The Review, or, A representation of the late sufferings & condition of the dissenters written some years since, but not then suffer'd to come abroad : now publish'd as well to encrease their gratitude to the King for delivering them from all those calamities, as to excite them to joyn vigorously in all lawful means that many conduce to the prevention of their falling under the like, or worse severeties hereafter.

SECT. V.

THE Penal Laws are executed upon us with great rage and indig∣nation, and there are scarcely any executions that are thought sufficiently severe. Should we enumerate our sufferings, the History of them would swell into sundry Volumes, which is not the design of this Discourse. We intend no full accurate description of our calamities.

2. We are not ignorant, that those that prosecute us, think them∣selves sufficienty justified in all that they do against us by the Autho∣rity of the Laws; we are of another opinion, and so (we make no doubt) will they be another day. Those that persecuted the Christians in the Primitive Times, did it by the authority of the Laws, and so did they in Germany in the Reign of Charles the Fifth; in the Low Countries in the time of Duke Alva's Government; and in England in the Reign of Queen Mary; and so they do now in France under the Rule of Lewis the 14th.

3. There are few Protestants but will condemn those persecutions, though they were directed by the Laws; and we think it no easie matter to justifie the prosecutions that are made against us, although those that afflict us, have the Laws to plead on their behalf. We think the Laws are no better than their Authors; and we are sure they were men subject to like passions with other Mortals, and never gave any evidence of infallible direction, or inspiration in the con∣trivance or making of them.

4. No Laws can justifie prosecutions or Prosecutors, but such as are just. Where they are unjust, those that suffer by them are the in∣nocent persons, and those that prosecute them are the Offenders. 'Tis against the Law in Spain and Italy to read the Bible in the Lan∣guage of those Countries; but those that persecute such as trans∣gress that Law, are transgr••ssors; and those that are outraged and tormented by them, are therein innocent, and probably very good Christians. 'Twas against the Law to make any Petition to God or man for the space of thirty days, unless to Darius the King. Never∣theless, we esteem Daniel that transgressed the Law, as a much better man than any of them that prosecuted him for the breach of it.

5. The Laws require of us the practice of things unnecessary to sub∣scribe to things doubtful, and not at all essential to the Christian Reli∣gion, to swear to Propositions doubtful, if not denied by men of great learning and sobriety. The refusal of these things is penal, some of us are thereby disabled publickly to preach the Gospel, and others to at∣tend it: and if we preach or hear, or worship God in private in the Communion of more than five, besides the Family in which such wor∣ship is performed, we are exposed to punishments more than many, and those none of the smallest or gentlest kinds.

6. If the imposing things of this nature, to be sworn, subscribed and declared, and the punishing men for the refusal of them, and worship∣ping God by other Laws and Methods than those prescribed by the English Liturgy, be just in themselves, or will justifie our Persecutors, we despair of understanding any thing of the natures of good and evil. But of the unreasonableness, and injustice of impositions (and the impossibility of uniting the Church by them, See a little Book called the Samaritane.