A Peace-Offering IN AN APOLOGY and humble PLEA FOR INDULGENCE AND LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE By sundry PROTESTANTS differing in some things from the PRESENT ESTABLISHMENT about the Worship of GOD. Ambigua de Religione Capita quae plurimum habere videntur obscuritatis tantis tamdiu animis decertata apud Sapientes hoc fere Certum reliauerunt nusquam minus inveniri veritatem quam ubi Cogitur Assensus Hugo Grotius Exiguam sedem sacris littusque rogamus Innocuum cunctis undamque auramque patentem LONDON Printed in the Year 1667. THE infinitely Wise and Holy GOD who disposeth of all things according to the counsel of his own Will having designed our portion in the World unto the latter dayes thereof wherein besides those difficulties which in all Ages attend them who are called unto the search and profession of the Truths of the Gospel we are forewarned of sundry Evils peculiar unto them rendring them perilous as it is our duty to apply our selves to serve his good pleasure in our Generation without repining at that station which in his work he hath allotted unto us so also diligently to take care that we add not unto the Evils of the dayes wherein we live and that what we may be called to suffer in them according to his Will may not be lost unto his holy Ends and Purposes in the World but some way or other redound unto his Glory What shall befall us in the course of our Pilgrimage how we shall be disposed of as to our outward temporary concernments as it is not in our power to order and determine so neither ought to be in our care so as that we should be anxiously solicitous thereabouts All things of that nature belong unto his soveraign Pleasure who will make them work together for good to them that love him Resting in his Will as to our outward state and condition in this world with that of the Times and Seasons wherein our Lot is fallen which he hath put in his own power we shall endeavour in reference thereunto to possess our Souls in patience waiting for that day which shall manifest every mans work of what sort it is And we know that it is but yet a little while before it will be no grief of heart unto us for to have done or suffered any thing for the Name of the Lord Jesus according to his mind and will For whereas we are well assured that the old Enemy of Mankind who is sometimes awake and sowing of Tares whilst Men sleep is never so far asleep whilst any are endeavouring to sow the good seed of the Gospel as not to stir up an opposition to their work and to labour the ruine of their persons so we believe that every sincere endeavour to promote the holy Truths and Wayes of God according to that measure of Light which he is pleased graciously to impart unto any of the Sons of Men is accepted and owned by him who is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek him which is sufficient to secure their peace and consolation under all the evils that on the account of their work they may conflict withal Neither is it a small alleviation of any trouble that we may be exposed unto that no pretence colour reason or arguings for our sufferings no means wayes or kinds of them no ends unto them can possibly be invented proposed pursued but what we are fully forewarned of that so we might not at any time think our selves surprized as though some strange thing had happened unto us This then is our great concernment in the profession of Religion this that which we ought principally to attend unto namely To commend our Consciences unto God that in all sincerity and godly simplicity we exercise our selves in the Work that he calls us unto not corrupting his Word or staining our profession by a conversation unbecoming the holiness of the Gospel and for what may outwardly befall us though producing Heaviness and Sorrow for a season the last day will manifest to have been unspeakably more the concernment of other Men than our own It is therefore on this account and that duty which we owe unto all the Sons of Men especially those who in any place or degree have the rule and disposal of us in this world and the things thereof committed unto them that notwithstanding the hazard that attends us in the discharge of every duty of this kind we adventure to represent our Condition and desires unto all that endeavour to follow after Truth with Peace For as the Minds of Men are capable of no greater Perfection than what consists in receiving the whole Truth of the Gospel nor their Souls of greater blessedness than attends obedience thereunto so every mistake of it every prejudice against it every opposition unto it or any part of it are not only in themselves a corruption and debasement of the mind but are usually attended with consequents of greater Evils in and unto them by whom they are entertained And this condition oftentimes are men otherwise upright and wise cast into either by their own ingrafted prejudices or neglect of that severe disquisition after Truth which all the Sons of it are obliged unto or by suffering themselves to be imposed on by the suggestions of others who perhaps sacrifice their actings in and about the things of God to some secular and it may be very corrupt ends of their own Hence Truth and Innocency which cannot be oppressed but when cloathed with misrepresentations