xx the Epiflle feat of Chrifl, that every one may receive the things done in his body (whether commanded by fuperiors or not) ac- cording to that he bath done, whether it be good or bad : And snore particularly, Rom. 14. 12. So then, every one of us '.hall give an account'of himfelf (not another for him) to God : And, Gal. 6.4, 5. But let every man prove his own work, and then .(ball he have rejoycing in himfelf alone, and not in another. For every man pall bear his own burden : And, 1 Cor. 3. 8. And every man (hall receive his own re- ward, according to his own labour. And indeed, thefe teachers, by their flattering the fovereign powers, put them to make a very heavy reckoning ; and, by their pre- tending to gratify them, lay on them a great and unfup- portable burden ; which, when well corafidered, will be found very much to imbitter all the Tweet of that exor- bitant and incompetent power granted to them. I would have none to think, that, by any thing faid, I de-. fign in the leaft to derogate from lawful authority, and the civil magiftrate, any thing that is due thereunto ; God forbid I lhould : I heartily acknowledge magiftra-. cy to be the ordinance of God, Rom. 13. 1, 4. and magi- lirate, to be, by office, miners of God to us for good : To whom, for begetting and maintaining a juif aw, dread and veneration of them, he hath imparted and communi- cated force of his own names or !files, Exod. 22. 28. calling them gods ; even fuch as are Pfal. 82. 1, 6. his lieutenants, vicegerents and repre- fohn 10. 34, 35. fenters on earth ; and would befeech and obteff, that all of us may render, as unto God the things that are God's, fo to Cefar the things that are Cefar'., As to fear God, fo to honour the king I Pet. 2. 1; . That every foul be fubjeet to the higher Rom. 13. 1, 5. powers, fubjec`f, not only for wrath, but for confcience fakeSÏhatwe all fubmit our, T Pet. z. 13, 14, felves to every ordinance of roan for the 15. Lord's fake, whether it be to the king, as Matth. 22. fupreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are Pent by hint for the pun /fhment of evil - doers, and the praif'e of them that do well. For fo is the will of God, that with well doing; we may put to filence the ignorance of foo-
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