Cruelty for such as profess Christianity to proceed violently one against another when they may be more gentle and friendly to each other especially in matters of Conscience but it is to be lamented that too many persons partly for want of Understanding in the Law and partly by reason of violent spirits instead of being Legal and Merciful Prosecutors are dreadful Oppressors Persecutors of such as are their Fellow Protestants XII Now for as much as the poor Protestant Dissenters are Prosecuted and so are distressed by divers Laws that are put in Execution against them let those Laws be soberly considered together with the persons and things for which they are Prosecuted that so neither the Laws nor the Kings Subjects may be abused by reason of the inconsiderate Proceedings of those that have not such a good Understanding of the Laws as they ought to have for the well managing of that Office or Authority they have arrived unto And besides such ignorance in the Law men in Authority are sometimes attended with such displeasure of mind as may be called ill-will against some persons that they may be concerned with in the exercise of such Authority and so are apt to go beyond the Law and beyond the Right Execution of that Authority that the King and the Law hath invested them with And therefore a particular Account of those Statutes by which the Protestant Dissenters are Prosecuted to their great dammage for such things as they do humbly conclude to be the matters of their God with some sober Considerations upon the said Laws take as followeth The Protestant Dissenters are in some places Prosecuted by the Statute Anno primo Reginae Elizabethae Chapter 2. paragraph 14. where it is Ordained That all and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm or any other the Queens Dominions shall Resort to their Parish Church or Chappel or to some usual place where Common-Prayer and such Service of God shall be sued upon every Sunday and other days ordained and sued to be kept as Holy-days and then and there to abide orderly and soberly during the time of the Common-Prayer Preaching or other Service of God there to be used and ministred upon pain of punishment by the Censures of the Church and also upon pain that every person so offending shall forfeit for every such Offence Twelve-pence to be Levied by the Church Wardens of the Parish where such Offence shall be done to the use of the Poor of the same Parish of the Goods Lands and Tenements of such Offendor by way of Distress And in Paragraph 20. It is Enacted That no person or persons shall be Impeached or otherwise Molested for any of the Offences in the said Act unless he or they so offending be thereof Indicted at the next General Sessions to be holden before any such Justices of Oyer and Terminer or Justices of Assize next after any Offence committed or done contrary to the Tenor of this Act. Now for the better understanding of the aforesaid Act let the whole of it be perused as it is in the Statute-Book however a brief account you shall have as followeth I. A confirmation of the Book of Common-prayer and Administration of the Sacraments as it was in the fifth and sixth years of Edward the sixth see Paragraph 1 2 3. II. That if any Parson Vicar or Minister shall Refuse to use the said Book of Common-Prayer or to Minister the Sacraments in such Order and Form as is mentioned in the said Book in any Cathedral or Parish-Church or other places or that shall use any other Form or Order of Celebrating the Sacraments or that shall use any Mattens or Even Songs or other publick Prayers then is mentioned in the said Book or that shall Preach Declare or Speak anything in the Derogation or Depraving of the said Book or any part thereof And shall be Lawfully Convict thereof by the Verdict of Twelve men shall for his first Offence forfeit all his Spiritual Benefices or Promotions for one whole year next after his Conviction and shall suffer Imprisonment for the Space of six Months and for such Offence a second time being Convict shall suffer Imprisonment a whole year and shall be Deprived Ipso Facto of all his Spiritual Promotions and for the third Offence being Convict thereof shall be Deprived of all his Spiritual Promotions and suffer imprisonment during his Life And if the Person that shall offend shall ot be beneficed nor have any Spiritual Promotion and be thereof Convicted shall suffer Imprisonment one whole year for the first Offence without Bail or Mainprise And if any such Person not having any Spiritual Promotion shall be Convict of such second Offence shall suffer Imprisonment during his Life See Paragraph 4 5 6 7 8. III. It is further Enacted That if any Person or Persons whatsoever shall in any Interludes Playes or Songs Rhimes or other Words Declare or Speak any thing in the Derogation Depraving or Despising of the same Book or shall Compel or Procure