and calumnies have in all Ages been forced to suffer the sad effects of their mistakes who in the mean time professed highly an avowment of them So in particular the foundation of all the miseries that ever befell the Professors of the Truth of Christ since the day that the Name of Christian was known in the World and consequently of all that evil and confusion in the Earth which the Lusts of men have produced and the righteous Judgement of God inflicted have lain in general either in the ignorance of Men of the genuine nature and tendency of the Truth it self or in their credulity in giving credit unto those misrepresentations of it which it hath alwayes been the interest of many in the world to frame and promote Hence the Professors of Christianity and every particular way therein in their respective seasons and generations have esteemed it their duty not only unto Themselves to wave their imminent sufferings if it were the will of God thereby but unto Others also whom they judged to be engaged against God and his Truth in their persecution of them to declare freely and fully what it was that they did believe and practise and therein plead the equity and reasonableness of that deliverance which they aimed at of Themselves from suffering and of Others from sinning And herein had they before their eyes the Example of the Great Apostle of the Gentiles who with various success did oft times make use of the
a peculiar Objection against us it being the only Foundation of all others and only occasion of the difference about which we treat Had not a Law enjoyned the practice of some things in the Worship of God which according unto our present Light we cannot assent unto without ceasing to worship him for to worship him in our own thoughts against his mind and will is to prophane his Name and Worship had it not forbidden the exercise and discharge of some duties which we account our selves obliged unto by the Authority of God himself we had had no need to implore the clemency of our Governours to relieve us against that severity which we fear This then we acknowledge but withall to state this Difference upon its right foundation do solemnly in all sincerity protest before God his holy Angels and all the world That it is not out of any unwarrantable Obstinacy that we are conscious of unto our selves nor from any disaffection unto or dissatisfaction in the Government that God hath set over us but meerly from a sense of that account which we have one day to make before JESUS CHRIST the JUDGE of All that we cannot yield that compliance unto the Act for Uniformity which it requireth of us The Case then notwithstanding this prejudice is still the same Conscience towards God in the things of his own Worship is still and alone concerned whatever other pretences and reasonings may in this case be made use of as many are and ever were in the like cases and will so be the whole real cause of that severity which we humbly deprecate and only Reason lying against the Indulgence we desire is our Profession and Practice in the things that are not of this world but purely relating to the Revelation of the Mind and Worship of GOD. What-ever therefore men may plead pretend or urge of another nature we are so far conscious unto our own Integrity as to be fully satisfied in our minds That what-ever Dangers we may be in this matter exposed unto or what-ever we may be called to suffer it is all meerly for believing in God and worshipping of him according to what he hath been pleased to reveal of his mind unto us And as in this case it is not in the power of any of the sons of men to deprive us of that Consolation which an apprehension of the truth will afford unto them that sincerely and conscientiously embrace it so whether any men can commend their consciences to God according to the Rules of the blessed Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in our molestation and trouble we leave it unto all unprejudiced men to judge And that we may yet farther remove all grounds of mistake and obviate all other pretences against us we shall candidly declare the general Principles both of our Faith and Worship and then leave our condition what-ever it may be to the Judgment of him who hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the World in Righteousness of his Majesty whom he hath set over us in supream Power and of all other Persons whatever who have any sense of the Terror of the Lord the account we must make of serving Him according to what He is pleased to reveal of himself unto us the nature of things known only by Divine Revelation or of the infirm frail condition of Mankind in this World For the Faith which we profess and which we desire to walk according unto we need not insist upon the particular heads of it having some years since in our Confessions publickly declared is with the joynt consent of all our Churches neither do we own or avow any Doctrine but what is therein asserted and declared And we hope it will not be looked upon as an unreasonable Request if we humbly desire That it may receive a Christian charitable sedate consideration before it be condemned May we be convinced of any thing therein not agreeable unto the Scriptures not taught and revealed in them we shall be with the first in its rejection