thereof drawn by any Person or Persons other than some of those that subscribed the same respectively ever sent shewn or proposed to any of the Subscribers That then the Person or Persons making such Discovery shall upon his or their Application to the Bookseller whose Name and Habitation is hereunto prefix'd receive Directions where and of whom He or They and every of them making such Discovery may and shall besides most hearty thanks have and be honestly and Bonâ Fide paid a Reward of Fifty Pounds of Lawful Money of England The rest of his Supposals are of the same Leaven both for Truth and Charity Who are those Dissenters and on what part of the Globe do they dwell For sure they must be Antipodes to Ours that preach up Anger and Vengeance against the Church of England That are under a Contract which obliges them upon a Forfeiture to make use of Inflaming Eloquence That apprehend their Wages would be retrench'd if they should be moderate Quite contrary they have with a most Christian Moderation so far overcome the Resentments of their past hard Usage or present Provocations that they treat that Church with all Friendliness and Respect But think they mean her no Harm when they wish those dangerous Weapons out of her hands which she has so long indiscreetly made use of only to ruine other innocent People and stab her own Reputation Does this Sir Politick T. W. or W. T. for some Criticks think that the truer Reading imagine Liberty of Conscience or Freedom to worship our Creator in such manner as we are convinc'd to be most agreeable to his Will without being jailed or undone for the same and without being scarr'd by sever Temporal Penalties to joyn externally and Hypocritically in a Religious Worship which our Consciences tell us is sinful does he I say conceit this noble Priviledg so cheap and vile a thing that none will appear for it but such as are either suborned with Money or have deserved to be hang'd Is it not a pretty Notion and much becoming a Statesman that those who chiefly to assert Liberty of Conscience though in a very bad and irregular way incurr'd the Want of a Pardon must after such Pardon obtained needs act against their Consciences if they offer to perswade any to endeavour the settling such Liberty regularly in a Legal Course Nor is his next politick Squint less impertinent as if one Prince might not for Reasons of State continue Friendship with another whose Conduct in some Particulars he highly disapproves nor know I how in that case he can more effectually declare such dislike than by steering a direct contrary Course himself His Noise of solliciting Addresses the Tyring Post-Horses with Circular Letters and threatning where Perswasions would not serve to procure them is all but the Product of a very bold Imagination And he has been sufficiently challenged to give but one single Instance Sure the Gentleman is Master of no great Stock of Gratitude at home that he can think the whole Nation so wondrous barren of it on one of the most glorious Occasions that ever were given for that good-natured Vertue to display it self Rather than faâ—â— of advancing Jealousies he seems willing to contradict himself as well as Truth and both complains of the Dissenters for their Forwardness and yet would have the World believe they were very backward in Addressing But still wherein I pray lies the harm of the thing it self that either there should need such Variety of Artifices to draw in the unwilling Or that can render them criminal that did with all ready Zeal make those grateful Acknowledgments This he undertakes to tell us pag. 8. 9. for I follow the first Edition and the Sum of his Discourse amounts to neither more nor less than this That the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience was an IRREGVLAR ACT Very dutifully spoken therefore the Dissenters ought not to have taken any notice of it but to have forborn the Publick Exercise of their Religion till a Parliament had allowed it which if he and his Associates can help it shall never be But since they did not only receive the Benefit granted but publickly return his Majesty Thanks for it they thereby give a Blow to all the Laws by which their Religion and Liberty are to be protected and fall foul upon Magna Charta Which Chapter of it I beseech you Sir gave up their Right in the Laws for after giving Thanks for the Breach of one Law they lose the Right of complaining of the Breach of all the rest This is sed News but as good Luck would have it there is not one Article of it true for the Kings's Declaration was in it self not only a very pious prudent and gracious but according to the antient Constitution of this Realm a most Legal Act. The Dissenters had