as they can for their own Use without sending them to your Field of Honour Upon what pretence do you claim the Christian Privilege of marking Men out to destruction I suppose you will justify your self by saying that the Doctrine which you would have Penally established is contained in the Articles of the Church of England but to make good this Point 't will be necessary for you to show that the Convocation which drew up the 39 Articles were priviledged from Error and had a just Authority over the Faith of all Englishmen in their succeeding Generations But on the contrary 't is evident even to you as appeareth by your Complaint of the Increase of Arminianism that the present Clergy do very much vary from some Doctrines contain'd in the 39 Articles And have not the present Clergy in Convocation as much right to repeal as the former to declare Articles and may not a future Clergy declare contrary to the present so that were we as well built as the Antediluvian Patriarchs we were not like to reach their Years but must be forc'd to breath our last in your Field of Honour should the Parliament of every Age penally establish the Clergy-Opinions unless we could conform to their successive contrary Sentiments The Protestants agree with the Papists that the Word of God is the Rule of Faith the Difference is about the Interpreter of this Rule The Papists depend upon the Interpretation of Authority whilst the Protestants rely upon their own Reason with all the helps it can get for the Interpretation of Holy Scripture but do not submit to any Antient Writers besides the Inspired as Masters of their Faith And why should we do otherwise The Fathers had no more Right to interpret Scripture for themselves or future Generations than we have to interpret it for our selves or Successors or future Ages for themselves and those who shall come after them Upon these Principles I cannot see what Obligation lieth upon the present Parliament in 1697 from the Authority of the Convocation held Anno 1562 to establish the Articles so long since agreed upon under the penalty of Sanguinary Laws But suppose the Article of the Trinity the first of the 39 were established upon pain of Death I do not see any certain danger that will from thence arise to the Unitarians The Article is this There is but one Living and True God Everlasting without Body Parts or Passions of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible and in Vnity of this Godhead there be three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Now the Unity and Nature of God with all his Attributes declared in the former part of this Article they are known to believe the Belief of the three Persons is the only thing they can be questioned upon And if their Trial should proceed upon the words contain'd in the latter part of the Article they are safe for by some of their late Prints I perceive that they for peace sake submit to the Phrase of the Church and expresly own three Persons c. tho they think the word Person not so proper as another word might be But if their Trial must proceed upon the Sense of this latter part of the Article the Event will be doubtful because 't will depend on the Judg his desining the word Person If the three Persons should be defined by three distinct Minds Spirits or Substances the Unitarian will be cast but if Person be defined by Mode Manifestation or outward Relation he will be acquitted and where is the Blasphemy in disowning three infinite distinct Minds and Spirits I pray consider who are those you call blasphemous Socinians whom you would put to death they believe all the Articles of the Apostles Creed which was heretofore thought a full and sufficient Summary of Faith they believe the Law of Christ contained in the 4 Gospels to be the only and everlasting Rule by which they ought to live here and by which they shall be judged hereafter 'T is the Principle of these Men to fear the Lord of Heaven and Earth and to walk humbly before him as likewise thankfully to lay hold on the Message of Redemption by Christ Jesus and they strive to express their Thankfulness by the Sincerity of their Obedience to the Law of Christ upon which account they are heartily sorry when they come short of their Duty and walk more watchfully in the denial of themselves holding no Correspondency with any Lust or known Sin 'T is their Principle to be just in their Actions charitable to all Men and sincere in their Devotions and to have their Hope and Conversation in Heaven Now suppose these Men after serious Consideration should not be convinced of a Trinity of Infinite Minds and Spirits each of which is a God and suppose they could believe nothing whereof they have no Idea 't is hard to revive the Writ de Haeretico comburendo for their sakes when they believe all things contained in the first Article of the Church of England and all the Articles contain'd in the Apostles Creed and sincerely endeavour to lead quiet and peaceable Lives in all godly Conversation and Honesty It may be after all you will say that the Socinians do