I know, Sir, that many arguments and objections have been brought against the temporal magistrate's power in religion; and that 'twill be faid this example of David's cannot be urged to chriftians, who are commanded to love their enemies; yet, I doubt not, but you have a fufficient answer to every fuch little cavil. In the mean time, the reader is defired to observe, that in defending ecclefiaftical conftitutions, 'tis not fo much as pretended that the laws of Chrift, (which are the chriftian religion) but the new laws of his vicegerents, (which are the establishment) are to be defended. And how neceffary their defence has univerfally been thought, may be judged from the rigour with which all oppofers have ever been treated. For as you fay, † On what would his lordship have our church depend? On God's providence, will he fay? On the promise of Chrift? I admire your anfwer to fuch defenders of an established church: * A very glorious encouragement, I confefs; a fecurity that cannot fail! No, my good lord of Bangor, we know better the means of fecuring establishments, than to admit of any rights in common to mankind, which we imagine may endanger

+ Snape's 2d Letter, p. 62,

Ibid.

the

the church's: And as our brother Sherlock has learnedly proved, bolts and bars are a far ftronger, and therefore a far better defence, than reafon or argument, or any of Christ's promifes.

As to what his lordship has urged, that the fame methods of defending established churches would as effectually have prevented the spreading of chriftianity itfelf, and would have pre vented the reformation obtaining at all, and will prevent it where it is not: I briefly anfwer, that his lordship's objection, with respect to christianity, is entirely foreign to the purpofe: For the question is not, What would favour or prejudice chriftianity; but, What will favour or prejudice the church? And as to the reformation itfelf, 'tis plain, and must be fo acknowledged by us, that at that time Chrift's temporal vicegerents acted too much against the church; and might poffibly have ruin'd the church, if the fpiritual vicegerents had not exerted themfelves, and prevented its going farther. But however that was, 'tis certain, that the reformation itfelf was began by the temporal magiftrate's power, fupported and carried on by the magiftrate's power, and carried on no farther than the magistrate's power permitted.

I know

I know, indeed, there were many perfons then, as well as before, who claimed a right of private judgment: But that right was fo far from being the foundation of the reformation, in reality; that, when the civil magistrate had effected the reformation, that right was not only not allowed, but every man, who differed in the least from any eftablished church, was declared, as before, a heretic or fchifmatic. Nay, at the time of the reformation, when the temporal vicegerents thought fit to take off odium from fome, who before were deemed the fchifmatics, and to declare them Chrift's fpiritual vicegerents, in the room of the dif placed ones; this gave little countenance to the right of private judgment; the men who obtained this favour being only thofe, whofe known principles agreed with the doctrine and worship established by the temporal powers. They knew better things, than to leave every man to make the best of his bible; which was only left in fact to be confulted by every man in order to fupport what was then established, not to discover any thing contrary to it. Which I think undeniably plain from hence, that notwithstanding mankind have generally, by the licentious ufe of fcripture and reafon fince the reformation, feen the falfity of many doctrines then established, they have not yet

had

had power to make their general judgment cancel fuch established doctrines; for fear left the right of private judgment being allowed, it might fhew many mysteries to be only thofe of iniquity; and prove dangerous in the iffue to the power of the priesthood.

And, I believe, reverend doctor, we may challenge any one to fhew that this foundation-principle, as his lordship calls it, has met at any time, or in any country, where the reformation is established in one national church, with better treatment, than at firft: Nay, fo far are Christ's spiritual vicegerents from at all approving it, that I challenge any one to deny that it has not met with much worfe, where the temporal aiders and affifters have not reftrained the hands of the church?

From all which it plainly follows, that ec clefiaftical conftitutions, however reformed, are fo far from allowing this right confiftently, or owing their fettlement to this right, that they have done all in their power to banish fuch a right out of the world; which, if once admitted, they have thought might endanger every establishment in it. 'Tis not dean Sherlock alone, but every writer in England against diffenters, who has ridiculed this right; and most foreign proteftants, as well as papists,

have

have treated every claimer of this right with the highest reproaches, and fometimes with the fevereft penalties.

'Tis true, we do not always lodge this right folely, or at all, in the temporal powers, when we argue on this head; but we conftantly and uniformly keep it out of the hands of private men, when difputing with fchifmatics: Nor have any been fo weak as to affert this claim equally for all men, but in difputes with the Roman catholicks; which was owing to not confidering the reformation as the effect of power, rather than of the prevalence of truth. For however truth might then accidentally prevail, our concern fince has been rather for the excellent establishment of bishopricks, deaneries and other emoluments of the church that remained to it, than for any of the docrines determined to be true at the reforma. tion. Nor have we at any time deviated from this regard; for tho' it is certain, that most of the doctrines then fettled, we now difbe. lieve; yet we have appeared, at all times, with great zeal against every private innovator, who either would not implicitly subscribe our church's articles, and fubmit to her determinations; or who, after fuch fubfcription, has dared publickly to question their truth. This

be