The case of compulsion in matters of religion stated by G.B. ; addressed to the serious consideration of the members of the Church of England, in this present juncture.

The Case of Compulsion in matters of Religion stated.

ALL Persecution rises out of an impatience of Spirit, which makes a man less able to bear Contradiction; there is a Tyranny in most mens nature, which makes them desire to sub∣due all others by the strength of their understandings, and such men have an implacable hatred to all that do not render themselves to their Reasons, and think that they are affronted when other men refuse to submit to them; so that he who would strike at Persecution in its root must begin here, and endeavour to soften men, espe∣cially toward those who differ from them in matters of Religion. This imperious temper, when it works upon Subjects of Religion, finds somewhat to raise its spleen, that was of it self impetuous enough before, and that which is called Fury and Rage, when it is imployed in other Disputes, comes to be called Zeal when it is turn∣ed toward the Theories that relate to another world.

But when we consider what a sublime thing Divine Truth is, and what a poor low thing the mind of man is, we shall see cause to blunt alittle the edge of our Spirits if they are too sharp in such matters. Man is much governed by Fancy, and Fancy follows the Texture of the Animal Spirits, which renders many more capable of apprehending Objects that are some way proportioned to them, and more disposed to follow them; So that Tem∣per prepares men for some Opinions, and prepossesses them against others.

With the greater part of mankind Education is so powerful, that they are scarce ever able to overcome it;

and if Education and Temper have hit together, it will require a very extraordinary elevation to rescue a man from that force. Men likewise receive with their impres∣sions of Religion such a respect for them as makes them look on every thought that calls them in question as criminal; and when Persons are bred up to disquiet them∣selves with scruples, if they have so much as made a doubt of their Religion, it is not hard to see them adhere so firmly to the Principles of their Education▪ which stick so fast to the worst sort of men, that even Atheists them∣selves, after all the pains they take to get rid of them, can∣not shake them off so entirely, but that they will be apt to return oft upon them. Men that think much, and that reason well, that are freed from the byass that Inte∣rest, Honour, Kindred, and Custom do give them, and that have leisure to examine matters carefully, may in∣deed get above all these; Yet there are so few that can do this, and there are yet so much fewer that will do it, that it is rather a wonder to see so many change their Persuasions, than to see so few do it. And indeed it is so sublime a Theory to think on God, and his Attributes, and Works, or to think of another state, and of the way that leads to it, that till God furnishes out a new Mission of Apostles with a Measure of those Extraordinary Gifts which he poured out on the Great Pentecost, it is not easie to imagine how the Conversion of Heathen Nations should be made, for though the Idolatry of some of these is extreme gross, yet their Priests have such symbolical significations for all these Rites, that they do much di∣minish the horror which is raised by the first sight of them in the minds of strangers: And since the chief grounds upon which we prove the Christian Religion are taken from the Prophecies of the Old Testament, and their Accomplishmene in the New; from the evidence

that was given concerning the Miracles, the Death, and the Resurrection of Christ, which we confirm from the collateral Proofs of the state of that time, of the Wri∣tings of the Enemies of this Religion, and of that suc∣cession of Authors, that in all Ages which have past since, have mentioned those matters, and cited the Books which we hold Divine.

All this is so evident to those who can make the en∣quiry, that it is strange to find how any one can with∣stand it; but to Barbarians who know nothing of it, and who have no way of informing themselves con∣cerning it, all this can signify nothing, so that in or∣der to the convincing of their understandings, for I do not treat of Gods secret Methods in touching their Con∣sciences, I do not see how we should expect that they should yield easily, unless there were a new Power of working Miracles conferred on those who labour in this work.

But to return from this digression, a man is scarce the Master of his own thoughts: Habit, Constitution, and other things do so concur, that he cannot open his eyes to new Objects, nor see them in a new Light, other than that in which he has been accustomed to view them, and a Man can no more change his notions of things, because a set of new Opinions would accommodate him better, than he can change the relish that his senses, his ear or his taste have in their Objects; A Man may prevaricate, but still he thinks as he thinks, and cannot think other∣wise because he would have himself do so.

