DISC. T.1 EXAMINED AND ESTABLISHED. 14 least as to be banished from their dominions ; because they who deny the knowledge and jistiee of a God, a superior Governor, can give no security by oaths; of their allegiance or loyalty to any government whatsoever; and will break all manner of bonds when they can do it safely. '-But where some divine power is owned and acknowledged, who knows and will punish perjury and falsehood, the civil governor bath no farther power in affairs of pure religion, where the peace of mankind, the property of man, and the safety of the state are not concerned : Now these privileges and powers are not impaired by any article of the relifion of nature. This was the nwtion of the wiser and better heathens, by 'the light of nature, and therefore you do not find them usually quarrelling about their gods, and bringing one another before courts of justice, because of their contentions and differences in matters of their religion : Nor would the magistrates bear it. This appears in the case of St. Paul, at Corinth; Acts xviii. 12-16. And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews ntade insurrection with one accordagainst Paul; and brought -him to' the,jjidgment-seat, saying, thisfellow pèrsuadeth men to worshipGodcontrary to the law. AndwhenPaul Was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, if' it were a matter ofWrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, - reason would that I should bear with you ; but if it be a question of words and names, andofyour law, look ye to it; forl will be nojudge of such matters : andhe draye them,from thejudgment-seat. But then Gallio was much to blame in the 17th verse, where he took no cognizance of the Greeks 'beating Sosthenes, an innocent man, being the ruler of the- syna- gogue : which wasa crime against the peace of the city, and an offence against the government, which Gallio ought tó have resented. But however the civil magistrates among the heathens had nothing to do in matters of pure religion, 'yet the Jews were continually running to the civil Magistrate with their charges against those who opposed their reli- gion, or any part of it. And this is the :plain and appa- rent reason of it : The government of the Jews was a theocracy ; .God was their king as well as their God ; the law that he gave them by the hand of Moses was .thee VOL. III. L
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