THe Kingdome of Scotland now began to be divided in Opinions of Religion; they which held the Helm of State, labouring to Reconcile them: the King was sore perplexed, and uncertain what course to follow; suppresse them he could not; to give way to them without shaking of the strongest beams of the po­licy of his Kingdome, seemed to him impossible. His Privy Councellors being more of his Antient Servants then Nobles or Church-men, as they favoured, gave their severall Opinions, some one way, some another: a freedome of speech being given, one of them as they were in his Chamber together spake to this pur­pose,

SIR, Amongst the many blessings your Subjects do enjoy under this your Government, this is not the l [...]ast; that for the Weal of your Majesty, and for the Publick good of the Kingdom, the meanest of your Sub­jects may freely open his mind to declare his Opinion [Page 2] unto you his Soveraign: and if ever there was a time in which grave, good and sound Counsel should be delive­red to your Majesty, it is this, and the difficulties of the Common-Wealth do now require it.

The Estate of your Kingdome is troubled with di­versity of Opinions, concerning Religion. It is to be wished, that the one only true Religion were in the hearts of all your Subjects: (since diversity of Opinions of Religion and Heresies are the very punishment of Al­mighty God upon men for their horrible vices and roa­ring sins: and when men forsake his fear and true obe­die [...]ce, God abandoneth them to their Opinions, phan­tasies in Religion, out of which arise partialities, facti­ons, divisions, strife, intestine discords, which burst forth into civill Wars, and in short time bring Kingdoms and Common-Wealths to their last period) but mat­ters arising to that height and disorder, as by all appear­ance they are like to advance in this Kingdom; The number of Sectaries dayly increasing: without dissem­bling my thoughts to your Majesty, the preservation of the people being the Supream and principall Law which God Almighty hath enjoyned to all Princes. I hold it more expedient to give place to the exercise of both Religions, then under pretence and shadow of them to suffer the Common peace of your Subjects to be torn in pieces. What can Wisdome [SIR] advise you to do with these Separatists? either they must be Tolerated for a time, or they must altogether be removed, and that by death or banishment.

So soon as a Prince begins to spoil, banish, kill, burn his people for matters abstract from sence, and altogether Spirituall, he becomes as it were a plague unto them. It is an errour of State in a Prince for an Opinion of pi­ety, [Page 3] to condemn to death the Adherers to new Doctrine; for the constancy and patience of those who voluntarily suffer all Temporall miseries, and death it self for mat­ters of faith, stir up numbers who at first and before they had suffered were ignorant of their Faith and Doctrine, not only to favour their cause but to embrace their O­pinions, Pity and Commiseration opening the Gates. Thus their belief spreadeth it se [...]f abroad, and their num­ber dayly increaseth.

It is no lesse errour of State to banish them; banished men are so many enemies abroad, ready upon all occasi­ons to invade their Native Country, to trouble the Peace and Tranquillity of your Kingdome. To take Arms a­gainst Sectaries and Separatist, wil be a great enterprize; a matter hard and of many dangers. Religion cannot be Preached by Arms: the first Christians detested that Form of proceedings, force and compulsion may bring forth Hypocrites not true Christians. If there be any Heresie among your people this wound is in the soul; our souls being spirituall substances, upon which fire and Iron cannot work, they must be overcome with spiritual Arms. Love the men and pity their errors.

Who can lay upon a man a necessity to believe that which he will not bel eve? or what he will believe, or doth believe, not to believe? no Prince hath such power over the souls and thoughts of men, as he hath over their bodies. Now to ruine and extirpate all thoss Sectaries, what will it prove else then to cut off one of your armes to the great prejudice of your Kingdome and weakning of the State? they dayly increasing in number, and no man being so miserable and mean but he is a Member of the State. The more easie manner and Nobler way were to Tollerate both Religions, and grant a place to two [Page 4] Churches in the Kingdom til it shal please Almighty God to return the minds of your Subjects & turn them all of one will and opinion. Be content to keep that which you may (SIR) since you cannot that which you would.

