A Lamentable REPRESENTATION of the Effects of the present TOLERATION ESPECIALLY As to the increase of Blasphemy and Damnable Errours by the Liberty of Teaching and Printing of them to the great Damage of RELIGION and the provoking the Lord JESUS to destroy the present Government and to inflict Ruine and Desolation upon these NATIONS Together with a Proposal of some good Work for Christian Legislators Humbly laid at the feet of His Highness the Lord PROTECTOR and every Member of the High Court of PARLIAMENT By a Friend of true Reformation and his Native Countrey LONDON Printed by A. M. for Thomas Underhill at the Anchor and Bible in Pauls Church-yard 1656. TO His Highness OLIVER Lord PROTECTOR AND THE Knights Citizens and Burgesses convened in PARLIAMENT at Westminster High and mighty Sirs THese things hereafter following concern you above all men in the world the reward from God of good Laws against evil and for the promoting of goo shall be the Law makers besides their share in the common benefit of them The sin of not making good Laws against sin will be yours and all the sins that shall be committed by others for want of such Laws will be yours and therefore also a larger share in the common calamities ensuing if having oppâ—rtunity you notwithstanding on it the same And how often doth God punish a people for the sins of their Rulers How then can I hold my peace being convinced that to speak is my duty and yet love God You or my Countrey Almost every individual man of you when occasion is offereed being apart among your friends I presume approves of most of the things moved for in these papers Oh that God would keep those evil spirits out of your Assembly that may hinder you being met together to speak them thrice over into a Law that may be heard all the world over and that may sufficiently evidence that in England we have a Christian Protestant Protector and Parliament Certainly the sincere promoting of Christs interest is the surest bulwark to a Nation What Princes Governments People did God ever destroy but he upbraided them or might have done with falsness to him and his interest I move no for persecuting the Godly the Sons of Zion the Generation of the Righteous but for the punishment of apparent evil doers that are Gods and your enemies at least that they may be hindred from ruining the souls of others mention not small matters but such as consist not with Godliness in the same subject nor with the peace and welfare of Church or State Shall such be tolerated The Letter from the General meeting of Officers at James's to all the Souldiers Jan. 28. 1652. profess their desire of protection in worship to be given only to all the truly godly they plead for none else If the Laws against prophane swearing and Sabbath-breaking be good the you would do well to make Laws against other as great or greater breaches of the first Table or else repeal the former What shall what can men say or think if the Protector and Parliament meet and fit and rise and part without acting for Christ against Hell and Rome in such a time as this when the powers of both are set upon destroying us with damnable Doctrines and Divisions If holy Jewel Cartwright Raynolds Whitaker Perkins Preston Ball Dod Sibs of Old England and Cotton and Hooker of New should rise from the dead and see what abominations are allowed of in this Land with what a torrent Blasphemy Errour and Prophaneness runne over these Nations without any effectual controll they could not but question What men govern'd England of what Nation of what â—eligion they were of And what was become of the children of those who through their Ministry were principled with sound Judgments and Zeal for God Most honoured Sirs Shall I fancy this attempt of mine bold and dangerous No for it's Duty and service to you However I conceive a man is not capable of suffering in a better Cause I have great hopes that the great God in whose hands are the hearts of Kings and Rulers is so dealing with the heart of the Lord Protectors Highness and the members of the Parliament that they will not speak a word for the interest of the grand enemies of mankinde but readily own and promote any motion that so nearly tends to the advancement of the Interest of Christ to the furtherance of the Gospel And that God hath brought you together at this time to be the repairers of our breaches Blessed be God for the great mercies his people enjoy under and by means of the present Government The Lord incline you to make up what is wanting I have not let a word fall of disapproving your joyning together as one in acting for the Civil Welfare of the present Government and of these Nations against all the enemies thereof whether domestick or forreign My fear of Gods blasting all such endeavours if these greater things be neglected put me upon this attempt I pray unto God that you may approve your selves Nursing Fathers to his people under you and that you may not suffer wicked Nurses pretending to be feeders of Souls to give them poyson in