their Perâ—ons particularly one whose Compliance has occasioned me many a sâ—d Thought But I must tell you their so shameful receding from their former Principles and pulling down with the one hand what but lately they had so zealously built with the other is such a Scandal o their Prosession a piece of Disingenuâ—ty so ill-becoming their Character that there are scarce any will take upon them to excuse much less to justify it Nay they themselves are so very sensible of it that for want of a better Evasion they were forced to own that they were formerly in an Errour For thus their Apology runs Those Doctrines we formerly taught such as that of Passive Obedience to the Supream Governour that he derives his authority immediatly from God and is accountable to none but him for the Exercise of it That it is not Lawful on any Pretence for Subjects to take up Arms against him or which is all one to join with those that come purposely to invade his Right These Doctrines however zealously we preached them up formerly as very Orthodox and very necessary Points of Religion are yet nothing else out meer Heman Fictions contrived of purpose to flatter the Ambition of Princes and cheat the People of their Liberty 'T is true the 〈◊〉 especially they that had imbibed the Oliverian Principles told us so then but we either did not or would not believe them nay more than that inveighed ogainst their Opinions and pretended to demonstrate that they were not only Antimonarchical but likewise Antichristian and on that very Account did think it very improper to allow them any Toleration But now the Case is altered However we might indeavour to represent them then we are now very well assured that they were in the Right Is not this a very pretty Apology Do not your Clergy come off very gracefully in this matter Pray what do you think of iâ— A. Truly I cannot deny but that there is something of Truth in the Charge you bring against them though at the same time I think you have been a little too severe in the drawing of it up However this much I would have you to consider That the Clergy of our Church are but Men and the best of Men may sometimes be in a Mistake Besides 〈◊〉 your self know that the Church of England even in its greatest Grandeur never pretended to be infalliâ—lâ— Wherein then lies this great Reproach of the Clergy B. That the Church of England at least since the Reformation has not laid Claim to an Infallibility is so far from being any Reproach to her that it very much commends her Modesty But withal I would have you to consider that there is a very great Difference between a Church's not claiming Infallibility and a Church's owning her self to have actually sailed especially in proposing the Doctrines of Religion For though there is really no Reproach in the former yet there is a very great one in the latter and a very great inconveniency too For though a Church is not really Infallible yet as long as she insists upon her not having actually erred or that no such thing can be made appear I may very confidently rely upon her Guideship in such a Case I am really as safe and may be as confident as if she pretended to an absolute Infallibility perhaps more because an Infallibility requires a blind Obedience to what it pâ—opâ—seth without ever examining what it is which the other does not But when a Church ownâ— that she has already erred and that in very material Points too with what tolerable Confidence can a man rely upon her and how doubtful must that Assent be which he gives to what she proposeth For if she has failed in one Thing 't is natural enough to conclude that she will do so in another and then what tolerable Security can we have that she is in the Right in any thing Even when she proves what she says by Scripture I cannot but suspect her Sincerity because she pretended to demonstrate by express Texts of Scripture those very Doctrines she now disowns A These may have been the Failings of some particular Persons but you very well know that to charge a whole Church with the failings of some though even of her most considerable Members i very disingenuous B I grant it is to but deny that I have been guilty of it No the Innovations and Contradictions I have mentioned are chargeable upon your whole Church As for Instance It was so merâ— the pro essed Doctrine of the Church of England That it is not Lawful on any pretence whatever for Subjects to take up 〈◊〉 against their King which evidently implies that neither should they themselves deprive him of his Right nor be assistant to those that would do it but on the contrary that they should stand by him and support him in it That this was formerly the Doctrine of the Church of England does evidently appear from this that no Person was to be admitted into the Ministry in any Degree whatever without Subscribing to it And it does no less evidently appear on the other hand that the present Clergy are of a quite contrary Opinion inasmuch as they have actually sided join'd hands and taken part with those that have invaded his Right and violently detain it from him and that at such a Time and in such a Manner that without such a base Compliance it can hardly be imagined how Things could have been brought to that now they are at This I say vour Church has done