■ 
 
 is 
 
 
—" » ■>< 
 
 T O T H E 
 
 &rc£ of England, "Roman Catholic!^ and 
 Trotefttnt T>i/enterl 
 
 la which ic is endeavoured co be made appea? 
 that it is their 
 
 Duty, Principles & Intereft 
 
 To aboliflb the 
 
 %Mi Tacifici, 
 
 !i 
 
 
 
 licenced June the 30th 1687. 
 
 LONDON , 
 iatcd, and Sold, by AvirevSomle, at tha Cr^hi^ilktvx 
 khhtt/ty-Lxne in Shorediteb, and at thj T£re* A^/ in 
 Nags-HedJrCfivrt ia Graee-Ch»rcb-Stnet* ov^ 
 
 ~~:~n. ^\ i^L— l. 
 
P " ■* 
 
 THE 
 
 ?'REFACF. 
 
 Reader, 
 
 matter who, but what ; and 
 
 jet, if thou muU/l v knqw the Au- 
 
 ,1 J ■ Q T-rL 
 
 thor> be is, an EngJifh-man, and 
 
 therefore obliged to this Country ', and the Laws 
 that made hmP-Free. \ 
 
 'That fingle Con/i 'deration were enough to 
 tommand this Vndertafyng 5 for *tis to per- 
 (wade his Country Men to be delivered of 
 the greatejl Yo^e a Nation cm well Suffer 
 under, 5 Penal Laws for Religion, I mean. 
 
 And 
 
r 3?he Preface. 
 And p& thou hajt , both the who ", 
 what ; If thwart Wife and Good, thou I 
 art above my fyetbites, and more my Flat, 
 ttries; If not, I am in the Right to let 9 um\ 
 alone. Read, Think *W Judge. LibeA 
 
 wtbeenjuingpifcwrfe* 
 
 ■ - .4 .--—••'-.■ 
 
 Adieu* 
 
 S3 
 
 
 ■» ■.. « ■ » III. , ■■» _ «» 
 
 Cm* 
 
to 
 
 PART I. 
 
 IMuft owa 'tis my Averfion at tins time, to meddle 
 With Pubhck Matters, and ya my Duty to the Publick 
 will not let me be Silent. They that move by Princi- 
 ples muft not regard Times nor FaBions, but what is 
 
 tnScn/nlf'n^ ^ 1SW r^ ; and tIl3t "0 Mall OUght 
 
 to Scruple, not no Time nor Intereft to Contcft. 
 
 0035^ J §° u P° n > and wh *h does immediately 
 concern and exercife the Minds of the Thinking, as well as 
 Talking Men of this Kingdom, is, whether u iej t0 nfe4 t*c 
 ■PttMlLmstid Tefis, snmmers of Reli gt0 n, or not. I take 
 the Affirmative of the Queftion, and humbly fubm it my Rea- 
 ftns to every reafonable Conference. I fay rc afonable, &ewfc 
 
 iW 7otdT, S T S ° Wn D ^' P ^iples and InS 
 is not to, and that which is not wiling to do to others as ir 
 
 would be done by, lefs deferves to be thoughffo 
 Now there are three forts of People that will find them- 
 
 UD^wSffi "itZ™*""*®*", andlefemakc 
 HP the whole Body of the Kingdom; Jt it appear to be their 
 Duty, Principlesand Intcreft, the QueftionTga n'd, and no 
 body is left to complain- and if I am miftaken, it i wkh £ 
 great an Inclination to ferve them all, that their good na u e 
 cannot but plead my Excufe, efpecially when tlv confide 5 
 am neither movM by Hopes nor Fears. ' Private LofforGa, 
 being farther from my thought th™ T h«*. Vi J 
 
 •good Underftanding/ ° ' then I hope they are rrom a 
 
 B I 
 
I fay, /?>/,' then it is the D//// of all of them, becaufc they^ 
 all profefs that Religion which makes it their common duty to . 
 do it ; ChriftiAnityX mean : For no Chrirtian ought to deprive 
 any man of his native Right for matters of Faith and Wor- - 
 ihip towards God, in the way that.he thinks moll: agreeable 
 to the Will of God ; becaufe it is .neceflar'y to- a Chriitian to , 
 believe that Faith is the Gift of God alone, and that He only is 
 Lord of Confcience, and is able truly to enlighten., perfwade, 
 andeftabliih it; and confequently that .prejudicing Men in 
 their Perfbns or Efhtes, or depriving them of any Station in 
 the Government, they might otherwiie, in their turn, I >e ca- 
 pable to ferve thePublick in, is contrary to thetendernefs and 
 equity of that Religion ; which will yet .further appeal ,if we 
 confider that Christianity is the fole Religion of, the World, 
 that is built on the Principles of Love; which brought with it 
 the greateft Evidences- of Truth* Equally convincing our - 
 I Tnderltandings with its Light, and bearing down our Sences » 
 with its Miracles : Which- iilenc'd the Oracles of the Heathens 
 by the Divine Power prefent with. it r . and vanquiOu their 
 Hearts, that had left nothing ehe to conquer, leading Kings 
 -and Emperors with their Cpurts and Armies in triumph after 
 the defpiied Crofs of him> who was the holy, and bleifed Au- 
 thor of it, -., 
 
 It was he that laid not his Religion in worldly Empire, nor 
 tiled the Methods of worldly Princes to propagate it.; as it 
 ca;ne from, Heaven, fo that only fhould have the Honour of\ 
 proteftiflganci promoting it. His whole buHnefs to man- 
 kind, fromfiiit to laft, was love, 'Twas firir Love in his 
 >,r to lend him ( as St. John teaclies) God fo loved the 
 World that he.ftnt his Son, &c. It was love in Jefus thrift 
 \\> come one hat Errand ; that \\z,nho thought it noRohltryto , 
 be iqudl with God, jlould take the form of a Servant to adopt 
 us LLil \ea ) and make himfelf of no Reputation with the 
 
 World, 
 
Cry 
 
 JVotldy that he wight mk4 us of Rtfrftihfi with God hit 
 Father, 
 
 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 yon, forgive thttnthat 
 trefpafs again ft you, what yon would that other Men fbould 
 do unto you, do that unto them; iy thefe things fha!l ait Men 
 hnurv you are tny D if a pies ; for 1 came not to defiroy Mens 
 Lhes, ho, not for Religion it lelf ; for mfK^jngdom, Fo>ver, 
 - Force, Weapons ? and Vittory are not of this World. In aH this 
 Love prevails. It was his great, his new, his laft Command- 
 ment; of -all his Difciples, the moft perilled by his beloved 
 -One, that in his Bofbm had learn'd his Heart, as his Divine 
 Do&rine of Love in his Epillle tells- us. 
 
 As he liv ? d in Love, fo he died in Love, with us, and for 
 us, and that while we were rebellious too ; ay, he pray'd and 
 dyM for them who put him to Death , flexing us ( fays 
 St. Peter ) an Example that we alfo fljould follow his Steps, And 
 what 2xi they ? doubtlefs the Steps of Love, the Path he trod : 
 T o do good to Mankind, Enemies as well as Friends, that we 
 may be like our heavenly Father, that caufes his Sun to fbine, 
 and his Rain to fall upon the Jusl and Vnjust. This mufi 
 be the Apoftles meaning, for the relt of his Paflion was 
 -Inimitable. 
 
 Now if this be the Doctrine of Chrift, the Nature of Christ- 
 inity, the Practice of the P r unit ive Church, that, like A dam, 
 -was Created in full Strength, Beauty andWifdom, and fb an 
 Example to fucceeding Ages of Religion, and to which we fb 
 often refer as our Original; with what Pretence toa Chriftian 
 Conscience can any oaeftickleto keep Imprifoning, Baniftj- 
 ing y Impoverifiing , Hanging and Quartering Lawt on foot 
 for Religion fake, but efpecially againft f iich as are by Creed 
 jprofeflbrs of Chriftianity as well as themfelves, 
 
 13 2 I know 
 
(4} 
 
 I know the Cafe is put hard by thofe that have the Laws 
 on their fide, We d& this to fave our fthes ; but an harder 
 Cafe than Chrifts can never be put, whole.. Anfwer in his, 
 ought to refolve theirs fully. 
 
 Chrift is lent by his Father for the Salvation of the World : 
 He introduces and proves his Miffion by Miracles, and the 
 greater Authority of his Word and Do£fcrine£, His Followers 
 Fully fatisfied who he was, whence he came, what he.taught, 
 and how eminently confirmed, grew impatient at Contradifti- 
 on ; they could not bear, the, leaft DiiTent ; for when fbme of 
 the Samaritan sxdnfed to entertain their Lord, becaufethey 
 thought he was going for Jerufalem, the place of their greateft 
 averfion ; thele Difciples were for having but the Word from 
 his Mouth, and they would, in imitation of Elijah, have 
 called for Fife from Heaven to have defrpfd .them. But he 
 turned and rebuked them, and f aid, ye kjeow not what WMXXiWZt Of 
 ^pttttje are of for the Son of Man is not come tol&zltttip 
 Mens Lives, but to §&tlS$Z them. This Anfwer is to purpofc, 
 and for all times, to be furs ...Chriftian ones ; and the higher 
 the Pretentions of any Party. are to Christianity, the more 
 inexcufable if they practice the contrary. Would not Chrift 
 clien hurt them that refuted him, and can we hurt our Neigh- 
 bors for not receiving us? He condemned that Spirit in his 
 Difciples, and fhall we uphold the fame Spirit, and that by 
 Lav/ too, which he condemned by his Gofpel ?. This is killing 
 for. Gods fake, exprefly charged by Chrift with Impiety.. They 
 jhaH.tkmky fayshe to his Difciples, they do God 'good Service to 
 ktll you) whofho&lcj think fo? why the Chrifit an Perfect or s. 
 Is it their Property to do fb ? yes, what fhall one think then of 
 thofe Chriftiansthat profefsit, . 
 
 The Jews were grievouily punifhed of .God, for that abo- 
 mination of iacrificing their Children to Moloch, but thefe 
 Laws* tho they change the ObjeQ:* they have not Jeffen'd 
 
 th 
 
( < ■) 
 
 the Sin ; for they offer *f Max, Woman and Child, 2nd the they 
 &y his to God, no matter for that, fince it makes their Cafe 
 worfe, for 'tis to imagine thstfogcod, fojuft, (b ftnfible, fb 
 merciful a Seeing can takePJeafurein fc nra'ch Cruelty. Well, 
 but if we wufi net knock Folks on the Head, what #<*# tve do with 
 them ? Take an Anfwer at the Mouth cf Truth and Wifclon? 
 Let the Tears and Whtat grow together till the Harvtfi ; whats 
 that? he tells you, his the Fnd of the World) fo that whate- 
 ver the Church oi England is, 'tis certain Chrift is for a To- 
 leration, and his Dc&rine is always ia Fafhicn; what ha 
 was, he is, and will be; he went not by Reafcns of State, or 
 Cuftoms of Countries ; his Judgment was better built, who 
 came to give Law, and not receive it, and 'tis a Light and 
 Rule to all times: And He that lives Father, or Mother, or 
 Wife, or Children, or Houfe, or Land better than him, that is, 
 his Dctfrine ( of which this is (b great a part ) is not worthy of 
 him; and I fear no other Rcafon induces the Church of Eng- 
 land to decline it, - 
 
 To confirm what has been faid, tho I defign Brevity, let 
 me not lofe another FafTage very pregnant to cur purpofe ; 
 when his Difciples had accomplifht their firft .Million, at their 
 return they gave him the Hiltory of their Travels : Among 
 the reft, they tell him of one they met with, that in his Name 
 caft out Devils, but becaufehe wculd not follow with them, 
 they forbad him \ here is at leaft a Diffeming Chriftian, tho 
 a Believer, yet it feems net cne of that clofer Congregation ; 
 We alfo fee their Zeal and Sentence. But what fays the Mafter ; 
 yet alive, and with them, the infallible Deft or, in whofe 
 Mouth was no Guile, who ha-d not the Spirit by mcafure, and 
 was the great Wifclcm of God to his People) was he of the 
 fame mind, or did he leave them without rule in the Point ? 
 His Anfwer is this. And Jdus, faid to them, fojbft t)tltt H€t, 
 
 for he that is not against w is for hs, The Prohibition is taken 
 
(6) 
 o% aild their Judgment revers'd,and from his,to be fare, then 
 ! ies no Appeal. For tho a Power of Decifion were allowed t< 
 ibine one or more on Earth, in matters obicure and undeter 
 min'd, yet in cafes already adjudged by the Son of God himfelf. 
 who had the Chair, and- could not Err, there can be no room fo 
 i not her Judge. 
 
 Now to apply it, I hrftift firfi: fay, I find nofuch Dlfcipk 
 amongthofe that are of the fide of keeping up the Penal Law. 
 God knows, the difparity is but too unequal But next, if the 
 were allTwelvt in YVtjtminlhr Abby, andfhould be of the fid 
 of upholding the Penal Lavs ( which is the wrong fide the 
 were of before) I fhould beg their Pardon, if I were of thei 
 Mailers mind, an i obje&ed 'lis Wifdom to their Zealand hi 
 fepatle Rule to, their harfh and narrow Judgment. And I be 
 feech the Church of England toconfider, that no Pretence ca 
 excufe her Diifenr, and lefs her crofs Praftice to the Judgmcfl 
 of her Saviour : A "judgment that f terns given and fet led for tt. 
 Conduct of the Church on the like Occafwns in (ucceediw time 
 And 'tis pitty any worldly thing lhould have place with her t 
 divert her Obedience. Did Qiriil then come to lave Mer 
 Lives, and not to deiiroy them ? and finuld flhe (file I fa) 
 that pretends to be a reformed Church ) uphold thofe Law 
 that do deftroy them ? He, Alas ! went to another Villag 
 inftead of burning them, or theirs, forrefufing him : And ih 
 forbids any, that belongs to any other, to lodge in hers, , upo. 
 pain of loofing Life or Eftate ; This may make her dSami 
 ritan indeed; but notthegooD€)UC, whole Example woul 
 have taught her, inftead of thele fharp and ruder Remedies 
 to have poured the Oyle of Peace and Gladnefs into tho-f 
 Chops and Wounds that Time and Heats of- all Hands ha 
 made in every Religious Party of Men. Nor does fhe iof 
 anything by repealing thole .Laws, but the Power -of Perfi 
 curing, and a good Church would never have the Tempiiatioi 
 
 Col 
 
(7) 
 Come lome body muft begin to forgive,let her not leave that 
 Honour to another, nor draw upon her felf the Guilt and Mif- 
 chiei:' of refilling it. She pretends to. fear the Strokes of the 
 Romanists,, but 1 would fain know of lnr, if following their 
 Example will convert them, orfecure her? Does ftie hope to 
 keep them out by the Weapons that. have fail'd in their Kinds, 
 or can fhe honourably centure PeiTecution in them, and yet 
 ule it her felf ? 
 
