be Reconciled Shall we not have Nem and Monstrous Opinions Propagated daily And will it not be every Man's business to Advance the Credit and Authority of his own Party Where is the Bond of Peace in this Exercise and Latitude of Dissention The Unity of the Church in this Multiplicity of Professions Which is the True Religion among so many divided and contradictory Pretenses to it Or rather Is there any Religion at all where there is neither Christian Charity Stability of Principles Reverence or Agreement in God's Worship N. C. I hope you will not deny the Protestant Interest to be the Interest of the True Religion And undoubtedly the bringing of the Protestants into an Union among Themselves is the Advantage of every Protestant State and of Protestancy it self C. Past all Dispute and an Uniformity of Worship brings them into that Union Which is never to be attained while the World endures by a Liberty of Conscience How was the Protestant Interest I beseech you United in the late Dissolution of Government When Every Man did that which was Right in his own Eyes Examine the Story well and you will find Reason to believe that the Church of Rome has gain'd more upon Us since That Unsettlement of Ecclesiastical Order then perchance from the first hour of the Reformation even unto That very Day For Liberty of Conscience did no less bring a Civil War upon the Protestant Religion then the Pretended Liberty of the Subject did upon the State It turned every Man's Hand against his Brother Every Man had a Religiâ—…n to Himself and every Man's Conscience as I told you was his Bible and We are still to presume that like Causes will produce like Effects It is also remarquable that the lowdest and boldest Declamers against the Orders of the Church proved likewise the most Pragmatical and Audacious Invaders of the Civil Peace The Antecedent Schism serving only for a Prologue to the Ensuing Sedition N. C. This Arraignment of their supposed Principles about Government may haply proceed upon Mistake There is Reason to think that the many late Disputes about Prerogative and Liberty are Controversiae ortae non primae that they had their Rise from something else which lies at the Bottom C. This is but Peradventure I Peradventure No. For if a Man may haply be in a Mistake he may haply too be in the Right I will grant ye likewise that the Disputes about Prerogative and Liberty had their Rise from somewhat else which lay at the Bottom That is to say It was not Purity of Religion Reformation of the Liturgie Retrenching the Exorbitant Power of Bishops or Scruple of Conscience as pretended that wrought the Subversion of Church and State but it was the Design which lay at the Bottom of Carrying on the Great Work of Overturning the Government under Countenance of that Plausible Imposture and Disguise N. C. Inclinations and Interests more then Speculative Opinions will be found to have born the Sway and Caused those Active Motions on the One Hand and the Other These Dogmata or Problems about Obedience and Government do but little where Mens Affections and Concernments do not give them Spirit and Uigor C. It is most Certain that Problems draw no Blood and We do not read that ever any Man's Throat was cut with a Speculation or a Syllogism But yet Inclinations and Interests you allow may do much towards Mischief So that I have what I desire if I am but able to make it out that Liberty of Conscience will most indubitably beget strong Inclinations in the People to shake off the Yoke of Government and that they will not want specious Appearances of Interest so to Do. First The Servants of Iesus Christ as the Non-Conformists peculiarly stile themselves have This Advantage of the Subjects of Temporal Princes that They serve the Better Master and the Dignity of their Spiritual Profession supersedes the Duty of their Political Allegeance So often as they shall think Good to stand upon That Privilege By Virtue of which Prerogative they do not only Claim an Exemption from the Obligation and Reach of Humane Laws But a Commission also and Authority to Reform those Laws in Case of Error and Corruption according to the Standard of the Gospel Now to this Principle and Doctrine do but add Liberty of Conscience and the People have Law and Magistracy at their Mercy already For First they reckon themselves no further answerable either to the One or to the Other then as they find them Warranted in and Grounded upon the Word of God And Secondly they may chuse whether or no they will find any Law or Magistrate whatsoever to be so Warranted or Grounded And consequently Whether there shall be any Government or No. One Man's Conscience cannot allow This or That Injunction to be according to God's Word It may be Lawful to Another but it is not so to Him and Hee calls for Indulgence and Moderation Another Man's Conscience swears by the most High God that it is point-blank Against it and nothing will serve Him but utter Extirpation And whatsoever they call Conscience must pass for Current Every Man is to govern himself by his own Opinion not by Another bodies It is no longer Liberty of Conscience if a Man shall be run down and concluded by Prescription Authority Consent of Fathers Scripture Reason and the like without being CONVINC'D N. C. I thought you would have shewed me in what manner or by what means Liberty of Conscience comes to turn the Hearts and Interests of Subjects against their Superiors as you said you would C. A little Patience and I 'le be as good as my Word It has brought us to this pass already you see that it has cast the Government upon the good Nature of the Multitude and made it purely dependent upon the Breath of the People whether it shall Stand or Fall So that in short the Matter in Question falls under these Two Considerations First Whether a People left to Themselves either to be under the Restrient of Laws or not will not rather agree to cast off a Government then to defend it Secondly Whether they will not likewise find a very fair appearance of Interest and Advantage in so doing The Former I think will easily be Granted by any Man that does but advise either with the Common Practises of the World or with Humane Frailty Taking the World either in Individuals or in Parties What says the Artificer the Tradesman the Farmer Why should We be put upon Extremities of Hard Labour Course Fare Rising early and Going to Bed late and all little enough to keep our Families from starving any more then such and such that lie wallowing in Ease Abundance Luxury and Riot But This we may thank the Law for that has Appropriated those Possessions to Particulars which God Almighty gave us in Common Why should We be the Drudges of the Kingdom says the Day-Labourer The Law
