an establish't Church Answ We tell you that if the inconveniencies are sinless we are willing to suffer in and with an Establish't Church or tho' it were not Established by Law but if the inconveniencies be to our Consciences we must and will Dissent nor will our Charity bear with what is inconsistent with a good Conscience Such as found their separation from your Assemblys upon this that they find themselves more edified in Godliness and Piety by their own Meetings than yours ye confess your inability to find what reason they can ground upon this for a down-right separation and utter refusal of your Communion Answ Tho' our edification in Godliness is the great end of our joyning with any Assembly and where that may be best had Communion is there most eligible yet if we may be really edified in that Assembly whereof we are Members we allow not separation on preâ—ence of better elsewhere no more than a Womans leaving her Husband to live with another for more pleasure and conveniency Yet Edification being the end of Church-Communion no wise men should condemn those who choose the best means for that end I suppose you make use of the best meat and medicines for preserving of your life and health and would take it ill 't is possible if Governors of Church or State should confine you to the quantity quality and time of your Diet which experience teaches you to be inconsistent with health and strength and why may not men be as much concern'd for their Souls as Bodies Dr. Stillingfleet Ireâ— page 109. in answer to a question disputed by Grotius to wit whether it be in a time when Churches are divided it be a Christians duty to communicate with either Party that divides the Church or to Communion from all of them the Dr. says that a Christian by virtue of his general obligation to Communion is bound to adhere to that Church which retains most of Evangelick purity in it Bramhall in his vindication of the Church of England page 7. cites Dr. Holden with approbation When there is a mutual division of two parts or member of the Mystical Body of the Church one from the other yet both retain Communion with the universal Church which for the most part springs from some doubtful opinion or less necessary part of Divine Worship whatsoever part you take you are no Schismatick because the universal Church hath condemn'd no part so that real experience of edification will warrant separation from these Assemblies where it is not found to these where it is found To such as plead for occasional Communion who do not utterly renounce your Communion but sometimes come to your publick Worship and receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper after your form your Question upon this is If occasional Communion be lawful why is constant unlawful Answ Altho I allow of no such amphibious creatures as a Non and Conformist appears to be because as a Neuter in the Common-Wealth nec amicum perit nec inimicum pellit so in Religion he is worse according to Christ's reasoning Luke 11. 23. yet if we distinguish occasional Communion in total and partial total I call a communicating in all Sermons Liturgy and Ceremonies for such I have nothing to say and will not judge other mens Servants but as for those who can and do occasionally hear such as are orthodox in the Faith and sober in their Conversation as they do not despise others so we do not judge them But as for most of us we are of your judgement as to such who communicate with you occasionally in all things according to the form prescribed if they see no sin in such conformity they are but fools to suffer for non conformity Having heard your Doctrine we come now to its Use in which you ingenuously discover your design which is either to perswade us to Conformity or disswade us from thoughts of a legal toleration As for your desire to know our aims and purposes in respest to an Act of Toleration tho we are not obliged to discover our thoughts to you yet finding you a plain-dealing man in telling yours we shall tell you ours by ingenuously answering your Quaeries distinctly To the first to wit Is it only to have the liberty of serving God in that way which you think to be bâ—st and thereby to be free of persecution and to go the readiest way to Heaven as ye suppose To this 1. We confess we sincerely desire liberty to serve God according to that perfect rule he hath given us which we firmly believe is the best way and safest both for you and us both 2. We desire by this not only to be freed from persecution but that ye may free your selves from the guilt and appearance of that evil 3. Having bodies as well as souls by which we are bound to glorify God and serve our King and Countrey as we shall be called or capable we desire that we be not deprived of or rendred unfit for enjoying our birth-right-privileges as free-born Subjects and persons professing the Reformed Christian Religion by yoking our Consciences to unlawful or suspected practices or insnaring Oaths But ye tell us If liberty to serve God the way we think best be all we desire why are we against the Sacramental Test by which we are made uncapable of any Office or Employment unless we Receive the Sacrament after the form prescribed by the Church of England if we be not content with liberty unless we have share in the Government and be made capable of Employments of Power Trust and Profit 't is apparent we design somewhat else than the Salvation of our souls and freedom from persecution Answ Tho Non-Conformists shou'd aim at more than the saving of their souls and freedom from persecution where is the great fault of it if we be guilty in this you are not innocent who we suppose aim at something more than these things I have already in the Animadversions shewn the inconsistency of the Test with the true interest of Ireland which the Ingenuous Author of the Remarks on the Affairs of Ireland c. hath well done but it seems you have low thoughts of Salvation who rate it lower than Employments of Trust and Profit upon Earth for that you seem to grant us liberty to seek but the other is too good for us and therefore you are either not in earnest in permitting us to seek the best way of Salvation or else you over-value earthly honour and profit while you would monopolize that to your party and deprive others of the ordinary means of subsisting and serving God and their Countrey To the 2d Question if it be our aim to lay a foundation for the overthrow of the Establish't Church and to get into our hands all Civil and Ecclesiastic Power which is already done by those of our perswasion in another Kingdom Ye confess ye were not wise if ye give us not all the opposition ye can
Animadversions ON The Defence of the Answer To a PAPER INTITULED The CASE of the Dissenting Protestants of Ireland In Reference to a BILL of Indulgence from the Exceptions made against it TOGETHER With An ANSWER to A Peaceable Friendly Address TO THE Non-Conformists Written upon their desiring an Act of Toleration without the SACRAMENTAL TEST Phil. 4. 5. Let your Moderation be known unto all men the Lord is at hand Printed in the the Year 1697. To the Protestant Reader THe Publication of these Animadversions tho design'd some time ago had ceas'd if a late Pamphlet called A Peaceable and Friendly Address c. had not importun'd it For seeing some men judge it their Interest to mis-represent to the world them they 'r pleas'd to call N. Conforming Brethren as a factious and schismatical people whereby we are mis-apprehended and pre-condemn'd We cannot in justice to Truth and Innocence suffer such so to prey upon the Credulity of some and our Reputation as thereby to hazard their Souls and our Safety Yea compassion to our Adversaries in endeavouring the prevention of their being wise in their own conceit a case more despcrate than that of Fools obligeth us to vindicate our selves and inform mis-guided people with words of Truth and Soberness The people we plead for are not the Idle and Consuming Caterpillars of the Nation but Industrious Labourers Ingenious Artists and Honest Traders whose religious Principles will abide in their strength while one jâ—t or tittle of the Law of God indures becase they adore the fulness of the H. Scriptures as the perfect and only rule of Faith and Manners They believe the necessity of a standing Gospel-Ministry in the Church to whose directive Authority they submit themselves not by an implicit Faith but by a judgment of Discretion All God's holy Ordinances and instituted Worship they embrace but their Fear towards God is not taught by the Commandments of men Their doctrine bears conformity with that of the Reformed Churches abroad and harmoniously agrees with that of Ireland declar'd in her Convocation An. 1615 excepting in what relates to Prelacy and Ceremonies They are willing to give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and unto God what is God's They profess their Credenda Petenda and Agenda ought all to be regulated by the word of God These Principles we believe are able to abide a Fiery Tryal And as their Principles are true so their Petitions are modest Episcopal Grandeur Jurisdiction or Revenues is not demanded for their Ministers or by them A liberty to serve God according to these foresaid Principles with a relief from some Penal Laws formerly fram'd against them and that no new ones be forg'd to their preiudice is all they require And if such modest Requests may be with Christian Conscience deny'd a people of such Principles we leave to the determination of our Judge that standeth at the Door if Men should give sentence against us Animadversions On the Defence of the Answer to a Paper ENTITULED The Case of the Dissenting Protestants in Ireland c. WHen Diogenes trampled upon Aristippus's Cushion and insulted over himself in these words See how I trample on Aristippus's Pride he had this return thou dost it but with no less Pride So when the Defendant of the Answer c. salutes the Vindicator of the Dissenters Case with a charge of sourness and vanity of temper In the very entrance of his diseourse he discovers so much of the distemper in himself that if Civility coult not yet Conscience of the same evil in himself should have oblig'd him to treat his Adversary more decently But whether the sourness of his temper or his vanity to comprize an Iliad of Railing Accusations in a Nut-shell hath induc'd him with one breath to upbraid the Vindicator with sourness and vanity of temper dexterity in perverting little sincerity dising enuity injustice c. I determine not but if his Reasoning taâ—ent be equivalent to his Railing no Dissenter will be able to stand before him Lest he shou'd be suspected of transgressing the 9th Commandment he attempts to make good this charge by as he calls it A remarkable Instance of the Dissenters injustice to him viz. The phrase general Indulgence us'd by him which as he saith doth plainly signify no more than a legal toleration of Dissenting Protestants the Vindicator wrests to import a comprehension of all sorts of Religion Answ If this be Injustice he hath cause to fear that all who have sense to discern words will be injurious to him seeing General Indulgence natively signifies Indulgence to all sorts of Persons and Opinions And 't is improper to say that General Indulgence imports only toleration of Protestant Dissenters which is but Special unless Protestant Dissentors should comprehend all sorts which himself doth not assert As the Vindicator hath not wrested his Expressions so neither hath he misrepresented his Sense seeing all the arguments he useth against the Indulgence pleaded for militat only against an unlimited and general Indulgence of all sorts The next thing disgusts the Defendant is a rule laid down by the Vindicator that these are of the same Religion with the Establish't Church who subscribe her Doctriual Articles this rule he 'll not allow to be true and that because there being three general parts of Religion viz. Doctrin Worship and Government unless we agree in all these we are not of the same Religion A. If the Rule be not good why do the Books of Articles in England an 1552 and 1562 and those in Ireland in 1616 unanimously declare that they were agreed upon in Convocation for avoiding of diversities of Opinions and for Establishing Consent touching true Religion Do not the Subscribers to the 6th Article concerning the sufficiency of holy Scripture for Salvation subscribe to the Worship and Government of the Church as well as to its Doctrin if they do not as the D. insinuates it must be because that Worship and Doctrin is not read in the holy Scripture nor may be proved thereby which is no honor to the Liturgy Ceremonies or Prelacy Dr. Stillinfleet in his Irenicum hath endeavoured to prove that Men may be of the same Religion and yet not under the same particular form of Church Government And I am persuaded 't will be hard for the D. to produce any Church that is or hath been in the world with which the Establisht Church of England doth exactly agree in Form of Worship and Government And thus by his Rule excluding us from the same Religion with the Establisht Church he doth also cut her off from Communion in the same Religion with any Church in the World The Anabaptists against whom the D. excepts as unfit to be comprehended in the Indulgence are of age let them speak for themselves we are none of their Advocates Yet the V's reason for including them and his Charity also was their being included in the Act of Indulgence for England An. 1689. And in a Bill
they do and rather follow whom they love and have been obliged by than them they suspect and have been hurt by That those who shut the Gates of Derry were Conformists and those who were Governors in it the time of the Siege is asserted with more vanity than truth if he say they were the only persons But as both parties were united in heart and hand in that matter so we shall not divide them in the praise Tho we believe what 's well known that the common Souldiers were the Governors else it seems the Event had prov'd worse than it did As to his credible information that in the succesful party at Enniâ—killen there was not one Commission Officer not so much as one Ensign that was not of the Establish't Church and of the private Centinels there were six Conformists to one Dissenter A. We fear his Informers have imposed too much on his credulity and to the hazard of his reputation have employ'd him to retail many untruths For we are as fully perswaded of the contrary as we can be of a thing of that nature having it from those who know well that there were above eight Captains of the Presbyterian perswasion before and at the Troubles and some of us have been at the Tent of one of them at Dundalk whose Father and Grandfather were Presbyterian Ministers of good esteem in Ireland and is now in the Army in Flanders There were seven Lieutenants and several Ensigns whose names we shall not publish without their leave Mr. Kelso the Presbyterian Minister at Enniskillen while he lived was very active and died at Enniskillen at that time one of his Congregation had a Company consisting of 140 men It 's true most of them occasionally heard the Church of England Ministers and after Mr. Kelso's death and the removal of the rest they had none else to hear yet declared they themselves Presbyterians and the most of them who are alive do so still And he must allow us to know our own better than he doth But as we do not take all for ours who come occasionally to hear us no more ought he to take all for his who occasionally hear him The V's Argument against the Test viz. If the Parliament of England had thought the Sacramental Test needful they cou'd easily have added it as they have the Test against Popery mentioned in the same Act. We have this Answer If the Parliament of England had intended to excuse the Protestant Dissenters in this Kingdom from a Sacramental Test as they had to the Test against Popery they might have as easily forbid the former as they have positively enjoyn'd the latter A. This Answer is a weak Brother to some