or Maintain any Parson Vicar or other Minister to sing or say any Common or open Prayer or to Minister any Sacrament otherwise or in any other manner and Form then is mentioned in the said Book or shall by any of the said meanes Interrupt of Let any Parson Vicar or other Minister to sing or say Common or open Prayer in any Cathedral or Church or Chappel or any other place shall for the first Offence being Lawfully Convict thereof Forfeit an hundred Marks and for the second such like Offence forfeit four hundred Marks and for the third Offence being Lawfully Convict shall forfeit all his Goods and Chattles and suffer Imprisonment during Life See Paragraph 9 10 11. IV. That it is further Enacted That whosoever of the Inhabitants of this Realm c. that shall not come to their Parish-Church or Chappel or other place of Common-Prayer where it usually said shall forfeit Twelve-pence for every Sunday and Holy-day See Paragraph 14. Now from this Statute let these following Particulars be Soberly Considered 1. That this Statute was made in the first year of Queen Elizabeths Reign presently upon the Casting out and throwing down of Popery 2. That by this Statute the Protestant Religion was Revived and Confirmed and so the Reformation was further carried on as it was in the Reign of that happy Prince Edward the Sixth 3. Consider that at the time of making this Statute the whole Realm did Consist of Protestants and Papists Considered as Clergy and Layity The Realm was not then acquainted with such a thing as Protestant-Dissenters and therefore it cannot be fairly supposed that this Act was intended for such barely as such but the Design of this Act was First To settle a Protestant-Ministry to manage the Protestant Religion according to the Light of that day Secondly To Remove all such as were Popishly affected from Ministerial Office that so they might not keep the Queens Subjects in Popish Blindness
Majesties Laws or shall by Printing Writing or Express Words or Speeches Advisedly or purposely Practice or go about to move any of her Majesties Subjects or any others to deny withstand or impugn her Majesties Power and Authority in Cases Ecclesiastical or shall Advisedly and Maliciously move or perswade any other Person to forbear to come to Church to hear Divine Service or the Communion according to her Majesties Laws or to come to or be present at any Vnlawful Assemblies Conventicles or Meetings under Colour or Pretence of any Exercise of Religion contrary to her Majesties said Laws and Statutes or shall willingly join in or be present at any such Assemblies Conventicles or Meetings that then every such Offender being Lawfully Convicted shall be Committed to Prison there to Remain without Bail or Mainprize until they shall Conform and Yield themselves to come to some Church or Chappel or usual place of Common-Prayer and hear Divine Service See Paragraph 1. 2. It is Provided in the same Statute That if such Offender so Convict as aforesaid shall not Conform in coming to Church to hear Divine Service and to make such open Confession as is after appointed by this Statute being Required thereunto within the Space of three Months after Conviction by the Bishop of the Diocess or any Justice of Peace of the County where the Person shall happen to be or by the Minister or Curate of the Parish That then every such Offender upon his being warned and Required by any Justice of Peace of the same County shall upon his Corporal Oath abjure this Realm and all other her Majesties Dominions and Countreys and shall not Return without Licence from her Majesty See Paragraph 2. 3. It is Provided That if such Offender shall Refuse to make such Abjuration as aforesaid or after Objuration made shall not depart out of this Realm according to this present Act or after such his Departure shall Return again without her Majesties Licence that then in every such Case the Person offending shall be Adjudged a Fellon and shall suffer as in the Case of Fellony without the Benefit of Clergy See Paragraph 3. 4. It is further Enacted That if such Offender before he or they be so warned or Required to make Abjuration shall Repair to some Parish-church on some Sunday or Festival Day and there hear Divine Service and make Publick and open Submission and Declaration of his and their Conformity that then the same Offender shall be clearly discharged of all the Penalties and Punishments Inflicted or Imposed by this Act. The Form of Submission is as followeth See Paragraph 4. 