That this hath been by any as yet attempted we know not and yet are we judged censured and reproached upon the account of it So far are Men degenerated from that frame of Spirit which was in the Christians of old so far have they relinquished the wayes wherein they walk towards those who dissented from them Nor do we decline the Judgement of the Primitive Church being fully satisfied That we teach and adhere unto is as consonant unto the Doctrine thereof as that of any Church at this day in the World The four first General Councels as to what was determined in them in matters of Faith are confirmed by Law in this Nation which is all that from Antiquity hath any peculiar stamp of Authority put upon it amongst us This also we willingly admit of and fully assert in our Confession Neither doth the addition of ours disturb the Harmony that is in the Confessions of the Reformed Churches being in all material points the same with them and no otherwise differing from any of them in things of less importance than as they do one from another and as all Confessions have done since the first Introduction of their use into the Churches of God That which amongst them is of most special regard and consideration unto us is that of the Church of England declared in the Articles of Religion And herein in particular what is purely Doctrinal we fully embrace and constantly adhere unto And though we shall not compare our selves with others in Ability to assert teach and maintain it yet we cannot whilst we are conscious unto our selves of our Integrity in our cordial adherence unto it but bear with regret the Clamorous Accusations of some against us for departing from the Church of England who have not given that testimony of their adherence unto Its Doctrine which we have done and by the help of God shall continue to do It is true indeed there are some Enlargements in our Confession of the things delivered in the Thirty Nine Articles some Additions of things not expresly contained in them which we were necessitated unto for the full declaration of our Minds and to obviate that obloquy which otherwise we might have been exposed unto as reserving our Judgement in matters that had received great publick debate since the composure of those Articles But yet we are fully perswaded that there is not any proposition in our whole Confession which is repugnant unto any thing contained in the Articles or is not by just consequence deducible from them Neither were we the Authors of the Explanations or Enlargements mentioned there being nothing contained in them but what we have learned and been instructed in from the Writings of the most famous Divines of this Nation Bishops and Others ever since the Reformation which being published by Legal Authority have been alwayes esteemed both at home and abroad faithfully to represent the Doctrine of the Church of England
We have no new Faith to Declare no new Doctrine to Teach no private Opinions to Divulge no Point or Truth do we Profess no not one which hath not been declared taught divulged and esteemed as the common Doctrine of the Church of England ever since the Reformation If then we evince not the Faith we profess to be consonant unto the Scriptures the Doctrine of the Primitive Church of the four first General Councels the Confessions of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas and that in particular of the Church of England we shall acknowledge the Condition of Things in reference unto that Liberty which we humbly desire to be otherwise stated than hitherto we have apprehended But if this be the condition of our Profession as we hope it is manifest unto all Unprejudiced and Ingenious Persons to be who esteem it their Duty not to judge a matter of so great importance before they hear it We can hardly think that They give up Themselves to the Conduct of the Meek and Holy Spirit of CHRIST who are ready to breathe out Extirpation against us as to our Interest in this World for the profession of Those Principles in the things of God which They pretend to build their own Interests upon for another The NON-CONFORMITY then that we may be charged with being very remote from a dissent unto that Doctrine which is here publickly avowed and confirmed by Law it cannot but seem strange unto us that any should endeavour to cast us under the same severity with them who utterly renounce it and would entayl upon their Posterity on the forfeiture of all their Publick Rights as English-Men and benefit of their private Estates not only an adherence unto the Protestant Religion but a Precise and Determinate Judgement and Practice in things of very Little Concernment therein and of none at all as to publick Tranquility Would it not seem strange that a man might at as easie and cheap a rate renounce the Protestant Profession and the Fundamental Doctrines of the Church of England in things indispensably necessary to Salvation as to be mistaken or suspend his assent about things dark and disputable in their own nature and of very small importance which way soever they are determined So that Men in the embracing or refusal of them rebel not against that commanding Light of God set up in their hearts to rule them in His Name in that apprehension which they have of the Revelation of his Will which is