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A38437 Englands settlement mistaken, or, A short survey of a pamphlet called England's settlement upon the two solid foundations of the peoples civil and religious liberties, pleading for a toleration of all religions wherein his ten arguments for toleration are confuted as so many sophisms and fallacies / by a well-willer to both civil and religious liberties of the people. Well-willer to both civil and religious liberties of the people. 1660 (1660) Wing E3050; ESTC R26794 23,668 34

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out of state pollicy because on the one side if the prelatical party should have a Tole ration they might in time return to challenge and take from them those fat and sweet morsels of the Bishops Revenues which some of them have swallowed down and would be loath to vomit up again On the other side if the Popish party should be tolerated I will not say they should lose a good Revenue from Sequestration of two parts of their Estates though some give this for a reason their Principles are destructive to Heretical Magistrates as the Pope can easily make them and so subversive of their New Common-wealth That 's one 2. The other consideration to stay my wonder was That that exception was so often inserted by some Jesuitical finger that if ever that party got power into their hands they might the more colourable deny Toleration to those who being in place did first deny it to them for this is a maxime amongst the Sectaries They that deny toleration to others tender consciences I Milt ubi supra p. 36. deserve not to have it for themselves And then they that now plead for Toleration of the worst sort of tender consciences will at last grant more to those whose consciences are truly tender and most rightly principled I wish I may be a false prophet in this consideration But hear the next 3. It is against another Principle of ours we allow people the Bible in the vulgar language and press them to search the Scripture to find out the mind of God and at last by our coersive power will have them believe as the the Church believes we bid men as wisely Mr Collier speaks see with their own eyes and yet put them to see with others eyes We bid men with our Saviour to search the Scriptures and with the Bereans not content themselves to believe as the Church believes that was the Colliers and the Papists beliefe but to try the truths held out by Church or Magistrate which if they do faithfully and sincerely they will see the truths with their own eyes If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God or whether I speak of my self Jo 7.17 And we suppose and take for granted which this man makes doubtful that there is a pattern of sound words the true fai●h and worship of God held forth fi●st in the Scriptures and then by the Church or Magistrate and thereupon exhort men not to take any thing upon trust of men which is not faith but ignorance or Popish credulity but in matters of Salvation to search and see by their own eyes And if it happen that private persons mistake error for truth they must either be meekly willing to hearken to instruction which is a sign of a good conscience or resolve rather to suffer for their judgment than to disturb the peace of the Church or State For while they keep it to themselves none can take notice of it or judg them for it But this dispute allowes them either to resist the coercive power and labour their subversion as in his first Argument or else to be tolerated though never so damnably heretical and practically destructive to themselves or others True charity of Protestants bids those that have the charge of their souls which both Ministers and Magistrates have in their own way First with meekness and much patience to instruct them and if they still continue obstinate like mad men to mischief themselves and others to lay setters of restraint upon them either spiritual or corporal that they may do no further hurt 9. The next Reason is this It was against the judgment of King James and other Kings and against the peoples frequent petitions for toleration c First for King James two of his sayings are produced That God never plants a Church by violence and bloodshed True for he left that for the Jesuites amongst the poor Indians So spake Tertullian and Lantanc above Religion is not to be forced upon Heathens God does not fi●st plant a Church by violence much less by bloodshed but when a Church is planted as a Vine he allows pruning and purging of it by spiritual censures which in this mans sense is a kind of force upon conscience And the Magistrate being a guardian or nurse-keeper of the Church as Gods vicegerent is to publish and maintain Religion in the puri●y of it which cannot be done without coercive power not upon mens consciences but upon their bodies or estates His other speech That he never intended any persecution any against the Papists for conscience sake but desired to be secured for civil obedience which they cannot deny Not to tell him that King James did not own but oppose their Religion as false whose Faith is Faction whose Religion is Rebellion he knows who said