a_o plea_n for_o toleration_n of_o opinion_n and_o persuasion_n in_o matter_n of_o religion_n differ_v from_o the_o church_n of_o england_n ground_a upon_o good_a authority_n of_o scripture_n and_o the_o practice_n of_o the_o primitive_a time_n show_v the_o unreasonableness_n of_o prescribe_v to_o other_o man_n faith_n and_o the_o evil_a of_o persecute_v differ_v opinion_n humble_o present_v to_o the_o king_n most_o excellent_a majesty_n by_o john_n sturgeon_n a_o member_n of_o the_o baptise_a people_n act_n 5._o 38,39_o and_o now_o i_o say_v unto_o you_o refrain_v from_o these_o man_n and_o let_v they_o alone_o for_o if_o this_o counsel_n or_o this_o work_n be_v of_o man_n it_o will_v come_v to_o naught_o but_o if_o it_o be_v of_o god_n you_o can_v overthrow_v it_o lest_o haply_o you_o be_v find_v even_o to_o fight_v against_o god_n london_n print_v by_o s._n dover_n for_o francis_n smith_n at_o the_o elephant_n and_o castle_n near_o temple-bar_n 1661._o a_o plea_n for_o toleration_n of_o opinion_n and_o persuasion_n in_o matter_n of_o religion_n differ_v from_o the_o church_n of_o england_n may_v it_o please_v your_o majesty_n i_o have_v have_v strong_a impulse_n upon_o my_o mind_n for_o some_o day_n to_o present_v this_o paper_n to_o your_o majesty_n and_o i_o humble_o hope_v it_o will_v not_o be_v make_v to_o suffer_v much_o under_o a_o evil_a resentment_n upon_o its_o presentation_n to_o your_o hand_n because_o it_o bear_v a_o testimony_n about_o it_o of_o the_o author_n good_a affection_n to_o your_o royal_a self_n for_o my_o witness_n be_v on_o high_a that_o i_o do_v not_o write_v this_o paper_n because_o i_o love_v you_o not_o because_o i_o honour_v you_o not_o because_o i_o own_v you_o not_o in_o your_o royal_a capacity_n of_o magistracy_n and_o civil_a power_n god_n know_v that_o you_o have_v not_o any_o subject_n more_o christianly_o real_a or_o cordial_a unto_o you_o and_o i_o humble_o beg_v that_o your_o majesty_n will_v be_v please_v so_o far_o to_o 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olive-branch_n of_o liberty_n of_o conscience_n viz._n your_o declaration_n that_o grant_v we_o toleration_n for_o no_o law_n be_v make_v against_o our_o meeting_n by_o that_o parliament_n which_o your_o majesty_n term_v the_o heal_n and_o bless_a parliament_n now_o if_o your_o majesty_n see_v reason_n to_o suspend_v the_o execution_n of_o those_o law_n they_o be_v hurtful_a and_o pernicious_a to_o man_n of_o tender_a conscience_n then_o there_o be_v the_o same_o reason_n for_o your_o majesty_n to_o suspend_v they_o still_o out_o of_o tenderness_n to_o all_o such_o as_o have_v in_o no_o wise_a abuse_v your_o clemency_n and_o grace_n to_o they_o vouchsafe_v in_o that_o particular_a and_o whoever_o have_v or_o shall_v move_v your_o majesty_n to_o continue_v your_o proclamation_n against_o meeting_n to_o worship_n god_n or_o to_o take_v occasion_n by_o those_o law_n to_o grieve_v and_o afflict_v poor_a man_n and_o woman_n who_o have_v
be_v persuade_v by_o order_n from_o their_o king_n and_o the_o world_n be_v witness_v how_o prosperous_a they_o have_v be_v since_o they_o have_v leave_v fight_v for_o religion_n among_o themselves_o reas._n 6._o the_o six_o and_o last_o reason_n i_o have_v take_v from_o the_o ill_a success_n that_o always_o attend_v such_o proceed_n for_o whoever_o use_v force_n upon_o the_o body_n to_o change_v the_o mind_n or_o to_o make_v man_n believe_v something_o they_o be_v not_o persuade_v of_o or_o to_o disbelieve_v something_o they_o have_v receive_v for_o truth_n or_o to_o leave_v off_o worship_v god_n in_o that_o way_n which_o they_o think_v be_v most_o agreeable_a to_o his_o will_n they_o will_v have_v no_o better_a success_n than_o that_o man_n have_v that_o clap_v his_o shoulder_n to_o the_o ground_n to_o stop_v the_o earthquake_n and_o the_o experience_n which_o christendom_n have_v have_v in_o this_o last_o age_n be_v sufficient_a instance_n when_o france_n fight_v among_o 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too_o have_v be_v quite_o turn_v out_o of_o a_o great_a part_n of_o the_o country_n and_o we_o be_v not_o without_o example_n near_a home_n in_o queen_n mary_n day_n what_o force_n and_o violence_n be_v there_o use_v to_o make_v the_o people_n believe_v as_o the_o queen_n and_o her_o bishop_n believe_v some_o be_v burn_v to_o death_n some_o destroy_v in_o person_n and_o many_o that_o escape_v with_o life_n be_v undo_v in_o their_o estate_n and_o livelihood_n and_o all_o this_o be_v so_o