finds himself Bound to do 't Conf. This Argument of yours takes in Pagans as well as Christians for They have Consciences as well as Wee and They are convinc'd that there is a God and that That God ought to be Worship'd so that to grant a General License is to Tolerate Paganisme Zeal But Paganisme is not within the Pale of the Question Conf. Why then no more is Conscience for if you exclude Pagans upon what Accompt is 't They perswade Themselves they are in the Right You think them in the Wrong and because of the Error of Their Way deny them the Exercise of their Opinions so that your Exception lyes to the Error not to the Conscience Scrup. But their Consciences are Erroneous Conf. They are so if You may be Iudges of Them and so are Yours too when You come to be Iudg'd by Us. Now tell me What Right have You to be Judges in your own Case any more then They in Theirs Ze. We have a Law to judge our selves by Conf. And They even without a Law do by Nature the things contained in the Law and are a Law to Themselves But to look nearer Home 'T is it seems among Christians only that you would have a Generall Toleration and That in my opinion helps ye not much for to uphold your Claim you must either maintain that there are no Erroneous Consciences among Christians or that Errour of Conscience is no Sin or else that Sin may be Tolerated Scrup. That there are Erroneous Consciences and that sin is not to be Tolerated I Grant ye but I do not take every Error of Conscience to be a sin understand me of Consciences labouring under an Invincible Ignorance Conf. 'T is very true the Formality of sin is the Obliquity of the Will but sin Materially consider'd is the Transgression of the Divine Law and Conscience it self becomes sinfull when it dictates against That Law Scrup. Can there be any sin without Consent or any Consent without Knowledge or any Knowledge in a Case of Invincible Ignorance The Transgression of the Law implies the Knowledge of it or at least the Possibility of knowing it without which it has not the Nature of a Law as to mee The Conditions Requisite to a Rule are These it must be Certain and it must be Known If it be not Certain 't is no Rule if it be not Known 't is no Rule to Us. I had not known sin sayes the Apostle but by the Law and in another place Where there is no Law there is no Transgression From whence the Deduction is clear that sin is not barely the Transgression of a Law but the Transgression of a known Law the Inconformity of the Will to the Understanding Conf. The Perversness of the Will being a Sin does not hinder the Enormity of the Judgment to be so too Untill the Law says your own St. Paul sin was in the World but sin is not imputed when there is no Law Briefly The Word of God is the Rule of Truth and All Disproportion to That Rule is Errour God's Revealed Will is the Measure of Righteousness and all Disproportion to That Measure is sin Now the Question is not Whether Imputed or not but whether a Sin or no and you cannot make Errour of Conscience to be no Sin without making the Word of God to be no Rule Scrup. I do not deny but it is a fin as to the Law but it is None as to the Person It is none constructively with Him that accepts the Will for the Deed. Conf. Can you imagine that any Condition in the Delinquent can operate upon the Force and Equity of the Law Because God spares the Offender shall Man therefore Tolerate the Offence David was Pronounc'd a Man after God's own Heart shall Authority therefore grant a License to Murther and Adultery Scrup. What 's David's Case to Ours You Instance in Sins of Presumption and the Question is touching Sins of Ignorance Conf. Your Patience I beseech you It may be Ignorance in him that Commits the sin and yet Presumption in him that Suffers it You cannot comprehend it perhaps but the Magistrate does and wherein You Doubt Authority is Certain I could lead you now by a Thred from the Toleration of all Opinions to the Toleration of all Practices and shew you the execrable Effects of giving way to the Impulses of Deluded Conscience But what needs That when Two words will dispatch This Controversie In Pleading for All Opinions you plead for all Heresies and for the establishment of wickedness by a Law Do ye think such a Toleration as This either fit for You to Ask or for Authority to Grant Ze. But is it not Pity considering our Duty is Obedience and not Wisedom that a Good man should be punished for not being a Wise Man Conf. And do not you think we should have fine work if a State were bound to make no Provision against Crafty Knaves for fear of Dis-obliging Honest Fools You 'l set no Trapps for Foxes for fear of catching your Lambs and Hunt no Wolves for fear some of your Currs should stumble upon a Sheep In short the Honest will Obey Good Laws and let not the Unwise pretend to Mend them As to the sparing of the Man even where 't were Impious to give Quarter to the Opinion I wish it could be done but how shall we separate the Errour from the Person so as to make a General Law take notice of it To Tolerate Both were Irreligious and it seems to Mee Impossible to sever them If you your self now can either prove the Former to be Lawfull that is to do evil that Good may come of it or the Latter to be Practicable I 'le agree with you For a General Toleration If otherwise I hope you 'l joyn with me Against it Ze. The Truth is I am not yet Resolv'd to Burn for This Opinion but what do ye think of a Limited or Partial Toleration Conf. I fear you 'l find That as much too Narrow for your Conscience as the other is too Wide but Wee 'l Try't however SECT III. Limited Toleration does not answer Liberty of Conscience Conf. WEE are already Agreed That a Toleration of All Opinions is a Toleration of all Wickedness and consequently Unlawfull Come now to your Limited or Partial Toleration which I take to be A Legal Grant of Freedom or Immunity to such or such a Sect or Way and to no Other Will a Toleration of This Latitude content ye Scrup. I See no other Choyce Conf. Would ye have it Granted in favour of the Conscience that Desires it or in Allowance of the Tolerated Opinion Scrup. With an Eye to Both that Nothing which is Grievous may be Impos'd on the One hand nor any thing which is Unlawfull Tolerated on the Other Conf. But what if the Subject shall accompt that Imposition Grievous which the Magistrate thinks Necessary or That Liberty Conscientious which the Magistrate
intend by Scandal such Actions as are of Ill example and administer occasion to your neighbour of Falling I think 't is easily Determin'd that the One is not to be Suffer'd and the Other not to be Condemn'd Conf. When I speak of Schism and Scandal let not me be understood to speak of This or That Sort or Degree of Either but in the Just Latitude both of the One and the Other That is without more Circumstance Which do you take for the more Tolerable Mischief of the Two Scrup. Truly betwixt a Perverse-Separation and a Notorious Scandal I think the Choyce is hard but I rather Incline against the Scandal Conf. Then let me tell ye Schism is Both and if ye will believe Sir Francis Bacon Heresies and Schisms are of all others the Greatest Scandals yea more then Corruption of Manners Consider it first as it stands in Opposition to Unity which is the Bond both of Religion and Society what can be more Scandalous then That which renders Religion it self Ridiculous and That 's the Effect of Schism To see so many several Factions Grinning one upon another and yet all pretending to the same One and Infallible Spirit To bring it homer How Great a Shame and Trouble is This to Those that are within us How great a Discouragement to such as are without us and How great a Subject of Rejoycing is it to Those that are Against us How many in fine has it driven From us and how many more has it hinder'd from coming to us Again 't is seldome I think I might say never seen that Schism goes Alone and in Effect it is but Sedition in a Disguise For we find that our Scrupulous Dissenters can with great Ease and Unity agree in a War though not in a Ceremony Scrup. And may there not be Conspiracies in Scandal as well as in Schism There with an Evident Design to bring Contempt upon Religion whereas Here we find at least a Colour and Pretence to uphold it Beside the sins which I accompt Scandalous are many of them Levell'd at the Prerogative of God Himself and in short the Question is not properly and simply betwixt Schism and Scandal but betwixt Schism and ail other sins whatsoever that may be Propagated by Conversation for That 's the Latitude of Scandal Zea. Again let me observe from your own mouth that Heresies are Scandals and several Heresies you know both by the Laws of God and Man are Punish'd with Death He that Blasphemeth the Name of the Lord shall be put to Death And from hence you may gather some Difference sure betwixt the heynousness of the One and of the Other Conf. If you will measure the Sin by the Punishment you 'll proceed by a very uncertain Rule for Political Laws regard rather Publique Conveniences than Particular Cases of Conscience A man shall lose his Life for Picking a Pocket and but hazard his Ears for a False Oath But if you 'll refer the matter to the Just and Infallible Judge of all the World â—â— God Himself look but into that dreadful Judgement upon the Schism of Korah Korah Dathan c. rose against Moses with two hundred and fifty Captains of the Assembly famous in the Congregation and said unto them Ye take too much upon you since all the Congregation is Holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then Lift ye your selves above the Congregation of the Lord. And what follow'd The Earth open'd her mouth and swallow'd Them up with their Families and all the Men that were with Korah c. A fire came out from the Lord and consum'd the two hundred and fifty Men that Offer'd the Incense This set the Multitude a muttering against Moses and Aaron saying Ye have kill'd the people of the Lord. See now what came of This Muttring too Fourteen thousand seven hundred of them were consum'd by a Plague Zea. Well! but what if you 'll understand That to be Schism which I know to be Conscience Conf. Then have you the same Freedome to be Even with me upon the Point of Scandal and so the Controversie must be Endless for want of a Judge to Decide it SECT XIII The Necessity of a Final and Unaccomptable JUDGE Conf. WHat 's your Opinion of the Necessity of a Iudge Ze. I 'm clearly for a Judge that is for a Iudge furnish'd as well with a Competency of Understanding to Determine Aright as with a Power and Commission to Determine Conf. A Iudge supposes One Competency as well as the Other But the Determination must be Final and Decisive No Appeal From it and no Contending Beyond it Ze. What not in Case of Errour I should be sorry to see a Roman Infallibility set up in England Conf. How you start now from the shadow of an Infallible Judge into the Inconvenience of None at all You would have a Judge you say but then That Judg must be Questionable in Case of Errour so that another Judg is to Judg Him and the very Judg of This Judg is Himself Questionable and so is His Judg and his Judges Judg to the end of the Chapter In case of Errour Which Case of Errour may be alledg'd Wheresoever there 's no Infallibility and if there be no Infallibility in Nature then by Your Rule there can be no Iudg in Nature Ze. I do not say but a man may Iudg Certainly in some Cases though not Infallibly in All and my demand is only the Free Exercise of my Iudgment of Discretion without being Ty'd up to an Implicit Resignation There is in short but a Right and a Wrong and the One I must Embrace and Reject the Other How shall I know This from That without Enquiry and what am I the better for That Enquiry if when I have Learn'd my Duty I am debar'd the Liberty to Practise it Conf. You turn the Question here from the Necessity of a Judge to his Infallibility 'T is not a half-penny to Me whether you make him Infallible or Credible or Probable or what you make him or where you place him provided that he be acknowledg'd Necessary and Unaccomptable Necessary I suppose you will not stick at for there can be no Peace without him every man being at Liberty to wrangle where no man is Authoris'd to Determine Zea. What is it that either Invites Tyranny or Upholds it but the Opinion of an Unaccomptable-Sovereignty Conf. What is it rather you should have said that Excites Sedition and Depopulates Kingdomes but the Contrary and the Fiercest Tyranny is much more supportable then the Mildest Rebellion Zea. I shall readily allow you the Convenience of a Definitive Judgment if you will but secure me from the Danger of a Definitive Injustice Conf. You mistake your self if you Oppose a Possible Injury on the One side to a Certain Strife and Confusion on the Other If Infallibility you cannot find why may not the the Fairest Probability Content
