The Preface.

IT is agreed on by all real Christians, that Man being made an Intelligent Free Agent, not under bruitish necessitating Determination by Objects, is governed by God by the Mo∣ral way of Law; that is by the Signification of his Ruler's Will, making his Duty, and not by meer natural or forcible Mo∣tion: And it is agreed that GOD himself is his only absolute Universal Ruler, and his Laws given in Nature and by Reve∣lation are the only Universal Laws, which no Humane Power can abrogate or dispense with: And that Kings and Magi∣strates are his Ministers for Mens good, and have no Power but from him, and none against him or his Laws; and that it is not Man but God, by whom we must all be judged to everlasting Reward or Punishment: And therefore that all men must obey God before Men, and must not fear them that can but kill the Body, but him who is able to cast both Soul and Body into Hell.

And it is agreed on by all Sober Christians, that therefore as Subjects must use their own Reason as discerning Self-Governours, to Iudge who is their King, and who is a Usurper, and what Actions are commanded or forbidden by Man's Laws; so must they first and chiefly use their own reason, to judge discerningly what Actions are commanded or forbidden by God, and must do accordingly whoever is against it. This Iudgment is commonly called Conscience; which if it err not must be followed, but if it err, it must be rectified: for then it is not God indeed that is obeyed: for God's Law changeth not as Conscience doth: yet to go against such a Conscience is Sin, because it i• interpre∣tatively to go against God, while the Man thought this had been God's Will.

Page  [unnumbered] On Supposition of this certain truth, all that ever I yet read that Condemn the Nonconformists, and Preach for their Re∣proach and Ruine, do confess, that If any one thing required of us as necessary to our Ministry or Communion be Sin, our Nonconformity is but our Duty; and all the whole Ministry of England, on whom this was imposed by the Act of Uniformity on Ba•tholomew-Day, 1662. were bound in Conscience to have been Nonconformists: (Whether also to bave all ceased to Preach the Gospel, I leave to their Conside∣ration.) This being the Confession of all that Silence us, and send us to Gaols, and call out for our utter Extirpation, I know no shorter or likelier way, to stop all this burning Wrath, and end our Mischievous Dissentions, than to try whether no one thing required of us be Sin. Forty of the things required of Ministers, and Twelve of those required of the Laity, in all Fifty two, I have proposed to Examination, not as accusing the Laws or the Conformists, whatever I think of them; but only rendering briefly the Reasons of our own refu∣sals. And Forty three Points in which many falsly suppose we Conform not (and some may perhaps be found that do not Con∣form to them all) I have first instanced in, as being such as we oppose not, nor are any Parts of our Nonconformity.

If all the Iustices and Ministers of England, who cen∣sure us, and prosecute us as intolerable Sinners, for our fear∣ing these as Sin, have impartially tryed all these Points, and Reasons, or yet will do, and can find no Sin in any one of the Fifty two, and it prove so indeed, I must say that all the Two Thousand Ministers that in 1662. were Silenced, were as un∣happy and strangely blinded Men, as most in the World that are true Christians; that after all their Study and Prayers, they should affright themselves into so calamitous a State, against all the reason of their Worldly Interests, as well as against the welfare of the Church, and their Duty to God: 2. But I must say, past doubt, that the accusing Clergy are deeply guilty of it, who these Twenty one years have no better Page  [unnumbered] answered the Reasons of our fear, nor used more Wisdom and Charity for our just Conviction. For our Consciences are of such a temper, as will not be convinced with a Scorn or a Iail, nor take all Writings or Words as satisfactory, that are poured out with supercilious Confidence, and called Satisfactory by the Self-esteeming Authors.

