I Conceive an universal indulgence in Point of Religion not only to be advan­tagious to the Trade and strength of this Nation, and agreeable to the sug­gestions of each private mans breast, as well as natural Justice, and the deter­minations of the Scripture and primitive Church: but it is particularly prudential to his Majesty that now Reigns. For, whatever some persons may say, all Mo­narchies subsist by the counter-ballance of Factions; and he who must see with other peoples eyes, and hear with their ears, and act by their Councils, (as great Mo­narchs must alwayes do) becomes obnoxious, and a prey to his followers, and Counsellors, if they too strict­ly [Page 4] correspond. During the Ministry of the late Chan­cellour how palpably was this truth seen! How did he usurp not only all Power unto himself, but even the o­stentation of it; and having by the uniformity of the Church obliged to his Sentiments the Bishops, how did he establish himself, and separate the Church of England from that correspondence which it ought to have had with its Head? In the like manner almost, when the Bishops under Queen Elizabeth abandoned the Interest of the Crown to pursue that of the Pope, that excellent Queen had been deprived of all Sove­raignty thereupon, had she not fomented the Puritan-Party. And it is very remarkable that she was very well served in her Wars, and in her Councils, as long as she upheld the two Partyes of Puritans and Conformists in some ballance; but after that she suffered the Episco­pal Party to depress the other, and almost totally sub­vert it, she was neither well served any where, nor much regarded: Her Bishops forgot their Pastoral Cures; her Clergy grew lazy and dissolute; the Papists increased; the Protestant Religion declin'd; and she lived to see her self as little regarded, as is the declining Sun: Whilst despair drove the Puritans to Court the presumptive Heir: and the growing hopes of the Papists directed them also thitherwards to secure their growth; and Prudence or Court-subtilty made those into whose Power she had put her self to forecast how they might continue with her successor those Dignities and Emo­luments her favour had promoted them unto, and her indiscretion had incapacitated her of bestowing upon others. This she too late discovered, and repented of when it was too late to redress it: Albeit she had en­deavoured by all means to obscure the pretences of all Heirs apparent, and intrigue the Succession as far as it lay in her Power. I do therefore say it is peculiarly necessary for a Monarch to establish his authority by [Page 5] such a ballance of Factions, as many Pseudo-Politicians decry now, who little apprehend how undeniable a Truth this is in a Monarchy supported by Laws and not Armes; and in which the supream Authority is more mixed then in despotical Governments, and yet in the last sort of Governments this course is prudential.

And further, Liberty of Conscience will infinitely contribute to the security of his Majesties Government. Upon this account the Nation is very well satisfied with him, as it is evident by their acquiescing, notwithstand­ing the several opportunities, which the Landing of the Dutch, the Fire of London, and other junctures of affairs presented them with. How willingly have they paid their Taxes? How couragiously have several that were Sectaries fought against the Dutch? Besides, the falshood and baseness of their former Leaders, hath made the followers of the several Parties so jealous of them, that they would willingly abandon all those suspicious adhaerencies, to live peaceably according to their Con­sciences under his Majesty: not being willing to be cheated a second time by specious pretences. And this is a thing evident to any that shall consider how the lead­ing Persons of England have lost their followers, so as not to be able to engage them implicitly to any action, or fix them to follow their fortune by any personal af­fection. If it be thus; why do you go about to give these persons a strength, and force under their shelter a Party so formidable, whether they will or no? These great, these leading persons, that now seem so powerful will be but so many single persons, and of a suspected honesty, if you establish but Liberty of Conscience. All Parties will adhere to the King as their Patron, to the Monarchy as their Protection, and avoyd a Common­wealth, which can never be established by men of so cor­rupt Principles, as those old Leaders of theirs have shewed themselves to be.

