as a fingle Death is not fo formidable, as to be forced to live under great Neceffities, perhaps with a numerous Family. And if we judge of this Matter by our Saviour's Rule, ofdoing to others what we would have others to do to us, our Confciences would foon decide the Queftion: If we will but honeftly ask our felves how we would have thofe of another Religion deal with us, if we were living in Countries where we must depart from the Legal Eftablishment, if we do truly follow the Dictate of our Confcience. But if our Zeal in Point of Conformity feems too Strong, there is no great Reason to fufpect many of much Zeal, with relation to Popery, tho' that is our standing Enemy perpetually employed in working our Ruin, with many Hands and much Heat; while we feem to be in a State of Indolence and Infenfibility on that Side, as if there was no Danger from thence. When at any Time we are in a Fright, we are apt to cry out; but that is no fooner over, than we are in no Apprehenfions of any further Danger. And to their great Comfort, we have found out a new Divifion to add to thofe we laboured under before; which we know they managed very dextrously for their own Ends, fhifting Sides as a Turn was to be ferved by it: But now the Mine is more fuccessfully played, fince not only the Breach between us and Diffenters is very artfully widened, but we are unhappily broken among our felves, and under the Names of high and lowChurch, there is a

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new Scene opened for Jealoufy and Animofity; which has been managed with fuch Art and Succefs, that Bodies of Men owning the fame Religion and Worship, and the fame Government both in Temporals and Spirituals, are yet as much alienated from one another, if not more, than if their Differences were ever fo great and visible.

I will fay nothing that may justly provoke | any; but fince I my felf am ranked among the Low Church-men, I will open all that I know that is particular to them, and then leave it to others to judge what Reafon can be given for en- \ tertaining fuch bard Thoughts of them.

They are cordially and confcientiously zealous for the Church, as eftablished by Law: But yet they think no human Conftitution is fo perfect, but that it may be made better, and that the \ Church would be both more fecure and more unexceptionable, if the Administration of the Dif cipline were put into other Hands, and in a better Method. They lay the Foundation of all that they believe in the Chriftian Religion in the Scriptures: Thefe and thefe only are the Measures and Standard of their Faith. No great Names nor fhews of Authority over-awe them: They Search the Scriptures, there they feek and find their Faith.

They think that in Matters declared to be indifferent, no Harm could follow on it, if fome Regard were bad to the Scruples of those who divide from us, in order to the fortifying the Whole

by Uniting us among our felves: But till that can be done, they think a kind Deportment towards Diffenters foftens their Prejudices, and difpofes them to hearken to the Reasons which they offer to them, with all the Force they can, but without the Afperity of Words, or a contemptuous Behaviour; in which they have fucceed ed fo well, that they fee no Caufe to change their Conduct.

They do indeed make a great Difference between Diffenters and Papifts: They confider the one as a Handful of People true to the Proteftant Religion, and to our national Interefts, not capable of doing us much Mifchief, and who are, as far as appears to them, contented with their Toleration, and are only defirous to fecure and maintain it. They have another and a very different Opinion of Popery: They confider that Church not only with Relation to the many Opinions and Practices held by them, fuch as Tranfubftantiation, Purgatory, and the Worshipping Saints and Images, and a great many more: They are perfuaded that these are falfe and ill grounded, but they could easily bear with them, as they do with other Errors: But they confider Popery as a Confpiracy against the Liberty and Peace of Mankind, on defign to engross the Wealth of the World into their own Hands; and to destroy all that stand in their Way, fticking at no Practice, bow false, base, or cruel foever, that can advance this. This is the true Ground of their

Zeal

Zeal against Popery, and indeed against every Thing that has a Tendency that Way.

The pretending to an Independency of the Church on the State, is not only in their Opinion a plain Attack made on the Supremacy vested by Law in the Crown, and a cafting a Disgrace on our Reformers, and on every Step made in the Reformation, which are openly owned by the chief Promoters of this new Conceit : But it is a direct Oppofition to the famed Place fo much stretched by the fame Perfons to ferve other Purposes, in the 13th of the Romans, Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers, in which all Subjects are equally comprehended. The Laws of GOD are certainly of a fuperior Obligation to any buman Authority; but where thefe Laws are filent, certainly all Subjects of what Sort foever are bound to obey the Laws of the Land where they live.

The raising the Power and Authority of facred Functions beyond what is founded on clear Warrants in Scripture, is they think the readieft Way to give the World fuch a Jealousy of them, and fuch an Averfion to them, as may make them lofe the Authority that they ought to have, while | they pretend to that they have not.

They dare not Unchurch all the Bodies of the Proteftants beyond Sea; nor deny to our Diffenters at home, the federal Rights common to all Chriftians; or leave them to uncovenanted Mercy. They do not annul their Baptifms, or think

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think that they ought to be baptized again in a more regular Manner, before they can be accounted Chriftians. They know of no Power in a Prieft to pardon Sin, other than the declaring h the Gospel Pardon, upon the Conditions on which it is offered. They know of no Sacrifice in the Eucharift, other than the Commemorating that on the Cross, with the Oblation of the Prayers, Praifes, and Almfgiving, prescribed in the Office. They are far from Condemning private Judgment in Matters of Religion: This Strikes at the Root of the whole Reformation, which could never have been compassed, if private Men have not a Right to judge for themselves; on the contrary, they think every Man is bound to judge for himself, which indeed he ought to do, in the Fear of God, and with all Humility and Caution. They lock on all thefe Notions as Steps towards Popery; tho' they do not conclude, that all those who have made them, defigned that by fo doing.

This is a fhort Account of the Low Churchmens Notions, with Relation to Matters of Religion among us: As to our temporal Concerns, they think all that Obedience and Submission that is fettled by our Laws, to the Perfons of our Princes, ought to be paid them for Confcience fake: But if a mifguided Prince fhall take on him to diffolve our Conftitution, and to fubject the Laws to his Pleafure, they think that if God offers a Remedy, Vit is to be received with all Thankfulness. For

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