A Christian and Modest Offer, Part 1 – Part 2
1. THE PROPOSITIONS VVHICHWHICH THE MINISTERS OFfer to maintaine againſt the Prelats.
1.ALL matters meerely Eccleſiaſticall, which are lawfully impoſed vponupon any Church, are ſuch as may be cōcluded neceſsarily from the writ ten word of God.
2. All Humane Ordinances vſed only or ſpecially in Gods worſhip, whervnto they are not neceſſary of them ſelues, are ſimply vnlawfull.
3. EueryEvery true viſible Church of Chriſt is ſuch a ſpirituall Body politike, as is ſpecially inſtituted by Chriſt or his Apoſtles in the New Teſtament.
4. There is no True Viſible Church of Chriſt but a particular ordinary Congregation onelyonly.
5. Every true viſible Church of Chriſt, or ordinary Aſſemblie of the faithfull, hath by Chriſts ordinance power in it ſelfe, immediatly under Chriſt, to elect and ordaine, deprive and depoſe their Miniſters, and to execute all other Eccleſiaſticall Cenſures.
6. The Paſtor of a particular Congregation is the higheſt ordinarie eccleſiaſticall Officer in any true conſtituted viſible Church of Chriſt.
7. It is the Office of every true Paſtor to teach & to governe ſpiritually onelyonly one Church or Congregation immediatly under Chriſt.
8. The Paſtor alone ought not to exerciſe Eccleſiaſticall jurisdiction over his Church, but others ought to be joyned in Commisſion with him by the asſignement of the ſame Church; neither ought he and they to performe any maine and materiall Eccleſiaſticall act, without the free conſent of the Congregation.
9. The Presbyterie which is deſired is not Lay, as they call it; And the Churchwardens and Sidemen heere in England, beyng joyned as Asſiſtants to the Miniſters in the overſight of the ſeverall Pariſhes, are a reſemblance of thoſe governing Elders which are deſired.
10. The Office and Calling of Provinciall & Dioceſan Prelats is contrary to the word of God.
11. It is ſimply unlawfull for any Paſtor under the New Teſtament to be alſo a Civill Magiſtrat.
12. The Civill Magiſtrats ought to be the Overſeers of Provinces, & Dioceſes, and of the ſeverall Churches therin: And it is their Office & dutie injoyned them by God, to take knowledge of, to puniſh, and redreſſe all miſgoverning or ill teaching of any Church, or Church officer.
13. The Church government deſired is more agreable to the ſtate of a Monarchie, and to the Kings Supremacie in cauſes Eccleſiaſticall, and more eaſie, and ſate both for Church & Common wealth, then is the preſent government by Prelats.
14. No man hath authoririe to bring into the ſervice of God any Ceremony meerely Eccleſiaſticall, of myſticall ſignification.
15. The Ceremonies in controverſie are not indifferent, but contrary to the word of God.
16. The Miniſters refuſing the Conformitie and Subſcription required, are therein neither Schiſmatiks, Seditious perſons, enemyes to the Kings Supremacie, nor any way undutifull to King, or State.
2. The Conditions, forme, and maner of the Conference or diſputation.
THat there may be a free choiſe made by the Miniſters from amongſt themſelues of ſome 6. or 8. perſons, vntounto whom the maintenance of theſe points may be committed; and as many choſen by the Prelats from among them ſelues, or their Conformed Clergie, to impugne the ſame.
2. That it my be lawfull for thoſe on either ſide ſo choſen, in any particular occurrent difficulty, to take counſell and aduiſe of any other their Brethren; and that then the ſpeciall acts of the ſaid choſen parties may be reputed the Acts of all thoſe that choſe them.
3. That when one ſide hath oppoſed to the vttermoſt that they can, or ſhall ſee meet, then the other ſide ſhall oppoſe in like maner to the contrary: And that the Prelates may (if they will) make choiſe which ſide ſhall oppoſe in the firſt place.
4. That the Opponents frame their Arguments in ſtrict forme of Syllogiſme only: And that the Anſwerers (without any excurſions, or perſonall ſpeeches whatſoeuer) anſwer directly to the premiſſes, either by denying or diſtinguiſhing; and that all be done in writing.
5. That if at any time the Anſwerer denying a Propoſition ſhall withall giuegive a reaſon of his deniall, he doe it in few wordes: and that then the Opponent ſhall briefly by way of diſcourſe take away the reaſon, and after that preſently conclude the denied Propoſition; that ſo the Argument may come to the intended iſſue.
6. That if either in the Queſtion, Argument, or Anſwer there be any termes which ſhall ſeeme doubtfull, there be no proceeding in the Conferēce untill the ſame be explaned, and the explanations deliuered in writing, if they which make doubt ſhall require it.
7. That neither ſide be urged to conclude thoſe clauſes, which in the maine Queſtions, or in the premiſſes of any Syllogiſme are without controverſie & granted: but that by conſent they may be omitted, and that it may be only ſpecified briefely that ſuch or ſuch a clauſe in ſuch or ſuch a Propoſition is yeelded unto: And if there be many clauſes in one and the ſame propoſition which are doubtfull, that then it be lawfull and free to proue one of them after another.
