The Works of John Locke; in Nine Volumes Volume 5

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1824 edition. Excerpt: ...expected from a pagan or mahometan, for me to say, if in those words " you " meant any thing to the business in hand, you seemed " to have a reserve for greater punishments?" Your business there being to prove, that there was a power vested in the magistrate to use force in matters of religion, what could be more beside the business in hand, than to tell us, as you interpret your meaning here, that the magistrate had a power to use force against those who rebelled; for whoever denied that, whether dissenters or not dissenters? Where was it questioned by the author or me., that " whoever rebelled, were to fall " under the stroke of the magistrate's sword? " And therefore, without breach of modesty or conscience, I might say, what I again here repeat, " That if in " those words you meant any thing to the business " in hand, you seemed to have a reserve for greater " punishments." One thing more give me leave to add in defence of my modesty and conscience, or rather to justify myself from having guessed so wholly beside the matter, if I should have said, which I did not, " that I feared you ' had a reserve for greater punishments." For I having brought the instances of Ananias and Sapphira, to show that the apostles wanted not power to punish, if they found it necessary to use it; you infer, that therefore " punishment may be sometimes necessary." What punishments I beseech you, for theirs cost them their lives? He that, as you do, concludes from thence, that therefore " punishments may be sometimes necessary," will hardly avoid, whatever he says, to conclude capital punishments necessary: and when they are necessary, it is you know the magistrate's duty to use them. You see how natural it is for men to go whither their principles lead them, ...