THE CASE OF FREE Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of FAITH and RELIGION, Presented unto the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT. And also Proved absolute needful and requisite for them to grant and allow in these Kingdoms, By many Considerations and Reasons unfolding the woeful effects and ill consequence which will infallably follow upon the contrary, To the misery and destruction of these Nations, if the free exercise of Conscience to God-ward, be limited and violently restrained. By a Lover of Truth and Just Government, EDWARD BURROUGHS'.  
LONDON, Printed for Thomas Simmons, 1661.   

TO THE KING And both Houses of PARLIAMENT.  
FOrasmuch as it hath pleased the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, (who is mighty and powerful, and bringeth to pass whatsoever he will in the Kingdoms of this World,) so to suffer it to be accomplished, that power and authority is given unto you, to exercise over these Kingdoms; And whereas the people of these Nations (over whom your Authority is extended) are divided in their Judgements in matters Spiritual, and are of different Principles and ways in Relation to Faith and Worship and practices of Religion, and yet are all of them freeborn people, and Natives of these Kingdoms, and as such aught to possess and enjoy their Lives, Liberties and Estates by the just Laws of God and man; And may not justly any of them be destroyed by you, nor one sort of another, in their Persons and Estates, by Death, Banishment or other Persecutions, for and because only of their differences in matters of opinion and judgement, nor though they are contrary minded in profession of Faith and Worship and Religion, while they do walk peaceably and justly in their Conversations, under the King's Authority, and do not make practice of their Religion, to the violating of the Government, nor to the injury of other men's Persons or Estates, but ought rather to be defended and Protected by you in all their rights both as men and Christians, both in things Civil and Spiritual, Notwithstanding their difference in matters Religious as aforesaid, they giving proof of their peaceable and honest deportment towards the King and his Government, and the people of these Kingdoms.  
And therefore that due care may be had, as justly it ought to be by you, for the Peace and Prosperity and happiness of these Kingdoms, and that the just Liberties both civil and Spiritual of all people therein, may be allowed and maintained in all the King's Dominions, and that unity and peace may be fully established, and justice and Righteousness only brought forth in the Land, and all Persecution, Hatred, Contention and Rebellion may die and perish and never more appear; And that all Christian people (though different in judgement and practices in matters of Faith and worship) may be protected to live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty under this Government, and that indignation and vengeance may he diverted from these Lands, which seems to threaten because of the contrary, and that blessings and peace may come, and rest upon this people forever.  
Therefore for these ends and causes, and in the Name of the Lord I do propound unto you, and lay before you on the behalf of all the divided people of these Kingdoms, That free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Faith, Worship and Religion to God-wards, may be allowed and maintained unto all, without any imposition, violence or persecution exercised about the same, on the persons, Estates, or consciences of any in any relation of Religion, the Worship of God, Church Government and Ministry; But that all Christian People may be left free in all these Kingdoms, in the exercise of Conscience without being restrained from, or compelled to any way of Worship and practise of Religion, upon any pains and penalties, and that every one may be admitted to worship God in that way as his spirit persuades the heart, and may be defended in such their profession of Religion, while they make not use of their Liberty to the detriment of any other men's persons or Estates as aforesaid.  
And let it not seem strange to you, why I appear in this manner and matter, at such a season as this; for your very happiness, prosperity and establishment, or the contrary, dependeth hereupon, even in allowing and maintaining liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion, or in limiting and forcing and persecuting about the same, and this may appear if ye justly consider these things following.  
1. The Lordship in and over conscience, and the exercise thereof in all matters of Faith, and worship and duty to God-wards, is Gods alone only and proper right and privilege, and he hath reserved this power and Authority in himself, and not committed the Lordship over Conscience, nor the exercise thereof, in the cases of faith and worship, to any upon Earth, not to prescribe and impose principles and Practices of Faith and worship and Religion, by force and violence on the persons and Consciences of men, but this belongs only to God, even to work faith in the heart, and to convert to holiness, and to lead and teach people by his Spirit in his worship, and to exercise their Consciences in all his ways; For the Apostles themselves said, they had not Dominion over the Faith of the Saints, 2 Cor. 1. 24. but the Lord alone▪ And King Charles the first, said in his Meditations, page 91. of that Edition Printed for R. Royston; I have often declared how little I desire my Laws and Sceptre should entrench on God's Sovereignty which is the only King of men's Consciences, &c So that to be Lord in Conscience and exerciser thereof in all the matters of God's Kingdom, is his only proper right, and to him alone it appertains.  
