The Argument then, in your form, will stand thus: Who can deny but that Force, indirectly, and at a distance, may, by Castration, do some Service towards bringing Men to imbrace that Chastity, which otherwise they would never acquaint themselves with. And I imagine, if that were all we required of you, it would be long enough before you would trouble us with a Law, that should prescribe to every one how far he was to examine Matters of Religion; wherein if he fail'd and came short, he was to be punished; if he perform'd and went in his Examination to the Bounds set by the Law, he was acquitted and free. Common-wealths, or Civil Societies and Governments, if you will believe the judicious Mr. Hooker, are as St. Peter calls them (1 Pet. This new Method of yours, which you say no body can deny but that indirectly, and at a distance, it does some Service towards bringing Men to embrace the Truth; was never yet thought on by the most refined Persecutors. This is a Con•…e indeed which may, without desiance to common S•…nse, be drawn from it. 6. One thing I cannot but take notice of in this passage, before I leave it: And that is that you say here, Those who have no concern for their Salvation deserve not to be considered. Suppose the Controversy between a Lutheran and a Papist; or, if you please, between a Presbyterian Magistrate and a Quaker Subject. 'Twas not then besides the Author's busi∣ness, to bring an argument against the Persecutions here in fashion. * Whereby, if you mean they are to be left to those Means And if this be your meaning, it will not be denied you. Which, upon your Principle, join'd to the natural thirst in man after Arbitrary Power, may be carried to all manner of exorbitancy, with some pretence of Right. He never has the benefit of your Sovereign Remedy, Punishment, to make him consider; which you think so necessary, that you look on it as a most dangerous State for Men to be without it; and there∣fore tell us, 'tis every Man's true Interest, not to be left wholly to himself in matters of Religion. So that, upon your Principles, they must all or none be punished. In the summing up of this Argument, (P. examin the Grounds of their Religion, and search for the Truth. God has not directed it: and therefore we have no reason to expect he should make it successful. Would you be for punishing some Body, you know not whom? Why, Dissenters must be punished. LONDON: Printed for Awnsham and John Churchill, at the Black Swan in Ave-Mary-Lane, near Pater-Noster-Row. But you endeavour to explain your self, in the following words; that they may not blindly leave it to the choice neither of any other Person, nor yet of their own Lusts and Passions, to prescribe to them what Faith or Worship they shall imbrace. However, you think you do well to incourage the Magistate in punishing, and comfort the Man who has suffer'd unjustly, by shewing what he shall gain by it. Doubtless Common∣wealths are instituted for the attaining of all the Benefits which Po∣litical Government can yield. Page 64 wholly to himself in matters of Religion. What is True and Good in England, will be True and Good at Rome too, in China, or Geneva. So that when your Remedy is prepared according to Art, (which Art is yet unknown) and rightly apply'd, and given in a due Dose, (all which are Se∣crets) it will then infallibly cure. For it is not necessary that you should have the Power of his money; it may be intrusted to a Steward who travels with him; or it may be left to himself. so set men surer in the right way, or higher in a state of glory; yet those who make men unduly suffer, will have the heavier Ac∣count, and greater weight of guilt upon them, to sink them deeper in the Pit of perdition; and that therefore they should be warn'd to take take care of so using their Power. Are you sincere? If Dissenting be not the Fault; is it that a Man does not examine his own Religion, and the Grounds of it? For what Sense is it, to punish a Man to dispose him to submit to Instruction, and give a fair hearing to Reasons offer'd for the inlightning his Mind, and discovering Truth to him, who •…s two or three times a week several 〈◊〉 on purp•…se to do i•…, and that with the hazard of his Liberty or Purse; 〈◊〉 you mean your Instructions, your Reasons, your Truth: Which brings us Which, in short, amounts to thus much, viz. This, when you have consider'd of it a∣gain, (for I find, according to your Principle, all Men have now and then need to be jog'd) you will, I guess, be con∣vinced is not like a fair Physician, to apply a Remedy to a Disease; but, like an engag'd Enemy, to vent one's Spleen upon a Party. negligent in examining the Religions they imbrace, refuse, or persist in; therefore it is sit they should be punished to make them do it. I wonder you had not ta∣ken notice, in the places you quote for this, how we are directed there to the right way of seeking. 'Tis a benefit to have true Knowledg and Philosophy imbraced and assented to, in any Civil Society or Government. Sir, when you consider it again, you will perhaps think this a case reserv'd to the Great Day, when the Secrets of all Hearts shall be laid open. The Uselessness, absurdity, and unreasonableness of great Severities, you had acknow∣ledg'd in the foregoing Paragraphs. do that which you think they fail in. Locke, John, 1632-1704., Proast, Jonas. No Man can be saved by this Religion, who does not believe it to be the True Religion. Sometimes it is, To incline them to*lend an Ear to those who tell them they have mistaken their Way, and offer to shew them the Right. For Truth, I mean the Truth of the Gospel, which is that of the True Religion, is mild, and gentle, and meek, and apter to use Prayers and In∣treaties, than Force, to gain a hearing. The Author having endeavour'd to shew that no body at all, of any rank or condition, had a power to punish, torment, or use any man ill, for matters of Religion; you tell us you do not yet un∣derstandPage 49why Clergy-men are not as capable of such Power as other*Men. Con∣sider, I say, if there be none in your Church who have im∣brac'd her Religion, upon such Inducements as ought to have no sway at all in the matter, and therefore with little or no Exami∣nation of the proper Grounds of it; who have not been inclin'd by Prejudices; who do not adhere to a Religion, which for any thing they know may be false, and who have rejected another which for any thing they know may be true. Not for their Religion, say the Pleaders for that Discipline, but for disobeying the King's Laws. but back to what you have disclaimed, plain Persecution for differing in Religion. For what? For thither at 1. Page 41 And why may not the care of every Man's Soul be left to himself?