Gentlemen while you Debate That Point I 'le call for Dinner SECT XVI At whose Door Lyes the BLOUD of King CHARLES the MARTYR Zea. ANd why by Them if by Any I beseech ye Was Peters a Presbyterian Scrup. Yes surely was he as much as Marshall was an Independent Zea. Go to Let us spare Names and Fall to the Matter Scrup. The Question is Upon Whom the Guilt of the Kings Bloud lyes You charge it upon Us and I upon You. The Presbyterians Spoyl'd Him as a King before Others Executed Him as a Private Man Have they not Hunted and Persu'd Him with Sword and Fire Have they not formerly Deny'd to Treat with Him and their now Recanting Ministers Preach't against Him as a Reprobate Incurable an Enemy to God and his Church Marqu'd for Destruction c. The Covenanting-Ministers with their Party clearly Depos'd the King when They Acknowledg'd and submitted unto a Power as Superiour unto His Levy'd war against Him as against a Traytor Rebel and Enemy to the Kingdome c. The Scots had proceeded so far as to Imprison the Kings Person and to Sequester all his Royal Power which is a Temporary Dethroning and Deposing Nay hear what some of your Rabbies have not stuck to say in my Iustification The Removal of Prelatical Innovations Altar-genuflexions and cringings with Crossings and all that Popish Trash and Trumpery Countervails for the Bloud and Treasure shed and spent in these late Distractions and this was in 56. Once more and you shall take your Turn This may serve to Justifie the Proceedings of this Kingdome against the late King who in a Hostile way set Himself to overthrow Religion Parliaments Laws and Liberties Zea. I could Afford you Two for One and Pay you in your own Coyne His Capacity says Parker was at Westminster when His Body was upon the Scaffold at Whitehall Paying unto Justice for his Misgovernment and Tyranny Think not to save your Selves sayes One of your Ministers to the Commons about a Month before the King Suffer'd Think not to Save your Selves says He by an Unrighteous Saving Them who are the Lord's and the Peoples Known Enemies for Certainly if ye Act not Like GODS in This Particular against men truly Obnoxious to Justice They will be like DEVILS against you Benhadad's Life was once in Ahab's Hand and He ventur'd God's Displeasure to let him go But see how Bernhadad Rewards Him for it Fight neither with Small nor Great but with the KING of Israel Conf. Come Gentlemen Your Dinner 's Ready but first I Charge ye by that Love ye bear to Truth and Honesty deal Freely with me What 's Your Opinion of your Cause Zea. Wee 'll take time to Consider of it Conf. And of your Petition too I beseech ye Go to I dare swear there 's Neither of ye will Dye at Stake for 't Scrup. But still I 'm where I was as to the Favouring of Tender Consciences Conf. And truly so am I where it is possible to Separate the Errour from the Person but to permit a Pullique Inconvenience for the Satisfaction of a Private Scruple were upon very weak pretence to Unhinge the Law and Consequently to Dissolve the Government Det ille veniam facilè cui veniâ est opus Sen. Agamem The END The CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Pag. 1 SECT 1. Liberty of Conscience Stated P. 5 SECT 2. Universal Toleration Unlawful P. 7 SECT 3. Limited Toleration does not answer Liberty of Conscience P. 18 SECT 4. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION upon Reason of State P. 14 SECT 5. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Merits of the Party P. 24 SECT 6. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Innocence of their Practices and Opinions P. 26 SECT 7. TOLERATION Causes Confusion both in Church and State P. 36 SECT 8. The Danger of TOLERATION in this Iuncture Pag. 3â— SECT 9. Arguments against TOLERATION in respect of the Party ihat Desires it with Animadversions upon a certain Pamplet Entituled A SERMON Preached at ALDERMANBURY-CHURCH Decemb. 28. 1662. P. 42 SECT 10. Arguments against TOLERATION in Respect of the Authority that is to Grant it P. 60 SECT 11. The Proper Subject and Extent of Humane Power P. 64 SECT 12. The Bounds of TOLERATION with some Reflections upon SCHISM and SCANDAL p. 69 SECT 13. The Necessity of a Final and Unaccomptable JUDGE P. 81 SECT 14. The Three Great Iudges of Mankind are GOD MAGISTRATES and CONSCIENCE P. 89 SECT 15. The Toleration which the Non-Conformists desire has neither GROUND nor PRESIDENT P. 99 SECT 16. At Whose Door Lies the BLOUD of King CHARLES the MARTYR P. 104 The END Crooks Reports Pars 2. Pa. 37. Interest of Engl. Pa 86. P. 84. 