of the rest for if the Parliament doth not enjoyn we think they do excuseâ— and had they not enjoyn'd an Act of Uniformity we think we shou'd be excused for our Non conformity for where there 's no Law there 's no transgression The Charge given against Dissenters in the North for not paying Conformist Ministers their dues till his Majesty put forth his Royal Proclamation for payment of them is not fairly said 1st Because all the Dissenters were not guilty several of those who staid in K. James's time and had Stocks c. in the lower part of Down and Antrim did pay to these Incumbents who staid with them 2d The Conformists were as guilty of this as Dissenters the reason of both was inability in the most parts having nothing left to support their lives and families and when the Army came where there was any thing they took free quarters And as they were not able so they thought not themselves bound in Conscience to maintain Non-Residents and Pluralists who had they not been prodigal in time of Peace had been under little necessity Besides some of the Clergy were in England some Chaplains in the Army yea some of the Clergy will confess that they were more kindly and justly dealt with by Dissenters than by their own people as all moderate men did find and will upon such occasions But if this was injustice the Landlords suffer'd far more who got nothing and after the troubles did freely forgive one two or three years Rent and yet make no noise It 's well known the Bishops did not abate one farthing of their Rents even for those times in which they could not keep their Tenants in peaceable possession which severity was so much resented by some Conforming Gentlemen that they threaten'd to turn Presbyterians on that account As for the D's great fears that if the desired liberty were granted to Dissenters the door being once opened they wou'd all rush into the profitable and honorable Employments This shews an earthly constitution of Soul to have fears and cares mainly employ'd about things secular and like Demetrius who tho he pretended the glory of the Diana of the Ephesians yet his and the Crafts-men's trouble was the fear of the loss of their wealth In defence of the Sacramental Test the D. tells us they do not drive any to the Sacrament but since the Civil Magistrate is God's Vice-Gerent it 's surely not unfit that he shou'd imitate Almighty God whom he represents in proposing temporal advantages as encouragement to the performance of religious actions and they are best qualify'd for publick Employments of the greatest profit trust and honor that give most publick and signal evidence of their piety towards God and obedience to the Civil Magistrate A. Is it not driving to the Sacrament when men are forc'd to it under pain of being driven to the Devil Seeing such as refuse to communicate with the Church of England are to be excommunicated ipso facto according to Canon 9. of the Constitution 1603 and Canon 5. Constitution 1641. And is it not to drive men when they must either quit their Civil Employments and be made incapable of them and to starve themselves and families unless they will Communicate according to the form prescrib'd And do not we daily see that all the Souldiers are forc'd to Communicate how ignorant and vicious soever they be else they lose their pay That Civil Magistrates may encourage those that do well and be terrors to evil doers we fully believe but that kneeling at receiving the Sacrament about which the debate between you and us is is a religious action or a publick and signal obedience of piety to God we admire how you dare assert seeing he hath no where required it at our hands and there are true acts of piety to God and obedience to the Magistrate which we see are not so much regarded as this act of Will-worship is And why one single Ceremony shou'd be made the test of our piety to God and obedience to the Civil Magistrate no man can give a rational account That there be so many of the Establish't Church fitly prepared according to the Rubrick for reception of the blessed Sacrament as are fit for all the profitable and honorable
this silly shift of bending the Knee in the Eucharist which came in with Popery they call indifferent and well know we will not do contrary to our Conscience while they do not try us with the Doctrinal Articles for a Test let all Wise Men judge of this Policy and Religion His second Observation of Dissenters growing much more tumultuous since the Legal Indulgence hath been granted them I apprehend hath been made by the D. in his Dream arising from frightful Ideas he hath of the Dissenters for sure since the commencement of a Legal Indulgence in 1689. no instance of Dissenters Tumults can be produc'd Tho' we can instance Bloody Tumults Rebellions and Conspiracies against the King and Government carried on by those who call themselves the Sons of the Church both in England and Scotland in which no Presbyterian hath been concern'd The V. having desired to know from the D. wherein a Toleration to Dissenting Protestants will advance the Popish Interest in Ireland he promiseth to give a full and ample satisfaction in this matter And 1st He desires him seriously to consider whether there be not violent presumption that a publick Legal Indulgence to Protestants doth not highly advance the Popish Interest since all Romish Emissaries so eagerly desire and industriously promote Tolerations tho limited to Protestant Dissenters and when all other measures fail'd have readily expended considerable Summs of Money to purchase them And it is generally known that the Declaration A. 1671 2. was of the Papists procuring A. If this Declaration was not granted in favor of the Dissenters in Ireland as he knows it was not his Answer can't satisfy the V's demand who would only know wherein a Toleration to Dissenters in Ireland wou'd advance the Popish Interest here but the Declaration he speaks of seems to be that emitted in England A. 1691 2 and then he most disingenuously represents the matter for it was procured by an Exigence of State Affairs England then being engaged in a War against Holland it was thought unsafe to persecute so numerous and wealthy a part of the Nation as Protestant Dissenters then were and in the interim to carry on a War against their Friends abroad therefore to keep matters at home as quiet as possible a Declaration for Indulgence was Published but so far from limiting the Indulgence to Protestant Dissenters that Popish Recusants had apparently the greatest share in that Liberty which so much disgusted the Nation that the King was necessitated to make Apology for it as appears by his Speech to the Parliament Feb. 5. An. 1672. In which he saith I put forth my Declaration for Indulgence to Dissenters and have hitherto found the good effect of it There is one part that is subject to mis-construction which is that concerning the Papists as if more liberty were granted to them than to other Recusants when it is plain there is less I do not intend to prejudice the Church but will support its Religion in its full Power having said I shall take it very ill to receive Contradiction in what I have done and I will deal plainly with you I am Resolved to stick to my Declaration The Lord Chancellor also spake the same thing viz. His Majesty hath so fully Vindicated his Declaration from that Calumny concerning the Papists that no reasonable scruple can be made against it by any good Man he hath sufficiently justify'd it by the time it was Published in the Effects he hath had from it and might have done it more from the agreeableness of it to his own natural Disposition which no good English-man could wish other ways than it is he loves not blood nor rigorous severities but where mild and gentle methods may be used by a Prince he is certain to chuse them and concludes that head thus But His Majesty is not convinced that violent Ways are the Interest of Religion or the Church By this we may see if the D. doth not Rival the V. in setting as he saith of him things in a false light for what can be less candid than this Representation of that matter Seeing 1. There was no legal Toleration but a Liberty granted by a Declaration which is questionable whether Law or not 2. Nor was it limitted to Protestant Dissenters only but included also Papists Nor 3dly Procured by mony By this we may see the merciless disposition of some Church-Men who first extort from the Magistrate Rigorous Laws and then reproach Dissenters for disloyalty in not obeying them which they have squeezed from the Magistrate contrary to his Inclination and Interest The D's second Argument to prove that the free exercise of Protestant Religion according to different Modes will advance the Popish Interest here is drawn from his experience for saith he when Protestant Dissenters or as he calls them pretended Protestants have been Legally Indulged it hath been experimentally found that Popish Emissaries were more numerous their Application greater and Harvest more plenteous than at other times A. If the D. had as sincerely intended as he vainly promised ample satisfaction in this point he would have instanc'd the time when and place where a legal Indulgence granted to Protestant Dissenters produc'd that effect for tho he values his own testimony as demonstration others do not for it appears not that this fell out in Queen Elizabeth's K. James's or K. Charle's 1st time it then must be either in Oliver's time as by the date of Bishop Bramhall's Letter in 1659 which he cites would appear but then the Papists do not glory in their Harvest here unless it was that many of them were cut down at the same rate being set on a Priest's Head in Ireland as on a Wolf which occasion'd Emissaries to be never less numerous than then or after the Restauration of K C. 2d during whose Reign Dissenters had no Legal Indulgence here tho we confess the application of Papists was strong the Harvest plentiful and Emissaries numerous or for King James the 2d's time in which no such Toleration limited to Dissenters was thought on The charge then must lye on K. W. and Q. M. since 1689. but then his experience will be found false for neither we bless God for it are Popish Emissaries so numerous as in former times have been nor their harvest so plentiful nay we have found it experimentally that when Protestant Dissenters has been violently Persecuted Popish Emissaries has been most warmly Entertain'd for when Dissenters in the North of this Kingdom were forced in the beginning of K. C. I's Reign to undertake a troublesome Voyage to America there to shelter themselves from Persecution tho' providentially driven back then a Toleration for Papists here was granted Concerning Bp. Bramhall's Letter to Primate Vsher produc'd to prove his experience Anno 1659. in which 't is said that several of the Popish Clergy of France were taught manual Trades to qualify them as Emissaries to foment divisions in England A few Instances given of these
mechanick Priest-Missionaries that came into England would prove the truth of that Letter better which will be suspected till then by all that consider how hard it would be to perswade lazy Priests to undergo the long fatigue of learning Handycrafts which would do them little service without the language of the Land And they who know the strict scrutiny made by Presbyterians and Independants e're they admit any as members of their Congregations or Ministers will be more affraid that such should thrust themselves in the Establish'd Churches than ours His 3d. Argument to prove that Toleration to Dissenting Protestants will increase Popery is because 't is the cause of our Divisions whereof the Papists take great advantage For proof whereof he cites Mr. Baxter A. That Papists and all other Adversaries make their advantage by our Divisions is seen and bewailed by all good men with Mr. Baxter but that our mutual forbearance of one another in matters not necessary to Salvation was ever the cause of divisions Mr. Baxter hath nor taught but the contrary Yet if he desire an account of the true causes of our divisions he may learn them from one of the Ornaments of the Church of England the memorable Mr. John Hales of Eaton in his Tract of Schism page 201. Who teacheth us that all Schisms have crept into the Church by one of these three ways 1st Upon matter of Fact 2d Upon matter of Opinion 3d. On point of Episcopal Ambition I call that matter of Fact when something is required to be done by us which we know or strongly suspect to be unlawful So the first notable Schism of which we read in the Church contained in it matter of Fact for it being upon Error taken for necessary that an Easter must be kept and upon worse than Error if I may so speak for it was no less than a point of Judaism forc'd upon the Church upon worse than Error I say thought further necessary that the ground for the time of keeping that Feast must be the Rule left by Moses unto the Jews There arose a stout Question whether we were to celebrate with the Jews on the 14th of the Moon or on the Sunday following This matter tho most unnecessary most vain yet caus'd as great a combustion as ever was in the Church the first separating and refusing Communion with the last for many years together In this phantastical hurry I cannot see but that all the world were Schismaticks neither can any thing excuse them from that Imputation excepting only this that we charitably suppose that all Parties out of Conscience did what they did a thing which befell them through the Ignorance of their Guides for I will not say their Malice and that through the just judgment of God because through Sloath and blind Obedience men examin'd not the things which they were taught but like Beasts of burthen patiently couched down and indifferently underwent whatsoever their Superiors laid upon them Further page 210. For in these Schisms which concern Fact nothing can be a just cause of refusal of Communion but only to require the execution of some unlawful and suspected Act for not only in Reason but Religion too that Maxim admits of no Release Cautissimi cujusque praeceptum quod dubtias ne feceris And speaking of the second Councel of Nice where Image-worship was established where was the first remarkable Schism upon just occasion of Fact he tells us The schismatical Party was the Synod it self and such as conspir'd with it for concerning the use of Images in Sacris 1. It is acknowledgby all that it is not a thing necessary 2. It is by most suspected 3. It is by many held utterly unlawful Can then the injoyning the practice of such a thing be ought else but abuse or can the refusal of Communion here be thought any other thing than duty here or upon the like occasion to separate may peradventure bring personal trouble and danger against which it concerns every honest man to have pectus bene preparatum so that in these cases you cannot be to seek what you think or what you have to do His 2d sort of Schism arising upon occasion of variety of Opinion is thus It hath been saith he the common disease of Christians from the beginning not to content themselves with that measure of Faith which God in Scripture hath expresly afforded us but out of a vain desire to know more than is revealed they have attempted to discuss things of which they can have no light neither from Reason nor Revelation neither have they rested here but upon pretence of Church Authority which is none or Tradition which is for the most part but figment they have peremptorily concluded and confidently impos'd on others a necessity of entertaining conclusions of that nature c. After he tells were Liturgies and publick Forms of Service so framed as that they admitted of no particular and private Fancies but contained only such things as in which all Christians do agree Schisms in opinions were utterly Vanished for consider all the Liturgies that are or have been and remove from them whatsoever is Scandalous to any Party and leave nothing but what all agree in and the event shall be that the publick Service and Honour of God shall no ways suffer whereas to load our Publick Forms with the private fancies upon which we differ is the most Sovereign way to perpetuate Schism unto the Worlds End Prayer Confession Thanksgiving Reading of Scripture Exposition of Scripture Administration of Sacraments in the plainest and simplest manner were matters enough to furnish out a sufficient Liturgy tho' nothing either of private Opinion or of Church Pomp of Garments of prescribed Gestures of Imagery of Musick of matter concerning the Dead of many superfluities which creep into the Churches under the Dream of Order and Decency did interpose it self For to charge Churches and Liturgies with things unnecessary was the first beginning of all Superstition and when scruple of Conscience began to be made or pretended then Schism begun to break in If the spiritual Guides and Fathers of the Church would be a little sparing of incumbring the Churches with superfluities and not over-rigid either in receiving absolute Customs or imposing New there were far less danger of Schism or Superstition and the inconveniency were likely to issue would be but this they should in so doing yield a little to the imbecillities of Inferiors a thing which St. Paul could never have refused to do in the mean while where ever false and suspected Opinions are made a piece of the Churches Liturgy he that separates is not Scismatick for it 's alike unlawful to make profession of known and suspected falsehoods as to put in practice unlawful and suspected Actions The third Cause of Schism is Episcopal Ambition p. 218 saith he Aristotle tells us that necessity causeth but small Faults but Avarice and Ambition are Mothers of great Crimes Episcopal Ambition
