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Show 1670· ~ Chap.V. The Great C A ,S E of Vo,x.. I. Thofe whQ intend us no Share or Interell: in the ~.aws of J?ng/,!'d, as they relate to civil Matters, unlefs ~e corr:fpond w! rh ~h e m 10 Potnrs ?f Fai::h and lVorfhip, muft do two Tbmgs: Ftdl. Ir. Will he heavy on th~tr Pans to pro\'e, TbtU tbe Ancient ComP,n(l ani. Ortgznal of 014r_ La w~ cawes that Provifc with ir; elfe we are m::~mfeftly d1£feJzed of our free-~(toms. St'(ond!J They are to pro\e the Re:tfonablenefs of fuch Proceedtngs to our Underi\:1lldings, that we may nor be conctud.ed by a Law, .we know nor how to unde1fhnd; for if I tlke the Matter tJghtly (Js ~ rhm~ ~ tlo) we muft nN Buy, or Sell unlefs of this or that Perfwafion tn R,el~g10n; not confidering Civil Society ~a~ in the yYorld bef?re the Pro re~ant Profeffi on; .lHrn. as fuch, and in AHa~rs recullarly relauve of them, tna_n Exremal and Civil Capacity. have fubtilled many Ages, under great Vartely of Religious Apprehenfions, and therefore. not 10 dependent on them as to re-ceive any Variation or Revolution wnh !hem. Whar !hall we fay then? but that fame will nor that we fhouldLtve, Breath, and ~ommerce tU A!en, becaufe we are not fuch model"d Chriltians JS they coercively would h:H'e us; they might with as much Juftice and Reputation t6 themfelves {Q.rhid us to look or fee unlefs our Eyes were Grey, Black, ~rdwn, B~11e, or tome one Colour heft fuiting theirs: For not to be able to gtve us Fauh, or bvc our Confciences harmlefs, and yet to perfecute us for refufing Conformiry, is intolerable hard Meafure. In lhort, That coercive Way of br~nging all Men to thei.r .Height of Per· fwafion, mufi either arife[rom Exorbllo~t z.eal an~ ~uperf/utnn.; or from a Confcioufnefs of Error and Defefi, whtch IS unwilhng any Thtng more fin· tere and reformed fhould take Place; being of that Cardi nal 's Mind, who therefore would not hearken to a Reformation, at the fini rg of th,e Coun· fel of Tr~ht; becaufe he would not fo far approve rhe Ref0rmers Judg· ment (for having onu cond~fcended to their .ilpprehenjiom, be ( hvu~,ht 'twouid forrver injlave them to tbtir Senfe) though otherwife he faw as much as any Man, the Gran'd Neceffiry of a Reformation, both of rhe Roman Doflrine and Converfation. Some Grand ObjellionJ in the Way mufl be Conjidered. Ohjeflion t. B11t you are a People that meet with Dejignt to Difa.Jlttlthe Pfop!e, and to rNin the GovermnenJ. Jlnfwer. A Surmife is no Certaintyt neither is A may-he, or Conjetlure, any Proof: That from the firft we bave bchJved our felves inoffenfively is a Demonftrarion; that our Meetings are open, where all mJy hear our Matter, and have Liberty to object or difcufs .any P~int, is notorious. lgl1ornm Cal«mnies are SantlyFoundatiom to bt~tld fo h1gh" Cbarge upon .· Let us fairly be heard in a publick Conference, hl)w far we can juftifie our Principles from being defervedly fufpeEled of Sedirion or Difioyalty, Jnd not over·run us with meer Suppofitions. We dt:c!Jre our Readineis ro obey rhe Ordinance of Man, which is onlr relative of Human or Civil Ma ners, and not Points of Fairh, or Prallice in lVor!hip: Bur if AccufJrions muit ftand for Prooft, we lhall take it for granted, thJt we mu{t ftand for Criminals; but our SJtisfaE\ion will be, that We fha11 not deferve it oc-herwife than as Prejudice fecks to traduce us. Objea. 