the injury done him; ver. 23, "Jesus answered him, If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou me?" And St. Paul directs, 2 Thess. iii. 10, "We command you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat :" which sufficiently shows, that christians need not be imposed upon, though Christ has said, "Give to every one that asketh thee;" and St. Paul has earnestly taught diligence in the two epistles to the Thessalonians, as well as in other places.

Obj. And are we not forbidden to take thought for the morrow?

Ans. The precept is, Mŋ μɛpiμvare; be not anxious or solicitous; or, be not anxiously thoughtful, or careful;—which is a reasonable precept.

Obj. In order to persuade to an unresisting submission and subjection to governments of the most cruel and absolute kind, is not the doctrine of the New Testament urged and pleaded?

Ans. St. Paul's directions, Rom. xiii. and St. Peter's 1st Ep. ii. 13, are very reasonable. There were some Jews at that time, whom christians were in danger of following, who refused obedience to heathen magistrates, especially to their inferior governors and officers. The apostles therefore charge their converts to be obedient to magistrates of every rank. And, as magistracy is necessary, and very useful, obedience thereto is very reasonable, and submission must be earnestly recommended. The apostles' instructions upon this head afford no support to arguments for unresisting submission to cruel and absolute governments, for their exhortations are founded in the benefit of government. St. Paul says, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers-for rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil-for he is the minister of God to thee for goodfor he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil."-St. Peter: "Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of evil-doers, and the praise of them that do well." And it appears from the history in the New Testament, that the christians had a benefit from the Roman magistracy at that time; otherwise they would have been destroyed by the rudeness of the common people, and the Jewish malice. But yet, that some christians were in danger of pernicious notions of liberty, like the Jews of that time, is evident from what follows in the forecited context of St. Peter: "As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness," ver. 16.-St. Paul writes, 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2, that " prayers should be made for kings, and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty;" or that we may, without disturbance, profess the principles of true religion, and practise the several branches of piety

and virtue.

And certainly, if christians desire peace and tranquillity, and the protection of magistrates, they ought to be peaceable, and behave as good subjects. Nor has the christian religion been prejudicial to civil liberty. Look abroad in the world Have the people more rights and privileges in Mahometan and heathen governments and constitutions than in christian?

Obj. Hath christianity had a more real and extensive influence than philosophy? The best precepts cannot command attention and regard. A plain useful rule is wanted, that may be suited to the multitude.

Ans. I. Since the publication of the christian religion, all immoralities have appeared more glaring and odious than in former times, which occasions complaints of misconduct and miscarriages, that gave none, or little offence among heathen people, though they were very common.

II. Men are always apt to complain of their own times, and make unfair comparisons between the ancient and present or later times. They take the bright side of the former, and the dark side of the latter, and so compare them together.

III. Christianity has had a real and extensive influence (far beyond philosophy) for reforming the manners and promoting the happiness of mankind. What miseries did the people suffer in the Roman republic! How terrible were their triumvirates and their proscriptions, and some other things at times, in an age as philosophical and polite as any before it! How barbarous and shameful the Roman diversions in the amphitheatre! "Tis to christianity, which has abolished ancient heathenism, that Mahometans owe their better sentiments. Christianity has abolished human sacrifices, and obliged parents to bring up their children, which were formerly exposed in Greece and Rome without mercy, and are so still in heathen countries. In the city of Pekin, several thousand infants perish this way annually. There is no such thing among christians. If that number perish in one city, how many through all the Chinese empire, and this number counting on from year to year? Christianity took with the common people, or the multitude, in the first and purer ages, and in a short time, without the aid of civil power, made a progress, gained ground against superstition, which philosophy did not; had advantages of superstition, which philosophy never had.

I have answered particular objections, I hope to satisfaction. I desire leave to add some general observations.

Obs. I. It cannot be thought strange, that true religion, or a teacher of true religion, should recommend great meekness, forbearance, and a contempt of riches and honours. Many wise men and philosophers have seen, that there is necessity that good men bear and forbear; and they have said great and fine

things of the vanity of riches and honours, and such like advantages. Indeed all earthly things deserve little value, considering their uncertainty, and the shortness of human life.

II. Christianity is reasonable throughout, or, to use a modern phrase, it is a republication of the law of nature, with the two positive appointments of Baptism and the Lord's supper, or the Eucharist. Therefore all its precepts are to be taken in a reasonable sense. You are required to show no more meekness than is fit and reasonable in this world of ours; you may defend yourselves, resist, remonstrate against all injuries, when you have any prospect of advantage; you may go to law, if the thing you contend for be worth it, and you have a prospect of success. But to resist, when you are in danger of perishing in the attempt; to go to law, when the thing desired will not repay the loss of time, if gained that way; or to appeal to judges, when they are ignorant, or partial and corrupt, what avails it? even though we have right, and the thing controverted be of some importance. The disciples were obliged to the greatest exactness of behaviour, and to as much generosity and self-denial as any men yet our Lord teaches them to be wise as serpents, as well as harmless as doves. St. Paul insisted on his privilege of a Roman citizen, as often as it would be of any service. He humbled the magistrates of Philippi, and defended himself against the Jews to the utmost. In short, the christian precepts ought to be understood, as they are defined to be exactly suitable to men in the present state of things.

