An Answer BY AN ANABAPTIST TO THE Three Considerations Proposed to Mr William Penn, By a pretended BAPTIST, CONCERNING A MAGNA CHARTA FOR Liberty of Conscience.  
Allowed to be Published this 10th Day of September, 1688.  
LONDON, Printed and Sold, by Andrew Sowle at the Three Keys, in Nags-Head-Court, in Grace-Church-Street, over-against the Conduit, 1688.   

An Answer BY AN ANABAPTIST TO THE Three Considerations etc.  
YOU desire, All your Dissenting Brethren to Consider, and then Answer.  
〈◊〉 have Considered, but I cannot tell ●ther you suppose all Dissenters are 〈◊〉 Brethren, or that all are your ●●hren who descent from you. If first, It seems probable to me, you have been either Educated in ●ange Soil, or have forgotten 〈◊〉 Brothers Dialect; so that I can●● discern, that you are any other●● a Baptist then only in Masquerade, therefore am shy of owning the ●●tion: But if all that descent 〈◊〉 you, must therefore be reckoned 〈◊〉 Brethren, than I am in that ●●ber, and because I think Mr Penn not have so much leisure as my at present to attend upon your ●●es, I intent to be in the first Rank your Respondents.  
I consider also that though you have proposed but Three Considerations, yet you have bolted out a Mulitude of Questions, which administer an occasion for as many more to be retorted.  
To your first Question, Then; What Validity or Security can any pretended or designed future New Law or Charter have, when we see so many of the present Laws we already have, may be, and are by the Dispensing Power Dispensed with?  
So many of the present Laws— The Grievance then with you may lie rather in the Number, than in the Dispensing Power. His Majesty might with your leave perhaps have dispensed with some Persons, and some Penalties too, but not with so many altogether.  
One would think by that you would not have Quarrelled at the Dispensing Four, though the Act for levying Twelve Pence a Week had never been Prosecuted, so as the Twenty Pound a Month had been Levied, nor if the Conventicle Act had been Dispensed with, so as the Thirty fifth of Queen Elizabeth had been rigorously Executed.  
I cannot tell how many, but all the Laws that are Dispensed with, are Penal Laws of a like nature for matters Ecclesiastical: Uniformity, Sacraments, Oaths and Tests are the Subject of them all. If this be your Grief, you must be either a Conforming Baptist, or such a strange sort of a Baptist, as in my Forty Years Conversation among them I have never met with.  
But to come more close to your Question, What Validity can a New Law have, seeing so many of these we have already are Dispensed with?  
I Answer with a like Interrogation, I grant that the King may do what his Royal Pleasure is with his own, Does it thereupon follow, that He may do so likewise with what is mine? If I acckowledge and thankfully accept His Dispensing with a Penalty, to which I am Obnoxious, because I take a Liberty in matters of mere Religion, which I am not allowed by Statute Laws, Is it of necessry consequence that I therein acknowledge He may also impose a Fine upon me for lawfully using a Liberty when granted to me by Law?  
It's hoped the designed New Charter for Repeal of such Penal Laws as are inconsistent with the Doctrines of Christianity, will according to His Majesty's Declaration, both maintain the National Religion, as it is now 〈◊〉 established by Law, and provides 〈◊〉 such a Christian Liberty as may s● Ease and Secure the Consciences, P●●sons and Properties of all that 〈◊〉 Live Soberly, Righteously and God in this present Age, whether they 〈◊〉 Conformists or Non-conformists 〈◊〉 the National Religion. And a G●●● remains valid, though a Penalty may 〈◊〉 dispensed with.  