he saith to be always in extreems very good or very bad and is at several times highly applauded and violently decry'd by the whole Body of Dissenting Protestants it hath some truth but not the whole truth in it for both Papists and Sons of the Church have and do decry and commend it according to their need for do not the Papists in England and Ireland and his Episcopal Brethren in Scotland plead for it as much as Protestant Dissenters We suppose he hath seen Bishop Taylor 's Liberty of Prophecying and when he hath answered the Preface to that Book he may possibly prevent mens looking on Toleration as unlawful If he had the wisdom of the unjust Steward he might improve his Remark that should he be put out of his Stewardship which is metaphysically possible he might have Friends to receive him into their Houses To the V's Question whether he could produce one Instance of any Protestant Dissenter even in the late Reign turning Papist The D. gives a womans reason he could give several Instances but will not mention one which certainly flows not from tenderness of our Reputation which he labours on all occasions industriously to blast but either because he can't as we are sure he can't fairly or because he is tender of their honor now they are turn'd Papists and will not expose them or fears if we come to ballance Accounts with him he shall be much a Loser But however He tells the great reason why so few of theirs or our Communion were perverted is under God to be ascribed to the excellent Discourses wrâ—t against Papists by the Episcopal Clergy and amongst the vest numbers of those admirable Tracts two only were wrote by Dissenters and then he falls to downright calling and reviâ—ing Dissenters A. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 think it unjust to derogate from the worth of any mans labours yet it is only native to Animals of 〈…〉 their own Praise and inconsistent with the 〈◊〉 of God which directs us to let another man praise 〈…〉 Lips A stranger and not thine own 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 D. being jealous none would undertake to be his Parties Herald but with so much Vanity That he calls to our remembrance a frantick man who before the Troubles wandred about in the North under the Title of King of the Rainbow who with great assurance asserted he defended Brittain and Ireland from all foreign Enemies that he fought our Battles and that we ow'd our lives to his Valour Conduct and hath been observ'd busie in an old Fort in his imaginary War So tho we will not deny all good that such discourses may have done yet we are confident that their influence upon Dissenters hath been very weak seeing very few of them hath heard or seen these Admirable Tracts which would justly deserve the Epithete if they could preserve those who never saw nor heard them But how comes he to know that only two were wrote by Dissenters against Papists doth he know all of that nature is done by them we suppose the Morning Exercises Preach't and Printed by the Dissenting Ministers of London to that purpose may viâ— with any of these admirable Tracts several others also might be Instanced But yet we see not that the Irish-English Clergy have any great share in this Honour except it be the Bishop of Derry in his Admirable Tract against Manby in which he hath taken the same method to prevent Dissenters being perverted that so did whâ— recommended cutting off the Head as a Soveraign Remedy against the â—oothach for lest the Catholick Church shou'd lose its Members by their being perverted he prudently cut them off from being Members of it And left the Lawful Spiritual Governours of the Church shou'd laugh at Presbyterians and Independants he appears to us to treat them no better if his Difinition of the Catholick Church hold good â—or pag. 4. He defines it to be the whole Body of Men professing the Religion of Christ and living under their Lawful Spiritual Governours Now the Lawful Spiritual Governours can't live under the Lawful Spiritual Governours for then should they be undermost and upmost at the same time and therefore a Bishop is as little a member of the Catholick Church as a Presbyterian Bishop Sheridon also Preach't a Sermon against Popery which we have seen but how it preserv'd him in his Bishoprick the D. knows and yet notwithstanding all these admirable Tracts he boasts of the Establish't Church has furnish't Rome with twenty Proselytes to one more than all the Dissenting Protestants in Britain and Ireland so that their Works has been better Amulets for their Neighbours than themselves If we intended to render railing for railing we would charge the Episcopal Clergy with what he falsely accuseth all Dissenting Ministers as being Trumpoters in State Tumults and Seditions But we leave that work to his Jacobitish Brethren who have upbraided many of their own Clergy with that Evil under the aggravation of Treachery and Perjury But wickedness proceedeth from the wicked my hand shall not be upon them Tho the D. endeavors to ridicule Preaching the Gospel under the name of raising the Hue and Cry c. Yet it hath pleased God by the foolishness of Preaching to save them that believe The Gospel was planted by Preaching not by Printing and shall be preserved by the same means Acts 20. 32. And as Rome's first wound was given by the faithful Preaching of the first Reformers more than by their Printing so we understand not that the Walls of Rome shall be battered by Books but as the Walls of Jericho did fall by Faith even so shall Rome's 2 Thess 2 8. The Lord shall consume it with the spirit of his mouth and Faith comes by hearing and hearing by God's Word Preached Rom. 10. 14 15. The V. having told to mortifie the man's vanity that years experience might convince them how unsuccesful they had been in gaining Dissenters to their Communion the D. tells that this is mainly to be attributed to the unwearied labours of Dissenting Preachers in raising unreasonable prejudices and in fixing invincible aversion to our Ecclesiastical Discipline and Constitutions c. in them A. As their endeavors have been very unsuccesful as to the numbers they have gain'd from us so the worth of such is inconsiderable being persons whom a worldly Interest and a more licentious Life prevail'd upon and as they are no Ornaments to their Church except their admired Bishop of Derry so they are no loss to us who could spare them more such when we detect them Nor is this to be attributed so much to the unwearied labours of Dissenting Preachers as he saith as to the Dignified Clergy's easy wearying in their labours and inverting the Apostle's words into Woe to me if I Preach the Gospel and the unwearied pursuit of Dignities and Revenues of the Church more than Ministerial Duties nor need the Dissenting Preachers weary themselves to beget in people an aversion and prejudice against
the Sheriffs or his Bayliffs and without Bail or Main-prize cast into Prison there to lye till he for or recanâ— by which he is depriv'd of the benefit of the Law and Clergy both Now if this be no sanguinary Law to cast men out of the Church out of which they teach there is no Salvation and to deprive them of their Liberty and Protection of the Laws only for impugning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England according to the 6th Canon and at once to cut men off from their part of Heaven and Earth unless they would counter-act their Conscience let the World judge Secondly the Civil Laws made against Dissenters in England were sanguinary if that may be construed such which deprives men of Livelihood and Liberty For 1. The Act of Uniformity by which If any Minister convicted to have refused to use the Church Service or to have used any other Rite or Ceremony Order Form or Manner than what is set down in the Common-Prayer-Book he loseth a whole years profit and must undergo six months Imprisonment for the first fault For the second to be deprived and suffer a whole years Imprisonment For the third he is to be deprived and Imprisoned during life and if he be not a Beneficed person for the first fault he is to be imprisoned a whole year and for the second during life So that a man for not using the Cross in Baptism and Kneeling at the Sacrament things which God never required must be depriv'd of his Office Livelihood and Liberty and thus starv'd in Prison but for this perhaps the D. hath a Turkish distinction that strangling is no shedding of Blood and yet we reckon he wou'd judge it sanguinary were he tryed by it But farther all persons not resorting to the Church on Sundays and Holy-days are to be fined 12 d. per day and to incur the Censures of the Church which according to Canon 9 11 12 is Excommunication ipso facto with its appurtenances yea by Canon 10 if we shall dare to say that we have long time groaned under the burthen of certain Grievances imposed upon us we are to be Excommunicated and not restored until we repent and publickly retract such our publick Errors 2. Act is that made in the 13 Eliz. to which every person not repairing to Church according to Statute 1 Eliz. The second shall forfeit 20l. for every month if they so make default and if they forbear for the space of 12 months they are to be bound with two sufficient Sureties in 200 l. Bonds to good Behaviour And by a Statute 29 Eliz. All Grants made by such Offenders which are by them revocable intended for his maintenance left at his disposal or in consideration whereof he and his Family are to be kept shall be utterly void against the Queen for the levying the forfeitures for not coming to the Church and the Queen may seize all the Goods and two thirds of the Lands and Leases of every Offender not repairing to Church as aforesaid which after their first conviction do not pay at the next Term at the rate of 20 l. per month and tho the party be not in the Realm the Indictment is to lye and upon an Indictment found a Proclamation is to be made that such Offender is to render himself to the Sheriff before the next Assizes which if he do not he is to be held Convict These who are not able to pay their Forfeitures are to be committed to Prison till they pay or conform which if they refuse makes the Imprisonment perpetual And 35 Queen Eliz. It is Enacted That if any above Sixteen absent themselves from Church above a Month or frequent Conventicles or persuade any other so to do they shall be committed to Prison there to continue till he or she Conform and make open submission and confess that they have grievously offended God c. And if within three Months they refuse to Conform and make such submission they are to abjure the Realm and if they refuse to abjure or return after without leave they are to be proceeded against as Fellons and have no benefit of Clergy This we suppose was literally a Sanguinary Law Again by a Statute the 16 Car. 2d this 35 Q. Eliz. was revived And farther Anno 17. Car. 2d Non-conformists who take not the Oxford Oath there set down which is this I A. B. do Swear that it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever to take up Arms against the King and that I abhor that Trayterous Position of taking up Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissionat by him in pursuance of such Commissions and that I will not endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Likewise If any Nonconformist Minister Preach in a Conventicle or come within 5 Miles of any City or Corporation or place of his Ministry except on his Journey or summoned by a Subpena he shall forfeit 40l Furthermore the Crimes in 22 Car. 2d against Conventicles are 1. To be present at an Assembly under colour of Exercise of Religion any other way then according to the Liturgy c. where 5 Persons or more besidess those of the Family are 2dly If any take on him to Teach or Preach in such Meetings for the first Offence he forfeits 20l. For the second 40 pounds c. 3d ly If any person suffer such Meeting to be in his House Out-House Back-side or Garden for his first Offence he is to pay twenty pounds for the second 40 pounds c. and every Hearer five shillings with Ecclesiastical Censures which is Excommunication ipso facto according to the 11th Canon Now from all this we leave it to the judgment even of Adversaries themselves whether the Vindicator might not assert that there were sanguinary Laws in England design'd to extirpate Protestant Dissenters in exerting whereof the Prelates of the Nation had a warm Vote tho' now blessed be God they be abolished by Act 1689. His vindicating Scotland against the guilt of sanguinary Laws against Dissenters is proof that he hears ill else the cry of that Blood shed there by vertue of these Laws which hath even reached Heaven and brought deserved Vengeance upon the shedders thereof might have pierc'd his ears and that he sees ill if he sees not these Laws yet in record but his own confession that there was one sanguinary Law tho he borrow'd Sir Geo. Makenzy's Commentar on it is a sufficient proof of a design to extirpate Protestant Dissenters there seeing that one Law De Heretico Comburendo as employ'd in England by Q. Mary was supposed sufficient to extirpate the Protestant Religion out of England but had he not design'd to blind-fold his Reader a little more pains and honesty might have enabled him to discover many sanguinary Laws in Scotland of which take these few instances The 1 st Parliament of C. the 2 d. Sess 1. Act 4. It was
