The Hirelings Ministry None of Christs, Queries – Appendix
A few Queries subjoyned as to the former high Question, of propagating the Gospel or glad Newes of a Saviour.
1. FIrst, whether the yet remaining Division of the whole Land, into Nationall and Parish Churches, and the centuring and assembling of People into a Parish Church, be suitable to the true Religion and Testament of Christ Iesus: Or rather an invention of Satan and Antichrist, to divide the Land for gaine, Dan. 11.into Nationall, Provinciall, Diocesan, Parochiall, so that there is not a foot of land left in the whole Nation, Queries as touching the Parochiall Division of the whole land.for the holiest or the highest (without some extraordinary priviledge) where to finde a resting place out of such a Church compasse. And whether is not such a Profession of Christ Iesus, a denyall of Christ Iesus, whether is it not to make a State-Religion and the ministry thereof (like the Dutch) state Ministers, as it was truly said of late, that the Bishops were the Kings Bishops: And if so, since the Head of the Nationall Church, or Parishes is civill, the body be not so likewise, and consequently the whole frame of Worship, but civill and Politicall, and consequently the Grand Idoll of Iealousie, before the flaming eyes of the Son of God.
2. Whether this Nationall and Parishionall Forme of Worship be a State-Act, and so removeable at their pleasure. Or is it the Peoples Act and choise, and not removeable without the peoples free consent: To which end,The Inforcing of a nationall way, a national oppression. can the Nation give, or the Parliament take a power of framing and imposing a Religion upon the people, any more (if not comparably so much) then of choosing and imposing Husbands and Wives (in way of Marriage) to all the people of this Nation: And whether therefore to inforce an Vniformity of a Nation to one Religion or Worship (after the Jewish patterne) be not a soul oppression and usurpation, not after Moses, much lesse after Christ Iesus the Son of God.
3. If such an holy Division of the Land be a State-Act, and removeable at pleasure, whether the not removing of such a Forme will not be set upon the Parliaments score, and be a Controversie from the God of Heaven against them; For sure it is, being a plant which neither God nor the Son of God ever planted, it must irresistibly be plucked up and cast into the Fire.
4. If the State be found the Founders and Owners of the Parish Churches (the meeting places) whether ought they not to demolish them as Iehu did, or at least slight the Holinesse and Forme of them by reducing them to a civill forme and use,The Parish Churches, Idol Temples. as the Army of late dealt with some such Holy places. And whether is it possible for all the men in the World, There is a strange Prophecy extant, Henry the 8th Abbeys and Cels, Henry the Ninth Churches and Bells.or Angels in Heaven, to wash off that Popish Character of Holinesse while still onelyonly reserved for holy use, which both Papists and Protestants (successively and interchangeably) have made of them, as the Temple for the Parish worship, and so consequently the High places, and Idol Temples.
5. Is it not more conducible a thousand fold to the peoples eternall welfare, that each Towne and Division of people in the Land, Traditionall Religion the Nurse of Hypocrisie and Destruction.be impartially permitted to make a stand, to examine and choose their way of worship Ministry, and Maintenance: yet whether or no is it not absolutely better that they did freely choose rather a false Religion (Iewish, Popish, Turkish, &c.) then without their owne free choise, to be nusled up in a way of Traditionall and Customary Religion, or else in an enforced Hypocrisie against perswasion and Conscience?
6. Whether that policie that refuseth to search into these things,Dangerous State-policy. pretending danger of discomposing the present Government and peace of the Nation, the dismounting of the present Governers, the misse of State-Ministers in every Towne, to keep the people in Obedience, by publishing their Acts unto them; I say, is not such Policie, ungodly, irreligious, unchristian, and the next way to provoke the jealousie of the most High, against both State and Statesmen, and to cause from Heaven, some other turne upon this Power and Commonwealth.
7. Whatever the duty of the civill State be found to be, as touching the Parish Formes and Churches, yet is not the unquestionable duty of the State to take off the soul yoaks from the Necks of all that doe or may inhabite this Nation, Iewes or Gentiles: and as to Civill things (the proper object of the civill state) to cast the Nation into a civill forme, The want of Civill Officers in this Nation as to birth of Children, Marriages and Burials being all but naturall & Civill things.and to appoint civill Officers thorow-out the Nation; To Record the Birth of children: to take order as to marriages and buryings of all people impartially in a civill way: The want of which civil Ordinance, as to the latter, hath been a second death in this Nation to multitudes of Yoak-fellows, Parents, &c. who being not able to walk in the Parish wayes of burying in holy ground, and by the Parish Officers, they have been forced (not without danger also) to the High-wayes for succour to their own consciences, and to their Dead-beloveds.
8 Whether since the most high hath made bare and naked his holy arme from heaven for this Nation, this Parliament, this Army, in most wondefull and singular deliverances, preservations, victories. And since this Nation is set in the midst of the Nations of the world, Singular mercies call for singular Acts of Exemplary and singular Gratitude.wearing a Crowne of advantage to be exemplary and presidential to the whole world about us: Whether hath not the most High reserved some wonderfull and singular Acts for the trial of their singular love and gratitude: And since he rewarded Iehu with temporall honour to many generations, and will not forget to pay richly for a cup of cold water, &c. since he hath promised an hundred fold in this life, to such as loose for his sake, and in the world to come life everlasting: Is it not the best Policy, wisedome and reason under Heaven to search out only what is his only and acceptable pleasure in Christ Iesus, and to trust his infinite power, wisedome and goodnesse, what ever be the present successe or consequents.
An Appendix as touching Oathes, A Querie,
ALthough it be lawfull (in case) for Christians to invocate the Name of the most High in Swearing: Yet since it is a part of his holy worship, and sometimes put for his whole worship, and therefore proper unto such as are his true Worshippers in Spirit and Truth: and persons may as well be forced unto any part of the worship of God as unto this, since it ought not to be used,The Holy name of G…d highly dishonoured by the Legall Oaths of this Nation. but most solemnly, and in most solemne and weighty cases, and (ordinarily) in such as are not otherwise determinable; since it is the voice of the two great Law-givers, from God, Moses and Christ Iesus, that in the mouth of two or three Witnesses (not Swearing) every Word shall stand: Whether the inforcing of Oaths and spirituall Covenants upon a Nation promiscuously, and the constant inforcing of all persons to practise this Worship in the most triviall and common cases in all Courts (together with the Ceremonies of Booke, and holding up the hand &c.) be not a prostituting of the Holy Name of the most High to every unclean Lip, and that on slight occasions, and a taking of it by Millions, and so many millions of times in vaine, and whether it be not a provoking of the eyes of his jealousie who hath said it, That he will not hold him (what him or them soever) guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine.