cracy,

a general and passing view of the establishment of the Jewish theois to point out its difference from the establishment of christianity, which set on foot that spiritual power or authority, to which those christians, who admit of church government, acknowledge any submission.

By the term theocracy, I mean a government established and The Jewish theocracy. immediately superintended by God. The very import of the term is a full explanation of the difference between a civil or temporal and a theocratical government, such as was that of the Jews. In this, God condescends to direct, order, and superintend immediately in that, he leaves the direction, order, and superintendance to the community but he does not require of man more strict obedience, or submission to one, than to the other. One admits of no change by the community, whilst God continues the theocracy: the other obliges as strongly to all changes and repeals, as to the first institutions of the laws made by the community.

It appears by the historical narration of the old testament, that without any deliberation or consent of the people, God formed both their civil government and religious establishment at one and the same time and by the same means: as long as this theocracy lasted, so long lasted the indissoluble union or alliance between their religion and their state; no alterations in their civil governments could at any time be introduced, or effected, but by the fresh intermediation of God, in an immediate and (properly speaking) a miraculous manner. They were called God's people, not only because they believed in him and served him, but because they were ruled by his particular law; an exclusive preference or favor, which he granted to no other community on the face of the earth. From the greatest to the most trivial circumstance in their religion and their state, was every thing written by inspiration of the immediate author of their theocracy; every thing was disposed by God's peculiar order; so that the same could not be put in practice, but in a free and independent nation: and, therefore, the Jews could not, without overturning their religion, alter their civil government, or incorporate with, or submit to a foreign state; consequently the overthrow of their civil government, was attended by the immediate abolition of their religion in a word, there was amongst them no legislative authority God having done that for them, which he left to the rest of mankind to do for themselves. Their kings, and judges, and rulers had no other commission, than to execute the law of God amongst his people; they could neither add to, nor diminish, alter, nor abrogate the law: the administration of the religious worship,

cy formed to

verify the prophecies

concerning

(or the priesthood) was committed to one particular tribe, to whom by God's special command, no lands were allotted, as to the other tribes; but they were maintained by the tenths (tithes) or other revenues out of the other tribes: so that the Jewish theocracy clearly comprized not only spiritual, but also temporal objects, such as land and riches. The very place of worship and sacrifice was fixed upon by God, and he appointed not only the person, who should build the temple, but gave the most minute directions about every particular part of it; from the general form and dimension of the whole edifice, to the measure of every particular chamber, and the weight of a flesh hook; the materials and form of every vessel and utensil of the tabernacle; the pattern and fashion of Aaron's and his son's garments and ornaments were directed by God; nothing was left to the discretion of architects, builders, governors, rulers, or priests.

4

The theocra- As the whole system of the Mosaic dispensation was intended by God, as a figure or prototype of the law of grace, which he intended in the hour of his greatest goodness to man, to establish in the christian his sacred person upon earth; so could not the mere discretionary religion. and fortuitous actions of man have prefigured the different symbols of the mysteries of the incarnation; for this the immediate interference and direction of God were necessary: he regulated its duration, in order to fulfil all the prophecies concerning his coming. and to afford human as well as divine proofs of their accomplishment: he chose a particular people, from whose royal stock he was to descend according to the flesh, to be, as it were, the depository of the sacred records, which were to testify and prove his coming to the end of time. Amongst the Jews, their religion, their ceremonies, their laws, their customs, their rulers, their priests, their maintenance, their temple, their taxes, their payments, all were specially and immediately directed and ordained by God himself; neither the whole, nor any part of the community had power or authority to make the least alteration in them, by way of reform, improvement, addition, diminution, or repeal. The natural or rather social rights of the Jews to form their own government were annihilated or suspended by this special favor of God, in legislating for them; consequently no sort of parity, precedent, or example can be drawn from the actions of the kings, priests, and rulers of the Jews, to prove and establish such right, power or authority, spiritual or temporal in any man since the abolition of that theocracy, and the cessation of God's immediate interference with any temporal government. In no part, therefore, of the Old Testament, do

tive power a

we find any thing like an express injunction to the Jews to obey No legisla their temporal rulers, superiors, or sovereigns, as we do in the mongst the new: for as God had legislated for them, there was in fact no le- Jews. gislative power existing in the nation: the civil magistrate had no discretionary right, or power of commanding, as he has in all other communities.

of the chris

The christian religion is tied to no particular place, as was the Universality Jewish; nor is the ministry thereof granted as a privilege to one tian religion. particular nation or family. Each nation has an equal participation in all its benefits: none can claim a preference of right or prerogative over others. There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all and in all*.

man in the

The scriptural accounts of the first propagation of the gospel Nothing hu are pointed, in marking its independence of any, and its aptitude christian reto all civil governments, by collecting together into the first sheaf ligion. of the christian harvest, individuals of the most distant, discordant, disparate, and hostile states, such as Jews, Greeks, Romans, Parthians, &c. But the example of our divine legislator is a more striking lesson of the independence of his doctrine and laws of any civil power or authority: he assumed or exercised none in his own. person; and on no occasion did he call, in aid of his mission, the arm of the civil magistrate. He did every thing in the reverse: he kept up the appearance and reality of poverty, from the cradle to the cross: he humbled himself, washing the feet of his disciples: when the multitude would make him a temporal king, he absconded and made his escape: he would not execute the office of a judge, or administer temporal justice; he declined arbitrating upon civil matters between individuals; he paid taxes to the Roman emperor, and permitted himself to be judged and executed by the executive government of Judea; all which things are contradictory to, inconsistent with, and exclusive of temporal sovereignty: he severely rebuked his disciples, who appeared surprised at his not using the powers, (which they knew he possessed) of resistance against the unjust sentence of his death.