86. 87. 94. The Non-conformists Demand Rom. 2. 14. Laud against Fisher. pa. 197. Rom. 7. 7. Rom. 4. 15. Rom. 5. 13. 1 Joh. 4. 3 15. Ex. Coll. P. 2. 3. a Ex. Coll. P. 84. b P. 339. c P. 609. d P. 764. e P. 392. Ex. Coll. P. 533. P. 494. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 28. 24. Lord Brook Alaham Pa. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 130. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 93. Gal. 5. 1. a Lex Rex P. 136. b 156. c 140. d 113. e Gillespy P. 11. Engl. Pop. Cerem f 245. Kings Declar. P. 409. P. 4â—1 P. 409. P. 413. A Sacred Panegyrick P. 23 Defence of the Honourable Sentence passed upon the late King Pa. 90. Ex Coll. Pa. 259 Ex. Coll. Pa. 457. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pa. 183. The Non-conformists would have they know not what Letter to the Assembl Ian. 1. 45. Pag. 3. Engl. Deliv Pa. 7. Fresh Disput. Pa. 98. Tenure of Kings Pa. 36. Ex. Coll. Pa. 2. Remonstr Ex. Coll. Pa. 19. ☜ Ibid. The False Brother a Part. 2. Pag. 3. b Pag. 7. Scobel Acts c. c Pag. 51. d Pag. 65. e Pag. 178. f Pag. 293. a Scobels Acts c. Pag. 41. b Pag. 60. c Pag. 73. d Pag. 75. e Pag. 128. f Pag. 8. Part 2. g Pag. 149. h Pag. 153. i Pag. 400. k Pag. 42. l Pag. 53. m Pag. 75. n Pag. 99. o Pag. 101. p Pag. 128. q Part. 2. Pag. 16. r Part. 1. Pag. 97. Ibid. The Kirks Testimony against Toleration Pag. 10. Scobell's Acts Pars. 2. Pa. 340. Useful Case of Conscience Pa. 19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 207. Ibid. a Scob. Acts Pars. 1. Pa. 37. b Pa. 135. c Pars. 2. Pa. 104. d Pa. 175. e Pa. 372. Kings Declar. Decemb. 26. 1662. Pa. 8. His Majesty's Speech to Both Houses Feb. 18. 1662. Pa. 5. Ibid. Pa. 7. Pa. 8. Ibid. Pa. 8. Pa. 9. Pa. 8. Pa. 9. Pa. 10. Pa. 11. Ibid. Pa. 12. Pa. 13. Ibid. Pa. 14. Ibid. Sermon Iuâ— 15. 43. pag. 53 51. Pa. 16. Pa. 17. Pa. 17 18. ☞ Davila Delle Guer. Civ di Fâ—an Lib. 10. Ibid. Lib. 14. Strada de Bello Belgico Lib. 5. The subject of Humane Power Eccles. Polit Lib. 1. Pa. 7. a Parker Goodwin Rutherford Milton c. b E. Cal. Noble-mans Pattern pa. 45. c E. C. Phoenix pa. 158 159. d Rutherfords Due Right of Presbyteryee Pa. 485. e Ibid. p. 488. f Mr. Manion's Smectymnuus Publisht since his Majesties Return pa. 58. ☜ Essay of Atheism E. Calaus Serm. Dec. 28. 1662. Pa. 21. Pa. 19. Psal. 73. v. 12. Essay of Unity of Religion Numb 24. 16. Numb 16. 1. V. 3. V. 32. V. 35. V. 41. V. 49. a Rom. 2. 22. b By the Familists c By the Antinomians d Rutherford Lex Rex p. â—1 a Goodwins Right and Might Pa. 10. b Lex Rex Pa. 265. c Lex Rex Pa. 324. d Pa. 269. e Pa. 334. f Pa. 324. g Pa. 273. h Ibid. i Ibid. k Lex Rex Pa. 152. l Ibid. a Right and Might b TenuÌ„re of Kings Pa. 24. c Defence of the Kings Sentence P. 34. d English Translation of the Scottish Declaration Pa. 18. e Pa. 22. Printed for Francis Tyton who has Published as much since the King came in Chillingsworths Safe Way Pa. 57. Rom. 7. 23. Chillingâ— Safe way P. 104. a Rutherfords Due Right of Presbyt p. 356. b Ibid. p. 352. c Ibid p 407. d Ibid. p. 415. d Ruth Free Disp. pag. 36. Ruth Free Disp. pa. 27. Resuscitatio Pa. 189. Common-wealth Stated P. 72. Milton's Tenur P. 32. Goodwin's Defence of the King's Sentence P. 53. Parker's Scotlands Holy War P. 17. Policy of Princes P. 33. Robert Douglass Sermon in 51 and in the Phoenix P. 52. English Translat P. 18. Flesh Expiring c. P. 26.
Imprimatur Geo. Stradling S. T. P. Rev. in Christo Pat. D. Gilb. Episc. Lond. à Sac. Domest Aed Sab. 〈◊〉 16. 