The reasonableness of toleration, and the unreasonableness of penal laws and tests wherein is prov'd by Scripture, reason and antiquity, that liberty of conscience is the undoubted right of every man, and tends to the flourishing of kingdoms and commonwealths, and that persecution for meer religion is unwarrantable, unjust, and destructive to humane society, with examples of both kinds.
Penn, William, 1644-1718.
1687
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The reasonableness of toleration, and the unreasonableness of penal laws and tests wherein is prov'd by Scripture, reason and antiquity, that liberty of conscience is the undoubted right of every man, and tends to the flourishing of kingdoms and commonwealths, and that persecution for meer religion is unwarrantable, unjust, and destructive to humane society, with examples of both kinds.
Penn, William, 1644-1718.
[2], 40 [i.e. 38] p.
Printed for John Harris ...,
London :
1687.
Reproduction of original in Huntington Library.
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Freedom of religion.
Liberty of conscience.
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The
Reasonableness
,
OF
TOLERATION
,
AND
The
Unreasonableness
OF
Penal
LAWS
And
Tests
.
Wherein
is
prov'd
by
Scripture
,
Reason
and
Antiquity
,
That
Liberty
of
Conscience
is
the
Undoubted
Right
of
every
Man
,
and
tends
to
the
Flourishing
of
Kingdoms
and
Commonwealths
;
And
that
Persecution
for
meer
Religion
is
Unwarrantable
,
Unjust
,
and
Destructive
to
Humane
Society
.
With
Examples
of
both
kinds
.
Offer'd
to
the
Consideration
of
a
Person
of
Honour
.
LONDON
:
Printed
for
John
Harris
at
the
Harrow
against
the
Church
in
the
Poultrey
,
1687.
The
Reasonableness
of
Toleration
,
and
the
Unreasonableness
of
Penal
Laws
and
Tests
,
&c.
IT
has
been
for
many
hundreds
of
years
the
main
Scope
and
Aim
of
the
Clergy
in
most
Opinions
,
to
grasp
into
their
Clutches
the
exercise
of
Temporal
Jurisdiction
;
&
as
in
former
times
,
so
now
of
late
our
Church
of
England
Men
,
have
not
been
the
least
ambitious
of
that
Authority
:
'T
is
true
,
the
Clergy
of
England
could
never
fix
such
Jurisdiction
in
themselves
:
but
what
they
could
not
perform
by
their
Spiritual
Authority
,
they
brought
to
pass
by
the
assistance
of
the
Civil
Power
.
They
found
that
the
Scripture
,
had
not
given
them
the
least
title
to
lord
it
over
the
Consciences
of
Men
in
matters
of
Religion
,
nor
had
left
them
any
weapons
to
combat
Dissenters
in
Opinion
,
nay
even
Error
it self
,
onely
Christian
Admonition
;
and
at
last
,
when
that
would
not
prevail
,
Publick
Separation
from
Communion
with
such
as
obstinately
persisted
in
defyance
of
the
Truth
.
For
this
reason
they
never
ceased
to
Amuse
and
Alarm
the
Civil
Magistrate
with
continual
Suspitions
and
Fears
,
to
render
him
jealous
of
all
other
Men
that
were
not
conformable
to
their
Humours
and
Ceremonies
.
A
passionate
conceit
of
their
own
Perfection
above
others
,
which
no
man
of
common
sence
can
be
reconciled
to
,
and
a
convincing
argument
that
those
Persons
must
have
but
little
or
no
Conscience
themselves
,
who
with
so
much
Vigor
and
Obstinacy
labour
to
uphold
a
Civil
Persecution
so
directly
opposite
to
all
the
dictates
of
Scripture
,
Reason
,
and
Conscience
.
As
for
Scripture
,
the
Authority
of
it
is
so
evident
to
the
contrary
that
nothing
can
be
more
,
where
it
instructs
the
Servants
of
God
,
to
be
gentle
to
all
men
,
sorbids
Christians
to
Judge
one
another
,
and
tells
us
,
that
every
man
is
to
stand
or
fall
to
his
own
Master
;
that
one
man
esteems
one
day
above
another
,
and
another
esteems
all
days
alike
;
yet
happy
is
he
who
condemns
not
himselfe
in
that
which
he
allows
:
That
is
to
say
,
whose
Conscience
does
not
inwardly
accuse
his
outward
profession
:
The
same
great
and
zealous
Preacher
of
the
Gospel
,
in
the
case
of
the
unbelieving
Wise
and
Husband
gives
such
a
mild
and
condescending
answer
,
as
if
he
had
taken
his
Pen
from
a
Doves
wing
;
Let
neither
Her
nor
Him
that
unbelieves
depart
,
if
pleased
to
stay
;
for
that
God
had
called
us
to
peace
;
adding
withal
,
that
as
God
has
called
every
one
,
so
let
him
walk
;
and
so
he
ordained
to
all
the
Churches
:
Certainly
there
could
be
nothing
more
divinely
uttered
to
oblige
the
Professors
of
Christianity
,
in
Charity
and
Meekness
to
forbear
one
another
,
then
such
an
express
Injunction
of
so
authentick
an
Apostle
,
to
live
peaceably
with
an
Infidel
.
Nay
,
writing
to
the
Christians
,
he
absolutely
denyes
that
even
the
Apostles
themselves
,
have
any
Soveraignty
over
the
Conscience
,
but
only
commissions
to
aid
and
assist
their
Consciences
:
Not
(
says
he
)
that
we
have
dominion
over
your
Faith
,
but
are
helpers
of
your
Joy
:
Altogether
conformable
to
that
Doctrine
of
Meekness
wherein
Christ
instructs
his
Disciples
,
not
to
aspire
to
the
Title
of
Rabbi
,
or
Master
,
in
Spiritual
Affairs
:
besides
that
we
are
admonished
to
let
the
Tares
grow
among
the
Wheat
,
till
the
time
of
Harvest
.
Nor
is
it
for
any
man
to
suggest
,
that
this
mild
and
moderate
Temper
was
only
intended
for
those
Primitive
Times
,
when
the
Christians
were
liable
to
Persecution
without
any
Temporal
Power
to
defend
themselves
:
For
let
the
choicest
Champions
but
grant
that
those
were
the
best
and
purest
times
,
and
then
it
will
behove
them
to
shew
a
Dormant
VVarrant
in
the
Scripture
,
by
which
Christ
ever
gave
Commission
to
his
Disciples
to
cut
the
Throats
of
all
Dissenters
,
or
to
despoil
them
of
their
Estates
,
and
send
them
to
perpetual
Banishment
,
and
they
have
done
their
work
:
But
if
they
can
bring
no
such
authority
,
they
must
acknowledge
that
Lording
o'er
the
Conscience
is
an
unwarrantable
piece
of
Tyranny
over
the
Rights
and
Liberties
of
a
Christian
.
True
it
is
,
that
the
Successors
of
Constantine
were
taught
by
their
Eclesiasticks
,
that
there
were
two
Duties
required
from
them
;
one
as
Christians
,
the
other
as
Soveraigns
:
that
as
Christians
,
they
were
bound
to
obey
divine
Precepts
,
as
every
private
man
is
bound
to
do
;
but
as
Princes
,
to
make
good
Laws
,
and
keep
their
Subjects
steady
in
the
practice
of
Piety
,
Honesty
and
Justice
,
chastizing
the
Transgressors
of
his
sacred
Laws
,
espeaclally
the
Deacalogue
.
And
because
they
who
transgressed
against
the
first
Table
,
which
relates
to
divine
worship
,
were
worse
then
they
who
transgressed
against
the
Second
,
which
relates
only
to
Justice
between
Man
and
Man
,
therefore
Princes
were
oblig'd
to
punish
Blasphemy
,
Perjury
,
and
Heresy
,
more
severely
then
Murder
or
Theft
.
As
for
Blasphemy
and
Perjury
,
there
was
reason
sufficient
why
they
should
be
punished
by
civil
Penalties
,
For
Blasphemers
and
Perjured
Persons
cannot
be
thought
to
be
men
of
Conscience
,
nor
are
they
that
take
that
Liberty
to
be
endured
,
for
that
Blasphemy
and
Perjury
are
criminal
in
all
Religions
,
and
differing
opinions
whatever
,
as
being
contrary
to
good
manners
,
and
contaminations
of
civil
Society
;
but
it
does
not
follow
from
hence
,
that
every
man
must
be
punished
as
a
Heretick
,
who
differs
in
his
judgement
from
the
Church
of
England
.
Certainly
it
must
be
first
agreed
upon
,
what
a
Heretick
is
,
and
who
is
that
Heretick
,
and
which
is
that
Law
that
reaches
his
offence
,
before
they
can
punish
him
by
any
Law.
Now
those
things
that
make
a
Heretick
,
are
Errors
in
Fundamentals
or
about
Fundamentals
,
Conviction
and
Contumacy
;
And
they
are
Hereticks
,
who
obstinately
and
against
the
most
evident
light
of
Truth
,
defend
some
doctrine
directly
or
of
necessary
consequence
tearing
up
the
foundations
of
Christian
Faith.
The
Church
of
England
therefore
should
have
made
it
out
,
that
the
Dissenters
and
Roman
Catholicks
were
Hereticks
of
this
sort
,
Convicted
and
Contumacious
;
and
then
all
they
could
do
,
was
to
put
them
under
Excommunication
,
not
to
torment
their
Persons
and
Estates
,
with
Mulcts
,
Imprisonments
,
Fines
,
and
Sequestrations
,
which
how
dissonant
it
is
from
the
Golden
Rule
of
God
Himself
,
still
preferring
Mercy
above
Sacrifice
,
is
evidently
apparent
.
The
character
of
Menelaus
in
the
second
of
Maccabees
is
,
that
he
was
unworthy
of
the
Preisthood
,
as
one
that
had
the
Fury
of
a
cruel
Tyrant
,
and
the
Rage
of
a
savage
Beast
.
Conformable
to
which
,
was
that
of
Cicero
,
quoted
by
Lactantius
,
It
is
the
most
miserable
thing
in
the
world
,
(
says
he
)
to
carry
a
savage
and
cruel
disposition
under
the
shape
of
a
man.
It
is
said
that
Diana
of
the
Scythians
,
had
a
Temple
and
an
Altar
near
the
entrance
into
the
lake
Meotis
,
upon
which
it
,
was
the
custom
of
the
Heathens
to
Sacrifice
the
Bodies
of
living
Men
;
a
Cruelty
little
differing
from
the
severity
of
those
People
that
seem
to
make
their
Interest
their
Scythian
Diana
,
and
living
Men
the
Sacrifices
to
their
Ambition
,
and
the
support
of
their
Spiritual
Grandeur
.
Yet
this
must
be
the
main
design
of
those
that
study
thus
the
destruction
of
all
other
Mortals
but
themselves
within
the
Verge
of
their
Jurisdiction
;
which
as
it
is
a
great
Argument
of
a
Spiritual
Arbitrary
Government
,
so
is
it
at
the
same
time
a
sign
of
no
less
Presumption
for
a
particular
number
of
Men
,
enclosed
within
the
narrow
Circle
of
Episcopacy
,
compar'd
with
those
vast
multitudes
of
Dissenters
and
Roman-Catholicks
,
that
under
various
names
of
distinction
invented
by
their
Adversaries
,
spread
themselves
over
the
fourth
part
of
the
World
,
to
arrogate
to
themselves
to
be
the
only
Flock
of
Christ
;
and
that
they
are
the
only
Pastors
who
have
power
to
drive
men
to
Heaven
;
for
this
is
to
disclaim
the
Popes
Supremacy
,
and
usurp
it
to
themselves
;
to
Preach
down
one
Antichrist
,
and
set
up
six
and
twenty
:
For
if
Meekness
,
Mildness
,
Unity
,
Peace
,
and
Concord
,
are
the
Vertues
that
embellish
Christian
Jurisdiction
;
Cruelty
,
Rigor
,
Persecution
and
Violence
,
must
be
the
marks
of
Antichristian
Tyranny
.
They
therefore
that
so
vehemently
Persecute
the
Professors
of
Christianity
,
because
they
either
doubt
or
happily
err
in
some
particulars
that
will
admit
of
Ambiguity
,
and
which
it
may
be
,
have
been
otherwise
understood
in
former
Ages
,
are
most
unjust
.
