thing but upon the Delinquents themselves From hence I infer that the Murther of His late Majesty those Rebellions Bloodsheds and Overturnings of State c. then noted are to be chargeable only upon such as were personally and actually guilty For I never heard and I dare boldly say that no Man ever did hear that any of our Dissenting Protestants in their Confessions of Faith have ever had so much Traytorous Impudence as to justifie the least tittle of such horrid things but the quite contrary as may be shown in time If there be any now alive who have had any hand in those dreadful Commotious c. If they have received His Majesties Pardon they are thereby reinstated into equal Priviledges with the Innocent unless by new Treasons they forfeit that Royal Grace But if there be any of them excluded from the benefit of the Act of Oblivion let them be punish'd fiat Justitia I insist the longer upon this to shew how unreasonable it is for such a parcel of Hackney Scriblers to be perpetually bawling of 41 41 and making the crimes of such as are Dead or were Executed for their Treasons not only survive them but persecute their poor Innocent Fellow Subjects with them I could wish with all my Heart that all those half-penny Pasquillers on both sides who meerly for their Bellies pester City and Country inventing Names of Reproach as Whigg Tory Trimmer c. and begetting Feuds and Animosities betwixt His Majesties Liege People were severely punisht as Disturbers of the publick Peace I am sure they deserve it more then the Dissenters who are a peaceable trading People and usefull Members of the State who pay His Majesty all His Taxes and Revenues to the utmost of what the Law requires which is not inconsiderable How untollerable is it then for free born Subjects Loyal to the King and helpful in supporting the charge of the Government to be dayly and weekly Libel'd and abus'd by those Rascally Leeches of the Press that to serve their own little Craving Necessities care not if they set the People together by the Ears His Majesty out of His Royal Clemency was pleas'd to pass an Act of Oblivion yea so impatient was he that he prest the Parliament with much earnestness to make it ready for his Royal Assent What then why here you have his goodness and Princely Lenity reviled and contradicted almost dayly by a certain Incendiary who Conjurest up the Memory of those fatal Times and keeps the Nation Old Wounds a Bleeding in defiance of that Act which was design'd to heal and make them forgotten THE CONCLVSION I Intended upon this Subject to have given you a parallel between the Doctrine of the Church of England and the Dissenters but that I find it already well done by Mr. Henry Care in his Book Intituled Vltrum Horum c. Printed 1682. To which I refer you as also to the truly pious Treatises of that worthy Author whoever he be of the Conformists Plea for the Nonconformists c. 2. I purposed likewise to lay down some Demonstrative Reasons why the profession of Popery is intollerable in a Protestant Kingdom whom they account Hereticks because their Principles are Pernicious and their Practices have been Dangerous c. 3. To shew the mischiefs and sad Consequences of prosecuting quiet and peaceable Dissenters upon the Penal Laws as having a direct tendency to weaken the Protestant Interest for whose Ruine that common Enemy greedily gapes 2. How much it destroys Trade and ruines Thousands of Families 3. What a Scandal it is to the Protestant Reformation when we quarrel and persecute each other 4. What a disparagement it is to the Actors c. 4. To shew the quality of Informers and the quality of such as they prosecute with the Ravenous and Illegal proceedings of the former 5. Produce Illustrious Testimonies of the worth of the Dissenters and how serviceable they have been to the Crown as also the Witness of as eminent Church-men and States-men as ever were in England who gave them great Encomiums and own'd them as Brethren 6. Propose a modest Essay for Vnion amongst all Protestants with Demonstrative Reasons that it is not only practicable but absolutely necessary together with the Blessed Effects of such an Accomodation But having already exceeded my intended limits I must leave it to another opportunity and my poor endeavours to the Blessing of the God of Peace FINIS
Laws require from their Protestant Country-men who disagree in nothing from these forreign Brethren but only in Language I mean with respect to Articles of Religion so that lie that will charge the present Prosecutions upon the Church of England does charge her at one and the same time with severity to our own Natives and Charity to Strangers of the same Profession Now since it is not to be presumed that the Church of England would act with such Partiality and Condradiction may we not rationally conclude that this unseasonable Prosecution when Popery is watching all opportunities to Ruine Conformists as well as Nonconformists is to be charged only on some particular Self-seeking persons or such as do not calmly consider what the Circumstances of things are The Judgment of His Majesty and the Resolves of our last Parliaments all true Patriots and Church-men that have given security to the Government by taking such Tests and Oaths as the Law requires are convincing demonstrations that 't is not the Church and State but some certain persons that care not how the World goes so their present ends be acccomplished are Authors of the severeties some feel from the Execution of such Laws as stand lookt upon rather to be forborn by publick Votes as aforesaid And which 't is hop'd that August Assembly King Lords and Commons when His Majesty will be pleased to call a Parliament will mitigate to the great joy of many Innocent Subjects that mind only their own particular Concerns and quietly submit to the Establish'd Government SECT VI. AT the writing of this there came to my hands a Paper newly published with this Title A Second Argument for a more full and firm Vnion amongst