Praise of them that do well 1. Pet. 2. 19. There be some that would blot out halfe your Commission and restrain this good and evill to Civil good and to evils only against men But this is against that generall Rule Non est distinguendum ubi Lex non distinguit Where the Law doth not distinguish there must not we distinguish Tell me I beseech you Shall it be lawfull for Magistrates to punish those that destroy mens Bodies but not those that destroy mens Souls Shall they be blamed for suffering men to draw people away from obedience to the Laws of the Land and to themselves and not also for suffering men to draw away people from the Truth of the Gospell and from the ways of God such as Hymenaeus and Philetus who overthrow the Faith of some and their words eat as a Canker shall Christian Magistrates take up the Maxime of Tiberius Deorum injurias Diis curae esse Let God himself take care to vindicate himself from injuries committed against God as for mee I will just like Gallio take care of none of these things Can Christian ears endure such Language Doth not God Prophesy Isaiah 49. 23. That in the New Testament Kings shall be our Nursing Fathers and Queens our nursing Mothers And how can a Christian Magistrate discharge that duty aright if he hath not power from God to punish those that would poyson the souls of his weak Children with Heresies and soul destroying opinions Will you allow the Magistrate to Tyrannize over Object mens Consciences By no means But I believe it is the duty of Magistrats Answ to keep men from infecting their Subjects with soul destroying Errors If thou hast an Hereticall Opinion have it to thy self and the Magistrate will not nay cannot meddle with thy Private Conscience But if thou labourest to infect others with thy Grace-destroying Opinions I doubt not but the Magistrate is bound to keep thee from spreading thy infection to the undoing of the Souls of his Subjects If he may lawfully shut up a man that hath the Plague upon his body that he may not infect others why not a man that hath the Plague of Heresie upon his Soul that so he may not destroy the souls of Thousands Shall a Master in a Family have power to put away a Servant that is tainted with a gross opinion and yet not be called a Tyrant over that Servants Conscience and shall not the chief Magistrate of a Kingdome have power to put out of his Kingdome at least to shut up from doing hurt one that is his Subject and polluted with blasphemous Hereticall Idolatricall Opinions Is not the Kingdom the Magistrats house and Family a Ser. before the Comm. Octob. 22. 1644. p. 26. This is a certain Rule That all the Sins of the Kingdom which are committed by your connivence or allowance are the Parliament Sins and they call for a Parliament Repentance And therefore I beseech you search and try your hearts and consider how far you are accessary to the sins of the Kingdome that so you may be wrought up not only to a personall but a Parliament humiliation And if it doth appear that you have taken more care in setling your own Liberties then in setling of Religion If you have taken more care to build your own houses then Gods house this is a crying Sin and this makes you accessary to a Thousand Sins that are commited in the Kingdome Againe if you do not labour according to your duty and according to your power to suppress the Errors and Heresies that are spread in the Kingdome all these Errors are your Errors and these Heresies are your Heresies and they are your Sins and God calls for a Parliamentary Repentance from you for them this day You are the Anabaptists and you are the Antinominians and it is you that hold That all Religions are to be tolerated c. And these are your Errors if they sptead by your Connivence For the Sins of the Sons of old Ely are imputed to old Ely himselfe And when the People of Israel had prophaned the Sabbath Nehemiah contended with the Nobles of Judah for suffering them and tells them that it was they that did prophane it because they suffered the People to prophane it Neh. 13. 17. It was none of the Old cause that the People should a M. Ric. Baxter Holy Common-wealth Addition to Pref. Prop. 6. Lond printed for Tho Vnderhil at the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Ch yard 1659. have Liberty and the Magistrate should have no Power in all matters of Gods Worship faith and Conscience And as it is not the Old Cause so it is not a Good Cause For first it contradicteth the expresse Revelation of the will of God in the holy Scriptures Moses had to do in matters of Religion as a Magistrate and so the ruling Elders of Israel that assisted him And so had the Kings of Israel and Judah as is well known insomuch that in Asa's days they covenanted to put him to Death that would not seek the Lord God of Israel 2. It tendeth to the ruine of the Commonwealth and therefore it is no good cause How God was provoked By Aarons Calfe and by his Sons that offered strange fire which the Lord commanded not Lev. 10. what was the effect what benefit the Calves at Dan and Bethel brought to Israel and