their fubjects, the members of the civil ther incumbent upon them as fuch, community, as a nursery from among whom provide for the maintenance of the mi members are gathered and called into the fters of the church? This alfo is d church and kingdom of Chrift;-not only with regard to thofe of the natio defending them in the enjoyment of their churches of England and Scotland, civil properties in general, but, in fpe- prefently by law established. E cial, of that precious natural right of may fome fav, the legal benefices, t mankind, liberty of conscience, alfo. difpofed of, are misapplied ;— they ou Whence it comes to pass, that the difci- to be annexed unto the Seceffion fche ples of Chrift, or church-members, in their and bestowed upon the minifters of t dominions, are allowed to live quiet and way only. Well, fuppofing that fhe peaceable lives, in all godliness and ho- ever come to be the cale, which ind nesty, or, in other words, to profefs is not likely, would not thofe of the p and obferve his holy religion, according fent established churches think they to the best views thereof they can attain as good ground to complain of mifap unto from the fcriptures of truth,-with- cation on this head, as thofe of the out outward molestation and disturbance: ceffion can poffibly pretend? So -which certainly is no small ground of complaints of this kind, from some qu thankfulness;-efpecially confidering the ter or other, would not be got prevent furious and perfecuting temper of fome Civil rulers, I fuppofe, for the n even of those who profefs religion at this part, have political views in annex day, but seem not indeed to know what worldly emoluments unto any schem manner of spirit they are of;-whole wild religion or fet of clergy whatever ; zeal, were it not for the restraint of our therefore will, no doubt, bestow th excellent civil government, would in all favours of that fort upon those who, t appearance prompt them on to violent think, will beft ferve their political p measures with those who happen to differ poles. And I doubt not but the cle from them in their views of religion. - of the establishment are fully as y Yea, this would feem to be all, or the qualified for ferving the purposes of c principal advantage, that, in Paul's judge- government, as thofe of the Secef ment, Chriftians were to expect from ci- would be; although at the fame ti vil government; fee 1 Tim. ii. 1. 2. I in charity I hope, miny on the establi How does the preacher understand the ment have much higher purposes in vie paffage of the prophet, If. xlix. 23. to and at heart.—I fhall not meddle w which this petition feems to refer? Does the warrantableness of the civil gove he understand it of the magiftrate as fuch ment's paying minifters ftipends. As miniftering food and nourishment unto beftowing of worldly emoluments u the church of Chrift as fuch? Then, for fuch clergy as offer fairest for having information's fake, I would ask, what most extensive influence on the body fort of nourishment it is the magiftrate the people, feems to be a very good gives, or can give, unto the church? Is gine of state, I doubt not but politicia it not earthly and carnal things only the and political rulers, will take care t rulers of the kingdoms of this world have this be done. But yet, I cannot h in their power to give? And is not the asking on this head, If the volunt church of Christ a fpiritual and heavenly contributions of church-members, acc fort of fociety, which, agreeably to its ding to their feveral abilities, for nature and kind, is fed and nourished by maintenance of their pastors, be not fi fpiritual provifion? For do not all the as agreeable to the primitive and apoft genuine members thereof eat the fame way, and as well calculated for anfw fpiritual meat, and drink the fame fpi- ing the ends of edification in the chur ritual drink? But if the prefent Bri. -as that of a legal benefice, or natio tish powers be not uurfing-fathers to the tax? True indeed, in the latter w church, it is asked, What would confti- the clergy's living is ufually more liber tute them fo? Is it incumbent upon and they better enabled to carry out them as nurse-fathers, to protect church- port of gentry. But it remains a qu members from outward violence in the ftion, If that has a direct tendency exercife of their religion? This they do the fpiritual nourishment, edificati to all who behave themfelves as good and and comfort of the church of Chrift: peaceable fubjects of the civil ftate, is it not a certain fact, confirmed by which indeed the religion of Jefus strict• mournful experience of paft ages, th ly binds all its profefors unto. Is it fur- the raifing of the church's ministers ur - work to look at, and be influenced by, not the things which are seen, and are temporal, but the things which are not feen, and are eternal? How then can it be believed, that ever he intended those things to be propofed as motives and incitements, for men to embrace and profess his heavenly religion? True indeed, in the gofpel, he propofes the nobleft, the most exalted, and engaging inducements, to come over to his fide, and fubmit to his benign government, his rule of grace. But then, are not thefe of a spiritual and heavenly nature?