An apologetical reply to a book called an answer to the unjust complaint of…An apologeticall reply to a booke called an ansvver to the unjust complaint of…

I leave it to their consciences to consider, ¹whether now also they would not have kept silence, if they could have brought in Mr. D. even according to this corrupt order used by us, as they complain of it.

I leave it to their consciences to consider, ¹whether now also they would not have kept silence, if they could have brought in Mr. D. even according to this corrupt order used by us, as they complaine of it.

1. 1Ans. pag. 19.3:

To prove that the Answerer doth not behave himself as becometh a Pastor in government, their first evidence is, Reply. that he depriveth the Church of that liberty and power, which Christ hath given it, in the free choice of their Pastor. Now a Church is as well deprived of their liberty in choosing, when the men,¹ whom they desire, are, without sufficient cause shown to the Church, kept ⟨p. 48⟩out, as when men are, without their approbation, obtruded upon them. They complain of both these injuries: of the first, in this and the following Section: of the second, in the sixth Section. That in this Section they complain of the first of these injuries, appeareth by the instances which they produce, for proof of it, in the fifth Section. So then their complaint, in this, and the next Section, is, that, they are deprived of the liberty and power of the free choice of their Pastor, which Christ hath given them, in that they are deprived of worthy men, whom they have generally desired, but have been hindered, that, either they could not choose them, or, having chosen, could not enjoy them, and this hath been done against them, without sufficient cause alleged against the men, whom they have desired. And the person, whom they particularly charge with this unjury, is the Answerer. Let us now consider how he doth defend himself. And this he endeavoureth to do diverse ways.