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Not all the boasted Advantages of their Church can juftify them in the Cruelty. they use towards their Fellow-Creatures. Have they a Zeal and Love for Christ? So had the Disciples. Are they provoked by the Indignities offered to him? So were they. Have they Faith enough among them to work Miracles in his Name; and will they from thence juftify their Practice? The fame Faith had the Disciples; Wilt thou, fay they, that We command Fire to come down from Heaven? You see their Faith: they wanted nothing but the Lord's Permiffion to do the thing: and yet, their Faith notwithstanding, we learn from the unerring Voice of Truth, that their Spirit was not right within them.

But when we have confidered our Saviour's Judgment in this Cafe, and how far it extends, we shall be better able to judge, to what Kind of Spirit the dark Contrivance of this Day is to be ascribed.

The Cafe has been already ftated, and I need not repeat it: my Business at present shall be to confider, how far this Reason of our Saviour's excludes all Ufe of temporal Punishments in Matters of Religion. And,

I. I fhall briefly fhew that it holds in all Cafes with refpect to Church-power.

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II. That the Argument does not affect the Civil Magiftrate's Power; nor tye up his Hands from interpofing with the civil Sword in Matters proper for his Jurifdiction; however they may be pretended to be allied to Religion.

III. I fhall apply what is faid to the fent Occafion.

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I. As to the Perfons on whom the Difciples would have executed Vengeance, they were on two Accounts the Objects of their Wrath. They were Apoftates from the true Religion, and had erected a Temple to themselves on the Mount of Samaria. Befides this, they had very inhumanly treated them and their Mafter. The Rule of Charity is so very plain in Scripture, and the Duty of forgiving Injuries fo express, that I think perfonal Affronts and Injuries can with no Colour be pleaded to justify Persecution. And therefore the whole Weight of the Argument lies upon the Honour of God and Religion; from which Topics the Doctrine of extirpating Heretics fetches its main Support. But to this Argument our Saviour has furnished us with a fhort but full Reply, Ver. 56. The Son of Man is not come to deftroy Men's Lives, but to fave them.

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The Honour of God is beft confulted, by complying with the gracious Designs of his Providence; and the Honour of Religion beft fecured, by promoting the Ends of it: and fince our Saviour has told us, that the Defign of his coming into the World, and the End of the Religion he taught, was not to destroy, but to fave Men's Lives; there can be no greater Indignity offered to God, no greater Contempt fhewn of Christ, or Blemish caft upon Religion; than to make Religion, which was defigned to fave Men, the Means and Inftrument of deftroying them. The Argument reaches to all Methods of propagating Religion which are hurtful or injurious to Men, as well as merely destroying them by the Fire or Sword; for the Son of Man no more came to injure or abuse Men, than he did to destroy them: and therefore the Argument is equally strong against injuring or abufing our Fellow-Creatures in order to propagate the Faith, as it is against destroying them. And very strong it must be in both Cafes, fince it is our Saviour's own Argument.

It is true, that all Punishments do not come under the Notion of Injuries or Abuses; fince many are calculated for the Benefit

Benefit of Offenders; to reclaim them to a better Mind, and better Manners and confequently, all Punishments will not come within this Argument of our Blessed Saviour: and therefore, notwithstanding what has been said, it may ftill be pretended, that there is Room for the Exercise of temporal Punishments (for of fuch only I fpeak at prefent) in the Cafe of Religion; fince fome Punishments may be fubfervient to the End of Religion, and may help to fet forward the Salvation of Men.

But however good a Reafon this may be for exercifing temporal Punishments in the Cause of Religion, it can fignify nothing in the prefent Cafe, unless the Church be vested with a Power of difpenfing temporal Punishments: for this Reafon cannot create a Power, where it is not; it can only direct the Exercise of it, where it is. And therefore, to those who urge the Conveniency of temporal Punishments in Matters of Religion, we answer with our Bleffed Saviour, Ye know not what Manner of Spirit ye are of: the Kingdom of Christ is not of this World; nor is it to be erected or fupported by worldly Power: he has not intrenched upon the civil Magistrate's Authority, or granted any

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Part of their Commiffion to his Difciples. When St. Peter drew the Sword in his Defence, he commanded him to put up the Sword again into its Place, with this Threatning, For all they who take the Sword, shall perish with the Sword. And in his Answer to Pilate he declares, My Kingdom is not of this World. If my Kingdom were of this World, then would my Servants fight, that I fhould not be delivered to the Jews: But now is my Kingdom not from hence, John xviii. 36.

This may serve to fhew the Meaning and Extent of our Saviour's Argument; and how contrary it is to the Genius and Spirit of the Christian Religion, to found its Faith in temporal Punishments. The Powers which are derived to the Church from Chrift the Head of it, are purely fpiritual: the Punishments the inflicts, are of the fame Nature; and the Effect of them generally fufpended till the Offender comes to another World. It is juft Reasoning, I think, to infer from the spiritual Nature of Christ's Kingdom, and the fpiritual Power of his Ministers on Earth, that temporal Punishments are not proper to enforce the Laws and Edicts of Chrift's Kingdom; for fince

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