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A
Short Difcourfe
UPON THE
REASONABLENESS
Of men's having a
RELIGION,
O R
Worfhip of God
By his Grace,
GEORGE Duke of Buckingham.
LON DOIS!,
Printed by Joh» Leake^ for Luke Meredith, at the Kjn£s
Head, at the Weft End of St. PauPs Church-Tard,
m dc lxxxv-
:iHT VIOHU
■ o ■ 7 ' -
A T
■.'\ !,
J- J. r ,
-» V
.0 j-nm;fl «'V'^3il4,K>
1 - '
p H ^'T S
\t J .1
lU V V
.M AH
Miiioua
^0 s^luCI 3 0 A. 0 3 0
. T Q„lT, H E
RE A
«
v..
L -i
HEN I began to write upon
this S-ubjeB^ it was out-. ^of'
a Curiofity I h'ad to .trj ^ what I mild
fay] in reafon, againfl the bold Jffertions
of thofe Men^ who think it a witty thing
to defame Religion] and I have feen.
fo few Writings of late, which - aro
A3 not
To the Reader.
not very tedious^ that I was defirous at
leafl to avoid that fault in this, by ma-
ling it as fhort as 1 could, ^
The Reafon why I have fufef d it^p
he Printed^ k indeed^ Becaufe I could not
help it; Coppies having been taken of ity
and fent to the PrefSj by the negligence
of fome to whorn^ leitt it to Read. I
was as much afhamed to forbid the Print"
ing of it, as I fbould Bave been, to have
order d it, or as I Jhould be nowit k
Printed, to difown what I have Writ-
ten; and therefore, I have her-e ^
Name to it. * ^ ▼
By the mure of thk Difcourfe y I
was forced to Concludeywith'lan Opifii-
on, w^hich I have been long convinced
of; That nothing - can be more Antf^i
chrirtian, nor more v contrary to '§fenfe
^ - and
To the Reader,
and Reafon, than to Trouble and Mo-
left our Fellow-Chriftians, becaufe they
cannot be exaftly of our Minds, in
all the things relating ^to the WoriJup
of God. ^ q;~ xjjO 10
And who wiR hut ^ramin^ wbdt..piul'-
^ JL. -J c.tJ
titudes of Men there are now
of different Perfwafions in Religion ;
and how inconfiderable am one part of
, *' S ' \ I ^ a'
thein compared th ^he reji, mufl, I
am confident J he convinced, That the
pra&ice of it^ at this timej would he of
no advantage to the Fuhlich
If a ferious conf deration of the Pre-
fenT State ofthh Rangdomj can fink Aeep
enough into Mens Hearts^ to make them
ende4vpury now, to promote a true Liher-
ty of Confcience, I fhaR yet hope to en-
joy happy days in England. But other-
wife
To the Reader.
wifsj without p'etending to be a Prophet^,
I can eafity forefee ^ That the contrary
muft of necejjity terminate in thk; A
General Difcontent; The Difpeopleing
of our poor Country ; And the Expo-
ling us to the Conqueft of a Foreign
Nation. ^
ii.-
mCKINGHAM.
...
V. \
■ X. •- , V*
N ' V
^ ^ - V - - I \ \ ^ 4 d p • = > % ■ > * -
^ ^ C.'
o -. 'rA.yAiv -^ o\\\\
l^]
A
Short Difcourfe
UPON THE
REASONABLENESS
0{ ME N's having a
RELIGION,
OR
Worfhip of God.
THere is nothing that gives
Men a greater dillatisfa(3:i-
on, than to find themlelves
diiappointed in their Expe-
diationsj efpecially ofthofe things in
B which
[2]
which they think themfelves moft
concern'ti; and therefore ail, who go
about togiveDemonftrationsin Mat-
ters of Religion, and fail in the at-
tempt, do not onely leave Men lefs
Devout than they were before, but
alfo, with great pains and induftry,
lay in their Minds the very Grounds
and Foundations of Atheifin: For
the generality of Mankind, either
out of lazinefs, or a diffidence of
their being able to judge aright in
Points that are not very clear, are apt
rather to take things upon trull than
to give themfelves the trouble to ex-
amine whether they be true or no.
But when they find, that what a Man
undertakes to give them for a De-
monilration, is really none at all,
they do not onely conclude they are
deceived by him, but begin alio to
fuipe£t, thCT have been itl uled, by
thofej whofirft impos'd upon them a
Notion,
[3]
Notion, for which no Demonftration
can be given j and from that fufpici-
on proceed to this other of a more
dangerous confequence j That what
is not demonftrable, may perhaps
too not be true.
I fhall, therefore in this Difcourfe,
make ufe ofanother method,and con-
tent my felf with endeavouring to
Ihevv what, in my Opinion, is moft
probable: Demonllration being,as to
Matters of Faith, abfolutely unnecef-
fer y: Becaufe,if I can convince a Man,
That the Notions I maintain are more
likely to be True than Falfe, it is not
in his power not to believe them ,- no
Man believing any thing becaufe he
has a mind to believe it, but becaufe
hisjudgment is convinc d,and he can-
notcHoole but believe it, whether he
will or no: and Belief is all that is re-
quired of us in the Speculative part
of Religion.
- B 2 Belides.
[4]
Belides, Demonftration being fuch
an Evidence of a thing, as ihows the
contrary of it to be impoffible; it is,
if you mark it, a vvhimfical kind of
expreflion to fay. That a Man does
but believe a thing to be fo, which he
is fure cannot pollibly be otherwiie.
It is juft as ingenious as if onefhould
profels. That he hopes he fliall but
begin to have a thing to morrow,
which he is already this day in pof-
feiTion of Belief and Faith being as
intirely fwallow'd up in Demonftra-
tion, as Hope is in Fruition.
Mydefignin this Paper is. To in-
duce Men to a belief of Religion, by
the ftrength of Reaifbn 5 and therefore,
I am forc'd to lay afide all Argu-
ments which have any dependence
upon the Authority of Scripture ,
and muft fefhion my Difcourfe as if
I had to do with thole that have no
Religion at all. .
The
[5]
The firll mainQueftion, upon the
clearing of which I ftiall endeavour
to ground the Keafondlejief? of A4o/i.f
having a Keligion, or Worftip of God, is
this, Whether it u more probable that the
World has ordered it felf to be in the Vorm
It now u, or was contrivd to be fo by
fome other Being of (i more p erf ebb , and
more defigning nature F For whether or
no the VVorld has been Created out
of nothing, is not material to our
ourpofe^ Becaufe if a fupreme Intel-
igent Agent has fram'd the World
to be what it is, and has made us to
be what we are , we ought as much
to ftand in awe of it, as if it had
made both us and the World out of
nothing. Yet becaufe this latter
Queftion ought not to be totally
pafs'd by, I fhall take the liberty to ot-
fer fome Conceptions of mine upon it.
The chief Argument ufed againft
God Almighty's having Created the
World,
•- [O
World, is, That no Man can imagine
how a thing Ihouki be made out of
nothing rand that, therefore, it is
impoflible, he Ihould have made the
World, becaufe there is nothing elfe,
out of which it could'be made.
Fir ft then, I cannot choofebut ob-
ferve, that to lay, Becaufe we are not
able to imagine How a thing Ihould
be, therefore the being of that thing
muft be impoffible, is in it felf a difin-
genious way of Argumentation^efpe-
cially in thofe, who at the lame time
declare they believe this World to be
Eternal,& yet are as Uttle able to com-
orehendhowit Ihould be Eternal, as
. low it Ihould be made out of nothing.
Ill the next place, I conceive that
nothing can be properly laid to en-
dure, any longer than it remains juft
the fame ; for in the inftant any part
of it is changed, that thing as it was
before, is no more in being.
~ > In
[7]
In the third place. That every part
of this World we live in is changed
every moment; andbyconfequence,
that this whole World is fo too, be-
caufe the whole is nothing elfe but
what is compofed of every part j and
that therefore we cannot properl}^
lay , this World has continued for
many Ages, but onely that all things
in this World have been changed for
feveral Years together.
To evade which Opinion,thofe who
maintain the Eternity of the World,
are fore d to fay,That the Matter of it
is not changed,but the Accidents on-
ly J though this be a fort of Argument
which they will not allow of in others.
For when it is by the KomaniflsmgcA,
in Defence of iranfdflaiitiation in the
Sacrament, the Accidents of the Wa-
fer remain^ though the Sub fiance of it be
changediXh^j vtjtdi that as a ridiculous
Notion^ and yet it is not one jot more
abfurd
ts]
abfurd to fay, That the Accidents remain
when the Aiatter is changd, than that the
Alatter remains vohen the Accidents are
changed; nay of the two, the Af letter s
of this latter Opinion are the leaft ex-
cufable, becaule they boldly attribute
it to a Natural Caufe, whereas the Ko-
manifts have the modefty at leaft to
own it for a Myfterious Miracle.
But that the weaknefs of this ima-
gination, of feparating Accidents
from Bodies may the plainlier ap-
pear, let us examine a little what the
meaning of the word Accident is.
Accident then does not lignifie a Be-
ing diftind: from Body or Matter, but
is only a Word, whereby we exprefs
the feveral ways weconlider of what
is in a Body, or matter that is before
us. For example j If we perceive a
Body to have length, then we con-
fider of that length as an Acci-
dent of that Bodyj and when we
perceive
[9]
perceive a Body to have a Smell, or
Tafte, then we confider of that Smell,
and that Tafte, as Accidents l^f that
Body: But in none of thefe Conftdera-
tions we mean, that any thing can have
Length, or Smell, or Tafte, but what
really is Body ; and when any thing,
that had a Smell, or Tafte, has left off
to have ^ a Smell or Tafte, it is, becaufe
^ that Part of it, which had a Smell or
Tafte, is no more in it. So that, upon
an Examination of the whole Matter, I
am apt to, believe. That there can be
naturally no change of Accidents, but
where there is a real change of Bo-
dies.
But to proceed a little further, the
Queftion being. Whether it be more pro-
babUy that the Worlds or that God Al-
mighty has been from all Eternity ?■ I
think, 1 may adventure to affirm, That
of two Propofitions, the leaft probable
C is
[lo]
is that which^ cCmes neareft to a Con-
tradiftion: Now nothing can come *
nearer to a Contradidion, Than Eter-
nlfy, or abiding the fame for e\^er, and
a continued Changing, or not abiding
the fame one moment: And therefore
I conclude, it is .lefs probable^ that this ^
Changeable World Ihould have been
from all Eternityj .than that fome o-
ther Being, of more Excellence, and
greater Perfeftion, Ihould be fo, whofe
very Nature: is incapable of Change.
That Being of more Excellence, and
greater Perfeftion, I call Goi \ and
thofe, who out of a foolifh averfion
they have for the N/tme of Godj will
call it Nature, do not in any kind dif-
fer from this Notion of that Being, biit
only change its Name and rather
fhew, they have a vain^miftaken Am-
bition of being thought Atheifts, than
that they have any Reafon* flrong e-
nough
nough to Convince them to be
The next Queftion I fhall take into
Confideration, is this, Whtther^ though
there be a God, it k probable^ that He
jhould take a more particular Care of
Mankind^ than He does of Beafis and 'o-
ther Animals ? To which I have this
to offer. That though there are leverjd
forts of Animals, which give us occa^
fion to imagine they have fome kind of
Reafon in them, though not to fo great
a 'PerfeSion as Men have; yet fince no
other Animial did ever any one thing,
that could give us the leaft caufe |io
believe, they have a Conception of a-
nother World, or of a Deity; and that
no Man was ever yet born , but had
a Goiiceprion,, or at leaft , a Sufpicn
on of it, more or klL ./ I fay, for this
Reafony it is probable, in) my Opinion,
That there is fomething nearer a-kin
to the Nature of God in Men than
C 2 there
fbever ; and for that Reafon , that
God Almighty does "take a more par-
ticular Care of as, than He does of
them.
If then God be Eternal, and- it is pro-
bable there is (bmething in our Nature,
which is a-kin to the Nature of God^ it
is aifo probable. That that Part of us ne-
ver dies.
It is aifo probable, That what by it
we are prompted moft to value and
efteem, as the higheft PerfeSions, good
Qualities, and Vertues, are Parts of the
Eilence, and Nature of God,
tues, it is Juftice ; which all Men da
moft highly efteem and value in others,
though they have not all the good For-
tune to praftife'it themfelves. For Juftice
is that good Quality, or Vertue, which
caufes all other good Qualities or Ver-
tues
[13]
tues to be efteemed ; nay, it is that Ver-
tue, without which, all other Vertues
become as Vices; that is, they all come
to be abhorred.
For he who wants Juftice, and- has
Wit, Judgment, or Valor, will for the
having Wit, Judgment, or Valor, be the
more abhorr'd; Becaufe the more Wit,
Judgment, or Valor he has, if he
wants Juftice, the more he will certain-
ly become a Wicked jVfan: And he'
who wants Juftice, and has Power, will
for the having that Power, be the more
abhorrW ; Becaufe the more Power he
has, if he wants Juftice, the more he
will certainly become a Wicked Man :
And therefore, in my Opinion, it is a- "
very unrealbnable thing for jVfen, out
of a Defign of extolling God Almigh-
tys Power, to rob Him of Juftice ; the
C^alitydwithout which, even Power it
felf muffv'neceiTarily be abhorr d. Ancf
[H]
"pray wlaat can be more difrefpeflful
to God Almighty^ Than to phanfie
that he (hall punifh us for doing' that,
which he has from all Eternity prede-
ftinated; that is, Compelfd us to do ?
It is an A6t that I can hardly believe
there ever yet was born a Man cruel e-
nough to be guilty of, even in the depth
of his Revenge; And fliall we make
that.an Attribute of the Moft Perfeft,
and the Moft High God, whicli is be-
neath the efi^ of the meaneft of Faf-
lions in the worft of Men ? It is, in my
Opinion, more reafonable to believe.
That God Almighty, out of his Love
to Mankind, has given us an Eternal
Soul; That an Eternal Being , and
Free-will," are things in their Nature in-
feparable one from the other ; and that
therefore, according to our Actions,
proceeding from our Wills, God At-
'mighty, in Juftice, will Reward and
Punifh
[153
Punifh us in another World, for the
Good and 111 Deeds we perform in
this. I do not fay, that the heft of
our y\9:ions here, are good enough to
make us deferve the utmofl: Joys of
Heaven ; we muft owe them to God AL-
mighty s Grace and Favour, as indeed',,
we owe all things elfe.
Neither will I take upon me to guefs
at the feveral Degrees of J[oys there are
in Heaven. Our dull Sences, making
it as impoffible for" us to difcourfe well
of thofe things, as it is irripoffible for a
Man Born Blind, to talk well of Colours.
• ^ • • J •
Nor will- I pretend 'to Judge how long,
or how much God Almighty will Pu-
nifh ' us hereafter ; Becaufe , for the
fome Reafon that we think him to he
a God of Juftice, we muft alfo con-
clude-^'hitn to be a God of Mercy.
This only 1 do verily believe, That
the more - w . Love him the more he
will
[1(5]
mil Love us; and the lefs we Love
the worfe it will be for us.
Again, if this Inftind, or Concepti-
on, we have of a Deity, be the Ground
of our Religion, it ought alfo to be
the Guide of our Religion; That is,
if the ftrongeft Reafon we have to be-
lieve. That God Almighty does take a
more particular Care of us, than He
does of other Animals ^ is, Becaufe
there is fomething in our Nature, near-
er a-kin to the Nature of God ^ than
any thing that is^ in ^ any other Ani-
mal; I fay, in allj RQafon/that^ part of
IK, which' is neareft a-kin to the Na-
ture of God, ought to be our Guide
and DireSor, in Choofing the beft
Way for our Religious \¥or[hip of>
God.
There is alfo this other Confequence,
which, in my Opinion, does naturally
depend upon what has been faid ; fThat
one
[17]
one of the greateft Crimes a Man can
be guilty of, is, To force us to aft or,
fin againft that Inftinft of Religion
which God Almighty has 'placed in our
Hearts ; for, if that Inftinft be fome-
what a-kin to the Nature of God^ the
finning againft it muft be fomewhat
a-kin to the Sin againfi: the Holy
Ghofl,
If then it be probable, that there is
a God^ and that this God will Reward
and Punifh us hereafter, for all the Good
and 111 things we aft in this Life ;
It does highly concern every Man, to
examine ferioufly, Which is the beft
Way 'Of Worfhipping and Serving this
God^y That is. Which is the beft Reli-
gion. ■ _
Now, if it be probable, that the In-
ftinft which we ^ have within us, of a
Deity, be a-kin to the Nature of God y
That Religion is probably the beft,
D whole
[18]
whofe Doftrine does moft recommend
to us thofe Things, which, by that In^
ftin(3:, we are prompted to believe are -
Vertues, and good Qualities : And
that, I think, without exceeding the
Bounds of Modefly, I may take upon
me to affirmj Is the Chrifhaii Reli-
gion.,
And for the fame Reafon, it does
alfb follow. That the Religion ambngft
Chrijlians J which does moft recom-
mend to us Vertue, and a good Life,
is, in all probability, the beft Religi-
on. ^
And here, I muft leave every Man
to take pains, in fceking out, and chu-
fing for himfelf; he only being anfwe-
• rable to God Almighty for his. own
Soul.
I began this Difconrfe^ as if I had
to d(jp with thofe, who have no Re-
ligion at all: And now, addre/Ting
- my^
[19]
my ftlf to Chriftiitfjs, I hope, they
will not be offended at me, for end-
ing it with the Words of our Sdvi^
our :
Asij and it JhaE be given you; Seely
and you ftjaH find; Knocky and it fbdll be
opened unto you,
I fhall beg Leave farther, only to
propote a few Queftions to all thofe,
in general, who are pleas'd to call them-
felves Chrijlians,
Firfty \^^hether there be any thing
more direftly oppofite to the Dodrine
and Praftice of Jefus Chrijly than to
ufe any kind of Force upon Men, in
Matters of Religion ? And confejuent-
ly, W^hether all thole that pradile k,
(let them be of what Churchy or SeB;
mey pleafe) ought not juiUy to be calfd
Antkhrifiians ? - ' ^ L!
" D 2 Second^
n O20]
li Secondly:, Whether there can be any
) ' thing more unmanly, more barbarous,
J %: more ridiculous, than to go about
'I to convince a Man's Judgment by any
' thing, but by Reafon ? it is fo ridicu-
f ious, that Boy& at School i^e whipped
for it f who, inftead of Anfwering.an
Argument with Reafon, are Logger-
heads eaough to go to Cuffi.
And Thirdfyy Whether the Praftice
of it, has not always been ruinous and
deftruftive to thofe Countries, where it
C has been ufed, either in Monarchies, or
Gommon-W^ealths ? And, Whether the
® - contrary Praftice has not always been
^ fuccefsful to thofe Countries, where it
has been ufed, either in Monarchies^
or Common-Wealths?
I (hall Conclude, with^ giving them
this Friendly Advice; If they would
be
"X
[21 ]
be thought Men of Reafon, or of a
good Confcience, Let them endeavour,
by their good Counfel, and good Ex-
ample, to perfwade others to lead fuch
Lives, as may fave their Souls: And-
not be perpetually quarrelling amongft
themfelves , and cutting one another's
Throats, about thofe things, which they
all agree, are not abfolutely neceffary tO;
Salvation.
F IN IS.
ao' "iO .ncliijJi lo mhl. j/Li.,j.!i
m r
^'irjovfiobn3 maib Is J ^9snsiolno3 teog
-xH'boog Lris JslnuoO bco^j -ipA y1
ibiil b^si OJ cxi:i?o [ V-' i
buA : aliJo2 ii:>rb yLn: sn .i^ovia
j'YaOiT'B grirlfe'ni^ijp, yifer/^scfix^'q so ron
AoiiiO::;r 'yiio gaixius bnr; , ?yv^-Jl.fi7v*n.
yoib fiDi/lvr .sB^ibb cloib ^
' -^-V ^ 1 r n ! r
or Y-j5;Hco3n Ylcdx/loidB jon S7r; -,ss'j:o'- .
» ' ' r r
r.--.- ■ ;• .
'-■■■ - ' ''•
^ f '%
-• : ' • i *
Boohs Printed f(^ XnU hv T ukeMe--^
M^eft pnd of St, Paul^ Church-
Yard. '
TW 0 Treadles: The Flrjty Concerning Reproach-
and Ce//fure ; The Sefo^df^A:n^Anjmr to Mr.
SerjeanRs Surt-Footing, To wi)idi are annexed, Three
Sermons Preached upon feveral Occafions ;■ and veiyule-
ful for thefe Times. By the late Learned and Reverend
William Faulkner^ D. D.
An Introdu£don to the OU Engliflj Hiflory ; compre-
hended in Three leveral Tra<Ts: 'The Firfi., An Anfwer
to Mr. Petyis Rights of the Commons Afferted; and to
a Book, Entituled, fani Anglorum Fades Nova: The
Second Edition very much enlarged. The Second^ Kn.
AnEver to a Book, Entituled, Argumentum Antinorma-
nicum, much upon the lame Subjed:: Never before Pub-
liflKd. The Thirdy The Exa<ft Hiftory of the Succefon
of the Crorvn of England : The Second Edition, alio ve-
ry much enlarged. Together, with an Appendix^ con-
taining leveral Records, and a Series of Great Councils
and ParliamentSy Before and After the Conquejly unto
the End of the Reign of Henry the Third. And a Glofr
faryy expounding many Words, uled frequently in our
Antient Records, Laws, and Hiftorians. Publifhed for
the Vindication of Truthy and the Ajpfiance of fuch as
defire with Satisfaction to read, and truly underftand,
the Antient Englifh HijlorianSy and other Pieces of Anti-
quity. By Rdtirt Bradyy Dodor in Phyfick,
redith, at
at the
In'
tfiG Pn/s^
In tka.
.A Dialogue between a Fafior, and his Fanflnoner^
touching the Lor^s Suffer : Whereia the moft materi-
al Doubts and Scruples about Receiving that Holy Sacro'
mMff are removed/ and the Way thereto dilcovered to
be both plain and pleafant. Very ufefui for Private Chri-"
ftians in thele Icrupulous Times, by Mtsha^l Altham,
ThQ StcorU Edition* To which is added. Some fhort
Prayers, fitted for that Occafion / and a Morning and E-
vening Prayer, for the Ufe of Private Families#
I .
'if
^ • /A SHORT
ANSWER
To His GRACE the
D.of Buckingham''
PAPER,
CONCERNING
RELIGION, TOLERATION,
AND
ithertp of ConCcieute,
LONDON:
Printed for S. G. and are to be fold by Randal
Taylor, near 1^85,
To the READER.
THatlha^e mitten this Pamphlet Js plaiui,
and the Reafon of it as plain^ in Anfwer
to one Printed with His Grace the Duke
of Buckingham's Name, wherein I think.he hath
not rightly informed himfelf or his Readers. I
have no Apology to make for the Printing of it,but
only that I think, a Soi-e always wants a Plaijier
till it hath got one.Of how dangerous Confequence
to Religion, and the Peace of the State, juch Ar-
guments may prove, I hope his Grace did not give
himfelf leave to confider. And fhoidd he take the
pains to Ao it, it is not to be expeUed he fhould
draw both Bill and Anfwer, andalA for the Plain-
tiff and Defendant fucceffively one after another.
How pernicious an Animal this Mountain and
Wild Confcience hath been to England, is too well
knownand how fatal Toleration would be,I hope
in a few words to make evident in the enfuing
Papers. And the Nation being in a fair way of
Compofure, the flirring of this extravagant per-
ment, which hath run us into jo many Fevers of
State, feems very unfeafonable at this time, and
requires fomething to precipitate the Lees of Sedi-
tion, and keeping them from rifing again, and
turning the Wine of our Hopes into the Vinegar
of Defpair. A 2 Mj
My Opinion in thefepoints having ever heendia-
metrically oppofite to thofe of his Grace s ^apen^
and having been long convinced^ that nothing
could more efebiually contribute to the Ruin of
this Monarchy^ Church and Stateyhan Toleration
and Liberty of ConfciencOyl have prevailed upon
viy felf to expofe my thoughts to the public kView
and Cenfure upon this SubjeEl and Occafiomas be-
ing thoroughly perfwaded I am in the RightiOS to
the maiuj and not much foUcitous for the fate of
a five or fix hours Paper, which the Ingenuous will
pardon, if it be not exad-, and the Rigorous would
condemn, tho an Angel had writ it.
That 1 do not affix my Name to it, is becaufe I
do not defign to be known. And tho I am not a-
fhamed to have writ it, or thinks it will do me any
difreputation, yet lam unwilling to feem arrogant
in attempting to anfwer a Perfon of fo Great a
Character, and fo Celebrated a Name-, to whom I
define to be kjiown under no other Name than that
His Grace^'s mofl Humble Servant,
And a mofl: True Friend to the
Intereft of ENGLAND.
it)
A SHORT
ANSWER
To His GRACE the
D. of 'BVCKlNGUaMs Paper,
Concerning Religion, Toleration, is'c.
t
IT is a pretty odd Adventure, to fee a
Perfon of His Grace's High Chara-
dber and Parts, enter the Lifts, and
advance himfelf the Champion of
fome things fo much out of Countenance
and Reputation, that even thofe who for-
merly owned them, would take it un-
kindly not to be thought wholly to have
fbrfaken and abandoned them. And in
truth, Whiggifm in both its dreftes of To-
lemtion and Perfecution, which madjC her
fo amiable to the* Nob/e Peer, and others,
^ B in
(2 )
in the days of Afociation, is now with
forrow become fo abominably fuperan-
nuatcd, that (he looks like a Call Miflrifs,
fcorned and contemned even by the Por-
ters and Footmen: and it can be nothing
but pure compaflion and pitv, fure, that
procures her fuch a Glorious Prote-
<5lor.
But is it not as odd an Adventure, to
fee any perfon fo bold, as to think upon
fuch great difadvantages, of coping with
fo difproportionate a Combatant, as a
Peer of the higheft Rate of England^
whereby he muft render himfelf liable
not only to all the force of Wit and Senfe,
but if he does not well guard himfelf with
all Decency and Difcretion, to the fatal
and murdering blow of Scandalmi Mag-
natum. And in truth, if I had not put
on the Armour of Confcience, I durft
never have taken up his Grace's Gantlet:
But I efteem my felf invulnerable under
that Mail, and dare confidently believe
my Lord would not for an unwary flip
prove
( 3 J
" prove liimfelf an Antichrijlia7i, by perfe-
cueing an innocent perfon, purely for
what he believes his Religion exad:s from
him; efpecially confidering , that his
Graces Maxim is infallible, which alTures
us, That no man believes^ becaufe he has a
mind to do foy but becaufe his Judgment be-
ing convincedy he cannot chufe but believe
ity whether he will or not. Nor do I be-
lieve, ihould I be criminal in point of De-
ference or Good Manners towards his
Grace, that he would by animadverting
feverely upon me, undo what he hath io
publickly owned, as an Opinion of which
he hath been long convinced 5 and to con-
fute the labour of his brain by any a(51:i-
on diametrically oppofite to his Hypothe-
fis. But for fear of the word, neither my
Nature or Education incHning me to any
thing difobliging, much lefs rude, I will
take care of my fclf: And tho I cannot,
in approaching fo near his Grace, be pro-
^cul a Jovey yet I will be fure to keep my
felf procul a fulmine : And I Ihould be
B 2 vcTr
(4)
very angry with my felf, if I ihould fay a-
ny thing, which even his Grace may thinl
beneath the Dignity of his High Chara-
dfer, for wliich I profefs a moft profounc.
Veneration and Refpecl.
And my Lord being the Agreflor, I
know he will not be difpleafed, fince we
differ mightily in Opinion about ReligL
on, if I endeavour to defend my Belief,
which I cannot help, very warmly, and
with fome OfmionaM : And fhould
I chance to pretend to be Comical and
Pleafant now and then, (a Contagion no
man can almoft efcape that comes but
near his Grace's Pen, which even in this
ferious matter, is very facetious) 5 I hope
lie will look upon it but as my being
flung with the Tarantulci of his Paper,,
which may make me dance and caper,
even contrary to my Nature and Inclina-
tion, by the fecret fympathy that is in the
unaccountable poifon of being Witty.
I con.
%
(5)
I eonfefs, my Lord writes with that
taking air and pleafantnefs, that it is im-
poflible not to be delighted with it. But
not to flatter his Grace , 'tis too much oi
that nimble Contexture, and feems to
want not only the tem^eramentum ad
pondu^, but the ^ondm it felf 5 and , to
make it in any n^qafure currant, mufl:
have many Grains not only of Salt, but
of Allowance too. And in truth, I can-
not wonder to fee a Peer write of Religi-
on, en Cavalier 5 but do as much wonder
to fee a Noble Cavalier writing of Religi-
on, as I fhould to fee a Blew-Apron-Knight
correcting Euclids Elements, or a Coun-
trey-Clown drawing up Maxims of Poli-
ticks or Navigation. I cannot be induced
to believe our Noble Author hath made
Polemical Divinity, or the abftrufe Noti-
ons of the Schools any one Scene ol his
diverflon 5 and therefore his Reafonings
are witty and pleafant, but not at all con-
eluding 3 his Notions are very fine, and
many of them very natural and true, but
not
(O
not too Logical. His Grace feems only
to have done it as an ElTay for his own
diverfion 3 and therefore hath not attend-
ed the Confequences which will necelTa-
tily and inevitably follow from his Con-
ceptions, to the great difadvantage not.
only of Religion, which he would fup-
port, but even the Politick Frame, and
.Conftitution, and Government of the
World. I was onee acquainted with an
airy Gentleman, who would difcourfe
mighty agreeably, and loved to main-
tain divers odd*Opinions. and if at any
time he was run a-ground bv Confcquen-
ces drawn from his Pofitions, he would
. cry, a Pox upon Confequences ^ d hate thefe
Confequences: But I have more Honour
for his Grace, than to believe hirn to be
of that Gentleman's humor.
I donot defignto read an Anatomical
Ledture upon his Grace's Paper, or curi-
oufly to defedfc each Nerve and Mufcle.
I hate hafhing of Books, and ferving
.t:bcm vep Vf kh Limon dSid Anchovies , and
fhall
\
( 7 )
ihall content my fclf 'Without diftorting
nly his Senfe, or weighing every Period, and
Wfl fcanning every Line, to deliver my
nd- thoughts of it in the Lump ; and fliall
ffa- for the lake of method, offer thefe things,
on- as being the main matters wherein I
not. take the Liberty to differ from his Grace's
fup- Sentiments. >1
and Firft, I prefumeto fay, That his Grace
tbc l^s taken a very improper Method in the
li an whole, to confute the witty Atheift, or to
ourf; eftablilh Religion., -
uijJn. Secondly, That his Maxime concern-
ing Antichriftianifm , and .^the Nature
of Perfecution for ^differences in Opini-
gy|(j on, is built upon an'evident miftake of
jU the Nature, Reafon, Intention, and Ne-
ceflity of thofe humane Laws, which pu-
nilh Diffenters , and which they and his, .
Grace call Perfecution.
And Thirdly, That the Toleration of -
feveral Opinions, which in his three
Queries, he feems to prefs as neceflary,
,' both upon a Religious and Civil account,
0 i# -
1 ISi-
( 8 )
is utterly inconfiftent with both thofe
ends.
For the firil, in which th^ whole body
of the Book confifts, that I may an-
fwer concifely after my Lords method of
writing 3 The Pofition upon which his
Grace goes of proving a Deity, and eve-
ry man carving out the meafure of his
own Worfliip, is too fhort in matter
of Argument, and too long in point
of Allowance.. The changeablenefs of
the World falls as much Ihort of dif-
proving its^Etemity, astfe feveral mu-
rations of his Grace^s Body from his
Infancy to^this Age, does of proving,
that heds not the' fame Duke of
Buc\k^ct\v3Lt"^\it was Tourty years'Vgo 5
nor if he takes notice of the whole Sy-
ftenfof the Univerfe, of which this Sublu-
nary Body wherein w^ are^is but an incoh-
fiderable point, he will find no fucli great
Alccrattons, but that a witty Atheift may
fay with St. Pe/m fcofiPers, AU things con-
thiuethey were^ and it may as well hav^'
been
been always fo, and continue always lb as
we fee it does, notwithftanding that change-
ablenefs. Now if I were to difcourfe an
Atheijft about the Worlds Eternity, I would
urge him with this Argument; If the World
be Eternal, then it mult of neceflity be the
Supreme and Ultimate Being and Caufe of
its own Exiftence : for if we fuppofe ano-
ther Being before it, it is not Eternal. Now
if it 'be the Supreme Being, it muft not
onely bave all the Attributes, which necef-
farily fall in with the Conception and Na-
rural Idea of fuch a Noble and Glorious
Effence, but many more than we can imagine
or conceive, and not onely lb, but every
part of it muft have all thefe perfections in
the higheft meafure, and even beyond the
furtheft flights of Reafon, Fancy, and Ima-
gination ; fuch as are Invifibility, Impafll-
bilky, Juftice, Power, Mercy, and Goodnels,
and a thoufand others which, no Atheift can
be fo loft to Senle as to believe the World
either in the whole, or in part, can be poflef-
fed of. Can the Sun, the Moon, the Stars,
the Earth, or any of them reward or pu-
ni(h ? Are thcv not all ftparately and con-
C ;unCtly
[ 10 ]
juiKSIy rnfenfible ami Inanimate ? Nor
will the little Story of the Anima Mundv
come in at a dead lift, to help the grof-
ler matter. And he who fuppofes fuch a
Being, feparate and diftind from the Heavy
Matter, grants what he denies, and fuppofes
a Superiour Being to the World which A^s,
Regulates, and Governs it in all its Adi-
ons j and then the difficulty will return of
the two Eternals, which fhall have the
upper handi Whether they Ad freely or
neceffarily ? If neceffarily, they mufi have
Rill fbme Superiour to impofe that necefli-
tyr, and then all is loR ; if voluntarily, in co-
ordinate Powers , one may refufe to Ad,
and then what becomes of the other? They
mud both of neceffity ceafe to be : And'
a thoufand other inextricable difficulties and
impoffibilities will follow , too-long to be
here trifled upon.
So that to me, the plain want of that
abfblute perfedion which muft be in the
Supreme Being, and'which is plainly vi-
fible is not in the World, is^ a certain Ar-
gument, that it is not the Supreme Being j
and if it, mud have a Superiour, it juud
fall.
I
["]
fall (bort of that Superiour Being in the
cflential point of Perfe^iion, Eternity. For
the mind of Man can by no Art be per-
fwaded to believe the foolifli imagination
of an infinite Series of Caufes, one hang-
ging like Links in a Chain upon another;
but muft at laft come to a point, That
there muft be one Ultimate, Supreme,
and Abfolutely Perfect Caufe of all Things
which fince neither the World, nor the
Anima Mundt are capable of, or really poft
feffed of thole perfe^Hons, it muft be (bine-
what Superiour to them in all Things, and
in this of Priority of Exiftence, which the
whole World, with an Univerfal confent hath
owned to be the Divinity.
But his Grace having I hope td the
great difappointment of our witty A-
theifts, found out a G O D by his way
of Reafoning ; which I do not intend to
difturb, but to improved I can by no means
be induced to be of his Opinion in his
Deduftions, concerning the Adoration and
Worlhip of this Blefled Being. For in
truth if his Argumentation be allowed fofid
and concMdihg, here is as fair a Plea for the
C 3 Al-
[12]
Akhoran as the 'Nevi> Teflament, for Tytha->
goras his Golden Verfes, to be as good Di-
vinity as Saint FanVs Epijiles. For if I be
not miftaken in what his Grace calls that
part of US which is neareU a h^n to the Na-
ture of God and the InJiinSi of a Diety ,
which is to he our Guide and DireBor in
chpofwg the beU. way for our Religious WoC'
jhip of God 5 which immediately after he
tells us, highly concerns e'uery man to examine
ferioujly which is the heU way of Worjhip-
ping and Ser^if^ of God j that is, which
is the heU^ Religion : This muft be Humane
Reafon, -and not* Humane Reafon as re-
gulated by any Publick and Political Rea-
ion of a Community, but according as e-
very private perfons Reafon (hall di(^ate
to, him j and then his conlequence is, That
it is one of the greateU Crimes a man can
be guilty of-* to force us to AB or Sin againU
that InJiinB of Religion'-, and fometbing sc
kin to the Sin againB the Holy-GhoB, Now
did I not believe that his Grace is out of
his Minority, 1 (hould fufpeS: the Penfehanian
had Tutor d ,him with this Quakeriftical Di-
Vinity. But whether it be fo or not, here
are
( 13]
are thefe inevitable Confcquences will foIIow-^
from this Poficion : Firfi, that Reafon is the
fole Guide of every mans Religion. Second-r.
Iy,that Divine Revelation is not neceflary to
Salvation. Thirdly, that it is a moft horrid
Sin to lead men out of the Errours to which
Natural Religion and bare Reafon muft of
necefllty lead men, fince its depravation-,
Fourthly, That men who believe a God, and
follow the dilates of Reafon in his Wor-
(hip, maybe faved in any, in all Religions,
provided they know not a better : ForReafon
will never, can never lead us to the know-
ledge of the belief of a Trinity, the Incar-
nation , Death, Paflion , Refurre61ion, Af-
cention, or Divinity of the Son of God,,
the Saviour of the,World. And how pro-,
lifick a Parent of Idolatry, SpperRition, Will-,
worfhip, and a thoufand abfurdities in Re-
ligion Humane Realbn is, all times, all places,
all ages of the World convince us in Fa£^, be-?,
yond the poflibility of a DeniaL.
Now had I been to follow his Graces blow,
upon the gaining of the Tofiulatum of the
Being of a Supreme and Perfe^l: Power, and
his JuRice, GoodneR, and Mercy, being
fuch
[h]
fuch fuperlative Attributes of his Eflence , I
fliould have fent my Enquirer another Road,
And firft upon his granting a God his perfe-
dions and the obligations of Humane Nature
to him, I (hould have told him,that he could
not but grant by the ftrength of his own
Reafon , that this excellent Supreme Being
ought to be worlhipped and Adored, as the
greatefl: Benefaftor to Mankind , that his Fa-
vour was to be had at any Rate, as the moft
Supreme degree of Happinels and Satisfafli-
on: From his Juftice I fliould have argued,
that fo great Goodnefs and Juftice, the Re-
warder of Virtue and Puniflier of Vice, who
loves thofe that love him, and therefore ferve
him 5 could not poflibly leave that Noble
Creature Man, to whom he had communi-
cated fomething fo near a kin to his own Na-
ture^ without fome manifeftation of his vyill
andpleafure, and how he might be ferved
acceptably. I (liquid have fent him to inquire
if any fuch thing were to be found, and a^
mong all the variety, recommenced thofe wri-
tings which have Antiquity, and the greateft:
agreeablenefs,tp theE)ivine Nature., as the
Genuine ,RcfuIt& of the benignity of that
juft and merciful God. I mean the Holy
Writings of the Infpired Pen-men, Patriarchs,
Prophets, Apoftles, and Evangelifls, who
give fuch illuminations to the Soul, and fuch
advances to Reafon, fuch Rules of Piety and
Devotion, as are no where elfe to be found,
and which fuit lb exafdy with the Idea of a
Pure and Perfe6l Being. And in regard there
may be fome things difficult to be underflood,
I. would for the fence and meaning of thofe
places, have dire£fed him to the Opinion of
that Society of Men called Chriftians, their
univerfal fence and pra61ice, and to the Gol-
den Rule of Vincentim Lirimnfis^ Qmd uhi-
que quod feniper quod ab omnibus^ id vere qui-
dem Cathoiicum eji: This would have fhewed
him a thoufand Errours of times paft, and as
many of the prefent, in deviating either,
from the Letter or Publick Interpretation of
the Revealed Will of God. This would have
taught him to avoid the Errours of Kowe^ in
tranfgreffing an Apofiolical Canon, by pray-
ing publickly in.an unknown Tongue, lock-
ing the door of Kixrwledge from the People,
forbidding Religious Orders to Marry, which
is honourable in all'men j denying the Cup>
to
to the Laiety, againjR; the Inftitutlon ami pra-
£lice of the firft and beft Ages of Religion,
and the very Letters of the Gommand, Drinks
ye all of this , and a many more which I fhall'
not infift upon. This would have taught him
to avoid the Cruel and Inhumane Divinity
of Calvinifls^ which his Grace lafh'es with fo
much Truth and Juftice ; and the barbarous
Principles, and horrid Pra^ices of Rebelling,
Covenanting, AfTociating, Excluding, Preten-
ded Prbteftants, who aff fo dire6i:Iy contrary'^
to the Innocent Religion of thofe who are
Chrifts Sheep, that they are onelya Herd of
Wolves and Foxes, Bears and Lions, and the
mo ft Savage Animals in Proteftant Skins. And
it may be it would have led him into
the Communion of the Church of Engianci^
the moft Catholick Society of Men in the
world,both in Doftrine and Practice,the beft
Chriftians, and the beft Subjects that the Sun
fees in all his Travails round the LIniverle ;
and here would I leave my Inquirer as in fafe
hands,^. wifhing all Mankind in the fame con-
dition ^nd capacity of attaining Salvation,and
the fruition of the-'God of love, ' ' i
' ' Whereas
t»7]
Whereas a a Turk^, a Pagan , may
all according to my Lords Hypothefis be fafe, •
fo long as they believe in their own either
weak or obftinate Reafon , which muft not
be impofed upon , for fear of Antichriftia-
nifm,that they are in the Right,and Worfliip
God ; and with his'Oraces pardon, even Ma-
hornet himfelf, will lay as good a claim to
Heaven, at this rate of arguing , as St. Peter
and St. Paul: and therefore I will leave this
matter to his fecond and his better thoughts.
In the next place,I think the Maxime con-
ceming Perlecution for Diflfefences in Opi-
pion concerning Religion, and the fixing the
CharaSer of AntichriRianihn upon all fuch
Prbfccutions of Diflentcrs, is built upon a
mtiiake of thb Reafonj Nature^ and Necefll-
ty of thofe Humane Laws which Diiienters.
call Perfccuting. , .i ' > .
-I . Til ■). i 'u- /. h:'A 'Ci.'i vn-f
.1? Now' flrft litake it to bet'rue , Thatpuni-
(hing the Ptofeflbis. andPcaiiiiccfsjof la True
Religioh purely for that Religioo^ whilfb they
dondhue fudi, by living iniidcently land inof*
D fctt-
[*8]
fcflfireiyin^itl thin^ t;^theCmI Goyenutttftt,
is PeHecrition,ynd tnfcly Antichriftian, as
being direftly oppofite to the Spirit of that
Religion, and impoflible to b^dohe fayany^bat
fuch as are Enemies to that Reiigion: and thus
the Heathen Eiiiperburs of Rome, and thCM*
iubordinate Officers, wcr^ fitidly Ptrfecudor^i,
and 'the Chriflfom trndiyB^riccu-
i.--; ,■£ f v. --,
fiat fccondiy,rI take it ahb'to'beas^trae£,.
that the punifhing of Offenders, whofe
Religicmiis'falie or feighcd, and who c^e-
ly rhiike a cofoar 6r - fliew '"of it, to cary
on other Dcfigncs, 'is not ohdy Lawful,
but-juft and'neceffiusy, 'May not a <Dhri-
ftian ^ CxOvernihent endeavour by Penalties
to^handfcr Mah^met^xf^adrmtFaga;^me'fiim
footkigibiit without beihg^Aji-»
tichriRian for fo doing ? Certainly this is fa
very illogical Principle, and fo far from o-
vetthT<^i% that lit RsBthe )Mgh
Road to eftxblhh ' it: And (if;>^a^flf'atds
to 'tafke chore by vertue ^bf their Ofibe
to>fhp|ioriythe"^GovenfM ^Wbrkh
^ the
tJie' Fc^te and Ma^pinefs'of their Peoplfe,,
they In^ft do it by Rewards and Punifh-
ments,,theMefhods of Heaven; better than
whfch hb Qj^ace would do well if he wguld
oblige Os m fh^wing ib other^,^ ai>d wha;t
aiid wliereiia they cgndfti Nqw if Men
will fet up Religions defttn^live of Peace,
Charity, Order, Govettiment, Obedience,
ati^ tne fdappihefs pf Hijiriane Society^ hot
oh<?ly aH Religioh, but Society b conie to
^ts( Cqnclamainm eft\inlefs the Magiftrate
who is Officii Gods Vicegerent in re^
Warding the Qood k»d punHh^ng the %"
'vil*,' ihterpofe .3"^himfelf really a
^irer^Our to Evil 'doer^, ai^d a Rewarder and
fencburaeer of luch as/do'welh ' . ^
i/n: ^ . I;. i - 'ivo nr. a
- Th|r^^ i t^ke it ^Ifo for ai> g^ou-
bted tr'uth,, that' by ^oUr pp
-perfon k punilhed, or as^ 14% Gface. gftd
' fhd Oiflehters eaU tt Perfeoited^^'D^rcJ'v
<Aat fe caffs ,his
'his private' Opinion. ' And. \t r^ife pay
ad!ttita,fiQh to wcmder,;j^9\v hb v^fbp
hath had his iSiare ih the preparation of
^ thofe
[2o]
tbofc Laws for the Royal Aflcnt, fliouW
be fo far ajiftaken in the nature and nccef-
fity of them. All the Laws of the Land
^ (liewing the Reafon of their Penal Mature,
to bt^purely Political, and not Spiritualj and
it is the Overt Afls of Treafbn, Sedition,
and Rebellion, and the fatal Confequences
of pretended Religion, which the Laws
endeavour by Penalties to obviate'or pre-
vent, and to punifli, if men be fp wicked
or ib foolifli not to take the fair Caution that
is given them. A niah may be to himicif
of any Religion 3 nay , fo great. Indulgence
does bur Law. giye, that they may prfvate-
ly exercifc it, provided they exceed not
fuch a number befides their Family 3 by
which it is mod evident, that the Quarrel
is not immediately at the Opinion, which
fs pitied bccaufe Falle, and indulged becaufe
the Aflertors are obliinately Foolifli, but at
the pradical Confequences, which by terrible
Experience bavc been found to be igtal to
the Prince and People, to the Peace and
Profperity of thcComiiiunity: even that dread-
ful 35thof £//5u tells us in the Title, that
i
[2l]
it An ASl ^0 retain the Qj*eeiu S$diye^s in
their due Obedience.
If there be fevere Laws again^PapiAs,
Pfieftst,. and Jefuites, the reafon of tnem was
for their Turbulency, and continual Unchri-
ftian Machinations againft the Life of the
Prince, and the Peace of the Nation, for
their Doctrines of the Lawfulnefs of Excom-
municating ^ Depodng , and even Murde-
ring Soveraign Princes , and difpofing of
their Realms and Dominions for prcten-
ded' Herefie or Incapacity: Doftrines able
to ruine the whole Earth, and lay the Foun-
dations of Eternal Milchiefs to mankind.
And * if the Diffenters, on the other hand,
complainof; the feyerity of Penal Statutes,
or uiffer hy them," it is l^caufe they, have
adually .been guilty the 'moff horrible
Crimes of Rebellion, and the moft confum-
> '
mated .jWickednefs, in Murdering the Beft
of Princes, and overturning the. Beft of
Governments 5 it is becaufc the lewd Prin-
ciples of Democracy are inconhftent with
Monarchy and contain in "them the Seeds
-.o
oT^e^fton, ^Anarch^,'
fufion : And though in Cdrarfty we*^^"rtiay
conclude ^ that all .DiflTent^ers of different
PerfWaf/diis ^ are hot^ fo tiiott^d^ with the
wonff of Principtey, il to hecbrne Rebeh*
an4 Regicides V there being an ab'lblate-
iinpoflibiigy to dijfttngtiifli the j^noc^tit from-
the Ctiminal,^ &ncc npni^ will acknowledge
thernfelves filch, tKe Ihnbdrtit hniff dfe
tent , to fii^r with the CHniibal y ahd
take of Aeir Punifiihifht^, linlefs tfey can
make us Momm his . Windows^ tofte Into
their Hearts and Souls, iiQt^pttely whar .the3r
are,, but * theyor'' %ay be»
to concrud^this particular^'"! id^ge
ly aver. That neither^ the Iht^ntibli.djF'tfte
Laws was to pi^fli for thd^r
Opinions, or'iSat aW" pdh^llh^
by virtue of any FepaTor C^^tal La\^'i'
Hpon the account of \he PoUrica),, hd^
ftgious neceflity, to Teciirc the ^aq^/'^d
Safety of the GbverniiFietii . And^1P^l%l^
oal puniihing the DifttH-bbrs oT'^jitiblitk
Peace, Order, and Government, be fo grisat
^ Crime, as in His Cfices Opinioir, to be near
,.[.83]
the Sin lagaitifl:
Choft, and to rendet aien Perjecutow
and Adtichriftiafl ; the vrhole, Wwld^
add; 41 iAgcs , .places,,! jT^meso
i»tn^j>i;.'aAd ' Gpvetnjouns 4-
heeOj arc, and i!wyilI(hfc[tAaitfich?Utian
PcrreiiiWing'to the VVoihi
rpx^fepfifd:, .ith^ §*ie 'l;he
-Wifeft, ahdithfei^ther.therScft
a>j|aii laftj^cl Gods^^ov^Heact* [Add
jbi^(>acc[wyiiefcapf>t]fee{hidi ofhisiflwja
«^iaoQjt im^iQe,^v>^0
pr45#af^^ loftm;giveQ his
,i^\aiid>5Wiy! jtetJitQ lothcfSj lbrr<$He
ih§l8-ingothe;Kerfomv(of j:jiiis PriftCC? 4««d
g]l«-'^€«6'5 dL ; Qwnt^ /foMD.:)jMigl-
iQsmvpflcifJVig
4^f4^fejio m hdiisl ia3id«ty bdjmd ,Vyaj^b«iI
as from other Irreligious
And upon the whole, if all thofe who
prolecute Diffenters are Perfecutors, and
^l/JPtrfecutors Antichriftiart f his Grace
Will be at a great lofs where''ird '^'finde
any fort of People in the World that
, «all' themfelves Chriftians, who by this
Logick
I [24]
LogTck may not be proved Ahtichriftl^
an. And certainly this is a notable way
of-Arguing Men'and Athiefts into Re-
ligion , to^ lay*^that downs as a Funda-
mental Maxim yW'which if admitted for
Truth, will infallibly 'prove -there never
was any true Religion in the World >
fince it is impoflible to finde any Soci-
ety or Cjoverfiment, which hath not en-
deavoured to preferve it felf by Re-
wards and Puniflwnents , By Pcnai and
Capital Laws, againft Ufurpers,/Rebels,
and ^ Seditious Perfons and Principles ,
tHough never *fo fairly gilded cwerc with
fine and glittering Titles r of Holy
Leagues,Holy Covenants,Gods PeopIe,arid
Saints, Vizors, with which tlfwmen'^ haVe
endeavoured to conceal the inoR Fij^iti-
oua Crimes.
r f
^ 1
V
C^s)
Having chus (hortly run over the two main
things, I hope we fhall with more cafe fur-
mount the third, which feems, by being put as
the Sting in the Tayl, to have been the efficient
Caufe of the Book, which Logicians tell us, is
always firll: in Intention, though laft in the Ex-
ecution j and that is, the neceffity of a Tolera-
tion .• For in truth, if Perfecucion be really An-
tichriftian, and no Man ought to be forced in
Religious Matters, then Toleration is abfo-
lutely necelfary in order to the very ElTence of
being a Chriftian, a good Man, and able Poli-
titiari.
Now if I be able to (hew, that Toleration of
all Religions, is neither good Politicks nor Di-
vinity in a Monarchy, I think! (hall have done
with his Graces Paper 3 and this I belive to un-
prejudiced or undefigning Perfons will not ap-
pear either difficult, or impoffible to Be pro-
ved.
Firft, therefore, It is ill Divinity, unlcfs my
Lords new Scheme of the Poffibility of being
fa ved by the conduct of Humane Reafon in
any Religion which acknowledges a God, and
teaches Morality, be granted for a Truth. And
if it (hould, I cannot fee any manner of necef-
fity of Faith, or Chriftian Religion,nor, accor-
ding to this Divimtv,was the Incarnation of the
' E Son
(26)
Son of God fo great a kindnefs to the World,
as all Pious Men believe, if Men might go to
Heaven before this Stupendious Mercy was
known to them, or may fo ftill by the help of
that Inftindt which his Grace tells us is fo
near a-kin to God, and we muft now after al-
moft 1700 Years come to queftion the truth
of Canonical Scripture, which alTures us, there
is no other Name under Heaven by which Sal-
vation is to be obtained, but the glorious and
the bleffed Name of Jefus, the Saviour of the
-World.
^ Again, It is mod: certain, that as there is but
one God, fo there is but one Faith, and one
Truth. Whereas there are many Errours, and
Dodtrines of Devils in all drelles, even that of
Chriftian Religion. Now thefe will all plead as
ftrongly for Toleration and Liberty of Con-
fcience as the true Religion,and upon my Lords
Hypothcfis will have as undoubted a Right to it.
So that the whole World muft be fuffered to
continue in damnable Errours and Herefies,
which they call Religion 5 and no Perfon un-
der Penalty of being guilty of one of the great-
eft Crimes, and being Antichriftian, muft pu-
nifii them for their blafphemous Tcnents, or
charitably indcavour by the fear and terrour
of Humane Laws and Kmalties, as well as by
. ^Jl^eafons
("27)
Reafons and Arguments,to oblige them to pro-
cure a better intormation of their Underftand-
ing, and a clearer Notion of thefe neceflary
Truths wherein they have been, by their folly
and obftinacy, mightily, and it may be long
miftaken,for want of the Rod of Corredfion to
cure them of that folly which'is naturally bound
up in the Hearts of the Children of Men.
Now if it be true as it muft, if we believe
every Word of God is true, That no Man
can be faved, but by comming to the know-
ledge of theTruth by Supernatural Revelation,
and that they muft all be damned who believe
a lie 5 that there is but one Name to give Sal-
vation, and one Truth to be believed; Is it
not a very fine way of leading Men to that
glorious Truth and Light, to tell them, all who
pretend to it have it, how far remote from it
foever5 and to render it almoft morallyim-
poftible, among fo many authorized Counter-
feits, to find the real Truth! And is it notacha-
ritable Dodtrine to give Men Liberty of Con-
fcience to go headlong to the Devil for God s
fake, without endeavouring to ftop their Car-
reer, when we fee them mounted upon the
blackeft and moft furious Steeds of damna-
ble Errours and Herefies ? Will his Grace think
It convenient to Tolerate the Confcience ot
E 2 a
(28)
a Calvitiifl^ who rides Whip and Spur upon
the Pegafus of his Sanguinary Divinity, and
has the blafphemous impudence to compare
Almighty Mercy, which he fays Gods Revealed
Will feems to ofer to all, to be only like the
Artifice of a little Vermin-catcher, who baits
his Trap with it, only that by their refufal,
to which they are precondemned, by his fe-
cret Will, he may have fomething to fay a-
gainft them ? And were 1 at leifure to write,
or his Grace to read, I could furnifh him with
a Bill of Items of this Nature, in the Opinions
of our feveral DifTenters, longer then a Tay-
lor of the greateft Faith ever truifed a promi-
fing Courtier for. But let this pafs only with
this Remark, that if it were for my life, that I
indeavoured either to make a witty Man an A-
theift, or to propagate Athcifm in the World,
I would defire no other Favour or Foundati-
on but a Toleration of all Opinions, and Li-
berty of Confcience to effect it.
Nor is Toleration worfe Divinity then Poli-
ticks. I cannot fay how it may ftand with the
Nature of a Commonwealth, though, becaufe
our Republicans are lb fond of it, one
would think it calculated for thei'r Meridian •
but certainly, not onel'y Reafon, but dread-
ful Experience have affured us, it is inconfiftenc
with
(29)
with Monarchy. Nothing can make a Mo^
narchy Great and Auguft, but the Love and
Union of the People; and if his Grace will eiv
quire of Levpis the Fourteenth, he will inform
him, that is his Opinion 5 and indeed, no-
thing begets greater Divifions and Animo-
fities in a Kingdom, then Religious Feuds,
which weaken its Power at home, and Repu-
ration abroad, but where thefe diverfities in
Opinion about Religion, all meet as in a Gen-
rer, in the Point of the Lawfulnefs for the
Sake, or Name, or Caufe of Religion 5 for
Subje(fts to take up Arms, to Dethrone and
AfTaflinate privately, orpublickly to Murder
their Prince, and fubvert the Government, as
the Principles of all Covenanters, AfTociators,
and Excluders do, I appeal to all Crowned
Heads, to all Perfons who have any fhare in
Government, toallMinifters of State and Po-
lititians, nay, even to his Grace himfelf, whe-
ther fuch dangerous Principles, and Perfons
Poifoned with them, are not fo far from de-
ferving Toleration, as to be moft pernicious
and intolerable in any Monarchy, that defires,
or expe(5ls to be fafe.
But what need we to argue from Reafon,
when Fadf is fo evident ? Has not Indulgence,
Toleration,
C 30 )
Toleratio», and Liberty of Confcience mur-
dered one King, fee up a thoufand Ufurpers,
made England fuffer a thoufand mifcries, and
coft this Nation^ many thoufand Lives, many
Millions of Trcafure / His Grace had a (hare,
and a large one, in the efledts of that Liberty
of Confcience: It' was a Confcientious Felton
that robbed him of a Noble Father, and the
World of a moft Illuftrious Life 5 it was a
Confcientious Rebel that flew his Brother 5 it
was Confcientious Rebels that Sequeftred his
Eftate, Imprifoned his Perfon, and would have
taken away his Life 5 and if he has a mind to
run the Gantlet again through all thofe Rifques
of Fortune, I would recommend him to a
Toleration, and Liberty of Confcience, to gra-
tifiehis dcfiresj for I dare affure him, a Du-
cal Coronet is no more a Protedfion againft
Confcience, when once it takes the Field, then
an Imperial Crown, or a much hated, though
Innocent, Mitre.
Were that late Rebellion oneiy the flngle
difmal Extravagance of Confcience grown
Frantick by Indulgence, or wantonly Cruel
by too much Liberty, fomething might be al-
ledgcd in mitigation of its Crimes: But it is
(3i)
^ Wild Creature in Diflenters, whofe Chain is
no fooner loofe, but it flies at the Throat of
its Keeper. And no Man can doubt of this,
who reflects upon the Troubles and Dangers
which have befallen our late Sovereign, and
His Illuftrious Brother our mod: Gracious
King, which mufl; date their JEra from the
laft Indulgence 5 for no fooner had the Dif-
fencers gamed that Point, but they threw at
all 5 and the good and loyal Subjecfls of the
Church of England^ the beft Supporters, of the
Crown, being difcouraged, the Faction grew
Rampant to the higheft Degrees of Infolence
imaginable, and wanted but little of puihing
on a more dreadful Revolution than that of
Forty one, For who were the Petitioners, the
Addreflers, the Life and Fortune Men, the Af-
fociatorsj'the Exclufioners, the i?yf-houfe Con-
fpirators, but the great Friends to the Diflent-
ers, to Liberty of Confcience and Toleration ?
And who were to aflifl: thefe mighty Under-
takers, but the Diflenters, the Band of Penfio-
ners to this pretended Confcience ? And who-
ever Indulges thofe who plead Confcience, '
opens a fecret Sally-port to let in Tray tors dif-
gulfed under the Name of Tender Confcience,
betrays a Principal Gate of the Government
to
fsO
to bis Enemies, and for one Confcience really
Tender, will find a thoufand as hard as Iron,
and as (harp as Steel, and as mortal too, in a
Difienters Hand. And I cannot but infinitely
admire at that Paffage in the Epiftle, where his
Grace hopes a Confideration of the Prefent State
of this Kingdom^ if it could fink deep enough
into Mens Hearts to make them endeavour^ noxe^
to proinote a true Liberty of Confcience, would
make the Nation happy 5 or at his forefceing,
without pretending to Prophefie, that the con-
irary will terminate in a general Vifcontent, the
difpeopling of cur Country, and the expofing us
to the Conque/i of a Foreign Nation. Whereas
in Fadf, as well as plain Reafon, the diredt
contrary is mod evident. Divifion hath ge-
nerally been the Fore-runner of the Fate of
States and Kingdoms, and to give Men leave
to divide and fub-divide into ten thoufand
Fractions, is the ready way to fow the Seeds
of Difcords, Animofities, and evcrlafting inte-
dine Quarrels 5 to expofe us perpetually to the
dangerous Confpiracies of Ambitious, Tur-
bulent, and Fadtious Republicans, and to put
us into the next difpofition to become a Prey
either to Foreign Invaders, or DomedickUfur-
pers. It is the mod undoubted way to ruine
all
( 33 )
all ReligIoii>ancl put us out of the Protcdioii
of the Divine Mercy and Goodnefs3 It is the
moft compendious way to ruin the Church
of England^ of whofe ftedfaft Loyalty, and of
whofe ability to fupport the Crown, how dc-
fpicable or inconfiderable the Fadtion have
endeavoured to render it, both his late Maje-
fty, and our prefent Gracious King have had,
and have owned too great Experience of, to
be doubted or difputed; and Ihould that Pil-
lar be taken from the Throne by Toleration,
a man fliall not need to Prophefy what the -
Commonwealth-Confcience-men would do
with the Monarch, and with the Monarchy 5
nay, Ihould the Church of England be dif-
countenanced and difcouraged byTolera-
tion,fo as to recede from its adtive Loyalty in
oppofing the Dilfenting Fadtion,no knowing
or obferving man but muft dread the terri-
ble and unavoidable Confequences of their
betaking themfelves to a paflive Loyalty3
and it is eafie to guefs how deplorable a mif- ■
fortune it would be to the King and Nation -
to be at the Difcretion and Mercy of the -
Confcience of the Fadtibn. But God Be praif-
ed, who hath condudted his Majefly to the
Royal Throne, through the Ternpeftuous
Sea of AlTotiating, Alfallinating, and Exclu- -
F ding-
( 34 )
ding Confcienccs, which hath given him a
fiifficicnt Experience how far he mar truft
them, and be fafe. And God be praifed, we
have his Royal word, which we efteem as fa-
cred and inviolable as the Laws of the Mecfes
and Perfians.^ox: our comfort and proredl:ion5
nor is there any perfon, who hath the lead
fparks of Generofity himfelf, or is even at the
remoteft diftance acquainted with that g^Io-
rious Character, which hath rendred him
fo confpicuous to the whole Earth, as a Prince
of the mod generous Condancy and Firmnefs
to his word, but will believe it with as much
Confidence as humane certainty is capable of.
I have but three or four Words more to
add to his Graces Quedions, and I fhall
herein follow his Method.
Fird, Whether Jefus Chrid, who himfelf
taught and pradficed Subjedfion to Govern-
ment, did not believe Soveraign Power had
Authority to maintain the Order of Society
by Rewards and Punilhmets? and whether my
Lord hath confidered, that fpiritual Punifh-
ments are far more Rigorous, than Temporal5
the Chains of Darknefs,than humane Impri-
fonmentsj eternal Damnation, than pecuni-
ary Penalties, Banifhment from Heaven, than
Exile upon Earth5 Excon^munication, than a
petty
{ 35 )
"na petty Fine ? And that therefore,wliether he who
nil! would have men compelled by the greateft pu-
ve nilhments, and the Terrors of them, tO'become
sfa- Chriftians,hath not done more to force men to
be Religious, than all the Powers of the Earth
ion; ever have done,or ever can do? And laftly, whe-
Id ther by his Graces Maxime, he may not incur
ttk the horrid Confequence of proving even the
glo- Apoftlcs of Jefus Chrift,who teach this DocTrine,
iiim to be Antichriftian, and another not fit to be
nncs named. For his Grace is to know, that the na-
nnefs ture of, neither any Spiritual or Temporal Law^
iiidi is purely Penal, but intended primarily to pre-
Icof. vent the danger it prohibits, and to punifh only
:e to fecondarily, where it meets not with that firR
y efFe6t 3 and yet the dread of Punilhment is the
only force that can affedt humane Nature, nor
do humane Laws pretend to inforce any other
lyeni- ^han according to the Methods prefcribed
rjjjl and practiced by the mofl: Wife God 3 and
_ even yet, this force is alio the higheft Reafon.
Secondly, Whether there being a hundred
rjifjj. Monarchies happy without Toleration and Li-
y. berty of Confcience, to one Republick that al-
lows it with Reftridrion, and whofe future Fate
we are ignorant of,and whether that may not in
time prove its ruin3 it be not a hundred to one,
that a Monarchy fhall be more jflourilhing, fafe
( 3^ )
and lafting without Toleration and Liberty ot
Confcience than with them ? '
Thirdly, Whether it be notCrofs and Pile,
whether a man who may be of any and of all
Religions, will be of any, or of none at all ?
And to conclude with my Friendly advice.
Let all men Gherilh,promote and propagate that
Religion, which renders them the beft Subjedrs
to God and the King 3 and endeavour to con-
vince as many as they can by their Reafon
and their Virtue, and by all lawful ways to
difcourage all Rebellion and Sedition, Diiloy-
alty and Fa(Stion, let their Clamours be never
fo loud againft Perfecution, and for Tolerati-
on and» Liberty of Confcience under pretence
of Religion. For afTuredly this Nation ihall
irever be happy fo long as thofe, whofe Prin-
ciples lead them to cutting of Throats for
Confcience-fake, make fuch a ftir for the Li-
berty of Confcience. Nor will any thing con-
tribute more to our Peace and Safety, than ta-
king the Wife mans counfcl. My fo?r, fear thou
the Lord and the King^ and meddle not with thofe
who are given to change : for their calamity jhall
come fuddenly^ and who knoweth the ruin of them
bath ?
A
REPLY
TO THE
ANSWER
O E T H E
jUan of j^o
T O
His Grace the Duke of Buckingham^
Paper of RELIGION, and LIBERTY
of CONSCIENCE.
By G. Affe^ionate Friefid^ and true Servant
of hk Grace the Dnh^ of Buckingham's.
LON DONy
Printed by Leitke, for Luke Meredith, at the
Head, at the Weft End of St. FauVs Qhurch-Tard,
M DC LXXXV.
C']
- I' ■ •[■"" -Vl.. -
■ .' " I I ' _ 'T' .1 ^ ^ f '
t • * -.
A . / •
R E P L Y
T O T H E
ANSWER of the MAN of
No Name, i^'c,
' W' T is the Cafe of Truth to'be oppofed, but
rH to pre'vaiT-) and of Error ^ -though de-
g fended, to be 'vanqtiipjd. ^Ill Caufes can-
not but be 111 maintained : They nmy look
like triiCy but that is Art^ whichr cannot change
Nature. An Afs can never be a DoBorj nor a
Fool a Solomon: Bulk gives' no Weight, nor
Sound^ good Senfe, • •
"And to lay true, it'was never miich better
prov'd, than in the Anfwcr of the Duke of Buch^
ingham's Paper: At firft it amaz'd ine}vyith a
flajh of Words ^ the fecond Reading I came to
my felf j and at the lafl^ I faw, they came to- ;/w-
A 2 thing:
[41
thhij!^ : began with falfe Wit^ and ended with
"Noife and Fumble. And to fliew you a little the
Man in his Falents, Stile^ Arguments^ and H«-
mour^ ( for his own Book does it bcft at large )
take what follows.
I will, begin with his beginning.
Fhat" I ha've Written this Pamphlet (lays hc^ is
plain. But who this (I) is that Writ it, is not
plain j for he has not told us his Name. How-
ever, 'tis plain, 'tis n>rit j and fo it is, that his
Apology is againft himfelf j which is, Fhat a
Sore always-wants a Plaijler. In which we muft
either underftand, He confeffes the Wound the
Duh^ lias given Atheifm and Violence, to which
he Confecrates a Plajier j or that his Booh^ is in
it felf 2i Sore, and'he has a mind to co^er it. If
the Firit, he has an III' time of it: if> the Laft,
'tis Non-fenfe. But this is but a part of his Excufe;
he thinks lie may Anfwer him, becaufe the Dukp
won't Anfwer himfelf, and a£t botk Plaintiff gnad
Defendantas they do, thsLt turn vvith the times',
fhift Principles for Livings -, and love to be P'ar-
fon of Bray ftill.' But whatever that Noble Dnhg
does, the Anfwerer has th^t faculty; for he in-
veighs againft Keafon, pag. 12, 13. and yet
p- "y6'. fends his Reader in 2i warm Fit to Keafon,
not only to Chufe and Eflablijh to himfelf a Re-
iigion, but to Cowvince others by.
And^
C5.T,
And now he falls on with a Tantivy—Hotp
Vernkiom an Animal lays he ) this Mountain
and wild Confcience hath been to England, is too
well h^ewn , and how Fatal Toleration would be.
What ftiiff is here! Could a Man fetch any
thing more favage out of the Highlands of Scot-
la fid J or from the Lak^s of Canada ? One would
think, 'twere Writing in jloamm., and a Definiti-
on in Burlefque: S^me Cypher, but that there is
no Key to it, for that a Mountain fhould be an
Animal, and Confcienee a Mountain, has neither
Matter, Figure, Rhetorick, nor common Senfe
in it. Which, indeed, is the pitiful end of all
Quacks and Pretenders. ,And- hence he turns
Vintner too: for in a moment he reads you a
Lecture of Ferments and Lees, and the beft way
of turning the Wine of ( Mount) Hope into the ■
Vinegar^the Valley-.) of
The Gentleman, that he might Pun far e-
nough from the Duke's Lenity,' has pafs'd the
Line, and talks Antipode to common Experience.
For with him Toleration prices -, Perfecution.
does not. I had thought thdit fweet and foft
things had prevented fouring and that there—
fore eager and lean \Vines were fed with- the
richeft Malagoes. But the meaning of this ad—
-mirable fimile, is. The Gentlemen o^\\\s Clan
would' keep the Wine to themfelves; every bo-
dy
16 y
dy knows thy lo've it. But I mufl: needs fay,
'tis a Chnrlifh and Gn%Ung trick, to drinh^ all:
Right Good-fellows are freer of their Liqiion
And behdcs, it diews a mighty 111 Nature, that
other .Folks drinking dioiild make it tafle forvre
with them: 'Tis not the Liquor^ but the Pa-
late: The Gall overflows::, the Humor vitiates
the Tajl. Calvin s Fredejiination^ in his Opini-
on, p. 16. is not worfe natured than Fhis.
Thunder fometimes turns Liquor 3 but I never
heard it of fair and gentle weather : Certr.inljq
it mufl: be an unnatural Subjeft, upon which the
moft: natural Tilings have an ill operation. And
yet in fome 111 temper d Children we have feen
the feeds of this fowre Humor j who would not
Eat or JVear a thing, if others muft have it as
well as themfelves. However, this Do£irine
very naturally arifes from the Text, That fome
MeUj if they may have their humory will he as
fveet as Wine \ and if not^ will Turn as fowre as
Vinegar. The Life and Application I leave to
His Majejiy.
But this is not all ^ he explains himfelf upon
this point pag. 33. where ]\q dreads the Church
of EnglandT Keceeding from her ABive Loyalty
in oppofing Diffenters^ and the 'Terrible a^id una-
voidable confeqttences of their betabing themfelves
to a Fdjjive Loyalty. I hope lie has msde more
bold
• [7]
bold than welcome with that Venerable Name;
lince 'tis to fay, The Church of England's Loy-
alty is to ferve their own Turn, and the Prince's
no longer than he will Ruin others to Immor
Her. That fhe oppofes Dijfe?iters for that Rea-
fon: And is uncharitable to all others: That
though (he Alferts Free-Will, fhe will Force other
Mens. That (he is not content with her Ho-
nours, hnployments and Projits, unlefs others are
Reprobated to a Civil Damnation : That flie
knows not where to flop, nor where to End her
Refentments and Severities : That Law only
maintains her, and her Eftablirhment takes rife *
from humane Inftitution, and by humane Force
is upheld : Nay, That if die. may not have her
Will, let the Blacl\L>ox prevail, and the Oxford-
men come in if they will; Fight Dog,, flght Bear,
We will he Quiet •, We will he Paffi've. Thefe
are the Confequences of fuch Refolves: Things
too harfli and Idle to imagine of a Society of fo
much Wifdom and Integrity *, and therefore
this Gentleman to be thought oflcious, if not
fcandalous in this attempt. And I hope her
beft Members will think^ That more Reafon to
the Duke, and Difcretioii to the Church, had
done better: for Scandalum Cleri with the one,
ought to frt as unealie, as Scandalum Magnatum
with the other.
I have
[83-
I have done a little to fiiew his folly and
micharitablemfs j more follows : and lie that
runs may almoft read it. He wonders^ his Grace
the Dah^ of Buckingham fhonld become a Cham-
pionfor fVljiggifmj p. i. And indeed fo do I too:
for I am fure, it rnufl: be very lately ; and 'tis
an ill time to begin in. But is this his Difcre-
tion, (^pag. 2, ) that was to defend him from a
ScafidalumMagfiatum ? But why a Whig ? It feems '
it is, becaule he is for Toleration. A fine Con-
clufion : and yet he makes this but half a Whig
neither. For he tells us in his Charaffer, That
Ferfecntion makes up t'other half : fo that a
Right Whig is, a Tolerating Perfecuter. Upon
the whole matter then, the Duke is but half a
Whig J and his Anfwerer is father half ^ who
tells us. That his opinions ha^ve eojer been Diame-
tricaUy oppofite to thofe of his Grace s Paper., and
whofe Booh^ it felf is Perfecution. And is it not
a pretty thing to confider that the Bill and An-
fiver, the Plaintiff and Defendant (^as he calls
them) fhould make up ofie Whig ?
But to do it, when Whiggifm is feiper-annuated.,
and looks like a caji MiJiriSj and is contetnnd of
alf heightens the Man's Admiration: And per-
haps he knew the Duke., when he did not ufe
to make fuch Jiale choices too. But to make
him amends, the Man places it to his Compaffion.,
which
'which is yet Satyr enough upon himfeh, tliac
aiot only has none, but makes it WhiggijJj in
that Noble Perfon to Pity, Age and Neccffity.
Mad he mufl; be, or he would not yield away
fo great a Vertiie to fo ill a thing. But is fhe
fupcr-an?mated and caji P pray, why then feared
in one part, and loved {a (oiidly in another, by
•this K?77ght of the Robe P^^Shc is but half-Caft;
the TPoJeratmi fide is only fuper-ammated with
him j t'other is not above Eighteen yet, frefn,
ftrong, and' ruddy, -in his. Defires at leaft:
And that {lie may live longer a-that dde, he is
Mowing Breath through his Quill, as fa ft as he
can.
And to fay true, lie has Air enough, to help
her: But when all is done, he will make an 111
Mijirefs of her j for die is to be Old and Caji (if
not Dead) a on§ fide ftill: This is her Palfie^ and
his Fhrenfie. I am of Opinion, when he thinks
what he has done, he will (like Ris young Gal-
lantj Pag. 6. ) cry, a Pox upon ConfequenceSy 1
hate Confequences. So Pragmatical, fo Incongni-
ous, and fo Indifcreet has the Gentleman been
in his haliy Attaquc.
But to come to the body of his pretended An-
fwer. After telling us, p. 6. He will not Anatoini'zey
nor DijfeSi each Nerve and Mufcle of His GraceV
Paper J (though elfe where it has neither, in his
B Opinion)
[.o]
Opinion) and that be hates Hajhing of Books j and
fewing them up Tvith Limon and Ancho'vies-i turn-
ing Chyrurgeon and Cook^ in a breath : he iays^ He
will deli'ver his thoughts in a lump , as if he had
a mind to a Budding more than a Hafb. The
Truth is, he has little Shape, and lefs Life: and
therefore the Gentleman has in one \word^Whig-
lik^y turnd Gojpp to his own Chits with more
propriety, than is in all his Book bedde.
But let's look upon his Lump a little further.
Fiift, he fays. His Grace has taken an Improper
way to confute the wity AtheiJij or Efahlifj Re/i-
gion. ( And why fo ? ) Becaufe the changeable-
nefs of the World does not difproi/e its Eternity,
any more than the Mutations of his Grace's Body
alters him from being that George D. of Buck-
ingham, that he was Forty Tears ago. But the
L). of Buckingham does not pretend to be the
fame Man that he was Forty Years agoj and
would give this Gentleman, Ten tlioufand pound
to make him fb. And to fay true, he that fays,
A changing World is Eternal, is not many re-
moves from that which we call a Changling. For
though a Man be the fame^ as to his Faculties
and Properties: Yet we have frefli Spirits and
Flefli j and this World has its Alterations and
' Renewings too. , \
What
]
What the frfl Matter was, and how formed,
and which way it fubfifts, are much beyond ns:
yet the more we look into them, the more we
are led from the Regular Motions and Seafons
of the Fabrick we fee with the difiinft I^nds and
Jpecies of Creatures therein, to Conclude and
Admire a Prior and Superior Being. A Man that
is a Creature of time, may be laid to be^ and in
Ibme cafes not to be the fame : for he is not the
fame in the fame Being always ^ but an Eternal
thing cannot be fo 'varied. And 'tis fallacious
to argue from a Man's being the fame Man^
under changes, to the World's being Eternally
the fame World under Changes ^ fince it were
to fay, That a thing were the fame in that in
which It changes : for that were to be in that
which is not, or is not any more that which it
was i The fupreamefl; Non-fence a Man can be
guilty of.
The Dufe was not Ifrift in this matter ; and
his Anfwerer is ftriSer with him, than wife i
efpecially when he faults him in a thing Difpu-
Table, and yet promifeS iK>t to difturb, but im-
prove his Arguments for a God. But fo on-
happy is the Genius of this Gentleman^ that he
frequently breaks his Word, though be breaks
his Head with it. There are but three or four
things tlte Duk^ goes upon j That th World did
B n not
not mali^ it jdf: That he that made it k God',
That he has digmjied Man rpith fomcthhig mors
Excellent^ than moat belongs to other Creatures:
That this mal^s him looh^and hope beyond Death ;
therefore Immortality^, probable: That fhoje that do.
nxU ■) jloall be Happy the contrary:^ .Miferahle
That/</ this Choice they are free and wicoinpeirdc
Andy Jafily, Dhat none foonid ExtinguiJlj Men s
Religions hnpreJponSy by forcing them againji their
Verfwafwn. Thcfe Sober and Worthy Thoughts
jnight have been better treated.
'Tk. true (he fays, 5 pag. yf) hk Notions are
i>ery, fine-, and many , of thcni, 'very natural and
true 'i bnt not too Logical. No matter for that
he Writ Jihe a Gentleman, and not a Pedant,
But to fee, hqw true this- perfon is to. himfelf^
within fix lines after the Chara£fer of many na-^
tnral and true Notions j he tells us, without
blufiiing , though not without confufion. That
the Confequences which necejfarily follow the
Duh^s Conceptions^ are greatly fa the difadi/ant
tage not only of Keligiony. but of the politich^Frame
and Government of the World. I cannot ima-
gine, whifh way j and he has carefully avoidcjd
to inform me, But I cannot fee, how the Go-
vernmcnt of the Great Durk^-^ and the Great
Mogul are concern'd in the Duke of BucJ^ng-
hqm\ Book 1 They may indeed, if they could
read
[■3.1
r^ati it 5 bccaufc he Recommends to all Men
the Chriftian Religion, i?. ) And, if I
know any thing, the Conjcqnaice of his Contra-
dicfory AlTertion, is. That tlic Mogul muft be
lufdlcl fxiW^ and t!:e Great Tm\ mnft be a Ma-
IromeGn fiill. For this good Chriftian goes npr*
on this Principle, That the Rcligi n Eftablrilfd
by Law, ought therefore to be Conformed to
ofall j and confequently. Liberty even to Chrh-
ftian's Confcienccs is dangerous to the Politicil
Frame of that Government that is not ChrL
ffian.
He proceeds to oppofc the Duke's DeduEiioti-y
in Reference to the Worfhip of God, pag. 1
12, For in (fays he) his Argtu-
mentation be allowed^ here-^s as .fair a plea for th^e
JLCOKAN, oi the NEW tEStJMENt ■, for
PitHJGORASV GOLDEN FERSES, as St.
PAzof's ,EPJSTLES.' For^ ifl be not mijiaken^
in what his Grace calls that Part of which is
neareji a-kin to the Nature of God^ and the In-
ftinSl of a Deityj this muji be humane Keafon,
not as Regulated by any Publich^and Politick Rea-
fon of a Community^ but as e^very pri'vate peffoti-s
Reafon jhall diBate.
But how unjuft and precarious is all this ?
Firft, Affert; and then, If he mijiak^s noty the Duke
meant fo. But if the Duke meant not fo, theA
he.
[H]
he is wiftah^n: and the Duke could not mean,
as he jftates his nnderftanding of it. For though
he takes leave to miftake the Duke, the Duke
does not miftake himfelf: There is not one
Word of Humane Keafon in the Queftion,
nor is Humane Realon that InfiinH of the
Deity.
We have a Natural Capacity to apprehend
Divine things •, but 'tis that InflinB, which
gives us the Religious ufe of it. All Men that
have Eyes, have the Capacity of feeing j but
without light they cannot fee. Pray, who was
he that laid j There is a Spirit in Man^ but the
Jnjpiration of the Almighty gi'ues ZanderJlanding P
and that, Whatfoei/er may be k^orvn of God^ k
manifejied in Man P Rom. i. By what elfe is
it, that the Prophet declares. That God tells unto
Man his thoughts P And St. Vaul exprefly fays,
That thofe that had not the LaiVj became a Lan>
unto themfelfes.^ (^By what}. if not by this In--
JiinSf this Synterefts ? J) their Confcience accufing
or excttfng them before God. And St. John
goes farther, who faysj If our Hearts condemn
us J God is greater j but if our Hearts condemn us
not J then hai'e we boldnefs before God. And does
this make as much for the Alcoran.^ as for the
Scripture P and Vythaaoras's Writinojs, as St.
Paul's Epiftles P
) The
C '5 ]
The Duke fpoke to a peculiar Rank of Men:
JVits without much Religion, to give Religion
the beginnings of Credit with them : He did not
fay, That was enough ^ That Scripture or other
external helps were ufelefs, or not rcquifite: And
yet, when all is done, we muft chufe for our
felves, aiKl not by the Political Keafon of Com-
munity j or elfe we fhall believe upon Authorhy)
and not upon ConviSiion j which was not the
Chriflian way. St. Paul bids uSj Pray with nn-
dcrjianding ^ and if fo, fiirely, our underfland-
ing ought to be fatisfied, to whom, and how
to pray. And this Gentleman makes it an Er-
ror, fiot to pray h^owingly ; and if fo, certain-
fy we fhould have fome Keafon for our Hope,
too.
And therefore, T cannot perfwade my felf to
believe, that Nohle Peer writ like a Minor, when
he proceeds to this Dedu£fion : " That it is one
" of the greatefl; Crimes a Man can be guilty
of, to Force us to a£i: again ft that InflinB of
" Religion ; and fomething a kin to the Sin a-
gainft the Holy Ghoft. This Notion the Gen-
tleman throws with fcorn at the Quakers, ("an
honeft and well-meaning People j) and if this
be a Kin to their Doftrine, they are founder
than he that defpifes them. And to fay true,
He does them greater Honour, than, it may be.
[1^3
he is aware of. But why not beli(^ve upon Con-
vi<^ion } For, IVhate'vcr is not of Faithy (St.
Faul tells usj is Sin ; And Force upon any Man's
Confcience, muft overthrow the Reafon of this
FeaSy Faith and Hope. For how dark and fee-
ble any Man's Confeience is, Force brings no
Light nor Knowledge: It may diftraff, doubt,
and fo damn.
But I cannot enough admire at the Conclufr
ons this Gentleman draws from this moft Inof-
fenfive and Orthodox Expreirion. The Firfl is
this : That Reafon is the Guide of e-very Man s
Religion. This is fpurious: For, though he that
embraces a Religion without ReafoUy has no more
Religion than my Horfe , yet a Man's own Rea-
fon fo rectified, is not the Guide of Man in his
Religion : for his Reafon is that which is to be
Guided.
His Second is yet more Extravagant, -z/zz,. That
Tdi'vine Re'velation is not' neceffary to Salivation. In
which he has bid boldly j for there is not a
word in the Duhfs Difcourfe about it. He" ai-
ferts the Divine InftinSl j " That it inclines and
" difpofes Men to be Religious; That they
" are to be commended, that bear a lincere Re-
" fpc6f tp it. But not a word, that Men f-iould
not crave further Help, or read the Holy Scri-
pturesy that contain our Revealed Religion. On
the
C «7 3
the contrary, he tells us j " He therefore wtuvd
the 'Vfe of them in this Difcourfe^ be^aufe of
the Perfons to whole Condition he calcula-
" ted it. Were it not a fine Conclufion in
this Do£i^or, to fay, A Man that goes to Ro-
chefter, fl)all ne^ver come tc Canterbury, though
it be in the Way, and the better part of it ?
Juft fo Reafonable his Confeqnence is againft the
Duk^»
But he advances in his Kumour of perverting
his Words j for the 'third Confeqnence he draws
in his Name, is this; 'that it is a moji horrid
Swy to lead Men out of Errors, (^pag. 13.) when
there is not one word of Leading in the Qyefti-
on. For the Duke fays, £to Forceand he
infers. To Lead, His Words are i " That it is
" one of the greateft Crimes a Man can be guil-
" ty of. To Force us to a61: or fin againfl that
Inftinff of Religion *, and fomething a-kin to
the Sin againft the Holy Ghoft. The Duke
fays, To force Men to Jin j he fays, To lead Men
out of Errors: As if Leading and Forcing were
the fame *, when one is the way of Ferfwaftony
and the other of Fines and Prifons. I cannot
tell what this Gentleman would not fay; he
may as honeftly apprehend a Beggar on the
Road, for an High-way-Man.
C
His
-[.87
His Fonrth and laft Confeqmnce he beftows up-
on this Floble Peer^ is this, Pag, 13. That Men,
who believe a God, and follow the DiBates of
Reafon in hisJVorJhip, may be fa'ved in any^ in all
Religions ; pro^vided they h^ow not a better. And
what, if lie had faid fo f It had fliewn his Cha-
rity. Does not God win\ in times of Ignorance P
And what is Knowing tw bettery but a State of
Ignorance ? Is there no Allowance for Times, ,
Places and Conditions ? Certainly,, this Man
thinks, Arijiotle and St. Paul are as much below
him, as he is above the Duke of Bitching-
ham. This is riding Tamtivy, through thick and
thin.
But to Anfwer him Ihort, yet full: This
Charge upon his Grace, charges himfelf; Firjly
That Faith in God, and tlx DiBates of Keafony
can ■ fwallow all forts of Religion j for he excepts
not the moft Idolatrous 5 yet fets up Reafon elfe-
where, to judge of true Religion, (fag. 14, 3^.)
And Men muft leave Reafon^ when they fall un-
der Superffition and Idolatry. Secoudtyy That
this Hero is for chufing his Religion without Rea-
fon: And thats not worth a Fig,, (with his.
leave.) Thirdly^ That the Duhg does not prefer
Chrijiianityy by the Courfe of his DeduBions: which.,
he plainly does, pag. i
J ' But^
[ '91
But after he hath Hiewn the Duke's Weak-
nefs or Miftake (in his Opinion^ to make him
abler than he found him, and the Book wor-
thier the Reader's notice ^ with a Modefty, al-
moft equal to his Reafon^ he tells us : RiOlV^ IF
I WERE To DISCOVRSE y4N ATHEIST,
Cpag. p. J and : IF I HAZy BEEN TO FOh-
LOW HIS GRACE's BLOW. I wohU haiv
urged This; and, I would have done That^ &c.
By which, I perceive, this Gentleman is better
natur'd than Sir Jo. Faljiaff, that being call'd
upon few a Reafon for what he faid, anlWer'd j
That if Reafons were as rife as Blach^BerrieSy he
would not give him one.
I have feen Cowards fight thus ftoutly: Now,
Sir, (fays he) here I could have you, Sir 5 and
there I could have you. Sir: and, if I ftrike
you. Sir, infallibly I hit you, Sir : and, if I hit
you. Sir, you'll feel it. Sir : Are not you of
my mind, Sir ? This Gentleman wanted fome-
thing't and though tlie Duke be no Minor., he
has a mind to play the Senior upon him, and
ufe him fo : And what a fine time he would
have, to be Ward to fiich a Jewel ?
Such Coxcombs I have leen in my time j for
there Is not fo true a Mark of that Animal, as
Offtcioufnefs upon Miftak^, to pr^er do, or over-
do a thing. LooJ^^you, Sir up0n my word. Sir ;
1 C 2 yoH
[^o3
yon are out^ Sir ^ ym mean this^ Sir ; / l^orP your
meanings Sir, as well as if 1 were in you. Sir •, alas.
Sir, there is a better way far. Sir', and then. Sir,,
yon dont hit it neither. Sir; for . Sir, if you aim ^
the 'M, Sir, you mufl aim at the means. Sir •, and
that I pretend to k^Jow, Sir, as well as any Man, Sir -,
and therefore. Sir, by your fanor. Sir, if I had been
to have foUowM your blow. Sir, I would have done
nobody kpows what. SirGramarcy Do(5^:or. *Tk
pity to think, what pains (bme Men take to
play the Fool.
His fecond great Head (and little Wit) is
about the Anti-Chrijiianifm of Perfecution, oppo-
fing the Duke's Notion of it, thus pag. 17, 18,
2^0.. And firft, he lays, 'That though to
punijh Profejjors of the true Religion, for that on-
ly, whilfi inoffenfive in all things to the Civil Go-
vemment, is real Perfecution, and truly Anti-Chrijii-
an '-; as that of the Primitive Chrijiians by the Hea-
then Roman Emperors; yet to punijh Dijfenters, as
Tapifis and Phanatich^, is not fo -, becaufe they are
in the wrong, and offenftve to the Government, This
i», a Lump (as he. calls it) and perhaps a little
better collefted than his was. la all which he
begs the Qjieftion of the Roman Emperors for
the Cfjriflians; and of the Diflenters for their
Adverfaries j though upon differing terms.
For tlie; Heathen Emperors had Antient Rites.
to*
C 2' 3
to plead, and the Eflablijh'd Law of the Em-
pire, againft the progrefs of Chriftianity ; And
that is all this Gentleman has faid here for him-
felf, and againft tliem. For he undertakes not to
prove the Points Controverted true againft the
Dijjenters j but urges the knocking Argument of
the Jews J We hazre a Law^ and by our Law he ought
to die. Nay, he lends the Duke to Lewis the
Fourteenth J p^g' to ask. If it be fafe Fo-
leraiing another Religion than his ownBy which
he determines the cale againft the Perfecuted
Protejiants there, left their Indulgence fliould ex-
emplarily make way for ours to the Dijfenters here.
Is not this a dainty Proteftant, that can cheriilr
Cruelty againft Men of his own Religion abroad,
rather than not a£i: it at home upon Dijfenters ?
This is to make Religion a Politick^ Intereji^
ai>d to Anfwer Worldly ends: A greater Argu-
ment for Aiheifntj than any he has olFcr'd againft
it. The Primitive Chriftians had died Idolaters
upon this Principle: For Authority, not Ce/r-
liiBion.^ with him all along concludes the Point.
He begs the Queftion of the Dijfenters v lor
he argues nothing about the grounds of DiJJent,
but the Law ; 'Fis the Religion by Law EJlabliJFd:
And why not by the Bible ? but that it yields
not to it the prefent Advantages of Force and
Worldly Authority. Now (as he fays) If I had-
heetj to Dijpute them^ andfollovo hk blorv^ I would
have Evinc'd their Error, before I would have
pronounc d my Jiidf^ment,
But they are Faciiojts^ Seditious^ and danger-
om to the Go'vcrnment \ therefore fe^vere Larvs
were made againji Fapifisj Priefls and Jefuks on
the one Hand, and Phanatic^r on the other. Sup-
ppfe this were as he fro ward ly Clamors ; Is it to
be thought, that they would be dangerous-, if
they were Eafie, and fo endanger themfelves?
they know better. And we fee, this Gentle-
man fears the Church*s Keceedtng in her Loyalty^
if there be but Indulgence to Dijfentersmaking
her Eye evil, if the Governments be good. Pray,
what then would {he do, if {he were Perfecu-
ted as they are? Can more, with Juftice, be ex-.
pe5:ed from Hereticl^r and Schifmaticks , than
from the Orthodox ? if they were more patient,
I fliould begin to fear, they would be quickly
more Orthodox too. But I cannot tell how to
think that Men in their Wits would forfeit Eafe
when they have it i though to get it they might
be Indifcreet.
And one thing I muft fay, Roman CathoIic^s
have been Loyal in England and Holland,, and
Bresbyterians in France and the German Principa-
lities. So that 'tis not necelTarily true, they arc
not Seditiousy as they are Dijfenters : Men go by
their
tHeir Interefls. The Gentlemen that Tore the
King's Declaration of Indulgence from him, were
high Church-men; and they oppofed his Politi-
cat Capacity to his Natural^ on purpofe to over-*
throw that Aci: of Grace, by which difliii^lion
the late Civil War was made j fo that 41. over-
took 73. or that return'd to 41. And who
knows not, that they were fuch as hardly knew
how to pray, but out of our Liturgy ^ that at-
tempted to Exclude the Prefumptiue Heir to the
CroTPn upon the fcore of his Religion. And .
though this Jehu drives fo furioufly upon Dijjhi-
iers on that Account, if he will think (which I
fear he feldom does) he will find that an Heir
is but a Subje£l: 5 and the fame Law governs
properly adike in this Kingdom to all Ranks of
Subje^ls. And that fome of the fame Gentle-
men,. that formerly fhook fmall Folks Property
for Non-Conformity y had lately a mind, to Sa-
crifice the prefent King's for Diflent. Where- -
fore let us make Men elfie, take Temptations
out of their way, and not lay ftumbling-blocks ^
before weak or peevifli people, nor pinch them
with thofe Burdens or Yokes, that our Fathers
could hardly bear, and we need not doubt a
Friendly fuccefs.
It is by this Namelefs Author Objeded in a
Career oiCriminationSy That this may fuit a Re-
publick^y
f
h
6
ij
fS
9
e
LhI
public\y (pag. 2S, 29.) hut is dangerom to a
Monarchy. But not half fo much in my opinion,
as his Obje£iion is. For, doubtlefs, Monarchy
has as extended and faving a bottom to live
upon, as any Kepublic^^ in the World j nay,
rather the Power of more Mercy, Favour and
Indulgence. For the Number of Subje^ls is the
Glory and Strength of a King; and that which
makes the People eafte^ makes the Cozfernment lb
to the Monarch. 'T were lavifli to prefer a
CommonJVealth to make it more capable of good
to the various conditions of Mankind than
Monarchy. It is therefore his little skill in Po-
liticks as well as Religion, that makes him quote
the practice of the Frenoh King (p. 29.) for
no body knows yet the confequence : His Cake
is but Dough ftill; *Tis early day with the Pro-
^61:: See if his Son, ay, if He don*t fe 1 it y ^t.
For Uniformity is a mean Recompence for a
thin and poor Country. What might not an
Union of Interefts a^^d AfFe£lions, under fo
great a Prince as we have, recover and eftablidi
in the World ? Wonders for Miracles come
from Heaven.
InRead of this, old Sores are <J^iIy rubb*d
frefli j and new impreflions of former Tragedies
are thrown abroad to prejudice us againft the
means of our own Peace and Glory: God (if
he
w
C'5 3
«4 he pleafes) avert the confcqucnces of our own
on, bkternefs and Animofity.
His laft Head is about To/eratJo^, (p*^5*)
live though included in his fecond this he labours
iia), with his ufual pains j 'Tis neither (^Cays he) good
and Di'vinity^ nor good Folitich^ j and of this he is as
llie certain as if he found a Mare's Neft.
liid The firft Reafon, why it is not good Divi-
rtfo uity, is, That falfe Religions in a Chrijiian Drefs^
er 1 would then be Tolerated to the injury of Chrijiian
ood Religion and Mens Souls^ p. 16. .But he does
rk not confider, how many lie will Damn by Hy-
Po pocriiie. But in that, perhaps I am out, he
uote niay not think that a Damnable Sin j and that
foi it is better be an Hypocrite , than a Diffenter \
ake though One thinks he is in the right, and the
Pro Other knows he is in the wrong *, and fo one
of St. Paul's true Hereticl{s^ viz. felf-Condemned.
Be that as it will, Jefus Chrift is againft his
Dii^inity, that is Lord of the true. For he com-
mands. That the Tares grow with the Wheat^ till
Har'veji \ which he interprets, the JLnd of the
worldj and Great Judgment: And forbad Fire
to he (b much as defired to be caU'd from Hea-
*ven to hurt thofe that did not own his blelFed
Meffeaigers in their great Do6i:rine of the King-
dom he fent them to preach. i
D
For
For T'olerations being bad Folitkksj let him
allow me the Liberty he takes with the Noble
Peer I defend, and I will fend him upon an Er-
rand,, that fliall determine tlie'Gontrovl^rfie pre-
fently. Let him go to the Prinfcc of Orange^
whole Anceflor begun the Glory of that Country
with it, to the Princes of the Empird. And if
t\m French King will be Impartial; ask him, If
greater Feats were done without, than with a
Toleration P So far is it from being dangerous to
Princes.
And if Opinions were yet worfe than they are^
there cannot (in my judgment) accrue afty dan-
ger to the Goverment that Tolerates them. For,
Firil, the Profeffors of them have, which they
could-be thought to Plot to get; but will never
Plot to lofe,- And^ Secondly, if any fuch peo-
pie could be, there are or may be La\vs enough
to Cruili and punifli the Icaft Appearance of
Diforder. And under favour, Publick^ Ajfem-'
are fo far from being dangerous, that, truly
confider'd, they are the fecurity of the (jo'vern-
ment.
What makes Men Dangerous P Firfi:, they
cann't help their Difjent ^ for Faith is not in a
Man's own power. Next, fo-foori as he de-
dares it, the Law cuts him off from the Favour
and Protedion of the Magiftrate. Is it then the
Man
[ y J' _ ,
Man that make? fiimlclf diwgmus, or is he
made dangerom for that Diffent P And if that be'
it, 'twill not be liard to determine, l»©w a Dff-
fenter comes to be dangmm,
Forcmg Men to Religions is as if it were in a
Man's power to life his Confcknce as hexcan his
Money. In that cafe I would be on the ffde of
the Fetial Laws. But if a Man cann't believe
as he will, and lefs, as other Men believe, and
may yet be fafv to the Go'vernment^ don't niake
hiui n7jfafe under it, and I'll warrant he does no
harm: And this I think may be done.
I conclude, That Foleration is fo far from be-
ing an Enemy to Religion and Monarchy^ That'
it gives God his due, prevents Hypocrifie, and
reftores Society inftcad of Unity: And by an
united AffeSiionj Fttrfiy and Hatids Renders our
King Great and Terrible.
I now wait upon his Three Queftions: the
Firft has Four in the belly of it, (p. 34,
Firfi: : If Chrif did not belie've So'zkrdign Fowtr
might maintain the order of Society by Rewards
and Funifhrnents. Truly I don't know his Be-
lief, nor how ftutable it might be to him to
believe, being the Objc61: of ours. But he
commanded it,- thtiugh \Vith a fal'vo to the Re-
ligion he came to Inftitute, They were his
Sheep, 'twas his Kingdom.
D 2 The
[28]
The next Query is to the Duke, If he has
conjidcrdy 'That fpiritual Punifhimnts are far wore
rigorouSy than Temporal ones ? I believe, as much
as this Gentleman has, Whether Temporal be lefs
than Eternal? But wliat of all that ? Why,
(next to follow his blow) he asks; If Jefus
Chriji then has not ufed greater force to compel
Men to hk Religiony than all the Powers of the
Earth hafe done? But if it were fo, I am of the
poor Welch-m:ins mind ; Let her alone till that
day comes: And of St. Taffy s too; I had rather
fall into the hands of God-, than Man. But is this
proper, juft, and adequate : Chrifl pitnijhes
Spiritual Faults with Spiritual Punifhments, ErgOy
The Powers of the Earth ought to punifli the
lame Faults with Temporal and Corporal Punifli-
ments, fuch as PrifonSy Finesy Exiles and Death ?
But in the next place, I don t think he has out-
done the Heathen and fome Chriftian Perlecuti-
ons, the Reafon of both confideFd. For he de-
cides the Controvcrfie by Good Worlds; They
by Opinions: He cryes. Come ye well-doers; there
are his Sheep: Go ye Workers of Iniquity; there
be his Goats. But Conformity makes an Ill-Man
Grateful , and Non-Conformity a Good-Man
Hateful : here Good WorJ^ don't determine the
point, as at ChrifFs Judgment.
Howbeit.
t^9l
Howbeitj it is monfirous to argue, That Meri
(hould bie trvf€e punijiod for the fame Oftence ;
by the Magiftrate here, and Chrifl: hereafter i
This is held unequal among Juft Men in all Go-
vernments. But 'tis no matter, let Xeal or hi-
tereji Chriftcn it, and its well enough for a Pa-
pift or a Phaiiatick. But if this Gentleman
were as much under their power, as they are
now under his Cenfures ^ and fhould they ufe
him, as he provokes the Civil Magiftrate to
treat them, I am of the mind, he would think
and call it too Anti-Chrijlian.
To this Second main Qiieftion (in fubftance
Anfwer'd before) Whether there being an hundred
Monarchies happy without toleration and Liberty
of Confcience\ to one Republick^ that allows it with
KeJiriSlion^ whofe future Fate we are ignorant of j
and whether that may not in time prcve its Ruin
It be not an hundred to one^ that Monarchy (hall be
more flourijhing^ fafe and lajiing without a tolcra-
fion^ than with it? To this I fay j he makes the
ground of it FaSl; and that's falfe : There is
not only no fiich thing, as an Imndred Monarchies
that ha've been happy without it: but more have
been happy with, than without it. All the
Eaftern Monarchies, almoft generally give it
with fuccefs. Next, the French Monarchy was
happier in Henry the IV. than Charles the IX.
and Ours in Queen Elizabeth than in King
Henry the VIII. for though Her's was not a Reign
of Liberty, yet of lefs feverity than His. He
makes it Kepnhlican^ and knows not what he
fays: for as his ftory of Monarchies is untrue, fo
that of Kepuhlicksy a Fi5:ion; there being Ervo
Monarchies to One Republick that gives it.
What will be, we cann't tell: but Holland is a
greater proof for the Prudence of a Toleration^
than any Country that can be named on the fide
of Coertion *, and the Effecfs that are, fliew
wliat the fame meafures will do for the time to
come if kept to.
To the Third, and laft Queflion, 'z/z'z.. Whe-
ther it he not Crofs and Pile-i whether a Man^ who
may he of any^ or all KeligionSj will he of any^ or
of none at all ? I niuft tell him. That they that can
be of all Religions, have little or none. And
therefore I always thought thofe Clergy-men that
in Henry the Eighth's time turn'd Trimmers^ and
Protejiants in Edward the Sixth's, and Papifs
in Queen Mary's^ and Protejiants again, with a
witnefs, in Queen Eli%aheth's^ had no Religion
but their Benefices. And,^- a:s I take it, there
were not Thm Hundred., of all Qualities, out
of Ten Thoufand, that flood out ^ to fay no-
thing of their Fountains that ran freely through
all thofe Rubs and Revolutions, I mean
vi- -
Oxford
and
t3'3
and Ca/nbridge. If he plcafe to remember what
numbers turn'J Fresbyteriaiis bet\Yeen the .years
Forty and Fifty^ how many in- return'd;
and with what Oaths^ Covenants^ Engagements.)
2L\\d Abjurations they maintain'd their Polfeilion,
will have caiife to fay, that it is, fometimes, hard-
ly Crofs and File with too many, what Religion
they are of, and thole of no fmall pretences
too.
And fince he has pitt it . upon that game, I
cann't forbear faying. That hejias hit upon the
aptefi: Allufion he could vixave .made. For Crofs
and File in fome Countries ffaud Fope and
King) and where they meet that Game is
up.
If he thinks the bulinefs. yet worth his while,
I IhoLild be glad to fee fomething truly folid and
Chriftian. In the mean time, I take the mea-
fure he gives me in his Conclufion, to mak^ my
Choice by Reafon and Vertue) fto difcourage all Se-
dition and Dijloyalty j to Tolerate none) that pro-
fefs to cut other Mens Throats for Confcience fakp:
Befeeching him to let me'be even with him in
a few Qmftions. and a Conclufion: They will
be Ihort.
fi
;
I. If any Man ought^ to belie%ie rpithout ConiiiSli-
on ? If not, then
II. Whether
[ aO .
H. Whether ConmBion he in a Mans power
to gi've htmfelf or any for him ? If not,
III. Whether this does not of conrfe put an end
to Coertion ? .
I proceed to T'hree more upon a Cliriftian
Foot.
IV. If Chrijfs Law and Example are to he
the Rule of Chrifians P
V. If hy his Law and Example Chrijiians
jhonld compel Conformity hy Worldly Force to
their Religion P
VI. If Liberty to Confcientious Dijjenters he
not Ad'vifeahle from Examples Chrijiian and
Political P
The Conchtfton is firft Particular then General.
I would befeech the Gentleman, to whom this
Reply is made, to A'void Prejudice^ which is here
(I fear) an 111 Habit of Education. For he fays,
He was, always Diametrically oppojite to the Duke's
Opinion in the Points treated on: As if he had
fuck'd it with his Milk. Examination helps
Judgment *, it is Chewing and Digefting well;
t'other is fwaltbwing and not Concofting: and
fometime a Man gets a Hook in his Throat too.
Let him have a Care of tarantulas and the Itch
of Anfwering, before he confiders well; for
that
[3^3
that will be as unaccountable, as, lie fays, hisf
Wit is pozfomffs Wity (pag.
There are Two other things that make a Man
heave and throw, and dilorder himfelf extream-
ly j and that is the Fly and the IVorm j efpecial-
ly in Sprmg-tme > and this has been unufua^ly
dry and hot. But for all this, I will end well
with him 5 For what ever he thinks, I wifll him
as well as my felf j and that we may both live
and die happily with a Foleratiozt.
• And now, Keadery 'tis fit I fay fomething of
this undertaking. The hoi/e and Honor I have
for the Truths deliver'd by that Noble Ferfony
and the eajzcy plainy jhorty and yet fully and
jiremiom, way in which he has recommended
them to the World, dbliged me to this Oefenccy
fuch as it is. But I cannot but wifii, he had
met with a Man that had deferv'd his own no-
tice, becaufe no body can better Defend his Ar-
guments: which the oftner I read, the Weighti-
cr they feem to mej and his Ad^erfarys loofer
and flighter; 'Twas a Relpefi: I owed his Per-
fon, and a Duty to his Elfay.
And now, Keadery as Men that die, ask for-
givnefs of all the World, fo do I. It is true,
it docs not yet appear to me, that I have In-
)ur'd any perfon or thing j I wourd not do it
for the World .• And, therefore, am even with
E it:
[3^.1
it: but I would be Modeft at leaft. I Have
Writ my Heart in the main j I hate ferv-
ing of Turns; I love Old England as well as
any Man, and I would fain fee her Happy. I
have long thought this the way, VEKTUE
OF LIFE and INDULGENCE OF CON-
SCIENCEy for the KING, for the Clergy,
and for the People. And if our hopes of Im-
mortality were but half as ftrong, as we care
they fhould be thought, we could not ufe one
another with fo much Jealoufie and Bitternefs :
We carry not a true Eftimate of the World with
us, to be fo eafily and fo often diforder'd for
it. Let us not then palliate our Fury, ov Inter eft
with the facred Name of Religion : Let us An-
fwer for our own Faults we fhall, we muft ;
and therefore let us mend them, that we may
have lefs to Anfwer for, when we come to
Judgment.
God Almighty Blefs the King and King-
dom, and fend us Peace in our days.
Amen.
G. C.
FINIS.
Boob Printed for^ and Sold by Luke Me-
redith, at the KingV Head, at the
Weft End of St. Paul^ Church-
Yard.
A Short Difcourfe upon the Reafbnablenefs of Mens
having a Religion, or Worjhif of God. By his Grace,
George Duke of Buckingham. The Third Edition.
The Duke of Buckingham His Grace's Letter, to the
unknown Author of a Paper Entituled, A jhort Anfmr
to his Grace the Duke of Buckingham'j Pager, concerning
Religion, Toleration, Liberty of Gonlcience.
A Dialogue between a Pajlor, and \\\s Parijhioner,
touching the Lord's Supper: Whereia the moft materi-
al Doubts and Scruples about Receiving that Holy Sacra-
ment,, are removed, and the Way thereto dilcovered to
be bxxh plain and plealant. Very ufeful for Priv^ate Chri-
.ftians in thefe Icrupulous Times. By Michael Alt ham.
"T\\q Second Edition. To which is added, »Some fhort
Prayers, fitted for that Oecafion ; and a Morning and E-
vening Prayer, for the Ufe of Private Families.
Two Treatifes: The Firjl, Concerning Reproach-
ing and Cenfure', ThQ Second, An Anfrver to Mr. Ser-
jeant^s Sure-Footing. To which are annexed, Three
Sermons Preached upon feveral Occafions; and very ufe-~
ful for thefe Times. By the late Learned and Reverend
William Faulknery D. D.-
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(0 .
REPLY
To His GRACE the
)uke of Buckinghams
LETTER
b the Author of a Paper, Entituled, /h
Anfwn to His Graces Difcoarfe^ concerning Religion,
Toleration, and Liberty of Confcience.
Erufing a Publi£h*d Letter fubfcri-
bed by the Great Name of the
Duke of Backin^ham, againft the An-
thor of the Ihort Anfwer to h?^'
Graces Difcourfe of Religion and
Toleration, I could not but be very
much delighted to fee the Efforts of lb famous a
rtenjoftrangely and fo eafily Vidforious, over
J hisNmelefs, little. Angry, Harmkfs, Hiimbie Servant,
fconfefs indeed when I lirft Read his Graces ad-
ffiirabte Notions and Sentiments of a Deity, and
the whole Syfteme of his Graces Divinity fo con^'
cifely couch'd in that little Treatile of his, I
could not but think how hajrpy his Grace has
made Mankind info fublime a Ib'odudTion, from
the Genius of fo worthy an Author: k Luxuri-
mce of that .Divine kind from fo Illuftrious a
'erfonage, being truly thofe unufuai, uncom^
A mon
(2)
nion Heat-drops in Great Men, that fall as tirfai
ly as a Shower in Egjpt, 3re
Having paid this juft Veneration to that exirtif
lent Piece, we have here a febond Subjed[rtir
our no lefs Admiration, which is, his Graces tijtan
wonderful nimble way of Gonfutation: T/;/?NlHo
lefs, Himhk Servant (as he pleales to call him)be|raci
feniewhat a Diflenter from his Graces good(j/f to
'xilhti'oiaT'oleration, has made it, in that {liortlfo)^
fwer, his endeavour to remind the World oil ar
thofe DiftraQ:ions and Miferies, Rebellp^/^
and Regicide, the Murder of the beft of Ki|2 u
and the' Subverfion of three flourilhing Ki|7
doms, that all ehtred at no other Door thanino
a Toleration^ and how inevitably the fameiiat;
would bring the fame Inundation ore agalur
And therefore how juft and Reafonable itisbad
the Government (contrary to his Graces opinio hi
to make the Strongeft of Fences againft fo threffu
ning and fatal a Torrent. To all which, his Qrie
moll Ingenioufly Replies, Adj Namelefs, Angry, ^
I have Keadyoa over and over, and find y that ?ieittefi2
iinderftand yoa, nor yoii me. To a mi flake the meaning)^
His Majeflies Fromife, &c. and are very unlacky i
three Letters of tJje French WordOpiniatre; and the] ii
fore I advife yon WriteLngXiAw And lb by way ii
Short and Sweet, defends his Darling Opinion
a Toleration,againfl: all the AnfwerersoDjeiSfio] >
and the whole Sence of the Government, arj
Law-Makers upon that Important point, dov^:
from Eliynietb to Charles the Second, and all tbij
to the Total Rout and Defeat of his unkno\ ?
Adverfary, with a Viblory as expeditious a >
entire, as the greateft turn of State in the J J
hea
(3)
rfal. And pojGSbiy His Grace may aiFeft tKi^,
re than Ordinary way of Anfwering in the
mp, as beifig too Great to ftoop to the contro-
rting of particulars, with fo unequal a Com-
tant.
However, I am much AftoniCh'd to hear his
ace fay, To my Confufion 1 maft ow.n^ That 1 am not
cto comprehend what part of my Difcoarfe it is you do
ffmr] nor in all yours what it is you mean: hut in this
are even with me, for I perceive you do as little under-^
i an] part of what I have Written, tho I thought it had
'u in fo plain a Style, that a Child of Six years old might
well have done it. Now the unknown Author
no lefs corrfounded than his Gracp, to think
t any part of his Anfwerfbould befo ft range--
unintelligible, efpeculiy to fo penetrating a
ader as his Grace; neither can he for the Soul
him find himfelf guilty of any fuch ftrange
underftanding of his Graces meanings, in a
ile (by his own confeflion) adapted even to the
elledhs of Readers of Six years old ^ unlefs his
'/?rtC€siutentioh in the publication of that Piece,
g ^wholly for the Inftrudtion of Readers of that
; ir Clafs ^ and therefore he takes it ill that any
ei ig more fuper-annuated fhould be intermed-
' ; with what nothing concerns them. Neither
1 vhisAnfwerer be madefcnftble,vvherein (as his
)] fc^khafges him) heAvilfully riiiftakes his Mar
li. ies promile to the Church of England; the true
IV filing of which (his Grace is pleafed to telliis)
blears to be, That he would not fuffer any Body to In-^
IV yhe Church ^i/England,he did not promife that
I ^ouldhave the Church of EnghndPerfecute every Body
J. As I remember, his Majefties promife was^
A 2 T«
;C
, U)
To defendandfiip'pd'rt theChurchofEn^l^nA: But I
this unbounded Toleration of h^s Graces i
coniift with the llipporting the Church of£»|i
he would do Xvell to inftrud: us, unlefs the uii
ing of the Wol-ves can be the Defence ofi
Hock, and the giving a full Loofe to all the Sd
tnatical Bontefeus andUnderminers of ourRj
gion and Government, be maintaining andi In
holding of it.
But not to be wholly contradidfory tol j
Graces opinion j as his Grace is pleafed to expf 1
his great difficulty of Believing himlelf the lij
G'forgo Duke of Bitckingham which he was Twe(
Years ago, there'indeed I muft joyn with hit
.,-eing too apparently true, thathisGrace lms| oc
been the fame Five Years ago that he was Twcj
Five J which all Men that have had the Hem
of knowing his Grace at Wbitehdl in an(j -
Dowgate in 80, willjuftific for me; where I lej
his Grace, and am ' k::
His mofi Dutiful Humile Servant,
■
— ^ ^
FINIS.
London, Printed by W. D. for 'Lbomas Graves, t6S^
i
CONSIDERATIONS
Moving to a
Toleration,
9
AND
ifttrtp of itonfrtmte.
WITH
ARGUMENTS
Inducing to a Ceflation of the Penal
Statutes againft all
dissenters
• whatever, upon the Account of
RELIGION.
Occafioned by an Excellent Dilcourfe upon that
Subjedt, Publifh'd by His GRACE
The Duke of Buckingham.
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The Epiftle Dedicatory.
To His GRACE the
DUKE
O F
• v)
Buckingham
My Lord,
TIs with the Highefi Veneration due to
Tour Graces Illaftrioas Worth and
'^dlity, that Iprefme to make this
Addrefs to a V erf on of Toar Graces Eminence
and Greatnefs, And indeed, the only Encoti-'
ragement for that Confidence, is, That this
Difcoarfe is.onely Lifled under Tour Graces
Banner. Tour Grace has been pleafed to be
the firft Affertor of that Jufiice, which in this
A^e of the World, wanted onely fo Great a
a ^ Name
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
Name to Efpoufe and Vindicate it. For alas,,
rob at ever [tho never fo rational) has or could
be urged in the Defence of Cbriftian Clemency
andTendernefs, by any lefs Hand, would have
been overtourn by the prefent Impetuous Tor^
rent againf it And therefore they only wan-
ted fo uninterefled a Champion as Tour Grace
to FatroniTie them. If any lefs Ferfon had at--
tempted^ it, prefently the opprobious Name of
^Non-con, or Tub-Preacher, would
have been thrown in his Teeth, and all Reafons
xdhatever, upon a Toleration, tho never fo
Convincing, roould have been inflantly Blafted
[how unjufily foever) with the Old Brand of
Great m Diana <9/Ephefus, as ifFubliJb'd,
Maintain d, and cryed up only for the Service
or Intereft of a Farty or Fadlion.. But Tour
Grace has the happinefs of a Station and Cba-
racier above the Reach of fo feeble and-fling--
hfs a Calumny, whilfl Tour Generous Fen has
been pleafed to adapt that Truth which Ma--
lice may Snarl at^ but cannot Bite,
Ijonfefs
■
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
I confefs indeed, the General, naj only Ar^-
gaments urged a^ainfi a Toleration, /i that
Clamorous pretence, of its Danger to the Go-
vcrnment, through an Indulging of Kjebelli'-
ous and Antimonarchical Principles, which
under the Mask and Cover of Tendernefs of
Confcience, have been, or may be diffufed thro'
the Kingdom, and fever al Kepubli'ck Machi-^
nations and Poyfonous Defigns, have or may
be hatcht and nourijht jinder the unhappy Con--
fequences of Liberty of Confcience.
And truly, Perfecutionfor Diffent, in mat-^
ter of Paith, without this plaufible Apology ,
would not have fo much as a Shadow of Excufe
to Protect it from the Infamy of a more than
Pagan piece of Cruelty. Put alas, this weak
Pretext, when truly and duely weigh'd, will
quickly fall to the Ground. Por that there have
been, and may be again, thofe Atheifiical and
Diabolical perfons, who Villanoufly, under the
Veil of Religion, play the blackefl of Hypocri-
tes, and carry on their own ambitious and dam^
nable<.
I
'rr
ii
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
nnlle Intrigues, under that Golden Vifor, is
a mofl undoubted and too fad Truth, hut is
that a fufficient Flea, why thofe, whofe utmofi
Aime is the Innocent Worjhip of God, untaint^
ed with any fuch DifloyalThoughts, jhould not
only be loadedwithTheir Reproach, andStig-
mati'^ed with their hrand, but alfo be equally
involved in their Condemnation, viz. Fined,
Harafi,Imprifon d. Beggard, and Ruin dai
fuch. If the Goverrunent has had Expe^
rienee of thofe Antimonarchical Frinciples fo
fomented; undoubtedly that Experience has
given ithifcretionenouglyto prevent the future
EfeBs of them, and to difinguijh betwixt the
Guilty and Innocent. Let every Judas
therefore have his Judas Fate; which may the
Wifdom the-Nation and Government take
care to fee Executed: And thofe th'at urge the
'denjal of a Toleration from their Jealoufie
viily of-the forementioned Danger, muft eer-
'tainly fufpeB a very great Imbecility in the
Adminiflrationyhat it can find no better cxpe*^
die lit,
\
I
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
dient, then rooting up the Ylotoer^ to keep the
Spider from fucking Pojfon out of it. •
This whole Difcourfe therefore, being abfo"
folutely free from the leaf intention of favour^
ing any of thofe falfe Pretenders to Keligion
andChrifianity, [thofe wicked Enemies of
Magi fir acj, the Sacred Ordinance of God)
is only auEndeavotir to evince theKeafonable-'
nefs of a Chrifiian Forbearance to our weak
Brother, purely and only as fuch. With this
Integrity and Innocence, tbefe Confiderations
are made Publick, and with no other Kecom^
mendation durfl the unknown Author lay him"
felf at Four Graces Feet,
Con SI-
!»
'1,
CONSIDERATIONS
Moving to a
TOLERATION,
AND
Liberty of Confcience, &c.
Consideration I.
IT is not the Will of the Great and Wife Godj to appoint any
Forcible Ways or Gourfes to bring Men and Women to Con-
form to his Worftiip : But Chrift was pleafed to Commif-
fionate his Apoftles (to whom he committed the Keyes of his
Church) to Preach and Declare the Chriftian Dodlrine: And they
that fucceed them in their Office, are not by Might or by Power, but
by gentle Invitation, and the influence of his kind Spirit, to inform
the Judgment, convince the Confcience, and fo to perfwadc the
Children of Men to be Recoucilcd unto God. And who is Man
that he fbould take another Courfe, and will not reft in God's Wif-
dome ? Now we are Ambi^jjU'dors for Chrijiy as though God did hefeech
)0u through us; we prajjjou in Chrijls Jieady he ye reconciled to God,
C o n s i d E r a t i o n II.
'T'He ufing outward Compulfion in matters of Confcience, does
only ferye to make Men Hypocrites, but works no faving Con-
verfion. If Men conform to any Worlhip or way thereof, with an
unwilling Mind, they cannot ferveGod aright, though the Worlhip
be Right, becaufe the Heart of the Worftiipper is not Right. God
calls for the Heart, My Son, give me th) Heart. If it were not for
Compulfion, the Man would be in fome other Pradlice or Profeffion •
and when he Conforms only to fave his Perfon or hisPurfe, he is the
Servant of Man, and not the Servant of God, and this is not to Save
his Soul. Not hy Conjirainty hut wilUngly^ not for filthy lucre, but a
ready mind. A CON-
Consideration III,
All forts of Perfons are for Liberty of Confcience for themfeives_,
even thpfe that are moft Impofing upon others. They would
account it hard nicafure to be conlirain'd to perform, or forbear fuch
and fuch things which concern their Religion, or to fulfer unpro- j
portionable Penalties." And why fiiould not the Church Proteftancs
make the the Indtpendent!^ the cafe their own
in this Point, feeing they are all Fellow-ChrlRiaiis. Thi-refore,
jeha^foezxr thi/sgi je would Ale/i f^otild' do unio jouj do y [o unto,
tbtm^ for this is the Law and the Propfffls^
G O N S I D E R A T t o N IV,
THe good Rules of Humanity, and common Civility, which is
carefully obferved in fmaller matters, are openly violated, by
uGngof force in the matters of Confcience. Men abhor to thruft
that Meat and Drink down their Neighbours Throat, which will,
not agree with their Stomachs. They fay commonly,' Praj loke
thot which, hefi likes yu: and why are they not as civil in the mat-
ter of Religion ? , Hive compajjion ok one another^ Love as Brethren^
he Pitiful J he Courteous,
CoNSI,DERATlON V.
THe Church Proteftants in England Iiave been diRrefled by hoc
doings heretofore in the Reign of Queen Mjrj, when they were
accounted "Criminals for not conforming to that WorlTip which
was then the Eftabliflied worfhip of the Kingdom: And they
lEould have taken heed before now of what they did, and of what
Spirit they be Rill of, in Profecuting others, feeing they know not J
how foon that part of the Wheel which hath been, or is on the' '
Ground, may come to be at Top, and fall the heavier on them upon
this.Account, For with the fame meafure Men meet withal^ itjhallbe.
tneeted to them again^
CO N SI.
Consideration VI.
*T^Hc Conforming and Nonconforming ProteftantSj and theProte-'
ftants and Papifts, all do agree as to the fubftance of Chriftia-
nity, in the fame Articles of Faith, and the fame Rule of Manners,
""f in the Apoftles Creed, and the Ten Commandements. There is
one Body, one Spirit, one Lord, one Faith, one Bapcifme. As a va-
riety of Flowers may grow on the fame Bank, fo may Proteflants
■'f and Papifts live in Eni^land, Union in Affedion, is not inconfiftenc
i'" with difagreement of Opinion. There is much more Reafon to
love one another for the many things wherein we agree, then to fall
out for thofe wherein we differ j and thougii we cannot have Com-
munion in the fame External worfhip, we can and have Commu-
nion in the fame Internal Adoration of the fame Bleffed Trinity, and
i in the one hope of our Calling unto Life Eternal, through Jefus
Chrift. V\'e cannot come together in the fame Church, but may
i- live together in the fame Land; and as we are under the fame
Gracious King, he may Protet^ both, and fuffer no Party to Per-
rfj fecutc one another. Woolf jhall lie down with the the
Leopard with the Kid, they floall not hurt nor dejlroy in all m) Hoi)
Mountain.
Consideration VII.
THe French Proteftants, who are the Diffenters from the Eftabli-
fhed WorOtip of that Kingdoine,, are kindly received and fuc-
coured by England. And when the French King is highly blamed
by Englijh Proteftants, and perhaps too by feme Engltjh Catholicks,
for Perfecuting his peaceable Subjedls, fball we do the fame things
in our Kingdome which we condemn in another ? Therefore art thou
inexcufable Man, vohofoever thou art, for thou that Judgefi another,
doft the' fame, things. ,
C-OHSU
( 4 V
C O N SID ERAT I O N VIII.
THe Profecuting DiiTenters and Recufants for matters of Con-
fcience is of great difadvantage to the Trade of the Kingdom,
the DifTcncers being a chief part of the Trading People of the Na-
tion, confidered as Merchants, Shop-keepers, Clothiers, Farmers,
&e. by which many Thoufands of the Kings poor Subjedis are
maintained, and confcquently Liberty of Confcience muft be a
moft effediual means for the reftoring of it.
I will mention a Story or two which may be eafily attefled, if
they be called into Queftion. . One Thomas Peard about id Years
fince of We^ Dean near BarnftahU^ who kept many Poor People at
work in the Cloathing Trade, was Profecuted upon the A(S for
Twenty Pound a Month, fo many Months for not coming to Church,
that he was forced to quit his Habitation and Iniployment. Upon
this the Poor People of many Parillies go a Begging, and the num-
bcrs prefently were fo great, that the Jufticcs were fain to meet, and
confulting together, conclude upon it to get the Mans Fines to be
difcharged. This being done, Peard returns to his bufinefs, takes
the Poor off their hands, and finds them again the fame Living.
In like manner, about 14 Years fince, the of Sarum fends
forth Inftrudiions into all the Parifties of his Diocefs for bring-
ing them to Church, or citing them to his Coutt. There were Eighty
Clothiers Nonconformifts of fevcral Judgments in the County of
WiUs, who being Alarum'd by this Summons, think of withdraw-
ing their Trade, (the time for Provifion of their Wool favouring
fuch a fufpention) but confidering what a Number of Poor depend-
ed on them, fome Imploying 5 00, fome a looo People under them,
who were capable of getting no other maintenance: Befides that,
the Farmer was no lefs concerned than the Spinner and the Carder,
who could have no Money for his Wool •, fearing alfo that if tliey
fhould give over on a fuddain, there might fo much Clamour enfue
as might turn into fome uproar, they agree upon fending up eight
or ten of their fufficient Men toreprefent their Cafe to the King and
Council. Orders are taken hereupon that the Arch- Bifliop Writes
to
( 5 )
to the Bifliop to defifl, and aflurance is given by both the Secretaries
qJ ^ to the Clothiers for their fafety in keeping on their Imployment,
What thofe Juftices and what the Council at that time faw con-
venient for that Shire, and thofe Towns, will bedifcerned ( I doubt
J not) by the confideratc, to be of the like Emolument throughout the
Nation.
/ And this brings to my remembrance a certain Prophefie that is
^ now much in Mens Mouths, and hath been going for Scores of
.jjv Years, Thit after Eighty Five^ England/brf//Thriven which though
I have hitherto regarded (I muftconfcfs,) when I have heard the
,p " words but as Rhime only, yet if it fhall pleafc the King at his coming
^ J' now to the Throne, to give Liberty of Confcicncc to his People,
' according to thedefignof cliis Paper, I flaall not doubt but to fee
r the matter really accomplifhed. The Riches of a Nation arc the
]'i Bodies of Men j for the greatnefs of a Kingdom certainly confifts
'not in the vaft continent of Ground, but in the Multitude of its In-
habitants; and the Thriving of the People,'lyes in tlx:^ encreafe of
Trade, Manufadure and Commerce, as is intimated- 3lCt
CoUtatlOn (Stated rightly, that is, ofall^ fo far as
they are Tolerable, whereof the Wifdome of a Parliament is the
Ti iitceft Judge) would produce both thefc; It would bring People
that arc Perfecuted in our Neighbour Nations about their Religion,
to England, as it does, or hath done to Htlland j and they muft
bring their Hands and Bufincfs with them, Befides, the Infinite Inv
couragemenc it would give to many, who now keep in their Monys,
''h by Reafon of their Obnoxioufnefs to the Law, which they would
bring forth moft Induftrioufly into Imployment, as foon as they
could fee themfelvcs fafed, and their Confcicnccs out of danger. And
when Hachar faw that Rejl was goody and the Land that it was Plrafant^
he bowed his Shoulderto Beavy and became a Servant unto Tribute,
iiin-
Consideration IX,
Upfi;
TT hath pleafed our moft Gracious Soveraign King the
* Second (whomGod Blefswith a gentle Mind, and good days)
to declare to his Council, and then to the Nation, that he will fob
C low
16)
low his Diccafsd Brother in his Example of Clemency, which wc
ntiy hope for in this pt^t of Indulgence. We have h;s Royal
Word for thus much,an(fhls Word, we all hear, raxy be Prefumed
upon, fo far as the meaning may beP^efumed. I do notrhercrorc
here Prefumc upon his meaning, but the Clemency ol the bte
King, and Teaiernefs to his Subfe^^s in his Gracious Puipof s to in-
dulgc them in the pcHot of Liberty of Coatcience, does appear tclfi.
dcntly to all on Record. In his Declaration fro.n B
Sprit iseo. " We do declare flays lie) a Liberty to lender
" Confciences, and that no Man ibali be difquletedj or called in
Queflion for deferences in OpinioOj in clie matters of Religion,
which doth not difturb the Peace of the Kingdome; and that
We (hall be ready to confent to fuch an Ad of Parliament as
upon mature deliberation Qiall be offered to us, for the full grant-
ing of that Indulgence.
In his Declaration Dated Ouober 1660. Wc do again renew
what we have formerly faid in our Declaration from Breaa, for
" the Liberty of fender Confciences, Tiiat no Man lhall be dif-
" quieted or called in Queflion for differences iii Opinion in matters
of Religion, which do not difluib the Peace of the Kingdom, and
" if any have been diflurbed in that kind fince our Arival here, it
hath not proceeded from any diredion of ours.
At the opening of the Parliament on the Eighth of 1661.
Ido Vj^smy felfmuch upon keeping my Word, and uponmak-
i ng good whatfoever I Promife to my Subjeds.
Again in his Speech to Both Houfes on the 8-/j It
is to put my felt in Mind, as well as yon, that 1(1 think fo often
as 1 come to you) mention to you ray Declaration from 5 fd.i;
"bnd let me put you in mind of another Declaration Publifbed by
'^your felves about the fame time, whicli i am pcrfwaded made
" minethemore etfedual, an f loneft, Generous, and Chriflian De-
" claration, Signed by the moft Eminent Pcrfons that had been the
" mofl Eminent Suiferers, in wh:ch you Renoonced all former Ani-
mofities, and Memory of former unkindnefles: And my Lords
" and Gentlemen, let it be in no Mans Power to charge Me or You
with the breach of our V\ ords or Promifes, which can never be a
** good Ingredient for our future Security. A«»ain
t<
€f
Ci
fel, ■ (7)
is Again in his Declaration of Deem, i a." Concerning the Now
?Rfu^ " performance of our Promifes, we well remember the very words
*' from Bredt, viz. we Remember well the Confirmations we have
tti;!, made of them,fince upon fevcral occafions in ParUament,and as all
)fc5 (5 " thefe things are ftill frefh in our Memory,fo are we ftill firm in the
pe;;; " Refolution of performing them to the fall. And further> We do
)iiB, " ftill conceive our felvcs lb far engaged both in Honour, and what
Q Ifj " we owe to the Peace of our Dominions, which we Profefs we can
" never think fecure whilft therefhall be a colour left to the Malitious
" and Diiaffedcd to Inflame the Minds of fo many Multitudes, upon
, '"•the fcore of Confcieace, with defpair of ever obtaining any
" effed of our Promifes for their Eafe. After all, we have his In-
dulging Declaration indeed, for fulfilling all his Promifes, and put-
' ing an end to a preceding violent Proi'ecution of the A(ft againft
Conventicles, March l6J^.
" It being Evident, by the fad experience of Twelve Years,'
^ " that there is little Fruit of all thofe forcible conrfes • w e think our
innu; obliged to make ufc of that Supreum Power which is not
dom i " Inherent in us, but hath been declared and Recognized to be
j! " fo by feveral Statutes and A(5ls of Parliament, and therefore do
" now accordingly Ifliie out this our Declaration for the quieting
, "the Minds of our good Subjedis in thefe points, for Inviting of
" Strangers in this Conjunjfture to come and Live under us, and foe
" the better Incouragement of all, to a chearful following their
" Trade and Callings, from whence we hope ( by the bleffing of
" God) CO have many good and happy advantages to our Govern.
^ V " ment. There are many Gracious Sayings here might be added
f ] upon tliis, whichthe late King uttered in return to the Minifters who
brought him the Thanks of feveral Counties for this his Declaration,
; fit-to be Recorded, as of extraordinary kindncfs, but feeing it hath
pleafed the Divine Providence to cake him from us, who fliould
have made them good, I am content they be Interred wdth him.
The W' ords of our prefent Soveraign are I am iure of more con-
F , cernment now to us,'which as they make all this which is broughc
to be material, and for which the whole Nation is Addrefiing him
with their Thanks (among whom I know no caufe why I may not
¥ B a bring
( 8 )
bring aifo my,oblation) mud not be omitted. " Since it hath plea-
" fed Almighty God to place me in this Station, and l am now to
" fucceed fo Good and Gracious a King, as well as fo very kind a
Brother, I think it fit to declare to you, that I will endeavour to
follow his Example, and mod efpecially in that of his Clemency
and Tcnderncfs to his People. Tbrn after Five Days Ananias
the High Priefi defcended Vfith the Elders^ and an Orator Named Ter-
tullus, vehowhen he n/as called forth, fpake thus. Seeing that by thee
we enjjy great Quietnefs, and that by thee very Worthy Deeds have been
done to this Nation,, vpe accent it always and in all places, moji Noble
Felix, withaillhankfttlnefs.
Thefeare fomeReafons (among Multitudes) that fly abroad for
and they arc no pick'd chofen ones, but the mod
plain and obvious to the meaneft Capacity, fuch as I have catch'd up
moftealily, from the Papers only of two ordinary Sedulous Men, the
one of them having had Publick Imploymcnt about the Wool and
Manura(d:ure of the Nation, and fo is Verfed in thefe things; the o-
thcc having got, or kept fuch as thefe Publick Speeches by him, and
Colleded thefe Paflages to my Hand^ only I have changed their
Stile, and abbreviated them to avoid the baldnefs and Prolixity: I
will now add fome Teftimonies for the fame thing, out of an Author
of another Charadler ,.but I will name neither one nor other, that
I may not offend them or any body. And thefe Teftimonies which
are Argumentum ab Authoritate fhall be my Tenth and Laft Cenfi'-
deration.
G O N S I D ER AT I o N X.
I J is not like in titc Three firft Centuries of the Church, that any
'thing is to be found in the Chriftian writings, for the ufe of the
Sword in Religion whilft themfelves were under it. In the next
enfuing, we hstve Conjiantine, Qonlla-ntius, Jovian, Valeatinian,Va-
lens, Theodofsus, and after thofe, Honorius and Arcadim may be cited
for their larger PermifTions, efpecially towards the Jews, by thofe
that will be at the pains to do it.
Ill the Year Idacm and hhaeius were condemned by the
Gadican
\
(p)
Galluan Bifhops for being Authors of bringing the Prifcillianifis to
Execution. And Sc. Augufline no doubt with theFatherSj geneially
are againft any Sanguinary Laws in this matter, Nullis bonU in Ca-
tholifa Ecckjia hoc placet, ji ufque ad Mortem tn ^uemquam Heereticum
fjeviatur. Contra Cr-'fcodium lib. 3. cap. 50. Hence were they called
Itharians, and held for Hereticks, who maintained, that thofe who
erred in Religion, ought to be put to Death. And it is obfcrved, it
was Domimck was the firft that brought up the Fire among Chrifti-
ans upon that account. Withdraw from them^ avoid them (fays the
Scripture) « Xf" tuVtwi' dvT»f JielKeiy w but not beat
or Perfecute them as the Heathens do, fays Ignatius».For it is an unheard
of, f range kind of Preaching the Gofpel (fays Gregory) to exaB Belief
(as the Eg\p'iam their Bricks) with Stripes, D ecere arbitramur (fays
Theodofiui and V-alentinian^ nojlrum imperium fubditos nojirot de Reli-
gione cemmonefacere j They chofe not to fay [imperare] but [commone-
facere] fignifying thereby, that Religion ought not to be forced.
Nihil enim (fays L.oFtaatius) tarn voluntarium quam Religio in qua ji
animus eji Sacrifcantis averfuSyjam fuhlata,jam nulla ejf. Religio im-
perari (iiys Cafidore) nonpoteji. And, fuadenda e(i (fays St. Bernard)
mn imperania, Pr<teepit SanBa Synodus (fays the Teletan Council, de
Judeeh) nemini deinceps ad credendum vim inferre. And the New Law
(fays Tertullian) does not vindicate it felf Ultore gladio. The Jewes
took no fuchcourfe (as PeRilent as their Dodlrinc was) with the.
Sadduces, nor Chrift with the Samaritanes, See Luke ey.y,'^, Matth,
13.28,29. J}hniS.$6. John6,67, ^ndwilt ye alfo go away, fiys
Chrift to the Twelve ? Which are words removing all force and ne-
ceffity from Man in the choice of his Religion.. So Cbryfoflome, Atha--
naftus, Cyprian, I may alfo add Augujline and Salvian,
We may read in the Life of jofephus, when feme of the Traconites
came in for Refcuc to ihe jews, where himfelf was Governour, and
the Jews would thereupon conftrain them to be Circumcifed, or clfe
not let them abide with them, he would not permit that injurious
Zeal, alledging. That every Man ought according to his own Mind, and
mt by Mans compulfion toferve God. In our Englifh Story (to fuiC
this) by Bede, when Ethelbert the firft Prince that received Chriftii
anity of the.«S<j;y;o« Heptarchy,, was converted by Aufsint, fiint hither
( «o )
by and many thereupon came into the Church, it is faid,
he ef^fCtal!^ embraced thofe that came in, but compelled none j for he ha i
learned that the Faith and Service of Chrtfi ought to be voluntarj^ and
not of co/ijiraint, " It helpeth much (fays the Imperial Edi^i of Con-
jlantine and Lirinus) to cftabiifh the publick Tranquiliity.forevery
*' Man to have Liberty to ufeand choofe what kind of Worfhipping
" himfelf pleafes j and for that intent is this done of us, to have no
man enforced to one Religion more than to another, ^
iuljo tuoiUQ l)igi (bibibeo into ^ea0 anb
Ifaitioiig) to bi)5Migion, fljoulo not (in mp opinion)
Ulf ifO;JCC, fays OSObln 5 which he Enhances more particularly
from the example of ih-odofius lowixd. ihe Jrrians.
John BarcU) (not Wtlham that Wrote Adverfui jS/lonarchomachoi)
hath a Di'courfe on purpofe to this effe^5t about the Calvimfi j (as it
is thought) under tlie Name of the H)p!rephanian<^ in one chapter of
his Argents. And Cameranus in his Hiftorical Meditations, hath a
chaptej: as Learned, Full, and Grave, as need to be on this Subjedt,
Ufa. 3. cap. 18. " it was obfervcd by the Popes Council (fays Guic-
" ctardtne) that the Profecution of Luth^-r^ fince it was not accom-
panied with their own Reformation, did encreafe his Reputation ;
and that it had been a lefs Evil to diifemble the knowledge of fucli
a matter, which would perhaps have diflolv'd of it felf, than by
blowing at the Brand, to make the Fi:e burn the more. There
may be fome Notes conferred v. ith this out of Davilah^ upon the de-
liberations of the Politick Regent of about the
Pacification in her Son Henr) the Thirds time; I will reft in one after
Henrj the Fourth fucceedcd. That great Prince thought fit to de-
dare himfelf Catholick, but gets that fame Edid for Liberty to the
H *gor.ot-^ to be renewed and pafled the t^arl.ament oi Pans, By
" wiiich m ans endeavouring to remove Sufpicion from their minds,"
and confirming them by good Ulage. together witli fome Gifts and
" Promifes to the chief Heads, he infenfibly took away (fays the
Hiftorian) the puife and ftrength of that Party, fathat thofe that
"areverfed in the Kingdom, believe that a few years of fuch fwcec
Poyibn (if he had not been difablcd in this courfe through ivanc
l[ of Money) would have cxclnguiOied chac Fadion, which fo many
"years
.""
(C
( II )
years of defperate Wars had nor, with the Effufion of fo mnch
Blood, btenable to weaken. Vtohm courf.'s (fays my Lord C ><
are like hot Waieyi,(ha' rria) do good in an Ex'remi'.^^ but the uj [ " '•
doth fi> tl the Stomachy and it will retjuire them jlronger and
and it J Utile a>id little they will I fj'n hi Op radon.
They that Ijve thii Common-malih ( favs )udge "jeniins^ wi'l u['
means together wiih the R-^ttu-ion of thr iCi/?;', :o ptcture. an AB tf
Obliviony and tender Confctences ajijl and reafor.ahiepfatufaBtony > tfe
vee mtiji all Perijh firjl or laji.
I will Crown thefe Teftimonies with the experienced advice of
CHARLES the Fird to our late Soveraign : tie - are o Ex-
" afperating any Fa(5fion by the crofnefs and afpcriry of ibme mcus
"Paifions, Humours, or private Opinions employed by you,
grounded onely on the differences in lefler matters, which are
" but the Skirts and Suburbs of Keligion , whfrein a charitable
** Connivance, and Chriftian Toleration, often difEpates their
Strength, whom a rougher oppofition fortifies, and puts their de-
" fpifed and opprefled Party into fuch Combinations, as may moft
enable them to get a full Revenge on thole they count their
" Perfecutors, who are commonly aifified by that vulgar Commi-
feration, which attends all that are faid to luffer under the notion
of Religion.
There are two Rules in the Preamble of the Statute PrimoMaria j
the one is, Tljat @)tatc of a tAius flauCetl) mo?e affureti
bp tbe lobe of bis €)ubjeas, tban m tbe D^eao anti feac of
LatU0. Theotheris, Tljat LatUS juttlp IliaOe, \13ltbOUt
ertceam l^imisbnicnt, are mo^e often, anofo? tbemo$
part better obepeo, tbantbofe tbat are rnaije tviub tbat er-
trtniltV. Unto which my once b^re named Lord chief Juftice
Cooky Subjovns this Sentence, Mitius imp'ranti mehm Paretur,
I will clofe up all wltli the end of a Speech of Sir Orlando Bridge-
man to the Parliament, when he was Lord Keeper.
'• If any juft grievances lliall have happened, his Maiefiy will be
as willing and ready to redreis them, as you to have them Pre'enc-
" ed to him, and his Majefty doubts not, but you will give Healing
''and Moderate Counfels, and Imprint that known Truth in the
" Hearts
* Hearts of his SubjeAs^ that there is nodiftin£l Intereft between
the King and his People, but the good of one, is the good of both.
Now this is the Copy of the Letter which Artaxerxes gave unto
Ezrs the Prieft, Imakt 4 Decree^ that aH thej of the People of Ifracl,
4nd of his Priejis andLevites in my Re Aim, which are minded of their
own free will to go up to Jerufalem, go with thee.
And Gamaliel ^ood up in the Council, and faid, Ye Men of Ifrael,
take heed to your felves, refrain from theft Men, and let them alone, for
if thisCounfelor this Work he of Men, it will come to nought • hut if it
he of God, ye cannot Overthrow it, leaf haply ye he found even to Fight
againfi God,
F I I s.
.
-
»t!!,
vent
'/Ifiii
•flfnt
iiiPiji
..'i
^fH 'aU;i-^Gr r ^ iGM^rcT
'T^:J .sl'O'j-J^ IV, j'i. p J; Y'rJUiJf^iii/ '\om^:.D
, . r ..r ', A', i ai j'/jmrloV ^
ui:.'7-;::,H ne r: .3 <o opsno'ica ^,H
Sriyx X. ;•,,«(&, aN.- -: ;.i tK^KJ^iJoif, idlimCQSA .
-DO': ^rnJ 2W/. r.,: .,,.
uiDfiiH ?h', -vvA
v§-
I'i^
^3;;) A-l^l "jr/D to
rrco: h^oab
■ ; ; yy, 1 j-,io
-CmO; a ij:o*iyjoi'j. I j t''-D\..i /';;,\'.n^ gif j
.OOL^.UI lo rOifgr/J'^rj \r elVi
-wcJ Jxtniirii-b :'x)r;i yuizraifUnsr , '.
.inwhDD iO' 3D..;; -1f ;o:::0'r'lo . Ovrolr-.'
10 YgolcaoifD s o][c vVDxrtii/ia i^ac mo'}'lo
.SDgbrji. ,2-o-it;k3iT .-org::! .^toboncjO bioJ orit
0ri?5^2730D0l3D.-30i;i oloH od? io .snoiaa
: 3D or .0 OJO ;-'
_ '
%k %VAjA\V. a'ir,w\K u.v.'I
: " .\g^.
.ttQO
Vi,.
>
^ f
HI
1
i :^F
-m,
Some 'Books Brlnted jor Thomas Dring at tJ?e
Corner of Chancery Lane in Fleet-ftreet.
Ir William Dugdale^s Monc[flicon Anglicanum. In 3
His Baronage of England^ or an Hiflorical
Account of the Lives and moft Memorable Adfions
of our Englifli Nobility,from the Saxons time j de-
duced from Publick Records, Ancient Hiflorians,
and other Authorities. In x Volumes.
His Origines Juridictates^ or Hiflorical Memo-
rials of the Englifli Laws, Courts of Juftice, Forms
of Tr3^al, Punifliments in Cafes Criminal, Law-
Writers, Settlements of Eflates, Degree of Serjeant,
Inns of Court and Chancery; alfo a Chronology of
the Lord Chancelors, Keepers, Treafurers, Judges,
Barons, Mailers of the Rolls, King's Attorneys and
Sollicitors, and Serjeants at Law. The Second Edi-
tion.
Matth^ei Paris Monachi Alhanenfis Angli Hijloria Ma--
]or. FoL
Volumes in FoL
Oiii ,\Jo/x»t2
Q
T oleration
AND
LIBERTY
CONSCIENCE
ConfibereD.
AND
Proved Imprafticable , Impoffible .
And, even in the
OPINION
O F
DISSENTERS
Sinful and Unlawful.
London, Printed for Thomas Dring , at the Corner of
Chancery Lane next Fleet-Street, 1685.
K/
A/ //r
■Mi
(5>
T oleration
AND
LIBERT
O F
CONSCIENCE
Confidered^ &-c^
'T might reafonably have been hoped that a
Caufe, fo often baffled, fo difowned by Fiea-
ven, fo abandoned by all good men , fo for-
faken of Reafon, fo confounded by Guilt, and
as apparently difmal in future Confequences,
, ' as it hath been fatal to thefe Nations in for-
mer EfJedfs, might at laft have been contented to lie
buried under the Allies of thofe Ruins it had raifed,
as Monuments of its Eternal Infamy to all future A-
ges ; however it had been but an indifferent and ob^-
vious fort of Prudence for the Fadion of Diflenters tO)
A 3. hav.a'
6 Toleration proved hnpraSlkahle.
laid their Fingers upon their Mouths, and by
Deeping to have diDembled a kind or Death, till the
Good Nature of the Government had,according to that
f requent Experience which they have lb often abufed,
pafied another Free and General Pardon in favour of
them ; and truly to begin thus to run upon Tick for
Pardons, before the Old, and the late New contrabfed
Debts of the Fabtion had been compounded for , is a
thing of fuch Extraordinary Confidence , that one
may well fear they will not findPublick Faith enough
at this time of the day to give them Credit, And It
may perhaps raife a Difpute , whether this Religious
Tooth-ach, which is always either fo raging, as to put
the State into a Fever, or upon the application of
gentle Remedies, fo flubbornly importunate, as to put
the Government to continual pain, and not to permit
it any Repofe, may not tempt the trying the laR Ex-
periments of ^verity upon the D:feafe, and removing
the Hollow Tooth to preferve the reft from being
tainted with its Poifon ?
I confefs I could fcarcely have believed it had been
pofiible to have found a Pen fo bold, as to demand Li-
berty and Toleration to carry on New Aftbclations,
Exclufions , and /^e-Houfe Allaffinations , or Neiv-
mar Ret Murders: But I fee, nothing is impolTible!
And whatever fiuttcAig pretences are made, that it is
purely Religious Liberty only that is defired; tiiere4s
nothing moretranfparentiy clear,even to the leaft dif-
cerning Eye. Than that this Religious I.ibcny, w hich
the Innocent of the Fabtion, if fuch there be, are put
upon clamouring, petitioning, begging, or intreating
for, is defigned and intended , if it can be gained, by
the
ToleKation ^ro^ed ImpraBicaUe. y
the more Politick Heads of the Fadion , as the Foun-
dation of all their future Defigns of fubverting the
Government. Give them but this Spot to fix their
Engine upon , and, like Archimedes^ they will not
doubt, from the former Experience they have had of
it, but that they fitall be able to remo\'e the E.irth
from off its Centre, and the Government with Eafe
from off its Hinges. And inEffedthe that begs for
Toleration of all Opinions and Seds, in how purely
Spiritual a Senfe foevcr, only defires to have fo many
Barrels of Gunpowder to be ready to clap under the
Government, and to hold the Lenflock with the
lighted Match in his hand : And then the Capitulati-
on will be very fhort. Gentlemen of the Govern-
ment, Will you pleafe to difmount ? Good Mr. Mo-
narchy, Does it pleafe you to give way to the Com-
mon-wealth ? If not, look you, here are fo many Bar-
rels of Tender Confcience ready, upon the touch, to
take fire ; fo that here's but this Choice, To comply,
or perifli. This we have feen , this I hope we never
fliall fee again. We have feen Good King Charles the
Firfl, and the Government Civil and Ecclefiaflical
thus befet with thefe Demands, vt'ith thefe Threat-
nings from the Men of Confcience. We have feen
the Fatal Blow given , which hath amazed the whole
Earth. We have feen the Government blown into the
Air, and fliattered into a thoufand pieces by this Spiri-
tual Gun-powder. We havefeen the Mine fo happi-
1}^ difcovered , which fliould at once have buried the
Merciful Charles^ the Glorious James , our now moft
Augufl and Gta^ous Sovereign, our Laws, Liberties,
Religion and Government; and all filled with the fame
Materials,,
8 Toleration proyed ImpraSlicahte,
Materials, all wrought with the fame hands , and jufl;
ready for the fame dreadful Execution. It is a flrange
thing that thefe men will not allow us the Wit, which
we have bought fo dear, and that, if the burnt Child
dreads the Fire, they lliould think us fo below that
Sucking Policy, as to permit them, not only to raife
the fame Combuftions and Flames, but that we mud:
be fuch dark Fools to leap into them upon their in-
treaties and Perfwafions that we ilian t be hurt or
burnt; and yet all this mud happen to us again upon
a Toleration, or elfe all the Wife Men of the Nation,
except thofe of the Faction, are extremely deceived in
the Meafures of Computation, and Conjectures con-
cerning future Events, for all that I have ever heard
difcourie or ever have feen write their Thoughts up-
on this Subject do agree with a Nemine contradicente
in this great Truth ; That the Granting of Toleration
to Didenters, is the mofl certain Expedient to Ruin
the Government.
I cannot indeed wonder that the Didenting Party
diould now pray for the taking ofF the Penal Laws,
who not long ago ran bellowing up and down the
Streets, with thole furious Votes which the late Con-
fpirators had made to that Purpofe, and Infolently
threatned Vengeance to fuch honed Miniders of
Judice, who not believing that the Imperfed: Breath of
a Vote was a fudicient Repeal to the Royal SanClion
of a Law, durd difcharge their Duty arid their Con-
fcience in putting them in Execution : But I am, I
confcfs, more than commonly furpri^^d i^q fee the Fa-
Ction humbly odering their Politick Corifidera'tions
to a Parliament, whofe Genius, without cdridilting
Adrology,
Toleration proved hnpraSlicahle, 9
Aftrology, a man may prefume to giiefs will not be
very inclinable to Repeal any Laws fo abfolutely ne-
ceiTary to the fafcty of the King's Perfon, the Sue-
cehion of his Royal Houfe, and the Peace and Securi-
ty of the Government, but who will rather imploy
their Zeal and Wifdom, their Diligence and Induflry,
for the Future, to put it out of the Power of ill
Men to llrake the Crown, or diffurb the Common
Peace and Tranquillity of the Nation, by putting ill
Men out of all manner of Power, Truft, and Capa-
city of influencing Publique Councils, and coun-
tenancing, by any abufed Authority, Fadbious
Principles and Difloyal Pra(Rices,though never fo cun-
ningly trick'd up in the Habit of Confcience, and
Drefs of Religion. But certainly it is the moft af-
fronting Confidence in the World, That thefe Diffent-
ing People fliould prefume to ground their Hopes up-
on his Prefent Majefly's Bounty and Clemency. And
I doubt not but the King, who is as an Angel of God,
may anfwer them with the fame Reafon and Wifdom
as Solomon did his Foolifli begging Brother ; Let him
ask the Kingdom alfo; Let them ask his Imperial
Crown and Royal Scepter, it is but doing it by a
Stratagem and Artifice : Nor is it difficult to believe
that they, who made it fo Unanimous a point of Con-
fcience and Religion, as to a Tingle Man, to be United
in the Expediency and abfolute Neceffity of Excluding
James Duke of Tork^ Alhmy^ and Vlfler^ from fuc-
ceeding to the Imperial Crown oPthis Realm, would
be much tenderer towards James the Second, by the
Grace of God King of England^ &c. And I telieve
it is not pofiible to find that Diflenter in all his Ma-
B * jeflie's
tJ
r
fo
If
a
I
t
•r
f
4
ly
rs
9
c
'if I
hl^'i
I o Toleratioft proved ImpraSi'tcahle»
jeftie's Domirtions, who was not adually either en-
gaged in promoting, petitioning, and addre/Ting for
that fatal Bill, which muft have been the lafl; Will
and Teftament of the Hereditary Monarchy; or at
leafl, who was not aiding, abetting, confenting to it,
defirous of it, and to their Power alTifting thofe that
did with fuch violence profecute it. Nay I dare not
excufe even the Tea and Nay Men • for however they
now pretend tlieir hearts were Right, I have feen both
in City and Country, Zealous Sh^oals of them poll to
give their Free Votes to fuch Men as they knew were
Exclufioners, and of the firft Rate too. Nor have
thefe People by any Signal A<5b of good Behaviour
made it appear, That they love his Majefly ever a jot
the better for his being King, than they did whileft he
was Duke. And I wonder in my heart what they
mull: think of the King who treat him at this Rate; as
if the ready way to Rep into his Royal Favour were
to be his Enemy; or as if it were the bed Maxim of
Government to difoblige his beft Friends and give
titem up for a Booty and a Prey to his Worfl Enemies.
I confefs his Charity and Clemency muft at that rate
far Exceed that of his Royal Brother, to whom the In-
gratitude of thofe, upon whom it was conferr'd, made
even his Mercy fo difadvantageous as to have wanted
but little of proving his Ruin, and verifying^ the Cha-
racfter which Shaftshury in a good humour gave of
him. That he had the Royal Vertue of Mercy even to
a Fault. But what ever thoughts thefe People have of
theEaftnefs of the King or the Inclinablenefs of the En-
fueing Parliament to give them Toleration, I meet
with a great many of his beft Subjeds, who arc of a
far
Toleration proved JmpraBicahle. 4 \
far different Opinion, and who think far morehono-
rably of the Wifdoni of their Prince and the Difcretion
of the Parliament in this Particular, and who believe
neither the one nor the other will be induced to
make a third Experiment of Diflenters Loyalty.
It feems however, that they have Ibme very warm
hopes about their hearts; and truly herein they appear
very Sanguine in thinking or believing, That though
they have been fuch Zealous Exclufioners, yet they
themfclves are not to be excluded from the Right
which they pretend to have to Toleration and Liberty
of Confcience; But among all their Confiderations,had
they added another,to make the Ten Eleven, That Me-
rits and good Services are the true Foundation of the
Bounty and Indulgence of Wife PrinceSy I am afraid
they would have found their whole Party fo flenderly
ftock'dwith that preparing Ingredient for a rational
Hope, that they might e'en have fpared the other ten.
But if men will hope againft Reafon, they muft
be contented to fit down with Difappointment,
which is the natural Effedl of that pleafing Flat-
tery.
But it feems they believe they have reafon, and not
only fo, but unanfwerable Right for their Hopes, and
therefore they have recommended them to us under
Ten Confiderations, which with their good leave we
will take the Liberty to confider of: For truely, to me
they feem only to have confidered on one fide; where-
as Toleration is a Matter of that important Moment,
that it deferves to be confidered of again and again,
B z and
1 2 Toleration pfoVed ImpraBkahle.
and polTibly may require not only fccond, but tliird
and fourth Thoughts of the Wifeft Men, before they
come .into the belief of the bare Expediency, much
lefs the Gonveniency and Nece/Iity of it.
But before I enter upon that Matter , I cannot o-
mit one Paffage in theEpiftle Dedicatory, proceeding
the Confiderations moving to Toleration , where the
Author tells us. That the only Argument againfl it^ is a
Clamorous pretence of its danger to the Government j
and that .Republick Machinations^ andpojfonous Defigns
have, or maj be hatcht under Liberty of Confcience.
For that there have and may be again thofe Atheijli-
cal and Diabolical Perfons, who villainoujly, under the
Veil of Religion, play the blackeft Hypocrites, and car-
ry on their own ambitious and damnable Intrigues un-
der that Golden Vizor. But, adds he. Is that a fuffici-
ent Plea , why thofe, whofe utmojl him is the Innocent
Worjhip of God, untainted with any fuch dijloyal
Thoughts, Jhould be fined,harafs d, imprifoned, beggar d
and ruind as fuch ? If the Government has had Ex-
perience of thofe Antimonarchic'alPrinciples,undoubted-
ly that Experience hath given it Difcretion enough to
prevent the Future Effetls of them, and to dijiinguifh
betwixt the Guilty and the Innocent. Let every Ju-
das therefore have his Judas Fate, ^c. Now from
hence there arife many things worthy of our Confide-
ration. Firfi:, We may confider how gently our E-
piftler handles the moft loud and clamorous, the
mod flagitious Confpiracy, Treafon and Rebellion,
that ever the Sun faw , with calling it a Clamorous
pretence of Danger , that may be, or has bekn to the
Government,
Toleration proyed ImpraHicahk. i ^
GovernmeMt. We have a very fine time on't indeed,
if fo much Blood and Treafure, fo much Sacrilege,
and fo many unexampled Crimes mufi: now amount
to no more than Pretences; the overthrowing the
Government, the Murder of the Sacred Perfon of
the King,the Defolation of the Church ; are thefe only
Pretences ? I took them always for mofi; real,as well as
monftrous Matters of Fad:, and they who felt them,
knew them to be fuch , and knew from whofe hands
they received thofe difmal Wounds ,* even from the
Gentle, Eafie , Peaceable Dlflenters : Nor will it a-
vail to call them Atheiftical and Diabolical Traitors
fiuce they were then reputed Saints , even by thofe
rnen,'who now call themfelves fo, and who could ne-
ver yet be perfwaded to abandon that Eternal Princi-
pie of Rebellion, or fwallow the Teft intended to
corred that Poyfon, nor ever be brought to afient
and confent, that it is unlawful for SuhjeUs^ upon any
pretence whatfoever^ to take up Arms againji the King-,
or thofe Commiffioned hy him. In the next place it
deferves our confideration , how Traitors, that have
the misfortune not to fucceed , come" to be Atheilli-
cal and Diabolical Hypocrites; and how free our Dedi-
cator is, to have every ]vidzs have his Reward^
wliich
14 Toleration proyed ImpraSiicaVle.
which truly is a more fevere Sentence than he ima-
gines, if every man, who hath endeavoured by Re-
publick Machinations, and poifonous Defigns, hatcht
under Liberty of Confcience, deferves the Reward of
Jttdas , and the Wifdom of the Nation and Govern'
rnent, as he exhorts, Take care to feejt executed,
I am apt to believe no great number of thofe, for
whom he pleads, will appear fo Innocent even within
thefe few Years , but that they will be in more or
lefs danger of his SentenceV and will (land in need of
a Free and General Pardon to excufe tliem from it.
But here is the Cunning Artifice of the Party, when
for Overt A6ts of Treafon, Jufrice hath Tingled out
the deteded Criminals from the Herd , they treat
them as Deer will do their hunted Companions, pufli
them out, and ofier them as a Sacrifice to the ofTen-
ded Government ; then they are Atheijlkal and Dia-
holical the hlackefl Hypocrites, ivho carry on their
own amhitiom and damnalle Intrigues under the Golden
Vizor of Confcience; and then you mufr believe that
all the reft, who have had either the Wit or good For-
tune , or rather who have wanted Wit to be trufted
with the great Secret, muft be celebrated for fuch,
whofe uimofl aim is the Innocent Worfhip of God, un-
tainted
Toleration proved IntpraHicahle, 15
Rn
tainted with any Dijloyal Thoughts. So that aiding,
affifting, abetting , comforting and relieving Traitors
and Confpirators , promifing to (land by them with
Life and Fortunes , are no ways Criminal, or the leaft
blemiili to a Diflenter's Innocence , or untainted Loy-
alty.
But then comes a Mafter-piece of Art to be confi-.
dered , which indeed furpallcth all that ever went be-
fore or ever fliall come after our Dedicator, when he
■ tdls us,//the Government has had Experience of thofe
,'lieil jinfimonarchkal Principles,undoubtedly that Experience
laut hath given it Difcretion enough to prevent the future-
treat Effebis ofthem,and to diHinguijh between the Guilty and'
pil the Innocent,\v]\iQh is as well argued,as if I Ihould fay,,
ofo The World hath had Experience of thoufands that
have been Idtl'd by Poifon mingled with their Food
thir therefore undoubtedly that Experience hath taught
"A mankind Difcretion enough to prevent the future Ef-
stk foils of thofe Poifons,and to diftingufli between them
for. and wholefome Food.Whereas all the difBculty in both
id Cafes is to diftinguilh; and the way to prevent the
IjoIi^ future Effeds is to avoid that which they know hath
been mortal Poifon to others. Now the Wifdom^
the Government hath believed, notwithflanding our-
Dedicartor's,
16 Toleration improved Im^raBicahle,
Dedicator's ZJndouhtedly^ that it is abfolutely impofli-
, ble to diflinguifli the Innocent, from the Guilty, and
that the fafell way to prevent future Effedfs and Dan-
gers, is by Coercive Laws to keep the Poifon from
fpreading, by denying this falfe Liberty of Confcience
and Toleration , which by Experience they have
found fo fatal to the Government: This is the only
Difcretion this fed Experience hath given the Go-
vernment for Prevention ; and this is the only thing
our Dedicator would have them part with ; a very
kind Gentleman tru'ely, who doubts not but they
have Difcretion; but indeavours to cully them out of
it, and to leave them nothing but the Empty and
Flattering Name of Wifdom. For let him talk till the
World's End, he will find it fo impofiible for the Go-
vernment to have that Difcretion of difcerning the
Innocent from the Guilty, that even the moll Inno-^
cent may not be able to difcover it themfelves.
mo repente Jit furpifimus ; there are certain lleps by
which men,who were in their own Ellecm and of the
World moH Innocent, come gradually to defcend to
the moll infernal WickedneiTes; and truly Liberty of
Confcience feems_ to open the black Gate to that
dreadful Defcent.
With
Toleration proved ImpraUicahle. 17
With what Indignation did Hazael rejaartee to the
Weeping Prophet, who told him what inhumane Ti-a-
gedies he Hiould Ad, Am I a Dog ? Can any Man be-
lieve that the late liorrid Rebels and Regicides, at
the firfl; Step of their Confcientious Rebellion, had
the Kings Murder in their Eye, and the utter
Subverfion of the Government in their Thoughts?
Truly it is not probable; but when once their Hand
was in, and their Confciences got loofe from the
Laws, they knew not where to ftop. Could a Man
judge by their Words and Pretences, they were the
molt Innocent People upon the Earth; but how were
they miftaken when it came to Trial? Nor is it
poRible for any Humane Power to difcover whe-
ther the prefent Pretenders to Innocence are not
jufl fuch Men: and therefore much more agreeable
to Prudence, to proted the Government by fufped-
ing the worft, than expofe it to the fame Dangers
by an eafie Credulity, lo liable to be miftaken, and
fo ruinous if it be.
But to put this Matter out of difpute, our Dedi-
cator will do himfelf, the Dillenters, and the Go-
vernment the greateft kindnefs imaginable, if he will
but for once be fo obliging, to let this infallible way
of difcovering the Innocent from the Guilty be made
Publkk J and fince it is fo Eafie, as that he tells us,
undoubtedly the Government knows how to do it,
me thinks he will be very hard-hearted if he de-
nies it; for undoubtedly it is not yet' known to a-
ny but himfelf j and I dare engage he may have a
C Patent
18 Toleration proved ImpraBicaile.
Patent as the firft Difcoverer; and, which is worth
all, without any of the ten Confiderations, move the
Government more effe<llualiy to fpare the Innocent,
than all the Wickednefs of the Guilty have provo-
ked it to punifli them. But I fear I have mifta-
ken the Dedicator, and that there lies a cunning E-
cjuivocation in the Belly of his Difimguijhing hetwixt
the Innocent and the Guilty; and that his meaning is,
all are Innocent who are not adiually difcovered to
be Judas es and Traytors, fo that the Government
in good Difcretion ought not to prevent Mens com-
ing to the Gallows by moderate Punilhments, but
only hang them if they be not ftrong enough to o-
verthrow it, and yet will be attempting againft the
Government. Juft as if it were an Indifcretion
to whip a Fellow for Petit-Larceny, or Shop-lift-
ing, and let him alone till he grows a notable Fe-
Ion, and worth the hanging. Whereas it hath e-
ver been thought the greatefl; Wifdom in Govern-
ment, to crulh the Beginnings of Mifchiefs j frincu'
piis ohfia having ever held a good Rank in the Po-
iiticks of the World. Now to diftinguilh in this fenfe
between the Innocent and Guilty, is what the Go-
vernment wifely intends j and thinking thofe whofe
Principles are dangerous, and have been found fo
by Experience, remotely .guilty, it endeavours by Pe-
nalties and Reftridions to keep them from doing
Hurt to themfeives and others: and if fome who are
as to Ads, and polTibly Intentions, Innocent, as it
were in the midft of Contagion do fuller, till it is
polfible to diftinguifti and know them from thofe
who
Toleration proved Impradlicabk, i ^
who are Guilty either fecretly, adtually, or intentio-
nally, they muft remember the Fable of the Stork ta-
ken among the Cranes^ and be contented to fuffer
in ill Company, fince they cannot be perfwaded to
forfake it.
I have but a word to add to the Dedica-
tor, and tlmt is concerning a pallage where he taxes
the Government with the higheft injuflice for jf-
vingy harrajjing, &c.^ thofe who only innocently aim at
the Worjhipping of God^ as fuch; wliich is one of the
moft falfe and malicious Scandals in the World,
charged upon the Government: if it were true, tlie
Government were the moft Tyrannical, Unjuft, and
Cruel} but as it is notorioufly falfe, the Calumnia-
tor is moft intolerable; and that it is falfe, is moft
apparent, there being no Law which dire(fts or in-
fli^s a Penalty upon Dillenters, but Ihews the rea-
fon and occafion of its rife and feverity, the fecu-
ring the publick Peace of the Kingdom, from the
Dangers which by former experience have been
known to take their original from thefe pretences
and Pretenders to Confcience and Religion, and not
for their Innocent aiming only at the Worfliip of
God, or as fuch Innocents as he would make
them.
I now come to confider of the Confiderations
moving to Toleration, which I will indeavour to
do with all Truth and ihortnefs. The Firft is. That
it is not the Will of God to appoint forcible Ways or
C X Courfes
20 toleration proved ImpraUicahle.
Courfes to hring men to conform to hh iVorJhip.^ Now
this is apparently falfe. For, Firft, it is pkin, that
God would have all men to be faved, and to come to
the Knowledge of the Truth. Now how God would
have this Will of his effedled, is beft known by his
own Methods J he entreats, he befeeches by his Am-
bafladors, he does good all ways, by long SufTe-
ring he indeavours to lead men to Repentance, he
threatens, if men will not turn, he will whet his
Sword and bend his Bow, he puniflies the obfti-
nate and incorrigible vifibly many times in this
World, and will hereafter in Flaming Fire take
vengeance on thofe that know not God, and obey
not the Gofpel. Are not thefe Rewards and Punilli-
ments t Are not thefe the moft compulfive Me-
thods imaginable? Shall we accufe God, and fay, he
leaves any thing unattempted to fave Sinners ? For
this Caufe many are fick and weak, faith St. Tad.
For thefe things the Wrath of God cometh uponthe
Children of Difobedience. Are thefe only gentle In-
vitations, or the fevere Terrors of the Lord And
yet it is Gods will that thefe flioulS be made ufe
of, and that his Ambafladors ihould not only in-
treat and feek Peace, but threaten War, that where
Love cannot, Fear may compel men to be Religi-
ous. It is true, God hath not put the Temporal
Sword into the hands of the Church, he is the
God of Order, and not Confufion; but he hath
veiled the Temporal Magillrate with a Terrfporal
^Sword, which he bears not in Vain, but is to be
a Terror to Evil doers, as well as an Incourager
\
1015
Toleration proved Impradlicable. 21
of them that do well. Sure the commanding, the
injoyning, the obliging men to be Religious, is with-
in his CiommilTion ; and the punilhing the Impious
and Irreligious comes within. the reach of that
Sword,' which is not to be difobeyed under pain of
Damnation. What God hath commanded, the Magi-
Urate may fee performed; what God hath prohibited,
he may alfo prohibit: and his Power wiU fignifib
nothing, he will bear the Sword in vain, if it has
no E^e, if he may not punilh. Nay, there can
be no Order, no Government in the World, if in'
indifferent things the Magiftrate hath not power
to impofe what is mofl conducive to the Peace and
'Happinefs of his People, and to punifli thofe who
difobey his Laws," and plead Exemption from his
Power, as every Diflenter does who pleads for Li-
berty of Confcience. So that it is plain, the firfl:
Con.lderation, andits Gonfequences," are^f^lfe; and
they who will Arraign the Magiflrate oP Iii^Ifice
for ufing a Coercive Power in punilhing Evil doers,
as all irreligious Perfohs are, do in effedt arraign
him by whom Kings Reign; and truly they who at
their firfl: flep dare fo boldly undertake, what is,
and what is not the Will of God, bbntrary to his
Revealed Will, and vifible Methods of propagating
Religion, by Punifhments as well as Invitations, by
Judgment as well as Mercy, may be luppos'd either
very ignorant, or very boldly impious.
Nor is the fecond Confidbration much better, or
much Truer outward Compuljion in mat fen of
Confcience
22 Toleration proved Impradlicdk,
Coufdence can only ferve to wake wen Hypocrites;
if Men conform to any Worftoip^ or ivay thereof mth
an unvoiUing wind^ they cannot ferve God aright^
though the Worjhip he Eighty hecaufe the heart of the
Worfhipper is not right , kSc. Can outward Com-
pulfion only make Men Hypocrites, though the
Worfliip they are compelled to, be Right ? This is
a fevere Sentence, and I fear carries more in it
then the Confiderer intended; For firft, I take it
for granted, that there is more or lels of compul-
fion, in bringing all men to Religion; for Religion
is not in corrupted Nature, but is fuperinduced
upon it, by flrong and violent Compulfions of
the Mind, by the Fears of Evil, or Defires of Hap-
pinefs; and Compulfion is Compulfion ftill, let it
come from God or Men, from Love or Fear, from
my own Mind, or the Magiftrates Power ; fo that
bring this into a Logical Argument, and it con-
eludes thus.
All Compulfion in Religion can only ferve to make
Men Hypocrites.
But all Men are compelled by fomething or o-
ther, to be Religious.
Therefore, all Religious Men are Hypocrites, nay,
even though compelled to perform a Right Worlhip.
Sure this is moft Horrible, as well as moft Falfe.
And fecondly, our Confiderers only, that compulfion
€an only ferve to make Men Hypocrites^ is a moft bar-
barous,
Holeration proved ImpraBicaHe, 23
barous, as well as Falfe Reftridtion. I have a Lewd
who was bred an Idolater, I muft not com-
pel him to go to Church, for fear I o»(y make him
a Hypocrite. Oh uncharitable! I have a Carelefs, Ig-
norant, Wicked Servant, who had rather Drink and
Play, than go to Divine Service; I mull let him a-
lone, it can on/jr ferve to make him a Hypocrite!
Yes fure, it may ferve for fome better End ; It may
ferve to open his Eyes; it may ferve to inlighten his
Mind; it may ferve to affedt his Will, to move his
Affedions, to corredb his Errours, and at laft to fave both
the Body and Soul of the Idolater and Prophane. And
I doubt not, but many Diflenters have already found
advantage, by coming even by compulfion to our
Churches, and hope more will, than barely the faving
their Purfes, and turning Hypocrites. But it is ei-
ther fome Mens Ignorance, or Malice, to indeavout
to flop Men from gaining a true Information of
their Judgments; and if they can but talk againfl
Compulfion, and for Liberty of Confcience, and keep
their miflead Profelytes from comming to under-
Hand their Duty, Interefl, and Happinefs, here and
Eternally, by Difbbedience to thofe whom God
hath appointed to watch over their Souls, and com-
manded them to obey them, they think themfelves
Mighty Men, and Men of Renown; and yet at the
fame time that they would not have Men compel-
led to go to Church, they compell them by the
moft terrible Menaces, of Eternal Damnation, to
keep out of our Churches, and will not permit them
fo much as to hear the kind Invitations of the Hea-
venly
^ 24 Toleration proved Impradlicahle.
venly Ambanadonrs, who are fent to negotiate Peace
and good will among Men, and to befeech them
to be reconciled to God. So that it feems, Men may.
be compejled not to hear, but they mud not be com-
pelled to hear, though Faith comes by hearing, and
they who are to be heard, are the Preachers, and
tliofe Preachers are to be fent, and not to run up-
on their own Heads, as the Teachers of Diflenters
do, without either Mifljon Extraordinary by the at-
telbation of Miracles, or Ordinary by Succeffioo from
Chrid and j his Apodles. , ^ ^ ,
P'l. ■ ' .1. ^
'' The third Confideration tells us, All forts of Per-
fans are for Liberty of Confcience for therrfelves^ even
thofe that are mofi'impofng upOH others; and why fhould
not the C/.'^^r^Proteftants make the Presbyterians,
the Independents, the Papifts Cafe their own in this
pointy and do to others ivhat they would Men Jhould
do unto them?
This Conrideration is alfo unconduding, unlefs he
had laid, Ail Perlbns , Presbyterians , Independents^
Papijls^ who are for Liberty of Confcience for them-
felves, are alfo for allowing it to others; and why
Ihould not the Church-Protellants ? For if Pres-
hyterians &c. be for denying Liberty of Conici-
ence to others, when they are in Power, where is
the Injuftice in the Church-Proteftants for doing
the fame thing .>
C A
And
f
Toleration proved ImpraUicablei 25
And wherein do they more tranfgrefs the Gnlden
Rule, of doing to others as they would they fhould
do unto thecn ? But the Presbfteriant^ Independents,
&c. if we may believe their Oracles, think Jt not
only unlawful, but damnable to allow of Tolera;i-
on of all Sefts and Opinions. They who will read
Roger L'Eflrange his DiJJenters Savings, may foon
fee what Opinion Presbyterians have of roleration.
Edwards, a Presbyterian'-, A Toleration is againft the
Nature of Retorraation. Cafe, It is. Fight God,
fght Devil, fight Chriji, fght Antichrifi., catch that
catch can'-, Part irt. Sedt. ift. of Toleration. To-
leratioa hath all Errors in it, and all Evils. Ed-
wards 5 Liberty in all matters of Worlhip and
Faith, is the open and apparent way to fet up Pope-
ry. Baxter j A Butchering of Souls, a Shop of
Poyfon for all men to buy and take that will^ Idew,
That which Independents deny in New England,ihey
(hould not ask for here m old England, Dijfenters
Sayings, Part 2Sedt. li/. of Toleration, I might
inftance inathcufand more, both from the Colie-
dtion ofithat excellent perfon, and others 5 but I
need not prove the Sun (hines at high noon. Nor
is it a breach of that admirable Rule, in all cafes to
deny that to others which we would not be denied.
A Judg upon the Bench condemns the Criminal 5
the Criminal argues, My Lord, if you were in my
place, would you defire to be thus dealt with, and
be condemned ? My Lord, do not tranfgrels the
Exc Jlent Rule Do to others as you would be
done by: For this is the Law and the Prophets.
And yet I believe no man from hence will infer.
That the Judg ought not to condemn the Criminal.
D And
26 toleration -proved Im-pral^icahle.
And rile cafe is plain, We deny this Liberty, as
the Judg, for a PublickGood. We defire it, be*
caufe we have by no ill aftion forfeited that Liber-
ty to the Juftice of the Laws of God and Men, as
all thefe pleaders to Toleretion are well known to
have done , which is the Reafon why they are
abridged , even left they ftiould hurt themfelves
and others with it, as they have done heretofore.
So that till our Confiderer proves. That all that
defire Toleration, would as freely and readily give
it as receive it, were they in fetled power 5 I lee
nothing moving in his Confideration towards To-
leration, or the Juftice of it. And if they will
but ftay for the obtaining of it, till they would) if
they were in the fame Circumftances with the
Church-Proteftants, grant it, fome hopes they may
have, and fome Juftice in their Flea: But when it
was their turn, of all others the Church Prcte-
ftants were efteemed moft intolerable : nor could
they obtain the leaft favour from Fines, Imprifon-
ments, Sequeftrations and Ruin. I- not Adcf7ibe<
zeci(s cafe worth confidering, as well as thH. Con-
fideration ? efpecially fince in the day of their
Power, they did not only cut off the Thumbs
and Toes , but the Head; Whereas the Go-
Vernment in return , only ties up their Hands
from bringing the Knot upon their own
Necks.
The Fourth Confideration is not only frivolous,
as to martt rof Argument, but of dangerous con-
fequence. For if Toleration, as Mr, Baxter fays,
b- a Shop of Poifon, it is a very inhumane Com-
plemeat to fay, ?raj takf a lic/i of vphuh pot you
fieafe,
tie ft
Toleration proved ImpraMcahle. 27
phdfe^ and much good maji it do jou. I believe our
Coafiderer would take it in this calc for a far more
obliging civility, to be denied than gratified , if
• his curiofity tbould hanker after a tafte of the
dangerous entertainment 5 and the way to be
courteous in his (enfe, is fo far from being pitiful^
that it is to be cruel. But let this pafs as a comple-
ment fit forthemouth ofaconfideringDififenter, in
an high fit of courtefie.
And now for the Fifth ^ wherein he remembers
us of the hot doings of Queen Maries days , and
threatens us with the danger of the Wheel coming
over again. I think he cannot give a more cogent
Argument againft Toleration, nor a fairer warning
to us to have care of our lelves, and put a fpoakin
the Wheel, and endeavour to prevent the hot do-
ings which affuredly Toleration is the moft ready
and efFc(auai method to bring upon us. We have
been under the Wheel of Toleraation in King
Charles the Firft's time, and have had our bones
crufhed with its weight. We had almoft come un-
der it again in King C^ar/w the Second's time; To-
lerationhad fb fet the Wheel a-going, that it had
much ado to be ftopt. And muft we now lay our
(boulders to it alio, and whip on the furious Team
by Toleration > It is kindly done however of our
Confiderer, to re-mind us of our danger : And if
he have no better, or more moving Arguments for
Toleration, I btlieve he will not move the Wheel
much, unlefi it be upon the Neck of himlclf and
party.
But let us hear his Conforming aud Noncon-
forming ProteStants and PapiHs agree in the main t
D 2 xchjf
2 8 Toleration povid ImpraSiiable,
why Jfjould they not all he tolerated ^ Now either
this Conllderer is a N'^nconfoTning Proteftant, or
a Papift. If a ]Vo«-Co«, how cotnes he to advocate
for Popery, which they all pretend to deteft , to
that degree, as Idolatrous and Antichriftian, as
upon that very Foot to lay the Foundation of the
Quarrel againft the Ghiirch Proteftant?, as Papifts
in Vlafquerade ? If he be a Papift, it is a very fine
piece of bufinefs, to fee thefe mortal Enemies of
a fudden reconciled, and come to fuch fair terms
among themfelves, when they pretend« fuch a
moital hatred. Certainly a Crueifie rauft be the
end, when Herod znd Tikte are made Friends. I
confefs, Ithink a Papift hath as fair a Right to
Toleration as the reft of the Pretenders 5 and that
is juft none at all. For if all thefe agree in the
main. One God, One Faith, One Baptifm , yet
there are a thouftnd other things wherein they
diGgree, which are incompatible, not only with
true Religion, but with the Peace of the Civil Go-
vercftiicnt. But to lee now how the world is amended
with our Diflemers. The Church of England is im
tolerable and Antichriftian, becaufe it comes fo near
the Papifts. The Papifts themlelves deftrve Tolera-
tion, becauie they believe one God, So that
here's hot and cold out of the lame mouth. Certainly
this is a very moving Argument to Proteftantselpe-
daily. And if for theftkeof fome fundamental
Truths, all Errors that are held with thofe Truths
muft' be tolerated, let us build Mojquees for the
Turkj: for they believe one God, and Synagogues
for the Jews, who believe all the o d TeHat^ent.
Let us tolerate the AlTafliDis, wno believe ail
our
Toleration proojed ImpraSiicable, 2p
our Presbyterians believe, and call themlelves. The
Kirk, and yet certainly are ftch a peftilent Race
of men, as they are the very fcandal of Re-
ligion, and ftiatne of Humanity 5 and a dreadful
inftance to what heights Toleration may be im-
jjroved , even to the Ruine, of Humane fociety,
and tuining Religion into the moll Diabolical and
linpious Barbarity, fuch as with whom there is
not only no coming together in the fame Churchy
but no living with fafety together with them in
the fame Land : And Ihould the Lamb lie down
with thele Wolves, or the Kids with thefe Leo-
pards, unlefs they change Principles, I fear both
the Lamb and the Kid would fcarce arife again
alive in the Morning. Nor is it like, that Tolera-
tion Ihould ever fulhl that glorious Prophecy which
the €on(iderator applies to very little purpofe to it.
As to the Seventh, concerning the French Prote-
ftants, it comes not at all home to our cafe 5 had
the French Monarchy been ruined by them, had
the Government been laid in Blood, Afhes and
Contufion : I know no body could have blamed
the French King for endeavouring to lecure himfelf
againlt fuch prattiles for the future v h h but 0us
Pifcator ppit, miking ufe of the wildom a man
hath paid dearly for. Nor can any mortal man give
any colourable reafon why our Kings, Parliaments,
Laws and Govtriimenr, Ihould not endeavour to
fecure thtmfelves from fuch mifchiefs as they have
formerly felt, and have but too ranch reafon to
fear from men of the fame reltlcfs tempers, and per*
nicious Princip'es. And poilibly the terror of the
Revolutions which have happened to bis near
NciglL.
. t:
30 Toleration proved ImpraEiicable.
Neighbours, may have alarm'd the French Monarch
to endeavour by an early precaution to prevent
the Hke at home for the future 5 and if French
Proteftants are prolecuted, they may in a great
meafure thank the EngHpi DIGenters for it, for
perlecuting their Kings, and railing fuch diftur-
bances in the Government, as they have fo often
done: Nor if we blame him, do we judg our
(elves by doing the fame thing. For the Govern*
ment of England reftrains the Diffenters for former
guilt, as well as future fear ^ and if the French
King did the fame, no perfon could blame him.
The Eighth Confideration is a meer falacy, an
argument from a particular to an univerfai. Nor
would Toleration have that influence as to
incourage Trade, but the contrary 5 Wife men
and Good men would be in fufpenfe and fear
of Changes and devolutions, the greateft damps
of Trade and Induftry : Nor did any thing
appear ever more clearly, than by the experiment
made by the lafl; Indulgence; for the Trade of
the Nation hath never been (b low, never Money
more (carce, never Commodities more cheap,
than (ince, and in the time of that Toleration,
and the Turbulent confequences which attended
it. And what if Three or Four fullen Clothiers
would have packed up their Auls, and fliut up
their little Exchequer, muft that needs prove the
unavoidable neceffity of fatitfying their peeviQi
humour by a Toleration ? In very good time.
And what if that would not have contented
them in another peevifh fit, but they muft have
had Eftablilhmeut, and ib on to the end of the
Chapter,
Toleration proved ImpraHicahle, 31
Chapter, tuuft they ftill have been plealed, or
all undone ^ Now in my mind, the Gentleman
who ufcd to gratify a froward Boy with every
thing he defired, for fear forfooth he (hould cry
himfelf to death , found out a better expedient 5
for the Boy at laft finding every thing yielded,
cryed for the Moon, Oh the Moon, the Moon s no-
thing elfe would fe;ve him to play with but the
Moon ^ a good Rod well applyed cured his longing
and his crying for both the Moon or any other
extravagant-Toys. I doubt not but had thofe
Zealous Clothiers made a ftep into the other
world, it had been eafy to have found out thofe
who without a Toleration, would have been
content to drive on fo advantageous a Trade, and
the Families who depended on them, would
have taken Money from others to buy Bread,
though it had not had the leafi: fnaell of Tole-
ration about it. Let the Diffenters leave trading
when they pleale, there are honeft men enough
to fill up the gap y but let no man fear they
will ever quit that part of Oodlinefs which hath
gain at the bottom; Whether they have Tole-
ration, or whether they be refufed it. Trade will
go 00, and if they will not, others will.
The Ninth confideration is indeed a notable
one ^ The Confiderer puts the King in mind of
his own promile to imitate the Clemency of bis
Royal Brother, and of his Brothers promifes
from Breda: So that he would have the World
believe he hath the word of Two Kings for it,
and in truth that were a moving confideration
indeed* But to do him Right, he hath undone
the
32 Toleration proved Impra^iicahle.
the confideration byvquoting the bte Kings Decla-
T 'tioa too faitbtully,a fault his Party are notuliially
guil.y of, »For it is plain in both the quotations
of the ■ Declaration of Breda ^ April, 1660, and
that of Ol^ober 1660, That the Kings promife Wi.s
conditional. That no man Jhould be difquieted or
ca.*ei in quefiion for diferences in Opinton in
matter of Religion^-which do not dijittrb the Peace
of the Kingdom. So that if their opinions in
matters of Religion were difturbing of the Peace
of the Kingdoni,the Kings promife did not extend to
them. Now let any man fee which of the Laws
againft which they complain, are enafted upon
any other foot, than as they are difturbersof the
Peace of the Kingdom. So that of -confequence
his prefent Majefty being under no greater obli-
gation of his Royal word, in following his Bro-
thers Example in point of Clemency, he will not
think himfelf obliged to indulge their opinions
in Religion, except thofe which do not difturb
the peace of the Kingdom ; And this will not
untie the knot of one >Law, fince the Laws, as
before was (aid, only animadvert upon them for
their dilfurbing and indangering the Peace of the
Kingdom. Well, but at the laft, he tells us the
late King granted Indulgence and Toleration by
his Declaration., March 1672. And what then.<?
Sure the Diflfenters were wonderful grateful, du-
tifuL, and kind upon it > Yes I warrant you 5
the Minifiers brought him thankj from feveral
Counties for this his Decla' ation, ft to be re. orded 5
but Pity it is, any thing like Dilientcrs Gra-
titude (hould be loft for want of being recorded.;
But*
ffi, ii
Toleration proved ImpraSiicable. 3 5
But quid verba andiam mm faSla video P
Fair Words and foul Deeds, they quickly
paid him in another Coin, and the Tolerati-
on having given them leave to Train and
Mufier, they foon gave him occafion to re-
pent his favour ^ Now City and Country
begins to ring with Fears of Popery and Ar-
bitrary Government. The Parliament are
Penlioners, and mufl: be Diffolved j and
what influence thefe Tolerationers had up-
on fucceeding Ele(51:ions, and what ex-
cellent Men they lent to Reprefent the
Commons, let the Votes, the Addrefles,
the Petitions, and at lafl: the K^c-Houfe
Confpiracy tell the World ^ they are fo
frefli yet and fo well known, and particu-
larly to his prefent Majefty in the Bill of
Exclufion , that I wonder the confidera-
tion did not adde that as another Ar-
gument moving to Toleration : truely it
might as well have been urged as.the
other Ten, for any thing of moment f can
lee in them j efpecially this lalf, which can
onely ferve to reflet upon what Merits
they can pretend to challenge this King
with his own and his Brothers Promife.
E Let
54 Toleration proved hnpraSlicable,
Let us firfi: try how they will behave them-
ielves peaceably without difturbing the Go-
vernriient for Forty or Fifty years and
then let them claim the benefit of the
Promifes, which are onely limited to that
Condition.
We have now onely our Authors laft
cohfideration, which brings up the Rere ,
as Argnmentum ab Authoritate : And which
amounts to this, That feveral great Church-
men are of Opinion, That Religion if not to-
be propagated n>ith Sanguinary Larpf^ nor Here'
jies punijljed by Fire and Faggot. And here-
in I know no body will contradid: either him
or his Authorities. The Churches Sword
draws no Blood, the Sword of our Law
draws no Blood purely for Religion. Is not
the Law de Herotico comhnrendo repealed ?
What then is this to the purpofe. Men are
not to loofe their Lives for their Religion, or
different Opinions in what they call Religi-
on, Ergo they are to be Tolerated. Men
are not to be hanged by our Laws for Pcrju-
ry, Ergo Perjury, ought to be allowed : is
not this an admirable confequence. But if
he means men are not in any way to be pu-
nifiied
Toleration proved Impra^icabte. 35
niflied for their Religious Opinions, he hath
given us no authority ; for that the Imperial
Edicls fet many pecuniary Mulfls upon Dif-
fenters in former times, and brought many
ftraglers to the Church by moderate Fines,
fo that there is Argumentum ah Anthoritate for
Fines : But what is this to our cafe ? Men are
not to loofe their Lives for Religion, there-
fore not for Sedition nor Rebellion neither.
It is for thefe that any of the DilTenters have
ever loft their Lives, and if they will make
Rebellion, Conrpiracy,Treafon, and Sedition,
a part of their Confciencious R eligion ; I
hope the Church may ule her Arms, of Tears
and Prayers, as in her Litany, from all Privy
Confpiracy, ^c. Good Lord deliver us j and
I hope the Temporal Magiftrate may ufethe
Liberty of his Confcience in infliding the Pe-
nalties of the Laws upon fuch pretetiders to
ReJigipn, as turn Faith into Fa^lion, and o-
verturn Governnients, Murden Princes, LIfur p
Throues, kill apd flay all that oppofe them
for Confciepce fake. It is for difturbing the
Peace of the Kingdom if they are Fined, Im-
prifopqd, or any ways PiinilTied : It is not for
their having .a . Conlcience, but for having-no
E 2 Con-
4^ Toleration pro^ved hnpraSiicahle.
Confciencc, for making no Confcience of dif
obeying the King, and His Minifters, the
Lavvs, and the Government.
I Reverence the Memory of King Charles
the Firft, whom the Tolerations made a Mar-
tyr, Who rvould not ha've men who differ onely
about the Shirts and Subhurhs of Religion pu-
nifjed \ but if they ftrike at the Heart, the
Metropolis, both of Religion and Govern-
ment, I believe the fafeR Advice was what he
gave His Son, our late Soveraign, ToForgwe
them but nenjcr TruH them:- No not fo much as
X
with the dangerous Edge-tool of Toleration.
I have but two or three words to adde,
which I would have confidercd as Arguments
moving againft Toleration.-
Firff, It is not poflible that any Diflenter
would have all Opinions that call themfelves
Religion Tolerated. For then the Religion
of Mahometans-) Jews who deny ChriR, Ido-
laters who Worlhip the Sun and Moon, who
may Sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to
Devils, will put in for a fiiare.
Therefore fecondly. Such onely as are To-
krable muft be Tolerated, and others which
bold
Toleration prcved Impramicable. 5 7
hold any thing Impious or Damnable, muft
) tis be excluded from the benefit of Toleration.
And then thirdly^ All the Diffenters in
Ml England cot Iand^dLiid Ireland ^ought firfl: to a-
a^j;. gree, who among them are Tolerable and
'ffWi who are not.
art, i That they may do this, they muft examine
Goto: not onely their own Opinions, but the Opini-
wliaik ens of each party wherein they differ one
ff: from another, which of thofe are Tolerable,
mock which Intolerable.
eratiot When this is done, every Sed: muft refblve
toai; to lay aftde that Opinion which in the Judge-
pm. mentof the reft is 111, Falfe, and lntolerable,
that fo they may bring none but Tolerable
Opinions to be Tolerated j that is, that the
Dfe Government may not be obliged to Tolerate
fjiffii; any Opinion, but what they themfelves fhall
Kfiilij pdge to be good, and fit to be Tolerated.
" I And when once they have brought this
g matter to an iftue, and are agreed among
ifffji; themfelves, then they may expedi: to be gra-
tified with Toleration : For it would be tin-
reafonable to grant a thing, till they are a-
greed what it is they would have , nor can
imii 'kc
3 8 Toleration proved hnpraSlicable,
the Government till then tell what it is that
they defire, or what it grants. And till they
come to this perfed: Union among them-
felves, What is lit to be tolerated, and what
not, 'tis but reafonable they lliould ceafe im-
portuning the Government for a general To-
leration *, which if granted, muft be contrary
to the Delircs and Meanings of moft, if not
all, the feveral Diflenters. And to fay the
truth, without thele Reftridions, a general
Toleration muft even, in the Opinion of all
Diflenters, be unlawful and wicked, fince o-
therwife it muft Tolerate fuch Opinions as in
their Judgment are unlawful, wicked, and
damnable, as all thole which under thefe no-
tions are rejefted by every feveral Seft are in
their ppinion. As for example, a Presbyte-
rianf thinks many,D^5:rines of a Qua.ker un-
lawful and rdamnable err,ours, i a Quaker
thinks the fame of a Presbyterian. Now
fliould a Presby terian deflre that fo he might
be Tolerated, that all the Opinions of Qiw-
.kerifm fliould be Tolerated too, he would in
his own Judgment deflre that which he thinks
flnful and erroneous to be,Tolerated. . And
r»he that fliould think 5in and Errour may law-
fully
Toleration proved ImpraSlicable,
fully beTolerated and propagated as true Re-
ligion, can ftop no where, but muft confels
all Sins and Errours may be tolerated, which
is a plain fubverfion of all manner of Religi-
on, and the rooting out Chriftianity out of
the World. So that the Quaker muft be
content to have only fb much of his Opinion
Tolerated as the Presbyterian, the Indepen-
dent, Baptift, Antinomian,c^c. fliall think un-
iinful and lawful j the Presbyterian muft quit
what the others think finful and unlawful
in his Opinions, and fo of the reft, or elfe they
muft all confefs themlelves wicked and Hypo-
crites, who for their own fatisfaftion, can be
content to have Sin in others Tolerated, and
their Souls hardned in Errour, and eternally
damned for obftinately and impenitently per-
lifting in them. For if they do not think
fomething finful and unlawful in each others
Opinions and Praftice, all Quakers muft be
Presbyterians, all Presbyteriansmuft be Qya-
kers j and they muft all believe that a man
may be faved in any of thofe Perfwafions 5
and then why do they not Unite and come
all into one Name, one Body, and one way
of. Worfhip ? Why do they not, promifcu-
oufly
40 Tvleration proved Impramicable.
oufly joyn in Communion ? Why do they
Separate, Divide, and Sub-divide, intoTo ma-
ny diftinfi: Churches, as they call themfelves,
and every one, appropriate Elc^lion to their
little flock, awarding Reprobation to all that
do not joyii with them ?
Now Jet them bi^t ferioufly conlider of
this matter,,' and they vvill find fo little mo-
ment in thefe Confiderations moving to To-
leratiofiy that they will find a Regulated To-
leration free from Errours in fo many oppo-
fifty Opinions, wholy impradicabjc and im-
pofiible : And an unregulated promifcuous
Toleration of all Errours, for the fake of
forne Truths, which all may pretend to hold
and believe, to be even in their own Opinions
Impious, Sinful, and Damnable. .
F I N I S,
ADVERTISEMENT. •
ELfing HackvVeT'/ Old Manner of Idolding Farliaments in
England h'extruded out of our Ancient Records^ rvith certain
principal Rightf and Ctt^oms of England, together roith fome Tri-
viledges of Parliament^ tvith the Manner and Method hora Lam
are th'ere Enacted by papng of Bills,
. Obfervations npo^fthe Stature of 7,2- Car.'2. Gap, i. Entituled
An Ad to Prevent and Suppref Seditiom Conventickles. By Sir
Edmund Saunders, itf. late Lord Chief Juflice 0/England.
Sold by Tho.DringktChancery-lmttrtdmxtFeet-firett.
The Reafonableneis.
O F
TOLERATION.
AND ■'
The Unreafonablenels
Penal LAW S .
3ltti) 'Ctfts.
Wherein is prov'd by Scripture,
Realon and Antiquity, That Liberty of Con-
[cience is the "Undoubted Right of every Man,
and tends to the Floiirifhing of Kjng^doms and
Commontvealths ; And that ^erfecutioa for meet
^li^ionis Unwarrantable, UnWJ, and Dc»
ftru6tive to Humane Society.
With Examples of both kinds.
Offer'^d to the Conjideration of a Ti rfon of Honour,
LONDON:.
Printed for Htrris at the Ntrrorv againft
the Church in the Pou/trey, 16^"].
(O
Ml Ml c%" o'sl ^ Ml ^ Ma'
The Keafonablenefs of To\tX'2itlOX\,
and tbe ZJnreajonahteneff of Pen'al . .
Laws ^w^Tcfts, d^<^.
' i
T has been, for many hufulreds of years the main
Scope and Aim of. the Clergy in moft Opinions, tp
grafp into theirClutchesthe cxercife.of Temporal
Jurifdi£lioni&as in former times,fo bow of late our
Churchof£>»^/4W Men,have not been the leaft ambitious
of that Authority: 'T is true,the C lergy of England could
never fix fuch Jurifdi£tion in. tbemfelves: but what
they could not perform by their Spiritual Authority,
they brought to pafs by the alHftance of the Civil Pow-
er. They found that the. Scripture, had not given
them tbe leaft title to lord it over, the Confciences of".
Men in matters of Religion, nor had left them any wea-
pons to combat DifTenters in Opinion, nay even Error-
it felf, onely Cbriftian Adnjonitionj and at lafl:, when
that would not^ prevail., Publick Separation from Com-
munion with fuch asobftinately p.erlified in defyance of
the Truth. For this reafon they never ceafed to Amufe
and Alarmthe-Civil Magiftrate .wich continual Sufpiti-,-
ons and Fearsj to render him jealous ol all other Men
that were not conformable to their Humours and Cere-
monies., ApalTionate conceit of their own PerfeQion
A 2 above
la
f.
f
;
f,
I,
15
c
' 'iii: ]'
(2)
above others, which no man of common fence can be
reconciled to, and a convincing 'argument that thorh
Perfonsmuft have but little or no Conlcience them-
lelves, who with fo much Vigor and Obftinacy la-
bour to uphold a Civil Perfecution fo dire£tly oppo-
^ite to all the dfolates of Scripture, Reafon, and
Confoience.
As for Scripture, the Authority of it is fo evident to
the contrary that nothing can be more, where it inRrufts
the Servants of God, to gentle to aU men^ forbids
QWi^\2,n^XO^»dge'one dnotfjer, and tSllsus, thai every
man is to fland or fall to hh that one man e-
Beems one day ab^ve another^ and anothir eflecms all days
•alike ; yet happy is he veho condemns not himftlfe in that
which he allows ': That is to fay, whofe Gonfciencedoes
riot ihwardiy-accufe his outAVard profeffidn ; The fame
greafAnd zealousPreacherofthdGofpeljinthecafeof the
unbelieving Wife arid Hrisbandi-gives fuch a mild and
condefcending-anfwer, as ifhe had taken his Pen-from a
Doves wing; T^etriieither^HerriOr Him thatunbelieves
depart, if pleafed ; > for that Godltad calied-us to
peace^' adding witlfal,* that ^s>G'<^d- h\:K'c'i,lledcvtry one\ fo
let hitn w^lk ; ia1>d'fo- he'"orcfetried to all the. Churches'-.
"Certainly there c;mld'be:riothirlgnriOre divinely uttered
' to oblige the Profelfors 'of Chriitianityj in Charidy and
Meeknef^tO foFbeari-oilte anOth^f -t^err fijch an exprcTs
InjonSfion of fo arilheritkk'a^i to live "peace-
-ably vvith an Infidetr''JNaf,'"\Wittrig^ Chriiiians,
lie^a'bfolutely denyC'S that even the Apof^Ies themfelvcs,
"haVC'^^iiy Soveraignty' over'the Confoiyrioef but only
dbommVirionb -t'o aid- and aflift their CohXciehces ! Not
■ i(i fayfr'ihie^^ thtiPrve have domrnion ovey yotiy Falth^ h/st are
htlpefs df your'Jey': AltiOg'hther -corifonriable to that
Doblrine of Meeknefs whSMin 67»-//? inflrubls his 'DYf-
c'ples, not to afpiretothe Tittleor Mafler;%
' Spiritual
(?)
Spiritual Affairs; befides that we are admonifhed to
let the Tares grow among the Wheat, till the time of
Harveft.
Nor is it for any man to fugged, that this mild
and moderate Temper was only intended for thole
Primitive Times, when the Chriftians were liable
to Perlecution without any Temporal Power to
defend themfelves: For let thechoiceft Champions but
grant that thofe were the bed and pured times, and
then^it will behove them to fhew a Dormant War-
rant in the Scripture, by which ChriB ever gave
Commilfionto his Difciples to cut the Throats of all
Diflenters, or to defpoil them of their Edates, and
fend them to perpetual Banifhrnent, and they have
done their worlc: But if they can bring no fuch
autliority, they mud acknowledge that Lording o'er
the Ccnlciehce is an unwarrantable piece ot Tyran-
ny over the Rights and Liberties of a Chridiari.
True it is, that the SuccelTors of Cori'JIanti/ie were
taught by their Eclefiadicks, that there were twO
Duties required from them ; one as Chridians, the
other as Sdveraigns: that as Chridians, they were
bound to obey divine Precepts, as every private man
is bound to do; but as Princef, to make good Laws,
and keep, their Subje^^s deady in the p'raftjce of
tiety, Hdnefly* and Juflice, Ghadi7diag the Tfanl-
grelibrs of his facred' Laws, efpeacially the Deac4-
Idgue. And becauie they who tranlgrelTed againd
the fird Table, whicli relates to* divine Worfhip,
\ydrfe tlien they wl\6 tranlgrelfed again'df tlie
Second, ' which relates only"; to, Judide ..between
Manla'nd Wan, therefore Princes Were b'bligM to
punifh Blafphemy, Perjury, and idereTy, more fe-
Veiely then Murder or Theft.
" As for Blafphemy-and Perjury there was.reafdfi
'r •• ' • ■ ■ m
(^1
■ ' !'^'iy Dqoi:'-) ;•} civil-
i^ei^!iic>' iw iiia" [.hcHj--- ;■ Pericns can-
not be tlwLiglit tobe men oi Cor ' . .ce, nor are they
that take that. Liberty to be endured, i<ir tv^at Blalj:>heniy
a^rd Perjury are criminal in all Religions, and dirfering
cpinions wliatever,. as being contrary to good mamuTS,;
and contaminations ofcivil Society; but it does not tc l-
low from hence, thai every man nfiud: be punifhed ns a
who dirfcrs in his judgement froin ^the
Church of Eftola/id, Certainly it muft be firll agreed
iipcn,what aand who is that Htreuck, and
which is that Law that i caches-his-olfence, before they
can punifhhiin by any Law. Now thofe things that;
niake a/■/ ret/of, are Errors in Fundamentals or about
Fundamentals, Convidfion and Contumacy; And they
H^rettcksy whoobftinatcly and againft the moft evi-
dent light of Truth, defend fome dodVrine direftly or
of neceifary confequence tearing up the foundations of
Chriftian Faith.The Church of £»^/4Wtherefore fhould
have made it outjthat thel//jf/e//rerr and Romaic at holicks
wcitHtreticks of this fort, Conviffed and Contumaci-
ous ; and then all they could do, waste put them under
Excommunication,, not to torment their Perfbns andi
EftateSy with MulSs^Imprifonments, Fines, and Seque-
ft rations^, which how dilTonant it is from the Golden
Rule of Himfelf, ftill preferring A/trc;! above Sa-
crifice, is evidently apparent. The charaSer ofjLff^e/^^r
in the fecond of Maccabees is, that ht\w&st4mvorthy of the
Preiflhoodyzsont that had the Fury of a cruelTyranty and
the Rage of afavage Beaf, Conformable to-which, was,
that of Cicero, quoted by LaEtantius, h is the mofl mi'
ferahle thing in the worlds ( fays he) to carry a favagt
Asd.crueldifpo(ittont*nderihe(bapeofamA».. Xc is faid
that Diana 0^ the Scythians^ had a Temple and an Altar
near the entrance into the lake Meotis, upon which it.
( 5 ) _
was the cuftom of the HeAthens to Sacrifice the Bo-
dies of living Men ; a Cruelty little differing from the
feverity of thofe People that feem to make their In-
tereft their Scythian Diana, and living Men the Sacri-
lices to their Ambition, and the fupport of their Spiri-
tual Grandeur. Yet this muft be the main defign of
thofe that lludy thus the deftruffion of all other Mor-
tals but themfelves within the Verge of their Jurit
diftion; which as it is a great Argument of a Spiritual
Arbitrary Government, ifo is it at the fame time a figit
of no lefs Prefumption for a particular number of Men,
enclof^ within the narrow Circle of Epifcopacy,
compar'd with thofe vafl multitudes of Diffenters and
Romant-Catholicks, that under various names of diftin-
ftion invented by their Adverfaries, fpread themfelves
over the fourth part pf the World, to arrogate to them-
felves to be the only Flock of Chrift ; and that they
are the only Paftors who have power to drive men to
Heaven; for this is to difclaim the Popes Supremacy,
and ufurp it to themfelves ; to Preach down one An-
tichrift, and fet up fix and twenty: For if Meeknefi,
Mildnefs, Unity, Peace, and Concord, are the Vertucs
thatembellilh Chriflian Jurifdidion ; Cruelty, Rigor,
Perfecution and Violence, muft be the marks of Anti-
chriftian Tyranny.
They therefore that fo vehemently Perfecutc the
ProfelTors of Chriftianity, becaufe they either doubt
or happily err in fbme particulars that will admit of
Ambiguity, and which it may be, have been otherwife
underflood in former Ages, arc moil: unjuft. For wc
find that the -Antient Jem did n^ver IHiniHi the
Sadduces, tho they denied the Do6lrine pf the
feStion. For that tho it were moft true,, yet th^n it
was but only glanced at in their Lay, jand nqt taught
at all, but covertly under Types and'Figures/ But-frip-
\( o
pofing. the Errors to be.fuch", as among equal Judges-
mightr'be eafily confuted, both by the Authority of
the scriptures, and rhc cpmmon Confent of the Fa-
th^rs ; Neverthelefs, the great- ftrength of an over-
grbwn Opinion is to be confrdered, and hovt the En-
dcavours of Men to-dcfend their own Sefts, dirninifh'es
tJie ftrength, aod liberty cf their Judgments. _ A Man
\({?flfooner part "tvith any thing than his Opinion : An
Ppirlioq, fays Chryfofiom^ that has taken deep root
flitough Ciiftome, is hardly to be removed : for that,
there is nothing that weaker with more,unwiliingnefs
tficn cur Cuftomes in Religion. But whether this
drfterent Opinion be an Error, and how it is to be Pu-
hifbed, he only can without danger jtidge, who is the
Eternal Judge, who alone knows the true meafures of.
Knowledge and the proportion of Faith.- Let them
R^ge a^inft you, fays St. concerning the /»Lr-
"^fcVees, who can prefume to Be without Errors them-
felvcs; for my part I neither, can hor dare, for I ought
to bear with you as others did Formerly with me, and
to treat you with as much Patience, Meeknefs, and
Gehtle'nef^ as they did ^rae, when I was blindly car-
ryedaway, with your Errors'., Kdigionis non tjl Religi-^
vhtm cogere.t ffciys TtrtulUan And alfo high-.
ly bfames the Jrruns^ hecaufc they were the firft that
call'd in the ,Civil Power tp their Alliftance againft
their Antagonifts, and that endeavoured by Force,,'
Stripes, and Imprifonments, to draw fiich to them-
felves,whom they could not win by the ftrength of
their Arguments., Qregory^ Bifhop of Rome, writing
to the Biibop of ConHdntinoflt^fziA that it was a new and
unheard of manner of Preaching, to enforce Faith by
Stripes and PunifllmentSi Hiftory alfb affords us the
Examples of feveral Bifhops, who were.con-
demned by the judgment of the Church for calling in
the
t 7 ) *
tiie Civil Power againfl: the Prifci^'imBs; afitJ-of a
whole Council in the Ealt that was Condemned for
conienting to the Burning of Bo^om't-us, Conforma-
ble to the layings ot VUto^ The Punifliment of him
that Errs, is to be Injlrti^led. And of Sufecay 1 hat
no wife man ever hated thofe that Erred ; for if fb,
he mull: necelTarily fometimes hate himfelf; And there-
fore the Emperour Vdentrnim is highly commended,
becaufe he never Perfecuted any man for his Religion,
nor ever commanded this or that to be Adored ; nor
forced his Subjedls to Embrace his own manner of
Worlliip.
Infinite are the fayings of the Primitive Fathers and
Men of Ltarning, their Succeflbrs, who have all along
condemned the forcing of Confcienee, or compelling
Men to do a thing which is contrary to their Confci-
ence, or to abftain from fuch Exerciles as they in Con-
fcience efteem necelfary and profitable for their Salva-
tion : all centring in the utter deteftation of all man-
ner of Violence and Impofition in matters of Religion.
A Maxim which not all the Ufurpations of Ecclefialfleaf
Peribns have bin able to corrupt. And therefore it:
was the laying of Montluc^ a RemAn Catholic, and
Bifhop of Valence, That the "Rigors of Torments was
never to be praflized towards People who had no other
Crime but only a Perfwafion which they thought to
be good and pious. Peter Martyr fpeaking of the Pow-i.
cr of the Church, It is her Duty, fays he, to corre^
Sinners, not with the Sv ord, not with Penal-L^ws
or Fines, not with Imprilonment or Exilement , but
after her own Method, by the Efficacy and Power of
the Word.
It is laid of Maximilian the Second, Emperour of
Cerinxny, That tho he perfever'd to his^dearh a Reman
Cat/jGlic, yet he was never the kfs dilefteemed by the
B . -ProtefanU^
■ (sy
Prctefianti; for that in matters of Religion he obier*
vecl an exaft Moderation between both Parties, and
never ceas'd rill he had obtained the ufe of the Cup in
the Eachanfi^ for thofe of his Subjects that defir'd it.
The lame Emperour alio gave this Advice to Henry the
Third of France, then returning out of Poland, to
quiet all difturbances in his Kingdom at his firft En-
trance into it; according to the Example of his Father
Ferdtmnd, who after he had long toyi'd and labour'd
in the Reign of Qharles^ the V. to appeafe the troubles
in Germany, and fettle the differences about Reltg.on,
when he found the Minds of the People more provok'd,
then any remedy obtain'd by force and violence, with
the Coiifcnt and Applaule of all the Orders of the Em-
pire, made thofe favourable Concelfions, which when
nothing alio would do, reftor'd Traiiquilitie to the.
Empire.
More Remarkable was that faying of Henry the
Third of France Himfelf, upon his Death-Bed,-.after
he had received his Deaths wound from Clement the
Monk, Nor let thecaufe of Religion deter ye: .This Er-
ror long polfefs'd me, and drew me into inextricable.
Miftakes. The pretence oi Religion hurried us into
Faflion. Leave that to the judgment of the Orders of
the Kingdom, and keep this in your Minds as a fix'd
aodconftant Maxime, F\\dt Religion, which is infpir'd
into the Minds of Men by God, cannot be command-
cd by Men. Nay, Pim the Fourth, tho none of the
6eft of Popes, yet being Sollicited by the French Em-
baffador for the ufe of the Euchari(i- in both kinds,,
had fo much kindness for Toleration, that he gave for
gnfwer to the EmbalEdor^ That he had always thought
£he life of the S'acrament in both kinds, and liberty for
the Priefi-hood to Marry, were things indifferent, and
as depending rather upon the Decrees of the Fathers,
then
( 9 )
■then upon Divine Authority, might be ahcreil accorc!-
ing to the conftitutions of Times, and alteration of
Cuftomes.
And in the Council of TVe/?/, feveral of the wifcft
and chiefeft of the Prelates ftiffly arguM againft the
Prohibition of the life of the Cup, affirming thofe
to be void of Chriftian Charity, who ftcod lb llriQly
and fo nicely upon a particular Ceremony, the gran-
ting of which might prevent the Effufion of much
Blood, and recover into the Bofom of the Chmrch ma-
ny that were fallen from Her.
And thus what Scripture and Humane Authority
Juftify, Common Realbn is no lefs ready to uphold.
For firft, If the word of God be the fole Rule of Faith^
and no Humane Authority be fo highly impowrM as»
to bind up our AlTents to whatever Interpretations
r fhall be propos'd, then of neceffity it follows than
'^'every Chriftian indifferently has an equal Intereft ia
the will of the Creator, fo that no particular Perfba
has a right to impofe a force upon the judgment of his
Brother. Thus one"holds the Baptizing of Infants to
be neceffary ; another deems it lawful a third denies
both thefe Opinions, yet admitting that it may, but
that there is no neceffity it Ihould be done ; therefore
they conferr Texts, and examine the Original j .yet af-
ter all diligence ufed, they ft ill are but where they
were. Now what realbn can there be to advife per-
fecution for fuch a difference as this?
Befides, There are Icvcral Difputes upon v.irious
Points of Chriftianity, that cannot be cleard to any man
by Arguments meerly natural,as being matters of Faft,
fuch are the Miracles and Refurrcdion of Chrift, the
Real Prefenee, For the belief of which therefore,
there is a need of Faif/j, which is the Gift of Grace, and
not of Nature': which being fb, and feeing more-over
^ 2 that
( lo )
that- !t Is not vx'ithlii tlie power of Man to give a rca^drt
why fbme Men believe, and others are or a. contrary^
Opinion ; it cannot fall under the Imagination of Man,
that either the defedt or. lurplufage of belief, which
may perhaps glide into Superftition, whicji of the two
Ib'ere be the cauie of the difference, fhouid be f ubjeft
to the Punifhment of Human Laws ; for tho both have
the fame outward helps and means to inform them-
leives, yet the potent caufe is in the will of God, Tvh.
ivill have Mercy ufon whvm he wili hxve Mtrcy, ani
whom be rviU he burdens. And therefore for this
caufe it was- that T^-ertullran avers that the New Law of
the Gofpel does nor call for the Sword to revenge the
Inj uries done it. And Sifthuuts King of Spain, M as juft-
]y tax'd for compelling the J^rvs to Chriftianity by th€
coercive power of the Sword, when Ire ought to have
"won them to the by meek and gentle Perfwafi^'*
. ons.
In the next pitoe this violent and rigorous Proceeding
and tyrannizing over the Confciepces of Men, is con-
trary to the purpofe of God in the Order of the Creation,
who made and ordain'd all Man-kind free from Bondage,,
and never advane'd him over all the Works of his Cre-
ation, to be a contemptible Slave to the Will of his,
fellow Creature, even in things.Temporal"; much lefs in
matters Spiritual and relating to Eternity. So that this
fame aftiial Violence of Impofing by force in matters
of Faith^ Worffnp and Duty to God, of one Man upon
aiK)tIier,or of Lome Perfons oyer all,is an Ad of the high*
eft Prefumption imaginable, that goes about to fubdue.
to Bandage and Slavery, thofe. that are Created by God
to equal Priviledges and Immunities with themfelves ;
fubjeding them by Oppreffion, not to "the Divine Will
of the Creator, but to ihe Will, Ambition and Interefl
of Mortal Creatures, no Icfs frailc and fubjed to Error
then.
CiO
fJien they over whom they afK,£l illegal Dominion- A:
thing which is q^uite contrary to the moil pure and'
perfeifl order oi the Creation, which was altogetlier
blefled. From whicli whatever is degenerated by Cor-
ruption, or has deviated by Temptation from that pure
and regular Order, either in things Temporal or Di-
vine, mull be included within the cur-fe Oi'Sii;, and be
Jookc upon as an oppofing the Creator himfeif. And of
this nature, is Ccmpulfion excrcifed in Spiritual mat-
ters-; as being the higheft produfl of degenerate Ufur-
pation, and the grandeft Pwerving imaginable from the'
chief defign of the Creation. For without a'I quetlion,
the Creator himfeif referved and retained in his own
power alone, the priviledge of Supremacy over the In-
ward Man, mall matters touching Immortality, that he
might be the only Lord in that cafe, to give Spiritual
Lav/s, and to command the Souls and hearts of men, in
reference to his own VVorfbip, and that Obedience
which is due to himfeif; fo that of neceflity it muft be a
Ufurpation of the Creators rightful Dominion, a rob-
bing Him of his Dignity and Prerogative, an a£l of
Violence againfl his Soveraignty, and a bold intrud-
ing into his proper Right, for any Perfons to affume
t© themfelves Dominion and Authority over others,
by Commanding and Impofing in Spiritual matters
upon their Confciences, in the Worfhip and Service of
God.
Add to this that Force is Punifhment,and confe quent-
Jy unjuft, unlefs the offence be voluntary : but he that
believes according to the evidence of his own Reafon,, .
is neceffitated to that Belief, and to compel him againfl
it, were to compel him to renounce the mofl efTential
part of man, his reafon: And that fame injunflion
would be altogether vain, To hold fajl that which we-
fad tQ h htfif if after the mofl lerious and deliberate,
~ " Eleflion.
(12)
EleSlIon, we muft be whipt out of our Confciences by
penalties. 'Tisbutodly done to Preach a company of
poor Souls into juft fo much Liberty of Scripture as may
fuffice to beget their torture, and not permit them to
reft where they find their fiitisfaction : Either utterly
prohibit the iearch, or let them enjoy the benefit of it.
To believe what appears untrue , is loraewhat impoffi-
ble; but to profeTs what we believe untrue,is abfolutely
damnable.
Nor is it one of the lea ft arguments againft Com-
pulfion of Confcience, that it breaks the bands of civil
Society, and annihilates all manner of Love, Unity,
Fellowfhip, and Concord among men. Neighbours
are at enmity among Neighbours, Brethren with
Brethren, and Families are divided among^ themfelves.
Princes and their SubjeUs, Rulers and their People are
at difcord and debates, that many times turns to ablb-
lute Difobsdience and Rebellion ; while the one labours
tolmpoie, the other to keep off the Oppreflion. Men,
fays Z^Kohon, refift none with greater animofity, then
thofe thataffefbtoTyranmzeOver their bodies ; more ef-
pecially fuch asfeek to eft^blilh an illegal Dominion over
their minds and Confciences; They contend fro Arts
in the firft place, and tro FocU afterwards; thereby
preferring the Liberty of their Confciences, before the
fecurity of their Eftates ; which they rather choofe to
abandon, then to be deprived of their Spiritual Freedom.,
And this is that which caufes, and has caufed fo ma-
nvthoufands in this Nation to forfake their iiativeSoyle,
;their Friends Sf Relations,tc the decay of civil fellowfhip
and Commerce, and out of a deteftable Antipathy to
their Oppreffors, to Peek forforraignProttUion, under
which to enjoy the more noble and agreeable pleafure
of enjoying the free exercife of their Sentiments in Di-
vine Worfhip. -
Agaii?
1
(lo
Again, Grottui tells us/fhat there never was any SeQ:'
that could difcern all Truth, nor any but what held
fomerhing that is True; as then they are to be fa-
voured for what they hold of Truth, fb are they not to
be punifhed for what they maintain of miflaken Be-
leif; finceall men are free by nature to believe M hat-
ever they , think to be Good and Honeft. We cannot
loveGoi too much. Now I'uppofing that the Clergy of
England, mayefteem iht Roman i^athohcks qvcy zealous
in fbme points ofWorfliip which may be thought too
Supcrftitious, what then? For Superifition does not fin
in w^riliiping GWtoo much,but in worfhiping him errc-
Deouflyjin point ofwhich Error and confequent non-com-
plyance with the Epifcopal Tenents of the Church of
England, thefe failings of theirs, are not to be fqueez'd
out of their Bones and Piirfes, but to be reform'd by
gentle Inftruftions and Convincement, according to
the true duty of Bifliops tolnftrubb, Perfwade, Exhort:
and Reprove, but not to Command or Compel.
To what has been faid, may be added the vanity of
the Undertaking, it having been all along evinc'd by
the fiories of all ages, that forcing of Confcience, and
Perfecution for Religions take, have not only become
fruRrate, but increafki the number of thofe Seffs and
Divifions of which they fought the extirpation, and that
the Sword, Exile, Fagot, Imprifonment, and heavy -
Fines, rather provoak then cure the obftinacy of relu-
ftant Minds- For the cohformation of which,we find from
the beginning and for a long time the Chriftian Rel-
g'ion induftii ufly oppofed by the moft Potent Adver-
faries, then ruling in the World, auo Extirpation of it
no lefs cruelly labour'd by the fury of Ten Perfecutions ;
yet could not all that vaft effufion of Blood put a ftop to
its progrefs, nor prevent its growing to fuch a Head, as
at length to turn Tyrannick Heathenifm with all her
fantajR
(h:)
•fantaRick Abominations, and falfe Divinities quite one
of the World. The fame may belaid ot the
againll: whom the Frye>'s preached, the Inquiiitors
Plotted, the Princes made War, while the Pope accur-
fed their Perfbr.s, and interditled their Lands, yet for
all the Pope could do, they could not be fupprefi. And
of the WaUenfts^ fays tho they were toffd
from Port to Pillar, yet there were ever fome found,
who Rill in their feverai courfes renewed their Doftrlne,
buryed as it were foi afeafbn. For SeQisand Opinions
are like Books, which the more they are fupprelTed,
-the more they are fought after and carefs'd : And there-
forcTacitt/j^ fpeaking of the An nails of Cremta/us Qjr^
condemn'cib) die Senate to be burnt, for advancing
the Praifes Brutus and rebates that fbme indeed
were burnt by the Edi/s, but more were prefervM, and,
•afterwards publiflied. An argument (lays he) fufUcient
that the vanity and luadnels of thole men, is to be derid-
cd, who imagin by prefent Power to ffifle the remem-
brances of future Ages. And the Author of the Council
o^Trt/7t, fpeaking of the prohibition of Heretical Books,
obferves that it did more harm then good, wdiile the
Books being fought for as fuch, did but ferve to raife
and inifill new doubts and Icriiples in the minds of the
Jleaders. The fame is to be faid of the Perfecutions of
Lien in their Bodies and Goods; for otders obferving the
extream Patience and Conifancy of ib many People
Lufferii'g for their particular Opinions in matters of
Jveligion, become curious to underftand what that Re-
Jigioii fhould be that infpires men with fo muchrerola-
tion to fuffer the worif (»f Miferies, rather then abandon
the ProfelEon of it, which is the reafbn that Perlt cu-
tors according ;o the Opiiiion of Strada, though they
are not concv rued in tormenting yet .hey dread rhe
Triumphs of the Tormented iit their .Executions, for
' that >
\
{ -5 )
that It has been frequently known that one Martyr has
made many Profelyces, by liis retblate maintaining to
the laft, tlie Profeilion for which he dyed.
From hence we may proceed to fhevv the dreadful
EffeiEls and xMifchiefs that have attended the Pcrfecuti-
ens of tender Confciences in matters of Religion, which
have generally prov'd moft fatal, and in the end re-
bounded to the greatefl: lofs of the Perfecutors them-
felves ; for of all the Roman Emperours that exerciz'd
thole horrid Cruelties upon tlie Chriftians under their
fubjeftion, only Trajan and Septimiua Sevems dy'd a
natural Death j for as for Antoninm the Philofopher,
tho he fuffer'd a Perlecution in Afia^ yet in other parts
of his Dominions the Chriftians were unmolefted, and
ferved him in his Army, where they fought for him fb
effedlually, as well with their Prayers as with their
Swords, that he acknowledged to the Senate, as much
hated as they were, that certainly the Chriftians had
God for their Proteblor. All the reft came to untime-
ly ends; either their own Executioners, or Murdered
by their own Souldiers and Servants ; tho none fo re?
jjiarkably puniflied for their Cruelties as Valert an,. w\\o
being vanquiflied by Safer the Ptrfian, was by him
made his Foot-ftool when he took Horfe, and at length'
was Head alive. What occafioned the Cojjkr War fb
prejudicial to Poland, but Ruffian Polonians
of the Catholic Religion would have forc'd the Cojfacks
to the Oblervation of their Churches, and to that end
havefhutup the Churches ? What occafioned
the Revolt of the Rujlic'*s in Germ any,Z-nd the Huffites in
Bohemia f What occafioned the League of Snialcald,znd.
the cruel VVar that enfued, but the Opprelfion of the
Ecclefi.tflick si By which all that was got was this, that
the Bloody Ecclejiaflicks fatisfy'd their Revenge with
the ftaughter of the poor People j while the other in-
C dulg'd
(lO.
duIgeM their hatred, and Sacrific'dto their Antipathy
the Wealth and Religious St ruftures of their Perlecu-
tors; and betweenbotlij whole Regions and Countries
wer^, depopulated and ruin'd. What loft, Philip the
Second To fair a Portion ofJtis Dominions,but hisfeverity
in forcing Confcience? But his bigottedZeal to gratify
the Intereft of Rome^hy fufferinghis Grand Executioner
Mva to ride Triumphantly in the Chariot of the Abot
minated Inquifition, over the Necks of his tender-Con^
fcienc'd Subjeds,. till he had by, all manner of Tor-
ments disburden'd the Countrey of no lefs then eighteen,-,
thoufand Innocent Chriftians.
The Reign of the Ninth, deform'd with Civil
Wars, with various fuccefs of Battel, with SeigesanJ
Sacks of Cities and Towns, and havock of hisSubjefls,
was rendered yet more infamous by,the Parifian Ma/fa-
ere, then which, there never was "a more Inhumane
piece of Barbarity known, among the Heathens them-
felves. But what was the Advantage of their Butche-
ry ? What the Ilftie of it to the King, after he had em-
ptyed his Kingdom of ten thoufand of his Subjefbs, a-
mong which five hundred,all Perfons of Quality ? In
the firft place, upon too late a Confideration, a deep
Repentance for having given his Confent, and a Refo-
lution.had he liv'd to have Punifhed his Advifors r then
every Night his Slumbers interrupted with nodurnat
iTerrors, till having linger'd under moft grievous and'
tedious Pains, and long perceiv'd his death approach
before he dy'd ; he ended his days a young Youth, in
the 24 th Year of his Age. .
To omit the lofs of the Low-Countries,by reafon of
the cruelty of the Inquifition, we find the People in all
places the moft devoted and accuftomed to Ecclefiafti-
cal Rigour, mutinying even to Blood-ihed, againft the
Torments of that Tribunal
In
( 17 )
In Naplesy Ptteroi Toledo the Viceroy, in Obedience
to the Pope, would fain have brought it in ; but when
he began to put it in Execution, it causM fuch an Up-
roar among the People, that it came to be almofl a
petty War between th^ Commonalty 2Ln6. the Gatrifon^
wherein many were flain on both fides, fb that the
Viceroy was forc'd to defift in his defign; neither has
any offer been made to obtrude any fuch kind of Office
upon that Kingdom ever fince.
Even in Rome it felf, the People detcfted the Cruel-
ties of the Inquifition to that degree, that the Breath
was no fooner out of the Body of Paul the IV. bu t that
tTiey went with great furie to the new Prifbn of the In-
quifition,brake down the Doors and let out all the Prifo-
rters therein detained, & could hardly be retrained from-
letting on fire the Church of the Dominicansy as being
the Perfons entrufted with the Execution of that rigid
Employment, More then that, in detefiation of the In-
quifition, all enrag'd, they forc'd their way into the
Palace, and meeting the Popes Statue all of Parian Mar-
ble, and a noble piece of Workmanfhip, they cut off
the Head and the right Hand, and for three days toge-
ther kickt them about the ftrects, and made them the
l]:)ort of the whole City.
Nor has England it lelf felt the Icafl: fliare of the
Jnconveniencies of Spiritual Perfecution ; where ASts of
Parliament have been made uie of only as Traps and
Snares to dis-People the Nation. What falfe Crimes
were laid to the Primitive Chrifiians by the flatterers of
the Emperour Sep. Severtss, to Incenfe him to the firffc
Perfecution, the fame Accufations were lately throwa
upon the Diffenters, of being Homicides, Turbu-
lent, Sacrilegious, Traytors againft Ca-far, and in a
word raeer Canibals : And by vertue of which pre-
tended Calumnies and rncdicated Slanders,' the Ci-
c 3 xll
/
(i8)
vll Magiftrate, out of the good Oj^inion he has of
thofc that make the clamour, not prelently diicerns the
Trapan which is put upon them to make Laws for the
punifhment of tliOiC Perfons, over whom they have in.
deed no jurifditTcion ; till at length the ill ule of tliofe
Laws better informs their judgement, and that they
were impofed upon to frame Perlecuting Statutes, and
authorize Prorecutions, nor to prevent dilf urbances in
Government, but to gratifie the Pride and Ambition of
their hot-headed Advifers ; hence under pretence of
difafFefficn to the Civil Power, continual Plots and
(Trealbns are difcovered, and the difcovery fo well tna-
naged, that fome are Hanged, others Fin'd, others con-
deinned to long Imprifonraent. Which Accufations^
becaufethey reach not maiiyi therefore all the rcff, as
being Birds of the fame feather, muH: fuffer for their
fakes; and the fame pretences being-ftill kept on foot
for a Covert, they let fly the Arrows of their Indigna-
tionagainfl: the whole Body, and chaftize the pretence,
where they could not find any fadlcommitted to punifh.
And indeed the grounds of the pretence are the only
crimes committed againft them; allthat will not con-
form to their Ceremonies are fuppoled to be feditious,
Perfbns; none that go to Meetings and Conventicles
can be Good and Loyal Subjedds: and therefore all
that will not Conform, or Refrain from going to Meet-
ings, mufl be fcourged with the fc;orpions of Ecclefiafli-
cal Cenfure and Excommunication; mufl: be araerc'd
at plcafure, IraprifouM till Submiflxon, many to their
utter Impoverillimcnt, or till they pine away in Jayle :
and they that would live peaceably and quietly under
the Government, can havenorefl: in their own Fami-
lies. Upon this thoufands take their flight beyond Sea
and draw off their Elfates, by which means the King-
dqmis depopulated, the Manufadure oi the Nation car-
ryed
09)
ryedjnto forraign Countries, and the Prince Icfcs the
AlPiftance ot the Wealth and FerlcnS of fo many of his
SubjeQs, to the ruine of the Kingdom and fcar.f:al of
the Government. A fort ofChrillian Po}i:icks vJiich
the Church of could onjy karn from the uii-
charitable bigotrie of that fame Prince, wiiocryedout;
That he would rather choofe to be King of a Countrey
without People, then of a Kingdome Peopled with He-
rlticks: Contrary to the faying of Adrian^ one of the
wifeft among the Roman Emperours, That he wifhed
his Empire ftrengthed rather by theencreafe of People
and Inhabitants, then excefs of Treafure. But this
was neither the Policy of the Antient Heathens, nor of
the more prudentCommon-wealths and Governments of
latter Ages.
Among all the Heathen Nations that we meet with
in Biiloryy the Bgyptfo/is" were the firft from whom all
the world befide, the Jews excepted, derivM that fame
Dark Knowledge which the other had of the Gods and
Divine Worfhip. Their early Superdition had fet up no
lefs then twelve Divinities to begin withal, who were
all worfhipM in variousSliapes with various Rites and
Ceremonies ; all which with their feveral Portraitures
and Sacred Myfterics ( for fo they call'd the Rites of
Adoration belonging to every Idol) the Grtchns after-
wards tranflated into their own Countrey, and for a
while exidlly obferved the Precepts and Methods of
their firll Inftrudfors.Here was a great number of Divi-
nities with every one a particular form of worfliip attend-
ing him,and yet wedonot find that theCrecuns were a-
fraid to tranlport them all into their feveral Cities, for
fear leaib the variety of Superffitions, fliould fet their
People together by the Ears, while one Pm^R cry'dmp
his Divinity, 'another extoli'd his, and rnattet'd tlfe
Vulgar into Faflions and Contentions, which was the.
belt.
( 20 )
befl". No, the Pricfts v/ere ftill contented with what
followers they had, and every man was left to his free-
dom to worfhip what Divinity he pleas'd, as his Af-
feftionand Devotion govern'd him. A ftrange mislor-
tune to Chriftian Religion, that the Heathqns fliould
be lb conformable in the midfl: of fb much varietie of
feign-d Divinities, and we not be able toadjufl: thole
few Ceremonies in difpLite relating to the worfliip of
the true and one God, when we have his own infpir'd
Scripture for our Guide.
In Jthens there were as many Scffs and Opinions day-
ly taught, as there were almoft Pliilofophers in the Ci-
ty ; and many differing in their Sentiments even con-
cerning. the Gods themlelves. Yet the Magiftrate was
never call'd upon for their Supprelhcn, but rather they
were cherifli'd and honour'd with Statues after their
Death. The Magiftrates, Rulers and greateR Cap-
tains of that Age were their Hearers and Difciples, ad-
hering at pleafurc to whom they thought fit, as their
Rcafon and Judgement lead them. And this publick
Toleration it was that rendered one of the moft
Famous and Flourifhing Cities of the World. Nor
was Socrates punilh'd for introducing an innovation in
their Religion, but becaule he neither could inform his
Judges, nor they were able to underfiand who that
God was, therefore they put him to Death for injuring
all the reff whom they believ'd to be as true as his un-
known Deity.
Ipafs but lightly over the Jews, by reaTon they bad
the knowledge of the true God, aud were obiig'd not to
engage in the Superfiitions of the Heathens; yet were
they not fo rigid neither as to excUiJe the Gentiles
from among them, but had their Jtriitm Gin:i!im{Qx:
Reception, altho unconvcited; nor did they refufe
the Sacrifices and Oblations of the the Kings oi Egy^t^
iior
(21 )
nor thofe of Jnguflm and Tiberius ; all which they
thought no breach of their Laws to offer up in their
Holy Temples^
But to return to the Gentiles, this is farther to be oh*
ferv'd, that they were fo far from SupprelTing varictie
of Opinions, that they took no notice of the tnany Fa-
bles of the Poets, that dayly uttered fuch irreverent and
mean Thoughts of their ador'd Divinities, as to make
them Robbers, Adulterers and Drunkards ; incident to
all the frailties, and guilty of all the Crimes that the
worft of men can be laid to commit. Howfbever thcle
Fables every day made fome change or other in their
Religon; for the Gods ftill multiplying by procreation
and Canonization of Heroes, Greece was fo ftockt and re-
plenifhtwith Deities, that they fent whole Colonies of
feign'd Divinities among their Neighbours, who-gave
themfree admiiTion, without difputing the Toleration
of their new invented Sacrifices, Luff rations and other
Superftitions, tho perhaps never heard of before. 'Tis
true, their Gods would be fometimes out of humour;
but their particular Priefts had a care how they pufht
their feigned Anger too far, &, found out a way by fbme
Oracle or other to underftand their meaning and fet all
right again. However it fliews that had the Prieft-
hood been as captious, then, as fbme' of ours at this tinier
they might have put fo many Capricio's into the
heads, - fometimes of one, and fometimes of another
Idol, asmightjiave.giventhe CiviliMagiftrateno finall
vexation.
Among the Romans the. Catalogue of their Go'ds ex-
ceeded Thirty Thoufand ; and their forms of Worfhip
were as various as they. For their. God they had
their Luperci and Lnperc^lia. For Ceres their fecret Myfte-
ries and Female Priefts. For Hercuks they had their
I'cmjj and.Pimrij. They had aifo their Arval Prater-
rdiy..
(22)
and their fixty to offer up Sacrifice in be-
half of the leveral Cur'u or-Parifbes in Rome. They
had their Colledge of Augurs^ and their Flamt/f's ; for
Mars they had their SaRj; for their Goddefs Dea
they had their VeftdNuns; for Cjhele^ their GAli and C'c-
9-ybantes. All tliis lookt like the Variety of our Seifls
and Opinions at this day ; and yet we never hear of thofe
Contentions,Difputes and Enmities that rage among us.
iThey never incensM theMagiftrateto Perfecutionjbut as
they agreed fingiy together, lo they agreed in the whole;
or if any difference happened among them in point of
Religion^ 'twas but repairing to the Colledge of Pontifsy
where their queftions were immediately refolv'd, and
their determinations never contradi£fed. And for a
farther mark of this general Toleration, we find the
Pantheon erefted, and after it was burnt down. Rebuilt
by Adrian^ where all the Gods were wcrfhiped in
common,. Moreover we find mention made in Sueto-
ssim 0^ Collegia antiqua et Sacra^ in the Plural Number,
upon which Cujacius Animadverts, That the Senate and
Princes of the Roman People-permitted fever al Co Hedges us
well for the Exercife cf Farraign Religionus of that of
their own Countrey: And Auguflus confeft, That he per-
■niitted the Colledges and Ajjemblies of the Jews, hecaufe
he found them to be the Schools of Temperance and fuslice,
not as they were reported, the Seminaries of Sedition.
To proceed to ih^ Chrifiians., They were no fooner
grown numerous, but we find them mufter'd in the
Armies of the Heathen Emperonrs, and tolerated with-
out diffurbance by Commodusy tho a bad Prince; in
whole time Pontienns fet up a School in Alexandria^
"where he publicly Taught the Chriflian Religion. :A-
lexander Severm gave public Toleraiionto ih^ ChriJlians^
in fo much that when a Complaint was made to him
by the Rabble that kept publics Tipling-Houfes, that
the
C 2^
" the ChriHUns had taken polTeffion of a place to Build a
Church in the ground that belonged to them,he return'd
for his anfwer, 7*^4/ Vnw ^uc/j better that G^idfljouldle
Worfhipedinthat place after any form,then that it Jhould he
aliondd for Houfes of Debauchery. And thus we find that
Toleration of Religion was ailow'd fo long as Hen-
thenifm continued in the World.
To thefe fucceeded Confiantine, the firft of all the Ro-.
man Emperours thatmade open Profelllon o^ChriJlianity,
By whom we find fuch an Indulgence given not only to
the Chrifiiansy but to all manner diReligions, with the
confent of his Collegue in the Empire, Licinius ; that we
could not omit the Inlertion in this place of the mofi:
material part of it.
Jt what time, I Conftantine Au- wasfinlthed before
guftus,^^^ LlCinms Auguitus happily the Tranflation of La-
met at MiHain, and had in Confulta- therefore
, . , , , as not beinz borrowed
tton whatever might conduce to the from him, I thought fit
public benefit and fecurity ; among the to let k pafs with this
rejl we thought thofe things were
frfl to be taken care of, which would prove mojl profitable
to moH men, as relating to the Worfhip of the Supream
Deity ; to whichpurpofe we thought fit to-grant totheChri-
Hians and all others, free Liberty to exerc'tfewhat Religion
every one bell approved, to the end we might render that
Supream Divinity who (its in his Cosltfiial Lhrone,propitiam
to G sand all the People under our Dominion: Wherefore fol-
lowing this wholfome Counfef and the DiHates of right Rea-
fan, we thought it our fafefl and wifefi courfe not to deny
Liberty to any one, who either followed the Profeffionof the
Chriflians, or addilled himfelf to any other Religion which
bethought mofi agreeable with his Judgment, that the mofi
High God, to whom we freely and heartily yield Obedience,
may afford m his wonted Fa'^'our and Ifjndnefs in all our
Emterprizes-, For this reafon we give your Excellency to
D m-
( 24 )
flKderJiatidthat if is owpleafwe^that allRefiraints formerly
appearing in your Office in reference to the Chrijlians being
diJannulPdj tve do now Enact fincerely and pUinlyfL hat every
one who has a mind to obferve the Chrijlian Religion^ may
freely do it without any difturhance or molejlation. Which
Ti e have thought fit fully to figntfy to your Excellency, to the
end you might under Hand that we have given free and abfo-
lute leave to the Chrifiians for the Exercife of their Religi-
on. And as we have granted this Indulgence to them^ fo
your Excellency is likewije to underfiand that we have gran-
ted the fame open and free Liberty to all others to Exercife
the Religion to which they have chofen to adhere, for the
"Tranquility of our Reign, to the end that every one may be
free in the EleHion of his Worfhip without any Prejudice
from US, either to his Honour or to his Religion. And
this we thought fit moreover to decree in reference to the
ChriHians, that their Meeting-Places be refofd them with-
out any hefitation or delay, and without the demand of any
tTees or Sums of Money: And if any Fines or MulHs
have been SequeflePd formerly into our Exchequer,or taken
by any other Perfon, that the fame be alfo reJloPd them
without the leajl Diminution. Or if they have any Favour
to requeH further at our hands, let them make choice of any
of our Advocates to take care of their Affairs. [The reft I
omit, as left pertinent to our purpofej
But after them,when the Emperours began to lend an
Ear to Ecclefiaftic Rigour, and Se£fs became Predomi-
nant as they were guarded by the Power and Proteftion
of the Civil Magiftrate, 'tis a ftrange thing how foon the
leveral Schifms and Opinions that had taken root un-
der the milder fway of the Heathens, began to rend the
Church into a thouland Factions ; and whereas a fingle
Colledge of Pontiffs would .ferve the Heathen Prieft-
hood to refolve their Doubts the Determination's of
HatioiialCounci]? could not put a ftop to the Growing
( 25 )
Contfoverfics of the ChrijlUnsy but from words they
fell to blows; and happy they who could get the So-
veraign Prince on their fide, for the other were fure to
go by the worft. So early was the Civil Power made an
Engine to fupport the Pride and Ambition of Spiritual
Contenders. At what time an Eutychian Pope, by
Name Horfmifdai., having the upper hand, gave this
Motto for anfwer to all that admonifh'd him of his Seve-
rity. Nos Imperare volumus^ not Imperari nolumus. It
were to be wifh'd that this Motto may not have got too
much Footing in England.
And now Libtrty of Confcience feem'd for a time ex-
terminated from the Earth, till we meet with it again
among the Goths^ who as alledges, would ne-
ver in the height of all their Conquefts, compel the
vanquifhed to embrace the which they profeC>
fed, but left them to their own: it being always the
Maxime of Rulers truly generous, to engage men ra-
ther as their Friends then as their Slaves, thinking them-
felves far more fafc in a free, then in a compell'd Obe-
dience.
But to defcend to latter times, we find that even
among the Mahumetans^ all over lurky^ no man is
compell'd to embrace the Superftition, but
that all People, unlefs the Profelfors of Htathenijh IdoU"
try^ are left to the exercife of their own Religion. And
this, as feveral Authors obferve, was at firft the chiefeft
means by which the Turks enlarged their Empire over
the Chrijlian VVorld. For that many People rather
chofe to live under the Turk, permitting them the
Liberty of their Confciences, then under the Exorbitant
Tyranny of the Spanifh Inquifition. And further, other s
- obferve, That nothing has rendered the Turk more
powerful then the King of Spain^s Expulfion of all the
Moors and Turks out of his 7 erritories, in the Year 1609,
(26,;
at wliat time abeve a Hundred and twenty Thoufand of thofe
Exiles rctir'd into Africa and other parts of the 7in'kjp Domi-
nions, to the great benefit of theTurks, who learnt from them
to Combat the Enropeans with their own Weapons, and their
own Arts of War.
The Perfians give Liberty to the Mdcbites nnder tlie Patriarch
of AntiochU^ who obftinately maintain all thole Errors that
were condemM by the Synod of Florence \ together with the Ne-
fiorians and Chri ftian Armenians^ who have no Patriarchs of their
own j nor are the Roman Catholics excluded the chief City of
Jfpahan. To which we may add their Toleration of the Jewsf
and the Dillenting Sedts in their own Religion.
In Polandy tho generally the Nobility adhere to the Church of
Rome-t yet they prohibit none i and the miXlViteoi Lntherahs^
Calvinifisy Socinians, Anabaptifisy Greeks nndt jevos^ who there
enjoy moft ample Privjiledges, apparently demon Urates, well-
conftituted Government to.be no Enemy to Liberty of Con-
fcience. Nor does the fcrupulous Mufeovite exclude thofe of the
Auiufian Confcllion from having a Church of their own within
view of the City of Mofcovo it felf.
That the Swirzers are a Prudent People appears by the perma-
nent conftitntion of their Government, by them upheld and
propagated for fo m^ny Ages together ; their Concord hasren-
dered them Populous, and their Populoufnefs has made them
formidable to all the Neighbouring Princes, by whom they
have been all along courted for their Affiftance, and to whom
they have been beholding for the chiefeft part of their Con-
quefts. All this while a People half Protrfiants^ half Catholic%
yet in general fo equally unanimous, and in forae particular Ci-
ties fo peaceably iatermix'd, that you never hear among them,
lince they firft leaguM together for the common Security, of any
Qparrels or Contentions for Superiority i or of any Fines, Imr
prifonments, or Banilhing of the Diflenting parties ^ nor do
they refufe their Protedlion to any that fly from other Coun-
tries to feek Tranquility of Confcience among them. There is
the fame mixture of the two Profelfions of Popery and Calvinifm
among the Grifoas, and the fame Unanimity ; and this Con-
firmM by the league of the Ten Jurt'fdicHonSy by which all Difpu-
tations concerning Religion are forbid, to prevent Exafperation
and Contefts amopg Natiofls and Friends, tho differing in
Opinion. ^
(27)
\\tFirace i\\tR:fnan C^uhcliv Religion prevails ^ yet fnch is the
' Prudence and Generofiiy of the Government and Governours,
that they cannot deny to others that Liberty which they enjoy
themfelves ^ in fo much that the they admitted the Inquifition
into their Territories, yet they fil'd it's lharp Fangs in fuch a
manner, that the malice and fury of it was render'dincfKcluali
for they decreed that the Inquifition fltould not meddle either
with Witches or Inchanters y nor with thofe that Ihould offer
to Buffet an Image, or Lampoon the Vices and Diforders of the
Clergy, nor indeed have any power to prohibit the Printing of
any Books whatever. That it Ihould have no power over Blaf-
phemy, or fuckas married two Wives i,nor in caufes of Ufury.
That it Ihpuld have no Jurifdidion over Jews, Injideh, or thole
that follow the Ceremonies of the Church ^ nor any Au-
thority. over any fecular Trade or Profeflfion 4 and in all other
Caufes whatever that were brought before the Tribunal of the
Inquifition, they referv'd to themfelves the Examination, Jndg-
ment and final Determination of the Matter 4 which indeed was
an abfolute Toleration of Jfirr, hfidels and Greek^Chrifitam^ and
under that Notion, of all other Opinions that they pleas'd them-
felves.
As to Witches, They gave, this realbn why the Inquifition
Ihould not meddle with them. For that they were generally Womeriy
a poor Teople CrazJd in their Vnder.^atjdtngs^ and therefore more
fitting to be in fir aided by 'the Aiiniflery then punijhed by the Jad^e.
As for Blafphemy, the punilhment of it belong'd to the Civil
Magiftrate; and fo for Bigamy and Ufury.
As to the Toleration of Jews^ &c. they argu'd from St. Fault
That the Ecchfiagtical Authority had no power over thofe that were
not in the Church. And in behal f of the Greeks they urg'd. That
the Difference and. Difputes between the Greek and Roman Church
were yet Undetermined^ and that therefore it was not fit the Church
c/Romefiiould be Judge inker own Caufe.
Laftly, Againft the Prohibition of Bo* ks they pleaded. That
it was the way to ffifle Learning,and prevent the coming forth of many
good Books, necejfary for the InffruElionof Man-kind. That it be*. .
lonfd only to the Civil Magiffrates to prevent the Enormities of,
Scandalous Writers., and therefore that the Ecchfiafiie''s were not tof
thrufi their Sickles into ether mens Harvefis. Thus we find
Finetians., the in other things Obedient to the See of Romef,]
( 28 )
in the point of Toleration altogether Diflenting from it; for
they believe it to be their Interelt to take care, leaft the People
being deprivMofthe Liberty of their Alind?, flionid bealiena-
ted in their AfFedtions from the Government j therefore they
are contented that the People fhould enjoy their Liberty) pro-
vided they do not difturb the Public Peace.
To return into even in felfj the chief City
of the Empire, the Emperour Miximihmm the Second allowM
thQ Ev^ingclic's the free exercifeof their Religion in x.h.tMona-
fiery of the MiriorittSt which tho it were dcny'd them by his Son
Rudolfhw the Second, was again by the \x\6xi\gcnct Muthi^
^he Emperour reftorM them ^ fo that they had their public Af-
femblies at HornaU-, a Village clofe by the City •, within the
Walls of which they had befides the freedom to Baptize, Adrai-
nilter the Sacrament, and Marry according to their own forms,
till Ferdinand the Second retraded their priviledges, and forc'd
them, whenever the Duty of their Worlfiip required, to go as
far as Preshnr^h or EdenhHrgh.
It would be too long to trace the Teveral Regions of Germany^
where fo many Soveraign Princes and Free States, exemplary for
their Jufticeand Moderation, foiter of Confcience as the
main fupport of their Governments- 'Twill be enough tomenti-
on briefly thofe of chiefeft note ; the Dukes of Saxony^ Brm-
and Lmenbitrgh^ the Dukes of Wtttenbergh and Holfatia^
the Eledor Palatine^ the Duke of Bavaria^ tho of the Romilh
perfwafion, the Duke of Newburgh and the Landgrave of Hcjfen^
the Cities of Ratiebone, Frankford upon the Main^ and Spire^whcti
the Evangelicas are allow'd the free exercife of their Religion,and
meet every Sunday, from feven till eight in the Morning, and
from twelve till one in the Afternoon : not to omit Aaf^urgh^
where the chief Magiftrates of the City are half Protcfiams and
half PapiEs; nor thofe moft Noble Emporiums of the Northern
parts of Europe-, EJamborcngh-, Lubecl^^ Breme and Dantz^icbj:
to which if we fhould add the Stata of the United Netherlands^
it would be only to trouble the Reader with what is known to all
the World. And_ yet the Flouriflnng condition of thefe Coun-
tries and rerritories, the Number ot People, and the Tranqui-
lity which they enjoy, appjarently Demonftrate, That Liberty
of Confcier.ee is no juch Enemy to Man-kjnd.^ as to be fo rudely har^
rafyd and exterminated from the Earth with all the Rigors and Pex-
at ions that render Life Hncomfortable, Having
( 29 )
Having thus eftabllflied theTrnth o^RiHgioffs Toleration up-
onthe Foundations of Scripture, Reafon, Authority and Exam-
pie, certainly the wonder muft be very great among difcerning
Perfons, that men who boaft a morerefin'd Profefllon of Ckrifti-
an Religion^ who afpire to Peace, to Love, to Moderation, and
Truth toward all men, fitould with fo much PalTion and bitter
Animofity, exercife their hatred upon their Brethren, for the
Niceties of different Opinions ^ fothat if we come to know of
what Profefllon they are, 'tis their Imperfedlion, net their Per-
feftion that makes the difcovery : Which proceeds from hence,
Tkat Ecclejiafiical FanClisnS and Dignities are eftetm'dfor the Be-
mfits and advantages men reap thereby either of Wealth or Fame.
Which Abufe once crept into the Church, was the firft occafion
that many men of Evil Principles greedily thirfted after Ecclcfi-
aftical Preferments \ and that the love of propagating Sacred
Religion degenerated into Avarice and Ambition j and that the
Church it felf was turn'd into a Theater, where the great Do-
ftorsftudied not the plainnefs of True Preaching, but to fhew
the quaintnefs of their Oratory. They never bent their minds
to Teach the People, but to Tickle their Ears into an Admirati-
on of their Elegant Expreffions and gingling Satyrs upon Diflen-
ters and Papifts, as they thought their Themes would be molt
pleafing to their Auditors •, which did but Inflame the Cbntenti-
ons already rais'd, gnd beget contempt and hatred tothemfelves,
and breed an Animofity not eafy to be reconcil'd in them who
had been fo rudely, tho undefervedly handled._ No wonder
then that nothing remain'd of Primitive Religion befides the
External Worfhip (with which the People rather feem'd to flat-
ter then adore the Supream Divinity) and that Faith was now
become no other then Credulity and Prejudice. That very Pre-
judice, thai renders men of Rational Creatures, Brutes; as being
that which hinders every Man from making life of his free Judg-
ment, and being able to dillinguilh Truth from Fallhood •, and
which feems to have been invented on purpofe to extingijfh the
Light of the Underilanding. Piety and Religion are made a
Compound of Erroneous Myfteries of Humane Policy *, and they
who contemn Reafon, and reje(fl: the direflions of the Under-
ftanding as corrupted by Nature, would themfelves be thought
to have the Divine Light; tho had they but the leaft fpark of
Divine Light, they would not fo proudly infult, but learn
more
( 50 )
more Prudently to wcriJiip G^d, snd as now in Hatred, fothcn
in Love, to excel the reft of their Brethren. Nor would they
Perfecute with fuch an open Hoftility, thofe that cannot in Con-
fcience comply with their Inipofitions , but rather take pity of
their failings, unlefs they would be thought more fearful of their
own worldly Intercft, then follicitous for the others Salvation.
