A Second Discourse of the Religion of England, Section 8 – Section 10
SECT. VIII.
Of placing them in the same rank for Crime and Guilt, with the PAPISTS.
THE Answerer hath not feared to set the Papists, and the Protestant Dissenters, upon the same level, in the guilt of Rebellion, Cruelty and Turbulency. For a high Charge having been made good against Popery, That it disposeth Subjects to Rebellion: That it persecutes all other Religions within its reach: That wheresoever it finds encouragement, it is restless, till it bear down all, or hath put all in disorder: He comes and tells the World, That the Nonconformists are no more innocent of the same Crimes. Can men of sound minds and temperate spirits, believe this? And what greater advantage can be given the Popish Party, then that a Protestant Writer should declare and publish, that so great a part of Protestants are equally involved with them in those heinous Crimes with which the Protestants have always charged them? And that such a one should tell them, That it will seem unequal to deny a Toleration to them, and grant it unto others that are here pleaded for; which is in effect to say, They have as good reason to expect an Indulgence from this State, as others that maintain the Doctrine of the Church of England, yea, such as communicate in her publike Worship. Is there no better way of exalting Prelacy, and disgracing its supposed Adversaries, then by this Reproach and Damage done to the whole Protestant Profession? Yea, he so far extenuates the guilt of Papists, and brings it down so low, as to make it common to all other Sects. In which one would think he should have been more wary, who in one place stretcheth the notion of Sect so far, as to make its reason to lye in being different from the Established Form of Church Government. Now for matter of practice, he imputes the same guilt to all other Sects; And if the Papists (saith he) have any Doctrines which countenance those Practises, that is to be accounted as the issue of their insolency in their own greatness. And he implies, That it is onelyonly the want of strength, that other Sects are not so bad as they for such kind of Doctrine, as well as Practice. Such passages falling from a Protestants Pen, may do the Papists better service than their late Apology. But why doth he say, If the Papists have any such Doctrines? Doth he not know they have? The Church of England was assured of it, when concerning the Adherents of Rome, she used this expression in a publike form of Prayer, Whose Religion is Rebellion, and whose Faith is Faction. We wish their eyes were open, who cannot see more permanent and effectual causes of the aforesaid Crimes peculiar to that Religion, and rooted in the Principles thereof. The evidence hereof given in the former Discourse, is not needful to be rehersed in this place.
This Author (as others that oppose the wayes of Amity and Peace) loves to grate upon a string that sounds harsh, To renew the remembrance of the late Warr. Those distracted Times, are the great Storehouse and Armory, out of which such men do fetch their Weapons of offence; and the great Strong-hold, unto which they always retreat when they are vanquished by the force of Reason, and then they think they are safe, though therein they contradict the true intent of the Act of Oblivion. Some of those that now so importunately urge the Injury and Tyranny of those Times, did then suf…iciently comply with Usurpers; and left Episcopacy to sink or swim; and did partake of the chiefest Favours and Preferments that were then conferred. And on the other hand, such as they upbraid, and are now Sufferers, did as little comply with those that subverted the Government, and did as zealously appear for the rescue of our late Sovereign, and for the restitution of His present Majesty, as any sort of men in the Realm. But to intermeddle in the Differences of those Times, and to repeat Odious Matters, and to use Recriminations that will disturb the minds of men, and tend to a perpetual Mischief, is aliene from, and opposite unto my Pacifick Endeavours. As for his charging the Nonconformists with certain Doctrines and Positions by him there mentioned (which I know none that maintains) and other Accusations and Reports relating to the time of the Warr; the Truth or Falshood, the Equity or Iniquity, the Candor or Disingenuity of his Testimony in those things, is left to the judgment of the Righteous God, and of Impartial Men.
SECT. IX.
Whether their Inconformity be Conscientious or Wilful.
