The Diſſenters in England vindi⯑cated from ſome Reflections in a late Pamphlet, Entituled, Law⯑ful Prejudices, &c.

HAving applyed my ſelf here particularly to the removing of National Prejudices, I doubt not, but it has been expect⯑ed, I ſhould ſpeak ſomething to a late Tract, Entituled, Lawful Prejudices, &c. And I acknowledge, the Title ſeems to call me to that Work.

I confeſs, I have heard much of Lawful Prejudices againſt the Union, but never ſaw the Attempt made, till this Out-of-Seaſon-Piece, to ſay no more of it, ſhew'd it ſelf in the World.

I forbear Replying to it at large, Not on Account of the Ar⯑gument, nor of the Performance; In both which, 'tis my Opinion, the Author has acted ſo much below his Ordinary, that, to me, it is One of the Unaccountableſt Things in that Part of Nature, how a Man ſo capable, and that is ſo deſervedly Admir'd in all other Caſes, could form ſuch a Piece of Indigeſture, I aſk his Pardon, if I am wrong, as this Piece ſeems to be.

Whether it was, a New Scene he was to Act, which he was unacquainted with, having ever, till now, Acted with Wiſdom, Charity and Juſtice, and when driven by, Heaven knows, what Influence out of his Element, like a Traveller out of his Knowledge, he made all his Steps equally irregular, or from what other Confuſion of Thoughts it might proceed, I will not determine.

I decline all Advantages this gives me, and very ſeriouſly pro⯑feſs, I ſhould entirely have declin'd entring the Liſts at all with this Paper, had not the Indecency on the whole Body of Diſſenters in Eng⯑land, obliged me to Juſtify and Defend them againſt what, I confeſs, I never expected to find them charg'd with, eſpecially by the Perſon whom common Fame reports to be the Author of this Paper.

[2] In my Undertaking this, which I think is a Debt I am bound to pay to Truth and Innocence, I ſhall endeavour, not only, to keep the Rules of Decency and good Manners, but ſhall take Care, not to break in up⯑on that Reſpect, which I always profeſs'd to the very Reverend Author, both in his Perſon and Character, and which I ſhall ſtill retain, not⯑withſtanding this Unhappy Excurſion.

This will prevent me ſaying any thing, which I am not forc't to, in the neceſſary purſuit of Truth, and the juſt Vindication of an Injur'd People: But, in that, I hope, he himſelf will pardon me, the ſame Plainneſs which I deſire to uſe with all the World, and which an Honeſt Impartiality obliges me to.

I ſhall ſay little to the Matter of the National Oath, Solemn Cove⯑nant, or Sinfulneſs of the Union here, I had given my Opinion on that Head before, without the leaſt Proſpect of this Gentlemans preſent At⯑tempt, and I ſee no Reaſon, from any thing he has advanc'd, to alter a Word in it.

I think ſtill the National Covenant's not at all concern'd here, nor the Biſhops in the Parliament at all eſtabliſht by the Union: Uniting with England, as already Conſtituted, is neither Conſtituting nor Approving their Authority, ſince a Proteſt againſt their Civil Authority clears you of the laſt, and you have nothing of Concern in the firſt. But this is not my preſent Buſineſs.

Nor ſhall I enter upon the Argument he brings againſt the Church of England, tho I own them maletreated and wrong'd alſo, particularly in the Matters of the Sacramental Teſt.

I am no more for Biſhops, Sacramental Teſts, or any ſort of ſinful Compliances, than he that is remoteſt from them: But every Blame ſhould be plac'd where it juſtly falls.

But I come to that which has extorted this Sheet from me, and a⯑gainſt my Inclination, driven me to the Neceſſity of Debate, with a Gentleman I ſincerely value, and whom I acknowledge my ſelf to be no match for. But tho my Reſpect for the Author is the utmoſt Re⯑ſtraint upon me; yet I cannot but be aſtoniſhed to ſee a Man of his In⯑tegrity, and very Reverend Character fall ſo hard, and I muſt ſay, ſo unhandſomly upon a People, whom once the Church of Scotland was not aſhamed to call Brethren, and who never have deſerv'd this Treatment from Scotland, much leſs Now; and this is the Cauſe of my engaging in the preſent Diſpute.

