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<DATE>2014-11-19</DATE>
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<NAME>TCP Staff (Michigan)</NAME>
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<PB N="1" REF="1" MS="y">
<HEAD>A Plain Account of the <HI>Per&s;ecution,</HI> now laid to the Charge of the Church of <HI>ENGLAND.</HI></HEAD>
<P N="1">I. THE de&s;ire of <HI>Liberty</HI> to &s;erve God in that way and manner, which Men judge to be mo&s;t acceptable to him, is &s;o Natural and Rea&s;onable, that they cannot but be extremely pro|voked again&s;t tho&s;e who would force them to &s;erve him in any other. But the conceit withall, which mo&s;t men have that their way of &s;erving God is the only acceptable way; naturally inclines them, when they have Power, to u&s;e all means to con&s;train all others to &s;erve him in that way only. So that <HI>Li|berty</HI> is not more de&s;ired by all, at one time, than it is denied by the very &s;ame Per&s;ons at another. Put them into different Conditions, and they are not of the &s;ame mind: but have different inclinations, in one &s;tate, from what they have in another. As will be apparent by a &s;hort view of what hath pa&s;&s;ed in the&s;e Churches and Kingdoms, within our memory.</P>
<P N="2">II. Before the late Civil Wars there were very grie|vous Complaints made of the <HI>Bi&s;hops;</HI> that they pre&s;&s;ed the Ceremonies &s;o &s;trictly, as to inflict heavy Cen&s;ures upon tho&s;e called <HI>Puritans,</HI> who could not in <HI>con&s;cience</HI> conform to them. Now no &s;ooner had tho&s;e very Per&s;ons who thus complain'd, got their liberty to do as they plea&s;ed, but they took it quite away from the other: and Seque&s;tred all tho&s;e who would not enter into their <HI>Holy League and Cove|nant;</HI> for the Reforming all things, according to the Modell which they propounded. Nay, they were not willing to bear with <HI>Five</HI> Di&s;&s;enting Brethren among them&s;elves; who could not Conform to the <HI>Presbyterial</HI> Government. And when the&s;e Di&s;|&s;enting Brethren, commonly known by the Name of <HI>Independents,</HI> had got a Party &s;trong enough, which carried all before them; they would not allow the u&s;e of the <HI>Common Prayer</HI> in any Pari&s;h; no not to the <HI>King</HI> him&s;elf in his own Chapel: not grant to one of the old Clergy, &s;o much liberty as to teach a School, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Which things I do not mention (God knows) to reproach tho&s;e who were guilty of them; but only to put them in mind of their own Fail|ings: that they may be humbled for them, and not in&s;ult over the Church of <HI>England,</HI> nor &s;everely up|braid them with that, which when time was, they acted with a higher hand them&s;elves. If I &s;hould report all that the <HI>Presbyterians</HI> did here and in <HI>Scot|land,</HI> and all that the <HI>Independents</HI> did here and in <HI>New-England;</HI> it would not be thought that I ex|ceed the Truth, when I &s;ay they have been more guilty of this fault, than tho&s;e whom they now charge with it. Which doth not excu&s;e the Church of <HI>England,</HI> it mu&s;t be confe&s;&s;ed; but doth in &s;ome mea&s;ure, mitigate her fault. For the Conforma|ble Clergy having met with &s;uch very hard u&s;age in that di&s;mal time, wherein many of them were op|pre&s;&s;ed above mea&s;ure: no wonder if the &s;mart of it, then fre&s;h in their minds, &s;omething imbittered their &s;pirits; when God was plea&s;ed, by a wonder|ful Revolution, to put them into Power again.</P>
<P N="3">III. Then a &s;tricter <HI>Act of &V;niformity</HI> was made, and &s;everal Laws pur&s;uant to it, for the enforcing that Uniformity, by &s;evere Penalties. But let it be remembred that none were by tho&s;e Laws con|&s;trained to come Church; but had <HI>Lib<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ty</HI> left them to &s;erve God at home (and &s;ome Company with them) in their own way. And let it be farther re|membred, that the rea&s;on why they were denied their liberty of meeting in greater A&s;&s;emblies was; becau&s;e &s;uch A&s;&s;emblies were repre&s;ented as <HI>greatly endangering the publick Peace and Safety:</HI> as the words are in the very fir&s;t Act of this nature again&s;t <HI>Quakers,</HI> in the Year 1662. Let any one read the <HI>Oxford Act,</HI> (as it is commonly called) made in the Year 1665. and that at <HI>We&s;tmin&s;ter</HI> in the Year 1670. and he will find them intended again&s;t <HI>Sedi|tious Conventicles;</HI> That is, they who made them were per&s;waded by the <HI>Je&s;uit intere&s;t</HI> at fir&s;t to look upon &s;uch Meetings as <HI>Nur&s;eries of Sedition,</HI> where bad <HI>Principles</HI> were infu&s;ed into mens minds, de|&s;tructive to the <HI>Civil Government.</HI> If it had not been f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">r this, it doth not appear that the Contri|vers of the&s;e <HI>Laws</HI> were inclined to &s;uch <HI>Severities</HI> as were thereby enacted; but the <HI>Nonconformi&s;ts</HI> might have enjoyed a larger liberty in <HI>Religion.</HI> It was not <HI>Religion</HI> alone which was con&s;idered, and pretended, but the <HI>publick peace and &s;ettlement:</HI> with re&s;pect to which they were tyed up &s;o &s;traitly in the exerci&s;e of their <HI>Religion.</HI> Which, to deal clearly, I do not believe would have taught <HI>Rebelli|on:</HI> but this was con&s;tantly in&s;inuated by the <HI>Court A|gents;</HI> and it is no <HI>wonder</HI> if the <HI>Parliament</HI> who re|membred how the Mini&s;ters of that Per&s;ua&s;ion (Though indeed from the then appearance of <HI>Po|pery</HI>) had been the principal Incouragers of that <HI>Defen&s;ive War</HI> again&s;t the <HI>King,</HI> were ea&s;ily made to believe that they &s;till retained the &s;ame <HI>princi|ples,</HI> and would propagate them, if they were &s;uf|fered, among the People. Certain it is al&s;o, that the <HI>Court</HI> made it their care to have tho&s;e Acts pa&s;|&s;ed; though at the &s;ame time they hindred their execution: that they might keep up both Parties, in the height of their Animo&s;ities; and e&s;pecially that they might make the Church of <HI>England,</HI> be both, hated and de&s;pi&s;ed by the <HI>Di&s;&s;enters.</HI></P>
<P N="4">IV. Thus things continued for &s;ome time, till wi&s;e men began to &s;ee into the Secret; and think of
<PB N="2" REF="2"> a <HI>Reconciliation.</HI> But it was always hindred by the <HI>Court:</HI> who never thought of giving <HI>Liberty</HI> by a <HI>Law,</HI> but only by the <HI>Prerogative;</HI> which could as ea&s;ily take it away. There was a time, for in&s;tance, when a <HI>Comprehen&s;ion,</HI> &amp;c. was projected by &s;everal Great Men both in <HI>Church and State:</HI> for the taking as many as was po&s;&s;ible into Union with us; and pro|viding Ea&s;e for the re&s;t. Which &s;o netled the late <HI>King,</HI> that meeting with the then Archbi&s;hop of <HI>Can|terbury,</HI> he &s;aid to him (as I perfectly remember) <HI>What, My Lord, you are for a Comprehen&s;ion?</HI> To which he making &s;uch a reply as &s;ignified, he heard &s;ome were about it: <HI>No,</HI> &s;aid the King, <HI>I will keep the Church of</HI> England <HI>pure and unmixed:</HI> that is, never &s;uffer a Reconciliation with the <HI>Di&s;&s;enters.</HI> And when the <HI>Lords and Cimmons</HI> al&s;o had, not many years ago, pa&s;&s;ed a Bill for the repealing of the mo&s;t heavy of all the <HI>Penal Laws</HI> again&s;t <HI>Di&s;&s;enters,</HI> viz. the Statute of 35 <HI>Eliz.</HI> 1. (which, by the Parliament is made, again&s;t the <HI>Wicked and dangerous practices of Sedicious Sectaries, and di&s;loyal per&s;ons</HI>) his late Maje&s;ty &s;o dealt with the Clerk of the Parliament, that it was &s;huffled <HI>away</HI> and could not be found; when it was to have been p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">e&s;ented to him, among other Bills, for his Royal Con&s;ent unto it. A notable to|ken of the abhorrence the Court then had of all <HI>Pe|nal Laws;</HI> and of their great kindne&s;s to <HI>Di&s;&s;enters.</HI></P>
