'l. Satanica. 2. Ethnica. 3. Belluiiia. 4. Iscariotica. ."). Tyrannica. 6. He- Todiana. 7. Ventris causa. lUiricus, de variis sectis ap. papistas.
' Solitudineni ubi faciunt, pacem appellant. Tacitus vita Agr. cap. 10.
*■ Huraani juris, etnaturalis potestatis est, unicuique quod putaverit colere. Tertal. Quis imponet inihi necessitatem aut credendi quod nolim, aut quod velini non cre- dendi. Lactan.
70 A COUNTRY ESSAY FOR THE PRACTICE
many nations distinguished and retained, before a positive answer can be given : take them in their whole latitude, and they may serve all men's turns. A negative universal reso- lution may tantamount unto : The many intrusted with au- thority, or having that to back them, ought not to tolerate any of different persuasions from them, if they suppose them erroneous. Now truly for ray part, were I in Spain or Italy, a native of those places, and God should be pleased there to reveal that truth of his gospel unto me, which he hath done in England, I believe those states ought to tolerate me, though they were persuaded that I were the most odious heretic under heaven; and what punishment soever they should impose on me for my profession, would be required at their hands, unless they can convince me, that God al- lows men to slay his servants for professing the gospel, if they believe them to be heretics : and so also excuse the Jews in crucifying his dear son, because they esteemed him as an impostor. Christ was once crucified amongst thieves : he may be again, in them that are so supposed. I shall therefore summarily set down what I conceive in answer to these questions, premising a few things, if I mistake not, universally granted.
And yet a word or two concerning toleration itself, that some guess may be given at what we aim and intend must interpose. Much discourse about toleration hath been of late days amongst men, some pleading for it, more against it, as it always must be. Toleration is the alms of autho- rity, yet men that beg for it, think so much at least their due : some say it is a sin to grant it, others that it is no less to deny it: generally the pleaders of each side have their interest in the cause. I never knew one contend earnestly for a toleration of dissenters, but was so himself; nor any for their suppression, but were themselves of the persuasion which prevaileth ; for if otherwise, this latter would argue a a circumcellion fury, vdlfully to seek their own ruin ; the former so much charity, and commiseration of the condition of mortality, as in these days would procure of the most no other livery but a fools-coat. Who almost would not ad- mire at such new discovered antipodes, as should offer to assert an equal regiment of Trojans and Tyrians,* a like re-
■* Tros, Tyriusque raihi nullo discriniine agetur.
OF CHURCH GOVERNMENT THERE. 71
gard and allowance from authority for other sects, as for that whereof themselves are a share ? Now amongst these contesters, few (nay, not any) have I found, neither on the one side or the other, clearly and distinctly to define what they mean by toleration, or what is the direct purpose, sig- nification, and tendence of non-toleration (a word in its whole extent written only in the forehead of the man of sin), what bounds, what terriers are to be assigned to the one, or to the other ; unto what degrees of longitude,'' or latitude their pole is to be elevated. Some perhaps by a toleration understood a universal, uncontrolled license 'vivendi ut velis,' in things concerning religion; that every one may be let alone, and not so much as discountenanced, in doing, speaking, acting, how, what, where, or when he pleaseth, 'in agendis et creden- dis fidei,* in all such things as concern the worship of God, articles of belief, or generally any thing commanded in re- ligion; and in the mean time the parties at variance, and litigant about differences, freely to revile, reject, and despise one another, according as their provoked genius shall dis- pose their minds thereunto. Now truly, though every one of this mind pretends to cry for mercy to be extended unto poor afflicted truth, yet I cannot but be persuaded that such a toleration would prove exceeding pernicious to all sorts of men, and at last end in a dispute, like that recounted by Ju- venal, between two cities in Egypt about their differences between their garden and river deities ;" or like the contest related by Vertomannus in his travels, amongst the Maho- metans, about Haly and Homar, the pretended successors to their grand impostor, where every one plied his adversary, ' Hastique clypeisque et saxis grandibus,' cleaving their sculls, and making entrance for their arguments by dint of sword : and I wish experience did not sufficiently convince us, that the profession of Christianity, where the power of godliness is away, will not prevent these evils: ' Tan turn religio potuit suadere malorum.'
Others there are that press for a non-toleration of any thing that opposes or contradicts the truth in any part, themselves being in their own judgments fully possessed of
™ Late sibi suramovet omnes, — Ut in vacua regnetBasilicus arena. ' Sanctas gentes quibus haec nascantur in hortis Numina.