FAIR-WARNING OR XXV REASONS Against Toleration and Indulgence of POPERY WITH THE Arch-Bishop of Canterbury's LETTER TO THE KING AND All the Bishops of Irelands Protestation to the Parliament to the same Purpose With an Answer to the Roman-Catholicks reasons FOR INDVLGENCE ALSO THE Excellent Reasons of the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Against INDULGENCE With Historical Observations thereupon London Printed for S. U. N. T. F.S. 1663. TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTY May it please your Majesty I Have been too long silent and am afraid by my silence I have neglected the duty of the place it hath pleased God to call me unto and your Majesty to place me in And now I humbly crave leave I may discharge my conscience towards God and my duty to your Majesty And therefore I beseech your Majesty give me leave freely to deliver my self and then let your Majesty do with me what You please Your Majesty hath propounded a Toleration of Religion I beseech you Sir take into your consideration what the Act is next what the Consequence may be By your Act you labour to set up that most damnable and heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome whore of Babylon How hatefull will it be to God and grievous unto Your good Subjects the true professors of the Gospel that your Majesty who hath often disputed and learnedly written against those wicked Heresies should now shew Your self a Patron of those Doctrines which Your Pen hath told the World and Your Conscience tells Your self are superstitious idolatrous and detestable Besides this Toleration which You endeavour to set up by Proclamation cannot be done without a Parliament unlesse your Majesty will let your Subjects see that You will take unto your self a liberty to throw down the Laws of the Land at your pleasure What dreadfull consequence these things may draw after them I beseech your Majesty to consider And above all lest by this Toleration and discontinuance of the true profession of the Gospel whereby God hath blessed uâ— and under which this Kingdome hath for many yeares flourished Your Majesty do not draw upon the Kingdome in generall and your self in particular Gods heavy wrath and indignation Thus in discharge of my duty towards God to your Majesty and the place of my calling I have taken humble boldnesse to deliver my conscience And now Sir doe with me what you please I am Your most faithfull Subject and Servant G. Canterbury TO THE Right Honourable THE LORDS AND COMMONS Assembled in Parliament Humbly sheweth THat the Religion of the Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous their Faith and Doctrine erronious and hereticall their Church in respect of both Apostaticall To give them therefore a Toleration or to consent that they may freely exercise their Religion and professe their Faith and Doctrine is a grievous sin and that in two respects For first It is to make our selves accessary not only to their superstitious Idolatries Heresies and in a word to all the abomâ—nations of Popery but also which is a consequent of the former to the perdâ—tion of the seduced people which perish in the Deluge of the Catholick Apostacy And as it is a great sin so also a matter of most dangerous consequence the consideration whereof we commend to the wise and judâ—cious Beseeching the zealous God of Truth to make them who are in Authority zealous of Gods Glory and of the advancement of true Religion zealous resolute and couragious against all Popery Superstition and Idolatry Amen Ja Armachanus Auth Medensis Ro Dunensis c. Richard Cork Cloyne Rosses Tho Kilmore Ardagh Mich Waterford and Lismore Mal Casohellen Tho Hernes Laughlin Geo Deceus Andr Alachadeus Theo Dromore Franc Lymrick Since then neither in right reason and true policy of State it is either becoming or safe for Christian Magistrates to have no acknowledgment of any face of Religion so farre among their people and Subjâ—cts as to stablish own and command it nor is it any piety for Christians to be alwayes scepticks in Religion ever unsatisfied and unresolved and unestablished in matters of Gods worship and mans salvation still ravelling the very grounds of Religion with endless cavells and endless disputes Since the Word of God is neer and open to direct all men in the wayes of God and since what is necessary to be believed and obeyed in truth and holinesse is of all parts in Scripâ—ure most plaine and easie No doubt but Christian Magistrates are highly bound in Conscience to God and in charity to the good of their Subjects to whom they must do more good then they are desired to do by the Vulgar to establish those things as to the extern order Ministry form and profession of Religion both in doctrine and duties which they shall in their conscience judge and conclude upon the best advice of learned and godly men to be most agreeable to the will of God as most clearly grounded on the Word in the general tenor and analogy of it and as most fundamentally necessary to be believed and obeyed