uring, preserving, and advancing of their own civil interests . . . [which are] life, liberty, health, . . . and the possession of outward things, such as money, land, houses" (3), and he defines the duties of a magistrate as being to guarantee equal protection of these civil interests to all persons. It is here that Locke lays down the rule that one person cannot exercise a right in a way that interferes with another personÆs rights. There is nothing about religion implied here, and Locke argues in some detail that a magistrate in such a commonwealth cannot have the authority to promote any religious interests as such.
As the second step, Locke defines a church as ôa voluntary society of men, joining themselves together of their own accord in order to [undertake} the public worshipping of God in such a manner as they judge acceptable to Him, and effectual to the salvation of their souls. I say it is a free and voluntary societyö (4). Locke then goes on to argue that since membership in a church depends upon a free decision to be a member, the idea of forc
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