1662. Toleration DISCUSS'D By ROGER L'ESTRANGE Ferre quam Sortem patiuntur Omnes Nemo recuset Sen. Troas LONDON Printed for Henry Brome at the Gun in Ivie-Lane 1663. The Praeface I AM not so vain as to expect that any Man will be either the Better or the Wiser for what I write and yet when I consider that God Himself is pleas'd with Free-will Offerings though ne're the Richer for them I make That Thought my Measure and how Incapable-soever of Doing the Publique a Service I think my self yet Honestly Oblig'd to Offer it a Duty and This poor Little is My All. The Subject I Treat of is TOLERATION wherein with Modesty I have not ventur'd beyond my Reach For upon the Ventilation of the Question It seems to mee that it is one of the Hardest Things in the World for the Non-conformists to say What They would have and one of the Easiest on the other side to Overthrow All they can say To give the Reader a Clear Distinct and Impartial Prospect of the Matter I have layd the Debate before him in Colloquy and under the Names of CONFORMITY ZEAL and SCRUPLE are Represented the Three Grand Partyes ORTHODOX PRESBYTERIAN and INDEPENDENT That which first put mee upon this Theme was the Great and Irregular Earnestness that was not long stnce Employ'd toward the Procurement of a Toleration Concerning which I found my self at a Double Loss First touching the Proposition it self and Secondly about the Manner of Promoting it As to the Former Me'thought Toleration in Gross was of something a Mysterious Latitude but upon the taking it in pieces I perceive that nothing can be plainer than the Meaning of it and the Truth is It means not to be understood that they may be sure to make something on 't whether it Hitts or Misses The One way they may do what they please and the Other way there 's a Ground for a Compleynt A Second thing that surpriz'd me not a little was the Manner of Introducing it for it was Usher'd in by All the Querulous wayes of Compleynt and Aggravation Imaginable Which I presume they would have forborn had they but been Acquainted with the Iustices Opinions in the 2d of King James upon that very Point It was demanded by Chancellor Ellesmere Whether it were an Offence punishable and what punishment they deserved who framed Petitions and Collected a Multitude of Hands thereto to Prefer to the King in a Publique Cause as the Puritans had done with an Intimation to the King That if He Deny'd Their Suit many Thousands of his Subjects would be Discontented Whereto all the Iustices Answer'd That it was an Offence Finable at Discretion and very near to Treason and Felony in the Punishment For they Tended to the Raising of Sedition Rebellion and Discontent among the People Upon the Rejection of their Suit the Business was Husht till of Late When the Revival of their Pretensions together with the Dispersing of divers Virulent Libells mov'd me to Gather up my Thoughts which I here submit to the Fate of my other Weaknesses I might say Twenty things to Excuse the slips of my Distracted Leisures but I shall rather Recommend what 's worth the Reading than Trifle away a Complement for that which is not I caus'd a Little Tract lately to be Re-printed under the Title of Presbytery Display'd Who was the Author of it I know not but it is Certainly a Iudicious and well-Order'd Draught of Their Government and may serve to stop Any Presbyterian's Mouth that Opens for a Toleration which how Formidable soever it may Appear in a Petition is Certainly a most Pitifull Thing in an Argument The Contents are to be found at the End of the Book Toleration Discuss'd INTRODUCTION ZEAL and CONFORMITY And to Them SCRUPLE Zeal GOod morrow to ye Conformity Conform Welcome Zeal Is this your Eight a clock As sure as I live A Presbyterian forfeits his Charter that keeps touch with a Son of the Church Zeal 'T is Late I Confess but I could not possibly get away sooner Conf. And I beseech ye if a body may ask what mighty business hinder'd ye Zeal Guess Conf. Why then my Head to a Nut-shell thou hast either been Breathing thy Girles at some Prohibited Lecture or getting Hands against the Act for Uniformity Go to speak Truth What made You and your Ladies so early abroad this Morning for I saw ye at the Back-gate as soon as ye could well find the way to it Zeal Suppose I should tell ye that we went to a Religious Meeting Conf. Then would I tell you again that 't is well your Wife is My Kinswoman Ze. What 's your Conceit for That Conf. I should suspect she might be tempted Else to make your Head ake For Those Assemblies which you call Religious Meetings What are they but close Appointments where the Men meet to Cuckold Authority and the Women if they please to do as much for their Husbands Without Fooling I look upon Conventicling but as a Graver kind of Catter-wawling and in fine 'T is not good to wont our selves