by all Christians whereto the Catholick beleife and practice of all Churches more or lesse agreeing gives a great light and direction Christians must not be alwayes tossing to and fro in Religion as if nothing were true fixed and certaine in Religion nothing heretical corrupt and damnable in opinion and doctrine nothing immorall unlawfull and abominable in practice nothing perverse uncharitable and uncomely in seditions schisms and separations John Wigorn. Twenty five Reasons Against Toleration of Popery Reason 1. THat way which seduceth poor Souls from the great Rule God hath given to live by and be saved is not to be tolerated shall we allow them among us who take away from Immortal Souls all the sure foundation they have against the time to come shall we endure them among us whose business it is to hide the eternal counsel of God from men Popery doth seduce poor Souls from the great Rule of life Papistis and shall they be tolerated make it part of their Religion to perswade us that we should not search the Scripture wherein we may have life Catholicks and shall they be Indulgent make it their business to keep us from the holy Sriptures which are able to make us wise unto salvation perfect and thoughly furnished unto all good works they of Rome and shall they be connived at draw poor Souls from the word of God that is able to build us up and to give us an inheritance among them that are sanctified they said that there should be such among us endeavour that we should not prove what is the good the perfect the acceptable will of our God that without knowledge of this will the people should perish they and what can Satan do more disuade poor Souls from reading the Scriptures they persuade them that the Scriptures ought to be in an unknown Tongue that hearing poor Souls might hear and not understand the things that belong to their peace
to give up our selves and relation to God and the Gospel as for English Queens we may in time have Protestant Queens In the mean time we know our gracious Queens will not impose upon us the publick practice or indulgence at least of their Religion no more then we impose our Religion upon them they had rather few then whole Kingdoms should suffer they had rather see you suffer for your conscience then force us to allow your way against our consciences however to avoid some supposed inconveniences we will not commit sin which is a real and the greatest inconvenience in the World To your eighth ninth and tenth Reason we say if you are true to the Popes Supremacy you cannot be true to the Kings Government if you deny that as you seem to do you deny the foundation of your Religion yea the sum of Christianity as Bellarmine saith Whether you speak as you think in the eighth and ninth Reason we know not for you can equivocate we know your Brethren will never say so when they have obtained a Toleration and we know it is no new thing to have a few moderate men offer that in adversity which their Brethren will never own in prosperity Indeed you can juggle so as that some shall write for Supremacy and others against it and laugh among your selves to see how you cheat the world we know what the Sorbonistâ— stand upon at this time however you are punished here onely for actual disobedience upon what principle soever you disobey if some of you think loyally you all live disobediently to the Ecclesiastical Laws of this Realm II. Reason You say you are forced to be dangerous by fleeing to forreign Embassadours and parts for safety Answ. 1. It 's well we know your designe 2. If you did not go to Forreigners for Religion you need not go to Forreigners for Protection if you will worship with them you may live with them 3. If you keep correspondence with our enemies and practise against us when you are in danger of punishment what will you do when you are tolerated If you deal with Forreigners now to secure your selves from us much more will you deal with them hereafter that you may have power over us what you do now for liberty you will do hereafter for power this threatning insinuation will signifie little with us who measure our Religion by our Consciences and not by Interest whatever inconvenience follows upon your punishment we will not displease God to tolerate you To your twelfth Reason we can say upon sad experience that you may do more harm by creeping into houses then we can do good by preaching in Congregations To your last we say Our Bishops can prove their Consecration they will make their authority eminent in awing you if they cannot make their perswasions eminent in converting you and that when they are the severest enemies to your corruptions they are the most hearty well-wishers to your persons and you may hear them as such Sirs As you did your duty in serving the King in his just War so he will allow you all just priviledge in time of peace but you must not think that the reward of your obedience to him in some things shall be a liberty to disobey him in other Although we have been as you say fellow sufferers with