I fay, whether Persons of such a Religion as indulges Men in the Violation of all fuch Bonds of Security, can be fafely admitted to be fupreme or fubordinate Officers in any State: for fuch Officers cannot faithfully ftipulate or contract with their Prince to ferve him; nor can Rulers or Princes of fuch a Religion ftipulate with their People to be faithful in their Office: nor do I fee any way how fuch a Religion can effectually fecure the diftinct Rights either of People or Prince, unless this part of it be abfolutely and effec tually renounced.

XIII. And indeed, as I have hinted before, fuch Perfons among the People who cannot engage by Bonds laid upon Confcience for their Allegiance and Faithfulness to any Civil Government, or who think their Religion allows them to break those Bonds for the fake of their Religion, I do not see how they can claim common Protection under any State or Government whatsoever; and therefore I think with more abundant Evidence they may be very rightfully excluded by a Law from any Office therein. And we may be well affured that that Religion can never be from God which allows no fecure Stipulation between Prince and People; that

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is in short, which allows no mutual Security in Civil Government, which in general is an Ordinance of God for the Good of Mankind.

I.

SECT. X.

Of the Power of the Prince in every
worshipping Affembly.

ITH

HO' the fupreme Power of any State has no right to impofe the Profeffion or Practice of any one peculiar Religion upon the People, yet fince Civil Government is an Ordinance of God as the God of Nature for the Welfare of Mankind, the fupreme Power in any Nation may poffibly have a Right to command several things to be done in every Affembly that meets for divine Worship: as,

II. (1.) I think they may give it in charge to every Religious Society, as they are Members of the State, that fometimes at least and upon proper occafions they should preach up Moral Duties to Men as well as the Duties of Piety towards God; that they should teach Men to be honest and faithful, to be

kind and compaffionate, to be fober and temperate, and to be dutiful to their Civil Governors in all thofe things which the Civil Powers have a Right to demand, and that they should preach against perfonal and focial Vices, as Slander, Theft, Adultery, Drunkennefs, Quarrelling, Murder, Cruelty, Cheating, Faction, Sedition, Tumult, Rebellion, and the raising Animofities and Disturbances in the State: efpecially where the Magiftrates (as St. Paul expreffes it) are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil, and are the Minifters of God for Good. This is the Defign of St. Paul's Advice, Rom, xiii. 17. Let every Soul be fubject to the Higher Powers: whofo refifteth the Power refifteth the Ordinance of God, for Rulers are not a Terror to Good Works but to the Evil: wherefore ye must needs be fubject, not only for Wrath, i. e. for fear of Punishment, but also for Confciencefake. For this Caufe alfo pay you Tribute, &c. And he repeats fuch kind of Advice to Titus the Preacher. Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be fubject to Principalities and Powers, to obey Magiftrates, to be ready to every Good Work, to fpeak evil of no Man, &c.

All these things being neceffary to preferve the Civil Government and the State in Wel

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fare and Peace, as well as neceffary and effential Parts of all the Religions that are good for any thing in the World, I think it may lie within the Province of the fupreme Power to require that the People fhould be inftructed in these Matters at convenient Seafons...

III. (2.) I think the fupreme Power may require alfo that amongst the Addreffes or Prayers for temporal Bleffings which are of fer'd up to their God by any Societies of Men, there should be fome Petitions put up for the Welfare of the Government: Surely every Man fhould pray for a Spirit of Wisdom and Justice, and Mercy, and the best of divine Bleffings upon their Rulers. This is the Instruction of the Apostle to all Chriftians, tho' it was fuppofed they lived then under Héathen Governments. I Tim. ii. 1. I exbort therefore that first of all Supplications, Prayer's, Interceffions, and Giving of Thanks be made for all Men; for Kings and for all that are in Authority, that under them we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty.

IV. (3.) If Magiftrates may require every religious Affembly, meeting for Inftruction and Prayer, to have Leffons of Moral Duty and Allegiance taught them; and to have Prayers

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Prayers offer'd up for the Governors in times of Prosperity and Peace, may they not alfo when any Calamity or Danger attends the State or Nation, by War, Famine, Pestilence, Tumults, &c. I fay, may they not at fuch Seasons appoint a certain Day or Hours of the Day for worshipping Affemblies each to address their God in a way of Prayer, that these Dangers may be prevented, or these Calamities removed? Such a Civil Appointment does not fo much as pretend to make the Day facred, and I think it cannot be reafonably scrupled by Persons of any Religion upon that account.

V. I have turn'd this Question on all fides in my Thoughts, and I cannot fee any criminal Impofition upon Confcience in fuch Demands of the Government: for if the Day which happens to be appointed by the Magiftrate for fuch a purpofe is held facred by any religious Party in the Land, yet furely Prayers for the Welfare of the State and the Nation can never be finfully offer'd up upon fuch a facred Day, i. e. it can be no Prophanation of the Day to make fuch Addrefies to God. And on the other hand if the Day be not held facred, the Hours appointed to this Service are not to be fuppofed to ingrofs fo

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