my Spectacles But where 's your Brother-Scruple He was not with you at Mr. Calamy's I hope Ze. No ye know Hee 's of another way I think hee 'll call upon me here by and by for we are to go into the City together about Business Conf. What ever the Matter is I have a strange Itch to day to know your Business Prethee is't a Secret Ze. 'T is a Secret to You if you don't know 't But what if I should Long as much now to know what 't is that makes you so Inquisitive Conf. I 'de save your Longing Nay and for fear of the worst I 'le prevent it They say that you and your Brother are gathering Hands to a Petition against the Act for Uniformity Ze. Put case we were what Then Conf. In the Day that You Offer That Petition will I and My Friends prefer Another against the Act of Indempnity Ze. Sure ye do not take it for the same case Have you read the Kings late Declaration of December 26 Conf. Yes and I see nothing There but that His Majesty finds Himself Oblig'd to preserve Both Alike Ze. Do ye Remember what he Says concerning his Promises from Breda Conf. Oh very well and I would advise you as a Friend not to mind Him too much of them For first His Majesty has done HIS PART in consenting to the Mature and deliberate Offers of his Parliament 2. You have Many of ye fail'd of Yours in not Complying with the Conditions of his Royal Mercy But to the point I am to speak with you about Ze. Do so What is 't Look ye Here 's Scruple come already Conf. So much the Better for I have somewhat to say to ye Both. Come Scruple I think I may thank your Brother here for This Visit. Scrup. Truly if it were Thankworthy so you might for I am only come to call him away about Business into the City Conf. Nay never talk of Business into the City before Dinner for to my Knowledge the Afternoon is time enough for your Business Scrup. In Good Truth we are Engag'd upon an Appointment Conf. I know ye are and that 's the Reason I desir'd to speak with your Brother this Morning You Two are to be at Town-ditch this Morning if it be possible or however sometime to Day Is 't not so Ze. Pray'e where have You your Intelligence Conf. I have a certain Familiar that tells Tales out of School Come Come Resolve upon the Afternoon 'T is but Reprieving Bishops a matter of two hours Longer Ze. Well Since you 'll have it so it shall be so but let me tell ye your Devil deceives ye for we have no Design at all upon Episcopacy Conf. Y'Intend to Petition the Parliament Do ye not Ze. It may be we do Conf. In good time and what 's the Scope of your Petition Ze. That we may be left at Liberty to Worship God according to our Consciences Conf. Have you well consider'd what will be the Fruit of Granting that Liberty Ze. It will exalt the Kings Honour Establish the Peace of the Nation Promote all Honest Interests and Satisfie all Good Men. Conf. Make That Good and ye shall have my Hand to your Petition Scrup. And if we do not make it Good Wee 'll Renounce our Claim Conf. Come Gentlemen There 's a Fire in my Study and we have Two Hours good to Dinner Let 's make use of our Time SECT I. Liberty of Conscience Stated Conf. IF I do not mistake ye my Masters the Thing ye Contend for is a Toleration Scrup. It is so Ze. And that we may not be Enjoyn'd upon a Penalty to do that which we think we ought not to do Conf. Your Pardon my Friend That 's not the Question I do not Ask ye what ye would Not have but what ye Would Not what y' are Against but what y' are For. I know well enough that the Act for Uniformity displeases ye but I would fain know when That 's gon what will Please ye that we may not Destroy a Law to no purpose Ze. Allow us but a Freedome to Worship God according to the Rule of his own word and that Freedom shall content us Scrup. In short the Thing we Desire is Liberty of Conscience Conf. Liberty of Conscience What Mortal can pretend to take it from ye Ze. Do's not the Act for Uniformity Debar us of it Conf. Not at all Your Actions indeed are Limited but your Thoughts are Free What do's This or That Garment or Gesture Concern the Conscience Ze. But if I believe it unlawfull to Worship Thus or So Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Conf. At this Rate for ought that I know ye may Believe it unlawfull to worship at all For ye may as well Except to every mode which is Not commanded as to That which Is. But we are upon the Merits of the Cause before we state the Question Liberty of Conscience according to my Books is a Liberty of Iudging not of Acting but I perceive the Liberty which You claym is a Liberty of Practice Ze. No matter for the Word so long as we Agree upon the Meaning Conf. Nay by your favour Zeal we are not as yet Agreed upon Either for that which you seem to Ask in One sense you Resolve to Take in Another That is ye Ask leave to Think what ye will and ye Take leave to Do what ye will so that the Liberty You demand is rather Matter of State then of Religion And to Ask that ye may govern your selves by your own Consciences is the same Thing with Asking to be no longer govern'd by the Kings Laws Scrup. Cannot Liberty of Conscience then consist with Civil Obedience Conf. Yes Liberty of Conscience may but not Liberty of Action If Liberty of Conscience will content ye disclaim Liberty of Practice But if ye must needs have Liberty of Practice speak out and do not call it Liberty of Conscience Scrup. Give it what Name you please The Liberty I Desire is a Liberty towards God in Matters of Religion Conf. But what do ye mean by those Matters of Religion Zeal Whatsoever has the Honour of God for it's Direct and Immediate End under which Head may be comprised Ceremonies properly sacred and significant by Humane Institution Religious Mystical Habits Canonical Subscription Holy-dayes and in fine such Inventions of Worship as are not warranted by Gods Word Conf. So that upon the whole Matter The Liberty you Demand is a Liberty of Practice in such Matters of Religion as have the Honour of God for their Direct and Immediate End All which in one word amounts to a Toleration and so much for the state of the Question SECT II. Universal Toleration unlawfull Conf. IF a Toleration you would have it must be either Absolute and Generall or Limited and Partial Scrup. Let it be Generall then for doubtless if a Man be Oblig'd to Worship it supposes him Free to do 't in such Manner as he
believes Unlawful Whether of the Two shall Over-rule If the Subject Then is the Magistrate Oblig'd to Tolerate whatsoever the Subject shall think himself Oblig'd to Doe and This carries us back into a General Toleration If the Magistrate Over-rule as certainly 'T is his Right for no man can be properly said to Suffer what he has not a Power to Hinder Your Plea of Conscience is out of Doors Scrup. By your Leave Conformity I would not have Either of them Govern Absolutely and Severally in the Case For if the Magistrate be left to Himself He may either set up a False Religion or Suppress the Right at pleasure and the People by Themselves may as well Mistake as the Magistrate whereas Together the One Looks to the Other But tell me I beseech ye would you have no Toleration at all Conf. Upon my word Scruple no man is a greater friend to Toleration then I am if I could but hit upon such a Measure as agrees with Piety and Political Convenience with such a Model as would probably answer the End you seem to aim at but to Dissolve a Solemn Law for the Satisfaction of some Particulars and at last to leave the People more unsatisfi'd then ye found them were a Course I think not very Suitable to the Ordinary Method either of Government or of Discretion and That I fear would be the Event of Satisfying your Desires in This Particular Pray'e try your Skill if you can contrive it otherwise and say what 't is would please ye Ze. An Exemption from the Lash of the Act of Uniformity Conf. Well! What 's your Quarrel to 't Ze. I think it a Great Cruelty to Confine a Multitude of Differing Iudgments to the same Rule and to punish a Conscientious People for those Disagreements which they can neither Reconcile nor Relinquish Conf. Why do ye then Press That Cruelty your Selves which you Condemn in Others For your Limited Toleration is an Act of Uniformity to Those that are Excluded They that are taken In will possibly be well enough pleased but you never think of Those that are left Out whereas you are to Consider that They that are Out have Consciences as well as those that are In and Those that are In have no more Priviledge then They that are Out So that upon a fair view of the Matter You can neither Admit All nor Leave Out Any without a Check either to your Conscience or to your Argument For put Case The King should Grant ye a Limited Toleration would That Quiet ye Ze. Yes beyond doubt it would Conf. Imagine it then and your self One of the Rejected Party Are not you as well Now without any Toleration at all as you will be Then without the Benefit of it Scrup. To deal freely I would not willingly be Excluded Conf. And is not That Every Mans Case as well as Yours A Limited Toleration must Exclude Some and why not You as well as Another What Prerogative have You above Your Fellows Or why should not All be Tolerated as well as Any They can no more Abandon Their Opinions then You Yours and Your waies are to Them just the same Grievances which if ye may be credited Ours are to You. Scrup. But are not Some Opinions more Tolerable then Others Do ye put no Difference betwixt Points Fundamentally Necessary and but Accidentally so Betwixt the very Basis of Christianity and the Superstructure Conf. Ye persue a Shadow Who shall define Which are Fundamentals and which not If Both parties according to your former hint There 's only a Confusion of Law and Subjection without any Clear or Certain Result If the Diffusive Body of the People your Limited Dispensation runs into an Indeterminable Liberty If the Supreme Magistrate Your claim of Conscience falls to Nothing so that step where ye will You 'll Find no Footing upon This Bottom Now to the Fundamentals you speak of bate but That Grand Foundation of our Faith that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh and that Whosoever Confesses that Iesus Christ is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and Hee in God Abating I say That Radical Principle which if we Disbelieve we are no longer Christians there 's scarce One point that has not been subjected to a Controversie In a word The Reason of your Proposal requires Either an Universal Toleration or None at all unless you can find out an Expedient to Oblige All by Gratifying Some I do not press This as an Utter Enemy to all Indulgence but I would not have it Extorted by Importunity and Struggling nor Granted in such a Manner as to look liker a Composition then a Favour If You should ask me indeed whether a Prince upon Special Grace and meer Motion may not Grant a Toleration of some certain Opinions 'T is past Dispute he May But the Same Freedome granted upon a Popular Claim is quite Another thing and neither Safe nor Lawful Scrup. Pray'e make me understand the Difference Conf. 