the Law of Mofes limited to one Family; and the Priesthood under the Gofpel is confined to fuch Methods of Conveyance as Chrift and his Apoftles have appointed or approved: And the Chriftian Priesthood being in all Chriftian Nations owned and established by the Public, they have the Commiffion and Authority of the Magistrate for the Edification of the People.

The Power of Correction is proper to be preserved in the Hand of the Magiftrate, and is never better applied than for the Punishment of Wickedness and Vice, and for the Maintenance of true Religion and Virtue.

As thefe Methods are neceffary for the promoting and preferving the Virtue of Nations, and establishing public Happiness and Tranquillity, which fo much depend on it, fo are they likewife for the good Government and Improvement of private Families: And every Father, by natural Right, has Power to inftruct, and within proper Restraints to use Correction, for the Good and Benefit of those under his Care.

As to Inftruction, confidered feparate from Correction, he must be a great Friend to Libertinism who has any thing to object against

it.

it. Some have thought, that fince God has given all Men Reason to direct them, alk Men fhould be left to their Reason to difcover the general Truths of Religion and Morality, without having any Principles or Notions inftilled into them by others; which they esteem as so many Prejudices only. But, not to infist how contrary this is to all the Rules and Precepts of Scripture relating to the Duty of Fathers and Mothers, and to the Practice of all Nations, it is fufficient to obferve, that had God intended that all Men fhould be left to the Discoveries of their ownReason in Matters of Duties, it had been neceffary for him to have fupplied all Men with Leifure for Speculation, as well as with Reason: For Experience fhews that the generality of Men, in the prefent State of Things, are not able, for Want of Leisure and Education, to be their own Mafters: So far from it, that, in conjunction with all the Helps that are at prefent afforded them, great Numbers continue ignorant to a Degree hardly to be imagined; and were these Helps to be removed, we could expect nothing in the room of them but the groffeft Ignorance and Superstition.

If Men have so much Reason as to be able to discover their Duty without Affiftance, as those who would deliver them from the Bondage of Inftruction fuppofe them to have, it is certain they have Reason enough to distinguish between Truth and Falfehood, when proposed to them by others, and are not therefore in more Danger of being betrayed in acting contrary to their Reason by Inftruction, than by being left to themfelves And as for those who have not Reafon enough to enable them to direct themselves, or to make them capable of receiving Instructions from others, they are fit only to be governed by other Methods.

It is very certain that general Errors have been perpetuated by traditionary Instruction, as well as general Truths: But if for this Reafon an End must be put to all Instruction, what one Thing of ufe can be preferved in Life, if we will be so fair as to carry the Argument to its full Extent? Many die daily by Eating and Drinking: What then? Muft the World be ftarved, because you can tell us of fome who have fuffered by Intemperance? or is there a greater Reafon to leave the World in Ignorance,

because

because some through falfe Teachers have been miferably deceived?

But the strongest Objections lie against the Use of Correction in Matters of Religion. All are so fenfible of the Neceffity of Punishments to preserve the Peace and Order of the World, and to protect the Innocent against the Violence of Sinners, that the Magiftrate is allowed on all hands a Right to punish all Crimes which are prejudicial to the Public, or to the Intereft of private Men. A Conceffion this not to be defpifed in Behalf of Religion; for our Duty to God does fo concur in all things with our Duty to our Neighbour, that he who punishes Offences and Injuries offered to Men, will undoubtedly fo far punifh Vice and Immorality. And this Conceffion being made, the Plea for excluding the Magiftrate from Matters of Religion can only affect such Cafes where the Honour of God alone is concerned; for all Offences against Men are allowed to be punished. There remain only then the Offences against God to be exempted from the Terrors of this World; fuch as Profanenefs, Impiety, and the like; upon which they think there ought to be no Restraint from the Magiftrate.

The

The great Reason affigned for all this is, that Punishments inflicted by the temporal Power cannot make Men religious; they can only constrain Men to a Compliance with the Law in their outward Behaviour, but cannot reach to the purifying their Hearts and Confciences, in the Clearnefs and Integrity of which the Virtue of Religion does confift.

But it ought, in the first place, to be confidered, that such Impiety is truly prejudicial to the Public, as it tends, by the Contagion of ill Example, to corrupt the Members of the Commonwealth. The Reverence Men' have for God, is the very best Foundation of Obedience to temporal Governors: This makes them willing to discharge their Duty faithfully to the Public, and to private Men. Take away this Reverence and Regard for God, and few will fee any Reason to obey the Laws of Man any farther than is necesfary to their own Security. But what an Alteration would it make in a Government, were the Subjects, instead of being willing to obey, to lay hold on all Opportunities of offending with Impunity? No Vigilance of the Magiftrate could be fufficient to restrain the Iniquity of Multitudes inclined to do VOL. IV. Evil.

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