<P N="5">V. Who may remember, if they plea&s;e, that as once there was a time, when the Court turned our, or chid, tho&s;e <HI>Ju&s;tices,</HI> who were forward in the Execution of the Laws again&s;t <HI>Nonconformi&s;ts;</HI> be|cau&s;e they were then in &s;o low a Condition, that the Court was afraid the Church of <HI>England</HI> might indeed be e&s;tabli&s;hed in its Uniformity. So when the <HI>Nonconformi&s;ts</HI> were, by &s;ome liberty, grown &s;tronger, and &s;et them&s;elves again&s;t the Court In|tere&s;t, in the Election of <HI>Sheriffs,</HI> and &s;uch like things; then all tho&s;e <HI>Ju&s;tices</HI> were turned out who hung back, and would not execute the <HI>Laws</HI> again&s;t them; and <HI>Ju&s;tices</HI> pickt out for the purpo&s;e, who would do it &s;everely. Nay, the Clergy were called upon, and had Orders &s;ent them, to return the Names of all <HI>Nonconformi&s;ts</HI> in their &s;everal Pari&s;hes; that they might be proceeded again&s;t in the <HI>Courts Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal.</HI> And here I cannot forget the Order made by the <HI>Middle&s;ex Ju&s;tices,</HI> at the Se&s;&s;ions at <HI>Hickes-Hall, Jan.</HI> 13 1681. where they urge the Execution of the Act of 22 <HI>C.</HI> 2. again&s;t <HI>Conventicles,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>in all pro|bability they will destroy both Church and State.</HI> This was the rea&s;on which moved them to call upon <HI>Con|&s;tables</HI> and all other <HI>Officers</HI> to do their duty in this matter: Nay, to call upon the <HI>B. of London</HI> him&s;elf, that <HI>he would u&s;e his utmo&s;t endeavours, within his Ju|ri&s;diction, that all &s;uch per&s;ons may be Excommuni|cate,</HI> This was a bold &s;troke, proceeding from an un|u&s;ual degree of Zeal: which plainly enough &s;igni|fies that the <HI>Bi&s;hops</HI> were not &s;o forward as the <HI>Ju|&s;tices,</HI> in the pro&s;ecuting of <HI>Di&s;&s;enters.</HI> Who may do well to remember that the <HI>Hou&s;e of Commons,</HI> a little before this, had been &s;o Kind to them, that tho&s;e <HI>Ju&s;tices</HI> would not have dared to have been &s;o &s;evere as they were at <HI>Hickes-Hall,</HI> if they had not been &s;et on by directions from <HI>Whitehall.</HI> For in their <HI>Order</HI> they pre&s;s the Execution of the Statute <HI>Eliz.</HI> and 3 <HI>Jac.</HI> 1. for levying <HI>Twelve-pence</HI> a <HI>Sunday</HI> upon all tho&s;e that do not come to Church: Whereas the <HI>Hou&s;e of Commons, Nov.</HI> 6. 1680. had, <HI>Re&s;olved,</HI> Ne|mine contra dicente, <HI>that it is the Opinion of this Hou&s;e, That the Acts of Parliament made in the Reign of Q.</HI> Elizabeth, <HI>and King</HI> James, <HI>again&s;t Popi&s;h Re|cu&s;ants, ought not to be extended again&s;t Prote&s;tant Di&s;&s;enters.</HI></P>
<P N="6">VI. Who &s;hould not forget how backward the Clergy of <HI>London</HI> e&s;pecially, were to comply with this de&s;ign, of reviving the Execution of the <HI>Laws</HI> again&s;t them; <HI>what cour&s;es they took to &s;ave them from this danger! and what hatred they incurred for being &s;o kind to them! Which in truth was kindne&s;s to them|&s;elves; for new they &s;aw plainly enough that Nothing was intended but the de&s;truction of us both, by &s;etting us, in our turns, one again&s;t the other. Many indeed were po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed with the old Opinion, that the Di&s;&s;enters aimed at the overthrow of the Government both in Church and State: which made them the more readily joyn with tho&s;e who were employed to &s;uppre&s;s them, by turning the edge of the Laws upon them. But both the&s;e were mo&s;t indu&s;triou&s;ly promoted by the Court: Who laboured might and main to have this believed, that they who were called</HI> Whigs, <HI>intended the ruine of the