required by the two Toleration-acts of the 1 William and Mary, and the 19 of the prefent king George the III. are also Tolerated. But the other proteftant diffenters, who do not comply with those conditions, are not tolerated, but are expofed to the penalties of fevere laws for worshipping God according to their coufciences in their meeting-houses, or conventicles, as they are called in those penal ftatutes. And in like manner the Roman-Catholick religion was tolerated in Canada from the conqueft of the country by Sir Jeffery Amberst in September, 1760, to the paffing of the Quebeck-act in June 1774, when it was established by that Act. For the people were permitted to affemble in their churches and chapels to hear Mafs and to receive the Sacraments, according to the rites of the Church of Rome, and the priests were permitted to officiate therein, without any moleftation whatsoever: and the tythes and other profits paid to the priests on this account, were paid voluntarily by the people who followed that mode of worship without any right in the priests to compel the payment of them by a fuit at law. This was perfect toleration.

But it is poffible that a government, though it may think it neceffary in point of Juftice to permit the followers of a particular religion to meet together in moderate numbers to worship God in their own way, may yet not think it expedient to let that religion take root in the country in a manner that is likely to increase the number of its votaries. And in this cafe they may forbid its being endowed by gifts of land, or other permanent property, affigned to trustees for the permanent fupport of it. This, I apprehend, would not be inconfiftent with toleration, nor at all unjuft towards the profeffors of fuch barely-tolerated religion; because every ftate has a right to judge of the utility of the pur

pofes

The En

dowment of

pofes for which it allows the property of any of its members to be aliened in mortmain.

But on the other hand it is poffible that a govern. a Religion. ment may think a particular mode of religion, though not worthy to be supported and encouraged by publick authority, yet to be fo very innocent and inoffenfive to the ftate that they may indulge the profeffors of it with a liberty to alien their land, or other property, in mortmain for the permanent fupport of the minifters and and teachers of it; as in England and other countries in Europe, men are permitted to found Profefforfhips of the Sciences in Universities, or to alien a part of their property in Mortmain for the maintenance of the Profeffors of them. Where this is permitted with refpect to any particular religion, and private perfons have made use of such permiffion, and have fettled permanent funds for the maintenance of the minifters and teachers of fuch religion, that religion may be faid to be endowed.

The Establishment of

Laftly, where the government of a country provides a a Religion. fund by their own publick authority for the maintenance of the minifters and teachers of any Religion, fuch a Religion is faid to be established.

Thus, before the Reformation the Popish religion was established in England; because tythes, and other publick funds, were appointed by the Law of the land for the maintenance of the priests that taught it. And at the Reformation, by the ftatute of 1ft of Elizabeth, cap. 1. for abolishing the foreign Jurifdiction of the Pope; all priests who held benefices were required to abjure the fupremacy of the Pope, and acknowledge that of the Queen; that is, the benefices, or publick funds affigned for the maintenance of the publick teachers of religion, were transferred from the Popish priests, who

acknowledged

acknowledged the Pope to be the head of the church, to the Proteftant priests who acknowledged the Queen to be fo; and by that transfer the Proteftant Religion became established. This is the only sense in which the Church of England can be faid to be established at this day. Its priefts are paid for performing its ceremonies, and teaching its doctrines, by funds affigned to them by the publick authority of the ftate. And in the fame fenfe the Roman-Catholick religion may be faid to be established in Canada by the late a&t of parliament in the year 1774. For a publick fund, to wit, the tythes of the Popish parishioners, that is, of 49 perfons out of every 50 throughout the province, is hereby affigned to the Romish priests as a maintenance and reward for performing the ceremonies, and teaching the doctrines of that religion.

I know that fome perfons have afferted that this measure is not an establishment of the Popish religion in Canada, because the Proteftant parishioners are not obliged to pay tythes to the Romish priests. But this affects only the quantum of the Provifion made for the maintenance of thofe priests and the religion they are to teach. It is fomewhat lefs ample than it would be if the Proteftants were forced to pay the tythes to them as well as the Roman-catholicks. But the nature and defign of the Provifion are the fame in both cafes. It is a fund provided by publick authority for the support of priests, to exercife and teach the religion of the church of Rome. And this, I prefume, is all that is meant by those who have affirmed that the Popish religion is established by this act of parliament, and is all that the words, establishment of a religion, naturally and usually import.

OF

It is unknown to no man, who knows aught of concernment among us, that the increase of Popery is at this day no small trouble and offence to the greatest part of the nation; and the rejoicing of all good men that it is fo the more their rejoicing, that God hath given a heart to the people to remember ftill their great and happy deliverance from Popifh thraldom, and to esteem fo highly the precious benefit of his gofpel, fo freely and fo peaceably enjoyed among them. Since therefore fome have already in publick with many confiderable arguments exhorted the people to beware the growth of this Romifh weed; I thought it no less than a common duty to lend my hand, how unable foever, to fo good a purpofe. I will not now enter into the labyrinth of Councils and Fathers, an intangled wood which the papifts love to fight in, not with hope of victory, but to obfcure the fhame of an open overthrow:: which yet in that kind of combat, many heretofore,

Printed in the Year 1673.

and

and one of late, hath eminently given them. And fuch manner of difpute with them, to learned men is useful and very commendable.

But I fhall infist now on what is plainer to common apprehension, and what I have to fay, without longer introduction.

True religion is the true worship and fervice of God, of True Religion. learnt and believed from the word of God only. No man, or angel, can know how God would be worshipped and ferved, unless God reveal it. He hath revealed and taught it us in the Holy Scriptures by infpired minifters, and in the Gospel by his own Son and his Apoftles, with ftrictest command to reject all other traditions, or additions, whatsoever. According to that of St. Paul, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be anathema, or accurfed." And Deut. iv. 2. "Ye fhall not add to the word which I command you, neither fhall you diminish aught from it." Rev. xxii. 18, 19. "If any man fhall add, &c. If any man fhall take-away from the words," &c. With good and religious reason, therefore all Proteftant churches with one confent, and particularly the church of England in her thirty-nine articles, artic. 6th, 19th, 20th, 21ft, and elsewhere, maintain these two points, as the main principles of true religion that the rule of true religion is the word of God only: and that their faith ought not to be an implicit faith, that is, to believe, though as the church believes, againft, or without, exprefs authority of Scripture. And, if all Proteftants, as univerfally as they hold these two principles, fo attentively and religiously would obferve them, they would avoid and cut-off many debates and contentions, fchifms, and perfecutions, which too oft have been among them, and more