and that the Liturgies and Canons c. father'd upon some of the Apostles are rejected by many But to question the Divine Authority of any of those Books of the Old and New Testament that by Christians in General are received as Canonical has a dangerous Tendency And we have the more Reason to suspect J. T 's Words because of the Heterodox Opinions he hath already publish'd That another of the Party did sometime ago write a Book call'd The Oracles of Reason with a design to ridicule Revelation and that it is certainly the Interest of the Socinians to do so because they are not able to withstand the irresistible 〈◊〉 Force of those Arguments which are brought against them from the Old and New Testament But in the mean time what Occasion was there for J. T. in his Account of Mr. Milton's Life to advance such Propositions or to trouble the World with his own silly Thoughts and malicious Reflections Mr. Milton's Name is indeed sufficient to procure some Regard to the Text but I don't know any Reason why the World should have the least Esteem for J. T 's Comment We have seen enough of the Vomit that J. T. hath disgorged from his foul stomach against Religion and the Ordinance of the Ministry and shall in the next place take notice of another design he has upon our Morals and that is about the Affair of Marriage and Divorce p. 55. c. where he gives an account of Mr. Milton's Opinion concerning Divorce occasioned by his Wifes refusing to come to him when sent for c. as mentioned before I shall not now enter upon the dispute at large that point being handled by many Authors and of late in a Book call'd Concubinage and Poligamy disprov'd in Answer to Butler's Defence of Concubinage But this is evident that if other Causes be assign'd for Divorce than Adultery and wilful Desertion which are the only two Cases we find mentioned in the N. Testament it will be attended with horrid consequences and especially if the Party be allow'd to be judge in their own Case as J. T. represents Mr. Milton to have been in his and in defence of his Practice to have laid down this Position viz. That Indisposition Unfitness or contrary Humours proceeding from any unchangeable Cause in Nature hindring and always likewise to hinder the main ends and benefits of Conjugal Society that is to say Peace and Delight are greater Reasons of Divorce than Adultery or Natural â—…rigidity provided there be a mutual Consent for Separation Whether J. T. represents Mr. Milton's Argument fairly or not I know not but any one may see that admitting those Causes to be sufficient there 's this great defect in the Position viz. That there 's no mention of having the Allowance of the Church and Civil Magistrate nor indeed of so much as asking it which if neglected in such a Case would quickly fill the Kingdom with Fornication Adultery and a Spurious Issue Many things might be objected against the Position it self as that it is contrary to Scripture which assigns a Meet help and the Propagating of a Godly Seed as the chief ends of Marriage Gen. 2. 18. 1. 2. 8. Mal. 2. 15. whereas Peace and Delight might have been had without it the Man could not have fallen into Strife when there was no other Human Creature for him to disagree with and he had the Perfections of God and himself and all the Beauties of the Creation to delight in without the Woman But this is the mischief on 't when Men will become Wise above what is written they do but discover their own Folly and Weakness Then again for Indisposition to be a cause of Divorce is Unreasonable as well as Unchristian It is unreasonable for at that rate Sickly and Indispos'd Persons must be expos'd to unavoidable Calamities and the hazard oâ—… being neglected by all others when abandon'd by so near a Relation It is an addition unto or rather an overwhelming them with Grief must expose their Children to Contempt and occasion fatal Discord in Families betwixt Children of different Mothers and Fathers and their Relations and by consequence is inconsistent with that Peace and Profit which J. T. says are the main ends of Conjugal Society It would be Unchristian as contrary to our Saviours Rule of doing as we would be done by and of making any other Cause of Divorce but Adultery and Desertion It would be as Unnatural as for a sound part of the Body to neglect a wounded Limb seeing the Scripture tells us that a Man and his Wife become one Flesh. Contrary Humours is yet less tolerable for in that Case either of the Parties when they had a mind to change would be sure to be cross humour'd on purpose Then as to unchangeable Causes in Nature hindring the ends of Conjugal Society they are sooner pretended