Enacted that none be Masters in Universities School-Masters or Pedagogues who would not own Prelacy which that Nation had abjur'd even the Law-makers themselves whereby many were depriv'd of their livelihood because they would not be perjur'd Sess 2. Act 2. It is Enacted that all Petioning Writing Printing or Remonstrating Praying or Preaching shewing any dislike of the King 's absolute Prerogative be punished as Seditious and that no Meetings be kept in private Houses Upon which accounts some suffered death Sess 3. Act 2. It is Enacted That all Non-conforming Ministers that presume to Exercise their Ministry be punished as Seditious Persons And that all Persons in in acknowledgement of his Majesties Government Ecclesiastical attend the service of the Curates Noblemen and Gentlemen refusing to lose the fourth part of their Rents Burgesses their freedom and fourth part of their Moveables Yeomen a fourth part of their Moveables and others twenty shillings every time leaving the Council to inflict other Punishments as they thought fit It is also Enacted That if there were three above the Family at Preaching or Prayer it should be esteem'd a Conventicle And for putting these Laws in Execution a High-Commission-Court was Erected by the King contrary to Act 13. Parl. 10. Jacob 6. with power to Examine upon Oath Desuper inquirendis Parl. 2. Lauderdale Commissioner It is Enacted by Vertue of the King's Supremacy that ordering the Government of the Church doth properly belong to His Majesty and his Successors as an inherent Right to the Crown and that he may Enact and Emit such Constitutions Acts and Orders concerning Church Administrations Persons Meetings and Matters as he in his Royal Wisdom shall think fit And thus a fair way was laid for K. James's reforming the Church This Act was to be obey'd by all Subjects any Law or Custom to the contrary notwithstanding Sess 2. Parl. 2. It is Enacted That who should be required to depose upon Oath their knowledge of Meetings or Persons at them shou'd do it on pain of Fining Imprisonment or Transportation Act 5. Enacted That outed Ministers found Preaching or Praying in any House but their own Family be imprison'd till they find bond of 5000 Marks not to do the like again every hearer toties quoties 25l if a Tenant 12l if a Subtenant and then all who Preached in the Field or in a House if any of the people be without doors shall be punished with death And they who can seize or secure any such Minister dead or alive shall have 100 Marks Reward The Magistrates in Boroughs to be fined at the Councils pleasure for any Conventicles held in their Boroughs Men to be fined if their Wives or Children went to Meetings Act 6. Fines were impos'd from 10 to 20l. sterl on such as had their Children Baptised at such Meetings and Servants in half their Wages Act. 11. Sess 3. The same Fines were impos'd on them who kept their Children unbaptised for 30 days and by Act 7. of the same Ses Intolerable Fines were impos'd on all who absented themselves 3 days together Anno 168â— The D. York being Commissioner without taking the usual Oath appointed by Law and against Actmaking Papists incapable of that Trust the Fines were doubled for Field Conventicles Gentlemen were obliged to remove Tenants and Masters their Servants without warning if they went to Meetings Act. 6. They impos'd on all a self-contradictory Test obliging them to own the Confession of Faith recorded in Parliament 1 Ja. 6. which disowns the Supremacy and asserts the lawfulness of defensive Arms tho' the contrary to both was Sworn in the promissory part of the Test without so much as a Non obstante and for taking this Test with his own Explication was Argile Beheaded Parl 1. Ja. 7 D. Queensbury Commissioner Iâ— is Enacted that such as being cited as Witnesses in cases of Treasons or Conventicles and refused to depone should be liable to the punishment of the same Act 8. All who Preach or Hear at House or Field-Conventicle shall be punished with death and confiscation We hope now by this Account which if any doubt we refer them to the Printed Statutes of the Nation If the D's Conscience be nor sear'd it will be so much his friend as to smiâ—e him for the injustice he has done to truth in â—sserting that there were no sanguinary Laws in Scotland save one And tho these Laws were so severe as to deserve abhorrence of all in whom any spark of Christian humanity remains yet the execution of them was more cruelly rigid Dragoons and a barbarous Pagan Highland-Host being employ'd to execute them without any Process of Law All that can be said for the D. is that if he thinks as he writes he is scandalously ignorant of what all Britain knows if otherwise he is gtolsly disingenuous to impose upon the credulity of his friends As the D. hath given a sad specimen of his intelligence so he gives equal discovery of his prudence while he upbraids the Scots Conventicle Rebels for refusing to Pray for K. Ja. For do not his Jacobitish Brethren deal so by K. William and doth not himself so now as they did then tho' under some other obligations to do it than ever they were whence we may tell him in his own words that his Principles and Practices are destructive to the Establish't Church and Government if not Praying for K. Ja. be so And that there be several distracted Cathedral Rebels who refuse to save their Livings and Bishopricks at so dear a rate as Praying for the King Therefore he and his Party are noâ— in bonafide to accuse any for such Principles and Practices tho we despise both as much as his folly in laying these things to our charge Secondly it's great imprudence what he saith next vizt Certainly these who refuse to give the Government under which they Live all reasonable assurances of their Fidelity and Obedience and will not solemnly disown their turbulent Principles but still retain their inveterate prejudices and pernicious disaffection to the Establisht Church cannot with any modesty expect to be treated as sincere and hearty friends but as declared open Enemies to the lasting Peace and Settlement of the Nation For hereby he smites his dearly beloved Episcopal Clergy of Scotland under the fifth rib and justifies all that the Government there hath done against them tho' they shou'd declare them open Enemies to the Peace of the Nation seeing they have refus'd to give the Government under which they have lived these 5 years any reasonable assurance of their Fidelity and Obedience but still retain their inveterate prejudices and pernicious disaffection to that Church and State so far doth partial passion Transport him that he mortally wounds them he pretends to defend The V. having asserted as a good effect of the indulgence granted in England that since Conformists and Dissenters converse more sociably and live more peaceably than formerly This is Contradicted by the D. for
this reason he hath been oredibly informed that Dissenters in England were grown very insolent on the News of the Dissolution of the last Parl. and resolved to necessitate the Government to some larger Concessions to their Ministers A. Dissenters have little reason to expect a just account of their Actions from Bp's informers who have been so great a plague to them in England But tho' the Authority he makes use of were good his reasoning is bad for while the V. tells what hath been done for time past he resutes that History by a Prophecy in telling what they resolve to do tho' it 's hardly credible English Dissenters wou'd communicate their Intreagues to Episcopal Informers But time now can tell the World both the falshood of his History and Prophecy His unjust reflection on those he calls our Non-conforming Fathers in Q. Eliz. time as persons of restless Tempers who for meek Petitions proceeded to Admonitions then to Satyrical Remonstrances and thus threatned first the Bishops and then the Q. and Parl. evidenceth him to be of such a Spirit that neither Heaven nor the Graves of Godly Men do secure their Names from the venom of his tongue and pen yet we count it our honour to be Children of such Parents as many of those persecuted for Non-conformity were being Ornaments to their Nation for their Learning and Godliness And most opposite to the Character he and Walton unjustly gives them as their own Works and the best Historians of their time inform us The D. being as he says led by the V's method to consider the Reply's made to his Answer to the first Paper Had this reply to an Argument of his against granting any further favour to Dissenters then these several marks of Regal favour which they enjoy'd That it 's reasonable that the continuance of the same favour shou'd be secured to them by Law To this the D. rejoins that a Legal Security of the same favour is not deny'd them if they be pleas'd to accept of it with these Clauses and Restrictions that their equally deserving Brethren do now enjoy it in England A. If the favour which we now enjoy through His Majesty's Clemency should have these Restrictions added to it which our Brethren in England have annexed to theirs it wou'd not be the same we now have so far is he mistaken 2. We look upon the Restriction annexed to the Indulgence granted to the Dissenters in England neither sutable to the Rules of Christian Religion nor the true interest and safety of this Nation Not of the first for these reasons By this Sacramental Test which is annex'd to the Indulgence of England Dominion must be founded in grace for if Mens Right to their Civil Priviledges must depend upon their capacity to receive the Sacrament to the receiving whereof the Church in the order of the Communion requires true Repentance then it requires grace to capacitate them for Civil Rights and Priviledges and for want of true Repentance they must forfeit Imployments to which they have a Hereditary Right Which Notion hath been Condemn'd as Irrational and Irreligious yea Balaam's Ass Taught better Divinity when it said Master am not I thine Ass Acknowledging his Right tho' he had not grace It this principle shou'd once obtain its fatal consequence might possibly reach the Mitres 2. But what is yet worse this Test shall make a Ceremony viz. kneeling at the Sacrament the Condition of both State and Church Membership For if none but such as kneel at the Communion shall be admitted to share of these Priviledges to which as Christians and free born Subjects they have right the gate unto the Church-Militant is made straiter then that into the Church-Triumphant From which we hope Men will not be so uncharitable as to exclude all who do not kneel at the Sacrament seeing Christ and his Apostles used no such posture 3. This makes kneeling at the Sacrament Lord Paramount over all the rest of the Ceremonies by putting the keys of the Church door only into its hand and so it becomes the only evidence of saving grace when all that scruple it must be debar'd from the Sacrament as Prophane and these who bow to and kneel â—t the Aâ—tar are the only holy 4. Not to kneel in receiving by this Test is made equally criminal with believing Transubstantiation the Idolatrous Worshipping of the Bread and all the abominations of the Mass with Papists and with denying and contemning both Ceremony and Substance with the Quakers whenas the same and no other punishment is inflicted upon Papists and Quakers than is upon Protestant Dissenters for refusing the same Test tho' we agree with them in the Doctrine of the Sacrament 5. To put Men upon this Dilemma is the tender mercy of the wicked and is to tempt Men to damn their S 〈…〉 preserve their Bodies And to give sacred things to dogs For if the persons have by Christ's Institution a right to the Sacrament by what Authority can Man debar them by their Inventions if they have none then these are not faithful Stewards of the Misteries of Christ who abuse them to serve their own secular ends 6. By this the Validity of the King's Commission must depend upon the Curates Certificate And so His Majesty must have a Conge Des Lire from the Clergy before he can give out his Commission for any Civil Office lest he lose his labour For the D. tells us plainly so much p. 27. that there are several Ecclesiastical Laws stiâ—l in force by which tho' Dissenters be not wholly unqualified for Admittance unto Civil Offices yet they are perfectly dis-enabled from continuing in them So that their present quiet enjoyment of Employments is not so much owing to their Legal Qualifications as to the Lenity and kindness of the Ecclesiastical Governors And so no Thanks to the King for the Dissenters Employments but to the good Lord Bishops It seems the Bishops of Rome are not the only pretenders to a Supremacy in Temporalitus As it is not consistent with the Piety so not with the interest of this Nation to impose unnecessary Tests and Ceremonies whereby men are frighted from coming to Plant in this kingdom when all wise men have thought fit to decoy Inhabitants by granting large Immunities and Priviledges By this policy the Roman Empire grew from small beginnings to be the Mistress of the World But to set up Scar-crows to fright any from coming to Plant and Trade in the Nation cannot be consistent with the wisdom of its Government And sure we are neither the Heads or Hands of Papists in Ireland are so few and despicable nor their friends abroad so weak or unwilling to help them that we should think Ireland over-stock't with Protestants to defendit which Ceremonies will never do for the Papists are better acquainted with them than to be terrified by them if another 1641 and another 1688 should recur And we may tell the World that the first Test contriv'd against
Dissenters in Ireland tho' it prov'd fatal to its Contrivers was by God's Providence a means of preserving the Dissenters who forsaking the Nation on that account were preserved from the Massacre 1641 and these same persons returning were the first relief that Ireland got which can be made evident by many yet alive and may be instructive to pasterity The V. having to prove the equity of giving free-born Subjects the same legal Indulgence in their Dissenting as is given to Foreigners asserted that the French Protestants if left to their liberty would chuse a Discipline and Worship more conformable to their own than that of the Establish't Church Hath this Answer We are not to pass judgment on a particular Church from the inconsiderate words and actions of some of the meaner sort of the Laity but by the solemn Declarations and constant Practices of the Learned Clergy of that Communion And to shew the Sentiments of the French Church produceth a triple testimony of three French Divines in favor of the Establish't Church and censuring the Dissenters separation from it from three Letters written fifteen years ago on this Subject by Monsieur Lamoyne M. D. Langle and M. Cloud which we shall not transcribe But 1. We think it strange that the Bishops of the Church of England shou'd own the French Protestants to be a Churh and to have a learned Clergy when in the mean time they deny them to have a Lawful Ordained Ministry and force them to be Re-ordained who come for Refuge into England and are willing to conform So that this seems to be but a complement given for these 3 Letters and no sincere acknowledgment of their being a Church A Reverend French Minister informs us that flying from Persecution into England he with some others were permitted to Preach in London but upon his refusal to be Re-ordained he was not only hindred to Preach by the Bishop of London but deny'd any part of the publick Charity collected for the French Protestants and so was necessitated to leave England The same entertainment others of them met with here in Ireland about Anno 1680 or 1682 who flying to Dublin and setting up the beginnings of several useful Manufactures but being averse to joyn in the Church-Service a certain charitable Peer lent them his House to Worship in where they served God according to the manner of the French Churches whereupon their Minister was seized imprison'd c. until for obtaining his liberty he consented to quit or abjure the Kingdom And yet Liberty was publickly allow'd the Papists And we are well informed how the Papists now insult over them as having by their disowning the validity of their own former Ordination and being Re-ordain'd by Bishops in England thereby declared that they have hitherto been no Church have had no Sacraments lawfully Administred among them which is a great addition to their former miseries so that whether it be worse to destroy the being of that Church in all time past or persecute some of its Members in time present be the greater severity and so whether the Popish or English Clergy have been more merciful to the Protestant Church of France we leave to be consider'd 2. The Testimony of these 3 Men are not the solemn Declaration and constant practice of that Church as he vainly says but the opinion of three private Doctors to whom he might oppose the Judgment of 3000 and the constant known practice of that Church