is an equality in other points) the better enabled it will be to answer the ends of an Alliance; as having the greatest number under its influence. It is scarce possible it should do otherwise; because the two Societies being composed of the same individuals, the greatly prevailing religion must have a majority of its members in the assemblies of State; who will naturally prefer their own religion to any other. With this Religion is the Alliance made; and a full TOLERATION given to all the rest; yet under the restriction of a TEST-LAW, to keep them from hurting that which is established.

2. If these different religions spring up after the Alliance hath been formed; then, whenever they become considerable, a test-law is necessary, for the security of the established church. For amongst diversities of sects, where every one thinks itself the only true, or at least the most pure, every one aims at rising on the ruins of the rest; which it calls, bringing into conformity with itself. The means of doing this, when reason fails, which is rarely at hand, and more rarely heard when it is, will be by getting into the public administration, and applying the civil power to the work. But when one of these Religions is the established, and the rest under a toleration; then envy, at the advantages of an establishment, will join the tolerated churches in confederacy against it, and unite them in one common attack to disturb its quiet. In this imminent danger, the allied church calls upon the State, for the performance of its contract; which thereupon gives her a TEST-LAW for her security: whereby, the entrance into the Administration of public affairs (the only way, the threatened mischief

is

is effected) is shut to all but members of the established church.

Thus a TEST-LAW took its birth, whether at or after the time of Alliance. That the State is under the highest obligations to provide the Church with this security, we shall shew,

1. By the Alliance, the State promised to protect the Church, and to secure it from the injuries and insults of its enemies. An attempt in the members of any other church to get into the administration, in order to deprive the established church of the covenanted rights which it enjoys, either by sharing those advantages with it, or by drawing them from it to itself, is highly injurious. And we have shewn, that where there are diversities of religions, this attempt will be always making. The State then must defcat the attempt: but there is no other way of defeating it, than by hindering its enemies from entering into the Administration: and they can be hindered only by a test-law.

2. Again, this promise of protection is of such a nature as may, on no pretence, be dispensed with: For protection was not simply a condition of Alliance, but, on the Church's part, the only condition of it. We have shewn, that all other benefits and advantages are foreign to a Church, as such, and improper for it. Now, not performing the only condition of a contract, virtually breaks and dissolves it: especially if we consider that this only condition is both necessary and just. Necessary, as a free convention must have mutual conditions; and, but for this condition, one side would be without any: Just, as the convention itself is founded on the laws of nature and nations; and VOL. II. U this

*

this the only condition which suits the nature of a Church to claim. If it be pretended, that debarring good subjects from places of honour and profit, in the disposal of the Magistrate, is unjust; I reply, that the assertion, though every where taken for granted, is false; it being founded on the principle, that reward is one of the sanctions of civil laws, which I have shewn to be a mistake; and that all, a member of Society can claim, for the discharge of his duty, is protection. So that, farther reward than this, no subject having a right to, all places of honour and profit are free donations, and in the absolute disposal of the Magistrate.

3. But again, the Church, in order to enable the State to perform this sole condition of protection, consented to the giving up its supremacy and independency, to the civil Sovereign: whence it follows, that, whenever the enemies of the established Church get into the magistrature, to which, as we have said, the supremacy of the Church is transferred by the Alliance, she becomes a prey, and lies entirely at their mercy; being now, by the loss of her supremacy, in no condition of defence, as she was in her natural state, unprotected and independent; so that the not securing her by a test-law, is betraying, and giving her up bound to her enemies.

4. But lastly, had no promise of protection been made, yet the State would have lain under an indispensable necessity of providing a test-law, for its own peace and security. It hath been observed, that wherever there are diversities of religion, each sect,

• See Book I. sect. 2.

believing

believing its own the true, strives to advance itself on the ruins of the rest. If this doth not succeed by dint of argument, these partisans are apt to have recourse to the coercive power of the State: which is done by introducing a party into the public administration. And they have always had art enough to make the State believe that its interests were much concerned in the success of their religious quarrels. What persecutions, rebellions, revolutions, loss of civil and religious liberty, these intestine struggles between sects have occasioned, is well known to such as are acquainted with the history of mankind. To prevent these mischiefs was, as hath been shewn, one great motive for the State's seeking Alliance with the Church: for the obvious remedy was the establishing one church, and giving a free toleration to the rest. But if, in administering this cure, the State should stop short, and not proceed to exclude the tolerated religions from entering into the public administration, such imperfect application of the remedy would infinitely heighten the distemper: for, before the Alliance, it was only a mistaken aim in propagating truth, which occasioned these dis-. orders but now, the zeal for opinions would be out of measure inflamed by envy and emulation; which the temporal advantages, enjoyed by the established church, exclusive of the rest, will always occasion: And what mischiefs this would produce, had every sect a free entry into the administration, the reader may easily conceive. If it be said, that, would men content themselves, as in reason they ought, with en-. joying their own opinions, without obtruding them upon others, these evils, which require the remedy of a test-law, would never happen. This is very true: and so, would men but observe the rule of justice in general,

U 2

general, there would be no need to have recourse to civil Society, to rectify the violations of it.

In a word, an ESTABLISHED RELIGION WITH A TEST-LAW is the universal voice of Nature. The most savage nations have employed it to civilize their manners; and the politest knew no other way to prevent their return to barbarity and violence.

Thus the city of ATHENS, so humane and free, exacted an oath of all their youth for the security of the established religion: for, Athens being a democracy, every citizen had a constant share in the administration. A copy of this oath, the strongest of all tests, is preserved by Stobæus, who transcribed it from the writings of the Pythagoreans, the great school of ancient politics. It is conceived in these words: "I will not "dishonour the sacred arms*, nor desert my comrade "in battle: I will DEFEND AND PROTECT MY COUNTRY AND MY RELIGION, whether alone or in conjunction with others: I will not leave the public "in a worse condition than I found it, but in a better: "I will be always ready to obey the supreme magis"trate, with prudence; and to submit to the established laws, and to all such as shall be hereafter established by full consent of the people: and I will never "connive at any other who shall presume to despise or disobey them; but will revenge all such attempts on the sanctity of the republic, either alone or in conjunction with the people: and lastly, I WILL CONFORM TO THE NATIONAL RELIGION. So

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"Orλa rà iɛgà, the sacred arms, by what follows, seems to mean those which the lovers presented to their favourite youths. Concerning this institution, see what is said in the explana tion of Virgil's episode of Nisus and Euryalus, in sect. iv. of this book.

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