to stoln pleasures Ze. You will be Bitter Conf. No no I will not Raillery apart Your Wife 's a very good Lass. But where have you been in Earnest Ze. To tell you the very Truth I have been with my Wife and my Daughter to Ioy Mr. Calamy of his Enlargement Conf. Bless me Is he at Liberty then Ze. Yes He is at Liberty Do ye Wonder at it Conf. No not much But prethee why was he Clapt up Ze. For Preaching Is not That Crime enough Conf. That 's according as the Sermon is For so as a man may order the Matter in a Pulpit I think he may with a better Conscience Deliver Poyson in the Sacrament for the One does but Destroy the Body t'Other the Soul This poysons only the Congregation That the whole Kingdome Ze. I sent ye his Sermon last night have ye overlookt it Conf. Yes And I have weigh'd every Syllable in 't Ze. Well and How do ye find it Conf. Only a Plague-plaister that 's made Publique for the Good of His Majesties Liege-People Find it say ye If ever I live to be King of Utopia I 'le hang him up that Prints the fellow on 't within my Dominions Zeal And what shall become of him that Preaches it I beseech ye Conf. Perhaps I 'le spare him for his Industry for a Presbyterian that Preaches Sedition do's but Labour in 's Calling Ze. Come leave your Lashing and tell me Soberly What hurt do you find in 't Conf. That Hurt that brought the Late King to the Scaffold And in a word which will unsettle the Best Establisht Government in the world with a very small Encouragement That Hurt do I find in 't Ze. Truly My Eyes can discover no such Matter Conf. It may be you 'll see better with
let the men that Govern'd the Design be allow'd for Politicians still I maintain that This Party though endu'd with the Wisdom of Angels cannot in This Iuncture no not in This Age pretend again to be considerable Ze. That 's sooner said then prov'd Conf. Truly I think not much in regard that both Their Wayes and their Persons are too well Known to be either Suffer'd or Credited In Order to the late Warr the Party had Two Games to play for they were to make an Interest both with the King and with the People wherein their Master-piece was shew'd imprevailing with both King and People to Contribute to their own undoing To which End They first Acquainted Themselves with his Majesties Dearest Inclinations and Next with the Niceties and Distresses of his Government and Fortune of which Discovery they made such use as Enabled Them to Overturn the Order both of Church and State and to perfect their long-Projected Reformation For the late King 's Predominant Affection being Piety and Compassion and his most Dangerous Distress being want of Money the Politicks of the Faction appear'd in nothing more than in Working upon his Majestye's Goodness and Necessities Their Practices upon the People were chiefly employ'd upon the Two Things which of all Others they do the least understand and the most furiously pursue to wit Religion and Liberty wherein the Ministers were the Prime Instruments and Alaham in the words of the Excellent Lord Brook was their Instructor Preach you with fiery tongue distinguish Might Tyrants from Kings duties in question bring 'Twixt God and Man where power infinite Compar'd makes finite power a scornfull thing Safely so craft may with the truth give light To Iudge of Crowns without enammelling And bring contempt upon the Monarchs State Where straight unhallowed power hath peoples hate Glaunce at Prerogatives Indefinite Tax Customs Warrs and Lawes all gathering Censure Kings faults their Spies and Favourites Holiness hath a Priviledge to sting Men be not Wise bitterness from zeal of spirit Is hardly Iudg'd the envy of a King Makes People Like reproof of Majesty Where God seems great in Priests audacity And when mens minds thus tun'd and tempted are To change with Arguments 'gainst present times Then Hope awakes and man's Ambition climes This was the Artifice by which the Faction skrew'd Themselves formerly into an Interest but alas what would the same Thing over again avail them now when his Majesty ha's but to look behind him upon the sad Fate of his Royal Father to secure Himself against all Possibility of Another Imposture And for the Multitude they must be worse than Brutes in case of any New Attempt ever to Engage against This King upon