I Have ever been of an Opinion, That a bare Ease to tender Consciences, was not the thing the Dissenters aimed at, and that a Bill to that pur­pose would not please them, unless they might have Liberty to come into Offices and [...]. And now [...] length the Mystery is dis­covered, by the Author of the Case of the Protestant Dissenters in Ire­land; who tells us, That 'tis Dangerous and Ʋnreasonable to lay such Restraints upon them, as to incapacitate them for Imployments; that it will be rather an Hardship than a Favour, and will put them into worse Circumstances than they are at present.

If the Author of the Case had consider'd the Matter, without any byass to his own Party, and how much the Established Church and Religion is like to lose, by their concessions to Dissenters, in point of Indulgence, he must have thought it Reasonable; That the Members of it, should have some equi­valent for their Losses, and would not have pronounced such hard Things, concerning the Sacramental Test, which is the only Restraint that troubles them, and the strongest Security that the Church hath.

I presume, There is a general inclination in all sober Persons, to Grant Ease to tender Consciences, in matter of Religion, as far as it is consistent with the Peace of the Civil, and the Security of the Ecclesiastical Government; and it is very certain, That as the external profession of Religion, and the injoyment of Civil and Military Offices, are things of a very different Nature, so the Dissenters may injoy the one, without desiring to be admitted to the other: And since they are not satisfied without both, they give us just Reason of standing upon our Guard, and to be wary of what concessions are granted them, lest they turn to our own Prejudice: We have felt the rough­ness of their Hands, when they were in Power, and have no invitation to try their goood Nature a second time, by putting them into a capacity of doing us Mischief.

I shall not enter into any Debate, with the Author of the Case, upon the first Head; Viz. That they should have a Bill for full Security in the free exer­cise of Religion, if that would content them: For I think it reasonable and fit to Grant it, as far as it is consistent with the Peace of the State, and the Se­curity of the Church by Law Established▪ Tho', by the way, there was a time, when they, that plead now so strongly for Toleration, did formerly con­demn it, as unlawful, when they were in Power, and would not allow it to others: That which I have to Offer, is on the Second Head; That Modestly taxeth the Sacramental Test, as a thing hard and unreasonable to press upon them, but if it can be made appear, that the Established Church of Ireland should have some Security, that She ought to have more Security, than the Church of England hath, in her Act of [...]ndulgence, that the Sacramental Test, is fit to be insisted on, as one Branch of her Security: I hope it will not be thought un­reasonable in the Church Party, to desire it, and that, if the Honourable Par­liament thinks it not fit to give them any higher Security, they will at least think it reasonable not to praeclude them the benefit of this, which is so neces­sary to the support of Her Constitutions.

First, It is reasonable that the Established Church and Her Members should have some Security: First, because there is no State or Government where Toleration, or Indulgence, to Men of different Perswasions, is allowed, but taketh a care to secure the Religion and Worship of the State against all Dis­senters from it: They will not suffer the Religion of the State to be Preached against in Publick, nor the Magistracy to be possessed by Dissenters: All that they are allowed, is freedom of Trade, and exemption, from suffering in point of Conscience: 'Tis so in Holland, in Switzerland, and in the several Principa­lities in Germany, where Indulgence is allowed. Secondly, The Church of Ireland parts with [...] present Security, and may therefore reasonably expect an equivalent for them: She parts with Her two Acts of Ʋniformity, which the Wisdom of former Parlia­ments thought necessary, for the Security of Her Worship: And it is expect­ed, That several of Her Articles, that senced in Her Doctrine, should be quitted in favour to Dissenters: Viz, The 27th in complyance to the Anabaptists: The 39th in favour to the Quakers: The 34, 35, 36th, together with the Clause in the 20th Article, in favour to all Dissenters: Nay, some of these Articles are not the peculiar Doctrine of the Church of England, as she stands divided from other Communions, but they are the common Doctrines of Christiani­ty in general; I mean the 27th Article, relating to Infant Baptism; the dispen­sing with which seems to me, to be the quitting of the Cause of the whole Catholick Church.

Secondly, The Church of Ireland hath Reason to insist on, and expect more Security, than the Church of England hath: Because, Her Circumstances and Condition is very different from Hers, by Reason of the growing Power and Interest of the British among us, and the Obligation they take to lye upon them, of maintaining the Solemn League and Covenant.

