The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

3. I add therefore that a certain Confession containing the certainest and needfullest Integrals of Religion should or may well be drawn up as a Law, forbidding all upon meet penalties to preach or speak against them; without any subscribing, promising or professing. 4. And upon proof of the violating of such a Law, and preaching against such articles it is sufficient that both the Church and the Christian Magistrate in their several ways may judge them, and by just penalties correct them (of which more after in due place.) For it is very hard so to form long Confessions (beyond the old Creeds, Lords Prayer, Decalogue, and the General belief of Scripture) and this not in Scripture-terms, which shall not have some words, which sound and honest Ministers cannot assent to, (without lying, which they will not do): But to silence many words which yet we conceive true, and forbear speaking against some things which yet he cannot profess assent to, there are very few sober men but will do. And an error never spoken or written hurts not others, nor is to be judged being not known; Non apparere here is as non esse. And if it be vended, the person may be judged as well as if he had sworn, subscribed or promised. And they that will tell us yet what evil may befall secret whispering errors without ⟨p. 224⟩out such oaths, subscriptions or promises, do by this over-doing dangerously undo; and lest man should be man and the Church imperfect, on pretence of avoiding a possible unavoidable hurt, they will set up knaves that will say any thing, shut out honest men, and necessitate divisions, confusions and persecutions, where they can never stop on this side banishing or killing, or continued imprisoning multitudes of faithful men, and never the more attain their ends. Sound doctrine may be kept up as far as is to be hoped, by the aforesaid means.

3. I add therefore that a certain Confession containing the certainest and needfullest Integrals of Religion should or may well be drawn up as a Law, forbidding all upon meet penalties to preach or speak against them; without any subscribing, promising or professing. 4. And upon proof of the violating of such a Law, and preaching against such articles it is sufficient that both the Church and the Christian Magistrate in their several ways may judge them, and by just penalties correct them (of which more after in due place.) For it is very hard so to form long Confessions (beyond the old Creeds, Lords Prayer, Decalogue, and the General belief of Scripture) and this not in Scripture-terms, which shall not have some words, which sound and honest Ministers cannot assent to, (without lying, which they will not do): But to silence many words which yet we conceive true, and forbear speaking against some things which yet he cannot profess assent to, there are very few sober men but will do. And an errour never spoken or written hurts not others, nor is to be judged being not known; Non apparere here is as non esse. And if it be vended, the person may be judged as well as if he had sworn, subscribed or promised. And they that will tell us yet what evil may befall secret whispering errours without