so great a penalty as the Sequestration of their Estates to do that which we will not do our selves all the relief and hopes that Smith and others in his condition who have both gone to Church and taken the Communion and Oath of Abjuration have received at the said Hall is that the said Commissioners have promised to move the Parliament to know what shall amount unto a Conformity and it might also be desired to know what Religion the Papists in case they be forced to leave their own shall conform unto since we have three severall Religions that at present seems to have an equall power or influence the Prelaticall or old Protestant as some call it is establisht by law the Presbyterian carries the vogue in the Pulpit but the Independent has the power and Countenance of the State Certainly the abovesaid strange proceedings must needs appear both to all reformed Churches abroad and to very many conscientious people at home as savouring of a design to make sure of the Papists estates whatsoever becomes of their souls And all this while we hold forth meeknesse and all this while we cry up Liberty of Conscience Is it possible we should so far forget our principles as to seize the estates of our neighbours and kindred for Religion and at the same time professe to venture all our own to purchase freedom of Religion is it possible we should expose our own lives in so long and dangerous a War to establish and secure Liberty of Conscience and at the same instant of time hang draw and quarter men for their Consciences how shall we answer at the day of Iudgment our shedding so much blood to deliver our Country from cocrcency imâ—matters of belief if as soon as the power is in our hands we imbrue them in the blood of our Countrymen meerly for their Religion have we so soon forgot those sharp reproofs of the Apostle Rom. 2. Behold you are called Iews and rest in the Law and make your boast of God you know his will and approve the things that are more excellent you are confident that your selves are guides of the blind and lights to them that are in darknesse instructers of the foolish and teachers of Babes who have the form of knowledge and of truth in the Law you therefore who teach another teach you not your selves you that preach a man should not steal do you steal you that abhor Idols do you commit sacrilege In the day when God shall judge the secreâ—s of men by Iesus Christ how can we answer that excellent and self-evident precept of nature Do as you would be done unto God is not mocked he promises indeed that the meek shall inherit the Land but surely means not such as seem meek only to inherit the Land Thus sharply went on my angry Presbyterian and I confesse I was extremely ashamed to hear him say so much reason that used to speak nothing but passion and to see my self so confounded by one that I have alwaies overcome with ease upon any other subject and should have liked far better his observations which with grief I acknowledge to be too true and open to all the World if they had come from an indifferent and unfactious spirit because I suspect they may perhaps proceed rather from envy towards the gainers than pity upon the losers for during the violent and therefore short dominion of the Presbyterians never were more cruel torturers of the Conscience than they never a more tyrannical Tribunal than their Iure divino Assembly and classical High-commission but the hand of the Lord stopt them in their full cariere and by wofull experience they now find the truth of Gods threatnings If you bite and devour one another take heed you be not consumed one of another Gal. 5. 15. Wherefore it shall be my dayly prayer to our great and good God that he would graciously inspire his servants who now sit at the Helm to prevent the like heavy judgments upon themselves and seriously considering that both their allegiance to Reason their duty to God their Engagement to their own Principles call so loudly upon them they would fulfill now our joy and compleat the good worke so happily begun by putting the tender-conscienced and peaceable-minded people of this Nation into a condition of perfect security for matters of Religion which cannot be effected without a generall Act of Conscience-indempnity firmly to be established as a fundamentall Law of the Land for all that professe the Gospell of Christ Postscript SInce there is scarce one whom something in these few sheets will not please nor very many whom something will not displease they therefore freely submit themselves not only to the Iudgment of the Civil Magistrate but of every civill man and I have according to the Order of Parliament hereunto subscribed my name William Birchley Persecution for Religion condemned c. IN the precedent part of this Discourse I have demonstrated according to that light which the Lord Christ hath infused into my Soul how much coercency in Religion is repugnant to the Law of Nature and by many evident and unanswerable Texts of Scripture shewed how displeasing it is to God how improper to advance the power of godlinesse and how extremely disagreeable to the sweet Spirit which guided our Lord Iesus