all good Protestants wherein the Nonconformists taking the Sacrament after the manner of the Church of England is justifyed c. In a Letter to a Friend Because the Scope of it is not only to magnifie the Church of England which I do not in the least reflect upon but also to fix an Odium upon Dissenters and render them more intollerable in the Eye of the Government than the Charity of many Pious and Learned Conformists either desire or think seasonable I have thought it agreeable to the Nature of my Subject to leave a few modest Remarks upon it And 1. If the Conversion of such Dissenters as are mentioned p. 1. be really the Effect of Conviction of mind without any sinister ends I shall not blame them for walking according to their Light for that were to contradict the Design of these few Sheets viz. The Exercise of a Charitable meekness towards our weak Brethren But if it be meerly for fear of the Penal Prosecution there likewise mentioned it is probable that the Advocates of such a practice viz. to Conform to such things as they before cry'd down as not Evangelical or at best think still to be doubtful will hardly prove Martyrs Temporizing is Diametrically opposite to the Nature of Christianity And such as are for selfish worldly ends list themselves among the purest Professors of Evangelical Truths are justly branded with the Ignominious Name of Hypocrites But whether these Men do it out of Conscience or for any By-ends The Lord only knows for he is the Searcher of Hearts and there we leave it The Expressions p. 2. are so perplext and unintelligible that I cannot well pick out the meaning of it If by Sons of Leviathan bating the unusualness of the Phrase be meant the Romish Clergy the Paper then supposes such to be Instructors among the Dissenters and of great Influence overthem But that isno less than a malicious and groundless Slander And I Challenge this Author to justifie the surmise by any Demonstrative Instances Or 2. If it means the Teachers of the Dissenters for one of these it must be who are represented as frighting the people from Conformity and scaring them out of Church by calling it and its Ministers Antichristian let the Author produce the Words or Writings of any eminent Nonconformist Preacher or Preachers that have branded the Church of England with that Odious Epithete and I will joyn with him to abhor the Calumniators All Sober Dissenters universally agree that the Romish Hierarchy is the Antichrist spoken of in the Scripture and it was lately well proved in a Treatise Intituled Schematologia by a Dissenting Preacher And for them to make the Church of England another Antichrist is not only disconsonant to their publick and avowed Principles but the highest violation of that Charity and Divine Principle of Love which they owe to their Christian Conforming Brethren that agree with them in all the substantial parts of the Faith and differ only in Circumstances confessedly indifferent by the very Imposers I am surprized to find such a Scheme of Divinity in this Paper p. 3. as I never yet saw or heard from a Protestant Writer All things necessary to Salvation are peremptorily laid down by this Author in these four particulars upon which take a few Notes 1. The Learning of a good Catechism to aid and conduct their Faith 2. A good and well Composed Form of Prayer to discharge their Devotion 3. To hear Learned and Good Men Preach to revive and quicken them to Duty 4. To Square and Regulate their Lives by Moral Precepts or the Law of Nature Here 's the sum total of what 's necessary to Salvation in this Authors Opinion But he is not content Dogmatically to make so Diminutive a Reduction of Christianity but will also ensure your Soul for you in these words The which meaning the said particulars whosoever shall humbly and carefully observe constantly and Conscientiously perform we that we is himself as if he had been the Representative of the Church of England will assure them Salvation and undertake to Answer to God for them and be content to stand chargeable with their Blood if they do miscarry c. 1. As to the First 't is confessed that Catechistical Instructions were used in the Primitive Times and since and that if rightly managed it is a necessary expedient to Inform the Judgments of the Ignorant But I never yet knew that it was made to lead the Van of such Articles as are necessary to Salvation before It is a means indeed which as the Spirit of God Influences may be Instrumentally subservient to Convert the unconverted But 't is meer Popery to Attribute any such Virtue to it as if the meer Learning of a bare Form of Catechistical Questions and Answers were a thing necessary to Salvation and this I take to be the Papers meaning The way of Catechising in the Primitive Ages of Christianity was for some of the Church Elders to call the Youth and other Ignorant Persons together at some certain Times and examine them concerning the Faith alwaies explaining what was obscure to their weak understandings nottying themselves to any Form but administring their Questions and shaping their Instructions as the Capacity of the Catechumeni required
