us again into a setled State out of the storm into which our passions and folly as well as the Treachâ—ry of others has brought us it cannot be imagined that the Bishops will go off from those moderate Resolutions which they have now declared and they continuing firâ— to them the weak and indiscreet paâ—sions of any of the inferiour Clergy must needs vanish when they are under the conduct of wise and worthy Leaders And I will boldly say this that if â—he Church of England after she has got out of this Storm will return to hearken to the peevishness of some sour men she will be abandoned boâ—h of God and man and will set both Heaven and Earth against her The Nation sees too Visibly how dear the Dispute about Conformity has coâ—t us to stand any more upon such Punctilio's and THOSE in whom our Deliverance is wrapt up understand this matter too well and judge too right of it to imagin that ever they will be Priestridden in this point So that all considerations conâ—ur to make us conclude that theâ—e is no danger of our splitting a second time upon the same Rock and indeed if any Argument weâ—â— wanting to compleaâ— the certainty of this point tha Wise and Generous behaviour of the main body of the Dissenters in thiâ— present Juncture has given them so just a Title to our Friendship that we must resolve to set all the World against us if we can ever forget it and if we do not make them all the returns of Ease and Favour when it is in our power to do it X. It is to be hoped that when this is laid together it will have that effect on all Sober and True Protestants as to make them forget the little angry Heats that have been among us and even to forget the injuries that have been done us all that we do now one against another is to shorten the work of our Enemies by destroying one another which must in Conclusion turn to all our Ruin. It is a madmans Revenge to desâ—roy our Friends that we may do a pleasure to our Enemies upon their giving us some good words and if the Dissâ—nters can trust to Papists after the usage that the Church of England haâ— met with at their hands all the comfort that they can promise themselves when Popery begins to act itâ— natural part among us and to set Smithfield again in a Fire is that which befel some Quakers at Rome who were first put into the Inquisition but were afterwards removed to Bedlam so tho those false Brethren among the Dissenters who deâ—eive them at present are certainly no Changlings but know vvell vvhat they are doing yet those vvho can be chated by them may vvell claim the priviledge of a Bâ—dlam vvhen their Folly has left them no other retâ—eat XI I vvill not digress too far from my present puâ—pose nor enter into a discussion of the Dispensing power vvhich vvas so effectually overthrown the other day at the Kings-Bench-Bar that I am sure all the Authority of the Bâ—nch it self is no more able to Support it yet some late Papers in favour of it give me occasion to add a littâ—e relating to that point It is â—rue the Assertor of the Disâ—ensing power who has lately appeared wiâ—h allowance pretends that it can only be applyed to the Test for publick Employments for he owns that the Test for both Houses of Parliament is left eâ—tire as not within the compass of this extent of the Prerogative but another Writer whom by his sense we must conclude an Irish man by his brow a Iesuit and by the bare designation in the Title page of Iames Stewarts letter a Quaker goes a strain higher and thinks the King is so â—bsolutely the Soveraign as to the Legislative part of our Government that he may dissolve even the Parliament Test so nimbly has he leapt from being a Secretary to a Rebellion to be an Advocate for Tyranny He fancies that because no Parliament can bind up another therefore they cannot limit the Preliminaries to a subsequent Parliament But upon what iâ— it then that Counties have but two Knights and Burroughs as many that men below such a value have no Vote that Sheriffs only receive Writs and return Elections besides many more necessary requisites to the making a legal Parliament In short if Laws do not regulate the Election and Constitution of a Parliament all these things may be overthrown and the King may cast the whole Government in a new Mould as well as dissolve the obligation that is on the Members of Parliament for taking the Test. It is true that as soon as a Parliament is legally met and constituted it is tyed by no Laws so far as not to repeal thâ—m but tâ—e Preliminaries to a Parliament are still sacred as long as the Law stands that setled them for the Members are still in the quality of ordinary Subjects and not entred upoâ— their share in the Legislative power till they are constituted in a Parliament Legally chosen and Lawfully assembled that iâ— having observed all the Requisites of the Law. But I leâ—ve that impudent Letter to return to the most Apology that has been yet writ for the Dispensing power