'T is only This If it be the Subject's Due 't is none of the King 's so that the People are Supreme the One Way and the Prince the Other Now whether it be either Safe for a Prince to submit his Regality to the Claim of the People or LAWFUL for him to devest himself of That Authority wherewith God has Entrusted him lay This under your Pillow and Advise upon 't SECT IV. The Non-conformists Plea for TOLERATION upon Reason of State Conf. SInce you are not able to make out your Claim to a Toleration from the Equity of the Thing Nay since it appears on the Contrary that all Indulgences of That Quality are totally Dependent upon the Will and Iudgment of the Magistrate You should do well do Leave Complaining as if the Government did ye an Injury where Effectually You have no Right at all and rather labour fairly to possess the world that you are a Sort of People to whom the King may with Honour and Safety extend a Bounty The Ordinary Inducements to Indulgence are These Three 1. Reason of State wherein is propos'd either the gaining of an Advantage or the Shunning of an Inconvenience 2. The Singular Merits of the Party and Here Gratitude takes place 3. The Innocence and Modesty of their Practises and Opinions which is a strong Motive when Particulars may be Oblig'd without any Hazard to the Publique To Begin with the First What Reason of State can You now produce that may Move his Majesty to Grant the Non-Conformists a Toleration Scrup. If you had put the Contrary Question Y 'had Pos'd me Are not the Non-Conformists the Kings Subjects And what 's a King without his People Conf. The Non-Conformists are by Birth and Obligation the Kings Subjects but they are not so in Practice and Obedience They renounce the Law and in so doing they Cast themselves out of the Pale of Subjection Ze. I suppose you will not Deny them however to be a Numerous Party and some Experience you have
Resisted but ceaseth to be a King Hear now the File-leader of SMECTYMNUUS The Quection in England is whether Christ or Antichrist shall be Lord or King Go on therefore Couragiously Never can ye lay out your Bloud in such a Quarrel Christ shed all his Bloud to save you from Hell venture all yours to set Him upon his Throne That is to say Down with Episcopacy and Up with Presbytery This is the Language of One of your Seraphique Doctors and the Sermon both Preach'd by Command and Printed by Order Take notice of his Auditory too No less then the Two Houses General Lord-Mayor Assembly and Scotch Commissioners Ian. 18. 1643. Scrup. You will not deny Mr. John Goodwyn I hope to be a Reverend Divine Conf. At the Rate of Your Divinity indeed I cannot deny it Touching the Righteousness of the Sentence passed upon the King Doubtless says he never was there any Person under Heaven Sentenc'd with Death upon more Equitable and just Grounds in respect of Guilt and Demerit Mr. Ienkins is of the same opinion and so is Parker Milton and in fine the whole Tribe of Medling Non-conformists are of the same Leven Now to shew ye that This Agreement comes not by Chance you are to observe that whatsoever is first Expos'd and Blown abroad by the Hirelings of the Faction from the Press and Pulpit is still Seconded at least if the People Relish it with the Approbation of the Counsel so that the main use of Sermons and Pamphlets is only to dispose the Multitude for Votes and Ordinances If you doubt This do but Compare the Doctrines of the One with the Practices of the Other and you must be Blind not to discern that they act by Consent and Intelligence In case of False-worship says the Pulpit and says the Press In case of Tyranny Defensive Arms are Lawful If the People Swallow This the next news ye hear is a Vote for putting that Position in Practice Resolved upon the Question that the King Seduced by wicked Counsel intends to make War c. May 20. 1642. Resolved upon the Question that an Army shall be forthwith Raised c. Iuly 12. 1642. Ze. Will ye make the Parliament then and the Synod Confederate with the Rabble Conf. Tush Tush Turbam tam Chlamydatos quà m Coronam voco I speak of a Faction not of an Anthority I do not meddle with Parliaments Yet since you have such a Kindness for the very Names These People Acted under Let me Offer ye a Word or two to Consider upon touching That Thing which you call a Synod First The men were neither Legally Conven'd nor did They Act in the Name of all the Clergy of England So that no Matter what They Did as to the Validity of any thing They could pretend to do Secondly What was Their Employment but to Advise upon the Cleanliest way of Shifting the Government and to do as much for the Bishops as the House did for his Majesty Will ye have the Truth on 't They clear'd their Conscience abundantly to Both. First in Their Letter to Reformed Churches Abroad They Charge the King as the Patron of the Irish Rebellion Pa. 7. and in short throughout the whole Tenor of it as the most Insupportable Tyrant in Nature Secondly Let That not only Unchristian but Inhumane Collection of White 's Scandalous Ministers bear Witness Against Them Wherein without any Respect either to Truth or Modesty They have Expos'd so Many Reverend Names to Infamy and Dishonour for the better Colour of Their own Wickedness in Robbing them of their Livings I have here laid before you the Merits Practices and Opinions of the Party you plead for If I have told ye Truth Think on 't if otherwise Disprove it Ze. I will not Deny but Ill things have been done Shall All therefore be Condemn'd for the Faults of Some Conf. And I will not deny neither but there are Good people in the mixture shall All therefore be Indulg'd for the Honesty of some Try your skill my Masters and if You can contrive such an Expedient as may Relieve Particulars without Hazzard or Dammage to the Whole ye shall have my Vote for such a Toleration But before ye propound it give me leave to offer ye such other Reasons of my Own Against it as have not been yet touch'd upon and then you are at Liberty to speak to All at Once SECT VII TOLERATION causes Confusion both in Church and State Conf. GEntlemen To come quick to the Business My Exceptions to your Proposal of Toleration shall be Reduc'd to Four Heads My First Exception arises from the very Nature of the Thing it self My Second from this Iuncture of Time wherein it is Desired My Third from the Consideration of the Partyes that Desire it and My Last Exception proceeds from the Reverence I bear to the Authority that is to Grant it Now if You please Wee 'l begin with the First and pass to the Rest in Order My First Argument against Toleration is This It is in those that press it a Tacit Condemnation of an Establisht Law and not without some Reflection upon the Supreme Authority it self If there was Reason for the Making of it There is yet More for the Observing of it by how much an Universal Obedience is more Profitable to the Publique than any Particular Constitution Scrup. It would be well If you would bring all People to the same Mind before ye force them to the same Rule Conf. But it would be Ill if you should admit of no Rule at all till you had found out One that all the world should be pleas'd with Scrup. We do not ask the Vacating of a Law but the Relaxing of it Conf. Why then You ask a Worse Thing for it were Much better for the Publique utterly to vacate a Good Law then to suffer the Withdrawing of that Reverence which is due even to a Bad one If the Reason of such or such a Law be gone Repeal the Law but to let the Obligation fall and the Law Stand is not only to Introduce but to Proclaim a Disorder in the Government The Law in fine is an Act of Publique and Impartial Justice not made for This or That Particular but for a Common Good My Second Exception to Tolcration is Because it Implyes a kind of Assent let me not say Submission both to the Equity of the Subjects Complaint and to the Reason of the Tolerated Opinion which in some Degree seems to Authorise a Separation Now let it be once admitted that any One Law may be Question'd by the Multitude the Consequence reaches to all the Rest Let it be admitted either that any One sort of People may be allowed to challenge any One Law All other Opinions have the same Right of Compleyning Scrup. But we do not question either the Prudence of the Law-makers or the General Equity of the Constitution only where God has not given us Consciences suitable to
the Rule we do humbly begg of his Majesty to bestow upon us a Rule that may comply with our Consciences Conf. Would you have a Law made that shall comply with All Consciences Ye demand an Impossibility God Himself never made a Law that pleased all people Oh! but the Imposition under a Penalty troubles ye Take a-away the Sanction and what signifies the Law Well but You would be exempt I perceive from the general Obligation so would every man else and then there 's no Law at all In short Ye cannot say what ye would have Would ye have a particular Indulgence Where 's the Equity of it as to Those that are Excluded Will ye have it Generall Where 's the Conscience of it when all Heresies are entertain'd You should consider that Lawes are fram'd with a regard to the Community and they ought to stand Firm and Inexorable If once they come to hearken to Particular Clamours and to side with Particular Interests the Reverence of Government is shaken Ze. You have speculated here some Airy Inconveniences but where 's the Real hazard of receding from that Inexorable strictness as you call it Conf. First the Magistrate makes himself of a Party with Those that he Tolerates against Those that he Rejects which drawes an envy upon the Government Secondly The Tolerated Party becomes a Sanctuary for all the seditious Persons in the Kingdom It was well said of one whom I esteem more for his Wit than his Honesty speaking of a Thin House of Commons It looks says he like a Parish Church that borders upon a Conventicle And the very Truth of it is A Schismatical Lecturer is as bad as a Rosted Dogg in a Dove-house he tolls away all the Pigeons i' th Countrey Not that the People throng to him for the Excellency of the Man or of the Way but they Meet to Proclaim Themselves Masters of the Law and to count how many Thousand souls