But what if the New Law 〈◊〉 have no more Validity or Sec●●● then these Old Ones that are D●●●sed with? The Dissenters will 〈◊〉 be in so much a better Case by a New Law, as that they will then be Se●●● by Law, whereas till that be done, 〈◊〉 are always subject to be Ruined 〈◊〉 colour of Law. But why are you Querulous at the Dispensing Po●● in this particular case wherein it Exercised? The King declares his Opinion, That Conscience ought not 〈◊〉 constrained, nor People forced in m●●● of mere Religion. This Principle the ground of his Dispensation. H●● you not lately observed, T●●t d●● Gentlemen, who being in Comm●●● would not Execute these ●●r● L●●● and were therefore for a s●as●● 〈◊〉 aside, are now returned again 〈◊〉 their former Stations, with R●●●on, and the Love of their ●●●bours? Have you not Re●● the Apiology for the Church of England 〈◊〉 relation to the Spirit of Pers●●●● for which she is accused? How 〈◊〉 former Errors are ext●●●ed by 〈◊〉 stances, pag. 4. That ●ho t●● 〈◊〉 Parliament) of the Church of 〈◊〉 did not perform what 〈…〉 missed by some Leading M●●● ●●ters (in procuring them a Bill of yet there was little or nothing against them for about Nine 〈◊〉; but they had their Meetings al●● as publicly & as regularly as the ●●●h of England had their Churches. ●●ou not remember a Vote of the 〈◊〉 of Commons in 1680. whereby it Resolved, That the Prosecution of ●●stant Dissenters upon the Penal 〈◊〉 was at that time Grievous to the ●●●ct.  
●●all the Justices that did not Exe●●● these Laws gain Esteem by it? the Church of England excuse her from the charge of Severity by not Executing these Laws for 〈◊〉 Years together? Shall the Com●●● in Parliament Vote the Execution ●●em a Grievance? And may not King extend his Compassion to●●ds his Dissenting Subjects, and say shall not be Executed? To make a signal Act of Grace the ground groundless Jealousy, and cause Contention, to say no worse of it) ●●ghly Disingenuous, and discovers ●●●ry froward and perverse Dispo●●n: But let us consider your next 〈◊〉 of Questions.  
Have we, or can we have any higher ●●er here in England then King, ●●ds and Commons in Parliament As●●led? The Laws that are now Dispen●●● with, and rendered useless, were they made by that Power? Can your New ●●rter be made by any higher or other ●●er? Do you think there is any Tempo●● Spiritual Power here in England a●●● the Dispensing Power? And can you 〈◊〉 it appear to us? To these Questi●●● you desire Mr Penn would let his Brethren and you know his Mind honestly.  
In his stead I Answer, We have no Law Makers, but King, Lords and Commons in Parliament Assembled, but yet we are in England, as well as in other parts of the World, under a Law to God, and thereby each Man is obliged to preserve within his own Breast the Answer of a good Conscience, from which no Law of King, Lords and Commons can absolve him; and hence it is that we have many Fundamental Maxims of Law grounded upon the Law of God, and common Reason of Mankind, as well respecting the Sovereign's Prerogative, as the Right of the Subject, not written in Acts of Parliament, but in their Nature so invariable, That (as our Lawyers tell us) Acts of Parliament made against them are void in themselves. And if this Opinion be true, these Fundamental Maxims of Law, whether in Spirituals or Temporals, though they may be for a season by a particular Act of Parliament interrupted, they are not thereby vacated, but still retained, and will at one time or other again discover their Vigour. Acts not contradictory to these Fundamental Laws may be useful for a season, but not having that innate Stability as Fundamental Maxims have, may afterwards become useless, improper and grievous to be put in Execution; hence those common distinctions between Malum in se, & malum prohibitum. And subsequent thereto, in many cases a power or no power of Dispensing, That which is unlawful in itself to be done, as Murder, Th●ft, Trespass, and the like, cannot be made lawful by any Law or Dispensation whatsoever. That which is lawful in itself, but becomes unlawful, because prohibited by a particular Statute, may be Dispensed with, so as no particular Person be Damnified by that Dispensation, and not otherwise. Among the many Vicissitudes of Succession to the Crown, between the two Houses of York and Lancaster, Do you think there were no Laws in being, made in the Reign of a King of one of these Branches (in Fact) dispensed with by his Successor of the other Branch, till they came to be Repealed in Parliament? Were the Oaths of Fidelity and Obedience made to the Line Interrupted, required to be taken by all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, and other Officers Commissionated by the other Line which succeeded, until they were Repealed in Parliament? In the various changes of the National Religion, between the Reigns of King Henry the the Eighth and Queen Elizabeth, were all Penalties imposed by Laws respecting Religion, exacted without any Relax or Suspension, till those Laws were Abrogated in Parliament. In the first Year of King Henry the Fourth a whole Parliament held in the Twenty first of Richard the Second was Repealed: In one of which Laws then made, divers Pains of Treason were ordained, whereby, as the Act of Repeal says, No Man did know how he ought to behave himself to Do, Speak or Say for doubt of such Pain; and if that Law had been Religiously observed till the moment of its Repeal It could never have been repealed. In the Second Year of Richard the Third, a Statute made in the First of the said King was Dispensed with by Proclamation. 