unsuccesful_a as_o to_o the_o suppress_v their_o further_a growth_n that_o it_o do_v the_o quite_o contrary_a for_o the_o more_o they_o be_v oppress_v the_o more_o they_o grow_v i_o shall_v only_o add_v a_o passage_n out_o of_o learned_a bishop_n taylor_n in_o his_o epistle_n to_o his_o liberty_n of_o prophecy_n page_n 25._o but_o it_o be_v say_v he_o observe_v by_o socrates_n that_o when_o the_o first_o persecution_n be_v make_v against_o they_o that_o be_v such_o as_o differ_v in_o opinion_n from_o the_o bishop_n at_o rome_n by_o pope_n innocent_a the_o first_o at_o the_o same_o instant_n the_o goth_n invade_v italy_n and_o become_v lord_n of_o all_o it_o be_v just_a in_o god_n to_o bring_v a_o persecution_n upon_o they_o for_o true_a belief_n who_o with_o a_o incompetent_a authority_n and_o insufficient_a ground_n do_v persecute_v a_o error_n less_o material_a in_o person_n agree_v with_o they_o in_o the_o profession_n of_o the_o same_o common_a faith_n the_o next_o thing_n i_o humble_o offer_v to_o your_o princely_a consideration_n be_v the_o divine_a bond_n upon_o our_o heart_n to_o worship_n god_n according_a to_o our_o light_n and_o the_o cry_a sin_n we_o must_v commit_v if_o we_o shall_v resist_v our_o own_o understanding_n and_o refuse_v to_o obey_v the_o command_n of_o god_n upon_o our_o conscience_n to_o assemble_v ourselves_o together_o for_o his_o worship_n 25._o and_o that_o we_o ought_v to_o esteem_v our_o duty_n to_o god_n much_o dear_a than_o our_o estate_n liberty_n or_o life_n and_o our_o soul_n be_v full_o persuade_v that_o it_o be_v our_o duty_n to_o meet_v together_o and_o speak_v often_o one_o to_o another_o to_o exhort_v each_o other_o daily_o to_o take_v heed_n of_o sin_n and_o to_o follow_v after_o virtue_n and_o to_o press_v after_o the_o mark_n of_o our_o high_a call_v of_o god_n in_o christ_n jesus_n our_o lord_n and_o to_o provoke_v to_o love_n and_o good_a work_n and_o if_o any_o be_v overtake_v in_o a_o fault_n to_o restore_v they_o in_o the_o spirit_n of_o meekness_n and_o to_o relieve_v the_o poor_a and_o to_o support_v the_o weak_a that_o by_o bear_v one_o another_o burden_n we_o may_v fulfil_v the_o law_n of_o christ_n and_o to_o walk_v so_o inoffensive_o in_o our_o conversation_n as_o to_o give_v no_o just_a occasion_n neither_o to_o your_o majesty_n as_o supreme_a magistrate_n nor_o to_o any_o of_o your_o minister_n under_o you_o nor_o to_o any_o of_o the_o people_n or_o neighbour_n about_o we_o but_o to_o observe_v that_o excellent_a law_n of_o christ_n 12._o whatsoever_o you_o will_v that_o man_n shall_v do_v to_o you_o do_v you_o even_o so_o to_o they_o and_o if_o any_o shall_v persecute_v we_o for_o our_o profession-sake_n to_o bear_v it_o with_o patience_n and_o not_o to_o return_v evil_a for_o evil_n nor_o revile_v for_o revile_v but_o contrariwise_a to_o do_v they_o good_a for_o evil_n and_o to_o pray_v for_o they_o 44._o that_o their_o eye_n may_v be_v open_v and_o that_o god_n may_v not_o lay_v their_o sin_n in_o this_o case_n to_o their_o charge_n now_o if_o your_o majesty_n will_v but_o consider_v what_o it_o be_v which_o the_o baptise_a people_n and_o divers_a other_o have_v make_v such_o earnest_a suit_n to_o your_o majesty_n for_o it_o be_v not_o for_o title_n of_o honour_n nor_o for_o place_n of_o great_a profit_n either_o in_o a_o civil_a or_o ecclesiastical_a capacity_n but_o only_o this_o be_v their_o request_n and_o humble_a desire_n that_o we_o may_v serve_v the_o lord_n without_o molestation_n in_o that_o faith_n and_o order_n which_o we_o have_v learned_a in_o the_o holy_a scripture_n give_v honour_n to_o our_o king_n to_o who_o honour_n belong_v fear_v to_o who_o fear_n tribute_n to_o who_o tribute_n belong_v 17._o in_o every_o thing_n as_o far_o as_o we_o have_v ability_n to_o render_v to_o god_n the_o thing_n that_o be_v god_n and_o to_o the_o magistrate_n the_o thing_n that_o be_v his._n rom._n 13.7_o we_o likewise_o judge_v it_o our_o duty_n to_o be_v always_o willing_a and_o ready_a to_o give_v a_o answer_n to_o every_o man_n that_o shall_v ask_v we_o a_o reason_n of_o our_o hope_n that_o be_v in_o we_o with_o meekness_n and_o fear_n now_o if_o any_o who_o judge_v themselves_o to_o be_v spiritual_a guide_n will_v but_o take_v the_o pain_n to_o endeavour_v our_o conviction_n if_o they_o think_v we_o err_v or_o at_o least_o to_o hear_v what_o we_o have_v to_o say_v why_o we_o dissent_v from_o the_o public_a worship_n we_o doubt_v not_o but_o 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