ought to be done v/ith Prudence; when he fays, (a) That we Jhould not cafi Pearl before Swine. But this Prudence does not extend fo far, as to allow us to play the Hypocrite, all our Lives long, if need be, or fo much as to tell a diredl Lye •, but only not to try at an improper time and place, to con- vince fuch Perfons as obfbinately perfift in their Errors, when we fee it will have no EiFed: upon them. For he exprefsly declares, a little after, the forementioned Words concerning confeOing our Religion \ that fometimes it ought to be done, thou^^h it brings upon us the Hatred of all thofe about us, and the imminent Danr;,er of certain ' Death, ih) He that Icveth Father or Mother more '^ than W, is not worthy cf me: arJ he that loveth \ Son or Daughter inore than me^ is not worthy of me. |f And fuch are all they who difiemble the Do6lrincs ' and Precepts which they have received from Chrift, for their Families fake. Nor has Chrill omitted to tell us, that Death muft be expeded for fuch Conftancy; and yet notwithftanding, they ought r^ to perfift in their Defign; and that he Vv^ho does ^^ lofe his Life upon this Account, fliall obtain a '^ bleffed Immortality in rliC World to come, {c) And ^'^ he that taketh not his Crcfs and followeth after me., - is not worthy of me. He that findcth his Life (in -"^^ this World) fhall lofe it (in another), and he tBat:'^ lofeth his Life (on Earth) /^r my fake., fhall find iti" in Heaven, and that an mfinitely more happy and This Do6trine is ^^^> plain and evidei^, that Acre"; are no Sedls of Chnftians attj>is time,-that--dtfFer at '\ ^a) Tbafvjs p^ovlJ 7:ot ^.'^Jl, [c] And Je that taketh, [h] He that toveth Fathtr, Seft. 3. Choice of our Religion. '^31 all about it •, they who own the Pope's Authority, and they ot" all forts, who di Town fuch Authority, do every one ot them, with one Confent affirm it to be a very wicked thing, to difiembleour Sen- timents concerning Religioii •, when Opinions of the greatefl" Moment are debated, and where the thing may be done without Sedition and Tumult. For in thofe things, in which Faith towards God and Uncorruptnefs of Manners, may be preferved, it may be right to conceal our Notions, rather than raife perpetual Contentions amongft Chriflians, when there are fo few learned Men who think alike in every thing. I fay cojiceal^ not dijfcmhle; for to conceal your Opinion is not to lye\ but to af- firm you believe that which you really do not be- lieve, this is to lye. To which may be added, that if any Opinion beeftabliflicd by the common Law, which you think to be falfe; you ought modeftly and without Contention or Tumult to declare your Diffent from it -, other wife in (lead of that mild and gentleGovernment of Chriftian Churches, which does not exclude any DilTent, provided it be done with Charity •, we fliall run into abfolute Tyranny, w'hich will allow of no Diflent at all upon any Account. There are innumerable obfcure fpecu- lative Qiieltions, efpecially to thofe who never took any great Pains in fuch fort of Studies, in which Chriftian Liberty ought to be allowed, as is confelTed by all Chriftians; for there are a Multi- tude of Places in Scripture, and a vaft Number ot theological Opinions^ in which learned Men al- ways have and flill do differ from each other with Impunity, even amongft thofe, who in other things require Confent more ftridlly than they ought to do.
Sect; 332 Againji Indifference in the Book II.
V.
