them that they do whatever they do or say to the contrary nay tho' some have disallow'd even that and will no practise to the contrary please them does not the King of Spain the most Catholick King alive live as free from Rebellions I am asham'd to say more then the King of England is not the King of France as absolute as our own at Home as ready to quarrel with Rome upon the least diminution of his Right and to come homer to our selves have not our own Laws justl'd out this Jealousy with the Popes Pretentions in several †Vid. Stat. of Carlile of Provisoes c. Statutes under our Catholick Kings But besides their Principles as to their particular Practise and Behaviour have they not given England Proof enough they can live in it like good Subjects and if we put the Test of their Loyalty against That made to prevent Dangers from Popish Recusants I am afraid it will spoil all the Praeamble Gentlemen Matter of Fact confirms it and 't is in vain to dispute They Fought with You for CHARLES the FIRST in the Field and They alone Preserv'd the SECOND in the Royal Oak forsook their Fortune at Home and follow'd Him in his Exile Abroad The Best of Protestants could do no more tho' some might fare better that did not so much and their being among the Rebels is but a Libel of * This their Celebrated Dr. has made K. James 1. to curse his Posterity K. Charles 1. to betray his Friends Char. 2d to deceive his People James 2d to Oppress his Subjects as if He had laboured to ly under the Glorious Infamy of Libelling four Kings in one piece of Paper as if his Quarrel were too meanly commenc'd if it did not terminate in the lasting Reproach of our whole Scottish Line and he had better Authority to do it because himself a Scot and his Soveraign Lords were all at last to Suffer because his Master by him was at first Betray'd Vid. Paper page 12 36 23. 1. Burnet's both on the †How can this Establisht Church if it has any Veneration to the Dust of their Late Protestant Prince Deceas'd applaud approve of the Writings of such an Injurious Impostor that would have his Name Buried too and that tells them The greatest Kindness that can he done to His Memory is to Forget Him. page 23. KING's Declaration and them which is sufficiently Baffl'd by the well-known Story of Coll. Ashton who when refus'd by his KING was Courted into Commission by the Parliament which assoon as Receiv'd he Laid himself and That at His Majesties Feet This is as certain as that some Protestant Subjects were in Rebellion which if such a thing must Reflect on a Church I am afraid that will very much suffer and to say the National and Establish't Church did disown all such Proceedings will not much mend the Matter when so many of her Members were so mainly concern'd for tho' the Sectaries at last prevail'd for the subverting of the State the Commons of Forty-One that Commenc'd the Quarrel were generally Church-men and 't is not impossible for such to be Zealous and Discontented too neither is the Communion bound to answer for the faults of those members she Condemns the Lord Lieutenants that this Parliament chose were for the most part Conforming men and Essex's Army had many such Officers too some can tell us this for a truth that liv'd then and their Catalogue for the Militia makes it no ly 'T is too much to remember and too soon to forget that most of the Excluding Members were of that Communion as well as all the most Eminent Conspirators in the last Plot and Rebellion and even her Passive Obedience was Burlesque by one that publickly profest himself her son I speak it not for a disparagement to the Church that was then beyond dispute both in Principal and Practise faithful to the Crown but to satisfy such men that it is both imprudent and irrational for them to fling out such arguments as will fly in their face and as unjust to censure a whole Perswasion only for the fault of some of it's Professors for King-killing and deposing to condemn a Catholick Communion and from the writings of a Jesuit to upbraid the Church of Rome and that in Terms too bitter for a Prayer to make their Religion to be Rebellion and their Faith Faction And so much for the Reason of a Legal Toleration and General Comprehension Now to shew too that the Members of the Church Establisht ought to be willing to get it Done And that 2d It is fittest for Them to do it And first they must remember that by themselves these Laws were made and as a learned Lawyer lets us know that he is the best Judg of a Law that has the Power to make it so we may say those that make it when it happens to become unreasonable are the Fittest to get it Repeal'd if the Prelates are become less riged if the Spirit of Persecution is turn'd into a Spirit of Peace if they make no matter of Conscience to give Indulgence what greater proof can they give of all this then by their own voluntary Cancelling those severe Laws which themselves must own for some