be is scarce ever established by the Sword and the Gospel the blessed Peace cannot be published by the Sound of the Cannon neither the Sacred Word be conveyed unto us by the impious hands of Souldiers neither Tranquility be brought to the Persons and Consciences of Men by that which bringeth Ruin unto Nations ibid. pag. 30. He has said much in a little the Talent and Honour of Men truly great I give this still to the Church of Englands Principles which yet makes it harder for her to justifie her Practice in her use of Power But let us hear a King speak and one the Church of England is bound to hear by many Obligations King Charles the First out of his tender and princely sence of the sad and bleeding Condition of the Kingdom and his unwearied Desires to apply such Remedies as by the blessing of Almighty God might settle it in Peace by the Advice of his Lords and Commons of Parliament Assembled at Oxford propounded and desired that all the Members of both Houses might securely meet in a full and free Convention of Parliament there to treat consult and agree upon such things as may conduce to the maintenance and defence of the Reformed Protestant Religion with due consideration to all just and reasonable ease to tender Consciences The Kings Message of a Treaty March 3. 1643. from Oxford Superscribed to the Lords and Commons of Parliament assembled at Westminster In the Kings Twentieth Message for Peace January 29. 1645. he has these Words That by the Liberty offered in his Message of the 5 th present for the ease of their Consciences who will not Communicate in the Service already established by Act of Parliament in this Kingdom He intends that all other Protestants behaving themselves peaceable in and towards the civil Government shall have the free Exercise of their Religion according to their own way In the Thirty third Message for Peace November 17. 1647. there are these Words His Majesty considering the great present Distempers concerning Church Discipline and that the Presbyterian Government is now in practice his Majesty to eschew Confusion as much as may be and for the satisfaction of his two Houses is content that the said Government be legally permitted to stand in the same Condition it now is for three Years provided that his Majesty and those of his Judgment or any other who cannot in Conscience submit thereunto be not obliged to comply with the Presbyterian Government but have free Practice of their own Profession without receiving any Prejudice thereby From the Isle of Wight In his Declaration to all his People January 18. 1645. from Carisbrook Castle after the Votes of no Address He says I have sacrificed to my two Houses of Parliament for the Peace of the Kingdom all but what is much more dear to me then my Life my Conscience and my Honour In his Letter to the Lords Gentlemen and Committee of the Scotch Parliament together with the Officers of the Army July 3. 1648. from Carisbrook Castle As the best foundation of Loyalty is Christianity so true Christianity is perfect Loyalty VI. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Upon his Majesties retirement from Westminster Sure it ceases to be Counsel when not Reason is used as to Men to Perswade but Force and Terror as to Beasts to drive and compel men to whatever tumultary Patrons shall project He deserves to be a Slave without Pity or Redemption that is content to have his Rational Soveraignty of his Soul and Liberty of his Will and Words so captivated Again ibid. Sure that Man cannot be blameable to God or Man who seriously indeavours to see the best reason of things and faithfully follows what he takes for reason the uprightness of his Intentions will excuse the possible failings of his Understanding Again ibid. I know no Resolutions more worthy a Christian King then to prefer his Conscience before his Kingdoms XII Upon the Rebellion and Troubles in Ireland Some kind of Zeal counts all merciful Moderation Lukewarmness and had rather be Cruel than accounted Cold and is not seldom more greedy to kill the Bear for her Skin than for any harm he hath done ibid O my God thou seest how much Cruelty among Christians is acted under the colour of Religion as if we could not be Christians unless we Crucifie one another XIII Upon the calling the Scots and their coming Sure in matters of Religion those Truth 's gain most on mens Judgments and Consciences which are least urged with Secular Violence which weakens Truth with Prejudices and is unreasonable to be used till such means of rational Conviction hath been appli'd as leaving no excuse for Ignorance condemns mens Obstinacy to deserv'd Penalties Violent Motions are neither Manly Christian nor Loyal The proper Engine of Faction is Force the Arbitrator of Beasts not of reasonable Men much less of humble Christians and loyal Subjects in matters of Religion XIV Upon the Covenant Religion requires Charity and Candor to others of different Opinions Nothing Violent and Injurious can be Religions XV. Upon the many Jealousies raised and Scandals cast upon the King to stir up the People against him In point of true Conscientious Tenderness attended with Humility and Meekness not with proud or arrogant Activity which seeks to hatch every egge of indifferent Opinion to Faction or Schism I have oft declared how little I desire my Laws and Scepter should intrench over Gods Soveraignty which is the only king of mens Consciences XXVII To the Prince of Wales Take heed of abetting to any Factions your partial adhereing to any one Side gains you not so great Advantages in some Mens Hearts who are prone to be of their Kings Religion as it looseth you in others who think themselves and their Profession first despised then persecuted by you My Counsel and Charge to you is That you seriously consider the former real or objected Miscarriages which might occasion my Troubles that you may avoid them A Charitable Connivance and Christian Toleration often dissipates their Strength whom rougher Opposition fortifies Always keep up Sollid Piety and those Fundamental Truths which mend both Hearts and Lives of Men with impartial Favour and Justice Your Prerogative is best shewed and exercised in remitting rather then exacting the rigour of the Law there being nothing worse than legal Tyranny And as this was the Sence and Judgment of a King that Time and the greatest Troubles had inform'd with a superiour Judgment and which to be sure highly justifies the measures that are now taken So Dr. Hudson his Plain-dealing Chaplain must not be forgotten by us on this occasion who took the freedom to tell his Royal Master That he lookt upon the Calamities he laboured under to be the hand of God upon him for not having given God his due over Conscience One can easily imagin this to be Reformation Language and then it is not hard to think how low that Church must be fallen that from
of none of them on this Subject Our Saviour says he never pressed Followers as men do Souldiers but said If any man will come after me let him take up his Cross not his Sword and follow me His was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his very Commands shewed his Meekness his Laws were sweet and gentle Laws not like Draco's that were writ in Blood unless it were his own that gave them His design was to ease men of their former Burdens and not lay on more the Duties he required were no other but such as were necessary and withal very just and reasonable He that came to take away the insupportable Yoke of Jewish Ceremonies certainly did never intend to gall the Necks of his Disciples with another instead of it And it would be strange the Church should require more than Christ himselâ— did and make other conditions of her Communion than our Saviour did of Discipleship What possible reason can be assigned or given why such things should not be sufficient for Communion with a Church which are sufficient for eternal Salvation And certainly those things are sufficient for that which are laid down as necessary Duties for Christianity by our Lord and Saviour in his Word What ground can there be why Christians should not stand upon the same terms now which they did in the time of Christ and his Apostles Was not Religion sufficiently guarded and fenced in â—hem Was there ever more true and cordial Reverence in the Worship of God What Charter hath Christ given the Church to bind men up to more than himself hath done Or to exclude those from her Society who may be admitted into Heaven Will Christ ever thank Men at the great day for keeping such out from Communion with his Church when he will vouchsafe not only Crowns of Glory to but it may be Aureolae too if there be any such things there The Grand Commission the Apostles were sent out with was only to teach what Christ had commanded them Not the least Intimation of any Power given them to impose or require any thing beyond what himself had spoken to them or they were directed to by the immediate Guidance of the Spirit of God. Without all Controversie the main Inlet of all the Distractions Confusions and Divisions of the Christian World hath been by adding other Conditions of Church Communion than Christ hath done There is nothing the Primitive Church deserves greater imitation by us in than in that admirable Temper Moderation and Condesention which was used in it towards all the Members of it This admirable Temper in the Primitive Church might be largely cleared from that Liberty they allowed freely to Dissenters from them in matters of Practice and Opinion as might be cleared from Cyprian Austin Jerome and others Leaving the Men to be won by observing the true decency and order of Churches whereby those who act upon a true Principle of Christian Ingenuity may be sooner drawn to a Compliance in all lawful things than by Force and rigorous Impositions which make men suspect the weight of the thing it self when such Force is used to make it enter in Preface The same is in effect declared by the House of Commons when they returned their Thanks to Dr. Tâ—llotson Dean of Canterbury for his Sermon preached before them November