'Tis well known, That the British are already possessed of near one fourth part of the Kingdom, that they have spread themselves into other Provinces, and that there are frequent Colonies coming out of Scotland to carry on the Plantation of the Party: That the Commons are generally fond of the Solemn League and Covenant, and retain an Affection for it (though the Nobility and Gentry are otherwise affected) That by the Second Article of the Co­venant, they are bound to endeavour, without respect of Persons, the extirpa­tion of Prelacy as well as Popery: That the Assembly in their Catechi [...]m, [Page 3] have declared, That a false Worship is not to be Tolerated, that they judge ours to be such: That the Kirk of Scotland hath Acted in pursuance to these Doctrines, since His Majesties happy Accession to the Crown, and would allow no Toleration to the Church Party in Scotland, tho' they received several Mes­sages from His Majesty, in favour of their Persecuted Brethren: So that by these Doctrines and Practices; 'tis easie to infer, what sort of Usage we are to expect from them, if they had the Power in their own Hands, and they cannot think it unreasonable, that some stop should be put to that Power, which when once grasped, will put them upon the Execution of their Princi­ples, without any respect to Age, Sex, or Condition: No State did ever yet put its Subjects, into Places of Trust and Power, that thought themselves ob­liged in Conscience to overturn its Constitutions, and if ours consents to it, it will be the first, and the only one, that ever did it: Indeed, if by any Pub­lick Authentick Act, they would declare, either against the Second Article of the Covenant, or the Clause in the Assemblies Catechism, it would be some Motive, to the Church Party to lay aside their Jealousies: But till that be done they have no Reason, to be offended with their Brethren of the Church of Ireland, for desiring such a Security, as may be consistent with their future Safety.

Thirdly, The Sacramental Test is fit and reasonable, to be insisted on, as one Branch of the Churches Security: First, Because it seems consonant to Reason, That, if the Dissenters in Ireland be Established upon the same foot of Indulgence withtheir Brethren in England, the Church Party, should be Esta­blished upon the same foot of Security, with the Church of England: Secondly, Because it is designed for two good Ends and Purposes. First, To Reconcile them to a good opinion of the constitutions of the Church, by obliging them to [...] Secondly, To prae­clude them, the capacity of doing themselves and us Mischief, by admitting them to places of Trust and Power: To perswade the Church Party to lay this Test aside, is every way as unreasonable, as if the French King should perswade the Dutch, to break down all their Dikes, and dismantle their Garrisons, which are their great Strength and Security against his Incroachments.

Nor will the Objections against it be of any moment with him, that considers these following Particulars.

First, That the Sacramental Test, was designed against the Dissenters, as well as the Papists: Because, The Government of England thought it self, in equal Danger from them both: And tho' the Title of the Act may seem to favour the Objection, yet really it doth not; for 'tis well known to them that are versed in Laws, that fair and specious Titles, are frequently put to Acts, to make them pass more easily with the people.

Secondly, That such a Test is not against the common Protestant interest of Ireland: It will neither discourage Foreigners from Planting here, nor weak­en the Hands of our own Country Men, against the common Enemy: It will not discourage Foreigners, who desire no more than freedom of Trade, and Liberty of Conscience; Witness the several Families that came into this King­dom, since the passing of the Act 14 and 15 Car. II. for Encouragement of Protestant Strangers: Nay, They are so far from being discouraged from Planting here, so little averse to the publick Worship of the Church, That they blame our Dissenting Brethren for their Seperation, that many of them have United themselves to our Churches, and have been constant Communi­cants in our Worship: Witness several Dutch Families, and the French Con­gregation in St. Patrick's Church, Dublin: and I do not doubt, but that more [Page 4] of them would Conform, did not our Dissenters endeavour to sower their Tempers against the Orders of the Church; I remember the time, when the Dissenters Supported and Encouraged a French Preacher, to raise a Schism in the French Congregation at St. Patricks: And I have been much misinformed, if they have not been busie since this Happy Revolution, with the French Re­fugees, to perswade them not to joyn in Communion with our Church.