in the propagation of his Gospel And after in the same little treatise I proceed to prove by the expresse words of the Parliaments and Armies Declarations that the great Principle wherein we glory wch we have so long fought to establish is a perfect Gospel-freedom absolute deliverance of the Conscience from all Tyranny and Oppression Which Discourse as I composed in all humblenesse of spirit and afterwards offered to the gracious Redeemer of our Souls who gave me the strength and power to finish it to his glory So I find not only my self for which I humbly thank the bounty of my God confirmed in my former judgement but others in some measure convinced in theirs of the unreasonablenesse and sinne of Conscience-Persecution Concerning which pious and modest temper of mutuall forbearance I shall only add to what I have mentioned in the former part this plain and familiar Observation That as the surest marke of a tender conscience in our selves is a tender spirit to others so the most infallible sign of a hard stony heart in our own brests is when we slit in pieces and shipwracke the Consciences of all that touch upon us But praised for ever be the Name of our God who still proceeds to guide and illuminate his Chosen graciously disposing them neither to presume upon themselves for their knowledge nor be cruell against others for their ignorance but humbly adore and wait upon the Divine Providence in the disposure of all things which fills my soul with exceeding joy when I consider it to be the generall sense of all the truly Godly and well-affected in this Nation that no quiet and
communion to these even of spirituall things and in the mean while not afford them so much as the liberty to possesse their own temporall goods The Lutherans believe our SAVIOUR to be as really in the Eucharist as he was upon the Crosse but doe not adore him the Papists both believe and adore for my part I should clearly either doe both or neither at least I shall never be brought to this partiality to cherish the one as brethren and persecute the other as enemies especially when I consider the Christian proceedings of the Protestants in New-England Virginia and the other Plantations in the Indies where we abhor to destroy the Natives though confessedly Idolaters but rather strive to convert them by holding out the truth in love Whether Papists are inconsistent with Civil Government BY the next Post I received from the same hand another Letter concerning the common objection that Papists hold many principles destructive to civil Society wherein the Recusant protesting first solemnly as in the sight of God and his holy Angels to use all ingenuity and candor in his relation of the Catholike Doctrine earnestly entreated me to give credit to his report in the matters of Fact and for the right to judge freely as I saw cause We will divide sayes he the main Question into two points as it relates either to our equals or Superiours for the first touching Commerce and Conversation we absolutely disclaim that scandalous opinion That no Faith is to be kept with Heretikes and flatly deny that our engagement promise or contract may lawfully be broken by our selves or dispensed with by any Power on earth to the prejudice of a third person of what Religion soever and for equivocation mentall reservation c. I am confident though I have not here any opportunity to look into Books that no Generall Council mentions either any such word or any such thing Schoolmen indeed dispute frequently such subtilties which by men of different principles and affections in Religion are easily mis-understood and often perverted but amongst Catholiques every one has liberty to deny them as he pleases without any prejudice to Faith and though those speculations generally deserve encouragement yet when they arrive at a certain degree of nicenesse they rather become an innocent curiosity than profitable employment and in such an infinity of opinions as Catholike Writers have leisure to publish it is impossible but that through passion unwarinesse or humane frailty some mistakes must escape and then the unhappinesse is that prejudiceâ— and captious Readers applying their Whole study to find faults forget the good and wholsome notions they meet and remember nothing but the errours As to the second branch concerning our duty to Magistrates we deny sayes the letter any earthly power can dispence with our civill obedience and acknowledge our selves bound not only to the Law of Nature but by the expresse word of God to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars to be subject not only for fear but conscience sake What Christian Prince or State is there in the world whom the subjects serve with more fidelity than the Spaniard French and Italian all Catholick Dominions and particularly in England where we are some of Paul and some of Apollo and some of Cephas what comparison is there betwixt the behaviour of Catholicks towards H. 8. Edw. 6. and Eliz. and the fury of Lutherans and Calvinists in Germany and indeed wheresoever they are discontented yet there is a vast difference as to Government between these two cases