Vaugh●● 〈◊〉 pag. 353▪  Now I would gladly hear wh●● cause my pretended Brother Bap●● has to Quarrel at his present Maje●●● gracious Dispensing with Laws in●●●ing Temporal Penalties for Ecclesiatical Matters, and rendering then use● less for the present, in that respe●● only, till they can be Repealed Parliament. And wherein the exceed of this Dispensing Power has exce●●ed what has been in Fact done by 〈◊〉 Royal Predecessors, and admitted may be lawfully done by our greatest Lawyers. But to proceed,  
Shall your New Charter have a Pexity inserted to be inflicted on the Infringe● or Breakers of it or no? If not, W●● will your New Charter signify? N●● three skips of a Louse: And if it 〈◊〉 a Penalty, Cannot any King by his Prerogative and Authority Royal Dispense 〈◊〉 the Penalty? And what will it sign●●● then?  
This pretended Baptist's Resolution of the first of these Questions is 〈◊〉 Weak as it is Idle, and both that an● the others, may receive a satisfactory Answer.  
Such a New Charta as is desired, i● no Penalty be annexed, may be very significant in many respects, (1) 〈◊〉 may be materially good and oblig●●, to Obedience by its innate Virtue, o●● pain of Condemnation by the Divin●● Law; and in that respect of greater signification, and much more desirable than such Laws as are materially ●●d, and cannot be obeyed without Brea●● of a Law of God. (2) This Ne●●●●●●ter may, without annexing any guiltless, Repeal all those Penalties, 〈◊〉 which Persons are compelled to ●●rm Acts of Divine Worship, ●●ary to their Understanding, 〈◊〉, and a Good Conscience, and put 〈◊〉 of the Power of any Dispensa●●●●o revive those Laws, or to im●● Penalties of the like kind. (3) 〈◊〉 a New Law may without any Pe●●s by its simple Declarations put ●●e to that, which is now unreally made the ground of all our ●ests, and confirm to us all those 〈◊〉 by which our Liberties and ●●rties are preserved.  
〈◊〉 presuming it may also have Pe●● inserted to be inflicted on the ●●gers or Breakers of it, These ●●e so qualified as not to be Dis●● with; (if under the colour ●●●f evil minded Men do not prac●●on the Sovereign Power: For 〈◊〉 a case, if the Sovereign Power 〈◊〉 Dispense with the Penalty of a 〈◊〉 Laws, it may be divested of such 〈◊〉 as are necessary for its own Pre●●on, (but in any ordinary case, if ●●rson or Body Corporate receive ●●lar Damage by the breach of New Law, He or They may if the ●●tors please, be Entitled to a ●●lar Action by the same Law, and recover Damages against the Breakers of it, 
〈◊〉 Rep. 〈◊〉, 342.  at the King's Suit, by ●●ent, or Presentment, or by a 〈◊〉 Action, with which the King 〈◊〉 Dispense.  
〈◊〉 Instance you give, to put us ●f Doubt, in Mr Langhornes 〈◊〉, touching the Kings Right in Dispensing with Penal Laws, I shall not Repeat, but only observe, That the Opinion you cite (however you may do it in scorn) carries such an Evidence in it for a Dispensing Power (not in ordinary Cases, as that Author has well observed) but upon extraordinary Occasions, when the King in his Wisdom shall find it necessary, as calls for more Cunning than I yet perceive in you, to raise any material Objection against it.  
Qu. Now where is the assurance then of Mr Penn's New Charter?  
Ans. Our Assurance will lie not only in the Authority of the Legislators, equal to any other Law, but also in the Authority of the Matter, which will command an Assent in every Man's Conscience assoon as he reads it, Not to do that to another, which he would not have done to himself. Our Assurance will be in our Love and Affection One towards Another, as Neighbours concerned to promote the common Interest of the Realm. In the Watchfulness of all Parties against any one particular Faction, if any such should rise up, and attempt to in thrall the Consciences of all the rest, in our thankful and dutiful Behaviour towards our Sovereign for breaking off those intolerable Yokes we could not bear, and setting us upon such a lasting Foundation, both for our Civil and Religious Liberties, as with a discreet. Care and Managemant of them may remain firm to Perpetuity.  
