"

cheat any perfon or perfons whatsoever, for "or under the pretence of their being heretics," is to fuppofe them ignorant of the commandments of God.

Since the time of the emperor Theodofius, laws have been enacted concerning herefy. Lawyers and divines of both communions have been divided in their opinions: Geneva and London, Calvinift magiftrates, and Proteftant kings, have concurred with the Spanish inquifitors in blazing the fagot, and foreftalling the rigour of eternal juftice. The writ De Hæretico Comburendo (of committing heretics to the flames) was in force down to the reign of Charles the Second, and has met with a learned apologist in Calvin. By the ftatute and common laws of England, fome punishments are still in force against heretics; but how far these and severer punishments inflicted by the civil and imperial laws, are impious and unchriftian, kings, not fubjects, are interested to deter

mine.

In every Christian country, the Chriftian religion is a part of the national laws; on the other hand, herefy, in its loosest latitude, comprehends errors fubverfive not only of revealed religion, but moreover of morality, and juftice; fuch as the error of the Prifcillianifts, authorizing falfe oaths; and the error of those

who

who give a loose to private and public vices, by denying all rewards and punishments beyond the grave. Should then the fupreme magiftrate, to whom the right of the sword is reserved, determine the degree of punishment, and instead of imprisonment, banishment, &c. make it ca pital, let his confcience condemn or acquit him. Every fubject should ftill" reject and deteft, as "unchriftian and impious to believe, that it is "lawful to murder or deftroy any person or perfons whatsoever, for or under the pretence of their being heretics." We are never to arrogate to ourselves the power of life and death, which God has intrufted to the legiflators, and to them alone,

To Catholic and Proteftant magiftrates let us, however, venture to propose the advice of St. Bernard: "Hæretici capiantur non armis, "fed argumentis ;*" "Let heretics be con"vinced not with blows, but arguments;" and the opinion of St. Auguftine, in his letter to count Marcellin: "No doctrine fhould ftrike a "deeper horror into the human heart, than "that which teacheth that it is lawful to kill any perfon or perfons under pretence of he

t

refy, and under the mask of religion, spreads "the difmal feeds of the greatest evils in the "Christian world,-murders, diffenfions, wars:"

Bernard, in Cant. Serm. 62.

In

In fine, the opinion of a learned Proteftant bifhop: "Among all the herefies this age has "fpawned, there is not one more contrary to "the whole defign of religion, and more de"structive of mankind, than is that bloody 66 opinion of defending religion by arms, and of forcible refiftance upon the colour of re"ligion." *

66

However, upon closer inspection into those perfecutions which have changed Europe into a scene of Gothic barbarity, we fshall find a combination of various caufes, amongst which religion was a pretext, paffion and policy the, main fprings. "Examine all your former wars, "(commonly ftiled wars of religion)" fays the moft famous writer of the age, you will fee "the firft fparks of them kindled in the dark "receffes of the court, or in the ambitious "breafts of the grandees. Matters were first "embroiled and entangled by the intrigues and "debates of the cabinet; and afterwards the "leading men raised the people in the name of "God."

In effect, fir, under the empire of grace, our paffions retain a fatal liberty, and even uniformity of belief does not always preclude factious divifions. Whigs and Tories, Guelphes

Bishop of Sarum, preface to the Vindication of the Church and State of Scotland.

and

*

and Gibelines may repeat the fame creed, and be ftill divided. The Sicilians and French went to the fame churches to fing their ballelujabs upon an Easter Sunday, when foon after the air began to refound with the groans of bleeding victims, and the harmonious founds of chiming bells. Had the fufferers been of a different perfuafion from that of their aggreffors, religion would appear as the chief character in the tragedy, when represented by fome of our English hiftorians, especially fir John Temple, who spreads the wild theatre of imaginary maffacres, abufes the public faith, and blends the mendacity of heathen Greece into the hiftory of Chriftians." Et quidquid Græcia mendax “ໄ peccat in hiftoria."

To clear religion from thofe bloody imputations, let us contraft the present to the past times the Huguenots, formerly victims to the policy of Catharine de Medicis, live now in peace and opulence, enjoy their rich eftates in Poitou, Lower Normandy, &c. The order of Military Merit is inftituted to reward the valour of their officers: and in France no man's religion is a bar to his promotion in the career of military honours, whereas nothing more common than to see the French legions commanded by

Two formidable factions in Italy.

Juvenal, Sat. 10.

Pro

Proteftant generals. Here in Ireland, the Catholics, formerly drove by thousands into woods. and caverns, and their clergy hunted like wild beafts, live unmolested, though debarred of the privilege of becoming foldiers or mayor's ferjeants. The respective religions of the two kingdoms are now what they were then whence proceeds this happy transition from perfecution to lenity? Not from the Chriftian religion, whofe fpirit never changes; but from the different characters of its profeffors.

:

The French Huguenots are now under Lewis XVI. They have been formerly under the fway of a Medicis. Formerly under the Stuarts, we are now governed by the Brunfwics. Our magiftrates are Protestants, but quite different from thofe who, inftead of redreffing grievances, used to foment the rebellion, with a view of enriching themselves by the spoils of oppreffion. In fine, fir, let us diveft ourselves of paffion Religion will never arm our hand with the poniard.

AR T. V..

"I further declare, that it is no article of my "faith, and that I do renounce, reject, and "abjure the opinion, that princes excommu"nicated by the pope and council, or by "any authority of the fee of Rome, or by

"any