than determin'd and not always easie to be discover'd As to the Mutual Consent I have already said that it is not enough without the Approbation of the Church and Civil Magistrate and besides it may be obtain'd by force from the Injur'd Party who may be rendred so uneasie that they will chuse rather to Consent than to live in perpetual vexation and danger These are some obvious Objections which occur to me immediately upon reading what J. T. calls Mr. Milton's grand Position as to his own I think them unworthy of a Reply or any further Remark than that he had nothing to do to mix his own Impertinent Jargon with Mr. Milton's Life but it is Natural for one who does all he can to sap the Foundations of Christianity to be a Patron of Immorality He knows how grateful a Doctrine it is to Libertines which he lays down of himself p. 56. That the Marriage Covenant may be undone when the Persons find things otherwise than they promise themselves and that it is Tyranny to punish their so doing The Sparks of the Town will no doubt congratulate his happy Invention for such a plausible way of changing Wives into Misses for at this rate when any distaste arises betwixt them and their Wives there 's no more to do but for both Parties to draw Stakes as he words it and leave Matters as they were before If this be the Purity of the Socinian Doctrine we may rationally conclude it never came down from Heaven Another and which I suppose is his main design is to promote the Cause of a Commonwealth but remember it was objected against the late King James's Regulation that he imployed mean and unfit Persons in the Design and therefore it was generally concluded it would not succeed I am far from thinking that J. T. is imployed by the bulk of the Commonwealth Party whatever he may be by a few but this I think I may venture to say That his Management and Concern will add no Reputation to their Cause If the advancement of Socinianism and Immorality and an unlimited Toleration to Heresies of all
scarely thank him for this Vindication of the â—…resbyterians That the Fact of cutting of King Charles I. was not Theirs Nor will it be very easie for him to reconcile those two Positions That the Presbyterians were the King 's mortal Enemies and yet angry at his Death They that know the History of those Times are not ignorant that the Presbyterians whilst they had any Interest in the Parliament or Army always expressed themselves with Honour of the King's Person and that they Voted his last Concessions a sufficient Ground to Treat with Him and were altogether against his Trial and Death as having taken Arms for the Defence of their Liberties and Religion and not the Destruction of their Prince But J. T 's Friends the Independents and Anabaptists had other Designs in view nothing less than his Blood could pave the Way to their projected Anarchy in Church and State And therefore as J. T. says himself in the History of Standing Armies which he is proud to have thought his Oliver who was the Head of the Faction came into the Parliament-House with an armed Force behaved himself like a mad Man turn'd them out of Doors and modell'd the House according to his own Mind or to this Effect Page 77. He discovers the Plot and the Reason of aâ—…l this invenom'd Malice against the Presbyterians viz. Because they warmly joined with others the last Parliament to promote Penal Laws against the Socinians and therefore says he finds few People will believe that those in England differ from their Brethren in Scotland about Persecution nor that their own sufferings of late have made them more tender to the Consciences of others This naturally leads Men to think that they have not repented of their Rigour in the Civil Wars and that should the Dissenters once more get the Secular Sword into their Hands they would press Uniformity of Sentiments in Religion as far as any other Protestants or Papists ever yet have done witness their inhumane Treatment of Daniel Williams a sober Man and judicious Divine for no Cause that I can discern but that he made Christianity plainer than some of his Collegues in the Ministry This is Bogtrotters Sense and Gratitude twisted together This is J. T 's Reward to the Presbyterians for maintaining him at his Studies beyond Sea and as profound Sense as ever was spoke in Teagueland Every Body knows that 't was the Independents that treated Mr Williams in that barbarous manner and that it was the Presbyterians who did then and do still espouse Mr. William's Cause And therefore to argue from this Passage That the Dissenters in General or Presbyterians in Particular are of a Persecuting Spirit is like the