and of other Neighbouring Reformed Churches in those Parts were so scandalized with this Prodigious Covenant as that they were afraid of nothing more then this that it would bring an indeleble Scandal upon the Reformed Churches and alienate the Minds of all the Princes of Christendom from ever enterteining a good Thought of their Religion The Venerable Assembly of English Divines and Scotch Commissioners as they stiled Themselves sent the Copy of their Covenant and a Solemn Invitation to Seventeen Reformed Churches beyond the Seas to Ioyn with them Their Letter should have been Latin But so it was that they left it a Measuring Cast whether they were the better Christians Casuists Subjects or Grammarians Their skill was most employ'd in Exhorting the French Protestants to follow Their Example and cast off the Yoke of Antichrist that is to say of Obedience And in Calumniating their Sovereign as a Confederate with the Popish Interest to destroy the Protestancy Which Design was only to be obviated by a Holy League This was the Drift of the Address But we never heard Syllable of the Answer There needs no more be said to prove the Judgment of the Reformed Churches strong and unanimous against you and you had best make a Trial if you can supply by Reason and Argument what you want in Countenance and Authority SECT XX. The Non-Conformists Exceptions to Oâ—… Publique Way of Worship found Guilty of Great IMPIETY and ERROUR C. WHat are your Exceptions to Our Way of Worship Are they General or Particular Is it thâ—… Imposition it self or the Thing Imposed that displeases you N. C. Why truly Both. The One takes away my Christian Liberty and the Other the Liberty of my Conscience The greatest part of my Trouble iâ—… the Act of Uniformity C. Is it the Model or the Uniformity you stick at N. C. Both alike for neither is the Particular Act fram'd to my Satisfaction nor is it possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Iudgments C. Will Toleration suite All Iudgments any better then Uniformity But I perceive you do not accompt the Sanction of any One Form whatsoever to be Lawful N. C. Indeed I do not think it Lawful for a Magistrate to enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which a Private Person may not Conscienciously Obey him in Nor do I think it Warrantable for a Man to Obey any Humane Command against the Dictate of his Conscience C. Put This together now First It is not Possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Judgments And then It is not Lawful to enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which does Not suit All Judgments What is This but a meer Trifling of Government to suppose a Law without an Obligation Again If the Magistrate cannot Impose neither can he Tolerate unless you 'l suppose him a more Competent Judge of Four Conscience then of his Own for you allow him to Understand what he may Tolerate and deny him the Knowledge of what he may Impose So that either he has no Power or no Reason to favour you No Power as you state his Capacity And no Reason as you disclaim his Authority But you were saying that the Imposition takes away your Christian Liberty As how I beseech ye N. C. In making Those things Necessary which Christ left Free. For wherein does Christian Liberty more concern it self then in the Free use 〈◊〉 Indifferent or the Forbearâ—…nce of Doubtful things which we are bound entirely 〈◊〉 preserve And whereof by your Ecclesiastical Injunctions we stand Depriv'd C. If the King be Ty'd up in Matteâ—… that are either Commanded or Forbidden and the People left at Liberty in things Indifferent I would fain know what Authority has to work upon But thiâ—… Point will fall in of it self by and by Though enough be said already to prove your Position utterly destructive of Order and Society For there is but Good Bad and Indifferent in Nature What we are BOUND to do What we are Bound NOT to do and What we may either DO or LET ALONE That is to say without the Interposal of some Incidental Obligation to determiâ—… that Indifference The Asserters of this Doctrine fetch their Warrant for it out of St. Paul 〈◊〉 the Galatians 5. 1. Stand fast in the Liberty wherewith Christ hath made us Free Upon This Text they ground their Exemption But here they prudently stâ—… too for the Context would have spoil'd all And they might as well have Argu'd against the Efficacy of Christ's Death from the latter part of the second Verse as for Christian Immunity in the Latitude they understand it from the former part of the first The Apostle goes on in These Words And be not entangled AGAIN with the Yoke of Bondage 〈◊〉 Behold I Paul say unto you that if ye be CIRCUMCISED Christ shall profit you nothing 3 For I testifie again to every Man that is CIRCUMCISED that he is a Debtor to do the whole Law The Case briefly was This. By the Coming of our Blessed Saviour the Iewish Ceremonies were abolish'd Some that had a mind to Continue them and keep the People still under the Yoke of the Law stood for the Doctrine of the Circumcision which was here the very Matter in Qâ—…estion The Apostle cautions the Galatians against it and not to be entangled AGAIN with the Bondage of the Law Which amounts only to a Discharge from the Bondage of That Law to which they were before Subjected without extending That Liberty to the Prejudging of Authoritative Laws and Impositions for the time to come As if the Apostle had Preached one thing to the Galatians and the contrary to the Romans Obedience at pleasure in one place and Obedience under pein of Damnation in another In the Second and Third Verses St. Paul you see clears and presses it further As if he had said Be Circumcised at your Peril For That single Point of the Law makes you answerable for the Performance of every Title of it We are not says Calvin Perperam ad Peliticum Ordinem perversly to apply the Doctrine of Spiritual Liberty to Political Order as if Christians were to be ever the less Subject to External Government by Humane Laws because their Consciences are set at Liberty before God Nay says he in another place Si Ecclesiae Incolumitati benè prospectum volumus The Church can never be safe without St. Paul's Decency and Order But in regard of the diversity of Customs and the variety of Mens Minds and Opinions It is not possible to secure any Polity without the Authority of certain Laws or to preserve any Order without some stated Form Now so far am I from condemning any Laws conducing to this End Ut his ablatis dissolvi suis Nervis Ecclesias Totasque Deformari Dissipari contendamus that I look upon the Removal of them as the Dissolution of the very Sinews of the Church and expect nothing after it but DEFORMITY and DISSIPATION Nor is it