And as the pressing of this Test will not discourage Foreign Protestants, so it will not weaken the Hands of our Country Men, against the common Ene­mies of our Religion: They have other Reasons to engage them in the com­mon cause against Popery, then such as are derived from the hopes of Re­compence, by Offices and Imployments; Viz. The Security of their Lives, Liberties, Estates and Possessions, the fears of Slavery, and the hazards of losing all that they enjoy Peaceably, the dismal apprehensions of Massacre, and the dangers of being Plundered of all their worldly Substance; These I pre­sume were the great incentives to the generous Persons in Derry, Crum, and Inniskillin, to Arm themselves in the common Cause of their Brethren, and not the uncertain hopes of enjoying Offices, and Employments; which all of them could not pretend to, and most were disappointed of, and for which, many, to this day, have received no manner of Recompence, save only their Share and Part in the common Deliverance: And if these have been sufficient motives for the time past, to engage them in a Defensive War, they may, and will be as urgent for the future, notwithstanding all the Surmises of the Dis­senters Case to the contrary.

Thirdly, 'Tis agreeable to the Judgment of the Parliament of England, That the Test should be imposed here, because they have retained it there, and preserved it as a Pat [...]ern for Ireland to imitate; and since, in the Act made in England relating to this Kingdom, they did not think fit to [...] the Impo­sition of it; 'tis more than a Presumption, That they thought it reasonable to leave Ireland to its own Liberty, in providing such Security for its self, as by the Wisdom of its Parliament should be thought convenient: It was their Work to secure us from those Dangers, that were brought upon us by the Irish Papists; and to prevent the continuance of them, in case K. J had been Re­stored to the Throne; but not to abridge our Liberty, of providing for our selves, in other matters, relating to the publick Safety: And the Author might as well have Argued, because they mentioned only the Oath of Fidelity, and the Test against Popery, that they did therefore think the Circumstances of Ireland, incapable of any farther Security: Nay, it will follow from his Prin­ciples, That they intended no Toleration for Ireland, because they did not mention it in their Act.

Fourthly, The imposing of it, is not unreasonable. If the Dissenters are better without a Bill of Indulgence, by the favour of His Majesty; 'tis their best way to stick to that, and not to press for it by a Law: Tho' with Sub­mission to the Authors Politicks, 'tis much better for them to have a settled Toleration, than a precarious Indulgence: If they think the Test a clog to their Ambition or Liberty, they know how to evade it, by their Doctrine of occasional Communion, which seems to be invented to Lull the Consciences of their undiscerning Zealots asleep, and to capacitate them for Imployments: If some deserving Men must lose their present Imployments, and others their future hopes of them, by the Imposition of the Test, there is a ready way for them to extricare themselves out of the Dilemma, by endeavouring to be bet­ter informed, and laying aside their Nice and Groundless Scruples: And I pre­sume, the generality of the Dissenters are not of such Tender, and Squea­mish [Page 5] Stomachs, but that they could digest a much harder Morsel, than the Test, rather than quit a beneficial Imployment.

The imposing of this, is not to Treat them with the same Rigour, that we do the Papists, but to Rouse them into a consideration of their Scruples; and to open a Door of Mercy and Kindness to them, by laying a foundation of a sincere and lasting Love and Amity among our selves: And instead of being Of­fended, they will have Reason to thank us for doing them a double Benefit at once, the curing the Errors of their Mind, and providing for the Necessities of their Fortune.

Fifthly, The Receiving of the Sacrament may be employed, as a fit Test of admission to Imployments: There was a time, when it was thought no Evil to use it as an Instrument of Purgation; witness the Case of K. Lotharius that purged his Innocency and the Synod of Worms, that required the Monks to purge themselves of Crimes; by the Recep­tion of it, and at this day no Man thinks it amiss, on the Reception of the Ho­ly Sacrament; to say; That as he hopes for any Benefit by it, he is not guilty of such a Crime laid to his Charge. And if it be no proftitution of that Holy My­stery, to use it as a Symbol of Purgation; is it any Crime in the State to use it as a discrimination between the Good and the Bad, betwixt him that fears God, and him that fears him not; and to deny her Employments to those, that are careless of their Salvation. This is not to impose it as a Pennance on any one, for he is free to quit it as well as the Imployment, but to oblige and encourage him to his Duty, by Temporal Rewards and Punishments. And if Men will not court so Holy an Ordinance, as their Priviledge, 'tis fit for the State to com­pel them to it, because every Government is responsible to God, for not suppres­sing the Immoralities of its Subjects. If Men will venture upon the Sacrament, rather than want Imployments, the Fault is not in the Test, but in their own corrupt Hearts, that will chuse rather to Prophane the Table than want Bread, as the Author speaks.

But because the Author slides from this, to the Mode or Gesture of Receiv­ing; and tells us, That it doth not deserve to have that stress layed upon it, as to be made the foundation of so vast a distinction, in reference to Civil Rites; because it is an inclosing of that Table, which our Lord hath left common: And because the real Interest of Religion is not concerned in it: I shall crave the liberty to reply these following Particulars.

