The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

The Reasons of this writing, and the sense of the word [CHURCH.]

IT was the saying of acute and holy Augustine (though we call him not with Fromondus Omnisc•um) [that no man ought to be patient under an accusation of Heresy.] He meaneth by Patience, a silent neglect of his own Just Vindication: Not that we must be like Hectoring Duellers, that would kill or hurt others in revenge, or in a sinful way of Vindication: But by silence, those that slander men may be encouraged in their sin to their own destruction, and those that value the slandered persons may be tempted to think too well of Heresy for their sakes: And the honour of God, and his Truth, and our own good names, so far as they are serviceable, are none of them to be disregarded. We have with grieved souls beheld the Land of our Nativity ⟨p. 2⟩distracted by Divisions; and much, if not most about Religion, (we wish it were not against Religion, by some that indeed have no true Religion:) Teachers against Teachers, in Discourses, Sermons, Books, rendering each other despicable, and unlovely, and some calling out aloud to Rulers to draw the Sword against their Brethren; so learnedly and industriously pleading the Cause against each other with the Laity, high and low, as if the destroying of their Love, and kindling Wrath and Hatred, were the Evangelical necessary work; and without this zeal, and skill, and diligence hard to be accomplished. No wonder then if we have people against people, families divided, and all confounded; and this grievous Schism carried on, by crying out against each other as Schismatics, and implacably causing it while we loudly inveigh against it. The case is lamentable, that distraction should be thus expressed and promoted; and when God hath warned us by the mischiefs of an odious Civil War, and hath tried us again with peace with all Nations about us, when most of them are involved in grievous Wars, that yet we will not give peace to one another, but live as if Peace were the Plague which we most desire to escape.

IT was the saying of acute and holy Augustine (though we call him not with Fromondus Omniscum) [that no man ought to be patient under an accusation of Heresie.] He meaneth by Patience, a silent neglect of his own Just Vindication: Not that we must be like Hectoring Duellers, that would kill or hurt others in revenge, or in a sinful way of Vindication: But by silence, those that slander men may be encouraged in their sin to their own destruction, and those that value the slandered persons may be tempted to think too well of Heresie for their sakes: And the honour of God, and his Truth, and our own good names, so far as they are serviceable, are none of them to be disregarded. We have with grieved souls beheld the Land of our Nativity