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Show Within/Intuit" i b .' I P) p) D) fuch dangerous Principlescan jufiify the'Magifl its firft Appearance) ought to be {uch an one, whofe Competency of Fortune, joined to a natural Independency of Spirit, places him in that happy Situation, as to be equally trate in abridging any Set of, Men of thefe their natural Rights. It is alfo enually evident, that the Church‘ of England doth not, cannot'fall under the Cenfure‘ of' holding'Opinions inc0n~ fifient with the Safety of theState, and-the Good beingJudges : And yet the Churchof England that, being myfelf a Clergyman, I have faid n0- alone doth not enjoy a Toleration in that full thing about the Perfecution which the Church of Extent, which is granted to the Members of England daily fuffers in flanerim, by being denied thofe Rights which every other Seét of every other Denomination. What then can be the Caufe [of putting fo injurious a D-ifiinétion Chriflians f0 amply enjoys. between the Church of England, and other I own I have hi- v indifferent to the Smiles, or Frowns either of the Great, or the Vulgar P LASTLY, fome Perfons perhaps may wonder, therto omitted to make Mention of that Circumfiance, not thro' Inadvertence, but by De.- of Mankind,---even her; Enemies themfelves Churche's‘ih. this refpeélz'E'. The Reafon is plain; The flmerimm have taken it into their Heads to believe, that an Epifcopate would Operate as fign; as being unwilling to embarrafs my general Plan with what might be deemed by fom¢ fome further Tie upon them, not to break loofe Readers to be foreign to the Subjeét: And from thofe Obligations which they owe to the therefore I fhall be very Ihort in whatI have re add at prefent. Mother-Country; and that this is to be ufed as THAT each Religious Perfuafion ought to have a full Toleration from the State to worfhip Almighty God, according to the Diétates of their own Confc-iences, is to me fo clear a Cafe» that I {hall not attempt to make it clearer; and an Engine, under the Mafque of Religion, to rivet thofe Chains, which they imagine we are forging for them. Let therefore the Mother- Country herefelf refign up all Claim oftAuthority over them, as well 'Ecclefial'tical as Civil -, let her declare North-flmnnlm to be independent nothing but the maintaining fome monitrous Opi‘ of Great-Britain in every Refpeét whatever -,--- nion inconfiflent with the Safety of Society,--- let her do this, I fay, and then all their Fears will vanifh away, and their Panics be at an End : And then, a Bifhop, who has no more Connec- and that not barely in Theory and Speculation, but by open Praé‘tice and outward Aélionsa"'1 fay, nothing but the nwwedly mai ntaining if Inc.- v. ‘9. ..j x.» u; will it! ‘ '3: [ 2I5 1 mean at tions with England either in Church or State, ‘i- -' than -, LEI!!! LAA I [ 214 ] unwdcome Truth (unwelcome I |
