of their common Father. He must and will hold a visible fellowship with them, as he hopes he has a share in their invisible blessings. All their infirmities and their follies do not disgust him half so much, as the image of God in them gives him pleasure: He loves to be with them, for God is with them; and he longs to be one of them, for they are one with Christ, united to him in one Spirit. There is a more intimate freedom in holy conversation among the inhabitants of one house, among the members of a christian church. They grow into an inward acquaintance: There is an opening in their bosoms and their hearts to their brethren, and a sacred friendship in spiritual affairs. See what affectionate intimacy David expresses, and what kind things he speaks concerning a fellow-member of the Jewish church, though he indeed proved a false one; Psal. Iv. 13, 14. Thou, my equal, my guide, and my acquaintance; we took sweet counsel together, and walked into the house of God in company: And fellow-christians in the same society do, or should maintain such a pious amity. Surely we have but poor evidences that our souls approach to God in his worship, if we have mean thoughts of his family, and despise his children, as though they were not worthy to be one with us, or we ashamed to be one with them. Will God, the glorious and the holy dwell amongst them, and are they too despicable and unworthy to have our company? Let us ask our own hearts, if we are related to God by adoption, and become his children, why do we not join ourselves to the family, and hold communion with our brethren? Reflection I. What further remarks shall we make now, at last, upon this doctrine, and this discourse? Surely "they teach us to make a severe reflection upon ourselves and our conduct; if we find no desire to dwell in the house of God, no breathings of soul after the fellowship of saints, and the special ordinances of the church of Christ." Either we labour under some mistake, same ignorance of duty; or we are under the power of some present temptation; or else our fancied approaches to God are but deceits and delusions. Observe my words, I cannot say this is the case of all that are not joined to the disciples, and added to the visible church; but this must be the case of all that have no desires of it. They that have no inclination to get nearer to God than they are, have a just reason to think they were never brought near him. II. "There are surely some sensible defects or corruptions in that church, or there is a decay of religion in its members, where church-fellowship is not still esteemed a pleasure and a privilege." Where holy communion is an insipid and tasteless thing, there must be some degrees of distance and estrangement between God and his people; either God is in some measure withdrawn from that church, where saints delight not in their public assemblies and ordinances, or he is withdrawn from our souls, if we take not delight therein; for where God dwells among his saints, pleasure will dwell too. It is the presence of God makes heaven, where pleasures are grown up to their full perfection. Let us ask our souls, whether we are not decaying christians? Did we not use to come up to the house of God with joy, and worship together with delight? And that perhaps in times of difficulty too, as well as in days of greater liberty? What a blessed frame of spirit was David in? Psal. xlii. 4. And surely we have felt the same sacred pleasure too, when he went up, as it were in multitudes to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise. Is it thus with us at present? Or have we lost the sense and savour of those days? Where is that holy desire, that impatient longing and thirsting after God, which once appeared among us? Our dwelling in the house of the Lord, has perhaps made the good things of his house familiar, common and contemptible. O let us strive and labour, and pray for recovering grace. Decays will grow upon us, and separate us farther from God, and from the delightful sense of his favour, unless we are watchful, and repent and renew our first-love. PREFACE ΤΟ "AN ESSAY ON CIVIL POWER IN THINGS SACRED." THE HE author of these papers has frequently fallen into company, wherein he had occasion to converse on the topics of liberty and power, both civil and religious And having never settled and ranged his own ideas and reasonings thereupon in so exact and so harmonious an order as he wished, he some years ago set himself down to try if he could draw out his thoughts into a regular scheme, whereby he night better confirm or correct his own conduct. He then applied himself to a diligent and faithful enquiry, without consulting other authors, how far his own reason would carry him toward the establishment of any certain religion in a country or nation, with a real desire to find a just foundation for it, and try how far it could be brought into form and method. And that he might secure himself the better from all prejudices arising from present establishments, he proposed to himself the idea of a new erected state or government of any kind whatsoever, laying aside all prepossessions and influences from the present statutes and customs of men, and from the appearances of things in any nation whatsoever, while he was engaged in these speculations In matters of practice he has always shewn himself on every occasion a constant and sincere friend and faithful subject to our British government; and as he endeavours to pay every one in church and state their due, so he rejoices in the protestant succession to the crown, and the illustrious family which possesses it. And it is the desire of his soul, that our present rightful sovereign, King George the Second, may have every grace and blessing poured down upon his royal person, to render him a long and glorious instrument of divine mercy, to diffuse blessings over the whole protestant world, and particularly over the British nation. As the author abhors the thought of raising seditions in the state under our happy constitution from any pretences either civil or religious, so he has no views of disturbing any character or set of men in those just privileges and possessions which they enjoy by the laws of the land, for he possesses all his own privileges by the same. He is so well convinced of our happy situation above and beyond almost every other nation under heaven, that he does not suppose it can be either proper or lawful for any persons or parties among us to attempt to shake the present foundatious of our government, in order to introduce in practice such a scheme of liberty in matters of conscience as these papers may describe in speculation. Surely we value our British constitution and the privileges we enjoy, both civil and sacred, at too high a rate, ever to bring the hazard and loss of them into a competition with any new schemes and models, which may be formed by the warm imagination or doubtful reasonings of men. Yet it may be proper and useful to any man for his own satisfaction to enter into this subject, and to search it through and through, according to his best capacity, that he may form a better judgment of the many late contests in our nation concerning penal laws and tests in civil and religious affairs. 'The author was very desirous to try "how far his reason could establish a national religion,” and adjust and limit the common rights of mankind, both sacred and civil, under this establishment in any country whatsoever, wherein religion may be professed in varions forms; and at the same time to maintain a perfect consistence with all due liberty of conscience, and support the just authority of supreme rulers. What he had written on this subject he was desired to publish as a matter of further enquiry to those who have thought much on this argument: and perhaps it may serve to lead those who have never much thought of it into a more natural and easy track of thinking and reasoning about it. If any thing in this essay shall prove so happy as to shed one peaceful and serene beam of light upon this dark and noisy controversy, he hopes to find forgiveness and acceptance among his best readers: And he would take pleasure in seeing such light further improved by minds better furnished, till it spread itself into a fair and glorious day. Such a clear and harmonious view of these subjects would do much toward the security and ease of civil government in any particular occurrences, as well as toward the general advantage of true religion and the support of just liberty, which are three of the most valuable privileges of mankind, and the choicest blessings on this side heaven. March 20th, 1738-9. NEW ES ON CIVIL POWER IN T OR, An Enquiry after an Established SECTION I.-Of the Nature and with the several kinds of it, a 1. THE design of civil govern the properties, the just liberty and invasions and the injuries of the there were no such thing as go stronger would often make inroa sessions, the liberties and the live and universal confusion and disord ten thousand miseries would overs II. In order to this general g the persons of men with their peac have been led by the principles of to join themselves in distinct civi compact, expressed or implied, ever in the welfare and safety of all the assistance to defend any of the rest sions are invaded: so that by this me the society has the wisdom and stren for his security and defence. III. To attain this end most happily, different societies have chosen different forms of government, as they thought most conducive to obtain it. 1. Some have deemed it proper to be governed by a single person, and have ventured to put the authority and power of making and executing laws for guarding their persons and properties, and for avenging their injuries, into the hands of a single person; and have obliged themselves to assist and support him in the due exercise of this authority. This is called kingly government or monarchy: And where this kingly |