to oppose by force the introducement of innovations by which the peace must needs be endangered and to attempt by force the extinguishment of an ancient Religion whereof the people are universally in quiet and immemoriall possession the one drives others out of possession the other maintains himself in the one invades his neighbours rights the other defends his own How many modern experiences the easiest argument to be understood and surest to be relyed on clearly resolve this question if we but consider the union of hearts and common interests of State between the Protestant and Catholick Cantons of Switzerland where very many Churches serve by turns upon the same day for the exercise of both Religions dividing every Sundny morning into 2 parts and assigning to each about 3 hours for their devotions wherein they are so punctual to maintain equality that if the Protestants have the first three hours one morning next week they are to have the last and this they continually practice without enterfering or offending one another To this so pregnant example sufficient of it self to clear the consistency of these two Religions I shall further add their fair comportment one towards another in many Provinces and Free-Towns in Germany but most remarkeable is their friendly and peaceable living together in Holland even during so long and dangerous wars with Spain Spain the chief protector of the Catholick faith Spain the most zealous propagator of the Pontificall authority to whose dominion if the Vnited-Provinces should again return certainly the Catholicks there might prudently promise to themselves all possible advantages yet notwithstanding so great occasion of jealousie the States than whom none are more vigilant over their true interest have not only with security but exceeding henefit to their Common-wealth tollerated the Catholikes of quiet conversation to live freely amongst them And on the other side the Catholikes ingratitude for so favourable a treating have exactly corresponded to the mercy of their Magistrates with a most constant sincere and faithfull obedience To none of these suspicions are the Recusants of England in the least measure obnoxious because whatever change of Government can happen they must expect but a milder degree of disaffection towards them at most a sufferance no encouragement or particular confidence and infallibly if the rigor of the Lawes made upon far different motives which are now no ways pressing were qualified to a temper of mercy that the Catholikes might enjoy but halfe the Liberties to which they were born they would be the most quiet and usefull Subjects of England since their Religion obliges to obey the lawfull commands of their Superiours not only for fear but conscience Nor did ever the very worst of them stir in any sedition at any time when they were admitted to but halfe the common rights of English-men nor were they many that ever attempted their own relief by enlarging their Countries peace all the rest sitting quietly and patiently under the burthens which the heavy hand of those times continually heapt upon them Now that the crimes though never so hainous of a few discontented desperate spirits should be imputed to their Religion whose principles expresly condemn such conspiracies seems extremely rigorous but when to those dishonorable imputations are joyned intollerable penalties both upon our lives and estates and not only against the then living Catholikes but all their posterity to this very day surely it must
their Country by treating them at least mercifully in it and then we shall have a fair try all of their fidelity I do not know one example where to a Prince or State that used them well they have shown themselves ungratefull And though it be the duty of every Christian to love his enemy and do good to those that persecute him yet surely it is a hard saying and the most sincere professors of any Religion whatsoever find difficulty enough to observe it even Protestants as well as Papists know how to fall out with those Magistrates that oppress them else how shall we excuse the civil Wars of France Germany Holland c. if we have not recourse to the harsh usage of their Superiours nor need we seek the reason of these disorders amongst the articles of any parties Religion when by the instinct of Nature not only man but even the most trivial creature that seems to have no interest in the world attends with diligence to the preservation of of it self who can blame the humble worm that whilst we walk fairly by it prostrates it selfe before us and lowly creeps upon the ground if when we tread upon it it lift his head and strive to wring it selfe from under our cruell feet Notably to this purpose is the old example of the Privernates an ancient people of Italy who having rebell'd against the Common-wealth of Rome and being almost quite reduced by force of Armes they dispatch their Embassadors for terms of peace the Senate sternly ask them What new peace they could expect who had so insolently infringed the old To which they stoutly answered we must now take such conditions as you please to give if they be