entire confidence in his Majesty and the present Government then we do on whole Justice and Goodness we can chearfully rely tho some Mens Ill-will shou'd obstruct this Effect of it Answer For we consider our mutual Agreement in the same Articles of Faith and are glad to find this Author is pleased to declare That the suppressing of Protestant Dissenters by the strict Execution of Penal Laws is a practice that has a just Odium left upon it But are sorry that the just Odium left upon iâ— among us shou'd be wholly confin'd to us and that this practice shou'd have no Censure nor Reflection cast upon it among our Neighbours And 't is strange the Author shou'd say that there is so apparent Contrariety in it to the Mild and Merciful Genius of our Holy Religion seeing he cannot but know the time when 't was an avowed doctrine and a general practice among the Presbyterians and Independents to barr the members of the Church of England from the free exercise of divine Worship according to their Consciences And 't is strange that this practice shou'd be so apparently contrary to our holy Religion and have so mischievous Effects upon the publick peace here in this Kingdom and yet he thought so great an Evidene of But what does the Answerer mean by those Misdemeanors which be would have it in their Power to repress If he mean Matters of meer Non-conformity which he wou'd have still a Power left to repress then we have but too just occasion to suspect the Designs of those that wou'd obstruct the Indulgence If he mean any other Misdemeanors a Legal Indulgence will not disable the Civil Magistrate from Repressing 'em much less from securing the Establisht Religion from any Danger that a Toleration of Protestants can expose it to Answerer Lastly As to what he saith concerning His Majesties Declaration I desire this Author to consider more seriously whether there be not some others in the Three Kingdoms besides the Protestant Dâ—stenters of Ireland to whom one great End of His Majesties Declaration is yet unaccomplisht and whether there be a Law made to cover the Protestant Episcopal Clergy in Scotland from Persecution on the account of Religion Reply I doubt not the Answerer is by this time satisfied to how little purpose this Question is askt and what Repâ—y may be given to it For no Protestants are Persecuted in Scotland on the Account of Religion either by the Civil or Ecclesiasticals â—overnment Nay the Meetings of the Episcopal Clergy have long been undisturb'd tho they refused 〈◊〉 own he King's Authority But sure our Answerer cannot expect there should be 〈◊〉 Low to Tolerate those that will not own the Civil Authority by which they are Tolerated And were the Dissenter here so disaffected to the Government they cou'd have 〈◊〉 presence to desire a Legal Toleration The Second â—â—â—â—g desir'd by Protestant Dissenters is That there be no such Clause◠〈◊〉 next to this Bill as wou'd disable 'em from serving their King and their Country As to this The Answerer saith That in plain Terms 't is no more than this That where Eâ—â—e to Tender Consciences is the only thing they formerly desired They now claim it as their due to be adâ—â—â—ed also into all honourable and profitable Employments and without these whatever Ease be given to their Consciences 'T is to be 〈◊〉 they will have no quiet in their minds Reply The Protestant Pâ—stâ—â—â—rs of Ireland do not as the Answerer seems to insiâ—nate here seek any 〈◊〉 Priviledg or Favour but only are unwilling to have a New Yoke put upon 'em They claim nothing as their due in Reference to the Civil Government but to be Treated at Dutiful Subject without having any Mark of publick Infamy and distrust put upon 'em by a New Law And if any shou'd attempt to do so they may well forgive the Protestant Dissenters That tho' they have ease to their conscience yet they shou'd have no great quiet in their 〈◊〉 for they have their Lives and Fortunes to Secure of which 't is no wonder if they shou'd be fearful when they see some â—â—en so unwilling to consult our common Saâ—eâ—y in a Kingdom liable to so frequent Returns of fatal Irish Rebellions The Author of the Case propos'd several Arguments to shew the â—expediency of any such Test as shall disable Protestant Dissenters from serving their King and their Country As First The Sacrament Test in England was chiefly design'd against the Pâ—pists To which the Answerer Replies That the Dissenters aâ—e included in the Body of the Act. Reply None doubts but that Act enjoyns the Sacramental Test But â—â—e Preface as well as Title of the Act shews That the End propos'd was the preventing Dangers from Popish Recusants which End wou'd be sufficiently attain'd by the Declaratory Test against Popery in that Act tho' the Sacrament Test were left out But the Answerer adds If the Zeal of the English Dissenters against Popery in the late times has not exempted 'em from a Sacramental Test our Dissenting Brethren in this Kingdom cannot with modesty expect that their late Services should entitle 'em to any such Immunities Reply Even the Zeal of English Dissenters did in His