 But fhe is extreamly fcandalM and feared at the Severity upon 
 Protectants in France. 'Tis certainly very ill ; but do not the 
 Laws fhe is fo fond of point at the fame Work, CotlfojrtUtp, 
 or-lSlUU. And don't we know, that in fome Places, and upon 
 fome Parties her JVlagiftrates have plow'd as deep Furrows, 
 efpecially within thefe fi* and twenty Yi ars. Husbands fcpa- 
 rated from their Wives, Parents frim 4 heir Children, the H'id- 
 dows Bed and the Orphans Milk made a Prize ft r Religion y Hou ft s 
 ftript, Barns and Fields fvept clean,- Prifons crowded without 
 regard to Sex or Jge , and forne of both forts Dungirfdio Deaths 
 sndall for Religion. ,. If file fays they were peeviJJj Men, Big- 
 lots, or mov'd by private Intere ft , Jhe ftil) made the Laws, 
 and fays no more for her felf than, the French fay for their 
 King, which yetjhe refufes to take for an Anfwer. Perhaps I 
 eould parralel lome of the fevereft PaiTages in that Kingdom 
 out of the A&ions of fbme Members of the Church of Eng- 
 land in cool Blood y that are even yet for continuing the Penal 
 k*rwupon their plundered Neighbours ; fb that this Reflection 
 of hers upon France, is more popular than juft from her. But. 
 I beleech her to look upon a Country four times bigger than 
 mrance ; Germany I mean, and fhe will there fee both Religions 
 pra&is'd with great Fafe and Amity, yet of this we mult not 
 hear one Word : i hope it is not for fear of imitating it. How- 
 ever 'tis difingenious to objeft the Mifchiefs ofiopery to a 
 general Eafe, when we fee it is the.way to prevent them: 
 
 Tim 
 
CS) 
 
 This is but in the name of Popery to keep al to her Jelf, as weS 
 
 from Proteftant Diffenters , as Roman Catholieks. How 
 
 . Chriftian, how equal, how fafe, that narrow Method is, be- 
 
 ., comes her well to confider, and msthiaks fhe ought not to 
 
 be long about it. 
 
 I know (he flatters her felf and others to believe, fhe is a 
 Bulwork againft Popery ; and with that, without any further 
 Security to other Protefcants , wipes her Mouth of all old 
 Scores, and makes her prefent Court for Afliftance.But when 
 that word Bulwark is examined, I fear it appears to mean nc 
 more than this, That /he would keep out Popery for that reafor* 
 for which (he apprehends Popery would turn her eut, viz. tECflV 
 POJUI 3lntet2ft. But may I without OiTenceask he^whenJhc 
 kept Perfecution out ? Or if fhe keeps out Popery for any bo- 
 dies fake but her ownf Nay, if it be not to hold the Power 
 fhe has in her Hands, that fhe would frighten other Parties 
 (now fhe has done her worft) with what Mifehief Popery 
 would do them when it has Power. But to fpeak freely , 
 can fhe be a.Bulwork in the Cafe, that has been bringing the 
 worft part of Popery in thefe fix and twenty Years, if Perfe- 
 ction he fo as {he fay s it is ? This would be calPd Canting, tc 
 the World in others. But I hear (he begins to fee her Fault, is 
 htdrtily farry for it ^ and prcmifes to do fo no more : And 
 why may not Popery be as wife, that has alfo burnt hei 
 JFingers with the fame Work? Their praying for Eafe by 
 Lai Joo T :s as if they chofe That rather than Porver for Security; 
 , and if ib, why may not the Papifts Live, as well as fhe Reign? 
 I am no:ie. of their Advocate, /am no Papift, but / would be 
 . jufc.a.n.1 merciful too. However, /muft tell her, that keeping 
 tjie Laws pn foot,by which fhe did the Mifchief,isnoneof the 
 plaineft Evidences of her Repentance: They that can believe 
 it, hwe little rcafbn to quarrel the uaaccountablenefs of 
 ?aif.ibf:aii:iitbn. Is it uniuft in Popery to invade her 
 
 Priviledges; 
 
( -9 > 
 Priviledges, andean it be juft in her to provoke it, by dcay- 
 
 ing a Chriftian Liberty ? or can fhe expeft what fhe will not 
 give ? or not do as fhe would be done by, becaufe fhe fears 
 others will not obferve the fame Rule to her ? Is not this 
 doing Evil that Good may come of it , and that uncertain 
 too,againft an exprefs Command as well^s common Charity? 
 But to fpeak freely, whether we regard the Circumftances of 
 the King, the Relation of his Children, the inequality of the 
 Number and Strength of thofeofeach of their Communions, 
 wemuft conclude ,that the Averfion of the Church of England 
 to this intreated Liberty, cannot reafonably be thought to 
 come from the Fear fhe has of the pre valency of Popery, but 
 the lofs of the Power the Law gives her to domineer over all 
 Diffentcrs. And is not this a Rare Motive for a Chriftian 
 Church to continue Penal Laws for Religion ? If her Piety be 
 not able to maintain her upon equal terms, methinks her ha- 
 ving fo much the whip- hand and (tart of all others, fliould fa- 
 tisfy her Ambition,and quiet her Fears; for 'tis poffiblefor her 
 to keep the Churches if the Laws were abolifhed ; all the diffe* 
 rence is, fhe could not force : She might pcrfwade and con- 
 vince what fhe could : And pray, is not that enough for a 
 true Church, without Goales, Whifs, Halters and Gibbets I 
 O what Corruption is this that has prevailed over jMen of fuch 
 Pretenfions to Light and Confidence . ? that they do not, or 
 will not, fee nor fell their own Principles one remove from 
 themfelves ; but (acrifice the nobleft part of the Reformation 
 to Ambition, and compel Men to trucle their tender Con- 
 fidences to the Grandure and Dominion of their Doctors. 
 
 Butbecaufe the Sons of the Church of Etfg/^Wkeepat this 
 timejiich a ftir in her favour,and .fix her excellency in her op- 
 pofition to Popery,it is worth whileto conlider a little further 
 if really the moil feared and difagrecable pa-t of Popery in her 
 own Opinion, does not belong to her, and if it does,fhould we 
 
 C not 
 
not be in a fine Condition, to be in Love with our Fetters, 
 and to court our Mifery f 
 
 That part of Popery which the Church of England with 
 moft fuecefs obje&s againft, is her Violence. This is that fhe 
 can only pretend to fear : Her Doftrines fhe partly Profeffes 
 or thinks fhe can eafily refute. She does not think her Do£tors 
 Cenjnrers for their Tranfubjtantiation y or dangerous to the 
 State for their Beads, or their Purgatory. But forcing others 
 to their Faith j or ruining them for refufingit, is the terrible 
 thing we are taught, by htr to apprehend. Now granting this 
 to be the cafe, in reference to the Roman Religion> where it 
 is in the Chair : I ask, if the Church of England^vith her bet- 
 ter Do&rines, has not been Guilty of this Impiety ,and for that 
 caufe more blameable then the Church fhe oppofes fo much? 
 If we look into her A£ts of State, we find them many, and 
 bitter, againftall forts of Diffenters. There is nigh twenty 
 Laws made, and yet in force, to eonftrain Conformity, and 
 they have been executed too, as far and as often as fhe thought 
 k fit for her Intereft to let them. Some have been Hang'd, 
 many Banijfjty more Imfrifoned, and fome to Death ; and abun- 
 dance Impcveriflft ; and all this meerly for Religion : Tho,by 
 a bale and barbarous ufe of Words, it has been call'd Treafon, 
 Sedition, Routs and Riots ; the worft of Aggravations, fince 
 they are not contented to make People unhappy for their 
 Diffent, but rob them of all they had Idt/heir Innocency. This 
 lias been her State Craft, to coin Guilt, and make men dange- 
 rous, to have her ends upon them. But that way of Palliating 
 Perftcuticn, by rendring a thing that it is not, and punifh- 
 :nen for Crimes they never committed, fhows but little 
 Cunlcicnce in the Projectors. The Church of England erys 
 our againtt: Tranfubfiantiation, becaufeof the Invifibility of 
 the Change. She don't fee Chrift there, and therefore he is 
 not: there, and yet hor Sons do the fame thing. For tho all the 
 
 tokens 
 
tokens of a Riot are as invifiblein a DifTenters Meeting, as 
 Chrift ia the Tranfiibftantiation, yet it muft be a Riot with- 
 out any more to do : The Englifh of which is, 'tis a Riot to 
 pray to Gad,in tho humblelt and peaceableft manner in a 
 Conventicle. ,/,£ 
 
 I know itd>Jaid, The Blood-Jbedin the fort-going R*ign, and 
 the Plots of the Papijls againft Queen Elizabeth, drew thofe 
 Laws from the Church 0/ England. But this was noreafon 
 why lhe fhould do ill becaufe they had done fo : Befides.it may 
 be anfwered, that that Religion having fo long intermixt it 
 felf with woildly Power, it gave way to take the revenges 
 of it. And certainly the great men of the Church of Engl And 
 endeavouring to intercept Queen Mary,/?/ proclaiming the Lady 
 Jane Gray, and the Apprehension the Papifts had of the better 
 Title of Mary Queen of Scots, together with along Poffejfwn 9 
 were fan vy Temptations to kindle ill Defigns againft that 
 extraordinary Queen. But tho nothing can excufe and lets 
 juftifie thofe cruel Proceedings ; yet if there were any reafbn 
 for. the Laws, it is plainly removed; for the Interefts arc 
 joyn'd, and have been fince King James the firlt came to the 
 Crown. However 'tis certain there were Laws enough, or 
 they might have had them,to punifh all civil Enormities, with- 
 out the neceffity of making any againft them as Papifts. And 
 (0 the civil Goverment had flood upon its own Legs, and 
 Vices only againft it had been punifhable by it. In fhort, it 
 was the falfeft Step that was made in all that great Queens 
 Raign, and the moil difhonourable to the Principles of the firft 
 Reformers, and therefore I know no better Reafbn why it 
 fhould be continued, than that which made the Cardinal in 
 the Hiftory of the Council of Trent oppofe the Reformation 
 at Rome ; 'That tho it was true that they were in the wrong, 
 yet the admitting of it approved the judgment of their Enemies, 
 andfo good-night to Infallibility. Let not this be the Pra&ice of 
 
 C 2 the 
 
( i* Or 
 
 the^hurch c& England, and the rather, beeaufc fhe ddes not 
 
 ^>retend to it : but let her refleQ:, that fhe has loft her King 
 rom her Religion,and they that have got him* naturally hope 
 for eafe for theirs by him, that 'tis the end they* .labour cl, and 
 the great ufe they have for him, and I would fi^gi wonder that 
 fhe never faw it before; but whether fhe did or hu,why fhould 
 fhe begrudg it, at leaft refufe it now ? Since 'tis plain, that 
 there is nothing we efteem dangerous in Popery that other 
 Laws-are not fufficient to fecure us from : Have we not enough 
 of them . ? let her think of more, and do the beft fhe can to dif- 
 cover Plotters, punifh Traitors, fupprefs the Seditious, and keep 
 the Peace better than thofe we have can inable us to do : But 
 for Gods fake, let us never direft Laws againft Men for the 
 caufe ofReligionj or puniQithem before they have otherwife 
 done ami ft. Let Mens Works, not their Opinions, turn the 
 Edg of the Magift rates Sword againft them, elfe 'tis Behead- 
 ing thorn before they are Born. 
 
 By the common Law of this Kingdom there muft be fome 
 Real and Proper Overt AB that proves Treafbn ;. fome. Malice 
 that proves Sedition; and fome violent Action that proves a 
 Rout or Riot. If fo, to call any fort of Religious Orders, the 
 one, or Praying to God in a way out offafhion, the other, is pre- 
 poftrous and punifhing Peoplefor it, down right Murther, or 
 Breach of the* Peac&, according to the true ufeof Words^nd the 
 old Law of England. 
 
 If the Church of England fears the growth of Popery, let 
 her be true to the Religion file owns, and betake her felf to . 
 Frith, rather than Force, by ' ?ip hits, humble, znA zgood Example: 
 To convince and perfwade, which is the higheft honour toany^ 
 Church, and the greateft Vi&ory over Men. I am for a Natio- 
 nal Church as well as fhe, fb it be by Confent, and not by Con- 
 straint. But Coercive Churches havethe/^e Principle,tho 
 Dot the fame Interest. A Church, by Law ejtablijbed, is a- 
 
 ; State 
 
Cm)- 
 
 State Church, and that is no Argument of Verity, unlefs the 
 State that makes herfobe infallible; and becaufe that will 
 not be aflertcd, the other can never oblige the Confcience,and 
 confequently the Compulfion fhe ufes, is unreafbnable. This 
 very Principle jujttfes the Kjng ^France, and the lnquifitio?/, 
 For Laws being equally of Force in all Countries where they. 
 are made, it mull be as much Fault in the Church of Englands 
 Judgment to be a Protefiant at Rome, or a Cahanrjl at Paris, 
 as to be a Papijt at London : Then where is Truth or Confer- 
 ence but in the Laws of Countries ! which renders he* an 
 /&££/#,notwithftanding her long and loud Clamours againft 
 the Leviathan. 
 
 I beg her, for the love of Chrift, that fhe would think of 
 thefe things,and not efteem mcher Enemy for performing the 
 part of fo gocd a Friend. Plain Doling becomes that Ca- 
 raQer; no matter whether the Way be agreeable , fo it be 
 right : We are all to do our Duty, and leave the reft to God • 
 He can belt anfwerfo; our Obedience, that commands it; 
 and our Dependance upon his Word, will be our Security in 
 our Conduct. What weight is it to a Cluirch r that file is tht 
 Church by Law eftablifhed, when no humane Law can make a 
 true Church ? A true Church is of Chrifts making, and is by 
 Gofpel eftablifhed. 'Tis aRefledtion to a Church that woulel 
 be thought true, to ft oof to humane Law for her Eftablifh- 
 ment. I have been often fcandaPd at that Expreffion from 
 the Sons of the Church of England, efpecially thofe of the 
 Robe, What doyen talk for ? our Religion U by Law tflablifoed, 
 as if that determin'd the Queftion of its Truth againft all odier 
 Perfwafions. 
 
 The Jews had this to fay againft our Saviour, Wt have * 
 Law, and by our Law be ought to Dye. ..The Primitive Chrifti- 
 ins, and fbmeof our firft Reformers Dyed as by Law eftabhflj- 
 d, if that would mend the matter; but does that make it 
 
 lawful 
 
iawfaltoaChriftiaa Confcience? We muft ever demrir t<r 
 this Pica. No greater Argument of a Churches Defe&iort 
 from Chriftianity than turning Perfecutor. 'Tis true, the 
 Scripture fays, The Earth JhaHhelp the Woman, but that wa$ 
 to fave her felf, not to deftroy others : For 'tis the Token that's 
 given by the Holy Ghoit of a falfe Church ; That none mufi 
 Buy or Sell in her Dominions that will not receive her Mark m 
 their Forehead or Right-hand. That is by going to Church 
 againft Confcience, or bribing luftily to ftay at Home. 
 
 Things don't change, tho men do. Perfecution is ftill the 
 fame, let the hand alter never fo often ; but the Sin may not : 
 For doubtlefs it is greateft in thofe that make the higheft 
 claim to Reformation. For while they plead their own Light 
 for doing fo, they hereby endeavour to extinguifb anothers 
 Light that can't concur. What a Man can't do, it is not hti 
 Fault he don*t do } nor fhould he be compelled to do it, and aleaH of 
 all bt p unified for not doing it. No Church can give Faith, and 
 there fore can t force it , for what u confirain^d U not believed \ 
 fince Faith is in that fence free, and constraint gives no time to 
 ajfent ; I fay, what I dont will is not I, and what I don t Choofc u 
 wone of mine, and anothers can t fave me, tho it fhould fave him, 
 So that this Method never obtains the end defign'd, fince it 
 Saves no body, becaufe it Converts no body ; it may breed 
 Hypocrife, but that is quite another thing than Salvation. 
 
