that some men should pretend to believe and divulge as they have done, if we were bound to judge that their charity and prudence were proportionable unto their dignities and promotions. These things must be, whilst interest, with hopes and fears, vain love, and hatred thence arising, do steer the minds of men.

But what if we have not designed the prevalence or introduction of popery, yet being a company of silly fellows, we have suffered ourselves to be wheedled by the Jesuits, to be active for the cutting of our own throats; for we are full well satisfied, that we should be the very first who should drink of the cup of their fury, could they ruin the Protestant interest in England. And into such an unhappy posture of affairs are we fallen, that whereas it is evident we do nothing for the promotion of popery, but only pray against it, preach against it, write against it, instruct the people in principles of truth whereon to avoid it; and cordially join with all true Protestants in the opposition of it, wherein we are charged with an excess that is like to spoil all; yet these crafty blades know how to turn it all unto their advantage. As it should seem, therefore, there remains nothing for nonconformists to do in this matter, but to bind themselves hand and foot, and give themselves up unto the power of the Papists; for all they do against them, doth but promote their interest. But this I am persuaded they will be greatly unwilling unto, unless they are well assured, that their episcopal friends will be more ready to expose themselves to hazard for their preservation and deliverance, than yet they have reason to expect that they will. But for my part I was a long time since taught an expedient by an eminent personage for the freeing myself from any inclination to a compliance with popery, and that in the instance of himself. For

being in Ireland when there was, in former days, a great noise about reconciliation; a person of his own order and degree in the court of England, wrote unto him to inform him of a report, that he was inclined to a reconciliation with popery, or a compliance on good terms with the church of Rome; and withal desired him, that, if it were so, he would communicate unto him the reason of his judgment. But that great and wise personage, understanding full well whereunto these things tended, returned no answer, but this only: That he knew no reason for any such report; for he was sure, that he believed the pope to be antichrist; which put an absolute period unto the intercourse. And I can insist on the same defensative, against forty such arguments as are used to prove us compliant with the papal interest; and so I believe can all the nonconformists. And if this be not enough I can, for my part, subscribe unto the conclusion which that most eminent champion of the Protestant religion in England, namely, Whitaker, gives unto his learned disputation about antichrist; 'Igitur,' saith he, 'sequamur præeuntem Spiritum Sanctum, et libere dicamus, defendamus, clamemus, et per eum qui vivit in æternum juremus, pontificem Romanum esse antichristum.'

If this will not suffice, we know better how to spend our remaining hours of life and peace, than in contending about impertinent stories and surmises, exhaled by wit and invention out of the bog of secular interest. And shall therefore only assure those by whom we are charged, in the pulpit, or coffee-houses, or from the press, to countenance the promotion of the papal interest in the nation, that as they deal unjustly with us herein, and weaken the Protestant interest what lies in them; so let them and others do and say what they please, nothing shall ever shake us in

our resolution, by the help of God, to abide in a firm conjunction with all sincere Protestants for the preservation of our religion, and in opposition to the Papists; yea, that we would do so with our lives at the stake, if there were none left to abide in the same testimony but ourselves; but if they think that there is no way for us to be serviceable against popery, but by debauching our consciences with that conformity which they prescribe unto us, we beg their pardon, we are of another mind.

THE PREFACE.

An examination of the general principles of Dr. Stillingfleet's book of the Unreasonableness of Separation.

THE differences and contests among professed Christians about the nature, power, order, rule, and residence of the gospel church-state, with the interest of each dissenting party therein, have not only been great, and of long continuance, but have also so despised all ways and means of allaying or abatement, that they seem to be more and more inflamed every day; and to threaten more pernicious consequents, than any they have already produced; which yet have been of the worst of evils that the world for some ages hath groaned under. For the communion so much talked of amongst churches, is almost come only unto an agreement and oneness in design for the mutual and forcible extermination of one another; at least this is the professed principle of them who lay the loudest claim to the name and title, with all the rights and privileges, of the church. Nor are others far remote from the same design, who adjudge all who dissent from themselves into such a condition, as wherein they are much inclined to think it meet they should be destroyed. That which animates this contest, which gives it life and fierceness, is a supposed enclosure of certain privileges and advantages, spiritual and temporal, real or pretended, unto the church-state contended about. Hence most men seem to think that the principal, if not their only concernment in religion, is of what church they are; so as that a dissent from them is so evil, as that there is almost nothing else that hath any very considerable evil in it. When this is once well riveted in their minds by them whose secular advantages lie in the enclosure, they are in a readiness to bear a share in all the evils that unavoidably ensue on such divisions. By this means, among others, is the state or condition of Christian religion, as unto its public profession, become at this day so deplorable, as

cannot well be expressed. What with the bloody and desolating wars of princes and potentates, and what with the degeneracy of the community of the people from the rule of the gospel in love, meekness, self-denial, holiness, zeal, the universal mortification of sin, and fruitfulness in good works, the profession of Christianity is become but a sad representation of the virtues of him who calls out of darkness into his marvellous light. Neither doth there seem at present to be any design or expectation in the most for the ending of controversies about the church, but force and the sword; which God forbid.

It is therefore high time that a sober inquiry be made, whether there be any such church-state of divine institution as those contended about. For if it should appear upon trial, that indeed there is not, but that all the fierce digladiations of the parties at variance, with the doleful effects that attend them, have proceeded on a false supposition, in an adherence whereunto they are confirmed by their interests, some advances may be made towards their aba tment. However, if this may not be attained, yet directions may be taken from the discovery of the truth, for the use of them who are willing to be delivered from all concernment in these fruitless endless contests, and to reduce their whole practice in religion unto the institutions, rules, and commands of our Lord Jesus Christ. And where all hopes of a general reformation seem to fail, it savours somewhat of an unwarrantable severity, to forbid them to reform themselves who are willing so to do; provided they admit of no other rule in what they so do, but the declaration of the mind of Christ in the gospel, carrying it peaceably towards all men, and firmly adhering unto the faith once delivered. unto the saints.

To make an entrance into this inquiry, the ensuing discourse is designed. And there can be no way of the management of it, but by a diligent impartial search into the nature, order, power, and rule of the gospel church-state, as instituted, determined and limited by our Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles. When we depart from this rule, so as not to be regulated by it in all instances of fact, or pleas of right that afterward fell out, we fall into the confusion of various presumptions, suited unto the apprehensions and