the 5 th 1678. desiring him to Print that Sermon where he says upon our Saviours Words Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of Ye own your selves to be my Disciples but do you consider what Spirit now Acts and Governs you not that surely which my Doctrine designes to mould and fashion you into which is not a Furious and Persecuting and Destructive Spirit but Mild and Gentle and Saving tender of the Lives and Interests of Men even of those who are our greatest Enemies pag. 6 7. No difference of Religion no pretence of Zeal for God and Christ can warrant and justifie this Passionate and Fierce this Vindictive and Exterminating Spirit ibid. pag. 7. He i. e. Christ came to introduce a Religion which consults not only the Eternal Salvation of mens Souls but their Temporal Peace and Security their Comfort and Happiness in this World ibid pag. 8. In seemed good to the Author of this Institution to compel no man to it by Temporal Punishment ibid. pag. 13. To seperate Goodness and Mercy from God Compassion and Charity from Religion is to make the two best things in the World God and Religion good for nothing idid pag. 19. True Christianity is not noly the best but the best natured Institution in the World and so far as any Church is departed from good Nature and become Cruel and Barbarous so far it is degenerated from Christianity idid pag. 30. Thus far Dr Tillotson who to be sure deserves not to be thought the least Eminent in the present Church of England Let us hear what Doctor Burnet says to it Men are not Masters of their own Perswasions and cannot change their thoughts as they please he that believes any thing concerning Religion cannot turn as the Prince commands him or accomodate himself to the Law or his persent Interests unless he arrive at that pitch of Atheism as to look on Religion only as a matter of Policy and an Engine for civil Government Dr Burnet's History of the Rights of Princes c. in his Preface pag. 49. 'T is to this Doctor 's pains she ows the very History of her Reformation and as by it he has perpetuated his Name with hers certainly he must have Credit with her or we can deserve none with any body else for no man could well go further to oblige her Let me here bring in a lay Member of the Church of England Sir Robert Pointz in his vindication of Monarchy who yeilds us an excellent Testimony to the matter in hand The Sword availeth little with the Souls of Men unless to destroy them together with their Bodies and to make men desperate or dissemblers in Religion and when they find oppertunity to fall into Rebellion as there are many Examples p. 27. In the Ancient Times of Christianity such means were not used as might make Hereticks and Schismaticks more obstinate than docible through the preposterous proceedings of the Magistrates and Ministers of Justice in the Execution of Penal Laws used rather as Snares for gaining of Money and Pecuniary Mulcts impos'd rather as Prices set upon Offences than as Punishments for the Reformation of Manners ibid. pag. 28. The Ancient Christians were forbidden by the Imperial Law as also by the Laws of other Christian Nations under a great Penalty to meddle with the Goods of the Jews or Pagans living peaceably ibid. pag. 29. For the Goods of the Jews although Enemies to the Christian Religion cannot for the cause of Religion come by Escheat unto Christian Princes under whom they live ibid. pag. 29. It is truly said that Peace a Messenger whereof an Angel hath been chosen to
if dispersed to be sure they have not strength for such an Attempt But if they are not sufficient there is a Potent Prince not far off can help the Design who is not angry with Protestancy at home only Suppose this is there not as Potent Naval Powers to assist the Constitution of the Kingdom from such Invasions yes and Land ones too And as the Protestant Governments have more Ships then the other so an equal Land Force when by such attempts to make Popery universal they are awaken'd to the use of them But certainly we must be very silly to think the King should suffer so great a shake to his own Interest as admitting an Army of Forraigners to enter his Kingdom on any pretence must necessarily occasion These Bull-Beggers and Raw-Heads and Bloody-Bones are the Malice of some and Weakness of others But time that Informs Children will tell the World the meaning of the Fright The third Proof of my second Reason is the Intestine Division among themselves That Division weakens a great Body and renders a small one harmless all will agree Now that there is such a thing as Division among them is town talk The Seculars Regulars have ever been two Interests all the Roman Church over and they are not only so here but the Regulars differ among themselves There is not a Coffee-House in Town that does not freely tell us that the Jesuites and Benedictines are at variance that Count Da Da the Popes Nuncio and Bishop Lyborn Dissent mightily from the Politicks of the first Nay t'other Day the Story was that they had prevail'd Entirely over them The Lords and Gentlemen of her Communion have as warmly contested about the lengths they ought to go Moderation seems to be the conclusion Together they are little and can do little and divided they are Contemptible instead of Terrible Lastly the Roman Church ought to be discreet and think of nothing further then the entreated general Ease because it would be an extream that must beget another in the succeeding Raign For as I can never think her so weak as well as base that after all her Arguments for the Jus divinum of Succession she should in the Face of the World attempt to violate it in the wrong of One of another Perswasion for that were an eternal loss of her with Mankind So if she does not and yet is Extravagant she only rises higher to fall lower then all others in another Raign This were provoking their own Ruin. And to say true either way would as the second Letter has it discredit her for ever and make true Prophets of those they had taken such pains to prove false Witnesses And supposing her to reckon upon the just Succession nothing can recommend her or continue her happiness in a Raign of another Judgment but this Liberty equally maintained that other Perswasions more numerous for that reason as well as for their own sakes are obliged to insure her Here the Foundation is broad and strong and what is built upon it has the looks of long Life The Indenture will at least be quint-pertite and Parties are not so mortal as Men. And as this joyns so it preserves Interest intire which amounts to a Religious Amity and a Civil Vnity at the worst Upon the whole matter I advise the Members of the Roman Communion in this Kingdom to be moderate 't is their Duty and it belongs to all Men to see it and feel it from them and it behoves them mightily they would for the first part of this Discourse belongs to their Hopes as well as to the Church of Englands Fears viz. the Duty and Spirit of Christianity Next let them do good Offices between the King and his excellent Children for as that will be well taken by so affectionate a Father so it gives the lie to their Enemies Suggestions and recommends them to the Grace and Favour of the Successors And having said this I have said all that belongs to them in particular There is left only my Address to the Protestant Dissenters and a general Conclusion to finish this Discourse Your Case that are called Protestant Dissenters differs mightily from that of the Church of England and Rome For the first have the Laws for her the last the Prince Those Laws are against you and she is not willing they should be Repeal'd The Prince offers to be kind to you if you please Your Interest in this Conjuncture is the Question I think none ought to be made that it is the Liberty of Conscience desired because you have much more need of it having neither Laws nor Prince of your side nor a Successor of any of your Perswasions The Fears of Popery I know reach you but it is to be remembered also that if the Laws are not Repeal'd there wants no new ones to Destroy you of the Papists making so that every fear you are taught to have of their Repeal is against your selves Suppose your Apprehensions well grounded you can but be Destroy'd Which is most comfortable for you to suffer by Law or without it The Church of England by her Penal Laws and the Doctrine of Headship has Armed that Religion as it falls out to Destroy you Nay has made it a Duty in the King to do it from which says she nothing but an Act of Parliament can absolve him that she is not willing to allow And is it not as reasonable that you should seek their Repeal that if you suffer from the Papists It may be without human Law as well as against Christs Law as for the Church of England to keep them in force because if she suffers it shall be against the Laws made to uphold her For not repealing them brings you an inevitable mischief and her at most but an uncertain safety tho 't is certain she at the same time will Sacrifice you to it And yet if I were in her case it would please me better to remove Laws that might reproach me and stop my Mouth when turn'd against me and be content that if I Suffer for my Religion it is against the Law of God Christianity and the Fundamentals of the old and true Civil Government of my Country before such Laws helpt to spoil it In short you must either go to Church or Meet or let fall your Worshipping of God in the way you believe If the first you are Hypocrites and give away the Cause and reproach your dead Brethrens Sincerity and gratifie the old accusation of Schism Ambition c. and finally loose the Hope and Reward of all your Sufferings If the second viz. that you Meet against Law you run into the Mouth of the Government whose Teeth are to meet in you and Destroy you as by Law established If the last you deny your Faith over-throw your own Arguments fall away from the Apostolical Doctrine of assembling together and so must fall into the Hands of God and under the troubles of your own
