THE PREFATORY DISCOURSE. Setting forth the avowed Doctrines, and conftant Practice of the Church of Rome, concerning the Perfecution of Proteftants. I. THE HE Church of Rome, judging herself to be infallible, bath paled an irrevocable Decree against Chriftians of all Denominations, that do not conform to her Communion, whereby fhe declares them accurfed Hereticks, and pretends to cut them off from being Partakers of the Mercies of the Chrif tian Covenant. This Power she supposes herself to be invefted with, in Confequence of her Spiritual Dominion, as the [Mater & Magiftra] Mother and Governess of the Chriftian World. But the Spiritual Powers are not the only Weapons employed for the Extirpation of Herefy." II. FOR it is the conftant and franding Maxim of the Church, that even fuch Heretical Opinions as do not interfere with the Principles of Civil Government, deferve, in Strictnefs, fome Civil Punishment; A 2 though * though its Members are divided in their Sentiments concerning the Extent and Degree, and in fome Inftances, concerning the Expediency of it. In thofe Countries, for Inftance, where the Inquifition is eftablifhed, the Romanists attribute to the Church (or to the Church and Chriftian Magiftrate together) the fame Power of Life and Death over Hereticks, which temporal Judges execute on Criminals;-- only regarding Herefy as the most aggravated Crime. In France, and wherever else there is no Inquifition, they only afcribe a Kind of parental Authority to the Church, extending to the Infliction of wholefome Severities, through the Affiftance of the Chriftian Magiftrate, but not of capital Punishment. The former propofe to *The learned and candid Reader will please to observe, that the Author's Intention is to give fuch a general State of this Matter, as the Romanifts themselves would allow to be a fair one in the Mouth of an Adverfary. Now it being the fame Thing, with refpect to the principal Point in Dispute, whether the pretended Right of punishing Hereticks is lodged in the Church feparately, or in the Church and State conjointly, this Part of the Controverfy (fo fiercely contefted among the Romanifts themfelves) is here defignedly omitted, as not worth attending to;-efpecially as the Advocates for Perfecu tion confine this fuppofed Right to the Profeffors of the Catho lick Faith, and would make the World believe, that though they have a Right to perfecute Hereticks, Heretical Governors have no Right to perfecute Catholick Subjects. Therefore the grand Question ftill returns, Whether the Chriftian Religion gives the Popish Church, or a Popish State (it matters not which) a Right to perfecute those who diffent from them in fuch Matters of Confcience, as are confiftent with the Principles of Civil Government. THIS is meant with regard to the Laity among the Proteftants; for as to their Clergy, it is certain, that they are perfecuted even unto Death in most Popish Countries, efpecially in France, as may be seen by the Edicts of 1686, 1724, and 1745. And there are recent Examples of the Execution of these cruel Edias on feveral worthy Proteftant Clergymen, to extirpate Herefy by deftroying Hereticks, the late, ter by haraffing and oppreffing them. And to thefe two Opinions we may add a third, efpoufed by the more moderate Members of this Church, that though the Church and Chriftian State are invefted with an undoubted Right of inflicting civil Penalties on Hereticks, it is not always expedient to exercise it. And this Difference in Opinion produces as great a Diverfity in the Arguments advanced to vindicate the Perfecutions of the Church of Rome. III. THE Spanish Divines, and all the Defenders of the Inquifition, endeavour to justify its greatest Cruelties upon the Principles of the antient Jewish Church; and quote with much Parade the Examples of Mofes, Joshua, and the best Kings of Ifrael, in Vindication of their modern Practice of putting Hereticks to Death. This they do, without fo much as attempting to fhew that the Cafes are parallel; and therefore we must charitably hope, they do not fee the Impropriety of bringing fuch Authorities, inasmuch as they take the very Thing for granted, which ought first to be proved. IV. IT will therefore be highly expedient, to examine into the original Inftitution of the Hebrew Government, in order to fee, whether it bears fuch an Analogy to the Civil Governments now fubfifting, as would justify the Arguments and Conclufions fo often brought in Support of the most fierce and bloody Perfecutions. NOW the great and fundamental Articles of this Conftitution was, that the GOD of Ifrael was likewife their temporal Prince, the great King JEHO VAH, VAH, who made the Temple bis Palace, and the Holy of Holies the Chamber of his Prefence, where He refided by a Shekinah, or vifible Glory, and gave Audience to the High-Prieft, his great Minifter of State. Thus it came to pass, that the main or distinguishing Principles of the Religion of the People of Ifrael became in Practice the Tokens and Evidences of the Homage and Allegiance due to their Prince. In fuch Circumstances, thofe capital Deviations from the Duty prefcribed, as tended to overthrow the Conftitution, were to be confidered as fo many Overt-Acts of Treafon and Rebellion. And as every Government must have the Power of providing for its own Prefervation, fo it is exprefly commanded in the Law of Mofes, that fuch Subjects as would not conform to their Duty, especially if they fell off to Idolatry, were to fuffer a temporal Death; Idolatry, and fuch like Crimes, being not only Acts of Apoftafy in respect to Religion, but of Treafon in regard to Government. And the Perfon fo offending, was not to be pitied, neither to be fpared, neither to be concealed: But thou fhalt furely kill him; and thine Hand shall be first upon him, to put him to Death, and afterwards the Hand of all the People: And thou fhalt stone him with Stones, that he die; because he fought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy GOD. And all Ifrael fhall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any fuch Wickedness as this among you. Deuter. xiii. 8, 9, 10, 11. II. IT might further be obferved, that as this was a Civil Conftitution, as well as a Religious one, fo the great JEHOVAH, the King of Ifrael, bad made a Grant of the Land of Canaan to the Hebrew Nation, on the express Condition, that the People con tinued tinued in their Loyalty and Obedience to Him. Therefore it was impoffible for any Member of this Society to Set up another Religion, without committing HighTreafon against the Prince, and incurring a Forfeiture of thofe Privileges which were beld under him. AS to the Punifoment due to fuch Crimes in a future State, and the Terrors of a Judgment to come, thefe being diftinct Articles, in which all Nations and People are concerned, in Proportion to the Light they bave received, therefore the Confideration of them may be omitted in the prefent Cafe. V. HOWEVER, thus much, I am perfuaded, appears already, that the Advocates for the Inquir fition have miferably failed in their grand Attempt, and bave widely mistook the Nature of the Proof they ought to bring in Vindication of this Tribunal. For what Good can it do the Caufe of Perfecution, to quote the Precepts or Examples recorded in the Old Teftament, when the Cafe of all Chriftian Nations is fo very diffimilar to that of the Jews? And what Inference can be drawn from the Hebrew Conftitution under a Theocracy, or the Temporal Kingly Government of the great JEHOVAH, that is applicable to any Government or Conftitution now fubfifting? And if one main Design of the Establishment of the Inquifition was to root out Judaifm, may we not justly wonder to find it actually conducted upon Jewish Principles,-tho' fuch Laws were not intended at first for univerfal Ufe, and have been repealed, or at leaft fuperfeded by the coming of the Gospel,* if not long before? THE Probably this Law, and the other which follows it in the fame Chapter, being still more fevere against an Idolatrous City, were no longer in force, than while the Shekinah, or visible Prefence, was continued in the Temple. But this is propofed only as a Conjecture. |