been the most inexcusably peevish People in the World if they had not accepted of it the most ungrateful if they had not thankfully acknowledged it and will be the most stupid Neglecters of their own Interest both Religious and Civil if they do not exret all their Endeavours towards having it established for Posterity by a Law Upon this occasion it may be expected that I should enter into a long Discourse in Affirmance of his Majesties Right to dispense with Coercive Laws in Matters of Religion But since that is already done by a far better Hand in a Just Treatise which may possibly er'e long see the Light I shall not actum agere or inlay my Copper with that Noble Author's Gold but content my self to say in general 1. That as it was the Right of our English Kings by the Common Law so it has been confirmed to themby several Statutes and they have accordingly exerted it time out of mind and particularly 't is reserved to the Crown by the Statute of 22 Car. 2 cap. 1. for preventing and suppressing seditious Conventicles in these Words Provided That neither this Act nor any thing therein contained shall extend to invalidate or avoid his Majesties Supremacy in Ecclesiastical Affairs But that his Majesty and his Heirs and Successors may from time to time and at all times hereafter exercise and enjoy all Powers and Authority in Ecclesiastical Affairs as fully and as amply as himself or any of his Predecessors have or might have done the same Any thing in this Act notwithstanding 2. As to what is alledged touching all other Laws being by this Precedent shaken and that such as give Thanks for the Breach of One Law preclude themselves from complaining of the Breach of all the rest because on the like Ground the King may Repeal any other Statutes without Common Consent in Parliament It may readily be answered besides what has been already pointed at in the foregoing graph That there is a great difference between Repealing a Law and relaxing or dispensing with the Penalty The first can only be done in Parliament the latter has been
Interest stands in prospect of Futurity I cannot but remind you that no body that I have met with supposes the removal of the Tests without some equipollent Provision in the very same Act that may obviate these Fears And 't is inconceivable that the Wisdom of the Nation so refined should yet be so barren as not to be able to contrive some Civil Security as strong and safe without Hampering of Conscience For Why may there not be a Civil Test form'd altogether as effectual and yet not so obnoxious to Exceptions as these Religious Ones 2. If we can secure due Elections and Regular Returns we are safe for undoubtedly the Free-holders Citizens and Burghers of England are not very fond of chusing Roman Catholicks for their Representatives 3. As to any Apprehensions that by taking away these Laws the Roman should pretend a Right to be the National establish'd Religion by vertue of any Antiquated Statutes that may easily be dash't by an Establishment or Confirmation of the present Church of England as to all its Priviledges but such as are Compulsory by Temporal Penalties altogether unadequate means to secure Religion and unnecessary to the Well-being of a Gospel-Church 4. What if in the same Bill that vacates all the Old Penal Laws it be by the King in Parliament asserted and declared that Liberty of Conscience is part of the Constitution of this Kingdom The natural Birth-right of every English Man And that all Persons endeavouring to undermine of subvert such Settlement shall be adjudg'd Criminal and liable to such Penalties as shall be thought fit all Acts tending thereunto in themselves ab initio and for ever void And every Member of either House of Parliament obliged before he sits or acts solemnly to make some such Declaration 5. Or what if all the Penal Laws together with the Test debarring from Offices and Imployments be abrogated and only that relating to Members of Parliament be kept on foot Will none of these Expedients or such better ones as may be contriv'd allay your Fears That which alone must conclude any honest Man's Judgment is the Resolution of this single Question Whether Persecution in it self be lawful That is whether for meer Opinions or Exercise of Religious Worship tho different from the national Form yet no ways disturbing the Publick Peace injuring Civil Society or violating Morality any Persons whatsoever ought according to the Law of God or Nature be punish'd by Death Banishment Mulcts Fines or Imprisonments or be rendred liable unto any Forfeitures of or Preclusions from those Advantages and Priviledges which otherwise they might justly pretend to or ought to enjoy They and They only that will