8. That the Arguments, Anſwers, and Replyes be ſub ſcribed by every perſon of that ſide frō which they com, and ſo delivered to the other ſide.
9. That there be no paſſing to the ſecond propoſition, vntill the firſt be fully debated, nor to the third vntill the ſecond &c. As alſo, no paſſing to a ſecond or third argument, vntill the firſt be followed to the vttermoſt.
10. That reaſonable time may be allowed for returning Replyes, & Anſwers: and when any argument is proſecuted to the vttermoſt, that all the Syllogiſmes, Anſwers, & Replyes be written together, and ſubſcribed by all parties of each ſide in the conference, as their ioynt act: and that after they are ſo ſubſcribed, there ſhall be no liberty to alter or change any thing therein; But that before ſuch ſubſcription it may be lawfull and free for each ſide vponupon better conſiderations to alter, change, or revoke any particular Reply, or Anſwer.
11. That when theſe controverſies hauehave been debated to the vttermoſt, in maner and forme aforeſaide, two of each ſide be choſen to digeſt the whole into a booke; and that it may be publiſhed in Engliſh and Latin.
12. That all by controverſies and contentions whatſoeuer, which ſhall fall out between the parties imployed in this conference, may be heard, iudged, determined, and ſentenced by ſome civill Magiſtrat aſsigned by his Majeſtie for that purpoſe.
13. That the ſaid Miniſters vndertaking this conference may hauehave publike warrant and protection from his Majeſtie for the performance of the ſame, in ſuch maner as is heere ſet downe.
14. That if it plainly appeare by this indifferent triall (or by the Prelats refuſing to accept it) that the Miniſters in theſe Propoſitions hauehave the truth on their ſide, and that the Prelats are in ſo great error; Then the ſaid Miniſters & as many els as ſhall ſee the truth which they ſtand for, may be exempted from the juriſdiction of the Prelats, the Miniſters reſtored agayne to their Miniſterie from which they hauehave been unjuſtly deprived, freed from the Conformitie and ſubſcription requyred, and may (with their particular Elderſhips & Churches) be ſubject only to the authoritie and jurisdiction of the Civill Magiſtrate; to whom at all times they are willing and readie to yeeld an account of all their actions, and to humble themſelues under their cenſures for any thing they ſhalbe found to offend in; Conforming themſelues unto their willes in all things, alwayes, ſo farre as they may with a good conſcience; and where they cannot ſo doe, ſubmitting themſelues to all ſuch puniſhment, as it ſhall pleaſe them to impoſe upon them.
15. That if it ſeeme not good to his Majeſtie & the ſtate (for reaſons beſt knowne unto themſelues) to admit of ſo indifferent, honeſt, and reaſonable a Conference, yet it would pleaſe them to requyre the Prelats, to publiſh a direct and full anſwer to ſuch bookes as hauehave (upon occaſiō of the late ſtormes) been publiſhed: viz. The Abridgement ſet forth by the Miniſters of Lincolne Dioceſe; The Demands, & Conſiderations; Reaſons proving a neceſsitie of reforming our Churches in England; The old Proteſtant and New formaliſt; The Treatiſe of Divine worſhip; The 12 Arguments; The Engliſh Puritaniſme; and the Proteſtation &c: And that it may be lawfull for the Miniſters modeſtly and directly to reply vntounto the ſaid Anſwers, as alſo to any of the bookes which are lately, or hauehave been heertofore written againſt them & their cauſe; and to publiſh the ſame in print with leaue of authority, which they under take and binde themſelues with all convenient ſpeed faithfully and honeſtly to performe; they proteſting heere before Almightie God, the ſearcher of all hearts, and the juſt revenger of all hypocriſie, that (to their knowledge) there hath as yet no material thing been writtē againſt them in theſe foreſaid Propoſitions, or any other Controverſie betwixt them and the Prelats, but they are able to giuegive a reaſonable and juſt reply unto the ſame: and that by thoſe bookes, which hauehave been publiſhed againſt them, they hauehave been rather confirmed & ſtrengthened in the ſayd opinions which they hold againſt the Prelats, then any way ſatisfied or anſwered, as ſhall appeare to all the world (by Gods gracious aſſiſtance) if they may hauehave permitted unto them that liber tie, to publiſh their writings to the world, which the Pre lats take unto themſelues.
16. That if this moſt reaſonable and juſt courſe of compoſing theſe controverſies be denyed them, yet at leaſt they may hauehave free leaue to publiſh and to offer to the cenſure of the whole world nakedly and playnly, all thoſe ſeveral Arguments, & Reaſons, which they hauehave thought upon for the confirmation of the former Propoſitions; as alſo their direct Anſwers to all ſuch Arguments on the contrary ſide, as they ſhall finde publ…ſhed in the writings of the Prelats and their adherents. In all which they promiſe to keepe themſelues cloſely & directly to the poynts in controverſy, in ſo ſtrict a forme, that it ſhalbe moſt eaſy for the Prelats to giuegive an anſwer unto them, if ſo be they be in error in holding the ſaid Propoſitions.