solemnly declared in its publick Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions disowning the Form of Worship and Disciplin of the Church of England And it seems as unequal to judge of a Church by the Sentiments of several of her learn'd Clergy as by the Laity What a Monster would the Church of England be if we were left to judge of her by the several opinions of her Learned Clergy whereof some approve others condemn Arminiasm some are passive obedient Doctors others not some for Episcopacy jure Divino others think it only jure Humano some have been for others are now against Liberty of Prophesying c. The justest way then of judging what are the sentiments of a Church is neither by the private practices or opinions of Clergy or Lay-men but by their Unanimous deliberate and publickly declared Judgment in their Confessions of Faith and Synodical Constitutions which had he produc'd against us had been some service to his cause And we have just cause to except against the Evidence Some of whom have conformed and have disgrac'd their Church by renouncing its Ordination so that these who have dishonor'd their Parents will little regard their Brethren 3. We know that indirect means have been used to obtain such Testimonies against us and can tell of one who had 4 good fat Benefices in England with a Faculty of Non-residence to Enable him to Traffick in France introducing Dissenters and Exalting and vindicating the Prelacy and Ceremonies of England 4. The Testimonies are not fairly produc'd but a part conceal'd of the Letters which had he repeated would have condemn'd himself And therefore M. Cloud in his Letter as Published by Dr. Stillingfleet p. 448. hath this I hope my Lord you will not be wanting in the Duties of Charity and Spirit of Peace and that when the dispute shall be only of some Ceremonies which are stumbling blocks and which in themselves are nothing in comparison of an intire re-union of your Church under your holy Ministry you will make it seen that you love the Spouse of your Master more than your selves And that it is not so much from your greatness and Ecclesiastical Dignity that you desire to receive your joy and glory as from your Pastoral Vertues and the ardent care you take of your Flocks M. De Langle tells you that even amongst these separating Brethren there is a very great Number of good Men whose Faith is pure Piety sincere And it seems to me that the good and charitable Bishops ought to say of them as Optatus Melivitatus said of the Donatists in something a different sense Si Collegium Episcopate notunt habere nobiscum tamen fratres sunt And I 'me sure saith he that if there were nothing wanting to cure your Divisions but tho abstaining from some Expressions the quitting some Ceremonies the changing the colour of some Habits you would resolve to do that and something more difficult But this the D. disingenuously conceals because of his Moderation which is contrary to his Nature or Design The V. having asserted also that a further security ought to be granted to Protestant Dissenters than to Papists for this reason that some difference should be made between them who deserve well and them who deserve ill of the Govarnment The D. allowing the reasoning to be unque6ionably true yet will have it understood with this supposition that if the Civil Parent be forced by the pressure of some unfortunate occurrences to a concession of such favorable and advantagious
Illustrious and unparallel'd Line is the greatest glory of this your Ancient Kingdom we pay our most humble gratitude to Your Majesty for the repeated assurances of your Royal Protection to our National Church and Religion as the Laws have Established them which are very suitable to the gracious countenance incouragement and Protection your Majesty was pleased to afford to our Church whilst we were happy in your presence amongst us We Magnifie the Divine Majesty for blessing you with a Son and us with a Prince whom we pray Heaven may bless and preserve to sway Your Royal Scepter after you and that he may inherit with Your Royal Dominions the Illustrious and Heroick virtues of his August and most Serene Parents We are amaz'd to hear of the danger of an Invasion from Holland which excites our prayers for an universal Repentance to all orders of men that God may yet spare his people preserve Your Royal Person prevent the Effusion of Christian blood and give such Success to your Majesty's Arms that all who invade your Majesty's just and undoubted Right and Disturb or Interrupt the Peace of your Realms may be disappointed and cloathed with shame so that on your Royal Head the Crown may still flourish As by the grace of God we shall preserve in our selves an unshaken and firm Loyalty so we shall be careful and zealous to promote in all your Subjects an intrepid and stedfast Allegiance to your Majesty as an essential part of their Religion and the glory of our holy Profession Not doubting but that God in his great mercy who hath so often preserved and delivered your Majesty will still preserve and deliver you by giving you the hearts of your Subjects and the necks of your Enemies so Pray we who in all humility are May it please your most Sacred Majesty Your Majesty's most Humble most Faithful and most Obedient Subjects and Servants Edinburgh Nov. 3 1688. Signed by the Lords Bishops B. St. Andrews B. Glasgow B. Galloway B. Aberdeen B. Dunkell B. Buchan B. Orkney B. Murray B. Ross B. Dumblaine B. Isles Here is a Specimen of those Gentlemens Genius whose heads the D. would preserve while he boldâ—y opposeth truth and necessitates us to lay open to the world this Tryal of Skill of his Episcopal Brethren who all yet except the Bishop of Rapho whom an Irish Bishoprick hath converted glory in their being counted worthy to suffer for K. James and continue to deny Allegiance to K. William with many of their fellow Brethren That the Scoth Bishops unanimously deserted the convention of States we suppose none of themselves will deny which if any do we shall In Answer to his reasons proving these Reflections untrue because that the conversion would have pass'd some publick and severe mark upon them had that been true we say that by this he sees the mildness and tenderness of that convention who without laying open to the world their grossest Iniquities only voted the Bishops and their Clergy the great and unsupportable grievance of the Nation and thereupon voted the total abolishing of Prelacy and if these be not publick and severe marks indeed upon them why doth he make such a horrid Noise about their Persecution further 't is not to be attributed to want of matter that in the Act they are excluded by there is no particular mention of the misbecoming actions of their Lives c. for Parliaments are not Historians but yet if he long for a Legend of their Lives he may possibly obtain his desires e're long little to their Credit or his Comfort for there are many recorded Instances of their misbecoming actions noticed by those who smarted under them which if he necessitates us to lay open to the world possibly his Brethren may thank him For do's he think that so long as it remains in the Records of Counsel that they imposed and took a contradictory Test that it will not be alledged that they are perjured themselves and the cause of it in others or that they abjured what they had formerly sworn with great Solemnity and betrayed the truth committed to them Yea sure so long as it continues in the Records of these Counsels whereof they were Members that they ordered men to be killed without any Tryal or Colour of Law or so much as with an exception whether they resisted or no it will be hard to purge them from the guilt of Murther for it is very evident that these Prelates had a hot hand in all the Innocent Blood shed in Scotland in K. Charles II. and K. James I. times which we leave to those who may write their History Possibly the D. believes not this because he heard it not and therefore we urge him to inform himself better from Authentick Proofs and Records of that Nation that the Stains of his Brethren there may be a warning to him and all Clergy-men to fright them from merciless cruelty to which from a small tryal of his skill already given we fear he may be too much given His second exception against those two Gentlemens Letter is That it confidently asserts that there is not so much as one single man who was in the Possession of their Churches and publick Livings whâ—n K. James abdicated and forfeited who hath since K. William ' s accession to the Crown been thrust out for any other Crimes than either 1. for not reading the Proclamation whereby K. William and Q. Mary were Declared King and Queen or 2. for their not Praying for His Majesty or 3. for not Swearing the Oath of Allegiance and Assurance or 4 for such Immoralities as the Church of England as truly disallows as Prebyterians To contradict which he produceth an Instance of one Mr. Samuel Mowat a Clergy-man of Scotland in the Diocess of Glasgow and at the time in Dublin c. who was in possession of his Church in Scotland after K. William and Q Mary's accession to the Throne and read the Proclamation c. published by the Council of Scotland April 13. 1689. by the appointment of the General Assembly 2. Prayed for Their Majesties 3. took the Oath of Allegiance and Assurance 4. was free of Immoralities c. and declared himself willing to submit to the Presbyterian Government according to his Majesty's Formula and yet he was rejected by them because he would not renounce the Episcopal Government and declare his sorrow for submitting to it A. We might satisfy our selves with this that Mr. Samuel Mowat point blank denies what the D. hath written to be his Testimony and that it is grosly falsifyed but tho' he had said all this his single Testimony does not prove it's Truth for while he says that the Assembly appointed the reading the Proclamation whereby K. William and Q. Mary were Declared King and Queen which Proclamation was published April 13. 1690. This must be false seeing there was no Assembly till October 16. 1690. when they first sat after the Revolution It 's
that by these Intruders are chiefly means Episcopal Ministers thrust out by the Rabble who had repossess'd their own Churches A. This Act was made against allIntruders without exception Presbyterian or others and we suppose thought Rational by all reasonable men for the English Law justifies not a forcible Entry even tho' a Person hath a right And I doubt not but the Church of Engl. would condemn it in her own case for I question if the D. could defend the late Bishop of Down and Connor with the Arch-Deacon who looked on themselves unjustly deprived of Bishopprick and Livings by the late Regal visitation should they re-enter and possess themselves of what they have lost without owning Church or State But we say that those who were rabbled out neither have nor dare intrude into those Churches from which they were rabbled and challengeth him to instance one who hath so done But the truth of the matter is this some of those who were rabbled out in the West and South went to the North and there by the connivance of the Inheritors and some of the Parishioners did intrude into vacant Parishes some also had been deposed by the Church for Immoralities others who were put out of their Benefices by the Counsel for refusing to swear Allegiance to K. William and supported by the Jacobite party did enter into Churches in contempt of both Civil and Ecclesiastical Government Against these this Act was made so that none are counted Intruders meenly for repossessing the Church out of which they were turned by the Rabble seeing that by the Proclamation Aug. 6. 1689. all who had been Rabbled since the Settlement of the Government were restored to their Churches By this the D. as he thinks having proved the Parliament of Scotland guilty of great Severity for making an Act against Intruders concludes undoubtedly the reason of the V's not publishing that Act of Parliament July 16. 1695. not to be what is alledged but his fear of setting matters in a true light and exposing too plainly his gross and willful misrepresentations of the present State of that Kingdom A. We leave it to the Parliament of Ireland whether they will thank him for inveighing against the Parliament of Scotland thus at random when both have the same head and in all these Invectives his Sacred Majesty is reflected on But how ridiculous is it to reason thus The Vindicator durst not publish the Act of July 16. 1695. lest he should have exposed the severity of the Parliament against Intruders when there is nothing in that Act against Intrusion but it is as himself tells us by an Act July 5. 1695. what needs the V. fear the publishing that Act which all allow to be an Act of Câ—emency we are satisfied the V. had not seen that against which he so much Inveighs Nor needed he fear the publishing that other Act which was in Print yea so far were Dissenters from any sear from that Act that they industriously spread it amongst Members of Parliament here as a good precedent of Moderation The D. having discharg'd his spleen upon the Parliament of Scotland returns upon the Church Government saying by way of mock I must indeed acknowledge that we cannot boast of our coming up to or equal in the example which the present Presbyterian Government in Scotland has set us For first our moderation to Dissenters has not exprest it self in raising of the Rabble against them much less in returning them publick and solemn thanks for the greatness of their Zeal in so doing A. His first instance of this Churches negative moderation to Dissenters contains an unreasonable calumny thrown upon the Presbyterian Government of the Ch. of Scotl. for during the Rabble's Reign there was no legal Government in Church or State And therefore the Church is not chargeable with things done before it was re-established or had power That the Church gave the Rabble publick and solemn Thanks for their Rabbling is false but the truth was this the Prelates of Scotland with the Jacobitish Party headed by the Viscount Dundee having conspired against the Convention of States then assembled at Edenburg to settle the Crown of that Kingdom upon K William and Queen Mary had secretly conveyed 200 and upwards of armed men into the Town in order to scatter the Convention and so defeat the Nations Settlement Hereupon the Gentlemen and Commons of the West being then in Arms came with all expedition to Edinburgh whereupon the Viscount of Dundee with his party immediately fled and entred into an open Rebellion which ended with his Life at Killycrankie These Gentlemen who protected the Convention of Estates till they had established the Government are by him and his Episcopal Brethren in Scotland called the Rabble These indeed received the publick thanks of the Convention of Estates instead of their pay and so went all home peaceably But at this time there could be no Establish't Church seeing there was no Establish't Civil Government 2. That he and his have not raised the Rabble against Dissenters in Ireland we owe not to him or his but to the Rabble if any such be who if once up might possibly turn their rage upon others Yet he and some of his have not failed to incense the Magistrate against Dissenters who have thereupon imploy'd arm'd force against them For notwithstanding all that the Dissenting Ministers had suffered in the North for their Loyalty to Ch. 2. being all banished by Oliver for refusing the Oath called the Tender which many Episcopal Clergy-men easily swallow'd yet upon his Restauration the Prelates stirr'd him up contrary to his inclination to imprison all Dissenting Ministers and so persecute the People for Non-conformity which was accordingly done This the Living Generation can abundantly Testify A Second Evidence of the Churches Moderation to Dissenters he offers is That the Church of England Parliament in this Kingdom has not declared that Non-Conformist Ministers in exercising any part of their Ministerial Function have offer'd a high contempt of the Law as tending to perpetuate Schism and of dangerous consequence A. Seeing as he saith The Church of England Parliament hath not declared Non-Conformist Ministers contemners of the Law in exercising any part of their Ministry How cometh it to pass that the Church of England Clergy daily declare them guilty of offering high contempt to the Law As being Schismaticks that the exercise of their Ministry is of dangerous consequence We have cause to thank the Church of England Parliament for their Justice and Moderation but neither of us have reason to thank the Clergy for declaring the contrary And tho we may be satisfied with this Confession that there is no Act of Parliament against us vet we have cause to fear he will retract else he hath labour'd in vain in this Pamphlet The third Instance given of the Churches Moderation to us is They have not made an Act of Parliament against ut making Non-Conforming Ministers Intruders altho