Seeing then that thefEftablilhing of any Religious perfwafion
by force, is fo contrary to Scripture, Reafon and common Sence,
it remains then that only Worldly Intere(it and the fupport of a
Domineering Hierarchy, muft be the chief Motives that en^
gag'd the late Perfecutors to procure thofe Penal Lawsy which"
in contempt of the Light of Nature^ and their own Fidemm Me-
liora'^s, they put fo rigoroufly in Execution. Laws that punifii
the very fupnofition of Crimes and Tranfgrc {Rons in Conceit j
Laws that puniih the Body with Corporal Vexations for the
fuppofed TranfgrelTions of the Mind and Will ^ Laws that pre-
tended to dive into the Breafts of Men, and to difcover Evil in
their Thoughts, as if enabled to torment the Souls of Mankind
before their time; In a word, Laws that were abolifh'd by Rea-
foH as foon as made *, for if Laws are grounded upon Reafon,
and thefe Laws are contrary to Reafon, as it is plain they were,
for that Laws are made to redrefs, not to increafe the grievances
of the People ; then were they null as foon as form'd. For if
Laws do not arife out of Natural Reafon^ but are only made to
avoid foms greater mifchief pretended to be forefeen j we are
not ralhly to admit of fuch an Interpretation, as to maJce that
Sinful or Criminal which is otherwife Lawful. Thus to feperate
from the Church of England^ is a thing no way in it's felf lln-
lawful, and therefore cannot be made Criminal by a Law, there
being no natural Equity to make it fo, and confequently not
Punifhable by the Law- Nor can their Meeting in Conventicles
be a Crime j for that the Dodrine of men that teach thofe
things which are Juft and Honeft, can never be fear'd, efpeci-
ally when they are exatft in their Obedience to the Magiftrate;
nor ihould their private Aflemblics be envied or fufpecfted, as
being Juft and Innocent Men, till they are convidled of being
otherwife. And therefore they that Perfecute fuch People,
ought rather to be Profecuted themfelves •, for that by thcvn
the Law of Nature is brok'nin doing injuftice to them that never
CfF.iidcd ^and it is but natural equity to punifli thofe that wrong
■their
(JI)
■ their Neighbours without a caufe. Which Caufe can never be
found in a Law made contrary to Reafon •, in a Law made to
gratify the Ambition and Intereft of a Single Party, to the
difturbance of the Greater part of the Nation, which is contra%
ry to the Common Good, and confequentJy the End of Law.
Moreover, There is no Humane Law that can command or
prohibit an Ad, purely diredly and Secundum internal. And
this is grounded upon the common Axiomc, CogitaiionU
nemt mtreturno man incurs the Punifhment of Thought, for
the Law has nothing to do with Internal Ads; and therefore
•iecaufe it cannot naturally and of it felf punifh thofe Ads, there-
fere neither can it_ either command or prohibit them ; for the
Legiflative Power is Compulfive, and if it cannot be Compul-
five as to the inward Ad, neither can it make a Law in reference
to it.
The reafon of this Aflertion is, for that the Legiflative Power
among men is only ordain'd for prefervation of the outward
Peace and honefty of Humane Community, to which thole Ads
have no Relation which are conceived in the Mind." Then
again this Power fprings immediately from Humane Communi-
ty it felf, by the means of Natural Reafon. Now there is no
Humane Community that can grant a Power iram«diately and
of it felf, over Adions meerly Internal, as being altogether
without the Limits of its Knowledge, and without the Bounds of
its Jurifdidion; for no man is naturally fubjed to another
in his Soul, but in his Body. Therefore laid a Learned School-
man, He is in an Error xpho believes that Servitude lays held of the
Tthole ; the better part is excepted. Our Bodies are lyable to
our Superiours and Governours, but the Mind is its own Lord
andMafter-
Then again, The conditions of Humane Laws are. That the
Law niuf be Hanefi^ Jufi^ Pojfible, convenient to Time and Place,
and conformable to Religion and Reafon.
The Penal Laves are not Honeft, becaiile they would en-
force men to abandon the worlhip of God, which in their Con-
fciences they have made choice of, as believiug it to be the mofl;
pure and conformable to Scripture, and to fubmit themfelves
to Ceremonicsiwhich they as firmly believe to be no way necclTa-
ryfor their Salvation, but rather contrary to thofe Sentiments
which they have of the Truth of Sacred Adoration.
E They"
( )
Ttiey are not juft, bccaufethey would bereave men of that ^
Chriftian Liberty which all men have a priviledge to claim ; and
which the moft zealous promoters of the Penal Laws would take ^
moft heavily to be thcmfelves depriv'd of.
In the Second place. They ought to command thofe things.,
which may be juftly obferved ; but thefe Laws would enforce
men to Sin againft the Didiites of their Confciences, the Con- .
fcquence is eafy to any- . .
Thirdly, The Penal Laws- are not agreeable to Religion, for-
they prohibit what the Laws of God allow, v hich is o/"
Confcier.cey and uphold what the Laws of God prohibit, which
is Spiritual Tyranny and Dominion in matters of Religion.
Fourthly} The Penal Laws are contrary to -Reafbn and the
common benefit of Civil Society •, for it is not rational that Peo-
pic ihould be ImprifonM, Fin'd, and Banifhed, and common
fecUrity of Liberty and Property be infring'd even to the
lofs of men lives, and the depopulation of a Kingdom,-
for pretences over which the Civil Magiftrates pretends not "
tobaveany Jurifdidion.^ '
Add to this. That to rendering Laws effedual, there are re-
quired all the three parts or forts of Juftice. Firft, Ju/litia
Le^alfs, whofe Office is to aim at the Common Good, and con-
fequently to preferve the due priviledges of all the Subjeds in
general.' Secondly, jHftitia Commutauva^ which requires that
the Legiflator command no more then lies in his power. Thirdly,
Diftributive Juftice, which takes care that the private good of
a few, be not iefped:ed more then the public good of the whole
Bady. In all which parts ofjufticc, thebeing de-
feftive, it follows- that they were not duly made, confequently
invalid and no way obliging. And this is the Opinion of all the
Famous Cafuifts, ^quinae-, SPlttSt Medina^ Caftcr-, Telintu^
Tamrmitanust and others, conformable to that of St.
felf, /. 19. deCivit. Dei, c: 21- The ferverje Conftitutions of Men
are neither to be accounted nor to be [aid to be Laws j when that is
only to be acceunted right and jufi, which flows from the Fomtain of
Juftice, Now that it is the intrinfic end of all Laws duly made,
to aim at the Common Good, is plain from the Laws of God
ihemWves, which arefiKh, that tho ordain'dby God himfelf
to his Own Glory, yet he feeks therein not his own advantage,
but the good and benefit of mem In like manner as all Humane
Laws
( n )
LaWs are im]5ofed upon a Community of People) fo ought they
to be made for the general good of that Community, otherwife
they are irregular *, for it is againft all Juftice to reduce the Com-
mon Good to Private Intereft, or to fubjedl the-whole to the
part for the parts fake. Another reafon may be deduc'd from
the end it felf, for the end mufl; be proportionate to the Adii its
beginning and efficacy. Now the Law is the common Rule of
Moral Operations 5 thereforethe fir ft Principle of Moral Ope-
rations ought to be the firft Principle of the Law; but tfte end or
happinefs is the firft Principle of Moral Operations ^ for in Mo-
rals the beginning is the end of the Operations, and fo the UIti-
mate end is the firft Principle of fuch Adions 3 but the Common
■ Good or Felicity of a City or Kingdom is the Ultimate end of it
in its Government) .therefore it ought to be the firft beginning
-of the Law, and therefore the Law ought to be for the Common
Good. Now it is apparent that the Pe^al Laws were made only
for the particular good and felicity of the Church of England
men, all others being by them excluded from the benefit of their
native Priviledges, that could not in Confcience conform to the
Ceremonies of their Worffiip, to the Ruin and Vexation of ma-
ny thouffinds, which was pofitively againft the Cqmmon Good
and Felicity of the Nation and general Community of the Peo-
pie, divided only in fome points of Religion, but in an equal
poife of Obedience and Loyalty to the Supream Magiftn te, and
therefore juftly deferving equal ffiare of provifion by the Laws
for their Security and Protedion. And therefore unlefs it can be
provM that itis for the Common Good and Benefit of the whole
Nation, that men fhould be perfecutcd to uphold the Hierarchy
of the Church of England^ the Penal Laws are unduly made, and
therefore as of no force, to be repeal'd and annul'd. Therefore
-the Intention of the Divine Laws might have taught the Promo-
• ters of thefe Penal Statutes better and more Chriftian Learning >
for therefore are Prelates call'd Paftors, becaufe they ought to
lay down their Lives for the good of the Sheep 3 not the Sheep
to lay down their Lives for the good of thern : they arc call'd
Difpenfers and not Lords 3 Minifters of God, not Primary
-Caufes, and therefore they ought to be conformable to the Di-
vine Intention in theExercife of their Power: God principally
-intends the Common Good of men,and therefore his Miniftersare
bound to do the fame^ They are Tyrants, not Governours in the
• £ 2 "Church,
( ?4 )
Ctiiireh) while they feck tlieir own Support and not the Com-
men Benefit.
As to the Injujlice oi X\\Q Ttrial Larvs^ ex ferte Jl^aterix^ in
commancfing thofe things which ought not to be obferved, this
Axiom from thence arifes, That no unjuft Law can be a Law., and
then there lies no obligation to accept it? or to obferve it if ac-
cepted \ for that the Subje<its arc not only not bound to accept
itj but have it not in their power, when the command is clearly
and manifeftly unjuft: as when men arc commanded not to mect
above filch a number under fubh a penalty, for the Eprcife of
their Religion according to their Confciences. This is an Evil
Command, bccaufc it debars men from the free Worlhip of
God ^ for unlefs it could be prov'd that the Religion of the
Church of Errgland is the only True Religion in the Worldj and
they the only Infallible Minifters upon Earth> it is unjuft in any
Law to conftrain others to believe that, which may be as Erro-
neous in them) as what the other profelles •• For tho 1 may be-
Jieve the Liturgy of the Church of Englarrd to be the pureft form
of Supplication under HcaveU) yet another may not believe fo,
neither is it a Crime in him to believe otherwife.
We have faid that the Penal Lavs are dcfeftive in point of
Honefty, which is another reafon why they are invalid, and-
therefore to be annulfd. For the Immorality of the Precept
is contrary to God himfelf, becaufe it includes a Grime and a
Tranfgreflion againft God, and therefore ought not to be ob-
ferv'd as no way obligatory ; feeing that it behoves us to obey
God rather then Man, which is the reafon thefe Laws ought not
to be obferved, as contradicting our Obedience to God, and fub-
JeCtingus to theCompulfionsof Men.
In the laft place, no Law can be valid beyond the Intention of
the Legiflators. Now it is not rational to think that thofe Per-
fons who made tht Penal Laws upon a prefumption of danger
from Factious and Turbulent Spirits, ever intended thofe Laws
for the punifltment of thofe that liv'd peaceably and obediently
toward the Government in all the Paffive Duties of good Loyal
ShbjeCbs, for that had been to make Laws for the punifhrnent
of good men, which was never the defign of any juft and vertu-
ous Legiflator in this World. _ Now then the Prefumption of
the danger being remov'd by , his Majeftiesmoft Gracious Indal'
genec) the FqHn4|ti?5 remov'd, and con-
■ ■ ' . " feqijentl
()
fequently the Obligation to them-, for it is not tobeim^gin'd
that iheFramers of thefe Laws ever meditated to Eftabiifh the
Dominion of a Spiritual Oligarchy upon the Ruin of fo many
Families of Pious and Religious People ^ and therefore thefiifpi-
tions which were the grounds of thefe Laws being vanilh'd, the
Laws themfclves are to be laid afide, as altogether vain and fri-
volous, and fuch as have only ferv'd to gratify the Revenge and
Animofity of their promoters: for we never hear'd of Tray-
tors or Factious Perfons, that were ever tryM upon thofe
Laws, there being others of greater force to take hold of fuch
Criminals.
As for the 7Vi7j it appears to be an Oath continued to prevent
the fitting of any Commoner or Peer in either of theHoufes of
Parliament, from coming into his Majefties Prelence or Court,
and from bearing any Office or Imployment, Military or Civil,
in any of his Majeflies Realmes oi England or Ireland^ &c. And
they that arc to take this Oath, are thereby to abjure the belief
of Tranfubftantiation, Invocation or Adoration of Saints, and
the Sacrifice of the Mafs, d-c.
The Learned are of Opinion, That to make an Oath binding,
it is requifite that it refers to things Lawful; for that if the thing
promifed upon Oath be forbidden either by the I aw of Nature,
or by the Divine Laws, or Jnterdided by the Laws of Men, it
has no power to oblige the Swearer.
Now the Qjieftion will be whether this Oath does not pofif
tively contradict the known Laws of the Land, by enforcing a
Peer of the Realm , or any other free-born EngUfli-man of
lower Degree, to accufe himfelf, with foftrongand dangerous
a Temptation to Perjury, where the Choice; is only this. Either
to forfwear their Religion, or lofe their Native Priviledges
and Preferments, and all poffibility of advancing their Fortunes.
A piece of feverity that conftrains the inward Belief of the Mind,
rohichGod the fearcher of all Hearts hat re fervid to himfelf. That
this is an ACt contrary to the known Laws of the Land, isun-
doubtedly true, as is apparent from the great Charter, andfe-
veral Statutes of the Realm ^ therefore the Tefi has no power
to oblige the Swearer, and conlequently to be repeal'd as
Ufelefs.
That it is againft the Law of God, is apparent from hence,'
for that there is nothing more ftrongly prohibited in Scripture,
E 3 then .
(jO,
V then to grohnd a Penal Pfofecution upon the enforcM Oath of
the Party without Witnefs or Accufer.
In the next place it feemsa hard cafe to oblige the Papjfl: to
Swear away his Religion, before he has another provided for
him by thofethat Impofe the ©ath. For certainly Tranfdbftan-
tiation is no point of State •• nor does the Doctrine of good
.Works make a man a good Subjed : and it is poflible for a Papjft
to be Loyal to the Supream Authority» and yet believe there
is a Purgatory. All thcfc are no Fundamental points of Chrifti-
an Faith, clearly fee down in Scripture, but infer'd from pafla-
ges and glances of the Text, to which the Anfwers are bcliev'^d
as probable by the Papifts, as the Objedions againft them by
ns; and therefore there is no reafon they ihould be fo cruelly
Tefied forDoftrines that are but either obfcurely rcveaPdj or
not neceifarily enjoyn'd. As little reafon is there to enforce
this Te/upon the Papifts, when we know that many of our own
perfwafions would Scruple to take it, and feme fo nice as ablo-
lutely to refufe it. At jeaft it is very fevere to compel fuch as are
young and unlearned (for all are not Cafuifts that enter the Par-
liament Houfe, or have Preferment in the Kingdom) to Swear
that fuch an Opinion or Do<ftrine is not true, which they
have been always bred up to from their Infancy j efpecialiy to
come bluntly upon them without any preceding Inftru^lions or
endeavours to convince their Underftandings, only Swear or
elfe depart the Kings Prefence and quit your Im.ployment.
But all this is done, they fay to prevent the growth of Popery,
and fecure the Publick Peace : as if the taking the Teft would
avail to make a man either a better Neighbour or a better
Subjeift. For Experience tells us. That they who impofe this
Tfi?, confide never the more in thofe whom they have frighted
-to take it •, and tho by taking it they may preferve what places
they have, yet is icnotinit felf any ftcp to Preferment. Ra-
ther indeed is there lefs reafon to confide iij. thofe that are un-
willingly drawn to an outward Complyance, then in thofe that
Obfrinatcly refufe to be obliged ; fince there can be no greater
■■caufeof Hatred and Refentment, t hen the remembrance of their
being, compell'd .publickly to Swear againft their Confciences •,
unkfs rjieir Judgments are really chang'd, and then all Penalties
, to enforce them are fuperfinons. Whence it muft be concluded,.
: that the TeJ^s and all Oiiths of that nature, arc always either ab-
folutdy
1-^ I.—^—)
( J7 )
fohtely pernicious or ^kogether unncceiTary: if againfl:
Ihward Judgment, damnable, as being the higheft degree of
Perjury, and Spiritual Murder of the Soul i if according to the
Internal Sentiments, ufelefs. More then this, it was the Opi-
nion of Jfidore^ That a mm ought to make no fcruple to break an
Oath that Would bind him to a di^onefi andunjufl Attion : for that
the promife mufi. needs be wicked that cartnot be fulfilPdy but by ma~ -
king a man wicked- And what can make a man more wicked then to
renouncejoit Religion for private Cain ? So that if the Tefiy as it is
an Oath that would bind a man to fuch an unjuft A(n:ion,^as the.
Renouncing his Religion for Worldly Honour or Preferment,
may be fo cafily broken, to what purpofe is it kept on foot ?
Since it has not power enough to bind the Pcrfon that takes it.
And indeed, if the power ot an unjuft Oath were fo great as
fome would make us believe, how deeply are they PerjurM
that took the Covenant and Engagement, yet after that were
fb Inftrumental in Reftoring of his late Majefty of Blefled Me-
mory, whofe Right and Title to the Crown they had fo fo-
len.nly abjur'd. But they have their Abfolution from St. Am-
brofcy who tells us,fome Tromifes camot be perform'd^ nor fame
' ethe/s kept without the Violation of our Duties both to God and Man.
Upon thefe confiderations we have juft reafon to believe
it w^3 that Qur Supream Legiflator and Soveraign. Prince fee
forth nis nioft Gracious thereby to free from
Spiritual Bondage, the Enflav'd Confciences of his Suffering
Subjedts, Groaning under the Tyranny of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdi-
dtion. Therein truly refembling the Divine Majefty, whofe
Vicegerent upon Earth he is, while he fheds down down upon
all in^general, the Raye^ ofhis Chriftian Coitipafrion, and fpreads
the Cherubim Wingsof hjs Mercy over multitudes fo latety tor-
mented with the Unfandlificd Vexation.
He has publicly dcclar'd it to be his Aim to fix his Govern-
ment on fuch a Foundation as may make his Subjedfs happy in
the.Enjoyment of their Religion with freedom of Exerdfex. and
their Property without Invaiion.
Under the Reign of fuch a Piince, whom God preferve, what
Caufe or Grounds can there be for Fears or Jealoufies ? 'Tis
an ill fign of Obedience in Subjedts, when they diftruft the So-
lemn Diclarations of their Prince : And on the ether fide, to
deny him fo fmall a Recompence for his Excefs of Benignity in
his. •,
(4o) _
his RoyAl Teleration, as the Repeal of Cruelty and Injullice-,
Cruelty in the FcmaI Litrtst and Injullice in the Tefi •, is the
higheft Ingratitude in the World- Certainly it cannot be thought
but that a Monarch lo tender of the Liberties and Confciences
of his Subjects, mull be ill at eafe till he has removed thofe
Scourges oflmpolition that hang over their Heads in fuch a'
.Threatning pofture. And therefore lince Soveraign Confide-
ration thinks it meet to have them taken away> 'tis a very rude
piece of Obftinacy, to be Froward and Peevifli in Oppofition to
Soyeraign Reafon-
FINIS.
'CONCERNING '
T O L E R AT lO-Nv
• ' A.
There wili bd publifhed in a few days,
\N Agreement betwixt the Prejent and the Former Go-
vernment: Or, A Difconrfe of thk Monarchy, Whe-
ther Elebiive or Hereditary^). Alfo of Abdication, Vacancy,
l»terregnnms, Prefent Pojf^fon of the Crown, and the Re-
piitatian of the - Church . afEnglavidi^ Sec. By a Divine of
the Church of Enghnd, bLc.
Footes and Firebrands: Or, ~A Specimen of the Danger
and Harmony of Popery and Separation. A Third Part.
An Hundredr^and^fi^yr-tkree. Chymicyl Aphorifms: To
which, whatever relates to the Science of Chymiflry may
Jitly^be referred. ^^ Done^ by t'^^Lfie^nr and Study of a
^o/intrT Hg^Wie, \and ^Printed ,in Latin at Amfterdam,
Sold by Awnfoam Churchill in Ave-mary Lane. -
A
*
T F X T 1
r
j-■—^ mIu a JL -1
m
CONCERNING
. 1-V
T oleratioi
1:
Humbly Submitted^
A ^
i
1
• L I C E N S E D, OSloh. i68p.
t
LONDON,
Printed for AmiJJ?am Churchill, at the 'Black
Sivan at Amen-Cormr. 1689.
TO THE ' " ^ t ;
R E A D E R:
/ ^ \He Enfuing Letter concerning
s Toleration, jirji Printed in
A Latin this very Tear, in Hoi-
land, hns already been Tranflated both in-
to Dutch and French, So general and
ffeedy an Af^robation may therefore be-
fpa}\^ its favourable Kecepion in Eng-
land. / thinly indeed there is no Nation^
under Heaven^ in which fo much has al-
ready been faid upn that SubjeAy as Ours.
But yet certainly there is no Peofle that
Jland in more need of having fomething
further both faid. and done-.amongji them^
in this Pointy than Wc do.
Our
To the Reader.
Onr Government has not only been far-
tial in Matters of Kebgiow^ but tkofe alfo
who have Juffered under that Partiality^
and have therefore endeavoured by their
Writings to vindicate their own Rights
and Liberties^ have for tbejnofi fart aone
it Hfon narrow Princifles^ fmted only to
the Interejls of their own i e&s.
Phis narrownefs of Sfirit on all fdes
has undoubtedly been the frincifal Occafon
of our Miferies andConJufions. But what-
ever have been the Occafon^ it is now high
time to Jeel^ for a thorow Cure, We have
need of more generous Remedies than what
have yet been made ufe of in our Diftern-
fer. It is neither Declarations of Indul-
gence^ nor Ads of Comprehenfion^ fuch
as have yet been fratfifed or frojeBed
ainongfl us^ that can do the Worl^ The
frjl will but falliate^ the fecond encreafe
our Evil,
' Abfolute
mill
To the Reader.
Ahfolute Liberty^ fuji and True Liber-
ty^ Equal^nd Ir/ifartial Liberty ^ is the
"n' .tbirio that rp- ft and-in need ol, Notp tho
«f J ' ^ ' J J
, ™ this has indeed been inm h t(iU\ed of^ I doubt
it has not been ?nuch unaet fi/oJ; I am Jure
not at all fratl/jed^ either by our Cover-
nours towards the Peofle in generaf or by
any Dijenting Parties of the People to-
wards one another,
1 cannot therefore but hope that this
Jmj: Difcourle, which treats of that Subjetf
ltd however briefly^ yet more exa&ly than any
iwi'i jpe have yet jeen, demonflrating both the
hto Equitablenefs and Pra&icablenefs of the
kttii things will be ejieemed highly feajonable^ by
Dp all Men that have Souls large enough to
)fU' prefer the true Interefl of the Public\^ be-
oiijf fore that of a Party,
ffdji It is for the ufe of fitch as are already
® fi ffifitedy or to infpire that Spirit into
0(1 tbofe that are not^ that I have Iranflated
it
To the Reader.
it into our Language^ But the thing it
felf is fo Jhortj that it ivill not hear a longer
Preface, I leave it therefore to the Con-
f deration of my Countrymen^ and heartily
iptfl; they< may mah^ the ufe of it that it
^rppears to he defgned for.
T
A
L E T T E
£—t X ✓ JL -Wl. JI J
CONCERNING
TOLERATION.
Honoured Sir^
Since you are pleafed to inquire what are my
Thoughts about the mutual Toleration of Chri-
iftiaiis in their different Profeffions of Religion, I
muft needs anfwer you freely, That I efteem that
Toleration to be the chief Charafferiftical Mark of
the True Church. For whatfoever fome People boaft of
the Antiquity of Places and Names, or of the Pomp of
their Outward Worlhip ^ Others, of the Reformation of
their Difcipline^ All, of the Orthodoxy of their Faith 5
(for every one is Orthodox to himfelf;) Thefe things, and
all others of this nature, are much rather Marks of Men
driving for Power and Empire over one another, than of
the Church of Chrift. Let any one have never fo true a
Claim to all thele things, yet if he be deftitute of Charity,
Meekiiefi, and Good-will in general towards all Mankind,
even to thofe that are not Chriftians, he is certainly yet
fhort of being a true Chriftian himfelf. The Kings of the luj;. 2z.
Gentiles exercife Lord'fip -over them, laid our Saviour to his 2$.
Difciples, hut j/e fhall not be fo. The Bufinefs of True Re-
B ligion
Luke 2 2.
32.
i A Letter concerning Tolerntmi.
ligion is quite another thing. It is not inftituted in order
to tlte ere^iingof an external Pomp, nor to the obtaining
of Ecdeflafticat Dominiori, nor to the exercifing of com-
pulfive Force , but to the regulating of Mens Lives ac-
cording to the Rules of Vertue and Piety. Whofoever
will life hirafclf under the Banner of ChriR, muft in the
firft place, and above all things, make War upon his own
Lufts and Vices. It is in vain for any IVfan to ufurp the
Name of Chriftian, without Holinefs of Life, Purity of
2 Tim. 2. Manners, and Ilenignky. and Meekners/;of Spirit. Let every
one that nameth the Name of Chriji , depart from iniquity.
Thoit^ when thou art converted^ frengthen thy Brethren.^ laid
our Lord to Beter. It would indeed be very hard for one
that appears carelefs about his own Salvation, to perfuade
me that he were extreamly ccncern'd for mine. For it is
irapoiiible that thofc diould lincerely and heartily apply
themfidves to make other People Chriftians, vyho haye nqt
really eml>racedthe Chriftian Religion in their own Hearti.
If the Gofpel and the Apoliles may be credited, no Man
can be a Chriftian without Churity^ and without thak-Faith
which works^ not by Forces but by Love. Now I appeal
to the Confciences of thofe that'perfecute, torment, de-
ftroy, and. killother Men-upon pretence of Religion, whe-
thet thev do it out of Friendftiip and Kindnds towards
them, or no^: And I (hall-then indeed, and not till then,
believe they-do fo, when I lhall lee thole fiery Zealots cor-
rc&ing', in the fame ma-nner, their-FrieU'ds and familiar Ac-
quidntance,-for the manifeft Sins they-commit againft the
Precepts.of the GolpeU when I lhall lee them prolecute
• with'Fire.and Sword the Members of their own Commu-
momthut are tainted with-i enormous Vices, and'without
Amendment are in danger of eternal Perdition ^ arid When
„ I lhall fee them thus exprefs their Love and Defire of the
- Salvation of their Souls, by the infli(ftion of Toirments,
and exercile of all manner of ,Cru€kiesj For if k be out
of
X
A Letter concernmg Loleratm. ^
''loti of a Principle of Charity, as they pretend, and Love to
^ Mens Souls, that they deprive them of their Eftates, maim
of 05 them with corporal Punilhments, ftarve and torment them
ftvej in noifom Prifons, and in the end even take away their
Wof: Lives 5 I (ay, if all this be done raeerly to make Men
ift-Cj Chriftians, and procure their Salvation, Why then do they'
lliiif fuffer Whoredom^ Fraiid^ hlalice^ and fnch e?7ormities^ ^Qm. i.
ifiiif: which (according to the Apoftie) manifeftly rellifh of Hea-
'lino thenilh Corruption, to predominate fo much and .abound
Lta aniongft their Flocks and People? Thefe, and fhch/Iike
' iittf things, are certainly more contrary to the Glory of Goci',' to
the Purity of the Church, and to the Salvation of S6uls,'
than any confcientious Dillent from Ecclefiafricar Dbcifions,-
or Separation from Publick Worlhip, whilft accompanied
with Innocency of Life. Why then does this burning
Zeal for God, for the Church, and for the Salvation
Souls 5 burning, I fay, literally, widi Fire and Faggot, pari
nHa by thofe moral Vices and Wickednelles, without any:Cha-
nji ftilement, which are acknowledged by all Men to be dia-
nictiically oppofite to the Profeflion of Ghriftianity 5 and
, [jja bend all its Nerves either to the introducing of Geremo-
nies, or to the eftablifhment of Opinions, which for the •
moft part are about nice and intricate Matters, that exceed
the Capacity of ordinary Underftandings ? Which of the
Parties contending about thefe things is in the right, which
of them is guilty of Schilm or Herefie, whether thole that
domineer or thofe that fuffer, will then at laft be manifefi,
when the Caufe of their Separation comes to be judged df. '
He certainly that follows ChrifV, embraces his Doftrine,
and bears his Yoke, tho' he forfake both Father and Mo-
ther, feparate from the Publick Afiemblies and Ceremonies
of his Country, or whomfoever, or whatfoever elfe he
relinquifhes, will not then be ijudged .an Heretick.
Now, tho' the Divifions that are amongft Sefts fhotftd be
allowed to be -never fb cbftruriiive of the Salf'atioh of
B 2 Souls,
4
3al. 5.
A Letter concerning Toleration.
Souls ^ yet neverthelels AdAtery, Fornication, Unckannefs,
Lafcivioiifnefs, Idolatry, and fnch like things, cannot be de-
nied to be Works of the Fief), concerning which the Apo-
ftle has expredy declared, that they who do them Jhall not
inherit the Kingdom of God. Whofbever therefore is fin-
cerely foilicitous about the Kingdom of God, and thinks
it his Duty to endeavour the Enlargement of it amongft
Men, ought to apply himlelf with no lefs care and indu-
dry to the rooting out of thefe Immoralities, than to the
Extirpation of Seels. But if any one do otherwife, and
wiiilft he is cruel and implacable towards thofe that differ
from him in Opinion, he be indulgent to fuch Iniquities
and Immoralities as are unbecoming the Name of a Chri-
ftian, let fuch a one talk never fo much of the Church, he
plainly demonftrates by his Aftions, that 'tis another King-
dom he aims at, and not the Advancement of the Kingdom
of God.
That any Man fhould think fit to caufe another Man,
whofe Salvation he heartily defires,to expire in Torments,
and that even in an unconverted cftate, would, I confefi,
feem very firange to me, and, I think, to any other alfo.
But nobody, furely, will ever believe that fuch a Cai-
riage can proceed from Charity , Love, or Good-will.
If any one maintain that Men ought to be compelled by
Fire and Sword to profefs certain Doftrines, and conform
to this of that exteriour Worfhip, without any regard had
unto their Morals 3 if any one endeavour to convert thofe
■ that are Erroneous unto the Faith, by forcing tliem to
profefs things that they do not believe, and allowing them
to praffife things that the Gofpel does not permit 3 it can-
not be doubted indeed but fuch a one is defirous to have
a numerous AfTembly joyned in the fame Profefiion with
himfelf3 but that he principally intends by thofe means
to compofe a truly Chriftian Church, is altogether incre-
dible. It is not therefore to be wondred at, if thofe vvho
i do
A Letter concerning Toleration. 5
do not really contend for the Advancement of the true
Religion, and of the Church of Chrift, make ufe of Arms
that do not belong to the Chriftiaii Warfare. If, like the
Captain of our Salvation, they fiiicerely defired the Good
of Souls, they would tread in the Steps, and follow the
perfeft Example of that Prince of Peace, who fent out his
Soldiers to the fubduing of Nations, and gathering them
into his Church, not armed with the Sword, or other In-
fcriiinents of\Force, but prepared with the Gofpcl of
Peace, and with the Exemplary Holinefs of their Conver-
fation. This was his Method. Tho' if Infidels were to be
converted by force, if thofe that are either blind or ob-
fiinate were to be drawn off from their Errors by Armed
Soldiers, we know very well that it was much more eafie
for Him to do it with Armies of Heavenly Legions, than
for any Son of the Church, how potent foever, with all
his Dragoons.
The Toleration of thofe that differ from others in Mat-
ters of Religion, is fo agreeable to the Gofpel of Jefus
Chrift, and to the genuine Reafon of Mankind, that it
feems monftrous for Men to be fo blind, as not.to perceive
the Neceftity and Advantage of it, in fa clear a Light. I
will not here tax the Pride and Ambition of fome, the
Paliion and uncharitable Zeal of others. Thefe are Faults
from which Humane Affairs can perhaps fcarce ever be
perfedly freed ^ but yet fuch as no body will bear the plain
Imputation of, without covering them with fome fpecious
ColoLtr 5 and fo pretend to Commendation, whilft they are
carried away by their own irregular Paffions. But howe-
ver, that fome may not colour their Spirit of Perfecution
and unchriftian Cruelty v/ith a Pretence of Care of the
Publick Weal, and Obfervation of the Laws 5 and that
others, under pretence of Religion, may not feck Impu-
nity for their Libertinifm and Licentioufnefs j in a word,
that none may impofe either upon himfelf or others, by
the
A Letter concerning lolerM'ton.
the^Pjjqt-eriQes-of Loyalty and'Obedience to the Prince, or
pf Tendernefs and Sincerity in the Woilhip of God ^ I
efteeni it above all things neceflary to diitinguifh exaftly
the Bu^nefs fof ijCivil Goye^^nment.fcomrthat of fleligion,
and to fettle the. }uft :Bounds fhat lie between the one'and
the other. If this be not done, there can be no end put
;to the Controverfies that will Ix^ always arifing, between
.thofe that hafe, or at leaft pretciiid to'have, on the one
fide, a Concernment for the Ipteteft of Mehij Souls, and on
the other fide, a Care of the Commonwealth.
^ The Commonwealth feems to.-me to be a Society of
jVkn conftituted only for the'proctiring, preferving, and
advancing of their own Civil Interejls.
Civil Interefls I call Life, Liberty, Health, and Indolency
of Body 5 and the Pofieffion of outward things, fuch as
Money, Lands, Hotifes, Furniture, and the like.
It is the Duty of the Civil Magiftrate, by-the impartial
Execution of equal Laws, to fecure' unto allthe P-eople in
general, and to every one of his Subjefts in particular, the
juft Pofieffion of theie things belonging to this life. If
imy one prefume to violate the Laws of Publick Juftice and
Equity, eftablifhed for the -Prefervation of thofe things,
his Prefumption is to be check'd by the fear of Punifti-
ment, confiding of the Deprivation or Diminution of thofe
Civil Interefts, or Goods.^- which otherwife he might and
lought to enjoy. But feeing no Man does willingly fuffer
-himfelf to be punifhed by the Deprivation of any part of
-his Goods, and much left of his Liberty or Life, therefore
-is the Magiftrate armed with the Force and Strength of all
his Subjefts, in order to the punifhment of thofe that vio-
late any other Man's Rights.
Now that the whole Jurifdiftion of the Magiftrate rea-
ches only to thefe Civil Concernments ^ and that all Civil
Power, Right and Dominion, is bounded and confined to
the only care of promoting thefe things 5 and that it nei-
ther
m
A Letter concerning Toleration.
ther can; nor ought in any manner to be extended to the
Salvation oF Souls, thcib following Gonfiderations feem nn-
to me abundantly to demonft rate.
Lirft^ -Beoaufe the Care of Souls is not committed to
the Civil Magiftratc, any more than to other Men. It iynot
committed unto him, f lay, by God 5 becaule it appears not
that God has ever given any fuch Authority to one Man
over another, as to compell any one to his Religion. Nor
can any fuch Power be vefted in the Magiftrate by the
cmfent of the People ^-^becaufe nO- man can fo far abandon
the care of his own Salvation, as blindly to leave it to the
choice of any other-, whether Prince or Subjeft, tb^ pre-
fcribc to him what Faith or Worlhip he (hall embrace. For
no Man can, if he would, conform his Faith to the Diftates
of another. All the Life and Power of true Religion con-
lids in the inwai-d and full perfwalion of the mind 3 and
Faith is nOt Faith without briieving. Yi/hatever Profef-
fion we make, to whatever outward Worfliip we conform,
if we are not fully fatisfied in our own mind that'the one
is true, and' the other well pleafing unto God , fuch- Pro-
feflion and fuch Praftice, far from being any fuitherance,
are indeed great Obftacles to our Salvation. For in this
manner, indead of expiating other Sins by the exercife of
Reiigton, 1 fiy in offering thus unto God Almighty fuch
a Worfliip as we efteem to be difpleafing unto him, we
add unto the number of our other fins, thofe alfo of
Hypocrifie, and Contempt of his Divine Majefty.
In the fecond place. The care of Souls cannot belong
to the Civil Magiftrate, becaufe his Power confifts only
in outward force 3 but true and faving Religion confifts
in 'the inwar-d perftvafion of the Mind, without which'
nothing can be acceptable to GOdi ^;^And ruchis the na- '
ture of the tlnderftandihg, that it cannot Ibe compell'd
to the belief of any thing by diftward- force. Confffca-
tioii of Eftate, Irnprifonment, Torments, nothing of that
nature
8 A Letter concerning Toleration.
nature can have any fuch Efficacy as to make Men change
the inward Judgment that they have framed of things.
It may indeed be alledged, that the Magiftrate may
make ufe of Arguments, and thereby draw the Heterodox
into the way of Truth, and procure their Salvation. I
grant it 3 but this is common to him with other Men. In
teaching, inftrufting, and redrefl.ng the Erroneous by Rea-
foil, he may certainly do whatbeeomes any good Man to
do. Magiftracy does not oblige him to put of either Hii-
manity or Chriftianity. But it is one thing to perfwade,
another to command , one thing to prefs with Arguments,
another with Penalties. This Civil Power alone has a
right to do 3 to the other Good-will is Authority enough.
Every Man has Commiflion to admonifh, exhort, convince
another of Error, and by reafcning to draw him into T ruth:
but to give Laws, receive Obedience, and compel with the
Sword, belongs to none bur the Magiftrate. And upon this
ground I affirm, that the Magiftrate's Power extends not to
the eftablifhing of any Articles of Faith,or Forms of Worfhip,
by the force of his Laws. For Laws are of no force at all
without Penalties, and Penalties in this cafe are abfolutc-
ly impertinent t becaufe they are not proper to convince
the mind. Neither the Profeftion of any Articles of Faith,
nor the Conformity to any outtvard Form of Worfhip (as
has already been faid) can be available to the Salvation of
Souls, unlefs the truth, of the one, and the acceptablcnefs
of the other unto God, be thoroughly believed by thofe
that fo profefs and praftife. But Penalties are no ways
capable to produce fuch Belief. It is only Light and Evi-
dence that can work a change in Mens Opinions; which
Light can in no manner proceed from corporal Sufferings,
or any other outward Penalties.
L the tLrd place. The c2Lrc of the Salvation of Mens Souls
' cannot belong to the - Magiftrate 3 bccaufe, though the' ri-
gour ofLaws anclthe force of Penalties were capable to con-
I
Aeli!
vince
A Letter concerning Teleration.
viiice and change Mens minds, yet w.ould not that help at
all to the Salvation of their Souls. For there being but
one Truth, one way to Heaven, what Hopes is there that
more Men would be led into it, if they had no R.ule but
the Religion of the Court, and were put under a necef-
fity to quit the Light of their own Reafon, and oppole
the Diftatcs of their own Confciences, and blindly to re-
fign up themfelves to the Will of their Governors, and to
the Religion, which either Ignorance, Ambition, or Super-
ftition had chanced to eftablifh in the Countries where they
were born ? In the variety and contradiction of Opinions
in Religion, wherein the Princes of the World are as much
divided as in their Secular Inter efts, thenarrov/ way would
be much ftraitned ^ one Country alone would be in the
right, and all the reft of the World put under an obliga-
tion of following their Princes in the ways that lead to De-
ftruftion; and that which heightens the abfurdity, and
very ill fuits the Notion of a Deity, Men would owe
their eternal Happinefs or Mifery to the places of their
Nativity.
Thefe Confiderations, to omit many others that might
have been urged to the fame purpofe, feem unto me fuffi-
cient to conclude that all the Power of Civil Government
relates only to Mens Civil Infterefts, is confined to the care
of the things of this Worlcl, and hath nothing to do with
the World to come. . v
Let ns miv confider vehat.d .Church k. A Church then
I take to ,be a voluntary Society of Men, joining thern-
felvcs together of their own accord, in order to the pub-
lick worfhipping of God, in fuch a manner as they
judge acceptable to him, and effeiftual to the Salvation
of their Souls.
I fay it is a frcje and voluntary Society. No body is
born a Member of any Church 3 other wife the Religion
of Parents would delcend unto -Children, by the lame
C right
A Letter cmcernmg Toleration.
right of Inheritance as their Temporal Eftates, and every
one would hold his Faith by the fame Tenure he does his
Lands ^ than which nothing can be imagined more abfurd.
Thus therefore that matter ftands. No Man by nature is
bound unto any particular Church or Sedt, but every one
joins himfelf voluntarily to that Society in which he believes
he has found that Profeflion and Worfhip which is truly
•acceptable to God. The hopes of Salvation, as it was
the only caufe of his entrance into that Communion, fo it
can be the only reafon of his ftay there. For if afterwards
he dilcover any thing either erroneous in the Doftrine, or
incongruous in the Worlhip of that Society to which he has
joind himfelf, Whylhouldit not be as free for him to go
cut! as it was to enter } No Member of a Religious
Society can be tied with any other Bonds but what pro-
ceed from the certain expectation of eternal Life. A Church
thea is a Society of Members voluntarily uniting to this
end.
It follows, now that we confider what is the Power of
this Church, and unto what Laws it is fubjeCt.
Forafmuch as no Society, how free foever, or upon
whatfoever flight occafion inftituted, (whether of Philo-
phers for Learning, of Merchants for Commerce, or of
men of leifure for mutual Converfation and Difcourfe,) No
Church or Company, I lay, canintheleaft fubfiftandhoM
together, but will prefently diflblve and break to pieces,
unlefs it be regulated by fome Laws, and the Members
all confent to obferve fome Order. Place, and time of
meeting muft be agreed on ^ Rules for admitting and ex-
eluding Members muft be eftablilht 5 DiftinCtion of Officers,
and putting things into a regular Courfe, and fuch like,can-
not be omitted. But fince the joyning together of feve-
ral Members into this Church-Society, as has already been
demonftrated, is abfolutely free and fpbntaneous, it he-
eeflarily follows, that the Right of making its Laws can be-
long
A Letter concerning Toleration, * ^
long to none but the Society it felf, or at leaft (which
' is the fame thing) to thole whom the Society by common
confent has authorifed thereunto.
Some perhaps may objeft, that no fuch Society can be
faid to be a true Church, unlefs it have in it a Bifhop, or
'KK; Presbyter, with Ruling Authority derived from the very
ithr Apoftles, and continued down unto theprefent times by
an uninterrupted Succeffion.
wnit, To thele I anfwer. In the firfl placethem fhew me
"fa the Edid by which Chrift has impofed that Law upon his'
Do®! Church. And let not any man think me impertinent if,
in a thing of this confequence, I require that the Terms of
31hi' that Edid be very exprefs and pofitive. For the Promile
aUtE he has made us, that wherefoever two or three are gathered to- Macth. i8.
t\?k getherinhis Name, he will he in the midji of them, feems to
fe. At imply the contrary. Whether fuch an Aflembly want a-
litin't ny thing neceflary to a true Church, pray do you con-
fider. Certain I am, that nothing can be there wanting
'aePo5: unto the Salvation of Souls 5 Which is fufficient to our
purpofe.
-Next, Pray obferve how great have always been the
ler (jPi Divifions amongft even thofe who lay fo much ftrefs upon
®rce.! the Divine Inftitution, and continued Succeflion of a cer-
IffioiiiE tain Order of Rulers in the Church. Now their very Dif-
jliftjK lention unavoidably puts us upon a neceffity of delibera-
ak to: ting, and confequently allows a liberty of choofing that,
which upon confideration, we prefer,
jijti® And in the lafl place, T confent that thefe men have a
Ruler of their Church, eftablilhed by fuch a long Series of
pfOl Succeflion as they judge neceflary , provided! may have
liberty at the fame time to join my felf to that Society, in
which lam perfwaded thofe things are to be found which
read'i' ^te neceflary to the Salvation of my Soul. In this manner
][ Ecclcfiaftical Liberty will be preferved on all fides, and no
man will have a Legiflator impofed upon him,but whom him-
^ felf has chofen. C 2 But
11 A Letter contemng Toleration',
But. fince men arefo follicitous about the true Church,
I would only ask tlieni, here by the way, if it be not
more agreeable to the Church of Chrift, to make the Coii-
ditions of her Communion confift in fuch things, and fuch
things only, as the Holy Spirit has in the Holy Scriptures
declared, in exprefs Words, to be necefiary to Salvation ; I
ask, I fay, whether this be not more agreeable to the Church
of Chrift, than for men to impofe their own Inventions
and Interpretations upon others, as if they were of Di-
vine Authority, artd to eftablifti by Ecclefiaftical Laws, as
abfolutely neceflary to the Profeffion of Chriftianity, fuch
things as the Holy Scriptures do either not mention, or at
leaft not exprefly command. Whofoever requires thofe
things in order to Ecclefiaftical Communion, which Chrift
does not require in order to Life Eternal, he may perhaps in-
deed conftitute a Society accommodated to his own Opini-
on and his own Advantage, but how that can be called the
Church of Chrift, which is eftabliftied upon Laws that are
not his, and which excludes fuch Perfons from its Commu-
nion as he will one day receive into the Kingdom of Hea-
ven, I underftand not. But this being not a proper place to
enquire into the marks of the true Church, I will only mind
thofe that contend fo earncftly for the Decrees of their
own Society, and that ery out continually the Church, the
Church, with as much noife, and perhaps upon the fame
Principle, as the Ephejlan Silverftniths did for their Diana 5
this, I fay, I defire to mind them of, That the Gofpel fre-
quently declares that the true Difciples of Chrift muftfuf-
fer Perfecution 5 but that the Church of Chrift fhould per-
fecute others, and force others by Fire and Sword, to era-
brace her Faith and Doftrinc, I could never yet find in any
of the Books of the New Teftaraent.
The End of a Religious Society (as has already been
feid) is the PublickWorfbip of God, and by means there-
of the acquifition. of Eternal Life. All Difcipline ought
therefore
A Letter concerning Toleration. 11
therefore to tend to that End, and all Ecclefiaftical Laws
to be thereunto confined. Nothing ought, nor can be
tranfacted in this Society, relating to the Polleffion of Ci-
vil and Worldly Goods. No Force is here to be made
ufe of, upon any occafion whatfoever : For Force belongs
wholly to the Civil Magillrate, and the Pofleffion of all
outward Goods is fubjeit to his Jurifdidion.
But it may be asked. By what means then (hall Ecclefi-
aftical Laws be eftablifhed, if they muft be thus deflitute
of all Compulfive Power ? I anfwer. They muft be efta-
blifhed by Means fuitable to- the Nature of fuch Things,,
whereof the external Profeflion and Obfervation, if not
proceeding from a thorow Conviftion and Approbation of
the Mind, is altogether ufeleE and unprofitable. The Arms
by which the Members of this Society ar-e to be kept within
their Duty , are Exhortations, Admonitions, and Ad-
vices. If by thefe means the Offenders will not be re-
claimed, and the Erroneous convinced, there remains no-
thing farther to be done, but that fuch ftubborn and ob-
ftinate Perfons, who give no ground to hope for their Re-
formation, fliould be caft out and (eparated from the So-
cicty. This is the iaft and utmoft Force of Ecclefiaftical
Authority : No other Punifhment can thereby be inflided,.
than that, the Relation ceafing between the Body and the-
Member which is cut off, the Perfon fo condemned ceafes
to be a Part of that Church.
Thele things being thus determined , let us int^uire in
the next place, how far the Duty of Toleration extends,,
and what is required from every one by it.
A^/d I hold. That no Church is bound by the Du-
ty of Toleration to retain any fuch Perfon in herBofom,
as, after Admonition, continues obftinately to offend
againft the Laws of the Society. Forthcfe being the Con-
dition of Communion, and-the Bond of the Society, if
i»he Breach of them were permitted without any Animad-^
v.erfion,.
14 ^ Letter concerning Toleration.
verfion, the Society would immediately be thereby diflbUi
ved. But neverthelefs, in all fuch Cafes care is to be ta-'
ken that the Sentence of Excommunication, and the Exe-
cution thereof, carry with it no rough ufage, of Word or
Aftion, whereby the ejefted Perfon may any wife be dam-
nified in Body or Eftate. For all Force (as has often been
laid) belongs only to the Magiftrate, nor ought any private
Perfons, at any time, to ule Force, unlels it be in felf-
defence againft unjuft Violence. Excommunication neither
does, nor can, deprive the excommunicated Perfon of any
of thofe Civil Goods that he formerly pollefled. All thofe
things belong to the Civil Government, and are under the
Magiftrate's Protedion. The whole Force of Excommuni-
cation confifts only in this, that, the Refolution of the So-
ciety in that refped being declared, the Union that was
between the Body and fome Member comes thereby to be
diflblved, and that Relation ceafing, the participation of
Ibme certain things, which the Society communicated to
its Members, and unto which no Man has any Civil Right,
comes alio to ceaie. For there is no Civil Injury done
unto the excommunicated Perfon, by the Church-Minider s
refufing him that Bread and Wine, in the Celebration of
the Lord's Supper, which was not bought with his, but
other mens Money.
Secondly^ No private Perlbn has any Right, in any
manner, to prejudice another Perfon in his Civil Enjoy-
ments, becaufe he is of another Church or Religion. All
the Rights and Franchifes that belong to him as a Man, or
as a Denifon, are inviolably to be preferved to him. Thefe
are not the Bufinels of Religion. No Violence nor Injury
is to be offered him, whether he be Chriftian or Pagan.
Nay ,' we muft not content our felves with the narrow
Meafures of bare Juftice; Charity, Bounty, and Liberality
muft be added to it. This the Gofpel enjoyns, this Rea-
fon direds, and this that natural Fellowftiip we are born
into
A Letter concerning Toleration. i 5
into requires of us. If any man err from the right way,
it is his own misfortune, no injury to thee : Nor therefore
art thou to punifti him in the things of this Life, becaufe
thou fuppcfeft he will be miferable in that which is to
come.
What I fay concerning the mutual Toleration of pri-
vate Perfons differing from one another in Keligion, I un-
derftand alfo of particular Churches 5 which ftand as it
were in the fame Relation to each other as private Per-
fons among themfelves, nor has any one of them any man-
ner of Jurifdiftion over any other, no not even when the
Civil Magifirate (its it fbmetimes happens) comes to be of
this or the other Communion. For the Civil Government
can give no new Right to the Church, nor the Church to
the Civil Government. So that whether the Magiftrate
joyn hirafelf to any Church, or feparate from it, the Church
remains always as it was before, a free and vc^untary So-
,ciety. It neither acquires the Power of the Sword by the
Magiftrate s coming to it, nor does it lofe the Right of In-
ftruftion and Excommunication by his going from it.
This is the fundamental and immutable Right of a fponta-
iieous Society, that it has power to remove any of its
Members who tranfgrefs the Rules of its Inftitution: But
it cannot, by the acceflion of any new Members, acquire
any Right of Jurifdiftion over thofe that are not j.oined
with it. And therefore Peace, Equity, , and, Friendfhip,
are always mutually to be obferved by particular Churches,
in the fame manner as by private Perfons, without any
pretence of Superiority or Jurifdidion over one another.
That the thing may be made yet clearer by an Example y
Let us fuppofe two Churches, the one of Arminiam, the
other of Calvinijis, refiding in the City of Conflantinople..
Will any one fay, that either of thefe Churches has Right
to deprive the Members of the other of their Eftates and
Liberty, (as we fee praftifecl elfewhere) becaufe of their
differing
16 A Letter concerning Toleration,
diffcringfi-om it in fome Doctrines or Ceremonies, whilft
the in the mean while filently ftand by, and laugh to :;jD!it02
fee with what inhumane Cruelty Chriftians thus rage againft
Chriftians ? But if one of thefe Churcltes hath this Power ipmilliC
of treating the other ill, I ask which of them it is to whom 'g: fud
that Power belongs, and by what Right ? It will be an- -r ^ve u
fwered, undoubtedly. That it is the Orthodox Church fiiwoDld
which has the Right of Authority over the Erroneous or 'tk thii
Heretical. This is, in great and fpecious Words, to (ay ypowt
juft nothing at all. For every Church is Orthodox to it .jitlieH
lelf 5 to others, Erroneous or Heretical. For whatfoever
any Church believes, it believes to be true 5 and the con- jj.
trary unto thole things, it pronounces to be Error. So that
the Controverfie between thefe Churches about the Truth jttiem
of their Doftrines, and the Purity of their Worfhip, is jQjjpofg
on both fides equal 5 nor is there any Judge, either at
jlantimple^ or elfewhere upon Earth, by whole Sentence it fg
can be determined. The Decifion of that Queftion be- = 1
longs only to the Supream Judge of all men, to whomalfo
alone belongs the Punifiiment of the Erroneous. In the
•mean while, let thofe men confider how hainoufly they
fin. Who, adding Injuftice, if not to their Error yet cer-
tainly to their Pride, do raftily and arrogantly take upon
them to mifufe the Servants of another Mafter, who are ^
not at all accountable to them. 't 1
Nay^ further: If it could be manifeft which of thefe
two diflenting Churches were in the right, there would
not accrue thereby unto the Orthodox any Right of de-
ftroying the other. For Churches have neither any Jurif- jjL
diftion in Worldly matters, nor are Fire and Sword any
proper Inftruments wherewith to convince mens minds of l ■
Error, and inform them of the Truth. Let us fuppofe, lT
neverthelels, that the Civil Magiftrate inclined to favour
one of them, and to put his Sword into their Hands, that
(by his Confent) they might chafiife the Diflenters as they ^
pleafed.
ta'
siiti
A Letter cmcerning Toleration.
pleafed. Will.any man fay, that any Right can be deri-
ved unto a Chriftian Church, over its Brethren, from a Tur-
kilh Emperor ? An infidel, who has himfelf no Authority
to punilh Chriftians for the Articles of their Faith, cannot
confer fnch an Authority upon any Society of Chriftiaits,
nor give unto them a Right which he lias not himfelf.
This would be the Cafe And the Reafbn
of the thing is the fame in any Chriftian Kingdom. The
Civil Power is the fame in every place : nor can that Pow-
er, in the Hands of a Chrifiian Prince, confer any greater
Authority upon the Church, than in the Hands of a Hea-
then 5 which is to fay, )uft none at all.
Neverthelefs, it is worthy tobe obferved, and lamented,
that the moil: violent of thefe Defenders of the Truth,
-theOppofers-of Errors, the Exclaimers againft Schifm, do
hardly ever let loofe this their Zeal for God, with which
they are .fo. warmed and infiamed, unlefs where they have
the Civil Magiftrate on their fide. But fo foon as ever
Court-favour has given them the better end of the Staff,
■and theV' begin to feel themfelves the ftronger, then pre-
fently Peace and Chark}- are tobe laid afide: Otherwife,
they are religioufly to be obferved. Where they have not
the Power to carry on Perfecution, and to become Ma-
fters, there they defire to live upon fair Terms, and preach
up Toleration. When they are not ffreiigthned with the
Civil Power, then they can bear moft patiently, and un-
movedl^f, the Contagion of Idolatry, Siiperflition, and
Hercfie, in their Neighbourhood 5 of which, in other Oc-
cafions, the Intereft of Religion makes them to be ex-
treamly apprehenfive. They do not forwardly attack thofe
Errors which are in fafhion at Court, or are countenanced
. by the Government. Here they can be content to fpare
their Arguments: which yet (with their leave) is the only
right Method of propagating Truth, which has no fuch
way of prevailing, as when ftrong. Arguments, and good
D Reafon,
8 A Letter concerning Toleration.
Fveafon, are joined with the foftiiefs of Civility and good
Ufage.
No body therefore, in fine, neither fingle Per Tons, nor
Churches, nay, nor even Commonwealths, have any juft
Title to invade the Civil Rights and Worldly Goods of
each other, upon pretence of Religion, dhofe that arc
of another Opinion, would do well to confider with them-
felves how pernicious a Seed of Difcord and War, how
powerful a provocation to endlefs Hatreds, Rapines, and
Slaughters, they thereby furnifh unto Mankind. No Peace
and Security, no not fo much as Common Friendfhip, can
ever be effcablilhed or preferved amongft Men, fo long as
this Opinion prevails. That Donnnioti is founded in Grare^
and that Pveligion is to be propagated by force of Arms.
In the third place : Let us fee what the E>t]ty of Tole-
ration requires from thofe who are diftinguilhed from the
reft of Mankind, (from the Laity, as they pleafe to call us)
by fome Ecclefiaftical Character, and Office ^ whether they
be Bifliops, Priefts, Presbyters, Minifters, or however elfe
dignifieci or diftinguifhed. It is not my Buhnefs to inquire
here into the Original of the Power or Dignity of the
Clergy. This only T fay. That Whence-foever their Au-
thority be fprung, fince it is Ecclefiaftical, it ought to be
confined within the Bounds of the Church, nor can it in
any manner be extended to Civil Affairs; becanfe the
Church it felf is a thing abfolutely feparate and diftinft
from the Commonwealth. The Boundaries on t)oth fides
are fixed and immovable. He jumbles Heaven and Earth
together, the things moft remote and oppofite, who mixes
thcTe two Societies; which are in their Original, End,
Eufinefs, and in every thing, perfeffly diftinft, and infinite-
ly different from each other. No man therefore, with
whatfoever Ecclefiaftical Office he be dignified, can deprive
another man that is not of his Church and Faith, either
of Liberty, or of any part of his Worldly Goods, upon
the
A Letter concerning Loleratlon. ip
the account of that diiTereiice between them in R-eligion.
For whatfoever is not lawful to the whole Church, cannot,
etfoni,; by any Ecclefiaftical Right, become lawful to any of its
ve utj Members.
lyGo,^ But this is not all. It is not enough that Ecclefiaftical
[ifeju. men abftain from Violence and Rapine, and all manner of
Perfecution. He that pretends to be a Succefibr of the
IWjr, Apoftles, and takes upon him the Office of Teaching, is
obliged alfo to admonidi his Hearers of the Duties of
^ Peace, and Good-will towards all men 5 as well towards the
en& as the Orthodox, towards thofe that differ
J jjjL from them in Faith and VVorlhip, as well as towards thofe
yij, that agree with them therein : And he ought induftrioully
to exhort all men, whether private PeiTons or Magiftrates,
(if any fuch there be in his Church) to Charity, MeekneE,
yjjj and Toleration 5 and diligently endeavour to allay and
rfetoi Heat, and unreafonable avcrfenefs of mind,
wliKk either any mans fiery Zeal for his own Sedt, or
the Craft of others, has kindled againft Difienters. I will
not undertake to reprefent how happy and how great
. would be the Fruit, both in Church and State, if the Pul-
pits every where founded with this Doftrine of Peace
■ and Toleration 3 left 1 ftiould feem to refieft too feverely
upon thofe Men whofe Dignity I defire not to detract
from, nor would have it diminiftied either by others or
themfelves. But this 1 fiy. That thus it ought to be.
And if any one that profeiies himfelf to be a Minifter of
" ■ the Word of God, a Preacher of the Gofpel of Peace,
teach other wife, he either underftands not, or neglefts the
P BufineE of his Calling , and fhall one day give account
thereof unto the Prince of Peace. If Chriftians are to
be admoniflied that they abftain from all manner of R.e-
forti' venge, even after repeated Provocations and multiplied
^ f Injuries, how much more ought they who fuffer nothing,
^ who have had no harm done them, forbear Violence, and
D 2 abftain
A Letter coMermm Toleration.
abftaiii from all manner of ill ufage towards thofe from
v/lionithey have received none. This Caution and Tem-
per they ought certainly to ufe towards thole who niind
only their own Bufinefs, and arc follicitous for nothing
but that (whatever Men think of them) they may wor-
fhip God in that manner which they are peiTnaded is ac- .
ceprable to him, and in which they have the ftrongeft
hopes of Kternal Salvation. In private domeftick Affairs,
in the management of Eftates, in the confervation of Bo- '
dily Health, every man may confider v/hat fuits his own
conveniency, and follow what courfe he likes befl. 'N'o
man complains of the ill management of his Neighbour's
Affairs. No man is angry with another for an Error com-
raitted in I'bwing his Land, or in marrying his Daughter.
No body ccrrecfs a Spendthrift for confuming his Subliance
in Taverns. Let any man pull down, or build, or make
rvhatlbever Expences he pleafes, no body murmurs, no bo-
dy controuls him 5 he has his Liberty. But if any man do
not frequent the Church, if he do not there conform his
Behaviour exactly to the accuftomed Ceremonies, or if he
brings not his Children to be initiated in the Sacred Myfte-
ries of this or the other Congregation, this immediately
canfes an Uproar. The Neighbourhood is filled with Noife
and Claniour. Every one is ready to be the Avenger of
fo great a Crime. And the Zealots hardly have the pati-
ence to refrain from Violence and Rapine, fo long till the
Caule be heard, and the poor man be^ according to Form,
condemned to the lofs of Liberty, Goods, or Life. Oh
that our EcclefiafticalOrators, of every Seft, would apply
themfelves with all the ftrength of Arguments that they
are able, to the confounding of mens Errors ! But let:
them fpare their Perfons. Let them not fupply their
want of Reafons with the Inftruments of Force', which
belong to another Jurifdidion, and do ill become a Church-
man s Hands. Let them not call in the Magiftrate's Autho-
rity
A Letter concernim loleratron.
o
rity to ihe aid oF their Eloquence, or Learning , left, per-
haps, whilft ihey pretend only Love for the Truth, this
their iiite\upei-;:te Zeal, b-eathing nothing but Lire and
Sword, betray their Antbition, and fhew thatAvhat they
delire is Temporal Dominion. For it will be very diffi-
cult to perfuade men of Senfe, that he, who with dry
Eyes, and fatisfadion of mind, can deliver his Brother un-
to the Executioner, to be burnt alive, does fincerely and
heartily concern himfelf to fave that Brother from the
Flames of Hell in the World to come.
In the lajl place. Let us HOW confider what is the Ma-
giftrate's Duty in the Bufinefs of Toleration: which certain-
ly is very confiderable.
We have already proved. That the Care of Sotils does
not belong to the Magiftrate: Not a Vlagifterial Care, t
mean, (if I may fo call it) which confifts in prefcribing by
Laws, and compelling by Punifhraents. But a charitable
Care, which confifts in teaching, adrtionifhing, and per-
fuading, cannot be denied unto any man. The Care
therefore of every man s Soul belongs unto hiinfelf, and is
to be left unto himfelf. But what if he negleft the Care
of his Soul > 1 anfwer. What if he negleft the Care of his
Health, or of his Eftate, which things are nearlier related
to the Government of the Magiftrate than the other ? Will
the Magiftrate provide by an exprefi Law, That fiich an
one fhall not become poor or fick ? Laws provide, as
much as is poflible, that the Goods and Health of Subjects
be not injured by the Fraud or Violence of others, they
do not guard them from the Negligence or Ill-husbandry
of, the Pofiefibrs themfelves. No mail can be forced to be
Rich or Healthful, whether he will or no. Nay, God
himfelf will not fave men againft their wills. Let us fup-
pofe, however, that fome Prince were defirous to force his
Subjcfts to accumulate Riches, or to preferve the Health
and Strength of their Bodies. Shall it be provided by
Law,
21
X
2 2 A Letter concerning Loleration.
Law, that they muft confult none but Roman Phyficians,
and fhall every one be bound to live according to their
Prelcriptions ? What, (hall no Potion, no Broth, be ta-
ken, but what is prepared either in the Latican^ fuppofe,
or in a Geneva Shop? Or, to make thefe Subjects rich,
(hall they all be obliged by Law to become Merchants, or
Muficians ? Or, fhall every one turn Viftnailer, or Smith,
becaufe there are fome that maintain their Families plehti-
fully, and grow rich in thole Profeffions ? But it may be
faid, There are a thoufand ways to W^ealth, but one only
Vi^ay to Heaven. 'Tis well faid indeed, cTpecially by thole
that plead for compelling men into this or the other Way.
For if there were leveral ways that lead thither, there
would not be fo much as a pretence left for Compullion. But
now if I be marching on with my utmoft Vigour, in that
way which, according to the Sacred Geography, leads
{freight to Jerufakm Why am 1 beaten and ill uled by
others, becaufe, perhaps, I wear not Buskins, becaufe my
Hair is not of the right Cut , becaufe perhaps 1 have not
been dip't in the right Falhion ; becaufe I eat Flefh upon
the Road, or fome other Food which agrees with my Sto-
mach 5 becaufe I avoid certain By-ways, which feem unto
me to lead into Briars or Precipices 5 becaufe amongfl the
feveral Paths that are in the fame Road, I choole that to
walk in which feems to be the ftreightdf and cleaneft, be-
canfe I avoid to keep company with fome Travellers that
arc lels grave, and others that are more fowrc than they
ought to be 3 or in fine, becaufe I follow a Guide that ei-
ther is, or is not, clothed in White, and crowned with a
Miter ? Certainly, if we confider right, we fhall find that
for the nioffc part they are fuch frivolous thijigs as thele, that
(without any prejudice to Religion or the Salvation of
Souls, if not accompanied with Superllition or Hypocrifie)
might either be oblerved or omitted 5 1 fay they are fuch
like things as as thefe, which breed impdacable Enmities
amongft
A Letter concerning Toleration. i ^
atnoxngft Chviftian Brethren, who are all agreed in the Snb-
ftantial and truly Fundamental part of Religion.
But let us grant unto thefe Zealots, who condemn all
things that are not of their Mode, that from thefe Cir-
cumftances arife different Ends. What fhall we conclude
clisiii; from thence ? There is only one of thefe which is the true
01 Sc way to Eternal Happinefs. But in this great variety of
ways that men follow, it is flill doubted which is this right
:itm one. Now neither the care of the Commonwealth, nor
itOMj the right of enading Laws, does difcover this way that»
leads to Heaven more certainly to the Magiftrate, than eve-
oihci'i, ry private mans Search and Study difcovers it unto himfelf.
tlier,s I have a weak Body, funk under a languifhing Difeafe, for
piiffli which (I fuppofe) there is one only Remedy, but that un-
;0Dr,c; known. Does it therefore belong unto the Magiftrate
•apliy,r to prefcribe me a Remedy, becaufe there is but one, and
li: becaufe it is unknown? Becaufe there is but one way fori
bii: ine to efcape Death, will it therefore be fafe for me to
Hut!! do whatfoever the Magiftrate ordains ? Thofe things that
:Fldl; every man ought fincerely to enquire into himfelf, and by
itliK- Meditation, Study, Search, and his own Endeavours, at-
lifcct tain the Knowledge of, cannot be looked upon asthePe-
jiiio®, cLiliar Poileilion of any one fort of Men. Princes indeed
jofeilj are born Superior unto other men in Power, but in Na-
guefi; ture equal. Neither the Right, nor the Art of Ruling,
does neceflarily carry along with it the certain Knowledge
{juj: of other things , and leaft of all of the true Religion.
For if it were fo, how could it come to pals that the
Lords of the Earth ftiould differ fo vaftly as they do in Re-
Igs ligious Matters ? But let us grant that it is probable the
thefe,® way to Eternal Life may be better known by a Prince
than by his Subjefts ; or at leaft, that in this incertitude
of things, thefafeft and nioft commodious way for private
Perfons is to follow his Diftates. You will fay, what then >
r0 If he thould bid you follow Merchandife for your Liveli-
A Letter cmceming 'Toleration.'
hood, would you decline that Courfe for fear it fhoiild
not fucceed ? I anfwer : I would turn Merchant upon the
Princes command, becaufe in cafe 1 fhould have ill Succeft
in Trade, he'is abundantly able to make up my Lofs fome
other way. If it be true, as he pretends, that he defires
I hiould thrive and grow rich , he can fet me up a-
gain when iinfuccefsful Voyages have broke me. But this
is not the Cafe, in the things that regard the Life to come.
If there I take a wrong Courfe, if in that refpeft I am
once undone, it is not in the Magiftrates Power to re-
pair my Lofs, to eafe my Suffering, nor to reftore me
in any meafure, much lefs entirely, to a good Eftate.
What Security can be given for the Kingdom of Hea-
ven .<?
Perhaps fome will fay that they do not fuppofe this in-
fallible Judgment, that all men are bound to follow in
the Affairs of Religion, to be in the Civil Magiftrate, but
in the Church. What the Church has determined, that
the Civil Magiftrate orders to be obferved 5 and he pro-
videsbyhis Authority that no body (hall either afl or be-
lieve, in the bufinefs of Religion, otherwife than the
Church teaches. So that the Judgment of thofe things is
in thel^Church. The Magiftrate himfelf yields Obedience
thereunto, and requires the like Obedience fro^ others.
I anfwer : Who fees not how frequently the Name of the
Church, which was fo venerable in the time of the Apo-
ftJes, has-been made ufe of to throw Duft in Peoples Eyes,
in following Ages ? But however, in the prefent cafe it
helps us not. The one only narrow way which leads to
Heaven is not better known to the Magistrate than to pri-
vate Peribns, and therefore I cannot fafely take him for
my Guide, who may probably be as ignorant of the way
as my felf, and who certainly is lefs concerned for my Sal-
vation than I my felf am. Amongft fo many Rings of the
how many of them were there whom any IJraelite,
thus
A Letter-concemhi^ Toleration. i
thus blindly following, had not falln into Idolatry, and
thereby into Deftruftion ? Yet neverthelefs, you bid rne be
of good ■ Courage, and tell me that all is now ^fe and fe-
cure, becaufe the Magiftrate does not now enjoin th^ ob-
fervaiice - of his own Decrees in matters of Religion, but
only the Decrees of the Church. Of what Church"^! be-^
feech you ? Of that certainly which likes him beft. ■ As if
he thatcompells me by Laws and Penalties to enter into
this or the other Church, did not interpofe his own Judg-
ment in the matter. What difference is there whether he
lead me himfelf, or deliver me over to be led by others ?
I depend both ways upon his Will, and it is he that de-
termiiies both ways of my eternal State. Would an Ijf^
raelite^ that had worfhipped Bad upon the Command of
his King, have been in any better condition, becaufe fome
body had told him that the King ordered nothing in Re-
ligion upon his own Head, nor commanded anything to
be done by his Subjects in Divine Worfhip, but what was
approved by the Counfel of Priefts, and declared to be of
Divine Right by the Do6tors of their Church ? If the Re-
ligion of any Church become therefore true and faving,
becaufe the Head of thatSeft, the Prelates and Piiefts, and
thofe of-that Tribe, do all of them, with all their might,
extol and praife it, what Religion can ever be accounted
erroneous, falfe and deftruftive ? I am doubtful concern-
ing the Dodrine of the Socinians.^ I am fufpicious of the way
of Worfliip praftifed by the Bapijis^ or Lutheranswill it
beeverajot the faferforme to join either unto thd one
or the other of thofe Churches, upon the Magiftrates Com-
mand, becaufe he commands nothing in Religion but
by the Authority and Counfel of the Dodors of that
Church ?
But to fpeak the truth, we muft acknowledge that the
Church (if a Convention of Clergy-men, making'Ganoris;
muft be called by that Name) is for the mod part more apt
E to
A Letter cfimrw^ AokfittiVth
to be-by t^e Gc^:irr;,,T:t;bji.Q the Court by
the Church. _ t^ow the Chuffh was imdor' tbo. Vicifli-
tudc of OrthpcjoK an4^ EWl^rors i& vei'y well
hnpwp. f Or if thoft; ihiugij be.too remote, our modern
b'efh Example^ m tl>e Reigns
8/^^ L4^(^r4 xb^'StL Ma^y, and El/z^hetb,
Cow-^eafilyf. and ihipothly the Clergy changed thek Decrees,
their pf" Faith, their Form cfWorftiip, everything,
apeordmg to tbe incjinatjioii of thofe Rings and Queens.
Yet were: thoie ^^iugs and Queens of fuch different minds,
ijippiitt of fveiigiop, and enjoined thereupon liich diffe-.
rent thingSji that lyo maipij in his Wits (I had almoft faid none
but an Atlieift) will prefurne to fcy that any fincere and
npright Worffiipperof Gpd cotild, with afafe Confcience,
obey their Cbvc-r^ff Decrees. ^ To conclude. It is the fame
thing whether ai Ring that prefcribes Laws to another mans-
Religion pretend tQ(doit,by his own Jridgment, or by the
"^cclehahical Authority ^d Advice of'others. The De-
ei(ions o| Cbureh-n)eu, whofe. Differences and Difputes are
fufHciefitly known, cannot be any founder, or fafbr than
; ,b<Qr pan aU their Suffrages joined together add any
^rengthfiUnto tho Civjl Power;.' TKo this: alfb muft
bef taheu notife:oh,; tliaft Princes feldcm havo any regard to
the Suf&ages pf Eoclefiafticksf that are not Favoureis of their
o-wn Faith and way of Worfhip,
But afipr abi th<i principal Confideration^ and which ab-
folutely ckwvmines this. Coatroverfie, is thi?. Although
tlie MagUdrat-es, Opinion in Religion be found, and the
way that he appoints be truly Evangelical, yet if I be not
thoroughly perfwaded thereofiii my own mind, there will
be BO fafety for me in following it.. No. way whatfoever
that I (hall walk in, agaiiift the Didatcs of my Confcience^
wilFevcr bring me. ta the Manfionj of theBleffed'. I may
grow rich, by an Art that ! take not delight in , I may be
ytireibofifojne Diieafe by Remedies that I have not Faith
ifli
A Letter 'coneemm^ Jl/lmttim.
i«o but I cannot be faved by a Rejtgion that I diftrufi:,
and by a Worfhip that I abhor. It is t A yam for ah Un-
belieyex to take up the outward fhevv
Itjlij ProfeffioiL Faith only, and inward Sincerity, arethc thirigs
ktij that f>rocarfi acceptance'with God. The raoft likely and
[&.. nioft a fproyed Remedy can have no efF^ upon tiie Pa-
ithj tient, if his Stomach rejeft it as fooii taken.'And ypii will
^£:v: in vain cram a Medicine down a fick mans Throat, which
ni(j(= his particular Conftitution will be fare to turn into Poi(bn.
In a word. Whatfoever may be doubtful hi Religion,
[I2- yet this at leaft is cettain, that no Religion, w;hich I be-
lieve not to be true, can be either true, or profitable un-
tOUie. In vain tbetefore do Princes^'eomyel tfiarSubjeffs
to come Into theiriX^urch-eomn^nipn, • undBf'pretchce of
. j; fatjtng; theii- Sdckj 1 ' If thdy belieyeVthey''Wili cGmi^dDf thcjir
Mie: Accoffd 5'dftbey belieye not, their- c6iiiir|^ will nothing
J jjj av^il thi^m^rlHoiw'greflt focvor, ¥n fine,'may be tj^i^ pretente
J of Oood^fitilip andX^harity^ and coiiceiai to the S^lvatipn
W; S(Mils,o'inoja 'Glin«Ot b6^Forced R) be i^vcd;*ivhethcr
ifipyA^dH on!hd.olAbdfh«dtoeT when aH ^Vdcin^yVhcy mhfl
j left.to their owrP'CdHllWril^'P- I'.f fiOv) ;f/P'T
•: Having' thus- »t ledgth' fpeecPnihn ftcftfi ajl Dctoinidn p-
yerTone'.hncither 4n mattjdl^ k)f'"ReFigiony'dctcpnfi-
■ .jj, 4er iwhat ihey art to-di^ j'Ah ihhnikhdw dnd htkpflwlgdge
' (thatiGod ouglrt to ibe'pubtioMy wbifhtppfe ^jWliy otha*-
fulir wife' d® they tiomptA auTto i^i^lpukick
Men therofPrc GGitftittKyddh fbisdibdr^ 'ai^^^
' . to into.fome Rcbgiousf Society ,' that tttdk^l^paydyce't' \o^-
fher, not oiily.for Edifitoioii, biif '-to oWti'tJ-ihe
"world that they worfliip God, and ofFcr unto his dmhe
!1 Akjcfty^ichirervice as tlrey theinfclv£s 'arb ^dt afhamcd qf,
itnd lucii as: they think i¥ot uiiwpif}tyc)f-'him,.pof unacccp^
^ t^tbleto him and finally that by-the'purity of Dp&iily^
^ Jf olincfs "of Life, and Deceht'to4n'pf/.Wbrfhib,'they
dr-aw. otdiersamtp tholoVistodb.dTft'ie ■Rtelbn,''fl'Ad per-
«»'■ , . ■ E 2 fotm
A Letter concernhw Toleration^
forni fiich other things in Religion as cannot be done by
each private man apart. . ; ■
Thefe Religions Societies,'!'call Churches: and thefe ITay ^ -j
the Magiftrate .ought to tolerate. For the bufinefs of thefe
Aflemblies of the People is nothing but what is lawful for ^
every man in particular to take care of 5:1 mean the Sal- '
vation of their Souls: nor in this cafe is there any diffe-
rence between tlie,National Qhurch, and. other fcparated
Congregations. _
But .as in eyery. Church-.there are two things efpecially *?,.
to beconfideredf The, outward Form and Rites of Wor-
lliip^ And the Dodriiiesand Articles of Faith, thefe things
muft be handled each diftinftly v that fo the whole matter
of Toleratiqn niay the more clearly be jindeiifood. '
Con(;srmi2g (?inyparJ Worjfb(^^ I h.y:[liQ[nhc firfeplace)
that the Magifirate has no Pmver tp ehforfcciby La,Wy "either f ■
in .his own Chuych, or much lefskr^anotheTdihe'nfe'ofany ^
Rites or Ceiemonies whatfoevej in /tbef.iiVVprlhip'of^'God'.
And this, not^only becaufe.. thefefiClwobes'lacie free'Sb'-
leikics, l^ut.becaufe wha^^foeye^isf'pta^tifedr-iiTi'the Wot-
(hip of God, is only fo.iar[.)aftitfiable'\as; it" is!belie\*ed by
thpfe- tluj^ prraftife^^t tq h^jaeefptabfe unto ihira.: IWhat-
" Hie vet is^. not done ryy^th-tha^ afln/.ance Faith^ isjneith^
"weT^ i^.ttfylfi- noc can iy bj? a^epthble ton God. ; .To ini- ^"4
pofe 'fti^hclthings. therefore uponi any- People,,. contrary tO
tlieif oWi): Juclgmenj:,r;is ini'^<d yo command them to of-
fehd, God.p.'.which, ■ confidering, that, the eiid of all Reli»
gibri is to pleafe him , and that Liberty ts effentially necef-
lary to that End, appeals-to. be abfurd beyond expref
.diorn, . i ; •'
But perhaps, it may be concluded from^hdice, that I
deny unto ,the Magiftrate all mauner of Power about in- ^
different things, y which, if it be not granted, the whok
Snbjed-mattcr of Law-making is taken tiway. No, Irea-
dily grant, thaf Indifferent Things,, and perhaps none but
• : fuck
A Letter 'concerning Toleration. 19
i)!: fuch, are fubjefted to the Legiflative Power. But it docs
not therefore follow , that the Magiftrate may ordain
tWti; whatfoever he pleafes concerning any thing that is indif-
dsds ferent. The Publick Good is the Rule and Meafure of all
lawi; jLaw-making. If a thing be not ufeful to the Common-
IB tk; wealth, tho' it it be never fo indifferent, it may not pre-
laoyi fently be eftablilhed by Law.
rfc- And further i Things never fb indifferent in their own
nature, when they are brought into the Church and Wor-
pefsj fhipof God,, are removed out of the reach of the Magi-
eotf Urate's Jurifdiftion y becaiife in that Life they have no con^
nedion. at all with Civil Affairs. The only bufinefs of
fy£j the Ghu-rch, is the Salvation of Souls: and it no ways con-
cerns the Common+wealth,, or any Member of it, that this-,
or the-.other Ceremony be there made ufe of. Neither
[jj the Ufe, mor the. Gmillion of any Ceremonies, in thofe
Religion^' Aflemblies, does either advantage or prejudice
[[jpjf the Life,.Liberty, or Eftateof any man. For. Example :
Let it be granted, that the walhing of an Infant with wa-
tet isiiift felLan indifferent thing. Let it be granted alio,-
that if the Magiftrare underftand fuch waihiiig to be pro-
^ fitable to the curing or preventing of any' Difeafc that
Children are fubjett unto,^ aiid.eftcem the matter weighty
^ I eaoijgh to be taken cafe of' by i. Law^oin that cafe he may
_ order it to be done. ,But will any one therefore fay,'that
a-Magiftrate has the fame Riglitno ordain, by Law, that
I,; all Children fball be baptired by Priefts,, in thc facred Font;
in order to the. purification of their Souls? The cxtream
.difference of tbefatwo Cafes is vifiblfito dvery one.at firlF
fight. Or let us apply the lalf Cafe to; the Child <)f' h
, .and the thing fpeaks it felfi; For what' hinders but a
Chriftian Magiftrate.niay have Subjedsdbat are "jms .<?. Now
' if we acknowledge that fuch an Injury may not be .done
7!, unto a Jcro^ as to compel him, ;agai.nftliis own Opinion, ta
pradicedo his Religion a. thing that is in its natuie indifV
ill®' fcrcnt
J Letter concmtiug ^Tvkranon,
bow can we maiiitajn that a-ny thing of this BhU
may be done to a.Chriftian? _ .
:; Things dn their own nature indifFeretit cannot,
by any hnniau Authority, be made any part of the Wop-
(iaip of Go(i;for this very rearon^bccaufe they areindihferent.
For fince indifferent things are not capable, by atiy Virtue
of their own, to propitiate the Deity j no human Power
or Authority can confer on them fo much Dignity and
EKcdlency as to enable them to do it. In the common
Aftairs of Lite, that ufe of indifferent things which God
has not forbidden, is free and lawful": and therefore in
thoie things human Authority has place. But it is not fo
in matters of Religioai. Things indifferent are n6t -otlH}r-
vt ife lawful iji the Woi-ftiip of God than as they are iiiftiK
tilted by God-himfelf^ and as he, by ioih^ pofitive'Com-
inand,has ordaiffd tliem to be made a partxsfthat Worftiip
which he will vouchfafe to accept of at tlie hands of-poor
finful men. Nor when an incenfed Deity (ball ask its,' IH9
hoiS nqinreti. thefi^ or fitoh UA? thingi at our hands } will it be
enough to anfwer him, that the Magiftrate commanded
them. If civil Jurifdiftion extended thus far, what might
not lawfully be introduced into Religion ? What hodge-
podge of Ceremonies, what fiaperftitious Inventions, built
upen the Magiftiate'rS Authority,, might not ( againft Con-
fdcnce) be impoied upon the Worfhippers of God ^
For the greateft part of thqfe Ceremonies and Superftions
confifts in the Religious Ufe of fuch things as are in their
own nature Indifferent: nor are they finful upon any other
account than becaufe God is not the Author of them.
The fprhikJing of Water, and the ufe of Bread and Wine,
are both in their own nature, and in the ordinary occa-
fionsofLifc, altogether indifferent. Will any man there-
fore fay thatthefe things could have been introduced in-
-to Religion, and made a part of Divine Worlhip, if not
% Divine Inftitution? If any Human Authority or Civil
Power
A Letter concemh^ Tc^eritticm,
Powet coeld hiive done this, why might it not alfb ihjb^
the eatnlg of FiCh, and drinking of Ale, in the holy San-
Mcssj quetj as a part of Divine Worftip> Why not the
Blood of Beafts in Chuiehes, and Expiations,
by Water or Fire, and abundance more of this kind? But
thefe things, how indifferent fbever they be in common
ufes, when they come to be annexed unto Divine Wor-
%f; fhip, withont Divine Authority, they are as abominable
to God, as the Sacrifice of a Dog. And why a Dog. fo a-
borainablc? What difference is t&re between a Dog and a
tbfiji Goat, in refpeft of the Divii^e Nature, equally and infinite-
fkii! ly diftant from all Affinity with Mattery nnlefs it be that
eiwt® God required the ufe of the one in his Wcrihip, and not
icy i!ii of the other ? We fee therefore that indifferent things how
much foever they be under the Power of the Civil Ma-
giftrate, yet cannot upon that pretence be introduced into
aodso!' Religion, and impofed upon Religious Afiemhiies j becaufe
35U' in theWorfhip of God they^ wholly cectfe to be rndifterent.
He that worfhips God does it with'defign to pleafe hint
cosffi imd procure his favour. But that camiot be done by him^
, wb who,, upon the command of attothcr, offers unto' God-
that which he knows will be difplet^tg .to him, becaufe
jnodili iK)t commanded by himfelf. This' is "not to pleafe God^
agaiO or appciff: his Wrath, but willingly and knowhtglk. to pro-
('(,[6 Yoke liim, by a manifeft Contempt, which is. a. ming ab-
jgpfiE folutely repugnant to the nature and endofWorlliip.
.Butit will hflrC be asked-1 Ifnoithmg belonging to Di-
vine Worftup belefti to buman Difcretion, hew is it then
that. Churches, tisenif^lves btive the pmv^r ot ordering any
^III thing about the Time and Place ofWorflirp, and the like ^
To this I aufwer^ That in Religious Worfhip we innft di-
mnk fiinguilh between what is part of the Worfhip it felf, andy
what is but a Circutnftance. That is' a pin".bf the Wof-
- j|„Thip which is believed to be appointed,by Gqff, aiid to
ff be weil-pleafing to bim y and therefore tliat if nCceflarv.
Circum-
A Lettci' conctrn'mg Toleration.
Circiumftances are fuch things which, tho' in general t"he.y
cannot befeparated from^WorChip, 5'et the particular in- ijjgffeo
{lances or modifications of them are not determined 5 and
therefore they are indifferent. Of this fort are the Time
and Place of Worfhip, the Habit and Pofture of him that
worfliiips. Thefe are Circumftances, and perfedly indiffe- j^|f [j,
rent, where God has not given any exprefs Command a-
bout them. For example : Amongft the Jervs, the Time and
Place of their Worfiiip, and the Habits of thofethatoffi-
ciated in it, were not meer Circumftances, but apart of
the Worfhip it felf, in which if any thing were defeftive,
or different from the Inftitution, they could not hope that ■
it would be accepted by God. But thefe, to Chriftians
under the liberty of the Gofpel, are meer Circumftances
of Worfhip, which the Prudence of every Church may
bring into fuch ufe as fhall be judged moft fubfervient to
the end of Order, Decency, and Edification. But, even
under the Gorpel,thofe who believe the Firft, or the Seventh
Day to be fet apart by God, and confecrated ftill to his
Worftiip, to them that portion of Time is not a fimple
Circumftance, but a Real Part of Divine Worfhip, which [y
can neither be changed nor negleded. !
In the next place'. As the Magiftrate has no Power to
impofe by his Laws, the ufe of any Rites and Ceremo-
riles in any Church, fo neither has he any Power to forbid
the ufe of fuch Rites and Ceremonies as are already re- , ^
-ceived, approv-ed, and praftifed by any Church: Becaufe 'r
if hedidfo, he would deftroy the Church it felf, the end 3
of whofe Inftitution is only to worfhip God with freedom, ®
after its own manner.
You will fay, by this Rule, if fome Congregations fhould
have a mind to facrifice Infants, or ( as the Primitive Chri-
ftians were falfely accufed ) luftfully pollute themfelvesin
promifcuous Uncleannefs, or praftife any other fuch hei-
nous Enormities, is the Magiftrate obliged to tolerate them,
becanfe
A Letter concerning Joleration.
tierilji fhey are committed in a Religious Aflembly ? I
tticalj:! No. Thele things are not lawful in the ordinary
ieiij ^'^^5 wot iw any private houfe 5 and therefore
etkli arc they foin theVVorfhip of God, or in anyreli-
ofliiii- Meeting. But indeed if any People congregated up-
^iccount of Religion, lltould l3c defirous to facrifice a
Ima ^ deny that That ought to be prohibited by a Law.
helE whole Calf it is, may lawfully kill his Calf
lofetki home, and burn any part of it that he thinks fit. For
® ait Lijury is thereby done to any one, no prejudice to an-
srelctt nians Goods. And for the fame reafon he may kill
notb ^ religious Aleeting. Whether the doing
to Cut well-pleafing to Cod or no, it is their part to con-
Ctcimi The part of the Magiftrate is only to take
CliK Commonwealth receive no prejudice, and
iiiHeiif there be no Injury done to any man, either in Life or
0. If Tftate. And thus what may be fpent on a Feaft, may be
ortk^ ^P^wt on a Sacrifice. But if peradventure fuch were the
id ft'^te of things, that the Intereft of the Commonwealth re-
uju'jj quired all Oaughter of Beafts fhould be foiborn for Ibme
orllr." *^^hile, in order to the increafing of the ftock of Cattel,
that had been deftroyed by fonie extraordinary Murrain 3
Who fees not that the Magiftrate, in fuch a cale, may forbid
all his Subjedfs to kill any Calves for any ufe whatfoever ?
Only 'tis to be obferved, that in this caic the Law is not
made about a Religious, but a Political matter: nor is the
alrtt Sacrifice, but the Slaughter of Calves thereby prohibited.
' By this we fee what difference there is between the
IL Commonwealth. Whatfoever is lawful
itite in the Commonwealth, cannot be prohibited by the Ma-
giftrate in the Church. Whattbever is permitted unto any of
i®E his Subjefts for their ordinary ufe, neither can nor ought
Ditifj to be forbidden by him to any Sect of People for their re-
i*" ligious Ufes. If any man may lawfully take Bread.or Wine,
d®, either fitting or kneeling, in his qvyn iionfe, the Law ought
iietf
A Letter concerning Toleration.
not to abridge bim of the fame Liberty in his R.eligioas
Worfliip ^ tho' in the Church the ufe of Bread and Wine be
Very different, and be there applied to the Mylferies of
Faith, and Kites of Divine Worlhip. But thofe things
that are prejudicial to the Commonweal of a People in
their ordinary ufe, and are therefore forbidden by Laws,
thole things ought not to be permitted to Churches in their
facred Kites.Onely the Magilfrate ought always to be very
careful that he do not mifufe his Authority, to the oppref-
Con of any Church, under pretence of publick Good.
It may be flid 5 What if a Church be Idolatrous^ is that
alfo to be tolerated by the Magiftratc ? I anfwer. What
Power can be given to the Magiftrate for the fupprellioii
of an Idolatrous Church, which may not, in time and place,
be made life of to the ruine of an Orthodox one > For
it muft be remembred that the Civil Power is the fame
every where, and the Religion of ev^ry Prince is Orthodox
tohimfelf. If therefore fuch a Power be granted unto the
Civil Magiftrate in Spirituals, as that at Geneva ( for Ex-
ample ) he may extirpate, by Violence and Blood, the Re-
ligioh which is there reputed Idolatrous^ by the fame Rule
another Magiftrate, in fome neighbouring Country, may
bpprefs theReformed Religion 5 and, in India^ the Cliriftian.
The Civil Power can either change every thing in Religi-
on, according to the Princes pleafure, or it can change
nothing. If it be once permitted to introduce any thing
into Religion, by the means of Laws and Penalties, there
can be no bounds put to it ^ but it will in the lame man-
ner be lawful to alter every thing, according to that Rule
of Truth which the Magilfrate has framed unto himfelf.
"No man whatlbever ought therefore to be depri-
ved of his Terreftrial Enjoyments, upon account of his
Religiom Not even Americans^ fubjefted unto a Chriftian
Prince, are to be punilhed either in Body or Goods, for
not imbracing our Faith and Woflhip, If they are per-
fwaded
J Letter concerning Tohration.
fwaded that they pleafe ,God in obfervitig the Rites of
their own Country, and that they (hall obtain Happinefi
by that means, they are to be left unto ,God and them-
' felves. Let us trace this matter to the bottom. Thus it
is. Anjnconfiderable and weak num.ber of Chriftiaos, .de-
1 ht: ftitute of every thing, arrive in a Pagan Country : Thele
iiotlc Foreigners befeech the Inhabitants, by the bowels of Hu-
manity, that they would fuccour them with the neceila-
•"PF® lies of life; Thofe neceflaries are given them ^ Habitations
^ are granted j and they all joyn together, and grow up
d>tl: .into one Body of People. The Chriftian Religion by this
'• means takes root in that Countrey, and fpreads it felf,
'prdii but does not fuddenly grow the ftrongeft. While things
ilplc are in this condition. Peace, FriendQiip, Faith and equal
Juftice, are prefervedamongft them. At length the Ma-
le fc giftrate becomes a Chriftian, and by that means their Party
rtki"! becomes the moft powerful. Then immediately all Com-
Btos pads are to be broken, all Civil Rights to be violated,
(orb that Idolatry may be extirpated ; And unlefs thefe inno-
telle- cent Pagans, ftrid Obfervers of the Rules of Equity and
'Rak the Law of Nature, and jjo ways offending againft the
, mar Laws of the Society, I (ay ^unlefs they will forfake their
itife ancient Religion, and embrape a new and ftrange one,
R&- they are to be turned out of the Lands and Poftellions of
cte their Forefathers, and perhaps deprived of Life it felf.
ijk Then at laft it appeaiis what Zeal for the Church, joyned
with the defirepf Dominion, lis capable to produce^ arid
jDE- -Tow eafily the pretence of Religion, and' of the care of
itRc Souls, ferves for a Cloak to Covetoufnefs, Rapine, and
isle Ambition.
deff . .Now ..whpfoever maintains that Idolatry is to be'rboted
jf I out of any place by Laws, j puniffments,. Fire, and .8 word,
rjfg may apply this Story to Itimfelf , For the reafon of the
ijfe . thing is equal, hoth in. and And neither
je- . Pagans there,, nor any Diftenting- Chriftians here, can with
S ^ - any
1(5 A Letter concerninz Toleration,
any right be deprived of their worldly Goods, by the ,
predominating Faftion of a Court-Church: nor are any
civil Rights to be either changed or violated upon accotint
of Religion in one place more than another.
But Idolatry (fay feme) is a fin, and therefore not to '
✓ X.' < ^ - i y It
be tolerated. If thev faid it were therefore t-o be avoid-
ed, the Inference were good. But it does not follow, that
becaufe it is a fin it ought therefore to be punilhed by '
the Magiftrate. For it does not belong unto the Magi- , ,
ftrate to makenfe of his Sword in punilhing every thing,
indifferently, that he takes to be a fin againft Godv Co-
vetoufiiefs, Uncharitablenefs, Idlenefs, and many other
irof n
things are fins, by the confent of all men, which yet no , .
man ever faid were to be punifhed by the Magiftrate. ^
.ltd t
srethe
The reafon is, becaufe they are not prejudicial to other
mens Rights, nor do they break the publick Peace of So-
•cieties. Nay, even the fins of Lying and Perjury, are
no where punilhable by Laws, unlefs in certain cafes^,' in
which the real Turpitude of the thing, and the offence
againft God, are not confidered, but only the Injury done
unto mens Neighbours, and to the Commonwealth. And
what if in another Country, to aMahumetan or a Pagan
Prince, the Chriftian Religion feem falfe and offenfive to
God may not the Chriftians for the fame reafon, and '"iH
after the fame manner, be extirpated there ? ai
But it may be urged further^ That by the Law of Mo- ^
fes Idolaters were to be rooted out. tTrue indeed, by
the Law of Mofes. But that is not obligatory to us Chri- 'fA'
ftians. No body pretends that every thing, generally, tiut
enjoyned by the Law of Mojes, ought to be praftifed ifflii
by Chriftians. But there is nothing more frivolous than t[
that common diftindion of Moral, Judicial, andCeremo-
nial Law, which men ordinarily make ufe of. For no ^
pofitive Law whatfoever can oblige any People but thofe »"e
ta whom it is given. Hear 0 Jfraelj fuflScienly reftrains
the
A Letter concerning Toleration.
the Obligation of the Law of Mofes only to that People^
And this.Confideration alone is Anfwer enough unto thofe
that urge the Authority of the Law of Mofes--, for the in-
fiifting of Capital Punilhrnents upon Idolaters. • But how-
ever, I will examine this Argument a little more pariicu-
larly.
The Cafe of Idolaters, in refped of the Jewifey Com-
monwealth, falls under a double confideration. The fiiTt
is of thofe Who, being initiated in the Mofaical Pvites,
and made Citizens of that Commonwealth, did aher-
wards apoftatife from the Worfliip of the God of Ifracl.
Thefe were proceeded againft as Tray tors and Rebeh,
guilty of no lefs than High-treafon. For the Common-
wealth of the Jews, different in that from all others, was an
abfolute Theocracy : nor was there, or could there be, any
difference between that Commonwealth and the Church-.
The Laws eftabliffied there concerning the V/orfliip of One
Invifible Deity, were the Civil Laws of that People, and
a part of their Political Government ^ in which God him.-
felf was the LegiOator. Now if any one can ffiew me
where there is a Commonwealth, at this time, conftitutcd
upon that Foundation, I will acknowledge that the Eccle-
fiaftical Laws do there unavoidably become a part of the
Civil s and that the Subjeds of that Government both
may, and ought to be kept in ftrid conformity with that
Church, by the Civil Rower. . But there is abfolutely no
fuch thing, under the Gofpel, as a Ciiriftian Commpn-
wealth. There are, indeed, many Cities and Kingdoms
that have embraced the Faith of Chi iff: 5 but they have
retained their ancient Form of Gewernment, with which
the Law of Chrift hath not at all m§dlcd. He, indeed,
hath taught men how, by Faith and Good Works^ they
may attain Eternal Life. But he inftitutcd no Common-
wealth. He prefcribcd unto his Followers no new and
pcculkir Form of Government y Nor put he the Sword
intOi
3 S A Letter conceniing Thleration.
illti) any "Magiftrate's Hand, with Commiffion to make ufe
of it in forcing men to forfake their former Religion, and
receive his. - i
SecofiAly. Foreigners, and fuch as were Strangers to the
Commonwealth of Ifrael, were not compell'd by force to
obferve the Rites ot the Mofaical Law. But, on the con-
trary, in the very fame place where it is ordered that an
Exod. 2 2. Ifraelite that was an Idolater JJmdd be fut to death, there it
20,21. jg pi-ovidcd that Strangers Jfjonld not be vexed 7ior oppreffed.
I confefs that the Seven Nations, that pofleft the Land
which was promifed to the Jfraehtes, were utterly to be
cut off. But this was not fingly becaiife they were Idola-
ters. For, if that had been the Reafon, why were the
Moabites and other Nations toibe fpared ? No, the Rea-
fon is this. God being in a peculiar manner the King of
the Jews, he could not fuffer the Adoration of any other
Deity (which was properly an Ad of High-treafon againft
himfelf) in the Land of Canaan, which was his Kingdom.
For fuch a manifeft Revolt could no ways confift with
his Dominion, which was perfedly Political, in that
Country. All Idolatry was therefore to be rooted out of
the Bounds of his Kingdom ^ becaufe it was an acknow-
ledgment of another God, that is to fay, another King 5
againft the Laws of Empire. The Inhabitants were alfo
to be driven out, that the intire polleflion of the Land
might be given to the Ifraelites. And for the like Reafon
the Emims and the Horims were driven out of their
Countries, by the Children of Efau and - Lot 5 and their
ceut. 2. Lands, upon the fame grounds, given by God to the Inva--
tiers. But tho all Idolatry was thus rooted out of the
Land of Canaan, yet every Idolater was not brought to
Execution. The whole Family of Rahab, the whole Na-
tion of the Gibeonites, articled with Jofuah, and were al-
lowed by Treaty : and there were many Captives amongft
the Jews, who were Idolaters. David and Solomon fub-
dued
A Letter concerning^ Toleration.
dued many Countries without the Confines of the Land
of Proniife, and carried their Conquefis as far as Ejiphrates.
Amongn: fo many Captives taken, fo many Nations're-
®ti! duced under their Obedience, we find not one man forced
into the Jewifh Religion, and the Worlhip of the True
God, and pimifhed for Idolatry, tho all of them were
®2ti certainly guilty of it. If any one indeed, becoming a
tncfEi Profelyte, defired to be made a Denifon of their Com-
monwealth, he was obliged to fubmit unto their Laws ^
ieU; that is, to embrace their Religion. But this he did wil-
poll lingly, on his own accord, not by conftraint. He did not
:lili unwillingly fubmit, to (hew his Obedience 5 But he fought
ere2 and follicited for it, as a Privilege. And as foon as he was
le k admitted, he became fubjeri: to the Laws of the Common-
wealth, by vvhich all Idolatry was forbidden within the
ijeis Borders of the Land of Cmaan. But that Law (as I have
apt faid) did not reach to any of thofe Fvegions, however
]g(k fubjefted unto the Jews^ that were fituated without thofe
I mi Bounds.
I tta Thus far concerning outward Worfliipr Let us now
Wtoi confider Articles of Faith.
LW' The Articles of Religion are fome of them FraBicd^ arid
^ fome Speculative, Now, t,ho both forts confift in the Know-
w ledge of Truth, yet thefe terminate fimply in the tinder-
:ld ftanding, Thofe influence the Will and Manners. Speculative
iitsr Opinions, therefore, and Articles of Faith (as they are called),
E1I0 which are required only to be believed, cannot be impofed
jli on any Church by the Law of the Land. For it is abfurd
Imj that things fhould be enjoyned by Laws, which are not in
tit mens power to perform. And to believe this or tliat to be
rjitiD true, does not depend upon our Will. But of this enough;
pjy. has been Ciid already. But (will fome fay) let men at
-jji- lead profefs that they believe. A fweet Religion indeed,,
jjijii that obliges men to diflemble, and tell Lies both to God
and Man, foi- the Salvation of their Souls f If the Magi-
'ocd ftrate
40
A Letter concerning loleration.
ftrate thinks to fave men thus, he feems to underftand lit-
tie of the way of Salvation. And if he does it not in or-
der to fave them, why is he fo lb follicitous about the Ar-
ticies of Faith as to enaft them by a Law ?
Further, The Magiftrate ought not to forbid the Preach-
ing or Profelling of any Speculative Opinions in any
Church, becaufe they have no manner of relation to the
Civil Rights of the Subjects. If a Ror^mn Catholick, believe
that to be really the Body of Chrift, which another man
calls Bread, he does no injury thereby to his Neighbour.
If a Jew do not believe the New Tefcament to be the
Word of God, he does not thereby alter any thing in
mens Civil Rights. If a Heathen doubt of both Tefta-
ments, he is not therefore to be punifhed as a pernicious
Citizen. The Power of the Magiftrate, and the Eftates of
the People, may be equally feeure, whether any man be-
lieve thefe things or no. I readily grant, that thefe Opi-
nions are falfe and ablurd. But the bufinefs of Laws is
not to provide for the Truth of Opinions, but for the
Safety and Security of the Commonwealth, and of every
particular mans Goods and Perfcn. And fo it ought to be.
-For Truth certainly would do well enough, if (he were
once left to fliift for her felf. She feldom has received,and I
fear never will receive much Alliftance from the Power of
Great men, to whom fhe is but rarely known, and more
rarely welcome. She is not taught by Laws, nor has file
any need of Force to procure her entrance into the minds
of men. Errors indeed prevail by the affiftance of for-
reign and borrowed Succours. But if Truth makes not
•her way into the Underftanding by her own Light, fhe
will be "but the" weaker for any borrowed force Violence
can add to her. . Thu& .much for Speculative Opinions.
Let us now proceed to Pracfical ones.
A Good Life, in which confifls not the leaft part of Re-
- ligion and true Piety, concerns alfo the Civil Gcvniment:
and
A Letter concerning Toleration. 41
wiit, jjj jjgg fafety both of Mens Souls, and of the
Commonwealth. Moral Aftions belong therefore to the
iKi' Jiirifdidion both of the outward and inward Court 5 both
, of the Civil and Domeftick Governor 5 I mean, both of
the Magiftrate and Confcience. Here therefore is great
danger, leaft one of thefe Jurifdidions intrench upon the
other, and Difcord arife between the Keeper of the pub-
^belsi Peace and the Overfeers of Souls. But if what has
ttec already faid concerning the Limits of both theleOo-
vernments be rightly confidered, it will eafily remove all
difficulty in this matter.
% Every man has an Immortal Soul, capable of Eternal Hap-
'ti k pinefs or Milery 5 whofe Happinefs depending upon his be-
lieving and doing thofe things in this Life, which are ne-
ceflary to the obtaining of Gods Favour, and are prefcri-
bed by God to that end , it follows from thence, That
the obfervance of thele things is the higheft Obligation that
■ b- lies upon Mankind, and that our utmoft Care, Application,
t foi' and Diligence, ought to be exerciled in the Search and
of Pt Performance of them 3 Becaufe there is nothing in this
iitto World that is of any confideration in comparifon withE-
ternity. sd/y. That feeing one Man does not violate the
Right of another, by his Erroneous Opinions, and undue
PcJif manner of Worlhip, nor is his Perdition any prejudice to
JE®" another Mans Affairs ^ therefore the care of each Mans Salva-
tion belongs only to himfelf. But I would not have this un-
k® derftood, as if I meant hereby to condemn all charitable Ad-
monitions, and affeffionate Endeavours to reduce Men from
ate' Errors, j which are indeed the greateft Duty of a Chriftian.
Any one may employ as many Exhortations and Argu-
Viol® mcnts as he pleafes, towards the promoting of another
ipiiif man's Salvation. But all Force and Compulfion are to be
forborn. Nothing is to btudoue imperioufly. No body is
obliged in that matter to yield Obedience unto the Ad-
# monitions or Injunftioas of another, further than he him-
■ G fclf
A Letter concerning'Toleration.
felf is perfvvadecl. Every man, in that, has the fupreme and
abfolute Authority of judging for hirafelf. And the Rea- „ A
Ton is, becaufe no body elfe is concerned in it, nor cau ^
receive any prejudice from his ConduQ: therein.
But befides their Souls, which are Immortal, Men have
alfo their Temporal Lives here upon Earth's the Statewhere- J
of being frail and fleeting, and the duration uncertain, they
have need of feveral outward Conveniences to the fupport A fj
thereof, which are to be procured or-piieierved' by Pains
and induftry. For thofc things that are necdlary to the
comfortable fupport of our Lives are not the fpontaneous
Products of Nature, no.r do offer themfelves fit and pre- ®
pared for our ufe. This part therefore draws on another
care, and necellarily gives another Imployment. But the
pravity of Mankind being fuch, that they had rather in-
jurioufly prey upon the Fruits of other Mens Labours, than ®'i
take pains to provide for themfelves ^ the neceffty of pre-
ferving Men in the Pofleflion of tvhat Honeft induftry has ^*'-1
already acquired, and alfo of preferving their Liberty and
ftfength,whereby they may acquire what they further want, sptaat
pbliges Men to enter into Society with-one another ^ that siid
by mutual Affiftance, and joint Force, they may fecure unto -hs:
each.othev<their Proprieties, in the things that contribute ®{i
to the Comfort and Happinefs of this Life 5 leaving in : c?
the mean while to every Man the care of his own Eter- ' (in
nal Happinefs, the attainment whereof can neither be fa-
cilitated by another Mans Induftry, nor can the lofs of it
turn to another Mans Prejudice, nor the hope of it be forced
from him by any external Violence. But forafmuch as Men jrj
thus entring into Societies, grounded upon their mutual 4
Compafts of Affiftance, for the Defence of their Tem-
poral Goods, may neverthelefi be deprived of them, ei- t
ther by the Rapine and Fraud ^ their Fellow-Citizens, or .4
by the hcftile Violence of FoiTcigners ^ the Remedy of
this Evil confifts in. Arms, Riches, and Multitude of Citi-
zens 3
A Letter concerning^ Toleratiom
zens 5 the Remedy of the other in Laws j and the Care
aseij of all things relating both to the one and the other, is
k\i committed by the Society to the Civil Magiftrate. This is
BOTH Original, this is the life, and thefe are the Bounds of the
Lcgillative (which is the. Supreme^ Power, in every Com-
tair monwealth. I mean, that Provifion may be made for the
fecurity of each Mans private Pofleffions, for the Peace,
Riches, and publick Commodities of the whole Peo-
efo pie 5 and, as much as poffible, for the Increafe of their
l)v f, inward Strength, againft Forreign Invalions.
jf'te! Thele tilings being thus explaiii'd, it is eafie to under-
jiaj hand to what end the Legiflative Power ought- to be di-
tjjilr reded, and by what Meafures regulated 5 and that is the
jj|i Temporal Good and outward Profperity of the Society,
I which is the fole Reafon of Mens entringinto Society, and
the only thing they feek and aim at in it. And it is alfo
evident tyhat Liberty remains to^ Men in reference to
yjj,, their eternal Salvation, and thar is, that every one fhould
do what he in his Confcience is perfwade-d to be ac-
ceptable to the Almighty, on. whole good pleafure and
acceptance depends their eternal Happinels. For Gbedi-
.^.^1 ence is due in the firft place to God, and afterwards to
^jji- But fome may ask, What if the Magijirate fmdd ' en-
things by hk Authority that appears unlawpd ta
the Cpf/fiience of a primte Perfon e I anfwer, That* if
filii Qoyefniiient. he faithfully adminiftred, and the Counfels
of. tW Magiftrate be indeed di reefed to the publick Good,
this will feldom happen. But if perhaps it do fo fall out 5
yK I lay,that fuch a priyate Perfon is to ablfain from the Aftioii
thatdie judges-unlawful ^ and he is) to undergo the Punifti-
meat, which.it-is.fpot mjtlawful for him to bear. For the pri-
vate Judgment of lanyr-Perfon concerning a Law enafted in
Folkical Matter?^ for the publick Good, does not take-away"
^ the Obligation of that-Law, nor defer ve a Difpenficion. But
PI , G . if
le
A Letter concerning Toleration.
if the Law indeed be concerning things that lie not with-
in the Verge of the Magiftrate's Authority, (as for Exam-
pie, that the People, or any Party amongft them, fhould be
compeU'd to embrace a ftrange Religion, and join in the
Worftiip and Ceremonies of another Church,) men are not
in thcfc cafes obliged by that Law, againft their Coiifci-
ences. For the Political Society is inftituted for no other
end but only to fecure every mans PoUelfion of the things
of this life. The care of each mans Soul, and of the things
of Heaven, which neither does belong to the Common-
wealth, nor can be fubjeded to it, is left entirely to eve-
ry mans felf. Thus the fafeguard of mens lives, and
of the things that belong unto this life, is the bufinefsof
the Commonwealth, and the preferving of thole things
unto their Owners is the Duty of the Magiftrate. And
therefore the Magiftrate cannot take away thele worldly
things from this man, or party, and give them to that,
nor change Propriety amongft Fellow-Subjedls, (no not'
even by a Law ) for a caufe that has no relation to the
end of Civil Government, I mean, for their Religion;
which whether it be true or falfe, does no prejudice to
the worldly concerns of their Fellow-Subjefts, which are
the things that only, belong unto the care of the Com-
inonwealth.
But what if the Magijirate believe fnch a JLaiv as this to
be for the publ/ch. Good ? I anfwer : As the private Judg-
ment of any particular Perfon, if erroneous, does not
exempt him from the obligation of Law, fo the private
judgment ( as 1 may call it J) of the Magiftrate does not
^ive him any new Right of impofing Laws upon his
jefts, which neither was in the Conftitution of the Go-
yernment granted him, nor ever was in the power of the
People to grant: much lels, if he make it his bufinels to
enrich and advance his Followers and Fellow-leftaries
with the Spoils of others. But what if the Magiftrate
believe
X
A Letter concerning Toleration. 45.
^\i believe that he has a Right to make fuch Laws, and that
hac. they are for the pnblick Good, and his Subjefts believe
iiillit the contrary ? Who (hall be Judge between them } I an-
fwer, God alone. For there is no Judge upon earth be-
atei;; tween the Supreme Magiftrate and the People. God, I
Coit ^^ty, is the only Judge in this cafe," who will retribute unto
oofe every one at the laft day according to his Deferts^ that is,
etliiij according to his fincerity and upriglitnefs in endeavouring
to promote Piety, and the publick Weal and Peace of
jiiiij Mankind. But what fhall be done in the mean while >
UOK. I anfwer : The principal and chief care of every one ought
- to be of his own Soul firft, and in the next place of the
iliie, publick Peace : tho' yet there are very few will think 'tis
fct^ Peace there, where they fee all laid wafte.
e, ; There are two forts of Contefts amongft men; the one.
ifo;; managed by Law, the other by Force : and thefe are of
totijr, that nature, that where the one ends, the other always
begins. But'it is not my bufineft to inquire, into the
Power of the Magiftrate in the different Conftitutions of
Nations. I only know what ufually happens where Con-
:/&' tJ'owrfics arife, without a Judge to determine them. You
will fay then the Magiftrate being the ftronger will have
g his Will, and carry his point. Without doubt. But the
Queftion is not here- concerning the ddubtfulnefs. of the
^ (P Event, but the Rule of Right.
gU But to come to particulars. I fay, No Opihioiis.
J.; contrary to human Society, or to thofe moral Rulk
^ which are neceflary to the prefervation of Civil Society,
are to be tolerated by the Magiftrate. But of thefe indeed'
. Examples in any Church are rare. For no Seft can eafily
arrive to fuch a degree of madnefs, as that it fhoutd think,
fit to teach, forDoftrines of Religion, fuch things as ma-
jgUjj nifeftly undermine the Foundations of Society, and are
therefore condemned by the Judgment of all Mankind ;
fm Intereft, Peace, Reputation, every Thing,
ferf t)e thereby endangered. Anothei-
4 Lett^Qr Toh'atm.
il^nother mpKe fecret Evil, but mor.e dangerous to the
Cdrnmonwealth, is, w^gn uieri arrog^te.go themfelves, and
to thole of their own SeQ:, fome peculiar Prerogative, co-
vcred over with a (p,ecicus. of, deceitful words, but
in e&£t oppqlite to the. Civil Fv-ight qf .the Community.
For Examplg. We cannot find any Sect that teaches ex-
ptetly, and openly, that men are not obliged to keep
their Promife^ that Princes may be dethroned by thole
that differ from them in Religion 5 ov that the. Dominion
of all'things belghgi only to.themfefves. For thefethings,
propofed thiis nakedly, .and plainly,, wcqld foon draw on
them the Eye, and Hand of the Magiftrate, and awaken-
41 the, care of the Commonweafih to a watchful nels ag^inft
the fpreading of fo dangerpns an EviL But neverthefeis,
we find thole that fay the fame things, in other words.
Whatelfe do they mean, who teach Faith- is mt to he
i^ept with Hereiicks^ Their rae^pingj forfooth, E that the
priviledge of breaking Faith, belongs unto themfelves,:
For they declare all that are not of their Communion to.be
Here-ticks, or atlegft n?£vy declare themfo whenfoeyer-.they
think What can be the. meaning of their .aflqrting:
xhdt iCjKgs excoMWUf^icated forfeit their Crorrns atsd King-
don/s F It is evident that they thereby arrogate: unto them-
fel.yes the Po.wer of depofiiig EijOgs •* becaufe thpy chal-;
icnge the Power of ExOoninrpnioation, as. the peculiar-'
Right ■ of their Hierarchy. That Dofnudon k- fomided
Gr^ce^ is.alfp^an Afiertion .by \yhich thofe than maintain
it do plainly-lay claim to yhe pofiefiion-ofialL.things. For
they are not fo wanting to themfelves as not to&lieve,;
or. .at leafl as .not to profefs, themfelvep to be the truly,
pio.us and. filithfuk: Thele therefore, and the like, who
attribute ui^o the Faithful, ■Religioits. andDMhqdox, that.
is,^ jn p^hin. ternrs, unto themfelves, any peculiar Priv-i-1
ledge q£ Powor above other Mortals, in-Civil Concern-
■ ments^:
...J.. -
J Letter concejitmz Toleration. £7
2,aal nients 5 or who, u^ft/pretenCe^of Reli^'r^n,-do challenge
rt,(j any-manner 'of ;• Authority Over' fu^i, aSvafe not aflbciated
ls, lj; with them in their Eeclefiaftical ColnmiyiiDn p l iay thefe
Hiiiij have no ri^ht to-be-tolerated hy th'e 'fea|;iftrate5 as nei-
isjj ther thbfe that' writ nof oW"!! and teach tiie Duty of to-
oh lerating All men<in matters of Tfieer Religion. For what
)yh doallthelea-ndthe likeDo.: ucs fignifiey-, but that they
emaj may, and are mady upbn any ocpalion to feife the Go-
"etliijj vcrnmeM^.andi^;fl(^-^'rnfehfes of the 'tftat^^pand For-
Insf tunes of their Fell'mv-Subjeds^ and that-they!-only ask
2,5;i, leave to be tolerated by the h'iagiftraVe! to long.until they
findthemfelvcsJftrong eitough to eiftih: it ?
ertiic Again: That Church dm have no right to be tole-
; ^ rated by the Magiftrate, which is ccnftituted upon fuch
a bottom, that all thofe who enter into it, do thereby}',
M ^Pfi deliver themfelves up to tlie Protedhon and
jjfjjj. Service of another Prince. For by this means jt-he Ma-
jjijIj giftrate would give way to the fettling of a forrein ju-
^,ji5 rifdidion in his own Country, and fuffer his own People
i&m lifted, as it were, for Souldiers againft his own Gc-
pj, vernment. Nor does the frivolous and fallacious diftin-
ftion between the Court and the Church afford any re-
inedy to this Inconvenience ^ efpecially when both the
L one and the other are equally/ubjed to the abfolutje Au-
thority of thc fame pCrfpn f who has not only, powier to
jijg perfwade the Members' 6f Pis Church to whatfoever he
L lifts, either- as purely Religious, or in order thereunto,
but can alfb enjoyn it them on pain of Eternal Fire. It
is ridiculous for any one to profefs himfelf to be a Ma-
^ ^ hamctan only in his Religion, but in every thing clfe a
V faithful Subjed to a Chriftian Magiftrate, whilft at the
fame time he acknowledges himfelf bound to yield blind
obedience to the Mufii of Colffinntinaple v/ho Iftrafelf is
intireiy, obedient to the Ottoman Emperor, and, frames the
^ ■" feigned Oracles of that Religion according to his pleaiure.
But
,48
A Letter concerning Toleration.
But this Mahumetan living amongft Chriftians, would yet
more apparently renounce their Government, if he ac-
knowledged the fame Perfon to be Head of his Church
who is the Supreme Magiftrate in the State.
Lafify, Thofe are not at all to be tolerated who deny
the Being of a God. Promifes, Covenants, and Oaths, which
are the Bonds of Humane Society,can have no hold upon an
Atheift. The taking away of God,tho but even in thought,
dilTolves all. Befides alfo, thofe that by their Atheifm un-
dermine and deftroy all Religion, can have no pretence
of Religion whereupon to challenge the Privilege of a
Toleration. As for other Pra&ical Opinions, tho not ab-
folutely free from all Error, if they do not tend to efta-
blifh Domination over others, or Civil Impunity to the
Churchill which they are taught, there can be no Reafon
why they Ihould not be tolerated.
It remains that I fay foraething concerning thofe Afiem-
blies, which being vulgarly called, and perhaps having
fometimes been Conventicles , and Nurferies of Faftions
and Seditions, are thought to afford the ftrongcft matter
of Objeftion againft this Dodrine of Toleration. But
this has not hapned by any thing peculiar unto the Genius
of fuch Aflemblies, but by the unhappy Circumftances of
an opprefled or ill-fetled Liberty. Thefe Accufitions
would foon ceafe, if the Law of Toleration were once lb
(fetled, that all Churches were obliged to lay down Tole-
ration as the Foundation of their own Liberty , and teach
that Liberty of Confcience is every mans natural Right,
e-qually belonging to DilTenters as to themfelves, and that
no body ought to be compelled in matters of Religion,
dther by Law or Force. The Eftablifnment of this one
thing would takeaway all ground of Complaints and Tu-
mults upon account of Confcience. And thefe Caufes of
Difcontents and Animofities being once removed, there
would remain nothing in thefe Meinblies that were not
tllM^
siltAis
:;ilj upon
its; but Tl
ij I lis i
siltogefc
-10 eoibri
■jiofme
■isttalh
'MM
iloi.i
■Ati,
iablk
k®
more
X
A Letter concerning Loleratmi.
more peaceable, and left apt to produce Difturbance of
State, than in any other Meetings whatfoever. But let
us examine particularly the Heads of thefe Accufations.
Youll fay, That Ajjemblies and Meetings endanger the
'Puhlick^ Peace, and threaten the Cornrnonwealth. I an-
fvver: If this be fo, Why are there daily fuch numerous
Meetings in Markets, and Courts of Judicature > Why are
Crowds upon the Exchange, and a Concourfe of People
in Cities fuffercd > You'll reply ; Thofe are Civil Aftem-
blies 5 but Thefe we object againft, are Ecclefiaftical. I an,
fwer ; Tis a likely thing indeed, that fuch Afiemblies as
are altogether remote from Civil Affairs, fhould be inoft
apt to embroyl them. O, but Civil Afiemblies arc com-
pofed of men that differ from one another in matters of
Pveligion ^ but thefe Ecclefiaftical Meetings are of Perfons
that are all of one Opinion. As if an Agreement in mat-
ters of Religion, were in effect a Confpiracy againft the.
Commonwealth , or as if men would not be fo much the
more warmly unanimous in Religion, the lefs liberty they
had of Affembling. But it will be urged ftill. That Ci-
vil Afiemblies are open, and free for any one to enter in-
to; whereas Religious Conventicles are more private, and
thereby give opportunity to Clandeftine Machinations.
I anfwer. That this is not ftriftly true ; For many Civil
Afiemblies are not open to every one. And if feme Re-
ligious Meetings be private, Who are they (I befeech you)
that are to be blamed for it ? thofe that defire, or thofe
that forbid their being publick ? Again ; You'll fay. That
Religions Communion does exceedingly unite mens Minds
and Affeftions to one another, and is tlverefore the more
dangerous. But if this be fo, Why is not the Magiffcrate
afraid of his own Church; and why does he not forbid
their Affemblies, as things dangerous to his Government '>
You'll fay, -Becaufe he hinifelf is a Part, and even the
H Head
jC
50
A Letter concerning Toleration^
Head of them. As if he were not. alfo a Part of the
Commonwealth, and the Head of the whole People.
Let us therefore deal plainly. The h'lagiftrate is afraid
of other Churches, but not of his own, bect\ure he is
kind and favourable to the one, but fevere and cruel to
the other. Thefe he treats like Children, and indplges
them even to Wantonnefs. Thofe he ufes as Slaves, and
how blamelefly foever they demean themfelves, recom-
penfes them no otherwifc than by Gallies, Prifons, Con-
fifcations, and Death. Thefe he cheriflies and defends:
Thofe he continually (courges and opprefles. Let him turn
the Tables: Or let thofe Diflenters enjoy but the fame
Privileges in Civils as his other Subjefts, and he will quick-
ly find that thefe Religious Meetings will be no longer
dangerous. For if men enter into Seditious Confpiracies,
'tis not Religion infpires them to it in their Meetings; but
their Sufferings and Oppreflions that make them wil-
Hng to cafe themfelves. Juft and moderate Govenir
ments are every where quiet, every where fafe. But Op-
preffion raiies Ferments, and makes men ftruggle to caft
off an uneafie and tyrannical Yoke. I know that Sediti-
ons are very frequently railed, upon pretence of R^eligion.
But 'tis as true that, for Religion, Subjefts, are frequently
ill treated, and live miferably. Believe me, the Stirs that
are made, proceed not fro^u any peculiar Temper of this
or that Church or Religious Society 5 but from the com-
mon Difpofition of all Mankind , who when they groan
under any heavy Burthen, endeavour naturally to fhake
off the Yoke that galls their Necks. Suppofe this Bufinefs
of Religion were let alone, and that there were feme
other Diflinftion made between men and men, upon
account of their different Complexions, Shapes, and Fea-
turesj.fo that thofg who have black Hair (for example)
01'. gray Fvcs , flioufd.not enjoy the. Came. Privileges as
other.
£)L^
A Letter concefitin^ Toleration. j i
other Citizehs 5 that they fhotlld not be permitted ei-
ther to buy or fell, or Ih^e by their Callings j that
Parents fhould not have the Government and
Education of their own Children 5 that all fhould ei-
ther be excluded from the Benefit of the Laws, or
meet with partial Judges, can it be doubted but thefe
Perfbhs, thus diftinguifhed from others by the Colour
of their HAir and Eyes, and united together by one
common Perfecution , would be as dangerous to the
Magiflrate, as any others that had aflbciated themfelves
meerly upon the' account of Religion ? Some enter
into Company for Trade and Profit; Others, for want
of Bufinefs, have their Clubs for Clarret. Neighbour-
hood jo^^ns fome, ahd Pvcligion others. But there is
one Ohly thing which gathers People into Seditious
Commotions, and that is OpprefTion.
You'll fay 5 What, will you have People to meet at Di-
vine Service Againji tht Mdgijirdtes Will? I anfwcr 5 Why,
I pray,againft his Will ? Is it not both lawful and necefiary
that they fhould meet? Againft his Will,do you fay? That's
what I complain of. That is the very Root of all the
Mifchief. Why are Affemblies lefs fufferable in a Church
than in a Theater or Market ? Thoie that meet there
are not cither more vicious, or more turbulent, than
thofe that meet elfewhere. The Bufinefs in that is,
that they are ill ufed, dhd therefore they are not to
be fuffered. Take away the Partiality that is ufed
towards them in matters of Cbminon Rights change
the Laws, take away the Penalties unto which they
are fiibjbfted, and all things will immediately, become
fafc' and peaceable j Na^'", thofe that are averfe to the
Religion of the Magiftrate, will think themfelves fo
much the more bound to maintain the Peace of the
CoiTiih6h\Vcalth , as their Condition is better in that
H 2 place
J Letter concerning Toleration.
place than eUevvhere, And all the levcral feparate Con-
gregations, like fo many Guardians of the Publick
Peace, will watch one another, that nothing may be
innovated or changed in the Form of the Govern-
ment: Bccaufc they can hope for nothing better than
what they already enjoy, tl^t is, an equal Condition
"with their Fellow-Subjefts, under a juft and moderate
Government. Now if that Church, which agrees in
Religion with the Prince, be efteemed the chief Sup-
port of any Civil Government, and that for no otlier
Reafon (as has already been (hewn) than becaufe the
Prince is kind, and the Laws are favourable to it 5
how much greater will be the Security of a Government,
where all good Subjefts , of whatfoever Church they
be, without any Didinftion upon account of Religion,
enjoying the fime Favour cf the Prince, and the fame
Benefit of the Laws, (hall become the common Sup-
port and Guard of it y and vvhere none will have any
occafion to fear the Severity of the Laws, but thofe
that do Injuries to their Neighbours, and offend
againft the Civil Peace ?
That we may draw towards a Conclufion. The
Snm of all we drive at is, That every Man way er.-
joy the fame Rights that are granted to others. Is it
permitted to worfhip God in the Rowan manner?
Let it be permitted to do it in the Geneva Form alfo.
Is it permitted to Ipeak Latin in the Market-place?
Let thofe that have a mind to it, be permitted to do
it alfo in the Church. Is it lawfull for any man in
his own Houfe, to kneel, ftand, fir, or ufe any other
Pofture 3 and to cloath-himfelf in White or Black, in
fhort or in long Garments ? Let it not be made unlaw-
ful to eat Bread , drink Wine , or wafh with Water
in the Church., In a Word Whatfoever thines'are
left
A Letter concernuig Toleration. 5 3
left free by Law in the common occafions of Life, let
Mlt them remain free unto every Church in Divine Wor-
Eajt fliip. Let no Mans Life, or Body, or Houfe, or Eftate,
Goif fuffer any manner of Prejudice upon theie Accounts.
you allow of the Presbyterian Dilcipline ? Why
.fliould not the Epifiopal alfo have what they like ?
niO(!tii Ecclefiaftical Authority, whether it be adminiftred by
ftt! the Hands of a fingle Perfon, or many, is every where
diKfi the fame, and neither has any Jurifdiftion in things
•DOG Civil, nor any^ manner of Power of Compulfion,
ecjili; nor any thing at all to do with Riches and Reve-
lie to [ nues.
TenjE Ecclefiaftical Allemblies, and Sermons, are juftified
lUQij by daily experience, and publick allowance. Thele
are allowed to People of fome one Perfwafion: Why
tisEi not to all } If any thing pafs in a Religious Meeting
mcjt. feditiouOy , and contrary to the publick Peace, it is to
1i3k; be puniftied in the fame, manner, and no otherwiic.
|)i]tt!K than as if it had happened in a Fair or Marker. Thefe
ofe Meetings ought not to be Sanftuarie.s for Factious
and Flagitious Fellows: "Nor ought it to be Ids law-
T fill for Men to meet in Churches than in Halls: Nor
are one part of the Subjefts to be efteemed more
'h blameable, for their meeting together, than others;. Eve-
JJ2' ry one is to be accountable, for his own Aftions.j and
no Man is to be laid under a Sufpition, or Odium,
for the Fault of another. Thofe that. are Seditious,
Murderers,Thieves, Robbers, Adulterers^Slanderers,
jjuji of whatfoever Church, whether National or, not,
oyoa oi-^gbt to be punilhed and fupprefled.. But thofe whofe
Doftrine is peaceable,. and whofe. Manners are pure
and blamelefs, ought to be upon equal Terms with
their Fellow-Subjects. Thus if Solemn Allemblies,
J. Obfervations of Feftivals,, publick. WorRip, be per-
' Iff . mitted
A Letter eoncernhig Toleration.
nlitted to any one fort of Profeflofs 5 all thefe things
ought to be permitted to the PreshjiteHans, Indepen-
dents ^ Anabapijis ^ Arm mans ^ ^Imk^rs ^ and others,
with the fame Liberty. Nay, if We may openly ipeak
the Truth, and as becomes one Man to another, nei-
ther Pagan, nor Mahnmetan, norjerv, ought to be ex-
eluded from the Civil Rights of the Commonwealth,
becaufe of his Religion. The Gofpel commands no fuch
12, thing. The Church, which judges not thofe that are
withoHt, wants it not. And the Commonwealth, which
embraces indifferently all Men that are honeft, peace-
able and induftrioiis, repuires it not. Shall we fuf-
fer a Pagan to deal atid Trade with us, and fhall we
not fuffer him to pray unto and worlhip God ? If
we allow the Jem to have private Houfes and Dwel-
lings amongft us. Why fhould we not allow them to
have Synagogues ? Is their Doftrine more falfe, their
Worfhip more abominable, or is the Civil Peace more
endangered, by their meeting in publick than in their
private Houfes ? But if thefe things may be granted to
Jews and Pagans, fiirely the condition of any Chrifti-
ans ought not to be worfe than theirs in a Chriftian
Commonwealth.
You'll fay, perhaps. Yes, it ought to be: Beeaiife
they are more inclinable to Faftions, Tumults, and
Civil Wars. F anfwer : Is this the fault of the Chri-
ftirn Religion ? If it be fo, truly the Chriftiali Reli-
gion is the worft of all Religions, and ought neither
to be embraced by any particular Perlbn, nor tolera-
ted by any Commonwealth. For if this be the Genius,
this the Nature of the Chriftian Religion, to be tur-
bulent, and deftruftive to the Civil Peace, that Church
it felf which the Magiftrate indulges will not always
be innocent. But far be it from us to fay any fuch
thing
A Letter concerning Toleration. 5 5
thing of that Religion, which carries the greateft op-
ppfitionto Covetoufnefs, Ambition, Difcord, Contention,
and all manner of inordinate Defires, and is the moft
modeft and peaceable Religion that ever was. We muft
therefore feek another Caufe of thofe Evils that are
charged upon Religion. And if we coiifider right,
we Ihall find it to confift wholly in the Subjeft that I
am treating of. It is not the diverfity of Opini-
ons, ( which camtot be avoided) but the refufal of
Toleration to thofe that are of different Opinions,
(which might have been granted) that has produced
all the Buftles and Wars, that have been in the Chri-
ftian World, upon account of Religion. The Heads
and Leaders of the Church, moved by Avarice and
infatiable defire of Dominion, making ufe of the im-
moderate Ambition of Magiftrates, and the credulous
Superftition of the giddy Multitude , have incenfed
and animated them againft thofe that dident from
thcmfelves y by preaching unto them, contrary to the
Laws of the Gofpel and to the Precepts of Charity,
That Schifmaticks and Hereticks are to be outed of
their Poffeflions, and deftroyed. And thus have they
mixed together and confounded two things that arc
in themfelves moft different, the Church and the Cora-
monwealth. Now as it is very difficult for men pa-
tiently to fuffor themfelves to be ftript of the Goods,
which they have got by their honeft Induftry 5 and
contrary to all the Laws of Equity, both Humane and
Divine, to be delivered up for a Prey to other mens
Violpnqe and Rapine 3 efpecially when they arc other-
wife altogether blamelefs 5 and that. the.: Occafion for
tyhicb they are thus treated does not at all belong to
the Tutifdiftion of the Magifttate but-intirely to the
Goiuqieupe of every particular man.v for the Gonduft
of
A Letter concernlnz Lolercitwn.
o
of which he is accountable to God only j What elfe
can be expeded, but that thefe men, growing weary
of the Evils under wliich they labour, fhould in the
end think it lawful for them to refift Force with
Force, and to defend their natural Rights (which are
not forfeitable upon account of Religion) with Arms
as well as they can ? That this has- been hitherto the
ordinary Courfe of things, is abundantly evident in
Hiftory ; And that it will continue to be fo hereaf-
ter, is but too apparent in Reafon. It cannot indeed
be otherwife, fo long as the Principle of PeiTecution
for Religion fhall prevail, as it has done hitherto,
with Magiftrate and People 5 and fo long as thole
tliat ought to be the Preachers of Peace and Con-
cord, fhall continue, with all their Art and Strength,
to excite men to Arms, and found the Trumpet of
War. But that Magiffrates fhould thus fiiffer thefe In-
cendiaries, and Difturbers of the Publick Peace, might
juftly be wondred at, if it did not appear that th^ey
have been invited by them unto a Participation of
the Spoil, and have therefore thought fit to make
ufe of their Covetoufnefs and Pride as means where-
by to increafe their own Power. For who does not
fee that thefe Good Men are indeed more Miniffers
of the Government, than Miniflers of the Gofpel 5
and that by flattering the Ambition, and favouring
the Dominion of Princes and men in Authority, they
endeavour with all their might to promote that Ty-
ranny in the Commonwealth, which otherwife they
fhould not be able to eftablifh in the Church ? This
is the unhappy Agreement that we fee between the
Church and State. Whereas if each of them would
contain it felf within its own Bounds, the one attend-
ing to the worldly Welfare of the Commonwealth,
the
A Letter coniermm Toleration.
o
the other to the Salvation of Souls, it is impofTible
that any Difcord (hould ever have hapned between
them. SeL pudet h£c opprobria^ e^c. God Almighty grant,
I beleech him, that the Gofpel of Peace may at
length be preached, and that Civil Magiftrates grow-
ing more careful to conform their own Confciences
to the Law of God, and lels fcllicitous about the
binding of other mens Conlciences by Humane Laws,
may, like Fathers of their Country, dire£t all their
Counfels and Endeavours to promote univerfally the
Civil Welfare of all their Children 5 except only of
fuch as are arrogant, ungovernable, and injurious to
their Brethren ^ and that all Ecclefiaftical men, who
boaft themfelves to be the Succeflbrs of the Apoftles,
walking peaceably and modeftly in the Apoftles fteps,
without intermedling with State-Affairs, may apply
themfelves wholly to promote the Salvation of Souls.
Farercell.
s it may not be amift to add a few things
concerningHerejy and Schifm. A Turl^is not, nor
can be, either Heretick or Schifinatick, to a Chrijhian:
and if any man fall off from the Chriftian Faith to Ma-
. r' humetifm, he does not thereby become a Heretick or
Schifmatick, but an Apoftate and an Infidel. This no
body doubts of. And by this it appears that men of
different Religions cannot be Hereticks or Schifmaticks
to one another.
We are to enquire therefore, what men are of the
fame Religion. Concerning which, it is manifeft that
thofe who have one and the fame Rule of Faith and
Worftiip, are of the fame Religion: and thofe who
I have
^ 8 A,J^^tter comermng Toleration,
have have iwt the fame Rule of Faith and Worfhip fjOp
afe of different Religions. For fince all things that
^jclong unto that Religion are contained in that Rule, -flted)
it follows neceflarily that thoiie who agree in one Rule jjiake!
are of one and the fame Religion : and vice verfa. Thus
Turks and Chriftians are of different Religions: becaufe giN®
thefe take the Holy Scriptures to be the Rule of their lufea
Religion, and thofe the Alcoran. And for the fame
reafon, there may be different Religions- alfo even a- joof
niongft Chriftians. The and the tho' -ixUvf
both of them profefs Faith in Chriff, and are there-
fore called Chriftians, yet are not both of the fame
Religion: becaufe Thefe acknowledge nothing but the
Holy Scriptures to be the Rule and Foundation of their
Religion 5 Thofe take in alfb Traditions and the De-
crees of Popes, and of thefe together make the Rule
of their Religion. And thus the Chriflians of St. John
( as they are called ) and the Chriftians of Geneva are
of different Religions: becaufe Thefe alfo take only the
Scriptures 5 and Thofe I know not what Traditions, for
the Rule of their Religion.
This being-fetled, it follows > Firji, that Herefy k
a Separation made in Ecclefiaftical Communion between
men of the Cime Pveligion, for fome Opinions no way
contained in the Rule it fel£ And Secondly., that a-
mongft thofe who acknowledge nothing but the Holy
Scriptures to be their Rule of Faith, Herefy is a Sepa-
ration made in their Chriftian Communion, for Dpi-
nions not contained in the exprefs words of Scripture.
Now this Separation may be made in a twofold man-
ner.
I. When the greater part, or ( by the Magiftrate's
Patronage) the ftronger part, of the Church feparates
it felf from others,, by excluding them out of her Com-
munion, becaufe they will not profefs their Belief of
certain
A Letter concerning Toleration. jp
certain Opinions which are not the exTprefs words of thh
Scripture. F'or it is not the paucity of thofe that are
(eparated, nor the Authority of the Magiftrate, that
can make any man guilty of Herefy. But he only is
an Heretick who divides the Church into parts, intro-
duces Names and Marks of Diftinftion, and voluntari-
ly makes a Separation becaufe of fuch Opinions.
2. When any one feparates himlelf from the Com-
munion of a Church , becaule that Church does not
publickly profefi fome certain'Opinions which the Ho-
ly Scriptures do not expreOy teach. ^
Both thele are Hereiickj ; hecanfe they err in Fun^
damentals, and they err ohjlinately aga/nji Knowledge.
For when they have determined the Holy Scriptures to
be the only Foundation of Faith, they neverthelefs lay
down certain Propofitions as fundamental, which are
not in the Scripture; and becaufe others will not ac-
knowledge thele additional Opinions of theirs, nor
build upon them as if they were necefiary and funda-
mentdl, they therefore make a Separation in the Church 3
either by withdrawing themfelves from the others, or
expelling the others from them. Nor does it fignifie
any thing for them to fiy that their Confeffions and
Symboles are agreeable, to Scripture, and to the Analo-
I/, gy of Faith. For if they be conceived in the exprels
[tn® words of Scripture, there can be no queftion about
is 3!? them 3 becaufe thole things are acknowledged by all
I fell Chriftians toibe of Divine Infpiration, and therefore
fundamental. But if they fay that the Articles which
foUiE they require to be profefsd, are'Confcquences deduced,
from the Scripture, it is undoubtedly .well done of
yk tiiem who believe and profels fuch things as feeni tmtb
Kptt them fo'agreeable to the Rule of Faith. But" it would'bc
kOt very ill done to obtrude thofe things upon others, unto
]clkli whom they do not feem to be the indubitable Doftrines
ceitz ' - I 2 of
a#.
,3§e,
has
th
■ieCo®
jjiaDi
ixaDy®
J 01W
gioDibc
iijexp
bawo
: Scrip'
J Letter concerning Toleration.
of the Scripture. And to make a Separation for fuch
things as thefe, which neither are nor can be funda-
mental, is to become Hereticks. For I do not think
there is any man arrived to that degree of madnefs, as
that he dare give out his Confequences and Interpreta-
itions.fOf Scripture as Divine Infpirations, and compare
the Articles of Faith that he has framed according to
his own Fancy with the Authority of the Scripture,
i know there are fome Propofitions fo evidently agree-
able to Scripture, that no body can deny them to be
drawn from thence : but about thofe therefore there
can be no difference. This only I fay, that however
clearly we may think this or the other Doftrine to
be deduped from Scripture, we ought not therefore to
impofe it upon others, as a neceflary Article of Faith,
becaufe we believe it to be agreeable to- the Rule of
Faith 3 unlefs we would be content alio that other Do-
ftrines fhould beimpofed upon us in the fame manner;
and that we fhould be compelfd to receive and profefs
pi the different and contradiftory Opinions of Lutke-
rans^ Cdvinijls^ Lemonjlrairts^ Anabaptijis, and other
Sefts,. which the Contrivers of Symbols, Syftems and
Confeffions, are accuftomed to deliver unto their, Fol-
lowers as genuine and neceffary Dcduftions from the
Holy Scripture. I cannot but wonder at the extra-
vagant arrogance of thofe men who think that they
themfelves can explain things neceflary to Salvation more
clearly than the Holy Ghoft, the Eternal and. Infinite
Wifdom of God,
Thus much concerning Herefy; which word in com-
mon ufe is applied only to the Doftrinal part of Reli-
gion. Let us now confider Schifm, which is a Crime
near a-kin to it. For both thofe words feem untome
to fignifie an ill-growidcd Separation in Eccle/iajiical
Communion^ made about things not necejjary. But
fince
ililvco
■d;
aty,'
ietal
hefe
attd;
A Letter concerning Toleration.
fince life, which is the Supream Law in matter of Lan-
guage, has determined that Herefy relates to Errors in
Faith, and Schifm to thole in Worfhip or Difcipline, we
muft confider them under that Diftindion.
Schifm then, for the fame reafons that have already
been alledged, is nothing elle but a Separation made
in the Communion of the Church, upon account of (bme-
thing in Divine Worfliip, or Ecclefiaftical Difcipline, that
is not any neceifary part of it. Now nothing 'in Wor-
(hip or Difcipline can be neceflary to Chriftian Com-
munion, but what Chrift our LegiOator, or the Apo-
flies, by Infpiration of the Holy Spirit, have comman-
ded in exprefs words.
In a word: He that denies not any thing that the
holy Scriptures teach in exprefs words, nor makes a
Separation upon occafion of any thing that is not ma-
nifeflly contained in the Sacred Text^ however he may
be nick-named by any Sed of Chriflians, and declared
by fome, or all of them to be utterly void of true Chri-
flianity, yet indeed and in truth this man cannot be
either a Heretick or Schifhiatick.
Thefe things might have been explained more large-
l.y, and more advantageoully : but it is enough to have
hinted at them, thus briefly, to a Perfon of your parts.
E I K 1 S.
!Bat^ks lately (printed for Awnfham Cburchill at
the Black Swan at Amen-Corner.
An Hiftorical Account of Making the Penal Laws by the Papilis
againft the Frotejlants, and by the Proteftants againft the Pa.
pifis' Wherein the true Ground and Reafon ot Making the Laws is
given, the Papijts moft barbarous Ufage of the Protefiants here in
'England,, under a Colour of Law, fet forth i and the Reformation
Vindicated from the Imputation of being Cruel and Bloody^ unjuitly
caft upon it by thofe of the Romijh Commumon. By Samuel Blach,erby,
Bariifter of Grays-Inn. Fcl.
A Modeft Enquiry, Whether St. Peter were ever at luwe, and Bi-
fliop of that Church.? Wherein, I. The Arguments of Cardinal
Bellarmine and others, for the Affirmative, are confidcred. II. Some
Confiderations taken Notice of, that render the Negative highly.
Probable. Quarto.
The Spirit of France, and the Polittck^Maxims of LewU XIV. laid
open to the World, ^arto.
Memorials of the Method and Manner of Proceedings in Parlia-
ment in Faffing Bills: Together with leveral Rules and Cudorat,
which by long and conftant Pradfice have obtained the Name of
Orders of the Houfe. Gathered by Obfervation, and out of the Jour-
nal-Books, from the time of Edward VI. Odlavo. '
Dr. Bttrnet's Trads in Two Volumes. Vol. I. Containing,
1. His Travels into Switzerland, Italy and Germany j with an hp-
pendix. 2. Animadverfions cn the Reflec^ons upon the Travels.
3. Three Letters of the ^ietijis, Inquifition, and State of Italy.
Vol. II. 4. His Tranflations of LaUantim of the Death of Per-
fecutors. 5. His Anfwers to Mr. Varillos: In Three Parts.
^twelves.
A Colledion of Texts of Scripture, with (hort Notes upon them'
And fome other Obfervations againft the. Principal Popijh Errors.
Twelves,.
The Fallibility of the Roman Church, Demionflrated from the
Manifeft Error of the Second Nicene and Irent Councils, which
AflTert, Lhat the Veneration and Honorary Worfhip of Images, if a Tra-
dition Primitive and ApofiolicaU Quarto.
A De-
'Books lately Bnntedfor h. CfmrdiilL
lilU
A Demonftratlon that the Churcli of Rome, and her Couijeils,
have Erred i by (hewing. That the Councils of Cofifiance^
and Trent,, have, in all their Decrees touching Gonamunion in one
ilufj Kind, contradided the Received Dodclneof the Church of Chrill:
IiIjIj with an appendix, in Anfwer to the XXF. Ghaptejrof the Author
of A Papijl Mifreprefented, and Reprejented, Quarto.
wfe A Treatife of TWifwaj, Parti. Wherein k is proved, That we
have Evidence fufficient {xomTradition > i. That the Scriptures, are
the Word of God. 2. That the Church of England owns the true
Canon of the Books of the Old Tejtament. 5. That the Copies of
the Scripture have not been corrupted. 4. That the Romanics have
i«,ri no fuch Evidence for ibcis Traditions. 5. That the Teftimooy of
ofCii the prefent Church of Rome can be no fuie Evidence: of Apo\hlical
, ESiu Tradition. 6. What Traditions may fecutely be relied upon, and
iikB what not. Quarto.
A Treatife of Traditions, PartTl. Shewing the Novelty of the
'ifli pretended Tr<jd/fi0«x of the Church of Romei as being, i. Not
mentioned by the Ancients of their Difeourfes of Traditions Apojhli-
;!ii)ln -cat, truly lb called, or -fo efteemed by them. Nor, 2. Irr their
dMiB Avowed Ra/e, or ofFaith. Nor, 3. In-thelnftrudfions gi-"
eNiKi ven to the Clergy,- concerning all thofe things they were to teach the
ftiicji* People. Nor, 4. In the Examination of a Bifhop at his Ordination.
Nor, 5. In the Ancient Treatifes deflgned to inftrudf Chrifiians in
3nMS all the Articles of their Faith. 6. From the Confelltons of Romiffj
litbulf DoSors: with an Anfwer to the Arguments of Mr. Mumford for
Eel* Traditions\ And a Vemonjiration, That the Heathens made the fame
Kji; Plea from Tradition as the Romanijis do i and that the Anfwer ot
atlih the Fathers to it doth fully juftifie the Proteftants. ^arto*
All thefe four Rookt Written by the Reverend D. Whitby, V. D,
upoiiiff
pftk An Exhortation to Charity (and a Word of Comfort) to the
Irijh Proteftants : Being a Sermon Preached at Steeple in Dorfetjhire,
Ifrofflik upon occafion of the Colledflon for Relief of the Poor Protertants in^
ij ttS' this Kingdom, lately fled {xom Ireland : By Samuel Bold, Redor of
Steeple. Quarto.
Foxu
0
''X. V
^ooks lately Printed for A. Churchill.
Foxes and Firebrands, or a Specimen of the Danger and Harmony
of Popery and Separation, Firrtj5econd, and Third Parts.
Sir Temple's Obfervation on Holland.
- " - ■ ' Mifcellanea.
Mr. Selden's Tahle-Talh^ or Difcourfes on various Subjeds.
A Lift of the prefent Parliament, Lords and Commons,
■ Prefent Cafe ftated about Allegiance to King and Queen
Mary.
Debates of the late Oxford and JVejimhfler Parliament.
Monfieur Jeretv's Accbmpliftiment. OUavo.
Scripture-Prophefies, Compleat: in 2 Vol. OUavo.
A New Syftem of the Revelations. Twelves.
Voyages of Syam. Odavo.
Obedience due to the prefent King, notwithftanding our Oaths to
the former: By a Divine of the Church of England.
The late Lord Rujfelfs Cafe, with Obfervations upon it. Writ by
the Right Honourable Henry Lord Delamere. Fol.
Conlideratlons humbly offered for taking the Oath of Allegiance
to King IFilliam and Queen Mary. Quarto.
. Mr. Mafters of Submiffion to Divine Providence.
Dr. IVorthington of the Refurredion. OUavo.
An Anfwer toBKhop Lakfs Clatebf Chichejier) Declaration of his
dying in belief of the Dodrine of Pafive Obedience, See.
Dr. Carfael's Affize-Sermon at Abingdon^ Aug,6. i68pi
a short
DISCOURSE
Concerning the READING
HisMajefties Late Declaration
IN THE
CHURCHES.
Set forth by the
Right Reverend Father in G o d
HERBERT
Lord Bifliop of
HEREFORD.
by ;StttDo?Itr-
LONDON:
Printed for Charles Harper^ and are to be fold by
Randal Taylor near Stationers-Hall. 1688.
C ? )
A SHORT
ACCOUNT
Concerning the READING
His Majefties Declaration
I N T H E
CHURCHES.
/
• •
Hen the Command for
Reading the Kings De-
claration came down firft,
accompanied with the Petition of
my Lord Archbilhop of Canterbury^
and feveral other Bilnops, humbly
A 1 pray-
C + )
praying to be excufed from the
Publiftiing thofe Declarations, 1
difputed with my felf fo long, that
I grew into a perfed: Agony at laft,
and could take no Reft ail that
Night. For two great Evils ap-
peared before me, both contrary
one to the other, and yet an abfo-
lute ;iecelEty of my falling into one
of them, either Difobedience to the
Kings Commands, or a Separation
and Schifm from my Metropolitan
and other Vmrthy Bilhops, whofe
Judgments I truly reverenced in
moft things, and whofe Integrity in
all things. This made that Night
very difmal to me, till at length,
the day coming on, I got up and
began to^ confider things with lels
troubled Thoughts, and more
calmly and ferioufly to weigh the
~ whole
C 5 )
whole Matter. And the firft thing
that reprefented it felf unto me, as
an Anchor to fix and hold fall my
Soul, and compofe my Confcience,
was that faying. Submit jour [elves to
every ordinance of man for the Lords
fa{e, I Pet. ii. 13. and again 17.
Fear (fod^ honour the Kjng, This was
faid by who, we believe,
was guided by the Holy Ghoft,
and therefore we take it as the ex-
prefs Command of God, and ought
to obferve it in every thing that is
not flatly contrary to the Word of
God, or, at leall, moft evidently
deduced from the Word of God,
fo that every common underftand-
ing mull needs fee it. Now the
King exprefly commanding his De-
clarationtobeReadin all Churches,
without, requiring him that Reads
it
it to declare either his Confent,
Affent, Allowing or Liking of it, I
would gladly know how any man
can Ihew me that to do this is con-
trary to Gods Holy Word. If you
fay, that this Declaration contains a
Difpenfing Power contrary to the
Laws of the Land, as is declared
in the Parliament i66i, and 1^72.
Let it be fo. Is it therefore contra-
ry to the Word of God? Shew it
me. If the King would vouchfafe
to ask my Judgment, I would hum-
bly and earneftly befeech him not
to ule his Difpenfing Power in that
high manner. And I farther call
God to Witnefs that I would readi-
ly and cheerfully lay down my life
to Compofe the milerable Breaches
that are in thefe Nations on this ac-
count. But if after all, the King
tells
C 7 )
tells me, he hath this Difpenfing
Power inherent in his Majefty by
Right, and will ufe it whether I
will or nill; What can I poor
wretch do ? Or what can all my
Brethren, the Bifhops, lawfully do,
but fubmit unto his Majefties Will
and have patience ? But, as a Paper
lately come forth faith, In Reading
this His Majefties Declaration in
the Houfe of God, I do thereby
declare my Confent unto it: for I
ought to Read nothing there but
what I do approve of. Where
doth he find this fo expreft in the
Word of God? Or from what
Text doth it neceffarily and evh
dently follow ? Can this be as clear-
ly deduced from thence, or is it as
plainly expreft as that on the con- -
trary fide, that I am. to fubmit to
eveiy
C 8 )
every Ordinance of man -.This is the
faying I jftick clofe to, and require
him to ihewmeout of the Word
of God, that- to read any thing in
the Houfe of God, is declaring my
Confent unto it; and therefore his
ajfBrmation without fome fuch proof
from Scripture fignifies nothing.
Nay, to fet Scripture afide, and to
difcourfe of matters by common un-
derftanding : If I fhould read unto
the people in the Church a Paper
declaring that the King of France
doth Perfecute feveral Proteftants,
and deprive them of their Eftates,
doth my Reading this Paper any
way declare my Confent to his
Perfecution? So, fhould I read a
Paper in the Church declaring the
Kings Toleration of Sedfaries, doth
it any way declare my Confent un-
to
C 9 )
to it ? No certainly. This Argu-
ment is very frivolous and vain.
But you ask me, why do I Read
this in the Church ? and I anfwer,
becaufe the King Commands it,
and I know nothing in Scripture
that forbids it, and therefore I am
bound to obey it. But that Paper
farther asks, if the King command
a Popifh Homily for Tranfubftanti-
ation to be Read in the Church,
would I read it? No certainly,
unlefs I read it fo as to confute it,
and (hew the abfurdity of it. The
Cafe is very different: this is a Do-
dfrine I am necelTarily to inftrudf
the people in, and to fhew them ei-
ther the Truth or Falfity of it.
And the Cafe is the fame in all
Dodrines taught in the Houfe of
God, But in Reading the Kings
B Decla-
( 10 )
Declaration, there is no Docflrine
Taught, only matter of FacS: de-
dared. "But you will fay,that was
known before, and fure there mull
be fome other intention in requi-
ring me to Read it. 'Tis true, per-
chance it is to try my Obedience.
And our Enemies having fome
guefs by our late not giving thanks
for that part of His Majeities De-
claration, which was to maintain
the Church of England^ became Li-
bertyfor Diflenters was thenalfo
granted, that we will likewife re-
fufe the Reading of the Declarati-
on for the fame Reafon, and there-
by difpleafe the King, they there-
fore perfuade His Majefty to re-
quire it of us. But for my own
part I was then as urgent for our
giving of Thanks, as a neceffary
_ C n )
and grateful Duty; which, had we
then performed, it w^ould probably
have prevented this Command of
Reading it: which is likely to have
a very fad Confequence, and I
heartily lament it, but know not
how to remedy it. Yet on thisoc-
cafion I beg leave of my Brethren
to tell them my whole Senfe of
this Matter. When the Kings Ma-
jelly firft of all declared his Refo-
lution to maintain the Church of
England in the clear Profeflion of its
Dodlrine, with its Rights and Dif-
cipline, this was fuch unexpedled
and furprizing News, that I flood
long amazed at it; and when at
length I had Compofed my Mind
and fettled my felf in full belief of
it, I did then alfo in all humble
gratitude refolve to comply and
B z ferve
( IZ )
ferve His Majefty in every thing
that I could with a fafe Confcience
perform, and thereby preferve His
Majefties moft favourable intenti-
on and kindnefs towards us. And
for fo good an end as the free en-
joyment of our Religion, and the
True Worlhip of God to be pub-
lickly continued and defended, I
was ready both then to give
Thanks, and now to Read (in
both which I fee no apparent evil)
and to perform fuch other things
as (hall be propofed, which lhall
appear unto me as harmlefs as I
take them to be. Yea I confefs I
fhould yet go farther, and in doubt-
lul Cafes beg leave of God (as
^^(aaman the Sjrian did of Elifhay
that when he bowed down in the
Houfe of Kimmouy with the King
lean-
C I? )
leaning on his Hand, the Lord
would pardon his fervant in this
thing: fo) that he would gracioufly
pardon me in complying with His
Majefty in fome things, wherein
there might be fome fliadbw;,
though no- real fubftance of Of-
fence: and I fhould never doubt
of Gods merciful Pardon in ^ it,
feeing ! did it out of pure Obedi-
ence to my King, upon Gods Coin-
mand, and to fo good an end,' as
the preferving of Truth and Peace
among us. Which if we lofe
on this occafion, they will have
much to_ anfwer for, who are" the
Authors of it. Yet I verily be-
lieve, and durft lay down my life
for the Truth of it, that my Bre-
thren who refufe the difperfing of
thefe Declarations, arejv^ery far
from
C H
from having any evil intention in
it; but will as readily Obey the
King as my felf, in what is as
agreeable to their Confciences, as
tfefe things are to mine. And had
I had the good fortune to have
been amongft them at their Con-
fultation, I fhould not have doubt-
ed of good fuccefs in perfuading
them to this bufinefs: which, al-
though it comes now too late for
this; yet by the Grace of God it
may prevent fome future evil ac-
cidents. However I refolyed to
publilh it, to give as much fatif-
faction to the World as I can up-
on what reafon I diffent from my
Brethren, who, I am confident,
aim at the fame thing, though we
go clean contrary ways unto it.
And I moft humbly implore His
Graci-
\
C H )
Gracious Majefty to believe fb of
them, and not to give way to Palli-
on, or to hearken unto thole who
would exafperate him againft
them; for 'tis impollible a True
Son of the Church of England
Ihould have any Difioyal thoughts
in his Heart, his Principles com-
manding him unto entire Obedi-
ence, either Adive or Pallive,
without any Equivocation, or Men-
tal Refervation in any Cafe what-
foever. And therefore a true ge-
nerous Heart cannot but be kind
and merciful to fuch fubmilEve
Suljedls, according to that, Tarce*
re JuhjeBis & dehellare fuperhos.
F I I s.
(X;
■ t
AN K-v-'l
A N S W E R
T O A
LETTER
From a Clergyman in the City, to
his Friend in the Country, Con-
taining his REASONS for not
Reading' the Declaration,
CUl'ti) allowance, June the 4th. 1688.
S I R, LETTER.
I D» not-ivender at your concern for finding an Order ef Council
puhlifiied in the Gazette for Reading tf)e Kings Declaration for
Liberty of Confeitnce in all Churches and Chappels in this King'
dom. Tou dejire to hnow my Thoughts about itt and IJhall fire'
Ij/ tell them ; for this u net a time to he referved.
Our Enemies who have given our,Gracious King this Couffielagainfi
usjoave taken the moH effeflufll way not only to usjbut to make us
appear the Infiruments ^ cur own Ruin, that w^at courfe fioever we
take, we jhall be undone \ and one Ode or other.will conclude that we
. have nndone our J elves, and fall like Fools.
JNSIFER.
Xhey who had formerly heard the frequent Sermons upon
Loyalty preach'd over Tea any Cqffee at SWs Coffee-IJoufe,
would hardly then have believ'dthat ever any Clergyman of Lon-
donof thzt ftamp, Would have been feen in publick pickeeringa-
gainft the Orders of his Prince, efpecially iffued forth after ma-
ture debate in CounGil. I Ttnow not kow be can boaft fuch a va'ft
B ftock
C ^ )
itock of Loyalty as tiiia Caentleman pretends to, when he fhall
be fb homeiv as to tax the King with followmg Council to the
KuiiT of his Subjetls. So that the bufineftof this Pamphlet is to
render his-Majefty a perfbn that follows ill Connie! to the Ruin of
the Church of England's^ Party. Nor is it to be quellion'd but
that this Hngle Clergyman fpeaks the fenle of many more, or at
leaft would have many more belisve, what he does. That-what '
cour''t foeverthey take they^iall he undtne. And Vet we find that his
iMajelly haspiiblickly declar'd it to be his Aim to fix his Govern-
Jitent-upon flich a Foundation as n>av make his Sub^eds happy
indie injoyment odheir Religion with freedom ofE.xercife, and
their Property without Invafion. However this Loyal To-wn Cier-
Is'an Infidel that will give no c-redjt at allto the folemn At--
teltations of the King in this particular. Nay .he will have it, that
both the one and the other f,de v.-id conclude that they have undonthem-
fidves, and fall like fools; that istolay, fhoiild they have Read the
Declaration in their Churclies according to the order of Council.
i5\ which it is apparant that the Churchof England men have a
very bad.opinion not only of the Declaration, but of the very de»
<ign and meaning of it as if it were fram'd to draw tjiemfirft into
Inconvenience and then to undo them. For ^ys he,
LETTER.
Tolofe our tivings and PreferfHtnts, nay cttr Liherties and Lives'
tn a plain and diredt oppofition to Popery, as jufpoft for reft^ng to read J
Afajs in our Ghurches, or to fivearto the llrent-Creed, is an honourable
■s'ay of falling, andhasthe divine comforts offufferingfor Chr'ift and
his Religion j and I hope there is none of us hut can chearfully fuhmit
to the will of God in its But this is not cur prefent Cafe ; to read the '
Declaration, is net^oread theMafs, nor to profejs the Romifli Faith', j
and therefore fome will judg that there is no hurt fn reading it, and that
to fuffer for Juch a refufal, is not to fall like • Confejfors, but to i
fttfer as Criminals for difobeying the lawful Commands of our Prince\
hut yet we judge, and we have the concurring Opinions of all the No- i
hility and Gentry with us, who have alread/fuffered in tbisCaufr, that
to take away the Tefi and Penal Laws at this time, is but one Jlepfrom
the introducing of Popery and therefore to readfuch a Declaration in
OUT Churches, though tt do not immediatly bring Popery in, yet it Jets
open cur Chunk jmsftr it^ findlbjn it mJJ ^wntim te tnUr:
* r 3)
L- Sd that fhouUivith this Order, allgr.od Trotepants "H'duld
in defpije and hate us, and then ve way be eaftly cru^.ed, and (Isall focH
tii fall with great diflwnourend without any pty. This is the dtjfculty of
I' cur Cafe ; we jhall be cenjttr d on both fides fut with this difference: We
Us .fall fall a little fooner by net reading the Declaration, if our Gracious
,5; Tritice refent this as an all of an ebftinafe and feevijh orfaElious Dtfe-
hedienee, as our Enemies will be Jure to regrejtnt it to himWe jhall
as certainly fall, and not long after, if we do reed it, and then we fhall
k fall unptied and defpfed, and it may be with the Curfes cfthe Natien,
whom we have ruined by eur ccmffyance i and this is the way ni'ver to
rife mere And may I fuffn all that can be fuffered' in this Werld,
rather than cmribute tf the final Ruin of the be^^itrih in the
World. " '
'A N S W E k. ■ ' ■ f
Hcreis a very plaufible Harangue built upon the bare fuppo-
h iition of a fingle Town Clergyman, while he refufts to read the De-
offe claration which is the Very A<fl; of his Majefties Grace and Favour
E'i thatftcures him from all thofe fears and jealoufies which he la-
kf hours to inftili into the People. Nor is it to be thought that mem
eaii:.: of Reafon and Loyalty, will as the City Clergyman feems to be
convinc'd, 16 readily believe that the King and his Council fit to
iropofe Dilemma's upon the Subjed. We Jhall fallif wedo,and use
jj- Jhall fall if we do not read it'. But this is only the Clergyman's
fuppofal; On the other lide, the refufel to read it is an unquefti-
enable Adl of Di(obedience to the Command of the Soveraign Au-
thority, than w'hich there cannot be a greater mark of that Dif-
fiji! loyalty which the Clergy of the Eltablilh'd Religion fo much dif
own. Befidea that it is a Difobedience to the Orders of the Church
jjiff it felf, which injoyns her Minifters to read during the time ofDi-
,p; vine Service whatever is injoyned by the King. But, fays he, the
If- Reading fuch a Declaration in our Churches, though it do not immedi'
ately bring,in Topry, yet it jets opn our Chur ch doors for it, and then
it will take its own time to enter. But fays the Declaration, In the
lirft place we do declare, That w% will protecft and maintain our
* Archbifliops, Bi(hops and Clergy, and all other our Subjefts of
the Church of England, in the free exercife of their Religion, as
f! by Law Eftablifh'd, and in the full injoyment of all their Pofielfi-
'ons without any moleltation or difturbance whalfoevef; Here is
' A 2 the
C ;
ftock of Loyalty as this Cientleman pretends to, when he (hall
be To homely as to tax the King with followrng Council to the
RuiiT of his Subjeds. So that the bufineft of this Pamphlet is to
render his^Majefly a perfbn that follows ill Counfel to the Ruin of
the Church of England's^ Party. Nor is it to be queftion'd but
that this fingle Clergyman fpeaks the fenle of many more, or at
leaft would have many more belisve, what he does. That what
cour''t foever they take theyfliali he undone. And Vet we find that his
Majefly has pubEckly declar'd it to beh.is Aim to fix his CSovern-
Jiient upon fiich a Foundation as mav make his Subjeds happy
in the injoyment o'their Religion with freedom ofExercife, and
their Property without Invafion. However this Loyal TownCier-
gjman '^^x\ Infidel that will give no credit at allto the fblenin At--
teftations of the King in this particular. Nay .he will have it, that
both the one and the ot her fide v -iH conclude that they ha-ve tmdcn thew-
(idt'ts, and fallltke fools', that istofay, fhould they have Read the
Declaration in their Churclres according to the order of Council.
JU which it is apparant that the Churchof England men have a
very bad.opinion not only of the Declaration, biit of the very de»
fign and meaning of it as if it were fram'd to draw theinfirft into
J.'iconvenicnce and then to undo them. For fays he,
LETTER.
Tolofe our tivings and Preferfttents, nay cur IJherties and Lives
in a fiain and diredt oppofiticn to Popery, as Jujfpcrfe for reftfing to read
Afajsin our Churches, or to fiusearto thetent-Creed, it an honourable
'a>ay of falling, and has the di^nt - comforts ofifuffering for Chriji and
his Religion; and I hope there is none of us but can chearfiullj fuhmit
to the will of God in it; But this is not cur prefint Cafe ; to read the '
Declaration, is notafo read theMafs, nor to profefs the Romifh Faith',
and therefore fome will judg that there is no hurt tn reading it, and that
to fuffer fur Juch a refufal, is not to fall like ■ Confefors, but to
fufer as Criminals for difibeying the lawful Commands four Prince
hut yet we judge, and we have the concurring Opinions of all the No-
bility and Gentry with us, who have already fuffered in thisCaufr, that
to take away the Tef and Penal Lants at this time, is but one ftepfrem
the introducing of Popery and therefore to readfuch a Declaration in
OUT Churches, though tt do not immediatly bring Popery in, yet it Jets
open our Chiirfh doorf for it, iftidf b(n ft yfdj owntjm to enter;
* ~ r 3) _
Sd that fhouU wlhmply ii'ith this Order, allgcod Trofejiants "would
dtfpjt and hate us, and then ve may he eaftly crujhed, and (hall fecit
fall ovith great diflienour ■ and without any fity. This is the difficulty of
our Cafe; we fhall he cenjtrr d on both fides J>ut with this difference: iffe
.ffallfall a little fooner by net reading the Declaration, if our Gracious
Triftce refent this as an all of an ehjlinafe and geevifh orfaclious Dii«'
hedience, as our Enemies will he Jure to regrejtnt it to him \ We fhall
as certainly fall, end not long after, if we do reed it, and then we jlmll
fall unfttied and defpifed, and it may he with the Curfes of the Nation,
whom we have ruined by tur complyance i and thu is the way never to
rife mere And may I fuffcr all that can be fuffered' in this World,
rather than ccntribute tt the final Ruin of the heff" ^jurih in the
World. ' -
'A N S W E k. '
Here is a very plaufible Harangue built upon the bare fuppo-
iltion of a fingle Town Clergyman, while he refufes to read the De-
claration which is the Very Atft of hls Majefties Grace and Favour
that lecures him from all thofe fears and jealoufies which he la-
hours to inftill into the People. Nor is it to be thought that men
of Reafon and Loyalty, will as the City Clergyman feems to be
convinc'd, fo readily believe that the King and his Council fit to
iropofe Dilemma's upon the Subjed. We fhall fa dif we do, and one
fhall fall if we do not read it'. But this is only the Clergyman's
fuppolal; On the other lide, the refufel to read it is an iinquefti-
enable Adt of Difbbedience to the Command of the Saveraign Au-
thority, than which there cannot be a greater mark of that Dif-
loyalty which the Clergy of the Eftablilh'd Religion fb much dif
own. Befidea that it is a Difbbedience to the Orders ofthe Church
it felf, which injoyns her Minifters to read during the time of Di-
•vine Service whatever is injoyned by the King. But, fays he, the
Reading fuch a Declaration in our Churches, though it do not immedi-
ately bring in Topery, yet it Jets open our Church doors for it, and then
it will take its ooim time to enter. But (ays the Declaration, In the
lirft place we do declar'e, That w% will protect and maintain bur
• Archbilhops, Bifhops and Clergy, and ail other our SubjeiTs of
the Church of England, in the free exercile of their Religion, as
by Law Eftablifh'd, and in the full injoyment of all their Poflclfi-
ons without any moleltation or difturbance whallbevef: Here is
A 2 the
r 4)
the word of a King to bar the Introducing of Popery lo much'
fear''d : which if it were facred as coming from the Lips of a
Crowned Head, they would have render'd ftill more folemn by
reading it in their Churches. And therefore the refufal of it feems
to be rather an Ad of wilful indifcretion, than of that Religious ,
Care and wary Zeal to which the City dergy-man pretends.
LETTER.
Let us thin examine thu matter impartially, as thofe who have m
mind either to ruine themfelves, or to ruinetht Church: I fuppofe no Mi-
nifieref the Church ^England can give his confent to the Declaration,
Let us then conjtdtr whether reading the Declaration m our Churches be'
not. an interpretative Confent, and will net with great reafon be tnter-
preted to be Jo : For,
Firft, By our Law aU Minifierial Offcers are accountable for their
AElions: The Authority of Superiors, though of the Ktng himjelf, can-
not jujlifie inferiour Officers, much lejs the Minifiers of State, if thef
ffiottldexecute any illegal Commands', whichJhews, that our Law dtes^
not look upon the Mtnifters of Church or State to be mter Machines and-
Fools to be managed wholly by the Will <f Superiours, without exercffitig
any ASl of Judgment or Reafon themfelves; for then inferiour Mini-'
fien were no more punijhable than the Horjes are which draw an inno-
cent man to Tyburn : and tf inferiour Minijiers are punifhable, then
cur Law>fuppofe that what we do in obedience to-Superiours, we make.
our own ASt by doing it, and I fuppofe that (Ignifies our Confent, in the'
tye of the Law, to what, we do. It is a Maxim in our Law, That the
Kiirg can do no wrong ; and therefore if any wrong be done, the
Crime and Guilt Is the Minifer's who does it: For the Laws are the'
King's publick Will, and therefore he is never fuppofe d to command any'
thing contrary to Law ; nor as any Minifier, who does an illegal AB'ion,
allowed to pretend the King s Command and Authority for it; and yet'
this is the only Reafon I know, why we mufi'not obey a Prince againfi
the Laws of the Land, or the Laws of God, btcaufe what we do, let
the Authority be what it will that commands it, becomes our own AB,
and we are refpo-nfible for it ; anfCthen as I vbferved before, it mufi
imply our own Cnpjent. . . •
ANSWER. .
This Paragraph runs all along upon a meer Begging the Que-
ftion. FOf it would enforce an Argument from a Topick that nei-
ther®
C r )
tber can nor ought to be allowed him : Befidei; that it fmelk.very
ftrong of Common-wealthLogick: as p'tekeering againft the,Power
®f Princes, andinfinuating the Declaration to be Illegal, contrary
to the Laws of God and the Land, and therefore not to be obey'd.
So that a greater prefiimption certainly could not have entex'd
the BTeaft,<\f a Clergy=man of the Church of England, than-thus
toqueftionthe Legality:of theKfmg's Fubhck A^-s-r. Ge^tahily it
was never thought unlawful, till this Gentleman founfl it out, for
a K-ing to grant an Ad of Indulgence and a Toleration of Religion
to his Subjeds. And then again to fay, the King can no jvrorigj
infinuates that fbme Body has dene wrongs in advifing the Order ;
wfaichasa-RBflexion of too great Importance for men of Loyal Di-
l^fitions to-'fcam If he mean, that the Order, or rather the De-
ciaration, is. contrary to the Law of the Land, thatvis to fay, to
xhsEenalLaws, and the Law enforcing the Je/, that is abfolutely»
to deny the King's Royal Power of Difpenfation, which has alrea-
dy render'd them invalid.- ^ For he fhpuld haverfirft made it out .
that the Ven4 Laws zndTejJf wereTueh Sapredsand Inviolable Sta-
tutes, :that all things done contrary to them,! were contrary-'to
Juftice and Equity, before hehad (b flily Inferred an Impoffibility
of giving his Confent to reading the Declaration, as contrary to the
Law of the Land, and the Ad ofa Supefiour Authority not juftift-
able by the King himfelf. But this Gentleman did not confider •
that there is no fuch Strefs to be laid upon the Sandimony of; the
Penal Laws, and that fupporting the 7^/. For that, the Condki-
ens of all Humane Laws are, That the Law beHoneft, Juft, Fof^.
fible, Convenient to Time and Place, and Conformable to Religi-
on and Reafon. In every one of which Charaders the Penal
Laws, d^c. are deficient, if for no other, thpugh there are many,
yet for that very Reafon alledg'd in His Majeffies Declaration,be-
caufe they difcourage and difabie his Ma)efties Subjeds that
are well inclin'd and lit to fecve him, from doing him thofe Ser-
vices which by the Law of Nature they are bound to So. But he
goes on letter.
Secondly, The Minifiers ef Religion have a^greater tye and ehltga-
fion than this, hecaufe they have the care, and cond^u^ of mens Soulsf ■
and therefore are honnd to take care that what they ptthlijh in their
Churches, be neither contrary to the-Laws of the Land, nor to the good
■ ^
( 8 ) j 0t w'
■cUratum coptrar.y to La^, becsufe it does not imply our cenfent to it ',fo
4i<e mayPepiJh Homilies, for the hate reading them tv-ill not - imply our ■
confent^ no more than the reading the Declaration dees: -But whether
J conjent to the DoBrine or no, it is certain I conjent to teach my
Teople this DoBrine ■, and it is to he confidercd, whethjr an boneft man pr ';.
can do this. '
A H S W E R. ' - ^
The firft Qiieftion here is,Whether a man that confents to read, r-
confents to teach I Or rather. Whether Teaching and Reading be
all one? Certainly no man of realbn but will believe the City- fergd
Clergy-man was very hard put to it to lay the ftrtft of a Refu- '
lal to obey the Command of Soveraign Authority upon aCavill
•about the Signification of a word or two. Wihocould have ima- -a:..-
gin'd it would ever have been requifite for the Council to have con- i;, (
fiilted a Tribunal ot Grammarians to obviate luch an Objedi- '
anas this, before they iffu'd forth the Order for Reading theDe- i./.
claration. But whether Teaching and Reading be all one, is no-
thing here to the purpofe; For there is not any thing as yet ap-
pears io the Letter which proves the Declaration unlawful to be d,,. .;
read ; Which he ought Jirft to have done before he had goneabouc ^
to f^it the fignificatidp of Wordsto gratifie a ConfCience, there-
fore (queamiflj becau^ over-ftirfeited with the Kings Favours,
For there is no Perfon m England ought to uphold that Law which
,theKing condeiuns, \f it be not in it Self unjuft and contrary to
^the Union pf Mankind. For the Jntrpducing of Popery into j,.],
land,or the Abolifhing of any ..La.ws rhat may prevent it,if it be the
Will and Pleafure of the Soveraign Government, is no more Ille- }■'}
gal in it felf, than,it was for the timed Netherlands to abolilh Fo-
pery and introduce the Prete/(7»t Into their Dominions, p'
contrary to the Conftitucions of the .Empire, and the Laws of f !
Spain. ■ .So this City-C/er0w<Jw -moves all this while upon an
Allertion,Thactlje Declaration is Illegal and contrary to the Law of
the Land. Vpr if the King of England may be depiiv'd of his
undoubted Right of Altering, Repealing, or Sulpending fuch
Laws as are inconfiftent with thofe Maxims of Rule which he.pro- ''
pofes at his corning to the. Crown, and which he finds deftrudlve , ■'
to the greateft part of his Subjcdts, he lofes one of the greateft '
Advantages which he enjoys, to piirfue thole Methods of Govern- '
ment
( 9)
ment which he deems moft proper for the retiowning his Reign
in future Hiftory. So much the mare hard,wlien the only means
which he accounts moft proper for his purpofes fnall be condvran'd
for Un'awfiil by a nice Splitter of Verbal ligifuicarion. " And yet
the diihnvlliou of Reading and Corifenting is not fb difficult a? he
pretends. For Conlent is an agreement of T!}nugbts as well as
Words. * Bur a n.'an may read tlie Story of Bell ana the Dragon
in the Cliurch, and yet not agree it to be Orthodox. Nor can a
man by reading be faid^to teach hisPeople,un!e(s lie inc.dcates what
he reads by Initnifticn for the' Inaruilion comprehends Reading,
Reading does not comprehend Inftruiftion. Wliich is the reafon
there are fn many ignorant Perlbns in the world, to wrom the
Bible and the Creed it Icif are read every Sunday in the Year, and
yet at the Yerrs end ttipy are not able to tell ye whofe Son Jefus
Chrijt is, or who was Solotnnh Father. And whereas he lays, the
King ^'ght as ii'tll c mmand him to read a Homily for Tranfttbfian'
tia:i n as the Dtclarafscn, the Inference is falfe, The one being an
A-llual invrtlion upon the Articles of the Church of England, from
which the Declaration lipon the Word of a King, is the very thing
that fccuieshim : the osher only a Civil Duty requir'd in Obes
dience to the King's Command : and the Refufal of it only a piece
of Ftnenefs to render the King's Authority and his Prdteedings
fufpeded to the People.
LETTER-
Thirdly, J futpofe no man will doubt, but the King intends, that our
Reading the Declaration Jhould figni^e to thf Nation, ear Confent and
Afprobation of if, for the Declaration dcesmotm want Ftiblipnig, for
it is fujfcientiy known already: but cur Reading it in our Churches mufi
fervt in/lead of Addrejfes of Thanks,which the Clergy generally refufed,
■ tbo it was only to Thank the King for hts Gracious Promijes renevnd to
the Church of England, in hij Declaration, which was much more
Mocent, thantepublifhthe Dedarationit felf in our Churches: Thtswadd
perfwade me, that the King thinks our reading the Declaration, to fg^
nifie our Confent, and that the People will think ir to be fe. And he
that can fatufie his Confcience, to do an aBicn without ccnfcnt, which
the nature of the Thing, the Defign, and intention of the Command, and
the Sesife of the People expound to be a Conjent, may, I think, as well
fatisfie himfelf with Equivocations and mental Refervatms.
B AN-
( lo )
'A N S fV E R.
Here is nothing ftill but barely repeated Suppofition, together
with an open and glory'd-in Confeflion of the Ingratitude of the
generality of the Church of England than which he could not
certainly have beftow'd a wnrle Charadttr either upon himfelf or
his Friends. Since it was an ObfiinateIngratitude chat no renew--
ances of the King's Favours could reconcile to him, as proceed- '
ing from a fowre r/ifguft, that his Majefty had granted to others
the ftme Liberty which they enjoy'd. As if all Mankind befides
them, were bound to groan under the continual Yoak of their Pc-
nalLa^vs and Tejrr, no lefs Rigorous and Uncharitable. To the
remainder of this parr, tlie Gentleman bus form'd a very fubltan-
tial Anfwer of himfelf, fer, lays he,
L E T 1 E R.
"There are two things to he answered to this, which majl be confidered.
1. That the Fecple underjland cur Aisnds.and fee that this is matter of
Force noon us, and meer Obedience to the King.
A T! S W E R.
Then theRefufal was a workofSupererogation,tliePeople being-
better inftrufled, than all their readinji could teach them, and
then they muft fall that way by going about to initrufl them by
their Obftinacy, who were of opinion that their Obedience would
have been a far better Admo ilhment. To which he anfwers,
LETTER.
1. TihSitpoffibly theTecple do ftnderfiand that the matter of the DtcJa-
ration is againfi our Frinc^les : But is this any excufe,tbat we read that,
and by reading recomofiend that to them,which is againfi our own Con-
fciences and judgments I Reading the Declaration would be no Fault ft
a^,but cur Duty,when the King commands it, did we approve of the mat-
ter of if, but to cenfent to teach our Feople fuch DoBrines as we think con-
trary to the Laws of God,or the Laws of the Land,does not lejfen but ag-
gravatethe Fault, and Peoplt mujl be very good natur d to think this an
Excuje.
2. It is not likely that all the people will be of a mind in this matter,
feme may excufe it, ethers, and thcfeit may be the mofi, the hefi, and the
wifejl men, will condemn us for it, and then how Jhall we fulfifie our
felves againfi their Ctnfures ? when the world will be divided in their
Opinions, the plain way is certainly the bejl, to do what we can jufifie
tisf felves,andthon kt mm judge as they pkaje. filomen in England wifl
h
II
C^O
\>e pleafedwith our Reading the Declaration,hut thofe who hope to-mahe great
advantage of it agam(t us,and againfi our Church & Religion:, others- wdl
feverely condemn us for it,& cenjure us as falfe to our Religion, and as Be-
trayers both of Church and State: and bejides that,it does not become a Mi-
ttifer of Religion, to do any thing, which in the opinion of the mojl char it a-
hie men can only be excufed ; for what needs an excttfe, is either a fault or
looks very like one ; beftdes this I Jay, I wdl not trujb mens Charity ; thoje
who have fuffered themfelves in thisCauft, will not excufe us for fear of
faffering ; thofe who are inclined to excuje us now, will not do jo when they
cvnfiderthe thing better, and come to feel the ill con'^ecjuences of it: when cur
Enemies open their Eyes, & tell them what cur Reading the Declaration Jig-
nified, which they wdl then tell us we ought to have feen before, tho they
were not bound to jee it j for we are to guide and inJiruB them, not they us.
A Id S W E R.
Tempera mutantur nos mutamur in illts~-— Time was when ihere
was nothing more abominable, more hainous, or more cry'd down
by the Gowned Clergy of England, than Vox Topuli; now Vex pcpidi
is the only Suprenta lex that guides them ; they have no other fears than
of the Condemnations and C€n([iTes*of Vox Populi: Voxpopuh is Vox
Dei, and they dare not read the King's Declarat'on for fear of Vox
populi: And all this out of an Infallible Certainty, that no people in
England will be pleafed with their reading the Declaration but their
Enemies. More than this, they fee ill Confequences in the Declara-
tion, and find Dodtrines in the Declaration contrary to the Laws of
God and the Land; invifible however to all thofe vaft numbers o{ lowd
and thankful Addreflers for the publifhing of it. Quick-fighted Synxes
in their own Concerns : but facli as car'd fb little for the Voice of the
People, that they never melted at the Groans of the People, when
they had the Scourge in their hands.
LETTER.
II, Others therefore think, that 7vhen we read the Declaration,w.e [hotdd
publickly profeG, that it is not our own judgment,but that we only read ft in
obedience to thi K-ng; and then our reading it cannot imply cur confent to it:
Idow this is only Proteffatio contra fadliim, which all people 7vdl laugh at,
and [corn us for : for fach a jolemn reading it in the time of Divine Ser-
vice, when all men ought to be moji grave and ferious, and far from dif~
fembltng with God or Men, does in the nature of the thing imply our appro-
bafion; and fiiould we declare the contrary, when ove read it, 72'hatjhall we
fay to thofe who ask us. Why then do you read it ? But let thofe 7vho have a
mind try this way, which, for my part, I fake to be a greater and more un-
jujtifiable
(II)
iriiUHMc frovorai-on of the Kjfig, thm not to read itand^ Ifupfejh, tbofe itho^de rm
read /f, will be thought plainer and hoiie'stcrmm, and nn'l ejcap'j ai well as thoje who
read it and proiesl agawftit: andyct 7iotlmt^iefs tuanan exp-'cf^ Protejiatirn againjt
ittinll falvetbis matter ; for only to fay., trey read itnieeiiy iti Joedi.' ceto the K^ng.,dou
notexprefs their dtjfent: it fgt/ifies indeed, that tneytvxMmt rave read it, if the
Kjng had net comm.mdcd it; but thcje words do r, tjiga.jle, thas they dijapprow of the
Declaration, when their reading it, though on.y in ' beaience to the King, Jtgnijiei^ their
approbation of iti muchas atiionscun jigmfii a r . let w can to mmd i:ow it
fared with thofe in i^jr^Charles the h>Jt i itpign, who read the Book of Sports, at
it was called, and then preached against it.
A N S V/ E R.
"Then it appears that the Declaration has b 'nread , and that byfe-
vera! Gentlemen of the Church of So iluit it appears
that the reading of it is not of that dangerous t^onleqiieuCc to the Con-
fcience, as the Author of the Letter u ould pa teni to. For we are
to have that charity for thofe that read it as lor tholS that reUifed it,
that the former had as much care for their Conlciences, as the latt.r.
Now then to what purpofe all thefe Terrors and rights of Conlci-
ence, ail this dread of t-he cenfuresof ttie Feopie toi reading it, Hnce
the bufinefsadmits fuch a pofiti^e v^iricty of Opinion The Loyal
and Obedient may read it,but tneS'crupiiious and iUfVa'^ory wili not.
Well then, if.the cafe be fo, the City Clergyman ihoiild l.avedoPv well,
to have referv'dhis Nicetiesand Slicing of (igniiications to n',m^elf,and
no: have gone about fo Zealoufly to fpread the info Fton or his her us
pies to the difcouragemSnt of others. But he has pdit the Rubictn
and will forward. LETTER.
To return then to our Argument; If reading the Declaration in our Churches he in the
natirre of the adion, in the intention of the command, in the opinion of the People, an
interpretative confent to it, I tbink^my felf bound m confcience net to read it, becaufe I
am hound in coyfciencc not to approve it:
^ANSWER.
To this the Loyal Gentlemen that read it, reply. That if Reading
the Declaration in their Churches, be neither in the nature of the Adi-
on, nor in the Intention of the Command, nor in the Opinion of the
People an Interpretative Conient to it; they think fhemfelves bound
in confcience to read it, becaufe they are bound in confcience to ap-
prove it. feyshe, LETTER.
lets againjithe Conjhtution of the Church e/England, which is eflablijhcd hy Law,
and to which I have juhjcrthed, and therefore am hound in confcience to teach nothing cm-
trary to it, while this Obligation lajis. A N S JV E !{.
He muft of neceffity allow the Conftilution of the Church of England to be i
ftrange ur.chuitable condition,- that will not allow Liberty of Confcience to any
but it fe'f. And it is his misfortune that he has fubfcribed to a Church that wants
the bond of Perfcdioit, which is the reafon that many believes he miibkes the
Conllitutionof the Church of England. LET-
t M)
L E T T E R.
It is to teach an Unlimited and Univerfal Toleration^ which the
Parliament in 72. declared Ille^al^ and which has been Condemned
by the Christian Church in all Ages. • '
. • , ANSWER.
What the Parliament Declared in 72,fignifies nothing againfl;
the Authority of the Scripturej which all along declares the
contrary. And whereas the Gentleman is pleafed to fay, That
Univerfal Toleration has been condemned by the Chrillian.
Church in all Ages ^ There is nothing more contrary the in-
finite Sayings of the Primitive Fathers and their Succellbrs, and
that celebrated Maxim of Tertdlian^ Rcligionis non ejl Religionem
cogere. o; ; .
. m: p , L E T T E R.
It is to te^ach rny People^ that they need never come to Church more^.
hut have my free Leave, as they have the Kin^s, to go to a Con,
venttde or to 'Mafs.
ANSWER.^
Thi^i? like Cardmal Ego.&-Rex, His leave an^d the
^i»gs, ButtWy area forry fort of People, That do not know
already. That a Redlor of a Parilh is no Sovereign but that
the People may come and go where they pleafe without his
Leave. . .
L E iT T E R^^ .
J '.pt'is to teach the Difpenfng Power, which alters what has been for'
merly thought, the whole Conjlitution of this Church and Kingdom.^
which we dare not do till we have the Authority of Parliament for it.
A N S W E R.
It feems the King''s Authority dignifiles nothing^ with this
City Clergyman. But,if he had the Authority of Parliament
for it, he would ftretch his Confcjence, and Read the Dectafa,-
tion. In the mean time. The King"'s Difpehfive ,Power is np
Bufinefs for a Man in his Station to meddle with : Nor is he
to be fuch a Judge of Royal Declarations, as to be the Inter-
preter of their Meaning or Intention. That .'Power is" not
withipthe Verge of his Desk or Pulpit either, neithei" can the
C Authority
< H >
Authority of Parliament warrant any fuch Boldnefs among Ec-
flefialticks.. . ' <
;L fe T T E Pv. ^
ft is to R^mmtn^to our P'ctfk^ \fhe Choice C /itcio Terfon^ to Jit
in Parlianunt^. as JImU taJ:e arvsiy'the^cR o.fid Penal Laws, which
of the Nobility and &c'ntry of the -Nation have declared their
fudgmttifagainfr.
' \A'^N S IV p p.
Then, nod to Read tlie'Declavation, k to retommsnd tothe
Ped|ilej tfiecrioiccof fuch Pcrfons, as fhalhaiot take away.thi
Telhani'Penal Laws ^ as if the Peoples Eleftion of Parliament
■Men- depended upon th!e Recommendation of the City'Clergy-
Then.- Rut the Declaration required rto (lich Officious Reconl-
mendation from them : And therefore the Gentleman might
have fpared his dornpktnent to the Nobility and Gentry.
<; • I. E J T E R,:. > . ' .
It is topondemtt-allthofe Great and Woi thy Patriots of their Com'
try^ who forfeited the dear eft thing in the World tcrthem^ next a good
Con/ciencCy viz^ The Favour of thehr Prince.^ and a great many Ho-
murahle and Profitable Tmylbyrrients ivith it, rather than conjent to
that PtoyofM of taking away theand PtmlLzv/s, which they
ayprehend deftrulUve' to the Church of England 4 W 'the Proteflbnt
Religion y and he who can in Confcicnce do all this, I think need
fcrufle nbthing.
ANSWER.
The Nobiiity and Gentry are mightily beholding to the City-
Gfergyman for his kind Encomiums': But whether they would
have thought it any Condemnation of their Refolutions, in Re-
ference to the Penal Laws and Teft, is uncertain ; for the No-
bility and Gentry do not depend upon this Gentleman''s Divi-
nity ; their Motions, and the Circumftances that guide their
Aftibns being of a higher Nature,, than to care for the Condem-
natiomof their Chaplains. However, 'ifthe Nobility and Gen-
try were fo Kind to do what they did for their fakes, the City-
Clergyman has ill retaliated their Favour, today the Load of
Kis Actual Difobedience upo'u the Shoulders of the Nobility and
|3'eiitry of the N^ion. But now he"'s come to his Effeds and
iUConfequences: for fays he,
LET-
.. ("5)
' . : 1.: ^ - ;,iL E T T.E R. ' ^ ^
For kt[ns c.onfider fnrjhtr^What the tffeitsandConfecinmcetvf our
Reading the Declaration are likely to he, and I think they are Matter
efConfcience too, when they are Exiiderrt and apparent.
This will certainly render our Perfons and Miniftry yafimttly Don-
tertiptihle, which is againfi thap Apoflolick Canon, L,et. i^o-ni^n dc-*
fpife thee, Ttt. i- 1,5.. That is, fo to Behave himfelffi^ Mmjie-
rialOffce, as not to fall under Contempt •, andtherefot-ealds.obligey the
Confcience, not to make oar [elves Ridiculous, nor to render,our Mi-
niflry, ourCounfels, Exhortations, Pr caching, IVriting,' of no . efetf
'which is a thoafand times worfe th^n being SilencM: Our Siijferings
'will Preach more ejfeElually to the People, when we cannot Speak to
them : But he who for Fear or Cowardisp,e, or the Love of.this World,
betrays his Chjtrch and Religion by undue Coniphamiep, and will cer'
taply be thought tty do fo, may continue to Preach, but to no purpofe \
and when we have rendred our felves Ridiculous and comemptihle, we
fljall then quickly Pall, and Fall unpitied.
'ANSWER.
He is now wrapt up in the Spirit of Prophefic, vvjiat Strange
things will bcfal him for- reading the Declaration, which he
calls a Betraying the Church by undue Complyances: But the
Prophet miftakes the Points that renders the Minillerial Office
he means Ridiculous; for while they keep to the Bufinefs of
Sound Dodrine, and meerly True Divinity, there is not a
more Profound or Learned Clergy inthecWorld, than are they
of the Church of England ; but when they will be Studying the
Pointsof Royal Declarations, which are •Acts of State, will be
makifig their Pulpits the Stages of Farce and Satyr, will be In-
terloping and Intruding into State Affairs, wbich.nothing at all
ccncerii them ; when they will be Teaching the King, the "
judges. Deputy Treutenants, and all other Magiitrates, their
Duties: This fs that which renders'tlKiMIriiftry-, befoix m'en-
tioired, or any Miniltry in the World, Ridiculous. -And it
is to be feared. The City-Clergyman has not altogether freed
himfelf from that Contempt, in calling the Reading of theDe.-
claratiob, a Betraying of the Church by Undue Complyances-^
and then Complementing the Nobility and Gentry of the Na-
tion tO'juftific his Ridiculous Languageand all this to gain
Popularity, or to preferve the Fo-ffefTion of his Living under
C 2 the
( lO ..
the Name of the Protellant Religion •, for he mull not take it
amifs, That others dive with the fame feverity into his M^n-
ing as he dives into the King"'s Intentions.
LETTER.
There is nothing will fo effeSlually tend to the final Rain of the
Church of England, becaufe oar Reading the Declaration will Dif-
courage^ or Provoke , or mifguide^ all the Friends the Charch of ,
England has : tan we blame any man for not freferving the Laws and
the Religion of oar Charch and Nation, when we oar felves will
ventare nothing foi^it ? can we blame any Man for confenting to Re-
yeal theTc^ anc^tr)Z\ Laws, when we recommend it to them by
Reading the Declaration ? Have-we not Reafon to ex feci that the No-
bility and Gentry, who have already Saffhred in this Caafe, when they
hear themfelves condemned for it in all the Churches o/*England, will
think it time to mend fach a Fault, and recottcile themfelves to their
Prince ? and if our Church fall this way, is there any Reafon to ex-
fcEl that it fhoaldever rife again? Thefe CQpfequences arre almofl as
evident as Demonflrations, and let it be what it will in it felf, which
I fore fee will defiroy the Church of England and the Proteftant Re-
gion and Intereflr, I think J ought to make as much Confcience of
doing it, as of doing the mojl immoral Action in Nature.
ANSWER.
. Here we find, him talking as if the Final Ruine of the
Church of England , lay upon the Church of England-
mens Reading or Not Reading the Declaration, and that by
Not Reading it, they had faved the Palladium^ and Ancilia of
their Religion. And all thefe Rodoraontado''s upon bare*Sup-
politions and Imaginations no ways compatible to Reafon; for
■it is not Rational to Believe, That the Nobility and Gentle-
men of England, when they delivered their Sentiments contra-
ry to what was Propofed to them concerning the Tell ( for as •
to the Penal Laws, "'tis well known. Their Judgments* are
much more Remifs ) did what they did for Fear of beiiTg Con-
dc'mned by the Levites whom they feed. "'Tis therefore a Pre-
fumption in the City-clergyman to arrogate in the Plural Number
fuch a Power over the Nobility and Gentry, as if they were
• bound to Juftifie his and his Friend's particular Ads of Difobe-
dience,
( r?)
dience, and could not te Safe in their Refolutions, linlefs they
were Obftinate. What was propofed to the Nobility and
Gentry was one thing, what was commanded them was
another ^ and there is a great Difference between not Confent-
- ing to a propofal, and not Submitting to a Sovereign Com-
mand.
LETTER.
To fay thatthefe mifchievoHsGonfeqHences are not abfoliittly necejfary,
and therefore do not ajfeSl the Confcience-, btcaufe we are not certain
they will follow^is a very-mean Obje^ion. Moral Actions indeed have not
fach necejfary Confeqaences^as Natural Caufes have Necejfary EfeUs ;
. hecaufe no Moral Caufes aEi neceffarily. Reading the Declaration
will not as neceffarily defray the Church of England, as Fire burns
Woodbut if the Confequence be f lain and evident^ the mo ft likely
thing that can hapfen^ if it be unreafonAble to expeSt any other, if it
he what is plainly intended and defgnedy either I mufi never have any
regard to Moral Confequences of my AttionSy or if ever they are to be
confder^dy they are in this cafe.
Why are the Nobility and Gentry fo extremely averfe to the Repeal
oftheTeft and Penal Laws ? why do they forfeit the .King''s Favour y
and their Honourable Stationsy rather than comply with it f If you fay
that this tends to defiroy the Church of England and the Protefiant
Religiony I ask whether this be the necejfary confequence of it ? whether
the King cannot keep his Promife to the . Church &/England if the
Tcfi and Penal Laws he repealed? We cannot fayy hut this may he :
and yet the Nation does not think fit to try it; *and we commend thofe
Great Men who deny it; and if the fame Queflions' were put to usy
we think we ought in Confcience to deny them our felves : and are there
not as high probabilitiesy that our Reading the Declaration will promote
the Repeal of the Tefl and Penal Lawsy as that fuch a Repeal will ruine
our Confiitutiony and bring in Popery upon us ? Is it not as probablcy
that fuch a Complyance in uSy will difoblige all the Nobility andGen^
tryy who have hitherto been firm to usy as that when the power of the
Nation is put into Popijh Hands; by the Repeal of fuch Tefis and LawSy
the Priefis and Jefuites may find Jome falvo/er the Kings Confciencey
and perfuade him to forget his Promife to the Church of England ?
and if the probable ill confequences of Repealing the Tefi and Penal
Lawsybe a good reafon not to comply with ityl cannot fee but that the as
probable
frol\ihle ill cofjfec^^uencej ef IRiadlng i'xe Utclaratioti^ is^as.goodn reafon
r.ot.to Read it. . ; . ■ ; .f-i :, !• "
A N S iV Ji R. "
Thcfe arc all raecr CoTnments.and Delcants cf the Civy-
Clergyman^ ypon the Honour and Confcier.bc ofllds Majelty,
and the evil delignof the Declaration upon the Church oi Eng~
Lwd^ drawn froni PrabSlulicies of thc-cvil confecjucnces of Re-
.pealing the Penal Laws and Toft, -which the Church-of,
.hiuflno more pavt'with, then thewith their Ark, without
•expofing themfelves to utter ruine and dcftruChion. For the
charitable Clergyman takes no care of any other part of the
Frctellant Religion, fp the Church ,of EngUnid be fecure. To
all which if he would have but vouchfard to have read the De-
claratioiijhe.might have found an Anfwer Ihining fully out, and
-difpelling all the Fogs and Mills of his Probable Confequences
in His MajeJly""s own v/ords •, where he declares a fecond time,
■TEat ever fince His granting the Indulgence^ he has made it His
principal Care to fee it preferved without difiinEiion ^ And farther
acfds his Refolutions, To ufe His utmost Endeavourr to Eftablilh
Liberty of Confcience on-fuch juft and equal foundations, as will
render it unalterable, and fecure to All People the free Exercife of
'their Religion for ever. But this will not ferve the City-
Clergy-man"'s turn.-, he mull have the Rains of Temporal
as well as Eccleliaftical^ Jurifdidion. in his own hand, and
drive on for ever, or elfe there is nothing to be done!
They are like Cafar^ contemning all Superiors ; and like Pom-
pey^ difdaining all Equals. A paflionate conceit of their own
Perfedion above all other, which no Man of common fenfe
can Ixi rcconcird to ^ and a convincing Argument that thofe
Peribns mull'have but little or no Confcience themfelves, who
with fo much vigor and obdinacy labour to uphold a CivilPer-
fecution of Penal Laws and Teds, fo diredly oppolite to all the
Didates of Confcience and Reafon.
LETTER.
The molt mate-rial OhjeEtion is., That .the Diffe^tersy whom we
ought not to provoke., will expound our not Reading it., to be the effeti
of a Perfecuting Spirit: Now J wonder Men fijould lay any weight en
this, who will not allow the molt probable confequences'of ouu Atlions,
to
(i9)i
tohnv! any itiflusnce Hfon Cot}fcknce \ for if rve mnft compare con'
fiH^HSfKCs, .to ^^ifollige ajl t'^c Nobility. and'-Gentry- by Reading it^ is
Ifidyto be mnch more fataly than to anger'the Dijfenters y and it is
more likely^ ^n,d there ifWHch mqrererfpv for it y •that one^mld'be
of ended than the other : For the Dijfentcrs who are Wife and Confi-
deringy are fenfble of the Snare themfelvesy and though they defire
Fafe and Libertyy they are not xplHing to have it with juch apparent
lMZ.ard of Church.and State : J am fare that though we were never fo
deftroics that they might, have their Libertyy . (j and when there is opj-
jvnunity sf: fsewing: our. Inclinations without danger , they- may--
find that irf are not fuch Perfecutors as we are reprefintedp) yet we
cannot confent that thef.fhijuld have it this way, which they wHl find'
the dearefi Liberty that-ever was granted.
f . a A N S W E R,
After his Cofliplemenits put upoh'xhe Nobility and Gentry
ofthc Nation) the Aiitlior of the Letter defeends to fcrape ia
new acquaintanot witlrthe Diifenters, and fain would draw
them into his Belief, upon a very odd furmife, that they
are now in feme kind of manner reconcird. But the
Complement is. atTuch a remote difcan(^e, that he betrayM his-
Politicks to. cohrt them at fuch an indifferent rate. And in-
deed hls 'Expfeflions are- fb, obfcare, that if this Church of
England Man,, is. fo nice that he dare not trufl: the King upoa
fuch clear and folemn Promifes, the DilTentei-s, who have had
fuch fevere Experience of their Favours, have much lefs tea-
fon'to credit the foroid Complement of the City-Clergyman.-
This is only to be wonderM at, that the City-Clergyman fhould^
jnakethe King fo dear a.Seller of when-
there was no Price could purchafe it from the Perfecution of
the Penal Law-Men, his undoubted Brethren.
■ : L'ETTER.
; This Suy is our Cafe- in jhorty. the. Difficulties are great' on both
fidesy and therefore now if every we ought to befiege Heaven, with our
PrayerSy for Wifdomy and Counfel and Courage:, that God would pro-
teB his Church and Reformed Chrifiianity-y againfi all the devices of
their Enemies t Which is the daily, and hearty Prayer ofy
S IRy.
May. 22. 1588. Your Friend and .Bftjother;
ANS WER.
( 20 )
ANSWER.
"feeing thus come from his Politicks to his Prayers, 'tis time to
leave him, not doubting but if his Prayers be Juft, they will be
heard ^ if not, neither his Letter nor his Prayers willfignifie
any thing.
POSTSCRIPT.
IHiive juB now feen H. Care'j Paper^ called^ The Publick Oc-
currences, which c,ame out to day, and cannot hut fet you nghr
as to his News about the Reading of the Declaration on Sunday : He
tells you^ ' That feveral Divines of the Church of England, in and
' about the City, eminent for their Piety and Moderation, did Tejier-
' day Read His Majefiy'^s late Declaration in their Churches, accord-
' rng to the Order in that behalf •, hut fame (to the great furpriz.e of
' their Parijhioners^ were pleafed w decline it. Tou in the Country
are from this Account to believe, that it was Read hfre by the gene-
rality of ^he Clergy, knd by the eminent Men aUfong .them : But I
can and do ajfureyou, that- this is one of the mofi impudent Lyes that
ever was printed: For as to this City which hathdhove a Hundred
Parifhes in it, it was Read only tn Four or Five Churches, all the rest
and bett of the Clergy ref.ufing it every where. J wtll fpare their
Names who Read it; but fliould I mention them ft w&dd make you who
know this City, a little heartily to deride H. C'j. Account of them.
And for the Surpriz.e he talks (y, the contrary of it is fo true, that in
Woodrftreet, where it was Read by one Dr. M. th^ People.generally
' went out of the Church. This.J t'eliyou, that you may be provided for
the future againlt fuch an impudent ,Lyar, who, for Bread, can
vouch and put about the Nation, the falfeH of things. ,
. . Lam Yours.
ANSWER.
The City-Clergyman has given the Lye to the Author of the
Publick Occurrences: It were to be wilh'd that the Author had
nam'd all the reft befides thofe we already know, that werefo
Loyal as to Read the Declaration.If they were not fo numerous
as they are faid to be in the Occurrences,VfQ wifh they had been as
many in number as their Loyalty required. But we leave this
for the Author himfelf, to do himfelf Juftice by a more particu-
lar Anfwer. .
F.I N I S.
<,) >^-1
M
THE
Minifter's Reafons
F«r Hii aot reading tk«
iSeckration
Frieadly Debated,
By SL
AHomdto beFttblifhed this dd,y of June i6S8.
SIf.,
I Am beholding to yon for Publifh- cd a little before the Kings DtcUrati-
ing the Keafons you allcdg for e«, Entitxiltd^ The Tanity gf ali freteft^
your reftifal to Read His Majc- Jkns for Tekratim, ( wherein the
fties Deflarmen in your Church ^ for Qucftioh is put and Anfwcred, Shad
by them I difcern, that he who writ we five ap the Caufe^ and ftbfcribe to a
tl^ firil Letter to a Difemer^ where- Toleration ? Nothing left, and that be-
in he toldos you were conTinc'd of canfe in our CircHmf^ances^ tt is not only
your Error, in being Severe towards csmraryto Religion and Civil Fntdencey
us, and that we had not now to do but alfe to Charity and Comf-aftonJ were
with thofc Rigid Prelates, who made guided in this matter by the fame
it a matta- of Confcience to give us temper of Miad, with that whicli is
thelcaft Indulgence, writ this of his difcovcrcd in your rcafosings, which
own Head, without any Authority are as like oac to the other as Face is
from you V but that He, or They who to Face in aGkls^ for therein the
writ a Treatife, which Publi&- Author, who is your Adrocate, and
A - withouC
( 2 )
without donbt had, both your Coun-
tcnance and Affiftance, tells us, That
tht pr/tBice of pitrnfrng Differters is
oontrary neither to the Do£lrine or Pra-
ulce of Chrif^ and therefore He hopes^
they that afe it upon great occajion may be
dijcharged of the odiotu Imputation of
Antkhrifi ; and that Experience hath
tmght H>\ that Compiilfion in mattcrs^jf
Religion ferves many times to render Men
more Teachahlc^and mllihg to be InfirHbi-
ed ; And befidc? 'all this, That a ftea-
dy and difcreet Execution of the Laros
againfi Diffenters , might happily have
been a much more merciful CenduH^ even
with ri'fpefl to them^ then that Remiff-
mfs or Connivance ivhich tempted them to
prefumptmus Sins. One touch he hath
alio at the Kings Prerogative, not
like to your prcfcnt rcafoning, which
calls it into Qtieftion, but by way of
Allowance and Commendation ; for
he fays, IVe owe it only to the Wtfdom
andPorefght of His lateAIajefiyyhat fome
of the mofi eonfiderahle Laws are new
in being., I mean that e/ 3 5 Eli-
2abeth, trhich He faved by His Prero-
gdtive, AS weH as Alen, when it was ro«-
demned to be Aholifhed., and if His ClC'
tnency had faved many., who the Laws
hadjufily Condemned, Wisy fhould it not
fave a Law that had done Him artd His
Anccfiors no fmad Service, and was that
doom d to an undeferved Fate.
I intend sot to enter upon Exani-
nation of this your Advocate Trca-
tile, which is fufficiently rcfeUed aad
rebuked by His Majellies Royal Detla-
ration of Indulgence j but to ftiew you,
tuitil you give a better Evidence to
the contrary,, then hitherto you Iravc
done, how theDilTenters. arc to ia-
tcrpret fOUt
pmulon, souc ^crrii, cle-
mfncp, and feouc hue teiihttntfij
totoarhs tlieni, vutitn pou ijaue an
Dppnahimtp of ihftoiufi pour 3ltt^
cUnattoii<i toitljouttJangrr: Utt
1 pafi from this to what I intend, and
that is to make a brief enquiry int®
the weight of your Reafons, which'l
bippofe, you therefore make PuHick,
that they might be well confider'd &:
fcann'd,in order thereto I ha\'c with-
out partiallity,or injury to their pi 0-
per fence, not Literally Tranfcribed
but Extraded the fnbllancc of thcra.
That which hath prir*cipally in-
duced me to this, is, becaufc I think
you either do not your fclf underftand
the fubllance of tho Kings IkclarAti-
o«,or elfe by your not Reading it, and
Mif-reprefcnting it, youfcem unwil-
ling that it Ihould be underltood by,
any others: For thus you begin.
I. To take away the Teft and Pe-
nal Laws at this time is but one Bcp from
the introditeing of Popery, and therefore
to readfuch a Declaration in ourChurehes,
though it do not immediately bring Pope-
ry in, ptt itfftsJ oprn our ctiurc^
Sloo;!3 foj it, antJ tljtn Itioia
it0 oltn time to rnter.
Here is a far fetchM Inference*,
How would you be underftood ?
S'jppofc it granted for Argument
fake, that to take away the 7>/and
Penal Laws is bat one ftcp from the
introducing of Pspery h youi Read-
ing the Declaration a nearer Hep to
the introducing of Popery th.en fuck
a Repeal I. If you fhould Read it,
ynil that open Your Church Doors fo
Wide
T
4ride th^t Tofir-y may enter Without ly miftake their Temper; "For your
-any mere to do, though the Penal rcafoning herein can conclude no lefs.
Laws zndTefi fhould not be taken a- then, either that there is not one
way ? I take the true and gennine good Proteftant among all the DiSen-
fcnfe of-the Kings Declaration to be tcrs, or elfe, if there be any fucb, that
& fcttl'ng t!pfn pout C^UtClJ ^OOJIES they would Difpifc and Hate you for
Papifo UnO DilTcaters, tD$0 doing of that which is their Interclt
no ttltUO to be t^ttf-, map to do themfelres, and to have dons
not bt COmptUfD bp 'STfnipOtaf by all Men, and by you in particular,
%->cnaIttf!S to comttn, anO abtbe tljattbe lulfice, ErafonauD crt«
tljtte, isL'bftbrt tbepbrfa o? noj mencp tojtcb tlje d&tug utaji^
For you have hitherto opened your fetteOln^l^OP^actOUSf 2DfClat:atl'«
Church Doors, that you may drive on map feuobm aub a£hnctB=
them in, and in force of Fend Laws IrDgtb bpaE; If any other good
to keep them there in Spiritual Bon- Proteftants Ihould Defpife and Hate
dagc againft their Wills j and if they you for it, for which they have no
have at any time, for above thcle caufc, yet you do not fuppofe, that
Hundred Years, adventured to ftart they arc -the Men that would Crulh
out 6f your Churches to free them- yon j and for the DilTenters, though
ftlvcs from this fort of Bondage, you you Mif-rcprcfent them in the Clofe
by ybur Excommunication profccuted of your Letter, yet herein I would
thcra into Corporal Bondage without do them this right, to rid jou of your
Redemption: Its accounted an ill groundlefs Fears ^ You may be allured
Omen to Humble at the Thrclhold, that for your Reading & Furfiiing the
but this you have done bp calling intent of the Kings Declaration which
tbat an Oprntng pout^OO?53tO Tends both to your and thdr Securl-
ift Popery in, tuijifb isS intentiCb ty in Equity and Law, they will not
fillip to let Papifts anb DilTenters Crulh you, for thereby they will ex-
out, anb to Icabf pcuthitl} atttbat pofe thcmfclvcs to be Crulh'd togc-
ave of tl)C l\ttigion .(£ttab!ifl)Cb thcr with you •, fo that I fee no caufc
bp ?,ab[i in tbc full anb ptacfablc for your Fears, cither of Dilbonour or
^offtffion of pout CbntCljCb, aub Downfal, unlefs you refolvc to throw
to^cnjcp tbnu bjitlj feccutitp to your felves down, and pull down the
fcrpctuitp.
II. You fay,Sfeo«W wt comply with this
Order all good Protefiaats would Defpife
and Hate and'then we may he eaftly
Didenters alfo to verifie jour fubfe-
qucnt Froguoftications.
111. You fay. We fall a little
fooner for net 'Reading the Declaration,
CrHflPd^&mayfeon fall wit'rHtut any Pity. Jf our Gracious Tr 'mce refsnt this as ast
In rcafoning thus, you are cither yict of an Ohftinare^ Ycevifn or FaSiious
very Cenforious and Uncharitable to- Difobedknce (as our Fnem'tes will he fire
ward all Dilienters. or elfc you great- to reprefent it to HmJ wefhdd as urtain-
imi
J
< 4>
h fall And m Im aftir ifmt de YtAi it, Feaf s,€6 ftir tp a real fear in tlie ffiind?
of others. I thi.k it Moreamlycon-
4wd it mas be with the Curfts if the Nattm, cerns y©«, fettiag afide all thoughts of
whm we have rmntdhyutr Comflitmtt, Honoav and DiSionour, good Report
Miedthit is the way tftver tt rife more. or bad Report, toiecto it tl^ you
I do not Reckon my felf to l>ct- have th« Law of God on your fide, to
tnong the Hawiher of your Enemies, eieufe your Difobedicftcc to the King;
and therefore, though you are fom®- for othcrwifs the il-l ConfcqHences of
what PecTiih, I would not that yen contending with Sorcraign Powpr,
feould be reprefcnted to the King as and inticing others to do the like
Obftinate : For my Hopes are, that after your example will lye heavy
■upon better Conftderation yon will upon you. For'the you Mention
fifcw your fclvcs Obedient to his oacly your own Fall, yet you intimate
Commands ^ But if it feould prove plainly enough,that you are not to Fall
eihcrwifc as your Enemies will not, alone,and never to Rife morc,but that
fo your friends cannot Excufe you, this will be the Fate of all the Proteft-
as altogether Free from Fafti- ant Chruches alfo, and therefore you
©n, But how comes it to pafsthat proceed after that Manner-
you being a Minifter of the Gofpel ^
Ihould ftx your Eye fo ftcadity upon IV. May I Suffer all that cm teSuff
the Difconour being Unpiticd and fePd in this IVorld, rather than t-ocmri-
Dcfpifcd, as inffparnble Concorai- hnte to the final Raw of the beB Church in
tants of a Certain Fall not longaf- the World,
ter you have read the Kings Dccla- So that it feemes if you Fall, the
ration if you Comply to Read it ? bcft Church ia the World muft Fall
A fettled Appreheafion that you fhall alfo, and that not partially, or for a
certainly Fall, whether you Read feafon, but Totally and Finally. Do
or not Read, is fufficicnt to Difturb you not Attribute too much to yeur
your Fancy, fo as to Interrupt the felf in this ? Arc yon the only Pillar
making of a Solid Judgment in re- upon which the beft Church in the
ference to yeur Duty, and Difchargc World is Built ? Aadare Penal Laws
©f a good Conlbicnce towards God; - the onely ftrength by which you Sup-
There is as little need, as there is port the Church? If thofe you wilt
lull Occafion for you to Surmize, have in this point to be accounted,
1 as you do, that your Complyance. your Adverfaries, fnould prevail (as
' will Ruin the Nation, and procure once you know- they did do, for
their Curfes for I carniot fee any fuch Twenty Years together) to Diveft
iBoral certainty attending your read- you of your Coercive Power, your
! kig as Ruining the Nation : Thofe Experience may Didate to you •, that
i other Ingredients, might have been a Proteftant Church here, aswcllaselfe
! pretermitted, if yon have no Difpo- where has fubfifted, and may Subfilt
jl ution, by difcovering^ your feeming through. DivinsidlliLance, when that
roefcire Poorer is taken ont of your matter of the ^cciarmm.
Hands : However I ackno'vvledg no
Man can juftific himfdf foi contri- VL You fty , By ear Lftrn, all'
kuting to the Ruin ofany true Church j Mmflmal Officers are jicconntahle
k«t in this you are not fingMl:r, as f&r their ■mhkh Jhews\ that our
yoH would make your felves to be ; Loiv dsts not kok u^oa ike Mimfiers of
the may claim Equally vvitli the Church t^bs meer Machines and'
your felves a Hiare in fuch a refolu- Tools, to be matia^sd wholly by the mil
tion as this, and fay as yon do j may of Suferiossrs, withe-ta Exercifmg any Ad-'
I Suffer ftill, as I have Suffered ?ill »f Judgment tr Reafon themfelves.
that you have Inflicted upon rae, or Apply thJs to your ufual Pradice of
what elfe the Providence of God Al- publiihing all fuch Declarations in your
lots for my Portion^ rather then tliat Churches,. as have been commended
Ifhould contribute to the Ruin of the to you by your Ordnary, or his Off!--
bcft, or any Church of Chqiff: in the cial: Tell me in what cafe you
jWorld. have charged your Confcience, f#
much as to make a private Judgment,'
V. You fay, I ftffofe no M'mflcr which you ought alv/ays to have done-
, «/ the Church of England, can give whether all the fentcnces of Excom-
bk eonfcnt to the Declaration, and na i- niunieatiGn,and EcckCaftical Cenfures
'vng the Declaration in our Churches, and Orders which you havepublifh-
• will be with great Reafon interpreted a ed ■, Cenfures of Church-Wardens,
Confcnt. for refufing the Oath prefcribed by
You might have taken caution from your Cannons ; Cenfures for not
your own Poftfcript to your Rcafons, paying your Apparitors and Officers
concerning Nenry Care, not to have the Fees they Demanded. Excom-
made your Suppofition, fo llnivcrfal- mimications ■ purpofcly contrived and
ly Comprehcnfive of every Miniffcr improved to prevent many of their
of thQChuf-chof England-, in regard Votes at Elections: Intcrdiding any
you fay, Reading is Teaching, and Divine Service, to be performed in a
iignifies Confent to the matter Read Church for Burying of pcrfons Excom -
and you Inftance in Four or Five muaicated for Non-conformity in
whickdid Read, and I think I may. Confecrated ground, tilbthc Church-
more probably fuppofe, that if any Wardens canfed the Dead Corps to h;
precife Difquifition ffiould happen to Dug up again, and removed ; PubliOi-
be made, many of your Minifters lag whole Sheets full of Orders of Sefi-
-whodid notRead, may cliufe toex- ens, wherein rndy Dijfenters ■ con.-
cufe thcmfelves, rather by tlteir net formed lo far as ra come to Church,
receiving Diredions from their Or- have been reproached,, as doing it to.
daary to Read, rhen to alledge as fove their Moneys and thereforegi-
you do, that they did refufe to do it, ving a.charge to mark all fuch as did-
bccaufe they couid 3;iot confeat to the. not Kncei at their Piaycrs, and Itand-
(i
up at the Ghna Fatri : Orders that
none fhould be relieved that fell im-
dcr Poverty, if they came not to
Church and Conformed to your Ce-
remoiiies, if they were able of Body
fo to do *, and many others of like
nature : Have all thefe in your pri-
vale Judgment been warranted by the
I.aw of God ? Do you Efteem it a
light thing to Call, or Publifh any
Mans being caft out of all Chriftian
Society, and delivered over to Sathan
for fuch matters as are no crimes a-
gainfl any Divine Law ? I take it
(for ought that ever I faw manifelled
to the contrary) that a Subjeftioii to
the command of your Superiours,
as being onely in fuch things Mini-
fterial Offices, has been at leaft your
t trite Flea,for not Itirring up or trou ■
bling your Confciences, to make a
Difcretive Judgment; whether the
Act of your Superiour which you arc
commanded to Publifh, were Lawful,
x)r Unlawful, by the Law either of
Gcd, or of the Land j and to tell
you the truth, I do not think you
are in.the Eye of the Law fuch Cri-
minals as on this particular occafion
you would render, your fclvcs to be,
in cafe you fliould Read the Kings
DscUration in Obedience to his Com-
raand, though you did not approve
the matter of it in your private Judg-
ment ^ it not being your Province,
pofitivcly to determine concerning it
in point of Law : You might with
better pretence of Confcience , (if
prelTcd to it in your own mind, as
an Ad neceflary to avoid a Sin a-
gainll God) after the Rftading of the
Dedamm, have taken yQur Exccp-
) -
tionstoitin patticular Statiol!,'
then to have follovted the courfc yom
have tiken, as it were by commoa
confcnt, one in the name of all the
Reft, thus openly to Declaim againfi:
it, for that bad been an Excrcinng of
fuch an Ad of Judgment, and Rca-
fon, if the caufe Required it, as a
Miniftcr of the Gofpcl might have'
done in reference to God, whatever
had been the confequcncc of it in'
rcfpcd to Men: And the Profpe'd
you had of this (as you afterwards
manifeft) does not cxcufe but rather
condemn you for feeing better things,
and following the worfc.
I
V I 1. You fay," fn^ofes^
that what we do in Obedience to SapsrioHrs^
we make our own by doing it: This is
the enely Reafon I know^ why we mnfi not
obey a Prince againfi the Laws of the
Landy or the Laws of Gcd-^ becaufe
what we do^ let the Authority he what it
wilt that Commandt it^ becomes oar oxcd
AEt-, and we are Reffonfible for it.
If you State this as a general Cafe
of every Subjed, I fuppofc you mif-
take the Law, far I cannot conceive
how a Clerk in Parliament., Privy
Council, Court ofjufike, or Convocation
who Writes, and afterwards Reads
openly what his Superiours have Die-
tatcd, and Commanded him to Read
fliould be fuppofcd in the Eye of the
Law, to be his own Ad ; If you
mean by your Laws, you being
Minifters are Rcfponfible for what
you do in any other Manner, then
the reft of the Kings Subjeds , or
Minifterial Officers are, you fliould
have does .#^11 ffiewed it,
r 7 J
d, la
,
arM-
siart^;
iiiitols
Eytrfj
:If«
oil ^
fbrs^
rr,
Ss,''
lit'
f«i J
for till tliat be done I know not
how to Diil;iHg.iuft of your Cafe as
Different from ether Miniffcrial
Gkrks.
The oneiy Reafon , you alledge,
why you muft not obey a Prince
againft the Law of the Land or the
Laws of God, is both Complicated,
and Equivocal, For if yon willing-
ly walk after any Command, r/hich
is contrary to the Law-of God, let
the Authority be as you fay what-it
will, that Commands it, whether
of a Prince fingly, or a Prince in
tonjundion with a Parliament; I
grant, that it becomes your own Ad,
for which yon arerefponlible to God ;
Put it is not fo in many Cafos, wnere
a Prince may Command to Do, or
forbear,what a parricnhr Statute for-
bids or appoints, Becaufc He may
Therein Exercife His Prerogative
according to the Common Law.
Bdides, if you wing a Minifter
fhould. obey the Kings , and your
Lawful Superiours Order, 3nd Read
his Declaration, by which fbm^
Penal Laws are fufpcndcd, and this
Ad of Prerogative Ihould afcei wards
come to be Qiiellioned in Parliament
to whom are you Refponfibk Sure-
ly not to the King, nor to your
Ordnary, whom you have Obeyed ;
yon cannot mean that,, not to any
ordinary Court of Jiiftrce, for no
Information or Indidment will
lye againft you there at the Kings
Suit ^ you raufl: be then Arraign'd
for it in Parliament, or no where,
And if you come to be Refponfible
for it there, I think your Rubrick
vdtablilhed byJLaw^nd our Iguoraucs
of any other Law yidll be a SufEcicnt
Plea to cxciife you, For it will be a
Prdident of the Firil Imprcffion ;
I know net of any Parifii MiniUcr
has ever heretofore been Queftion'i
and Condcmn'd in Parliament for
obeying an Order in tiiis Rind of
His Prince or Lawful Superiour. .
VIII. Mdijiers xre honridtotal^ cars
thjft rrbat they la.bltjh in their d'HrckeSf tc
neither contrary to the Larts of the Lijnrf
nor the goodof thtChurch.MinijIers of Re-
ligiofj AYS mt looFd- upon at comtnon Cry-
ers^ but rthat they Rend^thcy ays fnpfofed to
recommend tcO, though they do no nt-ors
then read it^ For is not Reading Teaching
Jt may be it rrere no fault to confent to the
Declaration^ hat if J confent to teach my
People what I do not conj^at tomy jelf^ 1
am fare that is a great one, ■
, I take it for panted that you have
fufficiently dcmdnlhratcd to ail Men,
that Reading and not Preaching oif
Book, is Teaching, for that has begn
your ordinary Pradice for manyYears,
_ and it is true, by Reading you Teach
your People to underftand what you
Read, but when that is done, your
People are at liberty tO' judgq, and you
alfb inthis Frefent Cafe being ordered
to read what the King hath declared,
arc at liberty to Pen a Sermon tha:
m.ay be a Paraphrafe upon what y.o i
read before, and read that in yomr Put -
pit afterwards, fo as therein you d a
not tranfgrefs the Law of God, or of
the Land, and by that your People
may undcrRand whether you confent
to, or diffent from what you have-
read, and if your are commanded by
Lavf to read y/hat ycu do not confent
(S )
to in your own Confcience, and for
the difcharge of a good Confcicnce to-
wards God, let your People knbw^fo
much; I think you therein difcharge-
both the Office of a Miniffier to Man,
and Duty of a Teacher to God ; and
in fuch a Cafe, tho you ftiould after-
v/ards be judged by Mans Law, yet
you may with a quiet Mind, therein
commend your Caufe to God, who
judgeth rightcoufly.
Be it fojThat MiniHersarenot looFd
upon as common Cryers, yet give me
leave to fay, you being Minifters are
look'd upon as publick Preachers, or
Heralds to publilh tlic Orders of your
Superiors, and arc no more accounta-
ble to any Man for the matter which
you fo publiffi, then a Herald who
Publifhes the Kings Proclamation to his
Subjects *, conlider the Confequcnce,
if the Judgment of what is agreeable
•or contrary to the Laws of the Land,
the Good or Hurt of» the Church, be
left to the private Determination of
every Pariffi Minifficr, What will be-
come of the Authority of their Supcri-
curs ? Of what ufc is the Kubrick to
which they have Subfcribed, which di-
reds them to read what the King or
their Ordnary enjoyns ? For in this
Cafe, 'tis aHone, as I faid bcfore,whc-
tlicr you are enjoyned to Read by an
Ad of State or an Ad of Parliament;
for 1 think you will grant rac this,
tfie ^tute of an (gtfwal Ut'
titp i!S no inoie alterablr ftp an
Rt ^mlitntffnt tftm bp an act of
^tJCTOgattbO : So that in Fine, I fee
HO way for one in your Station to
acquit himfelf of Evil againft the Law
•jsither ofGod or Man, but by the Me-
thcd before pf efaibed , efpeclally fit
fuch a cafe as is before us ; wherein yon
fay, It may be no fault to eonftnt to the
Dedarmrm^ for if the Matter be f»
doubtful in it fclf, as that k cannot be
any otherwife determined to-be either
Good or Evil, then fey every Mans
private Judgment, by fuch a Rule at
to not of I'irttb tjs j yo«
have exceeded your Bounds in prefcri-
bing a general Rule concerning it, as«
like Obligatory upon all Miniltcrs.
I X. You fay, / take the Dcckrad -
tion to be a cenrradiSlion of the DeBrtne
ofourChurth by Law Ejtabliped.
Oar Reading it in our Churches^ map
ferve infltadof Addrcjfes of thtmks^ which
our Clergy generally Refufed^ tho it wot
onely to thank the King for his Graciem
Pt ornifes renewed to the Church of Eng-
land in his Declaration , which wat
much more Innocent then to PiMip the
Declaration it felf in our Churches.
I think my felf bound in Confcicnce
mt'to Read it.^ becaufe I ant Bound }«
Confcknce not to affrove it.
Its againft the Conftkution of the
Church of England whtch is Lfiahliped.
' by Law, and to which I have Std>fcribetif
and am therefore hound in Confeienee
to Teach nothing c&ntrayy to it while this
obligation tails.
o
Your Terms are fo general, and
the fcnfe of your Arguments arc fo
Ambiguous, thattho jdabouc to Pick
out your true meaning, 1 am afraid
of miftaking it, if 1 do fo, pray
Redifie me Candidly, and Friendly,
bccaufe the manner of your Expref-
fing your fclf, and not any wilful Er-
ror in rae, is the cauffi of k.
foul
Ti»*7 ft
(
You take the Declaration to be a
Contradidion of the Dod^inc of your
Church by Law EftablKhcd \ In what
Sence lhall I take your fay fo ? Is the
whole, and every part of the Decla-
ration contrary to all, and every part
of your Dodrine by Law Eftablilhed ?
This cannot be your Meaning, becaufe
you take Notice of the Kings Gracious
Promifes Renewed to the Church of
Englmd: I can find none ofthe Thirty-
Nine Articles Contradided, nor any
of your Religious Conftitutions Inva-
dedby any thing in the Kings Decla-
ration ^ But gout SJoctn'nrjS, jouc
fetrhicc, jotir CcrcmoniciS remain all
the fame, as they were Settled, and
Exhibited to the late King Chnrles the
5fctf3djhy the Prefidents, Biihops,and
Clergy of Both Provinces, with the
fame Civil Sandion for the ufc of them,
that Ever they had: And befides that,
they are neither Contradided nor In-
vaded, "tElje Ecpal pjomi'fc jou mtn^
tton, I'sJ to l^jotect, nnh S^amtain Iji'sf
2Biit)opjs, anh Cltrgp,
ant) all otljec feiifaiectsJ of England,
in t^-c if uc£ (Butrcife of tljei'r IRtU'tyien,
00 hp Lato (£GabUlbcl) j and therefore
if you would Free your Self from all
Sufpition ofPrevarication in thisPoint,
Its incumbent on You firfl: to ihew^,
wherein the Kings Declaration Con-
tradids it feif, and then, wherein, in
particular. It Contradids your Doc-
trine, and Invades your ConHitution •,
For till then, your telling openly.
That You take the Declaration in Gc-
neral to be a Cortradidon, and a-
gainlt the Conftittition of the Church
of Ettgland in General, may be taken,
as Intended by You to Amule, and not
to Edify your Reader ;
But what is it you mean, when yon
fay. Your Reading mult ferre inftead
or Addrelfcs of Thanks, which your
Clergy generallyRefufed? Did His Mai
jefty Require, You Ihould Thank Him
for his Declaration, as He does, that
you fhould Read it ^ & did you Refufo
to Obey Him in that, tho'asyou fay.
It was more Innocent than the Other-,
as you (jo in this? Is this Intended as
a Memorial of unmannerly Difobedi-
ence at Firft, and undutiful Carriage
at Lalt ? or what iS that you fignilfy,
by yourRefulIngtoThank Him,which
muft now be Recompenced by Rea*
ding? Do you think His Command to
Publilh His Declaration, is of.no more
vVeight, in point of State, than your
palling of a complement with His Ma-
jedy, in Giving Him Thanks, or that
the Thing He defigned in His Contf
mand^ was principally to Solve the
Want of your thankful Acidreflcs?
Let me tell you, this is not only a
dreign of Levity in Interpreting the
Realbn of the Royal Precept for your
Reading His Declaration in your
Churches, unbecoming your Gravity,
but a Surmize of a more Dangerous
confcquencc: "Ei'ng: ConiniQti»
heD, tl}at pm (houlfi 2De=
clarotion in pour Cljurctith, tl)at SIR
Ibi'sf Hotung &tibj£St0 might IclnDta
rljc Contfnt0 of it ; And you Inflnuatc
to them, That it is to ^rve indead
ofarh?nkful Addredmg, which before
you, Refiifccl.
■But you pafs from thisto Matter oC
Confckijcc, and herein you dew your'
Self more Subtle in your Didindiion,
of Confciertce, then the Learned Bidiop
( I
Sanderfon in all his Praeleftions on this
Subjed i For you fecm to have a
tl'cfe ConCcitnce, not to do any thing,
which by cohfequence may Hurt (your
Intereft, or as you Term it) the Church,
and herein your Confcience is Guided
by a frequent Review, and Muft'ring
up the Numbers on both fides ^ How
many may be for, and how many may
be againft your Reading; and finding
by the Computation you make, that
the greateft Number of your fuppo-
fed Friends will be Difobliged by your
Reading, and that more may be a-
gainlt it than for it: This Governs
you to make as much Coufdence of
Reading the Declaration, as of Do-
ing the nioft Immoral Aftion in Ka-
ture.
Your Second Diftindlon is of a
'(Etmpojatg Confcicnce, which is to
Lafl as long as the Obligation of
your Subfcription, to that, you call
the Conftitution of the Church of T-ng-
tundy lafts: By what means^ yo'u v»'il]
reckon your felvcs Difcharged of this
T'empprary Obligation of Confcicnce,
f cannot divine, unlefs you Reckon,
that periiaps you may be Abfolved
from it by an of Convocation, or
Statute-Larc: But then here lies the
Difficulty with me. Bccaufe
Your Difl:in(ftion of the Obli-
gation of Confciencc feems to be of
fiich a permanent Nature, as no Law
of Convocation or Parliament, any
more than the Kings Prerogative can
Abfolve you from: For this I take
to be the.Genuine Senfe of this fort
of Confcience you mention in contra-
dlflinftion from the other j That you
are. Bound in Confcience not to Read,
o
the Kings Declaration,becaufe you arc
bound in Confcience not to Approve
it •, And ^ou make tlje 3;ntariable
Unto, bj li^cbealcli (lilUIl of (Boh, tl)e
IRule of pour Conrcicnciousf appjo--
biuff, oj not 5lpp,toting; tl)e SBatrer
of t^e l&inggi S;cclaratisn j You can-
not in my Apprehenfion any more
Approve of it, or Confent to the
Reading of it, if it fhould be Eflabli-
fhed by Si Contocation, o? Statute--
Hat) (the Law of God, and the Mat-
_ter remaining the fame, 'as now they
are) than you can Do it at the Com-
mand of the Kings Royal Will.
Tcnthly, Poffhly the People under-
fiand, that the Matter of the Declara-
tion is againfi Our Principles-, But is
this any Excufe that we Read, and by
reading Recommend that to them, which
is againfi our Confcience and Judg-
ments ?
Reading the Declaration would be no
Fault at all, but our Duty, when the
Kir^Commands it, did we approve of
the Matter of it ■, But to Confent to
Teach, our People fuch Dotirincs as w&
thinks contrary to the Laws of God, or
the Laws of the Land, does not kjfn,
but Aggravate the Fault.
Confenting to Teach your People
fuch Doftrine, as you think contrary,
to the Laws of God, is a Fault •, may
be a great Fault: Tho' the Dodrine
you Teach, may, in it felf, be true
Dodlrine, becaufe Confciencc, though
Erroneous, obliges not to Aft againfi:
it: But what it is that does not
lefien, but aggravate the Fault you
mention, I cannot difcern. For you
Grant, That reading the Declaration,.
when
c II )
wtien the King commands it, if you
Approved the Matter of it, would
be no Fault at all: You fay. It is
polTible the People underftand that
the Matter of the Declaration is a-
gainft your Principles ; I Anfwer, Tis
poflible they underftand neither the
Declaration nor your Principles, for
by the Reports I hear frequently cut
of the Cokntrys, there may be Thou-
fands that never Read themfelves,
nor heard the Kings Declaration read
to them, but take the Matter of it
to be, as you reprefent it, which to
be fure is I3ad enough ^ and thus they
are kept in ignorance, and AfFrigh-
ted with the conceit of it. Molt
certainly, if the Kings Heart were
not well AlTured of the Jnfike and
Clemency towards all His Subjefts in
what He has Declared, It would be
the molt Impolitick Adlion imagina-
ble for Him to command, that it
fhould be Publifhed, and Communi-
cated to all of them, in the molt fo-
lemn manner, when they are Dif-
charged from all Secular Divcrfions,
and have their Minds moil Free, and
Intent upon the Matter that is read
to them: His Majeily Declares the
Reafon why He would have it thus '
Publifhed, TiT. tEljat tljep ma? 5iLln=
bctdanti anbllcap tl)e©enegt of that
General (0ODti, toljiclj hefignss foj
t^e Voljolc l&miyljom i '^Ijat IbijJ cljief
SLim not to he t^e SDppieT
foi, hut tlje ifatljer of %i'£f 10fople,
litjat tl)CP map lap afiht all anlino-
Cities, anh gioimhlefsf ]fc3loiific5S, and
C^uofe fuel) SQembetiS of IBarli'ament,
a0 map do thelc part to drtiu'd; tohat
^e l)a0 25epu, foj tlje sidhantag?
of tlje fil^onaccljp, ohec to^lclj
tp (I5od ^atlj plated l^lnu Now, if
the Matter,of the Declaration would
not bear the molt exad Scrutiny, and
Recommend it felf to the Gonfcien-
ces and Underitanding of all His Sub-
jedls: Can any Man rationally think,
that this was a probable way for
His Majeily to Effeft the End He
propofed therein ? But fince you put
me upon Poffibilities, I think it may
pofiibly be, and very probably alfo,
as I Gather from your Reafonings,
that you do what lyes in you,
to Conceal from your People, the
Matter of the Declaration, leafl your
People would Approve it, and Con-
fent to Promote it.
But though you are thus Induflri-
ous to Co;7ce4/the Declaration, Why;
do you not tell us what your
Clplt0 are, for in this, you are as
Dark as in all the reft ? I muft pro-
fefs, if I had no other means of know-
ing what the Declaration contains,
nor what your Principles are, than
by what you have faid in your Dif-
courfe concerning them, you deal fo
much in Generals, that I Ihould ne-
ver be Able to Underftand either of
them, nor wherein the One is againft
the' Other.
But now let us come to the main
Point, for in comparifon of that,
All the Reft is of little value.
You fay. For yon to Confetti to Teach
your People fiich Do5irines as yon thinly coni
trary to the Laws of God, or the Laws of
the Land^ does not lejjen^ but aggravate
the Fault.
You have, in your Letter, made
nqention of an old Maxim, IJpe l&Ina:
B 2 can
IS
(
ean llj) ntt Sfiljong:, Andthereforejf any
JVreng be done^ the Crime^ and Guilt is
the Minifiers, who does it: Nor is any
Jhfimjler, who does an Illegal AEHon^ al-
lorped to pretend the Kings Commijfionj
and Authority for it.,
You cannot Forget who They were
that before you Infifled upon this tort
of Argument, nor how fcverely you
of all Men have in your Pulpits and
Prints, handled them for it ^ But now
you think it may fervc your Turn,
you Revive it again.
Since therefore you make it nofcru-
pie of Ccnfcience in this Cafe., to Ap-
prove fuch Things now, as you Con-
denmtd heretofore^ Why fhould you
not do it in feme other Cafes alfo ?
The Difenters., as oft as they were
Summoned into your Courts., or elfe-
where, for their Nonconformity to your
Modes of Wor(hip, or for AiTembling
to Worfhip in other manner. Pleaded
lImply,They could notDo the One,nor
Foroear the Other •, bec3ufe in doing
the hrft, or forbearing the laft. They
fliould Sin againlt their Confcience., and
Tranfgrefs the L,aw of their Lord ^
whatever your Laws, or the Laws
of the Land commanded, or prohibi-
ted : This Plea was nfually Termed
a mecr pretence, and their Airemblies
Cenfurcd by their Secular Judges, as
Miots, Rjsuts, Seditions or Vnlawfal Af-
flmhlies j and by your 'Jndges they
were Condemned, as Obftinate and
Contumacious ^ and upon thefe Scores,
they fullered the Penalties inflifted :
Now, though you did Publifh, and
canle to be Executed, fuch Sentences
heretofore againft the Pifenters, who
made ufe of this Plea, as a |9uce nwtr.
12 )
tec of Confctence,hJltIj cefpetf to cSotfjj
?Lato ithis may be no Bar, as appears
by your former inllance, but that you
may take up the fame fimple Honeft I
Plea at this time, if you arc, as they
were, fincere therein, and make it
for your fclves now, as they did then j
And by this way you may, without
Intangling your felves by determining
pofitively Doubtful Points of Law
(which is not your Province) come to
a fair llFue in that, which is the pro-:
per Charge of your Function as Mi-
niilers; for the DijJ'enters agree with-
you in this Principle, that jfoj an?
S^an to CouCent to Heaeljotlicc^ fuel
SDortrineel as he thinks contrac? to the
Hato? of (Boh, 10 a gieat jfault: Let
the Matter of the DccUrution therefore
be fairly Difcuiled between you and
us, with that Modelly, which becomes
Subjefls: Many Dijfenters d.ffer from
you in their Thoughts in this point y _
They, think ltling'0 2Declaratioit •'
10 not contcacp to tljc labj of (Bob, anb
tljat therefore it mar latofullp be Eeab^
if any of thciu quellion any part of .
it. It is that wherein the King promi-
fes to Proteli and Maintain the Areh-
Bijlwps., and Bijhops., as Lord Bijhops,.
of which they find no Footfteps in the
Holy Scriptures j but ifthev wiil con-
lider, that the Dignity of Barons is
only an Addition to that of a Bilhop,
and does neither Alter, Enlarge, or
Abrogate the Spiritual Office •, but is
an Honour conferr'd upon them by
the Civil Sovereign Power : There
is no Realbn for any Pijftnter, or any
other of the Kings, Subjeds, to make
this a (c.x\x\)\e 01 Confcience., in regard
it proceeds froai.a Civil Confiitution.,
and
(
and is a Law of Pdans Creation, to
which, among others of like nature,
every Chrifiian is to fiibmit for the
Lords lake: And that you and 1 may as
well Agree in our Thoughts about the
SubjeA in hand,as in thcPrwciple 1 have
mcntion'd : Its necclTary that-We con-
fider, what it is that His Majcfty has
Declaredil fhall repeat thatPoint,upon
which many othet s Depend, as a ne-
celfary Confequence, as that to which
I think you take the greaceft Excep-
tion : The KING declares, that
Ijatlj been conftant ^enCeanti
ni'on, t^at ConfcUnce ougljt not to be
conftcalnebi no j people lo^ceb In
tecsi of meet Eeli'sion»
Now its incumbent on you to fliew
wherein you think this Point is contra-
ry to the Laws of COD, and that you
do it, is but a reafonable Requell, for
elfe you perform not your Fundion to
your, people, but will lye under the
fulpition of '(jTeacljlng: foj S^octrinesf,
tlje C0tnmanb0 of Si^en, which you
know our Lord (harply Reproves in
thofe that exercife the Fundion of
Teachers.
Till you have done this, and made
it plain, you have no Reafon to rarp
at any Thing that is naturally fubfe-
qnent, as the fafpending fuch Tcnal-
Hes^ by which many of HisSubjeds
are co-erced to Worlhip contrary to
their Confdences^ or pardoning OfFen-
ces againll fuch Laws, jfo? tpiiS 10 a
natural (£^erctfe of ^lerogatitje,
00 ei?olj'0 Sliccgerent In act0 of (15a3ti»
ncf0 anh Clancncp i It can be no Of-
fence to GOD, that the Execution of
fuch Laws be negleded by the King's
Minifters, or Sufpended by Himfelf,
till they can be Repealed -by Parlia-
15 )
meMt, which ought never to have been
made, and could never be obeyed,
without TranfgrefTing the Law of
GOD: The King's lawful, proper,
and riccellary Prerogative, is to pro-
vide for all Exigents, whc-rein there is
no provifion made fey a particular
Law, and to fufpend fuch particular
Statutes, as were from the Beginning,
or in procefs of time, prove ufelefs,
or burthenfoin to a multitude of His
Subjcds, and iiiiljcreln no particular
fetibfect 10 Im'urcti, a0 to anp Elg:l)t,
0? iS^lbllrtige, Vobitlj lit can claim bp
: fo that till you have performed
your Task, and Ihewed that this Doc-
trine, which the Declaration Teach-
eth, is againll the Law of God, and ■
what Branch of the Divine Law it is
againll, that the Penalties whereby
Men are compelled to V/orJhip con-
trary to their Confcknees^ Ihould be
fufpended: No more need to be faid to
this, taking it lingly, as it isaMactcr
ofpureCo;;^ie«ce, fuppofed by you to
be an Offence againll the Law of
God.
But I conlider how you llate it with-
a double Afpedl, having an Eye both-
to the Laws of Grrd, and to the Law^s^
of the Land, and that nctconjunftive-
ly, but disjundively: h is an Aggra-
vatcd Fault vrith yon to Confent to Teach
yonr People fuch Dottrjnes as you thinly
contrary to t he Laws of God., or the LaWs
of the Landy. that fo you may have a
double firing to your Bow: If you can-
not prove the Dodrinc of the Kings
Declaration to be contrary to the Laws
of God, yet you cannot conlent to
Teach it your People, becaufe^ou
think it is conti'ary to the Laws of the
Land; neverthelefs taking your Rea-
foiling
' ii
Ii
n:
I'l '•
I
. I
i §
If -p'I
i'' .1
(i4)
foning-tobccouriftcnt with itfclf, ha- cciving the Sacrament^ or for any c-
ving before fhewed, you did not Ap- ther Nonconformity to the Religion
prove of the Matter of the Eftablifhed, or for, or by reafon of
I cannot fuppofc you made mention of
the Laws of God fuperfluoiiOy, or
vainly, and therefore it remains as a
Charge upon you to declare plainly.
Who thcr you think it contrary to the
the Ex'crcife of Religion m any manner
whatfoever, is pleafed to Declare up-
on what Terms, and in what Manner
All His Loving SubjeTs have jfrtt
Icabe to Street, anb ^ccbc Qrcb afttt;
Laws of God, or not: And having Re- t^ttt Oton (IBa^, anb S^aniUt*.
peatcd this, that you may take the Now 1 mult pray you to Interpret
more Notice of it, Tie pafs to the next what you mean by an Unlimited, and
Branch, and that is for you to fhew, Univerfal Jhlerathfj, for you are Hill
wherein it is contrary to the Law of in Generals, Is it fuch an Unlimited,
the Land •, the Reafons for this I lhall and Univerfal iokration^ as gives all
give you in my Remarks upon your Men Liberty to Meet in fuch manner,
next Paragraph. and to do, and fay as they pleafe:
There fcems to me many RelhriUions
Eleventhly, Say you, h is to Teach in the Declaration^ the Meeting muft
a-j a dimited^ and univerfal Toleration^ be tljt CrctClTt oC l^tUgiOU, and'
which the Parliament in 1A72. declared not Irreiigion, and though All may
Illegal^ and rthich has been-Condemned by
the Chrijiian Church in all y^ges.
It is to 1 each my People, that they need
never come to Church snore, hut have my
Free Leave, as they have the Kings, to
go to a Conventicle, ortoAinfs.
Meet, and Serve in their Own Way,
yet 3t (jS to feetbe (^OD, and not an
Idol.
For my part, if I had no Fear of
God before me, yet I fliould very much
fearfevere Corporal puniOiment from
It is to Teach the Difpenfng Power, the Hands of the Cm/Poipev, if I fliould
which Alters what has been formerly Meet, and openly preach Blafphemy,
thoght the whole Confiitution of this Idolatry, or any other Dcftrine of
Ch irch, and Kingdom, which we dare tiot immortality, againll the Light, and
Do, till we haie the Authority of Par- Law of Nature given to, and infcribed
liament for it. on the Heart of every Man j For tho'
Let us conhder what part of the the King is pleafed to fay, % fljall not
Ring's may be fuppofed by be COmpelltU tO petfoptt an? ZA of
yoi to do the Things here Ailedged, (iaio?0n'p contrarp to mp Confcicnce,
aid whether, what you are required I am neverthelefs Accomptable fbra'il
to do, be as to the Matter of it, of any Things that I openly and voluntarily,
other Nature, than what has hereto- without any compullion do, or fay,
fore been Approved by Authority of which fall under the Cognizance of
Parliament. the Civil Magiftrate, as all things do,
HisMajefty, after thefufpention of which are againft the Reafon oIMan-
all Penal Laws in matters Eccleiiaftical, kind, and common Light and Law of
fornot coming to Church, or not Re- Nature; and tho' there Oiould be no
Statute
(M)
iBietj'rj
f;:3'
Statute Law in the Cafe, "^{jeConv
man of rtjc ILanti ijs gjounhth up;
on tlje ILnto of jiUatuue, r.nli no taaj
fufpenhcD hp tijc 0Dcclavati'cn^
and by this, open Scandals againfi: the
Light of Nature are Punifliable by the
Civil judges.
But yen fay, an nrdiiiiitcd^ andumvcr-.
fall Toleration the Parliament in 1672
declared Ulcgall-^ It maybe fo, but I
doe not know it; 1 have leen no Copy
of any Law, or Ordinance of Pai'Iia-
mono applicable to the point in hand :
If you Intend to prove the Kings pre-
fent Declaration^ was declared to be
lllegall by the Parliament in idye,you
muft mend your Common Fault of
Dealing in General, For it is all one,
and no more a Proof of any thing be-
ing Declared Illegal in a Parliament. to
Qiiote onely the year,without repeat-
ing the Words of the Law, and apply-
ing the matter of the Declarati-n to it,
then if you had faid it of your Own
Head, or mention'd for a proof of your
Aflertion, a Vote of the Houfe oiCo/n-
mons, which was Publilhed by Order
oftheir Speaker^ Jan: iQ. i6'8o,Where-
in it touts ttfoloeb to be tlje 0^iniQU of
tljat Iboitfe, 'illjat tlje j^jofccutiou of
j^totcttant S/iScntertS upon tlje ^enal
l^atots, toa0 at that time (BjicbottsS to
tijt feul-i'cct, a i^eakcning of tlje l9?o^
teirant ^utereft, an (Sncoucagemcnt to
?©operp, anb S)anfjerouss to tlje Prace
of tlje I^ingbom-
, Your next Aflertion is. That an un-
limited and itniverfal Toleration has been
Condemned by the- Chriftian. Chtirchcs in
Jtll^ges\ If you mean by this, that
the Chriflian Churches in All Ages did
Aflluuetothemfelvcs a Po wer of judg-
ing, a-ad Jurifaift'on over .all men that
were toitljout tlie Ctjul'Cl), or that the
Church in all Ages did by 'tlTempovat
j^enaltiegS conftrain men to come into
the Church, or when they were there,
to {ictojfhip contrary to tljeir Confci»
rncc0,or to Abide there, when they
had no Heart to do fo, but would For-
fake their Faith, their Profeflion, or
their Chriflian Do(flrine,and Ccnvev- '
fation, and alfo their Aflemblys : I
think you are very much miftaken in
the Chriflian Dcftrinc and Pratflifc of
the Churches in the primitive Ages:
Surely I may fay in this, as in theRcfl,
Shevvmean apoflolical autljou'tpfor
fuch a Praftife; And I have fo much
the more Reafon to infift upon this >
Becaufe Chrifls Difciplesin the primi-
tive Age, were Sill Cloluntcrts, Suita-
ble to the Do<ftrine which Our Lord ,
and h's Apoftles Taught, Repentance
from Dead Works, and Faith in the
Son of God, which are Convidions,
and Operations upon the Mind of Man,
and neceTary Qiialifications to the
be: ng of a True Chriftian,and the pro-
feflion ofthemtothe being of a Villble
Chriflian, and the DoPb. i -e of Sclf-DC'
nial to his Continuance in hisPrTef-
fion ^ The DoPlrine is plain,(flLUjOCi. ebCC
(lau'll, let Iji'm take of tljc ullsiter of
life jrrecly, Sou toill not Come to me
tljat you mag Ijabe life; and when
many ofthofe, whoforfome timbpro-
felled to be ofllT*-Lords Difciples went
back, and Walked no more with him,
That which was the Ground ofthe 0-"
thcrs perfeverance was, that with him
were the words of Eternal Life, and
tliat they Believed, a:,d knew that He
was the Chrift, the Son of the Living
Gcd, and that therefore there was
none Elfe to Vvhom they could Go;
The
( I
The Apoflle Forctels us, That in the
Latter Times, fome would Depart
from the Faith, Giving heed to fedu-
cing Spirits^ and Doftrines of Devils;
That there would be Mtckers Walk-
ing after their own Ungodly Imfts
that fuch They were, who being fen-
fual, and having not the Sphir^ fepera-
ted themfelvcs, and the Apoftle John
fays Exprefsly, that in his day there
were 2ntiCl)?llF0,who w ent out
from us (that is from the Apofties, and
Churches) but they were not of us
For if they had been of us, they would
have Remained with us. But 'SThCg
totnt out, tljat it im'ijljt he mahe 9^a=
m'fcll, tljc^ tocre not all of tisJ: And
this the Apoflle makes as the Charac-
teriflical Note, by which he Knew it
was the Laft time.
Now as I cannot find the L eaft Men-
tion in any One woixl, Doftrine, or
Precept, that any perfons were, or
fhould be Compelled, by Cuttoarll
dfojce to come or continue in the
Chriflian Cliurch in the Firit Age,
fo neither can it be agreeable to the
Mind of Our Lord, that any perf ns
fhould be Compelled by HTcmporal
^cnaltiE0 foto doagainfl their Minds
in After Ages, Unlels you can fhew r s,
that the Dotlrine of Chrifh, and his
Apcftles are not. the fame in After
Ages, that they were when they were
firfl delivered.
Say you, h is to Teach my People that
they need never cosi.e to Church morej but
have my Free Leave^ as they have the
King's^ to go to a ConveaticU^ or to
jMafs.
Does any thing of this kind Flow
naturally from the King's Declaration ?
Dees that Engage or Incline you, or
^ )
any Man elfc to teach any Doftrine
contrary to his own Sentiment ? I
take it rather to be an Encourage-
ment to do, and fay linccrely w^hat
they apprehend, and believe to be the
Will of God, relating to the Worfhip
of himfelf, and that your Leave is
neither Asked, nor Granted in my go-
ing from your Church, further than
this. That if I be Excommunicate by
you for it, you cannot thereupon, by
your Certificate, obtain as formerly,
the Writhe (^.rcoinntunicato Capien»
ho, to make me a perpetual Prifoner^
whilfl the King is pleafed to Sufpend
the Execution of that Penalty.
The Declaration dees not Teach any
of your Hearers, that they need not
come to Church, and Worfhip God
any mor-e there in that Way and Man-
ner, ir in their Own Confclences they
are Convinced they ought fo to do \
It does not Forbid your Teaching or
Reading to your People any DoBrines,
or Homilies Approved of by the Church
of England,Qiieen£/;t^rl'af?'s Injunifti-
ens, (which flic Enjoyned to be Read
in your Churches Four Times in a
Year,) or any thing Elfe by which they
may be Inflrudled in the knowledge, or
difcharge of their Duty to God in
your Churches.
Y'ou greatly undervalue your Mini-
flry and Dodrine, to fuppofe that
there are no Arguments to prevail
with your People to come to your
Church, but only ITentporal scouts
5C0, For if you have the Truth of.
God on your iide, as no Humane Law
can Alter the Nature of it, Ib you arc
Liberty^ sny thin^
in the Declaration, to Preach it to
your People.
" " " x The
(I
..The Declaration is an.Incitemept:
t6 all the King's SubK(^s tQ
(KoD, anJi^no enticehleVit for ^ny'of
them to forfake his Worlhip; and that
they may refpe&iygly ferveGod, (as
the GhriftSan Religion teaches in
Holinefs.and Righteoufnefs) tVlthout
fear : His Majelfy promifts' Equal
Procedlion to aH who do worfhipGod
in fuch Way and Manner, as each of
them Underftand and Believe, it is his
Wlii they (hould do ; And in the firfl;
place gives the Royal Countenance
and ProteA'on to 5lU Of t\it
Ctiutrfj of (Knglaiiti tn tljew
ixio|ft)tping of dPoCi in tlieit c^ur-
c^eis, ass %m cSttafilif^eU:
So that' you make a wrong GJofs up-
on the Declaration, in infinuating
that It Teacheth your People,that they
need never to come to Church more,
or that they have the King's Free
Leave, or Yours, contrary to their
own Minds and Confciences to forfake
the Church, or to go to a Conven-
tide, or to Mafs. For tfjttO 10
notljtng in tlir declaration tfjat
required, giu'es Heane o? coun=
tcnance to anp man to fojfake tljat
IKeligion, anU map of saioaftjij
to toptrfj |)i0 confcience olili-
ge0 Ijint, or to DiiTemble, .and. play
the Hypocrite, in fo; faking of any
one way, and (in appearance ) to ad'
hereto another, ifhe do it not in fin-
cerity, but againft his Mind and Con-
fcience.