Majesties Judgment deserve such a Favour as the Removal of that Test there which he mov'd his first Parliament to in his Speech to 'em But the Protestant Dissenters of Ireland who were noâ— hamper'd with this Clog as those of England were had the opportunity of shewing their Zeal more Remarkably And 't were hard to put that very Clog on 'em now to our freedom from which we must in part ascribe it that this whole Kingdom was not then entirely lost Secondly The Author of the Case Argues That such a Test for disabling Protestant Dissenters for any Publick Services is against the common Protestant Interest of Ireland This Argument the Author more largely insisted on than the Answerer seems willing either to Repeat or Consider However Let us hear what he Objects Answerer Our Circumstances indeed vastly differ as he says from those of England For here the Establisht Church is more in danger then there by Protestant Dissenters as well as by the common Enemy In England one unmixt People doe compose the Body of the Nation c. Here we are made up of several Nations and there is a daily Accession of great Numbers from a Neighbouring Kingdom of whom the meaner sort are generally of a different Communion tho the Gentry and Nobility c. are generally Conformists Reply The Author of the Case Argues from the common Protestant Interest of Ireland That since the Papists in this Kingdom are Ten or perhaps twenty to one Protestant 't is therefore necessary to give the Protestant Interest the widest Basis here by excluding no Protestants from Publick Service That is if a thousand Men have ten or twenty thousand Enemies to secure themselves against 'T is against their Interest to divide their Strength
worse Circumstances then they are now in when the Dissenters desire no more then that things may continue in the same peaceable and amicable posture they are in or what is the same that a Legal Tolleration may secure to 'em what they now enjoy through the favour of the Government And I wou'd fain know what Rights of the Church have been hazarded since this Revolution unless the Answerer supposes it the peculiar Right of Conforming Protestants that none shou'd serve the Government but themselves But why may not the Government employ a few Protestant Dissenters in a few inferior Offices as they now do without admitting them into so many and so Important ones as should give 'em any power or opportunity to alter the present Church-Government These things are easily consistent And the answerer knows well enough There is no ground to fear lest the Government here shou'd so fart Deviate from the measures of England as to be guilty of so great a mistake as to put the Dissenters into any Capacity of overturning the Establisht Church Much less need the Answerer fear that the Conformist Officers at Derry Iniskillen Crum c. should apprehend themselves wrong'd that those who were embark't with 'em in the same Cause should have some small share with 'em in the Rewards of their Courage None that are generous enough to value true merit wou'd envy the just recompence of it And I perceive the Answerer himself has so much of that good quality as not to think it altogether inconvenient that such Persons shou'd be excepted from the proposed Test But I am sorry that he should think it Convenient to disable all Dissenting Protestants for the future from Imitating the Commendable Zeal and Courage of their Bretheren as if he either envy'd the Reputation they have acquir'd or Imagin'd there would never be any more occasion for their assistance 〈◊〉 preserve their Country For the Argument drawn from the unfitness of the Sacrament Test I need only suggest the following particulars to invalidate the Answerer's Replys 1. The Government may have occasion to employ many in publick Offices especially military oneâ— and apparently does employ many that shou'd be rather according to the Rubrick debarr'd from the Sacrament then thus driven to it 2. If those be the fittest to be employed by the State that give the greatest Evidences of their Piety to Almighty God Then I suppose the Answerer will allow us to estimate the Piety of the Establisht Church by that of those who enjoy Civil and Military preferments in it And then I hope also that such shou'd not be excluded from this Priviledg who give equal Evidences of their Piety with any of their Fellow subjects 3. To make the different Mode of Receiving the Sacrament such a Test is to make it the Engine of a State-party and consequently a means to divide the affections of those whom the Sacrament it self shou'd unite in mutual Love 4. It will no way justifie the reasonableness of making the different Mode of Receiving the Test of all Offices in the State because the Interest of Religion is little concern'd in it and 't is but comparatively a trivial thing For the more trivial it is The less weight shou'd any wiâ—e Government lay upon it and the more willing shou'd they be to leave Men to their Liberty about it But says the Answerer Why shou'd any separate for so trivial a matter and why shou'd the State employ those that refuse