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INTRODUCTION.

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HERE is no law under heaven, which hath its

rise from nature or grace, that forbids men to deal honestly and plainly with the greatest, in matters of importance to their present and future good : on the contrary, the dictates of both enjoin every man that office to his neighbour; and from charity among private persons, it becomes a duty indispensable to the publick. Nor do worthy minds think ever the less kindly of honest and humble monitors; and God knows, that oftentimes princes are deceived, and kingdoms languilh, for want of them. How far the posture of our affairs will justify this address, I shall submit to the judgment and observation of every intelligent reader.

Certain it is, that there are few kingdoms in the world more divided within themselves, and whose religious interests lie more seemingly cross to all accommodation, than that we live in; which renders the magistrate's talk hard, and giveth him a difficulty nexo to invincible.

Your endeavours for an uniformity have been many; your acts not a few to enforce it; but the consequence, whether you intended it or no, through the barbarous practices of those that have had their execution, hath been the spoiling of several thousands of the free-born people of this kingdom, of their unforfeited rights. Persons have been Aung into gaols, gates and trunks broke open, goods diftrained, till a stool hath not been left to sit down on: flocks of cattle driven off, whole barus full of corn seized, threshed, and carried away:

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parents left without their children, children without their parents, both without subsistence.

But that which aggravates the cruelty, is, the widow's mite hath not escaped their hands; they have made her cow the forfeiture of her conscience ;' not leaving her a bed to lie on, nor a blanket to cover her. And, which is yet more barbarous, and helps to make up this tragedy, 'the poor helpless orphan's

milk, boiling over the fire, has been" Aung to the

dogs, and the skillet made part of their prize:' so that had not nature in neighbours been stronger than cruelty in such informers and officers, to open her bowels for their relief and subsistence, they must have utterly perished.

Nor can these inhuman instruments plead conscience or duty to those laws, who have abundantly transcended the severest clause in them; for ' to see the imprisoned,' has been suspicion enough for a gaol; and “to visit • the sick,' to make a conventicle: fining and diftraining for preaching, and being at a meeting, where there hath been neither; and forty pounds for twenty, at pick and choose too, is a moderate advance with some of them.

Others, thinking this way too dull and troublesome, alter the question, and turn, Have you met ?' which the act intends, to, “Will you swear?' which it intendeth not: so that in some places it hath been sufficient to a præmunire, thaç men have had estates to lose; I mean such men, who, through tenderness, refuse the oath ; but, by principle, like the allegiance, not less than their adversaries.

Finding then by sad experience, and a long tract of time, that the very remedies applied to cure diffention, increase it; and that the more vigorously an uniformity is coercively prosecuted, the wider breaches grow, the more inflamed persons are, and fixed in their resolutions to stand by their principles, it should, methinks, put an end to the attempt : for besides all other inconveniences to those that give them trouble, their very sufferings beget that compassion in the multitude,

which rarely misses of making many friends, and proves often a preparation for not a few profelytes. So much more reverend is suffering, than making men fuffer for religion, even of those that cannot suffer for their religion, if yet they have any religion to suffer for. Histories are full of examples: the persecution of the Chriftian religion made it more illustrious than its do&trine. Perhaps it will be denied to English Diffenters, that they rely upon so good a cause, and therefore a vanity in them to expect that success. But Arrianism itself, once reputed the foulest heresy by the church, was by no artifice of its party so disseminated, as the severe opposition of the Homooufians.

Contests naturally draw company; and the vulgar are justified in their curiosity, if not pity, when they see so many wiser men busy themselves to suppress a people, by whom they see no other ill, than that, for nonconformity in matters of religion, they bear injuries and indignities patiently.

To be short: If all the interruptions, informations, fines, plunders, imprisonments, exiles and blood, which the great enemy of nature, as well as grace, hath excited man to, in all ages, about matters of faith and worship, from Cain and Abel's time to ours, could furnish us with sufficient precedents that the design proposed by the inflictors of so much severity was ever answered ; that they have smothered opinions, and not inflamed, but extinguished contest; it might perhaps, at least prudentially, give check to our expectations, and allay my just confidence in this address: but since such attempts have ever been found unprosperous, as well as that they are too costly, and have always procured the · judgments of God, and the hatred of • men; to the sufferers misery; to their countries, • decay of people and trade; and to their own con

sciences an extreme guilt;' I fall to the question, and then the solution of it: in which, as I declare, I intend nothing that should in the least abate of that love, honour, and service that are due to you; fo, I beseech you, do me the justice to make the fairest interpretation of my expressions: for the whole of my plain and honest design is, 'To offer my mite for the increase • of your true honour, and my dear country's felicity.'

THE QUESTION.
HAT is most fit, easy, and safe, at this junc-

(ture of affairs, to be done, for composing, • at least quieting, differences; for allaying the heat • of contrary interests, and making them fubfervient

to the interest of the government, and consistent with the prosperity of the kingdom?'

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THE ANSWER.

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1. N inviolable and impartial maintenance of

English rights. Il. Our superiors governing themselves upon a badance, as near as may be, towards the several religious interests.

III. A fincere promotion of general and practical religion.

I fall briefly discourse upon these three things, and endeavour to prove them a sufficient, if not the only best answer that can be given to the question propounded.

ENGLAND's