The Peaceable Design, Title page – Errata
THE Peaceable Deſign; BEING A MODEST ACCOUNT. OF THE Non-conformiſt's Meetings, With ſome of their Reaſons for Nonconformity: And the way of Accommodation in the matter of Religion.
Humbly propoſed to publick conſideration by ſome Miniſters of London againſt the ſitting of Parliament in the Year 1675.
Printed in the Year MDCLXXV.
TO THE READER.
WE humbly Judge our Circumſtances have made it ſomething neceſſary to give the World a Taſt of ſome of thoſe many reaſons which have prevailed with us to be averſe to that conformity which we are called to by Law: Which had it ſprung from any Diſloyal or Rebellious Principles, could not have been conſiſtent with that inward Peace which we muſt judge our great concernment to be ſolicitous to maintain. We hope (ſave in the matters of our God) the Principles which are truly ours, will urge us to be ſubject unto Authority, and we do here profeſs that it is our full perſwaſion, that the Powers in being are of God, and that ſhould we do any thing derogatory to their due Honour, Rule, and Intereſt, it would be wickedneſs to be puniſh'd by the Judge, and introductive of our Eternal ruine and damnation. We are not unmindful of the high charges which are laid upon us to Honour the King, and to be ſubject to the Higher Powers. And God forbid that we ſhould ever deſire or deſign to enter into the Tents of thoſe who are inclin'd or love to ſmite authority with either hand or tongue, or to ſupplant the Throne which God hath honoured, and guarded both by Laws, and providence. We cannot think the Sword well placed in Peters hands, nor that the Tongues or Hearts of any ſhould be inflamed with rage, nor exerciſed with an arbitrary cenſoriouſneſs of Rulers actions, ſeeing we neither can, nor is it fit we ſhould ſtand upon equal ground with them. But we hope it cannot (and that it will not) be charged upon us as our crime, or as the production of inſolence, to tell the World wherein, and how we are diſtreſſed, nor to make our modeſt offers and propoſals, and humble ſupplications, as on the Knee unto our Rulers, in whoſe power God hath placed it to alleviate or remove our burthens, And it is their help and pity we earneſtly implore: Our perplexities are afflictive, and our burthens heavy on us: The reaſons of our Non-conformity we in part offer modeſtly to our Superiours, and as proſtrate Supplicants at their feet, we crave their conſideration of them: The Souls of Men are precious: Gods Honour is our undoubted Intereſt and End: Our own Liberty to Preach Christ (not Sedition, Treaſon or Rebellion) is dear, and would be grateful to us: And the Character of our Conſecration to God in the Goſpel of his dear Son engraven on us at our Ordination, we take to be indelible. And we doubt not but that all who are acquainted with the Laws of Chriſt, will own his charge upon us to be indiſpenſible. If we be diſſatisfied about impoſed terms of this our Miniſterial Liberty, we crave the Reſolution of this weighty Caſe from our judicious, learned and ſerious Fathers and Brethren in the Service of the Goſpel. We hope we are not too obſtinate to receive convincing evidence and information from them, only when we have but named ſome things as we paſs, which are of more general notice, (ſuch as two of thoſe three Heads laid down p. 20, 21.) we deplore a diſquiſition or ſatisfaction candidly ſutable to their importance, and the Volumes of diſpute that have been writ, and might be pointed to by us for enlargement. We ſeriouſly promiſe them a quick and full retreat from our miſtakes, and hearty complyance with them, when they offer what is truly fit to ſatisfie our doubts about matters in diſpute betwixt them and us. We have long born with patience many a ſmart reflection on us from both the Preſs and Pulpit, together with all the ſeverities to which we have been expoſed by vertue of thoſe Laws that have been made against us: And yet reſolve to uſe no other Weapons than Prayers and Tears, the antient Weapons of all afflicted Christians, nor ſhall our minds be (we truſt) at any time exaſperated into illegal courſes, for our own relief; for ſuch unwarrantable and juſtly condemned Principles we diſown. And we hope our peaceable principles, tempers, and demeanors will not turn to our diſadvantage. We have here laid our Caſe and Reaſons a little open, together with ſome propoſals for a deſired accommodation for our joynt promotion of that Work which is profeſſed to be dear unto us all, that ſo the proſperity and strength of Church and State may be promoted by us all, without occaſions of, or inclinations to, thoſe mutual animoſities in the Church, which will become the ſport, and strength, and great advantage of forrein and domestick Enemies, and our great ſhame and diſadvantage here at home.
As to the Materials of this ſhort Treatiſe, they have mostly been derived from a late Author, whoſe Spirit in all his Writings hath breathed Peace at ſuch a rate, as that we think we may entitle him to the Character which St. Paul once fixed on Timothy, that he naturally careth for the Peace and Wellfare of the Church of Chriſt, and in that part eſpecially which God hath ſeated in theſe His Majesties Dominions. We humbly deprecate all Mens diſpleaſure, and crave the pardon of that excellent perſon, (whoſe Words and Actions ſeem weighed and governed still by His tender Conſcience) that (two or three of us) have ſo boldly and freely uſed his Writings, without engaging his perſonal concernedneſs in the publication of theſe Sheets, wherein we do aſſure the Reader, That he had no hand as to the Printing or Publication of them, whatever other uſe be made of him as to his Books and Papers. Reader, conſider what is here offered to thy peruſal, and weigh the whole matter in an equal Ballance and pray with us that the intire intereſt of Holineſs, Truth, and Concord may be eſtabliſh'd, and promoted to Gods Glory, and the compleat felicity and ſecurity of His Majesty, and of the Church and State in theſe His Dominions.
ERRATA.
PAg. 1. l 7. dele of 11. l. 14. add only, p. 2. l. 5. add our, p. 3. l. 24. for the r. that, p. 4. l. 11. add lay, l. 12. dele lay, p. 6. l. 6. add of, p. 9. l. 4. add Schoolmen. p. 12. l. 19. for contain r. contained, p. 16. l. 13. for and r. or, p. 26. l. ult. add booke, p. 30. l. 4. for the r. that, p. 32. l. 6. add againſt his perſon, p. 35. l. 3. for People r. Parliament, p. 46 l. 10. for Impurii r. Imperii, p. 46. l. 14. add ſtrong, p. 46. l. 20. for Impurii r. Imperii, p. 47. l. 16. for dinguiſh r. diſtinguiſh, p. 52. l. 18. for ſins r. lives, p. 53. l▪ 1. add be, p. 61. l. 21. for enfoying r. enjoyning, p. 65. l. 18. add not, l. 19. for caſe r. eaſe, p. 66. l. 14. for that r. as, l. 15. for as r. that, p. 67. l. 7. add Church, p. 76. l. 5. add ſhould be all, though they cut themſelves with Lances, p. 76. l. 9. for this r. things. p. 78. l. 1. add of Pride, p. 80. l. 9. for word r. work.