Judgment of Nonconformists About Difference Between Grace and Morality, Title page 1 – Title page 2
THE JUDGMENT OF NON-CONFORMISTS About the DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRACE AND MORALITY.
Printed in the Year, 1676.
THE JUDGMENT OF NON-CONFORMISTS, &c.
WHAT advantage the Enemy of God and Man hath got againſt Truth, Holineſs, and Love, by the Diviſions of Chriſtians, and eſpecially by the Contentions of their Teachers, Experience hath been long telling the Chriſtian World, by ſmart and ſorrow: Where Envy and Strife hath begun, Confuſion and every Evil Work hath followed: Little Breaches tend to greater: The Cauſe which firſt made them, will make them wider, by calling in more Cauſes to its help and ſervice. Diſtinct Parties have their diſtinct Intereſts, as to Commodity and Reputation: And, alas! what work will ſelfiſhneſs and fleſhly interest make? What Moralities, what Untruths, Injuſtice, and Unmercifulneſs is it pregnant with? What Evil ſo great, that it will not firſt venture on, and then palliate, and next juſtifie, and laſtly propagate, if God do not mortifie, or reſtrain it? The foreſight of this Danger to the Land of our Nativity, moved ſome of Us to ſtrive for the prevention of it, while we thought there was place for our Endeavours: But as our labour did but exaſperate the Diſeaſe, … our doleful and dear-bought Experience, of the prog …ſs and calamitous Fruits of Diſcord, in the ſpace of more than two Apprentiſhips, hath wrought no (perceived) Cure on Mens Minds, nor deliverance to the Church. The Diſcord, which began about Worſhip and Diſcipline, is by ſome now pretended to be alſo in Doctrinals, and about the Principles of Civil Government, and Humane Society and Peace. And whither increaſing Diſcord, by the power of Intereſt and Envy, may yet carry the Charge, or how much wider yet Dividers may perſwade the Ignorant that the Difference is, we cannot foretel: But becauſe we are ſure that all tendeth to the ruine of Brotherly Love, and that he that hateth his Brother is a Murderer, and hath not eternal life abiding in him, to ſave as many on both ſides as we can from ſuch a damning ſin, we take it to be our duty to detect the Errours of Contentious Dividers, and to hinder their farther widening of the Breach. Which we ſhall here attempt about this Queſtion, much agitated of late.
Queſt. Whether the Parties called Conformiſts and Non-Conformiſts do really differ, about the nature and ſufficiency of Morality compared with the Grace of Chriſt? Neg.
As to the Explication of our Terms, 1. What we mean by Conformiſts and Non-Conformiſts, we have lately ſhewed on another Queſtion: we mean not that if a Papiſt, or Socinian, or Quaker ſhould join either with the Conformiſts or Non-Conformiſts, they would not herein differ from others: but that they that are now called Conformiſts and Non-Conformiſts herein differ not: 1. Formally, qua tales; 2. No nor Materially, qui tales, being meerly ſuch.
2. We ſpeak only of the Parties: For as to ſome individual perſons, it cannot be expected that any Parties in the World ſhould be wholly made up of men ſo wiſe, as that none among them have Ignorance enough to wrangle in the dark.
3. The Terms [Grace] and [Morality] muſt be anon explained in our Proof.
Which Proof (as in our laſt Caſe) we fetch, I. From our common conſent to the ſacred Scriptures, the ancient Creeds, and the doctrinal Articles and Homilies of the Church of England; which ſurely contain all that is needful to be held about the difference of Grace and Morality. Nor hath either Party declared their diſſent by any contradiction of any of the aforeſaid Articles or Doctrines.
II. Our ſecond Proof is, by a ſufficient explication, and enumeration of the Points in which we are agreed.
I. The word GRACE is taken, 1. EFFICIENTLY, 2. OBJECTIVELY, 3. SUBJECTIVELY.
I. EFFICIENTLY, Grace is taken, 1. For the Efficient Principle: 2. For the Efficient Action of the firſt Cauſe: 3. For the Efficient Means and its operation.
1. Grace taken for the Efficient Principle, ſignifieth God's efficient Favour, Love, Mercy, or Will to do good freely to the Unworthy.
2. Grace taken for God's Efficient Action, ſignifieth the ſame Good-will of God ex parte ſui, but as connoting the Effect in fieri vel facto eſſe. The former is conſidered as Decreeing or meerly Willing; but this as Effecting.