there are even in this sinfull Nation that will not bow the Knee to Baal Let them go on and within a while the King perhaps shall sue to Them for the same Toleration They now begg from Him and go without it that is unless His Majesty has better luck then his Father which God send him for he has several of the very same Persons to deal withall Another Objection may be This If there be any Reason for Granting a Toleration 't is Probable the Reason will be stronger for Continuing it so that in Time the People shall Challenge That as a Right which They now only Demand as a Favour and the next Motion is into a Popular Reformation Let me add to what I have said that a Toleration does not only Evirtuate the Law but it naturally produces a total Dissolution of Ecclesiastical Order and consequently begets a Confusion both in Church and State Ze. You speak as if there were no such thing as a Toleration in Nature Conf. Of that in place convenient SECT VIII The Danger of TOLERATION in this Iuncture Conf. I Need not tell ye Gentlemen that I am no great friend to Toleration at Any time but I must confess to ye that at This time I like it worse then I have done at any Other Scrup. When to My thinking there never was more need of it nor more Hope of the Fruit of it then is at this Instant Are not the People ready to Tumult for want of it Conf. Indeed a very proper Reason why they should have it that they may be encouraged to Tumult again for what they have a mind to Next How long do you believe that Government would stand where the Multitude should take notice that their Rulers are afraid of them Are they ready to Tumult then they are not Conscientious and if it be not conscience that moves them 't is Sedition Scrup. I 'm very confident An Indulgence would Quiet them Conf. Can you remember the steps of the last Warr and be of that Opinion What was it but That which was given to Quiet the Faction that enabled them to take All the Rest To give you a fresh Instance What could be more Pious Gracious or Obliging then his Majesties Late Declaration in Favour of the Non-conformists All that was possible for the King to doe in consistence with Conscience Honour and the Peace of his Dominions his Majesty has there frankly assur'd them of and what 's the effect of all Are they one jot the Quieter for 't No but the worse for no sooner was his Majesties Tenderness in That Particular made Publique but the generality even of Those that had lately entred into a Regular and Dutifull complyance with the Orders of the Church started into a new Revolt which Demonstrates that the true ground of their Separation is not Conscience but Faction and proves sufficiently the benefit and necessity of a strict Rule and the hazard of a Relaxation For you see that rather then abide the Penalty of the Act they could Conform but upon the least Glimpse of an Indulgence they Relapse into a Schism Come Brother Zeal Your Friend of shall pin the Basket That Sermon of his that you wote of at least if His it be and several Impressions of it have pass'd as His without any Contradiction That Sermon do I take to be one of the Lewdest Requitals of the Kings Mercy and Goodness that ever But no more Hee 's a Son of the Kirk Take him First as a Person whom his Majesty has Pardon'd although a Leading and Pragmatical Instrument toward the Ruine of his Royal Father Consider him Secondly as one that has been taken nibbling at Sedition since his Majesty's Return before now and yet been wink'd at Thirdly take notice of the very point of Time he has chosen for his purpose His Contempt meets the Kings Mercy just in the Face and his Majesty's Arms are no sooner open to receive him then he takes that very nick of Opportunity to stabb him in Ze. And all This Amplifying and Passion for Preaching forsooth without a Licence Conf. The least thing in my thought I assure ye for I speak to the Dangerous Scope and Application of his Sermon without any concern at all whether he did Well or Ill as to the Act of Uniformity Ze. I will not justifie his Prudence but in my Conscience the man never meant any hurt either to this King or to his Father I should abhorre him if I thought he did Conf. Wee 'l handle that Point at leasure But to bring what we are now upon to a Period I look upon Mr. Calamy as the Mouth of the Party and ye see with what a seditious Confidence they own his Actions and avow his Disobedience So that from Mr. Calamy's single Case we are to take the Measure of the Main Question And now I ask ye Whether or no do you hold it convenient to dispense with a Law in favour of That Party which at the same time both Challenges and Defies That Law and Despises
that Mercy Ze. When you have made out the Fact as you have layd it I 'le tell ye my Opinion Conf. Again we are perpetually Alarm'd with Plotts ye see Now what better means then a Toleration to draw the Conspirators into a Body In Truth to gratifie a Party that thus outfaces Authority and to do it too in the very Crisis of the Contest is a Policy that I can't reach the Bottom of This Thred might be drawn finer but I have something to say concerning the Party as well as the Time SECT IX Arguments against TOLERATION in respect of the Party that desires it with Animadversions upon a certain Pamphlet Entituled A SERMON Preached at ALDERMANBURY-CHURCH Decemb. 28. 1662. c. Conf. WE are now entring into a Large Field Gentlemen and that we may not lose our selves Let us move orderly toward the Question Your Party desires a Toleration is 't not so Scrup. It is so Conf. And what is Your Party I beseech ye Where do they Dwell What are their Names Their Opinions c. For to Tolerate No body knowes Whom or What would be a little with the Largest I think would it not Scrup. Truly I think it would But to Answer your queynt Question Our Party is a certain number of Godly and Conscientious men that desire a Freedom to Worship God in their own way Conf. But now You must tell me Your Way too Scrup. Our Way must be such a Way as is agreeable to Gods Word Conf. Do ye mean that it must be expressly mark'd out and commanded There or will it serve the Turn if it be only not Prohibited Ze. God forbid that any sober Christian should imagine that our Saviour left his Church without a Rule and certainly the Lord's Discipline is the best Pattern so that we are to stick to the Ordinance of Jesus Christ without Adding or Diminishing Conf. Scruple What say You to This for if it be so there is but One way of Worshipping Lawfull and consequently but One way Tolerable Scrup. In Truth I am content to venture My Soul among Those that serve the Lord according to the Light that he has given them Conf. So that I perceive 't is utterly Impossible to please ye Both for You are for several wayes and your Brother Zeal but for One. How comes it now that You Two that can never Agree betwixt your selves should yet Joyn in a Petition against Us Scrup. We Agree in This that neither of us would be Limited Conf. Do not You find your self Foul now upon the Old Rock of Universal Toleration again I would You 'd be but so honest Once as to Yield when Y' are Convinc'd Can you either name Those Opinions which you would have Indulg'd or can you Expect a Toleration for all Opinions at a venture Scrup. Provided they be not contrary to Gods Word Conf. But who shall be Iudg of That If each Individual You must admit Right and Wrong promiscuously for no man will condemn himself If Authority You are concluded by an Ecclesiastical Law Have a Care now of your old Distinction of Fundamentals and Non-fundamentals for then your very foundation fails ye and ye renounce the most plausible part of your Plea to wit your Title of Conscience A word now to your Brother You are for the Holy Discipline Zeal for That way and for no Other Ze. We are for That way which is prescrib'd in the Word Conf. Of which way either the People or the Governours must be the Judges If you say the People the Independent has the Better of ye if the Governours you must submit to the Resolutions of the Church In fine If ye cannot say what ye would have never Complain that ye cannot Obtain what ye Ask and That 's my first Reason against Tolerating the Non-conformists They are a sort of People that would have they know not what In which Particular Experience bears witness against them For what have they done since 41. but Overturn'd the Government Divided the Spoyl Enrich'd Themselves Embroyl'd every thing and setled nothing And yet my Masters there was no Act of Uniformity to hinder ye Ze. You cannot imagine sure that all these Hurli-burlies and Confusions were Design'd Conf. Not All perhaps for I believe ye thought to do your Business with less Trouble But that the subversion of the Government was Design'd is plain and certain and truly that it is now Design'd over again is scarce less Evident Upon which special consideration I ground my Second Exception Scrup. But That would be hard to ruine so many People of God for an Uncharitable surmise Conf. Go to Scruple If That be not the scope of your Monstrous Earnestness for a Toleration pray'e tell me what is If ye have no end at all in 't 't is Frivolous if This be your end 't is Impious if ye have any other End make it appear Scrup. 'T will satisfie our Consciences Conf. Heaven and Earth shall be sooner brought together then your Two Consciences will the Establishment of Presbytery satisfie your Conscience or the Allowance of Liberty satisfie your Brothers If it be the Uniformity ye Dislike How come ye to Joyn with the Directory against the Common-prayer with That of the Assembly against That of the Church In short Your Disagreements among your selves are almost as Notorious as your Conjunction Against Us and ye have given Proof to the World that it is not possible for any thing Else to Unite you but a Common Booty Witness the Contentious Papers and Disputes betwixt Calamy and Burton Edwards and Goodwin and Others not to be Number'd concerning the very Point of Toleration The desires of the Independents for a Toleration say the London-Ministers are unreasonable and unequal and many Mischiefs will follow upon 't both to Church and Common-wealth Now on the other side hear what Sterry sayes Lord thou hast done Graciously and Wonderfully in saving us from the Bloudy Design of the Egyptian Papacy But this last Mercy by which thou hast sav'd us from the Black Plotts and Bloudy Powers of the Northern Presbytery has Excell'd them All. Rutherford tells ye that Such Opinions and Practices as make an evident Schisme in a Church and set up two Distinct Churches of different Forms and Government c. cannot be Tolerated Milton again will have the Presbyterians to be Ministers of Sedition not Ministers of the Gospel With what face now can those People appear to claim a Toleration from the Publique whose Principles are so cross that they cannot afford it One to Another Scrup. Well but supposing these unhappy Clashings among Themselves how does that prove them in Confoederacy against the Publique Conf. Their very Agreement against the Government and in nothing else makes it evident enough but if You 'd have it clearer Look thorough their Proceedings In a Petition that accompanyed their black Remonstrance of Dec. 15. 41. You may find the Points chiefly insisted upon to be
