severity of Divine Justice in the room of Sinners is thereby the compleat and only Saviour of all those that truly Believe in him and Repent of their Sins 3. That the same Jesus Christ which was Born of the Virgin Mary being conceived of the Holy Ghost and that dyed upon the Cross and after being Buried was Raised from the Dead is also ascended to the Right-hand of God in Heaven there to appear in the Presence of god as an Advocate and Intercessor for all them that come to God by him and he is able to save them to the utmost 4. Both Parties do believe that the Holy Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Practice 5. As concerning the Church of God upon Earth the Dissenters do agree with the Church of England in that description given of Christs Visible Church See the Nineteenth Article of the Church of England in these very words The Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in which the Word of God is Preached and Sacraments be duly Ministred according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of Necessity are Requisite to the same So profess and confess the Dissenters also 3. Consider the punishments provided by the aforesaid Statute to be inflicted upon the Offenders viz. five shillings for the first Offence and ten shillings for the second offence for being only in the capacity of a Hearer and Twenty Pounds for every house that shall entertain any such Conventicle and Twenty Pounds for the first Offence of him that shall Teach or Preach in such Meetings and Forty Pounds for every such Offence after the first Conviction and also Power in given to the Justices of Peace to Levy the Fines of some persons upon others so far as Ten Pounds and all these Fines to be levyed upon the Goods and Chattles of the Offenders And in the Prosecuting of many Persons by the aforesaid Statute much more then the Sums of Money Levyed have been taken away and the Goods Sold without making any Return of the over-pluss to the very great dammage of many good Protestant Families And now whether such Proceedings be the best way to surpress Popery and promote the Protestant Religion shall be left to the serious consideration of all sorts of Protestants especially to Protestant Magistrates who oftentimes have opportunity to display Justice with Wisdom and Mercy which is far better then such Severity as looketh too much like Cruelty And therefore as a help to such Magistrates as are perplexed with Informers by the demand of Warrants to disturb Peaceable Protestants in their Meetings and in the Seizure of their Goods afterward let these following things be inquired into by such Magistrates as desire to discharge their Office faithfully in doing Justice between the King and the Subject 1. Whether all the People above the number of five besides the Family are the Subjects of this Realm for they are the Offenders in the sense of this Statute and not the Subjects of other Realms and therefore the Informer ought to swear that those he doth inform against are Subjects of this Realm 2. Whether there was any endeavours to make or contrive any Insurrections against the Government for the very design of the aforesaid Act was to prevent such Meetings 3. Whether there was any seditious words spoken in the Prayers or Preaching of the Assembly of People seeing this Act was made on purpose to suppress Seditious Meetings 4. Whether the Praying and Preaching was according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England viz. whether the Prayers were Protestant Prayers and the Preaching Protestant Preaching so as to promote the Protestant Religion or some other Religion if the Informers should say they were not there long enough to know the truth of these things then it will be evident that such men are not fit to be sworn Evidences against such Meetings forasmuch as their Oath doth not reach to such matters of Fact as is mentioned in the Statute And these things ought to be the more narrowly looked into because those that turn Informers are usually such as have some particular spite against some particular persons and so instead of doing Justice according to Law do but seek after some Revenge for themselves upon the Persons of such as they are offended at or else it is done that they may have that wages mentioned in the Act viz. the third part of the Fines of such persons they swear against and so strive to make themselves rich by making others poor And this is to be greatly lamented that some Justices of the Peace have mightily furthered the Informers by being too ready to receive their Informations and by Convicting Persons of divers Offences as they called them before ever the person knew of such Conviction and so sending divers Warrants of distâ—ess altogether amounting to very considerable sums of Money A Hot-headed Constable presently becomes a Slave to the proud Informers and so maketh a suddain Seizure upon the outward Substance of such as fear God and love Godliness and whereas the Justices may if they will lay but the Fine of Five Shillings upon a person for his first or ten shillings for his second Offence they do sometimes lay the sum of ten pounds for the defaults of others and so add many ten pounds together to the near Ruining of some persons And thus they that depart from evil maketh themselves a Prey but the Lord will see and show himself displeased at it See Isaiah 59.15 VII Another way of