it cannot be effected without the destruction and death of multitudes they also are not to be forborn Now how this ensues from the fore-mentioned Principle I know not For a supream Magistrate finding that the minds of very many of his Subjects are in their judgements and perswasions engaged in a dissent unto the Religion established by Him or somewhat in it or some part of it especially in things of practical worship though he should be perswaded that he hath so far a power over their Consciences as to command them to practise contrary to their judgement yet knowing their minds and Perswasions to be out of his reach and exempted from his Jurisdiction why may he not think it meet and conducing to publick tranquillity and all the ends of his government even the good of the whole Community committed to his charge rather to indulge them in the quiet and peaceable exercise of the Worship of God according to their own light than alwayes to bind them unto that unavoidable disquietment which will ensue upon the conflict in their minds between their judgements and their practices if he should oblige them as is desired Certainly as in truth and reality so according to this Principle he hath power so to do For to fancy him such a power over the Religion and Consciences of his Subjects as that he should be inevitably bound on all occurrences and in all conditions of affairs to impose upon them the necessary observation of one form of Worship is that which would quickly expose him to inextricable troubles And Instances of all sorts might be multiplyed to shew the ridiculous folly of such a Conception Nay it implies a perfect contradiction to what is disputed before For if he be obliged to settle and impose such a form on all it must be because there was a necessity of somewhat antecedent to his imposition whence his obligation to impose it did arise And on such a supposisition it is in vain to enquire after his Liberty or his power in these things seeing by his duty he is absolutely determined and whatever that be which doth so determine him and put an obligation upon him it doth indispensably do the same on his Subjects also which as it is known utterly excludes the Authority pleaded for This Principle therefore indeed asserts his liberty to do what he judgeth meet in these matters but contains nothing in it to oblige him to judge that it may not be meet and most conducing unto all the ends of his Government to indulge unto the Consciences of men peaceable especially if complying with him in all the Fundamentals of the Religion which himself professeth the liberty of Worshiping God according to what they apprehend of his own mind and Will And let an application of this Principle be made to the present state of this Nation wherein there are so great multitudes of persons peaceable and not unuseful unto publick good who dissent from the present establishment of outward Worship and have it not in their power either to change their judgements or to practise contrary unto them and as it is in the power of the supream Magistrate to indulge them in their own way so it will prove to be his Interest as he is the spring and center of of publick Peace and Prosperity Neither doth it appear that in this discourse our Author hath had any regard either to the real principles of the power of the Magistrate as stated in this Nation or to his own which are fictitious but yet such as ought to be obligatory to himself His principal Assertion is that the Supream Magistrate hath power to bind the Consciences of men in matters of Religion that is by Laws and Edicts to that purpose Now the highest and most obligatory way of the Supream Magistrates speaking in England is by Acts of Parliament It is therefore supposed that what is so declared in or about matters of Religion should be obligatory to the Conscience of this Author but yet quite otherwise p. 59. He sets himself to oppose and condemn a publick Law of the Land on no other ground than because it stood in his way and seemed incompliant with his principles For whereas the Law of 2 and 3 Ed. 6. which appointed two weekly dayes for Abstinence from flesh had been amongst other Reasons Prefaced with this That the Kings Subjects having now a more clear Light of the Gospel through the Infinite mercy of God such canting Language was then therein used and thereby the Kings Majesty perceiving that one meat of it self was not more holy than another c. yet considering that due Abstinence was a means to vertue and to subdue mens bodies to their souls and spirits c. And it being after found it should seem by a farther degree of Light that those Expressions meeting with the inveterate Opinions of some newly brought out of Popery had given countenance to them to teach or declare that something of Religion was placed therein thereon by the Law made 5 Elizab. adding another weekly day to be kept with the former for the same purpose the former clause was omitted and mention only made therein of the Civil and Politique Reasons inducing the Legislators thereunto and withall a Penalty of inflicting punishment on those who should affirm and maintain that there was any concernment of Conscience and Religion in that matter This provision hath so distasted our Author that forgetting it seems his own Design he reproaches it with the Title of Jejunium Cecilianum and thinks it so far from obliging his Conscience to acquiess in the Determination therein made that he will not allow it to give Law to his tongue or pen But vexet censura columbas it seems they are the Phanaticks only that are thus to be restrained Moreover on occasion hereof we might manifest how some other Laws of this Land do seem carefully to avoid that imposition on Conscience which against Law and Reason he pleadeth for For Instance in that of 21 Jacob. touching Usury and the Restraint of it unto the summ therein established it was provided that no words in this Act conteined shall be construed or expounded to allow the practise of Vsury in point of Religion and Conscience And why did not the supream Magistrate in that Law determine and bind the Consciences of men by a declaration of their duty in a point of Religion seeing whether way soever the determination had been made neither would immorality have been countenunced nor the Deity disgraced But plainly it is rather declared that he hath not Cogniâ—â—â—ce of such things with reference to the Consciences of men to oblige them or set them at liberty but only power to determine what may be practised in order to publick profit and peace And therefore the Law would neither bind nor set at liberty the Consciences of men in such cases which is a work for the supream Law-giver only Neither as it hath been before observed do
