PERSECUTION FOR CONSCIENCE CONDEMNED, By the 

Light of Nature.  
Law of God.  
Evidence of our own Principles.    Jam. 2.12. 
So speak you, and so do, as they that are judged by the Law of Liberty, for they shall be judged without Mercy, that have showed no Mercy.  
LONDON, Printed for Langley Curtis, at Sir Edmundbury Godfrey's-Head near Fleet-bridge. MDCLXXXIII.   

PERSECUTION FOR CONSCIENCE, etc.  
HAving met lately with a Book Entitled (Compulsion of Conscience Condemned) so much stuffed with Digressions, which gives an Umbrage to the Scope of the Matter, and renders it tedious to the Reader, moved me to set down these sentiments in short, for the better Proof of the argument upon so material a Subject, not wronging the Original, nor reflecting upon any particular persuasion, but for the the general good of all, Which is as followeth.  
Since we have so happily shaken of that intolerable Yoke of Popish Infallibility (which neither we nor our forefathers were able to bear) it is become to us not only Tyrannical, but Absurd, to compel others to a way, that ourselves confess, may possibly be erroneous.  
If any opinion be probably true, persecution in that case is certainly unlawful, because otherwise both sides, for both are probable, if one be, might justifiably persecute one another, to the utter destruction of all Society.  
We see one Parliament repeals those Articles of Faith, which a former Enacted, that form of Worship which the Laws had introduced in after times was generally exploded, and since that a Reformation Sealed with so solemn a Covenant, and carried on with so furious a zeal, was soon discovered to better lights to be merely human, and therefore deservedly laid aside, how preposterous is it then to constrain a soul not only to forsake his conscience, which may be truth, but drive him contrary to his own heart, to a way that may be error.  
Since the Word of God is the sole Rule of Faith, and no human Authority so highly empowered, as to bind up our assents to whatsoever Interpretation it shall please to propose: It clearly follows, that as all the Children of God have equal Interest in the Testament of their Father; so no one amongst them has any right to impose or force upon the Judgement of his Brother, one holds Baptism of Children to be necessary; another esteems it unlawful; a third denys both these Opinions, admitting well that it may, but not that it must be done: They confer Texts, look into Original Tongues, pray incessantly to God, and profess solemnly the sincerity of their intention; yet after all their dilligences and Devotions, steadfastly remain in their former persuasion; truly for my part he that should advise Persecution in such a Case (unless his Fire brought Light too with it to demonstrate the Truth) would scarce satisfy my suspicion, that his Coals were fetched from the Infernal Pit.  
If we reflect upon the Difficulties that encounter us in the way to truth, for straight is the Gate, and narrow is the Path, and withal consider the shortness of our sight, for here we see but in part, and understand but in part: There will appear more reason to endeavour the mutual Assistance and support, than malicious ruin and destruction one of another.  
However since all have neither equal depth of Natural Judgement, nor the same measure of supernatural Illumination, but the Spirit bloweth how and where it pleaseth, we ought not to attempt so high a presumption, as to despise or persecute our Brother for his innocent and blameless mistakes, lest we be found to fight against God, who is the free Disposer of his Gifts; we know the way of man is not in himself, Jer. 10.23. but his steps are ruled by the Lord, Prov. 20.24. Therefore certainly did we bear a due respect to God, we would be content to wait his Leisure, who have engaged himself by his Apostle, Phil. 3.15. If any man be otherwise minded, God shall in time reveal even this unto him; Let us therefore entertain such an one, who proceeds in the simplicity of his heart with Milk, till he grow stronger to digest strong Meat.  
All Compulsion upon the Conscience returns us flatly to our old Slavery under the Prelates, nay more to the implicit Faith of the Papists, with this only difference, that we are worse than either, because our Consciences accuse us of doing that which we condemn in others; for whatsoever I am convinced of, proceeds from as great a Tyranny as the High Commission and is as blind an Assent, as can be matched in the grossest Popery, and dare we think that doing the same things we judge in others, we shall escape the Judgement of God, Rom. 2.3.  