Sje tr T. IV. iVe ought not haftily to condemn thofe who differ from us, as if they were guilty of fuch a ■ rime or fuch unlawful Worfhip, as is inconfifient with eternal Life; fo that none who admit fuch Perfons^fhould be capable of the Mercy of God; nor yet on the other Hand, is it lawful for us toprofefs that we believe what we do not really believe^ or to do what at the fame time we condemn. They who have feparated from the Church of Rome, do no more agree with each other in all Points, than they who continue in it: but accord- ing to the Judgment of fom-c of the moil learned Men, they do not differ in any thing that is con-, fiilent with that Faith which is owing to God, and that Obedience which ought to be paid to him. But they objecl many things to the Church o^Rome, both in Doctrine and Worfhip, which they think are plainly falfeand unlawful. Whether they judge right in this or no, I ihali not now enquire: However thus much is evident, that according to the Opi- nion even of that Church, it is not lawful for them ta.profefs that they approve of what they do not approve of-, nor do the^ admit any Perfon to Com- muftipri v;ith them, who profefs to diiTcnt from it irf rp<:h things- '-ttowey^rv amongft thofe that diff^nt from the Q\\\M'd\o^ Rome, there are (a) fome famous and learned iVIen, who though they think i^iVittti^riy unlawful to join with that Church them^ ftlves, on the Accouiit of thofe Dodrines, and that VVorQiip in which they differ from it; yet ROtwithftand^ng they do not think it right, to ex- ■I'Vi-jirrrj.iJ niu ngrjoii:.cl^id^ "thfDoCI ihAl on 3n3Rn o: --v'": ^r!
{a\ Some favtniis and leAnitii The Religi(fnof Frote/}ants, the is Mr William Chiliing-'.vnrthy he mentions others, who alfo m his Englijh Book, m titled think them as fafc.
Se£t. 4. Choice of mr Religion, ^'J'j elude from eternal Happinefs, all thofc both learn- ed and unlearned, who live and die in it. They indeed who think that there is any thm*^ in them which is contrary to the fundamental Principles of Chriftianity, judge it to be by no means lawful, for themfelves to give their AfTent to them, and that it would be the hightfl Crime in them, to pretend to confent to what they really condemn, and lor which Crime, if they fhould fall into it, and con- tinue in it to their Death, they btilicve they fhould be excluded eternal Happinefs. But as to fuch as do fincerely embrace thofe Dodrines, becaufe they believe them to be agreeable to Divine Revelation, or at leaft not fo repugnant to it, as to fubvert the Faith or Holinefs of the Gofpel; whether it be owing to that fort of Study which they have em- ployed themfelves in from their Youth, or whe- ther it arifeth from a Defeat of Knowledge, or Judgment; fuch Perfons as thefe, I fay, they do not prefume to exclude from Salvation, becaufe they cannot tell how far the Mercy of God may extend, with refpecSt to fuch Men as thefe. There are innumerable Circumftances both of time and place, and various Difpofitions of Mind, which are quite unknown to us, which may very much diminifh the Crimes of wretched Men in the Sight of God; fo as to procure Pardon for fuch -, which Vfould bt condemned in Men of more Learning. V/herefore they look upon it as a Part of Chriftian Equity and Prudence, at the fame time that they Condemn the Dodrine and the Worfliip, to leave the Men to the wife and merciful Judgment of God; though they themfelves are dttcrmnicd neither to aflent to their Doctrines, nor to be pre- fent at their Worfhip, beG;aufc they think it abib- lutely unlawful.
Sure lv 334 Againfi Indiffereiice in the Book 11.
'.o,5uRELY no Man can think, that from what has been faid it will follow, that any Perfon, who is brought up in a different Opinion, and has em- ployed himfelf in reading the Scriptures in the manner that the Reformers do; if he fhould, con- trary to his own Confcience, fay or do any thing which he thinks unlawful or falfe, for any preftnt Advantage •, that any fuch Perfon, I fay, can hope for Pardon from God; if he fliould die with a Habit of faying and doing what he himfelf dif- approves of j and would have faid and done fo, if he had lived longer. There is not at prefenr, and I hope there never will be, any Sed which fliall go under the Name of Chriftians, who will allow that fuch a Man can arrive at Salvation.