But we are now come to another
Point , at which yon Teem to ftick
more than at all the reft.
Say you. It is to Teach the Difpen-
fing Porter^ xehich alters what has been
formerly ihoHght the while Confiitittion
7 )
of this Churck Kin^ejom, which-we
dare not do^ ti^i we have the ^uthoT'tr
ty of Parliament for it.
Let this Matter then, as you fay in
your Letter, be examined Impartial-
ly, and take in here aLTo that
flion I^,touched upon before ^ Wlie-
thef the Matter of the King's Decla-
ration herein be contrary to the Laws
of the Land ? Whole Treatifes have
been Written upon this *^ubjeft, with
great Evidence to Manifeft tl)r'&ittfr0
Eiglit of 31ntiiilgmce in ^jsifi-
tuaf patters, which yon may do
weU ( in Order to your Saiisfadioii )
at your Leifure to Perufe : I fiijl! here
Inftance only in forae few Cafes,
wherein the Kings of England, have
for feveral Ages pafl: Exercifcd fuch
a difpcnliug IDOiorr ; and ;n their
Grants, Tolerated a DifTent from the
Religion and Ceremonies by Law E-
flriblifhed, which have been, ci.her net
Qjieftion'd at ah in Pailiamcnt, or
there admitted to be legally done :
Queen Eliz.abeth in her Reign, gran-
ted many Difpenfations of this kind*,
and as is credibly Reported, to fome
Lay-men to Preach pubiickly^ Seve-
ral Grants have been made before, and
in the Reigns of the three laft Kings,
both to Foreigners here, and to their
own Snbjeds abroad, for the Exercife
of Religion jn their own Way; with
a Non Obflante to the Statute in Force,
for Uniformity in Religion. Tho
Aft for Uniformity in the 14th Year
of King Charles the Second, takes no-
tice of thofe Grants to Foreigners;
and Provides, tljei&cnaltled cf
tljat lact, net citcnti to fuclj
cljurcljc^ a^^ate liecn allcixcD, di
ftiallteiallDU'fDljp tljt l&ing, 1^10
lbdV0oa^«fCtffoj0. C liie
(
\
The Adt for Supprcflionof Seditious
Conventicles, though it do not in ex-
prefs Words grant a Licenfefor any
Number of PerfonSj not exceeding
four befidesthe Family, to meet under
Pretence of Exercifing Religious Wor-
fbip, otherwife than according to the
Lyturgy and Prr.dlice of the Church
of England; yet it doth not make it
Penal for any fo to do, except they ex-
ceed th.u Number •• And the common
interpretation given of it,, by your
fiives^and others, and Encontagcmcnj:
taken thence has been, That_ it was
Tantamount to fucli a Licence; and
this. I think, fully reaches that, which
you call ttje of ttic SDeclata-
ttOU that you caimor. approve of: For
ifvouadmir, asyou Have done in all
the Arguments' I have fecn Open this
Point, than it was Allowed that four
Difienters btfides the Family might
meet, and Worfhip in other manner
than is by Law Etrablinicd, without
Incurring any Temporal -Penalties
thereby, ttjc ^aucftp oj (BaeatntfjS
isf tlje dumber, cannot alter tlje
Eeltgiouj3 mature of tlje scatter;
What's lawful for Four, is lawful for
Four Thoufand, with refpedl to the
Matterof Worlbip^ The refiraining
the Number^ is only the Policy and
Prudence of the Civil State,which may
be Limited or Enlarged at Pleafure;
And by this Adt, It is paoUitietij'Siljat
' jFbot^ing ttjereirt containeti fljtan
^rttnSs to 3nDaHDate, o? ^uoti)
?ir)a)cffU5S ^upteniacp In €t-
deftaSical affattjs, fnit tliat li^tss
a?a)eftp,ipij3 ileitis anti ^ncceffoiiS,
map from Ciine to 'cTime, anD at
all thneo liereafter, (trcercife anU
Cnjop alt fotrerjs anO ^ut&oaitiess
trt (Cccleftattical <affairi$, ajs iFuUp
anD ass amplp, ass i^tmfelf anD i^ass
©?efctcefro?$s tjane oa mtgljt IjaDe
timie tDe fame, anp, tljtng tn t^tss
5ict ipotvoitDfianDtng : And I
think, the Exercife of the King's
Power, is as naturally applicable to
his pifpenfing wfth the Limitation of
Numbers, in this Cafe, as to any other
Claufe in that Adl ^ which wichout
this Efpecial Provifion , might have
beCnConlbrued, abridgment of the
King'^i Suprtmacy.
To mgke good this, That the King's
Difpcnfmg Power in His Declaration,
alters what has been formerly thought
the whole Conftitution of this Church:
It is Incumbent on you, to fhew where-
in it does fo, more than has been done
in any Cafe of the like Nature here-
tofore, by any former Royal Difpen-
fations, Grants, or Authority in Par-
liament.
And tell me ingenioufly, if without
any Offence againft the Holy Scrip-
turds, , the King may not, if He
fo pleafe, Grant a Difpenfation
to His <3Dtrtt ^llJbjrct0, as well as to
fetrangerss anD tDHr Cff rp?tng>
(even after they are become Detnz.ens,
brtd underftand Our Language) tO
iiaioafljtp (BoD after t^eir otm aoiap
auD scanner ? And whether among
all the Jurifdidiions Annexed to the
Crown, which heretofore have been,
or inay lawfully be ufed for the Refor-
formation or Order of the Eccleliafti-
calState, there be no manner of
fpenftngiSotner Contained ?
12. Say YouyEJo Aden England ^rill
be'pleafid vpith Qur Reading the DecU-
ration^ but thoje who hope to mal^e great
jddvatitage againj} usj and againft Our
ChurrhintdRt-Ugiofrr^^ This-
( I?;
T^iis is a bare Suppoliicion» adftng pflc CO Eflft; Therefcrr, upon vpbat
tneerly from your own-Difturbed Ima* Grounds you. ifuggeft, (as if you
gination> which is through Prejudice fpoke their Language ) that they are
lb Darkned, that you cannot difcern not wiiiing to have their Lii erty in the
between your Fripnds and your Ene- Way which the King propolts, I can-
mies: I can teil you of many, who not Imagine,
neither Hope:, nor feek to make You Term it with fiich
any Advantage againft you., your DfCl)HVCJ) and State ^ The y
Church or Religion, that are difplea- Apprehend and Exprcfs it, vvith 0^-
- fed at your refulkig to ReaKil, jbecaufe Jpatent SDUautagefi Of CtjUtcj and
you thereby give an Advantage to fuch S>tate, and that which has a direct
as may be your Adverfaries, which Tendency to fettle Boih on fnch a
they could never have gained by your Etg^teonfil ■ ifOUndattOU, as ma^
Compliance with the King^.Order* pjeRcverthfm inja fafe and prolpc-
" You afterwards fuggeft, That the reus Seine to iSttTttnitp.
DKTenters, who are Wife'and Confi- - Bur, is notthis to fl.uter fuch amoKg
dering,are fenfible of Che Snare them" the Diflenters, as you can Intice to
felves-, and though they defirc Eafe hearken to your Inflnuations , that
and Liberty, they are not willing to they^triaybe thought Wife and Con-
have it with fuch Apparent Hazzafd fiderlng ? for you tell them. When
of Church and s^te- there ts an Opportunity of fhevcnng your
But if therebe any Difienters who IncUnatiom vetthom Danger^ they may
deferye the Epithites you give - them, you are not fuch Perficutors as you
ydu have by your Severities kept them are Reprefem.ed: But while you fptak
fiith an uBchauieabie Diftancefiom of their being- fenfrble of a Snare, are
you, that you are unacquainted "with -not youjayirigta Snare for them ? How
their "fkmper •, and thence itis, that as long may they wait for fuch a Seafon,
.QntheoneHandyouMffireprefentthem, wherein yoinnay in your own Appre-
that you may render them Equally Ob- henfion without Danger, Manlfelt any
noxious to the Government with your Inclicnaions or Kindnefs towards
telves, as giving Countenance to your them I Immediately after the Houfe
Difobedience ; So oji the other Hand, of Commons Dxlared, That the Pre-
you fufpefl them without Cmfe, to fecution of DilTenters, was a v./eak-
bcftekingan Advantage againftyou, ning of the Proteftant Intereft, you
your Church and Religion: Yon can- Promoted it with greater Vehemence
not but know, that the Generality of than ever before : if the King at any
Dillenters (who hav^ rendred their timedifpenfe With Penal Laws^ yea
fole.mh Thanks- to the King for His CryiOiir,. T«e D'xfpejtfation is Itl^ai x
and the As oft as any BUI of 'Comprehenficn
ptepof^ in His Declaration,) are has been brought into Parliament to
for the Readihg of at. That all the touch any thing of your Conftituticn,
k-ihg^s SubjeiSs undefftami,; trad fo as lodnlarge it' beyondlts prefenc
ifl. their'pfeeesji purflionihe'Concents Screightnefs, it-hath met with Oppc-
C z fitoj
( 30)
fidon from your Ordinaries: So that
the Dulkft OilTenters in EngUnd^ havi
been fenfibly taught by yon, 'That
there has been no Opportunity,where-
in you could without Danger, fhew
them any kindnefs for Twenty Eight
Years pall ; and if any Diflenters
fhould bcTo Catthid in the ,Share of
your Infinuations, that at fome time or
other hereafter, there may happeti an
Opportunity, wherein you niay be
kind toward them , as to let go
the prefent . Senfon, '.wherein ,.His
M.jeiiy Propofes, a
ischial cSftablifoment bottj of pout
cijuiTlj-^tate auO tjjetr jfyeeDcm
from. '(Eriupotal ^enalttejs fo|
^iottconfoaiiutp fo ft i I Ihail not
take fuch Diflenters to be in this Cafe",
either Wife or Confiderate.
13. Say ^OMtRendtng the DccUration-,
u te Recommend to Ow People, the choice
of fitch Per fans to Sit in Parliament, as
jh:ill take away the Tejt and Penal Laws*,
ifhtch mofi of the ■ Nobility and Gentry
of the Nation have declared their Judg^
went againjl.
Our Reading will Difcoitrage, Provoke
or Aiifguide, all the Friends the Church
of England has •, Have we not Reafon to
Expril, That the Nobility and Gentry,
who have already Suffer'd in this Canfe ,
when they hear them/elves Condemned for
it, in ail the Churches of England, WiR
thinl^it time to tnend fuch a Fault, and
Reconcile themfelves to their Prince ;
and if our Church fall this Way, is there
any Reafon to expeU that it Jbould^Ever
Rife again ?
Thefe Confequences are almejl as Evi-
dent, as Demonjirations ; and let it he
what it will in it felf, which I fore fee,
will Defiroy the Chuych of Englmd.^ and
the Pretefiant Religion and t
thinks 1 ought to make as much Conf :itnce
of Doing it, as of Doinfthe mo^l Immo-
rail Aclioh in Nat are r
If We muf compare Confiquences, To
Dif-obltge all the Nobility and Gentry, by
Reading the Declaration ,. , is likedy lo be
much more Fatal then to Anger the Dif-
ferters.
By Your Miftaking, and Mifrepre-
fenting the Sentiments of the Diflen-
tors; You have given me Caufe tp Su-
Ipedt, You may be Miftaken ,in fome
things yrhith'yon have Aflcrted con-
cerningthe Nobility and Gentry ; par-
ticularly in that you make no diftindli-
on, between iRtptal ,0f tlir
nal and, that of the Teft;
which diverfe of the Nobility and
Gentry in their ordinary Difeourfes
on thisSubjeft have Done ; and this
fcems to me the more Remarkable, be-
caufe you make it Equally as Necefla-
ry for the preferving your Conftltuti-
ons,to keep the on Foot,
as the Tell. :
Secondly, You lay, in my O|iinion,
too great a Strefs upon your Reading
Do you fuppofe, Noneofyour Friends
to have any better Difcerning, then
to be Mifguided in their Judgments bf
the bare Reading the Declaration ?
No niore Refolution then to be Dif-
couraged by it ? No more Charitf,
then to be Provoked to be your Ene-
miesbyit? . ;
I cannot keany Reafon you have to
Expedt, that your Reading the Decla-
ration, fhould lay an"y of the Nobility
or Gentry under any Convidion of a
Fault,, or that they would reckon
themfelves Condemned (if it had been
or Ihpuld be.read in all,the Churhes of
(
«?;! for any thing which they
olki have Done or Sufferd in tnat you call
i Ine;. caiife»
Hit. Majefty has been pleafed to De-
H11.J; dare the Reafon of the Changes He has
ittrj,if made in Civil and Military Officers;
li/ijiii not tljinfetnganpoiigfittolJccrui-
mi pIopfD^etntce, iolio tnill
not contritiuto totoeitDjs ttjectOa-
isj. Wtftitng ttje ^Brace ant) (B?eatnef0
I IB of tljm counttep : IfaQiieftion
bc put to any Noble Man, or Gentle-
ijia man ; Whether he will give his Con-
fent to Repeal the Penal Laws and
Tefts ? Where fuch a Qjieftion meets
(ii-f. an Inward Setltd Principle, thatno
[tji man oiigpttotie HDefiatt't) of piss
ejjj. cinllElgptss 0? i&?1MliE)gr, foj
iird ft ptss EfUglouss ^'pun-
onss, and that, noniait ongpt to lie
coinpeHtt) Pp '(Eenipojal :iernal-
ijije, tiess to petfbjm an act of Eeligi-
ouss naiojlptp agalnfi piss confcl-
CncO, SuchaPerl'on i, always prepa-
red to give a Ready Anfwer y I'cs fit
that all fuctf Laws, as tend to doei-
ther of thefe, Ihould be Repealed^ be-
A; caufe they Tend to Alter fuch jfnnPas
mental seatlnijs as ffiould ever be
J preferved ^nDloIaPIe, the One in re-
ference to ClUll lK.1gptj8,]the other irs
reference to the Cp^lfilan IRellgl-r
t'l on : But where the Qjaeftion meets
;.!C not with any fuch Setled Principle, but
'X either the Contrary Opinion, or that
^ prefent Policies of State may Govern
in deciding it: In this latter CafcjHo-
^ nour and Prudence boch> may be plea-
^ ded againit a Pre-engagcment, until
"they Arrive to a Satisfaction therein>
by Debates on this SubjeCt in Parlia-
ment« Who fees not>-that there's a
J vaft difference betweeni a previous
'J H .
' )
Obligation to a poiitive Vote in Par'
liament, and your Refufal to per'
form Such a Minifterial ACt, in Obe-
dienee to the King's Order, which you
have never Scrupled to do in Obedi-
encetoany Order of jour Ordinary,
or his Officials, without any regard
had to the matter publilhed.
But I perceive, You are now uppn
yonr Politicks, and you would there-
fore have it, That thefe Noblemen
'andGentlemen,are already Engsg d in
the fame caufe with your Selves, or
if they be not, you do your Belt that
they may be lo, and no: be Eecoiicl-
lepto tpe1e^^^nce; For then you
Suppofe your Church would Fall, and
not only So ; but that if it Fall this
Way, You have no Reafon to Expedl
It ffiould Ever-Rife again. And tliefc
Confequences you would, have to pafs
forDenionfl:ration3,& from your Fore-
fight of the Event, make as much Con-
fcienceof Reading the Declaration, as
of Deftroying the Proteftant Religion
and Intereft,together with the Church
of Engl-ind: I will not give my Self the
Liberty for your ChurcUes Sake, to DH
late upon the Surmifesi 1 take them
to be the Effedl only of a Sudden Ver-
tigo, raifed by an Imagination, that
Yon are upon the Top of a Precipice] n
imminent Danger of a Deftruftive
Pali-, When in Truth, though you are
in the ASCENT^ above any of yonr
Fellow Subjedls; yet you have there
abroad Space to Walk upon as long
as you pleafe and a fafe ^cfctut in-
to the Plain, to others of your Com-
panionswhemyou pleafe, and are in no
Danger at all of Falling Down, from
anyoihet Caufe, but the Swimming
Gonceipt oi your Own Head.
(")
If ic were not fo, You would never
have tuken the Meihod you have done,
to draw your ConcUifion from fuch
Comnarifon of Conlcquences, as you
have made •, to D^fohl oe all the Nobih-
ty iif^d Get,try^ is Itkfly to be much
more Fdtti^ then to Anger the DijjeK'
ters. -Would you have it Conceited,
Thar, you have Engaged the Nobility
and Gentry by a Pofitive Promire,upon
no Terms to part with the Penal Laws,
or give the Diflenters any Eafe, till you ,
Signifieto them, by Reading the De-
duration, That iris an Opportunity,
wherein they may Do it without any
Danger ?
Have you no Caufe, as you are a
Minifler of theGofpel, to relent at
the Hard Meafure, which You, and
Others by your Inftigation have Me-
ted out to the Diflenters of all Sorts ?
Suppofe, All the Nobility and Gentry
were againft the Repealing of Penal
Laws, Yet I Ihould think. If you fee
your Thoughts upon the proper DiC-
charge of your Fundion, that Equal
Jufticeand Clemency would Govern
your Determinations more then all
Worldly Policy.
But you are for putting a Quellion
Ironically, and Anfwering it plainly
and pofidvely ■ Cannot the King kjep
his Fromife to the Church of England-, if
the Tejl and Venal Laws be Repeal'*d?
Your Anfwer is, We cannot fay,, but
this may be^ \ .And yet the Nation does
not thiT!k_fit to try if,, and if the jQ^eFiim
were put to tts, We thinks We ought in
Confcience to deny them Our Selves, and
We Commend thofiGreat Jlden that deny it.
This looks as if your PaflTions were
in a high Ferment, and yet there is fome
appearance of an Artifice in it: , It
Sounds with' what follows, as if you
had an Aflui^nce, That the general
Vogue of -the Nation, is under youc
management and direction, -either tdf
have or not to have a Parlirment, to
Repeal or not Repeal the Ix'l and Pe-
nal Laws,as you plcafe, For lay
you, Are there not as high Prukabdities^
that our readiti^ thf Drclarattm-wik
Promote the Refcal of the Tefl and Penal
Laws, as that fuch a Repeal wtURuine
cur Confiitution and bnng in Popery ? ,
Herein you (hew your felves, to be
greater Artillsatthe Dodrine of Pro-
babilities then any College of Jefuits*
whilfl: you perfift in your Difobedi-
ence to the Kings Order, and will not
read it; The Nation d^ef not-think^fit
to try ; But if you Return to your Obe?
dienceand Read, you feall thereby in*
dace tlvem to Tryand Promote the Rer
peal. Let me for once after your Ex*
ample (tfao I come One.Thoufaud de-
grees Ihort of yonr skill intheDodrine)
Conje dure at a few probable Points.
Ftrfi,, It feems to me that yoa are
convinced in your ConftienCe that
there is feuci) ait fHiiate Eiectw anO
tn luattet ot tijt I&ing'js
gDeclaration , asJ inttt cmmuanU
an afftnt tn tlie imn&js of tyfiH
tljatl^ear anti confttet tti whence
it may l>e, That you thinkin your Con-
iciencc it is not fafe for your Intereftito
Read it.
Secondly, If you were not under
fome fuch Corividion,it's probableyc*
would make as little Confcience to
read it, asyoudid any of thofe Ceiir
fures or Orders, which you cannot o-
therwife juftlfie, th^n as you therein
only performed a Minifterial Ad, in
Obedience to your Supcriours. i
• Thirdly, It's very probable^ that it
is-slfo from hencc,"-^hat in your Rea-
^pnings, yotf ron altogether upon th'e
Topicks of to the' Kin^s Pro-
wfe^ and upon a Repeal of the Trfi and
fenalLtws, and fpealc not a Word, ei-
ther of the King^ ntflMttg ttO tOllfet
6f tlje Concuwnce of 0 ttuo Kfou-
feiSOf l^atllantent (when he Ihall
think fit to call them)to this Declaraci-
en ofindulgence,(which he mentions in
the firftParagraph of it) or of Bis Ma-
Conjuring His Snhjells to lay afide
all private ^nimo/itks, as rotll as ground
lefs yealoujiesy and to choofe fuch Mem-
hers of Parliament^ as may do their part
tofinif] rchat he has begun-, (in the clofe
of it) or of any of theCiaufes through-
outthewholeof it, or of His Majefty's
Endearoursto Of
cmtfctence *Dn fuclj juft anO equal
ifount»attou33,aj3 tol II tenDet it un-
altetaWe, anUfecuee to au people
tlje fveet^tetcife ofttjeieEeligton
w? euee.
Now if this be plainly manifeft, (as
it is ^ itsfelf, and will appear to eve-
ry Man who is not fcar'd by you from
confidcring it) that it is notanyone
feiingle claufe, liuttfie tuliole anD
eoetp pact of tge ^Declaration,
that the King feeks to have Eftabiifhed
by a perpetlial HalO •, and that he
would have this fpeedily Effeded,
Why is it that you defcant fo much
upon His Royal Promife, ( of the
ftcdfaftnefs whereof, we have had fo
general ah Experience) as if that-vs^ere
all the Security intended to t'erpetyi-
ty^ unlefs you have ftill a Mind to
Monopoliv?e the Laws to your felves,
and that none of His Subjeds fhould
have the Benefit of any Law, but fuch
as will (though it be contrary to their
Cohfcience) Conform to a Tittle to
your Me^ftire§a.pd ^lcd;s of Worfliip?
( 23 )
HisMajefty declares he ifttf nrfs it {hail '
be, that they, when they are iner, will
wiicly Confider, how both to gra-
tifiethe Ring in what he dcfircs, and
fecure the Subjeri in all their Proper-
ties, Civil and Religious: For the
Sum of all that is to be Granted) tt
.4|SDtiD, 31is ?iiliertp of confclence,
to luoilljip dPoDtoitlioutincurrins
anp temporal tianiagelip it What
things are already fetled by Law, as
to tlicKeltgton of tl)eci)iivc|iof
cEnglani), auU tlietr poffcf^ionsj,
are lb to continue, and be tOUfttlUCCl
to them. And if fuch a New Law be
contrived to this Purpofe, as may con-
tinue for ever, it will require fuch In-
gredients to be in it , as may by
the Provifions therein made, (which
the Wifdora of Parliament will rea-
dily fuggeft, ) render it ftable and
perpetual, and it may be in particu-
lar, luchas may prevent your fuggc-
fled Jealoufies of Prdfis and Jefutts ^
and alfo, keep you as well as them,
within the Spheres of your proper
Fundion, that all of the Clergy who
expedthe Benefit of other Laws, (hil!
fubfcribe (intheir places) to main-
tain this Law Inviolable under the,
fevereft Penalties,
Have your Jejloufies raifcd fuch a
thick Milt before your Eyes, ij;at no
Roya!Promire,no fetled Laws,no com-
mon Inrereft cail difpelit, foas to give
a Difccrning of the proper Means to i
Arrive at a fecure EfiablilTiment ?
Bear with my Expeftulations j I air
coming to a Clofe.
It isifotdefired you fhould Part with
any Laws inbeiag, bnt fuch only as
are the Caufes of an
iKpptffftOn, and confequently of an
^iinatJolbalJle ccmtentictr.
I
m
C 24
to (ijalo^tlji^ (FotJ cotttravp to tjfjs
tinterUanctng: autJ confctence,
bring Out your [liong Reafoas for it,
that all who are otherwife mirded may
bcConvinctd •, But if you cannot do
thif, bring your Mind to do, and per-
jnit Right to be d.one to all -Men herer
in : Even your £«rw/fj,thac they may
have no juft Qjiarrel againft you, nor
feek by any undue Attempt, to wrefl:
themfelves from under your Power J
Neither you nor any others, have any
Reafon to fear a ^Olbnfall; if you are
v.'iUing to depart from the Ways of
^Dpaeutoit.
it is notdcfired, that any Laws in
being, fhould be HXcniODttl by any
other uieaiis, but by 3iwt'COt)UCtU5
fuch as are Juft, Equal, and of much
greater Security in their ftead : Do
not conceit your felf fafe (and that
you can be fecured only) under the
Continuance of SUtlfftUClI and
dm Jiatuis; fuch as are againft f)tt-
maiic ,
and l^notun Sl^arifUSS of the Law of
the Land-
I Confider how you clofe your Let-
ter. That if you were never fo defi-
rous that the 'DifTenters might have
their Liberty, yet you cannot confent
they ihould have it tljtjS iHIlap, which
they will find the deareft Liberty that
ever was Granted -• I am afraid from
Firft to Laft, leaft Ji fhould miftake
your Meaning j You have faid before,
Ton dare not Teach the ITifpenJin^ Povo-
er^till yoii have the Authority of Par-
liament for it \ You cannot Read the
Declaration, becaufe it is to Recom-
mend to your People, the Choice of
fuch Perfons to Sit in Parliament, as
fhal! take away. the Teft and Penal
i^^axot C So that you fuggeft, afi
no auttjOiitp, Ca ate not
UJiUtufi t^ete mt ftoulO U anp
fOnntenance atncn bp jautljoritp,
c^ttliee to 3Dafjienfe oiliitt), o? to
Ec^eal jpenal Eatosi agatna
S^ttfenteejS i where to do your De-
fires that they fhould have Liberty
Tend ? . You cannot corifeftt they
fhould haye it This ilcliap •, that is,
by a gDtfFenftng f oloee •, -..^or that
Way, that is. tip aEtl^al. In your
next, I Pray fignifie what means you
Propofe, that are efFedual for the Ac-
compliHiment of your Defires ^ and
if upon the Contemplations thereof,
you cannot find any Means in common
life heretofore, fo cfFedual for ma-
king Way for Removal of fepitttual
Cppjefftousi, as the ftirring up tlje
H^CaetfS of lajtncess •- in the firft Place^
To give theSubjedseafe, by Difcountenancing
and Sufpending fuch Laws, as are the Occafion
of their Oppretllon. And in the ne xt place, By
the Royal Aflent to the Advice of their great
Council, to Repeal fuch Laws, and Efta-
blifli better, and more equal in their ftead;
Return to your Obediertce, and acfcnow-
ledge it is juft and equal, that together with
pout ouin jaetpttual cEftabUl^inient
ftp ?Lato, Diflenteriof all forts, fhould by the
fame Law be fecured in that which is
^IGHT by the Law of GOD and NATURE,
in common with all Mankind; nottobeCorn»
pelledtoWorlhip contrary to their Conicieiices,
but to enjoy a juft, and duly-ftated Liberty to
Worfhip God according to theirConfciences; and
fhaf meafure of Underftanding of the Will of
God, that he-has, or fhall pleafe to Reveal to
them: And if you can remove your Prejudice,
and come to a right Mind in thefe things, I
dotibtnot, but they will Incline you, not barely
to Read the Kings Declaration in yourChurches;
but a!tb to Reconmend to your Auditors,
{from the Confiderittionof the ^it'ontblenefs^
l{!^hteoufnefs, anciClemency of it) the Choice
of fuch Members to fervein Parliament, as may
Happily Finifh that, which His Majefty has
therein Propofed, and Mercifully Begun.
THE
EXAMINATION
OF THE
BISHOPS
JS
upon their Rcflifal of p.cading His Majefty's
Mofl Gracious DECLARATION?
And the Nonconcurrcncc of the
Church of E ngland,
In Repeal of the
ferial Ealufi anli
Fully Debated and Argued.
^tti) ^llomnnce.
LONDON,
Printed for N. W. and are to be Sold bv nioft Book-
fellers. MDCtXXXVIII.
[ I ]
THE
EXAMINATION
O F T H E
BISHOPS,
IT has pleas'd that Almighty Power which rules the
Hearts of Princes, to enlighten and adorn His prefent
Gracious Majefty with fuch peculiar Beams of Mercy
and Clemency, thofe truly Royal Virtues, that render
Him the nearefl: Pourtraid: of that Deity whofe Vicegerent
He is. To win therefore the Univerfal Love of his People,
a Conqueft worthy of, and indeed referved for His Great
felf, He has fet up the Starfdard of CompaJJion; refolving to
recover the alienated Affedions of thofe of his Subjeds,
whom the Adminiflration of his Predeceflbrs may have any
ways rendred uneafic.
There are but Two things in the World dear to all Man-
kind, Religion and Property. The laft of thefe, I confefs,
in the moft moderate Diflribution of Common Right, has
all along had its Tree courfe in the true Channels of Equi-
ty J only the firft has been a little reflrain d ; for Coff/d-
me has fometimes been lhackled.
, The Sighs therefore and Groans that have lately breathed
from that Reflraint, have moved him to that Sacred Com-
miferation, that He is refolved to break the Fetters that -
A X extort
[ 2 ]
extort em, Tlie Peml Laws. Which to effeA, He has at-
ready declared His Determination for that choice onVfagi-"
ll:rates in Authority under Him, that in His Princely Judg-'
ment He thinks will be moll; Hearty in contributing their
beft and ableft Endeavours for that Great End.
To carry on this pious work, 'tis not at all to be doubt-
ed but the fuffering party oa all fides, who are aggrieved
by thofe Laws, by the meer dictates of Self-prefervation,
will be no ways wanting to throw off a Yoke they have fo
Jong fo unquietly born. And if all their Helps, His Maje-
lly (as in Reafon may be" exped:ed} is fo well fecure off
there remain, only tlie Concurrence of the Church of£;»
glartfl; v/hich, if obtain'd, His Kingdom would reap the
Fruit, and Himfelf the Honour of being the Founder of
thofe lading Bleflings, fo much in themfelves the more
Glorious, as that all Hands, and all Hearts, are alliftant
to their Creation.
But fince the fate Refufal of Reading His Majefties mod
Gracious Declaration feems to intimate the Church of
Averfion (or at lead their Leading Endeavours to ere-
ate that Averfion) to the Repeal of the Penal Laws and'
Teds ; the Defign of this Addrefs-to our Epifcopal Padors,
is to examine the drefs and tendency of thofe Laws, and
truly to reafon and argue with our Pious Mother the Church
of England^ why the Prefervation of thofe Laws, either is,
or ouglit to be, any part of her Care, and indeed,, how far
thofe'statutes, her fometimes Darlings, are in themfelves
either Jud, Equitable, or confident with Chridianity it
felf; and how far die is equally^ if not more, than the Diflen-
ters obliged to abolilh them. Nor fliall I endeavour to
urge her Confent from any Rejignation or Compliance (thofe
fainter motives of meer Generofity) to the Pleafure and
Will of the King, that defires to have it fo ; but enforce
the Argument from the Bonds and Tyes of Con/cience and
JuJlice.
[ 3 ]
JuJike th^t require her Afliftance to their DIfloIutlon ; and
hereby illuftrate the Equity and Reafouahleuefs di His Ma-
jefties Propofal, and prove the Work it felf no more than
the incumbent Duty of every Chriftian Subjed: to labour to
perfed. For inquiry therefore firfl: into the Peual Laivs^
I iliall make bold to trace the Grounds of their Rife and
Original.
After the Death of Queen Mary^ her ProteRant SiRer
Elizabeth^ being feated on the Throne, under fo fair a Prof-
ped ofeRablilhing her Religion, as having the//<7//, if not
the Majority of the Nation of Her Perfwafion, all Hands
^S'ere fet at Work lx:;r fo glorious an Enterprize. But the
main Engine was. That the Reformers having before their
Eyes the late feverity of her SiRers Reign, the ProteRant
Church either trul}'^ or tzxhcv feemingly alhamcd (as time
will (hew) of the Romilh Cruelty, the Popular out-crys
againR SmithfieU Fires, was confcious that (he had no
means fo proper to recommend her felf to the Peoples
EReem as the avoiding all thofe occafions of Odium^ which
hadrender'd the Romiflo Church fo much theObjed of their
AverRon; and therefore the Change muR be wrought
and Affedions won, by the oppofite Extremes of Mercy
and Moderation.
Thefe Meafures for a while fcem'd terrible,* but, alas!
in few years Indulgence appeared a too (low-pac'd Progrefs
of Reformation ; for Rill notwithRanding the Encourage-
ment of a ProteRant Qiieen, and the ERablilhment of our
Church, the EcclefiaRick Advances went on too leilurely,
and Converfions not faR enough, to fatlsfie either the
Churches Itch of Fotver, or Warmth of Zeal, under the
loofer Reins of Toleration. For whilR the PopiRi party
were connived at, and permitted any Liberty of their Wor»
(lup, their Church, though falling, could not w ant fome
&w unlhaken Members at leaR that would Rill follow even
its^
[4l
its very Rulnes ; and perhaps the Romidi Prlefls, though
• throu n out of Church Preferment, could not, or would
not forbear, to confirm and encourage their thin and
icatter'd Party, and poflibly through an indifpenfable (as
they thought} Duty to that Communion, in which invinci-
bly perfvvaded, they only expecfted Salvation, they might
not omit either Arguments orlndullry (as Opinion wants
neither) to render their Religion neverthelefs lovely for
-the Cloud it wore; which indeed, is but natural to all
Religions, whilft they think their own either the only^ or
-at leaft the nearefl way to Heaven.
Thcfe Remora's, how fmall Hops foever to her advancing
Glory, the Church of England beholding with Impatience,
and repining even at her fmallell Favours to the Romilli
Party, whilft but the leaft Impediments to her yet unfa-
tisfied Ambition, (for to be Vppermofl was not enough,
unlefs flic could be AIIx.qo) began to think of fome more
expeditious way for the weeding out of Popery, and to
look out for a fliarper Pruning Hook than meer Teaching
znd Preachingto Reformation ; fet agog
therefore upon Difpatch and Execution, flie felt the Itch
of her Forefathers, and if Honour and Reputation cowldhQ
fafe, flie Ihould not fcruple at a little of the old-falhion d
Shamble-work to gain her Point. But confidering that to
punifli DilFent in Religion, and barefac'd too with Death,
would carry too much tiie looks of Old Smithfield^ and fo
beftain her own long boafted Gentlcnefs and Innocence ;
Ihe is therefore put to no little Study and Invention to
over-leap this Difficulty, and accomplifli her Projetftion ;
till at laft Ihe lights upon this incomparable Stratagem to
Mask her Defigns, and fmooth All, -viz. to punilh Recu-
fancy with DEaTH^ under the black and dilmal Brand of
HIGH-TREASOiT. The Meafures and Gradations ufed
and made towards raifing this Artful Superftrudure, take
in fliort as follows. In
In the firft year of Q. Elizalethy fhe aflerts her Spiritual
and Ecclejiaflick Supremacy in all Things and Caufes whate ver j
and creates an Oath to be tendered her Subjects for con fir—
mation of that Power.
In the fifth of her Reign, grown warmer in tliat Supre-
macy^Jhe iwpofes the Oath upon all her Minifters and Officers of
the Government^ even to Lawyers^ Atturneys^ &c. and parti-
cidarly to he taken hj ever Memher of Parliament : And the
fecond Refufal of taking it^ after a firfl tender of it three
Months before^ is made High Treafon.
In the 13 th of Her Reign. Allperfons taking upon them
hy Colour of any Buil^ Writing^ or Authority whatever to ah-
folve or reconcile any perfons, or grant or promife to any perfou
or perfons within Her Majefies Dominions any fuch Ahfduti-
on or Reconciliation hy any Speech, Preaching, Teaching ,
Writing, or any other open deed', and if any perfon or perfons
fhall willingly take or receive fuch Ahfolution or Reconciliation
fhall fuffer pains of Death; And alfa lofe and forefeit all their
Lands, Tenements, Goods and Chattels, as in Cafes of High
Treafon- [A very foiire fort of Grape to fet their Childrens -
Teeth an Edge with.]
In the 13d of Elizaheth, This Adtis explain'd and con-
firmed, and in fine the Per/on reconciling or reconciled to the
Church o/Rome, Priejl or Lay-man, are Equally declared Tray-
tors; and fo onwards till the very taking of Orders from
Rome is High Treafon and doomed to fuffer as fuch.
Ay, God knows a very jufl fentence if the Indidiment be
but true. But I defire to know by what Legerdemain is
this Reconciliation made High Treafon ! Is either the Life
or Dignity of the King or the Government, flruck at by
my being a Member of This or That Communion by my
believing This or That the Way to Heaven ? Can Faithin
God be Treafon againfl Man! For that's the Refult of the
poinjc. Can a Chrillians befl Endeavour to fave his own or
his
j
[ ]
hrs Brothers Sou] be a Machination to c^eftroy his Prince or :
his Country i or can my praying or not praying to a gujjtj
my adoring or not adoring the EuchariH render me a true
or not true Leige-man. It Errours in Faith can atnount to |jf(jie<3s
High Treafon, and the Government is in Confcience ob-
liged to treat 'em as fuch, Lord have mercy upon us, how .y^pfo
'Came the Jews to live with that Impunity in the Common-
wealth, that inftead of misbelieving in points of Dodirine,
believe not fo much as in the Gofpel or Chrift himfelf. ^
No, no, the Sophiftry of the matter lyes not there; tis
not the Dodlrine of a Romanift as to Godwards makes him ^ j
aTraytor, but his belief of the Popes being //ea^/ of the
Church in Derogation to theEcclefiaftickSupremacy inherent
TO, and Lodg'd in the Crown, and fo religioufly aflerted
and maintained by the Proteftant Laws of the Kingdom,
Him nice Lacrjimce> There lyes the Apoftacy, the hideous
yawning Gulph that fwallows all, Faith, Duty, Honour,
Loyalty, and confequently calls for Axes, Halters, Gibbets,
and what not. ^ "j'
Is this the Treafon then; 'tis well we have fixt it there: ,
tho upon triie InfpecSion, the Impeachment will be found T
full as feeble here as before. For this is but meer matter of
"Faith hill all this while, nor carries in it the leaft lhadow
of a Breach of the Subjeehs Duty to the Soveraign. For ""I'
Inhance, when this Law was made, fuppofe a poor Roman «
Catholick of thofe Days by an Invincible power of perfwa- . f
flon rooted and grounded in him by an Article of Faith .
( how rightfully is not the matter ) received from Age to ^
Age, and Generation to Generation in favour of the Pope, f
cou'd -not poflibly believe her then She Majefty by her Ac-
cehion to theCrown to be inharitly the SpiritualHGad of the
Church in all matters and Caufes whatever, that otherwife
before was utterly incapable even of fo much as a Subdea- '
confliip in a Country Parilh, and if St. Paul may be be-
lieved
[ 7l
-lieved, not fo much as qualified for fpeaking in a Religious
Aflembly; yet nevcrthelefs this Roman Catholkk Jived under
her Government with all the Allegiance and Fealty, in all
Refpeds of Obedience, and believed himfelf in confcience
lb obliged to do, as much as any other of her more belie-
ving Proteftant Subje(Sts, would it not be a little fevere to
adjudge him a Tray tor.
And that the Romtjh Opinion that the Spiritual Supre-
macy lyes not in the Temporal Prince, is meer matter of
Faith, is demonflrable from the very Soveraign Power
it felf, when fo many fucceflive Kings never believed they
had that Supremacy themfelves For Prerogative is of its
nature fo jealous that tho' never fo confiderable a Jewel in a
Crown had they had Faith to have challenged it theirs,
they would have had wit enough to have wornc it too;
What if our Proteftant Kings and their Parliments for
them believe that Supremacy wholy lodged in the Crown;
muft their Roman Catholkk Subjedts be Tray tors, becaufq
they cannot be oftheir Belief? If the Princes Belief muft be
the ftandart of the peoples Loyalty, by the fame Equity
the Catholick Kings might have made it High-Treafon
in their Reign to aflert that Supremacy in the Crown
Then; as the Proteftant Kings do to deny it there now;
and confequently the Proteftants then, (iffuch there had
been) might by Equal Juftice have been Tray tors too.
If Crown'd Heads muft neceftarily be believed the Spiritual
Heads of the Churches under their Obedience, I wonder
what ft range ft retch of Faith thofe Thoufands of Chriftians
muft have that are born and bred Subje<fts to the Mahometan
Grand Signior.
But that the Members of the Church of Rome may not
look altogether fo black for this unhappy Part of their Belief;
B and
and that their aHerting of that Spiritual Supremacy in their
Pope does not any ways threaten either the Crown or the
pubiick peace; That wife and prudent Monarch King James
the Firfi fliali be their Compurgator. For as many Laws
as that Prince made for the Defence of the Eftabhfht
Church of Enilam), and as great Induftry as he ufed for
the extirpation of tl e Romilh Religion, he was neverthe-
lefs plea fed to allow the Pope, tho' not Vniverfal Head
of the Church, yet Tcttriarcb of the Wejl ( in wnich pre-
eind:of conkquence muft En^lar.d beincludec.) And if
fo zealous, a Proteflant Kmg thought it no Diminution to
his own or his Churches Dignity to be of that 0|"> on, and
to grant the Pope that Prerogative; what moi a! High
Treafon againfl: the Crown of England do the Members of
the Popes own Church commit in throwing him in the
Eafi too ( a part of the World not much relating to us)
into the Bargain ; and fo making him VniverfaiydiXxmch.
Jacob. Contr. Perron.
m
But fome People will tell you, 'Tis atmofl an Impofihility
to fancy any fuch things as Principles of Loyalty in a Romifb
Suhje^i to a Proteflant King.
I (hall not endeavour to confute this uncharitable Cen-
fiire, by the Vniverfal Hcroick Examples, of that Parties
Loyalty in the Battels of C/w/ej the Firft; fo truly may I
call it Vniverjaf that upon Petitions made to Cromwell for
his Clemency to the Roman Catholicks, he was obferved
to challenge them to prove fo much as one Man of that
Religion that had ever fought for him or fervcd him. But
to wave that Plea, How are we lure that the Romanifts
are guilty of Traytorous Principles ! Do's any man of
tl^em own any fuch PrinciplesNo., fwe they have more
Wit than fo talk Treafon, and he Hanged for it. If thej are fo
hardy as to do that, we have other Laws to noofe 'em without
' *he help rj Penal Statutes. Do
[? ]
Do they then commit any open Ad of Treafon 1 Let
^em do that if they dare. If voe once catch them 'em at that
Game the Government has 'emfafi enough hy the Heels and the
Necks too. Nor is that the Treafon, that thefe Statutes
pretend to arraign. Who ever heard of any Overt ad oj T ea-
fon inditledhy the i-^th or i\doj Elizabeth.
Then, if neither Speaking nor A^ing of Treafon be tlie
Capital Guilt thefe Statutes are levell'd at ; then Thinking of
Treafon mufl be the Crime. A Roman Catholick then be-
like is fuch an offender, that by the very Affedions of his
Soul cannot be Loyal to the Crown; and to prove all this
mortal Accufation infallibly true, the Proteftant Wifdom.
has by Divine Infpiration form'd a Law to arraign and con-
demn the very Thoughts of the Hearty of which God only
can be Judge.
In fine, if the Government can make matter of Faith, nay
even thoughts Themfelves High Treafon, v\ hen their Hand
was in they might e'ne asLawfully have made it HigliTrea-
onto eat too. For if the firm Belief in God, and the
zealous Worlhip of him by the Befl Light of a Chriftian
Confcience, be either the Bread of Life, or at leafl: the
means to get it, as we are fo taught, the fame Legality
that can condemn the one may exclude the other too.
To this they'll fay,'7/^ true indeed a Lay Romanifl is a more
excufahle, and that part of the Statute that affeds him is a
little hard ^ hovoever 'tis very Jlrong, and nothing hut High
jujlice, againfl the Romijh Priejl • for here are vifihle Overt-
ads of Treafon: As taking of Orders^ from Rome, in them-
felves little lefs than Damnable and Diabolical, and undouht-
edly Antkhrijlian, as received from the Papal See, the very
feat of Antichrijh, and then returning home again exprejly a-
B z gainjl
[ 10 ]
^ainjl the Commands of the Law ; All ix>htch outragions Tranf-
f^rejfions are hut reafonahly declared High Treafon, and juflly
expofed to the feverefi of punijhments under the Legality of
that Denomination.
To this Thundering Charge, as big as it founds, I fliall
only make this Ihort Reply.
If the Church of England has and always does admit a
Convert Romdh Prieft into the Protefiant Clergy, without
any Reordination to capacitate him for that AdmiiTion, as
we need look no further than to the conftant pradliCe of
the Church, (without fo much as one example to the
contrary) from the very beginning of the Reform ation^
how unjuflly are taking Orders from Rome charged with
High-Treafon 1 If the Orders from Rome ho, in themfelves
Holy and Sacred^ how are they Damnable, or Anti-chrifti-
an ? And how the taking of them High-Treafon? If not
Holy nor Sacred (as if High-Treafon in the very receiving
of them they cannot be) does the Church of England en-
tertain PaRors into her Minifteriai Function iinconfecrated
for the Divine Service of God ? God forbid ! No, the very.
Pradlice and Conceflion of the Church in this Cafe does fo
confront the palpable Injuflice of this Statute, as nothing
can be plainer. And how Black, how Capital, or Tray te-
rousfoevcr the Popular Calumny.^ or the Protejlant Law-ma-
hrs had occafion to make thefe Romidi Orders, under all
their load.s of Guilt, they Rood upright enough not to
want the Crutch of an Adt of Parliament, as lome others>•
have done (as much more Sacred as they are) for. their Sup-
port and Confirmation. And if fuch are the Romhh Orders,
and the free choice of our Belief in God, and the Church
wchope to be faved in, be in our own Eledbion (for our
own Souls arc anlwerable for it) , by the fame Liberty of
choice.
[ I! ]
choice why may not a man be either a Member or Paflor
of the Flock he choofcs, as his Abilities to ferveGod in ei- '
ther flation lliall did:ate to him. And if no fuch Holy
Orders be to be had and received at home, why is it Death
to feek for them abroad ? And why are men banilht and
excluded from their Native Right in the Kingdom in which
they are born, for only endeavouring to fecure themfelvesi,,
their no lels Native Right in that of Heaven ?
One obfervation in the Statute of the Fifth of her Reign
I had almoft forgotten, not a little worthy Remark. In
this Statute where the Incapacity oi taking the Oath of the
Queens Spiritual Supremacy (for a Refulal of an Oath in
that Cafe is only a Confcientious Incapacity of taking it} is
made High-Treafon, in oneCiaufeof it the Queen is plea--
fed to tell us, jhe is fo fujficiently affured of the Faith and Lo)"
alty of her Temporal Lords, that this Ail, nor any thin^ con-
tain d in it, f^all n£t extend to her Barons, nor the Oath to he
impofed upon them, &C.
What Contrad.<R:ions and Cobweb Laws are here! A
Commoner, belike, for his Incapacity of taking that Oath,
is guilty of High-Treafon : But a Baron fo incapacitated is
a very faithful and Loyal Gentleman ; as if they were not
both of them equally Suhjeils to the Crown, and equally
Criminal in any Tranfgredion againft it. 'Tis true, had
the particular Favour and Indulgence of the Government
relolved to exempt a Peer from tiie Penalty of this Law, it
had been fomething ; but to difcharge him eo nomine from
the too, makes the whole Statute fuch an Arbitrary
Declaration of Treafon, that both the Compilers of fuch
Laws, and the Deiendersofthem, ought to blufli at. But
as whole as the Barons kept their Scutcheons in this Statute,
they came in for a Inack in the i^th of her Reign,- being
in that Statute Indidtable for Delinquency againft it.
What
[ 14 ]
"What Ruhhifh is here put together to build the great
Fence of a Church with! But our Church has at leaft this
i^pology, that it does not pretend to Infallibility. And
who knows but the Jargon of thefe, and the reft of her
Penal Laws might be wilful Over fights on purpofe to make
out her Aftertion to the World, and prove her Fallihilit}!
true.
But to come to the full Hefult of all: Here's the Church
of Fngjancl fo poorly prevaricating^ as to follow thofe very
fteps, which with all her higheft Noife and Exclamations
ftie pretends, are her greateft Deteftation and Abhorrence.
And whilft the more frank and generous Romanift Enadbs
and Executes his Capital Laws againft Herefy from bis
Church, under the downright Name of Herefy', our poor-
er fpirited Proteftant Law-makers, are for puniftiing Herejy
from their Church under Mafque and Difguife, obtruding
their Penal Law^s upon the World uhcipr the meaneft of
Hypocrify and Impoflure.
And to be plain with our later Proteftant Law-makers,
the Shamm paft fo current then, tiiat it has been praftifed
'ever fince. Is there any one Law made againft our later
Nonconformifts whofe preamble does not run upon this
Topick, the Breach of the Peace, and the undermining the
very Foundations of the Government,- and all for deferring
the Church of England, and meeting in their own Religi-
ous AlTembiies, to offer up their Prayers and Devotions
to God according to their Confciences. Was there ever a
late Conventicle difturb'd wdth any "other Warrant than as
Riotoufly and Roufoujly affemhled, and thereupon punifhc
with Fines, Imprifonments, and Sequeftrations; fometimes
even to the Raines of whole Families. Does not the fame
Pdafqusrade run through all the Penal Laws ? And the very
' meer
[ 13 1
mecr meeting to Worlliip God charged with no lefs than
Sedition diUd Tumult.
But wherein lyes the Sedition and Tumult ? Was it in
their fo meeting? No, fure. For as the Intention makes
the Guilt, the Intention was only a Religious IVorJhip^ and
not a State-diflurlance.
Was the Sedition then in the DoRlriner they Preach'd >
If fo, why was it not proved againft them ? Their Meet-
ing-Houfe Doors flood open, and their Enemies were both
potent and numerous enough to hear and detedl any Sedi-
tious Defign or Dodlrines againil the Crown or State. And
the Law was furnifht both with Rods and Axes, topunifh.'
any Crime of that- kind according to its Demerit, before
the Penal Laws were fo much as thought on.
No, tho' that was the Pretence^ it pincht not there
The Diflenters grew too numerous, and the Church of
England began to fee her Grandeur fhrink, and her Do-
minion leflen, and therefore her Old Arts mufl once more
be her Refuge. The Nonconformifls mufl be crufht and
fupprefl, and to avoid all imputations of Opprefftonznd
Cruelty, Sedition and Riots mufl be the charge againfl
them, and the Law gilded over with that fair Title to
fwalloivahle. 'Tis true, indeed, the Law here did
not reach to Death, however it took care to make their
Purfes, if mt their Veins, bleed for it, and that too fome-
times with fo total a Drein, that whole Families have
been reduced to the condition of flarving, which is the
very next door to it. And all things confidcr'd, Liberty '
next to Life is fo dear, that whole years of noyfome Impri-
fonment have been very little the eafier puniihment.
Having,
[ 14 1
Having given you this true Pourtrai(Sl of our Penal
TLaws, I ihall only add fome few Lineaments more, and fo
finilli the piece. And to rrwike a farther Ballance betwixt
our felves and Rome in that point, how unchriflian or unwar'
rantahle foever ali fuch Penal Infli(5fions for meer Confcience
may be, the Church of Rome has, or at Jeaft fancies Ihe
has fome little Pretext for fuch Laws. For under her fa-
mous Tcnent of Extra Ecclefiam nulla falus, and her Con-
linement of Salvation only within her own Boundaries,
file may have fometimes confented to the Pradiice of now
and then cutting off a Jlray Sheep, to terrific the reft of the
. Flock from leaping the Fold, as imagining to her felf in fo
doing, and in now and then Sacrificing one or two lofi
Sons of Ferdition (for fuch the accounts them) and thereby,
lopping off fome corrupt Member already paft hope
of Redemption, Ihe only fecures poflibly the whole
Body, as flie thinks, from Apojiacy and Damnation,
And confequently fuch exemplary Adts,though of the great-
eft Rigour,are only intended as abfolutely neceflary for that
Great End, Vniverfal Salvation, But, alas; our more
charitable Church that pretends not to bound the Grace of
God, but by a larger latitude and m.ore extended Operati-
on of the Blood of Chrift, Equally allows Salvation to true
Zeal and Piety in both Churches, and indeed in all Chrifti-
an Profeftions: Under all this Conceftion, I fa}', our Pro-
teftant C.'liurch utterly wants this Loop-hole, and upon true
Examination will be found wholly inexcufable, if not im-
pardonable. For in executing of her Sanguinary Laws in
punilhment of meer m atter ot Confcience, Ihe cuts off, not
likt Rome, the fuppofed Members of; but even
thofe Profeftbrs of Chriftianity, which by her own Con-
felfion may be equally with her felf the Sons of Grace^ and
Coheirs of Salvation.
Nay,
( IS )
Nay, Tie venture to add one hold Word more, becaufe
a true one. The Church of England in her once executing
of her fanguinary Laws, is undoubtedly guilty of more Bar-
barity than the ten Primitive Heathen Ferfecutions. For in
ail caies of Suffering for Religion, 'tis an undeniable Maxim,
That He that makes the Martyr leafl thinks he makes him.
The bloodieft Pagan Tyrants in all their fludied Arts of
Blood and Chriftian MafTacre, did not believe that they
butchered the then only ProfefTors of Truth and Heirs of
Heaven: But on the contrary,in Devotion to their own Jup-
pojed true Deities, they thought they only executed Apo-
ftates^Blafphemers and Infidels j for fuch they accounted the
Chriftians as profeft Deferters of their Heathen Gods and
Sacrifices : Nor is the forementioned Romijh Cafe much
different, as lying under the unhappy Belief of Hereticks ir-
reparable State of Damnation. But all this while our Church
England am forry to her Shame it muft be fpoken) out-,
do's the very Heathens themfelves, in enabling and execut-
ing thofe Penal Laws,by which fhe cuts ofTthofc very Mem-
bers of Chriftianity, who (if true Zealots in their Profeflion)
fhe owns are in the number of the Elell of God; And if any
true Zealots amongft them, thofe certainly that have Con-
rage and Conflancy to D IE for their Religion, are not the
leafl of them j and confequently fhe cannot deny, but in
executing thofe Laws,yJe both makes the Martyr^ and knows
/he makes him too.
And if fhe's fo blameable in her Severity againft the
Romaniflsy much more criminal muft her Rigour againft
the Diflenters be, whom fhe owns" to differ from her felf
in little more than Ceremonies and PunHilid's.
Nay,
i
( lO
Nay, the Ferment has fometimes boy I'd fo high, that our
Proteftant Church has put her Zeal upon the ftretch to find
means to vent her Indignation, when fomc of thofe very
Laws againft Recufancy have been extended againft the Pro-
teftant DijfenterSy and the greatefl part of their Sufferings
received from theLaih of thofe Laws. I (hall not pretend
to dive fo far, as to afcertain whether that Cowprehenfwn
was originally by thofe Laws, or otherwife an arti'
ficial Superjlrti£lure to ferve a State turn ; but either way
the feverity of thofe Laws is not a little notorious, where
fo trivial Matters of Diflent in Religion, as has been
faid before, have been fo cruelly treated.
But if our Protefiant Church cannot pofBbly be recon-
ciled to Liberty^ of Confcience, and therefore thefe Laws
were her Weapons againft it, her more generous way, at
leaft more agreeable to a Chriftian Profeflion, had been firft
fairly to have overthrown it by Dint of Argument^ be-
fore ftie had made ufe of Dint of Steel to do it by: And
for that purpofe, I wonder how that famous Bilhop Taj'
lor has paft for fo great a Dodbor of the Church all this
while, and his Treatife upon that fubjeft cali'd Liberty
of Prophecying not yet anfwer'd ; or at leaft the Author
under no imall Ecclefiajlick Fulminations (if no other way
to anfwer it) for fo terrible a Blow againft the Churches
long main Favourite Bulwark^ her Penal Laws.
'Tis true, Ibme People will objedi, What are all thefe
Laws to the CHURCH, when enable d only by the Civil
Power as an Expedient for its own Security and Defence,
and therefore warrantable and lawful; nor in any refpebl
are chargeable upon the Ecclefiafiicks.
Alas!
( I? )
Alas! this is fuch a feeble Objediop, that 'tis fcarce
to be named without Blufliiog: As if the Clergy did not
ad in Parliament by their Reprefentatives j nay, the ve-
ry Bifliops fitting there in Perfon^ afienting to, and un-
doubtedly little lefs than Original Founders of thofe Laws.
But grant it, as they fay, the raeer Eftablilhment of the
Civil Power: The Clergy by owning the 'juflke^ and af-
ferting the Necefity of fuch Law« for Defence of their
Church, the Lay-Power in this Cafe is little more than
the Cats Paw to rake out the Chefnut. Nor are the Ci-
vil Rulers and Temporal Power of a Chriftian Government
any ways more authorifed to outgo the Gofpel Moderation
and Clemency for any Politick Confideration whatever,
than the more immediate Oracles of Truth the Preachers
themfelves.
And this the great Leglfiators of thofe Penal Statutes vc-
ry well knew, and therefore as I told you before, they
cunningly converted Recufancy into High Treafon^ and Non-
conformity into Riots and Routs; to find fomething, tho
but feemingly iuftifiable for the Fangs of their Laws to lay
hold of J and fo houlflePd up their Penal Statutes to make
them able to toalk upright.
rie only put this one Queftion to all the Do£lors of our
Church: With what Confcience can a Church that owns
it felf Fallille, eftablifii Laws to punilh Difienters in Reli-
gion, when by her own Conceflion cAFallibility^ flie neither
has nor CA N have any Certainty or Afiurance (how ftrong
foever ftie thinks ox hopes her own Foundation} but that file
puniflies thofe that poflibly may be more in the Right than
her felf; more efpecially, in thofe Profelfions that found
their Diflenting Dodrins on her own Bafis the Scripture ?
C z lean-
( i8 )
i cannot tell what Equity wiler Heads may find out for
the Ordination of Penal Laws; but truly in my Opinionj
the Great Prince of Peace that reprimanded the Drawing of
that Sword that cut off but the Ear of the High PriefisSer-
vant, thoin his own immediate Caufe, very little intended
the raifing his C/jurc/j, or the propagation of his Go//>e/f by
eitherrixes or Gihhets, or Gaols or Dungeons. And He that
left us the Standard ofChriftianity in the Innocence of Doves,
never commifiion'd us the Rapine of Vultures ; and though
wc are conceded the Suit ilty of Serpents, I know no warrant
that he gave us either for the Stings or the Poyjon of them.
And tho my Zeal for Truth makes me thus plain in de-
tefting the only Shame and Frailty of the Reform'd Church,
I hope fhe has Goodnefs enough to forgive the Boldnefs of
a Blufhing Son, who is no otherwife folicitous than for
her covering her own Nakednefs. And that I may truly
term it fuch, the Reformation that otherwife may boaft
her Purity and Principles only founded on Holy Writ, and
all the reft of her Dodrinsand Pradices derived from thofe
facred Oracles, will be only found tripping here j and in all
her fupport of Scriptural Records in all other Points, I am
afraid muft have recourfe even to the exploded Authority
ofTRAD IT 10 PI only for her Penal Laws. For I fhrewd-
ly fufped that Lollards Towers and Inquifition Houfes (let
her mince it as fhe will) will be found the only Precedents
for the Eftates fhe hasconfifcated, the Families fhe has beg-
gar'd the Gaols fhe has fill'd, befides her fometimes load-
ing of Gibbets, and ripping up the Bowels even of her own
Co-Difciples, becaufe Dijfenting ProfefTors of Chrift, and
all by her Penal Laws.
Nor will it fuffice for an Excufe to infinuate that the
Eftablifhment of Religion and Conformity of Worfhip on
one fide, and the Prefervation of Peace andTranquillity of
the
i 19 )
the State on the other fide, exad the necefiity of fuch rigid
Laws. [Though by the by, the Peace of States is rather
deflroyd then upheld by fuch Laws ; for what Civil War in
almoft all theChrifl;ianWorld,that diredlly or indireilly has
not had the Opprefiion of fome Religious Party, its great-
eft, if not only Incendiary ? ]
No J to gain the firfl: of thcfe great Ends, let the Teach-
ers and Profeffors of our Eftabiilh'd Church live up to the
heighth of their Profeflion, and re-call the Wanderers, and
reduce the Strays into the Fold by their own convincing
Examples of Chriftian Piety; a much more commendable
way of making Profelytes than the foremention'd rigid Arts
of Converfion. And for the fecond great End, the Govern'
ments 5<fc«/-i/y,if herTemporal Fences are not ftrong enough,
let her make ftronger; and if any of her Diftenters are the
difturbers of her Peace, let her fingle out tl\e Guilty from
the Innocent^ and wreak her juft Vengeance where 'tis de-
ferved; and not punifti the Diffcnt it lelf (which as being
meer matter of Religion, is wholly uncapable of fuch Crime)
for the fake of any corrupted Members, that either are of^
or Herd under the Covert of fuch or fuch a Congregation
of Chriftians. For to do that work by the undiftinguilhing
mercilefs Hand of her Penal Statutes, is fo little conforma-
ble to the Evangelical Precepts, that I am afraid the doing
fuch notorious Ills that Good may come of it, whatever Re-
ligious Security, or Gofpel Propagation may be intended
by them; thefe Tenal Lavos^ I fay, that can fwallow the E-
fiateSy Fortunes^ Liberties and Lives^ of their weaker Bre-
thren and fellow Chriftians, inftead of being.either Chrifli'
an or Jufl^ or any ways related to 'em, will at laft appear
much nearer of kin to that famous Rover that wanders
round the World to feek whom he may devour, infomuch
that their Ordination will be found little lefs than borrow-
ing Engines from Helho help to fet up Heavert! Now -
( 20 )
' Now to the Cafe of the Church of England^ if thefe are
her Penal Laws (for I fliali not trouble my feif with a tedi-
ous recital of the fcveral Statutes of that nature, as being all
but Scions from the fame Root) I fliould gladly know what
Beauties or rather invifible Charms the Church of England
can find in thefe Statutes to be in the leaft folicitous for their
prefervation. For, alas! maugreail her Volumes written
upon the Unreafonablenefs Separation from her Comrau-
nion, and her Juftification of her zealous Indeavours for Con-
formity, unlefs the Means and Methods ufed to obtain it
(as thefe Laws were intended for fuch} be equally
ble, her whole Pretenfions fall to the Ground.
Nor will it excufe her to fay, that they were chiefly en-
afted in Terroremy as being but feldom put in execution;
as if a ftudied ill Deed were therefore more excufable be-
caufe committed, fuppofe but once in an Age ; when a foul
Ad: for that very Caufe, fhould rather appear the more de-
form'd, as 'tis the Rarity that makes the Monfter.—Be-
fides, Queen Mary had that Plea to make; for what were
2.06 Proteftants even by Foxes Mufter-Roll, burnt for Reli-
gion in her five years Reign, to the fome millions of Pro-
teftants in thofe days, when half the Kingdom was of that
Perfuafion ? an infinite larger number to cull out fo many
Sufferers from, than all the Popifh Priefts that Rome has
fent over thefe 130 Years paft, or ihall do in as many more
to come.
To return therefore to His Majefties Propofal of Abro-
gating thefe Laws, 'tis a greater Duty upon the Church of
England to aboliih 'em than in the Diffenters themfelves j
for as 'tis a Voke impofed upon their weaker Brethren, in
it felf wholly unjuft, the Sufferer under that Yoke in endea-
vouring
C 21 )
vouring to break it, only a£ts by the Motives of Self-defence^
the common Principle of Nature: But the Impojer of that
Yoke is tyed by the Obligations of Religion it felf, to repeal
and repent his own 0/ Injuflke.
Befides, if all Arguments of Confcience cannot prevail j
and Policy^ not Equity (^though Heaven forbid fo unchari-
table a Thought) is our Churches Guide; yet, even then
too. What do's Ihe yield up in abolifhing thofe Laws ? Why,
truly nothing. For whilft the Government continues in the
Hands of a Prince of the Romifh Religion, thofe Statutes
will utterly lye dead; for the Royal Indulgence^ a Preroga-
tive in the Crown, will never put them in execution: And
if abolilht, however the next Proteftant Prince has the
power of Refumption^ if his Confcience lhall think fit to
give them a Refurreftion. What reafon therefore has the
Church of England for her Nonconcurrence to a Propofal
(b^equitable, when flie has not fo much as the leaft Pretext
even of meer Intereft it felf for her Refufal
But this I am fure, as the Church of England can have
no folid Reafons to oppofe their Repeal, the State has very
fubftantial ones to inforce it. For as TRADE is the great-
eft fupport and ftrength of a Kingdom, I know no Politicks
fo conducing to the Commerce and Wealth of a Nation ^
as Liberty of Confcience. What greater Encouragement to
Naturalization ? And England that is not overloaded with t
People, can have no fairer Inlet to bring in whole Families -
and Eftates, and indeed the Wealth of the World (befides .
the opening that Current of Commerce even amongft our
prefent Natives, which the late Reftraint of Worlhip had
lb much Ihut up) than Liberty of Religion. Nor can I bet- -
ter inftance the ElFeds of this Policy than in the growth of
( 22 )
the DutchGreat^efSj^nd the decay ohho^Spaniard from their
different Extreams of National Condudt in that Point.
I am certain His Majefty refolves to eternize his Glory,
by being the trueff: Pater PatriiS ot all the Crown'd Heads
fince the Conqueft ; nor has He a fairer Profpe6t of making
His Kingdom a true Paradije PEACE and PLENT1\
but by taking this "Pattern at leaft from the firjl Paradtfe;
that is, by making the Lyon and Lamb lye down in Peace
together; our long Difunions being no otherways to be
reconciled, and our Enmities hulht but by this only Vni-
TjerJal Pac'tfication.
I lhali only add this laft Confideration. The execution
of our Penal Laws and the reftraint of Confcience,.has been
the greateft Blow that ever was given to the Hereditary
Right of the Subjeds of Englandy their natural Properties
and Immunities given and fealed to them by Magna Charia
it felf. For who can call his Liberty or Eftate his own,whilfl:
2L Super tour Opinion m POWER mall feize our Perfons and
confifcate our EJlateSy for no other caufe but difference of
Worjhip and Faith; and neither Perfon, Eftate or Liberty,
redeemable under a lefs Compofttion than renouncing of
God J for Conformity of Worfliip abfolutely againft Con-
fcience is little elfe. And all this Capital Offence fo ««-
fxt and fo undeterminable a fort ofTranfgreflion, that a Man
has only a meer Lottery to be in the Right or the Wrong:
For the blackeft Criminal in one Reign has been the whiteft
Saint in the next, and fo vice verf^ over again, witnefs the
Reigns of Edward the Sixth, Queen Mary and (^een Eliza-
leth, where the Prpteftants were the Devils one while and
the Papifts another: Nay,in the Reign of Henry the Eighth,
both Papift and.Proteftant were at one time in the wrong:
For
( 4? )
For'twas remarkable in his Reign, that in the lame day
have Papifts been hanged for Traytors^ for difowning his
Church Supremacy; and Proteftants burnt for Heretkks for
denying of Tranfulflantiation. Thus in their turns have all
Religions and Opinions lain under the Scourge of the fe-
vereft of Laws, and all for want of that Obedience to a Law^
which Humanity it felf is utterly unable to pay. For though
our Breach or not Breach of all other Laws, either Humane
or Divine, lyes in our own free will and choice: To conform
or not conform to this or that Belief, is wholly above the
■power of Man; Faith only being Irrejijlihle. And if our
worldly Well-being, and all we enjoy in this Life, depends
upon fuch caprichious Decrees of Law, certainly the Great
Charter of our Liberties and Eftates that confirm'd 'em
both under nd fuch Condition or Rejlrillion^ is not a little in-
vaded by the Penalties of fuch Laws: And I canndt tell
what greater or more glorious Defign His Gracious Ma-
jelly can undertake, than by repairing fo deep a Breach
wrought through the very Fundamentals of his Peoples ori-
ginal Freedom and Birthrights; Nor is there, or has been
a greater Friend or Patron of the Church of England than
His prefent Majefty, who himfelf alone tenders Her the
Means and Opportunity to walh off thole long Stains and
Blots^ which either the petulance or remifsnefs of Her Prote-
ftant Defenders of Her Faith, through thefe Penal Statutes
have call or left upon Her,and fo to rellore Her toWhitenefs
and Innocence.
Having made this fair Inqueft into the Penal Laws, I
lhall take a little Search too into the 7"£ S T, and lay
down thofe Reafons that equally oblige us to concur with
His Majefty in a Repeal of that too.
D
In
( 24 )
In order to which, it behoves us firft to fum up all the
great and popular Arguments (if I may fo call 'em, tho in
reality rather the Language of Fears and Jealoufes than the
Voice of ri^ht Reajon) daily urged for the Prefervation of
the TeA viz. That the whole Defence of the Frotejlant Reli-
gion relyes on that Bafts. If the Tefi were once ahrogated.,
the Church England ivoalafoon he blown up^ when all Offi-
ces both Ecclefiajtical and Civil, and all Power and Autho-
rity both in Church and State fhall be lodged in Roman Ca-
tholick Hands j and what not t
To anfwer which hideous and formidable Outcry, we'll
begin firfl; with the pretended Dangers threaten'd the
Church of Englandhy Repeal of the Tejl. Not to infill up-
on His Majeflies reiterated WORD and HONOVRy His
inviokble Engagements to maintain the Church of Eng-
land as now by Law eftabUllit, in her uninterrupted Rights
and Priviledges, all her Churches and Church-livings what-
ever thereunto belonging, (^c. in it felf alone no little Se^
curity. But waving that Plea, the Ecclefiallical Govern-
ment and the Church of England neither are^ nor can be
Ihaken or toucht by the Abrogation ofthe 7>y?, the Te(l be-
ing indeed no part of her Defence. For firll, the very taking
of the Teft, is no part of the Qualification of any of the Cler-
gy Engl and.pciox was ever fo much as mention'd or thought
upon to be impofed or tendcr'd to the Clergy: No; as jea-
lous as the Founders of that Teft were (or pre tended to be)
of the Danger of Popery, and as zealous as they could be
for the Security of the Proteftant Religion, they very well
knew the Church of England had two impregnable BuU
thetwo great Afts oiV NIFO R MITT that them-
felves alone fumciently eftablilbt, guarded, and pteferved
the Church of England in all Points without any Fortifica-
tion
C 2S )
tion from the Tejl; nor indeed was the TV? wanted in the
Ecclefiaftick Adminiftration, thofe very vStatutes being a
greater and firanger Teft before: For by thofe Statutes
is the whole Liturgy, the Adminiftration of the Sacraments,
and indeed all the Canons and Articles of the Church fup-
ported: For by the Fence of thofe Laws, firft, no Romanifi
can poflibly be admitted into the Clergy unlefs under the
moft damnable Hypocrifie (which no Human Te(l can difco^
ver) an Hypocrifie too no ways beneficial to the Romifh
Caufe whiift tyed up to the Divine Service as now by Law'
eftabiilht. Secondly, No other Divine Service, as the Majs^
or the like, can be introduced into our Churches already
conftituted or affigncd for the Divine Service of the Church
of England.
The ftrength ofthefe two Laws HisMajefty very well
knows, and is fo far even from the Thought of hurting or
infringing the leaft Particle of either of thofe Laws, or
the Security our Church haj^ dds^ or can receive from them,
by abrogating any Penal Laws or Tefts whatever, that on
the contrary there is not undoubtedly that farther Confir-
mation of thofe Laws, and the Religious Ohfervance of them,
or any thing conducing thereunto, that may or fhall be of-
fer'd to His Majefty in Parliament, that His Majefty fhall
not readily ajjent to, and as inviolably maintain.
If then the Church England^ Her Adminiftration and
Government (as 'tis plain) ftand of themfelves alone fecure
and firm, without any borrow'd Prop or Support from the
Tejl whateverjtheTV? therefore is only zButtrice[ot at leaft
fo intended) to the Civil Magiftracy; as firft. Excluding all
Roman Catholicks from all Offices of Trujl in the State.
Secondly, From all Domejlick Services near the Perfon of the
King. And Thirdly, From all Right to Seffion in Parliament.
D 2 Thefe
{^6)
Thefe three Incapacities are by the Tejl thrown upon the
Romanifis. And for confuting all Sufpicions and Jealoufies,
let us examine how the loofening of all thefe three Reftrifti-
ons can tend to the Subverfion of the Proteftant Reiigi-
on as now by Law eftabliflit.
\
In the firft place, as to the Civil Government: What Of-
fice in the State can a Roman Catholkk hold, any ways em-
powering him tp prejudice the Church of Englandl Sup-
pofe even in the Courts of Judicature (for if any Apparition
of any fuch Power, 'tis thereWere Romanifis (imagine)
in ail thofe Offices ? Why may not a Sir Thomas Moor be
as honeft as a Lord Chief Juflice Hales^ and execute his Of-
fice with as greatand Juflice > Why not Men of
equal Abilities be of equal Uprightnefs in all Religions?
Befides, the Diftribution of Meumsmd Tuum^more efpecially
whenLiberty ofConfcience ffiall be paft into a perpetualLdriv,
and all Penal Inflidions for matter of Religion thrown out
of their Jurifdidions) will then be the whole Bufinefs that
lyes before them; and wherein is & Roman Catholick Judge
any more incapacitated for the adminiftring of Juftice than
another Man ? Moreover, in a Kingdom where their num-
ber is fo truly inconfideralDle, as fcarce the Two hundredth
Man in the Nation, if they have hopes of making any Con-
verts or any Indeavours that way, it can only be done by
holding the Scale of Juftice upright, and in all Pofts of
Truft by keeping up the fteddieft Standard of Right and
Equity, as the only means thereby to recommend and en-
dear themfelves to the World, and wipe off thofe Blemifties
that the miflaken Jealoufies and Popular Mifapprehenfions
havefo long fo unkindly caft upon them. And This, and
This only they are very fenfible is their Chart to fteer by;
and tlieir Great Ri/a/, their Royal Mafter, the beft read Stu-
dent
■ ^ ( 27 3
dent in the Arts of Empire that poflibly ever graced a
Throne, equally knows to be His only Courfe, and un-
doubtedly as facredly refolves to make it fo. And if the
Judges of the Land fuppofe of the Romtjh Religion (befides
their Oaths that bind 'em, and His Majefties Honour that
[ lhall influence them to it) have thefe Obligations more and
^ above even of INT E REST to their very Religion it
felf, to move in fo regular a Sphear of Juftice, where
lyes our Danger ? And if this higlier Station will be fo In-
oflenfive, what can the poorer Juftices of the Peace, or the
inferiour Subminiflration of the Government fignifie, in
Popilh or not Popifh Hands?
But in this Cafe I have heard fome People fay: Alas!
What firetch of the Laws will not fuch Judges make ? Perhaps
for injiance, pick a hole in the Ahhy-Lands ^ and (iart fome
dormient Title or other to revert them to the Church of Rome j
a Patrimony that will not a little, enrich the Romanifls and
advance their Caufe.
This idle Objeftion was fcarce worth naming; as if the
ftretching of our Laws in that Point was not as notorious
and Arhitrary as a total Violation of the Subjects Right,
and rendir^ the whole Frame of the Laws in funder. But
to check this idle Surmize; If a Romifh Parliament it felf
in the Reign of Queen Mary, with the very Reftoration of
the Romifh Religion and Papal Supremacy into the Saddle,
never fo much as attempted to revert thofe Lands: Nay,on
the contrary, their whole Title was confirm'd to the prefent
Pcffeflours by a Decretal from Rome it felf, as was then fo
folemnly done by Cardinal Pool, the then Popes Legate:
How groundlefs muft the Fear be of any Thought or At-
tempt of reverting them now ? Or why muft the Romifh
Judges s
( 28 )
Judges in any kind fubvert or undermine the Laws,contrary
to all their befl Poiitiques in the prefent State of England^
to no true advantage either to themfelves or their Church,
and polTibly to be anfwerable for it with their Heads, if
they live to the next Proteftant Prince.
To come next to the Officers of his Majejlies Hou/hoU^'^c.
To have thofe Polls too barricado'd with Tells, and the Im-
perial Dignity fo fliackled, as to bedebarr'd the Choice of its
own Menials; nay, even ofits Converfation it feif, is an In-
folence put upon Majclly, as had been fcarce tolerable from
an Ordinance of Forty eight,much lefs an Adt of Parliament.
But for our lefs Wonder at it, we arc to confider 'twas
Hatch'd in the fame Repuhlick Neft: for no lels than the
great old Patriot of Three Names fate for the brooding of if.
1 think I need not raife Arguments to prove how little
thofe Gentlemen of Honour, the Courtiers I mean, of any
Religion whatfoever, in that innocent Station are, or can be
concerned in lhaking either Church or State. It is enough
to fay that greater Indignity under the Sandiion of a Law,
was never impos'd upon a Crown'd Head. The meanell
Gentleman in England.^ whilft this Tell keeps Footing, has
a Prerogative above the King. For the choice of his Stew-i
ard, Bayliir, Attorney, or Solicitor, ^c. are in his own free
Eledlion: But thefe were Priviledges thought too large for
a King j and therefore he is Stinted and Bounded to fuch
Eledlions, as the more Imperial Wifdom of His Great
Mafters in Parliament judge fittell for him.
Monarchical Rule is faid to be like that of Heaven, where
the Primum Mohik a£ls altogether by inferior Sphears,
tL^dfecond Caufes. And fo Majelly by its Officers and Mi-,
nillers, as fo many Vehicles, by which the Influences of the
Royal Power are Convey'd, to fet Machine z
moving:. But truly this Afcendancy the late Law-makers;
judged
\
( 2? )
judged too great for the King of England ^ and therefore they
found an Expedient to render tlie Monarchy little more than
precarious^ making the whole Minifters of the State the
Creatures of theTert, and not of the King.
Now I defire to know how in Reafon we can imagine,
that a King, in himfelf the Fountain of Honour^ and Origi-
nal of fo^oer ; though in his Nature, the Mildeft and befl
Temper'd of Princes ; though without the leaft Thought of
Unhinging the Frame of the Government, or Difturbing the
Settled Church of his Kingdom j to blaft his own Glory,
and lofe his Subjedts Hearts; (for that would be all the
Crop 'twould yield him;) I wonder I fay how we can
imagine, that tlie Beft and moft Gracious of Princes, tho
without the foremention'd Defigns, could neverthelefs
brook fo Vnprincely a Toke as the Teft.— And truly to juftifie
hisMajeflies heartieft Endeavours againft both Penal Laws
and Teft, in not labouring to abrogate the firft, as they
ftand in Force againft the Lives and Liberties, (and how un-
jujllj \i2iS been proved before) of the Members of his own
Communion, he would be the rtioft «»»^?r«r<j/ofMen; and
in not labouring to repeal the laft, as ftanding fo egregioufly
in force againft the Right and Prerogative of His Croij-n,
and indeed originally forged in Affront to himfelf, he fliould
be the moft DiPoonourable of Princes: Nor will it ferve to
objecft, that His late Majefty (whatever diminution to the
Prerogative it might be) by pafting it into a has a-
lienated that Power from the Crown. For to anfwer that
Argument, we are aifured, that whatever Alienations of
that kind theEafinefs of the prefentPolfeffour of the Crown,
or any other Reafons may induce him to make, are no
ways truly binding to the Succeftbr.
Now to come to the laft Point,the Qualification of Mem-
bers in Parliament by the Tefl : And firft, I fliall not fo much
infift.
)
( 30 ) :
infift upon the notorious Invafion of the Birthright of the «J*
Peers by this Exclufion from Parliament,as being a Point al-
ready fo well handled by better Pens, and never yet anfwer- «
ed • nor (hall I fo much infift upon the IMegality and Vnrea-
fonahlenefs of Tefts in general of any kind, as was once argu- :i:,
ed in Parliament by the Lord Delmere in oppofition to a *
Teft propofed by the Earl of Lindfey, a Teft, which (though W
not thought legal to be impofed as fuch) contain'd no other "J;
than the higheft Obligations of Loyalty that every Subjed \:m
owes to his Prince. But if the making of Tefts in Parliament, ^eil R
which with the Sovereign Confent (as Kings are but Men, :«) we
and fometimes the Exigence of Affairs, may extort the Roy- it'iioi!
al Fiat') lyes in the Majority fo to do: Suppofe the Forgers iBirw
of this Tefi (for by the by they were none ol the beft Friends km
of the Church as now by Law eftabliflit) had foliow'd their x-c im
Blow, and form'd a fecond Teft to deny Epifcopacy to be (iife;
Jure div'iHO; a Difpute much bandyed in thofe days: Flere ^,01
had the Bifhops been thrown out of the Parliament, if not
the whole Hierarchy out of the Kingdom. And fo by Tefts
ad Infinitum^ how might the Bajis of the whole Government k t
been overturned, and the very Houfes of Parliament dwin- iMtt
died at laft,to the fcandalous Dimenfions of the old falhion'd .iiiti
Rump, For if one 7eji to exclude a Scere^ why not another Jtidi,
to lop offa hundred? And indeed, how are our prefent Par- '%ii
liaments the comprehenfive Body of the Mation^ when fo ma-
ny of the Peers, not there by ReprefentativeSy are (hut out ? Lf,,
. Nay, how much is the Dignity of the Laws they make, and
the very Conflitution of our later Parliaments themfelves L'p
i impair'd and leffen'd by fuch an Exclufion ?
ll' But to come to the mainBu Cinc{s,viz. to obviate the great- k
11 eft and terribleft Clamour of Fear and Jealoufie againft the * '
j y Repeal of the Teft, viz. - If the Teft were dejlrofdy ivho knows
k ■ hut Parliaments may befo managed as to turn out the Church of
England, and fet up Popery even hy Law itfelf? This
C 5« ) .
This Indeed is the Gorgon^ that friglits half Man-kind
out of their little Senfes, But where, or how is this
POpifh Parliament to be gotten,( for aProtcftant one will
hardly be lb Complaifant; ) But to iearch out every
Cranny that this imaginary Danger is fuppofed to creep
in at, Let us examine theand try their
Inclinations that way.
If the Teft were laid afide, and the excluded Lords re-
ftored; what would their Number fignifie 1 At our lall
Parliaraent,theProtefl:ant Peers amounted to i6o, and the
excluded Romifh Barons ( nor are they much increafed
fince ) were not a Tenth of their Number. So that
here's an abfolute want of a Prodigious Creation of Ro-
mifli Barons to rife to a Majority ; Nay, and of fo many
Eflates toOf to fupport the Grandurc , as pofTibly would
ftagger imagination it felf to find a 'Treaiure, enough to
purchafe .• for fo many A^ew Dignifications, elpecially of
Gentry J or Landed Men to Bart Lords ^ among fo jhin
(own a Party, would put 'em damnable hard to it. But
for ouce, grant fuch an Extravagant Donation of Ho-
nour, and fuch to maintain it, might form
a Houfe of Lords capable of over-ballancing on the Popifh
fide ; where fhall the Houfe of Commons be had ? for with-
out they do nothing / They would go nigh to find
fucfi a Dead fVeight in the Lower Houfe, as all the Tuggs
of Rowe would r^ever be able to ftirr ; and this flupendi-
ous Parliamentary Subverfion of the Church of England
a Phcenomenon only in Nub thus.
A Popjfb Houfe of Commons too! Alas, they'll tell you,,
very eafly. Has not the Kjngfor infla-nce, got anew way
of Regulating Corporations , Nay, has he not ( or will do be-
fore next Sefjions ) already ModeE d all their Chartersand ^
undoubtedly left few or none , either Citizens, Burghers or
Pree-wen, in whom the EkiHion Iks ^ but fuch as are his
friends andCreatures. E Very
3 ^ ^ i Udi
Very Well: Suppofe he has, or will take Care, tothe
beft of his Endt^vour or Porver^to Eftablifh Corporation
to his own Hearts Itking: After all, where fhall there be
Vnt Roman Catholique in all the next Eleelion ; and
what fhall thefe Creatures ^ (ifyou'Jl have'em fo ) do
more than Choofe every Numerical Member a Protefiant
For till the TeR be Legally dilTolved, they muft a//be fo.
And truly what if this next, tho* Proteftant Parliament,
out of an Abhorrence of the "Vnchrifiian Barbarity of the-
Benall Laws,fh2X\ do themfelves, their Poftetity their P,
LJio Ay1 ^ ^ /t i a Tiifl-tr-ii in rl i nTnlTzmn- flif»rn?
ii
ia
3
:::al
Country., and His Majejlie Jnftice in diffoiving them?
A 1 1. ..'ri'T \ • /-» _P_.. C* T _
And what if Ukewife their true Senfe of the mofl: fervile
Imyofitiontb^i Imperial Dignity ever bore, their Tender- 'if/f
nefs for HisMajefties and Prerogative, together
v^ith their Gratitude, for the Plenty and Peace His Reign p
has Blels'd them M'ith, fliall incline them alfo, to break W
thofe Fetters of the Crown , the Tejl; and all no more
than High-Juflice and Right Reafon fhall oblige them to;
Muft it therefore follow, that they fhall do themfelves,
their Families, their yet unborn Heirs, and their no lefs j®'
ConcerntheirCountry that Wrong, as to give up their ^
tcnderell: and neareft Care, their Religion-, or any thing
tending to it/ t
Well, but fay they,^ if this next Parliament will not do «
the Work ; when the 7ejl is once gon ; "'tis hut calling near
POf ifh ones that will. •
I, but who fhall choofe them ? The Eleflors arc all the
fame: Tor the Corporations are, or will be fettled to his
own Model; and Teftor no Teft in Being , their Incli-
nations will be all the fame; and upon any New Choice,
beyond all Difpute, the Majoritie of the Old MembersB-
le£led again ; and if any New Ones amongftthem , thofe
too as far from leaning towards <?;»?, as the Popular
Trantick Jealoufies arc from Common Senfe.
Upon
ia]
i:
'k
a
f 3^ )
tot'i Upon the upfhot, I dcfie all Mankind to form one Re^t-
ati;; fonable Projeftion, or indeed, imaginary poffibiiity ol fuch
ijrf;. ^ a Popifli Parliament. For inftance we muft ran into
tndlQCs Labyrinths and Chimeras, for the meer Sh.tdoiv of
fo]: fuch a Danger. Forfirll: the King muft dilTolvc all his
itA; late Charters again; no matter whether forfeited or not ;
if; and-fo throw Dirt in the Face of his own yefterdays
Royal Afts and Grants; For all the Free-men, Burggers^
QT Aldermen , and whatever the prelent Electors, and
confequently all the Trading Part of the Nation, mulf be
jb: difplaced and cafhierd, (a very Violent Reform, and an
jjifj;: ingratitude, which His MajsRies Nature abhors, to thofe
jtEv very Men, that by refcinding th^Penall Laws and Te//,fhall
tocjj;: have Duty fully given him all he could ask:) And a new
fetof Romans planted in their Rooms; or otherwife , if
(0^ the prefent Electors continue in their Pofts, a Majority
JO- of Papifts muft be crowded in to over-Vote them; But
jjjjj. where to be had, let Machiavil himfelf inform us. For
alas, where are thefe Popijh Vpfiarts to be found. Not
Jaraongfl the prelent Inhabitants of the Corporations :
For how many Corporations arc there in England, that
have not lb much as oneMan amongft them of^thatReligi-
on. Nay, take Ibme parts of , as thz Wejl for
{J. Example, where Corporations Rand Thickefiy and PapiRs
grow Thinnefi, and you fliall not find in whole Counties
the Hundredth f Kay, if I trebled it, I fhould not mi-
J. Rake. ) Part of Papifls, of all Degrees whatever, to fup'-
ply fuch a Corporation Majority of Eleflors, or any thing
r like it- And indeed, take the whole Nation round, and
L make every RomaniR that Writes the Age of Man an Ai-
2,; derman, they lhall fall fo fhort Rill of the Account, that
they muR be forced to fend over for Jago Pilgrims, ( a
good jolly Troop too ) or Ibme other, as Extravagant
E 2 . Helps
( 3+ )
Helps (0 make out the Number, or otherwife our Out-
cry will be but and our Fears but
But (uppoleany Fuch wondrous EleSbors, {uch Alien or
i^(9rre/^-^fuppliesofRomaniftscouIdbefouad, and fo ir-
regularly thruft into Corporations, as to carry aPopifh
Majority of Corporation Members: Nor will Inch a bare
Majority do the Work. One additional Hundred of Po-
pilh Members extraordinary muft be had, to over-power
the Knights of the Shire, who in Spight of all pretended-
Corporation Feats, will be firm Froteflunt Members;
the Over-byafling ofirWe being an Apprehen-
fion that Lunacy it [elf can never Forge. Neverthelefs,
fuppafe all thel'e Supplies fo obtruded upon us,
enough to carry the Caufe .• Alas, what Palliation, Nay,
what Eloquence of Angels is enough to vindicate fuch Ir-
regular and fuch Arbitrary Foundation of a Parliament;
and inftead of a Legal AlJembly, and truly National Senate^
or Popery fo Eftablifht the Sacred SanHion ol 2iL A W ^
Even half an Eye would fee through the Fraud, and the
whole World explode and condemn fo vifible a. Deceigt
and IHufion: Infomuch, that His Majeffy with as much
Jufice, and twice as much Honour ; ( Pardon the Pro-
fanation even of fuch a Suppofition)might as well fet
up. Sic volo fic Jubeo for Law, and fave himfelf the
trouble of calling of Parliaments , for dilfolving Penall
Laws or Tejlsy or any other fuch tedious^ an^ indeed, of
the two more Vnfrincely Toil and Labour.
Mountain Height, are Fears raifed to ; but "how
[hallow a Bafts are they Built upon ? Alas, we are not in
any kind to take Coraparifons from Queen Marys, or
Queen Elizabeths Reign. The turning the Scale of Par-
liaments in thofe Days, was the Jeafl part of any Reafo-
nable Mans Wonder. What an eafie Matter for the
Influence and Afcendancy of Imperial Power to fway Laws,
C )
and Efiabliflsi C^urc&es, as the Sovereign Inclination lea-
Red; when the Church of Krywe vA^as not fo low in its
Wtxm, or the Young Refonnation fo high in its lncreA[e,
but either Party were in a manner the Mokty of the Na-
tion, and confequcntiy the Favour of the Crown might
go far, and a Majority on the Royal Side, be more eafiiyv
obtained.
But in the prefent, even Difp'CAbly Dhninitive Num-
ber of Romanifts, and fo almoft a Total Bent of the
whole Nation to the other fide, theProiedt is fo impra^
flic Able, and the Tuxnib impojjibley as only Delirium can
fliape a Fear ofit.
But now to Sum up all, and draw towards a Period :
between fuch Pe^ali Laws, and fuch Jefcs, and the won-
drous E.piJco^al Tenderne/s for their Beloved Preferva-
tion, Our Church , though a good Mother, is but a
Courfe Nurfe, when fuch as thele, are her
Hug'd and Dandled Bantlings. And Our Confciencious
Mute Prelates, were certainly under the Fafcination of
no ordinary Hot Xsd, or fomething elfe as WariTi,tobe
warpt into in fo poor aCaufe, 'viz. The
Reading fo inoffeiifive a Paper as His Majefties Declarati-
on.—.— But perhaps, after all, there may be more in it
than we are aware of. For who can Fadom the Depth
of fuch a Difbbedience ? Who knows but this very Mask
of might beone of the fubtleft Stratagems of
Intereji. Who, I fay, knows but the Lofs of fb confidera-
ble a Church Regalia, fo dear an Enfign of Ecclejiajtick
Sovereignty as their T- ormentaOkXiA Hagella, their Lejls and
PenallLaws ; and fo fcnlible a Diminution of their
GRAND EV R ,their Diana G RA N D E V threat-
en'd by the Relaxation of thofe Laws, might be fo near a
Concern to them, that feing the Royal Indulgence to Re-
ligious Liberty, daily more and more gaining upon the
(3«;
Hearts of the People, and to flop the Carreer of fo Ce-
ncral a CotnpafTion, the Fatal Eifeflis of fo growing a
Contagion j their Denial of Reading fo Pacijick a DecU-
ration might poffibly be one of the mofi: exquifite Artifi-
ces to Riffle tliQ gcnQrousProduci of it into Abortion ; Their
very Refufal being really no more than purpofely to Court
Snftrmgs^ to gain Profelytes^ as well fore knowing, upon
the leali Punillament for it, tho' ever fo much their D//e,
to have their Condoled and Pittyed Caufe , feen through
*thoIe Popular Pd/fe Opticks^ as fhould turn even JuJlice it
ihli in Ptrfecution : And fo by Alaruming the Old Ignn-
ranee into Nerv 'Jealonfies, they might fb harden that pre-
ient (too Univerfal) popu'ar Lenity towards Tender Con-
.Jciences, and more than probably fo affeO: the Frightned
Populace, and thereby fo far influence the next Elefbion
as to defeat the whole Royalpurpofed Clemencies and gain
their, own Point.
I fhould be forry to be miffakenin this Sufpicion ; but
truly the fhallownefs of fo Weak-reafon^d an Obflinacie
againft fo Innocent a Command of the King, looks fo
very like.fbme fuch fort of Ecclefiaflical Polity^ that I am
afffaidthc ConfcienciousRumble ditFoDiminitive a Gnats
will at laR be found a meer artful Piece of PrieJl-crafty.o
keep their Dagon from falling: And what that Dagon is,
let the World judge; for excepting the Engines of their
Tyranny, and thefupporters of their Pride, I know no
Rrength the Penal Larvs or Tejlss either have or can yield
them.
But above all things that the Illegality of the King's
Difpenfing Power, fhould be a.Spe^er that appeared fb
dreadful to their Lordihips, yet walks invifible to every
Mortal Eye-Sight elfe, is not a little furprifing, The
very StraiteR-laced Prerogative Men, never denied the
King his Difpeneing Pomr in Cafbs of Offence only a-
againR
( 37 )
gainfl: himfelf, Jhfq. 'B.ifnfio alterius ; and wlicrciii the-
bare Exercife of Religious WorOiip is, or can be alnrius
Damno, their Wilcloms would have been Kind to inform
us: Or wherein any MiniRer t)r Officer, qualified or not
qualified by the Te//, in any Civil or Militaj Station, ( for
His Majeftie pretends to no other Difpcnfation ) can be
Dtmno Eccleji.e would be another piece of Difcovery , as
kind as the other. Wherein, &■ what has our Church , or
Gur Nondifpenfing Church-rnen fuffered by all this To-
Icration. Have they lofb the leall: Particle of theirGovern-
ment, DifciplinejRights, Priviledges, or PoffefTions what-
, ever. Is there any of our Nontefied Magiftrates, or our
Vnpinio/Pd Diifentersinall this Freedom,has wrongd our
Church of fo much as a Sprig of Mint^ or a Corn ot Cum-
minfeed that flie can challenge Hers. Is fhe denyed either
Liiw or for fo much as the claim of a Tythe- Egg ?
And that this Difpenfmg Pmver^ may rot look altoge-
therfo hidious, What is the King's Difpenjing Power m
Peml Laws, really any more than his pardoning Power.
The Tranfgreffionof thofe Laws, incurrs fuch 2i Penalty
or Punifhrnent, and the Royal Clemencie, is Gracioufly
pleafed to remit the Forfeiture. And indeed , what does
his Declaration amount t o more thanaA^f/i profeqm,{on\Y
a more univcrfal oitiz) iheiCommon and daily Plea of the
Crown. His Majefly, by his unquejiion^d Right can par-
don ; and what's his Declaration truly more than that
he wilt do it. Our Great Crown-fticklers, have to a very
fair purpofe,fo long Preach'd up our King's, the Visoege-
rents of GOD, to come at lafl: to the denying them anv
part of thebrightefl Prerogative of theDivinitj MERCf.
And as to the backing the Credit, of their Affertion ,
by their Parliamentary Authority of J2y&c.
I am forty to hear our Divine Gamalels lay hold of fb
Weak a Handle, as to fet n^d.7ranjient Vote againft ^Fun-
damentd
ns) ,
~ ^dimeMt4t Vm&gAtiv^, And as to their Iflfiftuadon, that
upon our coiiceding a Difptfifing Poiver , in the Cafe of
thePeW Ldtps and lefis; it muft therefore follow, that
we fliould open an Inlet tolay afide All Laws ^ both Ecck-
fiafiick and Civil; his an Ergo fequitur , To ftrangely far
ifretchM, that they might e'ne as well have laid, (and the
Confequeiice have hungas well together too) that bcv
caufe feme of our Severe Fathers of our Church, have
Reafons of Confcience and Policy, to fupport Laws for the
defo-puUthg of Kingdoms,theretore the Gentler FAT. HER
of our Country, ought to have the fame Reafbos too.
I hope, their Lordf}iips,if for nothing but the Reputa-
tion of their Wifdom and Learnings did not tender thefe
Petitioning Reafons to His Majefly, as intended for Con-
vincing ones. For truly by the ftrength, both of their Al-
ledging 2.n6 inftrencing, this part of their Petition, ifnot
ail ofit, I am alfraid looks more like Written for the Rea-
ding of the Rabble^ than of the
But to conclude. As the fore-mentioned are all our
Dangers from their Repeal, wherein are His Majefties
Demands unreafonable^ in asking the Repeal ef the ^enal
LawSy in which almoft the whole Vox fopuli, Witnefs the
late Numerous Adreffes, joyns with him, and the Princi-
pies of Nature^ Humanity and Conf cience plead for him. Or
in asking the Repeaie of the Tey?, for the allerting of his
ownand the Recovering tho. Birth-Right of
Kjng, by endeavouring to fhake off the moft Ihamefui
Vaffalage that Monarch ever truckled under. And why
muft his Endeavours of doing his People fb much Right
inthefirft; 3.nd Him/elf fo much Right in the I a ft, befo
poorly mif-interpretsd, by the unnaturalSurmifes of his
Vngratefid People. But let us Blufti and mend, and by gi-
vingup thefe LawSjdo^^/^jy in Return oiClemencit and
MERCT.
FINIS.
■ (I)
OTjw CONSIDERATIONS Profof-dto Mr. WiiKam Pen, Con-
cerning the Falidity and Security of hi<s Nerr Aligna Ghana for Liberty of
Conjcience^ by A Baptift •, rrhich may be n'orthy the Conjideration of all the
Qaakers, ajid of all my Diffcnting Brethren alfo that have Votes in th^L
Choice of Parliament-Men. i JP
IDefire yon M. Pen^ and all my Diffenting Brethren to Confider^ and
then Anfrrer this:
Firft, What validity or lecurity can any pretended or dcfigned
future Pden) Law or Charter have, when we fee fo many of the frefent
Larps we already have may be, and are by the Difpen/ing PowerDi-
fvenfed with? Have we, or can we have any Higher Power hzto. in Eng-
landy than King^ Lords and Commons in Parliament Affembled? i he Laws
that are now Idijpenfed with and rcndred iifelefs, were they not made
by that Power ? Pray tell me, can your New Charter [if you had it]
be made by any Higher or other Power ? And M. Pen., let your Ere-
thren and us know your mind honeflly ; Do you think there is any
Temporal or Spiritual-Power hcrcin England above thtOifpenjing-Vovfttl
and can you make it appear to us ?
Shall your JSew Charter have a Penalty inferred to be inflidled on the
infringers or breakers of it or no? if not, what will your Hew Charter
fignifie? Not three skipps of a Loufe-, and if it have a Penalty., Can-
not any King by Iris Prerogative and Authority Koyaf Difpence with tire
Penalty ? And what wiU it fignifie then ?
That you need not doubt at all, but may be certain of this-, you
ftiallhear what Roman Catholicks have already told us, and fudg'd is the
Law ia this matter-, nay and fuch a Right fo inherent and fo infepara-
ble from the Crown,Tlrat a King cannot divefthimfelf of it if he would,
nor is bound by his Word or any Declaration he makes, no. not in or
by Parlianrcnr.
Take it in M. R. own words in his Book, touching the
Kings Right in Difpenfing with Penal Laws, p. 3, 4. That this Trufl,
and this Power of Difpenjing with Penal Laws^ are infeparably united unto
the Royal Perfon of the King^ That he can7iot transfer^ give away or feparate
■the fame from himfelf confeguently it is inherent in his Royal Perfon^ that
in his Crown, Coke lib. 7. fob 3<5,
That the King cannot by his Grant^ nor yet by AU of Parliament^ Bar
hmfelf of any that is inherent in and infeparably amiexed unto his Royal Per-
A ■ ■ fon.
JoTi, for that in fo doing he Jhould ceafe to be King, and cojtfequently change
and fdvert the Government^ which our Law allows not.
7 bat (therefore) when ever the King to gratifie a Parliament^ doth Confent
in Parliament to any Law., by which he feems to jirip himfelf of or departfrom^
a?iy Prerogative., or Right, which in truth is infeparable from him a6 King-,
or when the King in Parliament or otherwife by any Declaratory Words or
Speeches, feems to relinquifh Juch Right fuch Confent to Juch Law U no more
than an Agreement on his pan not to ufe that Right ordinarily •, but only in
Extraordinary occajions, when in his Princely Wifdom he fhall find it necejjary,
and for publick food. But this Bars him not to uje this Right again, when he
jees jufl caufe fo to do. Nor can any Declaratory Words fpoken by the King, or
bis afjent incerted into an ASi of Parliament, Eftop the King in any Caufe of
this nature. So far he.
Now wliere's the afllirance then of Will. Peii^ New Charter for Li-
berty ? Who can tell what King we may have after our prelent Swe-
reigii, w^hether fo merciful or fo juft? Or what Sheriffs the next King
maychufe, and what Returns of Parliament-Men they may make 5 for
you know the forfeiture on the Sheriffs making a falfc Return is no
great matter, and cannot a King pardon it by his Difpenjing Power or
Authority Royal ? What will, nay what can your New Charter then
fignifie, when it either is or may be ( according to your own Dodrine)
either invalidated, difanull'd, or anihilated in an inffant ?
Secondly, Pray M. Pen, Conhder what your New Charter can figni-
fie, fo long as there is a High Commiffion Court, or a High Commijfion for
Ecckfiajlical Affairs fet up ? Cannot thofe Commiffioners take any of your
and our Preachers, Teachers, or Minifters to task when they pleafe ?
Cannot they when they have a mind to it, Sufpend M. Pen, or
George Whitehead, M. Aljbp, M. Lobb, or M. Mead, or M. Bowyer as ,
well as the Biihop of London, D. Sharp, or D. Doughty ? Notwith-
{landing your New Charter ? Cannot the Court when they will, or fhall
think fit, or be commanded, Sufpend, Silence, orforbicl any or ah the
Diffcnting Miniflersto Preachany longer in their Meetings, if they will
not read any Declaration or Order whatever, that the King fhall fet
forth add require them to Read ? Remernber the Magdalen Colledge-
Men, Remember alio that Sawce for a Gooje is or may be Sawce for a
Gander.
This Confideration is further grounded on the Words in their Lite
Order fet forth in the Gagette, For Contempt of his Majejiies Authority
Royal-, Now let us fee before we leap, whether that will run no far-
ther than ;uft M. Pen have it. Can he flop the Current of it when
he
(3 )
he pleafes ? If he could, we are not fare he would, for formerly he had
no great kindnefs f we know) for us Baftijts and other Di/enters-^ and if
he could and would, we are not furc of his life how long. Therefore
it will be the greatdt piece of wcakncis and folly in the world for us to
dance after his and the Jefukes pipe alone, contrary both no all com-
mon fenle and reafon and our own general intcreh:.
Thirdly, And above all Conlider what Security or Validity this
Iserp Charter can be of, nbeti there is ti Standing Army kept on foot ? Do
Guns hear Keafin, or regard La^vs ? Will Dragoons mind Charters or
Arguments do you think ? Pray M. Pen tell us whether rljcy have done
or do now lb in France ? We need not go far off for an inffance, it isfo
near us as fifty or fixty miles, which one would think is nigh enough
to open our_ Lye-fight, if we are not ftrangcly infatuated and given up
by the Almighty to ruin and deftruftion, which the good Lord prevent.
M. A>«, How have the Drd^oo«5 minded our ^ in thefe early
days) in divers places here in England already? What think you of
their Carriage and Quartering, will it agree with your FJerv Charter for
Liberty ? The Inkeepers and Vidluallers belide many others can give
you an account s now if you were truly A Friend for Liberty for Liber.-
ties fake, as you publifli and pretend to the world, vou would mind
and inform ns, and your Brethren of thefe and the like things, and not
mincingly pafs them over, and both delude and deceive us and them.
_Many perticulars more might be inlarged here, but a vrord to the
wife is enough.
I defire yi.Pen only to weigh ferioufly, and give an honeff, clear and
fatisfadfory Anfwer to thefe three points-, in the mean time it appears
to be highly the duty ©f all Men, as well Difenters as others who nave
Votes in chufing Parliament Men ^ above all to chufe fuch faitliful Pa-
triots as will take care of thefe things already hinted, and others that
may be brought before them tliat our Liberties, our Lams, and our
Lives may be preferved from ill deligning men, and from future ^o-
marranto's-, and all the high Violaters and Infringers thereof called to
an account, and iuftly punifhed. This will well become them and
fecure us, more than any titular Charter whatever.
Liberty is indeed a fine word, but remember (Brethen) wloat the
ApolHe Peter hath told us. That fome there were that while they Pro-
mife them Libei'ty, they thernfelves are the Servants of Corruption, and ob-
ferve what foUows, for of woom a man is uuercome, of the fame is he
brought in Bondage : how do you, how will you like that Word?
Thq
» ■ * • V ^ ✓
The name of Liberty figiiifies nothing without the Subflance and the
Continuance^ Certainty and Security of it.
Let us endeavor to fecure our Subftantial Liberties, our Englijh Li-
berties we have and ought to have, rather than to get the name of nen>
ones, which may fatally bring us into greater Bondage in the eiid.
Did you never hear of a certain Ad or Bill for the Rej^caling of a
'Pe7ial Lan>^ that was loft C when the late King was to have Sign'd it]
betwixt the Houfe of Commons, and Houfe of Lords, by a ftrange
Trick of an honeft Clerk or the ParJiament.
Do not fart rrith a Oooje^ for the jtickinie down a Feather^
Children know and can tell us, A Bird inthe Harid^ worth two in
the Bujh.
Finally Brethren, Let m be of one mind in our great Concerns^ though
we may differ in fome Circumftances and fmall trivial things.
Let us not in revenge ( though it be fweet)_ put out both our own Fyes^
to put out one of our Brothers. Let us not be fo lilly to deflroy our fetves^
to hurt others.
But let all Proteftants Vnite in mutual Cqndefcenfm^ AffeSion^ and
Inter eft •, it is high time : Remember our Saviour hath told us a houfe
divided againft it [elf cannot ftand. Nothing will Save us but Vtiion.
Let Brotherly Love and Charity contmue.
Farwell and be wife whilft you may, left j'ou
repent when 'tis too /(Jtc, and your re-
pentance will do you no gwd.
Kk,'- ' V
A H3n
LETTER
TO A
DISSENTER,
Upon occafion of
HIS MAJESTIES
Late Gracious
Declaration
O F
INDULGENCE.
LONDON;
Printed for 0. H» 1687.
r •]
E R
&c.
SIR,
Since Addrefles are in fafliion, give me leave to make
one to you. This is neither the Effeft of Fear,
Intereft, or Refentment ; therefore you may be
fure it is fincere : and for that reafon it may ex-
pC(R to be kindly received. Whether it will have
power enough to Convince, dependeth upon the Reafons,
of which you are to judge; and upon your preparation of
Mind, to be perfwaded by Truth, whenever it appeareth to
you. ■ It ought not to be the lefs welcom, for coming
from a friendly hand, one whofe kindnefs to you is not
lellened by difference of Opinion, and who will not let
his thoughts for the Publick be fo tyed or conffned to this
or that Sub-divifion of Proteftants, as to Rifle the Charity,
whicii, befides all other Arguments,.is at this time become
neceflary to preferve us.
I am neither furprized nor provoked, to fee that in the
co.ndition you were put into by the Laws, and the ill cir-
A z ' cumRances
LETT
TO A
ilTenter.
CO
cumftances you lay under, by having tlie Exclufion and
Rebellion laid to your Charge, you were defirous to make
your fel ves fefs uneafie and obnoxious to Authority. Men
who are fore, run to the neareft Remedy with too much
haft, to confider all the confequences: Grains of allow-
•nee are to be given, where Nature giveth fuch ftrong In-
fiuences. When to men under Sufferings it offereth Eafe,
the prcfent Pain will hardly allow time to examine the Re-
medies; and the ftrongeft Reafon can liardly gain a fair
Audience from our Mind, whilft fo poffefted, till the fmart
is a little allayed.
I do not know whether the Warmth that naturally be-
longeth to new Friendfiiips, may not make it a harder
Task for me to perfwade you. It is like telling Lovers, in
the beginning of their Joys, that they will in a little time
have an end. Such an unwelcome Style doth not eafily
find credit : but I will fuppofe you are not fo far gone in
your new Paftion, but that you willftill; and there-
lore I am under the lefs difcouragement, when I offer to
your confideration two things. The firfi is, the caufe you
have to fufped your new Friends. The fecond, the Duty
incumbent upon you, in Chriftianity and Prudence, not to
hazard the publick Safety, neither by defire of Eafe, nor
of Revenge.
To the firfl: Confider that notwithftanding the fmooth
Language which is now put on to engage you, thefe new
Friends did not make you their Choice, but their Refuge:
They have ever made their firft Courtfliips to the Church
of En^and. and when they were reje£l:ed there, they made
their Application to you in the fecond place. The Inftan-
ces of this, might be given in all times. I do not repeat
them, becaufe whatfoever is unnecelFary, muft be tedious,
the truth of this Aflertion being fo plain, as not to admit a
Difpute. You cannot therefore reafonably flatter your
felves, that there is any Inclination to you. They never
. pretended
•I
pretended to allow you any Quarter, but to ullier in Li-
berty for themfelves under that llielter. I refer you to
Mr. Coleman s Letters, and to the Journals of Parliament,
where you may be convinced, if you can be fo miftaken,
as to doubt; nay, at this very hour, they can hardly for-
bear, in the height of their Courtfhip, to let fall liard
words of you. So little is Nature to be reflrained ; it will
ftart out fometimes, difdaining to fubmit to the Ufurpati-
on of Art and Intereft.
This Alliance, between Liberty and Infallibility, is
bringing together the Two moft contrary things that are
in the World. The Church of Rome doth not only diflike
the allowing Liberty, but by its Principles it cannot do it.
Wine is not more exprefly forbidden to the Mahometans,
then giving Hereticks Liberty to e Papijis : They are
no more able to make good their Vows to you, then Men
married before, and their Wife alive, can confirm their
Contract with another. The continuance of their kind-
nefs, would be a habit of Sin, of which they are to repent,
and their Abfolution is to be had upon no other terms, than
their Promife to deftroy you. You are therefore to be hug-
ged now, onely that you may be the better fqueezed at
another time. There muft be fomething Extraordinary,
when the Church of Rome fetteth up Bills, and offereth
Plaifters, for tender Confciences : By all that hath hither-
to appeared, her skill in Chirurgery lyeth chiefly in a
quick iTand, to cut off Limbs; but ihe is thcworfl: at
Healing, of any that ever pretended to it.
To come fo quick from another extream, is fuch an un-
natural motion, that you ought to be upon your Guard
the other day you were Sons of Belial, Now, you are An-
gels of light. This is a violent change, and it will be fit for
you to paufe upon it, before you believe it : If your fea-
t»res are not altered, neither is their opinion of you, what
€ver may be pretended. Do you believe lefs than you did,
that
! ^
1^
,)
■I
'1
1'
1
r i
I
J
r
(
i!
•I
that there is Idolatry in the Church of Rome .<? fure you
do not. See then, how they treat both in Words and Wri-
ting, thofe who entertain that opinion. Conclude from
hence, how inconfiftent their favour is with this fingie Ar-
tide, except they give you a Difpenfation for this too,
and by a \ionOhiiante, fecure you that they will not think
the worfe of you.
Think a little how dangerous it is to build upon a Foun-
dation of Parodoxes, Popery now is the only friend to Li-
bci ty, and the known enemy to Perfecution : The men of
Taunton and Tiverton ^ are above all other eminent for
Loyalt}^ The Sluakert from being declared by the Pa-
pifcs not to be Chriu.ians, are now made Favourites, and
taken into their particular Protcdion; they are on a hid-
den grown the mofl Accornpliihed men of the Kingdom,
in good Breeding, and give Thanks with the beft Grace,
in double refined Language. So that 1 Ihould not wonder,,
though a man of that Perfwafion, in fpite of his Hat,
lliould'be Mafier of the Ceremonies, Not to fay harlli-
er words, thefe are fuch very new things, that it is nnpoffi-
ble not to fufpend our Belief,till by a little more Experience
we may be inform'd whether they are Realities or Appari-
tions : We have been under lliameful miftakes, if thefe
Opinions are true; but for the prefent, we are apt to be in-
credulous; except we could be convinced, that the Pricfts
words in this Cafe too, are able to make fuch a fudden,
and effectual change ; and that their Power is not limited
to the Sacrament, but thstit extendeth to alter the na-
ture of all other things, as ci'tcn as they are fo dif-
. pofcd.
Let me now fpcak 6f the InRruments of your Friend-
(hip, and then leave you to judge, whether they do not
afford matter of Sufpition. No Sharpnefs is to be min-
gled where Healingonely is intended; fo nothing will be
faid to cxpofe particular men, how Rrong fo ever the Tern-
ptati-
[?]
ptation may be, or how dear the Proofs to make it out.
A word or two irr general, for your better caution, lhall
fiiffice : Suppofe then, for Argument's fake, that the Me-
diators of this new Alliance, Ihould be fuch as have been
formerly imployed in Treaties of the fame kinde, and
there deteded to have Adied by Order, and to have been
Impowered to give Encouragements and Rewards. Would
not this be an Argument to fufpedi them ?
If they fhould plainly be under Engagements to one
fide, their Arguments to the otlier, ought to be received
accordingly; their fair Pretences are to be looked upon as
part of their Commiffion, which may not improbably
give them a Difpenfation in the cafe of Truth, when it
may bring a prejudice upon the Service of thofe by whom
they are imployed.
If there Ihould be men who having formerly had Means
and Authority to perfwade by Secular Arguments, have in
purfuance of that Power, fprinkled Money amongft the
Dillenting MiniRers; and if thofe very men Ihould now
have the fame Authority, praftice the fame Methods, and
Disburfe, where they cannot otherwife perfwade: It feem-
eth to me to be rather an Evidence than a Prefumption of
the Deceit.
If there Ihould be MiniRers amongR you, who by ha-
ving lallen under Temptations of this kinde, are in fome
fort engaged to continue their Frailty, by the awe they are-
in leaR it Riould be expofed : The Perfwafions of thefe
unfortunate men muR lure have the lefs fofce, and their
Arguments, though never fo fpecious, are to be fufpefted,
when they come from men who have Mortgaged them-
felves to fevere Creditors that expeft a rigorous obfervati-
on of the ContraOr, let-it be never fo unwarrantable.
If thefe, or any others, fliould at this time Preach up
Anger and Vengeance againR the Church of England^
may it not without InjuRice be fufpedled, that a thing fo
plainly
CO
f lainly out of feafon, fpringeth rather from Corruption
than Miftake ; and that thole who ad: this Cholerick part,
do not believe themfelves, but onely purfue higher Dire-
dions, and endeavour to make good that part of their Con-
trad which obligeth them, upon a Forfeiture, to make
ufe of their inflaming Eloquence ? They might apprehend
their Wages would be retrenched if they fliould be Mode-
rate: And therefore whilfl: Violence is their Intereft, thofe
who have not the fame Arguments, have no reafon to fol-
low fuch a Partial Example.
If there fliould be men who by the load of their Crimes
againft the Government, have been bowed down to com-
ply with it againft; their Confcience ; who by incurring
the want of a Pardon, have drawn upon themfelves the
ne -eflity of an intire Refignation-.Such men are to be lamen-
ted,but not to be believed. Nay, they themfelves, when
they have difcharged their Unwelcome Task, will be in-
wardly;glad that their forced Endeavours do not fucceed,
and are pleafed when men refift: their Infinuations; which
are far from being Voluntary or Sincere, but arc Squeezed
out of them by the weight of their being fo Obnoxi-
ous.
If in the height of this great dearnefs by comparing
things, it fhould happen, that at this inftant, there is
much a furer Friendfliip with thofe who are fo far from
allowing Liberty, tliat they allow no Living to a Prote-
ftant under them. Let the Scene lie in what part of the
World it will, the Argument will come home, and fure
it will afford fufficient ground to fufpeft. Apparent Con-
traditions mufl: flrike us ; neither Nature nor Reafon can
digeft them: Self-Flattery, and the defire to Deceive our
felves, to gratifie a prefent Appetite, with all their Power,
which is Great, cannot get the better of fuch broad Con-
vition, as fome things carry along with them. Will you
call thefe vain and empty Sufpitions ? have you been at all
times
C7]
times fo rpid of Fears and Jealoufies as to juftifie your be-
ing (b unreafooably Valiant in having none upon this oc-
Gafion? Such an extraordinary Courage at this unfeafon-
able tinie, to fay no more, is too dangerous t Vertue to be
commended.
If then forthefe and a thoufand other Reafons, there is
caufe to fufped, fure your new Friends are not toDidate
to you, or Advife you; for inftana. The Addreffw that
fly abroad every Week, and Murther us with another t§
the fame ; * the firft Draughts are made by thofe who are
not very proper to be Secretaries to the Proteftant Religi-
on; and it is your part, onely to Write them out fairer a-
gain. Strange! that you who have been formerly fo much
againfl: Set Forms, Ihould now be content the Priefts fliould
Indite for you. The nature of Thanks is an unavoidabla
confequence of being Pleafed or Obliged; they grow in
the Heart, and from thence Ihew themftlves either in
Looks, Speech, Writings or Adion: No man was ever
Thankful becaufe he was bid to be fo, but becaufe he had,
or thought he had fome Reafon for m If then there is
c^ufe in this Cafe to pay fuch extravagant Acknowledg-
ments, they will flow naturally, without taking fuch pains
to procure them; and it is unkindly done to Tire all the
Poaft-Horfes with carrying Circular Letters to foHicite
that whidi would be done without any trouble or con-
ftraint: If it is really in itfelf fuch a Favour, what needeth
fomuch prefling men to be Thankful, and with fuch eager
circumftances, that where Perfwafions cannot delude,
Threatnings are imployed to fright them into a Compli-
ance ? Thanks muft be voluntary, not only unconftrain-
ed, but unfollicited, elfe they are either Triffles or Snares,
they either ftgnifie nothing, or a great deal more tlian is
intended by thofe that give them. If an inference lliould
B be
be made, That whofoeVer Thankeih the King for his De-
claration, is by that itigaged to Juftifie it id pOifit cf Law;
it is a greater Stride ihail, I prefume, all thofe date to
make who ate perfwaded to Addrefs: If it (hall be fuppo-
fed, that all the Thankers will be Repealers (rf the TEST^
when ever a Varliawent lhall Meet. Such an Expeftation
is better prevented before, than difappointed afterwards;
and the fureft way to avoid the lyirtg under futh a Scan-
dal, is not to do any thing that may give a colour to the
MiRalte: Thefe Befpoken Thanks are little lefs improper
than Love Letters that were Sollicited by the Lady to
whom they are to be Directed: fo, that befides the lit-
tie ground there is to give them, the manner of getting
them, doth extreamly leflen their Value. It might be
wifhed that you would have fupprefled your impatience,
and have been content for the fake of Religion, to enjoy it
within your felves, without the Liberty of a publick Exer-
cife, till a Parliament had allowed it; but fince that could
not be, and that the Artifices of fome amongfl: you have
made ufe of the Well-meant Zeal of the Generality to
draw them into this Miftake; l am lb far from blaming
you with that Iharpnefs Which, perhaps, the Matter in
liridnefs would bear, that I am ready to err on the fide
of the more gentle CDnftruOlion.
There is a great difference between ertjoying quietly
the advantages of an Aft irregulatly done by others, and
the going about to fupport it again ft the Laws ih being:
the Law is fo Sacred, that no Ttefpafs againft it is to be
Defended ; yet Frailties may in fome meafure be Excufed,
when they cannot be Juftified. The defire of enjoying
a Liberty from which men have been fo long reftrained,
may be a Temptation that their Reafon is not at all times
able to refift. If in fuch a, cafe, fome Objeftions are leapt
over,
over, intfifferentr men will be more inclined to lament
the Occafion, than to fall too hard upon the Fault,
whiift it is covered with the Apologie of a good Inten-
tion^ but where to refcue your felves from the Severity
of one Law, you give a Blow to all the Laws, by which
your Religion and Liberty are to be protedled; and in-
Read of fiiently receiving the benefit of this Indulgence,
you fet up for Advocates to fupport it, you become vo-
luntary Aggreflbrs, and look iike Counfel retained by the
Prerogative againft your old Friend Magna Charta, who
hath done nothing to deferve her falling thus under your
Difpleafure.
If the cafe then fhould be, that the Price expefled from
you for this Liberty, .is giving up your Right in the Laws,
fure you will think twice, before you go any further
in fuch a lofing Bargain. After giving Thanks for the
breach of one Law, you lofe the Right of Complaining
of the breach of all the reft; you will not very Well
know how to defend your felves, when you are prefted;
and having given up the Queftion, when it was for your
advantage, you cannot recal it, when it ftiall be to your
prejudice. If you will fet up at one time a Power to
help you, which at another time by parity of Reafon
lhall be made ufe of to deftroy you, you will neither be
pitied, nor relieved againft a Mifchief you draw upon
your felves, by being fo unrealbnably thankful. It is
like calling in Auxiliaries to help, who are ftrdng enough
to fubdue you: In fuch a cafe your Complaints will come
too late to be heard, and your Sufierings will raife Mirth
inftead of Compafiion,
If you think, for your excufe, to expound your Thanks
f? ^ ^9 particular cafei others, for
B 2 ' • their
[m]
their ends, will extend them further; and in thefe dif-.
fering Interpretations, that-which is back'd by Authority
will be the moft likely to prevail; efpecially when by,
the advantage you have given them, they have in truth
the better of the Argument, and that the Inferences from
your own Conceflions are very ftrong, and exprefs a-
gainft you. This is fo far from being a groundlefs Sup-
pofition, that there was a late inftance of it, the laft Sef-
flon of Parliament, in the Houfe of Lords, where the
firft Thanks, though things of courfe, were interpreted
to be the Approbation of the King's whole Speech, and a
Eeftraint from the further Examination of any part of
it, though ntver fo much difliked; and it was with dif-
ficulty obtained, not to be excluded from the libprty of
obje^ling to this mighty Prerogative of Difpenfing, meer-
ly by this innocent and ufual piece of good Manners, by
which no fuch thing could poflibly be intended.'
This fheweth, that fome bounds are to be put to your
good Breeding, and that the Conftitution of England is
too valuable a thing to be ventured upon a Complement.
Now that you have for fome time enjoyed the benefit
of the End, it is time for you to look into the Danger:
of the Means : The fame Reafon that made you defirous
to get Liberty,, rnufl inake you follieitous to preferve it;
fo that the next thought will naturally be, not to engage,
your felf beyond Retreat, and to agree fo far with the
Principles of all Religions, as not to rely upon a Death-
bed Repentance.
There are certain Periods of Time, which being once'
paft, make all Cautions inefTedual, and all Remedies
defperate. Our Underft^ndings are apt to be hurried
on by the firft He;tts; which, if not reftrained in time,
do
do not give us leave to look back, till- it is too late.
Confider this in the cafe of your Anger againft the
Qiurch of England, and take warning by their Mif-
flake in the fame kind, when after the late King's Re-'
ftoration , they preferved fo long the bitter tafte of
your rough ufage to them in other .times, that it made'
them forget their Intereft , and facrifioc it to their Re-
venge.
Either you will blanic this Proceeding in them, and'
for that reafon. not follow it, or if you. allow it, you
have no reafon to be offended with them ; fo that you
muff either difmifs your Anger, or lofe your Excufe;
except you Ihould argue more partially- than will be
fuppofed of men of .your Morality and Underffand-
ing, . V
If you had now to do with thofe Rigid Prelates, who
made it a matter of Confcience to give you the leaft In-
dulgence, but kept you at an uncharitable diftance, and
even to your more reafonable Scruples continued fliff
and inexorable, the Argument might be fairer on your
fide; but fince the Common Danger hath fo laid open
that Miftake, that all the former Haughtinels towards
you is for ever extinguilhed, and that it hath turned
the Spirit of Perfecution, into a Spirit of Peace, Cha-
dty, and Condefcenfion; fhall this happy Change on-
ly affeft the Church of England^ and are you fo in love
with Separation, as not to be moved by this Example ?
It ought to be followed, were there no other reafon than
that it is a Vertue; but when befides that, it is become
necelBry to your prefervation, it is impoffible to fail the
having its Effect upon you.
If
111.
C'»]
^ it Ihould be (kkJ, that the Church of Engtaml \s
never Humble, but when (he is out of Power, arw there-
fore lofeth the Right of being Believed when ftie pre-
tendeth to it; the Atifwer is, it would be an U(>.
charitable Objeftion, and very much mihinacd; an un-
feafonable Triumph, not only ungenerous, but unfefe:
So that in thefe refpeiRs it cannot be urged, without
Scandal, even though it could be faid with Truth. Se-
coftdlyy This is not fo in Faft, and the Argument mull hill,
being built upon a felfe Foundation ; for whatever may
be told you, at this very hour, and in the heat and glare m
your prefent Sun-lhine, the Church of England can in a
Moment bring Clouds again; and turn die Royal Thun-
der upon your Heads, blow you, off the Stage with a
Breath, if Ihe would give but aSmile or a kind Word; the
leaftGlimpfeof herComplyance, would throw you back
into the Rate of Suffering, and draw upon you all the Ar-
rears of Severity, which have accrued during the time of
this kindnels to you, and yet the church of Englandy with
all her Faults, will not allow her felf to be refcued by fuch
unjuRiffable means, but chufeth to bear the weight of
Power, rather than lye under the burthen of being Crimi-
uaL
It cannot be laid, that Ihe is Unprovoked; Books and
Letters come out every day, to call for Anfwers, yet flie
will not be ftirred^ From the fuppofed Authors, ^ the
Stile one would fwear they were Undertakers, and • had
made a Contra^ to fall out with the Church oP Ef^land,
There are Lalhes in every Addrels, Challenges to draw
the Pen in every Pamphlet; in Ihort, the taireft occafi-
ons in the World given to quarrel; but Ihe wifely-diftin-
guiflieth between the Body of DilSnter^ whom (he will
mppofe to Ad, as they do, with no ill intent; and thefe
fmall
\
C'sJ
final! Sklrmiftiefs pickt and fent outtoPicqueer, and to be-
gth a Pray iirtidngft the Proteftants, for the entertainnient,
as well as the advantage, of the Church Rvm»
This Cofiduft is fo good, that it will be Scandalous not
to Applaud it. It is rtot equal deallhg, to blartte oUr Ad--
verfaries for doing ill, and hot comihend theni when they
do well.
* To hate thetn becaufe they Perlbcuted, and not t6 be re--
conciled to them when they aire ready to Suffer, rather
than nedeive all the Advanta|fes, that can be gairted By a
Criminal conriplyande, is a Principle no loft of Chfiftiaris
cart own, fiiice it would ^vean Objeftion to them hever
to be Anfwei-ed.
Think a little, who they were that promoted your
former Perfecutions, and then confidfif how it will lock
fo be angry with the Inftrumenfs, ahd at the fthie
time to make a League with the Authours of your
Sufferings.
Have you enough conffdered wliatWill beexpefffed from •
you > Are you ready fd ftand in evety Borough by Ve'r-
the of a Cikgs artd inftead of Ele£iion, be fatisfied'
if you are Returned ?
Will you in TdtiiMefit, juftlfie the Oifpenfing Pbwer,'
with all its confequences, and Repeal the 7<?/7, by which
you will make way for the Repeal of all the Laws, that
were made to preferve your Religion,and to Enaft others
that fliall Deftroy it ?
you difpofed to change the Liberty^of Debate, in-
to
Ch3
to the Merit o£ Obedience, and to be made Inftrumeflts,fp
Repeal or Enaft Laws, when the Roman fonfijlory, gre
' Lords of the Articles. - y-
Are you fo linked witli your new Friepds, as^to rejedl
any Indulgence a Parliament (hall offer you, if it ftiali not
,be fo Comprehenfive as to include the Papifts in it >
Confider that the implyed Conditions of your new
Treaty are no lefs, then that you are to do every thing
.you are.deffred, without examining, and that for this pre-
tended Liberty of Confcience, your real Freedom is to be
Sacrificed: Your former Faults hang like Chains ftill
about you, you are let" loofe only upon Bayl; tlie
firft Aft of Noncompliance, fendeth you to Jayl a-
gain.
. You may fee^that the Papifts themfelves, do not rely
upon the Legality of this Power, which you are to Jufti-
fie, fince the being fo very earneft to get it Eftabliflied by
a Law, and the doing fuch very hard things in order, as
they think to obtain it, is a clear Evidence, that they do
not think, that the fingle Power of the Crown is in this
Cafe a good Foundation; efpecially when this is done un-
der a Prince, fo very tender of all the Rights of Soveraign-
ty, that he would think it a diminution to his Prerogative,
where he conceiveth it ftrong enough to goe alone, to
call in the-Legiflative Iielp to ftrengthen and fupport
it-
You have formerly blamed the Church of England^ and
not without reafon, for going fo far as they did in their
Compliance; and yet as foon as they flopped, you fee
they are not oneJy Deferted, but Profecuted: Conclude
then
['5]
then from this Example, that you mud elrher break off"
your Friendfliip, or rcfolec to-have no Bounds in ir. ff
tdiey do not fucceed in tluir Dtfign, they will leave vcu
firft ; if they do, you muft either leave them, when it
will be too late for your Safety, or elle after the fqueazi-
nefs of flarting at a Surplice, you mud be forced to fua!-
low Tranfubftaatiation.
Remember that the other day thofe of the Church of
England U'ere Trimmers for enduring you, and now by a
fudden Turn, you are become the Favourites; do not de-
ceive your felves, it is not the Nature of lading Plants
thus to Ihoot up in a Night; you may look gay and
green for a little time, but you want a Root to give you
a continuance. It is not fo long dnce, as to be forgotten,
that the Maxime was, It is impojfille for a Dijfenter, not to
he a REBEL. Ccndder at this time in France, even
the new Converts are fo far from being Imployed, that
they are Difarmed; their fudden Change maketh them
ftill to be didrufted, notwithdanding that they are Recon-
died: What are you to expedt then from your dear
Friends, to whom, when ever they lhall think fit to throw
you off" again, you have in other times given fuch Argu-
ments for their excufe >
Befides all this, you A£t very unskilfully againd your
vifible Intereft, if you throw away the advantages, of
which you can hardly fail in the next probable Revoluti-
on. Things tend naturally to what you would have, if
you would let them alone, and not by an urjleafonable
Adivity I'ofe'the Influences of your good Star, which pro-
mifeth you every thing that is profperous.
G Tiie
[•o
The Church of E>i^and convinced of its Errour in be-
ing Severe to you; tiie Parliament, when ever it meeteth,
fure to be Gentle to you; the next Heir bred in the Coun-
try which you have fo often Quoted for 'a Pattern of In-
dulgence; a general Agreement of ail thinking Men, that«^
M e muft no more cut our felves off from the Proteftants
abroad, but rather inlarge the Foundations upon which
we are to build our Detences againft the Common Ene-
my; fo that in Truth, all things feem to confpire to give
you eafe and fatisfaftion, if by too much haft to antici-
pate your good Fortune, you do not deftroy it.
The Proteftants have but one Article of Humane
Strength, to oppofe the Power which is now againft them,
and that is, not to lofe the advantage of their numbers,
by being fo unwary as to let themfelvesbe divided.
We all agree in our Duty to our Prince, our Objeffions
to his Belief, do not hinder us from feeing his Vertues ;
and our not complying with his Religion, hath no effeft
upon our Allegiance ; we are not to be Laughed out of
our Paflive Obedience, and the Dodfrine of Non-Re-
fiftance, though even thofe who perhaps owe the beft
part of their Security to that Principle, are apt to make'a
Jeaft of it.
r -f-' r
So that if we give no advantage by the fatal Miftake
of mifapplying our Anger, by the natural courfe of things,
this Danger will pafs away like a ftiower of Hail; Sir
weather will fucceed, as Ibwering as the Sky, now loo^
eth, and all by this plain and eafie Receipt. Let us be
ft ill, quiet, and undivided, firm at the fame time'to our
Religion, our Loyalty, and our Laws, and fo long as
-we continue this method, it is next to impoflible, that
the
[•7]
the odds of two hundred to one fliould lofe the Bett; ex^
cept the Church of Rome, which hath been fo long bar-
ren of Miracles, Ihould now in her declining Age, be
brought to Bed of One that would out-do the beft me can
brag of in her Legend,
To conclude, the fliort Queflion will be, Whether you
will joyn with thofe who muft in the end run the fame
Fate with you. If Proteftants of all forts, in their Beha-
viour to one another, have been to blame, they are upon
the more equal terms, and for that very reafon it is fitter
for them now to be reconciled. Our Dil-union is not only
a Reproach, but a Danger to us; thofe who believe in
modern Miracles, have more Right, or at leaft more Ejc-
cufe, to negleft all Secular Cautions; but for us, it is as
juftifiable to have no Religion, as wilfully to throw away
the Humane Means of preferving it. I am,
Dear SIR,
Your moH /iffeSiionate
Humble Servant^
T. W.
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II
(I)
A N s'w E R
TO A
LETTER to a Diflenter,
AFter many a Thought upon a Late Paper, Entitled
C ^ Letter to a Dijfemer, &c, 3 I am come to This
Refolution within my felf; Firft, Thatit^bothRe-
quires, and Deferves a ThoroHgh'Anfwer. ily. That
No man can fo Properly Speak to't, as a True Son
of the Church of England ■, for I take it to be his Province, and
Duty, in fo Peculiar a manner, that fuch a Perfon, if Compe-
tently Qualify'd for That Office, can hardly Expedt his Mothers
Sleffing^ without faying fomewhat upon This Subjeft, in her Fin-
dication. By a Thorough-Anfwer^ I mean, "the Taking of the Let-
ter Paragraph by Paragraph^ and fpeaking to the Whole, and to
Every Part of it, all under one. My Courfe, I know, lyes be-
tvi'ixt Two Locks i where 'tis Odds, that a man either^dajhes Vpon
One of them, or is CrHfh'*d to pieces Betwixt thpm. But He that
is in his Duty, is never out of his Way. So that being Fully Sa-
tisfy'd already in the Main, my Next Care muft be, not to
Tranfgrefs in the Manner of my Proceeding: Wherein I Propofe to
Deliver my Thoughts, Plainly, and without Difguife ^ And nbt
to Depart, in the Leaft Scruple, from the Rules oi Charity, Mo^
deration. Truth, and Candor •, Nor ( fo far' as my Underftanding
vvillfervemej irom. the Dignity and CharaHer of my Profeffion.
I will not go behind the Door neither, to Conceal my Name •,
for I have liv'd Open and Barefac''d a Long Time, and, by the
Grace of God, I will not Dye in a Difguife. Briefly, Ilhall take
the Freedom to what I Think., without either or In-
foknce; and make as Modefimi life of a Common Liberty, ( with
A 2 leave
<
leave for the Comparifon) as my Other of His Majeflies SubjeEis
Tphatfocvtr. And when I fhall have done with the Puhllque Pait
of This Difcourfe, I lhall beftow a Few Pages upon a Pojifcript.
for niy felf.
The Letter it felf is Addrefs'd to a Dijfenter ^ and Vv'hy may not
My Ajfver be Addrefs'd to a Diffeater too ? For there's a Parity
of^ Reafon^ Indifferently, in Roth Cafes, where the Two Parties Re-
fpediVely Concerned, are not Both of a Mind. Befide, that by
This Means, I have an IntroduElion, ready to my hand here over
and above: for the Firfi' Paragraph will ferve the Afwerers Pur-
pofe, as weW as it did the Aithors ■, And lince I cannot Greet him
in Better Words, I fhall do it fo far in his Own.
A Letter to a Diflenter;,
Letter. S. .1 R ,
Since 'Addrejfes are in fafdon, give me leave to make one to you.
This is neither the EffeSl of Fear, Interefi, or Refentmenf, therefore
yon may be fare it is fincere: and for that reafon it may expeU to be
kindly received. Whether it will have power enough to Convince, depend-
eth upon the Rcafons, of which you are to judge •, and upon your prepay a-
tion of Mind, to be perfwaded by Truth, whenever it appear eth to you.
It ought not to be the lefs welcom, for coming from a friendly hand, one
whofe kindnefs to you is not leffened by difference of Opinion, and who
will not let his thoughts for the Publick^ be fo tyed or confined to this or
that Sub-divifion of Protefiants, as to Jiifle the Charity, which be fides
all other Arguments, is at this time become necejfary to preferve us.
Anfwer. T ^ Good Confcience put my hand to This Pre-
■' ' X face -, for I have really Ail Thofe Peaceable and Compaffionate
Difpoiitions about me, at This Inftant, that the very Author of
the Letter would be thought to have •, fo that we may proceed,
I think, without any more Ceremony.
Letter. I am neither furprized nor provoked, to fee that in the conditionjou
were put into by the L^ws, and the ill circumjiances you lay under, by ha-
w«j"^^eExclufion^W Rebellion laid to your Charge, you were defirous'
fo maksyourfelveslefs unealie and obnoxious to Authority. A<fen who are
fore, run to the nearef Remedy with too much hajie, to confider all the
con-.
ll'--
(3)
ccnfe^ae'/fces: Gra\nsof aUfmamt are to begiven^ where N^aiitre gifetb
ffwh firotig Influences. When to Men under Sufferings it offtrtth Effe^
the freflent Pain will hardly allow time to examine the Remedies ^ and
the jtrongejl Rcafon can hardly gain a fair Audience from our Mind^
rvhilfl fo vofftffcd.^ till the [mart ts a little allayed.
THere's a Plain, and a Short Proverb, that may ferve for a An fwer.
Paraphrafe upon This Claufe. [_Outof the Frying-Paninto the
Tire. 3 The Diffcnters^ it feems, were Vneafle under the Penal
Laws ^ Vnfafe under Certain Criminal Imputations- And, in This
Diftrefs, like Drowning Men, they laid hold of Any thing that
came next to Hand •, Miftook their Way and their Meafin*es, for
want of Time to Look before they Leapt. The Author of the Let-
ter fancies them in a Streight And then to Deliver them from a
Calamity of his Own Creating, Charitably puts in, and Pities
them ; Suppofes fome very Dangerous Mifcarriage •, Affigns the
Reafon of it, and at the Same Time Furnilhes the Excufe. The
Imtimdo of the Whole is Briefly This.^ that Matters are in an Evil
State^ and that the Severities of the Government have been the Caufe
o-rPf., which are Two Dangerous Points to be Injeded into Peo-
pies Heads at This Time of the day: But, This is only an Arti-
ficial Preparatory to make way for Somewhat more Confiderable
that is to follow. He fpeaks of the Diffenttrs running to the
Nearefl Remedy y which. Under favour, is a Miftake, if he Means
the King's Declaration of Indulgence ; for That Remedy came to
Them. And fo in his Following If it'holds in
as it does in Phyflck..^ the Patient is not to Examine the Remedy.^
but to Obferve the Prefcription. And now to the Next Paragraph.
I do not know whether the Warmth that naturally belongeth to New
Friendfllips may not make it a Harder TasK.for me to pcrfwade you. It
is liks telling Lovers., in the Beginning of their Joys, that they will in a
Little Time have an End. Such an unwelcome Style doth not eafily find
Credit : But I will fuppofe you arc not fo far gone in your New Paflion,
hut that you will Hear JHlland therefore I am under the Lefs Difcou-
ragement, when I offer to your Conflderation Two Things. The Vivlt
is, the Caufe you have to fulpeft your New Friends. The Second,.
the Duty incumbent upon you, in Chriftianity and Prudence, not to
Haz.ard th^ Publick Safety, neither by Deflre of Eafo, nor o/Re-.
vcnge.
We
Letter.
/
(4)
jinfwer. "\'T7'£ are here Pall Infenfibly, and intheConrfe of Six Lines
V V from the Prefcnt Compliances of th^Diffenttrs.Vmtly for the
Sake of Eaft and Security the Wurmth of a iVew Frkvdfhf^ and of a'
New Pajfion j which is fuch a kind of Leap,as if a Cn;p/e,for being
delivered from the 7-.^JJ.',fhould fall in love with the Beadle. I mult
needs take Notice now, in 1 his Place, by Anticipation, of a Paf-
fagc in the Next Claufe, where the Gentleman tells the Dijfeuters^
that \fl'hefe New Friends did not make them their Choice hut their Re-
fngeWhich Implies, that the Roman Catholiques have not half the
KindnxL for the Dijfenters., that the Dijftnters have for the Roman
Catholiques : For at the rate of [the Warmth of This New Friendfiif]
andThisfA/ew Pajfwn,2 the Dijfentcrs muftte underftood to make
4he Roman Catholiques rather their Choice^ than their Refuge. So
that'according to this Proportion of Reafoning, the Dijfenters
' tnujft Relinquilh, both their Interefi and Inclination., or there's No
Good to be done upon them. But however. If they be not either
too Sturdy, or too Stately, to Hearken to Reafon, Here are Ttro Pro-
fofals laid before them : The One, of Caution, Founded upon
[the Caufe they have to fufpeEt their New Friends The Other, of
Duty, "both in Chrifiianity and Prudence, not to Sacrifice the Puhlick.
Pe^co,either to their Eaje,or Revenge. Here is,in thefe Two Propo-
lltions, not only Subjeft-Matter for the kindling of Jtaloufies, and
for the Irritating of Fears, ulpfrehenfions m the Confequencesoi
Things^ Bot Mifunderfiandings DiBated, ond Inculcated in Exprefs
Terms, which cannot poffibly fail of moving Vnquiet Thoughts, and
of Dillblving the Common Tyes of Faith, Friendjhip, and Allege-
ance, by making Parties and FaBions j and ftirring Animofities a-, '
inong the Kings Good Subjeds.
TofpeakOne Word now to the Duty of Confulting the Pidn-
. lique Safety, the Queftion will be fhortly thi^. Whether-the Blef-
fed end of Peace, with a Refpedto Civil Matters, (for here's no'
talk of Religion) be not more likely to be Cpmpafs'^d and Preferv^d,-
by Vniting His Majefties Liege People, than by Dividing them ? It ■
is time now to go forward to the Animadverfons, and Reafonings'
that the Ingenious Author Ihall be pleafed to Pais upon his Two"
Eafi Heads. '•
Letter. To the Firfl: Confidcr, that notwithflanding the Smooth Lan-
guage which is now put on to Engage you, Thefe new Friends did not''
make you their Gnoice, hut their Retlige: They have ever made their
( 5 ) _
Firll Cottrtpjips to the Church of England; and when they were re jeSled
Kliti there^ they made their Application to you in the Second Place. The In-
Jiances of This might be given in All Tunes. I do not Repeat them^
iJjdt; hecaufe whatfoever is ZJnneceffary^ mafi be Tedious ^ the Truth of this
fete Ajfertion being fo Plain^ as not to admit a Difpute, Ton cannot there-
Ue fere reafonably Flatter your felves., that there is any Inclination «
ofaK They never pretended to Allow You any Quarter, but to Vjher in Li-
Dftur. berty for Themfelves, under That Shelter. I refer you to Mr. Cole-
KtiaS;. man'^ Letters., and the Journals of Parliament, where you may be
JtkSli Convinced, if you can be fo Mifiak^n, as to Doubt. Nay, at this very
telin Hour, they can hardly forbear, in the height of their Courtjhip, to let
friat fall Hard Words ofyou. So little is Nature to be refrained: It will
itot ft^rt out fome times, difdaining to fubmit to the Vfur pat ion of Art and
: Intereil.
elfe
te-;; Pightily in the Dark here, how to nnderftand his Anfwer,
:i,a V V [Smooth Language'^ and his [New Friends ^3 Where we are to
fff,; Lookfox the O«e,and//on? we are toDiftinguiJh the Other.If his Mean-
jujjli: ing be, thst the Roman CatholiquesdXQ making Fair Weather with
jfliy the Difenters, and withal, that the Dijfenters are to Blame to
Clofe with them, he Ihould do well to have a Care of his Char alters;
for a Man can very hardly Refleft a Scandal upon the Whole Party,
I without wounding their Head and Mafter. I would fain know,if the
Ting Himfelf does not fall within the Compafs of One of ThofeiVeip
Ijjj,. Friends •, or rather how it is polTible it Ihould be Otherwife, with-
J, out a Particular Saving and Exception out of That Number. He
ijd. fpeaks of Thofe New Friends that have ever made their Firjt
Courtihips to the Church of England. I would he had but told us
Wlsere, When, and How Or what CommiflTion they had for the
jjjji making of Thefe Overtures from One Community to Another: But
jjjjf whether they Did, or whether they did Not, comes all to a CaTe,
IjjjV tho for the fake of Truth and Jufiice,l mull needs fay that [EF'ER^
goes a little too far: For in That Great Revolution of the Long
Rebellion, the Members of the Church of England Joyned in a
Common Aft of Prudence, Interefi, and Confcience, to Meet them
jj-fi Half Way ; Or if there were any Priority of Refpeftin tiie Mat-
ter, it was on the Church of England^ Side. I fpeak of the Old
Rebellion, when the Members of Both Church'es fell by the Sides
One of Another in the Common Defence of their Prince, and
their Country j their Honour and their Allegeance^
^ ^ ^
tiUtwhea tXitRomcM Caiholiejues were rejected there, they made
their Application to the Dijfcntcrs in the Second Place, he fays ^
and made them not their Choice^ but their Refuge^ vdthout any
Inclination for them at all. Well! And whether the Church of
IngUml-Mai Rcjea; the Rcrnan Catholtqttes, or the Roman Catko-
liqnes Reieit the Church of l-.ngland'Aien^ 'tis J Lift as Rroadas it is
hrng'^ for Whetherfbever of the IIpo .ftands in need of a Ihird
Intcreji j ' Tis not the Orthodoxy of thc.Pcrfwafion^hiM the Strength
of theAlye that He conliders: And what matters it for an Incli-
nation of ^Kindnefs, where Neccjfity Creates an Inclination that does
the Office of an Inclination by Nature ? What's more Ordinary,
than for Two Mortal Enemies to Joyn in a Common Defence,
for the hlutual Prefcrvation One of Another ? And I never met
with any Man yet fince I was born, that made it a Cafnifiical Moot'
Pointy Whether a Man might Lawfully fubmit, to have hhLife^
Liberty^ and Fortune^ Prefer'ved by a Man of Another Opinion. This
Gentleman tells the Dijfenters that the Papifis have No Kindnefs for ^
them, and that they are not their Choice^ but their Refage. Now [1']
if This be Oar Aathor'^s Own Cafe., (as by the Ayre of his Paper ^
it appears to be) the Argument that he has- Advanc'd againlt tlie
New Friends, as he Calls thorn, holds Every Jot as good againlt
Hirafelf: And the Dijfenters^ with whom he has to do, have Alh
out as good Reafon to Sufpeft the 0«e, as the Other. He is plcafcd
to Appeal to Coleman's Letters., and the Parliament Journals, though
the One makes not at all for him, and the Other feems in fome
Refpeds to be Point-Blank Againlt him. Coleman's Bulinefs was
a Common Liberty, withoutoMeditating any Ad of Violence or Sub-
verfion. And then if the J urnals. be fet One againlt Another, and
a Dcfign of Uniting Protejhants in a General Licenfe, oppofed to
the Uniting of Protejlants, in a llrid Conformity to the Rnbricb^
and Canons, they willdo the Caufe that This Gentleman has a-foot,
atlealt as much Hurt as Good. Whatlignifies the following Ob-*
jodion, that [jhe Papilts can hardly forbear in the height of their
Coartfhips to let fall Hard Words of Dillenters, ] If this Gentle-
man, even in the Fleight of his Courtffiip, finds himfelf apt to
Speak, or to Think Hardly of them too ? He fays Extremely
Well at la!l, in Contemplation of the Difficulty of Reffiraining
Nature, QShe Difdains (he fays) to fubmit to the Ufurpation of
Art'znd Intercjl.j This he Says, and This hz Proves, in the fame K'
Breath, and Paper; for in defpight of All the Art, and Intercft of
This Difcourfe, his Inclination ^c\ys it Nature breaks
through theDifguife. , _ ~ jhB
(7)
This jUlyance between Liberty Infallibility, is bringing together Letter,
the 7wo fKofi contrary things that are in the World. The Church of
Rome doth not only dillike the allowing Liberty, but by its Principles
it cannot do it. Wine is not more exprefy forbidden to the Mahometans,
then giving Hereticks, Liberty, is to PapilteThey are no more able
to make good their Vows to yoa., then Men Married before., and their
Wife alive, can confirm their ContraEb with another. The Continuance
of their Kindnejs would be a Habit of Sin, of which they are to Re-
pent, and their udhfolution is to be had upon no other Terms, than their
Vromife to deflroy you. Tou are therefore to be Hugged now, only that
you may be the better Squeezed at another time. There mufi be fomething
Extraordinary, when the Church of Rome fetteth up Bills, and ojfereth
Plaifters, for Tender Confciences .* By all that hath hitherto appeared,
her Skill in Chirurgery lyeth chiefly in a .Quick Hand, to cut ojf Limbs-,
but Jhe is the wo-rfi at Healing, of any that ever pretended to it.
"LTEre's a Splendid, and a Fallacious Amufemeht, in the Firft dnfwer.
Line, and it is Plaullbly enough Purfued too -, but Inevitably
attended with the Fate of All Things that are Built upon a Falfe
Bottom. Suppofing ILIBERTY,'} and \_INFJLLIBILlTr,'] as the
Matter is here fet forth, and AlFum'd, to be the Prefent Point be-
fore us, upon a Quellion of Competition, or Confificnce. Upon this
Suppofal, I fay. All the Following Coil, and Figure, for the Da-
ilingof Weak^Eyes, and the Tranfporting of Impotent AffeBions,
is very well bellowed upon it: But if Liberty zndi Infallibility ihall
fall out in This Cafe, to be Nothing a-kfii • The One, to be a Ci-
vil Point •, The Other, a Religious; And the One, in ihort, to Dif-
fer as much from the Other, as Dotlrine does from PraBice, cr the
Exerctfe of a Secular Power, from a Theological Perfwaflon ; \^'hy
then 1 his Liberty, and Infallibility, Truly Vnderflood, and Rightly
Diflinguifiied, may very well fland together, and the Holding of
the One Opinion, doesnot^t all "Clafh with Permitting the Exer-
cife of the Other. This Specious Sparkling way of Reafoning
will have little more in't at lail, then what we fee Every Day in the
Skill and Addrefs of Bird-catching, where the Twinkling of the CLfs
brings the Lark dancing down into the Net.
A Man that would put hisThoughts,and hisWits upon theStretch,
might Enlarge till Doomfday, upon the Text of LIBERTY and
INFALTIBILITY. But I am for fpeaking P/w7,and in Fen?
Words, to the Strefs of the Subjcd in hand, rather then fjuand-
ling
a
ring away more Time and Paper than needs, in Talking it out
hength.
The i?o/«^«-C<2ffco%w-INFALLlBlLITY, and the Dijferaers LI-
EERTY are the Two Hinges of the Controverlie here in Debate.
Put them C«, J^ight^ and the Door Opeusfiv Shuts^ with all the Eafe
in the World. But if th*e Gentleman will needs fct them a-Crofs^
and xhzn Exclaym againd: them as {ghe mofi contrary things in the
WorldJ when it is the Fault of the ^Vork^Jan, not of the E/:ngeSy
that the Owe hinders the Other^ from doing its Proper O^ce. What
help for't I This is an EiTor in the Speculation of the Thing,that we
fee Daily Oifprov^d and ContradiSled., in ¥a51: ■, and it mull be a
very Grofs Fartiality^ that lhall take upon it felf to fupport Fancy
again!!: Experiment. Now if the Liberty^ and Infallibility here Repre-
fented., Intended^ and DefgtPd.^ be quite Another Thing than the
Liberty, and Infallibility that lies naturally within the Compafs of
This Quefiion, all the Flowers that are here Employed for the Recow;-■
mending, and the Garnifhing of This Topiqite, how Artificially foever,
mud not be Allmved to come up yet to the Leaft Colour of a Con-
cliijion, or an Argument, for any thing that hitherto appears.
The Firft Query toward the Difcufling of This Qiieftion, will,
in One Word, be This. What does This Gentleman mean by
LLIBERT Y ?3 Why does he not give fome Standard of it ? Is it a
Determinate,ov an Unlimited Liberty ? Why is it not Afcertain*d, that
a Body may fee Thorough it ? For how fhall any Mun take upon
him to make zKeafonable Difcoiirfe, upon an Unknown Meaning ? If
he Means Li^er^^o/ CON SCIENCE, with a Refpedt to the PrefenC
Circumftances of the Dijfenters •, His Majeflies Gracious Dedarati-
on of April the ^th. Pad, will mod Explicitly Adjud That
Point, in Thefe Following Words :
hLe have thought fit, by Eertue of our ROYAL PREROGATIVE, to
Ijfue forth This our Declaration of Indulgence,
So that it is a Liberty, Granted ^y Vtrtue, and in the V^.ight of His
Majefiies ROYAL PREROGATIVE; ^ Civil Liberty to Meet for a
Keligiofts IVorJhip ■, Or in the Words of the Declaration it fdf,For f rfcfi
Free Exercife of their Keligifin 3 The Plain Englijh of the Cafe isThis;-
The Difenters find themfelves Aggriev''d for want of Liberty of Con-
fcience : And why ? tiitbecaufe they cannot A/eef to Worfinp God
in their Ajfemblies, as they fay, they reckon themfelves Bound to do.
This Wejhaint makes tliera Uneafie ■, The Law lies Heavy upon
tliem^ and they have no Means of Relief but by the Kings Suf- ,
pendingtho Execution of the Penalties in That Cafe Provided, and /
Ej^erting
(9)
Exerting His Sovereigu Authority in their Favour, Now Every
^dy knows it for a Frincifle that is Rooted in the very Founda-
tions oi Government it felt, That All Publique AJfemhlies-^ That is
to fay, the JndiSting^ihe Inhibiting^ihc Adjourning^ Proroguing^ Cott"
tinning^ or Dijfolving of them, are Entirely^ and Incommimkahlyy
at the Will^ and Pkafure of the Supreme Magifirate. The King
in the Right of This his People'to Meet^ to the End
that they may Worjhip. The Difptnfation refpefts the Freedom of
AJfembling^ not the Articles of Every Particular Congregation's
Faith^ or Creed. His Majelty Grants fo much^ as by his Preroga-
the he AFay^ and not one Jot stiore ^ for Ard Humane AEist whatfoever^
are, to All Piirpofes/^oj^^, wlien they come to breaki#n once upon
the Laws of God^ and Nature.^ So that here's neither Ground^
Place-, nor Pretence, for an Innnoral, or an Unrighteous Liberty: And
if the Gentleman, in This Paragraph,{-pc?Lks of a Bonn die fs,2ctid of an
Indefinite Licence.^ it neither lb,neither CAN it be, neither can it be
SUPPv^SED.io be, the Cafe that is here in Agitation. It Involves
,zNullity, ioit fo; and it Imports a Tacit Cenf-rre of Autbo-
rity, even fo much as to Infinuate that it was ever Intended fo: For'
No Vemer upon Earth can. either Difcharge, or fo much as Sufpcnd, the
over-ruling Uitl-'ttes, and Sentences, of Ecyuity, and of Bight Reafon.
Now 'tis no Wonder, if the Church of Kome will never Endure a
Liberty of This Latitude; for neither will any Chrifiian Cfurch that
ever wasupon the Face of the Earth, Endure it; for it would be
All one with the Over-ruling, both of Law, and Gofpel ■, and the
D'e:lroy ing of Yieligion itfelf, as Vv^ell as Chrifianity at a Blow.
ko.m tin Liber ty inThis Extent cannot fo much as be ImagirPd,
without a molt Vncharitable, and a Ltangerous Scandal ■, it mull, in
Lommon Honefiy, be taken for Granted, that the Author of This
Letter fpeaks only of a Liberty, within a Reafonable, and a Chrifii-
mCompafs: S>q xhnt to Atquit him of the Calumny, liindmyfalf
Obliged to Mind him of a Seeming Contraditbion. There is a L?-
bctty, that is Evil in it felf, with a Kefped to the Matter that it is
Con verfant about: And there is a Liberty, that is Evil, bccaufe it is
prohibited. T he Former is Indifpenfable y and All the Powers under
the Sun can never make it Warrant able. The Latter was left Zv-
different, till Authority Keflrained it ; and the fame Authority mzY
fet it at Liberty Again. So that the Liberty here fjjoken of,is an Al^
lowable Liberty ; that is to fay, a Liberty totally Depending upon
the Political Judg?ne?tt of the Sovereign Adagifirate-, Whether to
Grant it QX Not y tlow Ear In What Cafes-, To wEat Parties ;
B 2 Under
(lo)
Under What of Tlwe, ox Conditions: Bnt whether Al-
lowablej or Not Allowable^ ProtefiantSy it feems, may fet their
Rcitupon't, that'//erericiy are to expedt No Qmrter y No Libertyy
from Pdfifis: Nay our Author is of Opinion, that they efteem
Themfelves under a moft Confcimioas Obligation to Deftroy Vs. The
Late Havock that has been made among the Prottfiants in FrancSy
Concludes Nothing a;^ainiL the Judgment of the Church of RomCy
cOHcerning the Liberties and Privileges that they enjoyed there in
Former Times. To fay nothing of the Freedom they are Albwcd
in Divers Other Places^ where they live htermixt.
There will be No Great Diffktilty, 1 hope, to bring the Gentle-
man to Yield^that the Fabl is clearly Againfi him ^ but if upon the
Penningy and the Couching of 1 his Claufe, he had not fo Totally
Indulg'd his IncUnationy as not to I^ok Forward into xh^Tenden-
cy of hh Difcourfe. If, I lay, he had not fo eagerly Prefs'^d and
Parfued the Point he had in his Eyoy without Conlidering Whither
he was a-goingy or the Precipices that he had before him, he might
have feen more Hazards than One, that were likely to Enfue upon
his taking of This Biafs. And God Grant,that the Author of This
Paper, may not be found to have been One of the Number that
has formerly fall'n upon A/ec, without forzDobhiney In-
ptrioully \-Ti& to My Ch argCy and which he himfelf does Manifeilly
Enforce, and Snggefi in this very Paragraph. It made a Heavy
Noife for One While, fmce the Coming of His Sacred Majefty
to the Crown,that Ilhould hold forth in an Thatf^.'/
Snhjells were Bound to be of their Princes Religion'] which I never
WrotOy Saidy or Thoughty lince I was Born .• But I have been, and
am fiilly and I doubt not that I lhall ever be, fully Perfwaded,
that the Confcience of Obedience is the fame upon All SubjeSlSy let the
Religion of their Lawful Sovereign be what it will: And I fay further,
that there is a Religion of AUegeancCy as well as of Faith. But to
what I was about to fay.
Here is a Point Agitated betwixt the Church of RomCy and the
Oijfentersy with an Eye to the Liberty that the Lattery at This
Tixxto pretend to, and Enjoy* Now This Liberty is an Adt of State;
And the Church of Rome can have Nothing to do with it, any fur-
ther, than by the Influencey which our Author polfibly Suppofes
they may have upon His Majefty: So that there can be No Vnfair
Dealing in the Matter ^ but in fuch a Manner, that, forae way or
other. Our Mafter muft be made a Party to't. The Dijfenters have
a Common Right to the Equity of His Majefties Gr^acious Promifes,
C")
z'CiA u4(fnra»ces^ Exhibited in the Aforefaid Declarmon: So that
ptkt they areas fafe, as the Word of zKin^inz Royal of Grace^
ife, SigiRd^ SeaPd, and De/mrV in the Prefence of God, Angels, and
efcj Men, can Make 'em. If This be the very State of the Bus'nefs, how
i-'d:; Vain, how Vngratefid, and how Vnprofitahle,., is it, for Any Subject
dtt but to Grumble, as if he Doubted th^ Performance! Nay, and how
if Foolip, Over and Above ^ for One Mtdling Proteftant, to Provoke
tit®] the Ruine, and the Inco-nvenience of All the Refi! I will hope af-
Ik ter All, that a Good Part of This Matter dropt from the Author
in his Sleep : For if That which he Delivers in This Place, for
cGc the Confcientma DoBrine of the Church of Rome, be, in Truth,
ft: fo as he Ajfirms it to be, the Inference Undenyablc that Refults from
bW it, is This ^ That His Majefty thinks himfelf Bound in Confcience, to
bel;-; Defray All Religions but his Own •, Which would be certainly One
'rifiti of the moll Pernicious Imprejfions, if it fhould once take iloot a-
igllf mongthe Common People, that was ever thrown into the Mouths of
k: the Multitude ■, and the molt oP hh Communities. But
iie: we have ( God be praifed for it) for our Infallible Security, not
jroti only the Solemnity of Ajfurances, and Declarations, but the Im-
ute;: moveable CharaBerofz Great, a Jufi, and a Wife Prince, whole
fe;. Internal Honour, Generofity, and Prudence are Ten Thoufand Guards
Mali upon him; Befide, a Merciful, a Powerful, and a ProteBing Provi^
;alt Above, to Watch over, holh King, and Peop/e.
Hu; There lay a Great Strefs upon This Section ^ and I had rather be
i 1j Tedioui,thzn fpeak to't by Halves. As for Hugging and ScpueetLingl^i\.%
[Kfji no more than a Common Trick of Policy, and State; A Man helps
' his Friend up the Ladder •, And has his Teeth Dalh'd out for his Pains.
J I;: [There mufi be fomething Extraordinary (he fays) when the Church
ffcs Rome fetteth up Bills, and ojfereth Plaifters for Tender Confciences.'X
And truly lam content to Agree with the Metaphorical Author,
that there Is fomething in't, that is very Extraordinary •, And I'le
jjij; fpeak Freely to't, when I come to't: But a Word by the Way •,
gpi If this Gentleman be a True Son of the Church of England (as
by the Ayre and Humour of his Difcourfe he would appear to be)
jjrp there is fomething Extraordinary in the Church'of-England'Man'*S'
■ L Cafe, as well as in the Papifis-, And it is No Ordinary Thing for
it, Hm, to be Billing of it Neither : Befide that it is not Fair, for
One Man to find Fault with what Another does, and yet do the
Same Thing Himfelf. As to the Church of Rome'^s Skill, or No
^ Skill, either in Cutting or in Healing, I can fay little more, than that
fomc
c»0'
fomeof Our GoodVeople have (hewed themfelves Mafler-Operi-
within the Memory of Man, in the very way of Amputation
too I wherever they learn't the Trade; though the PRETHND-
ED Murder of a JUSTICE,by thep4^z/?55has put the ACTUAL
Murder of a PRINCE, quite out of Countenance. What lhall
I do now? for This Chapter hangs yet upon my Fingers •, and I
cannot get off, without another Touch upon the Subjedlof LH/er-
ify s I3y which LIBERTY, I mean TOLERATION.
No man perhaps,has Spoil'd more Paper upon This Argument,
than my felf ^ No man has been more for the Upholding of the
Kuhrtcit, and Canons, No man more for the keeping of People up
to the Stated Articles,znd Conditions of our Communion-, And lam
the fame Man in my Prim iples at This Day, that ever I was 5
Though upon a Change of Circumftances, I have likewifeVary'd
my Judgment, w ith a Refpedt to Hic, & Aunc,^as to That Parti-
cular .* For I take it to be Mightiiy Anotl^er Cale, under a Prince
of the Communion of the Church of Rome,from w hat it was un-
jder a Prince of the £»i?//y^Commuidon. My Religion is in every
Point the Same But That w th w as the Interefl of That Religion,
in Former Times, is in fome Innocent Rt-fpecls, no Longer fo.
The Striffnefs, and Rigour, that was Lauaable, and Meritorim,
in the One Cafe,would be Unmannerly,znd Provokingfm the Other,
If I had had mv Option, upon the ;ate Mighty Change, the
Churcb-of-Fngland-men, as an Acknowledgment, as a RefpeS, and
for Twenty Rcafons belide, Ihould have Prefented HisMajelty
with ail Honourable AfTurances of Ireedcm for his Own f^eople,
even without Ip much as Capttulartng for Themfelves* Firff,as an
Ad of Necefary Prudence-,For Authority had the Better End of the
Staff; And there was Nothing to be Gorrr», by Conrefling and
Strugling; but much to be Lo/? by't. ^ zly. As a Teflimooial of
Rfverence, and of Than kfninefs -, for it would have been no more
than w'hat was Due,from a SuhjeB tea Pmrf,upon the Matter of
Def rence, and Refignation. There would, have been No Point of
Yielded'jNot the leafi Scruple of any Nicety of Confcienct
Departed from; but it would have made the King, and the
King's Friends of the fame Com tii union, Fafte, and Happy. It
would alfo have been a Retribution of Gratitude; and aVerifica-
tion of the Kings Opinion of the Church of England, by their
Pradice. The Words ought, not only to be Recorded in the
Journals, both of the Parliament, and of the Council; bat like-
wife in the Hearts of all his Majefties Subjeds.
(I?)
!ff4; 1 know theVrinciplef of the Church o/England^r^ for Monarchy;
lut;:;; And the Members of it have (hewed themfelves Coo^^and Loyal Sub-
EltV; jeds i Therefore i jhall always take Care to Tiefendand Support it.
iClti; Thefe were his Prefent Majefties Words at his Firft Sitting in
Wki the Privy Council^fter the Death of the Late BlefTed King: And
Thele Words are to be made Good,in HonouriDuty,3.nd Acknow-
Ctofi; led^ment^\Nit\\o\it'DeUberatini(, or Starting, hv Every Man that
1, Vrofefes hunfelf a Member of That Church. ^Jy. We could not
Arjci; better have Confulted our own Peace, Freedom, and Security •, for
iiajoli it is the Natural Reafon, and Condition of the Thing, to Allow, as
ih- we would be Allowed and not to Do Any Thing toOthers, that
we Ihould be unwilling to fee Turn'd upon our felves.
tveil,, There is likewife a Fourth Reafon, over and above All Thofe
before mentioned, to Oblige us as Qhrtfiians, and as men of Ten-
i dernefs, Humanity,md Common Jufitce. Ir is now a long Time
fince, that we have found the Pretended Popifh Confpiracy to be an
jjjijr Impofure, 3.ndz Subornation', And I would put it to the Qonfci-
ence of Every Man, that has either by the Prefs, the Barr, the
[iaifc fof I could go Higher if I pleafedj Contributed to the
Credit of the Vdlany, Whether he be not Bound\o make his Re-
lib P/ntance, and his RetraStion, as Publique, as ever his SeduBion
.•j,r was i If he has Caufed Many People to Believe a Ly^e ? a SanguU
Qj;r|; nary Lyea Lyf that has drawn Innocent JB/oW after it; He is
J jj,,;. No True Church of-England-man, if he does not Openly Confefs it 5
"Declare itand make All the Publique Satisfablion for it that the
Qj,? Matter will bear j If he does not Endeavour the Setting of as
p. many People Right again, as his Example, Authority znd DoBrine
had led out of the W ay; He's N 0 True Penitent No Right Honefi
i Man 5 and I might add to't, that he's no 'Irue-Chriftian 5 An Hy-
fc Bloud is the Worfi of Hypocrites; and the Guilt of it
Socks to his Confcience, as well as the Gore of it to his Chops,
F y..' till he has li^'afh'd his Mouth. And it is not enough neither,where
Men have been falfly Sworn out of their Lives, for the Believers
'V of thole Perjuries,andConfequently thePro»2o?m of iheCredit
'p of them ^ and Confequently yet once again, the Accefforyes (with
leave of the Lawyers) toiht Murders that Enfu'd 3 For Murders
ife they H-^ere to the Balfe ILitneJfes.) It is not enough, I fay,
Jb for a man under Thefe Circumffances, Barely to Clap his Hand
yx. upon his Bread, and fay The Lord forgive me 3 for I have Innocent
p ■ Bloud to Aniwer for. No, not if he Ibould make Proclamation of
i"*' \i in Gath, and tell it in the Streets of Askalon-, without doing a.
Right
(jtleaif
IfiritO
(•4)
to all Perfons concern'd, in fomc Proportion, to the .
Jurj j In fine, without Armings in fome Degree, for P^T? Jtidig.
vities, by FntHre Kwdnejfes^ and RefpeSis : As who fliould fay,
\Jjenrlem»j vce have been Imposed upon by VerjuAd Villains^ to the
Lo/} of many of your \Jlves and Liberties^ and the Ruine of your Re~
putations^ Families^ and Ejtates: We have Made you^ and we have pjyjif
Us''dyelike Traytors ^ For the Lave of God let u* Live hereafter^ likg
Loyal Subjeils^ Friends and Chrifiians."^ In a Word,,^AfLer One
Lo Criminal, andfo Mortal 2i Mifiak^ Allr^^dy, Men Ihould be vc-
how'They Hazzard the Following of it with Jftother of
the fame kind. Lrepoffejfions and Jealouftes can never Warrant ns in gj jj
the Violation of Chrifiian Charity: And fo at the Long Lall, I'lc ■ L,\
go a Step Further now.
Letter. f° q^ickjrm another extream,is fuch an unnatural mtion,
that you ought to be upon your Guard j the other day you vpere Sons of
Belial, Now, you are Angels of Light, this is a 'violent change,
and it will be fit for you to paufe upon it, before you belie've it: If your
features are not altered, neither if their opinion of you, whatever may JiL
/ _ . .. i.j T-* I.e.. ^ aia
be pretended. D(J you belie've lefs than you did, that there is Idolatry
in the Church of Rome ? furt you do not. See then, how they treat
both in Words andWriting,thofe who entertain that Opinion.Conclude
from hence, how inconfiftent their favour is with this fingle Article "
except they gi've you aDifpenfation for this tooyundby a Non Ob/lance'
fecure you that they will not thinkthe worfe of you. p. 2.
tionC
. ^ "X^THere there is Reafen for a Change Lovthc Better -, Where
Anjvper. V V there is Manifell Jnterefi to Induce That Change a Pro-
feffion, that fuch a Change is Wrought •, and a Charitable Llace left f
to hope the of things^ Where's the Crime, or the FeHy of
Inclining to the Belief oL fuch a Converfion ? If it be the Dijfenters
Jnterefi, 'tis a great Weaknefs, in That Refpeft, not to come about. ' f,
If they Declare, and Vromife more then they Intend to Verform, they '
Cut their own Throats, by Playing the Knaves, to their Ruine-,
and by Adting againft Common Honefly, as well as againft Common "2
Senfe. Their Interejl it is, molt Undcnyably ■, for they get Remif-
Jion, Eafe, and favour by't. If the Lapifis think Better of the R
Difenters then they deftrve, 'tis an Error on the Right Hand:
But the Difenters, it feems, that but T'other Day were Sons of {"si
Belial, are now, all of a fiidden, in the Opinion of the Vapifts,
become Angels of Light. And is it not juft the very fame Thing,
(at
r 15 ^
(at leafl if the Author of This Letter Judges Aright) from the Dif-
fenters to the Papifis^thzt it is from the Paptfis to the Dijfcmcrs ? And
where's the Hurt on't, if they are Both Agreed to think Better One of
Another, then they were ufed to do ? Or, according to our Author's
■Opinion,then EfFedually they have Caufe to do ? Well! But he gives
to Underlland, that though the have Changed their Style^
they have not yet Changed their Thoughts of them: And Then, in
comes Z'Philofophical Caution^ not to give Credit to Vnnaturd Mq~
tions that pafs from One Extreme to Another at a Stride. If he
had look'd Both ways, he would have found as great a Leap af
State^ on the Otte Side, as he does of Inclination on the Other :
For let a Man's Thoughts, and Purpofes^ be never To Sound, and
Reafonable, 'tis No Vnreafonabk 1 hing yet, to Change Thofe
Thoughts, and Purpofes upon Change of Accidents^ and Occafion.
He fays that ^he Dijfenters Features are not Altered ; but I iball take
leave to fay, that the very Caufe it felf'n Altered ^ and that During
his Majefties Sufpenjion of the Penal Laws^ they are, in a Fair
Equity of ConfirHclion^ no longer Dijfenters. But whether this
Gentleman' hits the Papijls Thoughts, or Not, is the Lead: Part of
the Care of This Paragraph > For the Author feems much more
follicitous, for fear the Papijls, and the Dijfenters fhould agree up-
on't to think ITe//of One Another, then for fear that the Crafty,
Jugling Papijls Ihould put a Trickjipon the Poor Innocent Lambs on the
Other jide. And L would, in One Word more, no w put it to the
Authors Confcience, Whether the Papijis, and his Own, with a re-
fped to the Dijfenters, be not the wqij fame Cafe, and the very
fame Trick. He would have them dand upon their Guard, he fays
but againfl What? And what to do ? As if Good Difcretion, and
Good Nature could not Itand together: As if People could not be
Prudent, without being Inhumane. It was fuch Hints, and Touches
as Thefe, that turn'd the Hearts, and the Brains of the Common
People into Wax, to ftamp Forgeries upon: But God forbid, that
the. fame Scene iliould Open Once again, and that the Epilogue
to One Sham, fhould prove the Prologue to Another.
It is Worthy of Obfervation, that in All Officious Difcourfes of
This Qiiality, there arc Certain Words of Common-Place, Inter-
fpers'd up and down, that when the Pen groivs Dull, are made ufe
of, as a Butcher does of his Steel when his Knife is Blunted, to give
it a iVtTi'As here's VIDOL'ArRYj^ brought in, p. i. of the
■ Sheet-and-Half-Edition. A^ndthen p. 9. he is pleafed to give it
^Another Whet, upon the Word [_TRANSVESJANT1 AlION.'}
•' C Now
Letter.
i i6 J
Now I do Previoufly Declare my felf to be Pcrfedly a Church of
England Thefe Two Points: And yet, faving all Poffiblc
Vmtration to my Mother^ and Reverence to my Profejfi.on^ I cannot
Imagine any other End, or Reafon, for the very Mention of
[JDOLJm^ in This Place, then to ftir the Blond of the Prote-
jiaxt Reader^ and to Brand the Romanijis^ with a Mark of Odinm^
and Rcproche. Here's a Civil Qaejlion ftarted •, Not fo much be-
twixt Roman Catholiqttes^ ^nd. Dtjjlnters^ with regard to their Dif^
fering Perfwaftons in Religion^ as with a Rcfpedt to the Interefi of
the Common Peace^ and Safety^ in the Agreement^ or Difagrecthent
of Thefe Two Bodies of His Majelties SahjeEls. And what's This to
the Polemickj betwixt the Two Churches ?. The Roman Catho^
liques Believe as they Did ^ And the Dijfenters Believe as they
Did So that Qhe Papifis Favoury he fays, is Inconftfient with thk
Single Article .*3 And is not the Dijfenters Favoury • on the other
fide, as Inconftfient with the fame Articled So that there's no more
hope of favour on the One fide, then there is on the Other. Now
if they are Refolv'd, on Both Sidesy not to "Vield, what are All
Thefe Elaborate DijfwafiveSy but only fo many Fine IVords thrown into
the Air?
Think^a littky how dangerous it is to build upon a Foundation of Para.-
doxes. Popery now is the only Friend to Liberty, and the known Ene-
my to Pcrfecution : The Men of Taunton and Tiverton, are above
all other eminent for Loyalty. 2'/je Quakers/row being declared by the
Papilts not to Chriftians, are now Favourites, and taken into
Particular Protection; they are on a fudden grown the mofi ac-
complijhed men of the Kingdom in Good Breedingy and give Thanh,
with the befi GracCy in double Refined Language. So that I Jhould not
wondery though a Man of that Perfwafiony in fpight of his Hat,
fijould be Mailer of the Ceremonies. Not to fay Harjhtr Words,
thefe are fuch very New ThingSy that it is impojfible not to fufpend our BC'
liefy till by a tittle more Experience we may be informed whether they are
Realities, or ApparitionsWe have been under jhameful Miliakis, if
thefe Opimons are true, but for the prefentwe are apt to be incredulous-,
Except we fhould be convinced, that the Priells Words in this Cafe
too, art able to make fuch a fudden effectual Change^ and that
their Power is not limited to the Sacrament, but that, it extendeth to
Alter the Nature of all other things,, as often as they are fo dif-
fofedy, p. 3.
It
( 17 J
IT would be Good Advice to the jiuthor, as well as to the DijC Let^ec*
y«»?er,toConfider the Danger of Building uf on Paradoxes: For it
is to My Thinking, Extremely Paradoxal^ to draw Arguments of
Inclination from Refults of Necejfity ^ and to make it an Ad of
Frkndflnp^ for Two Bodies^ or Divifions of Men, that liave Needy
One of fdnothery to jhaks Hands upon Certain Terms and Articles of
Compofition. The Papifis would be at Liberty y and fo would the Djf-
fenters y And I think they fhould defervc to be Chronicled for Idiotsy
and Mad-MenyXiot to Unite in any Common Medium^'vdc^fnf iceyHo-
muvy and a Good Confcienccy toward their Joint-Eafey and^e/ie/. And
what's the Papifis Friendpip now, to Liberty y but that they Vv^ould
fain be out of their Shacklesy Themfelves ? And what's their Enmi-^
ty to Perfecutiony but a Delire to ftand upon Even Groundy with the
reft of the Kings SubjeBs ? Efpecially, as they are Entitled to
it by the Kings Late Indulgence. God forbid, that any Honeft:
Englip Man Ihould Envy any of his Fellow SubjeBs the Benefit of
the Kings Mercy y becaufe (in Effed) a man can hardly do it,vvith-
out feme fort of Reflexion upon his Sacred Wifdom and Goodnefi.
To proceed now from the Irony upon Poperyyto the Men of l^aunton,
WTiverton y and fo to the ^takers. It is not Good to Dif-
courage men that do but fo much as /oo;^ towards Loyalty y and
thoughEvery body Cannot come up to the Good Breeding that This
Gentleman is pleafed to make himfelf fo meimy withal y we might
Yet Methinks Arrive at fuch a -Degree of Moral CMlityy as to
give his Majefty leave to Difpofe of his Utfw, without calling him
to Account for't. T he J^takgrsy (he fays) are the Papifis Favou-
rites. And are not the Diffentersy (at leaft as This Letter would ,
have it 1 bought to be) i\\e. Favourites oi xht Author ? And fo he
goes on ftill, fporting himfelf with thefe People, as [jhe Men that
giveThanks with the Befl Grace.'] Well ! And when his Hand was
In, Wliy did he not take Notice, of Thofe too, that with a ve-
ry III GracCy give No Thanks at all? He Cautions the Diffinters^ to
fufptnd their Bdkf till they know whether the Papifis are in Jtfiy or
Earnefi : And why not Sufpendy as well, 'till they can have the
fame Security for the Good Faith of the Author too? [JVe have
been underpameful Mifiahes (he fays) if Thefe Opinions areTrue.]
(And Ifay,that we have5ee«, Felty Heardy^nd Vnderfiood Mfia kes
much morepameful then any of Thefe. Nay, and we have had
True-Frotefiant Oaths for them too, irt the fame C-ifcy and about
Xhc fame People y And All yet found to be a Cheat at iaft. 1 o go
C 2 thorouzh
o
r i8 J
Thorough with hici, he calls in the Sacrament once again to his
Aid, at the End of This Claufe. I wilh the Period had been hand-
led with a little more Solemnity ; for I never lov'd the Hocm-Pocuf-
fing of Hoccfi Corf us Mcum^
X-Cttcr. Let me now fpcak_, of the Infiruments of your Friendfhif^ and then
leave you to judge^ whether they do not affdrd tnatter of Sttfpicion. No
Sharpnefs is to be mingled where Healing only is isttended; fo nothing
will be faid to Expofc f articular men^ how firong foever the Temptation
may be^ or how clear the Proofs to makg it out. A word or two inge-
neral^ for your better caution.^ flsall fuffice: Suppofe then^for Argument'*s
fak^^ that the Mediators of this sew AHiance^ Jhould be fuch as have
been formerly imployed in Treaties of the fame kind^ and there deteBed
to have ABed by Order.^ and to have been Impowered to give Encou-
ragements and Rewards. Would not this be an Argument to fufpeB
them? P. 3. ;
, . Sufpicious friendships ] Sufpiciom
Anfwer. \J\J cOVRTSHIPS-, Sufpicious BILLS^^nd PLAISTERS Suf
picious CHANGES J SufpiciottsPARADOXES-, (with upon
Caution over and above) and we are now a coming to Sufpicious IN-
STRVMENTS; But Healing ir only intended^ there mufi he
no Sharpnefs] he fays y And fo he goes forward Suppofmg and Sup-
pofing, in Cewtr^/, without Expofmg Particular Men.
I am forry with all my Heart that this Healing Humour j Or at
leaft This Healing Intention did not take our Author fooner ^ for fo-
far hitherto, as the Pukique has been the Qtieftion, we have had
Sharpnefs beyond Meafure: But he is Refblv'd, from Henceforward, '
to Illuflrate, by John-a-Nok§s, and John-a-Styles ^ and fo to Pro-
ceed putting of Cafes and Cafes allmofl to the End of the Chapter.
Suppofe (fays he) that the Prefent Mediators^ &c. fhould be found
to have been FaBors of Old, andCommijfion'*'d to give Encouragements,,
and Rewards, in Treaties o f the fame Kind. ■ ^
1 Anfwer, Firft, that Suppojing is not Fronting, xly.. That th^
Suppofed CASE on the One-fide, till it be made out, is as Sufpicious
as the Suppofed PRACTICE on the Other. For the Suppoftion of
fuch a PraBice may be a FiBion -, or it may be EnflamXd, and'
rendered Bigger then the Truth, ■^ly. The Suppoftion, Thus Re- ■
prefented, Works Equally, whether it be True or Falfe.^ without"
Farther Evidence, tyly. What if it were True, fo long as it Is
BQt the Ch/v aBtr of the Infrtmcnt, Eeafon of the Propofi-
nsHy
tser,
C '9 )
that is to Covtrn.'? 5 ly. 'Tis the Authority that muft bear out
t\\Q Itifirument ^ and not a Prejudice to tht Itifirumtnt ^ that lhall
Difparage the Authority : And if we cannot ^ay a RefpeH to the .
Man^ it is yet Due to his Commijfion. 6ly. If the SufpeBing of
Any man, fhall Extend to the Ta^ng away^ or to the Lejfening of
his Credit. 'Tis in the Power of my One Many to fufpeB any
Other y and No man can be Safe in his Innocence: Befide that, the
Strefs of this Infinuation will put All men out of Capacity for
Publique Triifiy if it lhall but be Pr.ov*dy nay, or fo q^ch as Sug-^
gefiedy that ever they made a Falfe Stepy in their Lives. The NexG,
and Lafl Point, Expounds the Letters [oft way of Proceedingy to
have had more in it of Prudential Caupony then of Tendernefs for
Particular Perfons For they DeteBedy to hz'fQ ABcdhj
O R D E R j and .f O R D E R 2 tuns up Stairs the Lord knows
whither.
•
If they Jhould plainly be under Engagements to one fidey their ArgU' Letter^
tnents to the othery ought to be received accordingly -y their fair Pretences
are to be looked upon as part of their Commijfiony which may not impro-
bably gi ve them a Difpenfation in the cafe of Truthy when it may bring
a prejudice upon the Service of thofe by whom they are imployed. p. 3,.
TH E Short of This Suppoftiouy is, that their Arguments are Anfwer,
to be Judfd by their Dependences ^ and that they are Cow-
mijfion'd to LyCy and Juggle for the Service of their Mafiers. Thefe
CI F's ] are Deliver'd with the Ayre of a PatriotCy and with the
Spirit of a Frec-born-EngliJh-man j Like a Cenjor Morum in fine. If
the Gentleman has an Ambition to be a DevotCy for the Savingy
or the Redeeming of his Countryy he will Unriddle the Myfiery y
Open the Confederacyand bring All Thefe Monfiers out of Th&rv
Holesy into Open Day-light: Without which, we are fo. far from
being the Better-y that in Truth, we are much the Worfe for his
Suppofitions : And without This, the. Whole PretendedEnd of his.
'better to a Dijfentety is Entirely DHappointed.
If there fihould be men who having formerly y had Means and Authority
to perfwade by Secular ArgumentSy have in purfuance of that Power-y
fprinkled Money amongfi the Diflenting Minillers y and if thofe very,
mm jhould now have the fame Authorityy praBicethe fame.McthodSyand
Disbiirfcy where they cannot otherwife perfwade: Itfcemethtomey toke-
rather m Evidence then a Prefumption of the Deceit. F. 3.
\ kpflf
If there fjoHld ^cMmifters a/nongji you^ who hy h<*v'wg fxlkn
dtr Temftatiom of this kindy are w jfnte fort engaged to continue their
Frailtyy hy the axve they are in lefi it fwuld be expofed: The ptrfwajl-
ons of thefe unfortunate men mufi fure have the l^s forcey and their
jirgumemSy though never fo fpecious^ are to be fufpeEtcuy rthen tliey ,
come from men who have Mortgaged themfelves to ftvere Creditors that '*''V
^xfeHr a rigorourS obfervation of tht ContraEty let ft he never fo hnvpar- -
rantabk. P. 3.
Jf thefe fhr any otherSy fhould at this time Preach up Anger and
Vengeance againft the Church of England ; may it not without Inju- '
fiice be fufpeHedy that a thing fo plainly out of feafony fpringeth rather '
from Corruption than Jldijhake ty and that thofe v^o aid this Cholerkk
party do not believe themfelvesy but only purfue -higher Directionsy and *
endeavour to make good that part of their ContraCl which obligeth theniy ■
upon a ForfeiturCy to mak§ ufe of their inflaming Eloquence ? They
might apprehend their Wages would be retrenched if they fhould be Mo- ■
derate: And therefore whiljl Violence'is their Interefty thofe who have
not the fame Argument Sy have no reafon to follow fuch a Partial Ex-
ample. P. 4.
Kfcl
Letter. T TEre^s Suppofition upon Suppofitiony More, and More llill. What
X A. if there Ihould hz Mony in the Cafe, among the Dijfenting
Minifersy as there has h&Qn formerly ? And what if the Agents
of Former Times Ihould be now at their Old Trade again ? Why ''fit
truly, for My Part, it lhall be either So, or Not fo, as the Au-
thor pleafes;, and e'en let him take his Choice. If there has 'ikf
been No Many given, the Author is out in his Hiflory -y And if ^Secon:
"there Has hoizn Moriy given, the Single t^ueftion is, Whether the
Thing was Nonefty or Difhoneft y Warrantabky or Vnwarrantahle;
that was^to be done for That Mony. I do not find that there 'htkt
were any Bravo'Sy or Church-Robbers employ'd in This moft Im- fiiti
portant Commiffwn. . I db not hear of any Murder of SacrikgCy in '»ii Cli
the jQuefion: But when it lhall be Prov'^d, that a Wicked Thm t
was ORDER'D, and a Wicked Thing DONEy Theny ( and n*
tillThen) will be tlie7>;we ioxThis Suppoftion to take Place. Now if ^Cwr
it was a Lawfullyox a Righteous Bus'nefs,! have very Good Authority «yof
iox\ylh2X.\.\\erLabourtr is Worthy of his Hire y And it is the kVifdoniy
and the Juflice of All Well-Ordered StateSyXo Reward Puhlique ServiccSy
without Snikx'mg Good Subjects to hzCzWd McrcenarieSy for Touch-
ing the King''s Mony y and likewife" for theC? e<^/V, and the Vindi- [iicR
■catiw of the Honour of Tnz Govcmmenty not to fulfer the Bountyes p.,,
1
f 51 J
;f4i of the Tr'wce to be ScaneUloHjly Reprefented to tht Peopky under the
WKif: Odious Names of Corruption. Bribery^ or Subornation: InfonwcH,.
bp:, that the Prefumption of Fiaudy feems to lye much Itrongcr on the
(, «■ Stpfofers fide, then it dot s ai he Other.
rt;. The Letter is QFFING j of it now again too ^ with a f What
jtir if the Mercenary Minilters Before fuppofed^ Jhould he kipt in Awe.,
f;-' f'^^ telling of Tales?'} They are gotten into Huckficrs
Hands^ and there's No coming o.f without a Scratch"*d Face. Now
t Aip; am I, the very Same Indifferent Man, to This Suppofition^ that I
was to the Former ; and believe it, upon the Whole Matter, to
Tjrj.;. be fl Fiction ; But I do not yet, either Pretend to Know.^ or to
till Cf Pronounce upon't •, and whether it be a Truth^ or a Figment'tis to
)j,(^ Mee AH of a Price: So that for Quietnefs fake, I am content to
y, Reafon with the Gentleman upon his Ovm Askings *, His Own Pre-
1S.4: f^n^p'ions ^ Nay, and I care not if I fay, upon his.Oww Affirma-
t'ms too ■, For This way of Cafing a Matter, has the Force of Af-
jjj,:. ferting'it. If, in Good Earneft, fuch a Thing has been ^ and that
^ jip, they dare not come off for fear of being Layd Open ■, 'tis the Cafe
(that I have had fbmevhere before) of a Gentleman that lay gi-
yen over by his Phyllcian,. in a Defperate Fit of Sicknefs. A
Friend and Companion of His, made him a F'iftt; layd his don-
dition before him, and Advis'd him, by All means, while he had
jjpi Life yet, to Call sspon God, and^efewf. Why Ay, (fays he ) 5^
J were fure to Dye, Pde Repent with all my Heart', But then, if J
. jhould happen to Live, the Rogues would fo Laugh at me. Here's the
Perfeti Image of the Author s Thoughts, U'pton. the Suppofed Dijfenter
, ""i in the Second Period, Body and Soul. He's Ajfraid to Repent, for
i!?u< the Rogues jhould Laugh at hinu I .do not know how far This
^ Bajhfull Argument may Work upon the World', but I am perfua-
ded that the Plea will hardly be admitted at the Day of Judgment..
And then he lays the Strefs of the Cafe, upon a Point that's Nd-
, ver to be Clea-Pd ■, 'till we have All of us Windows in our Breafts,
L';- and Eyes, to-See and Read the Thoughts of one Another in our
f'' very Hearts. And where's the Refult at lafl, but that we are to.
I Draw Conclufions from the Bare Pofjibility of Things, to the In-
jji fallibility of a' Demonjlration t Let This be Granted, and the Sug-.
v pojitm Hands Firm ; but Nothing Lefs then This, will be ever
able to Support it.
And the Cafe-putting-Humour goes on ftill'too^ though-the, A'u,
i'"!. thor fucceedsno Better in his Third Suppoftion, then he did in the,
. Two. Former. By fThefe, or Any Others Preach'tng up Aiger, and:
C 22 )
■VetJ^eanc^agawfi the Church of England^ He can mean Nothing in
the World, but Popijh Priefis^ or Diffenters; imlefs he ihould
Imagine,that the Chwrch-of-England Miniflers will lay Violent Hayids
upon Jhemfehes. Such Preachings he fays, is [_flainly out of Seafon'^
with a regard, he means, to the Timing of it: Which feems to
fhy thzt at fome other times it dx) well enough. Now if it be
an III Thing to do at jiny times it will be ALLWATS out of Seafoa 5
for 'tis not with Sermonss as 'tis with Mackrels to be INs and
OVT : But if Such Preaching may be Now Out of Seafon ^ Why may
not fome WaysofH^miw^ beo«f 0/ Seafon too? And why m^y it
not be a Thing of as Dangerous Confequence, to fet the Dijfenters
and the. Paftfiss as to fet the DijfenterSs and the Church-of-Engf
together by the Ears ? Not but that This Way of Con-
du6t. Wounds the 7V«e, and the Genuine Church of England mdet
the Bare Denomination of a Church-of-England-CaufCs more then it
does Either of the Other Two Pantess as I fiiall fhew when it
comes before me. But the Corruption goes on ftill. The Cholerick.
Part (he fays) is but A^ied j Higher Directions muH be Purfu'ds or
the Contrast is Void. Nay, the Dijfenters are in Pay too, and they
"have Wages. The Defign is to Work Violences and There he
Pins (he Basket. If the Q?o/fwy art be (as he fays) hntASleds the
Dijfenters and the Church'df-England-Men Underliand One Ano-
ther, before hand it feems, and the Wdiole Story of the Letter
is but a Bariter : That fame Exprefhon of \_Higher Directions'] is a
Bugg Wordo\Two s and from. Higher to Highers there will be No
Rejting Place foxxnd. for this Oraculous Innuendos till we come to the
Higheft of all. Now I am lot Lawyer enough, to know. What
fuch z Charge of CONTRACTs CHEATs and VIOLENQEs in
fuch a Train of Connexion may amount to. This is \]a Partial Ex-
^mple"} he fays j And truly Mythinks, This Letter has a very Par-
tial way of Proceeding ^ for it makes Wats and Peaces in the fame
Breath j Rips up Old Wounds under the Colour of Healing them:
And I appeal to the indifferent World, whether a CholcrickfVrittr
may not be as Dangerouss as a Cholerick^Preacher ^ and if tjie One
Example be not as much to be Avoided as the Other.^ Wherefore
I think it would not do Amifs, if the Dijfenter Ihoul'd Counter-Ad-
■vife his Remembrancer upon Two or Three ofthefe Lafi Points : For the
Letter deals altogether by Secular Arguments too s and there may
be Mony Walking on the One Side, as well as on the Other. And
then again, tht Difuniting of the Kings SubjeStss of what Religion
y&cver they are, is a Point as Sufpicious, As any that we have yet
Before
'Jut 85 ■' -
jjoiuly, t(
I'vfilipJ I
;*((»« IS a i
d
'im
tSntmncit
Ahu ti
.■ p hat
of
felf
fcCt
iitO (
,i'. tWi
■
-•BtC
Iti*
h;«|
^r 23 J)
Befon us .* And it is a Thing, every jot as much om of Seafon
certainly, to Endeavour the making the Romanifls Odiom ( As
Romamfis ) under a Prince of That Communion^ as it is to Endea-
vour the Conciliation of a Friendjhip betwixt the Roman C^tholiqiies^
and any other fort ivhatfoever of the Kings Liege People. 'Tis a Rafj^ an
Irreverent.^ a Falfe., and a Seditious Infinuation.^ to PolTefs SubjeEts
with an Opinion., that there is No Faith, Truth, Honour, or Jufiice,
to be Expefled from the Religion of That Church, whereof their
Sovereign is a Member. And fo to the ^ext Suppcfal.
If there Jhould be Men, who by the Load of their Crimes, againfi Letter.
the Government, have been bowed down to comply with it again ft their
Confcience ; who by incurring the want of a Pardon, have drawn up^
on themfelves the neceffity of a,n intire Refgnation : Such Men are to be
■ Lamented, hut not to be Believed: Hay, they themfelves, when they
have difcharged their Vnwelcom Task._, will be inwardly glad that their
• forced Endeavours do not fucceed •, and are pleafed when Men refijt their
Infnuations •, which are far from being voluntary or fine ere, but are
■fqueened out of them by the IVeight of their being fo Obnoxious. P. 4.
BEfore I fpeak to the Cafe, _ I cannot but do a Gentleman''s Anfwer
Right to the Author, and fay;, that f If Troy could have been
Defended, This was the Hand to have done if.] In one Word more. It ■
is Cleanly, a?ld Artificial ■, but ftill it makes his own Saying Good,
atlaft^ that £It is a Dangerous Tkitg to Build upon a Foundat'm of
Paradoxes.']
: What Credit (fays he) is to be given to Criminals, that are
Torced to Compound for their Necks., againft their Grnfciences ?
Nay, they'l be Inwardly Glad, not to be Able to Succeed in their
Endeavours •, for'tis ^//Force without the lead P^^e, or Stroke, of
. Nature, or Inclination. If th:fe Men will Ad AGAINST their
Confciences, for a Pardon, will they not much more A-T ACCORD-
■INGto their Confciences for the Continuance of that Security?
.That is to fay, upon ConviEHon that they were in an Error: But
if the Dutiful Confcience of Preferving the Publique Peace, Works
■One way •, And if the Letter will Suppofe a Confcientious Obligation
: (either fo in or fo Vnderfkood) for the Defroying of a Law-
■ful Government, on the Other, it is a kind of a Scandal'upoi the
very Rebellion, to call it a Crime •, In Oppoiition to the Text here
that Implies it to be a Matter of Confcience. Here's the Prefent Cafe,
in fliort, Stated, and Read upon And fo we'le Procee^.
D If
r 24 J
Lc ttcr. Jj lit the Height of—this great Dearnefs ly ccfnparhtg Thirgs^ it
fl:onld hapten^ that at this Inflant^ there is much a finer Friend-
lliip, xcith thoje rvho are fa far from allowing Liberty, that they allow
no LIVING, to "a Protefiant under them. Let the Scene lie in what
part of the I Vorld it will^ the Argument will come home^ and fare it will
afford fnjfdent Ground to fufpedl. Apparent Contradifiions mufi fir ike ,
tis : Neither Nature nor Reafon can digefi them : Self-Flattery.^ and the
defire to deceive our fiehes., to gratifie a prefent Appetite., with all their^^
Power, which is great, cannot get the better of fuch froad ConviRicn,
as fome thingSi carry ahng with them. Will yoti call thefe vain and
empty Snfpicions? Have you been at all times fb void of Fears and
fealoufies as to jufiifie your being fo unreafonahly valiant in having
' none upon this Occafion I Such an extraordinary Courage at this unfea-
fvnable Time, to fay no more, is too H.angerous a Virtus to be commend-
ed. V. 4.
Anfwer. ^-|-vHcrc may be Time, Place, and Occafion, for the Private Enter-
X taining, and the Secret Apprehending of Fears and Jealoufies •,
And there may be Jufi Ground, Powerful Inducements, and Neceffary
Prudence, fo to do : But for the Propagating, the Puhlijhing, the
Spreading, and the Irritating of Thofe Jtaloufes,sN\\txt the Honour of
the Prince flhz Dignity of the Government, and the Peace of the State,
are All wrapt up in the Gmfequences of Moving That lTtfiemper,xhcvs
can be No Time, Place, or Occafion, to Warrant fuch a PraElice. I
~ could Wilh, that This Aemr had been kept Clearer oi the yexy
Word \S-VSPECTQ Or, that where thehas thought fit
to meke Vfe of it, the Sufpicion had not been Carried fiirther,
then I am willing to underlland it was Intended. For Jealoufie,
Naturally runs into the niolb Implacable Hatred-, and to tell Pro-
tefiants that there's No LIVING, under Papifis is to tell thorn at
the fame Time, that there's no Suffering of Papifts to Live under
Them and fo to fet All the Believers of This DoSlrine Immedi-
ately upon the Cutting of One Anothers Throats. He puts the Cffi
of a Poffibility of a Surer Friendjhip, at Tds Infant ■, but then
Cloggs it with fjch After-Claps, that Nothing bat Future Danina-
tion for a Prefent Difobcdknce, can be more Dreadful, then the
Courfe of' the Impendent Calamities that he has fct before us. Ap'
parent ContradiElions mufi firik^ w, (he fays:) And is it not M
Apparent Contradiction, to 'Velt Suhjelts with the Authority of Oo-
vtrmitrs I To. Invert the Order Qf Reafon zeA Nature. ? and to take
- the
1
i .'-I
!
^ ^ A J. ! I"
^ /J 4- O / - -- J ^ ^ , J ^ ^ J ^-v 4- l-» A ^ ^
■ C 25 J
the Office of Rde^ ont of the Crcmn^ and cry Hail King to the
Tir Multmde? Neither Nature^ nov Ecafon^ czn Digeft the turning
^f:.: of the Ordinance ot Power ^ toffy'Tiirvy; AndthfCafe i'i not Hf-
ntds fttite^ (as he fays ) but Duty. Let Conviclions be never fo Broad.,
ii,;:: the Proper Judge of 'em is the Ptrfon that God has appointed to
i t:- Judge ot 'era ^ and the Slandering of Gods dnnointed, ontheO?;e
(e:-; hand, is Worfe then the very Sappofed Male-Adminijiration, on the ; i
ttrpei. Other. The People are Happy where a Prince Governs Well: But i
r(ftill in Cafe, even of a Alif-Government., th&xo's No Remedy, but i
ii'L; what's fFcr/e then the ;
Toward the Clofe of This Paragraph, he draws an Inference ' |
f [;r ■ from the Dijfenters Behaviour under Pafl Fears and Jealoufies,to their - j
ajig Behaviour under Fears and Jealoafies, at Prefent. Now if he had f
taken into This Calcddtion, an Account of the Artifices that , ; j.
Radd U\ok Fears nnd^Jealoufies-, an Account of the Defign-, and I i'jj'
the Application of them j the Mifery and Defolation, that they .
brought upon the King, and Three Kingdoms he would not have ! '
: Advifed them, I hope, to the faying o^ th&Same Leffon, and to the
•jjj doing of the Sam Things over again. And whereas he calls Courage,
a Dangerous Virtue, at This Unfeafonahle Time-, It is the molt
, Daring, and the moll Dangerous of All Courages, that he Himfelf
vlvn PraElices -, That is to fay -, the Courage of Reading fuch a
[jofsi the Common People, as, if they were not Thoroughly PoJ-
feffed with n Confidence, and of their Own Safety, ia the
afc
Tof:
liedfe^
For?''
drsf
tei!^
life'
Hands where the and of God hnth Placed them,
might Endanger the Springing of a Mine, that would, molt
Infallibly, Bury the Engineer Himfelf in the Common Ruine.
If then for thefe, and a thoufand other Reafons, there is caufe to Letter.
fufpeSl, fure your new Friends are not to DiElate to you, or Advife
you. For infiance, &c. p. 4.
T^HE Author is' fo Intent upon the Matter of his Difcourfe, Anfsper,
"'""'y, X that 1 am affiraid he has almoft forgotten the Title of it. He
') calls it £A Letter to a Diffenter, &c. ?] and He Himfelf Perfonates
d Church-of-England-man, in the Manage of it : Now if there
) be ( according to his own reck'ning ) a Thoufand Reafons and Odd,
for the Dijfenters SufpeSling their New Friends -, and againft the
I'"' Entertainingo( thefe Ntw Friends, for DiBators, and Advifers -,
Never any Mortal had a Clearer Caufe on't; and Thefe New
\ D 2 Friends
r 26 J
Friends are not, upon any Terms, to take upon them to Die}ate,
and to Advifc. Upon This Joynt-ConccJfion^ I have a Civil Que-
jltion orTv»o toputtothe ^nd fore-cafiing Asithor of ^
this Letter. Fii lt^ Is lie, in Very Very Deed, a True Church-of-
Lngland-man., according to the Standard of That Comnmion ? ""■ 'S
If Mr, Why does he tell the iJ/jfrarcrj that he is one? Nay,
and Pil Abate him fomewhat of the Heights., znd FomificalibuPes J' ,
too, into the Bargain. Secondly : Admitting him to be the Man H
that he Froftjfes to be, we ihall fee prefently what comes on't 'kr
That way too; And fo let him e'en ftick to which of the Two jpt,
He pleafes, either the Church., or the Separation. If he be a Dif-
Center.,^ Himftlf, he Ihonld have call'd his Papers A Letter from a
Difftntcr to a Dijfenter : And in that_Cafe, 'Tis Ten to One, he fdJi!:
has fome Part to Play ^ Or fome fiich ORDER, I Wan-ant ye, ;:rto
as (he was a faying) th& Dijftntwg Minifiers \iZ\'o •, lioy^toHead
the Stage., How to Govern themfelves.; and who knows but he may -p
have C HIGHER DIRECTIONS too 3 as well as fome Others of
his Brethren ? Warrants, Commifflons, and Infirnctions for the
Compofing of his Countenances, zvtd Defigns: Nay, and
penfations too, for DijfemUing, and Equivocating, according to the tlr
Suppofed Cafe Again, of his Fellorv Brethren? If, (as he fuggefts) l-ji
All Thefe Things have been I>one, and ACied, in Mans Memory, 2rjl
and may be likewife Suppofed to be Done, and Abied over again t, nji,,
'tis the World to a Nut-lhell, if he be One of That Party, thzt
he is likewife One of Thofe Managers, Himfelf •, And'w not Fair,
to Carry Two Faces under One Hood: For, at this Rate, the whole
Kiis'nefs is Nothing but Perfon, and Difguife. However, for the ■ ^
Author's Reputation, I would rather find a Failing in his Argu- ^
ment, then in his Integrity •, for if he Ihould chance to be found , ^
a Dijfenter, or as a body may fay, but a Dijfenters Fellow, it
would be enough to bring the Credit of his very Hifiory, Mat-
ter, Qtnfe, and Defign, in jQuefiion, to be taken Halting under a , j.'
Borrow'd CharaSler. ^
But Allowing him now to be Aliqualite'r, (with leave of the
Critickf) a man of the Church of England, (though not fo Con-
fummated, and Canonical, as a Body would With) he is Manifellly s
HampePd in his Own Net. For the Church-of-England-Men are ,,
to the Dijfenters, upon the StriUnefs of a Civil Point, to All Pur-
pofes, as New Friends, as the Papijts are: That is to fay, accor-
ding to the Authors Notion, and Intent of This New Friendfnp. '
I fpeak This ad Hommm, Ht profeHes a Good Will, and a ■
Frkndjlnp
C 27 )
Frkndflnp to the Diffivfers-^ The Papfls do the Lihi^ and their
Fi iendjhips bear much the fame date. Now (Tays he) Your Nevf
Friends are to be SufpeEled; He Himfelf is in the fame Qafis^ and
iCli/ni a*- Lyable to be fufpenred^ in the Quality of a Nerv Friend^ as the
Mat- Other. Nay, and a man might yet lay a little more weight upon't;
ossd; It is a Sepa-afion in Difciplme that makes our Vijfenter^ and it; is
the Dljfent^ fo Difilngmpd and Ref rain''d, that is here the Qiie-
iiciiii'. lLi'..n : So that the Papift has no Qiiarrel to the D'ljfenter^ but as
coiEi. a Meiiiber of t^xe Reformation \ for in the Matter of Cjmry, and
oftfe;^ yllegeance, they do Both fall under the Common CASE of All the
kki King's S;ibje5ls.
Leitf^
a tote' , AddreTcs that fly abroad every Week..^ and Murder m with Letter.
Wanr.! Another to the, fame ^ the firfi Draughts are made by thofe who are
HoiiolJ not very proper to be Sea^etaries to the Protellant Religion *, and
IS kk? ■ it is your part only to Write them out fairer again. Strange I that
ffleOtlii ■ yoH, who have been formerly fo much againfi Set Forms, fhould now be
Jwfe: content the Priefis jhould Indite for you. p. zj..
NSj^wv'-
cotfc:' "T^HE Murdering Addreffes that are.here Complain'd"(of, ma Anfwen.
i l{^' J- much more Murdering Letter ^ are a Certain fort of Murder.^
that^the Law neither of God, nor of Man, takes any Notice of^
J (iff and z Murder, that perhaps was never Heard of, *till it came to
be fet up for a Figure, in This Rhetorical Paper. Tney fly abroad,
iii'nif'.' 'tis True We Read them in the GasLettes ■, and the Letter takes
tipon it felf, to fet forth'by Myfterious Hints, and Intimatiom,
from what Hands they come too. Now This is Matter of
jjliiii FaEi •, and where there's No Ev'idence Offer''d, there's No
(uljil Tlace for a Difproof. He gives to Underftand , as a .Thing
of PraEHce, and Reproche, that the Addrejfers only Write after
,1 the D'lEbates, and Copies of Other People ■, and pleafantly Re—
proves them for Admitting Set Forms in Thefe Addreffes, ( and'
Set-Forms drawn by Priefis too ; ) though they will have None in
their Publique Devotions. Now here's not One Syllable of the
Putt in fight ^ andthe'Strefs of .Ml, he fays, comes to no more
then T^isThe People do not draw up their Own Addreffes •, To
which;! Anfwer; that there was never any Body of Addrejfers, .
to# F^ce of the Earth, that did not Stand Lyable to
'of ![f -^hzfame Exception, in having thdr Addreffes Drawn up for Them:
Neither is it fo properly the Form of Words'-, but the Ajfent, and the.
(l^d ^"^fl'tiptioa, that makes th& Addrefs: And it is enough for the J
■ Beopkl..
( a8 J
'People to On?«, and Sign the Mmcr of the AMrefs ^ without any
'Pretence to a Hand in the Wording of it. I do infiit a little the more
upon the Privelege of n Commoner of England^ to have him Ex-
cufed from witing his ovon Addrcjfes^ becaufe it may fo fall out, wf
that a very Ho-neit Man's Skill in Letters, may go no further,per- jiiofft
haps, then the Bare Writing vf his Name, or the making of his rfflfi
Markj Befidc, that^a Body does not know the danger of fuck a & ^
Trefidcnt, if our Author Ihould Carry this Point : For the very
fame Exception will hold againll him upon a Suit in Chancery, be- •acifitli
caufe, forfooth, hisili//, or Anfwer, was not of his Ottn drawing, toff;
. ,'jKice
ictter. The nature of Tnanh is an iina-voidable cor.fequence of being Pleafed :l!n
or Obliged-, they grow in the Heart, and from thence fitw themfelves e::,
■ either in Locks., Speech, Writing, or Aclion: No man was ever Thank:: --ilis]
fnl becatife he was bid tobefo, hit becaafe he had, or thongkt he had
fome Reafon for it. Jf then there is caufe in this Cafe to pay fach ex- 'jjCc
■travagant Acknowledgments, they wiH flow naturally, without taking
fuch pains to procure them and it is unkindly done, to tire all the Pof-
Horfes with carrying Circular Letters to follicit that which would be -Jrfff
'done without any trouble or cpnflraint: If it is really in it felf fuch a ^
Favour, what needeth fo much pre fling men to be Thankful, and with
fluch eager circumfiances, that where 1 erfwafions-cannot delude. Threat-
nings are employed to fright them into a Compliance ? Thanks mufl be
voluntary, not only unconflrained, but unfollicited, elfe they are either
Trifles or Snares, they either flgnifie nothing.^ or a great deal more then
is intended by thfle that give them. p. 5,'
^ X15 ^
Anfwer, '"X^He Author comes now to Enlarge himfelf upon the Text of
1 Thanksgiving -, but he forgets, I fear, that there are Thanks of
Hood Manners, Refpell, as well as of Paflion Ttoanks fox Pro-
teElion in the Enjoyment, and Pofleflion of Benefits, as well as for ..j,
Atlual Bounties in the Collation ot them. Many ftand in need to
hcTaight to he Thankful, which he calls fBidding2 to be fo, and
they had never Thought on't perhaps, if they , had not been Ad-
monijhed fo to he. As to the fSuch E.vtravagant Acknowledgments'}
which he fpeaks of ^ I do neither Vnderftand, the [Such} nor the
\jExtravagant ^3 Unlefs he Means, that in the Tejiimonials of the
PeopAfi Loyalty znd AfleElionstohh Mz)eA:y, as they are fet forth
kxi fo mzny Addrtfles, [the Play is not worth the Candh.} His Con- ,^1;
-ceit of Tiring Pojl-Horfes, hzn Allegation, without any Proof, or
fomuch as Probability to .5-<c^it: But I hope, if it were True., .
he
■tkt!-
e hilt
fofaic;
1
nfft
'ortls;;
wDfin
a m
Hwlu
mtti
ktdia.
jtjifi;
( 29 J
lie vvoiiM have tlie Chanty to Allow the GoverNnrent (for That's the
Innuendo of it) ^.Liberty to do the fame Thing which he PraBices
fd'mfelf. For (to his Honour be it Ipoken) never any Man, per-
liaps, made more Work for Pofi-Horfes^ with Two or Three
Sheets of Paper, then the Author has done with This Letter ^ And
never any Letter perhaps, was more Vniverfally GrcuUr ^ihetnThxi
has been. And to What End, but ta Sollicite^ to Ptr/wade^ to
Threaten^to People (Thefe are his own Words) into aCora>
plyance with his He isagainxl ro beThankc
fid. Nov/Cmh^iS^e is aDaty, both toward 6'oiaf, and oiir
hour : And certainly, a D«/[y, that may be Prtffed., and Inculcated
in the Moral Offices of a Civil Life., as well as in the Chair., cr
the Pulpit. To make an End of This Claufe, Either he is gone
off from his Text of Ti^ankfal Addrtffes, or elfe he does a Worfe
Thing in making either Trifles, or Snares of Thofe Applications;
which, in Common Jaflice, and ought to receive, a
ConftrnBion.
Jf an Inference fljoald be made. That whofoever Tsanketh the King Lettch
for his Declaration, is by that engaged to Jafiiflc it in point of Lavo j
it is a 'greater Stride than, I prefume, all thofe care, to make who are
perfwa^d to Addrefs, &c. p. 5.
kf'
. TTm
(f 1. ter
|L Rhetoric
T mufl not be Forgotten, that though the 'Author of the Let- Anfwei's
ter has Chang'd his Battery, from Invention to Rhetoriqae, from
'ye to Calumny, and, now at laffc, from Calumny to Law,
That he is hill Confiam to his Firfi Defign, and to the Two Main
tlxlJ' Topiques, viz. of the King''s lOeclar ation of hidulgence, andof tlie Ad'
dnffes that have follow'd upon it : But .Whether for Decencyi,
AfftBion, or Good Company, it Matters not to Our Pi'efent Bus'nefs.
He enters upon his Subjed, with a kind of an Expofition, Expofi
'id\ faBo, of the Addnffers Meaning •, After the Addreffes were Prefented-,
and without much Regard to What they tboughf, either
[I)®' upon the Spot, at the very Prefenting of them; This is much
jh^ sfter the Prefident of the Proteflation of Eortyt Firftthey'made
.jjjcr the People Tuk^ it -and when they had once gotten it-, cbwoj.
■0:. the linpofcrs Publifh'd ?t Comment upon tho Mean'wg of'i&r The
Firli: Step that he Advances toward his Law-Point, comes within
gji&i'. a Hail's Breadth of Pronouncing the King'? Declaration to b©,a^
Nullity. But he brings-.it, In^ with an CIF,.^] and an ri PRE*.,
jj jii SIDIEQ And.HfLjt docs he Pnfume ?. but that Ad the Addrcfflrt.,
toth
Letter.
C 30 )
are either fools or Knaves^ in either or in Addreffi^g
Thanks^ for that which they think in their Confciences^^ the King
has No Power to Give. If .he can fink the Refutation of the King's
Power^ ^LXid. Prerogative.^ the Whole Work is done at a Stroke.
But he is Refolved, to have, at leaft, Two Strings to his Bow, and
to Try what's to be done upon the Pajfions of the People, if he
Cannot Captivate their Vnderfiandings, And fo he fets himfclf ,i
to the Driving of Another Naile. -
^ %1
Ifiii!, orti
dwQ
t. ncii
If it full he fuppofed, that all the Thankers will he Repealers
of the Telt, whenever a Parliamentweef •, fuch an Exfeolation
is better prevented before, then difappointed afterwards; and the
furefi way to avoid the lying under fuch a Scandal, is, not to do any thing
that may give a Colour to the Miftake, P. 5.
'Artfmr. TTIs Firll Attempt is to Invalidate the KirtgsDeclaration itfelfj
JLL and if he cannot Carry the Law-Point, he is now a Trying what
■'iitj] Afl(
.jjUluUi)
•jUajellyl
dmm
he can do upon the Poll, toward the Frulfrating and Poyfoning of it
in the Operation and EjfcH, upon the Meeting of Another Parliament. ■
If it full be fuppofed (fays he) that all the Thankers will be Repeal-
ers, Cfc
''Jis Better Prevented, Difappointed: As who Ihonid
iinder •
-MJi
ttlSI
fay. Let the Next Choice be made according to our Authors Mea
fures,2Lnd the Menibers mufl; be neither Cnurch-of-England-Men, nor
Papifis, nor Dijfenters, but a fort of Amphibious Republicans, ac- n
cording to This Letter-Model, and the Government will be, then, ™
moll blejfedly brought to Bed of a Reprefentative Wifdom. *
Letter.
Thefe Befpoken Thanks art little lefs improper then Love-Letttrs
that were follicited by the Lady to whom they are to be dircBed: fo
that bejides the little Ground there is to give them, the manner 0/getting
them, doth extremely leffen theirP. 5.
.;all
'Att/wer. H
E will not allow [_Befpok:n Tunhf] in This Cafe, or in This
•Manner, to\axt€\xkrzrGroundcoxV'ahie. If there befiich a
fatality in the Matter, that there is No keeping the Author of
the Letter ont of Harms-way, I had much rather that he Ihould/ii//
upon his Own Weapon, then by Any Malicious PraEtice, or Addrefs
t)f Mine: So that for a Difi of Coffee, Thefe Thanks fhall be BE-
SPOKEN, or NOT Befpok&n, whether of the Two He plcafes:
For they are never the More, or the Lefs due, for Being, or Not
I,
iCafc
tiiUK
Being, either the 0«r, ortheOrkr; And if they be D«e, with a
refpei
isi}
:tL
( 31 )
refpe^l to the Ptrfon^ to the Occafion^ to the Prudefice^ Good
Manners^ or to Twenty other Circumllances that Enter mo Offi-
ces of This Qiiality, 'tis Enough, to give them both Ground and
Value. The King fpeaks to Atlhts Pfo/'/e,in This Declaration.^ and
are they too Stottt to make him a Leg for't ? He fpeaks Kindly to
them tooi and fhail That Gracious Goodnefs not receive fo much
as an Acknowledgment f He does it at a Tme too, when Peoples
Hearts.^ and Heads, are TampeVd with Jeaioujies, for fear of Popery,
and A'-hitrary Power when the very Seafon Elevates the CharaBer of
the Mercy And is All This to pafs for Nothing now, in Our
Aithors Opinion ? [_Set your Souls at refi. Every Man, and Every
Sort^/ Xou-, for your freedoms, your Lives, and your Religions
Are, and fhall be fecure, Vnder My Government, and ProteTion.]
If His vMajefty had done any Perfbn, apart, the Honour
to Single him out for fuch an Infiance, or Declaration of his Tender'
nefs, and Bounty, what a PrwM/intwould it have been Accounted,
to have failed of a Return of Sufmijfion, and Acknowledgment, fuit-
able to the Dignity of the Defcenfion. And are not Ad the Kings
Subjeds under thtSameTyeoi Gratitude, when His Majefty fpeaks
to them All Together, as Every ALm of them would have been,
■Severally, and One by One ?
Neither is it, in Truth, Only the [BESPOKEN Thanksf] at
laft, that lyes fo Hard in our Author's Stomach j for This Letter
of His will not Brook Any Thanki-at all-. And his Averfion lyes
to the very Duty of Thanksgiving: But however, our Late Tumults,
Infurredcions, and Rebellions, well Weighed, and Confidered, are,
Tbemfelves, a fufScient Ground Tor BESPOKEN Thanl^ •, Not
only in Wifdom, and in Juflice, but in Jidercy too ■> 'Tis Worth
the Experiment to Try an Ohftinate, and a Perverfe Age, whether
Liberty will Quiet it or no; How far it will be Senfible of a Royal
Clemency. A Prince that is wholly made up of Generofky, and
'Coodnejs •, Let him have never fo Great a Mind to Exercife it, cmi-
not, in forae Inftances, find an Honourable Place for't: Aiid in
T'nofe Cafes, 'tis ik> Eyeparture from the Glory of his Sacred
Function, not only to Befpeak, but to SoUicit Thanks, and Dutifal
Applications •, which, founds no mtwe, upon a Candid Interpretation,
then if he ihouldhave made/wtere)?, and. Friends, to Prcvait vipon
his Own Subje£ks,thzt they would butQualifie themfelves as Fit Objelfs
of their Princes Care and ProteQion, and put their Sovereign into
a edacity of making them Happy. And fo forth.
E
it
( )
LettCT. It might be reipicd that yen would have fnpprejfed ^ur Impatience^ and
have been contoitfor the Jaks of Religion to enjoy it within your felves^
without the Liberty of a Publkk^Exercife^ ^till a Parliament had al-
lowed it; but Jhicc that could not be^ and that the Artifces of fame a-
jRongft ycu have made ufe of the Well-meant-Zeal of the Gtncfality to
draw them into this Miftdts-^ I am fo far from blaming you with that
Sharpnefsj whkh^ perhaps^ the Matter in Striatefs would kear^ that J
amrsady to Err on the fide of the tnare Gentle ConfiruUion. P. 5.
'\7~\7'^ upon the Subject or Mercys and in tlie
Attfixer. yf y Turning of a Hand, our Author has here, of his own
Proper Motion^ lllbed out a Getter A AEb of Indemnity to the Difient-
> ers. They have been Foc^dfxt fays, {by the Artifices of fame among^
tkcm~\ bat for {Well-meant ^oTf fake he is Content to Pafs it O ver.
He feems a little Troubled 2il{their Acceptance of Liberty^ upon
the Terms of the Kings Declaration •, for they might have kept
on their Co«w«rif/e^ Themfelves] belays, till the P^ir/w-
ment Ihould have Eas'd 'em. From whence, I Gather This Do-
ftrine ^ that the Gentleman is Heart and Hand for the Diffenters
Breaking of the Laws, though he is againfl: the Kings Difpenfng
with them.
Ilereare
;-:irJtol
^^ffxndn
'j O/it, 2
, itrfCfftb
::k Tai
-Panioik
-.tainirc
^Pki'dl
■•fit lip fill,
, ivtoldi
id v!
Letter. There is a great Difference between enjoying quietly the Advantages of
an Aft-) irregularly done by others^ and the going about to fupport it a-
gainft the Laws in Being: the Law is fo Sacred^ that no Trefpafs againfl
it is to be defended: Tet Frailties may in fome Meafure be excuftdwhen
they cannot be-jufiified. p. 5.
Anfiver.
HEre is an Admirable Title fet a-foot,to the Lawful Enjoyment of
Crown^ and Church-Lands^ under Oliver. But if he fpeaks
of the Declaration of Tefl ^ the Laws in Bepig would be of no
Force at all, if that Law of Tefl- fhoald Prove Repugnant to the
Law of God. I do not fay that it Is fo -, but if k Ihould be
found to Bee fo, our Author's Pofitive Judgment for the Obligation
of the Laws in Being.,. would be one of Thofe General Rules that
in Trad of Time., PraBice, and Experiment., would meet with a
Thoufand Exceptions. The Law of the Land is Sacred., and fo is
the Law of the Prerogative, which is the Law of the Land as well
as the Other, and nothing ought to be Call'd a Trefpafs againfl: a
Humane LmyXhaXh AuthmxJdbf thz Jndifpenfahle Equity of a Law
TherCf
( 3J )
There ai-e feveral Snatches in This Paper,that are CiihtvFoHnded,
or Pretend to be Founded upon the Refolution^znd Obligation of Laws.
1 fhall fpend my Thoughts too much upon Fractions., to take them
pjit One by One.^ as they fall in my way ^ but I lhall ee'n do as a
tjtfcwi Country Gentleman did at an Ordinary. , -The Company was fct
sof/a, found the TaTle, Wayting for Dinner ^ and in the Imerimj^
jfiiffAi' fome Particular Acquaintances Entertain'd the Time with Toy-
aralr. ing, and Throwing Crumbs of Bread One at Another: My
Country Gentleman^ that knew not fo much as One Face at the
,P,^. Table, Pick'd his Man, and fell to the fame Sport too : The Other
took it up ftill, and Threw it over his Shoulder: But at lali ve-
zi ii: ty civilly told liim. Sir, (fays he j / befiech you^ will you keep your
of Account., and when it comes to a Loaf you jhall have it All together.
otlsD^ 1 mult Now defire My Author to give me Credit too, 'till it comes
Yaaof to ^ ^tid I lhall Then give him what I have to fay upon
PaisitOi This Subje.T All at Once.
J , ,
' TheD.fire of enjoying a Liberty from which Men have been fo.long Letter,
iltiier rejlrained., may be a Temptation that their Reafon is not at all times able
torefji. If in fuch a Cafe fome OhJeEtions are leap''t over., indijfe-
J* rent Men will be more inclifd to lament the Occufion, then to fall too
jjp: -; hard upon tlx Fault., whilfi it is coveTd w'lth the Apology of a good
' " Intention. ButSec. P. 5.
gsK/ XTh^te is a very Friendly Apology (or zaA'lmofi-IrreffibkTf.mp^ Anfwer.
If j in tation. The Author is of Counfel for the Defendent/, and
makes a Cafe'of Equity on't, to fet tht Fault againft the Occafion.
The Defire of Liberty might have been a Plea for the Forbidden Fruit
too. And now for Leaping over Obje(5tions,our Author has Ihew'd
lumfelf as Good at it as any Dijfenter of 'em All ^ For he has been
P, pleafed to Exercife a Liberty in Thefe Sheets, not only without any
pru Vifihk Temptation, but Againfi AnyVifible Rtafqn fqr fo doing:
,; But he is his own Confejfor, and Abfolyes Himfelf upon This Vnac-
^ jj. countable DoSlrine, that [The Apology of a Goo'd Intention Covers the
'jj^i Fault -,3 Which makes Every Man a Judge in his Own Caufe.
IVhere, to Refcue your felves from the Severity of On,e Law, you t etter.
^ ^ by 'which your Religion ja^d Liberty dre to
Jjj: ^^ToteEled, and inftead of filently receiving the Benefit-of this Ii^duP
yoft fet up for Advocates to fupport it. Tou become Voluntary
and look, Hk Counfd retained by the Prerogative againfi
fiU . E 2 ■ • - - your
ritf.
V J'* ^ . ilQD
yHHrOldTrkrid Magna Charta, who hath done ntithhg to deferve her g,
fulling thm under yoier Dif^leafare. P- S* .Lnfi
I j
Atjwer, T'^ Suppreing of this Indulgence be the fetting of the Preroga'
X tivCf 2indMgnaChartatogether by the Ears •, and that His Ma-
jefty has, in Tnis A£t, Vfurpt upon the Laws of the Land^ and the
Liberties of the People *, What Court of Judicature will the Ah-
thor of This Calumny fly to with his Appeal ? Or what is This
Suggefiion Lels then an Arrow fliot at the Heart of the Supreme .
Magiftrate \ how fpecioufly foever drawn by the Arm of a Preten- X
dedPatriot? 'Tis well enough, ad Populum, to talk of the Dif-
/ewfm giving a Blow to-<4//the Laws that them, by Endea- ,
vouring a Pt/eue from One Law that Of ends them: But in Sub-
fiance, zridEfirB, there's no more in't then the C^iewce of a Well--,P.f'^
Turfid Period.- To take the I^latter Aright •, 'tis not the Law
that Prote<n:s Us (for have neither Hands, r\ovFeet) but an n.v '®' '
O-ver'ruling Power that Manages , Protetts , and Actuates That "' ''F'
Law. The Law is a Rule, 'tis True, t;o fuch or fuch z Form, or
Frame, of This or That Government; But It is yet No Further a Rule,
then as it Squares with the Diviwe, and Fundamental Rules of Go-
vemmcntit felf-, of which iSti/w Q.nd Mfafures, the Supreme Magi-
fir ate is the Only' Moderator, and Judge.
Letter Jhould be that the Price expected from you for this Li- vjofes
berty, is giving up your Right in the Laws, fare yo/t will think Twice -xQear,
before you go any further in fuch a Lofing Bargain. P. 5^ 5iffii5,lie
Pi'wa
Anfwer. will not beDenyed that the Subject has a Right in the Benefit
X of the Laws but he has none at all Undoubtedly in the Inter-
pretation, or the Adminifiration of them : So that our Authors <Am\
Cafe, in This Expofiulation is (Right or Wrong) an Vfurpatm
upon the Province of his Superiors •, for there's no longer any
Order, or Reafon, in the Works and Offices of Providence, and •I'Ul'K
Nature, vfhen Authority znd Subjection fliall come to be Inverted, caoft'
or Confounded. He feems extremely Tender on the Behalf of the '.hifa
Difenters, for fear they fliould give up their Birth-rigks in a Com-
pfition for their Liberty. This is it which he calls [their Right in
the Laws f] but he hopes they will be Better Advis'^d firft. Here
is an Imperial Prerogative over-ruled by a , A Caufe given '^jo
Againfi the King by John-a-Styles •, and Firftor Laft:, a whole 5y-
fieme of Republican Confequences, Built upon it} and it is upon a
Point
( ?5 )
Point too, that perhaps was never Controverted till now, in any
Setled State, and upon This Bottom. It is a Ri^ht of the Crown
Comnon to All Governments in the World, and lo EJfentiat to the
Maintaining of a Civil PoUty, in Peace and Security, that No
State can Subfift without it : And Conlequently, No j^ of Statt.
can take it away. In one Word, I fpeak of the Power of Calling,
Forbidding, Continuing, or Diffolving Publiqae Alftmblies. And the
Exercife of That Power is the Point in Q^fiion upon This Declara^
tion: And without This Power he can neither Defend Himfelf, nor
Protest kcfi People-, ntither Punijh the Guilty, nor fecure the Innocent',
Nor hn.dAy,Di[chi!trge the molt Nectjfary Duties of State and Jufiice.
After giving Thanks for the Breach of One Law, you lofe the Letter*
Right of Complaining of the Breach of all the rejt Ton will not very
well know how to defend your felves when prejfed and having given up
the Q^efiion when it was for your Advantage,, you cannot recall it when
it fiall be to your Prejudice. P. 6.
I takes th-" Ctfe all the way for Granted, and fo Proceeds Anfwen
on the Pr juppofal of an Imaginary Breach, and Rght. He
makes a Mighty rius'nefs of the Peoples That which they
wevecHad, and of their Lofing.Certain Priviledges in the Future,
that they have No to: And, after All, not one Colour of
a Reafon offered, why. Sentence ihould not be given againlt him.
If it be Clear, that the People have Not This Right, truly, to My
Thinking, he Ventures his Perfon, and his Reputation upon a Dan^
gerom Pofition: Or what if a Man, for Arguments fake, fhould
Field, that thi VtOolt Have fuch a Right, the Authors Hand is yet
in the Wrong Box, to Gammence a Suitagainft His Majefty in No
Bodies Name In a CIRCULAR LETTER thus, and No Day, or
Place fet for a Heanngl Briefly, If there were no More in't, the
very Manner of the Proceeding would be enough to turn Jufice
it felf. Thus Cona.m micated, into a Libel. To come now to the
Merits of the CLieftion: There's Firll, a.:CUim fet a-foot with-
out Any Foundation, ily. A Ktght Suppofed, and the Caufe utterly
SpoiPd by III Management; Bitt what if a Body fhould give him his
Vitermofi Demands now and take the Matter De bene ejfe, as He
Himfelf has let it forth: That is to fay, Suppole his Challenge-
to be Good-, The Proceeding, Regularand Modefi -, and the Sub--
jeBs Right -, in Stridtnefs of Law, as Clear, and as Vndubitabie as
He Ajfrms it to be j He will fiad himfelf in a Worfe Condition
per-
.j)erchance then he was Before: For if Siibje^ls will be
ilinding .upon their Terms • and by Tying Privileges againJl Pri-
vileges with their Sovereign^ Provoke him to Return Strichnejfes for
upon them, by way of Regriz^al-^ Our Author, I fear,
is not Aware of the Cert am Confeqntnces of fuch a Contefi ^ If
the KINO fliallcpme to take All againft the SnljeB^ on.
the other h^d, that the Rigour, and the Xaz-er of the Law will Allow
him.
tji0di ifk
j:c laid) the
IHDEijzr
juDaln:
Letter.
If you mil fet up at one time a Power to help you, which at another
time hy parity of Reafon pall be made ufe of to dcfiroy .you., you will
:^s;dkii
neither be pitted, nor relieved agamfi a Mifchief you draw upon your
■ ' • mkful.
felves,- by being fo UNREASONABLY Thankful. It is liki calling
in Auxiliaries to help, who are ftrong enough to fubduc you: In fuch
a cafe your Complaints will come too late to be heard, and your Suffer-
ings will raife Alirth injiead of Compajfion. p. c51. -j
tk
Hi
■iiinTOn'
Anfwer. J_JEre's the Suppofition of a Power fet up, to Help the Diffemers,
that fhall be made ufe of to their Dcjlrultion : Now inpy I
on the Other Hand, that the Power hci'c pretended to be fet up,
is g Power over and over Re^cogrfiL'd allrcady •, A Power Inherent in
Vhe' brmn, tind g Power InfepafAtls ftehfi it'; .The Englifj of his
:C'autiirn, tlMlthey jpoihd tot fet it^ up, Irapcntsj the biddig of
hiicnf; to vlpw/ffit'-, anid ittote then'Inftnuates the Antimonanhical
'lie's Wo:
deHd
' -ijpecii
lumi'
sym I
Dp^rjhe
the King's Power to be Radically in the People:
Bin here's a Bugbear ftarted, and , all long of themfelves, it
fenish Tor .heirig fm .£UNRTAS0NA^ Thanl^fufld^ The King
Grrmtss t\\o:ryi 'hnyindulfences, They. Tte^him for't; and That
Vnrepfo table Thdhkfullhtfs (fays our Author) will be'their Ruine.
I hope he does not mean the by that Dejlroying Power, though
f do not fee any way in the World to keej) his Alajefty Clear of
That Innuendo : And Briefly ; the Edge Strikes the Same iVay
thorough the Whole Courfe of the Paper.
ni lit
itkatoc
ptffptt;
'Jitiiiilf
■d,
Hi
Letter.
" 'If ym forymr excHfe-, to expmnd pur Thanhs fo as ti reflra'n them to this
pitrticuUr dafe, others, for their ends, will extend tkcM further ■, and in thefe diffe/ing
Interpretaiiohs, that which is badfd hy Authority rvill ie the mojl lively to prevail;
efpeciady when by the .advantage you have ghen them, they have in truth the better of
the Argument; and th\t the lAerences from your ovsn Cor.ceffions are very Jlrong, and
^xprefs'againft youl This if frfar from being a grgundlcfs Suppof/tioti, that there was
a late infrunce of it, in the lafr Sejjipn of Parliament, in the Noujeof Lords, where the
frifr Taanks, though things s>f cowfef were interpreted to be the Approbathn of the King's
whole Speech, and a Kefiraint from the fmtbrr examination of any part of it, though
never
'.Wfti,
'fEtia
»!Fij
■d<r
iwiiit . ( S7 )
ueyerftttmcb dtfil^dy mdit «af wttb di^.cnlty obt^dntJj nitti hi txchJedfr^mthe
Jitfi;!; liiirtf » oHj edwg n tbtt rngbtj yi-enian\e of Uijpenfiog, itieerlj by tbif iimxert and
)r^ [ [j Mpial ficce of good Muatersj by tn^Licb na jittO thing ceuld pofjihly be intetided. p. jJ.
%! .Jj
chs:;
Find little more in Tl uFaragra^h^ (or in This Page^ I miglit
hai e laid) then a Rhttorkal Rtadk.g npon the P'irttte of INGRA- Atjxer.
IIIUDE;;} ard how Mcrtal a Sin it is, under the Highcfi Ob-
ligamnsto a Trince^ for to be THANKf ULL. 1 he Great
Vtngtr^ and Imonvmicnce^ that appears inTkisStction^ is thehaz-
Taid of AiifctmfiruElion, for fear a man that gives Than^ for
Chaik.^ Ifcould be though tohunks for Cheefe. Now it was
' T my Opinion, that a man might be as Exf licit in his Thanks^ as upon
" ^ Otkr Subjetl; and if 1 his Banter paflb, I am Abfclutely for
!• keepmg my Hands in my Poikff^ and my Tongue betwixt my
F Ifwk, in my Own Defence: for if a body either Speaks, or Writes,
and Ankority Ihonld make Treafcn on't, it might be as much as a
man's Life's Woah. His Inltance of a Cafe lafi Sejfwn of Parlia"
wf«f, ill theHonfc of Lords, is a Point too Hot for Mce to Meddle
with. But I may venture yet without the Rifqiie, I hope, of a
Scatidaluni MrgnatHjn, to take Notice, of the Author's faying that
the King's Speech was DISLIK'D;, A Term, that I prefurae, he
, , had no Commifiion for: And then for his Irony upon the AT-
TX Prerogative of Difptnjtng'} '''tis a Flower not to be Pais'd over
without an Fmphafis. In Une Word more 5 it is a Wonderful
Thing, that our Author's Head ihonld run fo much upon the Dif-
'firing hterpretations that would be PaT'd upon his UNREASONA-
J BLE Thank fiihitfs, in fuch a C^afe as This •, and never fo much as
Dream of the Ccnjhublions that would be made on the Other Hand-,
for (certainly) a more Vnreafonable Vnthankfullnefs.
Cfe This fljexveth, that fome homds are td be put to your good Breeding, and that the Con- t pj-j.--
,^0} ftitution of England is too valuable a thing to be ventmed upon a Complement, ^?o»>
that for fome time )on baxe enjoyed the betjept of the End,it is time for you to loak_ into
the Danger of the Means: The fame Reafin that made you dtftrotts to get Liberty, mufi
, make you folicitous topreferxe it: fo that the next thought rtj/d naturally be, not to en-
I ikf- gage pur felf beyond Retreat, andto agree jo far with the Principles of all Religions,
kDy
; No A
to !>:<■-
vlk"-
as n:t to rely upon a Death bed Repentance, p. 6,
'THis Paragraph, does in fome Meaforc makegocd the Anfwer.-
of the Next before, coaceining, the Danger of IDifftrrag In-
sttif krpntations -, ] for 1 cannot fully make out the Secret of the Au-
Meaning about fthe Priniiples of Al Meligtons,y^nd fa
Death-bed Repentance Q unlefs he intends by it, fo Comprehenfional
i Charity, th.zt All Chrifiians, in what Latitude Ibever, may go. to
for
ilid"
p
i!!'
I
i'i
: i!
li.
W
( J8 )
Heaven, H<ind in Hand, m the wzy of 2. Holy ComwoK-Wedth. He
would not have the Conftimion of England f according to his Po-
pdar Vnderflanding of it) Complemented aivay^ out of Good Breed-
' ' . « » . ^ n- _>: _ ^
m\ Neither would I have Tliiat Conjlitmwn^ acco ding to the
-O ' . . ^ ^ I . » 7. /, __ *>7 ^ f '
Legal^ 2ind Monarchical Frame o( it, Courfy dealt wuhad^ Calimnia-
ted^ and Yiifparag'dy out of Ill-Breeding. He gives Advice about the
Benefit of the End., and the Danger of the Means •, and fo Conveys
a Title over to the People, of Entring into a kind of Joynt Commif-
fion with his Majefiy, for the Managing of Puhltqne Affairs, and
for Obviating the Political Confeqmwes of Things. Take him, in
Ihort, quite thorough, and he flievvs himfelf Direftly an Advocate
for Popular Liberty, without fo much as One Salvo for the Rights
of the Crown.
>tr3l .It®'
•i Point:
to
Letter.
. 5 It now,
■»-tkir/s
d , ,
smPnm
fiifilnij
'is'letki (
There are cert can Periods of time, winch being once pali, make all Cautions ineffeVn-
«/, and all Remedies defperate. Our Vnderjiandiugs are ,-.pt to he hurried on by the Jirfi
.'kKi;
heats; which if rot reftraired in time, do not give us leave to look bach, nil it is too .,
.» J fw wj . _, - . , ^ ^ .
late. Confider this in the Cajeofyour Anger againit the Church of England, and tak?
warning by their Mjiake in the fame kind, when after the late King's Rejloration.they j'tointb
preferved fo hng the bitter tafie of your rough ufage to tfjein in other times, that it made
them forget their Interefl, andfacrihce it to their Revenge, p. <5. & 7.
Anfwer.
HEre's a kind of a Prcdsfijnarlan Foimdation, with Certain Vhi-
lofophical, Voluical, and Hiflorjcnl Mcdlpattons, and Reflexions
If- TVir. Ti-Mf VrpfTft and ivlipn 'ric fon J./tfp 'ric tr>n T./itp •
upon It. The Time Vreffes, and when'tis too Late, 'tis too Late
which is a Pithy way of Speaking a Great deal in a Little. His Com-
cell to the Diffenters, of Moderation toward the Church of England,
is Good and Seafonable •, but leail the Church of England lUould
grow Vroud of being fo much in oar Author's Good Graces, he
gives her a Box o'th' Ear at the very Next Word, that makes her
Stagger again j and in the Same Period, makes as Airant a Jilt of
dm hi
mfMi
ftititT
'sd'.hi
his Beloved Clyent, as ever he did of the Whore of Babylon. Take
Warning, fays he, by the Church-of-EnglancP?, Miftak$ •, And what
« .m n f ✓?_ t-*_ ? - 1 _ n V t . »• tt
was that Mifidke (in his Oloinion, at laft) but Impotent Folly,
and a Diabolical Revenge I So that, to the Scandal o( our Anthor"^
Profelfm -, he has fet up Two Churches of England •, The One of
them a Defperate, Hair-Bram'd, VindiBive Wretch, as He would
Reprefent Her •, The Other, a Good, Peace-mrdeing Gentlewoman,
Whereof He Himfelf takes upon him tobeaSo», and a Member.
Andriow to fbewthatheis all of apiece^ and as Faithful an Jdi-
ftrorian ^^i Canomcd Ghfwch-of-Engtqnd-Man •, Nothing can ever
fo Effifually Terminate This Difpute, as the IfTue of the Confe-
renceattbe Wcy, (foon after his Majeifies late Return) toward a
.4
:afc
fiy
ktii!
atiia
ml^
'thufi.
ifiiiliti
jkuSiit
■Jlilirnn,
Kt,MIi|
(59) ■ ^
General Accommodation. I forget Names 5 But they Brake, upon
This Point: Becaufe the King's Commiffioners would not
agree {That the Tnpyning of Things Lawful, by Lawful Au-
thority, if they may by Accident^ .be the Occajton of Sin, ASinfuI.3
His Majefty, for the Purpofc, bids the Alferter of that Dbdrine,
Light him a Candle : No ^ (fays he) if it fmdd happen to be Blown
oat .J and give Offence, fome bodies Throat may come to be Cut upon'^t.
-This is it now, that our Author calls The Church of England's Sa-
crificing their Interefi, to their Revenge •, becaufe they would not
Agree to a Principle, Abfolutely DcfiruBive of Human Society.
Either }m mil blame this Vroceeding in them., and for that Keafon not follow it; or r/Letter.'
yw allow it, you have no reafon to be ofended with them : So that you mujl either dif-
mifs your Anger, or lofe your Excufe, except you fhould argue more partially, then will
be fuppofed of Men of your Morality, and Vnderjianding. p. 7,
'T'his Method of ReSfoning is juft as if a Man Ihonld Raife ^ Anfwer
Building upon a Foundation Of Blown Bladders; where there's
. nothing but Wind, znd Blafi, to Support the Fabritk. He runs a-
way with the FaSt, for Granted ■, Dilemmads upon it, and fo leaves
the Matter in the Hands of Men of'Morality, and Vnderjianding.
If you had now to do with thofe Rigid Prelates, who made it a matter of Confienie
to give you the lead Indulgence, and even to. your more reafonable Scruples continued
ftiff and inexorable, the Argument mi^ht be fairer on your fide 5 but fince the common
Danger hathfi laid open that Mifial^, that all the former Haughtinefs towards you is
for ever extinguifloedand that i t hath turned the Spirit of Perfecucion, into.a. Spirit
•/"Peace, Charity, itnrf Concicfceniion •, floall this happy Change only affelf the Church
of England ? And are you foin lovewithfeparation, as not to be moved by this Exam-
pie 1 It ought to be followed, were there no other Reafn then that it is a Virtue ■, but
when befides that, it is become necejfary to your Prefervation, it is impojjible to fail
'i jhe having its EjfeU upon you.
Party-per-Vale-Humour, runs to the Tune of the Old Affwcr-
Song; f_Andno body tlfe foall Plunder but I •,~\ Vov the. Quarrel
''Jdoes not lye to the Diffenters fo much for any Animofity of Theirs
I toward the Church of England, but for breaking in upon our Au-
rthor's of Sole Privilege fot the Ahniin^ of thtta. Hirnfelf
There was a Time, 'tis True, whttv Prelates, (fays he) were Ri-
gid, Vncharitable, Vnreafonable, Stiff, and Inexorable, Haughty,
and under the Power of thzSpirit of Perfecmion,,&tc. But Ail'is
turn'dnowit feems finto a SpinV 0/ Peace, Charity, ^nd Condef-
cenfiond (Qaere if it fhould not have been, Comprehenfton j As wit-
nefsthe Vacifck_Geniiis, and Tendernefs of the Author here, and
hisP-«per. Is the Church of fo (the Letter'*s
Church of England, that is) and will none of You, my Mailers,
. . F come
Letter.
^fvpcr.
vv
(40)
come in, to take your Vans in the Blcjfmg? Are you fo in love with
Separation, that when iVee come down to Tou^ you'l be running
awayitom Vs ? (For That's the Meaning on't.) 'Tisyom-y/zferej?-
as well as your Virtue^ to Affocidte: And what's All This now,
but the Down^right VrojeEl of Uniting into a Repihlique ?
If it flmld be [aid, that the Church of England is never Humble, but when fhe is
of Power, and therefore lofeth the Right of being believed when fhe pretcndeth to
it; The Anfwer is, Firjt, it would be an Vnetsaritable Objellion, and very much mifs-
timed: An Vrfcafohabie Triumph, not, only Vngenerbus, butZlnfafe: So that in Theft
Refpelh, it cannot, be Urged without Scandal, even though it could be faid with Truth.
Secondly, This is not f in Fall, and the Argument muft fall, being built upon afalfe
Foundation ■, for whatever may be, told you, at this very Hour, and in the Heat, and
Glare of your prefent Sunfhine, the Church of England can in a Moment bring Clouds
again, and turn the RoyalThundcr upon your Heads •, Blow you off the Stage with a
Breath, if foe would give but a Smile, or a kind Word-, the Icajl Glimpfe of her Com-
pliance, would throw you backinto the State of Suffering and draw upon you all the
Arrears of Severity, which have accrued during the time of this Kindnefs toyou ; and
yet the Church of England, with all her F-aults, will not allow her felf to be refcued
by fuch unjujiifable means, but clmfeih to bear the Weight of Power, rather then lye
under the Burden of being Ciimnil. p. 7,8.
£ have here as Lewd a Char after given (betwixt Hawk
and Btiz,z.ard) of the True Church of England from the
Pen of a Pretended Church-of-England-Man, as the Concurring
Wit, andSpiteof the Greateil; (he has upon the Face of the
Earth, could' put together. Her Humility is made the ElFed of
her Impotence and therefore there's No Believing of hey, (fays the
Comment.) But then (fays the Author Handy Dandy) That's a
little Uncharitable, and Mifs-timed ^ and it is neither Generous,
nor Safe : So that at This Seafon it could hardly be faid without
Scandal, tho among Friends, no more perhaps then Truth ■, But then
he Rubs up the Dijfcnters again, with a Politick. Hint, that the
Church of England (Meaning his Church of England, ftill) is not
foLow, yet neither, as People Imagine y and that Ihe Could in
the next JlIomeht,(Zorarazr\<l Clouds zoAThunder •,Twrn Heaven and
Earth Topfy-Turvy with '[but a Smile, or a Kind Word Bu't Our
Author^s Church of England fcorns to be Refcued by fuch Vnjuftifable
Means (as giving the King Thanks f) and will rather beare the
Weight of Power, then the Burthen of being Criminal •, which is
all one,- as to fay, Let the King do what he will, he fhall never
make us Crouch, either to his Authority, or his Power like a
Company of Sneaking, Sniveling, Loyal, Thankful Rogites. But
have His Church-of-England-Men a Power to do All This ? (as he
fays) Why then they have the Power to make the King Break his
Word
Wd to '
HstlCltr-,
:ifi, Iff 3
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; I! Point read
0m,
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Wordy and to Stop the Sim \n his Coiirfe. In fine. Ills Majefties
i Faithy Honour y and Governmenty at the rate of thefe Huffing
Challengesy lye all at Mercy.
It cannot be [aid that fhe is Unprovoked ; Bookt Letters come out every Day to ]j,etter.
call for Anfwers, yet ff:e will not be flirred. From the fuppofed Authors, and the
Style, one would [wear they were Undertakers, and had made a Contrail to fall out
with the Church o/"England. There are Lafhes in every Addrefs ; Challenges to draw
the Fen, in every Pamphlet: In (hort, the fairejl Occafions in the World given to
Qfiarrel; but floe wifely diftinguifloeth between the Body of Dilfenters, whom floe
willfuppofe to AH, as they do, with no ill Intent ; And thefe fmall Skfrmijloers picft,
andfent out to Picqueer, and to begin a Fray amongfi the Proteltancs for the Entertain-
ment as woe lias the Advantage of the Church of Ronie. p. 8.
THac there are BMi^r,and Letters,tbat Ca!!{or,md that Require Anfwerst j4/iJvco cr.
jsa Point readily agreed upon on My Part and our Author will, I hope,
upon Second Thoughts admit T/;f J Lefrer 0/" his to be One of the Number: Nay,
and the M'merr, and the of fonie of thofe look hhe Trepans,
or Sharpers, that make it their Trade to dart Quarrels, and then Scoure away with
' z Hat, or z Cloak^'m the Interim. I have feen feveral idiicfj/ea too, that feemto
Extend Lifierfy of Worfloip to Liberty of Reproche-, and that think they Cannot
Blefs God fufficicntly on the One hand, without Treading upohtheir Neighbours Toes,
on the Other, Tliere's no Denying of This •, and what's the IlTue at lad, but that the
True Church of England Suffers for the Faults of our Authors Church of England,
Falfly fo Called I *
, ■ This Conduit fs fo good, that it will be fcandalous not to applaud it. It is not equal tetter.
dealing,to blame ourAdverfariesfor doing Ill,andnot commend them when they do Well.p.8.
QUbmifJion, Patience, and Kefignation, are Virtues, Undoubtedly, that Deferve ^nfrfcr.
0 Applaufe, and the Impartial Diftribufion of Reward or Vuniflment, for Well, or
£w/-rfjin^,isbuc Wiiting after the Copy of the DiwneyKjIice: But then we mud not
call Evil, Good ; nor Good, Evil. Let us have no Stealing of Crowns in Canonical
Habits; No doing of III Things under Falfe Names ; No Wi iting of Letters to Di-
durb Government 5 to Dijitonour a Nation, as well as to Reproche any Religious Pro-
feffion ; And after All Thefe Contradillions to the DoHrine and Praliices of the
Apofolical Church of England , let's have No Cading a Canonical Robe over the
. Moulders of an Impojlor, and leave the Tayler to Anfwer for the Char alter.
To hate them becaufe they perfecuted, and not to be reconciled to them when they are Letter.
ready to fujfer, rather then receive all the Advantages that can be g lined by a Criminal
Compliance, is a Principle no fort of Chrijiians can Own, fince it would give an Ob-
. jeltion to them not to be Anfwered. p. 8.
. ~ 'T'He Author fets up here for a Sufferer. What would the World think of him Anfwer.
now,if hie Name Ihould come to be found among tl" t VerfecutorsNot am.ong the
Vcfecutors of the Diffemers which he (" mod Un fon like) Reflects upon in This
Claufe ; but anjongihe Perfecutors, even olTbofepretended I'e'^fecutors Themfelves!
1 Charge him with Nothing 5 for I do not know him ■, but he takes a kind of a
Wrigling Siafs in this Letter, as if he were Creeping into his Mof/ier'r Belly again. The
Criminal Compliance, is only the Confcientim Duty of Acknowledging His Majedies
Authorit" •, which is a Cha>allerijiical Dijcrimination, betwixt the Legitimate, and
the Illegitimate Sons of the Church of England. <
Think^a little, who they were that promoted your former Perfccutions, and then confi-
Fa ' dcr '
'i
Anfwer.
Letter.
Anfmr.
letter.
Anfiver^
letter.
jx^er.
II
(40
der how it will look_ to be argij with the Injltumentt, and at the fame time to ma\e a.
League with the Authors of your Sufferings.
'T"0 put this into Engli/J) now ; the Papifls were the Promoters,3n6 the Vrotefiants
the Inflruments of the Diffenters Former Ferfecutions : And will you now make
a League, fays he, with the Authors of your Sufferings 1 This is only a Paruphraje
upon Otesh EpiHle before his Narratne ; and' a Story, fo quite out of date, that
a Mail would as foon put Pen to Paper, in Anfwcr to a Canterbury Tale.
I. Have you enough confidcredrphat will be expelled from you 1 Are youready to (land
in every Borough byVertue of « Conge d'eflire, and ir.Jiead of Elellion, be fatisffd, if .
you are returned ? p.8.
2 IVillyou in Parliament, jujiifie the Difpcnfing Power, with all its Confequences ,♦
and repeal the Teft, by which you will mafe way for the Repeal of All the Laws that
were made to preferve your Religion, and to Enatl others that flrall Defiroy it ?
3. Are you difpffed to change the Liberty of Debate, into the Merit of O'^clience,
and to be made Injiruments to Repeal or Enall Laws, when the Roman Confiftory are
Lords of the Articles I
4. Arefou fo Unfed with your New Friends, as to re'yell any Indulgence a Parliament':
fli all offer you, if it floallnotbe fo Comprehenfne as to include the Papifis in it 1 p. 8.
TO take thefe Four Heads as they lye: The Fir[i Implies a Direft Frallice, and jH
Confederacy, both In, and Wtth the Sheriffs. ;j^
The Second Anticipates the llueJlion,3r,d Precludes the Freedom of a Varliamentary .
Debate : It makes the Common People, Judges of Staie Confequences, and fubjeds -
theWifdom, and Jujiiccol the Government to the Cenfure of the Multitude : Nei-
ther is the 7e^, foS^crea^, as not to be lyable to the Common Conditions, and Li-
mirations, that are Annexed to All Other Laws.
t^ly. "WhitMliht, Contemptuous inftr,nation, but an EnffamingBitternefs. Mocfety,
■ and Scorn, to the Highcfl Degree j while the Kings Declaration is made the ,
Ground of the Calumny, and tiie Incentive to'c I
ffly. This is, aswhodiould fay, [Leave it to the Parliament to fetyiou at L\herty f'
but be jure you have nothing to do .wit 0 the Kings Declaration", nor with .4nylndul-
gence, that fl.all include the Papids/or Company. 3
Confider that the implyed Conditions of your new Treaty are no lefs, then that you art
to do every thing you are defired, without examining, and that for this pretended Li- ,
berty of Confcierice,yoi/r real Freedom is to be Sacrificed ; Tour former Faults bang -
likp Chains Jlill about you, you are let loofe only upon BayT, thefrfl All of blon Compli-
ance, fender h you to J ay I again, p. 3, 9. ,
HEre's an Extravagance of Figure,3ni Hyperbole, without the force of any. Image
of Reafon,ot Truth ■, but the Author Bethinks himfelf what would be the molt.
