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If we should once come to disputes I know who would have the worst on't, and I have not faith enough to believe a doctrine that is often preach'd, which is, that though at first one has no kindness for them, yet it will grow strongly after marriage.
The Lunarian Church Party had all along Preach'd up for a part of their Religion, that Absolute undisputed Obedience, was due from every Subject to their Prince without any Reserve, Reluctance or Repining; that as to Resistance, it was Fatal to Body, Soul, Religion, Justice and Government; and tho' the Doctrine was Repugnant to Nature, and to the very Supreme Command it self, yet he that resisted, receiv'd to himself Damnation, just for all the World like our Doctrine of Passive Obedience.
Some were executed, others maim'd, par-burnt, and scourg'd two hundred die in prison some on the gallows, or at the stake. George Fox himself visited America, and found a refuge and hearers, and preach'd many times on Long Island, New York State.
And indeed when I reflected on the Coherence of things, I could not so much blame this Prince for his venturing upon the probability, for whoever was but to go up to this Lunar World and read the Stories of that Time, with what Fury the hot Men of the Solunarian Church acted against the Dissenting Crolians, and with what warmth they assisted their Prince against them, and how Cruelly they insulted them after they were defeated in their attempt of Dethroning him, how zealously they Preach'd up the Doctrine of absolute undisputed Resignation to his Will, how frequently they obey'd several of his encroachments upon their Liberties, and what solemn Protestations they made to submit to him in any thing, and to stand by and assist him in whatever he Commanded them to the last Drop, much with the same Zeal and Forwardness, as our Life-and-Fortune Men did here in England.
No Man living will ever be able to make these Heathens sensible of the Happiness of a future State, except he now and then mentions some lively carnal Representation, which may quicken their Apprehensions, and make them thirst after such a gainful Exchange; for, were the best Lecture that ever was preach'd by Man, given to an ignorant sort of People, in a more learned Style, than their mean Capacities are able to understand, the Intent would prove ineffectual, and the Hearers would be left in a greater Labyrinth than their Teacher found them in.
Whence it appears that the assurance of future Existence, with the knowledge of eternal Rewards and Punishments annex'd to Mens Observance, or not observance of the Law of Reason had Men had it, without the Revelation of the Gospel, would not have been so universal or powerful an inforcement of Obedience to them as it is to us; to whom together with this, is preach'd also the Doctrine of forgiveness of Sins, through Faith in Jesus Christ.
The perfect equality of slavery with freedom was flauntingly preach'd in the north nay, the superiority of slavery. The slave trade was proposed to be renew'd. Everywhere frowns and misunderstandings everywhere exasperations and humiliations. Out of those generic influences, mainly in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, &c., arose the attempt at disunion.
Yet by this most dextrous way of Twisting, Extending, Contracting, and Distinguishing of Phrases and Reasoning, they presently made it as plain as the Sun at Noon Day; that these Prestarians were King-killers, Common-wealths Men, Rebels, Traytors, and Enemies to Monarchy; that they restor'd the Monarchy only in order to Destroy it, and that they Preach'd up Sedition, Rebellion and the like: This was prov'd so plain by these sublime Distinctions, that they convinc'd themselves and their Posterity of it, by a rare and newly acquir'd Art, found out by extraordinary Study, which proves the wonderful power of Custom, insomuch, that let any Man by this method, tell a Lye over a certain number of times, he shall arrive to a Satisfaction of its certainty, tho' he knew it to be a Fiction before, and shall freely tell it for a Truth all his life after.
But many who condemn such a Doctrine as separates Religion from Morality, do yet in their practices make the like distinction, which may well be presum'd to have been one great cause of their having preach'd up Vertue so ineffectually as they have done. That which People say having ordinarily less influence upon others, than what they see them Do.
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