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

17. Have you ever considered and regarded, whether the Apostles ever took your course? You say your selves, that they had power to give men over to the Devil for Corporal punishment: And yet when did they ever do so▪by any but desperate Infidels, (as Elymas) or desperate Heretics, that denied fundamentals, as Alexander, Hymenaeus and Philetus? Or whom did they so much as threaten Church-sharpness to, else, unless it were such a proud domineering Bishop as Diotrephes, who would neither receive some brethren, nor permit others to do it, but cast them out of the Church, prating with malicious words against the Apostle. Paul blamed Mark, but did not silence him. He fell out with Barnabas to a parting, but did not hinder him from preaching the Gospel. He blameth Demas for forsaking him, and loving the world, and many more for forsaking him, when he appeared before Nero, and elsewhere, They all mind their own things, and not the things that are Jesus Christs: And yet he silenced none of them that preached the same Gospel which he did: He met with some Preachers so bad, that they Preached Christ of envy and strife, of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to his bonds: What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in contention or in truth, Christ was preached, and he therein rejoiced, and resolved to rejoice, and not to silence them, Phil. 1. 15, 16, 17, 18. Some indeed that preached the Law, and, as it were, another Gospel, he saith must have their mouths stopped; but none that preached the same Gospel; nor they, by the Sword, but by the convincing Word. He that wrote as he did, Rom. 14. 15. was far from silencing Preachers for not using Ceremonies, or things called indifferent, or for not taking an Oath of obedience to himself. And will you prove wiser and better than the Apostles at the last?

17. Have you ever considered and regarded, whether the Apostles ever took your course? You say your selves, that they had power to give men over to the Devil for Corporal punishment: And yet when did they ever do so▪by any but desperate Infidels, (as Elymas) or desperate Hereticks, that denied fundamentals, as Alexander, Hymenaeus and Philetus? Or whom did they so much as threaten Church-sharpness to, else, unless it were such a proud domineering Bishop as Diotrephes, who would neither receive some brethren, nor permit others to do it, but cast them out of the Church, prating with malicious words against the Apostle. Paul blamed Mark, but did not silence him. He fell out with Barnabas to a parting, but did not hinder him from preaching the Gospel. He blameth Demas for forsaking him, and loving the world, and many more for forsaking him, when he appeared before Nero, and elsewhere, They all mind their own things, and not the things that are Jesus Christs: And yet he silenced none of them that preached the same Gospel which he did: He met with some Preachers so bad, that they Preached Christ of envy and strife, of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to his bonds: What then? Notwithstanding every way, whether in contention or in truth, Christ was preached, and he therein rejoyced, and resolved to rejoyce, and not to silence them,