 What then is the uf e of Penal Laws ? only to (how the 
 Sincerity of them that fuffer, and Cruelty of thofe that makt 
 and execute them. And all time tells us they have ever fail'd 
 thcfe that have lean'd upon them .* They have always beer 
 loofers at Jaft : Befides it is a moil: unaccountable obilinacj 
 in the Church of£^/^^toftickle to uphold 'them, for aftei 
 having made it a matter of Religion and Confcience to Ad> 
 drefs the late King in behalf of this, to think lie fhould leaflj 
 his Confcience behind him in Flanders 5 or when they waited 01 
 
 hia 
 
him to the Crown, that he fhould fend it thither upon a 
 Pilgrimage, is want of wit at bcft,pardon the cenfure. Could 
 they Coflfcientioufly oppofe his Exclusion for his Religion, and 
 now his Religion becaule he will not leave it ? Or can they 
 reafbnably maintain thofe Tefts that were contrived to exclude 
 him when Duke of York, while they e»dured none to hinder 
 him from the Crown? I heartily beg the Church of Englands 
 excufe, if I fay I can't comprehend her : Perhaps the fault is 
 mine,but fure I am fhe is extreamly dark. How could file hope 
 for this King without his Confcience? or conceive that his 
 Honour or Confcience would let him leave the Members of 
 his Communion under the lafhof fbm?ny DeftroyingLaws ? 
 would fhe be fb ferv'd by a Prince of her own Religion, aad 
 fhe in the like Cireumftances ? She would not, let her talk 
 till Dooms-Day. 
 
 To- object the KJngs promt fe, when he came to the Crown, 
 againftthe repeal of the Penal Laws, fhows not hislnfince- 
 rity, but her Uacharitablenefs, or that really fhe has a very 
 weak place : For it is plain the King firfi declared his own 
 Religion, and then promifed to maintain hers ; but was that to 
 be without, or together with his own? His Words fhows he 
 intended that his own. fhould Live, tho t'other might Rain. 
 I fay again, it is not credible that a Prince of any Sincerity can 
 refufea beinj to his own Pvdigion, when he continues another 
 in its well being. This were to aft upon State not Confcience , 
 and to make more Confcience to uphold a Religion he cannot 
 be of, than of giving eafe to one his Lonfcience obliges him to be 
 *f. I cannot imagin how this thought could enter into am 
 Head that had Brains, ©r Heart that had Henefty. And to 
 fay true, they muft be a fort of State Conferences, Conferences 
 *$ bp }Ute Cftablifl; D, that can follow the Law againft their 
 Cenviftions. 
 
 But this is not all I have to obfcrve from that objeftion : It 
 implies too evidently, firft, that fhe thinks her felt jbtken, if 
 
 .i.~ 
 
( i6 ) 
 the Penal Laws be fepeal'd ; then by Law eftablifhed foe 
 muft mean, Esllablifhed by thofe PenM Laws. Secondly that the 
 .King having promifed to maintain her, as by Law eftablifh- 
 ed, he ought not to endeavour 'their Repeal by which jhe is est a* 
 blifhed. I confefs tliis is very clofe arguing, but then fhe mull 
 not take it ill, if all Men think her ill founded; for anything 
 ■muftbe fo, that is eftabli (hed by deft roying Laws? Laws 
 that Time and Practice have declared Enemies to Property and 
 Ccnfcience. O let her not hold by that Charter, nor Point 
 thither for her fiitablifhment and Defence, if fhe would be 
 thought a Chriftian Church. 
 
 Plutarch bad rather one iliould think there never was fiich a 
 Man in the World, than that Plutarch was an ill Man. Shall 
 the Church of England , that glories in a great Light, be. 
 wore concerned for her Power, than her Credit ? To be, than to 
 be that which fhe fhould be ? I would fay, far be it from her, 
 for her own fake, and which is of much more moment, for the 
 take of the general Caufe of Religion. 
 
 Let us fee therefore if there be not another way of under- 
 itandin.^thofe Words, more decent to the King, and morehp- 
 xiourablefor her, viz,, that fhe is in the National Chair , has 
 the Churches and Revenues, and is Mother of thofe that do not 
 adhere to any fe far ate Communion^andthat the K,ing has promifed 
 to maintain her in this Post from the Invasions of any other per- 
 fwafion that would wrest theft Privikdges out of her hands : this, 
 he promifed formerly ; this he has very particularly repeated 
 in his gracious Declaration : But to Ruin Men that would not 
 conform, while himfelf was fb great a Diffenter,* and came 
 fiich, to her knowledge, to the Crown, can be no part of his 
 Promifes in the Opinion of common Sence and Charity. Is; 
 there no Difference to be obferved between not turning her 
 out, and deiiroying ail others not of her Communion: He. 
 will not turn her out, thereYhis Promife, and he has not done 
 
 it, 
 
( 1 7 ) 
 it, there's his performance: Nor will he do it, Tarn confidcu , 
 
 fhe pleafes.But there is no marer of necefilry from this£ngage- 
 
 jncnt that a!i Partieselfeare to be confounded. Tho if it were 
 
 fo, 'tis ill Divinity to prefs fuch Promif's upon a Princes Con- 
 
 fcience, that can't be perform "d with a good One by any Body. 
 
 Let her remember how often Hie has upbraided her Diflen- 
 
 ters with this, Rt'ndtr toQafar the things that .ue C*firs y \\ hillt 
 
 tbeyfnyc returned upon her f other half of the Text, and 
 
 reader mto God the things tb.it are Gods. It happens now 
 
 !:r thac God and* Ctfar are both of a mind, which perhaps does 
 
 not al waves fall our, at leaft about the Point in hand. Will 
 
 fhe Diifcnt from both now? 'Hercafc, believe me, will be 
 
 doubtful 'then. I beg her to hi Confiderate. ' Lis the great- 
 
 eft time of Tryal fhe has met with Gnce fhe was a Church, 
 
 To acquit her feh like a Member of Chrifts Univerfal One, 
 
 let her keep nothing that voids her Pretentions. The Babifo- 
 
 w(b Garment Will undo her. Pra&ices inebnfiftant with her 
 
 Reformation will ruin her The Martyrs Blood won the 
 
 Day, and her Severity hasalmoft loft it. They fuffer'd by 
 
 ! Law, fhe makes Laws for Suffering. Is this an Immitation 
 
 of rhe^r I'rattice, to uphold the Weapons of their DtfirnEiion ? 
 
 Itti j ft tell her, 'tis being a Mtrtyr for Perfecution,and not by it. 
 
 Another Path then that the holy Ancients, and our humble 
 
 Anccftors end, and which will lead her to be defined arid 
 
 •conremned of every Body thar counts it fafer to follow the 
 
 Eleffcd Rule and Pracft'ccfcf Chrift and his infpir'd Meflen- 
 
 gers,then her narrow and worldly Policies. But that which 
 
 heightens the Reproach, is the Offer of the Romaniftsthem- 
 
 lelves to make a perpetual civil ! eace with her, and that (he 
 
 refufes. Would the Martvrs have done this ? furely nQ. Let her 
 
 remember the rirft argument honeft old Fox advances againft 
 
 that Church, ^ he Church of England* prefent Darling, viz. 
 
 Venal Lam ior Religion $ as fhe may fee at the beginning of 
 
 D his 
 
ftiakti htr effit&fity 'm the wreBgi Nothing, feys tl 
 
 Church i&yes |^ and theirs lie %o, Chriil s Church'ne" 
 Perfccures. Leave then God with his own Work, and Ghrift 
 with his own Kingdom. ' As it is not of the World, let hot 
 the World tough it; no, %& tozphdd k, tho they xlnth 
 it fhould trip by the w/ayj, Remember TS$#f, he woi 1 . J ode 
 ftipport tfe . Pal 1 : when the Cxtn Itunibicd ;. '£«? P4S />/-: . 
 /ir his Pains. The Prcfurnprion is nv "arral^l. C&fff 
 
 promised ft? be prefix* ..with. . his Church to the e^doftk 
 He bid them fear not, and told them, . Th>t ft>jj% 
 Day for the Evil thereof, .. How ? with Per, L,2 
 matter; but his Diyiae Prefence. Therefore 
 not for Legions to fight for him>becaufe his Woi g 3 bd | . - lot. 
 They thai Want them have an other fsrtof Wu * to o> ; A:d 
 J ris tbcTpfain, that Empire,, /and not Religion,, Has b..en too 
 nuic'li the Bufinefs. But,"© let it not be lb any mors: To be a 
 Trpe Church js better than to be ^'National Qjip; efpedally 
 as fb upheld. ' Prefs Vertue> Pmijh Vice, Difpmce mth 0}i^ 
 .nion\ Ferfwade, but dorVt Impofe. Are. there Tares in Opi- 
 nion? let them alone ; you heard they are tj ■■ grom.mtk the 
 Wheat till Harvejl 7 that is, the end of the World, should jky 
 not be pluckt up before ,? no;, and in Angels Work at lait 
 • toe. Chrifr that knew all Men, f$W no Hand on -Earth Jfit 
 for that Bufinefs. Let us not then ulurp their Office* i&£d&, 
 we are to (eve Emmies ; this is the great Law of our RWigioq ; 
 by what Lay ih'e# are we to Perftcute tbe^J and if act i^ 
 
 not Frkpds'and Neighbours aej .:>Ji>i} * 
 
 The Aj>>fi!e rcjoybid Thst Cliti\l ,w ; is Pr-t'arfcd -xm of E'riiy, 
 If fb, I fob (lire we ought not to c.ivy ChnftkflS the 01 , 
 mem of the Liberty of their Conferences. Chrifba 
 te propagated bf the Spirit of Chrillianity; aud ft* 
 
 iciice 
 
Ijence or Perfecution, for thatVthe Spirit of Antichriftlanity. 
 Nor for fear ofit s fhould we 3 of Chriftians, become Anrichrifti- 
 anSo Where is Paich in God ? were is trull: in Providence ? 
 Jet us do our Duty, and leave the reft with Him; msLmt do Evil 
 that Goad mxy come of it ; for that fhows a Diftruft in God, and 
 a Confidence in our own Inventions for (eairity. Noreafonof 
 Sutecan excufe our Difobedience to his Ruk\ and wedefert 
 the.Principles of our heavenly Mafter when we decline it* 
 The Queltio i is about Conference* about this we can none of 
 r.s be too tender nor exemplary, r Tis in right doing that 
 Chriftians can hope for Succeis; and for true Viftory only 
 through Faith and Patience. But if to avoid what we fear, we 
 contradi£t our Principles, we may juftly apprehend that Gad 
 rv\ddiftrt tis in An wlarvful rvay of mAwtAining them, perhaps 
 this rnay be Gods time (A trymg all Parties, what we will do ; 
 whether we wiilrely upon him or our own feeble Provisions ; 
 whether we will allow what we our feJves in our turn hxvc alt 
 of us defired \ if not, nqay we not expe£l to fuffer the thing we 
 would inflift? for our Penal Laws cannot fecuFeusfrom the 
 turns of Providence , ^and lefs fuppow us under them. Let 
 usgpnfider the true ground of the Difficulty that is made, if 
 jt he not partial and light in Gods Scale; for to that tryd 2II 
 things muiVcomc, and his Judgment is inevitable as well as 
 i lUlliblc. pefides, if w r e have not tryed all other Method^ . 
 we^reinexcvUdbiein heine; fa tenaciousfor this. I do there*- 
 fore, in all humility, beieech all forts of Profeffors ofr Chridi- 
 aniey lb &h$# Kingdoms., toabltrad thciulelves frona thofc 
 Je^lpufies vyhi<;h \vark|ly Motives ^re apt to kindle in their 
 Minds, and with an even and undillurbed Soul purfuc their 
 Clniilian Duty in this great .Conjuncture j Confiderin^ 
 ike. Race tenil to '* ft , n<* tip Battel so, the Sfcaagi and 
 
 Watchir-n, V*j God Atone ( atlali ) thxt kkpi 
 ike City, Not thsui would decline a fitting, but an un< 
 
 $ 3 
 
zti Pfovitiof;: For though the Foundation AVcre never fo 
 true, yet if our Superftru&ure be Hay and Stuble (our own 
 narrow Devices J the Fire will confume it, and our Labour 
 \v.ill be worfe then in vain. Let us not therefore Sew rvk.it 
 we xoxUnot Reapj becaufi we mnfl Reap what we Sow : And re- 
 member who told us, what we meafure to ethers, Jball be meeted 
 to us again. Let us therefore do unto all, Panies of men, *s 
 ive would begone unto hj them in their turn of, Pmver : Lea ft 
 our fear of their undutifulnefs, fbotild tempt us mt of our Duty, 
 and ib draw upon our felves the mifchiefs.we. are afraid of. 
 Sacred Writ is full of this, in the,D3£hine of both Tefta- 
 ments; and as we profefs to believe it, we are inexculabfe 
 if we do no pra£tice it. Let the Spirit then of Chriftian 
 Religion prevail Let our Policies give way to our Duty, and 
 oqr Fears will be overcome of our Hopes, v bieh will not 
 make us afham'd at the laft and great Judgment: where, O 
 God! let us all appear with Comfort. 
 
 I could yet Enlarge upon this Subje& ; for nothing can be 
 more fruitful' I could fay, that a Church that Dmks Infallibi- 
 lity, cannot force, becau ( e£he cannot be certain, and lb Penal 
 Laws (tho it were poffible that they could be lawiul in others^ 
 in her, would he Vnjufi. That Scripture leave* Men u Con* 
 <vic~iion and Pcrfrafion. That the true Church-Weapons are 
 Light and Grace; and her punifhraents, Cenfure atvd Excom- 
 munication. That Gtals and Gibbets are Inadequate Methods 
 for Converfion, and that they never fucceeded. Thar this^r- 
 bids all further Tight to come into the World, and Co J wits 
 the Holy One, which in Scripture is made a great Sin. And 
 laftly, that fuch enfhare their own Pofterity that logy be of an 
 other mind, and forfit by it the eftates they bneio carefully 
 tranfmitied to thcau* Thus far .itgainft Ia^p^fifeion. And 
 againft Compliance. I could fay, that i^s to bet:a> Gods 
 Soveraignty over Confcience; To deity Men; Grannepre- 
 
 iunjptioji i 
 
fumption ; foil and extmgoifh truth in the mind ; ©bey blind- 
 fold ; make over the Soul without Security ; turn Hipocrite, 
 and abundance more ; each of which heads might well merit 
 an whole chapter. But this haying been well and feafonably 
 confiderM elfewhere, I fhall now proceed to the ftcond part of 
 th* difcourfe,in which I will be as brief,and yet a> full as lean. 
 
 PART 1L 
 
 That 9 W the Principle of Men -.$/ Note of all Parties. 
 
 UTwhat need is thereof this, may fame fay, when all 
 Parties profefs to be of the fame Judgment, That Cen- 
 f uence ought not to be ferced, nor Religien impofed ufn wen 
 'at their civil peril I I own they are all of that mind,at onetime 
 or other, and therefore that I may purge my felfof any Ani- 
 inofity to the Do&rineof the. Church of England, I wiUIn- 
 genioufly confefs,. the fevere cqnduft I have argued againft, is 
 not to be imputed to her Principles ; but then her Evil will be 
 the greater, that in fa£t has fo nororioufly comradi&ed them. 
 I know feme of her defenders will hardly allow that too ; Tho 
 the more candid give us their Silence or Confeffion : For they 
 tell us, ''tis not the Church that has done it, which, unlefsthey 
 mean, the Laws were not made at Church, muft needs be 
 falfe, fince thofe that made and executed . them were of her 
 own Communion, and are that great body of Members that 
 eonftitute her a Church ; but by her fhifting them oflfj 'tis 
 but reafoaable to conclude chat {he tacitly condemns what fhe 
 publickly difowns. One would think then it fhould not be fo 
 hard to perfwade her to quit them, in the way fhe made them, 
 or to injoyn her Sons to doit,if that language be to harjh for her. 
 