[Page 6] I shall now present you with those further conside­rations (I promised you) about Comprehension upon equivocal subscriptions and condescentions; and illu­strate further the ineffectualness of general Confessions to be subscribed unto. Consider that when the Question about the Divinity of Christ was fiercely agitated in the Church, there was a Council called at Nice All this is manifest out of the Hysto­r [...]es of those times: parti­cularly out of Mariana his Spanish Histo­ry: and the Writings of St Hilary, who was an enemy to the Arrians, and lived in those times., where the Nicene Creed was made: Three hundred and eigh­teen Bishops there did determine the controversie, and framed a Creed, to which all that were accounted Or­thodox should subscribe. This was so far from establish­ing the peace of the Empire, that it divided it more. The Arrians got another general Council at Ariminum All this is manifest out of the Hysto­r [...]es of those times: parti­cularly out of Mariana his Spanish Histo­ry: and the Writings of St Hilary, who was an enemy to the Arrians, and lived in those times., and there determined the Poynt quite otherwise concerning the Trinity; and by 630 Bishops decreed another Creed and Test of Orthodoxy. This uniformity was as troublesome to the prevailing Arrians, as the other had been to the Orthodoxarians. After this another Council was called at Sirmium All this is manifest out of the Hysto­r [...]es of those times: parti­cularly out of Mariana his Spanish Histo­ry: and the Writings of St Hilary, who was an enemy to the Arrians, and lived in those times., there Hosius, Bishop of Corduba did publickly ask forgiveness for having trou­bled the Church with the disputes about the Triuity, and the distinctions of Essence and Person in the Deity. Another kind of comprehensive Creed was framed, to which both Partyes might agree, and be reputed Ortho­dox All this is manifest out of the Hysto­r [...]es of those times: parti­cularly out of Mariana his Spanish Histo­ry: and the Writings of St Hilary, who was an enemy to the Arrians, and lived in those times.. But behold the fate of this Comprehension! neither Party was satisfied; neither Party abandoned their Sentiments; but grew up as Factions, and the Empire was divided, and distracted, and weakned, till Theodosius the great restored a perfect Liberty of Con­science: and the very memory of the Council of Sirmi­um, and it's Comprehensive Creed, is almost totally ex­tinguished.

I will trouble you with another instance under Charles the fifth, when the Lutherans, Zuinglians, Calvinists, Carolstadians, Anabaptists, and other Sects divided and distracted the Popish Empire of Germany: [Page 7] after sundry Warrs and Factions which weakned the Empire against the Turks and other neighbouring Ene­mies, several conferences were had, as betwixt Bucer and Julius Pflugg; betwixt Luther and Cardinal Cajetan, and others about some way of moderation for healing those Ecclesiasticall breaches: Several things were condescended unto on both sides, and forms agreed unto sometimes in order to a mutual accom­modation of that Schisme. But with what success? Each party thought the other rather to design the sub­version then Conversion of the other; each was jea­lous of the other that they would but temporise at best; and perhaps only make use of those ambiguous concessions, or condescentions, to the prejudice of the other: So that they alwayes became ineffectual. At length some moderate and Pious persons contriv'd a mixed Religion out of Popery and Protestancy, in which Godly Melanchton, as well as Cassander, had an hand; but this displeased all parties, and the interested persons in framing of it became hated and detested by their fol­lowers. How many successeless contrivances have there been to reconcile the Lutherans and Calvinists; and have not both Parties at last found that the most assured way for them to live peaceably together, was not to confound the two partyes by uniting Churches, but by living comfortably together under different Confessions, Ceremonies, and Church-Government? Put case here in England some Presbiterian Ministers, that are now leaders of that party, should be admit­ted into the Ministry upon such conditions as have been proposed: Can any man who knows that party imagine the peace of this Nation secured? Nay, can any man think it so secure as it is now? If these post­liminary Divines must declare they conform to the Ser­vice, and less offensive Ceremonies, and Episcopacy, as convenient in themselves; or only because imposed, [Page 8] though otherwise a Directory, and the old Synodical way were better? If the former, then they conform only as so many single persons, and the acquests of such men is not worthy of the concessions; If the latter; it is e­vident, that the peace of the Nation is more endange­red then ever, when we give