Notions, inconfiftent with their new Profeffion; as the business of Faith and Worship was most immediately concerned in. This made the Danger but too manifeft, that they should likewise retain fuch other Notions, relating to Civil Government; as the Body of Men, they had lately left, entertained and avowed. It does not, that I know of, appear from any Hiftory, that the Christians, truly Orthodox, gave occafion for any Jealoufy in this refpect. But plain it is however, that the Perfecutors and Oppofers of the Gofpel, looking perhaps upon Chriftians as a Spawn of the Jews, were willing to fix the fame odious Characters upon Them; and pretended at least, as a Colour for their Severity and Malice, conftantly to think them Enemies of the State.

It is easy to fee, how ill an Influence fuch an Opinion, if entertained and let alone, must needs have, upon the Religion of Chrift, and all that should profefs it. The Benefits of Society and Civil Rights are fo many, and fo valuable; and do fo entirely depend upon good Government and Order, and peaceable Submiffion to thofe in publick Stations; that Men will naturally be very jealous of, very averfe to, any Set of People or Principles, which fhall attempt to break in upon Advantages fo fenfible and dear, as these may claim to be, to all Mankind. The generality even of Subjects would abhor a Doctrine, that should sow the Seeds of Discord and Confufion. But it is never to be conceived, how any one Prince or Ruler, should have been reconciled to the Faith, upon the Foot it then stood; Had it propagated, juftified, or in any degree countenanced, Sedition and Licentioufnefs; by undertaking to fet Men free from their Civil Obligations, and diffolve the Power and Authority, which Governors were otherwise allowed to have upon their People, when not Chriftians. And therefore, in all the ancient Apologies for our Religion, we find the Authors particu

particularly careful to wipe off this Calumny; to prove the Gospel, as it really is, the greatest Security to all Temporal Jurifdiction; the fureft Promoter, and best Preferver, of Publick Order and Quiet; the ftrongeft Support of Kings, and the most effectual Reftraint upon Subjects. Few Arguments were urged more frequently; Few, we have reafon to believe, contributed more fuccefsfully to recommend this Religion to the general good acceptance of the World; than the manifeft tendency it had to the Safety and Welfare of Mankind; the particular Inftructions it gave; the weighty Obligations and Motives it enforced them with; and the unparallel'd Examples it every day produced; for containing all forts of Men within the bounds of their proper Station and Duty, for rendring them ufeful and ferviceable to Society and Government, for a zealous and active Obedience to their Superiors in all lawful Instances, and for meek and patient Suffering, under even unjust Oppreffions; rather than they would become Inftruments of difturbing the Peace of the Publick, or that of their own Confciences.

Ver. 12.

The Credit thefe Principles and Practices would bring to Christianity, The Check they would be to the Malice of its Perfecutors, And the Mischiefs and Obstructions, which factious and turbulent Spirits must needs have derived upon it, may reasonably be thought a main Motive to St. Peter alfo, for infifting on this Duty. In the Second of his First Epiftle, he firft enjoyns fuch a Behaviour in general, as may fecure Chriftians a good efteem with Heathens, and convince them, that all the ill Reports concerning the Men of this Perfuafion, are utter Calumny and malicious Falfhood. Then, as the beft Expedient for this Purpose, he ceeds upon Submiffion to Supreme and Subordinate Magiftrates; enforcing this, as a fingular H 3

pro

Ver, 33.

Inftance

Ver. 14, 15.

Inftance of well-doing; moft agreeable to the Will of God, moft effectual for stopping the Mouths, and rectifying the Miftakes of fuch, as did not, or would not, truly understand the Nature and Extent of Chriftian Liberty. And thus he at laft

Ver. 16, 17,

18, 19, &c.

defcends, to specify the feveral Duties in

cumbent upon Men, according to the difference of their refpective Capacities,

and mutual Relations to each other.