Admirable Wisdom of J. T 's Country-man who ask'd his Fellow Lackey By my Shoul dear Joy do ye think I shall overtake my Master's Coach before I come at it Such another proof of J. T 's Wit and Ingenuity we have Page 60. where he falls foul upon the Presbyterians because Mr. â—…aryl an Independent gave his Imprimatur to an Answer to Mr. Milton's Book about Divorce Yet this is the mighty Man that sets up for Reformer General of Church and State tho' some are of Opinion that he is fitter to teach his Country-men to gut Oysters VVe must follow him a little too beyond Tweed but shall first take Notice of another Bogtrotting Trip Page 75. He tells us That he hopes the Bulk of those now called Presbyterians in England some few leading Men excepted are no such Enemies to a Toleration and that they understand no more of the Consisâ—…rian Clâ—…ssical or Synodical Judicatories than they allow of the Inquisition or Hierarchy Well first to admit thâ—…t the Bulk are no Enemies to a Toleration and then to except some few is a very good Irish Distinction But then again Page 78. He tells us That few will believe that the English Presbyterians differ from their Brethren in Scotland about Persecution so that here 's both Nonsense and Contradictions But we must pardon him his Passion was in a ferment upon the Remembrance that Aikenhead one of his Brethren in Blasphemy was hang'd by the Presbyterians in Scotland some time ago and therefore he Vows Revenge upon the whole Bulk of those of that Name in both Nations That you may the better judge whether the Scotch Presbyterians deserve the Character of Persecutors or not for hanging that Fellow I shall give you an Account of what was prov'd upon him at his Trial as follows viz. That he denied the Existence of a Deity maintaining that God Nature and the World were the same thing that Divinity and the Doctrine of Christianity was a Rhapsodie of fansied and ill-invented Nonsense patch'd up partly of the Moral Doctrines of Philosophers and Poetical Fictions and Extravagant Chimera's He call'd the Old Testament Ezra's Fables saying That Ezra was the Inventer thereof He affirmed the New Testament to be the History of the Impostor Jesus Christ who he said had learn'd Magick in Egypt by which he made the Ignorant believe he wrought Miracles He also cursed our Holy Saviour and did affirm That the Doctrine of Redemption by Jesus Christ was a proud and presumptuous Device and that the Inventers thereof are damned if after this Life there be either Reward or Punishment He likewise affirmed That if ever there was such a Man as Moses he was a Magician and Impostor also and preferred him and Mahomet as having more Skill in their Arts as he termed it than the blessed Jesus He said That he hoped to see Christianity much weakned and that he was consident in a short time it would be utterly extirpated Now let any Man judge whether such a Monster of Blasphemy deserved to live and what sort of a Man J. T. is who is so angry at the Scots Presbyterians for hanging that Wretch and at the English Presbyterians for concurring last Sessions of Parliament to have Penal Laws enacted against Socinians whose Doctrine overturns the very Foundation of Christianity This gives me ground to suspect That J. T has indeed more than ordinary Reason to be concerned at the Fate of that Scotch Blasphemer for if he durst freely speak out his Mind P. 91. He seems to Ballance mightily towards Aikenhead's Opinion That the New Testament is a Forgery for there he tells us from the Instance of Eicon Basilicé That he ceases to wonder any longer how many supposititious Pieces under the Name of Christ his Apostles and other great Persons should be publish'd and approv'd in those Primitive Times I confess my self to be but slenderly Vers'd in Antiquity and therefore the discovery of my Ignorance in that Point is the more pardonable but at the same time I must needs say That I don't remember of any supposititious Piece alledg'd upon our Saviour his Answer to Abgarus's Letter excepted I know that the Divine Authority of the Epistle to the Hebrews of the Revelations and others have been objected against by some
