all, much less for little matters: that they never en deavoured her exile, but the found them upon her return, which they oppofed not; nor yet fince have any ways fought to inftall themselves in her dignities, or enrich themfelves by her preferments. We appeal then to all fober men, if what is generally called the epifcopal party of England, can with good confcience and true honour, difinherit those of their native rights, peace, and protection, and leave them as orphans to the wide world, indeed a naked prey to the devourer, who from first to last have never been concerned, either to endeavour their ruin, or any ways withstand their return; whilft it may be fome of those, who have been the most vigorous in both, and that for circumftantial, and not effential differences, may be reputed more deferving of a comprehenfion than we are of a toleration.

But it will be yet faid, You are inconfiftent with government; they are not: therefore you are excluded, not out of partiality, but neceffity. What government befides their own they are confiftent with, we leave on the fide of story to tell, which can better fpeak their mind than we are either able or willing to do. But this give us leave to fay in general, if any apprehend us to be fuch as merit not the care of our fuperiors, because fuppofed to be deftructive of the government, let us be called forth by name, and hear our charge; and if we are not able to answer the unbiaffed reafon of mankind, in reference to our confiftency with the peace, quiet, trade, and tribute of thefe kingdoms, then, and not before, deny us all protection. But that men fhould be concluded before heard, and fo fentenced for what they really are not, is like bebeading them before they are born. We do aver, and can make it appear, that there is no one party more quiet, fubject, induftrious, and, in the bottom of their very fouls, greater lovers of the good old English government, and profperity of these kingdoms among the comprehended, than, for aught we yet fee, may be found among those who are like

to

to be unkindly excluded. However, if fuch we were in any one point, cure rather than kill us; and feek the publick good fome cheaper way than by our destruction. Is there no expedient to prevent ruin? Let REASON qualify zeal, and CONSCIENCE opinion.

To conclude, If the publick may be fecured, and confcience freely exercifed by all, for the fame reafons it may by fome. And fince liberty of confcience is liberty of confcience, and the reafons for it equiva lent, we fee not in the whole world why any should be deprived of that, which others for no better rea fons are like to enjoy.

Let it not then be unworthy of fuch to remember, that God affords his refreshing "fun to all;" the dunghill is no more excepted than the most delightful plain; and his "rain falls alike both upon the just "and unjust:” he strips not mankind of what fuits their creaturely prefervation: Christians themselves have no more peculiar privilege in the natural benefits of heaven, than Turks ́or Indians. Would it not then be ftrange, that Infidels themselves, much lefs any fort of Chriftians, fhould be deprived of natural privileges for mere opinion, by thofe who pretend to be the best fervants of that GOD, who fhews them quite another example, by the univerfality of his goodness as Creator; and believers in that CHRIST, who himself preached the perfection of love, both to friends and enemies, and laid down his life to confirm it when he had done. If men fhould love their enemies, doubtlefs they ought at least to forbear their friends: and though fome differences in judgment about religion be a fufficient reason to excommunicate a man the air ecclefiaftical, yet nothing certainly of that fort ought to difprivilege men of their air natural and civil to breathe freely in: and let that good our fuperiors have obferved to be the fruit of our toleration, not be weakened or blafted by an untimely comprehenfion of fome, to the exclufion of the reft; fince the reafon holds the VOL. III. fame

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fame for the lefs formidable feparatifts, that may not be however any whit lefs confcientious.

We will omit to mention, how much more fuitable it were to ftate-matters, that all parties fhould be kept upon an equal poize; a thing moft true in itself, and moft fecure to the publick magiftrate; and will conclude at this time, that though we no ways defign a mifrepresenting of any, much less their exception, and leaft of all their perfecution; yet a comprehenfion, either refpecting the perfons and their qualifications, or their feparation, and the grounds and reafons of it, we seriously believe, can never be confiftent with that confcience, honour, wifdom, and fafety, that ought to be the mark thofe who are concerned in it fhould take their aim by. But if a comprehenfion should at last be compaffed, it is not doubted by many wife men, but it will be found as impracticable as other acts more feemingly fevere have been, and at laft will neceffitate to that well-ordered univerfal toleration of all, who both profefs and practice peace, obedience, industry, and good life; which will beft please Almighty God, and rejoice the hearts of all good

men.

From real friends,

TO KING and COUNTRY.

A LETTER

The King of kings, and Lord of lords, who is God of all the families of the earth, incline your hearts to justice, mercy, and truth.

TH

HE noife of your severe treatment of several perfons that are inhabitants of your ftate, reproachfully termed QUAKERS, hath reached these parts, and filled feveral with compaffion and furprize: compaffion, to hear of the mifèries of men innocent and upright, against whom you have nothing to object, but the pure exercife of their confcience to God": furprize, that you, a Proteftant state, should employ your civil power to deter, punish, and grievously afflict men for anfwering the convictions of their confciences, and acting according to the beft of their understandings. Methinks you fhould not be obli

Our account fays, fome were cruelly beaten by order; others banished; fome put in a dungeon, and fed with bread and water only; feveral fined greater fums of money, it is thought, than they had to pay.

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vious

vious of your own condition in the loins of your ancestors, who, you think, with great reason and justice ftrenuously advocated the cause of liberty of conscience against the Pope's bulls and the Spanish inquifition: how did they antichriftian all force on confcience or punishment for non-conformity? Their own many and large apologies, and particularly their demands at the diets of Norimberg and Spire, are pregnant proofs in the cafe; and your practice doth not leffen the weight of their reafons; on the contrary, it aggravates your unkindness, let me fay, injustice.

PROTESTANTS (and fuch you glory to be thought) got their name by protesting against impofitions; and will you turn impofers? They condemned it; and will you practise it? They thought it a mark peculiar to the BEAST; and can you repute it the care of a CHRISTIAN magiftracy? I mean, that perfons must not live under your government, unless they receive your mark in their forehead or right hand? Which in plainer terms is, to submit their confciences to your edicts, and to ask your leave what religion they fhould be of. Remember, that "Faith is the gift of God;" and, that "what is not of faith is fin." Nothing can be more unreafonable, than to compel men to believe against their belief, or to trouble them for practifing what they believe, when it thwarts not the moral law of God.

You doubtless take yourselves to be Chriftians, and would esteem it no little injury to be otherwise represented; yet what more unchriftian, than to use external force to fway the confciences of men about the exercife of religious worship.

Chrift Jefus, the Lord and Author of the Chriftian religion, cenfured his own difciples, that would have had fire from heaven to deftroy thofe that conformed not to what their bleffed Mafter taught. Are you fure of your religion? Are you better Chriftians? Ór, have you more Chriftian authority than they, that were the chofen witneffes of Jefus? However, remember they

called