petition with this Perfwafion, That I have an immediate fuggeftion from the holy Ghost: The Scripture it self hath but one and the fame Original, and is of an elder Date, and, if I please, is as imperfect in refpect of my Revelation, as that of Mofes was in respect of that of Chrift. This Evil is liable to to be as endless as Thought or Art can make it, as boundless as Imagination, and hath as great varie ty of shapes to appear in, as there are poffibilities in the World for any man to be either willing to deceive or li able to be deceived.

What a fatal Influence the now contended for Liberty of Confcience had upon the most confiderable Articles of Religion, within a fmall com. pass of time, we may learn from the forementioned Teftimony of the London, and the Atteftation of the che hire-Minifters. I fhall fet down some of the Articles against which those Errors were, but will not defile my Paper with the Errours themselves. Against the Divine Authority of holy Scriptures; against the Nature and Ef

M

fences

.

fence; against the Being of any God; against Christ as Mediator; against the Obligation of the Moral Law; against Ordinances; against Lawful Oaths, against the future State of Mens Souls after this Life, denying the Immortality of them. But befides Religion fuch a Liberty will be quickly found to have a fad Influence upon Govern ment and the publick Peace.

And as this fort of Liberty will expose Truth to perpetual and unavoidable Dangers, and withal hath left it no poffibility of a fufficient Defence against them; fo it hath a natural tendency towards deftroying the publick Peace: And not only fo, but to the disturbance of all Societies, and even of every private Family. Opinions have a great Influ• ence upon Actions, and engage men not only upon good, but upon very bad practices. He who is allowed to raife a Sect, hath a very fair opportu nity put into his hands of making himself the Head of it, as being fuch a Party, and by being permitted to have their Confciences, will have but

too

too many opportunities of having their Perfons and Purses at his difpofal likewife. Hence it is, that though fome Princes have been fometimes forced to fuffer Diffenters from the established Profeffion (by reason that they were so numerous, or fo fubtil, that they could not go about to fupprefs them without discovering how unable they were to do fo;) yet they always looked upon fuch Diffenters as the next door to Enemies; and ac cordingly had a perpetual Eye and Guard upon them, as thofe who of all other were the most likely to be the Authors or occafion of the next difturbance. It is a great mistake, though it be often found amongst the greatest Perfons, That Sects are things fit only to be despised, because that men of Parts and Fortune are neither eafily nor ufually feduced by them: but it ought likewife to be confidered, that Ambition, Revenge, Covetoufness, Humour and Discontent may engage those who are not in earnest themselves feduced, to appear in all seeming earnest to feduce others. I fhall M 2

readily

readily grant, that both the Beginning and the greatest Growth of Sects are amongst the meanest people, those whofe Fortunes are as low as their Understandings; but then they do not stay altogether among them, but fpread farther like a Pestilence which may begin in an obscure Alley, but in a little time no part of the City or Kingdom may be free from it. Befides, are not the Vulgar People the hands, the Tools, the Inftruments which the Greatest must always make ufe of? And is it not known by frequent experience, that a Deception once got among them, may by a little Connivence thrive fo far, as to be able to dispute for Superiority, and instead of demanding an Indulgence, refuse to give one? And,by how much the ordinary forts of people are lefs Masters of Reason than others, with fo much the greater ease they may be wrought upon to engage in those Courfes; which by men who underftood better, would be looked upon as evidently unreasonable. Now this is an Error which hath been frequent

ly

ly committed by wife men in great places: They look upon the Errors and Follies which the common People are drawn into, as things very fit to be indulged, as being only so many occafions for themselves to droll upon; but by their fo doing they have often found the return, which Abner did of fporting himself with Lives, as these mighty Sages do with Lives and Souls, 2 Sam. 2. 14. Let the young men arife and play before us; but with him they are at laft convinced, that, Ver. 26. it is bitterneß in the latter end.

The fafety of all Government doth depend upon this, that it is certainly ftronger than each fingle person, and in taking care of this, That as to any kinds of Union or joyning Forces together, that there may be no fuch things but under the guidance of the Magiftrate, and by his appointment; & fo long as this is taken effectual care of, though the difcontented perfons be never fo many, yet because they have no way of uniting; they are but fo many fingle perfons, fcattered, M 3

weak