Neal - Houston-Packer Collection BX9333 .N4 1754 v1

flrfi Volume of the Hillary of the Puritans. With this letter, which was writ towards the dole of Mr. Fox's life, our author has artfully conne&ed another of the fame reverend divine's, about twenty years earlier, in which he " praifes her majefty's wifdom and prudence, in reftoring the proteflant religion, and calling back a0 thofe that were in banifhment ; and among other things, for quench- " ing the direful flames of perfecution [in the late reign] and opening a liberty to confciences fo long Phut up " This was writ in the year 1564, and was occafioned by the favourable anfwer her majefty had given to a petition of Tome puritan divines againft the habits and cere- monies, which had comforted the minds of godly people. But this writer has thought fit to conceal the date of it in this place, that it might feena to have refpea to that part of her majefty's reign, wherein (he thought fit to inflia fevere puniJhments upon the diffenters, whereas it was writ- ten feveral years fooner ; and therefore Mr. Fox's charafter of the queen at this time, has no relation to her after condua. We have now done withour author's teftimonies for the queen's gen- tlenefs and moderation towards thepuritans, which he apprehends was as great as their dangerous fchemes and violent proceedings would admit. ' The next thing to be conftdered (lays he) is, how it came to pats, thatArguments of it conformity was more warmly prjJed, and the laws relating theretoput in this writer " llrib7er execution, after fomeyears, than they were at the beginning oft yens1 " the ueen's rein." All which Mr. N. might afs over in filence, as Q g 11 , Vind ic. p. having littleor no relationto his hiftory. But let us attend his arguments. 149' s50 The firft is taken from the comprehenfvenefs ofthe eablilhedfirm If-go- vernment. This (fags he) deftroys the greatefl part of Mr. N.'s com- plaints. " If the ellablijhment was foundedupon amore catholick and com- " prebenfive bottom than the puritan platform; if it took in the greateli " numbers, andwas the been medium betweenproteflants ofdifferent pefua- " fions, then thofe that would not comply mull blame themfelves." What ! if they could not do it with a good confcience, as was the cafe both of papifle and puritans. He adds, " it was great wifdom not to reduce it to a narrow platform." And Mr. N. is of the fame mind ; but might it not have been more extenfive, or attended with a toleration ? however, let the reader mark what follows, if the puritans could not comply witha p. o5o. reafonable and extenfive plan, they could lay the blame no wherefo properly as upon the FECULARITY OF THEIR OWN WAY OF THINKING. Admirable! this gentleman fuse is happy in a catholick foul, that can think and comply with the majority, and in a conlcience entirely under the direaion of his will; but had he been a native of Rome or Madrid, would he have profeffed the publick religion, when he was a proteftant in heart? or would he have thought it reafonable tohave been burnt, or made the fport of the inquifition, for bispeculiar way ofthinking? '5U2 The

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