Jeroboams house and the high places and other Errours about worship brought to the Princes and People of Judah we need not particularly recite Law and providence are quite changed if Toleration of false Worship and other abuses of Religion tend not to the ruine of the Commonwealth If Magistrates must give Liberty for all to propagate a false Religion then so must Parents and Masters also for their Coercive power is rather lesse then the Magistrates then more and they are no more Lords of faith or Conscience But if all Parents and Masters should give such a Liberty it would be a crime so horrid in the nature and effects as I am loath to name with its proper Titles A pari it tendeth to the destruction of an Army to give liberty to all men to do their worst to draw them to Mutinies and Rebellion It tends to the ruine of Families that all have liberty to do their worst to tempt the Sons to Theft and drunkennesse and the wife and Daughter to whoredome It tends to the Destruction of the Commonwealth if there be liberty for all to perswade the the People to Sedition and Rebellion And therefore it must tend to the destruction of the Church and mens souls and consequently of the Commonwealth in the cheif respects if all have leave to do their worst to preach up infidelity Mahometanisme Popery or any false Doctrine or Worship against the great and necessary Truths I leave it therefore to the judgement of all men that are not fast a sleep in their security and utterly unacquainted with the advantages
A SEASONABLE DISCOURSE AGAINST TOLERATION WITH A PREFACE Wherein the Nature of Persecution in general and the unjust Complaints of the Dissenting Parties concerning it in particular are distinctly considered LONDON Printed for Richard Rumbold in Butcher-hall Lane near Christ's Church 1685. THE PREFACE To the READER THough Controversies in Religion are hypothetically necessary for so long as there is either Ignorance or Malice in the hearts of Men there will be Differences in Opinion and Animosities amongst them yet a prudent well-regulated endeavour to moderate and asswage them is a work truly Christian and Charitable however it may be fruitless and unsuccesfull in the end I do indeed heartily pray for it yet dare not as yet promise my self so good a return of these my poor Labours as my Brethrens conviction Prejudice and Interest from which the dearest of Gods Children are not wholly exempted being not so easily remov'd The utmost that I can now expect and which I hope they will have no cause to deny mee is their favourable Absolution from that common yet unworthy Reflection of a Temporizing Formalist it being my unfeigned Judgment after a strict impartiall inquiry into the nature of such Impositions that my Subscription to the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England is not only warrantable but necessary 'T is not my business at present to give a particular explication or defence of those Constitutions which my Dissenting Brethren both in Press and Pulpit have thought fit to oppose That task hath been with so much Learning and withall so much Moderation performed to omit others by those two worthy Instruments of Gods glory Bishop Sanderson and Mr. Hoeker that I have often and I think not without just cause admired that any man endowed even with common Abilities supposing him of a meek and docile spirit should remain unsatisfyed when he shall have but seriously perused the Incomparable writings of those Pious and Learned Persons The truth is be their pretences never so plausible t is to me very plaine that many of my Brethren both decline and dread Conviction of which amongst other proofes this which I now mention is a pregnant Instance No sooner had this small Pamphlet appear'd in the World but as is usuall in such cases we being all desirous of Novelties it was generally sought after and perused and that I may return my Thanks for such encouraging Reception not much discommended However my Dissenting Brethren from whom I have deserv'd other acknowledgements were not altogether so obliging some of which this is no Conjecture but a certain Truth though they both knew the Authors Person and had other endearments sufficient to have invited a much greater Favour yet having barely glanc'd upon the Title very discourteously not to say rudely refus'd even one single perusall of his humble Petition I must confess though even contrary to my naturall Inclination I was some little mov'd to observe such causeless and irrational Perverseness For though there be indeed small Reason that any man in this Scribling Age should so little consult either his Time or Purse as to think himself oblig'd to the perusall of each impertinent Pamphlet yet that so small a Tract so inoffensively composed when presented by the hand of a Friend should not find a more favourable Acceptance is such an Vngentle-man like thing that had I the leasure or designe to play the Satyrist it were no hard task methinks to explode so disingenious an instance But of this enough if not as some may judge too much Which yet is mention'd