I am told by divers, That I have written enough already on these Subjects, were it only my first and second Plea for Peace, my Treatise of Episcopacy, and that of Concord, and my Apology for our Preaching. And they say, You must expect to do no good, nor so much as to be read by Adver∣saries, much less with Diligence and impartial Willingness to know the Truth; but contrarily to be hated, and accu∣sed of some odious Crime, and laid in Iail, among Male∣factors till you die; and a Prison will be more grievous to one in your pain and languishing than to another. On the other side, I have been long importuned to give an account of the Reasons of our Nonconformity: I have by Bishops been reproved for not doing it: Lords and Persons of great Qua∣lity have been perswaded, that we keep up a dangerous Schism in the Land, to the cherishing of Discontents and Sedition, only for things which we confess to be indifferent, and no Sin: the Laws accuse us: The numerous Addresses of Counties, Cities and Corporations, revile us as the Nurses of Rebellion: No small number of Preachers plead for our Ruine on the same Supposition, and tell the People that it is no Sin that we stick at, but Humour, Pride and Faction make us disobedient Schismaticks without any reason for what we do. The Iails are fill'd with Nonconformists: Nine Mini∣sters are now in Newgate, and many more in other Places. And almost all of them Mulct and Fined in far more than ever they were worth. Their Goods and Books taken by Distress: They are fain to fly or abscond that are not in Prison: Their Wives and Children in Distress and Want: They are judg∣ed by the Iustices unworthy so much as to be summoned to Page  [unnumbered] Answer for themselves before they are judged, or to be heard Plead their own Cause, or to know and question their Accu∣sers and Witnesses; But as I my self was Distreined of all my Goods and Books on five Convictions before ever I heard of any Accusation, or saw a Iudge, so is it with many others, and more. In a word, Lords, Knights and Clergy-men take us for unsufferable Persons in the Land, unfit for Humane Society, Enemies to Monarchy, Obedience and Peace, and Corporations promise to choose such Parliament Men as are for our Extirpation. And all this is for our Nonconformity, which they all confess to be our Duty if it be any Sin that by the Impositions is required of us.

And if so small and easie a task as proving one or many such Sins required, would recover the Charity and Iustice of all these Men, and save themselves and the Land from the guilt of Prosecuting and Oppressing the Innocent, and Condemning Men for Obedience to God, and driving conscionable and loyal Persons out of the Land, or overwhelming them with false Accusations, because of other Mens Treasons or Sedition, is not he that will forbear his Part and Duty in so dreadful a Case, a greater Sinner than he that when the City is on fire, will not do his best to quench it; or that will not put out his hand to save a Friend or Child in fire or Water, for fear of some trouble to himself?

I did in my first Plea for Peace, only name the Matters which we dare not Conform to, and durst not give the Reasons of our Fear and Nonconformity: Whereupon many since have importuned me for those Reasons, as without which I could not expect that Men should understand our Case. Why should I deny this? Is it through despair that Rulers and Clergymen will not regard Reason, or will not bear it, but answer it with Con∣tempt or Prisons? That is to accuse them of such Injustice, Un∣charitableness, and Inhumanity as I must not accuse any of that do not by open practice accuse themselves.

Page  [unnumbered] Is it lest I should suffer by them? My Life and Labours have been long Vowed to God: He hath preserved my Life, and succeeded my Labours above forty Years, by a continued course of remarkable Providence, beyond my own and other Mens ex∣pectations. What he hath thus given me, is doubly due to his Service; which hath been still so good to me, that it hath made even a painful life, a continual pleasure. He never failed or forsook me: I dare not ask any longer life of him, but for more and longer Service. And if my Service be at an end, why not my Life also? If I refuse his Service, I invite God to cut off my Life: And what Service else can I now do? I have neither leave nor strength to Preach. I have these fourteen Months been disabled so much as to go to any Publick or Private Church, or hear a Sermon. My Body with pain and languid feebleness is a daily heavy load to me. I suffer more by it every day, than from all my Enemies in the World. And shall I be guilty of the heinous Sin of the Omission of my Duty in a time of such ur∣gent and crying Necessity, to save so calamitous a Life, which I am still looking when it endeth? Is not a Prison as near a Way to Heaven as my own House? I will not do as those Christians that Cyprian writes to Comfort, who were greatly troubled at Death, because they died not by Martyrdom. But I take a Death for so publick and pressing a Cause of Truth, Love, Innocency and Peace, to be a more comfortable sort of Martyrdom, than theirs that were Burnt in Smithfield for denying the Real Presence, and such like; and if God will so end such a painful Life when Sickness and Natural decay is ready to end it, I hope he will teach me neither to repine, nor to be utterly unthankful.

And as to the uncertainty of success, He that observeth the Wind shall not sow; God must be trusted to bless our Work while we Plant and Water; It's my part to do my Duty, and God's part to give success: I commend my self living and dying into the hands of my Creator and Redeemer, and end this Preface in the words of St. Paul, Act. 20. 23, 24. Bonds and afflictions abide me: But none of these things Page  [unnumbered] move me, neither count I my life dear unto my self, so that I might finish my course with Joy, and the Ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testifie the Gospel of the Grace of God.