It yields that the King cannot abrogate Laws and pretends only that he can dispense with them and the distinction it puts between abrogation and Dispensation is that the one is a total repeal of the Law and that the other is only a slackning of its obligatory foâ—ce with Relation to a particular man or to any body of men so that according to him a simple Abrogation or a total Repeal is beyond the compass of the Prerogative I desire then that this Doctrine may be applyed to the following words of the Declaration from which the Reader may infer whether these do import a Simple Abrogation or noâ— and by consequence if the Declaration is not illegal We do hereby further Declare That it is our Royal will and pleasure that the Oaths commonly called the Oaths of Supremacy and Allegeance and also the several Tests and Declarations shall not at any time hereafter be required to be taken Declared or subscribed by any person or persons whatsoever who is or shall be Imployed in any Office or Place of Trust either Civil or Military under us or in our Government This is plain English and needs no Commentary That paper offers likewise an Expedient for securing Liberty of Conscience by which it will be set beyond even the Dispensing power and that is that by Act of Parliament all Persecution may be declared to be a thing evil in it self and then the Prerogative cannoâ— reach it But unless this Author fancies that a Parliament is that which those of the Church of Rome believe a General Council to be I mean Infallible I do not see that such an Act would signify any thing at all An Act of Parliament cannot change the nature of things which are sullen and will not alter because a hard worâ— is clapt on thâ—m in an Act of Parliament nor can that mâ—ke that which is not evil of it self become evil of it self for can any Act of Parliament make the Clipping of Money or the not Burying in Woâ—llen evil of it self Such an Act were inâ—eed null of it self and would sink with its own weight even without the burden of the Prerogative to press it down and yet upon such a sandy foundation would these men have us build all our Hopes and our Securiâ—ies Another topick like this is that we ought to trust to the truth of our Religion and the providence and protection of God and not to lean so much to Laws and Tests All this were very pertinent if God had not already given us humanâ— Assurances against the Rage of our Enemies which we are now desired to abandon that so we may fall an easie and cheap Sacrifice to those who wait for the favourable moment to destroy us by the same reason they may perswade us to take off all our Doors or at least all our Locks and Bolâ—s and to sleep in this exposed condition trusting to Gods Protection The simily may appear a little too high tho it is really short of the matter for we had better trust our selves to all the Thieves and Robbers of the town who would be perhaps contented with a part of our Goods than to those whose designs are equally against both Soul and Body and all that is dear to us XII I will only add another Reflexion upon the renewing of the Declaraâ—ion this year which has occasioned the present â—â—orm upon the Clergy It is repeated to 〈◊〉 that so we may see â—hat the King continues firm to the Promises he made laâ—t year Yet when Men of Honour have once given their word they take it ill if any do not trust to that but must needs have it repeated to them in the ordinary commerce of the world the repeating of promises over and over again is â—ather a ground of Suspition than of Confidence and if wâ— judge of the accompliâ—hment of all tâ—e other parts of the Dâ—â—laration from thâ—t oâ—e which relates to â—he mâ—intaining of the Church of England as bâ— Law established the proceedings againâ—t the Fellows of Magdalen Colledge gives us no reason to conclude that this will be like the Laws of the Medes and Persians which alter not all the talk of the New Magna Charta cannot lay us asleep when we see so little regard had to the Old one As for the security which is offeâ—ed us in this repeating of the Kings promiseâ— we must crave leave to remember that the King of France even after he had resolved to break the Edict of Nantes yet repeated in above an hundred Edicts that were real and visible violations of that Edict a clause conâ—irmatory of the Edict of Nantes declaring that he would never Violate it and in that we may see what account is to be had of all promises made to Hereticks in matterâ— of Religion by any Prince of the Roman Commuâ—ion but more particularly by a Prince who has put the conduct of his Consciince in the hands of a Iesuite FINIS