any Man's Credit that had his Hand in the Death of the Last so that we are both Wiser and Surer at Present then we were Twenty years agoe upon a double Accompt First the Calamityes of the Last Warr are still fresh in our Remembrance and I do not find the People generally so sanctifi'd by their Experience but they had rather lye still for their Real Profit then Fight it over again for the Sound of Religion Secondly We are pre-acquainted with the most likely Instruments and Pretences of Raising any New Troubles As for the Unity ye boast of 't is very true that the Non-conformists Agreed against the Publique till they found it Impossible for them any longer to Agree among Themselves And there 's the Utmost of their Unity Their Resolution indeed I cannot Deny but it comes up to That in th' Epigram That He that Dares be Damn'd Dares more than fight Scrup. Wee shall do our Cause an Injury to press too farr upon Reason of State in Matter of Religion Conf. Indeed I think you 'l find it a hard Task to make it out to any Man of Reason that the Kingdom will be either the Better for Granting you a Toleration or the Worse for Refusing it but 't is to be hop'd that your Merits will plead better for you then your Politicks SECT V. The Non-Conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Merits of the Party Conf. WHat ha's your Party Gentlemen Merited from the Publique that an Exception to a General Rule should be Granted in Your Favour Name your services Ze. Wee ventur'd All to save the Life of the Late King Conf. And yet Ye ventur'd more to Take it away for Ye did but Talk for the One and Ye Fought for the Other Ze. We ever Abominated the Thought of Murthering him Conf. You should have Abominated the Money too for which Ye Sold him Scrup. Did Wee sell him Conf. No You were the Purchasers Ze. Did not the Presbyterians Vote His Majesties Concessions a Ground for a Treaty Conf. Yes but withall they held him up to Conditions worse than Death it self and in short They Deliver'd Him up when they might have Preserv'd Him and they Stickled for Him when they knew they could do Him no Good Ze. What Design could They have in That Conf. They might have the same Design in -48. which they had in -41. for ought that I know To make a Party by 't and set up a Presbyterian Interest in the Kings Name Ze. All the World knowes that we were so much afflicted for his Sacred Majesties Distress that we had many solemn Dayes of Humiliation for it Conf. So ye had for his Successes for fear he should get the better of ye and you had your Dayes of Thanksgiving too for his Dysasters Ze. What do ye think of Preston-Fight was That a Iuggle too Conf. I think ye should do well to let that Action sleep for the Honour of the Kirk for though the Cavaliers found it Great Earnest 't is shrewdly suspected that there was foul play among the Brethren Ze. Pray'e let mee ask you One Question Who Brought in This King Conf. They that would not suffer You to keep him out That Party that by a Restless and Incessant Loyalty hinder'd your Establishments Ze. And what do ye think of the Sccluded Members Conf. I think a New Choyce would have done the Kings business every jot as well and Matters were then at That pass that One of the Two was unavoydable In fine 't is allow'd at all hands that the Prime Single Instrument of his Majestyes Restauration was the Duke of Albemarle But if you come to Partyes the very Fact appears against ye For though all possible Industry was employ'd to make the Next Choyce totally Presbyterian by Disabling all such Persons and their Sons as in effect had serv'd the King since -41. without manifesting their Repentance for it since Yet so strong was the General Vote of the People for the Kings True Interest and against All Factions that All Endeavour was too little to Leaven the next Convention as was Design'd If ye have no more to say for the Merits of your Party wee 'l pass on to the Merits of your Cause Ze. Do so and wee 'l give you the Hearing SECT VI.
