ed government has been found most congenial to the people of Britain: perhaps a republican government is more adapted to the circumftances of our brethren in America and, from recent events, it may be fufpected, that, hard as their fituation was, while the king's will was their law, monarchy is the only government fuited to the constitutional levity and ferocity of our neighbours in France. There have been inftances of nations flourishing and happy under different forms of government. And every government is capable of degenerating into týranny, oppreffion or anarchy, in the hands of a corrupt administration. Hence there is a great deal of truth in Mr. Pope's maxim, "That which is beft adminifter'd is beft." There was once a nation whose form of government was prefcribed by God himself. He not only moulded their political constitution; but gave them a body of municipal laws, which none had power to abolish or to alter for JEHOVAH their God was their king. That law expired with the civil ftate of the Jews; and was never confidered by Chriftians as binding upon any other nation, or in any other place but the land of Ifrael, But many of thofe laws might with propriety be adopted in every nation. And it is carefully to be obferved, that there could be nothing in their conftitution or code of laws inconfiftent with moral equity or with any of the juft rights of man; because the Great Judge of all the earth muft neceffarily do right. It may be pleaded that many of thefe laws were typical; intended to point out good things to come :-and this is readily granted. But neither with this, nor with any other design, can it be fuppofed, that He, who is the original fountain of all reason, of all right, and of all juftice,-would ever establish tyranny, oppreffion, or iniquity, by a law. And therefore, no thing that, by divine appointment, belonged to that conftitution, can be inconfiftent with the rights of the people, when adopted by any other nation. But what is of the greatest importance to Christians is, that the Scriptures every where enjoin obedience and fubmiffion to that government under which it is our lot to live; whatever it is, or in what manner foever it was fet up. And, accordingly, Chriftians, in all ages and in all places, have confidered it as their duty to submit to the powers that be; to pray for them; and to obey them in all things not contrary to the word of God: not only for peace, but also for confcience fake. My fon, fear thou the Lord and the king, was a precept delivered by the Spirit of God. In it God still speaketh to us as to children nor is it the lefs to be regarded because it was delivered by the mouth of a king. In agreeableness to this did the people of God conduct themfelves, not only towards the princes of David's line, but likewife towards all those who fwayed the fceptre among the ten tribes.Though most of these kings were ufurpers, and came to the throne by treasons, conspiracies, and maffacres; and though they were all corrupt and tyrannical in their administration, in a greater or lefs degree ;-yet the prophets Elijah, Elifba, Hofea, and all other worshippers of the true God, who lived in their dominions, continued to honour them, to submit to their authority, and to obey them in all things lawful:-even while they teftified against their mal-administration, and reproved them fharply on that account. And when the remnant of the people were carried captive into Babylon, they submitted to the government established in that country; many of them accepted pofts under it, and under the Per fian Prov. xxiv. 21. fian monarchy which fucceeded it; and they all demean ed themselves as good and peaceable fubjects,-yielding a ready obedience in all things lawful, even while they abfolutely refused to obey in what was contrary to their religion, or the law of their God. Instead of entering into confpiracies or affociations for the subversion of that government, they voluntary discovered fuch confpiracies when they came to their knowledge, and prevented their execution. In all this they only followed the direction that God himself had given them, by the pen of Jeremiah the prophet:-" Seek the peace of the city whi "ther I have caufed you to be carried away captives: "and pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace there“of ye shall have peace The fame duty is plainly inculcated, and strongly urged, in every part of the New Teftament. Tiberius, who poffeffed the imperial throne at Rome in the time of our Lord's public ministry, had no other right to it, but his being the adopted son of an ufurper, and being in poffeffion of it. He had no right to govern the Jewish people, except that of a conqueror. But Tiberius was acknowledged as emperor by the body of the Roman people: and the Jewish nation had submitted to his yoke, enjoyed his protection, and had his image and fuperscription upon their current money. On thefe accounts, our Lord himself enjoined his hearers to pay him tribute, and continue to fubmit to his authority in things lawful. This is the fenfe that interpreters, almoft without exception, put;-indeed it is the only fenfe that agreeably to the common ufe of language, can be put upon these remarkable words of his, Render to Cæfar the things * Jerem. xxix. 7 things that are Cafar's, and to God the things that are God's*. -The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians at Rome, exhorts them in the most pointed manner, to a peacea ble fubjection to Nero's government. "Let every foul "be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained "of God. Whofoever therefore refifteth the power, "refifteth the ordinance of God: and they that refift "fhall receive to themfelves damnation. For rulers are "not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt "thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which " is good, and thou shalt have praise of the fame. For "he is the minifter of God to thee for good. But if "thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth "not the fword in vain: for he is the minifter of God, 66 a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. "Wherefore ye muft needs be fubject, not only for "wrath, but also for conscience fake +."-To his beloved Timothy he writes thus, "I will that fupplications, "prayers, interceffions, and giving of thanks be made "for all men for kings, and all that are in authority; "that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life under "them, in all godlinefs and honefty: for this is good "and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour ‡." -To Titus, he points it out, as one part of that duty which he, as a minster of the Gofpel, owed both to his mafter and to his hearers, to Put them in mind to "be fubject to principalities and powers, to obey ma"giftrates to be ready to every good work §."-His brother Peter speaks in the fame ftrain. Writing to the Jewish Chriftians who were dispersed through various provinces provinces of the leffer Afia, he thus fpeaks "Submit "yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's "fake; whether it be to the king as fupreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them "that do well. For fo is the will of God. Honour all "men. Love, the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour, "the king t."-Thefe paffages are all so plain, that they need no commentary: they are purposely so expreft, as to be equally, applicable to all Chriftians, in every age, and in every place. And from them all it is plain, that whatever form of civil government is actually set up, among any people, and acknowledged by the body of the nation,—all Christians belonging to that nation, are bound by the authority of God, to fubmit to that government, and to yield obedience to all the lawful commands of those who are entrusted with the admini stration of it: living quiet and peaceable lives under them, in all godliness and honefty.. Conformable to this has been the practice of the faithful followers of Chrift in all ages. The primitive Chriftians shall serye for an example. They could not but fee the very, great defects of the Roman government, (now changed from its antient republican form, into a military defpotifm.), They knew the unworthy character of most of those who, in that period, wore the im perial purple. They teftified, in their several stations, against all that conduct, whether of their rulers or fellow, fubjects, whereby God was openly dishonoured. They refufed, at the hazard of their lives, and of what was dearer than their lives, to obey their civil fuperiors in things that were contrary to the divine law. And on that T 1 Pet. ii. 13,-17. |