of tefts is to difcover, this is the way to conceal, the inclinations of men from the government. Plain diffent, is the prince with a candle in his hand: he fees the where and what of perfons and things: he discriminates, and makes that a rule of conduct: but forced conformity is the prince in the dark: it blows out his candle, and leaves him without diftinction. Such fubjects are like figures in fand; when water is flapt upon them they run together, and are indifcernible: or, written tradition made illegible, by writing the oaths and canons upon it: the fafeft way of blotting out danger.

I know not how to forbear faying, that this necessary conformity makes the church dangerous to the ftate: for even the hypocrify that follows, makes the church both conceal and protect the hypocrites; which, together with their liberality to the parfon, charity to the poor, and hospitality to their neighbours, recommends them to the first favour they have to bestow. That fort is unfafe, where a party of the garrifon confifts of disguised enemies; for when they take their turns at the watch, the danger is hardly evitable. It would then certainly be for the fafety of the fort, that fuch friends in masquerade were induftriously kept out, inftead of being whipped in.

And it was something of this, I remember, that was made an argument for the declaration of indulgence, in the preamble; to wit, The greater fafety of the government, from open and publick, than private, diffenting meetings of worship;' as indeed the rest bear the fame refemblance. For these were the topicks, Quieting the people: encouraging ftrangers to come and live among us, and trade by it; and lastly, preventing the danger that might arife to the government by private meetings:' of greater reason then from private men, not lefs difcontented, but more concealed and fecure by the great brake of church conformity. It is this will make a comprehenfion of the next Diffenters to the church dangerous, though

it were practicable, of which fide foever it be. For, in an age, the prefent form of government fhall feel the art and induftry of the comprehended. So that a toleration is in reafon of ftate to be preferred. And if the reasons of the declaration were ever good, they are fo ftill; because the emergencies of state, that made them fo, remain; and our neighbours are not lefs powerful to improve them to our detriment.

But it will be now faid, Though the government fhould find its account in what has been laft alleged, this were the way to overthrow the church, and encourage Diffenters to continue in their errors.' Which is that fecond main objection I proposed at first to answer in its proper place, and that I think is this:

I humbly fay, if it prove the intereft of the three confiderable church-interefts in this kingdom, a relaxation, at least, can hardly fail us. The three church interests are, That of the church of England; that of the Roman Catholick Diffenter; and, that of the Proteftant Diffenter. That the church of England ought, in confcience and prudence, to confent to the cafe defired.

I pray, first, that it be confidered, how great a reflection it will be upon her honour, that from a persecuted, fhe fhould be accounted a perfecuting church: an overthrow none of her enemies have been able to give to her many excellent apologies. Nor will it be excused, by her faying, She is in the right, which her perfecutors were not;' fince this is a confidence. not wanting in any of them, or her Diffenters: and the truth is, it is but the begging of a queftion, that will by no means be granted.

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No body ought to know more than churchmen, that confcience cannot be forced: that offerings against confcience, are as odious to God, as uneafy to them that

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make them: that God loves a free facrifice. That Christ forbad fire, though from heaven itself, to punish diffenters; and commanded that the tares fhould grow with the wheat till harvest. In fine, that we fhould love enemies themselves: and, to exclude worldly ftrife for religion, that his kingdom is not of this world. This was the doctrine of the Bleffed Saviour of the world.

Saint Paul pursues the fame courfe: is glad Chrift is preached, be it of envy: the worst ground for dif fent that can be. It was he that asked that hard, but just question, "Who art thou that judgest another "man's fervant? To his own Lord he standeth or "falleth." He allows the church a warfare, and weapons to perform it; but they are not carnal, but fpiritual. Therefore it was fo advised, that every man, in matters of religion, fhould be "fully perfuad"ed in his own mind;" and if any were short, or mistaken, God would, in his time, inform them better.