stead of the sincere milk of the Word Your Remembrancer at the throne of Grace U.T. A Lamentable Representation of the Effects of the present TOLERATION I Am not ignorant or insensible how strange the thoughts and different the expectations of men will be at first sight concerning the Contents of these few following pages But I am not in the least solicitous how to please any but profit all I come not with the fictions of distempered brains or to promote any of the parties of this divided Age but in the words of Truth and plainness to propound matter of Universal concernment to all the Inhabitants of these three Nations of England Scotland and Ireland who have any love to the Kingdom of Christ on Earth and have any hopes of being received into his Kingdom of heaven that have any bowels of affection towards the souls of their Countreymen or the little children of their loyns especially the great ones The Lord Protector the Parliament the Councel of State and the Commanders of the Army all that are not given up to such ignorance and heedlesness in observance as not to see the present evils and the danger we are in of Gods destroying us or that like Gallio regard not these things O that they would consider what a lamentable Condition these Nations are in not only in respect of the present evils that are upon us but also of the symptoms of utter ruine to the present Government the Laws of the Land and true Christianity it self besides some sweeping plague or other from the hand of an angry God upon so wicked a people and set themselves every man in his place to stand in the gap to keep off the miseries that are coming upon us Who of us can plead ignorance of
hurt by them And if I should have set down the Names and Contents of every Popish blasphemous and otherwise ungodly Books that hath come abroad within these two last years it would make this Representation too large either for me to write or any man to reade that hath not more time or business of less concernment than my self or those to whom it is chiefly intended They publish their Blasphemies and Errours in printed Pamphlets which they disperse all these Lands over in such abundance as is incredible almost every week bringing forth several Chapters of an Anti-Bible much worse than the Turkish Alcharon which probably are printed or paid for after they are printed by a General Bank for such is the contrivance that those that are sold are sold cheaper than Books ever used to be sold these many years and many hundreds if not thousands of many of them given away and left at houses by Agents which they have in every County to perform both the one way of dispersing and the other by sale and gift with indefatigable diligence suitable enough both to the Devotion and Policy of the Grand Juncto of Jesuites who we may rationally judge as they project and counsel these courses so do they like well these proceedings and say Ha ha so would we have it I do not doubt but it can be proved that this last year there came forth in Print two Books every week one with another that are either Blasphemous Heretical Seditious or Obscene having a direct tendency to un Christian and uncivilize all the Youth of the Land besides many Popish Books and supposing that but a thousand of a sort were printed as no doubt we may allow so many to each Impression for though it may be but five hundred of some of them were printed yet fifteen hundred of others of them and some of them have been printed two or three times the number then of such Books as were printed this last year amounts to 104000 which is twice the number of what Bibles have been sold in that time in all these three Nations And by this were there no other demonstration it is manifest that the increase of Quakers and other Antichristian and Anti-magistratical persons is very great and no less is the danger from them which indeed is the greater by how much the less they are feared or by how much the more they are slighted Can les be expected than open opposition by force of Arms to Magistracy and Ministry from such men when their number and advantages shall concur who generally so slight the one as not accounting it fit for so much honour as a Cap or Title of civil respect doth signifie and malign the other so much as the names of enemies of God Heathens Baals-Priests Murtherers Sorcerers Witches Conjurers Devils Aegyptians Sodomites Fire brands of Hell c. do imply The Books of the Quakers are so well known that any may easily be informed what their Opinions and Blasphemies are many of them as well as Socinians Seekers Levellers are set down in the Second Beacon Fired I shall only name the drift of one Book which came forth this Year 1656 and sold very much entituled A Cloud of Witnesses That Christ Jesus is the Word of God and not the Bible which is called the Scriptures made by Henry Clark and printed by Giles Calvert in which blasphemous Book there is a great shew of Argumentation managed with no small craft and subtilty to make out the thing undertaken