so thought that the Exclusion of him from the Crown was a degree of rigour to which they in Conscience could not consent upon which they were generally cried out on as the Betrayers of the Nation and of the Protestant Religion Those who demanded the Exclusion and some other securities to which the Bishops would not consent in Parliament looked on them aâ— the chief hindrance that was in their way and the License of the Press at that time was such that many Libels and some severe Discourses were published against them Nor can it be denied that many Churchmen who undeâ—stood not the principles of Humane Society and the rules of our Government so well as other points of Divinity writ several Tâ—eatises concerning the measures of submission that were then as much censured as their perâ—ormances since against Popery have â—een deservedly admired All this gave such a Jealousie of them to the Nation that it mâ—st be confessed that the Spirit which was then in fermentation went very high against the Church of England as a Conâ—ederate at least to Popery and Tyranny Nor were several of the Nonconformists wanting to inflame this disliâ—e all secâ—et propositions for accommodating our differences were so coâ—dly entertained that they were scarce hearkned unto The Propositions which an Eminent Divine made even in his Books writ against Separation shewed that while we maintained the War in the way of dispute yet we were still willing to Treat â—or thâ— Gâ—eat Man made not those â—dvâ—â—â—es towaâ—ds tâ—em without consulting with his Sâ—â—eriours Yet we were then â—aâ—â—lly giâ—en up to a spirit of Disâ—ention and tâ—o the Parliament in 1680. entred upon a project for healing ouâ— differences in which great steps were made to the removing of all the occasions of our Contestâ— the Leaders of the Dissenters to the amaâ—ement of all peâ—sons made no account of this and even seemed uneasie at it of which the Earl of Nottingham and Sir Thomas Clarges that set on that Bill with much zeal can give a more particular account All these things concurred to make those of the Church of â—ngland conclude a little too rashly that theâ—r ruin was resolved on and then it was no wonder if the spirit of a Party the remembrance of the last War the present prospect of Danger and above all the great favour that was shewed them at Court threw them fatally into some angry and Violent Counsels self-preservation is very natural and it is plain that many of them took that to be the Case so that truly spaeking it was not so much at first a spirit of Persecution as a desire of disabling those who they believed intended to ruin them from effâ—cting their designs that set them on to all those unhappy things that followed They were animated to all they did by the continued earâ—estness of the King and Duke and of their Mâ—nisters That Reproach of Iustice and of the pâ—ofession of the Law who is now so â—iâ—h was singled out for no other end but 〈◊〉 theâ—r Common Hangman over England oâ— whom the late Kâ—ng gave tâ—is true character That he had neither Wit Law nor Common Senâ—e bâ—t that he had the Impudâ—nce of ten carted Wâ—ores in him Another Buffoâ—n 〈…〉 to plâ—gue the Nation with three or four Pâ—pers a week whiâ—h to the Reproach oâ— tâ—e Age in which we live had but too gâ—eat and too general an effect for poysoning the spirits of the Clergy But those who knew how all this was managed saw that it was not only set on but still kept up by the Court. If any of the Clergy had but preached a word for moderation he had a chiding sent him presently fâ—om the Court and he was from that day marked out as a disaâ—fected person and when the Clergy of London did very worthily refuse to give Informations against their Parishionerâ— that had not always Conformeâ— the design having been form'd upon that to bring them into the Spiritual Courts and Excommunicate them and make them lose their right of Voting that so the Charter of London might have been delivered up when so many Citizens were by such means shut out of the Common-Council we remember well how severely they were Censured for this by some that are now dead and others that are yet alive I will not go further into this matter I will not deny but many oâ— the Dissenters were put to great hardshipâ— in many parts of England I cannot deny it and I am sure I will never justifie iâ— But this I will positively say having observed it all narrowly that he must have the brow of a Iesuite that can cast this wholly on the Church of England and free the Court of it The beginnings and the progress of it came from the Court and from the Popish party and tho perhaps every one does not â—now all the secrets of this matter that others may have found out yet no man was so ignorant as not to see what was the chief spring of all those Irregular motions that some of us made at that time so upon the whole matter all that can be made out of this is that the paâ—sions and infirmities of some of the Church of England being unhappily stirred up by the Dissenters they were fatally conducted by the Popish party to be the Instruments in doing a great deal of mischief IX It is not to be doubted but though some weaâ—er men of the Clergy may perhaps still retain their little peevish animosities against the Dissenters yet the wiser and more serious heads of that great and Worthy Body see now their Error they see who drove them on in it till they hoped to have ruined them by it And as they have appeared against Popery with as great a strength of Learing annd of firm steadiness as perhaps can be met with in all Church-history so it cannot be doubted but their reflections on the dangers into which our Divisions have thrown us have given them truer Notions with relation to a rigorous Conformity and that thâ— just Detestation which they have expressed of the Corruptionâ— of the Church of Rome has led them to consider and aâ—hor one of the worst things in it I mean their Severity towards Hereticks And the ill â—se that they see the Court haâ— made of their Zeal â—or supporting the Crown to justifie the subversion of our Government that is now set on from some of their large and unwary expressions will certainly make them hereafter more cautious in medling with Poliâ—icks the Bishops have undoâ— their hands both disowned that wide extent of the Prâ—rogative to the overturning of the Law and declared their disposition to come to a Temper in the matters of Conformity and there seems to be no doubt left of the sincerity of their Intentions in that matter Their Piety and Vertue and the prospect that they now have of suffering themselves put us beyond all doubt as to their sincerity and if ever God in his Providence brings
AN APOLOGY FOR THE Church of England With relation to the Spirit of PERSECUTION For which She is Accused I. ONE should think that the Behaviour of the English Clâ—rgy for some years past and the present Circumstances in which they are should set them beyond Slander and by consequence above Apologies yet since the Malice of her Enemies work against her with so much Spight and since there is no insinuation that carries so much Malice in it and that seems to have such colours of Truth on it as this of their having set on a sâ—vere Persecution against the Dissenters of being still sowr'd with that Leven and of carrying the same implacable hatred to them which the present Reputation that they have gained may put them in a further capacity of executing if another revolution of Affairs should again give them Authority to set about it it seems necessary to examine it and â—hat the rather because some aggravate this so far as if nothing were now to be so much dreaded as the Church of England's getting out of her present distress II. If these Imputations were charged on us only by those of the Church of Rome we should not much wonder at it for tho it argues a good degree of Confidence for any of that Communion to declaim against the Severities that have been put in practice among us â—ince their little finger must be heavier than ever our loins were and to whose Scorpions our Rods ought not to be compared yet after all we are so much accustomed to their methods that nothing from them can surprise us To hear Papists declare against Persecution and Iesuits cry up Liberty of Consciencâ— are we confess unusual things yet there are some degrees of shame over which when people are once passed all things become so familiar to them that they can no more be put out of countenance But it seems very strange to us that soâ—e who if they are to be believed are strict to the severest forms and sub-divisions of the Reformed Religion and that who some years ago were jealous of the smallest steps that the Courâ— made when the danger was more remoâ—e and who cried out Popery and Persecution when the Design was so maâ—â—t that some well-meaning men could noâ— miss being deceived by the Promises that were made and the Disguises that were put on that I say these very persons who were formerly so distrustful should now when the Mask is laid off and the Design is avowed of a sudden grow to be so believing as to throw off all distrust and be so gulled as to betray all and expose us to the Rage of those who must needs give some good words till they have gone the round and tried how effectually they can divide and deceive us that â—o they may destroy us the more easily this is indeed somewhat extraordinary They are not so ignorant as not to know that Popery cannot change its nature and that Cruelty and Breach of Faith to Hereticks aâ—e as necessary parts of that Religion as Transubstantiation and the Popes Supremacy are If Papists were not Fools they must give good Words and fair Promises till by these they have so far deluded the poor credulous Hereticks that they may put themselves in a posture to execute the Decrees of their Church against them and tho we accuse that Religion as guilty both of Cruelty and Treachery yet we do not think 'em Fools so till their party is stronger than God be thanked it is at present they can take no other method than that they take The Church of England was the Word among them some yâ—ars ago Liberty of Conscience is the Word at present and we have all possible reason to assure uâ— that the promises for maintaining the one will be as religiously kept as we see those are which were lately made with so great profusion of Protestations and shews of Friendship for the supporting of the other III. It were great Injustice to charge all the Dissenters with the Impertinencies that have appeared in many Addresses of late or â—o take our measures of them from the Impudent strains of an Alsop or a Care or from the more Important and now more visible steps that some among them of a higher form are every day making and yet after all this it cannot be denied but the several bodies of the Dissenters have behaved themselves of late like men that understand too well the true Interest of the Protestant Religion and of the English Government to sacrifice the whole and themselves in Conclusion to their private resentments I hope the same justice will be allowed me in stating the matter relating to the so much decried Persecution set on by the Ch. of Eng. and that I may be suffered to distinguish the heats of some angry and deluded men from the Doctrine of the Church and the practices that have been authorised in it that so I may shew that there is no reason to infer from past Errors that we are incurable or that new Opportunities inviting us again into the same severities are like to prevail over us to commit the same follies over again I will first state what iâ— past with the sincerity that becomes one that would not lye for God that is not afraid nor ashamed to confess faults that will neither agrravate nor extenuate them beyond what is just and that yet will avoid the saying any thing that may give any cause of offence to any party in the Nation IV. I am sorry that I must confess that all the parties among us have shewed that as their turn came to be uppermost they have forgot the same Principles of Moderation and Liberty which they all claimed when they were oppressed If it shoâ—ld shew too much ill nature to examine what the Presbytery did in Scotland when the Covenant was in Dominion or what the Indepedents have done in New-England why may not I claim the same priviledge with relation to the Church of England if severities have been committed by her while she bore rule Yet it were as easie as it would be invidious to shew thâ—t both Presbyterians and Independents have carried the principle of Rigour in the point of Conscience much higher and have acted more implacably upon it than ever the Church of England has done even in its angriest fits so that none of them can much reproach another for their excesses in those matters And as of all the Religions in the world the Church of Rome the most persecuting and the most bound by her Principles to be unalterably Cruel so the Church of England is the least persecuting in her principles and the least obliged to repeat any errors to which the intrigues of Courts or the passions incident to all parties may have engaged her of any National Church in Europe It cannot be said to be any part of our Doctrine when we came out of one of the blackest persecutions that is in History I mean Q Maryes
we shewed how little we retained oâ— the Cruelty of that Church which had provoked us so severely when not only no Enquirieâ— were made into the illegal acts of Fury that were committed in that peâ—secuting Reign but even the Persecutors themselves lived among us at ease and in peace and no Penal Law was made exâ—ept against publick exercise of that Religion till a great maâ—y Rebelions and Treasons extorted them from us for our own preservation This is an Instance of the Clemency of our Church that perhaps cannot be matched in History and why should it not be supposed that if God should again put us in the state in which we were of late that we should rather imitate so Noble a patteâ—n than return to those mistakes of which we are now ashamed V. It is to be considered that upon the late Kings Restauration the remembrance of the former War the ill Usage that our Clergy had met with in their Sequestrations the angry Resentments of the Cavalier-party who were ruined by the War the Interest of the Court to have all those principleâ— condemned that had occasioned it the heat thâ—t all Parties that have been ill used are apt to fall into upon a Revolution but above all the practices of those who have still blown the Coals and set us one against another that so they might not only have a divided force to deal with but might by turns make the Divisins among us serve their Ends all these I say concurred to make us lose the happy opportunity that was offer'd in the Year 1660. to have healed all our Divisions and to have triumphed over all the Dissenters not by ruining them but by overcoming them with a spirit of Love and Gentleness which is the only Victâ—ry that a generous and Christian temper can desiâ—e In short unhappy Councils were followed and several Laws were made But after all it was the Court-party that carried it for rougher methods some considerble Accidents not necessary to be here mentioned as they stopped the mouths of some that had formed a wiser Project so they gave a fatal Advantage to angry and crafty men that to our misfortune had too great a stroak in thâ— conduct of our Affairs at that time This Spirit of Severity was heightned by the Practices of the Papists who engaged the late King in December 1662. to give a Declaration for Liberâ—y of Conscience Those who knew the secret of his Religion as they saw that it aimed at the introduction to Popery so they thought there was no way so effectual for the keeping out of Popery as the maintaining the Vniformity and the suppressing of all designs for a Toleration But while those who managed this used a due reserve in not discovering the secret motive that led them to it and others flew into seveâ—ity as the principle in vogue and thus all the slacknings of the rigour of the Laws during the first Dutch War that were set on upon the pretence of quieting the Nation and of encouraging Trade were resiâ—ted by the Instruments of an honest Minister of State who knew as well then as we do now what lay still at bottom when Liberty of Conscience was pretended VI. Upon that Ministers Disgrace some that saw but the half of the Sâ—cret perceiving in the Court a great inclination â—o Toleration and being willing to take measures quite different from those of the former Ministry they entred into a treaty for a Comprehension of some Dissenters and the Tolerating of others and some Bishops and Clergymen that were inferiour to none of the Age in which they lived for true Worth and a right Judgment of things engaged so far and with so much success into thiâ— project that the matter seemed done all thingâ— being concerted among some of the most considerable men of the differenâ— Parties But the dislike of that Ministry and the Jealousie of the ill designs of the Court gave so stroâ—g a prejudice against this that the proposiâ—ion could not be so much as hearkned unto by the House of Commons and then it appeared how much the whole Popish Party was alarm'd at the Project it is well known with how much Detestation they speak of it to this day tho we are now so fully satisfied of their Intentionâ— to destroy us that the zeal which they pretended for us in opposing that design can no more pass upon us VII At last in the Year 1672. the design for Popery discovering it self the end that the Court had in favouring a Toleration became more visible and when the Parliament met that condemned the Declaration for Liberty of Conscieâ—ce the Memberâ— of the House of Commons that either were Dissentâ—rs or that favoured them behaved themselves so worthily in concurring with the Church of England for stifling that Toleration choosing rather to lose the benefit of it thâ—n to open a breach at which Popeâ—y should come in that many of the members that were for â—he Church of England promised to procure them a bill oâ— Ease for Protestant Dissenters But the Session was not long enough for bringing that to perfection and all the Sessionâ— of that Parliament afâ—er thaâ— were spent in such a continual struggle between the Court and Countrey Party that there was never room given for calm and wise Consultations yet tho the Party of the Church of England did not peâ—form what had been promised by some Leading men to the Dissenters there was little or nothing done against them after that till the Year 1681. so that for about nine years together they had their Meetings almost as publickly and as regularly as the Church of Englanâ— had their Churches and in all that time whatsoever particular hardships any of them might have met with in some corners of England it cannot be denied bâ—t they had the free Exercise of their Religion at least in most parts VIII In the year 1678. things began to change their face it is known that upon the breaking out of the popish plot the Clergy dâ—d Universally express a great desire for câ—ming to some temper in the points of Confoâ—mity all soâ—ts and ranâ—s of the Clergy seemed to be so well disposed towards it that if it had met with a sutable entertainment matters might probably have been in a greater measure composed But the Jealousie that those who managed the Civil concerns of the Nation in the House of Commons took off all that was done at Court or proposed by it occasioned a fatal breach in our publick Councils in which division the Clergy by their principles and interests and their disposition to believe well of the Court were determined to be of the Kings side They thought it was a sin to mistâ—ust the late Kingâ— Word who assured them of his steadiness to the Protestant Religion so often that they firmly depended on it and his present Majesâ—y gave them so many Assurances of his maintaining â—till the Church of England that they believed him likewise and