contrary to their humours and designes that each different Partie endeavours to establish Now that this may not be rejected as a slandering designe onely to make you odious to Authoritie as is commonly objected there are severall Reasons at least strong conjectures that seeme highly to enforce the formentioned Charge I am willing to conclude and shall therefore give you my notions in grosse leaving the Analysis to your acuter Judgements There are you know such things in the world as a Jus Divinum of some one Forme of Government and a Solemne League and Covenant both which as being directly contrary to your pretended Toleration had I but the leysure or ability to improve them might easily be resolved into Volume of Arguments But leaving this performance if occasion shall require to the management of some abler Pen permit me very calmely to beg your Resolution to this following Proposall Were you in the same Condition i. e did you enjoy the same encourageing Circumstances that your Adversaries the true Sons of the Church of England through Gods great mercy and the Indulgence of a gratious Prince are at present favoured with then lay your hands upon your breasts and tell me as in the Presence of the great God that shall judge the world Whether would you then indulge either Person or Parties that should dissent from your established Discipline be it Presbyterian or Independent or any other whatsoever e. g. Whether would you then permit that Minister to preach publickly that should read the Service of our Church weare a Surplisse use the Crosse in Baptisme Kneel at the Sacrament c and not onely so but the utmost of whose endeavours should be employ'd in perswading others to the like practices telling them that the contrary by you observed was irreverent and undecent and therefore of all good Christians to be loath'd and abhorr'd I say tell me plainly Is it fit to grant a Toleration and Indulgence to such a Person or no if not then even your selves being judges neither is it fit to Tolerate you since your Principles and Practices are as distant from his I mean the true Son 's of the Church of England as his from yours as destructive to his as his to yours and it is unreasonable says the defender of the London Ministers Letter to the Assembly that Independents should desire that Ant. Tolerat p. 16. Toleration from Presbyters which they would not give to Presbyters so say I it is unreasonable that Independents Presbyters or any other Sect should desire that Toleration from Episcopacy which they would not grant to Episcopacy For with what face can I desire a courtesie from him to whom I do openly professe I would deny the same Courtesie But now if you take the other member of the Contradiction and say you would tolerate the foremention'd Person supposeing him otherwise of a quiet and peacable temper let me then desire you further to resolve me Are you perswaded That the Church of England requires any thing Sinfull as the condition of her Communion or not if you say shee does not I am no little troubled to mention it but there 's no evasion I must plainly tell you you are no better then downright Schismaticks for Schisme in the proper notion of it is nothing else but a causeles Separation from that part of the visible Church of which we were members now there is no sufficient cause for such Separation but * Vnless there be something which is sinfull required as the Condition of our Communion it appears to me to be Schisme to withdraw our selves Def of Propos p. 91. Sin it being the judgement of our best writers upon that Controversie that nothing else could warrant our Separation from Rome but this that she required as Conditions of her Communion somewhat in fide erroneous or in facto impious But if you are perswaded and some of you have declared it that she does require something which is sinfull as the Condition of her Communion then the Case is cleare the Make falls of and I have finished my Taske for since all Sin is confessedly the object not only of our hatred and aversation but also of totall extirpation it being every ones duty not only to avoid Sin himselfe but by all lawfull waies and methods to hinder its Commission in others I shall humbly leave it to his most sacred Majestie and the Wisdome of the Parliament to Consider VVhether it be either Religion or Policie to tolerate those Persons or Parties which are perswaded in their Consciences that it is a necessarie incumbent Dutie not onely to hate and detest but also by all those waies and methods which they themselves shall think lawfull to weaken alter extirpate the settled Government of the Church the which Alteration what influence it may have upon the State and how Destructive it may prove to his Majesties Crown and Kingdomes I hope it is no breach of the Act of Oblivion to tell you the experience of late years hath suggested a very fatall conjecture FINIS THE CONTENTS The Preface The Author no scoffer at Religion p. 2. The Occasion of this work 5. The Author dissatisfied about Toleration 7. Toleration is unpracticable 8. The petitioners for Tol scarce intelligible in their Proposals 9. The Testimonies of twenty eminent Divines against Toleration 11. Particularly Mr. Ash 50. Dr. Corn Burgess 15. Mr. Baxter 37. Mr. Calamy 33. Mr. Case 28. Mr. Cranford 51. Mr. Edwards 53. Mr. Good 23. Mr. Hardwick 26. Mr. Horton 39. Mr. Hughes 32. Mr. Lightfoot 31. Mr. Newcomen 42. Mr. Reyner 28. Mr. Salwey 27. Mr. Seaman 41. Mr. Thorowgood 24. Mr. Vines 49. Mr. Ward 19. Mr. Watson 31. A Letter of the Presbyterian Ministers in the City of London to the Assembly against Toleration 61. The Judgement of King James and his Privy Councill against Toleration 71. The Votes and Reasons of this present Parliament against Toleration 75. Conclusion A serious reflection upon the Premises 81. 