mity, which is no where to be found in the Gofpel, nor in the practife of Primitive Chriftians.

Yea, while I confider more feriously of the Matter, methinks External Uniformity is a monftrous thing (how glorious foever in their eyes) and not to be found either in Nature or in Grace, either in Chrift's Kingdom, or the Kingdoms of the World.

In Nature is no External Uniformity extended to all the works of nature; for look into the World, and fee if there be not variety of forms; Heavenly and Earthly Bodies having feveral forms, and in the Earth, each Bird, Beast, Tree, Plant, Creature, differs one from another in outward form. If the whole Creation fhould appear in one form, or External Uniformity, what a monftrous thing would it be, nothing differing from the first Chaos? But the variety of forms in the world, is the beauty of the World: So that though there be a most admirable Unity among all the Creatures, yet there is nothing lefs than External Uniformity.

Again, as there is no External Uniformity fpread over the great world, fo nor yet over the little world, or Man. For look upon a Man, confifting of Head and Members, unto which the Apostle compares the Church, and you fhall not find all the Members like one another, neither in regard of their outward forms, nor operations; for the hand, doth not move as the foot, nor the foot act as the hand; and if all the Members fhould appear and act in one form, what a Monfter would a Man be? And yet among the Members, though there be no External Uniformity, yet there is admirable Unity.

And yet again, look into the Kingdoms of the World, and you fhall fee no fuch thing in them as External Uniformity. Here in England you Chall

fhall obferve that Tork is not governed as Hull, nor Hull as Hallifax, nor that as Bristol, &c. neither is one County governed uniformly as another; there is no uniformity in the government of Kent and Effex; nor one Town governed like another; in Godmanchefter, the youngest Son Inberics, in Huntington the eldeft; nor one Corporation govern'd like another, nor one Company in the City govern'd as another; and yet between all Counties, Cities, Towns, Corporations, Companies, there is Unity, though no external Uniformity. Yea, look upon the famous City of London, and there are, it may be, an hundred thousand Families, or more in it, and each one governed after a feveral manner, and among all thefe Families, there is no External Uniformity, and yet they all agree well enough, in the Unity of a City.

Nay further, to bring but one Man to an Uniformity of Life and Practice, by an outward Law, would be the most abfolute Tyranny in the world, and make his life worfe than death. To compel every Man by a Law every day in the Week, or every Monday, Tuesday, &c. in the Week, to an Uniformity of Life,that he fhall rise at the fame fet time, use the fame postures, fpeak the fame words, eat the fame food, receive the fame Phyfick, fit, and ftand, and walk, and lie down at the fame fet times, who ever heard of fuch a cruel Bondage? What an abfurd and intolerable thing then is Uniformity in the life of a Man, taking away all freedom of the Soul? But how much more evil and intolerable is Uniformity in the life of a Chriftian, or of the true Churches of Chrift, taking away all freedom of the Spirit of God, who being one with God, works in the freedom of God, and is not to be bound with any authoritative or coercive power, of poor, dark, ignorant, vain, foolish, proud, and finful Men?

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What

What now then do the Presbyters mean by Uniformity? Would they have the Word preached, and the Sacraments adminiftred, and the name of God called on, and all this done in Spirit and Truth in the Churches of Chrift? this truly is Unity and not Uniformity, and fuch an Unity as no Man can compel. But would they have the Word preached, the name of God called on, Sacraments adminiftred, the Spiritual Difcipline of the Spiritual Church managed, the Vertues of Christ, and graces of the Spirit in the Saints exercised, and all this in one and the fame outward form or uniformity? This is the burthen of the Saints, the bondage of the Church, the ftraitning of the Spirit, the limiting of Chrift, and the eclipling the glory of the Father. And how wife foever these men may be, in natural and carnal things, yet their wisdom is but foolishness in Spiritual things, in which there is no more uniformity, than in the workings of the Spirit. who works feverally in feveral Saints, and severally, in the fame Saints, at feveral times: And therefore they that would tye the Church to an uniformity, which works not of it felf, but as the Spirit works in it, let them firft tye the Spirit to an uniformity, and we are contented. But these men feem to run a sad hazard, who would thus reduce the workings of the Spirit in Chriftians and Churches, to an outward uniformity, according to their own mind and fancy, and fo would rule and order, and enlarge and straiten the Spirit of God, by the Spirit of Man, feeing it is worfe to fin against Chrift in the Spirit, than a gainft Chrift in the Flefh.

And therefore, till I be otherwife taught by the word, I cannot conceive that there ought to be, or is poffible to be any fuch external uniformity in the Churches of Chrift, as these men ftrive,

wrestle,

wrestle, fweat, contend for, I will not fay are ready to fight for; but that feveral Churches of Chrift, having unity of Doctrine, Faith, the Spirit, Ordinances, &c. may have divers forms of outward adminiftrations, as God and Christ by the Spirit fhall lead them; and that every Church is in these things to be left free, and no Church forced, by any outward power, to follow or imitate another Church, against its will, not being freely led unto it, by the Spirit of God.

Neither do I think, that God hath fet up any Company of Men, or Synod in the world, to fhine to a whole Nation, fo that all People shall be conftrained to follow their judgment, and to walk by their light, feeing other Ministers and Chriftians, may have more Light and Spirit than they. Neither hath Chrift promifed his prefence and Spirit, to Minifters more than to Believers, nor more to an hundred, than two or three; and if two or three Chriftians in the Country, being met together in the name of Chrift, have Chrift himfelf, with his word and Spirit among them, they need not ride many Miles to the Affembly at London, to know what to do, or how to carry and behave themselves in the things of God. And therefore,for any company of Men,of what repute foever, to fet up their own judgment in a Kingdom, for a peremptory rule, from which no man muft vary, and to compel all the faithful People of God, who are the very members of Jefus Chrift himself, to fall down before it, upon pain of being caft into the burning fiery furnace of their indignation, heated feven times more hot than ordinary, through the defired accefs of Secular power to their power, is a far worse work, in my eyes, than that of King Nebuchadnezzars fetting up a Golden Image, and forcing all to fall down before it; feeing Spiritual Idolatry is fo

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much

much worse than Corporal, as the Spirit is better than the Flesh.

And therefore I do think (let them teach me better by the word that can) that Uniformity (the great Diana of the Presbyterians, and the Image that falls down from the Brain and Fancy of Man) hath no footing in the Scriptures, or in the practise of the Churches of Chrift: And that the Presbyterian Uniformity, is neer a-kin to Prelatical Conformity, and is no other than the fame thing, under another word, after the manner of Prelacy, and Presbytery; and do conclude, that Unity is Chriftian, Uniformity Antichriftian.

And this I have only hinted, and that briefly, among many occafions, to discover to the faithful, that fome of the very dregs of Antichriftianifin ftill prevail and domineer, under the very name of Reformation; and alfo to give occafion to Men of more Spirit, and Abilities, and leifure to difcourfe more fully to this Point, that the Serpents head of Formality, which is so carefully nourished by Humane Reafon, may be crnshed in pieces by the power of the word.

1 John 2. 27.

The anointing which ye have received of him, abideth in you, and ye need not that any man fhould teach you, but as the fame anointing teacheth you all things, and is truth, and is no lye, and even as it hath taught you, your fhall abide in him.

The Spiritual Church is taught by the Anointing, the Carnal Church by Councels.

The