IT may justy seem strange to all reasonable and considering men, that those Persons, who for these sundry years last part have under the pretence of a thorough Reformation, but visibly to their own temporal advantage, endea­voured to bring the good People of this Nation into an hatred, as well of the Ec­clesiastical Government, as of the Forms of Gods publick Worship and Service, by so many good Laws heretofore establish'd in this Land, and whereunto very many of themselves had with their own hands for­merly Subscribed: should now (in stead of retracting their Errors, returning to [Page 2]their due Obedience, and reducing the Peo­ple, whom they have hitherto misled, to a righter understanding of their Duty) ex­pect to be gratified from the Church and State (to whom they have done so much dis-service) by condescending to all their unreasonable demands; and that under the pretence of tenderness of Conscience.

It had been well if these men, before they adventur'd to make their impetuous and confident Applications in this behalf, had duly consider'd with themselves,

First, What little regard was had by themselves, whilst they were in power, to the Consciences of such their Brethren, as continued stedfast to their honest Princi­ples of Loyalty to their undoubted Sove­raign, and Obedience to the establish'd Laws: exposing their Persons to Beggary and contempt; & seizing their Possessions to their own use, upon that only account.

Secondly, That if the pretension of ten­derness of Conscience, and the giving of ease and Satisfaction to such as so pretend should be admitted; the one as a sufficient Plea for subjects to warrant their non­obedience to established Laws; the other, as of it self a sufficient ground for Gover­nors upon eyery such pretension to change [Page 3]and innovate the said Laws; it could not be avoided, but that in a short time all re­verence to the Laws would be laid aside, the sinews of Government so slackned, and Soveraign Authority it self grow into such contempt; that Anarchy, confusion and ruine must needs ensue thereupon. For there being the same reason of all Pre­tenders; whatsoever liberty, Indulgence or concession shall be made, granted or allow­ed to any one Party or Faction so preten­ding, the same in all equity ought to be made, granted and allowed to every other Party or Faction (yea even the Papists themselves) that shall pretend the same: whereof how sad the consequent will be, every man who will but suffer himself to be master of his own Reason may easily understand.

Thirdly, In case any farther Concessions should be granted them, according to their own desires, by improving this present In­dulgence into an Act of Parliament; what little assurance the Church and State can have of their future peaceable demeanour and acquiescence in such Concessions: when as his Majesties gracious and unex­ampled Indulgence towards them, ex­press'd in his late published Declaration, hath been so far from bringing them to [Page 4]any greater degree of Moderation and So­briety, as in all reason it ought to have done, that it hath rather (quite contrary to His Majesties pious intentions therein) but added to their obstinacy and insolency: as by their petulant expressions, and malici­ous insinuations from the Pulpit and else­where doth too evidently appear.

And indeed whoever considers the true state of things, cannot rationally hope it should ever be otherwise; it being a cer­tain truth (in which I am instructed by a late learned Discourse of Eccl. Policy, p. 166. Author) ‘ That a bare Indul­gence of men in the free exercise of any Reli­gion different from the Publick Profession, can lay no obligation upon the Party. Per­haps when the rigour of a Law, under which they have smarted a while, is at first relaxed, this indeed they may at present take for a kindness, because 'tis really a favor in comparison to their former Con­dition; and therefore as long as the me­mory of that remains fresh upon their minds, it may possibly affect them with some grateful Resentments. But alas! these Affections quickly vanish, and then what before was favor, is now become justice; and their Prince did but restore them to their just and lawful Rights, when he took off his Tyrannical Laws and Im­positions from the Consciences of his best [Page 5]Subjects. While those unjust Laws were in force, he oppress'd and persecuted the People of God; and therefore when he cancels them, all the kindness he is guilty of, is only to repent of his Tyranny and Persecution, which is no savour, and by consequence no Obligation.’

