then not by force. As for that fear, left prophane and licentious men fhould be encouraged to omit the performance of religious and holy duties, how can that care belong to the civil magiftrate, especially to his force? For if prophane and licentious perfons muft not neglect the performance of religious and holy duties, it implies, that fuch duties they can perform, which no proteftant will affirm. They who mean the outward performance, may fo explain it; and it will then appear yet more plainly, that fuch performance of religious and holy duties, efpecially by prophane and licentious perfons, is a difhonouring rather than a worthipping of God; and not only by him not required, but detefted: Prov. xxi, 27, "The facrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?" Το compel therefore the prophane to things holy in his prophaneness, is all one under the gofpel, as to have compelled the unclean to facrifice in his uncleannefs under the law. And I add withal, that to compel the licentious in his licentioufnefs, and the confcientious againft his confcience, comes all to one; tends not to the honour of God, but to the multiplying and the aggravating of fin to them both. We read not that Chrift ever exercifed force but once; and that was to drive prophane ones out of his temple, not to force them in; and if their being there was an offence, we find by many other feriptures that their praying there was an abomination: and yet to the Jewish law that nation, as a fervant, was obliged; but to the gofpel each perfon is left voluntary, called only, as a fon, by the preaching of the word; not to be driven in by edicts and force of arms, For if by the apofile, Rom. xii, 1, we are "befeeched as brethren by the mercies of God to prefent our bodies a living facrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service" or worship, then is no man to be forced by the compulfive laws of men to prefent his body a dead facrifice; and fo under the gospel moft unholy and unacceptable, because it is his unreasonable fervice, that is to fay, not only unwilling but unconfcionable. But if prophane and licentious perfons may not omit the performance of holy duties, why may they not partake of holy things? Why are they prohibited

2 4

hibited the Lord's fupper, fince both the one and the other action may be outward; and outward performance of duty may attain at least an outward participation of benefit? The church denying them that communion of grace and thanksgiving, as it juftly doth, why doth the magiftrate compel them to the union of performing that which they neither truly can, being themfelves unholy, and to do feemingly is both hateful to God, and perhaps no lefs dangerous to perform holy duties irreligiously, than to receive holy figns or facraments unworthily? All prophane and licentious men, fo known, can be confidered but either fo without the church as never yet within it, or departed thence of their own accord, or excommunicate if never yet within the church, whom the apostle, and fo confequently the church, have nought to do to judge, as he profeffes, 1 Cor. v, 12, then by what authority doth the magiftrate judge; or, which is worfe, compel in relation to the church? If departed of his own accord, like that loft fheep, Luke xv, 4, &c. the true church either with her own or any borrowed force worries him not in again, but rather in all charitable manner fends after him; and if the find him, lays him gently on her fhoulders; bears him, yea bears his burdens, his errours, his infirmities any way tolerable, "fo fulfilling the law of Chrift," Gal. vi, 2. If excommunicate, whom the church hath bid go out, in whofe name doth the magiftrate compel to go in? The church indeed hinders none from hearing in her public congregation, for the doors are open to all nor excommunicates to deftruction; but, as much as in her lies, to a final faving. Her meaning therefore muft needs be, that as her driving out brings on no outward penalty, fo no outward force or penalty of an improper and only a deftructive power fhould drive in again her infectious theep; therefore fent out because infectious, and not driven in but with the danger not only of the whole and found, but alfo of his own utter perithing. Since force neither inftructs in religion, nor begets repentance or amendment of life, but on the contrary, hardness of heart, formality, hypocrify, and, as I faid before, every way increase of fin; more and more alienates the mind from a violent religion, expelling out and compelling