2. And therefore consider if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience, and give unto God the Lordship and exercise thereof in all matters of Faith and Worship to himwards, but do impose by violence in forcing to, and restraining from such and such ways of Religion, than ye take Dominion over men's faith, which ye ought not to do, and ye entrench on God's Sovereignty, and usurps his Authority in exercising Lordship over the Conscience, in and over which Christ is only King as before recited, and ye ought not to take his right from him, nor to exercise that Authority over men's faith and Consciences which only appertains unto him, as his proper privilege; for in so doing how dangerous effects may it bring forth, even ye may easily provoke the Lord to wrath against you, and bring upon yourselves sorrow and misery, if ye excise violence upon men's Consciences in and concerning Religious matters, contrary to the Scriptures and the example of Primitive Christians who were persecuted for their Conscience sake, but did never persecute nor punish any for that cause, nor ever used violence about their Religion, as Charles the I. in his meditations pag. 82. nothing (said he) violent nor injurious can be religious, etc.  
3. Consider, if ye allow not the free exercise of Conscience in Spiritual matters, but do take Dominion over men's faith, and impose by violence in the cases of Conscience about Religion, and do not suffer the Lord to enjoy his only right to be King, in the matters of his own Kingdom, than ye divert the end of just rule and government among men, and perverts the end of God's great love and favour showed unto you in restoring of you to the place of Authority and Judgement; for the end of just Government upon earth by Kings and Rulers is to exercise Justice, Truth, and Righteousness among men, and over the outward man, and to be a praise to all that do well, and walks uprightly, and to be a terror to all transgressors and them that do evil in their outward man, and to keep the outward man in good order by just Judgement in all cases between man and man; This is only the extent of your Authority over the outward man, and to your Jurisdiction only this belongs, to judge in Truth and Righteousness, to make Laws and execute them between man and man, to preserve men's persons and estates from the wrong one of another, but not at all to make Laws and execute them between God and men's Consciences in the cases of his Spiritual Kingdom, this power belongs to God, and he hath not committed it to you to exercise; and therefore, let justice, equity and mercy be exercised by you among men, and over the outward man, and in all cases between man and man; but meddle not in the cases of men's faith to God, and their Consciences to him, but leave that unto him alone whose right it is, for it is dangerous, and will bring woeful effects if ye entrench on God's Sovereignty, and if ye divert the proper end of just Government, and of the Love of God in restoring you into Authority and Power.  
4. Consider, if ye allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the profession and practice of spiritual things, but will compel by violence about Religion, than this will inavoidably produce and bring forth cruel persecution in the Kingdoms, imprisonment, banishment, and death, and all the evil effects of persecution will fill the Nations; for though never so forceable impositions be laid on the persons, estates, and consciences of men, for the cause of difference in Judgement, and practices of Religion, and to compel into Conformity, yet it cannot be supposed that all will bow and conform to the denying of that way which they are persuaded in Conscience to be right, and to the embracing of what they cannot in Conscience believe is of God, but will rather suffer the cruelest death, then conform to any thing contrary to light and knowledge; and if free Liberty of Conscience be denied, many such must needs be exposed to persecution, even to death, though they may be peaceable people, and profitable inhabitants of the Kingdoms, and in the things between man and man, and in all matters temporal pertaining to the King, may be just, and righteous, and unreprovable, yet because of difference in judgement and opinion, exposed to be destroyed in person and estate; and such effects will not be of honour nor safety to these Nations if innocent and just men be destroyed, and their relations ruined, only for their Conscience and Religion sake, by persecution.  
5. Consider, if ye do impose one way of worship by force, and persecute all that are contrary-minded, to prison and death, then how shall your Names and memorial be left a reproach to generations after you, in days to come, who shall repute you cruel men and persecutors, and such as destroyed your people for difference in matters of Religion, and without just cause, and thus will your names be a curse and not a blessing to your Children and their Children to all ages, if that ye make Laws and execute them to the persecution and destruction of people for Conscience sake, and for difference in Religion; for persecution was never of God, nor ever justified in succeeding ages, but persecutors always were rendered Tyrants, and cruel in the ages succeeding them; for do not you condemn the Papists as oppressors and cruel persecutors in Queen Mary's days, for their persecuting your Forefathers? And King james said it was usually the condition of Christians to be persecuted, but never to persecute, etc. in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance, pag. 4, And indeed, they are no true Christians that persecutes for matters of Conscience, and difference in Opinion, but the false Christians that have a form of godliness but are without the power, and out of the Doctrine of the Scriptures, who saith, love your enemies, and render to no man evil for evil, but over come evil with good.  
