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from it, 2 Theff. ii. 10-12. 2 Tim. iii. 13. iv. 3, 4.

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6. If we do evil in licenfing, encouraging, or protecting the free propagation of grofs errors, that good refutations may be thereby occafioned, our damnation is juft, Rom. iii. 8.

7. Few of thofe boafted glorious defenders of Chrifti anity are real and thorough friends to the gospel of Chrift, but often proceed upon the Arminian, and fometimes the Socinian fcheme, the laft of which is as bad, if not worse, than Heathenifm itself.

And, it is certain, that TENS, if not HUNDREDS, have been feduced by deiftical publications, for every ONE, that has been converted from Deifm by almoft all thefe defences of the Chriftian religion.

OBJECT. XIII. "Chrift hath appointed for his Church, rulers of her own, who govern her in every duty of religion."

ÁNSW. 1. This can no more prove, that magi ftrates ought to make and execute no laws refpecting the duties required by the firft table of the moral law, than it will prove that they ought to make nó laws refpecting duties of the fecond table,-fince Church-rulers are as much authorized by God to govern, in the one as in the other. Let magistrates and Church-rulers be allowed to govern their distin& departments in their different manner, in the very fame things, and nothing but harmony, order and advantage will enfue.

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2. Magiftrates as well as Church-rulers, are di vinely denominated, Rulers, Watchmen, Shepherds, and therefore ought politically to direct, govern and feed their subjects as members of the Commonwealth, by making and executing whole fome laws relative to both tables of God's law;-while minifters ecclefiaftically feed them, as members of the visible Church, by preaching the gospel, adminiftring the

facraments, and exercising Church government and difcipline, Tim. ii. 1, 2, 4. Rom. xiii. 1-6. 2 Chron. xiii. 10, 11. & xvii. xix. Neh. xiii. 10 -17. Ezek. xxxiv. 9, 10.

OBJECT. XIV. The Church hath fufficient power in herself to obtain every end neceffary to her own welfare. That cannot be an ordinance of Jefus Chrift, which needs any foreign affistance to gain its proper end."

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ANSW. 1. The Church hath as fufficient power to gain her ends, with refpect to the duties of the fecond table, as to gain her ends in what respects the firft table. Will it therefore follow, that magi ftratés ought to make no laws refpecting murder, unchaftity, theft, calumny, &c.?

2. Public tranfgreffions of the firft table of the moral law injure the State, as well as they do the Church. The State, which alfo hath a power in itself fufficient to gain all its ends, neceffary to promote its own welfare, ought therefore to restrain or punish fuch tranfgreffions as crimes injurious to itself, while the Church restrains and cenfures them as fcandals defiling and hurtful to herself.

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3. If foundness in the faith, purity in worship, holiness in practice, and beautiful order in the Church, be an excellent mean of promoting the happiness of that nation, where the Church hath her refidence, magiftrates ought to promote those things, out of a regard to the profperity of their State, in fubordination to the honour of God.

4. However complete the intrinfic power of the Church be, it is manifeft, that it can be exercised to more advantage, if parents, masters, and magiftrates regularly exert their power in promoting the true religion, in their different departments. It is no lefs certain, that after the Church hath done her utmoft, by conference, injunction and cenfure, fome

turbulent heretics or blafphemers may do as much, if not more, hurt to her than before, unless magistrates reftrain or punish them.

OBJECT. XV. For almoft three hundred years after Chrift, the truths of the gofpel gloriously prevailed against errors and corruptions, without any care of magiftrates to restrain or punish the erroneous."

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ANSW. It was proper, that the Christian religion fhould be spread in the world, not only without the countenance of the civil magiftrate, but alfo in oppofition to his severe laws and bloody perfecutions, that it might the more abundantly appear to be of God.

2. In that period, it prevailed notwithstanding the most furious oppofition, and the cruel perfecution and murder of millions of its adherents, as well as without magiftratical affiftance. Will you therefore plead, that peace and freedom in preaching the gol pel ought to be hated and avoided, and furious per fecution coveted and prayed for?

