ir pretext or another; but bring him once to be tried by this
refining fire, he is found to be "like a potsherd covered with silver
dross," Prov. xxvi. 23. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" saith the Lord
(Jur. xxiii. 28), and what is the dross to the silver? If this be the way
of Christ which my text speaketh of, then, sure, that which now passeth
under the name of "liberty of conscience" is not the way of Christ. Much
hath been written of this question; for my part I shall, for the present,
only offer this one argument: If liberty of conscience ought to be granted
in matters of religion, it ought also to be granted in matters civil or
military; but liberty of conscience ought not to be granted in matters
civil or military, as is acknowledged, therefore neither ought it to be
granted in matters of religion. Put the case: Now there be some
well-meaning men, otherwise void of offence, who, from the erroneous
persuasion of their consciences, think it utterly sinful, and contrary to
the word of God, to take arms in the Parliament's service, or to
contribute to this present war, or to obey any ordinance of the lords and
commons, which tendeth to the resisting of the king's forces. Now compare
this case with the case of a Socinian, Arminian, Antinomian, or the like:
they both plead for liberty of conscience; they both say our conscience
ought not to be compelled, and if we do against our conscience, we sin. I
beseech you, how can you give liberty of conscience to the heretic, and
yet refuse liberty of conscience to him that is the conscientious recusant
in point of the war? I am sure there can be no answer given to this
argument which will not be resolved into this principle: Men's consciences
may be compelled for the good of the state, but not for the glory of God;
we must not suffer the state to sink, but if religion sink we cannot help
it. This is the plain English of it.

When I speak against liberty of conscience, it is far from my meaning to
advise any rigorous or violent course against such as, being sound in the
faith, and holy in life, and not of a turbulent or factious carriage, do
differ in smaller matters from the common rule. "Let that day be darkness;
let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it"
(Job. iii. 4), in which it shall be said that the children of God in
Britain are enemies and persecutors of each other. He is no good Christian
who will not say Amen to the prayer of Jesus Christ