Good Advice TO THE Church of England Roman Catholick and Protestant Dissenter In which it is endeavoured to be made appear that it is their Duty Principles Interest To abolish the Penal Laws and Tests Beati Pacifici Licenced June the 30th 1687. LONDON Printed and Sold by Andrew Sowle at the Crooked-Billet in Holloway-Lane in Shoreditch and at the Three Keys in Nags-Head-Court in Grace-Church-Street over-against the Conduit 1687. THE PREFACF Reader NO matter who but what and yet if thou wouldst know the Author he is an English-Man and therefore obliged to this Country and the Laws that made him Free. That single Consideration were enough to command this Vndertaking for 't is to perswade his Country Men to be delivered of the greatest Yoke a Nation can well Suffer under Penal Laws for Religion I mean. And now thou hast both the who and what If thou art Wise and Good thou art above my Epethites and more my Flatteries If not I am in the Right to let 'um alone Read Think and Judge Liberty English and Christian is all that is sought in the ensuing Discourse Adieu Good Advice c. PART I. I Must own it is my Aversion at this time to meddle with Publick Matters and yet my Duty to the Publick will not let me be Silent They that move by Principles must not regard Times nor Factions but what is just and what is honourable and that no Man ought to Scruple nor no Time nor Interest to Contest The single Question I go upon and which does immediately concern and exercise the Minds of the Thinking as well as Talking Men of this Kingdom is whether it be fit to repeal the Penal Laws and Tests in matters of Religion or not I take the Affirmative of the Question and humbly submit my Reasons to every reasonable Conscience I say reasonable because That which knows not its own Duty Principles and Interest is not so and That which is not willing to do to others as it would be done by less deserves to be thought so Now there are three sorts of People that will find themselves concerned in this Question The Church of England the Roman Catholick and the Protestant Dissenter and these make up the whole Body of the Kingdom If it appear to be their Duty Principles and Interest the Question is gain'd and no body is left to complain and if I am mistaken it is with so great an inclination to serve them all that their good nature cannot but plead my Excuse especially when they consider I am neither mov'd by Hopes nor Fears Private Loss or Gain being farther from my thought then I hope they are from a good Understanding I say first then it is the Duty of all of them because they all profess that Religion which makes it their common duty to do it Christianity I mean For no Christian ought to deprive any man of his native Right for matters of Faith and Worship towards God in the way that he thinks most agreeable to the Will of God because it is necessary to a Christian to believe that Faith is the Gift of God alone and that He only is Lord of Conscience and is able truly to enlighten perswade and establish it and consequently that prejudicing Men in their Persons or Estates or depriving them of any Station in the Government they might otherwise in their turn be capable to serve the Publick in is contrary to the tenderness and equity of that Religion which will yet further appear if we consider that Christianity is the sole Religion of the World that is built on the Principles of Love which brought with it the greatest Evidences of Truth Equally convincing our Understandings with its Light and bearing down our Sences with its Miracles Which silenc'd the Oracles of the Heathens by the Divine Power present with it and vanquisht their Hearts that had left nothing else to conquer leading Kings and Emperors with their Courts and Armies in triumph after the despised Cross of him who was the holy and blessed Author of it It was he that laid not his Religion in worldly Empire nor used the Methods of worldly Princes to propagate it as it came from Heaven so that only should have the Honour of protecting and promoting it His whole business to mankind from first to last was Love. 'T was first Love in his Father to send him as St. John teaches God so loved the World that he sent his Son c. It was love in Jesus Christ to come on that Arrand that he who thought it no Robbery to be equal with God should take the form of a Servant to adopt us Children and make himself of no Reputation with the World that he might make us of Reputation with God his Father And he did not only come in much Love but preach't it and prest it both to Friends and Foes Love one another Love Enemies do good to them that hate you forgive them that trespass against you what you would that other Men should do unto you do that unto them by these things shall all Men know you are my Disciples for I came not to destroy Mens Lives no not for Religion it self for my Kingdom Power Force Weapons and Victory are not of this World. In all this Love prevails It was his great his new his last Commandment of all his Disciples the most persued by his beloved One that in his Bosom had learn'd his Heart as his Divine Doctrine of Love in his Epistle tells us As he liv'd in Love so he died in Love with us and for us and that while we were rebellious too ay he pray'd and dy'd for them who put him to Death shewing us says St. Peter an Example that we also should follow his Steps And what are they doubtless the Steps of Love the Path he trod To do good to Mankind Enemies as well as Friends that we may be like our heavenly Father that causes his Sun to shine and his Rain to fall upon the Just and Vnjust This must be the Apostles meaning for the rest of his Passion was Inimitable Now if this be the Doctrine of Christ the Nature of Christâ—anity the Practice of the Primitive Church that like Adam was Created in full Strength Beauty and Wisdom and so an Example to succeeding Ages of Religion and to which we so often refer as our Original with what Pretence to a Christian Conscience can any one stickle to keep Imprisoning Banishing Impoverishing Hanging and Quartering Lawâ— on â—oot for Religion sake but especially against such as are by Creed professors of Christianity as well as themselves I know the Case is put hard by those that have the Laws on their side We do this to save our selves but an harder Case than Christs can never be put whose Answer in his ought to resolve theirs fully Christ is sent by his Father for the Salvation of the World He introduces and proves his Mission by Miracles and the great Authority
no more for her self than the French say for their King which yet she refuses to take for an Answer Perhaps I could parralel some of the severest Passages in that Kingdom out of the Actions of some Members of the Church of England in cool Blood that are even yet for continuing the Penal Laws upon their plunder'd Neighbours so that this Reflection of hers upon France is more popular than just from her But I beseech her to look upon a Country four times bigger than France Germany I mean and she will there see both Religions practis'd with great Ease and Amity yet of this we must not hear one Word I hope it is not for fear of imitating it However 't is disingenious to object the Mischiefs of Popery to a general Ease when we see it is the way to prevent them This is but in the name of Popery to keep all to herself as well from Protestant Dissenters as Roman Catholicks How Christian how equal how safe that narrow Method is becomes her well to consider and methinks she ought not to be long about it I know she flatters herself and others to believe she is a Bulwork against Popery and with that without any further Security to other Protestants wipes her Mouth of all old Scores and makes her present Court for Assistance But when that word Bulwork is examined I fear it appears too mean no more than this That she would keep out Popery for that reason for which she apprehends Popery would turn her out viz. Temporal Interest But may I without Offence ask her when she kept Persecution out Or if she keeps out Popery for any bodies sake but her own Nay if it be not to hold the Power she has in her hands that she would frighten other Parties now she has done her worst with what mischief Popery would do them when it has Power But to speak freely can she be a Bulwork in the Case that has been bringing the worst part of Popery in these six and twenty Years if Persecution be so as she says it is This would be call'd Canting to the World in others But I hear she begins to see her Fault is heartily sorry for it and promises to do so no more And why may not Popery be as wise that has also burnt her Fingers with the same work Their praying for ease by Law looks as if they chose That rather than Power for Security and if so why may not the Papists Live as well as she Reign I am none of their Advocate I am no Papist but I would be just and merciful too However I must tell her that keeping the Laws on foot by which she did the mischief is none of the plainest Evidences of her Repentance They that can believe it have little reason to quarrel the unaccountableness of Transubstantiation Is it unjust in Popery to invade her Priviledges and can it be just in her to provoke it by denying a Christian Liberty or can she expect what she will not give or not do as she would be done by because she fears others will not observe the same Rule to her Is not this doing Evil that Good may come of it and that uncertain too against an express Command as well as common Charity But to speak freely whether we regard the Circumstances of the King the Relation of his Children the inequality of the Number and Strength of those of each of their Communions we must conclude that the Aversion of the Church of England to this intreated Liberty cannot reasonably be thought to come from the Fear she has of the prevalency of Popery but the loss of that Power the Law gives her to domineer over all Dissenters And is not this a Rare Motive for a Christian Church to continue Penal Laws for Religion If her Piety be not able to maintain her upon equal terms methinks her having so much the whip hand and start of all others should satisfy her Ambition and