and with what uniformity do his apoftles obferve the fame caution. "Render to all their dues; 66 (fays St. Paul) tribute to whom tribute is due; "cuftom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; "honour to whom honour. Owe no man any ઃઃ thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth "another hath fulfilled the law." And in his precepts to Timothy, whom he appointed to prefide over the church of Crete, "I exhort therefore thems "that first of all, fupplications, prayers, interceffi 66 ons, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; may by your good works, which they fhall behold, "glorify God in the day of vifitation,"-immediately takes care to impress the neceffity of fimilar caution on the subject of political obedience; that they should take care that their religion should not be calumniated, as if it afforded a pretext for fedition and licentiousness. "Submit yourselves to 66 every ordinance of man for the Lord's fake: whe"ther it be to the king, as fupreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the pu"nishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them "that do well. For fo is the will of God, that with "well doing ye may put to filence the ignorance of "foolish men: as free, and not ufing your liberty "for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the fervants "of God. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. "Fear God. Honour the king." Thus Chriftianity inculcates fubordination and fubmiffion to established government, as a duty of high importance in general, and peculiarly neceffary in the peculiar fituation which the first Christians were placed in during the infancy of their religion, when it appeared as a distinct sect, under a Heathen government, connected with the religion of the Jews, who fo frequently joined in tumults and fedition against the Roman empire, till they were crushed with utter ruin. To enforce fuch a duty by fuch motives, seems to me wholly inconfiftent with the genius of fanaticism. But though Christianity inculcates fubordination thus ftrongly as a general duty, rendered ftill more important by the peculiar fituation of the primitive Christians; I perfectly agree with an ingenious writer, who with too much hasty assertion on the nature of Christian morality, has, however, combined much judicious obfervation-" That the Christian "legiflator every where preferves a remarkable filence "on fubjects efteemed of all others of the highest Soame Jenyns' Internal View of the Evidence of Chriftianity, 7 edit. P. 53 and 54, Dublin, 1776. 66 importance, "importance, civil government, natural policy, and "the rights of war and peace; of these he has not, "(says this writer) taken the least notice, probably "for this plain reason, because it would have been "impoffible to have formed any explicit regulations "concerning them, which must not have been incon"fiftent with the purity of his religion, or with the practical obfervance of fuch imperfect creatures as 66 men ruling over, and contending with each other: "for inftance, had he forbid all refistance to the σε reigning powers, he had conftituted a plan of defpotifm, and made men flaves; had he allowed it, he must have authorized difobedience, and "made them rebels; had he in direct terms prohi"bited war, he must have left his followers for ever 66 an easy prey to every infidel invader; had he per"mitted it, he must have licensed all that rapine "and murder, with which it is unavoidably attend"ed:" thus this writer, as it seems to me, with equal ingenuity and truth. If we admit his opinion, furely it cannot be queftioned, that this filence of Christianity, wherever it would have been unwife and unsafe to give direct precepts, displays not only found fenfe, but fuch a divine wisdom and forefight, as are plainly inconfiftent with enthusiasm. But though Christianity declines every question with respect to different forms of government, it is, to adopt the observation of the judicious Paley-"1 It 1,Vide Paley's View of Evidence of Chriftianity, p. 373Dublin edit. 1794. " is alike applicable, useful and friendly to them all "in as much, as first it tends to make men virtuous, "and as it is easier to govern good men than bad 66 men, under any conftitution:-as 2dly, it ftates "obedience to government in ordinary cafes to be, "not merely a submission to force, but a duty of "confcience :-as 3dly, it induces difpofitions fa"vourable to public tranquillity, a Chriftian's chief "care being, to pass quietly through this world to a "better as 4thly, it prays for communities, and "for the governors of communities, of whatever defcription or denomination they may be, with a "folicitude and fervency proportioned to the influ"ence which they poffefs upon human happiness"all which, in my opinion, is just as it fhould be. "Had there been more to be found in fcripture of a "political nature, or convertible to political purposes, "the worst ufe would have been made of it, on "which ever fide it seemed to lie." m Yet another character of Christian wisdom remains, which I have referved for the laft; because, as it pervades and controuls the whole gospel scheme, so is it most decidedly contrary to the genius of enthufiafm: even this," that it is peaceable and gentle, and eafy to be entreated; full of mercy and good fruits." That this muft ever be directly contrary to the nature of fanaticism, reason and experience prove beyond the poffibility of doubt. 66 Fanatics m James iii. 17. conceiving 1 conceiving they are the peculiar favourites of the Divinity, are prone to defpife all men whom they think less favoured than themselves. Convinced that their opinions are the dictates of infpiration, and their cause the cause of heaven, they deem contradiction impious, and refiftance criminal; and while no true inspiration fupplies wisdom to confute or perfuade their adverfaries-while they can exert no miraculous power to prove their divine authority on clear and rational grounds, they will be naturally led to bear down contradiction and resistance by clamour and outrage, to punish obftinacy by the pious justice of perfecution, and convert men to the reception of those truths, which they deem neceffary for the falvation of their fouls, by facrificing their bodies at the faggot and the stake; and even when the impulse of humanity, or the influence of religious principles, though corrupted and obfcured, prevents the enthufiaft from proceeding to fuch extremities as these ; yet he will neceffarily discover impatience of contradiction, unyielding obftinacy, and fevere condemnation, of all who differ from, or oppose him. Scarcely ever will he entertain any wish to concede, or conciliate, or exercise any care to avoid giving occafion of diffenfion or offence: here then it is, that true Christianity moft clearly proves its heavenly original; who does not fee that every page, every line of the gospel, breathes the calm, and benign, and merciful spirit which its divine Author difplayed, R when |