with this Designe even to assure my Reader That be his private Opinion what it will if he please to hazard some small portion of Time in the perusall of the following Pamphlet he shall find nothing to offend him but the Evidence of Truth and downe-right Conviction I have one thing more to add and that is an Objection which being both plausible and common I shall first Propose that in the Person of some Private weake Christian Secondly Râ—solve with as much clearness as I am able The Objection is this There are indeed hot Disputes about these Ceremonies and other Impositions in the Service of God The Tongues and Pens of Learned men have for a long time been employed about them the Arguments pro and con both to desend and disprove them are of great weight and seemingly rationall They are indeed both so plausible that a Person of my rank and Quality who not only wants the advantage of Education but is also diverted from such inquiries by a particular profession which he is obliged to attend may very well be perplexed how to behave himself yet for my own part I am much inclin'd to think That these Ceremonies are very dangerous and unlawfull Things and that because I observe so many Learned and Godly Divines who rather then they will defile themselves with such Pollutions have not only suffered joyfully the spoyling of their goods but also Bonds and Imprisonments Banishments and a Thousand other Indignities to which a persecuted people is usually exposed which certainly such prudent Persons would never have done for a few Ceremonies the cause of all this mischief were they such innocent Things as the Prelats and their Agents have endeavoured to perswade us This is the Objection To which I Answer as followeth That which is said in the first Place of their Learning and piety is not much to the purpose For First such pretences being very advantageous to any Cause whatsoever are far more common then true The a Sic est vulgus ex veritate pauca ex opinione multa aestimat Cic. Orat. 1. Vulgar sort who are chiefly concerned in the Objection are no competent Judges in these Cases but much less in the former then the latter But Secondly granting them to be as Learned and pious as their admiring Proselytes can fancy or my Charity could wish them yet we must remember that the most Learned and pious are but Men and therefore do but know in part and are sanctified in part and as the learned b Pref. before Serm. Sect. 6. Bp. Sanderson expresseth it By the power of Godliness in their Hearts are no more secured from the possibility of falling into Error through Ignorance then from the possibility of falling into Sin through Infirmity Which should therefore prompt us as the safest course to guide our Actions not by Example which through different Circumstances is various and uncertain but by Precept which is sure and fixt not to have mens Persons in such Admiration as to embtace their Opinions and practises against the Light of Scripture and Right Reason But Thirdly if Learning and Piety must pass for Arguments which yet they will not it being no good Consequence such a Learned and Pious Man or such a learned and pious Company of Men holds this Opinion therefore 't is true yet I say if these must be urg'd for Logick though Comparisons are harsh and for
there be no Divisions amongst them perfectly joynd together in the same mind and in the same judgement If therefore upon inquiry it do appeare That the Magistrate hath Power to make Constitutions for the better ordering of those Circumstances about which Scripture hath determind nothing whether wee must use or not use them and if Offenders against these Constitutions are justly punishable it undenyably follows that in punishing such Violaters of his Laws the Magistrate doth not Persecute but execute Justice and that those Persons who are thus reflected upon are not Persecuted as Saints but Punishd as Malefactors The very Case of our Nonconformists here in England The Summary of these Conclusions that my Reader may the better apprehend them to be both Consequent and Evident is this Preaching and Praying are necessary Duties Which cannot be performd without Circumstances These are not determind in Scripture Nor must be left undetermind Therefore by the Supream Magistrate Who to effect this makes Laws and Constitutions These have Penalties annexd to be inflicted on the Disobedient The infliction of these Penalties is the execution of Justice and the Magistrates Duty But no Persecution Therefore those Persons that suffer these Penalties are not injuriousely Persecuted but justly Punish'd Quod erat Demonstrandum I cannot at all doubt but the weakness of my Brethrens Argument to any unprejudic'd Reader begins now to appear However I will repeat their Syllogisme once more and then let the World judge who is in the Right Preaching and Praying are necessary Duties But N. C. are punish'd for Preaching and Praying Therefore They are Punish'd for necessary Duties and consequently are Persecuted I Answer first by distinguishing the Major Preaching and Praying quoad Substantiam