probable many of them aim chiefly at being upon a level with us in civil and military affairs; and, for my own part, I cannot feeany reason to deprefs them. They agree with us in all the fubftantials of our holy religion; and as to leffer and indifferent things, that we all agree are fo in themselves, I wish to God they were left fo in their use, and that none would take on them to lord it over God's heritage. They are as good friends to king George, and his faithful minifters of ftate, as you or I, or the best churchmen can be; and they are the only friends that the true church of England have, and can depend on. We all profefs we are journeying towards heaven; why then should we fall out by the way? Is it any detriment to us to have our trueft friends able to affift us with their perfons and purfes ? Do they not readily join us in all elections, when our civil and religious rights depend on fuch elections? Did they not stand firmly by us in our greatest distresses, when popery, flavery, and all forts of debauchery, threaten'd to invade and deftroy us, and our religion? Did we not then promife, in our danger, that we would come to a temper with them? And what have we ever done for them, except giving them leave to worship God in

the

the manner that they believe in their confciences is most pleasing to him; which is giving them nothing but what their Lord and ours had given them before: for, as they always preached Jefus Chrift, and him crucified, though they did not follow us, our paffionate predeceffors erred as much in filencing and perfecuting them, as our Lord's difciples did, who were for filencing and ejecting all who caft out devils in his name, only because they did not follow them. If the diffenters, in their turns, have been guilty of the fame fault towards us, their faults will not excufe us in continuing to do that which we own was a fault in them: for their Lord and ours has strictly commanded us to do by all men (not as we are done by) but as we would be done by; to love one another as we love ourselves, and as he loved us, and by his great apoftle Paul, to give no occafion of offence; to lay no ftumbling-blocks in the way of our brethren: if we are strong, not to offend our weak brethren, even by eating of meat; though that is a thing undoubtedly lawful in itself, much lefs have we any power to force our doubting weak brethren to eat meat, which they fcruple, or cannot digest, or to abstain from it, when they think it lawful and expedient; or to make such things

terms

terms of communion with us, which our Lord and Master has not made so, as the church of Rome take upon them to do by the laity. Woe be to any that shall add to his words; I mean, that shall lay any stress, or occasion any fchifm, by their own additions, or weak and doubtful illuftrations or explanations of God's laws. Our bleffed Lord, and his

apoftles, never refused to own any as members of the vifible chriftian church, who repentedof their fins, and profeffed their belief onhim, as the great Meffiah; and fuch and their families were baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: and dare we caft fuch out of our church whom God has received and owned ? Let the enemies of chriftianity unchurch them if they please; for my part I never will, but will always endeavour to do by them as I would have them do to me. But you afk me how fhall the state be fecure? And fhall we not endanger the proteftant intereft if we lay afide this facramental teft, and fo put Papifts, Atheists, Deifts, Muggletonians, Antinomians, Arians, Socinians, French (or false) prophets, and the like enemies to christianity, into places of power and profit. I answer, much better than the government or the church are now fecured againft them, by pre

ferring

ferring none but fuch as produce a certificate, figned by one of the minifters and three or four principal and noted worthy members of the church or congregation of which he is a member, (without fee, gratuity, or reward) testifying that fuch perfon is a profefs'd proteftant, and attends the worship of God in fuch particular proteftant congregation when in health, and his affairs do not call him abroad; that they believe him to be a good proteftant, and a fober, diligent, religious, and honest man. A fevere penalty may be laid on the counterfeiting and altering fuch certificates; and alfo on any that shall fubfcribe any of them, whereby they give any perfon a character contrary to what they know fuch perfon deferves. Such a method as this would foon empty our taverns, alehouses, brandy-shops, and fields, and fill our churches and proteftant congregations on Sundays, and other days, when our Maker is to be worshipped and many a poor wretch, that now never goes into a church, but to get or keep his qualification, may, while he is feeking for loaves and fishes, be caught in a net, which our Lord has commanded to be fpread for men. And, in a little time, our armies and navies would not be terrible to fober religious men, as they have been for

many

many years laft paft, by reafon of the moft horrible, execrable, and new-invented oaths, curfes, imprecations, and other abominations, that are now heard and feen in our armies, navies, cities, towns, countries, villages, rivers, &c. where wickedness is generally and very easily learnt, by the examples of men in power and authority. This repeal (in all probability) will fooner reform the manners of fuch as have any hopes of ever being more than what they now are, or that would not be always fervants, than a thousand reformation-fermons, while there is nothing more required to qualify a man for an office, than his receiving the facrament of the Lord's fupper three or four times a year, whether he be fit for it or not. If he neglects, he muft lose his place, and be put under other very fevere penalties. If he eats and drinks unworthily, not difcerning the Lord's body, he eats and drinks damnation to himself: and if a poor minifter, that knows the officer that offers to receive it is a devil, or a child and flave of the devil's, and trembles at the thought of profaning the Lord's table by admitting him, fhould dare to refuse him, while in this deplorable condition; this poor minifter (as the law ftands at prefent) may be ruined by fuch refused officer: therefore whatever