unto them of great and eternal moment They are then only things relating unto Outward Order and Worship wherein our dissent from the present Establishment of Religion doth consist things about which there hath been variety of Judgement and difference in Practice from the days of the Apostles and probably will be so untill the end of the World For we find by experience that the late Expedient for the ending of differences about them by vindicating of them into the arbitrary disposal of every Church or those that preside therein in whose Determinations all persons are to acquiesce is so far from accomplishing the work whereunto it is designed that it contributes largely to their increase and perpetuation Our only guilt then is Our Not agreeing with others in those things wherein there never yet was an agreement among Christians Nor perhaps had they all that frame of Spirit in Moderation and mutual Forbearance which the Gospel requireth in them would it ever by any way needful that there should so be For our parts about these things we judge not other men nor do or ever did seek to impose our apprehensions on their Judgements or Practice What in them is agreeable unto Truth God knows and will one day declare Unto our present Light in the Revelation of His Will must our practice be conformed unless to please Men and secure our transitory perishing Concernments we intend to break his Bonds and cast away his Cords from us And that it may the better appear what is both our Judgement and Practice in and about these things unto what we have declared in the close of our Confession which we suppose they cannot reasonably and with satisfaction to their own Consciences wholly overlook who because thereof are ready to reflect with severe thoughts upon us we shall now only add The General Principles whereunto all that we profess or practise in these things is resolved And of them we humbly desire that a Christian and Candid Consideration may be had As supposing that to pass a Sentence of Condemnation against us for our dissent unto any thing without a previous weighing of the Reasons of that dissent is scarce suitable unto that Law whereby we are Men and engaged into Civil Societies As then Religion is publickly received and established in this Nation there are many outward Concernments of it relating unto Persons and Things that are disposed and regulated by and according to the Laws thereof Such is that which is called Power Ecclesiastical or Authority to dispose of those Affairs of the Church with coercive Jurisdiction which relates to the outward publick Concernments of it and the Legal interests of Men in them This we acknowledge and own to be vested in the Supream Magistrate the Kings Majesty who is the Fountain and Spring of all Jurisdiction in his own Kingdoms what-ever No power can be put forth or exercised towards any of his Subjects which in the manner or nature of its exertion hath the force of a Law Sentence or Jurisdiction or which as to the effect of it reacheth either their Bodies Estates or Liberties but what is derived from him and binding formally on that sole Reason and no otherwise Hence we have no Principle in the least seducing us to transgress against any of those Laws which in former dayes were looked on as safe Preservatives of the Protestant Religion and Interest in this Nation Did we assert a Forreign Power over his Majesties Subjects and claim an obedience from them in some such cases as might at our pleasure be extended to the whole that is due unto Him Did we or any of us by vertue of any Office we hold in the Church of God claim and exercise a Jurisdiction over the Persons of his Majesties Subjects in Form and Course of Law Or did we so much as pretend unto the exercise of any Spiritual Power that should produce effects on the Outward Man We might well fear left just offence should be taken against us But whereas the way wherein we worship God is utterly unconcerned in these things and we willingly profess the Spring of all Outward Coercive Jurisdiction to be in the Person of the Kings Majesty alone without the least intermixture of any other Power of the same kind directly or by consequence we cannot but say with confidence That it will be utterly impossible to convince us That on this account we are Offendors For the Worship of God and Order therein which is purely Spiritual and
be spiritual and in a spiritual manner only to be exercised 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. And because the Church might not seem to be disadvantaged by this disclamour of Power externally to coerce such as received not the truth that it embraced and to be cast into a worse condition than that of the Jews which went before whose Ordinances being carnal were established and vindicated by carnal Power St. Paul lets them know That this alteration is for the better and the coercion of miscarriages under the Gospel by threatnings of the future Judgment which would have a special respect unto them more weighty than the severest Penalties that were appointed by Moses Law Heb. 10. 