are necessary Duties i. e. It s necessary that these Duties be perform'd Quoad Circumstantias they are not necessary i. e. though these Duties be perform'd yet it is not necessary to perform them in such or such a manner Thus though Prayer be necessary yet that it should be Extemporary or without a Form is not necessary or that the Minister should be without a Surplice is not necessary So for Preaching though it be a Duty yet to preach or hear a Sermon in a Conventicle of two or three Thousand or to expose my self to Sufferings and perhaps a long Imprisonment to the neglect of my Profession and thence the ruine of my Family for which I am bound to provide I say to throw my self upon all these Inconveniencies only to hear a Sermon from A. B. or C. D. when I may safely hear a much better from an Orthodox Minister is so far from being necessary that it may justly 〈◊〉 Who hath required these things at your hands That Secondly I Answer by denying the Minor which is utterly false and untrue They are not punished for Preaching and Praying they being punishable for their neglect but they are punished for not observing those Circumstances about Preaching and Praying which Authority requireth of them or they are punished for not performing these Duties in such a manner as their Governours require or more plainly yet they are punished for not observing and submitting to those Constitutions which their Governours have Established for the better ordering of these Duties The Obligation of which Constitutions because they are much oppos'd I 'le endeavour to confirm by this one Consideration Bonum non oritur nisi ex integrâ Causâ There must be a concurrence of all requisite Conditions to make a thing good Now the Conditions required to the Validity of a Law are not unduely exprest by the four Causes Efficient Material Formal Final and That Law which is not Defective in any one of these is Valid and Obligatory But such are the Constitutions of the Church of England Therefore c. 1. Respectu Causae Efficientis there is sufficient Authority and Legislative Power 2. Respectu Materiae the things enjoyn'd are not unlawful as being contrary to any Law any former Obligation 3. Respectu Formae there is sufficient Promulgation 4. Respectu Finis Publick Peace and Safety by restraining Disorders Tumults Contentions which might arise from Difformity in Worship is the very Reason and End of their being exacted Object But is not Conscience violated and Christian-liberty infringed by these Ecclesiastical Constitutions since they determine us precisely ad unum in the use of Indifferent things which God and Christ have left free ad utrumlibet Answ I Answer referring my Reader for farther Satisfaction to Bishop Sandersons seventh Sermon ad Pop. pag. 384. That there is no Subject of England whatever is pretended to the contrary but hath the Liberty of his Conscience or to speak more intelligibly may worship God according to his Conscience i. e. in such a way and manner as his Conscience his judging Faculty judgeth most acceptable provided always that he keep his opinions to himself or to his Family and make them a Rule only for his own private Practice But if such a man will go publish his Opinions and entangle the Consciences of others and seek to draw Disciples after him and make a Party and cause Divisions and Dissentions amongst his Majesties Subjects and trouble the Publick he is to be restrain'd he is not to be tolerated Object l Mr. Calamys Ser. before the Lords Dec. 25. 1644. pag. 38. Will you allow the Magistrate to Tyranize over mens Consciences Answ By no means But I believe it is the Duty of Magistrates to keep men from infecting their Subjects with Soul-destroying Errours If thou hast an Heretical Opinion have it to thy self and the Magistrate will not nay cannot meddle with thy private Conscience But if thou labourest to infect others with thy Grace-destroying Opinions I doubt not but the Magistrate is bound to keep thee from spreading thy Infection to the undoing of the Souls of his Subjects If he may lawfully shut up a man that hath the Plague upon his body that he may not Infect others why not a man that hath the Plague of Heresie upon his Soul that so he may not destroy the Souls of Thousands Shall a Master in a Family have power to put away a Servant that is tainted with a grosse Opinion and yet not be called a Tyrant over that Servants Conscience And shall not the chief Magistrate of a Kingdome have Power to put out of his Kingdome at least to shut up from doing hurt one that is his Subject and polluted with Blasphemous Heretical Idololatrical Opinions Is not the Kingdom the Magistrates House and Family These are the means that are to be used to cure the distractions of England The Lord give us grace to put them in practice But this and the other party will reply That they are neither Heretical nor Turbulent and therefore what is all this discourse to them I Answer No man must be Judge in his own Cause every man therefore is to be supposed such that when his Place requires it refuseth by publick Oaths