and in so doing has justified and incorporated into her new Religion a Doctrine which by the former Church of England was not barely disowned but detested with the greatest degree of Abhorrence In a Word your Clergy are so Latitudinarian both in their Principles and Practices nay even in their very Oaths that it is impossible to know either when or where to fix them for they have so cunningly ordered Things that on the same Grounds on which they now swear and preach and pray against King James on the very same Grounds if ever he should return and prevail they would as heartily swear and preach and pray against K. W. so that they are always sure to be of the strongest Side and yet always in the Right These are the mighty Champions you boast of that they are all of your Side I grant they are so or at least pretend to be But indeed how can it be otherwise For you very well know that no sooner does one declare the contrary by refusing to swear and comply than immediatly he is turned out of aâ—l and another put in his Place Whereas if they were allowed the Liberty to speak their Minds freely and yet be secure of their Livings you would quickly find that they are not so entirely yours as you may imagine A. The Truth is If they be such as you have endeavoured to represent them 't is no matter whose they are But of that
have for our Religion here than formerly You say the Constitution of these two Churches are so different that what is expedient for the Preservation of Religion in one would not at all be proper in the other and from thence would conclude that though the Episcopal Clergy have been turned out there yet they are in no Danger here I do not much care if I grant you all that for it will neither be a Prejudice to my Cause nor an Advantage to yours That there is a great Difference between the Constitutions of these two Churches now whatever there was formerly is most certain yet that does not hinder but that there may again be an Assâ—milation made between them whether by bringing theirs up to our Model or ours down to theirs I shall not dispute I shall like wise allow it to be probable enough that our Episcopal Clergy here are in no danger of being turned out but withal I can tell you that they do not owe their Security either to the nature of their Constitution or to any Love your King has for them but only to the mighty Zeal they shew to his Service their ready Complyance with whatever he commands the â—ulâ—om Flattery they use in their very Sermons and the many little Arts and servile Ways by which they court â—â—s Favour wherein they have out-â—ivaâ—d the very Phanaticks themselves By these Meaâ—s they stand firm enough and yet I cannot forbear telling you that our Religion is never the better secured for that neither For it is plain enough that these Men mind themseâ—ves so much more than it that I can see â—o Necessity but that the one may stand while the other falls But now we are talking oâ— the great Obligation the present Goverâ—ment has laid upon us by securing our Religion Pray be so kind as to let me know what Religion you mean I hope you mean that which was established by Law namely the Church of England at least you ought to mean so for that was it that was thought to 〈◊〉 in greatest danger in King James's time As for the Preâ—byterians or any other Sect 〈…〉 of Protestants you very well know that King James was very kind to then gave them â—o much Encouragement and so far stretelâ—d his Prerogative to ease them from the Penal Laws that it was one oâ— the châ—eâ— Objections against him It he was unkind to any it was only to those of the Church of England and therefore since you magnify the Security our Religion is in now in Opposition to the former Reign in all probability you must mean that of the Church of England A. I do so and am very confident you will not deny but that it is in a much more safe and flourishing Condition under the present Government than it was under the former B. I am afraid it is not but that rather it loseth ground every day 'T is true King James suspended one of her Bishops and imprisoned Seaven more whether legally or not I shall not now dispute however they still enjoyed their Revenues whereas your King has turn'd the like number out of Hâ—use and Home It is likewise true that King James by suspending the Penal Laws turn'd loose against her the whole Herd of Dissenrers who like the Canaanites to the Children of Israel were as Thorns in her Sides and ha not your King done the same He nor only continued the same Toleration which K. James which was so much cryed out against for granting but has since enacted it by a Law so that now the Sectaries are in the same Condition or stand upon the same Foundation with the Church of England In a word the three grand Enemies of our Church are Popery Phanaticism and Atheism If the Government has taken any effectual Course to preserve her from these three I grant she is very much beholding to it But whoever enquires into it will find the Case very much otherwise For the Heat of their Zeal to secure her from the first has so far transported them that they have lest her quite open to the other two to prey upon her at their Pleasure As for the Phanaticks I have for many Years look'd upon them as more dangerous