and Unity of the Church for Trifles Things Indifferent and relating to Outward Order and Worship N. C. In Prescribed Forms and Rites of Religion The Conscience will interpose and concern it self and Cannot resign it self to the Dictates of Men in the Points of Divine Worship And Those Injunctions which to the Imposers are Indifferent in the Consciences of the Dissenters are Unlawful And What Humane Authority can warrant any One to put in Practice an Unlawful Or Suspected Action Pa. 26. C. If This be really Conscience You will be found as Cautious in venturing deliberately upon a Suspected Action in all other Cases as you are in This. But what if it shall appear that This Fit of Tenderness only takes you when you are to pay an Obedience to the Law and that you are as Bold as Lions when you come to oppose it Will you not allow us to think it possible that there may be somewhat more in the Importunities and Pretences of the Non-Conformists then Matter of CONSCIENCE 'T is a Suspected Action to Kneel at the Sacrament but None to hold up your Hands at the Covenant You make a Conscience of disclaiming the Obligation of That Covenant in Order to the Security of the Government But None at all of Leaguing your selves in a Conspiracy for the Subversion of it Where was your Tenderness in Suspected Cases when to Encourage Rapine Sacriledge and Rebellion was the Common Business of your Counsels and Pulpits When it was safer to Deny the Trinity then to Refuse the Covenant When the same Persons that started at a Ceremony made no Scruple at all of Engaging the Kingdom in Blood and laying Violent Hands upon their Sovereign Is not This Streining at a Gnat and swallowing a Camel N. C. The Non-Conformists I know are charged with Principles that detract from Kingly Power and Tend to advance Popular Faction It is true They have been Eager Asserters of Legal Liberties Pag. 40. But These are Things gone and Past and Nothing to our Present Purpose The Wise Man says He that repeateth a Matter separateth very Friends A looking back to former Discords mars the most hopeful Rediâ—…egration Acts of Indemnity are Acts of Oblivion also and must be so observed Pa. 41. C. The Non-Conformists The Sole Actors in the late War were only Eager Asserters it seems of Legal Liberties You do not deal so Gingerly with the Bishops in the Point of Ceremonies as to let them come off with the Character of Eager Assertors of Legal Authorities So that herein also Your Consciences stumble at Straws and leap over Blocks Now Whereas You will have it that a Reflection upon former Discords is a Violation of the Act of Indemnity And Impertinent to Our Purpose My Answer is First That I do not revive the Memory of former Discords as a Reproach But I make use of some Instances out of former Passages to make Good my Assertion That Your Conjunct Impâ—…rtunity for a Toleration is not grounded upon Conscience And to shew you that your Practises and Professions grin One upon Another For Conscience is all of a Piâ—…ce Not Tender and Delicate on the One side and Callous and Unfeeling on the Other Secondly Suppose We should make a little Bold with the Act of Oblivion I think We have as much right to do it as You have to fall foul upon the Act of Uniformity Unless you conceive that the Mercy you have received by One Law gives You a Privilege of Invading all the rest As to Authority it is One and the Same in Both and if there were any place for Complaint against the Equity of a Legal Establishment it would lie much Fairer against the Act of Indemnity on the behalf of the Royallists that have ruined their Estates and Families in the Defence of the Law and yet after all are thereby condemned to sit down in Silence and Despair Then against the Act of Uniformity on the Behalf of the Non-Conformists Who by the One Law are secured in the Profits of their late Disobedience And by the Other are taken into the Arms of the Church according to the Ancient and Common Rule with the Rest of His Majesties Protestant Subjects The Same Rule I say saying where it is Moderated with Abatements and Allowances in Favour of Pretended Scruples N. C. Whereas you make the Non-Conformists the Sole Actors in Our late Confusions You run your self upon a great Mistake For It hath been manifested to the World by such as Undertook to Iustifie it when Authority should require That the Year before the King's Death A Select Number of Iesuiâ—…s being sent from their whole Party in England Consulted both the Faculty of Sorbonne and the Pope's Council at Rome touching the Lawfulness and Expediency of Promoting the Change of Government by making away the King Whom They Despaired to turn from his Hereste It was Debated and Concluded in Both Places That for the Advancement of the Catholick Cause It was Lawful and Expedient to Carry on that Alteration of State This Determination was effectually pursued by many Iesuits that came over and Acted their Parts in several Disguises Pag. 15. C. If This be True and Proveable as You affirm it is You cannot do the Protestant Cause a more Important Service then to make it out to the Parliament Who You know have judg'd the Matâ—…er Worthy of their Search and have appointed a Committee to receive Informations Pa. 2. Nay which is more You are a Betrayer of the Cause if you do it not The WHOLE PARTY in England do you say Prove out This and you kill the whole Popish Party at a Blow This was the Year before the King's Death it seems Whas not That within the Retrospect of the Act of Indemnity If so tell me I beseech you Why may not We take the same Freedom with the Non-Conformists that You do with the Papists N. C. We shall never have done if you lash out thus upon Digressions Pray keep to the Question C. As close as you please What if a Man should shew You a Considerable Number of the Eminent and Active Instruments in the late War to be now in the Head of the present Outcry for Toleration Take This into your Supposition too that These very Persons promoted Our Troubles This very Way and Proceeded from the Reformation of Discipline to the Dissolution of Government Are We bound in Charity to take all their Pretensions of Scruple for real Tenderness of Conscience N. C. Beyond all Question unless you can either Evidence their Errour to be Unpardonable or the Men Themselves Impenitent C. Why then let Amesius determine betwixt Us. Peccata illa quae publicè fuerunt nota debent etiam Confessione Publicâ damnari quià ad quos malum ipsum Exempli Contagione pervenerat ad eos etiam Poenitentiae ac Emendationis Documentum si fieri possit delet transmitti PUBLIQUE SINS require PUBLIQUE CONFESSION To the End that as many as