moderate you shall find us faithfull fâ—too heavy we shall observe them only till we may safely break them Which free and generous expression induced that wise Senate to assign them their own demands This so full and pregnant instance I humbly offer as most worthy the imitation of our English Senate that even to Recusants who ingage to live innocently and quietly amongst us such reasonable conditions of subsistence may be allowed since they are equally with our selves born to the freedome of this Nation as their consciences be not violated their spirits inbittered nor humane infirmity tempted to despair let us rather encourage them to come to our meetings and freely propose their difficulties which now they dare not for fear of discovering their judgments to the ruine of their estates Let us use the same gentlenesse here in England that his Excellency the Lord Generall practises in Scotland towards those that are not only otherwise minded in Religion but contrary minded in civil concernments and actuall in arms to maintain their opposition he invites them to conferences and himselfe with admirable temper and moderation manages the discourse allowing free liberty of reply to the adverse party without passion bitternesse or threatning and though he find not the event answerable to his endeavours remains at least satisfied in his conscience by having given a reason of his actions and whom can we better imitate then so great an instrument of the liberty wee all enjoy or wherein can we follow him with so much praise both of God and man as in the mildnesse of his spirit by which he conquers more powerfully than by the sharpnesse of his Sword have not the Papists understandings as well as we which our arguments may rectifie have they not souls to save which our charity may gain to heaven why do we not erect a Committee to purchase Souls as we have contractors to sell lands why is there not established a Committee of Salvation as well as of Indempnity where the questions of Religion may be freely discust and the distresses of a tender and innocent Conscience impartially relieved if men dealt mildly and only by the Gospell way of perswasion surely there would in time grow society Commerce and mutuall confidence and so frequent opportunities of clearer information when once all jealousies and misunderstandings of one another shall be laid aside the differences amongst Christians will soon be reconciled if not to an absolute and precise unity of Faith and Doctrine yet at least to a blessed union of peace and love Oh how much better and more admirably divine is the gentle method of the Christian how to propagate it self in plain evidence of the spirit then the unnaturall Turkish cruelty of taking children from their parents or the unworthy Machiavilian policy of taking the inheritance from the children or lastly which is worse than either the barbarous Hethenish tyranny of shedding of bloud and tearing limb from limb meerly upon the account of Religion Nor can I find any satisfaction in that shuffling and hipocriticall distinction invented by the Lawyers to deceive the common people whose simplicity and innocency they easily beguile by pretending that none are executed for Religion but for offending against the Laws what can be more palpably false or devilishly malicious then this who does not see but by this rule those bloody tyrants Nero Dioclesian and the rest of the ten infamous persecutors must be canonized for good and conscientious justicers because they judged according to Law who does not see that by this rule those glorious Martyrs who watered the Christian Faith with their pretious blood must be accounted traytors because they suffered according to Law nay even the cursed Iews who crucified our blessed Saviour impiously alleged the selfsame reason for themselves We have a Law and by that Law he ought to dye Ioh. 19. 7. Nor can I forbear to confesse how extremely unwelcome that scurvy news was to me of one Wright a Jesuite being drawn to Tyburn as a Traytor upon a hurdle for his Religion on the 19 of May 1651. because I had so often commended the moderation of the present autority as having never spilt one drop of blood for Religion and though the Sequestrations of all peaceable Recusants were flatly against our Maximes yet the pressing necessities of the State their purpose which I alwaies believed of taking away all penalties upon the conscience after a short time when the Government should be a little better setled exceedingly qualified the harshnesse of those pecuniary severities but now with grief I must lay down my arms and with shame revoke all my arguments which I have hitherto used to lessen the injustice of our sequestring for conscience and pacifie the ruines of many welaffected and religious persons who highly disliked even that Soul-money as King Iames used to call it wherein as I have had no small successe so now I cannot with a safe conscience endeavour any more lest I should co-operate to deceive the people Sequestrations I confesse did shrewdly crack but this killing has broken quite in pieces all our Principles Against what have we principally fought all this while but coercencie in religion For what have we made so many tedious Marches and Declarations but Liberty