3

pelling in, and reduces it to a condition like that which the Britons complain of in our ftory, driven to and fro between the Picts and the fea. If after excommunion he be found intractable, incurable, and will not hear the church, he becomes as one never yet within her pale, "a Heathen or a Publican," Mat. xviii, 17, not further to be judged, no not by the magiftrate, unlefs for civil caufes; but left to the final fentence of that judge, whofe coming fhall be in flames of fire; that Maranatha, 1 Cor. xvi, 22, than which to him fo left nothing can be more dreadful, and ofttimes to him particularly nothing more speedy, that is to fay, the Lord cometh: in the mean while delivered up to Satan, 1 Cor. v, 5, 1 Tim. i, 20, that is, from the fold of Chrift and kingdom of grace to the world again, which is the kingdom of Satan; and as he was received" from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God," Acts xxvi, 18, fo now delivered up again from light to darknefs, and from God to the power of Satan; yet fo as is in both places manifefted, to the intent of faving him, brought fooner to contrition by fpiritual than by any corporal feverity. But grant it belonging any way to the magiftrate, that prophane and licentious perfons omit not the performance of holy duties, which in them were odious to God even under the law, much more now under the gofpel; yet ought his care both as a magiftrate and a chriftian, to be much more that confcience be not inwardly violated, than that licence in these things be made outwardly comformable : fince his part is undoubtedly as a chriftian, which puts him upon this office much more than as a magiftrate, in all refpects to have more care of the confcientious than of the prophane; and not for their fakes to take away (while they pretend to give) or to diminish the rightful liberty of religious confciences.

On these four fcriptural reafons, as on a firm fquare, this truth, the right of chriftian and evangelic liberty, will stand immovable againft all thofe pretended confequences of licence and confufion, which for the most part men moft licentious and confused themselves, or fuch as whose severity would be wifer than divine wisdom, are ever apteft to object against the ways of God: as if God

without

without them, when he gave us this liberty, knew not of the worst which thefe men in their arrogance pretend will follow yet knowing all their worft, he gave us this liberty as by him judged beft. As to thofe magistrates who think it their work to fettle religion, and thofe minifters or others, who fo oft call upon them to do fo, I truft, that having well confidered what hath been here argued, neither they will continue in that intention, nor thefe in that expectation from them: when they fhall find that the fettlement of religion belongs only to each particular church by perfuafive and fpiritual means within itfelf, and that the defence only of the church belongs to the magiftrate. Had he once learnt not further to concern himself with church-affairs, half his labour might be fpared, and the commonwealth better tended. To which end, that which I premised in the beginning, and in due place treated of more at large, I defire now concluding, that they would confider ferioufly what religion is: and they will find it to be, in fum, both our belief and our practice depending upon God only. That there can be no place then left for the magiftrate or his force in the fettlement of religion, by appointing either what we shall believe in divine things, or practife in religious, (neither of which things are in the power of man either to perform himself, or to enable others) I perfuade me in the christian ingenuity of all religious men, the more they examine feriously, the more they will find clearly to be true and find how falfe and devifeable that common faying is, which is fo much relied upon, that the chriftian magiftrate is "Cuftos, utriufque Tabulæ," Keeper of both Tables, unless is meant by keeper the defender only: neither can that maxim be maintained by any proof or argument, which hath not in this difcourfe first or last been refuted. For the two tables, or ten commandments, teach our duty to God and our neighbour from the love of both; give magiftrates no authority to force cither: they feek that from the judicial law, though on false grounds, efpecially in the firft table, as I have fhown; and both in firft and fecond execute that authority for the moft part, not according to God's judicial laws but their own. As for civil crimes, and of the outward man,

1

which all are not, no not of those against the second table, as that of coveting; in them what power they have, they had from the beginning, long before Mofes or the two tables were in being. And whether they be not now as little in being to be kept by any chriftian as they are two legal tables, remains yet as undecided, as it is fure they never were yet delivered to the keeping of any chriftian magiftrate. But of these things perhaps more fome other time; what may ferve the prefent hath been above difcourfed fufficiently out of the fcriptures: and to those produced, might be added teftimonies, examples, experiences of all fucceeding ages to these times, afferting this doctrine: but having herein the fcripture fo copious and fo plain, we have all that can be properly called true strength and nerve; the reft would be but pomp and encumbrance. Pomp and oftentation of reading is admired among the vulgar: but doubtlefs in matters of religion he is learnedeft who is plaineft. The brevity I ufe, not exceeding a fmall manual, will not therefore, I fuppofe, be thought the lefs confiderable, unlefs with them per haps who think that great books only can determine great matters. I rather choose the common rule, not to make much ado, where lefs may serve. Which in controversies, and those especially of religion, would make them lefs tedious, and by confequence read oftener by many more, and with more benefit.