'T is not Tol but Reformation that N. C. intend 82. The Reasons which caused the Author so to think 83. A Proposall which N. C. are desired to resolve ib. N. C. are Schismaticks 85. A very humble Address to his Majesty and the Parliament 86
the most part odious I think it might easily appear without disparagement be it spoken That there are as Honest Religious Zealous good men that have willingly and chearfully submitted to the Church of England as the best of them all that have oppos'd the same Our Pious-Fore-fathers to whom under God we owe the purity of our Religion and some of which embrac'd a Stake had more moderate apprehensions then the present Generation For when the Tyranny of the Church of Rome had forc'd them to a Separation and that in Obedience to God who commands us neither to believe Lies nor to commit Sin neither of which they could avoid by continuing in Communion with her though they left many of her Ceremonies the number of them being great and burthensome yet they thought fit to retain some others of them and that for Order and Decency in the Service of God If it be replyed as usually it is That the Reformation being carried on by those that were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 made of the same Clay and subject to the like passions with others was at best but small and imperfect it being beyond the wit and power of Man either to foresee or remove all Inconveniences on a sudden and therefore that it was the Duty of After-Ages to perfect and complete what they had so happily begun by removing this Rubbish out of the House of God To this I Answer That the Topick of Reformation is too large for a short Preface and beyond my designe onely this by the by I wish that Protestants of whatsoever Perswasion would be more sparing in their Reflections upon our first Reformers for besides the advantage that is hereby given to the Romish Party we ought to consider That abuses are easier complain'd of then redress'd and possibly had the men of this Age been in their stead and under the same Circumstances I do much question if we may take an estimate by their late transactions whether they would have brought the work to so good an Issue as through Gods Blessing they then did But no more of this T is sufficient for my present purpose That since the cause of their Separation from Rome was to avoid her Pollutions 't is evident That these Ceremonies which they thought fit to retaine were in their Judgment no part of them or any other way unlawful the which if my dissenting Brethren will but grant not to talke now off their inexpedience of which neither they nor I must be Judges as it is a fair step to end our Differences so it hence avoidably follows That if some pious men have refus'd the Ceremonies others of as great piety have Conform'd to them if some Learned have disputed others as Learned have defended which may for ever Silence that Branch of the Objection viz. The Learning and Piety of their Parties Nor is there much more weight in that other part of the Objection drawn from their persecutions and sufferings which comes now to be considered A Pretence indeed very plausible and popular for besides its subtle Insinuations upon a natural score we being all obliged by that common bond of Humanity to compassionate those that are in any misery and trouble witness those usual resentments even for a Thief upon the Gallows it hath this farther advantage That wherever in Scripture the word Persecution is mentioned and that either with some Promise annex'd for the support of Gods people who otherwise might despond under such gloomy dispensations or of some Judgment denounced to restrain the fury of their Persecutors I say wheresoever such passages occur as they do frequently in holy Writ they have learned the Art by imposing upon a credulous Vulgar to make the World believe that they are those persecuted Saints for whom those promises are recorded and that all such persons as are any way employed though in Obedience to Authority to suppress them are Persecuting wretches on whom sooner or later all those Judgments threatned shall certainly be inflicted I shall not in the least offend them with any harsh Invectives such Reflections though some ease indeed to a burthen'd mind being very little to the Substance of a Cause but shall only beg their Patience and Charity whilst I endeavour to undeceive them by assuring them in plaine English what without Repentance they will one day find true That they are not Persecuted as Saints but punished as Malefactors And this I shall through Gods assistance undenyably prove in this Method 1. By fixing the Notion in laying down a clear and distinct definition of Persecution 2. By considering how far those present Sufferings to which our Nonconformists are obnoxious do agree with it or differ from it Persecution for Religion for of such onely I now treat may not unfitly be thus described T is an eager violent inflicting of outward temporal Evils for the exercise of true Religion I call it eager violent inflicting so the Lat. c i. e. continue seu continuato motu sequor inimico affectu insequor continuò assidue quaero Mart. Lex Philolog Persequor and the Gr. d i. e. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hesychius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do fully denote they both signifie so to follow as a Hunter doth his Prey who pursues it till he takes it But because these terms eager and violent do only agree to one sort of Persecution viz. That which is furious and rageing it being sometimes more mild and moderate and since definitions do express the nature but not the degree of the thing defined as when we define Calor we take no notice of it in summo I shall therefore omit these words eager and violent and then the definition I suppose unquestionably stands thus Persecution is an inflicting of outward temporal Evils for the exercise of true Religion Outward temporal Evils either upon the Body as Banishment Imprisonment Tortures Death or upon the Estate as Pecuniary Mulcts confiscation of Goods or upon Reputation and good Name as Slanderings Revilings Reproachful Speeches For the exercise of true Religion which is the Ratio formalis the Constitutive difference whereby Persecution is distinguished from all other violences whatsoever For let the greatest Reproaches and Indignities usher in the most exquisite Tortures and those be concluded by a Death as cruel as the utmost Malice on Earth or Fury in Hâ—ll can contrive yet unless these Tortures be eo nomine inflicted for the sake and cause of Religion we may call them merciless inhumane unnatural Cruelties or any such like name as can most fitly express them but not Persecution By Religion that I may yet more fully explaine the Definition I mean the Worship of God by true Religion the worshipping of him according to his Will the which Will though heretofore variously delivered and in different Dispensations yet those extraordinary ways of Conveyance being now ceased it hath pleased the Goodness and Wisdom of God to deliver in Writing by the Ministry of the Prophets and
conscientia liganda then ligat but certainly the Devil in the Conscience may be nay he must be bound or else you act not according to that vigour that Christ hath put into your hands nor according to that exactness that Christ requireth at your hands It is true indeed which is so much talked of that Christ alone must reign in the Conscience but it is as true also that he doth so by the Power that he hath put into the hands of the Magistrate as well as by his word and spirit c M. Thom Watson before the Com Decem 27. 1649. p. 17. Lond. Printed for Ra Smith at the Bible in Cornhil 1649. If Conscience be a sufficient plea the Papist will come in for a Childs part Conscience must have a Rule it binds only virtute praecepti by virtue of a precept If Conscience goes against the Word Deponenda est talis Conscientia Get conscience better informed a M. Hughes Serm. before the Com May 26. 1647. p. 34. Lond. Printed for John Roth well at the Sun fountain in Pauls Chyard I must say that the Toleration of all things must be a destructive Principle to the State or Church where ever it be allowed Experience hath shewed us no less in Kingdoms and Churches Called by Gods name These are only suggested which need a larger Treatise to state fully Ye Servants of Christ take heed of yeelding to the pretences of Conscience the Devil and not Christ hath his Throne there And no stronger hold for him than Conscience if he once take it Christ will not suffer him to shelter there therefore ye may not so much as in you lieth Doe not other States as some of the united Provinces Dub. tolerate all these Heresies and protect them and yet they prosper who more I desire not to deal with other States unless I might do Sol. them good I am now only called to our own yet others being made exemplary a word in soberness and truth may not offend I suggest only these thoughts 1. Can any man say that prosperity is a sign peculiar unto Truth then let Rome come in and speak more than any for outward prosperity 2. Are not spirituall wickednesses as odious to God as carnall and are not these Heresies such which God condemnes as works of the flesh inconsistent with the Kingdome of Christ 3. Hath God made an end yet of visiting Nations for the sinnes of them when God hath done judging were a better time to urge this Example then now I pray God the evill day may not overtake those States the good Lord cause the Cup of trembling to pass by them and purge their iniquities peaceably But I am pressed in Spirit to say God hath not spared such State Polities which have sought their own rise by the ruine of God and his Truth Witness Jeroboam the Son of Nebat who made Israel to sin And he bids sin that doth not hinder Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet Sen. it when he can Gods Truth my beloved and not mans example must be the Rule if Heresies yet must be let us mourn for what we cannot help it is a miserable necessity when not allowed it will be rejoycing in iniquity either for State or Church willfully to tolerate a M. Ed. Calamy Ser. before the Ld Mayor Jan. 14. 