Consciences of men as the Scripture the Nature of the thing it self and the right of the L. Christ to introduce his spiritual Kingdom into all Nations do require That which seems to have imposed on the mind of this Author is that if the Magistrate may make Laws for the regulating of the outward profession of Religion so as publick peace and tranquillity may be kept added to what is his Duty to do in the behalf of the Truth then he must have the power over Religion and the Consciences of men by him ascribed unto him But there is no privity of Interest between these things the Laws which he makes to this purpose are to be regulated by the Word of God and the good of the Community over which in the name of God he doth preside and whence he will take his Warranty to forbid men the exercise of their Consciences in the duties of spiritual Worship whilest the Principles they profess are suited to the light of nature and the fundamental Doctrines of the Gospel with the peace of mankind and their practices absolutely confistent with publick welfare I am yet to seek and so as far as I can yet perceive is the Author of the Discourse under Consideration It will not arise from a Parity of Reason from the power that he hath to restrain cursed Swearing and Blasphemies by penal Coercions For these things are no less against the Light of Nature and no less condemned by the common suffrage of mankind and the persons that contract the guilt of them may be no less effectually brought to judge and condemn themselves than are the greatest outrages that may be committed in and against humane Society That the Gospel will give no countenance hereunto he seems to acknowledge in his assignation of several reasons why the use of the power and exercise of it in the way of compulsion by penalties pleaded for by him is not mentioned therein that Christ and his Apostles behaved themselves as Subjects that he neither took nor exercised any Soveraign power that He gave his Laws to Private men as such and not to the Magistrate that the Power that then was was in bad hands are pleaded as excuses for the silence of the Gospel in this matter But lest this should prove father prejudicial to his present occasion he adds p. 42. the only reason why the Lord Christ bound not the precepts of the Gospel upon mens Consciences by any secular compulsories was not because Compulsion was an improper way to put his Laws in execution for then He had never established them with more enforcing Sanctions but only because himself was not vested with any secular power and so could not use those methods of Government which are proper to its jurisdiction this in plain English is that if Christ had had power he would have ordered the Gospel to have been propagated as Mahomet hath done his Alcoran an Assertion untrue and impious contrary to the whole spirit and Genius of the Gospel and of the Author of it aud the Commands and Precepts of it And it is fondly supposed that the Lord Christ suited all the Management of the affairs of the Gospel unto that state and condition in this world wherein he emptied Himself and took upon Him the form of a Servant making Himself of no reputation that He might be obedient unto Death the death of the Cross He layes the Foundation of the promulgation and propagation of it in the world in the grant of all power unto him in Heaven and Earth All power saith he to his Apostles is given unto me in heaven and earth go ye therefore and Baptize all Nations teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you Matth. 28. 19 20. He is confidered in the dispensation of the Gospel as He who is head over all things to the Church the Lord of Lords and King of Kings whom our Author acknowledgeth to be his Vicegerents On this account the Gospel with all the Worship instituted therein and required thereby is accompanied with a Right to enter into any of the Kingdoms of the Earth and spiritually to make the Inhabitants of them subject to Jesus Christ and so to translate them out of the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of God And this Right is Antecedent and paramount to the Right of all earthly Kings and Princes whatever who have no power or Authority to exclude the Gospel out of their Dominions and what they exercise of that kind is done at their peril The penalties that he hath annexed to the final rejection of the Gospel and disobedience thereunto are pleaded by our Author to justifie the Magistrates power of binding men to the Observation of his Commands in Religion on temporal penalties to be by him inflicted on them unto that is the Discourse of this chapter arrived which was designed unto another end I see neither the order method nor projection of this procedure nor know Amphora cum cepit institui cur Vrceus exit However the pretense it self is weak and impertinent Man was originally made under a Law and constitution of Eternal Bliss or Woe This state with regard to his necessary dependance on God and respect to his utmost end was absolutely unavoidable unto him All possibility of