First, That there was a time when a thing far less defencible, was made the foundation of such a Distinction; I mean the Solemn League and Covenant. All that refused it, were turned out of Employments, and none cou'd be admit­ted to them, that did not take that unlawful Covenant. They that are so acute as to spy a Mote in the Eye of their Brethren, should pluck the Beam out of their own.

Secondly, The Kneeling Posturs, is no more an inclosure of the Lords Table, then the Sitting Posture is, which the Directory has injoyned; and since our Blessed Saviour, has not prescribed the Gesture, in which the Elements are to be received, 'tis as lawful for our Church to prescribe an Inclosure as for theirs.

Thirdly, That if the Kneeling Posture be so Trivial a Matter as the Author suggests, then his Party are inexcusable, in raising such Clamours about it, and in unqualifying themselves to serve the State on account of a thing which they esteem a Trisle: But the Truth is, tho' the Posture it self se mota Authoritate im­ponent is may be indifferent; yet, when 'tis once enjoyned by lawful Authority, he interest of Religion is concerned in the wilful contempt of the Rules and Orders of the Church, because 'tis a striking at that Authority which our Blessed Lord has [Page 6] placed in the Governours of the Church. Either the Church has a Power of determining indifferent things, or She has not; if not, farewel all Government in Church and State, whose Commands are chiefly imployed about such Matters; but if She has a Power in such Things, and the State thinks fit to concur with Her in imposing them, then the Dissenters are unreasonable, in breaking with both for a Trifle. And now 'tis no hard matter to turn the Authors subsequent Reasons on himself, that since 'tis the Interest of Government, to keep persons out of Power, that have no Affections to its Constitutions, shall a way be opened to put them into a capacity of Ruining them, would not a Wise Man lop off a corrupt Member, for fear of infecting the sounder Parts: And to suppose, that persons, who are no Friends to the Constitutions of the Government, though of never so great Wisdom and Ability, are to be admitted into the Administra­tion of Publick Affairs, is in effect, to postpone the publick Peace and Settle­ment, to the Interest of a few private and solf designing Persons.

Sixthly, The Established Church will be endangered; if the Bill of Indulgence passeth without the Sacramental Test. Indeed, if all that the Established Church minded, were their Temporal Honours and Revenues, the Author might possi­bly be in the Right; but we desire him to consider, That we are more concern­ed for the Mischief of Separation, and the good of Souls, than the hazard of our Tithes and Revenues, He must suppose us to be very worldly, if he thinks we are concerned for nothing else. Alass, what do these things signifie, in compa­rision of the Souls of the People committed to our Charge; what comfort is it to us, to see the Fruits of our Ministry disappointed, and the people drawn away from us into Error and Division, and the pernicious Consequences that attend them? What pleasure is it to us, to see our Purses full, and our Churches empty, to have the Hearts of our Flocks first stolen from us, and then the maintenance taken away, for want of People to frequent our Worship. For my part, I value these things so little, That I could be content to be recuced to the Necestities of the Apostles, so that I might but live to see a Period to [...]; and Peace, and Charity once more setled in the Church. This would be a more comforta­ble, and reviving State, than all the Revenues of the Church are worth.

We are not offended, that a few of your Party, are admitted to enjoy a share in the effects of His Majesties favour, but we are afraid of opening a Door to let the whole Party in; we do not accuse you of any unpeaceable Turbulency to wards your Neighbours; but we humbly crave leave to say, that you Magnifie the Merits of your Party too much, and undervalue the Deserts of others, in saying that it was you that preserved the Nation from Ruin; I pray let others have a share in the Glory of the Action, as well as your selves; for if I am eredibly informed, there was none of your Party ingaged in the hazardous Action at Crum, few or none at Iniskillen, and in Derry you had but a common share with others in the saving of the Nation. What shall we say of the several un­dertakings in Munster, and Connaght; are they to be imputed to your Party also; no certainly, for your selves being Witnesses, you know, that many of them came to Iniskillen, after the insuccessfulness of their Affairs in other Places: I beseech you do not Eclipse the Glory of others to gain a Splendor to your selves: But give us leave to say, That we have deserved as well of the Government as you have done; and have as just pretences to Security, as you have to Indul­gence; and if a Medium can be found, whereby to secure Us and content You, I shall not be against it.