33. Mr. Hollingworth (in an Assize-Sermon printed) tells a story to prove his Schismaticks as cruel as the execution of the Laws against us would be, that some one leading Sectary said, He would have all banished that would not subscribe the Doctrine of the Church in the 36 Articles. I wrote to him to know whom he meant, and he would not tell me, but (in a very respectful Let∣ter) said, It was not nor Dr. Manton, &c. I since understood that this is said of Dr. Owen: But 1. he professeth it is false. 2. He is known to be for much liberty. 3. If he did say it, it was but to avert the odium of an overlarge toleration from the Independents. 4. And what is this to the case of the many hundred Nonconfor∣mable Ministers in England? But they be rendred odious for this word of his.

I will end with the Charge of Henry Fowlis (passing over his abusive Volumes of Collections, lest I be over-tedious) in his Hi∣story of Popish Treasons, this is his accusation, he saith of those whom he calleth Puritans:

At this rate the Ecclesiastical Politician, and others inform the world, of Puritans and Presbyterians in the Gross. Those that knew this mans Morals, laugh at his Railery; but posterity will not know what he was. I shall only desire the Reader to note, 1. That Puritans and Presbyterians now do signifie what the Page  183 speakers please. Mr. Robert Bolton, a Learned Conformist, thinketh that the name Puritan, as commonly used in England, in the mouths of common drunkards, and the prophane and im∣pious sort, is turned against true Godliness, with the greatest spleen that ever word was in the world. 2. Mark, that we are called The worst people of all mankind, even Heathens, Jews, Turks, Canni∣bals not excepted; and yet we agree with the Accusers in all fun∣damentals: This is the Charity which we meet with from these men. Those of their own Religion, not charged with one doctri∣nal difference, if they obey not their Wills in every Ceremony, are the worst of all mankind. Reader, is this the Religion taught by St. Paul? Rom. 14. 15. and Phil. 3. where mutual forbear∣ances, and Receiving dissenters is commanded, against both Censu∣rers and Despisers? Will ever Church on Earth have Concord on these terms? Are such mouths fit to call others Fire-brands? Is not this a disgrace to the Christian Protestant Religion, that all its fundamentals will not keep a man that differeth but in a Cere∣mony from being the worst of mankind.

3. Look back but on the Instances of our Nonconformity be∣fore laid down, and then tell thy self what to judge of such men, and such pens, as proclaim to the world, that it is but an innocent Ceremony that we submit not to. See the Nonconformists Plea for Peace.

4. Bethink you what our Nonsubmission or Nonconformity doth to ruine Kingdoms, in comparison of the course of such accusers. If poor men desire to serve Christ, though in poverty, with dili∣gence, and peace, and Lordbishops shall say, Either subscribe, say, and swear all this, or be silenced and cast out of all your Ministry and Maintenance; Doth he now that patiently beareth all their penal∣ties, loseth all, and goeth quietly to the Common Jayl among Rogues, for Preaching Christs Gospel to more than four without Swearing and Conforming, become hereby a Ruiner of Kingdoms, while they are innocent that do all this against them? Do they not toto & nudato pectore taelum recipire & tantum non, with great Cameron unbutton them, and cry Feri miser? Is there any one word of Rebellious Doctrine proved by this man, when he hath done his worst out of any one Church-Confession of those whom he revileth? And if he can find any thing which is not found in the books of any particular men, in the late Wars, is that their fault that never owned it, and were then scarce born? Doth he, or Page  184 any of all the malicious tribe, charge those whom they reproach with drunkenness, gluttony, luxury, fornication, ambition, fraud, lying, or any such immorality?

5. Are those that suffer, and do so much for that which they think to be the truth of Christ, well charged with hating Christ? and is not the exception a prophane scorn of Christ? but that he said he came not to bring peace. It is easie to say with Tertullus of Paul, that he is a Ring-leader of a Sect, and a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among the people: but where's the proof?

6. And mark why he professeth himself kinder to the Papists: 1. Because they are more Learned, Civil and Gentile. 2. Be∣cause they differ in supposed fundamentals. But 1. did he not know our advantage in Learning then was a great cause of the success of the Reformation in Luthers days? And who that know∣eth the pitiful Priests in France, Spain and Italy, and what a gene∣ration Erasmus, Stephanus, Vives, Hutten, and others describe, and what men the Reformation found in the Priesthood in Eng∣land, and all other Countries, will believe this man, that the Pa∣pists are more learned? And though we truly▪ honour the later Leared men that have been bred among them, their Suarez, their Petavius, and many more; yet he might know that our John Reignolds, our Chamier, Sadcel, Bochart, Capellus, Rivet, with multitudes of their like, were learned men as well as they: and so were Rob. Parker, Amesius, Bradshaw, Paget, and many other Nonconformists here: and Twisse, Gataker, and many more of the Westminster-Assembly. And all the Learning of the Papists in the world is not enough to make them know Bread and Wine, when they see, and touch, and taste it, which without Learning may be easily known.

2. But that differing in supposed fundamentals, should prove the Papists so much better than us, doth tell us with what sort of men we have to do. By that rule the Mahometans are much better than the Papists, and the Heathens yet better than the Mahometans, for they differ from us and them in greater things. I perceive why the Jews were crueller than the Heathens, and the Papal than the Pagan Rome, against the Ministers of Christ, because they differed not from them in so many and weighty points. Note, Reader, that this mans book of 20s. Price, is written to prove that Treason, Rebellion and King-killing is the very Reli∣gion, Page  185 and the ancient and later practice of the Papists: Their Councils are cited for it; and their chiefest and most learned Writers cited as maintaining the excommunicating and deposing Kings to be in the power of the Pope, and that in so great a number, in their own words, the very Pages accurately and fully cited; that after a multitude that have written on that subject, he hath quite over-done them all, and brought whole loads of Testimonies to prove it, to be the common doctrine of the Ro∣man Church; so that no man that ever wrote hath in this done so much to render them unreconcilably odious to all Kings and Magistrates, as this man hath done; and he hath given them the deepest wound in point of Policy and History that was ever given them, with as bitter and odious terms of aggravation: And yet we that agree with him in all fundamentals, and refuse (as he dreameth) but a Ceremony, are worse, far worse than they. Had he only done by us, as he did by them, recited the words of our Syno•s and Professors, we would contentedly have left all to judge of our Confessions, and of each particular Author, as they deserve; and those that are proved culpable to bear the blame: But his sentence and inferences only tell us, how de∣sirable the coming of Christ is to his Servants; and how ear∣nestly we should pray to the Judg of the World to come, and to come quickly.