taining to this and the other world, shall be subject to their fellow-creatures, what follows, but that Cæfar (however he got it) has all, God's share, and his own too? And being Lord of both, both are Cæsar's, and not God's.

Fourthly, It defeats God's work of Grace, and the invisible operation of his eternal Spirit, (which can alone beget faith, and is only to be obeyed, in and about religion and worship) and attributes mens conformity to outward force and corporal punishments. A faith subject to as many revolutions as the powers

that enact it.

Fifthly and lastly, Such persons assume the judgment of the great tribunal unto themselves; for to whomsoever men are imposedly or restrictively subject and accountable in matters of faith, worship and conscience; in them alone must the power of judgment reside: but it is equally true that God shall judge all by Jesus Christ; and that no man is fo accountable to his fellow-creatures, as to be imposed upon, restrained, or persecuted for any matter of conscience whatever.

Thus, and in many more particulars, are men accustomed to intrench upon Divine Property, to gratify particular interests in the world; and (at best) through a misguided apprehension to imagine they do God ' good service, that where they cannot give faith, they will use force; which kind of sacrifice is nothing less unreasonable than the other is abominable: God will not give his honour to another; and to him only, that searches the heart and tries the reins, it is our duty to ascribe the gifts of understanding and faith, without which none can please God.

CHAP CHA P. III.

They oppose the plainest testimonies of divine writ

that can be, which condemn all force upon conscience.

I.

2.

4.

E farther say, that imposition, restraint and

persecution are repugnant to the plain testimonies and precepts of the scriptures.

The inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding.' Job xxxii. 8.

If no man can believe before he understands, and no man understand before he is inspired of God; then are the impositions of men excluded as unreasonable and their persecutions for non-obedience as inhuman.

"Wo unto them that take counsel, but not of e me.' Isa. xxx. 1. 3.

( Wo unto them that make a man an offender • for a word, and lay a snare for him that

reproves

in gate,

and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.' Ifa. xxix. 15, 21.

Let the wheat and the tares grow together, ( until the time of the harvest, or end of the world.” Matt. xiii. 27, 28, 29. 5.

· And Jesus called them unto him, and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise do· minion over them, and they that are great exercise

authority upon them; but it shall not be so amongst you.' Matt. XX. 25, 26.

· And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Cæsar " the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things « that are God's. Luke xx. 25. 7.

" When his disciples saw this, (that there were ( non-conformists then, as well as now) they said, « Wilt thou that we command fire to come down from

heaven and consume them, as Elias did ? but he < turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not ( what spirit ye are of; for the Son of man is not come ' to destroy mens lives, but to save them.' Luke ix. 54, 55, 56.

6.

C

10.

II.

8. • Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he shall lead you into all truth.' John xvi. 8. 13.

9. . But now the anointing which ye have received i of him, abides in you; and you need not that any

man teach you,' (much less impose upon any, or restrain them from what any are persuaded it leads to)

but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, " and is truth, and is no lye.' John ii. 27.

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves; but rather give place unto wrath' (much less should any be wrathful that are called Christians, where no occasion is given). · Therefore if thine enemy hunger,

feed him; and if he thirst, give him drink; recompence no man evil for evil. Rom. xii. 19, 20, 21.

· For though we walk in the flesh,' (that is, in the body, or visible world) we do not war after " the Aesh; for the weapons of our warfare are not 6 carnal.' 2 Cor. x. 3. (but fines and imprisonments are ; and such use not the apostles weapons that employ those). For a bishop, 1 Tim. iii. 3. (faith Paul)

must be of good behaviour, apt to teach, no striker ;

but be gentle unto all men, patient, in meekness in• ftructing, (not persecuting) those that oppose them< selves, if God peradventure will give them repent

ance to the acknowledging of the truth.' 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25.

12. Lastly, We shall subjoin one passage more, and then no more of this particular; 's Whatsoever ye « would that men should do to you, do ye even so to c them.' Matt. vii. 12.

Now upon the whole, we seriously ask, Whether any should be imposed upon, or restrained, in matters of faith and worship? Whether such practices become the gospel, or are suitable to Christ's meek precepts

and suffering doctrine? And lastly, Whether those, who are herein guilty, do to us as they would be done unto by others ?

What if any were once severe to you; many are unconcerned in that, who are yet liable to the lash, as if they were not. But if you once thought the imposition Vol. III. B

of

Luke vi. 31.

of a directory unreasonable, and a restraint from your way of worship unchristian, can you believe that Liberty of Conscience is changed, because the Parties, in point of power, are? Or that the same reasons do not yet remain in vindication of an indulgence for others, that were once employed by you for yourselves? Surely such conjectures would argue gross weakness.

To conclude: Whether persecutors at any time read the Scriptures, we know not; but certain we are, such practice as little of them as may be, who with so much delight reject them, and think it no small accession to the discovery of their loyalty, to lead us and our properties in triumph after them.

CHAP. IV.

They are enemies to the privilege of nature; 1. As

rendering some more, and others less, than men; 2. As subverting the universal good that is God's gift to men; 3. As destroying all natural affection. Next, they are enemies to the noble principle of reason, as appears in seven great instances.

WE

E farther say, that imposition, restraint, and

persecution, are also destructive of the great privilege of nature and principle of reason. Of nature, in three instances :

First, If God Almighty · has made of one blood ( all nations, as himself has declared, and that he has given them both senses corporeal and intellectual, to discern, things and their differences, so as to affert or deny from evidences and reasons proper to each; then where any one enacts the belief or disbelief of any thing upon the rest, or restrains any from the exercise of their faith, to them indispensable, such an one exalts himself beyond his bounds, enslaves his fellow-crea. tures, invades their right of liberty, and so perverts the whole order of nature.

Secondly,

Secondly, Mankind is hereby robbed of the use and benefit of that instinct of a Deity, which is so natural to him, that he can be no more without it, and be, than he can be without the most essential part of himself. For to what serves that divine principle in the universality of mankind, if men be restricted by the prescriptions of some individuals ? but if the excellent nature of it inclines men to God, not man ; if the

power of accusing and excusing be committed to it; if the troubled thoughts and fad reflections of forlorn

and dying men make their tendency that way only,' (as being hopeless of all other relief and succour from any external power or command), What shall we say, but that such as invalidate the authority of this heavenly instinct, (as imposition and restraint evidently do) destroy nature, or that privilege which men are born with, and to.

Thirdly, All natural affection is destroyed : for those who have so little tenderness, as to persecute men that cannot for conscience-fake yield them compliance, manifestly act injuriously to their fellow-creatures, and consequently are enemies to nature; for nature being one in all, such as ruin those who are equally entiled with themselves to nature, ruin it in them, as in liberty, property, &c. and so bring the state of nature to the state of war; as the great Leviathan of the times, as ignorantly as boldly, does assert.

But, secondly, We also prove them destructive of the noble principle of reason, and that in these seven particulars :

1. In that those who impose, or restrain, are uncertain of the truth and justifiableness of their actions. In either of these, their own discourses and confessions are pregnant instances, where they tell us, that they do not pretend to be infallible, only they humbly conceive it is thus, or it is not. Since then they are uncertain and fallible, how can they impose upon, or reAtrain others, whom they are so far from assuring, that they are not able to do io much for themselves ? What