For
we
find
that
the
Antient
Jews
did
never
Punish
the
Sadduces
,
tho
they
denied
the
Doctrine
of
the
Resurrection
.
For
that
tho
it
were
most
true
,
yet
then
it
was
but
only
glanced
at
in
their
Law
,
and
not
taught
at
all
,
but
covertly
under
Types
and
Figures
.
But
supposing
the
Errors
to
be
such
,
as
among
equal
Judges
might
be
easily
confuted
,
both
by
the
Authority
of
the
Scriptures
,
and
the
common
Consent
of
the
Fathers
;
Nevertheless
the
great
strength
of
an
over-grown
Opinion
is
to
be
considered
,
and
how
the
Endeavours
of
Men
to
defend
their
own
Sects
,
diminishes
the
strength
and
liberty
of
their
Judgments
.
A
Man
will
sooner
part
with
any
thing
than
his
Opinion
:
An
Opinion
,
says
Chrysostom
,
that
has
taken
deep
root
through
Custome
,
is
hardly
to
be
removed
:
for
that
there
is
nothing
that
we
alter
with
more
unwillingness
then
our
Customes
in
Religion
.
But
whether
this
different
Opinion
be
an
Error
,
and
how
it
is
to
be
Punished
,
he
only
can
without
danger
judge
,
who
is
the
Eternal
Judge
,
who
alone
knows
the
true
measures
of
Knowledge
and
the
proportion
of
Faith.
Let
them
Rage
against
you
,
says
St.
Austin
concerning
the
Manichees
,
who
can
presume
to
be
without
Errors
themselves
;
for
my
part
I
neither
can
nor
dare
,
for
I
ought
to
bear
with
you
as
others
did
formerly
with
me
,
and
to
treat
you
with
as
much
Patience
,
Meekness
,
and
Gentleness
,
as
they
did
me
,
when
I
was
blindly
carryed
away
with
your
Errors
.
Religionis
non
est
Religionem
cogere
,
says
Tertullian
;
And
Athanasius
also
highly
blames
the
Arrians
,
because
they
were
the
first
that
call'd
in
the
Civil
Power
to
their
Assistance
against
their
Antagonists
,
and
that
endeavoured
by
Force
,
Stripes
,
and
Imprisonments
,
to
draw
such
to
themselves
,
whom
they
could
not
win
by
the
strength
of
their
Arguments
.
Gregory
,
Bishop
of
Rome
,
writing
to
the
Bishop
of
Constantinople
,
said
that
it
was
a
new
and
unheard
of
manner
of
Preaching
,
to
enforce
Faith
by
Stripes
and
Punishments
.
History
also
affords
us
the
Examples
of
several
French
Bishops
,
who
were
condemned
by
the
judgment
of
the
Church
for
calling
in
the
Civil
Power
against
the
Priscillianists
;
and
of
a
whole
Council
in
the
East
that
was
Condemned
for
consenting
to
the
Burning
of
Bogomilus
.
Conformable
to
the
sayings
of
Plato
,
The
Punishment
of
him
that
Errs
,
is
to
be
Instructed
.
And
of
Seneca
,
That
no
wise
man
ever
hated
those
that
Erred
;
for
if
so
,
he
must
necessarily
sometimes
hate
himself
:
And
therefore
the
Emperour
Valentinian
is
highly
commended
,
because
he
never
Persecuted
any
man
for
his
Religion
,
nor
ever
commanded
this
or
that
to
be
Adored
;
nor
forced
his
Subjects
to
Embrace
his
own
manner
of
Worship
.
Infinite
are
the
sayings
of
the
Primitive
Fathers
and
Men
of
Learning
,
their
Successors
,
who
have
all
along
condemned
the
forcing
of
Conscience
,
or
compelling
Men
to
do
a
thing
which
is
contrary
to
their
Conscience
,
or
to
abstain
from
such
Exercises
as
they
in
Conscience
esteem
necessary
and
profitable
for
their
Salvation
:
all
centring
in
the
utter
detestation
of
all
manner
of
Violence
and
Imposition
in
matters
of
Religion
.
A
Maxim
which
not
all
the
Usurpations
of
Ecclesiastical
Persons
have
bin
able
to
corrupt
.
And
therefore
it
was
the
saying
of
Montluc
,
a
Roman
Catholic
,
and
Bishop
of
Valence
,
That
the
Rigors
of
Torments
was
never
to
be
practized
towards
People
who
had
no
other
Crime
but
only
a
Perswasion
which
they
thought
to
be
good
and
pious
.
Peter
Martyr
speaking
of
the
Power
of
the
Church
,
It
is
her
Duty
,
says
he
,
to
correct
Sinners
,
not
with
the
Sword
,
not
with
Penal-Laws
or
Fines
,
not
with
Imprisonment
or
Exilement
,
but
after
her
own
Method
,
by
the
Efficacy
and
Power
of
the
Word
.
It
is
said
of
Maximilian
the
Second
,
Emperour
of
Germany
,
That
tho
he
persever'd
to
his
death
a
Roman
Catholic
,
yet
he
was
never
the
less
disesteemed
by
the
Protestants
;
for
that
in
matters
of
Religion
he
observed
an
exact
Moderation
between
both
Parties
,
and
never
ceas'd
till
he
had
obtain'd
the
use
of
the
Cup
in
the
Eucharist
,
for
those
of
his
Subjects
that
desir'd
it
.
The
same
Emperour
also
gave
this
Advice
to
Henry
the
Third
of
France
,
then
returning
out
of
Poland
,
to
quiet
all
disturbances
in
his
Kingdom
at
his
first
Entrance
into
it
;
according
to
the
Example
of
his
Father
Ferdinand
,
who
after
he
had
long
toyl'd
and
labour'd
in
the
Reign
of
Charles
the
V.
to
appease
the
troubles
in
Germany
,
and
settle
the
differences
about
Religion
,
when
he
found
the
Minds
of
the
People
more
provok'd
,
then
any
remedy
obtain'd
by
force
and
violence
,
with
the
Consent
and
Applause
of
all
the
Orders
of
the
Empire
,
made
those
favourable
Concessions
,
which
when
nothing
also
would
do
,
restor'd
Tranquilitie
to
the
Empire
.
More
Remarkable
was
that
saying
of
Henry
the
Third
of
France
Himself
,
upon
his
Death-Bed
,
after
he
had
received
his
Deaths
wound
from
Clement
the
Monk
,
Nor
let
the
cause
of
Religion
deter
ye
:
This
Error
long
possess'd
me
,
and
drew
me
into
inextricable
Mistakes
.
The
pretence
of
Religion
hurried
us
into
Faction
.
Leave
that
to
the
judgment
of
the
Orders
of
the
Kingdom
,
and
keep
this
in
your
Minds
as
a
fix'd
and
constant
Maxime
,
That
Religion
,
which
is
inspir'd
into
the
Minds
of
Men
by
God
,
cannot
be
commanded
by
Men.
Nay
,
Pius
the
Fourth
,
the
none
of
the
best
of
Popes
,
yet
being
Sollicited
by
the
French
Embassador
for
the
use
of
the
Eucharist
in
both
kinds
,
had
so
much
kindness
for
Toleration
,
that
he
gave
for
answer
to
the
Embassador
,
That
he
had
always
thought
the
use
of
the
Sacrament
in
both
kinds
,
and
liberty
for
the
Priest-hood
to
Marry
,
were
things
indifferent
,
and
as
depending
rather
upon
the
Decrees
of
the
Fathers
,
then
upon
Divine
Authority
,
might
be
altered
according
to
the
constitutions
of
Times
,
and
alteration
of
Customes
.
And
in
the
Council
of
Trent
,
several
of
the
wisest
and
chiefest
of
the
Prelates
stiffly
argu'd
against
the
Prohibition
of
the
Use
of
the
Cup
,
affirming
those
to
be
void
of
Christian
Charity
,
who
stood
so
strictly
and
so
nicely
upon
a
particular
Ceremony
,
the
granting
of
which
might
prevent
the
Effusion
of
much
Blood
,
and
recover
into
the
Bosom
of
the
Church
many
that
were
fallen
from
Her.
And
thus
what
Scripture
and
Humane
Authority
justify
,
Common
Reason
is
no
less
ready
to
uphold
.
For
first
,
If
the
word
of
God
be
the
sole
Rule
of
Faith
,
and
no
Humane
Authority
be
so
highly
impowr'd
as
to
bind
up
our
Assents
to
whatever
Interpretations
shall
be
propos'd
,
then
of
necessity
it
follows
that
every
Christian
indifferently
has
an
equal
Interest
in
the
will
of
the
Creator
,
so
that
no
particular
Person
has
a
right
to
impose
a
force
upon
the
judgment
of
his
Brother
.
Thus
one
holds
the
Baptizing
of
Infants
to
be
necessary
;
another
deems
it
lawful
;
a
third
denies
both
these
Opinions
,
yet
admitting
that
it
may
,
but
that
there
is
no
necessity
it
should
be
done
;
therefore
they
conferr
Texts
,
and
examine
the
Original
;
yet
after
all
diligence
used
,
they
still
are
but
where
they
were
.
Now
what
reason
can
there
be
to
advise
Persecution
for
such
a
difference
as
this
?
Besides
,
There
are
several
Disputes
upon
various
Points
of
Christianity
,
that
cannot
be
cleard
to
any
man
by
Arguments
meerly
natural
,
as
being
matters
of
Fact
,
such
are
the
Miracles
and
Resurrection
of
Christ
,
the
Real
Presence
,
&c.
For
the
belief
of
which
therefore
,
there
is
a
need
of
Faith
,
which
is
the
Gift
of
Grace
,
and
not
of
Nature
:
which
being
so
,
and
seeing
more-over
that
it
is
not
within
the
power
of
Man
to
give
a
reason
why
some
Men
believe
,
and
others
are
of
a
contrary
Opinion
;
it
cannot
fall
under
the
Imagination
of
Man
,
that
either
the
defect
or
surplusage
of
belief
,
which
may
perhaps
glide
into
Superstition
,
which
of
the
two
so'ere
be
the
cause
of
the
difference
,
should
be
subject
to
the
Punishment
of
Human
Laws
;
for
tho
both
have
the
same
outward
helps
and
means
to
inform
themselves
,
yet
the
potent
cause
is
in
the
will
of
God
,
who
will
have
Mercy
upon
whom
he
will
have
Mercy
,
and
whom
he
will
he
hardens
.
And
therefore
for
this
cause
it
was
that
Tertullian
avers
that
the
New
Law
of
the
Gospel
does
not
call
for
the
Sword
to
revenge
the
Injuries
done
it
.
And
Sisibutus
King
of
Spain
,
was
justly
tax'd
for
compelling
the
Jews
to
Christianity
by
the
coercive
power
of
the
Sword
,
when
he
ought
to
have
won
them
to
the
Faith
by
meek
and
gentle
Perswasions
.
In
the
next
place
this
violent
and
rigorous
Proceeding
and
tyrannizing
over
the
Consciences
of
Men
,
is
contrary
to
the
purpose
of
God
in
the
Order
of
the
Creation
,
who
made
and
ordain'd
all
Man-kind
free
from
Bondage
,
and
never
advanc'd
him
over
all
the
Works
of
his
Creation
,
to
be
a
contemptible
Slave
to
the
Will
of
his
fellow
Creature
,
even
in
things
Temporal
;
much
less
in
matters
Spiritual
and
relating
to
Eternity
.
So
that
this
same
actual
Violence
of
Imposing
by
force
in
matters
of
Faith
,
Worship
and
Duty
to
God
,
of
one
Man
upon
another
,
or
of
some
Persons
over
all
,
is
an
Act
of
the
highest
Presumption
imaginable
,
that
goes
about
to
subdue
to
Bondage
and
Slavery
,
those
that
are
Created
by
God
to
equal
Priviledges
and
Immunities
with
themselves
;
subjecting
them
by
Oppression
,
not
to
the
Divine
Will
of
the
Creator
,
but
to
the
Will
,
Ambition
and
Interest
of
Mortal
Creatures
,
no
less
fraile
and
subject
to
Error
then
they
over
whom
they
affect
illegal
Dominion
.
A
thing
which
is
quite
contrary
to
the
most
pure
and
perfect
order
of
the
Creation
,
which
was
altogether
blessed
.
