Compulsion of Conscience Condemned, Section 1
COMPULSION OF Conſcience CONDEMNED. WHEREIN, Is plainly Demonſtrated how Inconſiſtent it is with Scripture, the Fundamental Laws of England, and Common Equity, &c.
Matth. 7. 12.
Whatſoever ye would, that Men ſhould do to you, do ye even ſo to them: For this is the Law and the Prophets.
Quid Tibi non vis, alteri ne Feceris.
By Tho. De-Laune, Gent.
LONDON, Printed, for John How next Door to the Blew-Bore without Biſhopsgate, and Tho. Knowles at the Corner of Great and Little Tower-Street. 1683,
Compulſion of Conſcience Condemned, &c.
THere are a ſort of Fierce and ill Natur'd Paſquillers, that keep a Bawling at all works of this Nature, though the Deſign be never ſo Innocent; The Dread of thoſe, ſhan't Terrifie me from preſenting theſe few Sheets to the Publick, Premiſing the true State of the Caſe by me aſſerted, viz. That the Mind and Conſcience of Man, with reſpect to Divine Truths, ought not to be Compell'd by outward Violence, and therefore that it is unreaſonable and unſeaſonable to Proſecute ſo many of his Majeſties Proteſtant-Subjects, meerly for their Nonconformity, to Jayls, Fines, Baniſhment, and to the Spoiling and taking away their Goods, &c. the Demonſtration of which ſhall be clearly and briefly offered with all Humillity. It is no ſmall Addition to the Grief of the Afflicted, that when they propoſe their Humble Complaints, and produce their modeſt reaſons againſt theſe kind of Severities, they are preſently aſſaulted with a new kind of Perſecution, by a parcel of cruel and unmerciful Pamphleters, who make it no leſs then an Arraignment of the State, and a Murmuring againſt the Government: In Return to which uncharitable Calumny I offer a few conſiderations.
1. 'Tis an eaſy thing for thoſe Maſters of the Faculty to Bugbear the Government with aggravated Hyperboles, and overſtretch'd Paraphraſes; 'Tis the very Nature of miſery to complain, and I never knew that the Perſon complained to (if of a Noble and Heroick mind,) Interpreted the Petitioners Requeſt at this Rate. The Poor Beggars crying for Relief, is no Arraignment of the Donors Charity. The Subjects Complaint of Grievance is no Impeachment of his Princes Juſtice. Our moſt Importunate Prayers to Almighty God, are no Arraignment of Infinite Meroy; no more are the Diſſenters applications to a Prince of ſuch Clemency as his Majeſty is, juſtly to be ſo repreſented, neither does he in his Royal Judgment ſo eſteem it.
2. It is Univerſally known that our Gracious King (whom God long Preſerve) is a Prince of ſuch Natural Clemency, and of ſo merciful a diſpoſition, that he is much more apt to Pardon the Delinquent, then oppreſs the Innocent, and therefore his Proteſtant Subjects are very well ſatisfied in his Royal Expreſſions in a Proclamation Dated April 8. 1681, viz. We will both in and out of Parliament uſe our utmoſt endeavour to extirpate Popery, and to redreſs all the Grievances of our Good Subjects, and in all things Govern according to the Laws of the Kingdom. The Pious Temper of our moſt Illuſtrious Soveraign is Remarkable, in a Speech to both Houſes, Monday Feb. 10. 1667. where he ſays, One thing more I hold my ſelf obliged to recommend unto you at this preſent; which is, that you would ſeriouſly think of ſome Courſe to beget a better Ʋnion and Compoſure in the minds of my Proteſtant Subjects in matters of Religion, whereby they may be Induced, not only to ſubmit quietly to the Government, but alſo chearfully give their Aſſiſtance to the ſupport of it.
This evidently demonſtrates that his Majeſty conſiders that Chriſtianity is full of Mercy, and that Chriſt the Glorious Author of it, is a Reconciler and Mediator, and therefore would have his Subjects diſputed, or Preach'd into Church, not Worry'd, Jayl'd, Plunder'd, and Church curs'd into Conformity.
I cannot leave this Royal-Text, till I have noted, that whereas his Majeſty expreſſes the ends of this Compoſure and Union, viz. 1. A quiet Submiſſion to the Government, and 2. a chearful aſſiſtance to ſupport it; No Subjects of equal Quality have outdone the Diſſenters in either of theſe. For,
1. As to matter of Fact, no Treaſons, Rebellions, or Inſurrections, (no not a Shaddow of any ſuch things) can be juſtly chargeable upon them, ſince his Majeſties Happy Reſtauration. All the Spys and Eagle-Ey'd Obſervators that have been Imploy'd to watch them, can't produce ſo much as a probable Circumſtance of any Conſpiracy amongſt them againſt the Government, and to be ſure, had there been any ſuch thing, the Nation e're this would have Ring'd of it. Some few half-penny Scriblers rant at 'um, and in Spight of the Act of Oblivion, Revive what the Supream Authority commands to be forgotten; But of that and the Single Freak of Venner, more hereafter.
2. As to the Probability of the thing, viz. That any ſuch Conſpiracy ſhould be Contrived by Diſſenting-Proteſtants, the Perſons that ſo think, muſt ſuppoſe them meer. Fools and Mad-men: For as things ſtand, they muſt firſt forfeit their Reaſon, before they can abandon their Allegiance. They are not ſo ſilly, whatſoever others think of them, but that they very well underſtand they hold their Lives, as well as their Religion by no other Tenure then his Majeſties Life. And therefore it is their great concern, as they tender all that's dear and near to them, to preſerve his Perſon and Government, and Defend both with their Lives and Fortunes. And I am confident that the whole Party of the Diſſenters, (though in ſome little things differing from each other) would Univerſally and Uniformly agree, to Sacrafice their All in his Majeſties Service, againſt any power whatſoever that ſhould oppoſe him.