But St. Paul, in the Portion of Scripture now in hand, treats of this matter more at large, and after another manner. He declares the Nature of the Duty enjoined, the Univerfality of its Obligation, the Reasons upon which that Obligation is founded, the Danger of refufing to comply with it, the Equity of making it good, the particular Inftances wherein it ought to be exprefs'd. And all these he declares to be not meerly Matters of fecular Convenience, or Chriftian Prudence; but a part of Religion, and fuch as directly bind the Confcience. This is the Subftance of the Doctrine, recommended to our Confideration at prefent. Of which I fhall endeavour to give you a juft Senfe, by treating of it, in as plain and practical a Method as I am able: Branching out the Sum, of what the Apostle feems to have intended we should collect from his Difcourfe here, into the following Particulars.

1. First. By the Higher Powers, it is certain are meant fuch Authority, and fuch Perfons vested with it, as are Civil and Secular. For the Third Verfe explains this by Rulers, and the Fourth by the Character of bearing the Sword, being a revenger to execute wrath; that is, having a right to inflict Temporal Punishments, fuch as extend even to Death it felf, where the Offence provoking them, is Capital. And the Sixth and Seventh Verfe defcribe them, as Perfons, to whom Tribute and Custom are, and ought to

be

be paid. Now all these are Prerogatives, peculiar to the Civil, and fuch as belong to no Other Power; nor to any invested with That, except the Chief Governor. But because this Chief cannot fatisfy the Ends of Government alone, it is neceffary he fhould call in the Affiftance of other Eyes and Hands, and appoint Them to act under him. Thefe, in Their proper Spheres, are His Representatives; and all Their Legal Proceedings are His; His virtually; His originally. Confequently, we do not discharge our Part to Him, except we pay, to all commiffioned under Him, a Subjection, proportion'd to that Extent and Degree of Honour, and Authority, which he hath thought fit to derive upon them. This is evident to any, who at all confider the Reafon of the Thing. But, if it were not, St. Peter hath taken care to determine the Cafe. For He hath prevented all neceffity of arguing upon the Point, by commanding in exprefs Terms, that we Submit to every Ordinance of Man, whether it be to the King as Supreme, 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 and all this, he fays, is to be done for the Lord's fake. The Meaning whereof we fhall beft understand, by confidering, what St. Paul hath urged more fully in the Paffage at prefent before us. Which is,

1 Pet. ii. 13, 15.

2. Secondly, That all Power and Authority whatfoever, is originally in, and from God, and communicated by Him to fuch Perfons, and in fuch Proportions, as He fees requifite, for the Order and good Government of this his own World. Accordingly the Apostle does, upon this ground, raise his Argument, for enforcing Subjection to the Higher Powers; by putting Men in mind, whofe Sword they bear, and w.ence their Jurifdiction is derived. For, fays he, H 4

there

there is no Power but of God, and the Powers that be, are ordained of God.

Authority and Diftinction are, in their own Nature, fo neceffary to Sociable Creatures; that it does not feem poffible to conceive, how Mankind could have fubfifted without them: even fuppofing the state of Innocence to have continued. But, as God, the univerfal Caufe, hath, in virtue of his being fo, an indifputable Dominion over all that proceed from Him: So we may reasonably infer fome Right of Government, infeparable from the Relation and Character of a Parent, as made by God the next and fubordinate Caufe, of the Children, who defcend from Him. Such a Superiority in Private Families is fo far from the Effect of Sin, or any Punishment of it, that we have a Pattern of it, even in the Perfons of the Bleffed Trinity themselves. But indeed, when we extend our Thoughts to Perfons, whom these Engagements of Blood and Defcent cannot reach, the Cafe is altered. For then, how fondly foever fome People may talk, or think, of a Dominion, or a Slavery, founded in Nature; it fhould be very hard, methinks, to convince Men, upon Principles of Reason; that, as to their Politick Capacities, they are not by Nature free: harder yet, to advance fuch Notions among Chriftians, who are taught by Revelation, where to lay this whole Matter. For the Scriptures are fufficiently express, Who He is, that makes one Man to differ from, to be higher and better than another: and, that Every one in his own Cafe may, to any fort of Superior, (whether by Nature or by pofitive Inftitution) alledge those words of our Saviour to Pilate, Thou couldst have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above.

For hence it follows undeniably, that no Governor, or Parent, of what kind foever, can either have any Power originally inherent in himfelf, or that he can draw it from any other Source. God therefore,

as