-even all spiritual bleffings, all the bleffings of grace and glory in Chrift Jefus? And then, on the other hand, as to civil pains or temporal evils, whether of the greater or leffer fort, is there not good ground for faying, Far hence be all fuch methods of violence from the cause and kingdom of the Prince of Peace, who is not come to deftroy mens lives, or injure them in their civil concerns, but to fave them? All methods of violence are diametrically oppofite to the spirit and genius of the gospel of peace; and therefore methods of Chriftian perfuafion only can be admitted here. What fitness is there, in depriving men of their natural rights and privileges as free-born and good fubjects of an earthly kingdom, or in imprison. ment, banishment, &c.—either for reclaiming men from error, or for producing real religion, producing the knowledge, faith, love, and obedience of the truth, as it is in Jefus? Would not all fuch measures feem rather to be deftructive of true religion, properly fo called? For is not all true religion a free and voluntary thing? Is not free choice, without compulsion or force, neceflary to the very being of it? That religion which is cauled or influenced by worldly motives and confiderations, by civil rewards or punishments, however it may pafs 2mong men, is certainly naught in God's fight.—What then could be meant by praying, that our rulers would exert their influence for promoting the cause of Chrift? What! muft this caufe be promoted by carnal power and military force? Is not the word, accompanied with the power of the Spirit, fufficient for reaching this important end? - fufficient for perfuading and determining the people to affemble with one accord, to ferve the highest Lord? Is not the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, (though not carnal, yet) mighty through Goo to the pulling down of frong bolds, cafting worldly grandeur and opulence, or even nto an entire independence upon the riftian people for their fubfiftence, and king them wholly dependent upon the risil powers therefor,-inftead of turning out unto the welfare of the church, has, in too many inftances, had a quite contrary effećt ?————————Or, over and above all this, in order to our rulers being right aurie-fathers of the church, would it alfo se neceffary to impofe the Seceffioncheme, as ftated and laid out in the juicial testimony, and fworn unto in the and reduplicating upon the long historial narrative in the acknowledgement of as thereto prefixed, upon all his Majey's fubjects, of what foever quality, rank, ad degree, under all civil pains? and srcibly to fupprefs, or root out of their ands and empire, all those the minifters the Seceffion might think proper to indge Hereticks, Sectarians, Latitudiarians, &c. &c.? But then, how would act measures confift with the peace and welfare of the civil community, the rights of contience, the nature and genius of the religion and kingdom of Chrift, and the divinely-authorifed ways and methods of promoting it in the world?-But more to this purpose just now. Wherefore, III. What is meant by praying, That the Lord would difpofe our rulers to exert their power for advancing the cause and kingdom of Chrift? Can they, as civil alers, ufe any other butt carnal weapons, arnal power and policy, or temporal rewards and punishments, for this end? ach as, on the one hand, the offices and riches of the state, or worldly kinglom, by way of motives and attractives; and, on the other hand, civil pains or emporal evils, either of the greater or effer fort, to be inflicted on those who will not fubmit themselves? But, pray, what aptitude or fitness is there in the motives and engines of this world, for promoting and enforcing a kingdom which, by the glorious King thereof, is exprefsly declared not to be of this world? Does our Lord hire and engage people in to his kingdom and fervice with hundreds and thousands a-year; with the emoluBents, honours, and preferments, of an arthly kingdom? Does not the doc trine of Chrift rather conftantly and uiformly lead off the minds and attention of his difciples and followers from a prefent world, and the things thereof, to another world,—a better, that is, an heavenly country, where their vaft heritance lies? Does it not direct them B 2 down down imaginations, and every high thing which exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift? And if it pleales not God, by the means of his own appointment, to perfuade and determine great multitudes, even whole nations and kingdoms, to come into the service of Christ, or that particular way of ferving him which to us appears best; are we therefore to exalt our wisdom above the wisdom of God, in a way of devifing means of our own invention for the accomplishing of that end? Are not the following words of Henry's commentaries pertinent to the present purpose?"Right notions of the nature of Chrift's kingdom, would keep us at right methods for promoting the fame." IV. As to the diftribution of divine or. dinances into more ordinary and more fo lemn; it may be observed, that by the more folemn, as opposed to the more ordinary, ordinances, doubtless the preacher meant, ordinances of a more extraordinary nature, which are but feldom to be obferved; fuch, for instance, as public fafting, &c. And from the connection it appeared, that, among this latter fort, he claffed the Lord's fupper, as indeed other Seceders alfo do. But, then, one can scarce help asking, By what authority he, or they, do fo? It is readily granted, that this ordinance is very folemn and important. The things therein fignified and represented are the deep things of God, the refult and produce of the manifold wifdom of God, which things the angels themselves defire to look into; and therefore are most striking and affecting to the spiritual mind, the believing foul, which, in the light of the word knows, and is perfuaded of these things. But the question here is, If the Lord's fupper be of fuch a nature as that it ought but feldomly to be difpenfed in Christian congregations? only once, or twice a year, or fo? Does the fcripture-account authorise this view? fee 1. Cor. xi. 23.