Limits of Toleration

. . . I dare averre, that God doth no where in his word tolerate Christian States, to give Tolerations to such adverfaries of his Truth, if they have power in their hands to suppresse them. . .

If the devil might have his free option, I beleeve he would ask nothing else, but liberty to enfranchize all false Religions, and to embondage the true; nor should hee need: It is much to be feared, that laxe Tolerations upon State-pretences and planting necessities, will be the next subtle Stratagem he will spread to distaste the Truth of God and supplant the peace of the Churches. Tolerations in things tolerable, ex- quisitely drawn out by the lines of the Scripture, and pencill of the Spirit, are the sacred favours of Truth, the due latitudes of Love, the faire Compartiments of Christian fraternity : but irregular dispenfations, dealt forth by the facilities of men, are the frontiers of error, the redoubts of Schisme, the perillous irritaments of carnall and spirituall enmity. . . .

He that is willing to tolerate any Religion, or discrepant way of Religion, besides his own, unlesse it be in matters meerly indifferent, either doubts of his own, or is not sincere in it .  .  .  .

That there is no Rule given by God for any State to give an affirmative Toleration to any false Religion, or Opinion whatsoever; they must connive in some Cases, buy may not concede in any. . . .

That if the State of England shall either willingly Tolerate, or weakly connive at such Courses, the Church of that Kingdome will sooner become the Devils dancing-Schoole, then Gods Temple: The Civill State a Bearegarden, then an Exchange: The whole Realme a Pais base than an England. And what pity it is, that that Country which hath been the Staple of Truth to all Christendome, should now be come the Aviary of Errors to the whole world, let every fearing heart judge.^[1]