been bred a Roman Catholique from his infancy and continued in that Religion till some two or three yeares before his death when being overcome by an unhappy necessity of preserving his family from beggery he forsook the Belief of his owne Soule and went to Church to save his Estate after which the Devil taking advanage upon him in this disturbance and anxiety of Spirit he confessed that he had falne into many great Sinnes but denied the guilt of that horrid cryme of poisoning his wife for which he was condemned to dye delivering further with a kind of confidence that if he had had the grace to have continued constant in his Religion he believed â—e had never so highly transgressed the Commandements of his God nor come to so unhappy amend And openly declared with much seeming repentance that he dyed in his old Religion And it is a generall observation among the Papists themselves that many of them who strain their Consciences to such complyance doe come to untimely ends as I confesse we have lately had an unhappy instance in the unfortunate death of Mr. Henry Compton Certainly this is a sad consequence of wresting the inward perswasion of poore Soules from that Belief which their own Conscience tells them is true thereby making them lesse carefull of their owne salvation and their honesty and credit of lesse reputation even with those who force them to this change For the heart of man is so fraile and deceitfull that it seldom is drawne by violence from those principles which it has long been used to esteem and practise but becomes slack and negligent in what concernes the other World and by degrees growes very often wholly insensible of any thing but sensuality Upon the newes not long since of some Papists taking the Oath of Abjuration and frequenting the publique places of meeting I conceived my selfe sufficiently furnisht to answer a certaine old saying which a Recusant of my acquaintance used often to repeat in my hearing that SANGUIS MARTYRUM EST SEMEN ECCLESIAE This upon all occasions hee applyed to the sufferings of Papists both here in England and ten thousand miles off in Japan in which two Islands have of late been sharper persecutions said he for matter of Religion then in any other place of the World This he continually insisted upon as a Soveraigne remedy for all his sorrowes nor could we ever beat him from this last hold wherein hee fortified himself SANGUIS MARTYRUM c. nay more hee sometimes ventured to affirm with strange assurance this assertion that his Church encreased and prospered still even whilst it was actually under the greatest pressures that his Church was as the Palme tree the heavier weights are laid on the more it flourisheth I having gotten this advantage by the late coming in of some Papists to our Religion went presently on purpose to my Recusant to put him to the question and as it were a little triumphing demanded what hee thought now of his old Latin Proverb in which hee had formerly seemed to place so much confidence and whether the Palme tree did not sometimes break a twigg by laying on so many weights To which he replyed with a little suddennesse and Choller That some dead or Canker-eaten Branches as they can beare no weight so they can bear no fruit even whilst united to the Stock and much lesse after their division But soone recovering himselfe to his usuall temper he calmly yet earnestly undertooke that as there have been at least twenty Preists put to death in Englandâ—ince the beginning of this Parliament meerly upon the account of their Religion or function so hee could name a far greater number of persons of quality who have in the same space of time reconciled themselves to the Catholique Union When I urged him to the proofe of this assertion he imediately delivered me a list of twenty Preists who during these late revolutions have been hang'd drawne and quartered either for taking orders beyond Seas or exercising them on this side the Seas and withall promised upon the allowance of a little time for recollection to furnish me with a Roll of some names who have lately declared themselves Catholiques undertaking if he was deceived in any name to recompence such Errour with the interest of two for one unlesse he might be dispensed with upon the inconveniency of discovering those who can no longer live unruined for their Religion then they are unknown to professe it The Preists executed inseverall places Since the Year 1641. were these Executed at Tyburne Mr William Ward Mr Raynolds Mr Roe Mr Edward Morgan Mr Bullaker Mr Holland Mr Heath Mr Francis Bell. Mr Dueket Mr Corbet Mr Mouse Mr Phillip Powell Mr Peter Wright Executed at York Mr Lockwood Mr Caterick Executed at Lancaster Mr Green Executed at Dorchester Mr. Barlow Mr. Reading Mr. Whitaker M. Thompson Besides Master Thomas Vaughan after very hard usage aboard Captaine Moâ—â—oâ—s Ship soone after dyed at Cardiffe in South Wales Dyed Prisoners in the Common-Gaole at Newgate since the yeare 1641. Mr Iohn Goodman Mr Henry Myners Mr