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A37482 The present state of London: or, Memorials comprehending a full and succinct account of the ancient and modern state thereof. By Tho. De-Laune, Gent De Laune, Thomas, d. 1685. 1681 (1681) Wing D894; ESTC R216338 233,231 489

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the Consent of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Bishop of London and by his Majesties Approbation shall be thought necessary to be laid into the Streets and Markets for Enlargement and Accommodation thereof and for publick Store-places c. This Brief account we hope is not impertinent and being pursuant to our promise page 27. and for common information we could not well omit it These parish-Parish-Churches are for the most part Built or a Building in a very stately and beautiful manner far excelling their former Conditior So much for the Etclesiastical Government I will only add That for the sincere and pure Worship of God and Profession of the Reformed Religion there is no City or place in the World can compare with London There being besides the Learned Divines of the Established Church of England a great Number of very Pious Learned and Reverend Ministers of the Gospel who are called Dissenters and I wish some peevish persons would forbear Nicknames because they disapprove some things with respect to Discipline and some Opinions of the Church of England But it is my hearty wish that since they all agree in the Fundamentals of Religion that there may be no clashing or disunion in point of Brotherly Love and Charity betwixt them for so God Commands and the times call for it the common Enemy like the Kite in Esop hovering for an opportunity to Devour us all To prevent which next the Divine Providence there cannot be used a more certain Medium then for all Protestants to Joyn with heart and hand together against their combining and united Foes of whose temper they have had instruction enough by Plots Massacres Fires and other Barbarous Actions of which all Protestants but such as are Masqueraded are conv●nced by demonstrations as clear as any Geometry can afford a Mathematician But though I am no professed Divine yet I have admired why men will be so angry with others for not agreeing with them in some Point or Opinion in Religion not Fundamental that is not absolutely necessary to salvation yea so Barbarous and Inhumane are some grown as to reproach disgrace yea persecute each other because one will not be persuaded to see with the others Eyes Which is certainly a most irrational and Unchristian if not Antichristian practise and I cannot but suspect such a persons Religion to be no other then humour and fancy acted by pride and spight to such as perhaps cannot in Conscience agree with them A thing may be clear to one man that would fain impose it but it may be doubtful to him on whom it is imposed which no man can help Must he therefore be persecuted If the point be clear in Scripture what needs any new Article of Faith to impose it If only deduc'd what one thinks clearly deduced another as learned and able as he may think not to be so Mens understandings are as various as their speech or faces and is it just for one man to quarrel with another because different from him in either of these or to put him upon a Rack in order to stretch him to his own Dimensions if not so tall as he certainly that man is defective in charity that thinks all Dissenters are either maliciously or wilfully blind No man can be forced to believe he may be compelled to say this or that but not to belive it His brains may be sooner knockt out then made clear and able to see or perform an action morally beyond his power A man may as easily make a man stark blind to read Greek or distinguish Colours as an unbeliver to believe for that is God's Gift Arguments are good inducements but force has no countenance in the Gospel much less a Command John 20. 31. 5. 39. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Deut. 12. 32. Force may make one blind but never to see clearer it may make a Hypocrite but no true Convert The Magistrate is and ought to punish evil doers but not evil believers God reserves that to himself And man can never have a right cognizance of evil thoughts in another for the greatest Professor may be the greatest Atheist Nothing is more derogatory to the honour of God than for men to think that he wants their help to defend him Nor can any thing more affront him than for any one to intrude into his Tribunal and usurp his Soveraignty Christ conquered his Enemies by Preaching and Suffering And he that takes up Arms to preserve himself from Persecution is either a stark Atheist because he believes there is no such Reward as Mat. 5. 12. or a stark fool or mad-man to reject the opportunity of gaining it In a word what to me seems clear which I humbly submit to the consideration of others is 1. That none ought to be persecuted for Religion whose Principles are consistent with humane Society and behave themselves according to the Established Laws of the Land quietly and peaceably but are to be won by the mild ways of the Gospel 2. That if under pretence of Religion they disturb the common peace or wrong any other or be seditious and unquiet they ought to be punished by the Magistrate because Religion teaches no such things but the contrary 3. That where we agree in Fundamentals we should have mutual Christian Fellowship without wrangling about Circumstantials and that for this Reason which to me is instar ●mnium I would ask the sober Reader whether he thinks his Brother that agrees with him in Fundamental Articles of Faith which I could wish were rightly stated and lives soberly has Communion with God or no If he says No he has no Charity and his own Religion is become as sounding brass or a tinkling Symbal 1 Cor. 13. 1. If he believe that he hath Communion with God how dares he deny him his Communion is he better than God or where is his Warrant for so doing 4. That when we have done our endeavour to convince such a dissenting or doubting person in a Christian way by Scripture we have then clear'd our selves and therefore ought to leave the rest to God who only is his Judge and takes cognizance of such things yet still to walk in love with him as far as we agree always provided the erro●s he holds are not expresly against the Faith and Order prescribed by God but things dubious and capable of debate 5. Lastly we ought to have no Religious Communion with Atheists Infidels Papists or Idolaters prophane or ill livers or Hereticks who err in Fundamentals yet not to persecute any of them meerly for their Principles but where they transgress the Temporal Laws let them as others ought suffer accordingly though it is absolutely necessary for the Magistrate to restrain the spreading of such blasphemies and immoralities c. as direly affront the Divine Majesty I beg the Readers pardon for this little digression which my zeal for the Union of Protestants though I would not have any to give up or lose Divine Truths with the