undertake to justify the Affirmative may reasonably appear for the Continuance of the Penal Laws and Tests But then if they assert any kind of Persecution to be lawful they ought also to tell us the Bounds and Limits of it why the Penalties may not be sanguinary as well as pecuniary positive as well as privative why we may not burn a Man for his supposed Error in Religion as well as take away his Goods or his Birth-right On the other side all Those who cannot but acknowledg such Statutes and all Prosecutions thereupon to be unwarrantable as being against the main Tendency of the Gospel contrary to our Lord's Rule of doing as we would be done by and opposite to the Maxims of Reason and Civil Policy are bound in Conscience as well as Interest to declare and use their utmost Endeavours for the Abolition of all these burthensom destructive Laws Nor will they be affrighted with any imagined bad Consequences or a Noise of what Advantages ill Men may design to make by such a Repeal for as we are not to do Evil that Good may come on 't so we must not omit doing Right whatever may be the Sequel Let us perform our Duty and then we may rest assured that Divine Providence which superintends all the Affairs of this fading World will dissipate the Councils of any Architophels and either preserve us from or support us under the worst they can contrive But if the Dissenters wilfully lose this Opportunity which God and the King have graciously vouchsafed And shall in Distrust of Providence as well as his Majesties Word multiply to themselves groundless Fears and for certain supposed Politick Ends quit both their Duty and Interest to rely on Egyptian Reeds and future improbable Expectancies the Courtesy of a sort of People whose tenderest Mercies they have found to be cruel and will assist to continue those very Statutes which their own Consciences cannot but tell them are Irreligious and unjust and under the Lash of which they have so lately and so severely smarted and by reason of this resolute Error against their own Convictions and Experience shall happen hereafter to fall under a more dreadful Persecution than ever heretofore 't is no matter by whose Hand Must they not with Confusion of Face acknowledg they have justly deserved it And that themselves have chiefly contributed to their own Miseries and entail'd a Plague on all their Posterity He who is convinced that Persecution for Religion is unlawful and yet refuses to contribute all he can towards removing those Laws which either positively or privatively for they both depend on the same Bottom injoin such Persecution let him pretend what Fears and Jealousies he will of ensuing Dangers from the doing of it I know not how to excuse him from the just Imputation of being either a Fool or an Atheist 'T is true our Orator asserts That 't is as justifiable to have NO RELIGION as wilfully to throw away the humane Means of preserving it But because I always thought Religion was best to be preserved by Religious Methods and that a Church built upon the Rock needs not the feeble Suports of Civil Force I would gladly learn what Humane Means are necessary or Expedient or indeed adequate to preserve true Religion Sure I am the Christian Religion held up its Head not only without but against such Means for the first Centuries And yet then it was that it most flourish'd in purity and spread it self throughout the World but as soon as Politicians would be adding their Humane Means to preserve it and interwove it with Interest of State from thence we commonly date its Declension In a word if it be the Interest both of the Papists of this Nation and of all Protestant Dissenters to have a General Liberty of Conscience firmly setled If this be no real Disadvantage to the Church of England but only keeps her from engrossing all Offices and Employments which caused her to be envied and from ruining her innocent Neighbours which made her hated and is both her Guilt and her Shame If by the Gospel no Man is to be abridged of any of his Civil-Rights for his different Opinion in Religion Since we may have as good Security for the Enjoyment of this Liberty for ever as we our selves can reasonably contrive since we have felt and found so many Evils attending Persecution and never any Good It seems to me Unaccountable why we should not all readily and harmoniously agree to the Total Extirpation of all Tests and Penal Laws for Religion and heartily endeavour the Establishment of that Vniversal Liberty which only can render the Nation lastingly Quiet and Happy I am not so unacquainted with the ill-natur'd World as not to foresee that for this free Publication of my Thoughts I must expect to encountre a thousand Scandals and Calumnies But Hic Murus ahaenus esto Nil conscire sibi Being conscious of nothing but an unbiass'd honest Intention I can smile at and pitty the impotent Malice of false Reports Having taken up that resolution of Quinctius Cincinnatus Vellem equidem vobis placere Quirites Sed multo malo vos salvos esse qualicunque erga me animo sitis futuri THE END * See my Lord Coke's Charge given at Norwich Assizes 4 Aug. 1606 4th page of the sheet F. for 't is not paged