5. I A B. Do humbly Confess and Acknowledge That I have grievously Offended God in Contemning her Majesties Godly and Lawful Government and Authority by absenting my self from Church and from hearing Divine Service contrary to the Godly Laws and Statutes of this Realm and in using and frequenting Disordered and Vnlawful Conventicles and Assemblies under Pretence and Colour of Exercise of Religion And I am heartily sorry for the same and do Acknowledge and testify in my Conscience That no other Person hath or ought to have Power over her Majesty and I do promise and protest without any dissimulation or any Colour or means of any Dispensation that from henceforth I will from time to time obey and perform her Majesties Laws and Statutes in Reparing to the Church to hear Divine Service and do my utmost indeavour to maintain and defend the same See Paragraph 5. 6. It is also Provided by this Act. That no Popish Recusant or Feme-Covert shall be Compelled or bound to Abjure by Vertue of this Act See Paragraph 12. 7. It is further Provided by this Statute That every Person that shall Abjure or Refuse to Abjure being Required thereunto as aforesaid shall forfeit and lose to her Majesty all his Goods and Chattles for ever and shall further lose all his Lands Tenements and Hereditaments for and during the Life only of such Offender no longer and that the Wife of such Offender shall not lose her Dower and that the Heir of such Offender after the Death of such Offender shall have and injoy the Lands Tenements and Hereditaments of such Offender From this Statute let these things be Considered 1. That it is Evident this Statute was made for the punishing of sueh as were not at all accounted Papists or Popish Recusants and this will appear in these following Reasons First Because the design of the Statute was for the preventing and avoiding of great Inconveniencies and Perils as might happen and grow by the wicked and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries and disloyal Persons Now this word Seditious Sectaries doth distinguish some Persons from those that by the Law of this Realm are called Papists or Popish Recusants Secondly Because Popish Recusants are exempted from Abjuring of the Realm by vertue of the aforesaid Statute which is a plain Demonstration that the Severity of this same Law was made and intended for such as were not Papists or Popish Recusants and therefore good Reason to conclude that those other Statutes in which mention is made of the Popish Party were made only against them and not against such as are in this Statute called Sectaries who are not Papists 2. Consider how those persons are described for whom the punishments of this Statute are Provided viz. Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons See Paragraph 1. And for as much as this Law hath been put in Execution against the Protestant Dissenters it is meet to inquire whether they are in very deed such persons viz. Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons It is one thing for persons to be called and reputed such and another thing to be such indeed and in truth The city of Jerusalem was called and counted a City of Rebellion and Sedition See Ezra 4.19 The Blessed Apostle Paul was Accused of Sedition and being a Ring-leader therein see Acts 24.5 For we have found this man a Pestilent Fellow and a Mover of Sedition among all the Jews throughout the world and a Ring-leader of the Sect of the Nazareens thus it is evident from the Holy Scripture that the best of persons have gone under the worst names being deemed such as indeed they are not our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ was called a Devil yea Belzebub the Prince of the Devils and he was Prosecuted unto death as being a Blasphemer and therefore it must not be wondred at if those that are now most pure in the Profession and Practire of the Christian Religion be called Seditious Sectaries and Disloyal Persons though indeed and in truth they are not such as may be truly said of the Protestant Dissenters 1. They are not Seditious Persons because they make the Word of God the Rule of their Faith and Practice promoting the Christian Religion in every part of it as it is in opposition to Popery according to the best of their light and knowledg in the Holy Scriptures endeavouring to
Authorities and do promise that from henceforth I shall bear Faith and True Allegiance to the Queens Highness her Heirs and Lawful Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Priviledges Pre-eminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the Queens Highness her Heirs or Successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm So help me God and by the contents of this Book Now in the aforesaid Oath some of the words are such as many Godly Persons cannot heartily speak and therefore Refuse to speak them at all in a way of Swearing viz. That the King as Supream Governour of this Realm is Supream Governour in all Spiritual or Ecclesiastical Things or Causes as well as in all Temporal Things and Causes Which words are Expounded or Explained by Queen Elizabeth in an Admonition Annexed to the Queens Injunctions Published in the first year of her Raign which take as followeth And further Her Majesty forbiddeth all