quiet her Fears for 't is possible for her to keep the Churches if the Laws were abolished all the difference is she could not force She might perswade and convince what she could And pray is not that enough for a true Church without Goales Whips Halters and Gibbets O what Corruption is this that has prevail'd over Men of such Pretensions to Light and Conscience that they do not or will not see nor feel their own Principles one remove from themselves but sacrifice the noblest part of the Reformation to Ambition and compel Men to truckle their tender Consciences to the Grandure and Dominion of their Doctors But because the Sons of the Church of England keep at this time such a stir in her favour and fix her excellency in her opposition to Popery it is worth while to consider a little further if really the most feared and disagreeable part of Popery in her own opinion does not belong to her and if it does should we not be in a fine Condition to be in Love with our Fetters and to Court our Misery That part of Popery which the Church of England with most success objects against is her Violence This is that she can only pretend to fear Her Doctrines she partly Professes or thinks she can easily refute She does not think her Doctors Conjurers for their Transubstantiation or dangerous to the State for their Beads or their Purgatory But forcing others to their Faith or ruining them for refusing it is the terrible thing we are taught by her to apprehend Now granting this to be the case in reference to the Roman Religion where it is in the Chair I ask if the Church of England with her better Doctrines has not been Guilty of this Impiety and for that cause more blameable the the Church she opposes so much If we look into her Acts of State we find them many and bitter against all sorts of Dissenters There is nigh twenty Laws made and yet in force to constrain Conformity and they have been executed too as far and as often as she thought it fit for her Interest to let them Some have been Hang'd many Banish't more Imprisoned and some to Death and abundance Impoverish't and all this meerly for Religion Tho by a base and barbarous use of Words it has been call'd Treason Sedition Routs and Riots the worst of aggravations since they are not contented to make People unhappy for their Dissent but rob them of all they had left their Innocency This has been her State Craft to coin Guilt and make men dangerous to have her ends upon them But that way of Palliating Persecution by rendring a thing that it is not and punishing men for Crimes they never committed show but little Conscience in the Projectors The Church of England crys out against Transubstantiation because of the Invisibility of the Change. She don't see Christ there and therefore he is not there and yet her Sons do the same thing For tho all the tokens of
a Riot are as invisible in a Dissenters Meeting as Christ in the Transubstantiation yet it must be a Riot without any more to do The English of which is 't is a Riot to pray to God in the humblest and peaceablest manner in a Conventicle I know it is said The Blood-shed in the fore-going Raign and the Plots of the Papists against Queen Elizabeth drew those Laws from the Church of England But this was no reason why she should do ill because they had done so Besides it may be answered that that Religion having so long intermixt it self with worldly Power it gave way to take the revenges of it And certainly the great men of the Church of England endeavouring to intercept Queen Mary by proclaiming the Lady Jane Gray and the Apprehension the Papists had of the better Title of Mary Queen of Scots together with a long Possession were scurvy Temptations to kindle ill Designs against that extraordinary Queen But tho nothing can excuse and less justifie those cruel Proceedings yet if there were any reason for the Laws it is plainly removed for the Interests are joyn'd and have been since King James the first came to the Crown However 't is certain there were Laws enough or they might have had them to punish all civil Enormities without the necessity of making any against them as Papists And so the civil Government had stood upon its own Legs and Vices only against it had been punishable by it In short it was the falsest Step that was made in all that great Queens Raign the most dishonourable to the Principles of the first Reformers and therefore I know no better Reason why it should be continued than that which made the Cardinal in the History of the Council of Trent oppose the Reformation at Rome That tho it was true that they were in the wrong yet the admitting of it approved the judgment of their Enemies and so good-night to Infallibility Let not this be the Practice of the Church of England and the rather because she does not pretend to it But let her reflect that she has lost her King from her Religion and they that have got him naturally hope for ease for theirs by him that 't is the end they labour'd and the great use they have for him and I would fain wonder that she never saw it before but whether she did or no why should she begrudg it at least refuse it now Since 't is plain that there is nothing we esteem dangerous in Popery that other Laws are not sufficient to secure us from Have we not enough of them let her think of more and do the best she can to discover Plotters punish Traitors suppress the Seditious and keep the Peace better than those we have can enable us to do But for Gods sake let us never direct Laws against Men for the cause of Religion or punish them before they have otherwise done amiss Let Mens Works not their Opinions turn the Edg of the Magistrates Sword against them else 't is Beheading them before they are Born. By the common Law of this Kingdom there must be some Real and Proper Overt Act that proves Treason some Malice that proves Sedition and some violent Action that proves a Rout or Riot If so to call any sort of Religious Orders the one or Praying to God in a way out of fashion the other is prepostrous and punishing People for it down right Murther or Breach of the Peace according to the true use of Words and the old Law of England If the Church of England fears the growth of Popery let her be true to the Religion she owns and betake her self to Faith rather than Force by a pious humble and a good Example To convince and perswade which is the highest honour to any Church and the greatest Victory over Men. I am for a National Church as well as she so it be by Consent and not by Constraint But Coercive Churches have the same Principle tho not the same Interest A Church by Law established is a State Church and that is no Argument of Verity unless the State that makes her so be infallible and because that will not be asserted the other can never oblige the Conscience and consequently the Compulsion she uses is unreasonable This very Principle justifies the King of France and the Inquisition For Laws being equally of Force in all Countries where they are made it must be as much Fault in the Church of Englands Judgment to be a Protestant at Rome or a Calvanist at Paris as to be a Papist at London Then where is Truth or Conscience but in the Laws of Countries which renders her an Hobbist notwithstanding her long and loud Clamours against the Leviathan I beg her for the love of Christ that she would think of these things and not esteem me her Enemy for performing the part of so good a Friend Plain Dealing becomes that Caracter no matter whether the Way be agreeable so it be right We are all to do our Duty and leave the rest to God He can best answer for our Obedience that Commands it and our Dependance upon his Word will be our Security in our Conduct What weight is it to a Church that she is the Church by Law established when no humane Law can make a true Church A true Church is of Christs making and is by Gospel established 'T is a Reflection to a Church that would be thought true to stoop to humane Law for her Establishment I have been often scandal'd at that Expression from the Sons of the Church of England especially those of the Robe What do you talk for our Religion is by Law established as if that determin'd the Question of its Truth against all other Perswasions The Jews had this to say against our Saviour We have a Law and by our Law he ought to Dye The Primitive Christians and some of our first Reformers Dyed as by Law established if that would mend the matter but does that make it lawful to a Christian Conscience we must ever demur to this Plea. No greater Argument of a Churches Defection from Christianity than turning Persecutor 'T is true the Scripture says The Earth shall help the Woman but that was to save her self not to destroy others For 't is the Token that 's given by the Holy Ghost of a false Church That none must Buy or Sell in her Dominions that will not receive her Mark in their Forehead or Right-hand That is by going to Church against Conscience or bribing lustily to stay at Home Things don't change tho men do Persecution is still the same let the hand alter never so often but the Sin may not For doubtless it is greatest in those that make the highest claim to Reformation For while they plead their own Light for doing so they hereby endeavour to extinguish anothers Light that can't concur What a Man can't do it is not his Fault he don't do nor