a sort of men opportu­nity to inform the souls incharged to them, that E­piscopacy is useless, and of humane (if not Antichri­stian) constitution; that all these Ceremonyes and the Service of the Church are unnecessary and imperti­nent, or steril acts of Devotion, to which they submit on no better terms then Peter du Moulin offered to Preach the reformed Religion upon at Rome; he avowed he would be content to Preach in a fooles Coat so the Pope would but let him Preach there. If they give their flocks this testimony of their Zeal, that they will upon such difficult termes submit to become their Pastors: Let every man examine if it will not una­voidably follow that these obliged Parishoners shall indeavour to discharge their Pastors from such imposi­tions as are burthensome to them in carrying on the work of the Lord; and hinder them in that edification, unto which were these Episcopal Courts, and Church Cere­monies, and Service removed: Or can we think am­bition, or pretenses of Zeal will be so extinguished in them, that they will not go about to signalize them­selves in their old formalities of propagating the Gospel, whereby to draw upon them the eyes of the Nation for their exemplary pains and Piety? and if this hap­pen, what circumstances is the Government of this Na­tion reduced unto? If they be preferred, the National Church of England, is ruined, and all the Gentry and Nobility: If they be not, then what clamours must we expect from the populace for the contempt and disregard of Godly and Orthodox men? I conceive the best way to avoid these difficulties, is by establish­ing [Page 9] the Church of England as it is, with its publick emoluments and honours, with the due regulation of the Episcopal Clergy, the discountenancing of Arminianisme, and a pious and laborious Catechising, I am confident one age will restore us to our ancient glory: It is but just that publick Churches should be like publick High-wayes, at the Kings disposal, and not for every man to build upon: So the demesnes and revenues be­longing thereto, ought to be continued without grudg­ing: since no particular man is damnified by them: The Tithes are no particular mans loss; being not bought, nor sold, nor any part of his lease: So that no Sect ought to refuse this payment. But, continu­ing this, let them maintain their Teachers and Church­es themselves, if they will decline the publick assem­blyes of the English Church. By this Toleration we shall reap these benefits: First, the Episcopal Clergy will be reduced to a greater diligence in Preaching, and Catechising, a more exemplary life then is now found among them: Next the Presbiterians and o­thers not having the disposal of their Parsonages to their creatures, will not be able to give those incou­ragements to them that are factiously bent, which they will have by this comprehension: And they will be so watched by the Sectaries on one hand (who must fall, if they rise) and the Church of England on the other, as never to be able to sway the ballance of this Nation. And the Sectaries will acknowledge their subsistance to be so dependant upon the prosperity of the Church of England, that they will reckon the enemies of the Church to be theirs. And all Parties will be zealous to protect and support this ballance of the Nation, under this Monarchy, least any other Governour or Govern­ment should alter their condition: All will strive to advance trade, all will strive to serve so gracious a King, all will decline or indeavour to suppress any [Page 10] growing faction by which they may run an hazzard of ruine. No ambition will move the generality, who will have all they can desire, except the power to op­press others: And for the Grandees, they must be quiet and publick spirited; when all pretences of grievances upon the people are removed: which is the only course they can take to inviegle a party to follow them, since all other obligations of villenage is extinct. Thus the King shall reign absolutely over the persons and hearts of his subjects; and be as much redoubted abroad, as beloved at home: Riches and plenty shall be the consequences of his united strength; unconstrained piety shall flourish, hypocrisie vanish, and Morality be restored again. But if this course be not taken, the Dutch and New England will draw from us the trading and industrious part of our Nation, with their stocks: our reputation and forreign leagues will decline with our interest and strength: Continual feares and jealousies will posses [...] the Land; the Episcoparians will not be able to bear up against the Presbyterians; and the Secta­ries will contribute to their own and the general ruine, whilest the Land may become in fine a prey to the pow­erful and ambitious French; or be over-run by the rich, united, active, subtile Papists, betwixt whom and any Protestant there is no tye Religious, Moral, or Gene­rous.