The terms explained, and the question ftated.

First, By Liberty of Confcience, we understand not only a mere Liberty of the Mind, in believing or difbelieving this or that principle or doctrine; but the exercife of ourselves in a vifible way of worship, ' upon our believing it to be indifpenfably required at our hands, that if we neglect it for fear or favour of any mortal man, we fin, and incur divine wrath.' Yet we would be so understood to extend and justify the lawfulness of our fo meeting to worship God, as not to contrive, or abet any contrivance deftructive of the government and laws of the land, tending to matters of an external nature, directly or indirectly; but fo far only as it may refer to religious matters, and a life to come, and confequently wholly independent of the fecular affairs of this, wherein we are fupposed to tranfgrefs.

Secondly, By impofition, reftraint, and perfecution, we do not only mean the strict requiring of us to believe this to be true, or that to be falfe; and upon refufal, to incur the penalties enacted in fuch cases; but by those terms we mean thus much, any coercive lett or hindrance to us, from meeting together to perform thofe religious exercifes which are according to our faith and perfuafion."

The question ftated,

For proof of the aforefaid terms thus given, we fingly ftate the question thus ;

Whether impofition, restraint, and perfecution, upon perfons for exercifing fuch a liberty of confcience as is before expreffed, and fo circumftantiated, be not to impeach the honour of God, the meeknefs of the Chriftian religion, the authority of Scripture, the privilege of nature, the principles of common reason, the well being of government, and apprehenfions of the greatest perfonages of former and latter ages?

First,

First, Then we fay, that Impofition, Restraint, and Perfecution, for matters relating to confcience, directly invade the divine prerogative, and diveft the Almighty of a due, proper to none befides himself. And this we prove by these five particulars:

First, If we do allow the honour of our creation due to God only, and that no other befides himself has endowed us with thofe excellent gifts of Understanding, Reason, Judgment, and Faith, and confequently that he only is the object, as well as the author, both of our Faith, Worship, and Service; then whosoever shall interpofe their authority to enact faith and worship in a way that feems not to us congruous with what he has difcovered to us to be faith and worfhip (whose alone property it is to do it) or to restrain us from what we are perfuaded is our indifpenfable duty, they evidently ufurp this authority, and invade his incommunicable right of government over conscience: For the Infpiration of the Almighty gives understanding: and faith is the gift of God,' fays the divine writ.

Secondly, Such magifterial determinations carry an evident claim to that infallibility, which Proteftants have been hitherto fo jealous of owning, that, to avoid the Papists, they have denied it to all but God himfelf.

Either they have forfook their old plea; or if not, we defire to know when, and where, they were invested with that divine excellency; and whether impofition, restraint, and perfecution, were ever deemed by God the fruits of his Spirit. However, that itself was not fufficient; for unless it appear as well to us that they have it, as to them who have it, we cannot believe it upon any convincing evidence, but by tradition only; an anti-proteftant way of believing.

Thirdly, It enthrones man as king over confcience, the alone just claim and privilege of his Creator; whose thoughts are not as mens thoughts, but has reserved to himself that empire from all the Cæfars on earth: For if men, in reference to fouls and bodies, things apper

taining

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

Fourthly, It defeats God's work of Grace, and the invifible 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 fubject to as many revolutions as the powers that

enact it.

Fifthly and lastly, Such perfons affume the judgment of the great tribunal unto themselves; for to whomfoever men are impofedly or reftrictively fubject and accountable in matters of faith, worship and confcience; in them alone muft the power of judgment refide: but it is equally true that God fhall judge all by Jefus Chrift; and that no man is fo accountable to his fellow-creatures, as to be impofed upon, restrained, or perfecuted for any matter of confcience whatever.

Thus, and in many more particulars, are men accuftomed to intrench upon Divine Property, to gratify particular interefts in the world; and (at beft) through a mifguided apprehenfion to imagine they do God good fervice,' that where they cannot give faith, they will ufe force; which kind of facrifice is nothing lefs 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 afcribe the gifts of understanding and faith, without which none can please God.

CHAP.

CHAP II.

They overturn the Chriftian Religion; 1. In the nature of it, which is meeknefs; 2. In the practice of it, which is fuffering; 3. In the promotion of it, fince all farther difcoveries are prohibited; 4. In the rewards of it, which are eternal.

TH

HE next great evil which attends external force in matters of faith and worship, is no lefs than the overthrow of the whole Chriftian religion; and this we will briefly evidence in these four particulars, 1. That there can be nothing more remote from the nature, 2. The practice, 3. The promotion, 4. The rewards of it.

First, It is the privilege of the Chriftian faith above the dark fuggestions of ancient and modern fuperftitious traditions, to carry with it a most self-evidencing verity, which ever was fufficient to profelyte believers, without the weak auxiliaries of external power. The Son of God, and great example of the world, was fo far from calling his Father's omnipotency in legions of angels to his defence, that he at once repealed all acts of force, and defined to us the nature of his religion in this one great faying of his, MY KINGDOM IS NOT OF THIS WORLD. It was fpiritual, not carnal; accompanied with weapons as heavenly as its own nature, and defigned for the good and falvation of the foul, and not the injury and destruction of the body: no gaols, fines, exiles, &c. but found Reafon, clear Truth, and ftrict Life.' In fhort, the Christian religion intreats all, but compels none.

Secondly, That reftraint and perfecution overturn the practice of it. I need go no farther than the allowed Martyrologies of feveral ages, of which the Scriptures claim a fhare; begin with Abel, go down to Mofes, fo to the Prophets, and then to the meek example of Jefus Chrift himself; how patiently devoted was he to undergo the contradictions of men! and fo

far

far from perfecuting any, that he would not fo much as revile his perfecutors, but prayed for them: Thus lived his apostles, and the true Chriftians of the first three hundred years. Nor are the famous stories of our first reformers filent in the matter; witness the Christian practices of the Waldenfes, Lollards, Huffites, Lutherans, and our noble martyrs; who, as became the true followers of Jefus Chrift, enacted and confirmed their religion with their own blood, and not with the blood of their oppofers.

Thirdly, Restraint and perfecution obftruct the promotion of the Chriftian Religion: For if fuch as reftrain, confefs themselves miferable finners, and al'together imperfect,' it either follows, that they never defire to be better, or that they fhould encourage fuch as may be capable of farther informing and reforming them: They condemn the Papifts for incoffining the fcriptures and their worship in an unknown tongue, and yet are guilty themselves of the fame kind of fact.

Fourthly, They prevent many of eternal rewards: for where any are religious for fear, and that of men, it is flavish, and the recompence of fuch religion is condemnation, not peace: befides, it is man that is ferved; who having no power but what is temporary, his reward must needs be fo too: he that impofes a duty, or restrains from one, muft reward; but because no man can reward for fuch duties, no man can or ought to impose them, or restrain from them. So that we conclude Impofition, Restraint and Perfecution, are deftructive of the Chriftian religion, in the Nature, Practice, Promotion and Rewards of it, which are eternal.

CHAP.