and the People Which of the Two shall Determine upon That Congruity and Convenience Your Limited Toleration too stands or falls upon the Same Bottem with Your Comprehension That is to say Who shall Iudge of the Sound Belief and Good Life of the Pretendents to That Indulgence As to your Connivence You say Nothing of it your self and I shall Reflect as little upon it Let me only Observe Upon the Whole that if you had really a Mind to set Us right Methinks You should not Trifle Us with these Ambiguities and Amusements But rather endeavour by some Pertinent Intelligible and Practicable Proposition to bring Us to a better Understanding Say What Injunctions You would have abated Name the Parties You would Recommend for their Importance of Interests Congruity of Principles Sound Faith and Good Life Teach us how to know these Qualities Where to look for Them and Who shall Iudge of Them Let it be made out That the Present Sollicitors for Tender Consciences are duly Authorized and Commission'd to Act as the Trustees of the Respective Parties Do This and Matters may be brought yet to a Comfortable Issue But so long as You place the Conditions of your Indulgence out of the Reach of Ordinary Proof and indeed of Humane Knowledg Every Man that is Excluded shall dispute his Title to the Comprehension without any Possibility of being Confuted To the Scandal of Religion and to the Perpetual Trouble Both of King and People N. C. To set forth the Propounded Latitude in the Particular Limits thereof were Presumptuous both in Reference to Superiors and to the Party Concerned in it C. As if it were not a greater Presumption to Alienate the Affections of the People from their Superiors by Reflectings upon the Iniquity of the Government then by the Tender of some Rational Medium of Accord to Dispose the Hearts of Superiors to a Compliance with the Prayers and Necessities of the People But there is more in these Generalities and Râ—…serves then the Multitude are well aware of and I am afraid it will be as hard a matter to bring you to an Agreement about the Pâ—…rticular Parties to be Tolâ—…rated as about the Model it self SECT XI The Non-Conformists demand a Toleration for No Body knows WHOM or WHAT C. THe Non-Conformists are the Party that desire a Toleration Pray let me ask ye What are their Opinions What are their Names For I presume you will not expect a Toleration for No Body knows What or Whom Are they all of a Mind If They were Tolerated Themselves Would They Tolerate One Another Are They come to any Resolution upon Articles Are They agreed upon any Model of Accommodation Do They know What They would be At Or is it in the Wit of Man to Contrive a Common Expedient to Oblige them N. C. There 's no Body says that they are All of a Mind Or that it is pâ—…ssible to please them all Or Reasonable to Endâ—…avour it There are Divers among them whose Principles will never endure any Order either in Church or State But what is the Sober Part the Worse for these Extravagants Those I mean who are ready to Iustifie themselves even according to the Strictness of your own Measures C. If You are for such a Toleration as shall Exclude the Wild and Ungovernable Sects of Dissenters How comes it that in Your Writings and Argumentations You still plead the General Cause of Non-Conformists without any Exception or Distinction N. C. You are not to fasten a Charge of this Quality upon us that have already submitted Our selves Not only to the Moderation of a Limited Indulgence but to your own Conditions also under that very Limitation C. This You have done I must confess in General Terms But still I say as to Particulars Your Discourses are of such a Frame and Biass as to give Credit and Encouragement to Every Sect of the Whole Party N. C. I am of a Perswasion but not of a Party and whatsoever my Perswasion be it is Moderate Catholick and Pacifick C. And so is every Man's if his own Word may be taken for his own Perswasion But why aâ—…e ye so Nicâ—… and Cautious in the owning of a Particular Way and Profession and yet so Frank and Open in a Clamor for the Whole Party You Complain that you are persecuted and yet Obstruct the Means of your own Relief Some Ye say are to be Indulged Others Not. How shall Authority Distinguish of Which Number You your selves are so long as You remain under this Concealment Are You for the Presbyterians N. C. I am not ashamed of their Company that are Commonly called by That Name Yet I have no Pleâ—…sure in such Nâ—…mes of Distinction Neither my Design nor my Principles engage me to maintein the Presbyterial Government C. Are You Inâ—…endent then N. C. Neither But yet I am as I told you for Tolerating Thâ—…se of Sound Faith and Good Life That have taken up sâ—…me Principles of Church-Government lâ—…ss Congruous to National Settlement C. What Do you think of the Anabaptists Brownists Quakers c N C. Why truly So it is That Prudent and Pious Men may be of Exceeding Narrow Principles about Church-Order and Fellowship Toward Whom Christian Charity pleadeth for Indulgence and We hope Political Prudence doth not gainsay it C. So that you are FOR All Parties but not OF Any Which Genâ—…rality gives to Understand that your Business is rather a Confederacy then a Scruple N. C. Make That Good if you can SECT XII The Conjunct Importunity of the Non-Conformists for a Toleration is not grounded Upon Matter of CONSCIENCE N. C. YOu are the first Person certainly that ever undertook to make Proof of a Conscience C. And yet Our Saviour tells Us in This very Case of Hypocrisie that the Tree may be known by its Fruits But however the best way of Proving a Thing Feasible is the Doing of it The Non-Conformists refuse Communion with the Church What is it They boggle at N. C. They do esteem the Ceremonies an Excess in the Worship of God Pag. 31. And Dissent from the Present Establishment of Religion only in things relating to Outward Order and Worship Pa. 12 About the Choice of some Peculiar Ways of Worship Pa. 12. But as to the English Reformation Established by Law They heartily Embrace it and Assent to the Doctrine of Faith conteined in the Articles of the Church of England Pa. 22. They have no New Faith to Declare No New Doctrine to Teach No Private Opinions to Divulge No Point or Truth to Profess which hath not been Declared Taught Divulged and Esteemâ—…d as the Common Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation Pa. 11. They come up to a Full Agreement in all Material Things with Them from Whom they Dissent Pa. 30. C. If They Agree in all Material Things it follows that they Divide about Matters Inconsiderable and Break the Order Peace
must the Whole go Scot-free for some Particulars Would you have me open my Door to a Troop of Thieves because there are four or five Honest Men in the Company That there are divers Conscientious and well-minded Men among the Non-Conformists I make no Question But I am yet Positive in This that the Non-Conformists in Conjunction are in a Direct Conspiracy and that when they come once to agree in a Publique Complaint It is no longer Conscience but Faction This by the By. Now to the Matter before Us I have given you a Breviate of your own Proceedings in the very Case of your Present Complaints Lay your Hand upon your Heart and bethink your self who are the Persecutors N. C. Let the Persecution rest where it will I am fully perswaded that there is no Settling of this Kingdom in a State of Security Peace and Plenty without an Indulgence or Toleration SECT XVI The Non-Conformists tell us That Liberty of Conscience is the Common Interest of This Kingdom but REASON and EXPERIENCE tell us the CONTRARY C. THat We may not spend our selves in Repetition Cavil or Confusion Take Notice that 't is the General Cause of the Non Conformists which is coming under Dâ—…bate For That Toleration which the Whole Party desires must needs be a Toleration of the Whole Party And That I Oppose in Confidence that I have Reason and Experience on my side We have spoken already as to the Unlawfulness and somewhat likewise to the Dangerous Consequences of it Together with the Unruly Opinions and Practices of several of the Pretenders to it We are now to look a little further into it with a more Immediate regard to the Common Interest of the Kingdom which we may place in the Concernments of Religion Government Peace and Plenty To begin with Religion I do not Understand how That which delights in Unity shall be advantaged by Division and Fraction N. C. As if there could be no Unity of Doctrine without Uniformity of Discipline The Precept is One Lord One Faith One Baptism And not One Way One Form of Worship C. I might tell you that it is of Ancient and Unreprovable Practice for every National Church to appoint its own Platform of Service and Ceremonies And to require Obedience and Conformity to That Model and to Those Rites respectively from all its Members But This I shall not insist upon There is no Precept you say for any One Way or Form But can you shew me that an Uniformity of Service and Rituals is any where forbidden N. C. Not in Particular But in the General Prohibition of all Uncommanded Worship Pag. 26. C. The Matter in short is This. Either We have a Rule in the Gospel for