legally Establish'd Church-Government then it is in the Church of England to require Subscription to their 39 Articles Assent and Consent to her Liturgy and Ceremonies and Canonical Obedience to her Bishops For an Epilogue to his History of Scots Affairs since the Revolution he gives a mock Commendation as he is pleas'd to call it the ingenuous temper of the General Assembly in their Act for a solemn National Fast Nov. 12. 1690. wherein they gave a particular Confession of the Sins of the Nation To which he saith Amen wishing they may be as sincere in repenting as they have been ingenious in Confession A. To have our Prayers and Fasts turned to reproach is but what befel our betters Psal 69. 10. and therefore we may the easier bear it but doth not the Church of England dayly confess we have erred and strayed from thy ways we have done these things which we ought not to have 〈…〉 to require his Charity to the Church of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 wish him ingealous and 〈◊〉 in his The D. having made his progress through Scotland in his return home to Ireland gives us a taste of his skill in persuading while he would have us believe that the gently Penal Laws are not as the V. insinuates a severe lash design'd as Instruments of an Unreasonable Correction but as the necessary means of keeping such Children as are of a froward and ungovernable temper within the bounds of a due Subjection and therefore it ought not to be esteemed an unkind severity but a prudent tenderness in a Parent to deny them such indulgences as in all propability will be abused to the diveâ—â—ing him of his Parental Authority and to the incouraging of them to a total withdrawing of their Filial Duty and Obedience for the future A. This D. seems to be or at least wou'd have Dissenters be like the Wives of Mascovy who are jealous of their Husbands affection unless they correct them severely But he must beat us out of reason and sense both e're he persuade us to this and had he but tasted as much of these gentle Penal Laws as some have lately done for refusing the Oath of a Church-Warden he wou'd change his Note If to be Excommunicated thrown into Prison till a Man and his Family be utterly ruin'd be gentle correction how dares he exclaim against the severity of Scotland where there is not one such Penal Law nor one instance of a Lay-man's being fin'd and imprisoned for meer Non-conformity much less for refusing to be Lay-Elders And we suppose he cannot give instance of any Church in the World who Excommunicate Fine and Imprison Men for refusing to be Officers in the Church especially these whom they condemn as Schismaticks And to thrust Men into Places of Trust in the Church out of Malice That many more Episcopal Children have discover'd their froward and ungovernable temper since the happy Revolution then of Dissenters is sensibly felt by the Government and therefore the reflection on us hath as little Truth as Charity Nor is it rational to suppose us such enemies to our own case and peace as to endeavour to divest these of Authority by whose powerful Clemency we are protected from the claws of some of the angry Clergy As to the second thing desired by Dissenters viz. That there be no such Clauses annexed to the Bill of Indulgence as might disenable them from serving their King and Country he observes to be the same Argument the Papists made use of in the late Reign for taking off the Penal Laws and Test and that the design of Dissenters is the same with that of the Papists viz. not only to capacitate themselves for all Employments of Honour Trust and Profit but also to exclude others of a different persuasion from having a share in any unless perhaps in mean and unprofitable ones A. The Observation tho his own is not observable either for it's Wit or Honesty for if Dissenters ought not to use the Argument because Papists have us'd it then the Church ought far less to Cross in Baptism and kneel at the Sacrament seeing the Papists have gresly abused them But it 's well known that Dissenters did refuse to joyn with the Papists in taking off the penal Laws and Test tho they thereby might have had their own Fetters knockt off yet they rather chus'd to continue in chains then to suffer such ravenous Creatures to run loose And we remember what fair promises were then made to Dissenters for this piece of generosity but the world knows how religiously these promises have been kept And he may see that where Presbyterians have more then we desire they have not ingross'd to themselves all places of Honour and Trust as now in Scotland where such imployments are enjoy'd by Persons declared Episcopal in Judgment And its ridiculous to tell that Dissenters won'd inhanfe all imployments to those of their own perswasion and exclude others seeing all of them are not of one persuasion and so cannot inhance all to their own Party But unless the Magistrates to whom the grant of such Offices belongs shou'd turn Dissenters it 's unreasonable to fear that Dissenters shou'd be able to make such a Monopoly While he tells us That it 's not reasonable that they shou'd pull down any part of their Church to furnish Dissenters with Materials to build and strenthen theirs We must say that we knew not before now that Penal Laws against Dissenters were any part or parcel of the Church of England which if they be as is said it will be no demonstration of that Churches Antiquity at least for that part of it which must commence with the Act of Uniformity Surely the Primitive Church had no such Pillars to support it for 300 years and more and yet the Gates of Hell were not able to prevail against it Bp. Taylor liberty of prophesying p. 18. will better inform him That imposing on Mens understandings being Masters of their Consciences and Lording it over their Faith came in with the rotinue and train of Antichrist The increase of Interest and abatement of Christian Simplicity when the Churches Fortune grew better and her Sons grew worse and some of her Fathers worst of all And cites Tertullian saying Sâ—d nec Religionis est cogere religionem quae suscipi debet sponte non vi To this he adds That all wise Princes till they were overboâ—n with Faction or sollicited by peevish Persons gave To eration to different Sects whose opinions did not disturb the Publick Interest Heretical Persons who are impatient of an Adversary were the first who intreated the Emperors to persecute the Catholicks but till 400 years after Christ no Catholick Persons or very few did provoke the secular Arm or implore its aid against Hereticks The D. having given his judgment with more passion than truth against Dissenters particularly these in the North to make it appear reasonable as he saith he attempts to prove it by matter of fact
since the Revolution attested by several persons of known Prudence and Integrity in the North who have given an account of many hard things against two Ministers there both doctrinal and practical the first of these is Mr. Liston late Minister of Letterkenny the 2d is Mr. William Holms Mr. Liston is accused First of constant declaring the Church of England Popish and Antichristian 2. Praying for its destruction 3. Preacb'd against its Feastivals and said that they worshiped the Devil 4. Discharg'd his Hearers to entertain any Conformists as Servants but allow'd them to keep Popish Servants 5. That he perswaded the Parents of a Gentlewoman who had conformed to deny her Meat Drink and Lodging and to hang her for her Apostacy 6. He abus'd the Legal Incumbent and pull'd him out of the Church of Letterkenny A. Were this heavy charge as fully proven as it 's confidently alledged it would not amount to all that 's intended thereby viz. To make all the Dissenting Ministers of the North odious to the Government as a factious and violent people no more than the Simony Adultery Drunkenness habitual Non-Residence and neglect of Office prov'd against the Bishop and Clergy of Down and Connor at the late Regal Visitation will prove all the Clergy of Ireland guilty of the same crimes Tho some are of opinion that those on whom that Tower of Siloam fell were not the only Sinners but if other Diocesses had umdergone the same Ordeal these condemned might have some comfort in having more companions If any desiderate proof of this they shall have satisfaction from more Authentick Records than these produc'd to prove Mr. Liston's Lybel 2. Had he design'd impartial justice in this matter he had been as particular in naming the witnesses as he is in naming the accused and their crimes for before judgment pass the Law allows the Accused to see their Witnesses to know if they have any exceptions against them but by his hiding them he gives the world ground to suspect they are not evidence beyond exception And seeing the Civil Law denies them to be good evidence or have been but lately reconcil'd for this cause in offensus affectus iestiam queritur ne irati nocere cupiant laesi ulcisci se velint We have cause to suspect the Evidence for those who persecute men when alive and reproach them when dead are not their friends Yea all this evidence is but on hear-say seeing we have it from Conforming Clergy who could no otherways know what he Preach'd and Prayed constantly but by others testimony And the Law saith Testimonium quod ab aliena relatione dependet non valet And indeed to accuse a man long after his death as here Mr. Liston is when yet while alive he was not pursu'd though the Law both Civil and Ecclesiastical was open to them and the faults if proved punishable by the Judge is contrary to the Light of Nature and Law of Nations which teach that Citatio defensio sunt juris naturalis and condemn no man uncited unheard The Civil Law says that sententia contra mortuos ferenda non est for that were cum larvis pugnare to fight with mens ghosts which is neither Humanity nor Religion And several of the things asserted are so improbable that they must be scant in Charity who believe them As for the 2d Instance of Mr. W. H. It 's an arrow out of the same quiver the person being a Probationer upon the rumor of what is here alledg'd was call'd to account for it but vindicated himself sufficiently whereby it appears we incourage no such intemperate and indiscreet actions amongst any of our persuasion but bring them to account for it and we know by whose industry all the Aurea Legenda that can be collected in that part of the Countrey are confidently published with teste meipso From these Instances he draws as he calls it an undoubted conclusion that if Dissenters had the uncontrolable liberty of a legal irrestrictive Indulgence they wou'd be most turbulent insolent and tumultuous which he proves by the representation made by the House of Commons to King Charles the 2d above 30 years ago as we heard before A. Were these two Instances as true as we have made them appear to be false and malicious his conclusion might be doubted as much as a conclusion from the many Instances of Simony Adultery Drunkenness and constant Non-Residence judicially proved at the late Regal Visitation at Lisburn to prove all the Clergy of Ireland guilty of these Crimes and seeing he can produce no Instances of intemperate speeches and illegal violences of Dissenters in the North except these two pretended this may satisfie the Government how far we are from such a distemper as he reproaches us with tho we have had provocations from the intemperate speeches of some Clergy-men As for his only strong Argument his fear of the increase of the power and number of Dissenters and therefore the Establish't Church should not be over-fond of these seeming Protestants A. His Party hath no cause to thank him for his policy for by representing the Dissenters as so formidable a party he encourageth them and weakens the hearts and hands of his Brethren by these frightful Prophesies If he be so really affraid of our power and increase his wisdom will be seasonably to yield and unite with us For these penal Laws have not lessened our numbers or weakened our power seeing since their commencement we are in Ireland 100 to one and if upwards of 100 years experience of the absolute insufficiency of these Laws to prevent the daily growth of Dissenterâ— from the Establish't Church will not convince him of their being useless Engines to defend it we cannot help him more than these do his cause The V. having urg'd That a Legal Indulgence was needful in case another Rebellion which God forbid should happen else what Gentleman among us wou'd rise for others to command or wou'd Tenants cheerfully rise with them on whom they have no dependance and in whom they can as little trust The D. tells us there 's no danger of that for the generality of the Nobility and Gentry of the North are Conformists their Landlords and Acquaintances and men of great Estates to manage that A. If the Nobility and Gentry that are Conformists who in the late troubles promised fair things to Dissenters shou'd by the importunity of some of the hotter Clergy be over-persuaded contrary to their own moderate temper and interest to forâ—eit that place they have now in the esteem of Dissenters it would be impossible to induce reasonable men to trust them in a time of War who had deceiv'd them in a time of Peace But we hope the Nobility and Gentry value as and their own interest more than to sacrifice both to some implacable men for Ceremonies It would be no prudence to provoke such multitudes which in times of confusion little regard such distinctions as in Peace
