208 CIVIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED. . of prayer, that these dangers may be prevented, or these calamities removed ? Such a civil appointment does not so much as pretend to make the day sacred, and I think it cannot be reasonably scrupled by persona of any religion upon that ,account. V. I have turned this question on all sides in my thoughts, and I cannot at present see any criminal imposition upon con- science in such demands of the government : For if the day which happens to be appointed by the magistrate for such a purpose, is held sacred by any religious party in the land, yet surely prayers for the welfare of the state and the nation can never be sinfully offered up upon such a sacred day, that is, it can be no profanation of the day to make such addresses to God. And on the other hand, if the day be not held sa- cred, the hours appointed to this service are not to he'supposed to engross so much time as to hinder them from the busi- nesses of the civil life, beyond what is required by the necessities of the state, or the obligation of the people to promote the public welfare. VI. And if seasons of prayer may be commanded by the government in cases of public calamity or danger, we may by the same reason conclude also, that seasons of public thanks- giving may be appointed upon any nationaloccasion of returning -thanks for public health, peace, and plenty, or special delive- rance from distress or danger : Always provided that every religious assembly be permitted to worship their God in their own way and manner on such appointed seasons ; for those actions of thanksgiving seem to be a part of natural social re- ligion, in which the welfare of the state is concerned. Perhaps it will be objected here, that by this rule our King James the second, might appoint a day of prayer against King William, or the Prince of Orange, when he came really for the delive- rance of the nation from tyranny; or he might appoint a thanks- . giving for the birth of the spurious Prince of Wales or the Pretender ; for princes will make themselves judges whether occurrences are national dangers or benefits. Answer. Where such things happen, every single person must be a judge of his own actions according to conscience, and must never trifle with God to obey the commands Of aking ; nor will the com- mands of a king lay any obligations on conscience in such cases, where it is dubious on which side the true welfare of the nation stands. But in all cases where the danger or the benefit of a nation is most apparent and certain, and universally agreed, I * Lest it should be objected here, that no magistrate may appoint idolaters on any day to worship idols or false gods, I would say, that the form of the proclamation or public command, shouldonly in general express the worship of God, which if any heathen subjects apply to false gods, the magistrate is not to blame, in my opinion.
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