the Manner of Our Worship Or we have None If there be No way of Commanded Worship left us by Christ and his Apostles And all Uncommanded Worship be as you say forbidden There must be No appointed Worship at all and Then every Man is at Liberty Not only to Worship after what Manner he pleases but effectually to Chuse Whether he 'l Worship or No Which brings in all sorts of Heresies and Blasphemies and Countenances even Atheism it self Now on the other Hand If there be any Particular Manner of Worship Prescribed in the Word of God from That Particular Manner we must not presume to Vary by a Toleration of any other Way then That or of More then One. Besides that it undermines the Foundation of all Communities to deny the Civil Authority a Right of Interposing in such Cases as are Neither Commanded nor Forbidden by God Let us next Consider the Probable Effects of a Toleration in respect of the Parties pretending to it Which are either Presbyterian Or in a Sense of Contradistinction Independent The Former are for a Subordination in Churches The Other for an Independency according to their Denomination These are for Gather'd Congregations The Other for Parochial I will not trouble you with the Argumentative Part of the Differences betwixt them About the Subordination or Co-ordination of Churches The Redundance or Defect of Church-Officers The Receptacle of the Power of the Keys and the like But Nakedly and Briefly shew you the Kindness they have for One Another The Regards they have for Christian Charity in the Menage of the Quarrel and Then leave you your self to Judge what may be the Event of such a Toleration as to RELIGION The Sectaries says Edwards in his Gangraena agree with Iulian the Apostate P. 54. They are Libertines and Atheists P. 185. Unclean Incestuous P. 187. Drunkards P. 190. Sabbath-Breakers Deceivers P. 191. Guilty of Gross Lying Slandering Iuggling Falsifying their Words and Promises Excessive Pride and Boasting P. 192. Insufferable Insolences Horrible Affronts to Authority P. 194. There never was a more Hypocritical False Dissembling Cunning Generation in England then many of the Grandees of those Sectaries They Encourage Protect and Cry up for Saints Sons of Belial and the Vilest of Men P. 240. Gangraena's Second Part 1646. See Now the Other Party doe as much for the Presbyterians The Presbyterian Government is Anti-Christian Tyrannical Lordly Cruel a worse Bondage then under the Prelâ—…tes A Bondage under Task-Masters as the Israelites in Aegypt A Presumptuâ—…us Irregular Consistory which hath no Ground in the Word of God Barrow P. 79. A Vexatious Briery Thorny Persecuting Preâ—…ytery Pulpit Incendiary P. 26. Fâ—…rmidable to States and Free Kingdoms Mr. Nye The Assembly is Antichristian Romisâ—… 〈◊〉 the Plague s and Pâ—…sts of the Kingdom Baal's Priests Gangraena's Second Part 230. The Seed of God in This Nation has had Two Capital Enemies The Romish Papacy and the Scotch Presbytery Sterry's England's Deliverance P. 7. An Anabaptist said that He hoped to see Heaven and Earth on fire before Presbytery should be settled Edwards his Gangraena Barrow calls the Consistorians Dangerous and Pestilent Seducers Ravening Wolves which come to Us in Sheeps Cloathing This is enough to shew you the Mutual and Implacable Enmity and Opposition of the Two Grand Parties which you are now perswading your self might be gratified by a Common Indulgence Let me further Mind you that the Strife ended not there Neither but proceeded to Blood And that so soon as they had Master'd the Government in a Combination under the Masque of Reformation and Conscience They parted Interests and Upon the Very same Pretext Engaged in a Second War and fell foul One upon the Other Wherein they sufficiently Manifested to the World that they fought not for Forms and Ceremonies but for Booty and Dominion No less to the Scandal of the Religion of England then to the Ruine of the Monarchy N. C. You are not to stop my Mouth with Instances of Tumults and Factions in a Peaceable Plea for Religion and Conscience C. Do not you know that Toleration is as good as an Issue in a Government All the Vicious Humours in the whole Body flow that way But Suppose it Conscience Are the Dissenters ever to
the very supposition of a Law possible which may not some way or other be said to CONCERN Ecclesiastical Matters Presb. You take no notice how this Power is clogg'd with Limitations If they be found Unprofitable Unseasonable or to be abused by the People Indep Very good And if the Kirk shall think fit to find them so or so Pray'e What Remedy Bâ—…t their own Avowed Actions and Declarations are the Best Comments upon their own Principles Under King Iames in Scotland nothing was more ordinary then over-Ruling Acts of Parliament by the Acts of the Assembly Did they not erect a Counsel of the Church in Edenborough 1596. and take upon them to Convene Examine and Censure at pleasure such as they suspected to hold any Correspondence with certein Excommunicate Lords did they not also appoint to meet in Armes at the Tryal of them Nor did they think it enough to Rescind or supersede Acts of Parliâ—…ment and General Assâ—…mblies but People must be Quâ—…stion'd too for yielding Obedience to Acts of Parliament and of General Counsels under Colour of Unjust Laws Wee 'l close this particular with the Judgment of the Commissioners of the General Assembly of Scotland of May 5. 1648. The Authority of Parliament is one thing an Act of Parliament another thing We do still acknowledg their Authority when we obey not This or That Act. And whatsoever be the TREASON of Impugning the Authority of PARLIAMENâ—… It can be no Treason to obey GOD rather then MAN Neither did the General Assembly of Glasgow 1638. and such as were active for the Covenant at That time commit any Treason when they Impugned Episcopacy and Pâ—…rch Articles although ratify'd and strengthen'd by Acts of PARLIAMENT and standing LAWS then Unrepealed Presb. When we have once gotten Power into our hands we are all too apt to abuse it But I cannot yet perswade my self that the Root of these Practises is to be found in their Principles Their Books of Discipline are Publick and no Government would ever entertein it if there were such danger in it Indep How was the Covenant entertein'd or who would have dream'd of any harm in a League for the Preservation and Defence of the King's Majestie 's Person and Authority And yet the Presbyterian Interpretation and Salvo of Subordinating his Majesties SAFETY and PRESERVATION to the Defence of the TRUE RELIGION immediately following and the Kirks assuming to Themselves the Judgment of that Religion brought both King and Church to Destruction Nor can you choose but Observe the Holy Discipline and Covenant to be both of a Stile and both of a Design Their Claim concerning Ecclesiastical Matters hooks in all Laws and In the Defence of the true Religion They usurp an Authority over all Magistrates This Discipline at the best is but a Worm at the Root of Civil Government Wheresoever it comes the Secular Power hangs the head and droops upon it and never thrives after But to Sovereign Princes a man might say of it as God said to Adam of the Apple In the day you eat thereof you shall dye the death Now as it is manifestly destructive of Law in the very Foundations of it to carry an Appeal from all Temporal Governours and Constitutions to the Scepter and Sentence of Christ sitting upon his TRIBUNAL in the PRESBYTERY the Language of Beza himself so likewise have they their Preparatory Artifices for Obstructing the Execution of Law and for the Weakening and Distracting of a Government before they enter upon the Great Work of Dissolving it And this is effected by the Trojan Horse as one calls it of their Excommunication that carries all the Instruments and Engines of Publique Ruine and Confusion in the belly of it By Virtue of this Device they do not only impose upon all Ministers and Courts of Justice but they may when they please as Hooker observes send out their Writs of Surcease and fetch in the whole Business of Westminster-Hall to the Bar of the Consistory Or at the fairest according to Beza's Distinction if they allow the Civil Iudg to try the Fact as mere Civile yet de Iure Controverso Ecclesiasticum Synâ—…drium constat Respondisse The Church was to determine in matter of Law and the Civil Magistrate after That to pronounce Sentence according to That Decision Briefly Beza gives the Presbytery the same Power under the Gospel which was Exercised by the Synagogue under the Law But now to the Point of your Excommunication and to shew you in what manner it is apply'd to hinder the Execution of Law and to obstruct Civil Iustice. By One Clause of your Discipline You may Abrogate what Laws you please concerning Ecclesiastical Matters And by Another The Minister is Authorized to handle External things for Conscience Cause So that your Authoritâ—… is without Controul in Ecclesiastical Matters and so is your Liberty of handling Civil Matters as Ecclesiastical Upon which Bottom was founded an Assertion not long since mainteined at the Savoy i. e. That the Command of a most Lawful Act is sinful if That Act commanded may prove to any One a Sin per