in hand, till the iffue whereunto, by replies and anfwers, both parts are come, be collected, read, and acknowledged, as well on the one fide as on the other, to be the plain conclufion which they are grown unto. Thirdly, for avoiding the manifold inconveniences whereunto ordinary and extemporal difputes are subject; as also because, if ye fhould fingly difpute one by one, as every man's own wit did beft ferve, it might be conceived by the rest, that haply fome other would have done more; the chiefeft of you do all agree in this action, that whom ye fhall then choose for your speaker, by him that which is publickly brought into difputation, be acknowledged by all your confents, not to be his allegation, but yours; fuch as ye all are agreed upon, and have required him to deliver in all your names; the true copy whereof being taken by a notary, that reafonable time be allowed for return of anfwer unto you in the like form. Fourthly, whereas a number of conferences have been had in other causes with the lefs effectual fuccefs, by reafon of partial and untrue reports, published afterwards unto the world; that, to prevent this evil, there be at the firft a folemn declaration made on both parts of their agreement, to have that very book, and no other, fet abroad wherein their prefent authorized notaries do write those things fully and only; which being written, and there read, are by their own open teftimony acknowledged to be their own. Other circumstances hereunto belonging, whether for the choice of time, place, and language, or for prevention of impertinent and needlefs fpeech, or to any end and purpofe elfe, they may be thought on when occafion ferveth. In this fort, to broach my private conceit for the ordering of a public action I fhould be loth, (albeit, I do it not otherwife than under correction of them, whofe gravity and wifdom ought in fuch cases to overrule,) but that fo venturous boldnefs, I fee, is

a thing

a thing now general, and am thereby of good hope, that where all men are licensed to offend, no man will fhew himself a fharp accufer.

of both

parts unto

nitive fen

tence.

6. What fuccefs God may give unto any fuch No end of kind of conference or difputation, we cannot tell : without but of this we are right fure, that nature, Scripture, fubmiffion and experience itfelf, have all taught the world to feek for the ending of contentions, by fubmitting fome defiitself unto fome judicial and definitive fentence, whereunto neither part that contendeth may under any pretence or colour refuse to stand. This must needs be effectual and ftrong; as for other means without this, they feldom prevail. I would therefore know, whether for the ending of these irksome ftrifes, wherein you and your followers do ftand thus formally divided against the authorized guides of this Church, and the rest of the people subject unto their charge; whether, I fay, ye be content to refer your caufe to any other higher judgment than your own, or else intend to perfift, and proceed as ye have begun, till yourselves can be perfuaded to condemn yourselves? If your determination be this, we can be but forry that ye should deserve to be reckoned with fuch, of whom God himself pronounceth, The Rom.iii. 17. way of peace they have not known. Ways of peaceable conclufion there are but these two certain, the one a fentence of judicial decifion given by authority thereto appointed within ourselves; the other, the like kind of sentence given by a more universal authority. The former of which two ways God himself in the Law prefcribeth, and his Spirit it was which directed the very firft Chriftian Churches in the world to ufe the latter. The ordinance of God in the Law was this. If there arife a matter too hard Deut. xvii. for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea, 8. &c. then fhalt thou arife, and go up unto the place which the Lord thy God fhall choofe; and thou shalt come unto the Priests of the Levites, and unto the Fudge that hall be in thofe days, and afk, and they shall fhew thee

M 2

the

A&t. xv.