Toleration DISCUSS'D IN TWO DIALOGUES I. Betwixt a Conformist and a Non-Conformist Laying open the Impiety and Danger of a General Liberty II. Betwixt a Presbyterian and an Independent Concluding upon an Impartial Examination of their Respective Practises and Opinions in Favour of the Independent Vaevobis Hypocritae LONDON Printed by E. C. and A. C. for Henry Brome at the Gun in Ludgate-street at the West End of St. Paul's 1670. TO THE READER The CONTENTS SECTION I. UNIVERSAL TOLERATION too Wide and Unlawful Page 3 SECT II. LIMITED TOLERATION too Narrow and Disobliging to the Excluded Party 15 SECT III. No Toleration to be admitted but with the Allowance of the Chief Magistrate 18 SECT IV. The BOUNDS of Toleration And the Error of making Fundamentals and Non Fundamentals to be the Measure of it 23 SECT V. The Common Arguments for TOLERATION Examined 29 SECT VI. TOLERATION undermines the Law and causes Confusion both in Church and State Page 36 SECT VII The Non-Conformist's Plea for Toleration upon REASON OF STATE 43 SECT VIII The Non-Conformist's Plea for Toleration from the MERITS of the Party 52 SECT IX The Non-Conformist's Plea for Toleration from the Innocence and Modesty of their OPINIONS and PRACTISES 56 SECT X. The Non-Conformists demand a Toleration which is neither INTELLIGIBLE in the Whole nor PRACTICABLE so far as it may be Understood 78 SECT XI The Non-Conformists demand a Toleration for No Body knows WHOM or WHAT 84 SECT XII The Conjunct Importunity of the Non-Conformists for a Toleration is not grounded upon Matter of CONSCIENCE 87 SECT XIII The Conjunct Importunity of the Non-Conformists for a Toleration is a Manifest CONFEDERACY 96 SECT XIV The Non-Conformists Joynt-Pretenses FOR A Toleration overthrown by the Evidence of their Joynt-Arguments Professions and Practises AGAINST it 114 SECT XV. The Non-Conformists JOYNT COMPLAINTS of Hard Measure and Persecution confronted with their own JOYNT-PROCEEDINGS 120 SECT XVI The Non-Conformists tell us That Liberty of Conscience is the Common Interest of This Kingdom but REASON and EXPERIENCE tell us the CONTRARY 128 SECT XVII This Kingdom has been still the Worse for Indulging the Non-Conformists and the Party never the Better Which evinces that UNIFORMITY is the True Interest of This Government and Not Toleration 148 SECT XVIII The Party of Scrupulous and Conscientious Non-Conformists is neither NUMEROUS nor DANGEROUS Pag. 167 SECT XIX The Non-Conformists Appeal from the Government and Discipline of the Church of England to the Judgment and Practise of the Reformed Churches BEYOND THE SEAS Examined and Submitted to Censure 172 SECT XX. The Non-Confotmists Exceptions to Our Publique Way of Worship found Guilty of Great IMPIETY and ERROR 194 SECT XXI Whatsoever God hath left INDIFFERENT is the Subject of HUMANE POWER 217 SECT XXII No End of Controversie without a FINAL and UNACCOMPTABLE JUDGE from whose Sentence there shall be no Appeal 226 SECT XXIII The Three Great Judges of Mankind are GOD MAGISTRATES and CONSCIENCE 238 SECT XXIV The Church of England charges the Non-Conformists with SCHISM and the Non-Conformists charge those of the Church with SCANDAL The Matter is taken into Debate Page 256 Toleration Discuss'd betwixt a Presbyterian and an Independent SECT XXV An Enquiry upon a Short and Impartial Survey of the Rise Progress and Issue of the War raised by the Two Houses in 1641. Whether were more Criminal The PRESBYTERIANS or the INDEPENDENTS 271 SECT XXVI What Party soever DEMANDS a Toleration and yet Mainteins that it is Destructive both of Church and State to GRANT one Is an ENEMY to BOTH 292 SECT XXVII In Case of a Toleration or Indulgence to be Granted Whether has the fairer Preten se to it The CLASSICAL Way of the PRESBYTERIANS or the CONGREGATIONAL Way of the INDEPENDENTS in Respect of their Form of Government Page 298 SECT XXVIII Whether may be better Tolerated in This Kingdom The Presbyterians or the Independents in Respect of their PRINCIPLES and Ordinary PROCEEDINGS Debated First With Relation to his Majesties PERSON and AUTHORITY 306 SECT XXIX The Question of Toleration betwixt Presbytery and Independency Debated with regard to the Foundation and Execution of the LAW 318 SECT XXX The Question of Toleration betwixt Presbytery and Independency Debated with a Regard to the Rights Liberties and Advantages of the PEOPLE 327 Toleration Discuss'd By way of Dialogue betwixt a CONFORMIST AND A NON-CONFORMIST Conformist LIberty of Conscience or No Liberty of Conscience is the Question What is Conscience Non-conformist Conscience is Iudicium Hominis de Semetipso prout subjicitur Iudicio Dei The Judgment that a Man makes of Himself and his Actions with reference to the future Judgment of God Or otherwise It is An Ability in the Understanding of Man by a Reflex Act to Judge of Himself in all he does as to his Acceptance or Rejection with God Rutherford makes it to be A Power of the Practical Understanding according to which the Man is obliged and directed to give Judgment of Himself that is Of His State and Condition and of all his Actions Inclinations Thoughts and Words C. If this be Conscience Then Liberty of Conscience is A Liberty of a Man's Iudging of Himself and his Actions with reference to the future Iudgment of God N. C. Right But then he is bound likewise to Practise according to that Judgment and To Worship God according to the Light and Understanding which he hath of What is that Worship which is Acceptable with him in Matter and Manner and not otherwise C. So that your Liberty of Conscience is now come to Liberty of Practise Indeed I could wish that the Advocates for Liberty would be a little more Candid in this business They take wonderful Pains many of Them to prove That Conscience cannot be forc'd It is out of the Reach of Humane Power God never appointed any Iudge of it Shall any Man pretend to make me believe That which I cannot believe And the like Pressing the Argument as if That were the very Pinch of the Case which is just Nothing at all to the Point in Controversie It is obvious to Common Reason that This Suggestion cannot but create very dangerous and unquiet Thoughts in the People For if they be denied Liberty of Conscience in the plain and honest English of it They suffer under the most Barbarous and Ridiculous Persecution that ever yet appear'd upon the face of the Earth But on the other side If their claim be stretch't to Liberty of Practise It seems not only unreasonable but utterly Inconsistent both with Christianity it self and the Publique Peace SECTION I. UNIVERSAL TOLERATION too Wide and Unlawful C. LIberty of Conscience as you have stated it is An Universal Toleration for People to say and do what they please under the Warrant and Pretext of Conscience N. C. That is to say In Matters properly the Subject of Conscience with Reference to the future Judgment of God C. By This Rule Pagans are