 This 
 
¥hhj Story fhe muft hear of fome way, and I pray £ 
 fhe may endeavour to do her Duty in it. She is not alone; for 
 every Party in Pow^r has too. evidently lapft into this Evif;tliq 
 under the Prevalency and perfection of another Inrercft they 
 have ever writagaitift club-Law for Religion. And to the 
 end that I may do the Reformation Righr,and the Principles of 
 the Chureh ef -EngUni,- juftice, I muit fay* that hardly one 
 perfbnofany note, dyed in the time of Q*te& May}, that did 
 not pals Sentence upon'Perfecution as Ancichriftian, parties 
 larly Latimer, Philpot, BrAdfcrd, Rogers, very eminent Reform 
 mers. The Apologies that were writ in thofe times,a;e of the 
 fame ftrain, as may be -fee n in Jewel, H*dd*n x Reynolds, &c 
 and the~Papi~fts were with reafon thought much in the wrong 
 by thofe Primitive- Protectants, for the* Perftcution that they 
 raifed -again ft them., for matters of pure Religion, But what 
 need we go fo far back? is it no: recent in memory x that 
 BJ -op Vjber was Employ "d to O.Crommtt, by fome of the 
 Clergy of the Church of ExgUttd for Liberty of Cqnfgience? 
 Dr Ptrr , in the Life of Dr Vjher Primat- of Armagh, fbl. /^ 
 has that paflage thus. 
 
 ■ Crommll forbidding the Clergy, under-great fenarties, ta 
 € teach Schools, or to perform any p^rr or rbeii ;:iai 
 
 c funftion, fome of the moft eonfiderahle Epifc>pal 
 •in ^nd about Lan&on, defined rnV Lord fam- 
 ' would ufe his Interest with C/^re// (fince 
 f pretended a great Refpect for him j that as heg 
 'of Conference to almcfl all forts ol 
 
 * copal B ^igfit ha vie the fan 
 
 * their private Gongreg^ttoQsfflrjce the* 
 ^tbepuhjick Utiirgj 
 *et Eygl 
 
 *that ir 
 
 <gr ^ifturbsdb 
 

 £itf> 
 
 'went aad ufed his \2|fl|§ft Indeaveurf with CV»wwr#, for thf 
 
 is .this Reilraint, which was at laft prom i fed /tho 
 
 . ith ume difficulty ) that they fhould not be moitfted, pro- 
 
 'vidtdthcy meddled not. with any matters relating to his 
 
 4 Government. 
 
 Certainly thofe Gentlemen were of my mind. And to 
 give Vixtfammcwd his due, who I underftand was one of 
 t • ■ tm . ;. the* Witnefles of his End, as his dying Coun- 
 
 fel te rj-u h of England, That they difplaeed no man 
 
 out o: -y or preient Church, but that- by Love, 
 
 and an ho'y Life they fhouid prevail upon thofe in PofleflRon 
 to wCnie. info their Church. . But this lookt fo- little like the 
 P6Jicy and Ambkion of the Living, that they refblved it 
 fhould be buried with- him, This I had from an eminent Hand 
 in Oxford, a year or two after his Death, 7 An older man out- 
 liv'dlv'm, and one of the meft Learned and Pious of that 
 Communion, hifoop Sanierfon I mean: They were the two 
 great Min of their fort that was of the Party. Let us fee what 
 i! rend man ft ys to our p©k¥h £ 
 
 ( ' R Word of-God : dothexprefsly forbid us tofubjeft our 
 
 4 Cph&feitcfc? to the Judgment of any other , or to ufurp a 
 
 Tor.v'vo;-. over the Gcnjciences of any One. • Several cafes 
 
 ,*b! CorfcH.rce flifcuffed in ten Lectures in the Divinity School 
 
 '&V&fcrd) } Le£h ^o-'Se&.-ffeg. i ej. Printed 1660. 
 
 • BI *ftfi§ 1 v to be thrifts Difciple, who is Hot the 
 
 ^liijc SftYi&n/etik The Simplicity and Sincerity of the 
 
 ^CftrtftSh * ?ith\ h'ath fuftcrcd agreae Pitjudice fince we have 
 
 t fe#en div'-ded -ip.ro PSrticS^ ndtheaMs tbere*&i*y Hope that Re- 
 
 l5 ligfon thh\M be icU fid toner formerXHginal and Purity 
 
 : j y-> i I amds that tvetc?nlade v ider by cur da fly Quaf- 
 
 * re :ntioos, being anointed with the Ofe- of fcrgthet- 
 
 V, ,-: *vifh a3a?lfoav flraiVhcg n io dole sg-rn.and 
 
 'to leinro the fame Uaity of Faith and Charity 
 
 §*»&&. 29* % 'The 
 
( n y 
 
 c Tne obligation of Conference doth not figmfie any Corn- 
 ' pulfion, for, to fpeak properly , the Confcience can no 
 € more be compelled chaa the Free-will, ibid 4. Lctture Stcl. j. 
 
 4 The exprefs Commandment of God doth oblige the Con- 
 Science properly by it felf and by its own-force; and this 
 f obligation is abfolute, becaufe it doth diredtly and always 
 
 * oblige and becauie it obligeth all perfons,and the obligation of 
 4 itit> never tp be cancelled. None but God alone hath power to 
 
 J impic a Law upon the Confcience of any Man, to which 
 ' it ought to be fubjefted, as obliging by it filf, — — This 
 
 * Conclufion is proved by the words of the Apoftle, There is 
 'butane Larv-giver, who can both five anddeftrcy, In which 
 \ words two Arguments do profer themfeives to our Oblerva- 
 ' tion '•> In the firlt place chey affert there is hut one Legiflator ; 
 1 not one picked Qiuamongft many; npt one above many ; 
 i but one exelufively, that is to fay, One, and but one only. 
 
 * The Apoftle otherwife had made ufe of a very incffedhial 
 'argument, to prove what he had propounded; for he rebu- 
 € keth thofe vvhounadvifedly did pafs their Judgmeut either oa 
 'theperfons, pr the deeds of other Men, as the Invaders of 
 
 * their Rights. . Who Art The* (Tairii he) who dojl judge another ? 
 € as if helhould have laid, dolt thou know thy felf, what thoa 
 1 art, and. what thou doft ? It doth not belong to Thee to 
 1 thruft thy fawey Sickle into the harveft of another Man, 
 4 touch left boldly to fling thy felf into the Throne of Almighty 
 € God, If already Thou art Ignorant of it, then know, that 
 
 * it belongeth. to him *lom to judge of the Confcienccs of men, 
 Uovhomabnc it doth belong to imf oft Laws ufon the Confci- 
 g tntes of men y which none jeaa do but God alone, ibidpag. 
 •in, 1 1 1, 11 j. 
 
 '•The Condition and Natural cftate of the Confcience it 
 
 * felf is Co placed as ic were in the middle bctwtxt God and h< 
 
Of ) 
 
 *w:lh#f Man, as that which is ufually and truly fookenof 
 ; Kings and Emperors, may as truly be verified of the Con- 
 
 * fciences of every man, Solo Deo minores e(fe, ntc aliquant in 
 f Ttrru fuperwrtm agnofetre ; They Are tefs than God only, And on 
 4 Earth, do acknowledge no Superior. That Speech of the Em- 
 . p^ror Ma ximilian the firlt is very memorable, Confcienc/j 
 1 Dominanve'le^fi Arcern Ce>li invade re ; Toexercife'd Domi* 
 
 * nation over Con(ciences y U to invade the Tower of Heaven. He. 
 4 is a Plunderer of the Glory of God, and a nt far whs Invader 
 'of the Power that is due unto him, whefbever he is that, 
 
 * fliall claim a right to tiie Confciencesof men, or practice an 
 * c Ufurpation over them. ibid. Seel, i \ 'fag. 115. 
 
 And yet this is the fad confequence of impofing Religion up- 
 ? oa Coufjience, and pumiTiing Non-conformity with worldly 
 Penalties* 
 
 Le: us now hear what the late Bijhop of Down fays in nk 
 LsLofProphefie to our Point, 4 I am very much difpleafe'd 
 4 that fo many Opinions and new Do&rines are commenced 
 c amongft us, but more troubled, that everyman that hath an 
 \ Oprmon thinks his ownand other mens Salvation is concern - 
 
 * ea in its maintenance, but moft of all, that men flhould be 
 4 Perfecutect and Affli&ed for difagrecing in fuch Opinions, 
 
 * which they cannot with fufficient grounds obtrude upon o- 
 'thersneceirarily, becaufe they cannot propound them InfaN 
 'jibly, and becaufe they have no warrant from ScriptureTo to 
 
 * do ; for if I fhall tye other men to believe my Opinion, be- 
 'caufe I think I have a place of Scripture which Teems to 
 4 warrant it to my underftanding ; why-may he not ferve up 
 4 anotherdifh tome in the fame Drcfs , ani^xaft the fame 
 4 task of me to believe the cwntradi&ory ? -Lthwty of Propbefe, 
 Epift. Dcdic. pag. 8,9. 
 
 4 The Experience which Chriftendom hath had in this lift 
 ' Age is Argument enough t! -at Tckration cf differing Opinions 
 
 £ 'is 
 
(**5 
 
 4 is fo-far from difturbing the Publick Peace, or deftroyingthe 
 4 Intereft of Princes an J Common-wealths, that it does advan < 
 
 * tage to the Publiek, it fecures^eace, becaufe there is not fcj 
 c much as xh&fr&ince of Religion left tofueh Perfons to con 
 
 * tend for, it being already indulged to thenu ibid. /% 2 1 , 
 
 4 It is a proverbial faying,. Quod nimix fainiliaritas fervo~ 
 4 rum eft' confpiratio advtrfus J)omint*m, and they who for their 
 4 fecurity run in Grots and Cellers, and Retirements, think 
 \ that they being upon the defenfive, thole Princes and thofe 
 
 * Laws that drive them to it are their Enemies, and therefore 
 ' they cannot belecure, unlefstheJtower of the one, and the 
 
 * Obligation of the other be leffened and refunded; and then 
 4 the being retrained ajid made miferable indears the difcon- 
 
 s \ tented Perfons mutually/ and makes more hearty and dan- 
 gerous Confederations, ibid. pag. 2$, 
 
 * No iran fpeaks more unreafbnably, than he that denies t* 
 
 * men the uft of their Reafon in chow of their Religion, ibido 
 pag.-._i69. 
 
 'No ChrifiUn is to be put to Death, J>ifmemhttd^ or other-* 
 K wife dire ft ly Perfecutedfor his Qpinion^yokUh does i not teach In** 
 ' piety or Blafphemy. ibid. pag. 190. I 
 
 4 There is a popular Pity that follows all Perfons in Mife- 
 ^ry and that Compaflion breeds likenefs of Afteftions, and 
 4 that very often produces likenefs of Perfwafion j and fb much 
 *the rather becaufe there arifes a Jealpufie and pregnant SuiP- 
 'pition that they who Perfecute an Opinion are deftitute of 
 ' fufficient Arguments to confute it, and that the Hangman is 
 
 * the beft Difpitfarit. ibid, pag. 1 97, 198. % 
 
 1 If a man cannot change his Opinion when he lifts, nor 
 : ever does heartily or refbTutely, but when he cannot do other- 
 
 * wife,thento ufe Force,may make him a Hypocrite,but never 
 ' to be a right Believer, and fb inftead of erecting a Trophee to 
 r God and true Religion, rvehild a Monument for the Devi/. 
 ibid. pag. 200. 'The 
 
( *1 ) 
 
 * The Trick of giving Perfons differing in Opinion over tc 
 5 the fecular Power, atthebeft is no better than Hypocrifi*, 
 
 * removing Envy fromthemfelves, and laying it upon other?; 
 1 a refufingto do that in external A ft, which they dc > in Council 
 6 *nd Approbation, ibid. pag. 269. 
 
 Thus far Bijhof Taykr, and one of the moft Learned Men 
 of the Church of England in his time. 
 
 Let me add another Bifhop,held learn d by al!,and in great 
 Reputation with the men of his Communion, and among 
 tliern the Lords Sfiritual and Temporal in Parlioment ajfembled v 
 who have fuffieiently declared againft this perfecuting Spirit 
 on the account of Religion by their fuM approbation of, and 
 thanks returned to the BiJhoprfSt Afzphfor his Sermon preach* 
 eil efore thtrn November the ^th. 16^0 and their dtfirethat he 
 would Print and Publiffj that Sermon. The Bilhop fays, that, 
 ' They who are moft-given to hate and deftroy othfers,efpeci- 
 1 ally thofe others who differ from them in Religion, they are 
 'not the Church of God y or at lead they are fo fir corrupt in 
 4 that particular, pag. 8 
 
 Again he lays, 4 That of Societies of Men, Chriftians, of 
 € all others are moft averfe from ways of Violence and Blood ; 
 
 * efpecially from ufing any fuch ways upon the account of Re- 
 ligion: And among Chriftlan Churches, where they differ 
 
 ' * among themfelves, if either of them ufe thofe ways upon the 
 'account of Religion , they give a ftrong Prefumption 
 4 againft themfelves that they are not truly Chriftians. ibid. 
 
 p4g.9- 
 
 i There is reafon for this,becaufe,we know that Chnft gave 
 'Love for the Caratter by which his Difciples were to be 
 4 known. John 13. } 5. By this jhaU all Men know that you are 
 4 my nfctples, if you have Love to one another. And leaft men 
 4 fhould unchriften others firft, that they may -hate them, and • 
 ' Deftroy them afterwards, Chrift enlarged his Precept of 
 
 E '2 4 Love, 
 
' Love, and- extended it even to Enemies, and not only tQ » 
 'ours, but to the Enemies of our Religion, Matt. 5. 4 j, 44. 
 ibid.pag. 9. 
 
 4 As our holy Religion cxqels- all others in this admirable 
 
 * temper, fo by this we m^y ulually. judge .who they are 
 'that excel amosg^ Quiftian Churches, when there happens 
 4 any difference between theiRjWt ether touching the Faith, or 
 
 € the term6 r of Gprnrruaion^^Tney that were the -more Fierce*., 
 ' they generally Jiad the\vorft Cauie, ibid. fig. .1 2, 1 3. 
 
 'The ..(Couijeil of ifiiCfc iuppreired-the ArUns by no other 
 
 * Force, l>ut .putting Arians out of cheir. Biihoprieks ; they 
 1 could, not; .thiiik Hereticks fit to J;e truited .with cure of 
 6 Souls j but 0therwife ; as toTemporaithipgs,! do not find that - 
 ' they infli&ed any kind of Punilhment ; but- when the Art- 
 c i#.r came to have the Power la their Hands, .when theirs was 
 'come to be the ^jnTpcnal liUUgtOH, then Depriving was 
 
 * nothing, Banifhmuit was : the Ieaft that they infhfltech ibid. 
 
 i Neither our Religion, nor our Church, is of z perfecting 
 : Spirit. I know not how .it may be in particular Ferfbns ; 
 'but I fay again, it is not in the Genius. si our Church: She 
 ' hath no Do&rine that teach&tb Perfecutjon* 1bia.pAg._20. 
 
 ' I would have no man punifhed for his/Rehgion, no not^ 
 1 them thatdeftroy men for Religion.. ibid, -pag> 37. 
 