6. Consider, If ye do impose upon the Conscience, and persecute about Religion, ye can never effect your end thereby, as to force all into a conformity and uniformity to your Church and Religion; but though death, and banishment, and the loss of all be inflicted, yet such a thing cannot be effected, neither is it the way of Christ to promote his Church, and to convert the contrary-minded by such means as force and violence exercised on men's persons and estates; As K. james said in his speech in Parliament, 1609. That it is a sure rule in Divinity, that God never loves to plant his Church with violence and blood, and if ye do persecute to the height in the case of Religion, ye will weaken yourselves, and cause the love and good affection of people to die towards you, and the persecuted will grow, and their cause be made honourable, and many will be increased unto it, for it is usual in ages that the way and Religion which hath been most persecuted hath most grown, and thus it must infallibly be at this day, and ye can never effect your end by persecution, nor promote your own Church, nor destroy all the contrary-minded; As a Privy Counsellor to K. james the 5th. of Scotland, advised in counsel about the year 1539. upon the occasion of diversities of opinions then in that Kingdom, said he, It is an error of State in a Prince for an opinion of piety to condemn to death the adherers to new Doctrines; for the constancy and patience of those who voluntarily suffer all temporal miseries for matters of faith, stir up numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their faith and doctrine, not only to favour their cause, but to embrace their opinions, pity and commiseration opening the gates, and thus their faith is spread, and their number daily increaseth, etc.  
7. Consider, If that ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience but do impose and persecute as aforesaid, though some for your fear, and terror, and force against their Consciences should deny their Principles, and conform to your Church, such ye cause to sin; for whatsoever is performed by force and not of faith is sin, as it is written, and such their sin will be laid to your charge; and such who cannot deny their Principles and conform, will be destroyed, and their death will be accounted against you in the day of the Lord; and therefore if ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience, many grievous evils will infallibly follow, both to yourselves and your people And what advantage of honour will such be to God and your; Church, that are against their Consciences and light forced into a conformity for fear and terror of men; it makes them manifold more the Children of the Devil, and time-servers, and Hypocrites, and destroys their souls, and such can be no true members of the true Church of Christ, but are Reprobates, and a dishonour to God and your Church.  
8. Consider, if ye constrain and compel in matters of Religion, and do not allow liberty of Conscience, it is unreasonable and unequal, and downright contrary to the Holy and pure Law of God, which saith, ye shall do unto all men, as ye would that men should do unto you, and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, and this is the fulfilling of the Law; But to be imposed upon and persecuted for the cases of Consciences, and for the matters of Worship of God, yourselves would not willing be against your light and knowledge, and then it is unequal and unjust, and contrary to the Law of God, for ye to do the same to others, which yourselves would not be done unto; And do not you to this day cry out against the Papists in Queen Mary's days, and at this day in other Nations, and condemn them as Tyrants and Oppressors, for Persecuting, Killing, and Destroying the Protestants, for the matters of their Conscience and difference in Opinion and Judgement? And will you do the same at this day as they do to others, and follow their example of cruelty and persecution, and break the Law of God, and walk contrary to it, in doing to others what you would not be done unto? And seeing you condemn the late foregoing Powers in these Kingdoms for Tyrants and Usurpers, and Oppressors, for prohibiting your way of worship, and commanding the contrary, and disannulling so much as they could your service Book and Ministry; how can you justly do the like to others, as to force ways of Religion upon them, and prohibit theirs and command the contrary? if you do it, ye condemn yourselves by judging of others in the like case.  
9 Consider, if ye do not allow liberty of Conscience, but impose Church Government and Religion by pains and penalties, than ye will fill the land with Hypocrites, and force people into time-serving obedience, and into formal ways of worship, some against their Consciences, and some in the ignorance thereof, which is great abomination unto the Lord, and such will neither be true and faithful in Church nor State, but will seek advantages against you (if they are forced by violence in the cases of their Consciences) and it will beget great contentions and hatred in the minds of men, and divide them into heart-burnings one against another, and against you and your Government; for if men become Hypocrites for your fear and terror, and deny their professed principles and conform, they will be falsehearted, and envious, and malicious, and attempt any thing to be freed from bondage and impositions of Conscience, and their hearts will be disengaged in love and affection to you-wards; and this will be infallibly the effect of persecution for Conscience sake, as King Charles the I. saith in his Meditat. A charitable connivance and Christian toleration often issi pates their strength whom rougher opposition fortifies, and puts the despised and oppressed party into such combinations, as may most enable them to get a full revenge on those they count their persecutors, etc.  