Resolution The Foundation of Faith Good Life and Government is to be secured Wheâ—…ein I am content to close with you though there are some that believe the Right of Toleration may be defended without any Restrictions C. For Discourse sake pray try what you can make on 't either with or without SECT V. The Common Arguments for TOLERATION Examined N. C. NO Man under the Gospel ought to be compell'd to believe anything and if not to believe then not to practise C. Rutherford says well to this Point That the Magistrate is not to force Men Positively to External Worship but Negatively to punish Acts of False Worship and Omissions of External Performances of Worship as of Ill Example to Others Not Commanding Outward Performances as Service to God but forbidding Omissions of them as Destructive to Mâ—…n N. C. It is a strange Absurdity to force Men against their own Light to be guided by Others unless we are sure we cannot mistake C. But were it not a stranger Absurdity to leave every Man at Liberty to set up a New Light of his own and then to subject the United Light of the Nation which is the Law to the Scatter'd Lights of Private Persons N. C. But does not One Man see that sometimes which a Thousand may miss C. And because This is possible is the Odds therefore upon One against a Thousand Or if so Why may not the Church be in the Right against the People as well as any Particular of the People against the Church and the Rest This is most Certain that of a Thousand Differing Opinions there can be but One Right And a Toleration upon your supposal is sure to set up Nine hundred ninety nine Errors Which is the ready way to bring People to cutting of Throats for Opinions N. C. If a Magistrate may punish all that his Conscience says are in the wrong then All Persecutors are in the right C. Men are not punish't for their Consciences but for their Actions And if a Magistrate may not restrain Liberty of Action then All Rebellions are in the Right N. C. The Magistrate is appointed to see That Executed which Christ hath appointed in Religion and Punctually ty'd up neither to Add nor to Diminish either in the Matter or in the Manner The Manner Christ hath appointed being as positively obliging as the Matter C. If it be the Magistrate's Duty to see Christ's Appointments in Religion Executed in Matter and Manner without Adding or Diminishing First You must allow him to be a Competent Judge of What Christ hath appointed for otherwise his Commission directs him to do He knows no What. Secondly According to your Argument there is but One Way of Worship Warrantable which puts a Bar unto any sort of Toleration whatsoever N. C. If the Magistrate has any Power over the Consciences of his People How came he by it For he that hath no other then the Light of Nature hath as much Power as if he were Christian and by becoming Christian hath no Addition of Power to what he had before C. It is true that Christianity as you put the Case does not confer upon the Magistrate any New Power but it lays upon him an Additional Obligation of Duty While his Conscience was Pagan He took his Measures only from Humane Prudence and the Light of Nature But upon his Conversion He falls under the Dictate of a Conscience that is Further and Otherwise Enlighten'd And bâ—…comes Answerable as well for the Establishing Securing and Promoting of Christianity as for the Political Conservation of his People and Government N. C. Persecution may make Hypocrites but not Converts C. You may say the Same thing of the Law in other Cases That makes many Men Honest in appearance for fear of Punishment that are yet rotten at Heart Nay I am further perswaded that where Severity makes one Hypocrite It cures a hundred For so long as there is either Profit or Credit to be got by thâ—… Disguise of Religion All Men of Corrupt Principles and Designs will flow into the Party But when That Temptation to Hypocrisie shall be removed and that they find nothing to be gotten by the Imposture but Punishment and Disgrace They will soon betake themselves to a more regular Station in the Government Many a Counterfeit Cripple has been cured with a Dog-whip N. C. Are Heresies to be Extirpated and Truth to be Propagated by the Sword or by the Word C. If it be the Penalty you oppose Where the Word will not do You your selves fly to Censures and Excommunications which are Punishments as well as Corporal and Pecuniary Inflictions and as little Instructive But you are upon a Mistake The Civil Power does not so much Pretend to the Recovery of those that are out of the Way as to the Saving of the Rest Nor does It properly Punish any Man as an Heretic but as a Seducer Do you but let the King's Subjects alone and He 'l never trouble Himself to Impose upon your Consciences If it reaches not Wickedness in the Heart It provides yet against the Infection of it and the Scandal by keeping the Hands and Tongues of Licentious People in Order N. C. I do not deny but that a Rigorous Law may have some Profitable Influence upon the Looser Sort Yet still it falls heavy upon the Innocent as well as upon the Guilty To Know Believe or Profess are not in our Power And shall a Man be punish't for want of Grace or Understanding C. Though it is not in our Power to Know and Believe as we please yet to forbear publishing of our Thoughts and Acting in Relation to Them is unquestionably in our Power Neither is any Man to be punish't for want of Grace or Understanding But yet it will be ill if those Defects may pass for an Excuse All manner of Impiety should then go Scot-free for without Doubt Let Fools be Priviledged and all Knaves shall pretend Ignorance N. C. No Man can call Iesus the Christ but by the Holy Ghost Will you punish any Man for not having the Holy Ghost C. No Man that hath the Holy Ghost will deny Iesus to be the Christ Will you punish any Man for denying Iesus to be Christ that is to say for not having the Holy Ghost N. C. He that acts against his Conscience Sins C. And so does he that Acts by it If in Error N. C. Every Man is true to God that is true to his Conscience though it be Erroneous C. Will it not then follow that a Man may worship the Sun or the Moon and yet be true to God if That Worship be according to his Conscience To clear This Point Some Consciences are Erroneous upon the score of Invincible Ignorance and That Insuperable Frailty is a fair Excuse But Some Consciences again are Erroneous for want of due Care Search and Enquiry Others out of Pertinacy And there is no Plea to be admitted for These Consciences