to give so trivial and inconsiderable a mark of their complyance with it's Orders Repl. The Answerer sure cannot be ignorant that when these different Modes of Worship are call'd trivial 't is in respect of their Intrinsique Importance not in respect of the Consciences of those that scruple ' em Now that may be in it self an inconsiderable thing which yet the Conscience of a wiâ—â— Man may for fear of sinning not dare to comply wiâ—h For instance The Eating or not Eating of Blood is comparatively a small and trivial matter And yet many Men no way inferior to the Answerer in either Learning or Wisdom have thought the Eating of blood unlawful among Christians themselves Now let us suppose the number of such were as considerable in the Kingdom as that of Protestant Dissenters is Wou'd it be any way becoming the prudence of the Government to make this trivial difference the Test of a State-partyâ— Wou'd it be a fit Law for the wisdom of a Nation to enact That none shou'd be admitted to serve their King and their Countrey that scruples the Eating of a black Pudding And yet the Interest of the State wou'd be as much concern'd in the decision of this Question as that of the Church and of real Religion in the other There are indeed some whose judgment has that latitude that they cou'd Receive the Sacrament either Kneeling Sitting or Standing But there are many no way inferior for Wisdom or Integrity whatever the Answerer insinuates to the contrary who think themselves oblig'd to Receive in the posture most suitable to a Religious Feast and really scruple Kneeling in the Act of Receiving tho they either kneel or stand at the solemn worship offer'd before and after I shall not here either espouse their Opinion or examine the grounds of it but only infer how unreasonable a stress those lay on a dubious Rite that is comparatively of so small moment who wou'd render all those unserviceable to their Country and thereby debar 'em from the common Rights of all Dutiful and Well-affected Subjects who cannot comply with it Whereas often the best of Men are pronest to scruple what the worst can without any difficulty swallow Lastly The Author argues That the Establish't Church will be no way endanger'd by the Indulgence To which the Answerer replys That tho the Horors Revenues of the Clergy are secur'd to 'em yet none can foresee the difficulties the Conforming Clergy may possibly contest with in asserting the Rites of the Church if Non Conformist's were qualâ—fied for Civil offices Reply the Non Conformist's have been both before and ever since the Revolution qualified for 'em and yet the Clergy have met with no opposition in asserting the Rites of the Church and I agree with the Answerer that no wise man can foresee any difficulties they are in danger of meeting with for the future But the Answerer adds besides we are far less concern'd for the security of our Temporal Interest then for the Establishment of our ancient holy and peaceable Religion Reply If the Establishment of their ancient holy and peaceable Religion be the great matter the Answerer is concern'd for Those who desire the Toleration will openly declare their embracing the same Religion and Faith with ' em And for the other matters in difference we must beg the Answerers pardon if we think that 't is chiefly Temporal Interest has hitherto rendred some men so deaf to all Proposals for an accommodation of ' em I
by disabling three hundred of 'em from being employ'd in any publick Post for their common Defence But the Answerer instead of making any Reply to this only tels us what he thinks to be most Conducive to the seperate Interests of one party of Protestants As if the seperate Interest of that party were the Interest of the whole Body of Protestants or at least were of farr greater Value and Consideration then their common Interest But why may not those of the Establisht Church secure their common Interest as protestants without any Danger to their seperate Interests as a distinct party While all protestants that deserve well of the Government meet with Encouragement and Favour Their united strength will be their Impregnable security And yet since all Employments are in the disposal of the Government And since the Establisht Church has so absolutely the Ascendant in England there is no ground to fear the Government here will be so Lavish and Imprudent in bestowing their favours as to encourage the Protestant Dissenters to any degree that can render them dangerous to the Establisht Church or put it into their Power to Act any thing to her prejudice And yet 't is most reasonable the Government should encourage 'em so farr as is truly conducive to our common Security So that there can be no difficulty in according the Common Protestant Interest with the particular Interests of the Establisht Church Nay those can be no other way so Effectualy secured unless they think their own Strength alone a sufficient ballance to that of the Irish Papists But I am sorry to find that the Answerer should reckon the Establisht Church to be in so great danger of those that have so