Murder of King Charles and that he who reviles Church-of England-Men Presbyterians and Independents nay all that prosess Christianity in general Socinians excepted with so much freedom is as fit to be treated with Contempt as he that wrotâ—… against the Rump Parliament especially when they consider the Learning and Reputation of Salmasius and how much Inferior J. T 's Character is to his in every Respect and that as I have said already he is engaged in a Party who prefer Mahometism to the Christian Religion as establish'd in this Nation which gives but too Just Cause to suspect the Truth of that Saying formerly charg'd upon him That he hop'd to be at the Head of as Great a Sect as ever Mahomet was and in truth it were no loss to this Nation if he were sent as a Present to the Grand Signior to see whether the Mahometans think fit to make him their Mufti For I am of Opinion he will scarcely according to Mahomet's Example be able to deceive any rich Man's Wife to forsake her Husband and furnish him with Money for advancing his Heresie in this Nation His loose Doctrine about dissolving of Marriage whâ—…n he shall be pleas'd to think the Match unsit or to accuse his Wife of Indisposition c. is a good Caveat for our English Women not to trust him nor do I hear that he is in any Condition to come to a good Composition with them for Damages in such a Case as he proposes p. 56. There are many other things in this pretended Life that deserve a Remark as his Vanity and Affectation in mixing his own Thoughts and Commenâ—…s fâ—…sooth throughout the whole his â—…ulsome Flatterie of many Gentlemen now a'ive whom he pulls into his Narratiâ—… By Head and Shoulders some of whom I am satisfied don 't thank him for his Commendation his new fangled way of denying the ordinary Title of Mr. which the Civility of England prefixes to the Names of any Gentlemen or others whom they design to treat with the least sort of Respect But this perhaps he hath done to please the Quakers many of whom are a sly and precise sort of Socinians all of which tho' but minute things may serve to discover his Foppâ—…shness and Affectation and that he is â—…itter to be contemned than any way regarded were it not that there are some Fools who admire him and perhaps some of a worse Character that support him as finding him a Tool fitted to thier purpose It were to wished that those in Authority did more narrowly Enquire after such Incendiaries it being no ways improbable that such Persons who by their Principles think Turks and Jews nearer to Salvation than Christians and allow themselves a Liberty to joyn with all Parties to carry on their Designs of bringing the Doctrines of the Trinity and Christ's Satisfaction into doubt as Leonardus Abbas Busalis Laelius Socinus Bernardinus Ochinus and about Forty others of the Italian Combination did about 1546. as we are inform'd by Wissowatius's Compend Biblioth Antitrin p. 18. It is no way improbable I say that such Persons may be set on by the Court of Rome it self to overturn the Reformation as well as Valentinus Gentilis and Servetus were discharged by them and suffered to publish their Blasphemies openly as soon as they understood that their design was to oppose Calvin as we are told in Luben Hist. Refor Polon This is so much the more probable that J. T. and those he can seduce are the loudest in their Clamours against the Administration of His present Majesty who is under God the chief Pillar of the Protestant Interest and therefore finding that it would be too bare-fac'd to attack him under an open Profession of Popery they now assume the Form of Socinians and would give themselves out for the chief Asserters of Liberty and Property To conclude Whatever J. T. may have quoted in his Life of Mr. Milton to favour a Liberty to the Socinians it 's hardly supposeable that any Nation truly Christian will ever suffer such poysonous Vipers to nestle among 'em as Compare the Mystery of the Trinity to the Aegyptian Hieroglyphicks say that the Mystery is foolish and their Hieroglyphical Language as false and contridictory as vain and trifling that the Doctrine of the Trinity is the very Genius and Spirit of the Old Mystical Hieroglyphicks that is to say partly foolish and partly false That what Cato said of the Roman Augurs is applicable to the Aâ—hanasian Doctors i. e. those who teach the Doctrine of the Trinity that tho' their Religion be established by Law warranted by Custom and Prescription for all that 't was a Cheat so gross and palpable that he could not but admire they were such stark Fools or such perfect Knaves that meeting they could carry a grave Look upon one another These are the handsome Reflections they make on the establish'd Religion in a Book call'd The Trinitarian Scheme p. 7. Then as to the Sacraments they treat them with a Contempt equally blasphemous and irreligious as may be seen in the Trinitarian Scheme consider'd Let a Man in Black say they sprinkle you with the Churches Water or give you a bit of Bread or a sup of Wine over which he hath pronounc'd the Wonder-working Words prescrib'd in Mother Churches Ritual tho' by Nature you are as bad as the Devil you