attaining eternal happiness by himself he lost by Sirr and became inevitably obnoxious to eternal Misery and the wrath to come In this condition the Lord Jesus Christ the supream Lord of the souls and Consciences of men interposeth his law of Relief Redemption and Salvation the great means of man's Recovery together with the profession of the way and law hereof He lets them know that those by whom it is refused shall perish under that Wrath of God which before they were obnoxious unto with a new Aggravation of their Sin and Condemnation from the contempt of the Relief provided for them and tendered to them This He applyes to the Souls and Consciences of men and to all the inward secret actings of them in the first place such as are exempted not only from the Judicature of men but from the cognizance of Angels This he doth by spiritual means in a spiritual manner with regard to the subjection of the souls of men unto God and with reference unto their bringing to Him and enjoyment of Him or their being eternally rejected by Him Hence to collect and conclude that Earthly Princes who whatever is pretended are not the Soveraign Lords of the Souls and Consciences of men nor do any of them that I know of plead themselves so to be who cannot interpose any thing by their absolute Authority that should have a necessary respect unto mens Eternal condition who have no knowledge of no acquaintance with nor can judge of the principal things whereon it doth depend from whose temporal jurisdiction and punishment the things of the Gospel and the Worship of God as purely such are by the nature of them being spiritual
God and shews himself to be God As we formerly said Non-Conformists who are unacquainted with the Mysteries of things of this Nature must needs desire to know whether these be the avowed Principles of the Church of England or whether they are only Inventions to serve a present Turn of the pursuit of some mens designs Are all the old Pleas of the Jus Divinum of Episcopacy of Example and Direction Apostolical of a Parity of reason between the Condition of the Church whilst under extraordinary Officers and whilst under ordinary of the power of the Church to appoint Ceremonies for Decency and Order of the Consistency of Christian Liberty with the necessary practice of indifferent things of the pattern of the Churches of old which whether duly or otherwise we do not now determine have been insisted on in this cause swallowed all up in this Abysse of Magistratical Omnipotency which plainly renders them useless and unprofitable How unhappy hath it been that the Christian World was not sooner blessed with this great Discovery of the only way and means of putting a final end unto all Religious contests That he should not until now appear Qui genus humanum ingenio Superavit omnes Praestrinxit stellas exortus at aetherius sol But every Age produceth not a Columbus Many indeed have been the Disputes of Learned men about the power of Magistrates in and concerning Religion With us it is stated in the recorded Actings of our Soveraign Princes in the Oath of Supremacy and the Acts of Parliament concerning it with other Authentick Writings explanatory thereof Some have denyed him any concern herein our Author is none of them but rather like the Phrenetick Gentleman who when he was accused in former dayes for denying the Corporal presence of Christ in the Sacrament replyed in his own defence that he believed him to be present booted and spurred as he rode to Capernaum He hath brought him in booted and spurred yea armed cap-a-pie into the Church of God and given all power into his hands to dispose of the Worship of God according to his own will and pleasure And that not with respect unto outward Order only but with direct obligation upon the Consciences of men But doubtless it is the Wisdom of Soveraign Princes to beware of this sort of Enemies Persons who to promote their own Interest make Ascriptions of such things unto them as they cannot accept of without the utmost hazzard of the displeasure of God Is it meet that to satisfie the desires of any they should invade the Prerogative of God or set themselves down at his right Hand in the Throne of his only begotten Son I confess they are no way concerned in what others for their advantage sake as they suppose will ascribe unto them which they may sufficiently disown by scorn and silence Nor can their sin involve them in any guilt It was not the vain Acclamation of the multitude unto Herod the voice of God and not of man but his own arrogant satisfaction in that blasphemous Assignation of divine glory to him that exposed him to the judgements and vengeance of God When the Princes of Israel found by the Answer of the Reubenites that they had not transgressed against the Law of Gods Worship in adding unto it or altering of it which they knew would have been a provocation not to have been passed over without a recompence of Revenge They replyed unto them Now have you delivered the Children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord and it is to be desired that all the Princes of the Israel of God in the world all Christian Potentates would diligently watch against giving admission unto any such Insinuations as would deliver them into the hand of the Lord. For my own part such is my Ignorance that I know not that any Magistrate from the foundation of the world unless it were Nebuchadnezzar Caiâ—s Caligula Domitian and Persons like to them ever claimed or pretended to exercise the power here assigned unto them The Instances of the Laws and Edicts of Constantine in the matters of Religion and the Worship of God of Theodosius and Gratian Arcadius Martian and other Emperours of the East remaining in the Code and Novels the Capitular of the Western Emperours and Laws of Gothish Kings the Right of Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction inherent in the