Scope of your Intention Turn now to the Magistrate and say What Proportion do you find betwixt these Rude Disobligations upon the Government and the Returns of Grace and Favour You desire so Earnestly from it On the Other Side if your Report be False Your Design appears still to be the same Only with the Aggravations of more Animosity and Malice in Pursuance of it But True or False it is Nothing at all to the Business of Toleration but a Palpable Transition from matter of Conscience to matter of State This is the Course in General of Our Advocates for Toleration and by the Desperate Sallies they make from Religion to Government in their Pamphlets A Man may guess what it is they would be at in their Pulpits N. C. Oppression makes a Wiseman mad and 't is not Generous to Descant upon every thing that is bolted in Heat and Passion as if it were a formed Discourse upon Deliberation and Counsel C. But is it not a strange thing my Good Friend for so many Men to be Mad at a Time and to be Mad the Same Way too If you will have it that they mean just Nothing at all I am content But if they mean any thing and all agree in the same Meaning It can be nothing else but a Confederacy The next Point makes it yet more Evident that is to say The Marshalling of their Numbers and their Thousands The Boast of their Interest in all Parties and of the Difficulty to Suppress them The Proclamation of their Resolution to Live and Die in defence of their Opinions with an Innuâ—…ndo of the Magistrates Meddling with them at their Peril What can be the End of this Rhodomontade but to startle the Government on the One Side and to animate the Multitude on the Other It is no Argument at all for an Indulgence that they are Many Powerful and Resolute But point blank against it Unless they can approve themselves to be Regular Governable and Honest To Sum up all Here are Faults found in the Government and the People Tamper'd into a Dislike of it So that here 's a Disposition to a Change wrought already No sooner is the Multitude perswaded of the Necessity of a Reformation but behold the Manner of it It must be either by a Thorough-Alteration a Comprehension a Toleration or a Connivence And for the Principal Undertakers You may put your Lives in their Hands for if they do not slander Themselves They are as Godly an Intelligent Sort of People as a Man shall see in a Summers Day Now for the Introducing of This Reformation there is no way but to set up the Word of God against the Law of the Land By the Un-Bishopping of Timothy and Titus and giving the People a Sight of the Iewish Sanhedâ—…m and Gamaliel's Dilemma through a Pair of Reforming Spectacles By which they discover the Divine Right of Presbytery with One Eye and That of Universal Toleration with the Other and so become One in the Common Cause of Maintaining Gospel Worship against Humane Inventions The next Care is to Gratifie the Common People for there 's nothing to be done till they come and there is no Reason in the World that the poor Wretches should Venture Soul Life and Estate Gratis This is Effected by the Doctrine of Liberty of Conscience For Grant but every Man a Right of Acting according to the Dictate of his Conscience and he has Consequently a Liberty of Doing Whatsoever he shall pretend to be according to That Dictate And of Refusing to do whatsoever he shall say is against it By which Invention the Laws of the Kingdom are subjected to the Pretended Consciences of the People and the Multitude are made the Iudges of the Controversie Now comes in the Ioynt-Struggle of the Non-Conformists for a Toleration This if it may be obtain'd puts them in a Capacity of doing the Rest Themselves But in Case of Opposition Their last Resort is to a Muster of their Forces A Computation of their Strength and Interests Which is the Very same Thing as if they should say in so many Syllables Gentlemen You see the Parliament does not Regard Us We have a Good Cause and Hands enow to do the Work in spight of their Hearts â—…P AND BE DOING After This There wants Nothing but the Word The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon To Crown the Enterprize If This be not a Conspiracy tell me What Is. N. C. You say It is and We deny it C. There are strong Presumptions also of a Confederacy to be gathered from the Nature and Quality of your Demands You desire a Comprehension a Toleration But then you place the Conditions of it out of the Reach of Ordinary Proof and indeed of Humane Cognizance as is shew'd already So that No Body knows who are to be Comprehended and who left out This looks as if your Business were rather to enflame the Difference then to compose it And then when you are prest to Name and Specifie the Parties you plead for since by your own Confession several are to be Excluded You fly still to the Generalities of Important Interests and Congruous Principles and so leave the Matter utterly uncapable of any Clear and Logical Result Unless you will allow Governours the Inspection of their Subjects Hearts Or Teach us how to Reduce Wild and Uncertain Notions under the Prospect of a Steady Law But the Reason of your Dealing thus in the dark I suppose may be This Your Design is to be carry'd on under the Countenance of the Common Cause wherein all those Persons are United against the Government that would otherwise spend their Animosities One upon Another and break into a thousand Pieces among Themselves Now for you to declare for any One Party were Virtually to declare against all the Rest and Dissolve the Combination Touching the Manner of their Addresses I shall only add to what is past that they are Invectives against those that cannot relieve them without any Formal Application to those that can And tend Naturally to the Tumultuating of the People without any Colour of Contributing to their Benâ—…fit Of their Agreement in Matters of Dangerous Consequence enough is spoken already to put it past all Contradiction That Their Conjunct Importunity for a Toleration is a Manifest CONFEDERACY Wherefore let us now proceed from the Drift and Design of their Pretensions to the Morality and Reason of Them SECT XIV The Non-Conformists Joynt Pretences FOR A Toleration overthrown by the Evidence of their Joynt-Arguments Professions and Practises AGAINST it C. DO as you would be done by is the Precept both of Gospel and Nature With what face then can you ask a Toleration from That Government which of all Others your selves refused to Tolerate From That Prince to whose Blessed Father in the Depth of his Agonies you cruelly deny'd the Use and Service of his own Chaplains A greater â—…igour and Barbarity then is ever used by Christians to