The miracles, which Moses performed, were calculated to remove a whole people out of a land of bondage, and establish them in a land of promise, which were temporal objects: the miracles of Christ were calculated to impress the minds of men with general No object of benevolence and charity; he went about doing good, and heuling all temporal that were oppressed by the Devil (Acts, xvi. 38.) No one act of his ed by Chrise

*Colos. iii. 11.

power affect

tianity.

The means of teaching and propa

gating chris tianity.

What the kingdom of Christ is.

What the kingdom of Truth is.

mission, jurisdiction or power, when upon earth, went to affect a single object of civil or temporal power: he even chose rather to work a miracle, in order to provide himself with the means of paying the tax to the Roman Emperor, than to leave it to the judgment of men, by what title he could have acquired any temporal property. Indeed all the inspired writers appear anxious to im press us with the conviction, that as he possessed nothing in this world, so temporal possessions were no objects of his divine mis

sion.

He never would permit external or forcible means to be used to promote, or inculcate his doctrines: no aid of the civil magistrate was ever called for, much less enjoined: he that hath ears to hear let him hear*; for faith is from hearing t. Preaching was the only mean Christ used, and commissioned his disciples to use: he neither employed, directed, nor authorised any coercive power to compel submission: he allured men by no flattering prospect of a promised land or temporal prosperity: but he foretold to his followers, that they were to expect adversity and persecution in this world; though such as should not receive and follow his word, should meet with condign punishment; not in this life, but in the next. He that believeth not shall be condemned ‡.

The sacred text is as explicit in describing the nature, as it is in deducing the derivation of the power of the kingdom of Christ; for when Pilate observed " that he then professed himself to be a king" he answered that he was a king, but a king of truth, and for this cause he came into the world, that he should bear witness unto truth §. Hence the supporters of church government infer, that there does exist in this world, a spiritual power or kingdom of Christ, which is not derived from any temporal source, but comes immediately from God, and which has not for its object any of those temporal things, which are the objects of temporal Sovereignties.

The establishment of this kingdom of truth, of which our blessed Redeemer professed himself to be really the King, is the establishment of christianity, which is essentially separate and distinct from, and wholly independent of any temporal or civil government or state whatever it is a kingdom of truth, in which Christ, by force of truth, brings souls to his obedience; and he has by word and example taught us, that it was not to be supported by the means of coercion and force, which are necessary to maintain civil, human or temporal governments in due submission or obedience. But as it is a kingdom, it must necessarily be supported Luke, viii, 8. + Rom. x. 7. Mack, xvi. 16. § John, xviii. 37.

vernors.

by government. Any discussion upon the nature and effects of this government would here be redundant, because I write for those, who generally admit its existence in some degree or other. Both high and low churchmen admit the existence of church Church gogovernors, or Rulers, however they may differ as to the origin and extent of their powers. But since there can be no right to command, rule, or govern, where there is not an obligation to submit or obey, I shall also presume the general understanding of the words of St. Peter to the Hebrews*, as spoken of church governors, and not of the civil magistrate. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account +. Here it will be proper to rectify a prevailing error, under which many represent the whole body of the clergy as the governors, and the laity as the governed of Christ's church. Even the learned Sherlock was not clearly decisive upon this point : Though the clergy have of late, in a great measure monopolized "the name of The Church to themselves, yet in propriety of speech, they do not belong to the definition of it. They are indeed the governors of the church, as they have received authority from "Christ the supreme Lord bishop of the church; but they are no "more the church, than the king is his kingdom, or the shepherd "his flock; the bishop, and pastors of the church, considered as "such, represent the head, but not the body," &c.

་་

Such of the clergy, as have received holy orders, have acquired Ordination thereby a real spiritual character and capacity of exercising certain produces no

civil effect.

Heb. xiii. 17.

+ The Greek text, Tas hyaμcrois im seems fairly translated in the Latin vulgate præpositis vestris, the English version, of them that have the rule over you, appears fairer than the Rhemish, which renders it your prelates. The common accepted term prelate, in English, is limited and confined to the episcopal order, which neither the Greek nor the Latin text can, in this place, warrant. The duty and office of watching over souls agyumveiv úwo Twix, and the responsibility for them, or the giving ot rendering an account eg Anyov a☛odmoules, viz. to God, are the characteristic marks of persons invested with spiritual or ecclesiastical power or authority, of whatever rank or order they may be. I attempt only to prove, that the soul or conscience is the exclusive object of spiritual power, which is immediately derived from God; and therefore is the account of the use of that power, to be rendered to him alone, who alone gave it. The unequi vocal admission of spiritual or ecclesiastical power in the church was as expressly made by the divines attending the parliamentary commissioners at the treaty of Newport in 1648, who opposed episcopacy, as by his majesty king Charles the First, who gave his full reasons, why he could not in conscience consent to the abolition of the Episcopal government. The reasons, answers, and replies, which are worthy of attentive perusal, were published together in a small quarto in 1660.

Vide Sherlock's discourse of the nature, unity, and communion of the catholic church, p. 32. 34.