should he be compell'd to do it and at least of all be punished for not doing it No Church can give Faith and therefore can't force it for what is constrain'd is not Believed since Faith is in that sence free and constraint gives no time to assent I say what I don't will is not I and what I don't Choose is none of mine and anothers can't save me tho it should save him So that this Method never obtains the end design'd since it Saves no body because it Converts no body it may breed Hypocrisie but that is quite another thing than Salvation What then is the use of Penal Laws only to show the Sincerity of them that Suffer and Cruelty of those that make and execute them And all time tells us they have ever fail'd those that have lean'd upon them They have always been loosers at last Besides it is a most unaccountable obstinacy in the Church of England to stickle to uphold them for after having made it a matter of Religion and Conscience to Address the late King in behalf of this to think He should leave his Conscience behind him in Flanders or when they waited on him to the Crown that he should send it thither upon a Pilgrimage is want of wit at best pardon the censure Could they Conscientiously oppose his Exclusion for his Religion and now his Religion because he will not leave it Or can they reasonably maintain those Tests that were contrived to exclude him when Duke of York while they endured none to hinder him from the Crown I heartily beg the Church of Englands excuse if I say I can't comprehend her Perhaps the fault is mine but sure I am she is extreamly dark How could she hope for this King without his Conscience or conceive that his Honour or Conscience would let him leave the Members of his Communion under the lash of so many Destroying Laws would she be so serv'd by a Prince of her own Religion and she in the like Circumstances She would not let her talk till Dooms-Day To object the Kings promise when he came to the Crown against the repeal of the Penal Laws shows not his Insincerity but her Uncharitableness or that really she has a very weak place For it is plain the King first declared his own Religion and then promised to maintain hers but was that to be without or together with his own His Words shows he intended that his own should Live tho t'other might Raign I say again it is not credible that a Prince of any Sincerity can refuse a being to his own Religion when he continues another in its well being This were to act upon State not Conscience and to make more Conscience to uphold a Religion he cannot be of than of giving ease to one his Conscience obliges him to be of I cannot imagin how this thought could enter into any Head that had Brains or Heart that had Honesty And to say true they must be a sort of State Consciences Consciences as by Law Establish'd that can follow the Law against their Convictions But this is not all I have to observe from that objection It implies too evidently first that she thinks her self shaken if the Penal Laws be repeal'd then by Law Established she must mean Established by those Penal Laws Secondly that the King having promised to maintain her as by Law established he ought not to endeavour their Repeal by which she is established I confess this is very close arguing but then she must not take it ill if all Men think her ill founded for any thing must be so that is established by destroying Laws Laws that Time and Practice have declared Enemies to Property and Conscience O let her not hold by that Charter nor Point thither for her Establishment and Defence if she would be thought a Christian Church Plutarch had rather one should think there never was such a Man in the World than that Plutarch was an ill Man. Shall the Church of England that glories in a great Light be more concern'd for her Power than her Credit To be than to be that which she should be I would say far be it from her for her own sake and which is of much more moment for the sake of the general Cause of Religion Let us see therefore if there be not another way of understanding those Words more decent to the King and more honourable for her viz. that she is in the National Chair has the Churches and Revenues and is Mother of those that do not adhere to any separate Communion and that the King has promised to maintain her in this Post from the Invasions of any other perswasion that would wrest these Priviledges out of her hands this he promised formerly this he has very particularly repeated in his gracious Declaration But to Ruin Men that would not Conform while himself was so great a Dissenter and came such to her knowledge to the Crown can be no part of his Promises in the Opinion of common Sence and Charity Is there no Difference to be observed between not turning her out and destroying all others not of her Communion He will not turn her out there 's his Promise and he has not done there 's his performance Nor will he do it am confident if she pleases But there is no manner of necessity from this Engagement that all Parties else are to be Confounded Tho if it were so 't is ill Divinity to prâ—ss such Promises upon a Princes Conscience that can't be perform'd with a good One by Any Body Let her remember how often she has upbraided her Dissenters with this Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars whilst they have returned upon her t'other half of the Text and render unto God the things that are Gods. It happens now that God and Caesar are both of a mind which perhaps does not alwayes fall out at least about the Point in hand Will she Dissent from both now Her case believe me will be doubtful then I beg her to be Considerate 'T is the greatest time of Tryal she has met with since she was a Church To acquit her self like a Member of Christs Universal One let her keep nothing that voids her pretentions The Babilonish Garment will undo her Practices Inconsistant with her Reformation will ruin her The Martyrs Blood Won the Day and her Severity has almost lost it They Suffer'd by Law she makes Laws for Suffering Is this an Immitation of their practice to uphold the Weapons of their Destruction I must tell her 't is being a Martyr for Persecution and not by it Another Path then that the holy Ancients and our humble Ancestors trod and which wll lead her to be deserted and Contemn'd of every Body that counts it safer to follow the Blessed Rule and practice of Christ and his inspr'd Messengers then her narrow and worldly Policies But that which heighthens the Reproach is the offer of the Romanists themselves to
make a perpetual civil Peace with her and that she refuses Would the Martyrs have done this surely no. Let her remember the first Argument honest old Fox advances against that Church is the Church of Englands present Darling viz. Penal Laws for Religion as she may see at the beginning of his first Volumn Doubtless he was much in the right which makes her extreamly in the wrong Nothing says the Prophet must harm in Gods holy Mountain and that 's the Church sayes Fox and therefore he says Christ's Church never Persecutes Leave then God with his own Work and Christ with his own Kingdom As it is not of the World let not the World touch it no not to uphold it tho they that bear it should trip by the way Remember Vzza he would needs support the Ark when the Oxen Stumbled but was struck Dead for his Pains The Presumption is more than Parralel Christ promis'd to be present with his Church to the end of the World. He bid them fear not and told them that sufficient was the Day for the Evil thereof How with Penal Laws no such matter but his Divine Persence Therefore it was He call'd not for Legions to fight for him because his Work needed it not They that want them have an other sort of Work to do And 't is too plain that Empire and not Religion has been too much the Business But O let it not be so any more To be a True Church is better then to be a National One especially as so uphold Press Vertue Punish Vice Dispence with Opinion Perswade but don't Impose Are there Tares in Opinion let them alone you heard they are to grow with the Wheat till Harvest that is the end of the World. Should they not be pluckt up before no and 't is Angles Work at last too Christ that knew all Men saw no Hand on Earth fit for that Business Let us not then usurp their Office Besides we are to Love Enemies this is the great Law of our Religion by what Law then are we to Persecute them and if not Enemies not Friends and Neighbours certainly The Apostle rejoyced that Christ was Preached out of Envy If so I am sure we ought not to envy Christians the enjoyment of the Liberty of their Consciences Christianity should be propagated by the Spirit of Christianity and not by Violence or Persecution for that 's the Spirit of Antichristianity Nor for fear of it should we of Christians become Antichristians Where is Faith in God where is trust in Providence let us do our Duty and leave the rest with Him and not do Evil that Good may come of it for that shows a Distrust in God and a Confidence in our own Inventions for security No reason of State can excuse our Disobedience to his Rule and we desert the Principles of our heavenly Master when we decline it The Question is about Conscience about this we can none of us be too tender nor exemplary 'T is in right doing that Christians can hope for Success and for true Victory only through Faith and Patience But if to avoid what we fear we contradict our Principles we may justly apprehend that God will desert us in an unlawful way of maintaining them Perhaps this may be Gods time of trying all Parties what we will do whether we well rely upon him or our own feeble Provisions whether we will allow what we our selves in our turn have all of us desired if not may we not expect to suffer the thing we would inflict for our Penal Laws cannot secure us from the turns of Providence and less support us under them Let us consider the true ground of the difficulty that is made if it be not partial and light in Gods Scale for to that tryal all things must come and his Judgment is inevitable as well as infallible Besides if we have not tryed all other methods we are inexcusable in being so tenacious for this I do therefore in all humility beseech all sorts of Professors of Christianity in these Kingdoms to abstract themselves from those Jealousies which worldly motives are apt to kindle in their Minds and with an even and undisturbed Soul pursue their Christian Duty in this great Conjuncture Considering the Race is not to the Swife nor the Battle to the Strong and that for all our Watchmen 't is God alone at last that keeps the City Not that I would decline a fitting but an unchristian Provision For though the Foundation were never so true yet if our Superstructure be Hay and Stuble our own narrow Devices the Fire will consume it and our Labour will be