continue members of a church which they conscientiously disobey. In vain do men unite in civil or religious communities, if each individual is to retain entire liberty of judging and acting for himself. It is a liberty which defeats every possible good effect that such union might produce, by substituting the caprice and folly of every disordered imagination to the uniform observance of rules and laws, settled on deliberated advice, and enforced by lawful authority.

We need not look far for examples of these irregularities; unfortunately the parties concerned are most of them out of the reach of rational conviction. They who appeal to their senses, instead of their understandings, are only to be pitied, not confuted.

There is however ONE class of men to whom this plea for compassion will not extend: Those, I mean, who, without any pretence to inspiration, live in open war with the National Church, with that very church of which they profess themselves ministers, and whose wages they continue to take, though in actual service against her. Whether this

conduct proceed from a dislike to ALL establishments, or from a desire of erecting a new one on the ruins of that which subsists at present; in either case, it is contrary to the most evident principles of Justice and Honour.

Much of these mischiefs proceeds from the want of rational conceptions concerning God and Religion. A religion founded on Reason willingly submits to human authority in all points not essential to the cause of Piety and Virtue; but Enthusiasm and Superstition are of a different complexion. Fond of every childish conceit, they scruple not to sacrifice the peace of nations to the slightest toys of a distempered fancy. To support, or to oppose, an unintelligible doctrine,

to retain,

or to reject, an insignificant ceremony, is thought by many an object of such infinite concern, that no earthly good must stand in competition with it. Not so the Founder of our holy Religion, who has plainly taught us to distinguish between things of much and of little importance; -not so the best philosophy, which has drawn the real objects of Controversy within a narrow compass ; — not so the dictates of Common Sense, which

will ever teach us to accept the benefits of society on practicable terms, and to be content with much less than perfection. No human institution is free from faults; none, therefore, is secure from the attacks of a willing adversary; but the very worst establishment that ever existed, is better than what these men SEEM to covet, - a state of anarchy and confusion!

DISCOURSE VII.

ON THE SAME SUBJECT,

1 PETER ii. 13.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.

THE occasion of these words, as appears from the following verses, was the reluctance with which the Jewish converts submitted to the Roman Government, arising, most probably, from the wrong conceptions they had entertained of the kingdom of Christ. It was necessary, on many accounts, to correct these false notions, which had an evident tendency to disgrace a new religion, and obstruct its success in the world. The

Apostle, therefore, exhorts his followers to submit themselves" for the Lord's sake;' from the regard they owed to Jesus, the Author of their faith, and the zeal they ought to have for its propagation.

But, though the words were written with this particular view, the precept itself is general. It suits all times and all places; for subjection to authority is the invariable duty of a Christian. Had the Apostles been silent, it would still have been a duty. The example and the precepts of our blessed Lord will not 'suffer us to entertain a doubt upon this head.

Nor is there any reason to confine the words of the Apostle to that one branch of authority which gave occasion to them. We are to submit to every ordinance of man, ecclesiastical as well as civil. The reason is the same in all. We cannot better express our duty to God than by submission to the ordinances of man.

It is true indeed, we must judge for ourselves, to what persons we are bound to sub