AN 'ESSAY. 191 ship is far below the best that they couldoffer ; now the state has no power to compel the consciences of men to join in that wor- ship of God which they dislike or disapprove as unworthy of him or unacceptable to him, provided that they do every thing else that is necessary to become faithful members of the state. SECT. VIL Df particular Religions supposed to be revealed. I. Supposing that some public worship mnst be authorita- tively required or maintained in a state, for the welfare of the state itself, let us enquire further then how it is possible to be done without infringing natural liberty. Besides the general principles of natural religion which seem reasonable and proper to be made known to all the people, as has been beforedeclared, there may be several particular sects, in the nation, both among the governors and governed, who have other special articles of faith and other peculiar rules of practice or worship, ceremony or sacrifice, over and above these natural and moral doctrines or duties. And these peculiarities of religion are believed to come to thenby a revelation from the God they worship, or from men who were taught of God, which is much the same. H. Now if public worship must be maintained, every man would chose to do it in hisown way : And every man, both go- vernor and governed, ought to have full liberty to worship his God in that special way and manner which his own conscience believes to be of divine appointment, or which he thinks to be most necessary, in order to secure the special favour of his God and his own future happiness. This is a personal obligation which natural conscience, or the light of reason, which is tire candle of the Lord within us, lays on every individual person among mankind ; supposing always that this peculiar religion does not break in upon the just rights or thepeace of our neigh- hours. An:T indeed if it does unjustly invade their peace or their natural or civil rights, this seems to be sufficient evidence that it does not cane fromGod, who is the original author and supreme guardian of the natural rights of his creatures : Nor will any wise and righteous government indulge such mischievous pre- tences of conscience or divine revelation, though in any other case, I see not that any governors have a right to forbid it. III. The great God who gave us all reason andconscience, never appointed the conscience, nor the reason, nor the will of one man absolutely to appoint the religions dirties of another; except always in case of infancy, where conscience or reason is not grown up to its proper exercise, and parents are entrusted with the education and.the religion of their children till they can learn for themselves the knowledge of God and their duty to him. The phantomor chimera of an universal conscience given by God himself toall supreme ruling powers for the authoritative guidance and sway of the ruled in every nation in religious
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