21S APPENDIX. supreme power in things of acivil nature, required by the laws of the land. Now the laws are all made, or are supposed to bemade, for thee'ood of the people and the safety of the state. Note, in this safety of the state is also included the honour due to the rulers, for if due honour be not paid to the ruling powers, it endangers the safety of the state. XI. Let it be further considered also, that in the Original compact between the government and the governed, the governed do not'consent to part with any liberties of human nature, but only so far as is necessary for civil government and their common protection, security and peace, They are hound therefore toobey, not f0 in omnibus Ileitis & honestis, but " in omni- bus gum ad reipublieae salutem." Can we suppose that whenthe people swear allegiance to governors, they mean to give them power over all their private and domestic affairs and actions, or the circumstancesof them, over their conduct in labour orstudy, in trade or recreations, and left themselvesor their families no liberty of going out or in, when they pleased, or wearing- short coats or long, redor blue, of eatingbread or flesh' or herbs as they thought proper, or dining or supping at a round table or a square one, upon a dishof turnipsor ahaunch of venison ? And if the people never gave up their liber- ties in these affairs to the rulers of the state, then the rulers never had a right to claim such-obedience : And if they have no right to. determinesuch sort of things, in natural and private life, in families, or in any voluntary societies, I know not what divine or human reason theycan have toclaim this right in religious societiesor in churches: Surelythey can have no such ,pretence, except where the peopleor thelaws have given them such a claim ; and after all, whether such laws are good and just may deservea debate. XII. Let the christian church in Corinth therefore be esteemed but as one of the rest of these human voluntary societies, and it may subsist well enough in aheathen state, ifthegovernors do but merely protect their faithful subjects, and do not stretch their authority into the affairs or religion, which is beyond its proper extent. Gallio, the deputy ofAchaia, had some good notion of this matter in St. Paul's time, when he would takeno cognizance of words and names and questions aboutthe Jewish religion, but only about matters of civilsarong or wicked lewdnesss But be was much to blame, even according to his own principles, that he did not keep the public peace, and protect Sesthenes from the mob, " whether he were a Jew ora heathen, ora christian ;" Acts xvüi. 12-17. For this was the proper provinceof a magi- trate to interpose in matters of civil wrong or injury. All that the christian church or any other peaceable society can claim from the state, is protection ; and this protection is sufficient to guard them from all disturbance of their peace by men of violence, or harlequins and scaramouches, or any other intruder into their assemblies, chairs or pulpits, besides those whom the society appoints: For if such complaints be made by the society to the magistrate, he hasa right to restrain by prison or proper penalties, such invaders of the public peace, as trespass upon the innocent employment, the ground, possessions and properties oftheir neighbours; and he is bound to do it as a guardian of thepublic peace : Nor should any pretence of conscience screen theoffender insuch cases ; nor can the magistrate fulfil his duty without securing an impartial liberty, safety and protection toevery loyal assembly, whether it be appointed for music or painting, philosophy or worship. It should also be addedhere, that if any persons' who are secludedor cast out from these societies, by the rulesand vom of the society, will yet obsti- nately enter in upon their ground, and mix with them in their common acts of instruction, practice, worship. &c. so as to give society any disturbance ; it is the business and duty of the civil magistrate, uponproper applicationmade, to guard every innocent society of loyal subjects from such inroads, injuries, and disturbances ; and that even in their festivals and recreations, as well as
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