Reply. Pardon us while we desire you to examine whether you speak as members that suffer with those that suffer, or rather as insensible of the calamities of your Brethren, that is as uncharitable: You say you lived in peace, but so did not the many thousands that were fain to seek them peaceable habitations in Holland, and in the Deserts of America, nor the many thousands that lived in danger of the High Commission, or Bishops Courts at home, and so in danger of every malicious neighbour that would accuse them, hearing Sermons abroad, when they had none at home, or of meeting in a Neighbours house to pray, or of not kneeling in the receiving of the Sacrament, &c. We would not have remembered you of these things, but that you necessitate us by pleading your peace in those days, as an argument for the imposing of the Liturgy. 2. Might not Scotland as strongly argue from this Medium against the Liturgy, and say, before the Liturgy was imposed on us, we had peace, but since then we have had no peace. 3. When the strict imposing of the strict use and practice of these forms, was the very thing that disquieted this Nation, (taking in the concomitant Ceremonies and subscription) when this was it that bred the Divisions which you complain of, and caused the separations from the Churches, and the troubles in the Churches; it is no better arguing to say, we must return to the strict use of that form if we will have peace, than it was in the Israelites to say, we will worship the Queen of Heaven, because then we had peace and plenty, when that was it that deprived them of peace and plenty, (we compare not the Causes, but the Arguments) nor is it any better an Argument, than if a man in a Dropsy, or Ague, that ⟨p. 40⟩catched it with voracity, or intemperance, should say, while I did eat and drink liberally, I had no Dropsy or Ague, but since my appetite is gone, and I have lived temperately, I have had no health, Ergo I must return to my intemperance, as the only way to health. Alas, is this the use that is made of all our experiences of the causes and progress of our Calamities? what have you, and we, and all smarted as we have done, and are you so speedily ready to return to the way that will engage you in violence against them that should be suffered to live in peace?
Reply. Pardon us while we desire you to examine whether you speak as members that suffer with those that suffer, or rather as insensible of the calamities of your Brethren, that is as uncharitable: You say you lived in peace, but so did not the many thousands that were fain to seek them peaceable habitations in Holland, and in the Desarts of America, nor the many thousands that lived in danger of the High Commission, or Bishops Courts at home, and so in danger of every malicious neighbour that would accuse them, hearing Sermons abroad, when they had none at home, or of meeting in a Neighbours house to pray, or of not kneeling in the receiving of the Sacrament, &c. We would not have remembred you of these things, but that you necessitate us by pleading your peace in those dayes, as an argument for the imposing of the Liturgy. 2. Might not Scotland as strongly argue from this Medium against the Liturgy, and say, before the Liturgy was imposed on us, we had peace, but since then we have had no peace. 3. When the strict imposing of the strict use and practice of these forms, was the very thing that disquieted this Nation, (taking in the concomitant Ceremonies and subscription) when this was it that bred the Divisions which you complain of, and caused the separations from the Churches, and the troubles in the Churches; it is no better arguing to say, we must return to the strict use of that form if we will have peace, than it was in the Israelites to say, we will worship the Queen of Heaven, because then we had peace and plenty, when that was it that deprived them of peace and plenty, (we compare not the Causes, but the Arguments) nor is it any better an Argument, than if a man in a Dropsie, or Ague, that ⟨p. 40⟩catcht it with voracity, or intemperance, should say, while I did eat and drink liberally, I had no Dropsie or Ague, but since my appetite is gone, and I have lived temperately, I have had no health, Ergo I must return to my intemperance, as the only way to health. Alas, is this the use that is made of all our experiences of the causes and progresse of our Calamities? what have you, and we, and all smarted as we have done, and are you so speedily ready to return to the way that will engage you in violence against them that should be suffered to live in peace?