always adjudged to be Part of the Royal Prerogative For example the Law dooms every Person convicted of Burghlary or picking a Pocket to die Our Kings have frequently in all times remitted the Execution Was this ever thought to be a Repeal of those Laws or any Infringment of all the rest And if it be so in Civil Cases wherein the Subject is concerned in the Injury and where the Matter to be restrained by the Laws is not only Malum prohibitum but Malum in se not meerly evil because forbidden but forbidden because intrinsecally evil Then a fortiori much more strongly it follows that his Majesty may suspend the Execution of the Penalties which by these Laws relating to Ecclesiastical Affairs are inflicted on Actions or Defaults so far from being in themselves Criminal That a very great part of them are undoubtedly allow'd by the Laws of God Nature and Reason And so much the rather may his Majesty exert this Right since these Penal Statutes generally in their Preambles which are Claves Legum the Keys that open to us the Occasion and consequently the main Scope and End of Enacting them affirm that they were made for the Security of the Princes Person and to prevent Treason Insurrections and Sedition so that his Majesty is principally and immediately concern'd therein and since He must be allowed the best Judg of his own Security if he shall find that there is no need of putting such Statutes in Execution to that End but rather that the Non-Execution thereof will more conduce to his Safety and the publick Repose and therefore thinks fit to supersede or forbear the exacting the Penalties Where is the Wrong To whom the Injury So that hitherto neither was the King's Declaration an Irregular Act nor the Dissenters thanking him for it any such desperate Business as to make them forfeit their Right in all other Laws of their Country but most true it is that whilst these Church-driving Laws stand in Force if the Execution of them happen into some Hands we know by Experience that there are a thousand very small Matters of which any one by the dexterous Management of the Gentlemen of Doctors Commons is enough not only to strip any Man of his Interest in the Laws but send his Body to the Gaol and in their aprehension his Soul to the Devil to boot And who can but Blush to hear some People upbraid the Romanists with that Tenet That Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks which yet they with the highest Asseverations disclaim whilst at the same time Themselves would have so many Laws kept on Foot that give opportunity to every Villain to cheat any honest Man by taking Advantage of his Conscientious Dissent in Matters of Religion from the Establish'd Mode Witness the pleading of Excommunication in Bar of a just Action And the Disablement oâ— so many to maintain any Suit at Law or in Equity unless they first both receive the Sacrament according to the Usage of the Church of England and take the Tests But Parcius ista viris The Gentleman owns That the Church of England preserving too long the bitter Taste of that Vsage They had received in the times of our former Confusions sacrific'd their Interest to their Revenge A great Truth I had almost said the only one in his Paper But now quoth he they are sensible of their Mistake all their former Haughtiness is for ever extinguish'd Therefore you may securely trust them That in the next Parliament If you Dissenters will be Quiet and suffer them to carry Elections as they please They will do you Reason Ay and you shall have Liberty and the Papists never a Bit. Is there any Body that deserves not to wear a Muckender but must needs see through all this What better Hopes can Dissenters conceive of another Parliament of Bigotted Church-Men than of the Last who were generally stanch that way To go about to wheadle us with Promises of Liberty to Protestants but exclusive of Romanists is at this time of day such a palpable Banter as only shews the contemptible Opinion they have of the Dissenters Intellectuals Can it be imagined That the King can ever pass it Would it not be extravagant Rudeness to offer it Nay have not They themselves already by their Proxies made Overtures to the direct contrary To pretend now That They were only the Instruments