He tells us of Schifmaticks, and Hereticks too, and their punishment, which is to the point in hand: he directs to a first and fecond admonition; and if that prevail not, reject them: that is, refuse them church fellowship, difown their relation, and deny them communion. But in all this there is not a word of fines, or imprisonments: nor is it an excufe to any church, that the civil magiftrate executes the feverity, while they are members of her communion that make or execute the laws.

But if the church could gain her point, I mean conformity, unless fhe could gain confent too, it were but constraint at last: a rape upon the mind, which may increase her number, not her devotion. On the contrary, the reft of her fons are in danger by their hypocrify the most close, but watchful and revengeful thing in the world. Befides the fcandal can hardly be removed: to overvalue coin, and rate brass to filver, beggars any country; and to own them for Jons the never begat, debafes and deftroys any church.

It were better to indulge foreign coin of intrinfick value, and let it pass for its weight. It is not number, but quality; two or three fincere Chriftians, that form an evangelical church: and though the church were lefs, more charity on the one hand, and piety on the other, with exact church-cenfure, and lefs civil coercion, would give her credit with confcience in all fects; without which, their acceffion itself would be no benefit, but difgrace and hazard, to her conftitution.

And to speak prudently in this affair, it is the intereft of the church of England not to fuffer the extinction of Diffenters, that he may have a counterbalance to the Roman Catholicks; who, though few in number, are great in quality, and greater in their foreign friendships and affiftance. On the other hand, it is her intereft to indulge the Roman Catholicks; that, by his acceffion, she may at all times have the balance in her own hand against the Proteftant Diffenter leaning to either, as fhe finds her doctrine undermined by the one, or her difcipline by the other; or, laftly, her civil interest endangered from either of them.

And it is certainly the intereft of both thofe extremes of diffent, that be, rather than either of them, should hold the fcale. For as the Proteftant Diffenter cannot hope for any tenderness, exclufive of Roman Catholicks, but almoft the fame reasons may be advanced against him; fo, on the other hand, it would look imprudent, as well as unjuft, in the Roman Catholicks, to folicit any indulgence exclufive of Protestant Diffenters. For befides that it keeps up the animofity, which it is their intereft to bury, the consequence will be, to take the advantage of time to fnatch it from one another; when an united request for liberty, once granted, will oblige both parties, in all times, for example-fake, to have it equally preferved. Thus are all church interefts of Conformifts and Diffenters rendered confiftent and fafe in their civil intereft one with the other.

But it will laft of all, doubtlefs, be objected, That though a toleration were ever fo defirable in

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itself, and in its confequence beneficial to the publick, yet the government cannot allow it, without ruin to the church of England, which it is obliged to maintain.'

But I think this will not affect the question at all; unless, by maintaining the church of England, it is understood that the fhould force whole parties to be of her communion, or knock them on the head: let us call to mind, that the religion that is true, allows no man to do wrong, that right may come of it and that nothing has leffened the credit of any religion more than declining to support itself by its own charity and piety, and taking fanctuary in the arms, rather than the understandings, of men. Violences are ill pillars for truth to rest upon. The church of England must be maintained: right; but cannot that be done without the Diffenter be deftroyed? In vain then did Chrift command Peter to put up his fword, with this rebuke, " They that take the fword, fhall perish with "the fword," if his followers are to draw it again. He makes killing for religion, murder, and deferving death was be then in the right, not to call legions to his affiftance? And are not his followers of these times in the wrong, to feek to uphold their religion by any methods of force. The church of England must be maintained; therefore the diffenters, that hold almost the same doctrine, must be ruined. A confequence most unnatural, as it is almoft impoffible. For befides that the drudgery would unbecome the civil magiftrate, who is the image of divine justice and clemency, and that it would faften the character of a falfe church, upon one that deferves to be esteemed a true one; the puts the government upon a task that is hard to be performed. Kings can no more make brick without ftraw, than flaves: the condition of our affairs is much changed, and the circumstances our government are under differ mightily from those of our ancestors. They had not the fame diffents to deal with, nor those diffents the like bodies of people to render them formidable, and their profecution mif

chievous