3. In that period, the miraculous powers, which attefted the doctrines of Chrift did more than bal ance the want of magistratical helpfulness to the truth, Heb. ii. 4.

4. In that period, the hardships to which Chriftians were expofed, deterred fuch naughty perfons from entering the Church, as might have plagued her with their blasphemies and herefies.

5. And nevertheless, even then blafphemers and heretics did no small hurt to the Church.

6. If God had not reckoned the magiftratical countenance a real blessing to his Church, he had never promised it, as in the texts above quoted.

OBJECT. XVI. "It is horrid cruelty and unchrif tian perfecution to reftrain or punish men for believ ing, teaching, and worshipping, according to the dictates of their own confcience, as charity obligeth G

us to believe is the cafe with heretics, blafphemers and idolaters.It is altogether diabolical the very worst part of Popery, and that which peculiarly Supports the whole Antichriflian Jcheme.—

-Men

ought to follow the dictates even of an erring conscience."

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ANSW. 1. Where is your proof, from either Scripture or reafon, that an erring confcience binds men to believe, teach or practise, grofs herefy, blafphemy or idolatry, any more than their promifes or vows to do evil, bind to performance?or than it can bind them to theft, murder, adultery, calumny, or the like?If we have an erring confcience, our immediate duty is to get rid of that error, by the illumination of God's word, as being finful in itself, especially if procured through floth or wickedness; it will hinder our right performance of duty, but can never make fin lawful. If, Sir, you can believe, that an crring conscience, can outdo the almighty power of God, in making herefy, blafphemy, or idolatry innocent things, you may quickly believe, that a Romish prieft can outdo his Maker, in making a god, and then eating him, in the mystery of transubstantiation.

2. Even when confcience is perfectly clear, pute and unbiaffed, it is wholly fubordinated and fubjected to the authority of God's law.How can the entrance of finful error into it, exalt it above his law, and make fuch a god of it, as can stamp its wicked dictates into incontroulable laws, in oppofition to the mandates of Jehovah himself.This will not only prove, that Adam and Eve became gods by the entrance of fin, but go far to justify Popes and devils in the whole of their conduct.

3. If the devil, who deceiveth the world, get into men's confcience by his ftrong delufions, hath God alloted him that as a quiet city of refuge, from

which no means ought to be used to diflodge him, and from which he may use the whole man unreftrained in his fervice,in facrificing children to Moloch, murdering faints, blafpheming God, &c.? 4. Where is your proof, that I ought to believe, that the man, who hath accefs to the Bible, acts according to the dictates of his confcience in grofs herefy, blafphemy or idolatry, any more than that he as according to them, in murder, treafon, theft, unchafity, &c.? Men have laboured and fuffered as much, in courfes of the latter kind, as in those of the former, and died as impenitently at laft.

5. If pretence of confcience, and more than pretence in favours of fin we can never be certain of, be a fufficient ground for magiftrates' licenfing, encouraging and protecting men in contradicting and blafpheming God, or robbing him of his worship, to bestow it on devils,-or in robbing his Church of his oracles or ordinances,-in murdering the fouls of men, and fowing the feeds of confufion and every evil work,- Why ought it not to warrant their licenfing, encouraging and protecting them in high treafon, calumny, theft, robbery, murder?-It is hoped, you, who are fo generous in allowing men, if they can but pretend confcience for it, to abufe and rob Jehovah, will be as ready to allow them equal freedom, if they can but pretend confcience, in abufing and injuring yourself. If God's giving up men to Arong delufions, that they may believe lies warrant magiftrates to encourage or protect them, in fpreading grofs herefy, or in open blafphemy and idolatry, Why ought not his giving them up to vile affections, to their own hearts' lufts, equally to warrant their encouraging and protecting of them in open whoredom, beftiality, incest, robbery, &c.? Men can as little conquer their lufts and cleanfe their

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