III. Though the gospel be allowed to be only a republication of the law of nature, it is of great advantage, because men, through indolence, love of pleasure, or some other means, did not trace out the great truths of religion, or the obligations of virtue, by the exercise of reason; and they needed to be awakened and excited to the practice of what they did know.

IV. True religion could not be discovered or recommended to men in a wiser and more effectual manner than it is, or has been, in the Gospel of Jesus Christ: or, there are the greatest advantages attending the method in which true religion has been taught by Jesus Christ. To have published the precepts of religion and virtue in a plain and clear manner, suppose, and with some few plain and clear reasons, in the most solemu manner conceivable, as the ten commandments at Mount Sinai; together with plain and express promises of future happiness; would not have been so effectual as the Gospel method. And all the truths of religion, and precepts of happiness and virtue, are better recommended and enforced by the example of Christ's life, the patience, meekness, and fortitude of his death, and divine testimony to the truth, and his after resurrection, than by the fore-mentioned method, or any other I can think of. However, to this Gospel-method belongs (beside what has been already mentioned) also the example of Christ's Apostles.

V. It was therefore fit, that the publisher, or republisher, of true religion, with a commission from Heaven, should publish it in some particular country, and, as a public preacher, be liable to contradictions, opposition, and all kinds of sufferings, which passionate and prejudiced men might be disposed to bring upon him; and no place or time could be more fit than the land of Judea, and the time when Jesus appeared.

VI. It follows, that in order to understand true religion as published in the Gospels, or the New Testament, men should exercise their reason, and study the language, dialect, and customs of the times when Christ and his Apostles preached, of which times every one sees plain indications in the New Testament itself. Therefore christian clergy, and people, should endeavour to be as knowing as they can.

VII. I shall add but one thing more to the honour of the christian religion; that it is no enemy to learning, or any branch of science, that I know of. All religion supposes men rational: the christian religion was published in a learned and a polite age. St. Paul often recommends to christians to have the understanding of men; he prays to God for them, that they may increase in knowledge. Every branch of learning has flourished among christians. More of them, I believe, have understood a variety of languages, than any had done before. Natural philosophy has been cultivated by them. In the early age of christianity, there were such men as Clement of Alexandria, Pantænus; Julius Africanus, Origen, with other learned men, in the third century; Eusebius of Cesarea, and Jerom, in the fourth; men acquainted with history, chronology, criticism, never since such in spirit; not to mention the many learned men of the later ages, until the revival of learning in Christendom, about the time of the Reformation.

APPENDIX, No. VI.

CHARACTER OF THE REV. MR. RICHARD LARDNER.

THE Rev. Mr. Richard Lardner was born at Portsmouth, May 28th, 1653, and educated for the ministry, by the Rev. Mr. Charles Morton, of Newington-Green.

He entered upon his work in the year 1673, when he could have no other worldly prospect, but bonds, imprisonment, and the loss of all things, and which he was content to undergo; and accordingly had a large share in the sufferings of those times for conscientious nonconformity.

Having had early impressions of religion on his spirit, he joined in communion with the church, under the pastoral care of the reverend and learned Dr. Owen, whom he always mentioned with the profoundest respect and veneration to his death.

His first settlement was at Deal in Kent; but after some years he removed to London, and some other places; in all which he was greatly beloved, and, as we have reason to believe, had many seals to his ministry, being made very useful for the conversion of some, and the edification of others, in the faith of the Gospel.

He was a little man, but a bold and undaunted soldier of Jesus Christ, being afraid of no dangers or difficulties in his Master's work.

His manner of preaching was lively, masculine, awakening like a son of thunder, and generally acceptable to the more serious part of his hearers, many of whom, and some yet alive, have dated their first impressions of religion from his ministry.

It pleased God to continue him a great many years in his service, till he might be justly esteemed the father of all the nonconformist ministers in England. He was a preacher of the Gospel for near sixty years, in all which time he was not only frequent, but fervent and unwearied in his work, till the providence of God, by a paralytic disorder, put an end to his labours in the eightieth year of his age, but not to his life.

He was a close walker with God, throughout the whole course of his long life, and always desirous to be useful. When it pleased God to raise him a family, he was particularly careful, not only for the temporal, but spiritual welfare of his children, endeavouring to secure and promote it by frequent instructions, and importunate prayers to God for them; in all which we hope his labour was not in vain with regard to any of them.

In the last seven years of his life, he had the pleasure of observing the goodness of God in the growing hopes of his posterity, enjoying much peace and composure, while he endured the consequences of his late disorder with an uncommon patience and firmness of mind; till at length, it pleased God to release him from the infirmities of his present life, to a better, January 17th, 1740; in the 87th year of his age. So that it may be said, in him have been fulfilled those words in the book of Job, chap. v. 26, "Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in his season.'