Qu. But who can tell what King we may have after our present Sovereign whether so merciful, or so just? Or what Sheriff's the next King may choose, and what Returns of Parliament Men they may make? For you know the Forfeiture on the Sheriffs making a false Return is no great matter, and cannot a King pardon it by his Dispensing Power or Authority Royal? What will, nay what can your n●w Charter then signify, when it either is or may be, (according to your own Doctrine) Invalidated, Disannlled, or Annihilated in an instant.  
Ans. If there should be raised by my Querest, or any other like him, such a perverse Spirit and behaviour in any Party of Men, as to prevent the Nations selted enjoyment of these Privileges we now have as Men and Christians, by his Majesty's Prudence, Justice and Clemency, who can tell (indeed) what the sad Consequences of it may be? But if Duty, Reason and common Interest prevail, here is nothing offered that should cause any Man to slack his utmost diligence and endeavours to arrive at the Settlement proposed by a New Charter. For what do these Queries tend to, or what of any weight do they contain? For,  
First, Does William Penn, or any party of Dissenters propose any such Methods to be pursued, as may advance Prerogative to that degree, as to Invalidate, or Annihilate all our Laws?  
Secondly, Is not the National Religion, as it is Styled in 〈◊〉 first place to be maintain●● 〈◊〉 as well secured, as any 〈◊〉 new Law can make it with 〈◊〉 a Liberty for consi●●cion, D●●ters from it in the worth●● 〈◊〉 (Expl●●ing of all Li●●●ness) as may free th●● 〈◊〉 future inconveniency upon 〈◊〉 of Religion.  
Thirdly, Is any thing 〈◊〉 that by a new Cha●ter, 〈◊〉 power should be given to 〈…〉 for choosing of Sheriffs, tha● he has, or that the penalties a Sheriffs making false 〈◊〉 shall be less than now they 〈◊〉 or any thing else to return Case worse than it is.  
You take it for granted, I 〈◊〉 which I do not know, nor you● neither, as I suppose, that the 〈◊〉 Forfeiture, who shall make a 〈◊〉 turn is no great matter, or that the King can pardon, or di●●●● with. The Case of S● Sam●●nardiston wherein he had a Ver●●● Eight Hundred pounds' damage against a Sheriff for a false Return inform you otherwise; and ●●●●ly a new Charter will not ma●● Penal then now it is, but if it 〈◊〉 ever happen, notwithstanding Charter, as it has heretofore ●ap●● notwithstanding our old Charter, 〈◊〉 Knights and Burgesses should 〈◊〉 duly chosen; the same Fa●e ●●●tend such a Parliament, as di●● of 38 H. 6.  
●ow come to your second Con●●●●on, wherein you pray Mr 〈◊〉 to consider, What his New ●●●ter can signify, so long as there High Commission Court, or a high mission for Ecclesiastical Affairs 〈◊〉? Cannot those Commissioners 〈◊〉 any of your and our Preachers, ●●hers, or Ministers to Task when ●●●se? Cannot they, when they 〈◊〉 a mind to it, suspend Mr Pen, ●●●corge Whitehead, Mr Alsop, throb, Mr Mead, or Mr Bowyer, 〈◊〉 as the Bishop of London, etc. ●ot the Court when they will; or 〈◊〉 think fit, or be commanded, sus●●● silence or forbid any or all the ●●●ing Ministers to Preach any 〈◊〉 in their Meetings, if they will 〈◊〉 Read any Declaration or Order 〈◊〉 ever, that the King shall set forth require them to Read? Remember Magdalen College Men; Re●●ber also that sauce for a Goose is ●ay be sauce for a Gander.  
●●s. The case of Magdalen Col●●●● is published at large, you may ●●d it if you please, and Answer 〈◊〉 you can, especially the para●ase in Edward's the Sixth time. 〈◊〉 pray what is that to a New ●●●ter? If wrong Judgement was ●●●n by the Court (as you per●●●s suppose) in that case, do you ●●●e no difference between Dis●●●ing with a Law, and wrong ●●●gment given against a Law (if 〈◊〉 such should be) in Westminster 〈◊〉 or the Ecclesiastical Court.  