worse then in vain Let us not therefore Sow what we would not Reap because we must Reap what we Sow And remember who told us what we measure to others shall be meeted to us again Let us therefore do unto all Parties of men as we would be done unto by them in their tuâ—n of Power Least our fear of their undutifulness should tempt us out of our Duty and so draw upon our selves the mischiefs we are afraid of Sacred Writ is full of this in the Doctrine of both Testaments and as we profess to believe it we are inexcusable if we do not practice it Let the Spirit then of Christian Religion prevail Let our Policies give way to our Duty and our Fears will be overcome of our Hopes which will not make us asham'd at the last and great Judgment where O God! let us all appear with Comfort I could yet Enlarge upon this Subject for nothing can be more fruitful I could say that a Church that Denies Infallibility cannot force because she cannot be certain and so Penal Laws tho it were possible that they could be lawful in others in her would be Vnjust That Scripture leaves Men to Conviction and Perswasion That the true Chruch-Weapons are Light and Grace and her punishments Censure and Excommunication That Goals and Gibbets are Inadiquated Methods for Conversion and that they never succeeded That this forbids all further light to come into the World and so limits the Holy One which in Scripture is made a great Sin. And lastly that such ensnare their own Posterity that may be of an other mind and forfit by it the estates they have so carefully transmitted to them Thus far against Imposition And against Compliance I could say that it s to betray Gods Soveraignty over Conscience To deify Men Gratifie presumption foil and extinguish truth in the mind obey blindfold make over the Soul without Security turn Hipocrite and abundance more each of which heads might well merit an whole chapter But this having been well and seasonably consider'd elsewhere I shall now proceed to the second part of this discourse in which I will be as brief and yet as full as I can PART II. That 't is the Principle of Men of Note of all Parties BUT what need is there of this may some say when all Parties profess to
in the middle betwixt God and the will of Man as that which is usually and truly spoken of Kings and Emperors may as truly be verified of the Consciences of every man Solo Deo minores esse nec aliquam in Terris superiorem ag noscere They are less than God only and on Earth do acknowledge no Superior That Speech of the Emperor Maximilian the first is very memorable Consciencij Dominari velle est Arcem Coeli invadere To exercise a Domination over Consciences is to invade the Tower of Heaven He is a Plunderer of the Glory of God and a nefarious Invader of the Power that is due unto him whosoever he is that shall claim a right to the Consciences of men or practice an Usurpation over them ibid. Sect. 11. pag. 115. And yet this is the sad consequence of imposing Religion upon Conscience and punishing Non-conformity with worldly Penalties Let us now hear what the late Bishop of Down says in his Lib. of Prophesie to our Point I am very much displeased that so many Opinions and new Doctrines are commenced amongst us but more troubled that every man that hath an Opinion thinks his own and other mens Salvation is concerned in its maintenance but most of all that men should be Persecuted and Afflicted for disagreeing in such Opinions which they cannot with sufficient grounds obtrude upon others necessarily because they cannot propound them Infallibly and because they have no warrant from Scripture so to do for if I shall tye other men to believe my Opinion because I think I have a place of Scripture which seems to warrant it to my understanding why may he not serve up another dish to me in the same Dress and exact the same task of me to believe the contradictory Liberty of Prophesie Epist Dedic pag. 8 9. The Experience which Christendom hath had in this last Age is Argument enough that Toleration of differing Opinions is so far from disturbing the Publick Peace or destroying the Interest of Princes and Common-wealths that it does advantage to the Publick it secures Peace because there is not so much as the pretence of Religion left to such Persons to contend for it being already indulged to them ibid. p. 21. It is a proverbial saying Quod nimia familiaritas servorum est conspiratio adversus Dominum and they who for their security run in Grots and Cellers and Retirements think that they being upon the defensive those Princes and those Laws that drive them to it are their Enemies and therefore they cannot be secure unless the Power of the one and the Obligation of the other be lessened and rescinded and then the being restrained and made miserable indears the discontented Persons mutually and makes more hearty and dangerous Confederations ibid. pag. 23. No man speaks more unreasonably than he that denies to men the use of their Reason in choice of their Religion ibid. pag. 169. No Christian is to be put to Death Dis-membred or otherwise directly Persecuted for his Opinion which does not teach Impiety or Blasphemy ibid. pag. 190. There is a popular Pity that follows all Persons in Misery and that Compassion breeds likeness of Affections and that very often produces likeness of Perswasion and so much the rather because there arises a Jealousie and pregnant Suspition that they who Persecute an Opinion are destitute of sufficient Arguments to confute it and that the Hangman is the best Disputant ibid. pag. 197 198. If a man cannot change his Opinion when he lists nor ever does heartily or resolutely but when he cannot do otherwise then to use Force may make him a Hypocrite but never to be a right Believer and so instead of erecting a Trophee to God and true Religion we build a Monument for the Devil ibid. pag. 200. The Trick of giving Persons differing in Opinion over to the secular Power at the best is no better than Hypocrisie removing Envy from themselves and laying it upon others a refusing to do that in external Act which they do in Council and Approbation ibid. pag. 209. Thus far Bishop Taylâ—r and one of the most Learned Men of the Church of England in his time Let me add another Bishop held learn'd by all and in great Reputation with the men of his Communion and among them the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parlioment assembled who have sufficiently declared against this persecuting Spirit on the account of Religion by their full approbation of and thanks returned to the Bishop of St Asaph for his Sermon preached before them November the 5 th 1680. and their desire that he would Print and Publish that Sermon The Bishop says that They who are most given to hate and destroy others especially those others who differ from them in Religion they are not the Church of God or at least they are so far corrupt in that particular pag. 8. Again he says That of Societies of Men Christians of all others are most averse from ways of Violence and Blood especially from using any such ways upon the account of Religion And among Christian Churches where they differ among themselves if either of them use those ways upon the account of Religion they give a strong Presumption against themselves that they are not truly Christians ibid. pag. 9. There is reason for this because we know that Christ gave Love for the Caracter by which his Disciples were to be known John 13.35 By this shall all Men know that you are my Disciples if you have Love to one another And least men should unchristen others first that they may hate them and Destroy them afterwards Christ enlarged his Precept of Love and extended it even to Enemies and not only to ours but to the Enemies of our Religion Matt. 5.43 44. ibid. pag. 9. As our holy Religion excels all others in this admirable temper so by this we may usually judge who they are that excel among Christian Churches when there happens any difference between them whether touching the Faith or the terms of Communion They that were the more Fierce they generally had the worst Cause ibid. pag. 12 13. The Council of Nice suppressed the Arians by no other Force but putting Arians out of their Bishopricks they could not think Hereticks fit to be trusted with cure of Souls but otherwise as to Temporal things I do not find that they inflicted any kind of Punishment but when the Arians came to have the Power in their Hands when theirs was come to be the Imperial Religion then Depriving was nothing Banishment was the least that they inflicted ibid. pag. 14. Neither our Religion nor our Church is of a persecuting Spirit I know not how it may be in particular Persons but I say again it is not in the Genius of our Church She hath no Doctrine that teacheth Persecution ibid. pag. 20. I would have no man punished for his Religion no not them that destroy men for Religion ibid. pag. 37. Dr Stillingfleet comes short