Church and of the Monarchy too: and therefore none had the Court favour, but they alone who were for the ruining of</HI> them. <HI>All others were frown'd upon, and branded with the name of</HI> Trimmers; <HI>who they ad|ventured at la&s;t, to &s;ay were wor&s;e than</HI> Whigs. <HI>Mere|ly becau&s;e they, &s;eeing through the de&s;ign, de&s;ired tho&s;e ugly Names of</HI> Whig <HI>and</HI> Tory <HI>might be laid a&s;ide; and per&s;waded all to</HI> Moderation, Love, Unity, <HI>and</HI> Peace. <HI>If any man had the&s;e dangerous words in his mouth, he had a mark &s;et upon him; and was lookt up|on as an enemy, as &s;oon as he di&s;covered any de&s;ires of Reconciliation.</HI> No peace with Di&s;&s;enters <HI>was then as much in &s;ome mens mouths, as</HI> no peace with Rome <HI>had been in others. They were all voted to de&s;truction; and it was an unpardonable crime &s;o much as to men|tion an Accommodation.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Such things as the&s;e ought not to be forgotten.</HI></P>
<P N="7">VII. But if they li&s;t not to call them to mind, (tho' they be of fre&s;h memory) yet let the at lea&s;t con&s;ider what they have had at their Tongues end, ever &s;ince they
<PB N="3" REF="2"> knew any thing: That <HI>the Church of Rome is a per&s;ecu|ting Church, and the Mother of Per&s;ecution.</HI> Will they then be deluded by the pre&s;ent <HI>Sham</HI> of <HI>Liberty of Con|&s;cience;</HI> which they of that Church pretend to give? It is not in thei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>power,</HI> no more than in their <HI>Spirit:</HI> They neither <HI>will</HI> nor <HI>can</HI> give liberty of Con&s;cience; but with a de&s;ign to take all liberty from us. That Church mu&s;t be obeye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">; and there is no middle choice among them, between <HI>t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">n or burn, conform or be undone.</HI> What Liberty <HI>do</HI> the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> give in any Country, where thei<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>power</HI> is e&s;tabli&s;hed? What Liberty <HI>can</HI> they give, who have determined that Hereticks ought to be rooted out? Look into <HI>France</HI> (with which we have had the &s;trict|e&s;t Alliance &amp; Friend&s;hip a long time) and behold, how at this moment they compel tho&s;e to go to <HI>Ma&s;s;</HI> who they know abhor it as an abominable Idolatry. Such a violent <HI>Spirit</HI> now acts them, that they &s;tick not to pro|fane their own mo&s;t <HI>holy Mysteries;</HI> that they may have the face of an <HI>&V;niver&s;al Conformity,</HI> without the lea&s;t <HI>Liberty.</HI> For the <HI>new Converts,</HI> as they are called, poor Wretches, are known to be mere <HI>outward Compliers:</HI> in their Hearts abominating that which they are forced externally to Wor&s;hip. They declare as much by e&s;|caping from this Tyranny over their Con&s;ciences, and bewailing their &s;inful compliance; when&s;oever they have an opportunity. And they that cannot e&s;cape, frequently prote&s;t they have been con&s;trained to adore that, which they believe ought not to be adored. And when they come to dye, refu&s;e to receive the <HI>Romi&s;h Sacrament;</HI> and thereupon are dragg'd, when dead, along the Streets, and thrown, like dead Dogs upon the Dun|hills. Unto what a heigth of rage are the &s;pirits of the <HI>Romi&s;h Clergy</HI> inflamed; that it perfectly blinds their eyes; and will not let them &s;ee how they expo&s;e the mo&s;t &s;acred thing in all their <HI>Religion</HI> (the <HI>Holy Sacra|ment,</HI> which they believe to be <HI>Je&s;us Christ</HI> him&s;elf) to be received by tho&s;e who they know have no reverence at all for it, but utterly abhor it? For they force them, by all manner of violence, to adore the <HI>Ho&s;t</HI> again&s;t their will, and then to eat what they have adored; tho' they have the greate&s;t rea&s;on to believe, that tho&s;e poor Creatures do not adore it. That is, the Chuch of <HI>Rome</HI> will have her My&s;teries adored by all, tho' it be by <HI>Hy|pocrites.