pleaſure of one ſingle man; (who has naturally no ſuperiority over them in point of authority) ſo that their eſtates, and every thing that is valuable in life, and even their lives alſo, ſhall be abſolutely at his diſpoſal, if he happens to be wanton and capricious enough to demand them. What unprejudiced man can think, that God made ALL to be thus ſubſervient to the lawleſs pleaſure and frenzy of ONE, ſo that it ſhall always be a ſin to reſiſt him! Nothing but the moſt plain and expreſs revelation from heaven could make a ſober impartial man believe ſuch a monſtrous, unaccountable doctrine, and, indeed, the thing itſelf, appears ſo ſhocking—ſo out of all proportion, that it may be queſtioned, whether all the miracles that ever were wrought, could make it credible, that this doctrine really came from God. At preſent, there is not the leaſt ſyllable in Scripture which gives any countenance to it. The hereditary, indefeaſible, divine right of kings, and the doctrine of nonreſiſtance which is built upon the ſuppoſition of ſuch a right, are altogether as fabulous and chimerical, as tranſubſtantiation; or any of the moſt abſurd reveries of ancient or modern viſionaries. Theſe notions are fetched neither from divine revelation, nor human reaſon; and if they are derived from neither of thoſe ſources, it is not much matter from whence they come, or whither they go. Only it is a pity that ſuch doctrines ſhould be propagated in ſociety, to raiſe factions and rebellions, as we ſee they have, in fact, been both in the laſt, and in the preſent, REIGN.
But then, if unlimited ſubmiſſion and paſſive obedience to the higher powers, in all poſſible caſes, be not a duty,
