212 The HIS T 0 R Y of the PuRITANs. VoL. IT. K. Charles 1. they are refolved not to make the leafl: !l:art, but to live and die, for the ~ glory of God, in the entire prefervation of the truth. Mofl: of the fermons before the houfe of commons, at their monthly fafts, f~oke the language offeverity, and called upon the magill:rate to draw h1s fword againrt the feC!aries. The prefs teem'cl with pamphlets of the fame nature ; Mr. Prynne againfl: J. Goodwin fays, " that if the " parliament and fynod ellabliihed prefbytery, the independents and all '' others, are bound to fubmit under pain of obfl:inacy." Another writes, " that to let men ferve God a-ccording to the perfuafion of their own conl'ndepen. dents for a limited tole11atio11. " fciences, is to caft out one d(!vil that feven worfe may enter." But the caufe of liberty was not ddlitute of advocates, the independmts. pleaded for a toleration fo far, as to 'include themfelves and the fober onabaptifls, but did not put the controverfy on the mofl: generous founda– tion ; they were for tolerating all who agreed in the fundamentals of chriflianity, but when they came to enumerate fundamentals they were fadly embarra1Ied, as all mufl: be who plead the caufe of liberty, and' yet do not place the religious and civil rights of mankind on a feparate bafis: a man may be an orthodox believer and yet deferve death as a tray– tor to his king aad country ; and on the other hand, an heretic or errant non conformill: to the efl:abliihed religion, may be a loyal and dutiful fub– jeet, and deferve the highefi preferment his prince can befl:ow. A~fwer to The letter of the city divines to the affembly received a quick reply the Reafons from a writer of more generous principles, who complains " that the for the Lon- '-' b . . h h . f d d J"b . t- <lon clerg.. pres ytenans not content Wlt t e1r own ree om an 1 eny, nor wll~r /lol. pamph. « having their form of government made the national eftablifhment, were No 52~ ,.. grafping at as much power as the prelates before them had-ufurped; for '" this purpofe·they had obtained·the privilege of licen·fing the prefs; [thar « nothing might be writ againft them but what they ihould pleafe to ap• " prove; they were continually foliciting the parliament t0 ei1ablilh their •• church government, which they ca.Jled the government of Chrift, with " a coercive power; they were always bufy in framing petitions, a·nd en– "· gaging the magill:rates of city to prefent them to the houfes; and not '" content with this, they were now moving the a1Iembly of divines, of " whom themfelves are a eonfiderable part, to become the patronS' of op– ·~· preHion:•· Our author maintains, that " Hberty of ccmftience is the na– ·~ tural right of every man, though of all parties of men- thofe deferve " leafi the countenance of the llate, who would perfecute others if it ' 4 were in th(!ir power, becaufe they are enemies of the fociety-in which , .. they Jive. He that will look back on pafi t~mes, and examine into the " true cau.fes of t-he· fubverfion and-devaflat-ion of fiates and countries,, ·w will: find i~ owing_to-the tyranny of princes, and the perfecution of <<~" l?r.iefts•. All governments theref0re which underfl:and their t-rue interefl:s;. _x, wilb
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