Слике страница
PDF
ePub

says to the Ephesians, Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself.And the wife see that she reverence her husband.' These three commands are of universal obligation. As, therefore, it is incumbent for men collectively to appoint a righteous government and laws, so it is for them individually to choose fit wives, and for women to marry suitable husbands. But if men in any nation or age allow their rulers to be improperly appointed, or make a wrong selection of their wives, or women choose unsuitable husbands, the divine law is immutable; and says to the governed,- Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers,' as it directs men to love their wives, and women to reverence their husbands. And thus, we see how government and marriage are ordained of God.

28. Suppose an adulteress to produce the following, just quoted, to her husband;- Let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself;' the man's answer obviously may be,-It is undeniable that the general rule is for husbands to love their wives as themselves, but you have forfeited all claim to my love. If lawful rulers produce to those they govern, Let every soul,' &c., the answer may be,-It is undeniable that the general rule is for the governed to obey their rulers; but as the appointment of all fulers, in all countries and all ages, conformably with the will of God, is in the whole of the governed, we shall supersede you; not because you have failed to do the best in your power, but because we consider those whom we intend to appoint, more competent. Suppose unlawful rulers to produce the passage, the answer may be ;-It is undeniable that you are our rulers,-equally so, that you have no right to govern:-all that we desire is, to esta blish that kind of government which alone accords with the divine will. To educe this glorious purpose, we shall be very glad of your co-operation. If you can convince us that we do not understand what is a lawful government, what are the lawful means of superseding you, or that you have any right to rule; we shall readily listen, being anxious only to do that which is lawful in the sight of Heaven.

29. It is not improbable that the Christian converts at Rome inquired, whether their profession of Christianity had in any manner released them, from the obligations they were under as subjects of the Roman government. Paul intimated to them, that the gospel, so far from lessening the obligation of the governed to their rulers, makes that, and all other parts of human duty, if possible, more imperative. The quotations from our Lord and Paul, were binding by the divine law so long only, as the majority of the governed chose to permit their rulers to hold the offices they did. The passage from Paul, like that of our Lord's, was addressed to particular persons,

related to them only,--in the peculiar situation in which they were placed, and it has, therefore, no reference whatever to all mankind.

30. Let us see what would be the consequence of applying Paul's language to the Romans,-generally. On such a supposition, those who can obtain the reins of government of a nation, by any deeds however iniquitous, have an equal right to obedience, as an administration deriving its authority in strict accordance with the divine will. Suppose the French to invade Spain if the former can, at the point of the bayonet, establish themselves as the governors, every Spaniard is bound to yield obedience to them. If, again, certain of the Spaniards can supersede the French, and establish themselves as rulers exclusively, wholly regardless of the rights of the rest of their countrymen; the latter are bound to obey their new masters as they before were the French. And if, again, any party of these governed Spaniards can effect another revolution, and establish themselves exclusively as masters; those who lately governed, and all other Spaniards, are bound to obey the newly established government. But the bare statement of what is here advanced, carries with it its own refutation. The invasion of the French, and the two usurpations of the Spaniards, were utterly illegal. Under every imaginable combination of circumstances, all that righteous men have to do, is, if their government is lawful, to support it; if unlawful, to supersede it:-in the latter case, waiting only for a suitable occasion. All, however, that is requisite on the supposition we are combating, is, that by fraud, violence, or a union of these, any persons whatever, whether natives or foreigners, if they can only obtain the reins of government of any nation, in any age, may require obedience as a right; and to all who in any way oppose them, produce as their authority, words addressed under peculiar circumstances to particular persons; and which it may be right to apply to an existing government, or act in a way exactly the reverse; so that as to the same constitution, they should be rigorously obeyed on the 1st of January, and utterly opposed on the 1st of July. It may, says Dr. Paley, be as much a duty at one time to resist government, as it is at another to obey it: -to wit, whenever more advantage than mischief, will in our opinion, accrue to the community from resistance. -(Mor. Philos.) If Paul's words are to be taken literally and as applicable at all times, it is obvious that an unlawful government could never be superseded. Had it been said by Paul,'Thou shalt not commit adultery,' this command, though addressed only to particular persons, applies to all human beings, and is irrespective of all contingencies; adultery being ever unlawful-ever a crime of great malignity.

31. Heaven directed the Israelites as follows,

Both thy

bondmen and thy bondmaids which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you,-of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.' If any government may adduce what Paul said to the Romans, it may also what Moses said to the Israelites; and if one government may, another may, and consequently all governments. On this supposition, the whole populations of all the nations of the world, throughout all their ages, may enslave each other; who are to be masters, being only decided by one party being stronger than the other. Hence, the same authority which Louis Philip of France, or any other chief magistrate, may bring for holding a chief magistracy, may be brought for enslaving him.

32. What Paul thought of the chief magistrates who ruled the world in his day, and particularly the Roman emperor, may be seen from what he says to the Corinthians. Howbeit, we speak wisdom among them that are perfect, yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought; but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery; even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world, unto our glory, which none of the princes of this world knew; for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory!' (2).