28 29 30. Not that lesser Differences in apprehensions of the mind of God in his Word had any punishment assigned unto them under the Old Testament whose penalties concerned them only who turned away to the worship of any other god but the God of Israel and such no man pleads for But that the whole nature of the Ordinances and Worship of the Church being changed from carnal and earthly to heavenly and spiritual so also are the Laws of Rewards and Punishments annexed unto them These were the Rules this the Practice in this case of the Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. These Rules this Practice hath he recorded in his Word for our Instruction and Direction Might all those who profess Obedience unto his Name be prevailed on to regulate their judgments by them and square their proceedings unto them the Church of God would have peace and the work of God be effectually carried on in the world as in the days of old And for our parts we will never open our mouthes to deprecate any severity that may be warranted from the Gospel or Apostolical direction and practice against any mistake of that importance in the things of God as our Principles and ways may rationally be supposed to be For although we are perswaded that what we profess and practise is according unto the mind of Christ yet because it is our lot and portion to have our Governours and Rulers otherwise minded we are contented to be dealt withall so as the blessed Gospel will warrant any to deal with them who are so far in the wrong as we are supposed to be And if herein we cannot prevail we shall labour to possess our souls in patience and to commit our cause to him that judgeth righteously This we know That the Judgment and Practice of the first Churches after the days of the Apostles was conform to the Rules and Examples that by them were given unto them Differences in External Rites of Worship which were found amongst them where the substance of Faith was preserved they looked upon as no breach of Union at all A long Catalogue of such differences as were from time immemorial amongst them is given us by Socrates the Historian And he who first disturbed the peace of the Churches about them by dividing their communion Victor of Rome is left branded upon record with the censures of the principal persons for Learning and Holiness throughout the world in those days Nor is our dissent from the present Establishment of any larger extent than such as the general consent of all the first Churches extended the bond of their communion unto Impositions of things indifferent with subscriptions to precise determinations on points doubtful and ambiguous with confinements of mens practices in all outward ceremonies and circumstances of Worship were things not born in the world for some hundreds of years after the first planting of Churches Origen in his third Book against Celsus pleads expresly That there ever were differences amongst Professors of Christianity from the beginning and that it was impossible but that there should so be which yet he shews hindered not their Faith Love and Obedience Justin Martyr in his second Apology declares his forbearance and the Churches of those days towards those who believing in Christ yet thought themselves obliged to the observation of Mosaical Rites and Ceremonies provided that they did not impose the practice of them upon others Ignatius before them in his Epistle to the Philadelphians professeth That to persecute men on the account of God or Religion is to make our selves conformable to the Heathen that know not God Tertullian Origen Arnobius and Lactantius openly pleaded for a Liberty in Religion as founded in the Law of Nature and their consistence of Faith with Compulsion in that extent which we aim not at The Synod of Alexandria in the case of Athanasius condemns all external force in Religion and reproacheth the Arians as the first Inventers and Promoters of it It is indeed pleaded by some That the Christians of those days had reason to assert this Liberty because there was then no Christian Magistrate who might make use of the Civil Sword in their behalf or for the punishment of Dissenters from them and that this was the reason of their so doing But the Dishonesty of this pretence is notorious They affirm directly That no force coercion or restraint is to be used in or about the Worship of God nor outward power in a way of Penalties to be exercised over the consciences of men herein To say they thus pleaded and pretended meerly to serve their own present condition and occasion but that upon the alteration of things they would be otherwise minded is calumniously to reflect upon those holy Witnesses of Christ the guilt of the highest hypocrisie imaginable And men cannot invent a more effectual means to cast contempt on all Religion and to root a due sense of it out of the world than by fomenting such imaginations Let them therefore rest in peace under that reputation of holiness and sincerity which they justly deserve what ever be the issue of things with us or those which may suffer with us in the like condition But neither were they alone the great CONSTANTINE himself the first Christian Magistrate with Supreme Power by a publick Edict declared THAT THE LIBERTY OF WORSHIP WAS NOT TO BE DENIED UNTO ANY And until the latter end of his Reign there were no thoughts of exercising severity with reference unto any divisions amongst CHRISTIANS about the WORSHIP of GOD. After the rise of the Arian Heresie when the interposition of Civil Censures upon the account of Difference about things spiritual had made an entrance by the solicitations of some zealous persons for the banishment of Arius and some of his Co-partners it is not easie to relate what miseries and confusions were brought upon the Churches thereby imprisonments banishments and ruine of Churches make up much of the Ecclesiastical History of those days After a while Arius is recalled from banishment and Athanasius driven into it In a short tract of time Arianism it self got the Civil Sword in many places wherewith it raged against all the Orthodox Professors of the Deity of the Son of God as the Synod of Alexandria complains Much