Let Hypocrites therefore look to themfelves, whilft they behave fo, as fhamefully to defpife the Light of Reafon and Revelation, to refift the Conviction of them, and to look upon the Judg- ment of all Chriftians whatfoever as nothing. Such Perfons cannot be thought learned Men, or fuch as have thoroughly and maturely confidered the thing. There are them that fo far defpife all theological Learning, that they will not fo much as attempt it -, but v/ithout this, there can be no Judgment at all paffed upon the Matter. Thefe equally defpife that noble Philofophy, which the great Men amongft the F.omans of old, fet fuch a Value upon, as being deduced from the Light of Nature; in order to indulge thofe Pafiions which the heathen Philofophy would not allow of Hav- ing thus fecured themfelves from the Judgment of pall Ages, defpifing every thing in the prefent, and having little concern for vv^hat is to come; they are more like Beafts than Men endued with Reafon, which they never make ufe of. They who dif- femble and lye in fuch a manner as this, ought not to Seft. 4. Ckoice of our Rdigion, ^^^ to be looked upon as Men of any Value or Account, they ought not to be tmtted, even in temporal and worldly Aifaiis, becaufc they endeavour to imjxjfc upon God and Man in a Matter ot the greatcll Importance. There are fome amongll thell-, who dare to affirm, that we ou^j,ht always to be of the Religion that the State is of, and when thatchano-es we ought to change alfo •, but it is not at all to be wondered at, that thefe Jb'crfons fiiould have fo ill an Opinion of the Chriftian Faith, when they have not fo much as the common Principles of Natural Religion in them, nor do they Ihcw any Regard to right Reafon or Virtue. What a wretch- ed Condition are thofe Kings and States in, who put their Confidence in fuch Men as believe neither Natural nor Revealed Religion! Indeed, Men, who are themfelves void of Learning, who give no Credit to the Judgment of any learned Men what- foever; who have no fort of Concern for Truth, but live in perpetual Hypocrify; are by no means fit to be trufttd in any Matters whatfoever, not even to fuch as relate to the Publick. H Yet thefe very Men, as much Defpifers as they .are of Truth and Virtue, look upon themfelves as better Subjeds and more ingenious Pcrfons than others •, though they be neither, and though it be impofTible they fhould be either, whilfl they make no Di(lin6lion betwixt Truth and Fallhood, Virtue and Vice, and whilft they are ready to fay or do ^-^ny thing that may be of Advantage to themfelves. All fuch Men have renounced a right Temper of Mind, and every good A<5tlon, and therefore ouglic ftQ be defpifed and avoided by every Body.
Sect.
336 Agaifijl Indifference in the Book IL S £ c T- V. A Man that commits a Sin hy Miftakc^ may he accepted of God^ but a Hypocrite cannot.
The Condition of human Nature is luch, that ^ great many Men, who in other Refpedls are not the worft of Men -, and yet, either by bad Edu- cation, or for want of Teachers or Books, which might bring them off from their Errors; or be- caufe they have not Capacity enough to underftand rhe Controverfies amongft Chriftians, and to form a Judgment of them; lead their Lives as it were^ in utter Darknefs. Such Perfons, as they fmcerely beheve and obey what they are taught concern- ing theChriftian Rehgion, fo far as their Capacity reaches, are more the Objects of CompafTion than of Anger, confidering the natural State of Man- kind. Their Religion indeed is very lame and defedtive, and abounds with Miftakes, but yet they themfeives are very fmcere. V*' herefore it is highly probable, that he who does not reap^ where he has not fown^ will, out of hi? abundant Equity, par- don thofe who are in fuch Circumftanccs; or cer- tainly will infiidt: a much lighter x unifliment upon them.