 Dr Sttllhgfeet ,cornes fhort of none qi them, on this Subject. 
 4 Our Saviour, /i^x /&.e ; nevcr preiTed Followers as men do 6W- 
 * die r >, but faidV If any r> an will come after me, let him take up 
 4 his Crofs ( not: his Sword ) and follow me. 1 Kis- was fticfS x*i 
 fi\«»ip»?* njuttlrUi his very Commands fhewed his Mcek- 
 
 4 nefs; his Laws were f\veet and 
 
 Irer.icum, a \rc3pcr.-Sa!ve for the i^ll'^l'r 111 »> ru 
 
 cvvirccswvud- hs Ed*<tfd uu- .gentle Laws; not like Draco s that 
 S-l-ctr SST y^ Wtk W S1 ^d, unlefs it were 
 
 his own that gave them. His defiga 
 
 1 was 
 
{ 29 ) 
 
 Was to eate men of their former Burdeas, and not lay oil 
 
 * more ; the Duties he required were no other but fuch as were 
 ^ncceflary, and withal very juft and reafonable. He thaf 
 . came to take away the infupportable Yoke of Jewiflh Ccre- 
 
 * monies, certainly, did never intend-to -gall the Necks of his 
 ^ Difciples with another inftead of it. And it would be ftrange 
 
 * the Church fhould require more - than-Chrift . himfelf did ; 
 
 ■and make other conditions of her Communion, than our &i- 
 
 . viour did of DijciflejbipWhax poflible reafon can be affigned 
 
 forgiven why fucli things -Ihoukknot be fufficient for Com- 
 
 munion with a Church, .which /ire fufficient for eternal 8*lr 
 VAtion? And certainly, thole things are fufficient for that, 
 
 ^ which are laid down as neceffary Duties for Chriftianity by 
 our Lord and Saviour ia his Word. What ground c -an thtft 
 he why Christians-^ fliould not ft and upon the fame terms no* 
 
 i which they, did in the. time of Chrijl . andhis JpoHles ? Was 
 
 * not Religion fufficiently guarded ami fenced in them I Was 
 there ever more true and cordial Reverence in .the Worfhip 
 
 4 of God? What Charier hath Chrift given the Church tor 
 *> bind wen tip to more than himfelf h fit h done ? Or to exclllJe 
 c thofe from her Society who may be admitted into Heaven ? 
 *' Will Chrift ever- thank Men at the gseat day" for keying 
 
 * fuch out from Communion with his Cliurch, when he will 
 4 vouchfafe.not. only Crowns of Glory to, but it may be Jure- 
 i eUtoo^ if there be any fuch things there? The Grand 
 'CommiflTion the Apoftles were fent.out wkli, was only 
 4 to tt.ich what Chrift had commanded them. Not the leau 
 ' intimation of any Power given them to impofe or require 
 ■ any thing beyond what himfelf had fpoken to them, or they 
 1 were directed to by the immediate Guidance of the Sjfc- 
 ' rit of God. 
 
 ' Without all -Controvtrfie , the main Inlet of all the ' 
 1 Dift rations , Confufions and l)ivilbns . of Uie .Chrifiian 
 
 4 World i 
 
( jo; 
 
 World, hath been by adding other Conditions of Churdi 
 
 Communion than Chrift hath dons, 
 
 4 There is nothing the Primitive Church deferves greater 
 imitation by usia, than in that admirable Temper, Mode^ 
 ration and Condefention which was ufed in it towards all the 
 Members of it, 
 
 * This admirable Temper in the Primitive Chtirchiaight 
 be largely cleared from that Liberty they allowed freely to 
 Diffenters from them in matters of Pra&ice and Opinion ; 
 •as might be cleared from Cyprian, Axslin, Jerome, and 
 
 -others. Leaving the Men to be won by obferving thetrae 
 
 decency and order of Churches, whereby thofeSyho-aft: up- 
 on a true Principle of Chriftian Ingenuity 'may be fboner 
 drawn to a Compliance.in all lawful things, than by Force 
 and rigorous Impactions, which mate men fufp~£t the 
 weight of the thing it felf> when fuch Force is ufed to make 
 it enter, in Preface. 
 
 The lame is in effeft declared by the Houfe of Commons, 
 when they returned their Thanks to-Vr. Tillotfon, Dean of 
 Canterbury, for his Sermon preached before them November ' 
 the yh. 1678. h firing him to Print that Sermon, where he 
 fays, upon our Saviours Words,' 4 Te knew not what manner of 
 
 * Spirit ya are of Ye own your feWes to be my Difciples, but 
 i doyouconfider what Spirit now'Afts and Governs you? not 
 
 * that (iirely which my Do&rine defignes to mould and fafhi- 
 
 * on you into , which is not a Furious and Perfecting, and 
 
 * DcJirnftive Spirit, but Mild and Gentle.and Saving ; tender 
 4 of the Lives and Interefts of Men, even of thofc who are 
 
 * our greater! Enemies, pag. 6, 7. 
 
 * No difference of Religion, no pretence of Zeal for God 
 
 * and Chrift can warrant and juftifie this Paffionate and Fierce,. 
 rf tliis Vindi£tive and Exterminating Spirit, ibid. pag. 7. 
 
 4 He(/.e. Chrili) came to introduce a Religion, which, 
 
 4 confults 
 
*.confults not only the Eternal Saltation of mens Souls, but 
 ' their Temporal Peace and Security, their Comfort and Hap- 
 Spinels in this World, ibid fag. 8. 
 
 4 In Teemed good to the Author of this Institution to compel 
 
 * no man to it by Temporal Punifhment. ibid. fag. j j.. 
 
 < To feftratt Goodnels and Mercy from God, Companion 
 
 * and Charity from Religion, is to make the two beft things 
 4 in the World, God and Religion, good for nothing, idid 
 
 ' True ChrifKanity is not noly the bed, but the beftnatured 
 c Inftitution in the World; and fo far as any Church is de- 
 ' parted from good Nature, and become Cruel and Barbarous, 
 
 * lb far it is degenerated from Chriftianity. idid. fag. ^o. 
 
 Thus far DrTiflotfon,, who, to be fure, deferves not to be 
 thought the leaii Eminent in the prefent Church of England. 
 Let us hear what Do'&or Burnet fays to it. 
 
 c Men are not Mailers of their own Perfwafions, and can- 
 
 * not change their thoughts as they pleafe ; he that believes 
 
 * any thing concerning Religion, cannot turn as the Prince com- 
 'mands him, or accomodate himfelftothe Law or his ferfent In* 
 l terefls y unleis he .arrive at that pitch of Atheifm^ as to look 
 € on Religion only as a matter of Policy, aad an Eagine for ci- 
 ' vil Government ; Dr Burners Hiftory of the Rights of Princes, 
 he. in his Preface, pag. 49. 
 
 'Tis to this Do&or's pains fheowsf the very Hiftory of her 
 Reformation,, and as by it he has perpetuated his Name with 
 hers, certainly he muft have Credit with her, or we can de- 
 fcrvenone with any body el(e, for no man could well go fur- 
 ther to oblige her 
 
 Let me here bring in a lay Member of the Church of Eng*. 
 land, Sir Robert Point z, in his vindication of Monarchy, w ho 
 y^ilds us an excellent Teftimony t0 the matter in hand, ' The 
 
 * Sword avaikth link with the Souls of Men, unlefs to defiroy 
 
. ( jO 
 
 'them together with their Bodies, and to make mtr\defperAH % 
 
 * or dijfembler s in Religion, and when they find oppertunicy 
 
 * to fall into Rebellion, as there are many Examples.^. 27* 
 
 * In the Ancient Times of Chriftianity, fuch means were 
 i not ufed as might make Hereticks and Schtfmatitks wercsob/tt- 
 
 * nate than docwle, through the prepojlerous proceedings? of the 
 
 * Mag ifl rates and Minijkers" of .Juftice in the Execution of 
 € Venal Laws, ufed rather as Snares for.gamiag'of*Money and 
 ' Pecuniary Mui£ts impos'd, rather atf V rices fet upon OiFea- 
 'ces, than as Puniihments for the Reformation t>f Manners. 
 ibid,pag.2%. 
 
 \The Ancient u Ghr t ft iansvstre forbidden by the Imperial 
 
 c Law , i as alfb by the Laws of other Chniliatt 
 
 dekt^' 'Nations, under a great Penalty to meddle with 
 
 ' the Goods of the Jews or Pagan s living peaceably 
 
 tbid.pag.29. 
 
 'tor, the Goods of the Jew?, although Enemies to the 
 
 * Chriftian Religion , cannot for the caufe of Religion iomz 
 
 * by Efcheat unto Cbrijlian Princes , under whom they live. 
 ibid. pig. 29. 
 
 ' It is truly feid, thatPeace,a MeiTenger whereof, an Jnget 
 -bath been chofen to be, ufcarcetvtr eftablifhed by the Sword; 
 4 and the Gofp$l, the blcffed P^ace, cannot be publifhed by 
 ' the Sound of the Cannon; neither the Sacred Word be con- 
 
 * veyed unto us by the imp ions hands ofSouldiers; neither 7 fan- 
 i qnility be brought to thePerfons and Confidences af Med, 
 6 by that which bringeth Rmn unto Nations, ibid. pag. }0. 
 
 He has (aid much in a little, the Talent and 'Honour erf 
 Men truly great. I give this ftill to the Church of Englands 
 Principles, which yet* makes it harder for her to juftihe her 
 Prafticein her ufe of Power. But let us hear a King fpeak, 
 and one the Church of England is bound to hear by many 
 Obligations 
 
f \ 
 
 'King Charles the Firft , out of his tender and princely 
 fence of the fad and bleeding Condition of the Kingdom, and 
 his uriwearied Defires to apply fuch Remedies, as by the blef- 
 fing of Almighty God, might fettle it in Peaces by the 
 Advice of his Lords and Commons of Parliament AiTem- 
 bled at Oxford,, propounded and defired, that all the Members 
 of .both Houfes might fecurely meet in a full apd free Con- 
 version of Parliament, there to treat, con fait and agree upon 
 fiich things, as may conduce to the maintenance and defence 
 of the Reformed Proteftant Religion, with due confideratios 
 to all jufl and reafonabk eafe to tender Confciences. The Kings 
 Mcffage of a Treaty, March 3. 164?. from Oxford, Super- 
 fcribed to the Lords and Commons of Parliament affembled at 
 Weftminfler. 
 
 In the Kings twentieth MelTage for Peace, January 29. 
 1645. he has thefe Words, That by the Liberty offered in hu 
 Meffageofthe i^th. prefent, for the eafe of their Confciences 
 who will not Communicate in the Service already eflablifhed by 
 Att 'of Parliament in this Kjngdom, He intends that all other 
 Proteftant s behaving them/elves Peaceable in and towards the 
 civil Government, fhail have the XtZt^JiZttiiZ of their Religi- 
 on according to their own way. 
 
 In the Thirty third MelTage for Peace, November 17. 1647. 
 there are thefe Words, His Majefty confideringthe great prefent 
 Diftempers concerning Church Difcipline, andihat the Pref- 
 byterian Government is now in practice, his Majefty to efchtw 
 Confiifion, as much as may be, and for the \fatisf action of his 
 two Houfes, is content that the faid Government be legally per- 
 mitted to ft and in the fame Condition it now is, for three Tear*; 
 provided, that his Majefty and thofe of his Judgment for any other 4 
 who. cannot in Conicitn^efubmit thereunto) be not obliged to com- 
 ply with the Presbyterian Government, but have lltZ pjaCtlCf of 
 their own Profeffion without receiving any Prejudice tf;t>: 
 From, the Ifle of Wight. F la 
 
i ?4 ; 
 
 In his Declaration to all his People,. January 18. 1645, 
 from Carisbrook Caftle, after the Votes of no Addrefs, He 
 fiiys, 7 have facrificed to my two Houfes of Parliament, for tht 
 Peace of the Kjngdom, all, but what is much more dear tome then 
 my Life, my Conicience and my Honour. 
 
 In his Letter to the Lords, Gentlemen and Committee of 
 the Scotch Parliament, together with the Officers of the Ar- 
 my, July 3. 1648. from Carisbrook Caftle. As the beft 
 
 foundation of Loyalty is Chriftianity, fp true Chriftianity is 
 perfect Loyalty. 
 
 VI. FiKfiN b a s i $ Upon his Majefties retirement from 
 
 Weftminfter. Sure it ceafes to be Counfel^when not Reafbn 
 
 // ufed y as to Men to Perfwade, but Force and Terror as tQ 
 Beafts y to drive and compel men to whatever tumult ary Patrons 
 jlsall projec7. He defer*? es to be a Slave without Pity or Redemp- 
 tion, that is content to> have his Rational Soveraignty of his 
 Soul, and Liberty of his Will and Words fo captivated. — — 
 Again, ibid. Sure that Man cannot be blameable to God or Man 
 who ferioufly indeavours to fee the beft reafbn ofthmgs 7 a>nd faith- 
 fully follows what he takes for reafon ; the uprightnefs of his 
 Intentions will excufe the pojfible failings of his Underftanding. 
 — Again, ibid. 7 know no Refolutions more worthy a Chriftian 
 King, then to prefer his Conicience before his Kingdoms. 
 
 XII. Upon the Rebellion and Troubles in lrcland,-^-Somt 
 hind of Zjal counts all merciful Moderation Lukewarmnefs, 
 And had rather be Cruel than accounted Cold, and is not feldom 
 wore greedy to kill the Rear for his Skin, than for any harm he 
 
 hath 'Aw.— ibid, Q my csco, tljou feed Ijoto timet) Croeltp 
 anion? Clitillianjs (SftCtetj nnhtt tlje colour of fteligion, 
 as.it tee coulD not be cijrtlttans unlets toe Cructfte one 
 another. 
 
 XIII. Upon the calling the Scots and their coming. — Sure 
 in Matters of Religion thofe Truth's gain rnoft on mens Judg- 
 ments 
 
ments and Cbnfciences which are lea ft urged with ^CCUi&E Vi- 
 olence, which weakens Truth with Prejudices; and is unreafcnablc 
 to be ufedfill fuch means of rational C onviclion hath been afplfd, 
 as leaving no excufe for Ignorance condemns mens Obftinacy to 
 defend Penalties. -Violent Motions are neither <Jl?an!}>, C\)lU 
 
 fttan nor TLppal.-'Clje p?c?pcT Engine of f action ig f cicc ; 
 
 the Arbitrator of Bcafts, not of reafonable Men, much lefscf 
 humble Chriftians and loyal Sub)(:£t$,in matters of Tieligicn. 
 
 X1F. Upon the Covenant. Religion requires Charity 
 
 and Candor to others of different Opinions. — A othing Violent 
 and Injurious can be Religious. 
 
 XV. Upon the many Jeal-oufies raited, and Scandals caft 
 upon the King to ftir up the People againft him, — — 1* 
 point of true Confcientions Tender nefs ( attended with Humility 
 and Meek nefs, not with proud or arrogant Activity ', which feels 
 to hatch every egge of indifferent Opinion to Faction or Schifin ) 
 I have oft declared how little I defire ?ny Laws and Scepter ft ould 
 intrench over Gods Sever aignty, tilljtcl) tS tt)C Mil? fetllgct 
 
 men? Confctenccg. 
 
 XXV1L To the Prince oHVales.—Take heed of abetting to 
 any Factions ; your partial adhereiwg to any one Side gains you 
 not fo great Advantages in fon.e Mens Hearts ( who are prone to 
 be of their flings Religion ) as it locfeth )Oti in others, who think 
 them/ elves ^ and their Prcfffcn,frftde]pifed, lien per fc acted 
 
 by you. MyCoutifel and Charge to you is, That you jtricuf.y 
 
 confider the former real cr clfcied Miscarriages, which mi: It 
 cccafion my Troubles, that you may avoid them. — A Charitable 
 ComubatlCC and Christian CcIcrf.tUU, often di/f pates their 
 Strength whom rougher Oppofition fori if es.- Always ketp up 
 
 ^oliiU^ietp^ thof jrtttiDamcntal Tmju (which mend 
 
 both Hearts and hives of Men) with impartial Favour and 
 Juftice.' — Tour Prerogative is be ft ft> nd excrctfed in re- 
 
 mitting rather then exac'lr, tic rigour of the Law, there being 
 nothing worfe than legal Tyranny* And 
 
( jO 
 
 And as this was theSence and Judgment of a King that 
 Time and the greateft Troubles had informed with a fuperiour 
 Judgment, (and which to be fure highly juftifies the meafiires 
 that are now taken) So Dr Hudfon his Plain-dealing' Chaplin 
 muft not be forgotten by us on this occafion, who took the free- 
 dom to tell his Royal Mafter, That fa lookt upon the Calamities 
 he laboured under , to be the hand of God upon him+for not having 
 given God his due over Conference. 
 
