as governors and judges, was to take cognizance of men's overt acts, and to punish and restrain crimes against the civil community; but that their duty as Christians was to regulate, and try to persuade others to regulate, the inward motives and dispositions of the heart, according to Gospel principles; and to keep themselves not from crimes merely, but from sins against God; and to "exercise themselves in having themselves a conscience void of offence, before God and man," (Acts xxiv. 16,) not in seeking to force another to speak or act against his conscience. He would not have forbidden them to take a part (as it is most fit that the laity should) in the government of the Church, or to hold any ecclesiastical or spiritual office in it; or again, to retain their civil offices: but he would have deprecated with abhorrence their blending the two classes of offices together, and attempting to employ the power of coercion which essentially belongs to the civil magistrate, in the cause of Christ's religion. He would have told them to strive to convert and reclaim their neighbours from superstitious error, (even as he had converted them) by instruction and persuasion; never losing sight of their great Master's rule, of doing as they would be done by; not inflicting therefore on the unbeliever the persecution which they had disapproved when directed against Christians; but

leaving to every man that liberty of conscience which they desire to enjoy themselves.

Such would have been the answer, I think we cannot doubt, which the Apostles would have given to such inquirers; and which, if Peter and Paul were now on earth, they would give to any like questions at this day. For such surely must be the decision of any who is convinced that Jesus Himself was perfectly sincere in the declaration He made at his trial, and that He "left us an example, that we should follow his steps, who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth."

Alleged latitudinarian tendency of the above principles.

§ 13. Yet if the Apostle Paul, with these sentiments, were now on earth, would there not be some danger of his being accounted a latitudinarian-a person nearly indifferent about religious distinctions, regarding one Religion nearly as good as another;-ready to profess any, and believing little or nothing of any? For such is the character often attributed to any one who disapproves of the employment of secular force in behalf of the true Faith, or the monopoly by its professors, of civil rights.

rian princi

rant.

That there are persons indifferent Latitudinaabout all religions, is true; and it is ples, intole true that some of them are, from humanity of disposition, averse to persecution and coercion.

For many persons,-perhaps most,-are tolerant or intolerant according to their respective tempers, and not according to their principles. But as far as principles are concerned, certainly the latitudinarian is the more likely to be intolerant, and the sincerely conscientious, tolerant. A man who is careless about religious sincerity, may clearly see and appreciate the political convenience of religious uniformity; and if he has no religious scruples of his own, he will not be the more likely to be tender of the religious scruples of others; if he is ready himself to profess what he does not believe, he will see no reason why others should not do the same.

That man on the contrary whose own conscience is tender, and his sense of religion deepfelt and sincere, will be (so far) the more disposed to respect the conscience of another, and to avoid giving occasion to hypocritical professions. His own faith being founded on genuine conviction, he will seek for the genuine conviction of others, and not their forced conformity. He will remember that "the highest truth, if professed by one who believes it not in his heart, is, to him, a lie, and that he sins greatly by professing it. Let us try as much as we will, to convince our neighbours; but let us beware of influencing their conduct, when we fail in influencing their convictions. He who bribes or frightens his

neighbour into doing an act which no good man would do for reward, or from fear, is tempting his neighbour to sin; he is assisting to lower and to harden his conscience;-to make him act for the favour or from the fear of man, instead of for the favour and from the fear of God: and if this be a sin in him, it is a double sin in us to tempt him to it."q

Real knowGospel contoleration.

ledge of the

ducive

to

And above all, in proportion as any man has a right understanding of the Gospel, and a deep veneration for his great Master, and an earnest desire to tread in his steps, and a full confidence in his promises, in the same degree will he perceive that the employment of secular coercion in the cause of the Gospel is at variance with the true spirit of the Gospel; and that Christ's declarations are to be interpreted as He Himself knew them to be understood, then, and are to be the guide of his followers, now.

Tolerance one fruit of

And finally, such a man will be convinced that it implies a sinful distrust,— faith. a want of faith in Christ's wisdom, and goodness, and power,-to call in the aid of the arm of flesh,-of military or civil force,-in the cause of Him who declared that He could have called in the aid of "more than twelve legions of angels;" and who, when "all power was given unto Him in Heaven and in Earth," sent

4 Arnold's Christian Life, p. 435.

forth his disciples-not to subjugate, or to rule, but to "teach all nations ;" and "sent them forth as sheep among wolves," forewarned of persecutions, and instructed to "bless them that cursed them," to return "good for evil;" and to "endure all things,-hope all things,-believe all things," for which He, their Master, had prepared them :-to believe all that He had taught,―to hope all that He had promised,and to endure and do all that He had commanded.