_Citt._ 'Tis the custom of the City I confess, for the _Lord Mayor_ to _Summon_ and _dissolve Common-Councils_, and to put all points to the _Question_; but we'l finde a cure for that too. 'Tis a thing we've been a good while about already; the bringing down the _Authority_ of the _City_ into the _Major part_ of the _Commons_.

b.u.m. _Now if the_ Mayor _and_ Aldermen _should be aware of this, they'l never endure it; but we must leave that to time. But hark ye_ Citt. _I thought our Friends refusing of the_ Sacrament had been matter of Conscience.

Distinctions of Consciences.

_Citt._ Why so it is man, but take notice then, that you are to distinguish of _Consciences_: There is, _First_, a _plain, simple Conscience_, and that's a Conscience that will serve well enough to keep a man _Right_, if he meet with nothing else to put him _out of the way_.

And then there's a _Conscience_ of _State_, or _Profit_; and _that Conscience_ yields, as a _Less Weight_ does to a _Greater_; an _Ounce_ turns the _Scale_, but a _Pound_ carries the _Ounce_, and no body blames the _Weaker_ for being over-power'd by the _stronger_. There is a _Conscience_ of _Profession_ too; which is a _Conscience_ that does not so much regard the _Reason_ of the _thing_, as the being _True_ to a _Party_, when a man has past his _Word_: and this is the _Conscience_ of a man of _Honour_, that fights for his _Wh.o.r.e_. There is likewise a _Conscience_ of _Religion_, and that's a _quiet peaceable Conscience_, that rests in the Affections of the _Heart_, in submission to _Lawfull Inst.i.tutions_; and in serving _G.o.d_, and doing Good to our _Nighbour_, without _Noise_ or _Ostentation_.

Consciences of State or Interest.

b.u.m. _Well, but I see a great many very_ Consciencious men _that love to_ Pray _and_ Sing Psalms _next the_ Street, _that their Neighbours may hear 'um; and go up and down_ shaking of their Heads, _and_ wringing of their Hands, _crying out of_ the Calves _of_ Bethel, _and the_ High places, Popery, Prelacy, _and the_ Common-Prayer, _in such a manner, that 'twould grieve a bodies heart to see 'um_.

_Citt._ These are _Consciencious men b.u.mpkin_, and this is the _Conscience_ of _State_ or _Profit_, that I told ye of.

b.u.m. _Ay, but I have seen some men in Fits of the_ Spirit, Jump, _and fling about a_ Pulpit _so desperately, that they set the children a crying_ to have 'um let out. _One while they'd_ raise _themselves upon their_ Tip-toes, _and_ Roar out _upon a suddain, you'd have thought they had been pinch'd with_ Hot Irons; _and then all in an Instant, they'd_ Dop down again, _that ye could hardly see 'um; And so_ fall _into a_ faint, lamenting Voice, _like the_ Grone _of a poor woman_ three quarters spent in Labour. _Nay there was One of 'um that gap'd, and held his mouth open so long, that People cry'd out_, The man has a Bone in his Throat. _Those must needs be very_ Consciencious Men, Citt.

_Citt._ They are so _b.u.mpkin_, but 'tis the _same Conscience_ still; for it works all manner of ways. We took up this Mode I suppose, from the _Transports_, and _Grimaces_ of the _Pagan Priests_, in the Ceremony of their _Sacrifices_, which had a very effectual operation upon the People.

b.u.m. _Nay_ Citt, _these Men have a Holy way of_ Language _too, as well as of_ Behaviour, _for all their_ Talk _is of_ Heaven, _and_ Heavenly things, _the_ Saints _and_ the New Jerusalem; _they deal mightily, in_ Expositions _upon the_ Viols, _and_ the Little Horn: _and then they are bitterly severe against_ Wicked Magistrates, _and those that_ Lord it over G.o.ds Heritage. _They are_ in fine _a very_ Consciencious _sort of People_.

_Citt._ Oh beyond question so they are: But this is still a Branch of the _same Conscience_. I have known indeed some people so Transported with this same _Talkative Holiness_, that it has been a kind of _Spiritual Salivation_ to 'um, they continue _spitting_ when they have not one drop of _Moisture_ left 'um in their _Bodies_.

b.u.m. _Prethee_ Citt, _tell me in Honest_ English, _where shall a body finde the_ simple, _and the_ Religious Consciences _thou told'st me of_?

Not many Religious Consciences.

_Citt._ Why every man living has the _Former_ of 'um, but takes no notice on't: But for the _Latter_ sort, 'tis very scarce; and you shall find more of it perhaps in _one Jayle_, or in _one Hospital_, then in all the _Courts_ of _Christendom_. It is commonly _the Blessing of men in years_, in _sicknesse_, or _in adversity_.

b.u.m. _Ah_ Citt, _that I were but as capable of Learning as thou art of Teaching! Pre'thee explain thy self a little upon the_ Conscience _of_ Profession _too_.

