their matter, form, and rule. But because this would draw forth my discourse beyond my present intention, I shall forbear, having sufficiently vindicated my assertion in this one instance.

It is no part of my design to give an answer at large unto the great volume that Dr. Still hath written on this occasion; much less to contend about particular sayings, opinions, the practices of this or that man, which it is filled withal. But whereas his treatise, so far as the merit of the cause is concerned in it, doth consist of two parts, the first whereof contains such stories, things, and sayings, as may load the cause and persons whom he opposeth with prejudices in the minds of others, in which endeavour he exceeds 'all expectation; and what doth more directly concern the argument in hand; I shall at the end of the ensuing discourse speak distinctly unto all that is material of the second sort, especially so far as is needful, unto the defence of my former Vindication of the Nonconformists from the Guilt of Schism.

For the things of the first sort, wherein the doctor doth so abound both in his preface and in the first part of his book, as to manifest himself, I fear, to be a little too sensible of provocation (for the actings of interest in wise men are usually more sedate), I shall only oppose some general considerations unto them, without arguing or contending about particulars, which would be endless and useless. And whereas he hath gathered up almost every thing that hath been done, written, or spoken, to the prejudice of the cause and persons whom he opposeth (though frequently charged before), adding the advantage of his style and method unto their reinforcement; I shall reduce the whole unto a few heads which seem to be of the greatest importance.

I shall leave him without disturbance unto the satisfaction he hath in his own love, moderation, and condescension, expressed in his preface. Others may possibly call some things in it unto a farther account. But the first part of his book is cast under two heads.

1. A commendation of the first reformers and their reformation, with some reflections upon all that acquiesce not therein, as though they esteemed themselves wiser and better than they. From this topic proceed many severe re

flections and some reproaches. The other consists in a story of the rise and progress of separation from the church of England, with great miscarriages among them who first attempted it, and the opposition made unto them by those who were themselves nonconformists. The whole is closed with the difference and debate between the divines of the assembly of the Presbyterian way, and the dissenting brethren, as they were then called. Concerning these things the discourse is so prolix, and so swelled with long quotations, that I scarce believe any man would have the patience to read over a particular examination of it; especially considering how little the cause in hand is concerned in the whole story, whether it be told right or wrong, candidly or with a design to make an advantage unto the prejudice of others. I shall therefore only mark something with respect unto both these heads of the first part of the book, which if . I mistake not will lay it aside from being of any use to our present cause.

1. As unto the first reformers and reformation in the days of king Edward, the plea from them and it, which we have been long accustomed unto, is, that they were persons great, wise, learned, holy; that some of them died martyrs ; that the work of the reformation was greatly owned and blessed of God; and therefore our non-acquiescency therein, but desiring a farther reformation of the church than what they saw and judged necessary, is unreasonable, and that what we endeavour therein, though never so peaceably, is schismatical. But,

1. None do more bless God for the first reformers, and the work they did, than we do; none have a higher esteem of their persons, abilities, graces, and sufferings, than we have; none cleave more firmly to their doctrine, which was the life and soul of the reformation, than we; nor desire more to follow them in their godly design. They are not of us who have declared that the death of king Edward was a happiness or no unhappiness to the church of England, nor who have reflected on the reformation as needless, and given assurance, that if it had not been undertaken, salvation might have been obtained safely enough in the church of Rome; nor were they of us who have questioned the zeal and prudence of the martyrs in those days of suffering. We have

other thoughts concerning them, another kind of remembrance of them.

2. The titles assigned unto them of wise, learned, holy, zealous, are fully answered by that reformation of the church in its doctrine and worship which God wrought by their ministry, so that none without the highest ingratitudecan derogate any thing from them in these things. But it is no disparagement unto any of the sons of men, any officers of the church since the days of the apostles, first reformers, or those that followed them, to judge that they were not infallible, that their work was not absolutely perfect like the work of God, whereunto nothing can be added nor aught taken away. Wherefore,

