that He is at all concerned in Points of this Nature; that Religion is no part of His Care, His bufinefs is only to look after the Civil Government, and the Publick Peace (a Pretence frequently infifted on :) The Anfwer to this is very plain, and might easily be enlarged upon,as to many Particulars, I fhall only mention these two Things; First, that Religion hath a very great influence upon Civil Government, and the Publick Peace; and therefore if fo be, that the Civil Government and the Publick Peace be within His Care; then Religion ought by no means to be excluded from it, as having fo great an influence upon In the next place, as to the Pretence that the Magistrate is in an Errour, if he looks upon himself as concerned in this Particular; it is more than poffible, that that very Pretence will upon Examination appear to be the greater Errour: And in general the Subject is no more free from Errour than the Soveraign. And this need not seem News to us of this Age and Nation; and to speak the Truth, it

it.

is no easie matter to find out any Age or Nation, where it hath not been fadly evidenced, that Seducers will quickly be found in great abundance, where Liberty hath been given for the People to be feduced by them : And after all this,it will be no impoffible Task to make out, that Magiftrates are obliged not only in Interest, but likewife in point of Confcience, to have a great Care of Religion; and to use that Authority which they received from God, fo far to the honour of him who gave it, as by no means to fuffer his Truths to lie all openly expofed to all the Lufts, Defigns, and Mistakes of Men; to all the Knavery and all the Folly of Every one who is either willing to deceive, or liable to be deceived. And of this I fhall now endeavour to give a brief account both from Reason and Scripture, the Neceffity of the thing, and the Authority both of the Old and New Teftament.

But here a great many Rubs are thrown in our way, by the fore-mentioned Author of Liberty of Confcience

upon

upon its true and proper Grounds afferted and vindicated Proving that no Prince nor State ought by force to compel men to any Part of the Doctrine, Worship or Difcipline of the Gospel. London, Printed in the year 1668. Which methinks is not very different from the Doctrine of the Blody Tenent dedicated to both Houses of Parliament in the year 1644. It is the Will and Command of God, that ( fince the coming of his Son Jesus) a Permiffion of the most Paganish, Jewish, Turkish, or Antichriftian Confciences and Worships be granted to All men in all Nations and Countries. But whatever the Affertion of our Author is either in it self, or in its Confequence, I fhall briefly enquire into the Arguments he brings for it. Pag. 25. That the Civil and Ecclefiastical Power are things perfectly in themselves distinct, and ought in their Excercife to be kept fo, &c. And, The Magistrate bath ways, fuch as Chrift thought fufficient, to promote the Good of Religion,and propagating the Growth of the Gospel, without drawing the Civil Sword, which will make no more Impreffion

H 4

Impression in Spiritual Concerns, than it will do upon a Ghost which hath no real Body, &c. And p.28.To ufe force in Religion is wholly unlawful in any hand whatever; because it is by no means appointed by Chrift to bring about any GospelEnd: For the Magiftrate to enforce the Laws of the Gospel by Temporal Power, or to compel Men into the Gospel by such a Power, is to act without the leaft Precept or Precedent;to induce an Engine to execute the Gospel contrary to the nature of Christs Kingdom (which is not of this World) and contrary to the nature of all Gospel-inftitutions. Doth not Paul pofitively deliver this, That the of the Gospel are not carnal but spiritual, and mighty thorough God: The Sword of the Spirit is the Weapon by which Chrift doth all; yea, by which he will deftroy Antichrift, the greatest GoSpel-enemy the World bath produced. The Sum of which is briefly this: 1. That Force is a very incompetent Method to be used in matters of Belief and Perfwafion: 2. That it is unlawful. I. Becaufe Chrift hath no where commanded it, we have nei

weapons

ther

ther Precept nor Precedent for it: 2. Because St. Paul hath plainly for bid it, where he fays that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal.

Now, as to these Suggestions which do frequently recurr in this Question, I shall at prefent only briefly touch upon them, premifing this, That our Author, like to all the reft who have dealt in this Cause, is as much concern'd to answer these and all the rest of his Arguments against using the Secular Interpofition in mate ters of Belief, as any of those he writes against; because he himself doth very much approve and commend fuch Interpofition where he likes the Caufe in behalf of which it is made use of. Now, though this may feem ftrange, because it is directly contrary to his whole Book, yet it is very plain; and I shall not expect to be believed upon my bare word, but defire the Author himself, or any one befides who makes a doubt of it, to confider these words which we have pag. 24. Conftantine and the Chriftian Emperours after him, till the Church of Rome

bad