SERMON VI.

Luke ix. 55, 56.—But he turned, and rebuked them; and said, ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of; for the Son of Man is not come to destroy Men's Lives, but to save them.

IF

popery be considered in a religious view, it must appear the just object of our contempt, as well as our abhorrence; but if we regard it as a political contrivance, to gratify the avarice, and ambition of the clergy, it will appear very artfully adapted to answer that end. The wisdom of the serpent eminently prevailed, when the innocence of the dove had long been lost. Cunning ecclesiastics, who were by their office obliged frequently to converse with persons under awakenings of conscience, and serious impressions, laid hold on that opportunity of improving themselves in an acquaintance with human nature; and on that foundation they gradually formed and completed a scheme, dexterously adapted to make the minds of their people easy, by the same notions and forms by which the clergy inriched them. selves, and secured that temporal dominion and grandeur, for which they were contented to exchange true christianity, and to make merchandise of the souls committed to their care.

Some of these principles were so evidently absurd, that the common sense of mankind, however bribed in their favour, must often have risen up in open opposition to them, had freedom of inquiry been allowed, and the scriptures been left in the hands of the people. It was therefore one of their most important artifices to take away that key of knowledge, and to put out that light which would have exposed the folly and wickedness of their conduct. And farther, to support that Babel which must otherwise have sunk under its own weight, the powers of this world were brought in, and its rulers taught to think it their highest honour to employ their sword against those obstinate miscreants who were disobedient to the faith, as the priests thought fit to explain it. To injure the weaker part of their subjects in their religious rights, was represented as an ample atonement for violating the civil liberties of them all; and thus the mouths of gainsayers were most easily and effectually stopped. From

some countries the reformation was utterly excluded, in others it was stifled in its very infancy, and in some rooted out, after it had for a while been happily advanced.

This is undoubtedly the grand bulwark of popery, even to this very day; and were it removed, the anathemas of the church would become as incapable of giving terror, as they are of doing any real mischief. And therefore one of the most effectual methods which can be taken to secure and promote the reformation, is to convince men, if possible, of the absurdity and iniquity of persecution for conscience-sake, in all its kinds and in all its degrees.

This is what, by the divine assistance, I purpose to attempt this day; nor could we at any time more properly examine the subject; since it is to the repeated deliverances of this day, that we owe our exemption from those usurpations and inhumanities, which would have deprived us of the liberty of arguing, or even of complaining. How justly the church of Rome is charged with persecuting principles and practices, you have heard: and blessed be God that you have only heard it +. How absurd those principles, and how criminal those practices are, am now to shew you. And amongst a variety of scriptures, which might have been prefixed to such a discourse, I could think of none more proper than this which I have now been reading.

I

Our Lord was now going up to Jerusalem, at one of the great feasts; probably that of tabernacles: and as he then came from Galilee, he thought it proper to pass through Samaria. This was the directest road, which it was then perhaps necessary for him to take, in order to his being at Jerusalem in due time. You well know that in this country, i. e. on mount Gerizim, there was a temple built as a rival to that on mount Zion, to which the Samaritans, who after their way kept the three great annual feasts appointed by Moses, were probably at this time preparing to resort. But as our Lord appeared to be passing by this temple, and setting his face towards that where the Jews worshipped, these bigotted Samaritans denied him the common rites of hospitality, and would not suffer him and his attendants so

*N. B. This sermon was preached November 5, 1735.

+N. B. This particularly refers to a sermon on the persecuting principles and practices of the church of Rome, with which the author had concluded his course of lectures against popery last year. What is most important in that discourse may be seen, with much greater advantage, in Dr. Grosvenor's sermon at Salters-Hall, on the same subject; which is full of that easy, but penetrating and convincing eloquence, of which he is so eminent a master.

much as to refresh themselves at any of their inns; which seems to be all the favour they now asked. This was indeed very outrageous and inhumane treatment, and the apostles James and John, who were now present, resented it with a great deal of warmth. Full of zeal, and as they imagined of piety and of faith too, they only ask leave of our Lord to command fire from heaven upon these unreasonable and wicked men, assuring themselves that if an affront offered to the prophet Elijah, even by the express command of the king of Israel, were once and again thus severely avenged, the artillery of heaven would be yet more ready to plead the cause of the Son of God, when thus affronted, perhaps by some of the meanest of the people.