</HI> None &s;hall be excu&s;ed, but whether they <HI>be|lieve</HI> or not believe, they &s;hall be compelled to <HI>do</HI> as that Church doth. Nothing &s;hall hinder it; for the ha|tred and fury wherewith they are now tran&s;ported, is &s;o exceeding great; that it makes them (as I have &s;aid) offer <HI>violence</HI> even to their own Religion, rather than &s;uffer any body <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ot to conform to it.</P>
<P N="8">VIII. And a&s;&s;ure your &s;elves they are very de&s;irous to extend this Violence beyond the bounds of <HI>France.</HI> They would fain &s;ee <HI>England</HI> al&s;o, in the &s;ame condition. The Bi&s;hop of <HI>Valence</HI> and <HI>Die,</HI> hath told us as much, in the <GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="left margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters">peech which he made to the <HI>French King,</HI> in the Name of the Clergy of <HI>France,</HI> to Congratulate his glorious Atchievements, in rooting out the Here&s;ie of <HI>Calvin.</HI> In which he hath a mo&s;t memorable Pa&s;&s;age, for which we are beholden to him becau&s;e it informs us that they are not &s;atisfied with what their King hath done there; but would have him think there is a further Glory re|&s;erved for him, of lending his help to make us &s;uch good Catholicks, as he hath made in <HI>France.</HI> This is the ble&s;&s;ed Work they would be at: and if any among us be &s;till &s;o blind as not to &s;ee it, we mu&s;t look upon it as the ju&s;t judgment of God upon them for &s;ome o|ther &s;ins which they have committed. They are deli|vered up to a Reprobate mind, which cannot di&s;cern the mo&s;t evident things. They declare to all the World that they have been above <HI>fifty</HI> years, crying out a|gain&s;t they know not what. For they know not what <HI>Popery</HI> is (of which they have &s;eemed to be horribly afraid) if they believe that they of that Religion either can or will give any <HI>Liberty;</HI> when they have <HI>power</HI> to E&s;tabli&s;h their <HI>Tyranny.</HI> It is no better: St. <HI>John</HI> him|&s;elf hath de&s;cribed that Church under the Name of <HI>Ba|bylon,</HI> that cruel City; and of a BEAST, which like a <HI>Bear,</HI> tramples all under its feet; and of <HI>another Bea&s;t, which cau&s;es as many as will not wor&s;hip the Image of the Bea&s;t, to be killed; and that no man may buy or &s;ell &s;ave &s;uch as have had his mark; i. e.</HI> are of his Rellgi|on, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13.1.15, 16. This Character they will make good to the very end of their Reign, as they have ful|filled it from the beginning. They cannot alter their nature, no more than the <HI>Ethiopian change his Skin, or the Leopard his Spots.</HI> It ever was, &s;ince the ri&s;e of the BEAST, &amp; it ever will be till its fall, a bloody Church. Which can bear no contradiction to her Doctrine and Orders, but will endeavour to root out all tho&s;e that oppo&s;e her, from the face of the Earth. Witne&s;s the Barbarous <HI>Cru&s;ado's</HI> again&s;t the poor <HI>Albigen&s;es</HI> in <HI>France:</HI> in one of which alone <HI>Bellarmine</HI> him&s;elf &s;aith, and not without Triumph, there were killed no le&s;s than an <HI>hundred thou&s;and.</HI> Witne&s;s the horrible <HI>but|cheries</HI> committed in <HI>France,</HI> in <HI>England,</HI> &amp; in the <HI>Low-Countries</HI> in the Age before us; and in <HI>Poland,</HI> the Val|lies of <HI>Piedmont,</HI> &amp; in <HI>Ireland</HI> in this Age; upon tho&s;e who had no other fault but this, that they made the <HI>Holy Scriptures,</HI> and not the <HI>Roman Church,</HI> the Rule of their faith.</P>