Accidens Now if the Kirk shall think fit to Abrogate a Law as nothing more frequent whoever shall presume to Execute That Law is sure to be Excommunicate And the Supreme Magistrate himself is no less lyable to Church Censure for not Executing That Sentence then the Inferior Magistrate was for his Original Disobedience The Bishop of St. Andrews in 1586 was Excommunicate for Advising King Iames to a Declaration against Certein Fugitive Ministers that were denounced Rebels and Contriving the Statutes of 1584. touching The Kings Authority in Ecclesiastical Causes Knox is for Excommunication in all Crimes that are Capital by the Law of God and in effect for the Churches Tryal of the very Fact It was not for nothing that the Two Houses held the Assembly so long in Play upon this Point and in Despight of all Importunities to the Contrary kept the staffe still in their own Hands and reserved to Themselves the Ultimate Appeal in Cases of Excommunication Presb Was it not rather the Work of the Independents Who to say the Truth were as much against any Settlement at all as against That And against the very Convening of the Assembly it self Indep And they had done the State a good Office if they had totally hindred it But this is beside our Business We have said enough as to the Dangerous Influence of Presbytery upon the Security of his Majesty and the Law It remains now to be considered with a respect to the Rights and Liberties of the People SECT XXX The Question of Toleration betwixt Presbytery and Independency Debated with a Regard to the Rights Liberties and Advantages of the PEOPLE Indep YOU see how it is with Kings Parliaments and Laws under the Dominion of Presbytery We are now to look into the Condition of the Nobility Gentry Commonalty and of the Presbyterial Clergy it self under
taken in Upon a fair View of the Matter you can neither admit All without Offence to your Conscience nor leave out Any without a Cheque to your Argument N. C. And yet I am perswaded a Limited Toleration would give Abundant Satisfaction C. Suppose you had it and your self One of the Rejected Party Are not you as well now without any Toleration at all as you would be then without receiving any Benefit by it N. C. To deal freely I would not willingly be excluded C. And is not That every Man's Case as well as yours A Limited Toleration must Exclude Some and why not You as well as Another Or indeed Why should not All be Tolerated as well as Any They can no more abandon their Opinions then you Yours And Your Ways are just the same Grievances to Them which if You may be credited Ours are to You. So that most undeniably the Plea of the Nonconformists upon the Point of Conscience is all alike And since None of them have more Right to an Indulgence One then Another Why should any Party of them expect more Favour to the Exclusion and Disobligation of the Rest N. C. But are not Some Opinions more tolerable then Others Do you put no Difference betwixt Truth and Errour Betwixt Points Fundamental and Non-Fundamental Betwixt the very Basis of Christianity and the Superstructure In fine Betwixt such Principles as affect Order and Publique Agreement and others that flow Naturally into Loosness and Confusion C. Without Dispute Some Opinions and Principles are more allowable then Others But where lieth the Right of Allowing or Rejrcting Let This be first examined and then we 'l advise upon the Opinions and Principles themselves what may be allow'd and what Not. SECT III. No Toleration to be admitted but with the Allowance of the Chief Magistrate C. WE are agreed first That an Universal Toleration implying a License to all sorts of Wickedness is not upon any terms to be admitted Secondly That a Limited Toleration being a Grant of Favour to Some and Exclusive of Others must needs lay a Disobligation upon the Excluded Party The next Point will be Where to place the Power of Permitting or Refusing and from thence we shall pass to an Inquiry into the Bounds and Limits of such a Toleration as may be warrantable Which being once settled we are to see how far the Pretenses and Qualifications of the Parties concern'd will suit with those Measures N. C. Grant us but an Indulgence to Dissenters of Sound Faith and Good Life We ask no more Let Nothing be imposed upon us that is grievous to our Consciences on the One Hand and We shall never desire a Toleration of any thing that is justly Offensive to Church or State on the Other C. But What if the Dissenters shall call that Sound Doctrine which the Church defines Heresie What if the Subject shall account That Imposition grievous which the Magistrate thinks Nâ—…cessary Or That Liberty Consciencious which the Governour esteems Unlawful Who shall over-rule If the Subject it follows then That the Magistrate is obliged to Tolerâ—…te whatsoever the Subject shall judge Himself obliged to do And this carries us back into a General Toleration If the Magistrate over-rule your Plea of Conscience is out of Doors And it is at his Choice What sorts of Dissenters to Indulge and Whether Any or None at his Pleasure N. C. The World you know is as much divided about the Power of the Civil Magistrate in matters of Religion as about any other part perchance of our Debate C. We shall discourse That more at large elsewhere But however as to this Particular let us come to a present Settlement that we may clear our way as we go If you make the People Judges of what is fit to be Tolerated First as I said before You are upon the Old Rock of Universal Toleration for right or wrong every Man will stick to the freedom of his own way Secondly You lay the Foundation of a Quarrel never to be reconciled You shall have as many Factions as Men As many Religions as Fancies and every Dissenter shall be both a Party and a Iudge To imagine an Agreement betwixt the Magistrate and the Multitude by the Common Consent of Both were to suppose an Accommodation betwixt Heaven and Hell betwixt Light and Darkness which are every jot as Capable of it as several of the Differences now before us And for an Umpire in the Case you can pretend to None N. C. Pardon me We have the Word of God to repair to in what concerns Sound Faith and the Light of Nature for our Guide in the Duties of Good Life C. This is to â—…e that which was the Ground of the first Controversie the Umpire of the Second For what is the Original of all our Grand Disagreements but as St. Augustine has it â—…onae Scripturae male-intellectae Good Scriptures ill understood And we are never the nearer an Accord for the Reading of Them without another Moderator to set us right in the meaning of Them Neither is the Light of Nature any more Exempt from false Glosses and Misconstructions then the Bible Upon the whole matter you see the Absurdities and Inconveniences that follow upon placing the Judgment and Direction of Ordering these Matters of Difference any where else then in the Magistrate Whose Duty and Interest it is both as a Christian and as a Ruler to put an end to these Impious Contentions by such Rules and Establishments as may secure the Foundations both of Religion and Government N C. This would do well if Men were agreed upon those Rules But Several Men we see have Uarious Apprehensions of the self same thing And That which One Man takes for a Rule another counts an Error C. You are at your â—…niversal Toleration again But pray mark the Consequences of this way of Reasoning Beâ—…ause the Multitude cannot agree upon a Rule there shall be None at all Pursue this Argument and there shall be no Lair No Religion No Scripture No Truth left in the World Because Men differ Which is the true Religion They disagree about the Doctrine of the Bible That which is Truth to One Man is Heresie to another And never was there any Law that pleased all People Authority says Worship Thus or So The Libertine cries No 'T is a Confinement of the Spirit An Invention of Man A making of That Necessary which God left Free A Scandal to Tender Consciences c. And here is Authority concluded as to the Manner of Worship So for the Time How do they know when Christ was Born Crucified or Raised from the Dead The Churches Fasting-days They make their Iubile's Videas hodie Quosdam says Calvin quibus sua Libertas non videtur Consistere nisi per Esum Carnium die Veneris in ejus Possessionem venerint We have many Now adays that would look upon their Liberty as good as forfeited if they should not maintain their