shall be presently inclin'd to as much Good as will save you from Hell and qualifie you for Heaven else the Churches Incantation produces only a momentary Effect and a false Appearance of Good no less certainly I say than by tying the Norman Knot you may gain the Love of the Person you desire If a party that thus ridicules and blasphemes our Saviour and the Doctrines of the Gospel ought to be tolerated let the Christian World determine THE CHARACTER OF J. T. c. I Design'd to have made an end here but it coming into my Thoughts how much J. T. values himself upon the invective Characters of Men Books Sects Parties and Opinions which he hath scrap'd together in his pretended Life of Mr. Milton I thought it might not be disserviceable to repay him a little in his own Coin For his own Character it 's scarce worth the drawing yet any Man who has a good Faculty at describing Ignorance Impudence Ingratitude and Libertinism might go a great way towards it in a few Words and besides what may be prov'd from his Writings there 's Evidence enough to be found amongst his Acquaintance to instruct the Particulars So that if any Painter would be at the Pains to draw his Head and any Author bestow a few Minutes upon his Life it might serve as a Little Supplement to the next Edition of Râ—…s Pansebâ—…ia where if they pleas'd they might describe Ariâ—…s vâ—…iding his Bowels together with his stinking Heresies and J. T. licking them up at which Imployment I shall lâ—…ave him and take the Character of the Party whose Antâ—…-signanus he would seem
Gentilis and Servetus differed from one another in pretence at least as Calvin acquaints us in his Theological Tracts Gentilis taking special caâ—…e to clear himself as much as he could from the Suspicion of being a Favourer either of Arius or Servetus yet both of 'em held the Deity to be divided into three Essences We have heard before how Socinus and others differ'd about the Worshiping of Christ to which may be added that though they affect to be thought the great Masters of Reason and the Advocates of it they will not allow Reason to be sufficient in it self to discover that there is a God and yet they reject the Doctrine of the Trinity because they cannot comprehend it in their Reason The ascribing of Infinite Perfections to our Saviour who at the same time they will have to be a meer Creature and Przipcovius calling him God in a proper sense and by Nature and yet saying he was but a meer Man till after his Resurrection are as ridiculous Contradictions as any that are chargeable upon the Popish Doctrine of Transubstantiation George Blandatra differ'd so far from the rest of the Socinians and feigued an Agreement with the Calvinists so artfully that Calvin was much censured by the Reformed in Poland for charging him with Heresie and yet the Italian Church at Geneva complain'd of Blandatra at last for using fraudulent Methods to Poison the Vulgar People with his Opinions and at the same time the more effectually to propagate his Errors pretended a zeal for the Truth and subscrib'd the Confessions of the Calvinists while his intimate Companion was Alciatus who upbraided the Calvinists with Worshiping three Devils meaning the Three Persons which he said were worse than all the Popish Idols Calv. Ep. 257. Then as to our English Socinians they dont adhere to Biddle's Confession and Catechism no more than the Foreign Socinians do to that of Racovia which in the several Editions of it has had divers Important Alterations Socinus wrote a Treatise to prove that it was the Duty of every good Man to separate from the Assemblies of the Polish Protestants as from Persons too Impious to be Communicated with and to join themselves to the more holy Assemblies of those falsly and undeservedly as he said call'd Arrians Yet our English Socinians can Communicate with all sorts and profess they join sincerely in Communion with the Church of England but Independantly on any Faction and that they place not Religion in Worshiping God by themselves as appears by their Books called the Trinitarian Scheme Considered and some Thoughts upon Dr. Stil Vindication c. And at the same time while they pretend to entertain Communion with the Church of England they oppose the very First of her Articles about the Trinity Some of them again profess sincerely to believe that God is truly Omniscient and forseeth all Events how Contingent soever they may be to us as in the Consideration on the Explication of the Trinity p. 32. Others of 'em again think that it is more dishonourable to God to be the Author of all the Sin and Wickedness that ever was or ever will be in the World which they falsly charge as the necessary consequence of his Prescience than to deny his Fore-knowledge as may be seen in The Desence of the Reasonableness of Christianity against Mr. Edwards p. 18. compared with The Considerations on the Explication of the Trinity pag. 32. Biddles Confession p. 21. 