also reviling and jeering the Ministers for calling it the word of God when they take their Text out of it or quote it for the proof of any thing they deliver The words of the Book are these Pag. 3. lin ult But the blinde Guides the Priests of England that preach for Tythes Hire Gifts and Rewards they do teach the people and say Hearken to the Word of the Lord as it is written in a Chapter and a verse Pag. 6. lin 28. Do not hearken any longer to the blinde Guides the Priests which crie Lo here Hearken to the word of the Lord saith one as it is written in the Chapter and the verse Lo here saith another Hearken to the Word of the Lord as it 's written in this Chapter and this verse See here saith one it is written in this Chapter and this verse See here saith another as it 's written in this Chapter and this verse But they are false Prophets riss up to seduce if it were possible the very Elect but saith Christ Go not forth believe them not the Kingdom of Heaven is within you the Law is written in the heart And with half an eye one may see the Spirit of Rome and Spain guiding this Authours paw which because it cannot deprive us of our Bibles here as it doth the people of those Dominions hath alwayes laboured by throwing lies and slanders upon it to work us to such a disesteem of it as voluntarily to disown it For Pag. 3. lin 32. he tels us That since the first giving of the Scriptures forth they have been translated by private Interpreters into many Languages and the many Languages have several Copies of their private Interpretations with some words added to and some words left out To these great evils may be added the Atheism Ignorance Prophaneness Beastiality Rebellion against Superiours of so great a part of the people in England both old and young farre exceeding the wickedness of former times which if let alone England will prove a fruitfull nursery of Traitors Murtherers Beggars Thieves and hereby we shall bring down wrath from Heaven upon the Land It is reported by our own Countreymen that have traveled in other Lands That England is by strangers noted to be as infamous for uncleanness as Venice it self The Causes of all this wrath of God poured out upon the Land for to be given up to such wickednesses or for a Land to be defiled with such abominations are judgements as well as sins is next to the policy of Hell and Rome The sins of the Land I. The sins of every individual person either in rejecting the Gospel and easie yoke of Christ despising his Embassadours or not being zealous in promoting Piety and Truth in our selves and others in opposition to lukewarmness and fond indulgence toward those over whom we have Authority or in whom we have any interest or not mourning for the sins of others which we could not prevent or in not being thankfull for mercies received both Personal and National and fruitfull in good works under the enjoyment of them Upon this occasion I shall name one famous mercy which I fear most men have not seriously laid to heart and been thankfull unto God for sure I am he hath been very little publickly praised though it was a publick mercy and as great a one to these Nations as the Deliverance from the Powder-plot After the late King was cut off and the long Parliament dissolved there
but cannot be proceeded against upon the said Ordinance which was precedent to the Act and intended by the Parliament to expire with it self Fifthly That although the said ordinance had not expired with the Parliament that made it Yet by the 38th Article of the Instrument of Government the same Ordinance is made and esteemed as null and void Jo. Norbury Moses Keling John Biddle SADLER This the Court having received adjourn'd the further Trial of the Cause untill the next Sessions after But two days before the said next Sessions his Highness the Lord Protector possibly upon the ground before specified by a special Order took him out of Newgate and sent him by a party of horse to the Isle of Silly where no doubt he is kept a prisoner IN the second place as to the Licentious Liberty of the Press it may be affirmed That there is no Law sufficient to prevent the Printing and Publishing of Blasphemous Heretical and Obscene Books which I shall make out as followeth After the Decrees of Star-Chamber for regulating of the Press were null'd the Lords and Commons put forth an Ordinance June 14th 1643. and therein ordained That no Book Pamphlet Paper or Sheet be Printed bound Stitcht or put to sale by any person or persons whatsoever unless the same be first approved of and Licensed under the hands of such person or persons as both or either of the Houses of Parliament shall appoint and in the same Ordinance did authorize certain persons to make diligent search in all suspected places for such scandalous unlicensed Books Papers Pamphlets and all other Books not entred in the Register-Book of the Company of Stationers or not signed with the Printers name and the same to seize and carry away to the Stationers-Hall there to remain at the dispose of both or either of the Houses of Parliament and to apprehend the persons imployed about them Afterward the Ordinance of Lords and Commons of Septemb. 