Enemies to the Church of England than the Papists themselves are equally irreconcilable but much more restless and spightful And if somtimes she has scarce found her self safe from their Insults or secure from their Incursions notwithstanding their being fenced off by Penal Laws she must be in much greater danger of being over-run by them now that Hedge is broken down And as for Atheism what a Door has been opened to that by the late Revolution and what Numbers have thronged in at it does but too evidently appear which however reproachful to Religion or however grievous to all good Men yet is not much to be wondered at For alas when Men that are otherwise not wery well grounded in Religion see it abused to such ill Purposes even to cloak the greatest Crimes When they see Children usurp their Father's Crown and force him for the Safety of his Life to seek shelter among Strangers When instead of opposing it they see the whole Clergy of a National Church christen such an unnatural Villainy pray for the Success and Continuance of it father it upon Divine Providence and crave God Almightty's Protection to it and all those turned out to starve or beg their Bread that refuse to join with them in it I say when Men that are otherwise not very well grounded in Religion see it prostituted and abused to such vile Purposes by those who pretend to be the most zealous Professours of it how can it otherwise be expected but that they will conclude that all Religion is a Trick Thus have you laid such a Sâ—umbling-Block in the Way as has undoubtedly occasioned the Fall of some Thousands who might otherwise have proved good Christians and so far hardened them against oil belief of Religion that it is impossible to persuade them that you your selves believe it And though I grant that will not be sufficient to excuse them yet I must tell you it will fall heavy upon those that were the Occasion of it But besides the Door that has been opened by the late Revolution for Phanaticism and Atheism to break in upon the Church it doth plainly enough appear that the present Government has done what lies in it's Power quite to unchurch her for by the late Act of Parlâ—ament in turning our several of her organical Members by a meer Lay-deprivation and the present Clergy's submitting to it and owning the Validity of it by acknowledging those Anâ—â—-Bishops that were substituted in their Room the very Foundation of the Church is altered from the old English Constitution to a new-model'd Erastian Dutch Bottom That is to say absoluteat the Mercy of the State and wholly depâ—â—ding upon it not only 〈◊〉 respect of her temporal buâ— likewise of her spiritual Power 〈◊〉 By which
suffer or be left to shift for it self than owe its Security â—o any unlawful Means such as are inconsistent with its Principles or may any way bring a Reproach upon it That there may be unlawful Means used for the Preservation of Religion and many times are used is most certain unless you will say that the Sacredness of Religion consists in justifying every thing that is done for its Sake than which nothing can be more absurd And it is no less certain on the other hand that the Means you have used for that 〈◊〉 are such for if the dethroning of Kings and defrauding Men of their Right be not unlawful I know nothing can deserve that Name These Things you have done for the Sake of Religion and by that Means have brought such a Stain and Reproach upon it that can never be wip'd off Certainly it had been a great deal better to have entrusted God Almighty with the Preservation of it whose peculiar Care it is and to have chose rather to have suffered with it if so the Will of God had been for that in all Ages has prov'd the surest way both to preserve and propagate Religion and would at least have kept it pure and undefiled till better Times Whereas you by taking the Work out of God Almighty's Hands and rescuing Religion out of pretended Dangers by such means as are utterly inconsistent with its Principles have most basely sullyed and depraved it You may see in 2 Sam. 6.6 and 7. what befel Uzzah for his indiscreet touching of the Ark though it was to save it from tottering and have reason to be afraid of the same Fate since by your indiscreeâ— Zeal in offering to rescue Religion by unjustifyable Means instead of preserving you have most horribly prolan'd it But that is not all for besides that you have done a very ill Thing for the Sake of Religion I do not see how you have preserv'd it at all or that it is in any better Security now than formerly but rather in much more danger Pray How do you like the Reformation of Religion in Scotland Has not the present Government turn'd out the whole Order of Episcopacy there and all the Regular Clergy though many of them were willing to comply with it and had actually submitted to it Had King James attempted such a Thing it might in some measure have excused his Subjects revolting from him but you know he never did No all that can be objected against him concerning his invading of our Religion and Properties comes very short of that And yet he must be called the Destroyer of our Religion and the other the Restorer and Preserver of it Good God! How partial and disingenuous are Men when once engaged in the Defence of a bad Cause