THE GREAT CASE O F LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE Once more briefly debated and defended, BY THE AUTHORITY OF REASON, SCRIPTURE, and ANTIQUITY: Which may serve the Place of a General Reply to fuch late DISCOURSES as have oppofed a TOLERATION. The Author WILLIAM PENN. Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, fo to them. Mat. vii. 12. do Render unto Cæfar the things that are Cæfar's, and to SUPREME AUTHORITY O F ENGLAND. TOL OLERATION, for these ten years paft, has not been more the cry of fome, than perfecution has been the practice of others, though not on grounds equally rational. The prefent cause of this address, is to folicit a converfion of that power to our relief, which hitherto has been employed to our depreffion; that after this large experience of our innocency, and long fince expired apprenticeship of cruel fufferings, you will be pleafed to cancel all our bonds, and give us a poffeffion of those freedoms, to which we are intituled by English birth-right. This has been often promifed to us, and we as earneftly have expected the performance; but to this time we labour under the unfpeakable preffure of nafty prifons, and daily confifcation of our goods, to the apparent ruin of intire families. We would not attribute the whole of this feverity to malice, fince not a little fhare may juftly be afcribed to mis-intelligence. For it is the infelicity of governors to fee and hear by the eyes and ears of other men; which is equally unhappy for the people. And we are bold to fay, that fuppofitions, and mere conjectures, have been the best measures that most have taken of us, and of our principles; for whilft there have been none more inoffenfive, we have been marked for capital offenders. A 2 It It is hard that we should always lie under this undeferved imputation; and, which is worse, be persefecuted as fuch, without the liberty of a juft defence. In fhort, if you are apprehenfive that our principles are inconfiftent with the civil government, grant us a free conference about the points in queftion, and let us know what are thofe laws, effential to preservation, that our opinions carry an oppofition to? And if upon a due enquiry we are found fo heterdox as represented, it will be then but time enough to inflict these heavy penalties upon us. And as this medium feems the faireft, and most reafonable; fo can you never do yourselves greater jus tice, either in the vindication of your proceedings against us, if we be criminal; or if innocent, in difengaging your service of fuch as have been authors of fo much mif-information. But could we once obtain the favour of fuch debate, we doubt not to evince a clear confiftency of our life and doctrine with the English government; and that an indulging of Diffenters in the sense defended, is not only most Christian and rational, but prudent alfo; and the contrary (how plaufible foever infinuated) the most injurious to the peace, and deftructive of that discreet balance, which the best and wifeft ftates have ever carefully obferved. But if this fair and equal offer find not a place with you, on which to reft its foot; much less that it should bring us back the olive-branch of TOLERATION; we heartily embrace and bless the providence of God; and, in his strength, refolve by patience to outweary perfecution, and by our conftant fufferings feek to obtain a victory, more glorious than any our adversaries can atchieve by all their cruelties. VINCIT QUI PATITUR, Newgate, the 7th of the 12th month, called February, 1670. From a prifoner for conscience fake, W. P. THE THE PREFACE. W ERE fome as Chriftian as they boast themfelves to be, it would fave us all the labour we bestow in rendering Perfecution fo unchriftian as it most truly is. Nay, were they thofe men of reason they character themselves, and what the civil law ftiles good citizens, it had been needlefs for us to tell them, that neither can any external coercive power convince the understanding of the pooreft ideot, nor fines and prifons be judged fit and adequate penalties for faults purely intellectual; as well as that they are deftructive of all civil government. But we need not run fo far as beyond the feas, to fetch the sense of the Codes, Inftitutes, and Digefts, out of the Corpus Civile, to adjudge fuch practices incongruous with the good of civil fociety; fince our own good, old, admirable laws of England have made fuch excellent provifion for its inhabitants, that if they were but thought as fit to be executed by this present age, as they were rightly judged neceffary to be made by our careful ancestors, we know how great a ftroke they would give fuch as venture to lead away our property in triumph (as our juft forfeiture) for only worshipping our God in a differing way from that which is more generally profeffed and established. And indeed it is moft truly lamentable, that above others (who have been found in fo unnatural and antichristian A 3 |