thing elfe; as fome would be readily of a different mind, even in the fundamentals of religion and virtue.While fome believed that Chrift was not true God or true man, or that idols might be worshipped, others would believe that oaths might be lawfully violated, heretical princes affaffinated, or women and goods used in common.

8. If other men's private judgment be allowed to be their fupreme rule and reafon of conduct, it will neceffarily follow, that magistrates' private judgment must be the rule of their conduct; and that they ought to make and execute fuch laws as they believe in their own heart to be proper, be they as arbitrary and tyrannical as they will.

9. It is not with men's confcience, and its judgment in religion, any more than in matters of com mon honesty, that magistratical authority intermed dies, but with their external words and deeds. It only restrains and punifheth fuch of thofe as are manifeftly contrary to the laws of God and the land, and as they are hurtful to the Common-wealth, and the public honour of God as King of nations.

10. If all proper means of conviction be ufed with men, who obftinately perfift in grofs herefy, blafphemy, and idolatry without effect; their mift ke doth not arife from a confcience regulating duty, but from one ftiffened againft duty. And it is perhaps fometimes as difficult to convince a hardened thief, robber, or adulterer of his mistake, as it is to convince a hardened heretic. Men are punish able, not for what their confcience, as the deputy of God, dictates, but for what they would not have done, if they had any proper confcience of duty.

11. If men flothfully and especially wilfully refufe to use the means of enlightening their confcience by the word of God, they but add to their F

crimes both before God and men, by pretending confcience.

12. Men's confcience being as much a director in their conduct towards men, as in their conduct towards God, its influence must have as much force to keep them from accountablenefs to men, for their theft, murder, calumny, as for their gross herefy, blafphemy and idolatry.

OBJECT. III. "To allow magiftrates such power of judging, and of making and executing laws about religious matters, is to render Chriftians the Jervants of men, contrary to I Cor. vii. 23."

ANSW. 1. If fo, Christ himself rendered his redeemed favourites fervants of men under the Old Teftament.

2. If fo, Church-rulers being men, as well as magiftrates, their refraints and cenfures, appointed by Chrift himself, muft as much render Chriftians fervants of men,Nay to comply with the religious orders of families, would make them fervants of

men.

3. Servilely to comply with the vain fancies, hu mours, finful lufts or laws of men, particularly in religion, is to be the fervants of men in the fenfe of this text: but to comply with fcriptural restraints, cenfures, or punishments of wickedriefs, is to act as fervants of Chrift, and his Father and Spirit.

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OBJECT. IV. "To reftrain men from what they think right in religion, and especially to punish them for it, is contrary to that Chriftian charity, which fuffereth long, and is kind,-envieth not, thinketh no evil, beareth all things, believeth all things, and hopeth all things, 1 Cor. xiii. 47. contrary to that meekness, mercy and peaceableness exemplified in Chrift, and required in Christans, Rom. xv. 1. Gal. vi. 1, 2. Eph. iv. 32. 2 Tim. ii. 15. James iii. 15"

ANSW. 1. Christian charity rejoiceth not in iniquitys but rejoiceth in the truth. It requires that nothing fhould be done out of malice or envy, or rafhly on bare furmifes, or without due examination of facts and circumftances, but not that rulers, either of Church or State, fhould overlook every scandal or crime contrary to the law of God. Even the undue delay of cenfure or punishment encourageth men in wickednefs, much more would the total overlooking of it, Eccl. viii. 11.

