A Letter Concerning
Toleration
John Locke
1/20/96
Copyright: 1996, Internet Encyclopedia of
Philosophy, html version; this file is based on the
Virginia Tech Eris project text. Translated by
William Popple, 1689.
HONOURED SIR,
Since you are pleased to inquire what are my
thoughts about the mutual toleration of Christians in
their different professions of religion, I must needs
answer you freely that I esteem that toleration to be
the chief characteristic mark of the true Church.
For whatsoever some people boast of the antiquity
of places and names, or of the pomp of their
outward worship; others, of the reformation of their
discipline; all, of the orthodoxy of their faith- for
everyone is orthodox to himself- these things, and
all others of this nature, are much rather marks of
men striving for power and empire over one another
than of the Church of Christ. Let anyone have
never so true a claim to all these things, yet if he be
destitute of charity, meekness, and good-will in
general towards all mankind, even to those that are
not Christians, he is certainly yet short of being a
true Christian himself. "The kings of the Gentiles
exercise leadership over them," said our Saviour to
his disciples, "but ye shall not be so" (Luke 22. 25).
The business of true religion is quite another thing.
It is not instituted in order to the erecting of an
external pomp, nor to the obtaining of ecclesiastical
dominion, nor to the exercising of compulsive force,
but to the regulating of men's lives, according to the
rules of virtue and piety. Whosoever will list himself
under the banner of Christ, must, in the first place
and above all things, make war upon his own lusts
and vices. It is in vain for any man to unsurp the
name of Christian, without holiness of life, purity of
manners, benignity and meekness of spirit. "Let
everyone that nameth the name of Christ, depart
from iniquity" (II Tim. 2. 19). "Thou, when thou art
converted, strengthen thy brethren," said our Lord
to Peter (Luke 22. 32). It would, indeed, be very
hard for one that appears careless about his own
salvation to persuade me that he were extremely
concerned for mine. For it is impossible that those
should sincerely and heartily apply themselves to
make other people Christians, who have not really
embraced the Christian religion in their own hearts.
If the Gospel and the apostles may be credited, no
man can be a Christian without charity and without
that faith which works, not by force, but by love.
Now, I appeal to the consciences of those that
persecute, torment, destroy, and kill other men
upon pretence of religion, whether they do it out of
friendship and kindness towards them or no? And I
shall then indeed, and not until then, believe they do
so, when I shall see those fiery zealots correcting, in
the same manner, their friends and familiar
acquaintance for the manifest sins they commit
against the precepts of the Gospel; when I shall see
them persecute with fire and sword the members of
their own communion that are tainted with
enormous vices and without amendment are in
danger of eternal perdition; and when I shall see
them thus express their love and desire of the
salvation of their souls by the infliction of torments
and exercise of all manner of cruelties. For if it be
out of a principle of charity, as they pretend, and
love to men's souls that they deprive them of their
estates, maim them with corporal punishments,
starve and torment them in noisome prisons, and in
the end even take away their lives- I say, if all this
be done merely to make men Christians and
procure their salvation, why then do they suffer
whoredom, fraud, malice, and such-like enormities,
which (according to the apostle; Rom. I). manifestly
relish of heathenish corruption, to predominate so
much and abound amongst their flocks and people?
These, and such-like things, are certainly more
contrary to the glory of God, to the purity of the
Church, and to the salvation of souls, than any
conscientious dissent from ecclesiastical decisions,
or separation from public worship, whilst
accompanied with innocence of life. Why, then, does
this burning zeal for God, for the Church, and for
the salvation of souls- burning I say, literally, with
fire and faggot- pass by those moral vices and
wickednesses, without any chastisement, which are
acknowledged by all men to be diametrically
opposite to the profession of Christianity, and bend
all its nerves either to the introducing of
ceremonies, or to the establishment of opinions,
which for the most part are about nice and intricate
matters, that exceed the capacity of ordinary
understandings? Which of the parties contending
about these things is in the right, which of them is
guilty of schism or heresy, whether those that
domineer or those that suffer, will then at last be
manifest when the causes of their separation comes
to be judged of He, certainly, that follows Christ,
embraces His doctrine, and bears His yoke, though
he forsake both father and mother, separate from
the public assemblies and ceremonies of his
country, or whomsoever or whatsoever else he
relinquishes, will not then be judged a heretic.
Now, though the divisions that are amongst
sects should be allowed to be never so obstructive
of the salvation of souls; yet, nevertheless,
adultery, fornication, uncleanliness, lasciviousness,
idolatry, and such-like things, cannot be denied to
be works of the flesh, concerning which the apostle
has expressly declared that "they who do them
shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5).
Whosoever, therefore, is sincerely solicitous about
the kingdom of God and thinks it his duty to
endeavour the enlargement of it amongst men,
ought to apply himself with no less care and
industry to the rooting out of these immoralities
than to the extirpation of sects. But if anyone do
otherwise, and whilst he is cruel and implacable
towards those that differ from him in opinion, he be
indulgent to such iniquities and immoralities as are
unbecoming the name of a Christian, let such a one
talk never so much of the Church, he plainly
demonstrates by his actions that it is another
kingdom he aims at and not the advancement of the
kingdom of God.
That any man should think fit to cause
another man- whose salvation he heartily desiresto expire in torments, and that even in an
unconverted state, would, I confess, seem very
strange to me, and I think, to any other also. But
nobody, surely, will ever believe that such a
carriage can proceed from charity, love, or goodwill.
If anyone maintain that men ought to be compelled
by fire and sword to profess certain doctrines, and
conform to this or that exterior worship, without any
regard had unto their morals; if anyone endeavour
to convert those that are erroneous unto the faith,
by forcing them to profess things that they do not
believe and allowing them to practise things that the
Gospel does not permit, it cannot be doubted indeed
but such a one is desirous to have a numerous
assembly joined in the same profession with
himself; but that he principally intends by those
means to compose a truly Christian Church is
altogether incredible. It is not, therefore, to be
wondered at if those who do not really contend for
the advancement of the true religion, and of the
Church of Christ, make use of arms that do not
belong to the Christian warfare. If, like the Captain
of our salvation, they sincerely desired the good of
souls, they would tread in the steps and follow the
perfect example of that Prince of Peace, who sent
out His soldiers to the subduing of nations, and
gathering them into His Church, not armed with the
sword, or other instruments of force, but prepared
with the Gospel of peace and with the exemplary
holiness of their conversation. This was His method.
Though if infidels were to be converted by force, if
those that are either blind or obstinate were to be
drawn off from their errors by armed soldiers, we
know very well that it was much more easy for Him
to do it with armies of heavenly legions than for any
son of the Church, how potent soever, with all his
dragoons.
The toleration of those that differ from others
in matters of religion is so agreeable to the Gospel
of Jesus Christ, and to the genuine reason of
mankind, that it seems monstrous for men to be so
blind as not to perceive the necessity and
advantage of it in so clear a light. I will not here tax
the pride and ambition of some, the passion and
uncharitable zeal of others. These are faults from
which human affairs can perhaps scarce ever be
perfectly freed; but yet such as nobody will bear the
plain imputation of, without covering ...
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