The history of the indulgence shewing its rise, conveyance, progress, and acceptance : together with a demonstration of the unlawfulness thereof and an answere to contrary objections : as also, a vindication of such as scruple to hear the indulged / by a Presbyterian.

V. How Erastianisme is hereby established.

ANother Ground of our Dissatisfaction with the Indulgence, and with the accepting thereof, is, that thereby Erastianisme, the professed Enemie unto and perfect de∣struction of all true Church-power and Church-Jurisdiction, is established and fortified.

1. This is manifest from all the Particulars, mentioned above, under the First, Second and Third Heads, which need not here be repeated; for these are parts of E∣rastian Doctrine, which the Orthodox disowne, and our Church hath resisted and opposed from the beginning: and beside.

2. Hereby are the Magistrates confirmed in that Usurpation of being proper jud∣ges of Ministers Doctrine, even in the first Instance; that is, before any Church-Judicatory take cognition thereof, and passe a judgment thereupon. See our 8. Re∣mark. upon the Kings Letter.

3. Hereby they are confirmed in this Usurpation, that Ministers may not preach in publick, or in privat, without Authority and Licence had from the Civil Magistrate. See our 12. and last Remark. upon the Kings Letter.

4. How this was confirmed and yeelded to by the Indulged, we saw above, in our Examination of Mr H's speech before the Council, Anno 1669. and of that Relation of the carriage and speeches of those, who were before the Council Anno 1673.

5. We were not ignorant, how from the very beginning of this Catastroph, and in the very First Session of Parliament Anno 1661. an exorbitant Supremacie in Church-affaires

was acknowledged to belong to the King, in that, he was declared to be Supreame Governour over, all Persons, and in all Causes; beside what was presumpti∣vely asserted in other Acts of Parl. thereafter, as in the Act for the National Synod, and for the Restauration of Prelacy, and others: And how by all these, and other things considerable, it was manifest and undeniable, that Erastianisme was in the ascendent, and that the designe of the Rulers was to subject all Church-power unto themselves, and to assume as much thereof into their own hands, as they thought fit, and to have the whole of it subordinate unto them. Now when this designe was open and a∣bove board, out very not-withstanding and not-opposing, in our Places and Stations, this Erastian Designe, was a virtual cedeing and yeelding unto these Invasions and Usurpations; how much more are they chargable herewith, who will∣ingly submitted unto the Magistrat••s Actual Usurpation of Church-Power; & by accepting of this Indulgence, did put them in Actual Possession of what was but notionally, and in the theorie, arrogat formerly, as to Non-conformists?

6. It is granted by some, and cannot well be denied by any, That the Magi∣strats principal designe, in granting the Indulgence, was the establishement of the Erastian Supremacie: And if so, sure, it was the part of those, who accepted of the Indulgence, rather to have withstood this designe, at least by simple refusing of that, the accepting of which (as every one might have seen) would contri∣bute unto this Erastian designe, and put them in actual possession thereof. Whe∣ther the Magistrate himself doth look upon the Accepters, as hereby acknow∣ledging his Erastian Supremacie, or not, is not much to the purpose; seeing the ac∣ceptance, as circumstantiat, was a virtual and reall enough acknowledgment and confirmation thereof: And, it is like, the Magistrate did designe no more, not regarding whether they should openly & professedly acknowledge such a thing, if he himself were confirmed & secured in the possession of that Erastian Usurped Power.

But it will be said, That though it be granted, that the Supremacie is now in its exal∣tation, and that Erastianisme is the great designe; and that such, as minded to be faithful, should not cede in the smallest of the Churches Rights, not to the loosing of one pin of the Government: And that this Erastianisme and Supremacy hath act∣ed, outed and overturned, at its pleasure; and that the Magistrat, in this offer of the Indulgence, doth still act, according to Erastianisme, and owne the same Supre∣macie, and intend its further establishement: Yet the Indulged did onely accept of a licence, which, when abstracted from its offensive circumstances, is a meer relaxation of the rigour of former Edicts.

To which I Answer. (1.) If this Indulgence did respect nothing but the Persons and Estates of Ministers, then it might be looked on as a meer relaxation of the ri∣giditie of former Edicts, under which they groaned: But it is past all denial, that this Indulgence relateth more, yea and Principally, unto their Office and function, and is designed (as is confessed) for the Estabishment of an Usurped power over the Function and Ministrie; yea, and includeth an acquiescing and submission unto Acts, made and proposed by such, as confessedly act from a Principle of Usurpa∣tion, and that for the better Establishment of the same, & confirmation of them∣selves in the possession thereof; and therefore the accepting of the Indulgence, can∣not but contribute to the iniquous ends, proposed by the Indulgers. (2. Whate∣ver that licence (as it is called) may be, or be supposed to be, when abstracted

from its offensive circumstances; yet taken complexly with these circumstances, it must be condemned; and however in our imaginations, we may abstract it from these circumstances, yet we cannot do so in point of practice; seing it is confessed, that the morality of actions do much (at least) depend upon circumstances.

7. This contrivance of Erastianisme being so notour and undeniable, the yeeld∣ing unto and accepting of the Indulgence, so conceived, so clogged, and restricted, as it was, cannot but be contributive unto the same; and a plaine (though not professed) helping forward of the designe. Sure, the refusing of the Indulgence had been a sensible defeating of the designe, and would have necessitated the designers, if so be they would still have prosecuted their Intendment (as is probable they would) to have taken other measures, and invented other meanes, how to have accomplished their ends; and this supposable defeat is sufficient to show, how suita∣ble a medium this was unto the projected end. It cannot be said, for obviating of this, That this is but accidental, and a meer probability: for it hath a necessary conne∣xion with the end, as not only experience hath proven; but the very nature of the thing evinceth, as is abundantly cleared above.