man be thought to be conversant with such mean and low thoughts? for the title of reverend, I do give him notice that I have very little valued it ever since I have considered the saying of Luther; Nunquam periclitatur religio nisi inter reverendissimos.' So that he may as to me forbear it for the future, and call me as the Quakers do, and it shall suffice. And for that of doctor, it was conferred on me by the university in my absence, and against my consent, as they have expressed it under their public seal; nor doth any thing but gratitude and respect unto them, make me once own it; and freed from that obligation, I should never use it more, nor did I use it until some were offended with me, and blamed me for my neglect of them. And for that other whom he mentions, who before this gave so far place to indignation as to insinuate some such thing, I doubt not but by this time he hath been convinced of his mistake therein, being a person of another manner of ability and worth, than some others with whom I have to do: and the truth is, my manner of dealing with him in my last reply, which I have since myself not so well approved of, requires the passing by such returns. But you will say, then why do I preface this discourse with that expression, with thanks for the civility of the inquiry in the manner of its expression?' say, this will discover the iniquity of this author's procedure in this particular: his inquiry was, ' Whether I did not in my conscience think that there were no true churches in England, until the Brownists our fathers, the Anabaptists our elder brothers, and ourselves arose, and gathered new churches;' without once taking notice, or mentioning his titles that he says he gave me, I used the words, in a sense obvious to every man's first consideration, as a reproof of the expressions mentioned; that which was the true cause of my words our author hides in an &c.: that which was not by me once taken notice of, is by him expressed to serve an end of drawing forth an evil surmise and suspicion, that hath not the least colour to give it countenance. Passing by all indifferent readers, I refer the honesty of this dealing with me, to the judgment of his own conscience; setting down what I neitherexpressed, nor took notice of, nor had any singular occasion in that place so to do, the words being often used by him, hiding and concealing what I did take notice of and

I

express, and which to every man's view was the occasion of that passage, that conclusion or unworthy insinuation is made, which a good man ought to have abhorred.

Sundry other particulars there are, partly false and calumniating, partly impertinent, partly consisting in mistakes, that I thought at the first view to have made mention of: but on several accounts, I am rather willing here to put an end to the reader's trouble and my own.

TWO QUESTIONS

CONCERNING THE

POWER OF THE SUPREME MAGISTRATE

ABOUT

RELIGION AND THE WORSHIP OF GOD,

WITH

ONE ABOUT TITHES,

PROPOSED AND RESOLVED.

Unto the Questions sent me last night, I pray accept of the ensuing Answer, under the title of Two Questions concerning the Power of the Supreme Magistrate about Religion and the Worship of God; with one about Tithes, proposed and resolved.

QUESTION I.

'WHETHER the supreme magistrate in a nation or commonwealth of men professing the religion of Jesus Christ, may or ought to exert his power legislative and executive, for the supportment, preservation, and furtherance of the profession of the faith and worship of God; and whether he may and ought to forbid, coerce, or restrain such principles and practices as are contrary to them, and destructive of them?' The affirmative of both the parts of this question is proved,

I. From the light and law of nature.

For,

1. That there is a God.

2. That this God ought to be believed in, and worshipped. according to the revelation that he makes of himself.

3. That it is incumbent on his worshippers in their several capacities, to defend and further that worship which answers the light and knowledge they have of him.

4. That to revile, or blaspheme this God, or his name, is an evil to be punished by them who have 'jus puniendi,' or the right of restraint in them, or committed unto them;

Are all dictates of the law of nature, principles inseparable from that light which is natural, and necessary unto rational creatures, subsisting in a moral dependence on God, and confirmed by Scripture; Heb. xi. 6. Exod. xxii. 28.

To assert then that the supreme magistrate, as such, in any nation, ought not to exert his authority for the ends, and in the way inquired after, is contrary to the light and law of nature.