The Non-conformists Plea for TOLERATION from the Innocence of their Practices and Opinions Conf. COncerning the Innocency of your Practices and Opinions must be our next Enquiry and how farr your Actions and Principles Comport with the Duties of Society and with the Ends of Government If Authority find them Regular and Modest it will be a fair Motive to his Majesty to Grant ye an Indulgence upon so fair a Presumption that You will not Abuse it Ze. And we shall willingly cast our selves upon That Tryal Conf. Go to then But I must Ask ye some untoward Questions by the way What 's your Opinion Gentlemen of the Warr Rais'd in 41. was it a Rebellion or no Ze. 'T is a Point we dare not Meddle with Conf. Nay then you falter for if you Thought it One you 'ld Answer me and if ye think it None you 'd think the same Thing over again to be none too Suffice it that in fact there was a Warr and such a Warr as no Honest English Man can Reflect upon but with Grief Shame Horrour and Indignation Can ye tell me what was the Ground of the Quarrel Ze. I think you were in the Right your self when ye said it was Religion and Liberty Conf. I suppose I shall not need to tell ye the Event of it But of which side were the Tender Consciences For the King or Against Him Ze. We were ever for the King Witness our Petitions Declarations and in a most Signal Manner our Solemn League and Covenant Conf. Now I thought ye had been Against Him because ye Seiz'd his Revenues Levy'd a War Hunted and Imprison'd his Person and at last took away his Life But the truth on 't is Ye were Both Ye were For Him in Your Words and Against Him in Your Actions Ze. There were many in Our Party That Lov'd the King as well as Any of You that were about Him Conf. That is According to your Covenant and I do not think but that your Party Loves This King just as they did the Last Scrup. I would his Majesty had no worse Enemies Conf. And I say God send Him better Friends You Love the Bishops too I hope Do ye not Scrup. Truly when they are out of their Fooleries I have no Quarrel to the Men. Ze. And to deal plainly I am not yet Convinc'd of their Lordships Prerogative nor that there 's Any Inherent Holiness in a Cope or a Surplice But why do you Couple the Crown and the Miter so as if no Man could be a good Subject that 's Disaffected to Prelacy Conf. To be Free with ye That 's my Opinion and I 'm the stiffer in 't because I think you can hardly shew me any One Non-Conformist that upon a voluntary and clear Accompt ever struck Stroke For the King nor any true Son of the Episcopal Order of the Church that ever bore Arms Against Him Ze. What will you forfeit if I shew you Hundreds Conf. Either my Head or the Cause which you please Ze. What do ye think of the Papists then but it may be you and they are all One and so you w'ont reckon them for Non-Conformists Conf. To say the truth we were All One in Loyalty to his Majesty and to Your Eternal Reproach be it spoken That the Papists should have a greater Sense of their Allegeance than many Protestant Professors Ze. Nay I believe a Machiavellian Jesuit shall ha'your good word sooner then a Conscientious Puritan Conf. Truly no for a Presbyterian Papist and a Presbyterian Puritan are Both alike to mee and I confess I had rather be Preserv'd by a Man of Another Religion than ha' my Throat out by One of my Own But my Good Brother of the Consistory no Slipping your Neck out of the Col ar I was speaking of the Non-Conformists by which Term is properly meant Such Persons as Refuse to Obey the Orders of the Church whereof they Acknowledge Themselves to be Members so that the Point in Debate has no Coherence at all with your Digression To Mind you of it the Question 's This Whether or no the Practises of the Non-Conformists have been such as may probably Dispose his Majesty towards the Granting of a Toleration And now to hold you to the Question By Whom was the War in Scotland begun By the Non-Conformists Ze. By whom I beseech ye was the Rebellion in Ireland begun Conf. By the Presbyterian Papists but it was provok'd and pre-dispos'd by the Presbyterian Puritans So that next to the Sin of those who begun that Rebellion Theirs must needs be who either hindred the speedy suppressing of it by Domestique Dissentions or diverted the Aids or exasperated the Rebels to the most Desperate Resolutions and Actions by threatning all Extremities not only to the known Heads and chief Incendiaries but even to the whole Community of that Nation Resolving to Destroy Root and Branch Men Women and Children without any regard to those usual pleas