The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…

M. IX DO you think it is a sin deserving exclusion from Christian Communion, for a man to think it unlawful for him to own and encourage the Ministry of an ignorant, insufficient, or grossly scandalous, or hurtful Teacher. A poor Christian that is unwilling to be damned, and readeth that he should love his Neighbour as himself; perhaps, heareth the Priest tell the People what hypocrites and odious persons Non-conformists are, and exhorts them to avoid such, and to prosecute them, and root them out as the intolerable enemies of Church and State, and as unfit to be Members of any Society: He is acquainted with divers Non-conformists, their Lives, and their Books and Doctrines, and finds the clean contrary. He reads in Scripture, [See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently,] He heareth from the Pulpit, [See that ye hate one another, and seek the destruction of one another,] Christ saith, [Love your enemies] the Priest exhorts them [to root out their friends] Christ saith [He that receiveth you, receiveth me: and shake off the dust of your Feet against them that receive you not: It shall be easier for Sodom and Gomorrah than for such] the Priest saith [He that receiveth such Ministers, sinneth against Christ, and he that hath any communion with them is a Schismatic,] The man readeth, [Beware of false Prophets; and thinks it a sin to encourage the teachers of lies and wickedness] and he readeth [He that hateth his Brother is a Murderer, and hath not eternal Life: and if I have not charity, I am but as sounding Brass, &c.] He thinks him a false teacher, that contradicteth Christ; and that seeks to damn the hearers. And he thinks that no tongue can more contradict Christ, than that which Preacheth down Love, and Preacheth for hating godly Men, tho' on slanderous pretences, and that no man can do more to damn the People, than he that draweth them from love, to such hatred. Another liveth in a Parish where a dry ignorant fellow affords him no such help as he is conscious his soul needeth, and where the Common-Prayer is so much better, than the Sermon, that