An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry, Treatise · Part 1 · Objection 15 – Objection 16
15 Obj. If the King must change or relax his Laws as oft as men will be scrupulous or discontented, there will be no setledness, consistency or order. Your tender Consciences are but tender heads: And soft-headed people must be Rulers of us all, if we must change as oft as their weakness will desire it.
Ans. You cannot think that when you talk at this rate, the readers and hearers can be all so simple, as not to understand, that your words only signifie that you stand on the higher ground, and not that you have the better cause: For, 1. you were not only importuned before these Laws were made, to have done your part, for a more universal Concord, but you were also Commissioned by the King under his Broad Seal, to consult for the making such alterations in the Liturgy, as were necessary to satisfie tender Consciences: When instead of so doing, you have made the burden heavier than before. And is this a fit plea for men, that before the new Laws and Impositions, had so much power and opportunity to have prevented the matter of our grievance, and were so long importuned to it in vain, to talk afterward of the inconvenience of changing or relaxing Laws.
2. Have the Nonconformists so often changed their cause, that you should be put to talk of so frequent change of Laws? Do you not tell them that their arguments and exceptions are but the same that have been answered to their predecessors long ago? If their cause be the same, one alteration since the first Imposition of Conformity would have served their turn. If after the troubles or differences at Frank ford they had been brought to an agreement by mutual accesses and concessions, what need any more as to the Nonconformists to this day?
3. Who were the Changers when you put your new clauses into the Liturgy (as the doctrine of Baptized Infants salvation, without distinguishing of them that were baptized Rightfully, or without right, &c.) If all the new Oaths, Subscriptions and Declarations be imposed by your advice, surely it was you that were in that the Changers. Changes then will do well, and be laudable when they serve your ends, but they are dangerous when they are against your minds. What changes doth Thorndike plead for?
4. When the New Canons and Oath were made 1640, and when Rails and Altars were set up, and bowing towards the Altar recommended, there was no danger in these changes: But if an Oath or Subscription of seven years age be abated, how dangerous would such changes be!
5. The Kings Majesty, when he published his Declaration about Ecclesiastical affairs, did not take those changes there made to be so dangerous: Nor did the Commons in Parliament, who gave him thanks for that Declaration. We may know then by that much, whence the noise of danger cometh.
6. If a needless Subscription or a Ceremony have burdened so many and considerable Subjects an hundred years and more; and if the calamitous attempts of change, that have been made unlawfully in the Land, have been occasioned by mens differences about those things, and if they are still the burden of so many as are now against Conformity: Let impartial persons then be judges, whether the removing of those troublesome unnecessary burdens, were not the likest means imaginable to prevent any more ill attempts of change?
7. Is there any thing in the world, that you think unlawful? No doubt there is. Suppose that one thing were by a Law imposed on you: would you think that a change of that Law would be a dangerous thing? and would you exclaim against it as now you do?
What if King Charles I. his Concessions in his restraint in the Isle of Wight, had past into a Law (as they had if the Parliament had not suddenly been broken), and that Episcopacy had received as great a change as was then intended in those Concessions? Would you have taken the rescinding of all these Laws for a dangerous change?
16 Obj. It is obedience that beseemeth tender consciences: Disobedience is as the sin of witchcraft; And would you have any countenance you in so great a sin? If Subjects must have the Laws changed, instead of obeying them, they will be Rulers, and not Subjects. Why are you not more tender of offending and disobeying your Governours?
Ans. 1. Are not you and we agreed that God is the chief Ruler, and to be first obeyed, and no man against him, but only under him? In this sure we do not differ. To disobey God, is as the sin of witchcraft, and obedience to him is better than sacrifice: And when it is only our obedience to God that maketh us disobey any Governours, judge whether we were not more chargeable with disobedience, if we obeyed men, and disobeyed God. We have no reason to cast our selves under all your reproach, and so much suffering, but only to avoid disobedience to God: And when our costliest obedience, must go for odious disobedience; and if we disobey God to please men, it would go for obeeience; what remedy, but to wait for a more righteous judgment, where obedience and disobedience will be better known.
2. Again I ask, Is there any Oath that you dare not take? any thing that you dare not subscribe to and declare? any thing that in Gods worship you durst not use? Suppose that one thing were imposed on you? would you Conform to it or not? If you were but put to subscribe all to the truth of Dr. Hammonds opinion, that there were no Presbyters, but Bishops in the Scripture-times, and that no Church then was bigger than one Bishop with his Deacons did efficiate with, would not some part of you scruple subscribing to it? If any one thing or word which you judge unlawful to be done or subscribed, were put on you by a Law, would not you then be the Nonconformists? And were it not as easie then to declaim against your Disobedience and Nonconformity, as it is now for you to do it against ours? Might not Volumes as plausibly be written to shew the mischief of Subjects disobedience, and quarrelling with the Laws, and being judges of what is unlawful? And might not you be as largely characterized as a stubborn unquiet people, as we are by you now? So that all this still doth only tell us, that you are got up in the highest seat, from whence you have advantage to look down with scorn upon those that are more fearful of sinning than your selves.
3. We are so tender of disobeying our Rulers, that we will do any thing to obey and please them, except disobeying God, and damning our own or others Souls: And if you must have us yet go further, you must excuse us; we had rather go to your prison under all your obloquy. Your furnace is not so hot as Gods.