AN ESSAY. 173 it be to the Icing as supreme, or togovernors as to themwho are sent by him, for thepunishment ofevil-doers, and thepraise of them that do well. What St. Paul saith is ordained of God, that is, in general, as civil government or civil powers; St. Peter calls the ordinance of man, that is, in particular, as to the several forms of this government which men agree upon, or appoint : And indeed God has left it to men to agree upon, and appoint the particular forms : And so far as any of them pursue and attain this end, they must be submitted to, and supported, as an appointment or ordinance both of God and man. VIII. Though civil government is an ordinance of God, and appointed by him according to the light of reason, and is thus far supported by divine revelation, yet in its proper aims and designs it hath no direct reach nor authority beyond the benefit of men in this world Nor do the things of religion, nor the af- fairs of a future state come within its cognizance, any further than they have a most evident reference to the natural and civil welfare of men in the preseat life : It was only for the security of their natural and civil interests and rights, that men at first joined themselves in civil societies, and not that their gover- nors should -chuse their religion for them. Government it- self is a necessary thing in this world, and a natural or moral institution of God among persons of all sorts of religion, whe- ther heathens, turks, or christians, to preserve them in pre- sent peace : Nor do any of these religions alter the nature of civil government°°. IX. Whereas if oivil government did properly extend its authority to religion and the things of a future happiness, no government or governors could be said to be appointed of God who are of a false religion; and those only who know and teach, and promote the true religion, and lead people in a right way to this future happiness, could be of God's appointment; even as nogovernment extending to civil thingscan he said tobe of God any further than it tends to promote the civil peace and welfare. But if such an unreasonable and absurd opinion as this were allowed, viz. that the appointment of true religion belongs to thecivil government, and there is but one true reli- gion, it would cut off civil- government from being an appoint- ment of God among all the nations of the earth, and in all ages of the world who had lost the true religion ; and all'those nations and ages would he left to everlasting anarchy and confu- sion, till God brought the true religion among them. * What exception must be made for the Jewish government, whichwas re. vealed to Moses, and was almost entirely divine, shall be taken notice of in its due place.
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