"THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD have fha"dow under it." Tyranny brings ignorance and brutality along with it. It degrades men from their juft rank, into the clafs of brutes. It damps their Spirits. It suppresses arts. It extinguishes every spark of noble ardor and generosity in the breafts of those who are enslaved by it. It makes naturally strong and great minds, feeble and little; and triumphs over the ruins of virtue and humanity. This is true of tyranny in every shape. There can be nothing great and good, where its influence reaches. For which reafon it becomes every friend to truth and human kind; every lover of God and the chriftian religion, to bear a part in opposing this hateful monster. It was a defire to contribute a mite towards carrying on a war against this common enemy, that produced the following dif courfe. And if it ferve, in any measure, to keep up a spirit of civil and religous liberty amongst us, my end is answered.- -There are virtuous and candid men in all fects; all fuch are to be teemed: There are alfo vicious men and bigots in all fects; and all fuch ought to be despised.

"To virtue only, and her friends, a friend; "The world befide may murmur or commend, "Know, all the diftant din that world can keep "Rolls o'er my grotto, and but fooths my sleep."

POPE.

JONATHAN MAYHEW.

ROM. XIII. 1-8.

1. 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.

2. Whofoever therefore refifteth the power, refifteth the ordinance of God: and they that refift, fhall receive to themselves damnation.

3. 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 :

4. For he is the minifter of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he be areth not the fword in vain: for he is the minifter of God, a revenger, to execute wrath on him that doth evil.

5. Wherefore ye muft needs be fubject, not only for wrath, but also for confcience fake.

6. For, for this caufe pay you tribute also: for they are God's minifters, attending continually upon this very thing.

7. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; cuftom, to whom custom; fear, to whim fear; honour, to whom honour.

T is evident that the affair of civil government may properly fall under a moral and religious confideration, at least so far forth as it relates to the general nature and end of magiftracy, and to the grounds and extent of N 2

that

that fubmiffion, which perfons of a private character ought to yield to those who are vested with authority. This must be allowed by all who acknowledge the divine original of chriftianity. For although there be a fenfe, and a very plain and important fenfe, in which Chrift's kingdom is not of this world *; his infpired apostles have, nevertheless, laid down fome general principles concerning the office of civil rulers, and the duty of fubjects, together with the reafon and obligation of that duty. And from hence it follows, that it is proper for all who acknowledge the authority of Jefus Chrift, and the infpiration of his apostles, to endeavour to understand what is in fact the doctrine which they have delivered concerning this matter. It is the duty of chriftian magiftrates to inform themselves what it is which their religion teaches concerning the nature and defign of their office. And it is equally the duty of all chiflian people to inform themselves what it is which their religion teaches concerning that subjection which they owe to the higher powers. It is for these reasons that I have attempted to examine into the fcriptureaccount of this matter, in order to lay it before you with the fame freedom which I constantly ufe with relation to other doctrines and precepts of christianity; not doubting but you

* Jho xviii 35.

will judge upon every thing offered to your confideration, with the fame spirit of freedom and liberty with which it is spoken.

to

The paffage read, is the most full and exprefs of any in the new-teftament, relating to rulers and fubjects: and therefore I thought it proper to ground upon it, what I had to propofe you with reference to the authority of the civil magistrate, and the fubjection which is due to him. But before I enter upon an explanation of the several parts of this paffage, it will be proper to obferve one thing, which may ferve as a key to the whole of it.

It is to be observed, then, that there were fome perfons amongst the chriftians of the apoftolic age, and particularly thofe at Rome, to whom St. Paul is here writing, who feditiously disclaimed all fubjection to civil authority; refusing to pay taxes, and the duties laid upon their traffick and merchandize; and who fcrupled not to fpeak of their rulers, without any due regard to their office and character. Some of these turbulent chriftians were converts from judaifm, and others from pagan fm. The Jews in general had, long before this time, taken up a strange conceit, that being the peculiar and elect people of God, they were therefore exempted from the jurisdiction of any heather

N 3

heathen princes or governors. Upon this ground it was, that fome of them, during the public ministry of our bleffed faviour, came to him with that queftion-Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæfar or not? And this notion many of them retained after they were profelyted to the chriftian faith. As to the gentile converts, fome of them grofly miftook the nature of that liberty which the gofpel promised; and thought that by virtue of their fubjection to Chrift, the only king and head of his church, they were wholly freed from subjection to any other prince; as though Chrift's kingdom had been of this world, in fuch a fenfe as to interfere with the civil powers of the earth, and to deliver their fubjects from that allegiance and duty, which they before owed to them. Of thefe vifionary Chriftians in general, who difowned subjection to the civil powers in being where they refpectively lived, there is mention made in feveral places in the new-teftament: The Apostle Peter in particular, characterizes them in this manner-them that-defpife governmentprefumptucus are they, felf-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities +. Now it is with reference to thefe doting Chriftians, that the apostle speaks in the paffage before us. And I fhall now give you the fense of it in a

* Matt. xx. 17. † 2 Pct. ii, 10.

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