But if a Man is not the Master of his own mind, much less is any other Man the Master of it. No man has that superiority over any other mans Reason as to ex∣pect that it should always accommodate it self to his; and the severest exercise of Tyranny must still leave the

thoughts at liberty; the forcing of a man to say or do otherwise than he thinks, by threatnings, the execution of which is above his force to endure, is only the deli∣vering over such a Person to the rack of his own Con∣science here, and to all those miseries hereafter, which must be the portion of Hypocrites, and of Dissemblers with God or Man.

Nor is there such infallible distinction in one mans nature from another, that the one is more likely to be in the right than another; since therefore among all those that differ, some must be in the wrong, those that have the power in their hands may possibly be of the wrong side, and in that case all their severity is turned against the Truth, and those who believe it. And since God makes the Sun to shine, and the Rain to fall on the just as well as on the unjust, Gideons reasoning may be ap∣plied to this matter, If Baal is as God let him plead for himself; And the force of Gamaliels Argument that, If it is of men it will come to nought; and if it is of God we must not fight against him; As it silenced an Assem∣bly of very fierce Persecutors, so it is full as strong now as it was then: For Reason is Eternal, and changeth not.

It seems also plain that those Actions which concern humane Society belong indeed to the Authority of the Magistrate; but that our Thoughts, with relation to God, and such actions as arise out of those Thoughts, and in which others have no interest, are Gods imme∣diate Province, and can belong to no other Jurisdicti∣on; God only knows our Thoughts, as he alone can change them; so that a Magistrate by encroaching up∣on them, breaks in upon Gods Propriety, and upon that Essential Right of Humane Nature of worshipping God according to our Conviction, which is in us Antecedent to all Humane Government, & can never be subject to it.

But if the general Theories from the nature of man give a very favourable view of what is now advanced, the Characters of the Christian Religion, and the ma∣ny express Texts that are in it should determine this matter more positively. The Religion revealed by Mo∣ses consisted in Temporal promises, an earthly Canaan, and all the blessings of this life; so that since the Jews had all these things by vertue of that Covenant, it was very reasonable that a Violation of that Law should in∣fer a forfeiture of all those Rights that the Jews held by vertue of it; and therefore it was as just that a Jew should have been put to death for the Violation of those Laws, as it is lawful for us to put a man to death that Coins or Clips Money. Yet as for opinions the case was different even among the Jews; and therefore though the Doctrines of the Sadducess struck at the Foundations of all Religion, the Pharisees when they had the upper∣hand never carried the matter so far as to proceed to ex∣tremities against them.

But what severities soever might have agreed with the Mosaical Dispensation, they seem to be all out of doors under the Christian Religion, which gives us no earth∣ly Canaan, no Temporal Blessings, nor the Rules for Civil Society. But having found the world in the Pos∣session of their Temporal Rights, it only came to super∣add to those the Doctrines and Rules of a Divine Dis∣cipline, upon which the happiness or miseries of another state do depend. Now it seems to be an uncontested Rule in Justice, that in whatsoever Society one is engaged, the Violation of the Laws of that Society can only inser a forfeiture of all that one had or might have expected by Vertue of it; but this cannot be carried so far as to make one forfeit all that he holds by Vertue of any other Socie∣ty to which he belongs; and therefore since we hold our

Temporal Estates and Liberties not by vertue of our Christianity, but as we are the Members of the State or Kingdom to which we belong, our doing any thing that is only contrary to our Religion may well make us for∣feit all that belongs to us by vertue of our Baptismal Co∣venant; but this ought not to be carried so far as to cut off those Rights that we have Antecedent to our Christi∣anity, as we are Men, and the Subjects of a Civil Go∣vernment. Our Saviour confirmed all this by saying, That His Kingdom was not of this world, That he came not to destroy but to save; and by giving this Rule of Justice, of doing to others that which we would have others do to us; which would soon let all Persecutors see how dif∣ferently they act to it; but above all, our Saviour has made the Doctrines of Meekness and Charity such main Ingredients in his Gospel, that he has made them the Characters by which his Disciples may be every where known; and this Spirit of Love is so diffused through the whole Writings of the New Testament, that how hard soever it may be to understand some of the other passages that are in them, yet there is no ambiguity at all in those that set this forth; we are not only restrained from ruining those who differ from us, but we are re∣quired to love them, to bear with them, and to deal with them in the Spirit of Meekness.

There are some of the Epistles that do not mention several of the Duties incumbent on Christians, yet there is not one, how short soever, in which this of Love is not proposed in terms that are both strong and tender; and while the Church of Corinth was almost rent asunder by a variety of Opinions, and by the different Parties that followed the several Teachers that had been among them, St. Paul does not enter much into the grounds of their disputes, but recommends Love and Charity to them, in

terms that shew how much he himself was inflamed while he writ them; and he is carried into all the raptures of a Divine Eloquence that so transporting a subject could inspire.

St. Iohn lived so long as to see a great deal of the first fervor of the Christian Religion slacken; but when he writ to revive that Spirit, the Argument upon which he dwells chiefly, is, to persuade all to love one another, and he does that in the softest and most melting language that can be imagined. The controversie concerning the Obligation that lay on the Gentiles for obeying the Mo∣saical Law was judged by the Apostles against the Ju∣daizers, and the Inferences that depended on that contro∣versie were such, that St. Paul says, they went so far as to make void the Death of Christ; yet the same Apostle is gentle to those that without seeing the extent of those consequences were carried away by those Judaizers; so that he acknowledges that in their observing them from a good motive they were acceptable to God, and that as the Kingdom of God, or the Gospel, consisted not in those scrupulous distinctions of Meats and of Drinks, but in righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; so he adds, that every man was to endeavour to be fully per∣suaded in his own mind, and was not to judge his Bro∣ther in such matters, but to leave him to the Judgment of God.

This way of managing a controversie that was of such importance, and that was maintained with so stiff an op∣position, even to that extraordinary Authority that was lodged in the Apostles, ought to have been the measure upon which all the succeeding Ages of the Church ought to have formed themselves; and when the Apostles that had an Infallible Assistance, and so might have spoken in a strain of higher Authority than any that have come af∣ter

them, yet thought fit to Treat of those matters in such an humble and softning stile; those who cannot▪ pretend to such a direction ought not to take upon them to dictate, and to threaten and destroy those who differ from them.

The Christians did during the first Ages declare high∣ly against all Cruelties on the account of a Difference of Persuasion in matters of Religion; and though their In∣terest naturally led them to this, yet we pass a very hard Judgment on those times, if we think that they were on∣ly of that mind because the Power was then in the hands of their Enemies. When the Empire turned Christian, the very Heathen Worship was not only tole∣rated for above a whole Age together, but the Heathens themselves continued to be in the chief Imployments of the Empire; and it is pleasant to see how the Heathens that had so long persecuted the Christians, and that had contrived the severest of all Persecutions under Iulian, which very probably had been put in execution if he had returned victorious from the Persian Expedition, saw the state of things no sooner altered than they began to imploy all their Eloquence in the behalf of Tolera∣tion; as if Liberty of Conscience had been an Essential Right of Mankind, from which they ought never to be cut off; and they carried this-so far as to pretend, That a dif∣ference in Religion tends more to the Honour of God, than an Uniformity in it could do, and so they fancied that a Variety in it was acceptable to God.