A Conscience of Profession.

_Citt._ Observe me what I say then, _b.u.mpkin_; There is a _Profession_, _Particular_, and _General_: _Particular_, as when _One Cavalier_ serves another in a _Duell_, he's oblig'd to't by the _Profession_ of a _Sword-man_, without Formalizing upon the _Cause_. There's a _Conscience_ of _Profession_ even among the _Banditi_ themselves. What is it but the _Profession_ of _Presbytery_, that makes the whole Party oppose _Episcopacy_; as the _Independents_ do _Presbytery_, the _Republicans_, _Monarchy_, and the like.

b.u.m. _Now I thought that there might have been_ Conscience _of_ State, _as well as of_ Profession _in These Cases_.

_Citt._ Thou sayst very well, _b.u.mpkin_, and so there is, and of _Profit_ too; and it was much the same Case too, throughout the Circle of our Late Revolutions, when we _Swore_ and _Vow'd_ from the _Oaths of Allegiance_, and _Canonical Obedience_, to the _Protestation_, the _Solemn League and Covenant_, the _Engagement_, the _Negative Oath_, the Oath of _Abjuration_, and so till we swore round, into the _Oath of Allegiance_ again.

b.u.m. _What do you mean now by your =Generall Profession=?_

_Citt._ I mean the _Subordination_ of a _Partiall_ to a _Generall_, of a _Private Profession_ to a _Publick_; as thou seest in the Late Times, _b.u.mpkin_, how strictly the _Divided Reformers_ kept themselves to This Rule, so long as the _Common Enemy_ was upon his Legs.

b.u.m. _But who do you mean by the =Common Enemy=?_

_Citt._ I mean, the _Court_, and the _Church-Party_. So long (I say) all our Brethren of the Separation joyn'd as one man, against that _Inordinate Power_; and herein we were _Conscienciously True_ to our _General Profession_; but so soon as ever we had subdu'd that _Popish_ and _Tyrannical Interest_, through the _Conscience_ of our _General Profession_, we then consulted our _Particular_; and every man did Conscienciously labour for the Establishment of _his own_ way. But now we come to the great Nicety of all; that is to say, the _Conscience_ of making a _Conscience_ of using _any Conscience at all_: There's a Riddle for ye, _b.u.mpkin_.

b.u.m. _I must confess I do not understand one Bitt on't._

A Conscience of using no Conscience at all.

_Citt._ That's for want of a Discerning Spirit _b.u.mpkin_. What does _Conscience_ signifie to the _Saints_, that are deliver'd from the Fetters of _Moral Obligations_, by so many _Extraordinary_ and _Over-riding Priviledges_, which are granted in a peculiar manner to the _People of the Lord_? What's he the _better_, or the _worse_, for _keeping_ or for _breaking_ the _Ten Commandments_, that lies under the _Predestinarian Fate_ of an _Unchangeable Necessity_ and _Decree_? What needs he care for any _other Guide_, that carries within himself an _Infallible Light_? Or He for _any Rule at all_ that cannot _sin_? For the _same thing_ may be _sin_ in _another man_, which in _Him_ is _None_.

b.u.m. _Really this is admirable: So that we that are the =Elect= are bound up by no =Laws= at all, either of =G.o.d= or of =Man=._

_Citt._ Why look you now for that; we _Are_, and we are _Not_. If it so happens that the _Inward_ and _Invisible Spirit_ move us to do _the same thing_, which the _Outward_, and _Visible Law_ requires of us; in _That Case_ we are _Bound_; but so, as to the _Spirit_, not to the _Law_: and therefore we are bid to _stand fast in our Christian Liberty_.

Of Christian Liberty.

b.u.m. _That's extreamly well said, for if =We Christians= should be Shackled with =Human Laws=, which can only reach the =Outward Man=, then are =the Heritage of the Lord=, in no better Condition then the =Wicked=, and the =Heathen=._

The Extent of it.

_Citt._ Oh! th'art infinitely in the Right: for if it were not for this _Christian Liberty_, we could never have _Justify'd_ our Selves in our _Late Transactions_: the _Designe_ of _Overturning the Government_ had been _Treason_; taking up _Arms_ against the _King_, _Rebellion_; _Dividing_ from the _Communion_ of the _Church_ had been _Schism_; appropriating the _Church Plate_, and _Revenues_ to _Private Uses_, had been _Sacriledge_; Entring upon _Sequester'd Livings_ had been _Oppression_: taking away mens _Estates_ had been _Robbery_; _Imprisoning_ of their _Persons_ had been _Tyranny_; using the name of _G.o.d_ to all This, would have been _Hypocrisy_, forcing of _Contradictory Oaths_ had been _Impiety_, and Shedding the _Blood_ both of the _King_, and his _People_, had been _Murther_: And all This would have appear'd so to be, if the _Cause_ had come to be _Try'd_ by the _Known Laws_ either of _G.o.d_, or of _Man_.

