Jean Bodin

Jean Bodin (1530 – 1596) was a French jurist and political philosopher, member of the Parlement of Paris and professor of law in Toulouse. He is best known for his theory of sovereignty; he was also an influential writer on demonology.

Bodin lived during the aftermath of the Protestant Reformation and wrote against the background of religious conflict in France. He remained a nominal Catholic throughout his life but was critical of papal authority over governments, favouring the strong central control of a national monarchy as an antidote to factional strife. Towards the end of his life he wrote a dialogue among different religions, including representatives of Judaism, Islam and natural theology in which all agreed to coexist in concord, but was not published.

The Republic

 * It may be that the consent and agreement of the nobility and people in a new religion or sect may be so puissant and strong, as that to repress or alter the same should be a thing impossible, or at leastwise marvelous difficult, without the extreme peril and danger of the whole estate.
 * I will not here in so great variety of people so much differing among themselves in religion, take upon me to determine which of them is the best (howbeit that there can be but one such, one truth, and one divine law, by the mouth of God published), but if the prince, well assured of the truth of his religion, would draw his subjects thereunto, divided into sects and factions, he must not therein (in mine opinion) use force:
 * The great emperor of the Turks doth with as great devotion as any  prince in the world honour and observe the religion by him received from his ancestors, and yet detesteth he not the strange religions of others; but to the contrary permitteth every man to live according to his conscience
 * . For why the people of ancient time were persuaded, as were the Turks, all sorts of religions which proceed from a pure mind, to be acceptable unto the gods.
 * Wicked and strange rites and ceremonies, and such other as the greater part of the subjects of greatest power detest, I think it good and profitable to have them kept out of the Commonweal.
 * So the greatest superstition that is, is not by much any thing so detestable as Atheism.
 * Wherefore two inconveniences propounded. Superstition (I say) and Atheism, we must still decline the greater: yet when we may not publicly use the true religion, which still consisteth in the worshipping of one almighty and everlasting God: lest by condemning of the religion which is publicly received, we should seem to allure or stir the subjects unto impiety or sedition, it is better to come unto the public service, so that the mind still rest in the honour and reverence of one almighty and ever living God.