●f the Dissenters you name, or you who pretend to be a Baptist, be of the Clergy of England in the Eye of the Law, and hold Ecclesiastical Affairs and Benefits, they or you may for Mis-behaviour be suspended from them by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. But why do you fancy that a New Charter (by which it is expected that Penalties for matters of mere Religion will be repealed) should be made to signify nothing, by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners which now are; I can easily foresee that a New Charter may make that Commission in the cases you mention to signify nothing; but I cannot imagine how that Commission should make a New Charter insignificant. As to the silencing of Dissenting Ministers, its evident as the Law now is, their reading or not reading the King's Declaration in their Meetings will not prevent it, if the King withdraw his Favour, nor is there any cause to give the Ecclesiastical Commissioners any trouble about them; for as the Laws now are there are other Ecclesiastical Courts, which with the aid of the Justices at their Sessions are sufficiently empowered to Censure, Fine, Imprison, Banish or Hang them for their Nonconformity to the Religion Established by Law.  
You exhort us to see before we Leap, whether the Words in the Orders set forth in the Gazett, for contempt of his Majesty's Authority will run no further then just Mr Penn will have it. And ask, Can he stop the Current of it when he pleases? and says, If he could, we are not sure he would; for formerly he had no great kindness (we know) for us Baptists and other Dissenters, and if he could and would we are not sure of his Life, how long; therefore it will be the greatest piece of Weakness and Folly in the World for us to Dance after his and the Jesuits Pipe alone, contrary both to all common Sense and Reason, and our own general Interest.  
Ans. How do you make out your Inference, That to do as you say is the greatest piece of Weakness and Folly? I take it to be altogether as great folly to Dance after your Pipe in Company, contrary to common Sense, Reason and Interest, as after Mr Penn and the Jesuits alone; surely in this you take the Dissenters to be very forgetful of what their Senses so lately testified, when under the feeling Prosecution of Penal Laws, and to be unreasonably ignorant of their Interest in desiring those Penal Laws may be Repealed in Parliament, and a due Liberty of Conscience Established in their room. But for what cause do you reflect upon Mr Penn? I take it as a certain Evidence, that all Pamphlets on this Subject, that are interlaced with personal Reflections asserted on Surmises, without proof, are designed to promote Factions Dissensions, rather than to Unite in one common Interest, and heal our uncharitable Divisions. I have known Mr Penn for many Years, and have been credibly informed by others, that from his Age of Seventeen Years he has been an ●●mate Associate with the most ●●●nent of Dissenters, that when 〈◊〉 was of Christ Church College in Oxford, he was fined for his 〈◊〉 from the Religious Ceremonies 〈◊〉 the College: He suffered 〈◊〉 Hardships in his Father's Family 〈◊〉 that account, has been a con●●●● Advocate these Twenty Years 〈◊〉 the Liberty we enjoy and hope 〈◊〉 to have confirmed: I have 〈◊〉 of many good Offices he has 〈◊〉 at Court, both for Dissen●●● Conformists; & that he has imp●●●●● that Favour which has been 〈◊〉 him by his Prince, both before 〈◊〉 since his Ascending to the Th●●● for the Benefit and not to the 〈◊〉 judice of others: I have not 〈◊〉 of any rich Presents or Rew●●● that have been given or required any of his Services, or any ●●ployments he seeks or accepts 〈◊〉 How his plead for Liberty Conscience has or can tend to 〈◊〉 improvement of his Revenues, 〈◊〉 cannot apprehend neither; therefore if you will free your 〈◊〉 from the suspicion of an ill 〈◊〉 sign, and a groundless Aspe●●● though Mr Penn may be no Friend such pretended Baptists and now Dissenters as you are; its incu●●● on you to show wherein he has ●●●nifested that he had formerly great Kindness for those that really such upon this account.  
