crown, upon an express condition of certain homages to be paid to God, as the great proprietor; renouncing all dependance upon, and all subjection to any of his competitors. Now it was plainly equitable, that, as the counterpart of these advantages, they should be subjected to some peculiar temporal punishments; if, while they claimed these privileges, they falsified that allegiance which was the condition of them; in which case they suffered, not merely as idolaters, but as traitors.

I will further add, that as God was determined, in the course of his providence, to send national judgments upon them, in case of a national revolt to idolatry, which he accordingly always did, it was a merciful as well as just severity, thus to animadvert, upon the first appearances of this aggravated crime, to which they were strongly inclined; and by which, if it prevailed amongst them, they must be universally undone.

But, as all these circumstances were peculiar to the Jews, I hope you are, by this time, fully convinced, that it is most absurd to draw an argument in favour of religious severities in general, from the penal laws of the Mosaic institution*. I have been so large on this head, that I must only hint at those weak and contemptible arguments which are brought,

4. From some abused passages in the New Testament.

And indeed I should hardly mention them, but to expose them; and to shew to what wretched straits ingenious and interested men must be brought, when they will condescend to make use of such arguments: for, after all, to their shame I must say, the chief texts which I find produced for their purpose, by popish writers, are two; which I am persuaded, a wise and honest man might have read a thousand times before he had ever dreamt of such a consequence from them. Christ gave Peter a commission to feed his sheep+; and that must, say some, imply a power in the church, and especially in the pope, as the head of it, to kill wolves, that is, heretics. As if an argument, from this figurative expression, to so distant a circumstance, could be allowed against such strong evidence, both of scripture

* I have not mentioned the argument which some have brought from Job's saying, that idolatry is a wickedness to be punished by the judge, Job xxxi. 28. because it is so evident that Job speaks unadvisedly with his lips, in some instances, as he him. self owns, Job xl. 3-8. xlii. 3-6. And I think, if we grant there were in his days such a law in Arabia, as made idolatry capital, it can never be proved of divine institution from these words, any more than it can be argued from Judah's sentence against Tamar, Gen. xxxviii. 24. that there was then a divine law for executing women while they were big with child.

and reason. But I must do them the justice to say, their grand argument is behind: and it is couched in those words, Compel them to come in*. But, what compulsion and violence must be offered to these words, before they will be of any service in the cause of persecution! How often have they been told, that this relates only to friendly importunity, like that which the disciples used to engage Christ to spend the evening with them at Emmaus, when, as the evangelist expresses it, They constrained him +? And how absurd it would be to suppose servants sent out with sword in hand to force in guests to an entertainment, I think you will easily apprehend ‡. Another argument a little more specious than either of these might be brought from the corporal punishments inflicted on blasphemers in the apostle's times §, but it is to be considered that these were the effects of a miraculous power, and consequently had a proper tendency to convince the understanding of the sufferers and spectators, of the divine mission of those with whom the hand of the Lord thus remarkably was. It is therefore most absurd to talk of substituting the power of the magistrate instead of these extraordinary penalties, unless the magistrate can inflict them the same way; and then we will acknowledge they merit not the name of persecution, but come under that singular exception which we admitted in the beginning of the discourse.

I have the pleasure to assure you that these wretched arguments, or rather empty shadows of argument, are the most material which I have seen produced from the New Testament in favour of religious severities. It is the glory of that sacred book, that it affords no better arguments in so infamous a cause. And I cannot forbear observing, that the silence of the New Testament on this head is a strong argument against persecution, and would have been so, had the apostles omitted the many passages before quoted, in which they seem directly to oppose it.

I know it may be said, the sacred writers did not advise the primitive christians to use violence, because their religion was then in its infancy, and they had no power in their hands. Yet, one would imagine, that if the apostles would have approved

* Luke xiv. 23.

+ Luke xxiv. 29.

I think the word avάyxa w occurs but nine times in the New Testament, Mat. xiv. 22. Mark vi. 45. Luke xiv. 23. Acts xxvi. 2. xxviii. 19. 2 Cor. xii. 11. Gal. ii. 3, 14. vi. 12. It is only in the 4th and 5th of these places, that it can refer to the use of secular power. Пagabiacoμas is used twice, Luke xxiv. 29. Acts xvi. 15. and in both those places can signify no more than friendly importunity. § Acts v. 5, 10. xiii. 11. 1 Cor. v. 13. 1 Tim. i. 20.

themselves honest men on the scheme we oppose, they should have laid in some directions for future times, and have instructed christians in the use of their secular power, when it was obtained; as the Jews were particularly directed in the management of theirs. Especially since this is a case in which the wrath of man, which worketh not the righteousness of God, is so ready to throw about firebrands, arrows and death.

Nor will it here be improper to remind you that there was at least one prince converted to christianity in the apostles' time; I mean Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus: yet we do not find St. Paul exhorting him to proselyte his subjects by violence, or even to inflict any penalties on Elymas the sorcerer, though he had been convicted of error in so miraculous a way, and though an inspired apostle had called him, in his presence, a Child of the devil and an enemy of all righteousness *.

