The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…

If it be both impossible to bring all good Christians judgements to hold all this conformity to be lawful, and impossible to bring them all to conform to that which they judge unlawful; Then is it impossible to agree or unite them on these terms—But the antecedent is true—Ergo so is the consequent.

Remember that by Impossible, we mean not that which God cannot do, to whose omnipotency all things are possible; But that which is Morally impossible, and never to be done, or expected by man.

1. That it is Morally impossible so far to alter their judgements, is evident, 1. In the numbers that must be changed, 2. In the natural operation of the intellect, which is not free, nor subject to the Laws or the will of man, nor fully or directly to the will of the person himself; but receiveth things as they are represented by evidence, necessarily & per modum naturae, further than as the will in part overruleth the Cogitations. 3. In the great variety of natural temperatures, and degrees of docibility and apprehensiveness and ingenuity. 4. In the great ⟨p. 173⟩diversity of Parents minds and their education of their children. 5. In the different converse of persons, with men that have several judgements, and all of them advantage to instill their principles into others. 6. In the marvellous variety of circumstances that men stand in, and consequently the diversity of light, representations and appearances of things, as men and their affairs and interests stand in different postures. 7. In the difficulty of the controversies which must be so generally decided: were they not difficult, so many, so wise, so learned, so godly and impartial men would not have disagreed so long about them. 8. In the reverence which they have received and will retain, of the worth and judgements of such persons as Amesius, Hildersham, &c. Calvin, Beza and multitudes more that have gone before them, whose honour no power on earth is able to destroy. 9. In the paucity, and distance of those conformable Ministers from most of the people, who must change their judgements; And the unaptness of most of them for such a work; especially when they come to plead against such as Blondel, Salmasius, Chamier, &c. 10. In the marvellous suspicion and scrupulousness that most tender conscienced Christians have against seeming additions, detractions and corruptions of Gods instituted worship: And their fear of sinning in what they do, especially deliberately. 11. From the frightfulness and horridness of the evil which they fear in conformity; which is no less than deliberate lying and perjury, yea the justifying of perjury in thousands, and the public renouncing their duty of endeavouring reformation, and many other grievous sins. I am not saying, that all these or any of them are such as they fear them to be (that is to be spoken to by it self) but only that they fear them to be such.