2dly. Outward monuments, ways of declaring and hold- ing 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 ;
(1st.) 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.
(2dly.) Such as were used for the carrying on of worship true in itself, though vilely corrupted, as praying, and preach- ing ; 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.
Thus in days of old, Constantine shut up pagans' temples, Euseb. De vita Constant, lib. 4. cap. 23, 24. and demolished
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some of the most filthy of them : lib. 3. cap. 52. Theodo- sius utterly cast them to the ground, though not without some blows and bloodshed. Socrat. Eccles. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 16. The command of God for the abolishing all monuments of idolatry, Deut. xii. 1 — 3. with the commendation of those kings of Judah, who accordingly performed this duty, 2 Chron. fxvii. 6. xxx. 14. are enough to confirm it, and to bottom this position.
VI. It is the duty of the magistrate not to allow any pub- lic places for (in his judgment) false and abominable wor- ship, as also to demolish all outward appearances and de- monstrations of such superstitious, idolatrous, and unaccept- able service.
Let Papists who are idolaters, and Socinians who are an- thropolatrae, plead for themselves.
(2.) Now for persons there seems something more of dif- ficulty ; 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 ob- noxious to the sword which he beareth. And they are these: [1.] Such persons, as having embraced any false prin- ciples and persuasion in, or about things concerning God and his worship, do pursue the upholding or propagating of such principles, in a disorderly manner to the disturbance of civil society, are doubtless under his restraining power, to be acted and put forth in such ways, as to other persons, running out into the same, or the like compass 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 reli- gion, 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 magistrate is in Christian religion groundless, unwarrantable, unlawful, should there- upon stir up the people to the abolishing, and removal of that power, such stirrings 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 also prejudicial to human society, and therefore to be proceeded against by them, who bear not the sword in vain. This
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case we know happened once in Germany, and may do so again in other places. If such as these suffer, it is ' as mur- derers, 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, under any pretence what- soever, shall offer violence or disturbance to the professors of the true worship of God, so owned, established, and con- firmed as above said, in and for the profession of that true, so owned worship, service, and declaration of the mind of God ; such persons are to fear that power, which is the mi- nister of God, and a revenger to them that do evil. Let us suppose of them, what they suppose, and for their own justi- fication and support in irregular ways bear out of themselves, that they enjoy the truth, others walking in paths of their own; yet then this practice is contrary to that prime dictate of nature, which none can pretend ignorance of, viz. * Do not that to another which thou wouldest not have done unto thy- self.' If men that would not think it equitable to be so dealt with, as they deal with others, supposing themselves in their conditions, do yet so deal with them, they are avroKaTaKpiroi, and do pronounce 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 public 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 publicly established are truly offensive. What the ancient Christians thought of the zeal of Audas, a Chris- tian bishop, who would needs 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 destroying iTvpeiov, that is, ' a temple of fire' (for the Persians looked upon fire as a god, as the historian observes), occasioned a cruel persecu- tion of thirty years' continuance. Theod. Eccles. Hist. lib. 5. cap. 38.