the Meâ—…nest Prisoners and Greatest Malefactors But They that Envy my being a King are loth I should be a hâ—…istian While they seek to deprive me of all things else they are afraid I should save my Soul These are the Words or that Pious Prince in his last Extremity N. C. That Rigour was the Barbarism of a Faction Not the Principles of the Party C. Hear your Party speak then It is much that our Brethren should separate from the Church but that they should endeavour to get a Warrant to Authorize their Separation from it and to have Liberty by drawing Members out of it to Weaken and Diminish it till so far as lies in them they have brought it to Nothing This we think to be plainly Unlawfuf Toleration would be the Putting the Sword in a Madman's hand A Proclaiming Liberty to the Wolves to come into Christ's Flock to Prey upon his Lambs Extirpate all Achans with Babylonish Garments Orders Ceremonies Gestures Let them be rooted out from among Us. You of the Honourable House Up for the Matter belongs to You. We even All the Godly Ministers of the Countrey will be with You. Toleration makes the Scripture a Nose of Wax A Rule of Faith to all Religions Liberty of Conscience and Toleration of all or any Religion is so Prodigious an Impiety that this Religious Parliâ—…ment cannot but abhor the very Naming of it Such a Toleration is utterly repugnant to and Inconsistent with the Solemn League and Covenant for Reformation It is unreasonable says the Defender of the London Ministers Letter to the Assembly that Independents should desire That Toleration of Presbyters which they would not give to Presbyters For With what face can I destre a Courtesse from Him to whom I do onenly prosess 〈◊〉 would deny the same Courtesse Does not this hold as well for Us as it did for You N. C. You must not Impose the Iudgments of Particular Persons upon Us as Instances of Publique Authority C. What do ye think then of your National Covenant Was That an Act of Authority Wherein you bind Your selves by an Oath to settle an Uniform Presbytery to the Exclusion of all other Forms of Church-Order or Government what soever under the Notion of Schism and of Prelâ—…cy by Name Are your Consciences FOR Toleration Now that were so much AGAINST it Then Nay there are many among you that â—…eckon your selves under an Obligation to pursue the Ends of that Covenant even to this very Day And do you think it Reasonable for a Government to grant Privileges and Advantages of Power and Credit to a Party that owns it self under an Oath of Confederacy to endeavour the Extirpation of it N. C. You mean I suppose of Church-Government C. I mean of Both Church and State Was it not the Test of the King's Enemies as well as of the Bishops Was it not made Death without Mercy for any Man having taken the Solemn League and Covenant to adhere to his Majesty The League and Covenant says Rutherford was the first Foundation of the Ruine of the Malignant Party in England And whoever refuses to Disclaim it must be rationally understood still to Drive on the Intent of it So that to Tolerate the Non-Conformists is to Tolerate the Sworn Adversaries both of Royal and Episcopal Authority Nay to Tolerate Those that have Sworn to persist in that Opposition all the Days of their Lives Over and above the Tolerating of those upon Pretence of Conscience FOR a Toleration that deny to Tolerate all other People upon as strong a Pretence of Conscience AGAINST it Where was This Spirit of Moderation toward the weak Brethren in the Total Suppression of the Book of Common Prayer and the Imposing of the Directory to be Oâ—…served in all the Churches within This Kingdom No Ruling Elders but such as have taken the National Covenant No Electors of Elders neither by the Ordinance of March 14. 1645. but such as have taken the National Covenant No Ordination without a Testimonial of having taken the Covenant of the Three Kingdoms None to be Admitted or Entertained in the Universities without taking the Solemn League and Covenant and the Negative Oath and Upon Conditions of Submission and Conformity to the Discipline and Directory Nay further You will find in the Four Bills and Propositions sent to his Majesty in the Isle of Wight March 1647. when the Two Parties Presbyterian and Independent were upon so hard a Tugg That the Presbyterian Government and Directory seem'd to be resolv'd upon in one Line and unsettled again in the very next By a Provision That no Persons whatsoever should be liable to any Question or Penalty for Non Conformity to the Form of Government and Divine Service appointed in the Ordinances then in Force but be at Liberty to Meet for the Worship of God so as nothing might be done to the disturbance of the Peace of the Kingdom Yet in This Crisis of Affairs they could clap in another stabbing Proviso against Us upon the neck of That i. e. That This Indulgence shall not extend to Tolerate the Use of the Book of Common-Prayer in any Place whatsoever And at this rate you treated the Episcopal Party throughout the whole Course of your Power N. C. And good Cause for it Were not they the most likely of all others to disappoint our Settlement C. Agreed But as to the matter of Conscience Did you Well or Ill in 't Or rather Was there any thing of Conscience in the Case N. C. Certainly it was very fit for the Civil Power to look to it self And the Power Ecclesiastical was no less concern'd to exact a Consormity to the Laws and Ordinances of Christ. C. How can you say This and consider what you say without blushing If you did well in Refusing to Tolerate the Episcopal Way because you thought it not Right the Reason is as strong for Our Way that have the same Opinion of Yours If you did Well on the Other side out of a Political Regard to the Publique Peace so do We now upon That very scâ—…re So that you must either confess that You did Ill Then in Refusing a Toleration to Us or otherwise allow that Authority does Well Now in not permitting it to You. N. C. There might be some Plea for a little Strictness more then ordinary in the Heat of an Eager and Publique Contention But methinks a Persecution in Cold Blood does not savour of the Spirit of our Profession SECT XV. The Non-Conformists JOYNTCOMPLAINTS of Hard Measure and Persecution confronted with their own JOYNT-PROCEEDINGS C. WHat is it that you call Hard Measure and Persecution N. C. Your Unmerciful Impositions upon Tender Consciences by Subscriptions Declarations c. There are few Nations under the Heavens of God as far as I can learn that have more Able Holy Faithful Laborious and Truly Peaceable Preachers of the Gospel Proportionably then Those that are now