2. BtJt ;•ott ftrike at thr. Doflrint, at !taft tbe Difci'pline of the Church, and confequrntly nre HereticRt, • Anfw. This Story is as old as the Reformation; If we muft be: objefud againfi out of pure Reputation, let it be in fome ·orher M.ttrer 'than wh~r the Papi}lt objefied againit the firit Proreftants; otherwife you do bm lnt your feh•es in aiming at us? To fay you were .in rhe Right, btu tt't' 11r.e 1n t~e WrMg, is but a meer begging of l)le <lJiefiion I for doubtlefs theE pi}ls r:~~ Liberty of Confcim~e 'Debat~a. the fame to you, and all that you cJn f:ty to us : Your heft Plea tvas Con· fceince upon Prin:iples, th_e mofi: evideot an~ ,rational to you: Do ~ot we the like?. Wh:1r tf .rou thmk our .Reafons thick, and our Ground of SepJradon m1ftaken? Did not the Papift.r harbour the fame Thoughts of you? You perfwaded as few of them, as we of you: Were you therefore in the Wrong? No more are we: It was nor wh:1t they thought of you, or en· aE\ed ag•infl: you, that C<>tJcluded you: And why fhould your Apprchenfions conclude us> If you have the Way of giving Faith beyond what they bad, and h.Jve the Faculty of Perfwafion, C\•idence as much .; but if you ;:ue as defhtute of both, as they were to you; wby fhould Fines and Prifons, .once us'd by the.m.ag:~inlt Y?U, and by you excl11imed agninfl,. aJ Uncbrijl~ ttn Ways of reclmmmg Herurcl:.t (fuppofing your fc:lves to be fuch) be employ'd by you as Rational, Chrifiian, and Convincing upon us? To fay we deferve them more, is to fuppof~ your felves in the Right, ::tnd us in the Wrong, which proves nothing. Befides, the Queftion is not barely this, whether Hererick.r or no Heretic!u; but whether an Hen rick foo11ld he Ptrfecuud into a difcl11iming of his Error; your old Arguments run thus, as I well remember. 1. Error £$a Miftake in tbe Underfinnding. ~.This is for Want of a beuer IUuminntion , 3· This Error can nevrr be dij/odged, hut by Rtafon and Perfwufion, ttl what are mofl fuitahle to 1bc lnteHe{! of JIJ(/n. 4· Fines, Gott!t, Exile.r, Gibbers, fie. are no convincing .Argmnenrs 10 rhe mofl erring Underflanding in the World, being jlavijh and brttlijh. ). This Way of Force mt:Jk.e.r, inflead of an honefl Diffentcr, but lt/1 Hypocritical Conformift; than whom·nothing is more Jcteftable to God and Man. Thi!t being rhe Protejlant.r Plea, we are not to be difliked by Protejlam.r; for following their own avow'd Maxims and Axioms of ConfcieMe iu Defc nee of it's own Liberty, In fhon, eirher al1ow SepJration upon the fingle Principle of, ll-1y Con· fcience owns this, or Jifowns that; or never dwell in that Building, which knew no better Foundation, (indeed good enough) h«t, accujing your Fore/ atbers of SdJifm, and Herefie, return 10 the Romifo CbHrcb. What fhort of this can any fay to an .i!nti-liberty·of.Confcience·Proreftn11t. ObjeB:. 3· B11t Ill this Rate ye may pretend toCu1 our Tbroat.r, and do alJ Manner of jav11g6 A.fls. .An f. Though the Objet\ ion be frequent,/ct it is as foully ridiculous ,. 'Ve are pleading only for fuc,h a Liberty o Confiience, as . preferves the Nation in Peace, Trade, and Col]lmerce; and would not exempt Jny Man, or Party of Men, from not keeping thofe excellent Laws, rhat tend to So· her, Juft, and Indufi:rious Living. It it a Jtjllilical ./11ornl, To KiD a llfau hefore be is Born .- Fir!!, to fufpeE\ him of an Evil Deftgn, and then kill him to prevent it. Objefi. 4, But Jo not you fee what btU bec7t the End of thit Separ,,tion? lVar.r, and Rroolutions, nnd Danger ro Government~ witnefs our !au Troubles. '.Anf. We fee none of an this. but are able to make it appear, thar the true Caufe of all that perplrxt Diflurbanu, which was amongft rhe Homoort· fians and .Arrians of old, and among us of latter Years (as t.vell as what has modern!)' Jttended our Neighbouring CoUntries) took its tirft rife from a Narrowncfs of Spirit, in not Tolerating other.; to live tht Freem~nGodma~e them, in Exurnal ft141tert upontbe Earth, meerly upon fame Dilference m Religion. And were there once but an Hearty Tolention efi::zb~ifht, •twould b~ a Demonftration of the Truth of this Afi'errion. On thts Ground, Emprrt ~ands fafe; on the Other, it aems ~~r~ u;certtin. But 457 |