I pass by your trifling about enlarging or limiting Authority the power or will, length or ●●●ness of Mr Penn's Life, and pro●●● Thirdly, To consider above all what ●●●ity or Validity this New Charter ●●be of, when there is a standing Ar●●● kept on Foot? Whether Guns will 〈◊〉 Reason, or Dragoons mind Chart●●● or Arguments? your reference to 〈◊〉 practice in France, if we are not evangely Infatuated and given up to ●●n and Destruction; your Query ●●ether their Carriage and Quartering ●●ll agree with a New Charter for liberty, and if Mr Penn be a Friend 〈◊〉 Liberty for Liberty's sake, you de●●●●e an honest, clear nnd satisfactory Answer to these Three Points.  
In Mr Penn's stead give me leave ●t present to return you an answer, ●y ask you some Questions; Is the Western Rebellion, slipped out of your mind? Was there no occasion given for multiplying Dragoons? Is Sovereign Power so limited by our Laws, as that it cannot make use of such means as are of apparent and absolute necessity for its own preservation? Did you ever know of any Army wherein no dissorders were committed in their Marches, or Quarterning? Are our Dragoons without any discipline, for reforming or punishing abuses when they are complained of?  
Do you, and such as follow your Examples, take a right course to avoid such mischiefs, being done in England by Dragoons, as are committed in France? I am as far from defending any of their disorders, or desiring their continuance longer than needs must, as I am from believing you to be a Baptist.  
But sure I am, whatever you are, your Reasoning are very unfavory, and unsafe, tending to fasten us under that Bondage, you seemingly advise us to avoid; for to deal plainly and honestly with you, (as you desire Mr Penn to do) I see no way to escape the dissorders that are either felt or feared, but by giving His Majesty full satisfaction, not only of our Fidelity, but of our Affection also to his Person and Government, in complying with what he shall propose, for maintenance of the National Religion, and all the possessions of the Clergy, as Established by Law, and abolishing all such Penalties for Nonconformity to the National Religion, as may be found inconsistent with the common Right and Reason of Mankind, Doctrines of Christianity and Interest of England.  
I shall now consider your closing points (1) In the mean time it appears to be highly the Duty of all Men as well Dissenters as others, who have Votes in choosing Parliament-Men, above all to choose such Faithful Patriots as will take care of these things already hinted, and others that may be brought before them; that our Liberties, our Laws, and our Lives may be preserved from ill designing Men, and from future Quo Warrantoes, and all the high Violators and Infringers thereof called to account, and justly punished; this will well become them, and secure us, more than any titular Charter whatsoever.  
If you had only advised the choosing Faithful Patriots for Parliament-Men, without cutting out their Work, your advice might have been sound; or if you had only looked forwards that our Liberties, and our Lives might be preserved from ill designing Men; and our Laws so settled, that all good Subjects may equally share in the benefit of them; your Advice might have been seasonable; for it is evident that our Circumstances require as wise and moderate Men, experienced in civil and Religious affairs, as every Parliament in England did; and if the Nation be blessed with such a Choice in the next Parliament, all sober persons, may by their wise Counsels be out of fear of suffering Prejudice by future accidents of State: But at this juncture to talk of calling to an Account, and punishing all such as you may reckon high Violators and Infringers of our Laws and Liberties is very unseasonable: Pray tell us since you undertake to Chalk out the way for a Parliament, and propose the Work you would have done by them, how far they are to look back, and where and with what sort of Men you would have them begin; with such of the Clergy, or of the Lawyers, as were the first Advancers of Prerogative above your measures; or with the Dissenters for thankfully accepting the King's Indulgence, and making use of the Liberty he has been pleaed to grant in their peaceable and Religious Assemblies? after so many Convulsions in the State, Pl●●●● and Counterplots as we have known in our Age. The same things to be liable to Penalties 〈◊〉 one season, which at another time have been marks of the greatest Loyalty; sober Men cannot but think it is high time to adhere to, and pursue those Royal Methods, that have been with good success begun, and are proposed to be ●●tled on terms of lasting security and Peace.  