it If he did restrain them from practising it publickly it was not persecution of them for conscience sake but prosecution of an erring conscience But I say when they were restrained from exercise of their Religson it was with respect to a principle of their Religion denying to give him security in civil obedience from a stated-destroying opinion and practise of theirs That it is lawful yea necessary if the Pope command it to murder and kill heretical Kings Whereof his predecessors and himself had frequent experience in such like attempts the examples of other Kings in tolerating other Keligions I fear is rather out of political Interest than real piety As for that scandal upyn the powers That the State in persecuting them now will be greater persecutors then the old Magistra●●s and Bishops were yea than the Spanish Inquisition it self I leave to them to answer or chastise such Jesuitical insolence One thing aspersive upon the B●shops and others is fouly and foolishly affe●ted and easily wiped away They to prove the lawfulness of their vocation against the Puritans derived their orders from Rome yet concurred with the State to make the Laws that any that received orders from Rome were Traitors which was most ridiculous But 1. The Puritans did not brand their vocation from Rome in the first Protestant Bishops in England some of them were ordained Presbyters by such the Browninsts and Anabaptists did that 2. The Bishops with the State made a Law that none of their Ministers should take orders from Rome in a State way first because that was a denial of our ministry to be good at home Secondly it was an owning of the Popes supremacy spiritual in England which appears by this that they so far allowed ordination by a Romish Bishop that they did not re-ordain those Priests which were converted unto the Protestant Religion But if Papists and Jesuites be of the same opinions as afore That heretical Magistrates may be murdered and maintain revelations and impulsies of spirit to kill any whom their spirit bids them kill which our young Quakers have learnt of them as the State or Government
ENGLANDS SETTLEMENT MISTAKEN OR A Short Survey of a Pamphlet CALLED ENGLAND'S SETTLEMENT Vpon the two solid Foundations of the Peoples Civil and Religious LIBERTIES PLEADING For a Toleration of all Religions Wherein His Ten ARGUMENTS for Toleration are Confuted as so many Sophisms and Fallacies By a Well-willer to both Civil and Religious Liberties of the People London Printed by D. Maxwell 1660. ENGLANDS SETTLEMENT MISTAKEN c. THe Author of Englands Settlement is by many wise men thought to be a disguised Jesuite or a Jesuited Sectary ' The voice is Jacobs voice but the hands are the hands of Esau He personates in his words a Protestant putting himself amongst us as one of us but his Design is under a pretence of an Vniversal Toleration of all Religions as to asperse our both Church and State with the ugly crime of Persecution so especially to plead for Liberty of Conscience to Papists and Recusants as shall be made appear in ventilation of the Tract it self He hath scraped together out of several Sectarian Books or Pamphlets Anabaptists Levellers Fifth Monarchy men c. no less then ten Arguments which as they are very plausible like a fair picture upon course cloath afar off to simple and weak apprehensions so being looked on nearer hand and touched by the hand of a solid understanding are like the Apples of Sodom which touched turn to ashes and prove but so many thred-bare Sophisms or transparent Fallacies often confuted His method of proceeding that they that have not his Tract may see what he hath said and judg the better of it is this 1. He seemes out of pity and compassion to the Nation whiles he is secretly piling up his barrels of Gunpowder once more under the Parliament House to blow it up by procuring an Act of Toleration for all Religions to exemplifie and bewaile out past and present miseries as the Amazement of the world and the intolerable burden of the nation for so he sayes They experience that their so much talk'd of and so often promised liberty has proved nothing but real and almost intolerable Slavery their plenty has been turned into miserable poverty and their peace into endless troubles How truly let others judg 2. He tells us what indeed we find There has been a curse upon the Government these ten years it hath been all that time a rolling like Sysiphus stone and inconstant like the Moon The judgments of God have been very terrible and universal both over Church and State and have gone round over all sorts of Persons as well of high as low degree For the late English Church hath been quite overturned the King himself the Head thereof tragically beheaded and his posterity rigorously excluded The Nobillity is in a manner degraded the house of Peeres abolished the Ancient Gentry slighted the Marchants and Commons by decay of trade and by the unhappy conjunction of extraordinary Taxes impoverished Yea the Parliaments themselves have not gone without some chastisement For their own hired servants have oftener than once lifted their heels against them and without any lawful Authority but