A Letter Concerning Toleration

`A Letter Concerning Toleration' by John Locke was originally published in Latin in 1689. It was Locke's response to the problem of religion and government; he proposed religious toleration as the answer. For Locke, the only way a Church gains genuine converts is through persuasion, not violence. Arguing that the government should not involve itself in spiritual matters, he offers three main reasons: individuals cannot divest control over their souls to secular forces, as God does not appoi...