not believe what is declared in the Gospel concerning the Trinity and Incarnation but rather oppose it and therefore their Doctrine is blasphemous and they deserve Death I confess this is the Pretence under which every Party of Christians when in Power destroys one another by turns Bonner said the Doctrine of Transubstantiation was plainly revealed in Scripture this Opinion of Bonner Latimer oppos'd and was therefore sent to the Field of Honour for what for denying Scripture says Bonner which expresly declares This is my Body Now in this particular Case every Protestant sees that Bonner's Accusation of Latimer for denying Scripture was but a meer Pretence to uphold his Power and cover his Malice Latimer own'd the Scripture as much as Bonner and believed the Divine Authority of that particular Expression This is my Body as much as he the Matter in difference was not the Text but the Interpretation which the one held to be literal the other figurative so that Latimer was not burnt for disbelieving the Scripture but for disbelieving and in words opposing that Interpretation of it which Bonner and the Roman Clergy gave out So Mr. Gailhard under the Banner of the Church of England may cite Texts of Scripture to prove his own Notion of the Trinity Incarnation c. and upon this he will charge the Unitarians with Blasphemy and an heretical Opposition to Holy Scriptures whereas the Unitarians are convinced of the Truth and Authority of the Scriptures as much as he is The Matter in difference is only this the Unitarians do not interpret the Scripture as he doth nor do they therefore infer from the Text so
of England Besides this too a Man cannot foresee what will come to pass and so a Doctrine which at one time may be convenient may be otherwise when Circumstances of Times shall alter As suppose all the Lay-men of England had subscribed only the 35th Article of our Church which is The two Books of Homilies contain godly and wholsome Doctrine necessary for these Times and suppose in these Books of Homilies we shall read these Doctrines viz. The High Power and Authority of Kings with their making of Laws Judgments and Offices are the Ordinances not of Man but of God that all Persons owe even in Conscience Obedience Submission and Subjection to them as being God's Lieutenants God's Presidents God's Officers God's Commissioners God's Judges 1st part of the Sermon of Obedience And suppose in the second part of the same Sermon we should read these Words Christ taught us plainly that even the wicked Rulers have their Power and Authority from God and therefore it is not lawful for the Subjects to withstand them altho they abuse their Power Suppose I say we Lay-men had subscribed to these Doctrines as necessary for these Times had we not consented to the total Subversion of our Laws and Liberties to the Slavery of Europe and the Destruction of the Protestant Interest throughout the World Howbeit since General Councils for as much as they be an Assembly of Men whereof all be not governed by the Spirit and Word of God may err and sometimes have erred even in things pertaining unto God as is declared in the 21st Article of our Church 't is no Heresy for us Laymen to believe that Convocations have erred in Doctrines necessary for these Times and may err in Doctrines necessary for any Times and from hence it will be no Heresy to conclude that a Parliament may err should they establish the Convocation-Doctrines upon the Foot of Sanguinary Laws There is one Reason yet remaining why there is no need of making new Penal Laws even against blasphemous Socinians which is because there are Laws already in force against Blasphemers of all Sorts or Sects whatsoever without any Proviso that the blasphemous Socinians as your Title-page speaks shall be exempted from the Penalty And 't is only your Title-page and Preface which I have in this Letter considered not at all designing to dispute with you in behalf of the Socinian or of the Unitarian Doctrines my only Aim herein being to shew some Reasons why it was not necessary for the Parliament to enact Sanguinary Laws against those who differ from you in Opinion The ill-natur'd Turn of your Title-page and the malicious and persecuting Design of your Preface convinced me that if we may believe our Saviour Christ you know neither the Father nor his Son Thus our Lord Jesus taught his Disciples John 16. 