making. He had put all princes upon the rack to
stretch them to his dimension. And as a straight line continued grows
a circle, he had given them so infinite a power, that it was extended
unto impotency. For though he found it not till it was too late in
the cause, yet he felt it all along (which is the understanding of
brutes) in the effect. For hence it is that he so often complains
that princes know not aright that supremacy over consciences, to
which they were so lately, since their deserting the Church of Rome,
restored; that in most Nations government was not rightly understood,
and many expressions of that nature: whereas indeed the matter is,
that princes have always found that uncontroulable government over
_conscience_ to be both unsafe and impracticable. He had run himself
here to a stand, and perceived that there was a God, there was
Scripture; the magistrate himself had a conscience, and must 'take
care that he did not enjoyn things apparently evil.' But after all,
he finds himself again at the same stand here, and is run up to the
wall by an angel. God, and Scripture, and conscience will not let him
go further; but he owns, that if the magistrate enjoyns things
apparently evil, the subject may have liberty to remonstrate. What
shall he do, then? for it is too glorious an enterprize to be
abandoned at the first rebuffe. Why, he gives us a new translation of
the Bible, and a new commentary! He saith, that tenderness of
conscience might be allowed in a Church to be constituted, not in a
Church constituted already. That tenderness of conscience and scandal
are ignorance, pride, and obstinacy. He saith, the Nonconformists
should communicate with him till they have clear evidence that it is
evil. This is a civil way indeed of gaining the question, to perswade
men that are unsatisfied, to be satisfied till they be dissatisfied.
He threatens, he rails, he jeers them, if it were possible, out of
all their consciences and honesty; and finding that will not do, he
calls out the magistrate, tells him these men are not fit to live;
there can be no security of government while they are in being. Bring
out the pillories, whipping-posts, gallies (=galleys), rods, and
axes (which are _ratio ultima cleri_, a clergyman's last argument, ay
and his first too), and pull in pieces all the Trading Corporations,
those nests of Fa