distresing and perplexing the Poor Protestant Dissenters is by the Proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Courts the ways and methods of whose Proceedings are as followeth 1. The said Ecclesiastical Courts do require the Church-Wardens and Ministers to make Presentment of such persons as do not come to their Parish-Church and unto the Sacrament 2. Upon Receiving such Presentments then the said Courts do issue forth Citations for such Persons being Presented to come and make answer to the said Presentments 3. If the said Citations be not served upon the persons who are Presented then the said Courts cause a Paper called Viis Modis to be set upon the Church-Door or upon the Persons own Door requiring the Person to appear upon a certain day 4. If the Person do not appear then the said Court proceedeth to Excommunication for Contempt 5. If the Person do appear then the Court doth acquaint such Person that he is Presented for not coming to Church and for not Receiving the Sacrament 6. If the Person do not make it appear that he hath been at Church and taken the Sacrament within the time mentioned in the said Presentment then the Judge of the said Court doth proceed to Admonition That the said Person shall Repair to his Parish Church and take the Sacrament by such a day as is appointed by the Admonition and bring a Certificate from the Minister of the said Parish that he hath so done whether fit for it
NONCONFORMITY Not Inconsistent WITH LOYALTY OR Protestant-Dissenters NO SEDITIOUS OR DISLOYAL SECTARIES EVIDENC'D IN A SOBER DISCOURSE upon those STATUTES by which the Protestant-Dissenters are Prosecuted at this Day Humbly offered to the Candid Consideration of all Protestants whether Conformists or Nonconformists By JAMES JONES a Protestant-Dissenter and now a Prisoner in Wood-Street-Compter for Nonconformity Esther 3.8 9. And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus There is a Certain People Scattered abroad and Dispersed among the People in all the Provinces of thy Kingdom and their Laws are divers from all the People neither keep they the Kings Laws Therefore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them If it please the King let it be written That they may be Destroyed Isa 42.22 But this is a People robbed and spoiled they are all of them snared in holes and they are hid in Prison-Houses They are for a Prey and none delivereth and for a Spoil and none saith Restore LONDON Printed for the Author and are to be Sold by William Bateman and most Booksellers 1684. To all Sincere Protestants whether they be Conformists or Nonconformists Fellow Protestants I Do humbly present to your sober consideration a Brief Discourse concerning several Statutes by which they Protestant Dissenters are Prosecuted to the very great dammage of multitudes of Families who are his Majesties Faithful Subjects and can Appeal to God and the King that they are persons of Loyalty notwithstanding their Nonconformity And as it is Recorded concerning Holy Daniel who was the great Nonconformist of that day Dan. 6.5 That he could not be fairly accused of any matters to make him a criminal except it were concerning the Law of his God Even so it may be truly said of the Nonconformists in England however they may be Reproached and be spattered as a Seditious and Rebellious People But it is well known that it is no new thing for such as fear God and are greatly favoured by God to be miscalled Jerusalem which was the City of the Great King viz. God the King of Kings Mat. 5.35 was called the Rebellious and Bad City Ezra 4.12 and in verse 19. A City of Insurrection Rebellion and Sedition And Jesus Christ was charged with Blasphemy Mat. 26.56 and called a Deceiver Mat. 27.63 And the Apostle Paul was called a Postilent Fellow a Mover of Sedition and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareens Acts 24.5 and his way of Worship was called Heresie verse 14. And no marvel if it be so in those our days But now it will be Replyed by some that the Protestant Dissenters are in a Conspiracy and Bloody Plot against the Kings Person and Government Vnto which let this answer be Considered That although some particular persons that have been counted Dissenters may be so wickedly concerned yet that is no proof that this is the Dissenters Plot no more then because some of the Church of England may be proved to have been in such a Conspiracy it can be called the Church of England's Plot which to affirm would be very wicked and abominable for it would render the Church-Protestants no better than Traytors However if either any of the Dissenters or of the Church-men should be so wicked as to be really guilty let them suffer the Justice of the Law that others may bear and fear and do no more so wickedly But God forbid that a whole Party of any sort of People should be charged with the wickedness of some of the same Party Simeon and Levi were guilty of a horrid and Bloody Fact in cutting off Hamor and Shechem which was the Prince of that Land and his Son and they also cut off the Inhabitants of that City where they Ruled because that Shechem the Son of Hamor had defiled Jacobs Daughter See the whole Story in Gen. 34. But it would be a very unrighteous thing to charge good old Jacob with this Bloody Crime because he it as their Father or to charge the rest of his Sons because they were Simeon and Levi's Brethren It is enough that they who be really guilty of any Crimes be charged with them and be Prosecuted so as to suffer justly for them And besides this it must be considered that such as have been innocent persons have been Accused of high Crimes and have suffered death as for instance Naboth was accused that he had Blasphemed God and the King and was stoned to death for it when indeed it was a Plot invented by Jezebel and managed by the Elders of the City where Naboth dwelt See 1 Kings 21. v. 9 10 11. And thus we find it concerning our Blessed Saviour he was Accused that he said he would destroy the Temple which was made with hands and within three days build another without hands Mark 14.58 Now Christ had spoke of Destroying and Raising of a Temple in three days see John 2. v. 19. Jesus answered and said unto them Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up v. 21. But he spoke of the Temple of his Body Thus we have two famous Instances of false Accusations concerning words Naboth was Accused of words that he never spoke Christ was Accused of some words he had spoke but the Accusation was not just as the words were spoken for though he spoke of a Temple and destroying of it and raising of it he did not say the Temple that was made with hands neither did he say that he himself would destroy any Temple but he spoke to the Jews who he knew would destroy his Body and said to them Destroy this Temple and as for Raising of it up that he said should be his own work And I will Raise it up in three days But he was Prosecuted for saying he would destroy the Temple of Solomon and build it in three days when it was no such thing And in our English Chronicle it is stoired of a good House-keeper or in the Reign of King Edward the Fourth that told his Son who was a Child saying Thou art Heir to the Crown meaning his house which was the sign of the Crown in Cheap-side But the Honest Citizen was Accused of Treason and suffered Death as a Traytor See bakers Chron. However it must be confest that Trayterous Designs have been too many times managed against the Kings of several Kingdoms and against the King of England in particular and whosoever can be proved really guilty thereof ought to suffer according to their Crimes But as for my own part who do profess my self a Protestant Dissenter I do solemnly profess before Almighty God that I do with my Soul abhor all acts of violence to the meanest of the Kings Subjects and do deem it ten thousand times worse to offer any violence to the Person of the Kings Majesty 1. Because of the Greatness of his Person he being by the Providence of God the Head of the Nation 2. Because the shedding of his Blood and taking away of his Life is the
Provision is made for the Right Administration of Justice that so the Innocent may be acquitted and none but the Guilty may be punished unless the King extend Mercy in Pardonable Cases in hope of the Offenders Amendment V. And this further must be considered that one part of the Law-makers are the House of Commons who are Chosen by the People and have power to prepare Bills for the Consent of the House of Lords and also to Accept or Reject Bills from the House of Lords before they are Presented to his Majesty for his Royal Assent and therefore if any Laws be made that are not for the peoples profit the Electors of such Members of Parliament must Reflect upon themselves for making such a Choice and look better to their Choice for the time to come VI. And sometimes His Majesties Leige People may Receive and Sustain Damages and Wrongs not because the Laws are bad but because it is badly managed by such as do not well understand the Laws or else because they may have some Antipathy in their minds against those that are Prosecuted and so that they may Accomplish their own wills against some particular persons do sometimes venture to swerve from the true meaning of the Law VII And for the good of the King and Kingdom the Wisdom of the Nation Assembled in Parliament doth sometimes upon mature consideration prepare Bills for Acts of Parliament in which some former Laws are Confirmed and Explained and some Laws are Repealed and some New Laws are made VIII Now therefore that Justice may be Rightly Administred unto all the Kings Subjects it doth highly concern all Mayors of Cities and of other Corporations as also all Justices of the Peace in the several Counties of this Realm together with all other-Peace-Officers concerned in the Executing of the Laws To make sure of a Right Understanding of their several Offices according to Law that as they may not come short so they may not go beyond that power the Law hath committed unto them and so become needless Prosecuters and Troublers of the Kings Subjects to their shurt and dammage though after great Charge and Expence such may be Releived by the Kings Honourable Judges and it may be those that were their Troublers may pay for it afterwards to their Cost and shame when Justice shineth in the Kings Courts of Justice being displayed impartially between the King and his Subjects and also between Subject and Subject IX In the Right Administration of Justice it doth highly concern the Executors of the Laws to consider the Nature of the Offences punishable by the Law whether they be great or small whether they be such as are any way a hurt to the person of the King or to the Publick Peace of the Kingdom or whether they be such things as tho' the Law doth count Offences yet in themselves are not maters at all Criminal viz. matters of Conscience by reason of mens Differing Opinions in matters of Religion which in themselves are no way hurtful to any mans Person Name or Estate X. It is also to be soberly considered what kind of persons the Deemed and Reputed Offenders are whether they do at all own and adhere to any Forreign Jurisdiction or whether they do own and approve of the Kings Majesty as the Supream Governour of this Realm and all other his Dominions and Countries in opposition to the Pope and all foreign Jurisdiction who though they may in some things of Religion differ from some matters of Worship as Established by Law are yet known to be such as fear God and Honour the King and profess practice and promote the Protestant Religion and are ready to assist and maintain the Government in the Peace and Tranquility of it both with Person and Purse as hath been demonstrated by the Protestant Dissenters in general and that in a time and times of great Distress when they have been severely Prosecuted in City and Country to the very great dammage of many good Families who desire to live and dye his Majesties Peaceable Subject But it may be some will object and say That the Dissenters have been Troublers and Disturbers of the Government and so call to Remembrance the Insurrection that was made by Venner and his Party in the City of London Unto which a satisfactory answer may be returned and therefore pray let these following things be considered in the behalf of the generality of the Protestant Dissenters 1. That the Insurrection of Venners Party was condemned by the Dissenters throughout the Kingdom as an Act of great violence and wickedness 2. That Conspiracy was but by a few viz. 29. who were known to be men of fiery Spirits and swimming Brains and would fain have been at the same work in the time of Oliver Cromwell if he had not very timely prevented it 3. Though they were Dissenters yet it is well known that they were fierce-spirited men against all other Dissenters that were not of their desperate minds 4. The Law hath taken hold of them and their persons have been punished severely for that desperate practice and the Dissenters in general throughout this Realm were not concerned in that Business 5. It is not at all fair that any Party of men should be charged with and condemned for the foolish rash Proceedings of some that may be called by the same distinguishing name for suppose some Presbyterians some Independants some Anabaptists and some Quakers should Conspire against the Government it will not be fair dealing to deem that all of those names are all alike in such bad things For by this Rule all French-men Scotch-men Irish-men and other Countries must be deemed Enemies to the Government because some have been proved to be so yea according to the aforesaid Rule all sorts of Tradesmen Gentlemen Clergy-men Knights Lords Earls Dukes though good Members of the Church of England must be censured and feared to be Traytors because some of such degrees and qualities have been proved to be such Criminals but as this is far from Christianity so it is very far from good humanity it is enough that those and only those who are the Criminals be punished according to their Crimes and as for all others who are not concerned in such Crimes tho they be under the same Denomination Respecting Degrees in the World or in matters of Religion yet they ought to be esteemed and favoured as Loyal Subjects to the King although there may be some matters of Religion that the Law doth account Offences XI That Justice may be Rightly Administred and Oppression may be avoided the nature and weight of the punishments inflicted by Law ought to be well considered and compared with the Offences especially if there be several ways of punishment for one and the same Offence and if the Executors of the Law be left at liberty to take which way they please of the greater or smaller punishments For as much as it savoreth too much or Severity if not
Life is ended 3. Consider That though these good things are managed in Separate Congregations distinct from the National Church yet they ought not to be counted the Managers of Schism and Rebellion but the Promoters of the Protestant Religion in higher degrees of Reformation according to the Word of God 4. Consider That for such men to be exposed to live five miles from Cities and Corporations or else to live in a Goal seemeth to be hard dealing thus being compelled to live at such a distance from the chief places of the Kingdom is a kind of Banishment from our Country while in our Countrey and all this for Nonconformity to the Church and for not swearing all the particulars in the Oath provided by the said Act one particular being this That I will not anytime endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Which words doth at least suppose that all things in the Church Government are so well and so compleat that there ought to be no endeavours to alter or amend them and this is a great scruple to many persons that are good Protestants VI. Another Statute by which the Protestant Dissenters are Distressed is the 22d of Car. 2. Chap. 1. Intituled An Act to Surpress Seditious Conventicles from which Statute let these particular things be soberly considered 1. That this Statute was provided as a further and more speedy Remedy against the growing and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries and other Disloyal Persons who under pretence of Tender Consciences have or may at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late Experience hath shewn See Paragraph 1. Now it is well known throughout this Kingdom that the Protestant Dissenters even every sort of them do abhor to be such Persons and therefore do deem it a great wrong that they should be accounted and prosecuted as such persons 1. Because though they be separate from the Church of England yet that doth not demonstrate them to be Seditious Sectaries forasmuch as the main things in the Christian Religion Professed by the Church of England is Professed by the Dissenters with a greater care to live suitably unto such a Holy Profession then the generality of the Visible Members of the Church of England do make Conscience of and therefore they deserve to be accounted such as further the Protestant Reformation and not such as are guilty of Sedition 2. They deem it a wrong to be counted persons of Disloualty meerly because of their Nonconformity especially considering what a demonstration they have given of being peaceable under the Government for so many years notwithstanding many and great Troubles they have met with in most parts of this Kingdom meerly for Matters of Conscience 3. And forasmuch as mention is made of Meeting under colour and pretence of the Exercise of Religion to contrive Insurrections the Protestant Dissenters in general can comfortably Appeal to God and the whole Kingdom that they are not guilty in this Matter and besides this it is not consistent with good reason that contriving of Insurrections could be at all managed in the Dissenters Meetings forasmuch as all sorts of persons do Resort unto them viz. Rich and Poor young and old and do daily find no other Matters but the Real Exercise of Religion in Praying to God Praising of God and Preaching the Word of God that they may further the Conversion and Salvation of each other Furthermore it is to be considered that since the making of the aforesaid Act and the violent Prosecution thereof to the very great dammage of many Protestant Families His Majesty did take such Grievances of his Subjects of Tender Consciences into his Princely and Compassionate Consideration and did Declare his Dislike of such forceable courses in matters of Conscience See His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects March 15. 1672. Published by the Advice of his Privy Council 2. The Persons in the aforesaid Act who are accounted Offenders are All such who being of the Age of Sixteen years or upwards being Subjects of this Realm who shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England they being in number five or more besides the Family or Houshold and if it be in a place where there is no Family Inhabiting then the number of five or more are deemed Offenders Now from this part of the Act consider that the Persons Accounted Offenders are such whose Exercise of Religion is in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore it is needful soberly to inquire whether the Exercise of Religion as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore let the Exercise of Religion in the Church of England and as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be well considered and compared together and then we shall see whether it be Contradictious or Harmonious 1. The Exercise of Religion in the Liturgy and as it is Practiced in the Church of England respecting the matters of it doth consist of Prayers to Almighty God in the Name of Jesus Christ his only Son for Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and this is the Practice of the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 2. The Church of England in the Exercise of Religion do give Thanks to God for Mercies Received from God as the Gracious Act of his Bounty and Good-Will unto such as are unworthy of the least Mercy and thus do the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 3. The Church of England does instruct Souls from the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament viz. From the Law and the Prophets and from the Epistles and Gospels which doth contain the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and thus do the Protestant Dissenters for which they are Prosecuted to their great dammage 4. The Church of England doth perform Religious Worship in English and so do the Protestant Dissenters that all Parties which come to attend the Exercise of Religion among them may understand what they are about 5. The Church of England doth observe the first day of the week commonly called the Lords day in Prayers and Sermons and so do the Protestant Dissenters yea in this matter the Dissenters are more careful that the day may be Religiously observed then the Church-Protestants 6. The Church of England and the Protestant Dissenters do agree in the Articles of Faith respecting the main and substantial matters of the Protestant Religion briefly thus 1. That there is a Holy Trinity viz. Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. That Jesus Christ is very God as well as very Man and that the Person of Christ considered as God and Man together with his compleat keeping of Gods Holy Law without any Breach of it in his own Person and his suffering the
