108 CIVIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED. Aleorans and Talmuds, and Homer's Hymns to the rabble of heathen gods. VI. Yet I think this may be allowed, that at the end of the moral or civil lectures the magistrate, when an assembly is gathered, may appoint the lectures, or exercises, or celebrations of his own peculiar religion to follow them, provided the people have notice of it, and as many as please are permitted to depart without penalty or reproach : And provided always the preacher is not paid out of the public money, for any thing he does over and above these moral or civil lectures, which areneedful for the good of the state. VII. And it is certain, this further allowance may be made, viz. that as any rich man may at his own private expence, or out of his own property maintain poets, philosophers, singers, teach- ers or priests, to preach and practise the doctrines and ceremo- nies of his own peculiar religion, provided they teach end act nothing inconsistent with the welfare of the state ; so a prince or supreme power, may maintain teachers of the mathematics, phi- losophers, poets, star-gazers, órlriests and preachers of his re-, ligion, out of that part of his possession or revenue which is properly his own, or his personal property, and is designed for the support of himself and family and common equipage, even though it may be allotted him by the state or the laws of the land. For if there ought to be a toleration of all religions which interfere not with the good of the state, and private persons may support the teachers and priests of their own religion out of their own property, I see no sufficient reason why the supreme power, or the governor shouldbe debarred from the same privilege ; and as he issupposed to be richer than àny of the people, so he may maintain-more priests or preachers of his own religion than others can. And this practice might be 'so managed by the governing powers of any nation, if they are christian, and truly zealous for their religion and their Saviour, that would not in the least break in upon human liberty, and yet might give very great countenance and encouragement to christiahity, and assist in spreading it through all the nation by degrees ; or indeed any other religion for which the ruling powers are zealous. I add also, that a religion thus professed, and supported, by the bene- ficence of a prince or supreme powers, may be in some sense called an established religion, because it is supported by the rulers above and beyond any other formof religion. VIII. But suppose the supreme and legislative powers of any state, should join the revenue or taxes, which they raise for the public support of government, with that revenue which they allow the prince for his private or domestic expence and his royal equipage; 'so that they are not distinguished : Has not the prince then a much larger power in hishands to promotehis own
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=