manner of Subjects to give Ear or Credit to such perverse and malitious persons which most sinisterly and malitiously labour to notify to her loving Subjects how by the words of the said Oath it may be Collected the Kings or Queens of this Realm Possessors of the Crown may challenge Authority and Power of Ministry of Divine Offices in the Church wherein her said Subjects be much Abused by such evil disposed persons For certainly Her Majesty neither doth nor ever will challenge any other Authority then that was Challenged and lately used by the said Noble Kings of Famous Memory King Henry the Eighth and King Edward the sixth which is and was of ancient time due to the Imperial Crown of this Realm That is under God to have Soveraignty and Rule over all manner of persons Born within these her Realms Dominions and Countries of what Estate either Ecclesiastical or Temporal soever they be so as no other Forreign Power shall or ought to have any Superiority over them and if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the Form of the said Oath shall accept the same Oath with this interpretation her Majesty is well pleased to accept every such in that behalf as her good obedient Subjects shall acquit them of all manner of Penalties contained in the said Act against such as shall peremtorily or obstinately Refuse to take the said Oath And in the fifth year of her Majesties Raign there was an Act of Parliament to confirm this Sense of the said Oath in these following words Provided also That the Oath expressed in the said Act made in the said first year shall be taken and expounded in such Form as is set forth in an Admonition Annexed to the Queens Majesties Injunctions published in the first year of her Majesties Raign That is to say to confess and acknowledg in her Majesty her Heirs and Successors none other Authority then that was challenged and lately used by the Noble King Henry the Eighth and King Edward the Sixth as in the said Admonition more plainly may appear Now from the aforesaid Oath together with the aforesaid Exposition Confirmed by Act of Parliament Let these things be Considered 1. A Solemn Assertion of the Queens Power and Authority in her own Kingdom and Dominions in opposition to any Forreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate 2. That the Power and Authority of the Queen in her own Realms and other her Dominions was over all Ecclesiastical Persons as well as over all Temporal Persons so as to be tryed by her Laws in all Matters and Causes they may be concerned in that if innocent they may be acquitted but if guilty they may be punished by her Power and Authority according to her Laws in her Courts of Justice without Appealing to or hoping for Relief from Forreign Jurisdiction 3. And therefore let all those who do Conscienciously scruple to take either of the aforesaid Oaths Consider whether they have not entertained such notions and apprehensions of them as the plain words and comon sense of such words will not fairly bear and thereby expose themselves to such trouble as they might lawfully escape if their Judgments were better informed 4. Let such as have power to tender and impose the said Oaths upon persons Consider whether the Tender of such Oaths is not sometimes done out of spite to the persons before them they knowing that they are of Scrupulons Consciences and so are sure that they have an opportunity to afflict them and yet know in their own Consciences that such persons are good Protestants and have long lived in all peaceable manner under the Government and so desire to abide that they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty under Authority as they are taught by the Good Word of God V. Another Law by which the Protestant Dissenters have been and still are Prosecuted and Distressed is the 17. of Car. 2. Chap. 2. viz. An Act for Restraining Nonconformists from Inhabiting Incorporations Now the Persons punishable by this Act are such as are Nonconformist Preachers who live in a Corporation or within five Miles of a Corporation and that Preach in Conventicles and thereby under pretence of Religion do distill Poysonous Principles of Schism and Rebellion into the Hearts of his Majesties Subjects to the great danger of the Church and Kingdom See the first Paragraph of the said Statute And the punishment provided by the said Statute for such persons is the forfeiture of Forty Pounds to be sued for in any Court of Record at Westminster or before the Judges of Assize and also six Months Imprisonment if such persons shall Refuse to take the Oath Provided by this Act A Copy whereof is as followeth I A. B. Do Swear that it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that I do abhor that Traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person or against those that are Commissioned by him in pursuance of such Commissions and that I will