force of thofe paffive arguments above all corporal punishments, and that we must never hope for the fame profperity, till we fall into the fame methods, Gal. v. 22. James iii. 17. Are men impatient of having their conceits owned? They are then most to be fufpected. Error and fuperftition, like cracked titles, only fear to be fearched, and run and cry for authority and number. Truth is plain and stedfaft, without arts or tricks: will you receive her? well; if not, there is no compulfion. But pray tell me, what is that defired uniformity that has not unity, and that unity, which has not love, meeknefs, and patience in it? I beseech you hear me; for those men depart from the fpirit of Christianity that feek with anger and frowardnefs to promote it. Let us not put fo miferable a cheat upon ourselves, nor fuch an affront upon Chriftianity, as to think that a moft gentle and patient religion can be advanced by moft ungentle and impatient ways. I fhould fooner fubmit to an humble oppofition, than to the greateft zealot in the world; and rather deliver up myfelf to him that would modeftly drop a controverted truth, than to fuch as feek tempeftuoufly to carry it: for even error, bafhfully and patiently defended, endangers truth, in the management of imprudent and hafty zeal; and gives to it that luftre, which only good eyes can fee from gold. Alas! it is for want of confidering that men do not fee, that to diforder the mind in controverfy is a greater mischief, than to carry the point can be a benefit; inasmuch as it is not to be religious to apprehend rightly, but to do well: the latter can scarcely be without the former, but the former often is without the latter; which brings me to my fixth cause of perfecution.

VI. Another, and that no small caufe of perfecution, is a misapprehenfion of the word religion.' For when once the ignorance or prejudice of men has perfuaded them to lay more weight upon their own opinion, or diffent of their neighbours, than in truth the thing will bear, to excuse their zeal, or justify their fpleen or credit, they prefently heighten the difference

to

to a new religion; whence we fo frequently hear of fuch reflections as thefe, new gofpels and faiths, up'ftart religions and lights,' and with the like fcarecrows they amuse the vulgar, and render their own defign of ruining honeft men the more practicable. But I would obviate this mischief; for a new religion has a new foundation, and confequently where there is the fame foundation, there cannot be a new religion. Now the foundation of the Chriftian religion is Chrift; and that only is another religion than the Christian which profeffes another foundation, or corruptly adds to that foundation; by adding of other mediators, and introducing a new way of remiffion of fin: which, at leaft, cannot be said of the several forts of Proteftants. For Proteftants therefore to reproach each other with new religions and gofpels; and by their indecent and unchriftian behaviour to inflame their own reckoning, and draw into more difcord, is a fin against God, an injury to the common cause of Proteftancy, and to the fecurity of the civil intereft of that country, where the inhabitants are of that religion, as well as a real injuftice to one another: for Proteftants do not only agree in the fame fundamentals of Chriftianity, but of Proteftancy too; that is, in the reasons of feparation from Rome, which was alfo Chriftian. Let not every cir cumftantial difference or variety of cult be nicknamed a new religion; neither fuffer fo ill an ufe to be made of fuch diffents, as to carry them beyond their true bounds for the meaning of thofe arts of ill men, is to fet the people farther off from one another than they really are, and to aggravate differences in judgment to contrariety in affection: and when they have once inflamed them to variance and ftrife, nothing can hinder perfecution but want of power; which being never wanted by the strongest side, the weakest, though trueft, is oppreffed, not by argument, but worldly

weapons.

VII. The feventh and laft caufe I fhall now affign for perfecution is this, That holy living is become no teft among us, unless against the liver.' The

tree

tree was once known by its fruits: it is not so now: the better liver, the more dangerous, if not a conformist, and fo the more in danger; and this has made way for perfecution. There was a time, when virtue was venerable, and good men admired; but that is too much derided, and opinion carries it.

He that can perfuade his confcience to comply with the times, be he vicious, knavifh, cowardly, any thing, he is protected, perhaps preferred. A man of wifdom, fobriety and ability to ferve his king and country, if a diffenter, must be blown upon for a fanatick, a man of faction, of disloyal principles, and what not?

Rewards and punishments are the magistrate's duty, and the government's intereft and fupport. Rewards are due to virtue, punishments to vice. Let us not mistake nor mifcall things; let virtue be what it always was in government; good manners, fober and juft living; and vice, ill manners and dishonest living. Reduce all to this: let fuch good men have the fmiles and rewards, and fuch ill men the frowns and punishments of the government: this ends perfecution, and lays opinion to fleep. Ill men will make no more advantages by fuch conformity, nor good men no more fuffer for want of it,

In fhort, as that religious fociety deserves not the protection of the civil government, which is inconfiftent with the fafety of it; fo thofe focieties of Christians that are not only not deftructive of the civil government, but lovers of it, ought, by the civil government, to be fecured from ruin.

God Almighty open our understandings and hearts, and pour out the fpirit of thorough reformation upon us; for it is in the Spirit, and not in the words of reformation, that the life and profperity of reformation stands; that fo we may be all confcientiously difpofed to feek and pursue those things which make for love, peace, and godlinefs, that it may be well with us and ours, both here and for ever.

<< For

<<For yet a little while and the wicked fhall not be ; cc yea, thou shalt diligently confider his place, and "it fhall not be: but the meek fhall inherit the "earth, and fhall delight themselves in abundance "of peace. The wicked plotteth against the just, " and gnasheth upon him with his teeth; the Lord "fhall laugh at him; for he feeth that his day is "coming." Pfal. xxxvii. 10, 11, 12, 13.

The Judgment of King JAMES and King CHARLES the First, about Perfecution for Religion.

E find it afferted by king James, in his fpeech

W to the parliament in the year 1609. 'That it

is a pure rule in divinity, that God never loves to • plant his church with violence and blood.' And he farthermore faid, 'It was usually the condition of ⚫ Chriftians to be perfecuted, but not to perfecute.'

And we find the fame things in fubftance afferted again by his fon, King Charles the firft, in his book known by the name of ΕΙΚΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ, printed for R. Royston, as followeth :

Page 67. In his prayer to God, he faid, "Thou feeft how much cruelty, amongst Christians, is acted ⚫ under the colour of religion; as if we could not be Christians, unless we crucify one another.'

Page 28. • Make them at length seriously to confider, that nothing violent and injurious can be reliC gion.'

Page 70. Nor is it fo proper to hew out religious • reformations by the sword, as to polish them by fair and equal difputations, among those that are most • concerned in the differences; whom not force, but reafon, ought to convince.'

Sure, in matters of religion, thofe truths gain most upon mens judgments and confciences, which are least urged with fecular violence, which weakens truth with prejudices.'

Page

Page 115. It being an office not only of humanity, rather to use reafon than force; but also of Christianity, to feek peace and enfue it.'

Some words of advice from King CHARLES the First, to the then Prince of Wales, now king of England, &c.

Page 165. M

Y counfel and charge to you is, that you seriously confider the • former real or objected mifcarriages, which might ⚫ occafion my troubles, that you may avoid them,' &c.

Beware of exafperating any faction, by the croffnefs and afperity of fome mens paffions, humours, and private opinions, employed by you, grounded only upon differences in leffer matters, which are but the fkirts and fuburbs of religion, wherein a ⚫ charitable connivance, and Chriftian toleration, often diffipates their strength, when rougher oppofition fortifies, and puts the defpifed and oppreffed party • into fuch combinations, as may moft enable them ⚫ to get a full revenge on those they count their perfe

'cutors.'

Page 166. Take heed that outward circumstances and formalities of religion devour not all.'

SAUL