considerations of State were only made This would be a much better evidence of their more mercifull disposition then all the Promises of T. W. It will be no such scandal tho' it be true when all that can be said is You were overseen Length of time and revolution of affairs tell People at last their long errors tho commonly too late and then for the most part make men wise when they cannot make amends for their folly But Fortune seems to favour you now and puts it in your Power to mend all that was amiss she seems to Court your Inclinations and tempt you to Credit your selves Gratify your KING and Pleasure all In the next Place I hope it will be as plain That 3d It is their Interest so to do First because 't is they themselves that have asserted the Kings Power in Eclesiasticals to be such that it may be much to their detriment to Provoke such a Prince whom they by Law have made so Powerful neither is it such a Childish reason that it must be dally'd with or laught out of doors as an Author does it with * Vid. Tryal of the New Test page 6. a Legal Establishment even whilst it remains so legally subverted It may be done Sir without such a deal of Contradiction when People make Laws that Contradict themselves if Popish Recusants are so dangerous that they must not be Tolerated in England by a Law and we have such Laws that set the King as Supream to do whatsoever the Pope could have done Papists may well expect to be Protected from such a Catholick King and perhaps Protestants owe to His Promises most of their Security the Review of their first-Fruits to the
the Galleys they are not gon so far yet as for professing to make it Death How quietly do those peaceable Countries Flourish where at this time for Conscience there is no Oppression at all The celebrated Dr. ought to have Magnify'd that too as well as the Misery of those places where any Persecution reigns The Protestant and Popish Churches I 've seen stand very Quietly together in most of the * Mastrich Breda c. frontier Towns of Holland and in the Dominions of several PRINCES of Germany and the Magistracy by * Heidelberg Ausburg nd Duseldorp By the Treaty at Munster Osnabrugh turns Executed by the two different Perswasions without any Laws for Hanging or Burning one another and 't is sure no Bad President if we only take Example by our Protestant Neighbours But as some of our Laws are sanguinary for Matters of meer Religion so there are others that are less severe tho' as inconsistent with the Charity of a Church or the Quiet of a State such as Fines Confiscations and Imprisonments and what Inconveniences they have brought upon the Nation in general as well as the poor Sufferers in particular we have touch't upon before and now as needless to relate The Discovery of those vast Summs of which the KING is defrauded may hereafter make appear what was Extorted from the Subject to the Enriching of some Knaves and the Ruine of more Honest Families But the pressing the Reasonableness of it so much seems almost unnecessary when the most invisible Commissioner from the Church that is so Concern'd comes up so far as to countenance with his Celebrated Reasonings the Vnreasonableness of these severe Sanctions by seeming so willing to Suspend them for the sake of some Dissenters not others shall this be taken for Reason too sure the Universities will teach him better Logick I know the Aphorisms of their Schools in some Sence say That of Contraries there is the same Reason but sure they won't make it out in Contradictories too Is then Tolleration is the Repealing of the Laws Reasonable for the sake of some Dissenters and not others I don't know what they fear of Arbitrary Power I am sure this is Arbitrary Reasoning and but little better than none at all The Letter might have been a little more Contracted to say much in a little and all the solidity of his mighty Argument made up into one syllogism i. e. It is but Iust that all the Penal Laws for Religion should be Repeal'd but that all Penal Laws for Religion should be Repeal'd is not Iust Ergô The Laws against the Roman Catholicks c. If there be any Contradiction in the Terms and Premises who can help it for certainly suffering for Religion must be the same to All whatever are the Professors of it and if we once grant it unreasonable to some then presently to all unprejudic'd Reason untainted with Interest and Art it must conclude Vniversally and extend to All and I know these Barbarcus Logicians know so too and include in it both Turk and Jew and any thing that 's Pagan unless it be Mr. Johnsons the * Vid. His Popery Paganism Papist Are then the Roman Catholicks no Dissenters or are they Dissenters with you worse than Infidels for it seems for the Christian Protestant Dissenters the Circumcis'd Dissenters the Mahometan Dissenters and the Pagan Dissenters these Persecuting Laws are too Cruel and Severe May * By 1 Eliz. 3 Jac. 25 Car. 2d 30. They are deny'd