Thus, in days of old, Constantino shut up Pagans' temples, Euseb. de Vita Constant., lib. iv. cap. 23, 24; and demolished some of the most filthy of them, lib. iii. cap. 52. Theodosius utterly cast them to the ground, though not without some blows and bloodshed, Socrat. Eccle.s. Hist., lib. v. cap. 16. The command of God for the abohsh- mg all monuments of idolatry, Deut. xii. 1-3, with the commenda- tion of those kings of Judah who accordmgly performed this dut}'', 2 Chron. xvii. 6, xxx. 14, are enough to confirm it, and to bottom tliis position : —
VI. It is the duty of the magistrate not to allow any public places for (in his judginent) false and abominable worship ; as also, to demo- lish all outward appearances and demonstrations of such superstitious, idolatrous, and unacceptable seiTice.
Let Papists, who are idolaters, and Socinians, who are anthropola- trse, plead for themselves.
(2.) Now, for persons there seems something more of difficulty ; yet certain clear rules may be proposed concerning them also, to hold out when they and their proceedings come under the cognizance of the civil magistrate, and are obnoxious to the sword which he beareth. And they are these: —
[1.] Such persons as, having embraced any false princi})les and per-
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suasion in or about tilings concerning God and liis worship, do pursue the upholding or propagating of such principles in a disorderly man- ner, to the disturbance of civil society, are doubtless under his restrain- ing power, to be acted and put forth in such ways as to other persons running out into the same or the like comj^ass of disorder, upon other grounds, and from the instigation of other lusts. The pretence of disturbance and confusion, upon the bearing with differences in opinion about things commanded in religion, we before rejected, as a colour fitted chiefly for the wearing of persecution. But actual disturbances, indeed, must have actual restraints. For instance, if a man, being persuaded that the power of the m.agistrate is in Christian religion groundless, unwarrantable, iinlawful, should thereupon stu* up the people to the abolishing and removal of that power ; such stinings up, and such actings upon that instigation, are as opposite to the gospel of Christ (which opposeth no lawful regimen among the sons of men), so als3 prejudicial to human society; and therefore to be proceeded against by them who bear not the sv/ord in vain. This case we know hapjDened once in Gennany, and may do so again in otlier places. If such as these suffer, it is " as murderers, or thieves, or evil-doers, or busy-bodies in other men's matters;" which is a shameful thing, no way commendable or praiseworthy, 1 Pet. iv. 15.
[2.] If any persons whatsoever, inider any pretence whatsoever, shall offer violence or disturbance to the professors of the true worship of God, so owned, established, and confirmed as above said, in and for the profession of that true, so-owned vv^orship, service, and declai'ation of the mind of God ; such persons are to fear that power which is the minister of God, and a revenger to them that do evil. Let us suppose of them what they suppose, and for their own justification and support in UTegular ways bear out of themselves, — that they enjoy the truth, others v/alking in paths of their own ; yet then this practice is con- trary to that prime dictate of natui'e which none can pretend igiiorance of, viz., " Do not that to another which thou wouldst not have done unto thyself" If men that would not think it equitable to be so dealt with as they deal v>dth others, supposmg themselves in their condi- tion, do yet so deal \vith them, they are avro-Aardxpiroi, and do pro- nounce sentence against themselves out of their own mouths. This, then, deserveth punishment ; and breaking out to the disturbance of public order ought to be punished. We before proved the protection of piiblic places to belong to the magistrate; so that he not only may, but, if he will not be false to Him by whom he is intrusted, he must, put forth his authority for the safe-guarding and revenging of them. Yea, also, and this rule may pass, when some things in the way pub- licly established are truly offensive. What the ancient Christians thought of the zeal of Audas, a Christian bishop, who would needs
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demolish a Pagan temple in Persia, I know not ; but I am sure his discretion is not much extolled who, by that one fiery act of destroy- ing rrvpsTov, — that is, "a temple of fire" (for the Persians looked upon fire as a god, as the Instorian observes), — occasioned a cruel persecution of thirty years' continuance, Theod. Eccles. Hist., lib. v. cap. 38.
[3.] When any have entertained any singular opinion in matters of gi'eat weight and importance, — such as nearly concern the glory of God, and the minds of Christians, in reverence of his holy name, are most tenderly affected withal, so that without much horror of mind they can scarce hear those errors whereby those grand truths are op- posed,— yet those persons who have entertained such uncouth opinions shall not be content so to have done, and also in all lawful ways (as to civil society) endeavoured to propagate the said opinions to others ; but, in the pursuit of this their design of opposing truth, shall pub- licly use such expressions, or perform such acts, as are fit to pour con- tempt and scorn upon the truth which they do oppose, — reviling it also, or God himself so represented as he is in the truth they abominate, witli odious and execrable appellations (as, for instance, the calling the holy Trinity, "Tricipitem Cerberum") ; — if the question be put. Whe- ther in this case the magistrate be not obliged to vindicate the honour of God by corporeal restraints, in some degi-ees at least, upon the per- sons of those men? — truly, for my part, I incline to the affirmative. And the reason hereof is this: — Though men, through the incurable blindness of their minds, falling into error of judgment and misinter- pretation of the word, may disbelieve the Deity of Christ, and the Holy Spirit; yet that any pretence from the word, persuasion of con- science, or dictate of religion, should cany them out to reviling, oppro- brious speeches of that which of God is held out contrary to their apprehensions, is false and remote from reason itself. For this cause Paul says he was a blasphemer; — not because, being a Jew, he disbe- lieved the gospel ; but because, so disbelieving it, he moreover loaded the truths thereof with contumelious reproaches. Such expressions, indeed, differ not from those piercing words of the holy name of God which he censured to death. Lev. xxiv. 1 5, but only in this, that there seemeth in that to be a plain opposition unto light, in this not so. The like may be said of a Jew's crucifying a dog.