The first Severity that Christians practised one upon another was the banishing of Arius, and a few of his Fol∣lowers: It must be acknowledged that this seems to be the utmost extent of Civil Authority in those matters: For certainly a Government may put such Persons out of its Protection that are Enemies to its Peace, and so

banish them upon great occasions, giving them leave to sell their Estates, and to carry away with them all that belongs to them; yet this being all that any Humane Government can claim, it ought not to be applied too easily or rashly, till it is visible that all other means are ineffectual, and that the Publick Safety can be no other way secured: But though this Severity against Arius had no great effects, yet the Arians had no sooner the power in their hands than they put in practice first all the contrivances of Craft and Fraud, together with many less crying violences under Constance; and they carried this afterwards to a more open Persecution under Valens; and after that, both in Spain and Africk, it ap∣peared that a cruel Spirit was so inherent in that Party, that it shewed it self as often as they had power; but while Valens persecuted in his Division of the Empire, it is observed, that Valentinian his Brother thought it was enough to support the Orthodox without persecuting the other. Gratian carried the matter further, and tolerated both almost equally. And in the happy turn under Theo∣dosius, at what pains was St. Gregory Nazianzen to restrain the Orthodox from retaliating upon the Arians the ill treatment that they had suffered from them; and not only the Novatians, but even the Arians continued to have their Churches in the Imperial Cities.

The first instance of imploying the Secular Arm against Hereticks that was set on by any of the Orthodox, was under the Reign of that bloudy Tyrant Maximus, and it was managed by two such scandalous Bishops, that their ill Lives is no small Prejudice against every thing that is carried on by such Instruments. This was con∣demned by the best Bishops of that Age, and the ill ef∣fects of that Severity are very copiously marked by the Historian. One is unwilling for the sake of those Ages

to reflect on the rigour that appears in some Laws that are in the Code, yet the mild behaviour of Atticus, Pro∣clus. and some other Bishops, is marked with the praises that were due to it; and it is probable, that those Laws were rather made to terrifie, than that they should be executed. The Donatists, after a Contest of above 120 years continuance, that was managed at first more gently, grew at last so fierce and intolerable, that not being contented with their own Churches, they broke in upon the Churches of those of the Unity, and committed many outrages on the Persons of some of the Bishops, putting out the eyes of some, and leaving others for dead. The Bishops upon that consulted whether they ought to demand, not only the Emperors Protection, but the Application of the Laws made a∣gainst Hereticks to the Donatists. St. Austin and some Bishops opposed this for some time, but they yielded at last, and these Laws were so severely executed, that not only the Donatists themselves complained heavily of them, but St. Austin in several Letters that he writ to the Magistrates upon this occasion made the same complaints; He interceeded very earnestly for the Do∣natists, and said, That it detracted much from the Glory of the Church, that had received so much honour from the sufferings of the Martyrs, to see others suffer upon the account of the Church; and he told them plainly, That if they did not proceed more moderately the Bishops would suffer all that could come upon them from the Rage of the Donatists, rather than complain any more to those who acted so rigorously.

Yet though St. Austin condemned the Excesses of the Civil Magistrates in some particulars, he set himself to justify severity in General, when it was imployed upon the account of Religion; and all the moderate

pleadings for Liberty that are to be found either in Ter∣tullian, Cyprian, and more copiously in Lactantius, with relation to Heathens, and the like reasonings that are to be found in Athanasius, Hillary and Lucifer with relation to the Persecutions of the Arians, were in a great measure forgot; St. Austin had a heat of imagination that was very copious which way soever he turned it, and this was imployed chiefly in Allegorizing Scripture, so as to bring together a vast number of proofs for every cause that he undertook; without troubling himself to examine critically what the true meaning of those Pas∣sages might be: and he is so apt to run out in all his Reasonings into excessive Amplifications, and into all the Figures of copious and uncorrect Eloquence, that it is no wonder to find that Passage of our Saviour in the Pa∣rable, Compel them to enter in, with some other Places misapplied on this occasion.

With that Father the Learning of the Western Church fell very low, so that his works came to be more read in the succeeding Ages than the Writings of all the other Fathers; and in this, as in other things, Men that knew not how to reason themselves, contented them∣selves with that lazy and cheap way of copying from him, and of depending on his Authority.