But in good earnest is it now come to that that the abolishing of Episcopacy is become a necessary Means for the Preservation of Religion If so it is time for our Bishops to look to themselves for I suppose it is no unreasonable Conjecture to affirm that what is thought a necessary Expedient for the Preservation of Religion in one pace may in time be judged to be proper in another A. What was done in Scotland in abolishing Episcopacy and setting up Presbytery was not by an Arbitrary Power assumed by the King himself but by Act of Parliament and at the Request of the generality of the Nation and therefore if there was any thing amiss in it it is not to be imputed to him Besides the Church of Scoland and that of England are so different in their Constitution that what is a proper Expedient for the Preservation of Religion in the one may bâ— very improper in the other B. That what was done in Scotland was by Act of Parliament I grant but that it was at the Request of the generality of the Nation I deny for I am very well assured that the greater and better part of the Nation are utterly against it That the Presbyterian Govern and Clergy are mâ—erly obtruded upon them against their Consent But what though it was done by Act of Parliament is it ever the more justifyable for that Is it not the â—ame thing to be under an Arbitrary Parliament as under an Arbitrary King Or has the one any better Right to domineer over Mens Consciences or to invade their Religion and Properties than the other has But I suppose you menâ—ion that only to take off the Oâ—â—um of it from the King and to make a Difference between what he has done and what King James attempted to do But I must tell you it will not serve your Turn not only because your King having a Negative Voice there as well as here might have refused to have passed that Bill nay by his own Declaration was obliged to refuse it but also because it is very well known what crafty Ways and indirect Means were used to pack a Parliament for that very Purpose whiâ—h is the same Grievance we complained of under King James only with this Difference that the one has actually done what the other did but in vain attempt to do for you cannot choose but remember that the chief Thing objected against him was not so much his endeavouring to wâ—â—ken and undermine the established Religion by giving a free Toleration to all Sorts of Dissenters for that was look'd on as a thing that would be of no long Continuance as being grounded only on the falle Bottom of his dispensing Power The great Grievance was that he used indirect Means to get such a Parliament as would make it a Law which whether true or falle of him is true enough of your King in this matter of abolishing Episcopacy and turning out the whole Clergy oâ— Scotland or then Free-hold to beg their Bread For the Estates were convâ—nâ—d there meerly by virtue of Circulatory Letters from the P or O. wâ—enas yet he had no manner of Authority there by reason whereof several Counties sent no Commissioners at all not would be present at the choosing of any Only some few disâ—affected 〈…〉 the Opportunity and choâ—â—â— one another by which means they made 〈◊〉 a Thing which they called a Convention oâ— Estates which Convention aâ—ter they had him turn'd him into a King was afterwards by him turned into a Parlâ—ament and that was it that turn'd out the Bishops and planice a Parcel of old musty Presbytâ—â—ats in them â—â—om who however 〈◊〉 they may be to cant in a Convenâ—ciâ— are so far 〈◊〉 being fit â—o govern a Church that I am confident there is no 〈◊〉 man would â—o much as entrust them with teaching his Childred their Catechisms But my 〈◊〉 is no with then but with the King and Parliament that empowered them and 〈◊〉 there was such a notorious juggle oâ— such indirect Means used to pack a Paâ—liament I may very safely leave to the Judgment of any reasonable Man From Scotland let us return to England and consider what better Security we
〈…〉 England is so fat 〈◊〉 being in any better Circumstances or more Security now than formerly that she is reduced to a worse stare there being at present no National Church in the World in a more preâ—ations Condition But letting that pass I do not see any effectual Course has been taken for the keeping out of Popery nâ—ither though that is the only Thing you have to boast of for it is the Opinion of a great many that more have been proselyted to that Religion since the late Revolution than during the Reign of King James and that upon better and more solid Grounds it being probable enough that they who left us then did it for their Interest whereas they that leave us now 〈◊〉 scarce be supposed to do it upon any other Principle than that of Conscience being loth to venture themselves any longer in a Church which they believe has so grosly prevaricated and so shamefully receded from her former Principles But the plain Truth of the matter is that both you and they are in a Mistake for that Church which this Government has establish'd consisting of the complying Clergy and those that join in Communion with them is not the Church of England I mean it is not the same with that which was formerly so called but a new Establishment diffâ—renâ— from it The true Church of England consists only of those