From
which
whatever
is
degenerated
by
Corruption
,
or
has
deviated
by
Temptation
from
that
pure
and
regular
Order
,
either
in
things
Temporal
or
Divine
,
must
be
included
within
the
curse
of
Sin
,
and
be
lookt
upon
as
an
opposing
the
Creator
himself
.
And
of
this
nature
,
is
Compulsion
exercised
in
Spiritual
matters
;
as
being
the
highest
product
of
degenerate
Usurpation
,
and
the
grandest
swerving
imaginable
from
the
chief
design
of
the
Creation
.
For
without
all
question
,
the
Creator
himself
reserved
and
retained
in
his
own
power
alone
,
the
priviledge
of
Supremacy
over
the
Inward
Man
,
in
all
matters
touching
Immortality
,
that
he
might
be
the
only
Lord
in
that
case
,
to
give
Spiritual
Laws
,
and
to
command
the
Souls
and
hearts
of
men
,
in
reference
to
his
own
Worship
,
and
that
Obedience
which
is
due
to
himself
;
so
that
of
necessity
it
must
be
a
Usurpation
of
the
Creators
rightful
Dominion
,
a
robbing
Him
of
his
Dignity
and
Prerogative
,
an
act
of
Violence
against
his
Soveraignty
,
and
a
bold
intruding
into
his
proper
Right
,
for
any
Persons
to
assume
to
themselves
Dominion
and
Authority
over
others
,
by
Commanding
and
Imposing
in
Spiritual
matters
upon
their
Consciences
,
in
the
Worship
and
Service
of
God.
Add
to
this
that
Force
is
Punishment
,
and
consequently
unjust
,
unless
the
offence
be
voluntary
:
but
he
that
believes
according
to
the
evidence
of
his
own
Reason
,
is
necessitated
to
that
Belief
,
and
to
compel
him
against
it
,
were
to
compel
him
to
renounce
the
most
essential
part
of
man
,
his
reason
:
And
that
same
injunction
would
be
altogether
vain
,
To
hold
fast
that
which
w●
find
to
be
best
,
if
after
the
most
serious
and
deliberate
Election
,
we
must
be
whipt
out
of
our
Consciences
by
Penalties
.
'T
is
but
odly
done
to
Preach
a
company
of
poor
Souls
into
just
so
much
Liberty
of
Scripture
as
may
suffice
to
beget
their
torture
,
and
not
permit
them
to
rest
where
they
find
their
satisfaction
:
Either
utterly
prohibit
the
search
,
or
let
them
enjoy
the
benefit
of
it
.
To
believe
what
appears
untrue
,
is
somewhat
impossible
;
but
to
profess
what
we
believe
untrue
,
is
absolutely
damnable
.
Nor
is
it
one
of
the
least
arguments
against
Compulsion
of
Conscience
,
that
it
breaks
the
bands
of
civil
Society
,
and
annihilates
all
manner
of
Love
,
Unity
,
Fellowship
,
and
Concord
among
men
.
Neighbours
are
at
enmity
among
Neighbours
,
Brethren
with
Brethren
,
and
Families
are
divided
among
themselves
.
Princes
and
their
Subjects
,
Rulers
and
their
People
are
at
discord
and
debates
,
that
many
times
turns
to
absolute
Disobedience
and
Rebellion
;
while
the
one
labours
to
Impose
,
the
other
to
keep
off
the
Oppression
.
Men
,
says
Zenophon
,
resist
none
with
greater
animosity
,
then
those
that
affect
to
Tyrannize
over
their
bodies
;
more
especially
such
as
seek
to
establish
an
illegal
Dominion
over
their
minds
and
Consciences
.
They
contend
pro
Aris
in
the
first
place
,
and
pro
Focis
afterwards
;
thereby
preferring
the
Liberty
of
their
Consciences
,
before
the
security
of
their
Estates
;
which
they
rather
choose
to
abandon
,
then
to
be
deprived
of
their
Spiritual
Freedom
.
And
this
is
that
which
causes
,
and
has
caused
so
many
thousands
in
this
Nation
to
forsake
their
native
Soyle
,
their
Friends
&
Relations
,
to
the
decay
of
civil
fellowship
and
Commerce
,
and
out
of
a
detestable
Antipathy
to
their
Oppressors
,
to
seek
for
forraign
Protection
,
under
which
to
enjoy
the
more
noble
and
agreeable
pleasure
of
enjoying
the
free
exercise
of
their
Sentiments
in
Divine
Worship
.
Again
,
Grotius
tells
us
,
That
there
never
was
any
Sect
that
could
discern
all
Truth
,
nor
any
but
what
held
something
that
is
True
;
as
then
they
are
to
be
favoured
for
what
they
hold
of
Truth
,
so
are
they
not
to
be
punished
for
what
they
maintain
of
mistaken
Beleif
;
since
all
men
are
free
by
nature
to
believe
whatever
they
think
to
be
Good
and
Honest
.
We
cannot
love
God
too
much
.
Now
supposing
that
the
Clergy
of
England
,
may
esteem
the
Roman
Catholicks
over
zealous
in
some
points
of
Worship
which
may
be
thought
too
Superstitious
,
what
then
?
For
Superstition
does
not
sin
in
worshiping
God
too
much
,
but
in
worshiping
him
erroneously
;
in
point
of
which
Error
and
consequent
non-complyance
with
the
Episcopal
Tenents
of
the
Church
of
England
,
these
failings
of
theirs
,
are
not
to
be
squeez'd
out
of
their
Bones
and
Purses
,
but
to
be
reform'd
by
gentle
Instructions
and
Convincement
,
according
to
the
true
duty
of
Bishops
to
Instruct
,
Perswade
,
Exhort
and
Reprove
,
but
not
to
Command
or
Compel
.
To
what
has
been
said
,
may
be
added
the
vanity
of
the
Undertaking
,
it
having
been
all
along
evinc'd
by
the
stories
of
all
ages
,
that
forcing
of
Conscience
,
and
Persecution
for
Religions
sake
,
have
not
only
become
frustrate
,
but
increased
the
number
of
those
Sects
and
Divisions
of
which
they
sought
the
extirpation
,
and
that
the
Sword
,
Exile
,
Fagot
,
Imprisonment
,
and
heavy
Fines
,
rather
provoak
then
cure
the
obstinacy
of
reluctant
Minds
.
For
the
conformation
of
which
,
we
find
from
the
beginning
and
for
a
long
time
the
Christian
Relgion
industriously
opposed
by
the
most
Potent
Adversaries
,
then
ruling
in
the
World
,
and
Extirpation
of
it
no
less
cruelly
labour'd
by
the
fury
of
Ten
Persecutions
;
yet
could
not
all
that
vast
effusion
of
Blood
put
a
stop
to
its
progress
,
nor
prevent
its
growing
to
such
a
Head
,
as
at
length
to
turn
Tyrannick
Heathenism
with
all
her
fantastick
Abominations
,
and
false
Divinities
quite
out
of
the
World.
The
same
may
be
said
of
the
Albigenses
,
against
whom
the
Fryers
preached
,
the
Inquisitors
Plotted
,
the
Princes
made
War
,
while
the
Pope
accursed
their
Persons
,
and
interdicted
their
Lands
,
yet
for
all
the
Pope
could
do
,
they
could
not
be
supprest
.
And
of
the
Waldenses
,
says
Thuanus
,
tho
they
were
toss'd
from
Post
to
Pillar
,
yet
there
were
ever
some
found
,
who
still
in
their
several
courses
renewed
their
Doctrine
,
buryed
as
it
were
for
a
season
.
For
Sects
and
Opinions
are
like
Books
,
which
the
more
they
are
suppressed
,
the
more
they
are
sought
after
and
caress'd
:
And
therefore
Tacitus
,
speaking
of
the
Annalls
of
Cremutius
Cordus
,
condemn'd
by
the
Senate
to
be
burnt
,
for
advancing
the
Praises
of
Brutus
and
Cassius
,
relates
that
some
indeed
were
burnt
by
the
Edils
,
but
more
were
preserv'd
,
and
,
afterwards
published
.
An
argument
(
says
he
)
sufficient
that
the
vanity
and
madness
of
those
men
,
is
to
be
derided
,
who
imagin
by
present
Power
to
stifle
the
remembrances
of
future
Ages
.
And
the
Author
of
the
Council
of
Trent
,
speaking
of
the
prohibition
of
Heretical
Books
,
observes
that
it
did
more
harm
then
good
,
while
the
Books
being
sought
for
as
such
,
did
but
serve
to
raise
and
instill
new
doubts
and
scruples
in
the
minds
of
the
Readers
.
The
same
is
to
be
said
of
the
Persecutions
of
Men
in
their
Bodies
and
Goods
;
for
others
observing
the
extream
Patience
and
Constancy
of
so
many
People
suffering
for
their
particular
Opinions
in
matters
of
Religion
,
become
curious
to
understand
what
that
Religion
should
be
that
inspires
men
with
so
much
resolution
to
suffer
the
worst
of
Miseries
,
rather
then
abandon
the
Profession
of
it
,
which
is
the
reason
that
Persecutors
according
to
the
Opinion
of
Strada
,
though
they
are
not
concerned
in
tormenting
,
yet
they
dread
the
Triumphs
of
the
Tormented
at
their
Executions
,
for
that
it
has
been
frequently
known
that
one
Martyr
●
made
many
Proselytes
,
by
his
resolute
maintaining
to
the
last
,
the
Profession
for
which
he
dyed
.
From
hence
we
may
proceed
to
shew
the
dreadful
Effects
and
Mischiefs
that
have
attended
the
Persecutions
of
tender
Consciences
in
matters
of
Religion
,
which
have
generally
prov'd
most
fatal
,
and
in
the
end
redounded
to
the
greatest
loss
of
the
Persecutors
themselves
;
for
of
all
the
Roman
Emperours
that
exerciz'd
those
horrid
Cruelties
upon
the
Christians
under
their
subjection
,
only
Trajan
and
Septimius
Severus
dy'd
a
natural
Death
;
for
as
for
Antoninus
the
Philosopher
,
tho
he
suffer'd
a
Persecution
in
Asia
,
yet
in
other
parts
of
his
Dominions
the
Christians
were
unmolested
,
and
served
him
in
his
Army
,
where
they
fought
for
him
so
effectually
,
as
well
with
their
Prayers
as
with
their
Swords
,
that
he
acknowledged
to
the
Senate
,
as
much
hated
as
they
were
,
that
certainly
the
Christians
had
God
for
their
Protector
.
All
the
rest
came
to
untimely
ends
;
either
their
own
Executioners
,
or
Murdered
by
their
own
Souldiers
and
Servants
;
tho
none
so
remarkably
punished
for
their
Cruelties
as
Valerian
,
who
being
vanquished
by
Sapor
the
Persian
,
was
by
him
made
his
Foot
,
stool
when
he
took
Horse
,
and
at
length
was
flead
alive
.
What
occasioned
the
Cossac
War
so
prejudicial
to
Poland
,
but
because
the
Russian
Polonians
of
the
Catholic
Religion
would
have
forc'd
the
Cossacks
to
the
Observation
of
their
Churches
,
and
to
that
end
have
shut
up
the
Grecian
Churches
?
What
occasioned
the
Revolt
of
the
Rustic's
in
Germany
,
and
the
Hussites
in
Bohemia
?
What
occasioned
the
League
of
Smalcald
,
and
the
cruel
VVar
that
ensued
,
but
the
Oppression
of
the
Ecclesiasticks
?
By
which
all
that
was
got
was
this
,
that
the
Bloody
Ecclesiasticks
satisfy'd
their
Revenge
with
the
slaughter
of
the
poor
People
;
while
the
other
indulge'd
their
hatred
,
and
Sacrific'd
to
their
Antipathy
the
VVealth
and
Religious
Structures
of
their
Persecutors
;
and
between
both
,
whole
Regions
and
Countries
were
depopulated
and
ruin'd
.
VVhat
lost
Philip
the
Second
so
fair
a
Portion
of
his
Dominions
,
but
his
severity
in
forcing
Conscience
?
But
his
bigotted
Zeal
to
gratify
the
Interest
of
Rome
,
by
suffering
his
Grand
Executioner
Alva
to
ride
Triumphantly
in
the
Chariot
of
the
Abominated
Inquisition
,
over
the
Necks
of
his
tender-Conscienc'd
Subjects
,
till
he
had
by
all
manner
of
Torments
disburden'd
the
Countrey
of
no
less
then
eighteen
thousand
Innocent
Christians
.