to the form and way of the Church of England tho they never did it before and perhaps never intended it after except on the like occasion are too justly obâ—oxious to be suspected as men of flexible and profligate Consciences But we are sure the V. intended to justify no such persons Having now impartially consider'd this Defence we must tell him that if he had borrow'd as much out of Dr. Stillingfleet's Irenicum as he hath stolen out of his Unreasonableness of Separation and given less credit to his Jacobitish Pamphleteers in the affairs of Scotland he had better consulted for his own reputation and our ease and might have spar'd several reflections he too liberally bestows on his Majesty's Government in Scotland but hereby he hath given a Commentar upon the old Prelatick Maxim No Bishop no King that is if Kings do not support Bishops there shall be no Kings But we wish that our Zeal may be better employ'd about things wherein the glory of God the good of Souls and the peace of the Church and State may be more concern'd than either they enjoying their Ceremonies or we our Civil Offices AN ANSVVER TO A Peaceable Friendly Address TO THE Non-Conformists c ALtho' the reasonings of this Address appear not to be so powerful as to make us Schismaticks and thereby uncapable of a Legal Toleration yet left our not pleading to such an Indictment as is here drawn up against us shou'd be construed to flow from sullenness or conscious of a weak and ill cause we cannot but consider them and that either to prevent the Addressor's conceit of his Work as if it were impregnable or choler for looking on it as contemptible If it be malum omen cespitare in limine the Doctor hath snappered on a piece of disingenuity in the very frontispiece for what he calls a Peaceable and Friendly Address to Non-Conformists upon perusal appears to be a Libel against them as Schismaticks and it's design to provoke the Civil Magistrate to keep us still under the lash of penal Laws for Non-Conformity so that as it is reported of a Polish Ambassador sent to Queen Elizabeth at his arrival he pretended he came for Peace but when he had his publick Audience he proclaimed War whereupon the Queen said Heu quam decepta fui Legatum expectavi Herauldum accept I look'd for an Ambassador but have receiv'd a Herauld so when ye have rais'd our expectations with the name of a Peaceable and Friendly Address bring in an Accusation against us as guilty of a Crime which if what Divines say of it be true is no less than renting the mystical Body of Jesus Christ and if this be your kindness to your friends and brethren you must excuse us if we be not fond of that relation In your Epistle seeing you flatter your self with hopes of doing some good and confidence of doing no hurt by publishing this Address and that because of the calmness and temper ye have studed in it to prevent giving offence to your Non Conforming Brethren as ye call them we hope it will be no hurt to tell you that the studyed temper and calmness of your words will not make an attonement for the distemper of its matter and windy storm and tempest thereby designed for you mistake your Non-Conforming brethren if you think them so simple as not to be offended with good words and fair speeches whereby men lye in wait to deceive and tho' your words be smoother than butter yet it is evident to us that war is in your heart while ye cast iniquity upon us and were they softer than Oyl we must look upon them as drawn Swords while by them ye are stirring up those who bear not the Sword in vain to employ it against us As for the large encomium you exalt your Patron with as an eminent example of temper and moderation to Dissenters and that none was more mild and gentle to them than he ev'n in those times when it was in his power to use severity towards them we cannot but from experience of the contrary dissent from you in this as well as in some other things for Non-Conformists do remember that they never met with greater severity at least in the North than when the Primate of all Ireland and Chancellor rode both upon one horse and we advise you for his honour and your own honesty not to put us upon the proof of it As for that remarkable effect of his arguments and moderation that he obliged divers Non-Conforming Ministers to receive Ordmation at his hands according to the form prescribed by your Church and to conform to the Worship and Discipline thereof if such were ordained Ministers before tho' by Presbyters you will find it hard to convince any of the Reformed Churches or all of your own either that this was the proper effect of moderation but rather of Prelatick Domination and an uncharitable condemning of the forreign Reformed Churches as none and their Ministerial Administration as void and null for want of Episcopal Ordination and we fear that love of the world prevailed more powerfully than any other arguments else it 's hard to believe that conscientious Ministers would have renounced their former Ordination which if they did without a publick declaration of their former sin in unlawful invading the Ministerial Office and cheating the world by a pretended Administration of Sacraments when they had no power so to do as ye have not by them gained honest Ministers so we have lost as few and if this be the native fruit of his Moderation we bless God that hath delivered us from it and thus we shall apply our selves to the Address it self It hath ever been the honour of Peace to be well spoken of by all men Pacem le poscimus omnes but the unhappiness of many men to be under the dominion of such Lusts as disenable them to pursue it that there are and shall be divisions among us we confess but to convince the guilty of their Sin is this hoc opus hic labor est seeing it is as rare to find men impartial as infallible Considering what brevity I intend I shall not catch all advantages I might take by some unnecessary phrases of this Address in which the Doctor rather catechiseth the Non-Conformists by asking questions than convinceth them by reasons proving his own or disproving their principles and practices and tho some short categorical answers of yea and nay might suffice I shall give answer with a reason to it tho not bound more than he who gives none for his questions And 1st While he tell us that there is a separation between us and thereby a Schism in our National Church the consequence is not good for there may be a separation without Schism as there is between all the Parochial Churches which are locally separate without any Schism of your National Church Paul and Barnabas separated A s 15. 39. yet were no Schismaticks
But if we can make appear that these Ceremonies as imposed by you are made essential parts of Religion and necessary to Salvation then you must acknowledge them destructive of Christian Liberty This will appear if it be considered 1. That if these Impositions be necessary in order to Communion with the Church and Communion with the Church necessary to Salvation then they must be necessary to Salvation that they are made necessary conditions of our Communion with the Church is evident by the Act of Uniformity and your calling us all Schismaticks who conform not to them 2. What is made necessary to the Solemn Worship of God is made necessary to Salvation but so are they seeing without them it cannot be solemnly performed in England and Ireland 3. If the bare omission of them tho' out of tenderness of Conscience be juâ—ged Schism Sedition and Rebellion and be made worthy of Fining Imprisonment and Excommunication 4. If for calling them unlawful a man must be delivered to Satan according to Can 6. 5 If the omission of these make a Minister more lyable to Deprivation c. than Whoredom Drunkenness or breaking the Lord's day 6. If the refusers of Conformity to them be judged worse than Idolatrous Papists if they be more necessary than the Peace and Unity of the Church with what confidence can any man say that he judgeth them not necessary to Salvation That our Directory requâ—reth any Ceremonies of mystical signification or imposeth any indifferent things save such circumstances as nature's Light and right Reason direct us to for the decent and orderly performance of our duties we deny and demand proof from all who assert it Having justify'd as you think the nature of your Ceremonies you proceed to vindicate their number telling us if we should say that your Ceremonies were too numerous and burthensome c. if this were really so it were only an inconvenience and not a sin Ans God's word tells us that to do what is not convenient is sinful Rom. 1. 28. Ephes 5. 4. though to suffer things inconvenient is not still so and by what authority can any burthen Consciences with their own Inventions was not this the sin of the Pharisees Matt. 23. 4. if Augustine complain'd as you say of the number and burthen of Ceremonies in his time why may not Dissenters do so now who are as unable to bear them as he was yet had he lived in some place of the World and complain'd of such a burthen there is a Canon called the 10th by which he had been ipso facto shut out of the Church But ye'll say he did not separate tho' he complained Answ How do ye know that he did not separate if he refused to use them he separated from them as well as we do and if he used them after his complaint of their being burthensome and too numerous it would be hard to excuse him from sinning against his confession but we have more Charity for him than to believe he did so To your Non-Conformists last Objection to wit The Ceremonies are unnecessary and therefore the Governors of the Church are not to lay unnecessary impositions on the People Ye Answer thus Tho' this were true that Governors did impose such things yet our complyance therewith for Peace and Vnityâ— sake were no sin but a virtue Answ That they are unnecessary you confess while you declare them indifferent and therefore the dubious supposition if they were c. is needless but that it is a virtue rather than a sin to comply with the unnecessary impositions of Church Governors for peace and unity is asserted not proved seeing nothing can be a Christian virtue which wants Christ's Command and we know of none he hath given for our complyance with Governors in their unnecessary impositions Yea we find Church Governors obliged by their Commission to teach us to observe no more than what Christ commanded them Matth. 28. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and the good Centurian Cornelius would submit no further to the Apostle Peter Acts 10. 33. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God for seeing God and Nature do nothing in vain they have no power to impose things needless and where their power to command is void we are under no Obligation to obey yea such complyance is but a conspiracy with men usurping power and so partaking of their sins Paul withstood Peter to the face in his imposing unnecessary things on the Jews Gal. 2. 11. And seeing the Church hath no Power but to Edification 2 Cor. 10. 8. We are to follow them no further than they follow Christ 1 Cor. 11. 1. The Synod of Jerusalem Acts 15. guided by the holy Spirit thought fit to impose nothing but necessary things Bishop Bramhall page 101 of his Vindication says It was not the Erroneous opinions of the Church of Rome but the imposing them by Law on other Churches that warranted the separation So when things unnecessary are made conditions of our Communion we look not upon it as a Christian virtue to comply with them Having asserted not only the lawfulness but innocence of your Communion you profess your self assured that we do not think every man is at liberty either to join himself with the establish't Church of a place or to set up a distinct Church for himself Answ Such as on good grounds judge your Communion lawful and innocent will not set up for themselves but your asserting your selves such makes it not evident seeing there is a generation all whose ways are clean in their own eyes tho they be not wash'd from their iniquity Therefore we say with Memerable Hales of Eaton page 194. Notwithstanding of the great benefit of Communion in regard of divers Distempers Men are subject to Dissention and Dis-union are often necessary for when either false or uncertain Conclusions are obtruded for truth and acts either unlawful or ministring just scruple are required of us to be performed by us in those cases consent were conspiracy and open contestation is not Faction or Schism but due Christian animosity For tho' you value your selves mightily on account of your legal establishment which is indeed your most powerful argument yet the aforesaid Author page 231. says That publick Assemblys though according to form of Law are indeed nothing else but Riots and Conventicles if they be stain'd with Corruption and Superstition A Legal Establishment gives protection and provision but makes neither Doctrine true Worship pure or Government of Divine apponitment and seeing it adds no intrinsick value to a Church it can merit nothing barely upon that account else other Churches who have had a longer title to a Legal Establishment than ye might expect more honour While you desire to know whether one or more bare inconveniencies which are or may be free from sin can be a sufficient reason to separate from
hath made this true for no occasion hath produc'd more continuing and more sanguinary Schisms than this hath done the Sees of Alexandria of Antioch of Constantinople and above all of Rome do abundantly shew this much and our Ecclesiastical Stories Witness no less of which the greatest part consists in factionating and tumultuating of Great and Potent Bishop c. This Episcopal Ambition shewed it self especially in two Heads one concerning plurality of Bishops in one See another the Superiority of Bishops in divers Sees As to the first he tells us That the general Practice of the Church since the Original of Episcopacy as now it is was never to admit at once more than one Bishop in one See and to prevent Spiritual Polygamy neither would they admit of two Cathedrals but from the beginning it was not so for even at Rome and Hippo there were two Bishops at one time neither doth it savour of Vice or Misdemeanour that it should be so still their Punishment sleeps not who go about unnecessarily and wantonly to infringe it But the other head of Episcopal Ambition concerning Supremacy of Bishops in divers Sees one claiming Superiority over another as it hath been from time to time a great Trespasser against the Churches Peace so it is now the final Ruin of it the East and West through the fury of the two prime Bishops being irremediably separated without all hope of Reconcilement and beside all this mischief is founded on a Vice contrary to all Christian Humility without which no Man shall see his Saviour for they do but abuse themselves and others that would perswade us that Bishops by Christ's Institution have any Superiority over other men further than that of Reverence or that any Bishop is Superior to another further than positive Order agreed upon amongst Christians hath prescrib'd for we have believed him that hath told us that in Jesus Christ there is neither high nâ—r low and that in giving honour every man should be ready to prefer another before himself which sayings cut off all claim most certainly to Superiority by title of Christianity except men can think that these things were only spoken to poor and private men Nature and Religion agree in this that neither of them have a hand in this heraldry of secundum sub supra all this comes from composition and agreement of men among themselves wherefore this abuse of Christianity to make it lacquy to ambition is a vice for which we have no ordinary name and an ordinary one we will not give it lest you should take so transcendent a vice for a trivial Thus the Memorable Mr. Jo. Hales And would to God all would consider his words most seriously by which we may see what are the true causes of Schism and who are the Schismaticks Whence also it will appear that a publick Indulgence to weaker Brethren in matters not necessary and suspected to be unlawful is no cause of Divisions but on the contrary an ambitious claim of Superiority imposing private Opinions and commanding suspected Practices are the true causes of them and ever will be The D's 4th Argument against Publick Indulgence is That they have not only fatally conduced to the perverting a considerable number of Protestants but also effectually hindred the conversion of many Papists who tho sensible of many gross Errors in Principles and ungodly Practices in the Worship enjoyn'd them by Rome yet have been so highly scandalized by the Divisions amongst us that they have rather chosen to continue in them c. A. Had not the D. trusted more to the Rhetorick than Logick of this Argument he had conceal'd it being a Sophism as they call it of non causa pro causa and is no stronger than this the legal establishment of one of the divided parties perverts many and hindreth the conversion of Papists because they are scandalized at our Divisions for a legal toleration of some is not the cause but consequent of our Divisions seeing Divisions must be before the necessity of a Toleration to the Parties divided 2dly If our Divisions scandalize the Papists as I am perswaded they do he may enquire at the Memorable Mr. John Halos who are the Dividers and to whom the Woe is due that belongs to such as cause Offences 3dly Such Papists as are sensible of gross Errors in Principles and ungodly Practices in the Worship enjoyned them and yet continue in them would have had the same object on