 One can eafily Imagin this to be Reformation Language, and 
 then it is not hard to think how low that Church muft befal* 
 len, that from fo free and excellent a Principle, is come to make, 
 execute a nd uphold Penal Laws for Religion, againft her Cpn- 
 fcientious Neighbours ; but it is .to be hoped, that like Nebu+ 
 chadnez-zar^s Image, whole Feet was a mixture of Iron and Clay 
 and therefore could not fta-nd forever, Perfecution will not be 
 able to mix lb with the Seed of Men, but that Humanity will 
 overcome it, and Mankind one day be delivered from that Iron 
 hard and fierce Nature. 
 
 I have done with my Church of Eng lands Evidences againft 
 Perfecution. And for the Judgment of all forts of Diflenters 
 in that Point, let their Practice have been what it will, no- 
 thing is clearer then that they difallow of Perfecution, of 
 which their daily Addreifes of thanks to the King, for his 
 Gracious Reprive by his Excellent Declaration are an undoub- 
 ted proof. 
 
 Thus then we fee, it is evident, that it is not only the Duty 
 of all Parties, as they would be thought Chriftians, to Repeal 
 Penal Laws for Religion, but upon a fair enquiry, we fee it is 
 the avowed Principle of every Party at onetime or other that 
 Confcience ought not to be comperd, nor Religion impos'd 
 upon worldly Penalties. And fol come to the third and laft 
 part of this Difeourfe. 
 
 PART III 
 
( M > 
 
 PART III. 
 
 h is the Intereft ef mJI Parties, and effecUlly the Cltnrch of 
 
 England. 
 
 AS I take all Men to be unwillingly feparated from their 
 Interefts, and confequently ought only to be fought and 
 difcours'd in them, fb it rauft be granted me on all hands,that 
 Interefts change as well as Times, and *tis die Wiiclom of a 
 Man to obferve the Courfes, and humor the Motions of his 
 Intereft, as the beft way to preferve it. And leaft any ill-na- 
 tured or miftaken Perfbn fhould call it temporizing,! make this 
 early Provifion ; That I mean no immorral or corrupt com- 
 plyance : A Temporizing, deservedly bale with Men of Vertue, 
 and which in all times, my Practice as well as Judgment hath 
 fhown the laft Averfion to. For upon the Principle I now go, 
 and which I lay down, as common and granted in Reaibn 
 and Fa£t with all Parties concern'd in this Difcourfe, that 
 Man, does not change, that merrally follows his Intereft un- 
 der all its Revolutions, becaufe to be true to his Intereft in his 
 firft civil Principle. I premife this to introduce what I have to 
 offer, with refpe&to the Interefts to be now treated upon. 
 
 And firft, I fay, I take it to be the Intereft of the Church of 
 England to aboliih the Penal Laws, becaufe it never was her In- 
 terest to makethem.My reafbns for that Opinion are thefe.Firft, 
 they have been an Argument to invalidate the Sufferings ot^ 
 the Reformers, becaufe if it be unlawful to dilbbey Govern- 
 ment about matters of Religion they were in the wrong. And 
 if they fay ; O but they were in Error that punifh'd their 
 Non-conformity; I anfwer, how can flic prove that file is 
 Infallibly in the Right ? And if this cannot be done, the com- 
 
 G pels 
 
c * 8 > 
 
 pels to an uncertainty upon the fame terms. Secondly, She has 
 overthrown the Principles upon which Che feparated from 
 Rome. For if it be unlawful to plead Scripture and Confcience 
 to vindicate Dilfent from her Communion, it was unlawful 
 for her upon the fame Plea to diffent from the Church of 
 Rome, unlefs flie will fay again, that fhe was in the Right^but 
 the other in the Wrong, and fhe knows this is no Anfwer, but 
 a begging of the Queftion ; for they that feparate from her, 
 think themfelves as Serious, Devout, and as much in the Right 
 as fhe could do. If then Confcience and Scripture, interpre- 
 ted with the beft Light fhe had, were the ground of her Re- 
 formation, flie muft allow the Liberty fhe takes, or/be eats her 
 Words, andfubverts her Foundation ; -then which nothing can 
 be more deltr uftive to the Intereft of any Beeing, Civil or 
 Ecclefiaftical Thirdly , The Pefyal Laws. have been the great 
 Make-bate in the Kingdom from the beginning. For if I fhould 
 grant that fhe had once been truly the Church of England, I 
 mean, confifting of all the People of England ( which fhe 
 was not, for there were divers Parties diffenting from the firft 
 of her eftablifhment ) yet iince it afterwards appeared fhe 
 was but one Party tho the biggeft, fhe ought not to have 
 made her Power more National than her Faith, nor her 
 Faith fb by the force of her Temporal Authority. 'Tis true 
 fhe got the Magiftrate of her fide, but fhe engaged him too 
 tar. For fhe knew Chrift did not leave C^jar Executor 
 to his laf fc Will and Teftament, and that that Ibould be the 
 reafbn why fhe did fb, was none of the beft Ornaments to her 
 • Reformation. That fhe was but a Party, tho the biggeft, by 
 the Advantages that temporal Power brought her, 1 lhallea- 
 fily prove, but I will introduce it with a fhort Account of 
 our S Late-Reformation herein England. 
 
 Henry the Eighth, was a kind of Her mophredite in Religion, 
 er in the Language of t lie times ,a Trimmer ; being ameddly of 
 
 Papift 
 
( J9 > 
 
 Papift and Proteftant, and that part he a&ed to the Life, or 
 
 to the Death rather \ Sacrificing on the feme Day Men of 
 both Religions, becaufe one was not Proteftant enough, and 
 t'other Papift enough for him. In this time were fome An*- 
 baptifts, for the Dhlin&ion of Church of England, and Cahs- 
 nift was not then known. 
 
 Edward the Sixth fucceeded, a Prince that promifed Ver- 
 tues,that might more than ballance the hxcelfes of his Father, 
 and yet by Arch-B^bop Cr ctnmtr , was compelled to fign a 
 Warrant to burn poor Joan of Kjnt y $ famous Woman, but 
 counted an Enthufiaft: But to prove whatlfaidofhim, 'twas 
 not without frequent Denials and Tears, and the Biihop ta- 
 king upon him to anfwer for it at Gods Judgment ; of which 
 I hope his Soul was difcharged , tho his Body, by the fame 
 Law, fufered the fame Punifhjnent in the lucceeding Reign. 
 Thus even the Protectants begun with Blood far meer Reli- 
 gion, and taught the Rommifis^ in fucceeding times, how to 
 deal with them. 
 
 At this time the Controverfie grew warm between the 
 Church of England and the Cafoani(ls x that were the Abler 
 Preachers and the better Livers. The Bifhops being moftly 
 men of State, and fome of them looking rather backward than 
 forward, Witnefsthe Difficulty the King had to get Hooper 
 Concerned Biihop, without Conformity to chc reierved Ce- 
 remonies. 
 
 Queen Mary came in, and ended the Quarrel at the Stake. 
 Now Ridly and Hoofer hug, and are the dcareit Brethren and 
 beft Friends in the World. Hoofer keeps his Ground, and 
 Ridly ftoops with his Ceremonies to t'otliers further Refor- 
 ffiatioii. But this Light and Union jlowd from their Perfe- 
 ction ; For thole nbroad at Erankford, and other places were 
 Hot upon lb good Terms: Their Fewds grew fo great that 
 the one refufed Communion with the other,many endeavours 
 
 G 2 were 
 
( 4* > 
 
 wereufedto quence the Fire, but they were inefFe&uaf ; at 
 heft it lay linder the Jfbes of t!:eir Afflict ion for another 
 time ; for no fooira* was Queen Elizabeth upon her Throne 
 then they returned, and their Difference with them. They 
 managed it civilly for a while, but Ambition in fbrne, and 
 Covetoufhefs in others on the one hand, and Bifcretion gi- 
 ving way to Refentrnenton the other, they firft ply the Queen 
 and her Minifters, and when that ended in favour of the Men 
 ef Ceremony, the others arraigned them before the firft Refor- 
 mers abroad, at Geneva, Baz.il, Zyrich, &c. The leading 
 Prelates by their Letters, as Do£tor Burnet lately tells us> 
 in his Printed Relation of his Travels, clear themfelves to 
 thofe 'firft Do£tors of any fuch Imputation, and lay all upon 
 the Qaeen, who for Reafons of, State would not be brought 
 to fo Inceremonious a way of Worfhip as tliat of the CV- 
 
 At this time there were Papifis, Protefiants, Evangelists, 
 Prtcifians, Vbiquitifts, Farnilijls or EntbufiaHs and Anahap* 
 tifis in England ■; -whep the very firft Year of her Reign, a 
 Law for Uniformity inWorfoip and Difciplincv/as enaded, 
 and more foltowed of the fevereft Nature, and fometimes ex- 
 ecuted. Thus then we fee that there never was fuch a thing 
 as a Church of England fincethe Days of Popery, that is, a 
 Church or Communion containing all the People of -the King- 
 dom, and fo cannot be laid to be fo much as aTWaof the 
 Reformation ; neverthelefs fhe got the BlefTmgof the Civil. 
 Magiftrate. She made liim great to be great by him : If 
 She might be the Church, He fhould be the Head. Much 
 good may the Bargain do her. Now is the time for her to 
 &*M to her Principle: I never'knew any body exceed their 
 Bounds that were not met with at laH. If we could cfcape 
 Men, God we cannot, his Providence will overtakes, and 
 find us out. 
 
 By 
 
C * ) 
 
 By all this then it appearing; that the Church of England, 
 was not the Nation, the Cafe is plain that the P;v/.«/Z<w\r were 
 a Make-bate, for they Sacrificed every fort of People whole 
 Confciences differed from the Church of England ; which 
 finf put the Rotnanift upon flattering Prerogative, and cour- 
 ting its Shelter from the wrath of thofe Laws. The Addrefs 
 eould not beunpleafant to Princes; and we fee it was not ; for 
 Kjng James, that came in with Inveftives againft Popery, 
 entring the Lift with the Learned of that Church,and charging 
 her with all the Marks the Revelation gives to that of Anti- 
 ehrift, grew at J all fo tame and eafy towards the Roman/ fts, 
 that our own Story tells us of the Fears of the encreafe of Po~ 
 fery in the latter Parliament of his Reign. 
 
 In Kj#g Charles theFivlYs time, no body can doubt of the 
 Complaint, becaufe that was in great meafure the drift of every 
 Parliment, and at laft one Reafbn of the War. On the other 
 hand the Severity of the Bifhops againft Mgn 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^it.ld not wear fbme odd Garment, and lefs, 
 •lead the Dance on a Lords Day at a Maypole, (the Relique of 
 flora the Reman Strumpet) or perhaps for rubbing upon the 
 Ambition, Covetoufnefs and Lazinefs of the Dignified, and 
 Ignorance and Loofnefs of the ordinary Clergy of the Church 
 (of which I could produce Five hundred grofs Inftanccs) I 
 lay thefe things breed bad Blood , and in part, gave begin- 
 nings to thofe Animofities, that at laft broke forth, withfome 
 other Pretences into all thofe National Troubles that agitated 
 this poor Kingdom for Ten Years together, in which the 
 Church of Englandbzcmie the greatcft Loofer, Her Clergy 
 turn'd out, her Nobility and Gentry Sequeftred, Decimated, 
 Jmprifbned, &e. And whatever fhe ispleafedto think, no- 
 thing istruer, then that her Rend Laws, and Conduct in {hi 
 
 Star* 
 
- (42) 
 
 Sur^C hamhtr y and H'tgh^ommiJfio^Qourt in matters of ReR 
 gion, was her overthrow, 
 
 'Tis as evident, the feme Humour fince the Reftoration of 
 the late King, has had almoft the fame EfFeft. For nothing 
 was grown fb little and contemptible as the Church of Eng- 
 land in this Kingdom fhe now intitles her felf the Church of: 
 Witnefs the Ele&ions of the laft three Parliaments ,f >efore this, 
 I know it may be faid the Perfbns chofen xvp re Church goers ; 
 I confeis it, tor the Law would have them lb- Bu.t no body 
 were more avers to the Politicks of the , Clergy ; infbmuch 
 that the Parfon and the Parifh almoft every where divided 
 upon the queftionof their Eie&ion. In truth, it has been the 
 iioj&ttr zxACounttnanct of the Crown, and not her intrinfick 
 Intereft or Value, that has kept her up to this Day ; elle 
 her Penal Laws, the Bulwark of the Church of England, by 
 the fame figure, that ihe is one againft Papery, had funk her 
 lohg fince. 
 
 I hope I may, by this time conclude without offence, th^t 
 the Penal Lam have been a Make-bate in the great Family of 
 the Kingdom, fettingthe Father againPy Us Children, and 
 Brethren againft Brethren; not only giving the Empire to 
 one, but endeavouring to extmguifh the reft, and that for this 
 the Church of England, has once paid a fevere Reckoning. I 
 apply it thus \ Is it not her Interelt to be careful ihe does \% 
 not a fecond time ? file has a fair Opportunity to prevent it, 
 and keep her felf where fhe is, that is, the public^ Religion 
 of the Country, with the real Maintenances of it ; which is 
 a plain preference to all the reft. If Ihe hopes by her Averfion 
 to a general Eafc, to fet up for a Bulwark againft * opery* 
 one Year will fhow the trick, and mightily deceive her, an j 
 the Opportunity will be loft, and another Bargain driye#, J 
 dare aifuce her, mightily to her Difadvantage, Violence and 
 Tyranny are no natural Coafeguences of Pppery,for then they 
 
 would 
 
would follow every where, and in all places and times afi&e. 
 But we fee in twenty Governments in Germany there is none 
 for Religion, nor was not for an Age in France, and in Poland, 
 the Popifh Cantons of Switzerland, Venice, Lucca, Cohnia, 
 &c where that Religion is Dominant , the People enjoy 
 their Ancient and Civil Rights a little more fteadily than 
 they have of late time done in fbme Proteftant Countries 
 nearer home, almoit ever fince the Reformation. Is this 
 againft Proteftancy ? No, but very much againft Proteftants, 
 For had they been true to their Principles, we had been upon 
 better Terms. So that the Reformation was not the Fault, 
 but not keeping to it better than fome have done ; For where- 
 as they were Papists that both obtained the Great Charter and 
 Charter of forests, and in the fucceilive Reigns of the Kings 
 of their Religion, induftrioufly laboured the Confirmation of 
 them, as the great Text of their Liberties and Properties, by 
 above thirty other Laws ; we find almoft an equal Number to 
 Beftroy them, and but one made in their Favour fince the 
 Reformation, and that lhrowdly againft the will of the high 
 Church-men too ; I mean the Petition cf Right, in the third 
 Year of Charles the firft. In Ihort, They defire a legal Secu- 
 rity with us, and we are afraid of it, lead: it ilxxild infecure 
 us ; when nothing can do it fo certainly as their Insecurity, 
 for Safety makes no Man Defpcrate. And he that feeks ease 
 by La\v, therefore does it, becaufe he would not attempt it 
 by Force. Are we afraid of their Power and yet provoke ilf 
 If this j ealoufie and Aver lion prevail, it may drive her to a 
 Bargain with the Kingdom for fuch general Redemption of 
 Property, as may defolve our great Corporation of Con- 
 science, and then ihe will think that half a Loaf had been bet- 
 ter than no Bread, and that it had been more ad vifable to have 
 farted with Penal Laws, that only fcrv'd to drefs her in Satyr, 
 than have loll all for keeping them j efpecially , when it 
 
 was 
 
vrte but parting With Spurs 7 Cum and Bi(k that made her 
 look more like a iffyh&t than a Dove, and a L/0/2 than a 
 Lamb. 
 