of Common Prayer of the Church of England Without any Scandal either Given or Taken Nay so far are they from disowning us that the French Divines hold them for Schismatiques and Punishable that refuse Communion with us Bucer thanks God with all his Soul to see the English Ceremonies so pure N. C. And have they I beseech you their Set Forms Their Peremptory Impositions Their Declarations and Subscriptions C. Yes yes All This and more For Set Forms methinks you should rather tell me any one Reformed Church that wants a Set Form then put me to the Trouble of Naming all that have Calvin and Beza are Positive for them Geneva much more severe for the Observance of them then we are here Inconformity There is cause of Banishment for a Year And the Gallican Church makes it a matter of Excommunication In Geneva Calvin Establish'd his Discipline by an OATH both upon People and Pastors to observe That Form for ever after The Ministers take an Oath of Canonical Obedience in Hungary And the French Divines are not admitted without Subscription There 's no Imposing upon Publique Laws with Private Scruples No Bandying allow'd betwixt Conscience and Authority He that will not submit to the Orders of a Community Away with him says Calvin It is not enough to take cheque at the Constitutions of the Church under colour of a weak Conscience or so pretended but you must be fully satisfied that the Constitution is Wicked IN IT SELF Nay Calvin carries it further Suppose it really ministers Matter of Offence says he That will not serve to vacate the Obligation unless it be also found to be Simply and IN IT SELF Repugnant to the Word of God Quia tamen Verbo Dei PERSE non Repugnat Concedi potest To provide against Evil Consequences is the Magistrates Duty not the Subjects N. C. The Worship of God is in it self Pure and Perfect and Decent without having any such Ceremonies affixed thereunto And many Faithful Servants of the Lord knowing his Word to be a Perfect Rule of Faith and Worship have ever been exceeding fearful of Uarying from his Will and of the Danger of Displeasing him by Additions or Detractions in such Duties C. You will hardly find any honest President for this Nicety Calvin would have given it a worse Name Testatum Velim says he me non de Ceremoniis Litigare quae Decoro tantum Ordini Serviant vel etiam Symbola sunt Incitamenta ejus quam Deo deferimus Reverentiae He Declares himself you see not only for Ceremonies of Order and Decency but for Ceremonies of Significancy and Incitement to Reverence and Devotion And in another place Ergone Inquies nihil Ceremoniarum rudioribus dabitur ad juvandam Eorum Imperitiam Id ego non dico omnino enim utile illis esse sentio hoc Genus Adminiculi Will you allow of no Ceremonies then at all you 'l say for the Instruction of the Vulgar You do not hear me say so for I am clearly of opinion that they are of very great use and service to the People Upon the Main The English Non-Conformists as Mr. Durell well observes are a sort of People by themselves and Non-Conformists at Geneva and Francfort as well as at Canterbury or London N. C. But still methinks whatever our Consciences are as to the way of Publick Worship we might yet be Indulged with an Allowance of â—…erving God among our selves Why should a Toleration do worse Here then in Holland C. I might Answer you with another Question Why should a Commonwealth do worse Here then in Holland Or Why should a Standing Army do worse Here then in Holland Beside If you look narrowly into it you will find the Dissenters from the Settlement There to be rather Strangers then Natives English French High-Dutch that flowed in to them upon the General Revolt from the Church of Rome Lutherans and Anabaptists out of Germany Calvinists out of France Separatists and Semiseparatists out of England in the Days of Queen Mary and Independents since all which were entertein'd more out of Regard to Policy then Conscience their Business being at that time to shake off the Yoke of Spain and Change the Government To which End these several Parties contributed effectually by preparing the People for the Alteration Intended and inuring them to New Principles both of Religion and State And yet you are not to understand Theirs to be a Perfect Toleration neither For you see they would not upon any terms allow That Freedom to the Arminians which they did to Others but Conven'd a Synod and Exterminated the Sect. The reason was they had a Jealousie of the Arminians for Barnevelt's sake the Head of that Party You are to take notice also of the great difference betwixt the Interest and Condition of Our Ministers and Theirs Our Clergy have a Freehold in their Benefices for Term of Life and if they be Factiously disposed they may Evade the Law and do a Mischief without making a Forfeiture Whereas Theirs Preach upon Good Behaviour Live upon the States Pay and upon the least Colour of Offence may be turn'd off at pleasure I need not tell you what Havock Peters Bridges Sympson Ward made in Holland But what they did Abroad the same thing they would have done at Home if they had been Tolerated N. C. What do ye think of Poland then C. I think That Story speaks little to your Advantage take it either in Respect of their frequent Seditions or in Regard of their Prodigious and Heretical Opinions And yet they live under the strongest Obligation in Nature to keep them quiet The Tartar and other Powerful Neighbours lying hard upon them which makes their Case to be rather an Agreement against a Common Enemy then among Themselves N. C. Now take all at the worst It is but Athanasius against the World and The World against Athanasius Number and Truth are not always of a Side C. And yet Your Multitudes make up a great part of your Argument This however let me speak for you There has no Industry been wanting to Propagate your Profession In the Year 1619. The Scotch Discipline was presented to the Synod at Dort for their Approbation But they would not meddle with it Anno 1654. Upon the Reprinting at Geneva of A Collection of the several Confessions of Faith received in all the Reformed Churches of Europe under the Title of Corpus Syntagâ—…a Confessionum Fidei c. It was moved that the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England might be left out and the Assembly Mens Confession put in the place But the Motion was totally rejected The Thirty nine Articles Inserted and not a Word of the Directory They had no better luck with their Covenant neither then with their Discipline The Ministers and others of the Consistory at Charenton and of other Reformed Churches in France as also the Professours Ministers and Consistory of Geneva