Reafon and experiment have been indulged, and error has fled before them. It is error alone "which needs the fupport of government. Truth can ftand by itself. Subje&t opinion to coer"cion-whom will you make your inquifitors? "-fallible men-men governed by bad paffions, "by private as well as public reafons. And why "fubject it to coercion ?-to produce uniformity. "But is uniformity of opinion defirable ?-no "more than of face and ftature. Introduce the "bed of Procruftes then-and, as there is danger "that the large men may beat the small, make us "all of a fize by lopping the former, and stretch. ❝ing the latter.

"Difference of opinion is advantageous in re"ligion. The several sects perform the office of

a cenfor morum over each other. Is uniformity "attainable? Millions of innocent men, women, "and children, fince the introduction of chrifti"anity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, imprifon"ed; yet we have not advanced one inch towards "uniformity. What has been the effect of coer"cion?-to make one half the world fools, and the "other half hypocrites. To support roguery and 66 error all over the earth. Let us reflect that

it is inhabited by a thousand millions of peo"ple: that these profefs, probably, a thousand "different fyftems of religion: that ours is but

one of that thoufand. That if there be but one

" right,

" right, and ours that one, we should wish to fee "the nine hundred and ninety-nine wandering "fects gathered into the fold of truth. But against "fuch a majority we cannot effect this by force. Reafon and perfuafion are the only practicable

❝ inftruments.

"Well aware that Almighty God hath created "the mind free, that all attempts to influence it by "temporal punifhments or burthens, or by civil "incapacitations tend only to beget habits of hy"pocrify and meanness, and are a departure from "the plan of the holy author of our religion, who, "being lord both of body and mind, yet chofe "not to propagate it by coercions on either, as "was in his almighty power to do.

"That the impious prefumption of legiflators “ and rulers, civil as well as ecclefiaftical, who be❝ing themselves but fallible and uninspired men, "have affumed dominion over the faith of others, "fetting up their own opinions and modes of "thinking as the only true and infallible, and as "fuch endeavouring to impofe them on others, "hath established and maintained falfe religions "over the greatest part of the world, and through ❝ all time.

That, to compel a man to furnifh contributions "of money for the propagation of opinions which "he difbelieves, is finful and tyrannical.

"That even the forcing him to fupport this of

❝ that

"that teacher of his own religious perfuafion, is "depriving him of the comfortable liberty of "giving his contributions to the particular pastor "whofe morals he would make his pattern, and

whose powers he feels most persuasive to righte

❝ousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry "thofe temporal rewards which, proceeding from "an approbation of their personal conduct, are an "additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labours for the inftruction of mankind.

"That our civil rights have no dependence on "our religious opinions, more than on our opi"nions in phyfics or geometry.

"That therefore, the profcribing any citizen as "unworthy the public confidence, by laying upon

him an incapacity of being called to offices of truft "and emolument, unless he profeffes or renounce

this or that religious opinion, is depriving him "injurioufly of those privileges and advantages to "which, in common with his fellow citizens, he has a natural right.

"That it tends alfo to corrupt the principles of "that very religion it is meant to encourage, by "bribing, with a monopoly of worldly honours "and emoluments, thofe who will, externally, "profefs and conform to it.

"That though, indeed, these are criminal who "do not withstand fuch temptation, yet neither "are thofe innocent who lay the bait in their way.

"That

"That to fuffer the civil magiftrate to intrude "his powers into the field of opinion, and to re"ftrain the profeffion or propagation of princi"ples, on fuppofition of their ill tendency, is a "dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all "religious liberty, because he being of course judge of that tendency, will make his opinions "the rule of judgment, and approve or condemn "the fentiments of others only as they fhall " fquare with or differ from his own.

66

"That it is time enough for the rightful pur"poses of civil government for its officers to in"terfere when principles break out into overt "acts against peace and good order.

And, finally, that truth is great, and will prevail "if left to herfelf; that fhe is the proper and fuf"ficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to "fear from the conflict, unless by human inter"pofition, difarmed of her natural weapons, free 66 argument and debate-errors ceafing to be dan66 gerous when it is permitted freely to contradict

❝ them.

THEREFORE No man fhould be compelled to "frequent or fupport any religious worship, place, "or miniftry whatsoever, nor should be enforced, "reftrained, molested, or burthened, in his body or goods; nor fhould otherwise fuffer on account "of his religious opinions or belief; but that alt men fhould be free to profefs, and by argument

66

*to maintain their opinions in matters of religion, " and that the fame ought in nowise to diminish, ❝ enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

CHAP. tit.

OF HEREDITARY RIGHT.

I NOW proceed to Hereditary Rights, and Here

ditary Succeffion.

A monarchial writer of diftin&tion says, " Go"vernment is a contrivance of human wisdom." Admitting that government is a contrivance of human wisdom, it must neceffarily follow, that hereditary fucceffion and hereditary rights, as they are called, can make no part of it, because it is impoffible to make wisdom hereditary. And, on the other hand, that cannot be a wife contrivance which, in its operation, may commit the government of a nation to the wisdom of an ideot.

"In conftructing governments, it is wisdom that fhould conftitute the pinnacle-wherefore go"vernment hould be fo modelled, as that wif "dom fhould be ever eligible to that summit, come ❝from wherefoever, or whomfoever, it may in "the community.. I mean by this, that every in"dividual fhould be equally eligible to the highest office in the ftare, otherwife a novice might