Excerpt from Letter From a Lay-Man: In Communion With the Church of England; Tho' Dissenting From Her on Some Points

A N n that G O D never ordain'd, that a Government fhould have any Power over Mens Profefiions and Pra�tices in Mat ters of Reli-aon, that do not injure another, is farther clear from hence, That if a Government could acquire fucha Power, and could execute it, without thofe real Injuries to any of their Subjeets, or to Government itfelf, which we have jul't now mention'd, yetit could not be fuppos'd, that Almighty god would have Governments veiled with any fuch Power; Becaufe the veiling Governments with foch a Power would do a great deal more ban in the World than good. For if they were veiled with any Power to this purpofe, it muff be with a Power to re i'rteiin the Profeliions and Practices Of all Men, that they appre hended to be in the wrong. Now there are perhaps a Hun dred Governments in the World in the wrong, to One that is in the right, and therefore by this Power there might be One hundred Times more hurt done in the World than good And it can never be fuppos'd that Almighty G O D would order it (0, that Governments fhould be veiled witha Power which mull inevitably (as Things would f'tand in the World) do an Hun dred Times more hurt than good in it: It is prophefy'd indeed that Kings [hall-be their Nurfing Fathers, and Queens their Nurfing Mothers. Z'. E. To G 0 i3's Church and People. But thatthey will bei't be by fupprefling Immorality, and by encouraging free and impartial Enquiries after Truth, and the open Profeliion of a Man's Belief upon hls Enquiries. Bey foch Methods Truth is to be fure mofl likely to gain Profelytes, becaufe that will always appear clearel't where the fairefi, freel't Enquiries are mof't countenanc'd. Or by thefe Methods, at leali, Men are mol't like to become fincere in their Enquiries and Profeflions, which is the only Thing that can render them acceptable to their Maker, for He having made them fallible, willnever condemn them for nor being Orthodox, which it may not be perhapsin the power ofa fallible Man robe, but for their not being honef't and fincere in their Enquiries, Pro fefiions and Practices, which they might have been if they had pleas'd.

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