Vrovofing Thing in Nature, to be Said, or Done, under our Circumllances, and ,
then Throws it out to the Mobile, as the Refolution and Defign, of the /Cfngand his,.
Minijiers.
Tou may fee that the Papifts themfelves, do not rely upon the Legality of this Power,
which you are to Jujiifie, fmce they being fo.very earnefi to get it eflabliped by a Law,
and the doing fuch very hard things in order, as they t hin f to obtain it, if a clear Evi--
dence, that they do not thinf, that the fingle Power of the Crown is in thk Cafe a good
foundation •, efpecially when this if done under a Prince, ft very tender of all the Rights -
of Sovereignty, that he would thinf it a diminution to his Prerogative, where he con- '
ceiveth it fir ong enough to go alone, to call in the Legiflative help to- Jirengthen and fup-'
port it.
THis Seaion is a piece of Art, that only Differs from the Former Strokes of the
fame Pen, in thjc it Lafhes the Government with fomewhat a Re//er Grace. The
Piete-xt
(45)
Jirjlii Pretext is Popular, but bring it to the Touch, and it vanifhes like a MH before the
Sun. The King Sufpends, by iiis Prerogative; but a Total Repeal, mull be the Work
Piaa of iiis Majcfly in Varliavtent-, which doe's not jet hinder tlie Temporary Vh ttte oi z
,,, * lempotary Sujpev.fioti: Luc to give tlie Author his due, i:e has fome fort of Ju iice,
well T: tVit in liis Anger : For after the Cripplt.ng of the Prerog.ttite, he FurniHies
zCtutc': and calls it\ the LEGISLA FT^'K Help to Supyrt it;ind lo drops the
Gnernment into a kind of Partnerjhtp betwiyt Ring, Lords, snd Commons.
Tw. have fmnerly blamed the Church of England, and not without reafm.for going fo Letter.
fir as they dia in their Compliance; and yet as foon as they flopped, you fee tftey are not
only Uefertrd, but Profeciited; Conclude then from this Example, that you mail either
br-:a\^ off yoir friendship, or rejolve to have no Bounds in it, Iftheydonotfucceedin
ciw ^^/kf,'ftey will leave you firfl ■, if hey do, you mufl either leave them, when it
' will be too late for your Safety, or elfe after the fqueu'ginefs of flatting at a Surplice,you
rrkj} be forced to frvalhw Tranfubftanriacion. p. 9.
Thither Tliis is thcFi^ionoi a Care,ro ferve a Prefent Turn, or it is Trite.in Mrt- Anfwer.
Jl/ ter of Fabf ■, but it is Clear, that the Dijfenters mean One Church r.f Engiend,
jPjV. and that our Author fptaks of Another. .But be it as it will, here's no Light of Evi-
ij/fF dence that I can fee 5 nor any Strefs of Argument. The Charge chat was Flat Popery
farmerly, is now Dwindled dowrv into a Bare Complyance: But how is This Church
Deferred all this while ? How Frofecutedd In the Declaration that's made tlie Foun-
J diititn of the Controverfle, it is Exprefly Provided for, and SecuAd-, and the Liberty
that is Given to the One fide, is not Tahjn from the Other. But the AuthoAiChtxrch.
"I*? is Teachy, and Froward; and the AnfwereAs Church is to bear the Blame on't. I
am at a lofstoo, at the fuppofed here; How far did we Go What was it we
^ A Body would take it to be fctTie Article of Faith, at leaft, by the
B'eight that's layd upon't; and that we were Half-way to Smithfield allrcady, to
Burn at for't. And what's the Who'eBus'nefs at lafl; hat. Live, and let Live :
iKi Give My People the Exercife of Their Religion, (fays the King^ and do Tou Enjoy
, your Own ; which, in our Cafe, is certainly a yet'j Charitable, zad. a Reafonable
ic'je. Medium. The Refi runs alltogether upon StMe-Calculations ; which is the Worfl
i Irir' way of Tampering Peoples Minds, and Spiriting away tht\tHearts from their Sove-
'• reign, under the Countenance of Political Judgments. Tiiefe Fore boders, are Un-
itiiiv' doubtediy the moll Pernicious of Wflgatds, and Fortune-Tellers.
titK- Remember that the other day thofe of the Church (f England were Trimmers/or Letter
M enduring you, and now by a fudden Turn you are become the Favourites ; Do not deceive
your felves, it is not the Nature of Lafling Plants thus to fhoot up in a Night : Tou may
hkfiay and Green for a little Time, but you want a Root to give you a Continuance.
It is not fo long flnce, as to be forgotten, that the Maxim was. It is impofiible for "a
xitK. Diffencer not to be a REBEL, p. 9.
11(60' '"pHere's a Nefl of Boxes in This Claufe : The AuthoAi Church of England, has
JL a Comprehenflon in the Belly of it, and That Comprehenfion is Big again, with
a Commonwealth. He makes Trimmer here, to be a Name of Reproche, call upon
the Church of England, for Enduring the Dijfenters', whereas, the TemporiflngNeu-
'iiLO: Rtltty-Men Took up This Name to Themfelver. upon a Point of Vanity ; as whp
'^ould fay ; We are the Men that keep the Boat (or the Governmentf Even: And in
This very Place, with the Scandal of a Trimmer in his Mouth, he does the Office-
of a Trimmer. The Manfeems to be Dreadfully affraid of the Papifts ; and yet
tiot Half fo much, T\OT in half fo Good Earneft, as 1 am aflraid of the Cowmonwe^t/rAr-
^ Men; and there is No way for the doing of That Jobb, like the Binding up of *
' Hundred feveral Religions \tt One Comprehenfion-, There may be Good Faith, Con-
, jcience, and Moral Honefly, (and I doubt not, but that in a Confiderable Meafure;
iliere is fo too) in the Exercife of Every feveral Perfwafion, Apart-, but the
(44)
^Uniting of Things Inconciliabk, in Om and the fame Mafs, can be notliing elfe
thenaC/«6of Confederacy, to do Mifchief: Befide, that the Gathering of
and Societies together, after This manner, is one of tiie Peculiars of Sovereign
Power. 'Tis a ftrange Thing, how much a Greater Priviledge This Vn\nown Per'
fon Alfumes to Himfelf bete upon This Matter, then he will allow the King : And
that it fhould be fo much a Greater Crime, to make the Papijls. and tlie Diffenters ^
Friends, then to Reconcile the Compreheiifion-Men, and the Diffenters ; Nay, with '
the Exclufion of zthird Party of his Majefties Sub;e(Ss, out of All Terms of
Agreement. He's a little Dar^ in this Paragraph •, but the Change of One IVord
will make Jiim as Clear as Chryjlal. Inftead of [Tou want a ROOT to give you a
Continuance'] read it, [Tou want a HEAD to give you a Continuance ; 3 And That's
rair ^
the Natural Expofition of This Text.
Letter.
Confider at this time in France, even the New Converts we fo far from being em-
ployed, that they are difarmed : Their fudden Change maketh them ft ill to be diftrujied,
Anfwer.
(in in 11
jistiict®
filrrhd't
: .'W
-
/-sitll
fisajii
ialniM, 1
act tliit tl
iitTiofe Ni
liSffliSo!,
::?ipk Efi
..hftln
Letter.
notrvithjlanding that they are reconciled; What are you to expell then from your dear
Friends, to whom, whenever they fhall think^fit to throw you off again, you have in other
times given fuch Arguments for their Excufe / p. 9;
'T'He Senfe of this Period would have run every Jot as well in Thefe Words.
You fee how the Protejlants, nay, and the very Converts too are ufcd in
France, and you muft e'en Expe(a to be ferv'd with the fame Sauce here, what Co-
lour can be Pretended now for This Calumny^ after fo many Declarations, Profeffions,
and Inftances, Every Day Frefh and Frefh, to the Contrary P But This is the Fruit
of a Rejilejs, and an Infatiable Comprehenfion-Principle, that Never in This World
thought Any Thing enough, (hort of All.
Befides all this, Tou all very unskjlfnlly againll your vifible Intereji, if you throw
away the Advantages, of which you can hardly fail in the next probable Revolution.
Things tend naturally to what you would have, if you would let them alone, and not by "^wieof i
an unreafonable AUivity lofe the Influences of your good Star which promifeth you every ajDi^ra
thing that is profperous. p. p, 10. . :ti?'i3iitit
•rSoa-Eefr
WHy This is diredly a Calculating of the Kings Nativity, smdanAllmoJi-Vn-^i^^^
heard of wi-y oi raifing a Ufe of Confolation, to the
Letter.
lUD
tKOjlttli
y k,»1
■ -irk:
Jinfmr.
People, from the
Kinfs Mortality, if tiot the very Hope of his Majejiies Death.
The Church of England, convinced of its Error in being fevere to you ; the Parli-
ament, whenever it meeteth, fure to be gentle to you the next Heir bred in the Country
which you have fo often quoted for a Pattern of Indulgence ■, a general Agreement of All ^
Thinliing Men, that we muji no more cut our felves off from the Proteftants abroad, ^ '
hut rather enlarge the Foundations upon which we are to build our Defences againji the ■
common Enemy •, fo that in Truth, all things feem to confpire to give you Eafe and Satif- -"if*
fallion, if by too much haji, to anticipate your good Fortune, you do not dejiro) it p.io^
■ tdj
bli
ments, as if he had their Necks under his Girdle, there would be no Living, for
Popular Appeals 3nd Letters to Difenters. Why'tis made little Icfs then 7Ve<?/on
againft the Majejly of the Multitude for an Imperial Prince, only to Recommend
the Eafmg of Ihs SubjeNs of his Own Communion, from the Legal Scandal, and
Imputation of being made Criminals by the Statute ; and to Exempt them from the
Civil Snares of Tejls, and Penalties, before any Immoral Crime is committed.
My thinks his Majefty might be Allowed onefhort Word, For the Defendent, as well
as any Private Letter-Writer a Thoufand Againft him -, and to Feel the Pulje of a
Parliament before-hand, what they Intend to do, as well as the Other, to DireH,
Pronounce, and Appoint Before-hand, what they Are, and Ought to do : But Wbo,ot
^ What
JF the Poor KingCGod Blefs us AllJ (hould take Abfolute Will and Pleafure upon
him, at the rate of the Vnaccountable Authoroi This Letter ; and talk of Parlia-
>»5ii
(45)
VJhit Cin be Innocent, when it fhall be a Crime to be thankfil ? And for a Sovereign
Vrince^ even in a Proteftant Cmi'ci to Gram Liberty to iPrcteJ}d?it Pm'ty ?
But to take liim togethernow, Hero's the Church,'cryh'-g PeccaiiSecinhy gi-
yen for the Good Behaviour of. the Next Parliament: And fo away for Holland j
[That Pattern of Indulgence (J (^WitatCs their Taxes 2x\d Pppi cjfms Innumerable,
as well as IntnLrable : ) Anu wh,:r'' his Bushiefs at laff, but Treating of Adyances,
(by what Authority I know nof.') and Ealaiging the Protejlant Foundations, upon
which
Ma
fence'
too full I o. Irlajlers, and your Worle^w'id do it felf]
Tr: - Profenants have but one Article of Humane Strength, to oppofe the Porver
which is now againfl them, and that is, not to lofe the Advantage of the'ir Numbers,
by being fo unwary as to let themfelves be divided.
He is All, Politiques here, up to the Hilts : He has Evened z Scheme-, Fomd Anfwen
out a Propitious Star Enfitfdapon a Parliament Propos''d an Allyance -, En-
larfd Foundations, and he is now come to Mujler up his Troops, He finds, upon
his Books, that the Proteftants have the Advantage of Numbers: Well ! And
what are Thofe Numbers to doP They are to Oppofe the Power which is now A-
■ gainli them : So ! And what is the Power that is Againfl them ? Why the Power
■ of the Papifts, Every Mother's Son of 'em. One and Ail is the Word j That is
to fay, Toumufl not fufferyour felves to bedivided.
We ail agree in our Duty to our PrinceOur Objelfions to his Belief, do not hinderl.etter,
us from feeing his Virtues-, and ournot complying with his Religion, hath no effeH upon
our Allegiance-, We are not to be Laughed out of our Pafllve Obedience, and the Do-
Urine of Non-Refifiance, though even thofe who perhaps owethe befl part of their fe-
curityto That Principle are apt to malge a')efl of it. p. lo.
TT His is one of the Trimmeft Periods we have had yet: Men mzy Agree in
their Duty to their Prince, and yet mifla^ That Duty, And neither Judge of Anfwer,
it, nor Prallice it Aright. If by This Duty, he means a Duty fo Qualified, as that
is which runs thorough This Paper, the Lord Deliver his Majeflyfrom his Subjefts
Agreement in a Duty of That Complexion. A Man may/ee his Princes Kirfrre,without
loving iiim ever the'Serrer for't. And what is it to fay, that the Kings Religion
does not Operate upon My Allegeance, when my Allegeance may be Rotten, as well
without it, as with it. A Man may be Debauched, and Corrupted out of his
V a five Obedience, without being LauglPdom of if. And the Prallice cf Non-Re-
■ fiftance is Deaf to the DcHrine of it. So that this is All, Fafl, or Loofe, as he pleafes
• Himfelf.
So that if we give no Advantage by the fatal miflalge of mif applying our Anger, by
' the natural Courfe of Things, this Danger willpafs away life afhowre of Hail Fair
Weather mil fucceeX aslowring as the Sk^ynove lookcth^ and all by thk plain and
^0: •" Receipt ; Let us be ftill, quiet, and undivided, firm at the fame time to our ReTtgionmr
d-'^ylty, and our Laws andfo long as we continue this method, it 'ts next to imyffible,
joljtjf that the Odds of Two Hundred to One flmld lofe the Sett -, Except the Church s/ Kome;
fi ltd'' vchich hath been fo long barren of Miracles, fhould now inker Declining Age,be brought-
jjfjC ■ f Bedof one that would out do the befl jhe'can bra^ofin her Legend, p. ic.
. TF he had but PreacVdThis Dollrinehy his Example,, and PraHicd the Counfcl that Auftfcr..
X he Giuer, he (hould never have Himfelfin the Diffiadties, aad Non-
s CD# Sequiturs of This Difcourfe. Anger m'lfapplfd, is a Fatal Miflake, he fays, and he
detfl , has given us z Long Letter here, 'm Proof on't: But why does he bid us be
;|i{r fSt'lU) and lye Wrangling himfelf P Why does he Advife fQuiet'] and Create Dif-
!,K quiet. T
(40
Letter.
quiet ? How conies he to Prefs Vnity, and at the Same Time to raife [Divifiem ? ]
Religion, Loyalty, and Laws, are Gay Words ; but they have been Apply d, we know,
to the Licenfe of the moff Atheiftical, Rebellion, and Diffolute Times. If liis Counfel
be General, the Advice of This Claufe Overthrows the Drift, and CotnradiBs the
Dcfign of All that Went before; for the Vapifts are eKcepted out of the Conditi'
CVS. If he Reftrains it only to the Vrotejiants, What Colour of Right can any One
Part of his Majefties Subjefts Pretend to, for the Excluding of any Other ? He clofcs ~
the SeAion with in Allegory upon Midwifry I have No Skill in.
To conclude, thefliort i^efiion will be. Whether you will ]o)n with thofe whomuji in th^
end run the fame Fate with you. If Protejiants of all forts, in their Behaviour to one
another, h^ve been to blame,'they are upon the more equal terms, and for that veryreafon
it is fityer for them now to le reconciled. Our Dif union is not only a Reproche, but a
Danger tout; thofe who believe in modern Miracles^ have more Rtght, or at leaji more
Excufb, to rieglell all Secular Cautions ; but for hs, it is as jujiifiable to have no Religion,
as wilfully to throw away the Human Means of pre Ceyving it. p. lo
iitCxrfi
yiWcf
juillltlKC'
yirirlVr
rtoiforli
iCalniiN
izlitiiAV
Anfwer.
J_JEre is indeed, as Short, and as WildiSuejim, as a body would Wifh, vvithqut
Any Qualification, either Exprefs'd, oclmplyd, for the putting of a man in
the way toward a Reafonable Solution, ff he had but Confin'd the General Expref
fion of the [Same Fatef] to Matter of Religion, Life, Limb, Liberty, or Eflate ; or
to any other Determinate Poipt, that a body might have known what to fpeak to.
One might have made zBolt or a Shaft on't; but to talk of the [Same Fatef at
Large : why who knows, but he may Carry it to Eleblion, Reprobation, or What
not ? And, under favour, it was a Great Overfight in him, to lay the Strefs of
the Perfuafive upon the Train of the Company, tliat goes the fame Way, rather
then upon the Reafon of the Thing ; Efpeciaily Confidering, that the Same Argu-
ment holds ftronger for the Broad Way, then it does tor the Narrow. 'Tis true, he
Propofes an Union here, which is neither Better,, nor Worfe, then an Ajfociation.
There remains yet One very Extraordinary Point behind, that is not, upon Any
Terms, to be Pafs'd over without fome Animadverfton. That is to fay, A Refolution
upon the Cafe, betwixt the Comprehenfional-Ckurch-bf England-Men,zv.d the Difent-
ers , as it is Determin'dhy the Author of This Letter.
Refolved, That it is as fuflifiable to have No Religion, as Willfully to throw away
the HUMANE MEANS of Preferving it.
In the Eirji Place, What \s That Maris Religion,thztii o{ a Hundred and Fifty
Religions, accotdiiig to the Cafe here in Hand? Or has That Man .4/1; or
No, tha^ Compounds All Thck into One h
2ly. Had not a man better be Carelefs, or Improvident, then AtheiflicaU and bet-
ter be Guilty of a Failing in his Duty toward God, in This or That Particular,
then of a Blafphemous Defyance of him in the Habit oi an Impious Life I
sgly. What does the Author intend by [^HUMANE MEANS ? ] For Confpiracies,
Force of Arms, Seditious Praclices, and All the Methods of Overturning Governments,
fall properly enough under the Clafis off Humane Means! New if a man may take
the Liberty with Tits Paper, that the Fathers of theChm co do with the Holy Btble,
i, e.oiExpounding One Text hy Another: Here is Aati-''ionurchical Dollrine in'c; ■
Propel} of Confederacy ; Force of Numbers, and Dint of Calumny ; which do all fall
Naturally under the of [Humane Weans ^ The Word ["W'/7//i(//;3 if
the Other Law words, Advifedly, and Walicioufly, had been added to't,) amounts to
no more then wl'.ac is Necejfarily Involved, and Implfd in the Refl. Now to Con-^.
dude; Humane Weans for Preferving a Religion, can Operate no further then in'
Cafes where Religion may be Taken away; And I never heard of a Religion yet, that
was taJeen away by AHual Violence. I have now done with the Letter it J'elf; and
the Authors Lafi Words, fhall be the Anfwerers too. I am.
Dear Sir, Tour moji Affeliionate Humble Servant."
II
licMik
Hrmkn
lateplf
iV"
ilixiitrtif
imtiiiii
lira tta
dciClnr
iWtoV,
iliJiciiof
'Wiiiii
ilHHELl
sp,
(47)
tet? TN the Courre of ThhteWfr and Anfrver I hare dealt Faithfulfy in every Par-
■ XticulJr both of Text and Comment; but I have fomcwhat yet wore to add upon
feCsf the IV/jo/e Matter^ touching the ^udgment^ Candor^ and. Defign of the Author^ to-
mr getlitr with the Conduit, and Argument of the Paper it felf.
fitt; The Author W rites himfelf a Church of England- Man, but it itiurt be by a Second
1 Venter then ■, for he gives his Orthodox Mother moft Bloudy hard Words, even in his
'Pretended 2e<i/f for the Intereji of That Communion. A Papijl h his Averjion :
- And Then he is No Dijfenter neither ; for 'tis the M.tin Drift of his Difcourfe, to
Cluck, the Dijjenters over to him, and Gather them under liis Wing: Only by fhcw-
■777, '"8 ^^hat he is Not, he gives in feme meafure to underffand what he /r.If one may
'£~y- Judgeof his Perfrcafton, by his Lefter, it is an Hundred and Vifty Viverfities, cif
ndnit:- Opinion, Kneadedto%ethev zcconMngto the Amfierdam vifperd.ttory, into one Sme-
reign Compofnion, under the Nick,Name of [PROTESTANTC] So that a Ik)dy may
, _ fay of the Religion of This Pamphlet, as the Wench in the Comedy faid of her
Bajiard, Tu the TROVP^S Religion, 'tis the TROVP''S Child ■, and there went a
Lr'jT 8'""^ many People to the Making of it. In one Word ; it is zCoalition of fo ma-
ny Nominal Religions into One State-Pallion -, for thougli there may be Confciencs
® ■: in the Particular Opinions, Severally, and Apart -, it is yet Impoffible for the Agree.-
ment to be any thing but a Confederacy,ia the ConjunNion ; Tha> being the Only Me-
dium wherein they can Vnite. As to the Candor of the Writer, and his Ve*
/(gi ; It is as Clear as Day, that he has taken up a Falfe Pretence, as well as a
: ■ Falfe 6erfon and that he neither is a Genuine Son of the Church of England, nor
a True Friend to'c •, for Light and Darknefszre not more Contrary One to Another,
MW;- then his Vra^ice is to his Profeffion : Infomuch, that his own Words and Worky are
■;a ThoufanJlVi.nejfes againft him.
The Church of England, he fays, upon the Late Kings Reflauration, Sacrificed
tP'-': their Interefl to their REVENGE. RIGID PRELATES that kept People at aa
'y' UNCHARITABLE Diflancei STIFF and INEXORABLE to Reafonable Scruples:
HAUGHTY, and Goverrfd by the Spirit of PERSECUTION. Letter to a Dif
fenter, p.p. _ -
Is not This a Gracious now, to talk at This Rate of hk
ivn Mother ? And then to ftew that he has every Jot as little Reverence for his
'd'f Civil Parent, as he has for his Ecclefiajlical; take his Papers from End to End,
jlfr and he has not fo much as One Line in'etn that looks kindly upon the (Jown-
ttent i for what's the Drift of them, but to Debauch the Diffenters from tlieir Du-
- - ty j to Poffefs the Multitude with Defperate Pofitions againft the King's Power •, Ca-
Imnies zgzmfihis Adminiflration, znd Dotnn-right Slanders upon his Honour and
' , Juftice / To Hair Them out of their Wits, with Croking, and lU boding Prefages-j
(?'■ Fill their Afriidj with £n/<twng, and Implacable fealoufies i i4/<ir7« them with Tr-
t"" fmary Dangers •, Stir them vf to Outrages, by an Ofientation of their Numbers-^
JUS Flatter them into z Falfe Opinion of their and Privileges! And who but
i- ■ the Mobile, all tiiis while, for the Judges of the Controverfie / What's the Whole
Difcourfe, in fine, but a Lellure of Civil Power betwixt King and People, upon
the Text of PROTESTANT and PAPIST '. And in One Word ; A Paradox of
l(f Confcience Dodg'd into a Popular Scheme of Government! But All, under the
!(-■ Pre/exf flill, of a Church of England Letter too *, though Blond was as much a Church
r [D® of England DoUor, when he Stole the Crown •, And T would the Refemblance of This
:!tr' Pamphlet did not look like the fame Char alter Affum'd again, for the fame End,
This Letter, they fay, has made fome Pro/e/yrer. ("as they call them:) but Je-
' " cret Friends, and Abetters it has, in Abund.snce, though, moft Infallibly, whoever
h» Friend to the Intent, and Matter of it, is an Enemy to the True C
G
(48)
England, as well as to tf)at of Rome: to the Honour of his Ma]e(iy,i'ni to the Veaee
of his Dominions : And therefore People fhould do well to Confider the Duihme
and the Bw/rof This Letter, before the> take upon them to Judge of the Merits
of ic. 1 reckon ir My however, rot to let the Scandal of fo Unduiifulz
praHice reft at the Door of the Church of England, if I know how to remove it.
1 have one Word more to fay yet, upon a hancy, that has taken People in the
Head upon this Occaficn; Firjt, Uat no Church of England man wiU Anfwer This
Letter, aly. V Ef range, of All Others, that has ever been fo Bitter, and fo Km.
/enf againft Liberty of Confcience, is the Unfittcft Man in Nature, to take upon him
to Defend it: In ContradCtHion to his Toleration Difcufs'd. hh Objervators, znd
Twenty Pamfhkts more upon This Subjeft. Generals prove Nothing ; fetiide that
tiiey are commonly the Refuge of Shuffert, and Cheats, Fur I am con-
tent however, to put the Matter to Thk Iffue: Let but any man tint Charges Mee
svith fuch Contra/iSions, fubmit to pafs for a Foul, if he does not particularly
Prove them j and let me Wear the Reputation of a Knave,i{ (in a Fair and Rea-
fonable Equity of Conftrubtionf he makes his Mcufation Good.
I have now but One Point more to fpeak to ; And That's the Suh^eil of the
King\ Power} 'Tis no more then what the Letter Requires, and what I have Pro-
ttiifed to do -. And in Conclulion, a Rjght that I Owe, both to the Caufe, and to
my Word.
The Author of the Letter to a Dijfenter has feveral Dangerous Doflrines and Taf-
[ages, p 5, 6,8, p. upon the Argument of the King\ Prerogative, and the Duty of a
Sub\ebl. He ^ueftions the King s Late pec/<w<jfion,in point of Law, p. 5. And lays
down for a M/iaiw, thit No Trefpafs againji the Laws in Being, U to be Defended:
Though Vniverfal Prague, and Opinion arc i^reed upon't, that the Obligation of
All Humane Lxws, is in fome fort, Conditional. He makes Addrejftng of Thanks,
upon That Declaration, to be the Giving up of a Right in the Law, p. 6. He fup-
pofes the King himfelf. Doubtful of hit own Power, p. 9. He Reafons all he can a-
sainft the Difpenftng Power, and Repealing the Tefi, p. 8. And he calls Submif
pan to That Declaration,the Setting up of a Power to HELP r^ie People, that will DE-
STROY them, p. 5.
Thefe Pofitions are Communicated; in at Lead Twenty Thoufand Copies perhaps,
to his Majefties Su^elfs, in All Qjtarters of the Kingdom ; anjLthc DoHrine, For-
Mft'd with the moft Artificial Colours that the Matter will bear. Upon the whole
Bus'nefs, there's Nothing to be done in fuch a Cafe as This, but by Encoiintring
Jndujlry with Indujiry,and Oppofing Truth to Error, There will be No Need of a Di-
Jlinll, and a Particular Anfwer to This and That Claufe, or Period, but rather to
fpeak to the Whole Puejiion, at Once, in a Clear, and an EffeSual Reply.
'T^O begin at the Root of the Controverfie; The King puts out a Detlaration if
Indulgence : The Author of the Letter to a Diffenter^nyes his Difpenfing Pm-
er •, makes the very Acceptance of it Criminal in the Subjeft ; and a Giving up if
their Rights apd Pofitively Pronounces the Law to be fo Sacred, that No Trefpafs
againft it it to be Defended. It refts now to Prove, that This Dolfrine, and Pra-
like is not only E-rroneout, and Pemkious, with a Refped to our Prcfent Cafe,
and Conjiitution, but Utterly Deftrudivc of Humane Society, and of the very Foun-
dations of Government it felf. To fay nothing how Artificially the Writer of That
Letter has Shamm'd upon the People his Majefties Ad of Grace in forour of the
Pijfenters, for a Matter Concerted betwixt Them, and the Papijis, without which
Pretence, the Invidiottt Part of the Pamphlet falls to the Ground.
Now for the Clearing of This Queftion, He that would take the Tujl Meafures
•f the Prerogatives of Power, fhould properly look back into d>c Original of Go-
vera
vernment *, and from thence Trace the Wifdom, and the VrmJence of Almigh-
ty God, through the JMeans tothc£nrf; and through the r aayer to their £jfe5r}
There are, 'tis true, Certain Prerogatives Peculiar toThu, or That Frame of State
W:, add Differing in 0«e Place, from what they are in ydnor^er; But Thefe are of a
iforvt Humane Mafe, and may be Laid down, as they were Taken up, at pleafiye. They
ttkjt are Local, Temporarji, Ferfonal, Conditional, Occafional Privileges perhaps, and
ujni uotof the Nutnber of Thofe SacrediVnchangeable, znd Incommunicable Ejjentialst
,«j: that we are here fpeaking of.
It was the Work of an Omnipotent Power, to make the IforW out of Nothingy
ifwi 1 As Order was the Work of theZ5iwne Wifdom, and Government confegoently»of a
i ii4] Divine Inftitution, and Appointment, This Government was Ofdained for the Regula-
'I »i rjon of Men in Society •, And That Ordinance would have ^eh uft'etly'|Vn,^apd
Cbpi; of No Effed, without a Competency of Powers, and Faiuhtes, for l^&fing of All
tirnt the Ends of it. Now if Government it fetf was imnnejhatchy from .'fjoa, "Hiofe
fji/ai Eminences of Privilege and .dw/wrfry without which That "Pdw^r daaiot
Work_,_ mufl needs be of Divine Right too ; And Kbigs are no Icfs Anfwerablc to
SiSfJi! their Principal, for the M<ff»treB<»nce of the Power, w'iA whidi'they ate Eiardfled\y
h liji then they arc for the Exercife of it: ^ that )f Rulers ciimot Depart from Thefe
Fundamentals of Government'vii^bvtc'Btiack'f^f 'Fattb -,.1{ f^ant'L^s 1x
found Infiifficient to AtifweraM the Emerginciefy'zx^t^^ifidni^^f' flilmne affairs y
Sita! And if the Referveof zPower to Dijj^nfe vihk thofe <^e of
jiitihi fuch and fttch Exigencies, fhall be likewise'found "of for the
p.f!t! Support of Government y the Sum of the Queftioi) wyi be Drought into a NarJCQW
Compafs; and no more then Thit-. Shall a Prince, in favour of an Imperfeff, Hu-
mane Law, Difpenfe with at* Vndijpet^able-Duty to'ai^.prtifn^/. And ut-fodoinfii,
^i'0 D^ienfe vnth God'i Law, rskher ^etiDifp^fe'vnA his (HvdP'tt 'ii if Thing part
Difpute, that many L<jwr have been Kullittes in the very Creation of them: And
it is Impoffible to make Any Pofitive Law of Man fo Extenfive, as to Anfwer All
tint Circumfiances of Time, Place, Condition, Change, or Occafm : The Force and the
Frequency of Over ruling Keceffities, is Granted on All Hands, and that where-
ever the Goveramcnr is, there is the 7''d!gOTenr. If the People may Judge, they
may Cenfure *, If Cenfure, Purifh ; If Punip, they Govern : And the Txelding of
One Point to a PopularjUpcrpation, doesin £fied» ladtfy Entitle them to the Atji.
^ja Neither is tHwc Any other Limif fctto this Power, then the Honour, the Confci-
fifflfl '"^'5 "'"i the Juftice of the Governer; For the Bare Admittance, of a Check,
jjjjji) w Controll, Implies a Superiour Power : Men are Corrupt, Frail, Short-fighted, and
Igjg their Works, ImperfeH. Bills may be Carrfd by Pafion, Intereft, Pcfwer •, and there
jjj may be likewife Inadvertency, or Sinifler Confideration in the Paffing of them •, but
the Laws of Nature, and of Equity f zrcFatredi\znd Certain ; for That which ^4-
jjjjjii /are does, God does. , I _ 1 j.
This is Chiefly intended of Laws that were Well enough, or perhaps, Excellent
Provifions, at the Firft making of them •, but in Trad of Time, upon fome tin'
ifiln filled Revolution or in fuch or fuch a Cafe perchance, may be found Ineonve-
nient. Thefe, 1 fay, may be Sufpended -, but then there are Laws of Another Sorty
that are Vad, ab Initio, and upon No Terms to be either Defended, or Executed^
As I have Tnflanced formerly fomcwhat to this Purpofe in the Cafe of the Proceed'
under Charles the Firjl againft the Papijls, That Excellent Prince, according
to all Reafonable, and Humane Prefumption, loft his Crown, and his Ufe, in Com-
flementxtxA Hoid AH of hit Oma, in pfctending 10 Bat hiiiiftlf tllC Vfi, ztiS'SHvice
of his Subjeifs : As if an AH of State could Superfede a Fundamental of God and Na'
^ ture, I have the Authority of a Great Man fBifhop Sanderfon) to Back me in
ih the Cafidflical Strefs of This Infiance: [God (fays he} hath given to hit Vicegerents
1(1 ' here
^C5o)
here tn Emb, a RIGHT In, and a POWER Over the Vet fen! of ALL their Sttbjelfsy
mth'm their feveral Refpeliive Dominions, even to the /pending of their Lives in their
Countries Service; WHENSOEVER theyfhall be by their Authority called thereunto.
Five Cafes,/*. 71.]] Now if tlicy have Tiiefe Privileges of RIGHT,and POWER,
from GOD •, and Extending to ALL, and WHENSOEVER, without Exception^
either to T/we, Sumber^t Diflinllion o{ Perfons: What Earthly owerlhaildare
to Controll This Commijfton > And I have O.at Word more to Oder now (that I
have formerly fpoken to^ which comes a little Clofer yet to the Point.
ThcVrecept of/Honour thy Father and thy mother~\ is undoubtedly of Divine AU'
fhority; and a Command, of an Immutable, and Indifpenfable Obligation; And it
has Catholique Affent to't, that it Extends, as well to our Civil, and Political,as to
our Natural Parents. By TlAs Law, Ml Subjelis are Bound in Confcience to Attend
the their Prinfie ^ for the Precept is Pofitive •, without Any
^alifcation, limitation, or Con(f/«o« whatfoever. Tiie (^ueftton will be Shortly
This now •, Wjh'cther Any can by any Aft of Civil Authority, Diveji himfclf
of This Right, over the Per font of his SubjeHs I do not fay but he .may Chufe
wirfther he will, them, or Not-, but he Cannot Difcharge his People of
their Duty of Obedience, i^ cafe he Requires their Service i That is to fay ; In any
Cafe, whichi^ npt C9'tfr^iy .tothc_^fW//,:andjPordpf (?yd. No Humtme Law Can
i46/a/w.ehenfi'fi:j^mThat.0^cec^ AUegeance : \%a\hat in the Conclufion, either
Thofe before,<?/»<<. ^hat fe^ve their Pr/nce,. when by him there-
unto required, botVlthihiadipg any Law of Nlan to the Contrary j Or the fen
Commandments may ^ turn'dto iVafle Pc^er If.the Xrfwof the LWfliall Forbid
upon a Penalty, That which the Law of Qod, Commands upon a Penalty.
This is enough for my Prefent Purpife an4 if it.bc not fo for Common Smitfa-
IfioHf My, Thiro V9|\liive of Ohfary^catii has ftftji TtmF ns much upon this Subjeit»\.
; ■ J ^ . !i ni" r or <1_
J:..-; - • :> •
H
13
1; l o -
d\ v
A t
■■ "ll
FINIS.
'.-'i- ^ . p.rt ' -I- /
7
Second Letter
H SZl
TO A
DISSENTER,
Upon Occafion of
jUaletMes
-■ ' ^
Late Gracious
DECLARATION
O F
Indulgence.
LONDON:
Printed for John Harris^ at the Harroxp againft
the Church in the Foultrey, 1687.
\
/r* *.
hi" , '■
nr.:)
ii
H '
i
Tr^:^v
CO
A Second Letter to a T>iJ[enter^&ccl
WE are fubje£t to nothing more than for-
getfulnefs of Bleflings, unthankfulnefs
for Mercies, or to abufeor mifufe them.
When Ifrael was delivered from E^p-
tian Slavery, they fang Gods Praife, but
fbon forgot his great Goodneis to them ; in their diftrefs
they cried unto God, but when he delivered them from
their Oppreflbrs and Oppreflions,they kicked againft him;
when beyond their Faith or Hope they were freed from
their Captive ftate in Balyhn, mod of them contemned
that Mercy, and chofe to continue under Servitude, and
only a few embraced that Liberty. I hope none of you
will be found to imitate them in that ungrateful Obftina-
That the Obligations God by his late merciful Provi-
dence of the like kind hath laid upon you, and the fence
thereof, and of the BlefTing you have received by his Ma-
jefties moil Gracious Declaration, may remain upon you,
and that you may confider what your Sufferings were,and
what you are delivered from, this feafonable Advice is
given to you, by one of your own Number, that now is,
and for about forty years hath been, a Member of a Con-
gregational Church, and purpofeth fo to continue unto his
death.
Your Deliverance was from the Jaws of Deflru^ton;
you are brought from Slavery, to a date of Liherty ; the
Shackles of Confcience, and Bolts of your Prifons, are
knocked off, and you left free to Worlhip God in Truth,
A X with-
C^]
without Fear; your Houfes are no more rifled, nor your
Goods plundered, felzed, or fold, nor your Perfons, Wives,
Children, Relations, and Friends, crowded into nafty Goals-,
on the Perjuries and falfe Informations of the Dregs of the
People, fuch who by Debaucheries violated all Bonds of
Confcience, and whofe Trade it was to fpoil you ; Men
as companionate as Ravenous Wolves, to whofe infatiate
Avarice there were no bounds.
You were not fufTered to plead your ovim Caufe, ( the
PreJS being fliut againft you) a favour Heathens always
allowed; you were forced to bear all InjurieS;,_though in-
nocent: If you eomplained, it increafed your Punifliment;
if jilent, you were fullen; condemned, fined, and impri-
foned, without being heard, or knowing your Accufers,
and that too many times for fuppofed Crimes you were
not guilty of; ruined, baniflied, and deftroyed, becaufe
you were unwilling to be damned for violating your Con-;
fciences; your worlhipping of God as you judged accord-
ing to his own appointment, was accounted a greater Ini-
quity than Adultery, Perjury, Atheifm, or Blafphemy.
Thefe were eafily expiated; but no Attonement for Nqnt,
Cmfomity, or for not coming to Church, though in many
Parifhes in and about London^ the Churches would not
hold one third part oftheParifliioners.
Thefe Proceedings were accounted Legal, and your nor
conforming reckoned Ohflinacy, and fuch as deferved no
pity ; nothing would evince the contrary, or that Cotifci-
e.Mce was concerned therein; lofs of all the Comforts of
this Life would not do it, and further Evidence you could
not give.
, This was your State and Condition, as to your Suffer-
ings and Perfecutions, from which your Deliverance w-as
extraordinary and unexpected ; whereby you are at once
engaged under many Obligations, which if you fail to an-
fwer, will lie as a Brand of Infamy upon you. ■
I. You
[33
I'. 'You are therefore to blefs and ador'e G6d, for
his:great goodnefs and deliverance» i^e efeft only <if ha
merciful bounty, to whom the praife is^due, and to be ex-,
preft in a godly, peaceable, meek, cirCumfpeft, humble/and
Iruitful cunverfation. That will bring Glory, not only to
his-.Name and Truth, but alfo to your ProlqflTiGn, and
bltlHinthe Confciences of yourOppreflbrs a'Conviffioni
That without any caufe they unjuftly perfecuted you; be
not therefore wanting herein, leaft you provoke the D6rd
thqrebyjgain to take this Bleffing from you. - n
'%{ Thankfully to acknowledge the iiings Benignity and
CotHpairion; his Grace wa? free, and th&t too after many
great provocations; nor were there wanting thofe that fo
Mifreprefented His Majefty, (which you too readily credi-
ted) as if he bad been another t^ero^ or Caligula, that no-
thing but Blood and Cruelty was in his Nature and defign-
ed by him ; and at the fame time ydu were Reprefented
as his moftlmplacable and Irreconcileable Enemies ^ dreft
up in Bears Skins to be baited; and yetmnder thefeCir-'
cumftances,without Petition or Intreaty, of his own Innate
Goodnefs and Clemency, he both pardoned,.antt freed you
from Mercilefs Oppreflbrs, and from thofe Cruel La ws^the
Engins made ufe of to debauch your Confciences, deprieve
you of your Communion with God, and to make your -
Lives bitter ; a more feafonable mercy could not be given/
and if you are wanting in Thankfulnefs, Love, i a id Subje"
dion to His Majefty, you willjuftly be bfandbd'as the
moft ungrateful and perfidious.
3. 'Tis Incumbent on you alfo as meti/andChfiftians,
to ufe your utraoft Endeavours by all Lawful Waj^siand
Means to Extirpate all thofe and Ti^Jj Uhat'd^ri^ve
you of this Freedom, or lay any ReftraintonCoftfeieh^i'
in matters of Religion , you accounted it youn duty''(as
Daniel did) to break thefe Laws, when their keeneft' edge
was turned againft you, judging it better to obey (7^?^/the^^
f4]
afid (hall there now be the lead hefitation In your
minds, as to the vacating of them? Can you defire again
to be in bondage, even whilft your Wounds are bleeding
frelh, and your Backs foar with the Lafties you received
from them ? Will not ail men brand your folly, that when
you have an opportunity to be free, and nothing but your
^own remils Inadvertancy can continue or renew your bon-
tdage, you fhould be wanting to your felves herein ? Who
will then pity you, if your Bonds are again repeated; and
tcan you expeft otherwife, To long as thefe Lam2Si6 Tejls
•are in force, for they have not loft Sting , nor your
Perfecutors their Malice, Prejudice, and Revenge; are they
not the Children of their Fathers , that formerly drove
Thoufands into the American Wildernefs for their Con-
fciences ? are your Sufferings the firft perfecutidn by thefe
Laws ? what then means the many Petitions and Apologies
againft them,madeby DifTenters in each Kings Reign fincc
they were firft Enadled ? Were there no Minifters Silen-
ced, nor perfons Executed, Banifhed, or Imprifbned before
your days? and if fo, by what Laws ? and who were the
Authors or Aflors therein ? And will you fuppofe they
will do fo no more ? and that too when thofe very men
whofe pleafure was in your Ruine, do ftill rage like a Bear
bereaved of her Whelps, and curfe you with bitter Execra-
tions, becaufe reftrain^ from their Cruelty,and deprieved
of their Felicity » which with their debauchery, iffued in
your deftrujftion, whofe wrath is fo boy led into £«x;/e,
that they cannot forbear their Threats,but fet their Tongues
on mifchief, even to the moft undecent expreffions of
HisMajefty liimfelf, for his Fatherly Compaflions to you.
4.^ Confider that when His Majefties Declaration of In-
dulgence could no longer be prevented, but was publifhed,
how many Stratagems and Contrivances were ufed , and
endeavours to deprieve you of the blefling and mercy
thereof; thofe tliat firft Addreft His Majcfty with Thanks
for
[^3
his Grace and Clemency therein, were (to deter others
from the Jifce)ftigmati2edas the unworthieft of Men, Be-
trayers of jthe Liberties of the Nation; as if to accept Li-
berty op the Kings Declaration,was to deftroy all Law and
Property at once, when yet nothing was done therein but
what ail Ages have Recognized, as HisMajefties mod un-
doubted Right (which alfo in a little time will beyond con-
tradi£tion be made moft apparent) as to his Power in Dif-
fenfittg with ah thefe Laws and Tejls.
When thefc Endeavours failed, and many followed that
good Example of Addrejfmg His Majefty with Thanks'
for His Deckration, and openly met in their Congregati-
ens to Blefs God for their Liberty, and Wor(hipped Him
according to their Confciences; Praying raofl,heartily for
all. Bjeffings for his Majefty: Then it was more than
wlfrTpered , That there were Snakes in the Grajx; their
Indulgence would be like the Morning-Dew; it was but
^ Scaffold to be taken down fofoon as the Buildjng of Po-
pery was Errefted. The Provoked Church of England
would turn their Rods into Scorpions to all that accepted
this Liberty, of whom were taken: that it was not
their Difpofition to Terfecute, but they were neceftitated
thereunto, to comply Government, and fo could
not help it; that they would do fo no more; that it was
not fafe to take away the Laws and TeJls, for there-
by the Papifts would-be let into Parliament,. and would
make what Laws they pleafed to ruine the Church of
land, the Bull-work of the Proteftant Religion ; thatthofe
Reftraints and Penalties being removed, a great part of the
Nation would turn Roman Catholicks, and could ferve in;
all Employ ments with Impunity; an^ Jdoliters would be:
Tollerated, Sfc.
For propagating thefe Jealoufies, fpecious and inveiftiye
Reafons were drawn up and difperfed; with a report, that
Priefts and Jefuits Preached in your Meetings (without in-
ftancing
ftancing rvherd Cttyhen, 'or the r^mes of fucli Preach^s^
fuppofing thefe cnt3eaVduh%ight - ag^ be
they had been in prcventingthe t)ifleittet^'Pttitidninghis
Majefty for their Liberty; and in King Charles thQ.lV^
time,to theRejc£fing his Declaration of Indulgence^ wHi^
gave him fuch provocation^'as t<hat it betame Sn-ddcafioil
of his withdrawing his Tendernefk and Glemeint^'t^^ ^
fenters, in that they were not triie and fteady to'fhdw Frin
terefl, ;and not to bqtrufted, but confented to be
fajv to gratifie the humour and defigns of thole that fought
their ruine,' ' ^
y. All thefe ftiggeftions, infimlations, and afperfionsat^
manifeftly grouttdlcls and abfurd ; for if thefe Laws and
Tefls be taken away, What then can abridge your Liber-k
ties ? Men may (as^ou mud expeft they^will) ht av^
but they cdnflot hurryoxx -. The Srtakc in tHe Gi^S , .-ti/zT
A Spirit of J^rfecutibn, may l^ut not ^
Building will endure aifd ftand as ffriri as a RocR. and^
Proteflant Religion not Ihaken ; all (but lltch as delight in
Mifchief and Oppreffion) will rejoycef'See the Bleffingand
Benefit of Liberty* of Confcience ! tljePeace and Goncpfdij
the Increafe of Trade, and Prolperify,to the whole Nation:
That the Foundation of the Gbvefnment if felf wHFas
foon be taken, as your Liberty infringed; lb that ybtt need
not fear the rage of any, or their threats of Seofpions.
What' danger ,fcan there bio of oV^dAy bther ut
Parhament, 'when all Fritefeffs^^iH by engaged'agalfTft
fuch as fhafl attempt ro Invade tholf Liberty'? Belides, who
ihali Eieft fuch great numbers of Papifts,-and where wjil
they be Chofen,?/ If it be fuppoUd that they may' fit by
undue Returns;" that may alfo be'prevented'by thO'4ery
Aft: of Parliament that Repeals thefe 7e/?y and Penab Sta-
thtes, and fuch fecurity provided for thOTcin, as that it f^all
notbein the power of any to infringe the Liberties of the
Narion,.or<ifany fort of People therein ; and that toohy
more
[7]
more juflifiable and fafer meihcds than thofeTVy?; andPc-
nal Statutes that have teen the Burthen and Opprcflion of
the Nation; Ihutting cut oi Fatiiamentand all places of
Truft, not only the Papifls, but d.\{o a/lothers, which are
not a few, that cannot conform to the Ceremonies of the
Church of Englavd\ and is it your Interefl: to be Ihutout
of all Trufls , and rendered ufelefi (however otherwife
quallified ) or that all Hcncurs^Places^^ndrrofits, fliould
be diflributed only amongft one fort of men, many of
whom have been your Oppreffors, and are not a little
provoked at your Liberty, and fuch as pleafe themfelves
with the hopes of Revenge >
The Allegation, that their Perfecuting was to comply
with the Government, and that they could not help it, is
manifeftly abfurd to all that knew his late Majeflies Tem-
per, w ho, did he brow-teat for his Clemency, was he paf-
^ive, 'twas to pleafe the men of the Church of England-,
did he at any time give Diredicns for it, 'twas at thepref-
fing inftance of their many-repeated irretating Addrefles,
and falfe Reprefentations made of the Diflenters. And his
prefent Majefty on his firft accefs to his Government, pro
pofed the Indulgence granted by his Gracious Declarati-
on, in which he was oppofed by the men of that Perfwa-^
fion and Pra£bice: However, they were not neceflitated
thereunto, but afted therein freely, either out of Principle,
or againft Confcience; and in neither Cafe are they*again
to be truPed : for the fame men will re-aft the fame thing
on the like occafion, if thofe Laws and Tefts continue in
force.
6. That Liberty of Confcience Ihould bring in Topery,
is a Paradox not to be underftood by any thinking man.
If Popery be the effeft ol preaching theGofpel, let Popery
come in : and if the Learning and Piety of the Church
of England, with their Dignities, Honours, Livings, and Fat
of the Land, will not preferve it, and maintain thofe Bui-
B works.
works, without Tefts and Penal Statutes, her Canons of
Crueltie and Deflruftion domineering over other mens
Confciences, and inflaving the Nation to their Pride and
Avarice, let that Church fall, and no more pretend to be
fuch an Impregnable Fortrefs.
7. Tliat the Papifts fliould be fo increafed by taking away
the Tefts and Penalties of the Law in matters of Religion^
is not very probable, ftnce hope of Preferment, and thePrin-
ces Favour, doth not now fo prevrail with many, though
men of that Perfwafion ferve in their Employments with
Impunity; but if itlhould have fuch effe(ft:,yet the Church
of England are no Lofers, fince thereby they are only freed
of fuch as would never be ferviceable to them nor their
' Intereft, and at beft but deceitful Friendi, a noxious hu*-
mour in the Body, fit to be purged out.
8. By tolerating IdolaterI luppofe is intended the Ro-
man Catholicks, who now dwell amongft-us, have^y Law
equal Right with others to Protection and their Birth-
rights, bound by common Intereft, as Englilh-men, to de-
fire, wfifli, and endeavour the Welfare of the Nation : and
after all this, muft their Throats be cut, or they banilhed,
becaufe of their different Sentiments in matters of Religi-
on > Will not fuch ufage juftifie the Perfecution of Prote-
ftants in other Countries, fince there is no more difference
betwixt a Papift and a Proteftant, than there is betwixt a-
Proteftant and a Papift ? We cannot here praClile and jufti-
fie it our felves, and yet condemn the fame thing as wic-
ked and cruel in others; nor can any fuppofe any Popifti
Opinion worfe than the Jews Execrations and Blafphemies
of our Saviour,, and yet there's no fcruple of tolerating
them They are at worft but Tares, and by Chrifts dire-
cfions fuch are to grow ivith the IFheai, until theHarveft;
befides, it's the Angels, not men, that muft weed them
out.
9, Be true therefore to your own Intereft; fpare nei-
ther
[9]
t-lier Root nor Branch of thofe Tefis nor Venal Statutes^
they are and always have been Snares, in which only con-
kiencious men, fuch as fcrupled Impofitions and humane
Inventions in the Worfliip of God, have been catched;
when Atheijls, and men of debauched Confciences, have
not been bound by them. The Uniformity in Religion
inforced by them, hath ruined many thoufands. Let thern
do no more fuch Mifchief, fince the Church of Chrift n^eds
no fuch Auxiliaries for its prefervation ; and truth is ftron-
ger than Error, without fuch Coertion: Therefore let not
defigning Surmifes and Infinuations of Dangers, where
there are none, amufe your heads, nor weaken your hands.
Remember, that had Nehemiah been difcouraged by the
like Threats and Surmifes of Sambullat and Tohiah, he had
never freed the Jews from their OpprefTion, nor provided
for their Safety, by finifhing his building of the Walks and
C\iy aijerufalem.
There remains one Suggeflion more, which is common-
lypreft as unanfwerable, wz. That confidering the King's
Principles, 'tis folly to fuppofe he granted his Indulgence to
Diflenters out of kindnefs, 'twas only to make Tools of
them; nor can they truft his Word, fince 'tis a Maxim a-
mongft the Roman Catholicks, Tliat Faith's not to be
kept with Hereticks; and fuch they account all Prote-
Hants and Diflenters.
This will require a morediflinfl Anfwer than was given
to any other Suggeflion ; and therefore I lhall be more
particular therein.
Admitting this to be the Cafe, yet his Majefties Indul-
gence is fuch a Blelling, as calls for Thankfulnefs to God and
to the King ; for thereby you have your prefent Liberty
and Freedom from all the Slavery and Oppreffion before-
mentioned : a Reprieve to a condemned man,prefent Eafe
from accute Pains of Stone or Gout, are Mercies for wiiich
men are thankful to God, and the Inftrufhcnt by which
1^ 2 they
r 10 3
they obtain fuch Favors and Bleffings (and furely your Li-
berty is not of lefs value.) Will a condemned man rejedt
his Reprieve, becaufe it's not yet a full Pardon, or any one
a prefent Relief, on fuppofition that the Stone or Gout may
IX months after return upon him? This is the worflthat
can be imagin'd of your Cafe,as to your prefent Liberty. ■
But fuppofe his Majefty granted this Indulgence out of
Deflgn, and not out of Love to you, yet your Condition
thereby is not worle than it was; you are fure, by wofuL
experience, that your PerCecutors hated you, and caufelefly
fought your Ruine,the other can do no more; or is it lefs
grievous to be ruined by cruel mercilefs Proteflant Perle-
cutors, than 'tis by Papifts ? Nor is this Suggeftion made
out of Kindnefs or Friend (hip, but of Hatred, Mifchief, and
Defign,x'iz. That fince they can no longer turn the Edge
of thofe Penal Laws againft you to your Ruine, they create
Fears and Tealonfies, to the end that thereby you may be-
come fo Ulelels and Ungrateful, as to turn the King's Fa-
vour into Difpleafure ; and if this can be done, they have,
gained their Pdint effeftually, with an opportunity, accord-
ing to their Threats,to turn their Rods into Scorpions.
Do not too eafily credit this Suggeftion; yet make a
good and profitable ufe of it, make the beft conftrudion,
and take it as real, and carry it to his Majefty: accordingly
be not wanting in your Thankfulnefs,Love and dutiful Sub-
jcftion and Obedience to him, that fo his Majefty may
Have a full fatisfaflion that his Favours are not beftowed
on an Ungrateful and Obftinate People. And let this Sug-
geftion become an Incitation to more Circumfpedion:
Hereby you will difappoint the Defigns of your Enemies,,
andfo prevail on his Majefty, that if it could be fuppofed
that he was not yet real to you, he Would become (o; for
he is not impenitrable, nor is he uncapableof underftand-
ing his own Intereft : and if he finds you men ufeful and
ferviceable to a common Intereft, and fit to be trufted.vou
1 . r t J-
r" ]
But fince tke Suggeflion is made, if there's any Truth
therein, it becomes abfoluteiy neceffary, according to the
Advice already given, to take your firft opportunity to
root out thofe Penal Statutes and Tells; that fo they may
be no more the Inllruments of DeHruflion, cither in the
hand of the King, or any other that defircs your Ruine;
until then, you are ruined by Law ; and your Perfecutors
jullified therein : but when thefe Laws and Tells areabro-
gated, they will be as cautious therein, as they are in the
breach of any other Law, as to Theft or Murther. So
that your Security and Liberty is to be eftabliflied in, and
by the vacating thefe Laws and TeRs.
For that part of the Suggeflion, That there's no Truft
to be put in the King's Word, fince Faith is not to be kept
with Heriticks: You have much more than HisMajefty's
bare Word for your Liberty; Hath he not by his Decla-
■ration removed your Fears, and to his own fatisfa£lion,
thereby erredl his Throne in your Hearts ? What elfc
means his Gracious Acceptance of the many Addrefles of
Thanks prefented to Him, for his Gracious Declaration;
and his Condefcending, Obliging, and Gracious Anfwers
thereunto; his Difmifling out of his Service (how ufeful
foever) fuch as would not by any means be Reconciled
thereunto; and Trullingand Imploying thofe that are for
Ellablilhing by Law, this Liberty ; and Encouraging all to
concur with him therein; hedefiresand defignsyou ihould.
not onely have his Word, but a Magna Chart a ior fecurity
of Liberty of Confcience, as well as you have for your
Properties >
If his MajeRy did n^t intend as real, and as high a fecu-
rity for your Liberty, as he can give; he hath aBred moR
impolitickly : What need was there then of publifliing, in
his Declaration, the Grounds and Reafons on which he
Granted his Indulgence? Which are fo Weighty, and fuch
as will abide thefevereR TeR. Hath he not thereby ex-
pofed
I
Sen
'Bt
[lO
pofed Himfelf, his Honour, and Glory, to the higheft: fen-
fure and obiiquie, both at home and in ail Nations, it he
Violates his Word ? hath he not laid the greatefl; Obligati-
ens on Himfelf, to aflure the v.'hole World that he will be
true and Heady thereunto ? what need elfe was there of pub-
lilhing thofe Reafons, fince a bare Indulgence without
them, might have ferved a Turn ? or what reafon is
there for his frequent folemn Promifes to make it good ?
why elfe is it apleafmg and delightful fubjeft to him to be
commonly talking and difcourfing of, and of the benefits
and bleflings that will accrue thereby to the Nation ?
Thefe things, if not real, are inconfiHent with a Prudent
Politick Prince, and below the common fentiments of an
ordinary man. •
Before we can imagine his Majefty is not fully refolved
to make good his Declaration, we mufl fuppofe him to be
a man that hath no Zeal for, nor Senfe of his Religion, nor
for the men of his own Perfwafion : And this cannot be
fuppofed by any that knows him, and how conftant he is
at his Devotions, and how he adventured three Kingdoms
for his Religion , when Wind and Tide ran moil vie-
lently againH him: Would he but have Diflembled his Re-
ligion, or quitted it or his Party, he might have been the
Darling of thofe Times ; but he chofe to run the greateft
risks and dangers, rather than not to appear what he was.
And lhall we, after this, imagine he will have no regard to
his Word, nor provide for the fafety of his Party, which
elfe fo foon as he Dies, muft be expofed to the uttermoft
Ruine, and to the Rage and Fury of thefe Laws and Tefts.
We have aifo befides his Majefties Word, the higheft
Security he can give for our Liberties ; we have not one-
ly the prticulars before mentioned, but alfo with his
Word, we have his Intereft, which will not Lye: So that
if his Word were of no force, yet he is bound by Intereft.
to m.ake it good. Doth net his Majefty know, that tlie
DilTen-
['}]
DiHenters are not a fort of Treacherous Cowardly Men ;
Where's theinftance that any of them ever betrayed their
Truft, or refufed any Service they undertook, or were cal-
led unto, how perilous fo ever? Are they Droans that live
by the fweat of other mens Brows; or rather, are they
not painful and induflrious, addifted to Trade and Manu-
faftories ? Is not a great part of the Trade of the Nation
managed by them, whereby the Poor are imployed, His
Majelties Cuftoms and Revenues increafed ? Nor are they
an inconfiderable number of his Majefties Subjefts; fo
titat to part with them, he muft part with a great part of
his Strength and Treafure, in which his Glory and Securi-
ty confifts: which happily was no fmall Confideration
with his Majefly, when he publifhed his Declaration.
And this remains as an additional fecurity unto his Maje-
fties Word; and fo much the rather, becaufe he hath A-
fpiring Neighbours who will readily embrace all opportu-
nitiesof increafing their numbers, efpecially fuch as bring
Wealth, Trade, and Manufaftories with them: of which
they were in hopes, and foblew the Coals of our late Per-
fecution, until his Majefty happily extinguilhed them by
his Healing Declaration, and thereby called home many
that on great incouragements were fetlingamongfl: them.
Though fome of the Roman Cathplicks have aflerted
tliat Maxim, That Faith is nat to le kept with Heretif^ts-^^
yet God forbid there fliould not be aMappt Truth found
amongft them; "or that the Opinion of fome fhould be
charged on all: What Principle or Party of men, can then
be Trufted ? Are all the Church of En^and zxved merci-
lefsPerfecutors, becaufe fome of them are fo (and that not a
few of them neither)? Are they allSocinians.^ And yet they-
are greatly Belyed if there are not fome fuch amongft
them. 4-re they ail Debauched, or guilty of Adultery, A-
theifm,Blafpliemy, and Murther ? And yet there are fuch
to be found in that Church.
Befides,
ci-
m ■,!
C'4]
Befides, His Majefty is not onely willing, but mold dc-
firous to put it beyond his power to break the Word and
Faith of his Declaration : What can he do (or is not ready
and willing to do) to give farther fatisfaftion herein ? Let
any man rationally propound it, and let his Majedy refufe
the fame, before this, or fuch like furmifcs be credited. Is
he not willing and dedrous that an equal Liberty to all
Ihould grow up with, and be twided in his Government ?
doth he not edablilh his Throne on that Bads? hath he
made any Limitations or Redridions therein, to exclude
any for their Religious Sentiments ? hath he ever folicited
any man to change his Opinion and become Roman Catho-
liquc, to increafe his Party ? who , or where is the in-
dance of this kind ? hath he ever Brow-beaten any man
for his Opinion ? And I am confident he will mod readi-
ly concur with his Parliament on the larged andcompre-
hendved Terms for fecuring this Liberty: and then it will
not be in His, nor any other Man's power to break this
Faith, any more than it is to fubvert the Government it
felf : Shall all men be truded on their bare Word; and
fliali His Majedies folemn repeated Word and Promife
(that ought to be accounted Sacred) be no fecurity, tho
real indances, drong and mod weighty obligations are
conjoyned therewith. Where is that perfon ol any Note
cr-Figure in the World, that would be fo ufed for his kind-
nefs- and benignity ? The perfons that make thefe, and
fucJh like Suggedions, are unworthy of his Majedies Good-
nefs; nor are there any but Ignorant, Wicked, and Maliti-
ous Men that will give them Entertainment.
You have other Work incumbent on you, viz. Since
you have now full Liberty to Worfhip God without any
impofition on your Confciences, make Confcience to be
found in the condant Praftice of his Worfhip; live not in
the negleft thereof, for that's a Contempt of the Mercy
God liath given you: Was the Truth and Religious Wor-
fhip,
f'53
flnip, worth the adventuring all you had for ? 'Tis not of
lej^ Value becaufe it now comes to you at a draper Rate:
Do not turn Scepticks, nor grow remifs in Religion ; that's
the way to loofe the BlefTing of your Mercies ; but whilft
you have Seafons and Opportunities, make Confcience to
"improve them diligently.
Hearken not to any Councels, nor give way to any
Paffions that tend to ftir up Quarrels, Contentions, or Di-
vifions; this will deprive you of this Liberty, or of its
Blefing, to the gratifying of the Devil and your Adverfa-
ries; who for carrying on fuch dcfigns, will take on them
new Shapes, and deal by you, as the Samaritans did with
the 'jem; cover their defigned Malice with a Cloak of
pretended Charity and Friendlliip; your ftrength is in
Concord, and whilft you mind a Common IntereB, your E-
""nemies cannot hurt you.
* Let not an Impofing Spirit or Principle be found a-
mongft you; for that's a Perfecution in its kind, as well
as Mulfts, Prifons, and Blood, but bear with, and forbear
'each other, notwithftandingdifferences in Judgments, or
Incitations to the contrary ; this is the Spirit of Chrift,
and of hisGofpel, to which you ought to be Reconciled;
for you profeis to walk by Chrift's Rule, To do toothers,
as you would be done by ; and not to cenfure and judge
others for differing fentiments; which will always be, un-
til we come to the fame degree and meafiire of Knowledge;
a State not to be expefted on this fide Heaven : Till then
let Charity (which is the Bond of your Perfection here)
knit you together in the purfuit of Holinefs and Con-
cord. Remembring always. That the Bond of Confci-
ence binds all other. Men as well as yours binds you:
And if it were grievous to you to be oppreft herein by E-
nemies; can it be eafie to another to be in any fefpeCt lo
oppreft by you, that ought to be Friends ^ Will you con-
tradict your own profefTed Principles, to gratifie your E-
C nemies
I '.
11
vi ■ I
A :
[.6]
nemies and your Lulls; and grieve your Friends to the
prejudice of your own Interells i When haply the mat-
ters contended for, may be fome obftrufe Notions, not de-
terminable by the ablell and moll learned. Confider that
fvnce Confcience (though erronious) binds both to Prin-
ciples and Pra^ice; and a£ling contrary thereunto, is Sin-
ful: its not pofTibie that one Man's Confcience can be af-
feded or polluted fimply by another IVlan's Principle or
Praftice; otherwife to avoid Sin, we mult fin againlt our
own Confciences, or by our Di£lates, force other mens
Confciences ; or fin wilfully to avoid the fuppofed guilt of
another Man's: let therefore that nohle Principle be main-
tained, and not in the leall infringed.
11. Confider that an Impofing Spirit, under which we
lately groaned, is the very Spawn and Spirit of Antichrift,
the Sourfe of all Impiety and Cruelty ; to which apper-
tains the Iniquity and Guilt of all the Bloud of the Pro-
phets, Apollles,Martyrs, and Millions of Chrill's Servants;
What Wars, Confulions, and Difolations hath this Spirit aJ-
ways made in the World ? Robing it of its Peace and Tran-
quility, bringing glorious Churches into confulion, wall-
ing and irapoverilhing mighty Monarchs and Kingdoms;
when, on the contrary, poor andcontemptible Statesy by
cherilliing this Principle of Liberty of Confcience, have
continued their Peace, and grown to greatnefs of Power and
Wealtli.
Shall we, that have wofully experienced the verity here-
of, approve the contrary, or in any meafure contrad this
Guilt ? Is that lawful, commendable, or a Vertue in you,
which is hateful, wicked, and abominable in others ? Do
not juftifie your Adverfaries in all their Cruelties and In-
humanities, by making and impofing yourUnderftandlng
and Pr.adice as a Guide or Meafure for other men; for
thereby every one becomes a Dictator, for wdiat's lawful for
one, is lawful for every man. Do not tlierefore,. on pre-
fence
I
C'7]
totit tence of Confcience, multiply nor ftreighten the Termsof
Communion, nor make new Articles of Faith and Com-
aoti munion ; let thofe Chrift hath left in his Word fuilice, left
out of blind Zeal you turn, and keep out of the way,thofe
ofrj that Chrift would have gathered and cherifhed.
iisfc IX. Finally, do not ftudie Revenge, for that appertains
to God; let not your Spirits boil up into Prejudice againft
4''. thofe that have injured you ; give no opprobrious provo-
illi; king Expreflions, that's uncomly for Ghriftians; remera-
WE ber your Lord and Mafter reviled not again, but meekly
dgiiiii; and patiently endured the Contradiction of Sinners ; walk
kiK as you have him for your Example ; pray for your Perfe-
, cutors, as Chrift did ; forgive your wrongs; walk holily
Mi to God, and righteoufly to men ; live up to your Profef--
oa fion : Hereby you will ftop the mouth of Envy, and pof
iifi fcfs the Bleffing of this day of your Liberty, and God will /
tkft continue your Tranquility. Amen.
'm..
P;
dJII
^ POSTSCRIPT.
Si iii Province, to enquire into the "times, Occafions, or
X Reafons, on which the Penal Laws and Tefts were made,.
nor whether they are not ( efpecially Tefts ) againft Gods
[jIji iVord, the indifpencihle-, immutable, and moral Law of God,
common Right, Juftice, Equity, and Law of the Land {though
jjvi this will be enquired into, and publijhed ^ only this is mofl
fj) J apparent, that by the Alt by which the Teft is eftablijhed, the
jijll, Sacrament ( the mofl facred Gofpel Ordinance of Chrifl) is
\ii profanely made fubfervient to Carnal and Secular ends and
ii ;: - purpofes, and deftgned to incapafitate his Majefly from having
ipj™ any Servant about him (how ufeful or neceffary foever ) but
p fuch as either in reality or hypocrife conforms to the Ceremo'
[ 18 ]
'Hies of the Church ; or to reward any other far
any Service, thou^ it fhould he the prefervation of his Life,
Crown, or Kingdom ; or to employ them in any Service, how
fit or important foever: whereby, in ejfeil, he is rendered to
be King only offome part of his Suljehs, and haply not cf the
greateji part of them'neiiher ; nor can he adv 'ife in Council,
for his own Prefervation, or common Good and Safety of his
Kingdom, with any other fort of men, nor difpenfe the JuJiice
of the Ndfton by any other hands; whereby alfb it's in their (] J
power, at any time, without comptrole, to hmpofe what Terrns j
and Inconveniencles they pleafe on the King and Kingdom, \ V
'and to make both his Majefly and all others truckle to them, j
On this confderation, many are content to part with all the '
Penal Laws, hut flrugglefor the Teft, as knowing that it ca-
pacitatesthem at any time to revive again thofe Laws, or to
make worfe^ if worfe can be made, and to fubjeH all men io
what flate and condition they pleafe : Therefore never ac'
count the ILation free, but fubjeited to an Iron Toke, and your
felves to he lajhed with Scorpions for your Confciences, until
thefe Tefts and Penal Statutes are abrogated, and thereby
both his Majefty and every body elfe abfolutely freed from
ihem.
Lfi
i b e- r J
W
1
(O
'hit
istt, ,
«,is
Wl
Cmc-
[jilk
An ANSWER
To 07/'". Henry Tayne^s
LETTER,
Concerning His Majefiy's
DECLARATION of INDULGENCE,
VVrit to the Author of the Letter to A DiJJenter.
P A Y N E >
Cannot hold asking you, how much Money you had, from the ttri'
ter of the Paper, which you pretend to zAnfwer: for as you have the
charadler of a man that dcalcs with both hands, fo this is writ in fuch
a manner as to make one think you were hired to it, bytheAdverfc
Party: but it has been indeed fo ordinary to your Friends, to write
in this manner oflate, that the Cenfuresuponit are divided,both fall heavy: fbmefuf-
ncisj peft their Sincerity others accufe them for want of a right Underftanding: for tho all
are not of the pitch of the Irish Priefis Reflections, on the Bp of Bath and Wells Ser-
mon, which was indeed Irish double refined; yet both in your Books ofControver-
fy, and Policy, and even in your Poems, you feem to have entred into fuch an inter-
• mixture with the/m/i, that the thread all over is You acknowledge
that the Gentleman whom you anfwer has a Polite Pen, and that his Letter is an Inge-
nioHs paper, and made tip of-well- Compofed Sentences and Periods, Yet I believe he will
hardly return you your Coinplement. If/> was well writ, your Party wants either
■ Men or [udgment extreamly, in allowing you this province of anfwering it. If the
Erffer did you fome hurt, you had better have let the Town be a litlepleafed with it
for a while; and have hoped that a litle time or fome new paper (tho one of its force
is fcarce to be expefted) should have worn it out, then to give it a new lufter by
fuch an Anfwer,
The Tme of the Bifenters Sufferings, which you lengthen out to zy years,mil hard-
ly amount to For the long Intervals it had, in thelafl: are not forgot;
and thofe who animated the latefl and fevereft of their fufferings are fuch, that in
good manners you ought not to rcflcd on their Condudf. Opittm is as certain a/'o//5«,
tho not fo violent, ^lS Sublimate ; and if more corrofve Medicines did not work, the
Befign is the fame, when foponferous ones are ufed : fincc the Patient is to be killed
both ways: atidit feems that all that is in debate is, which is thefafer: the accepting
a prefenteafe when the ill intent with, which it is offered, isVifibk, is juft as wife an
ifc.,, ■ ^ - - adfion.
'(Hk
itidt
tkiti
Mit'
jhi^
action ] as to take Opium to lay a fmall Diftemper when one may conclude from the
' dofi, that he will never come out of the Sleep. So that after all, it is plain on which"
lide the Madnefs lies. The Dtjfenters for a little prelent eafe, to be enjoyed at Mercy,
muft concur to break down all our Hedges, and to lay us open to that Devouring
Power, before which nothing can (land that will not worship it.
All that for which you reproach the Church of England amounts to this, that
a few good words, could not pcrfuadeherto deftroy her felf j and to Sacrifice her Rs'
Uqion and the Laws to a party that never has done nor ever can do the King half the
fervice that she has rcndred him. There are fome forts of propofitions that a man
docs not know how to anfwer: nor would he be thought Ingratefull who after he had
received ferae Civilities from a perfon to whom he had done great fervice, could not
be prevailed with by thefe fo Lras to Ipare him his Wife or his Daughter. It muft
argue a peculiar degree of confidence to ask things, that are above the being either
askt or granted. Our and our are matters that are not to be parted-
with to slfew our good breeding: and of all men living you ought not to pretend to
Coed Manners, who talk as you do, of the Opprejfionoi the h{\. Reign. When the
Kin£s Obligations to his Brother, and the share that he had inhxsCemctls, are confi-
dered ■, the reproaching his Government, has fo ill a grace, thac you are as Indecent in
your Flatteries as Injurious in your Reflections. And by thisgratitude of yours to the
Memory of the late King, the Church of England may eafily Infer, how long all her
Services would be remembred, even ifshe had done all that was defired of her.
I would fain know which of the Brethren of the Dijfenters inforreigne Countries fought
their Relief from Rebellton.lLhe Germans'K.eitQxmed by the Authority of their
fo did the Swedes, the Danes, and like wife the Swnfers. In France they maintained
the Princes of the Blood againft the League: and in Holland the Quavrell was for Ctvii
liberties', Proteftant and Papift concurring equally in it. You mention Holland as an
Inftancethat Liberty and Infallibility can dwell together : Jince Papifts there shew that-
they can be friendly neighbours, to thofe whom they thmk in the wrong: It is very like
they would be ftill foin if they were under the lash of the law, and fowere
upon their good behaviour,theGoverment being ftil! again ft themtand this has fo good
an effedl in Holland,thoit I hope we shall never depart from the Dutch Pattern: fbme can
be very Humble Servants that would prove Imperious Mailers. You fay that Forceis
out only Supporter: but tho there is no force ofour fide at prefent, it docs not appear
thatweareinfuch a tottering condition , as if we had no Supporter left us. God and.
Tvuth.3X£ ofour fide: and the indifcreet ufe of Force, when fet on by our Enemies,
has rather undermined than fupportedus. But you have taken pains tomakeusgrow
wifer, and to let us fee our Errors, which is perhaps the only obligation that we
owe you; and we arc fo fenfible of it, that without examining what your Intentions
may have been in it, we heartily thank you-for it.
Ido not comprehend what your quarrel! is at the fquinting Term of the next heir,
as you call it; tho I do not wonder thit fquinting comes in your mind whenfoever
you think of H E R j for all people look afquint at that which troubles them: and
k'}
O)
her being the next heir is no lefs the delight of all good men, than it is your affliEiion:
all the pains that you take to reprefent her dreadful to the Dtjfenters, mufl: needs find
that credit with them, thatisdueto thelnfinuations of anEncmy. It is very true,
that as was bred up in our Church, she adheres to it fo Eminently, as to make
her to be now our chief Ornament cls wchope she will be once our main Defence. If
k'r 1 - .r. - -r t •- < ^ ' ■
tfeiir
lC5[£ii
by theftrtEieft form of our Church you mean an Exemplary Piety.,zx\d a shining Comer-
faiion,you have given her true CharaEier; Bur your defigne lies another way to make
the Dijfenters form firangc Ideas of her, as if she thought all Indulgence to them Cri-
mtnal: But as the Gcntlenefs of her nature is fuch, that none but thofe who are fo
guilty, that all mercy to them wou'd be a Crime, can apprehend any thing that is ter-
rible, fromi6er, fo as for the Dijfenters, hergoing fo conffantly to theD«rc^ and
hencb Churches shews, that she can very well endure their Afferablies, at the fame
time that she prefers, ours. She has alfo too often exprelTed her diflike at the heats that
have been kept up among us concerning fuch Inconfiderable Differences, to pais for
'F- a Bigot or a perfecuter in fuch matters: "and She fees both the mifchief that the Prote-
■ fiantRsltgionhisreccived from their fubdivifions, and the happinelsofgranting a due
Liberty of Confctence, where she has fb long lived, that there isnoreafon to make any
his." fancy that she will either keep up our Diferences, or bear down the Dif enters with
fE" Rigor. But becaufeyou hope for nothing from her own Inclinations, you would have
her terrified with the flrong Argument of Numbers, which you fancy will certainly
fecure them from her recalling the favour. But of what fide foever that Argument
K"? may be jlrong, fure it is not of theirs who make but one to Two hundred: and I fup-
pofe you fcarce expedl that the Dijfenters will rebel, that you may have your A/aJfes,
e3! and haw their numbers will fecure them, unlefs it be by enabling them to Rebell, I
cannot Imagine: this is indeed a fquinting at the Next Heir, with a witnefs, when you
iiM would already mufter up the Troops that muft rife againft her. But let mc tell you,
:iK" that you know both Her Charadicr and the Prince s very ill that fancy, they are
only to be wrought on byT^fjareknown toyourgreatgrief; to be above that;
iJi- and it muft be to their own Mercifull Inclinations, that you muft owe all that you can
BSi:r exped under them, but neither to their/<r^ir nor to your own Numbers. As for the
hatred and Contempt, even to the degree of being more Ridiculous then the Adafs under
ji>- ivhichyou fay Her way of Worship u in Holland, this is one ofthofe figures of fpeech
■0 that shew how exadly you have Studied the Jefuites Aloralls. All that come from
fti. Holland, afture us, that she is fo Univerfally beloved and cfteemed there , that
every thing that she does, is the better thought of even becaufe she does it. Upon the
;r whole matter, all that you fay of the proves too truly that you are that for
®:' which you reproach the Chnrch of England, a Difciple of the Crown ox\\y for the
tfjS, loaves; for if you had that refped which you pretend for the King, you would have
shewed it more upon this occafion.
;(? Nor am 1 lo much in love with your ftile , as to imitate it, therefore I will not do
i((t- you fogreat aplcafure, as to lay the leaft thing that mayrefltd on thst Authority,
:f .vthkh ihc Church of England has taught me to reverence even after all thi Dtsgrares
m
f'"
.J
f .'1
if:
isii
that she has received from I.t: and if she were not Infuperably reftrained by her Prln- j
ciples, inftead of the Thin^^tufler with which you reproach her, she could foon |
make fo thUkjs one as wopld make the Thimes of yours, very vifible upon fo unequal!
adivifion of the Nation; But she will neither be threatned nor laughed out of her
Religion and her loyalty : tho fuch infultings as she meets with j that almoft pafs all
humane Patience J would tempt men that had a lefs fixed principle of fubmilfion,
to make their Enemies feel to their coft, that they owe all the Triumphs they make,
more to our Principles t than to their own Tcree. Their laughing at our Dodlrine of
tion rejifiance, lets us fee, that it would be none of theirs under the Heir, at whom
yovi Squint, \{\}a&flrong<iArgument of Numbers made you not apprehend thatTu'a
Hundred ro owe would prove an Unequal Match.
As for your Memorandums, I shall anfwer them as short as you give them
1. It will be hard, to perfuade people, that aDecifioninfavourof theP/j^eww^
Power, flov/ing from Judgest\\itzx&hot}amade, and payed, and that maybe rerno- " ^
ojed at pleafure, will amount to the recognifng of that Right by law.
2. It will be hard to perfuade the world, that the adhering tO Promifes,
ahd his Coronation Oath, and to the known Lawes of the land , would make him Felo
de fe. The following of different methods were the likelier way to it, if it were J[.
not for the Loyalty of the Church of England.
5. It will be very eafy to fee the ufe of continuing the T^by Law-^ finge all
thofe that break thro it, as well as the Judges, who have authorifed their Crimes, are 11
flill liable for all they do; and afterall your huffing, with the Dijpencing Power, we do iilr
not doubt but the apprehenfion of an after reckoning flicks deep fomewhere, you fay,
it may be fuppofed, that the averpon of a ProtePant King to the Popish party, wtllftif- ||j
fciently exclude them , even without theTeJl. But it mult be confeffed, that you take
all poilible care , to confirm that Averfon fo far, as to put it beyond a it may befuy- , 1
pojed. And it feemsyou underfland Chrifis Prerogative, as wel as x\\t Judges did Iru
the Kings, thai fancy the TeP is againfl it: it is fo futeabic to the nature of all Govern-
ments, to take/Affurances of thffie who are admitted to Places of Trufl , thatyoudo U
very ill to appeal to an Impartial confideration, for you are fure to lofe it there.
Vcw English men, will believe you in earneft when you feem zealous for publick 1,
liberty, or the Alagna Charta : or that you are fo very apprehenfive of Slavery: And M
your Friends mufl have very much changed both their Natures and their Principles,
if their conduit does not give caufe to renew the like Statutes againfl them, even tho they
should be repealed in this^e/V«, notwithflandingallyour confidence to the contrary.
Twill ftill believe that the jlrong Argument of Numbers will be always the power-
fullcftof all others with you: which as long as it has its Force, and no longer, we . '
may hope to be at quiet. I concurrc heartily with you in your Prayers for theA'ia^, ^
tho perhaps I differ from you in my Notions, both of his Glory and of the Felicity of ~
his People : and asfor.yourown partictilar, I wish you would cither not atalllmploy
your Pen, or learn to write to better purpofe: but tbo I cannot admire your Letter,
yet I am Y o u r H u m e l e S e r v a n x
^ T. T,
. t-t
ic)
The Humble
ADDRESS
OF THE
Presbyterians,
Prefented to the
B Y
Mr. HVKST,
Mr. CHESTER,
Mr. SEHEER,
Mr. CCA,
y t
Mr. rVRNER,
Mr. FRANKLIN,
Mr. DEALy and
Mr. RETNOLDS.
Mt.RO SWELL,
With His Majefties
GRACIOUS ANSWER.
Printed for J W. in the Year, 1687.
. !
/»
•]
[33
The Hnmhie Addrefi of the Presbyterians^
Prefented to the K IN G.
May itpJe^fe Ti'Hr mofi SjcrellSIaj fly^
TO beHeve the Thankfuinels ofour
Hearts, beyond any Exprei-
fions of OUT tibs or P^hs, for Your
mofi: Gracious Declaration for Liberty
for ViS, in the Worfhip of God, which
we truft we iliall ever value above
Property, as that witKcu'c which we
could enjoy nothing whidi we could
call our own, without the greatefl: un-
eafinefi imaginable : But Your Maje-
fty having in the fame Declaration alfo
feciired that unto us. Both by Your
A 2 Royal
[4]
Royal Word and Aci : What could
Your Majefty have done more for
us? Or what is left for us further to
ask of the King ? And foraftnuch as it
hath plealed Your moll: Excellent
Majefty^ to give this lafe Port to Your
poor Subjeds^fo long tolfed with Tern-
pefts, and ;ufl:ly to believe^ that Loy-
alty is not intailed to a Party^ as we
hope wc ihall ever Juftine the Credit,
which Your Majefties Charity in that
point hath given us. So we (hall not
ceafe to bow our Knees to the God
whom we lerve, and by whom Kings
Reign, befeech ng him to recompenle
this Royal Favour to Your Majefty,
with length of days, uninterrupted'
Health, Felicity in Your Royal Rela-
tions, Succels in Your Great Councils
and
•^5]
;oulj and Affairs^ and finally^ with the moft
e fof Glorious Liberty of the Sons of God,
heartily crying, as with one Voice,
)ij5i Let the King live for ever.
Suhfcribed on the Behalf of our felves,
ife and the reji of our Perjuafon.
itk
THE
[73
THE
Kings Anfwen
Gentlemen,
I Have aheady found tn?o good E^eBs-
of my Declaration; theEaftig and^
Vleafing Mj SubjeBs Ton fpal^ of and
My reforing to God the Empire over
Conlcience : It has been my judgment a
long timOy that none Has or ought to Have
an) porper over the Confcience hut God,
I underjland there are fome Jealoufes a
mong my SubjeBs^ T hat I have done tins
in a Defgn : But you loo\ Gcntb^
men
men of too great Ingenuity to entertain
any fuch Sufption.
Gentlemen, I frotejl before God, and
I defire you to tell all manner of Peofle of
all 'Perfuafions,as yon have opportunity to
Converfe with them , that I have no
other Defgn than that I have fpoJ^ of
And Gentlemen, I hope to live to fee
the Day when you fhall as well have
Magna Charta for the Liberty of Con-
Icience, as yon-have had for your Tro-t
perties. ^
And now Gentlemen, do Tou for
Preach to Tour Hearers as they may he
good Chriflians, and then I do not quefim
but they will be good Subje&s,
Ie
Pre
fan'fl
h
i
;^£iCof
pa]
.'ti ipi
■i»t6
■ «!
■'cCo
>?a:<
'■iac::
'■.r
FINIS.
(O
THE
"""fjEARLE of MELFORTs LETTER
To the
Presbyterian-Minifters
IN
I C O T LAN
1 - Wfit in his Majefly^ s Name upon their Addrefs ♦,
• Together with upon it.
' The Earlc of Melfort V Letter. m^ayyom Eibtes, andto hanafs ym/ in
. , J^owferfons, Liberties W Priviledgcs; f»
Gentlemen; ^ *<:kriou>ledgnim fiomyou.
^ Jm cowmandcd l?y his Majcfty, h Do6lrinc tocar/fe allhss
fiunt* you hit gracious acceptance of your ^ if- obediently, and by your
Addrefs , that he is well fatssfied trithyonr "V tvalki^gfo as shall be moji pleafmg tQ
Loyalty eScprefcd therein', forthetvhich the concurring tvith him for the
wm^herefolves to pcrfcti^ate the favour Pcnal Statutes: and he'furthy
\iumg. his otpti Reign, but a/fe to lay your Prayers to God for
„}mnWaiysfw its Continuance,that by ap- ts longed happy Reign, and for all Bleffmgs
I'foioting Kext cnfuing Parliament t/je ; andliltetvife
i^i^goffall Penal Statutes"ccKtr<iryrt) tie fh-'^hat you loog^ tvell to your TioPiv'mt, and that
. Krty or Toleration he infltmrtial: all tb fcarekis
Hj> Maiefty hmivs, that Enemict to Mim., y ^
» You. viW //w Toleration , tfill he ttfntg Sicfubl.
ill Endeavour f to infringe the fame j hut as ever ^L£ L F O R T.
ieHappincfs of his SuBjeSs Standing in Li-
JtrtyotConfciencc, and the Security of their R F A f A I? f c
'■^opcrtics.(«ext tAe G/ory Go^l) hath been his
Maiefty's^f4t e»dJo intends to continuedf he r"'lj ' ^EleSccretary hand isknown toal Ihc
wotdifutable Encouraganm and Ccnciirrence I Writing Maflets ot the Town" but
'myouinyour Doflrinc and Piatfice,- and I here is an F.iray of the Secretary's
meftreas he hatfj .taksn.atfay tfie Protefiant JL tor the Walters of our Lm-•
^MSmm%lyingmyoti,a.itdbmmhastualk- guage: This is an Age^of ImiSroyements and
aemrary mtmly toother Catholick Karigs, Men that come very yourig into Imploy-
ntalfo in a may different from Proteflant mcnts, make commonly a great progrefs-
wags who haw gone before himyuhofe Maxime therefore common things are not to be expe-
^ittoimdoeyott, by Fining, Confiiimg, 4nd aedherenristruc., fome Roughncffes in the
A Stile
i^) ■ u r •
y/;7e kcm CO intiniiile that the Writer could Icrattm, who are neither hneniKt to I
turn his CoM/c/Wice morceafily than he can do thefe ;and thaton t
his Pen, andUut the one is a little ftiSerand contrary they are £«wwr to. it, becaufe th
lefs compliant'than the other. He tells the are the wyiFr/r«i7r that both the. andt
Addreffcrs^^hztHi! Majejly is wellfathfied with F«^/e have. It is now noftcret, thatll
their Loyalty contained in their Addrej'sifir the hoththcPrinceandFrinccJl ofOran^e,zTe^a
whichherefolvcs to'^pctttate the favour. Itap- Enemies to Pcrfieution, and in ppticn .jjJjjjjj
pears that the Secretary Stile and the to all Rigour againil -the Prejhyterians
Sf//e come nearer one another than was ge- they are not fatisfied with the way in whi^^
ncrally believed: Fert/rrf/j/c/j here, this To/cnif/on is granted. But the rcckoni
the y^wzc afterwards, are beauties borrowed of them a.s Enemies either to the or
from the Notary Stile: the firefaid is not much People, is one of the Figures of this5f»7e, ^
courier. TheKing's/erpctz/4t;Mgr/:'eF4WOTis will hardly pafs: andfome will not fticli "';J
noeafy thing, unlefs he could fipft y)rr/>«K<»fe fay, that the Writer of this Le/rer, hasn
himfelf.NowthohisMajcfty'sFamcwillbe this dash of his Pen, declared more IV!
certainly wwMorw/, yet to our great Regret his Enemies to the King, than ever hewil)
Perfon is mortal', lb it is hard to conceive:, able to make Friends toh\m. He tells th
how this perpetuity should be fetled. next,that theleEwow/er will be ufng all em f;™
The Method heic propofedis anew Fi- vours to infringe the fame. This is alfoallrc
gureofthe5e<rrTt.jry5tj7f:which'isthe.d/>/»o;«- Exprcffion. We know the ufe of the N "
ting in the next cnjuing Parliament the ta^ingoff InfiaBion-, but Infringe is borrowed fti
• all Penal Laws. TMl former Secretaries ulcd the Notaries; yet the plain fenle of this fee
the modeft Words of prcpofmg or reccnmnm- to be,that thole Enemies will didurb the Ac
dingi but he who in a former E/ijy of this of which I do not hear any of them h:"™
Sti'leyto\dMSofh\sM.iJeJly^s Ahfolute Power, to the lea ft thought, yet by a fecret Fig
which all thtSubjeBs are to obey tvithout rcfei've, of the Sterctary Stile, perhaps this belong
furnishes us now with this wwptermof the allthofcwho cither think that the/0'k^c';^k
K/'ugVu/'/'OMtmffwhatshal bcdoneinP(tr/f.r- not do it by Haw, or that will not givctl^iK:
ment. But what if after all, the Parliament VotctoconfirmitinP<ir/»<«nenf:butIam
proves fo ftubborn, as not to comply with fawell acquainted with all the Myftcrie-i:®;:
thh Appointment, I am afraid then the Per/'e- thisSii/e, as to know its full depth.
tuity will be ofa shrort continuance. He in There comes next a long period of ?''h.
the next place,mentions the Liberty or 1'olera- words, for I was at the pains to count th • •toi
tiongranted by the King. Liberty'k not lb hard all, which fcemcd a little too prolix fb
a Word, but that it might be underftoo<i fhort a/c«fr,cfpecial]y in one that writes
without tlijs Explanation 6yTo/iTrffi«r,unlcIs ter the French pattern. But as ever 'gr
the Secretary Stile either approaches to the Happinefs of hit SttbjeBs yStandingin Libert im]
Notary Stile in Ibrne naufcous Repetitions, Confeience-ynrtdthe Security of their Propertf&:&
or that he would intimate by this, that all next theGlory of God,loath beert hisMajeJlyygrn^
theFii^frythatislefttheSubjcdlsiscompre- End, So he Intends to continue, ifhthave'.n^
hended inthisTelcMf/wi. And indeed, af- futeable Encouragement and Concurrence fi-iba
ttr Abfolute Power vras once aflerted, it was you, inycur DoBrine and PraBice. Theputtic^t
never fit to mme Liberty without Ibme rc- ever at the beginning of the Period, ancj,;;
ftridtion- After this comes a ftately Period, fogreataDiftancefrom that to whichitl v.j
The Enemies to him, to you, andto thtsFdera- longs, is a new beauty of Stile. And 1 ;V
tion. Yet I shoulci be Ibrry iftt were true; Standing of this Happinefs, makes me
fori hope there arc many. Ib>o«w to this To- fieiflonthat which I hear a Scotch Preac.:,^
(3). .. ^ ^ ,
"Wis delivered in a.Scrmm, that he doubted this His Mijeftf's Glory above all other Cat,;»-
v^kiLiiiTty would prove but like a Standing licl{_i:jngs, in ttiis grant of Liberty orTolna'-
.becgPrml'. The KJngk receiving futcabk Encm- ticn, in which there is no competition robe
kiy^itai^ent from his StibjcSs ^ agrees ill with the made; for tho the Moft ChriJtianJ^ng ^v/ho
Ket, height of S tile that went before, oiaffointing is the Etdcji fan of that Chtircb, has indeed exe -
^erttvhit thi Fayliament sm/Jl do. Kiitgs receive aitedher Orders in their full extent of feve-
iliuVreturns of Duty and Obedience from their rity,yetHisMajefty,whoisbuttheC4i^rr in
■:'.i^Subjed:s\ but hitherto Encouragemcrit was a that C/wc/jeV Catalogue of honour, it feems
f'wr: word ufed among Equals: the applying it docs not think that heisyct fo much behol- -
tdit ja^to the i^ng^ is a new figure. A man not ding to his Mother as to gratify her by the
llK)|^H*erfcdinthe Secretary Stile would have ex- Deltruffion of his People: yet I fay, as if
ofttiji^ired this matter thus. HisMajeJly has ever this were too little, the Glory is here
illuiMd* the Hapginfs of his StibjeSs, which con- carried farther, even above the Prctejiant
in Liberty ofCenfcience, and the Security of J^ngs ^ who have gone before him : whofeMaxime
Property,his ^rEat end, next to the Glory of God: was to undo you ^ by Fining, Confining andta^
endbc intends to do fo Jlill, if he receives all king away your Eftates, and to harrafs you in your
ffl
^^ijAuteable returns from you in your Do^ine and Perjims,Liberties and Priviledges. Here is an
I have marked this the more parti- honour that is done the King's Ansejlors by
cularly, to make the difference between the one of his which is indeed new,
Ccmmon nni-ihes Secretary Stile the more fen- and of his own Invention: the Protefiant
fible. But what need is there of the Concur- can be no other than the Kings Brother,
rence of the Addrefers , with the , if he his Father,and his Grandfather. shut out
[■Z sfpoms the next Parliament to tal^off all the Q.EliJabeth, who might have been brought
"fJ^PenalLaiPs. Mufl we likewife believe that in if the more general term of Crownedieads
HisMajefiy'sZeal for theHapphtcJs of his Sub- had been made ufe of; but as the Writer has
C jids, depends on the Behaviour of Thefe ordered it, the fatyr falls lingly on the King's
,T, Mdreffcrs: and on the Encouragement that he Progenitors: for the Pj/irrr that were found in
receives from them, ft) that he will not ««f»- the Strong Box, will go near to put the
m«it, unlefstheyEwcowrrf^e himinit. This late King out of the lift of Protefiant
,isbutanIncertaintenurc,andnotliketobc Kings: fts that this Reproach lies wholly
, ^ prpetual. But afterall the Secretary Stile is on the King's Father and his Grand-father.
Z mtthePoyalStile, fo notwithftanding this Itisa little furprifing, after all the Elo'
' .4 wititiHl Period, we hope our Happinefs is quence that has been Lnployed to raife
^ more Heady, than to turn upon the Encottra- the Charatfter of the late Martyr to fo
litl ofafcvvMen. othcrwife if it isay?ii?j- high a pitch, that one ofhisSons Secreta-
, yetitisavery tottennpne should fet it under his hand in a /m.r
" . Ine Protefiant Penal Statutes, isanother of u„ ..u„ ,,• »
Tv his Elegancies: for fince all the Pi«/i/L/rrrx as ^ j u u i ■ \i ^
i:, well thofe againft Papifis, as thofe againft Commands, maden a Max,me to
Bifmcrs, were made by Protefiant Parlia- *^"do hts People. The Writer of this ierrer
' , »!f«r,onedoesnotfeehowfitIythisEpithete mentioning of
comes in here; another would have worded ' fince iris not fo long, fincc both
• this, thus, the Penal Statutes made againft «eandhis Brother vslvici themfelves on
fritefi'ants. But the nr/r Sn/e has figures pe- 3 point that they carried in the Council of
culiar to it felf, that pafs in the Cowamcw Sn'/tf that should be fined for
. for Improprieties. their Vcives not going to Church,tho it was
7 ThisHoble i»m'is not contented to raifc notfoundedon any Law. And of all Men
living
i
>lfT
■" f
(4)
living ought to be the laft thacshou,ld yers of cannot be worth
fpeak of the taking alvay .p^ates^ whc the asking j for the third time he tells
got a very fair one during'the preient them to look well to their DoSrine : now
by 'an -4(?c/p^r/<i»;wf?j/,tb:Vt Attain- this if a little ambiguous ; for itmayei-il
ted a Gentleman in ai^ethofas rievyashis ther fignify , that they should ftudy the
.$r;7«"is; Upon this ground, that two Pri-Controverfies vydlj foas to be, able to
vy Councellours declared, they belicvhd defend their Doctrine folidly, or char they
.him guilty. He will hardly find among should fo mince it, that nothing may fail
, all the Maximes ofthofeFroteftant Her/ecu- from them in their againft P*.
ting Kings any one that will Juftify this, pery i this will be indeed a look'ing to thih
Itfeemsthc Niw Stile is not very Co • Dofl'riwf j hut Ido not know whether ii
pious in Words, fince Doctrine is r/>r«e will be thought a looking well td it or net
times repeated in fo short a He tells He adds., that their Example be Influentish
■• 4Aicm, that their Docfrine muft tend to caufe I confefs thishard new Word frighted tnc:
■nil the fiibjects to walk obediently ■, now by I ilippofc the meaning of it is, that, tfieir
obediently in this Sfi7« , is to obey the Jib' practice may he fuch as that it may have att^
"folute Ponier Wnthoutreferve ; for to obey ac- Influence on others'': there are both good]] 1?
cording to Law, would pafs now for a and bad Influences, a good Influence; jj
Crime'; this being then his meaning, it is will be the animating the people tea
pfobablc. that the Encouragements which Zeal for their Religion ; and a bad one
are neceflary tomake His Majefty conti- will be theflackning and fofning of that
nue thebappinefs ofhisSubjeAs, will not Zeal. Alittle more Clearnels here had
be fo very great, as to Merit thenot been amifs.
ting this favour. There is with this a hea - As for the laft Worda of this Letter;
vy.charge laid upon them as to their pra- that allthefi are his M.ajefiy's Commands \
ctico i that it muft be fuch as shall he moft it is very hard forme CO bring my felf to v ,
pleaftng to His Majefly for certainly that believe them. For certaitily he has more 'inj.,
can only be by their turning PapifisPiety for the Memory of the late Martyr,
fince a Pr»»ef that is fo zealous for his Re/t- and more regard both to him/elf, tohis-iisi
giofi, as His Majefly is , cannot be fo children, and tohis , than to haYC**'ii
well pleafed with any other thing as with ever given any fuch commands.
this. Their concurring with the King to re- In order to the commmricating this ;^'
movethePenalLaws, comes over again; for Piece of Elegance to tire World, I wifh tire
'the Repetitions arc Impcrcinencics in the Tranflating it into Erench were recom- .;i.
.Common Stile, they are Flowers in the mended to Mr. d'AlbevHle that itmay .^i j: -
new one. appear whether the Secretary Stile will . .
In Concliifion , he tells them, that the look better in his Ir«/; than it does
King expects, that they -will continue thiir now in the Scotch English of bim who pen-
yet this does not agree too lie dit. ^
vveilwitha CathoUck Zeal: for tlte pra- :c
01
FINIS.
■1
-n
cu
A N
APOLOGY
fifiilit,.
orjfejll';.
fits.iiiT
F O R T H E
Clittrtli of CttSlonD,'
With relation to the Spirit of
PERSECUTION:
For which She is Accuftd.
O
I. N E fliould thinh, that the
Behaviour of the Englip} Cler-
iy for fomc years part, and
the prcfent Circumftances in
which they are, fliouId fet them beyond
Slandtr, and by confequencc above Apo-
lopes i yet fince the Malice of her Ene-
mies work againft Ircr with fo much
Spigbr, and fince there is no inlinuation
that carries lb much Malice in it, and
that feems to have fuch colours of Truth
on it, as this of thei' having fet on a fe-
■vere Ferfemion againfi the DilJenters, of
bc:ng Hill four'd witTi that leven, and of
carrying the fame implacable hatred to
them, whieh the prefent Repuratron that
they have gained,- may put them in a
further capacity of executing, if another
revolution of Affairs ftould again give them
Authority to fet about it •, it feems necef-
fary to examin it, and that the rather,
becaufe fome aggravate this fo far, as if
nothing were now to be fo much dreaded
as the Chrrch of Englnnd'i getting out of
her prefent diffrcfs.
II. /f thefe imputations were charged
T . ■ •
on us only by thofe of the Church of Rtut
we Ihould not much wonder at it; for tho
it argues a good degree of Confidence, for
any of that Communion to declaim againfi
the Severities that have been putinprac-
tice among us, fince their little finger muSl
be heavier than ever eur loins were, and to
wiiofe Scorpions our Rods ought not to be
compared i yet aftter all, we arc fo much
accuffomed to their methods, that nothing
from them can furprife us. To hear Pa-
pifts declare againft Ftrfecurion, and Jesuits
cry up Liberty tf Confcience, are, we con-
fefs, unufual things : yet there are fome
degrees of fhame, over which when people
are once paffcd, all things become fo fami-
bar to them, that they can no more be put
out of contenance. But it , feems very
ftrange to us, that f me, who if they are
to be believed, are ftrift to the fevcrefl
forms and fub divifions of the Reformed
Religion, and that who fomc years ago were
jealous of the fmallcft fleps that the Court
made, when the danger was more reraorci
and who cried out Ptpery and Perjecutiony
when the Defign was fb maskt that fome
A ' well-
(2
well-meaning men could not mifs being de-
ceived by the Prom fes thac were made, &
the difguifes thac %v:re put on *, that, I fay,
thele very perfons who were formerly fo
diftruftful, (hould now when the Mask is
laid off, and the defign is avowed, of a fud-
den grow to be fo believing, as to throw off
all diflruft, and be fo gulled a; to betray all-,
and expqfe us to the Rage of thofe, who
muft needs give fomc good words, till they
have gone the round, and tried how effe-
ftually they can divide and deceive us, that
fo they may deftroy ps the more eafilyithis
is indeed fomewhat extracrdintry. They
are not fo ignoraut as not to know, thac
fopery cannot change its nature, and that
Cruelry and Breach ef FMth to Htretickj, are
as nectlfiry parts of that Religion, as Tran-
fubjiantiation and the ^opes Supremacy are. If
Papifts were not Fools.they mufi give good
Words and fair Promires,tiIl by thefe they
have fo far deluded the poor credulous He-
rcticks, thac they may put thcmfeives in a
poffure to execute the Decrees of their
Church againft them: and tho we accufe
that Religion a» guilty both of Crue'ty and
Treachery,yct we do not think cmFiw/r.fo till
their party is ftronger than God be thanked
it is at prefcDC, they can take no other me-
thod than thac they take. The Church of
England was the Word among them fome
years ago, Ltbertf ef Confcience 'n the Word
at prefent; and we have all poflible reafon
to aflure us, that the pronaifes for maintain-
ing (he one, will be as rehgioufly kept as
we fee thofe are which were lately made
with fo great profufion of Protefiations,and
fhews of FriendQiip for the fupporting of
the other.
HI. It were great Injuflicc to charge all
the Dijfenter' with the Impertinencies that
have appeared iom^ny Addr:jpso[ lace, or
to take our meafures of them,from the Im-
pudent firains of an Alfop or a Care, or from
the more Important and now more vlfible
ficps that fome among them, of a higher
form, are every day makings and yet after
all this, it canr.ot he cnyed but the feve-
ral bodies of the Difpnters have behaved
themfelvcsof af I'kc Men thac underlland
too well the true iDcereft of the Fr9ttft4nt
)
Religion, and oi the Ettglif) Government, to
facrtfice the whole and tliemfelves in Con-
clufion to their private refcntments: I hope
the fame juftice will be allowed me in^a«
ting the matter relating to the fo much de-
cited Ferfecinion, fee on by the Ch of Eng.
and that I may be fuffered to diftinguifh the
heats of fome angry and deluded men,
from the Dodrine of the Church, and the
prafticcs that have been authorifed in it;
that fo I may Ihew, that there is no reafon
to infer from part Errors, thac we are iii-
curable •, or thac new Opportunities invi-
ting us agiin into the fame fcvcrities, are
like to prevail over us to commit the fame
follies over again. I will firft Rate what is
pad, with the fincerity that becomes one
thac would not lycftr God ; th^t is, not a-
fraid nor afhamed to confefs faults, that
will neither aggravate no- extenuate them
beyond what is jud,and thac yet will avoid
the faying any thing that may give any
caufe of offence to inyparty in the Nation.
iV, I am forty chat I mud confefs, thac
all the parties among us, have fhcwed, that
as their turn came to be uppermod, they
have forgot the fame Principles of Modera-
tion and Li'oerty which they all chimed
when they were oppreffed. If it fhould
Ihew too much ill nature to examine what
the Presbytery did in Scotland when the Co-
vtnant was in Dominion, or what the Indt-
pendents have done in New England, why
may not J claim the fame privilcigc with
relation to the Church "f England, if feveri-
tics have been committed by her while die
bore rule ? Yet it were as eafie as ir. w. uld
be invidious to (hew, that both PresbytO'
rians and Independents have carried the
principle of Rigo r in the point of Confci-
encc much higher, and have aftcd more
implacably upon it than ever the Church of
England has done, everf in it? angried fits;
fo thac none of them can much re proa h
another for their excefles in thofe marters.
And as of all the Religions in the wor'd the
Church of Rome the mod perjecuting, and the
mod bound bv her principles to be unal-
tcrably Cruel •, fo the Church of England is
the lead perfecuting in her principles, and
the lead obliged to repeat any errors t(>
which
(
which the intrigues of Courts or the pjflTi-
ens incident to all parties may ha^eenga-
ged her, of any National Gburcb in Europe.
It cannot be laid to to be any part of our
D:>ftnne, when we came out of one of the
blackeft perfrcurions that is inHiftory,/niean
Maryes, we (hewed how little we retain-
ea of the Cruelty of that Church, which
had provoked us fo feverely; when not
only no Enquiries were maae into the ille-
gal afts of Fury, that were committed in
that perCecuting Reign, but even the per-
fecutors themfelves lived among us at eafe
and in peace; and no fen.il imv was made
except againft publ'.ck excrcife of that Re-
ligion,rill a great many Rcbelions and Trea-
fons extorted them from us for our own
prefe vation. This is an infiance ®f the
Clemency of cur Church, that perhaps
cannot be matched in Hirtory : and why
(hould it not be fuppofed, that if God
(hould agaia put us in the flatc in which
we were, of late,that we fhould rather imi-
tate fo Noble a pattern,than return to thofe
m^akes of which we are now aflijimed /
V. It is to be confidered, that upon the
late Kings Rcflauration, the remembrance
of the former iVar, the ill Ufage that our
Cle'gy had met with in their Sequejiraticns,
the angry Refentments of the Cavalier'
Party, who were ruined by the iVir, the
Imereli of the Court to have all thofe prin-
cipies condemned, that had occafion.d it,
the heat that all parties that have been ill
ufed are apt to fall into upon a Revolution ;
but above all, the pradices of thofe who
have dill blown the Coals, and fet us one
againft another, that fo they might not
enly have a divided force to deal with,
but might by turns m ke the Divifions
among us ferve their Ends : all thefe,
I (ay, c Bcurred to make us lofe the ha tpy
©pporrnnity that was offer'd in th.e year
i66o. to liave healed all our Divifions,
a d to liave triumphed over all the Dijjen-
ters; not by ruining them, bur by over-
ccmine them with a fptrit of Lev and
Qmlen:f<\ whi histhe only Vidory that
a g-nc ous and Chriffian temper can de-
fire Inlhort, unhappy Councils were fol-
lowed, and feveral Laws weK maae. But
3)
after all, it was the Court-party that carried
it for rougher methods: feme confidera-
ble Accidents, not necclTary to be here
menri med, as they flopped the mouths
of fome that had formed a wiftr I'rojed,
fo they gave a fatal Advantage to angry
and crafty men, that to our misfortune,
had too great a flroak in the condud of
our Affii.s at chat time, Thb Spirit of
Severity wa; heightned by the Fradices
of the Papifls, who engaged the late Kin^
in December, i66t. to give a Declaration
for LibfrtytfGonfcier.ee, Thofe who knew
the fccretof his Religion, as they fa w that
it aimed at the introdudion of Popery, fo
they thought there was no way fo eftcdual,
forthe keeping out of Popery,35 the main-
raining the Uniformity, and the fupprcliing
of all dcfigns for a Toleration. But while
thofe who managed this, ufed a due re-
ferve, in notdifcovering the fecrct motive
that led them to it, and others flew into.
feverity, as the principle in vogne: and
tliusall cheflackningsof the rigour of the
1 aws, during the firft Dutch War that were
fet on upon the pretence of quieting the
Nation, and of encouring Trade, were re-
fifted by the Inflruments ©( an honeld /Vi-
nifter of State who knew as well then, as
we do now, what lay flill at bottom, when
Liberty of Ccnfcirnce was pretended.,
Vf. Upon that Miniflers Vifgrace, feme
that faw but the half of the Secret, percci-'
ving in the Court a great inclination to To-
leration, and being w.-jling to take nieafures
quite different from diofc of the forrader
Minifiry, they r nrred into a treaty for a
Comptehenfion of f n.e Diffeaters, and the To-
lerating of orhers\ and fome Bifl) ps and f ler-
gymen, that were infcri- r to none of the
Age in which they hved for : uc Worth
and a right (udgmcnc ■ f ihic.gs, engaged
fo far, and with fo much fuccefs into this
projcd, that the matter feemcd done, all
th'ngs being concerted among (bmeof the
mofi confiderable men of the different
parties Bur the d flikc of. ciiat/K/fflrj',
ami the Jeaioufie of the ill defigns of die
Court, gave fo flrong a prejudice agamft
this, that the propofirion could not he fo
mueh as hcarkned unto by the Houfc of
A ? Com »
(4)
Commons .' and then it appeared how
much the whole ropi(lj Party was allann'J
at the projeft: it is well known with how
(iTOch Detcflation taey fpeak of it to this
day : tho we are now fo fully fatisfied of
their Intentions to dcfhoy us, that the
'acal which they pretended for us, in
t: pofing that defign, can no more pafs
upon us.
VII. At lafl, in tiie year i6']z. the
defign for Popery difcovering it felf, the
e«d chat the Com had in favouri(,g a To-
leratitn became more Vifible : and when
the Parliament met, tiiac fondemned the
Declaration for Liberty of Confcierxe^ the
Members of the Houfe of Commons, that
cither were Diffenters, or that favrurcd
them, behaved themfelvcs fo worthily in
concu rring with the Church ef England, for
ffifling chat Toleration , clioofing rather to
lofc the benefit of it, than to open a
breach at which Pcpery fhould come sn,
that many of the members that were for
the Church ef England, promifcd to pro-
cure them a bill oi'Eafefor Pto'eflant Difjen-
ters. But the Srffion waa not long enough
for fringing that to perfeftion ; and all the
SefUons of that Parliament after that, were
fpcnc in fueh a continual firuggle between
the Court and Coumrey Party, that there
was never room given for calm and tvife
Confukations; yet tho the Party of the
Church of England did not perform what
had been promifcd by fome Leading men
to the Diffenters, therftwas little or nothing
done againff them, after chat, till the
year t68i. fo tliac for about nine years
" together they had their Meetings almoft
'as publickly and as regularly as the Church
of England had their Churches, and in all
that time, vvhacfocver particular hardfhips
any of them might have met with in feme
corners of Engla''d, it cannot be denied
but iliey had the free Excrcife of their Re-
ligion, at leaft in mofl parts.
yill. In the year 1678. things began to
change their face: it is known, that upon
the breaking out of the pcpiPn plot, the
Clergy did Univerfaily cxprefs a great deCre
for coming to fome temper in the points
of Conforrnm : all forts and ranks of the
fecnird to be fo well difpofcd to-
wards it, that if it iiaci met with a fucable
entertainment, matters might probably
have been in a great mcafure compofed.
But the Jcaloufie that thofc who managed
flie Civil corcerns of the Nation in the
Ho'f of Commons, tock off all that was done
at Court, crprcpoftd by it, occafiofitd a
fatal breach in our publick Councils: in
which divifion, the Clergy by their princi-
pics, and intercffs, a«d their difpofition
to believe well the Court, were deter-
mined to be of the Kings fide. They
tlicught it was a fin to miftruft the late
Kings Word, who affund them of hisffea-
dinefis to the Proteflant Religim fo often,
that they firmly depended on it : and his
prcfent gave them fo many Affurr
ai.cetoi Immaintaining {i'lW the Church of
England, that they believed him likevvifc':
and lb thought that the ExcJufion of him
from the Crown, was a degree of rigour
to whiehthey in Conlciencc could not con-
ftntrupon which they were generaily cri-
ed out on, as the Betrayers of the Nation,
and of the Pretejlant Religion : Thofe who
demaadcd the Exclufion,znd fome o'hcr fe-
curities, to which the Bifhops would not
conUnc in Parliament, looked on them as
the chief hindrance that was in their way ;
and the Licenfe ol the Prefs at that time
was fuch, chat many Libels aud feme fe-
vere Difccurles were publiflied againff
them. Nor can it be denied, that many
Churchmen, who underffocd not the prin-
ciples of Humane Society, and the rules
of our GcJvcrnmenc, fo well as other points
of Divinity, writ feveral Trcatifes con-
cerning the meafures of fubmiffion, that
were then as much cenfured, as their per-
formances fimce againft Popery have been
delervcdly admired. All this gave fuch a
Jealoufly of them to the Nation, that it
iiiuft be confefled, that the Spirit vrfaixh
was tlren in fermentatiou went very high
againft the Church of England, as a Confe-
derate, at Icaft, to Popery and Tyranny-
Nor were feveral of the Nenctnformifts
wanting to inflame this diflike ; all ferret
propoficious foraccbmrnodating our differ-
'CDCCS wefefo coldly CHCcrcained,that they
were
r
rt'cre fc*rce hearknfd unto. The Propo-
ficniis wli ch an EminrncD/wif made even
in his B33ks writ againft '{epir.tthn^ fhewed
that while we maintained the War in the
wiv of difputc, yet we were if ill willing
to Treat: .for that G,etr Mm made not
thof? advances towa'ds rhem without con-
fuiting vvith his Superiours. Yet we were
then fatally given up to a fpi it of Diflen-
tfon : and th.) the Parliament in idSo.
enrred upon a projcift for healing our
diflfercnces, in which great fteps were
made to the removing of ad the occafions
of our Contefts; the ^-etden gf thsDiffiti-
ters, to theamifement of all perfons,made
no account of this: and even feemed
uneafic at it, of which the Earl of Notting-
h.m and Sir Thomat Clarget, that fet on
that Bill with much zeal, can give a more
particular account. Ail thefe things con-
currcd to make thofe of the Church of
England conclude a little too ra/hljr, that
their ruin was reiolved on •, and then it
was no wonder if the fpiritof a Party, the
remembrance of the lafi War the prefent
pfofpeft of Danger, and above all, the
great favour that was (hewed them at
Ctwt, threw them fatally mto fome angry
and Violent Counfelsy icif-prefervatiOB is
very natural: and it is plain, chat many of
them took that to be the Cafe, fo that
truly Ipeaking, it was not fo much at firft
a fpirit of Pcrfecutiou, ae a defire of dif-
abling thofe who they believed intended to
ruin them from effeaing their dehgns, that
fee them on to all thoft nnhapfy things chat
fcJlowed. They were ammated i;q all
they did by the continued earnefinefs of
the Kmg and Oui^e, and of their Miniflfrs,
That Reproach of 7'f^iee, and of the
profcffioB of the who is now fo
high, was finglcd out for no other end, but
to be their Corrttim Hangman over England j
of whom the late King gave this true cha-
rafter, That he bad netttitr Wit, Law ng'
Cmmm Since-, but that he had the Impu-
ience of ten car ted Whores in him. Aiiochct
was hired to plague the Na:?on
with three or four Papers a week, which
to the Reproach of the g« in which vye
iivc, had btttioo great and too general an
T J
effe-ft, for povfoning the fpirirs of the
clergy. B:;c cht'lc w.io kii.w how all this
was iiiJiiage i. faw ciia- i; was not only let
on, hu" fti'l keoc up y the Court. If any
of the Cle iy had mc nr^-ached a word for
moderatr ti, he had a cnidia. fent hmi
prcfently from th - Court, and he was
from that day marked out as a dtfaffiHed
per fin ; and when the Clergy of London did
very worthily refufe to give Info mations
againft their Parifliioners that had not
always Conformed, the dtfign having been
form'J, upon that to bring them into the
Spiritual Courts, and Excommunicate rhem,
and make them lofe rheir right of Vo-ing,
that fo the Charter of London might have
been de'ivered up when fo many Citixent
were by fuch means (hut out of the Ctm-
mon-Ceuncil we remember well how fe-
verely they were Cenfured for this, by
fome that are now dead, and others that
are yet alive. I wl'l j'not go further into
this matter ; I will not deny but many of
the Dtjfenters were put to great hardfhips,
in many parts of England. I cannot deny
it, and I am fure I will never juftifie it.
But this 1 will politivcly fay, having ob-
fervcd it all narrowly, chat he muft have
the brow of a Jrfuite, that can caft this
wholly on the Church if Engl.ittd, and free
the Court of ir. The beginnings and the
progrefs of it came from tlie Court, and
from the Eopijh party : and tho perhaps
every one does not know all the fecrecs Of
this matter, that others mav have found
out, yet no man was fo ignorant as not to
fee what was the chief fpnng of all thofe
Irregular motions that feme of us made at
that time: fo upon the whole matter, aH
that can be made out of t'nh, is, that the
pafft jns and infirmities of fome of the Church
of England, being unhappily (firrcd up by
the Dtjfenters, they svere fatally conduftcd
by the Topifh party, to be the iaflrumcnts
in doing a great deal of mifchief.
IX. It is nor to be doubted, but though
fome weaker men of the Clergy may per-
haps (fill retain their little pecvifh animofi-
ties againft the Dijjenters, yet the wifer
and more ferious heads of that great and'
VforthyBody, fee now their Error: they fee
B who
(<5
xvho drove tbcm on in it, till they hoped
to have ruined them by ir. And as they
have appeared againft Pofery, with as great
a Grcngch of Learning and of firm fteadi
nefs as perhaps can be met witii in all
Church-Hiftory, fo it cannot be i.oubted,
but their rtfieftions on tlie dangers into
xvhich our Divifions have thrown us have
gi en them truer Nouoos with relation to
a rigorous Conform'uy; and that the juft
Detefiacion which they have exprefied
of tlie Corruptions of the Church of Rome
has led them to confider and abhor one of
the worfi things in ir, 1 mean their Severity
towards Heretkkt. And the ill ufe that
they fee the Court has made of the ir Zeal
for fupporting the Crown, to jufiifie the
fubverfion of our Government that is now
fee oil from feme of their large and unwary
expreffions, will certainly make them here-
after more cautious in medling with Poll-
tickj : the Bi(h3ps have under their hands
both difowned that wide extent of the
Ptertgdtive, to the overturning of the Law,
and declared their difpoficion to come to
a Temper in the matters of Conformity; and
there feems to be no doubt left of the fin-
cerity of their Intentions in that matter.
Their Piety and Vertue, and the profpeft
that they now have cf fuffering themfelvcs,
put us beyond all doubt as to their fincerity,
and if ever God in his Providence brings
us again into a fctled State, out of the
florm into which our pafTions and folly, as
well as the Treachery of others has
brought us, it cannot be imagined, that
the will go off from thoft mederatc
Refolutions, which they have now dccia-
red : and they continuiiig firm to tl cm,
the weak and indifcrcet pafli„ns of any of
the inferiour clergy, mufl n^eds vanifh,
when they are under the conciuft of wife
and worthy Leaders. And f will boldly
&y this, that if the Church t>f England, after
fhe has got out of this Storm, will return
to hearken to the pecvifhnefs of fome four
men, fhe will be abandoned both of God
and man, and will fee both Heaven and
Earth againff Her. The Nation fees too
Vifibly, how dear the Difpuce about Con
formtty has coA us, to Aand any more upon
fuch PunBilh's: ard THOSE f« whom
cur Deliverance is wrapt up, undcrftand this
matter tco well, and judge too right of ir,
to imagiii that ever ihey \\]\lbcrrieflridden
in this point. So that all confideraticiis
concur to make us c nclu-le, that there is
no danger of ou'" fplitting a fecond time
upon the farric Rock : and ird- ■ d, if any
Argcmcnr were wanting to rompleat the
certainty of this point, the W feardGc-
Bcrous behaviour of the main body of the.
Dijf nters, in this prefcnt Jundure, has
given them fo juft a Title to our F' lendAiip
that we mufl relolvc to fct all the World
againfl us, if we can ever forget it •, and if
we do not make them all the returns of
Eafc and Fa cur, when it is in our power
to do it.
X, It! Uto be hoped, that when this is
laid together, it will have that cffed on all
Sober and True Proteftants, as to make
them forget the little angry Heats that have
bedn among us, and even to forget the
iniuries that have been done us : all that
we do now ©ne againA another, is to Aiof
ten the work of our Enemies, by deAroy-
ingone another, which muAin Conciufion
turu to all our Amm. It is a madmans Re-
vengc to deAroy our Friends that we may
do a pleafure to our Enemies, upon their
giving us feme good words j and if the
Dijftntert can truA to Pa pi As , after the ;
ufage that the Ciiurch of England has met
with at their hands, all the comfort that
they can promifc themfelves, when Popery
begin; to ad its natural part among us, and
to fet Smithfield again in a Fire, is that
which bcfcl fome Shakers at Rome, who ,
were firA put info the Inguifnion, but were
afterwards removed to Bedlam: fo tho thofe
falfc Brethren among the Diffenters, who
deceive them at prefent, are certainly no
Ch.wglingt, but know well what they arc
doing j yet thofe who can be cheated by
them, may well daim the Priviledge of a
Bedlam, when their FoUy has left them no
orhe retreat.
XI. 1 will not digrcfs too for from my
prefent purpofc i nor enter into adifcuflion
of the Difpenfng power, which was focffc-
dually overthrown the other day at the
Kings
mdilii j
jViiclii,
mjliiiifl
ken (a
itthwii
OTdCK
■d, iiim
Ktnii Bench Bar, that I amfurc all the Ad-
thoncy of the Bench itfelf is no m^reablc
to Support it: yet fomc late Panrrs in fa-
*ourof it, give me ocrafion to adi a lit-
tie relating to that point. It is true, the
AlTertor of the Difpenfing power, who has
lately appeared with alhw.wce, pretends,
that it can only be anplyed to the 71/?
for publick E'Tipl yments : for he owns,
thattlie Tfl for both Houfes ot Parliainent
, is left entire, as not wi hin the compa s of
this extent of the Prerogative : but ano-
ther Writer, whom by his fenfe we mufl
conclude an hifh m*n, by his brow a Je
[uit, and by the bare cltfignatiDD in the Ti-
tie page, of James Stewarts Utter, a Qua-
l^r, goes a llrain higher, and thinks the
King is (o abfolutcly the Sovcraign as to the
Legiflitive part of onr Government, that
he mjy diflblve even the Parliament T<rji;
fo nimbly has he leapt from being a Secre-
T) ta a Rebellion, te be an Advocate for 7J-
ranny. He fancies, that becaufe no Parlia-
m^n^ can bind up another, therefore they
cannot limit the Preliminaries to a fubfe-
quent Parliament, But , ' > what is it
tjien, that <Counties hy x) Knights,
and Burroughs as mai , ^ men below
fuch a value have no vote, that Sheriffs
only receive Writs and retorn Elecfions,
befides many more ncccflary requifiics to
the making a legal Parliament. In Ihort,
if Laws do not regulate the ElcAion and
Conftitution of aParliamcnt,alI thefe things
niav be overthrown, and the King may
caft thewholeSovfrnment in a new.Mouid,
as well as diflolvc the obligation that is on
the Members of Parliament for raking the
Tiff It is true, that as foon as a Pariia-
ment is legally met and conflituted, it is
tyed by no Laws, fo far as not to repeal
them: but the Preliminaries to a Parlia-
ment are ftillfacred, as long as the Law
ftands thatfetied them: for the Mimbsrs
are ftill in the quality of ordinary Subjc£ti,
and not entred upon their (hare in the Le-
giflaiivc power, till they are conftituted in
a Parliament Legally chol'en and Lawfully
affembied, that is, having obferved all the
Requifues of the Law. But / leave that im-
pudcBt Letter to retarn to the moft Apo¬
logy that has been yet w it for the Vif en'
fing power. It yields that the King cannot
abrcgite Laws, and pretends only that he
can difpenic with them I and the diflinffi-
on it puts between ab't^atien and Difrenfa-
tion, if, that the one is a total repeal of
the Law, and that the other is only a flack-
ning of its obligatory force, with Relation
to a particular mm or re any body of men \
fo that according to him, a fimp'e Abra-
gation or a totalR'p. a' is beyond the com-
pals of the Prerogative. I dcfire then
thic this Doflrine m y be applycd to the
following words of the Declaration ■, from
which the Reader may infer whether thefc
do import a Simple Abrogation, or not, and
by confequence, if the Declaration is not
illegd ; We dt hereby farther Declare, Thtt
it it (ur Royal will and pleafure that the
Oaths commonly called the Oaths of Supre-
macy and Allegiance, and alfo the feveral Tefts
and Declarations ffoall not at any time
hereafter, b; required to be ta{en, Declared,
er fabfcribidbf any perfon or perfons what-
foever, who is or jhall be ImpUyedin any Qf.
fee or Place of Trttff, either Civil er Military,
under tu or in our Government. This is plain
Englifh, and needs no Commentary. That
paper offers likewife an Expedient for fe-
curing Liberty of Confcieme, bv which it
will be fet beyond even the Vfpenfing pow-
er -, and that if, that by Aft of Parliament
a I Perf cation may be declared to be a
thing evil in it felf, and then the Preroga-
tivc cannot reach it. But unlefs this A«-
thor fancicE,that a Parliament is that which
thofe of the Church of Rome believe a
General Council to be, 7 mean Infallible, I
do not fee that fuch an Aft would fignify
any thing at all. An Aft of Parliament
cannot change the nature of things which
are fullen, and will not alter, becaufe a
hard word is clapt on them in 'an Aft of
Parliament nor can that make that which
is not evil of it jelf become evil of it flf; *
for can any Aft of Parliament make the
Clipping of Money, or the not Burying in
Woollen evtl of it felf I Such an Aft were
indeed null of it felf, and would fink with
its own weight, even without the burden
of the Prerogative to prefs it down: and yet
B 2 n^n
(
upon fuch a ian ly fojndation would thefe
aienhavcus Build all our Hopes and our
Securicies Anocher topick Bke this, is,
that we ought to truft to the truth of our
Rdigiot, and tlie providence and pnte-
(Sion of God, and not to Kan fo much to
Laws an.. Tefls; All this were very perti-
nent, if God had not already given us hu-
mane AfTurances againft the Rjgj f „ur
Enemies, which wear.- ■ ow defi-ed to a-
bandon, that fo we mat,fall an eafic and
cheap 5<a:r//i(rf to cli fe who wait for the
favcu able momenc to d-flr yui: by the
fame rcafon they mat pcrfwadc us to take
off all our Diwrsjor at leaff all ouri'ie^r and
Bolts, and to deep in this cxpofed cond'ti-
on, trufting to Gods Prnteilhn: The fimdy
raay appear a little too high, tho it is really
ftiort of the matter ; for we had better
ctuft ourfelves to all the Thieves and Rob-
bers of the twon, who would be perhaps
contented wi'h a part of our Goods, than
to thofc whofe defigns arc equally againfl
both Soul and Bodyj and all that -is dear
CO us.
XII. I will only add another Rcflexicn
upon the renewing of the D.daratm this
year, which has occafioncd the pre feat
ftorm upon tlic C/ftgy. It is repeated to us
that fo we mav fee that the King continues
firm to the Promifcs he rhidc lafl year.
8)
Yet when men t>f Honour have once g'vefi
their wvd. chey take it ill if any do not
truft to that, bur muff needs have it rcpca-
ted to them : in the ordinary commerce of
the world, the repeating of promifcs ovir
and over again, is rather a g ound of Snfpi-
tim than of Confidence : and if we judge of
the accomplifhmenc of all the other parts
of the Declarathn, from that one, which
relates to the maintaining of the Ci.urch
of England, as bj La» ejiablifli^d, the pro-
ceeuings againff the Fell ws of Magdalen
C '//edgf,gives us no rcafon to conciudr,thaf
this will be like the Laws of tk: Medes and
Perfiatts, fp'ticb sifter not: all the talk of
the New Ma^aCharta cannot lay us aflcep,
when wc fee fo little regard had to the Old
one. As tor the fecurity which is offered
US ia this repeating of the Kings promifcs,
we muff crave leave to remember, that the
King of France, even after he had refolved
to break the EdtH ef Hantes, yet repeated
in above an hundred EdiBs, that were real
and vifible violations of that EdiS, a claufe
confirmatory the Edifl if Nantes, de-
daring that r " "'id never Eiro/,ife it; and
in that we n. aoco mt is to ^
had of all pro^..\ Jit to Meretickj, in
mattes of Religion, by any Prince of the
Roman Communion, but more particularly
by a Prince who has put the conduA of his
Con/cif nee inihc hands of a JefHite.
P A PER S
CONTAINING
I. Reafons againft the Repealing the Ads of
Parliament concerning the TEST. Humbly
ofFer'd to the Confideration of the Members
of both Houfes^ at their next meeting.
II. Refledions on His Majefties Proclamationfor
a Toleration in Scotland., together with the faid
Proclamation.
III. Refledions on His Majedies Declaration for
• Liberty of Confcience. Dated the Fourth of
April, 1
IV. An Anfrver to a Paper Printed withAUorvance,
Entitled, A New Tefl of the Church of EnglandV
Loyalty.
V. Remarks on the two Papers, writ by His late
Majefty King Charles II. concerning Religion.
VI. The Citation, togethar with Three Letters to
the Earl of Mid let on.
By Gilbert Burnet^ D. D.
Printed in the Year, i68y.
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CO
'REASONS agahfl the RepeAling the Afls of Parliament concerning T E S T,
Humbly offered to the Confiderntion of the Members of both
Houfes, at their next Meeting,
!• T F the juft Apprehenfions of the
J_ Danger of Pofery gave the Birch
to the two Laws for the two
Tefts, the one with relation to all pub-
Hcl^ Employments in 75. and the other
witii relation to the Conftituti.n of out
Parliaments for the future in 78. the
prefent time and conjunfture dees not
feem fo proper for repealing them ;
un'e 5 it can be imagined, that the
Danger of Popery is now fo much Icfs
than it was formerly, that we need be
no more on our guard againft it. We
had a King, when thefe Laws were
enafted, who as he declared himfclf
t9 be of the Church of England, by
receiving the Sacrament four times a
year in it, fo in all his Speeches to his
Parliaments, and in all his Declarations
to his Subjeifls, he repeated the afiu-
ranees of his firmnefs to the Proce-
ftant Religion fo folemnly and fre-
quently, that if the faying a thing
often gives juft reafon to believe it,
we had as much reafon as ever People
had to depend upon him : and yet for
all that, it was thought neceflary to
fortifie thofe Affurances with Laws :
and it is not eafic to imagin, why we
fhould throw away thofe, when we
have a Prince that is not only of ano-
ther Religion himfelf, but that has ex-
preffed fo much fteadinefs in it, and fo
much zeal for it. that one would thirtk
we Ihould rather now feck a furtliet
fecurity, than t' rowaway tliat which
we already have.
If. Our King has given fuch Tefti-
monies of his Zeal for his Religion,
that we fee among all h's other Royal
Qi a'.icics, tlicre is none for which he
defirts and deferves to be fo much
admired. Since even the paflion of
Glory, ©f making himfelf the terrour
of all Europe, and the Arbiter of
chriftendom f which as it is natural to
all Princes, fo mnft it be moff particu-
larly fo to one of his Martial and Noble
Temper ) yields to his Zeal for hit
Church ; and that he,in whom we might
have hoped to fee cur Edward the
Third, or our Henry the Fifth reviv'd;
choofes rather to merit the heightning
his degree of Glory in another World,
than to Acquire all the Lawrels and
Conquefls that this low and vile World
can give him : and that, inflead of
making himfelf a terrour to all his
Neighbours, he is contented \wth the
humble Glory of being a terrour to his
own People; fo that inflead of the
great Figure which this Reign might
make in the World, all the News of
England is now only concerning the
praflifes on fome fearful Mcrccna-
ries. Thefe things fhew, That His
Majefly is fopoflefled with hisReligi-
on, that this cannot fuller us to
think, that there is at prefent bo'dan-
g£f from Popery.
A ; III. It
ill, irdees(iDtappear, bywhatvvc
fee, cit?ier abroad or ar home, that
Popery has fo ehanged its nature, that
we have lefs reafon to fcc afraid it
at prefcnc, thaa wc had in former
times. It might be thought ill natire
to go fo far back, as to the Goupcils
of the Lattra»y that decreed theextir-
ptUhn ef Heretic!^, with fevcrc 5an<ffi-
ons on thofe Princes that failed in
their Duty, of being the Hangmen of
the Inquifitors •, or to the Council of
CanftMce, that decreed, that Princes
a>ire ntt boimd ta l^iep their f/tiih to
tieretick] j tho ic muA be acknowledg-
ei, that we hare extraordinary Memo-
lies if ss-e can forget fuch things, and
more extraordinary llnderftandings if
wc do not make feme inferences from
them. I will not Aand upon fuch in-
confiderable Trifles as the Gunpowder-
Plot, or the Mafiacre of Ireland y but
I will take the liberty .to refleft a little
on what that Church has done fince
thofe Laws were made, to give uj
kinkier and foftcr thoughts of rhem,
and to make us the lefs apprehcnfivc
of them. Wc fee before our Eyes
what they have done, and are ftili
doing in France ; and what feeble
things EdiSs, Coronatian Oaths, Laws
and Prom^es, repeated over and over
again, proved to be, where that Re-
ligion prevails i and Lauii le Grand
makes not ifo contemptible a Figure in
that Church, or in our Court, as to
make us" think, that his example may
not be propofed as a Pattern, as well 3j
Aid may be offered for an encourage,
jncot, to aft the fame things in England^
• u; ■ '<
|.V4. J
igOiia
C.'C ^
IdTfJJK.
ka!»i
.•soi.'o:
kid 1x1
(i, iftii
friiaiJa:
riC:
■jClxfeli
ci, S fcc
in, ad'
that he k now doing with fo much
Applaufe in Vratre: and it may be per-
haps the ratlier defircd fconi hcKcc to
put him a little in countenance, when
fo great a King as ours is willing to for-
get himfelffo far as to copy after him,
and to depend upon him : fo that as
the Dcftriue and Principles of that
Church muA be ftill the fame in all.
Ages a«d Places, fmce its chief pre-
tenfion is, that it is Infallible, it is no
unreafonable thing for us to be afraic^
of thofe, who will be cafily induced
to burn us a little here, when they arc
told , that fuch fervent Zeal will fave
them amorelaAing burning hereafter,
and will perhaps quit all fcores fe en-
ttirely, that they may hope fcarcc to ' j
endure a Singeing in Purgato.'y for all
their other Sias. ,
IV. li the fcvcrtft Order of the
Chnrch of Rome, that has breathed out ^
nothing but Fire and Blood fir,cc its
firft formation, and that is even dc- y
cryed at Rome it felf for its Violence,
is ifl fuch credit here ■, I do not fee
any inducement from thCtice to per-
fuade us to look on the Councils that
are direfted by that Society, as fu.h
harmkfs and inoffenfive things, that
we need be no more on our guard a-
gainft them. I know not why wc may
net apprehend as much" from Father
Petre, as the French have ftk from
Pere de la Chaife, {jjice all the difference
that is obferved to --e between them,
js, that the Engli(h fcfuite has nin-cli t,.
more Fire and Paffioii, and much lefs ... .
Conduftand Judgment than the'French
And when RamehAt expsidedfo.
treat
Ktffl
laiati
km
. "m
'aPai
-Lit
'■rti
has.
CO
g. cac a jealoufy of the Inucreft that Qot to be qac/lion'a : but to infer
that Order had ih our Councils, tliac from thence, that the plain Words of
F, Morgan, who was thought to influ- a Law fo lately made, and that was
encc our Amb iffudour, was ordered to fo vigoroufly alTe-rced by the prcfenc
leave Romi, I do not fee why England Parliament, may be made void by a
fhould look fo tamely on them. No Decilion of theirs, after fo much iVa-
reafon can be given why Card. Hoynard^ them, is juft as teafonable a
fhould be fhut out of all their Coun- vvayof Arguing, as theirs is, who be*
ells, unicfs it be, that the Noblenefs caufe the Churcli of England acknovv-
of his Birch, and the Geuclencfs of his ledges chat the Church has a Power in
Temper, are too hard even for his Matters of Rites and Ceremonies, wiM
Religion and his Purple, te be maftcred f, om chcuce conclude, that this Power
by them. And it is a Contradiftion, mufl gofo far, that tho Chrifl has fald
that nothing but a Belief capable of of the Cup, D/ini^ ye all of it, we muft
receiving Tranfubjiantiaticn can recon- obey the Church vvlicn fKe decrees
die, to fee Men pretend to obfervc that we lhall not drink of it.- Our
Law, and yet to find at the fame time Judges for the greater part, yvere
an Ambaffadiur from England at Rome, Mtn thar had pafl; their Lives in fo much
when there are fo many Laws in our Retirement, that from thence one
Pock of Statutes, never yet Repealed, might have hoped, that they had
that have declared over and over again ftudicd our Law well ,
all Commerce with the Court and the Bar had called them fo feldome
See of Aometobe High Treafon. from their Studies; and ifPradicejs
V. The late famous Judgment of our thought often hurtful to Speculation,
Judges, who knowing no other way to as that which diforders and hurries
make their Names immortal, have the Judgment, they who had pra<fti-
found an effedtual one to prcfcrve diem fed fo little in our Law, had no byafs
from being ever forgot, feems to call on their Underflandings: and if the
for another Method of Proceeding, habit of taking Money as a Lawyer is
The Pi cfident they have fet muft be a dangerous preparation for one that
Fatal either to them or ns. For if " 'o tie an incorrupt Judge, they
Twelve Men, that get into Scarlet and fl^ould have been incorruptible, fince
Furs, have an Authority ta diflblve all it is not thought, that the greater part
our Laws, the Englifl) Government is to of them got ever fo much Money by
be hereaf T lookt at with as much their Profcflion as pay'd for their Furs.
Scorn, as tchas hitherto dtawn Admi. In fhort, we now fee how they have^
ration, i hat doubtful Words of merited their Preferment, and they
made fo long ago, that the intention of may yet expeft a further. Exaltation
the Lawgwers is not certainly known, when the Juflice and die Laws of
niuflbc expounded by the Judges, is England come to be in hands, that will
be
(
be 35 careful to preferve them, as they
have been to deftroy them. But what
an Infamy will it lay upon the Name of
an Englifl] Parliament, if inftead of call-
ing thofe Betrayers of their Countrey to
an account, they fhould go by an after-
game Jto confirm what thefe Fellows
have done.
V I. The lite Canferences with fo
•many/Wemierr of bithhoufes, will give
fuch an ill-natured piece of Jealoufy a-
.gainff them, that of all Perl'ons living,
that are the moft concern'd to take care
how they give their Votes, the World
will believe, thztThreatnings and Pro-
tnifes had as large a fhare in thofe fecret
Converfations, as Rcafoning or Perfuan-
on : and it mufl be a more than ordi-
rary degree of zeal and Courage in
them, that mufl: take off the Riot, of
being fefit for, and ffokc to, on fuch a
fub)e6: and fuch a manner. The wor -
thy Behavionr of the Members in the
Ujl Seffiov, had made the Nation unwill-
ing to remember the Errors committed
in the frfi Eleilhn; and it is to be hop-
cd , that they will not give any caufe
for the future to call that to mind. For
if a Parliament, that had fo many Flaws
in its firfl Conception , goes to repeal
Laws, that we arc fure were made by
Legal Parliaments, it will put the Nation
on an Enquiry that nothing but necefli-
ty will drive them to. For a Nationally
be laid adeep, and be a little cheated
but when it is awakned , and fees its
danger , it will not look on and fee a
Rape ma le on its Religion and Liberties,
without examining, from whence have
thefe Men thk Authority I they will hard-
)
ly find that it is of Men-, and they will
not believe that it is of God. Bat it is
to be hoped , that there vyil-l be no oc-
cafion given for this angry qutflion
which h much e.jfier made than anfwcr-
ed.
V IT. If all that where now askod in
favour of Popery, were only lome Gen.
tienefs towards the there were
fome reafan to entertain the Deb.xte,
when the Demand were a little more
nicdefl: If Men were to be attainted of
treafon, for being Reconciled to die
Church of Rome , or for ReconcUing o-
thers to it; If Priejls were demanded
to be hanged, for taking Orders in the
Church of Rome-, and if the two thirds
of the ?apij}s Eflates were offered to be
Levied, it were a very natural thing to
fee them uneafy and refllefs; but now
the matter is more barefaced; they are
not contented to live at eafe, and en-
joy their Ejiates -, but they mufl carry
all before them : and F. Petre cannot
be at quiet, unlefs he makes as great a
Figure in our Court, as Vere de la Chafe
docs at Verfailles.
A Ceffation of all Severities againfl
them, is that to which the L\itm
would more eafily fubmit, but it is
their Beh.aviour that mufl create them
the continuance of the like Compaflion
in another Reign. If a refllefs and a
pcrfecuting Spirit were not inherent in
that Order, that has now the Afcendam,
they would have behaved themftlves fo
decently under their prefeitt Advanca.
ges j as to have made our Divines , that
have charged them fo heavily, look a
little out of countenance : and this
would
CO
would hare wrought more on the good
Nature of the Nation, and the Princly
Nobltnefs of the Succeff'nrs wliom we
have in vktn , than thofe Arts of Craft
and Violence, to which we fee their
Tempers carry them even fo early, be-
fore it is yet time to show thcmfelves.
The Temper of the EngiifJ) Nation,
the HeroicalVertues of thofe whom we
have in our Eyes, but above all, our
mod holy Religion, which indead of Re-
venge and Cruelty» infpires us with
Charity and Mercy, even for Enemies,
are all fuch things, as may take from
the Gentlemen of that Religion ail fad
apprehenfions, unlefs they raife a Storm
againd themfelves, and provoke the
Juflke of the Nation to fuch a degree ,
that the Succejfors may find it neceflary
tohc^nfl, even when their own Incli-
nations would rather carry them tofhew
Mercy. In fhort, they need fear no.
thing but what they create to them-
felves : fo that all this dir that they
keep for their own Safety, looks too like
the fecuring to themfelves Pardons for
the Crimes that they intend to com-
mit.
VIII< I know it is objeflcd as no
fmall prejudice againd thefe Larvs^
that the very making of them difcover-
ed a particular Malignity againd Hi/
Mtijtfly^ and therefore it is ill Manners
toi^akforthcm. The firjlhid per-
tiaps an Eye at his being then Admiral ;
and the lafl was poffibly levelled at
him: though when that was difcover-
ed, he was excepted out of it by a fpeci-
^ Prowjo, And as for that which pad in
' 73) I ho^ it is not forgotj that it was
enaided by that Loial Parliament, that
had fetled both "the Prerogative of the
Crown and the Rices of the Church, and
chat had givan the King more Money
than ail the Parliaments $f England hid
ever done in all former Times. A Par-
liament chat had indeed fome Difputcs
with the King , but upon the fird dep
that he made with relation to Religion
or Safety, they fhewed how ready they
were to forget all that was pad; as ap-
peared by their Behaviour after th.e
Triple Alliance. And in 75, though they
had great caufo given them to diflike the
Dutch IVar, efpecially the drange be-
ginning of it upon the Smima Fleet :
and the flopping the Exchequer, the De-
claration for Toleration , and the Writes
for the Members of the Houfe, were Mat-
ters of hard Digedion 5 yet no faoncr
did the King give them this new a(Tu-
ranee for their Religion then , though
they had very great Reafons given them
to be jealous of the War, yet fince the
Kill was Engaged, tiiey gave him
liooooo Pounds foe carrying it on ; and
they thought they had no ill Penni-
werths for tkeir Money, when they
carried home with them to their
Countries this new Security for their
Religion, which we are now dcfurcd to
throw up, and which the Rercrcad
Judges have already thrown out as a
law out of dace. If this had carried
in it any new piece of Severity, their
Complaints might be jud j but they
are excream tender, if they are fo un-
eafie under a Law that only gives them
Leifurc and Opportunities to live at
Home. And the lad Ted, which wat
B } in-
' c
intended only for fhutting them out
from a Hiare in the Legiflatiye Body,
appears to be fo ;uft, that one is rather
amafcd to find that it was fo long a
doing, than that it was done at lafi ;
and fince it is done, it is a great pre-
fumption on our Underflandings to
tliink.that we fhould be willing to part
with it. If it was not fooncr done,
it was becaufe there was not fuclt
caufe given for J«aloufieto work upon .
but what lias appeared fince that time^'
and what has been Printed in his Ma.
jcftics Name, Ihews the World now,
that the Jealoufics which occafion'd
thofe Laws, were not fo ill grounded,
as fome well meaning Men perhaps
then believed them to be. But there
ate fome times in which all Mens Eyes
come to be opened.
IX. I am told, fome think it is very
indecent to have a Teft for our Par-
liaments, in which the King's Religion
ir accufeJ of Idolatry j but if this rea-
fon is good in this particular, it will be
full as good againft feveral of the Ar-
tides of our Churoh, and many of the
Homilies. If the Church and Religion
of this Nation is fo formed by Law,
that the King's Religion is declared
Over and over again to be Idolatrousi
what help is there for it .'-It is no other,
than it was when His Majcfly was
Crowned, at d Swore to Maintain our
Laws.
I hope none will be wanting in ail
pcflibie Refped to his facrcd Perfoa ^
and as v/e ought to be infinitely ferry
to find him efgagcd in a Religion
which we mufi; believe Idolatrous, fo
we are far frbm the ill manners of re- '
fleftirgon his Pcrfon, or calling him ^.1
an idolater: for as every Man that re- 'j''
ports a £yc, is not for that to be called ^ . a
aLyar -, fothat tho' the ordering the '
Intention, and the prejuaicc of a mif-
perfwafion are fuch abatements, tiiac I'lJ'''*®''
we will not rafhly take on us to call
every Man of the Church of Rome
an Idolutcr i yet on the other hand, to
we can never lay down our Charge pfotilifo
againrt the Cliurch of Rome as guilty of i'km
Idolatry, unjefs at the fame time wc jniiilitii;
part with our Religion. ufi't, froj
X. Ochtrs give us a ftrangefortof
Argument, to perfwadc us to part with
the left i they fay, "The King mull
"imploy his Popifh Subjcfts, for he
"cantruftno other; and heisfoaflu-
"red of their Fidelity to him, that we
" need apprehend no Danger from
" them. This is an o.,d Method to
work on us, to let in a fort of People
to the Parliament and Government,
fince the King cannot trufi; us, but will
depend on them ; fo that as foon as "" '
this Law is repealed, they muft have
all the Imploymcnts, and have the
whole Power of the Nation lodged in
their hands; this feems a little to grofs
to impofe, even on Irijhmen. The
King ikw for many Years together,
with how inueh .Zeal both the Clergy,
and many of the Gentry appe.tred for
his Intcrelh ; and if there is new a Me-
lanchely Damp on tliem Spirits, the
King can difltpate it when he will; and
as the Church of EniLmd. is a Bony
that will rcvcr Rebell againft. him, fo
any SuIIemrefs under which, dre lafe
Ai- :
C7 )
Adminiftration of Affairs hasbrcHght
them, would Coon vaniCh, if the King
vyould be picas'd to remember a little
what he has Co often promifed, not
only in Publick but in Prirate s and
wo Id be contented with the Exercife
©f his own Religion, without imbroil-
ing his whole Affairs, becaufe F. Petre
will have it fo: and it tempts Eng-
lifhmen to to more than ordinary de-
grces of Rage, againft a fort of Men,
wiio it feetns, can infufe in a Prince,
born with the highefl Senfe of Honour
poffibie, ProjeAs to which without do-
ing fame Violence to his own Royal
Nature, he could not fo much as hear-
ken to. if his Religion did &ot fo fa-
tally muffle him up in a blind Obedi-
ence. But if we are fo unhappy, that
Pricfti can fo difguife Matters, as to
mifdead a Prince, who wii-hout their
ill Influences would be the moft GIo-
rious Monarch of all Europe, and would
foon reduce the Grand Lmh to a much
humbler Fgure, yet it is not to be &
much as imagined, that ever their Arts
can be fo unhappily fuccefsful, as t*
impofc on an Englilh Parliament, cons*,
pofed of Protcffant Members.
fi
b'L
"" .-Jif:!, 'i
i
-i: I
i
nt
:n
1
'I
Some
Some REFLECTIONS on Hit M>jcfties Proda.isation of th« Twtlfth of
February^ 169^ for a Toleration in Scotland, together with the faid Pro-
7
Proclamation.
I. Preamble of a Preclami-
JL mation is oft writ in haft, and
is the flourifh of fome wan-
c nPen: bet one of fuchan Extraor-
dinary natu e as this is, was probably
more fevcreiy Examined ; there is a
rcw defignation of his Majcft es Au-
thority here fct forth of h\iAb[olute
Ptteer, which i» fo often repeated,
that it defcrres to be a little learched
into. Prcrcgativc Royal and Sove-
raign Authority, are Terms already
received and knpwn ; but for this
Abfolute Power, as it is a new Term, fo
thofe who have coined i', may make
it fignific what they will. The Roman
Law fpeaks of Princeps Lepbm ^olHtm,
and Abfolute in its natural fignification,
importing the being without ail Tics
and Rcftraints •, then the true mcanisg
of this feems to be, t'-^at there is an
Inherent Power in the King, which
can neither be reftrafned by Laws,
Promifei, nof Oaths; for nothing lefs
than the being free from all thefe, rcn-
deri a Power Abfolute,
II, If the former Term feemcd to
ftretch our Allegiance, that whicli
comes after it, is yet a ftep of another
nature, tho one can hardly imagine
what can go beyond Abfolute Power :
and it is in thefe Words, Whkb all our
SubjeSt are to obey withmt referve. And
this is the carrylBg Obeiienec many
lizcs beyond what the Grand Seigneur
ever yet claimed : For all Princes, even
the moft violent Pretenders to Abfolute
Power, till LewU the Great's time,
have thought it enough to oblige their
Subjeds to fubmic to their Power, and
to bear whacfoevcr they thought good
to impofe upon them } but till the
Days of the late Converfions by the
Dragoons, it was never fo much as
pretended, that SubJeSs were bound
to Obey their Prince mtkout Referve,
and to be of his Religion, bccaufe he
would have it fo. Which was the
only Argument that thofc late Apoftles
made ufe of } fo it is probalc this
q-'.a!ificacion of the Duty of SiibjeSs
was put in here, to prepare us for a
terrible le Royle veut; and in that cafe
we are told here, that we muft Obey
without Referve ■, and when thofc Se-
vere Orders come, the Privy Council,
andallfnchas execute this Proclama-
tion, will be bound by this Declarati-
on to fhcw themfelves more forward
than any others, to Obey without Re-
ferve : and thofe poor pretenfions «{
Confcience, Religion, Honour, and
Rcafon, will be then reckoned as Re-
fervet upon their Obtdicnec, which
are all now fhat out.
HI. Thcfc being the grounds apon
e ; * which
(
which this Proclamation is founded,
we ought ret only to confider what
confequcrccs are now drawn from
them, but what noay be drawn from
them at any time hereafter ■, for if they
are of force, to juflify that which is
inferred from them, it will be full as
to draw from the fame prcmjfcs an
Abolition of the Protefbnt Rehgion,
of the Rights of the Subjedj, not on-
ly to Church-Lands, but to all Pro-
petty whatfoerer. In a word, it Af-
ferts a Power to be in the King, to
Command what he will, and an Obli-
gitionin the Subjefts, to Obey what-
Ibever he fhall Command.
IV. There is alfo mention made in
the Preamble of the Chrijlian Love ttr.d
Charity, which His Majefiy would have
eflablifhed airong Neighbours; but
another dafh of a Pen, founded on
this Abfolute Power, may declare us all
Hereticks •, and then in wonderful
Charity to us, we muft be told, that
we are either to Obey without Refervc
or to be Burnt without Refcrve. Wc
know the Charity of that Chu'ch
pretty well: It is indeed Fervent and
Burning : and if we have forgot what
has been done in former Ages, France,
Savoy, and Nungary, have fe: before
our Eyes very frcfh inflances of the
Charity of that Religion. While thofe
Examples arc fo green, it is a little too
impohng on us, to talk to us of Chtijiian
Love and Charity. No doubt His Ma*
Kfty means fincerely, and his Exaft-
ucfs CO all his Eromifcs, chiefly to
^hofc made fince he cajoe to the
Grown, will mt fuffer U6 to think an
un'xcoming Thought of his Royal-In-
tencions; but yet afc^r all. tho'
feems by this Proclamation, that vvc
are bound co Obej without Rcferve, ic is
hardfhip upon hardfhip co be bound co
Believe without Referve.
V. There are a fort of People here
Tolerated, that will be hardly found
OUT : and cliefe are the Moderate Pref-
bytenans: Now, as fome fay, that
there are very few cf thofe People in
Scotland that dcferves this Character,
fo it is hard to tell what it amounts
to j and the calling auy of them Im-
moderate, cuts off all their fhare in
this Grace. Moderation is a qusl ty
that lyes in the mind, and how this
will be found out, I canoc fo readily
guefs. If a Standard had been given
of Opbions or Praflires , then one
could have known how this might
luve been difliagiifhed ; but as ic
lyes, it will not be eafy co make the
Difcriraination ■, and the declaring
them all Immoderate, fhuts the-m out
quite.
VI. Another Foundation laid down
for rcpealiog all Laws made agtjnfl the
Papifli, is, That they were Enafted
in King ^ames the Sixcii's M'noricy .-
with fomc harfh expreflioBS, that are
not to be infilled on, fince they fhevv
more the he at of the Pcnner, than the
Dignity of the Prince, in whofe name
they are given out •, But all thefe Laws
were racifyed over and over again by
King'
C '
K ng Jamesy when he came to be of
fall Age : and they have received nu-
ny Confirma-ions hy King Churks the
FtII, and King Charles the Second, as
well as by his prefeiu Majcily, both
when he repreftiated his Brother in the
Year idSi, and fince he himfelf came
to the Crown : fo Jiat wlutfoever may
te faid concerning the firft Formation
cf thofe Laws, they have received
now for. the courfe of a whole hun-
dred Years, thet are iapfed fince King
James was of full Age, fomany Con-
firmations, that if there is any thing
certain in Human Government, we
might depend upon them; but this new
coyned Absolute Power muft carry all
before i t.
VH, Itisalfowell known, that the
whole Settlement of the Church Lands
andTvthes, with many other things,
and more particularly the Eflablifh-
ment of the Proteffant Religion, was
likewife enafled in .King James\ mi-
nori-.y, as well as thofe Penal Laws:
fo that the Reafon now made ufe of^
to annul the penal Laws, will fen-e
full as wfl' for another Aft of this Ab-
folate Porver, that (hall abolifh all thofe^
and if Masimcs that unhinge all the Se-
curities of Human Society, and alj
mat ir facrctl in Government, ought to
beiookt on with the juficfl and deep-
efi -CTcjudices pcffible, one is tempted
to lofe the rcfpeft that is due *o every
thing that Carr es a Royal Scamp upon
i', when he fees fucli grounds made
ufe of, as mull fhake all Settlements
whatfoever ■, for if a prcfcription of
)
I2C Years, and Confirmations rcke-
raced over and over again thefe loo
Years pad, do no: purge fome Defoffs
in the firfi Format'on of thofe Lawc,
what can make us fecure: but this
looks fo like a Fetch of the French
Prerogative Law, both in their procef-
fes with Relation to the E Jift of N mtc-s,
ar.d thofe concerning Dependences at
Mets, that this feems to be a Copy
from that famous Original.
VHI. It were too much ill natuire
to look into the Hiflcfy of tiie lafl
Age, to examine on what greunds
thofe Charafte's of pi om and bleffed
given CO the jlfemory of M.-iry are
built, but fince K. Jamesh Memory
has die charafter of glorious given to it,
if the Civility of the fair Sex makes
one unwilling to look ii to one, yec
the other may be a lict'e dwelt on.
The peculiar Glory that belongs to K,
James's Jl/cmory , is, that he was a
Prirce of great Learning, and that
he imployed it ch'cfly in writing for
h'S Religion : of the Volume in Folio
in which we have his Works, two
thirds are againff the Church of Rome^
oiepartof them is a Commentary Jn
t -e Revelation, proving th at the Pope
is Antichrifl anodicr pa t of them
belonged more naturally to his Port
Dignity ; which is the warning taat lie
gave to all the Princes and States of
Earope , againfi the Treafb iahle and
Bloody Doftiines of the Paoucy. The
firfi Aft he did when hecau e of Age,
was to fwear in ptrfioo iv'th a 1 his Fa-
mily, and after wa ds with all his peo-
pie
( )
J
Eii3 Majefiy, how muLli focver he may
be a Zealous Catholiek, }ct canr.oc be
affured of their fidelity to iiim, ualefs
he has given them fecrcc Affurar.ces,
that he is refolvcd to extirpate Here-
ticks 0U-' of his Dominions ; and that
all the P omifes whicli he n jw makes
to thcfe poor wretches are no ochtr
way to be kept, than the Aflurances
which the Great Uffx gave to his Pre-
tellanc Subjefts, of his obfcrving fiiil
the Edi(S of Nantes even after he had
tefolved to break -it. and alfo his laft
promife made in the Ediff, that re-
pealed the Edift of Nantes, by which
he gave Aifuranccsj^ that no Violence
and iince tncrc»»lu"-" . fhould be nfed to any for their Religi-
preflcd for him, it agrees not ill with it, jbe very time that he was or-
this, to wilh , that his Works were Bering all poffible Violences to be put
Pie of Satland, a Covenant, contain-
ing an Enumeration of all the points of
Popery, and a mod folemn Renuncia-
tion of them, fomewhat like our Par-
lianicntTed; his fird Speech co the
Parliament of England was Copious on
thisSubjeft: and he left a Legacy of a
Wifh an fuch »f his Podcrity as diould
go over to that Religion, which in
go. d manners is fuppreffed. It
known, K. James wasnoConqucrour,
and that he made more ufeof his Pen
than his Sword ; fo the Glory that is
peculiar to his Memory mud fall chiefly
on his Learned and I.nmortal Writings;
and fince there is fuch a Veneration ex-
:ji —
is
more dudied by thofe who offer fuch
/nccnfc to his G/orio»«Mcniory.
IX. His Majedy affures his people of
Scotland, upon a certain Knowledge
and long Experience, that the Catho-
licks, as they are good Chridians, fo
they are likewife Dutiful Subjefts: but
if we mud believe both thcfe equally-
then we mud conclude fcvercly againd
Hieir being good Chridians; for we
are
je(as, not only to a Heretical Prince
if he does not extirpate Hereticks 5 for
their be'oved Council of the Zate-
ran , that decreed Tranfubdantiation
has likewife decreed, that if a Prince
docs not extirpate Hereticks our of hi*
Dominions, the Pope mud depofe
hiin, and declare his Subjefts abfolved
from their Aliegcance) and give his
Dominions to another; fo that even
9 —- I ^
in execution againd tliem.
X' His Majedy affures us, that on
allOccafions the Papids have fhewed
themfeives good and faithful Suhjcfft
to him and his Royal Prcdecelfors 5 but
how Abfdute foevcr the King's Potver
may be, it feems his Knowledge of
Hidory is not foAbfoIute, but it may
be capable of fome Improrcmcnt. It
will be hard to find out what Loial-
n t 1
ir being gooa v^nrimans; tor we fliewed on the Gunpowder
fare they can never be good Sub- cr during the whole progrefs
Plot, or during the whole progrefs
of the Rebellion of Ireland; if the
King will either take the words of
King James of Glorious Memory, or
K. Charles the fird, that was indeed of
puns and blejjcd Memory, rather than
the penncrs of this Proclamation, it
will not be hard to find Occafions
where they were a little wanting in
this their fo much boadcd Zoyalty:
and we ar« fure, that by the Principles
of
X
c
cf that Religion, the King can never
be alTured of the Fidelity of thofe he
calls his Catholick Subjeds, but by en-
gaging to them to make his Heretical
Subjects Sacrifices to their Rage.
Xr. The King declares them capa-
ble of all the Offices and Benepces
which he fhall think fit to beltow on
them, and only reftrains them from
invading the Froteflant Churches by
force: lo that here a Door is plainly
opened for admitting them to tiic Ex-
crcife ef their Religion in Proceffant
Churches, fo they do no: break into
them by force ; and whatfoever may
be the Senfe of the term Benefice in its
ancient and firft fignification, now it
ftands only for Church Preferments j
fo chat when any Churches, that are
at the King's Gifr, fall vacant^ here is
a plain intimation, that they are^
be provided to them ; and then it is
Very probable, that all. the Laws made
againft fuch as go not to their parifh
Churches, will be feverely turned
upon thofe that will uot come to
Mafs,
Xn. His Majefty does in the next
place, in the rertue of his Abfilute
Power, Annul a great many laws, as
well thofe that Elfablifhed the Oaths
of Allcgeance and Supremacy, as the
late Teft, cnaCfcd by himfelf in per-
fon, while he reprcfentcd his Brother :
upon which he gave as ftrange an|Eflay
to the World of his Abfolute Juilice
in the Attainder of the late Earl of
Argile, as he does now of his Abfolute
'3 )
Power in condemning the Teft it fclf,
healfo repeals his own Confirmation
of the Teft, fince he came to the
Crown, which he offered as the clear-
eft Evidence that he could give of his
Refolutionto maintain the Proteftanc
Religion, and by which he gained fo
much upon thit Parliament, that he
obtained every thing from them that
he defired of them 5 till he came to
try them in the Matters of Religion.
Tliis is no Extraordinary Evidence to
affurc his people, that his Promifes will
be like the Laws of the Mcdes and Per-
fians, which alter not i nor will the
difgrace sf the Commiffioner that en-
afted that Law, lay this matter wholly
on him j for the Letter,that he brought,
the Speech that he made, and the
Inftruffions which he got, arc all too
well known to be lb foon forgotten :
and if Princes will give their Subjefts
reafon to think, that they forget their
Promifes, as foon as the turn is fcrved
for which they were made, this will
be too prevailing a Temptation on the
Subjefts to mind the Princes promife
as little as it fcemi he himfelf does
and will force them to conclude, tliat
the Truth of the Prince, is not fo Abfo-
lute as it fcems he fancies his power to
be.
XHT. Here is tot only a repealing of
a great many Laws, and eftablilhed
Oaths and Tefts, but by the Exercife of
the Abfolute Piwer, a new Oath is impo-
fed, which was never pretended to by
the Crewn in any former time, and as
the Oath is created by this Abfilute
D j Powet
( '4)
Power, fo it fccms the Abfolute ?4wer
iHuft be fupported by this Oath: fincc
one branch of it, is an Obl!gati9n to
Maintain His Majcfly and His iawful
Succcflbrs in the Exercife of this their
Abfolhte Power arA Authority againft a'l
deadly, which I fuppofc is Scotcii for
Mortals; now to impofe fo hard a yoke
as this Abfolate Power on the Subjed,
fcems no fmall fircrch 5 hut it is a won-
dirful exercife of it to oblige the Sub-
jcfts to defend this: it had been more
anodeft, if they had been only bound
to bear ir, and fubmit to it: but it is
a terrible thing fo far to cxtinguifli ah
the remnants of nacaral liberty, or of
a Zegil Government, as to oblige the
Subjedi by Oath to maintain the Exer-
dfeof this, which plainly muftdiftroy
themfelves; for the ftiort execution by
the Bow-ftrings of Turkey, or by fending
Orders to Men to return in their Heads,
being an Ext.-ife of this Abjolure Pow.
er, it is a lifk too har d to make men
fwcar to maintain the K'Bg i.n it; and if
that Kingdom has fuffercd fo much by
the ma .y Oaths tha- have been in ufc
among them, as is ma'-kcd in this Pro-
clamatiofl, I am afraid this new Oath
will not much mend the matter.
XlV. Yet after all, there is fome
Comfort; his d/ajcfly affur-s them, he
wit! ufc no Violence r.or Force, nor any
Invincible Neceffiry to any man on the
account of h's perfwafion : It were too
great a want of rcfpeft to fancy, tha: a
time may rome in which even this
may beremcmbrad, full as well, as the
promifes that >rcre made to the Farlia-
ment after His Majt'^y.^me to the
Crown : i do no: 1 Confcfs, apprehend
that; for f fee here fo great a Caution
ufcd in the choice of| hefe tvords^chac it
is plain, very great Severit'cs may very-
well cotififi: widi them: it i: clear, ^
that the general words of Violence
and Force arc to be determined by
thefelaflof Invincible N.cejji y, fo that
the King does only promifc to lay no
Invincible Neceffity on his Suljefts; but
for all Nccefllties that are not I'r.vin-
cible, it feems thy muff expc-fl: to bear
a large fharc of them ; Difgraccs, want
of-Imploymcnts, Fines and Imprifon-
merits, and cVcb Death it felf are all
Vincibleth'mgs tea man of a l;rmncfs
of mi«d .* fo that the Violences of Tor-
ture, the Fur ej of Dragoons, and fome
of the Methods now praftifcd in France,
perhaps may be included within this
Fromife ; ffKe thefe feem aimoft In-
vincible to Humane Nanire, if it is not
fortified with an Extraotdinary rnea-
fure of Grace: but as to all ether
things. His Majcfty binds himfcif up
from no .part of the Exercife of His
Abfolute Power by this Promife.
XV. His Majefiy Orders this to go
Immediately to the Great Seal, with-
out pafiing through the other •S'cals:
noav-fincc this is Ccunter-figncd by the
Secretary in whofc hands the Signet
is, there was no other rtepto be made
but through tlie Pc'vry Seal; fo I mull:
own 1 have a g eat Curiofity of know-
ing his Charafter in whofe hands the
Privy Seal is at prefcnt; for it fecm's
hisConfciencc is nonfo veryfupple, as
the
c
fhe Chancellors and the Secreta ies
arc j but it is very likely, if he does
not quickly change his mind, the Privy
Ssal at Icaft will vtry quickly change its
Keeper ■, and I am forry to iicar, rliat
the Lord Chsiv.cilor and the Secretary
have not an'.thtr brother to fill ehi;
p ft,that fodie guilt of the ruin of that
N. tion, may lie on one finglc Family,
una that there may be no others in-
vo;vcd in it.
XVf. upon the who'e matter many.,
fmaller chinas being waved, it being
cxrr;amunpleafant to find fau't. where
one has all poflible difpoutions to pay
D,
all refpefl; we here in England fee
svhat we murt look for. A Parliament
in Scotland was trycd, but k proved a
little Stubborn j and now Abfikte
Porfer comes to fet all right j fo vyheti
the Clofctting has gone round, fo that
NoCes arc counted, wa rnay perhaps
fee a Parliament here; but if it chances
to be untoward, and not to Obtywitb'
Mt Referve, then our Reverend Judges
will copy from Scotland, and will not
only tell us ofthe King's rmperial Pow-
er, but will d-ifcover to us this new
Mjftery of Abjolkte Fotver, to whch
we arc all bound to Ob.y without Re.
ferve.
Thefe ?f'jlexhr,s r'fer in fo many places to feme words in the Proclamation, that it was
th-ugbt nocfjfai'f to fet them near one another , that the deader tnay be able to
Judge, whether he is deceived by any falfe Quotations ot not.
C lO
By thi
A P R O C L J
JAMES R.
JAMES t!ie Seventh by theGrace of God,
King of Scotland, England, France Sc
/re/W, Defender of the Faith, (fy'c.
To all and fundry oar good Subjefts.
whom thefe prefents do or may con-
cern, Greeting. We have taken into
our Royal Confideration the many and
great inconveniencies which have hap-
pcned to that our Ancient Kingdom of
Scotland of late year?, through the dif-
ferenc perfwafions in the Chrifiian Re-
ligion, and the great Heats and Ani-
mofities amongft the feveral Profeffors
thereof, to the ruin and decay of
Trade, wafli'ng of Lands, extinguifli-
ing of Charity, contempt of the Royal
Power; and converting of True Reli-
gion, and the Fear of God, into Ani-
mofities, Names, Fractions, and fome-
times into Sacrilege and Treafon. And
being refolved as much as in us lyes,
to Unite the Hearts and Affe(ffions of
Our Subjeds, to G O D in Religion, to
Us in Loyalty, and to their Neigh-
hours in Chriflian Love and Charity.
Have therefore" thought'fit to Grant,
and by Gur Souveraign Authority, Pre-
rogative Royal, and Abjolute Power,
which all Oar SubjeHsare to Obey with-
out Referve; Do hereby give and
grant Our Royal Toleration, to thefe-
veral Profefibrs of the Chriftian Reli-
gion after named, with, and under
the feveral Conditions, Reftridions,
and Limitations after-mentioned. In
the firfi place, We allow and Tolerate
the Moderate Presbyterians, to Meet
in their Private Houfes, and there to
hear all fuch Minifters, as either have,
: King.
L M A T I O N.
or are willing to accept of Our Indul-
gence allanerly, and none other, and
that there be not any thing faid or
done contrary to the Well-and Peace
of Gur Reign, Seditious or Trcafona-
ble, under the highefi Pains thefe
Crimes will import -, nor are they to
prefume to Build Meeting-Houfes, of
to ufc Out-Houfes or Barns, but only
to exercife in their Private Houfes. as
faid is: In the mean time, it is Cur
Royal Will and Pleafure, that Field-
Conventicles, and fuch as Preach, cr
Exercife at them, or who fhall any
ways affift or connive at them, fiiall
be profecuted according to the utmcft
Severity of our Laws made againft
them, feeing from thefe Rendczvouzes
of Rebellion, fo much Diforder Irth
proceeded, and fo mvch Diftnrbance to
the Governmert, and for which after
this Our Royal Indulgence for tender
Confciences there is no Excufe Jef.
In like manner, we do hereby tolerate
(Quakers to meet and Exercife in their
Form, in any Place or Places appoint-
ed for their Worfhip. And confider-
ing the Severe and Cruel Laws made
againfi Roman Catholkkj therein cal-
led Fapifts J in the Minority of Our
Royal Grand Father of Ghiow Me-
mory, without His Confent, and con-
trary to the Duty of gord Subjeds, by
His Regents, and ether Eticmies to
their lawful Soveraigns Our Royal
Great Grand Mother Queen Mary of
Bleffed and Piout Mcir cry, wherein un-
der the pretence ei. Religion , they
cloathedthe word or Trcalons, Facfi-
OBS, and H urpations, and made thefe
Laws, not as againfl the Er.emtes of
GOD,
GOD, but riiCT own; wliich
have ftill been continued of courfe
without dehgn of executing them, or
any of them ad terrorem only, on Sep-
pofition, tliat the Papijit relying
OH an External Power, were incapa-
ble of Duty, and true Allegeance to
their Natu al Soveraigns, and Rightful
Monarchs j We of Our certain Know-
ledge, and long Experience, knowing
that the Catholtc^s, as it is their Prin-
C'7)
Laws Preach in the open Fields, or to in*
vade the Proteflant Churches by force,
under the pains aforelaid, to be in-
fliited upon the Offen iers refpeftively j
nor (hall they prefume to make Pub-
lick Proceflions in rhe High-Streets of
any of Our Royal Burghs, under the
Pains above-mentioned. And where-
as the Obedience and 5ervice of Our
Good Subjefts is due to Us by their
Allegiance, and Our Sovcraignty, and
ciple to be Good Chriftians, Co it is to thatnoAaw, Gurtom, or Conlditution,
be dutiful Subjefts ■, and that they have
likewife on all Occafions (hewn them-
felvcs Good and Faithful Subjefls to
Us, and Our Royal PredecelTors, by
hazarding, and many of them aftually
lofing tl eir Aives and Fortunes, in
their Defence ( though of another Re-
ligion J and the Maintenance of their
Authority againff the Violences and
Treafonsof the moft violent Abettors
of thefe iavvs; Do therefcre with Ad-
vice and Confent of Our Privy Coun-
c 1, by Our Soveraign Authority, Pre-
rogative Royal, and Abfdute Power,
aforefaid, Sufpend, Stop, and difable
ail Aaws, or Ads of Parliament, Cuf-
toms or Conflitutions, made or exe-
Difference in Religion, or other Impe-
d intent whatfocver , can exempt or
difcharge the Subjefts from their Na-
tive Obligations and Duty to the Crown
or hinder Us from Protefling, and Em-
ploying them, according to their fc-
veral Capacities, a;:d Our Royal Plea-
fare nor Reflrain us from Conferring
Hcretablc Rights and Privilcdges upon
them, or vacuate or annul thefe Rights
Heretablc, when they are made or
conferred; And likewife confidering,
that feme Oaths are capable of being
wrefted hy Men of finiflrous Intenti-
035, a pradhce in that Kingdom fatal
to Religion as it was to /.oyalcy 5 Do
therefore, with Advice and Confent a-
Guted againfl any of our Roman Catho- forefaid, Cafs, Annul and Difcharge all
licl^S\xh)c&i, in any time part, to all Oaths whatroever,by which any of Our
Intents and Parpofes, making void all Subjefts are itjcapacitared, or difablcd
Prohibitions therein mentioried, pains from holding Places, or Offices in Our
or penalties therein ordained to be In- faid Kingdom, or enjos ing their Here-
fiided, fothat they (hall in all things ditary Rights and rriviledies, dii-
he as free in all Refpefts as any of out' charging the fame to he taken or given
Frotedant Subjefts wliatfoever, not in any time coming, without our fpe-
only to Exercife thei- Religion, but to
enjoy all Offices, Benefice! and others,
whicbWefliall thir.k fit to beflow upon
them in ail time coming : Nevcrthclefs,
it is Oi r Will and Pleafure, and we do
hereby c mmand all Catholic\s at thcT
higlieft Pams, only to Exerrife th' ir
Religious Worflfip in Houfesor Chip-
pels i and that they prefume not to
cial Warrant and Confenr, unrler the
pains due to the Goijtempt of Our
Royal Commands ard Authority. And-
to this effeft, we do byO r Royal Au-
thoricy aforefaid. Stop, Dla'de, and
Dii'penfe with all Laias fcioyrdcg the
faid Oaths, Telfs, o' any of riiem, uar-
ticulariy thcfiifd Aft of the fird Sefl'ion
cf the (irfh Parliament o" KiugChai/es
E ; the
U
• i|
>i
h
( 21 }
.LETTER, containing to «««=»« <>■> ««««"
Liberty of Confdence, Dated the Fonrth of Apnl, i6Z'j.
V Thank vou for the Favour of HisMajefty thought fit once to cUitn
T 7 r. Thr late Dedaratm it, he is little beholding to thofe that
tha- nfs Maiefty has granted for make him fall fo much in his Lan^uagei
ed foJ it with great Impatience .• and have appeared m our Gazettes :, fo that
tva-- furrrifed to find it fo different from as we fee what is done m Scotland, we
L" Scotch Pattern i for 1 imagined , know from hence what is ,n feme pco-
that it was to be fet to the fecond part pies he.irtj. and what we may expeft
nf The fame tune: nor can I fee why in England.
tie Penners of this have funk fo much If, His Majefly tells his people, thaf^
• 1 their ftile • for I fuppofe the fame tbeperfed Inpyment of their Property hM
men oer.ned b'^th I expeftcd to;have never been in any Cafe invaded by him fmce
feen the" Imperial 'Language of Abjolnte hii coming to the Crown. This is indeed
Power., to which aSlthe'SubjeSs are to matter.of great Incouragemeat to ail
ObeywithM referve-, and of theCaffing, good Subjeas; |for it lets them fee*
Annulling, the flopping, and difabling of that fuch Invafions, as have been made
Laws fet forth in the Preamble and on Property, have been done without
body of this Declaration j whereas thofe His iT/a;eflies knowledge : fo that no
dreadful words are not to be fonnd doubt tlie continuing to levy the Cufl-
here • for infiead of Repealing the Laws, omes and the Additional Excife f which
His Wajcfty pretends by this only to had been granted only during the late
Sufpendthem-, and tho incffea this a- Kings Life, J before the Parliamcnc
mounts to a Repeal, yet it muA be could meet to renew the Grant, was
confefed that the words are fofter. done without His ^ajefiies knowledge;
Now fr ee the .4i/o;«fe Power, to which the many Violences committed not
His Maicfty pretends in Scot W, is not only by Soldiers, but Oncers, in ajl
founded on fuch poor things as Law ; the Parrs of England, which are fevcre
tor that would look as if it were the gift Invafions on Property , have been all
of the People ; but on the D vine Au- without His .Wajcllies knowledge; and
thority, which is fuppofcd tobcdtle- fince the firft Branch of Property is the
gated to HisMajefty, this may be as Right that a man has to his life , the
well claimed in Engl.md as it was in 5cof. Arange Eflay of Mahometan Governdknt,
land: and the pretentions to Abfolnt e that was fheived at Taunton; and the no
Power is fo great a thing, that fincc left Arangc proceedings of the prefent
F j Lord
(
•tordChaneclIour, in his Circuit after
the Rebellion (which arc very juffly
called His Campagne, fpr it was an
open Aft of Hoftiiicy to all Zaw) and
for which and other Services of/he like
nature, it is believed he has had the
fcward of the Great Seal, and the Ex-
ecutions of thofe who have left their
Colours, which being founded on no
iaw, are no other than fo many iWur-
ders ■, all thefe, f fay, arc as we ar»
fure, InvafioBS en Property; butfince
the King tells us, that no fuch Invalions
have been m ide fince he came to the
Crown,we muft conclude that all thefe
things have fallen out without His Priv-
ity. And if a fianding Army, in time
of Peace, has been ever lookc on by
this Nation as an Attempt upon the
whole Property of the Nation in grofs,
one niufl conclude, that even this is
done wichouc His -Wa)efties know-
ledge.
III. His Majefly cxpreffes his Chari-
ty for us in a kind wifli, that we were
all iWembers of the Catholick Church j
in return to which we offer up daily
our mofi earneft Prayers for him , thac
he may become a A/emebr of the truly
Catholick Cimrch : f*r Wifhes and
Prayers do no hurt on no fide : but His
VWajcfty adds, that it has ever been his
Opinion, that ConfLiencc OBght not to
be conftraincd, ncr people forced in
matters of meer Religion. We are
very happy if this continues to be al-
vva^his fenfe : but we are fure in this
he is no Obedient Alember of that
which he means by the Catholick
Church : for it Iws over and over agdn
decreed the of Heriticks,
!c encourages Princes to it, by ihe Of-
fcrofthe Pardon of their Sins; it
threatens them to it, by denouncing to
them not only the judgments of God;
but that which is more Icnfibie, the lofs
of their Dominions : andirDcmsthey
inrcnd to make us know that part of
their Doftrine even before we come to
feel it, fince the fome of that Com-
munion would take away the Ho ror
which the Fourth Council of the La-
teran gives us, in which thefe things
were decreed, by den} ihg it to be a
General Council, and rejefting the Au-
thorityof thofe Canons, yet the mofi:
learned of cIl the Apijiates thathas fall,
en to them from our Church, has fo
lately given up this Plea, ^and has fo
f. rmally acknowledged the A ithority
of that Council, and of its Canons, thac
it fecms they think they arc bound to
this piece of fair dealing, of warning
us before hand of eur Danger. It is
cue BeHarmin fays, " The Church does
" not always execute her Power of de-
" pofing Heretical Princes, tho £he
" always retains it: one rcafon that he
afifigns, is, " Eecaufe fhe is not at al|
«' times able to put it in execution : fo
the fame reafon may perhaps make it
appear unadvifcable to Extirpaic Here-
ticks, becaufe that at prcfent it cannot
be done; but the Right remains intire,
and is put in execution in fuch an unre.
Icnting manner in all places where that
Religion prevails, tha' it has a very
ill Grace, to fee any Member of that
Church fpeak in this flrain : and when
r.eithcr the Policy of Frai:ce, nor the
Create nfs
c
Greacnefs of their Monarch, nctf yet
thelnterefls of the Enpcroir joyncd
to the Gcntlenefs of his own temper,
could wichftand chefe Bloody Councils,
that arc indeed parrs of that Religion,
we can fee no reafon to induce us to
believe, that a Toleration of Religion
is propofed with any other dcfign but
either to divide us, or to lay us afleep
till it is time to give the Alarm far dc-
ftroyirg us.
IV. If all the Endeavours, that have
been ufed in the lafl fourRcigrs, for
bringirgthc Subjefts of tliis Kingdom
to a Unity in Religion have been
ineffeftual, as His Majefiy fays; we
know to whom we owe both the firfl
beginnings and the progrefsof the Di-
vifions among our felves ; the gentle-
nefs of Q. Eli:[abetb's Government,
and tb.e numbers of thcfe that adhered
to the Church of R 'tttf, made it fcarce
poffible to put an end to that Party
during her Reign, which has been ever
fince refllefs, and has had Credit c-
nougli at Court during the three lafl
Reigns, not only to fupprrt it feif, but
to diAraifl us, and to divert us from
apprehending the danger of being
fwallowcd uD by them, b\'fomenting
our own Differences, and by fccting on
either a Toleration, or a Pcrfecu ion,
as it has happened to ferve their inter-
efls It isntKfovery longfince, that
nothmg was to be heard at Court but
the fuppor i.tg the Church of England,
a'-d the Exarpating all the Nonconfor-
mills; and it we e eafieto name the
P-rfons, if it were decent, chat had
'his in their.Mouths; hue now all is
23 ;
turned round again, the Church of
England is in Difgrace; and now tho
Encouragement of Trade, the Quiet:
of the Nation, and the Freedom of
Confcience" arc again in Vogue, that
were fuch odieus things but a few
Years ago, that the very mention-
ing them was enough to load any
man with Sufpicions as backward in
the King's Service, while fuch Aic-
thods are ufcd, and the Government
is as in an Ague, divided between hoc
and cold firs, no wonder if Laws fo
uufleadily executed have faded of
their cffeA.
V, There h a good rel"erve here left
for Severity, when the proper Oppor-
tunitytofet icon prefencsi: felf: for
his !/Wa;efly declares himfelf only a-
gainfl the forcing of men in matters of
meer Religion: fo that whenfoever
Relig'on and Policy come to be fo in-
terwoven, that meer Rehgion is not
the Cafe, and that publick Safety may
he pretended, then this Declaration
is to b: no mo e c'aimcd : fo that the
faflning any thing upon the Pr.oteflant
Religion, char is inccnfiflent with the
publick Peace, will be pretended to
fhcw that they are not periecuced for
meer R ligion. In France, when it
was refolved to <x:irpace the Prote-
fl.mi5, all the Difcoarfcs that were
written on that Subjedl were full of
the Warsoccafioned by thofe of the
Rel'g'on in the lafl Age, tho as tliefc
was the happy Occaf oris of bringing
the Houfe of B-imh-n to the Crown^
they had been ended above 80 Years
ago, and there had not been fo much
( 24 J ,
die leafl TuitiuK raifed by diem we w:ul! make of otI;er mens
thefe JO Yean pad : fodiat the French Thoughts by the;r Aftions, one would
who have Imarced under this Severity, be tempted to think, that his Majedy
could not be charged with the lead made fome doubt cf it, fince his Af- 0^^
Infraftton of the Law; yet Stories of f^'rs both at home and abroad could
a huddred years old were raifed up to "ot go the worfe, if it appeared that
jnfpire into the King thofe Apprehen- 'here were a perfea undcrdanding be-
fions of them, which l ave prodqced tween Him and his Parliament, and jaioDw
the terrible effcas that are vifible to all his people were fupporting him
the World. There is another Expref. vvirh fredi Supplies; and this Houfe of jw-d:
fion in this Declaration, which lets us Commons is fo much at his Devotion, "
like wife fee with what Caution the Of- tbatall the World faw how ready they
fers of Favour arc now worded, that were to frant every thing that he could
fo there may be an Occafion given of them, till he began to lay cff tatJ,:':
when the Time and Conjunaure fhall the Mask with lelation to the Ted,
be favourable t* break througli them andfir.cc that time the frequent Pro-
allit is in thefe words, So that they rogations, the Clofetcing, and the pains
take efpecial Care that nothing be has been taken to gain 3/cmbers,
preached or taught amongd them, Promifes made to fome, and the
which may any ways tend to alienate P'itgracesof others, would make one a i-nrfi
the Hearts of our people from us or I'ttle Inclined to think, that fame doubt
our Goverment. This in it felf is ve- was made of their Concurrence. But
ryreafonable; and could admit of no wc mudconfefs, that the depth of His
Exception, if we had not to do with Majedies Judgment is fuch , that we
afetofmen, who to our great Misfor- cannot fathom it, and rhcrefore we can-
tune have fo much Credit with His Ma- not guefs what his Doubts or his AlTu- --bi:
Jedy, and who will be no fooncr lodg- ranees arc. It is true , the words that f«Pii
ed in the Power to which they pre- come after unriddle the Midery a litt- "boirf
tend, then they will make every thing le, which are, when His Alajedy fhall
that is preached againd Popery pafs think it convenient for them to mett :
for that which may in fome manner a- for the meaning of this fecms plain,that 'k®
licnatethc S ihiefls from the King. His A/ajedy is refolved that tliey fhall "iO!,®
VP His Mafedy makes no doubt of never meet, till he receives fuch Aflu-
tthe Concurrence of his Two Houfesof rar.ces, in a new round of Clofctting'
Parliament , when lie (hall think it that he diall be pat [out of doubt con-
Convenient for them to meet. The cerning it.
Hearts of Kings are un carchable , fo VU. I will i-ot enter into the difpute
that it is a little too prefumptuous to concerning Tiberty of Confcitnce, and
look into His hajediesfccret Thoughts; the Reafons that may be oflfered for ic „
but according to the Judgments that to a Seffion of Parliament j for there is
fcarce
r 21)
EI Ki fcarce any one point, that euher with
otEi. relation to Religion, or Foliticks, af-
KtliE; fords a greater variety of ili. trer for
itfei;- Refleftion : and 1 make no dcubt to
toil cot fay, thrc there is abundance of ileafon
Jtacdia to oblige Pa: liameot to review all the
nal 2,aw$, either with relation to Pa-
pifts, or to Diflenters •• but I will take
porJjb the lioldfifc to add one thing, tliat the
iiiBoiits Kings Sufpendini of Lawsflcikes at the
liiDtc™ root of cliis whole Gorcrnnient, and
ffradtiil fubvcrts it quite : for if there is any
ttaikcii thing rertaiu with relation to Englifh
.miois ■ Government, it is this, that the Exe-
toiti' cutive Fowct of the Law is entirely in
firtotib the King •, and tite Zaw to fortifie him
in tlie Managerr.ent of it has cloathcd
tj him with a vaftFrcrogative.and madejit
jBC d t uiilawful on any pretence whatfoever to
liiici-' on tjie other hand,
./,■ i\\t Ltgtflative Power is not fo entirely
Utl®-. King, but that the Lords and
'®®,'' Coramons have fuch a fliare in it, tha^
no Law can be either made, repealed,
or which is all one fufpended, but by
their ccnfent: fh that the placing this
w Leitflative Pwer fingly in the King, is
the n®'": J fubverfion of this whole Government,
fince the Effence of all Governments
i Mw* confuds in the Subjeds of the Lcgifla-
live Authority , A^fs of Violence or-
Injudice, committed in the Executive
[liitit;' part, arc fuch things that all Princes
Ijgiii-' being fubjeft to them, the peace of
lijfCitiKl mankind were very ill fecured if it
jfdaiitt net unlawful to refill upon any
pretence taken from any ill Admini-
i^ilcdr firations, in which as the law may be
doubtful, fo the Fads may be uncer-
'2in, and at wcrft the publick Peace
. k'^
mufl always be more talued than any
private Opprcflions or Injuries what-
foevcr. But the total Subverfion of a
Govcrnmenr, being fo contrary to the
Trufl that is given to the Prince who
ought to execute it, will put men up-
01 nneafie and dangerous Inqui'ies ••
which will turn little to the Advantage
of thofe who are driving matters to
luch a doubtful and defperate Jf.
fue.
VIII, If there is any thing in which
the Exercife of the Legiflative Power
fetms indifpenfable, it is in thofe Oaths
of Allegeancc and Teds-, that are
thought necellary to Qualifie men ei-
thcrtobe admired to enjoy the Protc-
ftion of the Law, or to bear a fhare in
the Government; for in thefe the Se-
curity of the Government is chiefly
concerned •, and therefore the total
Extinftion of thefe, as it is not only a
Sufpcnfion of them, but a plain re-
pealing of them, fo it is a Subverting
of the whole Foundation of our Go-
Government: For the Regulation that
King and Parliament had fet both for
the Subjefls having the ProrcAion of
the State by the Oath of Allegeancc,
and for a fhare in the places of Truft
bytheTefls, is.now pluckt up by the
roots j when it is declared, That thefe
fhall not at any rime hereafter be re-
quired to be taken or fubfcribed by
any perfons whatfoever: for it is
plain, that this is no Sufpcnfion of
the Zaw, but a formal repeal of ic,
in as plain Words, as can be con-
ceived.
G IX. His
/
(
IX. His Majefty fays, tliat the Be-
nefit of the Service of all iiis Sulyeds
is by chc( Law of Nature Infeparably
annexed to and inherent in his Sacred
Ferfon. It is fomevvhat ftrangc, that
when fo inany Laws, that we ail know
are fufpended, the Law of Nature,
which is fo hard to be found out»
fliould becked ■, but the Penners of
this Declaration had bek let that Law
lie forgotten among the rcfi j and
there is a fcurvy Paragraph in it con-
cerning felf-Prefervation, thatistapa.
ble of very unacceptable Glofies. It
is hard to tell what Scfli^m of the
Law of Nature has markt either fuch
a Form of Government, or fuch a Fa-
niily for ir. And" if His Majtrty re-
nounces his Prctenfions to our Allege-
ance as fcunJcd on the Laws of Eng-
Itmd-, and betakes himfell to this Law of
Nature, he will perhaps find the Coun-
fel was a little too rafh ; but to make
the mod that can be, the Law of Na-
tions or Nature does indeed allow the
Governors of all Societies a Power to
ferve themfeives of every Member of
it in the cafes of Extream Danger 5
but no Law of Nature that has been
yetAeard of will conclude, that if by
fpecial Laws, a fort of -men have been
difabled from all Imployments, that a
Prince who at his Coronation Swore
ro maintaiu thofe Laws,may at his plea-
furc extinguifli all thtfe Difabilities.
X. At the end of the Dcelaration,
as in a Poftfcript, His Majtfly aflur's
his Subjefls, that he will main-
^in them in their Properties, as well
jn Church and Abbey Lands, as other
Lands; but the chief of all their Pro-
pcrtics being the fharc that they
have by their Reprefentatives in the
Legifl-itive Forfer this Declaration,
which breaks thro that, is no great E-
video cc that the reft will be maintain-
cd : and to fpeak plainly, when a Co-
ronatioo Oath is fo little remembred,
other Promifes muft have a prcporcio-
^ed degree of Credit given to them :
as for the Abbey Lands, the keeping
them from the Church is acc9rding to
the Principles of that Religion Sacri-^
ledge ; and that is a mortal Sin, aid
there can noAhfoiiti^n be given to any
^ho centinuc in it: and fo this Pro-
mife being an Obligation to maintain
men in a mortal Sin, is nul and void
of it felf ; Chorch Lands are alfo accor-
ding to the Doftrine of their Cano-
nifts, fo immediately Gods Right, that
the Pope himfcjf is the only Admini-
ftrator and Difpcnccr, but is not the
Maftcr of them ; he can indeed make
a truck for God, or let them fo low,
t!;ac God fhall be an eafie Landlord ;
but he camoc alter Goa'y Property,
nor tranllatcthc Fight that is in him
to Sacnlcgious Laymen and Here-
ticks.
Xr. One of the Effeftsof this De-
claration, will be the fettiug on foot a
new run of Adrefics over the Nation :
for there is nothing how impudent
and bafc foever, of w];ich the abjsft
flattery of a flavifh Spirit is net capa-
ble. It muft be confeft, to the Re-
p. each of the Age, tliac all thofc ftrains
of;
° flattery amcng the Romans, tliat the Laws, it appears tfret' he isrcfol-
acttiti fees forch with fo much juft ved to maintain both equally: fince
corn, are model things, compared then the Nation has already made it
to what tliis Nation has produced with- frlf fufiiciently ridiculous both to the
in rlicfe feven Years; onl)' if our Flat- prcfencand to all fucceeding Ages 3 ic
tery has come fhort of the Re finednefs is time that at lafl men fhould grow
of the Romans, it has ex "ceded theirs weary, and become alhamed of their
as much in its loathed Fulforane s : Folly.
The late King fct out a Declaration,
iu which he gave the moft folcnjn Af- xri. The Kmconformifls are now in-
furancespofllbleof his adhering to the vitcd to fet an Example to the^rell •
Church of England, and to the Religi. and they who have valued themfelves
OB eftabliflied by Law, and of his Re- hitherto upon their Oppofitian to Po-
folution to have frequent Parliament; pery , and that have quarrelled with
upon which the whole Nation fell as the Church of England, forfome fmall
itvvcrcimo Raptures of Joy and Flat- Approaches to it, in [a few Ceremo-
tery: but the he lived four Years after 3,.^ nowfolicited torejoycc, be-
that, he called no Parliament, notwith* caufe the Laws that fecureus againft
Handing the Law for Triennial Parlia- g|j up : fmce they en-
ments: and the manner of his Death, jgy prefcnc and during pkafure
and the Papers printed after his Death leave to meet together. It is natural
in hi» Name, having fufficiently fhew. ^e fet at eafe, e-
cd, that he was equally finccrc in both fpecially in the matter, of their Con-
thofeAff ranees that he gave, as well in fciences •, but it is vifible, that thof
that relating to Religion.as in that othcf vvho allow them tbislfavour, do ic
relatingto frequent Parliaments jyet up- with no other defign, but that under
onhisDeath arewfetof Addreilcs ap-- a pretence of a General Toleration,
peared , in which all that Flattery they may Introduce a Religion which
Could invent was brought forth, in mullpcrfecute all equally : ic is like-
the Commendations of a Prince, to wife apparent how much they are
whofe Afemory the greatefl kindnefs hated, and how much they have been
can be done, is to forget him and be- perfecuted by the Initigacion of thofc
caufe his prefenc Ma)eHy upon his who now Court them and who have
coming to the Throne gave fome very row no game that is mere promifing,
general Promifc of {maintaining the ihinthecngaging them and the Q-iurch
Church of EngLnd, this was magnified of England into new quarrels: and as
in fo Extravagant a H ain, as if it had for the Promifes now ma e to rlitm,
teen a Security greater than any that it cannot be duppofed ti.ac they v dl be'
the Law could give: tho by the re- more laftingtlian thofe chat were - ladc
gard that the King has botli to i; and to fome time ago to cue Churdi or Eng- '
land,
C 2
hfd, vvho had both a better Tide itj
Law and greater Merit upont he Crown
roafTure them thatthej' fhould be well
ufed thanthefe can prcend to. Tire
Nation has fcarce f 'tgiven fomc of t! e
Church of £ng/ard the Perfecutionin-
to which they have fuffered themfclv'.s
to be cofened ■, tho now that they fee
Popery barefaced, the Stand that tl ey
have trade, and tiie vigorous Oppof ti-
on that they have given to it, is that
which makes all men willing to forget
tyhat is pafl, and raifes again the Glory
of a Church that was not a little (iained
by the Indifcrecion and Weaknefs of
thofe, that were too apt to believe and
liopc, and fo fuffered themfelves to be
made a Property to thofe who would
make them a Sacrifice- The Sufferings
of the Nonconformifls ^ and the Fniy
that the Popifh patty exprcffcd agaitiil
them , had recommended them fo
much to the Compaffions of the Nati-
on, and had given them fo ;uft a pre-
tenfion to favour in a better time, that
it will look like a Curfe of God upon
them, if a few men, whom the Court
lias gained to betray them, can have
fuch an ill Influence upon them as to
make them throw away all that Merit,
and thofe Compaffions which their
Sufferings have procured them ; and
to go and court thofe who are only
fcemingly kind to them, that they
may dcftroy both them and us. They
muff remember that as the Church of
England is the only Effabliftment that
our iicligion has by Law ; fo it is the
main body of the Nation, and ail the
Seffs are but fmajl and ffragling par-
0-
ties;: and if the Legal Settlement of
t ie Church is difldved, ard that body
is once broken, tliele leflVr bodies will
be all at Mercy : an 1 it is an eafy thing
to define vvhat the Merc'Co of thofe
Chu: c 1 of Rotre arc.
XFFI. But tho'it muft be confeffeds
that the Non. onformiffs are ffill un-
der fome Temj^citions, to receive
ev,.ry tiling that gives them prefent
cafe, with a little too much kindnefs;
fince they lie expofed to many fcvere
Laws, of which they have of late ftk :
the weight very heavily, and as they
are men, and Fbme of them as ill Na-
tured men as other people, fo it is no
wonder if upont he firff furprik s of the
Declaration, they are a 1 tele delight-
ed) to fee the Church of EnglanUyZUcx
all its Services and Submiffions to the
Court, fo much mertificd by it j fo
that taking all together it will not be
Orange if they commit fome Follies
upon this occafion. Yet on the other
hand it pafles all imagination, to fee
fome of the Church of England, efpe-
cially thofe whofe Natures we know
are fo particularly ffiarpned in the
point of Perfecution, chiefly when it
is levelled againft the Diffcnters, re-
joyce at this Declaration, and make
Addrefles upon it. It is hard to think
that they have attained to fo high a
a pitch of Chriffian Charity, as to
thank thofe who do now DefpitefuUji ufe
them, and tliat as an earncff that'
within a little while they will Perfecute
them. This will be an Original, and
a Maffer-piece in Flattery, which muff ■
needs
r =9 3
1«
needs draw the Jaft degrees of Con-
ct mption fuch as are capable of f« ab-
and fordid a Compliance, and that
not only from all the true Members of
the Church of England, but likewife
from thofe of the Church of Rme it
felf ; for every man is apt to efleem an
Enemy that is brave even in his Misfor-
tunes, as much as lie defpil'cs thofe
vvhofe minds fink vvith their Conditi-
o", for what it it that thefe men would
the King Is it becaufe he breaks thofe
Caws that are made in their Favour,
and for their Proteftion; and is now
ftriking at the Root of all Legal Sec-
tlement that they have for their Rehgi-
08 ? Or is it becaufe that at the fame
time that the King profeffcs a iieligion
that condemns his Supremacy, yet he
is not contented with tlie Extrc.fe of it
as it is warranted by Law,but carries it
fo far as to ercft a Court contrary to
the exprefs worps of a Law fo lately
made •• That Court takes care to main-
rain a due proportion between their
Conflitution and all their Proceedings,
that fo all may be of a piece, and ttll e-
qually coitrary to Law. They have
fufpended one Bifhop, only becaufe he
vvfuld not do that which was not in, his
power to do : for fincc there is no Ex-
trajudiciary Authority in England, a
Bilhop can no more proceod to a Sen-
tence of Sufpenfion againfl a Clergy-
man without a Tryal, and the hearing
of Parties, than a Judge can give a
Sentence in his Chamber without an
Indiftruent, a Tryal, or a Jury , and
becaufe one of the grcatefl b»dies of
England would not break their Oatlir,
and obey a Mandate that plainly coad
tradifted them, we fee to what a pitch
this is like to be carried, I will not
anticipate upon this illegal Court, to
rell what Judgments, are coming; but
Without carrying our Jealoufies ton far»
one may fafely conclude, that they
will never depart fo far Jfrom their firfl
Inffitutfon, as to have any regard, ei-
thcr to our Religion, or our Laws, or
Liberties, in any thing they do. If
all this were afted by a owed Papifb,
a; we art fure it is projefted by fuch,
there were nothing extraordinary in
it ; but that which carries our Indig.
nation a little tco far to'be eafily go-
verncd, is to fee feme pretended Pro-
teflants, and a few Bifliops, among
thofe that are the fatal Infirumcntsof
pulling down the Church of England
and that thofe Mercenaries Sacrifice
their Religion and their Church to
their Ambition and Intercrts; this has
fuch peculiar Charafters of /T/isfortuBc
upon it, that it fcems it is not enough
if we peri/h Without pity, fince we
fall by that haud that we have fo much
fupported acd fortified, but we mufl
become the Scorn of all the world,
fince we have produced fuch an unna-
rural Brood, that even while they are
p etcnding to be the Sons of theChurch
of England, are cutting their Mothers
Throat: and not content with Judas's
Crime, of faying, Hui/ Mufter, and
kjjjing him, while thev aVc be-rayir.g
him into the hards cf cthnrs; thefo _
earry tlicir Wiclcednels f^rrliT, and
fay. \iail Mother, and then rhcythem*
felves murthe. her. If after all this we
H j are
were called on to bear this ss
Chrii^ians, and to fufFer it as Subjcdls,
if we were required in Patience to pof-
ftfs our own Souls, and to be in Chari-
ty with our Enemies j and which is
morC) to forgive our Falfe Brethren
who add Treachery to their Hatred;
. the Exhortation were feafonable, and
indeed a little necclTary : for humane
Nature cannot eafily rake* down things
of fuch a hard digeftion ; but to tell us
that we muft niakc Addreflcs, atid of-
fer Thanks for all this, is to infiilt a
little too much upon us in our Suffer-
isgs: and he that can believe that a
dry and cautioufly worded Promife of
maintaining the Church of England,
will be rcligioufly obfcrvcd after all
that we have fecn, and is upon that
carried fo far out of his Wits as to Ad-
drefsand give Thanks, and will believe
ftill, fuch a man has.nothing to 035-
7" ✓
cufe him from believing Tranfubfbetia.
tionitfelf; fork is plain that he-can
bring himfeif to believe even when
the thing is contrary to the clearcft b,
video ce that his fenfes can give him.
Si populm hie vult decipi decifiatur,
POSTSCRIPT.
THefe RefieHms were writ foon after
the Declaration came to my hands,
but the Matter of them was fo tender,and
the Conveyance of them to the Prefs was
fo uneafie, that thej appear niw too late to
have one ejfeS that was Deftgned bp them,
which was, the diverting men from making
Addreffes upon it; yet i f what it here pro-
pojed makes men become fo far wife as to
be afloamed of what they have done, and
U a means to kpep them from carrying their
Courtsfhip further than good words, tbit
Paper will not come too late.
.1
AB
r sO
Aa Anfwer to a Paper, PrinteJ with Allovvanee, Entitled, A Kew
. Ttji of the Church of Englands Loyalty.
I, '"1"^ H E Accufing the Church of
I Englard of want of Loyalty, or
the putting it to, a new Teft,
after fo frelh a one, with relation to
His Majefiy, argues a high degree of
Confidence in him who undertakes it«
She knew well what were the Doffrincs
and Pradices of thafe of the Roman
Church, with Relation to Hereticks;
and yet She was fo true to her Ley-
alty, that She Hiut her Eyes on all the
TemptacioHS that fo juff a fear could
raife in her ; and She fee her fclf to
fupport His MajeAies Right of Succeffi-
on, with fo much Zeal, that She there-
by not only put her felf in the powerof
her Enemies; but She has alfo Expofed
her Self to the Scorn of thofe who in-
fultover her Misfortune. She loA the
Affedions even of many of her own
Children ; who thought that her Zeal
for an IntereA, which was then fo
much decry'd, was a little too fer-
vent; and all thofe who judged fe-
verely of the proceedings, thought
that the Oppofition which She made
to the fide that then went fo high, had
more Heat than Decency in it. And
indeed all this was forcry Extraordi-
•■ary, chat if She was not aded by «
principle of Confcicnce, She could
make no Excufe for her Condud, There
appeared fuch peculiar Marks of Af-
fcdion and Heartinefs, at every time
that the Diike was named, whether in
Drinking his Health, or upon graver
Occafions, that it fcemed affeded: and
when the late King himfelf f whofe
Word they tdck that he was a Pro-
teAant) was Ipoke of bat coldly, the
very Name of the Duke fetlier- Chil-
drcn all on fire : this made many con-
elude, that they were ready to Sacri.
fice all to him , for indeed their Beha.
viourwas iaflimed with fo much Heat,
that the greater part of the Nation Ise-
lieved they waited for a fit oppor-
runity to declare themfelves. Faith
in Jefus ChriA was not a more frcquenE
Subjcdof the Sermons of many, than
Loyalty ; and the Aiglit of the Sue-
ceffion to the Crown, the Heat that
appeared in the Pulpit, and the Lcar«-
ing that was in their Books on thefe
Subjcds, and the Eloquent Strains tlwt
were in their Addrcffcs, were all Ori-
ginals, and made the World conclude,
That whatever might be laid to their
Charge, they (hould never bcaccuAd
of any want of Loyalty, at kaA in
this King's time, while the remem-
brance of fo fignal a ftrvice was fo
frefh. When His MajeAy came to
the Crown, thefe men did fo entirely
depend
depend on the Pronj'ife that he made,
to mmtain the Church of England, that
the doubrirglof the performance ap-
pearcd to them the worft fort of I rfde-
lity. They believed, that in His Ma"
jefty, the Hera, and the Kwg, would
be too flrong for the Papijisy and when
any one told tlicra, Hw rveaJc ^
Faith of a Catholicity to Herefic^r tiHft
tteeds be, they could not hearken to
this with any patience: but looked on
his Majefiies Promife as a thing fo Sa-
rred, that they imploy'd their ioterefl
to carry all Eledliont of Farlia>n<-'nt-
d^en, for thofe that were recommeHded
by the Coutt, vvith fo much Vigour,
that it laid them open to much Gen-
hire. In Parliament they moved for
no'Laves to fecure their Religion •, bat
affuring themfelves, that Honour was the
Kings Idol, they laid hold on it, and
fancied, that a ptsblick reliance on his
Word, would give them aiJ Intercft in
his Majerty, tliat was Generous, and
more futcable to the Noblenefs ©f a
Princely Nature than any new Law'
could be : fo that they acquiefced in it,
and gave the Kiug a vaft Revenue for
i-ife; In the Rebellion that followed,
they fhevved vvith what 2eal they ad-
hered to his Majefty, even againfl a
Pretender that declared for them. And
in the Seliion of Parliamenf,^b\chcame
after that,they fhevved their difpofttion
to aflift the King wjth new Supplies,
and were willing toExcufe and indem-
nifie all that was pafl; only they defi-
red with ail pofiible A/odefty, thatthc
Laws vyhich His Ma]ejiy had both pro-
mifed, and at his Coronation huA Sworn
C 32'}
to maintain, might be Exrcated. Here
is their Crime, which has raifed all this
Oat-cry i They did no: move for the
Ex cucion of cvere and penal Laws^
but were willing to let thofe flecp, tiij
it might appear by the Behaviour of
the Papifls, whether ihty m'ghc de-
ferve that there fhcuid beany Mitiga-
, tion made of them in their ^ Favour,
i'incethac time, our Ch^rch-men \wc
have been conftant in mixing their
Zeal for their Religion againfl Popery»
with a Zeal for Loyaltj againfl Rebellion>
becaufe they think chefe two are very
Well confiflcnt one with another, k
is true, they have generally exprefled
an unw'iliingnefs to part with the two
Tells j becaufe they have no mind to
truft the keeping of their Throats to
thofe who they believe will cut them,
and they have fee n nothing in the con-
duft of the Papifls, either within or
without the Kingdom, to make tliem
grow weary of the Zaws for their fakes.
and the fame principle of common
fenfe, which make it fo bar ! for them
to believe Tranfubflantiation, makes
them conclude that the Author of this
Paper, and his Friends, are no other,
than what they hear, and fee,- and
know tbem to be.
II. One inflance its which the Church
of England fhewcd her SubmiffioH to
the Conrt, was, that as fooa as the
Nanconformifts had drawn a new Storm
upon themfelves, by their mcdiing in
the matter of Exclufion, many of her
Zealous Members went into that Pro-
fecution of them, which the Court fee
DO
o-n foot. «ith mere Heat, than was
perhaps juftifiable ia it felf, or teafo-
nabkin thole Cincumftances 5 but how
cer.fuvabic focvtr ibrne angry men may
be, it is fomcwhat ftram e to fee tliofe
of the Church of Rme biame us for ir,
which has decreed fomc unrelenting
Severities againft all that differ from
her, and has enailed that not only in
Pariiaments but even in General Coun-
cils. It muif needs found odly to hear
the Sons of a Church , that muft ^de-
firoy all-others as foonasiccan com-
pifs it, yet complain of the Exeelles of
Fines and Impnfonnients, that have
been of late among us. But if this
•Reproach feems a little ftrange when it
is in the Mouth of a Papift, it is much
more provoking, when it comes [from
any of the Court. Were not all the
Orders f»r the late Sevtrity fcnt from
theitceDid nor the Judges in every
Circuit, and the Favourite Jufliccs of
Peace in every Scffions, imploy all their
Eloquence on this SubjcA ? The Dire-
ftions that were given to the Juffices
and the Grand Juries were all repeated
Aggravations of this Mittcr: and a
little Ordirusry Lawyer, without any o-
ther Vifible Merit, but an Oatraghut Fu-
in thofe Matters, on which he has
chiefly valued hirafelf, was of a fud-
den taken in his Majejiies fpecial Fa-
your, and raifcd up to the Wghejl Pnjls
of the I.3W. All thefe things, led
f'tneof our Obedient Clergy, to look
on it as a piece of their Duty to the
King , to encourage that Severity, of
which the Court ftemed fo fond, that
aim nil all people t'nug'it, they had
kt it up for a Maxime, from which
they would never depart.. I will not
pretend to excufe all that lias been
done of late Years; but it is certain,
chat the moft crying Severities have
been adled by perfons chat were raifej
up to be Judges and Magiftrares for
that very end : they were Intruded,
Trufted andRewarded for it, both in the
lalf and under the p'efcnt Rtign,Cinrc/S-
preferments were diflinguilJied rather as
Recompences of this devouring Zeal,
than of a real Merit i and men og
mo'te modemte Tempers were not on.
ly ill lockt at, but ill ufed. So that it
is in it felf very unrcafonablc to throw
the load of the lace iiigour on the
Church of England, without diflindi-
on r but it is worfc than in good man-
ncrs it is fit to call it, it this Reproach
comes from the Court. And itisloiae-
what nnbccoming to fee that; which
was fee on at one time, difovvned at a-
nochcr; while yet he that was the
chief Inflruaient in it is flill in fo high
a poll; and begins now to treat the
men of the Church of England, with
the fame Brutal Exceflcs, that he be-
ftewcd fo lately and fo liberally on the
Dtjfenters; as if his defign were to reader
himfelf equally odious to allyV/ankind.
III. The Church of England may
jufHy cxpoftulate when ihc is created
asSeditiuus; after fhe has rcndrcd the
highefl Services to the civil Authorityt
that anyChurch now on Ear th has do>;c.
She has beaten down all the Principles
of Rebellon,with mercForce aifd Learn-
ing than any Body of men has yet
I j done;
r 34
done; and has run the hazard of En-
raging her Enemies, and lofing her
Friends, even for thofe, from whom
the more learned of her Members knew
well what they might expeft. And
fincc otr Author likes the figure of a
Snake in ones Bofom fo well ; I could
tell him, that according to the Ap»-
logue, we took up and fhehred an In-
tereft, chat was almoftDead, and by
that warmth gave it Life, which yet
now with the Snake in the Bofom, is
like to bite us to Death. We do not
fay, that we are the only chnrch that has
the Principles of Loyalty, but this rve may
that we are the Church in the
World that carries them the higbejl j
as we know a Church that of all o-
thers finks them the loweff. We do
not pretend that we are Inerrable in
this Point, but acknowledge that fome
of our Clergy mifcarried in it upon King
Edwards Death : Yet at the fame time
others of our Communion adhered more
fiedily to their Zoyaltyin favour of Q.
Mary, that She did to the ProjnzJej- that
ftie made to them. Upon this SnbjciS
our Aurhcrby \\\sh\(c Qjiotation of Hr.
(lory, forces me to fee the Reader right,
whichjf it proves to the Difadvantage
of his Caufe, his Friends may thank
him for it, J will not enter into fo te-
dious a Digreffm, as the jujiifying Queen
Elizabeths being Legitimate, and the
throwing the Baflardy en Queen Mvry
mufl carry me to; thisl will only fay,
that it was made out, that according to
the beft fort of Arguments, ufcd by
the Church of Rome-, I mean the con-
ftanc Tradition of all Ages,King Henry t-be
Eighth marrying with Quecti Catherine,
was Inceflucns, and by confequence Q.
Mary was tlie Baflard, and Queen Elu
Zabtth was the Legitimate Iflue. But
©ur Author not facisfi,d with defaming
Queen Elizabeth , tells us, that the
Church of England was no foonerfctup
by her, than She Er.afled tkofeBIoo-
dy Cannibal Laws, to Hang, Draw and
Quarter the Priefis of the Living God i
But fince thefe Laws difiurb him fo
much, what does he think of the Laws
of Burning the poor Servants of the Lf-
vingGod, becaufe they cannot give Dz-
vine Werftip to that which they believe
to be ©nly a Piece of Bread ? The Re-
prefentation he gives of this parr of our
Hiflory, is fo falfe, that jho upon Q
Elizabeths coming to the Crown, there
were many Complaints exhibited of
the illegal Violencesthac.Sszrzzer and o-
thcr Butchers had committed, yet all
thefe were fbfled, and no Penal Laws
were Enaded again thofe of that Re
ligion. The popifh Clergy were in-
deed turned out; but they were well
ufed, and had PenfioBS*afllgncd them ;
fb ready was tlte Queen and our Churcb
to forgive what was pafl,^ and to fhcw
all Gentlenels for the future. During
the firft thirrecn Years 6f her Reign,
matter vvent on calnily, without any
fort of Severity on the account of Rcli-
gion. But then the refllcfi fpirit of
that Party, began to throw the Nation
iazo violent Convulfions. The Pope
dcpofed the Queen, and one of the
Party had the Impudence to port up the
Bull in London ; upon this followed fe-
veral Rebellions, both in England and
Ireland,
and the Papifls of both King-
doms cntred into Confederacies with
the King of Spain and the Court of Rome
the Pfeifts difpofcd all the people tha^
depended on them, to fubmit to the
Popes Autherity in that Difpofirion,an J
to rcjeft thcj2«ecnrj Tliefe endeavours >
befides open Rebelion, produced many
Secret Fraftices agaiaft her Life, All
thefe things gave the rife to the feverc
Laws, which began not to be eaaded
before the twentieth year of her raign.
A War was formed by the Bull of Dc-
pofition, between the Queen and the
Court of Rome, fo it vvas a necefliiry
Piece of Precaution,to decleare alli\h»re
to be Traitors who were the A/iffioaa-
ri« of that Authority which had fiript
the Queen of hers; ye-t thofe Laws were
not executed upon feme S.cular Priefls
who had the Honefiy to condemn the
Depofing Doffrine. As for the unhap:
py Death of the Queen of Scotland, it
was brought on by the wicked Prafli-
ces of her own Party, who fatally in-
volved her in fome of them ; She was
but a SubjeAhere in England-, and if
the Queen took a more Violent way,
than was decent for her own Security,
here was^no Difloyalty nor Rebellion in
the Church of England, which owed
her nofort of Allcgeancc
IV. I do not pretend that the
Church of England has any great caufe
to value herfelf upon her Fidelity to
King Charles the Firfl, tho'our Author
would have it pafs for the only thing of
which She can boalf; for I ccnfefs, the
caufe of the Church was fo cwiUed with
C 35 J
the King's, that Tnterefi and Duty went
together: tho' I will not go fo far Jas
our Author, who fays, that the Lavs of
Nature diAates to every Individual to
fight in his own Defence : This is coo
bold a thing to be deliver ed fo crude-
ly at this time. The Laws of Nature
arc perpetual, can never be cancelled
by any li>ecial Law; So if thefe Gen-
tlemea own fo freely, that this is ^
Law of Nature, they had belt take care
not to provoke Nature too much, left
She fly to the ileliefe chat thisLaw may
give her, unlefs ftie is reftrained by the
Loyalty of our Church Our Author
values his Party much upon 'their Loy-
alty to King Charles the firft; but I
muft take the Liberty to ask him of
what Religion were the Irish Retells
and what fort of Loyalty was it, chat
they (hewed cither in the firft Maf-
facre,orin the progrefs of that Rebel-
fioa ? Their Mdfages to the Pope , to
the Court af France, and to the Duke
of Lorrndn, offering themfeDcs to a»y of
the fe, that would have undertaken to
proteA them, are aAs of Loyalty which
the Church of England is no ways ii
dined to follow ; and the Authentical
Proofs of thefe things are ready to be
produced. Nor need 1 add to this, the
hard terms cHat they offered to. the
King, and tlieir ill ufage of thofe whom
helmpluyed. 1 could likewife reprefs
th.e Infolence of this Wtiter, by ttli
ing him of tiieSIavilh Submiffiops that-
tlieic Party made to Crcmrvel, both Fa-
ther and ibn. As for their Adiicring
to King Charles the firft, tiie.-c is a pe,-
culiai BoLlnefs- in our Authors. Allert r
on.
r 3^)
Ofl, who fays, thac they had no Hope I hope our Author will not have tlw
ncr Incereld in tljac Caufe: The State of Impudence to difpute the Credit that
that Cwrr is not fo quite forgot, hut is due to tliis Teiltmony : but poDil-
that we do well remember what Cre- coverics, how evident foever they may
dit the Queen had with the lling, and be, can afted fome fort of mcn^ tltat
what Hopes She gave the Party; yet have a Secret againft blufhirg.
they did not fo entirely efpoufe the
Kiugs Caufe, but chat they had likewife V. Our Author exhorts us,to charge j
a flying Squadron in the Parliaraenfs ' o\iT Frindoles of Royalty, and to take
Army, how boldly foever this may be Example of our C.tth lkl^ Ndgiibmrs-,
de-nyed by our Author ,for this 1 wil' how to beliave our fclves towards a
give him a proof, that is beyond excep- Prince, that is not of cur Pcrfw^afioa :
tion, in a of that Kings, lent But would Jie have hs learn of our l i(h
to the Kingdom of Scotlaid, barisg date ^righbiun, to cut our Fellow SiiVjjeds
the a I of April Kjgj. which is printed Throats ; and rebel againll our /fmg,
over and over again, and as an Author Wecauff he*s of another Religion ? fot
tliat writes the Hiflory of the lace that is the frefhefl: Example that any of
Wart, had allured us the clean draught C^tholick Neighliours have fet u<;
of it, correfted in fome places with chercfere I do not look fo far-back^
the KingV own Hand, is yet extant. to the or the League
fo that it cannot be prstended, that Prance in the lafl Ag/". He reproa-
this was only a bold Affertion of fome f»'hng in oor Fidelity to our
of the Wngt A///i7/?er/, that might bf ^'"8' But in this matter we appeal to
ill affeiied to their Party. In that De- Angels and ^en ; and in parti-
clarathri the King ftudied to poflefs his oular to HisMajefly ; Let our Enemies
Subjeas of Scotland with thc juftice of any 0"^ Point of our Duty, in
his Caufe, and among other things, to which we have failed ; for as we can-
dear himfelf of that Imputation that not be charged for havitg preachc any
he had an Army of Papip about him, Seditious Doarine, fo we arc not wan-
after many things faid on that head, ""gin the Preaching of the Duties of
thcfe words are added : • Great num. -Loyalty, even when we fee what they
' bers of that Religion have been with which
' great Alacrity entertained in that Re- be finglcs out is, That we have failed
bellious Army againfl us: and others inkhat graceful Return, that we owed
* have been feduced, to whom we had bis Mrjefty for his Promifc, of Main-
' formerly denycd Imployments; as ap- taining our Church as it is Eflablifhed
' pears by the Examination of many by Lasv ; fince upon that we ought to
' Prifoncrs, of whom we have taken have repealed the Sanguinary Laws,
'twenty and thirty at a time of one and die late impious Tefls: the for-
Troop or Company of that Religion- mer being enafted to maintain thcU-
far-
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fnrpationof Queen Elizabeth; and the pofc on an Ignor.nc Reader, whdmay
other being contrived to exclude the be ape to believe Implicity, what he
prefencKing. We have not failed to fays corcerning the Zaws of the iafl
pay allcheGracitvdeaud Duty that was Age, yet it was too bold for him to
poflible, in return to H.s ^Wajefties Pro- ajfcrt, that the Jefts, which are fo
inife; which we have carried fo far,that l^t^iy made, were contrived to exclude
we are become the Objeft even of our jj^e prefent King ; when there was not
Enemies Scorn by it. With all Humi. 3 thought «f Exclufion many Years
lity be it faid, that if Mis Majefty had aflfl; the firfl was made, and the Duke
promifcd us a fartiier Degree of His was accepted out of the fecond by a
Favour, than that of which the Law fpecial frmfi. but rlicfc Gentlemen
had aflaered us, it might have bcm will do well never to mention the
expcftcted, that our return fhould have Exclufion; for every time that it is
a degree of Obedience beyond that na»ncsi,it will make people call to mind,
which was required by Law; fo that the the Service that the Church ofJEn^/cnd
return of the Obedience injoyncd by did in that matter, and that will carry
Law, anfwers a Fromife of a protefti- with it a Reproach of Ingratitude that
on according to Law ; yet we carried needs not be aggravated. He alfo coa-
this matter farther; for as was fet forth founds the two Tefis, as if chat for
in the beginning of this paper, we publick ImploymcBts, contained in it
went on info high a pace of Compli- a Declaration of the Kings being an 1-
ancc and CoBfidcnce, that we drew dolarr, or as he makes it, a Pagan -
theccnfuersofthewhoIe»Nadononni; which is not at all in it, but in the o-
nor could any Jealoufiei or Fearx give ther for the Mcnilliers of Parliament,
ustheleaff Apprehenfions,teIl we were in which there is indetd^u Declaration,
fo hard preflcd in matters of Religion, that the Church of Rome is sui-lty -^of
that we conld be no longer filcnt; The Idolatry; which is done in general
fame Apoftlc that taught us to Honour terms, without applying it to His Mi-
the King, faid likewife, that we tauft jcfty, as our Author does : Upcn this
obey God rather thanmaa Our Au- he would infer,- that h is ^ajeffy is noc
thtr knows the Hifiory of our Laws ill; fafe till the Tefh arc taken a way; but
forbcfidesvyha has becnallrcady faid, we have giveu^nch Evidences of our
touching the Laws made by Queen E- Loyalty, that we have plainly fhewed
lizabeth, the fevereft of our Pcnall this to be falfe, fince we do opealy de-
Laws, and that which troubles him clare, that our Duty to the King is no:
and his friends moft, was pafl by K. founded on his being of this or that
James after the Gunpowder-plot ; a Religion; fo that his Majcfty has a full
provocation t hut might have wellju- Security from our Frii ciples, the the
fiificd even greater Severities. But Tcfis contkme, ficce there is noreafon
the our Author may hope to Im- tliat we, who did run the hazard of be |
K i ing
r.-:
itig ruined by the Excluders, whentlie
Tide was fo flrong againfl as, would
fail his Majcfiy now, when our Intercft
and Duty are joyned together ; bur if
theXefls are taken away, it is certain
that we can have no Severity any Ion-
get ; for we (lull be then laid open to
the Violence of fuch re(llcibancri1T-na
tured mea, as the Aurhof of this j^Pap r
and his Brethren are. *
VL The fame reafon that made our
Saviour refufe to throw himfelf down
from the Roof of the Temple, when
the Devil tempted him to it, in the
va n Confidence, that Angels niuft be
alliflant to him to prcfervc him, holds
g od in our Cafe, Our Saviour faid,
Tim (h-tU mt Tempt the Ltrd thy Ged.
And we dare not truft our fdves to
the Faith and to the Mercies of j
Society, that'ishut too well known to
the World, to pretend, ^hat we fhould
yull dowh our Pales, tojet in fueh
Wolves among us. God and the Laws
hath given us a legal Security, ahd
His Majedy has prpmifed to maintain
us in it : and wc think it argues no
Diftruft, either of God, or the Truth
cf our Religion, to fay, that we can-
not by any Aft of our own, lay our
felves open, and throw away that De-
fenee. Nor would we willingly expofe
his Majefly to the unwearied Sslicita-
tions of a fort of men, who, if wc
may Judge ©f that which is to come,
by that which is pall, would give him
no red, if once the Reflraincs of iaw
were taken off, but would drive mat-
jers to chofe Extremities, to which
wc fee their Natures ca rry them head-
long.
19!
V[[, The 1 aft Paragraph is a drain
wcrrliy of that Sdrool that bred our
Author-, he fays, 'His Majedy may
' withdraw his Royal Proteftion from '^jttht
'-ft-rlGhtirch of Eniimd which was
'promifed her, "upon the account of
'herconftanc Fidelity, and he brings ,
no other Proof to confii-mfo bold an
Affertian but a falfe Axiome of chat anl^eto«
defpifed Philofophyi in whidi heJvas (,.ii;Cl|rd
bred : Ceftnte .cMt toltiiitr EffeHut .jp^aon,
This is indeed fucli an Ir dignity to Hi; yrttdkc
Majedy, that 1 prefum.eto fay it with
ail humble Aeverence, thefe are the
lad pcrfons whom lie'ought to pardon,
that have the Boldneis to touch fo fa,
cied a point as the Faith of a Prince,
which is the chief Security of Go-
veraracnt, and the Foundation of all
the Confidence that a Prince can pro-
mife himfelf from his People, and
wiiich, once blafted, can never be re-
covered: Equivocations may be both
taught and praftifed with Icfs danger
by an Order that has little Credit to
lofe-, but nothing can ftuke Thrones
fo much, as fuch treacherous Maxims*
^mud alfo ask our Autiior, in what
point of Fidelity has cur Church failed
f» far, as to make her forfeit her
Title CO His Majcdies Promifcs •
for as he himfelf has ftaced this
matter, it comes all to this. The
King promifed that he would maintain
the Church of England as Eftablifhed
by Taw, Upon which in Gratitude
he fays, chat the Church of England
w
r 39)
was bovifld to throw up tlie Chief Se- there is none more hurtful to the Go
curity that fhe had in her Eftiblifli- vernmcnt, in our prefent CireumftaB-
BieflC by Law j which is, that all who ces, than the faying, that the Kings
are intrufted either with the I.cgifla- Promiics and the Peoples Fidelity
five or the executive Farts of our Go- ought to be Reciprocal; and that aFai-
-rernment, mufi: be of her Cominuni- lu-e in the one, cuts off the other .
on 5 and if the Church of England is for by a very natural confequence the
not foTameatsd fo Submiflive, as to SubjeS may likcwifc fay,thattheirc)df;&j
part with This, tlien the King is free Allegeance be'ng founded on tkeAFu-
from his Promife, and may witlidraw r^ce of His Majefties Proteftion, the
his Jloyal Protcftion j though 1 mufl One binds no longer than the O-
crave leave to tell him, that the iatvs thir is obfervcd : and the Inferences
gave the Cliiarch of England a ^ight to that may be drawn from hence will be '
that Proteftion, whether His Majcfty yery terrible, if the Loyalty of the fos
had promifed it or not. much dccryed Church of Englandy docs
Of all the Maxims in the World, not put a flop to them.
A
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C 4' )
A L E T T E R, containing fome Remarks on the Two Tapers, writ by His late
Maj^Hy Ki g Charles the Second, concerning Aeligion.
SIR,
I Thank you for the two Royal Papers,
that you havefentmc ; /had heard
of chera before, but now wc liave
•rhemfo wtlT tteAcd, ihat there is no
hazard of being deceive by a falfe Go-
py: youcxpea that in return, / Ihould
letyoi know, what /roprtffion they hive
made upon me. / pay all the revtrence
that is due to a Crownd Head , even in
Afhcs ■, to which / will never be want-
jtig : farUfsaml capable of fufpefling
jhe Royal Atti^Aation that accompaniej.
(hem ■, of the truth of wliich I take it for
granted no man doubts 5 But I muA crave
leave to tell you, that/am confident,
the late King only copied them, and that
they are not of his Compcfing ; for as
they have nothing of that free Air,'wit_h
which he expreffed himfelf ■, fo there is
a Contexture in thera,that does not look
like a Prince ■, and the beginning of the
firfi fhcvves it war the eff&ft of a Gonver-
faticn, and was to be communicated to
Another; fo that I am apt to think they
were Gcmpofed by ano her. and were
fo well rtllfhed by the late King, that he
thought fit to^kecp them, in order to his
examining thtm mere particularly; and
that he was prevailed with to Copy them
IcR a Paper of that nature might have
been inade a Crime,if it had Been t®und
about him writen by ar.othcr hand : and
/could name one or two Pcrfons, who
as they were able cno gh to Compere
fuch Papers, fo had power enough over
his Spirit to engage him to Copy them,
and to put thenifdves out of danger by
r/Acring the Original.
You ought to addrefssour felfto the
turned Divines ®f pur Church , for an
K%
anfwertofiich [things in them as puzzle
you, and not to ore that has not tne
honour to be of th.at Body , and that has
now carried a Sword for fome time, and
imploys the leafure tha t at any time he
enjoyc^,rather in Thilofophical and Ma-
thematical Enqciries than in matters of
Controverfic. * There is indeed one
Confideration that determined mc more
eafiiy to comply with your defires,which
is, my haying had the honour to dit-
courfe copiouily of ihofe matters with
the late King himfelf; and he having
propofed to me fome of the particulars
that I find in thofc Papers, and f having
faid feveral tilings to him , in anfvter to
thofe Heads, which he offered to me
only as Objections,with which he feemcd
fu'ly fatisfied, I am the more willing to
comrouuicarc to you, that which I took
the liberty to before His late MajcAy
on feveral occafions: the arriculars on
which he irfiAed m difcouTe with me,
were the" ufelcfsncrs of a /aw without
" a Judge, and the ntceflity of an infal-
" liblc Tribunal to determine Controver-
" fies to which he added.the mtny Yeifts
"that were in England, which fccmed
" to he a neceffary confequcnce of the
" Liberty that every cr.c took to inter-
" pret the Scriptures t ant) he often re-
" peated ihat of il,t Church of Er.gland{
' • arguing , fn .m i!:e obligation to obey
" the Church,againA 'he Seftaries,which
"he thought was of "O force, uolcfs
" they allowed more Authority to the
"Chureh then they fcemed wiiling to
"admit, UJ their Difputes with this
" Church of Rime. But upon the
whole Matter I will offer you fome Re*
L ') tiediois
(4^ J
flfftiorK , that will, I hope , be of as be appointed b\ Ch.rifi; i it is to be ccn-
great weight withyott, as they arc with hde.e , ihutit na'foa reafocabic Pic-
iriyfclf. f mptioii, ci^at if huh a Cojtt was'ap-
I. All Arguments that [rove upon po nced by him, itmurtbe dotieinfurh
fuch general Confidcrarions, that there plahi te-ms li.at the re can be roroom to
ought to be an /nfallible |udge namtd oucrt^on the me inirg of tliem ; and
by Chrift, and clothed with his Author- ftnct tiiis i; the hir ge upon which all o-
ity, fignify KOthinr, vm-efs it can be the-mat'trs rum, it ctight to be cxpref-
ftevved u' , in wha'Texts of Scripture fed fo particularly, in whom it isvcficd,
that nomination is ro m. found \ and till that there liiouhi be no occafion given
that i; flicwed, they are only Arguments to difputc, whe tlirr it is in one Man or
brought to prove that C/;ri/? Oi-^Ar to in a Body; ardifin a Body, whether
dom lomcvhtff th^ heb.tf not done. So in the Nlaj- rity- or in the two tliixds,or
thefc arc itufftft fo many <4rguments a- in the wholefsedy uiiaiiimcufly agreeing;
gainffChrlR, uolefs it appears that he in (ho'-t rke Chief thing in all Gcvern-
has Auchcrifedfacha Judge: therefore ments being the Nature aid Power of
the right way to ecd this difpute, is, to the Judges , thofc are always dirtinfhy
ftew where fuch a Conftitution is an- fpccided ; and therefore if tlicfe things
thonfcil; So that the moft that can be arc not fpecified in the Scriptures; it is
made of this is, that it atnounts to a atleah a ftrong Prefumption,tliat Chrift
favourable prefumption. did not intend to authorife f. ch Judfes.
Ih It is a very unreafonabie thing for IV. There were fcveral Controvcfits
MSto fcrmPrcfumpticns, of what is, or raifcd among the Chttrehcs to which the
ought to be, from /hconveniences that Apofiles writ, as appears by the Epiftlcs
do arife, in cafe that fuch things are ear [; to the Romans, Corinthians, Gaatians
for we may carry thus fo far, that it will and ColofTians, yet the AicflLs r erer
notbceajlie to ftopit. It fcems more make ufe of thofc palfagcs that ere pre-
■futable to the infinite Goodnefs of God, tended for this Authority to put an end
«o communicate the knowledge of him- ro th' fe Controverfies; winch is a fhrewd
feif to all mankind, and to furnifh every Prefumption, that they did i;oc under-
Man syith fuch afliftances as will certain- ^andthemin that fenfe in which the
ly prevail over him. /tfeems alfo rea- Clmrch of Rome does how take them,
fonable to think, thatfo perfefta Vavi- Nor does Sr. Pauhn the diredions that
our as Jcfus Ghrift was, ftiould have he gives ro Church-men in his Epiftlcs
ftewed usacertaiH Way, and ler con- to I imothy an:\ Tnus, reckon this offub-
fiflent whfh r!:c free Ufe of ourFaculnes, niicting to tiie dircdfions of the Church
of avoiding ail fin : nor is it very iMfyito for .one, which he eoiild not have omitt-
imagine, that it Ihould be a reproach on ed, if this be the tn-.e meaning of thcfr
:hi$ G;.fpei, if there is not an /nfailibic dilpuced paffagcs: and yet he lias not
Pr,.fervative cg.iinfl Eirour , when it is" on ■ wcrd founding that way, which is
acknowledged, rha' tlicre is no infallib- very d.fl'e ent from the dircctioisS which
leTrcfe .. agar.d fm : for it is ccr- on. p' tifTed with the p.-cfent, vicwthat
tain, that the one Damns us more infal- the Church of Rtw has of this matter
kbly, than the other. niii'l needs liave given.
III. Since prefumptions arc fo much V. Thti-eare fome things very ex-*
iafiftcd on, to prove what things muft prcily taught in the N. Tej%mnt, fuch
as
(
as the rules of ai\oi Life, the Uje of the
SjcratrsniS; the .'JJrtffing our f-hei toGid,
fir Mtrc^ d!)d Qr.tce, thro the .'Sacrifice
that Chr.ft offered for us on theCrofs,
and the worfijipping him rs God, the
Death, ac urrccUon and Afcennou of
Je\M Chrjjl, the Refiirreifion of our Bo-
dies and Life F.vcrla'ting : by which
it isapparenr. c'lac we are fee bevoii i
doubt in thcn'e matters; ;f then there
are other tolfiges more <>b,cure eoncer-
ning other maccirs, we muJf conclude,
tbactluJc arc nor of tiut Con equence,
otherwife tliey xv ,uld have httn a ^
repealed as odnrs arc; bat above al!,
,jf the Authonry of the church is dJivc-
red to lis in dtfpuruble terms, that « a jujl
-prejudice againft it, fince it is a thing
of fuch Conietiuence, that t ought 0
have been revealed in a wjj lb very
clear and pad: all difpute.
VI. If it is a Prefumptm for pa ticu-
lar Perfonsto judge concerning Ae/?giw,
which mud be dill referred to the Priejh
and other Guides in (acred matters, this
is a good Argument to oMige all Nations
to continue in the Eflabltjbed Religion,
wbacever it may happen to be •, and a-
bovc ail others, it was a convincing
the Mouths of the Jews
againd our Snvhur. H pretccdeu ro be
the M'ffias, and prcved it borii bv the
prophejies that were ac: mpiifhed in him,
and by the Miracles rliat he vvtoughr;
as for the Propbefies, t'xReafons urged
by the Church of Rome will conclude
much drongcr, that fuch dark pilfag-. s
as thofc of the Piophett were, ougot
not to be interpreted by .Tariicular Per-
■font, but rha: the Expofi ion of thefe
mud be referred to the Prufls and San-
hedrin, it beiisg expredy provided in rhr ir
law (Deur. 17. 8 ) That when Contra-
uetfses arofe, corcertttng any Caufe that was
too intricate, tbcy were to go to the place
wjyich (Imld choofe, air.i to tbePriefls
47 )
of the Trfie tif Levt, and to the Judge 1^
thofe days, and that they were }o declare
what vaas right, ard l o their dectfion all were
obliged t-ofubmit, under pain of Death: So
that by this it appears, that tiie Priejls in
the Jewijh Religfon were auchorifed in fo
extraordinary a manner, that I dare fay,
t'le Church of Rome would not wi^ for
a more formal Tcdimony cn her behalf;
As f r our Saviours Miracles, chcfc were
nor fufiScient neither, unlefs ill's DoLlrine
was nrd found to be good; fihcc Mofet
ha.f cxprefly warned the people (Dent.
I a. t ) That if a Prophet came and taught
thm CO fidow after other Gsds, they were
not to obey him, tbo he wrought Miracles to
prove bis Mifm, but were to put him to
Death : So a Jew faying, that Chrijl,by
making himfcif one with his Father,
brought In thk worfhip of another God,
might;well pretend that he was not oblig'd
to vield to the authority of r-ur Saviours
Miracles, without taking cogoiiance of
his Da.'frine, and of the Prophelics con-
cei ning the Meffiat, and in a vvord,of the
whole matter, bo that, if thcfe Reafon-
ings are nosv good againd the Reformati-
on, they wee as drong in the mouths of
the Jtws againd our Saviour: and front
hence we fee, that the authority that
feeras to he given by Mifes to the Priejls,
mud be underdood with fome Reflrifii-
ons; fi-rce we not only find rhe prophets,
and Jeremy in particular, oppofing ^em-
fclves to the whole body of them, but
we fee likewife, rhat for fome confide-
rable time before ont Saviour's days,not
only many ill-grounded Traditions had
go: in among thetn, by whicli the vtgof
of the moral law xvas much enervated,
but likewife tjicy were univerfally pof-
feffe.l with a falfe notion of their/We/-
fuis ; fo that even the Apodles them-
fclves had nnt quite fhaken eS'tlioff pre-
judircsat the time of our SaviourVAf-
cendon. So that here d Church, that
was dill the Church of God, that had
the
C 44 )
the appointed means of the Expiations t'mr.g'are to be confi:iered. firrt, the Ac-
of thc.r has,;v> dicir SacriSccs and ctanr,t! at we inuft :ive to God, and the
ir.gs. as well as by their Circunicifion, that we expeft from him : ard
\vas yet i r.der great and fatal Errors, in this eve^ man muA anlwer tor the fin-
from\>h chjar icularperfonshadaowrr cer -ty of his heart, ii examining divine
to cxrr-ca-e t!icm<elve5, but by exami- Matters, and the followng what (upon
ning the Doctrine andT«xts of Scripture, the beff E. quirie- tha: one could make)
and by jujgiog ot the:i) according to appeared to be tr e ; and with reiacion
the Eridence of Truth, and-thc force to this, there is no need of a Judge: for
and freedom of their Facuhies, in that Grcx Day every one mult anftorr
VII. It feem- Evident that the paf- toGod according to the Talents that He
fage ( rrl? rlj? )■ be! rgi, only, to had. and all will be favtd according to
the recorcilrn'g of Dilferrrrer.- that of bind- their fincerity 5 and wi;h relation to th/tt
ing and Irftng, actording- to the life.of "jud^ient, there is no need of any other
thofe terms aniong the ffe^rs lignifits-^iKlge-but God. A fecond view of RAi-
only an Authority that was given to the gtor.^ kas it k a Body unirtd together,
Afqftlcf, of giving precept'., by which and by confequence b'onglu under toir.e
men were to be ob.;ged t® fuch Duties, Regulation : and as in all Scares, there
or fee at liberty fi om them; and ( tb; arc fubakerne Judges, in whcfe dccili-
g:tta of Hid net previdJing ag.tinji the ons all muff at leaf! acqniefce, the they
Church") figf ifies only, tlm the cbrijii.tn arc not infaHib'.e, there being Aill a fort
Religion was never to come to an end, of an apperl to be trade to ti e Sovereign
or to rcrlfh : and that of (^ctrijis being or the fupream legiflative Body •, fo the
with the ApeAles to the end of the world ) Church has a fubalteme Jurifdiftion, biH
impons only a fpecial conduft and pro- as the authority of infcriimr Judges is
te^on which the Church majalways tx- Aill regulated, and none but the Lcgifli-
pciS, hut as the promife,! will not leave tors themfelves have an Au-hority equal
thee nor f-.rfake thee; tharbeloags to to the taw j fo it k not rectlWy for
cverv ChrijU.m^ does not import an In- the prefcrvation of Peace and Order,
fallihi'.ity: no fnore does the other. And that the Decifionsof the Church Ihcultl
for thofe piffag s corce nine (fie/JrVkof he infallible ,ot of equal Autho>ity \uith
Gcd flxu feauhei al! tbingt) iris plain, ih.* Scr/;'f«r?r. If Judges du fo maniteA-
that in them St. Putt/is treating of the ly abufe their AuchoMtv, that rhevffail
divine Infpiratm, by which the Chrifti.m into Rtbellon and Ticafoii, the Subjects
Religion was then opened to the world , a eno mere bocnd to confideTchem ■,
whichhefctsinoppcAtiontoth'wirdcm but are obbged ao-TeriA them, and ro
or philofophy of the Greeks; fo that as maircjin rhcr obedience co their Scve-
all thofe paffiges come Aicrt of proving raign ; tho in '<tb, r raarctrt their Judg-
that for which they are al'edged, it muA menrmuA takc place, rill they are re-
at laA be acknowtedgtd, that they have verfed by the Sovereign. The cafe of
nor an Evidence great enough to prove Religion being then this, Tii.it Jifw ck>ijt
fo important a truth, as fomc would e- « the S'tyereign of the Cbuich ; the Af-
vince by them ; fmcc 'tis a matter of femblyof the Pujfsrr is ordy a AibaJctrr e
fuch>aAconfcquence,thac theprooftfcr Judge.- if they manifcAty oppofe th.fm-
It muA have an un.deniab'e Evidence. fehvcs to the Screpturer, which is the
VIII. In the matters of Religiott two Law of chrtjhans, particular pctfens may
' Pe
r 39)
be fuppofed as competent Judges of
that, -s in civil /l/atters they may
beef the Rebellion of the Judges, and
in that cafe they are bound ffiil to
maititain their Obedience to jcfusCAn/J.
[n matters indifferent, chriflians are
bound, for the prefervation of Peace &
Unity, to acquiefce in the Decifions of
the Church, and in/J/atters juffly doubt-
ful, or of fmall Confcquence, the they
are convinced that the Vajiors have er-
red, yet they are obliged to be filent,
and tobear to'erabie things rather than
make a-Breach but if it « vifi' ie,tiHK the
^.ijiors doRebel againd the Sovereign of the
church,^ mean the people may put
in their Appeal to that great Judge,' and
there it miiirt lie. if theChurcli did ufe
this A'J'hority with due Difcrction, and
the people f diovved the rules that' have
named with humility and inodefK',there
would be no great danger of many Di-
vifions ■, but this is the great Secret of
the providence of God,that men arc.ffill
men, and both Padors and People mix
their pjfllons and Interefts fo with mat-
ters cf Religion, that as there ha great
deal of fin and vice flill in the VVorli,
fo that appears in the Matters of Religi-
on as well as in other things ; but the
ill Confequences of this-, rho they are
bad enough, yet ;re not equal Effedts
that ignorant Superfhtion, and obedient
Zeal have produced ir. the 'World, Wit-
nefs the Rebeili«r:sand Wars Cor cftablifo-
in^ the Wo'fh p oR Images; the Croij-
pc'er againft the S'-uflcrnr, in vthich ma-
ny millions werclofi ; thofe againfi He-
fc.ickt.aud Princes depcfed b)Fcp 'i,wbioh
lafi.d for fome Ages ■, and the Maflitcre
(Tf Paris, with the Butcheries of the
Duke of Alvam t' c laft Age, and that
cf Ireland in this: "wliich are, I fuppofe
ar greater Milchiefs than any that can be
Imag'nedto arifeoutof a fmall Kverfi-
clOfrnim : and the prcfeiitState of this
Church,notwichftanding all thofe unhap-
py Rents that are in it, is a much more
dcfirable thing, than thcgrofs Ignorance
and blind Superftition that reigns in Ita-
ly and Spain w this day.
IX All thefe rcafonings corc-rning
the Infallibihry of the Church fignify no-
thing , iinlcfs we ran certainlyJkr.ow,
whither we muff go for thi - Decifion: for
while one Party (hevves us. that it muft
be in the ?cpe, or is no where , asd an-
other Party (ayes it Cannot be in the
'"ecart'e as nTany Fopes have erred,
foxhis is a Doftrinc that was rot khown
in the Church for a thoufand Years, and
■that has beendifputed ever fince it was
firfl affcrted, we are ia the right to be-
lieve both fides; firff, that if it is net
in the Pope, it is no where; and than,
that certainly it is not in the Pope ; and
ins very Incongruous to fay, that there
is an Infallible Authority in the Church,
and that yet it is not certain where one
muff leek for it; for the one ought tobe
as clear as the other , and it is al.b p'ain,
that what Primacy fo ever St. Peter may
be fuppofed to have had, the Scripture
fayes not one word of hisSucc .lfcrs at
Rome j fo at leafl this is not fo clear, as a
matter cf this Confequcnce muff have
been, if Chrift had interdcd to have
lodged fuch an Aurliority in that See-
X It is iiolefs /ncongruous to fay,
that this Infaliibiiicy is in a Ger.eralCoun-
ci!; for it muff be fome where the , o-
tiicrvvife'it will return or.lyto the Church
by fo 1 e Starts- and af er long inter-
vuls: and as it was not in the Cbiirch,
for the firil :?20 Vtars,foit has n-.t been
in the Church tl e'fc iafi; i2o\<ars- Jt
is plain alio, that there is no Regulixioir-
given in'he Stripiurc!; concerning ilds
great Alien,bly, who have a r'ght to
come and'Vote, and what fcrfeus ilrs
right, and wb.at numbers mufi concur in
a Dtcifion, to iillurt us oRthe/nfa IilI yj
M ; o[
C 44 3
the appointed means of the Expiations th-nfare to be conii .iercd, firfl, the ^c-
^4- ..In •. _ 'n -f. ! . C . '/• . , ^ ^ - ../l . J J ^1. _
choir 'ftas,h}- their Sacrifices and
ings. as \vcl[ as by their Circumcificn,
\va4 yec r.ik.'er great and fatal Errors,
from vvh ch t ar icular perfons had no w.iy
to cxtrxa^e tlicm<etvcs, but by cxami-
ning the Doctrine andT«xcs of Scripture,
and by juJgivg ot the:i> according to
the Evidence of Tnth, and-the force
and freedom of their Faculdes,
Vil. h fecm:- Evident, chat the paf-
fwnf ti at we muft ;ive to God, and the
Rfw.irc/j that we expeft from him : and
in this every man muft anfwer tor the fin-
cer-ty of his heart, ii examining div'iaQ
Matters, and the fo'lowng what ( upon
the befi Ei quirie- that one could make)
appeared to be tr e : and with relation
to this, there is no need of a Judge : for
in that Grot Day every one mufi anraeer
to God according to the Talents that he
fage f Ff//r/;? f 6«; c'/; )• belt ngs. oilly to. had. and all will be favt d according to
^ '.r . M 1 r • .1 • I . » t
the reconciling of Differences: x\m of binJ-
ing and hojing, actordmg. to' the life.of
thofe terras among the jfetvs fignifits-
only an Authority that was given to the
Afoftles, of ghwg precepts, by which
men were to be o'ncged to fuch Duties,
orfctat liberty from them; and (^the
gates of Heit not frevailing againji the
Church') figt'ifies only, that the chrijilm
,Rcligion was never to come to an end,
or to rcrifh: and that of (tkrijis being
rvlth the Apcfiles to the end of the world )
impons only a fpecial conduft and pro-
teftion which the Church may alxtays cx-
pc£l, but as the promife, I will not leave
thee nor forl'ake thee j that belongs to
evcrv Chrijiian, docs not import an In-
ftlltbility : no more does the other, And
for thofe paffag s conce ning (thefpirit of
Gcd that fe.uchei ad things ) it is plain,
that in them Sc. faul is treating of the
divine/n/pirafion, by which the Chrijlian
Religion was then opened to the world ,
which he fees in oppcfitionto thcwifdcm
or philofophy of the Greeks j fo that as
all thofe paffages come fiiort of proving
that for which they are alledged, it mull
at laid be acknowledged, that they have
not an Evidence great enough to prove
fo important a truth, as fome would e-
vince by them ; fmcc 'tis a matter of
Tuch .vafl conrcquence,th3c tl.e proofs fcr
It mufthavean undeniab'e Evidence.
Vil I. In the matters of Kel'tgm two
thc'r fincerity •, and with relation to that
"judiTnienc, there h no need cf any other
kjiidge -but God, A fecond view cf Rc/j-
gior.y Iras it >r a Body umrtd together,
and by confequence b'ouglic under feme
Regulation; and as iji all States, there
are fubalrerne judges, in whr.fe dccifi-
OAS all rmafl at leaft acquiefce, tho they
arc not infadible, there being ftill a fort
of anapptri cobentade to the Sovereign
or the fupream legiflative Body ; fo tlie
Church has a fubalterne Jurifdiftion, but
as the authority of infcriour judj^cs is
fill! regulated, and none but the Lcgifii-
tors themfclves have an Authority equal
to the taw ■, fo it h not rectflary for
the prefcrvation of Peace and Order,
that the Decifionsof the Church fhculd
he infallible, or of equal Authvity vukii
ihScriptures. If Judges do fo manifefl-
ly abufe iheir AucIig-hv, tliac they-fall
into Rcbellon and Ticafoti, the Sui.jtds
a. eno mere bocnd to confider them ,
bur are obliged fc-Tefiil ihcm, and to
maintain rhcr obedience to their Scve-
raign ; tho in 'ecb; r raattcr^ their Judg-
mencnuifl take place, rill rhty are rei-
verfcd by the Sovereign. Tlie cafe of
Religion being then tins, That ftfHs Ch'ifl
is the Sovereign of the Church ; the Af-
fcmbly of tiie IPaflors is only a lubaltenc
judge.- if they maniftfliy oppofc thtm-
fel.ves to the Screpmres, vvhich is t' e
Luff of chrtjhans, particular pctfuns may
itc
(f
f.
•"«l:
jisv
■Is
•dtfl
r 39}
be fuppofed as comperent Judges of
that, -s in civil Matters they may
beef the Rebellion of the Judges, and
in that cafe they arc bound ftill to
maintain their Obedience to jefusC'An/?.
In matters indifferent, chrrfltans are
bound, for the prefervation of Peace &
Unity, to acquielce in the Decifions of
the Church, and in d/atters juffly doubt-
ful, or of fmall Confcquence, tho they
are convinced that the Pajhrs have er-
red, yet they are obliged to be filent,
and to bear to'erable things rather than
make a- Breach but if it k vifil le,t!Mt the
P.iflors cioRebel a^ainft the Sovereign ofthe
Church,\ mean c/jri/f.the people may pift
in their Appeal to that great Judge," and
there it mult lie. If the Church did ufe
this Authority with due Difcrction, and
the people f Ilowcd the rules that' have
named with humility and modtfK',fhcre
would be no great danger of many Di-
vifionSj but this is the great Secret of
the providence of God .that men arc.ffill
men, and both Partors and People mix
tht'ir Paflions and Interefts fo with mat-
ters of Religion, tliac as there it a great
deal of fin and vice ffiil in the Worli,
fo that appears in the Matters of Religi-
on as well as in other things ; but the
m Conftquences of this-, rho they are
bad enough, yet ;re not equal Effefts
that ignorant Supcrflition, and obedient
Zeal have produced in the World, Wit-
ncfs tUe Rebeiliers and W/trs for tftablifli-
ins the Wotlh'p of Images; the Croif
/.lit'rj againft the in which ma-
ny millions were iofl:; thofe againfi He-
fc.icks,at.d Princes depcfcd bj/P^,p 't,wbhh
M.d forfomeAgfs ; and the Mallitcre
(*f Puris, with the Butcheries of the
Duke of Alva in t' elafi v\ge, and that
cf Ireland in this r which are, I rup;x)re
ar greater Mifchiefs tlian any that can he
Im.ig'nedto arifeoutof a fmall ttverfi-
dOfmms : and ehe prefect State of this
Church,notwithflanding all thofe unhap"
py Rents that are in it, is a much more
dcfirable thing, than thegrofs Ignorance
and blind Superftition that reigns in Ita-
/y and Spain a' th:s day.
IX All thefe reafonings corcfrning
the infallibihry of the Church fignify no-
thing , uulcfs we ran certainlytki.ow,
whither we muff go for thi", Decifion: for
while one Party (hcvves us. that it muff
be in the Pepe, or is no where , and an-
other Parry fayesit Cannot be in the
P-ipf,'- Itcart'e'as many Popes have erred,
foAiis is a Dodrinc that was roc khown
in the Church for a thoufand Years, and
-that has been difputed ever fince it was
fifrtaffcrted, we are ia the right to be-
lieve both fides 5 firff, that if it is net
in the Pope, it is no vviiere ; and than,
that certainly it is not in the Pope j and
it is very Incongruous to fay, that there
is an Infallible Authority in the Church,
and that yet it is not ctrcain wbere one
muff feek for it ■, for the one ought rolre
as clear as the other , and it is al.b p'ain,
that what Primacy fo ever Sc. Peter may
be fuppofed to have had, the Scripture
fayes not one word of hisSucc .ifcrs at
Rome fo at leaff this is not fo clear, as a
matter of tiiis Confequcnce muff have
been, if Chriff had incerdcd to have
lodged ffich an Aurhority in that See-
X It is iiolefs /ncongruous to fay,
that this Infallibility is in a Ger.eralCoun-
oil; for it muff be feme where die , o-
thcrvvile it will return oclyto the Church
by foi e Starts- and afer long inter-
vals: and as it was not in the Cburch,
for the firSf ^20,years,foithas not been
in rite Church tl ei'e laff laoyars. /c
i> plain alio, that there is no Rcgulixiotr-
given in'he Scrip ureii concerning tins
great Alien.bly, who have a r'ght to
come and Vote, and what forfeits ijrs
right, and what nuni'scrs muff concur in
a Uecifion, to allure us of the /nfa iitl y .