Bu T if we confider, that there are Men to be found who have not wanted either Education or Teachers, either Books or Capacity, to underftand who have the bed and v/ho the word Side oF the QueRion in Controverfies of Religion; and yet have fol- lowed the wrong Side, only for the Sake of the Wealth, or Pleafure, or Honours that attend them in this prefent Life -, we cannot but have great Indignation againft fuch Men, nor can any one pre- fume to excufe them, much lefs to defend fuch a 'Purpofe of Life, without the mod confummate Impudence. Whence it is eafy to apprehend, that H' we oxirfeivesj whofe Virtue is very impcrfefl, could SccSl. 5., Choice^ of our Rcligioji, 337 could not pardon fuch Pcrfons, how much more fevcre will the infinite JuiVice of God be againft thofe, who have knowingly and defigncdly pre- ferred a Lye to the Truth, lor the fake of the frail and uncertain good things of this prefcnt Life.
God, out of his abundant Mercy, is ready to pardon fuch Ignorance as does not proceed from Vice; to pity our imperfecl Virtues; and to allow for the Errors of fuch as are deceived j efpeciaily if there was no previous Iniquity, nor no Contempt of Religion; but as our Saviour aflures us, he will never pardon thofe, who when they knew the Truth, chofe rather to profefs a Lye. We fee that fuch a Hypocrite as this, is by no means acceptable to men •, for no body would choofe a Perfon for a Friend, who to gain any fmall Advantage to him- lelf, would trample under Foot all the Rights of ancient Friendfhip. Whence it follows from what has been faid, that there is not a baler nor more dangerous piece of Iniquity, than the Crime ot thofe, who in Matters of the higheft Moment and Concern, difTemble that which they really think is the beff, and openly favour them who are in the wrong. This is what Reafon itfelf teaches us, and what is confirmed by the Chriftian Religion, and has the Confent of all Scds of Chriftians whatfoever.
jAi io jAi io iiMOMixaaT TESTIMONIES CONCERNING HUGO GROriUS's YYAving the followirig Letters from that JLjL moft excellent and learned Per/on Henry Newton, Amba[fador Extraordinary from the mojl Serene ^leen of Great Britain, to his Royal Highnefs the moji Serene Grand Duke of Tufcany, to whofe ftngular Goodnefs I am ijery much indebted; / thought I ficuld do a 'very acceptable Thing to all ^ivho love the Name of GvoiiMS, and no fmall Honour to the Church ^England, if I publijhed them here. It ap- pears plainly from them, that this very great To the Read e r.
Man had the higheji Opinion of the Church of England, and would mofi willingly have lived in if, if he could. Make the beji ufe oj them you can therefore. Courteous Reader, and continue to have a good Opinion of a Man that deferved fo well of the whole Body of Chriflians, o A^lnA OJ ibw bfiB ski i>3flirj33l fbgnai 3^ iJHO|T[' idiiw bsiflliniij.._.,„. -., ji ilom <ob iOll WOfft 03 bfIB ^t^n^t'D O-^ViW AbM 3B31g •'.H^sid wod ^ bsisvoDiib 31b io ajdguori 1 aid iifi 2U gnirnaDnoD 3301W bnjs 3d§uod3 3il ' ^n £ bn£ eSfnfJ ^tl bns d:?jB*)(T I. HEN- •jinmoO ludv lo n^M: barftiw oriv/ -'^if/qpib.ioi .M..:.'