Imperial Crown of this Nation and occasionally exercised in all Ages are of no concernment in this matter For no man denyes but that it is the duty of the Supream Magistrate to protect and further the true Religion and right Worship of God by all wayes and means suited and appointed of God thereunto To encourage the Professors thereof to protect them from wrong and violence to secure them in the performance of their duties is doubtless incumbent on them Whatever under pretence of Religion brings actual disturbance unto the peace of mankind they may coerce and restrain When Religion as established in any Nation by Law doth or may interest the Professors of it or Guides in it in any Priviledges Advantages or Secular Emoluments which are subject and lyable as all humane concerns to doubts controversies and litigious contests in their security and disposal all these things depend meerly and solely on the power of the Magistrate by whose Authority they are originally grantted and by whose Jurisdictive Power both the Persons vested with them and themselves are disposable But for an Absolute Power over the Consciences of men to bind or oblige them formally thereby to do whatever they shall require in the Worship of God so as to make it their sin deserving eternal damnation not so to do without any consideration whether the things are true or false according to the mind of God or otherwise yea though they are apprehended by them who are so obliged to practise them to be contrary to the Will of God that this hath hitherto been claimed by any Magistrate unless such as those before mentioned I am yet to seek And the case is the same with respect unto them who are not satisâ—ied that what is so prescribed unto them will be accepted with God For whereas in all that men do in the Worship of God they ought to be fully perswaded of its acceptableness to God in their own minds seeing whatever is not of faith is sin he that doubteth is in a very little better Capacity to serve God on such injunctions then he who apprehendeth them to be directly contrary to his mind If an Edict were drawn up for the settlement of Religion and Religious Worship in any Christian Nation according to the Principles and Directions before laid down it may be there would be no great strife in the world by whom it should be first owned and espoused For it must be of this Importance Whereas We have an Vniversal and Absolute Power over the Consciences of all our Subjects in things appertaining to the Worship of God so that if We please We
can introduce new duties never yet heard of in the most important parts of Religion pag. 80. and may impose on them in the practice of Religion and Divine Worship what We please so that in our Judgement it doth not countenance Vice nor disgrace the Deity Pag. 85. and whereas this Power is naturally inherent in us not given or granted unto us by Jesus Christ but belonged to us or our Predecessors before ever he was born nor is expressed in the Scripture but rather supposed and this being such as that We our selves if We would whether We be Man or Woman here France must be excepted by vertue of the Salique Law though the whole project be principally calculated for that Meridian might exercise the special Offices and Duties of Religion in Our own Person especially that of the Priesthood though me are pleased to transfer the Exercise of it unto others and whereas all our Prescriptions Impositions and Injunctions in these things do immediately affect and bind the Consciences of our Subjects because they are Ours whether they be right or wrong true or false so long as in our judgement they neither as was said countenance Vice nor disgrace the Deity We do Enact and Ordain as followeth Here if you please you may intersert the Scheme of Religion given us by our Author in his second Chapter and add unto it that because Sacrifices were a way found out by honest men of old to express their gratitude unto God thereby so great and necessary a part of our Religious duty it be enjoyned that the use of them be again revived seeing there is nothing in them that offends against the bounds prescribed to the power to be expressed and that men in all places do offer up Bulls and Goats Sheep and Fowls to God with as many other Institutions of the like Nature as shall be thought meet Hereunto add Now our express Will and Pleasure is that every man may and do think and judge what he pleaseth concerning the things enjoyned and enacted by Vs for what have We to do with their thoughts and judgements they are under the Empire and Dominion of Conscience which We cannot invade if We would they may if they please judge them inconvenient foolish absurd yea contrary to the Mind Will and Law of God Our only Intention Will and Pleasure is to bind them to the constant Observation and Practice of them and that under the Penalties of Hanging and Damnation I know not any Expression in such an Impious and futilous Edict that may not be warranted out of the Principles of this Discourse the main parts of it being composed out of the Words and Phrases of it and those used to the best of my understanding in the sense fixed to them by our Author Now as was said before I suppose Christian Princes will not be earnest in their Contests who shall first own the Authority intimated and express it in a suitable exercise And if any one of them should put forth his hand unto it he will find that Furiarum Maxima juxta Accubat manibus prohibet contingere mensas There is one who layes an Antecedent Claim to a Sole Interest in this Power and that bottomed on other manner of Pretensions than any as yet have been pleaded in their behalf For the Power and Authority here ascribed unto Princes is none other but that which is claimed by the Pope of Rome with some few Enlargements and appropriated unto him by his Canonists and Courtiers Only here the old Gentleman as he is