M )
r 53)
of tiie Jadgrftem. Tt i-s certain, there Conveyance- A Tradition cone-rnirj^
tvas never a General Council ol' all the Matters ot Fafl that all '' e- is
PafloiS of the Churth : for thofe of lefs aptto fail than a Tradition of Points
tvhich we have the Acts, were only the. of Specniatioii : and yet vvc fee v.ry
Councils of the Roman Empire, but for near the - ge of the Ai'Dfilct, contrary
thofc Churches, that were in the Soirh Tralitions touching the Obftr.ari n of
ef y4/r;c^, or the Eadcrn Pans of Aft.ty £.i/fer,{rorn which ueniufl conclude,that
beyond the btnindi of the Roman Em- cither the flatter of F ict of one fide, or
pire, as they could not be fummor ed by the chir, as it was ka ided dawr, was
tbe Eniperours Authority, fo it is certain not true,or at Itart t'tat it wa- nor righdy
none of them were prefenc: unlefs one un Jcrftood. A Traditi n concerning the
or two of Per/irt at iVfce, which perhaps llfejif the Sacraments, being a viiibl^
was a Corner of Pfr/Ja beloigmg to the thing, i; more likely to be exact, than a
Empire 5 and uniefs it can be proved, Specularion concerui.ng their naiurcj
that the Pope has an Ablolute Atthcrity and yet we find a Tradition of giving In-
to cut off whole Churches from their fants the Communion, grour.ded on the
right of coming to Councils, there has indifptnfible neceflity of tiie •S'acranienc,
been no General Council thcfe lafl 700 continued 1000. years in the Church. A
years in the World, ever finre the Bifh Tradition on which the Cluiftians foun-
ops of Rome have excommunicated all ded their Joy and Hope, is lefs like to be
the Greek Churches upon fuch trifling changed, than a more remote Specula-
reafon-, that their own Writers arc now cion, and yet the firft Wrirers of the
afhamed of them •, and 1 will ask no Chriflian Religion had a Tradition 1 an-
mote of adfanof a Competent under- ded down to them by thofe who faw the
flanding, to fatisfy him that the Coun- Apoflles, of the ifeign of Chrifl for a
oil of Zrenr wA no General Council, aft- Thoufand Years upon Earth j and if
ing in that Freedom that became Bifli- thofe who had M.ttcrs at fecond hand
ops, than that he will be at the pains to from the Apoflles, could be thus mifla-
read Card. Vallavidns Hiflory of that ken, it is more rcafonablc to apprehend
Council. greater Errors at fuch a diflance- A Tra-
XI. If it is fai f, that this rnfallilulity dition concerning the Bo;k of the Scrip-
is to be fought for in the Tradition of tures is more like to be exaft, than tlie
th Doftrinein all Ages, and that every Expoficion of feme paflages inicj and
particular Perfon mufl examine this : yet wc find the Church did unaimoufly
here is a Sea before him, and inScad of believe iheTranflation of the 70. Inrcr-
examining the fmali Book of the N. pretcrs to have been the cfFeft of a mi-
Tcflamenc. he is involved in a flu ly raculous infpiration, till S. Jeraweexa-
that mufl cofl a Man an Age CO go thro miacd this matter better, andrsiadea
it; and many of the Ages, thro which New Tranfhtion fi-om the Hebrew Co-
he carries this Enquiry, are fo dark, and pies. But which is more then all the red,
hare produced fo few Writers, atjeafl ftfcems plain, that the Fathers before
fofew are prefervcd to our daycs, tliat the Council of Nice believed the ftvj-
it is not pcffiblc to find out their belief, nity of the Son of God to be in feme
We find alfo Traditions have varied fo fort Inferiour to that of the Fadier, and
much that it is hard to fay that there is for feme Ages after the Council of Nice,
mu^h vveiglK to be laid on this way of they believed them indeed both equal,
but
C50
h'Ut they confidered rhefe as two dtffe-
rent Beings, and only one in Eflence, as,
three men have the fame humane Na-
turc in comracn among them and that
as one handle lights another, fo the one
tiowed from another; and after the
Fifth Century the Doftrine of one /nvi-
dual Elfencc ^^\va$ received. It you will
be farther informed rosccrning this,
Father Fetau will facisfie you as to the
firft Period before the Council of Nice,
and the learned Dr. Cuiivtr h as to the
fecond. In all which parti uiars itap-
pears, how variable a Th.ng Tra lition
is. And upon the whole Matter, the ex-
amini.sg Tradition thus, isftilla fearch-
ing among Books, and here is no living
Judge.
Xlf. If then the Authority that muff
decide ControverfKS, lies in the Body
of the Pafton fcartered over the World,
which is the lafl retrenchment, here as
many and as great Scruples will arife, as
we fomd in any of the former Heads.
Twodifficulcies appear at firfl view, the
one is, How can we be aflured that the
prefent Tailors of the Church arede-
rived in a jufl SuccelTion from the Apo-
flies : there are no Regiflers extant that
prove this; So that we have nothing for
it but fome Hillories, that are fo care-
leflywrit, chat we find many raiflakes
in them in ocl'.cr Matterjj and they are
fo different in the very firll links of that
Chain, that immediately fucceeded the
Apofles that the ucmoflcan be made
of this is, chat here is an Hilloncai Re-
lation fomcwhat doubtful; but here is
notliing to found our Faith on: fo that
if a SucctfTiun fi omthe .ipoflles tim s,
is neceilary to the Conflitutioa of that
Church, to which we mufl fubmit our
fe'.ves, we know nor where to find it:
bt fides that, the D .ffrine of the necef-
fity of the /ntencion of the Minifler to
tlic Validity of a S'acrament, throws ms
into inextricable difficulties. I know
they generally fay, that by the lureiKi-
on they do not mean the inward Afts of
the .Minifler of the Saci-anienc, but only
that it mufl appear by his outward de-
port.menr, chat he is in earnefl going
about a Sacrament, aud not doing a thing
in i^fl and this appea ed fo reafoaablc
to me, that I was .orry to find our Di-
vines urge it too much; till turning
ov.r cheRubricks thata'-eac the begin-
ning of the M'ifu'. 1 found upon the
head of the Intention of the J/inifler,
that if a ?riefl has a Number of H'^diej
before him to be confecrated, and in-
tends to confccrate them all, except
one, in that cafe that Vagrant excepcioa
falls upon them all: it not being affixed
to any one, and it is defined that he
cor.fecrates none at ali. Here it is plain,
chat the fccret ASj of a Priefl can de-
feat the Sacrament; fo this overthrows
all certaiaty concerning a SuccefTion :
But befides ajl this, we are fure, that
the Greeks Churches have a much more
unconccfled Succeffion than the Lattnes:
So chat a Succeffion cannot direft us.
And if it is neceffary to feek out the
Doftrinesthac are univcrfally received,-
this is not poffiole for a private Man to
know. So that in igrr-rant Couiuries,
where there is little Study, the people
have n a other certainty concerning their
Religion, but what cliey c ike from their
Curate and Confeilor: fince they cannot
examine what is gene ally recei td. So
that it mufl be cocftHed that all the Ar-
gu.nencs that are broujtht for the necef-
fity of a conflant lafMble Judge^ turn
againfl all thofe of the Chyrch ot Rome,
that do nor acknowledge th- Infallibiii-
ty ot the Ptpe: for if h ■ is not ir.filhble,
they have no oth-r , that can pre-
lend to it. ft weie alf.i eafic to fhew,
that fome Dott.ins have been ts Un.ver-
fally received in feme A^es, as they
have
/
ft
have been rejefted in •thers *, which
fhews, tliac the Doftrine of the prefent
Ohurch is not always a fure mcaftre.
For five Ages together, the Doftrine
of tlie Popes Fower to depofe Her meal
Vritices was received without the leafl
Oppofition : and this cannot be doubt-
ed by any that knows wfiat has been the
State of the Church fince the End of
the eleventh Ceatury : aisd yet 1 believe
few Princes would allow thir, notwitii-
flar.ding all the concurring authority
of fo many Ages to fcrtifie it. 1 could
carry this into a great many other Inflan-
ces, but 1 fingle out this bccaufeitis a
point in which princes are naturally ex-
trcam ferfible.
Upon the whole Matter, it can never
enter into my mind, that God, who has
made .Man a Creature, thdt naturally en-
quires and r-eafons, and that feds as fen-
fible a plcafic^e v\hen he can give him-
felfagood account of his anions, as one
that fees, does perceive in comparifon
to a blind man that is led about y and
that this God that has alfo made Reli-
g'on on dffign to perfed: this Humane
Nature, and to raife it to the utmoft
height tovshich it can a rive, has con-
trived it to be dark, and to be fo much
( 48 )
beyond the penetration of our Faculries,
that we cannot find out his mind in
ihofe things that are necelVary foroir
Salvation ; and tl,at the Soiptures, that
were writ by plain men, in a very fa-
miliar fiile,an:l addrcli without any dif-
elimination to the Vulgar, (hotld be-
come futh an unintelbgible Bock in
thefe Ages, that we mufthavean infal-
lib!e Judge to expound it; and when I
fee not, only Paper, bur even feme Bo-
dies that pafs for General Councils, have
fo expounded many paffages of it, and
have wrcfted them fo vifibly, that none
of the modern Writers of that Church
pretend to excufe it, I fay I muflfree-
}y own to you, that when I find that f
need a Commentory on dark paflagcs,
thefe will be the lafi perfons to whom I
will addrefs my fell for it. Thus yoa
fee how fully I have opened my mind
to you in this mattter; I have gone o-
ver a great deal of ground in as few '
words as is poffiblc, becaufe hints f
know are enough for you y I thank God,
thefe Corfiderations do fully fatisfie nie,
and I will be infinitely joyed, if they
have the fame eftcft on you.
I am yours
THi"; ietter came to London with the return of the firft Port after his late Ma •
jeflies Papers were fent into the Countrey y fome that faw it, liked it well,
and vviflicd ittohaveit publiek., aPfi the rather, becaufe the Writer did not fo
entirely confine hirafelf to the Rcafons that were in thefe Papers , but took the
whole Controverfv to task in a little compafs, and yet with a great variety of Re-
fleftions. And this way of examining the whole matter, without following thofe,
I'apcrs word for word, or the finding more fault than the comreon concern of ti.is
Caufe required, fcemed more agreeing to the refpcft that is due to the Dead,
andinorep.irticu!arly to the Memory of fo great a Prince y but other Confide-
rations made it not fo eafie nor fo advifeable to procure a Ficenfe for the Printing
this Letter, it has been kept in private hands till now : thofe who have boafied
much of the Shcrtnefsof the late Kings Papers, and of the length cf the Anfwers
that have been made te them, will not find lo g-eat a di,^proportion betwccen
t'jem and this Ar.fwer to them.
Tha
X
r 4p)
The Citation of Gilbert Burnet, D. P. To Answer in Scoriand on the 2'jth, June
0 dStile, for High Treafon : Together with hu Anfwer; andThree Letters, wrif
by him, upon that Subjebl, to the Right Hmourable the Earl of Midletcune, hit
M-tjeJiies Secretary of State.
I Know the Difarlvantages of plead-
irg ones Innocence, cfpecially
when he is profecuted at the fuit
of his Natural Prince, to whom he
owes fo profound a Duty: and this has
kept me fo long in a reipe<ftfi.l filence,
after 1 had feen my Name ia fo many
Gaxettes, afpcrfed with the blackeft of
all Crimes: but there is both a time
to be filenc, and a time to fpeak : and
as hitherto I have kept my felf within
the bounds of the one, fo 1 do now
take the Liberty which the other al-
lows me: but I was not hitherto lilent
where 1 ought to fpeak; for I have
made many humb'e Addrefles to His
Majeflyby the Earl of Midletmne his
Secretary of ■State ; hoping that my
Innocence, joyned with my muff hum-
ble Duty, would have broke through
allthofe Prejudices and falfe Inforaia-
tions, with which my Enemies had
poffeffed His Majefty againft me.
Upon the firfl Notice that I had of
His Majefties having writ to the Privy-
Council in Scotland, ordering Procefs
to be iffued out againft me tor High-
Treafon, I writ my Pdrft Letter : in
that I could enter into no particulars;
for in the Advertifemen: that was feat
rae, it was faid, that there was no
fpecial Matter laid to my Charge in tlte
King's Letter. Some days after that,
I received a Copy of my Citation, to
which /prefcntly writ an Anfwer, and
fent that with my Second Letter to the
fame Noble' Perfon ; to both thefe
Letters I received no Anfwer: but [
was advertifed, thatfome Excepdons
were taken at feme words in my Firft
Letter, and this led me to write my
Third Letter, for explaining and jufii-
fying thofe words. I hare kept my
felf thus within all thofe Bounds that I
thought my Duty fet me; and am not a
little troubled, that I am now forced to
fpeak for my felf. I have delayed
doing it as long as I had any reafon to
hope, that my Juftification of my felf
was like to produce the effefi; which I
moft humbly defired, and which I ex-
peftcd : but now the Day of my Ap-
pearance being come, in which it is
probable Sentence will pafs againft me,
fincc/havc had no Lncimations given
me to the Contrary, I hope it will not
fhcw either the Icaft impatience, or
the want of that Submiffion, which /
have on all occafnns payed to every
thing that comes to me from that Au-
thoricy, under which God iiad placed
me that I publifh thefe Papers for my
own Vindication. It it had been only
in defence of my Life and deputation,
ihat/had been led to appear in fuch a
manner, I could have more eafily re-
ft rained my felf: and have left thefe to
be Sacrifices to the Unjuft Rage of
thofe, who have fo far prevailed on
HisMajefties readinefs to believe them,
a? to drive this matter fo far: but the
N Honour
C 5° J
Honour of tliat Holy Religion which I
profefs, and the Regard 7 bear to that
Sacred Fun Men to which/ am detii-
cated, lay fuch Obligations on me, that
/ am determined by them, to declare
my /nnocence to the Wo: Id, which/
intend to do more copioufly within a
little while: but in the mean time, I
hope the following Papers will ferve to
Ihc w how clear / am of all the Matters
that are laid to my Charge.
Tliere is one Particular, which is
come to my Knowledge fince I writ my
Anfwer, that will yet more evidently
difsover my /nnocence : 1 have receiv'd
certain informations from England, that
both Sir John Cochran and his Son, acd
Mr. Baxter, have declared upon many
Occafions, and "to many Pcrfons, that
they cannot imagin how they come to
be Cited as Witneffcs againft me that
they can fcarce believe it can be true ;
fince they know nothing that can be.
any way to my Prejudice; and that
they muff clear me of all the Matters
objeiSed to me in this Citation , and
the Two Witnelfes, that as it feems are
citkd for that Article that relates to
YHUand, have foletnnly declared, that
they know nothing relating to me, or
to the Matters fpccified in this Citation,
which one of them has lignifycd to
my Self in a Tetter underhis hand ; fo
that tlic Falfehood of this Accufation
is fo Evident, that it fcrvcs to difcover
the Folly, as well as the impudence of
thofe who have contrived it.
But it is yet tco ea ly to fet on a Per-
fecutionfor Matters of Keiigion, there-
fore Crimes agairftthe State m; ft be
pretended, and f.;ftned on thofe whom
thcfe Men intend CO deflroy. And as,
foul and black.Scar.dals arc invented to
defame me, and put in the rhouths of
thofe who arc ready to believe an 1 rc- .i
pc^rt every thmg diat may difgrace
mc, without confidcring that tl ey do,
a thing that is as unbecoming them,
as it is Bafe and injuft n it felf, fo all
a-is are ufed to deftroy me; but 1
trufl to the Protcftion of that Great
G d, who fees the ir.judicc that is
done mc, and wlio will in his own
Time and M''ay vindicate my Inno-
cencc: and under Him I trufl to the
Protcaicn of the HIGH AND M1G H-
TYSTaTES OF HOLLAND
AND WEST.FRIE5Z,AND.
My
( SI )
% Firfl letter to the Earl of Midletounc#
Maji it pkafe Tour Lordfiipy
TH E Affairs of thefe Provinces
belonging to Your iordlbip't
fliare in ctie Mmiffry, lesds me
to ma!:e this .mofl iiumble Adcjrcfs to
You, and by Your Lordlhip to His
Majefty.
1 have received Advertifcments from
Scotland^ that the King has writ to the
Privy Council, ordering me to be pro-
ceeded agiinfl for High Treafon agaiiift
His Ferfon ar.d Government: and that
purfuanr to this, the King's Advocate
has cited me to appear there if any
thing in this World can furprife or dif-
orde" me, this muft needs do it: For
as few have writ more, and preacht
oftncr againff all forts of Treafonabic
Doffrines and Praftices than my Self,
fo all the Difcoveries that have been
niad?'of lace Years, have been fo far
from afpcrling me, that though there
has been difpohtion enough to find
fault with me, yet there has not been
j'Watter given fo much as for an exami-
nation. It is now thirteen Year? fince
1 came out of ScitUnd: and for thefe
laff five years, 1 have not fo much as
mentioned the commonelf News in any
Letter I have writ to any in that King-
dom: 1 do not mention Affs of h-dem-
nity, becaufe Iknnw that 1 do not need
the benefit of tlvcin. 1 went out of
Enghnd by His M'ieffies Approbation :
and 1 have fiayed out of it bec-ufe His
/i/ajefiy cxprclled His diflike of my re-
turning to it, 1 am now upon the
Point of Trying' in this Cou;i-
trey, and amNaniralizecl by thed'tares
oi Holland; but though by tlus, duiing
my flay here, my Allegiance k tronjlatef
from hk Majefly to the Soveraignty of th^
Province, yet 1 will never depart froffJ
tile prcfoundtfl Refpca to !»s Sacred
Perfon, and Duty to his Governin.'Ht •
fince my coming into thefe parts, ! have
notfeen any otte Perfon either of Scot-
land or England that is Outlaw'd for
Treafon-, and when the King took Ex-
ceptions at the Accefs 1 had to the
Prince and Princefs of Orange, there
was not any thing of this kind objeded
to me. So 1 protcft unto your Lord-
fhip, 1 do not fo mi eh as imagine upon
what it is that thofe informations,whii h
it feems are brough to his .T/ajefly, are
founded.
My Lard, As I am not afhamed of
any thing 1 have done, fo 1 am not
afraid of any thing that my Enemies
can do tome : I can very eafily pa't
with a fmallEftate, and with a Life of
which I have been longwLaryy and if
my Engagements in this CouTurev could
difpence with ir, 1 would not avoid the
coming to fiard my Try,.!; bur a- this
cannot be expefled in the fiate in
which I am, fo I humbly threw m.y
felf at His Majcfiies feet, and teg,
that he may not Condein me fo much
as in hii thoughts, til] 1 know what is ,
theCrinet acitObjeded tome, thac^
fo 1 may ctttr a n.ofi: humble Juflifi a-
tbn of my felt to him. 1 lhail be in-
fini'ciy lorry f any Jadgm-nt chat may
p;is on iv.c in S'cwAi/iif, (ball obJ'ge me
to appear in Print in my own Di 'ence :
f rl cannot betray my own Innocence
fo far as to fuffcr a tiling cf his nature
to
r 5s)
ro pafs upon me, widiouc Printing an from you
Apology for my felfj in which I will
be forced to make a recital of all that
(bare that 1 have had in Affairs thefe
twenty years part; and in which 1 mufl
mention a van number of ^jarticulars.
that I am afrmi will Ie dif^leafini to Hit
Majefiy : and as I will loolion this as one
cf the great efl Misfortunes that can poffi'
bly befall met fo rvith all the Dutf and
Humility in the World, I beg I may not be
driven to it. 1 will not prefume to add
one word to your Lordfhip, nor to
claim any fort of Favour or Proteaion
For 1 addrcfs my felf only
toTour Lordfhip as you are the Kings
Miniffcf for thefe Provinces.
My Lord,
Hague, May,
10.1687.
am with adpeftble refpeff,
May it pleafe your Ltrdjhip
Tour Lord/hips, See,
Tie
r 53)
The Cnrainal Letters at the Inflancc of the lord Advocate,
Agai nft
Dodor GILBERT B V R N E T.
JAMES, (^rc. To our Lovirs, &c.
Hetjuls, Purfcvancs, Macers and
Mefiirn^ers at Arms, Our Sherirts in
that vitc conjunftly and feverally fpc-
cialiy conditiite. Greeting. Forfameikle
as it ii humbly nieaned and complain-
ed to Us be Our Right Truftie and Fa-
miliar Councdlor, Sit J>hn Dalrfmple
the Younger, of StAir, oar Advocate
for our Intereft, upon Dodor Gilbert
Burnet,
That where, notwithftanding by
the Laws and Atts cf Parliament, and
conftant praftiquc of this our Kingdom,
the venting of^ Slanderous, Treafona-
ble and Advifcd Speeches and Pcfiti-
ons, and the Reproaching our Per-
fon, Eftate and Government, and the
R- ceft ng,Supplying, Aiding,Aflifting,
Intercomoning with, & doing Favours
to denounced Rebels, or fcrfauited
Traitors, are puniftiable by Forfaalturc
of Life,Land and Goods, and particu-
larly by the i, 3. 4. Aftof 8. P. K.
Ja. 6. It is Statute Ordained that non
of our Subjefls, of whatfoever Dcgaec,
Eftatc or C^aiity, fhall prefume or take
upon hand, privatelie or publicklie,
in Sermons, Declamations, or Fami-
liar Conferences, to utter any Falfe,
Slanderous or untrue Speeches, to the
Difdain, Reproach, or Contempt cf
Us, our Council or Proceedings, or to
the Difhosour, hurt or Prejudice of
Us, or to meddle in our Affairs or
Effatc by-gone, prefcnt, or in time
coming, under the pain cf Death, and
Confifcation of Afovcables : And be
the to Att 10 P. K. )a, 5. It is Statue
and Ordained, that ail our SubjeSs con-
tain thetwfelvcs in (^ictnefs and diici-
ful Obedience to Us, our Govern-
menc and Authority, and that non of
them prefume nor take upon hand
publicklie to declame or privatelie to
fpeak or write any Purpofc of Reproach
or Sc'andcr againff our Pcrfon, Eflate
qr Gcrernment, or to deprave our
Laws and Afls of Parliaraenc, ormif-
conftruc our Proceedings, whereby any
Diflikc may be moved betwixt Us,
our Nobility and loving Subjedfs ia
time coming, under the Pain of Death ;
and that thcs that do in the Contrair
fhall be repute as Seditious and wicked
Jnffruments, Enemies to Us and the
Common-wcel of this Aealm, and
that the faid paine of Death fhall be
inllidled upon them with all Rigour in
Example of others. And be the fe-
Gond Aft 2. Scff, of the firft Parlia-
mentof K. Ch.2. We and our Eflatcs
of Parliament do declare, that thcs
PofitioDS, that it IS Lawful for Subjefts
upon pj ctencc of Rcformatian, or any
other pretence whatfomever, to enter
into Leagues or Covenants, or to take
up Arms agaiuft lis, or thcs Conimiflio-
nat by Us, or to putt limitations upon
their due Obedience and Allegcance,
are Rcbellioui and Treafonablc ■, and
O j that
C 54
that all perfons whofhall by Writing,
I'reaching or other cnalitious and ad-
vylcd Speaking, Exprtfs thci Trcafo-
nable Intentions, Ihill be proceeded
againrt and adjudged Traitors, and
ftall fuffer forfaulter of Zife, Lands
and Goodi, lykc at by tl|l> third A&
1. P.ofK. Ja. I, and 37. Aft of his
fecond P«'liament, and be the 9. Aft
of 13. P. K. James a, and 144. Aft j2.
•P. K. James 6. And diverfeand Sun-
dry other Laws and Afts of Parliament
of this our Kingdome. It is declared
High Trcafon for any of our Subjefts
foEkfept, Supply or Intercomon with
declared or Forfaultcd Traitors, or
gire them Meat, Drink, Hous, Har-
bour, or any Relief or Comfort, and
if they do in the Contra: r, they are to
undergo the fame Pains the ;"aid Trai-
tors cr Rebels ought to have fuftaincd,
it they had bcin apprehended.
Hn/ertbtlefs, Jt' is of Verity, that
tlic faid Doftor Gilbtrt Burnet, fhaking
•off all Fear of God, Confcicnce and
Senfc of Duty, AHegeance and Loy-
«!ty to Us his Soveraign and Native
'-jFrincc,J.-.poo the Safctie of whofe.Per-
tfon and Maintinance of whofe ^ve-
raign Authority and Princely Power,
the Happioefs, Stabilitic ard C^yetncfs
ef oar Sfibjefts do depend, Hes moiJ
jjcrfidioufly and rrcafonably prtfumed
•o commit, and is guilty of the Crimes
,above mentioned in fua far as A'cbbuld
C^piel, /[omedme Earl of Argjle-, .
'Jttmet Steivart, Soac to Sir y .imei Sterr-
'Urt, lomerime Proroff of Edinbmgb j
Mr. Robert Fergufou, fomenme Chap--
"bin to the lat* Ear] of SbAfttbwji ■,
TkjtMS Stetport of Cultnefs ■, Willi.t/n
Denholn, fofnetimc of iVeft-Poeih ■,
Mitfter Robert Murtin, fometime Cle k ^
10.our Juftice Court; and leveralo,lier
RebeUs and Ti a tors, being moli jufhv
hy^our High Courts of Pariiamenc, aB.i
Tuffice Court,Forfaulied for the Crimej
of Trcafon, and tied to our Kingdom
of England, and to Holland, Flanders,
Geneva, andfcveral other places. The
faid Dr. Gilbert Burnet did upon the
Firft, Second, end remanent days of
the moneths of January, February, and
remanent months of the year One
thoufand fix hundred eighty two, one
thoufand fix hundred eighty thrce,one
thoufand fix hundred eighty four , cr
January, February, March, or April,
one thoufand fix hundred eighty five •,
Converfe, Corrcfpond, and Intercomon
with the laid Archbald hte Eud ci-Ar-
gyle, a Forfaulted Traitor, and that
within the faid Defter Burnet his dwel-
ling hous in Lincolns-lnn-Fietds, near
the Plew-Innin our City of Londm, or
Suburbs thereof, cr feme other part or
place within our Kingdom of England,
Defamed, Slatidered, and Reproached,
and Adviledlie fpokc to the Difdain
and Reproach of our F;rfcn, Govern-
ment and Authority, wrote fevcral
Letters, and received Anfwers thereto
from the faid Forefaulted Traitor when
he was in Holland, or elfewhere, ex-
preffely contrary to his Duty and Alle-
geance to Us his Soveraign Zord .and
King. And fukiik upon the firfi:, fccond,
and third dayes of the r.ionechs of
May, June, July, Augufi, September,
Othber, November and December, ore
thoufa'.d fix hundred eighty five. and.
upon the firff. fecond, and third days
ot the moneths of Janua-y, February,
and remanent monethscf ci.eyear one
thoufand fix hundred eighty fex, and
fitfl, fecond, and third' days of tlic
moneths of Januarx, February, Ma ck,
one thoafand iixttusdred eighty fcvcn,
or Jtte of otb.jr of thedayi cfaneor
ctcer of the faid nioneths or yeari v
Tjic faid Doftor Gilbert Burnet did moll .
trcaibuabile Recept, Suppiki,:Aided,.
C 55
lifted, Gor.vcrfcd and Intercomoned
with, and did favour» to the faid Jamts-
Stewitrd, Mr. Rnbat Fergufon, Thomas
Stetport, WilTtam Ihnholm. and Mr, Ko-
birt Mtrft", forfauked Traitors and
Rebels in the Cities of R'iterdnm, Am-
fterdam, Le^dtn, Breda, Geneva ; or
feme other part or place within the
Netherlands, or elfewhere; publickly
and avowedly uttered fevcral fpeechcs
and pofitions, to the difdain of cur
Ferfon, ,^uthority and Goverfiment j
continues aad perfifts in fuch undutiful
and treafonablc praftifes againft Us and
Otir Goverfiment C wc being hit So-
veraign Z-ord and Prince J tuprcfs con-
trair to his AUegeance and Duty-
By committing of the whilkCrimes
above fpecifycd, or cither of them,
The faid Doftor Burnet is guilty and
culpable of the Grime of High Treeifon,
and is Art ai.d Part thereof, which be-
ing found to be are Inqutid, he ought
and Ihould tofuftirr Rori:aulruK;of Life,
Land and Goods to the Terror and
Example of others to commk the like
hereafter. Our Wid is, Hdrfor, and
we charge you flraitlie, and Coaimand,
that incontinent this cur Letter feen,
yee pafs, and in our Name and Audio-
tie, Command aud Charge the faid
DoiSor Gilbert'Bur net, a'jove comp'ain-
ed upon, be found of Trumpet with
difpla) cd Ccat, and ufing other Solcm-
nides necelfar, to come and find liiffi-
cien: Caution andSovtrtie afte.! in our
Books of Adjournal, tiiat he (hall com-
peir b fo'-' our Lords Juff-ce General,
Jufikc Clcrck and Commiirior.ers cf
jifticiary, •.■■ithin the Tolbmh or Cri-
minal Court houfe of Edinburgh, the
twentie feviuth day of June next to
come, in tlie hour of Caur,. there to
underlye the Law fer the Crimes above-
mcnrioncd, and tlia: un ler the. Paines
contained in :!.e new Ads of i'ariia-
.4nJ that yee charge him per-
, if he can be apprehended and
ment
: fonally.
falizei.ng thereof at his dwellipgatfis
dwelling-liOafe, and be open Procia-
matioti at the mercatCr ifsc of the heud
Eurgh of the Shyre, Stewartie, Aega-,
litie, and t}»her JurifkiAion where he
dwells,to come and find the faid Sover-
tie aiSed in maaer forfaid within fix
dayes, if he be within this our King-
dome, and if he be cut with the 5a-
myne, that ye command aud chirge
him in nianer fo; faid be opicn Procia-
mationat the Mercat Croce of Editi-
burgh. Peer and Shear li Leitb, to come
and find the faid Sovcrtic witlrin three-
fcore dayes next after he beis charged
charged be you thereto under the pain
of Rebellion, and puttirg of him to
our Hern. Whilk fix a id threefcore
dares refpcflively being by pad, and
the faid Soverrie not being found, nor
no inrimatioD made by him to you cf
the finding thereof, .that ye inconti-
net hcreefcer dem ncc him our Rebel,
and put him to our Horn Efcheac, ai d
inbring a'l his moveable Goods and
geir to our life for liis Contemption
and Difobcdierce- And if he come
and find the laid Sovercie, Indmation
always being made be him to you of
the finding thereof, that funimoned
and Aflyfe he eto not exceeding the
number of four tie five Perfons, togc-
thcr with fuch Witi.tff.s who bcft
know the Vcriiie or . ihc Premifes,
whofc Names fhall be given you in
Roll (ubfcribcd by the Uid Complai-
nor. Isk perron un^er the pain or aac
h ndrcd Mcd&s. dnd that ye wiriiin
fiftein dayes after his denunciation fcr
nor fin .ing of Caution , Caus regi-
ftrate thirCut Letters widi your Ex-
ecution thereof, in Our Sookr of Atf-
journal conform t the Aft of ParJia-
ineut made ilicrcanent. Accordi ng to
Juflics
C sO
J*fticc as ye will anfwcr to Us there-
upon, the whilk to do Commits to you
conjunftly andfcverallie Our full pow-
er be thir Our Zetters delyvering them
be yow duelie Execute and Indorfat
again to the Bearer.
Gircn under Our Seal zi'Edenburih
the nVneteinth day of Aprils and of
Our Reign the third Year, idyS. Ex
deliberattme Dtmmrum Commtj^inartO'
rum Jufiiciarii fit fubfcribitur
Signed ip.
Aprylt Tho. Gordonne.
The Witncllcs againft Doftor Otlbtrt Burnet arc,
Sir John Cechran of Oekiltree.
fohn Cochran of Wartrfyd.
Mr. Robert Vl^efty Zawycr, Englifhman.
Hx.Zivhary Bwrne,Brewer, Englilhman.
Mr. VVtUim CarflaireSy Preacher,
Robert Baird, Merchant in Holland.'
Mr. Richard Baxter, Preacher.
An
r 57)
An A fvvcr to the Griminal Letters iflaed outagaiHft me.
I Look upon it as a particular Misfor- ag. inli me, as he has done 5 and there-
tune, cliat I ant for- e.l to anfwcr a fore I ^ill not pretend to make an Ex-
Citation tiiat is made in His Mi- ception to the Lawsand Ads of ParJia-
fefties Name, which will be ever fo menc, fer forth in thefirfl: part of this
Sacred with me, that nothing but the Citation but J will only anfwer tlic
fenfe of an indifpenfable Duty could mattefsof Fad laid to niy Charge i and
d aw from me any thing that lookj like whacfocver I fay conceri.mg them, dots
a Contending with that fubiime Cha- only belong to my falfe Accufers; and
rader. therefore 1 hope they will net he lookt
on as things in which even His Majeflies
I owe the Defence of my own/nno- Advocate, but much lefs His Sacred
ccnce and of my own Reparation and MajeAy is any ways concerned.
Life to my felf: I owe alio to all my
Kindred and Friends, to my Aeiigion I am firA accufed for having fcen
as/am a GhriAian and a ProteAant, aonverfed with, and held co refpoa-
and to my Profeflion as I am a Church- dence with the late Earl of Argyle: and
man, and above all, to His MajeAy, as to make this appear the more probable,
/ am his Born-Subjeft, fucha Vindica- the place is marked very Critically,
tion of my Loyalty and /megrity, as where 1 lived i and where, as it is pre-
may make it appear, that my not tended, we met, But as it is now al-
going CO Scotland, according to the nioA two years fince the late i4rg;'/e was
Tenour of this Citation, does rot flow taken and fuffercd •, and that a full ac-
from any fenfe of Guilt or Fear, but count was had of all his fccret Praftices,
meetly from thofe Engagements under in aU which I have not been once fo
which I am in Holland. much as mentioned, the' it is now a
year Ance I have lived and preachto-
i hope my Conrradifting or Refu- pcnly in thefe Provinces. The truth
tin_g the Matters of Fa£l fet forth in is, that for nine years before the late
this Citation, Aiall not be fo malicioufly Earl of Argiles forfeiture, I had no
perverted by any, as if I meant to fort of Correfposdence with him, nor
refleA; either on His MajeAy for writing did 1 ever fee him Ance the year, 1^75
to his Council of Scotland, ordering After his Efcape out of Prifon I never
this Citation to be made, or on his faw him, nor writ to him, nor heard
Advocate for forming it, and iffuingit from him, nor had / any fort* of Com-
out. 'But as / acknowledge, that upon merce with him,diredtly norindirefUy :
the Information that it fccmswasof- the CircumAance of my Houfc, and
fer'd of thofe matters here laid againA the Place in which I lived, is added, to
me, it was very reafonable for Hs Ma- make the thing look fomewhat probs-
jeAy to order JuAice to be done upon ble; buttho' it is vcryeafyto know
me; fohis Advocate, in whofehands where I lived, and 1 having dwelt in
thofe Informations it feems are now Lincolnf-Inn-Fields the fpace of fcven
pat, bad all peffiblc reafon to lay them years, it was no hard matter to add
P j this
C 58
this particular', yet fo inconfideratc is
the -W^lice of my Eneraes, that even
in this, it leads them out of the way ■,
forfqon after/irgi/e's Efcape. and du-
ring the flay that as is believed he
made in Londou, ! had rcmorrd from
Lincoln!-Inn Fields into Brook^Euildtngs;
this makes me guefs at the Informer,
who faw me often in the one f-ou'e,
but never in the other: and yet even
he, who h^s betrayed ah tha: ever part
between us,has not Impudence enough
th charge me with the leaff Difloyalty,
though I concealed very few of iny
thoughts from him.
With this of my feeing Argile, the
Article of the Scandalous and Tr. afo-
nable words pretended to be fpoken
by me to him, againff His Majelfies
Ferfon and Government, falls to the
ground; it is obvious that this cannot
be proved, llnce Argilt is dead ; and it
16 not pretended that thefe words were
Htrered in the hearing of other Witnef-
fes: nor is it reedful to add, that His
i'lTajefly was then only a Subjeft, fo
that any Words fpoken of him at that
time cannot amount to Treafon : but I
can appeal to all thofc with whom I
have ever Convcrfed, if they have
ever heard me fail in the refpeft I
owed the King : and I can cafily bring
many Witnclles from feveral parts of
Europe, of the Zeal Tvith which 1 have
on all occafions cxpreffed my felf on
thofc Subjefts, and that none of all
thcfe hard weeds, that have been fo
freely befrow-ed.on me. has made me
ferget my Duty In the Icjfl.
i^d t' 2t I have entertained and fipS
plied them in Fo e'gn Parts ; part cu-
Ijry hi the Cities ot Aihfterdan-, Rotur-
dam, Le.)den, Breda, G nrta, or in force
otlier pa-ts within the R'ei ho lands.
This /frticle is To verv id laid in all its
branches, that it /hews my Enemies
have very i'l Informatic. s r.rcernirg
rcv mod ger.c-'I Acqu.ircatce free;
tho' the-e are, amon^ tb fe that rre
condemned for Treafo;-, fo- e that are
of m,y Kindred and anci: r: Acquain-
tance ; they have h rc cart tcgerher
a Company of men wh..' arc.all ( fames
Stevrart only cxccpreJ ) abfoluteJy un-
known to me, whom 1 nt-ver faw, ard
w'i'h whom I never eKchanged one
wcrdin my whole Life, as far as! can
remember ; one of them Mr. Rob rt
Af.irtjn, was as 1 ever undei^ftood ir,
dead above a year before I left England,
at for James Sterex t, I had a general
Acquaintance with him twenty years
ago, but have had ro Commerce with
him now for many years, uniefs it was
that I faw him twic-e by accident, and
that was feveral yea^s before there was
any Sentence part on him: my Accu-
ftrs know my motion ill, for I ha e
not been in E-reda thefe ^xvcnty three
years. 1 fe led in the Hague \ip,on vc.y
coming irto Hoihrnd, bec ufe 1 was
willing to be under the Cbfenarirn
of His Majcrtics Er-voy : and 1 chofe
this place the rather, becaufe it was
known, that none of thcfe that lay
under Sentences come to ir. 1 have
revet gone to Amlierdrjn or Roterd.an
in fccret: and have never lieen there
but UP'n my private Affairs, and that
never above a Night or two at a-tirre ;
and 1 have been fo vifible all the wbi.'e
1 am in the next place accufdof
Gorrefponderce with James Srencart, that 1 was in rhofe place s'thatlthour
Mr. Robert Fergufon, Tbomno Stewart, there was no rco.-n left even frrC
Hll/um Denholm, and Mr. A.bert Afar- lutnny. ■
i^tn, fince my coming out cf England^
f
!»*i;
Iri rke hft plj'-e it is faid,tliac I have
pubiickly a ,d avowedly uttced fevc-
ral Speeches aivJ Fofuions to the Dif-
daifl cf h;s Majeftics Ptrfon, Authority
afld Govtrnmenr, and rhat 1 continue
and perfiflia tliofe Treafonable FraAi-
fes. This is fo generally aflerted, that
it is enough for ir e to fay, that it is po-
htively falfe; but 1 have yet clearer
Evidence to the contrary of this: I
have preached a who'.cSermon in tiie
agaiiifl all Treafonable Doftrities
and Fracfifes j and in particu'ar againft
the zawfulnefs of Subjefts rifitig in
Arms againfl their Sovereign, upon the
acc untof .Aeligion: and/have main-
tamed this fooft, both in publick in
private, that /could, if I thought it
convenient,give proofs of it that would
make all my Enemies beafhamed of
thc'r tijaftice and Malice.
The Witnefles cited againfl me are
firfl. Sir John Cochran, whom I have
not ieen above this f ur Year^) iall pafl,
and withwh m I have had no fort of
Commerce fince I faw him h is almc 11
twoYears fincc he had his pardon, 'b it
is probable he then told all that he has
ever told concerning me : and^it isnot
likely, rha: the matter would have been
let lieYlleep all this while, if he had
fiid any thing to my prejudice. 1 con-
fefs / have been long acquaintedwith
liimj/look upon him as a nun of Ho-
r.our; and /r ckon my feT fofafein
his Honour, and in ma own /nnocence,
that / do very free'v rcleafe hmi frcm
all cheObligation of Friiidlhip and Con-
fijence, and wifh that he may declare
every thing chat has pafl lietween us:
for then I am fiire he wdl do me the
right to own, tiiat as eft as we ralkt of
fome tlrr; s chat were complained of
in SotLwdJ took cccalion to repeat my
Opiaion,of tlx Daty of Sub)e£ls to fi.b-
$P )■
mit and bear all the HI /^dmiBiflrttiohi
that might be in the Government, but
never to rife in Armt upon tharaccount.
Tlie next Wiinrfi is hisS'on,vvhom I never
faw but once or twice,and with w, horn I
n v.r entered into any difjourfe, but
what became a man of my profeflioti
to fo yousg a perfon, exhorting hirn to
the Duties of a Chriflian. The next
two are Mr. U>eji and Mr. So«r«,whofe
faces J do not know. Afccrthemcome
Mr. Carflairej and Mr.,Baird. v\hofe fa-
ces /know net neiihcr, it feems chefe
^ arc the Witnefles to be led againfl
me for the Article relating to
the Netherlands *, but as I am wholly a
Stranger to Mr. C.vfl.iires, Co I do not
fo much ar know if there is fuch a per-
fon in being as Rober: B.iird, Merchant
in Hilimd. and for the iafl, Mr. B.ix-
ter, I have had no Correfpon.lence at
all with h'm chefe two and Twenty
• Years; unlefs it was tliat once or twice
1 have met him by accident in a V lit hi
a thir.l place, and iba: once about fix
Years ago I went to di.courfe with hioi
concerning a matter of H flory in which
we dirte.'d j but as all our Coi.verfa i-
cn at that time was in the prefence of
feme Witnefles f<j it was not at all re-
lacing to matters of S'tate.
And row 1 have gone over all the
Matter that is lai J agai .ft me.in this Ci-
tation, and have nude fuch Ftflefkio; s
botli on the Fafls that arc alledgcd, and
the Wicfuffes that are named, as w:jl
1 hope faft'fie even my E.,emieE them-
fe'ves, of the Falf^hood and Itijuftice
of thefe Informations. Sothari pre-
fume fo far on bis Majifiits ]i ftice, as
to txptfcrhac all the Indigt atioii wViich
is kirdled againft me, wil be c n ci
upon my faife Acc, frs-
To a'l this / wiil add one ib.irg fur-
thcr fcr my juftificaticn, tlio / am
fully
fulty fatufied it is that wliic'i I a.n not
obliged ro do, and which if I were in
orlier C'rcu.n/laaces I wcu'd not do
nay felfj as f would advife no other
man CO do it, For ic is a part of that
Right char every man has toprefcrve
himfelf by all lawful ways, that he do
nor accofe hitnfelf, and by confequer.ee,
chat he do not purge himfelf by Oath
of rr.acters objc£kd to him : and 1 do
not fo will approve of the Couits of
Inquifition, as ro give countenance to
a praftice which was firfl fee on foot
by them, of requiring men to anfwcr
upon Oath to matters objedled to
them, /f I were not a Churchman 1
would not do this which 1 am about
to do i as I declare 1 will never do ic
again, let my Enemies lay to m,y
charge what they plcafe. But the re-
gard I have to this facred Fundion to
which 1 am dedicated, makes me now
once far all. offer this folcmn purga-
tion of niy fcif. I attejl the Great God,
the fearcher of all things, and the Judge
ef ail men, that all the matteri of Fall
laid to my charge in this Citat Un, are ut-
terly Groimdlefs, and abfolutely falfe.
This 1 am ready to confirm with my
Corporal Oath, and to receive the
Sacrament upon ic.
6o J
And now I hope 1 have fai i enough
cofjti:fie Flii Majcffy conctTniigay
ItKiocence, fo that 1 »m confident lie
will not only clifcharge all further pro-
ceedings againA me, upon this Accu-
I'acion, but that he will exp efs iiss
Royal Dffp.'ejfure againA my Falfe
Accufers. But if the power of my
Enemies, ard their credit with His
MajeAy is Aill fo great, that this mat-
^er lhall be carried further, and that
advantage Aiall be taken from my not
appearing in Scotland, to pr cced to a
Sentence againA me, which fome bru-
ralmcn now in the Hague are rhreac-
ning before hand, that they will exe-
cute it: 1 then make my moA humble
Appeal CO the Great God, the King of
Kings, who knows my iBnocence, and
to whom my Blood will cry fcr Ven-
geance, againA all that may be any
way concerned in the Aiedding of ir.
He will at the Great Day judge all men
rightcoufly, without refped of Per-
foni ■, It is to him I Ay, who 1 am fare
will hear me. Judge me O God, ac-
coraing to the Integrity that is in me..
At the Hagne,
May, 17.1(587. Gilbert Burnet.
My
(57)
My Second Letter to the Earl of MtdUmtie.
May it plcafc your Lordfhip,
TH £ Copy of the Cittticn
agaitift we, (riu been (itit me
cut cf Scotland, fuce I
toel{ the Libirty to rvritt laji to your
IjordJhipi thU puts me on a Seecnd
/iddrejt to )eu, for cemtytng the
tnclojed /ir,freer, tthich I mrfi hum-
bly lay doren at Hit Adajefties
Feet. 1 am eonfdent that the falfc
hoed of the matters dj Bed to me,
mb appear ft evider.t to Ha Ma-
jffty, as xeeV as to di the Werld he-
fdts, that be teib not ctly rrder the
prcceedhgs to he quite dijeharged,
but that be trib alfo order fme re-
paraticn to ht made to tr.e, fr f»
fubliek^ a Bhtnifh, as even a Ota-
tion fir {» high a Crime amounts to.
J ctnfefs the many hard things that
have hen cf late ca^ ca ttti, and
in partieuler to Ttung and Old, and
Forraifntrs as rveb as Englifh men,
that have hen coming into theft
darts, makf me fee that my Enemies
have peffeffed Hit Majtfty with
thoughts of me, that 1 n.ufi crave
luve with ab Humility to Jay, that
they are as utdeferving as hard.
What have J tither dttie or faid, to
draw on me I fo heavy and f» leng^a
continued Vifpleafure? bttt tuy am-
fort l)es M the Wutiifs that I have
within me, of my own Innocence:
S» that I dare apptai to Cod, as I.
doniw to hfs Vicegerent.
Since ihie Matter is vew bteeme
JopuhiKiq, and that Namt ts
mm fa general^ l^-twn', I mu^ not
be wantng to my twn hmerc'et^
(ficeiall) whett not only my Life and
iieputatkn are ^rteek, at, hut the
Feligion that ] pnfefs is wtunded
thrcugh my Sides : thirifrt ttlll
have put in order my Mtmeirs for a.
larger Work, 1 fnd it in fme fort
necijjaiy to print the Citation, toge-
ther with this Jrfwer: but I had
much rather haie all this privented,
liy aaiffiB cf His May^its Jydice,
in erdenrg an end to be put to tl it
Accufaticn, and that by Jtrr.e AB
that may be as jublicl^ as the Gita-
tion It flj was, which may hear
His Majefiies behg fat'yficd with
my hnccer.ce, as to thtfe Matters }
but if 1 have fiill as Melanchtly an
Anfwer to this, as I haze had to aB
the former Applicatiins I have trade,
I r/.ufi maintain ny Ir.noceree the
R hifl,
I "
Is
i
11
I
fl
"I
i#s^
(58;
heji n>ay I can, in which I will ne- must be fuffered to treat the instru-
ver forget that vafl Duty that I ewe ments and Procurerf of my Dtf-
Htt Majifiv, whatfoever I may meet grace, who are contriving my De-
with iu my own particular. struSim, with the plainnefs that
If there is any thing either in the fuch TraHitej draw fr 'm me.
iuclofed Papea, er in this Letter, I will delay Printing aiy t^ng
that feems a little too vehemnt, I for a Fortnight, till I fee wbeihtr
hope the provocation that I have met your Lord/hip it liky to receive any
with will he Uk^wife confidercd; for Orders from Hit May sty relating to
while my Life and Reputation are him, who it,
Strucl^ at, and vrhile fame here are
tbreatning fo high, a man must be
fcrgtven to (hiw that be it not tfuite
unfeufhle; and tho my "Duty to the
Ring U proof against all that can
ever be done to prmks me, yet I Hagut,lAzy. 17.
OldSt,^62)^.
May it plcafc your Lordfliip,
Your Lordfliips, &c.
1 '.
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t»)
My "third Latter ta tl
May it pitafe your Lordjhipy
I Venture or:cc more to re-
new my AddrcfTcs to your
Lordftiip, before 1 Print
the Pjper that 1 fcnt you
by my laft of the S rventccnth
. of Mapy together with the two
Lcttcs that I writ you ; for I
find it ncccflary to add this,
and that it go with the reft to
the Prels.
I am told, that great Adran-
tagcs have been taken npon an
Fxprcffion in my Fit ft Lettcrr,
in which I writ, that iymy N»-
tMralifattm during my (lay hirty
My Allegeanct vpjs tranflated from
Hit Maf^y to the Sovereignty of
thif Provence; as if this alone
Was Crime enough •, and I hear
that fonic who have been of
the Profcffion of the Law arc
of this mind. 1 indeed thought
that none who had ever pre-
tended ro ftudy Law, or the
general Notions of Lntercourre
^ among Nations, could miftake
ID fo clear a Point, I cauclon'd
niy Words fo, as to fhcw that
Earl of Midlctounc-
I confidcrcd this Tranflation
of my Allegcance only as a
temporary tiling during my flay
htrt. And can any man be fo
ignorant as to doubt of this ?
Allegeance and Protection are
things by their nature rccipro-
cal: fince then Naturalifation
gives a Legal Protection, there
muft be a return of Allegcance
due upon it. I do not deny
the Root of Naturali Allege-
ancc remains, but it is certain-
Jy under a fufpcnfion, while
the Naturalifcd Pcrfon enjoys
the Protection of the Prince or
State that has fo recciv'd him-
I know what a Crime it had
been if 1 had become Nam-
ralifcd to any State in War
with the King : but when it
was to a State that is in Alii-
ance with him, and when it
was upon fo juft a ground as
my being to be hdarricd and
Settled in this State, as it cculd
be no Crime in mc to defirc it,
fo I having obtained it, am not
f«0)
a little amafcd, to hear that
any arc fo lircle convciiant in
the Law of Nations, as to take
Exception at my words. Our
Saviour has faid, T^hat a wan
cannot fervt two Malhrt: and thc
Nature of things fay, that a
man cannot be at the fame
time under two Allq^'antcs.
His Maj"fir by Naturalifng
the Earl of Feverfhamur^^ many
many Spies and Agents for a-
jicther Ffioce ) that if I had not
very good grounds to afTurc
me, that (ome have pre ended
to make a Crime ou-: ^of my
Words, I could not eafily be-
licvc it.
My LtrJ,
This i« the laff Trouble that
I will give your Lordfhip upon
otlaers of the French Nation, this Subj d, for it being now a
knows well whas a right this
gives him to thrir Allcgeance,
which no doubt he as well as
many others have iworn, and
this is a tranflating ihcfr Allc-
geancc with a Witncfs; That
Lord was to have commanded
the Troops that were to be
fcnt into Flandtrt in 1678 a-
gainfi his Natural Prfnce; and
yet though the Laws of France
are high enough upon the ptmt
Month ^nce 1 made my firft
Addrcfs to you, I mufl con-
dude. That it is rcfolved to car-
ry this matter to all Extrcmi-
ties; and Mr. VAlltevilUs In-
fiances againfl me, and the
Thrcrariiiiigs of fomt of his
Cou'.icymcn, make mc con-
elude, that all ray mofl hum^
ble AdJrefTes to His Majrfiy
/srclikc to have no other cfiF.d:
but this, that 1 hare done my
of Soveraignty, it was never fo Duty in them ; fo that it fccms
much as pretended that this f am to be judged in Sotland,
Was a Crime. And it is fo
much the Intcrrfi of all Princes
to aflure thcmfelycs of thofc
whom they receive into tfacir
Prorcftion by Naturalifing
them C fince without that they
fhould give Protcftion to fo
/ am forty for it, becaufc this
wiil engage mc in a defence of
my Self, Z mean a juflification
ot
my own Zunocence, which
/vto 'o much againfi my heart:
bnt< lod and man fccc that Jam
forccdtoit; and no Threat'
nings
(6i)
Rings of any here will frighten will pay alt Duty and Fiielicy
me} for I will do that which to His Majefty.
J think fit for me to do to day, My Lord,
though I were fare to be affaffi t am with a profoHnd Rtjfiit
natcd for it to morrow; but to Tmr Lartiflttft^SCC^
hcJafl moment of my Life I Hague,
Old St. 1687.
A dvertjsement.
WHen I had rcfolred on
the Printing theie Pa-
pcrs, and was waiting till the
day fhould'comc to) which I
was Cited, I received a i.cw
Advcrtifemcnt, that th" firft
Citation was let fall, and ihac
1 was cited of rew to the i ')th.
of Attguji^ to Anfwcr to the
Crimes of High upon
the account of two Heads in my
Fitft Letter to the Earl of MidU
toune; Thecneis, That I fay
that bjf my Naturalization I am
lefiftd from my Allege ante t« His
Majilly ; and the other is, that
1 threaten Hii Maj fty with the
frinting and Difenvtnng of Siccretf
that have been long hid. /f after
what 2 have hitherto met with,
tlierc were room left for new
ilurprifcsj this would have
been a very great ©ne. Thofc
who have advifed ihc King to
this way of proceeding againfl
me, fhew that they confidcr
very little the Reputation of
His Majees Jufticc and fo
1 be but facrificcd, they do not
care how much the King's Ho-
nour fuflers I® it: for Firft,
after a (Tcation of High Trea-
foD, v/Mch has made fb much
Noife, that is let fall: Which
is plainly to Confcfs, that there
is no Truth in all thofc mat-
rcrs that were laid to ray
Chsrge; and then, where is
the Juftice of this way of pro.
caching, to (ummon a man to
Q,j ap-
(6
appei-- tTpcm the pc.etcrjcc of
Climb's, ')f v/liich they ki.o'^v'
him tu I". laaocrm ? But ti)is
ncsv nj^u r is o{ uicli a jjnturc,
that it is not cafic, for tnc to
find words foft enough to
Ipeak of it with the decency
that becomes me.
This is now more the Caufe
ef the State/ of H'lllmd and
Wtjl-Frkzlani than it is mine.
It is indeed the Caufe of all the
Soveteigt'S it) the World, and
fo it is His Majcdies own caufe,
who has fo otten call'd the Na-
curalifcd French His Subjeftsjand
by Conkqucnce they owe him
an Allcgeancc,and fo here rBufi
be at leaft a Temporary Iran-
fljtian of their Alkgeance msde to
him from their Natural Prince :
And either this muff be the
lame as to thoic who arc Na
luralifed by the States here, or
they are not a Sovereign State,
and by confequcnce ibis caule
is theirs, and not mine ; fincc
the Crime of which I am now
accafed iif the aclc.iiowh.dgii^g
my fclf to have become their
Suf jcifi during my jiay ixre^ upun
their having granted me the
Benefit and Protedfion c: Na-
turalijation j io that cither His
.)
Majefty was much miuakcn in
catli^og the VvHch ■. har aic Natu-
raif 'l, Hu SuJj it '; T it can be
no Cnmt in inc to : avc owticd
aiy fc.t to have fxcomc a Tew-
pora y Suhjiit to the Stjtet.
i^nd it thofc who have flu-
died the Roman Law will rcflcft
a little on the tfTedfs that be-
loi gcd to the (Jus CivitatU) or
the Rights that followed on
the being made a Roman Citizen^
which are the fame in all So-
vcreign States, and that Natu-
ralttzation is with regard to a
Prirce or State^ that which A-
doption Was by the Ri man Lava
with regard to Private Famdier^
they Will fee that my Enemies
do not rcflcft enough on the
Principles of Law when they
pretend to make me a CrimI-
nal up n fuch an account. If
I had been charged lor having
defired to be Naturahfid, I con-
fels there had been (omc more
colour for it: but fincc it is now
a received Practice over all Eu-.
rcp^ for th.e Subjedf of one State
to procure their being Natu-
rallied in another; it is unac-
countable how any can call in
queflion that tic ot Allgcance
that he who is Katuralifed owes
to
his New Mafters. Nor have my
Enemies corfidered how much
this way of proceeding againft
Enc,muft fi.ik the Credit of Fiis
M-ajeftieS Naturaliftng St^argers ;
for how can cncy cxp'£f a con-
ftant Protcdion from him, it i. is
made apparent that the Kmg docs
n ;t think he has a righc to their
AlJcgcance? and into what a
confternation mufl it throw them
when they find by my Gale that
the King looks upon them as fo
many Irsttors tor becoming his
Sub']tds, and for fwcaring Alle-
gtance to him ? for that Oath is
fworn in terms that are p'ain and
full, and tfrat have not the qiuli-
ficacicnthat I put in my words of
during my liay here; fo that thcy
arc much more Criminal than it
can be pretended that lam.
The other Article is no Icfs in-
juriousto His Mdj'fty,fincc thcy
Would tuakc a Crime out of my
words, that mention my Fear
that jic may be difpleafcd at forac
thingrthat may be in the Apologf^
that 1 will be obliged to make for
my felf, to the Writing 2nd Priit
ting of which a Sentence againlt
me will drive me. It thclc man
who hare adrifcd thii, had the
regard to His Majcffy which
thcy owe hisa, thcy would not
have prcfumcd to infer, that it
Was a Thrcatning of His Majsfiy
i)
when I fay, that I jn^lfie my
felfi or that any Hifiory of paji Tranf-
aSwns can he a arant ef Duty to bim^
this ConGquencc of theirs inti-
mates that nhLife, ot the late King
his Brothers^ cannot bear a !Zr««
Htjiory , other wife Where is the
Threatnwg > but how great a Crime
this is, will I hope appear to His
Majtfiy when he has the leilurc
totcfl;£t upon it j yet there may
be many particulars that 7 muff
ncccfTirily bring in, in the Wliory
that I am writing, which have
fuch a conneCfion with what re-
latcs to my felf, that I cannot
pafs them by; which yet if it
could be avoided, may not be fit
for publick view. N rv tf my E-
ntmies fancy ^ that it is a Crime for
me to jteli/fir mv felf hecaufethrt have
pijf ffed bu Mjj tb'' ^gainji me, I could
anftPer this with fome famed f'ji-'gf
«f TacitUtV, that fP)ulJ iifturk m
a little ; and tf in 'a hu ttbi. roa ;
that I mal(e before Hii T
mention this as a C'l.fiicration 'hot
may be of feme tp-iohs rvith
they who can turn this Expr-fji m "f my
"Duty and Rijp £1 tnto a Critm^ and
are fuecefsful in the attempt^ hatte a
Talent for which I do not envy them^
thongh I my felf come to feci the weight
of it.
Hague, "i?.
Old St. i6tl' G. Burnet.
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(«)
An E NQUIR Y into the Reafons for abrogating
the TEST impofed on all Members of Parliamenc.
Offered by Sa.
WHEN the Cardinah in
Heme go abroad without
, Fiocces on their Horfes heads
it is undcrllood that they
will be then incognito ^ and they ex-
peft nothing of that Rcfpeft which
IS payed them on other Occaiions.
So fince there is no Fiocco at the
Head of this Difcourfe, no Name nor De-
fignation, it feems the Writer offers him-
felf to be examined without thofe nice re-
gards, that may be due to the Dignity he
bears: and indeed when a Man forgets
what he is himfelf, it is very natural for
others to do it likewife.
It is no wonder to fee thofe of the Ro-
man Communion beftir themfelves, fo much
as they do, to be delivered from theTefl,
and every thing clfe that is uneafie to
them; and th6 others may find, it very rea-
fonable to oppofe themfelves, in all the,
jufl and legal ways that agree with our
Confiitution, to this Defign, yet it is fo na-
tural to all that are under any PrefTure, to
defire to get free from it, that at the fame
time that we cannot forbe^ to withftaad
them, we cannot much condemn,them :
But it raifcs"Nature a Iktk, to fee a Afgh
that has been fo long fanned with the Spoils
of our Church, and who has now got up to
a degree fo difproportioned tohis Merit,to
turn fo treacheroufly upon it. J f he is al-
ready weary of his comfortable importance'^
and will give her into the bargain,
and declare himfelf, no body will,be fur-
prifcd at the change of his MafquCjlincehe
lias taken much pains to convince the
World, that his Religion goes no dcepar
than his : yet thb hisccflfidence is of
a piece with all* his other Vertues, few
thought, it could have carried him fo far i
I Confefs I am not furprized, but rather
wonder to fee that others fhould be fo :
for he has given fufficient Warning what
he is capable of; he has told the World
what is the rvorjl thing that Dr. Burnet can
do.f.$o. but I amfure the Dr.cannot be quit
with him , to tell what is the worji thing
that he can do; it muft needs be a very
fruitful Fancy that can find out all the de-
grees of wick^nefs to which he can go: and
tho this Pamphlet is a good EfTay of his Ta-
lent that way, yet thzt Terra Incognita is
boundlefs. In the Title Page itisftidthat
this V/3S firfl writ for the Author's own Satis-
falHon, and now publifhed for the benefit of aU
others whom it may concern. But the words
are certainly wrong placed; for the truth
of the matter is. That it was written for
the Author's own Benefit, and that it is now
publilhed for the SatisfaHion of all others whom
it may concern : in fome fenfe perhaps it was
written for the Author's own Satisfaftion:
for fo petulant and fo depraved a mind as.
His, is capable of being delighted with His
Treachery : and a poor Bifhopncliwkh the
addition of a Frefidentjhip being too Ipw a
Prize for his Ambition and Avarice, He
refolved to affure Himfelf of the firit great
Bifijopricli that falls; the Liege letter lets us
fee how far the JeJuites were aiTured of him,
and how much courted by him: and tliacJic
(aid, that none but Atheifts fupported the Fro-
tejlant Religion now in England;yet how many
foever of thefe may be among us. He is upon
the point of lelfening their number, by one
at leaff: and He takes Care to iuflific the
Hopes which thefe F.-.thersconceiv'd of him.
They ,ire fevcre M iflers, and will not be cur
A 'of,
C
off with Secret Civilities, Lewd Jefts, En-
teftainmencs,andHealchs drank to their good
SucccfsjCa now tire Price of the Prtfidtntjhif
is to be pay'd, fo good a Morfel as this de-
ferved that Dr^StillingJfeet, ■ Dr. TiUotfotty
Dr. Bumet, and fome other Divines flionid
be ill ufed, and He to preferve the Charafter
oiDramanfir,which ts asduc to Hinj as that
of Bays,h\li upon the Articles of the Church,
and upon both Hbufes of Parliament.lt is Re-
proach enough to the Houfeof Lords^thit He
is of it j but k is foraewhac new, and a Cha-
rafter becoming Sa. Oxon, to arraign that
with all me Infolence to which He
can raife His wanton Pen. Laws that are
in being are treated with refpefteven by
thofe who move for their Repeal •, but our
Drarvcanjir fcorns that modeft flrain, He h
hot contented to arraign the calls it
Barbarous, and fays, that nothing can be more
Barbarous and Profane then to make the re-
nouncing of a Miflery, fo unammoufly received, a
State Ten; yag. 135. j». ^4- But he ought
to have avoided the word Prof bane, finceic
leads men to remember, that He had taxed
the Praying for the King, at under God and
Chrifi, as Crude, not to uy Prt^hane : when
in the Profpcft he had then of a Bifho'
prick. He raifed the King above Chrijl, but
now another Profpcft, will make Him fink
Him beneath the Pope, who is but at beft
Chrijl's Vicar, But this is not aU,there comes
another Flower tliat is worthy of Him, He
tells us. That the TEST was the Firfi born of
©ats's Plat, and brought forth onpwrpcfe to ghie
Credit and Refutation to the Perjury, pag. 5.
and becaufe this went in common between
the Two bcftows a more particular
mark of His Favour, on the Hattfe of Lords :
and tells them was a Monument e-
relied by themfelves in honour of fo grofs an Im-
pofiure- (ibid.) But after a]l,the Royal Affent
was addcdjand here no doubt it itched fome-
where,for if it had not been for the manner
of the late Ktng% Death,and the Papers pub-
li.lhcd fince His Death, He would have
wreaked His IVJalice upon Ms Memory, for
He will never forgive His not Advancing
Him; And the Late King being fo true a
^dge of Wit, could not but be much taken
with the befi S^at/r of ourTimejand faw tliat
Bays'i Wit, wiien meafured with anothcrs.
was of apiece with his Vertues, and there-
fore judged io favour of Tvanf-
prodd: this went deep, and though it gave
occafion to the fii^Ie piece of Modcftyjwith
which He can be charged,- of withdrawing
from the Town, and not importuning the
Prefs more for fome years,fince even a Face
of Brafs muft grow red, wheii it is fo Burnt
as His was then; yet His Malice againfi the
Elder Brother was never cxtinguifhcd but
with His Lifc : But now a ftrange Conjun-
fture has brought him again on the Stage]
and Bays will be Bays ftill.
He begins Iris Prologue with the only foft
word in the whole jfiece, 7 humbly Conceive,
but he quickly repents him of chat Deionari-
iy,and fo makes Thunder and Lightmg fpeak
the reft,as if hisDefigns were to Infult over
the two Houfes, and not to convince them.
He who is one of the Punies of his Order,
and is certainly one of its jufteftReproaches,
tells us pag. 8. " That to the Shame of the
^'Bifhop5,thisLaw was confcntcd to by them
"in the Houfe of Lords; But what Shame
is due to him, who has treated that Vene-
rablegCTJci»,and in particular hisMetropolitan,
In fo fcurrilous a manner. The Order has
much more caufc to be afti^med of fuch a.
Me mber : tho if there arc two or three fnch
as he is among the twenty Six, they may
Comfort theotfelves with this, that a dozen
of much better Men, had one among them,
that I confefs was not inuch worfe, if it was
not for this,that he let the Price of hisTrea-
chery fall much lower than Sa. Oxon docs,
who is ftill true to his old Maxim, that he
delivered in Anfwer to one who Asked him
"What was the beft Body ofDivinity? which
"was, That that which could help a man to
"iwcp a Coach and Six Horfes was certainly
"the wft. But now I come to Examine his
Reafons for abrogating the TEST,
The firft is,"That it is contrary to the Na-
"tural Rights of Peerage, and turns the Birth-
"Right ofthe£«^/iy7;Nobili y, into a Pre-
"carious Title ; which is at the mercy of
"every Faftion and Paffion in Parliament,
"and that therefore, how ufeful focver the,'
•'TEST might have been in its Seafon, it
"fome time muft prove a very ill Prefidcnt
"againft the Riglit of Peerage: and upon this
"he tells a Story of a Proteftation made in
"the
( 3 )
" the Houfe of Lords, againft the T E S T,
" that was brought in, in together with
"the Refolution of the Houfe againft that
" I'enalty upon the Peers, of loofing their
" Votes in cafe of a Refufal ; he reprefcnts
"this, as a Teftor Oath of Loyalty, againft
the Ltwfulnefs of taking Arms upon any
" pretence whatfoever againft the King.
But in Anfwer to all this, one would gladly
know what are the Nxturxl Kjghts of Peerayj,
and in what Chapter of the Law of Nature
theyare to be found,for if thofe Rights have
no other Warrant, but the Conftitution of
this Government, than they are ftiil fubjeft
to the Legiflative Authority, and may be re-
gulated by it. The Right of Peerage is ftill in
the Family, only as the cxercife of it is limited
by the Law to fuch an Age, fo it may be fuf-
pendcdas oft asthePublkk Safety comes to
requir® it: even the indelible Charafter it
felr, may be brought under a total Sufpen-
fion, of which our Author may, perhaps,
afford an inftance at fome time or other.
2. Votes in either Houfe of Parliament,
are never to be put in Ballancc with Efta-
blilh'd Laws: thcfe ars but the Opinions
of One Houfe, and are changeable.
3. But if the TEST might have been
afeful in its Scafon, one would gladly fee
how it Ihould be fo foon out or Scafon:
for its chief life being to Secure the Pro-
teftant Religion in 1678. it docs not ap-
pear, That now in 1688. the Dangers are
fo quite diflipated, that there is no more
need of Securing it. la one fenfc we are
in a Safer Condition than we were then:
for fome Falfe Brethren have fhewcd them-
fdres, and have loft that little Credit
which fome unhappy Accidents had pro-
cured them.
4 It was not the Loyalty in the TEST
of the Year i 675. that raifed the greateft
OpiKifition to it: but another part of it,
" That they fhould never Endeavour any
" Alteration in the Government, either in
" the Church or State. Now it feemed to
be an unreafonable Limitation on the Lc-
giflative Body, to have the Members engaged
to make no Alteration; And it is that which
would not have much plcafed thole. For
^kofe SitisfaSion this Book is puhlijhed.
The fecond Reifon- was already hinceJ at,
of its dijhonourable Birth xni Original; pag.ie.
which according to the decency of his ftile, he
calls tiie firil Sicramens of the at ft in filUny,
pag. 9. This He aggravates xs fuch a Mon-
Uroiis and Inhuman piece of Barbarity as could
never have entred into the thoughts of xnyMin but
the infamous Author of if, this peice of Ele-
gance, tho' it belongs to this Reafon, comes in
again in his Fourth Reafon,Pa^.6,and to let the
J-joufe of Lords fee their Fate, if they will not
yield to his R^xfons, he tells them that this will
be not only an "Eternal National Reproach,
" but fuch a blot upon the Peers,thit no length
"of time could wear away, nothing but the
" Univerfal Couflagration could deftroy,
which are the apteft Expreliions that I know
to mark how deeply, the many blots with
which he is ftigmatized are rooted in his Na-
ture. The wanton man in his Drawcxnfir
humor thinks that Pxrlixments and a Houfe of
Peers iK to be treated by Him with as much
Scorn as is juftly due to himfclt. But to fet
this matter in its true Light,it is to be remcm-
bred that in 1678. there were befides the
Evidences of the Witnefes, a great many
other Difcoverics made of Letters and Hego-
tixtnons in Forreign Parts, chiefly in the
Courts of France and Ppme, for Extirpating
the Protefiant E^igion ; upon which the Party
that was moft united to the Court, let on this
Law, for the Teft, as that which was both in
it felf a juft and neceflary Security for tlie
Eftablifh'd Religion, and that would pro-
bably lay the fermentation which was then
in the Nation : and the Abi was fo little ac-
ceptablc to Him, whom he calls its Author,
that he f^ake of it then with Contempt, as
a Trick of the Court to lay the Nation too
loon afleep. The Negotiations beyond Sea
were too evidently proved to be denied ; and
Cwhich is not yet generally known) Mr.
Coleman when Examined by the Commitceof
the Houfe of Commons, faid plain eqpugh tO/
them, that the Late Ifjngvizs concerned in
them; but the Committee would not look into
that matter, and fo Mr. Sacheverill, that was
their Chair-man, did not report .it; yet the
thing was not fo fecret but that one to whom
it was trufted, gave the Late King an Ac-
count of it; who laid. That he had not heard
of it any other way, and was fo fully con-
A z viocei
vinceti that the Nation had caufe given them
to be }:alous. that he himfelf fct forward the
A'f, and the rather becaute he faw that the
E. of S. did no: much like it. The Pirlumcni
as iong as it was known that the Religion
was fafe in the fyirgs Negative, had not
taken any great Care of its own Conftitution,
but it feemed the beft Expedient that could
be found, for laying the Jealoufies of His
Late Majejiy, and the apprehenfions of the
Succefor, to take fo much Care of the Two
Iloufes, that fo the Dangers with which men
were then allarm'd, might feem the lefs for-
raidable, upon fo efFeftual a Security: and
thus all the ftir that He keeps with I'irjury and
Jmpo'liire, ought to make no other imprefTi-
on, but to (liew the wantonnefs of His own
Temper, that meddles fo boldly with things
of which He knew fo little the true Secret:
For here was a Law paffed of which all made
great ufe that oppoled fhd Bill of Exclufwn,
to demonftrate to the Nation that there could
be no Danger of Popsry, even under a
Prince of that Eeligkn ; but as he would turn
the matter, it amounts to this. That that
Law might be of good ufe in that feafon, to
' lay the Jealoufies of the Nation, till there
were a Prince on the Throne of that Com-
fttunion, and then when the turn is fcrved, it
muft be thrown away, to open the only door
that is now fhut upon the Re-cftabli(hmenc
of that Religiin. This is but one Hint among
a great many more of the ftate of Affairs at
the time that this Ail of the TEST was
made, to (hew that the Evidence given by
the fvitr.efes, bad no other (hare in that mat-
ter, but that it gave a rile to the other Dif-
coveries; and a fair Opportunity to thofe
who knew the Secret of the LateRe-
iigion, and the Negct ationat to pro-
vide fuch an effefhiai Security , as might
botii fave the Crown, and fecure the Religion:
avd this 1 am fure (bir.e of the BiJIwps knew,
viho (mtteir ILcnour^ were faithful tob.th.
The Third Realon he gives for Repealing
the Ad, is ih Incompetent Autkority ef thofe
rvko Enadcd it t for it w.K of an Scclefiajlic-tl
nature: and here He flretches out His Wings
to a Top-flight, and charges it with nothing
lefs than ^he Dep fn^ of Chrifl from Hit Throne,
the difowning, ncgleding and affronting hit Corn-
mijlon to his CmhcVich Church, and entrentbing
ttpon this Sacred Prerogative of his Holy Cuthe-
lick Cktirch", and then that He might have
occafion to feed his Spleen with railing at
the w hole Order, he makes a ridiculous Ob-
jecfion of the Bipops being prefent in the
Houje of Lords, that He might fliew His
refpcfk to them, by telling in a Parenthefis
that [to their Shim ) they had confented to it.
But has this Scarxmuchio no Shame left him P
Did the Parlument p etend by this Ad to make
anyDecifioniii thofe two Points of Tranfub-
ftantiatu n and Idol airy ? Had not the Canvoca-
tion defined them both for above an Age be-
fore P In the sbT. Ankleoi our Church thcfe
words are to be found : Tranfubdantiation (er
the change of the fubjlance of Bread and Wine',
in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by
Holy Writ; hut it is repugnant to the plain words
.of Scripture, overthrows the nature of a Sacra-
ment, and hath given eccafwn to many Snperftiti-
ons-, and for the Idolatry of the Church or'
Eome that was alfo declared very exprefly in
the fame Body of Articles: fince inthe Ar-
tide35.the Homilieszredechred "'Tocontain
"a godly and wholefom Doftrine necefTa-
" ry for thofe times: and upon that it is judged
"that they fhould be read in the Churches,
" by the Minifters, diligently and diffinftly,
" that they may be underftood of the People.
And the Second of thefe, whi.h is againft the
Peril of Idolatry, aggravates the Idolatry oi
Xhit Church info many particulars, and with
fucli fevcre Expreflions, that thofe who at
firft made thofe Articles, and all thofe who
donowfign them, or oblige others to fign
-'cm, muft either telieve the Church of Rome
to be guilty of Idolatry, or that the of
England is the Impudentsft Society tliat ever
affumed the Name of, a. Church, if (he pro-
pofes fuch Homilies to the People, in which
this Charge is given fo home, and yet does
• not believe it Her felf. A man muft be of
Bays''s pitch to rife up to this degree of 3m-
pudence. Upon the whole matter then,
thefe points had. been already determined,
and were a part of our Dedrint enafted by
Loom: all that the Parliament did, vjs on-
ly to take thefe out of a great many more,
that by this Ted it might appear whether
they who came into either Houfe were
of that Religion or not : and now let
our Rsafener try wliat he can make out '
of
of this; or ho*f he can juffifie the Scandil
tlut he fo boldly throws upon his Ort'.cii
es if they hid m much as in them lay dejircyii
the very being of a Chriftian Church, and had
profanely pawned the Bifhop to the Lord : and
betraied the Rjghts of thi Church of England as
by Law efiablijhed in particular, as well as of
the Church Catholick in general, p. S. 9. Allthis
Shevtsto whom he has pawned both the Bi-
Jhop and the Lord, and fomething clfe too,
which is both Ccnfdence and Honour, if he
has any left. When one refleffs on two of
the Bifhops, that were of that Venerable
Body, while this Acl pafled, whofe Memo-
ry will be blelTed in the prcfent and follow-
ing Ages, thofe two great and good Men
that filled the Jeer of Chefler andox/brrf, he
mult conclude, that as the World was not
worthy of them, fo certainly their Jew were
not wortliy of them, fmce they have, been
plagued with fuch Succefjors; that becaufc
Bays delights in Figures taken from the Rp-
man Empire, I muft tell him, that fince
Cmmodus fuccecded to Marcus Anrelm, I
do not find a more incongrous SucccIIion
in Hiftory. With what fenlible regret muft
thofe who were fo often edified with th?
Gravity, the Piety, the Generofity,. and
Charity, of the. late Bij]:ep of Oxford, look
on, when they fee fuch a Harkguin in his
room.
His Fourth Reafon is taken from the
uncertainty ahd falfeheod cf the matters con-
tained in the Declaration it felf. pag, 9. for
our Comedian maintains his Charafier ftill,
and fcorns to fpeak of Eftablifh'd Laws
with any Decency; here he puts in a pa?
ragraph, as was formerly marked, which
belonged to his Second Reafon, but it
feems fome of thofe to whom he ha^pswn'd
hlmfeif, thought he had not faid enough on
that head, ajrd therefore to fave blottings,
he put it iniiere. After that, he tells the
Gentry, that Tranfubjlantiation was a No-
tion belonging to the School-men and Metaphy-
fnUns, and that he may befpeak their Fa-
vour, he tells them in very foft words,
That their Learning was more polite and prahli-
cable in the Civil Affairs of Human Life, to
und.rfland the M^ks of'Honour, and the Laws
of their Couotrey, the Prafice cf Martiai
bifcipline, and the Examples of Great Men in
former Ages, aud by them to jquare their Aili-
ens in their rcjpecH-ae Stations, and the like.
but furetbe is here without his Fixco,
yet at Icaft for Decencys fake he fhould
have named Religion and Nertue among the
proper Studies of the Gentry s and if he
dares not truft them with the reading the
Scriptures, yet at leaft they might read the
Articles of our Church, and hearken to the
Homilies, for tho it has been long. one of
the firft Maxims that he lias infufed into aH
tfttCkrgy that come near him, that the
People ought to be brought into an Igno- -
pnce in matters of Religion, tliat Preach-
ing ought to lae laid afidc, for a Preaching'
Church could not ftaud, that in Sermons no
points of Doflrine ought to be explained,
and that only the Rules of Human Life,
ought to be told the People, yet after all,
they may read the fhort Articles : and tho
they were as blindly Implicit as he would
wilh tliem to be, yet they would without
more Enquiry, find Tranfubflantiitiou to-
be condemned in them. Next he^Tri- -
umphs over the renouncing of it, ptg. .11.
" as too bold and to prophane an Affront
" to Almighty God: when men Abjure a
" tiling which it is morally impoflible for.
" them to underftand. And he appeals to.
the Members of both Houfes (whosa in a ;
fit of Refpeft he calls" Honourable, after he.
had Reproach'd them all he could^ " if. they.
'■ have any cliftinfl Idea .or Notion in their
" minds, of the thing they here fo So-.
" kmnly renounce. I do verily believe
none of them have any " diftinff .Notion.
" of. Tranfubftantiation,. and that it is.
not only Morally, hot-. Thifually tmpoffibk
for them to underftand-it ; But one . would,
think that this is enough fordeclaring that
they do not Believe it, lince the TEST,
contains no declaration coucerning. Tran-
fnbllaniiaiion it felf, whether it is a True
or a Falfe Doftrine: but only concerning
the Belief of him that takes it. And if.
one can have " no diff inft Notions of .it, fb'
'• that it is morally impoiTiblc for hini to
'j- underftan.l it, he may very well declare
Thdt he does not believe it. After a Farce of a
flight Story, he concludes, that there feems to be
not ting but a Prophane Levity in the whole tnit-
ter 1 tndajhxmel 'js abufe put upon God and He-
ligion, to carry on the Wicked Defignsof a Hfbel-
FaSion, For he cannot for his heart, abate
an ace of his Infolence, even when he makes
the I(Jng, Lords and Commons, the fubjeftof
hisfcorn. Certainly whatever his Charafter
is, it ought not to be expefted that a man w ho
attacks all that is Sacred under God & Chrift,
fhould not be treated as he defervcs; it were
a feeble weaknels, to have fo great a regard
to a Charafter that is fo proftituted by him.
He tells us pag. 47. " That all Parties agree
" in the thing : and that they differ only in the
" word and manner; and here he makes a
longexcurfion to (hew his Learning, in tack-
ing a great many things together, which paf-
fes with Ignorant Readers as a mark of his
great Reading ; whereas in this, as well as in
all his other Books, in which any (hews of
Learning appear, thofe who have fearched
into the Fountains, fee that he does nothing
but gather from the Colleftion of 5 others:
only he fpoils them with the Levities of his
buffoon-Stile , and which is worfe, with his
Dif-ingenuhy. I leave all thefc matters to be
examined, by thofe who have leifure for it,
and that think him worth their Pains; But as
for Tranfubliantiation, the words that I have
cited from one of our Artules,fi[ev plainly that
it is rejeftcd in our Church, fo that he is bo und
cither to renounce it, or to renounce our
Church: therefore all that (bew he makes
with our Hiftory, comes to nothing, fince
whatever he may (ay with relation to Edward
the Sixth's Reign, it cannot be denied but
they were enafted by the Convocation in the
beginning of Queen Elizabeth's ReiM, and
they have been ever fince, the Doarine of
our Churth; fo that without going further,
this is now our Dafirine, and fince St. Oxon
carries the Authority of the Convocttion lb
high, he will find the Original Record of thefe
Articles in Qorpus-Chrifli CoUedge in Cambridge,
fubfcribed by the Members of h«th Houfes, in
which there is a much more Pofitive Decifion
then is in the Prints, not only agaiuft Tranful;.
/lantiitm,bnt againft any Corporal or Heal Pre-
fence of the Body and Blood of Chrifi in the Sacra-
ment; And if he will give himfelf fcope,
to rail at thofe who rupprcCTed this,-! leave
him to his Liberty. But here is the formal
decifion of this Church, and the pretending
th^C there WIS no Evic^encc or s Opi»
nion, but in an unknown Manujcript, or a
famous Jnvifibli Manufcript, p. 4^, 47* when
there are two Books writ on this matter by
Cranmer himfelf, and when all the Difputes
in Queen Mary's Time, befides, thofe that
were both in Oxford, and Cambridge, in
King Edward's Time, Ihew fo clearly.
That this was his Doffrinc, is a ftrain be-
coming h;s Sincerity, that gives this among
many other EiTays of the Truft that is due to
him.
Butitfeems he thought that Dr. Tillotfon,
Dr. Stilling fleet, and Dr. Burnet, befides feme
others whom he does not Name, had not
Reputation enough in the World, and there-
fore he intended to raife it, by ufing them ill;
which is all the efFeft that his Malice can
Tiave. He had fet on one of his poor under-
workmen, fome years ago, to decry the Ma-
nufcript which Dr. Stillingfleet had in his keep-
ing for above Twenty Years, and which
Dr. Burnet had in his Hands,for many months,
and which they (hewed to as many asde(i-
red to fee it, bat that had turned fo much
to his Shame that firft vented the Calumny,
that it feems he fummoned Sa. Oxen to
appear his Second in the Slander ; and
he whofe Brow is of fo peculiar a Com-
pofition,will needs bring it here, tho never
fo impertinently. But i forgive the Hatred
that he bares both to that Manufcript, and
to thofc DoSors, fince nothing could be IcS
to the SasisfaSion of thofe for whom bepubliflei
his Boot, then to fee the Nature and Regu.
lar Methods in which the Heformatien was ad-
vanced. For the Sijheps and Divines were
appointed, to Examine all Points with much
Care, and to bring every man His Opinion in
Writing, all which were compared very
faithfully, and upon thefe the Decifions were
made.
There are many other Papers yet extant
which by comparing the Hands (hew thefe
to be Originals; and they were in thej'i-
lisbury Family probably ever fince they were
at firft brought together. Their Anceftor
the Lord Burghly who was Secretary of Stats
ia Eiwird the Sixth's time, gathered them
up'
( 7 )'
Bp ; and as appears in a Letter nnder his own
Hand yet extant, he had 5 or 7 Volumes of
them, of which Dr. Stillingjleet had" only trro;
hnt Dr. Burnet (iw two more of thele Vo-
lumes.
• The f/jftory of the Reformation fells ftill fo
well, that I do not believe Mr. Chifwell the
Printer of it h^ made any Prefcnt to this Rea-
foncr, to raife its Price: fot to attack it with fo
much Malice, and yet not to offer one Reafon
to lelTen its Credit, is as effeftual a Recommen-
dation, as this Author can give it.
He pretends that Dr. Burnet's Defign was to
make Cranmer appear a meer Sacramentarian
asto Dollrine, as he had made him appear an
Erafian, as to Difciptine : and he trunks the
vain Man was flattered into all the Pains he
took^ that he might give Reputation to the
Errors of his Patrons, and that tliofe two grand
Forgeries are the grand Singularities of his Hi-
Jlory : and the main things chat gave it Popu-
iar Vogue and Reputation with his Party. So
that werethefe two blind Stories, and the Rea-
fons depending upon them retrenched, it would
belike the Shaving off Samfons hair, and de-
flroy all the Strength peculiar to the Hiftory.
But to all this Stuff I fliall only fay. i. That the
Charge of Forgery falls back on the Reafoner,
finceas to Cranmers opmion of the Sacrament,
his own Books, and his Difpute at Oxford are
fuch plain evidences, that none but Bays could
have queftioned it: and for his being an Era-
ftian. Dr. Burnet had clearly proved that he had
changed his Opinion in that Point, fo that tho
he fhewed that he had been indeed^nce enga-
ged in thofe Opinions, yet he proved that he
had forfaken them t Let the Reader judge to
whom the charge of Forgery belongs. 2. Dr.
Burnet has indeed fome temptations to Vanity
now, fince he is ill ufed by Bays ■, and put in
fitch Company : but I dare fay if he goes to
give him his Charafter he will never mention
fo flight a one as Vanity, in which how excef-
five foever he may be yet it is the fmallefl of
all his Faults. 3. Thefe two Particulars here
mentioned, bear fo inconfiderable a fhare in
that piflory, and have been fo little minded,
that I dare fay of an hundred that are pleafed
with that Work, there is not one that will af-
iign thefe as their Motives.
He cenfures Dr. Burnet for faying he had often
heard it faid that the Articles of ourfhurch were
framed by Cranmer and Ridley j as if it were the
meanejl Trade of an Hiftorian to Jloop to hear-fay,
p. 5 $. But the beft of all the Roman Hijiorians
CSalujl, in bello Katil.J does it, and in this bf.
Burnet maintains the Charafter of a (incere Hi-
florian to f^ nothing that was not wellgroun-
ded : and fince it has been often faid by many
Writers, that thefe two Bi/lxps prepare^l our
Atricles, he finding no particular Evidence of
that, delivers it with its own doubtfulnefs. It
is very like Sa. Oxon would have been moie
pofitive upon half the Grounds, that Dr. Burnet
had, but the other chofe to wri'.e exaftly: yet
he adds. That it is probable that they penned
them; and if either the Dignity of their Sees,
ftr of their Perfons be confidered, the thirg will
appear reafonable enough. But I do not won-
dertqfee any thing that looks like a inod.oify
of Stile offend our Author. He is next fo kh.d
to Dr. Burnet as to otfer him fome Couni; 1,
(p. 50.) that he would be well advifed to hnpl:y his
Pain in writing Lampoons upontbe prefcnt Princes
of Cbrijlendome f efpecially his own J which he de-
lights in mojl ■, becaufe it is the worjl thing th..t
himfelf can do, then collecting the Records of for-
mer times: for the firjl will require Time a;u pj-
jlage, to purfue his Malice; but the fecond is ea-
ftly traced in the Chimney corner.
One would think that this period was
Writ by Mr. Louth, it is fo obfcure and ill ex-
preffed, that nothing is plain, but the malice
of it; but he of all men fhould be the fur-
theft from reproaching any for Writing Lam-
poons, who has now given fo rude a one, on
the Late King and the Lords and Commons-,
if bold Railing without either Wit or Decen-
cy, deferves that Name. I will only fay this
further, that if one had the ill nature to
write a Lampoon on the Government, one of
the fevereft Articles in it, would be, That
it feems Writers are hard to be found,
when fuch a Baboon is made ufe of. It is
Lampoon enough upon the Age, that he is a
Bifhop: but it is downright Reproach that
He is made the Champion of a Caufe, which
if it is bad of it felf, muft fuifer extreamly
by being in fuch Hands.
And thus I think enough is faid in An-
fwer to His impertinent digreffion upon Tran-
fubjlantiation, let him renounce the Article of
our Church, and all that he poffelfes in Con-
fequence to his having (igned it, and then we
will argue all the reft with him upon the
fquare ; but as long as He owns that. He is
bound likevvife to own the firft Branch of
the TEST, which is the Renouncing #f
Ttanfub- ■
r 8)
franfubflantiation. In thiiDifcourfcHe makes He will pretend that our Churdi is not bonnd
Bit old Hatred to Calvin and the Calvinifis re- to own die Doftrine that is contained Bcr
turn fo often, that it appears very Confpicu- Homilies, He muft by this make our Church at
oifly. I believe it is ftronger now than e- Treacherous to Her Members, aSa.Oxon
ver, and that for a particular reafon : When is to Her, for to deliver this Doflrine to
tlie Prince and Princefs of Orange were Mar- the people, if we Believe ic not our felve^
ried, He was perhaps the only Man in En- is to be as impudent as he himfclf can pre-
gland that cxprefled His uneafinefs at that tend to be. A Church may Believe a Do-
Happy Conjunftion, in fo clowniflia manner, fttine which She does not think neceflary
tiiat when their Highneffes paft tliro Canter- to propofe to all Her Members : but She
bury he would not go with the reft of that were indeed a Society fit for fuch Paftors
Body, to which He was fo long a Blcmifh, as He is, if Slie could propofe to the Peo-
to pay His Duty to them, and when He was pie a Loftrine, chieny one of fo great
Asked the Reafon, He faid, He could have no Confequence as this is , without She be-
regard to a Calviniji Prince. Now this Calvinijl lieved it her Self. So then He muft either
Prince has declared His mind fo openly and ful- Renounce our Church and Her Articles, of
ly againft the Repeal of the Tejl, that no doubt He muft Anfwer all his own Plea for Clear-
1 this has cncreafedB/tyr'sdiftemper, and height- ing that Church of this Imputation: which
■ ned His Choler againft the Whole Party. is fo fligJit •, that it will be no hard mat-
The fecond Branch ofthe TEST is the ter even for fuch a trifling Writer as himfelf
' Declaration made of the Idolatry commit- is, to do ic. As for what he fays of Stab-
ted in the Roman Church: upon which he bing and Cut-throat Word., he may charge
tells us, pag. 71. 72. That Idolatry is a us with fuch words, if he will, but we
Stabbing and Cut-throat 4'ord, and that it is an know who we may charge with the Deeds,
Iniiting and Warranting the Rabble whenever I would gladly fee the Lift of all that have
Opportunity favours to dejlroy the Roman Catho- been murder'd by thefe Words, to try if
licks: and here Bays will outdoc Himfelf they can be put in the Ballance, either with
fince this was a Mafter-piece of Service, tfiere- \fie Maffacre oi Ireland , or that oiPark:
fore he makes tire taxing the Church of Rome upon which I muft take Notice of his
vikhldohtry, apiece of Inhumanity that outdoes flight way of menticming Coligny and his
the Savages of the Canibals themselves: and Fablion, and telling us in plain words, pag.
damns at once both Body and Soul. He Charges 45. "That they, were Rebellsj this is per-
j. Dr. Stillingfleet, as the great Founder of this, haps another inftance of his kindnefs to the
and all other Anti-catholicl^and Anticbrijlian and Calvinijl Prince, that is defcended from that
uncharitable Principles among us, and that the Great Man.
Tejl is the Swearing to the Truth of his unlearned If Idolatry made our Plot, it was not the
and Phanatick^Notion of Idolatry- pag. 1^0.1^^. firft that it made : but his malignity is ftill
, und the rdult olzll h, Tioat hiolatry made the like himfelf, in" his charging Dr.
1 Plot, and then the Plot made Idolatry, and that the who he fays is the Author of the Imputa-
I He has alfo troubled the tion ol Idolatoy, as it Ire had fuborncd the
Reader with a fecond Impcrtineuceto ftrew His Eiidence inour Plot. I ftrould congratulate to
fecond-hand Reading again upon the Notion of the Dr. the Honour that is done him by the
But all this falls off with a very ftiort Malice of one who muft needs be tire objeft
Anfwer, itHtisoi the Church of fngland, and cf the hatred of all good Men, if I did not
Believes that the Homilies contain a Godly and look upon him as fo contemptible a perfon,
WwifrM Dj/Ztiflc, all this Clamour againft Wi/ri- chat his love and his hatred arc equally infig-
try, turns againft Ihmfelf, for he will find tire nifieant. If he thinks our Cliurch worfe than
trWci of BowCharged with this,aimoftanAge Canibals, I wifh h.e would be at the pains to
before r. was Born : and tlio'per- go and make a trial, and fee whether chcle
^ b t haps none lias ever defended theC/!j-irgf,wichfo Salvages will ufe hi n as we have done. I dare
llU much Learning as He has done, yet no malice fay rhcv woul.l n- c Eat l>i n, tor they would
Ic.s Imvudenr than His is. coaid make Him find fo much Gail and Cholitr in hi,n, that the
the Auihor of the Ac ufatkn. K will he a- firft bit w-n lJ'"Jiiitc difg fft rhcm, '
' haifci urain 01 cur Autiior's niodtftv, ft
FINIS.
h. ^
, yvj
REFLECTIONS
On a Late
PAMPHLET.
Entitled
PARLIAMENTUM PACIFICUM.
LzVoj/eii by the Earl of Sunierlani, and Printed at Losira in Mmh, i^88.
Nullity, that no fubfequent Ratification could
take it away; For all People faw that they
could not depend upon any Afts pafTed by it,
and therefore it was quickly Diflblved : and ever
lince it has been, called by all the Monarchical
Party a Convention, and not a Parliament. But
now in order to the courting the Common-wealth
Party, this is not only called a Parliament, but
is propofed as a Pattern to all others, from the
beginning to 19.
II. But fince this Author will fend us back
to that time, and fince he takes fo ill, That the
Memory of the late King fhould be forgotten ;
let us examine that Tranfailion a little, and
then we lhall fee whither it had not been more
for his Honour to let it be forgotten. The King
did indeed in his Declaration from Breia, pro-
mife Liberty of Confcience, on which he in-
A IKled
I.TpvEacc is a very defirable thing, yet
B # every ftate that is peaceable is not
fl blindly to be courted; An Apo-
plexy is the moft peaceable ftate
into which a man's Body can be
laid, yet few would defire to pacifie the humours
of the Body at that rate 5 an Implicit Faith,
and Abfolute Slavery are the two peaceableft
things that can be, yet we confefs we have no
miad to try fo Dangerous an Experiment 5 and
. while the Remedies are too ftrong, we will
chuft rather to bear our Difeafe than to venture
on them. The inftance that is propofed to the
Imitation of the Nation is that Parliament which
called in the late King,& yet that cannot fo much
as be called a Parliament,unlefs it be upon aCom-
mon-wealth Principle, Thit the Sovereign Power
is radicaUy in the People, for its being Chofen
without the King's Writ, was fuch an Eflential
( 2.
lifted in a large and wife Declaration, fet out
after he was fettled on the Throne.- But
after that he had got a Parliament chofen all
of Creatures depending on himfelf, who for
many years Granted him every thing that he
defired, a fevere Ad of Uniformity was pafled j
and the King's Promifs was carried off by
this 5 That the King could notrefufe to comply
with fo Loyal a Parliament. It is well enough
known, that thofe who were tftn lecretly Pa-
pifts, and who diguifed their Religion for many
years afcei this, as the King himfelf did to the
laft, animated the Chief-men of our Church,
to carry the points of Uniformity as high as
was pofllble, aiid thatlx)th then, and ever ffnce,
all that propofed any Expedients for uniting us
fas as it was afterwards termed, for Comprehcn-
/line: tbe Pijfcnters) were reprefented as the
Betrayers of cbe Church The Defign was then
clear to fome; that fo by catling the Terms
of Conformity to a great rigidity, there might
be many Non-Conformifts, and great occafion
given for a Toleration, under which Popery
might infenftbly creep in: For if theExpe-
dients that the King himfelf propofed in his De-
claration, had been ftood to, it is well known,
that of the i ooo. Confcientious Minifters, as he
calls them pag. 14, by an Affedation too grofs
to pafs on them, that were turned out, above
17C0 hadftaid in. Their Pradices had but too
good Succcfs on thofe Who were the.n at the
Head of oirr Church: whofe Spirits were too
much foured by their ill ufageduring the War,
and wfiofe Principles led them to fo good an
opinion of all that the Court did, that for a
great while they would fufped nothing. But
at the fame time that the Church Party, that
carried all before them in that Parliament, were
animated to prefs things fo hard, the Diftenters
were fecretly encouraged to ftand out: and
were told. That the Kings Tcmper and Principle,
and the confideration of Trade would certainly
iirocurethem a Toleration: and evcrfince, that
'arty, that thus had fet us together by the Ears,
has fhifted fides dextroufly enough ; but ftill
they have carried on the main Defign, which
was to keep up the Quarrel in the Intervals of
Parliament, Lihercy of Coafcience was in vogue :
but when a Seffion of Parliament came, and
the King wanted Money, tlien a new. fevere Law.
againft the Diffenters, was offered to the angry
men of the Church-party as tic price of it j and
this feldom failed to have itseffedi ; fo that they
were like the Jewels of the Crown,pawned when
the King needed Money,but redeemed at the next
Pvorogation. A Reflection then that arifes
naturally out of the proceedings in the year ..
1660, is, That if a Parliameiit lEouKi come,
that would copy after that pattern, and re-
peal Laws and Teftsj The Kings Offers oili-'-
berty of Coafcience, as may indeed be fuppofed,
will bind him till after a ftiort Seffion or two
fuch a meritorious Parliament fhould be dif-
folved, according to the precedent in the
year 1660. and that a new one were brought
together by the fair.e Methods of changing
Cfiarters, and making Returns; and then the
Old Laws de Heretko Combureado might be a-
gain revived, and it would be faid, that the
Kings Inclinations are for kce^ ing his Promife,
and Granting ftill a Liberty of Confcierrce, yet
he can deny nothing to a Loyal and Cathoiick
Parliament.
III. We pay all poffible refpedl to the
King; and have witneffed how much we de-
pended on his promifes, in fo fignal a maiir
ner, that after fuch real Evidence all words
are fuperfluous. But fince the King has fliew-
ed fo much zeal, not only for his Religion in
general, but in particular for that Society,
w hich of all the other Bodies in it, we know
is animated the moft againft us, we muft crave
leave to fpeak a little freely, as not fuffer
our felves -to be' defti oyed by a Complement.
The Extirpation of Herecicks, and the Breach
of Faith to them, have been Decreed by two,
of their General Councils, and by a Tradition
of feveral Ages; the Pope is poffefled of a
power of diffolvine all Promifes, Contrafts and
Oaths; nor to mention the private Dodlrines,
of that Society, that is fo much in favour, of
doing m, that Good may come of it, of fifing
Equivocations, and Refervations, and of or-
dering the Intention. Now thefe Opinions
as they have never been renounced by the
Body of that Church, fo indeed they cannot
be, unlefs they renounce their Infalli&ilitv
whkh'
r ;
which is their Bajir, at the fame time. There-
fore though a Prince of that ComrriUnion,
may very fir.cerely refolve to maintain Liber-
t) of Con(dence , and to i^eep his rvord, yet the
blind Subjedlion into which he is brought by
his Religion, to his Church, muft force him
to break through all that, as foon as the Do-
dlrine of his Church is opened to him; and
that Abfolution is denied him, or higher
Threatnings are made him; if he continues
firm to his merciful Inclinations. So that,
luppofing His Majefties Piety to be as great
as the Jeiuits Serm.on, on the 50. of ^anuiry,
lately printed, carries it, to the uttermoft pof-
fibility of blefli and Blood, then our Fears
mud dill grow upon us, who know what
are the Decrees of that Church ; and by con-
fequence we may infer to what his Piety
mud needs carry him, as loon as thofe things
are fully opened to him, which in refpeft to
him, we are bound to believe are now hid
from him.
IV. It will further appear, that thefe are not
injud inferences.- If we confider a little what
has been the Obfervation of all the Promifes
made for Liberty of Confcience to Hereticks by
Roman Catholick Princes, ever dnce the Re-
formation. The hid: was, the F.didl of Pafjaw
in Germny, procured chiefly by Ferd/«<ini's means,
and maintained indeed Religioudy' by his Son
Miximilian the Second, whofe Inclinations to
theProtedant Religion made him be fufpedfed
for one himfelf.- but the Jefuits indnuated
themfelves fo far into his Younger Brothers
Court that was Archduke of Grdts, that this
was not only broken by that Famdy, in their
Share, but though Rodolpb and Mithias were
Princes of great Gentlenefsl and the latter of
thefe, was the Protedlor ofthe States, in the be-
ginning of their War with K. Philip the Second ■,
yet the violence svith which the Houfe of Grats
was pofTeded, overturned all that.- So that the
breaking off the Pacificatory Edidfs was begun
^^Rodolph's time, and was fo far carried on in
MatHjts time, that they fet both Bohemia and
Bungnry in a Flame, and fo begun that long
^Var of Germany. 1. 7"hc next Promife for
Liberty of Confcience was made by Queen Mary
)
of England., but we know well enough how it
was obferved.- The Promifes made by the Queen
Regent of Scotland, were obferved with the
fame Fidelity. after thefe came the Patificatory
Edifls in France, which were fcarce made when
the Triwnvirat was formed to break them. The
famous Maflacre of Paris was an indance never to
be forgot of the Religious Obfervance of a
Treaty, made on purpofe to lay the Party adeep,
and to bring the whole Heads of it into the
Net: This was a much more dreadful St. Bar-
tholomeva, than that on which our Author be-
ftows that Fipithete, pag. i^. and when all feem-
ed fettled by the fomous Editd of Nantes, we
have feen how redlefs that ^arty, and in par-
ticular the Society, were, till it was broken 5 by
a Prince, that for thirty years together had
fltewed as great ati averfion to the Shedding of
Blood, in his Government at home, as any oFhis
Neighbours can pretend to: and who has done
nothing in the whole Tragedy that he has adfed,
■ but what is exaftly conform to the Dodfrine
and Decrees of his Church; So that it is not
himfelf, but his Religion that we mud blame
for all that has fallen out in that Kingdom.
I cannot Idave this without taking notice of our
Authors Sincerity, who pag. 18. tells uS of
the Protedants entring into their League in
Ftance, w hen it is well known that it was a
League of Papids againd a Protedant Succedb'r,
which was afterwards applied to a Popifli King,
only becaufe he was not Zealous enough againit
Hereticks. But to end this Lid of Indances,
at a Countrey to which our Author bears fo
particular a kindnefs; when the Dutchefs .of
Parma granted the Edidt of Pacification,' by
which all that was pad, was buried 5 and the
Exei cife of the Protedant Re'igion was to be
connived at for the future. King Philip the
Second did not only ratify, this, but expredt-d
himfelf fo fully upon it to the Count of Egmcrt,
who had been fent over to him, that the eafie >
Count returned to Flanders, fo adured of the
King's Sincerity, that he endeavoured to per-
fsvbide all others to rely as much on his word,
as he.himfelf did. It is well known how fatal
this Confidence was to him .- and f fee Meteren
lib. 5. J that two years after this that King fent
over the Duke oi Alva, with that fevere Com-
nridioa
tfiiiTion, which has beefl often Printed; in which,
without any regard had to the former PaciHcation
or Promifes, the King declared, That the Pro-
vinces had forfeited all their Liberties, and that
every man in it had forfeited his Life : And
therefore he athorifed that unmerciful man to
proceed with all poflible rigor againfl them; It
is alio remarkable, that that bloody Commiflion
is founded on the King's Abfolute Power, and
his Zeal for Religion. This is the only Edid
that I know, in which a King has pretended to
Abfolute Power, before the two Declarations for
Scotldnd in the year 1687. fo whether they who
penned them, took their pattern from this, I
cannot determine it. I could carry this view
of Hiflory much further, to fhew in many more
Inftances, how little Protelfants can depend on
the Faith of Roman CMboliclii, and that their
■condition is fo much the worfc, the m.ore pious
that their Princes are. As for what may be ob-
jeded to all this, from the prefent State of fome
Principalities or Tow ns in Germany, or of the
Smtferaoind Grifons: it is to be confidered, that
in fome of thefe, want of Power in the Ro-
man Catholicks to do mifchief, and the other
Circumftances of their affairs, are vifibly the
only Securities of the Protcftants: and when-
foever this Nation departs from that, and
gives up the Laws', it is no hard thing to
guefs, how fhort-lived the Liberty of Confci-
cnce, even though fetled into a Magna Cbana
■would be.
V. All that our Author fays upon the Ge-
neral Subjedl of Liberty of Confcicncc, is on-
ly a fevere Libel upon that Church, whofe
principles and pradiices arfe fo contrary to
It. But the propofition lately made, has put
an end to all his dcfpute; fince by an Offer
of Repealing the Penal Laws, referving only
thofe of the Teff, and fuch others as fecure
the Proteffant Religion ; the queflion is now no
more, which Religion muff be tolerated, but
which Religion muft Reign and prevail. All
that is here offered in oppofition to that, is
that by this means fuch a number of per-
■foas mull be ruined, page ^4- which is as
fevere a way of forcing people to change theii;
Religion, as the way of Dragoons. 1 will not
examine the particulars of this matter, but
muft exprefs my joy to find, that all the dif-
ficulty which is in our way to a happy quiet,
is the fupplying fuch a number of men with
the means of tneir fubfiftence, which by the
execution of the Law for the Teft, muft be
taken from them. This by all that I caa
learn, will not come to near an hundred thou-
fand pound a year: and indeed the fupplying
of thofe of the King's Religion, that want it,
is a piece of Charity and Bounty fo worthy of
him, that I do not know a man, that would en-
vy them the double of this, in Penfions; And
if fuch a fum would a little Charge the King's
Revenue, 1 dare fay, when the iettlement of
the Nation is brought to that fingle point, there
would not be one Negative found in either Houfe
of Parliament for the Reimburfing the Eiing.
So far are we from defiring, either the Deftru-
(ftion or even the Poverty of thofe that perhaps
wait only for an occafion to Burn us. I will add
one bold thing further, That though I will be
no Undertaker for what a Parliament may do,
yet I am Confident that all men are fo far from
any defire of Revenge; but moft of all, that
the Heroical minds of the next Succeffbrs are
above it, That if an Indemnity for that bold
violation of the Law, that hath been of late
both Praftifed and Authorifed amongft us,
would procure a full fctdemenr, even this
could be obtained ; Though an impunity after
fuch Tranfgreirions is perhaps too great an En-
couragement to offend for the future. But
fince it is the Piefervation of the Nation,
and not the Ruine of any Party in it that is
aimed at, the hardinefs of this Propofition will,
I hope, be forgiven me. It is urged {fag. 6^)
That according to the Dutch Pattern at leaft,
the Roman Cacboliclis may have a fhare in
Military Employments j but the difference
between our Cafe and theirs, is clear, fince
fome Roman Catholic^, Officers, where the
Government is wholly in the hands the
Proteftants, cannot be of fuch dangerous
confequence, as it muft needs be under a King
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t)iat is not only of that perfwafion, but is become
nearly allied to the Society, as the Liege Letter
tells us.
is true our Author would perfuade that the
Kings Difpenfing Power hath already put an end to
this Difpute, and that therefore it is a feeming fort
of Perjury (fee p. 48.) to keep the Juftices of Peace
IHllunder an Oath of executing thofe Laws which
they mufl: confider no more. Some Precedents arc
brought from former times {p. tz. 25, 24 ) of
our King's ulingthe Difpenfing Power iuEdw. 5.
Rich. zd. Henry 7th. Hen. 8. Edw. 6th. and
Queen Elizabeth's time. It is very true that the
Laws have been oflate broke through amongft us,
with a very high hand .• but it is a little too danger-
ous to upbraid thcjuftices of Peace with theirOaths
left this oblige them to refleft on fo facred an En-
gegement. For the worthy Members of Magd. Coll.,
are not the only Pcrfons in EngUnd who will make
Confcience of obferving their Oaths: Sp that if
others are brought to refleft too much upon what
they do,the Authors Officioufnefs in fuggefting this
to them may prove to be no acceptable piece of
Service, I will not examine all his Precedents, we
are to be Govern'd by La w, and no t by fome of the
Excefles of Government; Nor h the latter end of
Edw. a Time to be much imftated, and of all
the parts of the EngUflt Hijfory,Richard the Seconds
Reign Ihould be leaft mentioned, fi.nce thofe Ex-
ceffes of his produced fo T ragical a Conclufion, as
the lofs of his Crown andLife. Henry the Sixth's
feeble and embroyled Reign will fcarce fupport an
Argument. And if there were fome excelfes in Henry
the Eighth's time,wh ich is ordinary in all greacRe-
volutions, he got all thefe to be either warraDted,or
afterwards to be confirmed in Parliament. And
Queen Elizabeth's power inEcclefiaftical Matters
was founded on a fpecial Acl of Parliament, which
Was in a gteat meafure repealed in 1^41. and chat
Repeal was again ratifyed by another Afl in the late
Kings time. We are often told of the late Kings
Afts concerning Carts and Waggons, but all
Lawyers know fome Laws_are underftood to be
Abrogated without a fpecial Rapeal, when fome
vifible inconvenience inforces it, fuch as appeared
in that miftaken Aft concerning Waggons. So the
King m that Cafe only declared the inconvenience
which made that Law to be of it felf Null, becaufe
it was imprafticable. It is true the Parliament
never queflionA this; A man would not be offen-
ded if another pulled up a flower in his Garden,
that yet would take it ill if he broke his Hedge.
And in Holland, to which our Author's pen leads
him often, when a River changes its courfe, any
JJian may break the Dyke chat wasmadeto relift,
yet that will be no warrant to go and break uio
DyPe that refifts the Current of the fame River.
So if a Difpenfing Power wellapplyed to fmaller
Offences has been pafl over an Excels of Govern-
mencjthat might be Excufable tho'not Juftifiable,
This will by no means prove that Laws made to
Secure us againft that which we efteein the greateft
of Evils, may be Sufpended becaufe Twelve Men
in Scarlet have been tried or praftifed on today fo.
jThePower of Pardoning is alfo unreafonably urged
for Jufiifying the Difpenfing Power, the one is a
Grace to a particular perfon for a Crime committed,
and the other is a Warrant to commit Crimes, In ■
fhorc, the one is a Power to Save Men, t he, other is
a power to Deftroy the Government. But though
they fwagger it now with a Difpenfing power, yet
Rede Caper Eitem, (stc- ma y come to he again'.in
Seafon, and a time may come in which the whole
party may have reafon to wilh that fome hair-
brain'd Jefiiits had never been born, who will not
only expole them to the Refentments, but even to '
the Juftice of another Seafon, in which as little
Regard will be had to cheDifpenfing-power,as they
have to the Laws at prefenr.
VII.OurAuthors kindnefs to the States of Holhmi
is very particular, and returns often upon him, and
it is no wonder that a State fettled upon two fuch
hinges as the Proteftant Religion, and the publick
Liberty, lEould be no fmall Eye fore to thofe who
intend to deftroy both. So that the flackning the
Laws co.ncerningReligion, and the moderating that
State by invading it, feem to be terms that muft;
always go together. In the firft War began the
firft flacknhig of them; and after the Triple Alii-
ance had laid the Dutch alleep, when the fecond
War was refolvedpn, it was begun with that He-
roical Attempt on the Smyrna Fleet ( For our Au-
thor w ill not have the late Kings Aftioi^o be
forgotten ) at the fame time the famous DWara-
tion for Sufpending the Laws in 1^71. c.ime out.
And now again with another Declaration to the
fame purpofe, sve fee a return c.' the fame good in-
clinations for the Dutch, tho' none before our Au-
thor has ever ventui 'd as'in a Book licer.ied by my
Lord prefident of the Council, to call their Coafti-
tution ( pag.-6?. ) a Revolt that they made from
theii" Lawiul Prince; and to raife his Style to a
'more fublimc ftrain, he fa^s ( pag. 66. ) that their
Common-Wealth is nothing elfe but the refiik of
an Abfolute Rebellion,Revolt,and Defeftion from
their Prince, and that the Laws mat tncy have
made, were to prevent any cafual return to their
natural Allegiance •, and fpeakingof their obligatioa
to protcft a Naturalized Subjeft, he beftow s tnis
(6)
honour on them as to fay ( pig. §.7. jThofe that Out-provinces; made the greator part of them td'
never yet dealt fo fairly with Princes, may be withdraw, fo that there were not left fuch numbers;
fufpefted for fuch a luperfluous Faith, to one tliat of them as to pretend to the Free-Exercife of rhgir
puts himfelf upon them for a VafTal. Time will Religion: But the War not having got into Hollaui
iliew how far the States will refent thefe Injuries, and Utrecht, and none of that Religion having Re-
only it fcems our Author thinks that a Sovereigns volted in thefe provinces, Roman Cathohckscon-
Faith to proteft the Subjc£l: h a fuperfiuous thing, tinned ftill in the Countrey, and the the ill incli-
A Faith to Hereticks is another fuperfiuous thing, rations that they (hewed, made it neceflary for.;
So that two Superfluities one upon another muff & publick Safety to put them out of the Government,
all that we are like to truft to. But I muft take yet they have ftill enjoyed the common Rights of
Notice of the variety of methods that thefe Gent, the Country, with the free Exercife of their Re-
ufcintheirWricings herein we are alwaies ligion. But it is plain that fomc men are only
upbraided with a Revolt of the Datch, as a Scanda- waiting an Opportunity to renew the Old Delendi.
lous imputation on the Proteftant Religion; and yet e/i Carthago: and that they think it to be no fraali i
in a late paper intituled " An Anlwer to Pentioner flep to it to pofTefs all the World with the odious
" Fagel's Letter,the Services chat the R Cathohcks imprelTions of the Dutch, a Rebellious and a Per-;
did in the beginning of the Common-Wealth, arc fidious State, and if it were polfible they would 1
highly Extolled as Signal and Meritorious, upon' make their own Roman Cacholick Subjedfs fancy'
which the Writer makes gVeat Complaints that the that they are perfccuted by them. But tho' men
pacification of Gaunt, and the Union of Utrecht, may be brought to believe Tranfbuflantiatm in
by which the free Exercife of Religion was to be fpight of the Evidence of Sence to the contrary ;
continued to them, was not obferved in moft of Yet thofe that feed themfelvcs at Eafe, will hardly
the provinces 1 But it he had but taken pains to be brought to think that they are perfecutedbe-
examine the Hiftory of the States, he would have caufe that they are told fo in an ill-writ Pamphlet,
found that foon after the Union made with Utrecht, And for their Rebellion, the Prince that is only
the Treaty ofCollen was fet on foot between the concerned in that, finds them now to be his beft
King of and the States, by the Emperour's Allies and chief fupport.- As his predeceflbrs
Mediation, in which the S'yiZMUr.Aftudied to divide acknowlcdgedfthem a Free-State almoftanAge
the Roman Cathohcks in thofe provinces from the ago. And it being Confeft by Hiftc rians on all fides
Proteftants, by offering a Confirmation of all the That there was an exprefs Provilb in the Conflitu-
other priviled'ges of thefe Provinces, excepting tion of their Government; That if their Prince
only the point of Religion : which had fo great an broke fuch and fuch Limit, they were no more
effeift, That the party of the Male-contents was bound to Obey him, but might Refifthim: And
formed, upon it, and thefe did quickly Capitulate it being no lefs certain,That King Philip the Second
in the JValloon provinces, and after that not only Authorized the Duke of Alva to feize upon all
Brabant 8z Flanders Czpm\hted,hutReenenburg that their Privilcdges; their refifting him and main-
was Governor of Groentng declared for the King of taining their Priviledges, was without all difpute a
Spain, and by feme places that he took both in juftifiable Aiftion, and was fo efteemed by all the
Friejland and Over-Ijjd, he put thofe provinces un- States of Europe-aud in particular here in England,3S
der Contribution. Nor long after that, both Da- appears by the preambles of feveral Afts of 'Subfidy
venter and Zutphen were betrayed by Popi(l)_ Gover- that were given to the Queen in order to the Af-
nours, and the War was thus brought within the lifting the States. And as for their not dealing
Seven provinces, that had been before kept at a fairly with Princes,when our Author can find fuch
greater diftance from them. Thus it did appear an inftance in their Hiftory,as our Attempt on their
almoft every where that the Hatred with which the S"wyr7M-Fleet was, he may employ his Eloquence
rri fts were infpirmg theRomanCatholicks againft in fetting it out; and if notwithftanding all the
the Proteftants, difpofed them to betray all again failures they Jrave felt from others, they have ftill
to the ^aniJJ} Tyrant^. The New Warthat Reenen- maintained the Pubfick-Faith,our Author's Rheto-
burgh's Treachery had brought into thefe^Provinces rick will hardly blemifh them. The peace of Ni-
chang'd fo the State of Affairs, that no wonder if meguen, and the abandoning of Luxeynhurah are
this produced a Change likewife with relation to ' perhaps the (ingle inftances in their Hiftory that
the Religion, fince it appeared that thefe Revolts needto bea littleexcufed .- Butasthevaft Expence
were carried on and juftified upon the principle of of the laft War brought them into a-Neceffitv that
the Chnrch; and the general Hatred under which either knows no Law, or at kaft will hearken to
thefe Revoks brought the R'swjot iti thofe none. (0 .wfi them to both and firft
£»
fold the Triple Allknce, and then let go Luxemhurgh,
do with very ill grace reproach the Dutch for thefe
unhappy fteps, to which our Conduft drove them.
Vlll. If a ftrain of pert boldnefs runs through the
whole Pamphlet, it, appears no where moreemi-
nently then in the Refleftions the Author makes on
Mr. Fageli- Letter, he calls it ( pag. 6z. ) a. pre-
tended piece, and a prefumption not to be foon
pardoned, in prefixing to a furreptitious and un-
authorized Pamphlet, the reverend Name of the
Princels of Orange^ which in another place (p. 7^.)
he had reafon to imagine was but a counterfeitCoyn,
and that thofe Venerable Charadlers were but po-
litically feigned, and a facred Title given to it,
without their Authority. All this coming out with
fo folemn a Licence, has made me take fome pains
to be rightly informed in this matter. Thofe whom
I conlulted tell me they have difcourfed the Pen-
tioner himfelfon this fubjedf, who vfcill vei-y fhortly
take a fure method to clear himfelf of thofe impu-
rations, and to do that Right to the Frince and
Princefs, as to (hew the World, I'hat in this matter
headed only by their Order. For as Mr. Stewards
Letter drew the Pentioners Anfw er from him, fo
this Paper fLicenfed as it isj will now draw from
him a particular recital of the whole progrefs of
the matter. Mr. .dlbeville knows that the Ptivcefs
explained her felf fo fully to him in the Month of
May, and ^ime, 1687. upon the Repeal of the 7eji,
That he himfelf his Acknowledged to feveral pet-
fons. That tho both the Frince and Princefs were
very fiiffin that matter, yet of the two he found
the Prineefs more Tuflcxible. Afterwards when
Mr. Steward by many repeated Letters prefTed
his Friend to renew his importunities to the
Pentioner for an Anfwer, he having alio faid in his
Letters that he writ by the Kings Order and Di-
redtion: LIpon this the Penfioaer having Con-
fulted the Prince and Princefs, drew his Letter firft
in Dutch, and commmnicated it to them, and it
being approved by them, he turned it into Latin 5
but becaufe it was to be fhevved to the Kirg, he
thought it was fit to get it put into that
fo their Highnefies might fee the Tranllation of that
Letter which was w be offered to His Majefty, and
they having approved of it, fent it with his own
in Latin, and it was delivered to the Kin^. This.
Account was given me by rr.y Friend, who added
That it' would appear ere long in a miore A'uthen-
tical manner. And by this I fuppofctheiirpu-
dence of thofe-men does lufficienrly appear, who
have the Brow to puWifli fuchfiufLofthe Fallliood
of which they therr.felvcs are well allured, and
therefore r may well conclude that my l.ord Prefi-
dents Licenfe was granted by him with that Care-
lefnefs with which moft Books are Read and Lt-
cenfed. Our Author pretends that he cannot be->
lievc that this Letter could flow from a Princefs of
fo fweet a temper fpag. 6z.) and yet others find
fo much of the fweetaefs of her temper in it, that
for that very reafon they believe it the more eafily
to have come from her: No paffion nor indifcreet
Zeal appears in it, and it exprefles fuch an exten-
ded Charity and Noblenefs of Temper, that thofe
Charadters (lie w it comes from one that has neither
a narrownefs of Soul, nor a fowrnefs of Spirit.
In fhort, fhe propofes nothing in it but topreferve
that Religion fhe believes the true o.ne, and that'-
being fecured, fhe is willing that all others En/oy
all the Liberties of Subjedfs, and the Freedom of
Chriflians.- Here is fweeinefs of Temper and
Chriffian Charity in their fulleff Extent. The
other Reafon is fo myffcrioyfly exprefied,-that I
will .not wrong our Author by putting it in any ■
ofher words but his own (pag. 6z.) She is certainly
as little pleaded to pr mote any thing to the Difturbance
of a State to wbUh Jke fiill (eems fo nearly relxted'.
[_She feems ftill] are two ftgnificunt words, and
not fet here for nothing: She feems (in his Opi-
nion^ only relate, ! to the Crown, that is, fhe is
not really fo. But there is fomething that thefe
Oentlem.en have in referve to blow up the feem.-
ing Relation i andp.-e feems, Ifill imports, that tho
this leeming relation is fuffcred to'.paisat prefent,
yet it muff have its period, for this feems ftill, can
have no other meaning. But in what does fhe
promote the difiurbanceof the State, orpacfonife
the Oppofers ofher parents, as he fays afterwards
{ibid ) Did fhe officioufly interpofe in this matter ?
Or was not her fence a.sked ? And when it was
Asked, miufi fhe not give it according to her Con-
fcience ? She is too pertcft a pattern in all other
things, Not to know well how great arcfpecl and
fubmiffion fhe owes her Father.; but fhe is too good
a Chriffian not to know,that her duty to God muft
go fiifh And therefore in matter of Religion,
when her mind was asked, fhe could not avoid
the giving it according to her Confcience.- And
all the invidious ExprefTions which he faftens on ''
this Letter, and which he makes fomany Argu- j
ments to fhew that it could not flow from her, are ;
all the Malicious, and foon djfcovered Artifices of
one that knew. That fhe had ordered the Letter,
and that thought himfelf fafe in this Difguife, in
the difcharging of Yds Malice agai.nit her. SoinM.
gratefully is flie reuuited by a party For whom flae
had expreffed fo much Compa'ilion and Charity.
This Author (pag. 53.) thinks 4t an indifcreec ■
forecafl, to be always effing fuch florolccpes
for the next Heir, both in Difcoarle and Writing.,
ill ■■ 1
■
i
r
(5
a? fefm alinoft to Calculate the Nativity of the
•p efent : and he would almoll make this High-
Ti'eafon. But if itisl'o, there were many Tray-
tors in England a few years ago; in which the
Next Heir, though but a Brother, was fo much
conlidered, That the King himfelf lookt as one out
of countenarxe and abandoned, and could icarce
find Company enough about him for his Enter-
tainraenr, either in his Bed-Chamber, or in his
Walks, when the whole dependance was on the
SucceiTor. So if we by turns look a little on the
Succeffor, thofe who did thus in fo fcandalous a
manner, ought not to take it fo very ill from us.
In a melancholy ftate of tilings it is hard to deny
us the Confolation of hoping that w^e may fee
better days. But fince our Author is (o much
concerned that this L/Ctter Ihould not be in any
manner imputed to the princefs, it feems a little
flrangc that the prince is fo given up by him, that
he is at no pains to clear him of the imputation.
For the happy Union that is between them, will
readily make us to conclude. That if the prince
Ordered it, the prirxefs had likewife her fhare
in it. But I find but one glance at the prince in
the whole Book (pag. ^i.) when the Author is
pleaiing himfelf with the hopes of protedfion from
the Royal Heircut of a fence of Filial Duty, ("He
concludes) Eftecialh vcbm (o nearly Allied to the
lery Bofome cf the Prince., iVhefe I fay of PVorjltip
■hiiiher is the \ame with the National here, and in
■whc(e Countrys all Eeligicn, have ever been alil{e
.Tolerated. The phrale of fo near an Alliance to the
very Bofom of a prince,isfomewhat extraordinary.
An Author that will be florid, Icorns fofimplean
Fxpreffion as Married, he thought the other was
more lofty j but the matter of this period is
•more remarkable. It intimrtesas if the hrince's
way of Worfhip w as fo different from ours, tho
vjcc hear that he goes frequently with the Princefs
to her Ciiappel, and expreffes no averfion to any
of our Form.s, tho he thinks it decent to be more
■ conftanriy in the Excrcifesof Devotion that are
Authorized in Holland. And as for that. That ail
Religionk have been equally alike Tolerated there,
it is anorher of our Authorsfiights. I do not hear
that cbxre are either' Bou\is, or Bramans in Holland j
or that the Mahometans have their Mojques there:
!;
and furely his Friends the Roman Catholkks will
tell him, that all Religions are not alike Tolerated
there. Thus I have followed more largely in
this Article than in any other, it being that of
thegreatcfi importance, by which he had endea-
loured to blafl all the good Effeds which the Penfi-
one^ Letter has had amongft us.
IX. I have now gone over that which I thought
moft important in this paper, and in which it
feemed neceffary to inform the piiblick aright,
without infilling on the particular flips of the
Author of it, or of the Advantages that he gives
to any that would Anfwer more particularly. I
cannot think that any than in the Nation can be
now fo weak as not to fee what mull needs be
the Effeds of the Abolition of the T E i> T S..
After all that we fee and hear, tis too great an
Affront to m.anlond to offer to make it our. That
a man's Underflandiug itiay really miflead him fo
far (as to make him change his Religion, he re-
maining flill an Honcfl man ) that betrays the
IvCgal, and now the only Vifible Defcnfes of that
Religion svhich he profcffes. The taking away
the Tells for publick Employments, is to fet up
an Office at F. Peters for all pretenders, and per-
haps a pretender w ill not be do much as received,
till he has firfl abjur'd ; fo that every Vacancy w ill
poffibly make five or fix Profelites, and thofe Pro-
teflants who are already in Employments, will
feel their ground quickly fail under them, and
upon the firfl Complaint they will fee what muff
be done to reflore them to Favour. And as for
the Two Houfes of ParlUment, as a great Creation
will prefently give them the majority in the Houfe
of Lords, fo a new fet of Charters, and bold Re-
turns, will in a little time give them likewife the
Majority in the Houfe of Commons, and it is to
be fuppofed thatProtellants who have all the Se-
curity of the Law for their Religion, can throw
that up,who can fo much as doubt that when they
have crought themfclvcsinto fo naked a Condition,
it will be no hard tiling to overturn their whole
Ellablifliment ; and then perhaps we fliall be told
mere plainly what is now but darklv infinuated by
this Author, That the next Heir feems fiill to be Jo
nearly related to this State, &c.
A M S T E R D A M, Fiintedforf. Savouret, in the Calver-Strcet. 16.S8,
C I )
/
A L E T T E R,
Writ by Miin Heer F A G E L. '
PENSIONER of HO-LLAND,
T O
Mr. JAMES STEWART, Aavocate;
Giving an Account of the
PRINCE and PRINCESS
of O R A N G E's
Thoughts concerning the Repeal of the
: TEST, and the PENAL LAWS.
rsiR,
<
Am extream forty, that my ill health hath fo long hindred me
from Anfwering thofe Letters, in which you fo earneftly defired
to know of me, what Their Highnejjes thonghts are, concerning
the Repeal of the Venal Laws, arid more particularly of that
concerning the Te^: I beg you to allure your felf, that I will deal ve-
ry plainly with you in this matter, and without Referve, fince you
fay that your Letters were writ by the Kin^s knowledg and allowance.
I nauft then jfry? of all alTure you very pofitively, that Their HtghneJJes
have often declared, as They did it more particularly to the Marquis
of AlbeviUe, His Majefties Envoy Extraordinary to the States, that it
is Their Opinion, That no Chriflian ought to he perfecuted for his Confci-
tnce, or he ill ufed becaufe he differs from the pub lick and efiablijhed Reli-
gim: And therefore, They can confent, that the Vapifis in England,
A Scotland
C ^ ,
SeotJ'and'sni IreUnd be fiiffered to continue in their Religion, with m
much Liberty as is allowed them by the States in thefe Vrovh:ces; in
which it cannot be denied, that they enjoy a full Liberty of Confci-
ence. And as for the D/JJenters, Their HighneJJes do not only confent,
but do heartily apprcve of their having an entire Liberty, for the full . j
Exercife of their Religkn, without any trouble or hindrance j (o that '. k
none may be able to give them the leaft difturbance upon that ac-
count. - n.!
And Their HighneJJis are very ready, in cafe His Majefty fhallthink f;' ^
fit to defire it, to declare their willingnefs to concur in the fetling, and
cenfirniing this Liberty, and as far as it lies in them, they will protea:
and defend it, and according to the Language of Treaties, They PJ
will confirm it with their Guarantyy of which you made mention in
yours.
And if His Majefty {hall think fit further to defire their concurrence
in the Repealing of the Venal Laws, They are ready to give it; prcvid'
ed always that thofe Laws remain flill in their full 'vigour, by which the
R' Catholicks are jhut out of both Houfes of Varliament, and out of all fub-
lick Employments, Ecclefiajlical, Ci'vil and Military, as likewife all thofe
Other which confirm the and w hich fecures
it againft all the attempts of the Roman Catholicks.
But Their Highne[fcs cannot agree to the Repeal of the Tefii or -2we
of thofe other Penal Laws laft mentioned, that tend to she fecurity of
thtProteflant Religion', fince the R. Catholicks tecewe no other pre- "Wc
judice from thefe, than the being excluded from Parliaments, or
from publick Employments. And that by them the Protefant Kelt-
gion is covered from all the Defigns of the R. Catholicks againft it, or ■"!(,«
againft the publick fafety j And neither the iteft nor thefe other Laws 'SkG
can be faid to carry in them any feverity againft the Roman Catholicks
upon account of their Confciences: They are only Provifions qualify-
ing men to be Members of Parliament, or to be capable of bearing dcoi
Office; by which they muft declare before God and Men, that they - ts
Site (ot the Protefiant Religion. So that indeed, all this amounts to no kn
more than a fecuring the Protefiant Religion from any Prejudices that ^liti
it may receive from the R, Catholicku lytf
Their Highnejfes have thought and do ftill think, that more than
this ought not to be askt, or expeded from Them; fince by this rjl
means y the Roman Catholicks. and their Pofterity wiU be for ever fe- ;;;
cured it'[
It,-;; / 'Citred from all trouble in the'r Perfons or Eflates, orln theExercT/b
i[r of their Religion-^ and that the Roman CathoUcks ought to be fatisfied
jtii with this, and not to diiqiiiec the Kingdom becsufe they cannot be
iiiis, admitted to fit in Parliament, or to be in Employments; or becaufe
e;t; Laws, in which the Security of the Prote^ant Religion does
nte chiefly confiid, are not repealed, by which they may be put in a con-
dition to overturn it.
Hii'V Their Highnefes do alfo believe, that the Dijfenters will be fully
'tt!ir|,^ fatisfied when they (hall be for ever covered from all danger of being
lip* diftiifbed, or punifhed for the free Exercife of their Religion, upon
(ji' any fort of pretence whatfoever.
Eci Their Htghne(Jes having declared themfelves fo pofitlvely in thele
matters, it feems very plain to me, that They are far from being any
xro! hinderance to the Freeing the Dijfenters from the Severity of the Penal
Laws'Stnct They are ready to ufe their utmoft endeavours for the efta-
l'.!:, blilhing of it j nor do They at all prefs the denying to the R. Catholicks
the exercife of their provided it be managed modeltly,8c with-
J jb. out Pomp or Oftentation. As for my own part, I ever Uras and ftill am
ijijlij. very much againft all thofe, who would perfeciite any Chrijlian be-
caufe he differs from the publick and eftablifhed Religion : And I hope
by the Grace of God to continue ftill in the fame mind j for fince
.|^ that Light, with which Religion illuminates our minds, is according
1^,.,. to my fenfe of things, purely an effedl of the Mercy of God to us,
|,^ We ought then, aSl think, to render to God all poffible Thanks for
his Goodnefs to us: and to have Pity for thofe who are ftill (hut up
in Error, even as God has pitied us, and to put up moft earneft
prayers to God, for bringing thofe into the way of Truth, who ftray
' f from it, and to ufe all gentle and friendly methods for reducing them'
ft ^oir.
But I confefs, I could never comprehend how any that profefb
themfelves Chriftians, and that may enjoy their freely and
without any difiurbance, can judge it latvful for them to go about
todifturb the Quiet of any Kingdom or State, or to overturn Conftitu-
P lions, thatfo they themfelves may be admitted to Employments, and
that thofe Lawi in which the Security and Quiet of the eftablifhed Re-
®', Itgm confifts, fhould be fhaken.
his plain, that the Reformed Religion \s by the Grace of God and
by the Laws of the Land, enad:ed by both King and Tafliar^e^nt,
A 2 the
(4)
the puhlick and. eftabliftied Kelighn both in 'Eftghncl, ScctlarJ'znd . ec9,iic"
and that it is provided by thofe Lrtxyj, that none can be ad- 'y'tiWJ
mitted either to a.place in Varliament, or to any publick Employment,. -J to f
except thofe that do openly declare, that they are-of ^\\t Treteflant- •tiifydt
Rdigici], zudi UOi Roman Catholicks ; and it is alio provided by thole
Laws, that the iRf//g/e« Tnall be in all time coming fecured
from the Deligns of the Reman Caiholkks againft it \ in all which I. 'ijifom
do not fee, that thefe contain any Severity, either againft the ^.joftiiis
Perfons or Eftates of thofe who cannot take thofe 'Tefis, that are ""cehfo
contrary to i\\eRom.-tn Cathohck Religkn ; all the inconveniences that
can redound to them from thence, is, that their Perfons, their Eftates,,
and even the Exercife of their Religion being aftltred to them, only
they can have no fturein the Government, nor in Offices ofTruft.as.
long as their. Confciences do not allow them to take thefe Tefis:
and they, are not fuffered to do any thing that is to the prejudice of the '
Reformed Religion.
Since, as I have already told you, Their TlighneJTes are ready to up
concur with His Majeflj for the Repeal of thofe Venal Laws, by . •
which men are made liable to fines or other Puniffiments. J
Sol fee there Remains no difficulty concerning the Repealing the
Venal Laws, h\xt only this, that fome would have the RomanCatho- 'J
Ikks rendered capable of all publick Trufts and Employments, and
that by confequence, all thofe llhould be repealed that have fecured
the Vrotejlant Religion againft the defigns of the Roman Catbolicki^
where others at the fame time are not lefs earneft to have thofe Laws
maintainedin their full and due vigour 1 and think, that the chief Se- ^ '
curity of theeftabliffied Religion confifts in the preferving of them 'ij'
Sacred and unffiaken.
It is certain, that there is no Kingdom, Ccmmcnwealtb, ov zr\y con-
ftituted Body or Aflembl] whatlbever, in which there are not Laws
made for the Safety thereof ; and that provide againft all Attempts
whatlbever, that difturb their peace, and that prefcribe the Con-
ditions and Qualities that they judg neceft'ary for all that (hall bear 'td
Employments in that Kingdom, State or Corporation; and no
man can pretend, that there is any Injury done him, that he is not
admitted to Imployments when he doth not fatisfie the Conditions '"f?!!)!
and Qualities required. ^
Nor can it be denied, that there is a great difference to be obfeivcd Hi
in
CO
in the conJinft of thofe of t\\Q Reformed Religion, and of the Reman
CathoUcks towards ons^' another: The Roman Catboltcks not being
fatisfied- to exclude the Reformed from all places of profit or of
Truft, they do abfolutely rupprefs the whole b'xercifeof that Religion,
and feverely perfecute all that profefs it; and this they do in all thofe
places where it is fafe and without danger, to cany on that rigour.
And I am forry that we have at this prefent fo many deplorable In-
(bances of this feverity before our eyes, that is at the fotne time put
in practice in fo many different places.
I would therefore gladly fee one fingle good reafon to move zFrote-
fiant that fears God, and that is concerned for his Reltgion,io confent to
the Repealing of thofe Laws that have been enadted by the Authority
of King and which have no other tendency bur to the fecu-
rity of the Reformed Religion, and to the reftraining of the Roman Cathc-
licks from a capacity of overturning it; thefe Laws infl.dl neither Rints
norPunifhments, and do only exclude the Roman CathoUcks from a
(hare in the Government, who by being in Employments muft r.eeds
ftudy to increafe their Party, and to gain to it more Credit and Power,
which by what we fee every day, we muft conclude, will be ex-
treamly dangerous to the Reformed Religion, and muft turn to its
great prejudice: fince in all places, thofe that are in publick Employ-
raents, do naturally Favour that Religion of which they are, either
more or lefs. And who would go about to petfwade me or any man
elfe to endeavour to move Their Htghnejfes, whom God hath ho-
noured fo far as to make them the Protedlors of his Church, to ap-
prove of, or to confent to things fo hurtful, both to the Reformed
Religion and to the publick Safety. Nor can I, Sir, with your good
leave, in any way grant what you apprehend, That no prejudice will
thereby redound to the Reformed Religion.
1 know it is commonly faid, that the number of the Roman CathoUcks
in England and Scotland is very inconfiderable; and that they are pof-
feffed only of a very fmall number of the places of Truft ; the even as
to this, the cafe is quite different in Ireland: yet this you muft ofneceffi-
ty grant me, that if their numbers are fmall, then it is not reafonable
that the publick Peace fliould be difturbed on the account of fo few
perfons, efpecially when fo great a favour may be offered to them ;
fuch as the free Exercile of their Religion would be: and if their
numbers are greater, then there is 16 much the more reafon to be
affraid of them j I do indeed believe that Koman^ CathoUcks, as things
at
CO
«t prefent ftand, will not be very defirous to be in pubbck Offices
and Imployments , r.or that they will make any attempts upon
the ReforwJ Relipon, both becau'fe this is contrary to Law, and
becaufe of the great Inconveniences that this may brmg at
fome other time both on their Perfons, and their Eftates : yet if
the Reftraints of the Law were once taken ' ff, you would fee thena
brought into the Government, and the chief Offices and Places of
Truft would be put in their hands j nor will it be eafy to His Majefy
to refill: them in this, how ftedfaft foever he may be; for they
will certainly prefs Him hard in it, and they will represent this to
the Kivg, as a matter in which His Confcience will be concerned ; and
when they are poffeffed of the Publick Offices, what will be left for
the Rrotefiants to do, who will find no more the fupport of the Law,
and can expeft little Encouragement from fuch Magiftrates ? and on
the other hand, the Advantages that the Roman Catholicks would find
in being thus fet loofe from all Reftraints, are fo plain, that it were a
lofs of time to go about the proving it. I neither can nor will doubt of
the fincerity of His Majefties intentions,and that He has no other defign
before Him in this matter, but that all his Subjeils may enjoy in all
things the fame Rights and Freedoms.
But plain Reafon, as well as the Experience of all Ages, the prefent
as well as the paft, (hews,that it will be impofTiblefor R. Catholicks and
Prote/lants, when they are mixed together in places of Truft and pub-
lick Employments, to live together peaceably, or to maintain a
good Correfpondence together.They will be certainly always jealous
of one another ; For the Principles and the Maxims of both
are fo oppoiite to one another, that in my opinion I do not fee how it
will be in the power of any Prince or King whatfoever, to keep down
^hofe Sufpitions and Animofities, which will be apt to arife upon all
occafions.
As for that which you apprehend,that the Dijjenters ftiall not be de- i,
Tivered from the Rend Laws that are made againft them, unlefs at ^
the fame time the Tejl be likewife repealed: This will be indeed a
great unhappinefs to them ; but the Roman Catholicks are only to
blame for it, who will rather be content that they and their Pofterity
(hould lie ftill under the weight of the Vend Laws, and expofed to
the hatred of the whole Nation, than be ftill reftrained from a capacity
of attempting any thing againft the Peace and the Security of the Pro-
tefianP
X
J
C?)
ttflant B-eligion, And be deprived of that fmall advantage (if it is at all;
to be reckoned one) of having a Lhare in the Government and publick
Employments ; lince in all places of the World this has been always
•the privilege of the Religim that is cftabliihed by Law; and indeed chefe
Attempts of the Roman Catholicks ought to be fo much the morefufpe-
ded and guarded againh by Protcjiants, in that they ice tlrat Roman
Catholk}{f, even when liable to the Severity of Penal Laips, do yet en-
deavour to perfwade his Majefiy, to make the Protejhnts, whether they
will or not, difTolve that Security which they have for their Religion :
and to clear a way for bringing in the R^oman Catholicks to the Govern-
ment, and to publick Employments : in which cafe there would re-
main no relief for them but what were to be expedfed from a Roman
Catholic}^ Government.
Such then will be very unjuft to Their Highne£cs, who (hall blame
them for any Inconveniency that may arife from thence ; fince they
have declared themfelves fo freely on this fubjecf, and that fo much to
the advairtage even of the Roman Catholicks. And fnce the Settlement
of matters flicks at this (ingle point, that Their Highnejfes cannot be
brought to confent to things that are (b contrary to Larvi already in.
being, and that are fo dangerous and fo hurtful to the Protejiant Reli-
gion-i as the admitting of Roman Catholicks to a (hare in the Government,
and to places of Trufl, and the Repealing of thofe Laxps, that can
have no other elfed but the Securing of the Protejiant Religion from all.
the Attempts of the Roman Catholicks againfl it would be.
. You write. That the Roman Catholicks in thefi Provinces are not Jhut out
from Employments and places of frujl; But in this you are much miflaken.
For our Lam are expre(s, excluding them by name from all (hare in
the Government, and from all Employments- either of the Policy or^
Jurtice of our Country. It is true, t do not know of any exprefsLirr,
that (huts them out of Military Emplopments; that had indeed been^
hard, (ince in the flrfl Formation of our State they joyned with us in
defending our publick Liberty, and did us eminent fcrvice during the
Wars; therefore they were not (hut out from thofe Military Employ-
ments; for the publick Safety was no way endanger'd by this, both
becaufe their numbers- that ferved in our Troops were n(>t great, and
becaufe iht States could eafily prevent any Inconvenience that might a—
rife out of that s which could not have been done fb eafily, if the Ro-
man Catholic}^ had been admitted to a Slwre in theGovernmenf, and in
the Policy or Juflice of our State.. Lam i
I am very certain of this, of which I could jjive very ^ood proofs,
that there is nothing which Their Highnejfes deiireXo much, as tnatHis
M.tjefiy may Reign happily, and in an intirc Conhdence withliis Sub-
jedrs j and that His Subjcdfs being periwaded of His Mjjeiiies fatherly
atfeCdion to them, may be ready to make Him all the returns of duty
that are in their Power : But their Highnejfes are convinced in their
Confciences, that both the Frotejiant lleligion and the Safety of the Na-
tlon^ would be expofcd to molt certain Dangers, if either the 7V/f, or
thofe other Fend L^rpj-,of which I have made frequent mention, ihould
be Repealed ; Therefore they cannot confent to this, nor cpncur Tcv:th His Maf-
}}ys JFdl for they believe, tbey jJooidd have nmch to Anfrver for to God, if the
coiifdiration of any prefent advantages fhould carry them to confent and concur
in things rvhich they believe jvoidd be not only dangerous but mifchievous ti the
Frotejtant Religion.
Their Highnejfes have ever payM a mod profound Duty to His Majcfty,
which they will always continue to do s for they confider themfelvcs
bound to it,both by the Laws of God,and of Nature^ But iince the mat-
ter that is now in hand, relates not to the making of nem Laws, but to
the total R.epealing of thofe already made both by King and Farliament ',
they do not fee how it can be expected of them, that they (hou1d confent
tofuch a Repealy to which they have fo juft an averiion, as being a thing
thatjs contrary to the Laws and Guftoms of all Chriftian^trftej-,whether
Proteflants or Fapdis, who receive none to a (hare in the Govern-
ment, or to publick Employments, but thofe who profefs the publick
and eftablifhed Religion, and that take care to fecure it againft all attempts
whatfoever.
I do not think it neceflary to demonftrate to you how much their
are-devoted to His Majejiy, of which they have given fuch
real Evidences as are beyond all verbal ones s and they are Refolved ftill
to continue in the fame Duty and Affcdion ; or rather to encreafe it,if
that is pollible. I am, SIR,
Yours, &c.
Nov. 16S7.
Amfterdam Printed in the Year 1^88.
CY )
lipif -
S
To a Letter writ by
ms:
:i t®
■PENSIONER
the States of Holland and IFefl-Friefland^ con-
cerning the Repeal of the ?ena\ Laws and Tefls.
This may be Printed^ Ja. Vernon.
Istkiii
iEi. My Lsrdj
■ Was fo much furprifed to fee a Letter appear in Print, in Jamary laft, En-
titulcd Letter writ by Mijn Heer Fagel, Pe^yiower q,' Holland, to A/r James
Stewart Advocate^ an account of the Prince and Prin.efss/ Oranges
RdiiL thoughts concerning the Repeal of the Xelts, and of the Penal Laws j taat re-
cic£il:Mting on my own meannefs, with the far different figure that your Lordfiiip
makes in the World, and withal confideringtheremotenefs of theoccafion given
for that Letter, the high and tender import of the matters thei ein treated, with the
obvious Singularity of fuch a forraign Interpolltion, beyond all ordinary Lines and
Rules, I was, at firlf inclined to dif-believe my own Eyes.
True it is, that after my return into £;7^/Win jf«/;^ lafi:, I was fo well fiitisfi^d
with what 1 obfcrvcd of his finceie Intcnnion, and Ileaay Rcfolution, to
perfeft the Settlement of our Religious Liberty by a Legal and Perpetual Eitabli.h-
ntent, (which 1 doubted not would calm the late violent Dilhaftions of tUof;
Kingdoms, and in the end overcome that froward oppohtion which rernainiii
ibrae Spirits, too narrow for fuch a Blefling) that 11 icught I could not,- in rny
taincd in tho£c^£iUlai=lliaddeft.
V at
if;'d
For this end, having obtained leave to write to a private Friend, who I jiidge^!^]"^
might have opportunity to rcprcfent any thing I could lay, to the beil advantagflj#^.^^-^
I did by fevcraI Letters direded to him (Tor to your Lordihip I neither lent noiij®"?^
dircftcd any, as looking upon that to be a thing not only too prefumptuous,,
alfi") inoih improper, and againfl: which I wasexprclly cautioned) declare in
a different poflure I had found things in thcfc Kingdoms, from what I and otherf;:?oa (ol
had believed them, while I was in; and having in two of them efpeciallyiiiskr®
f the only Lettn'S intended for communication j laid down for my ground ^jis ■■•-oii ifcr
jcfiies Sincerity in all this affair, evident not only by his Royal Word, but eveitKpnlitK
demonllrabk'by things thcmfclves, I proceeded to evince by a few Arguments thraawi
Equity and Expediency of repealing both T(fi iind Penal Lav;cs^ and that withi-'djC
peculiar regard to the Prince znd. I^rincefs of Oranges intcrelh. -.mM
And being grieved in my fclf at the confideration of their HighneflesReludancj-ssiliif
to the thing,and Uncafmefs about it,efpecial1y as to the repeal of the rf/?-and wifb- jiyii
jng,as I do ftill, that from the beginning they had complyed more heartily withhfirMjad
pleafure for the ellablifliing of this Liberty, and that they would yet re ■(,1^)
folve to concur with him in it, or tbatat^eafl: the obftnidionof their known Dif '-xi],
fen: might be removed;, I adventured to add the bell per fw a fives I could thiijk oi
for tha: cfFcdl; dcfirlng in the end that what 1 had written fnould be imparted
Friends, and chiefly to thofc zt the PPagw, f whereof I hope your Lordlbip isfdi
One, according to the honour you were picafed to allow me while I was there) fa
their more full lnformation and Satisfaction. And this, to tht bell of my remcra
brancc, is the Sum and Subltanceof all I writ on that occafion.
To this, after feme waiting, I had my Friends Anfwer, telling mcthat hcha(,:,.C,|
confer'd v/itli you upon the SubjeCt, and found that the Prince had already dccla
red him fclf in the fe matters, and particularly to the Lord Jlbevilk Ui%
Lnvoy •, and that He was not to be moved to go any greater length in them
he had then exprcft. That Anfwer having drawn from mc a Return of fom
Arore earncfi: Exprcfijons of my grief for fo great an unhappinefs, I ^cfolv'd ti ..V^;
infill no further. Only my Friend infmuating that he had ftill hopes to get a mor
diftinT and fatisfying AnlWer from a better hand, (the without naming any per ;
fon) I attended the ifiue ; And accordingly about the beginning of Ncvetnk. '^'
(almolt three Months after my firft Writing) he fcnt me a Letter from your Lord '
fiiip writ inX.w;?, with an Verfion.
Thofe I received at London : And acknowledge with all humility the fingula
Honour you were pleafcd to do me therein j which on any other occafion I ihouk '
certainly have expreffed my fenfc of, with all readinefs. But finding them to
Letters direflly from your Lord]bip, (to whom I had not written) and that they'■
contained an account of their HighnelTes thoughts, about the Repeal of the Teji
and Penal Larves, (which I had not defircd) together with your owa Reafoning! ■
in juflification thereof; Both your publick Charaaer, and the matters treated ■'
moved me to put them immediately out of ray hands, in the moft fafe and dutifui '•
manner; refolving rather to refer my fejf to the knnwlcdgc that feme perfoii|;
liad of my ways, for clearing the miftajsg.aafiaaatedentry of your Lettej
c 3;
''^1 'as if I had prefumed to write to you, or for fuch a piirpofej than to purfue with
- ■ note noife an explication of what I thought would proceed no farther. Yet my
^ '-"riend adviling rac, by the., next Poll after that which brought your Letter that
F- vhcn you gave it to him, you told him you had given out a Copy or two to Fnends
And my Apprehcnfions fuggefling that a Letter, -fo diligently and accurate-
^'^'.7 writ upon foflender an occafion, might either have a further profped, or at
be further made ufe of, I immediately returned him anfwer, that, tho I was
®:.onfidentyou were far from interpoling in his Majcfiies aHairs, by caufingany
F ling to be printed to his Diflervice, and no lefs afiurcd that you would not fufFer
■••r') obfcure a name as mine to be unnecelTarily heard of in fo great matters, yet I
how ready fomc perfons in your Farts were to lay hold on any thing that
„ ^ light crofs his Majefiks purpofe for the Eftablilhing of this Liha ty, andthc-i;e-
ire I imreated him to ufe his utraoft indeavours for the prevention thereof. And
% i:ordinglyI had his return, that though he feared you were no more Mafter of
eCopies you had given out, yet as to ray private Letters, writ fo familiarly and
genuoufly to hirafelf, he would undoubtedly fecnre them.
So that truly when I firft faw the frimdLetter above mentioned, and perceived
>the Imprejfwt! that it was done in Hotiand^ I did not doubt but it was done with-
lif^it your Lordliiips privity, and therefore laid it afidc without once Reading it.
h'-'- But now that there is come abroad anew Print in your Lordfhips name, fuj)on
hat provocation I know not) which plainly affirms' That yon were very earnefily de-
KTted by me to write what were the Vrincc oftdFTmcek of Ortinge^s thoaghts^ concern-
vgthe Repealing of the Tefi and Penal Laws^ tend that it was intimated to yen that thefe
Z'.'-iffing defres were made by his Majefties Knowledge and Allowance ; I can no longer
alifii rb.ar, for the vindication of hi% Majefhies Wonom-^ and my own Duty, to crave
,';E''(vcto fay, with all fubraiifion, that the difference of this Aecountfrom what I
:;: vc above reprefented, f and which I am furc is true in every pointl muft of ne-
y." ITity flow from fomc miftakein the Report you have had of my Letters. For
ice I did not write any Letter to your fclf, and that my waiting to my Friend
iic: IS not out of any cnriofity to know their Flighncffes thoughts about the Rcpea-
Penal Laws zrid.TePis, (which it is evident 1 already knew fufficiently, and
■jl'liich had been, as you well fay, before particularly fgnified to theof
0..kville)EVi.t for a quite difi^crent purpofe,as I have before ingenuonfly rcprefentect
; How could his MajeFlks Knowledge and Allowance be avouched by me for that
•ft'jiifich was not ? It is true, I find it faid in one of mine. That what I writ on the nine-
^^kth of July was writ not only with Permijfon^ but according to his Majefties minde fif-
2iii^tly exfrefcd. And this may alfo have been eifewherc repeated in other terms.
its as true that.the intent and meaning of tliofc words was only to infovce fome
lolf.guracnts I had ufed for Liberty^ which my Friend inclined to think I had too con-
Recntly advanced; and no waycs to ail time to my felf an authority for writing-
I really neither had writ, nor intended to write. There being nothing more
jjliltain than that, although his Majefry might have permitted me, as he doth many •
5» jaer», to ufe my little endeavours for the advancing of his Service, yet it was tie-
Diireither tiiQujjhul^^r moved to me by any other, to write to your
fl'fl
im
1'ill ill
4 m 'Ai.
if iiji
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( 4 )
Lordfhip, or toany other Pcrfon, either in bis MajeFties inaifle, fa prcfumptioi -
and indecency which I cannot mention without blufhingj or in the name of any of
•OUfc'W
ifr/i
his Secretaries; And neither was there the lead; neceffity to inquire into their
HighnelTcs thoughts in the aforefaid matter, fince they were already perfedly ■
known, and to none more diflindly than to his himfelf, as all my Letters
do very plainly fuppofe.
Seeing therefore that this laft Print doth, i» feveral PalTages, intimate that your
Letter of the Fourth of November was not only a true Letter, but Publi/hedby
your order, (tho I know not why it fiioiild infinuatc as if that Letter had been
Jirft Printed in ErigLir.d) and that any thing relating to me is raanifeftly cxtrinficlc '
to the point of the reality of your Letter; I cannot but again in all humility wiih
tha&Fo^r Lordfinp had forborn to prefs fo hard upon me, for jullifying a Publicati- ,
on which evidently was a pure Ad of your own free Choice, and no doubt cafnila- 1''^
ted for a fardilFereht End than what was by me intended. t
But fince I have acknowledged that you did me the honour to write tome,
that you now own the Printed Copy to be the true Copy of what was fo writ,and "•Idj
thereby as it were call me to confider it more particularly ^ 1 lhall no longer dc- tr
dine the liberty you tllow me, but freely explain my thoughts upon it in all fincc-
rity •, and fubmitthem to your profound Judgment; Efpecially feeing it is inor-.;OT
cier to no other Ends than thofc I formerly propofed, and which I am pcrfwaded :
You approve as much as 1 do. odi;;
What you declare to be their HighnelTcs Thoughts and Opinion, concerning::;'.:!;!
the Repeal of the 7c/? Andi Penal Lnws^ as it was not the Subjed of my Inqiiiry^bfe
fo it is above the Sphere of ray Confideratioii; only feeing They fcem ti# be undeio;
norelbraint, as to a full compliance with his A/rfy£/?jej Defign, except fromtheij ;:]tjv
care of the Seem ity of X.\\cProteftant Rcligion^l am not without hopes t''at,whcii the)
Eiall have confidered his MajefHes no lefs exprefs Purpofe for the Eftablinimento.
Liberty, (the only Secular Security and Advantage that Gods Religion requires^-jjj|,.i
than for the procuring of the aforefaid Repeal in order to Mens jult Relief, Theii
Highnelfes fecond Thoughts may yet happily advance and ripen fo fair an Ap- -^
peirance. ' . 1.*^!
But the Qiiclbion, as by me formerly Rated, was precifely, " Whether al -r.l
'■^■ProteFlant Dijftnters ought not to concur -vvith his MajeFly^ by contributing theiTIT!
:bell Endeavours to have the Penal Laws in matters oT Religion and Confciencrlll
" abrogated, and the prefent Liberty -legally Eltvihlilhed and Fixt ? And vvhethei. |
'^■if his ALtjesly lliould in Favour of his Roman Catholkk Subjefts think fit to ffiaki ; I
" the abrogating of the 77/? a condition of the continuance of his Grant of Li "
" berty, -He ought not in this alfo to be readily gratified, for fo great a Favour'
Now your Agreement as to the entire abrogation of all Penal Coercive Laws isai
together becoming your Sound Judgment and Chriftian Charity.* Your Hsfka '*
tion fcems to be about the Law of the 77/?, and thofe other Laws made for Ex
eluding Roman Catholkh from Publick Trufts, and fecuri ig the ProtePlant Rtligioik '
to the Repeal whereof you think no Prateant caw'm Coiifcieiice confcnt. /a*!
the fum and force of .all your Reafoning^rffnlyrf. - -- • - ■
fo-,
( 5
And dlfMing Roman Cathollcks fo enjoy Public} Truft-s eontuln no Stvtritks a-
them, nor import any ■wrong that any ^v'jo ca-nnot comply with their Conditions ought
to complain oj ^ But that they were fairly made according to the CuHom of all Chri- .
! ll^Bian States'-, and the very Natural Right of all Politick Bodies, tvho have ever mad: Laws
^Ifor fecuring the publ'ick Estahlifed Religion, and their oven Safety, by excluding the Ene-
mies thereof from all Public} Employments. ^ :d the Law for the Tcbt being of this
you concludt that the Repeal of it would take away all the Security of ths-Protcfaxt
Religion, andexpofe the Nation to m >jl certain Da-nger ; Becaufe all Governours do natu-
fJkVrfi/y favour thofe of their own Religion; and the way of the Roraan Catholicks is fo tctt'-
'f^^,e^iull tcfwards Proteftants, that it mujl he concluded they would never agree with them tn
'W the joynt adminifiration of Publick Trujis, but would p-refs his Mkjzhij vnConJaence until
; ih' they were pojfcjfcd of All, even to the depriving Froteftants of the Support of the Law, and ■
ix'r Vrotedlon of the Magiftrate. So that on the one hand it is indeed manifcil by the
whole fubftancc of your Difconrfs Thst, if the Repeal of theTeft and ifdmilfion
iKD/of^ew-*" to Pubiick Employments do take away all the fecurity of the'
lifci Proteftant Religion,andexpofe it to Ruin;,thcn no true Proteftant ought to confent-
coir to it: But on the other hand it follows no lefs evidently, That if it can be {hewed
iiis; that the Proteftant Religion, may be fj/Hclently fecured without the Law of the
lai: Teft,and moreover that the l,egal Eftabli'hment ofthe pre fent Liberty (as dcfiga'd
aijr'by his Majefty) doth in all probability tend more to the Advantage than Prejudice'
of the Proteftant Religion ■, then they both may, and ought to do it.
But becaufe the matters in hand do, above all others, require a clear and found
f p;; minde, free from all prejudice and pre-poffedion, and.are not to be determined by
an. general rules only and abftrad notions, but ou^ht to be examined with a jaft ex--
adnefs in all their circiimftances; Before I go any further, I muft intreat you (ia
; itjf; the firft place J) to remember the folid Refledion you'make in your Letter upon the
Spirituallity and Heavenlinefs of the Chriftian Religion : Which I am fare, if duly
I'io"! cordidcred and improved, would hot only convince others,- as it dOth you, oithe
abfurdityof all forcible and coinpulfury methods foii^its advancement, but aifu/
fofii corapofe and fvreeten Mens minds, and thereby prepsre.them to a mbrc char ua-
, derftanding and equitable determination of the p-uint in Controverfie.
ThatFaith and Obedience towardsGod (vvhich"arc.only f>far acceptable to himy
jih'.fothey proceed from a willing mindc-j cannot be conftrained, without an op ja
0 mockery of God, and violence to the rights of Men, is a Plain diSatc of Rcafon,
t which all I'imes and Difpenfrtions have ;:cknowledged. But more cfpcciaHyft'tat
gentle Spirit of the Gofpel,wlu' h Chrifc fo often owns and recommends,and whoh
(pr) Charafters are fo vilible in all his own and his Apoftlcs Practices, f;enas to carry e
ni thin^f yet a greater length. I necdfnot put you in minde that the Gol^cl.Was ijot
lli'- fcnt(as the Law) unto One, but unto All .sadoks; that our Lord, by alfertingTis
■0' Kingdom not to be of this World, doth not only afiiirc to all men th.cir Civil Rigl.ts,
asthen by them potfeiled, but in my opinion removes its Admii^fi-ation further
than is commonly fuppofcd from ell Secular Mixtures And God's Choke of
(tin the Foolilhnefs and Wcakncfs of Men fowits^Pvopaga:icn (ddignediy and exprelly
Giace) dotli'vei-y pr-obabiy fupe--
lo
ft
If-
tt
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'■i'r :
Is
1
l»
flii-
( ^ y ^ - ■ . ,;3fof- -
cede much of that humane Caution which men hare thought Kt, but never witlf i
any Snbcefs, to add to his better Counfel." But undoubtedly if any man ftrioufly
ponders how the Gofpel at firft fetout, and how by its own pure and fpmtaal . £
Weapons, without any affiftance of men's Laws, it profpercd, to the fubduing
of the World \ and at the fame time call to mind that certain Truth, That every . ji
thing is belt prefcrved by the fame Caufesthat produced it; He will hardly be .. .
induced to think that thefe Exclulive Laws, which you fay are now fo Cuftomary
in all Chrillian Kingdoms and States, are indeed fo n'eeeflary as is imagined for
For my part, when I refled on
the Confervation and Security of Religion • ^ ---J I—-7 - —""3'!)''CS
plain matter of Fad, viz.. That when the Gofpel did at firft get footing in Ci-
ties or Kingdoms, and its Difciplcs came afterwards to be perfecuted by the
Governmeat and Bodyof the People, itilLFagafi, (it may bebyTefts as well as, 7,77'
other Penal Laws) they did not lay the ftrefs of their Apologies upon the Truth of
their Profefiion (which they knew their Perfecutors rejefted) but only upon their ^7
Civil Rights and Liberties, as Men-, I cannot but think it very unjuftifiable for b"'
the fame Perfons, or others of the fame Perfwafion (when afterwards grown ' 77
more numerous and powerful) to retaliate the fame dealing to their old Adver-
ftifics. But, nottoprefs too hard upon thcfc Excluding Laws, which I beiieTc"""t
manv, thinking piouily that Gods Gift defervcd their beft care, have introduced ,
in great fmcerityI ftall only add, that as it is evident they were never any
where cnafted for the Frcfervation of Religion, until Religion had firft prcvai- 77^
led and done its greafeft work. So the beftEffeds they have ever produced, have •. 7
always been, either to make Hypocritical Converts, or elfe to diftinguilh, irri-
tatc, and unite into a Fadious Obftinacy, fuch as in probability would looner have
yielded to a more ccpial and modefate Treatment. But the bcft of it is. That tho
a Ruling-Clergy, (the worft of Politicians) have always been obferved to be raoll
forward to procure fuch Sandf ions, Yet are they ftill but Human Laws and Expc-
dients, and therefore abfolutely at the difpofal of the fame Powers that made —7
them. - ■ioil!
But in the next place. Since you have been pleafcd to interpofe fo far in our
■;F
Affairs, let me now entreat you to enlarge your Thoughts a little further upon • ip
our pVefent Circumftances. The King is our Sovcraign ; And hii Majsfiies Perfwa-
Du and Religion, with what he hath already done, and ma7 hereafter do, asalfa
'hat He defigns to have done in Parliament touching this Liberty, at e fuificiendy
fio
V7 _
known; Nor are you altogether a Stran^r to the State of Reli don, the Pai ties
wi-o corn pofe it, the Laws made about it, and the EfFcds they have produced,
ca
Co. tcioaanms Now for my part, I heartily wifia that the Chitrchof
f7w bad ahval bfcn'as ranch Vroufim, at^refent ftc pretends to^ That
- V hen (he hath kafnre, hie may no lefs zealoudy mmd and cleave wher own
MtVine audits f.ncerc Lovers, than rometirac we have fcen her violent-for her
Smef i-s, and angry at Men that were not of her Falhion ; and.what ever may ,
K 7 nr nf rhir^JS That all Prettftam Dtjfenters may always Love her more (il/pii
mole bfponliile) fSr'onr agreement in Sabftantuls, then Ihe Imth Hated and Per-J
fecutcd them, for their difagreeraeat in Circumftanj
^t confidcring what"^-
( 7 )
WfttOpinion fome Men have entertained about the good EfFc(fls of tbefe Penal and Ex'-
sfedufive Laws, And, on the contrary, what Siiiicrings many Thoufands of Err-
have in all times undergoip, and Iboula Hill in ail appearance luve under-
ffegone by them, even to their ulfer undoing, if hh Afdjcfiy had not gracioully *
riMryouchfafed to hinder it •, And obfer cing at the fame time how improbable, orra-
ltar;tlier impoflible, it is that the Church of E-dglandy if in Power, fhould either rc-
C'h^ain without thofe Laws, or fiafler thofe Laws to remain without Execution I
ia^:;;!null: humbly crave leave to fay, that for Protef!-a-dt Difentcrs to negled: the prefcnt
Irtii'^pertunity, and not to comply with his Plcsfure to have them totally,
)ti;j ind for ever abrogated,is, in my opinion, no better then to rejeft the Goodn-efs gf
and to abandon themfelvesto their Adverfaries. It hath been the fate of
Siut-befe Kingdoms fince the firll beginning of our Reformation, that all Parties, Pa-
tlitjdji, Proteftd.nt^ Prdnte, Prcsbytciurn^ and h:dtftrJ.ent alfo, fiave in their feverai
Ifj-r urns, both praftifcd Pcrfecution and repented their doing it : And now of late
liji^fhen the laH Scene was the blackell, and Mens Troubles were further hightened
their Apprehenfions of what was to come. It hath pleafcd God to raife us up a
Whotho He be of another Pcrfwalion, and had (as all thinking Men mult'
jitj,]^,rant) the faireft advantage to promote it, by purfuing only thofe Methods which .
fjjjjj^le found ready difpofed to His Hand ; yet hath been pleafed out of his juH
^^^.onfideration of the true Ri hts of God and Man, and his tender and fatherly
5^.,are of all his People, ro deliver us out of Bondage, and inU'oduce us into i
tate of Chriftian Liberty. This as it is his AAtgyiie/ peculiar Glory, denied to
j,^ll his PredecelTors, ought the rather to be clofcd withal by his People. And fire-
wearenot juftly blameablc, if neither the unhappy Relicks of old Prejudices,
■ jjJor prcfcnt Jcalonfics, nor even future Hopes, do hinder us from embracing the ■
.^jjprefent oppertunity of fecuring to our fclves and to our Pollerity fo great, a .
„ The greatcH part of what I have here faid I know you will readily alTcnt to,
ndthat it is only the Law of the Tefi^ f which you judg to be both righteous and
. . ..ccelTary) that you would have Hill maintained. And therefore (referring my
° Tall Anfwcr upon that head to its proper placej I fhall only here again put you in
Sj^iiiid that the King is our Soveraign, whofe power goes far, both as to the bellow-
J ig of Publick Imployments, and alfo as to the continuing or rellrainiag of our
rcfent Liberty at his plcafurc That it is to me unaccountable how any Protefiar.t
'jwuld think the enjoyment of our prcfent Liberty not to be more valuable than all
cxclufive Laws j and that, as I have above given a hint of my own fence of
Ifdlfuch human Cautions, fo 1 hope it wilVeahly be made appear, that there is riei-
; -her that Security in the 2 f/, nor Danger in its which fome Men, preten-
^jing ill Ihew to keep up the Tefi againft Reman Catholicks^ but intending in reallity
r- 'O keep up the Penal Laws againfl Protcfiant Kipnters^ would gladly have you axd" -■
ther Strangers to believe on their bare aflcrtion;
But further yet, I would again humbly bcfecch you to obfcrvc, that it is not a
Repeal of and PfW L;*®J that his Adajefty propofes, but re-ally and
riucipally the EHabliibtQcnt of an equal and fair. Liberty, which is ti;eonly
I 't
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7 'r -it'I
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^crular Advantage, as I have already faid, that true Religion requires. Men tal
ordinarily of the Repeal of Tf/j and I'etui Laws, as if that v^ere the only thin^^""^"
intended : And thereupon their Minds are#mmediacely ovci-ciouded
Njoumf
this Prejudice j That rk Protcllant Ke]ifi.on> ttrnj} »eeds be thereby^ dhefied
all Legal Security. Whereas on the other Hand, if they would takc^ notice
and in His Anfwer to molt"'
careful Bis Adajcpy hath been in His firft Proclamatkn, ttuu m jljis lu
of t\\<s Addrcffes, to declare himfdf for fuch a juft and fecure Liberty of Confiknet^J
as may for ever fee us free from PciTecutions and Impofitions, and how, in His late'^ y
J'rocUmation of the Twenty feventh of Aprillall, He pubiifheth his Refolution to
life his iitmofl; indearours, "to eftablip Liberty »f Confcience on fuch jafi and CffjHdf '
" Foundations as will render it unalterable, and fecure to all People the free exercife of theitl
to as
" Peligion for ever : ^They might eafily relt fatisficd that the ProteUant Religion ir, ■
e of the sWurity ihe now enjoys, by all that is intended fave only the' ■ °
to lofe, none
pov/er of Perfccution and Impofing upon others, which yon your felf do Cca''J
do 111 n. ■ ^irlfdci
It is true, yon think the impofingof upon all Perfons in publick ImpW n •
m."nts is no undue Impofition. But whether it be fo or not, and whether thcLaf^^/
of the Tefl be that great and indifpenfible Security of the Vrotcfiam Religion whitft^''''"
you indeavour to make it, I fhall now go on toconfider. And becauft in eiFecvj'''
nothing can be added to what hath been fo fully faid,and often repeated, by otheni^*|°|7'
on this Subject, I ihall do it with all polilblc brevity. 5|
Yen fay then againft the Repeal of the Law of the Tedt, and other exclulii^!|.|j
Laws; firil, That they cont.iin no unjusi Severity. Secondly, That fuch Laws are if J \
gretahle to the Right and Rules of all Ki-ngdoms and Civil Societies, and areufed in ttf f
Chriftian Kingdoms and Common IVkalths, And Thirdly, That they are the chief Sec^
• rity of the Protellant Religion in thefe Kingdoms, and that the taking them amf^
would es^pofe hoth.the Protellant Religion the People of thefe Kingdoms to
and Ruin.
As to the firft, whether the exclufive Laws contain any unjuft Severity, Illh,?
not much contend. It is known that within thefe few Years we have had in
la,tdTefts of feveral Fafhions, and for divers Perfwafions, and that fomeoftlie(T
-10 jp
have been fo fcvere as to throw Men not only out of Publick Imploymcnts, bi"
,out of their private Callings, and fo deprive them of xhtir Daily Bread. AMlj'
'-Eiir:;
mayalfo adventure to fay that, all things duly weighed, Thefe pretended pirn
political Tefls have, in our real Experience, been more prejudicial to the true
tercft of Religion, and tbe Peace and Wel-fareof thefe .Nations, than everihcn^"
' total Repeal can, in the mofbftrained rational Conjedure, be hurtful to cither i.,!*
them. So ftrange and unaccountable a thing is this humour of Telling. i .
But feeing you feem to confine your felf to the Tf/r againft Rtman Catbolichi'^^'''^
pointed princij^lly for the two Houfes of Parliiment, I Ihall add more paiticulC*''"'
ly ; Firft, that according to what I have above touched, this appears to be but i'*"
•extraneous unwarranted human Caution, and that it may juftly 1^ thought ftran|'|'
trat- . frur Religion hadihrough its own hear-nly Power and Methods p: evai|;'"
agarnlt ail th£ human Laws, Councils, and otjierhinaeranrps that ftood in its «§
r»)
Men fbould relaps J fromfuch Dirine Grounds of Confidence, to their own wea^
Contrivances, for its fopport and continuance: And further, that, however inno-
cent you may now jadg this Injunftion ao be, Taks the Tell, or quit aU publkk. Im~
fleyf/tCK-ts J Yet I am fully alTured, that, if in the Primitive 1 imes a Prince or other
Magiftrate^ turning Chrifiian, had, for the better Confervation of his Religion,
fet forth an Edift to his Rill Pagan Snhje^s, commanding thera to 2«r« from vam
Idols toferve the Living and Trne God^or elfe roforfakf aU pulylkk. Places and Trajls^ He
would have been Condemned for it by Chrill and all his Apoltles.
Secondlyy That the Elfedtsof fuch Exclufions in all times have been no better than
their Caafes; and that, inftead of preferving and fecuring our they ha ve
only brought into it hypocritical and falfe Converts, or provoked thofe that were
rejected to a more froward Obflinacy, and wnrfe Praftices, whootherwife might
have been gained by Cmto-e/and Patience, which arc the genuine Methods of true
fhriflian'ity.
And Thirdly, That thofe who by Birth-right have a real Title to all the Honours
and Priviledges of Peerage •, and even All Men, Who, u{:on the like ground,
do naturally judge, that they have at leaft an equal right of accefsto Places and
Preferments in Societies whereof they are Members with others of their Degree
and Quality, will never be perfwaded to think that there is no unjull Severuy in thoic
excluding Laws which deprive them either of their acknowledged Priviledge, or '^ 3
Icfs valuable Pretenfions. And lince you are pleafed to tell us, That it is rh.'
Highnelles Judgment, That no Man jl ould be 'ill nfed becaafe he differs from the -P. . ^ ^
and Efiablijhfd Religion, I qucllion a little how you can reconcile the depofig '^f
Peers, and civil Excommunication of all others, (which lam lure is no good u fa v)
for not taking the 7e/, tofo true and honell z Judgment. Itisealiefor Men no
have either got thcmfelves into publick Places, or got above the delireof R ^
Places by z txzoChriftian Mortification, to fay with you, That it is but afmalt-
indeed any, advantage to have a (hare in the Government. Bur, on the other Harivi,
If it be conlidered that. As hundreds of Freemen can willingly confine themfei ;s
to the narrow corner of a private Houfe, who yet could notisdure to be Impi >
foncd in a Palace ; So it is the Exclufion, efpecially when lookt upon as Caulelels
and Unjuft, that in this Cafe is really Grievous ■, I am pvrfwaded no impartial Man
will undertake to vindicate the Laws that enabled it from a great meafure of Seve
rity. andthisd fay from fo difinterelTcd and fo unbyalfcd ajudgment, that, for my
Own part, I lincerely protell that I am not only well content with my prefent Gon-
dition, but (if it might in any fort facilitate his Majefties Chriftian defign of
ierty) I would alfo readily confent that all DiJJtnters, and my felf amonglt the r it,
Should be made incapable of all the more tempting publick Imployments foi evcv.
But for jullifyingof thefe exclufive Laws, you fay in the fccond place, 1 3.. t
are agreeable to the Right and Rales of all K ingdoms and Cvvtl Societies, to whom it
never denied to make Laws for their own fafety, and for that end to prefoibe the C v i t
ens and Qualities that they judge neceffaryfor ail that (hall bear pnblick.lmploymcms. > v
that all'oox;<;r«o//rj may and ought to make rational and jnfi; Laws for their f; .
and for the due conferring of thsir publick Inaployments, isinniy mind loliu-i.e^ v
B 1 •
. . , .. Iprcfcrw'
be doubted, diat it needed not at al! to have been mentionedl. The only Specuiati-
on proper for our cafe is. Whether thefe Exelufive Laws^ upoa the Mconnt of difference _
in Religion^ be either Warranraf)le or Prolitable-And feeing that I have already
told yon, that they not only incroach upon Mens natural and civil Rights and Li-
bernes, the principal ends of Government, but do alfo in fome fort bring a con-, ajj
ilraiiitupon the proftrhon of the Truth, which ought to bemoftfree, and which
the ff ofile exprefsly will have tofiaid not in the Wtfdomof Mm ( fjch 2.% .Tend .
Lawi and Tefs are) hut in the Foxer of Cod, or in the fame fpiritaal and heavenly f W
means whereby it was fiift Eflablii'hcd and is undoubtedly beft Preferved, 1 ihall
not trouble yon. v/ith Repetitions. I fee you add chat luchLawshavc alfobcenand
are nfed in all Chriftian Kingdoms and Common-Wealths j and you might as truly
have fubjojned, Tnat evch Protcjiants, when prevalent, do by their Praftices "•ylt
jaft'fic Roman Catholickj in that very Point for which they condemn them ini;heir
Diicourfes. But tho I confcfs there is nothing more natural than for Men to be
anxioufly careful to preferve what they cfteem, and in this their anxiety to judge
their own way the bvft, efpccially when either Paflion or Self-intcreft enrcrinto
the deliberation j Yet confidering the experience we have had of the fitfitlelfRefs of,
thcfe Exclufions, and that there is nothing more becoming Men profefling to be
sffured that their Religion i-s ChrifRs true Religion, than to reft upon the fame Me-
thods for its Confervation which He, who had the choice of all, thought only fit to ^"'1^
make ufeof for its Propagation ; and confidering alfo'that it hath pleafcd God fb to
order things, that his ARijrfy (the Head and Fountain of the Government) is of a
different Perfwafion from the main BodyofthePeoplejand fo might juftly turn.alf this
your rcafoningagainft us j i can fcarce forbarc to wonder that Men fhould rcfufe the
lair Equallity which Hepropofeth. Had it been the Divine Will that his Majeftyand '
his People had agreed in the lame Profeffion, it is more than probablethat, vhat
ever might have Iseen his Majefty'sinduigent Difpofiiion the prefent Qiicftfon would hHea
net have been n oy;d. But fince this is not our Cafe, and that the Kingdom and Go- -2, it
vcrnment are certainly in His hands, Imuftcrave leave to fay. That your ArgU' . iiEi
ments from the Rights and Cuftoms, and from the Providential Councils of all Go-
vernments, makes more againft you than for you •, and that I am very inclinable to • 5bp
believe that if the SovetSign Power were as much Roman Catholick in your Provinces i^iorfo
as it is with us, it would produce fuitablc Effects. And fherefore, fince your Ar- illtstiia
gument rather commends his Maffttes gracious Condefcention, than any way ira- satd]
pugns his Defign, I cannot but wifhxliat, in a matter in it felf fo indifferent, it may ;a!ca;
accordingly p)erfwade all Men to a juft Compliance. iijp
Butbecaufe the Jndiffireney 1 here mention is that which you can hardly bear, and
that the force of all your Reafonings lies in the third Point,-fie. That theft Ex. /*-
five hates are the chhf Secttrity ff the Protcftant Religion, and that the taktn^ them a-
way would expofc the Protcftant Religion, and the People of thcfc Kingdo ms, to
Danger and Ruin, I (hall now proceed to cxamia more clofcly what you arc pleafed ;t|(
to fay upon it: Not doubting, in the meanwhile, but we arc fully agree.! that Uiil.
the true and principle Security of the Protcfiant Religm confift» in its bung the
immoYablc Truth of God, w^ichif well laid to Heart would cofiiributt more to .-h,
'i liV
c It )
jts Prcfemtion than all the Tefis and Fenal Laws in the World ; And in'trca-
ting you ftill to remember that it is not a bare Repeal of Pmd Laws and Tefis that
bis/t/-»;>7?ydefigns, but the fare and firm Eftablilhment of Liberty, (the only fecw-
lar Advantage, as I have often faid, that Gods Truth requires; Which if rightly
urderftood, and if a juft diftindlion were made between the free Enjoyment of Ci-
vil Rights (the proper Objed and End of Government) and that Liberty of Con-
fcience in masters of over which God has referved to himfelf the incom-
municable Right, would quickly bring the World to the happicfi; State that it can
ever attain to. Thefe things, I fay, being premifed, I proceed to obferve tvhat
you fay for making out your AlTertion, viz.. That the taking away of thefi Exclafivc
Laws would bring Roman Catholicks into both Hoafes of Parliament mid ali other ynb- .
lick Imfloyments; That in thefe Jmfloyments they wonldnot agree with Proteftants j But
that hecanfe of their contrary Principles^Jealoufies would arifc,which his Majeily would not
be able to reprefs •, jind that there is a great difference between Roman Catholicks
Proteftants, beeaufe the former Exclade, Sapprefi and Perfecute, where ever they can do
itfafely, Andif they were admitted into Trufis, they would vot only favour their own
Religion, as all Altn in Power do, but it would not be eafiefor the King torefifi them, be-
cauje they would prefi him in point of Confcience-, and that then ProtGitanis would want
aS Support of Law, and Encouragement from the Alagifirates.
This way of Rcafoning, fo manifeftly proceeding from an over anxious Jealoufie,
niuft needs be lb much the lefs Satisfadory, in that it is obvious to ali Men, hoiv
much that crofs and froward Humour is difpofed to convert the moft proper Anti-
dotes for its Cure, into the Nourilhrnent of its Malady.
But more particularly, Firfi, It is evident that the ftrength of all objedcd, tho
in fofier Exprcflions, Is That t his defign of Liberty is only pretended and carri:d on for
the better Advancement of Popery. ^ But, feeing his AEajefiy hath in this matter de-
dared the uprightncfs of his Intentions with the cleareft and moft forcible Ex-
prcfiions, delivered with all the binding Circumftances of la.full Affurance, which
froma Anweof his Veracity and Firmnefsmay befufficient to convince the moft
Incredulous, and alfo confirmed the Sincerity of his Purpofcbythe Evidence of
things incapable of any conliftcncy with the Delign fufpcdcd, VVhat place can be
found for fo improbable a Suggcftion?For it being undeniably evident to all confidcr-
ing Men that the plain contrary Methods to what his Maiufiy now pradifes had been
the moft dired and effcdual Ones for the Introducing of Popery, and that theprcf-
fing and carrying on the Execution of Penal Laws, begun to his Hand, might in all
human appearance have broken aud uadonp that Party which has in all times been
judgedremotcft from,and moft Oppofitc and zealous againft I'opery, and fo have left
that other Party, the Church of England, (who after theadingof fiichan iinchri-
ftian Pcrfccution, would never have been ftrong enough nor have had the hearts to
eadurc the like,& whofc fequaciousTempcr in matters of Rdigion,falling in with the
Intercft of their Livings & Dignities, may abundantly be feen in our Records) to be
the only feeble Defenders of Protefiancy,akezdy more than half Ruined; Ought not
his Majcfiies Moderate and Generous Deportment, fo contrary to thofe Methods, for
ever free Him from fo foul a SufpitioH ? This real and moft fenlible Demonftration
B 2
of
of his MajeftUsTxwth and Sincerity is fo much the more to be regarded, in that it
is known how His entry into the Government was fortified with the fuppreffing of
Infiirreftions; which not only might have rendred His Power moie Terrible, and
provok'd Him to greater Severities, but alfo might have been made ufc of to have
involved one way or other (no new thing in the World) a great part of ikzDijftn^
j ters in the Fate and Ruin of thofe broken Parties.
But, Secondly^ although you fay. There u a di^erence l^xtrveen Kcxian CzthO'
licks ^wi/Proteiilants in the bufinef of Ftrfecimon^ Yet in the prefent QHitroverlie, I
mnll beg leave of Ton and all Protcfiants to fay, that this comes ill from thofe of
the Church cf En^Ltnd^ whole Exelufions, Suppredions and Perlecutions, (toufe.
your own tcnms) all things confidercd, are in the Judgment of many lobar People
more Unchriflian ftho perhaps not fo severe) than any of thofe deplorable inflan-
ces which you fay arc in many p'aces abroad this Day before our Eyes. It is true
that Strangers, having eallcr opportuniiy to kncrw the Doftrine of the Church of
En^hnd^ agreeing with that of the belt Protef^ants, than to obferve their dealings
with their biiTcnting Brethren for the rejefling of her Geremonies, can fcarce think
it poHible thatthis Difference (hould have pioduced h Violent a Perfecation •, efpe-
fiaily againfl fuch who immediately before had done them the greatell Service, in
contrinaring fo readily to the means of their Reftitution. And it is true alfo that
' foiTie of ihacGommuion, efpecially in your Parts, (as appears by their late Prints)
do endeavour to Apologize for their former Rigours and Cruelties, partly by cx-
! dainaing againfl: Perfecution, and partly by figgefling that the late Severities ufed
againft Dijftntcrs were fet on Foot by a Popif} Party and Dciign at Court, on par pofe
toineieafe their Number and render them more Unquiet, that fo the Parliameni!
might have been conftrain'd to grant a general ro/rr.ibow, wherein the Roman Ca-
tholkks might be included ^ The great Defign of this Mvftery. But thcfirlfof
thofe Excufes being now too late, and the other being falfe, and viiibly affeUed j
I cannot but ftill wi(h that this their extraordinary Zeal for the Exclufior. of Roman
Catholieks be not a mccr effeft of their itch after their former Rower and Prai3;ice
' of Perfecuting Protffiant Dijfunters ^ and withal that the Remembrance of our late
Sufferings may put Protefiants as well as Roman Catholkkj in mind of their.Failings,
to tlK end that all Parties may become more fober andaverfe to ail manner of Pcrfe-
«Utron for evei'.
'Thirdly^ Seeing you lay the greatefl flrefs of pur Argument upon the hazard that
you pretend lies in the making of Roman Catholkks capable of, and given them En-
try into publick Imployments, and particularly to take places in bothHoufes of
Parliament, I inlrcat you to obferve, that it is evident in point of Fadt, xhd.t Roman
, CathslkkszxQ already in many Publick Imployments, and that thofe Iraployments
will always depend, as they have ever depen^d, upon the pleafure of the Prince
; Regnant: So that confidering how it is with us at this prefent, any Man that is
poirelTed with this Fear ought rather to Rejoyce then to be Grieved afhis Majtfiies
\ defign of Liberty ^ Becaafe it plainly carries a Relief againft this Apprehenfion, by
epening a Door to Diffenting Rrotefiants alfo to enter into fuch Imployments, who
;i are not forward to do it wiiile the reftr-aining Laws, that lie upon theaa alfo, re-
— —main
C 13 )
aiain in force. And as his Majdfiy hath already begun to Iliew his Equality in con-
ferring of publick Imploymcnts as well on Diffemers as on Roman Catholkks^ the ta-
king away of thofc La a's will certainly induce Him to a yet greater Freedom in that
particular. Whereas on the contrary, it is more than probable that the refufing to
gratifie Him in that Repeal, may, inllead of hindering Rokah CathoUckj to be fur-
therimployed in Publick Trulls, rather provoke Him by the difobligation to n-
tend the thing more vigoroufly , and alfo irritate that whole Party, (who mufl: needs
look upon this Denyal for the prefent as a Threating for the future) to more e'c-
traordinary and worfc Courfes. And as to what is commonly faid. That the keep-
ing up of the 1 efl will at Icaft be a Bar to many, who otherwife might be tempted to
turn by the Bait of a good Imployment j as alfo that it will be fome Reflraint upon
fuchas are advanced, and make them adl moderately; I muft crave leave to fay,
that the contrary is to me far mo-re probable: For whofoever can be fuppofed ca-
pable to turn for a Place, will certainly time his turn, fo as that it may have mof£
of Merit j and confequently will rather feekto recommend hitnfelf by a frank reli-
ance upon the Kings Declaration for Liberty, than come in fneakingly afterwards,
under the Security of the delired Repeal y Efpecially when it cannot be doubted bui:
that, both by the Fundamental Laws of Government, and alfo by the force of his
Majtfiles Prctogative, from winch no SuccelTor will willingly derogate, thole chat
are or (ball be imp'oyed are m ail Events fecured y And that atleallitis incontra-
vertibly as fafe for a Man to accept of a publick Imployment as to go to a Co.!-
venticle.
Fourthly^ The mofi: meterial Confideration on this Point feems to be much by you'
neglected, I hat u-e are not in the condition of an abjolnte free choice, but nnd:r the
limited offer of a fiain alternative, I mean, Fitber that the frefent Liberty flsall be cort'
tinned on condition that the refiraints o/Tefts he alfo taken off from Roman Catholic-ts ■,
orelfe, if this be denycd, that the other fltall at leafi become more precartotts. Now, whe-
ther a true Pratcfiant, having the fear of God, ( asyou e.xprefsic j in this Can-
jundure, and in a jull view of all our Circumllances, may not very allbwible think
that the free Liberty of theGofpcl (as being Gods way) is more valuable, as to the
Intereil of the Protefiant Reltyjon, th&n the Exclufion of a few Romxa Catholhis
from having place in Parliament, (for to this narrow Compafs wefee it plainly
brought) which is but Man's way ; and whether this lafl; may not well be confent d
to, fortheellablilhingofthefirfl, let all Impartial Men judge. You tell us, That
// the Protcllant Dillbnters fhoitld, npm this account, bi deprived of their Liberty,
the Roman Catholicks are only to blame for it y Who, rather than be reftraineJ frota
having a (hare in the Government, do chufe to have both themfelves and the Pro-
ttfiant DiffentersVp &\\\ under the weightof the Renal Lam. But if the pcipofal
made to the be fair, and their Complyance not finful, you mult of necefl:-
ty grant that for them to be difpoflefled of their Liberty (the great Conc- rn of
their Souls, and the bell Method of fupporting true Religion) is but poorly r^e- j
paired, by telling them that the Roman Catholickj are to blame for it.
Fifthly, Your frequent fuppofling That the Roman Catholicks wiH be fiill attempting |
te tivxTtitrn the PtoteAant Rciigioa, and difinrb the Kingdoms Peace, and that they will \
■If
If
yi if)
.!!» 'HI
i'if
i] it
j| Tl!
ik
'If
'I
C H )
getinto all places of Trtifi, a-adprefthe King in Confcknce^ and five Hint ni fefi urniM
they accomplijl} their Deftgns^ appear to mc to be too maaifeft improvcnieHts ot s
melancholy jealoufie. For, as hath been often faid, It is not a fimple Repeal or rf-
«al Laws and Tefis, but the Eftablilhment of an equal Liberty, whereby the rro-
teftant as well as the Roman Cathelicl/^xayp be fecured againft: all Perfecution,that his
Alajejly deiigns. So that it is not poffible that yog (hould judge the Repeal of the
Tefi to be the Liccnlingof Roman CathoUcks to attempt the Ruin of the Protefiamt
Religion^- you think that the Prot eft ant Religion can never by Law be fecured
againft the attempts of others, if it be not at the lame time armed with a Power to
Perfecute them.
Sixthly^ You tell us. That Roman Calholicks are not ftmt out amongft yon from AH-
lltary Imployments^ and that it had been hard to have done it^ both hccanfe the gcodSer-
vices they did yen in the Warfor defence of yonr Liberty^ deferved that Recompence
andbecanfe their Numbers being bat feWj any Inconvenience arifing from their admijpon
■might caftly be prevented. Now by this you plainly acknowledge that this whole
matter is fubjedt to a Rational Deliberation, and is to be determined by the weigh-
ing the Conveniencies and Inconveniencicsthat attend fuch an Admiffion or ExcluII-
on, without entering into any deeper Refleftion, about the Lawfulnefs Or Unlaw-
fulnefs thereof. And further, I muft tell you, thzt his Adajefty has not only the
fame Confiderations that you mention to move Him in Favour of his Roman Catho-
lick_Snbje^s^ but, all things confidercd, I think it may very well be a'flerted, that
the admitting of Roman Catholhks with you to Military Imployments is much more
• uonecelTary than the admitting of them with us to place in Parliament, (upon the
Conditions declared) can be dangerous ^ and that it the Adventure be on this fide
more hazardous, yet itscompenfatcd with counterbalancing-Advantages, that ren-
der it much more excufablc than you-r unnccellary Ptaftice.
Seventhly., Tho you are pleafed according to your ordinary Prudence and Mode-
ration to propofe your Fears with much Modcfty, yet others there are in your Parts,
as well as here, who fpeakout the Devices of their own Imaginations more plain-
ly, and tell us, That if the TcQ: were taken aveay., hit might by a new Creatm
of Peers., and by bold Rethrns into the Hoafe of Co?nmons., get a Parliament of facb a
Temper as woald abfolntely forbid the Exercifc of the Protcftant Religion, Revive the
jiSl De Coraburendo and make yet greater jTlterations in the Government. But how
vain and groundlcfs, to fay no worie, thefe Apprchefilions arc may appear by what
his Adajefty hath alrcadydone in putting a ftop to our late Perfccution; which in
the opinion of many might have carried on that change in Religion more cfFeftually
(becaufe more eaiily and infcnfibly) than the hdcLeComburendo., and all the Fires
that it kindled. Bcfidcs, whatever be the Security that Men afcribe to thefc Exclu-
dingL.aws, it is only from the force they have asAdts of Parliament that it arifts.
Why then fhould not the fame force of a Law as well fecurc the Proteftant Religion
in its juft Liberty, without the jx)werof Perfecuting, as now its thought to do
with it ? And as for the Facility the King may have to fill both Houfes
; with Roman Catholicks, when the Teft (hall be abrogated, Why may He not
; as well firft fill them in that manner, and abrogate it afterwards ? For it
ha' , . CM)
uoii is jcdged by many to be no lefs than a Fundamental in our Government that
ofPi. the Call, with xhz Peoples Choice, and the Z-Wj and Cow/wow Aflembling
htJ'i thereupon with his Mnjtfiies Approbation, are all the ElTontials of a PaiJiament^
and that no Parliament can fo pre-engage and limit another, by any Aft or Oath,
ilofii that it cannot Aft as a Parliament until it firft comply therewithal. If fuch a Power
V«!j:i of Limitation were admitted. One Parliament might, by an Oath framed lor tnc
:(kc rcftrain, weaken, and even make void the Povvcr of all fucceeding Par-
Poij. liaracnts for ever.So long indeed as Oaths zvATefts appointed by Acts of Parfamcnt
do Hand unrepealed, they are undoubtedly binding. But to think that One Parlia-
mentcan fo bind up and prcfcribc Rules to Another, that, tho it may repe l the
very AtT: fo binding and prcfcribirg, yet k hath not Power to do fotill firftit fub-
mit it fcif by Oath unto the Rules prcfcribcd(and then peijure itfelf by the Repeal)
f j.:-. IS an AbCtrdity againli: the very Ellencc of Parliaments.
J'MX.Laftl)\ As matters ought not to be ftrained on either fide, (efpecially when all
thingsconcur on his yPAyV/k/ part to perfwade to a fair and right underkandingf
in order to the ekablilhing of Peace, fecuring of Right and Property, andthe put-
J11^ ting an end to our fo unnatural and unchriftian Perfecutions)So it cannot bedoub-
'j... ted by any difcerning Perfon, that the prefent Security of i]\q Proteftam Religion
thefc Kingdoms doth fcarce at all depend on either Laves ox Tefis, but princio
. pally on his Alajefiies VVifdom and Moderation, on the Gonllritution of our Govern-
tnent, and on thok juk Arguments for mutual Forbearance, which our prefent Cir-
cumftancesdoforciblyfriiggefttoallMen, of all Parties, that are capable to under-
fland their own Intcrcft, and have not wholy abandoned the care of it. Seeing
therefore that it remains evident, from what hath been faid, that all thefc Exclufive
Laws upon account of Religion, however Legal they may be called, are no ways
Evangelical •, and that though they may have been at firfl: pioufly intended for the
''2 Confervation of Religion, and for the publick fafety, yet in the event the ? have
always.proved unprofitable and unpolitick ^ And fecir^g alfo that all the Jcaloufies
fo indufti ioufly raifed to obltrufl his .Majefties'prefent Delign of Liberty are fiiffici-
:• eotly removed, not only by the affurance of his Royal Word, and the manifift en-
g>g -mcntof his Honour, but by thedemonflrative Evidence that iyes in the circum-
ftanrcs of things thcmfelves, I cannot but heartily w ifh that all Men, and above ail
their Highneflcs, may give their effcftual concurrence to fo good and great a work,
kislconfefs, as you fay, very natural foi All perfons in Power to favour th-ofe of
tb'cir own Religion : And .this in my Opinion ought to oblige us to make the fairelf
conftru(fiion of what his Majelly doth in b^jhalf of thofetbat are of hi". Bui: it
niufc aifo be acknowledged that it is a very cscraordinarv, and a mofl: noble and.ge<
nerons Difpofition, in his A'tajefty^ to be fo gentle and indulgent to thofe of his Sub'
jccls that are of a different Religion from his : And that ought to beuet inns an iri<
tiic confidence in what he promifes, and perfwade all his Suhie(5t">, of what Profcfis
onfoevcr, to reft allured both of a firm Support in the dcfigned Law of Libertyj
and of a favourable Proteftion in his Majefties Aiuhgrity. ' ■>
In my former Letters I adventured to infinua-te to my Friend how much 1 judg*-'
tlieir Highnelles obliged, as well by their own intereft and that of the f
(IS )
^eliglon\ as by their Relation to his Majcfly, to comply with him iflthis Affair^
But that being a Subjed too high and too delicate for me toingage any further in, I
will not now prcfume to add any thing further upon it.
My Lord^ having thus faithfully reprefentcd to youflich thoughts as have occur'd
to my mind upon the perufal of your Letter, I judge it not needful nor decent for
Rieto enter into further particulars j As how this Liberty may be eflabllfhed, to all
the Intents and withal the Advantages above mentioned. But, in my humble Opi.
nion, hh Majeflies Proclamations oi the fourth of yf^ril 1687. And of the twenty
fourth of jdpril laft, are a very excellent Foundation for that Work j which I wi(h
w ere compleated by a Parliamentary Ratification, to the vindicating of the Divine
Right of Religion and Confcience from all Human Impofitions. the confirming of
our Peace, and the Advancement of his Majefiies Glory and the Kingdoms Profperi-,
ty. It is no doubt a great Undertaking to offer to fatisfie all the Jealouficsand Fears
that, in fuch high and tender matters, may arife from the conflid of fb various In-
tercfls as are concerned therein. But this fmall Elfey that I have made, being truly
involuntary, and fuch as your Lordfhip hath in a manner extorted from me, I hope
thofe Confiderations will be accepted as a juft Apology for my having thus far pur-
fjcd it in all Sincerity. And for the future tho I am firmly rcfolved to meddle no
more in fuch Debates, Yet I lhallalways remain, as I acknowledge ray fclf to be in-
d.fpenlibly obliged.
Edinhnrgh^ May p
the Sibf 1688. S
My Lord^
Tenr Lordjhips mofi Humble
and mofi Obedient Servant
I,
k
London, Vrhfed attd Sfild hy Andrew Sowlc, at the Three Keys, m Nags*
Head^Court, in Grace-Chureh-Strcct, ever-againjl the Conduit, 168S.
<2:3111!;'
'dmk
''■V
I
'it
.hi
ANATOMY
EQUIVALENT.
1' ■ '"HE World hath of late years never been without Ibme extraordinary
I Word to furnilh the CofFee-Houfes and fill the Pamphlets. Some-
JL times it is a new one invented, and ibmetimes an old one revived.
They are ufiially fitted to fome prelent purpole, with intentions as differing as
t^ various defigns leveral parties may have, either to delude the People, or
t^expofe their Adverfaries: They are not of long continuance, but after they
have paffed a little while, and that they are grown naufeous by being lb often
repeated, they give place to Ibraething that is newer. Thus, after Whig^ Tory^
and Trimmer have had their time, now they are dead and forgotten, being fup-
planted by the word which reigneth in their ftead.
The Birth of it is in Inort this: After many repeated ElTayes to dilpole Men
to the Repeal of Oaths and Teffs, made for the leciu ity of the Proteftant Re-
ligion, the general averfion to comply in it was found to be lb great, that it
was thought advifeable to try another manner of attempting it, and to fee
. whether by putting the fame thing into another Mouldy and (bftening an harf}
^royofition by a flaufble Term, they might not have better fiiccefi
To this end, infteadof a.nabfolute efuittingo^ thefeLaws, without any Con-
dition; which was thtfirfi Propofal. Now it is put into gentler Language,
and runneth thus; If you will take away the Oaths and Tefts, you Jhall have as
good a thing for them. This put into the fafhionable Word, is now called an
(Cquiljalciit.
il. So much to the Word it felf. I will now endeavour in Ihort to examin
and explain, in order to the having it fully underftood,
Firff, What is the nature of a true E<jnivalent; and
In the next place. What things are wcf to be admitted under that deno-
mination.
I lhall treat thefe as general Propofitions, and though I cannot undertake
hopi far they may be convincing, I may fafely do it that they are impartial \
of which tl^c.can iie.no acwter evidence than that I make neither Inference
^aiiifiii ninnnird<nri ir htn
T HE
0 J > '
■'i
(r)
III. I will firft take notice, that this Word, by the application which hath
been made of it in fome modern inftances lieth under (bme DtfaJ^antage, n^
to (Ay {oxnQ Scandal. It is tranfmitted hither from ; and ir as in moft
other things that we take from them, we carry them beyond the Pattern, it
fhould prove fb in this, we fhould get into a more partial ilile than the pi'inci-
pies of Enghlh Juflice will I hope ever'allow us to be guilty of.
The French King's Equivalents m-Flanders M'Q yQty extraordinary Bargains-
his manner of propofing and obtaining them is very differing fi^m the ulual
methods of equal dealing. In a later inffance, Denmark, by the encourage-
ment as well as by the example of France, hath propos d things to the Duke
of Holfiem, which are called Equivalents, but that they are fo, the World
is not yet fufficiently convincd, and probably the Parties concern'd do not
think them to be fo, and confequently do not appear to be at all difpofed to
accept them. Princes en joyn and prelcribe fuch things when they have Strength
and Tover to fupply the want of Arguments; and according to pradice in thefe
Cafes, the weaker are never thought to have an ill Bargain, if they hare any
thing left them. So that the firfl Qiialification of an Equivalent, muff be, that
the Appraifers be indifferent, elfe it is only a Sound, there can be nothing real
in it: For, where the fame party that propfeth a Bargain, claimeth a Right to
fet the Value; or which is worfe, hath power too to make it good; the other
may be forced to fuhmit to the Conditions, but he can by no means ever be per-
fwaded to treat upon them. ^ .
IV. The next thing to be confider'd is, that to make an Equivalent in reality
an equal thing in the Propofer,^ it muft be a bettp- thing than that which is
required by him; jufi as good is iubjed to the hazard of not being quite fogood:,
It is not eafie to have fuch an even hand as to make the Value exadly equal;
befides, according to the Maxim in Law, Melior conditio yoffidentis, the Offer
is not fair, except the thing offered is better in value than the thing demanded.
There muft be allowance for removing what is fixed, and there muff be
fomething that may be a juflification for changing. The value of things very
often dependeth moi-c upon other circumfiances, than upon what is meerly
intrinfick to them; therefore the calculation muff be made upon that foot,
perhaps in moff cafes; and particularly the want which one of the parties may
have of the thing he requireth, maketh it more valuable to him than it is in it
felf. If the propofing doth not want the thing he would have InExchange,
his requiiing it is impertinent: If he doth, his want of it muff go into the ap- •
praiferaent, and by confequence every Pi opofcr of an Equivalent muff offer a
defter thing, or elfe he muff not take it unkindly to be refuted, except the other
party hath an equal want of the fame thing, which is very improbable, fince
naturally he that wanteth moff will fpeak firff.
V. Another thing neceffary to the making a fair Bargain is, that let the
parties who treat, be they never fb unequal in themfelves, yet as to the parti-
cular thing propofed, there muft be an exabl equality, as far as it relareth to
the full Ljberty of taking or refufmg, concurring or ohjeSling, without
confequence of Revenge, or fb much as Diflatisfadion; for it is '
ill lliat C^ftKthar^
IS
impoffible
mean,
ffa:;
:We,
^ 5 ^
betvv^eeii the two extreamSj either an open Quarrel or an intire Suhmif^
non; the way of Bargaining muft be equal, ehe the Bargain it felf can-
not be lb : 'For example, the Propofer is not only to ufe e^jual terms as to the
matter^ but fair ones in the manner too. There muft be no intimations of
Anger in cafe of refufal, much lefs any open Threatning. Such a Stile is fb ill
fuited to the ufual way of Treating, tha-t it looketh more like a Breach o£
the Peace, than the making a Bargain. It would be yet more improper
and lefs agreeing with the nature of an Ecjuiitaknt,^ if whilft two Men are
chaffering about the Frke, one of thein ftould adually take the thing m que-
flion at his own rate, and afterwards defire to have his pofTeffion confirmed by
a formal Agreement; fuch a proceeding would not only defiroy that partku-
lar contra<5t, but make it itnpoflible to have any other, with the party that
could be guilty of fuch a pracStice.
VI. Violence preceding deftroyeth all Contraft, and even thb the party
that ofFereth it fhouM have a right to the thing he fo taketh, yet it is to be
obtained by legal means, elfe it may be forfeited by his irregularity in the
purfuit of it: The Law is fuch an Enemy to Violence, and fb little to be re-
conciled to it, that in the cafe of a Rape, the Punifhment is not taken off
though the party injured afterwards conjcnteth. Thejuftice of the Law hath
its eye upon the firll adt, and the Maxim oi Volenti non fit injuria, doth not
in this cafe help the Offender, it being a plea fiuhfietjuent to the Crime, which
maketh it to be rejedled as a thing wrong dated and out of time.
In taking away Goods or Money it is the fame thing. The party robbed,
by them afterwards to the taker, does not exempt him from the Pu-
nifhment of the Violence : Quite conti arv, the Man from whom they were
taken is punifhable, if he doth not profecute. If the cafe Ihould be, that a
Man thus taking away a thing without price, claimeth a right to take it,
' then whether it is well or ill founded is not the Quellion; but fure, the
party from whom it is fb taken, whilff he is treating to Sell or Exchange it,
can never make a Bargain with fb arbitrary a Chapman, there being no lOOm
left after that to talk of the Value.
VII. To make an equal Bargain there muft be a liberty of differing, not
only in every thing that is really efiential, but in every thing that is thought fo
by either party, and moff efpeciaUy by him who is in pojjejfion of the thing de-
nianded; His Opinion muft be a Rule to him, and even his Mifiake in the
Value, thoi'.gh it may not convince the A4an he hath to deal with, yet he
Will be juftihed for not accepting what is offered, till chat Mifiake is fairly re-
ftified and over-ruled.
When a Security is deiired to be changed, that fide which defireth it muft
not pretend to tmpofe upon the other, io as to diftate to them, and tell them
without debate, that they are fafe in what is propofed, fince of that the Coun-
fel on the other fide muft certainly be the moft competent fudges. The hand
It Cometh from is a great Circumflance, cither to invite or difcourage in all
matters of Contract; the Qualifications of the Party offering muft fute with
the Propofition it felf, elfc let it be never fo fair, th
is ground for Sufipidon.
C 4 )
VIII. When Men are of a temperj that they think they have wrong done
them, if they have not always the better of a Bargain : If they happen to
be fuch as by experience have been found to have an ill Memory for their Word,
If the CharacSter they bear, doth not recommend their wherever their
Intereft is concern'd. In thefe cales, thinking Men will avoid dealing, not
only to prevent furpriz,e, but to cut ofF the occafions of difficulty or diffiute.
It is yet more difcoaraging, when there are, either a 'precedent Practice, or
(landing Maxims of grofs Bartiahty, in affuming a priviledg of exemption from
the ufual methods of ecfual dealing.
Toilluftrate this by aninftance. Suppofe that in any cafe, the Church of Rome
ihould have an Interefi to promote a Bargain; let her way of dealing be a little
examin'd, which will dired thofe with whom ihe treateth, how tar they are
to rely upon what flie propofeth to them. We may begin with the Quality in
the World, the lealt conlifting with equal dealing, wz,. An incurable Partia-
lity to herjelf-^ which, that it may arrive to its full perfection, is crowned with
Infallibility. At the firft letting out, Ihe maketh nerlelf uncapable of dealing
upon terms of Equality, by the Power the claimeth of binding and locfng, which
hath been lb often appfyed to Treaties, as well as to Sins.
If the definition of Jufiice is to deal equally, Ihe cannot be guilty of it with-
out betraying her Prerogative, and according to her Principles, Ihe giveth up
the Superiority derived to her by Jpojlolkal Succeffion, if Ihe degi-adeth her lelf
fo as to be judged by the Rules of common Right, elpecially if the Bargain
Ihould be with Hereticks, who in her Opinion have forfeited the claim they
might otherwife have had to it.
IX. Befides, her Tafte hath been fo fpoiled by unreafonable Bargains, that
Ihe can never bring down her Palate to any thing that is fair or equal. She
hath not only judg'd it an Equivalent, but a great Bargain for the other fide,
to give them Abjolutions and Indulgences for the real Payment of great Sums,
for which Ihe hath drawn Bills to have them repayed with Intereft in Purgatory.
This Spiritual Bank hath carried on fuch a Trade upon thzih'advantageous
Terms, that ijt can never fubmit to the finall Profits an ordinary Bat gain would
produce.
The leveral Popes have in exchange for the Peter-Pence, and all their other
Rents and Fines out of England, lent fanElified Rofes, Reliques, and other fuch
Wonder-working Trifles. And by virtue of their ChivaAsr of Holy Fathers,
have uled Princes like Children, by lending them liich Rattles to play with,
which they made them buy at extravagant Rates; befides which, they were
to be thankful too, into the bargain.
A Chip of the Crois, a piece of S. Laurences Gridiron, a Hair of S. Peter,
have been thought Equivalents for much more fubjlantial things. The Popes
being Mafters of the Jewel-Houle, have let the Rates upon them, and they
have'pafled; though the whole Shop would not take up the value of a Bodkin
in Lombardjireet upon the credit of them.
They are unconfcionable Purchafers, for they get all the Money from the li-
vins: by praying for them when they areAnd if «-qblervablc, that the
(5 )
'V 'Ua
that refufed to make any more Bargains with them ; lo that it loqketh as If
the chief quarrel to the was not as they were;// Cbriftians, but as they
were tmkmd Mtrchants, in (b difcourteoufly rejecting the Commodities of the
growth of Rome.
To conclude this Headj There is no bartering with hfr.llibiUtyt it being fb
much ab(we Equality ^ that it cannot bear the Indignity of a true Emivalent.
X. In all Bargains there is a neceffity of looking back^ and reflecting how
far a frefettt fropofal is reconcileable with a former prabhce; For Example, if at
any time a thing is offered, quite differing from tha..Arguments ufed by the Pro-
pofer, and iuconfifient with the Maxims held out by him at other times. Or in
a Publick cafe, if the fame men who promote and prefs a thing with the utmoft-
•violence, do in a little time after with of much violence prefs the contrary, and
profefs a detefationo(the very thing, for which they had before imployed all[
their Interefi Authority. Or if in the cafe of a Law already made, there fhould
be a priviledge claimed to exempt thofe from the obligation of obferiring it,
who yet fhould afterwards defire and pref to have a new Law made in ex-
change for the old one, by which tiiey would not be bound ; and that they
fhould propole afecurity by a thing of the very fame nature as that 'which they
did not allow to be any before. Thefc Incoherences muft naturally haye the effeft
of raifingor rather they are a certain proof, that in fiich cirCumflances
it is irrational for men to expeCl an ejfellual Ecyuivalent.
XI. If wnatfoever is more than ordinary is fufficious, every thing that is unna.
tural is more fo : It is not only unnecejj'ary but unnatural too to perfwade with vi-
clence what it is folly to refufe; to pufj men with eagernefs into 3. good bargain for
themfelves, is affile very much Unfuitable to the nature of the thing. But it
goeth further and is yet more abfurd, to grow angry with men for not re-
ceiving a propofal that is for their advantage; Men ought to be content with
the Generofity offering good bargains, and fhould give tholw compaffion to
thofe who do not undtrffand them : but by carrying their good nature fo far as
to be Cholerick in fiich a cafe, they would follow the example of the Church of
i?.owe,where the definition of Charity is very extraordinary. In her Language,
the Writ de H^retico Comburendo is 3 Love-letter, 3nA men for differing
with them in Opinion, howfbcver mifcalled Cruelty, is as they underffcand it,
the perfellion of flaming Charity.
When Anger in theie cafes lafleth long, it is mofl probable that it is for our
own fakes; Good nature for others is one of thofe Difeafes that is cured by time,
and efpecially where it is offered 3nA rejebled; but for our fel'Ves it never faileth,
and cannot be extinguiihcd but with our life. It is fair if men can believe that
their friends love them to themfelves, to love them better is too much; the
Exprefliori is fo unnatural that it cloying, and men muft have no/ewje, who
in this cafe have no fujficwn.
XII. Another Circumftance neceftaiy to a fair bargain is, That there muft
be openneff 3nA freedom allowed, as the effeCt of that euuality which is the foun-
dation of Contracting. There inuft be full liberty of obfetVmg, and making
doubts and fcruffes: it they are fiich as can be anjwered, the party convinced
deal, inftp.d nf beioi^ndreft
i
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fflii
i
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'sll
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, 1 i
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, ill' i
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by them; but if iiiftead of an anpwer to fatisfyj there is nothing but anger for
a reply, it is impoffible not to conclude that there is never a good one to give;
fbthat thcobjedhon remaining without being fully confuted, there is an abfolute
put to any farther Treaty.
There can be no dealing where one fide aflumeth a priyiledg to impofe, fo
as to make an offer and not bear the examination of it, this is giving judgment
not mal 'ng a hariain. Where it is called unmannerly to objeSf, or criminal to
refufe, tli^ . ell way is for men to flay where they are, rather than treat upon
fu'ch diiadvantage.
If it fiioiild happen to be in any Country where the governing power
ihould allow men Liberty of Confcience in the choice of their Religion, it would
be ftrange to deny them liberty offfeecb in making s. bargain. Such a contra-
didion would be fb difcouraging, chat they muft be unreafonablyfanguine, who
in that cafe -can entertain the hopes of a fair Eejuivalent.
XIII. h.n equal Bargain muft not be a My fiery nor a. Secret, The purchafer
or propofer is to tell diretily and plainly, what it is he intendeth to give in Ex-
change for that which herequireth. It muft be 'vieonedand confidered by the
other-ipaxty, that he may judge of the value; for without knowing what it is, he
cannot determine whether he fhall take or lea've it. An aflertion in general,
chat it fliall be as good or a better thing, is not in this a fufficient excufe for the
miftake of dealing upon fiich uncertain terms. In all things that are dark and
not enough explained, naturally followeth: A fecret generally impli-
eth a defeB or a deceit; and. if a falfe light is an objedion, no light at all is yet
a greater,. - To pretend to give a better thing, and to refufe to jhew.k, is very
near faying, it is not fogood a one; at leaft fo it will be taken in common con-
ftrudion. A My fiery is yet a more difcouraging thing to a Protefiant; efpeci-
ally if the Propofition fhould come from a Paptfi; it being one of his gi-eat
Objedions to* that Church, that there are fb many of them Invifible and Im-
pcjfible, are fo violently thruft upon their underftandings, that they are
overlaid with them. ' They think that rational cnatures are to be convinced
only by reafcn, and that reafon muft be 'vifible and freely expofed- elfe they will
think themfelves ufed with contempt inftead of equality, and will never allow
fiich a fufieBed fecrecy to be a fit preface to a real Equiajalent.
XIV. In matters of Contrad not only the prefent value, but the contingen-
cies and confequences, as far as they can be Fairly fiippofed, are to be confidered.
For Fixample, if there fhould be a pcjfibility, that one of the parties may be
ruined hy accepting, and • the other only , di]appointed by his refufing; the confe-
quences are fb extreamly unequal, that it is not imaginable, a man fhould -
take that for an Equivalent, which hath fiich a fatal pojfibility at the heels
of it.
If it fhould happen in a puhlick cafe, that ftich a propofil fhould come from
the minor part of an Aflcmbiy or Nation, to the greater-. It is very jtifl, that
the haz^drd of fuch a poffibility fhould more or lefs likely fall upon the kjj'er parr,
rather th m upon the greater • for luhofe fake and advantage things are and muff
ho calculated in aW publick Confiitutions. Suppofe in any mixed Government
ihould.propoie upon ; •>
other Supr»Me Ajjembly, either to EnaA or Abrogate one or more Laws, by
which a pojjibility m\ght holct ln of theirand Property, which
in other language fignifieth no lels than Soul and Body; where could be the
E^fuivalent in the cafe, not only for the real lojd, but even for the fear of lofir.g
them ? Men can fall no lower than to lofe all, and if lofng all deftroyeth them,
the venturing all fright them.
In an inftance when Men are lecure, that how fir fbever they may be over-
run by Violence, yet they can never be undone by Law, except they give
their affiftance to make it poffible; though it fhould neither be likely nor in-
tended, ftill tho confequence which may happen is too big for any prelent thing
to make amends for it. Whilft the word remaineth, it mui\ forbid
the bargain ■ Wherever it filleth out therefore, that in an Example of a pub-
lick nature, the Changing, Enading, or Repealing .1 Ciw, may naturally tondi
to the mijflacing the Legiflative power in the hands of thole who have a /v-
parate tntereft from the body of a People, there can be no treating, till it is
demonftrably made out, that fuch a conlequence fhall be abfolutcly impo[fble;
for if that lhall be denied by thole who make the propofal, if it is bccaule they
cannot do it, the motion at firlf was very unfair. If they can and will not, it
would be yet lels rcafonable to cxped that fuch partial dealers would ever give
an Equivalent fit to be accepted.
XV. It is neceflary in all dealing to be ajfured in the firfi: place, that the
party propof.ng is in a condition to make good\\\s Offer; that he is neither under
any former Obligations or pretended Claims, which may render him uncapable of
performing it; elfe he is lb far in the condition of a Minor, tiiat whatever he
difpoieth by file or exchange may be afterwards relumed, and the Contradf
becometh void, being originally defetlive, for want of a fuffcient legal po7i>er in
him .that made It.
In the cale of a Ifriif Settlement, where the party is only Tenant for life,
there is no pollibility of treating with one under Inch fetters; no purchale or
exchange of Lands or any thing elle can be good, where there is fuch an in-
capacity of making out a Tide; the intereft vefted in him being lb limited,
that he can do little more than pronounce the words of a Contradt, he can by
no means perform fnoejfeEi of ir.
In more publick inftances, the impojfibility is yet more exprefs; as fuppole in
, any Kingdom, where the people have lo much liberty left them, as that they
. may make Contradts with thz Crown, there jfiould be lome peculiar rights claim-
ed to be fo fixed to the Royal Fundiion, that no King for the time being could
have power to part with them, being lb fundamentally tied to the Office, that
they can never be feparated. Such Rights can upon no occafion be received in
exchange for any thing the Crown may delire from the People ; That can ne-
ver be taken in payment, which cannot lawfully be given, fa that if they
Ihould part with that which is required upon thole terms, it muft be a gift,, it
cannot be a bargain.
There is not in the whole BiBionary a more untradfable word than Inherent,
and lels to be reconciled to tire word Equivalent.
(8)
The party that will Contract in fpight of fuch a Claim, is content to lake
what is im^ojphle to grants and if he complaineth of his Difappointment, he
neither can have Remedy, nor deferveth it.
If a Riglit (b claimed hapneth to be of fo comfrehenfive a nature, as that
by a clear inference it may extend to every thing elfe, as well as to ths partku-
lar matter in queflion, as often as the Supream MagiRrate fhall be fb difpofed,
there can in that cafe be no treating with a Prerogativ^e that fwalloweth allthe
Right the People can pretend to ; and if they have no right to any thing of
which they are poflefled, k is a JeJl and not a Bargain, to obferve any For-
naality in parting with it.
A Claim may be fb Rated, that by the power and advantage of interpreting,
it fhall have fuch a mutthering eye, that if it looketh upon a Law, like a Ba-
Jilisk, it fhall Rrike it dead: Where is the poflibility of Treating, where
fuch a Right is ajjumed ? Nay, let it be fiippcfed, that fiich a Claim is not well
founded in Law, and that^ipon a free difquifition it could be made outr, yet
even in this cafe, none that are well advifed will conclude a Bargain, till it is
fully fiated anA cleared, or indeed, ib mnch as engage \\\ a treaty, till by way of
preliminary all pojjibility fhall be removd of any trouble or difpute.
XVf. There is a collateral circumftance in making a Contradt, which yet
deferveth to be confidered, as much as any thing that belongeth to it; and
that is the charaBer and figure of the parties contradting; if^they treat only
by themfielves, and if others, the Qualifications of the infiruments they employ.
The Propofer efpecially, mufl not be fb low as to want credit, nor fb raified
as to carry him above the reach of ordinary dealing. In the firft. There is
ficandal, in the other danger.^ There is no Rule without fbme Exception, but
generally fpeaking the means fhould be fuited to the end, and fince all Men
who treat, pretend an ecfual bargain, it is defirablc that there may be equality in
the perfions as well as in the thir.g.
The manner of doing things hath fuch an influence upon the matter, that
}\len may guefs at the end by the infiruments that are ufed to obtain it, who
are a very good direction how far to rely upon or flifpedt the fincerity of that
ivhich ispropofed. An Abfiirdity in the way of carrying on a Treaty, in any
one Circumflance, if it is very grofs, is enough to perfwade a thinking Man
to break off, and take warning from fiicii an ill appearance. Some things are
fb glaring that it is impoffible not to fee, and confequentlynotto fufieB them;
as fuppofe in a private cafe, there fhould be a Treaty of Marriage between two
Honourable Families, and thepropofing fide fhould think fit to fend a Woman
that had beento perfwade the to an approbation and con-
fent; the unfitnefi of the Mefienger muft naturally difpofe the other party to
difirujl the Mefiage, and to refift the temptation of the befi Match that could
be o&red, when conveyed by that hand, and ulhered in by fuch a difcourage- ' ■
ing preliminary.
In apuhlick inRancethc fofpicion arifing from unfit Mediators, ftill groweth
more reafbiivable m proportion, as the confequence is much^^redfter of being de-
- ---- - ^ Vt a iein fhould be employed to-doHisits ali4brssjof Chridtans to unite
heard his
( 9 )
\vr Arguments, they would conclude from his "RAltgion, that either th#^
Man bimje.f was mad^ or that he thoughtto be fo, whom he had the Ir.i>
pudence to endeavour to perlvvade.'
Ox l^uppofe an Adamite Ihould be very follicitous and acfiive, in all places,
and wjth all forts of Perfons, to fettle the Church of in particular, and
a fair Liberty of Cottfcience for all DifTenters; though nothing in the World has
more to be laid for it than Nuked Truths yet if fiich a Man Ihould run up and
down without Cloaths, let his Arguments be never fo good, or his Commiffi-
on never fo Authentick, his Figure would be fiich 3.contradi£hion to his bufinef^
that how ierious foever that might be in it felf, his interpoftion would make a
Jell: of It.
Though It fhould not go fb far as this, yet if Men have contrarieties in their
iijay of living not to be reconciled; as if they fhould pretend infinite U-
herty, and at that time be in great favour and imfloyed by thofe who will not-
endure it.
If they are fmgular, and conform to the generality of the World
in no one thing, but in playing the knave.
If demonfiration is a familiar word with them, mofl efpecially where the thing
is imtojfible.
If they quote Authority to fupply their want o^fenfe, and juflifie the value
©f their Arguments, not by reajon, but by their being paid for them, (in which,
by the way, thofe who pay them have probably a very melancholy Equivalenti)
If they brandifh a Prince's Word like a Sword in a Crowd, to make way for their
own impertinence; and in difpute, as Criminals formerly fled' to the Statue of
the Prince for Sandluary; if they fhould now, when baffled, creep under the
protedlion of a Kings Name, where out pf refpedt they are no farther to be
purfued.
In thefe cafes, Though the propofitions fhould be really good, they will be
corrupted by palling through fuch Conduits^ and it would be a fufficient Mtjlake
to enter into a Treaty; but it would be little lefs than Madnef from fuch hands
to expedt an Equivalent.
XVIL Having touched upon thefe particulars as neceflary in order to the
flating the nature of an equal Bargain, and the Ciixumftances belonging to it,
let It now be examined in two or three inftances, what things are not to be
admitted by way of Gontra<5t,to pafs under the Name of an Equivalent.
■ Firft, Though it will be allowed, that in the general corruption of man-
kind, which will not admit Jujlke alone to be a fufficient tie to make good
a Contradfj that a Punifment added for the breach of it, is a fitting or rather a
necejj'ary Circumftance ; yet it does not follow, that in all cafes, n great Penalty
upon the party offending is an abfolute and an entire Security. It muff be conii-
dered in every particular cafe, how far the Circumfiances may rationally lead a
Man to re}y more or lefi upon it. ^ -
In a private inffance, the Penalty inflided upon the breach of Contrad muft
be firfl:, fiich a one as^ljp ■party injured can enforce^ aqd Secondly, fiich a one
will enforce, whfcn, it ism his power.
ii1i- 4
C'®)'
irthe Ofen^iitg party is in a capacity of hindring the other from bringing the
Vengeance of the Law upon him. If he hath fl-rengtb ov priviledge lufEcient
to ever-rule xho, Letter of theContra£t; in that cafe, a Penalty is hut a. IVord^
there is no confequence belonging to it," Secondly, The fprfeiture or pumfh-
ment mu[i be fuch as the Man aggrieved will take; for Example, if upon a'
Bargain, one of the Parties fhall flipulate to fubjcA himfelf, in cafe of his
failure to have his Ears cut, or his Nofe Jlit by the other, with fecurity given,
that he fhall not be profecutcd for executing this part of the Agreement; the Pe-
nalty is no doubt heavy enough to difcouragc a Man from breaking his Con-
trad; hit on the other fide it is of juch a kind, that the other how much fb-
ever he may be provoked, will not in cold blood care to inflid it. Sueh an
extravagant Claufe would feeni to be made only for and found, and no
Man would think himfelf fafer by a thing which one way or other is fure to
prove inefftBual.
In a fublick Cafe, Suppofe in a Government fb conflituted that a Lawma'^
be made in the nature of a Bargain, it is in it felf no more than a dead letter,
the life is given to it by ths execution of what it containeth; fbthat let it in it
lelf be never fo peifed, it dependeth up®n thofc who are intrufted with feeing
it. obferved.
If it is in any Country, where the chief Magifr ate chufeth the Judges, and
the Judges interpret the Laivs; a Penalty m any one particular Law can have
no etfed but what is precarious. It may have a loud voice to threaten, but it
has not an hand to give a blow; for as long as the Governing power is in pof-
feffion of this Prerogative, let who will chufe the Meat, if they chufc the
Cooks, it is they that will give the tafi to it. So that it is clear that tho rigour of
a Penalty will not in all- cafes fx a- Bargain, ndther is it Univerfally a true
Pofition, that the increafc of punifhment for the breach of a new Law, is an
Equivalent for the confent to part with an old one.
XVIIL In moft Bargains there is a reference to the time to come, which is
therefore to be confidered as well as that which cometh within the compafs of
the prefent valuation.
Where the party ContraBing, hath-not a full power to difpofe what belongeth
to him or them in Reverfan, who fhall fiicceed after him in his Right; he
cannot make any part of what is fb limited to be the condition of the Con-
trad. Further, he cannot enjoyn the Heir or Succejfbr to forbear the exercife
of any Right that is inherent to him, as he is a Man: neither can he refrain
him without his own confent, from doing any ad which in it felf is lawful,
and liable to no objeBion. For Example, A Father cannot flipulate with any
other Man, that in Confideration of fiich a thing done, or to be done, h!sSc»
fhall never Marry; becaufe Marriage is an Inftitution Efablijhed by the Laws
©f God and Man, and therefore no body can be fb reftrained by any power
f om doing fuch an ad, when he thinketh fir, being warrantedhsYan Kntho
nty that is not to be controuled.
XIX. Now as thotQaxQ Rights inherent in Mens pwfbns in their fngle capa-
cities, there are Rights as mndx fixed to the Bodp Politick,^^ is a Creature that
that Power !s not always in the/<?/»? hands, it is in different ihapes and
dreiies, but ftill wherever it is lodged, it mull be unlimited'. It hath a jurifdi-
dion over every thing elfe, but it cannot have it above it felf. Supreme Power
can no rnore be limited than Infinity can be meafured; becaufe it cealeth to
be the thing; its very being is diilblved, when any bounds can be put to it.
Where this Supreme Power is or the [hape only dfferethj the
Argument is ftill the fame.
The prelent State of Venice cutxnot reftrain thofe whofticceed them in the
fame power, from having an entire and unlimited Sovereignty; they may m-
deed make prefent Laws which ihall retrench their prefent Power, if they are
fb difpofed, and thofe Laws if not repealed hy the fame authority that enadted
them, are to be obferved by the fucceeding Senate till they think fit to Abro-
gate them, and no longer; for if the Supreme Power fhall ftill relide in the
Senate, perhaps compofed of other Men, or of other minds (which will be fiifti-
cient) the neceflary confequence is, that one Senate muft have as much right
to alter fiich a Law, as another could have to make it.
XX. Suppofe the Power in any State fhould make a Law, to enjoyn
all fubfequent Law-makers to take an Oath never to alter it, it would produce
thefe following Abfiirdities.
Firft, All Supreme Power being inftituted to promote the fafety and benefit,
and to prevent tiie prejudice and danger which may fall upon thofe who live
under the proteBion of it; the confecjuence of fiich an Oath would be, that all
Men who are fo trufted, fhall take God to witnefs, that fiich a Law once made,
being judged at the time to be advantageous for the publick, though afterwards
by the vicifhtude of times, or the variety of accidents or interelfs, it fhould
plainly appear to them to be defiruBive, they will fuffer it to have its courfe,
and will never repeal it.
Secondly, If there could in any Nation be found sifet of Men, who having
a part in the Supreme legiflative Power, fhould as much as in them lieth, betray
their Country by fuch a criminal engagement, fb direBly oppofite to the nature
of thcitPower, and to the Trufi repoied in them. If thefe xMen have their power
only for life,nhQn. they are dead fiich an Oath can operate no farther; and tho
that would be too long a Leafe for the life of fuch a Morfitr as an Oath fo compo-
fed, yet it muft then certainly give up the Ghoft. It could bind none but the
firjl makers of^ it, another generation would never be tied up by it.
Thirdly, In thofe Countries where the Supreme Ajfemblies are not conftant
(landing Courts, but called together upon cccafions, and compofed of fuch as
the People chuie for that time only, vyith a Truft and Charaifter that remain-
eth no longer with them than till that Affembly is regularly dtfolved; fuch an
Oath taken by the Members of a Senate, Diet, or other Aflerably fo chofen,
can have very little effedt, bccaufe at the next.meeting there may be quite ano-
ther fet of Men who Will be under no Obligation of that kind. The eternity in-
tended to that Law by thofe that made it, will be,cut oft by new Men wholliall
fucceed them m their power, if tliey have a differing Tajh, or another Interejl.
XXI. To put it yet farther, Suppofe a Ciaufe in inch a Law, that it ihall
be criminal in the laft degree for any Man chofen in a (ubfequenr AfPe^-bly, to
propofe tha repealing it; Add fince nothing can be EnaBed which is not firft
prcpofal, by this means it feemeth as if a Law might be Created which ftiould
never die. But let this be Examined.
Firfl-j fuch a claufe would be lo de^ruBive to the heivg of Hich a ConBi-
tution, as that it would be as reafbnable to (ay, that a King had right to give
ox [tU his Kingdom to 9l foreign Prince, as that any number of .Men who are
entrufied with the Supreme Power, or any part of it, fhould have a right to
tmpofe (iich Shackles upon the Liberty of thofe who are to fucceed them in the
fame Truf. The ground of that Trufi is, that every Man who is chofen into
fuch an Affemblv, is to do all that in him heth for good of thofe who chofe
him: The Engl-fh of fuch a Claufe would be, that he is not to do his be[l for
thofe that chofe him, becaufe though he fhould be ccnvincd that it might be ve-
ry fatal to continue that Law, and therefore very necejfary to repeal it, yet he
mufl not repeal it, becaufe it is made a Crime, and attended with a Penalty.
Butfecondly, to fhew the emptinefs as well as injufike of fuch a Claufe, it is
clear, that although fuch an Invafion of Right fhould be impofed, it will ne-
ver be obeyed: There will only be Deformity in the Monfter, it will neither
fting nor bite. Such Lawgivers would only have the honour of attempting a
contradiBion which can never have any fiiccefs; for as fiich a Law m it felf
would ho, ^Madnefs, fo the Penalty would be a Jefi', which may be thus made
out.
XXII. A Law that carrieth in it felf P.eafon enough to fupport it, is fb far from
wanting the proteBion of fiich a Claufe, or from needing to take fuch an ex-
traordinary receipt for long Life, that the admitting it mufb certainly be the like-
Ikft and Potfmtejt way to deflroy it; fuch a Claufe m a Law muft imply an
opinion that the greatefi part of mankind is againfi it, fince it is impoflible fuch
an exorbitance Ihould be done for its own fake; the end of it muft be to force
Men "by a Penalty, to that which they could not be perfwaded to, whilft their
Reafbn is left at liberty. This Pofiticn being granted, which I think can
hardly be denied, put the cafe that a Law fhould be made with this imaginary
Claufe of Immortality, after which another JJfembly is chofen, and if the ma-
jority of the EleBors fhall be agamjl this Law, the greater part of the EleBed
mufl be fo too, if the choice is fair and regular; which muft be prefumed,
fince the fuppofition of the contrary is not to come within this Argument.
When thefe Men fhall meet, the Majority will be vifible beforehand of thofe
who are againft fuch a Law, fb that there will be no haz,ard to any fingleMan
in propofing the Repeal of it,^ when he cannot hepuni(hed but by the Majority,
and he hath fuch a kind of afluranceas cometh near a Demonftration, that the
greater Number will be of his mind, and confequently, that for their own fakes
tliey will fectire him from any danger.
For thefe Reafbns, wherever in order to the making a Bargain, a Propofi-
tion is advanc'd to make a new Law, which is to tye up thofe who neither
can nor ifill be bound by it, it may be a good Jefl, but it will never be a good
Equivalent.
XXIII. In the laft place, let it be examined how far a Promife ought to be
taken for a Security in a Bargain.
T^ere is fjreat Variety of Methods for the Security thofe Aat deal, ac"
Cordii>g to their Dijpojiticns and hterefis; fome are iindintt, others inducing cir*
cumftanceSj and are to be fo diftingiiifhedL . '
Firft,^ Ready Tayment is without exception, fo of that there can be no dif
pnte in default of that, the good Opinion Men may have of one another is a
great ingredient to fupply the want of immediate Performances. Where the
Truft is grounded upon Inclination only, the Generohty is not always returride^
but where it fprin^etii from a. long Experience it is a'better foundation, and yet
that is not always /ec«r^. In ordinary dealing, one Promifs may be an E<jui-
valent to another, but it is not lb for a thing aEiually granted or conveyed ;
efpecially if the thing required in exchange for it, is of great 'value, either in
it felf or in its confequences. A bare Promife as a Jingle Security in fiich a cafe
is not an equal propofal; if it is offered by way of addition, it generally giveth
caufe to doubt the Title is crazy, where fo Jlender a thing is brought in to be a
fupplement.
XXIV. The Earnejt of making good a Promife, muff be fuch a behaviour
preceding as may encourage, the party to whom it is made to depend upon it:
Where mflead of that, there hath been ivant of Kindnefs, and which is worfe,
an Invaficn of Right, a Promife hath no perfwading force; and till the Obje-
Bion to fuch a Proceeding is/org-Wiew, (which can only be the work of time)
and the Skin is a little grown over the tender part, the Wound muff not be
touch'd. There muft be fbme Intermijfton at leaff to abate the fmart of unkind
ufage, or elfe a Promife in the Eye of the party injur'd is fo far from frengthen-'
ing a Security, that it raifeth more doubts, and giveth more juflifiable caufe to
fufpeSl it.
A Word is not like a Bone, that being broken and well let again, is faid to
be fbmetimes ffronger in that very part: it is far from being fo in a Word given
and not made good. Every fingle Act either iveakeneth or impro'veth our Credit
with other Men ; and as an habit of being juji to our Word will confirm, fb an
habit of too freely difpevfing with it muff neceflarily dejtroy it. A Promife hath
its effed; to perfwade a Man to lay fbme weight upon it, where the Promiftr
hath not only the power, but may reafbnabiy be fuppofed to have the will of
performing it; and further, that there'he no "viftble mterefi of the party pro-
mifing to excufe himfelf from it, or to evade if.
All Obligations are comparati've, and where they feem to be oppofite, or
between the greater and the lefier, which of them ought to have precedence
in all refpeds every man is apt to be his own Judge.
XXV. If it fnould fall out that the Promifer with full intent at the time to
perform, might by the interpofition of new Arguments, or differing Advice think
limfelf oblig'd to turn the matter of Confcience on the other lide, andfhould
ook upon it to be much a greater fault to keep his word than to break it; fuch
a Belief will untye the firibtefi Promife that can be made, and though the Party
thus abfblving himfelf fhoulddo it without the mixture or temptation of
interefi, being moved to it meerly by his as then inrormed; yethotv
far fbeyer that might diminifh the Fault in him, it would m no degree leflen the
to tfie party who is difappomted, by the breach of an engagement
inconvenienc
I
\
: m:
i, S;l
. I?!!
5.^''
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1' '
■'i§; S;
XXVf. K Prom,fje IS to be underftood in the flain zt\.A -fenfe of the
words, and to be (ure not in his who made it, if it was given as part of a
Baigain. That would be like giving a Man power to raije the 'value of his
Mony in the payment of his Debt, by which, tho he paid but half or lefs, he
might pretena according to the letter to have made good the Contract. ^
The fewer of interpreting a Promife intirely taketh away the 'virtue of it. A
Merchant who Ihould once affume that priviledge, would fave hirafelf the
troubleof making any more Bargains.
It is ftiLl worle if this Jurifdi^ion over a Man's Promife, ihould be lodgd in
hands that have Power to fiipport fuch a.n extraordinary Claims and if in other
Cafes, forbearing to deal upon thofe terms is advifable, in this it becometh ab-
folutely necejjary.
XXVII. There muft in all refpeds be a full liberty to claim a Promife, to
make it reafonable to take it in any part of payment; elfe it would be like a-
grecing for a Rent, and at the fame time making it criminal to demand it.
A fuperiority of Dignity or Poj^er in the party promiling maketh it a more ten.
der thing for the other party to t^e^upon that fecui ity. The firft maketh it a
nice thing to claim, the latter maketh it a difficult thing to obtain.
In fome cafes, a Promife is in the nature of a Covenant, and then between
■c^ual parties the breach of it will bear a Suit', but where the greatnefs of the
:''romifer is very much railed above the level of equality, there is no Forfeiture
to be taken. It is fb far from the party grieved his being able to fue or re-
cover Damages, that he will not be allowed to explain or expofiulate, and inftead
of his being relieved againft the breach of Promife, he will run the hazard of
being punijled for breach of Good Manners. Such a Difficulty is putting all or
part of the Payment in the Fire, where Men mull burn their Fingers before
they can come at it.
That cannot properly be called good payment, which the party to whom it
is due may not receive with eafe and fafety. It was a Kings Brother of England
who refilled to lend the Pope mony, for this reafbn. That he would never take
the Bond of one, upon whom he could not difirain.
The Argument is fhll fironger againft the Validity of a Promife, when the
Contract is made between a Prince and a SubjeB. The very offering a Kings
Word in Mortgage is rather a threatning in cafe of refufal, than an inducing
Argument to accept it; it is unfair ntfirjl, and by that giveth greater caufe to
be cautious, efpecuilly if a thing'of that value and dignity as a Kings Word
ought to be, ihould be put into the hands of St ate-Brokers to ftriJce up a
Bargain with it.
XXVIII. When God Almighty maketh Covenants with Mankind, His Pro-
mije IS a fufficient Security, notwithflanding his Superiority and his Power; be-
caufe hrff, he can neither err nor do injuftice. It is the only Exception to his
Omnipotence, that by the Perfection of his being he is incapacitated to do wrong.
Secondly, at the infant of His Promife, by the extent of his Forelight, which
cannot fail, there is no room left for the poflibihty of any thing to intervene,
which might change his mind. Laftly, he is above the receiving either Benefit
or Inconvenience, and therefore can have no '
om
("5)
Now though PrinC&s are God's VicogerentSj yet their Commiflion not be-
ing fo large^ as that thefe Salifications are devolved to them^ it is quite an-
other cafcj and fince the offering a Security implyeth it to be examined by the
party to whom it is propofedj it muft not be taken ill that Objections are made
to It, even though the Prince himlelf Ihould be the immediate Propofer.
Let a^familiar Cafe be put j Suppofe a -Prince, tempted by a Paflion too
ftrong for him to refift, mould defcend fo as to promife Marriage to one of
his Subjects, and as Men are naturally in great hafte upon fucn occifions,
Ihould prefs to take pofleffion before the neceffary Forms could be complyed with;
would the poor Ladies Scruples be called criminal for not taking the Security of
the Royal Word ? Or would her Allegiance be tainted by her refifiing the facred
Perfon of her Sovereign, becaule he was impatient of delay ? Courtefie in this
cafe might perfwade her to accept it, if fhe was fb difpofed, but fure the jufi
exercife of Power can never'claim it.
XXIX. There is one Cafe where it is more pai ticularly a Duty to ufe very
great caution in accepting the fecurity of a Promife, and that is, when Men
are authoriz,ed and trufied by others to aCt for them. This putteth them under
much greater refiraints, than thofe who are at liberty to treat for themfel'ves.
It is lawful J though it is not prudent for any man to- make an ill Bargain for
himfelf but it is neither the one nor the other, where the party contracting
treateth on behalf of another, by whom he is intrujled. Men who will unwarily
accept an ill fecurity, if it is for themfelves, forfeit their own difcretion, and un-
dergo the Penalty, but they are not refponfible to any body elfe. They lie un-
derthe Mortification and the lofs-of committing the error, by which though
they may expofe their Judgment to fbme cenfure, yet their Morality fuffers no
reproach by it.
But thofe who are deputedby others to treat for them, upon terms of bejt ad-
vantage, though the Confidence placed in them fhould prevent the putting any
limits to their Power in their CommifCon, yet the Condition implied if not ex.
pt^ffed, is that thePerfbns fb Trlifted fhall neither make an iU Bargain, nor ac-
cept a flight Securityy
The Obligation is yet more binding when the Truft is of a Puhlick Nature.
The aggravation of difappointing a Body of Men that rely upon them, carrieth
the Fault as high as it can go, and perhaps no Crime of any kind can outdo
fiich a deliberate breach of Trufl, or would more juftly make Men forfeit the
"PiXOteStionoi humane Society.
XXX. I will add one thing more upon this Head, which is, that it is not
always a true Propofition, that 'tis fafe to rely upon a Promife, if at the time
of making it, it is the Interefi of the Promifer to make it gcfcd. This, though
many times it is a good Inducement, yet it hath thefe Exceptions to it. • Fiift,
if the Propofer hath at other times gone plainly againf his vifible Imerejl,^ the
Argument will turn the other way, and his former Mijtakes are fo many IVarn-
ings to others, not to come within the danger of any more: let the Inducements
to thofe Miftakes be never fb great and generous, that does not alter the Na-
tare, they are Mtfifkes ftill.
Interefi is ^ thing, It.goetk andivarieth according
times and circumftances; as good build upon a ^kkfand, as upon a prefvimp-
tion that Interefi Ikall not. alter. Where are the Men lb diftinguiOied from
the reft of Mankind, that it is impofliblefor them to ntifiake their Interefi ? Who
are they that have fuch an exemption from humane'Frailty, as that it can never
happen to tliem iiot to fee their Interefi for vyant of Underftanding, or not to
leap over it byiexceftc.C^Zjeak . on;.;),
Above all. Princes are.tHe wo/ liable to Miftahe > not out of any defeB in
their Nature, which might put them under fuch an unfortunate diftindlion;
quite contraiy, the blood they derive from wife and great Anceftors, does ra-
ther diftinguifh them on tlie better fide; befides that their great Character and
Office of Governing giMeth a noble- Exercife to their Realbn, which can very
hardly fail t^jraife and improvedtj But there is.ope Circumftance annexed
to their Glorious Calling, which in this refpeft is fufficient to outweigh all
thofc Advantages; it is that Mankind^ divided in moft things elfe, agree in
this, to in their endeavors to deceive and mi/lead them; which maketh
it above the power of humane underftanding, to be fb exadtly guarded as ne-
ver to admit a fiirpnle, and. the higheft applaufe that could ever yet be given
to the gi eateft Men that ever wore a Crown, is that they wre no oftner dc
ceived.
Thus I have ventur'd to lay down my thoughts of the Nature of a Bargain,
and the due Circumfiances belonging to an E^uivalext-y and will now conclude
with this ftiort word- " Where Diltru[tin^ may be the oaufe of provoking
and Trufiing may be the caule of bringing lluhl, the Choice ts m
" eafie to need the being Eftplained. • ;
'h\ fifi y-i't'.-j-'},L
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, V-jU} clJio ' o \
F 7 AT r 9 .njm?. ■-•■m-xwA "t :■
^ ^ if^ud orr* Mi 0;,O ;v :: |dV7 .xXX
o: MM o.j' X., -■
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ho
op r ir
ma .yaw icroo erij -nuj law meirhv/'iA
. Oi.i vna ofi: nfflim ernoi oi ion te-:t.'.jo c.hv-" v
hafc>s'«3.61 od e; v . ifM Mc: j oj
TSfh
ItJ
:raii
yo -
3ltt CjcpeDient f^eate:
f(3ffl
PERS WADING
t:An Agreement amongft CHRISTIANS, d>6%
toiM" ' ■ •
JHfS)"" " ■ ■' ^ '
mstii R E;A D E R,
Saw the World in a Flame^ and among the refi^ have thrown in my Bucket to quench it :
Indeed J have been fomeihtng in hafle 'j but where there is Fire in the cafe^ thts muj} net
cded a Faulty but a Duty : But I hope I have not made fo much hajte^ or been fo ill guidedy
''^^^vtgmijiake with/omfy and to fid my Bucket with Oyl infiead of Water. VU ajfure thee I
^l^^irewit from a very Charitable Fountatny and am none of thofe that have either RefpcFt to ■
ijfiitt^irfens or parties : But 1 thinks J need not make my Excufe for the enfuing Difcourfty for
bat mould be to ^polo^iz,e for doing my Duty, All that 1 fhall defire of thee is. That before
Eei^tsbeu begin to ready thou lay afide all thofe Common Enemies to Truth and Peace^ viz. Paffion^
m&hejudicey PartiaLtyy &c. or elfe we Jhall both of us lofe our Labuurs.
E LIGIO N ( I will not fay the True
Religion ) as men manage it, is be-
come tho grievance and burden of the
Nation, and is the proper Province of
the State to take it into confideration:
fheii the iV/y/7,a was bom, the Holy Angels An-
tm was. Glory to God in the Highejl, Peace on
rti, Gojd IV,d cowards Men ; but ill men, and
fcDcvil together, have ordered things fo, that the
!iie is inverted, and may now be taid, D jhonour
God on rhi^EConfiifiou on tsarth, lil Will towards
'w; The truth is, men have been fo madly extra-
R»nt, in the things they call Religion, and have
Idefaeh tumults and ftirs in this World about the
ipgs of another, that notvyithltanding I contend
meitly for a Toleration, as the only remedy to
al them, yet 'tis nor for a Toleration to do mil-
id ; and I can willingly fubferibe, alter all I fhall
' in behalf thereof, that no (ort or party of men
ould be indulged in any of their Religions or Pei -
afions, of what denomination foever, but thoie
it are ready and willing to give the State fecurity
' their Good Behaviour, and Peaceable Living,
w the concern of Religion is to make men hap-
iiere, as well as hereafter; and after all men's
it, lias but two pn f» thelaacd our God.
with all our Hearts, &c. And our "Neighbour at
our fehes; But men have been fo mad, that they
have almolt vacated both, by over zealoiifly and in-
dilcreetly endeavouring to perform the firft; and
have thought they could not Icvc Cod enough, un-
lefs they hated and deltroyed their Neighbour: That
tlicfe things are but too true, all Chiiftendom by
lad Experience can attert, and in particular, this un-
happy Nation ; which like a Ship at Sea, has been
long a linking; The Captain indeed labours fo lave
her, having found out her leaks, audcall to his men
for'affiltaace; but they like madmen, every one
endeavour to fecure fomething of her Cargoe, net
conlideriiigtbat when the Ship is gone, all is gone;
and inlfeaU of afTifting, dounreafonably oppofehim;
So that he mv.lt fave them againft their Wills, or they
will inevitably pcrilh.
Indeed it is a lamentable thing to copfider, that
that fame Religion which was given by Heaven ly
purpofe to the Sons ot Men to make them happy, •
ihouldby an unhappy eoncurrence of evil Accidents,
make them miferabkj and I think to fintl out thofe
evil Accidents 'cij the duty of ereiy Man, efpecjall' '
of every Chnltian; and tnerefore I will lay down i'
Obfer vaiiuns thereof, altho'Imeet with the comm^'
fate of Rccpncllers, to have
■'A,
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i' 'd'.
r r I < .jf
t ; ji;;-
J"-
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hte- .|i
Then Pirft, I take notice men make afalfeCalcu-
lation of the Differences and D.ffentions of men in
points of Religion, and call them criminal, when
they are not; and endeavour to reconcile them, when
'titimpoffiblej and pyit tqp great a value on Agree-,
mentt, that is, when men do the fame'things togc-
ther; not regarding fomuch, the Truth, Unity and
Sincerity of their Minds, as the Company, Pretence
and Congregation of their Bodies in one Place, and
performing a thing after the fame manner.
All the World will acknowledge with me, that
what isimpoffibleto becione, is not neceffarv to be
done. Now as long as men htve v.niety of Princi-
pies, feveral Educations,Ccnftitutions,Tempers,Di-
ftempers, Hopes, Fears, Dcgiees of Light, and De-
grees of UnderftjaiUing, leveral Capacities, Offices
and Implc^yments ^ 'tis impoffible, (add therefore
not nectllary ) they ffiould be* all of one Mind ;
And theretbrehe that attempts it, does like him that
claps his Shoulder to the Ground to ftop an Earth-
quake 5 that would ftop thecourfe ofthe Sun, ftem
the raging Ocean, or pull down the Pillars of the
Earth; 'Tis tbolifti therefore to vvifli it or expedt it,
and they that endeavour it, do but vex and trouble
the World; and thinking to procure, they but fpoil
all its Harmony, .which confifts in fo great variety
of Difcords.
It has been faid by a learned Prelate, tha>t in the
large interval of fix'.een hundred and odd years, fo
much juggling hath paffed in Chriftcndom, That
the ObJciir;tty of feme ^neftions, the nicety of jome
Articles, the intricacy of fame Re-veiations, the va-
riety of Humane Vnderjiandings, the ttnndtngs of
i^ogick^, the tricks of Advcrjaries, the Jubtilty of
Sophifters, the ingagement of Educations, ptrfvnal
Ajfeilions, the portentous number of Writers, the
infinity of Authorities, the vajinefs of jotne Argn-
tner.ts, as conjijlmg in the Enumeration of many
furticulars, the uncertainty of others, the feveral
degrees vf Probabilities, the difficulty of Scriptures,
the invalidity of Probation of Tradition, the oppo-
fnion of all exterior Arguments to each other, and
their open Contejlation, the publick. violence done to
Authors and Mpcords, the private Arts and Sup-
ffiantings, the fa'ftfyings and indefatigable Indujlry
affome to abufiall Underjlandings, and aU Perfiva-
jfions into their otvn Opinions t Thefe and a thou-
fand more, even all the difficulties of Things, all the
ttregktiejfes of Man, and all the Arts of the £)evil,
have made it impoffible for any man in fo great va-
riety of matter not to be deceiv'd ; And fay I too,
hive made it equally impoffible for men to agree,
or be .all of One Mind,
It hath been made plainly appear, that Rites and
eremonies, that fiich and fuch Vettments, fuch and
iiifteri. fuch Difcipline, GeveriV'
ment, or way of Admlniftratlon, fuch Places ou
1^'. ' .1. XTatiir^ onrl>
fen to Qui
Times, ^c. arethings of an Nature,
not of abfolute to Men's Salv^ion, nor be-'' ^
long to the Being or Efi^nce of God's Church ;
are things alterable according to Contingencies
Emergencies, to be retained or difallowed, accord'
ing to thecuftom of Places or Nations, or at they
are made plainly to appear fo mlnifter to the Ends
of Peace and, Charity, for the Edification of God's "'
;■ lieWti
:: j-j
'■jfv
Church, and not Defti udtion.
And that the efleniial and-fun;lamental qualjfic^ "tl-M
tlonj-that make a man a Chnftian, and a
ber of JefutChriftjare Holinefs, Purity, P^ety, Cha-
rity, Belief in God, and-Faith in our Lordjefui
Chrift; and our Warrant herein, is what St. Pawi
told the Ppmans, This is the Werd-of E*tiith tvhicb ■
we Preach, That if thou floalt confefs .-st
mouth the Lord "jefus Chrift, and believe irith thine ■'£11
Heart that God hath raijed him from the dead, thou ~ ^
[halt be lived ; as alfo St. "john. For every Spirit
that confeffies that "jefus Chrift is come in the flejh,
is of God', God dwelleth m him, and he in God: Sc
that fuch a belief, with fincere and hearty endea-
voursfo pleafe God according to the beft Notices a .
man can get, will fccin e a man his S.ftvation ; 'if if ■
will not, there is no Salvati n to be bad at all. :. f
Now the beft Notices we can get, ».nd only Ruk
to direcft our Lives and Adfions, are the Boohs o
the Old and New Teftament, wherein arc tianf
mitted (he Tranfadlions of Heaven with the Sonso
Men, and arc of an incftima^e value, teaching aj
things fully that re'ate to God or Men, as -to thi .j,
Nature and Worftiip of ti\c one, or 'he Duty ara
Salvation of (he other. Now that men can under . '
ftand thefe Books, is a thing without all controver'
fie ; ( and only difputed by them whofe intcreft 1
is they fhould not,) I mean men of ordinary am
mean Capacities; for if not, to what end were
wrote Or why to them diredled ? And why art
all commanded to read and fearch them, if they wen
not capable to underlfand them ? And how can fuel
ssi:
men who deny it, be able to vindicate the W fdoni .jf'
Goodnefs, or Jnftice of Almighty God, in
ing his Creatures a Rule to walk by, and exadH
due conformity thereto, if they were not capable tt
undtrftand it ? No certainly, the Good God, as ht y""
hascondefcended to give his Crea'ures a Rule, fpl*
has calculated this Rule to all their Capacities, ani■
fo adapted the one fortheother, that they have thj^
greateftreafon in the World to Adoie and Admi«
his Wifdom and Goodnefs for the fame. i
I will allow that fome can better underftand then: .,1
than others, and that they are not tnualiy under*, ■
flood ofai],becaufeof the tiifterence k men's Ca- '
pacitie^nd Aci^uirements, and becanfe they ffioulc
beholdirg to oneanotbi
(3
?ia|iileh minifteri to Chartty; but then nothing is more
than that all men of the msansfl' Capacities,
itiWtuynnderftandthem fufficient, and enough for Sal-'
'ation, if they come with a fincereafledfion of being
!|Eji^ru(Sed,and of finding out Truths otherwife they
■ , .ffiiild.not anfwer the end for which they were de-
!,K!i|i|ied; Somethings indeed the deepeft" Heads dan-
'tofeiji reach, and others, the.weakeft Underftandings
ffflclkhtrdly potilhlyimiftake, and thole too, are all
i{the;great0ft importance.;
s'.'.' - yoniy one fort 'of men were able fa underftand
as fome would have it, sve lliould have had
ij.h jtioefrom Heaveni who thofe Ihould be, and how
oiikMfied, and that in tuch plain Cnaradters, thai it
tepid not be pofiible we Ibould miftake; but there
"ff iflo fuch thing.- And if any fort of men claim th'i
E : ■ above other s, 'tis an affront to tire Undf>»-
fcr teidingsofall the reft, aird their Woicls ought-rjot"
Biar-i-betaken in their own Cife. And indeed, 'tis-a-
f}-: too great to betrufted with any one Ibrt of
;:K r icn: Some indeed will only have Learned Men ca-
ii;;; jbleoi urderftanding drem, b'ut then if this fbould
itdkt; (, wiat a lamentable cafe the World would ■'be- in
irtaliutbwould iheobjaprecartons thingjand wefeould^
jvepo more of it than thcfe Learned Men pleafc,
letiri'lii if they Ihould be byafTcd, corrupted, or bedifho-
^what.muft the other three parts -of the World
g-jiifc? Mult they life.at tlreif Mercy, and theTr Salva-
depend on thc'.r Honcfty ? No, God forbid !