^^ V,.fhaodv ■od\Il£ oy Xejli monies, &c. 341 HENRY NEW TON PETER HIERON. BARCELLINUS, Abbot of St Eufcbius dc Urbe, BEING at length returned fafe and well to Florence^ from Leghorn and Pifa^ where through the Intemperatenefs of the Air I was very- near contra6ting a Fever; the firft thing I had to do, mofl excellent Barcellinus, being furnifhed with the moft noble Library of the illuitrious Magliabe- chiusy was to difcharge my Promife concerning that great Man Hugo Grotius^ and to fhow from his Writings, particularly his Letters, in which Truth, Candour, Integrity of Heart, and the inward Thoughts of his Mind are difcovered; how highly he thought and wrote concerning us all his Life- time, and a little before his Departure, and when Death and Immortality were in his View. I know what was faid of him by that principal Man of his Rank Petavius^ and alfo Brietius and Vale/ins, and many other celebrated Men of your Communion, who wiflied well and favourably to a Man born for the publick Good of Chriftianity. It is known to all, how greatly he fuffered in Goods, Honour, Z 3 and and Report from the Galvinifts, both in liis owr Country and in his Banifhment, even after he wai advanced to a higher Rank by Foreigners -, and how much the Heats of Controverfy (whilfl he fet his Mind upon this one thing, to eftablifh Peace in the Commonwealth and between the Churches, which highly difpleafed many; a ftrange and grievous thing!) fretted that Difpofition, which was otherwife peaceable and modefl, after he faw himfelf treated in fuch an unworthy manner by his own Friends; and ibmetimes prevailed over that meek Wifdom which was in him both by Nature and Judgment. Yet thefe did not hinder his Son, who was alfo a great Man, from faying thofe things which I fhall prefently add, concerning his Father, to that great Prince^ Charles the lid of Great Britain, to whom he dedicated his Fathers iVorks^ and in him to all others *, and this when he had no Reafon to flatter or fear him, becaufe in the Commonwealth, he was of the contrary Part to Charleses Sifter's "Son; and becaufe he was a private Man, wedded" to a country and learned Life, and an old Man, not far from Death, nor consequently from Liberty: For he publiflied his Father's \Vorks, but faw them not after they were publifhed; and his own Life is to be it^n and read with the Life of his Father in the fame Volume. For thoUy fays Peter Grolius, art he alone ^ whom if not the greater^ yet the wifer Part of the Chrifiiayi Worlds have for a long time acknow- ledged for their ProteElor. T:hou art he^ to whofe Protcjftion or Defence, the Chriflian Faith willingly commits itfelf \. in whofe Kingdoms -principally.y, that Knowledge of the Sacred Writings^ that JVorfliip of the Deity ^ that Moderation of the too free Exercife ofUberty^ in dKputing concerning the fectetDctlrines of Faithy is eftahlijhed •, whofe Agreement 'with which the Author^ my Father^ has long fine e declared, and puhlickly profejfed in his IVri tings.
Hear now Hugo Grotius's own Words, how he exprelTes his own Senfc, in his Epifllc tojohan- nis Corvinis, dated in the Year MDCXXXVIH, who was not an Englijh, but a "Dutch Divine, of another Church, and alfo a Lawyer, and confe- ^uently (killed in Matters both Divine and Hu- man; concerning the Reformation of Religion made amongft us in the laft Age. Ton fee how great aProgrefs they have made in England, in purging out pernicims Doffrines •, chiefly for this Reafon, be- caufe they who undertook that holy IVork, admit- ted of nothing new^ jiothiitg of their own\ hut had their Eyes wholly fixed upon another JVorld. 7*hcn was it in a flourifliing Condition, before a Civil War broke out, before the King was vanquillied, taken Captive, condemned and beheaded \ and it afterwards fprung up and flourifhed again, con- trary to all human Hopes, when his Son returned to the Throne of his Anceftors, to the Surprize ot all Europe, and, after various Turns, Threats, and Fears, continues ftill to flourifh fecure and un- hurt.