1645. p. 3. Though God hath given us glorious victories over our Enemies yet the Churches of Christ ly desolate Church-Reformation is obstructed Church-Discipline unsetled Church-Divisions increased The famous City of London is become an Amsterdam Separation from our Churches is countenanced Toleration is cryed up Authority lyeth asleep b Ser. before the Lords Dec. 25. 1644. p. 13. It would seem a wonder if I should reckon how many seperated Congregations or rather Segregations there are in the Citty what Churches against Churches c. the Lord Knows that I mention these things with a sad heart c ut supra p. 4. Divisions whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Politicall in Kingdomes Citties or Families are infallible causes of Ruine to Kingdoms Citties and Families d p. 14. Hereby the hearts of People are mightily distracted many are hindred from Conversion and even the Godly themselves have lost much of the power of Godliness in their lives I say the hearts of People mightily disturbed while one Minister preacheth one thing as a truth of the Gospel and another Minister Preacheth the quite Contrary with as much Confidence as the former a P. 17. If Divisions be so destructive to Kingdoms Cities and Families this reproveth those that are the Authors and Fomentors of these Divisions that are now amongst us These are the Incendiaries of England If he that sets one house on fire deserveth hanging much more they that set a whole Kingdom on fire If he that murders one man must be put to death much more he that Murders three Kingdoms Mark them saith the Apostle Rom. 16. 17. that cause divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which ye have Learned and avoid them Avoid them as the greatest enemies of England These are like the Salamander that cannot live but in the fire of contention These are of a Jesuiticall spirit And no doubt the heads and hands of the Jesuits are in all our Divisions b P. 33. Take heed of the Land-destroying opinion of those that plead for an illimited toleration of all Religions even of Turkisme Judaisme c. The Lord keep us from being poysoned with such an Error * This Text Mat. 12. 25. Every Kingdom divided against it selfe is brought to Desolation riseth up against it for it will divide a Kingdome against it self It will rend it in a thousand pieces It is a Doctrine directly contrary to your late Oath and Covenant A Doctrine that overthroweth all Church Government bringeth in Confusion and openeth a wide door unto all irreligion and Atheisme For at the same door that all false Religions comes in the true Religion will quickly get out and if it be as good for a man to live where nothing is lawfull as where all things are lawfull surely it is every way as uncomfortable to live where there are all Religions as where there is no Religion at all c P. 37. It is your Duty Right Honourable whom God hath betrusted with great Power to suppress these Divisions and Differences in Religion by your Civil Authority as farr as you are able least you are accessary unto them For God hath made you Custodes utriusque Tabulae Keepers not of the second Table only as some fondly imagine but of the First Table also and not only Keepers but vindices utriusque Tabulae Punishers also of those that transgress against either of them For you are the Ministers of God for good and Revengers to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Rom. 13. 4. and God hath deputed you for the Punishment of evill doers and for the
out fit proper Laws for advancement of Trade and Commerce After all this we most humbly beseech your Majesty to believe That it is with extream unwillingness and reluctancy of heart that we are brought to differ from any thing which your Majesty hath thought fit to propose And though we do no way doubt but that the unreasonable distempers of mens spirits and the many Mutinies and Conspiracies which were carried on during the late intervalls of Parliament did reasonably incline your Majesty to endeavour by your declaration to give some allay to those ill humours till the Parliament Assembled and the hopes of indulgence if the Parliament should consent to it especially seeing the pretenders to this indulgence did seem to make some titles to it by vertue of your Majesties Declaration from Breda Nevertheless we your Majesties most Dutifull and Loyall Subjects who are now returned to serve in Parliament from those severall parts and places of your Kingdome for which we are chosen Do humbly offer to your Majesties great VVisdome That it is in no sort advisable that there be any indulgence to such persons who presume to dissent from the Act of Uniformity and the Religion established For these Reasons We have considered the Nature of your Majesties Declaration from Breda and are humbly of Opinion That your Majesty ought not to be pressed with it any farther Because it is not a promise in it self but only a Gratious Declaration of your Majesties Intentions to doe what in you lay and what a Parliament should advise your Majesty to doe and no such