we have given us by S. Polycarp (who conversed with the apostles), and which is set down in the account of S. Polycarp's martyrdom, num. 10. His words are these : Δεδιδαγμεθα γαρ αρχαις και εξουσίαις υπο του Θεού τεταγμεναις τιμην κατα το προσηκον, ΤΗΝ ΜΗ ΒΛΑΠΤΟΥΣΑΝ ΗΜΑΣ, απομενειν. It is not to be doubted but S. Polycarp had here respect particularly to this place of the Epistle to the Romans, taking from it these words, εξουσίαις υπο του Θεού τεταγμέναις. Whence it follows, that S. Polycarp understood St Paul to teach in this place, that we should render to the powers and authorities ordained of God τιμην κατα το κροσηκον, due honour, namely, την μη Blaптovσav nuas, such as is not hurtful to us. For our R. R. and learned Diocesan has given us the true meaning of S. Polycarp, in adjoining this last clause, by way of explication, by rendering this passage thus, ALL due honour such ONLY excepted as would be hurtful to ourselves': i. e. hurtful (not to our temporal or bodily state, for S. Polycarp was then going to pay passive obedience even to death, but) to our spiritual and eternal welfare, viz. by denying Christ (or the like) which was what the proconsul demanded of S. Polycarp. Accordingly the learned Dr Cave well renders the forecited passage thus: All that due honour and reverence, that is not prejudicial and contrary to the precepts of religion."-Wells' Help for the More Easy Understanding of St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, p. 103. 4to. Lond.

1711.

6

MICAIAH TOWGOOD.

"The subjection to higher powers and obedience to magistrates, which the Scriptures enjoin upon Christians, relates only to civil, not at all to religious matters; for this obvious reason that the magistrate at that time was every where Pagan. The apostles, therefore, instead of paying or exhorting Christians to pay any subjection to him in religious affairs, strenuously exhorted them to renounce and disavow it, to come out from among them and be separate.' They were every where dissenters from the Established Church.

66 Christianity is so far from enjoining, that it actually forbids obedience to civil governors in all things of a religious nature. It commands us to call no man upon earth father or master,' i. e. to acknowledge no authority or jurisdiction of any in matters of religion; but to remember that ONE, one only is our master and lawgiver, even CHRIST.

"All the powers or authority which the Scriptures give the magistrate, relates only, and can relate only, to things of a civil nature, but cannot at all relate to things of worship and religion.

This can never be contested, because the magistrate at the time when the Scriptures were written, and for near three hundred years after, was Infidel or Pagan. St Paul, therefore, by commanding us to be subject to the higher powers,' and ' to obey magistrates for conscience' sake, because they are the ministers of God for good,' does not in the least require our obedience to their decrees as to ceremonies or forms of worship, or our conformity to their establishments in things of a religious nature. No: St Paul himself was a zealous non-conformist. He was accused of the heinous sin of schism, by that great champion of the Pagan Ephesian church Demetrius, the shrine-maker to the goddess Diana; and so far was this great apostle from 'submitting himself to every ordinance of man,' that he was publicly charged with having not only at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, persuaded and turned away much people' from the then established religion, saying that they be no gods which are made with hands.' And when certain of the philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him at Athens, and brought him to Areopagus, that they might know what that new doctrine was whereof he spoke, he entered on his subject with a spirited, unqualified protest against the established religion of the state. Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.' So that, though St Paul knew that the powers that be are ordained of God, he also knew that these powers were confined to those civil purposes, for which society was instituted, that the magistrate was to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil; and therefore, so far was St Paul from extending this authority of the powers that be over the rights of conscience or private judgment, that he made it the grand scope of his labours, as did all the other apostles by their preaching and their lives, to persuade and draw off from the established forms of worship, and to convince them that in these affairs there was one King only and one Lord, to whom their homage alone was due, even Jesus, who by his sufferings had merited this high honour, and to whom alone God had commanded that in things of religion' every knee shall bow."-Towgood's Dissent from the Church of England fully Justified, Pp. 11 and 241, 242. Lond. 1811.

6

NOTE XVI.

BISHOP HOADLY'S CONCLUSIONS FROM PAUL'S ASSERTION OF HIS CIVIL RIGHTS.

"Can any one think that these passages were recorded for nothing, but to serve for an embellishment of St Paul's story? Or can any one think that St Paul had a regard to his own particular worldly interest in these parts of his conduct; he that had suffered, and knew that he was to suffer, much greater hardships? He that was ready to give up his life for the sake of Christianity, and to follow his Master through all indignities, and all persecutions, when the glory of God should call him to it? No, it was something more than his own part in this world which engaged him to show himself after this manner; for this he could with the greatest ease have neglected. But the happiness of humane society, and the good estate of the inferior part of mankind, moved his soul to a generous indignation against every thing in government which savoured of tyranny; and kindled in his breast a zeal for every thing which it was fit for subjects to enjoy. Let us therefore see if his behaviour will not lead us to some useful and important thoughts, relating to Christians incorporated in civil societies.