Thus far that worthy Person; to whose Sentiments herein upon good grounds, I do fully subscribe. For however these men may seem satisfied with this Indulgence, (it being the most advantageous method that can at present be employ'd) yet ere long (if Authority do not interpose) they will effectually convince us; that it is not Indulgence, but a thorough Reformation, i.e. as sad experience hath explain'd it, a total extirpation of what ever is contrary to their interest and designs, that each different party endeavours to establish. The Reason of which procedure (as the same Id. p. 163. Author informs me) is this funda­mental Principle that runs through all their Sects; That they are bound under pain of Eternal damnation to labour their utmost to establish the Worship of God in its greatest purity and perfection: and withal appre­hending that way now establish'd by Law de­fective and superstitious, they cannot but be bound in Conscience to endeavour its utter ruine and subversion.

This is a Point that would bear much enlargement, did I not rather desire to draw it up briefly into this humble Petiti­on, as it was formerly presented to His most Excellent Majesty and his present Parliament, that They would please in their great Wisdoms to consider,

‘ Tolerati­on disap­prov'd? and condemn'd &c. p. 86. Whether it be either Religion or Po­licy to tolerate those Persons or Parties, which are perswaded in their Consciences, that it is a necessary incumbent Duty, not only to hate and detest, but also by all those ways and methods which they themselves shall think lawful, to weaken, alter, and extirpate the setled Govern­ment of the Church?’ The which Altera­tion what influence it may have upon the State, and how destructive it may prove to his Majesties Crown and Kingdoms (I hope it is no breach of the Act of Oblivion to remind them) the experience of late years hath suggested a very fatal conjecture. It will perhaps be here urg'd (which is the only Objection worth our notice, and to which I now design a full and satis­factory Answer)

That, Obj. Man being a rational Agent, acting from a free Principle of Election, must be dealt with in a rational and moral way, i.e. by Perswasions and Admonitions; [Page 7]and therefore, say they, when the Prelates and their Agents have employed the best Rhetorick they can to exasperate Autho­rity against those who are Dissenters from them; we must then tell them, that it is neither the rigour of Laws nor the severi­ty of their Execution that can any thing avail them; they have not to deal with Brutes, that are driven by force and com­pulsion; but with Men, who have Con­sciences that must be satisfyed in the Le­gality of their Actings; and therefore it is the most prudent course; first, if they can, to convince them in the Spirit of meekness; if not, then leave the success to God by taking off the rigour of these Penal Laws, which may indeed make men Formalists and Hypocrites, but can never work a real change upon their hearts, or infuse true Grace into the Soul, To this I Answer;

That though Man be a rational Agent, Ans. and as such is most sutably drawn by Per­swasions and Admonitions, yet my Bre­thren are desired to remember; that there is in Man a Sensitive Faculty as well as a Rational; by the violent and irregular motions of which he is many times hurry'd to such extravagancies, as would not only disturb, but, if not timely prevented, even [Page 8]utterly subvert all Policy and Order; and therefore, that it is the infinite care and good Providence of God, for the securing of humane Societies, to ordain Principa­lities and Powers; by whose Authority are enacted good Laws and Constitutions, which by Penalties annexed may restrain the wilful violaters of them, who are com­monly most led by the sway of their sen­sual desires, and are usually more afraid of Sin for the sensible Evils which follow it amongst men, i.e, for the Punishments that are inflicted upon their Bodies and Estates, than for any kind of sentence that Reason or Religion can pronounce against it.