TitdsphtfT-d be his Narire. he has taken care men-
,:®ti.ot lie liabie to any fuch Impoftures.'- But if
(fcmen wtil needs be in the right above the ieft,
ij^ '-tijluiid.rftand for them, let them do their duty for
too; for'tis not reabnabie they fhould be
y - - '"-"''A
' . kged with a duty, that do not underftand it. But
j?ing found their own failings hereirr, and that they
<j o** /
a.-tbut men like others, daring not to be (o confi-
' ; Was ufual,.they betake themfclves to fhifts ; and
^-:icounteoancetheirfailib!lity,. fupply the defedts of
'' anefty, and falve their imjxifition of their fence;
C . A f
, lyjiey fet up a ftrange fort of Infallibility, which in-
u Kd would put an end to all the Dn'putei and Dlf-
^fr tetrcesin Chiftendom, were there any fuch thing.
' , W that which they have invented to put ou^the
tene.ferves only to increafe it; for where thePow-
Infallibility is lodged. Heaven has given us no
J O ' - ~ • O "
- Jtice; which it would certainly have done,had there
ten any fuch thing ; And'tis certain, that thofe who
■etcndmoft'
dred of all.
'rfi*' ' ^ '
Ay'etcnd molt to this Infalkbilitv, have been tnoft de-
dved of all.
iii:t
drove furioufly, and forced alV their People to
Indeed the Rnmmifts, for the nioft part
-the fame thing, and worlhipGod the fame way;
* •_ . s 11_J ^ A ^
* this cannot be called an Agreement', no inoVe
' ,,^n Sheep are laid to agree, when they aie drove
ii'e'ltf . - .
lerd. And
there is greater Agreement amongft thofe ('thotfgh
the fbolifti World think to the contrary^ who wor-
ftiip their Maker under the Adminiftration of feveral
Dhciplines, and Condudtion of fivcra! Cubes ; For
Force anAViolencc mayiirakea Congregation of Bo-
"dies, but no Unity of Mb'ids, 'Ti": only a Hearty
Intention, Sincerity of Mind and Afftdiioni, Sim-
plenels and Identity of Addrefs to the fame Objedt,
which can be called Unity and Agreementi and no-
thing elfc ; for other things, though they may feem
differences and difagrcements to men, yet really
they are none at all ; for the Circumftanccs ofTime
and Place, Publick or Private, Day or Night, the
feveral Inftances cficefpedfs, Methods and Way of '
Worfiiip, are all one and the fame thing to God
. Almighty ; Hd' only loc ks at the Unity oV'tife Spi-
' ririn the Bond of Peace; Dflerences with men are
not fowjth him, if they agree in finceiity of AffcvSIi-
■ Otis and integrity of Spirit; th.at's the Agreement he-
looks after.
'Tis true again, That men underftand the Scri-
pturcs differently, and to different Senfes; but why
this difference of Underftanding fhnuld be Obiedtcd
as a Crime, Ikirownot: For'lis impofTible it ^oulcl.
be olherwile, fo long as there be fuch great variety
of Humane Underftandings; and as long as they un-
derftand not differently and amifs on a bad end and
defign, they cannot poffibly be Criminal; for no
tu n is Obliged to underftand better than he can..
Then again, Miny men may be totally Ignorant of"
many thmgs in Scripture, and yet be very Innocent;
and certainly if their Total Ignorance be no fault,,
their underftanding difteiently thofe things, whicft
they might hive been Innocently ignorant of, can-
not make the.u guilty of a Crime; if it fhould, it
would highly advance Ignorance, and very much
deprefs Uncierftanding and Knowledge. But furtlier,.
if they underftand them differently ^which I contend,
for the moft part they do) in order to promote a.
Virtue, encourage a Grace, or fupprefs a Vice, or
any Immorality in themFlves, then this difference-
ought to be fo far from being reputed a 'Crime;
that it becomes Neceffary, and ought to be Encou-
raged; and they that put a (caudal on it, are very
much to blame: And it muft be allowed, that men
may difpule things in utramque partem, affirm and
deny the fame thing innocently enough, fo the good
intention be fecured, and it be to edification, and
' make no infradlion on Charity. But the things that
htcoxTitCrimtnal, are thofe fort of differences which-
every fide and party of Chriftians are but too guilty
of, and which concerns ^em all to amend ; and that
' is, Forcing an Interpretation on Scripture, contrary
to the natural and genuine feufe thereof; and that
with a dellgn to countenance their own Intereft or
■i
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in
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1(1
fi
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V'« :'t Ij
■ i'! 'i:.'
fl:
ilf 1
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■il?'
4
(
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»p.-
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I'M'
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;(fl'
■ ;l!'
fia'^
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'M
ti "■
J
i!< 'i
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"'t;
tvue (thovi?,h they have the ieaft rcaron to co'tiplainj
that every one Interpreis the Scripture to hi» Side ;
and Party fand Co do they to Tne ra) and that the •,
diyilionj of Proteftants have been pi jncipaliy cccafi- t
oned by every o-n's havinj» the n(e of the Sciipturei;
which admitting to be true, (ince thele ditferencej
are unavoidable, and natnra'ly Innocent in them-
klves, and on]y acciidenta^Iy evW, and much better at
the worll, than forced Agreeinentj ; one would
think they fliould have no further to Objedt; Since
further, if the u!e of good things llaould De denied
and prohibited on the (core of their abufe, and acci-
dental Inconveniencies, a jult pretence might be
. brought in fo'r ail the Irregu'aritiei in the World.
Now fiace the Elfentials and CircumilantiaU in
Religion are agreed on, iince it hasbeen inadetoap-
pear that every one may unJirjl-md fo much of Reli-
gion and the Sciipturei, as ii neceffiry for hii Salva-
tion ; fince 'tis impcffible men fbculd not differ and
di'iiga-e., as a!Co in melt things not to be deceived,
one would think tliefe things fhouki make men mo-
deft and peaceable, and hinder the ill effedt of any
diileniion that might happen among them.
But men are willing to admit and indulge one ano-
ther a difRrencfc cf Tiiought and Underltandiiig in
iVioft of their Secular Concerns, but grow impatient,
and are unwilling to admit any difference of Senti-
ments in the matters of Religion ; and to their de.il-
ing on this account, moft of the Confufions and Di-
Itradlionsof Chriftendom owe their Offginal; and
after the Unrearonablenefj, lajuftice and Fully of
the thing has been made to appear to the World, one
would think they flaould ceafc their mad and iiieffe-
iftua] proceedings.
For it has been made to appear to the World,
TiMtCanfcience ought not to be corftr^ined ; that a
Cor/iorii/Panilhment ought not to be infiicted for a
Spiritual Fault; that men ought not to where
they have no power to Comm m i; that they cannot
command the belief of a thing, uniei'sihey give a/;//.
ficient Reafon ; and that, that can only hojitjjicient,
; when the parry is convinced •, and that is not in their
fotver to know, nnlefs by the party acknowledged;
that matters inte/Jecbtal arenotdircernedby a Secular
Power; that to punifh men tor differing in Opinion,
is as unreafonable as fo punilb them tor having diflfe-
rent Faces; that no Hu uane Authority is eirher fuffi-
cient for cognizance or determination, or competent
for inflirftionofpuniffimcntin fuch matters; that the
Terms of Schifmatick and Herttick, are only Scare-
crows, and iignifie next to nothing; that no man
is a Schi/inatick, but he that departs from a good
Life, that fears not God, nor loves his Neighbour;
and that no man is a Herelick, or ought, to be punifti-
ed as fuch, but he that teaches ill Life, or takes up an
Opinion contrary to Fundamentals, on a bad ac¬
count, vf^. on . the Score of Pride, Ambitlcii, In- '
ter^cft. Malice, or any other SinifterEnd, which
I.„ ,h,(- 'rii imnnfflhlfi',
lrX4S»Vs-, w. —, _
be-Kejy. difficult (o be known; (hat 'tis impoffible' ,l
fott-men not to differ, that 'tis^not neceffary they''
'alli, JK
lUlT IIICU liuv V.V ,
Ihould agree ; that all Sorts and Parties of Chriftiani
have been deceived; thatamidft fo great difficulties
'tii•imp'^.TxlMe they Ihould not be deceived- that
Punifliiucnts ought to be proportioned to' their
Crimes; that Spiritual Faults ought only to have'^f
' a certain Puniffiment'«'^^'^^-'
Spiritual Punilliments; that
oughtnot tobe infiidted foran uncertaiirFatiit; that ■i''"'''"!
moft Spiritual Faults are uncertain ; that if a man
was punifncd or killed, he was certainly pun'ffjed or-
killed ; but that it was not fo "
Fault",
than their Preiiaifes; that no m^ ou-ght to be Judge
certain he wasiaa
Fault"; that Conclufions ought not (o be ftronger T--- ,i
- -- - -JOtBildt
in his own Cafe; that Re .fjr, Dlfcoui fc and Agre^ ^rattieT
ments are the only Proper Methods and Inftiuments .
to Convince Men, and no o'her; that if others of
an Heterogenial ftamp were ufed, they might make ■
Hypocrites, but noProfeliies, and that they nerene- -
ver accompanied with fucccis; that the generality "cCfSd
of men are difpofcd to live.ijuiet y; that Oppreffion,
Tyranny and Penal Laws, are occ.,ficnof moftofthe
;r5t?c
Difturbances in Oiriltenriom; ih.it f-Hible men
ought ijot to call their Opinions Articles cf Faith;
that they ought not over-h. ftdy to iatereft tlreirMa-
ker in their uncertain Coule; thatGod'sGloiy doth
confift with the Good of Men, and may be main- ' 'rk
tained without their Dcftrudtion. Further it hath -
been made evidently to apjiear agalnft them, that-Fisto
fay, We have a That Law cannot make ."ftiju
a Truth; that Truth is as old as the Eternal Ycraci- -
ty, and fuffcrs no Degrees; for what was ydferday, jUj
will be true to day, to morrow, and to the Endof
the World; And therefore to force People to beof ' -.j
their Religion, becauTe Eftablifned by Law, is a great
piece cf Vanity and Nonfer.fe: That neither Fathers,
Councils, no Individual Man, or Company of Men,
no Power or Force upon Earth are able to make a
Truth, or an Article of Faith. No. all they arc ,;^j|.j
able to do, is by way of Promulgation, Declaration.v
or Explanation ofTnith, but nothing by way of Cre-
ation ; they naay illuftrate indeed, and make Truth
appear to be lb, but they cannot neither add or di-
minilh: What was Truth, and agreeable to God's
Will, was fo before, they undertook the Difquifiti-
on, or before they came into the World, and will
be fo when they are extiiirfl and gone ont of it, not-
withftanding aU their endeavours for, or agaiuft . •
it.
Again, Nothing is more Certain than that Men are
Men, and Uncertain; that they are, and have been
proved fallible ; That General Councils have erred
and contradiifted oneanofher on Record ; that Fathers
have-Kud Ailllrtkeil j luSSyhat has been, may be
■'■a
d
■"agiinj and therefore that all refpeihively may be
ufed with reverence and refpeiSs aj occafion may re-
quirCj aj the beft Humane Guides and,Directors;
^^Ibut always with deference, and an eye to their Falli-
; that their^Opinions ought not to be prefled
Articles of Faith, nor their Determinations have
'''t: the weight of Mathematical Demonftrations, Me-
thinks tbefe Confiderations fhould make men look a
little amicably on one another, and a little come to
? theltifelves; But I find they do not, and may be the
'^'•^Scence is laid too far off; and therefore I will bring
^"it nearer home, andJetthemfelves judge.
^1'- - A certain number of Pilgrims were going to the
Lind^ had equal defires and affedtions for the
being all moved by the fame Love and Good
?'hit Intention j none indeed had been there already, and
-'1- therefore they were the more to feek for their way;
they were all very diligent to find out the true Road;
and as they go along, they meet with feveral Ways
if: and Paths; upon which the Company divided;
fome go one way, and fome another, according at
tJiey thought it furer and more probable than the o-
ikiiO) ther; but fome of the Company, of hotter Confti-
be; tution than the reft, asked fome of their Fellows,
Uiai why they ftiould riot go their way, fince they were
baifure they were in the right.' To which they anfwer-
ed, They could not be pre, becaufe they never were
bdli&jpere; that tJiey had the fame Charts and Directions
diii : which they had, and had as honeftly and fincerely
perufed ihenv; induced by the fame, if not greater
Love and Affcdtion to the Place; and that they did
juKk iiot think that way to be right, but that the Path
icEr were going in, was tire furer and more prtJbable
Way, and hoped that it would bring them to the
■1/ . Place as foon, if not focner than theirs would, and
therefore defired to be excufed ; adding. That if
yl. they fticuld go with them, they iTuould go againft
their Thoughts and Confciences, which would be a
.»■ trouble to them all along the Road, but etpecially at
_ laft, if they ftiould be miftaken. Th's aniwer,
; though modeft and very reafonab'e, yet was not fa-
^ tisfadtory ; for the other yreffcd them hard, loving
Company very well, and faid. That fince they were
all going to the faiiie place, 'twas fit they ftiould all
go together" in the fame Road ; atid if they would
gjiy 'not, they would take away their Provifions and Mo-
jj^lJj ney, and force them : And their Paffions and Zeal
Was fo hot, that they did fo.and worfo; for fome they
^^..nbeat, and others they killed; and for the Reft, at
ifj the next Town they prevailed fo with the Magi-
'' ftrate, and mifreprefented them fo ill, that they got
them put in durance.
' ;ii; Now who can but pity the hard fate of thefe poor
I u;' Pilgrims ? Or forbear to Cenfure and give his Verdtdl
■ 'U'- the hot fiery Zeal of the other ? But let them
them as Nathm faid to David, Ton are the Men ;
All fides have been too but Guilty, and have plaid the
fame Pranks when in Pqwer.
One would wofider how Chiiftian men fhnukl
have fuch Hatred and Aniinofities one againft ano-,
ther, and run Counter to all the Principles of their
Religion, and Laws of their Great Mafter; Whcfe
LeJJhns, as one faid, were (after than N.trd, or the
■Jnice of the Candiau Olive ; teaching .all imaginable
Compliance, mutual Forbearance and Chaiity ; and
one of his laft Commands to theiii was, To love one
another; but they have not minded the Commands
of their Good Lord, or obferved the advice of thei-r
Compaffionate Jofeph, but have fallen out by the- ,
Way, diftionoured their Profeflionjand ruined them-
felvci.
But a man fha]! quickly be raifed from his wonder,
when he confiders the miftakes under which they
lie.
They greatly, miftake in calling their Refpecftive '
Opinions, Seve.'-al ^e.hgions: I affirm , there is but
ONE God, and ONE Religion ; and that they
may as well call the feveral Counties in England,
feveral Nations, as to give feveral Opinions, the de-
nomination of feveral diftincft Religions. We ask a
man what Countryman he is ? If he tells us Darby-
Jhire, Stafford-fhire, all is well, there is no hurt
done; but if we ask him what Religion he is off,
and it prove to be differing from ours; prefcnily an
Animofitie arifes, and we look on him with ffrange
thoughts, and reckon him almoft fomething elfethan
a Man, and rather a Heathen than a Chrtfiian;
ai d when we have made him fuch a Heathen, then
we think, like the IJraelites, That 'tis Lawful to de-
flroy fuch a Canaanite /Vo'w among us ; never confi-
dering all this while the mans Conftitution, Educa-
tion, Prejudice, the Books he may have Read, the
Company he may have kept, ^c. which may make
him have different thoughts and apprehenflons of
things from ours, and that his Honefty and good In-
teution may make his Seetirnens (though differing
from curij yet altogether as Innocent.
Again, "Tis a ftrange vanity that men have, in va-
luing theififelves fo extreamly for being of this or
that perfwafion or party of men, and brings a great
deal of trouble to the World. One fa'th he is a,
Catholicit and no Heretick ; the Proteftant-Here-i
ticks fay, they are good Proteftants and no Papiffs;
and the Church-of-£K^/.»«^/-man faith, he is of ai
Religion eftablifhed by Law, and no Diflentcr; as; ,p
if Law could make a Truth; arid fo they go on, i j j!
upbraiding one another, fiippofing every Divifion , ij
ot Chriftians that has a diftindt Name, is a diftiudt| ' |
Religion. Now if we fhould be fo fooiifb in otherj
concerns, what would the World think of us ? It
the Tork(hire-n\ca fhould fiy the Kcnttlls-.nen aif
ro EngUJh men ; or the Merchant-Taylors tell the
Mercers they are no Citizens, would not the Af-
ferters be expofed to derifion ? Further, if a man
calls not himfclfby foine name or other, as Catho-
lick, Church-of-£«^/i;wi/-iuan, Presbyterian, Inde-
pendant, &c. he is lookM upon as a piece of De-
faced or Antiquated Coin that will not pafs: If he
tay he is a Chrijlian, that will not fatisfie ; he runs
fome hazard in calling himfelf by that Name; but
little or none in not departing from Iniquity: if he
calls himfelf Lutheran, CalviniR, l^uinglt^n, Gfc.
all \\iil be well, he is fortcd, and hath Fellows, lhall
be refpedte 1 and efteemed; but if he will efpoufe
none ot their Farftions, nor intereft himfelf in their
ii nple Quarrels,he is branded with the odious Name
of Atheift, or to be of no Religion at all. And tuch
a high pitch of Extravagancy is the World corne to,
that a 'f.tp in.i .Chciftian Nation fliall have more re-
fpevSt than r Chriftian ; and that for no other Rea-
fon, but,bccaufe he-calls himfelf fo.. Should a man
ij- be fo hardy as to leave Paul, Apolbs and Cephas, and
( call himfelt by that VenerabfeName, which requires
fome courage ; 'tis odds but he may be called to an
account for raifing a New Religion ; his imitation
of his Holy Life would not fatisfie the mad Worlds
if he cannot pronounce plainly, and herd
himfelf with a Party, there's none will take him into
their Folds, but.out he fhall lie in the Fields, expo-
fed to the mercy of the Elements. But all this might
be cured in a. great meafure, if tlie State would
put a Fine, on thofe that c.nll themfelves by any
other Name, than that of Chriftian. For 'tis in-
ciedib'eto think what mifchiefs go along with thefe
New Names ; O, he is a Papift, fays one ; he's a
Fana'ick, fays another; they are Words of reproach,
and their meaning is, he is an ill man ; for fo every
Side and Party accepts them one againft another;
And fome, when they would go a Ihorter way to
work, call but their Adverfary by the name of his
Sedb, that ferves for Evidence, Convidlion and
Condemnation; and then fecure him Coaler. But it
will be asked, and ought to be enquired into. How
they came by fuch falle Notions of things } Then I
fay,
'Jbat Cuftcm, Chance, Prejudice and ConftilutI-
on, give moft men their way of Religion, and ere-
ates their Confciences too; they think this or that
to be finful, not which is really and naturally fo, but
whitt they fee fome men abhor and deleft, and what
they have been taught is fo ; and Youth generally
I take their Parents word, and fwallow all infinitely
i astci inrplicitly; and if one be miftaken, 'tis hardly
j pofFible but that the other will be mifbtken too.
I And.'lis certain, that the undutifulnefs of difobey-
t ing Parents injnnitions, and the reproach and fhan\e
1 cf being ftngular, and doing Ihings contrary to their
Country CuftomiandUfages, are great O'uftacles l'®
Truth and Peace.Some of thefw^//<»wr did eat their deaijs.'oi'"'!'*
Friends and Relations, and thought it a great pfeci
of P'.ety, and the moft honourable way of Sepuii "
ture; but the Greeks they burned them all:
ander asked each of them, what he fhould gm 'rSir.ktcti
them to exchange their Method .J" They both anfwer'-.'/Bfr®®
ed with the greateft abhorrence imaginable, andde r'feCaf
claimed againft each others Uiagcs, as the
barbarous and undecent way in the World. .
Cuftom makes good things to feem evil, and ev! croy
thirgs to feem good. And I have read of a Shepherd oi ii
the Mountains of Naples, who in the holy time ol -J;'-:/;®
Lent, came with Tears in his Eyes to his ConfeSor iciiwiiidi
and earneftly defired Ablolut on, in that he ha^ x:;j:;ir/
fwallowed by chance a little Whey, which leapeJ-i-iEtteii
into his Mouth from (he Cheefc-Piefs: TheFatha .itbiiaa
asked him, {^''hether he kpeip himjelf gui'ty of m '.['aioi
other Sins? He anfwered, Not- any as he kyieto 4•■&!)';«
He again asked liim, Wnether he was not accejjary^\i,^
to any of the jobberies and Murders committed n "[j-j.
their Mountains? Tes indeed. Quoth he, that I'. y,.J
am ; but this we never elleem a Crime ; 'tis i
thing daily praEltfed by all of us, and there needs m - m...
confejfion for fuch things. By this may' be feei i:i, r.
what Cuftom can do. But Education, Prejudict -.(va''
and Cuftom, have ftill further ftrange Operation " 'A';
•*-> vlll
For, .
They ftrangely difpoie men to be retolute andte- ,
nacious of their firft-taught-Principles, and make :.7.r'
them Deaf to the .molt Weighty, Sober and Con. "
vincing Reafons; and when a man is linked to <
Party, there is no unchaining of him ; he delighti-
in his Slavery and Chains, and reckons him an En&. ; ,'j:
my that would tree him: He will be of the Religi- T''
on he was bred to, whether T//ri^, few, or
and thinks that always the beft: Come to unde
ceive him, and he looks on you as an Impoftor, and
all the Arguments you fhall bring, fignifie no moreT^^p:
than Arrows againft a Wall of Brafs; he is refoIveV
fay what you will, you fhall not move him; hewCv"^
not confiderany thing that is alledged againft bimp.'
will laugh at your Reafons, fhift them off, and dfi '
any thing rather than be Cowwwceif; nay he coma
with a Refolutic.i to a Difcourfe, net to be ovcrcomtX~dt
and to fay fomething for his Side, rather than the ~U«.
Truth ^ and what is worft of all,'fis impoflible
fhould be prevai'ed upon, who efteem all Argvh
ments to be Temptations, and therefore look upo( nit
themfelves-obliged by all means to fhun them. n . Af.
So that this fort of Obftinacy and Perverfneffc ■~-'i
th.s Partiality, this refpecftto Perfons and Sides, and.
want of Sincerity, and Indiflerency to Truth, keep^ -d
a foot our Differences, obftruits mutual Compliant 'ti,
ces and Toleration ; every one calling his Fancy hiii*5)j
Eaid>5iiirCp7»'ofl hii Region, and entitles God to Ir
( 7 )
;^'a!l; and when God'n concerned, then they think
'' their Zeal cannot be too much ; and out of an ha-
tred to Lukewariiinerj, endeavour to make it ai
J; they can ; fo Htfr,thatitdeftroysC/;<«>/ry, and
Burn« and Pi'eys Upon their innocent Neighboujs.
■ But a further Acceflary (and Aggravation too)
'.if'ofChriftian Differencei, is the Method and Aclmi-
niftratioH of their Government. For Firtt, They
'J (uppofe God Almighty has appointed a particular
7 Difcipline and Regiment for hii Church, and then
out about it i , every one maintaining that their
particular Scheme is the fame.- Then again, they
" fuppofe that Difiipline and Regiment is abfolutely
jieceflary; both which are falfe; For God neither
' h»th appointed any particular Way, neither is any
'ttceffarj, any further than for the neceffary Regu-
• hiting fuch Affemblies as (hall meet together towor-
'■' i (hip their God; ct \.o Excommunicate a man out
of fuch their Aflemblies for his evil Life; which are
''•'' things very eafie to be done, and need no great Wit
" ■•"or Learning to perform: And any man may be Ho-
^ " neft, Jufi, True, Sincere, Charitable, Humble^ and
'Exerdfe any Chriftian Graces or Vertues, without
the help of Ecclefiajiical Policy ; he may Pray to,or
> .PraifehisGod in Spirit and Truth, ( which is all the
Way that ever Chrift apjrointed) without the help
'"s^'^of Church-Policy. Chrift's Kingdom is of another
World, and requires none of the Policy of this to
x!t- manage it; it ought to be kept pure and unmix'd,
beingcler.r of another Nature; We iee Oyl in a
Veffelof Water will not mix, but keep its Body in-
ais fcre to it felf, no more ought Spirituals to be mix'd
ill -^th Temporals. B'ut tUcfe Spiritual Politicians have
iOdl-ttix'd Heaven and Earth together, confounded the
Ixat World with their Policy, and fo jumbled things to-
J;' teher, that Chriftianity is almoft loft in the Com-
CeS fofition, fo that men know not wiiere to find it. I
1 IXf fliould think that the ill fuccefs and b.ad effeds fuch
iffoltcy hath hitherto had in the World, (houldmake
ijixitliemalhamed, and endeavour by all means to leave
fuch methods, which did always rather Difitirb, than
.(dits 'any way Eeautifie the Church of God. And let
'k!!! cftem further give me leave to tell thenij That if all
■ tifk^he Hedges and Enclofures in England were pulled
'.is down and levelled, that it would be ftiil :
Til True, Property might fuftctby fucha Commu-
jj;,:.-iication; but to Heaven and Religion, every one
ten lai an equal Title and Property.
And if God Almighty had defign'd a particular
;iii;;-^<por Method of Worftiip, he would have taken
d P;f.»-e Uiat noneftiould mifs it, and prevented all D:f-
■^Si'erences about it. But he has appointed none at all,
1 know of, but that of in Spirit and in Truth.
■CrAndhadany particular \yay been abfcJutely necef-
liifr-Ty, our Saviour would have told the Woman of
thp On
ftion, Hotf, or ttthere they fhould tvorfhip God ? Wht°
tber at Jcrnfalem or Samaria } (For there was a
great conteft about It amongft the Inhabitants of
each) But he told her. That the time tras come.,
that they fhould neither IVorJhip him at Jerufalem
nor Samaria ; that is, not at either of thofe places in
particular, exclufive of others, but, in Spirit and in
Truth, As if he had faid, ThcT/wea of limitation
of God's Worflaip is now over: "jerufalem indeed
was the place appointed, ?nd particular Rites and
Ceremonies were enjoyned and made obligatory; but
now thofe times are paft, all Rites, Types and Ce-
remonies are abolilhed, a-nd other T/wes are conies-
that God muft be Worfhipped after another manner.
I obferve you mind Times and Places, and parti-
cular Methods too much ; and have foolifh and mi-
profitable Contentions for the fame, and mind Sin-
cerity too Tittle; therefore I aflign and appoint yon
no particular Place, Method, or'Time; But be Cure
when ever you Worftiip God, let it be fincerely and
heartily, let it be in Spirit and in Truth, and you
Ih.ill then be accepted.
Now men have ftrange Contentions about the
Truth of the Way of God's Worifiip, but do but
grope in the dark, fince no way is appointed : I
do not fay they do amift,if they mean well; but the
Truth ef the Ailion I reckon is the principal thing,
by how much more eafie it is to be performed, and
more earneftly of God required; for he faith. Son
give m: thy Heart. And 'tis an eafie thing for any
man to know whether he is in Earneft, whether he
is Sincere, Hearty and Real, in what he doth; whe-
tber he Loves, or Fears, or truly Worftripi God
or no; whether the Affedtioni of the Soul accom-
pany his Aiftions, and that he Is no Hypocrite t
This, I fay, is eafie for any man of the meanefi
Capacity to tell; But then whether the Grcutuftan-
tials of our Worftiip be in a true Way, is not fo ea-
fily found out, for the Reafons aforementioned, and
the great Difficulties tiicrem. And if after Diligence
ufecl, (fince no particular way is appointed) we
miftakc in choofing inftances of RcfpeiSt to our
Maker; cur miftakes arc 'Invincible, and we ftia-!l
never be anfwerable for them : But if we be,
'tis only to bim Our Lord, and not to One Ano-
tber. And therefore 'tis the moft unreafon.ible
thing imaginable, for men to judge one another in
thefe points, much more to iinpofe the'r refpeiflive
Fancies and Models, with infufterable Penaltier, one
upcn another, when they can have fo tittle Ajfurance
they are in the Right.
But while I am endeavouring to Cool and Qualifie
^e Mad World by Reafons and Arguments, dete-
theiir MiftaRes, and ex^ofing to V:ew the
vJnncceflary Occafions of thck Dyferences^ and
V ® ;
11
i
4
1 I
MkWnkes Text
at St. Laurence
and Mercers.
Giappel.
Unreafonablcnefs of their De-
fti ucStive Contentions, I am pre-
fently Interrupted with a Text of
Scripture lately Pieached in the
City ; and that is , Contend
earneftly for tloe Faith once deli-
vered lo the Saints. What, fays fome, would yoa
not have us contend for the Faith ? Would you not
have us carneji for our Religion, and for the Truth }
I reply, Yes by any means; And this Text doth
encourage you to contend not only for the True Faith
andTrne [(eligion, but alfo tor That Faith, aniTbat
, Religion which you believe to be fo, for that is the
fame toyoii as,the True, and no difference can, or
ought to be made ; And then this Text, if not duly
tempered and moderated, is fuffigient to fct allChri-
ftendom together by the E.ui; for every Party
and Sedt think their own way of Religion and Faith
to be Primitive, Apoftolical and True; and by con-
fequence, have a Commifficn from this Text to con-
tend earneftly for it : And fome have adted fo ear-
7ieft!y, and depend (b much cn xhtgoodnefs of their
Oaiije, and truenefs of their Faith, that they have
Plundered, Iinprifoned, nay Killed and Murdered
theirfellowChriftians; to teftifte to the World their
Earneftnefs, and that they were if! Earmft ; but in
my Opinion, they had much better been in than
fo Extravagantly Earneft, Therefore this Earneftnefs
muft be lim'ted, fo that it be not Prejudicial to our
felves, or Deftrudtive to others: It ought to be
managed with the greateft Cautioufnefs, Prudence
and Difcretion ; and by no other Inftrumenti, but
thofe of Perfwafion and Ratiocination,
Now left People ftrould be fo much in earneft a-
gain ?!$ formerly, ^he Wife, Judicious and Loving
Father of our Countrey, would put Bounds to fuch
deftrucftive Earneftnefs, which hath made fuch De-
vaftationi among his People ; he would take their
Weapons out of their Hands, with which they have
done fo much Mifchief : But they like foohfttChil-
dren, arePcevifti and Froward, exert their PalFiens;
grow Angry, are Sullen and Difcontented, run and
make their Moan to their Mother; whofe too In-
diligent Nature ar.d Tender Heart, is but too much
Grieved to fee her Children cut of Humour; and
if almoft ready to Sacrifice their future Happinefs
and Protperity, to their preferis Quiet and Content-
ment. But what ftiould be done in thisCafe, is an
Impertinent Queftion : For the Difcretion and Au-
thority cftheFither, ought to prevail againft the
Over-fondncfs of the Indulgent Mother, and the
Peeviftinefs of the Humourfome Children ; if they
cry for Knives to cut them. Candles to burn them,
or Food that is unwholefome for them j they muft
be filenced, and no notice taken of their Childifli
Meihinks 'tis the moft Unreafonable.'Undutlfuif/nCff'^
and Shameful Oppofition imaginable, which fome
about to make againft his Majefty ; that when hx.vuitidp
endeavours to rnake an Eftalohftoment of a Tolerafpfeff'"
tion, and offers to put it out of the Power of anJttBJ'f.'
one Party to Hart or Difturb another, and thatbjftpfe®^
as good Humane Security.&t poffiblycanbecontnv'd. iJ®^
they ftiould fo Obftinately and Childiflily rejedt it>;
That when it has been made fo plainly appear, thai'in'fJd'
Penal Laws and TeHs have been the Ruine, ant, 'dialed!
do Ruine the Nation ; and will Ruine any Natloivwoflfa
that maintain them: That tliey are moft Unreafonitei'!
able,Unjuft and Uncharitable,and yet Maintained an
Continued ; Good God, that men fliould be fo Sti-.aliiidi;
pid ! What can this Argue, but that Heaven hastti
kindnefs for fuch men: But feeing their Obftinatirfirijief
nefsaiid Perverfenefs, gives them over to Court the .'.diem
own Ruine and Deftiudtion; and, fay I, May tlrttDiCi:
^ds be Continued on fuch Foo's Backs, ftnce they a. ^
fo fond of them. For my part, I think to be claj-;;;^,^!^
ped up in a Goal, tobe Fined, Plundied, Wound{.^5j,j),
or Killed, on the Score of mecr Religion, and
having different Thoughts and Apprehenfions fro -pji',;,'
other men ; is a Reproach to the Chriftian WorQ!gj,,jj
and the moft Brutifti, Irrational and Shamefulk^^.^..
thing imaginable ; and I think it every mans DiijuJ
fo endeavour to Extirpate fuch a Wicked Prini, '"
pie.
Forme to "be punifnedfor being a AHk, fort
*aciO;
lieing when there is I\eafon given, or an Argumf'f ^
which feems to me to be Reafon (which it tne ki-. fl*'
thing j is a thing I can fcarce think of withP<itien
I [know, to Countenance fuch Unjuftifiible
oni, there is a Black Charge advanced; ar.d that
Heretick, Scliifmatick, Turbulencyof Spirit, Ure
ly. Enemies to Government, Plotters, Seditious,C Jj"
ftinafe. Ungrateful, ffc. Thefe are the conHt.,",';^
Toplcks of Scandal which one Party charges the
ther with, when they have got them under, orh; "■''J
abufed them: They think to charge others w '
Faults, is to make themfelves; and !
World would cry out on them, fhould they "
have fome ugly thing to lay to their Charge, afterl ;
ving fo unhandiomly treated them. But thefe Afg.
fions have been wiped off over and over; and it T -i-
been faid. If it be enough to Accufe, who fbs{
Innocent ? The Charge alfo has been returned on' -'-'!
Accufers Heads, to whom indeed it belongs; 1'^
Tyrants and Opprcffors blow the Coals, and tl-:!!
make Wonders at, and accufe the Flame; They w;
der men will not be Quiet, and accufe ibem off tot
fturbance, when They are their only Difturbers,|
occafion of all thcCoiiimotionj by Opprcfling tlv k
aiid Punilbing them without a Caufe. They ni'ife
iTipititudet-Qf U^s, and by Confequcnce,"''*^
inauents\.^ the Penal
( 9 )
the more Quietneft and Pcivce alwayi there it in
£ World ; andthofe were bappy Aget, when
'erba minitntia fix* cere, legeba7itur——fiy°Tj man
'might go but to the Market Croii, and read pre-
- ■ ijently his Duty, what he was to do, and what to
I'- avoid. The plain Truth is, the multitudes of Penal
Littts do but mufter up, and fhow the World how
ftrong they are in Delinquents; and when they (ee
!^v their Numbers, they take Counge, and prefently
*^Conrpire ^animated by their being equally Obnoxi-
wu) to throw off their Yoke and Government, that
hath made them all fuch Criminals, and Subjedted
- ttem to Punilbment, for things in their own nature
li";-innocent; and fuch Laws proves generally fatal to
■ife he Makers.
Further it hath been made to apjaear, that 'tis a
eSctnoft Unreafbnable and Unjuit Thing, tliat a King
- hould come to a Crown, and not to have the Be-
lefit and Service of all his Subjedts indifferently :
that thole Laws which qualifie one fort of man only
X his Service, are too Partial and Unjuft; and put
Rt. linto the Power of thofe men to do with him what
:yavjey pieafe ; That 'tis not fit nor fafe for a Prince
.Or? »have but one Staff to lean on, or one Weapon to
::ii efend himfelf; That'tis Unreafonable and Unjuft
tip ut any one fort of men, under what Denominati-
foever, Ibould cngrofi all Honours and Prefer-
Knti to themfelves; and have ail the Favour of the
jiM fece, and only fit in the SunfkintflxsA all the reft in
'e Shade; whofe Fidelity and Integrity to their
fp lince, their Sufficiency and Ability in Bufinefs; their
lacsable Temiacr, and equal, if not moreproba-
^, Ic Arguments tor the truth of their Religion; fet
•:'S> jpo on eqna! ground, and give them as large and
i^airla Claim thereto as others ; That fiich Difcrimi-
and Partial Laws, do naturally tend to put the
i-!-:fcgdom in Confufion ; and as long as one Religi-
jfjic 'fas they call itj receives an Eft.iblilhment, and
kher doth not, that has equal Pretentions to it,
. .. w wi!i never be Peace and §lniet in England.
' Pgain, It has been proved, that Laws are Natu-
jV,-: 7 Null aiKl Void, and grow into Defuetude, and
formality of a Repeal; after the Reafons for
5;;. fch they were EnaAed are taken away ; or when
Icii.: T bring fo many Inconveniences, which out-bal-
te their Advantages. A Law, for good Confi-
J,;-, atienis made, "That for thefpace of Ten Years,
j. .r.ae fhall prelume to Kill or Deftroy fuch a fctt of
Bealts ; but in the fpace of Rve Yean they
fo numerous and unruly, that they come into
j,j;l;tHeighbouring Towns, and make great Havock,
pi- deftroy the inhabitants; Will any man deny the
|.--'iof the place the priviledge of killing them, and
(' T-Je them with a Breach ofthe Law ? No furc !
Laws lofe their Obligation, and ou^t to lofe
c-
thing dfe than Laws, rather than Grievances, or
Ntisjances, which they really are, and ought to do
no Mifchief under the fpecicui Title of Laws. His
Majefty is charged with breach of Laws, for taking
fuch Nuifances away j methinks tliey fhoiild rather
thank him for fuch Low Condefcention, it being the
ScavengersOWicc. If unruly Fire break out in our
Buildings, a Door is admitted to be broken open, or
a neighbouring Houfe to be blown up, and no in-
juftice charged. 'Tis His Majefty's Cafe ; He pre-
tends not to put the Fires out of men's Chimneys,
or to Cancel any wholfome or neceffiiry Laws, but
to put a flop to the Outrage and Violence of thofa
Fiery, Cr»el and Sanguinary Laws, that have made
fuch Havock amonglt his People ; and if fo much
Power muft not be allowed him, he has not Power
enough to Defend Himfelf, or His People. But
this Oppofition being made by Interefted and Un-
reafonable Men, islefi to be taken notice of: And
I queftion not, but will beover-ruied by Him,wh«
is not Partial as they vre ; but confults the Good
of the whole, and will not let any one fort of men
have Power to Opprefs the reft. But then agaln,3$
to our Differences:
I am utterly againft reconciling of them by fuch
Methods, which feme men take ; and am indiSe-
rent whether they be reconciled or no ; fo they may
be made Harmlejs and Eafie to the Publick: And
I do proteft, I cannot fee fo much Iniquity in
them, as fotr.e would {lerfwade ; and hardly know
how to call them Differences,\3\xi obferve more their
Agreement than their Difference. For all do ithj-
tually agree to Worfhip the fame Eternal Ever-Li-
vingGod, and believe in his Ever-Elcfled Sonjefux
Chrift. "The D<^re«c« I moftobferve, Men's
Differencej, and mutgi.1 Animofities about Diffe-
rencss. And I affirm, the firfi Differences in the
various modes of Woifhip, are moftly fiiuocem \
but tiie Jecond Differences are CriminaT; that Is,
men's differing one with another, and iiifli^fing Pu-
nilhmcnts one upon another about them j and break-
ingthe Bonds of Charity ; hating ar.d denyingCom-
miinion one to another, on the fcore of any way of
Worfhip, differing fi-om theirs, though altogaher a«
Innocent.
And what I have faid before, is not with a De-
fign to make all Men to be of one aiki the fame Mind
to have the fame Thoughts and Appielienfions of
things; to agree and perform the fame things, after
the fame Manner and Method, as fomeMen are o-
ver-fond of, and lay out all their endeavours ("but to
no purpofe ) to bring to pafs; for this is neither poff
fihk nor necejfary j and therefore do rather incouragc
honeft and fmcers Differences, than fuch forced and
Hypocritical Agreements; For wUatfignifies a Con-
( lO )
■ m'
L;,ar' Ai
Pi ».
i
and abfenee of Minds ? 'TU the Unity of
Mvnds makes the Agreement; and though Coinpa-
ny and Univertality may feem fine and plaufible
things to men, yc hey cannot be pleafing in the
flgtitofGad, if HCCVJ mpanied with Error or Hypo-
cr.iiie, which are generally the Concomitants of
fueled Agreemsnis : But we know that he is well-
pleated with onr fineerity and good intentions; and
will rather Pity than Punifh, our unwilling and un-
fortunate niiftaltei, in our vaPious and differing
Methods and Inftances of Refpedt unto him. But
Biy defignii from tbe lmpp(fib>itty of men's Agree-
meni, about the things they contend, from the in-
nocency of their firft Differences, from the Folly and
Vanity of their Contention; all aiming at, and de-
'figningthe fame things, vii^. The Sahntion of their
ewnSouls,and the Glory of God-, to perfwade men
to calm, quiet and foftentheir Miuds, and to convince
them of the Unrealbnaljlcirefs of their Mutual Sc-
T.erities and Impofitions, and to difpofe them toMu-
tual Compliances and Charity : Alio I would dif-
countenance, as much as poffible, the fooliftr and
vain Attemirs of thofe Men, who with all the Art
and Induftry imagisablc, endeavour to make the
World all of 0«e Mind-, &ore impatient of any Con-
traditfiipn and D.flent. 'Tis ftrange that the ,Expe-
rknce of fo many Ages Ihould not School them in-
to a better Undeiftanding ,• let them quote the Age
wherein they all agreed: Has there not been Fa-
ther againft Father, Coundl.againft Council, a con-
tiauation of Changes and Inncvations ? And have
we not tranfinitted to us a Black Lift of Kerefics
and Schifins, ('as-inen call them? ) And 'tis ixifillble.
they may quote an Univeifal Force and Tyranny,
but never anUniverfal Agreement. But why Ibould
I go on ? Thefe are things paft Contradiction,
And what hopes is there now to make Men all ep
One Mind,moTeihm formerly? Have we notTlxir
Difficulties, and our Own toe, to contend with.^
And to fay true, we have nothing handed down cer-
'♦ain, and not fubiedl to difpute, but the Good Be-
angweadore, and his only begotten Son, in whom
we believe. Thefe things indeed are Univerfally
Credited amongft us, and not difputcd by any. But
all other things do, and may challenge a Difpute,
i fince tirey have palled through fo ixany differing
I Hands, and ferved fo many different Interefts and
' Parties. Indeed feme Records I reckoa more Au-
ibentick than others, I mean thofe that teach and
If inftrudtus in the ways of Peace and Holy-Living ;
¥ but in ge*ral, all lie more or lefi liable to exception.
' For they have been managed by men of various and
I differingUnderftandings, Paffions, Humours, Con-
ftitutioni and Interefts. And have we not the fame
fort of men ? And is not the World governed
fee every pasty quote Scripture," and Fathers an(|": _
Councils one againft another. But to what purpofe p
For none of them at this time of the day, after
/.,f
X'Of none ui uicui .msv v.* - .
Rerfolution of fo many years, are competent or
ficient to decide our Differences ; Every Age brings
- ^ . • v-v. /- _. • u i .ta-'
Cc':i
iU - / w
up Men of Prudence and Difcretion enough to goi
vern themfelves; andwhatthe Fathers did is not ttf ,
be drawn down for a Prefident for thefe Time;, i; f
They lived in Ages wherein their Civil Cuftoms were.
different from ours; and their Civil Cuftoms may,- -
as well be impofed on us, as their Ecclefiaftical^
their Civil Cuftoms did influence their EccJefiaftil
cal, and fo doth ours; and that increafes the
cu;ty: Befides, they were but Mew, and fo aref^'er
They were Good Men indeed, and lived Holy Liva} 'T'
and were Qrnaments to their refpedtive Generationsf
and as fuch we ought to refpeift them. But there is
too much reverence paid to Antiquity by feme; apd ';
they are apt to draw very weak Conclufionsand ■ •
fay,S«c/j a Father (aid fueh a thin^; Ergo, 'tis truet * '
and think this wav of Arsivne is Good and Authen: ^ E -
. J J 'rS ' cb"' "---'I r.
and think this way of Argmng is Good and Authen-
tick, never confickring the Truth and Reafonabla h
nefs of the Thing, fo much as the Authorityof tW :
Man. But further, pairing over the Iniquity oftht CiKe
Times, and the Corruptions which they, may havi - E
undergone; and fuppoling them to be all truly tranP' fc
mitted to us, yet they will fignifie very little at befl ' Ha i
fiace every Difputer and Party is to manage them
They will fpeak any thing we would have them ti ' ;ii-
fpeak; and are Weapons in the Hands of every on 3.
that pleafes to take them: And nothing is more com ;!L
mpn than to hear all Sides and Parties fay, Jbr ,ni
have Eitfin, Scrtpnres, Fathers and Councils o
their Side-, but this fignifies nothing at all, becaul-
they muft not be Judges in their owsi Cafe. In -
deed they fignifie, as to particular men for inftro - (v
dtion and diredtion in Holy Living; and give Es ife:;
celknt Councel and Advice, aivJ miniiter to He
linefs and Piety, but will decide few of our Cos
troverfies, fince Parties muft roanage them. 'T;'.,,
certain that Law, Scripture, Argument and Reafoi y
fignifies little amongft Difputers; each P-irty
ling that Law, which doth ferve their Turns-, thi -.j
Scripture, which doth feem to countenance their 0,
pinion; and that I{eafon arid good Argument,vihii 5,5
favours and tends to promote their Dcfign-, and
what really areib : And this mifery will ftillbe ce^
tkruedin the World, ss long as we have feveral lntt
n . - . -r^ . .
IS-SIMW*.' 11' *.ii\- wiiu, »»Iw. lews al Intt
refts to manage; feveral Patties, and lb few (ifani
«t-i <4 fi 1- »> n 1 i-vs I.»t -..... — .../L "jjg J 30
AVAV* W siiosswftv., ivves OS .a-<IS <*ilU lU Itv*
indifferent, and impartial Judges aiiiong-ft us;
sdl things will luffer Aggravation or Extcnuafio^
be great or little, good or bad; according as the*
quudrate vvith mem Opinions, Piek'Hcf'Eit#
reft. Bat fuppofiogmen to be Impartial, DU%«n
nnfft vKf 'ri. "■'■'^oflible they fhould not dif
( II )
itoitfo'fariow*: And fome underftsnd mose, fome
Bt|iii®than is meant; fome Fi;^uratively, fome Literal-
ln,i!tyf®ine Relatively,others Colledlively, Diftribiitiver
?e®i!kPrivitively, Pofitu'ely, Affirmatively, Negatively,
ilAs'tfca hundred other ways, tothe/j'Mrj/w^ and rPMr-
icojliijg c«t d allthe Adverbs J Witnefs all thofe nume-
liiliiijpsancl large Comments and Explications on Law
liftifldGofpel, both by Ancient and Moder-n Expofi-
'C'riDTS, mcft differing one from the other, though on
iCth'.ie fame Texts; according to the Capacities, differing
Eai4cquirements, Educations, Preiudiccs, or Prior No-
M[ Lions of the Managers, all which add to theDifficul-
atiib aes of Mens Agreement. Then again, AffecStion
,iii . icing founded in Likenefs; the various Authors find
iiKiHr Lbetters, accordingastbey find Readei-s ofthefame
feGsj^umour and Conftitntions; One loves fuch a Book,
^ndfuch a Man; and faith. What he writes is certain-
liijrythe Truth and Right; and wtry ? Not that it
r: .-pllyisfo ; but becaufe hesvrites fomething fuitable
6 his Genius and Complexion ; TheSanguineloves
r Giiearfiil and Encouraging; the Melancholy, the
Doleful and Tr.rg!.:al Expofition ; and mofl
p fjdl that which X'/e.jj'eJ them, the Truth.
{Butfu. tlier, Let them tell me what good they have
, •, bne, by fuch their Endeavours of Uniting. Men, as
.1.,- hey call it ? Havethey not raifed more Devils than
bey can lay.? Has not one Book begot another,
Ljid oneDifpute another ? And fo Itkf is Truth to
J..'Jf4lfhood, and otte thing to another; and there be fo
^"ij.pny Plaufi'jilities and Probabilities, the Wifeft and
jl^jjj..toltConfidering Mail may be deceived ; and fo by
^inicquer.ce this Hum.our of Difputing. propagated
^'^.jBheend of the World; which inftead of Curing
J. Jid Healing Differences, doth but enlarge the 'Brea-
and increafe them , by raijing Mens Paffions,
dcjiroying Charity, As to publick^ Dilputes,
' b?as hardly ever known but they that, had moft
S'/f fower, and thelargeft Irtcreft , always went away
^^^'jKththe Victory, And as (orprivate, I fcarceever
fnew two Perfons engaged in a Difpute , but that
"X; both came oSamfe, though both got Xhtbetter
The love of Vidtory on one hand, and the Poame of
® .King overcome on the other; their Pafifion andln-
'•'^iifcrert Zeal, their Weaknefs or Intereft,hath made
•^ hemfoowftinate and refolurc,and put them 6n fuch^
' x shifts and Artifices, that have made them come otF
%f,»orfeMcn, y am fure tvorJeChriftians.
_ Since then it muflbe allowed me, that'tfs impof-
5ble the World fhould agree, or be all of one Mind
®^.^mattets of Religion,and na means found competent
I'-'h 5 wh.atend then do Men Difpute.?
they thick to Unite the Poles, or reconcile Con-
'^^.radidtlQui ? Indee-l their Endeavours may be pitied,
'^"p^aufe they mean well; but not at all to be com-
(ii','fended. ButtofpeaR Tmth, they have feen the
/
impofTibility of their Attempt long ago, and there-
fore laid their Heads together for an Exjaedient to
falve all. Hence came the concern" of Infallibility ;
a poorfioift\w},tti, which hath made all things worfe
than they were before ; and has been fo ofien b.rf-
Hed, and ts fuch a ridiculous thing, fo mudi againfl;
the Experience of all M.mkind, thaf Laughing at it
is the btfl way of Arguing. And to my Apprehen-
Hon, themore Certain and Infallible Truth, of the
hnpcffibi'ity ,f Agreement, it a much better Bxpedi-
ent to charm the mad World into an Agreement,
than that of Infiilibility. For when after fo much
Experience, and fo many Attempts made. Men
find the tmp^Jfibility of Agreement; methinks they'
fhouidatlafi; agree ; that is, they fhould^yield fhem-
feives Vanquifned ; fee their Faults ard Vanity of
Contention, be induced to be at Pcrfce one with a-
nother; ceafe their mutual Violence and Severity,
and Amicably turn all into mutual Love, Compii-
ance and Charity. And when the boaft
oftheir Agreement and Infailibiiity., and objedt it to
the Prote)iants , that they cannot agree ; I would
have them tell them again, that Ms impojjlble to
agree, nor is \tnecejfary; and th.rt it is no Crime to ■
in their Senfe. Alfo that the'iT Agreement,
however they may boaft, is no Agreement; that the
Fagots may as well be faid to agree, when they are
bound up together, ox Sheep when drove up togetlier
and pounded in their Folds; and that it is rather a
Combination, or any thing in the World, more pro-
per than an Agreement.
And let me ask the World the Qqeflion , Where
the Harm would be, if Men Worfbip their Maker
in their own way ; and have variotw ahddiffcrent Ap-
prehenfions of Things; if all their refpeCtive Opini-
ens and Sentiments be fecured from having ill EjfcEls
on the Publidk, and from difturbing one another?
What is that to ine, if a Man think a Tree to be a
Man, or a Man to be a Beait ; if a Man fo mif-
thought and apprehended, be ftx:urcd from being
baited or worried ? We are all to anfwer ka one
common Lord and Mafter; He is to be our Judge,
if weh.ave fei ved him not right: Indeed, I loolLon
it as my Duty to inform my Neighbour, andinftrudt
him, if he be out of the way, if I think my way the
better, and more pleafing to my Maker. But then,
fince I may be miftakcn, and out of the way, and hs
in therightway, my method with him eught to be
no other than Reafon and Difcourt ; and that in the
moft moderate and difcreet way I can." For if I
fhould do ctlierwife, I may bring a er Irtcon-
venience on hfm , than that I pretend to Regu-
late.
Bi:t again. As fo the innocency of Differences^
why fhould ; uy Man be citcemed a Criminal, or pu-
12
H.
ntlhed as fuch, whcfe Defires and Infentiori are to
ylcafe his Maker as well as mine ? Weiee all Rivers,
little and great, at laft ditchargc themfelves into the
O; :ean ; and all Div'liians and Sevils of Chrittiani
have the fame End and Tendency, and Terminate
in (he fame Centw, in endeavoaring to Pleafe,
toGiorifie and Honcur their Maker. Why there-
forcfhonld the diftnKfl Ways and Methods in Spiri-
tuals, be more a Reproach than tlu)fe in Temporals;
and Men not to be allowed to choofefor themfelves
their Method in obtaining a Manfion in another
Wor1d,3s well as fccuring a PofTcifion inthis ? Tiieu"
I
'h
.1
own Souls ties atltake,«wriich if they have any apprc-
hen/ions of, ratift needs oblige them to be lincere.
Bntthii interpofing in other Mens M dters, and ot-
ing over-Offidoiis, I like not ; and they that rorce
their own Inventions and Models cf Worfnip on
other Men , un-ier the fpecious pretences of £^gljt
and Truth, do ( I am afraid ) furce a Trade vi\\\c.v
than Truth, which ftamis in need oF no Coercion.
And indeed there is hich a myflerious Trade driven
in the Concerns of Religion, and To much Cain got-
ten by fome particuIar Methods, that 'tis no wonder
Men contended Jo earnefily for them.
And ainongft" other hindrances of true Holine/i,
and Chriftian Affedbion, and of the Eftablifliment of
Truth and Peace among us, srethe Ho-
' nowrs, and large Ifeveiiues cf Spiritual Men : And
I beg fome Geutlemens Pardon if I think amifs, when
I lay I believe the Flames of Contention that are
afoot, , and fo much difturb Chriftendom, would
c-eafe and abate, were the O.ly Subftance o( their fat
benefices a little diminifhed or taken away : And
that a great many Men weald not think it worth
the;r,whi!e to contend to about the inviftble things
oianotherWosXd ^ were there not a great deal to be
gotten \n ihts. But in order to aConclufion ; ,
We may hope and wifh Truth and Peace to flou-
rilh in the World, but wcneveriliall fecit, as long as
Temporals are fo mixt with Spirituals: There will
never be a profpci ous or blelFed Iffue of fuch an un-
hallowed and unfamilified mixture. But when there
h a Divorce put to chefe, and all Power of the Church
be devolved on the State ; and the Men be choleii
hi another manner.^ and their Allowances letled on
them by the State ; and when Learnijigis better ma-
naged and reformed. For the Poet faith but too
fne.
.TF'h.'ttfoever ill the State invades.
Pulpit either forces or perfwades ;
Others may bring the Fewel to the Fire,
But they the Breath which makes the Flame afpire.
W'd that was but an unlucky fort ofComnient, which
ail ix'ifcl
one made of thofc Words wrote over the Head ofpHdnid,
Saviour by Pilate, \nHebrew,Grcek^i,nA Latin, T-jjsdP"?"
he Ihould be perfecuted moft by men ikilfulIhrMize fiii
rhofe Languages: For'tii the Learned men arep: W'' ^
Warriers, and manage all our Contentions;
would in a manner naturally Disband, had they r^e to
fuch Leaders, vrhohave lUtlc clfe to do bnt forj,-, And in
unnecellrry Quarrels, and fct the World together
the-Ears. The other ihree parti of the World hjifc'iliatci
little leaiure, and lefs will and abi.ilies to mainttyjert/.ant
them ; I fay when Leaining is beitermauaged, a j^EwlD
" f J
when a perfetfb and unalterable Toleratioil of all Pf". ■ crPif
m Religion is eftablillie^ then the Etei| "ileicro
God will blefs the V/or!d'with Tiuth and Pesd «Worio
but 'tis only the laft I mean Tohraiion, whichli^fo/^,
at prefent may expeCt.and that for the Reafor.safo^
mentioned ; at alfo for the unvaluable Bmtfi s heJy^aofC
after we fliall certainly reap thereby, for in pa^ jaon
"iju'll:
Whatcan more contribute tothe Security, Profp -jfj.
rlty and Fiourifhing State of this Unhappy Nat. vQig,;.
on, than by one joint and Univerfal Atil,to Akjf'rJ,.'
...L .L I .
allthofe Grievances which have lb long diltufbed
Peace ? I mean Penal Laws and Te^s ; and at
fame time to Settle and Eftabhlb a Great Pacifi^'-j,'^
Charter, that Hell it felf, nor all the United Fori-.j'
of Malicious Men fhall never be able to difturb
Wherein every one cannot fail to find their AccouBl'i^^jj
except thofe who are not fit to be quieted or ^
(ented, beeaufe they will not be fatisfied with tliQ^
proportion of Power, or good Livings, but
all. Bat leaving fuch unreafcnable men to be
naged Into CompIi.ance, by that Power, which"!.
hope will do if eftedlually, I promife my felf, thf
liii
all the reft vvji] not betray to nmch Weaknefs, as
to acquicfce in fuch a Sovereign Expedient, whiii.j
will certainly redound to the good of the whoit"^,^
For hereby every one will have his Religion fecurq
to him, by as good a Title as his Land ; every oilj'' .
will be fecurcd from the Deftrucftive and Ficry
of his Violent Neighbour; And fince hum-.numti^'^
1*1
And Race hummurnei
errare, and Miftakes and Errors will be, ai longf"
there be men; yet thisGre^s Charter will prote\^ .
all from the evil of one anothcrs miftakes; and wi|,^
jnit an end to mem ruining and killing one anothet , J
for Grid's fake; will make the Ljan lie down
the Lamb, and Jilence the voice of Complaints
our Streets ; will check the Infolence and 111 Naf|
ture of Pervcrfe Men, of all fides ; and let meii.,,
Worftiip their Maker finccrely and truly, and pref'
vent Hypocrifie ; will make His Majefty's Govern^'
ment eafie, and prevent Farftions, Plots and Cow'
Ijiiracies againft it; will give Him leave to exert His
Royal Vertues, and make as ccnfiderable a Figure
in Cfiufteodtit# a* anyAnceftort j will take"'
tC
bmpaniei; or Country-men
'fy^nieof the County they were born in.
11(31,
itfepy the Ptetwfionj iljmen may hare from Co-
ilrsP"" f Refti'aint, and lea^e them inexcutiible if
ij^^hu'ent and Unquiet ; fo that none dare endea-
ti^cpn, ormitig Jte their Condign
in\{hment: Will 1^ afleepall Feais and Jealou-
tlhiet thePambnt and Animofities of men,
iij'jjjtatleaft make them Impotent and Uncapable of
jjjl, olng Hurt. And in fine, that by itt Provifions
-.jljdSandtioni, will qualifie things fo, that mcn'of all
:^,';erfwafions ftiall have an equal Claim and Title to
leligion, Property, and their Princes Favour : and
1 jatno publick Emoluments, no Office, Intereft,
befit, Favour or Preferment, fhall be denied to
r^jj, jy man, on the acc6nnt of his Perfwafion; but
i . .^ Iirely onfome Notonom TVtcked Incapacity. And
irther, by its Pactfick^'Nature will gradually eflfcdi:,
.j,,V:|at the prefent odious analignity affixed to the di-
r' fjnguifliing Names of Chriftians, ftiall be mortified
jd made innocent ; and to go under feverai diffe-
Wt Denominations, lliall be no more a Reproach
r ithem, than it Js for Citizens to be free of feverai
to be called by the
But in
' Vwer to fome Objections.
If it be alledged, lhat the Papijls ought not to
^ "y tve the Benefit of Toleration,hecauje of their Wicl^-
' • inefi; To this I anfwer, The fame 'Argument
;tld» good againft any Side or Party; for they
ikSitCe jjggn all wicked by Turns , when in Power,
have been pretty even one with another ; and
I think, ftave the greateft Reafon to agree ; Be-
iies, if we ftay, and will admit of no Religion to
ileii tceivean Eftablilhment, till its ProfefTors have clear-
i: i'f""tithetr.relves of all Ppal Crimrs, or pretended ones;
)T;'■ fam afraid we fhall have no Religion at all: For
.ife l! Sides have been really to Blame, and really Cri-
j^nal, though every Side endeavour to Extenuate
K«1 & heir Guilt; but being Parties, muft not be Judges
! Rd'i I) their own Cafe. Their denying their Faults, does
ikt' iot make them lefs guilty, though fome men think
: hj and by an odd fort of Inference, they reckon to
fccjlake another man a Criminal, is to make them-
f»:k'Hvet Innocent. And the principal thing urged in
/r!!r> Wr Difcourfe is. To magnifie others Faults, and
■Jiis: fiTrwtheir own. And this humour is fo Epidemical,
;^ci-;meet italmoft every where; and if they can prove,
remake out any way, the Perfwafion of another to
/fane abfurd or odd, they look upon themfelvei to be
tctr 'ery good Chriftians; never confidering how cafie
, wii- thing it is to make any thing ahfurdi nor what dif-
iJiiV'nent ways of Falftiood there are ; in fonacof which
ijt{J'i»{istentoone, but they themfelvei may Tread,
pjoiir^ But to come to a more ingenuous Confeffion, and
ikbSii an Indifferent Peribn to fpeak the Truth, and
iWt)|vcan Side* their due ; I proteft I cannot irrCost-
fcience vindicate any Parties proceedings. Tne Pa-
pijis have Faults enough, and the Worid Js fiiquifi-
tive to find out more; (not to mention the inifrcfm-
fentations and foul charges, which is infcpjinbie to
dif()uting Parties:) Nor are the Profjiant D fl.c-
ters i/mocent, but in many things muif icknowlcdge
they have fadiy mifcarried ; efpecially in thofe late
unhappy trtxibles, in the Reign of King Charks I.
Much lefs is the Church of England to be escu-'cd,
who by their Severities and Preflciresof Governmenr,
gave but too great provocations to both ; and their
Puritus Driving like. Jehu, is the principal Caufe of
moft of Gur Troubles. They were the occafion ti"
the Sccrs Rebelling, Arch-Bifliop Lattd impofing.^
the Common-Prayer upon, them, (contrary to the
Conftitution of their Nation) and of the Englifa for-
mer and late Rebellions, by laying fuch Loads on
Dijjetiters, tvhich they tvould net help to hear tvitb
the leafl qftleeir Fingers; but moft ef all to blame
by eftablifhing In'iqmty hy Latvi and after (b much
mijcbief done thereby, yet vindicate the fame Law
ftill, and byConfequence theit Wicked Proceedings.
In Calm Fits and Sober Hours, they confeft their
former ill Treatment by Dijjenters has made them
over-adt themfeives of Late. Ahd why will nor
they allow this to be a good Plea In the Mouths of
others, who over-adfed themfeives too in tUeV late and
former Outrages; refenting too deeply and ur.chrJ-
ftlanly their 111 Ufage and Oppreffion? Tyranny
and Opprelfion is the Original and Source of moft
violent Outrages; and when-everthe Banks are pull'd
down,the Current runs with the greateft Impetuofity.
'Tis well known the PapiFtshave had but mi(era»
ble Treatment in England, ever fince the Reforma-
tion, but efpecially unce Queen Mary'f time ; and
'tis known as well that the Diffenters have had little
better: And no wonder therefore that they have plot-
ted and been troublefome tothemthathave kept them
under', and the Church of too, when unC.er
Hatches by the Dijjenters, were Plotters to bring
themfeives (though they called it the fQ'ngJ inagajn ;
Indeed they have not had fo many Temptations as o-
thers;for fince the Reformation,they have been moltly
Regent, and in -the Sunftiine ; I fhall not further
objcdt againft them, what their Enemies have ohje*
deed ; but fay they Ircgni to fhew themfeives Men,
and exadtly like other Men too, they grow angry and
difcontenfed ; fometimes Threaten, fomerimcs Flat-
ter, then Refiedt, ftart Jealotifics , and raile Bug-
bears ; and ufeall the little Shitis and Artifices wlvch
their reputed Enemies, in much worfe^Circumit,.,!.
eft, formerly ufed; and then were objcdfed to the n
a» Crimes, So that InConclufion, after all the noife
and talk of Loyalty, and good Principles, hv eve,.,
rarty, I find none of titem good, but when they
,
i
■
'P.
j
IH. I
'li: i'
it.:'
are plea/ed (which they fay the Devil isj nrni none
ivrtich worfe than another, but when they are are /)cc-
vo-(eJ.
Jin; he.tc, I know, will come in an ObjctSlion, and
that ij, Toat the P.ifijlx by their Principles are (o
pfr from thini^n^g it a iln to dejiroy then Innocent
Neighb ■;irs, (irhich are Hereticks, at they call them)
that they thitil'jt matter of Merit and Duty fo te do.
Here is an Oujeotion with a Witneti,
Pudet hecc rfprobrianohis.
Et did pettiiJJ'e, nonpotuijje refelli.
Jf this could be prov'd, (which I never yet faw) and
it they clearnotthemfclves ;fioiii this, and give the
W 'orld fatisfadlion ; I am To far from extenuating
fuch a wicked Principle, that I think what Oppofitioii
tiieir Adverfartes have already, or hereafter may
make againft them, is all but too little ; and I think
hi I
J
; il.!
s VSr
ffi'
1 !:■'
itmy'Duty, and ought to be the Duty of every Ho-
new Man, to extirpate fucha Race of Men from the
tace of the Earth ; and to refpedt them as a fort of
wild Beafts, that would devour and Prey upon Man-
kind. God forbid I fhould argue fot fuch a fort of
Men. What I argue for, is only for an Indulgence
of Thought in things of an indifferent Nature , and
Principles which terminate in Sjieculation , and pro-
duce no wicked dHion. And I here declare again,
as at firft, That 'tis an unreafonable thing , that any
fort of Men , under what Denomination foever,
fhould have the benefit of any Government, much
lefsbe admitted as, a Member, or Adminiftratorin
it, un.ets he do his endeavour to Encourage snA Pre-
tec] if, and give Security for bis quiet and peaceable
Lwing under it.
But then as our Saviour commended the Vnjuil
Steward, fb Icannot but commend all our Parties,
andmuft needs fay They do tttijelyin their Gtnerati-
en, abatingtlyeir Honeifty and Integrity. Porto be-
gin with the Church of England', Her Sons Adl as
P.udently ascanbe imagined ; for they have got all
iolo their own hands, all the Spiritual Preferments in
tlie Nation ; Many ofthem fhould turn Papijls, that
ismadncfs, for they have got <?//already j and the
Jfa/'ifis have nothing to give them ; They know, that
if either they move to the Right Hand, or the Left,
; the) ihallbe LeJJeued, fir.cc they are craving needy
' People on both S destl em: Thereforer/jesV IntenJI
cor.fiffsin being obffit.v.te, and flanding cut againft
' the Kings Demands: They may be made lejs, but
. cant.ct be made greater: Therefore by all means
f< ffible they endeavour to keep thofe under that
wculd come in Snacks with them ; alfoon thefcore
, ®f their Abufe, for they areConfcious of the Injury
i tkey have done, and are afraid of ^etaliatten.
Then as they cannot be blattied to keep theitie, trW
Wealth and Pwer; fo on the other hand the
deavoursof others muft nof be blamed in gettingi./^/«
what they can : And, who in Confcience or Equity:>' "
can accufi them, who-being Poor, Indigent, ands®'^®®
ready to be Starved, dO endeavour to (upply the^iat "jJ"
Wants , and come in Partners with.the Pofleffors ?.; i®"'"
'Til natural for every Man that har been Opprc0l;;^i tffw'®'
to ridhimfelf of h s Yoke, and endeavour to fccinedi"^^,'"
himfelf for the future ; and that Man defervcs to iK.'.iiuireia
hang'd, who-{landing ccndemn'd by an unjuft Lawt.iid:ixllis
and gets a Reprieve, will not endeavour to get
tinjuft a Law to be Repealed. But then the Injuflict iiujiij I
oftliefirft, or the irregularity of the Methods ofthiaf, fcaffl,
Laft, I cannot confent to commend. And it griev^;ii,'£!iij lof
me to confider, how fieligion is made a StaiklngjulEtd');
Horfe ; and is taken up for a Pretence and Cloak tc t
cover Mens bafe Defigns ; and indeed as far as evajjimii r;
I cculd obferve, two thirds of that which Men caL-V/jf fi
by Xhat venerable Name, it nothing elfe but a, Tn'cj
toget Money. And the Holy Scriptnres are hkt.jJjjtDB
Original Deeds, by which any Man that has but
little more Wit than Honefty, may lay claim toat
Ecclefiaftical Poffeflion. -^iiiottc
Butleafll fhould bethought to fpeak irreverent J*
ly of fhofe Holy Books, I acknowledge. That ift',Mj|]j|
man be fincere andhoneft, and look for Truth as
he had a mind to find it ; and have no other end
in his Search, but to pleafe his Maker and favc hi
Soul; he may eafily find enough to make him
' r. But as far as I can fee
happy here and hereafter, _ .
men feem to underfland moft of the Scrlptuxa
backward. For whereas the Prophet faith, He hah
fbewed thee, O Man, what the Lord rctjuireth c
thee, to do JuJiice, and love Mercy, and to
Humbly with thy God. And the Apoftle tells thefli'
That True Religion before God and the Father, con
fijis in vijiting the Fatherlefs and Widows in thai^
Affliblion, and w k^ep themjelves unfpcttedftemth^
World; slfo another. That they fhould follow Peat
with aU men, and Holinejs, without which no ma.
Jhall fee the Lord : By their Adlions and Livinf' "/i *
they feem to underftand them clear contrary; as if | aj-f.
had been faid thus, H? hath Jhewed thee, 0 mat : l -
ufioat the Lord requireth of thee, to do Iniiijlice, t jj,'
(
love Perficution, and to walk at Enmity and Def '
ance with thy God. True Religion before Godan
the Father is this. To neglek the Fatherlefs, andaf'ra
fliFt the Widows, and to confirm themjelves to Tj
Fajhionsofthe World', and follow Contention mTfi
Strife with aU men, without which no man fhaSLf
ie Heaven. Truely men's Adioni feemi to favot^'it
this latter Interpretation, rather than the forme
And many other placcsof Scripture L could qnoti
which exhort toLeve and-Peace, and mutual Con's...
delcen'
Jfcent'ion, which men either do not, or will not
J ..'^uderftand; and 'tii a deplorable thing to confider
farttai they are in underftanding the Scrip-
7," wci. Some'Texts are great Favourites, when
feem to countenance their Intereft or Defigns;
others that will not Fote for them, are ca-
(^fer'd, and a hundred Objed:ions raifed againft
hem. That of Contend earneflly for the Faith
net delivered to the Saints, I warrant you at this
^ imi o'th' Day is a precious one; for here peevifh
''""^■fature is gratified,and here ifl haveamind to keep
thing thzt'it dear to me, I have a Cover for my
ftera, jjjj. Yis but calling my Fadfion, my PalTion, Hu-
c!'to|our^ Prejudice, Intereft, £^c. by the Venerable
■ ^"'toe of True Faith; and then I have a Commif-
to contend earneftly for it. Contend earnefily
itti!: us for our Livings and Benefices, once delive-
t h Latrs, would not look well; But Con-
Ht carnejily for the Faith, that's plaufibla and
;eik jjg, dcnvn glib. I will readily allow the Objection
inj;::-.^ichlfee is ready to come upon me, that is. That
Ian fc; ure obliged in Conjcience to contend for the
''i V- ISati, or that tohich thy thinks to be true i yet
lis Contention ought not to proceed further than to
^l^^fication', and if any other Methods be ufed be-
calm Beafoning and Argument, that deftroy
idfailharity, zn Indifference is better than fuch Conten-
aKM. on. And when men exhort their Auditory toCw-
lakcfi^swj; however innocent their Meaning and In-
10 iai;iitioni may be, yet their Difcretion muft be bla-
afesid, and they will never be able to dear them-
oi Mitves of publick Cenfure, if they do not qualifie their
phdtifcourfewithall the Limitations and Reftridtions
Iri ^ iuginable; for men are too apt to Contend without
[utj, aiihortation.
Apcfei
it'al-
But to Gonclude,
fei...,'''
■ s!fc|J/A7C£ in f» many no Humane
Sictis^'J Art or Indttfiry, nor aU the Powers en
iffltj- 'jijih together, by either Force or Stratagem,
''tcil have found^ nor hereafter
tno!!''" fittd an Expedient') or make it pof-
atridft fo many variotts and all incom-
'siliftent MediumS) That all men fhonld be of
^-0^ T)ifagree^
l>e Deceived^ or not have Differences and
{ttP'i,
liw il"'
Contentions •, I fay, fince theft things are im-
fofjlble tobe done, f Salva veritate, and at
lowing Liberty of Judgment) the Attempt {
Vftinand Feoltjh, and not to be profecated
bat by Fools or Mad Men, ^nd fince it is
[o, the next thing which naturally comes un-'
der Conf deration is. How to make all things
as Innocent and Eafie, and Suitable to Go~
vernmentas poffible. AH which things H^
Gracius Majejly having duly Weighed and
Confidered; out of Great Experience, Deep
Wtfdom, and Princely Compafflon towards'"
His mifcrable contending SubjtEls, hath found
out and pitched upon the only Expedient in or-
der thereto, J mean a Great Pacifick Char-
ter, vehich though it cannot fubdue mens lit
Nature and Will, yet will put it out of the
Power of any one Contending Party to hurt a-
nother. His this Infirument and only this,
( withGod''s Blejfing J can make our mifcra-
ble Contending Nat ion Happy. And he either
does not truly underfiand his Intereft, or is
no True'E,r\^\^-Man, who doth not heartily
dejire it, and by all hone ft means endeavour to
promote it. And I doubt not, maugre all the
Oppofition of Intereffed and ZJnreafonable
M.rt, but that His Mffeliy will duly Fff>.ll ,
it. The Almighty, aHGood and Wife God,
who put it in his Heart, no doubt hut will af-
ftfi him in it; and if fo, Gamaliel's Advice
is pertinent in the Cafe, To ftrive againft
the Almighty, will be to no purpofe; They
but in vain promife themfelves fuccefs,againft
the King of Heaven Earth. It feemsto
be ail Honour and a Bleffin^ referved by Hea-
ven on purpof ifor him •, and is *n AHioti and
Performance truly worthy of fo Judicious, fo
JuTt,& fo Couragious a Prince',and will raife
Him a Name, and a Monument, not to be De'
faced by the Sp^ht of Time, or Suc.cejfwn,
of Ages,.
F I N I S.
THE
JUDGMENT
a
CONCERNING
Thefe following Particulars.
I, A Law tor Difabling a Tapijl to Inherit the
Crowff.
* II. The Execution of Tenal'Laws againft
■ tefimt Dijftnters.
III. A Bill of Com^rehenfioti'
All Briefly Difcuflcd
In a, letter f :ntfrom beyond the Seas to a Diffenter,
ten Tears ago.
^econu CDttton.
LONDON,
Printed by T.'B. for Robert ClaVely and are to
be fold by I{ancloJph Taylor near Stationers
Hall. MDCLXXXIV. .
yU
H 1§S'9
THE
TO THE
This Little Book Kbdj frfl Tr'mted in the
Year 1674. Author of it was, I
canyiot tell, nor dare I prefume to coyijeliure.
When it came out firfl it Tras receiyed as the lajl timig
that was written by a Late Learned 4wJRigHt no-
nourable Author, "trho "Was in France at that time,
and fmce hath been cited , as if it had been his, and
1 Tbdj fo carried away with the common Opinion, that
1 tfar almojl perftlfaded to print it under his TSlame ,
efiecially haying heard , that the Late Firebrand of
the Nation, The Earl of Shaftsbury always took
it for his: 3ut as I was ready to put it to the Prefs, a
Gentleman, to whom 1 communicated my Vefign, did
ajjure me he iPos not the Author of it, but another
"Perjon 5 but hecauje I cannot /peak upon J(jurance, for
A 1 fear
The ^co\seJler to the %eaderl
fear of tnijlake, I not fo much as hint to the j
der, tphom I thinkhim to he. 1 was perfwaded hy a n ^
Learned Gentleman , as ignorant of the Author as
my felf to give it a New Impreffion ; and hy this
fmall Pamphlet, which came out fo long fince,the Re-
publican Party might have feen^that there were good
Men in the dSlATiOH, Vpho V^ould not (it idle^ and fee
them run dovnt the Government: Fok if a Loyal
Subject at Juch a dijlance did Ten years •fince defend
the Succelfion, when it was hut lightly attack'd, it was
eafie to forefee, that there "trould he great ISlumhers to
defend it foth with their Fens and Swords, It^henit
came to he fo powerfully oppofed. God Almighty
he praifed for 'giving the KING the Vit^tory over
rjjgplinemies of the Monarchy, and give his Loy4
Subje^s Grace to walk worthy of the famcjhmcn..
hBb'
)?ctl
Robert Clavel;
■ I
ALETTE% fent from beyond the
Seas to a Noted Dillenter.
Dear Confine
I Was very glad to receive ypiir Letters, but very
forry to find by them, that you are fo ex-
treamly defirous of I»nonjAt 't ns in z Government {b
weli Efiablifhed, as that is under which you live. I
perceive you are more zealous then it becomes a good
Subject, or a good Chriftian to be, for carrying on
a Projefl of the Earl of Shaftsbary , as Llnreafbna-
ble as New 5 viz. That of a ^aptft tO
CtOtDlt. For doubtlefs that propofal
wasfirft made, and afterwards promoted by him,
the laft Stfjions of Parliament, not out of true Love
to the Reformed Religion , but out of Spite and Re'
venge to theD. of T— Who, were he not olf!^ Pa-
pift, but Heathen or Mahumetan ('which I think is
not much worfe^ would certainly have as good a
Title to his Crown, and all his Temporal Right:-, as
if he were the moft Orthodox and Holy Chriftian in
the World. And I am perfwaded, that my zealous
Lord Chafe would not be willing that the King and
Parliament fliould make a particular A^, todifable
his own Pofterity, to Inherit the great Eftate he
hath got, if they fhould turn Papifts or /?thAfis, as
others have done before them» We all know what
mifchief in the World, that Damnable Doffrihe has
made ,
tttattcejs hepenn upon ^atnt^tp anO (I5^ace'.
And
And if it be clear from Scripture fis nothing is more
clear) that a King ought not to lofehis Crown , for
not being a Chriftian, or for renouncing the Chri-
ftian Religion as fulUn did ; then it is plain , that
neither the Duke nor any other Prince ought to be
debarred from the Crown, which is the greateft
and moft facred of Temporal Rights, for not being
Proteftants ; or which is more > for renouncing the
Chriftian Religion.
And I am heartily glad,thatGod gave the Fathers of
the Englilh Church me Grace and Courage to defend
herDo&rine,in oppofing that Unreafonable,and truly
Romijb Propofal of my Lord Chofe; which if they
had approved > and defended after it was propofed,
they had truly aded in that like Prelats Popilhly afs
fe£led, and really flieWed themfelves to be what
their Adverfaries would fain perfwade the World,
they are. For'tis the Church, and her Do-
£lors^ which maintain. That Kings ExcmmunicAteA^
or Heretick Kings, or (which is all one) that Kings
that renounce the j^pojlolick faith ^ ought to be Deprived
and Depofed. But 'tis the Church of EagUni that
maintains the contradiftion of that Unfcriptural,
Uncvangelical Principle; and thinks her felf as much
obliged to fubmit her felf to a Heathen^ Atheiftical^
HereticaU or Popijb Prince.^ where fhe can, as to an
Orthodox King; and where fhe cannot, Ihe thinks
her felf obliged to fuffer, as her Saviour, like- a
Lamb brought to the daughter; and dares pretend
to take up no Arms but thoTe of the Primitive Qhri-
ftians fttUC Cop^ Cht tJJ) Tears ^ Arguments
and Prayrs. I fay, it is the Church of England.,
( 3 )
that is of this Judgment, and neither the Church of
Eotne, nor the Kirk of ScotUnd ; both of which
have afiualiy ExccmmunicAted and Dtpoftd Lawful
and Rightful Princeunder the Notion of being He-
r.ticksEmmies toChriftsKingdom ; forgetting
both alike the Pnceps and Examples of our Saviour
and his Efoftles, on which the Church of England
hath grounded the contrary Do£lrine, as well as on
right feaPon.
Our Saviour? though Godrendrcd unto the Hea-
then the things that were Qajar^s; he owned
his right to the Empire, both by word and deed,
although he were but the adopted Succeffor of the
greateft Ufurper that ever was in the World. Nay
furthermore, he owned and fubmitted to the pro-
curatory Power of Pilate^ who affed but by Commif-
fion from the Emperour Tiberius; who (if there be
any truth in the Character of Tacitus) was one of
the greateft Tyrants , and moft wicked men that e-
ver the World faw. And as for St. Pa ul^ there is
no Jrticle of our Religion^ not eve« that, that j^efts*
Chrift is the Son of God^ more clear in his Epiftles,
than that Every Soul fhould be fubjell to the Higher
Powers that we Jbould Obey, not or-ly for fVrath^ but
Qonfcience fake ; that whofoever refifttth , receiveth to
himfelf Damnation ; and laftly, that all the Powers
(and when he wrote there were none but Heathen
Powers) were ordained of God.
I might here infift upon the Practice of the Epo-
JtUs, as it is reprefented in their and the con-
ftant » and Sujfr 'ngso^ the Prim tive. Chri-
ftians, as they are reported by the Ecciefapical Fa-
thers ■:
(4)
thers and HiJtorUns'^ but the Scripture it felf is fuf-
ficient to demonftrate the truth of this y^rgument,
which the Church EngUn^ has not only eftablifh-
edin her Dodlriiie, but her Fathers and Sons of late,
maintained in their Pm^ictsx and which the Kirk of
of ScotUnd ('agreeing in this and many other Points
with that of Rome) did ever oppole, both in Word
and Deed; And fince that Kirk and Nation have
been of this Opinion, we need not wonder that the
Englijh Difciples of their Buchanan and Knox have
pradifed thofe rebellious Principles^, which have fb
debauched and corrupted the Suojcfts of the Kings
of England, as to make them be proverbially called.
The Kings of Devils: And y^nahabtijts in
Germany improved into this Maxim , That Saint[htp
voits the Foundation of Soveraignty, and that the Righ'
teous ought to Inherit the Earth.
And furthermore , if Crowns ought to defcend
upon Proteftants only, then it is but juft, that the
Eftates of all Subjeds whatfoever fhould be fo En-
tailed: ndif for example, theD---—^of T muft
be cut otf from Wis Rights^ for being a Roman Catho-
lick, then let the reft of the Papifts lofe theirs; they
are all alike Idolaters , and let them all alike fuffer.
And, to bring the Cafe to your own Houfe., can you
imagine that you your felf ought to lofe your Right
to the Eftate you have, or may have hereafter, up-
Oil that fuppofition , that you fhould turn Papiftj
which men as firmly refolved againft it as you have
^^grtainly done. Thefe Pradifes and Propofals are
jiiich, that they have left a blot on the memories of
Cbriie.mcn, that feem more zealous than their Bre#^
thren.
jrai'
thren. And r am glad at preferit, thiit tht Religim
Lord (^hofe is the Chief Patron and Promoter of fueh
an Unreafonable and Romijh Difign. it is unreafona-
hie to exclude a Popilh Heir from a Crown, to which
he derives his right from Pofijh Anceftors, and I
have more than ordinary reafon to call it Romifli>
becaufe \ have heard it maintained here among all
the Priefts i converfe with, it is a Doftrine dearly
beloved by the Rominifts: And put but the Name
of Heretick to a Prince here, and it is juft the fame
cafe, as when you call a Prince a Papift in England 5
where, if there be no more than my good Lord
Chofe that are Fautors of this )Eontf(|)
my Country is in a far better cafe than 1 thought it
to be. And truly this noble Proje0 of the late Lord
Chofe was condemned by all Preteftants as foon as it
took air in France i not only for that it was an Un-
gofpel way of Proceedings and favours ftrongly of the
Doftrineof Romt^ which they abhor5 but becaufe
it puts their King in mind of a Propel he is very much
inclined to, viz.. To make a like Lavi here, that
none but a )SOtn0i1t fhall ever be King*
or bear ^x\y Office ov Truft in the Kingdom. Andcer-
tainly, if it fhould ever pleafe God, for our fins, to
fulfer our Pritces to backflide into ]!iOtlliQ)
tXf and we have nothing to do, but
to pray, and like our Glorious Anceftors in Queen
Mary s days , fiiffer quietly , when we cannot flie.
And therefore 1 wonder that you would foobliquely
reflefi upon the Bifhops, and cenfure them for do?
ing that, which in Honour and Duty, the\ were
bound to do» and reprei'ent this to their Bifgrace,
B which
which all good and well advifed Proffiants muft
needs Commend them for, if they will be Im-
partial.
But put the cafe fuch an AO: were made, who can.
lee the bad confequences thereof ? The Union of
Great Briitain^'xW be broke upon it, and War en-
tailed upon both Kingdoms, and by the fame reafon,
that none but a Protefiant (hall fucceed now, FaUion
ftill increafing, none perhaps within a while, will"
bethought fit to Inherit the Crown, but 2iPreJby-
terian ., &c. For you that are ufed to talk of
berjsi anu can belt tell how Numerous
and Powerful they are that arepoifelfed with as firm
a prejudice againfl: the Church of England.^ as the
Church of Rome it felf; denying Communion e-
qually with both \ and who educate their Children
in perfe£Uiatrcd of the one, as the genuine Daugh-
ter of the other.
lhave wrote all this to prefent to your view what
^perhaps in the hurry of Zeal; you have not had time,
toconfider. And though I think it very impious and
unreafbnable ,to debar any fuch Prince from the
Crown, upon this account, yet could we imagine
the Government were to be formed again, 1 would
be as Zeali us for this condition, as the greateft
of them all: And 1 am as forry as any other
good Proteftant, that it was not always one of the-
Fundamental Lau s of England ^ though now it b^
too late"to make it fuch.
You tell me alf) that my Lord — intends to
eomc .^nd live in London 5 I fuppofe it may be under
pretenc^tQiegure his Perfon f;-om the Payijls ; but I
wjfh
wifh It may not be with a defign toa£l over the fame
things, under a pretence of fecuring the Pr'te(la?7ty
which the Duke of Guife affed in , under a
feeming Zeal to fecure the Popipj Religion. The
Reafon that makes me fear it, is the conformity of
our times in England with thofe in France^ as you
may fee by the fallowing account.
The Duke, u ho was a man of an
and not able to bear the leaft difgrace, being remov-
ed by Henry III. from the moft Rich and Honourable
of his , became thereupon
Male-content; and retiring from the Court ? which
he now did hate, went to live at his tioufe in Parii:
where, by many Arts, as in particular by the: fubtle
Praftifes of the Priefts and Jefuits, he became in a
fhorttime the Minion of the People; whbfe Affefti-
ons he drew off from the King , by reprefenting
him (though a hearty ISoman CatlhOltCft) as a fa-
vorer of the Hereticks ■ who under the proteffion
of the Princes of the Bloud increaftd mightily in
his Rtign, He alfo reprefented him iri particular to
be a great favourer of the King of Navarre-, againft
whom he himfelf had a particular ill will; and whom
the Peofle , through the Inftigation of the Priejls
y did perfeftly hate, becaufe he was'a
Protejlant; although he was Primur Prince of the
Blood ( for whom the French commonly have a
great Reverence) and by Confequence Heir Appa-
rent, or as a Friend of yours would have faid. Heir
Prefumptive f,for the King had no Child to Inherit)
to the Crown of France. After he had thus made
the credulous Pcf/'/e, by the help of the Priejl - and
B 2 f.fr-
§^fttits, zealous for the Defence of their Declining
Religion, he drew them to League into Rebellion a-
gainft their lawful Soveraign , under a pretence of
fecuring the fame, by removing Evil Councellors
from his Perfon^ and obliging him to employ his
VioydXPorver in fupprefling the/'ro/e/?^r/;and in parti-
cular by declaring th^Heretick King of A^^i/^rrrffaftcr-
wards H. IVJ uncapable offucceeding tothe Crown,'
For the fake of Peace the King was willing fo far
to deny himfelf as to grant the two firft, but
could never be made fo falfe to the Intereft of the
Royal Family , as to confent to the laft, by chang-
ing the order of Succeflion to the Crown, by which
his Anceftors had Reigned lb many hundred years;
and which have been lo long eftablidied,without any
refpetf to Religion, by theSaliqueor Original Laws
of France. Hereupon the t in Imitation ^
and after the Pattern of which the Solemn
anb was formedJ or Rebellion grew fb
high, as to beat the King out of Paris', where the
Otiifards had a dedgn to fieze upon his facred Per-
Ibn,^ fhut him up, like King inaMona-
ftery, and fet up the filly old Cardinal B^urhon, the
King of. ]SIaVAi% Uncle, to Reign in his Read. But
the King efcaping from Paris , fheltcred himfelf
in Chartns ; where to compofe Differences, he iffu*
ed out Writs tocall together the three Eftatcs (which-:
much refemble our Parl'tammts) at Btois. Thither
the Deputies or Members repair, feme for theKing,
but far more for the Curfed League ; and therefore
the Guifardi finding themfelves more potent than .
the jiEO.¥al((l05 infilled almoR on nothing elfe, but
fceuring
{9)
Kcuring the iSoman Cat^ottcft JKeligfOtt, by de-
daring the King of A'in/^ryg^becaule an Herttick^xkw-
capable of Succeeding to the mofl: Chriftian Crown;
You fee Coufin, what a Parallel there is between
thofe times and ours; exoepting Firft, that there
are no Priefts and Jeluits to lecond fuch a Defign in
Enghni^ as there were in France : But to fupply
that Defecl, there may be found men as fit in all
points as they in to ftir up the People to
Difcontcnt and Rebellion. I mean the fame fort
of Perfons that Preached up the late Bloody War ;
who really are the Ballard-brood of the Monaftick
and Jcfuitical EmiiTarics, though they bear not the
Names of their Fathers; but (like Bahards) are
difowned by thole that begot them. The Seditious
Prineiplts Preachtd and Printed by them in the late
Times> are Evident Proofs of what Race they are
come ; And as a man may Travel fb far Weft, till
at laft he come to the fame Eaftern Point from
which he did fet out, fb you Coufin, and your Bre-
thrcnhave gone fi) fer from the Church of JRome^
that you are (forae I believe unawares) come thither
again ; as is unanfwcrably proved by Lyfmachm N/-
tanor, lately reprinted at Oxford, in his Letter of
Congratulation to the Kirk. But Secondly, theP^-'
ralkl fails in this too , That his Royal Highnefs is
not a declared Papiri, as the King of Navarre was a
declared Pmefant; nor has yet openly renounced
the Communion of the Church of England^ for
whicli his blelfed Father died a Martyr. And there-
fore of the two , our Englifh Guifards are much
more. to. blame , in reprefenting his Royal High-
nefs as a P/tpiJl, which is fo difficult to imagine
him to be.
But furthermore, upon fuppofition he were a de-
dared the Propofxlo^ my Lord C^&/e was ve-
ry ridiculous, fince it did fuppofe a poffibility of
prevailing with his Majefty to DiHnherit his Royal
Brother, who muft needs be fo much dearer to him,
than the King of Navurre was to Henry III, as he
is nearer in Blood. And for my own part, I cannot
but imagine at this diftance, that his Majefty who
is a Prince incomparably wifer and jufter then was
HenryVi\. of Frxnce^ muft needs difdain and abhor
fucha Propofxl-^ which, were it Enaded, it would
enervate the Laws of Succeffion by which He and
HU Anceftors have hitherto Reigned , and give a
greater Blow to the Englifti Monarchy ^ than that
which cut off Hie Royal Fathers HexA.
I have here forborn to give you an Account of the
Tragical End of the Duke of which is aLef-
fon well worth your Learning, and may teach all
P^rfons, fo difpofed as he was, how unlafe it is to
provoke Soveraign Authority ; fince the goodnefs of
the beft of Kings, like the infinite Goodnefs of God
himfelf, whofe Miniflers thzy are, may at length
be fo injured and affronted, as to be forced to fhar--
pen it felfinto Sovereign Vengeance and Juftice.y/W
therefore Coufin, let meadvifeyou, if not for Con-
fcience, yet for Wraths fake, to have nothing to do
in Blowing up the Flames of Sedition : Nor let your
Sotd enter into the fecret of my Lord though
his Jnterefl among the Senators ('as you write) be
-fo very confidcrabie and ftrong.
You
,, r u )
You likewife forget your fclf, is mifcalling the
Execution of the late Laws by the odious name of
PtrJecHtion; which if you can prove to be fuch, ac-
wve. cording to the Scriptural notion of Perfecution, z'iz.
Jnflt^ion of Evil for R 'ghteoufntfs fake ^ then will I
skil become your Prolelyte, and forfake the Church of
toliiii, England^ as much as I have this Idolatrous Church
1. Jsk of Rome.
Icam For no man is perfecuted, but either for immediate
fty wk matters of Divine Worfliip, which concern the Firlf
bwii Table 5 or with refped to matters of Morality, or
sdafc a Good Life, which concern the Second,
itffou!! With refped to the Firft; a man is perfecuted ei-
itfan: therona negative account, for not worOiiping a
dgmi Falfe God, as the three Children in Daniel'^ or for
•liiDtk not worfliipping the True in a Falfe way : as St. Pnul
and the other Apoffles were perfecuted by the Pha-
ntofc rifees, for not worfliipping the True God according
disalx- to the Jewifh manner after it was abrogated-' Or as
teacU our Fore fathers in England^ For not worfhiping
feitii: God and our Saviour after the RomiQi Rites. Or Se«
condiy, on a pcfitive account, For worfhipping the
{jof&s true God in a way that is true ; or to exprefs it yet
jtleojj more clearly and abfolutely in your own terms
itoih fertfng Of (0oh ; as / was'calf into the
Lyons Den, for praying to God againft the King's
forCJ i>ecree.
jnjrwd: With refped to the Second 5 A man is alfo perfe-'
cuted on a negative account, For not doing fometf
thing, which is in its own nature, or by Gods pufi-'
b; tive command, morally evil; as the good M d wives-
were, afraid to be perfecuted by Pharaoh ^ for not-
yju murhciing^;
f )
murthcrlhg Hebrew Infants. Or elfe on a pofitive
account* for doing fome good moral a£lion, which
ought in fuch and fuch circumftances to be done :
and thus was our bleffed Saviour pcrfecuted, for o-
pening the eyes of the blind man, aad for healing
on the Sibbath'daji.
Now thefe diftinffions being premifed, tell me
in of ti^efe cafejj axz ^^erfecuteh if
or, which is all one* fo^ 'POU Slit CotTft^OillS
anil ♦ For no man is perfecuted , but as
he is perfecuted he is a Confeffor or Martyr ; and
by his fiifFerings bears witnefs to the Truth. With
refpeftto the Second head, you cannot fay that you
are perfecuted; and therefore let me fee whether
you are fo with refpe£t to the firft. And Firft, 'tis
plain that you do^fuflfer for not worfhiping a falfe
God ; and 'tis likewife as plain, that you do notfuf-
fer for not worfhipping the true God in a falfe way.
Tor firft, the Laws, whofe Execution you mifcall
PerfecutioH, do not punifh you for not worfhiping
God after our way 5 or if they did to prove their Ex-»
ecution to be Perfecution, you muft Firft prove that
the Church of EngUnd (whofeDo£frine is down right
againft Idolatry and Superftitionj does worfhip God
in an Idolatrous and Superftitious manner j which,
/good Coufin, you know can never be proved.
There remains nothing then but to affert* That
you are punifhed tO% terbtng 0? fO^l
(Dipping (Boh in a lojap toDicD pou are fure in
true. That you worfhip God in a true way, I ve-
rily believe, and could heartily joyn with you in o-
ther circumftances. But then you are not punifhed
for
for worflilpping God in that manner ; for the fame
Laws you complain of, allow you to worfhip God
in what fafhion you pleafe ; and not only you, but
your Family, be it as great as it will; and laftly, not
only your Family, but Five Perfons more ; Which ala
lowance,were you the only Chriftians in the World,
and the Magiftrates Heathens ; or , which your
Friends are more likely to fuggeft, were they Papifls
or Atheifts , is fo far from being Perfecution, that
were you of the temper of the Primitive Ghriflians,
you wmuld eiteem it as a great privileclg, and inlfead
of reviling, thank the kind Magiftrate for the fame.
But then.it on the contrary hand you be confidered
(^and many good Englifh men, and good Chriftians:
cannot but confider you^ as a fort of men that have
formerly railed a moft Unnatural Rebellion, and now
make Schifm in the Church, and Broyles in the
State, the punifhments you fuffer and complain fo
loudly off, will be fo far from feeming Perfecution
of you as Chriftians, that they will rather Teem your
juft Defert,as FaQious and Turbulent Subjefts. And
l affureyou, that your Brethren \n France (whom
you falfly lb call , and for whom you pretend fo
great refpeO:) are fo far from Judging you perfecu-
ted, that they will not excufe you ; but wonder at
your non-fubmiffion to the Church, and pity your
miftakes, that make you ftand out againft the Laws,
They that have feen and examined our Englilh Litur-
gy, which is Printed at Geneva, in French , cannot
underftand your Notion of Perfecution.Andyi</m/?re
CUude^ the moft famous of them all, for Piety and
Learning, told me in the prefence of many others ,
C (after
Rafter a Difbourfe , wherein he fald ail for you that
could be faid; that he wondred how the Presbjteri-
Ans in E»glanii could rend the Peace of the Church,
for fuch little indifferent matters ; and that, it he
were in EnghnA^ he would be of the Epi/copaJ pArty^
and heartily fubmithimlelf to the and
vernment of the Chsrch of EngUnL And if you would
do fo too, how happy a thing would this be both for
your felves and the Nation < Or feeing, as you pre-
tend you cannot, yet at leaftlive PeAceAhly, and for-
bear to trouble the World with compalling St a and
LanA-, that is, by doing all that you can, like your
Fathers the old PharifetSj to make Profilytes ; when
yet you cannot fhew any finful condition of Com-
munion with the Church oi EngUnA^ nor prove your
way of lVor(hip as Jpoftolical^ as that of hers; from
which out of P iAe, Int^reft or Ignor^nctj or partly
altogether you D.ffent. I am fure this would rather
become the Diifenting Brethren^ then to Foment/)/-
'vifions, Raife PArties, betake themfelves to the wic-
kedeff of Men,2iS of late to and cry up the Kings
Prerrgative, which they formerly cried down; which
with many other felf-contradiftions, confirms mt in
an opinion you knowl was of before, That in thole
matters wherein you differ from us , you are men of
no Principles, and know not where to fix.
I have Enlarged upon this 7%eam more than I
thought to do ar firffjbecaufe thtPapifts here in France
complain as loudly as you of the cruelty of our Ec^
clefiijlical Laws ; and cry out wherever they come,
how their Brethren have been 5 and ftill are
CUteD among ; though with this difference, that
~ in
n\il! in difputing ad hominem^ their cafe is far more reafb-
nable and pleadable then yours. As for you, I pro-
telf, tho' the Laws you complain off look like hard
,it^ Laws, when I confider you as fVtZ ^Ubjectg?
IPtftj, of England,-, yet when I confider you as Htad-ftrong,
inilj). TurhiUtnt and FaSiious Subje^is, I cannot but think
them juiland good, and I will maintain that the Ex-
(Otlin cetttionoi them would not be Perjecution , altho* you
loufit were the only true Qhrifiians in the fVorld. For, as
mifij, I hinted before, you have the Liberty in your Hoafes
Yaffil toprofefs what you pleafe, and to worfhip
fejOB God in what manner you will; And for fear your Fa-
mily Ihould not be a j'^fiS^ngregation, you may have
five more : Eut for fear you Ihould do as you have
ovtra formerly done^ you are not to have five Hundred^ or
s-jia five Thoufand^ which Liberty , not only the Primi-
)rpg iwtQhrijlians, butouro^^n dtnceiiors ^ an hundred
Idratk years ago would have called a Elefling, and a Privi^
ledg, and have heartily thanked God and the King for
the fame. And God grant we may never fee that time
in England^ when truly tender Confciences will efteem
fo much Liberty as the greateft blcfling in the PForld.
jjjj,,; Ih&gooA Pr'^tefiantshtYQxn Fra,nce,^ though their
jjjlljj Religion is made an Ohfiack to all State-freferfnents,
though it Difable them to fit in the Courts of Parlia-
ments (except jufl: fo many as lerve in the Chamber of
_ EdtHs, to decide Controwrfi.s Dctween Proteflants
' and Papifls) or to have any other Charges of ^udica»
" ^ ture, or any high Offices in the /irmj'^ though their
Numbers are much diminifhed, and their Interefl:
weakened, by a Prohibition to Marry with Roman Ca-
tkolcksj 2itidhy& Capital Law, which makes it Death
n tn
to return Proteflants after they nave once turned Pa*
fijis'j and though a great number of their Temples h^Qurcl
have been demolifihed (fbme under a pretence that IfJices
they were built fince the Edift of Nantes^ others that
they were built without Licenfe^ and others that they 'fjapfjli
were built upon Holy Ground) fo that hereby they arc
forced in very many places to the grievous Inconveni-
ence of going two, threes four or five Leagues to Church, j
if not more : And though all the of
where they do abound are Deinolijhed, and Qittadels j'
are BreHed to awe them in other Towns, where iHey /iu,
are Numerous; though their own particular Hofpi- cj !,
and all other their perpetual for their ^
Poor, are taken away, and they difabledy either liv- y^in
ing or dying, to give any letled Maintenance either to , '
their own Minifiers or People (as to £ndowe Qhurch:s,
Bu Id Schools, Colledges ov LJofpitals y See.J nay, tho' ■ '!!
they are deprived of the benefit of othQv Hofpitals ^
provided for the reft of the Subjects ; and although
their Minifters are forbid to fpeak againft the^
or to Pre.tch againft the Romiflj Religion , with half -'r
that freedom and plainnefs that you dare (peak againft
the Church of England; or to Preach in any places
but thofe few appointed by the King, though they
are forbidden to call the Papifls in their Sermons by a-
ny other Name but that of Catholicks; or to make
mention of their Relgion and Ceremonies, without
Reverence Rifpelt--, though they are forbid to call
themfclves Priefts or Pajlors^ and have no other Ti-
tie allowed them, but only MiniUres de la RdiLi'on -'il
pretendue Reformer ; and though it be that
their Religion ftiali be called by no other Name in any ®
Publick jLcts, Regifiers, &c. Though they are forbid- i"
den i
'0
. ^ '7^
den to bury their dead in Qatholick Churches,ox Churcfj^
yards, even where the deceafed Perfon was Patron of
the Churchjor where \\\^ Jncefiors\\^A purchafed Bu-
ryingcf laces for their Families ; Though they are for-
bid to make any Puhlick Exhortations or Prayer , or
to fing Pfalms at their Burial: Though they are for-
bid to InftruQ: or Condole thofe of their own Religir
on isyPrifons or Hoffitals • or to pray with them in
a voice fo loud as tobeheardby thelfandersby, tho*
they are forbid to make any Colledions of Money a-
mong themfelves, but fuch as are permitted and re-
gulatcd by the Edids of the King; Though they are
forbid to Work or open their Shops on Romifh Holy-
days, or tofellFlefh on their Fafting^days, &c. I fay
the good Proteifants here in France, notwithftanding
all this hard dealing, are yet fo far from complaining
of Perfcut.'on , that they fhew themfelves thankful
. both to God and the King, for the Liberty and Indul-
gence they enjoy. Indeed they will complain, for the
aforefaid Reafons^ that their Religion is very much dif-
couraged, and they themfelves hardly ufed: But Per-
•fecutionis a Notion that they rarely think or fpeak
of, when they difcourfeof their own condition, being
very far, though not fo far as you, from a State ot
Maryrdom.', which confiftsin a forcible-Obligation
toSuffer or Renounce the Truth- And thei efore Cou-
fin Ibefeech you and conjure you, not to mifufe the
Name of Perfecuticn again. It is a very finfiil way
thus toabufeand amufe the Vulgar, by calling things
. by their wrong Names; and as to thisparticular,ho-
neftand knowing men will be apt to fufpeff, that
through the Name of Perf cut on, youhavea defign
to make your Governours pafs for Tyrants, and your
felves for Martyrs. To.
To conclude :Tf this which you call Per/ecutio»M
not fuch indeed, then I doubt not but they who
Calitfo, that is all prefumptuous or afFededly igno-
rant Schifmaticks, without bitter pangs of Repen-
tance, will be perlecuted by the God of Peaee himfelf
to a fad and endlefs eternity.
As for the oC Compjel^ettCtOW > it begun to
be talked of,before I left my Country , and I have
often difcours'd it with many of the Proje^fors^ but
could never underftand from them, how it was pra-
fticable to unite fo many IncomfoJJihle Se£is , which
agree in nothing,but their oppofition to the Church.
However if the altering, or taking away of a Cere-
mony or two would ejfe^mlly unite the Proteftttnt
Partys , as you are pleaftd to aflert, I think it would
be worth the while to do it, and that the doing of
it for fo fure an end, would reflefi no difhonour upon
the Church of Englmii, which acknowledgeth the
few innocent and decent Ceremonies,which fhe hath
ordained to be indifferent and alterable, according to
the Exigency of times. Neither, if this were done,
could the Romijh Chitrch have the leaft apparent rea-
fon to reproach us for {licha flight alteration 5 feeing
her own Mijja/s and Breviaries have been fo diverfe
and different in feveral times and placesjand have un-
dergone fo many Emendations, or rather Corrupti-
ons, before they were eftablifhed in the prefentForm,
by the Authority of Pms V. and the Decree of the
Councilor Er »t. But unlefs this Alteration would
fureiy and infallibly produce this effe£f,it had far bet-
terbe letalone.and in the naean time, I would have
all good Chriifians wait in Peace and Complyance
with
( 19 }
with the Eftablifhed Religion j till Authority fliall
think to make this Alttrxtion'm. it, that fo a En-
gtifi Traveller would not be tauntingly asked by eve-
ry impertinent Prieft here > Whether he were a true
Son of the Church, ov Prepyterun, or Ind pendant,
or Anab iptift,ox Quaker. And I aflure you,when they
meet with a man that owns himfelf a true of the
Church England, they will feem with great For-
mality to pity him more than any other ; but yet
they will never attempt to convert him. But v hen
they meet with one that will own himfelf of any o?
ther lort, they will be pleafed, fmile in their Sleeves,
and fet upon him as a Perfan not far from their King-
domof God- And lamperfwaded, had you feen or
heard as much of their Idolatries, Blafphemiesand
Superftitions.as I have done in one Chriflmof, one E^nt
and otitEafter , you would be fo far from doing the
Church of England any ill Office, that you would ra-
ther (like St. Paul after bis ConverfonJ preach againft
your own Partizansy and thank God that you lived
in a Church reformed horn. Romijh Idolatry and Super^
fiition. And I cannot but freely confefs , that I am
Cnce my TV^'Z'e// become ten Times a greater Lover
of our own Church , and as many times a greater
Hater and Detefterof the Romifb Church, than I was
before. And therefore I cannot here dilfemble the
hearty Grief I have conceived, for the great hopes
you have, that the U'tCtlTfejS (as you exprefs it) will
be once more authorized by hisMajefty,or the Decla-
ration revived. For as it is that which at firft was
hammered out by aLord, who was the Patron
and Idol of tbQ Presbyterians ; fo'tis that which the
Koman /
( 10. )
C4?^f//Vi:jhere('efpecially the PrIeftsJ dohope^
and wifh for as well as you.They defire nothing more,
than fuch aColeratfOttjas that was, knowing that
It muft needs tend to the Ruineof the Church of Eng-
Ia»d^ which is the principalBiittof all their Envy and
Malice ; as being the mainfupport and credit of the
JStltgtOtt every where,and the only hedg
againft/'c'/'fr^ itlelf in our unfortunate Briti(h I/les.
We meet with not a few Prieft^ of feveral Orders,
that have the confidence (in our moft familiar confe-
rences) to t6ll us, that by the juft Judgment of God
upon our Churchy the time ot Her Ruin is at Hxnd ;
xhtNAtion it felf being over-fpread with-Schifm and
Atheifm, and the Hearts of the being dif.
pofed by t\\Q Spirit2in6. Providence o{ God^ tore-em-
brace the Catl^Olich 'WXUtf). And therefore
they freely Confefs, that this time of Difha^ion is
their TpArvejl ; and withal exprefs their Intentions
and Zeal to Tranfport themfelves into England at the
Critical time of Toleration, that they may be Fellow-
laborers with your felves in that Harvefl. They feem
to lament as much, and complain as faft, of the pro-
digious increafe of Schifm and yitheifm among us, as
you are wont to do of the daily growth of Atheifm
and Popery. And whilft you both complain alike,
and in the formality of your complaints, both alike
reflefl upon the Church of England: It is (lie only
that is the fuiferer, and fhe onlv that truly laments
the growth,and at the fame time fcts up Banks to hin-
der the perfed Inundation of all the three among usi
As for Schifm among , you were the
firft Fathers, and continue the chief Faucors thereof;
all
j all the Inferior SeSts having fj^rung from youj and di-
I viding both from you and one another, under pre-
Ik' tence of the fame Reafons, for which you profefs to
m' divide from the And'tis from you, that c-
ven the it felf fthe dregs of Schifm)
of k have learned to talk of HhminAtion, and the Spir t:
'iH'; and the reft of^the Se(5?4mx; in what number foever
if'/;!', they be, differ no more from you than thefecond,
Orfe third, or fourth, &c. from the firft Back of En U^.
loilf Not that by this comparifon I intend, that you have
itcffe any fuch Principles , or Dntx among your felves, as
tHaij therearc among MathefnAtieiansfor I am very well
tiifin;!: aiTured , that take but any four of the PreshjttrUn
xiogii V Demagogues, and they can fcarce agree amongft them-
toiK, felves in any four Particulars, wherein they differ
ther- from the of England. And therefore if you
friiifii! h^s\oiSchifmatickSith.Qnt\\c Church England., from
oteaar which you feparate , and out of which you have ga-
thered Congregations, and preach and adminifter the
jjfell:; Sacraments unto them ; I fay, if you be not Schijma-
;be)[i2 ticks, then our Church muff be the Schifmatick^xn th»
[tlep Controverfie between us; and be juftly chargabie
with the fame Indictment, which fhe hath drawn
up againft the of . An Affertion,
jj aiiii- which i never knew any other Perfon, except one or
lothalii two, Jpefidcs your felf, have the confidence to aver#
jjjjod; and an Affertion, which no ProteHant here in Frame
could hear us yet relate, without Horror, Impatience
,jjg!iis. and Dildain. And therefore, if tho Reformed Church
of England., from which you wilfully divide, and to
which by your Divifions you caufe fomuch Scandal
.L.fjgt; abroad andEvil at home,be not aSchifmaticalChurch,
^ i ^ D that
c ^o.
that is, a Church which requires fomefinful conditr-
onsof Communion ; in what a woful condition will
your unpeaceable, feditious Spirits appear before the
God of Peacfe < And how will you anfwer that,at the
Tribunal of his Wifdomand Juftice, which neither
your Fathers, nor you could ever yet anfwer, to thole
Inftruments of his Glory , Judiciousand the
Smderfon i But whetheryou ztq SchifmA>
ticks, or whether you are not,the Separations which
you and your Brood have made from the Church, are
the y^ppurent Caufes of the Of ; and
both your Stparations^^ind your Superflitious Bnthtfjia'
fiicd fVciy of fVorjhipping that God, whole People you
Emphatically pretend to be, are the true Caufes of
that abundant Atheifm,which at prefent makes
U»dzn Aftonifhment and a Scandal to ForeignNati-
ens. And if you,or any other of the Brother-hood,
think itftrange,that I charge yours* which is the G-
pitd iSe(??,withEnthufiafm,or make Superftition,wh'ich
I'eemeth diametrically oppoffte to y^theifm,the Motkr
thereof; I offer, upon the Challenge, to make good
the Charge, in both particulars; But in the mean
time, to Ihewyou how unfafe it will be to provoke
me to that Trouble , I advife you to read one or two
Ihort Chapters in the beginning of Mr. SmitksVtii-
courfes, concerning thelc Diftempers of th^oul,
and you fliail find what I have faid, proved with
more Demonftration, than vou can gainfay; and with
more Plainnefs and Perfpicuity, than, I am confident,
you would wifh to fee.
Butbefides the Schifss^ind Bnthaftafn^y the Bloody
Wars, which you formerly made in the State , under
pretence
M . pretence of the Glory of God,and the Reformation of
of thcR formedRe/igio»thsive given ma.ny inconfide-
rate men occafion to fufpeft, that all Religion, like
that of moll of your Leaders^is but a Politick Enginz
mitjit; which Men ufcjtomakethemfelves PofuUr and PotV'
wM erful) that they may afterwards a£l with good colour
anJdit whatfoever their Intereft fhall fuggeft. And fur-
iffcjif thermore, to confider, That the great Pretenders of
the Sprite and the Po ver of the Chriftian Religion,
(which with refpe6l to Magifirxtes teacheth nothing
W;JK. but toOl}0P or ft!tfE0Pjfhould notwithftanding Preach
M up EehelKott againft their Fight
jjjopijji Him from Field to Field , Romove Him from Prifon
.Qjjii! to Prifon, and at laft mofl barharoufly. put Him to
Death,is fuch an Abfurdity againft the Principles ®f
■eisA Right Reafon, fb repugnant to the Laws of our own
Nation, and fo inconfiftent with the Peaceable Do-
Srine of the Gofpel; that, befides the Atheijts rt
hath made,it hath,and ever will conftrain Men of ho-
jIjjjliif neft Principles., and j uft Refentments, to Perfecme you
with Sxtyrs and MxcUmations to the end of the
jj World. 1 had not here prefented that Tragical Scene
of the King's Murther, but that I have had fo many
p PjP unplealant Occafions to hear Our Nation Reproach'd
Scandal and Difhonour of that Inhumane
7^ Fad. Particularly, it was my bad Fortune to be at
I j^,l a Station in Paris; where there were met about two
ij. hundred Perfons, to read the Gazctts, at that very
fame time, when that of came full charged
with the News of Burning the Pope in Effigie at
, gu Zondon. This Feat did at firft furprize that Roman.
jj. Concourfe of People 5 but after a little re-
'' D 2 colledion.
colled'iOQ) thcyceafed to wonder , faying in every
Gompany as we paffed along •, JTOt fO
t^attljeCnaWft^eMlsaouUitio tui^ofo?.
met'l^ ^urtl^cren timg* And another time,
it was my ill luck alfoto be at the lame place, when
the London Gazette 'brought us the News , That the
Houfe of Lord's had taken into conftderationthe Gromh of
jL.heifm in our NAt ion: Whereupon fome French
Gentlemen of my acquaintance ferioufly enquired of
methe Caufes of fomuch amongft fuch a
Thinking and Solid People. I afligned the fame Rea-
fons which I have written above, befides fome others
which I will not ftand to mention, as the moft pro-
babie Caufes thereof. And as I hope I did not mifin#
form them,fo i am confident I did not unjuftly charge
you in any particular, efpecially with the
of tfJE For there were no Aoceifaries in. the
Murthcrof that Sacred Perfon ; neither was it the
lafl: ftrokeonly that fell'd the but you
and the Independants, like the two Sacrilegious
Prielfs of T^ufiter, are equally guilty of the Crime ;
the one for Binding the direful Viftim, and the other
for putting the Knife to his Throat.
But to be fliort, where 1 am fo unacceptable, fie
conclude my Argument with a Fahle. A Principal
Ship^ which for many Tears had been Sovereign of
the Seas, was at laft At tailed by a Tempefluous iVindy
which the Devil raifed , and notwithftanding. all
file Help that could be mads to iave her , . was
driven by the force of that Malignant Wind ,
and f})llt upon a Rock. The very fame Inftant fhe
da died upon the Rock th^.V/'md ceafed 5 and being
afterwards cuifed by the Sea-men^ for the LVrack of-
the
the Royal Charles ffor fo the Capital l^tjfel was called)
anfwcred, YouCW^e memoft urijuftly my Friends,
it was not I, but the Rock as youfaw that fplityour
Ship. The Moral of this Parable is very Obvioits; and
if the JpplicatieH thereof, ot any thing elfe,that I
have written,may conduce to awaken your Confckme,
and reclaim you homSchifm, I fhall think my pains
well beftowed. But if you and your feditious Bre-
/^re»will ftill perlevere to affault the Church on one
Hand^ as faft as the Komijh Priefts do undermine her
on the other, her days are like to be but few and evil 5
'and except God encline theof o\xv Magift rates
to put the Laws in Execution againft them, and find
fome efFe£luaI means to reduce you, you may live to
fee her Ruin accomplifhed, which you both alike
defire and expccf. How numerous you are,the PVorld
can guefs, and if the Accounts which we receive
from the Fathers of Intelligence oi feveral Orders, be
•credible, there are about three Thmfando^ them,
which find Entertainment and Succefs within the
King of Great Britain^s Dominions. But in the^
meantime, till her hour is come, ilie ftruggleth a-
gainft both, like her Saviour againil tlie Pharifees,
whofe true Difciples in' part you both are ;
"they reprefenting thofe fworn Enemies of the G fpel^
by the Cabala of their ridiculous and impious Tradi-
tions; and you reprefenting them in their Hypocrifie,
Pride, Envy \ Bvilfpeaking, morofs and cenforious
Bifpofttions; &c, (which are :;ins fcarce confiftent
with Jhimanity ^ much lefs \s'\th Grace) as likewife
in obferving many Faffs and making long Prayers,
with defign not to fttte (0oh, but to helitUe tl^e
And therefore I wonder not that you are
fuch..
fuch malignant Enemies to the Of
fince that Pharifaicai fpirit, whieh reignech io much
amongft you, is a wicked Pufilanimous fpirit, that
affefts to be fben in the Head of Parties, and Diftate
amongft the Ignorant; and loves as much to Rule^
as it hates to Obey. *But would you once be fo fin-
cere, as to fubdue your Pride, lay afide your Preju-
dice, inform, your Ignorance, and forfake your dear-
ly beloved Tntercjl^ for the Truth; it would not be
long ere we fhould fee you joyn with the Church of
EngUndy without troubling our Senators to bring
you in with an of incomprehenfible Qomprthenjion,
Your Pr/We appeareth in of and
in the you are (een to take in the
tUhClS, that run after you; and in your boafting,
that without you the Souls of People would ftarve for
want of Knowledge Your Prejudice is an effect of
your Pride, and difcoversit felf together with your
Ignorance^ in not fiibmitting to thoie Invincible Rea-
fbns, which you cannot Anfwen And as for your
Interefiy the greateft Paradox of all, that is evident
enough to me, who have fo often heard mahy/of you
glorifie your felves in the Number and Riches of
your Followers, boaft of their y^eSiion to your la-
cred Perfbns, an^"^rag of the great Sums you have
Collected in your Congregxtions ; which makes the
('as you arrogantly call your Con^
•venticles) better places than moft of the Churches,
of which 1^0 tjS And therefore never
complain that you live either worle, or at greater
uncertainties than you d id before. For by your Pre-
tentions to Poverty and Sufferings^ and by other Ult-
artsi, you have fo wrought your felves in-
Y to the efteem of your Difciples , that few of them
,are cither fo Covetuous or fo Poor,hut they will Pinch
'J at home tofupply you. There are feveral orders of
- p Pranfcifcans here, who have renounced not only Par-
p ^ but all Temporal pflates and Poj[cffiom what-
"^1'' foever5 and by their vain Glorious Sanctity and
fierities, they have got (like you^ fuch faft hold on
'^1" the Souls of the Pe ople fwhich is the faftefl: hold of
11','^ alU that they can eafily make mod: of them difpofe
^ of their Childretty cafhire their Servants, and fettle
'T their Eflates as they pleafe ; and by thefe Tricks do
more'effe61:ually promote the Of 3Sontt»
^ than all the Parijh Prkfis within the Pale of that
Church. And really, when I con fide r what jn^uence
thefe ^ancttmontoaiJ and felf-Oen^ing ^ealotgs
e5w; haveo'reall Families, in all places where they live;
witlfS how they Steal away the Hearts of the People from
adbkll} Parijh-Priejls, and drain their Congregations.;
fof J* and how the deluded People had rather give them
the worth of a fhilling,than the dues of twopence,
jflf/off' to their own C»reej ; it makes me often run the Pa-
Ricii£i' rallet between you and them,and think what a Poll-
youi' tick and Gainful Pretence you have got to renounce
yotili''! your Livings, for to fecure your Confciences, and to
iies0 preach the Word gratis like the Primitive y^ptfilts ;
ourC» when God knows, 'tis not out of love to the People,
Ck(k but to your felves.
e 0trJ
greis; And I proteft to you, were I a man to be maintain- -
our/"' edby the Pulpits and confulted rriy Profit more than
theGuodncfs of my Caufe , I fliould take the famg .^
ttW/i CQurfcg
that you do ; I fhould rather be Mr. M. than Dr. yf.
of Plymouth ; and fhould chufe the plentiful Inconie
of that dull Zealot Dr« Munton, before that of his
mofl: Learned and Religious Succeffor of Govmt-Gur-
den. But though you live very well, and better in-
deed than moft of the Miniftcrs of the Church, yet
the Mifchief of it is, you are uncapable of Digni-
ties ; which makes you iiich y^erians, and upon all
occafions openeth yourThroats as wide as Sepulchres
againft the Bilhops and the Church.You know what
an Hiftory of Bilhops Mr. Pry» hath wrote,and what
a fair Colle£lion the Learned hath taken out of
him; as if when a Bifhop is defe£tive,either in Pie-
ty. Learning or the Skill of Government, it were
not the deplorable unhappinefs , but the fault of the
Church of EngUnL Should an Heathen or Mahumes
tan, make fuch an Hiflorical Colledlion of Scanda-
lous Chriftians, either in this, or former Ages, you
would not beperfwaded for all that > to prefer the
alcoyan before the Gofpel; or the moft exalted Pa-
ginifm whatfoever ^ before the Chriftian Religion,
Therefore wife and fober men'will make no /nftyenc*
but this, from fuch a malicious enumeration of Par-
ticulars; that corruptions will creep into Govern-
ment, notwithftanding all the care that can be ufed
to the contrary ; and that by the favour of Princes
(who hear with other mens ears, and often receive
undeferved ChxraSlers of Men) fometimes Amlitiottn,
ibmetimes Ignorant^ and fometimes Slothful, Imgru- ;
dent or Debauched Ferjbns, will be Preferred to the
moft Honourable Dignities in the Church. But this, as
often as it happens, is the mifery of the Church of
England
J -r —
( £ngU»iy which all true Church men lament*, though
N the men of the fliort CJofee take all Tuch occafions
„ to cxpofe her to the leorn of the common ^eofk who ^
judge d/ St»fey2iT[d hot by /feafon; and who are taugh t
by yotr, to make no diftinftion between the Btjko^s
and the Qhnrch^ Bfut were all her Btflxfs the belt
ChriftUns^ the beft SehoUrs and the heft Govermms
in the IVorUand fhould the place
ilcnra |jgp Mytres on the Headf of none but ^emls\ fVhit-
gift% J(f»drem''s, ffaA% Ujber^s, Morfon^s, T'ay/or^s,
and yet thatUnchriftian i/zWrof Envy
2li!A Difcfintenty which informs the Non confcrmrfis t
ciflPi would ftill fly upon her with open Mouth , like
it® Beofl^s upon the Saints of otd condemned to the /m-
fbitkeater; and make her, as fhe hath already been
lib for alinoft forty years, z Spe{facle to (jod, to Angels^
and to Men. The wicked Lives of Scandalous Si-
fn fisops and Erietis^ if there be any fuch, are her fad
refcii Misfortune, but cannot juftifie the Schifm you are
ilteil' guilty of; who arc bound to hear even them, as
Ohid) as the^ws were bound to hear the Scribes and
/)»/'" Bkmfees thofe Hypocrites^ that fate in Mofes*s Chair.
Q ofP^ And in that deplorable fiate of the ^t^UYCp,
Qi0 when the Priejls and Prophets were both alike cor-
ibeoS rupted and called by the Holy Spirit^ Dumb and gree-
dy Dogs, yet it had been unlawful to make a fepara-
retf tion, and fet up other Altars againft that which God
'»/'«* (who was their E^ing) had fet up. I cannot but
Iff mind you of the Sthifm of Jeroboam, who by divi-
ding the , as God was pleafed to divide the
tbiS)^, Kingdom into two parts, made Ifrael to fin.But to in-
fiftontheJ<<«r4r/V<r/*Seccflion, and write all, that is
E neceffary
neceffary to difcovcr and aggravate the damtjabfe
Nature of Schifm, would require as much more Pa-'
per a.s I have beftowed, and fo make me as tedious a-
gain, as,I fear, I have already been» Befides,!! would
oblige me to anfwer lAv.Hales^s Trcatile of Schifin,
with whole Leaves you vainly endeavour to cover
your fhame* And I had indeed a year ago underta^
ken that eafie Task,butthat a fFeJlern Gentleman, to
whom I difcovered my Intentions, told me,That Mr.
Long Prebendary of Ejce^er, a Friend of his, had alrea-
dy begun that good Work : fo that I hope it is prin.
ted by this time. And if either that or this, or any
thing elle,a thoufand times better, than I am able to
write, may prove effedual to reclaim you iromSehifrn^
I fhall be as glad,as to fee fome other of our Friends
formed fromDrunkennefs, Swearing,,and Unclean-
nefs, which are very grievous, and dreadful Sins,
but yet not more damnable in their Nature, nor
more deftru6live to the Chriftian Religion, nor more
deeply rooted in the Soul of man,than that -of Schifm;
From which, I pray God, by the Power of his Grace,
to Preferve me, and Reform you, through ^efua Chrifi
our Lord; to whofe Protedion I commit you,and reft,
Tour ntofi y^ffeSiicnafe Coufnf
Saumur.'
May 7. 1674^
y^nd bumble Servant'
F 1 N r s.
AT) f E R T IS £ M E NT.
; I??
•ri'S
f
4* S
« iP
!f
THcre is lately Publiflied a Book Entituled, 73&c >11
Royal apology: or an Anfwer to the Rehds ' .
Flea : Wherein the moft Noted Monarchical Uij
Ttntnts^ Firft, PuWilhed by Dokman the ^efuite,
to promote a Billoi £xcl»fion2Lg2XTi^'K\x\g^^M£S,
StconMyy^idL^ikd. by Bradjhatv and the Regicides in the
aSual Murder of King CHARLES i/. Thirdly
Rcpubliiied by Sidney and the AJfociatorSf to Depofe
and Murder his Prefent MAfESTT^ are diftindly
confidered. With a Parallel between Dokman^ Brad-
fharv^ Sidneyt and other of the True Protejlant Party:
Londony Printed by 7". B, Robert Clavel^ and are
to be fold by Randolph Taylor near Stapioners-Ha^
1684, Price I Sy
■■o'm
1^' ^
idff
u ^ ^ OL^
M
A
*.'^ t t' • • *r A In. I. ^ . ri • * ^ rr . ' . J I ^.., T "?
■AJ- ijfiCi V '• ..^*''.i- ■-- ,4./^'-V't
. ..w
6 !J .ui*i::(-j.'A:."i, :,?! ic ; ;■. v __|^
• n«»7/4scl V:\\:4&*V £ ffiiW .bais^nnpall'cl
.ill
T O T H E
Church of England, 'Roman Catholicl^, and
7 rot eft dint T>ijJ}nter,
Ifl wHich ic is endeavoured to be made appear
that it is their
Duty, Principles & Intereft
To abolifh the :
pnal I,aUis and -Cefts.
TncificL
Licenced j^«;?e,the 30th 1687.
LONDON,
Printed, and Sold, by Andrew Sowk, at the Crooked-Bilktin
H^lhw^y-Lane in Shoreditcht and at the Three Kj^ys in
NAgS'TkAd'Court in GrAce-Church'Street, over-
againft the Ce7/;W»/>, 1687- j
(
— — =—-
I"
THE
PREF A CF.
Reader,
0 matter \y\{o^ and
yet if thouyi^ouldjl kpo'Vif the Au^
thor, he is an~ Englifla-Man,
ind therefore obliged to this' Countryy and the
Lam that made him Free^-
V
That fngle Conf deration urere enough to
mmand this Vndertal{ing; for 'tis to per^
%ade his Country zFSAen to be delivered of
he greatef Yok^ a Nation can ypell Suffer
underPenal Laws for Religion^ I mean.
And
Th<: Preface,
noyp thou hoth the who> urn
what 5 If thou art Wife and Good, thou
art above my Epetbites, and more my FUt^
teries • If not. I am in the Kiyht to let
a Ione. Read, Think and ^ ad . L iherf^^\
^ .-aiid'
ty^ EngliQ^ and Chriilian, is all that is feuf A
in the erfuing Vifcourfe.
m
'.tftOWI
6
A^ieu. .
^ ©ooD f CI
PART 1.
Muft own, it is my Averfion at this time, to meddle
with Publick Matters, and yet my Duty to the Publick
will not let me be Silent. They that move by 'Princi-
pies mnft not regard Times nor Fa6iions^ "but what is
jitfi, and what is honourable\ and that no Man ought
itoScmpie nor no Time nor Interelt to Conteft.
^ The fiiigle Qaeftion I go upon,and which does immediately
concern and excrcife the Minds of the Thinking, as well as
Talking Men of this Kingdom, is, ivhether it be ft to repeal the
Penal Laws and Tefis^ in matters of Religion^ ornot, I take
the Affirmative oftheQaeftion, and humbly fubmit hiy Rea-
fons to every rOalbnable Conffiience. 1 fay reafbnable,becauf^
That which knows not its own Duty,Principles and /ntc'reft,
is not lo, and That which is not willing to do to others as it
would be done by, lefs deferves to be thought ib.
Now there are three forts of People that will hnd therhii
felves concerned in this Qoeftion ; 2 he Church of Engiand^the
Roman CathoUch^ dinA the ProteHant Dijfenter, and thefe niake
Up the whole Body of theKingdom^ If it appear to be their
(, )Puty, Principles and Intereft, the'C^eftion is gainkl, and no
ix)dy isleftto complain; and if lammifcaken, it is with fb
great an inclination to ferve them all, that their good nature
cannot but plead my Excufe, efpecially when they confider I
am neither mov'd by Hopes ^r Fears. Private Lofs or Gain
heing farther from my thoutht, then I hope they are from a
good Underftanding. jp* B X
I iay;/>'7?', tiienitis theD«/y of all of them, bccauie
all profefs that Religion which makes it their common duty to
do it • ChriftUnity mean: For r^o Cliri^tian ought to deprive ^
any man of bis native Right for matters of Faith and Wor-'''' J
Flip towards God, in the way that he tdiinks-, -moli agreeable'
to the Will of God; becaufe it is peceffary to a Chriftian to
believe that Faith is the Gift? of Godafone, andthat He only is "'j
Lord of Conlcience, and is able, truly^to enlighten, pcrfwade, '
and eftablifh it; and cchlequendy that prejudicing iVka in •
their Peidbns or ERates, or depnying them of any Station,in .
the Government, they might c^h^Fwiie, -in their turn, be ca- '
pable to ferve thePubiick m, is contrary to the tendernefs and ^
equity of that Religion; vyhich will yet further appeal ,if we
confider that Chriftianity is the fole Religion of the World,
that is biiilt on the Principles of Love; xyhich brought with it
the greateft Evidences of Truth..-, JEqu^ly'convincing our ^
Underifandings with its Li^hty and bearing down our Sences
with its Miraclfs: Which filencM the Oracles of the Heathens '-^r
by the Divine Power prefentwith it, and vanquifht their .JO
Hearts, that had left nothing elfe to conquer, leading Kings ira
and Emperors with their Courts and Armies in triumph after km
the delpiled Cre/r of him,, who was the holy and blelTed Au-
thor of it. d
It was he that laid not his Religion in worldly Empit e, nor il
u&d the Methods of worldly Princes to propagate it; as it kPi
came froni Heaven, fo that only fliould have the Honour of
prot.eaing and promotii^t.jj His whole .bufinefL to mam
kind, ffomfirft to laft, w'isiLcve, 'Twas firR Love in his
Father to fend him ( as St. teaches ),,..G(?d/o lovU tht
WorU that he fent his So»y. ^c. It was.lcfire. in Jefiis Chrift -
to come on that Arrand ; tliat he, who thought u no Rcbhjtyy to /
be equal with Gody fljould take the /ornto/ a Servant to adopt ^
nt Qhiliren ^ and make hmftlf i^of no Reputation mth the
Wcrldy
flVo^/nif he might muke us of Kef ut At ion with God hii
Jtather*
'And he did not only come in much Love, but preach't it
and preft it both to Friends and Foes; Love one Another^ Love
Emmies, do good to them that hate you, forgive them that
trelfafs againfi you \ what you would that other Men fjouU
'taiiiij do mtoyoUy do that unto them; by ihefe things jhallaiiMen
bnm you-are my Difctfles ; for I came not to defiroy Mens
I Pt:'. Eh es, HO, not for Religion it felf; for my Kjngdom, Power,
^3-^^ Force, We^oiis, and Viftory/irc not of this World, In aH this
ySiJDi, iotte prevails. It was his great, his new, his laft Command-
tiinijt menf, of ah his Dilciples,' the moft perilled by his beloved
nfei; One, that-in his Bofom'Iiad learned his Heart, as'his Divine
appt: Dodrine of-Love in his Epilble tells us,
f ii As he liv'd in Love, To he died in Love,' with us, and for
ly^ir us, and that while we were rebellious too', ay, he prayM and
ifiDCii dy'd for them who put him to Death, /hewing us (lays
'iiairS? Sc. Peter ) an Example that we alfo/houldfokowLis Steps. And
rkfa what ate they ? doubtlefs the Steps of Love, the Path he trod
i(]iiiili(i 10 do good to Mankind, Enemies as well as Friends, that we
aduji' maybe like our heavenly Father, that cditfes his Sun to jhincy
•iipjr and his Ratn to fall upon the fuH ''and VnjuHl This muft
llieli:', be the Apoftles meaning, for the reft of his PalFibn'Va's
-Inimitable. -
Enip; Now if this be the Dollrine of Chrif, the Nature of -CAr/i?-
teiij, ^n 'lty, the Praliice of the Primitive Church, that, like
H* Was Created in/«//A, Beauty and Wifdom, and fo ail
I to IS Example to lucceeding Ages' of Religion, and to which we ft
jt'Oiii; "often refer as our Original; with what Pretence to a Chrihian
l^sn Conlcience can any oneftickleto keep Iwprifoning, Bani/h-
fops Imfovtrtfloing, Hanging and Quartering Lawd^on fodt
-for Religion lake, but efpecially againft fuch as are by Creed .
'profeHors ofChriftianity aswell asthemfelves. -
fiihi •- . • B-2- - tknow
ff'd ^
r 4 '
I know the Cafe is put hard by thofc that have the
on their fide, Wc,dothistojav.eoi(r felves ; but an harder.-'^,"/
Cafe than Chrifts can never be put, whofe Anfwcr in
ouglit to refoive theirs fully.. ^ "
Chrid is fentby his Father for the Salvation of tlie World
He introduces aud proves his, Miflion by Miracles,_ and
great Authority of his Word and Do6lrine j His Followers
tiilly. iitisfied.whohe. was,, whence he, came, what he taught,.itslvoi^
and how eminently confirm'd,grew impatient at Contradidi- joim
on y they could ix)t bear the lead Diffcntfor \fiien fome of .sM
the Samnritms refufed to entertain their. Lord,, becaufe they X if
thought he wasgoin^ for yer«yi«/e»?,theplacc.oftheirgreateil: icsiliis
averfion; tliefe Difciples were for having but the Word from adnc
his Alouth^ and they would, in imitation of E/ijahy hAvt JuH
saf/ed for Eire from Heaven to have dejf rofd them^. But he -Hstj
turned.and rebuked thtTny.and faid^ye know not what nttlUUCt 0{ (iiic
are of for. the. Son of Man, is not come to ^cdi?
Mens Lives but to them^. This Anfwer, is to piirpofe,
and fo: all times, to be fure Chriftian ones; and the. higher -a v
the Pretentions of.any Party are tO; Chriftianity, the more
inexcufible. if they pra61:ice the, contrary., Would not Chrill jJilipl
then hurt them that refufed him, and can we hurt our Neigh-
borsfornot receiving us? He condemned that Spirit in'his
Difciples, and fliall we uphold the fame Spirit,, and that by
law too, which he condemned by his Golpel ? This is killing
for Gods fake, exprefly chargM by, Chrift with Impiety. They
Jha'I think, fays he to his Difciples, they do God good fervice to
kiily ou; who fliould think fb ? why the Chrijlian Perfecutors.
Is it their Property,to do fo ? yes, what ihall one think then of
tjiofe Chrillians that profefs it,.
Tlie Jews were grievouflj^ punifhed of. God, for that abo-'
mination of facrificing. their Children to Molochy but tliefe '1
.Laws, though they change the ObjcQ:, they have not leifen'd b'
Sin; for tJny offer up lUn, Womart and Chitd^ and t!io they
^ ••"fay'tis toGody no matter for that, fince it makes their Cafe
'Kui^vvorfe, for 'tis to imagine that fo good, fb jtiff, fo fenfible, fb
, merciful a Beeing can take pleafure in fb much Cruelty. W^ll,
hut if rve mud not knqck Folks on the Heady what muH we do with
'Cithern ? Take an Anfwer at the Mouth of Truth and Wifclom.
i life Let the Tears and kVheat grow together till the Harvesi; whats
tlictiJi that ? he tells you^ ^tis the end of the World ; fb that whatever
-Cffii;. the Church of England is,, 'tis certain Chrifl is for a Tolera-
^Kilfitftion, and his Dofhrine is always in Fafliion ; . what he was, he
'ec«iiiiis,andwillbe ; he went not by Reafbns of State, orCuftoms
ieir|isofCountries; his Judgment was better built, who came to
iWd: give Law, and not to receive it, and'tis a andR»/eto
fl'ja all times; And He that loves Father, or Mother, or Wife, or
if* •' Childreny or HoujCy or Land better than him, that is, his Do-
i/K Urine ("of which this is fb great a part ) is not worthy of him ;.
Kin Si and I fear no other Rcafbn induces the Church of England to
j top decline it. -
Itk- To confirm what has beenfaid, tho I defign Brevity, let
p tk-me not lofe another Paffage very pregnant to our purpofe ;
Idffi-. when his Difciples had accompliflic their firft Miffion, at their
tour? return they gave him the Hilfory of their Travels; Among
Spint: ihereff, they tell him of one they met with, that in his Name
andts? caft out Devils, but becaufe he would not follo w with them,
tky forbad him ; here is at leaif a Diffenting Chrihian, tho
lien; ^ a Believer, yet it feems not one of that clofer Congregation ;
fir- Wealfo fbe thek Zeal and Sentence. But what fays the Maker,.
^irfi yet alive, and with them, the infallible Doftor, in wliofe
Mouth was no Guile, who had not the Spirit by meafure, and
was the great Wifdom of God to his People, vyas he of the
iame mind, or did he leave tliem without rule in the Point ?
jjgt!.! His Anfwer is this./. And Jefusfaidto them, fo^blD 1)1111 ilOt,
jf ielifli' for he that is not againsius is for_ hs» The Psohibition is taken
f f. ----- -
f ^ }
off, and their Judgment reversM,and frotnh;s,tobefure,.the^
lies no Appeal. For the a Power of Deeifioti wereallow d
fome one or more ©n Earth, j t
min'd, yet in cafes .W/ adjUsed iy the Son of God h.mfd - W
who ha the Chair, and couUnotErry there can be no.Eoomfo;ffiuca
^"nowSppV it, I muft firft fay, 1 find no fuc^ Diftiple'U
amongthofe that,are of the fide of keeping up the Penal ^ -M,
God knows,.the difparity is but i rj
were all Twelve in hfefiminller Ahbyr-aoA -diould he ot the fsl ,,f„
of upholding the Penal Laws ( which is the. wrong, fide tho.Sfo,
wereofbefore) ifhouldbeg theirPardon, ifl wereof tte «
Mafters mind, and objeaed his W.ifdom to their Ze^,andht c,;
sentle Rule to their harfli and narrow Judgment, And I be*
ieech the Church of £w W to eonfider, tiiat no PretenceciQ
excufehcr DilTeiit, andlefshercrofsPraaicetothe Judgmeat y
of her Saviour: A Judgment that Jeems given and Jet kd for tk
Conduaof the Church on the like Occafions in fucceeding tim^
And 'tis nitty any worldly thing aiould have place with her
. divert herObedience. Did Chrift then come to lave
Cives, andnottodeidroythem? and flmild flie (
that pretends to be a reformed Church) uphold thofe
deifroy them? He, Alas ! went to another'Yillaa^^
*'• t - T ! ^ •. K 4 .-v-* • A .X fn
that do deftroy them? He, Alas; went to anotner < viiiag, ,
inftead of burning them, or theirs, forrcfufing him : And Ih
' ■ - 1- . I
fdrbwjis belongs to any other, to lodge in hers, upC
painof ioolang Life,or Eftate This may make her a J"
ritan indeed but notthegOpl) €)ne, whole Example-v/ouk
have taught her, uilbead of thefe Oiarp and ruder Remedies'-•f'
.to have poured the Gyle of Peace and Gladncfs into tholf?
.Chopis and Wounds that "Jdmeand Heats of all Hands
' made in every Religious Party of Men. Nor does flie (ok?
anything by repealing thoie Laws, but t.Iie Powermf Perfft'^'
cutisi?, and a good Church WQuld never have the I'emDtatioa
■ " ■■ " . "•Co4^'
1
r t I • o ^ ^ .
lotne boay muir begin to forgive,let her not leave thSf
jjjj ^,^5onour to another, nor ,<draw upon-her fcif the Guilt and Mil-
of fcfuhng it. -.She" pretends-to fear the Sttofces-of the
but 1'would fain know of her,- if follov/ing their-
Example will convert them, or lecure her ? Doesfhe hope to.
fudiD-^^^P them out by the-Weapons that havefaifd in their Hands,
p can fhe honourably cenfure Perfecution in them, and yet
He it he.-fdt? ■■
It D^Yf
But flic is-extreamly fcandal'd and feared Severity upofi
Srotefiafits in France. 'Tis certainly very ill ; but do not the
' iaws. file is fo fond of point -at the fame Work, ConfciUUtr,
Ellin.» And don!t we know% that in Ibme Places, and.upon
''^^bmeParties her Magiff rates have plow'd-as deep. Furrows,
^Tpecially within thefe fix and twenty Years.- Husbandsfepa-
^ from their Wives^ Parentsfrem their Children^the hVid--
3tiieJia^j^,j Bedandthe Orphans Milk made a Prizefcr Religion,Houfes
yPffripty Barns and Fieldst fmpt clean, Prifons croivded rvithout
^l^'^'^^'fgard to Sex or and fame of both forts Dnngin^dto Death,
^^^^f'\ndall for Religion. If fhe fays they were peevtfh Men, Big>~
or mov'd by Interefr, fhe flill-made the Laws,
'^( 'lid fays no more for i her felf than the. French fay for their
^ing, which yet fhe refufes to take for an Anfwer. d^erhaps I
btdd parralel fbme of the. ievereft Paffages in that-'kingdom
)ldtk.
fliffli 1 w of the Aflions of fbme Member-s- of the Church of Fng"
\\Mmd\\\ cool Blood, that are even yet Lor continuing the Penal
bkfs^^fr/upon their plundered Neighbours \ fb that this Refleflion
tj;2fk-fhers upon France, is more popular than jufl from her.- But
ieriiec^kfeecli her to look upon a Country four times bigger than
fi into France; Germany I mean, and fhe will there fee both Religions
i Ito'frafbisM with great Eafe and Amity, yet of this we muff not
oes Ikiear one Word: / hope it is not for tear of imitating it. How-
efofkvcr 'tis difingenious to objefl the .Mifchiefs of Popery to a
e-nn^^feneraf Eafe, when, we fee it is the way to prevent them.
'.■'Co^-C '• This
(8; ■
This is but inthc name of Popery sllfo herfdf, as welifnaj
from-Proteftant Diffenters, as Roman ICatholieks.
Chrillian, how equal, how fafe, that narrow Method is, be-«il not
-comes her well to confidcr, and methinks llie ought not tohi-jltk
Jong about it. ^
Iknowfhc flatters herrelt nnd others to believe, Ihe is r ijcaik
Btilmrk agaiilft Popery ; and with that, without anjrfurtheiv^tlieR
Security to other Proteltants, ^-wipes her Mouth of all 6lt;iii[lS3
Scores, and makes her prelent Court for Afliftance. But wheyroDclud
that word Bulwork is examined, T. fear it appears too mean nt^tcd
more than this, That (he jvouUkeep out Tapery for that
for which [he a^-prehends Paypery ivou/d turn her out TCHl ftiiati
poral But may I without Oflence askher, when'lhy An
kept PerrecLition out? Or if fhe keeps out Popery for any bo-conti
dies fake but her own ? Nay, if it be not to hold the Power jinain
fire has in her hands, that Are woiild frighten other Parties^tl
( now fhe has clone her worfl:^ with what milchief Popery jjjijiij
would do them when it has Power. But to Tpeak freely-^Qj^
can Are be a Bulwork in the Cafe, that has been bringing thflgj;!
worftpart of Popery in thefefix and twenty Years, if d^erfe\^^
cution^he fb as file fays it is ? This would be calfd Casting tcy,
the World in others; But I hearse hegins to fee her Faulty i
heartily forry for it, and prontifes to do fo no more : Aiic^^,
why .may not Popery be as wife, that lias alfb burnt
Fingers with tire, dame work ? Their,praying for eafe
.looks as if tliey .chole Tliat-rather than Power For Security! '
and.if lb, why may notthe Papifl:sLive, as well-as fhe Rcigni^ ^
I am none of their Advocate, lam no "Papifl, but I would h"?®
jult and merciful too. flowcver, I mufl: tell her, that'keepinpj
the Laws on foot, by which flie did the mifchief, is none of the
plaincfl: Evid.enccs of her Repentance: 'lliey.that can believ?
it, liave .little reafon to quarrel the unacc-ountableners of"
Tranfubftantiation. Is it unjulHa Popery to invade hei '
Priviledges.
Ij j.j^rlvilddgc§, andean it bejuftin her to provoke it, by deny-
\jinga Chriftian Liberty f or can fhe expc8: what fhe will not
•yil^ give? or not do as fhe would be done by, becaule file fears
others will not obferve the fame Rule to her ? Is not this
' ' doi^g Evil that Geod may come of it, and that uncertain
f toOjagainft an exprefs Command as well as common Charity ?
But to fpeak freely, whether we regard the Circumftances of
jj'jj; ; the King, the Relation of his Cliild^ren, the inequality of the
j ' Number and Strength of thofc of each of their Communions,
Tiin '^ we muft conclude,that the-Averfion of the Church of Englanii
/^"tothis intreated Liberty, cahnot reafbnably be thought to
, come from the Fear fhe has of the prevalency pf Popery-ji but
' the lofs of that Power the Law gives her to domineer over all
' DilTenters. And is not this a Rare Motive for a Chriftian
' Church to continue Penal Laws for Religion ? If her Piety be
[p not able to maintain her upon equal terms, methinksher ha-
ving fo much the whip hand and fcart of all others, fiiould fa-
P, ^ tisfy her Ambition,and quiet her Fears; for his poffible for her
to keep the Churches if the Laws were abolifhed; all the diffe-
rence is, file could not force: She might perfwade and con-
Mvince what fhe could: And pray, is not that enough for a
iujl»v Church, without Goales, Whifs, Halters and Gihhets ?
0 what Corruption is this that haS; prevail'd over Men offuch
' Pretenfions to Light and Confcience ? that tliey do not, or
fo Ims:inot, fee nor ifeel their own Principles one remove from
fcaf:!*! ■ themfelves; but facrifice the nobleft part of the' Reformation
to Ambition, and compel Men to truckle their tender Com
Tciences to the Grandure and Dominion of their Doftors. .
itliK'". Bnt becaufe the Sons of the Church of England keep at this
time, fuch a fiir in her fa vour,and fix her excellency in her op-
soiiff^f - pofition to Popery ,it is worth while to confider a little further,
«ii:v ^ if really the mofl: feared and difagreeable part of Popery in her
own opinion,does not belong to her, and if it does,fhould we
- ~Q not
C I o ^
not be- in a fine Condition, to be in Loi'c with^our Fettervjofj^^'
and to Court our Mifery ? ,
That part of Poperj which the Church of EfigUnd with jiDorcto
moft iuccefs objcfts againft, is her Violence, ^ This is that fheGod in
can only pretend to fear : Her Dodlrines fhe partly Profeflestide.
or thinks Ihe can eafily refute. She does not think her DoTors tit isli
Conjurers for their TrAnfubflantiaPion) or dangerous to the ijfT
State for their Beads, or their Purgatory, But forcing others
to tiseir Faith, or ruining them for refttfing it, is' the terrible
thing 'rye ar-e taught by, her to. apprehend. Nov/granting this
to'te the cafe, in reference to the Roman Religion, where it
is in the Chair : I ask, if the Church QpEngland, with her bet-
ter Dodfrines, has not been Guilty of this Impiety, and for that
caufe more blameable the. the Church fhe oppofes fb much ? ■
If we-look into her Adls of State, weiind them many, and j.^^
bitter, againft all forts oF Diffenters. There is nigh twenty y
Laws made, and yet in force, to conffrain Conformity, and -^.q
they have been executed too, as far and as often as fhe thought
it fit for her Intereft to let them. Some have been Hdnfd, ^
many BaniJIFt, more Imprifoned, andfometo Death', and ahun"
dance Impoveriff t; and all this meetly for Religion : Tho,by
a bafe and barbarous ufe of Words, it has been call'd
Sedition, Routs and Riots ; the world of aggravations, fince
they are not contented w make. People unhappy for their
Difient, but rob them of all they had left, their Innocency. This
has been her State Craft, to coin Guilt, and make men danger-
ous, to have her ends upon them. But that way of Palliating
Perfecutiou, by rendring a thing that it is not, and punifh- '
mg men for Crimes they never committed, Inow but little
Confcience in the Projeaors, The Church of England crys
out againfl: Tranfubfdantiation, becaufeof the Invifibility of
the Change. She don't fee Chrifd there, and therefore he is '
not there, and yet her Sons do the fame thing. For the all the
tokens
:Fw' . . C J" )
' "■'"'v tokens of a Riot are asinvifiblein aDilTentcrs Meeting, as
Chrill: in the- Tranfiibiiantiation, yet it muft be a Riot with-
■ out any more to do : TheEnglifllof which is, 'tis a Riot to
, p f pray to God in the liumbicit and peaceableft manner in' a
^ 3 Conventicle.
^ I know it is faid, The Blood-jJjed in the fore-going Raign^and
the. Plots of the Papifis againfi Queen Elizabeth, drew thofe
Ltivs from the Church of England- But this was no reafbn
' why ihe fhould do ill becaufe they had done fo' Befides,it may
be anfwered, that that Religion having lb long intermixt it
3) ^ felfwith worldly Power, it gave way to take the revenges
jj-y And certainly the great men of the Church o£England
endeavouring'/■f interctpt Queen ^by proclaiming the Lady
Jane Gray, and fhe Apprehenfon the Papijls had of the better
^''%'^'Title of y[2XY Queen ofPiZOXs^ together with a long Pojfejfon^
were fcurvy Temptations to kindle ill Defigns againit that
' ''extraordinary Queen. But tho'nothing can excufe and left
-r- 1 r» • 1- T.. - . r
. juififie thofe cruel Proceedings; yet if there were any reafbn
'^'pifor tlie Laws, it is plainly removed; for the'Ihterefts are
'««*joyn'd,and have been fince King fames the" firft "came to the
Crown. However,'tis certain there were Haws enough, or
they might have had them,to punifhall civil Enormities,with-
my out thc neceflity of making any agairift them as Papifts. And
f fothe civil Government had Itood upon its own Legs, and
Vices only againft it had been puniEiable by it. Infliort, it
nt was the falfeft Step that was made in all that great Queens
(0- Raign, & the moil difhonourable to the Principles of tlie firil
Reformers, and therefore I know no better Reafbn why it
fiiould be continued, than that which made the Cardinal in.
the Hiilory of the Council of T. rent oppofe tlie Refoimatioti
at Rome; That thoit was true tliat they were in the wrong,
•ior(k- yef admitting of it approved the judgment of their Enemies
ifid fo eood.-nifht to Infaliibility. Let nottliisbethCPrafticeoi.
^ ^ ^ C-2 ■the
( ) fv' J
the Church of Ergla^d) and tlie rather, becaufe fnc does not
pretend to it: But let lier .reflea, that Ihe has Ipft her King
from her Religion, and they that have got him, naturally liop^
for eale for theirs by him, that 'tis the erid they labour'd, and .^ciplej'i
the great ufe they have for him,and I yvould fain wonder that f,i)ciDgei
file never law it before ; but wlietjier lheuid.orno,why fiiould.iiniSl
file begrudg it, at leaft rcfufe it now ? Since 'tis plain, tliat^Jtoiie^i
there ;s nothing we. efteem dangerous in Popery that other'":p,^;i?i
Laws are not fufficient to fecure us from f Have we not enough L
of them ? let her think of more,and do the befi- flie can to
cover P loiter s'l^unijh Trait or Sy fupprefs the Seditious, andkeeflj,.^-
the Peace hettef thofe we have can enable us to do: But j'fgpjj
for Gods fake, let us never dire£b Laws againfi Men Tor
caufe of Religion,. Or punifh' them before they have other wile
done amifs. Let Mens_Works, not their Opinions, turn the
Edg of theMagiftrates Sword againll: them, elle'tis Behead-
ing them _befb|:e they are Born. _ ; r
By the common Law of this Kingdom there Jnuft be fbmc.,
Real and Proper Overt that' proves Trealbn; fome Malice^^. ^
that proves Sedition; and feme violent Aclion that proves a -
Rout or Riot. If lb, to call any fort of Religious Orders, the
one, or Praying to God in a way out o/fajhion, thectKer, is pre-
poftrous, and punifliing People for it, down right or
Breach of the Peace, according to the true ufe of Wprds,and the,^™
old Law of England. ' " ' '
If the Church ofi fears the growth jof Popery,
her be true to the Rel.^ion file owns, and betake her ielf to; 'f"
FaithyzthQT than F(5rfe,by a pious, humble^And a good Example
To convince^ and perfwadef yj\\iQ\\ is tliehiglieft honour to any 5
Church, and the greateft Vifbory over Men, I am for a Natio-
nal Church as well as file, fo it be by ConfentyVcA not.by Con^ •
Fir aim. But Coercive Churches have that fame Principle, tho ®
not the ikrnQlmenFl. A Church, hy Law eftablifhtd, is a
•" cli, and tbat is no Argument of Verity, unleis the
Ler ib be infallible; and becaufe that will
ii..v he averted, the other can never oblige the Confcience, and
conl^equently the Compulfion fhe ufes, is unreafbnable. This
iODie: l'rinciplej»^^ej the Kjr/g ^VPtance, atid the Inquifttion.
For Laws being equally of Force in all Countries where they
nij'jT are made, it muft be as much Fault in the Church of
Judgment to be 4 At Rome, or aCahaniH at. Paris,
as to be a Papifi at London; Then where is Truth or Conlci--
encebutin the Laws of Countries! which renders her an-
j. ' HohhiH, nctwithftanding her long and loud Clamours againft
2l&(L(vUthan
I beg her, for the love of Chrift, that fhe would think of
thefe things,and not efteem me her Enemy for performing the
part of lb good a Friend, Plain Dealing becomes that Ca-
raOier; no matter whether the Way be. agreeable, lb it be
■" right: We are all to do our Duty,. and jeaVe the reft to God :
He can bed anfwer for our Obedience, that Commands it;
/■ r and our Dependance upon his Word, will be our Security in
J " our Condubl.' What weight is it to a Church, that fhe is the
T Church Ly Law eUahli^ed, when no humane Law-can make a
true Church ? A true Church is of ChriHs making, and is'by
r Gofpel eftablifhed, 'Tis'a Reflebtion to a Church that would
' bethought true, to Hoop to humane Law for her Eftablilh-
meat. I have been often Icartdal'd at that Expreffion from
^ the Sons of the Church of England, efpecially thole of the
lOjKr if hat do you talk for ? our Reltgion is by Law eHablifhed,
,f" as if tnat determiifd the Queftionofits Truth agaiijifballother '
•'f" Pe-fv/ilons. ■ ; ■ ■ -
oourtu rp againft Uur' Saviour, We have a
I^tv. and by our Law he ought to Lye. The Primitive Chrifti-
^ ans, feme of our firft Reformers Dyed ns by Law eHahlifh'
ed, Lt that would mend the matter; but does that make it
rr
Jit-
. . C ' 4 ) -■« f . -I tfce Croi
lawful to a Cliriftian Coufcience ? we muft ever demur
tliis Plea. No greater Argument of a Churches Defedioa^pyi
from Chriftianity than turning Perfecutor. ' Tis true, the
Scripture fays, 2^e Earth full hel^ thclVoman, but that
to fave her lelf not to defiroy others : For 'tis the Token that's' y ; r
given by the Holy Ghoil of a faife Church ; That none
Buy or Sell in her Dominions that xvill not receive her Mark in . 'i. ,
their Forehead, or Right-band. -That is by going to Church|
againfi: Conicience, or bribing luftily to ftay at Home. f!
Things don't change, tho men do. ^ Perleciition is Ifillthe^'^^T
fame, let the hand alter never fo often; bur the Sin may not:
For dou'btlefs it is greateif in thole that make the higheft'^™™
daim to Reformation. For while they plead their own Light
for doing lb, they hereby endeavour to extingiiijh anotliers
Light that can't concur. What a Man can't do, tt is not hu
Fault he dont do,nor jhoiddhe be comfeWd to do it, and at leafi ofi
all be fitnijJjedfor not doingit. 'No Church can give Faith, anl
therefore can t force it; for what is conjlrain'd is not Belie*ved; Ucc
fince Faith is in that fence free, and confiraint gives no time t6 - fori
ajfient; I fay, what I don't will is not fj and what I don t Choofe is
none of mine, and anothers cant fdve me, tho it fioould fave him.
So that this Method.never obtains the end defign'd, fmce it
Saves no body, becaufe it Converts no body ; it may breed-iiisi
Flypocrifie, but tliat is quite another tiling than Salvation, •^tol
What then is the uie of Penal Laws ? only to fhow the-itiiig,
Sincerity of them that Suder, and Cruelty of thofe that nixkt^'k%
and execute them. And all time tells us they have ever lail'd
thole that have lean'd upon them: They have always been^ijiii
' loofers at laid: Befides, it is a mold unaccountable obidinacy eho
in the Church of Enolan to fdickle to uphold them, for after
having made it a mat ■ o-' Pve'f gion and Confcience to Ad-pfil
drels the late King in . 'of tius, to think He Ihouldleave ■.;icii
his Confcience behind h V:' m Flanders,oy wnen they waited on jii,
hini^^
to the Crown, that hefhould fend it thither upon a
> Wsd'ilgrimage, is want of wit at beft, pardon tlie cenfure. Could
tstni^ they Confcientioufly oppofe his Lxclulion for his Religion,and
iiitttstriiow his Religion becaufe.he will not leave it ? Or tan they
rokecdcafonably maintain thole Te/Zr that were contrived to exclude
ifjojj.him when Duke of Tork^ .while they endured none to hinder
I heartily beg the Church of Englands
I to C'^excufe, if I lay I can't. comprehend her : Perhaps the tault is
mine,but fure I am Ihe is extreamly dark. How could Ihe hope
joijivforthis King without,his Conlcience/ or conceive that his
or Conlcience would let him leave the Members of
j^jiisCQiiimunion under the lafh of lb many Delfroying Laws ?
jj.o^,hvould lliebelb lerv'd by aPrince of her own Religion, and
the like CircumRances ? She would not, let her talk >
I Dooms-pay«
wRa To objeO: fhe Ifjngs fromife^ when he came to the Crown,
« repeal of the Penal Laws, Ihows not his Inlince-
wrRpT) but her Uncharitablenels, or that really Ihe has a very
place: For it is plain the Kin^ frfi dechredhis own
imdl and then jtromifed to maintain hers; but w^as that to
)dl ^ or together with his own ? His Words fhows he
intended that his own Ihould L/Ve, tho t'other might Raign.
t IT/ ^ it is not credible that a Prince of any Sincerity can
y?; ^ being to his own Religion, when he continues another
n its well being. This were to act upon State not Conjcience^
bmdto make more Conlcience to uphold a Religion he cannot
than of giving eafe to one his Confcience obliges him to be
I cannot iinagin how this-thought could entiia'into any
'V^itad that had Brains, or Heart tlut hadHonefty, And to
^ • ly true, they muft be a Ibrtof State Conlciences, Confcten-
\ bp )latx) that .can follow the Law againll
"lj;ieirConviaions.
•Aiif ^ bave to oblerve from that objeQdon : It
[^^plies too evidently, iirlt, that jOie thinks her felffhakeny if
the;
the Penal Laws bercpeaPd; then by ^ I'unkri
muil med.n,E3Ahlfjhed hy thoje Vend La vs, v econ-uy, jp .
King having promifed to maintain her, a^s by La^ " n'rii/itv
ed, he owrht fiot to'endeavour their Vepealry nn-crh^iy he^^^ a, ,
hli/hed. I donfefs this is very clofe arguing, t)Ut then Ihe nihP'^"'
^lot take it ill, if all Men think her ill founded ; ■ foranythii#^"
tnuft be To,' that is eftablinicd by dchroying ■ I .aws ? Laws®
that Time and Pradke have declared Enemies to Propertfi^^j^^'^^^
Confcience. ■ O let her not hold by - that Charter, hor'te^'^ J^f
- thither for her Eftablilhment aiid Defence, if lEe would
thought a Chriftian Church. _ ' !f r''*''
Plutarch had rather one fhould think tlierc never was fudl,P
Man in the World, than that was an ill Man. Si#^
the Church of ■ tliat glories in a great Light,"! hyal
'more concer rid for her Power ^ than her Credit^ robe,-thant):hfclf
be that which fhe fbould be ? I" would fay, far be it from het,
for her own fake, and which is of much more moment,for tfidt will
fake of the general Caufe of Religion. ■ i will
Let us fee therefore if there be not another'way of undei b fe
ftanding thofe Words,more decent to the King, and more he rics
, nourable for her, that fhe is in the National Chair,,
the Churchy and Revenues, and is Mother of thofe that do m'W\
adhere to ahy'feparate Communion,and that the lQng haspromif Li'^
-to maintain her in this Pofi from the Invafions of any Other fh itrcd,
fivafion that would wre/l thefe Priviltdg^s out of her hknds v t'AvU^
he promifed formerly; this he has very particularly repeate liji
■in his gracious Declaration; But to Ruin Men that would nc"4li{p
Conform, while himfelf was fb great a Difrenter, "andcaili;. t|>t
fuch, to her knowledge, to the Crown, can be ho part of fi
Promifes in the Opinion of common Sence and Charity, l ijui,
there no Difference to be obfefved between not turning heipj;,,
out, and deftroying 'all others not of her Communion : H rj,
will not turn her out, there's his Pro,mife, and he has not don,
ii-if^ere's his performance .-Nor M'ill hcdo it,I am confident,if fhe
1 ut there is» no manner of necefliry from this Engage-
:■ tiiat all Parties'eKe are to be Confounded. The if it were
tis'ill 'Dirinity to pr^C ftich PrOtnifes upon a Princes Con-
that can't be performed vviUi a good Une by Any Body,
Let her remember how ofteninte has upbraided her DifTen-
L';ters witli this, 'Reader te Q^f 'ur the things that are Cetfars^ whilft
P;^ tliey have returned upon her t'other half of the Text, anJi
irjk'-rfWer tmto'God the things fhat are Gods. It happens now
few(iii,that Gf^^aod C^r are both of a mind, which perhaps does
rotaluayes fallout, at leaff about the Point'in hand. Will
(lie Diffent from'both now ? Her cafe,'believenie, will be
i\k'doubtful then. I hegher to be Confiderate. 'Tis the great-
tatLiojjtft time of Tryal fhe has met witfi fince Hie was a Church.
'oIkj LTo acquit her lelf like a Member'cf Chriffs Uniyerfal One,
jjitloji let her keep nothing that voidsTier pretentions. The Babib'
Garment will undo her. J radlices Inconfiftant with her
{Reformation will ruin her» The Martyrs Blood VVon the
and her Severity'has alfnoff loft it. They Suffer d by
gj|()[jjLaw, fhe makes Laws/or Suffering. Is this an Irnmiratiott
of their prafbice, ■ ?(? ufiwldtht Weapons of their De'Jlru^ion^
/(ilif Imuft tell her, 'tis being a Martyr for Perrecution,and not Ty it.
Another Path then thatthe'holy Ancients, and our humble
Anccftors trod, and u hich VviH lead her to be deferred and
^^^^^j Cotr.emiPd of every Body that counts it fafer to follow tne
LjjjBkirtd Rule and prafticc of Chrift and his infpir'd McfTjn-
then her narrow and worldly Policies. But that v\ Iticii
,j;.-iitighvens the ReprOach, %fhe offerof" the Romanifts them-
^.^^[■Jelves to make a perpetual civil I^eace with her, and that ft-'c
^^reftifts. Would the Martyrs have done this? ftireiy ho. Let IVer.
remember fhe firft A rgumcnt honeft old Fox advances agaiuft
jjyijglthat rinirch, is the Church o'i'EngUnas orcfenr Dirling ,
lenal Laws for Religion \ as flaemay fee at the beginning of
-D Ihs
^ . ( 18-; • , ' , "
bkfira Vo'umnDOubtlcls he vyas much in the.rigfit,,whrd^ferofif)
niakes her extreainly in the wrong-. Nothing, fays the. jjicreisf
Prophet,'muft harm in Gods holy ^Mountain, and that'.i the; jprDat)'
OiJ.rchkyes Fox, and therefore he fays, Chril^'s Church never
Perfecutes. Leave then God with his ovyn Work, and Chrill
with his own Kingdom.' As it is not pf the World, let not
the World touch it ; no, Koi to uphold it, tho they that bear jjjof 1
it Ihoufd.trip by the way. Remember Vzzx, he .would needs
fupport the Ark rvhen the Oxen 5-tumbled ; but wasfirnck
for his Pains. The Prerumption is more than Parraief. Chrill
promkd/i> be prefect with his Church to the eni of the
PJe bid them/e^r wr, and told them, 'that fufficient was
"Day for the Evil thereof. ■ How ? with Penal Laws ? no, fuch "^,'^^'
tnatter; but his Divine Prefence. Therefore it was, HecallM
bgt for Legions to fight for him,bccaufe his Work needed it not.
'They that want them have another fort of Work to do : And'^'^ f
'tis too plain, that Empire, and not Religion, has been top.1'
rnuch the Bufiilef?. But, O let it not be fb any more / Tp bea _ 'J ?
True Church is better then to be a National One ; efpecialfy.'f
as fb upheld. Vrefs Vertucy Punfh VicCy Difpence with 0^/. ®'"'
rdon', Perfwade^, but doiFt Impofe. Are there in
nion? let them alone; you heard they are to grow with thf^-
HTeat till Harvejl, i\\2iX\s, the end of the World, Should tht)^^
not be pluckt up before? no ; and 'tis Angels Work at lafl'
too. ChriH: that knew all Men, faw no Hand on Earth fit
for that BurincTs. Let us not then ufurp their Office. Befides, ''1®'
we are to Love Enemies; this .i.s the great Law of our Religioa; ''tis
by what Law then are we i,o Perfccute them ? and if not Enetnics,®'''!!'
not Friendsand Ndghbours certainly. ■ iT
TheApoille rcjoyccd that Chrifiwas Preached out of Envjy-\
If fb, lamfurewe ought not to envy Chrifiians the enjoy-io
ment of the Liberty of their Confciences. Chriftianity fhould
be propagated by , the Spirit of Chrifiiariity, and not by Vic-•
lence
\ 7 y s
lit ,j';^ence or Persecution, for that's the Spirit of Antichrirtianity.
C ■ fCor fqr fear ofit, {Iwuld we, cfChriftians, become Antichrifti-
hkiV ' Where,'is Faith in Got) ?. where is rruft ip, Providence ?
Ietus do oufDuty,andleave the refl with H.irn'; a^d ^iot do Evil
iciili Good may come of it; for that fliows a DUlrull in God,aild
eConfidence in our own Inventions for leciirity. Norcafon of
.,;tl,ji. State can excufcour DKbbedience-tohis Rule ; and wc defert
(fie Principles of our heavenly Mader when we decline ir.
[if duertion is about Confcience, about this we can none of
jijj ji'iis be too tender nor exemplary. 'Tis in right doing that
rji^jfl'diriftialis can hope for Succefs; and for true \ri£fcry only
ia/w '^l^rough Taith and Patience. But if to avoid wliat we fear, w.e
> 'xontradiQ: our Principles, we mayjuftly apprehend rW Crci
. 'uJ'Tvdldefert min an''unUnfHl'wxy of maintdining them, Perhap^s
V'i'this may beGodstimc of trying all Parties, what we will do';
whether we will rely upon him or our own feeble Proyirions-;
whether we \villallovv \vhat \vc our felves in our turn havedlC
5 tf not, may we not cxpeft to fufiPer the thing we
'S j,,would inflicl ? for our Penal - Laws cannot fedUre us frO'm the
' V turns of Providence, and lefs fupport us under them. Let
us confidertlic true ground of the difficulty chat is made, if
it he not partial and light in Gods Scale; for to thafrrya! all
Citings niuft come, and his Judgment is inevitable as well as
/f'Mallible. BefideSj-if we have not'tryed all other merhods,
i we are ineXcufable in being fo tenacious for this. I do there-
f^ tore, in all hutnility, beleech all forts obProfelTorsof Clirifli-
® ^ nnity in thefe Kingdoms, toabftraff chemrdves from thofe
^P^rjefloufies which worldly 'motives are apt to kindle in their
iVlinds, and with an even and undifiurbed Soul purfue their
/f Chrifiian Duty in this great Corjunfture: Confidering
''^^i^fthe'Race is not to the Swife,, nor the Battel to the Strong,, and
'"•f that for all our Watchmen, 'm God alone (at laffj that keeps
'ihe'City, Not that i woulddeclioe a fitringj/but an unchrilli-
' ■ Di an
(20)'
an Frovi'Hdri: Fdr though,rhe Foundation were newr'f
true, yet li our Supcritru(^ure Hny and Stubk (ourowj
narrou'Devices^ the Fire will confupr.e ir, and our Labqu
Will be worle then in vain. Let us not therefore .SW
ire y- o.ild NOt Reap^- beatife neR£ap rrhat i\tS0,v : And re
member who told us, rvhat we meafure to others fj^11 be meete<
to us AgAin, Let us therefore do unto all Partiesof men,
r e would, be done unto by tlsem in their turn of Power : Leaf
cur fear of their unduidulnels, jbould tempt tuoutcf our Dut)
and lb draw upon our fclves the mifchiefs we are afraid oi
Sacred Writ is lull of this, in the Dobftine of both Tefta^ ,, »
ments; and as we prtofefs to believe it, we are 'inexcufablr^
if we do not prabliccit. Let the Spirit then of Chrihiar^
Religion prevail. Let our Policies give way to bur Duty, anc ™
our Fears will be overcome of our Hopes, which will
make us afliam''d at the laft and great Judgment: where,
Godl let us all appear with Comfort., ''f
I could yet Enlarge upon this Subject; for nothing canb
more fruitful. I could foy, that a Church that Denies Infallibi f
lity, cannor/brre, becaule foe cabnot be certain, and foFe«i :
ml
Laws ^tho it were polTible that they could be lawiul in others
in her,* would beVnjuf.- That Scriptu-re leaves Men to
rui^ion and Perfwafton. That the true Chruch-Weapons-at •k'to
Light znd Grace', and her punifiiments, Cenfure Exconi^AtTd
munication. That Goals and Gibbets are Inadiquatcd Method .'li/K
for Converfion., and that they never fucceeded.x That.this/^r 4tl
ail further light to come into the World, and- lb linui'ix\
. iheHojy One, which in Scripture is made a great Sin. Anbai
jailly, tliat fuch enfnare their own I^ofterity that may be of a-otf
other mind,, and forfit by it the effates tliey have focarefoll ;,is'
tranfmitied -.fo., thern. Thus far againfl: • ImpoGtion.. An ^d
againfi:'Compliance. I could fay, that its to betray Godij^;
Syver.aigoty over, Confcience ; To deify Men ; Gratifie pr( j«'
iuiniKion j foil and extinguifo truth in the mind ; obey blrnc '
fol
c 21 y
ever the Soul without Security; turn Hipocrlte^
andat- ..dance more; eachoF which heads might well merit
ouf an whole chapter. But this having been well and feafonably
bivfider^d elfew !iere, I fliall now proceed to the (tcond part of
this,dircoucfe>iii which I will be as briefjand yetas full as I can.
PART II;
That ^tU th Principle cf Men. of Note of all Parties.
UT what need is thereof this, mayromefay, when all
Parties profefsto be of the lame Judgment, That Qon-
:ct;E jcience ought not to he forced.,, nor Religion.imgofed upon men ■
at their civil peril? I own they are all ol thatmina,at onetime
or other, and therefore tha^ I may purge my felf of any Ami-
tnofity to the.Dcffrineof the.Church of England; I will In-
, genioufly confels, the leverecondudll have argued againh, is
jJfjjjjj; - not to be imputed-to her Principles; but then her Evil will be
thegreater,i thatin fa£l has fo notoriouBy contradidfed them.
ij.^fjj|-r/Ihnow.romeofher defenders will hardly allow that too; The
^,jjjiiT.j,he morocandid give us their Silence or Confeffion : For they
,^^0:M\\\[$y^'*tis not.the Church thakhas done it, .which, unlefsthey
'jj,,,r -.niean, the Laws were not made a Chnrch, muff needs be
:;.„fa!rc, fince thofethat made, and executed them were of her
own Communion, and are that great, body of Members that
conilitute her a Church ; .but .by her fmifting them of, 'tis
■giDdi''reafbnable toconclude that llie tacitly condemns'what fbe
jliric;' ■ PVblickly dilbwns. One>woiildthink then it fliould not be fo
, hard to perfwade her to quit them, in the way fhe made them,
(jrjfif: or to inj.oyn her Sons to -doit,if that language be to harlli for her.
■ , .... This -
'U
Tills Strory-fhe mufl: hear of fomii way, a^nd I "pay
flic may endeavour to do her duty in it. She is not alone ; for" |
every Party in-Power has too evidently lapft into this Evil,;, tha
under the prevalency and perlecution of another Inteteftihoy
have ever writ again ft club Law for Religion,
. end that I may do theReformation Right,and the Principles of '
the Church E?jgUnd, Juttice, I muft fay, that hardly one
perfon of any note, dyed in the time of thatdld
fnotipafs Sentance upon Perfecution as Antichriftian, -partlctT-
larly PhilpoPyBradfordy'Rogcrs^ very Eminent Rofoftti*
ers. The Apologies that were writ in tiiofe times, are of the
famcftrain, as may be {ccn'm Jeively Hxddon, Reymldsy
and the Papifts were with realbn thought much in tlie wrong
by thole"Primitive Proteftants, For the Perfecution that they
railed againft them, for matters of pureRcligion. But what
need we go fo far back ? is it not recent in memory, that
BijhopVjher was Einploy'cl to O.Qromrvdl by fome of
Clergy of the Church of for Liberty of Conlciencc?
Dr Parr, in the Life of Dr Primate of 'Armigh, fol. "ad c
has that palfage thus. '■^adol
' Cromxdl forbidding the Clergy, urider great penalties, to ssto
' teach Schools, or to perform any part of their minifterkl 'ffl w
^funflioii; fbmeof the moft Conliderable Epilcopal Clergy-ixivil
* in and about London^ ^dcfircd my Lord Primxte thar*Ke ri,jh
'would ufehk Intereft with Crcwjve//, ffince they heard he ^liiioti
* prerertded a'great refpeft for hiin^ thatias he-granted Liberty 'iCl
'of Confcience toalnioft- all forts of Relrgions, fo the Epif- lafjii
■' copal Divines might have the fame freedom of ferving Gotf in -sicfd
' their private Congregations ffince tiiey were not premitte^f iliuy
' the publick ChurChes^according to the Liturgie oftlie Chiirdli :t|(
' of EngUnd; and that neither the 'Minifters, nor Thole 'dD'|
' that frequented That Service, might bfe any more hindered,' ,,15
' or difturbed by his SouldiersSo according to their defire, }^e Ki 1
■ ■ ■ went ;ii,
^Ticntarul ufcd his utmoft Endeavours. U'ithC;'<3;«n'P//j' for the
®v 'taking off this reftratnr, which was,, at laft promifed (tho
' with fcnac difficulty) that they, fhould not be molefted, pro-
(tttefife 'vidcdthey meddled not with any matters'relating to his
'Governmepr.
''fflift Certainly thofe Gentlemen were of my mind. And to
luri. give Dr HmmoKdMs who I underfland was one of
them, heleftittothe WitnelTcsofhisend, ashisdying Coua-
1(1, pt! fel to the Church of England, That they .difplaced no man
mRfi out of the Univerfity or prefem Church, but that, by Love,
and an holy Life they fhould prevail upon thofe in pofTeffion
tocome into their-Qiurch.). But this lookt fo little like the
Kieiff Policy and,.Ambition of the Living, that they refblved it-
ifiiould be Buried with him. This I had from an eminent Hand
, Kiifji in Oxford^ a year or two after his Death. An older man out
Kuaf,; fw'd him, and one,of the mod: Learned and Pious of that
I CommuBiony Bt/hep-Sander/fin I mean: They were the two-
Mm great men of their fort that was of the Party. Let us fee what
,,j £|( this Reverend man fays to our poinr.
^ ' The Word of God doth exprefsly forbid us to. fubjefb our
pjltiti, ' Copfciences to the Judgment of any other, or to ufurp a
'Dominion-over theConfciences of any One. Several cafes
Qf Confcience difcufTed intenLedures in the Divinity School
fill fei ^ Led. ^oSed. pag. 105. Printed 16^0.
' He is not worthy to be ChriRs Difdple, who is not the
itedlii "D'fciplc of Chrift alone. The Simplicity and Sincerity of the
^ ' Chriftian Faith, hath fuffered a great prejudice fince we have
lioaft- divided into Parties, neither is there any hope that Re-
,fM fhould be reftorcd to her former Original and Purity,
' until the Wounds that were made, wider by our-dailv Quar-
* rels and bifTentions, being anointed with t he Oy/e of Brother- -
*lyLovey as with a Balfom, fhall begin-to clofe again, and
/^i do grow entite into the ^lame Unity of Faith and Charity,
. 'The
'(■24") w , i"f-*
^The obligation of €onfci ;ncc doth nof ngn^iriQ^ asiy torn- ijaiiti Eir
"pulfion, for, to fpeak properly, the Cohlcicnce can^no^tsoff^
* more be coaipelled thaa the free-will, ibid 4. huBure y, -'ffkfi
^ag. 09. ^ ^ iir'Wi''
* The cxprcfs Commandment of God doth oblige tlie Con-^itotk
*fcience properly' by it feif and by its own" f tc<i; and this
* obligation is'abfolute, becaufe i: doth diredly and always
■•oblige and becaule it obligeth all pcribns,and the obligation of.if G
<it h never to be cauctllcd. A'o^e but God alone hath, power to
<impcle a Law upon the Coitfcience ol any Man, to whichrvipiJ
'•itought to be fubjeded, as obliging by 'it fcif, ThiSjtotlieC
-»Cooclufion is proved by the words of the poftle, There
butane Latv-gn er, who can both fave and defrojf. In which
■'words two arguments do profer themLlvcsto ourObferva-^ ,
tion i Irr the firit place they affert there is but one Legiflator:; '
not one picked out-atriongrt: many; not one above many;
« but one exclufively, vhat is to lay,'One, and but one only. ^
•' The Apolfleotlierwife had made hie of a very indfe^fual J r
argument, to prove what he bad propounded ; for he rebu- y.
• keih ihoTe who u-nadviftdlydid {"lafs their'Judgment cithc on^^T-,
' • the pcrfons, or the deeds of other Men, as'the Invaders
• their Rights. ^ Who art Thou flaithhc) who dojl judge aftotherl?^
• as-if helhould have laid, dolf thou know thy lelf, what rhoul'j: ^
® art, and what thou deft ? It dotir not belong to Theeto*y.''
• thriift thy faw cy Sickle into the harveft of another N4an, '*J
-^■Tnuch lefs boldly to fiing thyfelf into the Throne'of
•' God. it already Thou art Ignorant of it, then know, dutjjj
-•it belongcth to him aloneto judge of the Confcienccs of
*to whotnahne it. doth belong to imfvfe Laws ufon the
-* tnces of fnen^ which none can do but God alone, ibidp^g.'^'^
J 11,112,115. G;
'* The cnditlon and Natural eftate of the Cor^icrre it
lelf is fo placed a> it were in the middle betwixt Goci and die
y.( )
' wlUpf M^n, as that whicit is Hifualljr an4. i^uIyTpoken of
^ ^Kingsand Ernperofs, may as truly W-verified of the Coii'
. .J *'fqiences of every man, Solo .p^o mijzores effe, »ec dtiauam in
^T^fhfi^'erioremdgmpcd^tYT^ thtn ^oJionl^y mi on
^ J, * Etrz/r Xo Acknowltige no Superior.^ That Spc-ech of the Ernperor
' ■ '^tiiximiltmxhQ^xOi is Very memoiablc, Ponfckncij DomtnAri
^ vtlk^ _eji Arcem CAi invadere ; To exercife a Dominxtion ov^r
y.' ^ConfeienceSy is to invade the Toiver of Heaven. He is.a Plufl-
*^deref of the Glory of God, and a nefarious Invader, o^
™ F' Power that is due unto him, whofoever he is that fhall cfaim
J'l W' Power that is due unto him, whofbever he is that fhail claim
,'i"r ''aright to the Confcicncesof men, orpradicean Ufurpation
ih. if ij over them. ibid. Se£f. 11. pag. 11
' ' And ^et this is the fad confequence of 'impoling Religion iip"
t)h Cohfcience, and punifhing Non-conformity withwortdly
Penalties. ,
mm yj now hear what the late Bifjop of Down fays in his
of Prophefe to our Point,.* I am very much difp leafed
'^hat.fo rnany Opinions and new Dodrines are commenced
•m t ' amohgfl: us, but more troubled, that every man that hath an
scitt.t --i gpinion thinks his own and other mens Salvation is concern-
kW jn ifg. maintenance, butmoft of all, thatmsn fhould,be
u jj^pfre'cuted and Afflicted for difagreeing in fuch Opinions,
..wjfichthey cannot with fufficient grounds obtrude upon ,o-
ig toil '*iter'sneceffarily,. becaufc they cannot propound thcm.lafal-
2Pi)tl)f Mibly, and becaufe tliey have no warrant Irom Scripture fo to
fdo ; for if I fhall tyeother men to believe my Opinion, be-
*'cau;^ I,think I have a place of Scripture which feems. to
1(0^' 'warrant it to my underftanding • why may he notlerye.up
anotlier difh to me in the fame drefs, and e.xact the i imc
flf- task of me to believe the contradiftory ? Liberty of Prophefe.,
^ , Epift. Dedift. pag. 8, 9. . '
The cxperieqee vvhich Chriflendo^ hath had ia this laffc
* Age is Argument enoug[\ 't\\a.tTo/eration of differing Opinions
" ' • E *^5
' is fo far from dlfturbing thd PubUckPeac<?,^^ d^^lcpy ^^tfle
* Intefeft ofPrinfcfs^an'd'CbniraOii %t it %si advan^^ ;»o
' fageto ihe^"iib]it!r,^^,rebb{-ef FeaCe,^ (p-
^ pyueFr Teft'to r^t^forTs^ to ^oih"' tif toe
teod for, it bcfiiig^alt'^aoy mdQlged"fothem»../^/^^ , r, inffrM^
*It is a proverbial mmi4 f4milUritaf jfmSif
*^rutu eji waffh-ittio acLvtrfm Db-mir^umf a^nd .tliby wbo for ihei'fo iOiiircii C
^ ftcurity^ ruri in Grots and Cctlers, aad RetkcmeptSij. thiiik, miia
*%'hat''.ttKy%iing.ppon- the d^nfivc, thqfc Pfioces;^n4.:tl^ifl^ awritl
*fLaws;that drive thciri to 'it arc their jSnemies, and tijerefoffc, '^ifirit.
^they cannot f>c R'CUre, unlcfs the power, of the one, and tltoi iooitlj
"•OWigition-of the other be lelTtfned and refcinded; and theoii, :fRdi-
' the I'Cir g fen-rained and n*ado rnifer^bl.eindears Uii^idiS^ntie^ii*^ ^tkEij
*^^#-^6i!V,rfan^aily, and ipakes more hearty anddangecpus:, fmiicr
*J0(5hfederanbni'ii^i^^ — . . A iPti/jj
i-* No man f^alcs more unreafbnably, than he that <^eK/es.ta'
* -ufe'^ 6f their .re:Lfon^m^ choice, of their Religion, ibid'
^3,,.:'
if til he 'futfo Death, Difmmbred, 'i-ijjf
^ wife dirtily Vtrfett^ed^forhisOpni.on, which does not teach sjjL
kiffhetltj/f iWpa|;;90.' o i$'
; f'pherc is a popular Pify that follows , all Perfops
' ry^dithat 0^myiaf^6n Weed? likened of ^^A^^dnspiS^/
* fh'^tiWfy'bTrert'drodt^sdike^ ; and^^eoitf
* •^hct^fher'be^aafc 'thc^^ anles a Jcatoiirie'and pregnant SiiR'
* jil^dh^thad^ibey''Hvlib Perfeutefan Opinion are deftitotf o|f
* fil^iettt Afgument^ to eOrifute it,' and that the Hangman i^xf
'-thebeftDifputaiit. 197,j9;8.,':-, ;-il'i '
PW.a'man caridodcbange his'iOplnlbn whCn hp/ii|it, -jwal'.?{
^ e^rdoes heartily'or jefojutcly, but when he cannot do GthcTc^ i* ^"1'
' Wife, tlteniauleFdrfeyiday rriakehira a Hypocrite,butn€vec^^ ' -i
' to be-a right Believer, and foinftead oferej^ing a TrpplieistoO f"*
" (jod and true Religion,' w€ %fld^ 'afiommmtfgr^ the, 5:
ibid^-^agf'iod.: •!:
^ v^ tl^ be/f js 'ao, b)ert;ecji|^<pc.)Vrf^
fMd.pag. 209. ^- ir,
' ^T\\\is fa.r Bi/hop T/iykr, and one of the moll: .. Learned Me^Pi
oMib Church of E^gUnA in his time. , , • r,j_, ^ ..;jj.,.;
^dd another Bifhop^ljQl4,Learned.l)y
'nl with the men of his Commuru^K.^'i^
lateii i^nf^'Bd^ds spiritual and Temporal in Pdriiament ^jjemk^^ledf who
Jni I fuiiicientiy declared againft tliis pejrf^uting Spirit onthe
;»!|i aiSbOunt oi Religion,iw-their full appr^atiqtv^fj^nd
ti^Wdto^the Bijhop of St. ^{2c^\i for inVSpxr^oy^(py^a(;)}td^^^^^
iiaif® /^»?!?S6yember the e^th, it2o. and ^their dtprfi^that^ lfecr^id
Print and Publish that Sermon. Tlie Bifhopfays, that, *They
/f • . _.TT ^l-_ l.n. _ _-t f*. • II
kpr.
Mm
fl ii»
:3iooy
* who are moft given to Hate and to deffcoy othersy.efpecially
l^fedleotliers who difterfrom them in Religion, they are i^v
*the Church of God^ or at ieail tl^ey are fp fat cprrupt jQ\/^Iiat'
*i3»^aferJ^/>,^g; - r,-,' ' VrA-Jt-
•^JiLgain'lie fays, * Tliat, of Societies of Men, ChriAian^ >
'all others, are moff averfe from ways of Violence and Bloodf
' efp^'ially from ufiug any (uch ways up(^n the account of-R.bt'
'li^a?fi9V'nd among Chriftian Cdiurches,^ w^iptetlieyjdi^eir,»
'ataongthemfelves, if either, of them ufe-tliQlc'waj's upon tl)tb ^
'acb^nt of Religion , they .give a ffroiig I refiimption
'-againft themleWes that they are not truly Chiiftians.-
liD^mi 9* ^ . ■ -h ' 7'
' There is reafon for this,becaure,w€ Impw.that Chrift gavfc
'Love for the Carabfer by which hrs/piicip'es were to*>bfe '
lifoofk''l^f^Dwn. John i -j. ^5. Bythbfhtll all Men know that you are
^10*' ^-y TijcipUs, ifloH have Love to one another. And Icaft men
fopi'lffP flioakt unchriften ethers, frft, th^t tliey Hate themyand
«them aftfefWa-i^?,-" 'Mi Frecepi. of y.
"f'T £ 2 ' ' Loye,
1 ( 2? )
"'tiove, and cxtrcndcJit even to Encmlt^^, aii^^ not onfy
* ours,,but . to .tlio . Enemies of our Religion, il/;i/r,5.45,44; J;
^ ihU'^A^.^., !h^
^Asoudioly Pvoligipn cxcetk all others in this admirable
^ temper, fo by this we,.may iifually judge wiiO they are ^'"7,
* that excel .-among Chriftiaii Churches^ when there happens
^ any di.derence between them, whether touching the Faith, or
* the terms of.Communion. They that were the more Fierce,
^ they generally had the world Caufe. ibid. fag. 12,, 1 5. -
''FileCouncil of ^iC0fupprelfedthe Arians by no other
* Force, but putting Jrims out of their. Bifhopricks,* they ™''
^cogld not think Heretlcks fit to be trufted with cure of
' Souls; bur other wifCjas to Temf oral, things., I do not find that
*they inflicted any kind of Punil'hment; .but wlten the ArU
' cams to have the Power in their Hands, when theirs was
' come to be tlie JlTipertal ileligion, tli.en Depriving was
* notiiing, Banifhment. was the leaid -that they inflidled ibid,
fa^.ij. • .'3 mo
'Neither our Religion, nor our Church, is of a ferftcuting::\'lk
'Spirit. I know, not how it may be in particular Perlbns'|-«i(| i
' but 1 fay again, it is not in the Genius of our Church: She,ijioili{
'hath no Dofitrinethatibid. f. 20. . " ICki
'I would have no man puiiifiled for his Religion, noriot ira
' them that defiroy men .for ileligion. ibid. fag.. 57. '
Dr. Stillingjleet comes fhort of none of them on this Subjeft/D, if
.'■Our Saviour,/fj/j he, nevei'/ire/e-i^Followers as men do Seul-z^
^ dttrs, but faid, If any man will come after me, let him take,
* his Crcfs ( not his Sword ) and follow me.' His. was
his very Commands fliewed his Meek-s®7
' nefs; his Laws were fweet andiciji
chSrw« .rrSl" ' g<=ntle Laws; not like D««'s that ft
^nt m mood, unlefi it wereti
' his own that gave them.His defiga^if
'was
'It
. (,^9 ) .. 3
Wot!!!! *was to eafe men qf their ibrmer Burdensi and not lay on
'f'HK * hiorc; the Duties he required were no other but ftch tfs were
'neccflktyi and withal very juft and reaibnable. He that
ufe ^cameto take away the infu^portable Yoke of Jewifh Cere-
io fe ' monies, QtTtainly did never intend to gatl the Ncckf of Itis
kL. ' Difciplcs with anotlier inilcad of It. And it would be llrange
theF;:. 'theChurch fliouJd require more than Chrift himielf did ;
■andmake otiier conditions of Jier Communion, tkmour Sa-
viotir did of Difcipkflpif. "Whdii podibb reafbn can be affigned
or given why luch things fliould not be fufficient for Com-
munion with a Church, which are fufficient for eternd bb/-
vation ? And certainly thofe things are fufficient for that,
which are laid down as neceffary Duties for Cbrildianity by
Qur Lord and Saviour in his Word. • Jf^hat ground can there
he why Chrifians ffiould not Hand upon the fame terms now
which they did in the time, of Chrifl and hit dgojiles ? Was
not Religion fufficiently guarded and fenced in them'? Was
there ever more true and cordial Reverence in the Worffiip
.ofGod ? What Charter hath Chrift given the Church "to
hind men ug to more than himfelf hath done ? or to exclude
thofe from her Sociaty wlio may be admitted into Heaven ?
Will Chrift ever thank Men at the great day for keeping
iucli out from Communion with his Church, when he will
voiichlafe not only Crowns of Glory to, but it may.be Aurc'
oU too-, if there be any fuch things there ? The Grand
Commiffion the Apoftles were lent out witli, was only-
to teach what Chrift had comn7anded them. Not the lealt
Intimation of any Power given them to impofc or require
an}' tiling beyond what Iiimfelf had Ipoken to them, or they
were direfted to by the Immediate Guidance ot the Spir
' rit of God. -
-Without all Controverfie, the main Inlet of all the
* Diftradtions, Confufions an"d Divificns of the Chriftian
' World
* iink^bn bvju^^ij^^aj^ i '
* f^ion anSloQnd&ntioa wtuch was-['
•Maml^,iof^ ■-/ :- : :, ■■: V ff
^■'' Pfm^n^iraBle iTen^ tlie rrnA-:ttv^cChu~cb. mi^lk- flJl^^'
'^lar^eiy,^^ared fram that tMpy3iW»i®ciV^^ ib^orld,
' DMenterrtrom them in matters of Practice and O. -j^ioilj '
■^as mi^Iit be deared-^om Cjfr4aKy
^ dtlicrs. -Leaving theMen to be won by oblervmg tiie th^-^in tf"
* decency and order pf Churches, -whefeby thoie wJiu adi u^JUgocc
^ona true Principle qf Chriilian Ingenuity mayhbe dboh^iiilfgcnc:
'drawn to ^^pmpirancoin all lawful things, tlWbyjFbrce
' and ^ti^gorpus Imppfitions, which make men Ihlped:' t!h#(ileaf
' wdght of the thing it felf, when fuch Force is-uied to makeakl
'it enter, m Preface. . , . ' ■ :eot^
l^ie J^me is in etfe^ declared by the Houfe of C.^mrno^sij^mt^'
whBhthe^ j;emrned t|^ei4 ^hanks to L)r. Tillotfony f^tan
. fpV his Sermpn preached befpre them :Novemherrftt
the 5th, 1678. ring him to Print that Sermon^ W'here iiBVsittjli
fays, upon pur Saviqttgs^QV^^s^f Te know not what manmrof
' Sfir/tyiay^of^ Ve Qwnypiur;,felves tp'bemy Dileiples,- buoSi®
^do'ftMcdnllder whatSpirit now AQ:s and,Governs you? not^sfjjij,
* that ^prely .wiiiph my Wodrine defignes tp mould and falhf
'onArpu^ intd,. which is not a Furious and Perffcuting^strid' ^
' D'e^ruftive Spirit, but Mill a,nd Gentle., and Saying; tender
' oftlf^. tlygi'.^ad Int9^efts;,pf.l^ep., even pfy-tliole wix>::arc'-i.jj,|
' our^gfeaten Fneraies. f^g.f, 7, A y^gildo O;
' No- d^^erence .ef;Religlqp.,.m^^^ pretence of Zeal for Gotf
' andCnrifl: can warrantand julljiietfiis PaiEonateand Fierce, ,45^
'this yipdiftlycandL^tcTjpinatin ibid. fag.-^A
' KehgiWvwhich '1
' • ^conluits
only
' 'their Teniporal Peaceand'S€€Hi'it4,^.'.tHetf^^mfbW^^,Hap-
Ui^'^pinefsin this World. ' sn^. Jon m aisi. ^ ^
' It feemed good to thfelnffittr^i^h tO^^
site^neman toitby Tennporal^PWrfhrt(en'tr/^/al^i|.ri^/^^^ v
' To federate Goodncfs and Mercy Frqrn God, Oqmpaflibn
11; "'and Charity from Religion,' to maTe thctvvq^ftthfnjgs
o!: 'in the World, God and Religiotl, ..good for nbthipgv^/S-j
rrjf) ' ..iiv Ui^
-•*.... : . .. m
|th*( ijiTruc' Chriftianity is notohly the beft,bdtthebel^nltturei^ I
in^rii'jjuftituiion in the World; and fb far as any'ChurcJi^is'dor. ;>
«a'i'4^rted from good Nature; and become Cruel and Barbardij^'^ >
! k lii foifar it is degenerated from Cbriftianity .ibid 30! . ^
iijji:bTbusfanZ>r'r^^ to be .Tufe^ defer ^qsi j^tVtb^
iiiii)ttt>%fliought.the ieaft Etriinent in the prelentChutch 'df ■
faEA^t ns hear what Doflor Bw"»cr fays to it. ' i
'Menare notMafters of their own Rerfwafions^Vndcan--
l^eir;-'th'oughts as they plo^fe-; h^ ^a'i^'helteyes
^2(»%dii6^0cmccrning Religion, cwttot turAWifPtPrw^e- >
acconiodate himfdf to the JBair or his prefentp,
I, - u nleft he^arrive at that pitch ^rMhiifm, as to look / ^
^ly^jOftRdigion cdly as amatter of Policy, andian Engine fot ci- ^
ijQple5,,^ik^qveirqmerit; Dr Burnet s Hiftor} of ihtPight's of Pri^itt^^
KVQiii^^ora'WsRrofacej pag. 4^. V u,'.v.
Tiifett) HiisDoflor's pains fhe oVvs the very Hif&ry brher^v^
and as by it he has perpetuated his Name- with"
jj,.Jj;fs, ,ccEtainly he muft have Credit with Iter, or file can .der,^
cone^wkhany-body elfe, for no man could w§UgQjfiir-,.-
ler to oblige her. P '
Ifeti^ncdiere bring in'a lay Metpber of the Church of
^'^fpi&scRcibert PointZj in his Vindication of Monarehpy who
,, ;ilds.usan excellent Teftitnon'y to the matter in hand,
wkh-the'Seufe'of-'-)Vfen,'to difiro)
_ 'them
y v.V!jkA r
•t^i'ein tbgeEher with their Bodies, and to lyiak^f
^bt^fjfem^/erfin' Religionj and when the}^ find,^oppertniputy''^^,
' to fall int6'R^i'eJI^^^>/i, as there are manyrlixa^pl^^ ^ '
' '^ In' the 'Ahcitot times of Chriftianity>-frnch.hiUns;,were-^^^
ufed as might inake Hereticks and'SchifmAti'fkf mere P
doeihle^ through the fregoBerous Proceedings of
^%lagiBrates and MiniBers of Jufiite in the Execution op^'^
*'^»i/£iiw:yufcd rather asfor of
^ PecuniarY ''Mul&s -lmj^^cijhyither as Prices i^t u|^
"^des, .thaiVas.PunifhnSents for the-Reformatidji-of A^anner^-^y^
ibid. gag. ''• ' . ■•'sG;"''' .{
^ 'PnQ Ancient ChriBkns'-^tVQ forbidden by the Imprii^'^^^
, , dJLaw, as alio by tire Laws of other Ghriftka-'W
'Nations^ " liride^ - a; great l^nalty to fneddk '■
' ' '' the ' Go'crds .of the''^tws or Eagans living peaceabl}!,'^
ihid.fag.i9_. l " '^5'
: 'For,,the Goods of the-jTwr, althoi^h Enemies to the'Com
>'Chrifiiari^ Religion; -r^e caufe of Religion cou^ im
' hfEphatfuntod.Chtif uildes- whom they jLivb'Kifi
Jbid.pdg.'if. ^ -v . . J |?nKj,
'It is truly laid, that Peace,aMeffenger whereof,an Jngc-nm
' hath f^en chofen to be, id fcarfe-ever EBahlijhedhy the Sword fiinf
'and tire Qofptf tire bleffed,Peace, 'cannot be publifhed b^outle^
' the Sound -opthe C4i5?;^?5;^;^'rieit;herdtlie fSac'rtd Word be cod-ijcwj/
' veycd unto us,by the ifhfihns Eands ofSouldiers; neither Tnn-d&f^
be brought to the .'PcrlbrLS and Conlciences of Menis,t'
^ hy that rvhich-hringeth Rtitn unto Nations, ibid. pag. 50. ',5,1
-He has-laid much in a little, the Talent and t'ionour ofiu
Men truly, great. I give this, ftill to the Church of EngUnipm
PrinciplsS, which yet makes it harder for her to juftihe }m;i
Pra^Iicem her ufc. of Power. But let us hear a King Ipeak. d
and end the Church of England is boimd to hear by manywl
Ooligations. . .. ■
Kim
King Charles the Firfl: ^ out of his tt/sder anB frlnttly
t\\& fad bieeding Condition o'i the Kingdomy ancl
his unweari^ Defiresto apply iucli Remedies^ as by the blef-
^«21. fing of Almighty God^ might fettle it in Peace; by tlie
itaass Advice of his Lords and Commons of Parliament Aifem-
MtAztOxford, propounded and defired, that all the Members
ofboth Houfes might fecurely rti'eet in a full and free Con-
M vention of Parliament, there to freat, confult and upon
itef, fiich things, as may conduce to the maintenance and defence
tjjjqftjjfof the Reformed ProtelPant Religion, with due confidera--
j} j\ttion to all j'tfi TsO'^reafomthle eafe to tender Confciences. The
Kings MefTage of a Tleity, March ^.164^. from Oxfo rd, Su-
tkip-F^^cribedto the Lords and Commons of Parliament afTem-
|]jt (V bled at Weftminfter.
J jfdi- in the Kings Tw-efitieth MelTage for Peace, January 2 9-
lie has thefe Words, That by the Liberty offered in hts
Mef Age of the e^th. frefent, for the eafe of their Confciences
■SBfi: ^^^^^tllnot Communicate in the Service already ejlablijbed by
of Parliament in this Kjngdom^ He intends that all other
^.^ yProieJiants behaving themfelves Maceable in and towards the
(tvil Government ^ jhall hdvethe ittt of their Religi-
^,,j|on according to their own way.
In the Thirty third MelTage for Peace, A'ovember 17.1647.
there are thefe words, His Majefy conftdering the great frefent
iilzmpars concerning Church Difcipline, and that the Pref'^'
bjiserian Government/V now in pradike, his Majefy to efchew
Coahiiion,as much as may be^ and for the fatisfadd ion of hts
tite Houfes^ is content that the faid Government he legally^ per-
mtfedto ftand in the fame Condition it now is^ for three Tears'^;
.jeiii!-
jiicesK
fP pt'VidedPhat his Maj'efty and thofe of his Jtidg went (or any other
^ ® c who cannot in Cor&iGWZt fubmit thereunto) be not obliged to com-
ply with the Presbyterian G over tmenf, hut have,\ttt of
' thnr own Profejfon without receiving any Prejudice thereby^
From thelfie F Ih
Tn iiis D.:dar,]tioii to all ins People, JxfUiAry 16, 1645,.
frofn Cxrisbroflk Caftle, after the Votes ot no AdJrefs, ,
fays, J hAV? fxcrificed-to jny two Mottfes of Parli twenty for the.
Ftxce of the ifjngdom, a!f hut what is much more dear do me tbtn.f^^^'
wf Life, my Confdence and my Honour. • f'
' III his Letter to the Lords, Gentlemen and^ Committee of
theS:otch Parliament, together with the OfRcers of the Ar-
my, ftdy 1648. from Carisbrook Cattle. As the beft
foundation of Loyalty ts Chriilianity, fo true Chrillianity is I'p
perfect Loyalty.^ _ , ^ _ '■ ry -'dotk
Vr. F.'KfiN- Upon his Majelties retirement froth
Wefminfter. Sure it ceafes to he.Counfef when not Realdu -atlis
is ufed, as to Men /c? Perfwadc, but Force and Terror as
BeaftSj to drive andcO'.npil men to what(v(r tumu/tary Patro}JS dmf
(hall projecf. He deferiics to be a Slave without Pity or Redemp- M
tion, that is content to have his Rational Soyeraignty of his
Soul, Liberty 0/ /;w\Vi l and Words fo captivated. ' irdi
Again, ibid. Sure that Man cannot he blameahle to God or Man, ■ 'Goj!
who ferioufly indeavours to fee the heft reafbn o/things,^>^i/faith- iSittitti
fully follows what he takes for reafon ; the uprightnefs ofJjis 'htjif
Intentions wUhxcuft thepojfible failings of his Underldanding. ,
—-Again, ibid. I know no Refolntions more worthy a CtirilHan
King, then to prefer his Conlcicnce before his Kingdoms.
XII. Upon the Rebellion and Troubles in —Some
kirUof Z^.al counts all merciful Moderation Lukewarmnefs,. -Vj
and' had rather he Cruel than.accounted Cold, andis not feldom
more g/eedy to kill the Bear for her Skin, than for atiy harm he ,,t
hath done.—leeit ijoixt mnci) Ccueltv" •'/'
among ChtiftuxuiJ nntiet ttKcoicucofjacRgLtT,
aj5 if toe coulD not be imlcf^ toe one C
anotljet. ...
Xllh' Upon tlje calling, the Scots and their coming..: Sure f
inmatttrs of Ke.\\gf<ovs tkofcBrVitX^sgain moft on m'ens Judg-
liiehts-''
I'^^i'inents AndConicicnccs v'Lich arc leaft urgedrv 'uh Vi-
At'okiiCC, rvhich weakens Truth with Prejudices; and is unreafonahle
1 i^'do k uftd,titl f 'ich means of rational Con'viciion hath been appldd^
^^^'■'■ 0 leaving no excufefor Ignorance condemns mens Ohftinacy to^
iferv^d Penalties.—P'ioknt Motions are neither
of jf action i^i f oice;
ofti! Arbitrator of Beaft!;, not of reaibnable Nim, much lefs of
'^■'khumble Chriftians and loyal Subje£ls,/> matters of Religion.
XIF. Upon the Coyenant. Religion rec^uires Charity
iM Candor to others of ' di^erent Opinions.— hothing Violent.
'Sttisilirii Injurious can be Religions.
f h XV. Upon the many Jealoufies railed, and Scandals caft
Wupon the King to far rp the People againlt him. In
'trjhtSoint of true Confcientious Tenderhefs ( attended with Humility
wkmd Meeknefs, riot with groud or arrogant Aciivity^ which feeks
hatch every egge of indifferent Opinion to Fall ton or Xchifm )
'enArhave oft declared how little I dejire my Laws Scepter fhould
]iib intrench over'Gods Severaignty^ X\^Z OlUp &tnQpOf
ConfcienceiS.
m; XXVU. To the Prince Wales.—Take heed of. abetting to
lfc::i'7 Pablions ; your to any one Side gains you
fogreat Advantages in fence Mens Hearts who are prone
their ffings Religion ) as it loofeth you in others.^ who think
•d-^kinfelves, and their Profeffion.^ frftdefpifed., then perfecutH
[■Mljyou.——My Counfel and Charge to you is. That you ferioufly
tigpnfid.er the former real or objtbled Mifcarriages^ which might
my 7 roubles., that you may avoid them.— A Charitable
and ChrtHian tEoUcatlOtt, often dtjfpates theif
^S^If.i're'r'-7th whe>m rougher Oppolition fortifes. Always keep up
rii.'i feioltib ^ietp and. thofe :^=UnDamental Truths ( which mend
Hearts and Lives of Men ) with impartial Favour and
7:...l^ftice.—Tour Prerogative is heft jhetved and exercifed in re-f
Ji'ircirig rather then exacling the rigour of the Lerw, there being
■ 0^htKg worfe than legal'1 yranny. And
AnBas this was 'riie Sence and Judgment of a that
Time and the grcateft Troubles had inform'd vvitli a uipc'riour
Judgment, fand wliich to be fare highly juftities the inealures-
that are now taken ) So' Dr. Ht^dfo^ his Plain-dealing C haflain
itiuft not be forgotten by us On this occafion,wiio took the free-
dom to tell his Royal Mafter, That helo&kt upon the Calamities
he Laboured-under ^to he the hand of God upon hinff for not having ilnlatj
given God his due over Confciedee,
Onecaneafily imagin this to be Reformation Language^^ „
and then it is not hard to think how low tlmt Church
be" fallen, that 'from fbfree and excellent a Principle, is come^®^
to make, execute and uphold Penal Laws for Religion, againft ;-®^
her Confcientious Neighbours^ biit it is'to be hoped, that
like Nehuchadnezoca?s Image, whofe Feet was a mixture Of"
Iron and Clay^ and therefore could not hand for ever; Perfe- ^ tlie;
cution will not be able to mix fb with the Seed of Men but
that Humanity will overcome it, and Mankind one day bctlion;
delivered from that Iron hard and fierce NaturSo J®
hhave done with my Church of Evidences againftiinal
Perfecution. And for the Judgment of all ibits of DifTenten deafl
in that Point, let their Praftice have been what it will, noilk]
thing is clearer than that they difaliow of Per'fecutioa, o fsli
which their daily AddreiTes ofThaiiksto the King, forhi;;:tii!0[
General Eafe by Ills Excellent Declaration are an undoub.aicyi
ted Procff. _ .iPrift
Thus then "wc fee it is evident, thatit is ho't orilythe'Duiji;^
ty of all Parties, as they woiild be thought Chfiftians, toRe
j^ai Penal Laws for Religion, but upon a fair enquiry,
fee it is the avowed Principle of every Party at one timeo
other that Confcie'nce ought hot to be comperd, hor Religi,ic!)
on impos'd upon worldly Penalties. And fo / come to tli ®
third and kft part of'this Difcourfe.
^ARTIB,
it*' -J:!-.
sjCkfi ^
oktlltf',
r/v ■> I ■-
(Ciliii: •.;. ■■-.A .-
tj7'>'
'.''P' 7tr!"! Zt-DSll
%AliT III.
V
the Interejh of all Puirtiesand ejpeclally the Church-",of
England. - % ■
il mDjI- V. ■■'>[ V : . , • •" ■ r "" ' ■
CkciiiljAall Mei;i|Q Jbe.^]«aflingly;-l^ara|^ "-irani tlieir
iple,is:,Int;erefts, aadiGonfeguently oughtor^ly tot>e loiight and
j; difcours d in tliem, fb.it niuft.be-granted the on all hands,that
; hopali JfVterefts as woU. as Times, and 'tis the Wifdom of a
iaiiiLt^Manto the Courf^, and thepotions of. his
•(Kriflntereft, as the'^beftw^mi^rerve,;^. t^dlpftany illriia-
iofMeBbftirV 0^ mp^ak^hPerfbftmpuU i'ttemporizlng,! make tliis
ti^H^rly Prpvirion; That .1 mean no iranidrral or corrupt nom-
plyance: A Tez»/i?r/<c/>^,delervedly bale with Men of Vertue,
all times, my Praftico^s, well as Judgment hath
Averfibn to. For upon the Principle I now. go,
apd,;whichl.lay down, as cdmrnoh , and granted in.Reafon
pjjfja^and Fa^l; with all. Parties concefiPd, in this .Dilcouric,. fliat
Man, docs not change, th.^XtnorralLj/ follows hialntereft un-
re at Revolutions, bccaufe to be true to his Intereft is bis
M cwii Principle. I premife this to introduce what I have-to
whdi refppdto die Interefts to be now treated upon.
, And firft, I fay, I take it to be the Intereft of the Church of
■ the Penal Lam, hecaufe it never was her In-
\ themM^ reafons for that Opinion are thefe. Firft,
M jjgji|thfiy li^ve been an Argument to invalidate the Sufferings of
j,(Ulie Reformers, beCaufeif it be unlawful-to difobey. Govern-
meat about matters of Religion,they were in the wrong. And
if they fay, Q but they were in Error that punifh'd their
i Aj(',Non-confo'rmity ; I anftver, how can fhe prove that fhe is
Infallibly in the Riglit ? And if this cannot be done, fhe com-
G pels
■ 'I -=
i '
i'
'■■k ;
. t
, (ii'U •{,.
^ r,' -St :!!
pels to an uncertainty upon the fame terms. Secondly,
overthrown the Principles upon which ihc feparated
Rome., For if it be unlawful to plead Scripture and Confciencc'^'i'^^
to vindicate Diffent from her Communiod, it was unlawfu}|^'^"
for her upon the fame' Plea to dilferit from the. Church oi.ipiif®®
Rome, unlefr fhe will fav again,,that^ fhe wasdn tpARjght^jp^
the, other inlthe Wrong, arid fhe knows friis'is no' Ahrwer, but :;;u£3
a begging,of the Queltion-i for,.thcy that feparate from her,i;«5'Jii
thipk fheinfelyes as^Ser.iouSjD.evout, and as much in the Right:iiiiJii:a
asffie'frould do.' If then Confcknce and Scrtpure^ Jnterpre-
ted ^/ith tlie befr^i/^'/'^ fhe had, were the ground of her ReT sBiiri
formation, flie mufr allow the Liberty file takes,cir jhe cats wer^^htliu
Words ^ andfubt'erft her Foundation', thqii which nothing can ;jqu
be more'deftrufi:ive to the Intereft of any freeing, Civil or 'ijto
Ecclefiafrical," ■ Thirdty, The Penal Laws have been the great y i
Make-bate in the Kingcfonl-from the beginning. For if I fhoulcit.jji|j.
grant that fhe had'once been truly the Church of England, I
mtan, cohnfririg of all the People of England, (which ihe
was not, for there were divers Parties difrenting from thefirfl
of her efrablifhment) yet fince it afterwards appear'd Ike
was but one Party tho the biggeft, fhe ought not to havQ- f.
made her Power more National than her Faith, nor ..fa
Faith fo by the Force of her Temporal Authority. 'Tistrua
fhe got the Magiftrate of her fide, but Ihe engaged him toa/^
fan For file knew Chrift did not leave Cafar Executcr/^^^
to his lafr Will and Teftament, and that that fhpuld be the
reaTon why fhe did fb, was none of the bell: Ornamtntas to hef,'^
Reformation; That fibe was but a Party, tho the biggeft, by.""
the Advantages that temporal l^ower brought her,. I ihall eaus.
ly prove, but I will introduce it with a fhort Account of our/^
Skate-Reformation here in AW. ^ ^
Henry the Eighth, was a kind of Hermophredit^ in Religion,, ^
cr in the Language of the times,a Trimmer j being a meddly of
Papiifr •
Cfflf- ^ Proteftant, and that part he a£ted to the Life, or *
^ ; to the Death rather; Sacrificing on the fame Day Men of
both Religions, becaufe one was not ProteRant enough, and
t'other Papilf enough for him. In this time were fbme Ana^
for the diifinOiion of Churchof and O/f
Pnlfi was not then known. -< ■ >
Edmard the Sixth fucceeded, a Prince that promifed Ver-
tues, that might more than ballance the Exceifes of his Father,
j' jfand yet by Arch-Bijhop CrAnmer^ was compelled to fign a
.^Warrant to Burn poor Joa»of I(fnt^ a famous Woman, but
counted an Enthufiaft: But to prove what I faid of him, 'twas
Ji'^bnot without frequent Denials and Tears, and the Bifhop ta-
/.king upon him to anfwer for it at Gods Judgment; of which
hope his^Soul was difcharged, tho his Bedy, by the fame
f Law, iafered the fame Punilfiinent in the fucceeding Reign.
V 'Tiius even the Frotejlants begun with Blood for fheer Religi- -
' on, and taught the Romamfis, in fucceeding times, how to
proni.. them.
appt- Controverfie grew warm between the
®' Cliurch of and the that were the Abler
Preachers and the Better Livers. The BifliOps being moftly
men of State,and fome of them looking rather backward then
% forward, , Witnefs the Difficulty the King had to get Hooper
{Jtrm ConfecratedBiihop, without Conformity to tlic relcrvcd Ce-
M""! rem.onies.
AFi^camein, and ended the Quarrel at the Stake,
efei Now Ridly and Hooper hug, and are the deared Brethren and
bell Friends in the World. Hooper keeps his Ground, and
couoiiXf £/i^'ilopp5 vyith his Ceremonies to t'ochers furtRer Refoi-
mation. But this Light and Union flow''d from their Perfe-
'oR^k cution ; For thole abroad at hrunkford^ and other places were
iSitM: not upon fb good Terms: Their Fewds grew lb gCeat that
the one refufed Communion witli the other,many endea vours
G 2 weie
. rrn. 1
wereufed to quench the Fire, but they were inenectual; at -;!ij\ar
be/l it lay under the Jjhes. o£ their Affliaion for anodier Jor
time; fornofboner \v?LS^^een Elizdeth upon her Throne
then t.hey returned, and their Difference with thern, Tiiey.
managed it- civilly for a while,^ but Ambition in Ibnle, and .jjjjjjffn
Covetoufnefs in others op ,the one hand, and Difcretion gi-
ving way to Refentment on the other, they firff piy the Quetn ^
and her JVlinifters, and when tliat ended in favour of the
of Ceremony^ the others arraigned thcm^before the firlt Refer-"
mers abroad, at Gemva, Bax,ily Xurich^ '&c. The leading
Prelates by their Letters, as, Doffor Burnet lately tells us,
in his Printed Relation,of his-Travels, clear themfelvesto
thofe fir ft Doffors of any fuch Imputation, and lay all
upon the Queen,, who for Realbns of State would not be
brought to lb Incexemonious a way of Worlhip as that of * "' .
the CahanifSo ■
At this time there were Tdffis, ProtelLintSy Evangel/fs, \
Prdcijidns, Vbi^uitifs, Familijts or EnthuftaUs and Anabaf' ^ "
tijls in England; when the very firlt Year of her Reign, a
Law for Vniformity in Worjhip and Difcifline was enafted,
and more followed of the fevereft Nature, and Ibmetimes ex-.' ^
ecuted. Thus then we fee that there never was fiich a thing
' as a Church of England fince the Days of Popery, that is, a 'y
Church of Communion containing all the People of the King-
dom, and fo cannot be faid to be lb much as a Twin of the ""I,*®
Reformation; neverthelcfs fhegot the Blefling of the Civil 'H
Magiftratc. She made him great to be great by him : If
She might be the Church, Hq fhould be the Head. Much
good may the Bargain do her. Now is the time for her to ■
to her Principle. I never knew any body exceed their •
Bounds that were not wef with at laU. If we could cfcape
Men, God we cannot, his Providence will overtake us, and ? -i'
find us out, ':jfv
3y
By all this then It appearing, that the Church of EnghnA
was not the Nation,the Cafe is plain that the Penal Lam wvcq
i\V iMake-bate^ for they Sacrificed every fort of People whofe
s, TV Confciences differed from the Church of England; which
firif put Romanifi u'pon flattering Prerogative, and cour-
ting its Shelter from the wrath of thofe Laws. ■ The Addrefs
could not be unpleafant to Princes; and we fee it was not; for
that came in with Invc£l;ives againil Popery,
irf[^entringthe Lift with the Learn'dofthat Church,and charging
hjuhdrwith all the Marks the Kevthtion gives to that of Anti-
grew at laft fo tame andeafy towards the Romanifisy
our own Story tells us of the Fears of the encreafe of Po-
^ L ferjin the litter Parliament of his Reign.
In K/ng Charles theFirft's time, no body can doubt of the
Complaint,becaufe that was in great meafure the drift of every
Parliament, and" at laft one Reafbn of the War. On the other
the •Sex'er//^ of the Bifhops againft Men of their own
^Principles, and in the main, of their own Communion,either
^ becaufe they were more zealous in Preaching, more followed
^'of the People, or could not wear fbme odd Garment, and Jefs,
^lead the Dance on a Lords Day at a Maypole, (the Relique of
the Strumpet) or perhaps for rubbing upon the
L Ambition, Covetoufnefs and Lazinefs of the Dignified, and
Jf rlgnoranceandLoofhefs of the ordinary Clergy of the Church
fj^ofwhichl could produce Five hundred grofs Inftances) I
''?''!^;%thefe things breed bad Blood, and in part, gave begin-
lings to thofe Animofities, that at laft broke forth, with foftie
J® itlicr Pretences into all thofe National Troubles that agitated
I (j' ^spoor Kingdom for Ten Years together, in which the
,-hurch of England became the greateft Loofer, Her Clergy
■^%Ti'd out, her Nobility and Gentry Sequeftred, Decimated,
jftl'%prifoned, &c. And whatever fhe is pleafed to think, no-
'HSj ^■hiiig is truer, then that her Condu^l in the
Star-
Star-Chamber, ^A^ihighCommtfflon in matters
gion, was her overthrow. . • ,
'Tis as evident, the fame Humour fincethe Reftorationof
the late King, has hadalmoft the fame Effe£t. For nothing
was grown fo little and- contemptible as the: Church of
UhA in this Kingdom fhe now intitles her felf the Church of;
Witnefs the Eledions of the laft three Parliaments before this,2I1
I'know it may be laid the Perfbns chofen were Church goers; ^djr..
IconfeEit, for the Law would have them fb. But hobody . 3®
were more avers to the Politicks of the Clergy; infbmuck -'j- S
that the Parfbn and the Parifh almoft every where divided
upon the queftion of their Ele£tion. IntriitL, it has -been the :-h\\
Favour a.nd Countene 'nee di the Crown, and not her intrinfick fe/.
Iritereft or Value, that has kept her up to this Day; elfe
liQT Penal Laws, the Bulwork of the Church of England, by ggrea
^ the fame figure, that Ihe is one againft Popery, had funk her 'otliet
long fince. ^
' I hope I may, by this time, conclude, without odence, that ^ yj
Penal Laws h.^.VQhQQm. Make-bate in the great Family of
the Kingdom, letting the Father agairili: his Children, and
Brethren againft Brethren; not only giving the Empire to ,
one, but endeavouring to extinguifh the reft, arid that for this
the Church of England has Once paid a fevere Reckoning. I
apply it thiis: Is it not her Intereft to be careful fhe does it
ttota fecond time ? fhe has a fair Opportunity' to' prevent it,
and keep her felf'where fhe is, that is, fhe Publick
of the Country, with the real Maintenance of it; which is
a plain preference to all the reft, ff flie hopes by her Averfioii ^
to a general Eafe, to fet tip for a Bulwork againfc Popery,
one Year will fhow the trick, and mightily deceive her, and 1
the Oppertunity will be loft, and another Bargain driven, I .jT,
dare anure her, mightily to her Di (advantage. Violence and ,.1,
Tyranny are no na^-ural Confequences of Popery, for then they
would
would follow every where, and in all places and times alike^
But we Ice in twenty Governments in Germany there is none
for Religion, nor was not for an Age in France, and in Polanct^
Olfi: the Popiih Gantons oF SmtzerUnd, Venice, Lucca,- Colonia,
c^f. where that Religion is Dominant,, the People enjoy
their Ancient and Civil Rights a little raofe Readily-than
latdi thoy-have of. late time done in fbrtie ProteRant Countries
nearer home, almoR ever firice _the . Reformation. . Is^ this
licliji againft ProteRancy ? No, but very much againR,ProteRants^
iDOi For had they been true to their PrirKiples, we had been upon
iinloi better 7 erms. So that the Refoi matipn was not the. Fault,
but TiOt keeping to it. better thaa fome have done; For where*-
isor .asthey were that both obtain'd the Great Gharter and
•kriiG^r/er of Forefis, and in the Riccelhve Reigns of the Kings
Di?;£.oftheir Religion, InduRrioufly laboured.the .Confirmation of
•ikthem, as the great Pcjf/of their Liberties and Properties, by
dliiabove thirty other Laws; we find almoft an equal Number to-
De/rroy them, and but one made in their Favour -fince the
fe Reformation, and that fhrowdly againR the will of the high
;tf? Church-men too; \mt2&the Petition of Right, in the thirds
iii(k Year of Charles the firR. In fhort. They deRre a legal Secu-
Em?; rity with us, and we are afraid of it, leaR it fhould infecure-
[luiffi'us; when nothing can do it fb certainly as their^Inlecurity,
400% lor Safety makes no Man Defparate. And he that feekseale.
'ftikbyLaw, therefore does it, becaule he. would not attempt it-
Force. Are we afraid of their Power and yet provoke it?
fH.: If this Jealoufieand Averfion prevail, it may drive, her to a-
I Vk bargain with the Kingdom for fuch general. Red.cmption of
f ■.-Property, ' as may defolve.our. great Corporation of Con->
fc Po:Lcience, and then fhe will think that half a Loaf had been bet-
.jitfi'dcrthanno Bread, and that it had been more advifable to have-
with Penal Laws, that only ferv'd to drefs her in Satyr,j
have loft all for keeping them; cfpecially, when it.\
iieau • " was
( ^^ ) . -
was bufe parbittg with S^urs^ Clarvs tLndBH/s that made
look more like a Fulter than a Dovf, and a Lion thaa.aj^y®ni
Lam^. ^ ^ ■'.ji.jegn
But I proceed to my next Reafon, why it is her Intereft tc :;je3i,
Repeal thofe Penal Larvs, (tho a greater cannot be advanced
to Men than felf Prefer'vation) and that is, That /he elfe breah ,y fm
with aKjng heartily indin'd to frefert>e her hy any way that
not Per/ecfftingy and A'/hofe Intereft Ihe once perili'd at *
Adventures, when more than fhe fees was fuggelded to her a g
the Men of the Intereft Ihe oppofed in favour of his Claini],j]tohe
What then has befallen her,that fhe changes the courfe ftie tool[^grc
withfuch refolutions of perfeverance? for bringing him to
Crown with this Religion,-^ould not be more hec Duty to luV i
Title, or her Intereft to fupport her own, than it is ftill, tc7p^,/
be fair with him. If ftie ow'd the one to him and to Chrifti-
anity, fhe is not left indebted to her fclf the other. Does he
feek toimpofe his own Religion upon her? By no means,^^.|j[jg
There is no body would abhor the Attempt, or, at all
ventures, condemn it more than my felf. What then is
matter ? why he defires eafe for his Religion, flie does not"^'^''^
^think fit to confider him in this, ( no not to the King fhc^
brought with this Objeftion to the Crown ) Certainly Ihe is ,
much in the wrong, and lliews her felf an ill Courtier (tho 'i'!
it was become her calling ) firft to give him Roaft-meat, then
beat him with the Spit. Is not this to quit thole high Princi-i
pies of Loyalty and Chriftianity fhe valued her felf onceup-'^
on, and whatfliecan, provoke the Mifchiefs fhe fears? cer-;^,
tainly this is dividing in Judgment from him that flie has®"
ackowledged tohtliQi' Ecc/efiaJlicalHead,
■ My fifth Reafon is, that as the malting and executing the
Penal Laws for Religion affefts all the feveral Parties of Pro-
teftant Diffenters as well.as the Papifts (the Judges in Faugh-
han\ time, and he at the Head of them, giving it as their Opi-''^
nion,''^
* . C '45 )
they were enually expoflxi to thofcLaws) aiid tlia-c
are thereby naturally driven into an Intereft with them; ib it
IjKjjj; is at this time greatly tlie Prudence of the Church of England-
lead^;. to repeal them, for byfo doing Ihe divides the Intercft that-
i(|L. felf Prcfervation allows ail Men to perfiie, that are united by
danger: And fince fne is affured the Papijts fliall not have the
erfii'il' King's time than if the Laws were Repeal'd,
and that her Fears are not of the fuccceding Raigns, how is
['ljij"(v their Repeal a great Irirecnrity, eipecially, when by that,
jjjjfjf flie draws into her Intered^ all the Protellant DiffenterSjthat are
jji:-, abundantly more confiderable than the P^p/Jls, and that are
, n,„, as unwilling that'Popery Ihould ht-National as lier ielf. For
"■•'J'" if this be not granted, lee what Reputation follows to the
Church 0^ England. Slic -tells the King Fie docs not defire
j/his Friends fhould be perfccuted,yet the forbearance muft not
f' ' be hyDecUration to lave the Government, not by Law to lave
y her; and without one of thele Warrants, every civil Magi-
Urate and OlBcer in England is Perjured th^ft fuffers them in
that Liberty againlf Law. How can file be fmc-erely willing
p'j; that fhould be done, that -fhe is not willing fliould be done
tiie L hg/jiy ?
MHif! jgyj. gixthlj^thQ Church of England docs not know but they
or fomc other Party may at one time or other prevail. It
leetns to me her Intereft to Let a good Example, and fo to be-
'M!'' fpeak eafie Terms for her felf. I know of aone intended, and
felt01 believe no body but her felf can place her fo low, yet if it
efo' were her unhappinefs, I think to have civil Property fecur'd
tto®!outof the Qtielfion of Religion, and Conlf taint upon Con-
jfcience prevented by a Glorious Magna C/farfa/b;^ liberty of
Keoitiof not a thing of ill Confequence to her Intereft. Let
itiKf us but confider what other Princes did for their own Religion,
esifl/f within the laft feven Raigns, when they came to the Crown,
0. and we cannot think To foft and equal a thing as an impartial
H Liberty
liberty of Gonfdcucc, afterall that hasbeen ^idof aPopifb
Succeflbr, an ordinary Carader of a Prince, or a mean
iiirance to us : This ought not to flip her Reflection. Befides,^
there is fbme care due to Pofterity : . Tho the.prefent Mem-
•hers of her Communion may elcape the Temptation, their
Children may not.: They may the Religion of their
Education, and Confcienthmfly chule fome other Coimnuni??;
on. Would they fubmit the Vonnnes they leave them to the
Rapeof hungry J", Miggots and, indigent Informersry,
or have their.poor Pofterity ImgoveriOoi,'Banijht O't Executed .
for Sober and Religious D.ilTent? God knows into whole hands ■ '
thefe Laws at laft may fall, what .iVlilchief they may do, and^! r'
to whom.. Believe me, a King of, the humor of Sr J. Af-of[
fhe IVeit, or SrIT. J, of Readings. or Sr. R. B. or Sr S, 6\of ^
London, would, with ilich vouchers, quickly make a Golgathd
of the Kingdom, . If fliethinks her feif confid.erable inNum-
ber or Eflate, fhe will have the more to loole. . Let her not ^
therefore elf ablifti that in the Prejudice of others, that may in
the hands of others turn to her Prejudice. .
LaHly\ I wmuld not liave her mils the advantage that is ^
deiign d her by tliofe that perhaps flae thinks worft of. l
dare fay no body w^ould willingly fee the Presl>jterian 'm\m ^
Cisair, and yet that may happento be the Confequence of her
Tenacioulhefsin a little time. For if theAverlion her Sons
promote by whole fale againlf Pc/'er;' fiiould prevail, the rer
mains of it in her feif are not like to eicape that Reformation: it
I mean, her Efifcopal Governmentand the Ceremonies of her "Ml
Worlhip, for which ILehas vextthemoft Confciencious Pec-®-
pie of this Kingdom above an Age paft. . And tlie Fresbytt- a
rian being a Rich, Induftrious and Numerous Party, aswellqiD
among the Nobility and Gentry, as Trading and Country
People, I cannot fee but the next Motion, naturally fpeaking,
is lik.e to teadj^t way; ibr other Pajities; however well fil
efteemed^
u!^ eilcemed may fecm too great a flep of "Reforrrtation'at
m®! once, and methinks fhe has tafted enough of tliat Regiment^
, Bai, to be once wife, and keep the in her own Hands. And
ffflt.V certain it is, that nothing will fb effcblually do this,as the en-
tion,; treated Liberty of Confcience; for then there will be four
fflof ' Parties of Diffenters befides her felf, to BalUnce againfi: any
CoiE;^ Defigns that may rvarp or hy^fs things to their Advancement,
km;: And that which ought to induce the Church of EngUnd mt
Ir/ft a little to Iiaften, as well as do the thing, is this; file is
orhsr now a fort of National Church by Patver, fhe will then be the
vWe: Fublick Church by Concurrence of all Parties. Infteadof
nafdOi Enemies to invade or undermine her, they that fhould do it
Srjj are made the Friends of her fafety by the happinefs chey en-
iSry joy through her complacency: >And if any mould befbun-
11^!- natural or ungrateful to her,the Intereft of the' reft will oblige
jjljjuy them to be her Syys and Security againft the Ambition of any
fuch Party. I do heartily pray to God that he would enlighten
the Efcs of her Leadersy and give them good Hearts too, that
FaSion may not prevail againft Charity, in the name of Re-
.jjg. ligion: And above all,that fhe would not be proud of her
Numbers, or ftand off upon that Refleblion; for that alone
ml. '^^il^uickly leireiithemiii a Nation loving Freedom as much
as this we liv-ein; And what appears in the Town is an ill
R. Glafs to tak-eaprofpeO: of the Country by: Tliere are Pa-
rilhes that have Fifteen Thoufand Souls in them and if
I? two come to Church it is matter of Brag, thohalf the reft be
fown among the feyeral diifenting Congregations of their
. Judgment. I would not have her miftaken, tho Popery be a!i
Unpopular thingdtis as certain fhe of a long time has not been
Popular, and on that Principle never can be : And if ftie fhould
Plow with that Heifer now,and gain a little^ by the Averfioa
U 10 Popery; when it is difcern'd that Popery does-return to
^ the civil Intereft of the Kingdom they will quickly be
H 2 Friends.
( 4" ^
Fricads. For befides that we are the eallefl: and befl: natwd ,,15^^
Feople in the World to be appeas'd, there are thofe charms in,0l;is,
Liberty,and Property to.Engliflr Natiire th'at-no yndcavours
can relrft or dilapoint. And can we reafbnably.thihlt the Rd-
manifts will be wanting in that, when they feeit is their
own (and perhaps their only) Intereft to do fb ? 1 hefe arc
tlie Arguments. which, I confefs, have prevailed with me to
importune the Church of En^Ltnd to yeild to the Repeal of
all the Penal Statutes, and Ifiiould be glad to fee them either
well refuted or fubmitted to. ' ' ., _
I fhall now Addref my felf to thofe of the Rom An Churchy
and hope to make it appear it is their Intereft to fit down thank-" n ||,
fd^ly with the Liberty of Cbnfcknct herein defired, and thata ''
Toleration and no more, is that which all Romanijls ought to
be fittisfied with. My Rcafbns are thefe. Tirfi, ThoOpfof'- f y
tioji that Popery every where finds t. For in nothing is the ®
Kingdom fb mnich of a mind as in this Averfion : '"ifis no.
news, and fb iaiay be the better faid and taken. I fay then
x\\\sVnity, t)As Vni'verfality and this againfit Pope-
ry, make the attempt, for then Liberty of Confcience,
too great and Dangerous., I believe there may be fbme poor
ftlly Biggots that hope bigger, and talk further, biit who can
help that there are weak People of all fides, and they will be
making a Pudder : But what's'the language of their true Irh
ttrefiy the Infallible guide of the wifer Men ? Safety certain-
ly ; and that in fucceeding Raigns to chufe; And if fb, their Mi
Steps mufl be mode ft, for they are Watcht and Number'd. ?£i!
And tho their Prudence fhould fubmit to their Zeal, both rinH
muft yeild to NecefTity, whether they like it or no., What ju
they convert upon the Square, Rtrfwafwn I mean, is their own,
and much good may it do them. But the fear is not of this, -4
and for compelling the avers Geniut of the Kingdomythty havt ixii
m the jneansy what ever they would do if they had them •
Wiiiclj/
(.49)
which is my fcconid Reafbn. I fay t^ty have not the Po.fe^,
;fer: and that is what we apprehefid moid. There are three thing's
oia;. that prove this in my (ipinion. Firld, thetr-ff/int of Hand.y
ihi-; liext, rvant of Time and Iafl:Iy,r''^e/V Inttf ine D iv'fion ; which,
:itE: whatever we think, is not incpiifiderable. They are/w, we
Thi mufl: all agree, to the Kingdom, upon the held Computation
9i:it!i2 that could be made. Out of eight Millions of People, tliey
arc hot Thirty thoufand.^ and thofe but thinly fown up and
down the Nation; by which it appears tiiat tlie-Difproportion
of the natural Idrength is not lefs than two hundred and feven-
toQ- ty Perfons to one. So that Popery in • England\s like a Syirit^
lovoh xoithout a Body^ or a General without an Army. It can liuit no
IjaitJi more than Bullets without Powdef, or a Sword and no Hand'
(fjoi: tcrufeit. I dare fay-, there is not of that Communion, enough
JiifOli at once, to make all the Coal Fires in London-, and yet we arc
cfei apprehenfive they are able to conPome the whole Kingdom.
jAji, lam ftill more afraid of her Fears than of them; for tho
Ifjr- they feemhigh, flie thinks their Religion in no Reign hasap-
poared much lower.
0 hut the f have the f^ing of'their Side, and he has the
Executive Power in his Hands ! True, and this I call the
jjj Artificial Strength' of the Kingdom. But I fay, firfd we have
his Word to bind him. And tho fome may think our Kings"
cannot be tyed by their People, certainly they maw be tyed
^ythemfelves. What if I don't look upon the Aa: of both
Iff Houfes to oblige the King, his own Conceflion mufd;and that
VfflE given in- an Aflrof State I take the King to be as well
obliged in Honour and Confcience to what he promifes his
f People in another Method, as if it had been by his Royal AF
ieiri»! in Parliament; for anhoneft mans Word is good every
L where, and why a Kings fhould not I can't tell. 'Tis true,
, ^ the Place differs and the Voice comes with greater Solemnity,
'dm why it Ihould with greater Truth I know not. And if
the Church of EngUnd will bat be advifed to give him the jp,,
opportunity of keeping his repeated Word with her, andnot
deprive her felf of that advantage by Jealoufies and Diftances ,
that make her fufpeOied, and may force him into another Con- ,
duel, I cannot help believing that the King will not to a tittle ' 1,
let" her feel the affurance and benefit of his Promifes.
But next, ive haz>e his Ag& for our Security^ which is the
= fccond Proof, of the fecond Reafbn, why the Papiifts fhould
look no farther then a Toleration. This Is the want of time I "
mention'd. .They have but one Life in the Leafe, and 'tis
out of their power to renew ; and this Life has liv'd falf too,
and Is got within feven of threelcore ; A greater Age then ' ^
mofi: of his Anceftors ever attain'd. IVell, but he has an Army
and many Officers of his own Religion. And If it be lb, what
can It do ? It may fupprefs an InfurreTion, butupon the at^ c'js
temps we foohfhly lear, they were hardly a Breakfafi: to the A't
Quarters they live in. For if they were together, all the con- »tai
fines or remote parts of the Nation would Rile like Grafs upon . k i
them, and if difperfed, to be lure they have not firength for jkl
fuch an Attempt. - ..^atxt
But if they are not fufficient.^ there is a Potent Prince not far " fori
off can help the Defign, who is not angry with P rot eft amy tt iJIk
home only. Suppofe this, is there not as Potent Naval Powers iiioiilii,
taaflilt the Conftitution of the Kingdom from fuch Invafions?
yes, and Land ones too. And as the Proteftant Governments did
have more Ships then the other, fb an. equal Land Force, ..ih
when by fuch attempts to make Popery univerfal, they are d
awaken'd to the ufe of them: But certainly we mufi be very
filly to think the King fliould fuffer fo great a fliake to his own
Intereft as admitting an Army of Forraigners to enter his a
Kingdom on any pretence, mull: necelTarliy occafion. Thefe - i
Buli'Beggers, 2Lnd.Raw-Heads and Bloody-Bones, arethe Ma-4^j
lice of fbinc, and Weaknefs of others.' But time, that Informs v f
Children,
• Children, will tell the World the meaning of the Fright,
t)®: 1 he third Proof of myfecond Reafon, \stht Intefline'Di-
Oitii vision among themfelves. That Divifion, weakens a great
Body, and renders a finall one harmlefs, all will agree. Now
that there isfuch a thing as Divifion among them is town talk
The Seculars & Regulars have ever been two Interefis all the
Wiii Roman Church over, and they are not only fb here, but the
Regulars differ among themfelves.There is not a Coffee-Houfe
tttofii in Town that does not freely tell us that the 'Jefnites and Be-
are at variance, that Count D.-r the Popes Nun-
iVQ&Ji cio and Bifhop Lyborn Difient mightily from the Politicks of
■r'igt: the firft j . Nay t'other Day the Story was that they had pre-
kiiii vail'd Entirely . over them, ^ The Lords and Gentlemen
!)«&,'of her Communion have as warmly conteifed about the
ptii. lengtlis tliey ought to go, Moderation feems to be the conclu-
ibiii: fioii. Together tliey areandean dolittle, and divided,
,allfc they are Contemptible inftead of Terrible.
:eGrili; Laftly, the C/AWt//ought to bedifcreet, and think
iltraj, of nothing further then the entreated general Eale, becaufe it
would be anextream that muft beget another in the fucceeding
'rimr, Raign, For.asI can never think herfb weakaswell as bale,
that after all her Arguments for the Jus dtvinum of Succeffi-
go, (he fhould, in the Face of the World, attempt to violate it
ijjflrjfeia the wrong of One of another Perfwafion,_ (for that were
jveriin; ati eternal lots of her with Mankind) • So if fhe does not,
^pand yet is.Extravagant, fhe only rifes higher to fall lower
I tier: then all others in another Raign. This were provoking their
own Ruin. . And to fay true, either way would, as the
jQjuijtfecond Letter has it, difcredit her for ever and make true
Prophets of thofe they had taken fuch -pains to prove falfe
5 yWitnelTes. And fuppofing her to reckon upon the juft
Succtffion, nothing can recommend her, or continue her
in a Raiga of another Judgment, but this Li-
m
^ 5"^ ) ^
berty equally maintained, that other Peiuv/anans, more nu- fjt'a-
mcrous, fDr that realcrnas well as for their own fakes, arc
obliged to infure her. Here tho Foundation is broad anci
ffrong, and what is built upon it, has the looks of long Life,
The Indenture will at leai-f he., ^umt'-pertiie ^ and Parties. 'Ivjof
are not fo mortal as Men. And as this joyns, fo it preferves
Interefl: intire, which amounts to 2, Rtltghm Amity 2.\\^2,
Civil Vnity at the world. y'
Upon the whole matter, I advife the Members of the .\''F
^ ' Tv*" 1-vf^ t-V-» *-\r4rar*<^ ^
wan Communion in this Kingdom, to be moderate, 'tis their
.9 . r . r ..1 r
Duty and it belongs to all Men to fee it and feel it from them,
and it behoves them mightily they would ; for the firld pait
of this Difcourfc belongs to their Hofes^ as well as to the ^
Church of Englands'Fears,viz. thz-Duty andSfirit of Chrifii-
mity. Next, let them do good OJ^cex between the-King and
liis excellent Children, for as that will be well taken by fo
affecdionate a Father, fo it gives the lie to their Enemies Sug-
geftions, and recommends them to the Grace and Favour ©f
la
mi.
r
tlie SuccelTors. And having faid this, I have faid all that be-'
longs to them in particular. There is left only my Addrefs to -
tliQ Protef ant Dijfenters and a general Conclufion to Enifh
.this Diicdurfe.
Your Cafe that are called Protejlant Dijfenters, differs
mightily from tliat of the Church of England and Rome. Vor '^l''
the firft have the Lam for her, the laft the Prince. Thofc
Laws are again/l you, andfheisnot willing theyfhouldbe
Repeal'd: The Prince offers to be kind to you if)"oupleafe;
Your Intereft, in this ConjunQiure, is the ^ejlion. I think d ^
none ought to be made, that it is the Liberty of Confcknce^'
defired, becaufe you have much more need of it, having nei- pii
■ther Laws nor Prince of your fide, nor a Succeffor of any of
your Perfwafions.The Fears of Popery I know reach you; but 1
;it is to be remembered alfo, that if the Laws are not Repeal'd, -i;!:
there
there wjnis; no new onsj to D-ftroy ycu-,..o£ the Pap tits,ma-
king; fo that^ every tear you arc taught to have of thei"'
wi , a-gaiuil: your telves. Sappole your Appreheiifi-
ons well grounded, you can but be Deilr-oy'd; Which is
-meP: comfortable for you to (iiifer by Law or without it r
The Ciiurch ot by her Penal Ldws, and the DoBrine of
y,. ' has Armed that Religion (as it tails oiit) to Deidroy
' ' you. Nay, has made it a Duty in the King to do it, from
■softl'! nothing but an A£l of Parliament can ab-
„ ijjji folve him,Sc that llae is not willing to allow. And is it not as rea-
,■. fonablc that you fliould feck their 'Repeal,that if you fuffer from
jjjjgp the Papifts, It may be without human Law, as well as againit
.jjyjjj, Chrills Law, as for the Church of England to k&z'p them in
'ji'm force, bccauleif flae fuLers, it fliall bcag^.mlf the Laws made
to uphold her ? For not repealing them, brings you an incvi-
table mifchief, and her, at moid, butan uneertainlafety ; tho
tKoiiciJ fame time will Sacrifice you to it. And
alfe ' were in her cafe, it would pleafe me better to remove
Laws that might reproach me, and ftop my Mouth when
\i";turn'd againlf mc, and be content, that if I Suffer for my
^ Religion, it is againft the Law of God, Chrillianity and the
Pnndamtntals oi the old and true Civil Government of my
Country, before fucli Laws helpt to fpoil it.. In fhort, you
• muft either to Churchy or Meet, o\' let fall your Worjhipping
of God in the way you believe. If the firff, you are Hypo-
give away the Caufe, and reproach your dead
'^r Brcthrens Sincerity, and-gratifie the old accufation of Schifm^
.Ambition, &c. and hnally loofe the Hope and Reward of all
f' f , your Sufferings. If the fecond, w.e. that you Meet agaff(i
^'T.Lawj you run into the Mouth of the Government, whofe
, Teeth are to meet in you and-Deifroy you, as by Lmv eft a-
blijhed,. If theiaff, you deny your Faith, over-throw your
own Argumeflts, fall away from the Apoflolical Doclrine of
' I affemblihg
i '54 ^ ■' J
affembling together, and fo muft fall into the Hands of God^VJ^
and under the troubles of your own Confciences and woun-:'";^
dings of his Spirit, of which 'tis faid, who can bear them. Sc-f".
that nothing is plainer then that Protefbant Dijfenters are
oblig'd to govern themfelvcs after fuch Church of
Mtafures^ fuppofing her Fears and Jealoufies better Bottoni'd' ®"^^!'
then they are : For they are neither in this Kings time in
fame Condition, with her if the Penal Laws remain in force,-!^^'?"^
nor like to be fo, if fbe can help it, in the next Raign, if thcy'isl'O^
are not Repeal'd in-this; ib that they are to be certainly:;
Perfecuted now,in hopes of an nncertam Liberty then. Un- .^nsit
certain both whether it will be in her Power, and whether-:'''®'^
fhe will do it if it be., The Language of Fear and Jffurance M ^
are two things, J^t6lion promifes what Profperity rarely J
performs. Of this the Promifes made to induce the lateralfouc
Kings Reftoration, and the cancelling of the former Declara-^fe
tion, and what followed upon both are a plain proof. And .is, yo
thothelaft Weflminjter Parliament enclin'd to it; nobody ,^,fo
fo much oppos'd it as the C/er^/,and the moR Zealous Sons of.Mi)
that Church : And if they could or would not then fee it to ,w&
be reafonable, I can't fee why onefiiould truftto People foiCmfc
felfiOi and fhortfighted. But if fhe will floop to all thofe Dif j. m
fenting Interefts that-a^re Proteftant, itmuft eitherbe by
cowprehenfion, and then fhe muft part with her Bijhops, her
Common-Prayer, htr Ceremonies, and this itfelfisbut Ptes- :^
byterian ; (and fbe muff go lower yet, if fhe will comprehend
the reft) or, if not, fhe muR Perfecute or give this Ltbert) of
Cmjckace at iaft; which,, that fhe will ever yeild to uncom- i
pei'd, and at a time too, when there is none to doit, while
Jhe refufes it under her. prefent preffing Circumffances, I con- • r
fefs I cannot apprehend.But there is yet one Argument tliat can '
never fdl to oblige your compliance with the General Eafe en-
ttpated; 'viz,. That the Penal Laws are againfi our great Law
, „ . - f 55 )
^'>^'\:^Properfjf and jo vsid ifi themfelves. This has been the
^'' Language of every and that which, to fay true, is
not to be anlwer'd : How then can you decline to help their
Repeal, th2it'mConfcie»ce^ Reafon and you think void in
"f their own Nature ?
srfc Ld/lf, There is nothing that can put you in a Condition
stii tohelpyour feivesorthe Church of England againft the Do-
I'in t^xnition of Ropery^ but that which file weakly thinks the way
-to hurt you both, viz.. The Repeal of the Renal Laws. For
bccer-asyouare, you are tyed Hand and Foot,'you are not your own
ftliea men, you can neither ferve her nor your felves, you are faft in
sflil w'^he Stocks of her Laws, and the courfe file would have you
Bd /)take, is to turn Martyrs under them to fupport them. If
^ !|ou like the Bargain you are the beft natur'd People in the
kcilisi^orld, and fbmething more. Andfince Begging is in Fa-
niaCtthion, I fhould defire no other Boon; for upon lb plain a lofs
I proof, your Wits, your Eftates will of courfe fall a ftray to the
)iti: Government, fo that without the help of a Penal Law, you
faloi'tmake an admirable Prize.
tkc' I have no mind to end fo pleafantly with you. I have a fin-
itflf. cere andChriftian regard to you and yours. Be not Co»z!id,
ialjt!tff»w Captious J at thi* funoture. .1 know fbme of you are told, if
litter:; you lofe this LibertyIntroduce Idolatry, and for Confbicnce
Eijklih you cannot do it. But that's a pure mifi:ake,and improv'd,
fisimilfear, by thofethat know it is fo, which makes it the worie;
(cofflpfof it is not Introducing Idolatry (taking for granted that Po-
liisffr payisfo) but faving the People from being Deftroy'd that
iioiaprofefs'that Pveligion. If Chrifl , and his Jpofiles had
Joir, ftaken this courfe with the World, they muft have Kjlledthem
u]cej,Linftead of Converting them. 'Tis your miftake to think the
rigorous Conftitution is adequate to the Chriftian Difi
i^lpjji.penfation ; by no means: That one Concert Oi Judaifing
^fUllCkri/fianitym our Politicks, has.filfd the World with Milery,^
•■ . ' I 2 "of
( ^^6 )
of vvhiLh thii |X)or Kingdom lias had its fliarc. luolators^n ■■0ric
■ Q. hz li.nlightci'Pli a lid Vtr(vadcd^ a.s St. did tiie Atht>2!A>i :^M
md RomAns^ and woK. k^ock on the Mead, which mends ii -'j^COii)
oOdy. And to fay .a ChriftianJNdagifirate is to do that, that jfjfocli i
Olu'ifiiian can't do, is ridiculous; unleis like, the Bijhop cjjijtkj
Munfier^ who .goes jike.a Bifhopone part of the Day, and
Soiildicr the otiierdie-is to be ^ Cbrijhun in tbeMor.n^ng■.and■.■^^d
jMu^ijli'ate in the Aftevnoon. Befides, tisone tiling to ena£l i-jfi'OKl
Rehgion National,and compel Obedience to it(which wauk^upan
make this Cafe abominable indeed} andanothei thing to takrjyjgth
ofFunchriftitiaPenalties far the fake of-fuch miftakes, finc -adtct
that- is to give them Power to -hurt others, and tliii.only ti
lave you from being hurt for raeer Religion. f,
10 conclude my Addrefs to you, of. all People, it wouk^^y
look the moff difingenious in you, and give you .an Aire, thtJjn.j,
lead Senfible, Charitable and Chriftian not to endeavour fudfjijjf^
an Eafe that have fo mucliAvdnted it, and fo often and fo earvj,
neftly prelfed it, even, to Clamour. But that you fbould
it for their Salies who have ufed you fo, and that the Inlfru ilj^j
nients of their Cruelty, (he P^nal . fhould from a
mon Grievance become a Darling to any among you,
befuch a Reproach to your Undcrftandings and Confcicnces^il^ p,
that ho Time or Argument can wipcolf, and which I befee.cl!",.^
God and You to prevent.
.
'hIuI,
The Conclufton,
' - M
1- -Shall conclude with one Argument, that equally concernr';^^
' you all,and that is this; you claim the Caradter of Englijl'^^'
Men. Now to bean Englijh Man, in the fence of the Govern-®
ment, is to be a Freeman, ^yhetller Lor dm Commoner, to hdck^
his
'' 57 ) , '
h;£ Liberty and PoirciTions hj Laws of his-orvn confenting umb\
not to forfeit them upon Faffs made Faults, by Humour,
■ Faftion or Partial Interelf prevailing in the Governing part a-
.^gainft the Conlfitiition of the Kingdom ; but for .Faults only.
le 11;
:Ddy,
that are fucli in the natiH-e of civil Government ; to wit.
Breaches of thofe Larvs that are rnaie by the wholes in ferfuance .
\ of common Rights for the good of the whole.