Peter Wilsford Mr Iohn Hamond Mr Colman Mr Rivers c. Besides diverse who are now continued in prison Now I humbly thank the Lord Christ there was only one of these Priests whom I mentioned in the first part of this Discourse put to death since this Nation was established in the present Government and I wish from my Soul that his life had also been spared since my obligations to this Common-wealth and the present Governours thereof are such that I am bound every day to offer up my sighs and prayers to the Lord that no bloud of any peaceable Christian be split for the onely difference of judgement in Religion For certainly whosoever shall practice such cruelty will be called to a strict and rigorous account at the judgement of the great Day But proceeding to require of my Recusant the performance of his word concerning the late Converts hee so much gloryed in I merrily tâ—â—â—atned him that if he observed not his promise I would presently not onâ—ly suspect some secret evasion in him but cry out against all Papists as juglers and equivocaters or else I being an Heretique no Faith was to be kept with me and though the present matter be of a triviall Consequence yet we knew the Welchman stole Rushes to keepe his hand in ure He first seriously redeemed his word by delivering mee this following Catalogue and then merrily answered my jeasting with wonder at my hardinesse how I durst stay in London since the last letters from Amsterdam discover so dangerous a plot intended by the Papists and Cavaliers against this Towne they have these many Months held a secret intelligence with all the Engineers and Mill-makers of Holland and hired them forthwith to prepare a thousand such Engins as we use to quench scare-fires and these Van-Trump who has been a long time Popishly affected and a rank Cavalier ever since
THE CATHOLIQUES PLEA OR AN EXPLANATION OF THE Roman Catholick Belief Concerning their Church Manner of Worship Justification Civill Governement Together with a Catalogue of all the Poenall Statutes against Popish Recusants All which is humbly submitted to serious Consideration By a Catholick GENTLEMAN London Printed for H. J. Persecution for Religion condemned c. WHen I consider how tenderly our Saviour Christ recommends the precept of mutuall love to all that professe his Name making it the Character of his followers By this all men shall know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Iohn 13. 35. And when I reflect how highly the great Apostle Paul exalts the same commandment abridging into this one precious syllable the whole duty of a Christian All the Law is fulfilled in one word Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Gal. 5. I cannot sufficiently wonder to see most Christians in this present age with fire and sword persecute each other only upon the account of Religion how are we degenerated from the primitive Believers who would rather have given their own lives to perswade their Enemies to piety than sought to take away the lives of their Brethren to force them to Hypocrisie Yet hath it pleased the Lord Christ in our dayes upon whom the ends of the World are come to infuse the like tendernesse into the breasts of many conscientious and godly-minded people of this Nation who seeing the deformity and unreasonablenesse of those cruel Maxims that preach ruine and destruction for the least difference in belief cease not to pray unto the God of heaven and solicite the Governors of the earth that an impartiall freedom and absolute incoercency in matters of Religion may be firmly and irrevocably established for all that professe the Gospell of Christ For encouragement of which holy designe woven out of the bowels of mercy and for determent of those tempestuous spirits that with thunder and lightning strive to storm mens consciences I have endeavoured in this short Discourse to demonstrate That Conscience-persecution amongst Christians is clearly repugnant to the Light of Nature the Law of God and the Evidence of our own Principles Demonstrative Reasons against forcing of Conscience 1 SInce we have so happily shaken off that intollerable Yoak of Popish infallibility which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear it is become to us not only tyrannicall but absurd to compell others to a way that our selves confesse may possibly be erronious we see one Parliament repeals those Articles of faith which a former enacted that form of worship which the Laws of the last age introduced is now generally exploded nay the very last reformation setled with so solemn a Covenant and carryed on with so furious a zeal is already by better lights discovered to be meerly humane and therefore deservedly laid aside The late Synods Confession of faith hatched by so many years sitting is now learnedly examined and indeed for a great part solidly confuted by Mr. W. Parker and other learned persons in print how preposterous is it then to constrain a soul not only to forsake his conscience which may be truth but drive him contrary to his own heart to a way that may be errour 2 Since the Word of God is the sole rule of Faith and no humane authority so