you we will not sin with you You say you hazarded much to restore the King to his Throne To what purpose I pray you if every man shall do what is good in his own eyes as when there was no King in Israel And you must know his sacred Majestie makes Laws against you not to satisfie any mans passion or revenge but to satisfie his own conscience Whereas you speak of his Majesties mercie and word from Breda 1. Let me tell you That Toleration would be the greatest cruelty in the world 2. You know his Majestie promised no more at Breda but that he should condescend to such provisions for tender Consciences as his Parliament would think fit May it please therefore the wisdome and goodness of both Houses of Parliament setting aside those plausible insinuations which undermine the principles of Government to see that the permission of Roman Catholicks is not onely contrary to the peace quiet and union of the subject but also dangerous to the constitution and threatning to the welfare of this Church and Kingdome and not let that be promoted upon shallow and fallacious suggestion of any interest and advantage especially since the wisdome of France The Duke of Rhoan hath made it appear to the world and your wisdom makes it clear to your selves That the Protestant Religion is the Interest of England FINIS The excellent Reasons of the Honourable House of Commons against Indulgence with Historical Observations thereupon BUt to what end do we trouble the World with our inconsiderable Reasons now we are all concluded by the common reason of the Kingdome at least that part of it wherein we are included represented by the most Honourable the Commons of England assembled in Parliament then whom the Sun scarce beheld a more noble a more resolved a more unanimous a more loyal and Orthodox Assembly and Assembly as that excellent Bishop said quo nihil videt orbis augustius their famous Vote which may satisfie all your Reasons their Vote at which your conclave at Rome may tremble all the Conventicles in the World shake a dejected and forlorn Church raiseth up its selfe decayed Religion is recovered the soules of the first reformers if they have any sence of things here below rejoyce O if there be joy in Heaven at the recovery of one sinner what is their at the Recovery of a Nation millions of unstable Soules are setled the many breaches of our Church are close that threatning evill of schisme and separation is checked the loose hopes of dangerous men are bounded the callapsed Honour of England is restored former miscariages are expiated for which our gracious King the Defender of the true Ancient and Apostolick Faith heartily thankes them In which the Nobles if they have any sence of their Ancestors Honour will concur with them the reverend Clergy will be bound to pray for them and we with our posterity that are yet unborn will stand up and call them blessed their famous Vote to which we must submit is this The Vote That it be presented to the Kings Majesty as the humble advice of this House That no Indulgence be granted to the Dissenters from the Act of Vniformity And that you may know that this is not an Act of power but of reason not what they think they may but what they think they ought you have added their reason too Ordering That a Committee be appointed to collect and bring in the Reasons of this House for this Vote upon the present Debate to be prescuted to his Majesty and that the nominating of the Committee be adjourned till to morrow morning But reason is not
danger the Papists disturbed us indeed formerly but their Estates secured us they threatned us and their Estates maintained those forces by Sea and Land that protected us shall we now increase our danger in allowing their liberty and yet quit those two parts of their Estates by which we weathered out the danger what at once let in an enemy and weaken our selves Reason 12. Blasphemy must not be tollerated he that blasphemed was to be put to death you know Popery is Blasphemy do not your ears tingle to hear them say that God in the Scripture is not infallable but the Pope in his decrees is 2. That they can make a God of a piece of bread 3. That that God may be eaten by the most wicked man yea the most vile creature by a Dog or a Mouse c. Shall the name of God through you be blasphemed God forbid Reason 13. That way which brings to an uncertainty is not to be tollerated c. Will you suffer men to live among us that perswade us we must not believe our eyes that are so deceitful that when we see a piece of bread must needs insinuate to us that we see a God a Saviour if we cannot trust our eyes how shall we live if we cannot trust our sences how can we know you and obey you how can we know the Scripture and believe it O suffer not those men among us that are about to perswade us that we must not believe our eyes and that we can know nothing Reason 14. They are not to be tollerated who turn all Religion to interest and formality will you endure them that teach poor men no more religion then 1. the advancement