An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…

9. The different estimation which the two Parties have of the things imposed, doth make your violence notoriously unequal in the sight of any equal Judges. You call the Impositions (antecedently) Things indifferent. The Nonconformists do not so, but take them for such heinous sins, that they dare scarce denominate them to you▪ lest while they do but tell you their own reasons for avoiding them, they be thought to make you, or the imposers odious, by their censures. So that they are fain to suppose their judgments to be scruples, and themselves to be the weak Christians, and bring all under that name of Tenderness of Conscience, lest if they should tell you that they are strongly persuaded, that if they should Conform (not meddling with any others), it would be in them no less than owning the Perjury of many thousands, and a public Ministerial renunciation of a needful Reformation, and a promising to God, or declaring before all the people that we will not obey him, nor repent and amend what is amiss in our places; and an owning of all the Usurpations and abuses committed by many others, and a public lying on deliberation, declaring, that we assent and consent to more than we do indeed, or can do▪ and a ⟨p. 219⟩justifying of all the failings in that worship which is thus prescribed (when we dare not justify the best prayer that ever we put up to God in all things), and an offering to God a worship which we cannot in faith be assured that he accepteth, &c. These are the Names of their fears, which they dare scarce utter, lest the incarnate Accusers of the brethren cry out, They make us all perjured, and public rebels against God, and they make our Rulers the Imposers of such things: (But the day is coming when it will be proved an unhappy artifice to stop the mouth of innocencies defence, by making the crime imposed (in their judgments) so great, that it shall not be judged a thing sufferable to name it).

9. The different estimation which the two Parties have of the things imposed, doth make your violence notoriously unequal in the sight of any equal Judges. You call the Impositions (antecedently) Things indifferent. The Nonconformists do not so, but take them for such heinous sins, that they dare scarce denmoinate them to you▪ lest while they do but tell you their own reasons for avoiding them, they be thought to make you, or the imposers odious, by their censures. So that they are fain to suppose their judgments to be scruples, and themselves to be the weak Christians, and bring all under that name of Tenderness of Conscience, lest if they should tell you that they are strongly perswaded, that if they should Conform (not medling with any others), it would be in them no less than owning the Perjury of many thousands, and a publick Ministerial renunciation of a needful Reformation, and a promising to God, or declaring before all the people that we will not obey him, nor repent and amend what is amiss in our places; and an owning of all the Usurpations and abuses committed by many others, and a publick lying on deliberation, declaring, that we assent and consent to more than we do indeed, or can do and a