according to their own pleasures or interests have dissolved called annihilated and revived them Only the Souldiers whom God hath used as Instruments to punish others may seem to have gone hitherto unpunished How true this is also let others judg 3 He seems to take upon him to be a prophet and to foretel what is like to come upon those the Army that have not yet smarted for so he says Every thing must have its time to come to maturity and God Almighty has begun already to manifest his judgments upon some of their principal Heads and first Movers O. P. his posterity and others of his chief Officers c. which may serve for a warning for all the rest to prevent Gods Judgments ●est they sall heavily upon them here or hereafter They may do well to consider it and lay it to heart 4. Having done this he inquires into the causes of these judgments and divine visitations and our so long unsettlement and resolves well in general Some very heinous sin or sins have provoked them but what these sins are in particular is not so easie to determine to every mans satisfaction Yet he goes on in the search of them and first gives us his own judgment upon the case it may probably be affirmed if not averred as a certain truth that Soul-tyranny or coercive power over mens consciences is the principal sin that hath drawn down these judgments from heaven for some reasons For first it is an heinous sin in it self as he will shew shortly and especially if it be exercised against the true Religion Before we hear the rest consider this First he should have said Soul Tyranny is an heinous sin not especially but only when it is exercised against the true Religion Coercive power exercised against false Religion is no Tyranny no sin at all but an Act of Justice or Religion Secondly he forgot himself in this Assertion and did not remember that in Rome it self Italy and Spaine c. where that Soul Tyranny is most rigorously exercised setting up a false Religion and persecuting the true in their High commission and Inquisition Courts there is as yet the greatest peace and prosperity and flourishing of those Nations their sins being not yet mature for their long ago determined judgments However it seems those Politician are not of this mans Cabinet Council that Toleration of all Religions is one of the Pillars of a States Settlement Its experimented too much and too long through many ages that no hatreds and so no differences are like those of different Religions and which is observable the nearer they come unto an union in matters of Religion if yet there be some difference the more strong and deadly are their hatreds the more fierce and violent their Animosities The Jew and the Samaritan were The Protestants and Papists The Lutheran Arminians and Calvinists c. are at this day the most deadly enemies The reason is well given by one not meanly learned They both plead for their God and that man hath no Religion that can put up an Indignity offered to his God See that story Act. 19.23 c. But Thirdly he forgot himself once more and did not consider that all those miseries or most of them have fallen upon this Nation since the desired Liberty of conscience was gratified with a Toleration or Connivence at least And whither they will ever end till Religion be established in truth purity and power is a probleme not yet determined but may be ere we have done A second Reason why Soul tyranny is so heinous a sin and cause of our miseries he gives to be this that This Nation hath been deeply gurley of it above these hundred years He means forsooth in prosecuting Papists not for their Religion but their Rebellion and rebellious principles What is this but to call our Church and State Persecutors
enough to answer this that it is a parable which is a similitude and must not be strained beyond its scope which is to let us know that good and bad upright and hypocrites must be in the Church till the end of the World And yet some are about to make a Church of all Saints and to pluck up the Wheat in pretence of pulling up the Tares But 2. By Tares cannot well be meant heretical persons not in Austin's judgment for he and other Doctors with the Scripture allow Excommunication of Hereticks and scandalous persons which is not only a plucking up of the Tares but a casting them out of the Church into Hell without repentance 3. Our Saviour himseif tells us who are the tares the children of the wicked one and such as do iniquity Mat. 13.38.41 Now hence it would follow that neither Church nor Magistrate must punish such but let them alone to the end of the World a pleasiing Doctrine to thieves and all wicked persons But if notwithstanding this parable it be lawful for the Church to punish Hereticks spiritually and for the Magistrate to punish them corporally he hath mistaken the parable And if the Magistrate may punish a murdour bodily for killing the bodies of men why should it be unlawful for him to punish an heretical seducer that destroyes mens souls and that eternally I leave him to consider it 6. He fetches this next Reason from far from the judgment of the ancients and practise of the primitive Church Lactan. Tertull. c. who seem to deny