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Show f to j E 2! 3 thingfinfzzl is enjoined, it is certain that no man is forming opinions, than they can have on the bodily bound to yield an active obedience to a human law which, either from the light of nature or from revelation, he is perfuaded to be contrary to the divinelaw. Here the maxim takes place, " Vile ought to obey 9 God rather than man." But even as to fuch laws, the fubjeft is not always entitled to oppofe the magifirate by force. In the days of the apofiles, the chrillians fubmitted to any {Lilierings rather than give obedience to the heathen fenfes. laws in favour of idolatry; yet they neither made war upon the magillrate, nor pulled down the images, altars, and temples of idoiarers. ‘ ls religion ‘ then never a fufiicient ground of aflive oppolition ‘ to the ruling powers?' That cannot juflly be inferred neither. Government has for its object, the whole fociety, not a feparate part. There is therefore a great diderence between what may be called .an attack on the rights both natural and civil of t/Ja "TU/5016', fucb as is the religion of the community, and (an infringement of the natural rights of a few. A man's right to his opinions may be truly faid to be both natural and unalienable. As they depend not :On his will, it is notin his power to alter them. And no law' is obligatory which. commands a man tolie. Religious toleration therefore may jullly he confidered as a natural right. The two moll: defi- ‘ A law commanding men, under pains and penalties, to profefs opinions in religion which they riilbelieve, enjoins fomething immoral, and is therefore at once impious, tyrannical and abfurd. It under. mines its own foundation, requiring an Obedience which cannot be yielded without fubverting the authority of confcience, whence all forts of obligation civil and religious originate. It propofes what is in politics the greatett of abfurdities, to make people good citizens, by making them bad mm. But the duties enjoined by the law of nature may alfo be enforced by civil laws under civil fanétions. Of this kind are almol‘c all the criminal laws in every coun- try. Further, there is a great difi'erence between the fubmiihon due to meafures tending to the prefervation of what is efi'ablilhed, and the fubmiilion due to meafures tending to its {ubverfion ; and that without taking into confideration the goodnefs or the badnefs of the ef'tablifhment. 'lhe former is favourable to public tranquility and order, becaufe conducing to that which the community, whether right or wrong, The latter is hardly ever atelteems its good. tempted without endangering, and not fometimes Without overturning, the public tranquility. Now as it is a principle of common fenfe, that a lefs evil {hould enable, tho' not the only, limits to all civil laws are be born to prevent a greater, fo it is a fundamental the z'mpoflz‘é/c and the.z'mmoral. A law command- principle in government, whole end is common uti. ;ing men to believe certain religious tenets, attempts lity, that private intereit {hould give place .to public. zthe impqflt'n'c, and is therefore not {0 properly tyran- It holds in general therefore, that no man, no body tn-ical as abfurd. of men, cronltituting but a {mailer part of the community, are entitled to refill: the magillrate by force Laws can have no more "effect on elm belief or opinicais of any who are capable cf in what is" properly a private quarrel, even tho' they |