b.u.m. _Make us thankfull now! What a blessed State are we in, that =Walk up to our Calling=, in =Simplicity= and =Truth=, whose =Yea= is =Yea=, and whose =Nay= is =Nay=. 'Tis a strange way thou hast, =Citt=, of making things out to a man. Thou wert saying but now, that the =same thing= may be a =Sin= in =One Man=, and =not= in =Another=. I'm thinking now of the =Jesuites=._

_Citt._ Oh That's a _Jugling, Equivocating, h.e.l.lish_ sort of _People_; 'tis a thousand pitties that they're suffer'd to live upon the Earth; They value an _Oath_ no more then they do a _Rush_. Those are the _Heads_ of the _Plot_ now upon the Life of the _King_, the _Protestant Religion_, and the _Subversion_ of the _Government_.

Jesuites and Phanatiques compar'd.

b.u.m. _Ay, Ay, =Citt=, they're a =d.a.m.n'd Generation= of =h.e.l.l-hounds=.

But, as I was thinking just now; we have so many things among =Us=, like some things among =Them=, that I have been run down some times allmost, as if We =our selves= were =Jesuites=; though I know there's as much difference, as betwixt =Light=, and =Darknesse=: and for my part, =I defie them as I do the Devill=._

A vast Difference betwixt them.

_But =Citt= thou hast so wonderfull a way of making matters plain, I'de give any thing in the world thou'dst but teach me what to say in some Cases, when I'm put to't. One told me t'other day, =You are rather worse then the= Jesuites; (says he) =for when =They= break an =Oath=, they have some =mental Reservation= or other for a =Come-off:_ But _You_ Swallow your _Perjuryes, just_ as _Cormorants_ do _Eeles_; an _Oath's_ no sooner _In_ at _One End_, then _Out_ at _t'other_.

_Citt._ Let your Answer be This, _b.u.mpkin_, That the _Lawmaker_ is _Master_ of _his own Laws_; and that the _Spirits dictating_ of a _New Law_, is the _Superseding_ of an _Old one_.

Their Practices compar'd.

b.u.m. _These are hard words_, Citt; _but he told me further_, don't _You_ Justifie _King-Killing_ (_says he_) as well as the _Jesuits_? Only _They_ do't with _Pistol_, _Dagger_, and _Poyson_; and _You_ come with Your _Horse_, _Foot_, and _Cannon_: _They_ proceed by _Excomunicating_, and _Deposing_; by _dissolving_ the _Character_, _first_, and _then destroying_ the _Person_; and just so did _You_. _First_, ye _Depos'd_ the _King_, and _Then_ ye _Beheaded Charles Stuart_. And then you need never go to _Rome_ for a _Pardon_, when every man among you is _his own Pope_.

The Fanaticks Clear'd.

_Citt._ Now your Answer must be This; That we had, _First_, the _Warrant_, for what we did, of _an Extraordinary Dispensation_. (as appear'd in the providence of our Successes) _Secondly_, we had the _Laws_ of _Necessity_, and _Self-preservation_ to Support us. And _Thirdly_, the _Government_ being _Coordinate_, and the _King_ only _One_ of the _Three Estates_; any _Two_ of the _Three_ might deal with the _Third_ as They thought _Fit_: Beside the _Ultimate Soveraignty_ of the _People_, over and above. And now take notice, that _the same Argument_ holds in the _Subversion_ of the _Government_.

b.u.m. _Now you have Arm'd me Thus far, pray'e help me on, one step farther; for I was hard put to't not long Since, about the businesse of the_ Protestant Religion. _What is_ That, _I pray'e, that ye call the_ Protestant Religion?

Of Dissenting Protestants.

_Citt._ You are to understand, that by the _Protestant Religion_ is meant the _Religion_ of the _Dissenters_ in _England_, from the _Church_ of _England_; As the _First Protestants_ in _Germany_ 1529. (from whom we denominate our Selves) were _Dissenters_ from the _Church_ of _Rome_: And So _Call'd_ from the famous _Protestation_ they enter'd against the _Decree_ of the _a.s.sembly_ at _Spires_, against _Anabaptists_.

b.u.m. _So that I perceive We_ Set up _the_ Protestant Religion; _we did not_ Destroy _it: But they prest it Then, that the_ Church of England _was a_ Protestant Church, _and that the_ Jesuites _had only_ Design'd _the_ Destruction _of it, where as_ We _did_ Actually Execute _it_.

_Citt._ Your Answer must be, that the _Church_ of _England_, though it be a little _Protestantish_, it is not yet directly _Protestant_: As on the Other side, it is not altogether the _Wh.o.r.e_ of _Babilon_, though a good deal _Whorish_; and therefore the Reply to That must be, that we did not _Destroy_, but only _Reform_ it.

b.u.m. _Why I have answer'd People out of my Own_ Mother-Wit, _that we did but_ Reform _it_. _And they told me again, the Cutting of it off_ Root and Branch, _was a very Extraordinary way of_ Reforming.