Nor had he only a good Opinion of the Church o^ England himfclf, but alfo advifed his Friends in Holla7td, who were of his Party, and, which was no fmall Thing, who joined with him in partaking ot the fame Danger and Lofles, to take holy Orders from our Bifhops; whom it is certain he did not believe, nor would have others believe, to be Schif- matical, or Heretical, upon that Account. He addreffes his Brother in thefe Words. 1 would per- fuade them (that is, the Remonftrants,) /^ appoint fome amo?7zft them in a more eminent Station, P^^ ^s BiJhops% arid that they reeeive the laying on of Hands from theln^ Archhijhof who is there^ and that when they are fo ordained^ they afterwards ordain other Fafiors; and this in the Beginning of the Year MDCXLV. which was fatal to him, and unfortu- nate to Learning itfelf. The Bifliop he here fpeaks of is, if r be not miftak^n, John BramhalU who was at that Time Bifliop <:>{ Londonderry in Ireland^ and, at x^ivt Refboration of King Charles IL Archbi- {ho^ of Jrmagh^ and next to the mod learned Ufier Primate of Ireland^ and who afterwards in that Country pubhfhed a Vindication of our Church a- gainft Mikterius. See alfo what is faid to the lame Pcrfon, April 8. in the Year MDCXLV. con- cerning the pubHck Worfnip of God amongft us. ^he Englifh Liturgy was always accounted the heft hy all learned Men, • -• "■■"'•'■ ': ' ^^'^ I T feems very probable that this Man, who calls the Reformation of the Church of England a moji Holy Work \ who believed that the Pioly Or- ders given and received from the Bifhops of that 'Church, and the Rites appointed about Holy Things, and the prefer ibed Form of worfliipping the fupreme Deity, exceeded all other Churches in the Chriftian World; would have joined hfmfelf to that Church, as well in outw^ard Worfhip, as in the Judgment of his Mind; and fo have become now really, what he before was in Wilh, a Member of the Catholick Church. But he was never able to effed: the Thing, becaufe Death immediately after, over- took him; for in the fame Year he went from France to Stockholm to refign his Ambaffadorfhip, and returning from thence home, and having luffered Shipwreck, he departed this Life at Rcftock^ on the '^P±oiJugi{ft \ a Man never enough to be lamented, becaufe Hugo Grotius. 345 bjecaufe Study and Learning decayed witlvhim; and never enough to be praifed, upon tlic Account of what he began and finilhed in all Parts oi Learn- ing. He was a great Lover of Peace, it Truth was not injured, (always having Regard to Times and Differences,) and of the antient Cliurch Govern- ment, (freed from Abufes,) asi it was fettled from the Beginning in England^ and as it was trom the very Apoftles Time, if we may behevc Ecclcfiafti- cal Annals. He always ftudied and confulted the Peace of Empires and Churches, both in his Dif- courfes, and by his Example, and in his Writings; may he be rewarded with God and our common Lord! and may the Memory of him be ever grate- ful to Pofterity! FareweL Florence XII. of the Kale?ids of May, MDCCyi.
yf O S T Learned Sir, I fend you a new and _ ample Teftimony concerning Hugo GrotiuSy more v/eighty than the former, if v/e confider the Author's Dignity in the Commonwealth, or his Knowledge of Things, or that it was writ while Grotius was alive. It is taken from Letters to that great Prelate William Laud^ then Archbifhop of CoAiterhury^ with whom he often had Corref- pondence by Letters -, they were written from Paris^ OEloher 24. Gregorian Style, in the Year MDCXXXVIII. and were procured me lately out o{ England^ by the Kindnefs of that moftilluftrious Perfon, John Lord Sommers^ formerly High Chan- cellor of that flouridiing Kingdom, then Prefi- dent of the L^aw, now * of the Council. In thofe Letters that moft illuftrious Vifcount Scudamore, at the Time Ambafiador for our Nation in France^ has the following Words concerning Grotius.
" The next Time I fee Ambaffador Grotius^ '• I will not fail to perform your Commands con- " cerning * In this Tear 1 709, he nvas Prefideni of the Privy Council^ to her moji Serene Majejiy, iC n cerning him. Cerfainly, my Lord, I am per- fuaded that he doth unfcignedly and highly " Love and Reverence your Perfon and Proceed- *' ings. Body and Soul he profcfTeth himfclf to *' be for the Church of England, and gives this " Judgment of it, that it is the hkehcft to lafl of any Church this Day in being.
Cmoa XVII. of the Kaloids of February, O ^ "^ MDCCVIL 3lifiw Jj'IW l^vi qofftiddDiA nan wv^sWi^, -'jjonilulliilom riiif arl] III. FRAN.
Mi FRANCIS CHOLMOND«^ T O dw won^ c ALEXANDER FORRESTER,..: