muring, rebellion, refiftance, or withstanding commotion, or infurrection, against their fovereign lords. We may not in any wife ftand violently, or rebel against rulers, or make any infurrection, fedition, or tumults, either by force of arms, or otherwise, against the anointed of the Lord, or his officers; but we must in fuch cafe, patiently fuffer all wrongs and injuries, referring the judgment of our caufe only to God."

Here we have line upon line, and precept upon precept for paffive obedience; here we are taught that we must suffer all forts of wrongs and injuries from our fovereign, without refiftance and withstanding him. I might produce many more quotations, to fhew that this was the ftanding. doctrine of the church of England, to which all orders of the clergy have fubfcribed. It is afferted, can. 1. 1640. That the most high and facred order of kings

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is of divine right, being the ordinance of God himself, founded in the prime laws of nature, and clearly established by express texts, both of Old and New Teftament.

The homily of obedience teacheth us, "That the high powers are fet in authority by God, that they are God's lieutenants, God's prefidents, God's officers, God's commiffioners, God's judges, ordained of God himself. And if prefidents and lieutenants of God, will tranfgrefs the bounds within. which they ought to act, we must not forcibly resist or repulse them, but give place to their wrath, and fuffering according to the will of God, committing our fouls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator."

This is all the gofpel allows, or could indeed in reafon allow, because there muft fomewhere be fixed and acknowledged fuch a fovereign authority, which none have

power to refift, or against which none have power of taking arms; but had the gospel allowed refiftance againft the fovereign, it had unhinged all government, by putting the fword into private men's hands. But the church of England declared, not only in her homilies, but in her worship, particularly in the collect for the king, in the communion-fervice, that kings are God's minifters, and have his authority; "Thy chofen fervant our king and governor, that he knowing whofe minifter he is and that we and all his fubjects, duly confidering whose authority he hath."

Let us next fee what the fense of the univerfities is upon this head.

The university of Oxford, in a convocation held 25 June 1622, decreed, with an unanimous confent, "That fubjects, upon no account whatever, ought to resist their king or prince, by force of arms, and that

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it is not lawful, for the fake of religion, or any other cause whatsoever, to take up arms, offensive or defenfive, against their king and prince. And they further decreed, that every doctor and master of the univerfity, and all bachelors of law and phyfic, fhall fubfcribe to it. And likewise that every one who shall hereafter take a degree in any faculty, fhall, before admiffion, firft fubfcribe to the above decree; and then, at the fame time, take an oath, that they do not only from their heart, condemn and deteft all republican, and anti-monarchical principles, but will alfo for ever condemn and deteft them. To the fame purposes, a judgment and decree of the fame univerfity, past in convocation, 21 July 1683. See also the humble recognition, and addrefs of the university of Oxford to the king (James 2d) 21 February 1684. Are thefe now the fentiments of that famous and loyal university?

The university of Cambridge presented an addrefs to king Charles 2d, Sept. 18, 1681, wherein they fay, "We will ftill believe and maintain, that our kings derive not their titles from the people, but from God, and to him only they are accountable; that it belongs not to fubjects either to create or cenfure, but to honour and obey their fovereign, who comes to be fo by a fundamental, hereditary right of fucceffion, which no religion, no law, no fault, or forfeiture can alter or diminish." In their address 25 July, 1683, They, from the bottom of their hearts, thankfully adore and blefs that great goodness, which has been fo watchful over your majefty, its own image here on earth; fo do we equally deteft and abhor the ungodly principles and bloody practices of those barbarous villains, who could imagine mischief against fo much mercy, and fin againft fo great goodness.

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