These The Honour of the King the Liberty and Property of the Subject The Moderating of the Bishops Power and the Removal of some Unnecessary Ceremonies for the Ease of Tender Consciences Nay so far were they from any Purpose or Desire to let loose the Golden Reins of Discipline and Government in the Church that they held it Requisite to Maintain a Conformity throughout the Kingdom to that Order which the Lawes Enjoyn'd and took it very unkindly that the Malignant Party should Infuse into the People that they meant to Abolish all Church-Government and leave every man to his own Fancy for the Service and Worship of God Absolving him of that Obedience which he Owes under God unto his Majesty Whom THEY KNEW TO BE ENTRUSTED WITH THE ECCLESIASTICAL LAW AS WELL AS WITH THE TEMPORAL c. They confess indeed their intention of Reducing within Bounds that Exorbitant Power which the Prelates had Assum'd unto Themselves so contrary both to the Word of God and to the Lawes of the Land To which end they pass'd the Bill for Removing them from their Temporal Power and Employments that so the better they might with Meekness apply Themselves to the discharge of their Functions Will ye now see the Correspondence betwixt these Gentlemens Words and their Actions and First concerning the Honour of the King wherein This word shall suffice that they omitted Nothing in order to the destroying both of his Soul Body and Reputation which either Craft Violence or Calumny could Contribute and not to Rob either of the Two Factions of their deserved Fame and Interest in the Ruine of that Glorious Prince I shall conclude with Parkers decision of the Case The Presbyterians pass'd the Sentence of Condemnation and the Independents executed it Ze. I shall not pretend to Iustifie all their Actions but in truth my Charity perswades me that a great part of the Mischief they did proceeded rather from Necessity then Inclination Conf. Will yee see then what they did afterward when they were at Liberty to do what they Listed They had no sooner Murther'd the Father but immediately They made it Death to Proclaime the Son They Abolisht Kingly Government Sold the Crown Lands Declar'd it Treason to deny the Supremacy of the Commons Null'd all Honours and Titles granted by the King since 41. Made Scotland one Common-wealth with England c. Have they now kept any better Touch with the Liberty and Property of the Subject Let their Proceedings witness for them As their Tax upon the Fifth and Twentieth Part. Excise upon Flesh Victuals and Salt A new Excise upon Allom Copper as Monmouth-Caps Hoppes Saffron Starch c. A Loane of 66666 l. 13 s. 4 d. for supply of the Scots An Assessement for the Maintenance of the Army The House of Peeres Abolisht and a Monthly Tax of 90000 l. for the Army A Monthly Tax of 120000 l. An Imposition upon Coal A Monthly Assessement of 60000 l. Not to Clogge the Discourse with overmany Particulars Wee 'll see Next What they have done toward the Moderating of the Power of Bishops and the Removal of Unnecessary Ceremonies The Archbishop of Canterbury Suspended and his Temporalties Sequestred Monuments of Superstition Demolisht that is in Short an Ordinance for Sacriledge The Book of Common Prayer laid aside and the Directory commanded in stead of it Archbishops and Bishops Abolisht and their Lands setled in Trustees Their Lands Expos'd to Sale Festivals Abolisht Deans and Chapters c. Abolisht And their Lands to be Sold. This is your way my Masters of Moderating the Power of Bishops and of removing unnecessary Ceremonies and at the same Rate you have provided for Tender Consciences witness Your Penalties for Using the Book of Common Prayer and your Forfeitures for not Using the Directory Zea. Conformity You should Do better not to Rip up these Old Stories again Conf. And if you would not hear of Them again you should Leave Doing Them again Zea. Then it seems the whole Number must suffer for the Misdemeanours of Particulars Conf. No nor the whole Party scape because of some Particulars neither Would you ha' me open my Door to a Troop of Thieves because two or three of my honest Friends are in the Company And That 's the Case Besides You must permit me to distinguish betwixt Particulars and the Party for the Party of Non-conformists are in a Direct Confederacy against the Law whereas there may be divers Particulars that are mov'd only upon a Principle of Conscience And those that are truly Conscientious will be known by This Their'll endeavour their own Satisfaction without any Importunities upon the Publique for when they come once to joyn in a Complaint against the Law 't is no longer Conscience but Faction And the Question is not Here concerning the Integrity of certain Individuals but how far a Toleration belongs to the Party without any consideration of Persons Zea. Let us suppose then that the Party may have done amiss I hope 't is no Sin against the Holy Ghost Conf. Truly with Reverence to Charity I take it to be next a-kin to 't in very many of them For First They sinn'd against an Evident Light as appears from their several doublings and contradictory Proceedings Next There was a Malice Notorious only I hope it went no further than God's Vicegerent But I 'le comply with the utmost of your Argument You would have Those Indulg'd that Repent With all my heart if That will Content ye For still upon That Condition not a Soul must be admitted that Refuses to Abjure the Covenant and There lies the very Pinch of the Question For what the Covenant meant every body knows from the express Practice and Explication of Them that made it The League and Covenant says Rutherford was the first Foundation of the Ruine of the Malignant Party in England And They that Impos'd it Voted it Death for any man having taken it to serve his Majesty So that whosoever Refuses to Disown the Covenant must be Rationally supposed still to pursue the Ends of it Which Ends are The Subjection of the Royal Authoricy to the Conclave of the Kirk and in Terminis the Abolition of Episcopacy which his Majesty has solemnly vow'd and Resolv'd to Preserve From whence it arises undeniably that to Tolerate the Non-conformists that still adhere to the Covenant is to Tolerate the Sworn Enemies both of Royal and Episcopal Authority and of the Peace of the Nation and in fine to Tolerate Those that have sworn to persist in that Opposition all the daies of their lives From what is already said it appears First That the Non-conformists are not yet Agreed what they would have and I dare engage my self to be his Slave that clears the Proposition farther then that they would have This Government unsetled and they know not what
Yes yes He is a little Eager in his Way Conf. Come Zeal I 'le Disabuse ye What will you say if I bring you to a Person that shall Averre to Mr. Calamy's Face that since his Majesty's Return He has Declar'd Himself not Unsatisfy'd with the Government and Discipline of the Church of England and that only the Importunity of his Parishioners Diverted Him from accepting a Bishoprick You will the less wonder at This when ye Consider how Absolutely he was For the Church till he found it more Beneficial to be Against it Zea. All that I shall say is This Let every man speak as he finds and so if you please wee 'll leave him to take his Fortune SECT X. Arguments against TOLERATION in Respect of the Authority that is to Grant it Conf. COme Gentlemen I have yet one Exception more to your Toleration and That is upon the Accompt of the Authority that is to Grant it From whom do ye Expect it Zea. From the Parliament Conf. But what is 't you call a Parliament for one while the King and the Two Houses in Co-ordination are a Parliament and when Ye have Screw'd out the Kings Negative Voyce The Lords and Commons are a Parliament and Then down go the Lords and the Commons alone are a Parliament and at Last Out with Them too For the Fountain of Dominion is in the People This is the Scale of your Politicks But to the Point in hand You Apply to the Parliament and your Grievance is Matter of Conscience Do ye make the Civil Power a Judge of Conscience Zea. No under Favour My Desire that the Parliament will Relieve my Conscience does not Consequently make it a Judge of it Conf. And with Your Pardon too How shall the Magistrate know whether your Conscience is opprest or no if he be no Judge of it One of these Two Rules He is to proceed by Either That of his own Particular or the General Rule of all Consciences If He measure your Conscience by the Former there 's no Oppression in the Case for His Conscience is very well satisfy'd in That which will not down with Yours If by the Latter All other Consciences would be Concern'd as well as Yours in the Violation of a General Rule So that Evidently your Scruples are Singular and if you cannot bring them within his Cognizance you must Subject them to his Authority and First teach him to Know when your Conscience is troubled before ye Complain because 't is not Eas'd Scrup. For That Every man tells his owne Tale best and may best be Credited in That which No body knows but Himself Conf. And under That Colour so Many Men as make no Conscience at all of an Imposture shall pretend to make one of a Ceremony Peruse the Tragedies of our Holy Leagues Covenants and Reformations What Crime so Execrable that has not been Committed under the Motto of Gods Cause and Patronage of Conscience What Act so Horrid that has not past for a Divine Impulse and if it Hit the Author of it for an Inspired Instrument of Iustice Nay more not One Notorious Practice of a Hundred upon the Person of a Prince but under a Religious Vernish and Commonly a Priest at the One End of it and an Impulse at the Other Was it not a Holy Father and the Prior of the Covent one of the Heads of the League that Confirm'd Clement in his Purpose of Murdering Harry the Third of France For his Encouragement They Assur'd him that if he out-liv'd the Fact he should be a Cardinal if he Dy'd a Saint and This was it that fixt him in his Determination What was it again that Originally Dispos'd this Monster to That Direful Villany but principally Seditious Sermons against the King as a Persecuting Tyrant Stimolato dalle predicationi the giornalmente sentiva fare contra Henrico di Valois nomi nato il persecutore della fede il Tiranno c. See in the same Author the Confession of Iohn Castle concerning his Attempt upon Harry the Great which was that he had been brought up in the Jesuites School and Instructed that it was not only Lawful but Meritorious to Destroy Harry of Bourbon that Revolted Heretick and Persecutor of the Holy Church Esaminato con le solite forme confesso liberamento c. What was it that Animated Ravillac to his Damn'd Practice upon that Brave Prince but by his own Confession a Discourse of Mariana's De Rege Regis Institutione 'T was a Divine Instinct too that Mov'd Balthasar Gerard to Destroy the Prince of Aurange Divine tantum Instinctu id à se patratum constanter Affirmabat diu Tortus c. To conclude with that Fresh and Horrible Instance here at Home Acted upon the Sacred Person of the Late King What was it but the Operation of That Poyson in the People which was Instill'd into them by their Ministers How Inconsistent then is the Liberty of the Pulpit with the Safety of the Government and how Great a Madness were it to Expect that the same Persons should Establish This Prince by virtue of the same Liberty by which They Ruin'd the Last You cannot certainly but Confess the Hazard to his Sacred Majesty of Granting a Toleration take a little Notice now of the Indignity in proposing it That Grace which were an Ample Reward even for the most Meritorious Services and Loyalty do These People Mutinously Demand as a Requital for the Contrary Scrup. Will ye oppose the Exercise of a Charity because it may be Abus'd Conf. No but I shall Oppose the Encouragement of a Confidence that Presses to be Requited for an Injury and in truth Your Petition properly taken is rather a Mockery then a Request As for the Purpose What is 't ye stick at Scrup. The Act for Uniformity Conf. Is it the Model or the Uniformity that troubles you Scrup. Why truly I Except to Both for Neither is the Particular Act fram'd to my satisfaction nor is it possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Judgments Conf. Will Toleration suit All Judgments any better then Uniformity Or do ye accompt the Sanction of any One Form Whatsoever to be Lawfull Scrup. Indeed I do not think it lawfull for a Magistrate to Enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which a Private Person may not lawfully obey him in nor do I think it Warrantable for a Man to Obey any Humane Command against his Conscience Conf. Now lay together what you have said First It is not Possible that any One Form of Worship should suit All Iudgments and then it is not lawfull to Enjoyn any thing upon a Penalty which does not suit All Iudgments 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 Your Conscience then of his Own for you Allow him the Cognisance
