An exposition with practical observations continued upon the eleventh, twelfth, & thirteenth chapters of…

And not only Ministers, but Magistrates too, they ¹must labour to draw them with the Cords of men also, that is, not by violence, in thing, that men cannot be convinced of, to think to force them in a way of violence, (I say) in things that they cannot be convinced of, in such things as they are not wilfully ignorant of, they must not make prisons and fines to be arguments, these are not the Cords of men; indeed in things that have the light of common Equity and Justice, as Civil things that carry in the very face of them a light of common ⟨p. 52⟩Equity and Justice, there Magistrates need not stay for any further convincement, and there (I say) they need go no further, but they may deal with them in a violent way if they break those; but in all things that are of a more dubious nature, and that are from connections, and consequences, and more difficult to be understood, and that are controversial even among godly men, and wise men, there they must look to it, and people must have ways of instruction first, and to be informed first, and likewise if they do not oppose them in a wilful way, but if they see that they do desire to understand what they are able and cannot, they must not think to go on in a way of violence there, that is not to deal with men like men in that thing, to force them unto such ways that they do not see reason for, and let them labour to the uttermost they can, they are not able to understand, then certainly there must be forbearance in such things; and especially the rather, because that Christ hath given us charge, not to yield to any thing in matter of Religion till we do understand the rule of it; Whatsoever is not of faith, is sin; ²when Christ gives that charge, that we must not yield to it because such and such men do so, till we do examine it and be able to understand the rule; now then surely the uttermost that the power of violence and force can do is this, To make men examine things, but no further.

And not only Ministers, but Majestrates too, they ¹must labor to draw them with the Cords of men also, that is, not by violence, in thing, that men cannot be convinc'd of, to think to force them in a way of violence, (I say) in things that they cannot be convinc'd of, in such things as they are not wilfully ignorant of, they must not make prisons and fines to be arguments, these are not the Cords of men; indeed in things that have the light of common Equitie and Justice, as Civil things that carry in the very face of them a light of common