they suffered in the days of Constantius unto whom the words of Hillary in this case are worthy consideration Let saith he your Clemency take care and order that the Presidents of the Provinces look to Publick Civil Affairs which alone are committed to them but not meddle in things of Religion And again Let your gentleness suffer the People to hear them teaching whom they desire whom they think well of whom they choose GOD TEACHETH rather than BY FORCE EXACTETH the Knowledge of Himself and ascertaining the Authority of his Commands by Works of Power DESPISETH ALL COMPELLED Confession of Him If Force be used to compel Men unto the True Faith the Bishops that profess it would interpose and say God is the God of the whole World he needs no compelled obedience nor requires any such Confession of him He is not to be deceived but to be well pleased Whence is it then that persons are taught how to worship God by Bonds and Perils These are the words of Hillary But the same Persons suffered more during the Reign of Valens who was disswaded from Cruelty against the Christians by Themistius a Pagan Philosopher on the Principles of Common Reason and Honesty plainly telling him That by the way he used he might force some to venerate his Imperial Robes but never any one to worship God aright But the best Emperours in the mean time bewailed those fierce Animosities whereby every Sect and Party laboured to oppress their Adversaries according as they had obtained an Interest in Imperial Favour and kept themselves from putting forth their Authority against any Dissenters in Christian Religion who retained the Foundation of the Faith in any competent measure Valentinianus by publick Decree granted liberty of Religion unto all Christians as Zosomen testifies Lib. 6. Ammianus Marcellinus in his History observes the same Gratian made a Law that Religion should be free to all sorts and sects of Christians except the Manichees Eunomians and Photinians and that they should have their Meetings free as both Socrates and Zosomen acquaint us Neither have they been without their Followers in those Ages wherein the Differences about Religion have risen to as great a height as they are capable of in this World Nor will Posterity be ever able to take off the lasting Blot from the Honour of Sigismund the Emperour who suffered himself to be imposed upon by the Council of Constance to break his word of Safety and Liberty to John Hus and Jerom of Prague And what did Charles the Fifth obtain by filling the World with Blood and Uprores for the extirpation of Protestantism Notwithstanding all his Victories and Successes which for a while smiled upon Him his whole Design ended in loss and disappointment Ferdinand his Brother and Successor made wise by his Example kept constant the peace of the Empire by a constant peace granted to the Consciences of Men. His Son Maximilian continually professed That the Empire of Conscience belonged unto GOD alone wherein He would never interpose And upon the Return of Henry the Third of France out of Poland He gave Him that Advice to this purpose which it had been happy for that Prince if He had understood and followed before He came to dye But then even He also having the severe Instruction given Him of His own Experience left that as His last Advice to his Councellors That they should no more with Force interpose in the matters of Religion Rodulphus who succeeded Maximilian by the same means for a long time preserved the peace of the Empire And after he had by the perswasions of some whose interest it was so to perswade him interdicted the Protestants in Bohemia the use of their Religion upon the tydings of a defeat given to his Forces in Hungary by the Turks he instantly replyed I looked for no other issue since I invaded the Throne of God imposing on the Consciences of Men and therefore granted them their former Liberty Doth not all the World behold the contrary issue of the Wars in France and those in the United Provinces begun and carried on on the same account The Great Henry of France winding up all the differences thereof by granting Liberty to the Hugonots laid a firm Foundation of the future Peace and present Greatness of that Kingdom Whereas the Cruelty of the Duke D'Alva and his Successors implacably pursuing the Netherlands to ruine on the same account hath ended in the utter loss of sundry Provinces as to the Rule and Authority that he and they endeavoured absolutely to inthrone and rendered the rest of them scarce worth the keeping The World is full of Instances of the like kind On the other hand When by the crafty Artifices and