highly impowred as to bind up our assents to whatsoever interpretation it shall please propose it clearly follows that as all the children of God have equall interest in the Testament of their Father so no one amongst them has any right to impose a force upon the judgment of his brother One holds Baptism of children to be necessary another esteems it unlawfull a third denies both these Opinions admitting well that it may but not that it must be done they confer Texts look into Original Tongues pray incessantly to God and professe solemnly the sincerity of their intentions yet after all their diligences and devotions stedfastly remain in their former perswasions Truly for my part he that should advise persecution in such a case unlesse his fire brought light too with it to demonstrate the truth would scarce satisfie my suspition that his coales were fetcht from the infernall pit 3 If we reflect upon the difficulties that incounter us in the way to truth for strait is the gate and narrow is the path and withall consider the shortnesse of our sight for here we see but in part and understand but in part there will appear more reason to endeavour the mutuall assistance and support than malicious ruine and destruction one of another However since all have neither equall depth of naturall judgment nor the same measure of supernaturall illumination but the Spirit bloweth how and where it pleaseth we ought not to attempt so high a presumption as to despise or persecute our brother for his innocent and blamelesse mistakes lest we be found to fight against God who is the free disposer of his gifts we know the way of man is not in himself Ier. 10. 23. but his steps are ruled by the Lord Pro. 20. 24. and therefore certainly did we bear a due respect to God we would be content to wait his leasure who has engaged himself by his Apostle Phil. 3. 15. If any man be otherwise minded God shall in time reveal even this unto him let us therefore entertain such an one who proceeds in the simplicity of his heart with Milk till he grow stronger to digest strong meat 4 All compulsion upon the Conscience returns us flatly to our old slavery under the Prelats nay more to the implicite faith of the Papists with this only difference that we are worse than either because our consciences accuse us of doing that which we condemn in others for whatsoever I am constrained to swear or professe more than I am convinced of proceeds from as great a tyranny as the High-Commission and is as blind an assent as can be matched in the grosest Popery and dare we think that doing the same thing we judge in others we shall escape the judgment of God Rom. 2. 3. 5 Force is punishment and consequently not just unlesse the offence be voluntary but he that believes according to the evidence of his own reason is necessitated to that belief and to compell him against it were to drive him to renounce the essentiall part of man his reason Why should we be commanded to try the spirits 1. Iohn 4. 1. to prove all things 1 Thes. 5. 21. If there be not a faculty in the Soul to judge for her self why we are enjoyned to hold fast that which we find to be best if after our most serious and deliberate election we shall be whipt out of our Conscience by penalties To what purpose do we preach poor souls into just so much liberty of Scripture as may beget their torture and not permit them to rest where they find satisfaction either prohibit to search at all or leave us sensible of some
be deprived of that specious pretext of releiving his distressed Flock the Princes and States of that Religion would for honour as well as Conscience upon all occasions expresse their satisfaction to see them mercifully used whom for their profession they account brethren and for their sufferings Martyrs The Protestants in other Countreys would be more assured of the freedome they enjoy and more hopefull of obtaining new encreases of their Liberty The Papists of England would be bound by their own interest the strongest obligation amongst wise men to live peaceably and thankfully in the private exercise of their consciences and becomming gainers by such compassion could not so reasonably be distruâ—ted as the Prelaticall or Presbyteriâ—n Party who must needs reckon them selves no small losers in that the reines of Authority are taken out of their hands which they had by turns abused into meer whips for their brethren Of the one we have had too long experience in their High-Commission especially since its power was overgrown by the conspiracy of the Star-chamber a Court where Fines were imposed not according to the quality of the offences but of the judges who thought it below their honour to punish under thousands of pounds for every Peccadillo Of the other though our tryal has been short yet it was very smart and lives still in the memory of England which is evry day refresht by the present practise of Scotland where the Kirk has condemn'd all that differ in the least title of her humor crying Anathema Maranathâ— upon all the Congregations of the Saints as appeaâ—eâ— by their Synodical Act set forth in Jan 1650. and sent to their brethren