lately helpt to restore her to her present safety and grâ—uâ—ure Why should he so soon mistake those as pernicious Enemys who in the late troubles were â—ound to be so hearty Friends I hope these are only his own narrow Sentiments concerning the protestant â—â—sâ—enters and that all moderate Conformists entertain a more just and Charitable Opinion of 'em having never in this Kingdom had the least ground for such peevish Surmises as those of the Answerer Answerer T is possible indeed as he observes That the Irish may be more numerous if there shou'd be a general peace and I may add The Papists will probably grow much more numerous If there shou'd be a general Indulgence and therefore notwithstanding our Authors Opinion we cannot think fit to give the Protestant Interest a wider Basis here then it has in Holland c. where all protestants are not equally capable of Employments without Religious Tests Reply The Answerer has been oft told 'T is no General Indulgence the Author of the Cast pleads for and therefore he reasons here to no purpose unless he imagine That the Papists will grow more numerous by a Tolleration to those Protestants whose Faith is the same with that of the Establisht Church And does he think That we can easily digest such a Paradox as this upon his bare Assertion And for the Case of Holland which the Answerer wou'd here parallel with our own and where he tels us There are Religious Tests 'T is easily replyed there is a plain disparity For besides that their Tests run upon Doctrinal differences 'T is evident that those who adhers to the Protestant Religion as there Establisht are a large Body to which those that are excluded from publâ—qâ—â— service bear no proportions And conseqently There is no great Danger to the State from such a Test Whereas here the Papists are a hundred to Ten in respect of the whole body of Protestants so that to disable all dissenting ones were to cut off from the common Protestant Interest about a 3d part of its strength when the whole is rather too little And the Answerer hâ—s as yet given as no other reason for doing so but his own groundless Fears of a Danger which as I have shewed him If it more real as it is not may be easily obviated by the Government The Author having put the Case of another Irish Rebellion The Answerer tells us There is reason to believe the Consideration of the Common Safety and the gratitude of Dissenters for their Indulgence wou'd engage 'em to shew an equal Zeal as they did before tho' they shou'd not be wholy on equal Terms with those of the Establisht Church since they cou'd not reasonably hope for so kind a Treatment from the Papists as from them Reply The Protestant Dissenters are not so vain as ever to expect in this Kingdom to be wholly on equal Terms with those of the Establisht Church But can he expect That any Gentlemen among 'em in such a Case as is here propos'd wou'd raise Forces for others to Command 'em or their Tenants chearfully Rise with those on whom they have no Dependence and in whom they can as little Trust or can he think that such Gentlemen will chearfully Raise and Command Forces in such an Exigency when instead of any prospect of having their Services consider'd or rewarded they must rather expect to pay 500 l. for their Presumption What Encouragement is this to induce Men to venture their Lives and Fortunes to save their Country when they are in hazard of being punisht for endeavouring it Nay Who does he think wou'd be tempted to stay in a Country where his Danger from a common Enemy â—s so great and where he is put under such a disability of doing any thing considerable to prevent it Thirdly for the Argument drawn from the Parliament of England the Author urges it no farther then as a probable presumption that they thought no other Teâ—â— needful to qualify men for Employments in this Kingdom then they there Enjoyn And if they had thought the Sacrament Test needfull here they cou'd easily have added it as They have the Test against Popery mentioned in the same Act. For they were not Ignorant That it was not in force here And against this there is nothing to the purpose in the Answerers Reply Fourthly For the Authors Argument to prove the Test unreasonable Viz. That it will put the Protestant Dissenters into worse Circumstances then they are at present The Answerer seems to grant it but suggests on the other hand That a Tolleration without such a Test will put the Members of the Establisht Church into worse Circumstances then they are in at present Therefore since the Conformists appear'd as early and with equal Zeal for this Goverment as the dissenters The former he thinks will have reason to think themselves severely dealt with if no other way can be found of rewarding the service of dissenters without hazarding the most valuable Rights of the Conformists by admitting the dissenters into such office 〈◊〉 may give e'm power and oppotrunity to alter the whole frame of the present Church Government Answ I cannot imagine how the granting dissenting Protestant 's what they now desire shou'd put the Establisht Church into