2d 3d Verses That they should be put out of the Synagogues and that the Time should come that whosoever killeth them should think that he doth God service and these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Now Sir if he who would stir up a Persecution against those who sincerely endeavour to know and do the Will of God as 't is revealed by Jesus Christ knoweth neither the Father nor the Son I did from thence conclude that the Holy Ghost who proceedeth from the Father and the Son was also unknown to him and for this Reason I thought you an unsit Writer in behalf of the Trinity and therefore did not so much as read over your Book A Second Letter to Mr. Gailhard SIR I Am thinking whether ought more to be reverenc'd the Noble Names of Vere and Sidney whose martial Skill and well-tried Valour made havock of their Country's Enemies abroad when the Good and Gracious Elizabeth rul'd and lov'd her loving People or of Bonner and Gardner whose slaming Zeal made Bonfires of Hereticks at home under the dire Auspices of her persecuting Sister Indeed once I was of opinion that the Memory of the bloody Bishops had been justly hated and curs'd and did deserve to be and was like to be hated and curs'd for ever but I am now tempted to despise the Conquering Heroes with all their Civic Crowns and proud triumphant Wreaths of Lawrel as Men that fought only their Country's not the Lord's Battels But that Man has a Heart illi Robur Aes triplex that can without weak Remorse of Conscience murder his dislenting Fellow-Citizen and bravely burn his misbelieving Brother at a Stake With a world of School-Cant which now a days goes for deep Learning and ill-applied Fragments of Scripture after the Example of no very good Master but Fas est ab Hoste doceri the thrice Orthodox Mr. J. Gailhard Gent. labours to kindle this religious merciless Fire in the Breasts of the Parliament of England to that end therefore he offers them for a Field of Honour not Flanders but Smithfield for making good the former they have 't is true happily provided Capitation and Land-Tax Tunnage and Excises but as Fate would have it they are rose without the least Care of but so much as Brush-wood for the latter Mr. Gailhard had rather they had been blown up It is a Fault to do the Work of the Lord negligently but not to do it at all to leave the good necessary and great Work of burning Hereticks wholly on the Hands of Providence is a great Disappointment for Fire does not fall from Heaven every day and it troubles Mr. Gailhard's righteous Soul the more because he does not know but God may forgive the Hereticks for his part he will forgive nor them nor the Parliament But by his favour are not the Parliament of England to be excused tho they have taken no care about sending Mr. Gailhard's Enemies to the Devil for they were prorogu'd by his Majesty's Order as soon as they had done their King and Country every other needful Service Why then let the King look to 't from whom to say Truth no better could be expected as having declar'd when he accepted the Crown that He would not be obliged to be a Persecutor He thinks himself too good to do the persecuting Drudgery of any Body of bloody-minded right or wrong Believers if He can but defend the Liberties of Europe from the Tyrant of France and teach his own Subjects of different Perswasions to live amicably together that 's all he cares for Nay 't is long of the King too that Parliaments are summon'd and sit annually without Convocations A Convocation would have consider'd as Mr. Gailhard observes that time is short and uncertain and if not well improv'd for the burning of Hereticks the Opportunity may happen to be irrecoverably lost for Mr. Gailhard judiciously notes That to time things well is one of the best parts of Prudence and he acutely adds one of the most essential Circumstances of our Actions Whence I learn these four things 1. That Human Actions have their
AN APOLOGY FOR THE PARLIAMENT Humbly Representing To Mr. JOHN GAILHARD SOME REASONS why they did not at his Request enact Sanguinary Laws against PROTESTANTS in their last Session In two Letters by different Hands LONDON Printed in the Year MDCXCVII An Apology for the Parliament Mr. Gailhard SINCE your Zeal for the Glory of God was so fervent that in your Prefatory Epistle to the Honourable Houses of Parliament you could not forbear instructing them in their Duty of enacting new Sanguinary Laws against Protestants and since you were also pleased to assist them with the Precedent of Bartholomew Legat who was burnt in Smithfield A. D. 1611. for Socinianism I expected that the Honourable Houses would have returned you their Address of Thanks for the Honour you designed 'em especially since you are pleased to tell them that in this your Advice you had offered 'em a Field of Honour Smithfield has indeed been a Field of Honour to many who have suffered Martyrdom in it under the Character of Hereticks but what Honour the Parliament would gain by reviving the Writ upon which they were burnt I leave to their Consideration My Study shall be to pay you the Thanks which is due to you from all good English Freeholders for the pious Instructions you were pleased to bestow upon their Body Representative and to excuse that Honourable Assembly who seem to have neglected both you and your Instructions First I acknowledg that in an especial manner you have merited from the Honourable House of Commons and whole Nation that you were pleased so far to bridle your Zeal as to postpone the Glory of God to the Capitation Land-Tax Tunnage and Excises You say that you would not interrupt these Affairs and therefore you would not publish your Book till they were dispatched But if after this they should