It is a false and erroneous Opinion that a Kingdome cannot subsist, which tolerateth two Religions: diver­sity of Religion shutteth not up society, nor barreth ci­vil conversation among men: a little time will make Persons of different Religions, contract such accquain­tance, custome, familiarity together, that they will be intermixt in one City, family, yea marriage bed, State and Religion, having nothing common. Why (I Pray) may not two Religions be suffered in a State, till by some sweet and easie means they may be reduced to a right Government? since in the (Church which should be Union it self, and of which the Roman-Church much vaunteth, almost infinite Sects, and kind of Monks are suffered, differing in their Laws, Rules of Government, fashions of living, dye [...], apparell, maint [...]n [...]nce, and o­ther Opinions of Perf [...]ctions, and who s [...]qu [...]st [...]r them­selves from our publick union. The Rom [...]n Empire had i'ts extension not by similitude and liken [...]ss of Religion; different Religions, providing they enterprize not pra­ctice nothing against t [...]e Laws of the Kingdome, may be tolerated in a State. The Murthers, Mass [...]cres, Battells, which arise and are like dayly to increase among Chri­stians, all which are undertaken for Religion, are a thou­sand times more execrable, and be more open, plain, flat impiety then this liberty of diversity of Religions, with a quiet peace can be unjust. For as much as the greatest part of those w [...]o fl [...]sh themselves in blood and slaughter, and overcome by arms the peace of their nei­bours (whom they should love as themselves) spoyling [Page 5] and R [...]vaging like famished Lyons sacrifices th [...]ir souls to the infernall powers without further means or hopes of their over-recovering or coming back, when these o­ther [...] are in some way of Repentance. In seeking liber­ty of Religion, these men seek not to believe any thing that may come in their brains; but to us [...] Religion ac­cording to the first Christian Institutions; serving God and obeying the Laws under which they were born.

That Maxim so often r [...]peated amongst the Church men of R [...]me, that the chase and following of Hereticks is more necessary then that of infidels is well applyed for the enlarging and increasing the Dominions Sove­raignty & power of the Pope; but not for the amplifying and extendintg of the Christian Religion, and the weal and benfi of the Christian Common-Wealth.

Kingdomes and Soveraignities should not be govern­ned by the Laws and Interest of Priests and Church men but according to the exigency, need as the case requireth of the Publick Weal, which often i [...] necessitated to passe and Tollerate some defects and faults. It is the duty of all Christian Princes to endeavour & take pains that their Subjects imbrace the true faith, as that semblably and in even parts they observe all Gods Commandents and not more one Commandment then another.

Notwithstanding when a vice cannot be extirpate and taken away without the ruine of the State: it wou [...]d ap­pear to humane judgements that it should be suffered: Neither is there a greater Obligation, bond nee [...]ssity of Law to punish Hereticks, more then Fornicators, which yet for the peace and Tranquility of the State; are Tol­lerated and passed over. Neither can a greater incon­veniency and harm follow, if we shall suffer men to live in our Common-Wealth who believe not, nor embrace [Page 6] not all our Opinions. In an Estate many things [...]r [...] for the time tollerated, because they cannot without the to­tall ruine of the State be suddenly amended and refor­med.

These men ore of that same nature and condition of which we are: they worship as we do one God; they believe those very same holy Records; we aim at Sal­vation, we may fear to [...]ffend God; we both set be­fore us our happinesse. The differe [...]ce between them and us, hangeth upon this one point, that they having f [...]und abuses in our Church r [...]quire a R [...]formation. Now shall it be [...]id for that we run divers ways to one [...]nd; understand not rightly one another Language, we shall pursue others wi h fire and s [...]ord, and extirpate o­thers from the face of the Earth? God is not in the bit­ter divisions and alleniation [...]f [...]ffection, nor in the ra­ging flames of sedition, nor in the Tempests of turbulent Whirlewinds of contradictions and disputations, but in the calm and gentle brea [...]hings of peace and concord. If any wander out of the high-way, we bring him to it a­gain, if any be indorknesse we shew him light and kill him not. In Musicall Instruments, if a string j [...]r and be out of Tune, we do not f [...]ettingly break it, but leisure­ly vere about to concord: and shall we be so churlish, cruell, unchritable, so wedded to our own superstit [...]ous Opi [...]ions, that we wil barbourously banish, kill, burn & those whom by loved sweetnesse we might readily [...]is and recall again? Let us one and merit of those men by reason let them be cited to a fre [...] Counsel it may be they sh [...]ll not be proved Hereticks, neither that they main­tain Opinions condemned by ancient Counsels, let their Religion be compared and parallel'd with the Rel [...]gion of the first age of the Church.

Shall we hold this people worse then the Jews, which yet have their Synagogues at Rome it self? let them re­ceive instructions from a free and lawfull Councill, and fors [...]ke their errours, when they shal be clearly and fair­ly demonstrated unto them: Heresie is an errour in the fundamentall grounds of Religion. Schisme intendeth a resolution to separation. Let a good Councill be con­vocated, and so if they be ready or not to reunite them­selves unto us. That which they believe is not evil, but to some it will appear they believe not not enough, and that there is in them rather a defect of good then any ha­bit of evil. Other points when they shall be considered, sh [...]ll be sound to consist in externall Ceremonies of the Church rather in the substance of of Doctrine, or what is essential to Christianity. These men should be judge­ed before condemned, and they should be heard before they be judged: which being holily and dprightly done, we shall find it is not our Religions but our private In­terests and passions whic troubleth us and the State.

The King followed not this Opinion but gave him­self over to the Counsel and Goverment of the Prelates wh [...]ch in a few years brought inevitable destruction both on himself and Kingdome.