in Edenburgh where having first called our wayes abominations and our selves a perverse Generation and branded those few honest Scots who suffered themselves to be undeceived by the reasons and civility of our Army with the infamous name of Aâ—ostates they proceed to the most bitter malicious and scandalous words that an inraged Scot can utter speaking thus to their Party We exhort you and by all the power over you we have in the Lord require you carefully to avoid all familiar converse of every degree above all that you beware to joyne with them those that adhere to the Parliament of England in any publick or private exercise of Religion those who will adventure to touch pitch may be defiled before they be aware those who will not abstaine from the Harlots shall not be innocent Take heed dearly beloved of them that are led by the subtilty and depth of the Devil and among all his instruments we intreat you to avoid none more then these miserable Apostates of our own Nation for we conceive none more fitted to work mischeif among you then this sort of men And in their motives or grounds for a Fast in June 1651. their expressions against us are no lesse bitter see how their zeale boyls while they are but a kindling while we choake the fuell in its own smoake how will their fury run over when the fire shall by any successe be raised into a flame how will they drown the whole Countrey in an inundation of more then Antichristian slavery But because I perceived by a passage in the Recusants discourse that nothing lay more heavy upon them than the new Oath of Abjuration made by the Presbyterian Party in the beginning of the late troubles I shall adventure humbly to move some Quaeres thereupon transcribing first a true Copy of the Oath it self I A. B. Do abjure and renounce the Popes Supremacy and Authority over the Catholicke Church in generall and over my self in particular and I doe beleive that there is not any Transubstantion in the Sacrament of the Lords supper or in the Elements of Bread and Wine after Consecration thereof by any person whatsoever and I do beleive that there is no purgatory and that the Consecrated Host Crucifixes or Images ought not to be worshipped neither that any worship is due unto them and I also beleive that Salvation cannot be merited by workes and all Doctrines in affirmation of the said points I do abjure and renounce without any equivocation mentall reservation or secret evasion what soever taking the words by me spoken according to the common and usuall meaning of them So help me God 1. Whether this Oath do not flatly contradict the known Laws of the Land by enforcing a free-born English man to accuse himself with so strong and dangerous a temptation to perjury where the choice is only this either forswear your Religion or ruine your estate a severity that far exceeds the tyranny of the Prelates whose indignation stayed it self upon the exteriour non-conformity whereas this passes on to constrain the inward belief of the mind which God the searcher of all hearts hath reserved to himself and all this in Questions no waies concerning either Idolatry or the security of the State as Purgatory the Doctrine of merits for that conscience that is not wide enough to swallow all the Oath how great soever the part is that he can digest it will do him no good 2. This Oath being wholly Negative no positive Articles established by the Paâ—liament to be proposed to all as the touchstone of Faith whether it be conscientious to oblige the Papist to swear away his own Religion before we have provided another for him 3. Whether it be conscientious or reasonable for us to enforce this Oath on the Papists since we have many godly persons of our own party who will not take it and others who wils not swear at all Hear what is said in the Examination of the before-mentiond Synodical Confession pag. 238. There is a gâ—eater restraint laid upon us now than in the Old Testament Mat. 5. 34. James 5. 12. which hath made some to shun Oaths though called to swear by the Magistrate in matters lawfull And again that it is a sin in those who impose unnecessary subtil and ensâ—aring Oaths Zach. 5. 3 4. There is a curse gone out against swearers as well as against theeves bebecause-of needlesse swearing as well as false swearing a Land is made to mourn Jer 23. 10. 4. Since all these Negatives are not clearly set down in Scripture as Fundamental points of Christian Faith but deduced from passages to which the Answers are believed as probable by them as the arguments by us why should we so cruelly persecute one another for Doctrines that are either obscurely revealed or not necessarily enjoyned 5. How shall we defend the Oath against this Objection that any Iew Turk or Infidel may take it lawfully according to their principles nay will delight to swear against so many points of that Church which by reason of their confining Territories mainly opposes them nor have we any Law at all to my knowledge for which Jew Turk Heathen or the most grosse Heathenish Idolater is sequestrable nor any penal Oath against the most extravagant blasphemies that a loose wit can imagine