614 Chap.6. ,l C6$NtaaHttiirie spots .. nothingalit (elfe (as Paulfaith) vet tolecompelled to receiuc circutncifion, and to place iufbfication in thevie ofàt, & hnrae in thenegleft of it, is the readie way toouerturne Chrift,the foundation o"our faluation.Gal.5.4. Here fundrie queflions are to be anfwered. Firfi , it maybe demanded , whether it be lawful' to compel! men to embrace religion, as the fJlfe Apoflles compelled the Galatians to eir- cumcifiô ? Alf. TheMaaiftratemay & oughtto compel! ob ftmate Recutants to profelFe true religion : for he is caller vtri., tsfJJfc.ór le, anal therefore is to haue care that true religion be profef ed, and the contemners thereofpunilhed. An example i hereofwe haue in good _mg lofiosh, who caufècl all that were faYMd in lcrsa/W5m and áenia;mr,;,(that`is,all his fubieíts)tofond to. the cottenant which hemade with the Lord, nay which is more, he co:ptl.'edall that were forarld irs Ierufalc_mto farese the Lord their gad. z.Chron. 34.3 2,3 3. amongwhich multitude many there were (nodoubt) which did hke better ofIdolatrie , then of Gods worfhip , as theword cernpclled, doth import. The King that made that great (upper , commanded his (et'uants to aped thegue, rtocosrcirrvtohim+.Luk,r4.23.whenceAttgu- fine gatliereth, that it is theMagiflrates duneto compel' rccu- (ants, fchifsnatikes, herctikes, and inch like,to the hearing and profefiingof the word. But here three things arc commonly obt.Eted againft this do&rine. °tietd.. I. To compell men to embrace true religion , is to . make them goe again(' their confcience, which the Magifirate ought not to doe : as forePapifls haue Armed , that they would not for tenne thou(and worldscompel' a Iew to Iweare that therewerea Welled Trinitie, becaufe he fhould be dam. neti for fwiaring again(} his confcience, although the thing wvere neuer ro true. An!' I. hit were fohainnusa finne to com- pel] any to embrace true religion , becaufe it is againfl their confcience; why doe Popifh Prelates,and Magiflratcs, corn- pelt Proteltants (and than by exquifite torments)to reconcile themfckies to the ChurchofRome, to fweareobedience to the Pope, to acknowledge Tr5fübflantiption,and tohemMatte; s.Ohach they know are direcìly againfi their confcience ? I I. If they will not compel' men todreary thing,(tbough new fo wood or r,odly ,)becaufe it is again(' their confcience: why 'Mould they not be asfcrupulous in refiraiining them fromdo. ing ta IIs 20 25 30 3i
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