-26.; with Acts ii. 42. and other places. Or does the Weft. Conf. and Directory (unto the whole doctrine whereof Seceders bind themfelves by folemn oath) countenance it? fee particularly Conf. chap. 21. lect. 5. where the due adminiftration, and worthy receiving of the facraments of the New Teftament, is declared to be a part of the ordinary religious worship of God in the church, as well as the preachi and hearing of the word; and that, opposed unto, or distinguished from, t mere extraordinary fervice of God; fome instances whereof also are the condefcended upon. - Further, is the feldom obfervance of this ordinance going forth by the footsteps of the flo the primitive churches and Christia who, for aught that appears to us, f tedly came together on the first day the week, as their circumstances wo admit, for the breaking of bread fac mentally, as well as the other parts focial or church worship? Or is it co fonant to the views and fentiments fome of the most renowned of our formers from Popery, for instance, t great man Calvin, who maintained, t the table of the Lord ought to be fpre in Chriftian churches every first day the week; and roundly affirmed yea communicating to be an invention of devil? Since Seceders profefs fuch a neration for Calvin's principles and timents in fundry other things, how com it to pafs, they pay no manner of rega to this? - Which, perhaps, is fully clear and obvious, as fome other thin they rigidly enough adhere to, and co tend for.. If, according to the We Conf. and Directory, the Lord's fupp be a part of the ordinary worship a service of God in the church, freque ly to be administered, and that of fafti an extraordinary duty, to be perform upon especial occafions only; — for formation's fake, I would ak, how Se ders reconcile their practice, of publi fafting often, and eating the Lord's fu per but feldom, with their received fworn-unto principles on this head? I understand, they usually observe ab five public fafts in the year ; — two pointed by the fynod, one by the pref tery, one about a month before the crament, and another the week imm diately before it, befides, it may be fixth upon any efpecial occurrence, covenanting, &c. in their several cong gations; and yet it is customary w them to dispense the Lord's fupper o once a-year. Does not this look l changing extraordinary duties into or nary, and ordinary into extraordinar and it they could not live. It is one of be the moft melancholy reflections humanity can fuggeft, that the records of mankind bare filled with miferable butcheries, while free cultivation of the earth is scarce ever of mentioned. A few pages would give us perf complete compilation of the hiftory of forgriculture, which feeds mankind ;-milnows of volumes are filled with the art puf war, which destroys them. Such are Lord's be cruel prejudices of this world! eist This blind infatuation is to be regret ead?ed in the French writings, equally with erve sofe of other countries, until the prettage. Very little concerning hufhe pandry is to be met with in any before re the reign of that great and good prince ekenry IV. He, and his minifter Sully, derflood and loved agriculture; and rence the most remarkable men in this, as ral cell as other refpects, in modern times, may mary upper e King's ideas of national improve ents were of a larger extent than the Locknifter's, comprehending the encourage intot of manufactures; but the latter, zord th moft juftness, was of another opi It is impoffible that wifer measures could have been taken, than were by these two truly great men, for the restoration of France. Harassed with all kinds of civil convulfions, of a great number of years, it was neceffary, if ever he was expected to make a confiderable figure, to allow her full time to recruit her losses, and likewife, during that time, to pur fue fuch a conduct, as would lend the moft helping hand to render her tranquil. lity flourishing. This was not to be done by hunting after foreign commerce, while her foil was uncultivated; nor by establishing manufactures at home, while · hands were every where wanting in hufbandry. The only just plan was, to give all poffible encouragement to the cultivation of the earth; and thereby to render the people, who had groaned fo long under the oppreffion of a civil war, eafy and comfortable. These were the measures of that great king, and his truly faithful minister. Agriculture, under their encouragement, flourished; the lands, which had been fo long uncultivated, were covered with corn; the peasants were affluent and happy; the general face of the king. dom was changed; it gave manifest figns of speedily becoming moft flourishing and formidable.