a Government, partial to their outward Inte refts, Pomp and Splendour; yet languish for an allowance to Seize and make Prey of others that differ from them or whether they be fuch as only want to be Tolerated, till they are ftrong enough to deftroy those that differ from them; either one or t'other, let them be of what Denomination they will, deserve no Toleration themselves.

To fay, as is often faid upon this Subject, that all Parties, when uppermoft, are for per fecuting others; whether it be true or falfe is nothing to me; but if it be true, it is a standing Recommendation of my Expedient, and an Argument for this free and impartial Liberty, be caufe 'tis owing to the want of this Liberty being made a part of our Law, as it is of our Gofpel, that there is any room for thofe Apprehenfions, that put Men upon those unjuft ways of preventing the Retaliations they know they deserve, and cannot but fear, if Power, in the Revolution of Affairs, fhould come into the Hands of those whom they have hardly ufed. Take away intirely thefe alternate Apprehenfions, and there's an end for ever of this mutual Charge.

Thefe, and fuch like Opinions, are Civil Crimes, inconfiftent with the Peace of the State, and have no Pleas to a Toleration from it. Tho' it must be owned, that a Government may be in a Condition as to be able, fafely, by connivance, to let fome People have, what they neither have a Right to, nor deferve to enjoy. But now, as to all other Opinions and Profeffions that injure not the State, and are not detrimental to the Peace of the Soci

ety,

ety, and the Rights of Mankind, they are within the Reasons of a common Freedom. Where Perfons are in other refpects good Sub jects, they have an unanswerable Claim to the Benefits of the State from the Magiftrate, who is the Guardian of it, and from every one that pretends to belong to the Church of Chrift. Equal and impartial Liberty will be efteemed highly feasonable, as well as equitable, by all Men, who have Souls large enough to prefer the true Intereft of the Publick before that of a Party or any selfish Views.

As to the Magiftrate, you know, Sir, the Care of Souls and their Salvation, is not committed to him. This is not the End of the Magiftrate's Inftitution, but the publick Peace and Order, and the maintaining every Man in the peaceful Poffeffion of what he has lawfully gotten by his Induftry or Skill, or belongs to him as Birthright. The Force of the Society is committed to him for other Ends, than to punish Men for Confcience; rather to protect thofe very Perfons, who being good Subjects are of different Apprehenfions in Religion, from the Violence of Bigots and Perfecutors, who would use them ill for being fo; to prevent, if he can, or punish the Violations of Right, and the Injuries done to any upon the Account of their differing Sentiments in Religion. So far is it from being a Right of any Power or Society, to hinder any one from ferving and worshipping God, and fecuring the Salvation of his Soul, in that way and manner he thinks moft proper, that (the former Restrictions remembred) 'tis the Bufinefs of the Magiftrate rather to punish any that

would

would go about to hinder or moleft them, becaufe, it would be contrary to the Nature of Government for Civil Power to punish, where there was no Civil Crime. If a Man's Confcience leads him into a State-Crime, his Confcience is no Plca, in Bar of the Magiftrate's Animadverfion: Who is in fuch Cafe to take Care of the Publick Peace and Welfare, without regard to his Confcience; which was never given by God intentionally to diffolve or difturb good Government. But after this Caution, we affert, that no one has a Power over Confcience, to punifh any Man for worfhipping God or going to Heaven his own Way; provided, he difturb not the Publick Peace, not injure either the Community or any in it, to the Care of which the Civil Pow er and Dominion is bounded and confined, and not defigned to be extended to the Salva tion of Mens Souls; excepting what the Magiftrate may do as well as another Man by way of Advice, Perfwafion or Argument.

If this Power be in the Magiftrate, it must either be given him by God, or vefted in him by the People. Can you fhow me, Sir, where God has given the Magiftrate any fuch a Power over the Confciences of Men, either in the Law of Nature, or Revelation? If from the Law of Nature, then all Magiftrates have it, and then Pagan and Popish have the Right of Compelling. And how do you think they will ufe it? To what Religion will they Compel? Will not this put the greateft Part of "the World under an Obligation of following their Prince in the Ways that lead to C.

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Deftruction? And that which heightens the Abfurdity, and very ill fuits the Notion of a Deity, Men would owe their eternal Happiness or Mifery to the Places of their Nativity.

Nor can any Man fhow me where God has given this Power to the Magiftrate in Revelation, to compel the Confciences of Men, or ufe Force, that is, to punish without any State Crime, and fuch too who are in other refpects good Subjects, meerly for difference in Matters of Religion. It were in effect to give a Magiftrate a Power to oppofe God Himself, to ufurp his Right, to empower the Magiftrate to drive God's own Son out of the World when he came into it, to perfecute his Apoftles, and root out Chriftianity where-ever the Magiftrate is not of it. 'Tis aftonifhing that it should not be enough to fay to a Chriftian against any Restraints of this Kind, that fuppofing this Power inherent in the Magiftrate, or Majority of every State and Nation, the Chriftian Religion would never have obtain❜d, nor fo much as got footing in the World.

Nor can the People veft the Magiftrate with any fuch Power, because it is to give to another the Power of chufing a Religion for me; which is throwing up the Care of my Soul. Is he likely to have more Concern for my Soul than I have for my felf? or than he has for his own, which we do not always fee they take the greatest Care of? Is he lefs liable to Paffions, Prejudices and Mistakes, or to be deceived by thofe who infinuate themselves to be the Directors of his Confcience or to be

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influenc'd by worldly and politic Views? Is it not abfurd to imagine, that ever People can give a Power to the Civil Magiftrate of deftroying themselves, Soul and Body, for Ends and Purposes that don't at all concern the State? Such is the Power of chufing a Religion for the People: and the Power of chufing a Religion cannot be more effectually given, than by giving a Power of punishing those who will not comply with his. In fhort, as it does not appear that God has given the Magistrate any fuch Power, fo neither can any fuch Power be vefted in the " Magiftrate by the confent of "the People, because, no Man can so far a"bandon the Care of his own Salvation, as

blindly to leave it to the choice of any "other, whether Prince or Subject, to pre"fcribe to him, what Faith, or Worship he "fhall embrace; for no Man can, if he would, "conform his Faith to the Dictates of ano"ther, and believe what he will.

Again, the Care of Souls cannot belong "to the Magiftrate; because, his Power as "Magiftrate confifs only in Outward Force: "But now, true and faving Religion confifts "in the Inward Perfwafion of the Mind, with"out which nothing can be acceptable to "God. Such is the Nature of the Under"standing that it cannot be compelled to the "Belief of any thing by outward Force. If "the Magiftrate will condefcend to argue and "Reason, this is common to him with other "Men, and what any Man has Authority to "do, from Humanity and Christianity; but "it is one thing to Perfwade, another to Command,

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