22. Argues strenuously for the Personallity of the Holy Ghost but the Brief History of the Unitarians Sect. 1. p. 7. denys it and says he is only call'd so by the same Figure of Speech that describes Charity as a Person Thus it is evident that they cannot agree among themselves tho' like Herod and Pilate they agree in destroying the Foundations of Christianity The last thing I shall take notice of is that their Principles have a direct Tendency to Introduce Atheism or at least Paganism This was observ'd of them of Old by Bisterfield in his Dispute against Crellius De Uno Deo Lib. 1. Sect. 2. Cap. 18. And will be evident if we consider 1. That the Author of Answer to the Lord Bishop of Worcester's Sermon p. 5. Ridicules the Eternity of God thus That to say a Person or Thing was from its self implies this Contradiction That it was before it was and adds I am sorry an Eternal God must be a Contradiction It 's true that herein he Contradicts Socinus Crellius and others in their Institution of the Christian Religion where they say God hath from himself a Divine Empire over us and that his Nature and whatever else is proper to the Supreme God he receiv'd from himself but then we see that ouâ—… â—…glish Socinians are worse than they 〈◊〉 have made further advances towards Atheism for if God be not Eternal and from himself he must be Finite and owe his Being to another which makes him no God at all 2. If in the next place it be observ'd That Crellius Smalcius and Socinus deny God's Immensity Circumscribe his Essence within the Heav'ns deny his Omnipresence the Infinity of his Essence his Prescience and Omniscience as may be seen in Socin Frag. Catech. Tom. 1. p. 685. Smalcius his Answer to Fran. David Tom. 2. p. 735. Socinus his Theological Praelections c. 11. p. 549. which is in effect to Ungod him to give up the Cause to Atheists to overturn all Reveal'd Religion the Divine Authority of the Scriptures and to deny the Spirit of Prophecy in contradiction to common Sense as may be prov'd from these two Instances the 1st is that of the Jews whom we see every day with our Eyes to be a despicable hated Vagabond People according to what our Saviour foretold would befall them the other particulars of which as the Destruction of Jerusalem c. are exactly confirm'd to us by Josephus a Jew and other Historians Enemies to the Christian Name And the 2d is that of the Roman Antichrist the Seat of whose Dominion and the Nature of it was so exactly foretold above 1600 Years ago as it is now obvious to our Senses Then again they pretend to believe a Trinity but cannot agree what it is Ruarus Przipcovius John Biddle and his Followers say there are Three Persons Socinus Sclichtingtius Crellius and the greatest part say there are but Two The Holy Ghost is according to them One of the Three but not a Person nor God nor a Creature They own that is a thing truly Divine and Eternal but yet not God as may be seen in Sclichtingius against Meisner p. 694. And Ostorodius in his Controversie with Tradelius says It is neither God nor a Creature as Graâ—…erus informs us Pol. Sacr. p. 635. Then let any Man judge whether their Scheme be not full of Mysteries and Contradictions can there be any Medium betwixt a Created and an Uncreated Being Can the Holy Ghost be Eternal and Divine and yet not God Can
a deriv'd Omnipotence such as they alledge that of our Saviour's is be enough to make a meer Creature as they esteem him a true God And is not an Eternal and Increated Omnipotence which they ascribe to the Holy Ghost sufficient to make him God Are not these Contradictions plain and evident And have not those Masters of Reason as they love to be call'd justly forfeited all Right of Pretension to it when they would impose Mysteries and Contradictions of their own Inventing upon the Wâ—…ld and yet reject Mysteries of Divine Revelation because they are above their Reason Thus Sir you see what sort of Men they are whom J. T. hath rais'd Mr. Milton from his Grave to Patronize and Plead for This is a New Socinian Invention to make the Name of so great a Man subservient to their Cause You have heard they can turn themselves into all Shapes and Sizes of Religion in order to overturn the whole and now they have put on the disguise of true Patriots for our Liberty in order to Cheat us of Christianity But seeing God hath put it into the Heart of his