That all these propofitions are really atheistical, is manifeft. They all give up with the neceffary exiftence, infinite excellency, and abfolute fupremacy of God, without any of which, he cannot be God at all.That Locke, Hoadly, Blackburn, Voltaire, and others, advocates for authoritative toleration of falfe religion, found their pleadings on the above propofitions, is no lefs evident to every judicious and unbiaffed obferver.-Nay, did not modefty forbid, I might defy all the world to plead for fuch toleraton, without taking all, or fome of the above or like atheistical propofitions for granted.

II. The Scriptures plainly reprefent magiftrates' granting of men an unrestrained freedom to profefs and practise a falfe religion as extremely sinful and hurtful.

1. It is in the name of God to give a liberty to the flefb, of which herefies and idolatry are the manifeft and damning works, Gal. v. 13, 19,-21. with Rom. viii, 7, 8.

2. It is not merely to pity and spare, but to encou rage fuch as feek to draw away their fubjects from God, contrary to Deut. xiii. 9, 10. Eph. xiv. 14. 2. Tim. iii. 4, 5, 13. 2 Pet. ii. 1. 2. 3.

3. In fo doing, magiftrates, as political fhepherds, not only fuffer the flock of God, the King of nations, under their charge, to wander or be driven from their fold and pafture, but encourage them in it, contrary to Ezek. xxxiv. 5,-8. Acts xx. 30. 4. It marks a heavy judgment of God upon, and. an anarchy in a Commonwealth, when every man is left without reftraint, and doth that which is right in his own eyes, in matters of religion, Judges xvii. 6. Zech. xi. 9, 16. 2 Chron. xx. 33. Amos iv. 4, 5.

5 In granting fuch liberty, magiftrates are not for Chrift, by whom they rule, Prov. viii. 15, 16. but

against him, in encouraging and protecting the doctrines and works of the devil, which he came to deftroy, John viii. 44. 1 Tim. iv. 2. Rev. xvi. 13, 14. with John iii. 8. Zech. xiii. 2.

6. Falfe religion eats out the true doctrine of Christ, and the true piety and virtue which proceed from the faith of it,-which are like joints and bands to connect and establish a nation, Ifa. lix. lxv. 2 Tim. ii. 16, 17. Gal. v. 10, 11, 12.

7. Herefies produce divifions, 1 Cor. xi. 18, 19. make men wanton, filthy dreamers, defpifers and revilers of magiftrates, Jude, ver. 4, 8. 2 Pet. ii. 1017. they render times perilous, and make men traitors, beady, high minded, truce breakers, false accufers, fierce, without natural affection, defpifers of thofe that are good, 2 Tim. iii. 1-13. They produce envy, ftrifes, evil furmifings, and perverfe difputings, 1 Tim. vi. 3, 4. Gal. v. 19, 20. They fpoil Chrift's vines, Song ii. 15.

8. Falfe religion deprives a nation of God's protecting hedge of favourable providence, and opens an inlet to the floods of deftructive judgments, Exod. xxxii. 25. Ezek. xiii. 4. 5. and xxii. 30, 31.

9. Magiftrates' indulgence of a falfe religion is reprefented as a kicking at the true religion, and an honouring of the corrupters above God, and brings a charge of the wickednefs upon the tolerators of it. Hence Eli the judge of Ifrael is reprefented as kick-ing at God's facrifice, honouring his profane fons above God, and making himself fat with God's portion of the facrifices, becaufe he did not effectually reftrain his fons, Sam. ii. 12-16, 23-25, 29: Eph. v.. 7, 11. and Nehemiah contended with the rulers of Judah for fuffering the worship of God to be neglect.. ed, and the Sabbath profaned, Neh. xiii. 10-18.

t

10. Such indulgence of falfe or corrupt religion is reprefented as tending to make men abhor the truc

religion, and speak evil of it, 1 Sam. ii. 17. 2 Pet.

ii. 1-3.

III. The Scriptures reprefent magiftrates as having power to make civil laws relative to the externalconcerns of religion fubordinated to the law of God, and anfwerable to their own department.

1. They have in charge the keeping of the whole law of God, Deut. xvii. 19. 1 Kings ii. 3. Jofh. 1. 7, 3. 2 Chron. xxiii. 11. Job xxix. 25. Rom. xiii. 1—4. It is never hinted, that they have no charge with refpect to religion, but the contrary. God chofe Mofes the magiftrate, not Aaron the High-prieft to publish his laws relative to religion.Abijah avers, that in maintaining the true worship of God, he had kept the charge of the Lord, which Jeroboam the introducer of a falfe religion had not, 2 Chron. xiii. 10. 11.