[3] And with all imaginable Reſpect to my Reverend Antagoniſt, I muſt be allow'd to ſay, here he has not done them Juſtice; nay, has groſly in⯑jur'd, wrong'd, and ill-treated them: Neither, which is worſt of all, is the Fact he charges them with, True.

It has been but the laſt Lords day, when in this City a Reverend En⯑gliſh diſſenting Miniſter preached in the Church of the Grayfriers, where I was a Witneſs, that the Miniſtry of the Kirk of Scotland, eſteem'd the Engliſh Presbyterians as Orthodox, ſince they committed to him not only the Pulpit for preaching, but the Adminiſtration of Ordinances, admitting him to baptize in the ſame Pulpit he had preach'd in.

Now 'tis very ſtrange to me, what can be meant by ſaying, We cannot truſt the Presbyterian Diſſenters; How, Gentlemen, can you truſt them in Sacreds, and not in Civils; admit them to the Function and Right of the Sacred Office, and not veoture them, or join with them in defence of that Office.

If they incline to Epiſcopacy, will you come ſo near the brink of A⯑poſtacy to Prelatick Principles as to receive ſuch into the Miniſterial Bro⯑therhood.

Really, if you can unite with them thus, you may unite with them any how, and any where, and to ſay, you cannot truſt them, is very hard, indeed 'tis very hard.

In the next place, can you not truſt the Presbyterian Diſſenters: This is beyond all the reſt, ſince it ſingles out thoſe Diſſenters, who it may be ſaid, you can only truſt, or thoſe who are neareſt in Judgment to the Kirk here. And I muſt therefore take the liberty to ſay, it is a Bill of Exclu⯑ſion againſt the whole Body of Diſſenters in England directly.

1ſt, Becauſe they are the only Diſſenters in England, you really ought to depend upon, the reſt will join with you in Intereſt, will aſſiſt and receive mutual Aſſiſtance, and be your Friends; but they will never own your Kirk, nor ſubmit to your Diſcipline.

2ly, Who of the Diſſenters will you owne, if not the Preſbyterians, the Independents you may approve in Doctrine, but you cannot joyn with them in Church-Government, nor they with you, the Anabaptiſts you diſowne as Sectaries, and the Quakers as Hereticks, and 'tis the Complaint here, that the Union will open the Door to all thoſe, and let them in to the Kirk of Scotland, who then can truſt, if not the Preſbyterians.—It cannot therefore be any Breach of my Chari⯑ty, to ſay it is a publick diſowning the whole Body of Diſſenters in England, as Perſons that cannot be truſted.

[4] In the next place, I would beg this Gentleman, and all the ſincere Lovers of the Reform'd Churches in this Iſland, to Reflect, how Fatal to their General Intereſt, how Deſtructive to the Preſervation of them, in either their ſeparate or conjunct Concerns, how directly tending to their intire Subverſion, and how plain an opening the Door to their Confuſion, muſt any Deſign of raiſing Jealouſies and Miſunderſtand⯑ings between us be.

What is it, Gentlemen, makes the High Church in England, and the Prelatiſts here, againſt the Union, but the Apprehenſion of an entire In⯑corporation of Intereſts and Affection, Hands and Hearts, between the Kirk of Scotland and the Diſſenters in England? If that Union is not the Effect of the other, both Parties are undone, and 'tis the only way to render the Union Dangerous: To commence a Diſtruſt between us, therefore, is the only Effectual Step to Diſappoint the Nations of the Benefit of the Union, continue us all in Jealouſies and Confuſions, and encourage the Enemies of our Peace, to Cruſh and Inſult us all.

This muſt needs move any Conſidering Man, and fill him with Con⯑cern, that we ſhould thus be doing that very Work our ſelves, which all the Powers of Hell, Jacobitiſm and Dividers, can never do without us.

It is not for me to enter upon the Character of the Diſſenters in Eng⯑land, or of their vigorous Defence of themſelves, both in their Religious Principles, and Civil Libertys, to the Honour of that great Body, both as Chriſtians, and as Engliſh Men—. They need it not, theſe things are too well known, even to this Reverend Perſon himſelf, and to all Scotland, to need any Repetition.

And how either Paſſion, or want of Charity ſhould ſo far prevail on this Perſon at other times ſo free from the firſt, and ſo known for the laſt, I am perfectly at a loſs about.

