Locke - Letters of Toleration

• The mark or sign of a great Christian church is mutual toleration among the members of the church, as in being able to accept and live with people's different faiths.

• Signs of power or domination:

• To be a true Christian, one must demonstrate good will toward others, have good morals, and spread faith by love instead of violence.

• One must embrace his faith or religion completely before trying to convert other people

• Locke critiques why people who want to spread faith, kindness, and salvation toward other people engage in violent means in order to achieve their objective, such as stealing, killing, and imprisoning - for having subtle differences in beliefs. He notes that this method to win converts is in itself contrary to God.

• Such violent actions are more (or just as) against religion than having misguided thoughts on morality, or failing to worship to the standards/rules set by the Church.

• No one is a heretic who follows Christ and his teachings.

• Vices, such as uncleanness, fornication, violence, and other formes of indulgence are just as important to eliminate as sects or heretics.

• Locke is surprised that people are fine with inflicting harm onto a person in order to SAVE his soul, even if that person dies. He goes onto question how such behavior could be motivated by love and goodwill.

• Achieivng salvation of other people should be done through peace, not violence

• *People should not act according to their vices, do wrongdoing or inflict violence, with the reason of protecting the laws of a state or for the purpose of religion. These SHOULDN'T permit one to act that way.

• Locke claims its important to differentiate between politics - the common wealth - and religion - the Church.

• *Common wealth is a group of people who work together to promote and preserve civil goods

• A civil ruler should make sure to preserve and provide certain necessities for life - civil goods, and ensure equal laws that subject all people equally to those goods.

• Subjects should be punished for violating the laws by conquering their civil goods - degree of freedom, or maybe infliction of pain if necessary. A ruler may use his subjects to help inflct the punishment as well.

• FIRSTLY, Civil rulers don't have permission or authority from God or men in general to act a certain way, such as to help the populace achieve salvation.

• Salvation is only achieved when people truly believe the things that they are professing or engaging in worship with. It can't be achieved if people believe things that are forced upon them.

• SECONDLY, a Civil ruler's only job is to coerce or make the populace follow the laws, NOT guide them in their spiritual or religious journey.

• True religion is when one is entirely convinced of their religious beliefs and firmly holds on to them, free of external forces.

• A ruler isn't able to people's beliefs through mere physical violence. It proves useless in changing people's beliefs to one's own.

• Anyone, including rulers, are allowed to get people to believe in their way of thinking through rational argument and reasoning, but NOT through orders or commands - such orders are relegated to SECULAR matters of the state

• THIRDLY, it isn't a ruler's duty to try and help the populace achieve salvation.

• Again, salvation CAN'T be achieved if people choose to believe in doctrines IMPOSED upon them by the state or an external force. It can only be achieved through conviction and reason.

• *Church - A group of people freely coming together voluntarily to worship in a way in which they believe is the most appropriate for their own salvation.

• Like any other institution, a Church must have laws that govern it in order for it to not dissolve.

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