Force is punishment and consequently not just, unless the offence be voluntary; but he that believes according to the Evidence of his own reason, is necessitated to that belief, and to compel him against it, were to drive him to renounce the most essential part of Man, his Reason? Why should we be commanded to try the Spirits, 1 John 4.1. To prove all Things, 1 Thess. 5.21. If there be not a Faculty in the Soul to judge for herself, why are we enjoined to hold fast that which we find to be best, if after our most serious and deliberate Election we shall be whipped out of our Conscience by penalties; to what purpose do we preach poor Souls into just so much Liberty of Scripture as may beget their Tortures, and not permit them to rest, where they find satisfaction either prohibit to search at all, or leave us sensible of some benefit by teaching to believe what appears untrue, seems to me impossible, to profess what we believe untrue, I am sure is damnable?  
As it is certain, whosoever swerves from the Dictate of his Conscience commits a grievous Sin, Rom. 14. so without question they that endeavour by force or artifice to draw any Man to profess or act contrary to what his Soul believes are as deeply guilty of the same crime: When you wound the weak Consciences of your Brethren you sin against Christ, 1 Cor. 8.12. how dangerously then do they expose themselves to the just Indignation of God who by Oaths, Imprisonments, Forfeitures, etc. both drive others and fall themselves into eternal perdition; how desperately do they attempt to extinguish the Light of Nature, which indispensably obliges all men to deal with others, as they would be dealt with themselves, a Light placed by God in clear and candid Souls to shine and guide them, but in the black ones to condemn and burn them: I shall close this Discourse with the Advice of the Apostle, Rom. 14.13. Let us therefore use our judgement rather in this, that no man put a stumbling block before his Brother.   

In this my second part I will set down unanswerable Texts of Scripture against the ill practice of Coercency in Religion.  
Nor are these so excellent and important Truths built only upon the firm Foundation of solid Reason, but also upon the Infallible Authority of evident Scripture, 2 Tim. 2.24. The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach forbearing, in Meekness instructing those that are contrary minded, if God peradventure will give them repentance, to the acknowledging of the Truth, that they may convert themselves out of the snare of the Devil, who are taken Captive by him at his Will: And another Apostle forbidding us to condemn one another, saith Jam. 4.12. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who art thou that judgest another Servant, to his own Master he standeth or falleth, yea he shall be holden up; for God is able to make him stand, one Man esteemeth one day above another, another esteemeth every day alike; Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind, hast thou Faith, have it to thy  before God, happy is he that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth, that is, whose Conscience inwardly accuseth not his outward Profession: The same most zealous of the Gospel returns so condescending and moderate an Answer to a Case of a far harder sound than we undertake to maintain, that it sufficiently proves, he took his gentle Pen from the soft wing of the Dove, 1 Cor. 7.12. If any Brother hath a Wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her away, and the Woman that hath a Husband that believeth not, and he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him, but if the unbelieving depart, let him departed, a Brother or a Sister is not in Bondage in such Cases, but God hath called us to peace, for what knowest thou O Wife, whether thou shalt save thy Husband, and what knowest thou O man, whether thou shalt save thy Wife; as God hath distributed to every Man, as the Lord hath called every one so let him walk, and so Ordain I in all Churches: What can be said more efficaciously to oblige Christians in charity and meekness to forbear one another, than so express an Injunction of so great an Apostle, to live peaceably even with an Infidel, and again, 2 Cor. 1.24. he denys that even the Apostles themselves have any Sovereignty over the Conscience, but only Commissions to assist the Conscientious, not that we have (says he to the Corinthians) Dominion over your Faith, but are helpers of your Joy, therein exactly observing the Orders which Christ gave to his Apostles, Go and Teach, not Compel, and if any one receive you not shake off the Dust of your Feet, not trample upon them, as dust under feet, Mat. 10 14. constant to which Doctrine of Meekness our Saviour thus instructs his Disciples, Mat. 23.9. Be not called Rabbi (that is Masters in spiritual matters) for one is your Father, even Christ, and all you are Brethren. To this belongs the patiented forbearing the Tares, and letting them grow together with the Wheat, till the time of Harvest, as also that admirable precedent of mildness towards the Samaritans, who refused to receive even Christ himself, whereupon the Disciples James and John would immediately command fire from Heaven to consume them, as in the days of Elias, but our merciful Lord rebuked their zeal, with this sweet and tender reply, you know not what manner of Spirit you are of, The son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them, Luke 9.54. which one example abundantly satisfies all objections drawn from the practice of Elias, Jehu the Sons of Levi, etc. in the old Testament for us, they had an express command from God to warrant their zeal, we have an express Warrant from Christ to command us Meekness. If any one shall shuffle in a suspicion, that this moderate temper was meant only for the times of persecution, when the Christians had no temporal power, let him first confess that those were the best and purest times, and then show a Warrant dormant under our Saviour's hand (that is in his Gospel) to commissionate his Disciples, as soon as they should get the sword into their hands, to cut the Throats of all dissobeyers and I submit, but if they can cite no such Authority, let them freely acknowledge that Persecution for Conscience is an unwarrantable Tyranny over the just Privileges and Liberty of a Christian.  
