An apologetical narration, humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament. By ThoAn apologeticall narration, humbly submitted to the Honourable Houses of Parliament. By Tho

And whereas the common prejudice and exception laid into all mens thoughts against us and our opinions is, that in such a congregational government ⟨p. 16⟩thus entire within it self, there is no allowed sufficient remedy for miscarriages, though never so gross; no relief for wrongful sentences or persons injured thereby; no room for complaints: no powerful or effectual means to reduce a Church or Churches that fall into heresy, schism, &c. but every one is left and may take liberty without control to do what is good in their own eyes; we have (through the good providence of God upon us) from the avowed declarations of our judgements among our Churches mutually during our exile, and that also confirmed by the most solemn instance of our practice, wherewith to vindicate our selves and way in this particular; which upon no other occasion we should ever have made thus public.

And whereas the common prejudice and exception laid into all mens thoughts against us and our opinions is, that in such a congregationall governement ⟨p. 16⟩thus entire within it self, there is no allowed sufficient remedy for miscarriages, though never so grosse; no reliefe for wrongful sentences or persons injured thereby; no roome for complaints: no powerful or effectual means to reduce a Church or Churches that fal into heresie, schisme, &c. but every one is left and may take liberty without controule to do what is good in their own eyes; we have (through the good providence of God upon us) from the avowed declarations of our judgements among our Churches mutually during our exile, and that also confirmed by the most solemne instance of our practice, wherewith to vindicate our selves and way in this particular; which upon no other occasion we should ever have made thus publique.

God so ordered it that a scandal and offence fell out between those very Churches whilst living in this banishment (whereof we our selves, that write these things, were then the Ministers) one of our Churches having unhappily deposed one of their Ministers, the other judged it not only as too sudden an act (having proceeded in a matter of so great moment without consulting their sister Churches, as was publicly professed we should have done in such cases of concernement) but also in the proceedings thereof as too severe, and not managed according to the rules laid down in the word. In this case our Churches did mutually and universally acknowledge and submit to this as a sacred and undoubted principle and supreme law to be observed among all Churches, that as by