3. Grace taken for the Efficient Means, is an effect of God's free Love, and a ſecond Cauſe of Man's ſanctification, and hath many parts; of which CHRIST as Mediator is the Head or Chief, and his Goſpel, Miniſters, Sacraments, and Providences are inferior ſubſervient parts: All which are the Efficient Grace of God.
II. OBJECTIVELY, Grace is all God's free-given Mercy as it is offered and propoſed to Man's actual Belief, Acceptance, and Improvement, (or uſe.)
Even as the word Fides ſignifieth, 1. The fidelity or truſtineſs of God the Promiſer or Revealer: 2. The fidelity or truſtineſs of the Word promiſing or aſſerting: 3. The Belief or Truſt of the Believer; (Fidem promittentis, fidem promiſſi, & fidem credentis.) So the word GRACE hath the like three ſignifications: 1. The Grace of the Giver. 2. The Grace of the extrinſick Gift. 3. The intrinſick Grace of the Receiver.
This Objective Grace, or Free-Gift, is, 1. God himſelf, as offered us Relatively through Chriſt to be our reconciled God and Father, with his Love, and our Relation to him as his Children. 2. Chriſt himſelf, to be our Head and Saviour, and our Relation to him, as his juſtified, ſaved Members. 3. The Holy Ghoſt to be our Sanctifier, our Relation to him and his Grace as offered: This is the Grace offered and given us in Baptiſm by Covenant, on Gods part. Under theſe are the Objective Means (the Goſpel as it is to be believed, the ſanctified Mercies of this preſent life, the Ordinances as to be uſed, &c.) and ultimately, Heaven as the end of all: Glory freely given being the perfection of ſubjective Grace, and as propoſed and offered being the perfection of objective Grace.
III. SUBJECTIVELY, GRACE, is, 1. Gracious Diſpoſitions and Habits; 2. Gracious Acts; viz. 1. Of the Intellect, 2. The Will, 3. The Executive power in practiſe. The word GRACE hath in the uſe of Divines all theſe ſignifications, beſides ſeveral ſub-diviſions which the Schoolmen ordinarily make.
And in Scripture, I. For Efficient Grace, ſee Exod. 34. 6. and 33. 29. Num. 6. 25. Neh. 9. 17. 31. Joh▪ 33. 24. Pſal. 86. 15. and 103. 8. and 112. 4. Iſa. 30. 18, 19. Joel 2. 13. Jon. 4. 2. 1 Pet. 2. 3. Heb. 4. 16. and 10. 29. Eph. 1. 6, 7. and 2. 5. 7, 8. and 6. 24. 2 Cor. 12. 9. Rom. 11. 5, 6. and 5. 2. and 1. 7. and 4. 16. Acts 15. 40. Heb. 29.
II. For objective Grace, ſee Gal. 1. 6. and 5. 4. and 2. 21. Jud. 4. 1 Pet. 3. 7. and 1. 10. 13. Joh. 1. 17. Acts 20. 24. 32. and 14. 3. Rom. 6. 14, 15. Tit. 2. 11. Heb. 12. 15. 1 Pet. 4. 10. and 5. 12.
III. For Subjective Grace, ſee 2 Pet. 3. 18. 1 Pet. 5. 5. Jam. 4. 6. Heb. 12. 28. and 13. 9. Col. 3. 16. and 4. 6. Eph. 4. 7. 29. and 3. 8. Gal. 2. 9. 2 Cor. 8. 6, 7. and 9. 8. Joh. 1. 16. &c.
II. The words [MORALITY] and [MORAL] have alſo divers ſignifications.
I. In the firſt moſt comprehenſive and moſt famous ſenſe, MORALITY, as diſtinguiſhed from meer Naturality or Phyſicks, doth ſignifie the Relation of the Manners or Acts of an Intelligent free Agent to the Governing Will and Law of God: And ſo Actus morales and Actus humani are uſed in the ſame ſenſe; and all Morality is diſtinguiſhed into Moral Good and Moral Evil, Virtue and Vice.
II. Some have uſed MORALITY in a narrower ſenſe, unfitly, for ſo much of Man's duty as is revealed by the meer Law of Nature, and as is of common obligation to lapſed Mankind: And ſo it comprehendeth the relicts of the Law of Innocent Nature (to love God and obey him, &c.) and the additional Law of Lapſed Nature, (to Repent, and uſe all poſſible means for our recovery, and thankfully improve the Mercies which we receive.) And thus it is diſtinguiſhed from Duty known by ſupernatural Revelation, and eſpecially the Myſteries of Redemption by Jeſus Chriſt.
III. Some uſe the word (improperly alſo) for all that Duty which is of perpetual Obligation, whether by natural or ſupernatural Revelation: And ſo it is diſtinguiſhed from Temporary Duties: And thus the Lords-Day, Baptiſm, the Lords-Supper, a Goſpel Miniſtry, Scripture (to be uſed) diſcipline, are ſaid to be Moral-Poſitives, diſtinct from meer Natural Duties, and from Temporaries.
IV. Laſtly, Some, yet more unaptly, confine the ſenſe to the Duties of our common Converſation towards man, as diſtinct from Holineſs or our Duty to God: And ſo they diſtinguiſh a meer moral honeſt man, from a godly or religious man.
Though we wiſh that the needleſs uſe of words improperly were not the common Fuel of vain Contendings, yet we being not the Maſters of Language, muſt take words as we find them uſed, and leave all men arbitrarily to uſe them as they pleaſe, ſo be it they will but tell us what they mean by them, before they lay any ſtreſs on them in diſputing.
In reference to theſe various ſenſes of theſe words, we ſuppoſe that we are all agreed as followeth.
I As to MORALITY in the firſt and moſt famous ſignification, we are agreed, 1. That all proper Humane Acts are moral, that is, morally Good or Evil: And all Duty and Sin, Virtue and Vice, in Habit and Act, Poſitive and Privative Vice, are parts of Morality; moral Good directly, and moral Evil reductively and conſequently.
2. Holineſs to the Lord, or the Love of God as God, is the chief part of Morality; and what Duty ſoever is Evangelical and ſpiritual is alſo moral.
3. Nothing is morally laudable or rewardable, but Moral Good; and nothing is puniſhable, but Moral Evil.
4. All Morality is ſeated primarily in the Will, but is ſecondarily (as flowing thence) in the imperate Acts of the Intellect, and inferior Faculties.
5. All truly moral Good in lapſed man, is, 1. From God's Efficient Grace. 2. And exerciſed on ſome Objective Grace. And, 3. Is it ſelf Subjective Grace, either ſpecial or common.
6. The Good called Moral in Infidels, and all other ungodly unſanctified men, is ſuch but ſecundum quid, and not ſimpliciter, nor in the full or propereſt ſenſe: Becauſe bonum eſt ex omnibus Cauſis eſſentialibus: And a good Principle, Rule, End, and right Object, eſpecially the formal Object, are all eſſential to a truly good moral Act: But every ungodly man in every Action doth want at leaſt ſome one of theſe. And an Act is denominated in Morality from that which is prevalent in it, and not from every conquered depreſt ingredient: We ſay not that he that killeth his Father or Prince, with the reluctancy of better thoughts and inclinations, doth therein do a good work, though that reluctancy was good: So he that hath ſome Love to God and Goodneſs, but more Hatred; and more love to ſinful pleaſure; doth not a work properly Good, which proceedeth from ſuch a mixed Cauſe. But the evil Principle and End is predominant in all ungodly men.
7. But materially, and ſecundum quid, bad men may do Works that are morally good, and phyſically very good to others; as Governing and Protecting Common-wealths and Churches, building Cities and Temples, and Hoſpitals, relieving the Poor, preaching the Goſpel, expounding Scripture, defending Truth, promoting Learning▪ and in good Nature, Patience, Meekneſs, Temperance, Chaſtity, Wit, and Induſtry, they may be commendable and exemplary, and their Precepts and Practice may conduce much to the good of others.
8. Whatever good is found in Heathens or Infidels, or ungodly Men, is to be acknowledged and praiſed proportionably according to its real worth; it being all from God, who muſt not be robbed of his praiſe.
9. A Man that hath but Common Grace is better than he would be if he had none, and it is the uſual preparatory for ſpecial ſaving Grace. Though many civil temperate perſons, by overvaluing Common Good, are hindred from ſeeking Special Grace, that is not cauſed by the Good, but by their abuſe of it objectively. And though God take occaſion from ſome mens great ſins, to affright their Conſciences to Repentance and Reformation, that is not cauſed by the ſin, but by Gods Mercy: Sin as remembred is not ſin in the act of remembring, nor ſin as repented of in repenting; but before in the committing. God may Convert Paul in the act of Perſecuting: But Perſecuting is not the way or means of Converſion. Special Grace muſt be ſought in the uſe of Common Grace, and not in a way of negligence, contempt, or wilful ſin.
