сс cc prove it, in good Studies and Arts to the good Laws you give again their Force, the bad ones you take away, and fupply their Rooms with fuch as are wholefome-But affuredly, these things which follow are "much greater ftill; and of all, the greateft, that your excellent High"nefs defendeth fo vigorously the Ec"clefiaftical State, no lefs than the "Commonwealth; that you take upon you so affectionately the Care and "Protection of Religion; that you quench the direful Flames of Perfe"cution: That you open a Liberty to "Confciences, fo long fhut up: That cc you illuftrate and promote the Temple of God, and the Glory of Evangelical Doctrines: That is, by all Means endeavouring, that the Re"mainder of old Superftition, by little "and little be deftroy'd; the fincere "Truth of the Gofpel return to its na"tive Brightnefs: This was lately de СС СС clared by that excellent Voice and Anfwer of your Majefty, given to the "Petition of fome Divines, concerning "the Habits; by which Words, then, cc by your Majefty, fpoken, it can scarce be thought, how great Profperity you "did, in one Day, bring to the whole "Church; how great Comfort to the L 2 "Minds પ "Minds of all Godly People; how cc great Benefit to Pofterity; how great "Delight to all fucceeding Times! " and moreover, to your own Name cc how immortal an Honour! more lafting than any Monument of Brass. "The Tongues and Learning of all Englishmen would be ftained with Ingratitude, fhould they fuffer, as well "this Godlike thing, as all the other Trophies of your Virtues, by any Antiquity of Time, to be abolished. ૬૯ c. "Hither must be added, your Ma' jefty's fingular Favour towards learn"ed Studies, in the adorning and furthering whereof, you would never "have fhewn your felf fo inclinable, had you not been fo exquifitely furnifhed and dreffed your felf with CC them. СС The Reader has now feen the Sentiments of good Father Fox as to the Puritans; the dangerous Schemes they had formed; the Violence of their Proceedings; and the Neceffity of keeping a watchful Eye over them. The Chara&ter of Q Elizabeth,voluntarily given by fuch an upright and impartial Witness of her Conduct, deferves great Regard. Sir Francis Walfingham's unprejudiced Relation will meet with entire Credit, even were it not confirm'd by Mr. N's long long Catalogue of Puritans, and thofe the most confiderable of the Party beneficed in the Church, after the Nonconformity and Oppofition of many Years. Any one who examines the feveral Acts of Parliament relating to thofe Affairs, confiders the Preambles or the State of Things at the making of them, will find a farther Confirmation, that the Penal Laws were not intended against confcientious and quiet Men, but were thought a neceffary Means to fecure the publick Welfare, and reftrain those violent Proceedings, which threatened both the Ecclefiaftical and Civil Parts of the Constitution. The Act of which Mr. N. complains the most, was, as the Preamble fets forth, made "for the preventing and avoiding of fuch great "Inconveniencies and Perils, as might happen and grow by the wicked and dangerous Practices of feditious Secta"ries and difloyal Perfons. ແ The next Thing to be confider'd, is, how it came to pafs, that Conformity was more warmly prefs'd, and the Laws relating thereto put in ftricter Execution, after fome Years, than they were at the Beginning of the Queen's Reign? And if under this Head it fhall appear, that the Conduct of the Puritans gave Occafion to this Proceeding, their Mifbehaviour L 3 N's Hift. P. 157. behaviour ought not, in Juftice, to be laid to the Charge of the Government. There is one Obfervation that destroys far the greatest Part of Mr. N's Complaints. If the Establishment was founded, as we have feen upon a Catholic and comprehenfive Bottom; if it took in the greatest Number of English Subjects; and was the best Medium between foreign Proteftants of different Perfuafions; thofe that would not comply with fuch a Scheme, fhould only blame themselves if they loft the Advantages of it. When the Government had made an Establishment, that comprehended the moderate Men of all Parties, it was great Wisdom not to reduce it to a narrow Platform, devised by the Bigots of any one. Many of "the ftritter Sort, fays Mr. N. that "had been Exiles for Religion, could СС not come up to the Terms of Con СС formity." 'Tis true, many of those, who had been at Geneva, would not be fatisfied with any Thing but the Model there ufed. To have introduced that, had it been practicable, would have been giving up a vaft Majority of a Society to the Humour of a few. If these few could not comply with a reafonable and extenfive Plan, they could lay the Blame no where fo properly, as upon upon the Peculiarity of their own Way of thinking. The Queftion, therefore, is; Was King Edward's Reformation, as re-established by Queen Elizabeth, more proper and comprehenfive than the Geneva Platform? Was it better accommodated to take in the Generality of the Nation, and unite Protestants? If fo, the Exclufion of thofe who were unalterably attach'd to another Form, was an Effect that neceffarily followed the Establishment of the better Plan. Let the Cafe be stated as on the other Side; Had the Calviniftic Platform been establish'd, and thereby the whole Body of Lutherans, Epifcopalians, &c. excluded from all Preferment in the Church, what would the Patrons of that Scheme have faid, but that the Exclufion of the Lutherans, &c. was only to be charged upon themselves, for not complying with their Geneva Scheme? The Reader will judge after what has been faid, whether this Reafoning holds, as to the Exclufion of thofe of the stricter Sort, who would not comply with the Terms of Conformity. Thefe Exclufions must happen in all Countries, while Mankind think differently; but can only be charged upon the Legiflature, when they neglect the most Catholick Scheme, and I 4 |