Office. they are debar'd from Sitting in Parliament to which they are Born. Birthright * By 35 Eliz. 3 Jac. They are forbid the Court Company Towns City Humanity * By 31. Eliz 13 Jac. 3. Car. 1. Their Assurances Wills. Legacies Trusts Voided Goods confiscated Estates forfeited and Property be concern'd in the Case and made Motives to the removing of what is * By 1 Eliz. 3 Jac. 25 Car. 2d 30. They are deny'd Office. they are debar'd from Sitting in Parliament to which they are Born. Injurious * By 35 Eliz. 3 Jac. They are forbid the Court Company Towns City Scandalous or * By 31. Eliz 13 Jac. 3. Car. 1. Their Assurances Wills. Legacies Trusts Voided Goods confiscated Estates forfeited Prejudicial to them and cannot Roman Catholicks come in for a share by * By 1 Eliz. 3 Jac. 25 Car. 2d 30. They are deny'd Office. they are debar'd from Sitting in Parliament to which they are Born. Birth by * By 35 Eliz. 3 Jac. They are forbid the Court Company Towns City Nature or * By 31. Eliz 13 Jac. 3. Car. 1. Their Assurances Wills. Legacies Trusts Voided Goods confiscated Estates forfeited common Equity or are Papists not Born to the * By 1 Eliz. 3 Jac. 25 Car. 2d 30. They are deny'd Office. they are debar'd from Sitting in Parliament to which they are Born. Priviledges of Society are they all * By 35 Eliz. 3 Jac. They are forbid the Court Company Towns City Beasts or all * By 31. Eliz 13 Jac. 3. Car. 1. Their Assurances Wills. Legacies Trusts Voided Goods confiscated Estates forfeited Beggars and truly if we may trust some descriptions not long since applauded they have set them out but little better Sure this is not the way for continuing the Fame of that Church for being alway on the * Vid. Tryal of the New Test page 1. Charitable side toward Papists this will instead of having her Charity mistaken shew that she mistakes her Charity It would be a more Charitable Act for this Church by way of an expedient to get one Statute to pass for making the Papists Perfect Out-Laws i. e. as my Ld. Coke expounds it to be hunted like Woolfes then to keep Twenty-four in Force for their Confusion Death and Destruction How can it be answer'd either to God or Man when by so publick an Act as a National Repeal you declare that to make men suffer for Religion is Barbarous and Inhuman and at the same time you leave upon Record the severest of those sufferings in their fullest force this is filing up such a lasting reproach to your selves that you would seem to take care lest time should take it off and the Infamy fail to be transmitted to posterity But as by Nature and Charity they must come in for a Common Share so I see no reason of State no Civil Concern that Obliges you to keep them out 't is but a bad argument of the Clergy as often as 't is us'd when from the Popes Supremacy they make all Papists such mortal Enemies to all Monarchs they might as well prove that by their own swearing to obey their Metropolitan they part with their Allegiance to the King of England and so set Lambeth too against Whitehall 'T is profest by them All they acknowledg no other Power of the Pope but in Spirituals and Protestants will tell
upon the Dutch themselves for certainly were these Penal Laws so favourable as only to incapacitate them for Office and Trust yet even that is a severity which they are necessitated to suffer and that for Conscience sake it is but a poor extenuation of an uncharitable temper when he tells us that for some Political ends these Laws for Religion must remain unrepeal'd as if the Sacraments themselves were only made to be subservient to some Civil Institutions and the God of Heaven but an instrument to work out the inventions of man if meerly for secular ends so sacred a being as the Drity it self must be so solemnly invok't which the best Advocates for the cause do seem to confess I am afraid such an Invocation may be worse than that to Saints and be at least very profane if not Idolatrous neither can it be answer'd us that then all Declarations all Oaths must be laid aside for the Consequence fails them too for the Common reason of Imposing them is only or only should be for the detecting of Justice and Equity the discovering of truth from falsehood whereas these Protestations call'd Tests are by their own Confession kept a foot only to be Injurious to their fellow-Subjects that are Equitably born to the Common Priviledges of their Country and are so far from a discovery of what is true or false that they are made about matters so profoundly divine and mysterious that it is morally impossible for human understanding to discover or find it out unless the swearing to an Article of Faith be found a sufficient proof of the soundness of the Doctrine and the books of Scripture Antient Fathers modern Criticks can be all Confuted or be better Expounded by the Votes of an house of Commons This States-man makes it so Incomprehensible for any that profess Vid. Letter themselves