As for the truth and power of Religion, it being a thing  between God and the Soul, and the matters of Faith in the Gospel being such as no natural light doth reach unto, we conceive there is no human power of Coercion thereunto, nor to restrain men from believing what God suffers their judgements to be persuaded off, for it is the Office of him who is the Lord of Conscience, to lighten and change men's minds, when and how he pleaseth, Phil. 3 15. Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded, and if in any thing you be otherwise minded, God shall reveal this unto you, by inciting another by like forcible means, to Will and to Act against his conscience, and much more by Imprisonment, Mults, Terrors or Threats, Rom. 14.15, 20, 21. For this is to make him destroy his Soul, Verse 20, 23. We may not disturb the peace of men's Consciences, or make their hearts sad with our invectives, or Menacing them causelessly with terrors, from the Lord. Ezek. 13.22. Because with lies ye have made the hearts of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, etc.  
We would not have you assure to yourselves, or attribute unto others, a power to Lord it over men's Faith and Consciences, especially when men walk obediently towards those that are in places of Rule and Authority, and live a Godly, Sober, Honest peaceable and unblameable life. If men will do wickedly and defend a liberty in Christ so to do, let them be liable to the sword of Justice for so doing, but far be it from us, so much as by example, to draw a weak Brother, a Saint, a Fellow Servant of the Lord, whom no Man can accuse, but for his differing judgements, to do any thing against conscience, whereby he should condemn himself, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 14. How much more ought Governors to be tender and abstemious in the use of violent and coercive Means, to precipitate men into such perilous and destructive courses, all authority is given of God for men's welfare, and much more for the Preservation, and not the Destruction of the soul.  
By these considerations (I conceive) is clearly demonstrated, the freedom of a Christian soul in her commerce for Heaven, which since the merciful bounty of God, holds forth indifferently to all, the cruel covetousness of Man, ought not to obstruct to any, surely it is the worst of Monopolies to lay impositions upon the way of Paradise; Christ by his death removed the Angel, that chased from thence our first Parents, and shall any of us take the flaming Sword into our hands, to sheathe it in the bowels of a poor Pilgrim, who with a sincere heart travels to the same Country, only because he goes not in our Company: In my Father's house are many Mansions (says Christ) why may there not be as many paths that lead to them, if they that have no Law shall be judged without the Law, certainly they that unblamably mistake the Law shall be tried according to those Expositions which appeared unto them, to be the meaning of the Lawgiver (for the Sense is the Law, and not the Letter) especially having so gracious a Judge, who hath already declared by his Apostle, 2 Cor. 8.12. and if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what a Man hath, and not according to what a Man hath not; wherefore let us not by a sudden violence break into pieces the Consciences of our Brethren, but mildly thaw them into a cordial and ingenuous Unity, that righteousness and peace may flow together in the same Channel, and not as broken Ice dash one against another, let us patiently expect, till the Lord be pleased to take off the Veil from their hearts that are otherwise minded, and not by forcing their Judgements add to their Veil of Ignorance a worse fort of Hypocrisy, it being now a common experiment that generally, the Issue of compulsionary and forced Conformity closes in this, to make some few counterfeit Protestants, and a great many real Atheists, whence it is clearly concluded, that the only true means of winning Souls to God, is the Gospell-like way of meekness and persuasion, and indeed it may worthily be esteemed the prime Miracle of Christianity, that a person so humble as our Saviour appeared, without the assistance of Kings and Princes, without the enchanting words of Man's Wisdom, without the affrighting threats of Fines, Imprisonments and Deaths (though all these were absolutely subject to his pleasure) should conquer Powers and Principalities, should outcharm the Magic of Human Eloquence, and by the admirable Success of his Mildness, condemn all those politic Religions, that confess their own craziness by using cruelty to support them, whereas to reduce the disobedient only with the Spirit of Gentleness and Admonition, or at most desertion, argues indeed a Divinity in the Author and a purity in the Ordinance, and here we may fitly apply the words of our Lord, John 14.2. If it had been otherwise, I would have told you, if the means of preserving Religion had been by watering it with the blood of refusers to embrace it, rather than of those that sought to propagate it, I would have told you either by my example (all the world being in the power of my Deity) or by my Doctrine, all justifiable proceed concerning the Government of my flock, being derived from the Warrant of my Word; thus we see our gracious Lawmaker, faithful and constant to his own Principles, the Son of man came not to destroy men's Lives, but to save them: Thus we see our own Duty to learn of him, for he is meek and humble of heart, let us not therefore judge one another any more, but use our Judgement rather in this, that no man put an occasion to fall, or a stumbling block before his Brother, Rom. 14.13. Let us always remember the Advertisement which the beloved Disciple gives to all his Fellow Servants of the Lord Christ, John 13 16. The Servant is not greater than his Lord, if you know these things happy are you, if you do them.  
