Abernathy - Houston-Packer Collection BX9178.A33 S4 1748 v.4

Of aril Ilan Liberty. 149 fluence to its friends ; but this I fha11 not S E R infift on, as being foreign to my prefent V. defign ; only we may obferve, that the pub - `'"Y`4 lic hath nothing to apprehend from the principles of the Nonconformifts, if as I hope it always will be, the true public in- tereft of thefe nations be meant, that of civil liberty, the foundation upon which the prefent happy fuccefhon to the throne is eftablifhed. Secondly, The temper and condu& which our principle of liberty direaeth us to ob- ferve towards our brethren who differ from us, is the very belt that can be, and the molt inoff'enfive ; for if we claim for our - felves a freedom in the ufe or forbearance of indifferent things, as an inviolable privilege granted by Jefus Chrift to all his difciples, furely the fame freedom muff be left to all our fellow chriftians ; and then we can have no right, for the fcripture declarations, which we acknowledge to be our only rule in this cafe, forbid it, to cenfure, to vex, to de- fpife, or to judge them, on account of their fentiments and practices in thefe points dif- ferent from ours. Whilft we humbly re- prefent to our rulers, at the fame time be- having dutifully towards them as becometh us, our reafons againft the impofition of L 3 unne-

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=