Can we wholly excuse those venerable men, our great _reformers_ themselves, from this charge? I fear not, if we impartially read over any history of the _reformation_. What wonder is it then, that when the tables were turned, bishop _Bonner_ or _Gardiner_ should make reprisals? That they should measure to others (indeed _good measure shaken together_) what had before been measured to them? Nor is it strange, when we consider the single case of _Joan Bocher_, that God should suffer those (otherwise) holy men, archbishop _Cranmer_, bishop _Ridley_, and bishop _Latimer_, to drink of the same cup with her. 14. But can you find any tincture of this in the case before us? Do not all who have lately known the love of God, know _what spirit they are of_? And that _the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them_? Do they approve of the using any kind or degree of _violence_, on any account or pretence whatsoever, in matters of _religion_? Do they not hold the _right_ every man has to judge _for himself_, to be sacred and inviolable? Do they allow any method of bringing even those who are farthest out of the way, who are in the grossest errors, to the knowledge of the truth, except the methods of reason and persuasion? Of love, patience, gentleness, long-suffering? Is there any thing in their _practice_ which is inconsistent with this their constant _profession_? Do they in fact hinder their own relations or dependents from worshipping God according to their own _conscience_? When they believe them to be in error, do they use _force_ of any kind, in order to bring them out of it? Let the instances, if there are such, be produced. But if no such are to be found, then let all reasonable men who believe the _bible_, own, that a work of God is wrought in our land: and such a work (if we survey in one view the _extent_ of it, the _swiftness_ with which it is spread, the _depth_ of that religion which was so swiftly diffused, and its _purity_ from all corrupt mixtures,) as it must be acknowledged, cannot easily be paralleled, in all these concurrent circumstances, by any thing that is found in the _English_ annals, since Christianity was first planted in this island.