Fair-Warning, Title page – Dedication 2
FAIR-WARNING: OR, XXV. REASONS Against Toleration and Indulgence of POPERY; WITH THE Arch-Bishop of Canterbury's LETTER TO THE KING, AND All the Bishops of Irelands Protestation to the Parliament to the same Purpose. With an Answer to the Roman-Catholicks reasons FOR INDVLGENCE.
ALSO THE Excellent Reasons of the Honourable HOUSE of COMMONS Against INDULGENCE; With Historical Observations thereupon.
London, Printed for S. U. N. T. F.S. 1663.
TO THE KINGS Most Excellent MAJESTY,
May it please your Majesty,
I Have been too long silent, and am afraid, by my silence, I have neglected the duty of the place it hath pleased God to call me unto, and your Majesty to place me in. And now I humbly crave leave, I may discharge my conscience towards God, and my duty to your Majesty. And therefore I beseech your Majesty, give me leave freely to deliver my self, and then let your Majesty do with me what You please. Your Majesty hath propounded a Toleration of Religion: I beseech you Sir, take into your consideration, what the Act is, next what the Consequence may be. By your Act you labour to set up that most damnable, and heretical Doctrine of the Church of Rome, whore of Babylon. How hatefull will it be to God, and grievous unto Your good Subjects, the true professors of the Gospel; that your Majesty, who hath often disputed, and learnedly written against those wicked Heresies, should now shew Your self a Patron of those Doctrines, which Your Pen hath told the World, and Your Conscience tells Your self, are superstitious, idolatrous, and detestable. Besides, this Toleration which You endeavour to set up by Proclamation, cannot be done without a Parliament, unlesse your Majesty will let your Subjects see, that You will take unto your self a liberty to throw down the Laws of the Land at your pleasure. What dreadfull consequence these things may draw after them, I beseech your Majesty to consider. And above all, lest by this Toleration, and discontinuance of the true profession of the Gospel, whereby God hath blessed u…, and under which this Kingdome hath for many yeares flourished, Your Majesty do not draw upon the Kingdome in generall, and your self in particular, Gods heavy wrath and indignation Thus in discharge of my duty towards God, to your Majesty, and the place of my calling, I have taken humble boldnesse to deliver my conscience. And now, Sir, doe with me what you please.
I am Your most faithfull Subject and Servant. G. Canterbury.
TO THE Right Honourable THE LORDS AND COMMONS Assembled in Parliament.
Humbly sheweth, THat the Religion of the Papists is Superstitious and Idolatrous, their Faith and Doctrine erronious and hereticall, their Church in respect of both Apostaticall. To give them therefore a Toleration, or to consent that they may freely exercise their Religion, and professe their Faith and Doctrine is a grievous sin; and that in two respects.
For first, It is to make our selves accessary, not only to their superstitious Idolatries, Heresies, and in a word, to all the abom…nations of Popery; but also (which is a consequent of the former) to the perd…tion of the seduced people, which perish in the Deluge of the Catholick Apostacy.
And as it is a great sin, so also a matter of most dangerous consequence, the consideration whereof we commend to the wise and jud…cious. Beseeching the zealous God of Truth, to make them who are in Authority, zealous of Gods Glory, and of the advancement of true Religion; zealous resolute, and couragious against all Popery, Superstition and Idolatry. Amen.
Ja: Armachanus.
Auth: Medensis.
Ro: Dunensis. &c.
Richard Cork, Cloyne, Rosses.
Tho: Kilmore & Ardagh.
Mich: Waterford, and Lismore.
Mal: Casohellen:
Tho: Hernes. & Laughlin.
Geo: Deceus.
Andr: Alachadeus
Theo: Dromore.
Franc: Lymrick.
Since then, neither in right reason, and true policy of State, it is either becoming or safe, for Christian Magistrates, to have no acknowledgment of any face of Religion, so farre among their people and Subj…cts as to stablish, own and command it; nor is it any piety, for Christians, to be alwayes scepticks in Religion; ever unsatisfied, and unresolved, and unestablished in matters of Gods worship, and mans salvation, still ravelling the very grounds of Religion with endless cavells and endless disputes. Since the Word of God is neer and open to direct all men in the wayes of God; and since what is necessary to be believed and obeyed in truth and holinesse, is of all parts in Scrip…ure most plaine and easie; No doubt, but Christian Magistrates are highly bound in Conscience to God, and in charity to the good of their Subjects, (to whom they must do more good, then they are desired to do by the Vulgar) to establish those things, as to the extern order, Ministry, form and profession of Religion, both in doctrine and duties, which they shall in their conscience judge and conclude, upon the best advice of learned and godly men, to be most agreeable to the will of God, as most clearly grounded on the Word in the general tenor and analogy of it; and as most fundamentally necessary to be believed and obeyed by all Christians; whereto the Catholick beleife and practice of all Churches (more or lesse agreeing) gives a great light and direction. Christians must not be alwayes tossing to and fro in Religion, as if nothing were true fixed and certaine in Religion; nothing heretical, corrupt, and damnable in opinion and doctrine; nothing immorall, unlawfull, and abominable in practice; nothing perverse, uncharitable, and uncomely in seditions, schisms and separations.
John Wigorn.