SER M. Only the Execution of the Laws to his perVI. fonal Province, under a folemn Oath.

The Magiftrate thus created and conftituted by the Act of the Society, is as truly the Officer of God, and vefted with the divine Right as the fupream Judges, and Kings of Ifrael were, tho' he be not appointed in the same extraordinary Manner : For as Mankind could ill fubfist, and anfwer the Ends of their Creation without fome Government, it evidently follows that it is the Will of the great Creator and fupreme Governor, that fome should rule and others obey, for the Preservation not only of Peace and Order, but even of the very Species of Mankind; and confequently that the legal Magiftrate in every Community, is God's Officer and Vicegerent, and has a divine Right to be obeyed as fuch in the due Execution of his Office.

This Point is fo clearly stated by St. Paul in the 13th of Rom. that no Christian can withstand it. Let every Soul be fubject unto the higher Powers, and the Reafon follows, for there is no Power but of God. The Powers that be, are ordained of God, V. 1. Wherefore ye must needs be fubject, not only for Wrath, but also for Confcience Sake, V. 5.

And

VI.

And who was it that had fupream Power SER M. at this very Time? it was no better a Prince than Nero, an heathen Emperor, a most profligate Man, and a cruel Perfecutor of the Chriftians, and who afterwards beheaded St. Paul the Vindicator of his royal Authority in this Chapter. But wicked as he was, St. Paul knew how to diftinguish between the Man and the Prince, and to command Obedience to him for Confcience Sake, as to one who was their lawful Sovereign, and who in the due Exercise of his Power acted under a divine Commiffion.

But when Nero exceeded his Commiffion, and became a Tyrant, and by a Wantonnefs of Cruelty burnt the City of Rome, and murdered his innocent Subjects, and violated their Rights and Properties, he ceased to be the Minifter of God in those Actions, and became the Minister of his own wicked Lufts and Paffions; and if Men obeyed him for Wrath, and to fave their own Lives, yet for Confcience Sake they could not be bound to fubmit themselves to his wicked Commands, because he was not the Minister of God for Good.

SERM.
VI.

Here then is a manifeft Limitation to the general Words of St. Peter in my Text, requiring Submiffion to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's Sake; and the fame Limitation is clearly implied in the Words following, the Office of Kings; and of Governors fent or commiffioned by them, being for the Punishment of Evil-doers, and the Praife of them that do well; that is, Princes being God's Vicegerents upon Earth, the chief Part of their Office must be to difcourage and punish all Difobedience to the divine Laws, and to protect and countenance Virtue and virtuous Men: and being also Trustees for the Community, the very Nature of their Office implies, that they are to do Justice, and execute righteous Judgment, and make all their Subjects happy in the Enjoyment of their Rights and Liberties.

This is the Truft committed to Princes, both by the King of Kings, and by the Community, and it is upon this Foundation only that Obedience is due to their Commands.

If therefore it fhould be the hard Lot of Subjects to be preffed by two contrary Commands, there is no doubt concerning the Side they are to take, for the Cafe is clearly refolved

VI.

refolved in the 5th of the Acts, 29th Verfe, SE R. M. Then answered Peter and the rest of the Apoftles, we ought to obey God rather than Men. And we have a Cafe in point of greater Antiquity than this, which is to be found in the 3d Chapter of Daniel, where Nebuchadnezzar having threatned the three Hebrews with the fiery Furnace, for refufing to commit Idolatry in Obedience to his Edict, they boldly replied, Be it known to thee, O King, that we will not Jerve thy Gods, nor worship the golden Image which thou haft fet up, Verse 18. As God had forbidden the Worship of Images, the King's Command was in that Refpect a Nullity, and it was Religion to difobey him.

I need not infift longer upon this Doctrine, which for many Years paft has been fo fully and plainly stated and cleared up from the Subtilties of felf-defigning Men, and which the late happy Revolution has juftified, to the Conviction, and the feeling of all Proteftants.

I come therefore in the

2d Place, to confider the Submiffion due to the Magiftrate in Matters of Religion.

M 2

Ifhall

SERM.
VI:

I fhall treat this under these two Branches.

ift, As it regards Matters of Faith.

2dly, As it regards the publick Worship.

With regard to the Former, it is certain that our internal and private Belief cannot be fubject to any human Authority for this plain Reason, because one Man cannot poffibly know the inward Belief of another Man unless he could fearch his heart, which is the fole Prerogative of God. And if the Magistrate cannot have Cognizance any Man's internal Belief, it is abfurd that he should be made a Judge of it, or that he should prefcribe what shall be the Faith of his Heart.

of

And from hence it likewife follows, that the Magiftrate has no Authority to compel the outward Profeffion of any Doctrine that is meerly religious, because it may happen to be contrary to what a Man inwardly and really believes, and in that Cafe he will be compelled to become an Hypocrite and a Liar, which being grofs Immoralities, no Authority whatever can make lawful.