V. Supportment and provision, as to earthly things, where regularly failing, is of him required.
And in the neglect of any of these that takes place, which is threat- ened, Isa. Ix. 1 2, two or three consectaries, added hereunto, shall close this part of tlie magistrate's power, or rather duty, about the things of religion. As, —
Consect. 1. Positive actings, by way of supportment and assistance, maintenance, allowance of public places, and the like, in the behalf of persons deviating from the truth, in those things wherein they deviate, are contrary to the rule of the Avord, and duty of them in authority. For, —
Error hath neither right nor promise; nor is any precept given in the behalf thereof.
Consect. 2. The defence and protection of erring persons from vio- lence and injury, in those things wherein they have a right, is no acting of his duty about religious things, but a mere dealing for the preservation of hinnan society, by the defence of persons not acting against the rules thereof^
1 For this causo the emperors of old still allowed the Novatians the liberty of ■worshiji.
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Consect. 3. Every particular minute difference among the profes- sors of the truth cannot be proved to come under the cognisance of the magistrate, he being to attend the worship which for the main is acceptable to God in Christ; neither do any testimonies extend his duty any farther. Hence, —
Corollary 1. The present differences about church society and the subject or seat of discipline, which are between those dissenters who are known by the names of Presbyterians and Independents, as they are in themselves (not heightened by the prejudices, lusts, corruptions, and interests of men), hinder not at all, but that the magistrate is bound to the perforaiance of the duties before mentioned unto both i:)arties. And the reasons of this are, because, —
Reason 1. The things wherein they are agreed are clearly as broad as the magistrate's duty can be stretched to cover them.
Reason 2. Neither party, I am persuaded, in their retired thoughts dare avow the main of the worship by their dissenters embraced, to be, as such, rejected of the Lord.
Reason 3. No example m the world can be produced out of the Old Testament, or New, or ecclesiastical history, of a forcible decision of such minute differences. See Socrat. Eccles. Hist., lib. vi. cap. 20.
Corollary 2. All the plea of persons ening in doctrine or worship is not from what the magistrate must do, but from what he may not do.
And this for the first part shall suffice.
2. There is another part of the magistrate's power, — the other side of his sword, — to be exercised towards the opposition of that truth which he hath embraced.
And this hath a twofold object : —
(].) Things; (2.) Persons.
(] .) Things are of two sorts : —
[1.] Ways of worship.
[2.] Outward appearances, monuments, accommodations, and de- clarations of those ways.
Of the first I shall speak aftenvard.
By the second I mean all the outward attendances of any false or eiToneous worship, which are either helps to or declarations of the superstition, idolatry, error, or falseness of it; as temples for idolatrous service, crosses, pictures, and the like abused rehcs of old, unwaiTanted zeal. Now, concerning these, I affinn, —
\st, That the magistrate ought not to make provision of any public places for the practice of any such worship as he is convinced to be an abomination unto the Lord. When I say he ought not to make provision, I understand not only a not actual caring that such be, but also a caring that such may not be. He should not have a negation
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194 OF TOLERATION.
of acting as to any thing of public concern men t. Ilis not opposiiig here is providing. For instance, he must not allow — that is, it is his duty to oppose — the setting apart of public places imder his protec- tion for the service of the mass (as of late in Somerset House), or for any kind of worship in itself disallowed, because not required, and so not accepted. This were to be boimd to help forward sin, and that such sin whereof he is convinced; — which is repugnant to the whole revealed will of God. A magistrate, I told you l)efore, is not to act according to what he may do, but what he must do. Now, it cannot be his duty to furtlier sin.
2dly. Outward monuments — ways of declaring and holding out false and idolatrous worship — he is to remove ; as the Papists' images, altars, pictures, and the like ; Turks' mosques ; prelates' service-book. Now these are of two sorts :—
(Is^.) Such things as, in their whole use and nature, serve only for the carrying on of worship in itself wholly false, and merely invented ; as altars, images, crosses.
(2dl]/.) Such as are used for the carrying o^i of Y\'orship true in itself, though vilely coiTupted; as praying and preaching; — such are those places commonly called churches.
The first are to be abolished; the latter aright used. I speak as to public appearances; for private disquisitions after such things I may be otherwise minded. The reason of this difference is evident to all.