33. The continuation of the passage under consideration, (20), demands particular attention. Paul, after dilating on the obligation of the governed to obey their rulers, thus goes on.

Owe no man any thing but to love one another; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this,--Thou shalt not commit adultery.-Thou shalt not kill.-Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness.-Thou shalt not covet-and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, -Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.' In this passage, expressions from which the whole of human duty may be drawn, are repeated no less than five times; consequently, as often how unrighteous legislatives and executives may be superseded, and righteous ones appointed. Any thing further on the subject of government in the sacred writings, would therefore have been almost a work of supererogation.

'Owe no man any thing, but to love one another.'
'He that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.'
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.'

[ocr errors]

'Love worketh no ill to his neighbour.'

Love is the fulfilling of the law.'-(Gal. v. 14.)

34. Many seem to expect that something peculiar should be found in the New Testament, on the subject of government. A treatise composed by spiritual beings, not inhabitants of our world, would afford no more light than men may themselves

attain. If they will not be guided by the sufficient evidence Heaven has graciously furnished, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.' (vi. 200).

35. Job's case, may by some, be supposed to afford ground for engrossing the political right or the land. Whether the book of Job is a history penned by himself, or a dramatic poem composed by some one else, writers are by no means agreed. Let us suppose it was the former. Whatever Job possessed appears to have been granted to him immediately by God. Job's history, therefore, cannot be brought as a precedent, unless a similar authority is produced.-(Job, i. 10, 21 ;- xlii. 10, 12;-xxix. 11 to 16;- xxxi. 13 to 21.) The state of the country where Job lived, was probably similar to that alluded to by Abram.-(Gen. xiii. 9.) If we suppose there was abundance of land for all, and that the persons under the control of Job voluntarily so placed themselves; there was no infringement of the divine law by him, though what he possessed had not been especially assigned him from above. Whatever there is in his case must apply to the whole human race alike. If, then, any man in any age, following his example, can obtain and apply possessions equally extensive, without in any manner infringing the divine law, the conduct of such a man will not be objectionable in the sight of Heaven.

36. We are not aware that there are any objections which can be made to what has been elsewhere urged, unanswered. Should any take a different view of the matter, it may be further observed, that the divine dealings with men have reference to the chosen people of Heaven, or the rest of mankind. As to the former, it must be remembered, that when our Lord appeared on earth, the Mosaic polity was still binding on the Hebrews. In reference to it, God had affirmed, I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live ;'-i. e., in strict conformity with the divine will. And as to the Hebrews and all the rest of mankind, Paul tells us that Heaven in times past, suffered all nations to walk in their own ways,' and the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:' there being, according to the constitution of things then and now prevailing, only this course to adopt, or for him once more to decree that the end of all flesh is come.' Consequently, when we read such passages as the following,--Render unto Cæsar the things which be Cæsar's,'-Daniel said before the king, O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father, a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:'we are not to suppose the conduct of Cæsar or Nebuchadnezzar, or the subjects of either, was well pleasing in the sight of Heaven; nor that the allowing these two men to reign evinced this; but simply, that God could only alter the constitution of

human nature, deal with these nations in some such manner as he did, or altogether destroy them from the face of the earth. Instead of this, he was, as we see, graciously pleased to suffer all nations to walk in their own ways.' (vi. 175.) The Mosaic code, emanating from above, being opposed to what Heaven would have had it, if the state of the Hebrews would have admitted a better;-the establishment and maintenance of any other of those constitutions and codes of which we have any knowledge, never having been at all comparable to the Mosaic, must surely all of them be still more opposed to the divine will; for if the best was not in accordance with it, certainly every other must be far less so.

37. If any passage in sacred writ, as, our Lord's words to the Hebrews, Paul's to the Roman converts, or to Timothy, is to be taken particularly, it of course does not refer generally. And as the whole Bible is to be taken generally, it cannot be applied particularly, by any person or persons, in any country or age; no part of scripture being of private interpretation. The Divine Law being that alone binding on all men in their whole conduct; nothing opposed to it, that occurs in the conduct of individuals or nations mentioned in sacred writ, can be taken as a precedent; unless, indeed, the divine injunction, that all men every where repent,' is to be reversed; and not any man any where to do so: in other words, for all men every where in all ages to emulate each other as to one thing only; namely, how utterly they shall rebel against Heaven; a state of things for which we suppose none will be found to contend.

CHAP. XII.

TITLES OF HONOUR.

When government sets up a manufactory of nobles, it is as absurd as if she undertook to manufacture wise men. Her nobles are all counterfeits. This waxwork order has assumed the name of aristocracy, and the disgrace of it would be lessened if it could be considered only as childish imbecility. But the origin of aristocracy was worse than foppery. It was robbery. The first aristocrats in all countries were brigands.—(Paine's Princip. of Government.)

1. The three following modes of designating leading persons in nations have been and are adopted. The main distinction between the ancient and modern world is, that the third mode was almost or altogether unknown in the former. Titles of

« ПретходнаНастави »