II. Of MORALITY in the ſecond ſenſe (as taken for Natural Duties, which all Mankind is obliged to by Natural Revelation of God's Will) we are agreed, as followeth.
1. The ſum of this Natural Morality or Duty, is to love God as God for himſelf, and all things elſe for him, even as being of Him, and through Him, and to Him; to obey God, and make it our chief care to pleaſe him, and therein to place and ſeek our Happineſs, even in everlaſting mutual love: To love others as our ſelves, and do all the good we can to all for Soul and Body, eſpecially to the moſt publick Societies; to do juſtly, and as we would be done by; to uſe our Bodies as the Servants of our Souls, and Soul and Body as the Servants of God: And to hate and avoid all that is contrary to theſe. This Natural Evidence will prove to be the Common Duty of Mankind.
2. This Love to God and Man before deſcribed is true Holineſs; that is, The Soul's ſeparation and devotedneſs to God.
3. All the Evidence which Nature affordeth us herein, is not ſeen by all men that are of natural Wit or Induſtry, no more than all that is revealed by the Scripture is known to all that read the Scripture, or that believe it.
4. Holineſs is the End of Medicinal Grace, as uſed by Chriſt on us, and as uſed by us towards Chriſt as the Mediator: Faith in Chriſt is to kindle in us the holy love of God, and obedience to him: Love therefore as the final and everlaſting Grace, is preferred by the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 12. laſt v. and 13. throughout.
5. Even our Faith in Chriſt, and our Obedience to the Goſpel (in Preaching, Sacraments, and ſuch like) are neither only of natural, nor only of ſupernatural Obligation, but mixt: Chriſt and his Ordinances are ſupernaturally revealed; but being once revealed, with the Evidence of Divine Authority, natural Revelation then telleth us that it is our Duty to believe and obey.
6. That which is of Natural Revelation and Obligation, muſt be performed by ſupernatural Grace. Though Nature prove that all Men ſhould love God as God, it is Grace that muſt diſpoſe and enable them to do it.
7. We call Grace ſupernatural, not only becauſe it is not eſſential to Nature (no not to Adam in innocency) but becauſe in our lapſed ſtate it is not conveyed to us by Natural Generation, but Nature in the ſtate of pravity is deprived of it; and becauſe God worketh it by the free gift of his Spirit, in a manner beyond the ſearch of man, and by it, as an effect of his love, doth make us lovely, (in our union and relation to Chriſt who ſanctifieth and juſtifieth us) it being his Image on the Soul, which no meer Natural Cauſes, without this operation of God's Love and Spirit, can effect.
But yet, 1. We all agree that Holineſs is Nature's health or rectitude, and therefore ſutable to it as its perfection, as health is to the Body. 2. And that the Spirit of God doth ordinarily make uſe of his appointed means, and eſpecially his Word, for our ſanctification. And theſe being ſecond Cauſes, which have their proper Natures, may ſo far be called natural Cauſes: And that thus far Grace may be ſaid to be Natural.
8. This Holy Love being the final Act, on God the final Object, and ſo being man's felicity it ſelf, it followeth, that all men have ſo much happineſs conſtitutively, as they have holy love to God and Goodneſs; and that no man can be damned that hath the ſaid predominant holy Love, while ſuch: And that ſuch have no cauſe to fear damnation, any farther than they ſhould fear leſt by forfeiting Gods Grace they ſhould loſe that love.
9. The Mediation of Chriſt, and our Faith in him, who is the Glaſs, the Meſſenger, and the great Gift of the Fathers Love, are the Means appointed by God to ſanctifie us, by the effecting of this Love, with all its Concomitants and Fruits.
10. Therefore as God is called [All in All] ſo Chriſt is called [All in all,] Col. 3. 11. to Believers, as being the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
11. Therefore they that would bring men to the holy and felicitating Love of God, muſt preach Jeſus Chriſt and his Grace to them, as the means, and bring them to believe in him, and to take it for their Wiſdom to know Chriſt crucified, and glorified, and to learn of him, and obey him, and truſt in him, and daily to uſe him as their Mediator for acceſs to God, acceptance with him, and communication from him.
