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people must be preserved, in order to preferve that common intereft. Other notions ever did divide and weaken empire, and in the end they have rarely missed to pull the old house about their ears, who have governed themselves by fuch difproportionable measures: by all means, intereft the affections of the people in the prosperity of the government, by making the govern→ ment a SECURITY to their particular rights and properties.

I afk, If more cuftom comes not to the king, and more trade to the kingdom, by encouraging the labour and traffick of an Epifcopalian, Prefbyterian, • Independent, Quaker and Anabaptift, than by an Epif• copalian only?' If this be true, why fhould the rest be rendered incapable of trade, yea, of living? What fchifm or herefy is there in the labour and commerce of the Anabaptift, Quaker, Independent and Presbyterian, more than in the labour and traffick of the Epifcopalian?

I befeech you give me leave: is there ever a churchman in England, that in diftrefs would refuse the courtefy of one of thefe Diffenters? If one of them fhould happen to fall into a pond or ditch, would he deny to be helped out by a Diffenter's hand? Is it to be fuppofed, he would in fuch a pickle be ftomachful, and chufe to lie there, and be fmothered or drowned, rather than owe aid to the good-will of a poor fanatick? Or if his house were on fire, may we think that he would have it rather burnt to the ground, than acknowledge its preservation to a non-conformist? Would not the act be orthodox, whatever were the man? So in cafe of being fick, imprisoned, befet, benighted, out of the way, far from kindred or acquaintance, with an hundred other cafes that may happen daily, can we think that fuch men would ask queftions for confcience fake, or charge fchifm upon the relief given them? No, no; felf will always be true to its intereft, let fuperftition mutter what it will.

But fince the industry, rents, and taxes of the Dif fenters are as current as their neighbours, who lofes

by such narrowness more than England, than the government and the magiftracy? for till it be the intereft of the farmer to destroy his flock, to starve the horse he rides, and the cow that gives him milk, it cannot be the intereft of England to let a great part of her fober and ufeful inhabitants be destroyed about things that concern another world. And it is to be hoped, that the wifdom and charity of our governors will better guide them, both to their own real intereft, and their people's preservation, which are infeparable; that fo they may not starve them for religion, that are as willing as able to work for the good of king and country.

I befeech you, let nature speak; who is fo much a better friend to human fociety, than falfe or froward opinion, that he often rectifies the mistakes of a prejudiced education; fo that we may fay, how kind, how gentle, how helpful does fhe teach us to be to each other, till that make-bate OPINION (falfly called religion) begins the jangle, and foments to hatred.

All the productions of nature are by love; and fhall religion propagate by force? If we confider the poor ben, fhe will teach us humanity. Nature does not only learn her to hatch, but to be tender over, her feeble chickens, that they may not be a prey to the kite. All the feeds and plants that grow for the use and nourishment of man, are produced by the kind and warm influences of the fun. Nothing but kindness keeps up human race: men and women do not beget children in fpite, but affection. It is wonderful to think by what friendly and gentle ways nature produces and matures the creatures of the world; and that religion should teach us to be froward and cruel, is lamentable: this were to make her the enemy, instead of the restorer, of nature. But, I think, we may without offence fay, that fince true religion gives men greater mildness and goodness than they had before, that religion which teaches them lefs, muft needs be falfe. What fhall we say then, but that even nature is a truer guide to peace, and better informs us to preserve civil intereft, than false religion, and confequently, that we ought to be

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true to the natural and juft principles of fociety, and not fuffer one of them to be violated for humour or opinion.

Let us go together as far as our way lies, and preferve our unity in thofe principles which maintain our civil fociety. This is our common and our juft intereft; all Protestant Diffenters agree in this; and it is both wife and righteous to admit no fraction upon this pact, no violence upon this concord. For the confequence of permitting any thing to break in upon the principles of human fociety, that is foreign to the nature of it, will diftract and weaken that fociety.

We know, that in all plantations the wifdom of planters is well aware of this: and let us but confider, that the fame ways that plant countries, must be kept to for preserving the plantation, elfe it will quickly be depopulated.

