ART. I.—Uniformity: what it is and what it costs.

[Continued from page 76.]

Uniformity enforced is Intolerance; with the gloomy annals of which vice in Christian governments I am obliged, by the nature of the task to which I have pledged myself, to entertain my readers. But what is Toleration-that virtue,' as most are ready to account it, which, exercised in whole or in part, is so readily brought in to their praise? Let us examine it a little, and see what its nature really is, and to what its worth amounts, when estimated at the balance of the Sanctuary.'

'Ye have heard that it hath been said [by them of old time: by men who had not as yet come under the New Covenant] Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. That ye may be [in deed as well as in pretension] the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.' This is the Law which was to be written in the heart, and placed in the inward parts of God's people; and which was promulgated by the teacher whom he sent from heaven. It is the duty of individuals towards each other; and consequently, so far as consists with the punishment of evil doers and the maintenance of good order in society, of civil governments toward their subjects, and of the latter toward those who

govern.

Even due restraint, and correction, may be viewed as a good, conferred upon offenders, in return for the evil they do by their misconduct in society and I have often thought the greatest kindness we could

L

show to many who claim our help would be, to send them at once to a 'bettering house; and there put in use towards them the right means of reforming their lives and mending their manners. It is not I believe, while others curse, and go on in wickedness, that we are obliged, by the new law, to return them an empty form of blessing. We must aim at more substantial good for them-and having prayed in their behalf, for the grace of repentance, proceed to use such opportunities as God may furnish us with, to open their blind eyes to the inevitable consequences of their doings-if haply they may take warning, and flee from the wrath to come.

It is the prerogative of Infinite Wisdom alone, to dictate absolutely to man, what he shall do and what forbear; but if man rightly estimate his duty to God and his neighbour, he will find it to be both his interest and his happiness to do it. He who governs and instructs his people also blesses them. It is ignorance and malevolence that curses : and we find men the more prone to this vice as their souls are more deeply tinged with these evil colours. Let us bless, then, with sound instruction, (when and where we may) such as do us evil, for the want of a spirit of mercy and forbearance in them.

Were a butcher to place his blood-hole too near my back-doorwere a coppersmith to choose to make his music with three hammers on a boiler, while I, his near neighbour, and the first comer to the place, was earnestly desiring silence and quiet-or were a common carrier weekly to set his waggon in the way to my shop or office, during the hours of business-I might, upon the refusal of the party to abate the nuisance, send the waggon to the green-yard, or take the law' of the other two offenders, and oblige them to remove the inconvenience they were causing me.

But seeing that a butcher must have that convenience somewhere— that time is paid for in many occupations, whether the men be at work or not that a waggon is a heavy concern, and requires horses to move it, which may be to fetch from a distance-and so forth, and so forth-I might also, on a kind consideration of the whole case, incline to tolerate the nuisance, and forgive instead of prosecuting my neighbour. I believe I am not very far wide of the mark, as to the true meaning of the term. It is a stronger meaning than Johnson give us, who says, Toleration is, Allowance given to that which is not approved. But if we consult the Latin original, we shall see that it is rather a bearing of what is painful, or laborious, or disagreeable-and which we might, as such, have shunned or put away from us. What merit is there, then, in the simple forbearance of a Christian Magistrate to prosecute my non-conformity? Am I a stink, a noise, a nuisance that he should have a right in equity to put me down; because I worship God after another manner than he, who chooses to conform to the Establishment? I suppose the Christian faith, as exemplified in me and my friends, is not found, in respect of its general influence on society, to be a hurtful, but on the contrary a beneficial principle. At any rate, our conduct and dealings, even as dissenters, are not such as would, on any other ground than that of

subduction of honour and revenue from the priesthood, call for the interference of the Civil power between us and our neighbours. Yet, such is the force of habit, and influence of tradition and prejudice, that a drab coat seems almost as bad, in some men's eyes, as a black skin: and a High-churchman thinks, when he sees me at a meeting taking care of my friends' conduct and morals (while he looks after his estate) that he tolerates what he might, were he not so kind hearted and forbearing, equitably (so it were but lawfully) put down.

Thus the man who, being deemed in the right and protected in his form of religion, might be presumed to know best the law of mercy and kindness, is found the least capable of its exercise. He takes upon him to judge and dispose of his neighbour, as if himself were indeed infallible; and knew better than the other in what his duty, and interest and happiness consist.

But is this Christian conduct-is this to exemplify the patience and long suffering of the Almighty and most merciful God, in the gospel of his Son? Is this to love enemies, to do good to them that hate usto bless and pray for them that despitefully use us, and scorn us? Nay, where there is just and peaceable dealing in civil matters on the dissenter's part, does not religious Intolerance fall below even the rule of those of old times, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy?

In those things, is there not one law for all-and are not all equal in God's sight? If not, then in what unequal? What was the difference put between Cain and Abel but this-that the works of the one were evil, of the other righteous? Therefore God was pleased to accept the one and reject the other-and therefore the elder slew the younger: 1 John iii. 12. Now if the system on which Intolerance proceeds be to be justified, it was Abel who should have put Cain to death; seeing he himself was righteous and accepted of God! But the fruits, then as now, declared the tree-in the one dwelt the true faith, with meekness— in the other, the fierceness of a zealous worshipper whose life is in the wrong.

