722 · 1he HISTORy oj the PuRITANS. VoL. rr. King weakening to the protefiant interefi, or dangerous to the peace of the Charles II. k ingdom? 1680 ' Wh'l h l' d · · ·~ 1e t e par 1ament was en eavounng to reheve the diffenters, and Dr. Still!ng- charging the miferies of the kingdom upon the papills, many of the bi– flee: .~rrhtes {hops and clergy of the cburch of Engla.nd; were pleafed to fee the agamp t e l' d r h c · 11. h dijfenters. court enc .me to pro,ectlte t e non-conwrmlltS. T e clergy in general I'· 276. (fa.ys Rapm), were attached to the court; men of doubtful religion were promoted, and there was reafon to charge them with leaning to popery, Even fome able champions againfi popery, went fo far into the court mea– fures, as to impute the calamities of the times to the non-conformil1s; and to raife the-cry of the popul ace againll them. Dr. Edward Stilling– jleet, who had writ an lrenicum in favour of liberty, and againft impqfi– tiom, in his fermon before the lord mayor, May z this year, intituled, the mifi·hief' if jeparation, condemned all the diifenters as fthijmatics ; and very gravely advifed them not to complain of perfecution. When the fermon was publi{hed, it brought upon the doCl:or feveral learned ad– verfaries, as Mr. Baxter, Mr. A!fop, Mr. Ho7oe, Mr. Barrel, and Dr. p·arious an– jivers to his /erm(ln . 07oen; from which lafi divine, who writ with great temper and fe– rioufnefs, I will venture to tranfcribe the following paili1ge, without enP• 53 , 54 , tering into the argument: " After fo many of the non-conformifis have " died in common gaols (fays the doCl:or), fo many have endured long " imprifonments, not a few being at this day in the fame durance; fo " many driven from their habitMions into a wandering condition to " preferve for a while the liberty of their per(ons; fo many have been " reduced to want and penury by the taking away their goods, and " from fome the very infi ruments of their livelihood. After the pro– " fecution that has been againfi them in all courts of jufiice in this na– " tion, on informations, indiCl:ments, and fuits, to the great charge of " all who have been fo perfecutcd, and the ruin of fome. After fo " many minifiers and their families have been brought into the utmoft " outward firaits which nature can fubfift under; after all their perpetual " fears and dangers wherewith they have been exercifed and difquieted, " they think it hard to be cenfured for complaining, by them who are at ,, eafe." The doCtor endeavoured to fupport his charge by the -fuffrage Collyer, p. of the french prefbyteriaps; and Compton bifhop of London applied to 9oo. monfieur Le Moyne, and feveral others, for their opinions; as if truth was to be determined by numbers; or as if the englifh prefbyterians could pay a vafi difference to their judgments, who had fo deeeived them at the reftoration. The minifiers bred up in french complaifance, and under fren.ch flavery, after high ftrains of compliment to the englt)h bi– !hops, declared, that they were of opinion, their brethren might com– ply; aa.d that t.bey were not for pujhing things to extremity onlj for a dilfirmt
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=