THE CASE OF FREE Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of FAITH and RELIGION Presented unto the KING and both Houses of PARLIAMENT And also Proved absolute needfull and requisite for them to grant and allow in these Kingdoms By many Considerations and Reasons unfolding the wofull effects and ill consequence which will infallably follow upon the contrary To the misery and destruction of these Nations if the free exercise of Conscience to God-ward be limitted and violently restrained By a Lover of Truth and Just Government EDWARD BVRROVGHS LONDON Printed for Thomas Simmons 1661. TO THE KING And both Houses of PARLIAMENT FOrasmuch as it hath pleased the Lord God of Heaven and Earth who is mighty and powerful and bringeth to pass whatsoever he will in the Kingdomes of this World so to suffer it to be accomplished that power and authority is given unto you to exercise over these Kingdomes And whereas the people of these Nations over whom your Authority is extended are divided in their Judgments in matters Spiritual and are of different Principles and wayes in Relation to Faith and Worship and practises of Religion and yet are all of them free-born people and Natives of these Kingdoms and as such ought to possesse and injoy their Lives Liberties and Estates by the just Lawes of God and man And may not justly any of them be destroyed by you nor one sort of another in their Persons and Estates by Death Banishment or other Persecutions for and because only of their differences in matters of opinion and judgement nor though they are contrary minded in profession of Faith and Worship and Religion while they do walk peaceably and justly in their Conversations under the Kings Authority and do not make practise of their Religion to the violating of the Government nor to the injury of other mens Persons or Estates but ought rather to be defended and Protected by you in all their rights both as men and Christians both in things Civil and Spiritual Notwithstanding their difference in matters Religious as aforesaid they giving proof of their peaceable and honest deportment towards the King and his Government and the people of these Kingdomes And therefore that due care may be had as justly it ought to be by you for the Peace and Prosperity and happiness of these Kingdomes and that the just Liberties both civil and Spiritual of all people therein may be allowed and maintained in all the Kings Dominions and that unity and peace may be fully established and justice and Righteousness only brought forth in the Land and all Persecution Hatred Contention and Rebellion may die and perish and never more appear And that all Christian people though different in judgement and practises in matters of Faith and worship may be protected to live a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and honesty under this Government and that indignation and vengeance may he diverted from these Lands which seems to threaten because of the contrary and that blessings and peace may come and rest upon this people forever Therefore for these ends and causes and in the Name of the Lord I do propound unto you and lay before you on the behalf of all the divided people of these Kingdoms That free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Faith Worship and Religion to God-wards may be allowed and maintained unto all without any imposition violence or persecution exercised about the same on the persons Estates or consciences of any in any relation of Religion the Worship of God Church Government and Ministry But that all Christian People may be left free in all these Kingdomes in the exercise of Conscience without being restrained from or compelled to any way of Worship and practise of Religâ—on upon any pains and penalties and that every one may be admitted to worship God in that way as his spirit perswades the heart and may be defended in such their profession of Religion while they make not use of their Liberty to the detrement of any other mens persons or Estates as aforesaid And let it not seem strange to you why I appear in this manner and matter at such a season as this for your very happiness prosperity and establishment or the contrary dependeth hereupon even in allowing and maintaining liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion or in limiting and forcing and persecuting about the same and this may appear if ye justly consider these things following 1. The Lordship in and over conscience and the exercise thereof in all matters of Faith and worship and duty to God-wards is Gods alone only and proper right and priviledge and he hath reserved this power and Authority in himself and not committed the Lordship over Conscience nor the exercise thereof in the cases of faith and worship to any upon Earth not to prescribe and impose principles and Practises of Faith and worship and Religion by force and violence on the persons and Consciences of men but this belongs only to God even to work faith in the heart and to convert to holiness and to lead and teach people by his Spirit in his worship and to exercise their Consciences in all his wayes For the Apostles themselves said they had not Dominion over the Faith of the Saints 2 Cor. 1. 24. but the Lord alone And King Charles the first said in his Meditations page 91. of that Edition Printed for R. Royston I have often declared how little I desire my Laws and Scepter should intrench on Gods Soveraignity which is the only King of mens Consciences c So that to be Lord in Conscience and exerciser thereof in all the matters of Gods Kingdome is his only proper right and to him alone it appertains 2. And therefore consider if ye do not allow free liberty of Conscience and give unto God the Lordship and exercise thereof in all matters of Faith and Worship to him-wards but do impose by violence in forcing to and restraining from such and such wayes of Religion then ye take Dominion over mens faith which ye ought not to do and ye intrench on Gods Soveraignity and usurps his Authority in exercising Lordship over the Conscience in and over which Christ is only King as before recited and ye ought not to take his right from him nor to exercise that Authority over mens faith and Consâ—iences which only appertains unto him as his proper priviledge for in so doing how dangerous effects may it bring forth even ye may easilie provoke the Lord to wrath against you and bring upon your selves sorrow and misery if ye excise violence upon mens Consciences in and concerning Religious matters contrary to the Scriptures and the example of Primitive Christians who were persecuted for their Conscience sake but did never persecute nor punish any for that cause nor ever used violence about their Religion as Charles the I. in his meditations pag. 82. nothing said he violent nor injurious can be religious c. 3. Consider if
ye allow not the free exercise of Conscience in Spiritual matters but do take Dominion over mens faith and impose by violence in the cases of Conscience about Religion and do not suffer the Lord to enjoy his onely right to be King in the matters of his own Kingdom then ye divert the end of just rule and government among men and perverts the end of Gods great love and favour shewed unto you in restoring of you to the place of Authority and Judgment for the end of just Government upon earth by Kings and Rulers is to exercise Justice Truth and Righteousnesse among men and over the outward man and to be a praise to all that do well and walks uprightly and to be a terrour to all transgressors and them that do evil in their outward man and to keep the outward man in good order by just Judgment in all cases between man and man This is only the extent of your Authority over the outward man and to your Jurisdiction only this belongs to judge in Truth and Righteousness to make Laws and execute them between man and man to preserve mens persons and estates from the wrong one of another but not at all to make Laws and execute them between God and mens Consciences in the cases of his Spiritual Kingdom this power belongs to God and he hath not committed it to you to exercise and therefore let justice equity and mercy be exercised by you among men and over the outward man and in all cases between man and man but meddle not in the cases of mens faith to God and their Consciences to him but leave that unto him alone whose right it is for it is dangerous and will bring wofull effects if ye intrench on Gods Soveraignity and if ye divert the proper end of just Government and of the Love of God in restoring you into Authority and Power 4. Consider if ye allow not free Liberty of Conscience in the profession and practice of spiritual things but will compel by violence about Religion then this will inavoidably produce and bring forth cruel persecution in the Kingdoms imprisonment banishment and death and all the evil effects of persecution will fill the Nations for though never so forceable impositions be laid on the persons estates and consciences of men for the cause of difference in Judgment and practises of Religion and to compel into Conformity yet it cannot be supposed that all will bow and conform to the denying of that way which they are perswaded in Conscience to be right and to the embracing of what they cannot in Conscience believe is of God but will rather suffer the cruelest death then conform to any thing contrary to light and knowledge and if free Liberty of Conscience be denied many such must needs be exposed to persecution even to death though they may be peaceable people and profitable inhabitants of the Kingdoms and in the things between man and man and in all matters temporal pertaining to the King may be just and righteous and unreprovable yet because of difference in judgment and opinion exposed to be destroyed in person and estate and such effects will not be of honour nor safety to these Nations if innocent and just men be destroyed and their relations ruined onely for their Conscience and Religion sake by persecution 5. Consider if ye do impose one way of worship by force and persecute all that are contrary-minded to prison and death then how shall your Names and memorial be left a reproach to generations after you in dayes to come who shall repute you cruel men and persecutors and such as destroyed your people for difference in matters of Religion and without just cause and thus will your names be a curse and not a blessing to your Children and their Children to all ages if that ye make Laws and execute them to the persecution and destruction of people for Conscience sake and for difference in Religion for persecution was never of God nor ever justified in succeeding ages but persecutors alwaies were rendred Tyrants and cruell in the ages succeeding them for do not you condemn the Papists as oppressors and cruel persecutors in Queen Maries daies for their persecuting your Fore-fathers And King Iames said it was usually the condition of Christians to be persecuted but never to persecute c. in his Apology for the Oath of Allegiance pag. 4 And indeed they are no true Christians that persecutes for matters of Conscience and difference in Opinion but the false Christians that have a form of godliness but are without the power and out of the Doctrine of the Scriptures who saith love your enemies and render to no man evil for evil but over come evil with good 6. Consider If ye do impose upon the Conscience and persecute about Religion ye can never effect your end thereby as to force all into a conformity and uniformity to your Church and Religion but though death and banishment and the loss of all be inflicted yet such a thing cannot be effected neither is it the way of Christ to promote his Church and to convert the contrary-minded by such means as force and violence exercised on mens persons and estates As K. Iames said in his speech in Parliament 1609. That it is a sure rule in Divinity that God never loves to plant his Church with violence and bloud and if ye do persecute to the heighth in the case of Religion ye will weaken your selves and cause the love and good affection of people to die towards you and the persecuted will grow and their cause be made honourable and many will be increased unto it for it is usual in ages that the way and Religion which hath been most persecuted hath most grown and thus it must infallibly be at this day and ye can never effect your end by persecution nor promote your own Church nor destroy all the contrary-minded As a Privy Counsellor to K. Iames the 5th of Scotland advised in counsel about the year 1539. upon the occasion of diversities of opinions then in that Kingdom said he It is an errour of State in a Prince for an opinion of piety to condemn to death the adherers to new Doctrines for the constancy and patience of those who voluntarily suffer all temporal miseries for matters of faith stir up numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their faith and doctrine not onely to favour their cause but to embrace their opinions pity and commiseration opening the gates and thus their faith is spread and their number daily increaseth c. 7. Consider If that ye do not allow Liberty of Conscience but do impose and persecute as aforesaid though some for your fear and terrour and force against their Consciences should deny their Principles and conform to your Church such ye cause to sin for whatsoever is performed by force and not of faith is sin as it is written and such their sin
Apostles and follows the way and example of Antichrist Heathen Rulers and cruel Papists to your great dishonour 12. Consider if ye allow not liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion but impose and persecute about the same It must inavoidable tend to destroy and expel Trading Husbandry and Merchandize in these Kingdomes for a great part of Trading and Husbandry depends upon such kind of persons whose principles are for toleration in Religion and hates persecution and violence in that case this ye will find true on examination and if liberty of Conscience be not alowed such will 〈◊〉 exposed to great afflictions some to imprisonment and some to poverty and some to fly into other Countries to the destruction of their Callings and Trading and the hands industriousnes of such people will be weakned in these Kingdomes if they cannot enjoy their just liberties in temporal and spiritual cases and the effects thereof will work wofully in this very respect even to disenable both the hearts and hands of Husbandmen and Trades and expose these Nations to want and poverty and to enrich their enemies 13. Consider if liberty of Conscience be denied and persecution be introduced about the same all these and many more woful Consequencies and effects wil follow infallably to the ruin of these Kingdoms even Wars and Bloodsheds and discontents and Murmurings and all evil things will be the product of the aforesaid cause viz. of denying liberty of Conscience in Religious matters for in a word it will tend to and may effect the overthrow of you and ruin your Government and Authority for the great and mighty God of Heaven and Earth will be provoked against you and his wrath will go out like a devouring flame upon you if that ye limit the Holy One and will not suffer him to exercise his proper right in being King in mens Consciences to exercise them in all the waies of his Worship and matters of his Kingdom but do oppresse impose and persecute about the same This I say will infallibly work the Kingdoms ruin and expose You and your Government to the indignation of the Holy Lord God who is tender of his Honour and will not give it to another and he loveth and affecteth the cause of such whose Consciences are truly tender towards him and though ye persecute such and seek to destroy them and for a time exercise great afflictions and oppressions upon them for the matters of their Conscience yet the God of Heaven will appear for such in his season and deliver them and avenge their persecutors And therefore all ye Rulers consider and lay these things to heart least ye provoke the Lord against you by destroying the People