for Mercy which Conquerours not wholly Barbarous are wont to hear from their own breasts in behalf of those whose oppressive Fears rather than their Malice Engag'd them or whose Imbecillity for Sex and Age was such as they could neither lift up a hand against them nor distinguish between their right hand and their left These are the Words of that Evangelical Prince that Dy'd a Martyr for That Religion and Liberty which He was Calumniated to have Betray'd By whom I beseech ye was He Persecuted Divested of All his Regalities Assaulted Immur'd Depos'd and Murder'd but By Your Party Gentlemen By whom was Episcopacy Destroy'd Root and Branch the Law Trampled upon Our Churches Prophan'd Monarchy Subverted the Free-born People of England Pillag'd and Enslav'd the Nation Engag'd in Bloud and Beggery but by the Non-Conformists Ze. Why do ye Charge those Exorbitancies upon the whole Party that were the Crimes only of some Particular and Ambitious Men Do you believe That it should ever have gone so far if we Two could have Hinder'd it Conf. No Indeed do I not and I do believe that there were Thousands in the Party that Intended it as little as your selves Now Me thinks This Experience should Deterre ye from the Project you are at this Instant upon Especially considering that you are upon the very Steps that led to the late Rebellion The Method was Petitioning the Argument was Liberty of Conscience and the Pretext Religion Popery was the Bug-bear and the Multitude were the Umpires of the Controversie Nay you have the very same Persons to Lead ye On and They the very same Matter to work upon Bethink your selves Ye meant no hurt ye say to the last King and yet ye Ruin'd him Ye may perchance Intend as little harm to This King and yet do him as much Not that the matter is in Your Power but I would not have it in your Will and Endeavour But enough is said touching the Innocency of your Practices That of your Opinions follows and I am Mistaken
the Forces raised by the PARLIAMENT according to their Power and Vocation and not to Assist the Forces raised by the KING neither DIRECTLY nor INDIRECTLY That Proclaym the breach of the National Covenant to be a greater sin then a sin against a Command'ment or against an Ordinance a sin of so high a Nature that God cannot in Honour but be Aveng'd upon 't These are a People likewise whose Principles stand in no Consistence either with Piety or with Government and can as little Pretend to the Benefit of a Toleration as the Former There are that Asfirm Reformation of Religion to be the People's Duty no Less then the King 's and that the Pastors of the Land are Oblig'd to Reform Themselves and Religion without the King nay though the King command the contrary There are that Print the English Episcopal Clergy to be sons of Belial that Press the Cutting of them off that scandalously Charge Them with Drunkennesse Prophanesse Superstition Popishness To the Dishonour of that Government which his Majesty has sworn to Maintain and to the Hazard of the Publique Peace These also do I take to be a People whose Practices and Opinions Threaten a certain and swift Destruction both to Church and State Wherever They are Tolerated What security can a Prince expect where his Mistakes are made the common Theme of the Pulpit and where His Regalities are subjected to the Good Pleasure of His Subjects Ze. You do not think it Lawfull then I perceive to Tolerate the Non-conformists Conf. Till they renounce their Seditious and Anti-Monarchical wayes I must confess I do not Ze. And which are Those I beseech ye Conf. Their Inconformity to the Law Their Doctrine of Conditional Obedience Their Erecting an Ecclesiastical Supremacy to overtop the Prerogative Royall To say no more Their Declaring the Magistrate accomptable to the People Scrup. Conformity You have spoken some sharp Truths and it is to be presum'd that you 'l Allow the Liberty you Take Whether do you believe Scandal to be any more Tolerable than Schism Or are not the Sons of the Church as ye call them as Guilty of the One as the Non-conformists are of the Other Conf. Scandal My good Friend is a General Term especially as you frequently apply it and 't is but Reason for me to ask your Meaning before I give you my Answer To say that the Sons of the Church are