^ 'This regard muft at no time be neglefled, or violated to-
^ V wards any ortelntercft; for the moment we concede to fucli
)le, ii
inL
y'^'a'Breach upon our General Liberty, be it from an averfion
we carry to the Principles of .thofe. we expofe, orfoine little
finilfcr and temporary Benefit of our own, we Sacrifice our
^^"^felves in the prejudices we draw upon others, or fuffer them,
to fall under; for our Intereft in this rcfpefl; is common. If
I' then as Lnglfh men, we are as mutually interefted in tlie invi-^
'■ olable conlcrvation of each others Civil Rights, as men em-
bark'dinthefarncydrcl'are to lave the Ship they are in for
their own fakes, we ought to Watch, Serve and Secure the
Intereft of one >anotiier, becaufcit is our own to do lb ; and.
not by any means endure that to be done to plcafe fome nar-
Ite': j.Q^ regard of any one Party, which may be drawn in Example
at fome other, turn of Power to our ownntter Ruin. .
]Co4 Had this Hdncft, Jufb, Wife and Englifh Confideration
hidii prevailed with our Anceftors of all Opinions from the days
of Richard thefecond, there had been Icls Blood, Imprifonment.,
Plunder, Beggery for the Government of this Kingdom to
' anfwer for. Shall I fpeak within our own knowledge, and
that without Offence, there has been Riyn'd, fince the late
Kings Rcftoration, above dflftcett ttfklUfanll f amillClSi,
and more then :f ibe ^IjOUlaub ^etCon?> Dead under Bonds
for. matters of meer Confcience to God: But who hath laid
it to Heart? It is high time now we fhouldjefpccially when out
King,with fomuch Grace and Goodaefs leads us the way.
' ' .1
I befeech you all, if you have any Reverence towards God, f , p
any Value for the Excellent Conftitution of this Kingdom,
any Tcndcrnefs for your Poiferity, anyLovcfor your Selves, ,
you would embrace this happy Conjunfture, and perfue a com- ?
mon Expedient; That fince we.cannot agree to meet in one
ProfelRon of Religion, we may entirely do it in this common
civil Intereft where we are all equally^engaged; and therefore
we ought for our own fakes to feek one anotliers Security, that ?
if we cannot be the Better, we may not be the Worfc for ©Ur
Perfwaiions, in things, that bear no relation to them, and in
whichjit is impofliblc we fhould Suffer, and the Government -
efoape, that is fo much concern'd in the civil Support and
Pro!jDerity of every Party and Perfbn that belongs to it. - k
Let us not therefore uphold Pep^a/ Larvs againlt any of our ^
Religious Perfwafions, nor make Tefls out of each others '
Faiths, to exclude one another our civil Rights ; for by the fiitisc!
. fame Reafon that denying Tranfuhfiantiationy is made One to
exclude ciPapi/h, to own it, maybe made one to exclude a
Church of Englmd-mafty a Presbyteriarty an Indtpcudanty a ''Tife?
Quaker y^wd. And apt ifi ; For the Qucffion is not who is in the '^4'
right in Opinion, but whether he is not in Praftice in the *
wrongy that for fuch an Opinion deprives his Neighbour of
his common Right ? Now 'tis certain there is not one of any
Party,thSiX. would willingly have a Tefi made out of iiis Belief,
to abridge him of his native Priviledge; and therefore nei- idea
ther the Opinion of in the Papiffs, Epifcopacy 'Qa
in the Church of England M.d.n, Free-will fo the Arminian i
Pred^Jlination in the Presbyterian, Perticular Churches in - d
the Indcpendant, _ Dipping of adult People in the Anabaptiff, ic'
nor not-fwearing in the Quaker, ought to be made a Tefl of, -
to deprive him of the comfoits of his Life, or render him h
incapable of the fervice of his Country, to which by a na- -ji
tural Obligatien he is indebted, and from wJiich, no Opinion irt,
c. n
' JTU ■ ^
can dilcharge him, and for that Reafba, much leis lliould
any other Party think it fit, or in their power to exclude
him.
ac(j;.^ And indeed it were ridiculous to talk of giving Liberty of
in- Confcience(which yet few have now the fore-head to oppole)
and at the fame time imagine thofe Ttfis that do exclude
men that Service and Reward, ought to be continued: For
though it does not immediately concern me, being neither
Officer nor yet the Confequence is general, and every
party,even the Church of England^ will find her felfconcern'd
upon refle<Stion; For fhe cannot alTure her felf k may not
come to be her turn.
But, Is it not an odd thing, that by leaving them on foot,
every Body fhall kave Liberty of. Confcience but the Govtrc-
went ? for while a man is out of Office, he is l e^-free, but
the hour he is chofen to any ftation, be it in tlie Legiflat ion or
AdmimfirAtiony he muft wiredratv his Confcience to hold it,
or be excluded with the Brand of Diffent: And can this be
equal or wife ? Is this»the way to employ men for the good of
the Publick, where Opinion prevAils abore vertue, and Abili-
ties Are fubmittedto the humour of a Party, fiircly none can
think this a C«re for Divifion, or that Animofities are like to
be prevented by the only ways in the World that beget and
heighten them. Nor is it poffible that the cafe that fhould
be granted can continue long when the Party in whofe favour
they are not repeai'd,may thereby be enabled to turn tlie point
of the fword again upon Diffenters.
I know Holiandi^givzn inObje£lion to this extent of free-
dom,where only one Perfrvafton has theGovernment,t\\o the reft
their Liberty: But they don't confider, firft, horv much more
Holland ii under the power of Neeeffity then we are. Next,T/'4^ our
hni difer greatly. For the firft, 'tis plain, in the little
CQinpafs they live ini the uncertainty and precarioufnefLof
the.
f ■
• the means of their fibfiftancer That .ars'they,. aTeWh »^are
danger ol: Drowning,fo neercr ruiii by any CommoticHiijifthc
^ State, then other Countries are. is .their §btpl)ort, :3c;y^f
" Ti)!f, 'Keeps tlaem bufy, /^^r, makes thauKiclj^fajadrM^//'/;,
"•naturally gives them caution the dilbrderithkt tnaylpoil
' them of it. • This makesthe governing Pzrty wary ho.w'they
uic their power, and the other Interehs tender how<hey:refiH:; ii/f
it; for upon it, they have rcaibn to fear a. publick Deipjation; mxIo
fmcehas not a natural and^'Domciliek J'.un^ii0:ii'cly :-::i5kk
upon,-or return to from fach national Diforders. r'^ jr m raM
The next Cnnfideradon is-as clear dnd cogent-oiir G;?-i]QclyJ£
Jfitutions differ miihtily : For though they iiavethe^.a^me-.toclo
^ of a Re^ublicky yet in theif choice, in order to the Tcgilfeture .Jinac
''they are much lefs free then we are; And fince thcTw-.c.)!>
holders ol all Parties in may Eledf, wliieh in
- '-they can no more do then they can be cholcn, there js good :tive i
— re?afbn why all may be elected to icrve their King & Coiiitry ,[:e W(
- ^ ' -here, that incannot be chofcn oiTervc. Andiif oui"-^-,
^ Power to chufe be • larger then theirs in Holland^ i Wi^ars^ ccr-^;]]
/:*" ralnly then a freer People, and lb ought not to be GOidin'd,^,j^,^
' as they are about what Pcrfan it is tliat mull be chofcn
-thinks it bears no proportion, and therefore the InJtVasccand^'jjjjIj
' Objedlion are improper to our purpofe. , Gs.. inlii
^ Bdt it- is (aid by fbme, 7 hat there cannot.be
' ■ Rtti^ions^ and if the Church of England
■-hiftht'KJngs Tdavour U liketobe fo. It isccrtainithabtHT?^''f-;;j^jjj
• • iowinA'nt Religions^ would be two Uppermoflg .ac ©ncav^tdiiclw
is nonfence es^ery ; But as I eaonsxbifco^wliai^neec^.!
there is for the Church of England to lofc her Churhces or Re '
venues, fo while fhc has them. Believe me, fbc is- Predomman.
in the thing of the W orHtl}at jics, nearefl her Guides. But ifi
were to fpeak my .inclination, I cannot apprehend the neccfli-
ty of any Predominant Religion, underftanding the wort
\ C >
with Vtnd Lms in the tale of it: The Milchlcf of it* w a
Country of fo many powerftil Intcrefts as this, Icm ealily
undcrftand, having had the opertunity of leeing and feeling
it too And becaufe nothing can keep up the Ball of VeW
gance like fuch a Religion, and that Pcna^'Li^m
and Tejl-s arc the means of the Domination, I, for that rea-
fbn, tlhnk them fit to be Repeai'd, and let Englifh Mankind
fay AMEN,
I do not love Quibling, but 'tis true, to a Lamcntation,that
there is little of the fawer of Religion feen where there is fiich
a predominant one, unlefs among thofe it Domineers over.
I conclude, they that are fo Predo?nin4»f, and they that
feek to befb (be they who they will) move by the fame Spi-
rit and Principle, and however differing their Pretentions and
Ends may be, the odds are very little to me, by which it
is I muff certainly beOppreft.
Dare we then do (for once) oftve would be done by^ and
ff^ow the World, we arc not Religious without JuJlice, nor
Chriffians without Charity t That Falfe felfihdi^ not govern
us againff not offer t unity nxike us Thieves, to our
Neigiibours for Gods fake ? the end oiTeJling and Perfecuttng
under every Revolut ion of Government. If this we can find
in our Hearts to do, and yet as Men, and asChriffians,as Eng-
lifh Men, we do but do our Duty, let the Penal Laws and Tejls
be Repeal'd ; and in order to it, Let tu now take thofe meafures
cf men and things^ that may give our Wifhes and Endeavours
the beft fuccefs for the publiek good,^ that our Pofterity mayr
have more reafon to bleis our Memories for theuFnedomdiXi^
^uurity, thea for their Nature and Jtther/tanet^
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bntiacD aw zifb 'it ^inainniVva^} 'io aoi ial-vVaH ^'ova IvLiu
-.^n3 E3,?riijifliir!b) ?s bn« tr:'.x\1 er. 1^7 bns ,cb oi nuaii-iLom.
b;tfl 3rh ::i,7:;;a ^lioobluc ob ?w,rn:vl{v^
a'lisvX trftn VA \71 .."jo:'isrrjonihi.i ' i/i6* 3 l af
enfovfobnd bns aarliiV/"luo ayi§yB/n 3cdi.,r^x4xWjk
V£m Tijo 3.?ib tboog :biIduo arfi idi abaaiit fbxi adi
Lmmk^rvl'HhAiloi panornaM wo g^aldo: ridhai aiom av:.il
bnji a-IVA :i?fl3 loi
on *i?
A SPEECH mhorn-DOO KS:
OR SOME
Modeft Inquiries
Humbly Propofed to
' The MGHT HONOURABLE
T .H E
Conlientton of
Aflembled at
WESTMINSTER.
Jan, 22. 1^89.
CONCERNING,
I. or Madnefs.
I I. leflSf and the Trefent Tefi in Tarticular. ,
II I. ^enal Latps in blatters of Religion.
IV. The TSleceJJity of Changing and T^ecanting our Ofi-
ntons in Religion,
V- llejhaint of the ^refs.
B/ E D M. H I C K E R I N G 1 L L , Re^oz of the
Rtiiory of All Saints in Colchefler.
L 0 N DO Nf Printed by Qeorgt Lirktn, at the / ;;<? S:vxni
without Bifljppfgite. MDCLXXXIX. .
To the Illuflrious, Right Honourable, and Honourable, The
Coniicntton of €ftateg,
Affetnbled at W EST Ml N STE R, fan. 22. 1688.
Illuftrious, Right Honourable, and Honourable,
F^Or as much as you are Effeemed (^hy the whole Bt}dy (f
j the 'People ) the wifeJi aftd hontUefi, and therefore the
moft- able and proper) Healers Or our prcfeac
Breaches and' DiJiradlio^js , Jo fen cannot het~
ttr approve ^our ftlves fuch, than by the heft Tehi-
moiial thereof ( that Pcffhly cm be, njiz, ) Moderation : Ear
no Extreams laft long.
EEhtn Paflion, Pride, md Self-Interefl: ( the boldest and
wor(i of Ufurpers) do come to be the Domineering and Pre-
vailing-Party, then Right Reafon (^and confequentfy true Re-
itgion and JuHtce) are deposM 4/?^^ dethroned j and then comes
Coafufion and every evilL work.
There never can be (nor ever were) more than two forts'
of Rolititians inChriJttndom : think ( Juftice, Piety,
&nd Honefty the bejl. Policy^ as our b/ejfed Saviour, the Apo-
files, and all ChriRians that follow their Reps*
The other makes ufe of jufiice and Religion too (fbmc-
times) hut no "further than they ferve his Politick turn, his
mrldly greatnefs and glory; ( which tf Jnfice and ChriHian
Kdigion will not brptg to himy then he tries what Opprefjion
and Superstition will do: For this Brute '( as if he had the Soul
of a Qea{\:,and not an Immortal Soul J never looks up to Hea-
vea, nor takes his meafures from him that Made and Rules
the World and the Kjngdcm of men^ and giveth it to whom-
foever he will; but calcalatts all his Plots to the Gicry cf
this World, and.terminates themm\Fi\%\Ez: And if his Plots
and the Devil fail him, like Achitophel , he does (or is
resdyfo ) han;^ htmfelfor like th:!t Brute, the KJ»g fNe-
buchadnezzar) driven from his People^ and turned to Grafs.^
'a a ■ 2
The Epiflle Dedicatory.
like a Brffteas he wot, until he knew thut the Mofi High R».
Itth in the Kjngdoms of meny and and giveth them to whom*
(bever he will. '
Onr Sav/ottr fays his Kjngdom is not of this World ; rvhen
therefore we pray^ Thy Kingdom come, we ought not to wifh,
much lefs endeavour, thst Antichrift's Kingdom fhould comie.
But in currying on True and Pure Religion and the Gofpef we
ought to content our felves with ftich Enginei wherewith Chrift
and the Apoftles propagated the famty all the World over,
three hundred years before Conftantine was horn.
Nor ought we to follow the Jntichrisiian fieps of the
or Tuik. Eor Antichrilfj or the man of Sin, are furely nouns
of multitude, accumuUtive words^ and ftgnifie 'thofe that carry
on a Supcril'itionjontrary to Chrift's Religion ; they are An-
tichrifl, or againft Chrift ; and they that ft in the Temple of
God, (^Gpd^s Throne) comtrianding Souls and Confciences^
as if they were Gods; they are limbs of that man of fin ; ivhich
fball falf by the Finger of God,
which Fingerof God was never more apparently and mira-
cu'oufly feen, than in this late Revolution^ which is like a Re^
furreclion'from the Dead; Dead, Ifay^ (/orwe, and our,
trrtconcileahle Adverfaries had paft the Sentence of Death
npcn usy unrepr'tev able without a Miracle ; ) And whoever treads
in the AntichriHian fieps and Policies of the Man of Sin,^';
Propagating the G of pel with force of Arms,, can they expeil other
than to ftand or fall with fuch til Company ? But as our Riders
are changed; we hope alfo to have our heavy Burdens^ and unrea'
fonahle Loads taken off. For, by force chiefly knuchuR'ian Ma-
hornet made Converts, with his Alcoran ( or Bible) in one
hand, and his Sword'\w the other, with this motto') If ova
will not do, other fhall.
And thus the Moft Chriftkn Turk makes Converts, -with
CoxiHahlts, Hangmen, Jaylors, PfWI-4 w, Tefts, and Troops
ofDxagaons.Wll the bolder EnglifB never be wifer than to follow
French-Fafhicns ?Shall nothingbe the mode here,not in Re-^
ligion neither,) hut what U A la-mode de Francois ? Never ^
f The Epiftle-Dedicatory.
jRi, ^ Never had any EngUlbmen a greater Trnft put upon ?^ew,
iW ^ grtatcr Power put mro their hands, than is put into
yours thit day, in this extraordinary, rare^ necelTary ( and
jsh therefore^ Jufl Convention.
ri'iji Eon h -ive Virtually in I'ou, the fewer 0/all the-Laws,
icot; all the Kings and Parliaments that ever were, or ever fhall be
ijleij again in hr\^2Lnd to the worlds End; heeaufe, it /ji in your
iClii Breafts, to Jave, deftroy, continue or abrogate them, frany
idojf of them, arbitrarily at j'our good pleafiire.
It becomes not me to determine pofitively, whether the Mo-
(ItPt; narchy be dilTolv'd by the IQngs departure, throwing upthe
/Keynes of Government, and will Guide no longer, quitting
the Helm of Empire, and leaving the jhip fonce more)
to the mercy oh the Waves, to (ink or Swim ; refuftng
[eiii[«, Parliaments (the only Scourge of Evil Ccttncgllorsy.
and in whom jonytly, with 'himfelf, was lodged the Ligifla-
[jj.j; tive Power; Or, Whether t\iQQcn&v2i\KtvQ\t had taken from
h'm the Power of Guidance , forfeited by Male-Adminiftra-
Hon of the Executive Power (?/" the Laws: Or, whether alfo
the Invading of the Legiflative Vowtt by ere^ing a D.fpen-
e C- hng Power, which feems, in efFeQ:, but a New Name/cr^.
jy New Legiflative Power.
The Pojver of our Laws was (T>y our late Con-
J 5- ftitution) lodg'd in the King ^one, ( as the Sole Power of the
Ir: making Alliances, Judges, Sheriffs, &c.) a Burden
(thought to be) too heavy for any fingle Shoulder, and has oc-
cafion'd two or three general Revolts, and Expullions of the.
|Li Monarchs in the three lafi Raigns ; for the Males Adminiftras.
N jj; tion thcreof(as was at kail pretendcd)together with other fad
]!f! ^onfeqtiences, too difmal to ht remembred here, and too lately,
done to be forgot ; nor need we mention the many and general
J , Revolts in our Fore-Fathers times, during all the Vnhappy^
Raigns fince William the Firft ; all of them arifing/rcwi the
famtoccnfiOH,
jjjil; Yet, will it not well become your Wrfdoms, quarere vias ojJ'
"vk;' tiquas, to keep to the old frame of Government, Monarchical',
(with
The Epiftle Dedicatory.
(with what limits of tht Ex'.cutive Povtr you lhali picaie;) '
and (as near as may be with any convenience) to the eld line '
too^ and next Heir ? '
Not only, becaufe a more awftd Deference and Veneration is
paid to (what is anciently) the Royal Family; than to any
Upflart Family ; but because the Finger of Cod ^eems to
point out^ and direft to that Incomparable and Bleifed Branch v'
(thereof) which God has madefo flrong forhis own Self ; and the
chief Inftrument m the Hand of the Jlmigbty , for our Bal-
vation hoXTi Popery and Slavery. ''
Nothing (Jjere hinted at") is to inform your Judgments,
that knows much more of this already, (^far be juch Vanity
from me ! ) But to fir up your Affedbions, and to beO»e of '•
your Humble Remembrancers.
For every man is now (or never) concerned to put to his
helping W2SidL at this DeadLift, and you concern'd to accept
/vW/y the Service (even of the Id^eakefl) at leafi:, furely the
lead:you can do, is to thank them for their Love and good Will,
though nootherwife ferviceable unto you, ■
Befides, A Slip now mzy hQ fatal; 'or (gut hoEe) not fo cure" '
able hereafter as now ; and as is more particttlarly 'mFRecA on in "
the Qemcliifion of this Treatife.
/ well know, that in this Crifis, every Politick NoddIei>
pregnant with Proje£fs, & never at rdf,r/7/ it be delivered of his
Minerva, jvhicb perhaps proves a Maggot. Tit, if what is ^
now faid, be evidenc'd beyond all Ccntradi61:ionC0^/»r4-
tion other thanQhe oldhnt\Q\\x\?ii2Ln Engine) a Jay I he pieafed to I
protect the Author from ftch DnchriflianfUn-Scholar-like,^' Un-
reafonableConfutation, until thefe Inquiries he oppugned with the
only proper weapons/'/? Spiritual mailers, Holy Scripture 4W
Right Reafbn.
My Lords ( the prefent Bifhops , for the generality of them)
have approved themfelves (in this jutitfnre ) not only mojt ex'
cellent Englifhmen, but excellent Chriftians, notwhhfanding^
the New-Church>of-Eng\2ind^s-DoD.x'm^ of Padive Cbedi^ce,
( without exception ) and the only Weapon-falve of
Prayers
The Epiftle DeJ;C3tory.
i!5;)i ffAjers And Tq'Slvs (;? for him inct-ted thit U
•liji psrniort Tignt or uto g ) ; and fi iding the n ctfjlty of Recant'.
' ing the fame ; (bme of them (^at leaH^ have in good time
titiis* betaken themfdves to a keener weapon ; and fhe reft {and thcfd)
tOffi' the beft of them, are willing to come to a temper,
ini; Whereby they do by Implication confejs a too feav'ourijh and
Irus hot dijlemper (that lias been ) now time,, to come to the
(ooltr and milder Galaxye'ffr milkye way ) the only Way
at!„ to Heaven.
And if any thing, in thefe modeft Inquiries, may tend to
gffiE our Cure, raoderate Church of EngUnd-m^w can poffbly
{„■ he offended, except they are paff cure and pajt 'mending ; to
eOr fnch we have nothing to fay, but to write, Lord have mercy
—upon their Doors.
Not only the welbelng, bat the being of thefe Nations, de-
;o«K "pon the fuccefs of this mof Auguff, and mojl Ho-
lelj i nourable Convention, which hns fo many ( and thefe jo great )
'III (f; Friends and Enemies.
And is it not now high time to enlarge our Intereff,a/?^;f widen
the Church of England's Pale, and not extltide ( out of the
ledds Church and the PrivHedges of it). the better half of the Nation ?
Is not this Piety ? Nay, Is not this true wifdom and honefi Po-
licy ? Now, (now I fay ) when the Irreconcileable Enemies
rdcf of our Holy Religion are {by cruel and bloody Confederacy^
L g' bandied and knotted together, to deftroy us and our Religion
Qnjf, Root and Branch ?
Brittain was never conquer''d but by ter felf. How ? By
her divided Par'tes, faith Tacitus, {^the beft Roman Hiftorian
»f the RomifJo Conquejt over Britain) fmiling, Dum finguli.
tojeit pugnabant, omnes vifli.
Is it not now therefore time to open the Church-doors as
ftk Chrifl and his Holy ApoHles opened them ? Shall Eilthy^
J-i Pride or Malice fhutthemup, wbilFt monopotiz.ed to ta
ik /i&are all the Gains, though the Poor DifienPer mujl
partake the hazzard and the Pains, in our Common Defence I
Even Private Soldiers fght coldly, without any P&y, or any
ftp. ^opes of Reward, in the Booty, aft£r Victory. Ne/y
iji i)t<j
1>
'Hh
I )
fir
■!ir-
<8 .
h
H
m.
The Epirtile Dedicatory.
Vtrj txcilltjit m^n ^ as it happens, rvhich f&ldcm happens in
fkch a Conjlitut'rdn of a Church) are now uppermoft. But
furely we are not obliged to believe that they fay U^ho happen
to be uppermoH^ only becaufe they are uppermod.
TV, though at prefcnt tve have (for the generality of our
Fathers in the Chunh ) at this time very good men^ yet feme-
rimes the very Froth and Skum may be uppsrmofi.
And therefore if fome errors in our Church, both peradven^
ture in Doftrine as well as Dlfcipline, be humbly inquired into^
if they appear upon moderate deliberation to be Errors ) m*lt
we continue in them^ or curfe our lelves to an eternal conti-
nuance therein, or (as in the Office of Comminacion in the
Common-Prayer-Book) fay^hmQn, Hillffo be it Amen,) Is it not
better to fay^ Amend, Amend ?
For this Caufe the hut^iox hunthly hopes-that you rviH par-
don the nice formality of Printing thus without an Imprimatur,
which cannot in any likelyhood be obtained from the prelent Licen-
ferSyifany thing here thwart tTc/r Intereft, and fpoil their Trade.
To your UnbyalTed and Impartial Resfons therefore, tV All-
thor appeals; And what Book or Author would dtjire
to live, ifcaH and condemn'd by fuch Judges ? And who dare
condemn, tvVzw/otfr better Judgments think meet to fave ?
T^f/e following Effays «re woy^feafonable, as to the fiib-
je£t inquired into: But, if for want of ^tYXtnty, they
be ill handled, yet be pleafed not to ddPcoxirz^Q this well-meant
and humble attempt ( here laid at your Feet) fmce ( at word)
it may ferve for a Prompter to put better Heads in mind,
and to fet better Tongues at work to difcoyrfe the point
more accurately within/ff^r Walls, which is now only
without-Doors, by
four Seryant,
E. Hickeringi],
SECT.
'li
Ihr
fijd
■::js
■3
■■6
%•
•li
Ji
S E C T. I.
trito ,
V Religiom Madnefi.
B/got ? What's that ? 'Tis a Spiritual N^trcijft^ j
a Self-conceited Religious Coxcomb, that fAiling in
love with the jhadows and Whimfes, Opinions and
Imaginations of his o:vn dear Crazy Skull, in mat-
ters of Religion; Efpoufes theai to that height of Dotage, that
he will Buftle and fight like mad,and in the Quarrel wilingly dj'e
a filly Martj/r too ; atleaft, will freely venture Life and Limb,
Goods and Lands (though he had IQngdoms to fiake ) yet nei-
ther knowing why nor wherefore.
For this Spiritual Bankrupt takes up all his flock of Religion
upon Trufi, and at all adventures, without ground or reafon,
other then Education^ or fome wilder chance, and therefore
believes a L^yeas eagerly and firmly as the greatejt Truth ^ and
had been a Mahometan, if born in Twky \ a Papijhy Moor or Jew,.
Ifhom 'm Portugal, andanInfideTm China.
If this Spiritual Lunatick wajits Power and Authority, he
plays his Religious Pranks and Freaquesonly in apt/hTrkks and
devout Mimickry, skiping perhaps from the Shop board to the
Pulpit, where the mad Ape makes fuch Faces and Grimacesy.
quotingof Holy Scripture, and Commenting thereupon, as
Frenzically, impertinently and Fanatically, as Olivers Porter
in Bedlam ; and if a ftranger ( that is not us'd to it) fhould
fpy him there, he might Swear, and fafely too ( in the words
of Hofea) The Prophet is a fooly and the Spiritual man is mad,
B or
jrwfwfl
'te:e—
(a) OfBigotifm,
cr (more properly and according to the original) The wau „ ^
of t^/e Sj/irit is madj and b^in^ crazed ivith a notion (like
Archimedes) runs skiping about. Crying, Eureka^ Eureka^ '
I have it, 1 have found it; when nothing is foundhut the loft
place in his head.
But if Magijkracy and Authority lhall happen at any tirre r.
to bepojfeji with this mxdfpirit of Superlfitious Lunacy : Then t
for Propagation nothing lels will ferve then to encreafe and ^ "
multiply this fpurious IlTue (and Bafiard Minerva of their
Prieft-ridden amongft all thetr Inferiours and Depen- '
dants ; lmpof}ngQ\zz^2Si^ Eaith ^ as Magifterially as great ,
yTthanafius himfelf,making believers and Faith bj Statute-Law,
Cannon-Law; which they muff and Ifiall believe in fpight
of their hearts, or elle by Penal J-aws take what follows, Cur- i'''
and Anathema, Fire and Faggot, asleaft, Hell and Lram^
nation^ Fines and Imprifonments\i\}XyPutup thy dagger^
Bigot! • 'ibyg!
Docs not Antichrijl thus fet up the Abomination of Defblati- iiclto
an in the holy place (the Chymera's of his Noddle in the Tern- -«(1
pie of God ) rvhere he fits, commanding Faith and Confciences,)- SQrefi;
as Peremtorily and Infallibly as if he were God ; breathing (
Vengeance, and fpitting Fire at all that oppofe him,and likea niiiiLi
diftraftedBigot, runing aMuck u tillhe
kill ( or bekilFd by ) all that fiand in his way.
Thus the Bigot ted Spaniard converted the Indies with a ;t!i(i]
long Tuck ; and thus the hair-hrain\l French in Bloody Devo-. Ikiiler
ticn to Popedom (of T wo Millit>ns of Hereticks) Confuted and
Extirpated Two hundredThmfandoi them, and made £/^^-
teen Hundred Thoufand new Converts, "^iihTroops of Dra* xz
gQ3n<. ^ ^ ;f.[i
Poffe/l with this Evil SpiritJCif Bigotifme and devout Phren- >1.
zy. King Manajfah Sacrific'd Ins Son to Moloch in the Flames;
And King Phillip of Spain gave up his Son to be Murthered in
iihe Bloody Inquiftion^, upon fufpition of Lmheraniftn And -.yi
what
'«C:
:c!
■'11
OfBigatifm. ( j ) Seil.!.
(14;' our Neighbour Nation, when no ii?&n was
SufferM/<7 or fell, or give meat or drink or other Comfort
to any whom holy Church had Excommunicated ? Nay, at
home here How now ? No more; Hold there : Come not
ip;,." near._
It isas fafe towitha mad or with the/?-
ujtII ons in the Tower^ or cohabit with a Mad?man in Bedlam^
of tig as with a 2iealom and Furious Bigot; there is no living with
4 Dill him or near him, except he be muzled, fetter'Jor chain'd ;
jjgg for if he break loofe-, all the fober part of mankind are concerned
Mf-b their own defence; and in Self-Prefervation
inlpji. totyehimup.
And if I have here made a Whip of JmstU Cords to lafb
this Tom of Bedlam out of thQ Church wheiQ he has made/«r/^
havock imd difturbance with his ; it is but in order ro
his cure, by gentle Jiripes to bring him (if poflible ) to his wits
fDijib again, and to reafon.
itkJi ' Rtafon ('I fay) which is the Souls beB Centinel, which
(hould carefully examine every thing before it enter, ftriftly
challenging ( not who but ) what comes there.
jujij Nothing is more frequently inculcated in Scripture, than
Examine your ftlves, prove your own felves, try the Spirits
' whether they are of God', but for want of this, Popery, Prie/f-
craft, and Bigotifm has been the Inveterate and Old Difeafe
dcDc' Chriftendom ; for Popery zod Prieficraft always preacht
ifiji h^orance, as the only Mother ( and fo it is ) of Bigotrfm
and filly Devotion ; Samfon mull firfl: have his Eyes put out,
before he can be managed to make fport.
' I am fenfiblc, that I treat of a Subjedb that is feldom ornC'
fPb handled in this method, and of a Diftemper, that will
-Jjj make the mad-men ra^e the more; there is witchcraft in this
liereif'-' they are fo bewitcht as to be in love with their Dif-
eafe, and will, like other Lunaticks ( to choofe) fall upon the
above all others, if he attempt to cure them.
B 2 But
Sea. I. ( 4 ) Of Bigotifm. ¥/"■
But is it not a Lunacy kyend the wild fury of Bedlam, that
Protejlants fhould »ow think of nerp furbujhing and whetting '
the Penal Laws againft Dijfenters to their PlacePs, arhitrarj ' ^
and wilfull Impoftions in doubtful and trivial matters, Lana ■ ■
caprifja, and Bar them out the Church and State (their
Birth-rights as Men and, ChriHians ) with lefis (defign'd at
frUonly againft the irreconcileable Enemies of our Religion')
and ( when the Oath of Supremacy alone will do the feat )
ftraitning the Church of England, to a few, ( is it that thty
alone may monopolize all the Preferments in Church and State) '-jl//''
when all the Wifdom, Piety and Policy in the World cries i'SeJid
aloud to widen the Churches Pale and enlarge her Intereft, -Frt!'-
now, now efpeciaUy, when the Common Enemy has drawn a Sword ^ lodfc
nev^r tobe Jbeath^d but in our Throats? Shall Abraham and tti
Lot, Gen. 1^.7. beat Rx'ih between themfelves about trifles,
when the Canaanite and Perizzite is ready to Land ? Is it»of sic'il I
yet^timc to loofethe bands of wickednefs,to undo the, heavy bur^ .hi::
dens, to let the Oppreffed go free, and to break every (Info- ^toi
lent andBigotted) Toak ? Ilai. 58.6. Read ferioufly Rom. =:ia]
14. the whole Chapter Isan approved Cure, for Dogmatical »- ;fo
and Pragmatical Bigot ifm. We read in Scripture , that all
Chriftians fhould endeavour to keep the Unity of the Spirit ^
in the Bond of Peace ; but where do we read that any Chri. vSi;
ftians did, or ought to Compel Uniformity, as the Bond of
Peace ? : >[
But, Hold may fome fay, and have a care; whilfl:
you fpeak againft Bigotted Imprfitions, do you not tranfgrefs tg,f,
the 59 Articles oi thQ Church of England; that fays, "The
Church has Power to Impoje Rites and Ceremonies ? ,
1 anfwer, That it is time enough to anl]wer that, when you r-
have read what is laid concerning the fame here, in the fe-
cond and Lliird SeSlion', and alio when any good Body '
(jhat can telT) will tell what, and who is this fame Church of
England ? Who is the Head of it this day ? And whut Lan-
guage
Iiifij Of Bigotifm. ( ; ' Sea. I.
Mkr gttage docs a Head fpeak, when it is feparatedfrotn, and not
ttiis United with, nor of the fame Com^hxion, Nntrimentj and
'feji Conjlitution with the Body ?
>ik Ay ! But grant that what you fay here belruthj yet a grave
(tli; Author fays, That all Truths are not to he fpokejt at all times,
ign'ils , And (Grave Author might to as wife purpof add) there-
fore allTruths are not to he fpoken at any time, when yon touch
kftn* the fore place ; No, no, they will always (^then) kickyyou'f
lilt Ik feafe them at no time. .
ndfe' Thus Gypfees cant, and would gravely perfvade tts to flint
orldci our Eyes and not dtfcover their jugling Tricks, wink tilt ours,
teit; or our Friends Pockets be pickt; and then we fliall have 4
I'flafe Licenfe to difcover the Naked Truth; Ay, Ay ! ( Dear G; a-
'ibt "vity ) but then it is too late.
3iitt® Thus the old Gentleman that was refbived to dye a Batche-
Msiu lor, fiienc'd his Friends when they propos'd a ^latch for
toll him in his Touth ; Oh no, quoth he, It is not feafbnable, it
pjj (!a is too foon to marry; but, when they reiterated the fame Pro-
)u|I^ pofal to him in his decrepit age, anfwers, Now you fpeak
)o(tej too late ; fo that what men//ie not, isatnotime feafonable ;
J [I;;, they'l always quarrel with the time.
fhiii . Are not things now, jult now, upon the Hinge? Is not
this time like the third and lajl time of Publifliing t!ie Banes
of Matrimony? Either now Speak, or elfe forever hereafter
hold your Peace.
Rcafon (^mans chiefesiLight) fhlnes in many
mad men on one fide of the skull, when it is benighted f/? r/.'e
rS, Other fide of the Pericranium, znd craz'd with a notion on that
fide the head : Many mad-men in Bedlam will talk rationally
enough, on any fuhjehf, except which fir ft heclouded their
Reafon ; but then, when you touch upon that fore place, they
d •
oyf. Thus, it is reported of a mad-man that would talk mojl
matters, except when be faj^ or difcourfb of a
' Hi '
Sea.'l. ( 6 ) Of B'gotifm.
Ship ( for he was crazed by loof^g his Eftate Ship-wrack )
fancying that all mens Ships that came laden and well-fraught
into the Port, were hu own ; and W'as rtally cvtrjoy^d,
when the R?ch Cargoes catne home, as if they had truly been
hii own.
His dear Friends, (pitying his diftradion ) got him cured^
whether he wmld or no : Whereupon coming to his Right
Mind, he thus thanked his Friends for their love to him—■
Po/ mt PertfUuy amict / you have undone m:e, Dear Friends!
and beggar'd me ; yet he loff nothing but his Wild Fancy ^
lurely, he was madaer iov faying fo, than he was before.
But, to apply it; If any Church-of-EngUnd man ^ puffed
up with Bigottjm and mad-conceit of the Purity of what (bme
c&\\ Church-of-England, both in Docfrine and Difcipline ; and
( like the whimfical Church of Laodicea ) fancying that fhe
is Rich, a/^d encreafed in Goods, and hath need of nothing ;
and I ( amongfl others ^ like a true Friend, ^ndediwom to cure
him of this Wild Fancy, and difpel the Cloud that fhadowed
Right Reafon, giving him to underftand, beyond all contra-
diftion, and as clear as day, how and wherein, both in Do-
chine and Difcipline, (be is wretched, and miferable, poor,
and blind, and naked.
That fo, P^e may betake her ftlf to wife Councels, and get
Gold tryed in the Fire (that her Hay and Stubble being
burnt up, ( for foe muf pafs through Purgatory here, and
through the Furnace,) that fhe may be rich; and White
Rayment to cover the Jbame of her nakednef, that it may »o
longer appear ; and anoynt the Eyes of our dim Mother, with
Eye.falve that foe may ^ee the better: Will any ( in their
wits ) blame a true Son of I he Church for his love and kindnefs
to his pur-blind Mother ; which is his Duty ? And fay, in
lier name.-- Pol me Perifli mi F/li: Verily, verily, you
luive undone me, dear Son ! Surely. Inch a mad and unrea-
fbnable exclamation would fpeak her to be incurable,znd would
aggravate the D/fraclion. SECT.
W A what's that? ,'Tis a Touch Jlotje to try what
K l\- '^"y thing is of; and is as neccOTary for tvtry
^every Houfe-keeper, every BodyPolittck, every Church
nT or 6Vafe, as is a Touch-ftone to a GoUfmith, there's no li- '
J'" ving mil without it.'
K A left is of abfoiute ncceffify for every mA»a\vjay s to carry
'•P'^ iboiit him, to try himfelf and others ; to try both his o'vn and
ether mons Opinions, Words, Works and Waysf whether
"b? they be right ; hnceall is not Gold th&t gUliers.
A Teft is neceftary for every Houfe-keeper that wants x
Servant, a Gueft, an Apprentice, a Journey-man, aBayliJf, a
)ari(ii* Steward, a Friend, or the like; for though fuch a Perfon is
recommended, as is in aU things jit for his turn, except only
allca that he is a FapiB; ( who is obliged tcjiold ( or elfe he is no
itliii* Fapi^) that the Decrees of Pope and General Council
conjoyn*d are infallible, and particularly , that Bloody De-
j tree of the Council of Con^ance, that f nulla fides fervandi
1,31^; ium heret/cis J no faith is to be kept nuth a JrlcreticK, that is,
)le no Faith, Oath, or Promife is binding,, if it be-made to ont
that is no Papift.
J For PttpTh ( like the fcws,) ( the bafeft and- mnjl inhofpU
tOKi' table People under Heaven (except Papifts ) look upon all that
Kfe not of their Pelt^ion, as Dogs-; nay, the ftorp of Dogs,
good for nothing, but to be profelyted, or knockt i'ch'heaa ;-
liiiKlDii either to be turned to their Religion, or turned out ot the
fail' World ; not that every Papift thinks fo, but by their Religi"
they are obliged fo to believe. For which Caufe Tacitus
uoit^ calls the Tews, crudtlijrimx & viUffima fervkntium ptrs ,th&:
tfoj: mocJtp
iCi
S E C T. I I.
Of TESTS, and the Trejent Tefl: ttt Particular.
sca.i. (8) . . mi.
bloodieft and b/tfeH SUves in all the Roman Empi^ . There-
fore the Jews Teft is, Is he a Jew ? And the.Papifts Teft (as
at this day in Ireland md France^ {shortly this omy. Is be
4 Papi/l ? If it hQanfvered ( when clofeted ) No, no ; then
turn him cut; let him not be trnfted, either with ArmSy a Lj^.
Red coat, or anj/ Office oi Triift, or Benefit j bar the Door, i
exclude him, fhut him out, or perhaps kill him, where they are ' yj
firong, and not afraid of their own Throats; for if the> be
the veakir Party (as infome Cantons in Switzerland^ there
they are for liberty of Confcience ; but go but over the next
Hills ( the Jlps^ into Piedmont, where the Papift is ten to
one, then, the woid is, Peter /) kill and eat.
This makes the World joyn hands againfl: the Jew and Pa-
pifl, either they totally keep them out with fejls made for that -V'"
purpole, or confine them to a certain habit, or to a certain t
Street, or Place (^ 2iSDukes place) to inhabit ; ( as we deal
with the Feracious and Bloody Tigers and Lyons in the -tb
Tower ) keep them'( we do, but ) in a grate; keep them ade k
fajly and have a watchful eye over them, as you love your ^5iwas
lives ; for they are inh^pitable, and Common Enemies to man- Fii(if
kind ; ftand upon your guard then, keep o/j and out oftheivt
Claws, except you pare their Nails,
For this Caufe there was fo many Penal-Laws and Lefts niaj.j
made againfl Papifis, ia the Reigns of the four lafi Kjngs\
(which (by the way) has finely been turned againU Prote- qjnjp
Jlant'diffenters, who were out of thefe Statutes, becaufeo^t ij;i{
of the meaning <0^ thofe Statutes) oh! the dexterity of a
Jefuit! when in conjunction with one of bis. own complexion
and face, faviftg that this Latter looks not altogether fo San-
guine., becaufea Protejlant-Perfecutor ! .
But, will fome fay, this prefent Leii (of making all men
take the Sacrament, and certifie the fame, has done notable fer-
"t/zVc again ft thePapifts, in thefe times; and therefore though
fome Diffenters be kept out for Company, it is no great mat- ,J.
ter. But .1
fid' _ ^
C 9 ) Se£l. I f,
tutvful then to do Evil, that Good may come therp-
idjii ty ^ tv-icked Rrinciple^. that with ene mind and
iio;ili mcuth w^ decry jtnd blame in the Jt/un?' Oris it iawfui
to maintain our Religiop or Church by pr'ophane-means^ and
tli^Dj by mocking of God? Who would not hate a Religion and
'Ghurch, cannot without blaTphemy, and fin-
iltte iui methods?
-But, will fame fay, God forbid I We never did, nor ever
erdiu keep up a Church by fuch.ungodlinefs : Then iifien, what
rvt have done already in impofing this ftid Prefent Jejl, of
ratkin^ an Earthly Vtoor, or PoYmo^d Door-bar of the Holy,
bad: and Heavenly Sacramtnt o? the Lord Jefus.
idefjt; The Prefent Tefi is the more fufpicioufly Profane, and to be
)ac;r, abominated by all true Chriftians, becaufe it is faid to be
j5^vt; fbe Projeil of a Politttian, that was always reckon'd to have
jju iij more mt than grace; more oY.Macbiavei than of Chrijl: And
|j{3; who made RcUgi&h and the bleiTed Sacraments PoUtick-tools,
and that was all, atieaft the.chief ufe he made of Religion,
and faid ( if he be not belied, that) That recall that Relig-i-
on was good for ; well faid Machiavel!
A more undoubted inflance of his Profanefs cannot Well be
given, than in this prefent 7>/i Is it not .profane, and tnofi:
abominable, if the Learned and Pious. Gro//<yy and Dr. Ham-
mond, and other Interpreters of amongfi us,.do
Ijjcjii, give us the true, genuine, rational and pious meaning there-
;ptf; of, in their upon, t fV. 11.-29. faying,.
coiii[i- drink unworthily (anaxios ) is to eat and drink tin-
■Ijjfjjv fit ably or unmeet h to the end, dejtgn and Inflitution of the
Bhffed Sacrament •, (fovvc are commanded to walk worthy
pffilb X-axios ) of theGofpei, that is Jut ably to the Gofpel',^ Then
0i he. that cateili and drinketh unmeetly, namely^ to the end
jitif- and InRitution of the Sacrament (not that he nxaygetChri/f
but a Gorvn, a Sword, a Place or Preferment, making a Te^
' ; of the BlelTed Sacrament, making bhrifl (who is the dnlv
C Door
Sea. II. r lo) ' Of lefts,
Door and the only Way to High-places in Henvetiy the only
to High-places on Earthy making the Bread of Lifey
the only way to fill the lean Bellies of a Man and his Family
vHth Bakers Bread ; He that Eateth and Dnnktth thus unmeet^
Ijy Eateth and Dr 'tnketh his own Damnation.
A fad Choice, to Starve herey or be Damned hereafter'y
nay jfome that have often taken it worthUy or meetlyy are not
always fit in Three Months to take it Worthiljy\\\e.n take your ^
choice to <SVi!irw or be 2l Temptation is here
to damn even z Conformift ? What a Temptation to Blaf
phemyt JtheifmydLVid mocking of God? Is not this as bolil. a
Stinting the Grace of God, to co/nt within three'Montbs
time? Jufllike the Canon that enjoyns the •-Sacratnent—
However at Eafler ? What fit or unfit ? What right or wrong 'litk
Yes, ftarve in a Goal, or Eat and Drink your own Damna- Higi
tion: Oh/ Abomination in a ofChriffians ! Nay.a hevf
of Proteflants, and a Proteftant Nation ! Have we te?
notftill formerly had) fbme (^id pro q/io^Sy amongft .ifefia
us) Papiffs in MafqueradeT Papifts with a.'Proteflant Vizory .Jf/i'P
and Church of England?^ Vizor on? Turn up his Mafque y.\et us -tJCf
fee. But God will not (long) be with Political Tricks ?
It is dangerous our Politick Pranks with rjinKl,
And is there no way to bar the Earthly Doors, but with
Heavenly Edge-Tools? Have a" care of cutting thy Fingers, istop
Machiavell Muft the Laws made again ft Po^/^ RecufantsA- ::Wq
ways be made of ufe againft FroteHant RecufantsjWho are out ' ^
of the Reafonof them r '
But can any Nation fubfift without a Teft, a Fence, and a iiin
Barred Door to keep out the common Enemy thereof?
No, I anfwer," ; There's none but Fools will neglcfl rVi'
their Fence: But tliQ Oath of Supremacy /along-try'd and ap-
prov'd Teft, and making the Declaration againft Tranful^
ftantiationy enjoyned 2'y Car.2,c 2. Si Car, 2. c. 2. J has i;
and will do that Feat. . ■ > J"
Oh ! ^But Proteftant Difjenters then will come in ; and
get
I(f: Of Ttfls. ( U ; Sea. 11.
It: get their Birth-Rights in Church and State as mil as tve :
■ Surely there is a way to bar the D^or againft our Enemies,
Fa and yet let in our Friends; except we think the Houfe will
w;; not hold us all, or f rather) not feed us all. Ay! Is that
it? If it pinch there^ Zeal againft Popery is but a Sconce^
mjk and a R^iz.ard drawn over the ug// Face of Covetoufnefs and
are! Self-ends. When Boys are fcrambling in a Room for Nuts
alsej;, and Apples, thofe that are in Pofleftiori, and upon the Place,
isl> and got in, will be fure to Bar the Doors and keep out others,
to Ij efpecially fuch as are adive and nimi^ler than themfelves; Ay,
asbo'j they are the Wiftr, you'll fay.
e'Mooi But where's the Honesty all this while ? Where's the P/e-
tijKct- ty ? Nay, where's the Wifdom ? And where's the Rolicj ?
For if the lucky Scramblers be befet, or fet upon, with
1 D« bloody High-way-meri, as they carry away their Booty,
jiJi would they not be; gliad that ihofe .they barFd out, fhould
Ijjfj! affift them? Tesfurely, for who ever denied a Difenter the
jjic Peril, the Hazard and the Pains, fo that we go away with
the Gains ? But is there, any Equity or Confcience in all this ?
Has not a certain Nation {in our Time) been hazarded a
Third Time, by Patriots that have been Frieli-ridden * Bi>-
yj; gotted and Huzled to maintain Brief-Craft, and Compulfi-
on to Vntformity. in Religion ? Who dillikes it ? But how ?
J fiu; What upon Compulfion? Uniformity by force of Arms ?
It hasbeenfound an Idle, Vain, Wicked, Bloody, Bigotted
Jait Antichriftian, and Impoffibk Attempt, in all Ages, in
all Nations. The old Rule \Fas, In Necefariis Vnitas, in Jdi-
j, aphoris Dibertits, in DtrijfcjueCharitasy Unityiin things Ne-
'f) cejfary, Liberty inThings, in Charity,
jjj,. For 'till allmenbe of/JKfi one feature, one complexion
and'tis impolTiljle they fhould be;'L^/?//ym ; nay, God
'Tj^ aadNature feem to delight in PTr/er/: But vain man, mad
IJ with [elf-love, Of)inionatry andBigotifm, w6n\dcompel all men
^ to be of his own Dimenfions and Attainments, whereas there
C 2 are
Sea II. (12) Of Te/Fj f
are fcarce ?wo Men tabe^ound ' in the World dike.
This Folljf proceeds from a Vidgar Error ib'it Eop^s hare.
Efpcus'd, namely, that there can beno Vnity without Dm-
farmity ; and when they pray to God, (as they ought') to-
make us all of one Mind, and one Mouth ; if-by one hUuth^
they mean their env/i Mouth, then th«y are Bigotted - with an;
Opinion of their J/ffaUihity-, and are no' Chureh-of-En^'.
gland-Men in that particular.
Alas, alas, we are commanded to keep thtVn'ity of the Spi-
ritin the Bond of Peace], hut that may be done rvhhod VnE
formitr ; there is fcarcely two Brethren in the World dike.
and Vn'iform, yet they mayVnity, and Love like Bre-
threh.
GantTfcn be wife that value the keeping of theat'Trinckets
above their and above the Peace and fd^c/f'are of the
Church and Proteftant Religion ? And why fhould not a
'Protejlant Church be as large and. wide as to-hold, all Pro-
tdLtnts.
Gome, cow.e ;■ Let th^tmdji'ue-a.'Care that they do'not hold
up the Price of cheir Trincltets at too dear a rate ; left they
flip their Mnri'et, and be glad to" part with them e'er long>
for an 0/<ar<S*f?w^ land fe'rioufly-read 7/4. 14. from Verfe Of. to
'Verfe 1 y:' iMefs us! Cannot mQulive and Let live, (-even)
let thbfe live that'have not fo many Brains, nor fo good 4,
Eyes aS'themfelves? T'hough they.aVe not one Mouth with
you, nor io wide a Mouth and Swallow, they are aS
nifude them as well as you ; and though they fee not fo well
a-s they fltould', they fee .as ivell. as they can to their. Owni(j|j-
Mafterthey flandand fdl..
What RationdiMan in, the World (if his Reafonbe f&dge, ■.j
d Depbs'di; Benighted, and Ecljpfed
■
jme-modd tfj'a^olhert tj?. hh Cir.cumJdmcesxjffouli da t& m?.
and not DethronM and Depbs'd; Benighted, and Ecljpfed
with PaffioUr Self-intereft,. Self-conceitr and.the liko) but
ninft fay, Pmt it is very meet that rve jhould do to others,
a-".-; - 'ri's?
OfTep. c ) Sea.lx,
'Tis pbAibfe /for vvhat/has been rria-y be ?gain) that the
It oU TtH be (many Ages hence) (which
ti. the Church-Doors, and the Doors of Preferment in Church
ID and State, Excltpding all from being Chnrch-raen, Judges, Ju-
iti, ftices, iMayorsi, Aldermen, &c,. that would not.leave worfoip-
:t \og<i>hCcid &ccib(rdin^.to:.the. Cammon-Prapr-Bcidk ; wbjiidft
E» nottlrau (tbrnU^eapon^d^UnifarmityrBigat I) J^^xalaini (at
grumble) &t pcb aTtJi?
Jji. But with what reit/o/i canfl: thou grumble? Except thou
conclude, that Church .of EngUnd is infallijjle, (ia fpighi;
k of her own 59 AriicUs to the pontrary.) or, except, thpuari.,
jjftj nor content to take fuch.meafure as now fhpu meted to o-,
thers, that are as P/Wj and. as thy vfelf: Where is
rt the Juftice of fuch:GrumbliGg? ;Thou art for Uniformity,
{i ofleiMindand.one Mouth, fb.are all'i.P4iff<3-^'/«/,Mei); .<but thou-'
gi, art alio for Wtapm-dI y-xhit^ unreafonable and
fi;. nnfcriptural, and unapodolical ; ahd-alfo becaufe of ano-
theriittie thing Impoffibility: Itisnot to be done by
yl Sword or Giin, Eep or Pe^ralEyvs. we not been trying
tilt; Ccndufions and Expehmentsabputut in tbeyBody PoIinck,mA-
ny years,evbn to xh.t CoMfu.mpthjf 0/the Body Polbicks ? And':
who has got'any thing by it,, fhving a fef.v Prte^s ?' But Aye.
muft always he tampsring.with ungodly,.unreafoiiable and-
Antiehriftiaa Phjpk, onlyfjto enrich the Phyfitian , and keep^
lil .kts :P^rAt}ice,i:2Md hisiJJand /in .llrej/* j DP .we ,de;
claim againd: Arbitrary Po.ver anJ.-'Eyranip/^and'yet
ittdi TeJ^r' to takei.itway ohfbBirih-riBbpi ,?/-Queeaj Jii^t^ye^
Ewcofifum'd tliei Heats between CV» and N.Q^con\ jwhen-hv
Pfilon togeth,er, they ili^ok .Hands and Were Primps
^^outh fopuld'he'alike, and pnd-witb
But foppofe t.l>ftt Pittk- M&»ih he^jbi?"
fetches, and that-fo; it-may 1;^ 'Dnifpm^
and l.kd to Grc.>t Mouth, and cannct dp it for his Heart evd
Blood;
Sea.ll. (14) Ofle!h. All'
(jhy He thAt is fir ongjhouUJloop, and
bear the Infirmities of the weak, and condefcend (and to keep
my Allegory Mouth fiiouid meet Little Mouth half way, l'
coatr£L&ii)g h'ls large Gape and Swal/ow, that fo they may be
of one Mouth) But what cares fome Men for Scxipture?
Ifthat will not do, what do you fay to Keafon ? Is it tea-
fonable/that if Xittle Mouth IhoulA happen to get into the -
Saddle, and get the Stafi in hu Hand, (and thou be difmoun-
ted for Arbitrary Government j vtllltd, and un fcriptural, and J
unrealbnabie Impoiitions and Oppreirionsjwouldftthou-.think
it ^eafonablc) that lie fhould pare and cut, and pinch thy
Wide Mouthy tQXhe Ikanxling Narrow £haps'^ d)k
'IF not, then out of thine own (fiVide') mouth wiU Ijudgetheey
thou wicked Servant i Shouldft not thou haste Companion Qn\ 3c, in
thy Fellow^fervant, (like thy leif, erroneous) as thou wduldfr^ i:mx
have or -Almighty Gody have. P/'/y <?» r/'de ? 1 T© our iiltliL*
Comfort God leeth ; and he'that is higher than the Hightfi, .xkie
regardeth, and there are High'trthan they, Eccief. 5. 8. itkni
But will fonie lay, though it be a Tefi fulpidioufly Pro-
phane, (if any Holy thing in the World cad be prophankJ) ami;
by making Rel/^ion and the Satraments • f the mod Venerable
and Sacred of' all the Ikirts or Offices in Religion) Tools and .. 4,
Tricks of State *, yet this Tefi has done good Service againft-
the Common Enefvy, the irreconcileable Enemies of our Re- '1^
ligion : 'It has kept'ouf the-Papift fromiOffices in Church
and StatCj NaVyiand Armyi. f
Neyer, (I anfwer) it nevefldid keep out any PapiA, nor
any biit'DilTenters; yet if all this flioiild be as true, as it is
evidently faTfe, yer this Tefi is not j'uftifiable, becaufe we may ^,,5,
not lay an evident Temptation of ftumbling in our Brothers ugj
\^'ay;-tdhiake hih fall; nOr-do £w/ that good may tome
thereon ; fi^safovHaid) Mr thus keep up Gods-Cbuych' ? What'
is the brihgihg the-'Abbmination of Defelation info the Holy ^
Place, but making Holy things,, and the Lord Jefus Chrilb k
-i- 1 „
oflep. (15) Seil.rr.
z Drue^ge aji6 Slave to MachUi^el? ('O Prophanation aboifli-
nable 1 ) Muft the biclTed Sacrament of Div-ine Love, his In-
ftitution ( made on purpofe to Incorporate us with him,
, and one yvitb another in Divine Love ) be the only EfUraf^cs
and means to let us in to a Body Politick or Corporation^ or
iato the'Door of Preferment ? Sacra. Sacris, ^ Saeri SacriSy
^ was the Gljd Rule,
Wickednefsmzf tOdikQSi riizn unfit td be employed in the
State ; hut is it not prop hank to ma-fce the blclTed Sacra-
ment,a Political or Qualification," .10/e> a Man into
Money ■jmd APtmmcm'ibixt we cannot-chiis fefve fwo-Malter^
(■Gotiznd Mammon..j ' ^ ' ■. .u. ^ .fi 'fi'
BefideSjIdenyythat this Ttfi'gfthe Sacranienf dU an^ gdod'at
any time, in keeping faanuth as '^ne Pdprlf out of i^y .Olficfc,
Ernployment or Preferment, either m ChurdPor State. • y '
And il this he true, then Mitred againft'•P(5/?eiy'is 'bilt''a
wherewith Hypocrifi'e, yrf/'/^rr'the ukly Ekc^an^ Defi^-
mitjSi^ Hatred and Malice'.D/'^mters, - (that h.zvQ ' not
fo wide a as'themfelves) -with Hiq pretence
formityz.nd.Zs^^ ../Eii
Gtherwife, why did this readhy, ahd^,the
Exclufian-BiII thrown out vvithouf a Cdnfer^nhq,'Vhit!i is not
,.ufual? There may be many goo-JtReafons, which I,vvUl not
mow inquire, in to. But wasit Loyalty and z Religiorts Jive,
';lo hurt no man in his Goods and Birthright upon the fihre'^f
I That's tmpojjiiile pfeVailefl ^\'im
tdi "thofe LorUs^nd Gentlemen that-ftodd'to t^idtr'- ''Arms and P'odkry
a: ..till the King vyas divefted of both, which are Plls Birth-
■i - Bight.norv / at this day>'as much, nay„ more.ihan at th tife
[ i,9i\t\-ie,'BxclufwmBidei'^('^Q^'Vto'maripBatfpdkt'btfl^ andfitpfi fi'
lycii -!g«»/.tiic dBxclnfioncBilh did na^
1^% othat the'tmd Parliawnt ''cannot difpoj^e ofi the Oown of
England; (for fear (I fupbfe) of thi^pyhalty'^
Pli/ liJhe Statute of Queen Eliaeskth to th^'phrpoie'' And h>
repeat
)
IPCC»
Se£l. II. ( i6 ) '
repeat the words of, that E^xceUznt Speaker'*\t\ thti' Honft
0:^ Commons 'y Ifthev^ were a hy en in thel^ohbyy fliall it be AW'
sliil A Q^trflion amongji PVi/cmen, iVhether it were better to
keep him anty (now hQA^ onCy) or to open the Door and ht iMp
him in, and then bind him ?
.• Soipe \yile men choje the and if; God had not'been §
miraculoully kind to us (tofhow hisGraceiand Finger) whcn 3S)
ibm? thought we ha4 neglected thc°means, if the Lion had
_y^qp^d. a Ka,mpani hipn, or had had aXion*s Heart, and the
Cruelty of a bion, there might have been Scratching IV ork • jjohppr
and Thputands had Ce?§r, this) followed thofe (otherwife) atogetter
'Incomparable Patriots^ EJfex, Ruffel, Sidney, m6 C(}rnilh,^c. dtheir
for who has not had a Hand npon his Hilt,to Fight the King's
Guards, ('his Irijh Souldiers) when the word was, They i« 'kMt
a coming P VVhofsas the Lord Ruffel was condemn'd for being c) has
..onlj-in the Ropmj whcTQ there was fome difcourfe of Surpri- unuti
:2ing the Kings;,Guards. But we mnft leave thefe things to stkii
. him'tliat jadg^eth Righteoujly; The Iniquity of the Amoritts .^ijheec
was irot then full ; Popery'. \vas not drunk enough with r^inq
Blood- The Pa^ifts have for.a hundred years laft paft, been i juj
,.kept Qut. of .the: Government,: and have been Exluded all -.yo^
. QfBgeV Ecclefiaifical, Civil a.rid. Military, by^ Ancient
" Honejl Tef, (namely, in Renouncing the Pope and all hU
• "'£w7 by me Oath of Supremacy,our prefent^.j^
- King .(King by hi;S l^ifpe^fifig Pw.eK'vacated,in
'jthe nidf place,being a,.and fufficienr Bar
and' Bulwark fa,keep out Popery in the four laftiprccedrng
Reigns. It is alfp true,, that as left itoftone unturnHth^t j
iay'in fliev/ay of bringiug inpopery^fo h/ewatneceffitattd thefe-'^j^
Tofe^^alfp; to lj;t a£dey^nd'difpeMce TTe/Zy whteh '
grievous^ Penalties^pott
■ fure in, without'taklngM i But, thew.had all b^^ktvt ouito .
'this day, and were kept out nn hundred years and touU
>5?er thereforehis Dilpinfung Power, until h&ief therfe in 1
,
(two
'■if ofTep: (ir) Sea.n.
(two years before) by Difpenfing with the Oath of Supremn'
- tyy A Teft, that perhaps had been ftiU fhu^hffufficient, if
this Teft had not jumpt right with fome men's Malice, that
hated Freteftant Dijfemrs as much, if not more than Pa-
fijls.
Indeed I grant, That the King by that Gracious Indul-
gence, gain'd the Diflenters, and thereby loH the Love of
High-Church-men^ who were as quiet and gentle as Lambs,
and Loyal as Heart could wi/h, when he difpenc^d with that
" great and approved Teft^ xhtOath of Supremacy, (for two long
tfe years together) whilft he permitted them, and maintained
them and their Penal Laws againft Di (Tenters.
But when he put out his Declaration for Liberty of ConfcL
TIk ence, (the Magna Charta that God (the only Kdng of Con-
Ifotis fciences) has given to all Mankind) would fome Men (b
ot k much as read the Indulgence, which His Majefty (the beB AB
tfc that ever he did in his Life) both in Piety, (and Policy too;
eJi for it has been the Life of Trade in Holland^ and the Penal
log!: Laws (or Inquifition,) their Dispeopling, and Dcftrudion
pilii of Trade and Riches in Flanders as God's Deputy Re-in-
-forc'd and OrdairPd ? No, no 1 Though exprefly enjoyn'd in
atJ« the Kubrick ofthQCowmon-Prayer-Books : What Combina-
mJ) tion? What Bandying agamK it ? And perhaps for good
orps Reafons: But have they fcrupled to read ( and make Pray-
im ers for)worfe things (that I fay not) Impoftures? Or, was it
icieiit: becaufe it was Evil, as to the Matter ? None had the Face to
prfcfl lay fo: But, Evil as to the Form of Difyenfing, bccaufe not
done in Form of Law, namely, not Repealed by the famePow-
er that Enabled it ; which Reafbn,' perhaps is a good Reafon,
but how could it be more a Reafon now in this Cafe, then it
fiiis was when he with the Oath of Supremacy ? Which
was as mtiih again (I Law as this Difpenfation ; and yet,
whilft he maintained the Church of England to Projecute
tb ^^S'^nters with their Excommunications, Capias's, Fines
(if D and
*
sea.n. (18) ''icv!
iind Imprifonments; they were and Serene^ and as
loyal as could he, Preaching up Pajfive Ohedience , ( Prayers
and Tears^ as the only id^eajfons of a Chriftian, Groaning
under the Gppreffion of Sujterwurs^ all the long time
tliac tiiey were upfermofl^ and felt no idmtirt.
The Patriarch of Conjiantinople is as great an Enemy to ^ JiiiTiw
Popery, as any Prelate or Lay-man amongft usj yet he
holds more ridiculous and unaccountable Errors than the Pa- Jf
pifts, and enflaves the poor Greeks as tyrannically, as the ..jtierO
does enflave his Italian Papifts ? What are the poor
Greeks the better for this Bulrvark againft the Pope and Po- \y
pery ? "I he Patriarch fcornes PopPs Tce^ and to
be lenant at will to the Pope, or to hold his Patriarchate
him, or under and Preaches and Writes againft Popijh .j^yg
Errorbut holds the poor Greeks to as had Errors: And is
not the Pope on the other fide the Water, as Fierce, Dogmatu
(cal , and Pragmatical a Bigot, in forcing the poor Greeks to
believe as he believes, and to bs as Vniformahle and Confer*
mable to his TrMr/'frr add Ceremonies, as the Pope (^vith,^| ,
h\s InqjEJit ion) in Itaf ? What good does get h/"^^
X BulwarkPopery, when Pope and Popery cannot
poffibly make r/?e/r Condttion much worfe then it is ? A true
Xhrijlian ProteHant Ihould proreft againlf, and abominate
Popery of the New, as well as of xh^ 'Old Edition ; and fliould
keep clofe to the Apoftolical and Primitive Rule of Charity, ft
in cafe of Nonconformity. ' . '
There were Dijjenters-xn i\\e. Church of Philippi, {as rtw ^
amongftusj fb manyM-^, lb many different fo many
Men,Co many different Featuresfip^vhaps in doubtful Matters of
Fftith ; and feme had better Eyes-and Brains, Hearts and f'
Legs, than others ; and therefore had different Apprehenfi-
ons, Opinions and Attainments : Now, What fjall be done in
this Cafcy was the Qiieffion ? All pref forward towards the
M^kM the Prize of ihtiHigh-Calling of God in-Chrifi fefm :
Phil.
{if Tests, ( 19 ; Sea, .II.
Phil. 5- '4' iovciQ behifidj as is ufual in a .Riice%
(to whiclvhe Apoftle alndes Vir. *3 ) Now the Quertion
is, What fhould be done tvith th{je that bthifsdy and
cannot csme up fo near the Mark as tve? Burn them, Confum.e
them with Fire from Heaven or Earth, ffays zealous James
and John) and the Papifks', Or, fhali we fpur them up with
Ventil Laws,, or Excommunicate them, and then Goal them ?
Ko', 1e know not what manner of Spirit je are of, faith Chrift :
And St. Paul in the 15th verfe of that ^d Chapter of the Phi'
lippiansIf any Man he otherwife minded, (or be a Diflenter,
of another Opinion, ihen make ufe, of what Remedy ? Of
your Wrath? Your Paffion ? Your Penal Laws and Ycf/y?
No, no; wait God's Leifure; make ufe of your Charity,
rather than Wrath ; of your Patience, rather than Paffion ;
leave him to the Kjng, to whom alone Confcience belongs ;
for if any man be a Nonconfonnilf or otherwife minded)
Qcdjhail Reveal even this unto him : He did not bid them(dp,
as feme fpiritual Watchmen now do,) call the Corporal, call
• the Conflable.
So that Antichrijlian weapons and ChrisPs weapons
are vaftly different, quite of another Shape, Form, and Fa-
ffiion, and made of c[mtQ contrary Stuff and Matter.
Chrift and his Holy Apoftles converted the World, not
with Earthly, Carnal, and Political TeUs and Penal Laws ;
and atQ we Wiftr than ihty ? Did they borrow any of the
Magijlrates Weapons, or Weapons (like Mahomet) from the
Arms of Fleffi ? ^0, th^y avQpunly Spiritual, Heavenly and
Divine.
God did forbid (in the Old Law') the wearing of Lindfey'
Wolfy ; or the yoaking of an Ox and an Afs together, not with-
out a Myflery : Almighty God and^Chriff (under the Gofpel
efpecially) hating theChaos of mingling Heaven and Earth tc-
jumbling carnal and fjoiritual Tools in Hodge-podge t,
they will not mingle well, they cannpt poffibfy Incorporate,
nor carry on one main End, and one ontly Defgn.
^ D 2 .For.,
Seft.a.' (20) OfTefis^
For, if ye have hitter "Envying And Strife in your Hearts (ftri-
ving with carnal Tools, carnal VVeapons, carnanLaws, and
carnal Tefts,) this VVifdom not from above, but
is (tctch'd from Hell, and is ihereiore) Earthly, Senfual, De^
vili/h.
But the Wifdom that is from above, is frsl pure^ ( fo fhould
the Holy Sacraments be pure, andunmix'd with carnal Po-
lices) then Peaceable, Gentle, and eafie to be intreated. See.
(^binding men to the Peace and good Behaviour, not permit-
ting them tofticklc with carnal VVeapons againft Men of
di^erent Opinions m matters of meer Religion) but comman-
dihg us, ifpoffible, and an much as Iteth in us, to live peaceably
with all men; Purely it is poflible, nay eafie in this Cafe, moffc
eafie.
AIR Yes; if they be Men, our Brethren fa.s being Sens of
^dam) not of our Religion, nor of our fize and pitch,
nor of our Features and Complexion , though of different Re-
ligion, or of no Religion, yet they are Men ; fand where God
makes no Exception, how dare we make Exceptions ? ) Since
we are obliged to have a Charity as Vniverjal as Mankind,
and to live peaceably with all men ?
If this be Gofpel, what becomes of our Tefts and Penal
Laws ? All our Lawyers are agreed, that all Statutes are Null
and /pfofalfo, void in themjelves, if they be contrary to the
Laws of God, and Laws of Nature, or Right Reafon.
And this prefent Teji (though Enadfed by ten thoufand
Parliaments,/ is never the more juftifiable, becaufe it is a/r<7-
fhane Temptation even to Confortnifts, ijometimesf) and to
Konconformifts at all times, to take their choice, ('chufethem
whether,) either to Barve here, or (at leaft) be kept out of their
Birth-rights as men and Chrifiians ; or elfe> to Eat and Drink
it unmeetly, to the Holy End, Defign; and Inftitution of
that blefled Sacrament; ^which was not Political, Carnal,
and Worldly, but Pure, Spiritual-, Heavenly and Divine; and
therefore to Eat and Drink, for a Polttical JeB, and State-
Policy
m,
hV
U"
ofiep: (it") SeS. n.
Policy, is to Eat and Drink it Dnworthily and Vnmeetly ; and
therefore Men fo Eating and Drinking ity Eat and Drink their
orvn Damnation. Away with it for Shame ! Let it not be fucll
A Scandal to our Holy ProteBant Religion,
iilfe
iniE
nm
dpitti
jsft
')&
ilk
idfti
ikH
toii
louii
sa/»
afldii
etiifl
(/to
Drill',
'on of
iriidi
■aoi
SECT. III.
Of Penal Laws in Matters of meer Religion.
MAny people cry up the Church of England^ and drink
healths to the Profperity of the Church of England!
And yet neither know rvhat makes a true Church of Chrift,
nor who are this fame thing ( of fome mens making or mar-
ring) Qd\h^\ the Church.
What conftitutes a true Church but true DoBrine, and true
Si'ramsnts, according to plain Scriptures? The Dijciplimis
left to dilcretion. For, I fuppofe we are all agreed, that
this or that form of Church Government,is not Jure Divino.
l^ing Charles I. (^a. gresit Epifcopal-man) yet denied that Bi-
jho^s ( as Tve have them ) are fure Divino^ (other than as
Pfiefts, or Presbyters and Bijhops, are one and the fame thing,
and undiftinguifbed in many places of Scripture ; but yet that
wife King held th!e,m,nottohecontrajHS Divinumy not contrary
to Gods Law, that is (I fuppofe) when they feed the Flocks,
not Lording it over God's Heritage, as if they had Dominic
on over our Faith ( which even the Apoflles renounc'd ) im-
poling what they believe, and their attainments, upon us to
believe, whether we can or no, or elfe Anathematize, Goal,
and Imprifbn them, and let them lye there till they ftarve
and dye : What comfort is it with [o much firugling to keep
out an Italian Bijhop, Romifh cruelty. Fire and Faggot(that
foon difpatches men out of their pain,) and flill to keep
fomething like it: Nay, a worfe, if to lye in Prifon (after Ex-
communication) and there to ftarve and dye a lingringdeath,
(like
Sea. III. ( 22 ) of Penal Laws-
(like Crucifixion) feeling a thoufand deaths, he and his Fa- ftsilL
inily ; and all thisfornot paying the Regiller, or taking the
Church-wardens Oath, or the Holy Sacrament at Eafler ;
neither of which the perlbns durfi: do for feac of Damnati- id al
on: Then take your choice, Death or Damnation,a lingring
Death, Crucifying them, and making them and their poor
"■ ;■ feel many deaths; And is this amendment ? I hope
i'kpi
dlitk
dsAiit
:Aps
-kit]'
.:G!iurc
.'ibdj
Families'feel many deaths; And is this amendment? I hope
our Bifhops will now recant thefe violent and carnal wea- q
pons, fince leveral of them have done it already, promifing
to be willing to co^ie to a temper ( in their Petition to the
King And thereby confeffing that they had been too hot
and diftempered before; and yet even^ at this day I am afraid,
that feme men are only againft Carnal Weapons^ Prophane'
Tejls and Penal Laws ; not becaufe they like them not^ but
becaule they fee they cannot hold them ; the Genius of the
Nation being univerfally .againft fuch a Wild-fire Church.
St. Paul, defied all carnal Weapons in his Spiritual War-
fare: The Weapons of our Warfare art not Carnal hut Spirt-
tual.
Indeed he flood np floutly in defence of the Privilcdge of f
his B/rth-Righty when that was invaded by Arbitrary
vernment, Tyranny and Oppreflion; and therefore, for Re-
niedy, St. Parti fent for an honeft General and his .Army^ to
come to his ReKue ; and his Excellency, Claudius Ljcias
fafter St. Paul had given him to underftand that he was a Ro-
and wrong'd of his Birth-right) came with an Army and
delivered him out of the hands of his OpprefTors, having
derftood the matter of wrong. Ahl.2'^, 27. Alii. 22.20).
Then goodnight, Church of England.^ if the Jaylor do not''-])
help it, will fome lay ; and fo fay I, goodnight! And hap-'y
pinefs to her and long life ; for the Gates of Hell (^fIadou,ofthe '^
Grave) (hall never|prevail againft the true Church ; that is,
the Church fhall never have a Grave^ it fhall never dye., but
to the Worlds end, there fliall be feme always that believe in, V
and confcfs the Lord Jtfus, Son of the living God.
Ths'^'i
"lit
0fPef74l Laws, ( 23 ) Seel. III.
The Do£lrineofthe Church Unglanii (which is ConfirmM
by AO: of Parliament) is contained in the Comman Prayer^
Book, and alfb in the 39 Artilles, and in i\\Q Hoinilies that are
fet out, or fliail be fet out by Authority.
This Lift is a deep one. He mull have a wide Svillow that has
an implicit Faith, and believes as the Church believes ; when
that fame Church in whom he doth believe, con/ejfetjj the
truth, namely, that Poe may Err, or teach what is not truth ?
Now would I in all Humility and Modefty put thisfober J^ery,
Q^^ery i. How can a Man fubfcribe to theDoSlrinein Homilies
be put out (except fie havea Popifh Implicit Faith,to
believe as the Church believes) before he knows what Doflrinal
Homilies Authority will put forth ? And fuch Authority that
has perhaps ErAd in Doflrinal points alri^ady put forth
by Authority, or by their-own Confeflion, may Err, as well
as the CHiurch ot Rome, Antioch, Jeru/alem^ frc. that have
Err'd already, as the 39 Articles ingenioufly and modeflly
confefs ?
Query 2. It is worth a modell: Inquiry, and now mojl fea-
to Inquire (nowlfiy, when things are come to a full
hop, and in the faireh and molT probable way to fettle upon
•A Foundation) Is it now high mode lily to Inquire,
who is the Judge of matters of Faith, which all Chriflian
Proteftants ( a new Name only for the old ApoBolical and
Primitive Chriflian) ought to obey in pain the fayle here,
and Damnation hereafter, if he perfif in his Dif nt and Non-
conformity thereunto ; though fame Bigots call it a wicked
Error,*
This is a fawcy Q^iehlon, will feme uiy : But (T Anfwer)
'that he that fays fo, is an ImpuL nt Bl fphemer againp the holy
' Chojl: whom, I only Eccho, for the holy Ghoft, by the
holy Apoftle (St. Paul^ puts this very Queflion, Rom. 14. 4.
Who art thou that Judgef another Man*s Servant ? To his own
Milter he fandeth or falleth : Tea, he poad be holden up, for Gdd
K-able to make hintpand.
Then
Sea. in. (24) " OfPemlUm^
Then from that 4th Verfe, the Apoftle proceeds to ftate
'vikdgtd, l^ings^ exempt/rfw humnne Pttnijhmenty J/idgment^
for their Opinions finally to God only, Rom. 14.
11/
m
fome ca/is, wherein Chriftians werew? Uniform, neither^ med
Jmpofitions, Correction, or Condemnation, as being acconntahle !-
ed to be Uniform, as being therein a Royal Prjetlhood^and PrU
!•';
Whence he Concludes with this Apofiolical Canon (that to
all intents and purpofes, repeals, makes void, and difanulls
alt humane Qanons, Impofitions or Afts of Uniformity in mat*
ters of Faith, or in Impofing their own Attainments and Creeds
upon ali others) faying, Let m not therefore Judge one ano'
ther any more, hut judge rather that no man put a Stumbling-'
Block (Scandal) or occafion to fall in his Brothers way.
R'^m.it^. I. But let the«S'/rf»^ hear the Infirmities of the Weakf
and not pleafe themfelves', with their own Bigoted Notions,lay-
ing.heavy burdens, and grievous to be.born,which they them,
felves (in their Sins of Commiffion without Rule, Wilful!,
Idle and unaccountable Ceremonies) will not touch with one
of their Fingers: But is there any Confcience that the Weak
fhould hear the Infirmities of the flrong ? In Defiance and Ran-
counter to that faid Text, 15. i.
From all which Premifes does it not and may,
we not Conclude.
Conclufion I. God is the only KJng of Confciences,
as King CVi'rfr/ej I. of Pious Memory concludes, faying. Who
am I, (^Eik.BaJil.j that I fhould Invade God^s Throne, ih^ only
Kjng of Confciences ?
Wherefore did Lucifer become a Devil? He afpir'd to
God's Throne, and would belike him.
Wherefore is that Wicked Wretch (in 2 2.) that
mujl and /had fall) called the Man of Sin ? But becauie he at-
tempts God^s Throne^ fitting in the Temple of God, impofing
his own Faith, Opinions, Creeds and' Canons, (tail'd with
a Fire-brand, an Anathema, a Curie) againft all Noncon-
formifts, when he himfelf alfo is the greatefi Nonconformift ;
but
D/ Penal Lam. ( 25 ) Se£t. HI.
fitoli! but keep moft unjuftly and unfufFerably, hoih falft Weights,
itfeii and falfe Meafuresy one to buy by,and another to ftliby.SiS fliall
,dfr, be fhewn unanfwerabjy by and by.
3«(|« May we not therefore without any the leafi Sufpition of
ictMim Siivcinefs put this fober Queftion again, Who art than that
judgef another Man^s Servant? What is thy Name? Is k
Luctfer ? Is'iX. Antichrifl or Man of Sin? ]%that thy Name?
idfe 7/;a«that like another God, fitteft there Domineering over
lit)'in a .Men's Lording it over God's-Heritage ; God''s Dowi-
iandCt: nion^^ho is the onlyKjirdiagnofioSyOrSt^vcbett 0^ HeartsSc Con-
dpMi fciences, where thou canft take no Cognizance,if thou wouldft
sStsdj judge ? . ^
• Who art thou, I fay ? Art thou a Godj commanding the
id/ffclfi, Waves, and faying, Hitherto jhtlt thou go, and no further, and
NotioDi^ Waves be flay'^d ? Art thou the Hercules^'
litkftit fPillars, or Hercules with his Club ? Art thou the Ne Plus ultra.
imhiih In Nomine Domini, What art thou ? And where is thy
atthelfi Cemmiffon, thy Authority? And who gave.thee thisAutho-
Keaof. rity ^0 Things ?
OurbielTed Saviour commandsus to call no Man Father,
y j|](j no Man Masler upon Earth ; that is, nor implicicely jurare
' in Verba MagiHri, to believe jufl: as cur Mailers, ( our Fa-
Conti® ) believe, becaufe Faith is not the Gift of a Synod, of
a Convocation, of a Council, but is the Gift of God : And
i( tiis' was there Peace in the Chriflian Church, fince Coun-
' cils, and Synods, and Bifbopi, and Parliaments and Kjngs took
[jjfpiri' them to make AAs of Vnf rmity, of Faith
and Creeds,yCurfihg and rmprironing,and fbmetimes Burn- .
Ajtl! 'Ag Starving all Gain-faycrs ; but by rvk^-r Com million ?
Is not this as irrational as" that and Decree of the
' E'ryptian Priells, commanding all men on Pain of Fine and
ly^jll Imprifonment, to Believe that their two Gcds ( Ifis and Ofy- ■
'Is'o# never had be(n Men^ when all the Counrrey knew to
for# contrary ?• And fome of them well remembrcd them,
' ft: E and
Se£l. in. ( 2<5 ; of Peml Laws^ •■fmUt
a.nd hid Eat and Drank with them? Moft Excellent Bigo- a lord I
tiiiii ! ■iidssgo
1 he firfl. general Council of Nue had fliamefuily err'd ismni
but for PaphnutiHs, -.i poor Dilfenter, a One-ey'd Man that -frctfc'
faw more than they all, ^nd fet them to rights ; and brought 000,^0
all the Biifhops to a better Sight and Underftanding, ju^if [)g
lL\\c,greattJl General Council that ever w as in the Chrihian dj'Pwj
World, was call'd and convocated at Arimimtm ; feven hun-
dred and odd Bifhops, twice as many Laumjlufes as was at tjuiisi
Conitantint^s first great Council'. And they all unanimoiifly
concluded agamB the Divinity of the fecond Ferlon of the -(cjjjp
Holy Trinity i Goodly Sleeves for a Man to pin his. Eaith
npon ! ^
Athanafius that was fuch a Stickler with his Creed^ (that
now bears his Name in the Common-Piayer-Book ) Btgi/i' jjJ
ing and Ending with an Anathema, to all that do not b'e-
ViQVQ jufl as he does; what got he by this Dogmatical Impo-
fition of his Faith xi^on all other Chriflians? A Nick-name, Iqi
the Age he liv'd in (very ungratefully feme lay) called y
him Sathanafius. '
Is it not enough for us to believe as our blelTud Sa^'iour ...1 1'
fays, that his Father is greater than he., and yet that he is one .1
with his F.ather,God in Chrift,and Chriftin God, and Chrift '
in Believers, that they alio may be one with both? .»
But where do we read in Scripture, that Ciirift is God of
God, very God of very God ? What language is this ? The Fa-
ther Vncreate, the Son Vmreate, the Holy Ghoft Vncreate,
and yet they are not Ihree Vncreate, but One Vncreate; We A''®
are not Arrians, but furely the Holy Ghoft in Scripture, has Jr'*
found Efficient Words, and the Holy Scripture and Apoftles
Creed, is i/ufficient Rule of Faith; and furely ^isfufficientff^
to carry a man to Heaven three hundred years before Atha' ''^H
Tiafms was born, and three hundred years before the Nictne
and Conflantinopolitan-Creed was invented ; and 1400 years
i^efore that Fackt Convention at Trent, patch'd up with No-
" , - mind'^^'
of Penal L4)VS. (27) Se(^. III.
minal Lord Bifhops, that were Shepherds without a Flock,
.. yet had as good a Vote as the beft : Is it not fad that men
mufi Jlarve and die^ becaufethey obey not fuch frothy Men
' (like Froth and Scum) becaufe upptrmofl ? Is it not a La-
mentation, and flaall be for a Lament ation^ that all ClirifLan
Men mufl: be forPd to fee with other men^s Eyes, and to be-
^iL.^ 'lieve by Proxyj and obey Blindfold, and alfo fwallow (like
' Crammed Capons) all that is put down their Throats ?
Is not this M«6i3/??ef-like, who carried his Bible (his Al-
coran) in Hand, and \\\s Sword mihQ other, faying, if
rkn oil jhe fiypj; ?
' We are all as good Church-of-England-Men as the upper-
moft Me;?, we hope ; Is it not enough for us ( Church-of-
M Etighnd-M^n )■ to be Humble Seekers, and confefs, with the
^k) i: Articles, that we may err ; and cgnlequerifly, it is unac-
idoffi countable to impofe our Errors on others, and then back our
jiiicaU Errors with Penal Laws', or to impofe Creeds mother Words
Lliti' than the Holy Ghofts Words, Scripture Words, which if
la)) i- Ambiguoiss, let us leave men to their own Mafer to fland or
fall; to their own Judgments to Confent or DiJJent, and
never make thefe Impofitions of Creeds an occafion of Scan-
dai, or a Stumbling-Block in o\iv Brothers way, to make him
fall,
I Will men flill urge an A^ of Vniformity, which tbey
•ill is ft themfelves keep not •, made by a King, that this prefent King
IS?Ik has publiflned ( whatfoever he was in his Life) a Papifl at
his Death, md made by a Parliament, diftinguiflied by (a
Name Eternally Infamous) the Penfwners Parliament, from
the multitude of that fold their, and their King and
Countreys Confciences, betray'd their Maftcr by cheating
His Exchequer, going Snips with him in his Revenue, and
idrc■ like An$bc-Dexter-La vyers, took Fees on both fides, took Mo-
J ney of the Countrey to be faithful to their Intereft, and then
qq f rook'd or robb'd the Exchequer, to betray the Cpuntrey that en-
yitli k trufted them ? O abominable Perfidy 1 Hever to be for-
.01' E 2 gotten
Sea. nr. (eS ) 'Zt.
gotten nor forgiven, till a Brand be fet upon them to mark
them out to all Pollerity, for an Example ol Treachery ; and
till they truly repent, which cannot be without Refittution, ijlcoie
Shall a fellow be IiaugM for taking a Purft of tive Pounds ,<yiKsi
value by the H':gh-'\>'ay P And fhall they go VnpuniffPd, thai
do not only betray their TrniK but rob the Kjng and the
■ Conn'rey tooy. Learned Lawyers have found Treafou in it.
IF they had not been Purified by the Honfe of Peersy and
\vc\[ Poized by tJie honeft Patriots in the Houfeof Commons,
what miichief might ihey not have done ?
Sometirnes "Ut read of the Church of PhUiPfi, Epbejtis^ Gtlatia, Thejfalonia, &c.
There a'Nv-'ffK-i/. 'here a City-Church, and I'ometiines we read of the Church tn thi 'jtow
flyufe ; t'ilHr.te Church-es, bcxh the greater the lejjer. So that the 'C^wrc/i 6/ 'yf.Ji
England, are all the Faithful QirifUani in England, and ought not to be ZJn-ChurcFd, Mj
though they d:_fer in fmalier GeremoKiei or-greater Matters;, for in the Church cf . t
Cbrmth, feme denied the greateft Fundamental itrDtvinity; i Cor. 12,1?, 14.15. J".
tfithout-which .all VreacKing, Praying; Saoatncnts, CS'c. are Null, Void, and of no tef-
Effedl;, ■s.-y., Jlie I{ifu\reFiioji of. the Dead ; iud yet they, were in the Church, and no
Apoftolical Decree.to Excorrimuricate them, or Cdd them out. "-0?;-
How UrViftifiable then \% \t to Exocmmumcate a Believer, becaufe fce Refulei to .iioa
Take the Ckurch-Wdrdens.Oath or Sacrament ; or, for«ef Conforming to fomeliB-
pcfit'O'.t-of TriviaiConcern .■=
Are net they thit thus Ettcominunicate, the SchiJmxtickjy by laying a Scandal\n
their Brothers way,, to ir.akcMmfatl, Rorjuy. 13. and then by anUnchriftian
to ImprUbn hiiD,. til his Putfe. help him out. 1
And a Proteftantf Alhfluiicn fatter all) col!i Ten times more Money, then h de-
mancied by tiie Pcp'fh-Priefts, in^ their Authentkk and Printed Table of -Fees, fir
Adultery or Inceft, &c. ' ' '
So tk.1t what F.aje ts it to-a Proteftant that lies ftarving in a Goal («fter he aJi IW
ftdod Excommunicated 40 days) that it is-nnt the Common Enemj has undone him,
hilt a Protejlant-Fikml-P Not theCilbop cf I{9me, but one at heme ; If nay Purfe,
my Liberty,.or my Goods be.taken fmm-me, 'tis a Cold Comfort to cafe my Heart v ^
with this Melancholy Contemplation, that my Co'untry-m.in, a ProtePant did it, and not
an Imhan Prieft; or, to clcape the fitmifo-Fire and Faggot, or Bloody Mifficrts, p.
(that fbon puts us out of Pain) and yet be Gruciiied alive in a Jayle, a Man and bit
Bpufel Never do iwe read in Holy Sc-vipture of a Conv.xaeiin of Ciergy-men, that /)'
took upon themfclves an Aatthority to make Canom-, and lay Impofitions upon the
Layity, (no. not when even all the Chief Apojlles were met in Synod, (it that only Sy-
nod that holy Scriptpiie .'peaks.of) ilferujalem) without the conlent of the Lay-Bso-
then: ASis 15.-23. . yf
A-nd Citn (there) were not-an-compar.j^of Jmpofifions ^id Cawfr;
Ncr fo much as tint Impofition .of- Creeds -to b& believed : Nor any one Anathema,
OK Curfe, or Penal-Law-denounced againft D.ffenieis. Yet they had the pre fence ci
XWiInfaSibtc SpcritofTrBtf), (vyhi-ch tftc Ch.ucfih of EnglandAtxi no: in thu 'ieafi pie- 'f
'' T' iftJ :
-Jt
Of Peru! Lars. (29-) Se^. III.
tend to) and even then a'Co enjoyned only a/etc neeeffAry things. AP.y 1^. 28.
And if either Church of I^nne, or Church of En£i.md iiad not a Bigoted and Prtef!-
ridden Arm of Fleftt, wherewith to Fight Non-conformity ; ar^dwon^d be content with
fiich Weapons as Chrifl and hij holy Apoftlei thought fufficient; they might Anatha-
niize, and Curfe, till their Hearts fhould ake, Before any Wife and Rational Chriftiau
vvoii'd believe as they believe, only becaufe they believed it : Who gave them Domi-
nion over our Faith and Cdnfciencei ? VJbat Authority have they to it over Gods
Heritage, fthe La>it.y There, i Pet. 5. 3. called Gods C'crgyJ cTpecially fince, as
fnill be fhown hereafter, they have Eired already, both in DoHrine and Difctphne.
That late Doffthe .of Pcffive Obedience they notv Smile at, and Tome of them, loge-
ther with all EngHfo Proteflants, have AHuab'y P^canted, Repented of, and For'aken ;
or elfe we had (in'd agair.ft the great Latp of Nature, Self-Prefervation ; M'lft we
Pray againjl Arbitrary GDvernment and Opprcffion, and not life the means ? May
we not pay men in their own Coyn, and ^ftie them the) bring} May we not
repell virn vt r Force with Forte ?
This Dovflrine of PaJJive Obedience is poynt-blanck againft the 39 Articles of the
Church <>f England, which Curfes aS that dare's deny, That it is Lawful to ferve in
th: Wars ? And if any War be Lawful, a Dtfenfive War ('in defending Ours, or
our Neighbours L*ves, Houfes Goods, or Righ'^s, as Men and Chriftiars) is (by all
arreed to he) tbt mofl Lawful"^av, becaufe it is oi ab(o\ntenectfftty. For what has
God a.ad Nature furnifhtd Afen with Eyes, and Couragious Hearts, and ftrong Arms ?
To keep cur Arms in our Pockets till our Throats be Cut ? We beg your Pardon,
Mr. Pajfivs Obedience \ Or it joa will not give ui Pardon, felt it to ui, as you do
other Abfolutions.
S £ C T. I v.
Of the Necefflty of Changing, and Recanting cur Oft-
nions in Religion.
IF any man (Pope or Mahomet) fay he k.is no Sin, he is a Liar, and the
Truth is nn. in him-, ('faith St. John) Then how is it pofTible fci'a Man to
ga to Heaven, except he pecant and p pen:; for Heaven is ■ fill'd with l erglonfitd
Saints, except P^canters.
No Book in the World is Faultlt/s and Infaiiib'e excrpt the HaA Pikle) for ei-
tbcr Mattir or Mannered Exprefrion,,^or du; Taming the thing; or fome o;/rrr
Cntimdance ; it has fome Errors or F.rults in if.
. And if this he true, then every Author that writes a Bdokv ougJst to Pycant the
,,fame,if he be a true Qiriftian; I mean, the Arruri crimmitted therein ; for I never
heard of any Ctiriftian Man (ai yetj that ever wst fo tike the Father of Lies, as to
.deflre that anv Body would Pgcant the Truth's contained in his Ways Books, or
.Wo.ks; The Truth will[h ft for its feH ('in fpight of all Oppofidot.). .it lon^ run ;
bat the Errowrs (iM" which no Man nor Book is free) ought to be Pec ntted; and pu!>
T'.Okly too, (if:eq airedj yea, as puuirckly-as the B-joks that have been Puhhck;, .
St.
Se£l:. 4- ' ) Ncceffity of Recanting.
Sf. Aitgttfiinehii zhrgc Recantation^ and a Heavenlj one, in Print, called, Ha
Book} of Coi. feJJiunj ; fo the Learned and Excellent and a Man (worth them
a'ij St. P.tul, Confeinng and Recanting hii Perfecuting Spirit.
It is not tn any Mortal Mans Potver, to be free from Sin or Error-j Homo film
I himanum a me nihil ah^nmn f mo, at Hnmanum eji Errarc^ wai an old and
ton true a Proverb; If we be Mortals, we are fubjeA to Err; and then if ipe he
Chr ftiarts, or hojie for Mercy, we ninft Recant : For though we may Err, (the
Frail y of our Vndcrflandtrgs) \et we need not be guilty of Herefie or Objltnacy
in Error, (the fault of our IVtils.)
Thui the Church of England makea u» all Recant publicklj in the Church twice
a Day, in fober fadnefs, if we do not Diflemble, faying, J^e have left undone thoje
things which we ought to have done ; and tee have done thofe things which we ought
not to have done ; and there is no Health in us.
The molt Learned and Elaborate Authors in our Age need no other Confutation
of their humane Frailties and Errors, than thcwo'NnContr.idicling-Uook: ; 'tis pretty
to ihow, (if it tvere worth the while) how the Dean gives tl;e V.nfon the Lie ; and
the Arch-Deacon, the Bi/hop; and how defperately they Jiabb themjelves, and are
Pelones de fe, (in fome fence;) if n Lie deferves a flab, they need no other Dag-
ger than their own, which is enough to abate r/ae Huffing Pride of the grea'elt S.ho.'-
Ian, and Nobiffi Soa'ramongft us, as well as to Morttfis the Bigot, that isfo full', and
pitffi't up with his prefent Notion.
Nay, Parramenti, Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Houfe of Coinrnonj, have
Becaated, pub'ickly bewailing,'begging Pardon, and asking forg vcnels of the Popes
Nuntio (Cardinal Pool) otvbeaded Knees; ( when frighted with the Apprehenfiors
of Qiieen M tries Smithfield-Fires) and which is worftotal!, did for tear alfo i^c-
cant God's Truth ; at leaft, they Recanted what the Lords Spiritual and Temporal,
and Houfe of Com uons had about fix years before, by Statute-Law, Declared to be
Gods Truth; 2_& 5 E1 w. 6. c. r. and made by the Aid of the Holy Ghofi; (iarely
you'll fay then, that miift be the B;We which they recantedAnd fo one would
indeed; but it was z far Inferiour Bufinefi, ■»»;[. only ) the Common-Prayer-
Book, f'ytng. i» and 2. Phil and Mar. c. 8. Seeing by the goodnefs of God our
ovn Errors, have knowleJged the fame to the faidmoji Rgverend Fa:h:r, (Cardinal
Pool, the Popes Legate) Therefore, We the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and
Commons Ajfembled in this prefent Parliament, t{eprejenting the whole Body of the
Realm of EN GL AN lb,. &c. Do Declare our Jelvet very forry, and Repentant
( Poor Hearts!) of the Schifm and Difobedience, &c. againfi the See Apofioliek,
Sec. '
And all this Recantation, the Bifliops and Parliament, ( when the times turn'd )
Recant agaimhont fiycytzvi after, in i E!i:{. i. Refuming again thk fame Com-
mon-Prayer-Book, and fettiiig up a FTigl -Commtffiion-Court, &c. which was for
Cruelties and Opprefiioni, Condemn'dby (17 Car. i. 2.)
And when the King and Parliament were offended, becau/e Bifhops were too
hufe, or too mncb bnfied in Temporal Employmentsi Powers and Authorities; they
were Dijahled by (17 Car. i. 27,.) but made Capable again, by (13 Car. 2.2.
^hii. Van a:ion of the Compafs is here What Turnings and Windings, and Re-
turnings again f Then Facing about as you were ; (ofwhich I might give many hun-
dredi of Inftances) let this fuffice for England.
And
Ntceffity of KecdfJttng. (^i) Sefl. IV.
And if we crofi the Seas, and make a Pro^refi to l^pme to the InfaBtble Chair,
we fhali find that even that too, ftands as unfteady, or more ur.fiendy than any other ;
In proof whereof, I'll have no other Vouchers than Papifts ir'd Cardinals ^ and fir
Cleanlinefs f ke givebut a fmallTonch at the dirtv Work.
Was not the Bones of Pope Formofus digged up by thePo/t? his Succtffor, his De-
crees Hefcinded, and she poor Dead Pope thrown into Tiber for a F]ereticl{j not
worthy o'd Chrijlian Burial, dzc} Plattna, Tn adore. \.t)i. sodjchn 10.897. tells
us, Tnit Pope Theodore II. isiade Null and Void the Decrees of Bcmzniis. And
did not Pope John X. do as much for h ni I care net which was in thi Bjght j
it fiifiiceth my prelent purpofe to Ihew, That one of the Infallible Don's did Err,
and was Fallible.
And does not Cardinal Btronius (adan. 900) on this Score, cry out, Alas ! For
Shame and Sorrow, that fo many Monjlers (a horrible thing to fee) fhsuld mount
that Chair, which deferves ( Sir_) Ifverence of /ingels ?
■ Was not Pops Bennetl'K. made Pope at twelve years of A^, bv the means of
his Father the Marquefs of T«yc/4, and couklnot fo much as read Mais.'' And after-
Wivdt sk'U'd in nothing bat the Bi ich Art, by which the Letcher (" 31 Cardinal
Bsnno affirms,) enticed pretty Wenches into the Woods, and there Dc-baucli'd
them ; Well might Cardinal Barronius (ad An. 1033.) call him, The Saame of
the Rom:ih Church, Ecclefi^e Opprobrium.
Does not Lmtbrand f!ib. 2. c. 3.) tell us, That the Council of Lateran A\d De-
pofe Pope XIIFii'ft, for O.daining Deacons in -a Stable'. Secondly, For
making Boys (but ten years of Age) Btjhops. Thirdly, For Praying to the Devil to
help htm (when he was at Dice) to a luckjt Thro'tv. Fourthly, For m.iking his
Hciife (the Ltteran-Pahce) i Common Stews. Fifthly, For lying with Stephana,
his own Fathers Whore. Sixthly, For Drinking a Health to the Devil.
Does not Platina (Stlvsji. 2. An. 998.) tell us, That Pope SylveBer II. made
a Bargain with the Devil, to give him Body and Soul, upon two Conditions; Firft,
That the Devil would help him into the Infallible Chair r Secondly, That he
Ihou'd never die but in Hieru^aletn ; whither he was refolved never to comc. Tiie
ContratS: thus made, the Devil .helpt him fo the Popedom ; Ponttficattim, wd-
jurante Diabolo conjecutus-eft, hdc tamen lege, ut poft Mortem totus illiut ejfet.
But the Devil was as crafty as ijefuite, for he cheated, with an Equivocation, the
Pope himfelf, who Died horribly, (C. Malmssbur. 2. 10 J whiift he was Jd/ing
Mafs in I{pme, in the Church, called Jerufalem.
I might fill Volumns with thefe Inftances, to fhew that even Popes ought ta
change and Bycant, if ever they hope to be Saved', for there are no good Men
here on Earth, nor Glorified Saints in Heaven , except I{ecanters : Honeft Par-
liaments have Recanted, St. Peter,St.. Paul, S*. Augiifiins, Be:(a, and all Honejl Men,
have Recanted : And muft not all good Proteftants then comc into the Fafh'ou of
all good Men in Heaven and Earth ?
^ I
( 32 )
•ynl sfi
»i!fl (iff
""" C t^'
. ,' tOlf'^'
;^;li!llw
^ flBf: Nfff
;: Jaofil-f
0/ the Refirahit of the PRINTING-PRESS. ■
;S E CT.' V.
PRintirg, thorsgh reclion'd amongft the Ketr Inventions, is notv bcome an Old
Trade in London, and has begot one or. two more Trades; the Book-feller and ,
Stationer, which are all Incorporated into a Bedj-Pcliticl{^-, called. The Company of ,jji;|ier;o
Stationers ; no derpicable nor m^an Company (or Hall) in this fplendid City; one •.-jjtDtlhi
Stationer was enough for a City, before Prfnttng came up ; and of Book^feSers there
were none, but Scriveners. ''ttlijiai
But, now fhey are become the Numerous JJfiie of the Prefs; and enabled to make Tiki-
for the Regulating their Trade ; which \i their Lively-hood: AndtheQue- .
ition is, Whether it be reafonahle and lawful to hinder them of their Lively-hood, of
ihewTrade, under pretence of Publique-gocd, byfhittting up the Prefs, and flopping
theirTrrde, b_y excluding all that have not a PafTe, (and feme fay you may with as
much reafon Exclude all men from the Kjngs-High-Way, the Birth-right of every En-
g'ilk-man, or Itop their Mouths and flarve ihemj except they bring a Pajfe^ign'd by
Sir Roger, the Bifhops Chaplain* or the like; to Dermit them to Earn their Livings? '-iiiaii
There's an dti of Parliament for it, you'll fay; and for that Trick, Ifiy, I'll de-
(ermine nothing poficivdy againfl It.
Bat, Adli of Parliament are not like the Latps of the Medcs and Perfians, which '
c}nr\ot be alter'd. The Priefts told Heroifo/i/j that the Sun had cl>4«j"r/u'i j ,
cnurfe four times within the laft Preceding Eleven thoufand and odd years; an /Era,
as long before Adam, as fince. ^
But, if the iww chznse it's courfe/tfrw.vrm.v, and tbe Moon often times, and Par-
hameuts change their Adls fmetimes twice in Ten fears, as afore-faid; then fnrely
this AB for ^Jiritnt (f the Prefs ("without the L'cenfe of the Bifhops Chaplain ot
St Rprcr, Cfc.) is not immutable.
The Argummti to keep the Prefs-doors fhitt, center all in this, That a Liberty
thereof, tnthout the Pajs of a Liccnfe, n'ay prove pernicious ncc to private men,
but to the Pubiirjue, to the Church, to the St.str:
Libels mWfiy abiut to wound mens Reputations; and, which is a conficleratiolt of
greater weight, The Church and State may thus be fhot at, and wounded, and vet
Itatkli'
■ '.aot
■fc,
.rjf,
:o:6j;
■b,!
yd
iiue fli'ofing with fTiiife Powder, the Wound \i fek, but none knows whence xbz
^'rhis Inconvenience; but, if this be all, the Argument is fallacious : For, as
- I Trades thirsi that arc rare, dear and hard to come by, are tae readiejt Com-
■bAiiTr.lfo i» the bve, no Boot. fi nM:,, ,ho.re th« .r=
" 7'f\ 'bv Stealth at it were) and want Imprimaturs.
Tnli R Csraimby Ltctn'ers will not prevent Xbz flying Pamph.ets and Reputation-
Woundeu; we may well fay, it will not, bccaufe by Experience 'tis found tt never
But,
•.C5
'ain
twt
■1)
■'t
Reflrainl of the Pn^s. ( ) SqI\. V.
"But, \i the Bjf-Laip alreaJ)' m:7dehy the StattonfrsCcanp.jvyf were Eiiaifted by Par-
liament, with fome adiitinrts^ all the Inconventercio o;the PreJj frotn
Printing the be[i Becks, ('bccauCe it i» peihapi agtinft the Diana ' of Mr. Licenjer,
cr\)\tCrafthj which he gett hit Wealth) will be prevented ; and all the {{eputation-
Wounders will be d.(covered, and without/wrr/jer Prue/, brot,!ght to Cciidign Pu-
nifti'Tient ; Namely, A Law, that every riuthor't and Prtntcr'% Name, and their (e-
veral places of Pgfidence, and the inans Name for whom they were Printed, and who
IjI). Publi/hes uTid b'endj them, be Printed in the Titls-Pag: ot every Bockor Pamphlet;
And that fuch Printed Names (hall be a CufRdent Evidence, as if under their owm
, Hand-Writing; provided it bepi ovt d by Witnejf. s and Waiting, thaf the Author gave
jj order for it far.d that the Printer (thc'-e na ned) did really Prim the feme :) And that
Fc' C* '1 Felony, (cr fome Crime or Pahifhtientj to Print any Book or Pa nphlet
ridCti 5 o'' Pi'mtfjlfe Names : Or with what other PruvijVs the Wiidoai
j I fV' of a Pariiatuent ihdl think meet.
The Pope indeed has fame peafonXo Reftrain all Printing, without Approbation
firfcMlr I'lhlrutlion ; becaufe it is very meet and right fo to do; granting his In-
fallibility. An Index Exptirgatcrius is a necejjary and ji,itCo«y?yr;fWf thereof.
But, Church o( England, th.tt dtflaims all ftieh Impudent pretence ■, wh.it Reaori
'I'.'f'il ftse give to be the only Door-keeper to the Prefs. except Ihe conid alfo get an A.dt
''' ■ of Parliament that itThall not be Lattful hcxcAiter lor God Almighty to open any
jMiMir. mansUnderftanding clearer, nor to give him £yrathen the L;cf«^'er.
How many Excellent Books, b ,th in Divinity and Himanttr, are Supprefs'd,
irtj-'Jf becaujeyhey are excellent, and too good to «t an Imprimatur ?
ilteU; j[,jj made theG'eat Duke of fl; ck'nghmn fay, That the Clergy have but#;?? Vote ;
4%!^ for the Inferour Clergy generally th-nk themfelvcs notably (harp-fighted m AfFurs,
if they can but look "p so the Top of the Ci arch-Steeple, and fee how the Cock^Jlands _;
jpj rhe Wind blows, mary of tfem fometimcs Conform thcinfelves.
lytit; Thus Haggards lilten to the Huntlinans H-aZ/ffa and tJirn, bat feldome put their
djeitiiit. i^cjes to the Ground to exam ne the Scent ; For which the Huntlinan Whips them
Jmartiy fometimei, yet 'tis all one.
H No meit are greater ValLls then fmall Clergy-men, or at leaft mtre Opprepi'd
•fjidiilO' with unreafonab e Ajjents ^r\ACo}tfents,h\ fpight ofMathenHficks,and illegal Procura-
lofiGr tions, S nodals, (fc. even when there is no S>nod, no Vilitation, 0?. yet (poor
Hearts) Xhcy out with their Pur.c, and pay the Biihops Silver, and the R'cn Aith-
Td.ili, Deacors Silver, though fome of tneai Pawn the Pewer-Difh for it; and )et for all
toptift" this V-ir,Uage, fome of them does not fo nmch as Whimper, Groan, nurCompLin,
r.of Vote oiherwife then fas the Word is Ecchoed amonglt tnemj though at fuch a
cccfc" time as this, when a Parliament cd« help ps.
■initi,'' Thus have I feen a Step Mother Wnip ihe Child till it [{rar again, and then take it
Imt'spe up aaa n and Whip it fcT Pyanng ; and then make it go tlo-vn in its Kfees, adc
For^ivenels, Kjfs the l^d ; thrivtaing to give it twire as much if it tell it'i Father,:
dfie'd' Uiu'come on't what wi.l, I will fa;. God he'p, the while.
riiii'd h's any man ia the World my <t. e- or better Commiirion to Preach, then whst
ikktii' Cnrilt gave his Difciples ? (Mat. 28. i;.) a.ime;y. To go and teach, and make a.l
Hiticns Difciples by Baptizing them; and he will be with fuch to tie end ot'th-e
Rr:i" Worl.t- rot with tbcfe Individual A|.oiVet (who arc dead) but their .Succ.Hbars
■rd'/'f fLawtully ordain'dj tutncenduf tin; World.
' E - . Let
Sc£):. V. (^54 ) Rejiraht of the Prefs'
Let any min ffwH} mjj 4 if he can, why a Picibytcr Lawfully ordained, an
therefore Comrruffionat^d by Chrift to Teach all Nation), (3c. ibould need any other Sc
Li:tnfe? And ia not teaching in Print ftointhe Pref, the (ame or better, and of more /i«.(ajx
general and uaivcrfal benefit to all men, and all Nationi, then the narrow though
it ftand aloft f .
And dare any Chriftian prefer the Wordi of an Ael of Parliamsnt, before the
Words ofGod wA our Lord Jefui, who has coinmanded all Men to let their Light
Jo Jhine before Men, that they may fee their good Worlds, (in Print , the moft Excel-• .j,
lent, Uiiiverfji, and Charitable Good Wcrki in the World, if they be agreeable to
floly Scripture, ai d right Rcafon) and glorifie their Father wib/c/^ » tn Heaven^
without leave or L'cenfe ?-
Doei not our Liw-Book« fay, That all Statutes ivclplo faFlo, Void, if agair.ft the (.aiiirfrt
Common Law, the Light of Reafon, or Law of Naturej or agaiuft the Law . .''jJ,;
of God ? ' L
But it is againft the Common Law to take away, or Obftrudiany Mans Trade or
IVnthrighr, (as Prtnttng is to many Men) when the Publick. the Stare and the Church, .'9"'
and every private Man's Reputation, maybe better and fufficiently Enfured by other tiiSrljif
'idifn, I
Ways ? • • SBiittC
• ■ .1 _ . _ ^ T A r^t. !/!.' . F. _ • . "TV . f ^ J
Js there not a Pofitive Law of Chrift to all Chriftians, not to hide their Talent In
u. mSo"; i, ^^"'-1°'"=''. xni si" »n t«erm„u.
ititirs t
Is there not a PUin-Law of Chrift, That we fntinld not put our Light under a jHWfe
Bufhel, but on a Candlefiich, that all that come in mav fee the Light ? TTie Liberty }iac::[n
•'* Monk
of the Pulpit, Bench or P.efs, are the Gotden Candiefticks ;the Self-ended Imfrim.
tur's very Wooden Ores, (God knows) if this little Trcatifc cannot be Gain-laid nor
Confuted, but by the Gcaler ?
Is there not a Pofit ve Law of Cbrift, Nw fo (/wrncA the Spirit } And ftiall any i
Zlnchrifiian Law quench it, for Self-end5,and becaufe they are fo nud as to ftiut their illh
Byes, and fcorn to amend, or be cured by a charitable Hand, that is willing to do ■
it for God's fake, and not for any other Fee ?
Since then there is a P ifitive Law of Chrift to let our L'ght fo ftiTne before men, ,
that they may lee our Good and Charitable Works, (in Print to chufe) that Pater
Nofier ("which is in Heaven} may be Glo-^ified; Ttien let us give to Citfar the things 'Ki'J
that are C<efars •, but let us not rob Gcd, to give unto Cafdr tht things-that arc
•swii
Gods Peculiars and Property. ,
And what Howfi Proteltant would not th nk it much more Honour - fo be " :
God's Advocate, (in fuch a Book as thh, ( as little as it is,} Pleading Gods Caufe, his
Right a .d Sole Dominion over Confciences, than by Invading Liberty of Confci-
y y-* 1 r-> /c e » y-r» . '
erie (Gods Throne) to arrive to else higheji Preferments, (iheEffkt of (bnany -Jte
times j or foa.e wilcltr Chanced ' '
■I5(lir
I'AliT
And now have I done with the Five Chapters, which are all Uniform and of a
P ece- there went but the Shears for SeSions) between them, for Methods fake.;-t!.'
The C O N C L U S I O N. ■ M
Ni
ANI> now CMoft Excellent Parriors! ) I'tJ ConrInA« • u u
ar.fijp.n of-a r.p.O, Fricfi, CmU
upon 5. ,l 3.) Te art the., fi.ih. esf.fhe Earth, ^
Salt
A.
(fi:
4 The Conclnfion.
W Savoury &c. And jufl: as he was Wt iting upon that Texf
iriW, the French Souldiers bad broke into (,A^ay 6 ) and usM
theClergy (above all others) meft ftitrvily and abominably.
WhereupOHi EvanuinHSyac ad nthihmViilesy nifi ad Ex'
ternas Cereniomasy ExterHaejae bor.ay &c. We the Prelates of Romey do
'Sk Experience., find the Truth of thts Scripture ihisday, being
hccome » not only a Laughing'Si cck.y but a Prey i^x\oix.o Infdelsyhvii)
«lib to ChrtSiiansy by God's moft righteous Judgment i becaufe we, who by
cur Euniitons fhould have been the Salt of the Earthy had loft our Sa-
ifw- I a;<r, and were good for little but looking after Ceremoniesy and the
Revenues of the Church : Hence if is, that together with usy this whole
City comes to be troden under foot this day.
BiilncL Epifcopacy in England (for ought we know to the contrary) is as An'
ifniib);. dent as our Chrijiianity in England y and the Common-Prayer-Book (as to
the generality of it) may ferve the Turn (it was made for) well enough
""1^^ yet it appears to he made by no either Aid of the Holy Ghofiy than other
" Prayer-Books in Print, it fo much.
Boihofthefe main Pillars of our Church are miferably Dil'p.dated
flVlsr and outof frame, from top to bottom-, yet not lo ghaftly> but they
sWlm niiy by You,be well enough repaired, without pulling down-
jcGii. jp jbis be accounted a SUnder caft upon Mother-Chnrch) or that any
A'dfcii ^ as not to fee what is foplam and obvious to every confide-
iatoiii: ""§ Eye,that is not blinded with her Dowry (like that young Gallant^
iiiriij: who being demanded why he would fDfii fuch an Old Womany though
file was very Ruhy ( ftudying what he fhould fee in her to Vmbrage the
fondnefs of his Embraces, anfwcred, that he) could not but love her
sfelj! Wrinkles.
tofr Which Wrinckles^ I had rather MafcpHe over and cover, than difco.
1-rr, I hate the ungrateful Work-, except I be cTall'd upoivto Prove
ianonf" rny Words, and to .^how her Nakednefs and Diftempers, through her
jiJiCo-' Whole Confticution : It is fo far out pf frame, that it is a wonder to
me, that he has ftood fo well, and fo long.
Bat you may eafily repair her Breaches, which 1 am ready to prove
have diftraded thcfe Nations, thcfe fifty years and more, and of fuch
"yhdi" ahfolute Neceflity to be mended, that no man heresfrer (bighor low)
—- Ihail give his AlTent and Confcnt, (as all we Clergy-Men have done)
Under our Hands ^ except rce Wink^ when we W'ite, an.d Subfcrihe
Blindfold, in fpight of cur Knowledge and Confcieiiccsj "?nd in fpight
jjjjCcr of Mathemjticfcs-
S'
m
ft
T^he Conclufion.
And what a (hime is it, that Clergy-Men from the Hlghefl: to the
loweft, fiiall be forc'd (as now) to itarvC) or Subfciibe to an Un-
truth, or Iniq.'ity, bccaufe Eftablilhed by a Law, (the AH of Vnt-
fcrmity?) that condfiering how, and when it was made, 'tis a Miracle
to me, that they had not got Pcpery as well Eflablifhed oy a Law, but
that the M^ijar P'lrt of that Per.fiomrs Parliament were hcnelt Engltjh
Pfoteftants.
But if after all this, fome (omz Machlavihan, who has r
got moTQ Power thzn Grace, will confute me only, (as the Council 'r^'
oiCcnJlancc confuted thofe two Excellent Proteftants (as aforefdid)
only with a Jayl : He will in the end. prove hirafdf to be a true A'
chitophel, (as the Nanve fignihes in thQ Hebrew Tongue^ Coftn-German
to a Foci. ■IW
And may glory a while (and but a while, I hopej as the French
King docs, that in making new Converts, and upholding his Religi-
jon •, His and his .Taylors arejiis beft Preachers. ■ rler;
Iffo^ then, }>!ofi Noble Healers of our Breaches \ htl not Protefi ants _
hereafter be permitted to/orc^ your Subjedls (who have entrufled yon
with Power) tothefrM Choice (which glory in) namelV, To r
Vfe the Croi's, or Beer the Crofs •, ftr-ctch your Conjciences, or ftreteh:
n Halter ; Bowot we will Breakjyonv Necks, or Starve you in a Jayle
But I humbly fay —— If here 1 have fpoke Evil, bear Witnefs of the.
Evil^ but. if well, why fmit efi ihon ine through Envy? Envy, that
Rancour, Rufi: ^nd Canker of Man's Soul (that like the Wood Worm)'
Eats up and Devours its Parent that breeds it and feeds it.
Nay, for the fm trig worh^too, I am very willing ro fuhmit my Skull to i
be (loned to Deatfj xor nnS the Leasi Errour'in this Trestile cotmiifted,'
upon condition, th?.t ht only that is free from Eirour Call the f-fi Stone if
at me. ^ ^
I doTl^Tmuch Tremble nt thh prank^and Free O^^tr, though I be Cow- . ~—
fronted v^ich ( the Prdent Pope ) Oldlunecent Hsmfelf.^ Or any of hts ■
Bintop's.
v;reit
m,
nu
COLCHESTER, —
fan nary. 17. i6S5- . '
FINIS.. ;l
J
Eri.ra. In the Ei,i^Fe, P.iRe 5. Lire 28. for Males /Htniniilratttn, read MjU-Admi-
mslrattov. V Jubc, \tA jucb.
THE
JUDGMENT and DOCTRINE
Of the Clergy of the ^
I Cjiurtl) of cngkuD, ^
^ CONCERNING
Coi-ti One fpecial Branch of the King's Prerogative,
Viz,. In diJpencing with the
^enall
tra}
;-C(rK
AlTertcd by
The moft Reverend Fathers in God^ The Lords Arch-Bifhops
isancccft, LatiD and (Ufbeiv
The Right Reverend Fathers in God, The Lords Bifliops
'fyf ^annerfoit and cactUijifffit.
The RevereiKl Dodors, Sir 'ChOntdSi ElBlSP L, L. D.
Dr ^ej»li!t5 Dr 'BattOiU, Dr ®ijei10Ch Mailer of the
Temfk, Dr IplCfejfj Dr l^nlfOU and Dr PuUec,
And\yyi^c AN0 NTMV Author of theHar-
vmiy of Divinity and Law.
"Together with the COltCUrrtllQ; EtfcdUtlOn^ of our Reverend
Judges, as moft COllfOntlllt and thereimto.
In a Letter from a Gentleman of Oxford_,fo hts Friend at London.
ritifric.
Mf.
.aji
Dill if ■■
<l\ir
Licenced the zd. of May 1687.
Upon whomfoever God is underitood to beftow the Soveraign Authority, he mult
' alfo bt underltood to beftow upon him all the Jura Majcfiatisf, or Ellential Rights
: of Soveraignty, according to that Maxim, Sui dat ejje, dat & omnia fertimntia ad
(Ifc, Be that gives the EjJence, gtves a'jo ths Properttes belonging to the Effence.
; Jovian, orau Anfwer toJuIiaiuhe'Apoftate, chap. ri.
Lendin, Printed for J. H. and T. S. and are to be had at moft Boolgfellers, in
London and Weltminflcr.
( 3 )
SIR,
IN one of the late Conferences you
were pleafed to have with me, you
feemedtobe fomewhat difatisfied
upon the fiibje<51: we were difcourf
ing of, which was,whither the King
had by Law fuch a Supeam Former inher-
cntin, and infeparably annexed to his
Crown, as to Difpence wdth Penal
Laws.
I remember I then told you, we could •
not refolve our felves of this Great Point,
but by thefe two wayes.
1. To fee, how far the Judgment
of our Church-men, appear-
ing in their T)oBrines (which
are for our Edification} doth
Warrant this Prerogative to be
in the King,
A 2 ^ "^n.
II. To fee how far the fudges
O I)
Kefolutions (in declaring their '
fence of the Law ot the Land
in this doubtful Queftion,) ,,,41
do agree with fuch thsixfudg- i Clei
TrlcTltS and DoBrines* :
ikgin
And as for the Firfi, Sir, I doubt not
but to make it clear, paft all peradven-
ture , that our Reverend Clergy of the ^
Church of England have unanimoufly W
concurred in this Point of Dodtrine, that s W
it doth infeparably belong to the Kingy 'to/
ly office to difpe7ice "wiCti Penal Laws J when /,
ever fuch a Supremacy of Power lhall be kqu
thought necelfary to be exerted for the
fafety of the King, and the Good and ii
^afe of his People in general. And if I
can prove this undeniably to You 5 I ?^ist
hope then that this nice Scruple of yours foK
(which by the way, I fuppofe, you will sni
allow me to call your tender Confci-
ence) will eafily be removed 5 and con-
fequentfe then it may be prcfumed, I lhall
tki
U
ion;
)lll)tE
]oik
mrat
ae,tli2!'
kfe
I iiii-'*
I'oiii
roF
ziJcf-
(s)
have lefs difficulty to Satisfie You in the
Othef Point, that this fe^ice of the Lar^
of the Land in the point in Queftion, is
no other, than what is exa^ly Correfpon-
dent with the Judgrtient SLud Vo^rine
of the Clergy of the Church of Eng-
land.
To begin then, ;
The Reverend Dean of Worcefler, in
his fo defervedly applauded Anfwer to
Julian the Jpoftate, declares, that the
Englijh Realm is a -perfeU foveraignty, or
Empire, and that the King of England by
the Imperial Lam of it, is a Compleat,
Imperial , and Independant Soveraign.
And he quotes Coke in Cawdryes Cafe,
who faith, that ' by the antient Law^s of
'this Realm, England is an abfolute Em-
^ pire, and Monarchy 3 and that the
'King is fiarnifhed with plenary and En-
' tire Power, Prerogative, and Jurifdidfi-
'on, and is fupream Governour over all
' perfons within this Realm.
Now it would he a contradiHion to call
' this
tbk ak Imperial Crown; to acknowledge
tJ)e King for fupream over all Perfons^ :jj I
and that he is furnijhed with Plena-
ry and eiitire Power , unlefs He have all -JjuSii
Thcfe Rights^ which are involved in the J^/t/
very Notion of hk Imperial Soveraign-
By the Rights of Soveraign^ faith He,
I underftand Thofe Prerogatives^ and Pre-
eminences of Power and Greatttefs, which ^
are involved in the Formal Conception of ^ j
Soveraignty, and are infeparahly annexed
to the Soveraign. He hath no fharers
or Co-partners in the Soveraignty -j
Co-ordinate with him in Government 5 ,t
Equal nor Superiour, hut only God^ ^^ 4
whom Alone hie is fuhjek^ ' All Power :^
' and Jurifdidtion Spiritual and Temper-'
* al is derived and deducted from Him^ as
'fupream Head of Thefe Churches, and-^
'Realms. *
p.fifKnfght There are fome Efential Rights of the^^^
hL^.iiiSoa Crown.^ which the Suhjeds cannot obtairFf-
from their Soveraign hy any Grant or pre-^^
fcription^'
^ ( 7 )
fcripio^ij vpithout cfeftroying^ the efentialand
'M
individual Rights of Monarchy. Thefe
Rights, called the Flowers of the Crown,
are Regalia Supema, or Summa Jura Im-
^erij, regno tuendo fervientia, inherent to
his Royal Funldion, andplitick. Capacity,,
and ferve for the Jirength andfupport there-
of fuch are the Rights of making War
r and Peace, of hauing the lajl Appeal tmto
him, or his Great Council and [upream
Court 5 and of making Leagues, and of
Difpenfing with Penal Laws, granting
^^fardons, and fuch like.
Now if the King hath a perfedion and
px (i
iitt^
iii !■
mi
Al!?
fulnefs of Imperial Power in him, 2lsY)t
Hicks hath clearly made out, and This
Power of difpenfing with Penal Laws be
(as it muft be, or nothing) one of thofe
Prerogatives and Pre-eminencies of power
~^^^']and Greatnefs, which are involved in the
fPormal Conception of Soveraignty, Then
certainly it is very plain, that This is an
i Ejfential Right infeparably annexed to our
Imperial Soveraign; and to go about
W' ' " ' " ' to
(8)
to deprive him of fuch an inherent Right, ki
4.inft. PH-It would to the difinherifon of the silntifl
didtio' & potef King and his Crown. This Phrafe^ he faith,
Pr'in«prvciiV' of difinherijon of the King and the Crown iattli
fe feperari non Qthor ^ Ads of Parliament is called^ Mph
e.'iim ipfa for- The Deftrudion of the Kings Soveraignty^mim
tialis Ellenria his Crown, his Regality, and things that-'kd
manen?R?gT tend thereunto,, things that are ogenly againji; tk l\
non°p£t" Khigs Crown in Derogation of this Re- ititki
Sferv"'
decif 40. n. 8. And, Sir to convince You, that thciPrel
muidref i?r" King hath this Perfection and fulnefs of jiti5
2, cap. 5. Power, more efpeciallp in matters of Re-:^t ^
ligion, in his facred Perfon, you may^^^
pkafe to be informed, that that Great
Di-. Richard tropolitan oi All England^ ' Arch-bifhop^j^'
Reiner oft, when Qucilion was miadeof;_^fj[^^
Bilhcpof Cant. 'what matters the EccleiiaRical judges
'f2.t:o.fo.54. 'have cognifance, either upon the expo-,jjQ|j^
f fition of the Statutes concerning Tythes,^^;
' or any. other thing Ecclefialtical, ,or uponj|^^
' the Statute i Elig. concerning the High
' Commi(Iion,or in any-other cafe in which 5^
' there is not exprds Authority in Law,.iL
dcclareA^j^^
lit
(?) ■ ~ '
declared, That the King himfelf may
^ !■' ' decide it in his Royal Per/on ^and tha t the
ik ' Judges are but the Relegates of the King^
'and that the King may take what caujes
' he Ihall plcafe to determine^ from the Re-
«termination of the Judges^ and may deter-
/U, -«mine them himfelf. And the Archbilhop
iff' Taid, that this was clear in Rivinityj that
' fuch Authority belongs to the King by the
^ word of God in the Scripture. So that
k[\. Eminent Prelate.
M For, as it is well obferved by that Learn-
tsfliit ed Knight, and Dodtorin the Civil Law,
Sir riiemas Ridley. 'His Majejiy,
Gtai' Uommunicatin^his Authority to the Judges ,
1 U- c /It II 11 aedicaced
[W ^Xo expound his Laves^ cioth not thereby King
s 11*5 ^abdicate the fame from himfelf, but that cbH'
dfl 'he may affume it again to him, when,
tliiiij' and as often as he pleafeth, whofe Inter-
^pretation in that is to be preferred be-
!fove Theirs. For, as he faith in another
0 place,, 'He is both by the Ordinance
in A'of God and Man ^ (as the Id. part a. ch. i
0d ApoJile terms him) among them, that is,^'"^ '^'
deck' C)ne who is Supream Soveraign above the i is-
B :Reft,
(
^ Reft, and whom they ought in all things J,
'to 0%, fo it be not againft the Laiv of
' Go^, and Common JuJiice 5 for himfelf
' is infteed of the whole Law, Yea, he is
' the Law it felf, and the only INTER- ^
' P R E T E R thereof, as in whofe Breafi
' i-s the whole Knowledg of the fame. .j J
Now, Sir^ w^hat Anfwer can you give iZ
to all This ? if it be clear in Divinity, that .tj '
fuch Authority belongs to the King by the
word of God in the Scripture, with what J
Colour of Reafon can you deny the King s ^
Imperial Soveraignty in difpenfing with Pe- ,,
nal Laws ? 7!'
• But to proceed more clearly to the Point X
in Queftion,The moft Reyerend,Renown- p
ed and Religious Prelate and Patriot, Dr . ^ ^
?T.Z^z^i/,Archbiftiop of Canterbury, 'A man ly
^yprianth-Ang'^ q£ Eminent vortuCy fas the Author
hn,D.p.[nT of his life writes of him)' Such an
SSrthe ift * emplary Piety towards God, fuch an un- V'
'' wearied fidelity to his Gracious SoveraigUj, ^
' and of fuch a Public^ Soul towards"'^
' Church znd State^ that he lived the Ho-f'
Epift-Dcdicat, and dyed a Martyr of both. I fay,
'this
fat
i,k;
Ttl
('I)
' thi5 Great, but at laft unfortunate Pre-
'late, thus delivers his Confiderate Opini-
'on, that the M«g//?r<7/ein the P^teci
'' Eft ate Civile may not abrogate t\\cLaws *
' made in Parliament, though he may
' pnce with- the SanEiion or Penalty of
' the Law, quoad bids'nunc, as the Law-
'yersfpeak.
The next I lhall give You, is, that
Learned and moderate Primate and Me-
troplitanoE all Ireland, Dr. James Vjher,
® J late Lord Arch-bifhop of who in
his Book entituled. The Power communica-
® ted by God to the Prince, and the obedience
required of the SubjeH, compofed purpofe-
ly for the Rights both of Princes and Sub- cUcIt!^ to'Kfng
W jedsj and for the comfirmation of flag-
gering Loyalty, alfuresus, that P O S I-Efq;
Live laws, being {as other works of
'V ■ J vien are) IMPERFECT and riot free
li from many difcommodities ftf the S T RIC] T
ell" OBSERVATION thereof jhouU he
W' prfued in EVERY PARTICULAR;
it is fit the, S U P R E A M Governour
^ jhoufd not hivifelf only he E X E M P T-
It B 2 ED
atitd'''
ic
ED from SUBJECTION thereunto, but
alfo he fo far LORD OVER THEzM,
that where he feeth ca?ife he viay ABATE,
or TOTALLY REMIT the PENALTY
incurred hy the Breach of them,, DIS-
VEHCEwith others for the NOT OBSER-
VING of them at all 5 yea, and generally
SUSPEND the EXECUTION 0/'
when by experience he Jhall find the Incon-
ueniences to he greater then the profit that
was expeEied fhould redound thereby unto -^poni
the Common-wealth. PLUTARCH fetteth-^^^^
' this down as a chief point of that natural
PHILOPOEMEN had inGo-^^Ju
vernment, that he 'did not only rule ac-fffloi/
' cording to the Laws, but over-ruled the i kj
' Laws themfel ves, when he found it con-: i ma
J ducing to the weal-publicL k
And he faith a little before, hy the LAW®
OF THE KING, I underfiand fuch ordi-'fii^
nances as are MEEEldi CIVIL andEO^l^
SITIVE; the COACTIVE POWER, i,
whereof being DERIVED from him whois^
the SUPREAM LAW-GIVER UNDERi,
GOD ON EAiRTH, He himfelf eannoi^^
proper!)
, . f '3 )
froPcrfyhe [aid to be tyed thereby. For as^
^ffith the Grammarians^ the Imperatize mood
hath no firJl Perfo?i^ fo with the Civilians.^
(a) no man can command or forbid him-,,,. . .
r{r T n r \ • ' [ajMarcianm
felr, at leajt wijey\o{b)mm can impofe fuch refitpde
aLaw upon himfcif, but that he map re- "vid. etSJlpian
cede from it when he And with the tJet^Tcmpfrn-
Schoob?ien. a Law hath power to direcfl ZT'-rretl'^Tt
fuch Ad:s as belong to thofewhoare fub-
jed to the Government of (c) another J ^uts DJe dovat
whereupon no man, if we fpeak properip,
dothimpofe aLaw upon his own A(ds.^5 \x£Tsrl'^'^'
no man therefore is fiiperior to himfe/f, fo no
man hath Jurifdibfion over himfelf 3 becaufe 5.
none can oblige a man agabifl. his wilf bait \
only his Superiour, and the Jurifdidion
over a man's felf map be dilToIved at
Plcafurc.
«
,: KINGS therefore, as he affirms in ano-
i ther place, are faid tobe ABOVPj THE
LAWS whereby they govern their People,
partly in refpeH of Themfelves, partly in
refpeH of Others: Of OTHERS,, in af-
much 06 they have POWER to JUDGE
{fi) according to their own CONSCIENCE, /. rcfcript, Cod.
' " '—precib. Im."i
ana per, offtrend.
( 14 )
Thom.ini.2. accordifig to Letter of the Law 5
qaeft.96.artic. ^ DISPLNCE itl fOTtie CafeS With
OBEDIENCE, infome with the
PUNISHMENT required by the LAW.
'Eor, h.Q Cj^otzs JEnecisSil'viu6 2i\m\c
after faying, ' Equity is that which is jujl
beyond the written Law : "Now if the Law
doth command one things 2.nd Equity
perfwade another^ it is fit the Emperor
hould temper the Rigour of the with
the Bridle of Equity^ as He who alone
may and ought to look unto that inter-
pretation which lieth interpofed between
Law and Equity, Efpecially feeing no De-
creeof the Law^ although weighed with
never fo confiderate Councel, can fufficr-
ently anfwer the -varieties and unthought
on plottings of Mans Nature. And fee-
ing the Condition of human Law is fuch,
that it runneth always without flint, and
there is nothing in it which can be at a
perpetual fiandj it is manifeftjthat in trad
of time the Laws which before were juft^
■prove afterwards to be tinjuftfand ix-
-come now unproftahle, now harfh, now
' unrighteous:
( 15 )
^unrighteous : for the moderating'whctco£
' there is need of the Prince, who is Lord
^ of the L A W S. For if it fall out, that
' any thing hath been more obfcurely de-
a Ittili ' livered therein, it is fit thcEmj^eror fliould
''dear it, and awmid that harjhnefs of the
hIm ^ Laws, which^ipihall find to he contrary
' and difagreeahle to his humanity. For
fjfi' < where it is faid, that a Law^ although it
ji^ii «be hard, fhould yet be obferued 5 that
bills i^\e inferiour Judges, and not
fliiV 'the Emperour 5 in whom is that Power
betrs: ' of moderating the Laws which they call
iggi <'E-TnaVflo,^ or Equity, which is fb annexed
kk ^ to the Supremacy of the Prince, that by »
m fii ' no Decrees of man it can be pulled from
ntte 'it. Thus far JEneas Silmus out of '
Ani^' 'him.
^ isfc Tn regard of ThemfeivesA/«g5 are faid
ftuiLi 'to be exempted ficom SuhjeSiion to the
inl)C;i ^Laws, both becaufe they are not tyed
icinC (otherwife than for conveniency and
jrercj^ good Example's fake')' to the obfervance
sdk 'offuchas are meerpofitive and tempo-
Tary Laws 3 and becaufe they are not
^110 ' liable
)
( )
^ liable to the Civil Punifhmcnts let down
' for the breach of any Law,- as having tM'
' nofuperiour upon earth that mayexer- ^.'dcG
'cifeany fuch Power over them. k, ^5-
Wjuftinju- 3gain, faith this Great Prelate, kmf
fZfatScm ftand or ce, {a) it is fit m lifi
jeiti. ' that Ibmtimes the KinJfe7(?we';z9'Oiould -nij
' be mingled with the Jeverity of them 5
' .efpecially when by that means the fubjeHs
(b)symmachd mdiyh^ freed from much and Mh
1. lo.Ep. uit. t ^ammage : (h) The Condition of the Ma-
^ giftratewhofe Sentence is hd6. corrupt, ^^Dnn
' if it be milder than the Laws, being one yw
'thing 5 Power oG Princes, whom it jana
' hecometh to qualifie the jharpnefs of them,
' a far different matter.
To this Eminently Reverend and Ju-
(0 In bs Pre-dicious. Primate, I fhall next fubjoyn the
by'' of iflll W patient and learned Dr Robert
Walton. Sanderfon^2Ltc Lord Bifhop of Lincoln,t\\z.t
you may fee what his Opinion is in this ;
matter. But before I give you his Words, ^ ^
let me beg your favour to hear what
the Modefi and Holy Writer of his Life,
Dr Ifaac Walton, fays of that Book from vi
whence
(^7)
whence I produce them. How viucUtlye
Learned Worldflands obliged to Him for Jm
'^3 ' LeHures de Confcientia, IJhall not attempt
to declare, as being uery fenfihle, that the
Beji Pens muft needs fall fhort in the com-
"til mendation of then^i: So that I Jhall only
add, that they cofitinue unto this day, and
% mil do for ever, as a Compleat Standard for
the Refolution of the moji material doubts in
Cafuijiical Vivuiity. And now Sir, pray
obferve what the Bifhop fays.
V^on a Doubt, how may that be underfioodsander-
tingot; which fo commonly vs fpoken, Sal us Populi ' cafes of
' eft SupremaLex, the fafety of the Peo -aranflated by
pie is the Supream Law 3 he,among other Sf Maftlr If
things, thus declares, ' There is no fober
Irf
3p''
Dill<
^man will deny, that the Safety of the Peo- '^^^'^-
f ie, that is, of the whole Commonalty,
'as that word comprehends the King, to-
' gether with the Subjedts, is the Supream
''Law-, but that the Safety of the People,
' that is, of the Subjedls, the King being
af?l» 'excluded, is the Supream Law, there-is
{ii5li 'no man will affirm it, unlefs he be a
[ fro' Pool, or an Impofter j a Fool, if he doth
C ' believe y'
t • ^ f r ^ • t !• • -
'believe "what he himfelf faith, and arr ■
Impofter, if he doth not believe it. But if V' " i
•11 r • . r\_^ 1 L p'^T
1 J
any man will ferioufly look into the
- • «. «
J
riginal of this Aphorifm, I do believe he
-*• « • «
fiy,
1
" ^ t *
Will more eafily grant, that it ought '"T
^miore precifely to be underdood of the i
- 1 r \ r :«tOI115
' Safety of the Prince, than of the Safety
'of the Subjedls. This Saying,fo toffed
up and do"wn in the Mouthes of all'
' Men,came to us from the Romans^ and
' was then ufed by them when their Re^'
' publick did flourifh mod of all under
' a Popular State: And there is no great'' ^
'^Reaibn that any man fhould. wonder,
' that the People's Safety was the Supream
' Law with them, with whom the Peopk
' themfelves were the Supream Power 5
' In the Judgment therefore ofthofe wife
' Antients, who were the fird Authors of
'this Aphorifm,. the Safety of thcSi^j>rea;;i.'
^ Power was the Supream Law, of the Peo-
^pk indeed in xDemocracjf, but of xKing^
'in Mouarrhy.
' But I fay, it being admitted^ but not
'granted, Aat this Aphorilm is properly
'underdoodi
(li»)
i^j,^'uncJerftoGd of the Safety of the People,
that is, of theSubjedb, it is ineverthelefs
tlijl^'perverfly wye fled to the Prefidiceoi Re-
^gal Vignity^ which even fo doth render
'its Power more Ample and llliiftrious in
' this fence. A King that gives Laws and
Statutes to his People will not be fo hound'
by his Laws^ that it fhall not hzlaw-
Y^^/for him,, the fafety of the Common-
wealth being in an apparent danger, to
for the fafety of Kmgdom and
« p People committed to him by God, even
it is lawful for Subjefis under the pretence
n 'l
iupEc.
If ^
*'by an intollerable prefumption to trample
n .'of the defence of their Liberty to brea/i^
all the bonds of Laws and Fidelity^ and
lOfe^
again ft the words of the Law-, not that
rogISc:.- - - - '
m
iupE
ePe
on the Authority of their King^ but that
''ith lawful fox. the Prince yr\ foePrefervati-
''on of his own and his5'^^^;e'^?5 Safety to lay
dafide for awhile ail friSi obfervance of the-
'fLaws^ and to make ufe a little of an Arbi-
''trary Right^ leaf by too. unfeafonahle and
''[uperJiitiousReverence of the Lawsfic may
I'liifFerboth his own Perfon, dndchis People
tb
(ik
b0
that:
M
( 20 )
^ are fiibjcdl to liim, and even the ft,
' Laws themfelvcs, to fall into the Power
' {Lis Enemies. ^onio,
I Avill clofe up this Chriftian Doctrine iaic f
of our Bifhops with one Authority more, ikpiiH
and that is of our Prefent Right Reverend Ji;
Father in God, Tlocmas Lord Bilhop ofE^ige
his Sermon on the 6th of M :'tisimp
h:.ppy isaugu-in thc Collcgiate Chutch of .fcojpi
ration or our « i r
dread soyeraign where YOU Will nnd him tnus to inrorm jr^vn
T Orel Kin ' 1 ^flvvivi
jILs you, and all other good Subjedfsj' So that
' ^he King may, it feems, make ufe of his\:^
t>emo(Htppon,<- Preroaative. as Go^/does of his Omnipo-..jl
and Chap am in, . O ' ...JfflDl
ordiiary to his' .tenco, upon lome extraordinary occaii- .ul
Mnjefty. ' Qt^s; pOY as wj/ LoTcL Hobavt well ob- , |j^,^,
' ferves. The Statute Laws are mafe to eafe
' him of his Labour^ tiot to deprive him of \i
Co/randG/o-^ J T J ■/
w>'ag.iintt the PIS PoWeV^ and that he may make a hrant.
m.^^o{Lnch-1^^ith ^]Sfon-obftante to them:And indeed!^*
' the Power of difpenfing with particulars^'
'Laws, infome Emergencies, is fuch aS'"'
' Lex Coro7i<^^ {u.q\i A Prerogative, without ,
' which no Kingdom can be well govern-
' ed, hut J lift ice will he turned into Worm-
'wood. For diere never was yet, nor ever
'wJlf
''m
( 21 )
* will be, any human Law, framed with
' fuch exad Skill and Policy, that it might
' not, on fome occafion or other, be bur-
^ thenfome to the Subje(51:,and obilrudiive
'to the publick good of the Common-
' wealtli: There being particular Cafes
'and Exigencies, fo infinitely various,
' that'tis impoffible for the wit of man to
'forefee or prevent them. And therefore
' in all Government there muff be a Power
' Paramount to the written Law 5 and we
' have good reafon to blefs Qod^ that this
'is lodged but in One, and in him whom
'he hath fet over us, to be his Vice-ge-
' rent 5 by whofe Authority, they who
'break the Letter of the Law ^ in pure
' Zeal and Loyalty, to ferve the ends of
'Government, and to uphold the Crown on
• the Right Head, that does and ought to
^ wear it, may be relieved, and -pardoned,
and rewarded too;
Thus Sir, have I given you in fhort
the Sence and Judgment of our Spiritual
Guides, the Great Fathers of the Church
of England in the Point in Queftion be-
D tween
( 22 )
tween us 5 I will now difcend to men «?' "
of lefs degree in the Church, but
theylhallbe men of great and eminent ^^pro
Learning, fober Underftandings, and of
cxamplary Piety and Gravity, and you
{hall hear how they All concur in the
fame Judgment as concerning this Point
of Regal Soveraignty. ■
The Firft fhall be the Reverend Dr Pe- iiogffl
ter Heylin^ ' whofe knowledge was ex- mHi
In the Account' ^ Earth, and who had a par- iyslit
of Dr Heylih^s 'fed: familiarity with the prefent State tenai
'of all the Countries in the World, (as ical
the Ingenious Author of his Life informs :tdi(
us) and ' one who is honoured by all : k
' true Sons of the Church of Englandy % kc
' with a due veneration for his Learned
' and Elabourate Works. And He fpeaks
thus. '' k nc
' He (z//X. the King) hath Authority rnio
' by his Prerogative Royal to c/ifpence with sidu
' the Rigor of the Larps, and ibmetimes
' to pafs by a Statme with a Non-objiante. %
The Learned and Judicious Dr Ifaac tiy,
Barrow, late Mafterof Trinity CoPedge in
Camhridge,.
( 23 )
ffii Cmoridge, in his Treatife concerning the
k' Fo^es Supremacy affirms thus '^It is
mina'indeed a proper Indowmcntof an ab-
fflW'folute Soveraignty, immediately and
ndjott 'immutably conffituted by God, with no
tk'Terms or Rules limittingit, that its will
®' declared in way of Precept, Proclamati-
'ons concerning the Sandfion of Laws,
dDifi' the Abrogation of them,the Difpenfation
n a' with them, Ihould be obferved.
idapi And fays he a few Leaves futher,' The
Power of enadting and difpencing with
oilJ, i'Eccleliaftical Laws touching exteriour
■eiitoi'Dilcipline did of old belong to the Em-
edbu'peror. And it was reafonable that it
' Ihould, becaufe old Laws might not
conveniently fute with the Prefent State
of things, and the publick welfare5
'becaufe new Laws might conduce to
^ytlid 'the good of Church and State, the care
of which is incombent on him 5 becaufe
■^0^ the Prince is bound to ufe his Power and
Authority to promote Gods Service, the
^|/bcif way of doing which may be by fra-
fe^:'ming Orders conducible thereunto,
k D .
/
! 'I
%
And
( 24 ) ,
And in another place he declaresthat
'it is a Priviledge of Soveraigns to grant
' Friviledges, Exempions^ Vifpenfations. ^
Thus fayes the Reverend Dr Sherlock^^ f
Mafter of the Temple, in a pofitive man-
ner, ' it does not become any man, who ^
c?fe^Sefr''can think three Confequences off, to
itaiice,ch3p.6. ' of t\\c Authority of Laws, in deroga-
''tion to that Authority of the Soveraign
^ Tower. The Soveraign Pcirer made the
Laws, and can repeal them, and difpence ^nsfor
with them, and make new Laws: the^nii
only Tower and of the is
' in the Tower which can make and exe- p
'cute Laws. Soveraign Tower is infeper-
^ able from the Terfon of a Soveraign Ml
' Trince, lap
I fhali in the next place give you thciiEl
words of the Ingenious, and moft pain- ingi
ful Searcher into Truths, JohnNalfon, Dr. ili
of Laws, whofe indefatigable Induflry ^,si
Dt Naifin'shzth fufficiently appeared in thofe Vo-^is,
of Hiftorical Colkaions he lived
People,chap. <s. to fee publifhcdto the World, his words pj„j:
- nAr
( 2? )
* In the Kings Power it is to remit the
'Severities of t\\Q Penal Laws^ whereby
'he may manifeft XmGoodnefs and Cle-
' mency as well as his Greatnefs and Juflice^
'by gracioufly parJoning the Smaller
' Breaches of his Laws, and the more
' Capiat Offences which he might moft juft-
' \y punnifti.
And who in the World can difpute
this ? When, as Dr. Hiciffs in his Jovian
tells us for certain, that upon whomfoever
God is under flood to beflow the ^overaign
Authority.^ he mufl alfo be underflood. to be-
flow upon him all the Jura Majeftatis, or
effential Rights of Soveraignty, according
to that Maxime, ' Qui dat effe, dat ct
' omnia pertinentia ad elfe 3 He that gives
'the Elfence, gives alfo the Properties
'belonging to the ElTence. And doth
not all mankind confent in this, that the
•King is the fountain of mercy as well as of Ju-
flice ? Surely then the Penal Laws^ efpecial-
ly thofe made meerly for diverflity of Dpi-
nions iw Religion^ which (not to call them
mchriflian 3 Imec oifl never offered
( 26 )
c*fc of R.c> any external force and Compulfion to make
' vien obey his Lam^ as the Learned mafter
of the Temple allures us, but however)
are in thcmielves by experience proved
very unreafonahle, ought at lead to be
Subjebi to the Goodnefs and Mercy of the
Prince, to difpence With them, when He
in his Wifdom fhall judge it mod necejfary
for the Good of his People in generall.
Por as ' the ^Egyptian Hieroglyphick^ for
* Government was an Eye in a Scepter:
mkituSS- ' So the ^lef Magidrate is like a watch-
' man upon a Tower, who is to look
iib.3.«hap. 15-' Jown and view the general date of
' his People, and to condud: himfelf ac-
' cordingly. ^
The Reverend Pr Puller, in his mod
extraordinary Book concerning the Mode-
ration of the Church of England, laith,
' that Moderation, as it is now
' generally ufed, is a word borrowed from
' the Law, and is iifed by the Maders
' thereof, to denote fuch a gentle and be-
'nigntemper, asdifpofeth thofe who have
"iitKAdminiftration of the Laws (which,
V You
(2/)
You fee, is the Imperial Soveraign, ^wsmfup.
nailj hath the Supream Jurifdi^ion over-all others^
fW Juri[cIiS{io?i is defined by the Civilians
wd 10 he^ Poteftatcm Juris diccndi, a Power
to Ik 0^^ giving Laws to others) 'to remit of
offjjj' their where either (hrft) they^re/j
ijii[|j ' too hard \jL^onparticular perfons 5 or elfe
' (fccondly) to [apply the defelJs of the faid
' Lam, where they provide not lufliciently
j/fjl 'for particular cafes 5 in order thereunto,
^(7 ' ^heir Determination by the natu-
' ral rules of Jufiice and goodnefs, rather
jg jgg'' than by the Letter of the Law.
jU, And a litde further, the fame Dodor or Puiicr's mo-
jgj goes on . faying, ' moderation, in the iTofs!?-
' ' Forenfick fence wherein we take it, is de-
' fined by Ariftotle to be the Correction of
the Laws wherein hecaufe of their Vniverfa- AriiiEth. 1.5..
lity they are deficient. ' From whence,
' as it mufl be fuppofed, to be confined
' to thofe to whom the Adminifiration of
'the Laws is committed, who Alo?ie can
'have the Power of correRing them ; So
'nothing therefore will be further requi-
ykt to fhew, than that it difpofeththem,
'where
S
itisffl'
dfe
Malte
indk'
ote
fW
Ion
( 28 )
'\<rhere the Lavps prefs too hctrd upon .m
^farticulax perfcns, to relax the Rigour
'of them, as on the other fide, where
' they do notpovideior them,
' to fupply their defeat ^ y
'All Laws^ we know, are for the pu-
^nilhment of Evil Doers, or for the
' praife of them that do well: but it be- ^
' ing impoflible fo to provide for the pu-
'nilhment of evil doers,as not fometimes
'tobring even the Innocent within the
'compafsof it j becaufewhat, general-
' ly confidered, ought to be lookt upon
' and cenfured as evil, may yet upon fun- ^,
' dry confiderations and circumftances ? ^
' have nothing of evil in it, or at leaft be
'worthy of pardon 5 either the feore-;?/ '''I'
'muft fufer together with the wceut,
' ( which lb benign a vertue as that we ^
'treat of cannot al/ow) or it muft difpofe
' thofe to whom the Adminifirationoithe
''Laws is cornmitted to remit of their
' rigpuY in fuch particulars, and exempt
'them from the undergoing of it: it r
'being in like manner impoftible for
I-
Cap)
* fo to provide for the incouragement of
^thofe who deferve well, as that feme-
* time fuch may not be paft over or neg-
' leded 3 partly becaufe all cafes cannot be
' forefeen by the Lavp-giver 3 and partly
' by reafon of the fhortnels of his expreffi-
'ons3 either fome.who may deferve in-
'couragemto may be excluded from
'partaking of it, (which fo benign a ver-, ^ftScHpnm
/ o J V £> Le^tsan^unum
tite as we ipeak or cannot cajUy permit) mtcrprctatio
^orit muft difpofe thfe to whom thetStS'l^'^'
^ Adminijlration of the Laws committed
' to ampliate their yi7^«ar53. and to take fuck
' within the compafs of them.
Once again, ' Equity and moderation^
faith He in the next page, ' is the publick.
''Imejiy of the Lawsj without whicii,
'Jufike often would be turned into
^Wormwood', it contains the excellent
' Spirit ( Sixvoict ) the mind and reafon of the
^ Law^ and is the mod: Sacred and vene-
' rahle part of it: As it is the honour and
'perfe^ion of the Laws^ fo it is the SanSiua-
* ry of fuch as happen to be opprejf ?d by the
' Rigour of the Letter. - -
E I
(3°). _ . ,
I will now. Sir, trouble voii with but
one inftance more upon this Subject,
(though I could mukipiv, I am confi-
dent. Authorities of this kind even be-
yond your patience) and that is of One, ^
that will needs be Anonymus, and there-
fore fo he fhall pafs for mc, but his words
are Thefe.
The Il-annony ^It is the Prerogative of the Khg^ to
Law, in a dif- ' difpevce with viany A^s of Parliament iafofis I
nw1-dniu"gof' by a ^ Non-obfia?ite, oxclaufe of netwith- Jinlf'f
'JiafiJhig^ efpecially fuch^ as bind him ?£s)ai
' from any Prerogative^ that is folely, and 3ait,ar
' infegarably annexed to his Sacred Perfon^
' and Royal Power. '. . :-atter
And even to the Afterick^here isthis mI
marginal Note, viz.' 44.Eliz. inthehoufe iij,
* of Commons Sir George Moor faid 5 We
' know the Power of her Majefty cannot
'be retrained by any Act. Why there-
' fore Ihould we thus talk ? admit we
' Ihould make the ftatute with a Non-
Queen may grant a ■[|^
134' ' Patent with a N(^n'ObJiante to crols this
' Non-objiante.
I have done, Sir,now with our Rever-
% end Prelates and Dodlors of the Church
1 c® of England as to this Particular, and hope,
I have fufficiently proved to 7ou,ihat their
ot(k y udgment and VoEirine doth clearly
liifc warrant this Qreat Prerogative of dif-
iwds pencing with Penal Laws^ to be in the
King.
%,: Let us fee in the next place what were
arljjiiis theReafons that induced the Reverend
^itim Judges in Weftminfter Hall, who (the
dukIIi Law fayes) are the Expofitors of A6ts of
Parliament,and are \]kcwikCuJlodes jurati
nM f. Praerogathde Regioe,) fo openly andfo-
lemnly, mer mature deliberation^ to de-
hercis! dare their Refolutions in this Point for
idx' the ICing.
The Reafons that perfwaded them were
| Thcfe that follow, viz,
/Iff in ^ •
ai'f I That the Kings of England are S#
j] vcraign Princes.
gfl 11. That the Lawsoi England zxc the
Pings Laws.
11L That therefore it is an Incident
Infeparable
(32)
Infeparable Prerogative in the Kings of
England'^ as in all other Soveraign Prin-
ces to difpence with Venal Laws in parti-
cular cafes, and upon particular neceffary
Reafons. S on
IV. That of thefe Reafons, aixithefe
Neccflitics, the King himfelf is the (ble
Judge. And dien which is Confequent sirSjtl
upon all. .licor
V. That this is not a Trufl inveftcd in, iCrow
or granted to the King by the People, };^l)l]i
but is tlie anticnt Remain of the Sove- ig,
raign Power, and Prerogative of the Kings
of England, which never yet was taken
from them, nor can be.
Now, Sir, if fuchhath been the Do-
<6trine of our moR£z7;/«ew/Clergy of the
Church of England^ (and in it they have
delivered to us nothing but the words
Truth in Righteoufnefs) that the King
by his Imperial Sever aignt^^ when hcftiall
fee the Neceffity of the State to require
• it, (of which he is the only Judge,) may
difpence with Venal Laws 5 How can you,
or
f) 3
^nis
( 33 )
oranx man, who isa fincerc lover of the
^ I?®' Church otEnglanddilTatisfied with the
Refolution of our Reverend Judges in this
matter, feeing the Reafons they went up-
on were only fuch as were exadtly corref
pendent with the avowed Doc^frines be-
ikfols fore recited 5 and that by this Declaration
of theirs, the Law of the Kingdom of
England concerning this foveraign Power
ydlds in the Crown, is no more, than what was
le kf before publickly alferted to be the Divinity
kSoi; of the Kingdom.
tk& Befides, Lex vigilat pro Rege, faith the
ratal: Law, and the Judges are fworn to main-
tain all the Kings Prerogatives 5 which
are part of the Law of England^ and com-
itlic' prehended within the fame 5 therefore it
is faidjthat Imperij Majejias efl Tutela Sa-
:tkfi2 the Dignity of the Prince is the Peo- ^
k pies Security. The Kings Prerogative
ttk^ and Priviledges, are incident to his
jikii Crown, and He need not prefcribe in any
orcijtJ Prerogative, for R is as ancient as his
Crown is, and is not only the Law of the
Exchequer, but the Law of the Land,
I F as
_ (34)
as that which is his by the ancient Laws of
N.Bcndi. ri7. the Land. Wherefore the Judges of the sioniev
Courts of Weftviinfter are to judge in mat- ,jot bi
ters of Prerogative by this Rule,that w hat- [ertam
jirph tit. Pre- foeycr may be for the Benefit and Profit d'dui!
irog
V
of the King,(hall be taken mod; largely for
MM
him, & whatever may be againft him,and
for his difprofit (hall be taken fl:ri<d:ly:
and it is the Duty of every Judge of all j
Courts, High and Low, to take great
care to preferve the Kings Right, and
,08^ purpofe to take every thing at the
bed for him.
And, Sir, mto the Judges the People j
Royauiftsde- houudluflly and finally to fubmit them ,,
^ felves for matter of Law, according to the
* ■ 1 1.1 r y •Wwi
opinion of the Learned Author of the
Royallifs Defence.
£ut I remember likewife you feemed
to dartle at the thoughts of this Power 5
and were afraid, if at any time the King
Ihould think it necejfary and convenient to
exert it, and to grant a general Liberty of
■» ' • * — ^ -m
m
tr,
t
Confcience, that the Church of England
would be extreamly fhak^n in her fecmi-
iu
( 35 )
ty. What ftrange*Jealoufies and Sufpiti-
ons fome weak men may have,I fuppofe it
will not be here worth while to confiderj
but certainlv our Great Supporters of the
Ark. of GoJ can never allow themfelves in
fo femhiine a paflion. They know they
have an infinitely wife Go J, and a mofl
Gracious King to truft to : this hath
been their Doctrine, and ought we not to
pradice it ? The^iy,
I.' They havetheCare and Providence
'of God for their Security, who is KmgJoWanch
' of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the only
' Ruler of Princes , and that the Hearts
' of Kings are in his Rule and Governance.^
' and He doth difpofe and turn them as feetti-
' eth beft to his godly Wifdom: according
' to what Solomon faid, and perhaps upon
'his owm experience. That the Kings
Heart is in the hand of the Lord^ as the Ri-
vers of Water., he turneth it whitherfoever he
mil 'SO THAT THEY HAVE ALL
THE SECURITY THAT ANY PEG-
'PLE IN THE WORLD EVER HAD,
' HAVE, OR OUGHT TO HAVE. Be-
'fides, L 2 2. They
^ ^ _ ,fU(
2. Ther have a moft Gracious King to ,
truft to. For,
His Majcftics I. They have his Royal Word, that he 'f
occLriS'S?pote^ and maintain the Church of
England, in the free exereife of her Religi-
on, as hy Law eftablifhed 5 ' and can fhe
Bifhop ofc/fieT-'ever be trufted in fafer Hands than his? ^ Y
uTfup!""°" 'He hath done more than ever any of
' us durft ever venture to look for, to give '
" us Confidence in hini^ enough to puzzle 3. T|
' out Underftandings, as well as our Gra- sace ^
' titude: And how can he give us better
^ fecurity than he has done ? Shall we fuf-
""ped him without caufe? or remain jiSoul
' diflatisfied when he hath given us the
' befi: fecurity that our Caufe admits of? "i net
' Tofufped: our Prince, where we can- mjt
'not help our felves, is of all fears the lioare
' moft unreafonable.
2. Again, ' We have the Confcience of rai t
jbvian ut ftp. J Prij2ce for our fecurity, who hath
' all the moral Obligations, and the fear jH;
' of God, to keep him from opprefting
'us, fo long as we keep our felves within
' the Confcience of the Duty which we owe |
' unto him, ' ;The
( 37 )
'The Common Principles of Huma-
'nity, Juftice and Equity, are engraven
' by the Finger of God upon the Minds
* of Kings,as well as upon other Mensj and
' they cannot do wrong upon any parti-
^ cular Perfon, much lefs to great num-
' hers of their Subjeds, without under-
' going the fame uneafie remorfe that o-
' ther men do, when they injure one ano-
' ther. This hath been found by fad ex-
' perience in Pagan Princes. And if
^Confcience be a reftraining Principle in
' Heathen Princes.^ if they cannot without
'fuch Soul torments pervert Juftice, and
' violate their Oathes, and the Laws, it
* muft needs much more be a powerful
'Principle of Reftraint to ChriftianKhigs^
' who are taught to know that they are
' Gods Minifters, and that he will call
' them to a fevere Account for oppref-
' fing his People over whom he fet them
'And fhall not the.fear of God's Anger
' and Judgments keep the Soveraign from
injuring of them ?
• 3. But further ftill, ' As the Church of
England-
^ ^ , . icha
\ England hath the Prince's Confcicnce,
* for her Security, fo fire hath his honour '
' toOi For Princes (like other men) arc ^
' tender of their Honour, and good
'Name, and are powerfully rcftrained
' by fhame from doing Evil to their Sub-
'jc6ts. Though they may be defir- ^
'ous for their honour to have the Times ®' J
'computed from their Conquers, yet
' the fame Principle of Honour will ordi-
' narily make them afhamed to have them
' computed from their Maflacrcs, and ,
' Perfecutions, which will but get them
' the Surname of the Bloudy^ or the Tyrant^ '
' unto the end of the World. Honour,
' as Moralifts obferve, is a Secondary, or
'Civil Confcience.
And as for our Prince, ' who was ever
'fo exceeding tender of his Honour eis
"t' He ? fo juft to all, and hath He not
promifed to uphold and maintain this ^ eitl
Church, and her Legitimate Children? ^Aci
—— 'He knows, that ours is a Religion
' that hath alwayes aflerted the Rights of
'theCrown, with life and fortune : and %
how
( 39 )
'how cheatfully the Members of it have
'fpent their Blood and Treafure in his
' OvpTij his late Majeftie'sy and his Father s
''Service^ and how they ftand afFedted to
' \m Prerogatiue.
'And He is very well content, we
' fliould be as faithful to God, as we are
' to hivi 5 as true to our Religion^ as to
' our King: God preferve and profber him
'for it.
Now fince our Religion (as to the
free exercife of it) is thus Secured to us, •
and feeing that by his Majefties -Gracious
declaration he is willing that no man
Ihould be/dreei/to his Religion, ot drove
againft his Confcience from the Religion
he profeffeth , and feeing it is manikfl-
ly neceffary, that, as Sails, fo Laws, are
to be turned, and as Occafion, time and
eircumftance, and reafon of ilate fhall
dired, either to be altered , or revoked:
And if ASts of Parliament formerly made
to try what good eifedts they could
vork in the Rate, do apparently prove
mifchievous and ineffedual by their too.
great
( 4® ) ■
great rigour and violence, and by the
Great Numbers of thofe that are of dilTen- i
ting Judgments ? ¥•''
What diflionour can it be for the King
to lay them afleep for a while to day thofe
padionate heats, and fierce oppofitions
of fuch as feem adverfaries to his Grace,
or for any Parliament to repeal them,
for the fame Reafons, non coercet fed
provocat viokntia , For too heavy a
hand upon thofe whom the Law cafts
down, Ihews the will rather to opprefs i)(4
the Offender, then to cure the offence ? :m C
'Tis the greatefl honour to Kings, that kki
their mercy, like that of the Almighty, .(npu
is more eminent than their Juftice, and
that their Benches, and Courts, can w itnefs ajki'i
more compaffion than feverity $ for He 4 in
that fets open the Prifon doors in fo wife atkl
and gracious a manner, meaneth not 4
to conquer the Hearts and Confciences
of his People by Torment, but towinn
them by mercy and fweetnefs. Clemen- tiBla
cy is a virtue fometimes of as great poli-
cy as Piety, becaufe it begets Love, and
Love
oyt tove breeds Loyalty, commands the very
ft Soul, and lays the Body at the Feet of the
obliger; Mercy kindles Fire and Zeal in
the Hearts of Subjed:s.
jvtki Liberty of Confcience is a Natural
lolltio? Right, and therefore our Saviour com-
iGrat pellednone to receive his Dodtrine, but
il fc eji Dominus non Cogens^ he is not a con-
mt f ftraining Lord, but committing his Liber-
liayv, ty to the will, faid publicldy to all, if any
ileal: man fpill come after me-^ and to his Apoftles,
lOfprd Will ye alfo go away ? and his Difciples
were not Commanders, but Inftrudlors
og5, tk and Teachers, which was their Commiili-
Jmigk on. Compulfion and terrene Penalties are
[jcfj t out of his Jurifdidtion, whofe Kingdom was
inififfi not ef this World, which he acknowledgeth
jfofk not only in fpeech, but in pradtife: For
jnfof. when the Difciples would have commanded
ir 'Fire from Heaven to hav.e confumed the
flfci® Samaritans, he rebuked them 5 and when
(OiH he was apprehended by the Chief Prieils
ri0 and Elders, he could have commanded 7
Legions of Angels, but would not. It is
, # G Irrdigion
( 42 )
Irreligion to take awaf tKe Liberty of Re^
de Ad bgion 5 {o .Tertullian^ ctd Irreligicfiat'is Elo-^-
- -i' 1 i 39: cGvcurrit; this concLitreth to the com-
Q.endation of kreligion, to take away the
fiBerty of RclFgion, &c. and thereforej,
faith the Apohle, we have not Doviinion over-
ToTir Faith.-
Sir, r cannot' tell how weli to- (hiitH up
this Difcotirfe without the. words: of that?"
Learned' and moRReverend^ T)tiGerard
Langhauw^whowsts Frovoft^o^'Qiieen^s GoL
ledge in Oxford; h well known to ail, not
only at home, but abroad; that the Fa^
moiis Rhetorician, Longinm^ could fcarce
fpeak any thing beyond the merit of fo ex-
cellent a Perfon: This Dodior in his Judi*
cious Refutation the Daninable League
& Covenant^ (which was then fo furioufly
contended for) to be impofed upon the Coni'
fciences of thole who expreffed thditTjeai
to his Majejiies rigl?teous caufe^ inwhieb,'
without all peradventure, he fpoke the in-
ward Sentiments of all the Loyal Suffering
Clergy oi England^ doth tb^e moft admL
rably inflrudb us, what a fandy Found-
atiopi that is, which fuppoKs Perfecu-
tion for Confcience fake. His words fol-
low.
^ Pcrfecution in matters of mecr Rcli-, , .,«
, . . _ . • n 1 -v-r
iglon IS a Courie againlt the Nature orview ofrhec®-
' Religion it felf, for Faith, the Soul of Ro- 76??
'ligion, is an inward A6t of the Soul,
' which all the Tyranny in the World, that
' the malice of the Devil can invent, or
' the wit of man can excrcife, can neither
' plant where it is not, nor extirpate where
'it is. It is the gift of God, freely begot-
' ten in the Hearts of Men, not by threats
'and Terrors, not by Tortures and Mai-
' facres, but by the quiet ftili voice of die
'word preached, Suadenda, non cog€?ida,
'And therefore though a Lawful
' Governour in the Church, flatly dil-
'claims any domineering Power over the
'Confcience. As for the outward pro-
'fcilion of Religion, neither is that Sub-
' jed to force and violence: A man may
[ confefs Chrift, and his Faith in him, as
r ^ G 2 ' freely
1 M ' - " 1
* freely in bonds, as at Liberty 5 as glori- ;
' oufly upon the Crofs,as upon the Throne; ^ jl^(
* Rar indeed may incline a weak Confci-
'enceto dilTembk his Opinion, but can-
' not conftrain him to alter it: Fire and
' Faggot are ftrong Arguments of a weak ,
' Cauk, undeniable Evidences of Cruelty
' inThofe that ufe them, but flender, mo-
' tives of Credibility to beget faith in thofe
* that fuffer by them, Laftly^ for the ex-
'ternal, free, and publick pradife of Re-
* ligious Duties, that I grant may be re- _ r
^ ifrained by the outward violence of V
' man, but when it is lb, it is not requi- '
' red by God, wdio- never expedts to reap
' what he dicl not fow.
In another place, he favs, ^ the mofr '
'Antient Apologifts for the Chrifhan ^
* Fakh, life this as an Argument to prove
* the Religion of their Perfecutors to be
' falle, and their own true. That ftood in
' need of humane force to maintain it, but
''theirs (food by the fole Power of God. ! ^
'it is againft(faycs he a little further)
'the
Innate Principle of tfie Lay of Na-
lionr 'ture, Quod tibi fieri ?iou vis^ alteyi ne
Coii ^frceris, Thofc, who plead moft for cx-
)Dtci. *tiipation of Hereticks, ,when it conies to
iiffilj'be their own Turn to be under the
ftand for Liberty of Confcience,
'and declaim againft Perfecutiori for Re-
' ligion, as a thing utterly unlawful 5 and
* furely if we will not fufFer it from others,
'we may not ufe it our felves.
Therefore, as Pr fuller rightly layes,
hf ever the Pradlice of Moderation, as
I I'wellasany Difcourfe thereof, werefca-
Tenable 5 it may be fuppofed now,
when, for ought we know, the lafhng
^' happinefs of the Kingdom and Churchy
M ^ ' may depend immediately upon this rare
I J 'and dehrabloTem^r, acknowledged of
^'allmoft excfflent.
' I will conclude all with that Admira-
yL]e_^Sentence of Vr Barrow in his fore-
^ mentioned Treatife, Relief of the Op^
or Clemency to tl^e dijirejfed^ are ?iO'
I hie Flowers in every Soveraign Crown,
Thus
FINIS.
You fee how ready I
as far as my Abilities will extend., to
contribute to the Satisfadion of Your
Judgment. I fhall be as zealous Ihll to
go on in fo pious a Duty, if there be
any remaining doubts and Scruples you
will make known to,
SIR,
Your humhk Servantf &c
AN'
Answer to a late Pamphlet,
INTITULED,
€lje JutJffmcttt anti S^^octrtne of t&e Clctrg^
church o/england,
Concerning one Special Branch of the
KING's PREROGATIVE;
VIZ.
5n Mfpmfing nxti) tj)t penal-2,a«js.
SHEWING
That this is not afferted by
The Mod Reverend Fathers in God , the Lords Arch-
Bilhops, Bancroft^ Laud and Vjher.
The Right Reverend Father in God, the Lord Bifhop
Sanderfcn.
The Reverend Dod:ors, Dr.Heylitt^ Y}r:.Earron\ Dr. Sherlock
Mailer of the Temple^ Dr. Hkks^ Dr. Nalfon^ Dr.Pu/Ier^
So far as appears from their words cited in T H i S
PAMPHLET.
In a L E T T E R to a Friend.
LONDON,
Printed for at the Rofe and Croivu in
St, Paul's Church-yard. M DCLXXXVfl.
M
I-; id
, l! '
k'iV
^tii
i!i
li'.i'
in
Have 1
y. ci
VI
Imprimatur,
■.fat it is:
I i
Maj 13.
1687.
■J; for In
tCtoin;
GV1 L» N E ED H AM^ M not
'^on
M\k
* fi
jfiui
3 tonic
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!!•""» ri
^ *»itl
t
An Anfwer to a late Pamphlet, <5cc.
SIR,
I Have received the Book you Tent me, Intituled, IThe
Judgment and Dolirine of the Clergy of the Church of Eng-
land, concerning one fpecial branch of the Kin^s Preroga-
tive, viz. Difpenfing with the Penal Laws. ] Had I not
now learnt to wonder at nothing, it would a little haVc
furprized me; but now I (hall only tell you that I have read it,
and do not like it: And referving one little reafon for by and by,
viz. That it is not true: I fhall at prefent give you fome other
reafons of my diflike, to prevent miflakes.
And firft negatively. Not becaufe it is for the King s difpenfing
Power; For I never envy my King any Prerogative that belongs
to his Crown: And tho, it may be, liSs Branch of the Prero-
EMi! gativewas not fo well underftood in former days, yetitiscer-
tainly now the right of the Crown, as much as the Opinion of
the Judges can make it fo; and I never difpute againfl: fuch an
Authority : And I think it is a difparagement to the judgment
of the Reverend Judges to call in Clergy-men to help them ouf; ■
I when he himfelf tells ViS.,\).^y.Vnto the Judges the people are hound
laftly and finally to fuhmit themfehes for matter of Law. Why
then does he make any further difpute about the matterAs if
he diflrufted the Judgment of the Judges, or thought that peo-
pie would rather believe Divines thsin Judges in matter of Law;-
which would be a great fcandal to that Reverend and Learned
Bench. And therefore, I confefs, I am very much offended-
with that priority he gives to the Judgment of Churchmen in
this point, before the Judgment of the Judges. He fays, fPe'
could not refolve our [elves in this great point [ of the Supreme-
Power inherent in, and infeparahly annexed to the Crown, to difi
penfe with Penal Laws) hut hy thefe two ivays. ;
A I. To
2 Anftrer to a Pamphlet, about
J. To fee, hoiv far the judgment of cur Church-men, appearing
in their Dotirines ( which are for our edification') doth warrant 'if
this Prerogative to he in the King. r 1
1. To ^ee bow far the fudges Refoluthns (in declaring their
fence of the Law of the Land in this douhtful quefhion) do agree
in fuch their Judgments and Dohirines.
Fie for Hume ! Firft, make the Clergy Judges of Law, and
Preach edifyingly about the Prerogative, and then fet them be-
fore the Judges themfelves, as a Rule and Pattern for them to
follow; and then, as it naturally follows, judg over tht Judges
judgment by its agreement with the judgment of about
Law and Prerogative. If the Writer of this Letter was z. Divine,
it argues a good Opinion of his own Profeflion; but if he were ydhix,
a Lawyer, or but a Juftice of Peace, I know what he deferves. "tofofpf
Secondly, This brings me to the pofitive Reafonsof my dif-r'.sotift
like of this way, and they are comprehended in two: i. That ydfe
I do not think fit to lay fuch ftrefs upon the Judgment of Church- Mnitio
men in matters ofLaw,^nd fuch, fure this unlimited difpenfing ci',!
Power is, a meer point of I.aw; and that fuch an atftrufe point ampon:
too, as not all Lawyers, nay not all Judges have formerly been
agreed about. Now, what does a Churchman s. Judgment fig- -MHe
nify in matters of Law ? No man's Opinion is of any value, but :Toit!ie(
in fuch things wherein he is skilled; now a Churchman does
not fignifie one, who is skilled in Law, but in Divinity .• And MirjjK
tho a Church-man Ihould be a good Lawyer ; if he gives his
Opinion in any point of Law, his Opinion is not valuable, as
the Opinion of a Church-man, but of a Lawyer; for fuppofe jj p
a Church-man were skilled in Phyfick too, would you value his
Judgment in Phyfick ever the more, becaufe he is a Church-^^0.
man ? Or think your felf more fafe in his hands, than in a pro-
fefied Phyficians ? There are Interlopers indeed in all Piofeffi- ,
ens, but that any man's Judgment fiiould be valued, becaufe
ing of one Profelfion himfelf, he gives judgment in another, is a V
& Myftery to roe. And therefore this Writer ihould firft have y';
proved all thofe great Divines, Arch-billiops, Biftiops, Deans,
Dodors
Difpe/ifitig with the Venal Larrs. ^
DoAors, M'itii hofe names he hath fo pompcufiy filled his Title
Page, and towhofe judgment he appeals about tiie King's Pre-
rcgative, to haxe been great Lawyers^ as well as great Divines,
or elfe tlie Caufe is Coram mn judice • and yet he i akes no olber
at this, unlefs by the Title he gives Dr. Sherlock, of Majler
of, the Temple, he would intimate his great skill in Law too; but
this will not do; for his Book of Non-refilbance was written be>
fore he hv'd within the intecTion of the Law-air. So that it
feems a very great injury to the Caufe to appeal to fuch Judges
as have no skill in the matter: For what credit can the Opinion
of Divines do it, when it is not a point of Divinity, but of Law
that is in queftion.-^ For it is generally feen, that thofe arc very
apt to miilake, v ho guefs at things cut of tlieir Ken ; and people
are apt to fufped: that fuch contemplative men, who keep their
Studies, and feldom look abroad into the World, may form fine
Romantick Idea's of Government, which will not fuit the pub-
lick Conftitutions of Kingdoms and Nations.
Secondly , I think it is a very dangerous thing to put the
Queflion upon fuch an ilTue as this: The defign of it, I fuppofe,is
to recommend it to the Layety of the Church of England: by
fuch venerable Names ; but he fhould have confidered, that the
Layety of the Church of England are not fo Prieft-ridden, as they
are ^xRorne and Geneva', they have not an implicite Faith in
their fpiritual Guides, and their Guides do not defire they. Ihould
and therefore it is not their Names but their Arguments mull
prevail ,• but if people are taught to rely on the opinion of their
Minifters in fuch Prerogative Difputes, the Popifh Eriejls and'
fhanatkk Miniflers are great Politicians too ^ but if they may
be Judges, Sovereign Princes will get nothing by it. The Church
of England indeed has always been addidied to the Service of
the Crown, but there are other Maxims of Government among
other men.- Bellarmin and Suarez, and Mr. Baxters Common-
Wealth, and the Didenters Sa^ngs, not to take notice now of
the Apoftate, are not very favourable to the Prerogatives
of Princes ; and I fear people are more inclinable to follow, fuchj
Guides.
4 Ak Avfwer to a Pamphlet^ about
Guides as thefe, and therefore 1 fliould have tliought it more ad-
vilable to have taught people more to rely on the Opinions of
Judqes tlian of Divines^ in matters of Prerogative and Law ; be-
caufe I fear tliat-the honed Prerogative Divines will be greatly
out-numbred by the Popijh and Phanatick Common-ivealths'
tven ; and whether this M'ili prove for the fervice of the King,
diould have been confidered.
z. My fecond Reafon, why I diflike this way is, That I fear
inflead of doing fervice, it will do great didervice to tbe Ping ,
by weakning the Authority of thole many excellent difcourfes,
which have been written about Non-refiftance, and which did
great fervice, not only to former Kings, but even to our
prefent Soveraign in the late evil and critical times. It will not
eafily be forgot how many hard Cenfures thofe honed
Divines underwent , u'ho durd both from the Pulpit and
the Prefs.oppcfe that facdious humour which was then fo rampant,
and prefaged'thofe wicked Confpiracies, which were afterwards
by the Divine Providence fo happily difcovered and difappointed.
The Dodtrine of Non-refidance would very hardly go down,
and the great objecdion againd it was, That it madeithe Prince
abfolute, and fet him above all Laws, which were Laws no Ion-
ger than he pleafed to have them fo; and thus our Lives and Pro-^
pertics,and Liberties and Religion,were at the Will of the Prince;
and if this were really the natural confequence of the Dotdrine
of Non-refidance, I fufped: it would to this day put a great many.
Englifli Subjecds out of conceit with it; and yet this is in great
meafure the defign of this Letter, to apply thofe Sayings or Ar-
guments, which were urged for the Docdrine of Non-refidance,
to prove a Difpenfing Power inherent and infeparable from the
Crown. Now far be it from me to difpute this Point, Whe-,
rher there befuch an inherent Right in the Crown or no, efpeci-
ally as far as the Judges have determined that there is; but this
I fay. That it is not a necedary Confequence of the Do(drine of
Non-refidance, that becaufe we mud not redd our Prince, wdiat-
ever he does, therefore he may de jure difpenfe with what Laws
he
Bi fpenfing mth the Penal Laws. 5^
he pleafes ; and I think it is for the Interefl of the Crown, tliat
^ thefe two fliould be kept diftinc^t; that the Prerogatives of the
' Crown fliould be aflerted and maintained upon their own bet-
tom ; and that the Dodrrine of Non-refiilance ( which niuft
defend all other Prerogatives, and is a better and cheaper fecu-
» rity than Forts and Caflies } may not be entangled with other
,f Difputes, which will weaken its Authority, though it be Divine,
■ ^ when it is clogged, asfome men will think, .with luch uneafie
I' and fatal confecjuences. This, 1 contefs gives me-a juLt indigna-
tion againfl thofe half-witted Scriblers,who to fervc, as tlicy think,
a prelent turn^^ have endeavoured to lellen the Reputation, and
to weaken the Arguments of thofe Divines, who have appeared .
fo zealous for the Dodrine of Non-refiRance and PalTive Obe--
. dience, by affixing a great many confequences to them, which are
neither confequences, nor theirs; and by wrefting'their words
to other purpofes, than they intended ; and for this reafon I judg
it a very good piece of Service to the Crown to undertake the
ipcWi Vindication of the men, and of their Dodrines.
;o^ For Divines to determine jxiints of Law, elpecially fuch as re-
leFrfo qy|j.g inlight into the nature of the ConRitu-
iDOjC.' ^ J obfcrved before, is out of their Sphere; but obe-
® dience to Soveraign Princes, both Adive and Paffive, is not mere-
jy J point of Law, but a Gofpel command, and this they not
only may, but ought to explain and prefs upon the Confciences
at IB®' of their hearers : This the Church of England felf has done
in the Homily of Obedience,and this the Minifters of the Church
gsorv taken all occafions to do, and with that fuccefs, that there
are not more Loyal Subjedsin the World, than the true Sons of
the Church of England ; but farther than this, they have not
r gone , or if a few dablers in Politicks have, let them anfwer for
themfelves: The Scripture teaches Obedience, but the Preroga-
tives of Princes, and the Liberties Qf Subjeds, are the matter of
human Law^sand Conilitutrons, which properly belong to ano-
ther Gown.
^ And
6 An Anf'orcr to a Famphlety about
J ^ ... ^ . -.ssd oil
And thus I co'ne to confider what Teftiinonies this Writer ^hsis!
has produced to prove, That it is the DoiTrine and Judgment of . ni/rii
the Reverend Clergy of the Church of EnHand, that the Power
of Difpenfing witli any Laws is an inherent and infejiarable
Right of the Crown; where I will not meddle with the main j^Hi'cr
point, Wlierher tlie King have any luch r.g- it ( for I will not dif-
pute that) but whetherthele Divines, vvnofe Authority is al-
Jedged in the caufe, ever taught any fuch Dod:rine. He begins
with the Reverend Dr. ET/ch Dean of Worcejler^ and endeavours
to render one of the beft Bocks that ever was w rote for Paffive -ggf.
Obedience, wholly ufelefs or odious to thofe men who are not
fond of the difpenfing Power. But what does the Dean teach
That the Engl. jh Realm /s a perfeit Soveraignty or Empire^ and 'illj.jj.j!
that the Kinj^ of England hy the Imperial Laws of itps a Compleat^ ), ' •
Imperial^ Independent Severaign ; that it is a contradiliion to call i-^
this an Imperial Crown unlefs he have all thofe Rights ,
which are involved in the very Notion of his Imperial Sjveraigntv. i "
Weil! to make iliort w ork with it, docs the Dean fay, That
this Difpenfing Power is one of thofe Rights which are involved ■
in the notion of Imperial Soveraignty ? No,he fays no fuch thing; /'V
but this Writer fays fo for him, that this Power of difpenfing with
Penal Laws mud he^ or nothings cne of thofe Prerogatives ; which
he proves from Sir Robert Pointz his Vindication of Monarchy; 'f'
and w'hat then t fuppofe it be, does the Dean fay fo t for that T'
is the only point in queflion. What his Judgment is
No, but he fays, That the Imperial Crown has all the Rights
which are involved in the Notion of Imperial Soveraignty, and M
our Author can prove, that the difpenfing Power is fuch a Right,
and therefore the Dean mufl grant, that this difpenfing Power
is a Right inherent in the Crown. Very well! A Popiili Priefl
Will allow, that an Imperial Crown has all the Rights that are
involved in the Notion of Imperial Soveraignty ; now fay I, a
Supremacy in all Caufes, over all Perfons, as well Ecclefiaftical as
Civil, is an inherent Authority of the Imperial Crown ; there-
fore Popiili Priefe renounce the Supremacy of the Bifliop of
Rome,
:it(t
'or
iriHi"
Ei"
Otifr
iii'
ivouis
ikik:
rack' ■
wf;:,-.
uid\
idvfe
clltlll^
Ilk-''
[;
:o®(?
Sate
tliai^
is'-
i/lical'
. tkiCi^
I0'i
Difpenfing with the PetialLaws. 7
R' me, and own the Supremacy of the Kings of If he
think this is not a good proof, let liim confider this matter over
again, which will be worth the while, if it be only to teach him
toReafon a little. When there is any Difpute about the rights
of Soveraignt}', it is a ridiculous inference to fay. That he who
owns all the Rights of Soveraignty, owns whatever any man fays
is a Right of Soveraignty ; for flill he owns no more, than what
he himfelf believes to be fo.
Now I am not concern'd to enquire what Dr. H/cks believes
about the Difpenfing Power, but what he has faid ; and our
Author has not produced one word'out of his Book about it- and
therefore I fuppofe he could not; for his own words had been a
betterAuthority in this cafe thanSirJ{(?lertFo/fitz:I am fure,where
he particularly Rates and enumerates the Rights of Soveraignty,
he takes no notice of it; for as he reckons them-up, they are thefe.
I. To le apvr{u9uif:{ i account able to none except
God. 2. To have thefole Power anddifpofal of Jovian , or an An-
the Sword, a. To he free from all Coercive and 'o
. ■ r? XT T • 1 n 1 Apoftate, chap. lo.
vindicative r ower. q, Isot to te ivithjtood or re- p. 201. Ed. i.
fifled by force., upon any pretence whatjoever. Lajl'
ly. To have the Legijlative Power., that makes any form of words a
Law: The Soveraign Power may indeed he limited as todhe exer-
cife of this Power, which may be confined to Bills and Writings pre-
pared by others ; but flill it is the Soveraign Authority, who gives
Life and Soul to the dead Letter of them. Here is nothing at all
about this Difpenfing Power, when there was a fair oecafion for
it: PoRibly this was an OmilRon, which at that time he did not
think of, that not being the matter of Difpute; or it may be
he was riot fo well inftrudced, and did not think this elTentialto
the notion of all Soveraign Power , as feems probable from his
two forts of Imperial Power, either -of which make an Imperial
Soveraign; fuch as is limited by the Laws of God and nature only ;
or fuch as is limited by the Laws of God and nature, and Civil Laws
and Pablions too; The Power in both forts of Soveraigns is Imperial^
full, perfebl, abfolute and entire-, but the exercife of it is different-
B. ly
8 An Anfwer to a Famphletj about I
I) hounded and regulated; one hy the Laws of God and Nature^ andjhof^
the other hy human pofitive Laws; and the latter limitation^ dothly^^^^
no more dejlroy thefulnefs and perfect ion and Supremacy of the Power^-^ 0 it
than the former ; hecaufe the Soaoeraign^ who is under Political li-^futl
mitations^ as to the exercife of his Power, hath his Power never-yi^iS
ihelefsas ahfolutely, fully and entirely in himfelf, as he that is onlyf^^t
under the limitation of Divine and natural Laws.
Thus the learned Chancellor Fortefcue'fjtiij
glix^c'9"^Rex AnglS grants the King of England to have Regal or ^ulfnh
ijrincipatu nediim Regali Imperial Power, though it he under the re-...flijj(
(ed Politico fuo populo do- flraint and regulathu of the Power political,
;Si"m Rex^STbefe'vatrt 5 ^ FountainL^;
populum tyrannide guber- that hath Channels and Pipes made for
nare, quod folum fit dum within which its waters are hounded in their,
Shibemr"^'^ lege polmca through which they are to
is neverthelefs as perfehl a Fountain,
hath its waters as fully and entirely within it felf as any otheT- C
Fountain, whofe Waters flow from it at liberty, ivithout any fuch regu-\£]^
lation; fo a Ring whofe Imperial Power is limited hy human Confli-^
tut inns in the exercife of it, is never thelejs as compleat a Soveraignf ''
and hath the Soveraign Power as fuUy and entirely within himfelf, as
he who is at liberty to exercife his Authority as he will'. Tohe arhi-'"^
trary is no more of the E fence of an Imp erialSoveraign,than to he j ree"^^
in the courfe of its waters is of the E fence of a Fountain; hut
the Fountain of a'n Aqueduft, for example, is as per fell, in its kind^^
and generally more beneficial and ufefulto mankind, than a free
ingfpring', fo limitedSoveraigns are as perfect and effential Sove-''^''
raigns, as the purely arbitrary and defpotick, and generally more^^'^'
beneficial and falutary to the world. C
A great deal more the Reader may find to this purpofe in the®i
fame place, which pcflibly may be the reafon, why he did not
mention this abfolute Difpenfing Power among the Efiential-,®
Rights of Soveraignty -, becaufe he might imagine , that this' i
might not be eflential to all Soveraigns j not to thofe, the exer-"iifl
cife of whofe Soveraign Power is regulated by Civil and Political ®
Laws,
Vifpenfin^ with the Venal-Laws, a
ir{. t. r
„ Laws, who yet are as perfcd Soveraigns, as the mofl arbitrary
jfj and defpotick Princes. But I do not love to guefs at other mens
'jfj,' thoughts, nor fliill I undertake tojuflifie or condemn this Noti-
on of his; but I think, the Reader by this time fees what little
J reafon there was to appeal to the Dean of Worcefier to jultide
the difpenfing Power.
His next Authority is Arch-bidiop Bancroft, who it feems af-
that the Judges are hut the Kings Delegates, and that the
'ijtl caufes he JhalL pleafe to determine, from the de-
. |v termination of the Judges, and determine them himjelf, ivhich the
/f,,, Archhipoop faid was clear in Divinity, that fuch Authority belongs
to the King by the Word of God in Scripture.
Now I wonder this Writer would produce this, and that for
tbcfe two Reafons.
, . I. Becaufe at that very time in thePrefence of King
'' '■ my Lord Chief Juftice Coke contradidfed the Arch-biihop, and
told the King he could not do it, and gave him his
. Reafons why lie could not, as the Ch. Juftice him- i % Co. Fol,
y,! felf reports it, in that place to which this Writer 64. 5. Jac.
Vreiers.
Now methinks here he lofes more than he gets; for if he have
got a great Church-man, he has loft a very great Lawyer, whofc
Judgment is more confiderable in fuch matters; for as the
Areh-Bifliop could tell him what hath been done in Scripture-
times under the Common-wealth, that Mofes,znd David
and Solomon, and other Kings of Ifrael adminiftred Juftice in
their own Perfons . So the Ch. Juftice could tell him, what the
' Conftitutions of this Kingdom, and the regular form of Law
.. will admit, which is more to our purpofe.
P"1. I wonder a little more, how he can prove the difpenfing
Power from this.- The King may judg what caufes he pleafes
hiirifelf. Ergo, He can dilpenfe with ail Laws when he pleafes;
Does the Power of hearing and trying caufes, and expounding,
and interpreting Laws, include in it a power of difpenfing with
Laws Then it feems every Judg is by his Office a Diipenler
^ with Laws If the King have Power of deteinuning caules in
B X his
I
10 An Anfrver to a Pamphlet, about
his own perfon, muft he juclg with or without Law ? If he judg Ijgjjjjpt
accoiding to the Laws, how docs this prove his Power ot Di- )]in]
Ipcnfing withLaws?Surely this is a Power which can refult only
from a Supreme abfoiuteand unlimited Soveraignty, not from a
mere power of hearing and judging caufes, according to the true
meaning and interpretation of Laws ; fo little does this Writer
underfland what he writes about ; and it is great pity there is '
no more care taken, that the Kings Prerogative do not buffer by
luch unskilful Scriblers.
His next man is a very great one indeed,not only anArchbifhop, j, '
^but a Martyr for his King and the Church ; the famous Arch-
'biOiop Lauil, whofe Judgment would weigh more with- me , '
than fome other mens Reafons. He quotes a faying of his, out
of his Book againft Fijler, but never diredbs us where to find it; '•
and that is a great book to fearch all over for one fingle paflage.- '^0
but however the faying is fo innocent, that we may admit it to '-'N
be his, without farther Enquiry, v/z. That the Supreme Magifirate
in the Eft ate Civil^ may not abrogate the Laws marie in Farliam.ent-,
thohe may difpenfe with the Santiirn or Penalty of the Law^ quoad
hie ^ nunc^ as the Lawyers [peak. Now unlefs quoad hie ^ nune fig- '
nifies a general and unlimited Difpenlation for all perfons at all '-^Oi
times, I fuppofe it does not reach the plenitude of the Difpenfing
Power. Qit^d hie & nunc^ I doubt may be expounded as a limi-
tation of the Difpenfing Power, which will beget a difpute how ■ ^.'oi
far this Power of Difpenfing may extend; for which reafoii I Arw
wdfli he had concealed the Judgment of this great Archbifhop;
tho the comfort is, he was but a Divine, and therefore his Judg- disi
ment not Authentick in fuch matters any farther than this Au- :b,
thorhas made itfo, by appealing to it; efpecially fince he does uiitf
not give his own Opinion' in the cafe, but refers to the received
opinion of Eawyers at that time, which whether it then was for iiai
an abfolute Difpenfing Power, muft be firfi; known, before we ^
can know what the Archbifhops Opinion was. ■ ^,35.
But he makes a much greater flourifii with Archbifiiop Vjher^ 2l(
who wrote an Excellent Book concerning the Power eommuniea- :,
ted hy God to 'the Prince, and the Ohedienee required of the Suh-
jell; '
I Diffenfing with the Peval-Laws. i r
iii-i je^i; out of which he has tranfcribed four or five Pages, how
in' much to his purpofe, fliall be prefently examined : But I muft
t®t firft mind him, what another of his Witnefies, The Right Re-
irtj;' verend Dr. SanderfoH Bifiiop of Lincoln has obfervcd in his Pre-
lift,; face to that Book, Sed:. 9, ix, 13. In the 9 Sedion he takes no-
tice of feveral Objedions which either were or might be made
fee; againft this Book. The Second is, That it is mt for Divines at
all to meddle in thefe matters^ whereof they are not competent Judges^
nor do they come within -the compafs of their Sphere : They ought to
fcilot Ift to the cognizance and determination of States-men and Law-
i iic; who heft underjiand the conflitution of the feveral Governments^
tkt, the force and effetl of the Laws of their own feveral refpeSiive
feoc Countries^ and are therefore prefumedto he hefi able tojudg^ the one
(J^y conflitution} in whom the Soveraignty rejldeth^ and the other
(hy the Laws } how that Soveraignty is hounded and limited in the
[jiitit- exercife thereof
In anfwer to this he fays, Sed. ix. True it is ^ that for the more
mif "f t^^ Governors^ and better fatisfahlion of the people in fecu-
IT, jr. their Properties^ preferving Peace amongfl them^ and doing
them Juflice^ the ahfolute and unlimited Soveraignty^ which Princes
Ijjuj,.' have by the Ordinance of God^ hath at all times^ and in allNations^
)fei ^cen diverfly limited and hounded in the ordinary exercife thereof
as afcl Laws and Cufloms as the Supreme Governors themfelves have
• confented to and allowed. As with us in England., there are fundry
cafes, wherein a Suhjebl, in maintenance of his Right and Proferty^
clilifc' Ting, bring his Ablion, and have Judgment
! ■ Ij. againfl him in open Court ; and the Judges in fuch cafes are bound by
jjjjj'" theirOaths and Duties to right thePartf accordingtoLaw,againfl the
King, as well as againfl the meanefl of his Suhjetls. So that it feems,
this'^Billiop thought that the exercife of the Soveraignty might
; ^ be limited by Laws, and by fuch Laws as would hold good againft
the King himlelf in his own Courts, and therefore that all .Laws
were not difpenfable at the Kings pleafure' f and this Preface was
wrote long after his Cafes of Confcience, of which more pre-
' ■y fently. And he adds, That the debating and determining of eve-
y doubt or contr over fie belongeth to the Learned Lawyers, and Re-
. I: verend
jtd'i -• •
12 An Anfwer to a Pamphlet^ ahoui ^
verend Judges who are prefumed to he heft skilled in the Laws
and Cujhms cf the Land, as their proper fludy, wherein they are
daily converfant j and not to Divines, who as Div/nes^ are not ..jjufon
competent judges in thefe matters, nor do they come within the com- yj,g
pajs of their fphere. By which one would guefs that this Re-
verend Bifhop did not apprehend, that he himfelf had been
guilty of determining fo nice a Point of Law as the Di-
fpen/ing Fewer, the . this Author has difcovered for him, that
^ . ibtt:
Well, but how does he bring off the Arch-biiliop after all this,
for medling with fuch nice points? As to that he tells us. Sell.
13., That there is no need of bringing him oiiF: That, in rela- 'J,
tion to theprefent Treatife, all that he had faid about Divines de- f '
termining Law Cafes, as far as they related to Confcience, might '
wed enough have heen [pared, wherein the Reverend Author, with-
out medling with thefe Funllilids of the Law, undertaketh no.
more hut to declare and ajfertthe Fower cf Soveraign Frinces , as
the. Godhy Fathers and Councils of the ancient Catholick Church,
from'the evidence of Holy Scripture, and the mojl judicious Hea-
then Writers hy dijcourfe of Reafon from the light of Nature, have '"'^'3,
conjlantly taught and acknowledged the fame, as to the unprejudiced
Reader hy the perufalof the Book it felf will eafiiy appear. From
whence one would guefs, that Biihop Saunderfon did not appre-
hend, that Archbifliop Vfker had determined any one point of
Law, about the abfolute or limited exercife of the Soveraign
Power, according to the Conftitution of thefe Realms; and
therein he and our Author differ, who has found the Difpenfing
Power plainly determined by the Archbifhop. But whoever con-
fults the Book it felf (and it will reward any man's pains, ''''1
who will do it) will find, that the Bifhop was in the right, and
thofe Reafons which the Biihop urges, will convince him, Tliat
he was fo. For he will find, that the Archbifhop does not meddle
with the particular Laws and Conftitutions of thefe Kingdoms,
but only urges the Authority of Fathers and Councils, and the
Holy Scriptures, and the confent of Heathen Writers, which
can-no more determine whattheparticular Laws and Conflitu- ^
tions
Difpetifing with the Pettal-Laws. 13
tlons of thefe Kingdoms are, than the Laws of England ctn the
Cuftoms of the Roman Empire. The Archbilhop only conh-
dered what Rights belong to the Soveraign Power, wherever it
is, by the conlent of Scriptures, Fatliers, Councils and Heathen
Writers, who followed tlie liglit and condudiof natural Reafon;
and took it for granted, as the Bifliop oblerves he w eJl might,
That the Kings ot England are Soveraign Princes, and therefore
have all the Rights of Soveraignty belonging to their Crowns:
But how the exercife of this Soveraign Power is limited by the
particular Laws and Cuftoms of Nations, and by the confentand
grants of Soveraign Princes themfelves, which Bifliop
allerts, has at all times, and in all Nations, heen diverjly limited
and hounded, this the Archbifliop fays nothing of; and I cannot
then guefs, how he lliouid determine this point of the Difpenjtng
PojverBut let us now confider what this Author alledges to prove.
That tlte Archbilhop did teach, that this Difpenfing Poiver is an
inherent and infeparable Right of the Imperial Crown : And to
fet this matter in a clearer light, Ilhall place his quotations in
that natural Order tliey ftand in in the Archbiftiops Book.
He having then fearched into the ground of Soveraignty, and(iy
Reafon, and iVitHefes of all forts') deduced the Original thereof from
no lower an head than Heaven it felf as he himfelf tells
us, he proceeds to look a little into thofe Royal Preroga-
tives, which-are annexed to the eminent Eftate of fuch fu-
preme Governors. And the principal thing he takes no-
tice of, is their exemption from Laws ; as the Senate
of Rome decreed to Ne/paf an, That tvlMt Laws foever
either of the Senate or People it was ordained, that- the
Emperor s Predece ffors were not tied to, frotn thofedo^fhould he loofe
alfo; So that this freedom from Laws, tho a Branch of the lm-
perial Power, was decreed ^nd conftrmed by the^Lws of the Em-
pire, and granted to the Emperor by the RomanSenatQ; which in-
deed fignified making him Emperor, for -without' thishe had not
been an Imperial Prince.
But what is this exemption from Laws which belongs to the
Imperial Crown t And that he tells us from the Civilians, That
they
The Power
of Princes, p.
66. Ed t.
1683.
P. (58.
14 An Anfmr to a Pamphlet, about
they are free from all Coa^ive Obedience to them, and are held by
none of the written Ordinances. For the underftanding of which, he jtk ii
diftinguilhes between Law, the Law of the King, and that
which is the Law of God and the King together. As for God's Law, . /fi
which fignifies the unwritten Law of Nature, or the Written -^rath
Word, the greateft Prince in the World is as much bound to obey
it, as the meaneft Subjedf. But then he adds, (which is one of our 'jTeJrc
Author's quotations) By the Law of the King, lunderjlandfuch Or-
dinancesas are meerly Civil and Pofitive;the Coaciive Power whereof
being derived from him who is the fupreme Law-giver under God on f.,i
Earth,he himfelf cannot be properly faid to be tied thereby.^hich. he ,
proves from Grammarians, Civilians, and Schoolmen, and by this ^
good Argument. As no man therefore is fuperior to himfelf, fo no man "f'
hath jurifdiblion over himfelf, becaufe none can oblige a man againjl "
his Will, but only his Superior; and the jurifdiblion over a mans felf 'f'
may be diffolved at pleafure. Which only fignifieSjthat thei^ing is
not bound in his own perfon to obferve the Laws as Subjects are,
becaufe no body has any jurifdidfion over him but himfelf, and
no man can command himfelf any longer than he pleafes. Right!
But fuppofe a Soveraign Prince has bound himfelf by Oath to God
and his Country,that he will obferve the Laws, is he not as much p"
obliged then to obferve the Civil and Pofitive Laws of his Coun-
try,made and confirmed by his own Authority,as he is to obferve
the Laws of God ? for tho by making a Law he does not immedi- -"'j
ately oblige himfelf,yet by his Oath he may. The Archbifhop only • -
confidered what was the Right of Soveraign Power without any
Super-induced obligation, not what a Soveraign Prince might ob- -u!!
lige himfelf to by Sacred and Solemn Oaths; And yet I wonder
this Writer Ihould have no more regard to the Sacred Majefty
of Princes,than to found their Rights upon fuch a Power,as the b
wifeft and beR Princes have not thought fit to ufe: As he might :D(!
have learnt in the fame place had he thought fit to have read
on. For there the Archbifliop quotes the faying of
p. 74. Valenttnian the younger. It is in truth a greater thing ^tcj
than the Empire, to Jubmit the Princedom it felf unto
the Lam. And that of Alexander Severus, Although the Law
of
cnjtng tmth the Terial Laws. i 7
of the Empire hath freed the Emperor from the Solemnities of the
Law, yet nothing is fo proper for Empire as to live by the,Laws.
And that which Sever/ss and Antoninus fctdown fb oft in their
Prefcripts ; Altho we be loofed from the Laws, yet we live by the
Laws. Whereunto alfo we way add, that commendation which Pin-
tarch giveth to Alexander the Great; That he conceived he ought
to be thought Superior to all Men, yet fubjell to Juftice ', That is, to
be obliged to oblerve all the Laws of Juftice, not to be fubjeO:
to any Coercive Power. And Pliny to Trajan, He thinks hirnfelf
to be one of us, and fo much the more excellent and eminent he is,
that he fo thinketh ; and no lefs remembreth that he is a Man, than
that he is a Ruler of Men. For he who hath nothing left to increafe
hu height, hath but this one way to grow by, if he fubmit hirnfelf
being fecure of his Greatnefs. And in his dtredl Speech to the Em-
per or hirnfelf', Thou ejieemejl us the fame, and thy felf the fame,
and in this only greater than the rejl, that thou art better than they.
And, Thou hajl mad.e thy felf fubjebl to the Laws, 0 Cafar, which
were not written to refrain the Prince by ; but Thou wilt have nO'
thing more lawful to Thee, than is to Vs. Now, when this has
been theSenle and Practice of the wileft and beft Heathen Prin-
ces; that it is an Imperial Vertue and Dignity, tho they are free
•from Laws,yet to ftibmit themfelves to the oblervance of Laws;
I ftiould think it no great Complement to aChriftian Prince to
found any part of his Imperial Power upon fucli Exemptions,
as Soveraign Power muft have, but yet, which Soveraign
Prinqes think it their greateft Glory not to ufe : For if the Ex-
ercife of fuch a Liberty be inglorious; that Power, which is
founded on it, cannot be glorious.
■ And here comes in the firft Citation of tliis Writer, who I
think has not mended the Arch-Bifhop's Senfe by altering his
Method. For fuch pofitive Laws as thefe, being (as
the other works of Men are) imperfecl, and not free p{
from many difcommodities 5 if the Jlricl Obfervation 7^.
thereofJJjou Id be perufed in every particular,it is ft the
Suprearn Governourfhould not hirnfelf only be excepted from ftibje-
■ C aion
:!i
llr.
Li
18 An jinjwer to a Tam^hlet^ ahout
Bion thereunto (which fhows tliat before, he had only fpoke of
theperfbnal exemption of the Prince from the neceflity of obey-
ing his own Laws, and that he now enters upon a new Frero-
gative of the Crown in the Words that follow) but dfo be fa far
Lord over them, that where he feeth caufe he may abate, or totally
remit the Penalty incurred by the breach of them, difpenfe with o-
t hers for not obferving them at all, and generally fufpend the execu-
tion of them, when by experience he fljall find the inconventencies to
be greater than the profit that was expeBed jhould redound thereby to
the Common-wealth. Plutarch fetteth this downas a chief point of
that natural skill, which Philopaemen had in Government, that he
did not only rule according to the Laws, but over-ruled the Laws
thcmfelves, when he foundit cond,ucing to the Weal-Publick. Now,
I do not fee one Word in this,but what is the undoubted Right
of the Supream executive Power: For it is impoflible any Nati-
on lliould be well and happily governed,where this Power is not;
And that for this Reafon,which the Arch-Bifhop gives; Becaufc
Human Laws are imperfe6:,and therefore there muft be a living
Authority to fiipply their Defers, and to temper their Severi-
ties, and to pity and relieve Subjefts, when the cale is truly
pitiable. But then there are Ibme natural Limitations of the
exercife of this Power in the moftabfbluteand delpotick Princes,
and there may be Political Limitations of it by the confent of
Soveraign Princes themfelves, according to the Laws and Con-
ftitutions of fsveral Kingdoms. For tho the Imperial Crown
can be divefted of no part of Soveraign Power, yet the exercife
of it may be direded and limited by publick Laws, as M^e heard
before from Bifhop Sanderfon. 7 his laft the Arch-Bifhop takes
no notice of, it not being his defign, as you heard before,to adjuft
the Rights of Princes by Political Laws, but only to confider in
general,what arethe efiential Rights of Soveraign Power, with-
out examining how the exercife of it is diverfly limited in diffe-
rent Countries. And therefore let us only confider what thofe
natural Bounds and Limits are,which he hasfet to this difpenfing
and fufpending Power. And they are included in the reafon of this
Power,
T>'tfpen(tng with tk ^ehal Laws, i p
Power, becaufe all Human Laws are imperfe£l, and therefore
there wants aSoveraign Power, which is fb far Superior to all
Laws, that it can corred their Faults, and fupply their DefeQ:s,
and temper tiiem to fuch particular Ernergencies and Cafes, as
could not be forefeen when the Laws were made. For if human
Laws could be fb exablly framed, as to fit all poflible cafes, if the
Law were for the good of the Common-wealth, tht difpen(ing
with, ox fufpending the execution of fiich Laws, would be a pub-
lick mifchief; And a Power which could ferve no good end,
could be no Prerogative of Soveraignty. And therefore the very
Difpenfation muft be for the publick good, or elfe it is the abufe,
not the natural Right of Soveraign Power. To which purpofe
he mentions the Opinion ofjoh^ of Sarisbury^ P-79- not take
away the dijpenfing with the Law out of the Hands of the Powers, but
fuch Precepts or Prohibitions, as have a perpetual Right, are not,as
I think,to be fubjelled to their Will and Pleafure. In thofe things
only that are mutable, the Dijpenfation with the Letter of the Law
is to be admitted,yet fo as by the compenfation of Honefy or Utility
the Intention of the Law may be intirely preferved.
So that according to this Rule, the natural Inftances of
this difpenfing Power feem to be thefe:When aLaw is made,and
is for the Publick Grood, but happens to fall very feverely upon
fbme particular Perfbns, without their own fault, only becaufe
fuch particular Cafes were not and could not be confidered in
making the Law : here the Equity of the Prince ought to re-
leive fuch Sufterers; according to his long Qimtation out of
JEneas Sylvius P. 91. which this Author has tranfcribed at
large, and we readily own. When the Penalty annexed to the
Law, may in fbme particular cafes be remitted without the
publick Injury, and may be thought very juft and convenient
with refpeff to the pittiable Circumftances, or former Merits
of the Perfon offending ; as the Archbifhop obferves, and this
Author from him, P.79- While the Laws do Jland in force,it is ft
that fometimes the Kjngs Clemency foould be mingled with the
Severity of them ', efpecially when by that means the Subjects may
be freed from much detriment and damage. Which belongs to
C 2 the
10 An Anfwtrto aTmphUtj about
the Regal, not to the Miilifterial Power ; the condition of the
MagiJlrateSy rvhofe Sentence if held corrupt, if it be milder than
the Laws, being one thing ; the Power of Princes, whom it becometh
to qualify the (Jjarpnefs of them, a far different matter. If any
thing happens after the making of a Law, which was not fore-
feen when it was made, and Mdiich is befides, or contrary to
the original intention of the Law-makers, and renders the
execution of that Law manifeitly and notorioufly oppreflive
to the Publick j the Prince may certainly fulpend the Executi-
On of fuch L^ws, till they be alter'd or repealed by tlie Power
which made them, or in the fame regular Exercile of the Le-
giflative Power, as they were firfl: made. This difpenfing,
and pardoning, fufpending Power is ib neceffary to the Pub-
lick Good, that for my part i would not willingly liv^e under
any Government, which wanted the Exercife of this Power,..
And if this be all this V/riter intended to prove by his long
Quotations out of the Jrchbijhop, I am perfcTly of his mind,
that the Jrchbi/hop was of his Opinion, and fo, . I believe, is
every Man who confiders any thing. For the Exercife of fuch
a Power as this, is no Injury to the Laws, nor to the Legifla-
tive Authority. For in this way, the Prime and original In-,
tcntion of the Law is always fecure, and can never be dif^/,
penfed with ; the general Force and Vigor of the Law is main-
tained, though it be remitted in fbme particular cafes; all Mens
Rights and Properties are fecure, which are fecured by the;
Law ^ (for the Laws can be difpuifed with, not for the hurt "
and damage, but only for the Benefit of the SubjeGi, andTherei
lore no legal Rights can be taken away by a Difpenfation ) and
niore than that, fbme Men may find Refuge and SanTi.ary in
the Clemency and Soveraign Power of the Prince, frcm .the
Severities of the Law, as far as is confident with, the Publick
Good and Safety. But any other difpeufing Power than this
the JrchbiJJjop fays nothing of. And this, I think, is anfwer
enough to what he allcdges out of ArchbiOiop VJher. *
After thefe yArchbilFiopSjthe next who follcw.'., is the humble
patient J and learjied Dr. Robert Sandcrfon, late Lord Bifjop of
• Lincoln,
Tfi/penfvig with the Veml Laws. 11
Uncoln \ and were lie living, this Writer would exercife all the
Humility and Patience he had, without offering him any occafion
tolliew his Learning. At the end of his gth LeQ:ure concerning the
final Caufe of humane Laws, SeEi. i6. he comes to explain that A-
phorifm, Popali Supremo. Lex, The Safety of the People is the
Suf-reom Larv, which wai expounded in thole days, to fet up the
Inrerefi and Safety (as they pretended) of]the People in oppoiitiori
to the King ; which he does with fb great Learning and Judgment,
as not only to confute, but to fliame all fuch Pretences. From the
i%tb SeB. this Writer, among others, which are nothing to his
purpofe,tranrcribesthereWords,which I fuppofe he thought were:
A l\jng that gives Lows ond Statutes to his People, rvill ^ ^
r.ot (or did not intend) to be bound up by the Laws, that jyjffe Legum '
it fjo'ild not be lawful to him,the Safety of the Common- vinculis aftrin-
Wealth being tn apparent danger,to provide for the Safe-
tjof the Ifingdom and People committed to him by God, even againfl
the Words of the Law. It is lawful for the Prince in the Prefer-
vat ion of his own and his Subjects Safety, to lay afide for a while alT
firicl obfervancc of the Laws, and, to make ufe a little of an arbitrary'
Right, left by too unfeafonable and fuperftitiom Reverence of the
Lars, he may fuffcr both his own P erf on, and his People that are fub-'
jecltohim, and even the Laws t h emjelves to fall into the Power of his
Enemies. Ergo, the Power of difpenfing with Penal Laws is an-
inherent and infeparable Right of the Crown, ^wd erat demon-
ftrandum. An excellent Logician ! to make an accidental Ca e
the meafure and Standard of a conffant and unalterable Right, lb
prove that to be a Right when there is no neceflity, which nothing
but NecefTity can juifify ; nay, to make N'ecefTity, which has no
I.aw, the Rule and Pattern of Legal Adminiifrations; to prove a
dirpenfing Power in ordinary cafes, from a Right or Neceffity to
aft without or againffc Law in extraordinary cafes: For the BiQiop •
does not here lay, that in fiicli abfolute Neceffj.cy the King may
difpenfe with Penal L aws, but that he may aft againjl the Words
of the Law,that he 'may lay afide for a while (while that N eceflity lalds)
all ftricl obfervance of the Laws, and make ufe of an arbitrary Right,
So that if he can draw any Inference from this to ordinary cales,-
V. here
11 y{n[wer to a Pamphlet, about
where there is nofuch abfolute danger, it muft be to prove a lawlefs
and arbitrary Power, which is a great deal more than a Power of
dirpenfing with Penal Laws. In the very next Sedion. he fays al-
moft as much of the People That it is lawful for Suhjefls in defence
of their Prime and of themfelves (when thereis fuch a preffing necejfty,
that a pious and prudent Man could not doubt, but if the Lawgiver him-
felf were prefent ^hewould grant a relaxation of the Law) to have grea-
ter regard to the common Good,which is the fuprearn Law,and the end of
all Laws, than to any particular Laws, which were made not to prejudice
hut to ferve the common Good. Now fliould any man hence draw a ge-
neral Maxim, that all Men muft have greater regard tothepublick
Good than to the oblervance of the Laws of their Country, it
would be as bad Logick, as it is Divinity and Law.
The laft Bilhop he calls in to bear his Teftimony, is the prelent
Right Reverend Biftiop of Chefer: but tho I have ventured to de-
fend our dead Bifhops,who cannot fpeak for themfelves but in their
Writings,! dare not make fb bold with the living: That great Man
underftands his own Senfe beft, and if he be miffeprefented,
wants neither Learning nor Intereft to right himfelf.
And thus we proceed to the Reverend Dodors of our Church,
who I believe will be found to fpeak the fame things with the moft
Reverend and Right Reverend Bifhops. The firft is Dr. Heylin,
whofe words are faid to be thefe: He (viz,, the Kjng) hath Authori-
ty by his Prerogative Royal to dijpenfe with the rigor of the Laws, and
fbmetimes to pafs by a Statute with a Non-objlante. But where he
lays thefe words,he does not tellus,and therefore I know not where
to find them,and therefore know not upon what occafion they were
(aid, nor to what they are applied. But, as you have already
heard, no Man doubts, but in fbmc cafts the King may dif-
penfe with the rigor of the Laws, and before the Judges had
declared their Opinions in the Point, I know fbme good Law-
yers, who did not think, that fbme few Inftances of a Non-
Obftante was a fuflicient proof of a general difpenfing Power ; -
and why might not Divines be of that mind too ? And then f
theDoftor'sfaying, that the King might fometimes pafs by a Statute
with a Non-obflante, does not prove that he was for the difpenfing
Power i
I
'V}jl>enjing with the Penal Laws 13
Power in the modern Latitude of it; for though it was as good
Law before, as it is now, yet it might not be ib well undcrftood.
The next in order is the Learned and Judieioi^ Dr. Jfaac Barron^,
too learned and too judicious to be commended by lb injudicious a
Writer, as will appear from what he tranfcribcs out of his Treatife
concerning the Pope's Supremacy. I w^s mightily furprized to
think,what fliould come into the Dofior's Head to ftate fb nice a
Point of Law as the difpenfing Power, in a Treatile of the Pope's
Supremacy, which feem'd as foreign to the buhnefs as could well
be imagined; and I was as much afraid that I fhould not have the
Satisfadion of feeing what it was, for he was refolved, if Men
would be fb curious to examine, they fho'uld take pains fork;
for he diredfs to no place, where to find what he cites, but fends
his Readers to feek for three fliort Sentences in a Book of 428 Pa-
ges; but by good luck I have found them, and am very much
edifed by them.
Thefirft is this. It is indeed a f roper endowment
of an abfolute Soveraignty^ immediately and imtnntably
confiituted by God, with no Terms or Rules limiting itj
that iR s Will declared in way of Precept, Proclamations, concerning the
^anllion of Laws,the abrogation of them, the difpenfation with them
Jhould be obferved. Where the Dodor was fhewiiig how the Popes
of Rome arrogate to themfelves the moft abfolute and unlimited
Soveraignty in the Church, as it follows. This Priviledg therefore
in a high jlrain the Pope challengethto himfelf, ajfertin^o his Decrees
and Sentences the force and obligation of Laws, See. The Myftery
of this Quotation is this, that he would have his unwary Readers to
believe, that this endowment or priviledg or Prerogative of Sove-
raigii Power, that it's Will declared in way of Precept, Proclamati-
ons, concerning theSandion of Laws,the abrogation of them, the
difpenfation with them,fhould be obferved,is immediately and im-
mutably confiituted by God,with no terms or rules to limit it: and
thus indeed it is home to his purpofe, but fhoots vaffly beyond the
Mark: For this does not only prove,that the King may difpenfe
with Laws by his Proclamaticn, but tliat he may make and abro-
gate Laws too by his Proclamation.
But
Treatift of the
Suprmaq. P.
311. Quarto.
An Anfwer to a Paml>hktj about j
But the Dodor's plain Senfe is this, That fuch an abfolute Sove-
raignty, as is immediately and immutably conftituted by God, with n
no terms or rules to limit the exercife of it (and fuch a Soveraignty ^
the Popes have challenged) has this Endowment or Prerogative,
that its Will declared in way of Precept,Proclamations,concerning
theSanffion of Laws,the abrogation of them,the difpenlation with
them, Biould be obferved. And who ever denied this ? But I find , j
no one aircrting,That the Kings of England were fuch abfolute an.d [
unlimited Soveraigns, by God's immediate and immutable Confti-
tution: That their Proclamations were as good Law,as any Ads of
Parliament: That they could make and abrogate Laws by their J |A|
Proclamations .lam ftire Dr.Banow faid no fuch thing, tho our Au- I
thor did believe,or would have his Readers believe that he did, un- ,
lefs he quoted it to no purpofe. And that is not improbable by his '
next Quotation, which is to as little purpofe as one could wifh.
P. 318. The porver of enacling and difpenfingwith Ecclejiajlical Laws * j
touching exterior Dijc f line,did of old belong 10 the Emperor{a.nd there- ®
fore not tp the Pope, which is the defign of it) and it wasreafonable
that it jhould \ becaufe old Laws might not conveniently fate with the
prejent Jfate of things,and the publick Welfarebecaufe new Laws might ^
conduce to the good of the Church and State, the care of which is incum-
bent on him; becaufe the Prince is bound to ufe his Power and Authority
to promote Gods Service, the befi way of doing which, may be by framing i:
Orders conducible ^thereto. And what is all this to a Power of dii- it T
peniing with Ads of Parliament, whether they concern Church
or State? Who ever, but the Pope,denied the Princes Authority in «ieAp(
Ecclefiaftical Affairs ? If the Oath of Supremacy indeed prove the fwci
difpenfing Power ; then not only a few Biflicps and Dccfors, but uh
the wdiole Church of England teaches it; if it does not, our Au- Wi
thor might have.fpared tliis Quotation. sP^,
And fb he might his next, P. 400. It is a Priviledg of Soveraigns
to grant Priviledges, Exemptions, and Difpenfations. No doubt but
it is, and they may in many Cafes do it by Lawq which owns this htli
Authority in the So\^eraign. There are many legal Priviledges, yr,
Exemptions, Difpenfations, in tlie Power of the Prince. Ergo, j*-1
What? Thus much for Dr. Barrow, and the Pppe's Supremacy,
which was never favourable to die Prerogatives of Princes. The
T>tfpenfing with tie Teml Laws. 15
The next in courfe is T/je Reverefrd Do&or Sherlock Ma^er of
the Temple^ vpho fays in a poftive manner : It does not become any
man^ who can thinl{ three conjeqnences of\ to tall{^ of the Authority
of Lams, in derogation of the Authority of the Soveraign Power 3
The Soveraign Power made the Laws, and can repeal them and dif
ptnfe with them, and make new Laws, The only Power and Au-
thority of the Laws is in the Power that can make and execute
Laws. Soveraign Power is inf parable from the Perjbn of a So-
veraign Prince.
Here our Author breaks off, for he durfl: go no further, it
immediately following: And though the exercije of it may.be re-
gulated by Laws, and that Prince does very ill, who, having con-
Jented to fuch a regulation, breaks the Laws 3 yet when he alls con-
irary to Law, fitch A&s carry Soveraign and jrrefifible Authori'
ty with them, while he continues a Soveraign Prince. Now it is
ail out, and let him make his heft of it.
But to cxpofe the Shuffling Arts of this Writer, it will be conve-
nient to conlider what the Dr. was a proving, the cafe of Nonrefi-
when thefe words dropt from his Pen. Ha- of the Supream
ving at large proved the Doftrineof Non re-
fiftancefrom Scripture Teftimonies, and the common Principles
of R.ea(bn, in the Sixth Chapter he anfwers fome Objeftions a-
gainft it. The Second ObjeSibn is,
That a Prince has no Authority againji Law, as is urged in fu-
Han the Apoftatev There isno Authority on Earth above the P. 109.
Law, much lefs againji it. It is murder to put a man to death againji
Law, and if they kuew who had Authority to commit open, oare-
faced, and down right murders, this would direct them where to pay
their Paffwe Obedience: But it would be the horrid'Ji Slander in the
World, to. fay that any fuch Power is lodged in the Prerogative, as
to dejiroy Men contrary ta Law.
To this theDoftor anfwers, Now Iperfe&ly agree with them sn
this alfo, that a Prince has no JuJi and legal Authority to all againji
Law 5 that if he knowingly perfcute any Subject to death contrary
to Law he is a Murderer':, and that no Prince has any fuch Pre-
' O rogavrae
16 An Anfwer to a, Tamphlet about
Dr.affli
rogative to commit open, bare faced, and down-right Murders.
r. . ..t , t N J*
;iliere is'
jcitfD
.jiite
tiim,'
'iijiil0
■k
Bat what follows from hence} Does it hence follow, therefore we
ma^ re(f(l andoppoje them if they do} Ihis J abfolntely deny, be-
caufe God has exprejly commanded us not to rejili. And Ifee no incon- '
ftjiency between tbefe two Propojltions, that a Prince has no legal Ah-
thority to perfecute againji Law, and yet that hemafl not be refejied
when he does. He who exceeds the Jafe bounds of his Juthori-
ty, is lyable to be called to an Account for it, but he is account-
able only to thofe who have a Superior Authority to call him to an
Account Thus the Soveraign Prince may exceed his Authority,
and is accountable for it to a Superior Power. But becaufe he has ^
no Superior on Eartb, he cannot be refejied by hts own Subje&s,
but muji be referved to the Judgment of God, who alone is the
Kingof Kingt.
In anfwer to what is faid, That an Inauthoritative A&, which
carrys no obligation at all, cannot oblige Subje&s to Obedience
(thereby meaning Paffive Obedience) he urges, That it is very ^
falfe and abfurd, to Jay that every illegal is an Inauthoritative AH,
which carrys no obligation with it. This is contrary to the praHice i
of all human Judicatures, and the dayly experience of Men, who
Juffer in their Lives, Bodies, or Ejiates, by an unjuji and illegal
Sentence. Every Judgment, contrary to the true meaning of the
Law, is in that fenfe illegaland yet fuch illegal Judgments have
their Authority and Obligation, till they are refeinded by feme - lihi
hiiher Authority : This he explains at large, and comes at laft to ; w'
P. 195. enquire, Whence an illegal AH or Judgment derives its Autho- ikfsr
rity and Obligation ? The Anfwer is plain , It is from the Authority mk
of the Per/on, whofe AH or Judgment it is. Which he proves liji*!
and confirms in four Propolitions. ^feSij
I. That there muji be a Perfonal Power and Authority antece-
dent to all human Laws. For there can be no Laws without a Law- liis, II
mak^r , and there can be no Law mak^r unlefs there be one or more " tor
Perjons inveHed with the Power of Government, of which making ij of I
la„, i, ka«ch For 0 W » "othwg f kt the pjlic\
7„d deelared mU aid emmmd 0/ th' hm-makr, whether he k
tM'
iic
'^ifpenfin^ imth the Tenal Lal^s. 27
the Snveraign Prmct or the Peoplt; Which fhows in what fenfe
the Dr. affirmed, That Sovereign Porver rr.adtr the Lavs,^ and caft
repeal them, and difptnfe with them, affd make new Laws, viz.
That there is no Tuch thing as a Law with mt a Lawgiver,
who can make, and repeal, an 1 difpence with l aws, and
without vvhofe Authority too the Law can have n me. For
without doubt the fame Power that makes Laws can repeal
and difpenfe wirh them too.
2. And hence it necejfarily follows. That a Soveraign Prince
does not receive his Anthority from the La vs, but Laws receive
their Authority from him For the Law has no Authority, nor
cm give any, hut what it receives from the Kjng-, and then it is
a wonderful Riddle how the Ifjng ffjoitld receive his Authority from
the Law.
5. Hence it foUoVPs, That the being of Soveraign Power is inde-
pendent on Laws : That is. As a Soveraign Prince does not re-
ceive his Power from the Law, jo, jJoonld he violate the Laws by
which he is bound to Govern, yet he does not forfeit his Power;
He breaks his Faith to God and to his Country^ but he is a Sove-
ratgn Prince jlilL And in this fenfe the Dr affirmed, That
Soveraign Power is infeparable from the Perfon of a Soveraign
Prince,
4, Hence it plainly appears, that every illegal Acl the KJng
does is not an Inauthoritative Act, hut lays an Obligation on Sub-
je&s to yield, if not an Active yet a Pajfive Obedience. For the
KJng receives not his Soveraign Authority from the Law, nor
does he forfeit his Authority by breaking the Law; and therefore
he is a Soveraign Prince full, and his rnofi illegal Acts, though
they have not the Authority of the Law, yet they have the Autho-
rity of Soveraign Power, which is irrefijlible and unaccountable.
Now this fhows in what fenfe the Dodor immediately
adds It does not become any Man, who can think three confequences
of, to talk of the Authority of Laws in derogation to the Autho-
rity of the Soveraign Power. Which does not fignifie that the
Law cannot abridge the Kings difpenfing Power, nor have the
D 2 Authority
28 A?i Jnfwer to a Tam^hlet, ahout
Authority of a Rule to him (which he does not meddle with)^
but that no Law can have fuch Authority over a Soveraign
Prince, as to un-king him, or deprive him of his Soveraign Au-
thority, and make all his illegal Aftsinauthoritative,if he breaks
it: For that is the diredt anfwer to the Objeftion 5 and he (eems
to have looked no further, and indeed to fpeak the truth, his
Argument holds no further ^ for it does not follow, that the King
is not bound to keep the Laws 5 but he is a King ftill, and can-
not forfeit his Sovereign and irrefiftable Authority, though he
breaks them. But if this Doctors Judgment be of any force, we
may learn what his Opinion was, (if he be not now better in-
foimed) by his anfwer to the fourth Objeftion, though poffibly
he will not thank me for my pains in tranlcribing it.
p. 207. 4. Th^ KCxt ohjeSion againji the Do^irifje of Non-reji-
fiance^ is thk^ That it dejiroys the difference between an abJoJute and
limited Monarchy , between a Prince whofi Will is his Law^ and a.
Prince who is bound to govern by Law : which undermines the
Fundamental Conjiitutions of the Engl/Jh Government. To this he
anfwen, The difference between an abjolute and limited Monarchy^
is not^ that Refjiance is lawful in one cafe^ and unlawful in the 0-
ther, for a Monarchy the exercife of whofe Power is limited and re-
gulated by Laws., is as irrejifiable as the moji abjolute Monarch whoje
Will is his Law .: and if he were not^ I would venture to fay., that
the moji abfolute and defpotick^ Government., is more for the public
good than a limited Monarchy.
But the difference lies in this, that an abfolute Monarch, (where,
by abfolutef\x. is plain he means a defpotick Prince, for otherwife,
a limited Monarchy may be called, and often is, an abfolute So-
vereignty,j is under the Government of no Law, but his own Will:.
He can make and repeal Laws at his pleajure, without askjng the con-
fent of any of his SubjeUs : he can impofe what Taxes he pleafes, and
is nottieduptoJiriH Rules and Formalities of Law in the execu-
tion ofjuflice. But it is quite contrary in a limited Monarchy 5
where the exercife of the Soveraign Power is regulated by known and
Jianding Laws, which the Prince can neither make nor repeal without
the
T>tf^nfing with the Tenal Laws. 19
theconfent ofthe People^ &c. No,j/ou rvill fay^ thecajeis jujl the fam.
For what do Laws (ignifie^ when a Prince muji not be rejijied^ though
he break^tbefi Laws, and govern by an arbitrary and lawlefs Will ? He
may make himfelf as abfihste as the Great Turk or the Mogul, when
ever he pleajes ; For what Jhould hinder hint^ when all mens hands
are tied by this Do&rine of Non refijitnce } now it mufl be acknow-
ledged^ that there is a pojjibility for juch a Prince to govern arbitra-
rily, and to trample upon all Laws : And yet the difference between
an ahfoluteand limited Monarchy^ is vadlly great.
1. For this Prince^ though he may make hfs Will a Law to himfilf^
and the only Rule of his Government., yet he cannot make it the Law
of the Land. He may break_Laws, but he cannot makg nor repeal
them: and therefore he can never alter the Fra/ne and Conjiitution
of the Government 5 though he may at prefent interrupt the regular
adminijiration of it: And this is a great fecurity to Pojierityy and a
prejent rejiraint upon himfelf.
2. For it is a mighty uneafie thing to any Prince^ to govern con-
trary to kyiown Laws : He offers as great and confiant violence to'
himfelf as he does to his Subje&s. The breach of bis Oath to God^
and his promtfes and engagements to his SubfeUsymak^s the exercije
of juch an arbitrary Power very troublefbm. And though his SubjeTs
are bound not to reffl him^ yet his own guilty fears will not Juffer hint
to be fecure : And arbitrary Power is not Jb lujcious a thing., as to
tempt Men to forfeit all the eaje and pleafure and fecurity of Govern-
ment for the fikpof it,.
3. Though SubJeHs mufi not rejtfi fuch a Prince., who violates the
Laws of his Kingdom ^ yet they are not bound to obey him, andferve
him in his Dfurpations. SubjeBs are bound to yield an aUive
obedience only according to Law, though they are bound not to refji^
when they fuffer againfi Law. Now it is a mighty uneafy thing to the
greatefi Fyrant^to govern always by force. And no Prince in a limit-
ed Monarchy can make himfelf ab/olute, unlefs his own SubjeBs af
ffi him todo fb.
4. And yet it is very dangerous for any SubjeB to ferve his Prince
contrary to Law j though the Prince himfelf is unaccountable and
irrejtfiibley
■>0 Jn Anfxver to a Tam^hlet, about
irrefifiihle^ yet his Mifxifiers may be called to an account^ and be
p»nijht for it j and the Prince may thinkfit^ to look on quietly and
fie it done : or if they efiape at prejent, it may be time enough to juf-
fer for it under the next Prince, which we fee by experience muku all
Men wary how they ferve their Prince againfi Laiv : None but Per-
Jons of dejperate Fortunes will do this barefaced , and tuCje are not
^always to be met with^ and as feldom fit to be employed.
5. And therefore we may obfirve^ that by the Fundamental Laws of
our Government^ as the Prince muji govern by Law jo he is irre-
foible ; .whichfhews, that our wife Law-makers did not think ti.at
hon-refiflance was defiruUive of alimited Monarchy.
Not long fince this was thought very good Court-Dodrin,and
I am fure it is very necedary to keepPeople inObtdicnce to their
Prince ftill 5 for which reafon I thought it worth tranlcribing,
though it doth not reach the height of thedilptnhng Power.
And nov; I find our Author begins to run low, when he takes
up with Dodor Naljon., who fa)s, In the Kings Power it is to
remit the fiverities of the penal Laws., whireby he may manijcH Lis.
clemency and goodnCjsas well as his greatnejS and jujhce., by graci-
oujly pardoning the jmaller Breaches of his Laws.^ and the more ca-
pital ojfinces, which he might mofijusilypunifh: For wUo ever de-
nied this? The Ring, without doubt, may not only pirdon
fome fmaller Fault.', but the greateft of Ciimes : but how this is
to his purpofe, I ftill want to be inform'd.
And fo I do, as to what he quotes out of Dodor Pullers Book,
concerning The Moderation of the Church of England. If that
Fe\\\tsy con1\i![.s in remitting of the rigour of the Laws., when
they prejs too hard upon particular Perjbns 5 or in Jupplying the defecls
of the /aid Laws, where they provide not fujficiently for particular
cafes, which is all Dodor Puller contends for, be all that this
Writer wou'd have, what need he to have writ a Book about
it, and confirmed it with fb many great Authorities j when I
don't know, that in this he has an Adverfary in the Woild 5 ifhe
have, it is fit fuch a man, if ever he flood in need of Clemen-'
cy and Mercy, fhou'd never have it. Who thinks the Court of
Chancery
Tfljpenfvi^'^khthe Tend Laws, 31
Chancery, an illegal Court ? and yet that is properly a Court of
Equity. It is one thing to moderate the rigour of Laws in fa-
vourable cafes s another to difpenle univerfally with fuch Laws,
as, if Do(^or Pullers Book prove any thing , are very moderate
already 5 and yet this may be the Princes Prerogative, reful-
ting not from Moderation and Equity, but a Plenitude of
Power.
As for his Anonymous Author , with whom he concludes,
I neither know him nor his Book, and fuppofe the caufe will not
depend upon a fingle Authority.
Thus we have heard what the Reverend Prelates and DoHors
»f the Church of England have /aid of this matter: in the next
place^ he tells us what were the Reajbns that induced the Reverend
Judges in Weftminfter-Hall fo openly and fokmnly^ after mature
deliberation^ to declare their Refblutions in this Point for the things
But I had much rather he had told us what their Refolution was,
how far they extended this difpenfing Power 5 whether to all Ca-
fes, or only to fome, or to all, or to fome as the King at any time
judges neceffary , for I have heard very different Accounts of
the matter, but cou'd never fee any authentick Record of it: To
have inform'd us in this matter, had been a real Kindnefs, becaufe
'tis the Rule of our Aftions, of our Words, and of our Writing
too: for when I once know what the Judges declare to be Law,
I will enquire no further 5 their Opinions folemnly declar'd, muft
filence all Difputes, becaufe they carry Power and Authority with
them, unlefs any fuperiour Authority think fit at any time to judge
over their Opinions.
This makes it very neceffary to know what the Judgment and
Refolution of the Judges is, efpecially in any great and concern-
ing Points , but as for their Reafons I am not fo fond of know-
ingthem, becaufe it is the Authority of the Men, not of their
Reafons which muft determine fuch matters: for Mankind rea-
fbning fovery differently as they do, there never cou'd be any
final Determination of fuch Cafes, if all menmuftbefirftfatisfied
in the validity of their Reafons: And therefore I think this Wri-
ter.
jin Anfwer to d^umphletj about
ter has done no fervice to the Caufe, by making their Reafons the
Subjed of Difpute ^ for tho' they may be very good Keaions, '
yet it may be, all men will not think fo, and then fuch men will
be apt to be diffatisfied, that a Judgment ( which as they think )
is not founded on fufEcient Reafons, fhoud have fuch great Au-
thority.
For it is not enough to fay as this Writer does. That the Reafons
they went npon^ were only fuch as were exactly correjpondent with
the avowA Do&rines before recited, and that by this Declaration
of theirs^ the Law of the Kingdom ^/England concerning this So-
veraign Power in the Crown, is no more than what was before pub-
lickly ajferted to be the Divinity of the Kingdom. For tho' the Di-
vinity of the Kingdom is a great word, and cannot be deter-
min'd by a Jury of Divines, wholiv'd in different Ages, and ne-
ver fpoke together about it 5 nay, indeed can never be deter-
min a by any fingle Divines, tho' never fo many, and never fo
learned, but only by the Authority of a Convocation, or Na-
tional Synod', yet ihofe who think the Reafons not good, will
like them never the better, becaufe fome Divines have been of
that mind, when they can fo out-number ( as I faid before)
the Church of Engjand with Popilh and Fanatick Divines, who
teach another Dodrine. And befides this, 1 doubt he puts it
upon a very dangerous Iffue. For, if after all his confidence and
allurance, ether men fhou'd not thmk that thefe Reafons do fo
exadly correfpond with the avow'd Dodrines of th^Bifhops and
Dodors of the Church of England, that they have neither taught
the fame Dodiihe, norus'd the fame Reafons, (as poffibly this
Author by that time he has read thus far, may fee reafon to fuf-
ped)what then! had he not better have let all this alone? have not
the Reverend Judges great reafon to thank him for bringing their
Judgment and Reafons to fuch a Teft, as they will not bear ^
They need not the Authority of Divines to juftifie their Deter-
minations at Law 5 and therefore it is, at beft, over-officioufnefi,
and a leffening of their Authority, to make fuch Appeals, befides
the folly and rafhnels of ihaking fuch Appeals as will do no
Service. But
Difpenfing l^ith the Venal Laws. 33 *
But fuppofe thefe were not the Reafons, how will he
juftifie himlelf for publilhing thefe Reafons as theirs, without
their Authority > which I dare boldly fay, he never had. Nay,
Idarelay confiderable odds, that thefe were not their Reafons,
as he has worded and reprefented them, and that for more Rea-
fons than one; Did all th^Judgej agree upon thefe Reafons,
and make a Record of them? orhashefeen them figned with all
their Hands? if not, how does he know that thefe are their Rea*'
fons ? For a Bench of Judges may agree in their Conclufion,
when they differ in their Premifes and Reafons: And I will be-
lievethat they had other Reafons befides thefe here mentioned.
Poffibly fome fuch thing as this might be faid in Court, but
I believe, not as it is here reported; and it is an Affront to
Judges' in fuch a weighty Point as this, to declare their Reafons
upon meer hear-fay , when it is fo evident, that of twenty
men, who hear the fame thing, fcarcetwoof them fhall exaftly
agree in their Report 5 fo uncertain and variable a thing is Oral
Tradition, which how infallible foever it may be in Divinity, is
not fo in Law.
But to let all this pafs, and to allow thefe Reafons to be very
good 5 for I will no more difpute any Reafons, which are attri-
buted to the Judges, than ,I will difpute their Refolutions, yet
the queftion ftill remains. Whether thefe Reafons are exaftly
the fame with what the Divines of the Church of EngUud have
formerly taught? This heafferts, and this, I hope, I may exa-
mine without any offence *, for it is no Condemnation of their
Reafons, tho' I ftiou d fay, that they were never us'd by Di-
vines. Now a Reafon has a neceflary Relation to the Conclu-
fion, or tb that which is to be prov'd by it, for tho' a hun-
dred men fhould fay the fame thing, and drav/ a hundred
feveral Conclufions from it, you cannot fay, that their Reafon
is the fame* becaufe their Conclufions are not the fame 3 for
thofe only reafon alike, who from the fame Premifes draw
the fame Conclufion: fo that tho' every one of thefe Propofi-
tions which are here faid to be the Judges Reafons, had been
,' E affertcd
^4 Anfiver to a Pamphlet about
aflerted a hundred times over by the Divines of the Church
of England^ yet if they did not draw the fame Conclufion
from them, which the Reverend Judges have done, they can-
not be faid to be the fame Reafons; and whether they have
done that, or not, may belearn'd from what has been already
faid.
And yet in truth, I cannot tell whether the Premifesbethe
fame or not, for they are fet down in fvich loofe, and general
terms in this Paper, as admit of very different Senfes^ and
in which Senfe they are underftood by the Reverend Judges^
is not faid. And therefore I (hall (hew you in what Senfe
thefe Propofitions have been own'd by the Divines of the
Church of England, and then thofe who know the Judges fenfe
of them, will eafily fee where they agree, and where they
differ.
I. That the Kings England are Soveruign Princes.
This is univerfally own'd by the Divines of the Church of
England^ but then they make fome difference between Sove-
raign Princes, not with refped: to the fulnefs of Power, for
theyhave all the Rights of Soveraignry, but with refpeft to
the Exercife of this Soveraign Power: for fome Princes are
under no Reftraints and Limitations, but only the Laws of
God and Nature: they can make what Laws they pleafe, re-
peal them when they pleafe, difpenle with them as they pleafe,
without the confent of any but themfelves; Other Soveraign
Princes, tho' they have all Soveraign Power, and therefore are
irreliftablo and unaccountable to any but God 5 yet the Ex-
ercife of their Power is by their own confent direfted and
regulated by Laws, that they can neither make, nor abrogate
Laws, but bv the Confent of their Nobles and Commons af-
fembled iti Parliament 5 and therefore tho' they never can do
any thing to forfeit their Power, yet they may do that, which
is illegal; and how far the legal Exercife of fuch a Soveraign
Power extends, muft be known by the particular Laws and
Confticutions of their feveral Kingdoms, liot from the unlimited
notions
f
aliam ob caufam, uc nos docu-
erunt juris noftri pcrici, qnani
quud Reges Anglis fmt f:tis Jk-
Difpenfing "^ith the Tenal Lalirs. ^ 5
'notions of Soveraign Power, and Soveraign Will and Pleafure:
And the Divines of the Church of England have generally
lookd upon the Kingdom of England^ as fuch alimitted Mo-
narchy ; and if they have been miftaken in it, I hope it is
a pardonable miftake, becaufe ir has been fo general.
2. That the Laws of England are the Kings Laws,
This alfo is univerfally acknowledp'ed,
and the reafon alTtgned for it by-^the
Learned Doftor Sanderfin 5 becaufe, as ence. 9.uin & in jure noftro,
the Lawyers teach, the Kings ofE^^- & inquoddianisproceffihus ju-
, J L T- • r T /-L- ndicis in toro contentiofo ex
lana are the fountain or Juitice and foknni (Qrm\x\3 Regla Leges did
Laws, and have alone that Soveraign {the King's Lans ) non
Authority, that can give the Force and
Vertue of Laws to, the Laws them. . . _ .
felves. For tho', as heobferves, there
is fomething necefiary to prepare the
matter for Laws, as the confent and ad-
vice of Parliament, yet it is the confent
of the King only, which gives them the Form and Obligation
of Laws: So that they are the Kings Laws, becaufe that it is
bis Authority that makes them Laws, but when they are made
Laws by the King, they become the Laws of the Land , the
Rule of his own Government, and his Subjefts Obedience.
3. That therefore it is an incident infeparable Prerogative in
ike Kings England, as in all other Soveraign Princes^ to dif
pence with penal Laws in particular cafes^ and upon particular ne-
ceffary Reajbns.
It is alfo afferted by the Divines of the Church of England,
That the King may pardon what Crimes he pleafes, and in feme
cafes, upon great and urgent neceflities, may difpence with
feme Laws for a greater publick Good,- or for the Relief of
fome particular Perfons, where the Law appears too hard and
ricTorous, while the general Intention and Vigour of the Law
isfeciir'd: For as they urge, the Imperfeftion of all humane
Laws requires fuch an Authority as this to fupply their dcfedti'.
ut pro legibm habear.tur vim om-
nem impoiiendi liabcanc "con-
cefldm fibi a Deo au-nr^-Ttex-
yJjLtJ, poceftatem.
E 2
But
^6 \An Anfwer to aTarnphlet about
But tie therefore I do not To well underftand, for I find none 0^
them refolve this difpenfing Power into the Laws, being the
Kings Laws, which indeed will prove a Power of difpenfing with
all Laws where he pleafes j for all Laws, as well as penal Laws,
are the Kings Laws. Nor do I find any of them (ay, that this
difpenfing Power is equal in all Soveraign Princes. For they
generally make fome difference between abfolute and limited
Soveraigns^ that is, the Exercifeof whofe Power is bounded by
Laws of their own making: the firft fort, who can make and
abrogate Laws at their own pleafure, may certainly di(pen(e
with them alfo, when they (ee fit 5 whether thofe, who can nei-
ther make nor abrogate Laws, without the confent of their People,
can difpence with what Laws they pleafe, is a queftion, which I
find no where debated among them, and therefore cannot give
their opinion in it.
4. That of theje Reajons and thefe NeceJJitiej the King himjelf is
Sole Judge.
This I do not find any of our Divines meddle with, tho'
I think-the Cafe is very plain 3 every Man judges for him-
felf, and will do fo 3 and therefore a Soveraign Prince, who
has no Superiour, will finally judge for himfelf, and no man
can call him to an account for it, no more than they can
refift him, tho' he fhou'd judge amiG, and exercife an illegal
Power: But this does not alter the cafe, nor make that le-
gal, which in it felf is illegal 3 he is concern'd to judge right,
and exercife no Authority, but what he may, becaufe there is
a Superiour Judge even of Soveraign Princes 3 and then,
which is confequent upon all.
5. 1 hut this is not a truji, veUedin, or granted to the King by
the People., but is the ancient remains of the Soveraign Power, and
Prerogatives of the Kings of England, which never yet was taken
from them, nor can be.
This alfo is univerfally own'd by the Divines of the Church
of England, that the Kings of England, receive no power or
Authority from the People 5 for all Soveraign Power comes
from
Difpt
JlliO
J with the Tenal La'iVs. 2 7
froin God, and the Crown of England^ is not Elective but
Hereditary : Nay, they own, that no Effential branch of So-
veraign Power, can be taken away from a Soveraign Prince:
the only queftion is, whether the exercife of Soveraign Pow-
er, can be regulated and limited by Laws of the Kings own
making? and this thofe who talk of a limited Monarchy,
muft own; for there can be no limited Monarchy, if the ex-
ercife of Soveraign Power cannot be bounded by Laws.
Thus I have (hewn, as well as I can learn , what the Senfe
of the Divines of the Church of England is in thefe Points 5
how far they agree with the Judges reafons, if they be theirs,
I cannot tell, becaufc I know not in what Senfe they under-
flood them.
As for his application of all this , to the cafe of Liberty of
Confciencey I have nothing at all to fay to it: for fince the
King has declared his pleafure in it, I will not dilpute againft it :
1 am not without hope, that Liberty of Con(cience, will not do
the Church of England Ho mnch hurt, as her Adverfaries wifh,
nor the Church of Rome, fo much good as they expefted : for
tho'Fanaticifm is a pleafing delufion. Popery is not popular
in this age 5 and therefore it is not raeer fhowing , that will
make Converts , and I believe Liberty of Conjcience it felf, at
this time, will not drive any Sober Diflenter the farther from
Church.
■ And I have more hope of Gods Protection, becaufe we are
upbraided, as we are by this Writer, with our very hope and con-
fidcnce in the Divine Providence 5 for who ever reads it, can
think it nothing lefs, befides the knavery of the Quotation.
Doftor Hicks, in anfwer to that Objeftion againft the Do-
ftrine of Paffive Obedience, Where then is ourJecurity <? ynian p.
How can we be Jafe from the opprefion of our Soveraign, 253.
if we may not be allow d to refji ? Among other things tells his
Readers, that there neither is, nor can be any abfolute ^
fecurity, either for the Soveraign againfl the Subje&s, or 8* ^ 5*
for the Subje^s againfi the Serveraign, in any Government: and
there'
ig Anjwer to a Tam^hlet^ about
therefore in the fecond place, it may he a Efficient anjxver to the que-
fiiOM, to Jliew, that we have all the jecHrity againft the King^ that
the King hath againfi us ^ even all the jecnrity, that any people in
the World ever had, have, or ought to have 5 and he inBancer in
the Providence of God, in the Confeience, and Honour of the King^
and in the Laws of the Realm, to which every man, be he never
Jbgreat, is obnoxious, bejldes the Prince himjelf. This was all ve-
ry much to the Dolors purpofe, it being all the Security we can
have, that our Prince will not opprefs us, which is not abfolute
lecurity neither. But what does this lignifie to Liberty of Con-
fcience ? how does this fecure the Church of England if all her
Enemies be let lode upon her ?
But this Writer picking out two or three fayings from
what the Doctor faid of the Divine Providence, without any
regard to the feries of the Argument, concludes it with thefe
words in Capital Letters. So that they have all the fecurity that
any People in the world ever had, h.tve, or ought to have. As if
the Do6tor had taught, that no People in the World ever had,
or ought to have, any other fecurity againft the OpprelTion of
a Soveraign Prince, but only the Providence and Proteftion
of God ; whereas he applies this not only to the Providence
of God, but To the Confeience and Honour of the King, and the
fecurity of Laws : The Providence of God indeed has the over-
ruling determination of all things, but ordinary Providence
works by means, and we have no reafbn to expefl: Miracles
now 5 and therefore the Providence of God does not make 0-
ther fecurities needlefs.
The Dodor tells us. As tlse Princes beji fecurity againU the
People, is the watchful Providence of God , fb the fame
watchful Providence is the Peoples beji fecurity againji ^ '
the Prince : So that the Providence of God is an equal fecurity
to Prince and People againft each other: But how would any
Prince look upon fuch a trifler, who (hould tell him, Sir, all
the fecurity you have, or poftibly can have againft your Sub-
jefts, is only the Providence and Proteftioii of God, and
therefore
Difjjenfing iwh the ^end Laivs.
therefore you may fave Money, and disband your Guards and
Armies. To perfwade Men to part with all other fecurities, and
to venture upon the moft deftvuftive Methods, in confidence of
the divine Protedion,is like the Devils Temptation "to Chrin:,to
caft himfelf down from the Pinnacle of the Temple 5 for it is
written, he pall give his Afigels charge concerning thee^ and in
their hands they Jfsall bear thee upjefi at any time thou dap thy foot
againft a ftone, 4. Mat. 6. i believe both Prince and People de-
fire all the fecurity they can, and do not think it reafonable
to part with one good fecurity, becaufe they have another.
We have the Kings Word, his Confcience, his Honour, and his
Laws, and thank God for all, and implore the Proteftion of
his Providence, without which all other Securities are nothing 5
and next to the Providence of God, Laws are the beft fecurity,
becaufe they are the Foundation of Confcience and Honour too,
and of all promifes to govern by Laws, for Confcience refpeds
Laws, and where there is no Law in the the cale, Confcience is
not concern'd and can binder nothing j and to be fure the Ho-
nour of a Prince, as well as Confcience, is lefs concern'd, when
it is under no reftraint of Laws.
He concludes this Pamphlet with forae few Authorities for Li-
berty of Confcience *, I lhall not now examine how pertinent they
are, for I will give no other Anfwer but this 5 when he has an-
Iwered all the Presbyterian Arguments againft Toleration, but e-
fpeciallv that Book call'd Tolleration difcus'd, and the Argu-
ments of Doftor Parker, now the Right Reverend Bilhop of
Oxford in hisEcdefiaftical Policy : When he can prove,that Life-
tv of Confcience is the Doftrineand Pradife^of the Church of
C', and the ftanding Rule of the Inqnifition, thenlwill
confider further on this Argument. In the mean time, Sir
lam,
Tour moji Obedient Servant,
FINIS.
<Books lately printed for Richard Chifwell.
ADifcourfe concerning the Necefficy of Reformation, with refpeft to the Er-
rors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome. Ofiarto. Firftand Second Parts.
A Difcourfe concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in an Utiknown
Tongue.' dmrto.
A Papift not Mifreprefented by Proteltants. ^
AnExpofition of the Dodrine of the Church of England, in the feveral
Articles propofed by the late BISHOP of CONDOM, [in his Expofition
of the Doftrine of the Catholicf Church. J Piuarto.
A Defence of the Expofition of the Doctrine of the CHVRCH of ENGLAND,
aeainft the EXCEPTIONS of Monfteur de MEAVX, late Bifhop of
Condom, znd\m VINDICATOR. Quarto. ^ .
An Anfwer to THREE PAPERS lately printed, concerning the An-
thority of the Catholic^ Church in Matters of Faith, and the Reformation of
the Church of England. Quarto. • t
A Vindication of the Aniwer toSOMELATEPAPERS concerning the
Unity and Authority of the and Reformation of the Church of
England. Quarto. ■ r i
■An Hiftorical Treatife written by an AUTHOR of the Communion of the
C HV RC H of ROME, touching TRANSVBSTANTIATION. 'Where-
in is made appear. That according to the Principles of TH AT C HSJ R C H,
Th=s Doftrine cannot be an Article of Faith. _ .
A TEC7ViW explaining the Doftrine and Praflices of the Church of
Tsjome -, with an Anfwer thereunto. By a Proteftant of the Church of England. 8vo.
The Lay-Chrifiian'i Obligations to read the Holy Scriptures. Quarto,
The Plain Man's Reply to the Catholick. Mifiionaries. 24®.
The Proteftant's Companion; Or an Impartial Survey, and Comparifon of
the Protefiant Religion as by I.uw eftablifhed , with the main Dollrines of Po-
pery. Wlierein is fhewn, tliat Popery is contrary to Scripture, Primitive Fa-
thers and Councils.; and that proved from Holy Writ, the Writings of the
Ancient Fathers, for fevcral hundred Years, and the ConfelTion of the moft
Learned Papills tliemfelves. Quarto.
A Difcourfe of the Holy Eucharift, in the two great points of the Real Preftnce
and tlie Adoration of the Hofl. In Anfwer to the TwoDifcourfes lately printed
at Oxford on this Siibjea. To which is prefixed a large HiftoricaJ Preface rela-
tine to the fame Argument. Quarto.
The Pillar and Ground of Truth. A Treatife.fhewing that the Roman Church
felfly claims to be Toat Church, and the Pillar of That Tiuth, mentioned by S.Paul
in his Firfi EpifHc to Timothy, Chap. III. Verf. 15. J^uarto. ' .
A Brief Difcourfe concerning the Notes of the Church, with fome reflefttons
on Cardinal BellarmiiCs Fifteen Notes. Quarto, whereof Ten are extant. The
rcfl vvill bePublilhed in their order.
A Defence of the Confuter of Bellarmin's Second Note of the Church
[Antiquity] againft the Cavillsof the Advifer. Quarto.
The Peoples Right to read the Holy Scriptures aderted. In Anfwer to the
6th. yth, Sth, ^th and icth Chapters of the [ Popifh Reprefenter, Second Part ].
Two Difcourfes : Of Purgatory and Prayers for the Dead. Quarto.
A Short Summary of the Principal Ccntroverfies between the Church of Eng-
land, and the Church of Rome. Being a Vindication of fevcral Protefiant Do-
arines, in Anfwer to a late Pamphlet intituled [ Frotejiancy deflituie of Scri-
ptiiri-Proofsff.
. 3;,.
The ¥^ng s ^ower in Ecclefiaflical (SAdatters
truly Stated,
IS prefent Majefty having eredcd an High-Commiffion
Court,to enquire of, and make redrefs in Ecdefiallical
Matters, &c.