12. To preach up the bleſſedneſs of Saints and excellency of holineſs, without teaching men how to attain it by Chriſt, is but to commend health to the ſick, without directing them to the Phyſician and the Remedies: And to hear of a Sanctity and Felicity not attainable, is to be tormented by deſpair: And to think to obtain it by our works or endeavours, without a Mediator and his Grace (or by any other Mediator than Chriſt,) is the way to loſe it by falſe preſumption, and neglect of the neceſſary means: It being Chriſt that is made of God to us, Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification, and Redemption.
13. As Chriſt on Earth did purchaſe us this Salvation by his meritorious Righteouſneſs and Sacrifice; and is now in Heaven our Head and Interceſſor, and the Treaſury of Grace and Life to Believers, ſo he ſanctifieth us by his WORD and SPIRIT; and herein differeth from all other Teachers that ever were in the World, 1. That his Goſpel (Doctrine, Precepts, and Covenant-promiſes) are ſingularly ſuited to this ſanctifying work. 2. That he ſendeth forth his Spirit with it, to work the Souls of men to that which he teacheth and commandeth, that ſo they may be effectually taught of God: Without the Spirit of Jeſus no word or means will ſanctifie and renew a Soul.
14. Therefore all Preachers muſt jointly preach GOD and holy LOVE, (truſt, obedience, and delight in him) as the END, and CHRIST and faith in him, and learning of him, and obeying him in the uſe of his healing Remedies, as the MEANS: This being life eternal, to know the only true God, and Jeſus Chriſt whom he hath ſent, Joh. 17. 3.
15. And though the End muſt be preached as more excellent than the Means, yet the Means muſt be preached as more myſterious, and above meer natural Revelation. Experience telleth us, that all men quickly learn to confeſs that they ſhould repent of ſin, and love God as God; but they are hardly taught to underſtand the Myſtery of Redemption, the Perſon, Incarnation, Works, Office, and Grace of the Redeemer; and therefore have here need of longer teaching: The Grace of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, the Love of God the Father, and the Communion of the Holy Spirit, muſt be the Preachers ſubject, as it is the Chriſtians benediction and felicity.
16. There are things in Ariſtotle's Ethicks, and in the Ethicks of the Stoicks and and ſome other Philoſophers, of great worth and uſe to Chriſtians, to ſhew us what by natural evidence may be diſcerned: But they are all poor, defective, ſpirit-leſs Doctrines and Precepts, in Compariſon of the Goſpel of Chriſt, though to carnal wit they ſeem to excel it in Method, Language, and ſeveral Curioſities: And the Writings of Chriſtians, who do but expound and apply Chriſt's Doctrine, do far excel all the Heathens Ethicks.
17. We have no reaſon to think that any of the Heathens underſtood all that Nature it ſelf by way of proving-Evidence revealeth: Yea, or that any Chriſtians perfectly underſtand it; becauſe natural evidences are exceeding numerous, and none can ſay that he ſeeth them all; and they are of various degrees, ſome plain, and ſome obſcure; and even natural verities, as they ariſe from the great Branches, into innumerable Partitions as ſmaller Sprigs, are not perfectly diſcernable by a mortals Eye.
18. Therefore no knowledge of Man, much leſs any Heathens Writings, are the certain meaſure of natural verities, in Morality, by which the number and certainty of the obſcurer Particles may be known.
19. Though Heathens know and teach, that we muſt Love God and Goodneſs above all: And all that ſincerely love God and Goodneſs ſhall certainly be ſaved: Yet this Confeſſion will but more condemn them, that have not, and practice not what they teach; but, when they profeſs to know God, by their works deny him, and are void of true ſanctifying Grace.
20. Therefore it is intolerable in thoſe that are ſtiled the Miniſters of Chriſt, and Preachers of the Goſpel, to preach little more than what Heathens teach; and when they ſpeak of Chriſtianity and Faith, and ſhould open the Myſteries of the Goſpel, to do it as drily, ſcantly, and heartleſly, as if it were done but on the bye, and for Cuſtom or Faſhion ſake, rather than as a matter of the neceſſity and importance before deſcribed.
In all this we are agreed.
