AN ESSAY. 213 glory and spiritual beauty and excellence by degrees faded away, and was almost lost by the visible powers, pomp and honours attending this very establishment. The church of Christ in the New Testament, is built on such a foundation, that it wants nothing of civil power to support it, besidesthe mere pro- tection of the state, which every christian society may require and expect in common with every other society of men, who are good subjects, and pay all due allegiance to the state in which theydwell. CONCLUSION. I. THUS I have given a short account of my best senti- inents, howfar any sort of public assemblies for hearing lectures on divine, civil, or moral subjects, or the public preaching or celebration of peculiar religions, may be safely established by the state ; how far some public worship may be required in gene- ral, and especially on particular occasions of the public interest of the state, andhow far the people are required to pay their at- tendance. But I cannot find any sufficient power in the slate or government to oblige the nation or particular persons in it under penalties to any form of worship. If I have in any thing ex- ceeded the bounds of the just and reasonable rights of govern- ment, or too much limited the just and natural liberties or con- sciences of mankind, either princes or people, I shallbe glad to be better informed in a spirit of meekness and Charity, which ge- nerally attends the spirit of wisdom and truth. II. The only maxim by which I have conducted my senti- ments through all this scheme, is this, that the power of civil government reachesno further than the preservation of the na- tural and civil welfare, rights and properties of mankind with regard to this world, and has nothing to do with religion further than this requires : But the special rights of conscience, and the things of religion, as they relate to another world, belong to God only. And the gospel of Christ does not pretend to erect a kingdom of this world, and therefore it alters nothing in the na- ture of civil government ; but leaves to Cæsar the things that are Cnsar's; Mat. xxii. 21. IIÍ. There may be many things ,which a zealous christian ruler might think very proper to be done for the honour of his God and his Saviour inthe public world, and in the management of the state; and indeed he may do much for God inreforming a sinful land ; yet in the peculiarities of christianity, I find no- thing that can be required or imposed by civil authority, without intrenching upon the rights or liberties of mankind : And I was not willing to indulge any thing to be imposed upon heathen sub- jects by christian governors, which may not also be counted rest- o3
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=