fian monarchy which fucceeded it; and they all demean: ed themselves as good and peaceable subjects,-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 fubverfion of that government, they voluntary discovered such conspiracies 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 therefhall have peace ye

❝ of

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 superscription upon their current money. On these 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, almost 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 Gods*. -The Apostle Paul, writing to the Christians at Rome, exhorts them in the most pointed manner, to a peaceable fubjection to Nero's government. "Let every foul "be fubject 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 themselves 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 minister 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, " a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil. "Wherefore ye must needs be subject, 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 godliness 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 subject to principalities and powers, to obey ma"gistrates to be ready to every good work §."-His brother Peter fpeaks in the fame ftrain. Writing to the Jewish Chriftians who were dispersed through various provinces

provinces of the leffer Afia, he thus speaks "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 fent 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."-These paffages are all fo plain, that they need no commentary: they are purposely so exprest, as to be equally, applicable to all Christians, in every age, and in every place. And from them all it is plain, that whatever form of civil government is actually fet 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 adminiftration 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 serve 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 defpotism.) 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

+ Pet. ii. 13,-17.

that

that account they felt more of the tyranny and oppref fion of the ruling powers than all the other fubjects of the empire together. No doubt they wifhed, and often prayed in fecret, for a reform. But they never fought it by any feditious methods. They never formed affociations among themselves, nor in conjunction with men of any other denomination, for fubverting or changing the government. They had no conventions, to which they fent deputies from the different provinces, to confult about the most proper means of bringing about a revolution. Their ecclefiaftical fynods, which they held in the face of perfecution, never employed themselves on fuch an object. We never fo much as hear of their taking any part in thofe disputes, tumults, or civil commotions, by which the empire was convulfed, at the acceffion of almost every new emperor. They patiently fubmitted to perfecution and tyranny, in imitation of Him, who, when he was reviled, reviled not again, and when he fuffered, threatened not; committing themfelves, as He did, to Him that judgeth righteously. The more cruel and unjust their civil fuperiors were to them,the more dutiful were they, in their refpective ftations, to their fuperiors. Thus, by patient continuance in well doing, they put to filence the ignorance of foolish men. This is the line of conduct which the Chriftian religion points out to all its adherents; and this they have uniformly followed; unlefs where obliged to ftand on their defence, against those who hunted them down like wild beasts, or where a long feries of intolerable oppreffion had driven them to defperation. It cannot be thought impertinent to fay, to Chriftians in Britain, at the prefent time, Go thou and do likewife.

3

ESSAY

ESSAY II.

Of REVOLUTIONS.

HE above reafoning, fome may think, tends to e

THE stablish the doctrine of paffive obedience, and

non-refiftance and cuts off all poffibility, efpecially in a Christian country, of providing a remedy for any defects in an established government, or of preventing the abuse of power. By no means. That abfurd, irrational, and antifcriptural principle, by which the flatterers and abettors of tyranny have, in former times, attempted to deftroy British liberty, and to wreathe about our necks a yoke of arbitrary power ;—that principle, I hope, fhall never more find abettors in this nation. Though the Scriptures require subjection to the powers that be; yet this must always be understood with the following limitations.

1. Every fubject, as well as every ruler, is anfwerable to God for every part of his conduct. The law of God is of prior obligation to any laws of men; and his au thority is fuperior to that of any earthly magiftrate.— While the powers of this world enjoin nothing inconfiftent with the law of God,-that law itself requires obedience to them; and difobedience to them is rebellion