 But I proceed to my next Reafon, why it is her Interefl: t© 
 Repeal thofe Penal Laws (t\\o a greater cannot be advanced 
 to Men than/e/f Preservation ) and that is, That fit elfe breaks 
 with a KJng heartily mclind to freferve her by any may that is 
 not Perfeeuting, and whole Interefl: fhe once purfii'd at aH 
 Adventures, when more than (he fees wasfuggeftedtoher by 
 the Men of the Intereft fhe oppofed in favour of his Claim* 
 What then has befallen her,that fhe changes the courfe fhe took 
 withfuch refblutionsofperfeverance? for bringing him to the 
 Crown with this Religion, could not be more her Duty to his 
 Title, or her Intereft to fupport her own, than it is ftill, to 
 be fair with him. If fhe ow'd the one to him and to Chrifti- 
 anity, fhe is not lefs indebted to her felf the other, Does he 
 leek to impofe his own Religion upon her ? By no means. 
 There is no body would abhor the Attempt, or, at all Ad- 
 ventures, condemn it it more than my felf. What then is the 
 matter ? why he deilres eafe for his Religion, fhe does not 
 think fit to confider him in this ( no not the King fhe 
 brought with this Objection to the Crown ) Certainly The is 
 much in the wrong, andfhews her felf an ill Courtier (tho 
 it was become her calling ) firft to give him Roaft^meat, then 
 beat him with the Spit. Is not this to quit thofe high Princi- 
 ples of Loyalty and Chriftianity file valued her felf once up- 
 on, and what fhe can, provoke the Mifchiefs fhe fears f cer- 
 tainly this is dividing in Judgment from him that file has 
 acknowledged to be her EcclefaHical Head. 
 
 My fifth Reafon is, that as the making and executing the 
 Penal Laws for Pveligion affe&s all the feveral Parties of Pro- 
 tectant Ditfentersas well as the Papifts ( the Judges in Vaughn 
 hanh time, and he at the Head of them, giving it as their Opi- 
 nion. ' 
 
( ti ) 
 
 fiion, tlifty were equally expofed to thofe Laws) and that 
 are thereby naturally driven into an Intereil: with them ; To it 
 is at this time greatly the Prudence of the Church tf England 
 to repeal them, for by fb doing flic divides the Intereil: that 
 felfPrefervation allows^ all Men to perliie, that are united by 
 danger : And fince fhe is affured the Pafifls fliall not have the 
 left Eafe in this King's time than if the Laws were Repealed, 
 and that her Fears are not of the fucceeding Raigns, how is 
 their Repeal a greater Infecurity, efpecially, when by that, 
 fhe draws into her Intereil" all the Proteilant Diflenters,that are 
 abundantly more confiderable than the Papifts, and that arc 
 as unwilling that Popery fhould be National as her felf. For 
 if this be not granted, fee what Reputation follows to the 
 Church of England. She tells the J^ing fhe does not defire 
 his Friends fhould be perfecuted, yet the forbearance mull: not 
 be by Declaration to fave the Government, nor by Law to fave 
 her; and without one of thefe Warrants, every civil Magi- 
 ftrate and Officer in England is Perjured that fuffers them in 
 that Liberty againfl: Law. How can file be fincerely willing 
 that fhould be done, that file is not willing fhould be doae 
 legally. 
 
 But Sixthly, the Church of England does not know but they 
 or fbme other Party may at one time or other prevail. It 
 feems to me her Intereil: to fet a good Example, and fb to be- 
 fpeak eafie Terms for her felf. I know of none intended, and 
 believe no body but her felf can place her fb low, yet if it 
 were her unhappinefs, I think to have civil Property fecur'd 
 out of the Queftion of Religion, and Conftraint upon Con- 
 ference prevented by a Glorious Magna Chart a for the liberty of 
 it, were not a thing of ill Confequence to her Intereft. Let 
 us but confider what other Princes did for their own Religion, 
 within thelaft feven Raigns, when they came to the Crown, 
 and we cannot think fbfoft and equal a tiling as an impartial 
 
 H Liberty 
 
f A6' ) 
 Liberty of Conference, after all that has been faid of a Pcpifh 
 Succeifor, an ordinary Cara&er of a Prince, or a meanAf- 
 furance to us : This owght not to flip her Refle&ion. Befides, 
 there is fomecare due to Poller ity : T ho the prefent Mem- 
 bers of her Communion may elcape the Temptation, their 
 Children may not : They may^»ge the Religion of their 
 Education, and Confcientioufly chufe fome other Communi- 
 on. Would they fubmit the Fortunes they leave them to the 
 Rape of hungry Courtiers, Biggots and indigent Informers, 
 or have their poor Pofterity Impoverifljt, Banijht or Executed 
 for Sober and Religions Difient t* God knows into whofe hands 
 thefe Laws at laft may fall, what Mifchief they may do, and 
 to whom. Believe me, a King of the humor of Sr J. /(,. of 
 the Wefi, orSr W. A. of Reading, or St R. B. or Sr £ S. of 
 London, would, with fuch vouchers, quickly make iGolgath* 
 of the Kingdom. If fhe thinks her felf considerable in. Num- 
 ber or Eftate, fhe will have the more to loofe. Let her not 
 therefore ellablifh that in the Prejudice of others, that may ia 
 the hands of ethers turn to her Prejudice. 
 
 Lajtly, I would not have her mift the advantage that is 
 JefignM her by thofe that perhaps fhe thinks worft of. I 
 dare fay no body would willingly fee the Presbyterian in her 
 Chair, and yet that may happen to be the Confequence of her 
 Tenacioufnefs in a little time. For if the Ayerfion her Sons 
 promote by whole (ale againft. Popery fhpuld prevail,, the re- 
 mains of it. in her felf are not like to efcape that Reformations : 
 I mean, her Epifcopal Government, and the Ceremonies of her 
 Worfhip, for which (lie has vext the moft Confciencious Peo- 
 ple of this Kingdom above an Age paft. And the Prtsbyte- 
 r/iibcinga Rich, Indubious and Numerous Party, as well 
 among the Nobility and Gentry, as Trading and Country 
 People, I cannot fee but the next Motion, naturally fpeaking* 
 ^ukc to tend that way; for other Parties, however well 
 
 efteemed, 
 
( 4* ) 
 
 efteemed may leem too great a ftep of Reformation at 
 once, and medunks fhe has tatted enough of that Rtgiment^ 
 to be once wile,and keep the Ba/Jance in her own Hands. And 
 certain it is that nothing will fo etfe&ually do this, as the en- 
 treated Liberty of Conscience ; for then there will be four 
 Parties of Diifenters befides her felf, to Ballance againft any 
 Defigns that may tvarpor hyafs things to their Advancement. 
 And that which ought to induce the Church of England not 
 a little to batten, as well as do the thing, is this; fhe is 
 now a fort of National Church by Power y flie will then be the 
 Publick Church by Concurrance of all Parties. Inftead of 
 Enemies to invade or undermine her, tliey that fhould do it 
 are made the Friends of her Safety by the Happinefs they en- 
 joy through her complacency : And if any fhould be fo un- 
 natural or ungrateful to her ,thelntereft of the reft will oblige 
 them to be her Spys and Security againft the Ambition of any 
 fuch Party : I do heartily pray to God that he would enlighten 
 the Eyes of her Leaders, and give them good Hearts too, that 
 Fatlion may not prevail againft Charity, in the name of Re- 
 .ligion : And above all* that fhe would not be proud of her 
 Numbers, or ftand off upon that Reflexion ; for that alone 
 will quickly lefTen them in a Nation loving F* eedom as much 
 as tins we live in ; and what appears in fie Town is an ill 
 Xjlafsto take aProfpeft of the Country by : There are Pa- 
 rifhes that have Fifteen Thoufand Souls in them and if 
 two come to Church it is matter of Brag, tho half the reft be 
 lown among the (everal dilTenting Congregations ot their 
 Judgment. I would not have her m ilia ken, tho P^rybean 
 Unpopular thing, 'tis as certain fhe of a long time has not been 
 Popular ,and on that Principle never can be: And if'lhe fliould 
 Plow with that Heifer now, and gain a little by the Averlion 
 to Popery ; when it is difcern'd that Popery does return to 
 the civil Intereft of the Kingdom they will quickly be 
 
 H 2 Friends. 
 
( 8 4 ) 
 
 Friends. For befides that we are the eafieft and beft naturM 
 People in the World to be appeas'd, there are thole charmS in 
 Liberty and Property to Engiifh Nature that no endeavours 
 can refill or difapoint. And can we reafonably think the Ro- 
 raanifts will be wanting in that, when they fee. it is their 
 own ( and perhaps their only ) Interest to do fb ? Thefe are 
 the Arguments which, I confefs, have prevailed with me to 
 importune the Church of England to yeild to the Repeal of 
 all the Penal Statutes, and I fhould be- glad to lee them either 
 well refuted or fubmitted to. 
 
 I fhal'l now Addrefs my felf to thofe of- the Roman Church, 
 and hope to make it appeal' it is their Intereft to fit down thank- 
 fully with the Liberty of Confidence herein defi red, and that a 
 Toleration md no more, is that which all Romanifij ought to 
 be fetisfied with. My Reafons are thefe. Fir/}, The Oppofi- 
 tian that Popery every where finds: For in nothing is the 
 Kingdom fo much of a mind as in this Averfion : 'Tis no 
 news, and fo may be the better faid and taken. I Fay then 
 thisVnity, this Vniverfiality and this Viability againft Pope- 
 ry, make the attempt, for more than Liberty of Confcience, 
 too great and dangerous. I believe there may be fbme poor 
 filly Biggots that hope bigger, and talk-further-,- but who can 
 help that ? there are weaEPeople of all fides, and they will be 
 making a Pudder : But what's the Language of their frtie Inte- 
 reft, "the Infallible Guide of the wiferMen? Safety certain- 
 ly ; andthatinfuccecdingRaignstochufe: And if fo, their 
 Steps mult bemodeft, for they are Watcht and Numbered. 
 And tho their Prudence fhould fubmit to their Zeal, both 
 muft yeild to Neceflky, wliether. they like it or no. What 
 they convert upon the Square, Perfitvajion I mean,is their own, 
 and much good may it do them. But the fear is not of this, 
 and for compelling the avers Genius o£ the Kingdom,*/^ £aw 
 net the means, what ever they would do if they had them : 
 
 Which 
 
(49> 
 
 -Which is my fecond Reafon. I fay they hnii not the Power, 
 and that is what we apprehend mofh There are three things 
 .that prove this in my Opinion. Firit, their want of Hands, 
 next,- want of Time, and lallly, their intefiine Divifon ; which 
 -whatever we think, is not inconfiderable. They arc few, we 
 mull all agree, to the Kingdom, upon the bell: Computatioh 
 that could be made. Out of eight Millions of People, they 
 are not Thirty Thoufand, and thofe but thinly Town up and 
 down the Nation ; by which it appears that the Difproporti- 
 on,of the natural \x^i\^t\\ is not Ids than two hundred and fb- 
 venty Perfbns to one. So that Popery in England is like a 
 rit without a Body,, or a General without an Army.lt can hurt 
 no more than Bullets without Powder ,or a Sword and no Hand 
 to ufc it. I dare fa-y,there is not of that Communion, enough 
 at once, to make all the Coal Fires in London, and yet we are 
 apprehenfive they are able to confumc the whole Kingdom. 
 I am ftill more aft rid of her Fears than of them ; for tho 
 they feem high, ihe thinks their Religion in no Reign has 
 appeared much lower. 
 
 but they have the l\Jng of their Side, and he Lis the 
 Executive Power in his Hands \ True, and this I call the 
 Artificial Strength of the Kingdom.. But I fay, firft we have 
 his Word to bind him. And tho fbme may think our Kings 
 cannot be tyed by their People, certainly they may be tyed 
 by themfelves. What if I don't look upon the Aft of both 
 Houfes to oblige the King, his own Conceffion muff ; and that 
 may be given in an Aft of State.. I take the King to be as w til 
 obliged in Honour and Confcience to what he promifes Ins 
 People in another Method, as if it had been by his Royal Af- 
 fent in Parliament; for an honeff mans Word is good every 
 where, and why a Kings fhould not I can't tell. Ti$ true, 
 the place differs and the Voice comes with greater Solemnity, 
 but why it fliould with greater Truth I ka j\v not. And 'it 
 
t «f ) 
 
 tkc Church of England will but bcadvifed to givt him the op- 
 portunity of keeping his repeated Word with her, and not 
 deprive her felf of that advantage by Jealoufiesand Diftances 
 thar make her fufpe&ed^nd may force him into another Con- 
 duct, I cannot help believing that the King will not to a tittle 
 let her feH the aifurance and benefit of his Promifes* 
 
 But next, we have his Age for our Security, which is the 
 fecond Proof, of the fccond Rcafbn, why the Papifts fhould 
 look no farther than a Toleration. This is the want of time I 
 mentioned. They have but one Life in the Leaft, and 'tis 
 Out of their Power to renew ; and this Life has liv'd fait too, 
 and is got within feven of threefeore ; a greater Age than 
 moft of his Anceftors ever attained. Well, but he has an Army 
 and many Officers of hU own Religion* And if it befo, what 
 can it do ? It may -flipprefs an Infurre£tion, but upon the at- 
 tempts we foolifhly fear , they were hardly a Breaklaft to the 
 Quarters they live in. For if they were together, all the con- 
 fines or remote parts of the Nation would rife like Grafs upon 
 them, and if dif perfed, to be fure they have not ftrengtli for 
 fuch an Attempt. 
 
 Bnt if they are not fufficient, there is a Potent Prince net far 
 off can help the Defign , wh& u not angry with P rot eft ancy at 
 home only. Suppofe this, is there not as Potent A aval Powers 
 to afliitthe Conftitution of the Kingdom from fuch Invafions? 
 yes, and Land ones too. And as the Protectant Governments 
 have more Ships than the other, fo an equal Land Force, 
 when b v fuch attempts to make Popery univerfal, they are 
 awakenVl to the ufeof them : But certainly we muft be very 
 filly to think the King fhould fuffer fb great afhake to his own 
 Intereil as admitting an Army of Foreigners to enter his 
 Kingdom on any pretence, mult neceilarilyoccafion. Thefe 
 BvH-Beggers, and Raw-Heads and Bloody -Bones, are the Ma- 
 lice of iome, and Weaknefs of others. But time, that Informs 
 
 Children, 
 
( 5* ) 
 
 Children, will tell the World the meaniag of the Fright. 
 
 The third Proof of my fecond Reafon, is the Inte flint Di- 
 viflon Among thtmfehes. That Divifion , weakens a great 
 Body, and renders a faall one harml cJT, all will agree. NoW 
 that there is fuch a thing as Divifion among there istown talk 
 The Seculars and. Regulars have ever been two Interelts all the 
 Roman Church over, and they are not only fo here, but the 
 Regulars differ among themfelves. There is not a Colfee-Houfe 
 in Town that does not freely tell us that the Jefuztes and &- 
 neditiines are at variance, that Count Da D^the Popes Nun- 
 cio and Bifhop Ljborn Diflent mightily from the Politicks of 
 thefirlt ; Nay t'other Day the Story was that they had pre- 
 vail'd Entirely over them. The Lords and Gentlemen of her 
 Communion have as warmly conceited about the lengths they 
 ought to go, Moderation ieems to be the conclufion. Together 
 they are little, and can do IluIc ; and divided, they are Con- 
 temptible inftcad of Terrible. 
 