of what he may Tolerate and Deny him the Knowledge of what he may Impose In fine Your Arguments and Opinions duely weigh'd his Majesty has either no Power or no Reason to permit you a Toleration No Power as You state his Capacity and no Reason as you Disclaim his Supremacie Scrup. I do not Oppose the Coactive Power of the Civil Magistrate in Matters of Civil Concernment but I take the Case in Question to be of Another Quality and out of the Verge of the Secular Iurisdiction Conf. I think it will become you then not to Importune his Majesty for the Dissolving of an Ecclesiastical Law before you acknowledge him Vested with the Right of Making it Ze. If you think fit let that Point be the Next Question Conf. Agreed it shall SECT XI The Proper Subject and Extent of Humane Power Conf. AS Reasonable Nature consists of Soul and Body so is the Authority that Governs it Divine and Humane God Eminently over All and Princes Ministerially under Him and as His Substitutes The Dominion of our Souls God reserves peculiarly to Himself committing That of our Bodyes to the Care of the Magistrate Now if Power be a. Divine Ordinance so consequently is Subjection for to Imagine the One without the Other were to Destroy the Ratio of Relatives A sober Disquisition of This Matter would save much Trouble that arises about the Bounds and Limits of our Duty how far Religion binds us and how far Allegeance That they are severable we must not doubt for Truth it self hath said it Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's But that They are only so severable as never to become Inconsistent is founded upon the same Immovable Rock Let every soul be subject c. a Precept of a Perpetual and Universal Operation and Limited neither to Time Place nor Persons Ze. Your Deduction of Government and Subjection from Divine Institution is well enough Coucht and that we are to Obey the Magistrate for God's sake and in subordination to God is Easily Prov'd and Granted but I hear Nothing yet of the Particular Bounds and Terms of Humane Jurisrisdiction What 't is belongs to God and What to Caesar Conf. That I confess is the Pinch of the Question for One Duty comes up so close to the Other that 't is not for Every Common Eye to passe between them Effectually they Touch but in what Point is of a Nice Decision The Readyest way in my opinion to the strict Knowledge of our Duty is by the Lawes and Powers of the Authority for 't is Requisite that a Man know the Rule before he can Observe it Wee are then to Consider that the Almighty Wisdom has Invested Kings with an Unlimited Power of Commanding or Forbidding in all matters which God himself has not either Commanded or Forbidden which Proposition Resolves it self into This Conclusion Whatsoever God has left Indifferent is the subject of Humane Power Scrup. Does not That Opinion destroy Christian Liberty Conf. No but the Denyal of it Destroyes Magistracy If Kings have not This Power they have none at all and it Implyes a Contradiction to suppose any Authority in Nature without it Scrup. But may not a Prince tye himself up in a Thing Otherwise Indifferent Conf. I speak of Power according to the Institution not of Power limited by Paction Scrup. May not the same thing be Indifferent to One and not so to Another Conf. Granted and I pray'e follow it a little further May not every thing Imaginable appear Non-Indifferent to some or other if nothing can be commanded but what upon such a Phansy may be Disobey'd Scrup. Pardon me I do not speak of Matters of Civil Concern but of Matters of Religion Conf. That 's all a Case for you cannot Instance in any One Civil Action that may not be made Relative to Religion But stick to the Mark We are upon the Extent of Humane Power That there is such a Power and That Authoris'd too by God Himself You have already granted Now tell me Upon what shall That Power be Exercis'd if you Exclude things Indifferent One man may have a Reall Scruple and All the Rest Pretend one Who shall Distinguish So that the Rule holding from One to All the Sacred Authority of the Prince becomes Dependent upon the Pleasure of the Subject and the Validity of a Divine and Unchangeable Ordinance is subjected to the Mutable Judgement and Construction of the People Scrup. It may be You Expect the Magistrate should as well have a Power of Judging what 's Indifferent as of Restreyning it Conf. You may be sure I do for otherwise I 'm where I was if I make You the Judge Is 't not all one as to the Magistrate Whether you Refuse upon Pretense that the Thing is not Indifferent or upon Pretense that he cannot Restreyn a Thing Indifferent The Crime indeed is differing in the Subject for the One way 't is an Usurpation of Authority and the Other way 't is a Denyall of it Scrup. Why then it seems I am to Believe any thing Indifferent which the Magistrate tells me is so be it never so Wicked Conf. No There You 're bound up by a Superiour Law Scrup. Have you forgot your self so soon 'T was but just now you would not allow me to be a Iudge and here you Make me One. Conf. Right to your self you are but not to the Publique A Judge of your own Thought but not of the Law Scrup. At your rate of Arguing now from One to All Authority methinks should be as much Endanger'd This way as the Other for All may Iudge Thus as well as One. Conf. 'T is possible they May Nay wee 'll suppose an Imposition foul Enough to move them all to do so and yet there 's a Large Difference for Diversity of Iudgment does not shake the Foundation of Authority and a man may Disobey a sinful Command with great Reverence to the Power that Imposes it Scrup. You were saying even now that my Duty to God and to the King could never be Inconsistent Pray'e How shall I behave my self if the Prince Commands One thing and God Another I cannot Observe the Law without Violence to my Conscience nor Discharge my Conscience without Offence to the Law What Course shall I take to avoid Enterfering Conf. Demean your Self as a Christian toward the Law of God on the One hand and as a Subject toward the Ordinance of God on the Other as Considering that you are Discharg'd of your Obedience but not of your Subjection Scrup. Suppose the Supreme Magistrate should by a Law Establish a False Worship Conf. Hee 's still your Prince and even in This Complication you may acquit your self both to God and Caesar. Divide the Worship from the Magistrate and in so doing you both Fear God and Honour the King and it is only This Loyal and Religious Separation of our Duties that must set us right
in the Main Controversie Where do ye find that Kings Reign upon Condition of Ruling Righteously Or that we owe them less After Misgovernment than we did Before Scrup. But do ye say we are bound to Honour an Idolatrous Prince Conf. Yes yes the Prince you are bound to Honour though not as an Idolater Shall the Vice or Error of the Person blemish the faultless Dignity of the Order By That Rule the world must Continue without a Government till we can find Men without Failings Scrup. So that you allow I perceive of Distinguishing betwixt the Person and the Office Conf. Betwixt the Frailty of the One and the Sacredness of the Other I do for Kings Command as Gods though they Iudge as Men but I do no more allow of Dividing the Person of a Prince from his Authority then of Dividing his Soul from his Body Scrup. And I beseech ye what is that which you Call Authority Conf. To tell ye Only that it is Gods Ordinance falls short I believe of the Scope of your Question Wherefore take This in Surplusage It is the Will and Power of a Multitude Deliver'd up by Common Consent to One Person or More for the Good and Safety of the Whole and this Single or Plural Representative Acts for All. Take This along with ye too The Disposition of such or such a Number of Persons into an Order of Commanding and Obeying is That which we call a Society Scrup. What is the Duty of the Supreme Magistrate Conf. To procure the Welfare of the People or according to the Apostle He is the Minister of God for a Comfort to Those that Do Well and for a Terrour to Evill-Doers Scrup. How far are his Lawes binding upon his Subjects Conf. So far as They that parted with their Power had a Right over Themselves Scrup. Whence was the Original of Power and what Form of Government was First Regal or Popular Conf. Power was Ordain'd of God but Specify'd by Man and beyond doubt the First Form of Goverment was Monarchique Scrup. Nay Certainly the Popular Form was first for How could there be a King without a People Conf. So was the Son before the Father you 'll say for How could there be a Father without a Son But the Question is First Was the World ever without a Government since the Creation of Man Secondly Whether was first in the World One Man or More I see well enough what 'tis You 'd be at You would fain advance the Popular Form above the Regal which if ye could 't were Nothing to our purpose for we are not upon the Form of Government but upon the Latitude of Humaene Iurisdiction be the Sovereignty where it will and that it extends to whatsoever God has left Indifferent is my Assertion If you Deny This You Overthrow All Government as is already prov'd and if you Grant it we are at Liberty for the next Enquiry which is concerning SECT XII The Bounds of TOLERATION with some Reflections upon SCHISM and SCANDAL Conf. IT is already agreed that Government is a Divine Ordinance and Order according to the Reverend Hooker is only A Manifestation of the Eternal Law of God So that I think a Man may safely pronounce upon This Allowance First that What Principle soever is Manifestly Destructive of Government or but rationally tending to Confusion cannot le of God Secondly Every Man is to Content himself in his Station as being no farther accomptable than for what 's committed to his Charge Under These Two Heads will be found if I mistake not whatsoever belongs