not the Authors of the late Violences towards Dissenters as it exposes their Prudence and Honesty in the Fact so it manifests their Insincerity in the Excuse did they not by Concert throughout the Nation both in Pulpits Prints and Practices instigate and warrantize those Outrages Have we not seen them in Person animating Informers and with their own hands in some places pulling down Meeting-Houses Nay so high had the inveterate Venom swell'd that even distressed Foreign Protestants felt part of its Fury For by some of their good Wills none of the poor Ruinated Hugenots should have had any share of that Noble Charity which Royal Mercy had allow'd to be Collected and true English Bounty plentifully Contributed for their Relief But they must notwithstanding starve unless they would first conform to certain Rituals which either they did not understand or else could not be supposed according to their Education able in Conscience to comply with and so in flying one Rape upon their Souls were dangerously exposed to another Yet notwithstanding all these too common and unwarrantable Transports it must be acknowledged there were divers of the Establish'd Clergy who kept themselves free from that Epidemical Infection of the persecuting Spirit who did Christianly interpose and venture far in their Endeavours to stem the impetuous Torrent The Author of the several Conformists Pleas for the Nonconformists The Reverend Protestant Reconciler honest Mr. B lds and probably more than I have met with did publickly appear in Print And others in their Sermons and Practices declared their more healing and pacifick Principles May their Names be never mentioned without Respect and Honour May they never stand in need of that Compassion which they so bravely vouchsafed to others under Persecution May their Memories be had in perpetual Renown and especially let their Moderation for ever be imitated But as to the Generality of those that pride themselves with the Title of Churchmen it cannot be denied That as they reproach'd such their moderate Brethren with the odious Nick-Name of Trimmers so themselves went on Jehu's Pace nothing but a strict and severe Execution of all the most rigorous Laws would content them They daily both irritated Magistrates and the Skum of the People to the Holy Work At Guild-Hall-Chappel we have heard such enflaming Rhetorick as this speaking of the Dissenters Let them not call it Persecution 't is a just and necessary Prosecution and the most they can suffer is the least they deserve In pursuance of such Pulpit-Maxims Laws tho too harsh in themselves were wyre-drawn abundantly further than
the apparent Intent of the Makers Common Justice denied to any that appeared under the Character of Dissenters palpable Perjuries wink 't at Riots made not only of the most peaceable Assemblies to worship God but of the Friendly Visits of Relations Nay where the small Number found were not sufficient to colour a Legal Prosecution on that pretence a Servant attending one that came to surprize them has been clapt in for a Party in the Indictment and an Outragious Fine thereupon enforced to be paid As in the Case of a worthy Citizen near London-Bridg How Juries Brow-beaten and forc'd to present Men on the 23 Eliz. contrary to their Consciences Some troubled on a double Conviction before two several Magistrates for one and the same Offence The Fines frequently Extravagant as one Man at a Sessions in Surrey was compell'd to pay down 100 pound for being at one Meeting In brief no Wood came amiss to make Arrows of for the Destruction of the Dissenters Delenda erat Carthago all Nonconformists were to be ruined in all places after the Example of Bristol c. At this pass matters stood when His Majesty vouchsaf'd to hold forth his Golden Scepter and put a Stop to all these Outrages and Calamities And what Security does this unknown Author give us that it may not be so again one day if these Penal Laws be not utterly removed How does it appear that the Sentiments of the Church of England towards Dissenters are chang'd unless it be to a greater degree of Malice Or that their Haughtiness is for ever extinct but rather encreased For Example but ten miles up the Thames a good while since the Declaration a Parson refus'd to Bury a Child because Baptized by a Nonconformist-Minister so that all the Company assembled for the Funeral were forc'd to depart and the Infant 's Corps to be kept above Ground all Night And hardly would he be induced by any Entreaties to permit its Interment the next day and then too without vouchsafing his Reverencies Presence I would not file particular Mens Failures to the Reproach of a Community amongst whom are so many Learned worthy Men