The firſt thing he charges on the Presbyterians in England, is, That their Divines, of which he names only Mr. Baxter, Mr. How, and Dr. Bates offered to ſubmit to Epiſcopacy, and on this Submiſſion which was but by a few, and thoſe are all dead, he ventures to ſay, That all, or moſt of them declare for a moderate Epiſcopacy. And then adds up⯑on the whole Body that they cannot be truſted. To clear up this Slander.

[5] Firſt, I muſt beg this Gentleman to Examine what this Epiſcopacy was, and to what reduc't to which they offer'd to ſubmit; and whe⯑ther he himſelf is not as much a Biſhop as any Engliſh Prelate would then have been, Abating the Title of Lord, which is a Civil, not an Ec⯑cleſiaſtical Dignity.

2. Then I deſire him to Examine whether the Biſhops themſelves did not reject their Propoſal for that Reaſon, that it reduc't them all to Presbyters and pariſh Prieſts.

3. Whether ſome of the greateſt Divines in the Church of England, have not Inſulted the Diſſenters on that head, That their pretended Sub⯑miſſion was a Plot againſt Epiſcopacy it ſelf, that they only acknow⯑ledged an abrupt and imperfect Superintendency, and that too with intolerable Limitations.

4. Next, Whether all thoſe very Gentlemen who, he ſays, did ſub⯑mit, did not at laſt reject Epiſcopacy, refuſe a Complyance, particularly on account of Re-ordination, and the Oath of Induction, and loſe their Livings on that Article.

5. Whether, had they Complyed in his Terms, it reflects on the whole Body; and how he can Qualifie himſelf to ſay, that ſome people give the Presbyterians in England that Character, without acknowledging it was an Injury to them; ſince nothing can be more unjuſt, than to Charge a Body of Men for the Errors of a few.

6. Whether the Presbyterians in England are as far from ſinfull Complyances, or Leaning towards Epiſcopacy Now, as the Presby⯑terians in Scotland, of whom 'tis yet a Queſtion, whether an Equality are not Epiſcopally Inclin'd? And whether it would not be as juſt to Charge the whole Kirk with it, as to Charge the whole Body of Presbyterians in England, becauſe of the ſinful Complyance of a few?

This I cannot but regrate as a hard and Uncharitable Treatment of the Diſſenters, who have ſo Vigorouſly and with ſuch Succeſs, Oppoſed the Encroachments of the Church, and ſtood their Ground to the laſt.

But this is not all, a worſe Charge follows, and in Terms which I am ſorry to ſay, are neither conſiſtent with Charity or Juſtice; and it grieves me to be forc'd in the juſt Defence of the Abſent and In⯑jured People called Diſſenters, to Charge any man, much leſs this Gentleman with want of Truth. His Charge is,

[6] ‘"That the Diſſenters did ſo far Countenance and Favour the Diſ⯑penſing Power, by the Tenor of their Addreſſes, that inſtead of ſilently Receiving the Benefits of the Indulgence, they ſet up for Advocats to ſupport it, and that to reſcue themſelves from the Severity of one Law, they gave a [...]ow to all Laws, &c. pag. 9.’

I hope our Author will not attempt to come off of the Charge, by his putting it with a Someſay in the Front, ſince he either believes it, or would have it believ'd, or elſe 'tis not to his purpoſe; and if he does not believe it, he ought to have quoted it as a Slander.

Note here, he does not ſay ſome of the Diſſenters, But THE DISSENTERS, which I think is allowed to be a General, and to ſignifie the Diſſenters as a Body of people, ſo call'd and diſtin⯑guiſht.

If he means only ſome of them, it will do him no Service; for ſome alſo rejected the Propoſal of Addreſſing, with Contempt.

If he will have the Majority Determine it, thoſe that refuſed it were Twenty for one, and ſo 'tis againſt him; and no body did it.

If he means they did it as THE DISSENTERS, or in Gen⯑ral, 'tis falſe in Fact, and he will not pretend to it; & yet this Gentle⯑man tells us, THE Diſſenters did it, and leaves the World to conclude it was the whole Body of Diſſenters.

This is very hard and very unkind, and I am ſorry I am forc't to Examine ſo far into it. But to ſtate the Fact fairly will end the whole Diſpute.