"1. I need not take particular notice that St Paul thought it not beneath a Christian, and an apostle, to concern himself with his rights and privileges, as he was a subject of the Roman state. He knew as well as any since his time, that he belonged to a city above, whose builder is God; he knew that his chief concern was eternity and heaven; he knew that no tyrannical magistrate could rob him of his innocence, or of his salvation: and yet, he considered himself likewise as a member of humane society, and acted the part of one who had a just sense of the privileges of his citizenship here on earth, as well as of that citizenship in heaven, which he speaks of to the Philippians and Ephesians. And why should it be thought unworthy of any other preachers of the gospel, to imitate so great an example, in the same great concern for the good of humane society? To proceed,

"2. Let St Paul himself answer all those who have on his authority pretended to exalt the executive power above all laws; and above the very ends of that office for which they were instituted. He, it is plain, knew nothing of this: nor did he carry the obligation of a quiet submission to any such instances as were contrary to the de

sign of that office. Let them learn from himself, that when he speaks highly of the magistrates, it is of such who are gods indeed, in humane society; such as maintain the character and dignity of their station by answering the ends of it; and that when they descend to invade the privileges they were ordained to guard, he knew no such profound respect to be due to them. Let them learn from him, that the laws of the Roman State were above the executive power; and that mere authority of the magistrate could not make that law, which was against the written laws; or oblige him to comply with what was injurious to his civil privileges. Let them learn from him, that he understood not his Master's doctrine concerning the governors of this world, to extend beyond the privileges and happiness of the governed society; and that he himself, in his own doctrine delivered in other places, meant nothing contrary to these. Let them learn from his practice, which is certainly the best interpreter of his own doctrine, and that of his Master and fellow-apostles, that when he saith ‘there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained of God;' and that when his great Master acknowledges the power of Pilate to be from above, no more could be meant, than that it was agreeable to God's will that some persons should be invested with power for the good of humane society; not that God had made them uncontrollable in acting against his commission, and to the ruin of their fellow-creatures. Let them learn that when St Paul commanded respect, and forbid opposition to the higher powers; and that when St Peter commanded the same subjection both to the supreme and deputed magistrates, they were considered as acting the best part in the world; and nothing intended by this, to oblige subjects to a quiet submission to such illegal and unjust conduct, as affects and shakes the universal happiness. And,

"3. If they still repeat the old question, who shall judge of the invasion of privileges? Let the same St Paul answer them, who in the capacity of a subject more than once is recorded (in the short history we have of his actions) to have presumed to judge concerning his own privileges, against the invasion of the magistrate; and to have done this as by a right belonging to every member of the same society. His Christianity did not make him forget that he was a Roman: and, as a Roman, he judged that he had the privileges of a Roman and these his Christianity did not oblige him to give up to any mortal, as long as he could with honour keep them. The possibility of his mistaking in this, in which he acted not as an apostle, was no argument to him against this right; nor did the weakness of other

men's judgments prevail with him, not to set them an example of judging in the like circumstances.

"What confusion, what disorder, say some, must ensue, if subjects be allowed to judge concerning the invasion of their rights and privileges? But let them believe St Paul for once, that much more misery must ensue upon humane society, if it be a settled point that the executive powers may absolutely, and without control, determine what they please concerning the inferior part of the world. If any one ask where he saith this, I answer, his behaviour speaks it aloud; for he never would have acted the part which he did, could he have thought it more for the public good that subjects should give up all their judgments to the determination of their magistrates, than that they should judge concerning the violation of their common rights after the best manner they could. Let not men, therefore, forget modesty so much as to laugh out of countenance this right of judging in subjects, which St Paul himself claimed merely as he was a subject.

"4. Let those learn it from St Paul, who will not learn it from others, that rights and privileges, liberty and property, and the like, are not words fitted only to raise the spirits of the people, and to foment disturbances in society; but that they are things worth contending for. Some may think (unless respect to an apostle a little divert them from it) what great matter if St Paul had borne a little scourging? Or why could not he pass over the injuries offered him by his governors? To which I know no better answer than this, that his behaviour was what it was, merely because they were magistrates, i. e. because it was a case not of concern to himself only, but to humane society. For he could bear, and pass by injuries as well as any man; and had they been private persons who had offered him the same indignities, I doubt not he had borne them without any return but that of forgiveness.

"But when the civil privileges of that society to which he belonged were invaded by those whose duty and profession it was to maintain them, he thought it a just occasion to show his sense of so great an evil, though it immediately touched only himself. The consideration of the character and office of those who offered the injuries, was so far from determining him to pass them over with silence (according to some men's way of arguing) that it was the very thing that made him look upon them not as private injuries, but with a resentment due to injuries of a public and universal concern. And however some may ridicule the liberties of subjects, St Paul, it is plain, was for