The
Reign
of
Charles
the
Ninth
,
deform'd
with
Civil
VVars
,
with
various
success
of
Battel
,
with
Seiges
and
Sacks
of
Cities
and
Towns
,
and
havock
of
his
Subjects
,
was
rendered
yet
more
in
famous
by
the
Parisian
Massacre
,
then
which
,
there
never
was
a
more
Inhumane
piece
of
Barbarity
known
among
the
Heathens
themselves
.
But
what
was
the
Advantage
of
their
Butchery
?
What
the
Issue
of
it
to
the
King
,
after
he
had
emptyed
his
Kingdom
of
ten
thousand
of
his
Subjects
,
among
which
five
hundred
all
Persons
of
Quality
?
In
the
first
place
,
upon
too
late
a
Consideration
,
a
deep
Repentance
for
having
given
his
Consent
,
and
a
Resolution
had
he
liv'd
to
have
Punished
his
Advisors
:
then
every
Night
his
Slumbers
interrupted
with
nocturnal
Terrors
,
till
having
linger'd
under
most
grievous
and
tedious
Pains
,
and
long
perceiv'd
his
death
approach
before
he
dy'd
;
he
ended
his
days
a
young
Youth
,
in
the
24th
Year
of
his
Age.
To
omit
the
loss
of
the
Low-Countries
,
by
reason
of
the
cruelty
of
the
Inquisition
,
we
find
the
People
in
all
places
the
most
devoted
and
accustomed
to
Ecclesiastical
Rigour
,
mutinying
even
to
Blood-shed
,
against
the
Torments
of
that
Tribunal
.
In
Naples
,
Peter
of
Toledo
the
Viceroy
,
in
Obedience
to
the
Pope
,
would
fain
have
brought
it
in
;
but
when
he
began
to
put
it
in
Execution
,
it
caus'd
such
an
Uproar
among
the
People
,
that
it
came
to
be
almost
a
petty
VVar
between
the
Commonalty
and
the
Garrison
,
wherein
many
were
slain
on
both
sides
,
so
that
the
Viceroy
was
forc'd
to
desist
in
his
design
;
neither
has
any
offer
been
made
to
obtrude
any
such
kind
of
Office
upon
that
Kingdom
ever
since
.
Even
in
Rome
it self
,
the
People
detested
the
Cruelties
of
the
Inquisition
to
that
degree
,
that
the
Breath
was
no
sooner
out
of
the
Body
of
Paul
the
IV.
but
that
they
went
with
great
furie
to
the
new
Prison
of
the
Inquisition
,
brake
down
the
Doors
and
let
out
all
the
Prisoners
therein
detained
,
&
could
hardly
be
restrained
from
setting
on
fire
the
Church
of
the
Dominicans
,
as
being
the
Persons
entrusted
with
the
Execution
of
that
rigid
Employment
More
then
that
,
in
detestation
of
the
Inquisition
,
all
enrag'd
,
they
forc'd
their
way
into
the
Palace
,
and
meeting
the
Popes
Statue
all
of
Parian
Marble
,
and
a
noble
piece
of
Workmanship
,
they
cut
off
the
Head
and
the
right
Hand
,
and
for
three
days
together
kickt
them
about
the
streets
,
and
made
them
the
sport
of
the
whole
City
.
Nor
has
England
it self
felt
the
least
share
of
the
Inconveniencies
of
Spiritual
Persecution
:
where
Acts
of
Parliament
have
been
made
use
of
only
as
Traps
and
Snares
to
dis-People
the
Nation
.
What
false
Crimes
were
laid
to
the
Primitive
Christians
by
the
flatterers
of
the
Emperour
Sep.
Severus
,
to
Incense
him
to
the
first
Persecution
,
the
same
Accusations
were
lately
thrown
upon
the
Dissenters
,
of
being
Homicides
,
Turbulent
,
Sacrilegious
,
Traytors
against
Caesar
,
and
in
a
word
meer
Canibals
:
And
by
vertue
of
which
pretended
Calumnies
and
meditated
Slanders
,
the
Civil
Magistrate
,
out
of
the
good
Opinion
he
has
of
those
that
make
the
clamour
,
not
presently
discerns
the
Trapan
which
is
put
upon
them
to
make
Laws
for
the
punishment
of
those
Persons
,
over
whom
they
have
indeed
no
jurisdiction
;
till
at
length
the
ill
use
of
those
Laws
better
informs
their
judgement
,
and
that
they
were
imposed
upon
to
frame
Persecuting
Statutes
,
and
authorize
Prosecutions
,
not
to
prevent
disturbances
in
Government
,
but
to
gratifie
the
Pride
and
Ambition
of
their
hot-headed
Advisers
;
hence
under
pretence
of
disaffection
to
the
Civil
Power
,
continual
Plots
and
Treasons
are
discovered
,
and
the
discovery
so
well
managed
,
that
some
are
Hanged
,
others
Fin'd
,
others
condemned
to
long
Imprisonment
.
Which
Accusations
,
because
they
reach
not
many
,
therefore
all
the
rest
,
as
being
Birds
of
the
same
feather
,
must
suffer
for
their
sakes
;
and
the
same
pretences
being
still
kept
on
foot
for
a
Covert
,
they
let
fly
the
Arrows
of
their
Indignation
against
the
whole
Body
,
and
chastize
the
pretence
,
where
they
could
not
find
any
fact
committed
to
punish
.
And
indeed
the
grounds
of
the
pretence
are
the
only
crimes
committed
against
them
;
all
that
will
not
conform
to
their
Ceremonies
are
supposed
to
be
seditious
Persons
;
none
that
go
to
Meetings
and
Conventicles
can
be
Good
and
Loyal
Subjects
:
and
therefore
all
that
will
not
Conform
,
or
Refrain
from
going
to
Meetings
,
must
be
scourged
with
the
scorpions
of
Ecclesiastical
Censure
and
Excommunication
;
must
be
amerc'd
at
pleasure
,
Imprison'd
till
Submission
,
many
to
their
utter
Impoverishment
,
or
till
they
pine
away
in
Jayle
:
and
they
that
would
live
peaceably
and
quietly
under
the
Government
,
can
have
no
rest
in
their
own
Families
.
Upon
this
thousands
take
their
flight
beyond
Sea
,
and
draw
off
their
Estates
,
by
which
means
the
Kingdom
is
depopulated
,
the
Manufacture
of
the
Nation
carryed
into
forraign
Countries
,
and
the
Prince
loses
the
Assistance
of
the
Wealth
and
Persons
of
so
many
of
his
Subjects
,
to
the
ruine
of
the
Kingdom
and
scandal
of
the
Government
.
A
sort
of
Christian
Politicks
which
the
Church
of
England
could
only
learn
from
the
uncharitable
bigotrie
of
that
same
Prince
,
who
cryed
out
,
That
he
would
rather
choose
to
be
King
of
a
Countrey
without
People
;
then
of
a
Kingdome
Peopled
with
Heriticks
:
Contrary
to
the
saying
of
Adrian
,
one
of
the
wisest
among
the
Roman
Emperours
,
That
he
wished
his
Empire
strengthed
rather
by
the
encrease
of
People
and
Inhabitants
,
then
excess
of
Treasure
.
But
this
was
neither
the
Policy
of
the
Antient
Heathens
,
nor
of
the
more
prudent
Common
wealths
and
Governments
of
latter
Ages
.
Among
all
the
Heathen
Nations
that
we
meet
with
in
History
,
the
Egyptions
were
the
first
from
whom
all
the
world
beside
,
the
Jews
excepted
,
deriv'd
that
same
Dark
Knowledge
which
the
other
had
of
the
Gods
and
Divine
Worship
.
Their
early
Superstition
had
set
up
no
less
then
twelve
Divinities
to
begin
withal
,
who
were
all
worship'd
in
various
Shapes
with
various
Rites
and
Ceremonies
;
all
which
with
their
several
Portraitures
and
Sacred
Mysteries
(
for
so
they
call'd
the
Rites
of
Adoration
belonging
to
every
Idol
)
the
Grecians
afterwards
translated
into
their
own
Countrey
,
and
for
a
while
exactly
observed
the
Precepts
and
Methods
of
their
first
Instructors
.
Here
was
a
great
number
of
Divinities
with
every
one
a
particular
form
of
worship
attending
him
,
and
yet
we
do
not
find
that
the
Grecians
were
afraid
to
transport
them
all
into
their
several
Cities
,
for
fear
least
the
variety
of
Superstitions
,
should
set
their
People
together
by
the
Ears
,
while
one
Priest
cry'd
up
his
Divinity
,
another
extoll'd
his
,
and
shatter'd
the
Vulgar
into
Factions
and
Contentions
,
which
was
the
best
.
No
,
the
Priests
were
still
contented
with
what
followers
they
had
,
and
every
man
was
left
to
his
freedom
to
worship
what
Divinity
he
pleas'd
,
as
his
Affection
and
Devotion
govern'd
him
.
A
strange
misfortune
to
Christian
Religion
,
that
the
Heathens
should
be
so
conformable
in
the
midst
of
so
much
varietie
of
feign'd
Divinities
,
and
we
not
be
able
to
adjust
those
few
Ceremonies
in
dispute
relating
to
the
worship
of
the
true
and
one
God
,
when
we
have
his
own
inspir'd
Scripture
for
our
Guide
.
In
Athens
there
were
as
many
Sects
and
Opinions
dayly
taught
,
as
there
were
almost
Philosophers
in
the
City
;
and
many
differing
in
their
Sentiments
even
concerning
the
Gods
themselves
.
Yet
the
Magistrate
was
never
call'd
upon
for
their
Suppression
,
but
rather
they
were
cherish'd
and
honour'd
with
Statues
after
their
Death
.
The
Magistrates
,
Rulers
and
greatest
Captains
of
that
Age
were
their
Hearers
and
Disciples
,
adhering
at
pleasure
to
whom
they
thought
fit
,
as
their
Reason
and
Judgement
lead
them
.
And
this
publick
Toleration
it
was
that
render'd
Athens
one
of
the
most
Famous
and
Flourishing
Cities
of
the
World.
Nor
was
Socrates
punish'd
for
introducing
an
innovation
in
their
Religion
,
but
because
he
neither
could
inform
his
Judges
,
nor
they
were
able
to
understand
who
that
God
was
,
therefore
they
put
him
to
Death
for
injuring
all
the
rest
whom
they
believ'd
to
be
as
true
as
his
unknown
Deity
.
I
pass
but
lightly
over
the
Jews
,
by
reason
they
had
the
knowledge
of
the
true
God
,
and
were
oblig'd
not
to
engage
in
the
Superstitions
of
the
Heathens
;
yet
were
they
not
so
rigid
neither
as
to
exclude
the
Gentiles
from
among
them
,
but
had
their
Atrium
Gentium
for
their
Reception
,
altho
unconverted
;
nor
did
they
refuse
the
Sacrifices
and
Oblations
of
the
the
Kings
of
Egypt
,
nor
those
of
Augustus
and
Fiberius
;
all
which
they
thought
no
breach
of
their
Laws
to
offer
up
in
their
Holy
Temples
.
But
to
return
to
the
Gentiles
,
this
is
farther
to
be
observ'd
,
that
they
were
so
far
from
Suppressing
varietie
of
Opinions
,
that
they
took
no
notice
of
the
many
Fables
of
the
Poets
,
that
dayly
uttered
such
irreverent
and
mean
Thoughts
of
their
ador'd
Divinities
,
as
to
make
them
Robbers
,
Adulterers
and
Drunkards
;
incident
to
all
the
frailties
,
and
guilty
of
all
the
Crimes
that
the
worst
of
men
can
be
said
to
commit
.
How
soever
these
Fables
every
day
made
some
change
or
other
in
their
Religon
;
for
the
Gods
still
multiplying
by
procreation
and
Canonization
of
Heroes
,
Greece
was
so
stockt
and
replenisht
with
Deities
,
that
they
sent
whole
Colonies
of
feign'd
Divinities
among
their
Neighbours
,
who
gave
them
free
admission
,
without
disputing
the
Toleration
of
their
new
invented
Sacrifices
,
Lustrations
and
other
Superstitions
,
tho
perhaps
never
heard
of
before
.