carnal Interests of some the Principle of External Coercion for lesser Differences in matters of Christian Religion came to be inthroned and obtained place in the Emperial Constitutions and Laws of other Kingdoms the main use that was made of it was to drive Truth and the purity of the Gospel out of the World and to force all men to center in a Profession and Worship framed to the Interest of some few men who made no small advantage of it According as the Power and Purity of Religion decayed so did this perswasion get ground in the Minds of Men untill it became almost all the Religion that was in the World That those who submitted not unto the Dictates of them who by various wayes obtained a mixture of Power Civil and Ecclesiastical into their hands should be destroyed and rooted out of the Earth This Apostacy from the Spirit Principles Rules and Commands of the Gospel this Open Contradiction to the Practice of the Apostles their Successors first Churches best and wisest Emperours attended with the woful consequents that have ensued thereon in the ruine of Souls proscriptions of the Truth Martyrdom of thousands and ten thousands commotions of Nations and the destruction of many of them We hope will not be revived in these dayes of Knowledge and near approach of the Judge of all We trust that it will not be thought unequal if we appeal from the example of the Professors of Christianity under its wofull Degeneracy unto the first Institution and publick instance of its Profession especially being encouraged by the Judgement Example and Practice of many Wise and Mighty Monarchs in these Latter Dayes The Case is the same as it was of old no new Pretences are made use of no Arguments pleaded for the Introduction of Severity but such as have been pretended at all times by those who were in possession of Power when they had a mind to ruine any that dissented from them That the end of their Conventicles was for Sin and Uncleanness that the permission of them was against the Rules of Policy and Laws of the Empire that they were Seminaries of Sedition that GOD was displeased with the confusion in Religions introduced by them that Errors and mis-apprehensions of GOD were nourished in them
periclitantium numerum multi enim omnis aetatis omnis ordinis utriusque sexus etiam vocantur in periculum vocabuntur neque enim Civitates tantum sed vicos etiam atque agros superstitionis istius contagio pervagata est So then they termed Christian Religion for the multitude would still keep the name of Truth and Religion to themselves the oppressed the lesser number must bear the name or title which they consent or conspire to cast upon them But the thing it self as to the persons at present dissenting from the established form is not unduly exprest And as it will be an act of Royal Clemency and like to the work of God himself to free at once so great multitudes of all ages sexes and conditions from the fears and dangers of those evils which they are fully satisfied they do not deserve so any other way of quitting the Governours of this Nation from those uneasie thoughts which an apprehension of such an effect of their Rule upon multitudes of subjects must needs produce will be very difficult if not impossible Shall the course begun in severity against them be pursued what generous spirits imployed in the execution of it can but be weary at last with undoing and ruining families of those persons whom they find to live peaceably in subjection to the Government of the Nation and usefully amongst their Neighbours meerly because they dare not sin against God in transgressing against that perswasion concerning his Will and Worship which he hath given unto them for they cannot but at last consider that no man erreth willingly or believes any thing against his light or hath other thoughts of God and his Worship than what he apprehends to be from himself or that any duty is accepted of God which springs from compulsion How much more Noble and Honourable will they discern the work of relieving men sober and peaceable in distress to be than to have the complaints and tears and ruine of Innocent men and their families continually reflecting themselves on their minds Nor is there any probability of success in this procedure for as Time hath alwayes made for Rule and incouragements which are solely in the power of Rulers have effected great compliance even in things religious so force and violent prosecution in such cases have been alwayes fruitless For it is known how much they are disadvantaged as to success in that the righteousness and equity of their pretended causes are alwayes dubious to unconcerned persons which makes them think that the true reason of them is other than what is pretended When they see men whom they apprehend as innocent and guiltless as themselves as to all the concernments of mankind in this world pursued with penalties equal unto those that are notoriosly Criminal they are greatly inclined unto commiseration towards them especially if at the interposition of the name and worship of God in the cause they judge for ought appears to them they fear God and endeavour to please him at least as well as those by whom they are molested And when they further understand that those whom they see to suffer such things as they account