not at any time endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Now from the aforesaid Statute Let these things be Considered 1. That the Main Design of the said Act was to rid Cities and Corporations of such Nonconformist Ministers as under pretence of Religion do distill Poysonous Principles of Schism and Rebellion into the Hearts of his Majesties Subjects to the danger of Church and State Now if there be any such Criminal Persons under the name of Nonconformist Ministers let them suffer according to their Crimes when proved by sufficient Evidence 2. Consider that all sorts of Nonconformist Ministers do abhor to be such Persons and to promote Rebellion but they do generally make it their business to Preach Eternal Salvation by the Blessed Merits of Jesus Christ and a Holy Conversation according to the Blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ following the things which make for Peace here and hoping to injoy a Better Peace when this
severity of Divine Justice in the room of Sinners is thereby the compleat and only Saviour of all those that truly Believe in him and Repent of their Sins 3. That the same Jesus Christ which was Born of the Virgin Mary being conceived of the Holy Ghost and that dyed upon the Cross and after being Buried was Raised from the Dead is also ascended to the Right-hand of God in Heaven there to appear in the Presence of god as an Advocate and Intercessor for all them that come to God by him and he is able to save them to the utmost 4. Both Parties do believe that the Holy Scriptures are the Rule of Faith and Practice 5. As concerning the Church of God upon Earth the Dissenters do agree with the Church of England in that description given of Christs Visible Church See the Nineteenth Article of the Church of England in these very words The Visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of faithful men in which the Word of God is Preached and Sacraments be duly Ministred according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of Necessity are Requisite to the same So profess and confess the Dissenters also 3. Consider the punishments provided by the aforesaid Statute to be inflicted upon the Offenders viz. five shillings for the first Offence and ten shillings for the second offence for being only in the capacity of a Hearer and Twenty Pounds for every house that shall entertain any such Conventicle and Twenty Pounds for the first Offence of him that shall Teach or Preach in such Meetings and Forty Pounds for every such Offence after the first Conviction and also Power in given to the Justices of Peace to Levy the Fines of some persons upon others so far as Ten Pounds and all these Fines to be levyed upon the Goods and Chattles of the Offenders And in the Prosecuting of many Persons by the aforesaid Statute much more then the Sums of Money Levyed have been taken away and the Goods Sold without making any Return of the over-pluss to the very great dammage of many good Protestant Families And now whether such Proceedings be the best way to surpress Popery and promote the Protestant Religion shall be left to the serious consideration of all sorts of Protestants especially to Protestant Magistrates who oftentimes have opportunity to display Justice with Wisdom and Mercy which is far better then such Severity as looketh too much like Cruelty And therefore as a help to such Magistrates as are perplexed with Informers by the demand of Warrants to disturb Peaceable Protestants in their Meetings and in the Seizure of their Goods afterward let these following things be inquired into by such Magistrates as desire to discharge their Office faithfully in doing Justice between the King and the Subject 1. Whether all the People above the number of five besides the Family are the Subjects of this Realm for they are the Offenders in the sense of this Statute and not the Subjects of other Realms and therefore the Informer ought to swear that those he doth inform against are Subjects of this Realm 2. Whether there was any endeavours to make or contrive any Insurrections against the Government for the very design of the aforesaid Act was to prevent such Meetings 3. Whether there was any seditious words spoken in the Prayers or Preaching of the Assembly of People seeing this Act was made on purpose to suppress Seditious Meetings 4. Whether the Praying and Preaching was according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England viz. whether the Prayers were Protestant Prayers and the Preaching Protestant Preaching so as to promote the Protestant Religion or some other Religion if the Informers should say they were not there long enough to know the truth of these things then it will be evident that such men are not fit to be sworn Evidences against such Meetings forasmuch as their Oath doth not reach to such matters of Fact as is mentioned in the Statute