and Unity of the Church for Trifles Things Indifferent and relating to Outward Order and Worship N. C. In Prescribed Forms and Rites of Religion The Conscience will interpose and concern it self and Cannot resign it self to the Dictates of Men in the Points of Divine Worship And Those Injunctions which to the Imposers are Indifferent in the Consciences of the Dissenters are Unlawful And What Humane Authority can warrant any One to put in Practice an Unlawful Or Suspected Action Pa. 26. C. If This be really Conscience You will be found as Cautious in venturing deliberately upon a Suspected Action in all other Cases as you are in This. But what if it shall appear that This Fit of Tenderness only takes you when you are to pay an Obedience to the Law and that you are as Bold as Lions when you come to oppose it Will you not allow us to think it possible that there may be somewhat more in the Importunities and Pretences of the Non-Conformists then Matter of CONSCIENCE 'T is a Suspected Action to Kneel at the Sacrament but None to hold up your Hands at the Covenant You make a Conscience of disclaiming the Obligation of That Covenant in Order to the Security of the Government But None at all of Leaguing your selves in a Conspiracy for the Subversion of it Where was your Tenderness in Suspected Cases when to Encourage Rapine Sacriledge and Rebellion was the Common Business of your Counsels and Pulpits When it was safer to Deny the Trinity then to Refuse the Covenant When the same Persons that started at a Ceremony made no Scruple at all of Engaging the Kingdom in Blood and laying Violent Hands upon their Sovereign Is not This Streining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel N. C. The Non-Conformists I know are charged with Principles that detract from Kingly Power and Tend to advance Popular Faction It is true They have been Eager Asserters of Legal Liberties Pag. 40. But These are Things gone and Past and Nothing to our Present Purpose The Wise Man says He that repeateth a Matter separateth very Friends A looking back to former Discords mars the most hopeful Rediâ—…egration Acts of Indemnity are Acts of Oblivion also and must be so observed Pa. 41. C. The Non-Conformists The Sole Actors in the late War were only Eager Asserters it seems of Legal Liberties You do not deal so Gingerly with the Bishops in the Point of Ceremonies as to let them come off with the Character of Eager Assertors of Legal Authorities So that herein also Your Consciences stumble at Straws and leap over Blocks Now Whereas You will have it that a Reflection upon former Discords is a Violation of the Act of Indemnity And Impertinent to Our Purpose My Answer is First That I do not revive the Memory of former Discords as a Reproach But I make use of some Instances out of former Passages to make Good my Assertion That Your Conjunct Impâ—…rtunity for a Toleration is not grounded upon Conscience And to shew you that your Practises and Professions grin One upon Another For Conscience is all of a Piâ—…ce Not Tender and Delicate on the One side and Callous and Unfeeling on the Other Secondly Suppose We should make a little Bold with the Act of Oblivion I think We have as much right to do it as You have to fall foul upon the Act of Uniformity Unless you conceive that the Mercy you have received by One Law gives You a Privilege of Invading all the rest As to Authority it is One and the Same in Both and if there were any place for Complaint against the Equity of a Legal Establishment it would lie much Fairer against the Act of Indemnity on the behalf of the Royallists that have ruined their Estates and Families in the Defence of the Law and yet after all are thereby condemned to sit down in Silence and Despair Then against the Act of Uniformity on the Behalf of the Non-Conformists Who by the One Law are secured in the Profits of their late Disobedience And by the Other are taken into the Arms of the Church according to the Ancient and Common Rule with the Rest of His Majesties Protestant Subjects The Same Rule I say saying where it is Moderated with Abatements and Allowances in Favour of Pretended Scruples N. C. Whereas you make the Non-Conformists the Sole Actors in Our late Confusions You run your self upon a great Mistake For It hath been manifested to the World by such as Undertook to Iustifie it when Authority should require That the Year before the King's Death A Select Number of Iesuiâ—…s being sent from their whole Party in England Consulted both the Faculty of Sorbonne and the Pope's Council at Rome touching the Lawfulness and Expediency of Promoting the Change of Government by making away the King Whom They Despaired to turn from his Hereste It was Debated and Concluded in Both Places That for the Advancement of the Catholick Cause It was Lawful and Expedient to Carry on that Alteration of State This Determination was effectually pursued by many Iesuits that came over and Acted their Parts in several Disguises Pag. 15. C. If This be True and Proveable as You affirm it is You cannot do the Protestant Cause a more Important Service then to make it out to the Parliament Who You know have judg'd the Matâ—…er Worthy of their Search and have appointed a Committee to receive Informations Pa. 2. Nay which is more You are a Betrayer of the Cause if you do it not The WHOLE PARTY in England do you say Prove out This and you kill the whole Popish Party at a Blow This was the Year before the King's Death it seems Whas not That within the Retrospect of the Act of Indemnity If so tell me I beseech you Why may not We take the same Freedom with the Non-Conformists that You do with the Papists N. C. We shall never have done if you lash out thus upon Digressions Pray keep to the Question C. As close as you please What if a Man should shew You a Considerable Number of the Eminent and Active Instruments in the late War to be now in the Head of the present Outcry for Toleration Take This into your Supposition too that These very Persons promoted Our Troubles This very Way and Proceeded from the Reformation of Discipline to the Dissolution of Government Are We bound in Charity to take all their Pretensions of Scruple for real Tenderness of Conscience N. C. Beyond all Question unless you can either Evidence their Errour to be Unpardonable or the Men Themselves Impenitent C. Why then let Amesius determine betwixt Us. Peccata illa quae publicè fuerunt nota debent etiam Confessione Publicâ damnari quià ad quos malum ipsum Exempli Contagione pervenerat ad eos etiam Poenitentiae ac Emendationis Documentum si fieri possit delet transmitti PUBLIQUE SINS require PUBLIQUE CONFESSION To the End that as many as
be Reconciled Shall we not have Nem and Monstrous Opinions Propagated daily And will it not be every Man's business to Advance the Credit and Authority of his own Party Where is the Bond of Peace in this Exercise and Latitude of Dissention The Unity of the Church in this Multiplicity of Professions Which is the True Religion among so many divided and contradictory Pretenses to it Or rather Is there any Religion at all where there is neither Christian Charity Stability of Principles Reverence or Agreement in God's Worship N. C. I hope you will not deny the Protestant Interest to be the Interest of the True Religion And undoubtedly the bringing of the Protestants into an Union among Themselves is the Advantage of every Protestant State and of Protestancy it self C. Past all Dispute and an Uniformity of Worship brings them into that Union Which is never to be attained while the World endures by a Liberty of Conscience How was the Protestant Interest I beseech you United in the late Dissolution of Government When Every Man did that which was Right in his own Eyes Examine the Story well and you will find Reason to believe that the Church of Rome has gain'd more upon Us since That Unsettlement of Ecclesiastical Order then perchance from the first hour of the Reformation even unto That very Day For Liberty of Conscience did no less bring a Civil War upon the Protestant Religion then the Pretended Liberty of the Subject did upon the State It turned every Man's Hand against his Brother Every Man had a Religiâ—…n to Himself and every Man's Conscience as I told you was his Bible and We are still to presume that like Causes will produce like Effects It is also remarquable that the lowdest and boldest Declamers against the Orders of the Church proved likewise the most Pragmatical and Audacious Invaders of the Civil Peace The Antecedent Schism serving only for a Prologue to the Ensuing Sedition N. C. This Arraignment of their supposed Principles about Government may haply proceed upon Mistake There is Reason to think that the many late Disputes about Prerogative and Liberty are Controversiae ortae non primae that they had their Rise from something else which lies at the Bottom C. This is but Peradventure I Peradventure No. For if a Man may haply be in a Mistake he may haply too be in the Right I will grant ye likewise that the Disputes about Prerogative and Liberty had their Rise from somewhat else which lay at the Bottom That is to say It was not Purity of Religion Reformation of the Liturgie Retrenching the Exorbitant Power of Bishops or Scruple of Conscience as pretended that wrought the Subversion of Church and State but it was the Design which lay at the Bottom of Carrying on the Great Work of Overturning the Government under Countenance of that Plausible Imposture and Disguise N. C. Inclinations and Interests more then Speculative Opinions will be found to have born the Sway and Caused those Active Motions on the One Hand and the Other These Dogmata or Problems about Obedience and Government do but little where Mens Affections and Concernments do not give them Spirit and Uigor C. It is most Certain that Problems draw no Blood and We do not read that ever any Man's Throat was cut with a Speculation or a Syllogism But yet Inclinations and Interests you allow may do much towards Mischief So