"given him in the commiffion from the people. "If the civil magiftrate must keep the church "pure, then all the people of the cities, nations "and kingdoms of the world muft do the fame "much more, for primarily and fundementally "chey are the civil magiftrate. Now the world faith John lieth in wickednefs, and confequently ac"cording to it's difpofition endures not the light of Christ, nor his golden candlestick the "true church, nor easily chooseth a true chrif"tian to be her officer or magiftrate. The "practifing civil force upon the confciences of "men, is fo far from preferving religion pure, "that is a mighty bulwark or barricado,to keep "out all true religion, yea and all godly magiftrates for ever coming into the world."

3

How weighty are these arguments against confounding church and ftate together? yet this author's appearing against fuch confufion, was the chief caufe for which he was banifhed out of the Maffachusetts colony. And though few if any will now venture openly to justify those proceedings, and many will exclaim against them at a high rate; yet a fair examination may plainly fhew,that thofe fathers had more appearance of a warrant for doing as they did, than their children now have, for the actings which we complain of. For thofe fathers were perfuaded, that the judicial laws of Mofes which required Ifrael to punish blafphemers, and apoftates to idolatry with death, were of moral force, and binding upon all princes and ftates; § efpecial

ly

ly on fuch as these plantations were. And how much more countenance did this give for the ufe of force to make men conform to what they believed to be the right way, than men can now have for compelling any to support a way which at the fame time they are allowed to diffent from? For the Jews alfo were required to pull down houfes, and to have perfons away out of their camps or cities, if the priests pronounced them unclean; and they were not permitted to fet up any king over them who was not a brother in their church. Did not these things afford arguments much more plaufible, for their attempt to compel the world to fubmit to the church, than any can have for the modern way, of trying to lubject the church in her religious affairs to rulers, and the major vote of inhabitants, a great part of whom are not brethren in any church at all! Though the state of Ifrael was obliged thus to inflict death or banishment upon non-conformers to their worship, yet we have not been able to find, that they were ever allowed to use any force to collect the priests or prophets maintenance. So far from it, that thofe, who made any fuch attempts were fons of Beliel, and perfons that abhorred judgment, and perverted ALL EQUITY. 1 Sam. 2. 12-16. Mic. 3.

5,9.

Many try to vindicate their way by that promife, that kings fhall become nurling fathers, and queens nurfing mothers to God's people. But as the character carries in it's very nature, an impartial care and tenderness for all their child

Maffachusetts hiftory, vol. 3. p. 161,

rens

ren; we appeal to every confcience, whether it does not condemn the way of fetting up one party to the injury of another. Our Lord tells us plainly, that few find the narrow way, while many go in the broad way; yet the fcheme we complain of, has given the many fuch power over the few, that if the few are fully convinced that the teacher fet up by the many, is one that caufeth people to err, and is fo far from bringing the pure gospel dorine, that they fhould break the divine command, and become partakers of his evil deeds; if they did not ceafe to hear him, or to receive him into their houses as a gofpel minifter; yet only for refufing to put into fuch a minifter's mouth, the many are prepared with fuch inftruments of war against them, as to feize their goods, or caft their bodies into prifon, where they may ftarve and die, for all what that conftitution has provided for them, In cafes of common debts the law has provided feveral ways of relief, as it has not in the cafe before us; for here the affeffors plead, that they are obliged to tax all according to law, and the collector has the fame plea for gathering of it, and the minifter fays, I agreed with the fociety for fuch a fum, and it is not my business to re leale any. So that we have had inftances of fe rious chriftians, who must have died in prifon for minifters rates, if chriftianity and humanity had not moved people to provide them that relief, which neither thofe minifters nor the law that upholds them have done.

+ Prov. 19. 27. 2 John 10. 11

Another

Another argument which thefe minifters of ten mention, is the apoftolic direction to us, to pray for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and bonefty. But do they pray and act according to that direction? One while they cry up the great advantages of having religion established by law; and fome have caused near as loud a clamour about it as the craftsmen did at Ephefus; but when it comes to be calmly reprefented, that, Religion is a voluntary obedience unto God, which therefore force cannot promote; how foon do they shift the fcene, and tell us, that religious liberty is fully allowed to us, only the ftate have in their wildom thought fit to tax all the inhabitants, to support an order of men for the good of civil society. A little while ago it was for religion, and many have declared, that without it we. fhould foon have no religion left among us but now tis to maintain civility. Though by the way, it is well known, that no men in the land, have done more to promote uncivil treatment of diffenters from themselves, than fome of these pretended ministers of civility have donec Im 1944 the court at Boston paffed an act to punish men with banishment, if they opposed infant bap tifm, or departed from any of their congregati ons when it was going to be adminiftered.* And after they had acted upon this law, one of their chief magiftrates obferved; that fuch methods tended to make hypocrites. To which a noted minifter replied, That if it did fo, yet foch were better than profane perfons, becaufe faid, he, Hypocrites. give God part of his due, the outward

Mr. Clark's narrative, p. 35:

66

ward man, but the profane perfon givethGod "neither outward nor inward man."+ By which it feems that in that day,they were zealous to have the outward man if no more given to God; but now that conduct is condemned as perfecution, by their children, who profess to allow us full liberty of confcience, because they do not hinder our giving our inward man to God, only claim a power to feize our outward man to get money for themselves. And though many of us have expended ten or twenty times as much, in fetting up and fupporting that worfhip which we be-lieve to be right, as it would have cost us to have continued in the fashionable way, yet we are often accused of being coveteous,for diffenting from that way, and refuting to pay more money out of our little incomes, to uphold men from whom we receive no benefit, but rather abuse. How far is this from leading a peaceable life, either of godliness or bonefty!

SECTION

III.

A brief account of what the baptists have fuffered under this conftitution, and of their reafons for refufing any active compliance with

it.

Many are ready to fay, the baptifts are exempted from minifterial taxes, therefore why do they complain? Anfwer, We would be. far from forgetting or undervaluing of our privileges but are willing thankfully to acknowledge, that our honored rulers do protect

+ Maffachusetts hiftory, vol. 3. p. 405.

Qur