to the Political Part of our Debate We are here to enquire not how far Toleration may be Convenient or otherwise but how far Warrantable and Lawful and I find it by a Reverend and Learned Prelate brought to This Standard In the Question of Toleration The Foundation of Faith Good Life and Government is to be Secur'd Wherein is compris'd a Provision and Care that we may live as Christians toward God as Members of a Community toward one another and as Loyal Subjects toward our Sovereign Now if you 'll admit Opinions to be only so far Tolerable as they Consist with These Duties of Religion Morality and Society We have no more to do but to apply Matters in Controversie to the Rules of Piety and Good Manners and to the Ends of Government Scrup. ' T is True were Men Agreed upon Those Rules But we see Several Men have Various apprehensions of the same thing and that which One Man takes for a Rule Another Counts an Errour Conf. By your Argument we shall have no Religion because Men Differ about the Right No Bible because Men Disagree about the Meaning of it No Rule in fine at all to square our Actions by till Truth and Reason shall be Establisht by a Popular Vote The Law says Worship Thus or So use This Form That Ceremony Posture Habit c. The Libertine cries No 't is a Confinement of the Spirit an Invention of Man a Making of That Necessary which God left Free a Scandal to Tender Consciences c. And Here 's Authority Concluded as to the Manner of Worship So for the Time How do They know when Christ was Born or Crucify'd Nay They have much adoe to call to Mind when the Late King was Murder'd but the Relief of Taunton and the Repulse They gave the Cavaliers at Lyme This They can very well Remember and Celebrate Those Daies of Mercy with a most Superstitious Gravity and Form The Churches Fasting-Daies They make their Iubilees and still it happens that Their Consciences and the Law run Counter 'T is the same Thing as to the Place Command Them to Church They 'll tell ye there 's no Inherent Holiness in the Walls the Hearts of the Saints are the Temples of the Lord. Is not God to be found in a Parlour as well as in a Steeple-House In fine What 's their Plea for All This but that This is One Mans Iudgment That Anothers This or That may be Indifferent to You but not to Mee What 's Indifference to Christianity This sickly Humour opens a door to as many Controversies as there are Men it leaves Authority naked and exposes the Law to any mans Scorn that shall think fit to Scruple his Obedience To conclude This Lawless Liberty Razes the very foundation of Government it creates as many Religions as there are several Phansies and briefly the Assertors of This Liberty are of the Number of Those that are not upon any Terms to be admitted within the Pale of a Toleration Scrup. Shall the Magistrate make me Act against my Conscience Conf. Shall the Subject make Him Tolerate against His But to proceed There are that place the Soveraignty in the Diffusive Body of the People that hold it Lawfull for the Subjects to enter into Leagues and Covenants not only Without the Soveraign's Consent but Against his Authority that call upon the People in the Pulpit to Assist
and your Cause out of Countenance Scrup. You must understand that though my Reason lies against Uniformity yet I 'm no Advocate for Anarchy and 't is with Non-conformists as with Other People there are Good and Bad of All Sorts But to go with the Moderate Would you have All mens Consciences Govern'd by the same Rule when 't is Impossible to bring them All to the same Mind Conf. Better Particulars suffer for Incompliance with the Publique than the Publique suffer for Complying with Particulars Uniformity is the Ciment of both Christian and Civil Societies Take That away and the Parts drop from the Body one piece falls from Another The Magistrate for Order's sake requires Uniformity You and your Associates Oppose it upon a Plea of Conscience and the Question is Whether He shall Over-Rule Your Opinions or You Over-Rule His Authority This Dispute begets a War for want of a Iudge and to Prevent that Mischief I offer that a Iudge is Necessary Or put it Thus You and I Differ and Possibly we are Both of us in the Wrong but most certainly we are not Both in the Right and yet neither of us but thinks well enough of his own Opinion What 's to be done in This Case shall we wrangle Eternally Scrup. No Wee 'll rather put the matter to Arbitration Conf. Well! but the Arbiter himself is Fallible and may Mistake too or let him have the Wisdome of an Angel he cannot please us Both for That which seems Right to the One will appear Wrong to the Other Shall we stand to his Award what ever it be If not take into your Thought These Consequences You Refuse to submit because 't is Wrong I may refuse by the same Reason though it be Right for every Man's Reason is of Equal Force where there is no Common and Representative Reason to Bind All So that by your Reckoning Every man is in the Right to Himself and in the Wrong to all the World beside every man's hand is against his Brother and his Brother 's against Him At least if I deceive not my self in my perswasion that Nature never produc'd Two persons in all points of the same Judgment Now if you can neither deny Confusion to be the Natural Effect of This Liberty of Judgment nor the want of a Regulating and Decretory Sentence to be the manifest Cause of This Confusion I hope you 'll Grant me the Necessity of an Unaccomptable Judge Scru. Is not the Word of God a sufficient Iudge Conf. No That 's no Iudge but a Rule for Christians to Iudge by and the Great hazard lies upon the Meaning of That Rule What swarms of Heresies have Over-spread This Land since the Bible has been deliver'd up to the Interpretation of Private Spirits Scrup. You say well if you could direct me to a Iudge that we might All Relie upon Conf. And You say something too if you could make appear that None at All is better then the best we have or that Popular Errours Numberless and Inevitable with the Dissolution of Communities to boot are to be preferr'd to the few and only Possible Failings of Authority attended with Peace and Agreement But to come to the short of the Question This is it Whether will you rather have One fallible Iudge or a Million of Damnable Heresies Scrup. Truly as you have reduc'd it to a Certainty of Peace the One way and to as great a Certainty of Discord the Other to a Certainty of Many Errours without a Iudge and to a bare Possibility of some few with One I am content in this Particular to think a Final Iudge Necessary Conf. If you find it so in the Church sure you will not Dispute it in the State especially against an experience too the most forcible of all Reasons We were never troubled with Constructive Necessities with Cavils about the Receptacle of Power and the Limits of Obedience with Distinctions betwixt the Political and the Natural Right of the People the Legal and Personal Will of the Prince and betwixt the Equity and Letter of the Law till Judgment was forc'd from its Proper Course and Channel and the Decision of Right and Wrong committed to the Frivolous and Arbitrary Determinations of the Multitude Scrup. Pray'e by your Leave I am as much for a Iudge as You but not for One Judge to All Purposes nor I confess for any Iudge so Absolute as you would have him Conf. I tell ye again A Iudge and no Absolute Judge is No Judge and you shall as soon find the End of a Circle as of a Controversie by such a Iudge Nor is it my Meaning that One Iudge should serve for All purposes Scrup. Will you Divide your Matter then and Assign to every Judicable Point his Proper Judge Conf. You say well For truly I do not take the Magistrate to be any more a Judge of My Conscience than I am of His. Scrup. 'T is very Right and it were an Encrochement upon the Prerogative of God Himself for him to Challenge it Conf. How comes it now that we that Agree so well i' the End should Differ so much ' i th' Way to 't But I hope the clearing of the next point will set us Through-Right For after the setling of the Iudge we have nothing further to do but to Submit and so wee 'll Forward SECT XIV The Three great Iudges of Mankind are GOD MAGISTRATES and CONSCIENCE Conf. SOme things we do as Men other things as Men in Society and some again as Christians In the first place we are acted by the Law of Individuals which Law is in the second place Subjected to That of Government and Both these Lawes are in the third place Subordinate to That of Religion i. e. the Law of God's Reveal'd Will. So that the Three great Judges of Mankind are God Magistrates and Conscience Man as consisting of Soul and Body may be again Subdivided within Himself Take him in his Lower Capacity and hee 's sway'd by the General Law of Animal Nature but in his Divine part you 'll find him Govern'd by the Nobler Law of Refin'd Reason which Reason in some Respects may be call'd Prudence and in others Conscience according as 't is variously Exercis'd The things which we do purely as Men abstracted from any Ingredients of Policy or Regulated Religion are either Natural Actions Prudential or Moral Of the First sort are Those Actions to which we are prompted by a Natural Impulse in order to the Conservation of Life and Beeing Of the Third sort are such Actions as we perform in Obedience to Moral Principles which are no other than the Divine Will veil'd under the Dictate of Humane Reason and betwixt These Two lies the Region of Middle Actions that is of such Actions as although not of simple and strict Necessity either to Life or Virtue are notwithstanding Useful and Commodious for the Guidance and Comfort of the One and for the Practice of the Other The Accurate
Oblig'd to rely upon other Mens Eyes as Totally to Abandon the Direction of his Own or so Unconditionally to swear Obedience to Other Mens Lawes and Perswasions as to hold no Intelligence at all with That Sacred Law and faithfull Counsellor which he carryes in his own Bosom Conf. Forgive me If you Imagine that I would have ye Renounce your Reason No but on the Contrary I would have ye to be Guided and Concluded by 't and only to Obey for Quiet 's sake so far as you can possibly Obey in Conscience Scrup. What if a Single Person hitts That Truth which a General Council Misses Which will you have him follow Truth or Authority Conf. Why truly Both Truth with his Soul and Authority with his Body but so Remote a Possibility must not Presume to Bolster up the Thinkings of a Private Spirit against the Resolutions of Authority yet for the very Possibility's sake wee 'l take That supposition likewise into our Care and Word the sum of the Whole Matter Plainly Thus The Church says ye May do and the Law says ye Must Do That which your Conscience says You Ought not to Do. How will you Reconcile your Duty and your Conscience in This Case Scrup. Very well for I think it my Duty to obey my Conscience upon This Principle that Conscience is God's Substitute over Individuals Conf. Keep to That and Answer me again Is not the Civil Magistrate God's Substitute too If he bee How comes Your Conscience to take Place of His Authority They are Both Commission'd alike and consequently They are Both to bee Obey'd alike which is Impossible where their Commands are Inconsistent Scrup. The Magistrate is a Publique Minister and his Commission does not Reach to Particular Consciences Conf. 'T is very Right and on the other side My friend Scruple is a Private Person and there 's as little Reason to pretend that his Opinion should operate upon a Publique Law So that if I Mistake ye not Wee are Agreed thus far That Every Particular is to look to One and the King to the Whole Scrup. I do not much Oppose it Conf. If your Brother Zeal would deal as candidly with me now about the Ecclesiastical Power as You have done in the Civill we might make short work of This Question and I hope he will not deny that the Church is as well Authoris'd to TEACH and INSTRUCT in all the External Acts of Worship as the Magistrate is to COMPELL to those External Acts. Ze. There is no Doubt but the Church as the Church has a Ministerial Power Ex Officio to Define Controversies according to the Word of God and that A Synod Lawfully Conven'd is a Limited Ministerial and bounded visible Judg and to be Believed in so far as they follow Christ the Peremptory and Supreme Judg speaking in his own Word Conf. This will not do our business yet for if a Synod be but to be Believed in SO FAR as it followes Christ c. They that ought to be Concluded by That Act are left the Iudges of it and the Credit of the Authority rests upon the Conscience or if you please the Phansy or Humour of the Believer and so there 's no Decision Ze. e The Truth is we are to believe Truths Determin'd by Synods to be Infallible and never again lyable to Retraction or Discussion nor because So sayes the Synod but because So sayes the Lord Conf. Still y' are short for 't is not in our Power to Disbelieve what we acknowledge to be a Truth but That which is Truth at the Fountain may become Errour in the Passage or at least appear so to me and what Then Ze. It must be look'd upon as an Errour of the Conscience which is no discharge at all of your Obedience from which Errour you are to be Reclaym'd either by Instruction or Censure For the People are oblig'd to Obey those that are over them in the Lord who watch for their souls as those who must give an Accompt and not Oblig'd to stand to and Obey the Ministerial and Official Judgement of the PEOPLE He that Heareth You MINISTERS of the Gospel not the PEOPLE heareth MEE and he that Despiseth YOU despiseth MEE Conf. Then I find we shall shake hands You two Gentlemen are joyntly engag'd against the Act for Uniformity and yet ye cannot say that it wants any thing to give it the full Complement of a binding Law Whether ye Regard either the Civil or the Ecclesiastical Authority Here 's first the Judgment of the Church Duely Conven'd touching the Meetness and Convenience of the Rites and Forms therein Conteyn'd You have next the Royal Sanction Approving and Authorising Those Rites and Forms and Requiring your Exact Obedience to Them Now so it is that you can neither Decline the Authority of your Iudges nor the Subjection of your Dutyes What is it then that hinders your Obedience Scrup. That which to me is More then all the World It goes against My Conscience Conf. Only That Point then and no More upon This Subject That God is the Iudg of the World that the Church is the Iudg of what Properly concerns Religion that the Civil Magistrate is the Iudg of what concerns the Publique Peace and that Every Mans Conscience is the Iudg of what concerns his Own Soul is already Clear'd The Remaining Difficulty is This How I am to behave my self in a Case where the Law bids me do One Thing and my Conscience Another To take a true Estimate of what 's before us we must first ballance the Two Interests that meet in Competition There is in favour and for the Execution of the Law meaning that of Uniformity 1. The Personal Conscience and 2. the Political Conscience of the King There is likewise for the Equity of it the solemn and deliberate Iudgment of the Church which is Effectually the Publique Conscience and lastly for the Observance of it there is the Duty of the Subject which if it be withdrawn does not only invalidate This Particular Act but it loosens the sinews of Sovereign Authority and which is more it destroyes even a Divine Ordinance for take away Obedience and Government lapses into Confusion Now for the Counterpoize AGAINST This Law and Thus supported appears your Naked Conscience Nay That 's the Fairest on 't It may be worse and in Truth any thing that 's Ill under that name Scrup. But what 's the World to Mee in the scale against my Soul Conf. You have great Reason sure and 't is no more than every man may challenge That is to Stand or Fall to his own Conscience Is That your Principle Scrup. Yes out of doubt 't is Mine and Yours and His and any Man's that's Honest. Conf. Well hold ye a little Your Conscience will not down with This Law it seems and This Law will as little down with Your Conscience Weigh now the Good against the Bad What if it stands What if it
yields Make the Case worse then 't is as Bad as Bad may be in your own Favour You cannot Comply with the Law and the Law will not stoop to You. What follows upon 't Scrup. The Ruine of many Godly People that desire to Worship God according to his Word Conf. That Plea wrought little upon You from Us but let that pass What Sort of Ruine do ye mean Ruine of Liberty or Estate for This Law Draws no Bloud State your Misfortunes I beseech ye Scrup. No Man must Hold a Benefice or Teach a School but upon Terms of such Subscription or Acknowledgement as many an Honest Man would rather Dye then Consent to So that We are Distrest not only for our Selves as being Depriv'd of the Comfort of all Spiritual and Heavenly Freedomes But our Poor Infants are Expos'd to be Undone wanting the Means of a Religious Education Conf. If This be All never Trouble your Selves for Many an Honest Man has Out-liv'd more than this comes to In short there 's a Huge Clamour but God knows with very Little Reason Some Particulars will possibly Suffer for want of a Toleration and who are They but Most of Them the Actual Enemies of the King and All of Them the Profest Opposers of the Law If you would see the Event of Granting what you ask Turn but your Face toward 41 and then Blush and Repent Do so and thank his Majesty for your Heads without troubling him with your Consciences Beside you 're not aware that in Contesting with the Law you Quarrel with your Self There 's your own Vote Against ye and all this muttering is no other then your Factious Will wrangling with your Political Consent Yet still I say Stick to your Conscience Scrup. Your Raillery is ill Plac'd Conf. Then 't is the better for my Earnest and 't is in very very Great Earnest that I speak it Wee 'll come now to the Push and without What 's or Why 's lay down for Granted that there is a Real Distance betwixt This Act and your Conscience How will you divide your Duty Scrup. I 'll follow your Advice and Stick to my Conscience Conf. You do the Better now Change Hands and Phansie your self the Supreme Magistrate He has a Double Conscience One that concerns Himself Th' Other his People What his Majesty's Personal Iudgement is has been Declar'd Abundantly what his Prudential Iudgment may dispose him to lies in his Royal Brest But be That as Heaven shall Order it Here 's the Partition of your Rights The King's Prerogative has nothing to do with your Conscience and your Conscience has as little to do with His Majesty's Prerogative The King is accomptable to God for the welfare of his People and You are only Accomptable to God for the Good of your little Particular If you cannot Obey the Law do not but abide the Penalty If the Sovereign cannot Relax the Law He 's as Free to Execute it Your Conscience requires Liberty and your Governour 's Conscience requires Order and the very ground of your Demand is the Reason of His Refusal Now why you should expect that your Sovereign should bring down His Conscience to Yours when you find upon experiment that you cannot perswade your Own up to His is to me a Mystery To Conclude Keep your self within your Sphere and where you cannot Consent as a Christian Submit as a Subject Scrup. I cannot much deny the Colour of your Argument and yet me thinks there 's so much to be said too for Toleration that I 'm affraid you 'll Leave me as you found me Conf. I 'll sterve thee first for thou shalt Eat no Meat till thou' rt my Convert wherefore Go on and do thy worst SECT XV. The Toleration which the Non-Conformists Desire has neither GROUND nor PRESIDENT Scrup. 'T Is a most horrible kind of Persecution Conf. Why then Government 's a most horrible Ord'nance For the Punishment of Evil-Doers is the one half of the Magistrates Commission and what 's an Evil-Doer but the Transgressour of a Law Scrup. But What do ye think when the Making of One Law is the Transgression of Another Conf. I think such a Law is better Broken then Kept But remember the Iudge my Friend and know that Laws are made for the Community not for Particulars and Good or Bad they 're Laws still Suppose them Cruel y 'had as good say The King 's a Tyrant as Call them so for the Law is no other than the King 's written Will. Now to your Persecution again say what ye will y' are Safe Scrup. Do not you take the Persecuting Party to be generally in the Wrong Conf. I was of That Opinion three or four year agoe But if it be so the Persecuted have the less reason to Compleyn having so comfortable a marque of being in the Right Scrup. But what can justifie the very Constitution of a Persecuting Law Conf. You should rather have Asked What can justifie the Toleration of a Troublesome People The Law stands Fixt and Immovable and yet upon a Guard too You Attaque That and then ye cry That or the Magistrate hurts you which is thereabout as if you should Throw your self upon the point of a Sword and then Curse the Cutler Scrup. Christians ' will not persecute Pagans for Conscience and yet they worry one another Conf. And in some Cases they may have reason for an Infidel is less dangerous to the Publique than an Apostate And beside the One is but giving Quarter to a fair and Open Enemy the Other is to take a Snake into your Bosome The One in Fine denies but your Opinion the Other your Authority Pray'e take notice by the By That which you call Persecution I translate Uniformity Scrup. How shall the Magistrate Distinguish whom he should Punish and whom Not Conf. Better a great deal whom he should Punish than whom he should Spare They Act and then he brings Those Actions to a Rule and That shews him whether they are streight or crooked Scrup. How do you know but you may Persecute God Himself in a Right Conscience Conf. I tell ye you are not Punish'd for your Thoughts but for your Actions and you 'd Inferr that because for ought I know Any Man may be in the Right No Man must therefore be presum'd to be in the Wrong That were to grant a Sanctuary to Wickedness and to Confound Sin with Conscience Scrup. Does not God command that the Tares should be let alone till the Harvest Conf. But if that were meant of Practical Impieties how should Governours be a Terrour to Evil-doers when all Malefactors must be let alone till the day of Judgement Scrup. Alas alas Severity at best does but make Hypocrites Conf. But by your Leave Forbearance does it much more for Those that come In for Fear never went Off for Conscience and so were Hypocrites before and then you never consider Those Infinite Swarms of Seditious Spirits that throw themselves
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.