The Lancashire Levite rebuk'd, or, a vindication of the dissenters from popery, superstition, ignorance, and knavery, unjustly charged on them by Mr. Zachary Taylor, in his book, entituled, The Surey impostor. In a letter to himself. / By an impartial hand.

Carrington, John, -1701

Date:: 1698

Credit: The Lancashire Levite rebuk'd, or, a vindication of the dissenters from popery, superstition, ignorance, and knavery, unjustly charged on them by Mr. Zachary Taylor, in his book, entituled, The Surey impostor. In a letter to himself. / By an impartial hand. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$for not examining their Book more carefully; and indeed I have not read it (as I told you) lince 1 law yours, nor feen it; nor will I un¬ dertake tojuftifie all they have fa id and done in this matter, if they pleafe, let them lpeak for themfelves: But (tho' I would not wil¬ lingly wrong either them or you ) I feek not to pleafe either of you, nor do I take upon me to be a Judge, or Judicial Arbitrator, but what I have done, hath-been to fet things in the clear light, and if poffible, to remove Prejudices from the Minds of Men, (otherwife Pious ) againft Diffenters, by miftaking their Principles and Pra- 9:ices 5 and to flop the Mouths of thofe that love neither Gonfor- mifts nor Nonconfbrmifts, that are truly Pious, Holy, and Serious, but take all Opportunities and Advantages, to Reflect upon and Ridi¬ cule whatever is Sacred, and Hands in the way of their Atheiftical Principles, and Vicious and Debauch’d Manners: What need then of more Charity amongft them that truly fear God, even where there cannot be, (through different Apprehenlions ) in all things, Unity or Uniformity: I much approve this Saying, In necejfariis unitas, in non ntceffariis libcrteu, in utripjycharitas. Let there be Unity in things neceffary, Liberty in things not neceffary, and in both Cha¬ rity. What Church, or Society of Men, ( ey.cepting that which is themoftimperfeU) doth pretend to Infallibility and Perfection? Can it be deny’d, that there are Faults amongft all Parties? There¬ fore I fhquld be loth to Subfcribe, That t would not Endeavour any Alteration of Government in the Church (A'England, or the Church (A Scotland, or the Church in New-England-, and I fhOuld be as loth to Cenfure any of them as Damnable Schilmaticks •, but' I have leaf! Charity for thole ( of all Parties) that are moft Schiimatteallv .Uncharitable: Let’s then learn to be more Merciful and' Qiaritabk one to another, as God is to us all. ' - * -. i I am„ SIR, Four Trtte Friend in the Common Faith and Relation, t ■ 1 .1 . . * • ‘ ) l* \: N. N Tit tj Jri c h ; »- r >$