grievous and are really ruinous to them and their families do it for their conscience sake it strongly induceth them to believe that it must needs be something good and honest that men choose so to suffer for them rather than to forego For all suffering for Religion they know to be in the power and will of them that suffer and not of those that inflict penalties upon them for their Religion is their choice which they may part withal if they esteem it not worth the hazard wherewith it is attended Thus the Roman Historian tells us in the first sufferings of the Christians at Rome Quanquam adversus sontes Novissima exempla meritos for so he thought Miseratio Oriebatur tanquam non utilitate publica sed in sevitiam aliquorum absumerentur Nor is it a probable way of dealing with the consciences of men especially of Multitudes who are able to give mutual testimony and encouragement to one another yea in such a state of things dangers of times delight men and they find a satisfaction if not an honour in their miseries as having sufficient assurance that it is a glorious and a blessed thing to suffer things hard and dreadful in the world when they are conscious to themselves of no guilt or evil And therefore as severity hath hitherto got no ground on the minds of men in this matter no more is it like to do for the future And if it be proceeded in it cannot be avoided but that it must be perpetuated from one generation to another and a sad experiment be made who will first be wearied those that inflict penalties or those that undergo them And what in the mean time will become of that composure of the spirits of men that mutual trust confidence and assurance between all sorts of persons which is the abiding foundation of publick peace and prosperity Also what advantages have been made by some neighbour Nations what at present they further hope for from that great anxiety which the minds of men are cast into meerly and solely on the account of what they feel or fear from their dissent unto the publick worship which to themselves is utterly unavoidable is known to all But we have done and what are we that we should complain of any whom God is pleased to stir up and use for our exercise and tryal We desire in patience and silence to bear his indignation against whom we have sinned and for what concerns those wayes and truths of his for whose profession we may yet suffer in this world to approve our consciences unto him and to leave the event of all unto him who will one day judge the world in righteousness We know that we are poor sinful worms of the earth in our selves meet for nothing but to be trodden down under the feet of men but his wayes and the purity of his Worship are dear unto him which he will preserve and vindicate from all opposition In the mean time as it is our duty to live peaceably with all men in a conscientious subjection unto that Authority which he hath set over us we shall endeavour so to behave our selves in the pursuit and observance of it as that whereas we may be evil spoken of as evil doers Men may be ashamed beholding our good Conversation in Christ and give Glory to God in the day of Visitation Whatever is ours whatever is in our Power whatever God hath intrusted us with the disposal of we willingly resign and give up to the Will and Commands of our Superiours but as to our Minds and Consciences in the things of his Worship and Service he hath reserved the Soveraignty of them unto himself to him must we give an account of them at the great Day nor can we forego the care of preserving them intire for him and loyal unto him without a renunciation of all hopes of acceptance with him and so render our selves of all men the most miserable May we be suffered herein to be faithfull unto him and the everlasting Concernments of our own Souls we shall alwayes labour to manifest that there is no way or means of Peace and Reconciliation among those who profesting Faith in God through our Lord Jesus Christ yet differ in their Apprehensions about sundry things some way or other belonging thereunto that is appointed by him and may expect a Blessing from him but we will readily embrace and according as we are called improve to the utmost And if herein also our Endeavours meet with nothing but Contempt and Reproach yet none can hinder us but that we may pour out our Souls unto God for the accomplishment of his blessed and glorious Promises concerning that Truth Peace and Liberty which he will give unto his Church in his appointed time For we know That when He shall rise up to the Prey and devour the whole earth with the fire of his Jealousie He will turn to the people a pure language that they may all call upon the Name of the Lord to serve him with one consent that the Earth being filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the Waters cover the Sea his glory shall be revealed so that all flesh shall see it together and then shall all his people receive from him one heart and one way that they may fear him for ever for the good of them and their children after them by vertue of the everlasting Covenant And for our own parts whatever our Outward Condition be we know he will perfect that which concerns us and he will not forsake the work of his own hands because his mercy endureth for ever FINIS