28 1647. Ordained these penalties on the Makers Printers and Publishers of any Book Pamphlet Treatise Ballet Libel Sheet or Sheets of News except the same be Licensed viz. Upon the Maker 2lb or fourty dayes imprisonment Upon the Printer 1lb or twenty dayes imprisonment and the Presses to be broken in pieces The Bookseller 10â— or ten dayes imprisonment The Hawker or Pedler to lose all the Books and to be whipt Thus far the business grew better and better But Septemb. 20. 1649 the Parliament did enact That whoever shall Write Print Publish Sell or Uâ—ter or cause to be Made Printed or Uttered any Scandalous or Libellous Books Pamphlets Papers or Pictures whatsoever shall be punished viz. The Author 10lb or fourty dayes imprisonment The Printer 5lb or twenty dayes imprisonment and his Press broken in pieces The Bookseller 2lb or ten dayes imprisonment And repeals the penalties in the Ordinance 1647. Not at all enjoyning the Licensing of Books as the former Ordinances did except only new books concerning the Parliament and the Army The Differences between the former Ordinances of Parliament which are repealed and the Act of Septemb. 20. 1649. The Ordinances 1. Provided That nothing should be printed under a penalty that was not first Licensed 2. The Ordinance did appoint Licensers for all Books 3. The Ordinance made the not Licensing of a Book to be as a Judgement upon it that it was a breach of the Law to print it so that no man could plead ignorance 4. The Ordinance permitted no Books whatsoever to be printed untill Licensed though they had been entred though indeed none in those dayes were entred that were not first Licensed The Act. 1. The Act provides under a penalty that only no News-Books be printed without Licence 2. The Act appoints none for any but News-Books 3. The Act allows of the Printing and Publishing of any thing that shall not prove in the Judgement of the Councel of State or two Justices of Peace faulty so that it fals out often the Printer Bookseller or Writer of a Book cannot certainly tell whether his action in Writing Printing or Publishing of a Book be unlawfull untill it be so adjudg'd by the Councel of State or two Justices of Peace after the fault is committed 4. The Act permits all Books whatsoever to be printed if they be but entred in the Stationers Register-books without any Licence except News-books and accordingly Books are now entred and not Licensed Whence I infer 1. That there is no Law in force for the sufficient hindering of the Printing of Blasphemous Heretical and Scandalous Books If it be said That the Councel of State or the Justices mentioned in the said Act have power to hinder by judging a Book scandalous c. The Answer is It is acknowledg'd that they have but they will not they cannot leave their great imployments to repair to all Printing Houses every week or oftner in their own persons and there stay and read all Books that are to be printed and pass an orderly judgement upon each which they must do if by the Acts in force they will hinder the printing of such Books and this as it never was done so is it impossible to be done 2. That the late Orders of his Highness the Lord Protector to Major-General Barkstead and others to put in execution the Acts and Ordinances against Blasphemous Heretical and Sâ—â—ndalous Books are altogether ineffectual as to the suppression of them there being no such Acts or Ordinances indisputably in force And now I am come to the third and last thing which is That there is no Law against any mans being and doing almost what himself will in matters of Religion and the concernments of his soul he may learn the Principles of Religion or live in Ignorance hear Gods Word or reproach it and the Ministers thereof yea and teach his children to revile them go to Church or stay and fuddle or sleep at home and teach all that are under him or near unto him to be like himself miserable Atheists slaves to the Devil the world and the flesh ready to sink into hell continually and do not know or consider of it whence it comes to pass that millions of persons seldom have the Word of Salvation preached unto them they perish for want of knowledge all manner of wickedness spreading and growing like weeds that are let alone Among all sorts of people rich and poor young and old who are prophane seditious and uncivil but those of them for the most part that have no Teacher but blinde wilfull conceited Self Who are Blasphemous and Heretical and Prophane But those who either had not good Teaching or if they had yet were at Liberty whether they would learn or no Whence is it that so many are so busie in contriving and forming of parties and factions yea in plotting Rebellion and the disturbance of the Publick But because they are not trained up in Christs school and imployed in learning the principles of Religion the will of Gods Commands