And these things ought to be the more narrowly looked into because those that turn Informers are usually such as have some particular spite against some particular persons and so instead of doing Justice according to Law do but seek after some Revenge for themselves upon the Persons of such as they are offended at or else it is done that they may have that wages mentioned in the Act viz. the third part of the Fines of such persons they swear against and so strive to make themselves rich by making others poor And this is to be greatly lamented that some Justices of the Peace have mightily furthered the Informers by being too ready to receive their Informations and by Convicting Persons of divers Offences as they called them before ever the person knew of such Conviction and so sending divers Warrants of distâ—ess altogether amounting to very considerable sums of Money A Hot-headed Constable presently becomes a Slave to the proud Informers and so maketh a suddain Seizure upon the outward Substance of such as fear God and love Godliness and whereas the Justices may if they will lay but the Fine of Five Shillings upon a person for his first or ten shillings for his second Offence they do sometimes lay the sum of ten pounds for the defaults of others and so add many ten pounds together to the near Ruining of some persons And thus they that depart from evil maketh themselves a Prey but the Lord will see and show himself displeased at it See Isaiah 59.15 VII Another way of distresing and perplexing the Poor Protestant Dissenters is by the Proceedings of the Ecclesiastical Courts the ways and methods of whose Proceedings are as followeth 1. The said Ecclesiastical Courts do require the Church-Wardens and Ministers to make Presentment of such persons as do not come to their Parish-Church and unto the Sacrament 2. Upon Receiving such Presentments then the said Courts do issue forth Citations for such Persons being Presented to come and make answer to the said Presentments 3. If the said Citations be not served upon the persons who are Presented then the said Courts cause a Paper called Viis Modis to be set upon the Church-Door or upon the Persons own Door requiring the Person to appear upon a certain day 4. If the Person do not appear then the said Court proceedeth to Excommunication for Contempt 5. If the Person do appear then the Court doth acquaint such Person that he is Presented for not coming to Church and for not Receiving the Sacrament 6. If the Person do not make it appear that he hath been at Church and taken the Sacrament within the time mentioned in the said Presentment then the Judge of the said Court doth proceed to Admonition That the said Person shall Repair to his Parish Church and take the Sacrament by such a day as is appointed by the Admonition and bring a Certificate from the Minister of the said Parish that he hath so done whether fit for it
Life is ended 3. Consider That though these good things are managed in Separate Congregations distinct from the National Church yet they ought not to be counted the Managers of Schism and Rebellion but the Promoters of the Protestant Religion in higher degrees of Reformation according to the Word of God 4. Consider That for such men to be exposed to live five miles from Cities and Corporations or else to live in a Goal seemeth to be hard dealing thus being compelled to live at such a distance from the chief places of the Kingdom is a kind of Banishment from our Country while in our Countrey and all this for Nonconformity to the Church and for not swearing all the particulars in the Oath provided by the said Act one particular being this That I will not anytime endeavour any Alteration of Government either in Church or State Which words doth at least suppose that all things in the Church Government are so well and so compleat that there ought to be no endeavours to alter or amend them and this is a great scruple to many persons that are good Protestants VI. Another Statute by which the Protestant Dissenters are Distressed is the 22d of Car. 2. Chap. 1. Intituled An Act to Surpress Seditious Conventicles from which Statute let these particular things be soberly considered 1. That this Statute was provided as a further and more speedy Remedy against the growing and dangerous Practices of Seditious Sectaries and other Disloyal Persons who under pretence of Tender Consciences have or may at their Meetings contrive Insurrections as late Experience hath shewn See Paragraph 1. Now it is well known throughout this Kingdom that the Protestant Dissenters even every sort of them do abhor to be such Persons and therefore do deem it a great wrong that they should be accounted and prosecuted as such persons 1. Because though they be separate from the Church of England yet that doth not demonstrate them to be Seditious Sectaries forasmuch as the main things in