called by our Author hath the advantage that beside the Precedency of his claim it being entred on Record at least six or seven hundred years before any Proctor or Advocate appeared in the behalf of Princes he hath forestall'd them all in the pretence of Infallibility which doubtless is a matter of singular use in the exercise of the power contended about For some men are so peevish as to think that thus to deal with Religion and the Consciences of men belongs to none but him who is Absolutely yea essentially so that is Infallible For as we have now often said as contrary to their design men in haste oftentimes speak the same things over and over as to all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over persons and causes Ecclesiastical and the Soveraign disposal of all the Civil and Political concernments of Religion which is vested in the Imperial Crown of this Nation and by sundry Acts of Parliament is declared so to be I shall be alwayes ready to plead the Right of our Kings and all Christian Kings whatever against the absurd Pleas and Pretences of the Pope so as to this Controversie between him and such Princes as shall think meet to contend with him about it concerning the power over the Consciences of men before described I shall not interpose my self in the scuffle as being fully satisfied they are contending about that which belongs to neither of them But what Reason is there why this Power should not be extended unto the inward thoughts and apprehensions of men about the Worship of God as well as to the expression of them in pure Spiritual Acts of that Worship The Power asserted I presume will be acknowledged to be from God though I can scarce meet with the Communication and derivation of it from him in this Discourse But whereas it is granted on all hands that the Powers that be are of God and that none can have Authority over an other unless it be originally given him from above I desire to be informed why the other part of the Power mentioned namely over the Thoughts Judgements and Apprehensions of men in the things of the Worship of God should not be invested in the Magistrate also that so he having declared what is to be believed thought and judged in such things all men should be obliged so to believe think and judge for this power God can give and hath given it unto Jesus Christ. I presume it will be said that this was no way needful for the preservation of Peace in Humane Society which is the end for which all this Power is vested in the Magistrate For let men believe think and judge what they please so long as their outward Actings are or may be over-ruled there is no danger of any publick disturbance But this seems to be a mighty uneasie condition for mankind namely to live continually in a contradiction between their Judgements and their Practices which in this case is allowed to be incident unto them Constantly to judge one way best and most according to the mind of God in his Worship and constantly to practise another will it is to be feared prove like the conflicting of vehement vapours with their contrary qualities that at one time or other will produce an Earthquake How then if men weary of this perplexing distorting condition of things in their minds should be provoked to run to excesses and inordinate courses for their freedom
run into Principles and practices inconsistent with the safety of Humane Society and such as will lead them to Seditions and Tumults And hence if I understand him a matter I am continually jealous about from the loosness of his expressions though I am satisfied I constantly take his words in the words in the sense which is received of them by most intelligent persons he educeth all his reasonings and not from a meer dissent from the Magistrates Injuctions without the entertainment of such Principles or an engagement into such practices I cannot I say find the Arguments that arise from a meer supposition that men in some things relating to the worship of God will or do practise otherwise than the Magistrate commands which are used to prove the inconsistency of such a posture of things with publick Tranquility which yet alone was the Province our Author ought to have managed But there is another supposition added that where Conscience is in any thing left unto its own liberty to choose or refuse in the Worship of God there it will embrace sure enough such wicked debauched and seditious principles as shall dispose men unto commotions rebellions and all such evils as will actually evert all rule order and policy amongst men But now this supposition will not be granted him in reference unto them who profess to take up all their Profession of Religion from the command of God or the Revelation of his Will in the Scripture wherein all such Principles and Practices as those mentioned are utterly condemned and the whole Profession of Christianity being left for 300 years without the Rule Guidance and conduct of Conscience now contended for did not once give the least disturbance unto the Civil Governments of the World Disturbances indeed there were and dreadful Revolutions of Government in those dayes and places when and where the Professors of it lived but no concerns of Religion being then involved in or with the Civil Rights and Interests of men as the Professors of it had no Engagements in them so from those Alterations and Troubles no reflection could be made on their profession And the like Peace the like Innocency of Religion the like freedom from all possibility of such imputations as are now cast upon it occasioned meerly by its intertexture with the Affairs Rights and Laws of the Nations and the Interests of its professours as such therein will ensue when it shall be separated from that Relation wherein it stands to this world and left as the pure naked tendency of the souls of men to another and not before But what sayes our Author If for