us for the full Granting that Indulgence What can be more Pious and Consonant to the Rules of the Gospel then what this Great Monarch here declares No Person is excepted from his Royal-Indulgence but such as disturb the Peace of the Kingdom Now if there be any such among the Dissenters let them be severely Punished But if there be none I cannot but wonder at the Cruelty and undutifulness of such as Prosecute their Peaceable and Innocent Fellow-Subjects against the mind of their Soveraign His Majesty has not only declared this so Favourable Indulgence but also by his own experience declares the unfruitfulness of Compulsion March 15th 1671. In these words Our Care and endeavours for the Preservation of the Rights and Interests of the Church have been sufficiently Manifested to the World by the whole Course of our Government since our Happy Restauration and by the many frequent ways of Coercion that we have used for the reducing all erring or Dissenting Persons and for Composing the unhappy Differences in matters of Religion which we found among our Subjects upon our Return But it being Evident by the sad Experience of Twelve years that there is very little Fruit of all those Forceable Courses we think our Self obliged to make use of that Supream Power in Ecclesiastical matters which is not only Inherent in us but hath been declared and Recognized to be so by several Statutes and Acts of Parliament c. That August part of the Legislative power the House of Commons Resolved Janu. 10. 1680 That it is the opinion of this House that the Prosecution of Protestant Dissenters upon the Penal-Laws is at this time Grievous to the Subject a Weakening the Protestant Interest an Incouragement to Popery and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom Besides this there was a Bill past both Houses at the last Parliament in Westminster for the Repeal of the 35 of Elizabeth but through some unhappy neglect it was not presented to his Majesty who doubtless would have past it Nevertheless by that and what 's mentioned before we may clearly infer that the King and Parliament judge that Compulsion of Conscience of Peaceable Protestant Dissenters is both unseasonable and unprofitable And if I have the whole Legislative Authority on my side viz. King Lords and Commons that is all England I may modestly presume that no Protestant will be angry at this Essay nor censure it of Arrogance it being so conformable to the Sentiments of the most Illustrious in the Nation I must confess that there are Laws in force against the Dissenters which we shall a little Discourse of hereafter and evidence plainly that the intention of the Legislators was to punish such as they supposed would be Seditious or dangerous to the Government and they that stretch these Laws to destroy so many Innocent Peaceable Members of the Common-Wealth do but Fight against God and pervert the meaning of the Lawgivers and can at long run expect no other Fruit of their officiousness then what is reap'd by such as are unmerciful to say no more at the great and general Tribunal Here you see those very Laws repealed in voto by them that made it and though that dots not disanull them yet let me tell you that for some particular Justices of the Peace meerly upon the Information of a sort of Creatures called Informers whose Character in a few words I 'le give you e're long to Execute the utmost yea more then the utmost Severity of the Laws against Dissenters in defiance of the sense of the Law-makers who did undoubtedly know what was best for us is no less then to oppose a private Opinion to a publick Deliberation and a private Spirit against a publick But I 'le proceed to my main business and refer the Opinion with a respect to this matter of as Great Statesmen as England ever knew to another place SECT II. HE that will Seriously consider how tenderly the Lord Jesus Recommends the precepts of mutual Love to all that profess his Name making it the very Character of his Followers Luk 13. 35. By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if ye have Love one to another And how highly the Apostle Paul exalts the same Duty reduceing the whole Duty of a Christian to a single precept Gal. 5. 14. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word even in this Thou shalt Love thy Neighbour as thy self See Levit. 19. 18. Mat. 22. 39. Cannot but sufficiently wonder to see such as profess the Christian Religion Quarrel one with another upon the account of special and doubtful Circumstances respecting Divine Worship It is Lamentable to see how much the present Age differs from Primitive Christianity The Servants of the Living God in those times would rather have given their own Lives to perswade their Enemies to Piety then seek to undo their Brethren to force them to Hypocrisie Those Maximes that interfere with the Sacred Rules of the Gospel and threaten desolation to Men for what they cannot help are undoubtedly to be laid aside in a Christian Common-Wealth And I question not but that our Gracious King when he thinks fit to meet his People in Parliament will order a Regulation of these proceedings suitable to his Beneign and merciful temper before expressed In the mean time I humby crave leave to offer a few general Reasons against the present Prosecutions which my Zeal for Truth and the management of Church-Wars like Christians indeed extort from me It is notorious by Universal Experience that it is the perverse Nature of Man Niti in vetitum to long like Eve for what is forbidden A Malady derived by an uninterpreted succession from our first Parents Hence grew a necessity of Establishing Laws and Civil Sanctions the end of which are to restrain and Punish Transgressors who by the Intemperate Sallys of private or publich Ambition Revenge Lust or other Vice attempt or actually perpetrate any thing Injurious to their Fellow-Creatures These Laws are Calculated for the respective Meridians of several Nations and Governments and Levell'd against the prevailing vice of the place Ex malis moribus bonae leges natae sunt The pravity of Mans Nature caused a necessity of Laws as Distempers do of Physick And as the Office of the later is to preserve the Health and Cure the Diseases of the Body so the Office of the former is to preserve the Body Politick Neither of these are so limited but that the private or publick Physick may be altered according as the Symptoms of the Disease direct the Application And so we see that Parliaments without any disparagement to their Wisdoms Repeal Laws proper to the times they were Enacted in and make New as the Vicissitudes of the Publick Pulse stands in need of The wisest Men have changed Counsels and Resolves upon Second thoughts The very Popes themselves and General Councels have done it though the former Arrogate to themselves an Infallibility No meer Man is