that constantly adhere to her avowed Principles of Loyalty and Non-Resistance that is to say those Reverend Fathers the Bishops and others of the Clergy who out of Conscience of their Duty to their true and lawful King most injuriously dispossessed of his Right refuse to swear Allegiance to any other in Opposition to him These together with those that join in Communion with them are all the poor Remains that are left of the once so famous Church of England and how the present Government has treated and dâ—ily does treat these I need not tell you for you your sâ—lf cannot choose but know that they are persecuted with more Severity than the Roman-Catholciks themselves Having thus far considered the Advantages you boast of by first setting up and still continuing the present Government and found that there is indeed nothing in them but Noise and Froth it only now remains that we briefly examine the vast Mischiefs and Inconveniencies which as you give out must needs attend the restoring of K. James wherein I doubt not but we shall meet with no less Dâ—singenuity than in the former The Mâ—â—chiefs pretended are no less than Popery and Slavery as if the Restoring of K. James were utterly inconsistent both with our Religions and our Liberties These Mischiefs you aggaravate with so much Art declaim against with so much Heat and Zeal and skrew Mens Fears and Jealousies of them to such a Height that rather than fail of frighâ—ning them out of their Duty by such Means you endanger the frightning of them out of their Wits I can assure you I am as little in Love with either of these Things as you your self are and should be as much grieved to see the Nation reduced to a Necessity of submitting to them but that the Restoration of K. James will reduce us to such a Necessry I neither can be persuaded my self nor can I believe that any man else is whatever he may pretend unless he is strangely byassed Indeed if he should return as an absolute Conqueror purely by the Power of the French King even in spight of all the Opposition of his own Subjects I cannot deny but that our Apprehensions of these Things might be somewhat reasonable In such a case no Man can tell how far our Rebellion so unreasonably begun and so obstinately persisted in might exasperate and transport him beyond the natural Meekness of his Temper Though even in that case I am apt enough to believe that his Resentments would be nothing such as we have deserved But the Truth is there is so little Probability of any such Thing that we have not the least Fear or Apprehension of it being very well assured that neither he himself nor any of his Subjects however they may be slandered do so much as desire his being restored by any such Means except we our selves do force him to it by precluding all other Ways For it cannot in any reason be imagin'd but that he had rather come in by the Invitation and Assistance of his own Subjects than by any Foreign Power the one being no more than what we are bounâ— to do but the other so great a Favour that there can scarce be a Recompence made for it And being it is very uneasy to one of a generous Mind to owe that to the Curtesy of another which he may otherwise challenge as his Right especially if he be in no Capacity of making any suitable Return we may very safely confide in this that he will never choose to owe his restoration to a Foreign Powerâ— unless by our Obstinacy we force him to it And indeed then we must even take what comes of it and thank our selves for it â—or in such Case however severely we might be chastised as â—none could blame him so none would pity us A. I perceive then you are for his coming in by the Invitation and Assistance of his own Subjects which though I grant it has not so much Terrour in its Looks as the former would yet prove of a more mischievous Consequence than you are aware of for it cannot be imagined but that though some oâ— his Suâ—jects would be for it yet others would be against it so that the best that could be expected would e a Civil War than which nothing can be more destructive And beside iâ— aster such an Opposition he should prevail what tolerable Security can we have that he will not exercise his Authority more arbitrarily and tyrannically then than ever B. Two Things are here objected against King James's coming in by the Invâ—â—ation and Assistance of his own Subjects First That it would-occasion a Civil War But pray what Necessity is there of that If upon his Landing all his Subjects should declare for him or so much as the better fort and gâ—eater part of thâ—mâ— which is the Thing I propose there would be no Civil War in the case for whatever Opposition K W. and his Foreigners might make could not properly fall under that Denomination I grant it any considerable number of his own native Subject should take up Arms against him and oppose him it were a Civil War indeed but there is nothing more certain than that in such a case they and not he are the Cause of it What ever Mischief or Inconveniency there may be in that they themselves are the sole Authors of it and by Consequence the only Persons that are accountable for it Supposing such a Civil War were already begun I hope you will grant me that the best way to put an end to it were by one of the two opposite