Indeed were the Precepts of the Gospel as duly observ'd as they are generally pre­tended, or would men be as readily Reli­gious as we can tell them 'tis their Duty to be so; could their Preachers as effectu­ally make them temperate, chaste, and just; honest and peaceable; and obedient to their Superiours; or at least but restrain the contrary exorbitances, as they can shew them a Text of Scripture that requires such demeanours; could this be effected by their sole Admonitions, there were then small need of a coercive Power. But since we live not in Republicâ Platonis, but in face Romuli; Wherein, what through the [Page 9]Corruption of humane nature; the Pride and Prejudice of mens Spirits, the pre­vailing Interests of some Factions and Parties, the greatest part of the Nation are miserably wanting in their Duty; living in a known disobedience to the Laws both of God and Man. When Atheism, Prophaneness and open Debauchery shall vaunt it on the one hand; when Schism, Faction and Sedition shall insult it on the other hand; when we are under such Circumstances as these, so as it is in vain to think that empty talk should have any strong Operation upon the Wills and Af­fections of these men, who have thus hardned their foreheads as Brass against all Admonitions; I say things being brought to this pass, what more effectual course can be taken than to call in the help of the Secular Power: in all Humility to implore the aid and Assistance of His most Excel­lent Majesty and the two Houses of Par­liament, in whose only power it is, next under God, to reform these abuses. That they would seriously consider (and I be­seech God they may do it before it is too late) the destructive, yet natural conse­quence of this Indulgence to Dissenters. For however fair and specious it may be represented (the Devil himself is some­times transformed into an Angel of Light) [Page 10]yet there is methinks this following Re­flection that should make it irreconcile­able to all true Lovers of their Countrey.

We cannot as yet be ignorant (which some mens Interest would have us to for­get) that three flourishing Kingdoms were lately involv'd in Confusion and Blood: the best constituted Church in Christen­dom Schismatically defac'd; and the best of Kings destroyed and murthered by his Rebellious Subjects. Now if we may be allow'd to inquire into the Reason of these things, i. e. if it be consistent with our Allegiance to prevent the like for the future; what was the true Cause of all this Misery and Confusion?

Interest of England in matters of Religion p. 403. The excessive Dominion of the Hie­rarchy, with the rigorous Imposition of hu­mane Ceremonies was accounted much of the malady of former times, which ended in those deadly Convulsions of Church and State. Account of Proceed­ings, p. 7. The strict imposing of the strict use of these Forms was the very thing that disquieted these Nations, taking in the concomitant Ceremonies and SƲBSCRIP­TION. But these things are too noto­riously known to need any enlargement: their own publick Declarations, Remon­strances, &c. are sufficient evidence if oc­casion shall requite.

And do we not now begin to repeat the same Methods, by which our ruine was at first promoted? are there not tender Consciences to be satisfied, Dissenters in Religion to be eas'd and Indulg'd? which whoever opposeth shall he not, as for­merly, be voted an Enemy to His Ma­jesties Interest? And then must not evil Counsellors again be remov'd? by which Arts when a company of factious design­ing men shall insensibly have tied the hands of the Loyal Party, and thereby once more put themselves into a Capacity; what can we then expect but a thorough Reformation, i. e. a total Extirpation both of Monarchy and Episcopacy, as sad experience hath already explain'd it?

Indeed, if Almighty God hath design'd us for ruine, (which our sins and incor­rigibleness have justly deserv'd) this Me­thod will effectually promote it. But if our gracious God have still a favour to­wards his People; and hath a purpose (notwithstanding our continued Provo­cations) to lengthen out our Peace and Tranquillity; 'tis very much to be hop'd, nay rationally to be expected, that Autho­rity will awaken; and by a vigorous and seasonable execution of Penal Laws, con­vince all Offenders (both Protestant and Papist) that the Sword is not born in vain. If [Page 12]this course be effectually taken, there is yet a well-grounded hope, that both Church and State may flourish as formerly. But if this be neglected I am then afraid (and I beseech God the event do not justifie ray fears) That This suspending of Penal Laws in Matters Ecclesiastical is but the beginning of our sorrows.

The Reason of which sad apprehension is that known saying, Erranti nullus Ter­minus. All the Art of man cannot possi­bly foresee, and consequently not with any certainty prevent, the multiply'd mis­chiefs of this intended Relaxation. The heart of man is desperately wicked who can know it? and there is that Pride, Ambiti­on, Covetousness, Revenge, carnal In­terest in some factious Persons, that if the Reins of Discipline be let loose (which have hitherto restrain'd them) what other can be expected but our for­mer Confusions, the natural Centre to which these things tend?