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Show [40] €141] we ought to obey G01) rather than men : Hence the apoltle Paul himielf futl‘ered many cruel. pe‘rfecutions, becaufe he would not renounce chritlianit‘y, but perfilted in Oppofing the id0~ latrous \v‘orfhip of the pagan world. Tms text being refcued from the abfurcl in; terpretations, which the favourers of arbitrary government have put upon it, turns out to be a noble confirmation of that free and generous approbation of an arbitrary and tyrannit'al gm Vermnent .9 I never read this text without ado mixing the beauty and nervoufnel‘s of it: And 1 can hardly conceive how he. could exprels more ideas in ii) few words. than he has done. lNelee here, in one View, the honorthat belongs to the magil‘trate, beeaule he is ordain'tl of (in!) for the puliliek good. \Ve have his duty pointted out, viz. to honour and encourage the virtuous, to promote the real good or the plan of goverment, which the law ofnuture and reafon points out to us. Nor can we dc;iire a more equitable plan of government, than what the apoltle has here laid down : For if we conlult our happineis and real good, we community, and to punifh all wicked and injurious perfons. "[6 are taught the nuty of the fubiee‘t,‘viz. to ob y the mugillrate for conieience hike, becauli: he is: ordain'd can never with for an unrealOnable liberty, Viz; a freedom to do evil, which according to the employed under Goo for our good apollle, is, the only thing that the magifirate is to refrain us from. To have a liberty to do whatever is fit, realonable or good, is the highelt degree of freedom, that rational beings can pollels And how honourable a {lation are thoie men placed in by the providence of GOD, \vhofe bulinefs it is, to lee'tire to men this rat]. 01ml liberty, and to promote the happinels and welfare of loeiety, by lupprelling Vice and im-1 of Goo ; and that rulers bting (Ontlll'lall‘f are to be generoully maintained, by the paying thorn tribute ; and that dil'obedienee to rulers XS highly criminal, and Wlll expoie us to ll ( divine wratli.. The liberty of the lubjeeit is alto clearly aflbrted, Viz. that {objects are to l)Cllll(»\\'(.tl to on every thing that is iii itielt jurl and .ight, and are only to be :‘eltrained from being guilty (it wrong actions. . it is a‘lo firougly iu pile-t that when rulers beeome. opprellive to ttv lub,‘rtt, and injurious tothe ltate, their author 3', {hi ll: rallty, and by honouring and encouraging even I'el‘pCEt, their maintennnCe, and the t my ‘ot ry thing that is amiable, virtuous and praife worthy F Such magilirzites ought to be honoured and obeyed as the minilters of GOD, and the iubrnitting to them mull innuediai‘e'y w ate ; they are then to be COHllthlCLl as the n i» hitters offlitau; and as inch it Deanna» r fervants of the king of heaven. Can we conceive of a larger and more generous plan of government than this of the apofile? Or can inclil‘penfitble duty to reiilt and oppole than, we find words more plainly exprellive of a dill .md delign of government, viz" but it is to a rof approbation 'l‘nus we fee, that both reztlou .ziml ruxintit, 1 perfectly agree in pointing out the notui e, end F mote |