have sat till Midsummer to have qualified themselves for fighting your Battels in your Field of Honour 't is generally thought they might not have added to the Honour they have already obtained by the necessary Funds they have given the Reason is because those Funds were designed by them to preserve England from Spiritual Tyranny which your Project does actually introduce and therefore I most humbly beg that some small Portion of that sweet good Nature which overflows your Dedication and Preface may be spent in pardoning his Majesty for dismissing the Parliament from Westminster and preferring their Service in the Country before their further Attendance upon your gracious Motions In the next place I return you Thanks in behalf of your Brethren the Roman Catholicks who have always shewed the same burning Zeal with your self for the Glory of God that tho you frown a little upon them yet you do not join them who worship so many Idols in the same perilous Circumstances with the Unitarians who worship but one God It must be own'd to your free Grace also that the Jews come off with a chiding but are not design'd for a Burnt-Offering tho they blaspheme the Name of the Lord Jesus by whose Mediation alone the Unitarians expect to be recommended to the Mercy of God and I beg your Pardon that I make a small Excursion to congratulate the Turks who acknowledg but one Person to be God that they take care to encamp themselves at a convenient Distance from your Field of Honour Having thus with due Respect bespoke your gracious Favour 't is convenient to offer some Reasons towards giving you Satisfaction in the grand Point viz. why the Parliament at your Request did not in their last Session enact Sanguinary Laws against the Unitarians And truly Sir the first Reason came into my Thoughts with a Fear lest the Honourable Members should not have so much as read over your Book I have dipp'd into it here and there and by what I have staged over I think it an extraordinary large Treatise considering the Quantity of Matter contained in it so that he must be a Man of great Leisure and extraordinary Patience who will go through with it But if any worthy Member should have had the Application to have read and considered your Book he must thereby be convinced that there could be no need to make Penal Laws to suppress that Heresy since it can't be supposed that any Man should be so obstinate as to continue an Unitarian after that the Depth of your Learning the Height of your Fancy the Closeness of your Reasonings the Brightness of your Eloquence the Clearness of your Stile and the numerous Citations of Scripture-phrases have been so strenuously exerted for their Conviction I dare prophesy that he who reads your Book will be convinced of Mysteries viz. such things as are not intelligible to Men of Sense and Reason nay by the very Preface a Man may be convinced that you your self are no small Mystery who pretend to be a Protestant Persecutor And this very Mystery if well considered will suggest to you another Reason why this Parliament consisting of Protestant Members could not so well comply with your Desires as a House pack'd by K. James might have done and therefore Sir since things are as they are it had not been amiss for you to have considered the Difference between the Popish and Protestant Principle before you had addressed your late Dedication to the Parliament The Papists say that since the Word of God is so obscure and mysterious that great Controversies have arisen and are still increasing concerning the very fundamental Articles of our Faith 't is necessary there should be an Infallible Judg to determine finally all such doubtful Cases in whose Sentence all Christians are bound to acquiesce They assert the Pope in Council to be this Judg appointed by God and from thence conclude that they who refuse his infallible Sentence are obstinate Hereticks and deserve to be put to Death On the contrary the Protestants cannot find that God appointed any such Infallible Judg nor can they see any need of such a one because the Scriptures are plain enough so plain that any honest-minded Man of common Sense may understand all things there which are needful for him to his Soul's health Now Sir our Right Honourable and Honourable Houses of Parliament consisting of Protestants you could not easily suppose that they would vary so far from the Principles of the Reformation as to think that God had given us an obscure Rule of Faith or to think themselves the Infallible Interpreters of that Rule if it were obscure and hereupon 't was unlikely that they should impose their Sense of God's Word upon the Nation under those severe Penalties which you require and since you were not pleased to shew them any Judg more infallible than your self whose Sense they should enact methinks in modesty at least you might excuse the Parliament for permitting poor Protestants who are dutiful Subjects to our Rightful King William who are Lovers of their Country and live well with their Neighbours to interpret the Scriptures as well