'T
is
true
,
their
Gods
would
be
sometimes
out
of
humour
;
but
their
particular
Priests
had
a
care
how
they
pusht
their
feigned
Anger
too
far
,
&
found
out
a
way
by
some
Oracle
or
other
to
understand
their
meaning
and
set
all
right
again
.
However
it
shews
that
had
the
Priest-hood
been
as
captious
then
,
as
some
of
ours
at
this
time
,
they
might
have
put
so
many
Capricio's
into
the
heads
,
sometimes
of
one
,
and
sometimes
of
another
Idol
,
as
might
have
given
the
Civil
Magistrate
no
small
vexation
.
Among
the
Romans
the
Catalogue
of
their
Gods
exceeded
Thirty
Thousand
;
and
their
forms
of
Worship
were
as
various
as
they
.
For
their
God
Pan
they
had
their
Luperci
and
Lupercalia
.
For
Ceres
their
secret
Mysteries
and
Female
Priests
.
For
Hercules
they
had
their
Potitij
and
Pinarij
.
They
had
also
their
Arval
Fraternity
,
and
their
sixty
Curiones
to
offer
up
Sacrifice
in
behalf
of
the
several
Curiae
or
Parishes
in
Rome
.
They
had
their
Colledge
of
Augurs
,
and
their
Flamin's
;
for
Mars
they
had
their
Salij
;
for
their
Goddess
Dea
Bona
,
they
had
their
Vestal
Nuns
;
for
Cybele
,
their
Galli
and
Corybantes
.
All
this
lookt
like
the
Variety
of
our
Sects
and
Opinions
at
this
day
;
and
yet
we
never
hear
of
those
Contentions
,
Disputes
and
Enmities
that
rage
among
us
.
They
never
incens'd
the
Magistrate
to
Persecution
,
but
as
they
agreed
singly
together
,
so
they
agreed
in
the
whole
;
or
if
any
difference
happened
among
them
in
point
of
Religion
,
't
was
but
repairing
to
the
Colledge
of
Pontiffs
,
where
their
questions
were
immediately
resolv'd
,
and
their
determinations
never
contradicted
.
And
for
a
farther
mark
of
this
general
Toleration
,
we
find
the
Pantheon
erected
,
and
after
it
was
burnt
down
,
Rebuilt
by
Adrian
,
where
all
the
Gods
were
worshiped
in
common
.
Moreover
we
find
mention
made
in
Suetonius
of
Collegia
antiqua
et
Sacra
,
in
the
Plural
Number
,
upon
which
Cujacius
Animadverts
,
That
the
Senate
and
Princes
of
the
Roman
People
permitted
several
Colledges
as
well
for
the
Exercise
of
Forraign
Religion
,
as
of
that
of
their
own
Countrey
:
And
Augustus
confest
,
That
he
permitted
the
Colledges
and
Assemblies
of
the
Jews
,
because
he
found
them
to
be
the
Schools
of
Temperance
and
Justice
,
not
as
they
were
reported
,
the
Seminaries
of
Sedition
.
To
proceed
to
the
Christians
,
They
were
no
sooner
grown
numerous
,
but
we
find
them
muster'd
in
the
Armies
of
the
Heathen
Emperours
,
and
tolerated
without
disturbance
by
Commodus
,
tho
a
bad
Prince
;
in
whose
time
Pontienus
set
up
a
School
in
Alexandria
,
where
he
publicly
Taught
the
Christian
Religion
.
Alexander
Severus
gave
public
Toleration
to
the
Christians
,
in
so
much
that
when
a
Complaint
was
made
to
him
by
the
Rabble
that
kept
public
Tipling-Houses
,
that
the
Christians
had
taken
possession
of
a
place
to
Build
a
Church
in
the
ground
that
belonged
to
them
,
he
return'd
for
his
answer
,
That
't
was
much
better
that
God
should
be
Worshiped
in
that
place
after
any
form
,
then
that
it
should
be
allow'd
for
Houses
of
Debauchery
.
And
thus
we
find
that
Toleration
of
Religion
was
allow'd
so
long
as
Heathenism
continued
in
the
World.
To
these
succeeded
Constantine
,
the
first
of
all
the
Roman
Emperours
that
made
open
Profession
of
Christianity
.
By
whom
we
find
such
an
Indulgence
given
not
only
to
the
Christians
,
but
to
all
manner
of
Religions
,
with
the
consent
of
his
Collegue
in
the
Empire
,
Licinius
;
that
we
could
not
omit
the
Insertion
in
this
place
of
the
most
material
part
of
it
.
At
what
time
,
I
Constantine
Augustus
,
and
Licinius
Augustus
happily
met
at
Millain
,
and
had
in
Consultation
whatever
might
conduce
to
the
public
benefit
and
security
;
among
the
rest
we
thought
those
things
were
first
to
be
taken
care
of
,
which
would
prove
most
profitable
to
most
men
,
as
relating
to
the
Worship
of
the
Supream
Deity
;
to
which
purpose
we
thought
fit
to
grant
to
the
Christians
and
all
others
,
free
Liberty
to
exercise
what
Religion
every
one
best
approv'd
,
to
the
end
we
might
render
that
Supream
Divinity
who
sits
in
his
Coelestial
Throne
,
propitious
to
Us
and
all
the
People
under
our
Dominion
:
Wherefore
following
this
wholsome
Counsel
,
and
the
Dictates
of
right
Reason
,
we
thought
it
our
safest
and
wisest
course
not
to
deny
Liberty
to
any
one
,
who
either
followed
the
Profession
of
the
Christians
,
or
addicted
himself
to
any
other
Religion
which
he
thought
most
agreeable
with
his
Judgment
,
that
the
most
High
God
,
to
whom
we
freely
and
heartily
yield
Obedience
,
may
afford
us
his
wonted
Favour
and
Kindness
in
all
our
Enterprizes
.
For
this
reason
we
give
your
Excellency
to
understand
that
it
is
our
pleasure
,
that
all
Restraints
formerly
appearing
in
your
Office
in
reference
to
the
Christians
being
disannull'd
,
we
do
now
Enact
sincerely
and
plainly
,
That
every
one
who
has
a
mind
to
observe
the
Christian
Religion
,
may
freely
do
it
without
any
disturbance
or
molestation
.
Which
we
have
thought
fit
fully
to
signify
to
your
Excellency
,
to
the
end
you
might
understand
that
we
have
given
free
and
absolute
leave
to
the
Christians
for
the
Exercise
of
their
Religion
.
And
as
we
have
granted
this
Indulgence
to
them
,
so
your
Excellency
is
likewise
to
understand
that
we
have
granted
the
same
open
and
free
Liberty
to
all
others
to
Exercise
the
Religion
to
which
they
have
chosen
to
adhere
,
for
the
Tranquility
of
our
Reign
,
to
the
end
that
every
one
may
be
free
in
the
Election
of
his
Worship
without
any
Prejudice
from
us
,
either
to
his
Honour
or
to
his
Religion
.
And
this
we
thought
fit
moreover
to
decree
in
reference
to
the
Christians
,
that
their
Meeting-Places
be
restor'd
them
without
any
hesitation
or
delay
,
and
without
the
demand
of
any
Fees
or
Sums
of
Money
:
And
if
any
Fines
or
Mulcts
have
been
Sequester'd
formerly
into
our
Exchequer
,
or
taken
by
any
other
Person
,
that
the
same
be
also
restor'd
them
without
the
least
Diminution
.
Or
if
they
have
any
Favour
to
request
further
at
our
hands
,
let
them
make
choice
of
any
of
our
Advocates
to
take
care
of
their
Affairs
.
[
The
rest
I
omit
,
as
less
pertinent
to
our
purpose
.
]
But
after
them
,
when
the
Emperours
began
to
lend
an
Ear
to
Ecclesiastic
Rigour
,
and
Sects
became
Predominant
as
they
were
guarded
by
the
Power
and
Protection
of
the
Civil
Magistrate
,
't
is
a
strange
thing
how
soon
the
several
Schisms
and
Opinions
that
had
taken
root
under
the
milder
sway
of
the
Heathens
,
began
to
rend
the
Church
into
a
thousand
Factions
;
and
whereas
a
single
Colledge
of
Pontiffs
would
serve
the
Heathen
Priest-hood
to
resolve
their
Doubts
the
Determination's
of
National
Councils
could
not
put
a
stop
to
the
Growing
Controversies
of
the
Christians
,
but
from
words
they
fell
to
blows
;
and
happy
they
who
could
get
the
Soveraign
Prince
on
their
side
,
for
the
other
were
sure
to
go
by
the
worst
.
So
early
was
the
Civil
Power
made
an
Engine
to
support
the
Pride
and
Ambition
of
Spiritual
Contenders
.
At
what
time
an
Eutychian
Pope
,
by
Name
Horsmisdas
,
having
the
upper
hand
,
gave
this
Motto
for
answer
to
all
that
admonish'd
him
of
his
Severity
.
Nos
Imperare
volumus
,
nos
Imperari
nolumus
.
It
were
to
be
wish'd
that
this
Motto
may
not
have
got
too
much
Footing
in
England
.
And
now
Liberty
of
Conscience
seem'd
for
a
time
exterminated
from
the
Earth
,
till
we
meet
with
it
again
among
the
Goths
,
who
as
Procopius
alledges
,
would
never
in
the
height
of
all
their
Conquests
,
compel
the
vanquished
to
embrace
the
Religon
which
they
professed
,
but
left
them
to
their
own
:
it
being
always
the
Maxime
of
Rulers
truly
generous
,
to
engage
men
rather
as
their
Friends
then
as
their
Slaves
,
thinking
themselves
far
more
safe
in
a
free
,
then
in
a
compell'd
Obedience
.
But
to
descend
to
latter
times
,
we
find
that
even
among
the
Mahumetans
,
all
over
Turky
,
no
man
is
compell'd
to
embrace
the
Mahumetan
Superstition
,
but
that
all
People
,
unless
the
Professors
of
Heathenish
Idolatry
,
are
left
to
the
exercise
of
their
own
Religion
.
And
this
,
as
several
Authors
observe
,
was
at
first
the
chiefest
means
by
which
the
Turks
enlarged
their
Empire
over
the
Christian
VVorld
.
For
that
many
People
rather
chose
to
live
under
the
Turk
,
permitting
them
the
Liberty
of
their
Consciences
,
then
under
the
Exorbitant
Tyranny
of
the
Spanish
Inquisition
.
And
further
,
others
observe
,
That
nothing
has
rendered
the
Turk
more
powerful
then
the
King
of
Spain's
Expulsion
of
all
the
Moors
and
Turks
out
of
his
Territories
,
in
the
Year
1609
,
at
what
time
above
a
Hundred
and
twenty
Thousand
of
those
Exiles
retir'd
into
Africa
and
other
parts
of
the
Turkish
Dominions
,
to
the
great
benefit
of
the
Turks
,
who
learnt
from
them
to
Combat
the
Europeans
with
their
own
Weapons
,
and
their
own
Arts
of
War.
The
Persians
give
Liberty
to
the
Melchites
under
the
Patriarch
of
Antiochia
,
who
obstinately
maintain
all
those
Errors
that
were
condem'd
by
the
Synod
of
Florence
;
together
with
the
Nestorians
and
Christian
Armenians
,
who
have
no
Patriarchs
of
their
own
;
nor
are
the
Roman
Catholics
excluded
the
chief
City
of
Ispahan
.
To
which
we
may
add
their
Toleration
of
the
Jews
,
and
the
Dissenting
Sects
in
their
own
Religion
.
In
Poland
,
tho
generally
the
Nobility
adhere
to
the
Church
of
Rome
,
yet
they
prohibit
none
;
and
the
mixture
of
Lutherans
,
Calvinists
,
Socinians
,
Anabaptists
,
Greeks
and
Jews
,
who
there
enjoy
most
ample
Priviledges
,
apparently
demonstrates
,
well-constituted
Government
to
be
no
Enemy
to
Liberty
of
Conscience
.
Nor
does
the
scrupulous
Muscovite
exclude
those
of
the
Augustan
Confession
from
having
a
Church
of
their
own
within
view
of
the
City
of
Moscow
it self
.
