218 APi'ENDIX, such as their common habits, their gestures, &e. these were generally left indifferent to every worshipper ; always providedthey acted agreeably to the common light of nature and reason of things, becoming the sacred solemnity of worship, and in a consistence with the interest of the state. I say, it seems most probable that the determination of these things was left to the public agreement of the people, or to theirprivate liberty : But if any per- sons shall suppose; they were left tobe determined by 'the rulers or officers of the church, I will not by any means debate that matter here: it is enough for my purpose, if it be acknowledged, these things were left tohe agreed upon or determined by the church itself either the people, or their officers in that society, and not by their civil governors*. VI. Yet still let it be remembered thatthe power of the state or the civil government, is supreme over all thesesocieties and their officers, in all things .whichrelate tó the peace and welfare of the nation or the city ; and none of them have any right to make any laws, agree upon any rules, or do any thing contrary to the goodof the city, or the civil 'government. Asfor instance, if the college of philosophers profess and maintain the opinionof a public community of wives, or of exposing or murdering their children, if the synagogue of the Jews should refuse to give any pledges of their allegiance to heathen governors, if the christians should pretend that civildominion is founded in divine grace, or that the saints, that is, the chris- tians, should rise and take the city, or that no faith is to he kept with heretics: or if any of thesesocieties should profess and maintain the right of persecu- ting or punishing any othersociety for their peculiar sentiments or practices, winch affect not the state or the public good, they themselves may lawfully be sent out of the city, and'e banished from the protection of the civilgovern- meet, for these things are contrary to the public welfare. Or if any of the members of any of these societies, should be guilty of crimes that are incon- sistent with the peace of mankind or welfare of, the state, viz. murder, drunkenness, stealing, cheating, slander, sedition, treason, &e; they may be punished by the stateaccording to the laws of' the land, without any conside- ration what other societythey may belong to, or any regard to it. But 1 would proceedyet further here, and add, that if any of these societies should presume to punish any of their own members with the loss of life or limb, or seizing their property, or in any manner which is inconsistent with the peace or welfare of the state, these members so punished, or any others for them, may make complainttothe civil rulers, and thesecivil rulers have aright to restrain these particular societies frunt inflicting such punish- ments, andthey have a right !also topunish those that inflict them according to the lawsof the land ; for it is their proper husiness to see that no member of the statebe injured in life, liberty or property. Hence it follows, that these particular societies have no right or power to punish those whom their own particular laws only may call criminal, except with such small flnès, inconve- niences, or dishonours as their offending members willingly submit to, or by sharp reproofs, or by suspending them for a season from their meetings, or casting them utterly out of theirsociety : but theyhave no power nor right to call in the civil arm to punish them for such sort of faults. Indeed if their crime be such as affects the common welfare of the state, or peace of man.. kind, they may not only beexpelled out of that soetety in particular, by the members of it, for all such societies should suffer nothing amongthem con- trary to the peace or welfare of the state: But they should also be cited * I have no concerti here in that famous question, whether a christian church Iona be governed by an episcopal person, or bishopin the way of monarchy, or by a synod of presbyters in a way df aristocracy, or by the vote of -the people in a way of dr$mocracy; bot it is evident, that the civil powers, of what form soever they be, have so just right or authority to govern the church in things sacred,
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