 , Laitly, the Rom^n Church ought to be difcreer, and think 
 of nothing further then the cntregted general- Eafe, becaufe it- 
 would be anextream that inuft beget another in the flicceeding* 
 Raign. For as I can never think her fo weak as well as bafe, 
 that after all her Arguments for the Jut eLivinumoi Succeffi- 
 on, fhefhould, in the Face of the World, attemp: to violate it 
 in tlic wrong of One of another Pcrfwafion, (for that were 
 an eternal lofs of her with Mankind) So if fhe does not, 
 and yet is Extravagant, fhe only nfes higher to fall lower 
 then all others in another Rain. This were provoking their 
 own Ruin..- And to fay true, cither way would, as the 
 fccond Letter has it, difcredit her for ever, add make true 
 Prophets of thofe they had taken fuch pains to prove falfe 
 Witneires. And fuppoling her to reckon upon lie juft 
 Succeffion, nothing can recommend her , or continue her 
 happineis in a Raign of another Judgment, but this Li- 
 berty 
 
( ft ) 
 
 berty equally maintained, that other Perfwafions, more rra- 
 UjSrousj • for that reafbn as well as for their own fakes, are 
 obliged to inlure her. Here the Foundation is broad and 
 ftrong, and what is built upon it, has the looks of long -Life. 
 The Indenture will at lealt'be, quint-pertite', and Parties 
 are not fo mortal as Men. And as this joyns, lb itpreferves 
 Intereft intire, which amountsto a Religi$us Amity and a Civil 
 cW>atthe worft. 
 
 .. Upon the whole matter, I ad vile the Members of the R<*~ 
 man Communion in this Kingdom, to be moderate, 'tis their 
 Duty and it belongs to all Men to fee it and feel it from them, 
 audit behoves them mightily they would ; for the firft part 
 of this Difcourfe belongs to their Hopes, as well as to the 
 Church of Engljinds Fears , viz. the Duty and Spirit ofChrifti- 
 anity. Next, let them do good Offices between the King and 
 his excellent Children, for as that will be well taken by ib 
 affectionate a Father, ' fb it gives the lie to their Enemies Sug- 
 gestions, and recommends them to the Grace and Favour of 
 the Succeffois. And having laid this, I have faid all that be- 
 longs to them in particular. There is left only my Addrelsto 
 the Proteftant Dejfenters and a general Conclufion to finilh 
 this Dilcoule. 
 
 Your. Cafe that are called P rot eft ant Dijfenters, differs 
 mightily from that of the Church of England and Rome. For 
 che-nrft have the Laws for her, the lalt the Prince. Thole 
 Laws are againfl you, and fhe is not willing they Ihould be 
 RepeaPd : The Prince offers to be kind to you if youpleafe; 
 Yourlntereft, in this Conjun&ure, is i\\z£ne(lion. I think 
 none ought to be made, that if is the Liberty of Con fc knee, 3 
 defired, becaufe you have much more need of it, having nei- 
 ther Laws nor Prince of your fide, nor a Succelfor of any of 
 vour Perfwafions. The Fears of Popery I know reach you ; but < 
 it io to be remembered alio, that if the Laws are not llepeaPd, - 
 
 there 
 
there wants no new ones to Deftroy you, of the Papifts ma- 
 king; ib that every fear you are taught to have of their 
 Repeal, is againft your felves. Suppofe your Apprehenfi- 
 on5 well grounded, you can but be Deftroy'd ; Which is 
 moft comfortable for you to fuffer by Law [ or without it? 
 The Church of England, by her Penal Laws, and the Doclrin of 
 Heddjbif, has Armed that Religion (as it falls out^ to Deftroy 
 you. Nay, has made it a Duty in the King to do it, from 
 which (fays Die) nothing but an A£t of Parliament can ab- 
 folvehim, and that fhe is not willing to allow. And is it not as 
 reafonable that you fhould feek their RepeaJ, that if you fuffer 
 from the Papifts, It may be without human Law, as well as a- 
 gaiaft Chriits Law,as for the Church of EngUndto keep them 
 in force, becaufe if fhefuffers, it fhall be againft the Laws made 
 to uphold her ? For not repealing them, brings you an inevi- 
 tableWfchief, and her, at moft, but an uncertain fafety ; tho 
 'tis certain, fhe at the fame time will Sacrifice you to it. And 
 • yet if I were in her cafe, it would pleafe me better to remove 
 Laws that might reproach me, and ftop my Mouth when 
 turned againft me, and be content, that if ISuifer for my 
 Religion, it is againft the Law of God, Chriftianity, and the 
 Fundamentals of the old and true Civil Government of my 
 Country, before fuch Lawshelptto fpoil it. In fhort. you 
 muft cither go to Church } or Meet , or let fall yourlVorfljipping 
 of God in the way you believe, If the firft, you are Hypo- 
 crites, and give away the Caufe, and reproach your dead 
 Brcthrens Sincerity, and gratifie the old accufation of Schifm, 
 Ambition, &c. and finally lofe the Hope and Reward of al) 
 your Sufferings. If thefecond, z>>z. that you Meet ag: 
 Law, you run into the Mouth of the Government, w&eie 
 . Teeth are to meet in you and Deftroy you, 'is h L 
 . blifljcd. If the laft, you deny your Faith, over-throw you;- 
 own Arguments, fall away from the Apoftolival DoEkinopf 
 
 I aft: 
 
( V ) 
 
 affcmbling together, and fo muft fall into the Hands of God, 
 a ad. under the tioubles of your Conferences and woun- 
 dings of his Spirit, of which 'tis {aid, who can bare them. So 
 tiiat nothing is plainer then thztPtoteftant-Diffenters are not 
 oblig'd to govern themfelves after fuch Church i of -England 
 •MeafartSi fuppofmg her Fears and Jealoufies better Bottooa'd 
 then they are : For they are neither in this Kings time in the 
 iame Condition, with her if the Penal Laws remain in force, 
 nor like to be fo,, if fhe can help it, in the next Raign, if they 
 are not Repeafd in this; fo that they are to be certainly 
 Perl ecuted now, in hopes of an uncertain Liberty then. Un- 
 certain both whether it will be in her Power, and whether 
 fhe will doit if it, be. The Language of Fear and Affurance 
 are two things, Affliction, promifes what Profperity rarely 
 .performs. ., Of this the Promifes made to induce the late 
 Kings Rciroration, and the cancelling of .the former Declara- 
 tion, and what followed upon both are a plain proof. An-d 
 ■thothc laft Wefiminfitr .Parliament enclind to it; nobody 
 io much opposed it as the Clergy, and the moft Zealous Sons of 
 chat Church : And if they could or would not then fee it to 
 be reasonable, I can't, fee why one fhould truft to People fo 
 ielfifn arid fhojrt fighted. But if fhe will ftoop to all thofe Dif- 
 fering Interefts that are Proteftant, it muft either be by a 
 ;omprehen(ion 9 , and then fhe muft part with her Bijhops, her 
 Common-Praytr, her Ceremonies and this it felf is but Pres- 
 bytcrUn; (and fhe muft go lower yet, if fhe will comprehend 
 the reft) or, if not, fhe muft Perfecute or give this Liberty of 
 CoitfcitHKVx laft} which, that fhe will ever yeild to uncom- 
 pefd, and at a time too, when there is none to doit, while 
 ihc refutes it under her prefent preffing Circumftances, I con- 
 fefs I cannot apprehend. But there is yet one Argument that can 
 never fail tooblige your compliance with the General Eafc en- 
 treated; viz. That the Penal Laws Arc againjt o»r great Lam 
 
of Property, and fo void in tbemfehcs. Tm> has been t « 
 Language of every Apology, and that which, to fay true, is 
 not to be anfwer'd : How then can you decline to help then 
 Repeal, that in C^/^/e^e, Reafon and Law you think- Void fa 
 their own Nature ? 
 
 Lattly, There is nothing that can put you in a Condition 
 to help yourselves or the Church of England againll the Do- 
 
 • minaticn of Popery, but that which fhc weakly thinks the way 
 
 • to hurt you both, viz. The Repeal vf the P end Laws. For 
 as you are, you are tyed Hand and Foot,you are not your own 
 men, you can neither ferve her nor your felves, you are faft in 
 the Stocks of her Laws, and the courfe fhe would have you 
 take, is to turn Martyrs under them to fupport them. If 
 you like the Bargain you are the beft natiir'd People in the 
 World, and fomething more. And finee Begging is in Fa- 
 fhion, I fhould defire no other Boon ; for upon lb plain a lofs 
 of your Wits, your Ellates will of courfe fall a ilray to the 
 Government, fo that without the help of a Ptn/A Laiv y you 
 make an admirable IVize. 
 
 I have no mind to end fo pleafantly with yOu. I have a fin- 
 cere and Chrillian regard to you and yours. Be not Couznd, 
 nor Captious, at this Juncl/tre. I know fbme of you are tok!,if 
 you lofe this Liberty ,j-0» introduce -Idolatry, and for Conference 
 lake you cannot do it. But that's a pure mifhke,and improv'd, 
 I fear, by thofe that know it is fo, which makes it the word 
 for it is no: introducing Idolatry ( taking for granted that Po- 
 pery is fo J but faving the People from being Deftnoy'd that 
 proiefs that Religion. If Christ end Ins JpoHUs had 
 taken this courfe with the World, they mull have /v/*W them 
 inftezdoi' converting them. 'Tis your mifhike to think i 
 '■Jenvfh rigorous Conftitut-ion is adequate to thcChr:st!A» Di( : 
 penfation ; by no means : That one Conceit of J*4*lP"& 
 Chrijlianity in our Politicks, has filPd the World with Mifery, 
 
of which this poor Kingdom has had its flrare. Idolaters are 
 to be Enlightened and Perfwadtd, as SuPaul did the Athenians 
 and Romans, and not knocked on the Head, which mends no 
 body. And to fay a Chriftian Magiftrate is to do that, that a 
 Chriftian can't do , is ridiculous ; unlefi like the Bifhop of 
 Munfter, who goes like a Bifhop one part of the day, and a 
 Souldier the other 5 he is to be a Chrifiian in the morning and a 
 Magi fir ate in the after now. Befides, 'tis one thing to ena£t a 
 Religion National, and compel Obedience to it(whieh would 
 make this Cafe abominable indeedjand another thing to take 
 off unchriftian Penalties for the fake of fuch miftakes, fince 
 that is to give them Power to hurt Sthers, and this only to 
 fave you from being hurt for meer Religion, 
 
 To conclude my Addrefs to you, of all People, it would 
 look the moll: difingenious in you, and give you gn Aire, the 
 leaft Senfible, Charitable and Chriftian not to endeavour fuch 
 an Eafe that have fb much wanted it, and fb often and fo ear- 
 neftly preffed it, even to clamour. But that you fliould do it 
 for their fakes who have ufed you fb, aivi that the Inftruments 
 of their Cruelty, the Penal Laws ,' fhould from a common 
 Grievance become a Darling to any among you, will be fuch a 
 Reproach to your Underftandings and Conferences, that no 
 Time or Argument can wipe off,and which I befeech God and 
 
 u to prevent. 
 
 
 
 The Conch fion. 
 
 Shall conclude with one Argument, that equally concerns 
 you all jand that is this ; you claim the Cara£ter of Englifb 
 Men. Now to be an Englijh Man,m the fence of the Govern- 
 ment, is to bea Freeman^ whether Lord or Commoner } to hold 
 
 his 
 
( 57 ) 
 Mis Liberty and Pofleflions hy Laws of his own confenting unto, 
 and IxJl to forfeit them upon Fa£ts made Faults, by Humour, 
 I dion or partial Interelt prevailing in the Governing-part av 
 gainft the Conltitutionoi tli€ Kingdom ; but for Faults only, 
 that are fuch in the nature of civil Government ; to wit, 
 Breaches of thofe Laws that are made by the whole, in ftrf nance 
 of common Right for the good of the whole. 
 
 This regard mull: at no time be negle&ed, or violated to- 
 wards any one Interelt ; for the moment we concede to fuch 
 a Breach upon our general Liberty, be it from an Averfion 
 wc carry to the Principles of thofe we expofc, or fome little 
 finifter and temporary Benefit of oar cwn, we facrifice our 
 f elves in the Prejudices we draw upon ethers, or fuflfer them 
 to fall under ; for our Intereft in this refpeft is common. If 
 then as Englifb-men, we are as mutually interefted in the invi- 
 olable confervation of each others civil Rights, as men cm- 
 bark'd in the fame Veifel are to fave the Ship they are in for 
 their own fakes, we ought to Watch, Serve and Secure the 
 Intereft of one another > becaufe it is our own to dofo; and 
 not by any means endure that to be done to pleafe fome nar- 
 row regard of any one Party, which way kt drawn in Example 
 at fome other turn of Power to our own utter Rtun. 
 
 Had this Honeft, Juft, Wife and Englifh Confideration 
 prevailed with our Anceftors of all Opinions from the days 
 of Richard the fecond, there had been Ids Blood Jmfrijonmtnt + 
 Plunder, Beggery for the Government of this Kingdom to 
 anfv/erfbr. Shall I (peak within our own knowledge, and 
 that without Offence, there lias been Ruin'd, fi nee the late 
 Kings Reftoration, above fifteen ^CUfoilD f RmtUrjS, 
 and more then fi\X ^i}Ctlfant! ^ttfcttf under Bonds 
 
 for matters of mecr C$n(cit?;cc to God : io hath 
 
 it to Heart . ? It is high time bom ipecially when 
 
 our King, with lb much Gntc : . aJs us tie v 
 
 I 
 
on 
 
 I befeech you all, if you have any Reverence towards Gad, 
 any Value for the Excellent Conititution of this Kingdom, 
 any Teadernefs for your Pofterky, any Love for your lelves, 
 you would embrace this happy Conjun£hire,and purfue a com- 
 mon Expedient; That finee we cannot agree to meet in one 
 Profeffion of Religion, we may entirely do it in this common 
 civil Intercft where we are all equally engaged ; and therefore 
 we o Jght for our own fakes to feek one anothers Security ,that 
 if we cannot be the Better, we may not be the Worfe for our 
 Perfwafions, in things that bear no relation to them, and in 
 which, it is impoflible we Ihould fuflfer, and the Government 
 efcape, that is To much concerned in the ..civil Support and 
 Profperity of every Party and Perfon that belongs to it. 
 
 Let us not therefore uphold- Penal Laws againfeany of our 
 Religious Perfwafions, nor make Tejls out of each others 
 Faiths, to exclude one another our civil Rights 5 for by the 
 fame Reafon that denying Tranfubftantiation, is made One to 
 exclude a P^//, to own it, maybe made one to exclude a 
 Church cf England-man, a Presbyterian , an Independant, a 
 8*4kerjLTL\ Andaptifi : For the Queilion is not who is in the 
 right in Opinion, but whether he is not in Pra&ice in the 
 wrong, tint for fuch an Opinion deprives his Neighbour of 
 Ills common Right ? Now 'tis certain there isnot one of any 
 Par; j,t\nt would willingly have a TeH made out of his Belief, 
 I ) abridge him of his native Priviledge; and therefore nei- 
 ther the OpimomofTranfvbflantiation in the 1?d.pi{\s,Epifcopacy 
 in the Church of .England, Mm, Free-mil in the A r miniaH, 
 Predomination in the Presbyterim , VerticxUr Churches in 
 the Independant, Dipping of adult People in the Anaba.ptiit, 
 nor not -[wearing in t;he Quaker, ought to be made a Teft of, 
 to deprive him of the co nforts of his Life , or reader &ifP* 
 ■!e of the Service of his Country, to which by a a$r 
 tucal, jlhffiioa Jhe is indcb;ed J and from which, no Opinion 
 
w*~ 
 
wp-> 
 
 T-TT 
 
L '^ ^