The Univerſal experience of unbyaſs'd Mankind can Witneſs the Truth of what is here ſaid. Yet I know very well, what objections have been and will be made from that diſmal Topick of the Nations late Unhappy Convulſions. But that muſt be refered to a Diſtinct head.
In the ſecond place, It is certain that (theſe Proteſtant-Subjects his Majeſty intends, namely) the Diſſenters have chearfully given their Aſſiſtance to the ſupport of the Government. It is well known that they are an Induſtrious Trading People, that willingly pay whatſoever Taxes the Law requires. And it is Remarkable, that no People ever expreſt a greater Zeal to oppoſe the various attaques of a Forreign (Anti-Spiritual Power) then theſe Diſſenters: And could I know any one of them that would ſhrink from his Princes Service, when his Royal Perſon and Government are menaced, I would eſteem him not only a Fool, but a Traytor to boot.
To Evidence (further) the Lenity of his Majeſty, I ſhall quote a Memorable paſſage in his Declaration from Breda, Dated April 14. 1660. We do declare a Liberty to Tender Conſciences; and that no man ſhall be diſquieted or called in queſtion for differences of Opinion in matters of Religion, which do not diſturb the Peace of the Kingdom; And that we ſhall be ready to Conſent to ſuch an Act of Parliament, as upon mature Deliberation ſhall be offered to us for the full Granting that Indulgence.
What can be more Pious and Conſonant to the Rules of the Goſpel, then what this Great Monarch here declares? No Perſon is excepted from his Royal-Indulgence, but ſuch as diſturb the Peace of the Kingdom. Now if there be any ſuch among the Diſſenters, let them be ſeverely Puniſhed: But if there be none, I cannot but wonder at the Cruelty and undutifulneſs of ſuch as Proſecute their Peaceable and Innocent Fellow-Subjects againſt the mind of their Soveraign.
His Majeſty has not only declared this (ſo Favourable) Indulgence, but alſo by his own experience declares the unfruitfulneſs of Compulſion, March 15th. 1671. In theſe words, Our Care and endeavours for the Preſervation of the Rights and Intereſts of the Church, have been ſufficiently Manifeſted to the World, by the whole Courſe of our Government, ſince our Happy Reſtauration, and by the many frequent ways of Coercion that we have uſed for the reducing all erring or Diſſenting Perſons, and for Compoſing the unhappy Differences in matters of Religion which we found among our Subjects upon our Return: But it being Evident by the ſad Experience of Twelve years, that there is very little Fruit of all thoſe Forceable Courſes, we think our Self obliged to make uſe of that Supream Power in Eccleſiaſtical matters, which is not only Inherent in us, but hath been declared and Recognized to be ſo by ſeveral Statutes and Acts of Parliament, &c.
That Auguſt part of the Legiſlative power, the Houſe of Commons, Reſolved Janu. 10. 1680, That it is the opinion of this Houſe, that the Proſecution of Proteſtant Diſſenters upon the Penal-Laws, is at this time Grievous to the Subject, a Weakening the Proteſtant Intereſt, an Incouragement to Popery, and dangerous to the Peace of the Kingdom.
Beſides this, there was a Bill paſt both Houſes at the laſt Parliament in Weſtminſter, for the Repeal of the 35 of Elizabeth, but through ſome unhappy neglect it was not preſented to his Majeſty, who doubtleſs would have paſt it. Nevertheleſs by that and what's mentioned before, we may clearly infer that the King and Parliament, judge that Compulſion of Conſcience (of Peaceable Proteſtant Diſſenters) is both unſeaſonable and unprofitable. And if I have the whole Legiſlative Authority on my ſide, viz. King, Lords, and Commons, (that is all England) I may modeſtly preſume, that no Proteſtant will be angry at this Eſſay, nor cenſure it of Arrogance; it being ſo conformable to the Sentiments of the moſt Illuſtrious in the Nation: I muſt confeſs that there are Laws in force againſt the Diſſenters which we ſhall a little Diſcourſe of hereafter, and evidence plainly that the intention of the Legiſlators was to puniſh ſuch as they ſuppoſed would be Seditious or dangerous to the Government, and they that ſtretch theſe Laws to deſtroy ſo many Innocent Peaceable Members of the Common-Wealth, do but Fight againſt God, and pervert the meaning of the Lawgivers; and can (at long run) expect no other Fruit of their officiouſneſs, then what is reap'd by ſuch as are unmerciful (to ſay no more) at the great and general Tribunal. Here you ſee thoſe very Laws repealed, in voto, by them that made it, and though that dots not diſanull them, yet let me tell you, that for ſome particular Juſtices of the Peace, meerly upon the Information of a ſort of Creatures called Informers, (whoſe Character in a few words I'le give you e're long) to Execute the utmoſt, yea, more then the utmoſt Severity of the Laws, againſt Diſſenters, in defiance of the ſenſe of the Law-makers, who did undoubtedly know what was beſt for us, is no leſs then to oppoſe a private Opinion to a publick Deliberation, and a private Spirit againſt a publick. But I'le proceed to my main buſineſs; and refer the Opinion (with a reſpect to this matter▪ of as Great. Stateſmen as England ever knew to another place.