so free and excellent a Principle is come to make execute and uphold Penal Laws for Religion against her Conscientious Neighbours but it is to be hoped that like Nebuchadnezzar's Image whose Feet was a mixture of Iron and Clay and therefore could not stand for ever Persecution will not be able to mix so with the Seed of Men but that Humanity will overcome it and Mankind one day be delivered from that Iron hard and fierce Nature I have done with my Church of Englands Evidences against Persecution And for the Judgment of all sorts of Dissenters in that Point let their Practice have been what it will nothing is clearer than that they disallow of Persecution of which their daily Addresses of Thanks to the King for his General Ease by his Excellent Declaration are an undoubted Proof Thus then we see it is evident that it is not only the Duty of all Parties as they would be thought Christians to Repeal Penal Laws for Religion but upon a fair enquiry we see it is the avowed Principle of every Party at one time or other that Conscience ought not to be compel'd nor Religion impos'd upon worldly Penalties And so I come to the third and last part of this Discourse PART III. It is the Interest of all Parties and especially the Church of England AS I take all Men to be unwillingly separated from their Interests and consequently ought only to be sought and discours'd in them so it must be granted me on all hands that Interests change as well as Times and 't is the Wisdom of a Man to observe the Courses and humor the Motions of his Interest as the best way to preserve it And least any ill-natur'd or mistaken Person should call it temporizing I make this early Provision That I mean no immorral or corrupt complyance A Temporizing deservedly base with Men of Vertue and which in all times my Practice as well as Judgment hath shown the last Aversion to For upon the Principle I now go and which I lay down as common and granted in Reason and Fact with all Parties concern'd in this Discourse that Man does not change that morrally follows his Interest under all its Revolutions because to be true to his Interest is his first civil Principle I premise this to introduce what I have to offer with respect to the Interests to be now treated upon And first I say I take it to be the Interest of the Church of England to abolish the Penal Laws because it never was her Interest to make them My reasons for that Opinion are these First they have been an Argument to invalidate the Sufferings of the Reformers because if it be unlawful to disobey Government about matters of Religion they were in the wrong And if they say O but they were in Error that punish'd their Non-conformity I answer how can she prove that she is Infallibly in the Right And if this cannot be done she compels to an uncertainty upon the same terms Secondly She has overthrown the Principles upon which she separated from Rome For if it be unlawful to plead Scripture and Conscience to vindicate Dissent from her Communion it was unlawful for her upon the same Plea to dissent from the Church of Rome unless she will say again that she was in the Right but the other in the Wrong and she knows this is no Answer but a begging of the Question for they that separate from her think themselves as Serious Devout and as much in the Right as she could do If then Conscience and Scripture interpreted with the best Light she had were the ground of her Reformation she must allow the Liberty she takes or she eats her Words and subverts her Foundation then which nothing can be more destructive to the Interest of any Beeing Civil or Ecclesiastical Thirdly The Penal Laws have been the great Make-bate in the Kingdom from the beginning For if I should grant that she had once been truly the Church of England I mean consisting of all the People of England which she was not for there were divers Parties dissenting from the first of her establishment yet since it afterwards appear'd she was but one Party tho the biggest she ought not to have made her Power more National than her Faith nor her Faith so by the Force of her Temporal Authority 'T is true she got the Magistrate of her side but she engaged him too far For she knew Christ did not leave Caesar Executor to his last Will and Testament and that that should be the reason why she did so was none of the best Ornamentâ— to her Reformation That she was but a Party tho the biggest by the Advantages that temporal Power brought her I shall easily prove but I will introduce it with a short Account of our State-Reformation here in England Henry the Eighth was a kind of Hermophredite in Religion or in the Language of the times a Trimmer being a meddly of Papist and Protestant and that part he acted to the Life or to the Death rather Sacrificing on the same Day Men of both Religions because one was not Protestant enough and t'other Papist enough for him In this time were some Anabaptists for the distinction of Church of England and Calvanist was not then known Edward the Sixth succeeded a Prince that promised Vertues that might more than ballance the Excesses of his Father and yet by Arch-Bishop Cranmer was compelled to sign a Warrant to Burn poor Joan of Kent a famous Woman but counted an Enthusiast But to prove what I said of him 't was not without frequent Denials and Tears and the Bishop taking upon him to answer for it at Gods Judgment of which I hope his Soul was discharged tho his Body by the same Law suffered the same Punishment in the succeeding Reign Thus even the Protestants begun with Blood for meer Religion and taught the Romanists in succeeding times how to deal with them At this time the Controversie grew warm between the Church of England and the Calvanists that were the Abler Preachers and the Better Livers The Bishops being mostly men of State and some of them looking rather backward then forward Witness the Difficulty the King had to get Hooper Consecrated Bishop without Conformity to the reserved Ceremonies Queen Mary came in and ended the Quarrel at the Stake Now Ridly and Hooper hug and are the dearest Brethren and best Friends in the World. Hooper keeps his Ground and Ridly stoops with his Ceremonies to t'others further Reformation But this Light and Union flow'd from their Persecution For those abroad at Frankford and other places were not upon so good Terms Their Fewds grew so great that the one refused Communion with the other many endeavours were used to quench the Fire but they were ineffectual at best it lay under the Ashes of their Affliction for another time for no sooner was Queen Elizabeth upon her Throne then they returned and their Difference with them They
managed it civilly for a while but Ambition in some and Covetousness in others on the one hand and Discretion giving way to Resentment on the other they first ply the Queen and her Ministers and when that ended in favour of the Men of Ceremony the others arraigned them before the first Reformers abroad at Geneva Bazil Zurich c. The leading Prelates by their Letters as Doctor Burnet lately tells us in his Printed Relation of his Travels clear themselves to those first Doctors of any such Imputation and lay all upon the Queen who for Reasons of State would not be brough to so Inceremonious a way of Worship as that of the Calvanists At this time there were Papists Protestants Evangelists Praecisians Vbiquitists Familists or Enthusiasts and Anabaptists in England when the very first Year of her Reign a Law for Vniformity in Worship and Discipline was enacted and more followed of the severest Nature and sometimes executed Thus then we see that there never was such a thing as a Church of England since the Days of Popery that is a Church of Communion containing all the People of the Kingdom and so cannot be said to be so much as a Twin of the Reformation nevertheless she got the Blessing of the Civil Magistrate She made him great to be great by him If She might be the Church He should be the Head. Much good may the Bargain do her Now is the time for her to stand to her Principle I never knew any body exceed their Bounds that were not met with at last If we could escape Men God we cannot his Providence will overtake us and find us out By all this then it appearing that the Church of England was not the Nation the Case is plain that the Penal Laws were a Make-bate for they Sacrificed every sort of People whose Consciences differed from the Church of England which first put the Romanist upon flattering Prerogative and courting its Shelter from the wrath of those Laws The Address could not be unpleasant to Princes and we see it was not for King James that came in with Invectives against Popery entring the List with the Learn'd of that Church and charging her with all the Marks the Revelation gives to that of Antichrist grew at last so tame and easy towards the Romanists that our own Story tells us of the Fears of the encrease of Popery in the latter Parliament of his Reign In King Charles the First 's time no body can doubt of the Complaint because that was in great measure the drift of every Parliament and at last one Reason of the War. On the other hand the Severity of the Bishops against Men of their own Principles and in the main of their own Communion either because they were more zealous in Preaching more followed of the People or could not wear some odd Garment and less lead the Dance on a Lords Day at a Maypole the Relique of Flora the Roman Strumpet or perhaps for rubbing upon the Ambition Covetousness and Laziness of the Dignified and Ignorance and Loosness of the ordinary Clergy of the Church of which I could produce Five hundred gross Instances I say these things breed bad Blood and in part gave beginnings to those Animosities that at last broke forth with some other Pretences into áll those National Troubles that agitated this poor Kingdom for Ten Years together in which the Church of England became the greatest Looser Her Clergy turn'd out her Nobility and Gentry Sequestred Decimated Imprisoned c. And whatever she is pleased to think nothing is truer then that her Penal Laws and Conduct in the Star-Chamber and high Commission Court in matters of Religion was her overthrow 'T is as evident the same Humour since the Restoration of the late King has had almost the same Effect For nothing was grown so little and contemptible as the Church of England in this Kingdom she now intitles her self the Church of Witness the Elections of the last three Parliaments before this I know it may be said the Persons chosen were Church goers I confess it for the Law would have them so But no body were more avers to the Politicks of the Clergy insomuch that the Parson and the Parish almost every where divided upon the question of their Election In truth it has been the Favour and Countenence of the Crown and not her intrinsick Interest or Value that has kept her up to this Day else her Penal Laws the Bulwork of the Church of England by the same figure than she is one against Popery had sunk her long since I hope I may by this time conclude without offence that the Penal Laws have been a Make-bate in the great Family of the Kingdom setting the Father against his Children and Brethren against Brethren not only giving the Empire to one but endeavouring