that I have what I desire if I am but able to make it out that Liberty of Conscience will most indubitably beget strong Inclinations in the People to shake off the Yoke of Government and that they will not want specious Appearances of Interest so to Do. First The Servants of Iesus Christ as the Non-Conformists peculiarly stile themselves have This Advantage of the Subjects of Temporal Princes that They serve the Better Master and the Dignity of their Spiritual Profession supersedes the Duty of their Political Allegeance So often as they shall think Good to stand upon That Privilege By Virtue of which Prerogative they do not only Claim an Exemption from the Obligation and Reach of Humane Laws But a Commission also and Authority to Reform those Laws in Case of Error and Corruption according to the Standard of the Gospel Now to this Principle and Doctrine do but add Liberty of Conscience and the People have Law and Magistracy at their Mercy already For First they reckon themselves no further answerable either to the One or to the Other then as they find them Warranted in and Grounded upon the Word of God And Secondly they may chuse whether or no they will find any Law or Magistrate whatsoever to be so Warranted or Grounded And consequently Whether there shall be any Government or No. One Man's Conscience cannot allow This or That Injunction to be according to God's Word It may be Lawful to Another but it is not so to Him and Hee calls for Indulgence and Moderation Another Man's Conscience swears by the most High God that it is point-blank Against it and nothing will serve Him but utter Extirpation And whatsoever they call Conscience must pass for Current Every Man is to govern himself by his own Opinion not by Another bodies It is no longer Liberty of Conscience if a Man shall be run down and concluded by Prescription Authority Consent of Fathers Scripture Reason and the like without being CONVINC'D N. C. I thought you would have shewed me in what manner or by what means Liberty of Conscience comes to turn the Hearts and Interests of Subjects against their Superiors as you said you would C. A little Patience and I 'le be as good as my Word It has brought us to this pass already you see that it has cast the Government upon the good Nature of the Multitude and made it purely dependent upon the Breath of the People whether it shall Stand or Fall So that in short the Matter in Question falls under these Two Considerations First Whether a People left to Themselves either to be under the Restrient of Laws or not will not rather agree to cast off a Government then to defend it Secondly Whether they will not likewise find a very fair appearance of Interest and Advantage in so doing The Former I think will easily be Granted by any Man that does but advise either with the Common Practises of the World or with Humane Frailty Taking the World either in Individuals or in Parties What says the Artificer the Tradesman the Farmer Why should We be put upon Extremities of Hard Labour Course Fare Rising early and Going to Bed late and all little enough to keep our Families from starving any more then such and such that lie wallowing in Ease Abundance Luxury and Riot But This we may thank the Law for that has Appropriated those Possessions to Particulars which God Almighty gave us in Common Why should We be the Drudges of the Kingdom says the Day-Labourer The Law
is Their Enemy too because it keeps them in Awe that they dare not Steal It is the same Case with Traytors Felons Vagabonds and all Criminals And so it is with Factions and Associated Parties We might set up This Government or This Church and We T'other say they if it were not for Those Accursed Laws that make it Death to Endeavour such an Alteration This is a True and Naked Accompt of the Peoples Thoughts and Reasonings in the Point of Liberty and Obedience and a sufficient Proof of their INCLINATION not against This or That but against any Establishment It being the main End of Government to secure the Community against the Encroachments and Attempts of Particulars Though to the very great Damage and Ruine many times of Private Persons and Parties If you be satisfied now that the People do not Naturally love Government you need not doubt but they will judge it their INTEREST to Remove it Every Male-Content enterteining himself with hopes of mending his Condition upon the Change But Alas This is not an Undertaking for Single Persons Small Parties or Petty Factions by Themselves apart but some Common Medium must be found out for the Uniting of them All which indeed is amply provided for in the Project of Liberty of Conscience and does not only facilitate the Work by drawing the Disaffected into a Body but it does also Countenance and Encourage it by Authorising the Separation N. C. But to Me it seems on the Contrary that an Indulgence would set the Peoples Minds at Liberty from Fears and Contrivances for the avoidance of Impendent Dangers and encourage them to engage the Utmost of their Endeavours and Abilities in the Businesses of Peace and Security C. As to the Security and Peace of the Publique if enough be not already said you may repair to the History of our late Broils for the rest Where you will also find the Condition of Particulars to have been every jote as Distracted and Unquiet in proportion as That of the Government You are to expect Schisms in Corporations Companies Families as well as in Religious Congregations Divisions as well betwixt Parents and Children Masters and Servants as betwixt Rulers and Subjects Feuds betwixt Man and Wife betwixt Brethren Kinred Friends and all these Differences variously Influenced according to the Benignity or Malignity of their Divided Opinions Nor will it be any wonder upon admittance of This Liberty to have as many Religions in a House as Persons where the Husband draws one way the Wife another and the Rest of the Family have Their ways by Themselves too And This goes on to the utter Extermination of Order Duty and Quiet till they have throughly wearied themselves with Tossing and Tumbling from one Sect or Profession to another And then when they are at their Wits End they commonly take up in the Church of Rome with an Implicite Faith in the Conclusion Now if what I have said may be of force sufficient to prove that Liberty of Conscience is destructive both of Religion and Government and of the Peace of the Kingdom as well Private as Publique I cannot see how it should advance us as is earnestly suggested in the Business of Trade and Plenty N. C. We shall never have a Flourishing Trade without it Because the Pressure in these things falls generally more upon the Trading sort of Men then any in the Nation We may see it in the Great City and in all Corporations It makes many give over Trading and Retire It makes others remove into Holland and other Forreign Parts as it did heretofore from Norwich to the Irrecoverable Prejudice of our Cloathing Trade upon the like Occasion And it certainly prevents all Protestant Strangers to come to Live and Trade among us C. The Pressure you say falls most upon TRADERS I answer that you begin with a Non Constat for the Thing it self does not appear And then you make Traders more Scrupulous then the rest of the Nation who are not Generally understood to be more Conscientious as having divers Temptations in the way of their Employments to strein a Point of Conscience now and then and they are but Men as well as their Neighbours If your Observation be Right We may thank the Nonconforming Ministers who have had the handling of them Your urging that want of Liberty makes many give over Trading and Retire does not agree with their Observation that place their Wonder on the other side that so many Hold considering the Circumstances of a long and Expensive War with the French and Dutch The most Expensive that ever this Kingdom undertook And Two of the most dreadful and destroying Iudgments that ever Almighty God laid upon this Nation i. e. Pestilence and Fire one upon the neck of another You object the Removal of others into Holland as formerly Indeed it is not for the Credit of your Cause to mind us of those that formerly left us Take the Peins to read Bayly's Disswasive Pa. 75. and there you shall see what Work they made in Holland Even such that Peters himself was scandalized at it quitted his Congregation and went to New-England Bridg Sympson and Ward renounc'd their English Ordination and took Ordination again from the People The People after this deposed Mr. Ward and the Schism betwixt Sympson's Church and Bridg his was so fierce that their Ministers were fain to quit their Stations and the Dutch Magistrate forc'd to interpose the Civil Authority to quiet them In New England their Humour and Behaviour not much Better according to the Report of the same Author Pag. 60 61. Of Forty Thousand Souls not a Third Part would be of any Church and such Heresies started as a Man would tremble to Recite If only such as These forsake us the Land has a good Riddance Further If it was to the Prejudice of our Cloathing Trade This Separation Who can help it It was Their Fault to betray the Interest of their Country by teaching the Mystery to Forreigners but no blame at all can be reflected upon the Government for Refusing Toleration to such Lawless and Unruly Libertines Now as to the hindring of Protestant Strangers from coming over to us and Trading with us It is a clear Mistake to imagine the Church of England to be such a Bugbear to those of the Reformation abroad as is pretended Which shall hereafter be made appear It is not the Act of Uniformity that hinders Strangers but the want of an Act of Endenisation which perchance the Wisdom of future Times will find convenient for the Supply and Repair of that Depopulation which is brought upon us by our Colonies But to come to an Issue How was it with Trade when Conscience took the full Swinge It brought on a War and so it must again or a Standing Army to prevent it How many Families were ruin'd on the one side with pure Benevolence to the Cause in Contributions and Enterteinments to the Devourers of Widows