the present the minds of men happen to be tainted with such furious and boysterous conceptions of Religion as incline them to stubbornness and sedition and make them unmanageable to the laws of Government shall not a Prince be allowed to give check to such unruly and dangerous perswasions I answer That such Principles which being professed and avowed are in their own Nature and just Consequence destructive to publick peace and humane Society are all of them directly opposite to the Light of humane nature that common Reason and consent of Mankind wherein and whereon all Government is founded with the prime Fundamental Laws and dictates of the Scripture and so may and ought to be restrained in the practises of the persons that profess them and with reference unto them the Magistrate beareth not the sword in Vain For humane Society being inseparably consequent unto and and an effect of the Law of our Nature or concreated principles of it which hath subdued the whole race of Mankind in all times and places unto its observance Opinions perswasions principles opposite unto it or destructive of it manifesting themselves by any sufficient evidence or in overt Acts ought to be no more allowed than such as profess an Enmity to the Being and Providence of God himself For mens Inclinations indeed as in themselves considered there is no competent Judge of them amongst the Sons of men but as to all outward Actions that are of the tendency described they are under publick Inspection to be dealt withall according to their Demerit I shall only add that the Mormo here made use of is not now first composed or erected it hath for the substance of it been flourished by the Papists ever since the beginning of the Reformation Neither did they use to please themselves more in or to dance more merrily about any thing than this Calf Let private men have their Consciences exempted from a necessary obedience to the Prescriptions of the Church and they will quickly run into all pernicious fancies and perswasions It is known how this Scare-crow hath been cast to the ground and this Calf stamped to powder by Divines of the Church of England It is no pleasant thing I confess to see this plea revived now with respect to the Magistrates Authority and not the Popes for I fear that when it shall be manifested and that by the consent of all parties that there is no pleadable Argument to botom this pretension for the power of the Magistrate upon some rather then forego it will not be unwilling to recur to the fountain from whence it first sprang and admit the Popes plea as meet to be revived in this case And indeed if we must come at length for the security of publick peace to deprive all private persons of the Liberty of judging what is Right and Wrong in Religion in reference to their own practice or what is their duty towards God about his Worship and what is not there are innumerable advantages attending the design of devolving the absolute determination of these things upon the Pope above that of committing it to each supream Magistrate in his own Dominions For besides the plea of at least better security in his determinations than in that of any Magistrates if not his Infallibility which he hath so long talked of and so sturdily defended as to get it a great reputation in the world the delivering up of the Faith and Consciences of all men unto him will produce a seeming agreement at least of incomparably a larger extent then the remitting of all things of this nature to the pleasure of every supream Magistrate which may probably establish as many different Religions in the World as there are different Nations Kingdoms or Commonwealths That which alone remains seeming to give countenance to the Assertions before laid down is our Authors assignation of the Priesthood by natural Right unto the supream Magistrate which in no alteration of Religion he can be devested of but by vertue of some positive Law of God as it was for a season in the Mosaical Institution and Government But these things seem to be of no force For it never belonged to the Priesthood to govern or to rule the Consciences of men with an absolute uncontrollable power but only in their name and for them to administer the holy things which by
for the principles of that Religion which hath furnished him with all this candor moderation and ingenuity and hath wrought him to such a quiet and peaceable temper by teaching him that Humility Charity and Meekness which here bewray themselves Let it be granted as it must and ought to be that all Principles of the minds of men pretended to be from Apprehensions of Religion that are in themselves inconsistent with any Lawful Government in any place what ever ought to be coerced and restrained For our Lord Jesus Christ sending his Gospel to be preached and published in all Nations and Kingdoms of the World then and at all times under various sorts of Governments all for the same end of publick Tranquility and Prosperity did propose nothing in it but what a Submission and Obedience unto might be consistent with the Government it self of what sort soever it were He came as they used to sing of old to give men an Heavenly Kingdom and not to deprive them or take from them their earthly temporal dominions There is therefore nothing more certain than that there is no principle of the Religion taught by Jesus Christ which either in it self or in the practice of it is inconsistent with any Righteous Government on the Earth And if any opinions can truly and really be manifested so to be I will be no Advocate for them nor their Abettors But such as these our Author shall never be able justly to affix on them whom he opposeth nor the least umbrage of them if he do but allow the Gospel and the power of Christ to institute those Spiritual Ordinances and requiring their Administration which do not which cannot extend unto any thing wherein a