III. As to MORALITY in the third ſenſe (as it ſignifieth Naturals and Poſitives of perpetual Obligation) we are agreed, 1. That all to whom they are promulgate are obliged to the practice of them. 2. And that for that Practice we need the fore-deſcribed helps of Grace; even efficient, objective, and ſubjective Grace: For ſaving Practice ſpecial Grace, and for common Practice common Grace.
IV. And as to the fourth Senſe of MORALITY (as ſignifying only our Duty to Man, as diſtinct from holineſs to God) we are agreed,
1. That as the Love of our Neighbour as our ſelves is the ſecond great Commandment like to the firſt, ſo the practice of this in our Duty towards Man, proceeding from Love and Obedience to God, is the ſecond part of our Duty, and to be preached and practiſed accordingly.
2. And it is that part, about a near diſcernable Object, by which our Love to God muſt be expreſſed and made known; and by which it ſhall, by Chriſt himſelf, be judged of at the laſt day.
3. And it is that Matter in which God will have our obedience to him to be carefully and conſtantly exerciſed: Becauſe God needeth us not himſelf, but as his Government of Man is his ordering us to our own good and felicity, ſo he obligeth us to do good to our ſelves, and one another.
4. But as Man without God is nothing, and no Man; ſo Duty and Love to Man, not depending on Duty and Love to God, is no Duty, no Morality at all: And as to love, honour, or obey Man above God, as the beſt or greateſt, is damnable Idolatry, or Rebellion againſt God; ſo to preach up Love, Honour, and Obedience to Man, as ſeparated from, or not dependent on our Love, Honour, and Obedience to God (much more as above him, or againſt him) were but to preach up Idolatry, or Rebellion. No Man can love Man for Gods ſake, that loveth not God more; And no Man can honour or obey Man for Gods ſake, who doth not more honour and obey God. He that will ſerve Man more than God, doth as it were make Man his God, and from Man muſt expect his Protection, Proviſion, and Reward.
5. Profeſſion of Piety to God without true Juſtice and Charity to man, is but Hypocriſie. While we have time we muſt do good (as we are able) to all Men, for with ſuch Sacrifice God is well pleaſed, Gal. 6. Heb. 13. Chriſt was our great Pattern in doing good, even to the unworthy, and he purifieth to himſelf a peculiar People zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. For we are his workmanſhip, created unto good works in Chriſt Jeſus, which God hath ordained that we ſhould walk in them, Eph. 2. 10. To be rich in good works is to be rich to God, Luke 12. 21. and to lay up a good Foundation for the time to come, to lay hold on eternal Life, to lay up our Treaſure in Heaven, and to make us Friends of (that which to worldlings is) the unrighteous Mammon; and bleſſed are the merciful, for they ſhall obtain mercy; and receiving a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, or a righteous Man in the name of a righteous Man, is the way to have a Prophets, or a righteous mans reward, when Chriſt will ſay, In as much as ye did it to one of the leaſt of theſe my Brethren, ye did it unto me. Pure Religion and undefiled, is to viſit the Fatherleſs and Widdows in their Adverſity, and to keep our ſelves unſpotted of the World.
As we verily believe that not only the Parties called Conformiſts, and Non-Conformiſts (alas! that we muſt call them Parties) but moſt true Proteſtants are agreed in all this, ſo we take it to be our Duty to profeſs our diſſent from the Practice of ſuch as would hinder Love and Concord by perſwading men that we are really diſagreed when it is not ſo. And as we are the Believing Diſciples of the Prince of Peace, that bleſſed Reconciler, who took down the Partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles, and made them one, ſo we would ſerve him with all our power and intereſt, in building up the Wall of Defence, and taking down every Partition-wall, which unjuſtly divideth the Church of Chriſt; and dayly pray that God would humble, convert, and reform thoſe men who have built them up, and will not yet be intreated to give peace to the Churches, and in ſpecial to this ſelf-diſtracting Land.
FINIS.
THE JUDGMENT OF NON-CONFORMISTS OF THINGS INDIFFERENT Commanded by AUTHORITY, As far as the Subſcribers are acquainted with it.
Written to ſave the Ignorant from the temptations of Diaboliſm, (deſcribed 2 Tim. 3. 3. and 1 Joh. 3. 10. 12. 15. Joh. 8. 44.)
Bleſſed are the Peace-makers, for they ſhall be called the Children of God. Matth. 5. 9.
Printed in the Year, 1676.