-Cabals, factions, confufion, civil wars, and every horrid contraft to this happy period, then enfued. It may easily be fuppofed, that the voice of hufbandry was heard no more: indeed we know nothing of the French agriculture during that period, and in all probability there was nothing in it worthy to be known. In thofe times of public confufion, it infallibly finks to a wretched ftate of infignificance. So great a power have a few of ruining the many! The number of men engaged in a civil war, is always vaftly short of the number who not be, and condemned manufactures until follow their common occupations, the and ing firft great manufacture of the foil proportion will not be found to be one in complete; accordingly, he encoura- a hundred; and yet what mifery and vine bagricolture all in his power, and by wretchedness does that one man bring ully atly adding to the cafe and comfort upon his hundred neighbours ! The The fettlement of the kingdom by fervice to her manufactures; for it Lewis XIV. and the encouragement of fact univerfally known, that work arts, fucceeded. What miferable inconfiftencies is this world full of! The fame people that gave the glorious title of Great to Henry, beftowed it likewife on Lewis! What did I fay? The fame people. No : The PEOPLE furnamed the first; the Courtiers the latter. What a difference! Immortal fame ought ever to attend the one, contempt the other. But I am not here to characterise the two princes: I would speak only of agriculture. Colbert foon became the chief minifter of Lewis. This man had certainly great ideas; and withal a fpirit of improve ment, which blazed out with wonderful Juftre. He apprehended that a vast trade, and numerous manufactures, would enrich the kingdom fo prodigiously as to give her unfathomable refources. He accordingly rejected the plan of Sully, and began with efstablishing a vast variety of manufactures at a prodigious expence; neither did he spare any coft to render France the first trading power in the univerfe. But with defign to enable his manufacturers to sell cheaper than those of other countries, he thought it requifite to have bread at as low a price as poffible; from that apparently just reasoning, that the cheaper a manufacturer could live, the cheaper the manufacture could be afforded. To effect his defign, he prohibited all exportation of corn from the kingdom, and even greatly cramped the transportation of it from one province to another. These mea fores were intended to give a plenty at home. Not content with this, be, in times of distress, (and even before they came), greatly loaded the husbandman with impofitions and taxes, that the manufacturer's fhare of those burthens might be the lefs. All this management formed a system of policy, infinitely more wretched than one could believe would ever have en tered the head of a man of genius, who had the example of Sully before him. Every measure was attended with an effect directly contrary to that he expected. In stead of the price of the neceflaries of life falling, they rofe, and became extremely fluctuating and various: corn was fome times a drug, at others, immenfely dear; and famine itself appeared almoft periodi cally. Thefe circumftances ruined the agriculture of France, without being of any in no country will labour for more t a subsistence, and if that fubfiftence be earned in three days, in fufficiency a week, only three days will they lab It was very apparent in France, after exceflively plentiful harvest, that a ge ral idleness enfued amongst their ma facturing hands: -on the contrary, fome years, the most induftrious d gence could not keep them from starvi But had their manufactures flourif in proportion to the depreffion of hufb dry, as Colbert seemed to imagine ; vertheless, what the nation gained one hand, fhe loft by the other: profits by manufactures were ten ti overmatched by her loffes in hufband Befides, there was a ftanding difadv tage attending the luxurious manufactu fet on foot by Colbert: They did not find their way into foreign countries many remained at home; the nation came luxurious and expensive in th articles, in proportion with her nei bours; this occafioned vast quantities money, and numbers of hands, to perpetually drawn off from the culture the land, until France became almof desert. The refources, likewife, which t celebrated minifter expected would ways attend fuch numbers of manuf tures, proved as delusive as the ref the fcheme. In respect of perfect po lation, that is to fay, the number valuable people, manufactures imp perly managed yield none. It is a li and vigorous cultivation which al breeds a race of hardy and courage foldiers.—The true military genius of French decayed when an immenfe n ber of manufacturers entered her arm in the recruits which neceffarily drawn from that fet of people. But circumstance was not of fuch ftril confequence, as the hurt which popula in general received from fo imperfe cultivation as took place in France. It is fuppofed that manufactures prodigiously to the population of country;-and one reason is, because fee manufacturing towns fo very popul But it is well known, that the incr of mankind in cities is in no propor to what it is in the country-Great bers of people collected together, an appearance of population: but proyes nothing; the point is, their cre |