<P N="9"><HI>IX. But if you be Ignorant of what hath been done, &amp; is doing abroad, yet I hope you ob&s;erve what they do here at home. What do you think of the</HI> Declaration <HI>which was ve|ry lately impo&s;ed to be read in all our Churches? Which when &s;everal</HI> Bi&s;hops <HI>and their Clergy, mo&s;t humbly repre|&s;ented, they could not</HI> in Con&s;cience <HI>publi&s;h to the people in time of Divine Service; this would not excu&s;e them; their Petition was received with indignation, and lookt upon as a Libel; the</HI> Bi&s;hops <HI>were pro&s;ecuted for it; and Inquiry
<PB N="4" REF="3" MS="y"> is now ordered to be made after tho&s;e who did not read it (as well as tho&s;e that did) that they may be puni&s;hed by the</HI> High Commi&s;&s;ioners. <HI>Call you this Liberty of Con|&s;cience? Or do you imagine you &s;hall never have any thing impo&s;ed upon you, to be read in your Congregations, which you cannot comply withall? Con&s;ider, I be&s;eech you, what will become of you when that time &s;hall come? What's the meaning of this, that ever they are lookt upon as Of|fenders, for following their</HI> Con&s;cience, <HI>who&s;e &s;ervices have been acknowledged to be &s;o great, that they &s;hould never be forgotten? It ought to teach</HI> Di&s;&s;enters <HI>what they are to expect hereafter, when they have &s;erved them &s;o far, (by ta|king off the</HI> Te&s;ts <HI>and the</HI> Penal Laws) <HI>as to enable them with &s;afety to remember all their former pretended tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions. Let them a&s;&s;ure them&s;elves the</HI> &s;ervices <HI>of the Church of</HI> England <HI>are not now more certainly forgotten, than the</HI> Sins <HI>of</HI> Di&s;&s;enters <HI>will hereafter, when they have got power to puni&s;h them, be mo&s;t certainly remembred. Be not drawn in then by</HI> deceitful words, <HI>to help forward your own de&s;truction. If you will not be a&s;&s;i&s;tant to it, they cannot do it alone: and it will be very &s;trange if you be per&s;waded to lend them your help, when the deceit is &s;o ap|parent. For what are all the pre&s;ent pleas for</HI> Liberty, <HI>but &s;o many infamous</HI> Libels <HI>upon the</HI> Roman <HI>Church, which denies all men this Liberty? While they declaim &s;o laudly again&s;t</HI> Per&s;ecution, <HI>they mo&s;t notoriou&s;ly reproach</HI> Popery; <HI>which &s;ub&s;i&s;ts by Nothing but</HI> deceit <HI>and</HI> cruelty. <HI>And who can think that they would &s;uffer their Church to be &s;o expo&s;ed and reviled, as it is by &s;uch di&s;cour&s;es, but with a de&s;ign to cheat heedle&s;s people into its obedience? For this <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">nd they can hear it proved, nay prove it them&s;elves to be an</HI> Antichri&s;tian Church; <HI>when they prove it is again&s;t</HI> Chri&s;tianity, <HI>nay against the Law of</HI> Nature <HI>and</HI> Com|mon rea&s;on, <HI>to trouble any body for his opinion in Religion.</HI></P>
<P N="10"><HI>X. Once more then I be&s;eech you, be not deceived by good words, if you l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ve your</HI> Liberty, <HI>and your</HI> Life. <HI>Call to mind how our poor Brethren in</HI> France <HI>were very lately deluded by the repeated Prote&s;tations which their King made, he would ob&s;erve the Edict of</HI> Nantes <HI>(which was the founda|tion of their Liberty) even then, when he was about to o|verthrow it: &amp; by many a&s;&s;urances, which were given them by tho&s;e who came to torment them, that the King</HI> intended <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">o reform the Church of <HI>France,</HI> as &s;oon as he had u|nited his Subjects. <HI>What he had done already again&s;t the Court of</HI> Rome, <HI>they told them was an in&s;tance of it; and they &s;hould &s;hortly &s;ee other matters. Such en|&s;naring words they heard</HI> there <HI>daily from the mouths of their armed Per&s;ecutors, who were ready to fall upon them, or had begun to oppre&s;s them: And therefore they would be arrant fools</HI> here, <HI>if they did not give good words, when they have no power to hurt