But this I cannot forbear to say That if the Church of England would be credited she ought publickly declare against the Persecuting Spirit and make her Repentance as notorious as the Scandal Whereas her contesting so stifly for the Continuance of the Penal Laws argues too broadly that she still retains the very same Inclinations And indeed this mighty Stir and Outery of keeping up the Tests or else we are all undone is no more than that of old Great is Diana of the Ephesians For by these Laws and Tests the Church-men though but one Part and that not the greatest of the Nation have not only engrossed and secured to themselves all the Preferments and Offices all Places of Profit Honour and Trust throughout the Kingdom but also an opportunity of Ruinating all or any of the other Parties at pleasure These are too sweet Morsels to be disgorg'd without some Reluctancy And they may be excus'd in Policy if they use all Efforts to continue their Enjoyment or Hopes at least of such absolute Advantages But in the mean time the Dissenters will be unpardonably remiss if they hearken to the Voice of these Charmers and neglect such an opportunity of Enfranchizing Themselves and Posterity Nor can I imagine what our Author means by that Hectoring Rhodomantado pag. 12. How his Church can in a moment bring Clouds again and turn the Royal Thunder upon the Dissenters heads Blow them off the Stage in a Breath if She would give but a Smile or a kind word That the least Glimpse of her Compliance would throw them back into a state of Suffering and draw upon them all the Arrears of Severity which have accrued during this time of Kindness to them But She will not allow her self to be rescued From what by such unjustifiable means but chuseth to bear the Weight of Power rather than lie under the Burthen of being Criminal And to the same purpose he talks elsewhere That his Church had the first Court-ships which she rejected and is ready to suffer rather than receive all Advantages that can be gain'd by a Criminal Compliance Now besides the most insolent Aspersion hereby thrown on his Majesty as if he were rather her Servant than her Soveraign that she can so easily induce him to violate his solemn Promises for her Pleasure I would gladly learn what this expected and so much courted Smile might be that can perform such Miracles What it was His Church refused rather than criminally comply with Was it that her Sons should all turn Papists This indeed would notably vary the Scene of Affairs and by casting the Over-ballance to that Party alter the Politick Interest and yet even in such case the Dissenters would trust God's Providence and the King's Word for their Security Is it that they should consent to repeal all the Penal Laws against Roman Catholicks with a Reserve of those against Protestant Dissenters I am much more confident there never was any such shameful partial Dealing proposed unto them than I am that it was never voluntarily offered by them But if it should be true that they have made frank Overtures to rescind the Laws against the Romanists and secure them in the next Reign Provided themselves might be continued in their prosecuting Protestant Dissenters in this and that the same was rejected with a generous Indignation worthy of such a Proposition Then it will not be difficult to guess both at the Nature and Prevalency of their boasted Smiles and what Kindness Dissenters are to expect at their Hands notwithstanding all their fair Pretensions Either the Church of England opposeth Liberty of Conscience in general and then justly engageth the Body of the Nation against her or only That of Roman Catholicks and then they recede from their own Principles for it cannot be forgot that they heretofore told the Dissenters there was as much Reason the Roman Catholicks should be tolerated as They And to confirm it many of her Communion frequently declared That they would rather be Romans than Presbyterians But it may still be urg'd that the Church of England is now no more for persecuting and would be content to give up all the Penal Laws on either side But cannot dares not part with the TESTS especially the last whereby only Roman Catholicks are kept out of Parliament For if She quit this Guard presently the Two Houses may be full of Roman Catholicks who will establish their Religion by Law or perhaps pretend it actually in Possession Jure Postliminii And so the Protestant Religion shall be utterly suppress'd and the Writ De Haeretico comburendo revived c. This is the Topping Objection but I think a very satisfactory Answer may be given to it For 1. Not to repeat what has already been offered of the King's Promises the Paucity of the Romanists and how their