That
the
Switzers
are
a
Prudent
People
appears
by
the
permanent
constitution
of
their
Government
,
by
them
upheld
and
propagated
for
so
many
Ages
together
;
their
Concord
has
rendered
them
Populous
,
and
their
Populousness
has
made
them
formidable
to
all
the
Neighbouring
Princes
,
by
whom
they
have
been
all
along
courted
for
their
Assistance
,
and
to
whom
they
have
been
beholding
for
the
chiefest
part
of
their
Conquests
.
All
this
while
a
People
half
Protestants
,
half
Catholic's
,
yet
in
general
so
equally
unanimous
,
and
in
some
particular
Cities
so
peaceably
intermix'd
,
that
you
never
hear
among
them
,
since
they
first
leagu'd
together
for
the
common
Security
,
of
any
Quarrels
or
Contentions
for
Superiority
;
or
of
any
Fines
,
Imprisonments
,
or
Banishing
of
the
Dissenting
parties
;
nor
do
they
refuse
their
Protection
to
any
that
fly
from
other
Countries
to
seek
Tranquility
of
Conscience
among
them
.
There
is
the
same
mixture
of
the
two
Professions
of
Popery
and
Calvinism
among
the
Grisons
,
and
the
same
Unanimity
;
and
this
Confirm'd
by
the
league
of
the
Ten
Jurisdictions
,
by
which
all
Disputations
concerning
Religion
are
forbid
,
to
prevent
Exasperation
and
Contests
among
Nations
and
Friends
,
tho
differing
in
Opinion
.
In
Venice
the
Roman
Catholic
Religion
prevails
;
yet
such
is
the
Prudence
and
Generosity
of
the
Government
and
Governours
,
that
they
cannot
deny
to
others
that
Liberty
which
they
enjoy
themselves
;
in
so
much
that
tho
they
admitted
the
Inquisition
into
their
Territories
,
yet
they
fil'd
it's
sharp
Fangs
in
such
a
manner
,
that
the
malice
and
fury
of
it
was
render'd
ineffectual
;
for
they
decreed
that
the
Inquisition
should
not
meddle
either
with
Witches
or
Inchanters
;
nor
with
those
that
should
offer
to
Buffet
an
Image
,
or
Lampoon
the
Vices
and
Disorders
of
the
Clergy
,
nor
indeed
have
any
power
to
prohibit
the
Printing
of
any
Books
whatever
.
That
it
should
have
no
power
over
Blasphemy
,
or
such
as
married
two
Wives
;
nor
in
causes
of
Usury
.
That
it
should
have
no
Jurisdiction
over
Jews
;
Infidels
,
or
those
that
follow
the
Ceremonies
of
the
Greek
Church
;
nor
any
Authority
over
any
secular
Trade
or
Profession
;
and
in
all
other
Causes
whatever
that
were
brought
before
the
Tribunal
of
the
Inquisition
,
they
reserv'd
to
themselves
the
Examination
,
Judgment
and
final
Determination
of
the
Matter
;
which
indeed
was
an
absolute
Toleration
of
Jews
,
Infidels
and
Greek
Christians
,
and
under
that
Notion
,
of
all
other
Opinions
that
they
pleas'd
themselves
.
As
to
Witches
,
They
gave
this
reason
why
the
Inquisition
should
not
meddle
with
them
,
For
that
they
were
generally
Women
,
a
poor
People
Craz'd
in
their
Understandings
,
and
therefore
more
fitting
to
be
instructed
by
the
Minister
,
then
punished
by
the
Judge
.
As
for
Blasphemy
,
the
punishment
of
it
belong'd
to
the
Civil
Magistrate
;
and
so
for
Bigamy
and
Usury
.
As
to
the
Toleration
of
Jews
,
&c.
they
argu'd
from
St.
Paul
,
That
the
Ecclesiastical
Authority
had
no
power
over
those
that
were
not
in
the
Church
.
And
in
behalf
of
the
Greeks
they
urg'd
,
That
the
Difference
and
Disputes
between
the
Greek
and
Roman
Church
were
yet
Undetermined
,
and
that
therefore
it
was
not
sit
the
Church
of
Rome
should
be
Judge
in
her
own
Cause
.
Lastly
,
Against
the
Prohibition
of
Books
they
pleaded
,
That
it
was
the
way
to
stifle
Learning
,
and
prevent
the
coming
forth
of
many
good
Books
,
necessary
for
the
Instruction
of
Man
kind
.
That
it
belong'd
only
to
the
Civil
Magistrates
to
prevent
the
Enormities
of
Scandalous
Writers
,
and
therefore
that
the
Ecclesiastie's
were
not
to
thrust
their
Sickles
into
other
mens
Harvests
.
Thus
we
find
the
Venetians
,
tho
in
other
things
Obedient
to
the
See
of
Rome
,
yet
in
the
point
of
Toleration
altogether
Dissenting
from
it
;
for
they
believe
it
to
be
their
Interest
to
take
care
,
least
the
People
being
depriv'd
of
the
Liberty
of
their
Minds
,
should
be
alienated
in
their
Affections
from
the
Government
;
therefore
they
are
contented
that
the
People
should
enjoy
their
Liberty
,
provided
they
do
not
disturb
the
Public
Peace
.
To
return
into
Germany
,
even
in
Vienna
it self
,
the
chief
City
of
the
Empire
,
the
Emperour
Maximilianus
the
Second
allow'd
the
Evangelic's
the
free
exercise
of
their
Religion
in
the
Monastery
of
the
Minorites
,
which
tho
it
were
deny'd
them
by
his
Son
Rudolphus
the
Second
,
was
again
by
the
Indulgence
of
Matthias
the
Emperour
restor'd
them
;
so
that
they
had
their
public
Assemblies
at
Hornals
,
a
Village
close
by
the
City
;
within
the
Walls
of
which
they
had
besides
the
freedom
to
Baptize
,
Administer
the
Sacrament
,
and
Marry
according
to
their
own
forms
,
till
Ferdmand
the
Second
retracted
their
priviledges
,
and
forc'd
them
,
whenever
the
Duty
of
their
Worship
required
,
to
go
as
far
as
Presburgh
or
Edenburgh
.
It
would
be
too
long
to
trace
the
several
Regions
of
Germany
,
where
so
many
Soveraign
Princes
and
Free
States
,
exemplary
for
their
Justice
and
Moderation
,
foster
Liberty
of
Conscience
as
the
main
support
of
their
Governments
.
'T
will
be
enough
to
mention
briefly
those
of
chiefest
note
;
the
Dukes
of
Saxony
,
Brunswick
and
Lunenburgh
,
the
Dukes
of
Wittenbergh
and
Holsatia
,
the
Elector
Palatine
,
the
Duke
of
Bavaria
,
tho
of
the
Romish
perswasion
,
the
Duke
of
Newburgh
and
the
Landgrave
of
Hessen
,
the
Cities
of
Ratisbone
,
Frankford
upon
the
Main
,
and
Spire
,
where
the
Evangelic's
are
allow'd
the
free
exercise
of
their
Religion
,
and
meet
every
Sunday
,
from
seven
till
eight
in
the
Morning
,
and
from
twelve
till
one
in
the
Afternoon
:
not
to
omit
Auspurgh
,
where
the
chief
Magistrates
of
the
City
are
half
Protestants
and
half
Papists
;
nor
those
most
Noble
Emporiums
of
the
Northern
parts
of
Europe
,
Hamborough
,
Lubeck
,
Breme
and
Dantzick
:
to
which
if
we
should
add
the
States
of
the
United
Netherlands
,
it
would
be
only
to
trouble
the
Reader
with
what
is
known
to
all
the
World.
And
yet
the
Flourishing
condition
of
these
Countries
and
Territories
,
the
Number
of
People
,
and
the
Tranquility
which
they
enjoy
,
apparently
Demonstrate
,
That
Liberty
of
Conscience
is
no
such
Enemy
to
Man-kind
,
as
to
be
so
rudely
harrass'd
and
exterminated
from
the
Earth
with
all
the
Rigors
and
Vexations
that
render
Life
uncomfortable
.
Having
thus
established
the
Truth
of
Religions
Toleration
upon
the
Foundations
of
Scripture
,
Reason
,
Authority
and
Example
,
certainly
the
wonder
must
be
very
great
among
discerning
Persons
,
that
men
who
boast
a
more
refin'd
Profession
of
Christian
Religion
,
who
aspire
to
Peace
,
to
Love
,
to
Moderation
,
and
Truth
toward
all
men
,
should
with
so
much
Passion
and
bitter
Animosity
,
exercise
their
hatred
upon
their
Brethren
,
for
the
Niceties
of
different
Opinions
;
so
that
if
we
come
to
know
of
what
Profession
they
are
,
't
is
their
imperfection
,
not
their
Perfection
that
makes
the
discovery
:
Which
preceeds
from
hence
,
That
Ecclesiastical
Functions
and
Dignities
are
esteem'd
for
the
Benefits
and
Advantages
men
reap
thereby
either
of
Wealth
or
Fame
.
Which
Abuse
once
crept
into
the
Church
,
was
the
first
occasion
that
many
men
of
Evil
Principles
greedily
thirsted
after
Ecclesiastical
Preferments
;
and
that
the
love
of
propagating
Sacred
Religion
degenerated
into
Avarice
and
Ambition
;
and
that
the
Church
it self
was
turn'd
into
a
Theater
,
where
the
great
Doctors
studied
not
the
plainness
of
True
Preaching
,
but
to
shew
the
quaintness
of
their
Oratory
.
They
never
bent
their
minds
to
Teach
the
People
,
but
to
Tickle
their
Ears
into
an
Admiration
of
their
Elegant
Expressions
and
gingling
Satyrs
upon
Dissenters
and
Papists
,
as
they
thought
their
Themes
would
be
most
pleasing
to
their
Auditors
;
which
did
but
Inflame
the
Contentions
already
rais'd
,
and
beget
contempt
and
hatred
to
themselves
,
and
breed
an
Animosity
not
easy
to
be
reconcil'd
in
them
who
had
been
so
rudely
,
tho
undeservedly
handled
.
No
wonder
then
that
nothing
remain'd
of
Primitive
Religion
besides
the
External
Worship
(
with
which
the
People
rather
seem'd
to
flatter
then
adore
the
Supream
Divinity
)
and
that
Faith
was
now
become
no
other
then
Credulity
and
Prejudice
.
That
very
Prejudice
,
that
renders
men
of
Rational
Creatures
,
Brutes
;
as
being
that
which
hinders
every
Man
from
making
Use
of
his
free
Judgment
,
and
being
able
to
distinguish
Truth
from
Falshood
;
and
which
seems
to
have
been
invented
on
purpose
to
extinguish
the
Light
of
the
Understanding
.
Piety
and
Religion
are
made
a
Compound
of
Erroneous
Mysteries
of
Humane
Policy
;
and
they
who
contemn
Reason
,
and
reject
the
directions
of
the
Understanding
as
corrupted
by
Nature
;
would
themselves
be
thought
to
have
the
Divine
Light
;
tho
had
they
but
the
least
spark
of
Divine
Light
,
they
would
not
so
proudly
insult
,
but
learn
more
Prudently
to
worship
God
,
and
as
now
in
Hatred
,
so
then
in
Love
,
to
excel
the
rest
of
their
Brethren
.
Nor
would
they
Persecute
with
such
an
open
Hostility
,
those
that
cannot
in
Conscience
comply
with
their
Impositions
,
but
rather
take
pity
of
their
failings
,
unless
they
would
be
thought
more
fearful
of
their
own
worldly
Interest
,
then
sollicitous
for
the
others
Salvation
.
Seeing
then
that
the
Establishing
of
any
Religious
perswasion
by
force
,
is
so
contrary
to
Scripture
,
Reason
and
common
Sence
,
it
remains
then
that
only
Worldly
Interest
,
and
the
support
of
a
Domineering
Hierarchy
,
must
be
the
chief
Motives
that
engag'd
the
late
Persecutors
to
procure
those
Penal
Laws
,
which
in
contempt
of
the
Light
of
Nature
,
and
their
own
Videmus
Meliora's
,
they
put
so
rigorously
in
Execution
.
Laws
that
punish
the
very
supposition
of
Crimes
and
Transgressions
in
Conceit
;
Laws
that
punish
the
Body
with
Corporal
Vexations
for
the
supposed
Transgressions
of
the
Mind
and
Will
;
Laws
that
pretended
to
dive
into
the
Breasts
of
Men
,
and
to
discover
Evil
in
their
Thoughts
,
as
if
enacted
to
torment
the
Souls
of
Mankind
before
their
time
:
In
a
word
,
Laws
that
were
abolish'd
by
Reason
as
soon
as
made
;
for
if
Laws
are
grounded
upon
Reason
,
and
these
Laws
are
contrary
to
Reason
,
as
it
is
plain
they
were
,
for
that
Laws
are
made
to
redress
,
not
to
increase
the
grievances
of
the
People
;
then
were
they
null
as
soon
as
form'd
.
For
if
Laws
do
not
arise
out
of
Natural
Reason
,
but
are
only
made
to
avoid
some
greater
mischief
pretended
to
be
foreseen
;
we
are
not
rashly
to
admit
of
such
an
Interpretation
,
as
to
make
that
Sinful
or
Criminal
which
is
otherwise
Lawful
.
Thus
to
seperate
from
the
Church
of
England
,
is
a
thing
no
way
in
it's
self
Unlawful
,
and
therefore
cannot
be
made
Criminal
by
a
Law
,
there
being
no
natural
Equity
to
make
it
so
,
and
consequently
not
Punishable
by
the
Law.
:
Nor
can
their
Meeting
in
Conventicles
be
a
Crime
;
for
that
the
Doctrine
of
men
that
teach
those
things
which
are
Just
and
Honest
,
can
never
be
fear'd
,
especially
when
they
are
exact
in
their
Obedience
to
the
Magistrate
;
nor
should
their
private
Assemblies
be
envied
or
suspected
,
as
being
Just
and
Innocent
Men
,
till
they
are
convicted
of
being
otherwise
.
And
therefore
they
that
Persecute
such
People
,
ought
rather
to
be
Prosecuted
themselves
;
for
that
by
them
the
Law
of
Nature
is
brok'n
in
doing
injustice
to
them
that
never
offended
;
and
it
is
but
natural
equity
to
punish
those
that
wrong
their
Neighbours
without
a
cause
.
Which
Cause
can
never
be
found
in
a
Law
made
contrary
to
Reason
;
in
a
Law
made
to
gratify
the
Ambition
and
Interest
of
a
Single
Party
,
to
the
disturbance
of
the
Greater
part
of
the
Nation
,
which
is
contrary
to
the
Common
Good
,
and
consequently
the
End
of
Law.
Moreover
,
There
is
no
Humane
Law
that
can
command
or
prohibit
an
Act
,
purely
directly
and
Secundum
se
,
internal
.
And
this
is
grounded
upon
the
common
Axiome
,
Cogitationis
Paena
nemo
meretur
:
no
man
incurs
the
Punishment
of
Thought
,
for
the
Law
has
nothing
to
do
with
Internal
Acts
;
and
therefore
because
it
cannot
naturally
and
of
it self
punish
those
Acts
,
therefere
neither
can
it
either
command
or
prohibit
them
;
for
the
Legislative
Power
is
Compulsive
,
and
if
it
cannot
be
Compulsive
as
to
the
inward
Act
,
neither
can
it
make
a
Law
in
reference
to
it
:
The
reason
of
this
Assertion
is
,
for
that
the
Legislative
Power
among
men
is
only
ordain'd
for
preservation
of
the
outward
Peace
and
honesty
of
Humane
Community
,
to
which
those
Acts
have
no
Relation
which
are
conceived
in
the
Mind
.
Then
again
this
Power
springs
immediately
from
Humane
Community
it self
,
by
the
means
of
Natural
Reason
.
Now
there
is
no
Humane
Community
that
can
grant
a
Power
immediately
and
of
it self
,
over
Actions
meerly
Internal
,
as
being
altogether
without
the
Limits
of
its
Knowledge
,
and
without
the
Bounds
of
its
Jurisdiction
;
for
no
man
is
naturally
subject
to
another
in
his
Soul
,
but
in
his
Body
.
Therefore
said
a
Learned
Schoolman
,
He
is
in
an
Error
who
believes
that
Servitude
lays
hold
of
the
whole
Man
;
the
better
part
is
excepted
.
Our
Bodies
are
lyable
to
our
Superiours
and
Governours
,
but
the
Mind
is
its
own
Lord
and
Master
.
Then
again
,
The
conditions
of
Humane
Laws
are
,
That
the
Law
must
be
Honest
,
Just
,
Possible
,
convenient
to
Time
and
Place
,
and
conformable
to
Religion
and
Reason
.
The
Penal
Laws
are
not
Honest
,
because
they
would
enforce
men
to
abandon
the
worship
of
God
,
which
in
their
Cons●●ences
they
have
made
choice
of
,
as
believing
it
to
be
the
most
●●●…e
and
conformable
to
Scripture
,
and
to
submit
themselves
〈◊〉
Ceremonies
,
which
they
as
firmly
believe
to
be
no
way
necessa●●
for
their
Salvation
,
but
rather
contrary
to
those
Sentiments
●hich
they
have
of
the
Truth
of
Sacred
Adoration
.
They
are
not
just
,
because
they
would
bereave
men
of
that
Christian
Liberty
which
all
men
have
a
priviledge
to
claim
;
and
which
the
most
zealous
promoters
of
the
Penal
Laws
would
take
most
heavily
to
be
themselves
depriv'd
of
.
In
the
Second
place
,
They
ought
to
command
those
things
which
may
be
justly
observed
;
but
these
Laws
would
enforce
men
to
Sin
against
the
Dictates
of
their
Consciences
,
the
Consequence
is
easy
to
any
.
Thirdly
,
The
Penal
Laws
are
not
agreeable
to
Religion
,
for
they
prohibit
what
the
Laws
of
God
allow
,
which
is
Liberty
of
Conscience
,
and
uphold
what
the
Laws
of
God
prohibit
,
which
is
Spiritual
Tyranny
and
Dominion
in
matters
of
Religion
.
Fourthly
,
The
Penal
Laws
are
contrary
to
Reason
and
the
common
benefit
of
Civil
Society
;
for
it
is
not
rational
that
People
should
be
Imprison'd
,
Fin'd
,
and
Banished
,
and
common
security
of
Liberty
and
Property
be
infring'd
even
to
the
loss
of
men
lives
,
and
the
depopulation
of
a
Kingdom
,
for
pretences
over
which
the
Civil
Magistrates
pretends
not
to
have
any
Jurisdiction
.
Add
to
this
,
That
to
rendering
Laws
effectual
,
there
are
required
all
the
three
parts
or
sorts
of
Justice
.
First
,
Justitia
Legalis
,
whose
Office
is
to
aim
at
the
Common
Good
,
and
consequently
to
preserve
the
due
priviledges
of
all
the
Subjects
in
general
.
Secondly
,
Justitia
Commutativa
,
which
requires
that
the
Legislator
command
no
more
then
lies
in
his
power
.
Thirdly
,
Distributive
Justice
,
which
takes
care
that
the
private
good
of
a
few
,
be
not
respected
more
then
the
public
good
of
the
whole
Body
.
In
all
which
parts
of
Justice
,
the
Penal
Laws
being
defective
,
it
follows
that
they
were
not
duly
made
,
consequently
invalid
and
no
way
obliging
.
And
this
is
the
Opinion
of
all
the
Famous
Casuists
,
Aquinas
,
Sctus
,
Medina
,
Caster
,
Tolinus
,
Panormitanus
,
and
others
,
conformable
to
that
of
St.
Austin
himself
,
l.
19.
de
Civit.
Dei.
c
:
21.
The
perverse
Constitutions
of
Men
are
neither
to
be
accounted
nor
to
be
said
to
be
Laws
;
when
that
is
only
to
be
accounted
right
and
just
,
which
flows
from
the
Fountain
of
Justice
.
Now
that
it
is
the
intrinsic
end
of
all
Laws
duly
made
,
to
aim
at
the
Common
Good
,
is
plain
from
the
Laws
of
God
themselves
,
which
are
such
,
that
tho
ordain'd
by
God
himself
to
his
own
Glory
,
yet
he
seeks
therein
not
his
own
advantage
,
but
the
good
and
benefit
of
men
.
In
like
manner
as
all
Humane
Laws
are
imposed
upon
a
Community
of
People
,
so
ought
they
to
be
made
for
the
general
good
of
that
Community
,
otherwise
they
are
irregular
;
for
it
is
against
all
Justice
to
reduce
the
Common
Good
to
Private
Interest
,
or
to
subject
the
whole
to
the
part
for
the
parts
sake
.
Another
reason
may
be
deduc'd
from
the
end
it self
,
for
the
end
must
be
proportionate
to
the
Act
,
its
beginning
and
efficacy
.
Now
the
Law
is
the
common
Rule
of
Moral
Operations
;
therefore
the
first
Principle
of
Moral
Operations
ought
to
be
the
first
Principle
of
the
Law
;
but
the
end
or
happiness
is
the
first
Principle
of
Moral
Operations
;
for
in
Morals
the
beginning
is
the
end
of
the
Operations
,
and
so
the
Ultimate
end
is
the
first
Principle
of
such
Actions
;
but
the
Common
Good
or
Felicity
of
a
City
or
Kingdom
is
the
Ultimate
end
of
it
in
its
Government
,
therefore
it
ought
to
be
the
first
beginning
of
the
Law
,
and
therefore
the
Law
ought
to
be
for
the
Common
Good.
Now
it
is
apparent
that
the
Penal
Laws
were
made
only
for
the
particular
good
and
felicity
of
the
Church
of
England
men
,
all
others
being
by
them
excluded
from
the
benefit
of
their
native
Priviledges
,
that
could
not
in
Conscience
conform
to
the
Ceremonies
of
their
Worship
,
to
the
Ruin
and
Vexation
of
many
thousands
,
which
was
positively
against
the
Common
Good
and
Felicity
of
the
Nation
and
general
Community
of
the
People
,
divided
only
in
some
points
of
Religion
,
but
in
an
equal
poise
of
Obedience
and
Loyalty
to
the
Supream
Magistrate
,
and
therefore
justly
deserving
equal
share
of
provision
by
the
Laws
for
their
Security
and
Protection
.
And
therefore
unless
it
can
be
prov'd
that
it
is
for
the
Common
Good
and
Benefit
of
the
whole
Nation
,
that
men
should
be
persecuted
to
uphold
the
Hierarchy
of
the
Church
of
England
,
the
Penal
Laws
are
unduly
made
,
and
therefore
as
of
no
force
,
to
be
repeal'd
and
annul'd
.
Therefore
the
Intention
of
the
Divine
Laws
might
have
taught
the
Promoters
of
these
Penal
Statutes
better
and
more
Christian
Learning
;
for
therefore
are
Prelates
call'd
Pastors
,
because
they
ought
to
lay
down
their
Lives
for
the
good
of
the
Sheep
;
not
the
Sheep
to
lay
down
their
Lives
for
the
good
of
them
:
they
are
call'd
Dispensers
and
not
Lords
;
Ministers
of
God
,
not
Primary
Causes
,
and
therefore
they
ought
to
be
conformable
to
the
Divine
Intention
in
the
Exercise
of
their
Power
:
God
principally
intends
the
Common
Good
of
men
,
and
therefore
his
Ministers
are
bound
to
do
the
same
.
They
are
Tyrants
,
not
Governours
in
the
Church
,
while
they
seek
their
own
Support
and
not
the
Common
Benefit
.
As
to
the
Injustice
of
the
Penal
Laws
,
experte
Materiae
,
in
commanding
those
things
which
ought
not
to
be
observed
,
this
Axiom
from
thence
arises
.
That
no
unjust
Law
can
be
a
Law
,
and
then
there
lies
no
obligation
to
accept
it
,
or
to
observe
it
if
accepted
;
for
that
the
Subjects
are
not
only
not
bound
to
accept
it
,
but
have
it
not
in
their
power
,
when
the
command
is
clearly
and
manifestly
unjust
:
as
when
men
are
commanded
not
to
meet
above
such
a
number
under
such
a
penalty
,
for
the
Exercise
of
their
Religion
according
to
their
Consciences
.
This
is
an
Evil
Command
,
because
it
debars
men
from
the
free
Worship
of
God
;
for
unless
it
could
be
prov'd
that
the
Religion
of
the
Church
of
England
is
the
only
True
Religion
in
the
World
,
and
they
the
only
Infallible
Ministers
upon
Earth
,
it
is
unjust
in
any
Law
to
constrain
others
to
believe
that
,
which
may
be
as
Erroneous
in
them
,
as
what
the
other
professes
:
For
tho
I
may
believe
the
Liturgy
of
the
Church
of
England
to
be
the
purest
form
of
Supplication
under
Heaven
,
yet
another
may
not
believe
so
,
neither
is
it
a
Crime
in
him
to
believe
otherwise
.