2. The texts quoted in the objection, are directed to Christians and Church-rulers. Is therefore all their holy zeal and activity in reftraining and cenfuring the corrupters of the Church, according to Chrift's command, Rev. ii. Rom. xvi. 17. Gal. V. 10. Tit. iii. 10. 1 Tim. i. 20.-contrary to Chriftian charity, meeknefs, or mercifulness? Had Mofes quite abandoned his unparalelled meekness, when he fo zealously punished the Hebrew idolaters, Num. xxxii. 3. with Exod. xxxii. 26-29? Was Jefus Chrift deftitute of all meeknefs and mercy, when he appointed the restraints and penalties under the Old Testament; and at leaft the tremenduous cenfure of excommunication under the New? Was he deftitute of all charity, meeknefs and mercy, in never giving us a hint that these laws are now repealed, as having been cruel and tyrannical? Was he deftitute of all charity, meeknefs and mercy,. when the zeal of his Father's houfe did eat him up, -when he repeatedly drove the buyers and fellers from the temple? John ii. 13-19. Mat. xxi. 12. OBJECT. V. "Even under the law, Mofes tole rated men's divorcing of their wives for flight caufes: Much more doth the gospel difpensation call for liberty to men."

ANSW. 1. It is blafphemous to pretend, that the gofpel-difpenfation allows any more liberty to fin

than the legal did. Muft the grace of God be turned into lafcivioufnels? Jude, ver. 4. Gal. v. 13.

2. To prevent worfe confequences, Mofes directed a deliberate and folemn manner of divorce, which tended to render divorces lefs frequent or irregular, but never warranted divorce for flight causes.

3. Perhaps you cannot prove, that the perpetual continuance of marriage relation flows as neceffarily from the nature of God, as grofs herefy, blafphemy, and idolatry are contrary to it; God therefore might fovereignly difpenfe with the one, though not

with the other.

4. This objection is rather calculated to prove that magiftrates fhould licenfe or tolerate murder, adultery, theft, and other fins against the second table of the moral law, than that they fhould tolerate herefy, blafphemy, and idolatry, which pertain

to the firft table.

OBJECT. VI. Gamaliel's counsel," Refrain " from these men, and let them alone; for if this "work be of men it will come to nought, but if it "be of God ye cannot overthrow it," was certainly. prudent; and Gallio's conduct, who cared for no difputes relative to religion, Acts v. 38, 39, & xviii. 15, 17."

ANSW. 1. Prove that Gamaliel's fpeech was infpired as a rule to us, in all religious difputes, or that magiftrates or others ought to be mere fceptics in religion.

2.That which Gamaliel pled to be let alone, was evidently good, calculated to promote the welfare of both Church and State; and fo ought to have had the utmost encouragement from him and his fellow

rulers.

3: Prove, if you can, that the Holy Ghost approves Gallio's careleffness; or that magiftrates like him

ought to allow parties at the bar to beat one another.

OBJECT. VII. "Under the gospel it is promifed, That men fhould beat their fwords into plow-fhares, and their fpears into pruning hooks; and that there fhould be none to hurt or deftroy in God's holy mountain, Ifa. ii. 4. Micah iv. 3."

ANSW. 1. Thefe texts import, that quarrelsome difpofitions, and injurious flaughter of men fhould be remarkably reftrained, by the gofpel; but not that magiftrates fhould no more bear the fword, or be terrors to, and punishers of evil doers, Rom. xiii. 1-6. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14;-they no more import, that magiftrates fhould not restrain or feasonably or fuitably punish blafphemy and idolatry, than that they fhould not reftrain theft or murder.

2. The reftraint or punishment we plead for, being God's inftitution, cannot hurt but profit men, making many fear, and avoid fuch horrible wickednefs, Deut. xvii. 10; nay, fometimes do much good to the restrained and punished perfons, Zech.

xiii. 6.

3. If heretics, blafphemers and idolaters be as mifchievous perfons, as above defcribed from the oracles of God, the restraint of them is a neceffary mean to fecure the peace of nations and Churches. If fuch scorners be caft out, contention, ftrife and reproach are repreffed, Prov. xxii. 10.

OBJECT. VIII. "Our Saviour commands his fervants to let the tares grow with the wheat, Mat xiii. 29, 30.

ANSW. 1 He rather represents, that till the last judgment the righteous fhould never be fully separated from the wicked.

2. If it were a command, it is given to Churchrulers rather than to magiftrates, and fo might, with more apparent propriety, be pled in favours of