Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A54123
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Considerations moving to a toleration and liberty of conscience with arguments inducing to a cessation of the penal statues against all dissenters whatever, upon the account of religion : occasioned by an excellent discourse upon that subject publish'd by His Grace the Duke of Buckingham / humbly offered to the Parliament at their next sitting at Westminster.
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Penn, William, 1644-1718.
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1685
(1685)
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Wing P1269; ESTC R32175
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9,608
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22
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on Record In his Declaration from Breda April 1660. We do declare says he a Liberty to Tender Consciences and that no Man shall be disquieted or called in Question for differences in Opinion in the matters of Religion which doth not disturb the Peace of the Kingdome and that We shall be ready to consent to such an Act of Parliament as upon mature deliberation shall be offered to us for the full granting of that Indulgence In his Declaration Dated October 1660. We do again renew what we have formerly said in our Declaration from Breda for the Liberty of Tender Consciences That no Man shall be disquieted or called in Question for differences in Opinion in matters of Religion which do not disturb the Peace of the Kingdom and if any have been disturbed in that kind since our Arival here it hath not proceeded from any direction of ours At the opening of the Parliament on the Eighth of May 1661. I do Value my self much upon keeping my Word and upon making good whatsoever I Promise to my Subjects Again in his Speech to both Houses on July the 8th 1661. It is to put my self in Mind as well as you that I I think so often as I come to you mention to you my Declaration from Breda and let me put you in mind of another Declaration Published by your selves about the same time which I am perswaded made mine the more effectual an Honest Generous and Christian Declaration Signed by the most Eminent Persons that had been the most Eminent Sufferers in which you Renounced all former Animosities and Memory of former unkindnesses And my Lords and Gentlemen let it be in no Mans Power to charge Me or You with the breach of our Words or Promises which can never be a good Ingredient for our future Security Again in his Declaration of Decem. 1662. Concerning the Non performance of our Promises we well remember the very words from Breda viz. we Remember well the Confirmations we have made of them since upon several occasions in Parliament and as all these things are still fresh in our Memory so are we still firm in the Resolution of performing them to the full And further We do still conceive our selves so far engaged both in Honour and what we owe to the Peace of our Dominions which we Profess we can never think secure whilst there shall be a colour left to the Malitious and Disaffected to Inflame the Minds of so many Multitudes upon the score of Conscience with despair of ever obtaining any effect of our Promises for their Ease After all we have his Indulging Declaration indeed for fulfilling all his Promises and puting an end to a preceding violent Prosecution of the Act against Conventicles March 1672. It being Evident by the sad experience of Twelve Years that there is little Fruit of all those forcible courses we think our selves obliged to make use of that Supream Power which is not only Inherent in us but hath been declared and Recognized to be so by several Statutes and Acts of Parliament and therefore do now accordingly Issue out this our Declaration for the quieting the Minds of our good Subjects in these points for Inviting of Strangers in this Conjuncture to come and Live under us and for the better Incouragement of all to a chearful following their Trade and Callings from whence we hope by the blessing of God to have many good and happy advantages to our Government There are many Gracious Sayings here might be added upon this which the late King uttered in return to the Ministers who brought him the Thanks of several Counties for this his Declaration fit to be Recorded as of extraordinary kindness but seeing it hath pleased the Divine Providence to take him from us who should have made them good I am content they be Interred with him The Words of our present Soveraign are I am sure of more concernment now to us which as they make all this which is brought to be material and for which the whole Nation is Addressing him with their Thanks among whom I know no cause why I may not bring also my oblation must not be omitted Since it hath pleased Almighty God to place me in this Station and I am now to succeed so Good and Gracious a King as well as so very kind a Brother I think it fit to declare to you That I will endeavour to follow his Example and most especially in that of his Clemency and Tenderness to his People Then after Five Days Ananias the High Priest descended with the Elders and an Orator Named Tertullus who when he was called forth spake thus Seeing that by thee we enjoy great Quietness and that by thee very Worthy Deeds have been done to this Nation we accept it always and in all places most Noble Felix with all Thankfulness These are some Reasons among Multitudes that fly abroad for Toleration and they are no pick'd chosen ones but the most plain and obvious to the meanest Capacity such as I have catch'd up most easily from the Papers only of two ordinary Sedulous Men the one of them having had Publick Imployment about the Wool and Manufacture of the Nation and so is Versed in these things the other having got or kept such as these Publick Speeches by him and Collected these Passages to my Hand only I have changed their Stile and abbreviated them to avoid the baldness and Prolixity I will now add some Testimonies for the same thing out of an Author of another Character but I will name neither one nor other that I may not offend them or any body And these Testimonies which are Argumentum ab Authoritate shall be my Tenth and Last Consideration CONSIDERATION X. IT is not like in the Three first Centuries of the Church that any thing is to be found in the Christian writings for the use of the Sword in Religion whilst themselves were under it In the next ensuing we have Constantine Constantius Jovian Valentinian Valens Theodosius and after those Honorius and Arcadius may be cited for their larger Permissions especially towards the Jews by those that will be at the pains to do it In the Year 386 Idacius and Ithacius were condemned by the Gallican Bishops for being Authors of bringing the Priscillianists to Execution And St. Augustine no doubt with the Fathers generally are against any Sanguinary Laws in this matter Nullis bonis in Catholica Ecclesia hoc placet si usqus ad Mortem in quemquam Haereticum saeviatur Contra Or sconium lib. 3. cap. 50. Hence were they called Ithacians and held for Hereticks who maintained That those who erred in Religion ought to be put to Death And it is observed it was Dominick was the first that brought up the Fire among Christians upon that account Withdraw from them avoid them says the Scripture 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but not beat or Persecute them as the Heathens do says Ignatius For it is an unheard of strange