Good Old Cause they resolve to stick to; and without fome fatisfaction in these things we have reafon to be jealous, that they have, after fo many other disappointments, pitched upon this Contrivance, as a very likely one, whereby the Church may, by their admiffion, become divided against it felf: The Pulpits may quickly be brought to speak in very different Languages, and the Hearers Strangely distracted between the feveral abettors of the very distant Measures of the old and new Conformity.

They who have kept out of the Church thus long, rather than they would not have their Wills in fuch and fuch Matters in debate between us; it is scarce to be hoped, that when they are brought into the Church, by being yielded to in them, that they will not with the fame Art and Industry keep up in the Minds of Men a good opinion of that Caufe which they have fo long contended for: At the leaft they will take what care they can, that thofe of their former

Hearers

Hearers whom they shall be able to bring along with them, (if they shall be able to bring any store of their Hearers along with them, which is no fmall question) fhall for ever be kept under bondage to every one of all thofe fcruples, by which they have been able to retain dominion over them: And they who have all along been, obfervably upon all occafions, admirably expert at interpreting all things to the utmost poffibilities of all advantage, as to themselves and their Cause, it is not to be expected from them, that they will not interpret this Condefcention as a complete Juftification. And unless the Modesty and Gratitude of these men be strangely increased of late, beyond what it hath used to be, our Governours are not like to receive any other return than this; That God hath at length begun to return again, and in fome fort to own his People and his Caufe: He hath now opened the Eyes of the Parliament, and let them fee their Error in impofing the renouncing the Covenant; and who knows what L 2

more

more a gracious God may do for. fo gracious a People? And that Reputation which hath thus long engaged them to pretend their Caufe of Separation to be juft, can do no less than continue to engage them to avow its having been neceffary. So that the Church will by this means be weakned by having one great Security taken from her; thofe Men will be admitted into her, of whose Affections and Designs she hath abundant cause to be highly jealous; and who, by obtaining their prefent Demands, will, according to their old Customs, be thereby emboldned with the like restless importunity to make more demands, and perhaps in a little time be inabled to take what farther they please, without fo much as asking it: And by this means the People will become extremely divided, both amongst themselves and from the Government. And when that is done, there will be fo many left out of this Comprehenfion, that the noife will not be much less than it is already : And whatever acceffion can be fup

pofed

posed to be made to the Church by the coming in of her new Friends, will be more than over-ballanced by the loss she will receive in the stability of her Principles and the Unity of her Children: She will be the less able to defend her felf against the Exceptions of the Romanifts,and be at no fmall lofs for an answer to the Clamours of other Sectaries, who can pretend as great grievances, and alledge as plaufible Reasons why they fhould be gratified; fo that the Work of Coalition (as it is called in the newest word) as often foever as it is done, will be just as often to begin again.

As to any other Particulars of that Comprehenfion which is now fo much endeavoured, seeing they have not thought fit to let us know them, I shall not venture to make a guess at them, but shall go on to another Contrivance, and in the Opinion of many a more promifing one, and that is, Toleration, which is frequently faid to be an Expedient which will gratifie many more, and more Confiderable L 3

Perfons

3

Persons than can be hoped to be brought within the Compass of any one Comprehenfion.

Now it is by no means a thing to be wondred at, if fo be that the propofal of Toleration be in it felf at the first view very plaufible, and in the eyes of very many Perfons exceeding acceptable: It looks like a Privilege which every man hath an interest in, which, feing it is enjoyed by all alike, no man should take himself to have any cause to envy it to any other. Now this Liberty of Confcience, however it hath obtained to be the general Darling, yet, methinks, in the very name there is fomething which offers it felf to our Confideration, which is at least worth very our Enquiry; Whether the demand doth not carry in it an Exception against it felf? How doth it appear that Confcience hath any fuch abfolute Right to Liberty? Hath it no Rule which it ought to walk by? hath it no obligation to follow any befides its own Light? If this be not the Cafe, then Liberty and Consci

ence