the Christian Religion Professed by the Church of England is Professed by the Dissenters with a greater care to live suitably unto such a Holy Profession then the generality of the Visible Members of the Church of England do make Conscience of and therefore they deserve to be accounted such as further the Protestant Reformation and not such as are guilty of Sedition 2. They deem it a wrong to be counted persons of Disloualty meerly because of their Nonconformity especially considering what a demonstration they have given of being peaceable under the Government for so many years notwithstanding many and great Troubles they have met with in most parts of this Kingdom meerly for Matters of Conscience 3. And forasmuch as mention is made of Meeting under colour and pretence of the Exercise of Religion to contrive Insurrections the Protestant Dissenters in general can comfortably Appeal to God and the whole Kingdom that they are not guilty in this Matter and besides this it is not consistent with good reason that contriving of Insurrections could be at all managed in the Dissenters Meetings forasmuch as all sorts of persons do Resort unto them viz. Rich and Poor young and old and do daily find no other Matters but the Real Exercise of Religion in Praying to God Praising of God and Preaching the Word of God that they may further the Conversion and Salvation of each other Furthermore it is to be considered that since the making of the aforesaid Act and the violent Prosecution thereof to the very great dammage of many Protestant Families His Majesty did take such Grievances of his Subjects of Tender Consciences into his Princely and Compassionate Consideration and did Declare his Dislike of such forceable courses in matters of Conscience See His Majesties Declaration to all his Loving Subjects March 15. 1672. Published by the Advice of his Privy Council 2. The Persons in the aforesaid Act who are accounted Offenders are All such who being of the Age of Sixteen years or upwards being Subjects of this Realm who shall be present at any Assembly Conventicle or Meeting under colour or pretence of any Exercise of Religion in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England they being in number five or more besides the Family or Houshold and if it be in a place where there is no Family Inhabiting then the number of five or more are deemed Offenders Now from this part of the Act consider that the Persons Accounted Offenders are such whose Exercise of Religion is in other manner than according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore it is needful soberly to inquire whether the Exercise of Religion as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be in other manner then according to the Liturgy and Practice of the Church of England And therefore let the Exercise of Religion in the Church of England and as it is among the Protestant Dissenters be well considered and compared together and then we shall see whether it be Contradictious or Harmonious 1. The Exercise of Religion in the Liturgy and as it is Practiced in the Church of England respecting the matters of it doth consist of Prayers to Almighty God in the Name of Jesus Christ his only Son for Spiritual and Temporal Blessings and this is the Practice of the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 2. The Church of England in the Exercise of Religion do give Thanks to God for Mercies Received from God as the Gracious Act of his Bounty and Good-Will unto such as are unworthy of the least Mercy and thus do the Protestant Dissenters in their Meetings 3. The Church of England does instruct Souls from the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament viz. From the Law and the Prophets and from the Epistles and Gospels which doth contain the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles and thus do the Protestant Dissenters for which they are Prosecuted to their great dammage 4. The Church of England doth perform Religious Worship in English and so do the Protestant Dissenters that all Parties which come to attend the Exercise of Religion among them may understand what they are about 5. The Church of England doth observe the first day of the week commonly called the Lords day in Prayers and Sermons and so do the Protestant Dissenters yea in this matter the Dissenters are more careful that the day may be Religiously observed then the Church-Protestants 6. The Church of England and the Protestant Dissenters do agree in the Articles of Faith respecting the main and substantial matters of the Protestant Religion briefly thus 1. That there is a Holy Trinity viz. Father Son and Holy Ghost 2. That Jesus Christ is very God as well as very Man and that the Person of Christ considered as God and Man together with his compleat keeping of Gods Holy Law without any Breach of it in his own Person and his suffering the