Guilty of Scandal when eo nomine they appear to you Scandalous is no more then to say that the Sons of the Church are the Sons of the Church for the Church it self the Government and the Rites of it are All Scandalous to You. Wherefore I beseech ye be a little more Particular that I may understand what Scandal you intend and be as plain as playn may be Scrup. Nay you shall have it then and as plainly too as your Heart can wish Your Position is that No Toleration can warrantably be Granted to the Hazard of Religion Good Life and Government According to That Standard You 'ld find that the Conformists have as little Right to a Toleration as their Neighbours and that the Notorious Scandal on the One side out-weighs the Pretended Schism on the Other But to make my self understood by Scandal I mean Publique and Habitual Prophaneness Sensuality Dissolution of Manners c. as by Schism and Sedition I suppose You intend our Incomplyances with your Church-Discipline Our Preaching up the Power of Godliness against the Form of it which You Interpret to be a Decrying of your Ceremonies and our Exhortings rather to obey God than Man which you are apt to take for an Affront to your Master's Prerogagative 'T is true We cannot bring up our Consciences to your Ceremonies and for Refusing to doe what we cannot Iustifie the Doing of we are Baptiz'd Schismatiques This Extermination of Us from the Publique Assembly puts us upon the Necessity of Private Meetings and There We are Charg'd with Plotts and Practices upon the State Take it all at the Worst It is but doing That which the Whole World agrees must Necessarily be done after such a Manner as some People Imagine we ought not to do it So much for the Schism of the Non-Conformists Now put the Scandal of the Adverse Party into the Other Scale and You Your self shall hold the Ballance Set but Your Tavern-Clubs against Our Conventicles and since you will have it so Oppose our Plotts against the Government in the One to your Combinations against God Himself in the Other for Atheism is become the Sport and Wit the Salt of your most Celebrated Enterteinments In Your own Words The Eternal Verity is made a Fable Religion but a Scar-Crow the sour Impression of a Superstitious Melancholy nor is't enough to Abandon Heaven unless ye Invade it too and in the Throne of Providence set up the Empire and Divinity of Fortune When you have dash'd the Bible out of Countenance with the conceit of The Three Grand Impostors or some such tart piece of Drollery and all This Enterlarded with Execrable and study'd Blasphemyes the Man must be cast off as well as the Christian and there 's the Upshot of your Familiar Conversations If such People as These may be Tolerated where 's your Foundation of Faith Good Life and Government Conf. We are fallen I must confess into a Lewd Age and yet truly when I consider that This Nation has been Twenty years under your Tuition 't is a Greater Wonder to me that it is not quite Overspread with Atheism than to find it Only Teinted and Infected with it The Reproche and Load of This Impiety you have cast upon the Episcopal Party but when we come to Trace the Monster to his Den I 'm afraid we shall bring the Footsteps of Him up to your own Dore. That there are Exorbitants in all Perswasions is a Thing not to be doubted and that there are in ours as well as in Others I will not Deny but to Asperse the Cause for Personal Misdemeanours is to my thinking very Disingenuous If ye will Charge Personal Crimes upon the Accompt of a Party You should be sure to Make out Those Crimes to be Rationally Consequent to the Tenents or Actings of That Party Now if you can shew me Any Affinity betwixt our Principles and Those Villanyes you say something but if ye cannot the Dust of your Argument puts out your own Eyes Scrup. You forget that you Condemn your own Practice for why may not I Charge Personal Extravagancies upon your Party as well as You do it upon Ours Conf. Only because there is not That Affinity as I said but now betwixt the Principles of the Party and the Faults of the Persons on the One side which I find on the Other To make This as Clear as the Day wee 'l open it Thus. The Episcopal Party was for the King and 't is undenyable that the King and the Church had both the same Cause and the