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in Scripture; and therefore in Questions of Right, the Scripture is no Rule.

The Measure then of Power and Authority must be the Rule of Obedience: whatever the Prince can lawfully command, the Subject is bound to obey. The things which are God's must be rendered unto God; and therefore no divine Law, declared either by the clear Light of Nature, or exprefs Revelation, can be fuperfeded by the Cómmand of any earthly Power. Which, whenever it is the Cafe, we must obey God rather than Man; and be content with the Lot of them who fuffer for Well-doing. To reason abstractedly upon the Power of Princes, is a Sign of Weakness, as well as of a troublefome Temper. Cuftom, and the Law of the Land in each Country, are in this Case the highest Reason; under which Regulations, the Power of all Princes is lawful and reasonable. Were it otherwife, the Gofpel, which was intended for the Law of all Nations and People, could not have commanded Obedience to the prefent Powers, which were in Form and Authority vaftly different.

All Obedience is primarily owing to God, the Fountain of all Power: and fhould it please him to take upon himself

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the perfonal Government of Nations; as he did fometime of the People of the Jews; all other Power would ceafe of course. In the Jewish Government, the Laws of civil and ecclefiaftical Polity were Divine; being established by God, when he took upon himself the external Government of that People. But where God did not so visibly fo intereft himself, but committed the Reins of Government to earthly Princes; the making Laws for the external and visible Order of the World was remitted to their Authority. And therefore the Gofpel, though infinitely more perfect than the Law, gave us no System of Laws, either for civil or ecclefiaftical Government: which under the Law were ordained by God (not as fupreme Governor of the World, but as the immediate and vifible Governor of the

Jews); but under the Gospel, are left to Princes, who are appointed by God to be the vifible Governors of the World; and therefore all vifible and external Order is their proper Care and Business. Of Obedience there are two Parts; the external, and internal. The external confifts in the outward Conformity of our Actions to the Rules and Principles of Virtue; the internal, in

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the Sincerity and Purity of the Heart. The Government of the World is not concerned in the internal Part; for if Men act as if they were honeft, the Peace and outward Order of the World will be fecured, though their Hearts are perverfe; and therefore, the Judgment of this, God, as he alone is able for it, has referved to himfelf. The external Part of Obedience is that, in the due Performance of which the Beauty and Order of the World confifts; and therefore this is the proper Care of the Governors of the World. The fame holds in Religion, which is the Service of God: there are Duties which none are concerned in, but God and our own Souls; fuch as Faith, Repentance, and the like; the Virtue of which is internal, of the Heart. But God requires likewife an external and visible Worship from us, in which outward Order and Decency are required, but not determined, and therefore must be left to their Jurifdiction, to whom we are answerable for our outward Behaviour in all Things. How far mistaken then is the Zeal of those, who decline fubmitting to the Orders of the Church, because they are of human Appointment! Whereas being ordained by a lawful

lawful Power, they have fo far the Stamp of Divine Authority, as to make Difobedience to them a Sin against God.

The fecond Inftance of Obedience, is to honour and reverence our Governors; to think with Refpect, and speak with Decency of their Perfons and Governments. This Duty we owe to all our Superiors, in proportion to their Dignity and Office. If we look up to the Fountain and Original of all Power, the Supreme Governor of the World; his Name, even to mention in vain, fhall not be held guiltless. Next to him, though the Distance be great, are the fupreme Powers on Earth; to whom we owe the greatest civil Refpect and Reverence according to the Apoftle's Rule, to render Honour, to whom Honour; Fear, to whom Fear is due: whofe Names or Perfons to treat with Contempt, is Want of Decency, as well as Duty. Two Things have a Right to Honour and Refpect; perfonal Virtues, and public Characters; which when happily joined together, are to be accounted worthy of double Honour: but when separate, are not to be defrauded of their due Portion. When St Paul, provoked by the unjust Ufage of the High-prieft, returned him a

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rude Answer; being informed what Place he held in the Commonwealth, he corrected, and excused his Error; I wift not, Brethren, that he was the High-prieft: for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy People.

The third Inftance of Obedience, is in defending the Perfons and Government of our Princes.

Mutual Defence is the End of all Government. Protection in Life and Fortune, is the Right of every Subject: which, as he may lawfully expect from his Prince; fo is he bound to him, in the like Duty of defending his Perfon and Government, whenever Occafion requires. When Men entered into civil Society, they refigned all their private Right and Intereft, even in their own Lives, to the public Good: and therefore the public Happiness is to be preferred before our own; the Life of the Public, which confifts in maintaining the established Form of Government, to be fupported, though with the Lofs of our own. Prince bears the Perfon of the Commonwealth; by him the Public lives and acts therefore is his Life facred: which but coldly to defend is Want of Affection to the Pub

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