17t3 CIOIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED. X. And on the other hand, if the authority of every civil government extended to direct the affairs of religion, and that by God's appointment_; then every government would have a right to determine what shall be the religion of that society or nation ; and by this means, as the true religion is professed by very few civil governments in comparison of the multitudes of false religions, there would be an obligation from God on the greatest part of mankind to submit to their governors when they enjoin a false religion, and receive, and practise it instead of the true, which is toe absurd a thing to be supposed. SECT. II.The Necessity of acknowledging a Cod, and the Religion of an Oath. I. Though religion, so far as it relates 10 the salvation of our souls and a future world of happiness, doth not come within the cognizance of civil government; yet as the affairs of men are situated in this world under all governments, there are several things relating to our civil welfare which seem to require the knowledge and profession of a God ; as these four for instance : 1. Witnessing in controversies between two parties. 2. Information in criminal cases. S. Security against secret plots and mischiefs from the people. 4. Guarding against op= pression and injustice of the rulers. Let us consider each of these distinctly : 1. The case of L witnessing in controversies between two contending parties requires the acknowledgment of a God." Partly through the ignorance of men, and partly through their evil inclinations, there will be controversies frequently arising among the people, which must be datermined by the magistrate as a judge of right and wrong. Now in order to search into the truth ofthings, and the right ofparticular persons, it is not thought proper for the magistrateusually to give credit toany persons in their own cause, when there is no concurrent witness or wit- nesses who declare the same thing. And whereas witnesses in many disputes about property may justly be suspected to warp from the truth through private influences, if there be no other person who can detect and discover them, therefore it is necessary they should have some knowledge, and make some profession of an invisible power who made and gdverns the world, who sees and hears and knows every thing which is done among men, and who is a guardian of justice and truth, and some time or other will terribly punish falsehood and lying. 2. " The case of information against criminals requires some profession of a God." Let it be considered, that whatso- ever injuries or frauds, crimes or mischiefs, are practised or committed in any nation under these governments, they cannot
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