§. 48. By this and much more, I am fully satisfied, 1. That the keeping of these days is a thing of it self unnecessary: 2. And that there being none on earth that can justly pretend to a power of universal Government over the whole Catholic Church, it is certain that none on earth can bind the Catholic Church to such observances; (The Canons of Pastors are Authoritative Directions to their own flocks that are bound to obey them, so it be in lawful things; but to other Churches, or to their fellow Pastors they are but Agreements, and how far they bind, I shall show anon.) 3. And even in a single Church, or a Province, or Nation, I am satisfied that it is a great sin for Magistrates or Pastors to force all that scruple it, to the observation ⟨p. 416⟩of these days, and to lay the unity or Peace of their Churches on it, and to cast out, censure, reproach, or punish them that dare not obey such impositions for fear of sinning against God. And it is a most disingenuous thing to insinuate and put into the minds of men accusations of the Impiety of the dissenters; and to persuade the world that it is irreligiousness, or humorous singularity, when it is so known a thing to all that know them, that the persons that scruple or disown these days, do ordinarily walk in uprightness and the fear of God in other matters, and profess that it is only a fear of breaking the Laws of God that keeps them from conformity to the will of others: and that they are reproached by the multitude of the observers of these days, for their spending the Lords Day in Holy exercises, which the reproachers spend too much in idleness, sensuality or profaneness; and it is not long since many of them were cast out of the Ministerial service or suspended, for not reading a Book authorizing Dancing and other recreations on the Lords day. In a word, to reproach them as Precisians and Puritans, for the strictness of their lives, and yet at the same time to persuade men that they are ungodly for not keeping Holy days, or not kneeling at the Sacrament, is not ingenuous dealing, and draws too near the Manners of the Pagans, who called the Christians ungodly, because they durst not offer their sacrifices, and when they dragged them to the judgement-seats, they cried Tollite impios, as i• themselves were the Godly men:
§. 48. By this and much more, I am fully satisfied, 1. That the keeping of these daies is a thing of it self unnecessary: 2. And that there being none on earth that can justly pretend to a power of universal Government over the whole Catholick Church, it is certain that none on earth can bind the Catholick Church to such observances; (The Canons of Pastors are Authoritative Directions to their own flocks that are bound to obey them, so it be in lawful things; but to other Churches, or to their fellow Pastors they are but Agreements, and how far they bind, I shall shew anon.) 3. And even in a single Church, or a Province, or Nation, I am satisfied that it is a great sin for Magistrates or Pastors to force all that scruple it, to the observation ⟨p. 416⟩of these daies, and to lay the unity or Peace of their Churches on it, and to cast out, censure, reproach, or punish them that dare not obey such impositions for fear of sining against God. And it is a most dsingenuous thing to insinuate and put into the minds of men accusations of the Impiety of the dissenters; and to perswade the world that it is irreligiousness, or humorous singularity, when it is so known a thing to all that know them, that the persons that scruple or disown these daies, do ordinarily walk in uprightness and the fear of God in other matters, and profess that it is only a fear of breaking the Laws of God that keeps them from conformity to the will of others: and that they are reproached by the multitude of the observers of these daies, for their spending the Lords Day in Holy exercises, which the reproachers spend too much in idleness, sensuality or prophaness; and it is not long since many of them were cast out of the Ministerial service or suspended, for not reading a Book authorizing Dancing and other recreations on the Lords day. In a word, to reproach them as Precisians and Puritans, for the strictness of their lives, and yet at the same time to perswade men that they are ungodly for not keeping Holy daies, or not kneeling at the Sacrament, is not ingenuous dealing, and draws too neer the Manners of the Pagans, who called the Christians ungodly, because they durst not offer their sacrifices, and when they dragd them to the judgement-seats, they cryd Tollite impios, as i• themselves were the Godly men:
