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Penn_351-400.indd 392 1/19/12 9:10 AM A Letter from a Gentleman in the Country, to His Friends in London, upon the Subject of the Penal Laws and Tests (1687) Quod tibi non vis fieri, alteri non feceris 1 Printed in the Year 1687. Gentlemen, I WONDER mightily at the News you send me, that so many of the Town are averse to the Repeal of the Penal Statutes; surely you mean the Clergy ofthe present Church, and those that are Zealous for their Dignity and Power: For what part ofthe Kingdom has felt the Smart ofthem more, and at all times, and on all occasions represented their mischiefto the Trade, Peace, Plenty and Wealth of the Kingdom, so freely as the Town has always done? But you unfold the Riddle to me, when you tell me, 'tis for fear of Popery, tho I own to you, I cannot comprehend it, any more then you do Transubstantiation: For that we should be afraid of Popery for the sake of Liberty, and then afraid of it because of Persecution, seems to me absurd, as it is, that Liberty should be thought the high way to Persecution. But because they are upon their fears, pray let me tell you mine, and take them among the rest in good part. Ifthe Romanists seek ease by Law, 'tis an Argument to me theydesire to turn good Countrymen, and take the Law for their Security, with the rest of their Neighbours; and a greater Complement they cannot put upon our English Constitution, nor give a better pledge of their desires to be at peace with us. But if we are so Tenacious as we will keep on foot the greatest blemish of our Reformation, viz. our Hanging, Quartering, Plunder Banishing Laws; Is it not turning them out of this quiet course, and telling them if they will have ease, they must get it as they can, for we will never conceed it? And pray tell me if this be not thrusting them upon the methods we fear they will take, at the same time that we give that, for the reason why we do so. If Law can secure us, which is the plea that is made, we may doubtless find an expedient in that which may repeal these, if the danger be not of Liberty it self, but of our loosing it by them at last; for there is no mischief the wit 1. Do not do to others what you would not want done to you. Penn_351-400.indd 393 1/19/12 9:10 AM UPON THE SUBJECT OF PENAL LAWS AND TESTS {393} of man can invent, that the wit of man cannot avoid. But that which I confess makes me melancholy, is that methinks we never made more haste to be confined; no not in the business of the Declaration ofIndulgence, when in the name of Property that was actually damn'd, which at least reprieved it; and the price the Church of England gave for it, viz. her promise of a legal ease, actually failed us: For instead ofsaving our selves from Popery, we are by these partialities provoking it every day, and methinks foolishly for our own safety; because there can be no other end in doing so, then securing that Party which calls it self the Church ofEngland, that is in her Constitution none of the best Friends to Property; for mens Liberties and Estates are by her Laws made forfeitable for Non-conformity to Her: And I Challenge the Records of all time since Popery got the Chair in England, to produce an eight part of the Laws, to ruin men or Conscience, that have been made since the other has been the national Religion, which is, I say, a scandal to the Reformation. She says, she is afraid of Popery, because of its Violence, and yet uses Force to compel it; Is not this resisting Popery with Popery? which we shall call loving the Treason but hating the Traytor: She would have Power to Force or Destroy others, but they should not have Power to Force or Destroy her, no not to save themselves: Shift the hand never so often, this Weapon is still the same. 'Twere happy therefore that all Parties were disarm'd of this Sword, and that it were put where it ought only to be, in the Civil Magistrates hand, to terifie Evil Doers, and cherish those that...

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