These few unpolisht Lines, which I here present for Encouragement of Tenderness, I desire may not be stretched to draw in a wild and an extravagant Licentiousness, since they aim no farther than to hold up a Liberty to such only as profess Christ, and walk before the Lord in the Integrity of their heart, who by the following marks are easily discernible from all those that for their blasphemies in Doctrines, and Debauchery in manners are worthily excluded from the benefit of this Indulgence.  
Supposing first as confessed by all understanding men, that Tenderness of Conscience is not the same thing with Truth of Judgement (else there could be but one only kind, because Truth is but one) but it signifies a proceeding bonafide, without sinister respects or dissimulation, seeking before all things to know God, and fearing above all things to offend him.  
And secondly since in our Inquiry to whom belongs so honourable a Title, we cannot pierce into the inward thoughts of men, we must give Sentence as they appear to us, which rule in Cases of this quality is in itself sufficiently certain, however it is the only means God hath allowed for nature to guide her resolutions in the judging of others.  
The Signs then of tender Consciences are these; if they lead regular, virtuous and peaceable Lives, if their Opinions be not justly accusable of self-interest or Licentiousness, but rather require of them a prudent and religious severity against the Inclinations of corrupted Nature, if their Judgements be steady, not fanned to a new Sense with every breath of wind, if they continue in the same persuasions at their death, which is no time for dissembling, at least we ought to judge so, if they not only die in their Faith, but for it, not only give away good part of their Estates charitably, but suffer all to be taken away patiently, and all this for Christ's sake, or (to speak more closely) for that which they believe to be his Will and Commandment, no higher Testimony of a true and real Sincerity can possibly be given, or easily imagined, and whosoever doubts after such Evidence (chief if many concur in the same way) deserves to be condemned, as the most passionate, malicious and uncharitable person in the World, for though one man may value his fancy above his Life or estate, yet it is very near an absolute Impossibility, that many (especially if they be discreet and rational in other Negotions) should agree to undo themselves for a mere conceit, did they not seriously believe it more imports them to keep their Faith, than lose their Fortunes.  
By these Rules we may easily conclude the admission of those pious and religious Persons, who were imprisoned and persecuted by the late Prelates, who into the number of tender Consciences, as also those precious Servants of the Lord, who by a voluntary banishment left their Friends and Country, to place the Liberty of the Gospel amongst the savage Heathens of America.  
How are we degenerated from the primitive Believers, who would rather have given their own Lives, to persuade their Enemies to Piety, than sought to take away the Lives of their Brethren, to force them to Hypocrisy.  
Which have been occasioned by infringing the Liberty of Conscience, by violent means to alter Conscientious men's Judgements, and their present persuasion, which kind of severity I fear may at last find the Truth of Gods Threatening, if you by't and devour one another take heed you be not consumed one of another, Gal. 5.15. Wherefore it shall be my daily Prayer to our great and good God, that he would graciously inspire the Governors of the Earth, his Servants, who now sit at the helm to prevent those heavy Judgements upon themselves, and seriously considering that both their Allegiance to reason, their Duty to God, their Engagement to their own Principles, call so loudly upon them, that they would fulfil now our Joy, and complete the good Work, by putting the tender Conscioned and peaceable minded people of this Nation into a Condition of perfect security for matters of Religion, which cannot be effected without a general Act of Conscience-Indempnity, for all that profess the Gospel of Christ.  
For encouragement of which Holy design, out of the bowels of Mercy, I have endeavoured in this short Discourse to demonstrate, That Persecution of Conscience amongst Christians, is clearly repugnant to the Light of Nature, the Law of God, and the Evidence of our own Principles.  
FINIS.