[5thly.] It seems strange to me, that the Lord Jesus Christ should commit this architechtonical power in his house unto magistrates, foreseeing of what sort the greatest number of them would be, yea, determining that they should be such, for the trial and affliction of his own. View the times that are past, consult the stories of former ages, take a catalogue of the kings and rulers that have been, since first magistrates outwardly embraced Christian religion in this and other nations, where the gospel hath been planted; and ask your own consciences whether these be the men, to whom this high trust in the house of God is committed ? The truth is, they no sooner left serving the dragon in the persecution of the Pagans, but presently in a very few years, they gave up their power to the beast, to set up another state in opposition to the Lord Jesus Christ and his gospel,
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in the supportment whereof the most of them continue labouring till this very day. 'Hse manus Trojam exigent?' What may be added in this case, I refer to another oppor- tunity.
2dly. Gospel constitutions in the case of heresy or error seems not to favour any course of violence, I mean of civil penalties. Foretold it is, that heresies must be ; 1 Cor. xi. 19. but this for the manifesting of those that are ap- proved, not the destroying of those that are not ; I say de- stroying, I mean with temporal punishment, that I may add this by the way ; for all the arguments produced for the punishment of heretics, holding out capital censures, and these being the tendance of all beginnings in this kind, I mention only the greatest, including all other arbitrary penalties, being but steps of walking to the utmost censures. Admonitions, and excommunication upon rejection of ad- monition, are the highest constitutions (I suppose) against such persons : ' Waiting with all patience upon them that oppose themselves, if at any time God will give them re- pentance to the acknowledgment of the truth.' Imprison- ing, banishing, slaying, is scarcely a patient waiting. God doth not so wait upon unbelievers. Perhaps those who call for the sword on earth, are as unacquainted with their own spirits, as those that called for fire from heaven; Luke xi. And perhaps the parable of the tares gives in a positive rule as to this whole business : occasion may be given of handling it at large ; for the present I shall not fear to assert, that the answers unto it, borrowed by our divines from Bellarmine, will not endure the trial. We hope that spiritual quiet, and inofFensiveness in the whole mountain of the Lord, which is wrapped up in the womb of many promises, will at length be brought forth to the joy of all the children of Sion.
3dly. Sundry other arguments taken from the nature of faith, heresy, liberty of conscience, the way of illumination, means of communication of truth, nature of spiritual things, pravitious tendance of the doctrine opposed, if it should be actually embraced by all enjoying authority, and the like, I thought at present to have added; but I am gone already beyond my purposed resting place.
(2.) Come we in a few words to the last thing proposed (wherein I shall be very brief, the main of what I intended
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being already set down) the power of the magistrate to compel others to the embracing of that religion and way of worship, which he shall establish and set up ; which for the greater advantage we shall suppose to be the very same, both for the things proposed to be believed, and also prac- tised, which God himself hath revealed, and requireth all men every where to embrace. What is to be done for the settling and establishing of the profession of the gospel, and the right apprehension of the mind of God therein, contra- distinct from all those false and erroneous persuasions, which in these, or former days, or have been held forth in opposition thereunto, was before declared; how it is to be supported, maintained, protected, defended, safe-guarded from all oppositions, disturbances, blasphemings, was then and there set down.
Now supposing that sundry persons, living under the power, and owning civil obedience to the magistrate, will not consent to sound doctrine, nor receive in some things (fewer or more, less or greater) that form of wholesome words, which he holds forth, and owns as the mind of Christ in the gos- pel, nor communicate with him in the worship, which by the authority of those words, or that truth, he hath as before es- tablished, it is inquired, What is the duty of the magistrate, in reference to the bringing of them into that subjection, which is due unto, and an acknowledgment of, the truth?
And to this I shall briefly give in my answer in these following positions.
[1.] In reference unto us, in this nation, the greatest dif- ficulty in giving a full return to this question ariseth from the great disorder of the churches of God amongst us. Were the precious distinguished from the vile, churches rightly established, and church discipline exercised, that Christians were under some orderly view, and men might be considered in their several capacities wherein they stand, an easy finger would untie the knot of this query. But being in that con- fusion wherein we are, gathering into any order being the great work in hand, I suppose, under favour, that the time is scarce come for the proposal of this question : but yet something may be given in unto it, though not so clear, as the former supposal being eff'ected would cause it to be.