nicate with us, and this Disability (of which the Diffenter himself is the only Judge) is a fufficient Ground for Indulgence to him.

If a Man cannot in Confcience himself Communicate, he will think himself obliged to aFarm his Son against our Errours. What a Man thinks the beft way to Heaven, it would be monstrous not to fhew his Child; and if he is debarred from that, he is perfecuted in a Circumftance more grievous to him, than if he were to fuffer in Reputation, Fortune, Limb or Life. The Quefton is not whether he is miftaken; he labours under that Miftake, and for his Sins in that (if he does not difturb the Pub-` lick Peace) he is accountable to God. But ftill it is his Belief.

The Government, as I faid, if it thinks fit, may hinder him from propagating his Opinion among those who conform to the Church; but it cannot with Reafon and Justice, and therefore cannot at all, hinder him from ferving God his own way,and educating his Children in the fame.

The Mahometans are as much perfuaded of the Truth of what they profefs, as Men can be; and yet, generally fpeaking, they fuffer the Greeks and Armenians to breed their Children their own Way. What Allowance God will give Erroneous Confciences, it is not our Bafinefs to enquire; but as an Erroneous may be a fincere Confcience, we fhould be Barbarous in pretending to Opprefs or put Hardfhips upon it: The Welfare of their Children is as dear to the Diffenters, as their own; and if Men would make it their own Cafe, it would not require a moment's Tought to determine, in favour of this Unhappy, threatned People.

Now

Now as to Civil Right. As Englishmen, they are poffeffed of a Law in their Favour, which indulges them in the Exercife of their Religion; and where there is a Right to a Benefit, there are fuppofed to go along with it, the neceffary means of attaining that Right; Thefe Means are intercepted, when Education towards enjoying this Right is prohibited. The plain and fair method of doing what is intended by this A&, had been to have numbered the Diffenters, and to have made a Law, chat none fhould diffent from the Church, after the Decease of the Perfons mentioned in a following Lift, and fo to have named all the prefent Schifmaticks; forbidding fingle Perfons among them to Marry, till they had Conformed. This had been perhaps more Offenfive at first View, but it had not been fo Injurious as this Bill will appear, upon Reflection; For it is a much lefs Evil, to prevent the Encrease of Mankind, than to debar them of their Natural, Religious, and Civil Rights, after they are come into the World.

But let us confider this matter more closely, and examine this Bill, First, as it may affect the Tranquility of the Nation in General: And Secondly, as it will affect the Prosperity of the Church of England, for the Safety and Benefit of which it is pretended to be calculated.

As to the Publick Peace, it will naturally bring that into the utmoft Distraction, by alienating the Affections of Families, Neighbourhoods, and Corporations from each other, by. Ten Thousand little Incidents, which cannot be provided againft, or defcribed: Converfation throughout the Kingdom will turn upon this. Subje&;

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Subject; and this People the Diffenters, as well as those who have any Compaffion for them, will be marked out, to be the Scorn and Derifion of those who are averfe to them; and they, on the other fide, will be filled with Rage and Indignation against fuch their Adverfaries.

Men who are old enough to remember the manner of Executing the Laws formerly Enacted against the Diffenters, will inform you, that Constables attended by Guards, and Commiffion-Officers at the Head of Files of Armed Men, ufed to vifit Meetings, and conduct the poor Wretches to Goals, for calling upon and worshipping God their own way. Let any one read the Tryal of Pen and Mead, and he will fee the Spirit of thofe Days: The whole Nation was made up of Criminals and Accufers, and both believed they were doing Service to God. But as this Bill is in it felf to the laft degree Cruel, even fuch as it is, it is not preferved fo well against a Licentious Execution of it, as the Law directs in lefs Cafes.

However well difpofed Minifters and Officers may be, it is for the Good of Mankind, to put as many Checks against an Arbitrary Exercife of Power as poffible; but this Bill puts the whole Body of Diffenters under fuch Per-' fons, as may be pick'd out, by one Officer of State, to Exercise it in the most Summary and Paffionate manner.

According to this Bill, if, in any future. Reign, a Chancellor fhould be an Enemy to that diftreffed People, he may bring a Perfecution upon them, by naming proper Sets of Juftices of the Peace, and himfelf fit well excufed from their Irregularities; for tho'

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he might know it in their Tempers to be violent, he is not accountable for their Practice nor are they themselves in terrour of Appeals, for Arbitrary Condu&t. There are Squires e nough in this Kingdom, ready to diftrefs Prefbyterians with the utmoft Rigour, tho' they know no more why they are angry with a Pref byterian, than a Turkey-Cock why it raises its Creft at a Man whiftling at him. They are bred in a Prejudice against them, and will fall upon them with as little Confideration, as Beasts of Prey do on thofe Animals which Inftin& prompts them to feize.

Such Judges as thefe this Bill would give a Court Power to appoint, for pronouncing the laft Decifion in Cafes of the highest Confequence, tho' the Law gives an Appeal from them in the lowest Difputes of Property!

Now let us confider how this Bill will affect the Church of England. It will bring upon it great and unanswerable Scandal. It will give Arguments to her Enemies, that the is confcious of her Inability to defend her felf by Reason and Truth, when the flies to the Secular Power to take off her Diffenters. It will carry in it all the Guilt which we object against the Roman Catholicks, in founding her Power in the blind Obedience of the People, and not in the Conviction of their Minds.

When we have done this, and ufed Force in our gaining Profelytes, why should not the Church of Rome, which has more Force, employ it all in reducing us, who are, they fay, Schifmaticks from them? Can any thing be jufter than to make Us fuffer, what We in the fame cafe impofe on others? Add to this, we K 2

fhall

fhall profecute them for omitting what our Church cannot pronounce Neceffary to Salvation; the Roman Catholicks would affault Us for what they think Damnable, and what they think they are obliged, in Confcience, to avenge and extirpate.

The Diffenters have a Law made in their Favour, fince which there has been alfo Care taken, by another Law, to prevent their Capacity from any fhare of Power to give us Difturbance. What have they done, to make it needful to take further Securities against them? If they have done nothing, it is the utmoft Barbarity to take any Right from Men, who have committed no Offence: Have our own Clergy remonftrated, that this is Neceffary for their Intereft or Safety? Do they fay they are too bufie in debauching their Flocks? Do our Universities fay, their Academies breed Men too hard for them in Difpute? Do not Diffenters pay Dues and Tithes like the reft of their Congregations, tho' they maintain alfo Paftors in their own Way? Can we not believe them to a& Confciencioufly, when they are contented to have no part in the Honours and Profits from the Service of their Country, and put themselves alfo to double Expence to enjoy their Religion?

This is a moft extraordinary Point, at this time of Day; When other Nations are plagued with Inquifitions and Ecclefiaftical Tyranny, fhall we from the Example of their Miery fet up, or make a step towards fuch Tyrannies? Shall we at this time offer to make a Complement to the moft Pure, Learned, and Apoftolick Church in the World, of unjust Means to

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