10. Consider, if ye force Worship, and Religion, and cause men to conform against their Judgements, how dangerous is this to destroy men's souls, and to lead them even to destruction; For seeing ye affirm not the Infallibility of your Worship and Religion, and yet will impose them, and so engage men's souls in dependency for Salvation upon things and ways uncertain, and which God gives not the Faith to believe in; I say how dangerous is this to ruin souls; for in no way can the soul be secure but in the faith which God works in the heart, in the Obedience of infallible Truth; So ye run men's souls upon a Rock, and it is unreasonable as before mentioned, that men should be forced into the profession and practice of uncertain and fallible Religion, and that they should be forced by you into that which may be evil, for which not you altogether, but themselves must bear the punishment in the day of the Lord; and except ye could affirm and prove the Infallibility of your Church (which is impossible) there is no equity nor right reason for it, that you should impose upon others any more than others should impose upon you; for as King Charles the I. said in his Medit. He desired not any should be further subject unto him, than he and all of them might be subject unto God, etc.  
11. Consider, if ye allow not liberty of Conscience, but persecute about the same, ye walk in the way and after the example of some of the Heathen Rulers, and of the false Christians, and shows that ye allow of the cruel persecutions by the Church of Rome, and ye follow their example, who persecutes unto death such as they call Heretics, and if ye do persecute for matters of Conscience, than ye allow the very deeds of the Heathens, who persecuted the Christians for their Religion sake, and ye justify the Papists in persecuting the Protestants; and ye plainly demonstrate unto all the World by your works and fruits, that ye are of Antichrist, if ye impose on men's Consciences by force in the matters of Religion, and persecute good Conscience about the same; for it was the Antichrist and the Beast, that first forced all to worship, and violently engaged all into a conformity, and killed and persecuted all that would not worship according to the Image, Rev. 13. as ye may read. And it was not Christ's way, nor the practice of any his Primitive Churches to impose and force on the persons and Consciences of men concerning their Church and Religion, to cause all into a conformity thereunto, and destroy and persecute all that would not; This was not the way of Christ and his Apostles in their days, but they left Religion free, and said, they were not lords over men's faith, nor lords over God's Heritage, neither did impose upon any in doubtful cases of conscience, much less compel against men's Consciences; for the Apostle left the practice of doubtful things, as every one was persuaded in his own mind, to do or not to do, without imposing by force or directions of persecution about the same; Therefore if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience, ye are out of the Doctrine and Example of Christ and his Apostles, and follows the way and example of Antichrist, Heathen Rulers, and cruel Papists, to your great dishonour.  
12. Consider, if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion, but impose and persecute about the same; It must inavoidable tend to destroy and expel Trading, Husbandry, and Merchandise in these Kingdoms, for a great part of Trading and Husbandry, depends upon such kind of persons, whose principles are for toleration in Religion, and hates persecution and violence in that case, this ye will find true on examination; and if liberty of Conscience be not allowed, such will 〈◊〉 exposed to great afflictions, some to imprisonment, and some to poverty, and some to fly into other Countries, to the destruction of their Callings and Trading, and the hands & industriousnes of such people will be weakened in these Kingdoms, if they cannot enjoy their just liberties in temporal and spiritual cases, and the effects thereof will work woefully in this very respect, even to disenable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades, and expose these Nations to want and poverty, and to enrich their enemies.  
13. Consider, if liberty of Conscience be denied, and persecution be introduced about the same; all these and many more woeful Consequencies and effects will follow infallably to the ruin of these Kingdoms, even Wars, and Bloodsheds, and discontents, and Murmurings, and all evil things will be the product of the aforesaid cause, (viz.) of denying liberty of Conscience in Religious matters, for in a word it will tend to and may effect the overthrow of you, and ruin your Government and Authority; for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you, and his wrath will go out like a devouring flame upon you, if that ye limit the Holy One, and will not suffer him to exercise his proper right, in being King in men's Consciences, to exercise them in all the ways of his Worship, and matters of his Kingdom, but do oppress, impose and persecute about the same; This I say will infallibly work the Kingdom's ruin, and expose You and your Government to the indignation of the Holy Lord God, who is tender of his Honour, and will not give it to another, and he loveth and affecteth the cause of such, whose Consciences are truly tender towards him, and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them, and for a time exercise great afflictions and oppressions upon them, for the matters of their Conscience, yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season, and deliver them, and avenge their persecutors; And therefore all ye Rulers consider, and lay these things to heart, lest ye provoke the Lord against you, by destroying the People whom he regards, and that not for evil doing, but for the cases of Conscience, and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion, and bow and conform in things against their light and knowledge.  