Majesty and the Parliament to put a stop to this impetuous Current of Atheism by strengthning Old and proposing New Laws against Blasphemy it 's hoped they will not be able with all their Subtilty to give any diversion to that good design We have had already too good Proof of the Usefulness of our Laws for preserving our Religion to be prevented by idle and crafty Outcries of Persecution from guarding it further that way It 's an ordinary saying in the Mouths of that Party that all Religion Establish'd by Civil Sanction is Persecution which is Ridiculous iâ—… not Blasphemous The Jewish Religion which was Revealed by God himself was Establish'd by Civil Sanction and the Magistrates were thereby impowr'd to put to Death those that turn'd away to Idolatrie yea Nature it self was laid under a Force in that Case for the very Parents of the Idolaters were obliged to Condemn them and to lay their Hands first upon them in order to Execution Deut. 13. 6 7 8. It is not to be doubted but many of the poor Heathens follow'd their Idols out of Conscience nay it is certain they did so for the Apostle tells us 1 Cor. 8. 7. that some People eat with Conscience of the Idol but that Plea was not regarded by God in Apostates at least Nor ought it to be regarded now they have better and clearer means of informing their Consciences now than then but if they be perverse and obstinate the Maxim holds good pertinaciae nullum Remedium posuit Deus Their Objection that the Christian Religion propagated and preserved it self at first without the Sanction of Laws and in a time of Persecution will no more argue against Christian Nations providing for the security of their Religion by Law than the Increase of the Israelites and â—…heir Religion in Egypt argues against their raising a Fence of Laws about it when they came to be settled in the Land of Canaan I have already hinted that Kings and Queens are promis'd to be Nursing Fathers and Mothers to the Church of Christ in the Times of the Gospel that the Church her self is ordered to reject Hereticks and throw them out of her Communion and therefore by natural Reason it will follow that the Christian Magistrate ought to make use of the Sword God hath put into his hand to prevent the disturbance of the Peace of the Church or the poysoning of her Children by Heretical Doctrine seeing they are Nurslings committed to his care by God himself and for whose sake if they neglect or abuse the trust committed to them he hath not only promised to reprove Kings Psalm 105. 14. but also to strike them through in the day of his Wrath Psal. 110. 5. of the accomplishment of which there have been several instances in our own and other Nations of which the late K. James to name no more is a living Monument It cannot be denied but theLaws which we had got enacted by the Providence of God prov'd the chief Instruments to preserve our Religion against the Efforts of the Papists and therefore no just reason can be assign'd why we should not especially now that we have a Prince who invites us to it enact Laws in the same manner to secure it from the danger of being overturn'd by Socinians Deists and Atheists This will not at all countenance or approve the practise of enacting and executing Laws against those who may differ from the National Establishment in things which the Imposers own to be indifferent and for which no Divine Institution can be produced In such Cases the Lord Jesus Christ who is K. of his Church and God over all blessed for ever hath by the mouth of his Apostles commanded a forbearance Rom. 14. and therefore the opposite Conduct is an Invading of God's Throne and a Rebellion against Heaven We have a plain and a positive Law giv'n us as to that matter But the Case is otherwise as to those who bring in damnable Heresies and deny the Lord that bought them or teach Doctrines tending to a dissolution of manners as J. T. seems evidently to do in his Book now in Question and therefore Sir it 's hop'd that you will use your Interest in Parliament to promote such Laws as his Majesty and the rest of our Representatives shall think meet to prevent the growth of such dangerous Opinions He owes his advancement to the Throne and the Establish of it to his Zeal for the Christian Religion in opposition to Antichristian Idolatry and it must be own'd as a grateful Retribution that he shews himself equally Zealous against Blasphemy and Profaness In the Prosecution of which may the Son of God who thought it no Robbery to be accounted equal with the Father strengthen his Hands and those of the Great Council of the Nation now in Parliament assembled I am Sir Your very humble Servant FINIS