ecclefiaftical toleration of heretics, idolaters, blaf phemers.

3. If thefe tares mean only hypocrites, who have a vifible appearance of holiness or innocency, wet plead, that neither magiftrates nor minifters ought to attempt plucking them up. If they mean all the children of the devil, as ver. 38. your objection ought honeftly to plead, that no crimes of theft, murder, &c. manifefting them to be fuch, ought to be reftrained or punished.

OBJECT. IX. "By rebuking his difciples, who would have commanded fire from heaven to confume thofe Samaritans who refused him lodging in his way to Jerufalem; and by his declaring, That he came not to defroy men's lives, but to fave them, Luke ix. 556. our benevolent Saviour plainly intimated, That under the gofpel, magiftrates ought to lay no restraint on herefy, blafphemy or idolatry."

ANSW. 1. As the Samaritans did not live under magiftrates or laws, which established the true re- · ligion, it is not pled, that even their grofs herefy, blafphemy,, or idolatry, however notorious and obfinate, could have been regularly punishable by

men.

2. They were in this matter guilty of no herefy, blafphemy or idolatry,-or idolatry, or of attempting to feduce. or disturb Chrift or his difciples,but merely of not giving lodging to a mean-like Jew, of whofe Meffahfhip they had but little, if any information or proof.

3. Though the Samaritans had been guilty of grofs herefy, blafphemy and idolatry, publicly and obftinately profeffed and practifed, contrary to the civil laws of the country, and been regularly punishable, Chrift's difciples being no magiftrates in that place, had no right to call them to account.

4. The difciples never fought to have the con

teinpt shown to themselves and their Master punished by the civil law, but by the miraculous vengeance of God. Without any warrant from God, and to gratify their own proud, paffionate, and revengeful tem per, they would have required him to work a mira cle for the destruction of these poor ignorant Sa-So, if you will drag in this text, it ought to be to prove, That neither God nor minifters ought to restrain heretics, blasphemers, or idol.

maritans..

aters.

5. While Chrift was in his debased state, obeying and fuffering for the falvation of mankind, it would have been extremely improper for God, vifibly to pu nifh every flight put upon him. But his coming to fave men with an everlafting falvation, can no more infer, that he came to protect criminals from just punishment by men, than that he came to fave obftinate unbelievers from hell. He came to fave men's lives, by faving them from their fins, not by protecting and warranting them in a public and obftinate commiflion of them. There is no hint in Scripture, that he, who was manifefted to destroy the works of the devil, came to procure men a liberty of confcience, or a magiftratical licenfe or protection in public and grofs herefy, blafphemy, and idolatry, more than in theft, murder, adultery. It would be highly blafphemous to suppose it.

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OBJECT. X. "Chrift requires us not to judge others, to judge nothing before the time, Mat. vii. 1. 1 Cor. iv. 5. We ought to believe our own opinions in religion to be as probably erroneous, as thofe of our opponents; and if they do not acknow ledge themselves heretics, blafphemers, or idolaters, we ought never to hold them fuch, or plead for their being reftrained as fuch."

ANSW. 1. We must never rafhly or uncharitably judge others, or judge their hearts and intentions,

which God alone knoweth. But that will no more infer, that magistrates ought to give no judgment about religious matters, than that magiftrates and minifters fhould judge of nothing at all refpecting either God or men, but encourage every person to live as his inclinations direct him.

If

2. Is there indeed no certainty in religion? men ought to be complete fceptics in it; why not as well downright atheifts?

3. If men's own acknowlgements be fuftained as the ftandard of our judgment concerning them, what rare work muft enfue! None ought to be held blafphemers, heretics, or idolaters, till they have become penitent convicts. None ought to be held thieves murderers, calumniators, &c. till they acknowledge themselves fuch. All impenitent criminals must thus efcape every degree of infamy, re-, ftraint or punishment.

OBJECг. XI. "Men ought to be perfuaded, not, forced into faith and holiness. It is in vain to at tempt rooting out corruptions, especially in religon, out of men's outward behaviour unless they be firft rooted out of their hearts."

ANSW. 1. It requires no fmall fhare of ignorance, impudence and fraud, to infinuate that the many thou fands of Poteftant advocates for the magiftrate's power to reftrain grofs herefy, blafphemy or idolatry, plead for the FORCING of men to faith and holinefs, when they fo harmonioufly plead for the contrary.

2. None ought to be forced into the faith and profeffion of the true religion, as hath been repeatedly declared, but all proper methods, taken to render their compliance judicious and voluntary. Yet that will not infer, that no man ought to be restrained from, or even fuitably and feasonably punished for, open and grofs herefy, blafphemy or idolatry,

which, while they publicly oppofe, infult, and undermine the true religion,-produce terrible immoralities and disorders in Churches and nations, and draw upon them the ruinous vengeance of God;-and far lefs will it infer, that magiftrates, as vicegerents of God, ought, in his name and authority, to li cenfe a falfe religion, and promife men protection and encouragement in it. No magiftrate hath power to force me to esteem, love, delight in, fympathize with, maintain, or even commend my neighbour. But he hath power to refufe me a warrant to calumniate, rob or murder him, and even to restrain or punish me for fo doing. It would be abfurd to attempt forcing of the British Jacobites, to believe and folemnly profefs, that K. George, not the Pretender, is rightful Sovereign of this kingdom. But would it therefore be abfurd, to reftrain and punish them for publicly and infolently reviling him as an ufurper, or feducing their fellow-fubjects to dethrone him, or for taking arms against him, or paying his just revenues to the Pretender?

3. It is certain, that Chrift, who hath power over the hearts of all men, curbed the external corruptions of the Jewith buyers and fellers in the temple, without first cafting the corruptions out of their heart. And And pray would you have all thieves, robbers, murderers, &c. to have full liberty in their courses, till their wickedness can be got rooted out of their heart?

OBJECT. XII. "Such is the reasonablenefs and the glory of divine truths, that if they be but freely, clearly and diftinctly preached, their native luftre will render them victorious over every error and corruption in religion, however boldly published, or craftily varnished. What a fingular advantage hath it been to Britian, that Deifts have had full freedom to make their attacks upon the Chriflian religion,

and fo to occafion fo many glorious defences of it ?"

ANSW. 1. Did not God under the Old Testament, know the conquering power of his truth as well as you do? Did not Chriit know it when he drove the buyers and fellers from the temple.

2. Did the inexpreffibly amiable and edifying conduct of Jefus Chrift, the way, the truth and the life, render him the univerfal, the fixed DARLING of the Jewish nation, among whom he went about doing good? You dare not pretend it. And yet it is certain that examples do more affect than inftruc tions.

3. You must not only, with Pelagians, deny original fin, but effectually disprove it, before your objection can have any fense in it.While men are fo blinded by Satan and their own lufts, and fo full of enmity against God, they cannot but be much more difpofed to receive and practise error, than to difcern, embrace, and practise gospel-truths, however clearly and faithfully preached, I Cor. ii. 14. Rom. viii. 7, 8. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4. Ifa. liii. 1. vi. 9, 10.

4. The common experience of every one, who attempts to inftruct children and fervants in the truths of God, even when they are young, and their minds most unbiaffed, irrefragably demonftrates, that almost any thing is more readily embraced than the plain truths of the gofpel; and that earnest prayers, ferious admonitions, external encouragments, and Christian nurture, have all enough, and too often more than enough of work, to make men learn them.

5. If profeffed Chriftians, by encouraging others in grofs error and wickednefs, provoke God to give up themfelves to ftrong delufions, that they may believe lies, will the native luftre of divine truths then enlighten and captivate them? Far, very far.