and of other Neighbouring Reformed Churches in those Parts were so scandalized with this Prodigious Covenant as that they were afraid of nothing more then this that it would bring an indeleble Scandal upon the Reformed Churches and alienate the Minds of all the Princes of Christendom from ever enterteining a good Thought of their Religion The Venerable Assembly of English Divines and Scotch Commissioners as they stiled Themselves sent the Copy of their Covenant and a Solemn Invitation to Seventeen Reformed Churches beyond the Seas to Ioyn with them Their Letter should have been Latin But so it was that they left it a Measuring Cast whether they were the better Christians Casuists Subjects or Grammarians Their skill was most employ'd in Exhorting the French Protestants to follow Their Example and cast off the Yoke of Antichrist that is to say of Obedience And in Calumniating their Sovereign as a Confederate with the Popish Interest to destroy the Protestancy Which Design was only to be obviated by a Holy League This was the Drift of the Address But we never heard Syllable of the Answer There needs no more be said to prove the Judgment of the Reformed Churches strong and unanimous against you and you had best make a Trial if you can supply by Reason and Argument what you want in Countenance and Authority SECT XX. The Non-Conformists Exceptions to Oâ—… Publique Way of Worship found Guilty of Great IMPIETY and ERROUR C. WHat are your Exceptions to Our Way of Worship Are they General or Particular Is it thâ—… Imposition it self or the Thing Imposed that displeases you N. C. Why truly Both. The One takes away my Christian Liberty and the Other the Liberty of my Conscience The greatest part of my Trouble iâ—… the Act of Uniformity C. Is it the Model or the Uniformity you stick at N. C. Both alike for neither is the Particular Act fram'd to my Satisfaction nor is it possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Iudgments C. Will Toleration suite All Iudgments any better then Uniformity But I perceive you do not accompt the Sanction of any One Form whatsoever to be Lawful N. C. Indeed I do not think it Lawful for a Magistrate to enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which a Private Person may not Conscienciously Obey him in Nor do I think it Warrantable for a Man to Obey any Humane Command against the Dictate of his Conscience C. Put This together now First It is not Possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Judgments And then It is not Lawful to enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which does Not suit All Judgments What is This but a meer Trifling of Government to suppose a Law without an Obligation Again If the Magistrate cannot Impose neither can he Tolerate unless you 'l suppose him a more Competent Judge of Four Conscience then of his Own for you allow him to Understand what he may Tolerate and deny him the Knowledge of what he may Impose So that either he has no Power or no Reason to favour you No Power as you state his Capacity And no Reason as you disclaim his Authority But you were saying that the Imposition takes away your Christian Liberty As how I beseech ye N. C. In making Those things Necessary which Christ left Free. For wherein does Christian Liberty more concern it self then in the Free use 〈◊〉 Indifferent or the Forbearâ—…nce of Doubtful things which we are bound entirely 〈◊〉 preserve And whereof by your Ecclesiastical Injunctions we stand Depriv'd C. If the King be Ty'd up in Matteâ—… that are either Commanded or Forbidden and the People left at Liberty in things Indifferent I would fain know what Authority has to work upon But thiâ—… Point will fall in of it self by and by Though enough be said already to prove your Position utterly destructive of Order and Society For there is but Good Bad and Indifferent in Nature What we are BOUND to do What we are Bound NOT to do and What we may either DO or LET ALONE That is to say without the Interposal of some Incidental Obligation to determiâ—… that Indifference The Asserters of this Doctrine fetch their Warrant for it out of St. Paul 〈◊〉 the Galatians 5. 1. Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us Free Upon This Text they ground their Exemption But here they prudently stâ—… too for the Context would have spoil'd all And they might as well have Argu'd against the Efficacy of Christ's Death from the latter part of the second Verse as for Christian Immunity in the Latitude they understand it from the former part of the first The Apostle goes on in These Words And be not entangled AGAIN with the Yoke of Bondage 〈◊〉 Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be CIRCUMCISED Christ shall profit you nothing 3 For I testifie again to every Man that is CIRCUMCISED that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law The Case briefly was This. By the Coming of our Blessed Saviour the Iewish Ceremonies were abolish'd Some that had a mind to Continue them and keep the People still under the Yoke of the Law stood for the Doctrine of the Circumcision which was here the very Matter in Qâ—…estion The Apostle cautions the Galatians against it and not to be entangled AGAIN with the Bondage of the Law Which amounts only to a Discharge from the Bondage of That Law to which they were before Subjected without extending That Liberty to the Prejudging of Authoritative Laws and Impositions for the time to come As if the Apostle had Preached one thing to the Galatians and the contrary to the Romans Obedience at pleasure in one place and Obedience under pein of Damnation in another In the Second and Third Verses St. Paul you see clears and presses it further As if he had said Be Circumcised at your Peril For That single Point of the Law makes you answerable for the Performance of every Title of it We are not says Calvin Perperam ad Peliticum Ordinem perversly to apply the Doctrine of Spiritual Liberty to Political Order as if Christians were to be ever the less Subject to External Government by Humane Laws because their Consciences are set at Liberty before God Nay says he in another place Si Ecclesiae Incolumitati benè prospectum volumus The Church can never be safe without St. Paul's Decency and Order But in regard of the diversity of Customs and the variety of Mens Minds and Opinions It is not possible to secure any Polity without the Authority of certain Laws or to preserve any Order without some stated Form Now so far am I from condemning any Laws conducing to this End Ut his ablatis dissolvi suis Nervis Ecclesias Totasque Deformari Dissipari contendamus that I look upon the Removal of them as the Dissolution of the very Sinews of the Church and expect nothing after it but DEFORMITY and DISSIPATION Nor is it
Supposition likewise into Consideration and Word the whole Matter as plainly as we can The Church says Ye may Do And the Law says You must Do That which your Conscience says You ought not to Do. How will you reconcile your Duty and your Conscience in This Case N. C. Uery well For I think it my Duty to Obey my Conscience upon This Principle That Conscience is God's Substitute over Individuals C. Keep to That and Answer me once again Is not the Civil Magistrate God's Substitute too If He be How comes your Conscience to take place of his Authority They are Both Commission'd alike and consequently Both to be Obey'd alike Which is Impossible where their Commands are Inconsistent N. C. The Magistrate is a Publique Minister and his Commission does not reach to Particular Consciences C. And on the Other side You are a Private Person and there is as little Reason for your Opinion to Operate upon a Publique Law So that if I mistake you not we are upon accord thus far That every Particular is to look to One and the King to the Whole Now if you would deal as Candidly with me about the Ecclesiastical Power as you have done in the Civil we might make short work of This Question I hope you will not deny that the Church is as well Authorized to TEACH and INSTRUCT in all the External Acts of Worship as the Magistrate is to COMPEL to Those External Acts. N. C. There is no Doubt The Church as the Church has a Ministerial Power Ex Officio to Define Controversies according to the Word of God And that A Synâ—…d Lawfully Conven'd is a Limited Ministerial and