Page 16.  “The magistrate is as much obliged to protect them in the way they choose of worshipping Him, as in any other indifferent matter.”—­Page 17.  “The magistrate to treat all his subjects alike, how much soever they differ from him or one another in these matters.”  This shews, that although they be Turks, Jews, or Heathens, it is so.  But we are sure Christianity is the only true religion, &c. and therefore it should be the magistrate’s chief care to propagate it; and that God should be worshipped in that that those who are the teachers think most proper, &c.

Page 18.  “So that persecution is the most comprehensive of all crimes, &c.”  But he hath not told us what is concluded in the idea of persecution.  State it right.

Ibid.  “But here it may be demanded, If a man’s conscience make him do such acts, &c.”  This doth not answer the above objection:  For, if the public be not disturbed with atheistical principles preached, nor immoralities, all is well.  So that still, men may be Jews, Turks, &c.

Page 22.  “The same reason which obliges them to make statutes of mortmain, and other laws, against the people’s giving estates to the clergy, will equally hold for their taking them away when given.”  A great security for property!  Will this hold to any other society in the state, as merchants, &c. or only to ecclesiastics?  A pretty project:  Forming general schemes requires a deeper head than this man’s.

Ibid.  “But the good of the society being the only reason of the magistrate’s having any power over men’s properties, I cannot see why he should deprive his subjects of any part thereof, for the maintenance of such opinions as have no tendency that way, &c.”  Here is a paragraph (vide also infra) which has a great deal in it.  The meaning is, that no man ought to pay tithes, who doth not believe what the minister preacheth.  But how came they by this property?  When they purchased the land, they paid only for so much; and the tithes were exempted.  It is an older title than any man’s estate is, and if it were taken away to-morrow, it could not without a new law belong to the owners of the other nine parts, any more than impropriations do.

Ibid.  “For the maintenance of such opinions, as no ways contribute to the public good,” By such opinions as the public receive no advantage by, he must mean Christianity.

Page 23.  “Who by reason of such articles are divided into different sects.”  A pretty cause of sects! &c.

Page 24.  “So the same reason as often as it occurs, will oblige him to leave that Church.”  This is an excuse for his turning Papist.

Ibid.  “Unless you suppose churches like traps, easy to admit one; but when once he is in, there he must always stick, either for the pleasure or profit of the trap-setters.”  Remark his wit.

Page 29.  “Nothing can be more absurd than maintaining there must be two independent powers in the same society.”  This is abominably absurd; shew it.