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words spoken , besides plottings and actings for a toleration within these last few years than for all other things . Every day now brings forth books for a toleration . ** Cromwell was the zealous advocate of the rights of conscience . Iu 1649 * he applied to
parliament in behalf of the army for the removal of the penal laws which affected religious opinion ; the consequence of which was , a declaration that " they would remove all acts and ordinances coercive in matters of con-11
science . * In 1650 , when the Scottish Presbyterians objected to toleration , Cromwell replied to them , " Your pretended fear lest error should step in , is like the man who would keep all the wine out of the country , lest men should be drunk . It will be
found an unjust and unwise jealousy to deny a man the liberty he hath by nature , on the supposition that he may abu&e it . When he doth abuse it , then judge . " t Cromwell ' s favourite preachers ( such as the Goodwins ,
Caryl and Hugh Peters ) were the constant champions of religious liberty , and generous sentiments were now commonly expressed , which it is delightful and may be profitable to dwell upon . §
John Goodwin says , The persecution of saints , the rough handling of tender consciences , the lifting up of religion on a sword ' s point , violenced conformities , conformities
enforced , quenchings of proceedings in the knowledge of the truth , binding up judgments and consciences in synodical decree * * * ¦ * these have been the abhorrence of my former years as well as of my latter . " 1 | He is
* Whitelocke , p . 405 . + Ibid . p . 458 . § If the language used towards the Papists he quoted as contradictory to the general spirit manifested by the Independents , let it be remembered that the Catholics were , and had uniformly been , a political party , holding * , and prepared to
vindicate by force , the most slavish and degrading * doctrines . Their support of state tyranny was , I am persuaded , niujeh more grating to the Puritans than any notions connected with the infallibility of the Pope . They were traitors to the cause of liberty , and this is unpardonable treason . Preface to Anapologesiates Aatapologiafi , p , 49 , '
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quite complacent amidst the abuse of those who contended against the claims of Christian liberty . Errors , he tells them , they might no doubt find if they examined his creed or his character , but here they attacked him on his vantage ground , in the strong holds of reason aud revelation . *
Joseph Caryl , after contending for the rights of conscience , thus proceeds : " Search the magazine of the gospel , bring out all the artillery , ammunition and weapons stored up there . Look out all the chains and fetters ,
whips and rods , which either the letter of the gospel or the everlasting equity of the law hath provided to bind error with , or for the back of heresy , let them all be employed and spare not . "t
John Saltmarsh , in his interesting tract , ( Smoke in the Temple , ) says , § * ' Scotland had the honour to awaken us first in the work of Reformation and liberty : but lest Scotland should be
puffed up , England shall have the glory , I hope , to improve that liberty to - a fuller light , which some would shut up in the narrowness of a Presbytery . "
William Bartletf s " Model of a Congregational Way , " is an admirable defence of the claims of conscience * He asserts , that " no man , no body of men have a right to dictate to any in matters of opinions , and that the apostles themselves were servants , and not heads of the church . " II
In a sermon preached by William Dell before the House of Commons , ^ f he maintained the tolerant princip le to its full extent . This excited Prynne ' s indignation , who answered him in one of the most intolerant volumes that Papist or Presbyterian ever penned . **
In the wrUings of Jeremiah Burroughs , ThcJUias Goodwin , William Bridge and others of this period , will be found many interesting arguments * Ibid . p . 50 . Ea verba loquentts abore Arripio gaud ens .
J Sermon before the House of Commons , p . 25 . § P . 28 . ^ || Pp . 21 , 128— -133 . % November £ 4 , 1646 . ** Swotd of the Christian Magistrate supported .
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s l £ 0 On the Opinions of the Puritans respecting Civil and Religious Liberty
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1818, page 120, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2473/page/40/
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