of one to be head of the Church For let us believe what we will if we deny that the Pope is head of the Church we are damned 2. then a few formalities and ceremonies will you suffer poor men to rest in a form of Godliness denying the power thereof will you let Christianity turn a piece of Pagentry and all Christians walk in a vain shew will you not once appear before that God that is to be worshiped in Spirit and in truth and can you forbear 't when you look abroad and see the Holy and Blessed God mocked with histrionical gawdy vain bablings childish canting saying and hearing they know not what God forbid we should countenance that in the world by a Christian Religion whose businesse is to mock God with an unreasonable Service and to set up man in an unreasonable pomp greatnesse dominion and tyranny over the world O shall the spiritual and inward frame and power of Religion be turned to an outward shew Reason 15. That Religion that allows men the greatest liberty to sin is not to be tollerated c. Shall you who have power given you to restrain evil allow a Religion that gives the greatest liberty to it In vain are you Kings if you allow that way which can dispence with all oaths and obligations of Subjects unto Kings In vain will you make Laws against prophanesse if you indulge a Religion if I may so call it which may give indulgence to all prophanesse In vain will you punish if you suffer men to think the Pope may pardon In vain do you trust your Subjects upon their oaths and promises if you countenance that Religion that teach men to equivocate to speak one thing to mean another In vain do you professe the Protestant-Religion if you allow that Religion that gives men liberty to dissemble any Religion to be Anabaptists to be Quakers to be any thing to promote their own cause Will you permit that way which leads men to these abominable courses My soul come not thou into their secrets Shall the poor people be given over to believe Lyes and Legends and when they have seen their ridiculousnesse and folly at last come to believe nothing their holy frauds and cheats making most of the antient writings uncertain a mischief as we cannot expresse so they cannot repair Reason 16. A way that engageth poor souls in certain perjury contradiction and impossibility is not tollerable c. The Papists Can you O ye tender hearted Princes see poor souls perplexed thus with impossibilities amazed with contradictions and plunged in perjury and consider that posterity will write that these things were done in your days and that the poor souls will complain at the last day Alas woe is us we were undone under your government O most excellent Governours we hope better things of you Reason 17. A Party whose businesse it is to puzzle people in their Religion and debauch them in their lives is not to be tollerated The Papists are such c. they puzzle us with divisions that we know not what to do but return to Popery where though we do err yet they bear us in hand that we cannot err They debauch poor souls with Licenciousnesse that when they are troubled in conscience and upon their death-bed know not how to be saved they may in dispair throw themselves into Popery for that pardon and indulgence which no other Religion can afford them In vain do you set up an Ecclesiastical government if you endure another way to take in those whom your Discpline cast out when we have taught the people faithfully admonished them sincerely reproved them severely censured them justly and excomunicated them solemnly They in Contempt of you and us can turn Papists and laugh at us for Popery and Schism is the sinne and channe that receives the excrements and filth of our Church when we tell men of their sins they run to the Papists and they tell them they are venial when we restrain men they run to them of the separation and there are at liberty to do what they please it is in vain to make Laws if a party of dissenters be tollerated with whom loose men may find Refuge against all Laws Reason 18. What destroyes your Government most Excellent Prince under which we lead peaceable and quiet lives in all godliness and honesty secure in our lives estates and libertie is not to be tolerated Popery destroyeth your Government they set up one whom they must obey for conscience sake while they obey you onely for conveniency theire Priests may do what they please you have no power over them Sr. if the Question between us were whether we should be holy or prophane whether we should obey Christ or not whether we should be good Christians and Subjects or not we should be ashamed to come behinde them but when we consider that all this stir is to set up one man above the world shall we gratify his ambition and promote his designe against our own Interest and welfare now they care peaceable indeed but let a Priest be discontented and what State can promise to please them alwayes and they will let you know what it is to let Priests and Jesuits into England they will incense the people promote discontents conviegh