200 CIVIL POWER. IN THINGS SACRED. II. I enquire here then in the first place, whether the su- preme power or powers or legislators of the state may not make laws, which shall constitute and require the religion which he or they profess, to be practised by all who are admitted to the civil or military offices thereof; and whether such a law may not rightfully exclude all persons who refuse to comply with this religion. Some are entirely of this opinion ; and the reason given for it is this : Surely every master in a family may refuse to take any servant who is not qualified as he requires; as for instance, one who does not believe the bible, one who cannot speak French or Dutch, one who is not willing to wear his livery, or who scruples to take an oath. Here is no injury done to any person whatsoever; for no man has a right to come into another man's house or family, and be made his servant, or to enjoy any post in his household; but by his appointment or order. Now military and civil officers in the state are but as servants in a great family ; andno hurt is done to any subject in their natural or civil rights or properties, if they are constantly continued as subjects under the protection of the ruling powers, though they are not made officers or rulers in the state, because they haveno right to it. To this enquiry I would make the following answers : III. Answer I. It is granted that a master of a family has a right to take or exclude what persons lie thinks proper for the service and welfare of his own private house, for they were not members of his family before they were taken into it : So the ruling power may chose what persons and what officers he pleases for his own household, his personal affairs, his guards, and his own public equipage and honour, without any injury done to other persons, who never had any pretence, by station or merit, tobe received into the royal household or the guards, as a part or member thereof. But the officers of a state, or magis- trates of the country, stand in a very different character from the servants in a family, because every subject, is already a mein- ber of the state, and if he has behaved well therein, he should at least stand capable of the preferments and offices of his coon- try, as what he has merited by his good character and beha- viour, as a subject in that state of which he is a part or member : Nor is it reasonable or just, that a capacity of preferment should be taken from him by the law, but for some civil crime or mis- demeanor, because such an incapacity fixed by law, is a public reproach or civil punishment. I answer in the second place : IV. Answer II. That it is possible the supreme ruling power, may at presentprofess a difkreltt religion from almost all the people, or may fall into such different sentiments, and then surely it dot not seem to be reasonable or fair to confine all infe- rior magistratesor officers to the religion of the supreme Ruler, and to forbid the people ever to have any ruling officer among
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