Magistrate as such hath the least concernment in point of prejudice For if on a false or undue practice of them any thing should be done that is not purely spiritual or that being done should be esteemed to operate upon any of outward Concerns Relations Interestâ— Occasions of men they may be restrain by the power of him who presides oâ— publick good But besides these pretences our Aâ—thor I know not how chargeth also the â—â—mours inclinations and passions of some meâ— as inconsistent with Government and aâ—wayes disposing men to Phanaticisme and â—â—dition and on occasion thereof falls out to an excess of intemperance in reproaâ—â—ing them whom he opposetâ— such as 〈◊〉 have not above once or twice before 〈◊〉 with the like And in particular he raâ— about that Zeal as he calls it for the Gâ—â—ry of God which hath turned whole Natioâ— into Shambles filled the World with Buteâ—ries and Massacres and fleshed it self wiâ—â— slaughters of miriads of mankind Noâ— omitting all other Controversies I shaâ—â— undertake to maintain this against any mâ—â— in the World that the effects here so trâ—gically expressed have been produced 〈◊〉 the Leal our Author pleads for in coâ—pelling all unto the same sentiments and prâ—â—ctices in Religion incomparably aboâ— what hath ensued upon any other pretencâ— in or about Religion what ever This neel require I shall evince with such Inâ—stances from the entring of Christianity into the World to this very day as will admit of no Competition with all those together which on any account or pretence have produced the like effects This it was and is that hath soaked the Earth with blood depopulated Nations ruined Families Countrys Kingdoms and at length made innumerable Christians rejoyce in the yoke of Turkish Tyranny to free themselves from their perpetual persecutions on the account of their dissent from the Worship publickly established in the places of their Nativity And as for the Humours Inclinations and passions of men when our Author will give such Rules and directions as whereby the Magistrate may know how to make a true and legal judgement of who are fit on their account to live in his Territories and who are not I suppose there will not be any contest about them until then we may leave them as here displayed and set up by our Author for every one to cast a cudgel at them that hath a mind thereunto For to what purpose is it to consider the frequent Occasions he takes to diseourse about the ill tempers and humours of men or of enveighing against them for being morose and ungentile unsociable peevish censorious with many other terms of reproach that do not at present occur to my memory nor are doubtless worth the searching after Suppose he hath the Advantage of a better natural temper have more sedate affections a more complyant humour be more remote from giving or receiving provocations and have learned the wayes of Courtly deportment only was pleased to vail them all and every one in the writing of this Discourse is it meet that they should be persecuted and destroyed be esteemed Seditious and I know not what because they are of a natural temper not so disposed to Affability and sweetness of Conversation as some others are For my part I dislike the humour and temper of mind characterised by our Author it may be as much as he I am sure I think as much as I ought But to make it a matter of such huge importance as solemnly to introduce it into a Discourse about Religion and publick Tranquility will not it may be on second thoughts be esteemed over considerately done And it is not unlikely but that our Author seems of as untoward a Composition and peevish an Humour to them whom he reflects upon as they do to him and that they satisfie themselves as much in their disposition and deportment as he doth himself in his Nimirum idem omnes fallimur neque est quisquam Quem non in aliqua re videre Suffenum Possis Sect. 5. pag. 155 156. He inveighs against the Events that attend the permission of different Sects of Religion in a Common-wealth And it is not denyed but that some inconveniencies may ensue thereon But as himself hath well observed in another place we do not in these things enquire what is absolutely best and what hath no inconvenience attending it but what is the best which in our present condition we can attain unto and what in that state answers the Duty that God requireth of us Questionless it were best that we should be all of one mind in these things of God and it is no doubt also our Duty on all hands to endeavour so to be But seeing de facto this is not so nor is it in the power of men when and how they wil to depose those perswasions of their minds and dictates of their Consciences from whence it is not so on the one part or the other although in some parts of our differences some may do so and will not namely in things acknowledged to be of no necessity antecedent to their imposition and some would do so and cannot It is now enquired what is the best way to be steer'd in for the Accomplishment of the desired end of peace and