Advice was ever given or thought fit to be offered nor could it be otherwise understood because there were Laws of Uniformity then in being which could not be dispensed with but by Act of Parliament They who do pretend a right to that supposed promise put the Right into the hands of their Representatives whom they chose to serve for them in this Parliament who have passed and your Majesty consented to the Act of Uniformity If any shall presume to say that a right to the benefit of this Declaration doth still remain after this Act passed It tends to dissolve the very Bonds of Goverment and to suppose a disability in your Majesty and the Houses of Parliament to make a Law contrary to any part of your Majesties Declaration though both Houses should advise your Majesty to it We have also considered the nature of the Indulgence proposed with reference to those consequences which must necessarily attend it It will establish Schisme by a Law and make the whole Goverment of the Church precarious and the Censures of it of no moment or Consideration at all It will no way become the Gravity or Wisdome of a Parliament to passe a Law at one Session for Uniformity and at the next Session the Reasons of Uniformity continuing still the same to passe another Law to frustrate or weaken the execution of it It will expose your Majesty to the restlesse importunity of every Sect or Opinion and of every single Person also who shall presume to dissent from the Church of England It will be a cause of increasing Sects and Sectaries whose numbers will weaken the true Protestant Profession so far that it will at least be difficult for it to defend it self against them And which is yet farther Considerable those Numbers which by being troublesome to the Government find they can arrive to an Indulgence will as their Numbers increase be yet more troublesome that so at length they may arrive to a generall Toleration which your Majesty hath declared against and in time some prevalent Sect will at last contend for an establishment which for ought can be foreseen may end in Popery It is a thing altogether without precedent and will take away all means of Convicting Recusants and be inconsistent with the Method and proceedings of the Laws of England Lastly it is humbly conceived that the Indulgence propos'd will be so far from tending to the peace of the Kingdom that it is rather likely to occasion great disturbance And on the contrary That the asserting of the Lawes and the Religion establish't according to the Act of Vniformity is the most probable means to produce a settled Peace and Obedience throughout your Kingdome Because the variety of Professions in Religion when openly divulged doth directly distinguish men into parties and withall gives them opportunity to count their numbers which considering the animosities that out of a Religious Pride will be kept on foot by the severall factions doth tend directly and inevitably to open disturbance Nor can your Majesty have any Security that the Doctrine or Worship of the severall Factions which are all governed by a severall Rule shall be consistent with the Peace of your Kingdome And if any persons shall presume to disturb the peace of the Kingdome We do in all humility declare That we will for ever and in all Occasions be ready with our utmost endeavour and Assistance to adhere to and serve Your Majesty according to our bounden Duty and Allegiance My Brethren I Have now given you my Authorities viz. 1. The private Testimonies of twenty eminent Divines 2. The publick Testimony of the Presbyterian Ministers in the City of London Synodically met at Sion Colledge 3. The Authority of that Wise and Learned King James and his Privy Councill 4. The Votes and Reasons of the Honourable Commons Assembled in this present Parliament All which I have designedly ranked in this method that observing the order of nature and beginning ab imperfectiori I might gradually ascend to that which is more perfect for such I think the Reasons of the House will be found to him that dares attempt them i. e. Impregnable and unanswerable I Know not how it fares with other men I am no judge of their honesty or Knowledge but I am sure as to me the premises have appeared so considerable I should think the world might suspect either my Intellectualls or Moralls were I not thus apprehensive of so convincing a Light My Brethren that I may deal freely with you I am perfectly amaz'd and I had almost said scandaliz'd that men so eminent for Learning so noted for Piety and if we may beleive themselves it being one of their grand Topickes for Indulgence so considerable for Policy I say that these men should so warmely concerne themselves for this Thing call'd Toleration which as I hope the premises have evinc'd is not onely destructive both to Church State but also which prudent men would a little consider so directly contrary to their former Principles Practices I am very unwilling to make any unpleasing Reflections but 't is the Language of the world and I am not yet instructed to confute it that it is not a Toleration however pretended as the most advantageous method that can at present be employ'd but a Reformation that is as sad experience hath explained it a totall Extirpation of what ever is