2. God promised to the Jews good magiftrates, in order to root out abulive practices and monuments of falfe religion, Ifaiah i. 25, 26. Now, if.. they had power to root thefe out, they had certainly power to make laws for that effect.

3. They ought to repeal wicked and perfecuting. laws, and free their fubjects from being bound over to punishment by them for their faithful fervice of God, Pfalm.xciv. 20. Ifa. x. 11. Mic. vi. 16. Hof. V. II. If they can repeal wicked laws, they must! have power to establish, what is contrary to them, Dan. iii. and vi

4. If magiftrates can make laws encouraging the true religion and Church of Chrift, by annexation of civil favours to the profeffion or practice of gofpeltruth; they can alfo by law annex civil punishment to the contempt of, or rebellion against these laws; they being for the terror and punishment of evil doers, as well as for the praise of them that do well, Rom.

xiii. 3, 4. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. Dan. vi. 16. iii. 29. Ezra i. 1—5. vi. 3—12. vii. 23-27.

5. By enacting fuch laws they neither invade the office of ecclefiaftical rulers, who have no power to connect civil rewards or punishments, with any thing religious,-nor do they tranfgrefs any law of God. What then can hinder their having power

to make them?

6. If all forts of men, Church members and officers, as well as others, be fubject to civil magiftrates, they must have power, and ought to make civil laws calculated to promote their advantage, in all these stations, Rom. xiii. 14. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 14. 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2.

7. Unless magiftrates have a power to make good laws relative to the external profeffion and practice of religion, clergymen, if generally corrupt, will have it in their power, by Synodical conftitutions or otherwife, to devour and poifon their fubjects, with the feeds of confufion, profanenefs, and every evil work, without any poffibility of any legal restraint. For to allow magiftrates to act without law, is to introduce tyranny and arbitrary government.

But, in magiftrates' making laws respecting religion, it is neceffary, that,

1. They, firft in order, carefully acquaint themfelves with the law of God, that they may form all their laws in agreeableness and fubordination to it, --they having no power against the truth, but for it, Deut. xvii. 18-20. Joh. i. 7, 8. Pfalm cxix. 97-104. 2 Cor. xiii. 8.

2. They ought to confult with faithful minifters of the Church, either as met in Synods or otherwife; as it may be expected, they know the laws of God relative to religion, Deut. xvii. 9--12. Mal. ii. 7. 2 Chron. xv. 1-15. Thus, in making these laws, Church-rulers help magiftrates with their direction,

while magiftrates help them with their civil encouragements, 2 Chron. xix. 10, 1. Ezek. xliv. 23, 24.

3. They ought to require the minifters, who are in their dominions, faithfully to inftruct their fubjects in the whole counfel of God, contained in his word, relative to those points of religion, about which they intend to make laws, that they may be thus prepared, willingly to receive and obey them. Thus Jehoshaphat firft fent teachers, and then judges througout his dominions, 2 Chron. xvii. xix.

4. In all matters of religion, great care ought to be taken to establish the laws, with and by, the consent of the fubjects, or their reprefentatives, thus ftrengthening these laws, through their binding men who are willing to obey them; and the rather as the principal end of fuch laws is loft, unless men willingly obey them, 2 Chron. xv. 9, 13. xx. 21. Jonah iii. 4, 7.

5. In thefe laws a fpecial regard ought to be thewn to perfons of a weak and tender confcience. Political thepherds ought never to over-drive their flock, but to carry the lambs in their bofom. And, that the very weakeft of their fubje&ts may be qua lified to obey their laws, they ought never to eftablifh any thing in religion, but what is plainly as well as really established by God in his law; that fo no thing may be contrary to their law, but what is plainly contrary to God's law, Ezek. xxxiv. 4.

IV. Though the law of God allows not of mgai ftrates' attempting to force men into the faith, pro fellion or practice of the true religion, or of their punishing any thing relative to it, which is not an open and manifeft violation of the law of God, and plainly deftructive of the welfare of the Commonwealth; yet it requires them to refrain, and even feasonably and fuitably to punish blasphemy, idolatry,