Tranquility for the future and maintaining love quietness and mutual usefulness at present amongst men Two ways are proposed to this purpose the one is to exercise mutual forbearance to each other whilst we are inevitably under the power of different perswasions in these things producing no practices that are either injurious unto private men in their rights or hurtful unto the State as to publick Peace endeavouring in the mean time by the evidence of Truth and a conversation suited unto it to win upon each other to a consent and Agreement in the things wherein we differ The other is by Severe Laws Penalties outward force as Imprisonments Mulcts Fines Banishments or Capital punishments to compell all men out of hand to an uniformity of practice whatever their judgements be to the contrary Now as the state of things is amongst us which of these wayes is most suitable to the Law of our Being and Creation the best Principles of the nature of man and those which have the most evident Resemblance of Divine Perfections the Gospel the Spirit and Letter of it with the mind of its Author our Lord Jesus Christ which is most conducing to attain the end aimed at in wayes of a natural and genuine complyance with the things themselves of Religion Conscience and Divine Worship is left unto the judgement of God and all good men In the mean time if men will make Declamations upon their own surmises jealousies and suspitions of things which are either so indeed that is really surmized or pretended to be so for some private interests or advantages of their own which no man can answer or remove if they may fancy at their pleasure Ghosts Goblins Fiends walking Sprights Seditions Drums Trumpets Armies Bears and Tigers Every difference in Religion be it never so small be the agreement amongst them that differ never so great be it the visible known open interest of them that dissent from what is established to live quietly and peaceably and to promote the good of the Commonwealth wherein they live do they profess that it is their duty their Principle their Faith and Doctrine to obey constantly their Rulers and Governours in all things not contrary to the mind of God and pretend no such commands of his as should interfere in the least with their power in order to publick tranquility do they offer all the security of their Adherence to such declared Principles as mankind is necessitated to be contented and satisfied with in things of their highest concernment do they avow an especial sense of the Obligation that is put upon them by their Rulers when they are protected in peace have they no concernment in any such Political Societies Combinations Interests as might alone give countenance unto any such disturbance all is one every different Opinion is Press-money and every Sect is an Army although they be all and every one of them Protestants of whom alone we do discourse Other answer therefore I shall not return unto this part of our Authors arguing than what he gave of old Ne admittam culpam ego meo sum promus pectori Suspicio est in pectore alieno sita Nam nunc ego te si surripuisse suspicer Jovi coronam de capite e capitolio Quod in culmine astat summo st non id feceris Atque id tamen mihi lubeat suspicarier Qui tu id prohibere me potes ne suspicer Only I may add that sundry of the Instances our Author makes use of are false and unduly alledged For what is here charged on differences in and about Religion in reference unto publick Tranquility might have been yea and was charged on Christian Religion for three hundred years and is so by many still on Protestancy as such and that it were a very easie and facile task to set out the pernicious evills of a compelled Agreement in the practice of Religion and those not fancied only or feigned but such as do follow it have followed it and will follow it in the world An enquiry in this Invective tending to evince its reasonableness is offered in pag. 158. namely Where there are divided Interests in Religion in the same Kingdom it is asked how shall the Prince behave himself towards them The answer thereunto is not I confess easie because it is not easie to be understood what is intended by divided Interests in Religion We will therefore lay that aside and consider what really is amongst us or may be according to what we understand by these expressions Suppose then that in the same profession of Protestant Religion some different way and Observances in the outward Worship of God should be allowed and the Persons concerned herein have no other cannot be proved to have any other interest with respect unto Religion but to fear God and honour the King it is a very easie thing to return an Answer to this enquiry For not entring into the profound Political Speculation of our Author about ballancing of Parties or siding with this or that Party where the differences themselves constitute no distinct Parties in reference to Civil Government and publick Tranquility let the Prince openly avow by the declaration of his judgement his constant practice his establishing of Legal Rights disposing of publick favours in places and preferments that way of Religion which himself owns and approves and let him indulge and protect others of the same Religion for the substance of it with what himself professeth in the quiet and peaceable exercise of their Consciences in the Worship of God keeping all Dissenters within the bounds allotted to them that none transgress them to the invasion of the Rights of others and he may have both the Reality and Glory of Religion Righteousness Justice and all other Royal Vertues which will render him like to him whose Vice-gerent he is and will undoubtedly reap the blessed fruits of them in the industry peaceableness and Loyalty of all his Subjects whatever There are sundry things in the close of this Chapter objected against such a course of proceedure but those such as are all of them resolved into a supposition that they who in any place or part of the world desire Liberty of Conscience for the Worship of God have indeed no Conscience at all For it is thereon supposed without further evidence that they will thence fall into all wicked and unconscientious practices I shall make as I said no reply to such surmises Christianity suffered under them for many Ages Protestancy hath done so in sundry places for many years And those who now may do so must as they did bear the effects of them as well as they are able Only I shall say First Whatever is of real inconvenience in this pretension on the supposition of Liberty of Conscience is no way removed by taking away all different practices unless ye could also obliterate all different perswasions out of the minds of men which although in one place tells us ought to