all force in Religion A little may serve for this There is a difference to be put between Heathens and Christians in matters of Religion The Ancients speak against forcing Heathens into Christianity till they first be informed and convinced of the truth thereof not of compelling professed Christians to the outward Worship of God as the King of Judah did 2. The practise of Christian Emperours was accordingly for the most part with respect to Heathens Yet some of them made Edicts to command all their subject to be of the Christian Religion Justinian and others as were easie to instance 3. In Pressing this ARgument too far he forgot himself that he makes his Pope and Popish Princes worse then Turks and Furies in their persecution of Protestants And let them but give this liberty of conscience to all their subjects which he pleads for in England and lay aside their coercive power and I believe Popery will have but a few clients most of them would quickly forsake their Church and Religion especially if they might have the truth freely taught by some Protestants 7. But a reason fatcht from a principle of nature and natural light will convince any reasonable man It 's against the golden rule of natural righteousness do as we would be done by and do not to others what we would not have done to our selves but who would be content to be persecuted by others for his Religion c. Truly no man would or at least should be persecuted for his true Religion but he that would not be prosecuted for a false Religion argues himself to be unrighteous and to violate that principle of nature and another like it Aequo animo paenam qui meruere luant Let him make this rule universal and thieves and malefactors will give him many thanks What Thieves would be content to be hang'd by a Magistrate Ergo If he get to be a Magistrate he must not hang a Thief c. Bring it neerer to himself what Jesuite would be content to be executed for sedition and seducement of Protestants from their Religion and Loyalty Ergo. nor should they persecute Protestants in their Dominions How likes he this The Golden Rule is made for true rectifyed consciences not for every one that pretends it What in true reason I would have another do or not do to me that I should be content to do or not do to another If a man should argue thus I would not be content to be persecuted for the true Religion Ergo I must not prosecute one that is in the false Or thus If I am an Heretick perverting Souls and would not be restrained or punished for so doing Ergo I must let others alone and not punish them for the same both these consequences are false and unreasonable and meer pervertings and crooknings of that Golden Rule This is a Jesuitical consequence I would not be punished for my seduce ment in England Ergo I may plead for Toleration of Popery and all Religions This consequence I say is good now in England to cheat simple souls but would be denyed with an Inquisition at Rome or in Spain Such another fallacy is that which followes a Christian must pray for his Enemies Ergo he must not persecute his brother be he never so wicked q. d. I must pray for a Thief or Murderer Heretick Ergo I may not prosecute them to just punishment corporally the one spiritually the other 8. The next reason comes yet neerer home ad hominem as we say and that is thus It is against our own principles and the testimony of an Adversary is most strong against himself Wherein In three things 1. We profess our selves to be fallible in judging universally in matters of Religion and object it to the Papists pretending infallibility but by persecuting others for conscience we make our selves infallible as Mr. Collier wiely observes For this he hath been told we persecute no man for his conscience but may prosecute a man for an erring conscience which he still concludes a just prosecution with an unjust persecution 2. We profess our selves to be fallible or not infallible in the Popish sense He deludes us with the equivocation of the words If he mean that we hold our selves fallible universally in all matters of Religion that we are uncertain of all points of Religion and certain of nothing that were to make us meer Scepticks in our Religion and we own not such a fallibility On the other side we do not think our selves infallible universally in matters of Religion as the Pope does but that in some fundamental truths we are infallible that is most certain of the truths of our Religion clearly revealed in Scripture which is an infallible rule though we are not alwayes able to apply it But the Pope as he makes himself infallible in all points of Religion which he determines out of the Pontifical Chair so he does it in things besides and against the Scripture and this we object to him as an hainous crime and high usurpation of the prerogative of Jesus Christ speaking in the Scripture 3. What need is there that we must be infallible to judg and punish an Heretick why this We cannot rationally persecute any man for his conscience unlesswe we do not only know that he is in an ertor but also be infallibly sure that we are bringing him to an undoubted truth Be it so then we assume we may know
