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A95316 A True state of the case of liberty of conscience in the common-wealth of England. Together with a true narrative of the cause, and manner, of Mr. John Biddle's sufferings. 1655 (1655) Wing T3113; Thomason E848_12; ESTC R202157; ESTC R207322 7,600 15

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promised in the Government so in particular we can boldly defend him against the Charge of abusing his Liberty to the Civil injury of others or any manner of way endeavoring the disturbance of the publick Peace or Civil Government upon any pretence Doth he not in the 17 Chapter of his Catechism deliver his Judgement for subjection to Government and paying Tribute even for Conscience sake What needs more seeing all that know him know his practice to be conformable thereunto As for Popery or Prelacy which may exclude from Liberty we think we need say nothing seeing his enemies in Religion in these things opposed by him joyn hands with Papists and Prelates And the truth is He is much encouraged in his Opinions in that they give him irresistible weapons against Popery and Prelacy whereas others are daily wounded in their encounters with them What though it hath been frequent for Parliaments Kings and Councels by instigation and mis-information to exercise their Authority in matters of Religion yet if it please you to examine the Records of those their proceedings whether in relation to the Opinions that have been condemned or approved or in relation to the persons that have suffered Imprisonments Banishments Deaths with all kinds of Torments by occasion of such their proceedings all the long times of Popery before Queen Maries days but especially the whole time of her Reign will we conceive afford nothing but matter of weeping and lamentation Throughout all which times the grossest Errors passed for the most Orthodox Truths and the Opinions and persons then suppressed and persecuted which latter times have found to be the most approved Truths and the persons so suffering have been accounted worthy of the names of Martyrs And though the times of Episcopacy seemed more refined in their Opinions and less violent in their Persecutions yet if the cruel deaths of Mr. Greenwood Penry and Barrow and also of some Anabaptists and the barbarous usage of Mr. Udall be seriously considered put a black mark upon those times also And all the gross abuses practised against the Puritans and Nonconformists as they were called throughout King James and King Charles their times were all imposed by Authority of Acts of Parliament and found no check until that barbarous cruelty exercised upon Mr Burton Prynne and Bastwick which opened the understandings of some worthy and Conscientious Patriots so far as to discern that as Fathers General Councels Convocations Synods Assemblies and all of them in their several times erred Even so Parliaments and Kings through a mistaken Zeal had frequently countenanced the grossest Errors suppressed the Truth and brought abundance of misery upon the most peaceable quiet meek and conscientious people of the Land And which occasionally through Gods mercy gave the first rise to the just Liberty of Conscience lately enjoyed for although the Parliament soon after they had relieved those Sufferers were by the Assembly then sitting induced to make Orders and Ordinances to the ensnaring and intangling Conscientious people in the exercise of their just Liberties under the notion of punishing Hereticks Schismaticks and Blasphemers yet through the pious interposition of the most Conscientious part of the Parliament and Army that returned to the greater Freedom ending in the Repeal of all Laws and Ordinances of Parliament formerly made for Compulsion and Molestation in matters of Religion And it was no smal satisfaction to all conscientious peaceable and well minded people to see the same just Liberty ratified and confirmed by the Lord Protector in the Instrument of Government Article 35 36 37 38. and maintaining and defending the Government against all Opposers upon this account that therein was a provision for differing Consciences Liberty of Conscience saith he in his Second Speech to the last Parliament is a National Right and he that would have it ought to give it Every Sect saith Oh! give me Liberty but give it him and to his power he will not yield it to any body else Where is our ingenuity And we hear that the Argument he uses to make appear the Necessity of taking upon him this Government is the maintainance of Liberty of Conscience and that he doth often boast to those that are offended at the Government That no man in England Scotland or Ireland suffers meerly for Conscience sake Shall this truly-Religious and Conscientious man Mr. John Biddle be the only man excepted Is he not every way as capable as any man that enjoyes it Shall the Laws Ordinances against Liberty be Repealed and Null'd and he notwithstanding suffer by vertue of such Laws or rather against all Laws Qui uni facit injuriam multis minatur if Mr. Biddle suffer for Conscience sake let no man differing from the multitude think to go free nor let those that now by reason of their consent with those in power enjoy present Liberty dream of keeping it except they resolve to change with the changeable Spirits of men or the vicissitude of times History doth afford us long ago an Experiment of this nature in the matter of the Athanasians and Arians Neither doth Liberty at present exempt from Persecution in after times Who knows whether God is trying us whether we are sincere for Liberty or no Remember we beseech you It s better that a thousand Erronious persons be tolerated than one good man be persecuted God will required that at your hands Be throughly assured you do not persecute a conscientious man for he that doubteth is damned Rom. 14.23 and when you have attained the hight of Confidence of the righteousness and necessity of your Persecution then tell us whether your predecessors have not been mistaken in the like Confidence And for our Governors if this Paper shall providentially fall into any of their hands let them not henceforth tell us we have Liberty of Conscience by a Law seeing it is at Pleasure given to some and taken away from others that are equally capable thereof And if we have not that what we pray have we to countervail the expence of so much Blood and Treasure which will at the hands of some be required Let the Jury-men and Judges into whose hands this mans life may possibly be cast consider That it is far more easie and possible for them to erre in stretching out their hands against the life of a poor sinful man that is void of the power of Miracles and Wonders to confirm his Doctrine by and is only guarded by the evidence of the holy Scriptures then it was for the whole Order of Priests and Nation of the Jews to mistake in Crucifying and by wicked hands slaying the immaculate Son of God A man approved by God among them by Miracles Wonders and Signs which God did by him in the midst of them Let them remember what Christ himself their Lord saith concerning such as believe not his Doctrine John 12. If any man hear my words and believe not I judge him not for I came not to judge the world but to save the world He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the words that I have spoken the same shall judge him at the last day And when the Sadduces denied the Resurrection which is so gross an Error that it taketh away all Piety yet did not our Savior declare that they deserved to be imprisoned or otherwise punished by the Civil Magistrate but only dealt with them by powerful Arguments for their Conviction thereby leaving an Example to them that are his followers how they ought to behave themselves towards such as they conceive to be mistaken even in the highest points of Religion Nor was he pleased Matth. 13. that the Tares should be plucked up and burned although they were known to be Tares How much less then would he have them plucked up and burned or destroyed who do by their Fruits shew if not evidently yet with probability that they are Wheat and no Tares FINIS LONDON Printed for Richard Moone at the Seven Stars in Paul's Church-yard 1655.