14. Consider, If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience, what exceeding danger ye run yourselves into, even to dost roy just men and righteous, as Heriticks and erroneous, and may promote Heretics as Church-members, both which are great abominations in the sight of God, and this danger ye bring upon yourselves, for ye are not infallible Judges, who are Heretics, and who are not; and therefore may easily proceed in that way to punish such as Heretics that are not truly so, and except ye could affirm and prove your possession of the infallible Spirit, ye can no way proceed justly and reasonably to deny Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion, nor punish and persecute any in that case; but if ye do, ye do it in ignorance, and knows not what ye do, and may as soon destroy true Christians and Saints, as Heretics, for want of infallible judgement to discern who are, and who are not; and this is a danger ye ought to avoid by allowing the free exercise of Conscience, as the Lord persuades every man's heart.  
15. And lastly also consider what a reproach you are under, If such whom ye call Heretics, (and yet doth not infallibly know that they are such) be punished, and persecuted, and destroyed for their Religion sake, who are just and upright men, in their conversing between man and man, and unreprovable in their dealings among men; (whether they err in judgement in spiritual knowledge, or not err) and such as are drunkards and profane persons go at liberty, in their stage-playing and gaming, and the like, even tolerated, and unpunished, and not prohibited, whom all do know & can distinguish who such are when they appear, this will render your Government to evil reputation, both in this present time and in ages to come; and therefore consider it, if Drunkards, Gamesters, and profane persons have more toleration and liberty in their ways of open vanity, then sober temperate persons in the exercise of their Consciences in Religion, which if any such do err in principle (which is not infallibly known to you) it is only to their own hurt in the sight of God, and he only and not you aught to punish them in that case; but profane persons as aforementioned are easily judged by all to be such, and their error in practice is hurtful to the whole Kingdoms and pertains to you to punish; as Dr. Taylor now a Bishop in Ireland hath said, his words in this case are worth observing, why are we so zealous, saith he, against those we call Heretics, and yet great friends with Drunkards, and Swearers, and Fornicators, and intemperate and idle persons; I am certain a Drunkard is as contrary to God, and lives as contrary to the Laws of Christianity as a Heretic, and I am also sure that I know what Drunkenness is, but I am not sure that such an opinion is heresy, etc.  
And these things I do in all meekness and due respect both to your places and persons, present to your serious considerations, that ye may prevent these evil effects that are so destructive unto you and these Kingdoms, which absolutely must follow, upon not allowing free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion; and if any shall object, That to tolerate and allow Liberty of Conscience in Religion is inconsistent with the safety and peace of the King and these Kingdoms; I shall be desirous to hear from wise men what such objections are, stated by them, and wherein they say it is not Congruous with the happiness and peace of these Nations, to grant and allow the premises; And on such occasion, I should make clearly to appear the contrary, and that it is only consistant with the peace and prosperity of these Kingdoms (considering them in their present estate) to grant and allow free liberty of Conscience as aforesaid, in the exercise of Religion unto all Christian people.  
O! remember ye mighty men of the Kingdom, that the Great and Mighty God takes notice of all your doings, and accordingly will he reward you in his dreadful day, which is near to come upon all the World; and woe unto the wicked in that day. O! remember that ye yourselves not long since were a suffering people, and now you are raised up again; And therefore be not too zealous to afflict others, especially for the cases of their Consciences, in reference to their faith and persuasions about Religion; but be gentle, meek, and long-suffering towards all, for that is the way to make peace and preserve it with all men, that will gain the affections of the contrary minded; but force and rigour will exasperate the more, and never truly reconcile differences among men; and make no Laws contrary or different to the pure Law of God, but let pure Conscience go free without force or restraint in the exercises of Religion, and let God have his Prerogative, and Lordship, in the exercise of Conscience; but let your Authority be extended over the outward man, in the matters between man and man, to preserve peace and right in all outward relation; and be Wise and Learned ye Rulers of the Earth, and kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish, and if his wrath be kindled but a little, blessed are they that trust in him. This is your time and day, happy are ye, if it be given to you to do the work that God requires of you only.  
The 26 th'. of the third Month, 1661.  
THE END.