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A26073
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A seasonable discourse against toleration with a preface wherein the nature of persecution in general and the unjust complaints of the dissenting parties concerning it in particular are distinctly considered.
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Assheton, William, 1641-1711.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing A4041; ESTC R23636
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62,270
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115
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Cor 1. 10. 1 Cor 12. 25. * Divisions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom 6. 17. with 1 Cor. 3 3. Gal 5 20. IV. m The same would follow if Presbytery were Tolerated Many mischiefes will inevitably follow upo◠this Toleration and that both to Church and Common-wealth First to the Church as 1. Causeless and unjust revolts from our Ministry and Congregations 2. Our Peoples minds will be troubled and in danger to be subverted as Acts 15. 24. 3. Bitter heart-burnings among Brethren will be fomented and perpetuated to Posterity 4. The Godly painfull Orthodox Ministry will be discouraged and despised 5 The life and power of Godlinesse will be eaten out by frivolous disputes and vaine janglings 6. The whole course of Religion in private Families will be interrupted and undermined 7. Reciprocall Duties between persons of nearest and dearest Relations will be extreamly violated 8. The whole work of Reformation especially in Discipline and Government will be retarded disturbed and in danger of being utterly frustrate and void whilest every person shall have liberty upon every triviall discontent at Presbyteriall Goverment and Churches to revolt from us and list themselves in separated Congregations 9. All other Sects and Heresies in the Kingdome will be encouraged to endeavour the like Toleration 10. All other Sects and Heresies in the Kingdome will safeguard and shelter themselves under the wings of Independency and some of the Independents in their Books have openly avowed that they plead for Liberty of Conscience as well for others as for themselves 11. And the whole Church of England in short time will be swallowed up with destruction and confusion And God is not the Author of confusion but of peace 1. Cor 14. 33. Secondly to the Commonwealth for 1. All these mischiefs in the Church will have their proportionable influence upon the Commonwealth 2. The Kingdome will be wofully weakned by scandalls and Divisions so that the enemies of it both domesticall and forreign will be encouraged to plot and practice against it 3. It is much to be doubted lest the power of the Magistrate should not onely be weakened but even utterly overthrowne considering the Principles and practices of Independents together with their compliance with other Sectaries sufficiently a And are not Presbytarian principles known to be so too knowne to be Anti-Magistraticall b And as inconsistent with other Oaths imposed by Lawfull Authority which that was not V. Such a Toleration is utterly repugnant and inconsistent with that solemn League and Covenant for Reformation and defence of Religion which not only both houses of Parliament but also persons of all sorts in both Kingdoms of England and Scotland have subscribed and with hands lifted up to the most high God have sworn a Which Oaths have been taken by most of the chief sticklers for Toleration and with a True intention it was hoped to performe the same which Covenant likewise both you and we and those that most earnestly pursue the establishment of Toleration have made or should have made in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of all hearts with a true intention to perform the same as we shall answer at the Great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed For 1. This is opposite to the Reformation of Religion according to the word of God and the example of the best reformed Churches Article 1. 2. n The Toleration of Presbytery is no less destructive to the conjunction and uniformity of all the three Kingdomes then Independency It is destructive to the three Kingdomes nearest conjunction and uniformity in Religion and Government which might lead us and our posterity after us as Brethren to live in faith and Love Art 1. 3. o Seeing Presbytery is as much a Schisme from Episcopacy as Episcopacy or independency was from Presbytery why do they now in stead of extirpation desire the Toleration of it contrary to your Covenant It is plainly contrary to that extirpation of Schisme and whatsoever shall be found contrary to sound Doctrine and the Power of Godlinesse which we have sworne sincerely really and constantly to endeavour without respect of persons 4. p Toleration of Schisme rendreth Magistrates and Ministers accessary to the Errours Sins and Destruction of seduced and deluded People Hereby we shall be involved in the guilt of other mens sins and thereby be endangered to receive of their Plagues Art 2. 5. It seems utterly impossible if such Toleration should be granted that the Lord should be one and his name one in the three Kingdomes Art 2. 6. This will palpably hinder the Reformation of Religion inevitably divide one Kingdome from another and unhappily make factions and parties among the People contrary to this League and Covenant of which evil offices whosoever shall be found guilty are reputed in the Words of the Covenant q The Toleration of deformity even in little Matters sometimes causeth factions and parties amongst the People Let Vs have a care we be not Incendiaries or evill Instruments for Sacrilegious spirits to work by ill affected as well to Presbytery as Episcopacy Incendiaries Malignants Malignants and evill Instruments to be discovered that they may be brought to publick triall and receive condigne punishment Art 4. 5. These are some of the many Considerations which make deep impressions upon our spirits against that great Diana of Independents and all the Sectaries so much cryed up by them in these distracted times viz. A Toleration a Toleration And however none should have more rejoyced then our selves in the establishment of a Brotherly Peaceable and Christian accommodation yet this being utterly rejected by them we cannot dissemble how upon the fore-mentioned grounds we detest and abhor the much endeavoured Toleration Our Bowels our Bowels are stirred within us and we could even Drowne our selves in Tears when we call to mind how long and sharp a travell this Kingdom hath been in for many years together to bring forth that blessed fruit of a pure and perfect Reformation and now at last after all our pangs and dolours and expectations this Reall and through Reformation is in danger of being strangled in the Birth by a lawless Toleration that strives to be brought forth before it Wherefore Reverend and Beloved Brethren we could not satisfy our selves till we had made some discovery of our Thoughts unto you about this matter not that we can harbour the least jealousy of your zeale fidelity or industry in the opposing and extirpating of such a root of gall and bitterness as Toleration is and will be both in present and future Ages but that we may what lies in us endeavour mutually to strengthen one anothers resolutions against the present growing evills and that our Consciences may not smite us another day for sinfull silence or sluggish deficiency in any point of Duty tending to the glory of Christ Honour of the Truth Peace of the Church Perfection of