Bounded Visible Iudge and to be believed in so far as they fellow Christ the Peremptory and Supreme Iudge speaking in his own Word C. This will not do our Business yet for to say that a Synod is to be believed in SO FAR as it follows Christ seems to make Those the Iudges of That Act that are to be Concluded by it and leaves the Credit of the Authority dependent upon the Conscience Fancy or Humour of the Believer For 't is but any Man's saying that the Synod does not follow Christ and that he trusts in it so far as it does follow Him And this is enough to keep the Controversie afoot without any hope of Decision N. C. We are indeed to believe Truths determined by Synods to be Infallible and never again liable to Retraction or Discussion Not because so says the Synod but because so says the Lord. C. Still you are short for 't is not in Our Power to disâ—…elieve what we acknowledge to be a Truth But That which is Truth at the Fountain may be Corrupted in the Passage Or at least appear so to Me and What then N. C. It must be look't upon as an Errour of the Conscience which is no Discharge at all of your Obedience From which Errour you are to be reclaimed either by Instruction or Censure For the People are obliged to Obey Those that are OVER THEM IN THE LORD who Watch for their Souls as those who must give an Accompt And not oblig'd to stand to and obey the Ministerial and Official Iudgment of THE PEOPLE He that Heareth YOU MINISTERS of the GOSPEL not the PEOPLE Heareth ME And He that Despiseth YOU Despiseth ME. C. Why should not We Two shake Hands now and Join in the Act for Uniformity You cannot say that it wants any thing of the full Complement of a Binding Law Either in regard of the Civil or of the Ecclesiastical Authority Here is first the Iudgment of the Church duely conven'd touching the Meetness and Conveniency of the Rites and Forms therein Conteined You have next the Royal Sanction Approving and Authorizing Those Rites and Forms and Requiring your Exact Obedience to them Now so it is that you can neither Decline the Authority of your Iudges nor the Acknowledgment of your Duties What is it then that hinders your Obedience N. C. That which to Me is more then all the World It goes against my Conscience C. Only That Point then and we have done with This Subject We have already concluded that God is the Iudge of the World That the Church is the Iudge of what properly concerns Religion That the Civil Magistrate is Iudge of what belongs to Publique Order and Peace and That every Man's Conscience is the Iudge of what concerns his own Soul The Remaining Difficulty is This How I am to behave my self in a Case where the Law bids me do One Thing and my Conscience Another To take a True Estimate of This Matter We are first to Ballance the Two Interests that meet in Competition The One for the Law and the Other against it There is in Favour and for the EXECUTION of the Law meaning That of Uniformity 1. The Personal Conscience and 2. The Political Conscience of the King There is moreover for the EQUITY of it the Solemn and Deliberate Iudgment of the Church which is effectually the Publique Conscience and lastly for the OBSERVANCE of it There is the Duty of the Subject which if it be withdrawn does not only Invalidate This Particular Act but it loosens the Sinews of Sovereign Authority and which is more it destroys even a Divine Ordinance For take away Obedience and Government lapses into Confusion Now for the Counterpoise AGAINST This Law and Thus Supported appears your Naked Conscience Nay That 's the Fairest on 't It may be worse and in Truth any thing that 's Ill under That Name N. C. But what 's the World to Me in the Scale against my Soul C. You have great Reason sure and 't is no more then every Man may challenge That is to Stand or Fall to his own Conscience Is that your Principle N. C. Yes out of Doubt 't is Mine and Yours and any Man's that's Honest. C. Well Hold ye a little Your Conscience will not down with This Law and This Law will as little down with your Conscience Weigh now the Good against the Bad What if it stands What if it yields Make the Case worse then it is as Bad as Bad may be in your own Favour You cannot comply with the Law And the Law will not stoop to You. What follows upon it N. C. The Ruine of many Godly People that desire to Worship God according to his Word C. That Plea wrought little upon You from Us but let that pass What sort of Ruine do you mean Ruine of Liberty or Estate For this Law draws no Blood State your Misfortunes I beseech ye N. C. No Man must Hold a Benefice or Teach a School but upon Terms of such Subscription or Acknowledgment as many an honest Man would rather Die then Consent to So that We are Distrest not only for Our Selves as being deprived of the Comfort of all Spiritual and Heavenly Freedoms But Our poor Infants are exposed to be Undone wanting the Means
of a Religious Education C. If This be All never Trouble your selves for many an honest Man has out-liv'd more then this comes to In short There 's a huge Clamour but God knows with little Reason Some Particulars will possibly suffer for want of a Toleration and who are They but the Profest Opposers of the Law And on the Other side All the Friends of the Government will suffer by it If you would see the Event of Granting what you ask Turn but your Face toward 41 and then Blush and Repent Besides You 're not aware that in Contesting with the Law you Quarrel with your self THERE' 's YOUR OWN VOTE AGAINST YOU and all this Muttering is no other then your Factious Will wrangling with your Political Consent And yet I say Stick to your Conscience Let us now put the Case of a Real Distance betwixt This Act and your Conscience How will you divide your Duty N. C. I 'le follow your Advice and stick to my Conscience C. Now change Hands and make your self the Supreme Magistrate He has a Double Conscience One that concerns Himself the Other his People What his Majesties Personal Iudgment is has been Declared Abundantly What his Prudential Iudgment may dispose Him to lies in His Royal Brest But be That as Heaven shall Order it Here 's the Partition of your Rights The King's Prerogative has nothing to do with your Conscience and your Conscience has as little to do with His Majesties Prerogative The King is Accomptable to God for the Welfare of his People and You are only Accomptable to God for the Good of your little Particular If You cannot Obey the Law Do not But abide the Penalty If the Sovereign cannot Relax the Law He 's as Free to Execute it Your Conscience requires Liberty and your Governour 's Conscience requires Order Now why you should expect that your Sovereign should bring down His Conscience to Yours when you find upon Experiment that you cannot perswade your Own to come up to His is to me a Mystery To Conclude Keep your self within your Sphere and where you cannot Consent as a Christian Submit as a Subject that We may at last hope for some Respite from the Calamities of Sedition and Schism N. C. And why not Scandal and Profaneness too For the Edge of your Severity might be directed to much better Purpose That way SECT XXIV The Church of England charges the Non-Conformists with SCHISM and the Non-Conformists charge those of the Church with SCANDAL The Matter is taken into Debate N. C. YOur Position is That no Toleration is to be admitted to the hazzard of Religion Good Life and Government Keep to That Standard and you will find that the Conformists have as little Pretense to a Toleration as their Neighbours and that the Notorious Scandal on the one side outweighs the Objected Schism on the other C. This will scarce hold if you come to be Try'd by your own Laws which make it a Matter of Scandal by Writing Preaching or otherwise to publish a Disaffection to the Present Government But Explain your self N. C. By Scandal I mean Habitual Prophaneness Sensuality Dissolution of Manners c. As by Schism I suppose you intend our Incompliances with your Church-Discipline Weigh These Two now One against the Other and do you your self hold the Balance Set up your Tavern-Clubs against our Conventicles Oppose your Combinations against God Himself to our Plots against the Government For you must not take it Ill if I tell ye that Atheism is become the Sport and Salt of your most Celebrated Enterteinments And when you have dash'd the Bible out of Countenance with the Story of the Three Grand Impostors or some such Lashing Piece of Drollery The Questioning of God's Over-ruling Wisdom by Solemn Arguments and the Placing of Fortune in the Throne of Providence is that which commonly Crowns your Conversations C. You should not charge Personal Crimes upon a Party unless you can prove them to be rationally Consequent to the Tenets and Actings of That Party Now if you can shew me any Affinity betwixt our Principles and These Impieties you say something But if you cannot The Dust of your Argument puts out your own Eyes I do not wonder I must confess to see a Nation Over-run with Atheism that has been so many Years under your Tuition or to find the Brat of a Conventicle laid at the Church-Door N. C. May not We charge Personal Extravagancies upon your Party as well as You do upon Ours C. Yes If