How far they would have extended the execution, if our Lord had favoured their motion, we cannot certainly say: perhaps it had reached farther than the persons from whom the of fence directly came, and might have laid the whole city in ashes. It is certain, that a judgment, inflicted in such a miraculous way, would have been less liable to objection, than if secular power had been armed on the occasion. Yet our gentle and compassionate Redeemer, far from indulging their request, very faithfully reproves it, and expressly says, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; i. e. "You neither consider the dif ference which there is between the genius of the Mosaic and the christian dispensation, nor do you sufficiently weigh the secret motives, which influence you on this occasion; for, if you did, you would see there is something of pride, and personal revenge, mingling itself with your zeal for God, your affection to me, and my kingdom. Your proposal is, on the whole, most unsuitable; and, as such, I absolutely reject it. For the son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them. The general design of my appearance is most benevolent and gracious, and I am determined still to act agreeably to it, and to exert my miraculous power in works of kindness, rather than of terror; for the preservation of mankind, and not for their destruction."

Now, surely, if our Lord thus severely rebuked his disciples for the proposal they here made, he would have censured them, with much greater displeasure, if they had talked of using his interest amongst the Jews, to raise an army to ravage Samaria by fire and sword; and, on the same principle, to spread desolation over the face of the whole earth, wherever they and their doctrine had not met with a favourable reception. The argument urged in the text would have concluded against this with

equal and superior force: The son of man came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.

You see then, how properly these words may be used, to introduce a discourse against persecution on any religious account: I shall therefore, without any farther preface, go on,

I. To state what I apprehend to be the christian doctrine on this head, as opposed both to the tenets and practices of the Romish church, with regard to it.

II. To shew, by some plain arguments, the absurdity and iniquity of persecution, for conscience-sake.

III. To answer some of the most plausible considerations which have been urged in defence of it. After which I shall, IV. Conclude with some practical improvements of the whole.

I should abundantly exceed the limits of a single discourse, if I were not to content myself with a few short hints on each of these heads, which have furnished out copious matter for several large volumes. And I hope, those who have had an opportunity of enquiring most accurately into the subject, and of perusing what has been written upon it, by some of the most celebrated persons of our age and nation, will not be displeased with such a short survey of what seems most material on both sides the question. And it may be highly necessary for others, who have not such leisure or abilities, and who, for want of having the matter fairly and clearly stated, may fall into sentiments very injurious to the honour of their profession, and the peace of their

minds.

I. I am to propose what I take to be the christian doctrine on this head; and to offer some previous remarks toward stating the question aright, and preventing mistakes which often embarrass it.

I say, the christian doctrine, lest, if I call it the protestant, any should question the propriety of the expression. It is indeed too plain, that our first reformers, when they separated from other corruptions of the Romish church, retained this unhappy principle: That error and heresy are to be extirpated by violence; and that the conduct of some pious princes amongst the Jews, in destroying idolaters, is to be a model for christian magistrates." This was not the opinion of the pious Calvin alone, whatever pleasure some may now take in heaping distinguished infamy on him; but it is much easier to make a large, catalogue of those in England, as well as abroad, who maintained this tenet, than of those who opposed it. Nor indeed can we

justly wonder, that the whole system of truth did not break in upon them at once. We have great reason to be thankful, that they were enabled to lay such a foundation, and that others, in succeeding ages, have, in any measure, raised and improved the superstructure: yet I will not presume to say, that all protestants are now agreed in what I take to be the truth here; it would be much for the credit, and much for the interest of their cause, if they were: and we ought earnestly to pray, that God, by his Spirit of goodness and love, would purge out the remainder of that old leaven, which still sours the hearts of some. But, I persuade myself, I am about to represent sentiments, in which multitudes of worthy and excellent men, of all parties amongst us, concur; and they seem to be breaking in on men's minds with a growing light: May it shine more and more, until the perfect day! The protestant doctrine on this head, so far as protestants are consistent with themselves, seems plainly to be this: "That none are to be subjected to any kind or degrees of civil penalties, merely on account of their religious opinions, or for any practices arising from them, if those practices be not detrimental to the peace of society, which the magistrate, by his office, stands engaged to preserve."

We readily allow, that if any man's religious principles carry him on to any actions injurious to others, in their persons or properties, he is to be restrained and punished, as any other offender might be. Should any man, for instance, offer his son as a sacrifice to Moloch, he would justly be treated as a murderer, notwithstanding any plea of conscience which he might pretend to make. For the magistrate has no business with conscience, which is entirely under the jurisdiction of God, but must never be allowed as an excuse for an action injurious to others; for this very obvious reason, that if it should be so allowed, there would be no room for any penal laws at all, and consequently all civil government would be overthrown. For a bold and impudent malefactor would never fail to have recourse to this easy and unanswerable apology, if his judges were so weak as to admit it. Nor can we indeed imagine any blacker villainies, than those which some have pretended to commit for conscience-sake.

We likewise grant, on the same principle as before, that if any man's religion necessarily subject him to the obedience of a foreign prince, the government under which he is born and protected, has a right, by the grand law of self-preservation, to insist on some more than ordinary security for his good behaviour in such circumstances. And this is evidently the case of the papists amongst us. They are under such obligations in conscience