Christians to go to disturb the quiet of a state and over-turn Constitutions only that they may be admitted to employments And pray must not others then think it as Vnchristian to have the professors of the same faith and their fellow-Subjects excluded from such employs which as their Religion cannot really debar them from so their very Native Birth-right demands it it is false in fact tho they take it for granted that it is the Roman-Catholicks alone that do so disturb and disquiet the State of the Kingdom it is only these Laws that create all this disturbance to them and the state these establisht-men would have been loath under the Oppression of Oliver to have merited the Name of disturbers of the Nation and 't is shewn before that suffering from a power Legal or Vsurpt is still the same where the Laws are oppressive and if the Overturning of old Constitutions be a thing of that consideration tho hardly a Parliament passes in which there are not new ones made if that I say be such a considerable argument as to make it absolutely necessary for our English Catholiques to acquiesce to continue Out-Laws more incapacitated them some Protestant Aliens how destructive must this be to the Protestant Interest should the Romanists take an opportunity to return upon us an old Law of the Romans that of Talionis and exclude all the Reform'd from Trust with a Test of Retaliation why we must submit we must not endeavour for our Restitution we must not disturb the state overturn establishment or repeal Laws And must not we look very silly too when by our own Arguments we have silenc'd our selves What a formidable blow will this give to the Reformation in England which was carried on as some say by the overturning of all that was Antient and Establisht Sacred and Civil both in Church and State and afford them a Scurvy Argument That they may overturn with a better warrant than they were turn'd out that their alterations will be only a restoring of an old establishment whereas we overturn'd that to set up new Constitutiens In short if they bring no better Reasons for our Religion than its being so much Establisht it will certainly resolve it self into the Power and Pleasure of the Prince and really be what they so scornfully reject truly * Vid. Oxford Reasons Precarious for surely they must see that assoon as they had a Protestant King they presently had their Protestant Religion And that in spite of far more Antient Constitutions and Establishments to the contrary I 'le grant him that every constituted body or Assembly whatsoever will be willing to make Laws for its own safety and Preservation But whatever be the Policy of the State it must be still agreeable to the Rules of Reason and Equity otherwise it proves no more than that all things are Lawful that are Expedient and that a Common-wealth to use his own terms as well as their own Constitution tho the result of an absolute rebellion revolt and defection from their Prince may make what Laws they please to prevent any Casual return to there natural Allegiance or that an Assembl'd or tumultuous People may pull in pieces even a Pensioner to provide against attempts thaet may disturb their peace and granting too that in Political bodies like to those that are truly natural there will be alway somwhat of innate tenderness to their own Preservation that genuin Principle only respects all opposing of a forreign force and no way determines it to domestick oppression no more than if the lazy man that is said alway to see the Lyon in the way should cut off one of his legs that he might the better run away with the rest of his carkass I am sorry I can say that this dismembring of our selves for the difference of Communion at home does no less expose us to Invasions from abroad but I am sure the saying is as certainly True prov'd by Experience Fact unavoidable from these Statutes and the Laws for should the best Seaman the best Souldier by his birth or Conversion be a Papist Convict he is totally incapacitated utterly impossible to do the least service to the Kingdom or the Crown and why should these Dutch people put that upon us the inconvenience of which they see in themselves and take all the care to avoid unless they would Vid. Letter have the more of the Kings Subjects unqualify'd to fight for him only that they might the sooner invade him Before the making of our first Test * 1673. when Papists Participated of Employments had their Places in Parliament I cannot remember that they did Impeach our Peace I am sure some of them did us signal service in the Dutch Wars his foes felt too much of the force of the Admiral and so may well fear the Preferment of his friends What the Reform'd Religion suffers from the roman-Roman-Catholicks in France is no reason at all against the repealing of Vid. Letter these Laws in England unless they can prove the disposition of the Princes and the Politicks of the Two States to be