The Incursion of the Northern Nations that overthrew the Roman Empire, and those Polishings of Learning and Civility that fell with it, brought on a night of Ig∣norance that can scarce be apprehended, by those who have not read the writings of the following Ages; Su∣perstition grew upon the ruins of Learning, and eat up all. The fierce Tempers of the Northern People being mufled up in Ignorance, and wrought on by Superstition, were easily leavened with Cruelty, till at last Heresy came to be reckoned the greatest of all Crimes; and as

it condemned Men to everlasting burnings, so it was thought that those might be well anticipated by Tem∣porary ones of their kindling. Zeal against Heresy was extol'd as the highest act of Piety toward God; and since Heresy is reckoned by St. Paul among the Works of the flesh, it seemed as just to punish it in the severest manner, as it was to punish any other Works of the flesh; and since all Hereticks were looked on as Per∣sons damned, all tenderness toward them, and pity for them, was as far extinguished as was possible. For a false Religion will not easily have the better of good na∣ture so entirely as to root it quite out; All the room that was left for good nature, was the favourable Definition that was given of Heresy; by which Obstinacy was made its peculiar Character that distinguished it from Error, which lies in a more innocent mistake in Divine mat∣ters. And as many have explained this Obstinacy, it amounts to a continuing in Error after one is convinced of it. This notion of Heresie, which has been received by many of the Greatest of Men, even of the Church of Rome it self, seems to agree well with that of St. Paul's ranking Heresie among the works of the Flesh; For if it is meerly a mistake in the Judgment in which one con∣tinues because he cannot overcome his Persuasion, nor see Reasons strong enough to oblige him to change his mind, such an adhering to Error may be called any thing rather than a work of the Flesh. But if a Man from a Principle of Interest, Pride, or Discontent, either throws himself into ill Opinions, or continues in them after his mind is better inlightned, so that he stifles and denies that inward Conviction; then the Reason is ve∣ry plain why such an ill Temper of Mind should be reckon'd a work of the Flesh, because it plainly arises out of a depraved nature.

I will not here enter into so troublesom an Enquiry as it would be to examine how far an Erroneous Conscience acquits one be∣fore God; for that must be left to Him who will judge every man according to his works, and who best knows how far he will accept of a general Repentance of unknown sins, and of a general Act of Faith. even of Truths that are yet unknown; but as for the Judgments of Men, certainly when the other parts of ones Life make it clear, not only to a Judgment of Charity, but even to that of Discretion, that he is sincere, and that he means well, it is hard to know when he is Obstinate, and when his Errors become Heresies, that is to say, works of the Flesh.

So far have I been led upon the consideration of the Spirit of Persecution, that is not only warranted by Custom, and a long con∣tinued Practice, but by Laws, Councils, &c. I am carried next into a Scene of Thoughts that are more particularly suited to the Do∣ctrines of the Reformed Churches; and here it must be acknowledged that Persecution is a more justifiable thing according to the Prin∣ciples of the Church of Rome, than it is according to our Tenets; for the Church of Rome that pretends to be Infallible, has a better Right to demand a blind submission from all its subjects, and to treat those roughly who refuse to grant it, than a Church that pretends to nothing but a Power of Order and Government; and that confesses, she may be mistaken. Our being subject to Error is unreasonably urg∣ed, when men would carry it so far as to make us doubt of all things; yet it ought at least to have this effect on us as to keep us from being too ready to judge hardly of those who are of another mind, or to use them roughly for it; since it is possible that they may be in the right, and that we may be mistaken; at least they may have very probable Reasons for their Opinions, which if they do not quite justifie their mistakes, yet do very much excuse and lessen them.

It is likewise visible, that all severe Proceedings upon the diver∣sity of Opinions how effectual soever they may be on base-minded men, who will always make Shipwrack of a good Conscience when it comes in competition with the Love of this present World, yet work quite contrariwise on Men of awakened Understandings and gene∣rous Souls; instead of gaining on such Persons, these inspire them with horror at a sort of men who go about to ruin companies of people that never did them hurt. It is from this that those violent hatreds arise among men of different Persuasions. Every man is not capable to understand an Argument, or to be much disturbed at it; and though Divines that carry their Speculations farther into the consequences of Opinions, whether real or imaginary, grow hot and