When, instead of being the act of an individual, this oppression has been exercised in behalf of whole communities, by Rulers intrusted with arbitary or excessive power, it has happened again and again, that the persecuted sect have, upon some turn of affairs, by force of arms acquired the ascendancy; and they who called themselves the orthodox have been forced in turn to bow their necks to the sword! What indeed can be the prospects of Religion, under such a system, but interminable strife among its more zealous professors-the oppression of the weak by the strong-intolerant statutes, imprisonments, confiscations, banishments, death itself inflicted by each upon the other -with confusion and every evil work in the churches? And what the remedy for all this but CHARITY; but true disinterestednessthe heart that has its treasure in heaven? For every one, according to the Law so clearly laid down by the Redeemer of men, to give to his neighbour the liberty he claims for himself-himself being (as his neighbour is supposed to be) fully persuaded in his own mind of the rectitude of his own way? With what face, under such a regimen as this

can any man pretend, in any way or measure to abridge or obstruct my civil right and freedom, on account of my religious opinion or practice; or of my being apparently void of any such opinion or practice at all?

This then is the value of Toleration,' that there is in it no merit, or absolute value, at all—an entire LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE being the only thing worth a government's while to study: and this, the remedy of Intolerance,-a just and charitable conduct in each party towards the other. Read the New Testament (wholly and fairly) and you will learn how to exercise it!

The Meetings of the people called Quakers, in the city of London, were generally undisturbed during the first six months after the restoration of Charles II. who, in his declaration from Breda, had thus expressed himself: We declare a liberty to tender consciences; and that no man shall be disquieted or called in question for differences of opinion in matters of religion, which do not disturb the peace of the kingdom.' [It was easy to break through this cobweb: the peace of the kingdom, it might be alleged (as soon as it could with decency) was disturbed by the refusal of oaths, and of priests' wages and tithes, and the declining to bear arms, by this people.] Accordingly, 'to this calm succeeded a violent storm, occasioned by an insurrection of the Fifth-monarchy men*; upon which a proclamation was issued against the meetings of all dissenters, including those also of the Quakers, though they were entirely peaceable, and had not the least hand in any commotion. Richard Brown, the Lord Mayor at that time, a fierce and virulent man, pursued this innocent people with the utmost violence and rigour. Many of them were taken from their own houses and employments; others plucked out of their beds, and many taken from their religious meetings, where their enemies were sure to find them; and committed to Newgate in such numbers, that they had not room to sit or lie down, nor scarce to stand by one another. There were at one time in that gaol, of the Mayor's own committing, three hundred and fortysix persons, of whom about a hundred were crowded together in one room, and divers of them fell sick through the stench and closeness of the place. Such was Brown's pride and passion, that he could not endure the sight of a Quaker, without wrath and resentment. It happened on the 31st of the month called March, this year, he espied Edward Gollin a pretty way from him in the Guildhall, with his hat on, inoffensively discoursing with some persons met there about business; whereupon the Mayor ordered him to be sent to Newgate. Another time, as he was going to the same place, he saw two men in the yard near Blackwell Hall with their caps on; whereupon he sent for them, and committed them to the Compter by the following Mittimus:

"London Ss. These are to require you to receive into your custody, the bodies of Walter Hewlings and John Cripps, herewith sent you, who this present

See Notes at page 86.

day standing in the way [query: how far was his Lordship's atmosphere of worship to extend?] as I was passing to the Guildhall, with their hats on their heads, in a bold and irreverent manner; and being asked why they did so, and were required to take off their hats, yet they would not; and afterwards being brought to Guildhall, were commanded again to put off their hats, yet they did in a contemptuous manner keep on their hats; which being by my command taken off, they put them on their heads again before me and the Court of Aldermen ; -and for other misdemeanours [qy.]: and them safely keep till they shall find sufficient sureties to appear at the next Sessions of the Peace to answer the same, and in the mean time to be of good behaviour, or otherwise be discharged by due course of law; and this shall be your warrant. Dated the 17th of October, 1661. Richd. Brown, Mayor. To the Keeper of the Poultry Compter.

Upon this commitment they were detained in the Compter till the expiration of his mayoralty, about twelve days after. On the 31st of October they sent a representation of their case to the succeeding Lord Mayor, John Frederick, in a letter as follows:

"Friend,-We thought good to lay the cause of our suffering before thee, that we may not suffer and thou be ignorant of it We being in the yard before Blackwell Hall, on the 17th of this instant month, about our lawful occasions, in the open market, we having received some goods and standing by them, the Mayor riding by towards Guildhall, and we having our caps on our heads, and because our heads were not bare, we were sent to the Poultry Compter; and our mittimus chargeth us with standing in the Mayor's way, with our hats on our heads, which are both false, we being neither in his way, nor having our hats on our heads, we having but only two caps.

And so we remain prisoners, contrary to all law and equity, we being countrymen, and are about threescore and ten miles from our

habitations.

"From the Poultry Compter,

the 31st of the 8th Mo. 1661.

"WALTER HEWLINGS, "JOHN CRIPPS. "

After this representation of their case they were soon set at liberty. Besse, vol. i. p. 367.

The point of an active compliance with the ceremony of the hat is now, I believe, given up to the quaker; and either it is removed for him, or he is received in his own way. I shall relate here an anecdote or two; to show how the matter has stood at different times with myself. When about twenty three, living in the City, I was summoned to Guildhall, on acconnt of an Ecclesiastical demand which I had refused. The officer taking off my hat, and not retaining it, I replaced it on my head before the Magistrate; who with great good temper, taking no notice of the action, proceeded to speak to the business, observing You know we must support the Church.' and twenty years having elapsed after this transaction, the Magistrate in question and myself found ourselves in company together at Carltonhouse, on occasion of the presenting of several Addresses to the King, from the Lieutenancy of the City, from the three denominations, and the Friends; who were classed together at that Levee, for the purpose. My friend (whose business in the presence had been despatched,) observing with what ceremonious gravity, and willing compliance, our hats were removed from us in turn, as we passed to

Five