or no. 7. If the said Person do not obey the said Admonition then the Ecclesiastical Court does Decre him Excommunicated and so send an Excommunication to the Minister requiring him to publish the same upon such Sunday or Holy-day as they appoint 8. If the said person stand Excommunicated forty days then the Bishop of the Diocess doth Certify this matter in the High-Court of Chancery by a certain thing called a Significavit 9. Then the High-Court of Chancery in the Term-time doth award forth or grant a Writ called De Excommunicato Capiendo which is directed to the Sheriffs of the City or County where the Excommunicate Person is an Inhabitant that the said Person may be Apprehended and Committed to Prison and there to remain without Bail or Mainprize until he shall satisfy the Church-Party so as 〈◊〉 Absolution which may be obtained several wayes as it is allowed and practised by the Ecclesiastical 〈…〉 First by swearing the Ecclesiastical Oath which is to swear to obey all the Kings Ecclesiastical Laws 〈◊〉 the Lawful Commands of his Ordinary Secondly giving a Bond to Conform upon the Penalty of so much money as shall be agreed upon between the Excommunicated Person and the aforesaid Court which formerly used to be ten pounds but now of late years the Ecclesiastical Market is risen and twenty pounds Bond is required Thirdly such as are not willing to take the aforesaid Oath nor give the aforesaid Bond may be absolved and so allowed some time to Conform if they will pay a Pledge which usually is ten pounds present payment and he that will not comply with any of these ways must abide in Goal whatever becometh of his poor Family and besides all this the said person must pay the Charges of the Ecclesiastical Court which is sometimes ordinary and sometimes extraordinary the ordinary charges is about Forty Shillings And now that it may be demonstrated that the Protestant Dissenters are not obstinate but Consciencious in their Nonconformity to the Church of England let these Causes and Reasons of their Nonconformity be soberly considerd in the particulars following The Protestant Dissenters cannot Conform to the Church of England 1. Because they cannot find a National Church in the New Testament But the Churches they find there are Congregational Churches which consisted of such Persons as God by his Word and Spirit had converted from a State of Nature to a State of Grace Such were the Churches of Jerusalem Samaria Antioch Corinth and Ephesus c. who being persons separated from the people amongst whom they were Inhabitants did by a mutual Consent and Agreement one with another maintain a Holy Communion together in the Worship of God as it was sounded upon the Word of God And so they were the Nonconformists of that day and underwent great Sufferings for not Conforming to that Worship which was Established in the places where they inhabited 2. Because they cannot find any such Officers belonging to a Church of Christ in the New-Testament as Arch-bishops Lord Bishops Deans Arch-Deacons Prebends Commissaries Officials c. But they find such Offiers in the Church of Christ as are called Pastors Eldery a 〈◊〉 d Overseers and the word Bishop doth belong to the same persons under the former Title considered as â—eeders of and Rulers over the true Church of Christ and the Apostle Peter doth forbid the Bishops of Christs Church to be Lords over Gods Heritage 1 Pet. 5.3 3. The Protestant Dissenters cannot Conform to the Church of England in the Holy Sacrament called in Scripture the Lords Supper because that Holy Ordinance is not Administred unto the Communicants as Converted Persons but as those who by Tradition are brought up to Acknowledge and Confess Christ although in works too many deny him by living Prophane Lives being greatly guilty of Swearing Cursing and Drunkenness and divers other scandalous matters which is a Reproach to the Protestant Religion for although the Protestant Religion be the Reformed Religion yet thousands of those that profess it are not Reformed Persons and besides this too many of those who are Ministers of the said Church and so are Administrators of this Holy Ordinance are known to be very unholy in their Conversations notwithstanding all which the Protestant Dissenters have a great veneration and high esteem of many both of the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Common People of the Church of England who live sober lives and walk Conscienciously in Civil and Religious Matters Several other Reasons might be added but these shall suffice for the present Conclusion Now forasmuch as the Protestant Religion is Profess'd by his Majesties Subjects in general considered as Conformists and Nonconformists and both Parties are agreed in the main and substantial parts thereof and also both Parties are in a like danger of the Papists If ever the Government of this Realm should fall into their hands which God of his Infinite Mercy prevent for then the Church-Protestants as well as the Dissenting Protestants would be deemed Fanaticks Schismaticks Hereticks yea Rebelis and would be Prosecuted as such Therefore it highly concerns all sorts of Protestants to say to one another as Abraham to Lot Gen. 13.7 8. Let there be no strife between us for we are Brethren Especially considering the Popish Canaanite and Perizite are now too much in our Land Mat. 7.12 Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets FINIS