angry at one another upon those heads, yet the people understand them little, & feel them less; but every man feels an injury, & Na∣ture makes her inferences very quick upon it, & concludes that Those who use us ill hate us; & there must be a great degree of Regeneration to keep men from hating those that hate them. Upon this arises all the animosity that is among the several Parties; for every one rec∣koning himself a Member of that Body to which he associates him∣self, thinks that he is obliged to resent all the injuries that are done to his Fellow-members as much as if they were done to himself in particular; and by the same Natural Logick he casts the guilt of the wrongs done his own Party, not only on those individuals of the other Party from whom they did more immediately arise, but up∣on the whole Body of them; and so here is a War kindled in Mens Breasts; and when that is once formed within, it will find some un∣happy occasion or other to give it self a vent. Those who are ill u∣sed▪ are in a State like that of a Mass of Humors in the Body, which ••••••ul about less perceived till some unlucky accident has weakened any part of it, and then they will all discharge themselves on the part that suffers. Men that are uneasie naturally love changes; for these are like the shifting of postures, that give some present ease, and they flatter the Patient with the hope of more to follow.

Persecution is not only hurtful to those that suffer many hard things by it, but is likewise mischievous to them by the Aversion that it inspires in them to those at whose hands they suffer, by the ill ha∣bit of Mind into which it throws them, and by those violent Pro∣jects and Convulsions which do very naturally come into the Heads of those, who as they feel much, so they fear yet more.

Those that do Persecute, though they seem to triumph a while with the spoils of their Enemies; yet will soon feel how this sinks their credit extreamly among those that were more indifferent Spectators, while the debate was managed with the Pen or Tongue; but they will certainly take part at least in their Compassions with the Miserable, and will be disposed to think ill not only of those men that are heavy upon their harmless Neighbours, but even the cause it self, that is supported by such methods.

The Multitude even of the lowest Order of Men has a Remnant of good Nature left, which shews it self in the sad looks that all put on at the Execution even of Malefactors: But if a false Religion has not quite extinguished Humanity in its Votaries, this will make a more sensible Impression, when men that have done nothing a∣miss, and are only in fault because they cannot help thinking as they do, are made Sacrifices to the rage of others, that perhaps have little more to say for themselves but that they are in possession

of the Law; which in the next Revolution of Affairs that may fall out will be an Argument so much the stronger for using themselves in the same manner, because it is a just retaliation on them for that which they made others to suffer.

In short, Persecution does extreamly vitiate the Morals of the Party that manages it; the worst men, so they are furious and vio∣lent, are not only connived at, but are even courted, and men other∣wise of severer Morals will insensibly slacken, by reason of their engagements with vitious men, whom they will find themselves forced to cherish and imploy; and if those who have Persecuted o∣thers fall under a reverse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Fortune, and come to suffer themselves a little of that which they made others feel, as their ill behaviour, will deprive them in a great measure of those Compassions that would otherwise work towards them, so it will raise within them many uneasie reflections upon their own Actings, which will prove but Melancholy Companions to them in their Afflictions; and these will force them to conclude, that because they shewed no mercy therefore they now meet with the requital of Judgment without mercy; which how unjust soever it may be in those by whom they suffer, yet they will find it meet to look up to God, and to confess that just and righteous are all his ways.

And the returning the Severities we have suffered at the hands of any, is a Practice so contrary to the Christian Religion, and to the Principles of the Protestant Religion, that I do not stick to say it, that I had rather see the Church of England fall under a very severe Persecution, than fall to Persecute others▪ when it should come to its turn to be able to do it. The former will 〈◊〉〈◊〉 serve to unite us among our selves, and to purge us from our Dross, and in particular, from any of the Leaven of the Doctrine of Persecu∣tion that we have not yet quite thrown out; but the other would very much slain the purest and best constituted Church in the World; and it would be too near an approach to that cruelty which we cannot enough detest; but how much soever we may hate their corruption▪ we must still remember that they are Men and Christians, though perhaps of a course grain, and that we our selves are Reformed Christians, who in Imitation of our Bles∣sed Master must not render evil for evil, but overcome evil with good.

G. B.

FINIS.