We
have
said
that
the
Penal
Laws
are
defective
in
point
of
Honesty
,
which
is
another
reason
why
they
are
invalid
,
and
therefore
to
be
annull'd
.
For
the
Immorality
of
the
Precept
is
contrary
to
God
himself
,
because
it
includes
a
Crime
and
a
Transgression
against
God
,
and
therefore
ought
not
to
be
observ'd
as
no
way
obligatory
:
seeing
that
it
behoves
us
to
obey
God
rather
then
Man
,
which
is
the
reason
these
Laws
ought
not
to
be
observed
,
as
contradicting
our
Obedience
to
God
,
and
subjecting
us
to
the
Compulsions
of
Men.
In
the
last
place
,
no
Law
can
be
valid
beyond
the
Intention
of
the
Legislators
.
Now
it
is
not
rational
to
think
that
those
Persons
who
made
the
Penal
Laws
upon
a
presumption
of
danger
from
Factious
and
Turbulent
Spirits
,
ever
intended
those
Laws
sor
the
punishment
of
those
that
liv'd
peaceably
and
obediently
toward
the
Government
in
all
the
Passive
Duties
of
good
Loyal
Subjects
,
for
that
had
been
to
make
Laws
for
the
punishment
of
good
men
,
which
was
never
the
design
of
any
just
and
vertuous
Legislator
in
this
World.
Now
then
the
Presumption
of
the
danger
being
remov'd
by
his
Majesties
most
Gracious
Indulgence
,
the
Foundation
of
the
Penal
Laws
are
remov'd
,
and
consequently
the
Obligation
to
them
;
for
it
is
not
to
be
imagin'd
that
the
Framers
of
these
Laws
ever
meditated
to
Establish
the
Dominion
of
a
Spiritual
Oligarchy
upon
the
Ruin
of
so
many
Families
of
Pious
and
Religious
People
;
and
therefore
the
suspitions
which
were
the
grounds
of
these
Laws
being
vanish'd
,
the
Laws
themselves
are
to
be
laid
aside
,
as
altogether
vain
and
frivolous
,
and
such
as
have
only
serv'd
to
gratify
the
Revenge
and
Animosity
of
their
promoters
:
for
we
never
hear'd
of
Traytors
or
Factious
Persons
,
that
were
ever
try'd
upon
those
Laws
,
there
being
others
of
greater
force
to
take
hold
of
such
Criminals
.
As
for
the
Test
,
it
appears
to
be
an
Oath
continued
to
prevent
the
sitting
of
any
Commoner
or
Peer
in
either
of
the
Houses
of
Parliament
,
from
coming
into
his
Majesties
Presence
or
Court
,
and
from
bearing
any
Office
or
Imployment
,
Military
or
Civil
,
in
any
of
his
Majesties
Realmes
of
England
or
Ireland
,
&c.
And
they
that
are
to
take
this
Oath
,
are
thereby
to
abjure
the
belief
of
Transubstantiation
,
Invocation
or
Adoration
of
Saints
,
and
the
Sacrifice
of
the
Mass
,
&c.
The
Learned
are
of
Opinion
,
That
to
make
an
Oath
binding
,
it
is
requisite
that
it
refers
to
things
Lawful
;
for
that
if
the
thing
promised
upon
Oath
be
forbidden
either
by
the
Law
of
Nature
,
or
by
the
Divine
Laws
,
or
Interdicted
by
the
Laws
of
Men
,
it
has
no
power
to
oblige
the
Swearer
.
Now
the
Q●●●●●●n
will
be
whether
this
Oath
does
not
positively
〈…〉
Laws
of
the
Land
,
by
enforcing
a
Peer
of
the
Realm
▪
or
any
other
free-born
English-man
of
lower
Degree
,
to
ac●use
himself
,
with
so
strong
and
dangerous
a
Temptation
to
Perjury
,
where
the
Choice
is
only
this
,
Either
to
forswear
their
Religion
,
or
lose
their
Native
Priviledges
and
Preferments
,
and
all
possibility
of
advancing
their
Fortunes
.
A
piece
of
severity
that
constrains
the
inward
Belief
of
the
Mind
,
which
God
the
searcher
of
all
Hearts
has
resorv'd
to
himself
.
That
this
is
an
Act
contrary
to
the
known
Laws
of
the
Land
,
is
undoubtedly
true
,
as
is
apparent
from
the
great
Charter
,
and
several
Statutes
of
the
Realm
;
therefore
the
Test
has
no
power
to
oblige
the
Swearer
,
and
consequently
to
be
repeal'd
as
Useless
.
That
it
is
against
the
Law
of
God
,
is
apparent
from
hence
,
for
that
there
is
nothing
more
strongly
prohibited
in
Scripture
,
then
to
ground
a
Penal
Prosecution
upon
the
enforc'd
Oath
of
the
Party
without
Witness
or
Accuser
.
In
the
next
place
it
seems
a
hard
case
to
oblige
the
Papist
to
Swear
away
his
Religion
,
before
he
has
another
provided
for
him
by
those
that
Impose
the
Oath
.
For
certainly
Transubstantiation
is
no
point
of
State
:
nor
does
the
Doctrine
of
good
Works
make
a
man
a
good
Subject
:
and
it
is
possible
for
a
Papist
to
be
Loyal
to
the
Supream
Authority
,
and
yet
believe
there
is
a
Purgatory
.
All
these
are
no
Fundamental
points
of
Christian
Faith
,
clearly
set
down
in
Scripture
,
but
infer'd
from
passages
and
glances
of
the
Text
,
to
which
the
Answers
are
believ'd
as
probable
by
the
Papists
,
as
the
Objections
against
them
by
us
;
and
therefore
there
is
no
reason
they
should
be
so
cruelly
Tested
for
Doctrines
that
are
but
either
obscurely
reveal'd
,
or
not
necessarily
enjoyn'd
.
As
little
reason
is
there
to
enforce
this
Test
upon
the
Papists
,
when
we
know
that
many
of
our
own
perswasions
would
Scruple
to
take
it
,
and
some
so
nice
as
absolutely
to
refuse
it
.
At
least
it
is
very
severe
to
compel
such
as
are
young
and
unlearned
(
for
all
are
not
Casuists
that
enter
the
Parliament
House
,
or
have
Preferment
in
the
Kingdom
)
to
Swear
that
such
an
Opinion
or
Doctrine
is
not
true
,
which
they
have
been
always
bred
up
to
from
their
Infancy
;
especially
to
come
bluntly
upon
them
without
any
preceding
Instructions
or
endeavours
to
convince
their
Understandings
,
only
Swear
or
else
depart
the
Kings
Presence
and
quit
your
Imployment
.
But
all
this
is
done
,
they
say
to
prevent
the
growth
of
Popery
,
and
secure
the
Publick
Peace
:
as
if
the
taking
the
Test
would
avail
to
make
a
man
either
a
better
Neighbour
or
a
better
Subject
.
For
Experience
tells
us
,
That
they
who
impose
this
Test
,
conside
never
the
more
in
those
whom
they
have
frighted
to
take
it
;
and
tho
by
taking
it
they
may
preserve
what
places
they
have
,
yet
is
it
not
in
it self
any
step
to
Preferment
.
Rather
indeed
is
there
less
reason
to
conside
in
those
that
are
unwillingly
drawn
to
an
outward
Complyance
,
then
in
those
that
Obstinately
refuse
to
be
obliged
;
since
there
can
be
no
greater
cause
of
Hatred
and
Resentment
,
then
the
remembrance
of
their
being
compell'd
publickly
to
Swear
against
their
Consciences
;
unless
their
Judgments
are
really
chang'd
,
and
then
all
Penalties
to
enforce
them
are
superfluous
.
Whence
it
must
be
concluded
,
that
the
Tests
and
all
Oaths
of
that
nature
,
are
always
either
absolutely
pernicious
or
altogether
unnecessary
:
if
against
the
inward
Judgment
,
damnable
,
as
being
the
highest
degree
of
Perjury
,
and
Spiritual
Murder
of
the
Soul
;
if
according
to
the
Internal
Sentiments
,
useless
.
More
then
this
,
it
was
the
Opinion
of
Isidore
,
That
a
man
ought
to
make
no
scruple
to
break
an
Oath
that
would
bind
him
to
a
dishonest
and
unjust
Action
:
for
that
the
promise
must
needs
be
wicked
that
cannot
be
fulfill'd
,
but
by
making
a
man
wicked
.
And
what
can
make
a
man
more
wicked
then
to
renounce
his
Religion
for
private
Gain
?
So
that
if
the
Test
,
as
it
is
an
Oath
that
would
bind
a
man
to
such
an
unjust
Action
,
as
the
Renouncing
his
Religion
for
Worldly
Honour
or
Preferment
,
may
be
so
easily
broken
,
to
what
purpose
is
it
kept
on
foot
?
Since
it
has
not
power
enough
to
bind
the
Person
that
takes
it
.
And
indeed
,
if
the
power
of
an
unjust
Oath
were
so
great
as
some
would
make
us
believe
,
how
deeply
are
they
Perjur'd
that
took
the
Covenant
and
Engagement
,
yet
after
that
were
so
Instrumental
in
Restoring
of
his
late
Majesty
of
Blessed
Memory
,
whose
Right
and
Title
to
the
Crown
they
had
so
solemnly
abjur'd
.
But
they
have
their
Absolution
from
St.
Ambrose
,
who
tells
us
,
That
some
Promises
cannot
be
perform'd
,
nor
some
others
kept
without
the
Violation
of
our
Duties
both
to
God
and
Man.
Upon
these
considerations
we
have
just
reason
to
believe
it
was
,
that
our
Supream
Legislator
and
Soveraign
Prince
set
forth
his
most
Gracious
Act
of
Indulgence
,
thereby
to
free
from
Spiritual
Bondage
,
the
Enflav'd
Consciences
of
his
Suffering
Subjects
,
Groaning
under
the
Tyranny
of
Ecclesiastical
Jurisdiction
.
Therein
truly
resembling
the
Divine
Majesty
,
whose
Vicegerent
upon
Earth
he
is
,
while
he
sheds
down
down
upon
all
in
general
,
the
Rayes
of
his
Christian
Compassion
,
and
spreads
the
Cherubim
Wings
of
his
Mercy
over
multitudes
so
latety
tormented
with
the
Unsanctified
Vexation
.
He
has
publicly
declar'd
it
to
be
his
Aim
to
fix
his
Government
on
such
a
Foundation
as
may
make
his
Subjects
happy
in
the
Enjoyment
of
their
Religion
with
freedom
of
Exercise
,
and
their
Property
without
Invasion
.
Under
the
Reign
of
such
a
Prince
,
whom
God
preserve
,
what
Cause
or
Grounds
can
there
be
for
Fears
or
Jealousies
?
'T
is
an
ill
sign
of
Obedience
in
Subjects
,
when
they
distrust
the
Solemn
Declarations
of
their
Prince
:
And
on
the
other
side
,
to
deny
him
so
small
a
Recompence
for
his
Excess
of
Benignity
in
his
Royal
Toleration
,
as
the
Repeal
of
Cruelty
and
Injustice
;
Cruelty
in
the
Penal
Laws
,
and
Injustice
in
the
Test
;
is
the
highest
Ingratitude
in
the
World.
Certainly
it
cannot
be
thought
but
that
a
Monarch
so
tender
of
the
Liberties
and
Consciences
of
his
Subjects
,
must
be
ill
at
ease
till
he
has
removed
those
Scourges
of
Imposition
that
hang
over
their
Heads
in
such
a
Threatning
posture
.
And
therefore
since
Soveraign
Consideration
thinks
it
meet
to
have
them
taken
away
,
't
is
a
very
rude
piece
of
Obstinacy
,
to
be
Froward
and
Peevish
in
Opposition
to
Soveraign
Reason
.
FINIS
.
Notes, typically marginal, from the original text
Notes for div A54203-e170
This
was
finished
before
the
Translation
of
Lactantius
,
and
therefore
as
not
being
borrowed
from
him
,
I
thought
fit
to
let
it
pass
with
this
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.