us. But we &s;hall be far greater fools if we believe they will keep their word when they have got th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">t power; the greate&s;t of all fools if we give them that power. They have no other way but this, to wheedle us out of our</HI> Laws <HI>and</HI> Liberties. <HI>Do but &s;urrender the one, I mean our</HI> Laws; <HI>and they will &s;oon take awa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter"> the other, our beloved</HI> Liberties. <HI>Be not tempted to make &s;uch a dangerous Experiment: but let the</HI> Laws <HI>&s;tand as they are, becau&s;e they</HI> are <HI>against</HI> them <HI>(as appears by their earne&s;t endeavours to repeal them) and be not u&s;ed as tools to take them away, becau&s;e they</HI> have <HI>been grievous to</HI> you. <HI>They never can be &s;o again. For can they who now Court you have the face to turn them again upon you, after they have made all this noi&s;e for Liberty? And the Church of</HI> Eng|land, <HI>you may be a&s;&s;ured, will not any more trouble you: but when a Prote&s;tant Prince &s;hall come, will joyn in the heal|ing of all our breaches; by removing all things out of the way, which have long hindred that ble&s;&s;ed work. They can|not meet together in a body to give you this a&s;&s;urance (how &s;hould they without the Kings authority &s;o to do?) but every particular per&s;on that I have di&s;cour&s;ed withall, which are not a few (&amp; you your &s;elves would do well to ask them, when you meet them) profe&s;s that they &s;ee an ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity of making an end of the&s;e Differences that have almo&s;t un|done us: and will no longer contend to bring all men to</HI> one Uniformity; <HI>but promote an</HI> Uniform Liberty. <HI>Do not imagine I intend to give mere words: I mean hone&s;t|ly; &s;uch a regular</HI> Liberty, <HI>as will be the beauty and ho|nour, not the blot and di&s;credit of our Religion. To &s;uch a</HI> temper <HI>the Archbi&s;hop of</HI> Canterbury, <HI>with &s;everal other Bi&s;hops of his Province, and their</HI> Clergy, <HI>have openly declared they are willing to come. And the Bi&s;hops and Clergy of the Church of</HI> England <HI>have never been known to act deceitfully. Our Religion will not at any time allow them to</HI> equivocate; <HI>nor to give good words without a meaning. Much le&s;s at &s;uch a time as this when our Religi|on is in great danger; and we have nothing to tru&s;t unto, but Gods protection of &s;incere Per&s;ons.</HI> Let Integ<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1 letter">ity and Uprightne&s;s pre&s;erve us, <HI>is their con&s;tant Prayer. They can hope for no help from Heaven, if they &s;hould prevari|cate with men. God they know would de&s;ert them, if they &s;hould go about to delude their Brethren. And they are not &s;o void of common &s;en&s;e, as to adventure to incur his mo&s;t high di&s;plea&s;ure, when they have nothing to rely upon but his favour.</HI></P>
<P><HI>In &s;hort,</HI> Tru&s;t <HI>to tho&s;e who own you for their</HI> Brethren, <HI>as you do them: for th&ocirc; they have been</HI> angry <HI>Brethren, ye<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> there is hope of Reconciliation between &s;uch near Relations But put no Confidence in tho&s;e, who not only utterly di&s;own any &s;uch Relation to you, but have ever treated you with an implacable hatred, as their most mortal</HI> Enemies; <HI>unto whom it is impo&s;&s;ible they &s;hould be reconciled.</HI></P>
<Q><P><BIBL>Prov. 12.19, 20. </BIBL><HI>The lips of Truth &s;hall be establi&s;hed for ever: but a lying Tongue is but for a moment.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord: but the<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="right margin cropped or obscured" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="1+ letters"> that deal Truly are his delight.</HI></P></Q>
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