of the Papists whether this designe of engageing the Magistrate by a fundamentall constitution not to meddle with matters of faith and Worship but leave them all to Christ alone be not the present setting up of Popery in England and the delivering all the fruit of our labours Prayers and victories into the Papists hands Obj. But Liberty for Popery and Prelacy is stil excepted Answ by whom But if there had been an exception against Popery put in it would have been to little purpose as long as a generall Rule is laid down that condemneth that exception For if it be the standing Rule That matters of Religion and faith and all matters of Worship are out of the Magistrates power to say then that Popery shall be excepted from Liberty is to say the Magistrate shall intrude into the proper Office of Christ to restraine the Papists Well seeing these things are so that sin will find a Mr. Tho Horton Ser before the House of Peers Dec. 30. 1646. Lond printed by F. Neile for Sam Gellibrand at the Brazen serpent in Pauls Ch yard 1646. p. 35. out us let this be the use wee make of it to be carefull to find out it and to begin with that first This is that which lies upon us all But especially to speake a word in Season upon those which have the Government of Kingdomes and Commonwealths committed unto them These had need to find out sin more especially for the safety and welfare of that State which they have the ordering and managing of a P. 36. First their own Personall Sins b p. 37. 38. Secondly they are to find out also the sins of the Kingdome I have already Administer'd some help in this performance by the hint of those Sins before mention'd all which I humbly desire may be taken into serious Consideration and especially which grows so much upon us and which threatens so much evil to us the Sin of Libertinisme and Toleration which is the ring-leader of all the rest and involves all others with it O that this should ever be once mentioned amongst us here in England who have enjoyed so much of the Gospell of Truth as wee have done derived to us from our Godly fore-fathers sealed to us by the blood of the Martyrs prosecuted with so many Blessings and victories and Gratious successes both of former and latter times to the admiration both of Enemies and Friends is this the fruit and issue of all that God hath done for us and do all overtures of Reformation come to this Surely God cannot but take it very ill from us that we should but incline and leane hereunto As he said to David of his building of the Temple Thou didst well that it was in thine heart and accordingly was well pleased with him So will he say to us of our Contrary carriage That it is ill that it is in our heart if so be it be come so far as I hope it is not What when we have so much appeared against Popery and Superstition shall wee now begin to think of Indifferency and Toleration Certainly it 's but a sorry exchange of a Bad Religion for none Although indeed it will be no exchange but rather a further Confirmation Toleration of all other Errours doth but strengthen Popery amongst the rest which will at least think so well of it self as to come in for a Childs Part. a M. Lazar Seaman Ser. before the Comm. Sept. 25. 1644. Lond printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell at the Sun in Pauls Ch yard 1644 p. 41. There is a Generation who look for much at your hands and yet ask nothing I mean by way of humble Petition When they find you or themselves in such a posture as that they cannot be denied it may be you may hear of them Besides the many loose prophane and scandalous Ministers there are a new sort risen amongst us who have thrust themselves into the Lords Vineyard It 's no less then Persecution so they commonly give out to desire that their suspitious Opinions may be examined according to the word of God and they commanded to forbear the publishing and spreading of them for the present There be many dangerous Books abroad dangerous at least ' I le say no more Liberty of Conscience The Bloudy Tenent The compassionate Samaritan John Baptist b p. 44. Consider also c Solomons His failings and beware of them 1. He had many Wives d 1 Kings 11. 3. even seaven hundred Wives Princesses and three hundred Concubines Let not us have as many Religions There 's some Analogy between the one and the other 2. There was in his daies first a Connivance at Idolatry then open Toleration and withall Apostacy These Wives turned away his heart after other Gods v. 4. He built an high place for Chemosh the Abomination of Moab and for Molech the Abomination of the Children of Ammon and likewise did he for all his strange Wives v. 7 8. Observe the Gradation first Connivance then open Toleration herewithall Apostacy a M. Matth. New comen Ser before the Parliament Sept. 12. 1644. Lond. printed for Ch Meredith 1644. p. 31. No Reformation of Religion now now nothing will satisfy some but a Toleration of all Religions and all Opinions Church-Government Discipline is to some a fiction to others Tyranny and Persecution Ah Brethren this is a Provocation and will be a Provocation for this God may turn us into the Wilderness again b P. 36. We are grown beyond Arminianisme Brownisme Anabaptisme we are come I mean many among us to down-right Libertinisme There are two Opinions which if encouraged and they are encouraged if connived at will open a door to Turcisme Judaisme Atheisme Polytheisme any monster of Opinion The one is That every man is to be left to the Liberty of his own Religion an Opinion contended for by the Bloody Tenets John Baptist Liberty of Conscience and the like Pamphlets An opinion most pernicious and destructive as to the Souls of men so to the Common-weale of the Kingdome Libertas illa quidlibet credendi saith Gerard nihil aliud quam Libertas errandi c. That Liberty of believing what men will or of holding what Faith they please is no other then a liberty of erring and of erring in a matter that concerns the eternall Salvation of the Soule wherein to erre cannot but be most dangerous and destructive Diversity of Religion dis-joynts and distracts the minds of men and is the Seminary of perpetuall hatreds jealousies Seditions Warres if any thing in the World be and in a little time either a Schisme in the State begets a Schisme in the Church or a Schisme in the Church begets a Schisme in the State That is either Religion and the Church is prejudic'd by Civill Contentions or Church controversies and disputes about Opinions break out into Civill Warrs Men will at last take up Swords and Spears instead of Pens and defend by