1. That many of the Diſſenters were ignorantly drawn in, to Thank the King for what was the Effect of an illegal Diſpenſing Power, viz. Granting a Toleration; without conſidering that there lay hid a Snake in the Graſs againſt their Laws and Civil Liberties, is acknow⯑ledged.

2. That the Artifices of the Court, their Meſſengers, Booted A⯑poſtles, Engines, and Contrivances, wheedled ſome well-meaning ignorant People into the Snare, is alſo not to be hid, which wicked Crew have been detected, and ſome of them uſed as they deſerv'd, viz. Contemned by all honeſt men, and particularly by the very people they Deceiv'd.

3. The Repentance of, and Amends made by the People ſo Deceiv'd, their firm Adherence to Liberty, and their Principles ever ſince, has been Eminent to the Overthrow of all thoſe that formed that Horrid Deluſion upon them, and No man ſhould Reproach a Penitent.

[7] 4. And when all is done, theſe were but a few, and ſo few as bear no Proportion worth notice, to the Number of the Honeſt Diſſenters, that to the laſt Oppoſed thoſe Illegal Proceedings—, and to ſay it was THE DISSENTERS, a Term General, and Embracing the the whole as a Body, is moſt Unſufferably Injurious.

5. As to the General, Viz. Addreſſing or thanking the King for his Indulgence; Our Author is alſo miſtaken, in his Charging the Diſſenters, unleſs he make it appear that any of thoſe Addreſſes, Recogniz'd the King's Right of Diſpenſing with the Laws.

The Liberty of Conſcience they thank't him for, 'tis true was their Native Right, and their Right as Chriſtians; it had been withheld from them by an Unjuſt and Illegal Perſecution—. Now tho a man Reſtores me my Right, which another Invaded, I may thank him for the Fact, tho it was a Debt to Juſtice, without joining in his reſerved Deſign, becauſe I am obliged in Civility, to him that Deli⯑vers me from Oppreſſion, tho it be his Duty to do it. Elſe all Our Addreſſes to King William, or Her preſent Majeſty may be Cenſured alſo—, to ſay the King did it with an Evil Deſign is not to the purpoſe, unleſs thoſe that gave the Thanks knew that Deſign, which Thouſands at that time were not Convinc't of, and as ſoon as they were Convinc't, abhorred the Deſign, and publickly Oppoſed it.

So far then as any of the Diſſenters in their Addreſſes Own'd the Invaſion of the Engliſh Laws, and the King's Diſpenſing Power, ſo far they are to be Charg'd; but if this Gentleman was to Examine how many he can Charge with that, he would be far from lay⯑ing it upon the whole Body for ſo Scandalous a Few.

I might refer him home alſo, and Enquire whether there was no Addreſſing here at the ſame time, and whether ſome even of the Miniſters in Scotland, I care not to Collect Names, did not Addreſs on the ſame Head, and thank the King for the very ſame thing—. And 'twould be very hard if I ſhould from thence Charge the Kirk of Scotland with Countenancing the Diſpenſing Power of King James, but the Juſtice would be the ſame, if I ſhould.

Upon theſe Accounts, I think the Diſſenters in England ill-treated, and I am, I confeſs not a little Surpriz'd that theſe things being of ſuch recent Memory, ſhould ſlip the Thoughts of any Man; for certainly, if ſuch Addreſſes were made here by Miniſters themſelves, [8] it ſhould have been the laſt thing any Miniſter here ſhould have done to reproach the Diſſenters in England with, and I make no Doubt this Gentleman will, when he reflects on this, do ſo much Juſtice as to acknowledge his Error.

I ſhall Enter into none of the Arguments brought together, How⯑ever abruptly againſt the Union. The Thing is Over, and the Debate uſeleſs, and I hope the Effects will ſoon Convince the Nation of the Benefit: My Deſign is not an Anſwer to the Book, but a Vindication of the Diſſenters in England, from ſome of the worſt Treatment I ever remember them to have met with, from One of their own Brethren in my Time, and I think with the leaſt Provo⯑cation.

I Humbly and Sincerely Recommend it to him, to Reflect on the Unkindneſs and Injuſtice of it, and to make ſuch amends to the Good Name of his Brethren, as his own Reſpect to Juſtice, ſhall perſwade him, is their Due.