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. 9.

1. After this, What account then will you be able to give to God, of the Se∣verities that you exercise towards us? We hope you believe a Supream Being, and a D••y of Judgment, and that all Men must appear there, and give account of the deeds done in the Body? And do you not know that Christ Jesus is to be your Judge, and that he esteems all the Injuries and Wrongs that are done unto his Servants and Disciples, as done unto himself? And are you sure that those that you Persecute are none of them? Are you sure they are not Members of his Body, of his Flesh, and of his Bone? Do you not know that God is a Consuming Fire, and that 'tis a fearful thing to fall into his hand? These are serious Que∣stions, and should be seriously considered, and not scorned and turned into Ridi∣cule; for if these Men, that you thus Prosecute with so much Rage and Wrath, should prove the Servants of the Living God, (as we do not doubt but that they will) Certamente no queriamos estar so Pelleio vestro, we should be very loath to be under your Skin, as the Spanish Proverb expresses it.

2. We are not ignorant of what is pleaded in your defence, and for your justi∣fication. 'Tis said, that we are Hereticks, Schismaticks, Men of Sedition, Sub∣verters of all Peace and Order, and many other things of like importance are charged u••on us. And were not Christ and his Apostles accused of the same Crimes? Was not Christ said to subvert the Mosaical Institution, which he denyed, by say∣ing, he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it? Was not Paul said to be a Turbulent Fellow, and a mover of Sedition? Were not he and others of the Apo∣stles and Preachers of the Gospel, s••id to have turned the World upside down? Were not all Christians accounted Sectaries, and Schismaticks, by the Scribes and Pha∣risees, and other of the People of the Jews? This Sect, say they, is every where spoken against.

3. Were they not very confident of the truth of their Opinions and Apprehen∣sions? Did they not think verily that Christ Jesus was a Malefactour and ought to dye? Would they have cryed out, His Blood be upon us, and upon our Children, if they had believed him inn••cent? Were not those Persons perswaded, that they h••d right on their side, which Gn••shed their Teeth, stopped their Ears, ran upon St. Stephen, dr••gged him out of the City, and stoned him with stones till he dyed? Were not the Heathens pretty well assured, in their own Conceits, that they did very commendably and well, when they outraged the Christians, and cryed out, Take away the Ʋngodly? Vid. Euseb. lib. 4. Cap. 14.

4. And is it not certain that they were deceived and mistaken? Was it not the Son of God, that the Jews persecuted, and murthered, as an Enemy to M ses, and a Confederate of B••elzebub? Were they not the Apostles of Christ, and the Prea∣chers of Peace, which they prosecuted as Disturbers of the Order and Government of the World? Were not the Primitive Christians, which the Heathen Prosecuted as Atheists, Impious, and Ungodly, Persons of pure and unblameable Conversa∣tions, and most Religious Worshippers of the true and onely God?

5. And is it not possible, that you may be deceived in your Judgments a••d Conceptions, concerning us? Are you not Men of like Passions and Prejudices, with those that have preceded you in past Generations? May you not have believed many Lies and slanderous Reports against us? And is not your Enmity and Ave••∣sation towards us, raised upon impudent Falshoods, and frontless Fables? Do you know those things to be true, for the sake whereof you hate us?

6. 'Tis true you do know, that we do Worship God in a manner something dif∣ferent from that prescribed by our Laws, and peradventure this may be all the evil that you know concerning us: 'Twas said of old, B••nus vir Caius Seius, sed malus tantum quod Christianus. Caius Seius is a good Man, but he is naught, only because he is a Christian. Tertull. in Apol. And we think we might pass for honest men, were it not for our N••nconformity. And is that a Crime that will justifie all this Severity, and authorize all this Rage that is used and spent against us? we cannot tell what it may do at man's Tribunal, we do very much believe, it will not do at that of God.