against Christianity it self had they lived in Corinth in the days of the Apostles for then were Divisions nor do I see what loss the Church sustains by want of such Converts as can live for Union's sake in gross Errors and ungodly Practices whereof they are convinced And why Division should terrify them from Conversion I see not seeing if they will be converted to us they must divide from Rome 4thly But what if the rigid severity of the domineering party of Protestants against all who differ from them be the cause of Offence Sure Intelligent Papists are not ignorant of the Divisions among themselves but neither Party being permitted to bite and devour each other except by Pen and Ink they glory in their Union notwithstanding these Divisions Bishop Hall in his Letter to Mr. Laud afterward Archbishop Laud expostulating with him about his unsettledness in Religion hanging betwixt the Romanists and Protestants upon the account of our Divisions tells him Whither will ye go for Truth if ye will allow no truth but where there is no Division To Rome perhaps famous for Unity famous for Peace See now how happily ye have chosen how well have you sped So their Cardinal Bellarmin himself a Witness above exception under his own hand acknowledgeth to the world and reckons up 237 contraâ—â—â—â—â— of Doctrin amongst the Romish Divines no they are no more peaceable but more subtil they fight more closely within doors all our frays are in the Frield our strite is in Ceremony theirs is in Substance so the Decad 3 Ep. 5. The D's 5th Argument to prove that this legal liberty to Protestant Dissenters will advance the Popish Interest is taken from the different state of Denmark and Swedland from that of the United Provinces in reference to the numbers of Papists in these Countreys For as the strictness of the Laws against those who differ from these Established Churches hath been remarkably effectual for the rooting out of Popery from amongst them so the unlimited Toleration granted in Holland to all sorts of Religions hath multiplied the Papists there c. A. As the strictness of the Laws in Denmark and Sweden are remarkable for rooting out Popery so are they for rooting out all Protestants save Lutherans And if their strictness be their perfection we can tell him of more perfect Laws viz. the Laws of the Holy Inquisition which are as soveraign prophylactick for the Established Churches of Spain and Italy as these of Denmark and Sweden are so that he
may thus recommend Lords Inquisitors to the Parliament to be authorized as Guardian Angels to the Clergy of Ireland 2dly It is not want of strict Laws against Popery that hath preserved them in England but the not imploying the Laws made against them and mis-imploying them against the dissenting Protestants 3dly His comparing the state of the United Provinces with that of Denmark and Sweden to the desired Toleration is unjust seeing we plead for no Toleration to Papists as is granted in Holland That the rectricting the Indulgence to those pleaded for by the V. will not prevent the advancement of the Popish Interest here as he saith seemeth strange for if the Law granting liberty to two or three Parties excluding all others ruined prevent the creeping in of Priests and Jesuits amongst us how can tho Law Establishing the Church prevent the like among them For if the evil be prevented by virtue of the Law it may have the same influence to preserve both yea Experience teacheth us that it 's easier to preserve from being infected by such Vermin the poor and depressed Party than the prosperous and exalted Few play the Hypocrite to be thereby made miserable tho many may and daily do for Profit and Preferment His 6th Argument against this legal Toleration is that in stead of widening the Basis of the Protestant interest as is alledged by the V. this Indulgence would undeniably weaken the foundation of the Protestant Security in this Kingdom because each tolerated Party will rather industriously promote their own distinct Interest than unanimously oppose the common Enemy as Experience hath taught us And to make good his Assertion he instanceth the case of the Famous Mr. Houston in the North of this Kingdom A. If the Defendant would allow the Dissenters to be Protestants to which they pretend as good title as the Established Church seeing they protest against Popery as much as they then the increasing of their numbers would infallibly increase the number of Protestants and so both widen and strengthen the Basis of Protestant Interest But if he will monopolize the name of Protestant to the Establish't Church and by the foundation of its Security understand Penal Laws against the Dissenters tho the Indulgence might ruine that Foundation the Church might stand and be better secured by its Innocency and Affection of its Neighbours than by its own guilt and their enmity but it 's strange he should assert that experience hath sufficiently taught us that each tolerated Party will rather distinctly promote their own Interest than unanimously oppose the common Enemy when the experience of the whole Nation knows the truth of the contrary that we maintained no separated Interest from the common for as our Civil Interests are imbarked in the common so we cannot desert rhe one without destroying the other no more can we maintain our Religious Interest either without opposition to the Popish in Ireland His Instance to prove his Experience is as ridiculous as Mr. Houston himself who as he says scandalously separated from the main body of the Protestants in the North of Ireland and had not extraordinary Providence intervened the Intestine Animosities of these seeming Friends had been of more mischievous consequence than the open hostilities of our professed Enemies And the Divisions which these few pretended Protestants endeavoured to foment were really more formidable than the united Force and Power of a numerous Popish Army and had been more fatal to our common Interest A. All who know the truth of that Instance of Mr. Houston and his rise and retinue in the Diocess of Connor which many thousands were witness to will ridioule him for its motion for that man being Irregular was suspended and depos'd by the Presbyterians and had only a few silly ignorant people to adhere to him and when the whole North arrayed he also ranged his company to oppose the common Enemy so that this discovers the folly and unreasonableness of the D. in making use of it for it seemeth strange that about 200 men his compliment without Arms Ammunition or Order should be more formidable than the united force and power of the numerous well-appointed Popish Army nor did any in the North fear those mischievous consequences he talks of for by a prudent neglect of that man and his silly Followers we have lived to see them vanish into Smoke we know not what that extraordinary Providence was that prevented these fearful misohiefs except it be the Irish prevailing to scatter unprovided men and it would appear that the D. was not very apprehensive of the mischiefs of the open hostilities of our professed Enemies when he is more terrified with the thoughts of Mr. Houston's company who had little formidable in it except the Motto of his Bannar possibly a second 1641 would not have been so mischievous in its consequence in his opinion as the Divisions of these two parties of Dissenters whereby he discovers either little fear of Irish Hostility or too much of the ill consequences of Division among Dissenters The D. suspecting that all he had said might be of little weight with the V. attacks him with the judgment of a Protestant Parliament who in Feb. 25. 1662 in an Address to King Charles the 2d say We have considered the nature of the Indulgence proposed with reference to these consequences which must necessary attend it It will establish Schism by a Law and make the whole Government of the Church precarious and the censures of it of no moment or consideration at all It will be a cause of increasing of Sects and Sectaries whose numbers will weaken the true Protestant Profession so far that it will be at last difficult to defend it self against them and which is yet further considerable these numbers which by being troublesome to the Government find they can arrive to an Indulgence will as their numbers increase be yet more troublesome that at length they may arrive to a general Toleration and in time some prevalent Sect will at last contend for Establishment which for ought can be foreseen may end in Popery A. To this I shall return him the words of a moderate and learned Conformist in his Plea for the Non-Conformists Plea 2. pag. 39. Who saith That the House of Commons A. 1662. did argue against Indulgence and for keeping up the Act of the Uniformity by way of prophecy and fore-sight of consequences and their humble advices to the King contain the strongest reasons against an Indulgence that have been found out contain the great evils of a forbearance all which he reduceth to six Heads but answers to them all thus As Events prove Prophecies true or false so Events have proved these Arguments weak or strong That very Parliament the true Protestant part of it that did faithfully serve their King and Countrey with the additions made to them by a latter Election to fill up vacant places saw where they were and became sensible of the necessity of
they be really such into Parishes A. If the Law doth not make Non-Conforming Ministers Intruders by what Law doth he call them so The Law of the Land he vindicates from this Aspersion and we are sure the Law of God layeth no such crime to our charge For Ministers duly qualified and by the unanimous consent of a Christian People elected and call'd to be their Ministers are not intruders tho' their Election be not ratisy'd by the Civil Sanction else all the Ministers of the Gospel for the first 300 years of Christianity had been Intruders That a Christian People have power to Elect and call their own Ministers is according to the Primitive Patern Cyprian's Rule Lib. 1. Ep. 4. is consonant to Scripture viz. Plebs ipsa potestatem habet vel eligendi dig nos sacerdotes vel indig nos recusandi And even in Rome it self in Pope Leo's time it was a Rule Qui prae futurus est omnibus ab omnibus Elegatur And such we are able to make appear our Election to the Ministry to be 2. Nor hath the Parl. of Scotland made any Act against intruding into Parishes but against intruding into Churches and seizing upon Manses and Glebs which if N. C's here had done it 's possible they had both heard and felt that there are Acts of Parl. against such intruders The fourth instance of Moderation is that the Establish'd Church hath not forbid these Dissenters whom the Calamities of the late times had driven away to return and perform any Ministerial Acts in the places where formerly they held their Conventicles for want of a Legal Call A. Had Dissenters as obstinately refused to swear Allegiance to K. W. and Q. M. as his Episcopal Brethren did in Scotland we shou'd have had as little favour as the Non-jurant Clergy there have had and justly deserv'd it But why the Government of Scotland only shou'd be condemn'd for severity when both in England and Ireland the Non-jurant Bishops and Clergy have met with the same measure and yet he dates not tax the Government here or in England of severity upon that account so that he is either grosly impartial or a Jacobite in heart tho' he appear for King William The Fifth Instance of Moderation is That they have not here authorized or required the Mayors of Corporations and Justices of the Peace to remove all those who have intruded or shall intrude as they have done in Scotland A. If the Civil Magistrate were subject to the Authority of the Church we have cause to be confident of being otherwise dealt with than at present we are God be blessed for it We think he deserves a fee if he 'll make good that Dissenters may without counter acting Acts of Parl. enter and possess Churches and Tythes but then why makes he such a hideous out-cry against the Minister of Letterkenny for his intrusion His Sixth and last Instance of Moderation exceeding that of Scotland is that they have not ordered Writs of Rebellion against Dissenting Ministers in order to the removing them out of Parishes where they live and making them desist from exercising Ministerial Acts. A. For all this boasted of Moderation the time was when there were Writs out against all the Dissenting Ministers to apprehend them whereupon many were apprehended and imprison'd which is well known And we owe but little thanks to Church-men for the mercy we now enjoy But by this he insinuates that the Episcopal Clergy are by Writs and Capias's driven from living in any Parishes in Scotland which is a Calumny and by it we may see how safe his Majesty's Government is like to be under such Directors of Conscience who labour to possess his Subjects against him and his Government as cruel and severe notwithstanding all the Clemency he has us'd to such as are declar'd Enemies to his Authority The D. having triumph'd in the victory of the Establish't Church of Ireland over that of Scotland in point of Moderation seems to be mov'd with a Prophetick Spirit to â—oreteâ—l that in case such Revolution of Church Affairs should happen in this Kingdom as hath lately been in Scotland the V. and his Adherents would imitate the Presbyterians in Scotland and make the Episcopal Clergy desist from exercising any Ministerial Acts and Issue out Writs of Rebellion against them A. Either he fears what he supposeth will come to pass or not If he doth really fear such Revolution then we think 't were his wisdom to be preparing an Ark for saving himself and houshold tho it be no policy to declare his fears seeing thereby he incourageth Dissenters and weakens the hands of his Friends by representing us as a formidable party But if he believes no probability of what he supposeth he needs not trouble us or his party with such Prophecies for if he were not conscious to himself that he had deserved ill of Dissenters he would not fear ill from them To make his Prophecy probable he tells us that the Professors in Colleges of Scotland felt the rigor of the Presbyterian Visitation which he calls by the odious name of Inquisition practised upon the Professor of the College of Edinburgh in Aug. and Sept. 1690. according to an Act passed the 4th of July 1690. By which it is ordered that no Minister or Professor in any College or School shall be allowed to continue in the Exercise of his Function but such as shall subscribe to the Confession of Faith ratify'd by this present Parliament and submit to the Government of the Church now Establisht by Law A. To stigmatize the Visitors of the University's acting by his Majesty's Commission and Parliamentary Authority with the odious name of Inquisitors and the Visitation with the name of Inquisition doth palpably insinuate that tho the Heroick Ancestors of our King did drive the Inquisition out of the Netherlands yet he and his Queen have brought it into Scotland And tho he will swear he intended no such â—â—flection on his Majesty yet it 's too apparent he would make him and these acting by Authority under him successors to St. Dominick 2. He falsely attributes to the Church the Act of the State 3. When he wou'd prove a removal of Persons Episcopal from Civil Employments he instances in Professors of Divinity which are not esteem'd Civil Employments in Scotland 4. The ground of their removal was their refusing to swear Allegiance to K. W. and Q M. and the reason they gave for their refusal was that they were not crown'd K. and Q. of Scotland tho' they made no such scruple of swearing to K. James whether or no by justifying them in this he partake with them in their evil deeds let all Men judge 5. It 's highly hypocritical to rail at that as Sin in others which we applaud in ourselves as a Vertue for what more criminal is it in the Church of Scotland to oblige its Professors of Divinity to subscribe its legally Establish'd Doctrin and to submit to its