful for us to do fo. " For betides the common affairs ofall men, which may give them juft " caufe to meet with their acquaintance and friends, mutually to communi- " cate for their comfort and help one with another; menprofefling learning " have moreneceffary and fpecialufe offuchconferences,for their furtherance " in fuch knowledge as they profefs. But Inch as are profeffed mini- " fiers of the word, have fundry great and neceffary caufes fo to do more " than others, becaufe of the manifold knowledge both of divinity, and " ° alto of divers tongues and fciences, that are of great ufe for the better " ° enabling them for their miniftry ; in which refpect the conferences of " the minifters, were allowed by many bithops within their diocefes, and to " our knowledge never difallowed nor forbidden by any. Some late years " alfo have given us more fpecial caufe of conferring together, where " jefuits, feminaries, and other bereticks, fought to feduce many; and wherein alto force fchifmaticks condemned the whole time of our " church, as no part of the true vifible church of Chrift, and there- " fore refufed to have any part or communion with it; upon which " occafion, it is needful for us to advife of the beft way and means we could, to keep the people that we had charge to inftruct, from " fuch damnable errors. " ° Further alto particularly, becaufe Tome reckoned us to have part with " their fchifm, and reported us to agree in nothing, but to differ one from " another in the reformation we defire ; we have fpecial caufe to confer " together, that we might let down force things touching fuch matters, " ° which at all times, whenfoever we fhould be demanded, might be our " true and jufl defence, both to clear us from partaking with the fchifm, and to witnefs for us, that we agreed in the reformationthat we detrre. " But as touching the thing furmifed of our meetings, that we exer- " ° cite in them all ecclefaflical jurifdiétion, in making minifters, in " ° cenfuring and excommunicating, in ordaining confiitutions and orders " upon fuch cenfures to bind any; we proteft before God and the holy " angels, that we never exercifed any part of fuch jurifdiEtion, nor " had any purpofe agreed among us to exercife the fame, before we fhould by publick law be authorifed thereunto. " Further alfo, touching fuch our meetings, we affirm that they were " only of minißers (laving in force parts where a fchool-mafter, two or " three, defirous to train themfelvesto the miniftryjoined with us) and the " fame, but of fix or (even, or like fmall number in a conference, without " all deed or appearance that might be offenfive toany. Z 2 SINGU-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=