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father_n believe_v faith_n holy_a 10,213 4 5.4982 4 false
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A56809 The conformist's second plea for the nonconformists wherein the case of the non-conformists is further stated and the suspension of the penal laws against them humbly moved with all due submission to the magistrate / by a charitable and compassionate conformist, author of the former plea. Pearse, Edward, 1631-1694. 1682 (1682) Wing P979; ESTC R11214 81,044 88

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proceeds to the Punishments and that perhaps for doing the best Duties and some of the best Works they can do then he punisheth Men for well-doing 5. He must be a merciful Man not stretching the Law as far as he can in severity to oppress or break the Persons for certainly it is not the end of the Law to ruine the Subject but to preserve him as much as may be They that proceed to the rigor of the Law have a spight at the Persons and let their love to Religion be as they think sound yet they persecute the Person How such can excuse themselves is unknown to me that if the Preacher be gone or be so poor as it hath often been found then to multiply Sums 20 l. for the House 20 l. for every poor Preacher 5 s. for hearing upon the Master of the House for hearing besides the 20 l. for his House 5 s. for the Wife 5 s. for every Child and so on or else to lay as heavy a Sum upon a poorer Man as upon the richer is unequal and unmerciful and if Justices are not merciful they have the Countenance of the Law for Unmercifulness and Revenge upon whom they please Certainly that Man is unmerciful who would seize upon a Bed of a poor aged Widow for a Debt or Rent but whether it be merciful to do so as it is said it hath been somewhere so done for being at a Conventicle let Christians judg 6. He must beware lest by his Justice he doth put a stop to the Gospel and hinder the growth and exercise of true Piety for if he hinder the Gospel he doth not the part of a Friend and Servant of Christ If by the suppression of Conventicles the serious profession and exercise of Religion be discouraged he doth evil by his doing good if he doth good by executing his Office yet if the Execution of his Office be to the hurt and decay of Religion he doth ill by doing well and doth as a Friend the real if not the intentional part of an Enemy 7. He must really be perswaded in his Conscience that all ways of Worship not contrary to but different in Form and Ceremony from the Church of England is meritorious of personal Ruine and the Ruine of Children in their Parents for it will quickly rise to that that it is Evil-doing that it deserves greater punishments than common Swearing or riding Journeys on the Lord's Day that he must be sure that he intends no hurt or disadvantage to serious Piety that he loves the Persons of the Dissenters as he doth other Men wisheth no ill to any of them and that judging their Practises to be Evil-doing that he punisheth them meerly and only for Evil-doing without respect to Anger private Displeasure or secret Gain either by Bribes or Rewards either of Favour Honour or Estimation or saving of himself He that punisheth rightly must sincerely bend himself against Evil-doing as Evil-doing for the good of the Person or if not for the Benefit of that Person that suffereth for the good of others If you can chastise the Religious for Religious Exercises and save Religion harmless you have divided the finest Hair that ever was seen Nonconformity implies Conscience or else it is flat irrational Madness to suffer for a whimsy or humor and to punish them for Religious Duties and not for Religion and Conscience is too Metaphysical a Notion to be brought to Practise I have now opened the Case let others judge whether it be not Persecution It hurts the Sufferer it molests and vexeth him his Vexation is for Religious Exercises materially good finally good effectually good to many without harm to any faulty in an outward Form or Circumstance which may be born with without danger to the Kingdoms Peace or to true Religion If this should prove to be a Persecution in any Magistrate or other then it follows Fourthly Be perswaded from this Course of proceeding and wait for healing Applications and Remedies for it is one of the most unkind unnatural Prosecutions that have been ever carried on The Persons are our peaceable and loyal Fellow-Subjects useful in the Common-wealth make up our strength against our common Enemies they are related to us in the Flesh baptized with the same Baptism believe in the same God and Father Son and Holy Ghost with one Faith and that have offered to unite with us in the same Form of Government and of Prayer as far as they could without danger of sinning we are not under the Temptation of complying with an Heterodox Prince against the Orthodox Christians our King professeth the same Faith It was an unhappinss to the Church when an Arian Emperour or Empress drew the Flatterers and timerous Bishops to persecute the Orthodox This is not our case the Controversy now is not between the Heretick and the Orthodox we do not in them prosecute the Arrian Nestorian Eutichian or Donatist Nor doth the Papist persecute the Protestant but the Protestant disobeys the Protestant and the Protestant doth afflict if not persecute the Protestant which is a doleful Consideration Oh! how bitter is it if there can be no difference found in Religion there shall be a difference made by some Acts of Policy if none in Articles of Faith there shall be in Conditions of Communion and Ceremony Here the professed sincere Protestant takes up a Complaint against them who are as sincere as he The Orthodox did communicate with the Heterodox yea with the Heretick the Heretick broke off first and begun the Persecution and followed it But the Orthodox when he had Favour and Power for him did not revenge Let Heresy which is from the Flesh and the Devil be propagated and enforced by carnal and diabolical Weapons but let Truth which is from God be carried on with Love Truth goes forth with Evidence and Conviction like the Sun but Heresy comes into the World sometimes with Silence but is carried about in a Storm attended with Lightnings Who but an Ismael will persecute an Isaac If the Papists will persecute who are by another Mother a second Hagar which gendreth to Bondage and scares us with Thundrings and Excommunications as from Mount Sinai or Ebal let Peace be in the Walls of Jerusalem If Papists persecute Protestants O let not Protestants persecute Protestants To open this that I may move both Reason and Compassion I will consider Who punisheth who are punished and for what and see where we can find the like and whether Hereticks and Papists and the immoderate Lutherans are not justified by us in the Cruelties which they have exercised 1. The Magistrate is professedly a sincere Protestant or else he must be an abominable perfidious Hypocrite because of his Oaths and Renuciation of the Pope and Popery 2. They who are punished are as Orthodox holy Christians as any in the World out of our own Church They are profitable and peaceable Subjects notwithstanding many discouragements and provocations from fellow-subjects