the fentence of judgment; and thou shall do according to that thing which they of that place which the Lord hath chofen, fhew thee; and thou shalt obferve to do according to all that they inform thee: according to the Law which they fhall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they fhall tell thee, fhalt thou do; thou shalt not decline from the thing which they shall Shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And that man that will do prefumptuously, not hearkening unto the Prieft (that ftandeth before the Lord thy God to minifter there) or unto the Judge, that man fhall die, and thou fhalt take away evil from Ifrael. When there grew in the Church of Chrift a question, Whether the Gentiles believing might be faved, although they were not circumcifed after the manner of Mofes, nor did obferve the rest of thofe legal Rites and Ceremonies whereunto the Jews were bound; after great diffenfion and difputation about it, their conclufion in the end was, to have it determined by fentence at Jerufalem, which was accordingly done in a Council there affembled for the fame purpose. Are ye able to allege any juft and fufficient caufe wherefore abfolutely ye fhould not condefcend in this controversy to have your judgments over-ruled by fome fuch definitive fentence; whether it fall out to be given with or against you, that fo thefe tedious contentions may ceale? Ye will perhaps make anfwer, that being perfuaded already, as touching the truth of your caufe, ye are not to hearken unto any fentence, no not though Angels fhould define otherwife, as the bleffed Apoftle's own example teacheth. Again, that men, yea Councils, may err; and that unless the judgment given do fatisfy your minds, unless it be fuch as ye can by no further argument oppugn; in a word, unless you perceive and acknowledge it yourfelves confonant with God's Word, to ftand unto it, not allowing it, were to fin against your own confciBut confider, I beseech you, firft as touching the Apostle, how that wherein he was fo refolute and peremptory,

ences.

peremptory, our Lord Jefus Chrift made manifest unto him, even by intuitive revelation, wherein there was no poffibility of error: that which you are perfuaded of, ye have it no otherwife than by your own only probable collection; and therefore fuch bold affeverations as in him were admirable, fhould in your mouths argue rafhnefs. God was not ignorant, that the Priests and Judges, whofe fentence in matters of controversy he ordained fhould ftand, both might and oftentimes would be deceived in their judgment. Howbeit, better it was in the eye of his understanding, that fometime an erroneous fentence definitive fhould prevail, till the fame authority, perceiving fuch overfight, might afterwards correct or reverse it, than that ftrifes (hould have respite to grow, and not come speedily unto fome end. Neither wish we, that men fhould do any thing which in their hearts they are perfuaded they ought not to do; but this perfuafion ought (we fay) to be fully fettled in their hearts, that in litigious and controverfed caufes of fuch quality, the will of God is to have them to do whatsoever the fentence of judicial and final decifion shall determine, yea, though it seem in their private opinion to swerve utterly from that which is right; as, no doubt, many times the fentence amongst the Jews did feem unto one part or other contending: and yet in this cafe, God did then allow them to do that which in their private judgment it seemed (yea, and perhaps truly feemed) that the Law did difallow. For if God be not the author of confufion but of peace, then can he not be the author of our refufal, but of our contentment to ftand unto fome definitive fentence; without which, almoft impoffible it is, that either we fhould avoid confufion, or ever hope to attain peace. To fmall purpofe had the Council of Jerufalem been affembled, if once their determination being fet down, men might afterwards have defended their former opinions. When therefore they had given their definitive fentence, all controverfy

M 3

verfy was at an end. Things were difputed before they came to be determined. Men afterwards were not to dispute any longer, but to obey. The sentence of judgment finished their ftrife, which their difputes before judgment could not do. This was ground fufficient for any reasonable man's conscience to build the duty of obedience upon, whatsoever his own opinion were as touching the matter before in queftion. So full of wilfulnefs and felf-liking is our nature, that without fome definitive fentence, which being given, may ftand, and a neceffity of filence on both fides afterward impofed; fmall hope there is, that ftrifes thus far profecuted will in fhort time. quietly end. Now it were in vain to ask you, whether you would be content that the fentence of any court already erected should be fo far authorized, as that among the Jews eftablished by God himfelf, for the determining of all controverfies. That man which will do prefumptuously, not hearkening unto the Priest that ftandeth before the Lord to minifter there, nor unto the Judge, let him die. Ye have given us already to understand what your opinion is in part, concerning her facred Majefty's Court of High Commiffion; the nature whereof is the fame with that among the Jews, albeit the power be not fo great. The other way happily may like you better, because Mafter Beza in his laft book, fave one, written about these matters, profeffeth himself to be now weary of fuch combats and encounters, whether by word or writing, inafmuch as he findeth that controverfies thereby are made but brawls; and therefore wifheth, that in fome common lawful Affembly of Churches, all these ftrifes may at once be decided. Shall there be then in the mean while no doings? Yes. There are the weightier Matt, xxiii. matters of the Law, judgment, and mercy, and fidelity. Thefe things we ought to do; and these things, while we contend about lefs, we leave undone.

23.

a Præf. Tract, de Excom. Presbyt.

Happier