what ever it be though Kings be gone have no reason in policy to tolerate such so it will be no persecution of them for conscience sake but a wise and just prosecution of them for such destructive principles as make the owners of them unfit to live amongst men in any civil society And as for the petitions of the people for liberty of conscience as they were made tendered by some few Sectaries whose loose opinions and practises will abide no government not by the generality of the most and best people of the Land so in a right-sense it is grated by these That a care be had of truly tender consciences viz. Who profess faith in Christ and live peaceably in godliness and honesty But they only desire some discipline may be exercised upon such us either deny Jesus Christ directly or by necessary consequence or live not peaceably but by earnest propagation of their errors and he resies destroy both their own and others souls and disturb the peace of Church and State or have neither godliness nor holiness in their lives Yet these that plead for such a Government are the men against whom he cunningly inveighs p. 25. As dangerous persons that desire to domineer and tyrannize over other mens consciences and as their judgments are not greatly to be heeded so themselves are rather closly to be looked too lest they set all on fire again as the Jesuites have lately done as the ●●cendiaries of all States when ever they come And again he stirs up the Nation against them p 30. It were just that such boutefeues 10. Lastly sayes he coercive power is against our own Interest at home and the Protestant Interest abroad at home because by fit we say a foundation of persecution to our selves and posterity If it be lawful for us to persecute others so it will be for them towards us if they get power So Mr. Collier According to the proverb like to like quoth the Divel to the Collier for what a fine new way have these men found to frustrate the predictions of Christ and his 〈…〉 In the World 〈◊〉 shall have tribulation Job 16. last All that will live Godly shall suffer persecution c. Their best Interest were to sit still and meddle with no bodies sins or errors How foolish was Paul to excommunicate those Hereticks that is in this new canting Language to persecute them if it was lawful for Paul to persecute and molest them for their faith and conscience it was lawful for them to persecute and excommunicate him and what a disturbance might this cause in the Church Foolish Politicians the profession of the Gospel in truth and sincerity looks not at our own Interest in the World but expects persecution teaching men to deny themselves to forsake all their goods their peace their lives were not this as politick an Argument in a Corporation where Officers are Annual Be favourable to drunkards and prosane persons in this your year lest one of them get into place next year and persecute you It is for your Interest lest you lay a ●oundation of persecution to your selves or your posterity for if it be lawful for you to exercise coercive power over others by the same rule of reason it will be lawful for others to persecute you 2. Say the same for the Protestant Interest abroad If we persecute m●n of their Religion here they will persecute ours there c. If be shall say there is not the same reason in matters civil as in Religion I shall choak him first by a Scripture Instance Nehemiah was a prudent man but he had not learned the Jesuites politicks He used coercive power towards the Heathen Merchants as well as his own Nations in a matter of Religion the profanation of the Sabbath threatning to lay them by the heels if they brought any more Wares to sell on that day How imprudently with respect to the Jewish Interest abroad Did he not lay a foundation of persecution of his Country-men in their dominions in that or some other point of their Religion Secondly I confute his policy by Scripture reason The Magistrate is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil Rom. 13.4 Therefore he must either say that it is not evil for an heretical seducer to destroy the subjects souls or else the Magistrate must use coercive power to restrain and punish such let his Interest be what it will at home or abroad In a word there is as great a distance between persecution and prosecution as between innocency and wickedness truth and error and surely both ought not to enjoy the same priviledges shall truth have but a Toleration as well as error He must therefore make this consequence the foundation of his error good It is lawful for truth and innocency to presecute error and wickedness Ergo It is lawful by the same reason for error and wickedness to persecute truth and innocency or be shews himself a very Sophister Cheater 〈◊〉 S●ducer and that he hath done suff●●●ntly in all his reasons A POSTSCRIPT Reader IF this little discourse for removing the false foundations of Englands Settlement find favour and acceptance with thee expect shortly if God permit another like it ●●ying down and fixing the true and solid Foundations of its Settlement Righteousness and Religion together with the true and many causes of our so ●o●g unsettlement Fare well