That country which is falfe to its first principles of government, and mistakes or divides its common and popular intereft, muft unavoidably decay. And let me fay, that had there been this freedom granted eighteen years ago, Proteftancy had been too potent for the enemies of it; nor had there been thofe divifions for Popery to make its advantage by; at least, not in the civil intereft of the nation. And where that has been preserved intire, it has been never able to prevail: witnefs the careful government of Holland, where the prefervation of their civil intereft from fraction hath fecured them against the growth of Popery, though it be almoft tolerated by them: fo powerful are the effects of an united civil intereft in government. Now because the civil intereft of this nation is the prefervation of the free and legal government of it from all fubjection to foreign claim, and that the feveral forts of Proteftants are united, as in the common proteftancy, that is, a general renunciation of Rome, fo in the maintenance of this civil government as a common fecurity, (for it ftrikes at both their rights, civil and facred; their confcience, religion and law, to admit any foreign jurisdiction here) it must follow, that had

these

these several, as well English as Proteftant parties, been timely encouraged to this united civil intereft, they had fecured the government from this danger, by rendering it too formidable for the attempt.

-But there is a twofold mistake that I think fit to remove. First, that the difference betwixt Proteftants and their Diffenters is generally managed as if it were civil. Secondly, The difference betwixt Papift and Proteftant is carried on as if it were chiefly religious.

To the first, I fay, it is plausible, but false; it is an artifice of ill men to inflame the government against good people, to make base ends by other mens ruin : whereas they that diffent, are at a Ne plus ultra on the behalf of the English government, as well as themfelves. They neither acknowledge, nor fubmit to any other authority. They hold the one common civil bead; and not only acquiefce in the diftribution of juftice by law, but embrace it as the best part of their patrimony. So that the difference between Proteftants and their Diffenters is purely religious, and mostly about church-government, and fome forms of worship, apprehended to be not fo pure and apoftolical as could be defired: and here it is, that tenderness fhould be exercised, if in any cafe in the world, or St. Paul is mistaken.

But as to the fecond, under correction, the cafe is altered; for though it be mostly managed on the fide of religion, the great point is merely civil, and should never be otherwife admitted or understood. For want of this caution, Proteftants fuffer themselves to be drawn into tedious controverfies about religion, and give occafion to the profeffors and favourers of that way to exclaim against them, as perfecutors for religion, who had reprobated such severity in the Papists to their ancestors (a moft plaufible, and very often a fuccessful, plea); when, in reality, the difference is not fo much religious as civil. Not but that there is a vaft contrariety in doctrine and worship too: but this, barely, fhould not be the caufe of our fo great distance, and that provifion the law makes against

them;

them; but rather that fundamental inconfiftency they with them to the fecurity of the English governcarry ment and constitution unto which they belong, by acknowledging a foreign jurifdiction in thefe kingdoms. So that drawing into queftion and danger the conftitution and government, to which fcripture, and nature, and civil pact, oblige their fidelity and obedience, there feems a difcharge upon the civil government from any farther care of their protection, who make it a piece of confcience to feek its ruin, and which is worfe, a principle, not to be informed of better things; for even here not reason or law, but the Pope, must be judge.

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This being the brief and modeft ftate of the cafe, I must return to my firft great principle, That civil intereft is the foundation and end of civil government :" and that how much men desert the intereft of a kingdom, fo much they wound and fubvert the government of it. I appeal to all wife and confiderate men of the truth of this, by the prefent pofture of affairs and their proper cause.

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To come then to our point: Shall Englishmen by Englishmen, and Proteftants by Proteftants, be free or oppreffed? That is, Whether fhall we receive as Englishmen and Proteftants, thofe that have no other civil intereft than that which is purely English, and who fincerely profefs and embrace the fame proteftation, for which the ancient reformers were stiled • Proteftants; or, for the fake of humour or base ends, difown them, and expose them and their families to utter mifery?'

I would hope better of our great church-mens charity and prudence: but if they fhould be fo unhappy as to keep to their old measures, and ftill play the gaudy, but empty, name of church against the civil intereft and religion of the nation, they will fhew themfelves deferted of God; and then how long it will be before they will be feen and left of all fober men, let them judge. For, to speak freely, after all this light that is now in the world, no ignorance can excufe fuch

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