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Penn_301-350.indd 330 1/18/12 2:35 PM Good ADVICE to the Church ofEngland, Roman-Catholick, and Protestant Dissenter: In which it is endeavoured to be made appear, that it is their Duty, Principle, and Interest, to abolish the Penal LAWS and TESTS (1687) Beati Pacifici1 To the READER. Reader, N0 MATTER Who, but What; and yet ifthou wouldst know the Author, he is an English-Man, and therefore obliged to this Country, and the Laws that made him Free. That Single Consideration were enough to command this Undertaking; for 'tis to perswade his Country-Men to be delivered ofthe greatest Yoak a Nation can well suffer under; Penal Laws for Religion, I mean. And now thou hast both the Who, and What: If thou art Wise and Good, Thou art above my Epithets, and more my Flatteries; Ifnot, I am in the Right to let 'em alone. Read, Think, and Judge. Liberty, English and Christian, is all that is sought in the ensuing Discourse. Adieu. GOOD ADVICE, &c. PART I. I MUST own, it is my Aversion at this Time, to meddle with Publick Matters, and yet my Duty to the Publick will not let me be Silent. They that move by Principles, must not regard Times nor Factions, but what is just, and what is Honourable; and That no Man ought to scruple, nor no Time or Interest to Contest. The Single Question I go upon, and which does immediately concern and 1. Blessed are the peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Penn_301-350.indd 331 1/18/12 2:35 PM GOOD ADVICE TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND {331} exercise the Minds of the Thinking, as well as Talking Men of this Kingdom, is, Whether it be fit to Repeal the Penal Laws and Tests, in Matters ofReligion, or not? I take the Affirmative of the Question, and humbly submit my Reasons to every Reasonable Conscience. I say Reasonable, because That which knows not it's own Duty, Principle and Interest, is not so, and That which is not willing to do to others as it would be done by, less deserves to be thought so. Now there are Three Sorts of People that will find themselves concerned in this Question, The Church ofEngland, the Roman Catholick, and the Protestant Dissenter, and these make up the whole Body ofthe Kingdom; If it appear to be their Duty, Principle and Interest, the Question is gain'd, and no Body is left to complain; and if I am mistaken, it is with so great an Inclination to serve them all, that their Good Nature cannot but plead my Excuse, especially when they consider I am neither mov'd by Hopes nor Fears. Private Loss or Gain being farther from my Thought, than I hope they are from a Good Understanding. I say, First, then it is the Duty of all of them, because they all profess that Religion which makes it their common Duty to do it; Christianity I mean: For no Christian ought to deprive any Man ofhis Native Right for Matters of Faith and Worship towards God, in the Way that he thinks most agreeable to the Will of God; because it is necessary to a Christian to believe, That Faith is the Gift ofGod alone/ and that He only is Lord ofConscience, and is able truly to Enlighten, Perswade, and Establish it; and consequently that prejudicing Men in their Persons or Estates, or depriving them of any Station in the Government , they might otherwise, in their Turn, be capable to serve the Publick in, is contrary to the Tenderness and Equity ofthat Religion; which will yet farther appear, if we consider that Christianity is the Sole Religion ofthe World, that is Built on the Principles of Love; which brought with it the greatest Evidences of Truth: Equally convincing our Understandings with it's Light, and bearing down our Senses with it's Miracles: Which silenc'd the Oracles ofthe Heathens by the Divine Power present with it; and vanquisht their Hearts, that had left nothing else to conquer, leading Kings and Emperors with their Courts and Armies in Triumph, after the Despised Cross of Him, who was the Holy and Blessed Author of it. It was He that laid not his Religion in Worldly Empire, nor used the Methods of Worldly Princes to Propagate it; as it came from Heaven, so That only 2. Ephesians 2:8. [18.223.107.149] Project MUSE (2024-04-20 03...

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