ANother part of the Proceeding is very Unrighteous and Presumptuous. The Dissenting Ministers appeal to God, That they dare not Conform for Conscience sake. This Author hence inferrs, The force of the Argument is, There is a Necessity of Toleration, because they Will not conform. Is a Cannot for Conscience sake, of no more force than a bare Will not? But who best knows their hearts, themselves or their Adversaries? He would make the world believe, that not Conscience, but Obstinacy and Faction, is the cause of their holding out, and that the greatest part were trapann'd into Nonconformity. That trifling story of their being trapann'd, is not worthy of serious discourse. It is so evident, as not to be denied, That about the time the Act of Uniformity was to be put in practice, there were motions and overtures of Indulgence from the King and some of the great Officers of State, who were known to have high affection and esteem for the Church of England, yet did approve and promote those Overtures as the best Expedient for the setling of this Church and Kingdom. But to let that pass, Can men of Understanding and Candor think, that so many serious persons, who as well as others, may be thought to love themselves, their Families and Relations, should continue such egregiously obstinate Fools, as to refuse the Comforts of their Temporal Being, for a Humor, and remain in a state of Deprivation, into which they had been meerly trapann'd? As for the objected unprofitableness of their returning, how doth it appear? What hinders their Capacity of gaining Benefices, yea and Dignities, if they could Conform? Why should they not find as good acceptation as others, in their Preaching and Conversation? It may be they would enter too fast, for the good liking of some, into those Preferments, who therefore would set such Barrs against them, as they should not be able to break thorough.
SECT. X.
Of their peaceable Inclinations, and readiness to be satisfied.
IN the late Times of Usurpation, there were apparent predispositions in this sort of men to Peace and Concord. The longing desire and expectation that was in them, as much as in any others, of a National Settlement, and general Composure, did accelerate His Majesty's Peaceable Restauration. Surely they were not so stupid as to imagine that great Turn of Affairs, without the thoughts of their own yeilding, and such as they hoped would be effectual with those of the other Perswasion. Their early and ready Overtures of Reconciliation, which are publikely made known, will testifie their Moderation, to the present and future Ages. Their Offers of Acquiescing in Episcopacy Regulated, and the Liturgy Reformed, was on their part, a good advance towards Union. His Majesty hath given this Testimony of them in His Declaration: When We were in Holland, We were attended by many Grave and Learned Ministers from hence, who were looked upon as the most able and principal Assertors of the Presbyterian Opinions, with whom We had as much Conference as the multitude of Affairs which were then upon VsUs, would permit VsUs to have; and to Our great Satisfaction and Comfort, found them persons full of Affection to VsUs, of Zeal for the Peace of the Church and State, and neither Enemies (as they had been given out to he) to Episcopacy or Liturgy, but modestly to desire such alterations as without shaking Foundations, might best allay the present Distempers which the indisposition of the Time, and the tenderness of some mens Consciences had contracted.
I wonder at the confidence of that Assertion in the Answer, That it is sufficiently known, That none of the present Nonconformists did in the least measure agree in the use of those little things; and though desired by the King to read so much of the Liturgy as themselves had not exception against, and so could have no pretence from Conscience. For it is well known, that some of them did in compliance with the Kings desire, read part of the Liturgy in their Churches. As for others that did not, perhaps for the prevention of scandal they might use their liberty of forbearance till some Reformation were obtained. The truth is, the Concessions on this side have been abused, to the reproach and disadvantage of the depressed Party; and from their readiness to yeild so far as they can, for the common peace sake, a perverse inference is made, That they might yeild throughout, if Humor and Faction did not rule them. Is there any Justice or Charity in such dealing? May not men of upright Consciences, and peaceable Inclinations, forbear the insisting upon some things to them very desirable, and give place to some things not approved by them as the best in that kind, if so be they might obtain their Peace and Liberty, by Indulgence granted them in other things, wherein Conscience binds them up that they cannot yeild? Moreover, some Concessions made by particular men of very Catholick spirits, in the earnest pursuit of Peace, have been wrack'd and wrested to a sense beyond their true import; and then they that so handle them, triumph in their own conceit, over them, as if they had given up the whole Cause. Certasnly they are ill employed, who from their Brethrens yeelding offers, raise Opposition against them, and endeavour to set them further off.