whom he regards and that not for evil doing but for the cases of Conscience and because they cannot relinquish their profession and principles of their Religion and bow and conform in things against their light and knowledge 14. Consider If ye allow not Liberty of Conscience what exceeding danger ye run your selves into even to dest roy just men and righteous as Heriticks and erroneous and may promote Hereticks as Church-members both which are great abominations in the sight of God and this danger ye bring upon your selves for ye are not infallible Judges who are Hereticks and who are not and therefore may easily proceed in that way to punish such as Hereticks that are not truly so and except ye could affirm and prove your possession of the infallible Spirit ye can no way proceed justly and reasonably to deny Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion nor punish and persecute any in that case but if ye do ye do it in ignorance and knows not what ye do and may as soon destroy true Christians and Saints as Hereticks for want of infallible judgment to discern who are and who are not and this is a danger ye ought to avoid by allowing the free exercise of Conscience as the Lord perswades every mans heart 15. And lastly also consider what a reproach you are under If such whom ye call Hereticks and yet doth not infallibly know that they are such be punished and persecuted and destroyed for their Religion sake who are just and upright men in their conversing between man and man and unreprovable in their dealings among men whether they erre in judgment in spiritual knowledge or not erre and such as are drunkards and prophane persons go at liberty in their stage-playing and gaming and the like even tolerated and unpunished and not prohibited whom all do know can distinguish who such are when they appear this will render your Government to evil reputation both in this present time and in ages to come and therefore consider it if Drunkards Gamesters and prophane persons have more toleration and liberty in their wayes of open vanity then sober temperate persons in the exercise of their Consciences in Religion which if any such do erre in principle which is not infallibly known to you it is onely to their own hurt in the sight of God and he onely and not you ought to punish them in that case but prophane persons as afore-mentioned are easily judged by all to be such and their errour in practise is hurtful to the whole Kingdoms and pertains to you to punish as Dr. Taylor now a Bishop in Ireland hath said his words in this case are worth observing why are we so zealous saith he against those we call Hereticks and yet great friends with Drunkards and Swearers and Fornicators and intemperate and idle persons I am certain a Drunkard is as contrary to God and lives as contrary to the Laws of Christianity as a Heretick and I am also sure that I know what Drunkennesse is but I am not sure that such an opinion is heresie c. And these things I do in all meeknesse and due respect both to your places and persons present to your serious considerations that ye may prevent these evil effects that are so destructive unto you and these Kingdoms which absolutely must follow upon not allowing free Liberty of Conscience in the exercise of Religion and if any shall object That to tolerate and allow Liberty of Conscience in Religion is inconsistent with the safety and peace of the King and these Kingdoms I shall be desirous to hear from wise men what such objections are stated by them and wherein they say it is not Congruous with the happinesse and peace of these Nations to grant and allow the premises And on such occasion I should make clearly to appear the contrary and that it is only consistant with the peace and prosperity of these Kingdoms considering them in their present estate to grant and allow free liberty of Conscience as aforesaid in the exercise of Religion unto all Christian people O! remember ye mighty men of the Kingdom that the Great and Mighty God takes notice of all your doings and accordingly will he reward you in his dreadful day which is near to come upon all the World and wo unto the wicked in that day O! remember that ye your selves not long since were a suffering people and now you are raised up again And therefore be not too zealous to afflict others especially for the cases of their Consciences in reference to their faith and perswasions about Religion but be gentle meek and long-suffering towards all for that is the way to make peace and preserve it with all men that will gain the affections of the contrary minded but force and rigour will exasperate the more and never truly reconcile differences among men and make no Laws contrary or different to the pure Law of God but let pure Conscience go free without force or restraint in the exercises of Religion and let God have his Prerogative and Lordship in the exercise of Conscience but let your Authority be extended over the outward man in the matters between man and man to preserve peace and right in all outward relation and be Wise and Learned ye Rulers of the Earth and kisse the Son least he be angry and ye perish and if his wrath be kindled but a little blessed are they that trust in him This is your time and day happy are ye if it be given to you to do the work that God requires of you only The 26 th of the third Month 1661. THE END