If the Case should be proposed to any Assembly (your self being in the company) in reference to any Man that you can mark out as it was by the Jews, in reference to the Adulteress before our Saviour, That he who is without Fault should cast the first Stone, your supposed Criminal might escape by the Assemblies going out one by one, from the Eldest to the last convict in their own Consciences; and if you should have the confidence to stay behind the rest, it might be no good evidence of an awakened Conscience; but if Peacemakers have singular marks of favour always attending them, certainly such worthy Patriots as at this season shall be found in that Work, repairing our Breaches, healing our Divisions, settling our Civil and Religious concerns, that whoever will conscientiously discharge his duty to God, his King and his Neighbour, may not only enjoy Peace and Truth in his Days, but leave it on like terms as a Blessing 〈◊〉 his Posterity, will deserve the ●●est marks of favour from all ●●●d Men, and may therein also ●●●est a Blessing from Heaven.  
Liberty, say you, is indeed a Fine ●●●d, but Remember Brethren what Apostle Peter hath told us, That 〈◊〉 there were, that while 〈◊〉 promise them Liberty they ●●●●selves are the Servants of ●●ruption? And Observe what ●●ws; For of whom [a Man is 〈◊〉 ●ome, of the same he is ●●ght in Bondage, And then 〈◊〉 ask (I suppose Mr. Penn or my 〈◊〉 How Do You. How will you 〈◊〉 that Word?  
Answer, I like it as part of Holy 〈◊〉, Teaching me (1) Not to ●●e that Liberty whereunto I am ●●ed by the Gospel, (2) To prise 〈◊〉 Liberty in the Gospel which is divulged me by my Sovereign and promote what in me lies, the ●blishing of it by a New Charter (●) Not to hearken to you, or any, ●●●th perhaps did never feel the 〈◊〉 of this Liberty, and would guide me of it, by talking of Lilies of another Sort which signi●●● nothing to me or any other Con●●tious Dissenters, if we be depri●●● of this (4) as inducing me 〈◊〉 the better understanding of the 〈◊〉 you cite) to consider the Con●●● by which I am cautioned not ●●●●ken to any such, as promise Liberty, who are themselves 〈◊〉 by, and in Bondage to their own Fleshly poluting Lusts, (5) as instructing me by certain Characters to discern what sort of Person● they are who (by enticing Words would beguile me of my Liberty: chief such as despise Government, are Presumptuous, and not afraid to speak Evil of Dignities: And with this short Paraphrase, I may after your Example, ask, How do You; Or how will you like that word?  
In this I agree with what you say, The Name of Liberty signifies nothing without the Substance. And that which the Dissenters desire and endeavour after, is that such a Liberty may be obtained, and secured by a New Charter to Perpetuity as is substantial: But in this we may differ, if you think a present Liberty signifies nothing, for it is now, and will be at all times, so long as we can enjoy it, the present comfort of our Lives, and of so great value, that I think he that has felt the want of it, will not easily be enticed to make a Forfeiture of his present Liberty, by taking any such course as you steer to Secure Penal Laws for Coercion of Conscience under the Name of Substantial and English Liberties, If these Penal Laws be the Goose you advise us not to part with for sticking down a Feather; and t●e Bird in the Hand, I cannot Guess how you came to be a Baptist; sure I am you do not show yourself in the Colours of an English Anabaptist, for your course tends to the binding of Heavy Burdens on their and other Dissenters Shoulders, which its most likely you never did, nor will touch with one of your Fingers.  
You exhort us, To be of one mind as Brethren, to let Brotherly Love and Charity continue, and tell us, nothing will save us but Union. Pray take your part in the Exhortation let Brotherly Love have a beginning (for I fear that is not yet settled between us) and then I doubt not but the profitable Experience of the Exercise of it will give it a continuance; If you are for uniting, be content to part with those Offensive Weapons that have caused our divisions, let our Civil Liberties as Men, and our Religious Liberties as Christians be settled upon sure Foundations, let temporal penalties, for descent in ●●rituals be set aside, and the 〈◊〉 Names of Sedition, Felony Tru●● be servered from such things as 〈◊〉 in no manner offensive to the ●●vil Government, but mere Opinion and peaceable Exercises subsequent in matters of Religion. Let 〈◊〉 learn to be kindly affectionate 〈◊〉 Compassionate as Men and ●●●bours ought to be one to 〈◊〉 whether True Believers, Mu●●● or unbelievers and then the●● be no ground to fear that the eruptions or projects of Rome, Ca●●va, France, Holland, or any 〈◊〉 else should ever dis-unite 〈◊〉 be able to gain any advantage attempting to sow amongst 〈◊〉 Seeds of Dissension.  
FINIS.