to extinguish the rest and that for this the Church of England has once paid a severe Reckoning I apply it thus Is it not her Interest to be careful she does it not a second time she has a fair Opportunity to prevent it and keep her self where she is that is the Publick Religion of the Country with the real Maintenance of it which is a plain preference to all the rest If she hopes by her Aversion to a general Ease to set up for a Bulwork against Popery one Year will show the trick and mightily deceive her and the Oppertunity will be lost and another Bargain driven I dare assure her mightily to her Disadvantage Violence and Tyranny are no natural Consequences of Popery for then they would follow every where and in all places and times alike But we see in twenty Governments in Germany there is none for Religion nor was not for an Age in France and in Poland the Popish Cantons of Switzerland Venice Lucca Colonia c. where that Religion is Dominant the People enjoy their Ancient and Civil Rights a little more steadily than they have of late time done in some Protestant Countries nearer home almost ever since the Reformation Is this against Protestancy No but very much against Protestants For had they been true to their Principles we had been upon better Terms So that the Reformation was not the Fault but not keeping to it better than some have done For whereas they were Papists that both obtain'd the Great Charter and Charter of Forests and in the successive Reigns of the Kings of their Religion Industriously laboured the Confirmation of them as the great Text of their Liberties and Properties by above thirty other Laws we find almost an equal Number to Destroy them and but one made in their Favour since the Reformation and that shrowdly against the will of the high Church-men too I mean the Petition of Right in the third Year of Charles the first In short They desire a legal Security with us and we are afraid of it least it should insecure us when nothing can do it so certainly as their
in Example at some other turn of Power to our own utter Ruin. Had this Honest Just Wise and English Consideration prevailed with our Ancestors of all Opinions from the days of Richard the second there had been less Blood Imprisonment Plunder Beggery for the Government of this Kingdom to answer for Shall I speak within our own knowledge and that without Offence there has been Ruin'd since the late Kings Restoration above Fifteen Thousand Families and more then Five Thousand Persons Dead under Bonds for matters of meer Conscience to God But who hath laid it to Heart It is high time now we should especially when our King with so much Grace and Goodness leads us the way I beseech you all if you have any Reverence towards God any Value for the Excellent Constitution of this Kingdom any Tenderness for your Posterity any Love for your Selves you would embrace this happy Conjuncture and persue a common Expedient That since we cannot agree to meet in one Profession of Religion we may entirely do it in this common civil Interest where we are all equally engaged and therefore we ought for our own sakes to seek one anâ—â—â—ers Security that if we cannot be the Better we may not be tâ—e Worse for our Perswasions in things that bear no relation to them and in which it is impossible we should Suffer and the Government escape that is so much concern'd in the civil Support and Prosperity of every Party and Person that belongs to it Let us not therefore uphold Penal Laws against any of our Religious Perswasions nor make Tests out of each others Faiths to exclude one another our civil Rights for by the same Reason that denying Transubstantiation is made One to exclude a Papist to own it may be made one to exclude a Church of England-man a Presbyterian an Independant a Quaker and Anabaptist For the Question is not who is in the right in Opinion but whether he is not in Practice in the wrong that for such an Opinion deprives his Neighbour of his common Right Now 't is certain there is not one of any Party that would willingly have a Test made out of his Belief to abridge him of his native Priviledge and therefore neither the Opinion of Transubstantiation in the Papists Episcopâ—cy in the Church of England Man Free-will in the Arminian Predestination in the Presbyterian Perticular Churches in the Independant Dipping of adult People in the Anabaptist nor not-swearing in the Quaker ought to be made a Test of to deprive him of the comforts of his Life or render him incapable of the service of his Country to which by a natural Obligation he is indebted and from which no Opinion can discharge him and for that Reason much less should any other Party think it fit or in their power to exclude him And indeed it were ridiculous to talk of giving Liberty of Conscience which yet few have now the fore-head to oppose and at the same time imagine those Tests that do exclude men that Service and Reward ought to be continued For though it does not immediately concern me being neither Officer nor Papist yet the Consequence is general and every party even the Church of England will find her self concern'd upon reflection For she cannot assure her self it may not come to be her turn But Is it not an odd thing that by leaving them on foot every Body shall have Liberty of Conscience but the Goverment for while a man is out of Office he is Test-free but the hour he is chosen to any station be it in the Legislation or Administration he must wiredraw his Conscience to hold it or be excluded with the Brand of Dissent And can this be equal or wise Is this the way to employ men for the good of the Publick where Opinion prevails above vertue and Abilities are submitted to the humour of a Party surely none can think this a Cure for Division or that Animosities are like to be prevented by the only ways in the World that beget and heighten them Nor is it possible that the ease that should be granted can continue long when the Party in whose savour they are not repeal'd may thereby be enabled to turn the point of the sword again upon Dissenters I know Holland is given in Objection to this extent of freedom where only one Perswasion has the Government tho the rest their Liberty But they don't consider first how much more Holland is under the power of Necessity then we are Next That our Constitutions differ greatly For the first 't is plain in the little compass they live in the uncertainty and precariousness of the means of their subsistance That as they are in more danger of Drowning so neerer ruin by any Commotion in the State then other Countries are Trading is their Support This keeps them busy That makes them Rich and Wealth naturally gives them caution of the disorders that may spoil them of it This makes the governing Party wary how they use their power and the other Interests tender how they resist it for upon it they have reason to fear a publick Desolation since Holland has not a natural and Domestick Fund to rely upon or return to from such national Disorders The next Consideration is as clear and cogent our Constitutions differ mightily For though they have the Name of a Republick yet in their choice in order to the Legislature they are much less free then we are And since the Freeholders of all Parties in England may Elect which in Holland they can no more do then they can be chosen there is good reason why all may be elected to serve their King Country here that in Holland cannot be chosen or serve And if our Power to chuse be larger then theirs in Holland we are certainly then a freer People and so ought not to be confin'd as they are about what Person it is that must be chosen Methinks it bears no proportion and therefore the Instance and Objection are improper to our purpose But it is said by some That there cannot be two predominant Religions and if the Church of England be not that Popery by the Kings Favour is like to be so It is certain that two predominant Religions would be two Uppermosts at once which is nonsence every where But as I cannot see what need there is for the Church of England to lose her Churhces or Revenues so while she has them Believe me she is Predominant in the thing of the World that lies nearest her Guides But if I were to speak my inclination I cannot apprehend the necessity of any Predominant Religion understanding the word with Penal Laws in the tale of it The Mischief of it in a Country of so many powerful Interests as this I can easily understand having had the opertunity of seeing and feeling it too And because nothing can keep up the Ball of Vengance like such a Predominant Religion and that Penal Laws and Tests are the means of the Domination I for that reason think them fit to be Repeal'd and let English Mankind say AMEN I do not love Quibling but 't is true to a Lamentation that there is little of the power of Religion seen where there is such a predominant one unless among those it Domineers over I conclude they that are so Predominant and they that seek to be so be they who they will move by the same Spirit and Principle and however differing their Pretentions and Ends may be the odds are very little to me by which it is I must certainly be Opprest Dare we then do for once as we would be done by and show the World we are not Religious without Justice nor Christians without Charity That False self shall not govern us against True self nor oppertunity make us Thieves to our Neighbours for Gods sake the end of Testing and Persecuting under every Revolution of Government If this we can find in our Hearts to do and yet as Men and as Christians as English Men we do but do our Duty let the Penal Laws and Tests be Repeal'd and in order to it Let us now take those measures of men and things that may give our Wishes and Endeavours the best success for the publick good that our Posterity may have more reason to bless our Memories for their Freedom and Security then for their Nature and Inheritance FINIS Irenicum a Weapon-Salve for the Churches Wounds by Edward Stillingfleet Rector of â—uton in Bedfordshire in Preface to the Reader L. 6. Cod. de Paganis