you can prove the same Agreement against Us betwixt the Faults of the One and the Principles of the Other which we are able to justifie against You. The Episcopal Party you know stood for the King and it is undeniable that the King and Church had the same Cause and Fate It is as unquestionable on the other side that the Non-Conformists destroy'd both the One and the Other Not by Accident neither but by a Form'd and Excogitated Design wrap'd up and couch'd in the very Mystery and Foundation of the Schism Your Separation from a Communion with the Church resolving naturally into a Combination against the Entire Frame of the Government till in the End by the help of a Peinful and Well-effected Ministry the Generality of the People were Preach'd into This Division i. e. Those that could not reach the Cheat were taught to Scruple at Every Thing and Those that went along with it to make a Conscience of Nothing And this is it that has brought us to be so Pester'd with Enthusiasts and Atheists N. C. But let me tell ye again the Atheists are of the Other Party C. And let me enform you too that your Proceedings have made Atheists more ways then One First The meer Quality of your Cause has made Atheism the Interest of a great many of your Partakers who to put off the Thought of a Divine Vengeance attending them if there be a God Endeavour for their own Quiet to perswade themselves that there is no God at all Secondly The Work has been carried on under the Masque of Holiness and the most Desperate Atheist is nothing else but a Crusted Hypocrite I speak of your Religious Atheist who has This Odds of the Profane and Scoffing Wretch that he abuses God to his Face and in his own House The Great Atheists indeed are Hypocrites says Sir Francis Bacon which are ever bandling Holy Things but without Feeling so as they must needs be Cauteriz'd in the End It is Remarquable as I have elsewhere recommended to your Observation that in the Holy Scripture there are not so many Woes pronounc'd nor so many Cautions Inculcated against any sort of People as against Hypocrites You shall there find that God has given the Grace of Repentance to Persecutors Idolaters Murtherers Adulterers c. But I am mistaken if the whole Bible yields any one Instance of a CONVERTED Hypocrite Thirdly You have done more in your Practises
Free Liberty which you willingly afforded us to have of the use of our Own Chaplains makes us at this time not only to Acknowledge your Former Civilities but c. So that His Majesties Condition appears to have been somewhat more easie at Hampton-Court then before it was at Holdenby Nay most certain it is that the Presbyterians even at That very Time did the Deadly Thing that brought the King to the Seaffold Presb. How could That be when the Two Houses by Purging and Modelling were Subjected Absolutely to the Devotion of the Army Indep Thus they did it His Majesty was at That time upon fair Terms with Cromwel and Ireton and not without large hopes of a Final Accommodation The Author of The History of Independency Pa. 35. is positive as to their Treating with the King While This was in Agitation the Presbyterians were at work on the other hand to break the King's Confidence in the Army by Imputations of Treachery and Levity to divert his Majesty to the Seeking of Relief elswhere with particular Undertakings of great Matters from Scotland and the City of London This way of Tampering might very well put the King to a stand which Cromwel no sooner perceived but he Immediately betook himself to a Course of Extremity Irritated over and above as is credibly affirmed by an Advise foom Argyle in confirmation of his Jealousie His Majesties next Remove was to the Isle of Wight Where for Ceremonies sake he was presented with Four Bills and upon his Refusal to pass them followed the Vote of NON-ADDRESSES In Passing these Bills His Majesty had not only divested Himself and His Successors of all Sovereignty but Subjected his People to the Basest and most Absolute Tyranny that ever was Excrcis'd upon Mortals Presb. You will not call This the Act of the Presbyterians I hope Indep No I will not But yet I must tell you that the Presbyterians upon this Juncture did every jote as much as this Amounts to So soon as the Parliament of Scotland was thoroughly Inform'd of the Distress and Danger of the King's Condition the Matter was presently Debated and a Resolution taken to Raise an Army for his Majesties Relief In which Proceeding they were violently opposed by the Genral Assembly without any regard at all to the King's Life at that time in Qâ—…estion See The Humble Desires of the Commissioners of the General Assembly to the Parliament Pag. 13. We desire that his Majesties late Concessions and Offers concerning Religion as they have been by the Church so may be by the Parliament declared UNSATISFACTORY March 22. 1648. And afterward Ian. 10. 1648. That his Majesties late Concessions and Offers concerning Religion may by your Lordships DIRECTLY and POSITIVELY be Declared UNSATISFACTORY to this present Parliament And that there shall be no Engagement for Restoring his Majesty to one of his Houses with Honour Freedom and Safety before Security and Assurance be had from his Majesty by his Solemn OATH under his HAND and SEAL that â—…e shall for HIMSELF and his SUCCESSORS Consent and Agree to Acts of Parliament enjoyning the League and Covenant and fully Establishing Presbyterian Government Directory of Worship and Confession of Faith in all his Majesties Dominions and that his Majesty shall never make Opposition to any of these or endeavour any Change thereof This is Rivetted with a Mischief And pray'e shew me now the Material Difference between Precluding His Majesty by a Vote of NO ADDRESS or by a Resolution of NO AGREEMENT His Honour and Conscience being equally at Stake on either side To give you the Sum of all in short The Presbyterians began the War Pursu'd it made the King a Prisoner Sold him and in the Depth of his Calamity presented him with Templation instead of Comfort No Composition would be heard of but the Forfeiture of his SOUL for the Saving of his LIFE Presb. But the Independents however Crown'd the Wickedness with his Blood Indep Suppose it so They did only Execute the Sentence but the Presbyterians Pronounc'd it Neither did they Execute it as Independents or under colour of any Impulse of Religion or Conscience but upon Civil and Political Pretexts He was adjudged to be put to Death as a Tyrant Traytor Murtherer and Publique Enemy Not for Refusing to Enter into a Church-Covenant or Establish Liberty of Conscience but upon a Pestilent Motive of Diabolical Policy and State Whereas the Presbyterians persecuted him as PRESBYTERIANS and depriv'd him of his Royal Support Dignity Friends Freedom in Effect Life and all because he would not renounce his Reason and Conscience in favour of their Government And I am verily perswaded that you will have as little to say for your Principles as for your Actions SECT XXVI What Party soever DEMANDS a Toleration and yet Mainteins that It is Destructive both of Church and State to GRANT one Is an ENEMY to BOTH Indep AS to the Point in Question It lies Naturally before us to speak first to the Thing in it self and we may afterward consider it in the Consequences In the Desire of a Toleration the Independents ask no more then they would be ready to Allow I wish the Presbyterians could say the like Presb. In the large sense of Allowing all sorts of Libertines and Heretiques as the late Independent Government did I do confess you have out-done the Presbyterians Indep And yet Those very Libertines and Heretiques were Your White-Boys and Favourites so long as they serv'd Your Ends. They had none of this Language from you when they Tumulted against Bishops and Common-Prayer Ceremonies and Popish Lords While they were the Instruments of Your Ambition they were the Godly Well-affected Party So that Heretiques it seems will down well enough with your Politiques though not with your Consciences Provided they will content themselves to be Damn'd and let the Presbyterians alone to Govern Presb. The Independents made sweet work in Holland did they not And where was your Spirit of Toleration and Forbearance I beseech you in New-England Indep You cannot say that we gave any Trouble in Holland to the State or that we fell foul there upon Different Iudgments In New-England 't is true we excluded the Gortonists Familists Seekers Antinomians Anabaptists and Subjected them to the Censure of the Civil Power as People of Dangerous Principles in Respect both of Good Life and Government Which Proceeding of ourâ—… methinks might serve to disabuse those that call Independency the Genus Generalissimum of all Errours Heresies Blasphemies and Schisms and take the Church way of New-England for that sort of Independency They did also exclude Papacy and Prelacy The Latter perchance more out of Regard to a Temporary Convenience then upon any rooted Principle of Implacable Severity And I perswade my self the Episcopal Party will witness thus much on our Behalfs that as to the Freedom of their Meetings and way of Worship in the late Revolutions they had much better Quarter from the Independents