^Whether fuch a Commiffion, as the Law now
ftands, be good or not ? ^
And I hold that the Commiffion is not good. And to
.maintain my Opinion herein I ffiall, in the firft place, briefly confider
what power the Crown of England had in Ecclefiaflical or Spiritual Mat-
ters ( for I take them to befynonyraous Terms) before 17. Car. i. ca. n.
And, idly. I ffiall particularly confider that Ad of 17. Car. i. ca. u.
And, ^dly. I ffiall confider i^.Car.i. ca. 11. And by that time I have
fully confidered thefe Three Ads of Parliament it will plainly appear,
That the Crown of England hath now no power to ered fuch a Court.
I muft confefs and do agree. That by the common Law all Ecclefi-
aftical Jurifdidion was lodged in the Crown and the Biffiops, and all
fpiritual Perfons derived their Jurifdidion from thence: And I cannot
find, that there were any attempts by the Clergy to divefl the Crown
of it, till William the Firft's time, in whofe time, and his Succeflbrs
down to King ihe Pope obtained four Points of Jurifdidion, \fi.
Sending of Legates into England, idly. Drawing of Appeals to the Court
of Rome. ^dly. Donation of Biffiopricks and other ecclefiaflical Bene-
fices. And, 4^. Exemption ofClerks from the fecular Power. Which
four Points were gained within the fpace of an Hundred and odd Years j
but with all the oppolition imaginable of the Kings and their People^ and
the Kingdom never came to be abfolutely inflaved to the Church of Rome
till King Jo/jw's time ^ and then both King and People were, and fo con-
tinned to be in a great raeafure in Henry 3 A time ^ and fo would in all
likelihood have continued, had not the Wife Edward ifi. oppofed the
Pope's Ufurpation, and made the Statute of Mortmain : But that which
chiefly brake the Neck of this, was, Th t after the Pope and Clergy had
endeavoured in M 2. his time, and in the beginning of 3. to Ufurp
again i 3. did refill the Ufurpation, and made the Statutes of Pro-
vifors, 25. Ed. 3. and 27. Ed.^. And Richard 1. backed thofe Afls
with I'd. Rich. 1. ca. 5. and kept the Power in the Crown by them Laws;
which being interrupted by Queen Mary., ( a bloody Bigot of the Church
oikome ) during her Reign, there was an Aifl ma(\e in i.Eliz,.ca. i.
which is Intituled, ain Aci to refiore to the Crown the ancient Jnrifdiaion Stat,
over the Eftate., Ecclefiaflical and Sfiritaalj and ahollifhing all foreign Powers
A refHgnant
111
I
i^j,
m
' iii
' ? ' 1
.(V
.i:;
i M i
ii'
1 i
1.': f;
( 2 )
re^Hgnanttothefame. From which Title I colleft three things, ifi. That
the Crown had anciently a Jurifdiftion over the Eftate Ecelefiaftical
and Spiritual, ^dly. 1 hat that Jurifdidion had for fome time been
at leafl fufpended, and the Crown had not exercifed it- idly^ That this.
Law did not introduce a New Jurifdi<flion, but reftored the Old; but
with reftoring the old Jurirdi(rtion to the Crown, gave a power of Dele-
gating the Exercife of it. And as a confequence from the whole, that all
jurifdidlion that is Lodged in the Crown, is fubjeil neverthelefs to the
Legiflative power in the Kingdom.
I fhall now conlider, what Power this Aft of i. Eliz.. i. declares to
have been anciently in the Crown, and that appears from Sc^. i5, 17,
18. of the fame Aft.
Seftion 16 Abolilheth all Foreign Authority in Cafes Spiritual and
Temporal, in thefe words, aittl tO tljC intent tljat alt tt)e ^ifUtpeti
ann ifojeltyn potnet aim autliojitp, ^pttltual ann €;empo?al
map fo? ePer he cleatlp Ctttnffinfijelir aim nePec to Pe ufeo o?
oPepeo PJltpin tpto Eealni) o? anp otper pour ^ajettlejs Do=
mintono o? Countries ^ (a) map it pleafe pour rpiffpnef0, tijatlt
map Pe ftirttjer Cnacteo Pp tpe autpo?ttp afo^efaio, Cpat no
£o?eln;n J)?lnce, perfon, palate, ^tate o? potentate ^plrl-
tual 01 Cempo^at Ipall at anp time after tpe lad Pap of tljt0
^iefdon of parliament, ufe, enjop, o? ererclfe anp manner
ofpoPier, lurloplctlon, ^uperlo?ltP; autoo?ltp,p?eljemlnen£e
0,1 PilPllePffe €)plrltual o^ Ccclefiatflcaljlriltpln ti)l0 Kealm, o?
PJltpln anp otper pour ^aiellleo Dominions o? Countries
tpat nopj Pe, o? pereafter tijall Pe, Put from tpencefo?tp tlje
mrne Ipalliie clearlp aPolllpeo out of tljio Eealm, ano all otper
pour l^l0pnetre0 D'omlnlono fo?ePer ^ anp statute,©finance.
Cullom, Conftltutlono oi anp otper matter o? caufe uipatfoePer
to tpe contrarp In anp lolfe nottoltpdanPlniiv And afterthefaid
Aft hath abolilhed all Foreign Authority, in the very next Seftion, Se5t.
17. it annexeth all Ecelefiaftical Jurifdiftion to the Crown in thefe
words, 3nP tpat alfo It map llPettilfe pleafe pour fplgpnefo,
Cpat It map Pe €ltaPlllpeP aim oSnacteP Pp tpe 3utpo|itp afoie--
fiilPjCpatfucp 3!utl0Dlctlons,PnPileP^e0^ €)Uperlo?ltie0 anP
p?epemlnence0, €)plrltual ano ^ccleaattlcalao Ppanp ^pitL
tual 0? cj^ccleflaftlcal Potoer o^ autpo?ltP patp peretofok Peen,
01 map laujfullp be ererclfep, o? ufeo fol tpe dUfitatlon of tpe
ecclefialllcal State ano perfono, ano fo^ Eefoimatlon, €12=
oer ano Co2re(tlonof tpe fame, ano of all manner of €rro20,
j^refieo, Scplfms, aPufe^, ©ffenceo, Contempts ano Cnoi--
mltleo (pall f02 eoec, Pp autpoiltp of tm P2efent Parliament,
Pe 3Jnlteo ano Snnereo to tpe Slmperlal Croton of tpl0 Eea'm,
From thefe words, That fuch Jurifdiftion, crc. as by any Spiritual or'
Eccle--
Ecdeiiaftical Power or Authority had then-to-fore been Exercifed or
ufed were annexed to the Crown, I obferve, That the Four things
aforefaid, wherein the Pope had incroached, were all reftored to the
Crown i and likewife all other Ecclefiaftical Jurisdidion that had been
exercifed or ufcd in this Kingdom, and did thereby become abfolutely
veiled in the Crown.
Then Seftion i8. gives a power to the Crown to alllgn Commif-
lioners to Exercife this Ecdeiiaftical Jurisdidion in thefe words,
that paui: pouc ann ^itcceiro?0, 0;
Huueengs of tljus Eealm fljall (lasjc full pauicr ano
bp bertuc of tOi0 3(t, bp lLett£t0 patents imbet: tbe (S5;:eat ^ea(
of England,to i^llignjj^ame anb autbo;2l5f bJbfit anb 00 often 00
pout lplQ:bttef0, pout ioeit0 0? ^ucceiro?0 fliall tljuifemeet anb
conbenient, anb to; fu'cb anb fo long time 00 fljall pleafe pout
Dlglmef0 pout !i)eit0 0; 8)ucceflb?0, fuclj petfon 0; petfonobe-
ing l^tutal bo?n fubiect0 to pout ^)lgbnef0, pout Jpelt0 oi
@?ucceiro?0, 00 pout^ajeflp, pout^elt0 o? ^ucceflb?0 fljall
tbinh meet to etetclfe, ufe, occupp anb etecute unbet pout
I:)i0ljnef0, pout rpeit0 anb 8'ucceflb?0, all mannet of J'Utl0--
blctiono, P2ibilebge0 anbP;itljemuience0tn anp tolfe toucljlng
0.2 concetnlng anp @)pitttnal OjiCcclefiaftlcal 3utl0bl(tlon UJitlj-
in tbefc pout Eealmo of England anb Ireland, 0,2 anp otbet pout
lpiglmefle0 Domlnlon0 anb Counttle05 (a) anb to^tfit, Ee-
fo^m, Eeb^ef0, ©?bet, Co2tect anb amenb all fuclj (Stto^o,
^)etefie0, ^cljirm0,abufe0,©flence05Contempt0 anb €no?ml-
tleo ttiljatfoebet, tuljlcb bp anp mannet of ^pltltual 02 Cccleli^
alflcal pottiet, autbo?ltp 02 3!utt0bl£flon can 02 map latofullp be
Eero2meb,2D2beteb, Eeb2efleb,Co2te(teb,Eefltaineb 02^menb'
eo,to tljepleafute of aimlgbtp ^®ob, tlje Incteafe of^ettue anb
tbe confetbation of tlje peace anb amtp of tljl0 Eealm ;(3)^nb
tljat fucb petfon 02 peifono fo to be nameb, afflgneb, autljo--
2t5eb anb appolnteb bp pout ii)lg!jitef0, pout |)elt0 02
ceiro20 aftet tlje falb lettet0 patent0 to Ijlm 02 tijem mabe
anb bellbeteb, 0010 afotefalb, fljall ijabe full Poloet anb an-
fbo2ltp bp bettue of tljl0 act anb of tlje falb letteto patent0
unbet' pout i:jlgljttef0, pout ^elto anb ^ucceflojo to etet-
eife, ufe anb etecute all tlje P2emlfle0 acco2blng to tlje teno2
anb effect of tbe falb lettet0 pntent0, anp mattet 02 caule to
tbe conttatp in anp bJlfe notbJltljflanblng+
So that, 1 take it, that all manner of Ecdeiiaftical Jurifdidion was in the
- Crown by the Common Law of England^ and declared to be fo by the faid
Ad of 1. AA-?-- ' • snd by that Ad a power given to the Crown to allign
Commilfioners to Exercife this Jurisdidion ^ which was accordingly done
fay Queen £/i^.and a High-Commilfion Court was by hsr Eredcd j which
fate
C 4 )
fate and held Plea of all Caufes, Spiritual and Ecclefiafllcal during the
Reign of Qiieen King fames the firft, and King Charles the firft, till I
the 17. year of his Reign. _
Which leads me to confider the Statute of I7. Car. i.ca. 11. which
A(ft recites the Title of i. Eliz.- ca. i. and SeU. 18. of the fame Aft,
and recites further, Se^ion 1. That ttJljCCCflSi bP COlOUt Of fOlllE
U3o;2lii5 m the afo^efato b?ancb of tlje faio act, UJijecebp Com- '
tmffioners are ^utbo?t?eti to erecute tbeir CommiCTiott ac-
co^zomg; to tbe teuo? aito effect of the icings letters pa-
tents, aim bp letters patents g^ounoeo tbereupon, tlje faio ajEr
Commiffioners babe to ttie g^eat ano infufferable CSIrong
ano SDpmefOon of tbe Stings Subjects, ufeb to ifine anb 3im- j
pnfon tbem, anb to etercife otber autbo^itp, not belonging to ' r' ^
Ccclefiattical 3lurisbiction relto?eb bp tbat act, anb bibers
otljer g;eat ^^ifcbtefs anb Sinconbeniences babe alfo enfueb to
tlje lyings ©ubfects bp occafion of tbe faib Od^ancb, anb Com= ifutSi
ntifions ilfueb tbereupon, anb tbe erecutions thereof t Cbere= -is a
fo;e fo? tbe rep^efQng anb p;ebenting of tbe afojefaib a- ir-c
bufes, ^ifcbiefs anb 3]nconbemences in time to conie, (by seft. : if
3. the faid Claufe in the faid Aft i. £; i. is Repealed with a Nort oh- sJ®
fia»re to the faid Aft in thefe words) 'Jde it Cnacteb bp tbe l^ingS
molt ercellent ^afelfp, anb tbe lo?bs anb Commons in ^
tbiS p^efent parliament aifembleb, anb bp fbe autbo?itp sitf
of tbe fame, Cbat tbe afo^efaib 05?ancb) Claufe article ^
0? €)entence containeb in tbe faib act, anb eberp ino^b, jrja
matter anb tljing containeb in tbat TBmncb, Claufe, article o? 35
Sentence (ball from bencefo^tb be Kepcaleb, annulleb, Ee- -i-i
boheb, annibilateb anb utterlp mabe aioib fo? eber^ anp .-j
tbing in tbe faib act to tlje contrarp in anp toile nottnitb- 4
Ifanbing. , j'l
And in Seft. 5. of the fame Aft it is Enafted, That from and after the 1 v
Firft of Augafl.) (in the faid Aft mentioned) all fuch Comraiffions Ihall
be void, in thefe words, aitb be it futtber Cuactcb, Cljat ftom T
anb after tbe faib iFirlt bap of Auguft no netu Court (ball be
erecteb, o?baineb o? appointeb vuitljin tljiS Eealm of England, £
0? Dominion of waies, bjljiclj fball 02 map babe tbe libe potu=
er, SuriSbiction 0? autbo^itp as tlje faib ibigb Commiffion r
Court nolo batlj 0? p?etenbetbto babe; but tljat all nnb eberp ^
fucb letters Patents, Commiffions anb <552ants, mabe 02 to
be mabe, bp biS i^aieftp, bib fpeirs 02 @)Ucceiro2S^ anb all f!
pobjers anb autbo2ities, (^rnnteb02P?etenbeb, ojmcntioneb v
to be ^/.anteb tberebp, anb all acts Sentences anb Decrees to
be mabe, bp bertue o? colour tbereof, fljall be utterlp boib anb f
ofnone elfectt
CO,
By which ACt then, the power of Excrciflng Ecclefiallical Jurifdi-
ftion by Commiffioaers, under the Broad-Seal, is fo taken away, that
it provides, no fuch Power fhall ever for the future be Delegated by
theCrown, to any Perfon or Perfons whatfoever.
Let us then in the laft place confider. Whether the Ad of
ca. 12. hath Reftored this Power or not ?
And for this, I take it, that it is not reftored by the faid Ad, or any
Claufein it j and to make this evident, I Ihall Firft fet down the whole
Ad, and then conCder it>in the feveral Branches of it, that relate to
this matter; The Ad is Entituled,
j4n for Explanation of a Clanfe contained in an of^ Parliament
made in the 17th. Tear of the Late King ChzxXos^ Entituled, jinjiStfor
Repeal of a Branch of a Statute in primo Elizabethas, concerning Comtnifi-
oners for Caufes Ecclejtajiical.
The Ad it feif runs thus, WiUtw ui 311 M Of Parliament
ttiaoe in tlje ^eucnteentfi fear of tlje late l^mc: charies, Enti-
tuled. An Ad for Repeal of a Branch of a Statute prima Eliz.abetha^
concerning Commiflioners for Caufes Eccleliaftical, It 10 ( aiHOnfftt
otljer tliinffO) Cnacteo, CJiat no ^rcfj^bi'fljop, 'Bifljop no?
ClicatH^eneral, no? an? Cljancello?, no? Commiflarp of an?
^tcb'Wftop, OBia^op 0? Clicar-^eneral, no? an? ©?oinar?
tDbatfoebcr, no? an? otljcr ^piritnal o? Cccle0aftical 3:uiige,
Meet o?#inmer of Juflice, no? an? otper perfon o? perfons
lobatroeuer,ererciTing spiritual o? Ccclefiaffical poioer,autl)o==
nt?5 0? Siunsoutlon, b? an? (S5?ant5 licence o?Comniiffionof
tlje i^ingo #ajea?, bfo !Detro o? ^ucceiro?0, o? b? an? poioer
0? 9utbo?tt? oeribeo from tlje ming, l^eiro o? ^ucceflb?s,
01 otbertoife, fljall (from anb after tbe ifiril Da? of Auguii
tobicb tben fljouio be in tbe fear of our lo?b ©on, Due tljou-
lanb fir buno?eo fo?t? one) atoaro, Simpofe o? 3inflict an?
Pain, Penalt?, jfine, amercement, 3imp?ifoument o? otbec
Co?po?al Pumfiiment upon an? of tbe mrngo ^ubjfecfs,
foianp Contempt, ^looemeano?, Crime, Dfience, fatter o?
Clung tDbatfoeber, belonging to spiritual o? Ccciefiafiical
Coa&ance o? Sluriooictton ^ (:t.) mbcreupon fome boubt
Jathteen tnaoe tiat all ojOinat? patter af Caattan ana pja-
ceebina in Caufeo Ccciefiafiical tuere taken atna?, toberet)?
tbe ozbinarp courfe of 3iuftlce m Caul^ Ccdefiattical batu
ton obftrurteb. (3 ) It tberefb?e Doclareb anb Cnact^
^ bp tbe mingo moft Crcellent ^ajefi?, b? anb bu'tb tbe
abbtcc anb Confent of tbe lo?b0 anb Comtnono in tbis
Sttt parliament aflembleb, anb b? tbe autbo?it;? tbercof,
Chat ttStber tbe fatb M no? an? tblng tberein containeb,
S 0? ibaU tafee atoa? an? o?bmar? potuer 0? autbo?it?
WllJ ^ ^
c ^ )
from nnv of tljc fato 1^103090, 'Bt0)op0, ojan^otfjer oe^
fon 0? perfon0, nanieo a^s afo^faiti, fcut tfjat tpep auo tmtv
0f t^em, e3:ecctfitta' Cttle0a0tcal Siuttootcton, ma? I^?ocec0,
Determine, €)entence, €j:ecute ano C^ccrtife ali manner of
Ccclefit^lfical ^un'ooiction, nno aU Cenftiie^ aim Coertionss
appeitatmmj ano Oelonging to tpe fame, before an? making
of tfje M 0efo?e ren'teo, lit all Caufe^ ano ^i^atter^ belong-
tng to Cccleria0lcal Sunemictlon, accoioing to tbeJ^ingo ^pa-
ie0ieo (SccleOalttcal jtatuis ufeo aito p^actlfeo In tljio Ueaim,
In a0 ample ^annet aim jfo?m a0 tpc? otn arm migijt lato=
full? Ijaoeoone before making of tljefalo act.
sed. 1. anb be it futtbet (Snacteo b? tlje autljo^it? afo?efaib,
Cbat tbe afo?e teclteu act of Decimo feptimo Car. anb all tlje
. ^atteto anb Claufe0 tbetem contatneb (etceptlngiobat con-
cento tlje l|)tgb-Commlfuon Court, 0? tbe neui erection of
fome fucb like Court b? Commlfflon) Ml be anb lo tbere-
b? Eepealeb to all intento aub purpofeo tubatfoeber, an?
tblttg, claufe 0^ fentence In tbe falb act coiitalneb to tbe con--
trar? ttatUJltb0anbliig.
sea.3. pmblbeb altoa?0, anb It lo bereb? Crtacteb, "Cbat
neither tljlO act no? an? tljlng bereln contalneb 0jall ertenb,
0? be con0rueb to Eebibe, 0? gibe ifo?ce to tbe falb 'B?ancb of
tbe falb ^tMtemabelntbefalb llrUfear of tbe Eelgn of
tbe 0ilb late lEueen Elizabeth mentloneb in tbe falb act of par-
llament mabe lit tbe falb ^ebenteentlj ^ear of tbe Eelgit of tlje
falb Elng charies ^ but tbat tbe falb 'B?ancb of tbe falb @>ta-
tute mabe In tbe falb jFltU ^eat of tbe Eelgn of tlje falb late
Clueeit Elizabeth 0jall 0anb anb be Eepealeb in fucb fo?t no If
tblo act bab nebet been mabe.
seft 4. p?oblbeb alfo, anb it lo beteb? futtber Cnacteb,
Cljat It njall itot be lauiful fo? anpatcb fillbop, 'Bllbop, C3l-
cat-«S5enn:al, Cljancello?, Commllfat?, 0? an? otljet 8)pln-
ttial 0? Cccleria0lcal 3iubge, C>f0cet o? ^Imfter, 0? an? 0=
tber petfon bablng 0? etetctfiitg Spiritual 0? Ccc(erta0i-
cal 3lutl0blctlon, to Cenbet 0? abmlnt0er unto an? pet-
fon tnbatfoeber, tbe Oatb ufuall? calleb tbe 0atbEx officio, 0?
an? otbet ©atb lobeteb? fucb petfon to tobom tbe fame to ten-
beteb 0? abmlnl0reb, ma? be cljargeb 0? compelleb to Con-
fiefo 0? accufe, 0? to purge blm 0? ber felf of an? Cnmlnal
matter 0? tbtng uibereb? be 0? Ibe ma? be liable to Cenfure o?
puttllbment^ an? tblng in tblO statute, 0? an? otbet lain,
Cu0om 0? ^fage betetofo?e to tbe contrat? beteof in an?
tolfenottoltb0anblng.
Sea. s. pmbibeb albJa?03 Cbat tbio act 0? an? tblng
tbereltt
^ 7)
tDecem contaiiteli fljalf not ettent? o; be confftueb to. ettenb
to gibe unto ant> arcb-bi^op, osinjop o? anp otljee
tttai 02 ecclefiaffical Juoge, iSDfftcct o? otljet perfon 0| per-
10110 afo^efliio, artj> pouiee o? $lutbo;ntp to Ceeecife, Cec--
^te, iinflitt 0? Determine nnp <£cclefiaftical 3iuri0mctioit,
Ceniure, o? Coertion, tobictj tljep mlgbt not bp iLaiubabe bone
1639. (2.) Ji5o?to ab^nnge o;Dmn=
^ajeftleo ^upjzemncp in ecclefiafflcal #atter0
anb arrair05 no^ to confirm tfie Canon0mabe in tljc fear 1640.
no? anp of tljeni, no? aim otber (Jcccicfialtlca! Iatu0 0? Canons
not to?meclp Confirmed, aifouieb 0? ^naneb bp Parliament,
02 bp tfje ciiabfifbeb iLaU)0 of tbe tanb, a0 tbep uoob m tbe
fear of our lo?b 1639.
From the Tide of the A<ft, and the Act it felf confldered, I ga-
ther,
Firfi^ That it is an Explanatory Aft of the I7. of Car. 1. as to one
particular Branch of it, and not introduftive of any New Law.
_ Ssco?idlyf That the occafion of 'making it was not from any doubt that
did arife, Whether the High-Commiflion CoUrt were taken away?
or, Whether the Crown had power to Ereft any fuch-like Court for
the future, but from 0 boubt tbat bia0 mabe tbat all o?blnarp
PobJer of Coertlon, anb p?oceebmg0 fit Caufe0 Ccclefiatfi''
cal tuao tafeen auiap mijerebp 3ulfice fit Cccieriaaicni chatters
loa0 ObffrUCteb ■, and tin's doubt did arife-frora a Claufe in I7. Car. i.
ca. 11. StB. 4, herein mentioned to be recited in the faid Aft of 13.
Car. 2. ca. 17.
Thirdly., That this Statute of 13. Car. 2. ca. 12. as appears upon the
face of it, was made to the intent the ordinary Jurifdidion which the
Bilhops and other Ecclefiaftical perfons had always exercifed under the
Crown, might not be infringed ^ but not to reftore to the Crown the
power of Delegating the Exercife of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdiftion, by Let-
ters Patents to Lay perfons or any others, and as to this nothing can
be plainer than the words of the Aft it felf, St6l. 2.
iKlbccebp 17. Car. 1.10 repealcb but tabe0 paiticulac care to
ercept uibat cbucecneb tbe fplgl>Commtffion Court o?tlje mbJ
erection of fomc fucb Court bp Commlfiipu.
Neither did the Law-makers think this Exception in that Statute of
13.,C<zr. 2. ca. 17. SeB. 2. to be fufficient, but to put the matter out
of all doubt, in the Third Seftion of the fame Statute, 3!tl0 p?Oblbeb
anb Cuau'cb, Cbat neltljer tbat M no? anp tblng tbereln
contatneb, (botilb ertcnb o? be contfrueb to reblbe, o? gibe
fo?ce to tbt^ 'Branch of i. eh/-. i- sefi. is. but tljat tbe fame
Bfancb iboulb ffanb abfolutclp Ecpealeb> And if fo then the
power of the Crown to delegate the Exercife of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdi-
. I
: i
FINIS.
by 13. Car. 2. 12. or any other.
But there may arife an Objeflion from the words in the Statute of 13.
Car 2. 12. that faith. That tljilt M ItOt emitD tO ab^tUge
OX bimtttiflj tbe ^ajelftejs 0up?emacp in (gcclefiafiicai
^atter0 anb affairs Whence fome Men would gather j That the
fame Power ftill remains in the Crown that was in it before 17. Car. 1.
ca. II.
To which Objcdion I give this Anfwer, That every Law is to b" fo
conftrued, that it may not be Fdo de fe, and that, for the honour of the
Legiflators, King, Lords and Commons. Now I would appeal to the
Gentlemen themfelves that affert this Doftrine, Whether they can fo
conftrue the Ad of 13. Car. i.ca. 12. as they preterd to do, without
offering violence to their own Reafon? For when the i Cur. \. ca.w,
had abfolutely Repealed the Branch of i. -E/k. i. that veiled the
power in the Crown of Delegating the Exercife of Ecclefraltical }urif-
didion, and Enads, That no fuch Commiffion fhall be for the future;
and the Ad of 13. Car. 2. ca. 12. Repeals the 17. Car. i.ca. 12. except
what relates to that particular Branch, there can no more of the
Kings Supremacy in Eccleliaftical Matters and Affairs, be faved by the
faving in the 13. Car. 2. ca. 12. but what was left in the Crown by 17.
Car. I.ca. \ i.
And now 1 hope I have fufficiently evinced, That ail the Proceedings
before the Eccleliaftical Commiffioners are NON JVDICE',
and therefore have fuiEcient Reafon to believe. That the fame would
never have been fet on foot by his prefent Majefty (who had always
theCharader oi J AMES the Jafiy and hath Promifed upon his Royal
Word, That he will invade no Mans Property ) had he not been Ad-
vifed thereunto by them who are better verfed in the Canons of the
Church of ROME^ than in the Laws that relate to the CROWN and
CHURCH of ENGLAND.
An Impartial
RELATION
Of the whole
Proceedings
AGAINST
St, Marj Magdalen COLLEDGE
in 0 XO
In the Year of our LORD 1687.
CONTAINING
©nip i^atters of jfact
As they Occurred.
*
Printed in the Year,! 6 8 8.
T A B L E
ANarvAtive of the Eleciion ofVr- Hough Prefident of St. Ma-
ry Magdalen Collfdg, Oxen, Page i
A Copy of the King'i Mandate to the Feltom of Magdalen
Colki^e. . a
A Copy of Magdalen CoIIedg^s Petition 3
A Copy of the Lord Sunderland'y Letter to the Felbrps Ibid.
The Cafe of the rice Pre/ident and Fellom of St. Miry Magdalen
Colledge in Oxen, in their Election of a Prefident ibid.
A Copy of a Letter to the Vukeof Ormond, April the iSch, 1687 4
A Copy of the Bifhop of 'Wlnion's Letter to the Prefident of theCoun-
, " ... 5
A Copy of the citation to the Fie e-Prefident and Fello)Pi,for to appear
At White-Hall, June r/'f <5th, 1687. 'bid.
The Anfjperof the Fice-Prefident and other Fellorps of Magdalen Col-
ledge in OsLon^xrho rrere deputed by the faid Colledge, to the ^eftion
propounded by the Right Honourable and Right Reverend the Lords
Cetmifiioners for Ecclefiafiical Affairs, FIZ.
Why they did not Obey His Majefty's Letter requiring them to
Eleft and Admit Mr. Anthony Farmer Prefident ot the faid
Colledg ? ibid.
The Fellows Reafons n>hy they ElefLed not Mr-firmer, isrf. 7
Copies of Letters and Certificates delivered to the Lords Commifsioyers
for Ecclefinftical Affairs, ]um 7^, 16^"/. ibid.
SomeClaufes of particular Statutes to which the Cafe relates 9
Part of the Oath which every FeUow takes when admitted 10-
A Copy of Dr. Hough's Deprivation, by his Mapefips Commfsioms
for Ecclefujiical Affairs, ice. , r, n r
A Copy of Dr. Aldworth's and Dr. Fairfax s Suffenfion ibid.
A Copy of the Kings InUUtion to Magdalen Colledge ibid.
A Copy HiS 'MajeB/s Mandate for the Bifhop of Oxon to be Prefi-
dent.
A
A T ABLE.
A Copy of the Lord Snndethnd's Letter to the Senior Fellorp of SK
Mary Magdalen Colledge in the Vniverjity of Oxoa or in his
dfcence., to the Seniour Felkrv refiding thae , ibid.
A Copy of the Bi(hop of Oxon's Letter to the Senior Felhru of St. . inCoHedt
Mary Magdalen CoZ/iSa'';^? in theVniverfity of OxonjOr in his ah- i.wt™
fence.^ to the Senior Fellorp refiding there ibid.
An Acco:int of rrhat paffed at Chrift's Church, Oxon, Seprember the f-,
4tl', iCrSj. _ \ ■ 12
A Copy of the Petition cffer'd at OdovdySc^t. the ibid. -'Iijrisoufj
A copy of the Addrejs rvhich theFellorps of St- Mary Magdalen Col-:
ledgega've to the Lord Preftdent of the Council Sept. the 6th i<^47, ^ f
A ^ to- 4. f L JI-i/lL, VJ *" J S/V^i X ^
ard vekith rvas. delivered His Majefly at the Bath 13 .
A .Copy of a Letter direPded to Dr. Bayly , Fellorp 0/Magdalen Col- -
ledge, OxonJ'uppojed to he iFriten hy Mr. W.- P. I4
ihe Anj'rper to the aforementioned rprittcn Letter^Vaied Oftober .-atfSoii
the id. 1687. ibid. -
Some ^eries fent to the Fellotps of Maty Magdalen Colledge from
VVindfor, Sept. 15. 1687. - Slofif
An Answer to feveral ^eries to the Fice-Prefident and Fellotps of
Magdalen Colledge in Qxoii, fent from Wind for. Dated the P !m'®m
25th of September,!687. ibid.
An Account of the Vi[nation of St. Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxon, y
• ^ ^isiFicc
Dr.Fairfax's c^/e-the commiffioners atOxmfOSt.ii. 1687. 23 Jjitiot
Dr.h.ou^CsProtefation ^ 24
A Copy of Dr. Stafford's and Dr. Fairfax's Plea 2 5
T X • r ' w ^ ..wik'Vr Di
Dr.PAvkoCs\Expulfion ^7''
His ProteHation _ , ^ ibid. ;
Fhe Fellorps Sulmiffion rrhich they offered,and n>as refufed hy the Lords
Commij[loners > 29 \
Fhe Sujpenjion of Mr. George Fulham I0 ..
Fhe Lord Bifhop of Cheder's Speech ibid.
The Form of the Sulmiffion tendied by their Lordfhips,but wm refufed
hy the Fellorps 53^'^*
The Fxpuljion of Dr. Charles Aldworth,^^ trrenty fo-<r Fellorps 35 • "
The Decree that Incapacitates them from recei ing any Benifices ibid. .
The Expulfion of fourteen Demies hy the Bifhop of "Oxon 56 '
"dSKH
•«&!
t' 1
pji "t^arrative of the EleBton of Dr. Hough, Vrcfident
«t, to St. Mary Magdalen Colledge-, OXON^ i6Sy.
H E Erefidenrfhip of Sc. M<tyy Mag-
dalen Colledgc, in the Univcrficj-
of Oxon, being void by the death
of Dr. Nenry Clarl^, late Prefident
of the fame, the Vice-Prefidenc
ijrenocice to all the Fellows prefent in the
' iippcl, on Tourfday the 31 of March,\6%i.
icre it was unanimoully agreed, to proceed
.V the Election of a Prcfident, onWednefday
'^f#e 13 of April following,at Nine of the Clock
I;^ the Morning, in thcChappel: And in or-
(jfl', Set thereto,the Vice-Prefidenc caufeda Cita-
■tion to be fix'd on the Chappel-Door of the
^^iiaidColledge, fignifying the Vacancy, Time,
ind Place of the Eleftion •, according to the
M dircdion of the Statutes. But before the day
. U ofEledion, being credibly inforrfied, that his
,, Wajcdy had been pleafed to grant his Letters
Mandatory, in behalfof Mr.^nfAony Farmer,
® * -they moft humbly reprefented to his Sacred
d ii Majefty, in their Petition bearing Date/>>ri/
yth, That the faid Mr. Farmer was uncapable,
by their St.itutes, of being Prcfident and
dierefore did moft humbly pray his Majefly
'to leave them to a Free Eledlion, or recom-
mendfuchaPerfon to them, as was capable
by their Statutes. Monday, April nth, his
Majeily's Letters mandatory, were delivered
by the hands of Mr. Robert Charnoc\, mafter
of Arts, and Fellow of the faid Colledge,di-
reded to the Vice-Prefident and Fellows of
Magdalen QoWtAge, in Oxtn, requiring them
fotthwkh to Eleft the faid Mr. Farmer, and
admit him Prcfident: Which Letter the Vice-
Preftdent read ia the Cliappel of the faid Col-
kdgc, between the hours of four and five of
the Clock in the fame day,after Evening-Ser-
rice, before the Fellows of the Colledgc,
•J there prefent,and asked them, Whether they
*'' 'in Obedience to his Majefty's Letters, would
ferthwithEleft and admit Mr. Farmer Prefi-
dent ? Who all agreed, in confideration to
HuFarmer's not
get of Expulfion to any of the Fellows chat
toud be abfent from the Eleftion, and that
3x05
i5
ikil
rrff''
'li
«!)
h
I
the time of E!eftion,acccrding to the Citcti
on, was fo near, to defir their Anfwer til
Wedneftay following : Wlrcrcupon the Vice-
Prtfident required all the Fellows to Lc pre-
fent in the Chappel the faid Wedyefday mo-n-
ing at nine of the Clock. All the Fcl ows
being then met. the Vice-Prcfidenc read ihe
Statute De Elelthne Prcfideiitii \ and die Sta-
tute e, Elig. againfi corrupt Elebiions, was
read alio; after which the Vice-Prefidcnc read
the King's Letter in behalf of Mr. Farmer,3r,d
thefccond time demanded an Anfwer of tlx
Fellows thereto. Their Anfwer was to this
cfFefl •, That having a Petition now lying be-
fere his Majefiy, they ought not to proceed
TO Elediion, till they had received his Maje-
fry's Anfwer to the fame : And tiiereupon
they all agreed, (except Mr.CWsicf'} chat
the Eleftion fhould be deferred: which was
accordingly done, until the next morning
nnie of the Clock.
Tburfday, April 14th, at nine a Clock in the
morning, all the Fellows being met,the Vice-
Prefidenc told them. That the Eiedion of a
Prcfident had been deferred upon account of
their Petition to his Majefty, in Anfwer to
which, they had not then received iiis Maje-
fry's pleafure •, that the next day was the ut-
moft time they could defer the Eledion by
the Statutes, and therefore it was nectflary
they fhould come to feme Refolucion: he told
them farther. That the King had command-
ed them to Elcd Mr. Fa) mer^nd asked their
Senfb therein : Which was unanimous (ex-
cepc Mr.Charnodi') that the Eledion fhould
be deferred till the next morning eight of
the Clock ", and in order thereunto, the Sa-
cramcnc to be adminifrred firft; and accord-
ingly it was Adjourned.
Friday, April 15. at eight a Clock in the
morning the Vice-prefident and Fellows be-
ing met. Dr. tha. Smith and Cape, Bagjharv,
two of the Fellows, acquainted thcrefr,frora
my Lord Prcfident of the Council, That in
Anfwer to their Petition, iiis Majefly having
£ fent
C 2 1
(fflc 'lis Letter to the ColledgCj cypeftetl to
be objyed. After which, the Vice-Prefident
read again tiie King's Letter to them,and ask-
cd, wiv tfier in Obctiicncc thereunto, they
would E'ed and Admit Mr. frfrtnerPrefi-
deiu ? They anfvvercd, That they defired
tlicy might proceed to an Ekftion. Then
the Vicc-prchdtnt having propofcd, Whe-
thcr fnving rtceived his Majcfty's plcafure
in Anfwer to their Pctitk)n,they would make
any furrhcr Addrefs ? The Vice-Prefidcnt,
Dc, Fairfax, Dr Fudfty, and Dr. Tho. Smith,
wore for a ftcond Addrefs •, but all the reft
declared imjnediatcly for proceeding to the
Elcflion.
Thenrlie Vice-prcfident propofed, ■ Whe-
ther tliey would go to an Eledion Viwvoce,
or by .Scrutiny ? The Vice-prefidtnt, Mr.
njnpfon, and Mr. Charmck^, were for pro-
ctcding to an Rlcdion Kn/r voce all the reft
were for ^oing to an Eledion by Scrutiny,
except Dr. Tho. Smith, who was not for go-
ing to. Eledion, until the King fhould again
be Pttitiared.
This thtrtlorc being their Senfe,That they
ought to proceed to the FMedion of a Preft-
dent according to the Statutes, and this the
laft day limited for Eledicn .• In order there-
unto,t!ie holv Sacrament was foiemnly taken
bv ail, except Mr. Charnccf. Then the Sta-
tute Ve E/ctime Preftdentk, and 5 £//^.
againft corrupt Eledions was read by the
Vice-prcf dent. Every ore took the Oath
refcribtd in die Statutes to be taken in or-
Toi
0
cent Mr. Tbompfon and Mr. Charmed who n
fufed it): And the two Senior Fellows wer
fworn Scrutators in the Scrutiny of tlie who
Society : For the Nomination of a Prefiden
Mr. hough and Mr. Maynard hadeacli ofaher
the major part of all the Voices ^ and wer^'i
accordingly pronounced by the Senior Scru
tztOT,Nominati in Ordine ad EleiHonem Prdfi fl^''-
dentu : Then the tlnrteen Senior Fellows be atiicf'"^
ing mettoEleftoneof thefe twoPrefideflt
and every one of-them fworn according
the Statute ■, eleven of them ElededM./^iw^ .yiftC'j''
who was accordingly pronounc'd Prefiden
of Sc. Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxonfo) th ittjC '
Senior Scrutator, in the prefcnce of ail th
Fellows; and Mr. was appointed b-^ nitli
the tliirteen Senior Fellows, to prcfent th vioit'
faid Prefident Elcd, to the Vifitor, in ordc r '-btl)!
to his Admiflion.After this Mr. Thompfon ant T
Mr. Charnoclt^decUTed, Viva wee for Mr. Par :-j q
mer j -according to his Majefty's Letter.
Saturday, April 16. Mr. hough, Prefiden
Eled, was prefented to the Vifitor by Mi
Maynard, who at the fame time delivered ti iCSj/
his Lordfhip an Inftrumcnt under the Col
ledge Seal,conuining the proceedings of tin
Eledion ; after a fight wT.ereof, Mr.
was Sworn and Admitted Prefident by hi-^
Lordfhip, according to the Statutes. ""
Sunday, April 17. Mr. Hough at his returi
liatt'
i
to the CoiledgCjtook the fame Oath again be
fore the Society, and afterwards, as Prcfi
dent, took his Scat in the Chappel, at four 1
Clock Praters in the Afternoon.
/eff and Admit him the faid Anthony Farmer (Q]
into the faid place of Prefident, with all fingu
lar the Rights and Prh Hedges, Emolument
pi
<kr to tlic Nomination of a Prefident, ( ex-
.A C /TPv- oi the King's Mandaccto the Fellows of /e/fCollcdgc.
James Rex.
TRulh andWell-hekved, We greet you well.
Whereas we are well faiisfied, of the Pie-
l.oyjlty, and Learning of our Trufty and
Well beloved Anthony Farmer, Majler of Arts, and Advantages thereunto belonging, any Sta
of that your Colledge of St. Mary Magdalen,
We have thought ft hereby effelfually to recom-
mend him to you for the place of Prefident of our
faid Colledge, n w void by tlx Death of DoHtr
Clark, late Prefident thereof ■, willing and re-
^ 'iring you forthwith, upon receipt hereof, to E-
- V - • ' — " ' " — •-•'07 •'•y I
tkte, Cujhm, or Cenjlituthn to the contrary
withftanding ; wherewith We are Graciwfir'i'^
pleafedto Difpence with in this behalf. And fi^
not doubling of your Compliance herein. We w'®! ^
you Farewel. 'ik ij'
Given at at Our Court at White-Mall^ the Fifth Day of April,
of Our Reign. ' '
At
1^87, in the fiiird Yea:'^®
ft!
tm.
)
A Copy o{ Magddlen Coliedge's Petition.
To the King's Moft Excellent MAJESTY.
^he Petitian ef the Vice-PrejlJent and Fetiowi df St. Mary Magdalea
■Colfedge, in Oxon.
MjJi Humbly /henreth,
have been credibly Informed, Tlrac
' VV Mr. Amhmy Farmer, who was not of
i'our Foundation, has obtained Your Mofl Ex-
cellent Majefty's Recommendation to be Pre-
[^fident of Your Ma;effy*s Coiledgc, in the
"room of Dr. Henry CUr^, Deceafcd.
' We therefore, with all Submiffion, as be-
comes Your moft dutiful and Loyal Sub-
jcfts, moft humbly Reprefcnt to Your
Sacred Majefty, That the faidMr. Fay
'mer is a Pcrfon in feveral rcfpeds-LIn-
Capable of that Charafler, according to
our Founder's Statute;: And do moft
earneftly befcech Your Majefty,as Your
Majefty ftiall judge fitteft in Your moft
Princely Wifdom, either ro leave us o
the difgiawe of cfiff Lut , and Confci- C
ences, according to Your Majefty'slatc
moft Gracious Toleration,and our Fbun-
tier's Statutes; or to Recommend fuch a
•Perfon who may be more Serviceable to
Your Majefty, and to this Your Maje-
fty's Coljedge:
And your Petitioners jhall ever Pray, See.
A Coppy of the Lord Sundcrland'j Letter to the Feliorvs.
T^^'&ng'bcing given to underftand, That Proceedings,and expefts you fhoiiIdTend me
notwithftanding his late Mandate, fcnt an Account of what palTed on that OecahoH,
' " and whether you did receive His Majcfty's
faid Letters Mandate, before you chofe Dr.
Hough. I itry.
'to you for Elcding Mr. Farmer to be Prefi-
dent of your Colledge, you have made choice
of another pcrfon; His Majefty commands
tne to tell you, He is much furprifedat theft
GENTLEMEN,
Towr Affedlionate and Humble Servant,
Stmderland.
jheCASEe theVice-rreljdent mdramstf St. Mary Macdalcn r«/
ledge, m Oxon, m their Ute EMHon of a frefdem. C#/-
UPon the Notice of the Death of Dr. Henry
Clarli^, LatePrefidcHtof St. Mary Mag-
j daJen Colledge in Oxtm ■, the Vice-Preftdent
j tilled a meeting of the Fellows, in order to
ippoiat a day for the Ele^ioa of a new Pre-
fidcnt. The 13th of April was the day pre-
fix'd; with power to prorogue the Eletftion
Wthc 15th, as they fljould ftc caufe,beyond
which time it was not in their power to defer
the fame. This being agreed, a Citation,or
.. 'l*r*monkion was fix'd upon the Chappei-
door of the ColIedge,figtiifying the fame^atid
fummoning all the abfent Fellows to repair
home to the cnfuing Elefhon, as die Statute
in that cafe direfts. After this, upon the
I ith of April,thev recciv'd His Majcfty's Let-
ter in behalf of Mr. Farmer, requiring them
to eled and admit him Prefident: But he ha-
ving never been Fellow of that Colledge, nor
iMew-Collcdgc, in which are the only Perfons
capable of being chofcn by the Statutes j and
wanting likewife fuch perfonal %alificati^
( 4 )
they humbly beg leave-to reprefent, that ther
is an exprcd Claufe in that Oath, which eve ^,^(1 lord
ry Man takes wlfen he is admitted Fellow o ,j;,;k Ih
the Colledge •, wherein he fwears not to prc,j., (■j.-dal
cure, accept,or make uFe of any Difpcnfacioi :0>:!:
from his Oath, or any part thereof, by whom . ' - t
foever procured, or by what Authority foe ..j 0
ver granted. As to their former praftio .{-.r
wbert they have eleded in obedience to th<
King's Letter heretofore-, it has been alway ^, ,;•» 5
infuch cafes where the perfons recommend
at are required' in the Chafader of a Prefi-
tlinc, they did not imagine it was, or could
l.e His Majefty'-s i'leafure,thac they fhould ad
To direftly contrary to tlic exprefs Words of
their StaAites, to wliich tliey arc ftricfiy ahd
pofitiveiy fvvorn: But did humbly conceive
they were bound in Duty to believe, that His
Majeliy had been mif-informed in the Chara-
ftcr and Capacity of Mr. F.innfr.And there-
fore on the 15th cf Aj-ril, the laft of chofe
days within wliich they were conhn'd to fi-
nidi the Eledion, they proceeded toachoic-e, - ed have been every way qualified for the Ofc.
and having firfi received the Bieifed Eucha- fice by their Statutes-, in which cafes they jj j
rid, raid ukm an Oath awhe Fourulercn- ways have been, and ever will be, ready ttf
comply with His Majefty's pieafure; icno ' ,;jj^
being without unfpeakable regret, that the-
diro':)ey the leaft of His Commands, Tlje
know how intirely their welfare depends up
on the Countenance of their Prince; nor dot!
any thing more deeply aftecd and grieve the!
Souls, then when they find thcmlelves rc
duc'd CO this unfortunate neceflity, of eithe
■ di obeying his Will, or violating their Con
fcicrccs by ntxonous Perjuri s.
yoyns. torhoo.'ea Pcrfon fo qualified, as is
tin re ipv-cifiejl -, they did eleft the Reverend
Mr. "fii-n N-.igh^ Eatchellor in Divinity, who
is a Fcrfon every way qualified by the Statutes ■
of the fa d Colledge; And if it fball be ob-
jcfted that His Maiefiyidid in His Letter for
Mr. F.u7« r, graciouHy difpeafe wiih .1 die
Sr-umes c'i.tc rendered liim uncapable pf be-
ing eledkd i-aiid that therefore they might
have obeyed without breach <jf their Oaths;
A .Copfy of a letter to the D.tke of Orinoadj
Mty it it pU,)fe your Gr.xo,
\\ 7 E the Prefidcnt.and of MagJokn Col-
'■-4
Fii
" Oilv
---•bt
ledge in (7a:an,fcnfible of the Benefits
and Honour'we cnio under your Grace's Pa-
tronagc, and liow much it imports u to have
your Advice ir: all the Difficulties whcrevnth
we are prcfskl i having, as we fear,, difplea-
fed H'S Mai-'fiy, in our Elcftion of a lYcii-
dent; do humldy. beg leave to rtprcf.nt ro
your. Grace, a.true (bare cf our Caie,and itopie
you will pleafc cp u;;orin the King how unba-
pable we were to perform His Com.mafids.
His Maiefiy was plcafed on the Death of
Dr. Htnrjf'Cl ■r\, Prefid-ent at Sc. jto-y A/ag-
c'a/e', Coilec|ge,to Command us by His Letter,
to elcfl, and admit, Mr. Anthony Farmer in
flue Office, a Pcrfcn utterly uncpable of it
by OUT Statutes, as we are ready to make ap-
pear in many parcicularsy and fince wc ttvc
taken a pcfitive Oath of oliedicnee to them,
and that exdufive to all Difpcnlations whatlb
ro the time of Elc(5tion,we have been fc^
ced CO proceed to tiie choice of one, wljo ha"
ajiproved his Loyalry in tlie whole courfe a'
fi
-is Life, and whom we think fuiubly quat
fiL'd for the'place. ' t™i"
. M.5y if therefore plcafc your Grace to inter-
pole with His Mod Sacred Majefiy fcr us,that " •
wc may nod ye under the weight of Hh
Difpita.'"urc, for net- being in a capacity foi ^'1
obeying His Commands. We know him tobc .dC
a Pritieeofeminent j[ufiice,andlntcgriry,and '-'i
c.innot think he vvill value any inftance oli
Duty tb hitnfdf, which manifeftly hrc«i<$ir-^t\i
upon the obligation of our f onfcienccs. And,
your Grace's extraordinary unblemifh''d Ley-
aky CO tiic Crown; and that regard which '
wc adure cur feives, our Moft Honoured
lord, and Chancellor, as to the Peace and-"^^
Welfare of this Place, induceth us to preftme
yourGraccAvill omit no endeavours to fet be-l ■ ^
fore His Majeliy, the true Rcafon and Neci-'L"'
'■ " - - - iRit
ever-, we humHy cor.ccive wc cor,Id not
obey that Com nana in favour of Mr. Farmer ■, ficy of our f'rccecdirvgs. That God AJmifility*'''*
u kfs he had brought .cliofc Qaahficaticijs • proteil your Grace, fnall be the daily Prayert'''®
1 him- vuF cli our Founder reauir'es in the of. ■ ■ ■ . j •'"'to;
May it Tleafeyour Grace, ScK.
Th<
' CI ' ^
w ith liim, wh'ch our Founder requires in the
I'uf.n of the Prcfidcncj and being confined
. .. (5)
ThcBiQiopof ^P^ififov's Letter £0 the LorJ PrcfiJentof the Council.
■fifti, My Honoured Lord,
tSR" Hi Oblrgation I have upon me is Vijitbr of
la-- - • - - ■ ■
'E
St. N-ary I^agdakn Colkdge in ol:on,
tl.Sj-^ijletis this Address ; Ftr I am informed
'te fi.fJ great endea-vours are ufed with hU Ma-
rattjijjfj}/ recimniend one Mr Farm'^r, who is
titKifHit at preftnt, nor ever was Felkw of the
atetft Cdldge, to be Prefident of it; rvhich U di-
;Ki>,'reS/; contrary to the Statutes of the Four.-
ifattjijiifr, Y" as I am confident fome who promote
alty., and every way quallified according to the
St.-Jutes, J fhould not prefs your Lorfhip to
lay the Concern of the Coll~dge f which h.tttj
upon all occafions eip/ejl its Zeal and for-
war duefs in Defence of the Crown, and f as
1 prafticularly Inom J in the great Affiiiirs
of the Succeffton ) before his Jif.ijejiy, who.
:r-,
ip.
\
I hope, will leave them to their Rules as
the Statutes, which have hitloerto (ex-
Mt. Farmer's intereji, cannot be ignorant of: ) cepting in the times of Rebellion J been con-
fcientioujly obferved, and ovhich will be the
higlstjl fatisfaflion to the truly Loyal Vniifr-
fity, and promote his MajeJiy's Service, which
kjs always been the Endeavour of
Your Lordllilps
Moft Humble Scrvanr.
A Coppy of the Citation to the Vice-Prefident, and Fellows, for to appear at White-Hall,
/wne the Sixth, 1587.
a-3) His Majeflfs Commiffioners for Ecclefiajlical Caufes, and for the Vtfirati-n of the ZJnherfties,
and of all, and every Catbedr.ii and Collegiate Churches, CslUdg-.:, tkc.
Y^Omplaints having been made unto Lh, you are hereby rcquir'd rcCire St Summon the
ht,t^doi were there not many Per fins now
Sir, folhially Fellows, feveral who have been
ftt-iifY prtrticuUr the Si/hop of Man, and Dr.
stii • Jcfop ) very eminent for Learning and Loy-
iSt; tf
\j that the Vice-I'refidcnr, and Fellows of
''Y Sr. Ma-y Magdalen Collcdge in Oxon, have
refufed to comply with His Majefty's Letters
|j,J ijji Mandatory, for clefting and admitting Mr.
Ar.tloTnyFirmer VrtdtAcnc. of the fame Col-
room of Dr. C/.irl; dcceafed,
and that notwi hidanding his Majefty's Let-
ters they have deftei Mr. John Uough Pre-
fident of the faid Colledge: You and either of
Given underour Seat the
i2th of May, 1687
!:®r
r 10^1'
Tlflj
;riai
faid Vice-Prei:dcnt S:Fcllotv£.rcqairing'cm,'or
fuch o'^the faid Fellows as riiev jhall depute in
their behalf, rc appt ar betore Us in the Coun-
cil-chamber at Wmte-kd:, u;Kin Monday ffie
Sixth of tiic next Month ca jane, at Four in
tlie Aircrnoon, to anfwtrto fuch matters as
ftall be ob;cvl:cd ag.iinid them, concerning
the Pr.mrfts.ar.d of the due cxecucion there-
of; You are to certitie Ih-. then and ciicre.
lo Tho. Attcrl ury, and Rob. Eldows,
, Or to either of them.
IrAnfwcrof the Vice Pre 'Ode.ot, and other Fellows, of Magdalen Collrdgein Oxon, |»r/;o wire
^ deputed by the faid Colledge, to ths Qiteftion propounded by the Right H nourable, and Right
Reverend, the Lords Commiffioners for Eccifiijiical .Affairs, viz
^Why thty did not obey His Mijchv's L-rttcr, laiuning thrm te Eleft,
and Admit Mr/ Anthsnv Farmer Prefident of the faid Colledge ?
■yne faid Vice-Prefident, and o:her_de- That by the fajd Statutes of the Colledge ( to
cilafc'
pared Fellows anfwcred and faid. That
a rtfUJuhe faid Colledge of St. Mary Magdilen in
.Vaf'tt Om k a Body Corporate, governed by Lo-
irfetet#! Statutes, granted and confirmed to them
imiiopraiiiy His Majefty's Royal Predec£iror,King Heti-
roafiiorirf)' the dth, for Him and His Heirs and Sue-
Oil mi,'^ceflbrs,under the Great Seal of EnghFa^Vt/nich
Wfii'Jrcalfo fince confirmed by feveral other Let-
(Utoftfs Patents of others of His Majefty s Royal
Predcceifors,under the Great Seal 01 England,
'rat, lid
the obfervation of whiclgcachFellow is fwornj)
it is ordered that tlie Perfon defied Pnelidfln^
thereof, fhall be a Man of good Life and Re-
putacion, of .approved Under Handing, and
good Temper, Difcreer, Provident, and Gir-
cumfpefl, both in Spiritual and Temporal Af-
fairs. And at that time of Election of a Prefi-
dent,che faidF.ilows are bound by the faidSta-
tutcs, to take an Oath that they fhall nomi-
nate nine to that Office, but fuch as are, or
have
hsvftbtcti Fellow? of the faH Colkdge, or of
Niir CilLtige in Ox^n ; or it they are not acfu'
ally Fellows at rhat time of E'cAion', that
^ thev be fuch as have left dieir Feliow(l>ips in
their refpe^'ul Collcdgej uoon credible ac-
counts.And when two qualified perlbnsfhall
be nominated at th<e time of Eleo'tion, Wy cite
greater number of all cht Fellows,to the laid
Office of Prefidtnti the thirteen Seniors alfo
Avcar that they will fclcft one of thciTHwhoni
in tlieir Cotifcknccb they drink moff proper
and fudicicnt, moft difcreec, moil ufeful, and
bed qualified for the place i wi.houcany re-
gard to love, hatred, favour, or fear. And
. every Fellow svhen he is tirft admitted into
. his Felio.v(hip in the faid Colledge, fwcars
that he will inviolably keep and obferveall
the Statutes and Ordinances of tiie Colledge,
and every thing therein contained, fo far as
. does or may concern him, according to die
plain,literal,and grammatical fenfe arid mean-
. ing thereof, and as much as in him lies will
caufe the fame to be kept and obfervcd by
others i and chat he will not procure any Di-
Ipenfation contrary to his aforetaid Oath, or
any part thereof, nor contrary to the Statutes
and Ordinances to wliich it relates, or any of
rhcm ; nor will he endeavour that fuch Di-
fpenfation fhall be procured by any other, or
others, publickly or privately, direftly or
indireflly. And if it (hall happen that any
Xhfpenfarion of this fort, of whatfocver Au-
thority it (hall be, whether in general or par-
ticular, or under what form of words foever
it be granted, cliat he will neither make ufc
..of it, nor in any fortconfenc tiiereunto. Tliac
upon Notice of the Death of Dr. late
Frefident of the faid Colledge, the Vicctprc-
fident called a meeting of the faid Fellows,
in order to the appointing a day for the Ele-
dion of a new Prefideni, and the 13 of April
was the time prefix'd, with power to pro-
rogue the fame as they (hould fee caufe, till
the 1$. beyond which time they could not
fracutably defer their Election, and in punu-
ance thereof a Citation,or Premonition, was
fix'd upon tlie <Shappei-door of the faid Col-
ledge, fignifying the fame, and by which
the abfcnt Fellows w ere Summooed to repair
1: <5 1
home, as the Xuwte in the Cafe require
And the (aid Vkx-prernknr, and other de
7*^
puttd Fellows farther fay, that on the 11 c ^
April aforefud, they received his
Le|iiis tnandatory, to Elcd and Admit b
faid Mr. AittMrrr. Farmer Prcfidtnt of the lai*® . ^
Colledge; But forafmuch as the faid
prefidec.t, and Fdlovys, apprehended
. right of Eiecftion to be in chein, and
hia Majefty never intended to dirpoCTefs thei-"" ^
of their R ghts: And forafmuch as theiai*?®*'?'
Mr. Farmer had never been Fellow either
Magdalen, or Nea-CoMtdgc in Ox»n,..und lu^,*'i''"
not thiofe C^aililicacions which in, and bj^^
. the laid Scatucesof the Colledge are require ^
in the Charifter of a Pre fident, as they i "
their Ccnfcicnces did, orxlo verily belicvemr:*'
and in regard that "they could not compl;t«i
With his Majefly's Letter, without the viofc
'cion of their Gadis, and hazard of their le ^'i^®
gal Intereft and property, wherewith thcig: if'
are by their Statutes poffeilcd, and which bnts-
their Oaths they are bound to mainuin, the ntjhE:
reprcftntcd the fame by their humble
on to his Majefty. And liaving deferred theiui
Eledion of a Prefident to the laft day limitc; :Cay
by their Sututes,than they proceeding to E-9 a-I
-Icftion, and having firft received the Euchr ist,
rift, and taken the faid Oachs,a5the Statun "•
.enjoyn, to choofe a perfon fo qualifird as
before fxpreffed, they did El eft theRert.!^
rend Mr. Jolm Hough B. D- and one of ih ■jjj)
Fellows of thdr Colledge, a perftnever
way qualified to be Frefident, whohasbce-i^f^
fiDce Confirmed by the Bilhop of W.ntjn the;
•Vifitor, as the Statutes of the faid Collcd|
direa.
And that they might not lie under his M.,^j[ '^
jcfty's Difpleafure by their proce£ding5,th«
did on the 19 of i4^n/makeun humble
prefcntarion thereof to his Majefty, by h,k,.
Grace the Duke of Ormond, Chancellor <", ^
the Univeaficy of Oxen, fetting forth their it
difpcnfable obligations to obfcrvc dieir FoufJ^
ders Statutes.
All which tnattcrs the Vice-prefident, an
other deputed Fellows, do humbly oflcr t
your Lordftiips, and pray to be difinifie
with your Lordftiips favour.
71 «
■ne
0(IS[,.
fe),
X '
C 7 I
7l}e FeOotPS Reiifint irhy they Elecled not Mr. Farmer, {^rc.
^ W^^deDmcd^PVI humour and onqulct tc n per,tfuc
V > deputed helJows of St. Mary Mag. to preeferve the Peace of the Society,he was
denred to leave the faid Hall.
That after his leaving Magdden Hall, he
Colledge w Oxon, have in their Anfwer
.jyour Lordfhips, fet fotth, that hy the Sta-
of the faid Coile'dge, it is ordcred,That
Perfon to be Eleftcd Prtfident thereof,
T~ lfc»!d bea man of good Life and Reputati-
-on,and of good manners and Tdmpcr; and
liktwife that Mr. Anthony Farmer hath not
itejtqL
Qualifications which in and by tlie faid
are requir'd in the Charafter of a
i'^'Wefidcnt, as they in their Confciences did
"iisiUj jgi verily believe. They humbly crave
^iwwavetoreprefent to your Lordfhipi lome of
Reafons which induced them to fuch
^"'"'-idief, vi^.
^''*1 That Mr. Farmer did mif-behave him'elf
Triiaty Colledge in Cambridge: That he
"'"itttceived Admonition from the Mafter of the
Bcm^jollcdge, inordertohis Expulfion*, which
l®i'<''teains in the Rcgiftef of the faid Colledge,
itediBxler his own hand.
That having left Cambridge., he taught
fwdiq'lSSiool zt 'Chippenham in Wiltfhirej untl^ a
iiditLNon-conformifi Minifter, without Liccnfe.
Thatin September i6S^. the faid Mr. Far-
iwt was entred in St. jW^ry Magdalen Hall in
Mil fttw, where fuch frequent Complaints were
itJdt; btoHght againft him to the Principal, for his
V ■ Itpits of Utters and Certificates delivered to the Lords CommiJJioner s fir EcclefiafiUal Affuirsi
W«I'' ' June 27th. 1687."'
StiiiKi!!;
I.T j4«tfiwiy Farmer, Batchelonr Of Arts,
iCiii'i: J^and Scholar of this Colledge, do con-
poailii- fcfs, That I lave behav'd my felf very unlike
liraii»ia member of this Colledge, and evenaChri-
,
set 1^1
was admitted into Magdalen Colledge, where"'
difcourfmg about Religion,he declared, That
there was no Froteftant but would cut the
Kings Throat; r.O'wichftanding which, at
other times he declared to fome of the Fel-
lows of the Colledge, That whatfoever
he pretended, he was really a Member of the
Church of England j and that he made an-
Intereft with fome Roman Catholicks, only
toget Frefermcnt by their means, and fot^
that reafon was willing to be thought of their
Religion.
Tliat at the" very time wlien his Majefty's
Letter came to the Colledge in his behalf,'
the faid Mr. Farmer was at Abbington in very
ill Company, where he continued drinking id
cucefs two or three days and nights together;
and amongft other Diforders, was one of
thofe that'then in the night time threw the
Town-Stocks into the River: and that in
general the faid Mr. Farmer hath had the un-
happinefs to lie under an ill Pame, as to his
Lift and Converfation, as by feveral Letters
and Certificates, ready to be produced, will
more largely appear.
(ban, at the Dancing-School: for which
Trinity Coll.Camb. Tune. 11. 1687.
humbly ask Pardon, and do acknowledge
before the Seniority, that I have defervedly
received of the Mafter my firfl Admonitioa
in order to Expulfion.
Anthony Farmer.
Thisis a true Copy of Antho, Farmer's Admonition, attefted by us whofe Names are hcfc-
unto under-written,
ffymfh. Babingttn,
John ffawlejns^
Bet^. Fulleyn,
John Laughton,
Vice Magift. Dcpuc»
Antbo.
^n.*nHere arc to ccrtifie, That Mr.
Farmer was lifber to Ben}. Fhrver,
a Nonconform fl Preacher in the Town®
Chippenham in ^he County of Jfi/fr, for th
fpac
L 8 ]
picfof ha'f i year or upward?, the fakl continuing hiiUfher for the time mentione?!;^ j
Mr. I'lovfcr keeping School- without Liccnfe without any L'cenfc alfo. Wicncfs
from the Biflwpy and the iiiid Mr./-"rtrmer rie.
Hands,
in
]\ /f R Anth-My F-vtm w,ij cnrrcd of
i> .1 .W..ga'..7et Hal! in(7.yw,
1 « 1 i "i»_
✓ ' J-> - . .e
S'ptem. (. ^62^, Wliere, after lie had been
ioinc tiiTie,frequcn'- Co.ai plaints were brought
to mc by fome of the Makers, tiiac he raifed
C^uarrels and Differences amongft them ;
that he often occ.ffioned Difturbances, and
was of a croublefome and unpeaccabe hu-
IV.T Do certifie, That Mt. Bam-
1 Gentleman CommoEner of Ma^-
dalen Hall Oxon, did fay, That Mr. Anthony
Farmer, Mafterof Arts, did inticehim from
his Studies in the Univerfity to go to London^
V. -J Do certifie. That Mr. William Bam-
— l»kii Gentleman C ommoner of M>g-
dakn Hall, did fay,That Mr. Anthony farmer
Mailer of Arts of the faid Hall, did. receive
VI
June ty. 1S87.
1. T Am very willing to juftific any thing
JL I have formerly faid, relating to fo
ferious a matter as this is you enquire after.
Mr. Farmer, mt night in a Cloyfter,asked
me why I did not get a Commilfion : I told
him truly,! had not Friends to do it for me.
He then asked me, what I would do for one:
I told him, I would fight for my Ring, and
whatfoever he (hould command me. He then
■sk'd me, if I would fight for tlie King's Re-
ligion : I told him, there would be no occa-
fion for that, nor would it ever be required
-YILTM or about J atomy laft, 1^87, Mr.
I A.I — 1 • -
Will. Vicar.'®®®'®
Will. Loue'e,
Will: Gale.
•W,'
mcur. Whereupon, that Love and Friend ^,®f
(hip might be preferv'd and continu'd in .th<
- •. • z'. 1 _ . I _ r _ 1 • 1 I ^
Society, as it ufed to be, I advifed the fak h
Mr, Farmer to make cryal if he could
more eafily and quietly in fome other Houfe
Accordingly he did voluntarily leave thi'"'!"'®
Hall July the 13th 168$. and gothimfeif ad
mittcd into Magdalen Colledge. ta ffll
William Levet, Principal-
where he the faid Mr. Farmer did attemp
to draw the faid Mr. Bambrigg into fevera
Debaucheries Iwth at Taverns and Bawdy
houfes. Witnefs my hand. . ;;eiem
John Ryland, Mr. of Arts of Magd. Hall. - -Driji, J
Money of him and other Gentlemen,publick iaJliii
ly to expofe unto them a Naked Woman
which he accordingly did. Witnefs mpjij,;..
hand, ' A'pn,
Richard Cletkj Mr- of Arts of Magd. Hall :.-.i'iicd
■ • - of
of me. He ask'd me of what Religion I was , fid
I told him a Proteftant. And then he fai,d,;.j
There was no Proceftant but would cut th(
King's Throat •, and tliat he fhould loft
Three thoufand pounds, for being of thai
Religion he intended to be of*, which he faki~-—
was a Papift. This, to the befl of my re-, .
membrance, is the full of what he faid. II •
I liave omitted any riling, it is my care not
to write more than I would honeflly andattju
juftly fwear to. I am, SIR,
■Tour ni'fi oblig ed and humble Servant, ..
John Brabouni
* J - ✓ » t
_ Anthony Farmer declared before us.
That the Report of his being, a Papift was
felfe *, but that he was willing to be thought
fojbccaufe it might do him a kindncfs: That
the rcafon of his acquaintance with Mr. Brent
and Mr. Waller, was to get Preferment by
their Interefl .* That he had not forfakcn .tht u
latt
Protcffant Religion ; adding, we fhould cal^juj
him Rogue, if ever he did : That he wcuk^^jji
not make any publick Declaration of this,bu
would declare it amongft Friends, whcnanc-
where he pleafcd.
ffenry Vobftin,-^
Ja.fayrer,/.^
Tbo, Gooamn. r,
VIII. r
OK
T certifie, That Robert
"■ati! i Gardiner, Porter of St. Mary Mae-
y , i''''" Colledge , did tell me, that Mr Farmer
^•hid very often come into the Colledge late at
iii.
riprilt\\t third, Mr.
■'Bit I Farmer came to the Lobfter in
iington with Mr. Cler^, Mr. Gravener, and
ufenrtfar, about eight in the morning,
d llaid fome time in the houfe , and went
)m thence to the Tavern ; return'd again
out eleven at night, and fat up till one in
le morning : The next day they went to
le Bulh-Tavern and fent for a quarter of
ab for their Supper, and there Mr. Far-
\/Rs. Mortimer is ready toalTert, That
®di:. when Mr. Anthony Farmer return'd
^ the Lobfter about eleven at night, he came
'■^tiuch eoncern'd in Drink, and was for kiffing
ke faid Mrs. Mortimer, which, he being a
®®F~ianger, fhe permitted him to do ; but in
uitifc
C93
DEing i
J3 hins
in company with William Hop-
l^ns of Abbingtoni the 12th. of ^une
soik((i|(l I heard him declare, That himfelf,
ith one Mr. Farmer of the Univerfity of
m, and fome others, did in a Frolick, at an
id ibki iferfonable time of night i take away the
tttfliii;
kb
6*30^.
night, fo much in drink, that he could fcarce
go or fpeak. Witnefs my hand, this pth. of
fune 168^.
George Fulham,
mer ^ Mr. Clerl^, Mr. Gravener, and two Troo-
pers arid others, continued till paft eleven at
night, and fo return'd to the forefaid place,
and fat up till paft three in the morning.
This I do affert, was the Company that the
faid Mr. Anthony Farmer kept, and thefe were
the unfeaibnable Hours. In witnefs whereof
I am ready to fwear, whenever a Subpsena
ftiallbe fent to me.
George Mortimer,
doing of it he the faid Mr. Anthony Farmer
put his Tongue in her mouth, which was fuch
a rudenefs, that fhe immediately went out of
his company, and would not come nigh him
any more.
Martha Mortimer.
Town-Stocks from the place where they con-
ftanfly ftood, and carried them in a Cart a
confiderable way , and threw them into a Pool
commonly call'd Mad Hall's Pool. Witnefs
my hand, the day and year above-written.
Charles FeacocJ^
r
Some Claufes of particular Statutes to which the Cafe relates.
lixkiiu
libfcN their Statutes concerning their Eleftion
SH of a Prefident, his Charafter is thus defcri-
yjicidThat he muft be a man of good Repu-
Idjtttion, and good Life, and circumfpeft both
Spisitual and Temporal Affairs. .
In the fame Statutes the Oath which every
,'How is obliged to take, before he can give
the Nomination of a Prefident, is this:
ff'lls.That he will name one or two of St. Mary
luidolen Colledge j or of thofe-who have
„^j)(.ten Fellpws there, or have left their places
a legal and cridible account : Or that
name one or two of the Fellows of
St. Mary Winchejler Colledge, commonly cat-
led Neve-Colledge , in Oxon, or of thofe who
have been formerly Fellows there, and have
left their places upon a credible account. Af-
ter this, the thirteen Seniour Fellows fwear.
That out of the two thus nominated, they
will, with all fpeed, Eleft one to exercife the
Office of a Prefident, whom in their Con-
fciences they think moft proper and fuffici-
ent, moft difcreet, moft ufeful, and beft qua-
lifted for it, either without any regard to
Love, Hatred, Favour, Fear, (^c. as in the
formentioned Statute is more largely expref-
fed.
C " Part
part of the OATH which every Fellow takes when Admitted.
Item,
I
Do Swar that I will not procure a
ny Dirpenfacion contrary to my a-
forcfaid Oath, or to any part thereof, nor
contrary to the Statutes and Ordinances to
which they relate, or any one- of them •, nor
will I endeavour tliat fuch Difpenfation be
procured by any other or others, publicklyor
privately, direftly or indireftly ; And if it
fhall, that any Difpenfation of this fort (hi''
be procured, or freely granted , or obtaino - ^ j £
of what Authority fo ever it be , whether '
general or particular, under what form •''fgJja
Words fdever it be granted, I will ncith'Liijj^
make ufe of it, nor in any fort confent therf
unto. ' '
So Jtelp me GOD.
—
-,a A
A Copy of Dr. HonghV Deprivation by His Majefly^s Commiffmers for E
clefiafiical Afairs&c. •
WWereas it appears to us, that Mr. fohn
Hough, B. D. hath been unduly Eleft -
cd Prefident of St. Mary Magdalen Colledge,
in the Univerfity of Oxon , we have thought
fit, upon mature confideration thereof. That
the faid Ekftion be declared void, and the
Given
faid Mr. John Hough be amoved frpm thefi
Ptefidentfhip •, and accordingly w'e do here Ji,
declare and decree, That the faid Eleftior
void *, and do amove the faid Mr. John Hoi :LfiS
from the place of Prefident of the faid C ,
under Our Seal this 22d. Day of June, idSy, '
A Copy of Dr. Aldworth'j and Dr. Fairfax'^ Sufpenfton.
WHcreas Charles Aldmrth , Doftor of
Laws, Vice-Prefident of St. Mary Mag-
dalen Colledge, Oxon, and the Deputies, Fel-
lows of the lame Houfe, have been Convein'd
before Us for their Contempt in not Obeying
His Majefty's Letters Mandatory, for Elefting
and Admitting Mr. Anthony Farmer Prefident
of the faid Colledge ; and the faid Dr. Aid-
worth and Deputies having been heard there-
upon, We have thought fit to declare , pro-
nounce and decree, That the faid Dr. Aid-
iCd
tiPr
worth fhall for the faid Contempt be Sufp / ^
ded from being Vice-Prefident of the
Colledge ; And that Henry Fairftx, Doftor
Divinity, one of the Fellows of the faid
ledge, (hall for the faid Contempt be Sufp
ded from his Fellowfhip •, and accordingly
do hereby Sufpend Dr. Charles Aldworth ft ^
being Vice-Prefident of the faid Colledge, , "fl
the faid Dr. Henry Fairfax frcm his Fellowl i
in the faid Colledge,
Given under Our Seal the 22d. Day of June i6i
A Copy of the King's Inhibition to Magdalen Colledge.
JAMES REX.
TRufty and Well-beloved, We Greet you
well: Whereas We are informed , That
a Sentence or Decree lately made by Our Com-
miffioners for Ecclefiaftical Affairs, touching
an Eleftion in that our Colledge, hath not been
Obeyed, Our Will and Plcafure is , No Ele-
jcftion or Admiffion be made of any perfon
Given at Our Court at Windfor, theEighteemh of July, in the TatrdTear of Our Reig
By His M A J E S T Y's Command. Sunderland.
i-sntt
t.Hfl]
or perfons whatfoever, into any Fellowf
Demyfliip, or other Place or Office in. ' It
faid Colledge , till We fhall fignifie Our '1^
ther Pleafure , any Statute, Cufiom, or
flitution to the contrary notwithflanding.
fo, expefting Obedience herein, We bid<>fa
Farewell.
( n)
ittfi!, ^ *
St'®;-) A Copy of His Majefty's Mandate for the Bl/hop of Oxon to be Prelldent.
' I A M E S R E X.
Kujiy and Well-beloved, We Greet you well: with all the Rights, Vrivtledges and Profit
il'L'ji- "f P^^fident of Our Col- Emoluments and Advantages thereunto belong-
iiccaM^ "fMagdalen, »f now void. Our ing , any Statute or Statutes, Cufiom or Con-
Ytll and Pleafure is, That We do hereby Autho- Jlitution to the contrary, in any wife , notwith-
iK5ffl,k^ aad Require you forthwith, upon receipt ftanding, wherewith We are Oracioufly pleafed,
JiTfvf, to Adtrdt the Right Reverend Father in and do accordingly hereby Dijpenfe in his behalf:
^d, Sm\i.e\ Lord Biflnp of Own, into the faid And fo, expelling your ready Obedience herein,
fmi the fame. We bid you Farewell.
Given at Our Court at Windfor, Aug. 14th. 1687, in the Third Year of Our Reign.
*wni;i
Wv- U|
By His Majefty's Command. Sunderland.
„ of the Lord Suifderland'j Letter to the Seniottr Fellom of St. Mary Mag-
" dalen Colledge , in the Vniverfity of Oxon , or in his abfence , to the Seniour
, Fellow rejiSng there.
^He King having been pleafed by! His Let-
1 ters Mandatory, to require the Fellows
n'"' f St. Mary Magdalen Colledge, to Admit the
ord Bifhop of Oxon Prefident of that Col-
CmmsMge His MaieAy Commands me to let you
iriidffl tiow, That immediately upon the receipt
ifjjja, lereof, he would have you Affemble the Fel-
IbwoiiiWs, and Communicate to them His Maje-
fly's faid Letters : And I am further C«m-
manded to tell you, That His Majefly experts
a ready Obedience to be paid to His Pleafure
herein. I defire you would fend me an Ac-
count of your Proceedings, as foon as you can,
that I may acquaint His Majefty with it. I
am
Tours Sunderland.
Copy of the Bifhop of Oxon'j Letter to the Seniour Fellow of St. Mary Mag-
Colledge, in Oxon , or in his abfence , to the Seniour Fellow refiding
° there.
|_J^Ouwill receive herewith His Majefty's
1 Mandate to Admit me Prefident of your
^ 'olledge of St. Mary Magdalen, in Oxon, to-
ttherwith a Letter of my Lord Sunderland,
®Jkfuant to His Majefly's Cofhmand. I am
ifpofed, as I have been for fome time, and
inacondition as yet to Travel j and there-
••'e my requeft to you is. That upon receipt
King s Pleafure, you would do me the
iiri^
Favour to Admit me by Proxy, fi. e.) Either
the next Seniour Fellow under your felf, refi-
dent, or either of my Chaplains, Mr. William
Widens, or Mr. Thomas Collins, whom I de-
pute in my ftead , which is as valid in Law,
as if Ivvereprefent my felf; and is the moft
ufual and cuftomary Prartice. And by fo do-
ing, you will oblige
Tour very Loving Friend and Brother ,
Samuel Oxon.
C 2 ■ OXON.
C tl
O X O N. Sept. ^th. 1687.
occ
i^tonr/cfrrt
>a0fff ^
rk Lor^i Sunderland fent an Order to the Fellom of St. Mary^ Magdale;«t3®«
Colledge, to attend the King at Chrift-Church , at three in the ^fternoot'
They attended accordingly
King
WHat's your name
PudfeyJ
arc you Dr.
Dr. P. I think he was admitted Fellow
But we conceive
;cT£f to i
rt w.
.-jiCfltun
r«ajv •
Dr. P. Yes, may it pleafe your Majefty.
K. Did you receive my Letter ?
Dr. P. Yes Sir, we did.
K. Then you have not dealt with me like
• -- J--..,
It we conceive — ^ ^
Mr. Cra. May it pleafe Your Majefty, tber . •
J I ^ » J J -- |rgy
was no new Eleftion or Adrailfion , fine '.^,4-
\va9 *!*.*» ..... y ^
Your Majefty's Inhibition j but only the Cor
fummationofa former Eleftion. They a ' *?
it With me llKC lUIIlilidLiua ui a 1.W1141*.! J..^ivvviv-rii, a ^ .
Gentlemen, vou have done very uncivilly waysEIeftto one years Probation) thenth'IXp,
'-e they all kneel- Perfon Elefted is received, or rejecled fc^i;
ever.
by me and undutifully — Here
cd, and Dr. Pudfey offered a Petition , which
His Majefly refufed to receive ; And faid,
K. Ye have been a ftubborn turbulent
Colledge, I have known you to be fo thefe 26
years; You have affronted me in this. Is
this your Church of England Loyalty ? One
would wonder to find Co many Church of
England men in fuch a bufinefs. Go home and
fhew your felves good Members of the Church
of England. Get you gone 5 know I am
your King, I will be obey'd j and I command
K. The Confummation of a former Eleft:
on,'twas downright Difobedience , and 'tis ® .^1
frefh aggravation. Get you gone home, '"l
fay again ; go, get you gone, and immediate-^ ^
ly repair to your Chappd, and Eleft the B:
fhop oCOxon , or elfe you muft expeft tofei
the weight of my hand. ■ -"
UL 111^ liaiJU* " • -
The Felows offered again their Pctitioi'^) ^
on their Knees. yisBo
your tting, 1 wm uc ^ - — If- Gcz you gone, I will receive nothin ' "y
you to be gone : Go and admit the Bifhop of from you, till you have obey'd me, andai'i^ofi
Oxon Head, Principal; What d'ye call it of mitted the Bifhop of Oa:an. •rnii
theColledge—— ?(Oneftoodby faidPrefi- Upon which they went immediately t-End
r.». ^ T T\r Vur^Ct^ rvmnfh/ino whpflv
fheCoIIedee—— r( vneitouuu)! lAiuiiwii- ^ , J/
denr ^ I mean Prcfident of the Colledge. Let their Chappel, Dr. Pad^ej propofing whetht^
them that refuff ft S to it; they (hall feel they would obey the King, and eleft the B
the weight of their Soveraign's Difplea- iliop of Oxan ? They anfwered in their turn
y. ^ They were as ready to obey His Ma;efty m a r
" The Fellows goingout of the Lodgings were things that lay in their power, as any of th ^ «'
call'd back ® Subjefts : But the Elefting th ; < t
K I hear vo'u have admitted a Fellow of Bifhop of Oxon, being direftly contrary t
the Colledge fince you receiv'd my Inhi-, their Statutes, and the pofitive Oaths the -.f.
bition- Is this true > Have you not admit- had taken, they could not apprehend it i .
ted Mr. Holden Fellow. ' their power to obey Him in this Matter. a- Ci
"itthi
A Ck)py of the Petition ofFer'd at Oxford^ Sep. 4th. 1687.
To the King^s Moft Excellent Majefiy, &c.
Humbly Jherveth,
THat upon the 27th. of Augujl we receiv'd the contrary. It is an unexprefifible AffiiftiOt
Your Majefly's Letters Mandatory , Da- to us, to find our felves reduced to fuch a
ted d«g«/i 14th. requiring us to admit the extremity, that either we muft difobey Yob-.
Right Reverend Father in God, Samuel Lord Majefty's Royal Command, contrary to on
Bifhop of Oxon, to be our Prcfident; and di- own Inclinations, and that conflant courfet
fpenfing with all Statutes and Conftitutioos to Loyalty which we have fiiew'd in all inftanct
hitho
[13 3
jhcrto upon all occafions whatfoever ; or Jie in our power to admit any other,
le break our Founder's Statutes, and delibe-
(cly perjure our felvcs.
ilijijor our Founder hath obliged us under
"^^h, when we came in Fellows, inviolably
'^"obferve his Statutes, and one Claufe there-
P' 'oyns us never to admit, or make ufe of
nfation granted by any Authority what
Oilr
Founder in another Statute obligeth us under
the pain of Perjury, a dreadful Anathema,
and eternal Damnation, not to fuffer any of
his Statutes to be altered, infringed, or di-
fpenfed with, and commands us under the
fame Sacred Obligations, not to execute any
Orders or Decree whatfoever, contrary or
si Ff-per, whereby we may be abfolved from repugnant to the faid Statutes-, by which faid
c—.... , Statutes, and Oath, we are utterly incapaci-
rated to admit the faid Reverend Father in
God to be our Prefident.
May it pleafe Your Sacred Majefty, to give
us leave to lay this our Cafq, and our felves,
withal fubmilTion, at Your Royal Feet, moft
earneflly befeeching Your facred Majefty, to
extend to us Your humble Petitioners, that
Grace and Tendernefs which your Majefty
hath vouchfafed to all Your other Subjefts,
and not to believe us guilty of any obftinacy
or undutifulnefs. Crimes which our Souls alv
hor j but to receive us into Your Majefty's
Grace and Favour, the greateft temporal Blef-
ftng which our Hearts can vvifh.
And Your humble Petitioners fhall always
(as in Duty bound) pray to Almighty God,
to blefs Your Majelty with a long and happy
Reign over us, and afterwards to receive You
to an immortal Crown of Gloi^'.
fame. In this Statute for the Eleftion of
reftdent, he commands us upon Oath to
fit, ^ fuch a Perfon into the place of Prefi-
idjftit, within 15 days after the vacancy, who
(Dtfier is, or has been Fellow of our own, or
i) t'rlr-Colledge; which we reprefented to Your
in cur humble Petition, fign'd April
p. wherein we offered our felves ready to
any Perfon capable of the fame, who
R,i;iur Majefty fhould oe pleafed to rccom-
jojtteiBd, and having waited the utmoft time
iii:irtpited by our Statutes, and receiv'd no An-
iLWfW to that effeft, we did then according
ffirfdthe exigence of our Statutes (having firft
rn the Holy Eucharift, and our feveral
to that purpofe) nominate and Eleft
ai a Perfon, as we in our Confciences did
to be every way qualified for that
By which Aft of ours, we have con-
yed all that right to him, which our Foun-
iiatf intruftcd us with j and it does not
li34:|Co|)y of the jiddrefs which the Fellows of St. Mary Magdalen ga-ve to the
'■''ii^lLord Prefdem of the Cotimil^ Sept. (>th. 1687 j and which was delivered
Majefly at Bath.
a®
I
Yoar Majefty's moft humble, and
V moft dutiful Subjefts, the Fellows of
Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxon, being
Itply afflifted with the late fenfe of Your
be truly Loyal , in obedience to the" Com-
mands of Your Royal Brother, and Your Sa-
cred Self, in matters of the like Nature; So
tpiy attlitted witn tne late lemc 01 lom whatfoever way Your Majefty fhall be plea-
—lefty's heavy Difpleafure; grounded, as we fed to try our readinefs to obey Your Royal
I all reafon humbly prefume, upon a moft Pleafure,in any inftance that does not interfere
^Sj.linnd niifrcprefentation of our Aftions, in with and violate our Confciences, which Your
lation to an Eleftion of a Prefident, into Majefty is ftudious to preferve, we fhall mofl
3M Majefty's faid Colledge j Do humbly gladly and effeftually comply therewith : A
gleave to proftrate our felves at Your Roy- ftubborn and a groundlefs refiftance of Your
cu,: feet, offering all real Teftimonies of Duty Royal Will and Pleafure in the prefent and
J '^Lovaltv And as we have never fail'd to all other Cafes, being that which our Souls,
both our Principles and Praftices to eternally abhor, as becomes
Jmr Majejl/s moji Loyal and tnoji Obedient Snb]ells, &c.
I
A Copy-
A Copy of a Litter direEled to Dr. Bayly
fuppofed to be Writ by Mr. W P
Sir,
"-iifpiiig'*
, Fellow of Magdalen Colledge.^:
-itk Cr(
7„;Thff
is BOthi'
UPon an inquiry made of your prefent Fel-
lows of Afagdnkn Colledge , I am in-
form'd that you are a perfon eminent in that
Learned Body , for your Temper, Prudence
and good Conduft in Affairs j and therefore
very fit to be addfefs'd to by me , who.do not
fend you this to trapan you , and your Bre-
thrcn ; but out of a paffionate concern for
your intereft , to perfwade you , either to a
compliance with His Majefty's Letters Manda-
tory ; or to think among your felves of fome
expedient to prevent the ruin of your Col-
ledge, and your felves : and to offer it to His
Majeffy's Royal Confideration, that the Order
for the Huo Warranto againft the Colledge may
be recall'd, before it be too late; for you can-
not be fenlible how highly His Majefty is in-
cens'd againfl you, neither, can you give one
infiance whether ever that fort of proceeding
was judged, againft the Crown. Your Caufe
moft think it very hard but you arc not in
Prudence to rely on the goodnefs of your
Caufe i but to do what the prefent inflant of
Affairs will permit, and in patience to expeft
a Seafon that will be more aufpicious to
fons of your CharaSer. Every Mecha;fijti'
knows the temper of His prefent Majefly,-;^; Ai
never will receive a baffiein any thing
he heartily efpoufeth, and that he doth i
your felves have had too late andmanifefioibcrei
infiance, to doubt of his Zeal in the Afft ip
Where there are fo many Statutes tc j/rr/BT
obferved, 'tis impoffible but fome muf^ijtlKE
broken atone time or another; and Ian
formed by the Learned of the Law , tl -= jarc i
failure in any one point, forfeits your Gi' - jjij
and lays your Colledge open to the Roya.jjfr®
fpofal.
I could give many other prudent A. -v
ments, that might poffibly incline you
fpeedy endeavour of putting an end to ;
Troubles, almoft, at any rate; but I'
fuggefl this one thing to you, that your
overthrow would be a fair beginning d".
much aimed at Reformation, firfl ofthe 1^?
verfity, then of the Church, and admin:" ^
fuch an opportunity to the Enemy, as may
perhaps occur in His Majefly's Reign. I ar."
Tour affeHionate Servant, &c.
The Anfrcer to the aforementioned written Letter., Dated 0<ft. ^d.
H E inclofed Paper is a Copy of a Let-
ter, which by the charitable purpofe of
It, feems to be writ by you, who have been
already fo kind as to appear on our behalf,
and are reported by all that know you, to im-
ploy much of your time in doing good to
Mankind,, and ufii^ your Credit with His
Majefly, to undeceive him in any wrong im-
prefTions given him of his confoentious Sub-
jefts, and where his Juflice and Goodnefs
have been thereby abufed, to reconcile the
Perfons injur'd to His Majefly's Favour, and
fccure them by it from Oppreffion and Preju¬
dice. In this confidence, I prefume to ir. ,
this application to you, .defiring your exi "I?
for not fubfcrlbing it: For if you did write P
Letter, you know to whom it was direfl*'^
-. 1 ! r It I '.I -.f • ^
ird»
and if you did not, I hope your Charity
induce you to make fuch ufe of your li ,.
you have by it, into the Affairs of our
ledge, as to mediate for us with His Maje^"''''
to be reflored to his good opinion, as the
ly thing which is defired by us, who are 2
lous, above all earthly things, for his Fel
ty and Glory.
Mr e arc not confcious of ever giving
Mej<
jtfty any jufl: Offence, as ic will appear
you, when you fhall have perufcff che
dofed Papers and have therefore no rea-
I to fear che iffuing out of a Qjo W.irranto
us. And though you are pleafed to
TTchend it, no inffance can be given of a
Igment againft the Crown, upon the pro-
1 of that Writ: The Learned in the Law
f.; me, there is nothing more common,
l-l wher&f many Cafes are reported by
kmy, from Page 128, to Page 152. of
■f Book of Reports : And I think I have
T , rd of a Cafe in Coke's ninth Report of the
'5' liefs oi Prata MarceUa, which evinces che
wherein alfo there is a recital of Judg-
Bt given againft Roger Mrtimer for tlie
1:153
npo" 3 ^"eranto in Court of Eyre,
I,, jj. ps'd for Errour in the King's-Bench. We
Jrla.l
echough we have many Statutes, it will
found that we have not wilfully tranf-
any of them, for all our prefent Trou-
are derived to us from our adherence to
, and our fear to offend God, and ble-
j^]h our Confciences, by departing from
-fin.
jfis Majefty is intentionally righteous and
; in all his Proceedings, He will never
iwingly invade any Man's Property, as He
' folemnly pleafed to declare in his Excel-
Speech made in Council, on the 5th. of
toury, 1684, at his AccefTion to theGo-
timenc; which is again repeated in His
ious Declaration for Liberty of Confci-
k, of the 4th. of April laft pad, Itisup-
|Hi« Sacred inviolable, and Royal Word
Promife, we muff depend ; not doubt ■
but when His Majefly fhall be rightly in-
, jj'd of our Cafe, in reverence to both His
jj,!W|Bdatofy Letters to our Colledge, His An-
fowards'us will be totally extinguifhed.
[fCtJS-f compliance to the firfl (which was Mr.
iriw clwer's Eleftion^ would have involv'd us in
guilt of mamfeft Perjury, and the wilful
liirtijlationofour Statutes: And we are confident
Majefly would never have granted the fe-
jl'c «1 id on the behalf of my Lord Bifhop of Oxon,
ft'fiiiihehad known we were then poffefs'd of a
iibf'-'
Prefident duly Eledled according to our Sta-
tutes, and confirmed by the Bifh'^o of lV//i'on,
our Vifitcr (as the Statutes require} ; and if lie
is thereby invefled with a Lay-Freehold under
che proteftion of his Majeffiesl-aws, which we
cannot undo or attempt to invade, without fub-
jefling our felves to Suits at Law, and doing an
apparent injury to the Prefident, who doth not
conceive himfelf to be affefted with the Sen-
tence of the Lords Commiffioners (to which
he was no Party) whereby his place is decla-
red void, without any Citations, Summons, or
hearing of him.
I believe no inflance can be given of a
IVarranto brought againfl a Colledge or
Hall in the Univerficies, from the firfl founda-
tion of them to this day, or any other Eccle-
fiaflical Corporation : for the Abufes of fome
Conflitutions or Franchifes in them, and the
Mifdemeanours of particular Perfons, will not
dcflroy a Colledge: and if the Corporation of a
Colledge fhould be diffolv'd, the Revenues
thereof will return to the Founders Heirs, and
not devolve to the Crown. And if our Col-
ledge mufl be the firfl Example of that kind,
we fhall be better juflified by the fVitl Obfer-
vation of our Statutes, (at leafl to God and
our own Confciences) than we could have been
by a voluntary and deliberate Breach of them.
Ic was Loyalty and Confcience, that iii the
Reign of King Charles the Firfl, made thirty
four of our forty F'ellows, and mofl of che
Scholars of our Foundation, rather quit their
Places, agd embrace Mifery and Ruine, than
to fubmit to the Government of the Ufurpers
of the Crown. And;in Monmouth's Rebellion,
the fame Inducements prevailed on us toraife
a Company at our own charges, under the
command of one of our Fellows, to engage
againfl him. And we hope that thefe and ma-
ny other che like inftances,which may be given
of the Loyalty and Zeal of our Society to the
Royal F'amily, will be received as Evidences
thereof, and that our good and gracious Sove-
raign will not exclude us from that Liberty of
Confcience which he was pleas'd to extend to
all his Subiefts.
S I R,
I am
■ere
"S
t
Tour mojl AffeSiotuite
Se-rvant.
Some.
i: 16 3
rfpreto
gJ ia
(m
insli
Some QjJ E RI E S to the Fellows of Magdalen Colledge i'M4-
from Windfor , September 1687.
Firfl, "^^^l^^Hether, waving your Eleftion
of the Btfl)op of Oxon, you cannot,
without violence to your Confcience, fignific
to his Majefty, or the above Reverend BilTiop,
your vvillingnefs to admit the Lord Bifhop Pre-
jident of your Colledge ?
Secondly^ Whether it be not more intereft
to the Proteftant Religion, to have a fufpe-
fted Popifh Prelident, than to have all the
places of the Colledge refilled by the Kings
foie Authority with Popifh Novices and
Priefts?
Thirdly, Whether you are not under a
miftake, in thinking you fliould render your
ftlvesmore acceptable to the Proteftant Nobi-
lity and Gentry, by your being turned out of
your Fellowfhips by Injuftice and Violence,
as you conceive j or rather will not they be
very cautious how they receive^ou into
their Families, for fear of giving of Of-
fence ?
Fourthly, V/hether His Majefty, as Supream
Vifitor of the Univerfity, cannot place or
difplace there ad libitum •, or whether you
have a right notion of the Proceedings which
have been praftifed a^ainft you? Whe;^j;D,by
vou fuDOofe that the Lords Commiflio .r:'!!; la
you fuppofe that the Lords Commiflio;ja'is
proceeded againft you as LordsCommiffior.; aai tia
or Vifitors? Which Notion, I am furcjj^lsijg
overthrow fome bodies Plea and Excep
againft their Authority.
Fifthly, Whether you afted like men
led in bufinefs, when you refufed Mr.J
Mediation, who you may be fure hadj .jj,.
Authority for what he did ? You c
not but know that man, and therefore i,.
needs be .forearmed againft any Wiles ' Vj
could be offered to you. Whether
animous Subfcrfptionfor an Expedient(w
indeed I think you ought not to
good manners^ fince the King was pit '
to propofe it 3 prefented to. hb Majeft,/®.''?
• tin'
Mr. Pen, or another Favourite, would .
vent the deftruftion of the beft Founda""^^' ^
in Europe.
Lajlly, Whether you be not drawn be,
your Knowledge, by fome hotheaded A , 7
fers, which never confider the prefent fk
his Majefty's Court of Juftice ?
"a too:
jssto
Z-Js
&
Ah Anfwer to feveral Qseries to the Vice-Prefident and Fellom'^-vti
Magdalen Colledge in Oxon, fent from Windfor, dated the
of September, 1687.
'■'■ith
To the Firji.^^t. czmot, without violence
to our Confciences, and de-
liberate Perjury, admit any perfon to be Pre-
fident of our Colledge, that is not elefted
thereunto, and qualified according to our
Statutes whereby the Bifhop of Oxon is in
no fort capable •, nor is there any Memorial in
all our Regifter of any admiffion of a Pref i.ktj
without eleftion, but of one Dr. iVicj/^tr.
whofe cafe was as followeth, 1
the death of Dr. Laurence Humphreys, 1
the 30th. or 32th. of Q^een Elivtl
Reign, the Queen commanded Dr.
( being a Fellow of our Colledge) to be E
C 17 ]
ed Prefident. Many of the Fellows in-
clin'd in their judgment to Eleft one
Smith (another of the Fellows) and
at their meeting for Eleftion, the Con-
tention was fo great.that they rofe with-
out Ele£fing, and the Obftinacy conti-
nued ti:i the place became laps'd : And
there being no provifion in our Statutes
todiredus what to do in fuch a Cafe,
the Queen, by her Letters Patents Con-
ftituted the faid Qr. Bond to be Prefi-
dent; and therein declared. That her
Majefly being inform'd that the Fellows
had negleftcd to make Eledtion of a
Prefident indue time, fas their Sta-
tutes required) and thofe Statutes ha-
ving made no provifion for fuch an O-
miliion. She, out of her Princely care
for the place, and indulgence for thofe
perfons who had been guilty of that neg-
letf, did by advice of the Bilhop of
Winton, their Vifitor, Conftitute Dr,
Bond their Prefident; with protelfation
neverthelefs, that She did not thereby
pretend to fupcrfede their Statutes, or
invade their Right of Eledtion, which
was thereby invcfted in them, but took
this courfe as the only means left to fup-
ply their Defeft of Eleftion.
To the Second. We muft not make
our felves guilty of deliberate Perjury,
for any confiderations whatfoever, both
in refpeft to our Confciences, and that
we may not by fuch a Breach upon our
Statutes, cxpofe our Conflitution to a
Forfeiture, nor do Evil that Good may
come on it.
To the Third. We conceive we fliall
be more acceptable to ah good men, for
■ afting honeffly according to our Con-
fciences, than for voluntarily and unjuft-
ly departing from our Right.
To the Fourth. We pretend not to
make it a Qucftion, whether hU Majefty,
by his Authority Royal as Supream Vi-
fitor, can grant a Omimi Tion for Vifi-
tationof any Colledge that has a Local
Vifitor by their Statutes, and are not
Royal Foundations; But we are aclvifed,
that no CommiSion can be granted un-
der the Great Seal to Vilitors, to place
and dif-place Members of Colledges
(whofe places are Freeholds) ad libi-
turn, or difcretum; but they muft p.o-
ceeci according to legal defcretion, that
is, by the Laws and Statutes of the
Land, and the Local Statutes of the
Colledge.' And places concern'd for
the Headlhips and Fellowfhips of Col-
ledges, are Temporal Poflfelfions, and
cannot be impeach'd by Summary pro-
ceedings. One Dr. Thomas Lovenejf Pre-
fident of our Colledge, was deprived in
Queen Elizabeth's time, by the Bilhop of
Ti^inton the Legal Vifitor thereof Efta-
bliih'd by Royal Authority, and he ap-
peal'd to the Queen; but by Che advice
of all the Judges, it was held, that the
Queen by her Authority, as Supream
Vifitor, could not meddle in it, but he
muft bring Wejlmin'
yier-Hall, becaufe Deprivation was a
Canfc meerly temporal. TheKing'has
a great Authority Spiritual as well as
Temporal; but no Commiflioners an
be authorized by the Crown to proceed
in any Commillion under the Great
Seal or otherwife, but according to Law ;
in Spiritual Caufes by the Cannon Law,
in Temporal by the other Laws and
Statutes of the Land. And wherein the
proceedings in fome Commiffions are
directed to be futmarie 0" de piano,
0f. ■ thofe woi ds
are to be applied to fhorten the Forms
of Proccfs, and not for matter of Judg-
ment; for Magna Charta provides for
our Spiritual Liberties, as well as our
Temporal.
D
[. 3
1
A N
Account of the V1SI T A TI O N
o F
St. Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxon^
ONOi?. I9tb. Mr. Atterbury the
King's Mcffenger, fixMa Ci-
tation on the ColleJge and
Cliappel-Doors, requiring the
Pretended Prciident and Fellows, and
other Members ot the Colledge to ap-
pear before the Lords Commiffioners,
Biihop of Cksjier, Lord Chief Juftice
Wright, and Mr. Barron ^ecner, in the
Chappel, at Nine of the Clock on Fri-
rfqy-aiorning, Novemkr 2ift.
On Tkurfdsy the Lords Commiffioners
came to r/xn«,attend ed with threeTr(Jops
of Horfe which Quarter there.
On Morning at Nine they went
into tire Chappei ; the Prefident and
Fellows thinking they had defign'd to
iTt in the Qiiire, made no preparation
of Seats in the outward Chappel ; upon
which their Lordlhips adjourned to the
Hall, where their Commiffion wasthen
read, which in general was the fame
with the former ; Thefe three, being
added to the other Lords Contmiifio-
nets, and particularly imirowred to vi-
fit Magdalen Colledge only.
This done, the Names of the. Prefi-
dent and FclTows were called over. Dr.
J-Jough being firft cal'ed. All in Town
appeared, yexcept Dr. Fairfax) and
excufes w.re made for the abfent.
Then a Speech was made by the Bi-
(hop of CTrffer, and in it his Lordfhip
was Severe againft Diiloyalty and Difo-
Heurg\ithat tlie Church of
England taught an unconditionate arrd
uniimited Obedience; He fpake of the
KingsGracious Prcmifesto Arch-Bilhops
and Biihops, -ddc. which had deferved
thanks on bended Knees, notwfthftand-
ing the Oxon Rcafons to the contrary
which they knew beft who was the
Authour thereof. He told them chat it
could not be expefted, but that the
King would give all incouragement. to
thole of his own lleiigion, which could
be done without feverity and cruelty
which His Majefty abhorr'd, and with-
out injuring the Church of England,
which was at prefent cftablifh'd by
Law ; He told them that this Corporati-
on as well as others were the Creatures
of the Crown ; and that it was infolencc
in their Local Statutes to fpurn againft
their Maker.
That their Diftempers had brought
this Vifitation upon them, the Confer
quences of which might be ill to the
Church and Qniverlities: That however
they might efcape in this World, thefe
Sins were to be accounted for above
their other Sins, in the next. He Ex»
horted them by the Bowels of Chrift
to confider thefe things; He told them,
that the Eyes of the World were upon
them, and they ought to take care that
their Praftices might not influence their
deluded admirers. In fhort, the whole
defign of the Speech feem'd to be pro-
mifcs and threats, to aime at the indu-
cing them to a complyance.
bedience.
The Court wa then Ad\ournecl tiS Tm in the Afternoon,
[ 19 ]
^tcrnooa were called over the Names ofthe Demoys, Chaplins, Clerl i,
Cnonlters, and Collcdge Servants. The Prefident then interpos'd defiring leave
to fpeak before they proceeded any further: which being granted, he told their
Lordfhips: That
PKfiJent.'Y'H E time betwixt your
Citation and Appearance
waslolhort; that the Society had not-
time to advife with the Council how to
behave themfelves on this Occafion;
Therefore defired of your I.ordlhips a
Copy of the Commilfion, and time to
conlider of it.
Bifhop. Cii. 'Tis upon Record, you
taay have it above.
Pr/ls it the fame the other Lords
Commidioners had ?
Biih. Ch. Yes for the moftpartitis.
Pr. fhen my Lord, 1 do affure you
'(and will make Oath if you pleafe) that
I have often endeavoured to get a Copy
ofit, and could not procure it.
Z.C. f. Have you not heard it Read,
or will you hear it again ?
?r. Tarn not capable of making a
Judgment of it my felf, but it is poflible
there may be Errours and Defects in't,
fijch as the Society may make ufe of to
their own advantage, and I am confi-
dent it is neither his Majelfies intention
nor your Lordfhips we (hould be debar'd
from it. AC 00 ms then denyed.
Bifh.Ch.Dr, Nough, will you fubmit
to this Vifitation ?
Pra.My Lords,! do declare here in the
name of my felf, and the great«r part of
the Fellows; that we fubmit to the Vifi-
tation, as far as it is confiftent with the
Laws of the Land, and the Statutes of
the CoHedge, and no further. I defire
your Lord (hips that it may be Recorded.
This rvds twice Kfpeated.
■ L. C. You cannot imagine that we
Act contrary to the Laws of the Land,
and as to the Statutes the King has dif-
penfed with them : Do you think sve
come here to act againftLaws.
Pr. It does not become me (my
Lords) to fay fo, but I'le be plain with
your Lordfhips; 1 find that your Com-
miffion gives you Authority to change
and alter the Statutes, and make new
ones as you think fit: Now m'y Lords .
we have an Oath, not only to obfervc
thefe Statutes (laying his hand on the
Book) but to admit of no new ones, or
alterations in thefe ; This muft be my
behaviour here, I muft admit of no alte-
ration from it, and by the Grace of God
never will.
Biih. Ch. Do you obferve all thefe
Statutes ?
Pr. Yes, my Lord, I hope we do.
Biih. Ch. You have a Statute there
forMafs, why don't you read Mafs ?
Pr. My Lord,the matter of this Oath
is unlawful; and infuchacafe, no man
is oblig'd to obferve an Oath : Befides,
the Statute is taken away by the Laws
of,the Land.
Bifh.C^. By what Law? ■
Dr. Stafford. By that which obliges
to fay Common Prayer.
Bifh. CR what the Act of Unifor-
mity? I have often confidered it,-and
don't remember on? word of Mafs ia
it.
Dr. Staff'. But that obliges us to ufe
tha Liturgy of the Church of England, in
all Collegiate Churches andCbappels:
And, 1 hope, myLords,youdonot ima-
gine that we can fay Common Prayer and
Ma(s together.
Bifh. Ch. Do you allow that Act of
Parliament can free you from .the obli-
gation of a Statute.
Pr. I do not fay, but that his Majefty
may alter our Statutes, nor do I know
but a Parliament may do the fame ; I
difpute not their Power; onely this, my
Lord, I fay. that I who already have ta-
en an Oath to obferve thefe Statutes as
they now ftand, and am fworn not to
admit of any change or alteration by any
Authority whatfoever, {^Andthen turn'
ing to the Oath where they were to ohfera/e
the Statutes and no other, according to
the Literal and Grammatical fence , See.
and reading it to their Lorjhips.'] can
D 2 ©bey
[ 20 3
o'xy none: But then thofe who come
after fuch Lrmications and Reftriftions
are made,are not oblig'd tooblervc'em ;
and-that, my Lords, is our CafCjas to the
Itatutes of the Mais,
Then the Decree of the 22d. of
was read, declaring the PrefiJent's £le-
ftion Null and Voki.
Bifh. Cf-. Did you know of this Com-
iniiTion, li-.
Ft, Yes. my Lord, I liave heard of
ir.-
Biih. CK Why then did you not obey
itP
Pr. I was never Cited before their
Lordfhips. nor was either heard by them
in rerfon or Proxy ; and I think I am
the only inftance that is extant, of any
man that was ever depriv'd of a Free-
hold, wherein he was legally invefted,
and of which he was quietly polfefs'd,
without beiag Summon'd or Heard.
Here mention was made of Dr. Ftit'
/ax's Sufpenfion.
Ft. My Lord, He is abfent, and if
your Lordihips give me leave, 1 have
fpmewhat to fay on his account; your
Lordfbipsmay pleafe tocriafervein that
Decree, that the reafon given, why Dr.
Fairfax was Sufpended from his Fellow-
(hip, was, becaufe he had not obeyed his
Majefty's Command,in not Fleming Mr.
Anthony Firmer Prelklent of the 'Col-
ledge ; Now the Charge of Immorality
given ill againft Mr. Firmer by the Col-
ledge ; Delegates was, mads out, and
their Lordfbips fully fatisfied in it, on
the 29th of lyrJ/not-vithftamling which,
this Decree (br Sufp'nfion of Or. F^fr-
//X, was hx'd on the Colledge-Gates,
Au^ufl 2d.
BiiTi. Cb. The King harh for the moft
part recommended to the PrefiJent.'hip
ofthis ColleJge.
Pr. I am the Twentieth Piefident, and
only four of that number hath been re-
commended by the Kings and Queens
or England., whereot three were every
way qualified for that QfEce.
Bifh. C6. who were thofe ?
Pr. >ly Lord, there was one in the
time of Eivoird the Sixth, one in Q^n
Eli^ibetb's, and two in Che late King's
Reign.
Bifh. Ch. Was there never a one in
Kln^Chirles the Firft's Reign p
Pr. Not that we know of.
Bifh. Cb. What think you ofDr. 0-
liver?
Fr. It doth not appear to us.my Lord,
that he ever had a Mandate.
Bifh. Ct. But it appears to us, and
that I will bring you one to fwear, that
he had a Mandate.
Pr. The truth is. we have loft the Re-
giffei'of Dr. Olivers Eleftion and Ad-
mHTion; the Regiffer betwixt the Year
164x1, or thereabouts, and 60 being ta-
ken away by thofe w ho were turn'd out
of the Collcdgc at that time ; but I be-
lieve, my Lord, we are able to prove
that, he was Elefted and Admitted ac-
cording to Statute.
Bifh. Cb, Dr. C/artAStatutable
Perfon P
Pr. Yes, my Lord.
Bifh. C/f-. Do not the Statutes require
that he fhould be in Orders? was he in
Orders?
Pr. My Lord, the Statutes only re-
quire that he fhould be Doctor of Divi-
nity, Phyfick, Law.orMafVer of Arts :
There is- indeed one Statute which fays.
The Prefident or Senior Fellow fhould
Read Piayers upon fuch certain Days;
from whence we. coodude, that the
Founder fuppos'd we might have a Pre-
fident tkat might not be in Orders; and
in fuch a cafe he takes care that the Seni-
or Fellow fhoald do his Duty.
Mr. Lbir. 'yiy t ord, will you be plea-
fed to ask Dr. Hou%h, whether Dr. Chrb
was Married or nctt P
Pr. No, Sir, he was a Widdower.
Then a Petition was read from the
.Sqciety t. bisMajefy figoeJtbepth cF.
April, and pcsfented the icth. to the
Earl of Sinder'a-.i, by the hands of
Dr.Tleomis Smith and Captain
wnerein 'twas let torthj- that having
heard that his Majeidy - would recom-
——mend
mend Ml". Tirmet to them a perfon un-
capable ; they did humbly befeech him
either to leave tliem to a free Election,or
to recommend a cpalified perfon. ^
Bifli. rt. Was this the Petition ? An-
fiver. Yes.
Bifh. Ch. Why then did you not ftay
for his Ma jelly's Anfwer ?
Pr. My Lord, We did till the very
laft day wherein we are limited to finiih
theEleftion; and my Lord SunierUnd
returned, in the King's name, this An-
fwer; That his Majefty expefted to be
obeyed. Now, my Lord, we did no
longer defer the Election, becaufe our
Statutes en joy n us within fuch a time,
and weftaid to the utmoft. Nor could
wechufe the [wfon his Majefty did re-
commend, knowing him to be Totr.ifit,
as weaftcrward made him appear to be.
The Society was therefore to proceed to
the Election of another perfon, and did
SjrVKDAT,
As foonas their Lordihips met in the
common R^oom, and the Society be-
fore them, the firft word was With-
draw; and after a little time,the Pre-
fvlent was called in alone.
Biih. Ck. you fubmit tothe Dc-
1 J cree of thcGommiffio-
ners, whereoy the Election is declared
Null?
Ff. As to that Decree of the Lords
above, it is a Nullity in its felf from the
beginning to the end, as it relates to me,
1 never having been Cited, nor having-
ever appeared before them, either in
Perfon or by Proxy;. Befides my Caufe
it felf was never before them;_ their
Lordihips never inquiring or asking one
queftion concerning the Legality or Sta-
tutableneis of my Electiontfor which rea-
funs (as I am informed) that Decree
was of no Validity againft me, according
to methods in the Civil Law ' But ir it
wcc£> 1 t)f el FrcC'hoicl,
cording to the La vs of ann the
Statutes of the Society, .having beene-
XI ]
agree on fuch as you fee.
Bi(h. Ch. A Mandate always implies
an Inhibition.
Pr. My Lord, I cannot conceive that.
Bifh. Ch. But I can; and if you que-
ftion it, here's the King's Counccl ready
to argue ir.
Pr. My Lord, Whilft the perfon his
Majefty recommends appears duly quali-
fied for the place, it feeras indeed to im-
ply that we ihould not proceed to the E-
lection of another; but when he is
known to be utterly uncapable, it fecms
to be the fame as if there w ere no Let-
tcr at aU.
Some other things and queftions ieli
material were put, and then the Court
was Adjourned 'to Siiturday tiie 22d,
nine in the morning to the common
Room, the Hall being (as tliey faid) too
publick and incommodious.
O^okr, 2ld, 1687.
lected as Unanimoufly, and with as muds
Formality as any one of my PredeceiTors
Prefidcnts of this Colledge, and after-
wards Admitted by the Lord Biftop of
Wimcn, our Vifitor, as the Statutes of
the Colledge require; and therefore I
can't fubmit to that Senten.e, becaufe I
think I cannot be depriv'cl of my Free-
hold, but by courfe of Law at Weflmin-
Jler-kall, or by being fome ways incapa-
citated by the Fonader'j Statutes.
Bifh.Cf.Will you deliverup the Keys
of the Prefident's Office and Lodgings,
to the ufe of that Perfon whom the King
has appointed your Preiident, as the Sta-
tutcs require.
Pr. I will immediately do it, if that
appear.
Bilh. Cl'.Turnto that part of thePre-
fident'sOath where he promifeth to fub-
rrdt quietly if he (hall be Expelled,either
for his own Eaalt vel ob aliam C.iuf.m.
Pr. My Zord,That Statute onely con-
cems me, if 1 am ExiJclfed for any fault
commitced by me.
Ch; Fti ub iUm cjufam ?
Pr. Then,t
C XX ]
Pr. Tljcn.iny Lofd, to be (hort, here
is no caufe at all.
Bifh. Ch. 1 afk you again, Will you
deliver up the Keys to the Prefident
whom his Majefty hath appointed ?
Pr. There neither is nor can be a Pre-
fuient fo long as 1 live, and obey the
Statutes of the Colledge; and therefore
1 do not think fit to give up my Right,
the Keys and Lodgings.
Biih. Ch, We may demand them of
you as Vifitors.
Pr, My Lords, we never deliver up
the Keys to the Bifhop of Winton ; and
we own no greater Vifitatorial Power
than his, he hath the King's Authority.
'Tis by Vertue of a Royal Charter that
we live together, and enjoy the benefit
of this Place, that impower'd ourFoun-
der to give us a Rule, and obliged us by
Oath to aft fuitable unto it: and the Bi-
fhopof Winton is hereby con ftituted to
be our Vifitor; and all this we own from
the King's Authority. The Biihop of
Winton is our ordinary Vifitor; the King
(I prefume) our extraordinary. But
your Lordlhips know it hath been con-
troverted, Whether the Kingcanvifita
private Colledge or not ? The Authori-
ty of the Prefident is made by delivering
up the Statute-Book, and Keys; and.
therefore I look upon them as an effen-
tial Badge of ray Office.
But I humbly beg that I may afk your
Lordffi ips one Queft ion.
Your Lordlhip is plealed to demand
of me to give up thefe things: Does your
Lordfhip own my Right ? For if not,
which is it your Lordlhips would have
me give up I
Bifh.Ch No,we look upon you as an
Intruder.
Pr. If I am an Intruder, the Bifhop
of winton made me one, and I thank
God for it. My Lords, the time we
have been allowed for this appearance,
has been very Ihort, but one day be-
twixt it and the Citation: We are men
ignorant in the Laws, and I muft confefs
itofmyfelf in particular, that I have
endeavoured to give your Lordlhips a
plain and fatisfaftory Reply to fuch C^e-
ftions as your Lordlhips- have been plea-
fed to put to me. It is very probable
that through ignorance and inadverten-
cy I may exprefs my felf unwarily: If
fo I befccch your Lordlhip let no advan-
tage be taken of it, my intention has
been always to exprefs my felf with all
imaginable Duty to the King, and Re-
fpefts to your Lordlhips. If I have
done otherwife, I befeech your Lord-
Ihips Candor in a favou able Interpreta-
tion of what I Paid, that nothing may be
taken amifs, where all was dutifully in-
tended. And now my Lords, thus far
have I appear'd before you as Judges ; I
now addrefs to you as Men of Honour,
and Gentlemen, I befeech you to rcpre-
fent me as dutiful to His Majefty to the
laft Degree, as I always will be, fo far as
my Confcicnce permits me, to the laft
moment of my Life ; and when I am
difpolTeft here, I hope your Lordlhips
will interceed, that I may no longer lie
under His Majefty's Difpleafure, or be
frown'd upon by my Prince, which is
thegreateft Affliftion can befall me.
Upon this the Prefident was ordered
to withdraw, and after a little time, he
and the Fellows were called in again.
Then the Biihop repeated this Queftion.
Bilh. Ch. Dr. Hough, Will you deli-
ver up the Keys, and quiet poflefiion of
the Lodgings, to the Perfon whom His
Majefty has appointed Prefident i To
which no Anfwer was return'd. The
Biihop repeated a Second time.
Pr, My Lords.I have neither fecn nor
heard any thing to induce me to it
Bilh. CR Dt. Hough. Will you deli-
ver up the Keys and quiet polfeffion of
the Lodgings, to the Perfon whom His
Majefty has appointed Prefident ?
Whereupon the King's Proftor ftood
up and accufed Dr Hough of Contuma-
cy; then the Biihop of Cheflcr admo-
nilh'd him in thefe Words, three times.
Bilh. Ch. Dr. Hough, I adraonilh you
to depart peaceably out oT the Lodgings,
and to Aft no longer as Prefident, or
pretended Prefident of this Colledge.
Which being fo done, they ftrutk his
Name out of the Book, and admonifh'd
the Fellows, and others of the Society,
that they Ihould no longer fubniit to his
Authority. S A TU r:
s r u R D A Y, Oftobcr izd, 1687. OX ON.
Dn Faiifax'j- CASE
the firft Sellions Doftor F^kfax
purpofd7 abfented liimfelf; but
Mr. Atterbury making Affidavit he was
m Tow II, aid that he advifed him to
appear, the Dodtor accordingly did fb
the next daj'. The Doctor being called
in alone, and the Doors immediately
ihut, he begg'd of their Lordffiips fome
Company might be let in; becaiife, as
all had obferved the Biffiop in his Speech
at the opening their CommifTion, pro-
mifed to tranfadl every thing in the face
of the World. The Biffiop complained
of the Crowd. The Docfor then deO-
"i red to fetch in but Two or Three, at
s length but One, and him at the Door,
I he Coiledge Steward, a Puplick
Notary.
Bar. You muft not think to pre-
fcribe to the Court;
Biffi. Ch, What's the Caufe of your
Contempt, in not appearing at either
Seffions yefferday.
Dr. FitzV.No Contempt my Lord,but
for thefe enfuing P. eafons.
i Firff, I thought my Sufpenfion above
I had eafed me of that trouble. The Do-
i ctor tendring a Coot of it, which was
1 read by the Gommiffioncrs. The Do-
ftor infilled very much on the Reafons
their Lordffiips, at White-Bsll, gave for
his Sufpenfion. (vi^) For not obeying
His Majelly, in Electing Mr. Farmer,
he tendring a Copy of Articles made
good againft him ; and yet their lord-
: Ihips ordered his Sufpenfion toloe fi.x'd
i on the Colledges-Gates five days after
! that famous Hearings Second Reafon for
WsNon-appcarance, that upon the nrft
day of the enfuing Term, he intended
to meet the Lord Chief Juftice, at his
Court of King's-Bench fOr relief againft
{ the Sentence, his Fellowftup being a
Free-hold, witnefs Ccoesy'r Cafe.
Biffi. Ch. You will find but little Fa-
vour there,,
before the CoKAmiJJioners.
Dr. Fair. My Lord in Courts of Judi-
cature, I only expect Juftice, andtimi'
ing 10 the Lord Chief 7'^ftice. I have,
myTelf, faid he, been above four years
in all the Courts of iVeflminJier'BalI,zni.
found excellent Juftice, and I will fee
how it is now.
Z. Ch. Tfufl. You ffiall have Juftice.
Dv.Fair. But your Lordffiip mayfave,
me the labour of two Journeys, and my
Charges, by improving your Lordffilp's
deferved Intereft with my Lords Com-,
miffioners there, and get them now to,
take off" my Sufpenfion; It is ill travel-
ling at this time of year; and befides I
am not rich.
Bar. T^en. Tofue in WeJlminlier-BaJi.
requires a Purfe.
Dr. My Lord,I did not fay I was
poor.
L.Ch.^iift. You muft: make your Sup-
plication, and Submiffion, to the King.
Dr. Fair. My Lord, they tell me that,
thisbufinefs lyes in yourLordffiip'sCourt
and only there, beiides the trouble I am
othcrwife to give your Lordffiip; What
a noife will thccau.fe make that Dr.Fa/r- .
fax is fufpended for this very reafon,
(v7^> not obeying theKihg in, Electing
Anthony Farmer, fuch a Virtuofo, and
under coi".rectioa,your Lordffiips ar.eob-.
liged to cake off" my Sufpenfion, to take
off the ffiame from that ]')Ody, whofe
number by a Common Adjunct yon
your fdves have lately increas'd.
Bar. T^en, We muft not endure thele.
Reflections on tlie Court.
BiJ};. But w ill you fubniit to tiffs "Vifi-;.
ration ?
ThcnDri Fairfax read a Paper fob-
fcribed by hiiUj Dated Oclob.r the 22d,
fn thefe words: ' My l.ords, 1 have bcea
'Summon'd, and appeared in this Caufe
' lielore the Lords Eccleiiafticai at White^
''Ball, with whom your Lordffiips az-g
now,.
' now joyn'd in Comniiffion; and then
' gave in ray Atifwer ; I have nothing to
' add to it, and find no reafon to retract
'it.
Hinrj Fairfax.
Bijh. Will you admit of the Bilhop
of Oxford ?
Dr. Fairf. I am Sufpended. '
Bijh. Have you done no Collegiate-
Act finceyour Sufpenfion ?
Dr. Fairf. My Lord, 1 have gone in-
to the Hall, and laid in my Chamber: I
did not think their Lordfhips, when
they fufpended me, ever intended that
I fhould not eat, drink, or deep.
Bip. If your Sufpenfion was off.
do it. Then all the Fellcwi were called
into Court.
The Prefident being withdrawn, the
Bifhop put the Queftion to all the Pel-
lows, (-vii.) Whether they would af-
fift at the Admiflion of the Bhliop of
Oxford to be inilalled Prelidcnt by ver-
tue of the King s Manda^fs •' To which
was anfwered by all the Fellows, to this
effect: (except Dr. Fuipy, and Dr.
The. Smith, vAto anfwered doubtfully,
and Chernoch that he would affift) That
they were under Oaths to the contrary,
and tliereforecould notdo it.
Then all were ordered to withdraw;
and Dr. Pudfey being called in alone,
- J U.'-.. • - . I
would you fubmit to the Biilop of Ox- they asked him concerning the Manner
jord- „ and Formollnftallinga Prefi'lenfwhirh
Dr. F«V/. Truly, my Lord, I cannot he inftructed them in. '
The Court Adjourn'd till Two in the Afternoon.
AS foon as they met, a Letter from
the E. of Sunderland to Dr, Pud-
fiy, was read, dated the ad. of Au^ufl,
fignifying, That the Society, in anfwer
to his Majefty's Letter commanding
them to admit the Bilhop of Oxford, a-
greed unanimoufly in this Anfwer, That
the place was full. Their Lordlhips
were pleafcd to ask the Fellows fingly,
Whetherthat was their Anfwer? And as
many as were there, owned that it was.
During this Examination, the Prefi-
dent came into Court, and having wait-
cd until it was ended, and their Lord-
fliips ata Paufe, he made bis Applica-
tion to them; 'My Lords, if your
• Lorlhips pleafe to give me leave, I
' would gladly fpeak a few words. They
were all pleafed to put off their Hats,
and lay he might. Whereupon he faid,
• My Lords, you were plealed this Morn-
• ing, in purfuance to a Decree of the
' Lords Commiffioners at London, to de-
• prive me of my place of Prefident of
' this Coiledge, and to ftrike my Name
' out of the Buttery-book; I do hereby
• protcft againft all your Proceedings,
' and againft all that you have done, or
' hereafter Oiall do in prejudire of me
'and my Right, as Illegal, Unjuft, and
'Null: and therefore 1 appeal to my
' Sovereign Lord the King in his Courts
'ofjuftice. Upon which the Strangers
and young Scholars in the Room gave a
HvM\ which fo much incenfed their
Lordlhips, that notwithftandingall the
Proteftations the Prefident, and Fellows
could make, the Prefident in particular
offering to purge himfelf by Oath, that
he was no way acceffary to or abetting
of it, and declared that he was heartily
alhamed and troubled at. it; yet tha
L. C.J. was not to be pacified, but.char-
ging it upon the Prefident,bound him in
a Bond of looo /. and Security to the
like value, to make his Appearance at
the Ifings-Bench-Bar, the i2th. of Nov.
After this, was read the Anfwer the
Fellows returned to his Majefty upon
his Command to them upon the 4th. of
Sept. to eleft the Bilhop of Oxford: the
Anfwer was under the hand ofa publick
Notary, fubfcribed by all the Fellows
then prefent.except Mr. Charnock. The
Bilhop of Cheflerwis pleafed to charge
the Fellows of Unmannerlinefs, for fend-
ingfuchan Anfwer to their Prince after
fuch a manner.
So they Adjourned till Tufeday tic 25th, at Eighth the Morning.
TVES.
Tuesday the a^'th. of osteber.
the Court met, Dv.Staford Then the Fellows had leave to wich^
k-xi 3nfwerto what draw into the Hall, and not being fatis-
was objected on Friday, thzi z. Mandate fied that it was neceffary to fign a Plea,
impliM an Inhibition; which their which their Lordfhips refefed to have
L^dihips having perufed, would not argued, they returned' the Paper into
lufFer to bereadpublickly, butasktthe the Court, fubfcribed only byljr. Fair-
Fellows whether they would iTgn itjbid- Stafford, The latter, after
them to do it at their peril. feme debate, defired to withdraw, but
Br. Fairfax ftood to it-
A Copy of Dr. Stafford's and Dr. Fairfax's PLEA.
To the Right Reverend and Right Honourable His Majefiy sCommifJioners
for the Vtfiting of St. Mary Magdalen Colledge in Oxford.
to meet when fo call'd, or being met,
to nominate or cleft a perfon into the
Office void, as appears by the Statutes
of the faid Colledge: Titulo de mime-
ro Scholarium its' eleHione Prafidemis.
Now according to the Founders dire-
ftion in the faid Statute, onthei5tjii.
of April laft, the Fellows were called to-
gether by the Vice-Prefident to Elcft
a Prefident in the place of Dr. Clarli
deceased, and the Oath-defired to be
taken before the Eleftion was admi-
niftred bjkthe \'^ice-Prefident to them,
whereby they are oblig'd to nominate
and deft a perfon that either is or has
been Fellow of Magdalen Colledge or
New Colledge in Oxon; which Oath
when the Fellows had taken, it was not
in their power to eleft Mr. Farmer ;
and yet they were then oblig'd to make
an Eleftion, under pain of perpetual
amotion from the Colledge, 'as appears
by the forecited Statute. And it can-
not be im^in'd that His moft Sacred
Majefty did expeft that the Fellows
(hoiild be either per jur'd, or forfeit their
Right to their Fellowihim, rather than
difobey his Command ; His Majefty ha-
ving moft giaciouflydeclar'd, that Con-
fcience ought not to be forced, and that
none of his Subjefts ftiould be molefted
in the enj'oyment of their Rights and
E Privi-
May it pleafeyour Lordfhips.
r\N Friday laft, in the Afternoon,
you feem'd to infift very much on
this, (vii^.) That His Maj'efty in com-
manding the Fellows oi the faid Col-
ledge to Eleft Mr. Farmer Prefident,
did thereby inhibit them to Eleft any
ether Perfon whatfbever ; which has
not yet been made appear to be Law,
either out of the Books of Civil,Canon,
or Common Law. Neither is it agree-
able to Reafon, that a Command to E-
left a Perfon uncapable, Ihould include
in it an Obligation not to Elcft a per-
fon capable, that being a kind of contra-
diftion in terminis. Yet this being
granted, it cannot in the leaft affeft the
laid Fellows, or invalidate their Elefti-
on of Dr. Hough, notwithftanding his
Majeftics Mandate in behalf of Mr. Far-
mer, who being incapable of the place,
the Fellows cannot be faid to be guilty
_cf any Difobedience or Difloyalty, in
"proceeding to the Ffteftion of another
perfon who was qualified according to
Statute, being forced to make an Eie-
ftion. For they are oblig'd by the Sta-
tutes of chdr Colledge, fwhen calld
togetherX to Eleft a Prefident, or any
Officer under pain of perpetual Expul-
fion from the Colledge,- to meet and
make an Eleftion; which punilhmew
they incur facfoj who eicherrerufe
Privilcdgcs,6ri-'. Now that ourProcee-
dirtgsat the Elciftion cannot lay anyitn-
puration of our Difobedience or Difloy-
alty upon us, will thus be made appear:
Either we had the power to Eleft a Pre-
lident, or we had not j if we had not,
to what end or purpole did his Majefty
command us to eleft one ? if we had, our
power was either reftrain'd to Perfons
fo and" fo qualified, or we svere at li-
berty to chufe whom we pleas'd; but
we could not do the latter,as appears by
our Statutes: and therefore we could
not eledf Mr. Farmer, being not invefted
with any power to clefla Perfon un-
qualiiled. And if we had fo done, our
Eledlion would have been null and void
in it fe'f,and the Perfon elecfcd liable to
be tura'd out by our Vificor.
Aftet this Wx.'H>'igmgs, Chaplain to
the Biihop of Oxford, was called in, who
deliveied a Paper impowering him as
Proxy, to be Inftalled Piehdent for his
Lord ; which being read, together with
the Kings Mandate for the BitEop of
Cxm ; which Letters is as follows. The
quelf ion was put to two or three of the
Seniours, -VVhetlrer they would affift at
this Inftalment? which they refufing,
the Court Adjourned to the Chappel,
where the Biihop of Chefter.pat }^lr.lVig-
gins into the Prefidents Stall, where he
took the Oath which the Statutes enjoyn
the Prefident at his Admiffion, and the
Oaths of Alegianceand Supremacy j the
latter of which he was ordered to take
upon his Knees, which he accordingly
did. Then their Lordlhips condufled
him to the Door of the Prefidents Lodg-
ings, where knocking three-times, and
the door not being opened , they re-
turned to the Com.non Room.and Com-
znilfioned Atmhary a.nd a Tipftaff, to
fetch a Smith to force it open, which
was done, their Lordfhips being prefent
all this while. None of the Fellows,ex-
ccpc Mr. Cbernocli, afhfting, or being fo
much as prefent at either of thefe per-
tbrn^ances. Theo the Coqimi^ners
o
As for the Decree of His Majeffies
Commiffioners fin purfuance of which
your LordlTiips have admonilhed Doitor
Hough to receed from the place of Prefi-
dent,and quietly to refign the Keys of his
Office, and haveftmck his Name out of
the CoUedgc-BooK^ we humbly con-
ceive it to be null and void in it felf, to
all intents and p jrpofesT)r. being
thereby deprived of Freehold for life,
{of which he was duly and legally pof-
fell) without ever being called tode-
fend his Right, or any Mifdemeanour
objeifed againft him. Wherefore we
humbly beg leave of your Lordfhips,that
D»-. Hough may be permitted to defend
his Right and Title to the Prelldentlhfp
at Common Law, before any other Per-
fon is put in pofTelfion of the place.
Thomas St affords
Hen. Fait fix.
being returned to the Common Rootu,
Dr. Fairfax defi.red leave, at their lei-
fure, to fpcak ■, which was granted.
Dr. Fiirf. My Lords, your Lordlhips
have been doing of what I can by no
means confent to.
Biih.CE You are big to be deliver^
of your own delfntdfion. Will yqu
fubmic to the Biihop of Oxc«,as now in-
ftalled,Pre(ident, by vertue of the Kings
Mandate?
Dr. Fairf. I will not j I cannot; be-
caufe .we have a Stautable and legal
Prefident already.
Then thg fame Queftion was put to
the Society, which being a bufinefs of
moment, tkey defired time till the Af-
ternoon to confider it.
Then the Court Adjourned till Three
a Clock J at wliich time the Anfwer was
given in by the Society, fexcept Dr.
Fairfax, who had given his in the Morn-
ingj 'That whereas His Majefty h^h
' been pleafcd by his Royal Autliority to
'caufe the Right Reverend Father in
' .God, Samuel Biihop of Oxen, to be In-
' ftalled Prefident; we whofe Frames arc
' hereunto SublVribed, dofubmit, as far
'as
C 2-7
' as IS lawful and agreeable to the Sta-
' tutes of the Colledge, and no way pre-
'judicial to the Right and Title of Dr.
' Hough.
This anfwer was accepted, except
the laft Claufe; which the Lord Chief
luftice, and Baron Jemer, declared, as ' T
judges, to be infignificant, fincc nothing
they could do, could any way invallidate
Dr. Ho lights Title, but left them ftill at
fiberty to beWitnelles for him, or any
other way be ferviceable to him in the
recovery of his Right. Upon this aflii-
ranee, the Society was prevailed with to
leave out the laft Clanfe.
)
L
' Then all were commanded to with-
draw: And Dr. Fairfax- being called in,
the Bifjop asked him what he meant by
his Paper abovementioaed. Date OHober
the 22d: and whether be did fubmit to
the Anthority of the Court ?
Dr. Fairf. As I have denied it above,
fo I do here.
Then the Court was opened, and the
Doftor complained before them all, that
he was twice Clofletcd, and being ask-
cd, Whether he would obey the Court
and Bifhop of Oxoa ? he plainly denied
both. Upon which the Buttery-Booli
was called for, and the Bilhop of Chejier
commanded his Nameto beftruck out;
And this Senteuce pafled, Fi^.
Forafmnch as you have denied ihe An-
tbority of the Court, aed rejufed to eboy
the Bijbop of Oxon, rehom the Fjng hath
made your Frefident •, and tal^en Commons
after your Sujpenfiont JVe declare your
place void, and command you quietly to de-
part the Colledge mlbin fourteen days.
Dr. Fairf. My Lords, all the huge
Calamities that have befallen me, are of
the fole account of a Religious and Con-
fciencious Obfervation of our Pious
Founders Statutes; whofe Bread I have
eaten almoft this Thirty Years.
l.C.^. NoSpeechw; befides, it 5;ou
have any Papei'S, inftead of reading
thtirr, leave them in the Court,
Then, with much ado, the Dodlor
prevailed with them to let him read
his Proteftation, which he left in the
Court.—
Henry Farifax, Fellow of St. Mary
Magdalen Colledge, do under my
former Anrvver heretofore made, and
' to the intent it may appear that I have
' notconfented, nor agreed to anything
' done againft me, and to my prejudice,
' 1 protcft that your Sentence eiven hei e
' againft me, is Lex nulla, and to far as it
' lhall appear to be diqua ; I do fay it is
' iniqua (yy injufla, and that therefore I
' do from it, as iniqua ipyy appeal to
' our Soveraign Lord the King, in his
' Courts of Juftice,as the Laws, Statutes,
' and Ordinances of the Land will per-
' mit in that behalf. Subfcribed
Off. 2 J. If 87.
Henry Fairfax.
This Proteftation was over-ruled, and
a Copy of the Sentence denied, though
molf earneftly defined at theinftanceof
Dr. 'He.iges, and Mr. Vice-Chancellor,
two days after.
At the clofe of the Seffions, thf ir Lord-
IHpS declared, that tliey .were \ ery well
fatisfied with the Anfwer the Society had
given them; and though before they
had laid a Libel to their charge, yet.
that Night, they declared, they had
met with nothing from them but Civi-
lity, and that they fhould receive the
fame from them ; that they had fliewn
themfelves men of excellent tempers
this day and before; and that they
would reprefent it faithfully above to
their advantage, and that if it any way
lay in their power to ferve them,' they
ihould be very ready to do it.
Then they Adjourned till JVednefday
Morning, ordering t.hem to bring in
their Anfwer to the following (^efti-
ons;
E ' l.lflut
rite
ill
IV'
ji i'vf'
liik I
!wf
'Sfi
n
: il
<•
C^8)
I. what Gifts and Provifions have you for HI. How is it applied}
Entertainment of Strangers } tU^
II. What is the value of it}
IV. And where is the Place of Entertaitir.
ment ?
TVEDNES DAT, OBoh. 26, 1687,
tN the Morning they made it appear to
^ tlreir Lordlhips very* fatisfadorily ,
that they Were obliged to give in Chari-
ty-money, z/. 3/. and that be-
lides that, they gave commtmibus annk, al-
moft 1001, as appeared by a Paper they
. then delivered in. Upon this their
Lordflrips were pleafed to expatiate up-
on their generous Bounty and Libcrali-
ty, faying the complement of this Ac-
count was groundlefs, and that it would
induce the King to a better belief of
them in all other matters.
Then a Petition of Dr. Rogers, late
Organilf, was giving in, defiring to be
reftored, which was read ; but feveral
Mifdcmeanours being proved againft
him, it was thrown out; and he advifed
to reft fatisfied with 30 pound per an'
num., which the Colledge had bellowed
on him when they turned him out of his
place.
THURS DAT, OBoh. 17, 1687.
'"pHis Morning they received a lift of
Leafes, &c. which had been renew'd
two years laft paft:Mr. Chernocli, the new
Convert, asked their Lordfhips, Whe-
ther thofc Leafes flood good, which had
been Sealed fince Dr. Hough's Eleftion}
The Lord Chief Jufticc anlwer'd. Yes ;
for colorations always flick by their
Seals. Then their Lordfhips pcrufed the
Colledge Rcgiftcrs, and finding nothing
in them to objed againft, they were re-
turned, and the Court Adjourned till the
Afternoon .• At which time their Lord-
fhips told them. That having received
no Exprefs from above, as they.expedt-
ed, they would Adjourn till Friday at
Eight in the Morning.
F R I D AT, OBob. 28, 1687.
'T'HE Commiflioners being Seated,
all were commanded to withdraw;
then only the Fellows were called in,
and the Bifhop of chefler faid they
had reprefcnted them fairly to the
King; but that His Majefty expedled
fome farther Submifllon, which they
advifed them to make, by acknowledg-
ing their contempt to His Sacred Maje-
fty in perfon, and to His Letters; and
that they fliould promife to behave them-
felves Loyal for the future j and that they
fhould fome ways own the proceedings
and legality of the Court, and implore
His Majefties pardon,and lay themfelves
at His Feet.
The Fellows making a little paufe,the
Bifhop of Chefier told them, they might
Word it themfelves; or if they thought
fit M-X. Tucker fhould afllfl them in a
Form. Then all the Fellows withdrew
into the Hall, and drey;' up the follow-
ing Anfwer.
May
■-■J
May it pleafe your Lcrdftiips,
Jj/E have endeavoured in all our J^i-
oris, TO exprefs our duty in all himi-
lity to His Majejcj^^ and being ccnfdous to
our jelves, that in the whole conduit of
the hujinefs before Tour LordJhips^ vpehuve
done nothing, but what our Oaths and
StAtutes indifpenfablj oblige us to^ fse
cannot nahe any declaration, whereby we
achpov^ledge thAt we hctve done any thing
amifs, having ailed according to theprin-
Upon their Lordfhips perufing of the
anfwer,. they exprelled their diflike of
k, faying, it did not come up to the
Addrefs fent to His Majefty at Bath,
which was read •, to this it was replycd,
that they hoped their behaviour fincc,
had been every way anfwerable to what
they had therein promifed. Then their
Lord^ps faid, that it did not come up
to ymac they delivered in on Tuejday.
Dr. Bayly. My Lords, we have adted
conformable to our felves, and truly my
Lords, I cannot poffibly confefs any
crime.
Bijh. We do not expedf of you to
confefs any Capital crime, only to make
fome acknowledgement.
Mr. Fulham. My Lord, We were or-
dered to Addrefs our felves, as having
adfed in contempt of His Majefties Au-
thoriiy, which" my Lord, 1 look upon
as fo great a crime j that on no account
I would be guilty of it. My Lord, we
have endeavoured to obey His Majefty
to the utmoft of our power, and feeing
your Lordfhips were pleafed to accept
our anfwer onTuefday, I humbly con-
ceive your Lordfhips Honour is engaged
that nothing further be required of us.
BiJh. You are a very forward fpeaker,
and abound in your own fenfe.
Mr. Fulh. My Lord, I hope Your
Lordfhip will give me leave to fpeak,
when our Fortunes are fo corJiderably
at Hake—
Then Dr. defired of thdr Lord-
fhips to give hina leave to explain, what
he meant by the word Submit in his An-
C ip)
ciples of Loyalty and Obedience, fofar as
we could, without doing violence to our
Confciences , or perjudicc to our Rights,
(one of which we humbly conceive the Ele~
iiing a Frefident to be) front wkich we
are jworn upon no account whatfoever to de^.
part. We therefore humbly beg Tour Lord-
Jhips to reprefent this favourably,' with our
utmoft Dutf to His Majefty, whom O id
grant long, and happily to Reign.
fwer on Tuefday-, beeaufe(faith he) t
hear your Lordfhips underltood more
then was meant, and kail your Lord-
fliips fhould go away under a miftake,
by the word Submit in the former An-
fwer, I did not intend any future Obe-
dience to the Bilhop of Oxford j but
meant it in reference to the Kings Au-
thoricy, inafmuch as I did not oppofc
or refilf the Bilhop of Oxford's In-
ftalment.
Upon this, a frefh queftion was put
to the Fellows, whether they would
obey the Bifhop of Oxford as their Pre-
fident in licitus Honeftis-, to which all
except one or two anfvvered, they could
Hos obey the Bifhop of Oxford as their
Frefident.
Then Mr. Fulham was particularly
asked the queftion,
Mr. Fulham. Dr. Hough being dulely
Eledted and admitted Frefident doth
thereby obtain a right, which I am not
fatisfied he hath any way forfeited, and
therefore can obey no perfon as Pre-
fideut.
Bifh. Ch. Will you obey the Bifhop
of Oxford as in FoirefTion ?-
Mr. Fulh. I cannot, becaufe the Bifhop
hath not lawful Foirefliou,
Then he was asked wherein ?
Mr. Fulh. He hath not pofleflion in
due form of Law, nor by proper Offi-
cers; I am informed that the proper
Officers to gi ve, poileffion of a Freehold,
is theSfaenrt" mthnFofj'eCmmittttis.
C. 5f. Pray, who is tlae bed: Lawyer
Fou or I ? Your Oxford Law is no bet-
ter than your Oxford Divinity •• if yon
have a mind to a poffc Contimus, you
may have one foon enough—
Mr. Tulb. My Lords, I intended no-
thing but refpcft to your Lord{hips,and
have indeavoured to fpeak and behave
my felf with due reverence, and I hope
your Lordlbips will put a favourable
conftrudlion on what I faid—
Then all were commanded to with-
draw, and the Buttery-Book was called
fOr, and after that, Mr. Fulham was fent
(30)
for in; and by the Bifiiop of Chejier
fufpended as followeth—
Bifli. fl/Ch. 7J/r. George Fulham, Jfe
have thought fit to Sufpend you from
the Profits of your Fellowfhip during His
Majeliies Pleajure, for your contempt and
opprobrious Language.—
Then they Adjourned till JVednefdayy
the 16th of November, Ordering the ab-
fent Fellows to be fent for home againft
that time. So they immediately went
for London.
WEDNESDAY,
November the 16th.
in the Morning.
1687, at Nine
•yH E Lords Commiffioners being
fate, the hrft thing they did, lent
for the Buttery-Book ; then called for
Mr. Joyner and Mr. Allibme,^ and en-
tered them Adual Fellows. The former
in the Room of Dr. Fairfax whom they
had Expelled; The latter in place of
TAr.Ludford lately deceafed: All Oaths
being ciifpenced with befidesthatof a
Fellow. That done, the Fellows being,
called, and Reafons given in for chok
that were abfent. The Billiop of Chejier
fpoke a Speech to this effed.
Gentlemen, Tour many Centemfts.,) and
mlful Dijohedknce, have occtfioned this
yifitatim, vthich will end at laji in your
ruin. This Society of yours has been long,
exsrcifed in the Methods' of .^arrelling j
has always been troubled with Fact iota
Spirits , and tejly Mutineers , ever ftnce
the Rejloration of the late Ring ; Tou
have encourag'd ^mrrels among your
felves j Quarrels between your filves' and
Prefident-, parrels, at length, between
your felves and Vifitor. For I have often
heard your lace Vifitor complain, that this
Society was ever ftoched with an unquiet
and turbulent Generation. By tbefe Jleps
from quarelling rtitb the Prefident, and
yifitOTy jm have at lafl advanced to
the higbefl pitch of Infolence, to quarrel with
your Prince, and affront his Sacred Maje-
fly. I endeavoured before, at the opening Our
Commijfion, to mahe you fenfibUofttheScan-
dal that your Vifobedienee will bring upon your
Religion-, how much you flain and diflmour
your liberal and ingenious Education, in this
Society. '
Tou cannot hut h,now His Majefly is
your Supream Ordinary. Tou cannot bin
have re id in Bradon, -who was twenty
years Lord Chief ^uflice under Ring Hen-
ry the Third ; Nemo Prefumat de fadis
ejus difquirere ne dum contra fadum e-
jus venire; All Vifobedienee implys Pride:
For no man can difobey his Gcvernour, but
he who thjnl^s himfelf wifer. The Repst-
tation and Honour of'a Prince at home,,
and His refpeH abroad, are chief Stand-
ards of a Government. But tbefe Pillars
as much as in you lies, you have endea-
voured to Jhake'. And unlefs His Majeflies
Honour and ri^t he vindicated by us. He
can neither be feared at home, nor ^r-
ved abroad. Tour Punifioment mufl be at
publicli as your Crime. It cannot be con-
ceived but His Majejiy in ^flice, in Ho-
nour, in Clemency, and in his Royal Ten-
dernefs, could have proceeded otherways
than be has done. Onthefirflof April «
wot
wtf piiblijhed that Dr. Clark Wis dead :
On the eleventh a Mandamus was direct-
td TO you, for chnjing Mr. Farmer. On the
p ff/"" « Peciiion to the Lord
Frepdent: wherein you laid yourfelves pro-
ftrate at bis Majefties Feet, rep-efeming
to htm the Incapacities of Mr. Farmer, de-
benefits of his Gracictes Decla-
ration for preferving pur Rights and Pro-
per tie s, and befeeching him to Nominate
sn<Pther perfon qtulified according toyour Sta^
tutes, in the Election of whpm:»n would Jhew
your ready obedience. So [aid and jo done.
Gentlemen, had been very well.
But immediately after the delivery of the
Petition , you not waiting His Majefties
Anfwer, proceeded on April the i ph to an
EkBion of Dr. Hough: So that by this
ASl, which was plainly contrary to His
Majefties Authority, whofe Mandate did
certainly imply an Inhibition 5 you direlf-
ly confronted your former promises of ready
(bedience, and were refolved to give the
King nothing but good words when you
had done this, as men of Ul defgns, are al-
ways in hafle, for a confirmation of it, yoif
invnediately went and furpri^ed pur Vifi-
tor, and by that means peifwaded him to
confirm Dr. Hough, that very day he recei-
ved an order from the Lord Prefident to the
contrary.
Upon this News the King was much a-
tna^ed , and required an account of par
Proceediri^s •, therefore the Lords Commif-
poners ijjued out a Citation, and after hear-
ing the Plea, upon mature Conjultation
with the Learned of both Laws, judged
the pretended EleSiion of Dr. Hough to be
void and null, and him to be removed, by
an Injirumentdated the which
was affixed on the Gate. After this a
Mandate was fent on the to
you to Elea the Bijhop of Own-, upcn
which terms His Majejty was gracioufiy
pleafed to difpenci with your dijobedience
thitherto. But this being difebeyed. His
Majefiy in Perfon en the 14ch of Septem-
ber, fent for you to Chrift-Church,
quired you immediately to EleH the vipoop
of Oxbn Prefident. Tou went ftr.tit to
the Chappel, a place one would think Jhou'H
have injpired more Devotion and Awe 0}
bis Sacred Majefiy in yen and there con-
C 3O
temptuoufiy Suhfcribei and Signed a Pi-
per, direaiy thwarting his Majefties com-
mand. The ground of your difohedience
you pretend that you could not FJeH him,
whereas you could not but know by a writ-
ten Mandate that lay by you, that admif-
fim would have fxti.fied His Slajsfties con-
fciencr, the ftale Topick of Rebellion was
here brought to Vindicate your Petulant
and contumacious behaviour. Tou preten-
ded that you were obliged by Oaths, and
I am lorry tint at the fame time you forgot
that of Allegiance. And indeed there is
not A greater fign of Hypocrifie, than par-
tial obedience. Had you any refpeH to the
Father of your Country, and your Mother
the Church, yon would have Sacrificed your
preteniei Scruples, as a Peace-offering to
the King. The heft of us I am jure, have
r^eafon to beg God and the RJngs pardon,
but you, as if His Majefty Reigned by
courtefie, would have a King under you,
bat none over you. Tou urged the obfer-
vartce of your Statutes, of which as it bath
appeared, you have not been fg conftant ob-
jeriiers, when your own humour prompts yox
to a difpenfation, then you can readily em-
brace it , witnefs but that of being fervei
per Mafculos, by which great Scandals
have come to this Society by reafon of ha-
ftards.
But when the l^ing interpefed, in whofe
power alone it is to iifpence with them,
then you pre fent ly aH according to fucb methods
as thefe. None of thefe pretences will eafeyou
with wife and foher men.
This was the only oppffition His Ma-
jefty in bis Progrejs received: ff^bere ever
His Sacred Majefty came, he worked a mi-
raculeus converfion, except in Oxford ■,
and fo far fatisfied every one with the e-
qaity of his Prrceedings, that none went
away difcontentei from bis prefence, unlejs
it was for this reafon, that they could not
enjoy it any longer.
Oftober the 10th, IFe came down, and
upon opening our Commijfion, I took ^'^re to
reprefent to you the heinoufnefs of your of-
fence, and to perjwade you to a ferious lie-
penta>{ce i but all in vain.
For, on Saturday morning we reqairei
you to Admit and Inftal the Bifhop of Ox-
on j rmich all, except thret, refujtd: In
! 0^
i
'irtr'!
' ci if
■ ?
I
'(
i <ii
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C 32- )
the Aftemton Vr. ^ough hiving been de- Submijfion, thin in Achnewledgment of your
f rived., and^by us comminded to depirtibe Crime. Upon this we might jujily then have
Ctlkdge, ame unto us without iny leive, proceeded to an Expulfion. but we thought
but not without greit AttendanceCircum- fit, in compajfiontoyou, totahe i 'fonrneyto
.fiances, I tbinii, much unbefitting a man London, and acquiint His Majefiy with
pronouncd Expell'd-, and there enter'd a your Difobedience and ungrateful Behaviour.
PROTESTATION againfi all His Majefiy was extreamly amax d that His
that we hid done, or hereafter jhould do, as Clemency jhould bedefpifed-, but yet, toyour
Illegal, Unjufi, and Null •, which he deli- comforts be it fpohen. His Patience and Good-
vered not in tVriting, but by word of mouth nefs extends as far as your Provocations can :
a thing repugnant to the nature of all Ap- But if you ftill perfiji in your obftinancy,
peals ; and which was worfe, without the thefe tho-t are too Tall to (iand, andtooStu-
ufual Salvo to His Majefties Supream born to bend, deferve to be broken. And
Power. JVhen he had fpoh.en it, therefol- new, I tbinky I have faid enough to let
lowed fuch a Tumultuous, Seditious, and you fnow, that the Fig-leaves you have
Infolent H U jVI, which if you your [elves fo artificially ftiched together, are not fuf-
had not applauded, or at leafi confented to ficient to cover your Nafednefs. I wifh
it, was impofiible but thatyouwould have to God you had the [ame ttndernefs for
difcovered fome of thofe Mutineers. However, your Concern, as His MtjefiiesCommifiio-
flnce his Carriage and Language gave occafion ners have for you. But if youfiillperfifi
^ to it, 'twas thought fit that he only Jhould be to oppofe the R,oyal Power of theRjng,we,
obnoxious', and accordingly be was bound who are come to vindicate the Right and
over. Honour of His Majefty, refolved to dif-
On Tucfday we our [elves caufed the charge our confciences and duties to God
Bijloop.of Ox«n to be Infialled by his Pro- and the Rjng, without any refpecl of po-
xy ; after which we propofedtoyou, iVhe- pularity-, that's but the Paradice of Fools,
ther being now Infialled, you would [ub- 'and [corn of iVife Menx and therefore, as
mit to him Ileitis & honeftis ? To which for us, we have no more regard to peoples
you gave an Anfwer under your Hands in dijlil^^e, than what they dreamt Byreafon
the Affirmative. Tou then alfo defiredof therefore of your late Hypocritical Submif-
us to reprefent your cafe favourably to His fion, the Commifiioners has thought fit, upon
Majefiy, giving all afjurauce of your Loy- mature confi deration, to draw up an Inftru-
alty and obedience. But this affurance of ment which [hall be read to you, to which,
SubmiJJion lafled not long •, for on Thnrl- if you [hall immediately [ubfcribe, before
day, being required of uy to Subfcribe fuch you leave the Room, we Jha.ll leave you to
a Suhmifiion to His Majefiy as we thoMght His Majefties Pardon: And this w ex-
agrseable to your Duty, you required time pelt from you all, except Mr. ho. Smith
to confult of it; and after deliberation, and Mr. Charnock, with whofe behaviour
Sign'd [uch a Paper, which feem'd rather the Rjng is [o well [atisfied, that he ex-
to be a Protfiatjon againfi your former pe^s no more from them.
Then all the Fellows being called in, their Lordfhips tendered a Form of Submif-
fion to them to be Signed. Which take as foUoweth ;
To
:^;:V To the king's Moft Excellent MAJESTY.
Petition and Submiifion of the Fellows of Sc. Ma-
: ry Ma£^a/f/i Collcdge in the Univerficy of O.vs^, whofe Names
, are Sublcribed.
E Tour Maje/lies mojl humble Peti-
~ " tloners, have a deep fenie of being
jullly fallen under Tour Maje/iies Dfplea-
jure, for our difobedience and contempt to
Tour Majefy, and to the Authority of
Tour Majejiies Commiffioners andFifitors;
Pf^e do in. all humility projhate eur [elves
it Tour Majejiies Feet,
To which Paper all (except Dr.
Subfcritse.
Tour Pardon for our [aid offences, an I
promifing that we wiU for the future t>e-
have our [elves more- dutifiiily, and as a
Tejlimon) thereof, we do acknowledge the
Authority of TourMTj jlies [aidy'lfitert,
andthe fujiice of their proceedings ■, A id
we do declare our entire Submijjion to the
Lord Bifjop of Oxon as our Preftdent,
Thomas Smyth, and Mr. Che/nod) refufed to
humbly begging
Sign,
Dr. Aldworth as Vice Prefident was
firft call'd in to hgn the Paper w hich
had been read to all the Fellows.
Fice Prefident. My Lords, we defire
time to conlider of it, and to give our
anrwerin Writing.
Bifh. Ch. No, Yon muft every one
3-., or refufe as you arc called.
_ Bar, Jennor. There is no anfwer to be
given, but ay, or no.
They all moved again for time, but
'twas refuled.
F. Pr. My Lords,this is the firft time
of my appearance before your Lordlhips
fince your fitting here, and thercfiare l
pray to be heard.
My Lords, I am as ready to comply
with the King's pleafure, as any man
living J neither do 1 know,that we have
ever in this place been difobedient to
the King, where it was in our power to-
obey His Commands: Our Founder
in the firft claufe of the Oath we take at
this Election,has provided; that no one
lhall be Prefident of His Colledge, but
who was bred in it, or in the Colledge
where he himfelf was bred. Now for
us who have Elefled Dr. /dough, a Per-
Ton qualified according to our Statutes,
who has been Inftalled, Sworn, Con-
firin'd, and Approv'dof in all the ways
and manner prefcribed in the Statutes
for us. My Lords, to accept and admit
of a Stranger, and a Forreigner in his
place, is to tiie beft of roy underftand-
. ing, a giving up the Rights of the Col-
ledge to other ufes then the Founder
detigned it. Here he was interrupted.
Bilh. Ch. Your Statutes are over-rui'd
by the King's Authority.
FlPr, My Lords, Your Lordlhips fit
here as the Vifitors; which implies,
there are certain Laws and Statutes we
are bid to obferve, and by which wc
are to be govern'd; and if it fhall ap-
pear to your Lordlhips, that wc have
ailed conformably ta thefe Statutes. I
hope we lhall neither incur the Kings difi
pleafure nor your Lordlhips. The whole
Tenour of our Statutes run, That we
fhouW inviolably maintain our Rights,
and obferve the Rules of our Founder;
He has laid his Curfe upon us if we vary
from them. CHere he repeated the
words of the Founder) Ordinamiis [uh
pcena Anathematls, C5 indignationis Om..
nipotentU Dei, &c. Item fub intitmhtati-
one Divini yudicif interdicinm.
F Bilh. Ch.
L J
Ch. Are you not to obey the mands, 1 was not concerned in the
K ing as well as the Founders Statutes ? Election of Dr. Houghs 1 voted for
y. Pr. My Lord, 1 ever did obey the Mr. Pirmsr, and am ready to fubmit to
King and ever will; Our Statutes which theBlfhopof oxon.
we are fworn to obfcrve, are confirm'd Biih. Cb, Did you not put your hand'
by feveral Kings and Queens before and to this Petition P Is not this your hand
lince the Reformation, and as we keep —^Read the Petition——It was Read—
them, are agreeable to the Kings Laws In which the Fellows defired His Ma-
both Ecclefiaftical and Civil, and fo jefty, to nominate any qualified Perfon,
long as we live up to them, we obey the and to rctraft His Mandate granted for
f^i'ig. Mr. Firmer.
Biih. Ch. Your Statutes were never Mr. Thompforii My Lord, I conceive
confirm'd by His Prefent Majefty. the Petition not to bed ifbbedient. We
Dr, fobn Smyth. My Lord, Neither had not yet receiv'd the Mandate,as foon
have they been repealed by His Majefty, as it came, 1 humbled my felf,
and what is not repcal'd is confirm'd. Bar. ^ea. Then why can't you hum-
ble your felf again; is there any hurt
Then their Lordfbips preffing to fign in it.
or refi fe; the nee Prefidem faid, Mr. Thompfon.This Paper requires me
to own my difobedience to His Majefty;
r. Pr, My Lords, ni then deal plain- lam not corifcious of any, and there.
Jy, in regard to my Oath and the Sta- fore I cannot Subferibe.
tutes, to the right of all our Succeffors
and of Dr. Bough, whom I believe to After a ihort time, all whorefufed to,
liave been as fairly Eletted, and as le- fign the Submiffion were called in, and
gaily poffeffed as ever any fince the by Sentence of their Lordfhips, expell'd
Foundation of the Colledge; I cannot the Colledge for Contempt, (ex-
fubmit to the Bilhop of Oxon as Prefi- cept as before) — After Sentence, alf
dent. So he was ordered to withdraw. that were expell'd fpoke to this Elfeft:
My Lords, we profefs all Duty to
Then the fame queftion was put to all ' theKing andRefpedt to your Lordfhips
the other Fellows fingly, who all refu- ' but muft beg leave to d«clare; That we
■fed to fign the fubmilfion, (except Dr. ' think our felves injnr'cl in your Lord-
Tkomis Smyth and Mr. Chernoci, who 'fhipsproceedings.and therefore protcft
were not preft for the Reafons above.) ' againft them, and (hall ufe all juft and.
Mr. Thmpfon being called in to fign 'legal ways of being Relieved———
the Paper, faid. Aftcra Ihort time, an Inftrument was
fix't on the Colledge-Gates, in. thefe,
Mr. Thempfcn.My Lords, 1 have been words,
always obedient to His Majefties Com-
By
V
[?5]
By his Majefties Coraniiffionersfor Ecclefiaftical Caufes,c^c.
partkularly Authorized and Intporvered to Vijit St, Mary
Magdalen Colledge in the Univerfity of Oxon.
WHereasinourVifitatioa Mx, Stephen TVdkl, Fellows of
of the faid ColledgCjic the fame Colledge, have been
appearcth unco us, that Doftor feverally guilty of Difobediencc
Charles AUmrth^ Dr.Alexander to his Majefty's Commands,
Pitdfey^ Dt. John Smith,Ot.Tho. and obftinately contemn'd his
Bailey,V)t. Tho. St.ifford,h\3iiket Royal Authority, and do ftiil
Robert Almond, Mr. Mamvaring perlift in the fame: We have
Hmmond, Mv.Jshn Rogers, Mr. thought fit, upon mature confi-
Richard StricfUnd, Mr. Heny deration thereof, to Declare ,
Dobfon, Mr. fames Bailey, Mr. Praiounce, and Decree, That
John Davies, Mr. FrancisBag- the faid Dr. Charles Aldrporth,
(harp, Mr. JamesFayrer, Mr. Jo- dare, and every of them, be De-
[eph Harrpar, Mr.Thj.Bateman, privcd and Expelled from their
Mr. George Hunt, Mr. William refpe£tive Fellowfhips: And we
Cradock^ Mr. John Oillmrn, Mr. do by this our Sentence and
Geo. Fulham,Mr. Charles Penny- Decree, Deprive and Expel
Bon, Mr. Robert Hyde, Mr.John them and their faid feveral and
Terbury,Mr. Robert HQUen,3.nd refpedlve Fellowfhips.
Given under our Seal, this idth day
o/November, idSy.
^ WHITE-HALL Dectmb. lo.
HI S Majefly's Commiffi> len Colledge in Ox/or^,and the
ners for Ecclefiaffical Can- contemptuous and difobedient
fcs,and for Vifiting all Cathe- Behaviour oi Or. John Hough,
dral and Collegiate Churches and feveral of the Fellows of
and Colledges, <b-c. met- this that Colledge, throughout the.
day; and taking into their con- whole Proceeding, their Lord-
fidcration all that had paffed in ihips Declared, Decreed , and
'thebufinefs of St^Mary Magda- Pronounced, That Dr. Hough,-
11363
-CharlesAMxporthi Dr. Henry den^ and Mr. St^fjen fVilk^s ,
Fairfax., Dr. Alexander Pudfey, ftould be uncapable jof Recci-
Dr. John Smith,Dr.Thoms Bat- ving, or being Admitted to any
ley, Dr. Thomas Stafford, Mr.Ko- Ecclefiaftical Dignity, Benefice,
hert Almond, Mr. Manmrinj; or -Promotion.- And fnch of
Hammond,Mr.John Rogers,Mr. them who are not yet in holy
Richard StricMand, Mr. HedTy Orders were adjudged uncapa-
Dobfon, Mr. James Bailey, Mr. blc of Receiving or being Ad-
John Davies, Mr, Francis Bag- mittcd into the fame. All
ffan>,Mr.7ames Fayrer, Mr. Jo- Archbifhops, Biftiopsyand other
[eph Harwar, Mr. Thomas Bate- Ecclefiaftical Officers and Mi-.
man, Mr.George Mmt.Mr.TVil- niftcrs within the Kingdom of
Ham Cradocl{, Mr. John Gillman, England, being required to take
Mr. George Fulh^m, Mr.Charles notice of the faid Sentence and
Pennyflon, Mr. Robert Hyde^r. Decree, and to yeild Obedience
Edn>ard Terbury^r.Henry Hoi- thereunto.
The I'th-of January, i6Sy, Mr. Fefcy, and Mr. Brabourn,
being the da) that the Matters of Art; Mr. Hyde,
Thirty Demies of Magdalen Mr. TVoodward , Mr. Fulham,
Colledg were, by Summons Mr. rVatki»s, Mr. Stacy, Mr.
from the Bifliop of Oxon, the Sherwin and Mr. Kenton ^ Bat-
new Prefident, commanded to chelors of Art; Mr. Cro/y, Mr,
appear before him •, and none Bujh, and Mr. Wells, llnder-
appearing,Mr. Chernock,the new Graduates: Which Fourteen
Vice-Prefident, called for the were then refident in the llni-
Buttery-Book, and ttruck out vcrfity, and Three more, who
the Names of e fcaped Expulfion at that time.
Mr. Holt, Mr. Adams Senior,
F IK IS,
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Let this be Printed,
[cc'
WHITE-HALL,
Decemkzi^. 1687.
Sunderland P, i
hie
P v v-<^i
3b
A Vindication
O F T H E
PROCEEDINGS
O F
His Majefties
Ecclefiaflical CommiiTioners.
/igainii the Bifhop of London, and
the Fellon^s of Magdalen-College.
\ A !
/X.- ;
LONDON';
Printed by Th. Milhourn , and Publiflied by
Richard Janexvay \n Qjieens ■ Bead - AUey in -
pater-NoJler-Row. MDCLXXXVIII.
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A
(» )
A Vindication
OF THE
PROCEEDINGS
O F
His Majefties
EccleJiaHical Commiffionerf, &c.
The gftttroDttctiom
TH E Proceedings of His MA'
J E STY*s Ecclefiafiical Com-
miJfioheYs, being Made the
Common Talk of the Town, efpe-
cialJy llnce' the Fellows of Magdalen
B Gollcdge
c 1 y
Colledge have been Sufpended , and
Expell'd for their Difobedience, and ' L,
Contempt to His M AJ E S T it's
become Neceflary, to give the World £
a Juft and Naked State of this whole
Affair, to the End they may fee, what .
JSianner of lAen Our Cenfoyiotis Cler- 1
gy, and their Creatures are; for, on an [
Impartial Difquifition into the Whole
of this Matter, 'twill appear, that His
M AJ E S T Y has taken fpecial Care, ' ^
that his Commiffioners do not Exer- ,
cife the ^egal Power in that fevere ^ '
Way, the Church of ENGLAND
has Done againfl: Proteftant Diffen- ^ y
ters. ' *. ■ i
The king Remembereth the
Promile he has Made of Protefting
the Church of England, as by Law
Eftablifhed, and hitherto has done
Nothing, that Contradids it; but has %
been fo very Tender in this Point, T
( 3 )
as not to go fo Far, as Juftly He
might 5 and Whoever will but Con-
fult the Senfe Our Church of B/tg-
hnd Divines, and Lawyers have had
of His majesties Ecclefiafikli
Snfremacy will fbon fee, that it's not
eafy for the Church of EvgUnd to
Speak againfl: the Authority of His
MAJESTIES Commiffioners, or
the Legality of their Proceedings, with-
out Condemning Themftlvcs, for
what they have done again ft the Ph-
ritams. The Cafe in fhort will be
brought to this; Either the Church
of England has moft Unjuftly De-
priv'd the Old Puritanes ; Or, the
KING has very Righteoufly Suf-
pended the Bifhop of London , and
Expell'd the Fellows of Magdalen Col-
ledge.
The Agreement between what the
KING has done, and the Church
B 2 of
C 4 )
of England'Lan^i is fo Exad, and Full,
that it's imponible for Our Church-
Men to Vindicate the PraSices of their
Bifhop 5 and Magdalen Gentlemen,
without Tearing up the very Fom^
dationf of Their Owm Ecclefiaftick
Conftitution, And notwithftanding
the Clamour thefe Men make , the
Court Held by the KIN G's Com-
miflioners, and Vifitours, will appear
to be Grounded on the Church of En-
gland' Law, and fo are the Proceed-
ings in the Inftances before. Us.
. ' SECT I.
( 5 )
Sedion I.
The Legality the Courts Held by
His MAJESTIES Ecdefiajlkal
Commijjioners*
AS for the C 0 U^T, Held by the
KIN G s Ecclefiaftical Commifs
fioners, though it's Said to be
Contrary to the Exprefs Words of a Law
lately Made, yet, on a Confiderate Ex?
amination of the Whole Matter; the Cafe
plainly is thus: Beiore the \U. FM:^. it
is Agree'd, That all Ordinaries, and Ec»
clefiaftical Judges whatfoever , Ought in
all Ecclefiaftical Caufes to have Proceeded
according to the Cenfures of the C!)UVC9,
and could not in any Cafe have Punilliivl
any Delinquent by Fines, or Imprifonmmts,
unleE they had Authority fo to do by
of i^atuatnent. The Authori?
ty did never jf<ne or in any
Cafe.
( 6 )
Cafe, but ever Proceeded Onely by Eccle^
fiaftical Cenfures. But in Queen Eli:?^abeths
Reign, the CCCUllilftfCal COmUUffiO-
Proceeded to Fine, and Imprifon;
and that by Force, as was then Suggefted,
of the Statute \H. EU:^aheth. This ^Ct
was therefore Confulted, and the Qommon-
Lawyers Differed from the Cml'tam; The
Former Holding, that This Law gave no
Countenance to the Opinion of thole, who
(aid that it Impowered the Fxclefiaftick
Commilfioners to Fine, and Irnprifon; and
Ivly L^* Ch. Juftice Coke, in his hiftitutes y
doth with the greatefl: Clearnefs Demon-
ftrate, that the Exprefs Letter and Mean-
ing of \jl^ is to %eftore to the Crow7i
the jintknt JurifdiBion Ecdefiaftical, and no
Commilfioner by Force of that Antient Eo;
cleliallical Jurifdi(5i:ion could impofej^ine,
and Imprilbnment • That thele Con^tnilli-
oners, having their Force from this ACt of
^ftitutionj cannot Infli(ft any fuch Punifli-
ments. However, the Commilfioners did
Proceed in all Cafes to Fine , and Impri-
fbn, and, exceeding the Bounds of Ec-
cleliaftical Cenfure, did Opprefs, and Ru^
ine fo many Thoufand Families, that the
( 7 )
in the Seventeenth Year of
CHARLES the Fir ft took Notice
it, and Declared in the Preamble of that
Statute ,
%t)at nDijcreas , bp coiout of
S>ome WORDS <n tljt :afo?efaf&
)5janclj of Firft Eliz. tbljerebp Com-
mitfioncts are :^utljo?i3eb to €re-
cute tlje(E Conimtffion accojblng to
tl)e Xcnour, ano effect of tlie
K IN G's laatents, anD
i^acentB; ii^^ounDen tftere-
upon, tl)t faiD ComiutfttoncciS iiatjc
to tbC Great aUD Infufferable Wrong aUB
Oppreflion of the K I N G's Subje6ls, U«
feb to jFfne, ano 3!mprffon, aiiD
to Other Authority UOt JlSC"
longing to Cccletiatical ^uti'OBic-
tion Reftored bp tl)at 3tct, atib Dt-
Bets otljet (^reat ^J@ifcl)tefs, ano
3ncDnBcmencies IjaBe aifo cnfucB
to tl)e KIN G's g)ubfects bp IXea-
fon of tl)e faib Bjanctt, ano Coin-
mfffions giffw^ns tijereupon , and
tlie €]cectttions tfteteof ? XDetefoje
foj t|)e Jaepjeffing ano ^lebtnttng
ir
f:
.i'
t
h
ii
( 8 )
o£ ti)e foiefait) ::^t)nfe£i J ^tfclXef^,
anD ^ncont)en<ences fo; %:ime to
COtHC 5 Be it Enacted, f
Here it muft be Noted, that the Ec-
clefiaftick Comtniflioners taking the Branch
of \ft. in another Senfe tlian the
Common Lawyers did , and that by Co^"
lour of fome Words in it, the Parliament
Repeafd this Branch, thus Underftood ,
Forbidding all Ecclefiaftical Judges to Pro»
ceed to Fine, or Imprifon the KIN G's
Subjects, or tender the Oath Ex Officio,
This Branch of \Jl, Eli;^aheth being thus
Repeal'd and the Hifiy - Commiffion «Court
put down, and Care taken, that No fuch
Court be for the future Ere(5ted : 'Twas
Generally Concluded,
Xljat all £)?i)<natp '^tttlfolcllon
tons xabtn from tlje ;artl)b(fl)ops,
jBi(l)ops, Wear" dptneraio, Or any
other Perlbn, or Perfons whatfoevcr Exer=
cifing Spiritual , or Ecclefiaftical Power,
Authority, or Jurifdidion by any Qrant,
Licence, or Commfftion of the icitcg's
Majefly.
( >7 )
lUjeflyi but it was Declared and Ena^^lcd,
15 Car. 2. c. 12. %l)at ncittjcc t!)e
fatD ^ct of 17 Car. \. no? anp tljing
tl)cct(n ContafncB Doth, oj shall tafte
atba? anp £>;omarj> 0otoer, 0? 3ltt-
from anp #ttfon, oj iDst-
fon^ il^ameD as ::Hfo;tefailo, That is,
no Authority, or Juri{di(5tion is, or (hall be
taken from the Jrch'^ilhops,^ijhoi)s^ VICA^
G LS, or any ^erjon^^ or ^erfons
Exercifing Ecclefiaftical Authority by any
COMMISSION the I^lNO's Ma-
jBttt tjiat XiM, anti tsjerp of
Sfteni cjcewtfing ectitCiaftital Ha-
ri^ctlon ma? Detetinlne,
Sentence) eicecttte anD eierctXe all
mannet of cccuftaQUai Sucifoicti-
on, ant) all Cenfttteo , ano Coetei-
ona appertaining, ano belonging
to tbe fame, before tbe mabing of
tl^e ^ct, 17 Car. 1. in all Caitfeo,
anb ipattets: belonging to cccieGa-
ftital ^ntifblctton, atcojbing to t^
K I isi G's fipaieftr's eccUfiaftitai
^iaiCbS , ufeo anD p^actTcD in tljts
SKealm, in as ample fipisnnee, an&
c jr 02,111
i
(i:
I
m
ll!
IS'i
ii'
'Tj
;
1
^ I
j1
*1 ifl
u
!
I
( IS )
;jo;nn as tljep DiD, ana mfgljt lattj-
tullF fjaae aone before t!)c niabtng
of tije faio ;^cc»
. - This much is Exprefs in this Statute,
i; Car. %. c. iz. whereby all Power, and
Ecclefiaftical Authority, which belonged to
ArchbiHiops, Billiops, Vicar - Generals, or
' any other Perfons, exercifing Authority Ey
Commiffion of the I^lT^G's Majejly before
the making of the 17 (^ar, 1. c. 11. is
Recognized to belong unto die abovena-
med Peilbns notwithftanding any thing in the
- faid Statute to the contrary j And that there-
fore whatever is faid touching the High-
Commiffion-Court, in the following Branch,
muft be undeiflood of their Fining, and
Jmprifoning. This much may be alfb inferred
from the laft Claufe, i ^ Car. 1. when it is
provided. That this Acl, or any thing therein
contained fliall not extend, or be conftrued to
extend to give unto any Archbifhop, Bifhop,
or any other perfon, or perlbns aforefaid, any
Power or Authority to exercife, execute, in-
fli(5V, or determine, any Ecclefiaftical Jurikiic-
tion, Cenfure, or Coercion, which they might
not
()
not by Law have done before the Year of
^ ^ » * ^59- nor ro JSricIge, or
■Dimull, the king's mjefties Snpremacf
tn Ecclefinftical Matters and Jffairs,
Whence I infer, that there is no other
Power taken from the Ecclefiaftick Com-
miilionerSj ^h^^n that*of Jtjjprijott'-
iig, or TenSririg the O ATH Zx Officio.
This much was fupprefs'd by 17 Car, i.
and no more. An Ecclefiaftical COURT
exercifing this Power was put down, and
the Ereaing the like for Time to come
ftrialy forbidden. But the COURT
Uoto fet up, is not like unto This, for it
pretends not to Fine, or Imprifon, or tender
the Oath Ex Officio; it keeps within the bounds
of Ecdefic^kk Cenfures,
and'is no more like the .the Court Held by His
- Commiffion » Court, MAJESTIES Ecclefiafli-
than *Dofiors Commons is ; Commiflioncrs , is more
for Vicar.Generals, or tt
Other Perions exercile- Theirs in their SDUltt Names
ing Authority by His only.
Majefties Commiffion ,
C a have . ,
( »0 )
have as much Power left them J as Arch-
bifhops, or Bifliops have.
So much Touching the Le^dity of the
COURT.
The next Thing to be Confwlered, is,
Their ^rocefs againft Dr, S H A ^^3 and
the SZSHOP ot LONDON.
(tl )
«
r •
Sedion 1 I.
The Bijhof of L O N D O N's
I CASE fairly Stated, and
Eocamined.
TH E State of ahe Bifhops
O A SE I wilJ^^ive Yow
in the Anfwer, his Lord-
fiiip Made to the GommiSioneTS,
when he wa$ ^Asked by tkk Co,nYt^
Why He had not Obeyed Hir MA^
fESTT's Command fir S^fpendmg
' JDr. Sbiirf , which is as foiiowetlu
To the Quefiimj - that wat Profofed
to Me by Tour Lorilftiip, viz. i@})p
Utt i^ott not tbtv tht king's cotii^
Hjani) tn ^attt tonceiwcQ
^afpentrtns Si>?--sharp.'
( It ) '
I Henry {Bip)op of London
That immediately upon the %eceipt of His MA*
J EST I E S Letter from my Lord Prefi-
dent, the Tenour whereof followSj viz.
RIG HiT .%€verend Father in
\''^God,!WBvGfe^t Ton ML
^ ' Whereas^^ (FE have been
Informed, and are fully faiisfi'd, thM
Dr, John Shixp^;. ReSonr, of the
Parijh - Church of Sl Giles in the
Fields^ in the County of Middlefck,
and yoHT DmefFy:<itotMbUanding
Our Late Letter to the moH Reve-
rend Fathers in GOD, the ArcF
bijhop of Canterbury,, and York,
& Our Dire&ions concerning Preach- ^
ers
( )
erSy Given at Our Court at White-
Hall, the Fifth of Marchj 1685. m
the Second Tear of our Reign; yet
He the faid Dr. Sharp, in Contempt
of the J aid Orders, hath in fome of
the Sermom he hath ftnce Trcachedy
Preftim'd to make unbecoming Re-
flcftions, and to litter fuch Expref-
fions as were not Fit, or Proper
for him; endeavouring thereby to
beget in the Minds of his Hearers,
an evil Opinion 0/ U S, and Our
Government, by infinuating Fears,
and Jealoufies to difpofe them to
Difcontent ^ and to lead them into
T)iJobediencey Schifm, and Rebellion.
Thefe are therefore to Kequiroy and
Command you immediately upon re-
ceipt hereofy forthfPitb to Sufpend
Him from further Preaching in any
Parifh - Church or Chappel in your
( i+ )
Diocefr, nntill be Jball give US Sa*
tisfoBion, arhd Our further Pleaftire
he Knotpn herein. And for fo doings
this Jhall be Tour Warrant, And fa
WE bid Ton heartily Farewel,
Given kt Our Court at Windfer,
the Fomteentb Day of Jme^
i6S6. in the Second Year of
Our Reign.
By Hit MAJESTIES
Commandy
SUNDERLAND, p.
I Took the hejl Advice J could get, concent'
ing the Sufpeafion of Dr. Sharp, and
was Inform d,, That the Letter being Dh
reSied to Me as Dip^o^ of London , to Suf-
pend a Terfon under my JurifdiHm, J was
thereby
( ^5 )
therein to 'ASi as a Judge j it heing a Ju^
^ dictal ABy and that no ^erfon could by Lam,
he ^unijhed by Snfpenjton, before he was Called,
Br without being Admitted to tnake his Defence j
1 thought it therefore try Duty, forthwith Hum"
bly to ^prefent fo much to 7ny Lord Prefi-
dent, that fo 1 might receive His M A J E«
STIES Tleafure in that Matter* HeVer"
thelefs, that I might Obey His MAjESTY's
■Commands, as far as by Law I could, 1 did
then fend for Dr. Sharp, and Acquainted him
with His M A J E 5 T I E S Difpkafure ,
and the Occafon of it, by fJ?ewing him His
MAJESTIES Letter-, Dut he having never
been Called to Anfwer any fuch Matter, or make
his Defence, and he Trotefting his Jmiocence ,
and likewife Declaring himfelf 7?iofl ^ady to
give His MAJESTY full SatisfaBion
therein. In Order thereto, I Advt/ed him to
forbear breaching, tvuill he had A^plyed him-
filf to Hn MAJ E S T r i Md at his
quejl, I made him the bearer of a Letter to
my Lord Prefident, waiting for His M A»
JESTY's further Orders to Proceed againft
him Judicially, in cafe he fl^ould n t at that
lime ^ive His Ivl A J E S 1 Y the Satij»
D faBion
( z6)
faBlon ^eqaked and the faid 'DoBor'hath nst
fifK-e breached within my Vkcejs,
H, Londorh
That v(7e may Rightly Underftand the
^hole of this Cafe, it muft be obferv'd,
That His MJ J E S T y teceived fuch E-
vidence agaiaft Dr. Sharps as did fully (a.*^
tisfy H^m of the Truth of the Charge;
That the Charge it felf, is of a very high
"Nature, including in it, not only C<3n»
tempt of His MJJESTY's Letter, fent
the "two Archbifhops, and Orders, con='
taining Directions concerning Preachers;
but, That by his breaching, he endeavoured
to beget in the Minds of his flearers, an evH
Opinion of Mis MAJESTY, and ^overn^
ment, by iniinuating Fears, and Jealoitfies
to dilpofe them to Difcontent, and lead,
them into DifohedknCe, Schifm, and J{ehel=>
lion: A Crime, which moft undoubtedly
deferves an Ipfo FaSio Sufpmjion, and accor=.
ding CO the Opinion of all the Judges,
in the Secorid Year of J MM E S the FirU,
is
(■ i/ )
is an Offence VmMe at Vtfcntlon^ an<i very,
ueo}' to rmafon-^ and Fehty in the ^unifhment*
Thus it was Refolv'd in the
Cafe, who intimated in a Petition to the
KING, That if He deny'd their Sute,'
many Thouiands of His Subje(51:s would
be Vifcontented j and the Reafon why they
thus Refoived was, Becaufe fuch Petitions
tended to the Railing of Sedition, Rebel*
Ibn, and Difcontent amongft the People.
Whereby thefe Jiiftioes fuflSciently Declare,
That what tends to the Raifing Sedition,
Rebellion, and Difcontent, is an Offence
Fineable at Difecretion, and very near to ..
Trealbn, and Felony in the Punifhment:
And if His A J ESTY would have
proceeded againft Dr. SW/> according' to
the Method thefe Church of England Judg-
es have dired:ed unto againft Turitans,
the Do(ftors Offence muft have been made
a Matter Criminal worthy of open 5hamc;
, in which Cafe His MA] E S Y Y, to ex*
prefs a tender Refpea: unto the Clergy,
would find it neceftary to * Degrade the
Doiftor, whereupon, a Tieprivation from his
Ecclefiaftical Benefice would have followed, 2. 3-
D 1 But
( 28 )
But his M Jj E STY^ to fliew the Ex-
traorclinariners of His Compaflion to the
Church of EmhnL takes a milder Courfe,
Commanding the Bifliop of London, only
to Sufpend him : And yet the Bifliop and
his Learned Counfel think it, not onely
hard, but illegal. For faith the BiQiop,
J was Informed, That the Letter being Tirefied
nnto me, as 'Bi/hop of London, I was therein
to AH as a Judge, it being 'd Judkial AH,
and that no Terfon could by Law be Tunijhed
hy Sufpenfion before he was fali'dy or without
being Admitted to make his Defence,
. Here then lies the Strefs of His Lord-
fhips Plea, which will be found to lean
on a very manifeft Miftake. For the Bi-
(hop, as I apprehend, obferving, in the
KIN G's Letter a Corrimand to Sufpend
the Do(5tor for a Crime fo very great, as
this mention'd in the faid Letter ( of the
Truth of which, the KIN G affures him
He is fully fatished ) ought to have taken
it for granted, that Dr. Shar^ had incurred
an Jifo EaBo Sufpenfion, and that 'twas
bis MAjES T Y's that the Bi-
fllOp
( »9 >
fhop of iLo«Jo?r Denounce h-im Sufpended J
which the Bifhop, not as a Jt4d^e , but as
a fmy engag'd in Defence of the Canon,
was bound to do.
The Doflor's Offence you fee is very
great, and His £5 if confines Hima
felf within the Circle of Clemency, in chat
He deals with him in an Ecclefiaftical
Way , and proceeded no further than to
confider him to bej Jpfo FaEto Sulpended ;
and if Ipfo FaHo Sufpenfions be, 'accor^
ding to Our Church of Efi^^land-hzws Va=»
lid, the Bifhop's infifting on the neceflity
of his Adting as a Judge in a'-* judicial way
cannot help himi Tc hath been my part
therefore to examine , Whether Ipfb Fa<5to
Sufpenfions he agreeable to the Ecclejiajiick Ca^
nons^ now in force; and what rn'dimr of Tro-
cefs mufl he OhferVd "^here they are Incur/dr
And on Enquiry, I find, that as the
jufls generally, fo Eindwood in particular di»
ftinguifhes thofe Cenfures chat are' d Jure
from what are ah Homhie, and the Sentence '
d Jure lata from what is ah Homme ferenda^
concluding,that a Judicial Procefi is not necef-
fary, when the Delinquent is fain under the
Sentence-
< 3 » )
a: Jure'-, znd: that thetefote the
O^iofiry, Cl^acellor, o?'Avch*dea^x>n, whofe
\york ip is to, declaie fuch: as are ipfo fa^<y
Excommunicated, or Sufpended to be lb,
do not then act as Judges^ but as Sanies
V engaged in the Defence of Ecclefiaitick
Laws,
Amongft the Cpnftitutions of Stephen
Archbifliop of Canterbury,
* Decernitpus ne Archidiaconi ordain'd That ^ no
'vcl officiates torum Sententtas * l j - ,l •
ExcoLunicatioHu, Sufpe^om, Arch,deacons,_ nor their
vel interdict in aliquem audc" Officials preiume tO pub-
ant promidgare^ uhi. excejfus non lifh the Sentences of Ex-
eflU.^n\!se,^\xs, niffmonitioneCa- communication or Suf^s
nonica pmcedente. Lindwood r t , ..j-rL
conftit. Provin. de Sentent. Ex- P^^^non, or In e di(5t, on
com. c. ut Aj-chidiac. any.without previous Ad"®
monition : But wbere
the Crime is Manifefl, they may pronounce
thefe 5tnfences : And it muft be obler^
f Hie ved, That by We are to
fci^ quo underftand what is clear antecedent to a
Z"f Mcid Procefs. .
publicdfeu.
fatnofy injinuatio vel proclamatio ^ communis ex certa fcien'
t 'la^ & a certis AuHorilus proveniens^ nondum judicialiter, dif-
ciifia. Lindwood ubi fupr. in verb. Manifeflum. -
Belides,
( J' )
Befide% Lindtvood exprcfly affirms, That
where the * Superiour declares the Sentence * S'u-
in Force of the CaHoit^ there is no need of a perior fert
previous Admonition. fintentiam
Excommu-
nicationis in -vim Stattiti^ non 'cji aliqna monitio necejfaria.
tJbi fupt.
Again, where the Ex^ f Excommunkatio fertur
communication t is pre vim-fentmm ^ Excommuni-
nounced in Force of ctie "ns prwedH ut pars, jora
^ J L L J L aefendit muerone Sptrituali^
statute J and he that doth j^uod fat is. licet ^ non ejl necejfa--
Excommunicate, a<51:s as rea monitio. Ubi fupr.
a Farty.^ who with the
Spiritual Sword defends the LaWs of thfe
Church, which is Lawful enough for him
to do, Admonition is nOt neceflary. Bht,
when the Superiour a.^s as a Judge^ then in-
deed he is oblig'd to oblerve a Legal Pro-
cefs.
But the thing 1 would inculcate, is this,
That by the Canon Law, a <Penalty may
be inflicted without a Hearing Parties; and
that, Becaufe it is Decreed d Jure, and the
Delinquent incurs it ipfo faSlo. This is the
meaning of the many ipfo faBo Excommuni-
cations and Sufpenfions,^ that are Decreed
by
( )
by thofe very Canons emb^ac'd by the Church
of England-y at which time the Bifhop is not
to adl as a Judge^ but as a Part, QucCjura fua
defendit mucrom SfiritualL
Whether, what * Dr. Taylor Affirms, when
. he aflures us, That he who incurs a Pe-
nalty Ip/o EaBo, is bound to be his own
Executioner (Seeing whatever their Oblb
gation may be, none are fo forward, as to
Execute it on themfelves) be true, or
no ; yet according to Church of England-
Principles, we may aver, That when any
do incur Excommunication , or Sufpenfion
Jpfo FaSlo^ the Ordinary, Archdeacon, or
his officials may , without Hearing Tarties^
pronounce it, and take care to fee, that it
be done j and if the Ordinary command
the Archdeacon, who is Sworn to render
Canonical Obedience, muft do it. That
when the Sentence is a Jure lata in fome
Cafes it's requihte , that either the Ordi-
nary, or Ibme other do alfo pronounce it
I grant; for in the Conftitution made by
Boniface , Archbifhop of Canterbury, thofe,
who were Ipfo FaBo Excommunicated, muft
by
X
X
( li )
muft by the ♦ Ordinaries
of the place be declared
to be fo i but then 'tis
t without any prey'wm M"
jnonition, it's only need-
ful that the Delinquent
* Per locorum Ordinarios puh-
lice ExcomntHnicati nmcientur.
Lindwood provin. conftit. de
foro compell. c. contingit. all'
quando.
f Non opus efl monitione in
hoc cafu fed fola citatione ut ve-
be cited to Appear, and uiant afkgaturi caufam rationa-
(hew Caule why he qj^^re dedarari non debe-
fhould not be declared 7™^
„ . , ttam. Ubi lupr. in verb. Nun-
Exconrmunicate; and no tiatur.
more can be laid of ipfo
fafio Sufpenfions, where the Sentence is a
Jure feu Canone j and the utmoft that is ne-
celTary, is only, That
thele * Sufpenfions be pub'
licHy Denounced : For,
as Lindwood^ if an Ordi
* Nec etiam Excommunicate
potefl ^ hoc verum in eo, ^i
f^fp^rifiis ab Homine, Tjel
1 J W- ^ Canone, fi fit puhlice
nary be Sulpended a Ca- denundatus^ alioquin in JUfpenfo
none, he cannot Excom® a Canone non denuntiato^ quam-
municate, if it be De- 'I'"/"'^ratur in fno flnta -vaht
1 . i' -r quod per eum agttur.\,m^\v.Xixov,
nounced J out otherwile 1.1. tit.a.deconiftit.c. Quiain.
he may., \
This may fuffice to prove, That to Com-
mand a BiQiop to Sufpend; that is^ To pro»
nounce one Sufpended without a Judicial
Procefs is conform to the Conliitutions em»
E brac'd
bf.ic'd by the Church of -Bnghmi; iind in
^lis dafe the Bifliop is boiincl to Obey, if
Comi-nanded by the Supreme Ordinary.
And althonoh fome very boldly Affirm, That
thefe Sufpenfions a're ^6n'trary to the Laws
of GOD, of Nature, ^ind 'of Na'tions; yet
nothmg liath been move commonly pradli's'd
by the Church Bn^lnnd in 'their profccu^
ting Diffenters than Ipfo BaHo Lxcomraunica®
tions, which arooF'a like kind whh ^fo FafiO'
SufpenfioHs, for both are \vithout a Judicial
Procefs J and at this very time Ipfo FaHo De^
yrhationSy 'which are more than Sufpeyifioyts ah
Officio, are eftablifhed by our Laws.
By the Statute of 21 Hen. 8. If an In"
cumbent, having a Benefice with Cure of
"Souls, A'alue Eight Found per jinnum, take
another With Cure, immediately after In=
dudtion thereunto, the former is void, even
without any Veclaratory Sentence of Depri-
vation in the Ecclefiaftical Court. And whc
ever negledls to Read The Articles of F^Ugion
within two Months next after InduBion, he
is deprived Ipfo FaFlo; and upon ffich Avoid-
ance, there is no need of a Sentence Declaratory,
And if this be not contrary to the Laws of
GOD,
.( J5 ")
GOD, nor of our Land, How comes it to
pals, that an Ipfo FaBo Sulpenfion fhould be
luch a hideous thing in the efteem of a
Church of Ew^LwLman, who has been fo
accuftomed to treat the Viffenters after this
very way and manner ?
On the whole then, I hope it's fufficiently
clear'd, That the Bifliop of London, in the
prefent cale, was bound to Obey His M A-
JESTTj and Sufpend the Do(5torj That
the Capitulation he enter'd into with his
Prince, and the Contempt of His Authority,
deferv'd no lefs than a Sufpenpon^^^ Off do.
£2 SECT. III.
( 56 )
Sf'dion 111.
A fufl, 'Account of the Tvoceedings
of the Commiflioners Appointed by
His MAJESTY under the Great
Seal for Vifiting St, Mary Magda-
len College in Oxford.
ON the Death of Dr. Clarky Prefii-
dent of^St. }/fary Magdalen in Ox-
ford; before the day of Eleflion
the KING (ends down a Mandamus for
the Ele(5ting another j and whereas, the
Fellows were Sworn to obferve the Col-
lege Statutes, which oblig'd them to Choofe
one of their Own, or of New College,
His MAJESTY fends down a Difpenfation
with His Mandatory Letternotwithftanding
which, the Fellows pretending, that they
were
( 17 )
were bound in Confcience to obferve the
Statute, becaule of their Oaths, regard not the
Mandatory Letter, nor Royal Difpenfation;
they make not a Choice as the KING
Commanded, and when cited before His
MAJESTTs Commiflioners, and Vifi-
tours, to Anfwer for their Difobedience,
they in a moil Contemptuous Manner pro»
teft againfl: the Proceedings.
The Great Points therefore to be Dip
cuffed, may be Reduced to thefe two Heads.
O
1. Whether the KINQ hy Hit
Prerogative may not Dijfenfe
with the College Statutes ?
IL Whether, TPhen there is a
Difpenfation Granted, the Fel-
hyps are by their Oath Obliged
to
( )
to AB mcrdir.g to thofe Very St a-
tutes^ that are Dijpenfed XPiih}
^ Solution to Thefe ^Hueft(ons
will be Sufficient to clear the Truth ia
this Affair; for if the Difpenfacion accor*
dina to the Church of England - Law be va*
lid, and the Fellows are not by their Oaths
bound to oblerve the Statutes af er fuch a
Difpenfation, 'twill unavoidably follow, That
the Magdalen'Vdlovjs have been mod juftly
Sufpenwed and Expell'd. And this much
will be with much clearnefs evinced.
I. Touching the SDifptuCtlS
#oM)er.
The king's Power in Matters Ecclefia=
ftical is lo very ample, and extenfive, that
it's not eafy for any one to fet bounds, or
limits to it; By our Common Lawyers it
hath been often affirmed, That whatever the
Tope de fa(51:o formerly did within this T^alm
h
T 59 )
by the Cdmn Law. that of P^i^ht heloms to Oar
I Kmc^s,
I
And on this Ground it has been adjudg-
ed, That the Le^jp^iive Tower in Meters Ec-
clefiaftical is lodged in the l{^iNG. The
Tope -made Laws lor the Government of
the Clergy; and fo may the I{lKg: And
this much (X,Eli^iheth^ as fupreme Head of
the 'Church of England^ on the Requeft of
Archbifhop Whitgift exercifed, when (he im«
'pofed a Siibfcription to the three Articles,
and deprived thofe who would not Obey,
The Statute of i 3 Bltx,. c. 12. required Sub-
fcription to the Articles of Vaiih^ and the Doc-
tr'mes of the Sacratmnts OtttlT '■> ^od with this,
thofe, who preached againft Ceremonies,
and the Hierarchick Governnaent, com^
plied.
Whitgift therefore , and the Ecclefiafti«
cal Commiffioners go further, and by the
Regal Power ordained Subferipcion to the
Ceremonies , and Goyernmeht of the Church,
and dep>iv'd fuch as refufcd to Sub-
fcribe. In the Tirft of K. fames [. thefe
Articles are Eftablifhed by the Cafions,
( 4° 5
without an A£t of Parliament made in
that Year, on which occafion Deprivas,
tions were very Com-
mon , and the Purita-
nick * Clamours as great,
yea , fo great, that the
Clergy judg'd it ne-
ceffary to befeech His
M A J E S T Y to com®
mand all the Juftices of
England to confer toge*
ther of this thing , and
give in their opinion,
which accordingly they did j for it be®
ing demanded by the Lord Chancelloiir,
*See Crokes * Whether the T)epriydtion of the Turitan Mini-
Reports,J'q^ refujtng to miform themfehes to the
Ceremojiies appomted hy the lajl Canons , was
Lawful ? They all anfwered , Tl?at they
had conferred thereof before , and held it to
he Lanful, hecau/e the ]Sl G has the
Supreme Ecclefiaftical Power. And they
held it clear, that the ISl G ■) "trithout a
Parliament , might make Orders and Conflitji*
tions for the Government of the Qergy, and
7mght deprive them, if they Obey not.
The
* We complain, That we
are put out from our Benefi-
ces, which are a Freehold by
the bare and fole Sentence
of a BiHiop ; whereas the
Liberty of an Engltjh-man is
this, To be put from his Free-
hold by none but by the
Verdift of Twelve Men. Par-
ker on the Crofs, Part z.
Ch. 8. Se£l. 3. P. 108.
C 4' )
The Civilians go higher, affirming, That
the K I N G , as Supreme , is Himfelf in»
(lead of the Whole Law j yea, that he is
the Law it Self^ and the Only Chief In- ^
terpreter thereof, as in whole Breaft re-
fides the whole Knowledge of the lame,
^nd that His MJ J E S T by commu*
nicating His Authority to His Judges, to
Expound the Laws, doth not thereby ab^
dicate the fame from Himfelf. Thefe,
with Borellus , do hold , * That ^nncipum *Dr.RiMey
phcita legis hahent vigorem. ciTeS'.y^'
And as the K I N G , by the Fulnefs
of His Ecclefiaftical Power can, _ without
a Parliament, make what Laws He pleale
for the Government of the Clergy j in like
manner, The Power of the N G, in
Matters Ecclefiaftical, is too ample to be
limited hy an M of Parliament.
F Tills
- ( 42; )
This much has been cleared up by my
"Part 4^ Lord * Qoke ^ in his Inftitutes-, where he
tells us, %t)at albett tl)e :stts of
24 Hen. 8. Sc 25 Hen. 8. DO, UpOtt
certain ISppealo, tnahe tije fcntence
a)tfinrttbe, as to anp appeal; foj
tfft JI00;tD2t Dt [ fhall be Definitive ]]
anb tljat no fuetDee appeal a}oulb
be l)ab, pet tlje k i n g, aftetfuclj
\ ft- Definitive Sentence, ftg Supreme Head,
map stant a ConimKGon of laebletb,
ad Revidendum, See. fOj
ft Definitive Se ntence, fgejaope, asstt-
P^eme i^eab, bp tDe Canon ILatb,
ttfeb to gtant a Commlffton ad Revi-
dendum— atlD ftttl) atttlJCnitp as tflt
l^ope Ijab, claiming aS supreme
®eab, Dot!) of Blglit belong to tlje
Ctobon, anb is annexcD tiieeennto bp
t|)c statutes of tlie 26 Hen. s.c. i.
and
( 4? )
& I Eiiz. c. I. 3{nD fo it Ma; Kt-
foil) D fn tl)t Kings-Bench, Trin. 39 Eliz.
M)!)£vc tlje Cafe toas, ®|)at:Sentente
being giben in an ccclcfiatlical Caufc
in tfje Countrep, tljc i&attp stiebeD
appeai'D ;atcojDing to tlje faio :3ittof
15 Hen. 8. JO tlJC 2tlCi)bi(lj0p, bt-
fOit hjijont tlje firil Sentence rbas
affitmeb : salieteupon, atcojbing to
tlje S)tatttfe of zj Hen. 8. De ap-
ptal'D to ti;e Delegates. :^nb upon
ti)is niattee a )^;ol)ibition teas p;apet)
in tl)e King's.Bench, p^etenWng t^at
tlpe CommilQon of ii&ebicto tbas a^
gainft ?Latt), fot tjiat tlje ^entente
befoje tlj'e Delegates Vbas Definitibe
bp tlje Statute of 25 Hen. 8. J5ut
upon SDtltberution anu 2Dc=
bate, tlje i^jofjibition boas benpeb; fot
ttiat tl)e Comniiffion foj tfie Caufes
F z abobe-
( 44 )
aliot)tra<D MjaS rtfoWO to be latofuU
Ip fitanteb. 3!n tljis tSafe, 3 be(na
t!)en (fattl) &it Edward Coke) tl)t
iliutens Attorney, toas of coanfel to
mafntatn tlje Hueetis isotoer. ;anb
l^jefibents Ibete ctteb t'n tlj<« Coutt tn
Michelot's Cafe , Anno 19 Eliz. atlD itl
Goodman's Cafe, anl) tn Hewet's (H-
29 Eliz. aifO. So far Sir Edtp. Coke.
From whence it's moft manifeft, that
an A(5t of Parliament can be no Bar to
the Exercifc of the Regal Power, that is
eftablifhed by the Common Law , as the
KING'S Supremacy in Matters Hcclefiaftb
cal is. But further.
The Grant of Difienfatmis is a peculiar
and Very conjtderahk pan of Ecclejiajlical Ju^
rifdiCiionj v^hich is eminently feated in the
CROWN. That the fame Power the
Pope
C 4f )
Pope ckimecl in this Land, as Supreme
Head, doth of Right belong to our I^lKGSy
has been abundantly proved j and in the
I Statute of 25 Heyh 8. c. 2 2. it is affir-
med, Th u the Tope claimed' full Tmi>er to Tij"
I penfe tpith all Humane Laws of all T^alms in
all Caufes, which he called Spiritual. And my
I Lord Chief Juftice Hohart , delivering his -•
Opinion about the Power of Tlfpenfmg in
general, holds it clear * SCftSlt tipOttSS *
_ Glover,
tDC statute of 15 Hen. 8. c. ^l.fapSy i7fr.Bi(hop^
%^U all axfptnfatlona, &c. fljall
(]5;anteo in mannec anti fo^m fol.
lotoing, ano not otherwife j tljat pet
tDe KING (5 nottljerebp teftrainea,
bttt Dig #otott ttmains full ana
petfett as litfote , ano i^e map Ml
Ojant tt)on as k i ng ; fo^all acts
of 3tt0<cc ano ®jace floib. from
4 Dier. 211. %\)t Con^
mifdom
( a6)
\ "" s
iniftton of -ICtyal of upon tlje 5,1;^
iS^tatUtC of x8 Hen. Sc. 15.1'S gOODjtijO'- ^
tl)e Cljaticello^ oo not nonUnate tije ^,^51
COmmtlfionets^ as tljat Statute
appoints, ano pet it is a il2eto ?lato.
^nD Mich. 5. & 6. Eliz. Dier. 225. ^ ,
5Clje ^ttten m.tot S>l)ttlffS fcoltl)ont. ' -
' ' •fllfnof
tlje Suijgts, nottuittiftanoina tlje .
. of Edward 2. Mich. 1&14J *
- £jj2. Dier. ^05. Of Alna- 'l ""
: 'i V. get granted bp tbe £lueen, toltljout * '
tipe jBflloftlje Xttafnrer.lt isgoob
tnlt!) a non obftante, t!)C Sta-
ttitcof'51 Hen. 6. c. 5. 5fo^ tl)efe ^
,.§>tatntes, anb tlje lifte, Vbetc luabe ^
to put ttltngg in £);iOinat:p ifo^m,
ano to eafe tlje SOVEREIGN of '
ILabOttt, but not to Deprive Him of
• Power.
Befides ^'
X
(■ 47 )
Befii^es, the Learned of the Law do
with much Plainnefs clear up this much
unto Us, That the KJ.KG can Grant out
whatever Difpenfations the Pope did, fo
long as the things Diipenled with are not
mnU in fe. In Ecclefiaflkals the K^ITSIG can
Difpenfe not only, with Canons, but with
ABs of Parliaments yea, with any thing that
is but lEIAalum prohibitum ,* and feeing the
I Univerfities are for the Maintenance- of
Religion., and fall under the Care of the
Supreme T.i BAT) ^ as other Spiritual and
Eccleiiaftical Corporations ^ do, the Kjlsl^G
can in like' manner^ Difpenle with their
Statutes. If with the Greater, no doubt
with the Leffer. If an A(5t of Parliament
may be Difpenled with , it's nor to be
queftion'd, but a Provincial Canon may be
' fo too ,• and if Ads of Parliament and
Provincial Canons cannot limit, or confine,
or
e 48)
or (land before the Difpenjln^^ower^ How
is it poflible, that a CoUedge - Statute fliould
do it ? To fuppofe that it can, is to af"
cribe greater Power to One Man , or to a
little Corporation , than to the greateft
Body of the 'Nation ; than which, nothing
can be more abfurd. Befides, the Laws
cna^ed by the Founder of a Colledge, can
have no more Strength than they , receive
from the N^, Nor can a Colledge
be. erected without His Leave,
Time would fail to produce all the
thrities, by which (according to Church of
England'-Do6tme) the T^ruth hereof may be
confirmM. And this is fo well by
other.Hands, that I will ftay- no longeron
it, but will go on to Conhder,
I
fikSti
3!|Po^
Wi^ether , notmthflanding a DiJjycnfatioHjthofe
ipho have heen /worn to OhferVe the Sta^
tutcs
( 49 )
tutes of a Colledge, cannot AB contrary thenun-
tOy without 'VtoUttn<r their Oath ? For here lies
the ftrefs of what the Idagdalen Gentlemen
have to fay for thcmielvesj and yet We
can no fooner Explicate the Nature of a
Vifpenfation , but may lee how feeble the
Foundation is, on which thefe Men lean in
Defence of their contemptuous Dilbbedi-
ence to the Royal Mandate.
The Nature then of a Difpenfation (as it
was agreed in the ca(e of * Eyan [and IQffn * Jonet Re-
againft Askwith ) is to derogate, and make yoid j 58,^6^/*
a StatutCy CanoHy and (fo7iftitutions as to that,
which it prohibits the Tarties, to tinhorn 'tis Qi'
Veil, It is an Exception ( as to them ) out
of the Statute, or Co7iJlitution. The Obliga-
tory Power of the Statute or Canon, is
taken away, as to that Perfon , who has f
J' . tio eft mfti
the Difpenfacion. tit is as to him in a prohibiti prOi
. V itii reUx^i-
G manner th.
( 5° )
manner vacated. Though the Canon, Sea-
tute, or Conftitution be not made (imply
void and null; yet in fome Refpeds it is
made void. A.S to this, or the other Per«
(on, for this time the Obligation Ceales.
Here then lies the Difference between the
'Difpenfin^ with a Law, and the,
it. A Repeal vacates the Law to all In-
tents and Purpol^, but a Difpenlation doth
onely in fome refpc6l vacate it. By a
peal the Law ts abolifhed, but where there
is a Vifpenfation onely, though the Law
obliges not the Perfon for (iich a time, yet
it remains a Law ftill. A Repeal kills it,
but a Difpenfation only binds it up, or
ftands between the Obligation of it, and'
this or the other Party ,• but ftill as to the
Party to whom the Difpenfation is given,
the Law is made void, and to him it is as
if there had^ been no fuch Law for that
time.. So
( 5> )
So much touching the Nature of a Dif-
penfation j from whence it clearly follows,
That the Magdalen » Gentlemen ftood not
bound by Oath to Choole according to their
Statutes, for to them there remained no fiich
Statute as obliged them to choofe one of
their own Society; and they might, not-
withftanding their Oath, a^ as if no fuch -
thing had been. For the KING fent
'em His Difpenlation, which took away
the ftrcngth of their Statute; it laid the
very Statute afide for that (eafon: And this
Bar being taken out of the Fellows way,
His Majefty commands them to choole a*
nother, and all were bound to Obey the
Royal Mandate; For, they were fworn
otily to the Statutes, thatwefe inTdtce'; but
the Difpenfation caking a way The force of
the Statute, the Oath oblig'd them not to
keep it.
^ ' G z Td
furl
0, i
i kc;
•0 K
gill an
ullje
; I m
"kk
arfil
Hi
1, Ml
tStil
lit. I
lilt
lAlt
(I|)t!
iltlll
1)
(lit
i
f 51 )
To illuftrate this, I will fuppcfe, that
by an A(5l: of Parliament this Collegc^Sta-
tute had been made utterly void and null,
as thofe relating to the Mafs have been :
Will any fay, that the Fellows, becaule of
their Oath are with a 'N.on Ohjlante to this
A61: of Parliament, ftill bound to keep to
the vacated Statute ? I prefume not, .for
Statutes made by a particular Man, or
Corporation, cannot be of greater Force
than an A(5t of Parliament j and the Col"
lege»Statute being vacated, the Oath obli-
ges them not to keep it; and for the fame
reafon, I may boldly affirm, that ^feeing,'
according to Church of
the Royal Difpenfation doth as effedually
make void the Statute to thefe Men for
'i
that time, they are not obliged by their
Oath to obferve it,
' r jFurther^
( 55 )
Furthermore, we find, that in procefs of
time, (bme Laws never Repealed were out
of date, and become ufelefs; and though
never Repeal'd , yet mufl: be confider'd as
void and null , or the whole Kingdom
muft be brought under the Guilt of Perju-
ry. I will inftance in one Law, which was
Made Anno 3 Hen, 8. c. 3. Requiring
©bet? span, being tDc k 1 n g's snb-
(ect, not JLame, Decrepit, not spaiin-
eb, not Itabing anp otltet Haibfal,
ot Eeafonable Caute, ot Sinipeoi>
ment, being toitDin tfte :a^ge of jFot*
tp laeats, eecept spititnal ^en,
Snaiceo of ttte £)ne iBenti^; anb
of tbe SDtDee, ^niticeiS of ano
tSatono of tOe eteb^nnet, to nfe,
anb erercife g)j)00tfng in Itong-
]6otbO, anb aUo to Dobe a tBoto
anb ;ar««b jceabr continnallp in w
. i^oute
m
( 54 )
^i^ottrc to ttfe, dttd DO ttfe ijitufelftn
Sl)OOt(t10 t Alio, that the Father, Cover-
nours, and Rulers of fuch as are of ten=»
der Age, do teach and bring up them in
the Knowledge of the lame Shooting, &*c,
I lay, there is a Law requiring this much,
not. yet Repeal'd, that I can find; and all
Conftables ftill Swear, 77;at they have
a Qare for the Maintenance of
. cording to tlje Statute, But yet it*s Notorh
ous, that this Statute is not Obfcrved, nor
doth the Conftable regard this part of his
Oath. And why, But becaufe the Statute
is Obfolete, and by a general Conlent grown
•
out of ufe, and muft be efteemed as if it
had been vacate and null. And it's raoft
manifeft, that aDil^nfatlon can as cffe^ual-
ly, at leift fo for vacate a Statute, that
the Perfon , who ir otherwile Sworn to
keep it, may without Perjury forbear it's
Observance. And
( 55 )
And that this is manifeft, where there
is a Cifpenfation appears frona the Prac-
tices of our Judges, and
Juftkes of the Peace, ^
_ ' Entituted, The Jujtices Ca/e;
throughout the Whole which, if it had come out
tr J I , , time enough, might perhaps
K-ingaom , who , tho have kept (bme of thele Mag-
Sworn to Execute the '/"'^''-Scliolars in their Places,
flippoflng any of them pure-
Laws, do efteem them- ly Confcientious, that went
felvcs Difcharged front gblStkn'
the Execution of thofe Oath, which is the bufmefs
lately Difpenfcd with
by His Sacred MAJESTY. But,
To come Clofer to out Magdalen - Gen"
tlemen , I would propofe to their Confide-
rarion the Church ' Wardens Oath , which
runs in chefe Words, Q |^Ott Cl)^U
T tKi? ano to execute
of a Church-Warden, tbl'tl)-
(n votr anft acco^otng to tije
tjeK
(56)
befl of vow? sfeai, ano iStnovbleDge;
Prefent fuclj %l)iVi5S, atio j^ttfons,
as to vont Knotoleoge ate Prefenta-
ble ibp JLatoS Ecclefiaftical of this
Realm. ] This is the Oath , and whate-
ver is contrary to any one Canon, is Pre®
rentable by the Laws Ecclefiaftical. And
if a T>ifpenfatm be not fufficient to excufe
the Church ® Wardens from Perjury, for
not Prefenting the Tranfgreirours of the
Canons; This fort of People will not be
only Perjur'd, for not Prefenting the Dijfeti'
ters at this time, but for not Prefenting fome
of the Fatteft amongft their own Clergymen.
For as the CiVtliais afllire Us, the Ecclefia®
ftick Law is, Jhat every Spiritual Terf on is
Vijttahle by the Ordinary, and yet the KING
exempts Multitudes from the Ordinary's
Vifitations. Thus formerly many Jbbies
have been, and now all Donatives are ex®
empt,
(. 57 )
empt, and the Ecclefiaftical Law is
penfed with; and, Muft all thole who*are
in Donatives, and receive not Inftitution nor
Indu(5l:ion from the Bifhop, nor will fiibmit
to the Ordinary's Vilitation, be prefented ; or
are the Church - Wardens Perjur'd ? Again,
All Pluralities are contrary to the Canon j but
if His MAjESTX gives aDilpenlation, a
Pried may hold two Benefices 5 and nothing
more Common.
There is alfo a Canon, That a Pafiard [hall
not he a Priejl; however, if the K IN G Dif-
penfes with this Canon, the Ballard may enter
into Holy Orders. But mud the Church®
Warden prefent Every Pajlard» Priefl, and
all that hold Pluralities, or elfe be For*
fworn ^
But the Cafe is too plain to need further
Proof, All know, That when an Oath is ta-
ken to Obferve the Laws, it is no longer than
they are in Force ; If the Law be repeal'd, the
Oath obliges not any to Obferve it *, and
as to the Perfon Difpenfed with, the Law for
that time Co far ceafes, that to him, there is no
H fuch
i''i
( 58 )
fiich Law, and therefore his Oath binds him
not in this cafe to Regard it. enim
'Difpenfmonis eft aufem a pmiculari Terfona fm-
plkiter^ vel in tali tempore aut occajtone Obli^atio-
nem ad Opus^ vel Omifjtonem^ vel panam^ vel au'
ferre irritationem , auc inhahilitaiemy quam lex ipfa
efficiebat. So Snlas.
\
Thus you ice, That if k be in the
Power of the KING to fiifpend the
Colledge ^ Statutes, the Pretence of Con-
icience about keeping to their Oath, is vain
and ludicrous : For which Reafon, I wiW
only add one Confideration more, to fliew
that the Vfpenfi^ Power leans on a Foun-
dation that cannot be moved, but to the
Endangering the Whole Ecclefiaftick Jurit
di(ftion, as Exercis'd by the Biihops.
'Tis well known , That what Power is
Strong enough to Difpenfe with an Adt of
Parliament about Chils, wants not Strength
to Diipenfe with Parliamentary/Laws, touch=»
ing Eccleiiaftical Affairs; nor with Church-
Canons, nor Colledge - Statutes. And that
the KING can Diipenfe with h6ts of Par-
liamenc,
C )
liament, relating unto Civil Affairs, is a
Matter grounded on the lame Bottom with
the BiOiop's Jurifdidion ; and that is, On the
Opinion of th Church - of» England» Judges,
That it is the Opinion of our Judges^
That the can Difpenfe in Matters
Civ/7, is Notorious, the Matter of Fa6l: is
very Lately become too Obvious to admit
of a Denyal ; and that the Bifliop's Jurif-
didion has no other ground for its Support,
is eafily proved. For by the Firft of Edw. 6,
it is declared, that Its contrary to Common^
Law for any to Jiold Courts in any other than
the N G's Name. So that, whatever be-
comes of this Statute, whether Repeal'd, or
in Force, teeing the Common "Law re-
mains the fame , the Bitbops mud have a
Gommiflion from the i^lNG ^ and Hold.
Courts in His U AJ E STY'S Name, or be
affirm'd to make an Invafion on the Com^
mon - Law, which is no lefs than a Tremmire,
However, the Bilhops have held Courts in
their own Names ever fince King Edward's
Days •, and, as the Old puritans did imagin,
their Courts were Illegal, their Bithops
H 2 pre-
( 6o )
Premiinir'd, and feveral Demurr'd to their
Jurifdidion ,• for which Reafon, the
Firft caird all his Judges together, com-
manding them to give in their Opinion
touching this Matter, which they did in
thefe Words:
:9cco)tifn9 to jaont !Lo;tin)fp£f
Bet, maBe (n maJ e sties
COUtt of Star-Chamber tl)0 i ^th. Of May
laS, nae tiaBe taften Con&Beration of
^atttculats, Xbtieteiin ont Opinions
ate teaniteB Bp tj^e faiB £);Bet i anB
a0el)aBe;au agteeB, fipat Proceffes
may Iflue out of Ecclefiafticd Courts^ ttl
^ameo of Bta^ops; anB tpat a |Ba-
tent unBet tl)e <0}eat ^eal (g not
necelTatp, &:c.
By this it appeareth , That the Whole
Power of the Bifhop's Jurifdidion depends
upon the Opinion of thefe Judges ,• and if
thefe Judges Opinion be not more preva-
lent than the Common - Law , the Juriidi-
dion of Bifliops is gone ; if it be, the Dif'
^cnfmg - grounded on the Late Opinion
of
( 6i )
of the Judges, is Valid : So that the laft Re- '
fult will be this, the Bifliop's Power muft
be Deftroyed, or the ^ING's Vif^nfing"
fower muft be Recogniz'd.
But although the Matter is fo fully clea*
red up, in Defence of His JM Jj ESTTs
Commiflioners and Vifitors, yet the Info*
lence of the Magdalen - Fellows , and their
Contempt of the (Jd^gal Juthorhy, exceeded
all Bounds j For as they, contrary to the
Royal Mandate, proceed to Ele^ft Dr. John
Hough, and although his EletSlion was made
null and void by the Commiflioners for
Ecclefiaftical Caufes, yet the Dr. refufed to
fubmit thereunto, whereby he put the Com-
miflioners under a neceffity of Expelling him
the Houle j which being done, the Do<Stor
makes his Proteftation againft their Procee-
dings,^ as Illegal, and U?ijufi, and Kull ; and
this Proteftation accompanied with a Tumul-
tuous Humm or Acclamation, as if the Whole
Houfe had been engaged in a Confpiracy
againft His MAjEST T, and had defign'd
the Depriving the CROWN of One of
its Richeft Jewels, The Ecclefiaftical
Supre-
(<51)
Supremacy. The Fellows alfo at firft refu-
fed to fubmic unto the Bifhop of Ox/ord, who
wai by His MA jBSTt made their Pre-
fident; but at laft gave in this Anfwer, in
Writing, ^i;^.
m^'eas His MAJESTY has hem Tleas'd
hy His T(pyal Authority, to caufe the %ght
yerend Father in GOTY, Samuel Lord BiOiop
of Oxford, to he hijialkd Trejtdent of this CoU
ledge, We, whofe "JSLames are hereunto Suhfcrihedy
do Submit as far as is Lawful and Agreeable
to the Statutes of the faid Colledge. And
the Chaplains, and, all the Members of the
Society, except the Under»T^orter, gave in a
Paper to the fame Effe(5t.
^ 3ut Dr. Fdrefax ,' who would' not Submit
unto the Sufpenfion he had incurred, Dif-
owned the Jurifdi(5tion of the Court , for
which Reafon he was Deprived of his Feb
lowlliip. A,tid^ nptwifhftanding the above-
mention'd Submiifion, thele fame Fellows,
within three Days, brought in a Y^aper with
all the Hands Subfcribed of the Tenor fob
lowing.
May
( <5? 5
May itPleafe Your Lordfhips,
\ ^ E. have Endeavoured in all Our AHions
to Exprefs Our Selves with all Humi-
lity to'His MAJESTT^ and being confcious
to Our Selves^ That in the whole Condu^ of this
IBijinAs before lour Lordfhips, We have done no^
things but what Our Oaths and Statutes
pcniaoi? oblig'd Us to ; We cannot make any
Declaration^ wloereby We acknowledge that We have
done Amifs, as having ASied according 'to the
principles of Loyalty and Obedience to His Sacred
MA J ES TYj as far as We could, Vrithout doir^
Vt'jletKe to Our ConfcienceSj or Prejudice to Our
Pjghts (One of which We hunMy CojiceiVe that
gf EleHing a Prefident to be) ^ from fi^hich We
are Sworn j upon no Account whatfoever, to depart.
We tkrejore humbly Peg Your Lordfnps to reprefent •
this Favourably, Tfith Our Utmoji Duty, to His
MAjESTY ; Whom GOD grant Long and
Hapftly to Peign over Us.
* On
( 64 )
On the TuefdayJ OMer 15. 1687. they
Submit •, but on the Friday following, OSio*
her z8. they can't in Confcience do it. A
very fudden , but a prodigious Change.
Their SubmilTion was as much as theVifi-
tours expedted •, for as it was to the Bifhop
of Oxford^ their Prefident, Inftalled by His
dM Aj E STY's Royal Authority, fo it was
as far as is Lawful and Agreeable to the Sta-
tute of the faid Colledge, and this was enough ;
For according to Church of Englmd - Law,
the I^JNG can Difpenfe with their Sta®
tutes : To talk of an Indilpenfable Statute,
is to fuppofe it defign'd for the Limitation
of the Power in Ecclefiaftical
Caufes, whereby it becomes lyyfo EaEio, void
and null ; but there being no fuch Statute,
the Method His M A J ES TT took, was fuch
as capacitated the Fellows to Obey EEis Au-
thority, without laying their Confciences um
der a Violence. 'Twas all Fair and Legal,
and their Complying fb far fatisfied the
G's Yihtors.
But, as we may well conjedure, the Fel-
lows having confulted the Under - Forter, who
had
( <^5 )
had either more Sence, or Honefty than the
Dodlors , for he refufed to (ubmic fo far,
perhaps knowing, that this was a full Sub'
miflion^ they tack about, and prefume to jufti-
fie all that they had done in this Affair :
Though they had declared , That they de-
nyed the Jurifdi^lion of the Court, and
thereby endeavoured to Ravifh from the
K I N G a peculiar Part of His Supreme Au-
thoricy ; though they applauded Dr. Houghy
for his Proteffing againft the Proceedings,
as Illegal, Void, and Null, yet they arrive
to the Boldnefs of Averring, That in the
Whole ConduH of this 'Bufinefs they did nothing but
what their Oaths and Statutes Indifpenfably obliged
them to J and therefore cannot declare, TIm
they ha've done any thing jiinifs^ and make Ufc
of what they have oft calfd the Old Sedb
tious Cant of Regulating the Principles of
their Loyalty to the K^NG, by the Con-
fcience of an Oath to the Statutes of the'
Colledge, and with a Saho to their own
Rights.
Though the poor Diffenrers did :Plead
Confcienc^ of Duty >into GOD Only , as
I what
( 66 )
what they Judged fufficient to exempt them
from Obeying their Prince in tSofe Inftinces,
which Interfer'd with the 1<^1 N 0*s Com-
mand j yet 'twas enough to provoke the Pre-
latifts to cenfure them Seditious^ FnHiouf^ and
^kllms ; But thefe Gentlemen plead Cawy?i-
ence; not that they are bound by an Heavenly
Decree, they can go no higher, than to infift
on the Ohli^ation of a little Colledge' Statute,
that has been Difpenfed with, and the Sacred-
nefs of their Univerfity - Rights, as if greater
Regard miift be had to the Pretended Rights
of the Church of England - Clergy and SchooU
men, than to thofe of the C R O W N ,• and a
greater Deference muft be paid to the Vacated
Statutes of their Colledge, than the Turkam
might give to the Commands of JefusChrin:.
Thus thefe Magdalen-Genthmm go on
with a Confidence that bears fome proportion
to the Badnefs of their Caule , and are not
afraid to caft the Greateft Contempt on His
MJjE,STT's CommifTioners and Vifi=
tors, and conlequently on His JM A J EST!
Himfelf, whofe Perfon they reprefent, and in®
fteadx)f Humbling thcmfelves for their many
In=
( 6/ )
Infolencies, or inftead of ading according to
their Quondam avowed Do(5trine of Paflive
obedience, they fly in the Face of Authority,
charging it with no lefs Guilt than the Injuring
a Whole Society^ and, as if they had ftill to
do with their Diflenting Brethren, they dole
up the Scene with an htfulting Threat: For, af;
ter their Expulfion , they feverally gave in
papers to the Effed following.
May it Pleafe Your Lordfliips,
I Do profefs all Duty to His MAj EST Y.,
and '^fpeSlto YourLordp?ipSy hut beg Leave
to declarey Ithinkt?iy 5ei/3ln|lUCD in Your
Lordfhtps Proceedings y and therefore Protefl againjl
themy a?td will ufe all Juft and Legal means of
being relieved,
Hde you fee they complain of Injuries done
em, and are refolv'd to ufe all Juft and Legal
Means (they fay) for their own Relief. But
who can imagine what they will imderftand
by Jua and Legal M.edns;
I 1 The
( 6% )
The Whole of thefe Proceedings depend on
the Dilpenfing Power; if His ESTI
had not Difpenfed with their Colledge »Sta=»
tutes, the Cafe would have been another
thing j but the Difpenfation makes it manifeft,
That no Pretence of an 0>-ith can be fufficient to
exciife their Vtfohedknce. Let us then com-
pare the late Actings of thefe Gentlemen with
*A Letter a "Notion we find in an Admired * Pamphlet,
containing by one of their own Communion, and
Kcfleftions r ^ e - cw 11 I I
on His Ma= We may iee Caule jultly to conclude, that they
SarExercife of the Vtjpenfing Tomr to
for Liberty t>e a Subverfion of the Whole Government,
of Confci- Which (to ufe the Author's own Words) being
fo contrary to the Trufl that is given to the
T^IISICEy tvho ought to Execute it, will put
Men upon Uneafie and Dangerous Enquiries^ which
will turn Little to the Advantage of thofe who are
driving Matters to fuch a Doubtful and Defpe-
rate Ifiue. To which let us add. That this
is mentioned in Contradiftintflion to the
reJiUing DoBrine', and then confider, Whether
any rational Man ( who is acquainted with
what thefe very men do, to fill the Minds of
His majesty's Subjcds with Difcontentj)
can think, that by Jujl and Legal they mean
' ' any
cnce
( h )
any thing lefs than fome Methods, better in*
deed ftlenced than ex^rejfed. \
When the Protcftant Diflenters went not
half {b far in their Difobedience to the Regal
Authority, they could not efcape the Cen^
fiire of being Enemies to the Government,
and were immediately made uncapablc of any
Ecclefiaflical Benefice. They only refiifed to
Subfcribe unto two of the three Articles, and
this was interpreted a Renouncing the i\jNQ-'s
Supreme Authority in Matters Ecclefiaflical, ,
and without the Aid of an A(^ of Parliament
they were deprived.
And whoever carefully obferves the Eccle-
fiaftick Proceedings, will find, That when
the Ecclefiaflical Judges deal with Delin-
quents, they never give over till there be
either, a Submiflion, or a running the Offender
to the Laft Punifhmcnt,
Thus if a Man did but abfent himfelf
from the Sacrament, and was admonifhed, he
muff Conform, or be run to an Excommu-
nication, and at laft to the Writ de Excommu-
tucato
( 70 )
nicdto capiendo. In like manner, if any of ikc
Clerg'^ fell under the Cenfure' of Sufpenfion
ab Offiao, unlefs there had been a Submiflion,
it went on to a Sufpenfion a 'Bene.ficio; yea,
and to a Deprivation : Which, if done in one
Diocers,was to be regarded by every Diocefan
throughout the whole Kingdom. And the
Reafon our Clergy give for this, is not the
(I(utne of the Offenders, but a Reducing 'em
to the Knowledge of themfelves, and a due
Submiflion to their Superiors; whofe Part it
is to fecure the Great Ends of Government;
as alfo, for the difcouraging Others from the
like Mifcarriages. And on this account it is,
that the making the Magdalen - Fellows uncapa^
ble of Ecclefiaftical Benefices, Dignities, or
Promotions, became it being no
more than what is included in every De-
privation of the Clergy. And for this Rea-
Ibn the KIN G's Ecclefiaftical Commiflio"
ners have made the enfuing Decree. '
(■ 71 )
By His M A J E S T Y's Commldio-
ner^for Ecclpfiajlic^l Canfes, and for
Vtfiting the %)niyerfities^ and all and
every Cathedral, 3ind Collegiate
Cbnrches , Col ledges , Grammar-
Schools, and other the lil^ Incorfora-
tions, or FoundationsSocieties*
WtJereiif, We thought Fit by Our Order, of
the zi'^' of Jane laft, to Declare, and
Decree, "That the Dretaided Fleftion of
Mr. John Hough {noip Dr. John Hough )
to the frefidentfhiy of St. Mary Magdalen Col-
ledge in the Vniyerfuy of Oxon, was Void, and
therefore did amoVe the /aid Mr. Hough from the
^lace of Dre/dent of the faid CoVedge ; And
whereas the Fellows of the fame were likewife con*
yened before W for their- Difobedience to, and
Contempt of lAis MAjFS CT's Authority, by
making the faid Tret ended Fkciion, and it now ap-
ptartng unto Us , That the faid Dr. John
Hough, Dr. Charles A.lde\vorth, Dr. Henry
Fairfax , Dr. Alexander Pudfey, Dr. John
Smith , Dr. Thomas Bayley , Dr. Thomas
Stafford, Mr. Robert Almont, Mr. Main wa-
ring
C 71 )
Ting Hannmond, Mr. John Rogers, Mr. Ri-
chard Strickland , Mr. Henry Dobfon,
Mr. James Bay ley, Mr. John Davies, Mr.
Francis Bagdiaw, Mr. James Fayter, Mr. Jo-
feph Harwar, Mr. Thomas Bateman , Mr.
George Hunt,Mr. William Cradock,Mr.John
Gillman, Mr. George Fiilham, Mr. Charles
Penyftoii) Mr. Robert Hyde, Mr. Edward
Yerbury, Mr. Henry Holden, and Mr. See-
phen Weelks, Lately Fellows of the /aid Colledge^
do periifl: in their Difobedience and Contempt;
We have thought Fit, u^on Mature Coyifideration of
th Matter, to Declare y Decree, ami Dronounce,
JndWe do accordingly Declare,Decree,and Tronounce,
That the faid ^)r. Jo[m Hough, C27-r. andeVerj of
TlyemJJpall be,<jrfrom henceforth they are hereby deck"
red adjudgedlncapable oft^ceiving^or being Jdmit'
ted to anyEccleJia/licalDignity,Denefce,or Tromotion\
and that fuch, and every of them, who are mt as yet
in Holy Orders, JJ?all be, and are hereby Declared and
Jdjudged incapable of t^ceiving , pr being Jdmit'
ted into the fame ; And all ArchbijJyops, Dif/Ops, and
other Ecdefiaflical Officers and Mmifiers "Within the
tj^ahn of England, are hereby required to take Ho-
tice of This Our Sentence, Order, and Decree, and to
yield Obedience thereunto. C'lVeti under Our Seal
fk loth, o/December, 1687. ■" The
( 7? )
The Conclufion.
H U. S You have a Juft Ac-
count given You of the
Proceedings of His MA-
JESTT's Commiffioners, andVi-
iitors, with the KING'S Power in
Matters EccJefiaftical; How, accor-
ding to Church of ErigUnd -
His MAfESTT can Difpenfe, not
only with College-Statfites, but with
Trovinctd Canons, and ABs of Par-
hment; And yet how lln)uftly
the Fellows Oppofed the KING's
Supremacy , to which they are
Ail Sworn , and which , they
niGuld have Regarded after ano-
ther manner than they did j .As al-
lb with what Conte"ipf. and Scorn,
K they
C 74 )
they Carryed it towards His M A-
J ES T T s Vifitors; Giving them ^'
Opprobrious Language, and making i
Falfe Reports of Matter of Fad, ^
intending to fill the Minds of the
KI N G's Subjeds with Fears^ Jea- Jj
loufics, and Difcontent : fo that, on
the whole, an Ordinary Capacity k
may with much clearnefs perceive, tii
That His M AJ E S 7 T's Com- iJ,
miffioners, have in their Proceedings h
againft th^ Magdalen-Fdlows kept iOl
within the Bounds of ajtc
And, notwithftanding any thing 3:C
the Commiflioners have done, ei- sjul
ther againft the Bijho^ of London^ 2;i;t
or Magdalen College, His MI
JEST T s Clemency toward the [J
Church of England is furprizing, 1[
and cannot but appear fo to any h
that do but mind what I have al- i(
( 75 )
ready mention d about the Opinion
of the Judges^ which was, That ,,
the king nithom a Parliament^
can mal^e Ordinances and ConHitu^
tions for theGoyernment of the CJer-
gy, and Depriv-e them if they
Obey not. To which, let us Add,
That this was the very End, for
which the Judges Opinion was de-
fired , 1/7^. The Juftifying the
Church of Englands Depriving
the Old Puritans for not SubfcrP
bing to the Qeremonies enjoyned by
the Canon; thereby plainly (hewing,
that the K I N G without a Parlia-
ment may appoint what Ceremonies
He pleafe.
Now it's not to be doubted, That
if His MAJESTT would but
ExercKe this Power in Matters Ec-
clefiaftical, he might Appoint and
K 2 Ordain
( 76 )
Ordain fo many Ceremonies, and
Require Subfcription to them , as
would make the Church of England
took exaftly like that of and
Deprive all thofe that dare Dif
obey.
Let us but Confider then, with
what Severity the Church of E;ig-
land ' Clergy exprefs themfelves a-
gainfl: Popery.- and again, Oblerve
how eafily the KING might by
their own Law, impole a very great
Part of It on them, and deprive
them, if they Obey not,* and 'twill
not be difficult to conclude , what^
would be the condition of theffi
Prefent Sticklers againft Popery. To
the Sign of the Crofs in Baptifm,
the K 1 N G might enjoyn Lxfuf-
flation, Sale, and Spittle; and to
iCneeling at the Sacrament , the
Deacons
( 77 )'
Deacons ZCifling of the Hindj or
Right Shoulder of the Prkft, and
the Mens /Ci/Ijng each other; be-
fides Holy Water, and it's Confe-
cration, as well as the Confecration
of Churches \ and a hundred fuch
things more might His MAJE-
S T Y ^ en;oyn the Clergy, and
thereby make it neceffary for Oar
Clergy to Subfcribe unto all thefe,
to the Opening the Mouths of D//'-
Jinters againd: them, or to Feel'
what a Deprivation is.
Eut His MAJESTY, to the
end He may convince the mod Ob-
dinate Enemies to His Government,,
is Refolv'd to Proceed in the calm-
ed Way^ and therefore, notwith^
danding the mod Llndutiful, and
Difloyal R.efle6lions Cad on M A-
TESTY It (elf, by feme of the
Churcb
( 78 )
Church of England'^ It's His Roy-
ai pLirpofe^ That His CGmmiiTio-
ners iliall not Exercife that Sevcri-
ty againfi: tliem^ which they have
againft FroteHfr/it^ Di([e/iterr; Nor
will Hh MAJESI T take thole
Advantages againft their Clergy,
which He might: He is rather for
the more Peaceable and Chriftian
Methods, and therefore will do the
Church of England no more Hurt,
than to give Eafe unto Others:
And nothing but a moft Violent
Provocation, can Overc';)me Him to
Alter this Method.
FINIS.
LETTER
TO THE
AUTHOR
OF THE
VINDICATION
Of the PfoceedTngs of the
Ecclefiaftical Commiffioners,
Concerning
The Legality of that Court.
By Yhilonomus An^liciis,
Printed Eleutbiropolis,
c I
-.fii.i I i.t
' ' '
A
Letter - &c.
SIR, . • i
Aving read your pretended Vin-
dication of the Proceedings of the
Ecclefiaftical CommiJJioners againfl
the Bil}3op of London and the Pel-
lows of Magdalen Colledge, I could not for-
bear acquainting you with the Reafons why
I remain as yet unfatisfied as to the Legali-
ty thereof, notwithftanding all that you al-
ledge in their Jiilbhcation.
I Ihalt pafs by your Introdudiion, and
the invidious Reflet^bons therein contained,
upon the Church of England, with refpct
to their fevere way of exercifing the Regal
Power
(2 ) ■ fOU'
Power againft Proteftant Vilfenters 5 and come ^
to your firft Sedtion, which you entitle The
Legality of the Court held by His Majeji/s
Ecclefiafiical Commiffioners.
Upon which the Queftion muft be, JPher ®11J (
ther or no by the Laws of the Nation^ as they
now (ianc/y the Kings Ecclefiafiical JurifdiSti- Ull
on may be delegated to Commijfioners ^
' (I
Ic is enadted by primo Eliz^ cap i. That iipo
(ut^ 'JIuctfoiftions, i^^tMeDses, S»npet:tO' nS
tittcs anb i^^eijnntnenctes (SccUfiafttcal »
anb S^picitual, as bv anp CtclcrtaSttal b(
0; Stpititttai iboibec 0; liatlj lit
^etetofoje been o;t nta^ be latbfuHp eie^ :i
erctfeb 0; nfeb, (0; tlie UiQtation of tl)e 1. (
CccieffaQical State anb t^erfons, ano fo; aiv
iSefoanatton, £)ebet o;t Couectiou of tt)t bi
faine, anb of aU manner of i^eceftes, nk
®rro?s, Scl)iftnes; :3bnfes, Offences, 31,
Contempts anb Cnommies, Qjau fo; t' si
tCC by Authority of this prefent Parliament, 6, i
be nmteb anb annepeb to the imperial lo
Crown of this Realm.
And
'
lilb
1. ty
ip'
m
t!,!
( 3 )
And then follows the Branch Concerning
th^« Queen s Afhgning Cominilfioners to ex-
ercife Ecclefiaftical Jurifdic^tion.
This you fay ( and quote the Lord Co/ies
Authority for. it) that it is an AO: of Rcfti-
tution, and that tl)e Uttttt aub
meaning of ift. eIiz. is to BeOotetotDe
. Crown ^ntient 3laip<i5Dtrtion
afttCaU Which that it is true in general,
to W!C, that the Cccleftafttcai
on of tl)t Crown Of Cn^lattD, had been
^^rp'd upon by the See of Rome^ and was
by this Ac5f' intended to be reftor'd, I fup-
pofe no man will deny: But whether Our
Kings by vertue of their ^UWeitt
anD i^;ttniti!be Cf cclefiaRicai SIntifOiction,
i«ttl might delegate to the Exercife
thereof: Or whether Ecckfiajiical Commiffio-
ners derived their Authority from his Ma-
jefty by vertue of that A6t only^ * and not
upon the icore of any Prerogative in the
Crown, preceding to that Aet, whereby Our
Kings might appoint Commijfmiers in fuch
Cafes, libitum, is (as I take) the fmgle
Queftion, upon which the validity or
invalidity
idi
(4)
invalidity of the prcfent Couimilfion will
turn.
The Supreme €tt!ef(a(i<calflur(f®(m=
on was an 3lnc(ent iS(s!)t of tlje CroiCPn.
But whether the Kings of this Realm by
vercLie of their fupremc Ecclefiafticai Juril-
, didtion could anciently grant a Com-
million of this Nature, may admit of a
doubt.
hot
[lisf
k]
It will be worth while to enquire, what
this Supreme CccleftaKtcai ^nrtCDietfon
antiently was, in order to the finding out
whether fitch a Conmiffion as is novo ijfued^ has
any Warrant from the Common Law or
Hen
ikA
fifpi
. For the clearing of this, we mud look ma-
ny Ages backward, and as well as may be dif-
covered atrfo great a diftance, examine, Mfat
Power our Antient Kings had '^n.^^clefia[iical
Affairs, before fuch time as the Papal Vfur'
wrefted it from them.»
JtEcci
KfCc
( 5 )
•It is not an expreffion that might drop
from my Lord Cokes Pen, that will deter-
mine fo weighty a point as this5 efpecially
being a Queftion that depends upon fome
Knowledge of Antiquity, which my Lord
Coke was very little acquainted with. And
what you call the greatefi clearnefs in that
Chapter of his, Cap. 74. appears to others ve-
ry bhnd, and the Light that is in it, makes
. wretchedly againft you.
He tells us that No Commiffioner by force
of that Ancient Ecclefiajiical JtmfdiCiion, could
impofe Fine and Imprifonment^ but never tells
us that our.Kings, by Vertue of their And-
ent Ecclefiaftical Junfdidtion, could appoint
any Commiffioners.
Nor does he quote any - Authorities in the
Mar gent of that whole Difcourfe, to evince
whereti the (CCCltftfiftical
IrtCtfotl confifted; which yet he never fails
to do, when he can, right or wrong.
And it may juftly difparage that whole
Difcourfe, that he tells us the Statutes of
B 26
(«) -
i6 //.'8. ca^, I. and 0^35 //.8. r. 3.. are
jn force, for as much as^the Statute of i and
2 Ph. and Mar, cap. 8. (whereby they were
repealedj was it felf repealed Primo EliX:
and conftquently thofe A6fs Implicitly re-
, vived.
Then which nothing can be more fallcj
for the Statute of prime Eliz^ though it re-
peal I and 2 Ph. and Ma. c. 8. does yet e-
naA thatau antiS)tatnte£>,&cmaDe
faio of Repeal ^ > and 2
r. and M. J ano not tn tiws p;efent ^ct tpt-
tiaiip intntfbneti ano tePtPeo, OmU flano
tepealto ano Poto, an^ tfiing m tpe fato
S^tdtUtC (of primo Eliz ) tO tt)e
Now the Laws of 26
H. 8. cap. I. and 35 //. 8. cap. 3. were repea-
led by the i and 2 Ph. a fid Ma. and are not
fpecially mentioned to be revived prime Eliz^.
and confequently do at this day fl^d Re-
pealed.
'• He tells us the Branch concerning the High-
^Commifjion was Enabled out of necefjity i For
that ail the Bijhops and moft of the Clergy of
England
( 7 )
England being then Popifli, it was tieceffary to
raijb a Commijjion to deprive thevi^ that would
not deprive themfeves. So thai, as neceffity cau-
jed this Conimijjion, it ought nqt to be exercifed
but upon neceffity, for it was never intended.to
he a continual ftanding Cotnmijfioji. For that
would prejudice. all the Bijhops of • England in
their Ecclefiaflial JurifdiSiion, 6cc.
what need then o£ an Ecclefiaftical Com-
miffion at this time, now that all the Bi-
jhops and'moflof the Clergy of England, are
Protefiants ?
The deprivation of the Popilh Clergy, he
lays, was the main Objed of the Ad.
That indeed he demonfirates clearly, and
alio that thofe Commiffioners never had any
Authority to Fine and Imprifon 5 but the
(cctltftaftttai iw
is very dark in, becaufe he underftood it
not.
■ He labours in vain to prove the Qtieen
totati of tftC by Statute-Law. For
B 2 (as
( o
(as I have faid) no Law in force declared
her fo.
But that (he was fo by the Common-Law,
and that all .our Kings virtute officii are and
ought to be acknowledged fo, I readily
grant. They are the head of the State, as
well as of the Church, but are bound by
the Laws of the Realm in the exercife of
their Jurifdidion.
Let us confider a little what this Legal
Ecclefiaftical Supremacy anciently was, is, and
ought to be.
The beginning of Popiih Ufurpations is
as high as King William the Conquerors days.
Then it was the Pope apprehended the firft
opportunity to ufurp upon the Liberties of
the Crown of England. For the Conqueror
came in with the Pope's Banner, and under
it won the Battel, which got him the Gar-
land ; and therefore the Pope prefumed he
might lawfully pluck fome Flowers from it,
being partly gained by his Countenance and
Blefling. Hereupon he fent two Legates
( 9 )
into Englanc/, &c. but no Decree was pafs'd,
or put in Execution in his time without his
Royal Affent. In his Succeflbr William Ru-
fus his time, they attempted to draw Ap-
peals to the Court of Rome, but prevailed
not- In the fucceeding Reigns of King H.
1. King Steven, King Henry 11. and King
John, Inveftitures of Bidiopricks, Appeals to
Rome, and exemption of Clerks were conten-
ded for, and with much difficulty obtained:
and in King Stephen's time, when the Cler-
gy were Lords Paramount, the Canon-Law
got footing amongft us, and has been in part
received and fubmitted to ever fince. It was
introduced by the power of the Clergy with-
out affent of the Legiflative Power of the
Nation 5 and from that time till the Refor-
mation. Kings and Parliaments were axclu-
ded from the enacting of Canons and
Conftitutions for the Government of the
Church.
The Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidion of the Crown
was during that time under an Eclipfe, which
King Henry the eighth Reftor d to its Luftre,
but becaufe whatever he did, was undone
again
C I "
again by Qnccn Mary, we may date the Re-
ftitLition of Ecclehaftical Jurifdicftion from
primo Eliz^. Which Reftitution being in ge-
neral terms, and relating to former ufage,
we cannot know by that A6t what the
cient f n«:trDittion of tl)e Ctotbn ibao
ttt CCCUttafttcal ©attCtS, The true noti-
on of which, as it would difpel fome JVIifts
that Ignorance and Flattery haveoccahoned,
fo it muft be fetch'c from thofe times, in^
which it was genuine, unadulterated by for-
reign ufurpations, or modern impertinent
and vain "afcriptions.
I- • •
Appeals to Rome, were gain'd in King
Stephen and not till then. Therefore
before his time, Appeals in Ecclefiaftical
Caufes were to the King. But how ? To the
King in Perfon ? I meet with no fuch thing
in my little Reading. Nor any foot-fteps
of Commifhons of Delegates, fill Khig
Henry the StRs time. But Appeals were to
the King in Parliamentor, in the Lan-
guageof thofe times, to the Commune Con-
cilium RegnR Of whieh there, arc many
inftances.
J?.ve-
< II )
hivpUtures and EleHions of Bifhops wctc
gam d from the Crown in King Henry the
ift. and King Johns Time. But before their
days It was not a perfonal Prerogative in
the King to eled: and in veil them. For
Bijhopric^s were then conferred by the Curia
Regis pro fua complacentia.
In like manner the Power of makir
Canons for the Government of the OhurCii,
and of receivingand incorporating into our
Government' Canons made beyond Sea by
General. Councils, 'or Councils fo reputed,
was in the Crown, as was the Power of
making Temporal Laws for the Govern^
ment of the State. But how to be exercis'd ?
In an Arbitrary defpocick manner? No,
but with the concurrence of the .Great
CoLincjl of the Realm : And by that Au-
thority were all the Laws made in thole da^^s
for the Government both of Church and
State. ,
Thofe Ecclefiaftical Laws thus made,
were adminiftred by the Bifl^ops and others
having
( 12 )
having Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidtion, and be-
fore the entrance of the Normans in the
Hundred and County-Courts, and at the
Turnes, where the Bilhop and the Earl fate
together; And in the Conquerour's days,
fince in the Bifliops Courts, who by a Law
in his Reign, were impowered to hold their
Courts apart from the Laity.
But no Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidtion was ever
Delegated to CommiBioners. Records of
thofe times are loft in a great and deplo-
rable meafure:'But many Hiftories, and
all written by Church-men, are extant, which
could not have fail'd giving fome hint there-
of, if any fuch thing had ever been.
Now if no fuch CommiBion" was ever
granted till the Reformatioil, then was that
Branch of prima Eliz^ which fets up the
High-CommiBion, introdudfive of a New
Law. It gave the Queen Power, which (he
had not before, which power confequent-
]y ceafed, when the foundation upon which
it refled, was taken away.
For
f >3 )
For Commiflions are not fuch Arbitrary
things as fome miftakcn men fondly irtia-
gine. Though Commiilioners are but Sub-
ftitutes and Deputies, Perfons that in
his Name that impowers them, and execute
his Authority, not their own: And how
plaufibly fo ever it be faid, that what Power
• a man has in hinifelf he may delegate to a-
nother: Yet this difference muft be admit-
ted betwixt Perfons commiflionated by the
King in matters of Government, and Per-
fons ^Authorized by Private men, to ad: for
them and in their ffead 5 that private
men may by Law do thofe things in Per-
fon, which they impower others to do for
them. But the King commiffionates Per-
fons to do, what himfelf cannot by Law
do in Perfon: And confequently they do
not receive their Authority from him onely,
but from the Law of tne Realm, which
Authorizes him to commiflionate them, and
where the Law does not impower the King -
to ifTue a Commiffion, he can iffue none,
to exercife Jurifdidion.
€
The
The Law (by which the King Reigns) has
already diftributed his Jufticc to his hands, and
committed the Adminiftration of it tothefe-
veral Temporal and Spiritual Courts, thejurif-
diction of which he can neither enlarge nor
abridge. Circumftances. of Affairs fometimes
require the iffuing out of Commillions of a
new, and perhaps an extraordinary nature 5 .
and the Reprefentative Body of the Kingdom^
which by the Law is to be affembled once a
year in Parliament, do from time to time
impower the Crown, to ifluc Commiflions ac-
cording as the cafe requires. All which ACts
of Parliament would be needlefs, if his Ma^
jefty might iffue Commiflions at Plea-
fure.
Tlie King is impowered by the Law to
grant a Commiflion, when cither an AO: of
Parliament .warrants it, or cuftome imme-
morial, which prefuppofes a Law» When
. both fail, the Cor^^on is illegal,
Commiffioners of 0}€r and lermimr^ of
Affize, Nifi priHSy Goal-Deliverji ^ and the
Peacey
(,6 )
Peace, are all by vertue of Adls of Parlia-
ments, as was the High-fommiffion, whM
it was in being : But the foundation thereof
being taken away, this Modern one is built
upon Sand, and when the wind blows, it
will fall. Civil caules (where Adfs of Par-
liament do not warrant it) cannot be deter-
mined by CommifHon, and yet the King is
the head of the State as much as of the
Church, and the fountain of Temporal as
well as of Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidrion, and all
Judges derive their Authority from him.
But there is no Law for it: and therefore
it cannot be.
So that I take it very clearly, that our
Kings Antient Ecclefiaftical Jurifdidtion was
not a Perfonal Supremacy, fcparate and di-
ftincft: from the States of the Realm ; that it
was lodged in the Crown of England, in tlie
King encompalfed with Peerage and comi-
nalty, and to be adn:iiniftred m the Biihops
Courts, and no otherwife, but in caies of
Appeals, which were to the Parliament.
But admitting tliat Elix: widi re-
C 2 fpe(5t
c «o
fped CO the High-Commiffion were but de- TO
clarative5 yet it feems to me beyond all
manner of Scruple, that the Statute of 16 Car. pnio
1. has taken away the Commiffion it felf. Root
and Branch, and not only the Power to Fine •
and Imprifon, and minlfter .the Oath ex offi- \i tsr
do. For if they had looked no farther, why k tlie
the Statute ofpr/wo rcpeal'd ? In the 4?^. i cea
I^aragr- it is enaded, HO id
&c, no? any perfoti ttJijatfotPer eictrctftng A
SpitKuai 0? dPctlefiaftitai :antljo?ttv o?. as,
^utifotctton bp an? <l5t:ant, aicence o? j:i,b
Commtaion oftlje ISitng s S0alcttp &c. t
awH inflw an? #atn, i&tnaup, 5ftne, 31= - tasi
mercement, o? otljec co?- aJmi
po?alpun<0)mtnt, &c Tins had been fuf- iHiot
ficienttodifable them to Fine and Imprifon. Qiauis
But they repeal the Branch of prima Eliz: Uh
and ordain, CJ)at no neB) Court iOjali tmi
be trcrttb, VbljicD fljail o? map l)abe tlje Mfte i ^
isoBjer, 3ittrifOtttton o? :»atl)o?(tp, ao tl)e t
i^igi)=Commit(ton Conrt tDen Dab o? p?e= 4
ttnD^D to And the Stat, of 2.
cap' L 2, which Repeals the 16 Car-1. ,£xcepts n[j,
out of the Repeal l!bl)at COnceCUStDe iiitiiii
CommtCCion Conrt, o?tDe j|^en)mction
of
of fttcft lifte CoMrt bv Comnrtffion X and
cnafts ftjat tj)e Btancl) of tlje Statute of
pnmo £hz. ftall flano cepealtO'
Befides immediately upon the pafling of
J 6. Car- I. the Higli-Commillion Court,
that then was, ceas'd to A(5f. They did not
only ceafe to Fine and Imprifon, but they
ceafcd to Adt as a Court. Nor in the Annus
vnrahilis of \66o at the Reftitution of all
things, were the High-f'ommiflioners re-
ftor'djbuc the ordinary Jurifdidtion of Arch-
biflaops and Bilhops being alferted, which
fome ambiguous words in the \C of Car, i.
had rendred doubtful = They yet keep down
the High-Commiffion f ourt bound by two
Chains 5 tjIz^ that of the Repeal of prima
EUt^. and the enadting that ttO fUCl)
Contt QmII be erec^bp COHtmifCton.
All which caution had been impertinent, if
Eining and Imprifoning and minijiring the Oath
ex officio, were the only things provided a-
gainft by 16 Car. i. and the only things, which
13 Car. 2. cap, 12. defigned to prevent the re-
turning of.
You
( i8 )
You fcem to lay a ftrcfs upon thofe words
of \ ^€ar. 2.C. I 2. ottttc pttfon o?
t^ecfons, ticttrtf(ng S»ptt<wai wttu
on bp anp ©rant, JLftencc o? Comrniffi-
on fcom t^t By which you fay that
all Ecclefiaftrcal Authority is recognifed to be-
long to them, J the Stat- of 16 Car i. notwith-
ftanding. But thofe words are fatisfied ^
Gommiflioners of Delegates, and Cohamiffi-
oners to vifit in places exempt, who exer-
cife £cckfiaftical Authority by CommifTion
from the King. So that we need not take in
the High Commiffioners, efpecially the Act
providing in exprefs terms, that there (hall
be none fuch.
0
Nor does that favingof the Kings Suprema-
cy in Ecclcfiaftical Affairs mend the mat-
ter. for it is again ft the nature of a Saving, to
extend it to fuch things as are particularized
before. It wguld be nonfenfe to enact that
the King (hall not grant any fuch Comrnif-
fions^ faving that the King may fuch
Commiftion, if he pkafe. Rather the Ma-
kers of that Law did not look upon the
granting of fuch a Commiftion, as being a-
^IV
ny part of the King's ^cclefiaftical Siiprema-
ey, as indeed it was not, but a new Authority
given to the Crown by primo Eliz^ Which
might be taken away again without any ble-
mi(h to the Antient Legal Supremacy.
You do not pretend to ground this prefenc
Commiifion upon the primo Elix; which
confelTedly (lands repealed; but upon the
King's Supremacy at Common Law. What
power then have* the Commiflioners to cite a-
ny man out of his Dioccfs For it is againft
' the 23 // 8. cap. 9. (or any judge fpiritual fo
to do,
Thefe things I offer concerning the Jurif-
didion it felf, in which if you think it worth-
your while to give me 'fatisfadion, you will
extrcamly oblige
Your Friend and Servant,
Vhilonomos Anglic us,
FINIS.
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