3. We are not obliged to make what they did, and what they attained unto, and what they judged meet as unto the government and worship of the church, to be our absolute rule, from which it should be our sin to dissent or depart. They never desired nor designed that it should be so; for to do so, would have been to have cast out one papacy, and to have brought in another. And the arguments of the Papists for their absolute adherence unto the men of their veneration, those who have been formerly of great reputation in their church, for learning, holiness, and devotion, are as forcible unto them, as any can be unto us for an adherence unto the first reformers in all things; but yet are they not excused in their errors thereby. Had we received a command from heaven to hear them in all things, it had altered the case, but this we have received only with respect unto Jesus Christ, and shall therefore in these things ultimately attend only unto what he speaks. And we have sundry considerations which confirm us in the use and exercise of that liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, to inquire ourselves into our duty in these things, and to regulate our duty in them by his word, notwithstanding what was done by our first reformers. For,

1. They did not think themselves obliged, they did not think meet to abide within the bounds and limits of that reformation of the church, which had been attempted before them, by men wise, learned, and holy, even in this nation. Such was that which was endeavoured by Wickliff and his followers, in giving testimony whereunto many suffered mar

tyrdom, and prepared the way unto those that were to come after. They approved of what was then done or attempted to be done for the substance of it; yet esteemed themselves at liberty to make a farther progress in the same work, which they did accordingly. Surely such persons never designed their own judgment and practice to give boundaries unto all reformation for evermore; or pretended that they had made so perfect a discovery of the mind of Christ in all things belonging unto the rule and worship of the church, as that it should not only be vain, but sinful to make any farther inquiries about it. Some thought they were come unto the utmost limits of navigation, and discovery of the parts of the world, before the West Indies were found out. And some men when in any kind they know as much as they can, are apt to think there is no more to be known. It was not so with our reformers.

2. They did not at once make what they had done themselves to be a fixed rule in these things. For themselves made many alterations in the service-book which they first composed; and if they judged not their first endeavour to be satisfactory to themselves, they had no reason to expect their second should be a standing rule unto all future ages. Nor did they so, but frequently acknowledged the imperfection of what they had done.

3. The first reformers, both bishops and others, both those who underwent martyrdom at home, and those who lived in exile abroad, differed among themselves in their judgments and apprehensions about those things which are now under contest; whereas they perfectly agreed in all doctrines of faith and gospel obedience. The public records of these differences, do so remain as that they cannot modestly be denied, nor handsomely covered. And this must needs weaken the influence of their authority in the settlement of the church, which was an act only of the prevalent party among them.

4. They differed in these things from all other reformed churches, with whom they did absolutely agree in doctrine, and had the strictest communion in faith and love. For it is known that their doctrine which they owned and established, was the same with that of the churches abroad called particularly reformed, in distinction from the Lu

therans. But as unto the state, rule, and order of the church, they differed from them all. I press not this consideration unto the disadvantage of what they attained unto and established in the way of reformation, or in a way of preferring other churches above them; but only to evidence that we have reason enough not to esteem ourselves absolutely obliged unto what they did and determined, as unto all endeavours after any farther reformation.

5. In their reformation they avowedly proposed a rule and measure unto themselves, which was both uncertain, and in many things apparently various from the original rule of these things given by Christ and his apostles, with the practice of the first churches. And this was the state and example of the church under the first Christian emperors; as our author confesseth. This rule is uncertain; for no man living is able to give a just and full account of what was the state and rule of all the churches in the world in the reign of any one emperor, much less during the succession of many of them, continual alterations in the state or order of the church following one upon another. And that in those days there was a prevalent deviation from the original rule of church-order, hath been before declared. We dare not therefore make them and what they did to be our rule absolutely, who missed it so much in the choice of their own.

6. We may add hereunto the consideration of the horrid darkness which they newly were delivered from, the close adherence of some traditional prejudices unto the best of men in such a condition, the difficulties and oppositions they met withal as unto their whole work; their prudence, as they judged it, in an endeavour to accommodate all things unto the inclinations and desires of the body of the people (extremely immersed in their old traditions), which might not be destructive unto their salvation, in heresy or idolatry; all which could not but leave some marks of imperfection on their whole work of reformation.

Upon these and the like considerations it is, that we are enforced to assert the use of our own liberty, light, and understanding, in the inquiring after and compliance with the true original state and order of evangelical churches, with our duty in reference thereunto, and not to be absolutely