I must also add here, that it is well known, masters amongst the Greeks and Romans had an unlimited power over the persons and lives of their slaves. Now if corporal severities were ordinarily to have been used to promote the gospel, we might have expected that the apostles writing, as they so often do, of the duty of masters, should have added some exhortations to them to compel their slaves to embrace it. Yet nothing of that kind occurs, which I think makes the negative arguments as strong as one can well suppose a negative argument to be.

IV. I must conclude my discourse with touching on those reflections which I have left myself but little time to enlarge

upon.

1. Let us bless God that we are free from the guilt of persecuting others, and the misery of being persecuted ourselves.

Had we been born in Spain or Portugal, education and example might have corrupted our judgment so much, that without farther inquiry we might have taken it for granted, as a first principle, as many there seem to do, that heretics are to be punished with death. And on this foundation we might have practised or applauded the greatest inhumanities, perhaps towards the best of men. We might have been presenting to God what is much worse than robbery, even murder for a burnt-offering and trusting in that for the expiation of our other offences, which is itself in the number of the greatest enormities which human nature can commit. In such a case I fear the blindness and ignorance of our zeal would not have been allowed as an

Acts xiii. 10.

excuse for its pernicious consequences. St. Paul calls himself the Chief of sinners for those severities which he exercised on christians ignorantly*, and while he Verily thought that it was his duty to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazaretht. And indeed, as Mr. Baxter well expresses it, in his masculine and lively manner‡, "If charity be a grace most necessary to salvation, then certainly it will not keep any man from damnation, that he had malice and uncharitableness enough to persuade him, that the members of Christ were children of the devil, though he persecuted them under that notion."

Let us be thankful that we are preserved from that guilt, and let us also acknowledge it as an instance of the divine goodness to us, that we are not suffering by persecution; that we are not plundered and banished, or perhaps imprisoned and tortured for conscience-sake; and so brought under a formidable temptation, to make shipwreck of that as well as of faith. Let this day remind us of the frequent dangers of this kind to which we have been exposed: and let us gratefully own God's watchful care over us, and that powerful hand exerted in our favour, to which we owe it, that Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers, which was once and again spread for our lives, the snare is broken and we are escaped §. Let the memory of those who were the glorious instruments of our deliverance be ever dear to us, and the persons of those who under God are the great guardians of our civil and religious liberties, be regarded with becoming reverence, affection and obedience.

2. Let us envy none that liberty of conscience which they enjoy, on such equitable principles.

While we rejoice in a toleration ourselves, we were inexcusable if we were grieved that many who most widely differ from us share in the same common benefit. A variety of opinions must be expected, and debates will unavoidably arise from it; but when we are pressed by the arguments of our opponents, or, it may be, provoked by what we think their obstinacy; let us not indulge even a secret wish, that there were a sword in our hand to slay them, or a chain to bind them. Far from complaining of it as an evil, let us rather rejoice in it as the peculiar glory and happiness of our age and country, perhaps beyond any other, that our neighbours, as well as we, enjoy a freedom of choosing their religion for themselves; and amidst all the

* 1 Tim. i. 13-15. † Acts xxvi. 9. Baxt, Pract. Works, Vol. I. p. 612. § Psalm cxxiv. 7.

diversity of that choice, Sit every one under his own vine and fig-tree, and have none on that account to make them afraid*.

And I will add, let not private malice and uncharitableness assume the place of public severities. Let those who are in the superior relations of life, lay aside a rigorous and imposing temper, towards those who are under their care. In matters of conscience let not the husband pretend to determine for the wife, nor the parent for the child, nor the master for the servant; but if fair argument and love will not fix a conviction on their mind in favour of what we apprehend to be right, let us leave them to worship God in their own way, without absolutely insisting upon it that they should do it in ours.

Let

Once more, let not neighbours and equals be severe on one another upon account of religious differences, but make the most candid allowances which the case will bear for the errors and weaknesses of each other. Far from injuring and reviling each other, and refusing the mutual offices of humanity and friendship, let us study to abound in them more and more. us pray, that if any are otherwise minded than truth, reason and scripture would teach, God would in his own method, and time reveal unto them whatever it may be of importance for them to know; and in the mean time let us endeavour to act on the great principles of virtue and benevolence, which, blessed be God, are not peculiar to any distinguishing forms of religious profession amongst us. And I heartily pray, that domestic persecution may never be the guilt or the misery of any, who by the laws of our country are protected from public violence.

Lastly, Let us be very cautious that we do not abuse that religious liberty which, by the singular favour of providence, we enjoy.

Let us remember, that as the best blessings may be perverted, it is too possible that even this may be turned into licentiousness. It is true, that our consciences are under no human jurisdiction, but let it be considered they are not without law, but under law, to God. He who searches men's hearts, knows how to judge of the sincerity and impartiality of our inquiries into truth, though none else can do it. Let us therefore be wary in our determinations in matters of importance, and let us earnestly pray for the enlightening influences of God's Holy Spirit, to preserve us from erroneous principles, and superstitious worship.

*Mic. iv. 4.