Read A Letter Concerning Toleration Online

34/John Locke 


power of the people to grant, much less if he make it his business to 
enrich and advance his followers and fellow-sectaries with the spoils of 
others. But what if the magistrate believe that he has a right to make 
such laws and that they are for the public good, and his subjects believe 
the contrary? Who shall be judge between them? I answer: God alone. 
For there is no judge upon earth between the supreme magistrate and the 
people. God, I say, is the only judge in this case, who will retribute unto 
every one at the last day according to his deserts; that is, according to 
his sincerity and uprightness in endeavouring to promote piety, and the 
public weal, and peace of mankind. But What shall be done in the mean- 
while? I answer: The principal and chief care of every one ought to be of 
his own soul first, and, in the next place, of the public peace; though yet 
there are very few will think it is peace there, where they see all laid 
waste. 

There arc two sorts of contests amongst men, the one managed by 
law, the other by force; and these are of that nature that where the one 
ends, the other always begins. But it is not my business to inquire into 
the power of the magistrate in the different constitutions of nations. I 
only know what usually happens where controversies arise without a 
judge to determine them. You will say, then, the magistrate being the 
stronger will have his will and carry his point. Without doubt; but the 
question is not here concerning the doubtfulness of the event, but the 
rule of right. 

But to come to particulars. I say, first, no opinions contrary to hu- 
man society, or to those moral rules which are necessary to the preser- 
vation of civil society, are to be tolerated by the magistrate. But of these, 
indeed, examples in any Church are rare. For no sect can easily arrive to 
such a degree of madness as that it should think fit to teach, for doc- 
trines of religion, such things as manifestly undermine the foundations 
of society and are, therefore, condemned by the judgement of all man- 
kind; because their own interest, peace, reputation, everything would be 
thereby endangered. 

Another more secret evil, but more dangerous to the commonwealth, 
is when men arrogate to themselves, and to those of their own sect, some 
peculiar prerogative covered over with a specious show of deceitful 
words, but in effect opposite to the civil right of the community. For 
example: we cannot find any sect that teaches, expressly and openly, 
that men are not obliged to keep their promise; that princes may be 
dethroned by those that differ from them in religion; or that the domin-