Dr. Percival's Notes and Illujlrations. 635 



" they ought not to fubmit to any ordinance of Man. And 

 " though he was unfuccefsful, infomuch that his party, in their 

 " very firft attempt, were entirely routed and difperfed ; yet fo 

 " deeply had he infufed his own enthufiafm into their hearts, 

 " that they never refted, till, in their own deftruftion, they in- 

 " volved the city and temple." * It muft be recolleded, alfo, 

 that the followers of Jefus had long a prepofleflion that the 

 Mefliah was to enjoy a temporal kingdom and authority ; and 

 that, under his dominion, Judea was not only to recover her 

 independency, but even to fubvert the Roman power. Hence 

 the reducing queftion propofed to our Saviour, Is it lawful to 

 pay tribute to Ctxfar, or not ? And St. Paul delivers this exprefs 

 injunction. Render, therefore, unto all their dues : tribute to tvhom 

 tribute is due ; cujlom, to ixihom cujlom ; fear, to wohomfear ; honour, 

 to whom honour. But, though it be true that ChriJPs kingdom is 

 not of this ijoorld ; that every foul is to be fubjeii unto the higher 

 powers i and that luhoe-ver refifteth the power, refjieth the ordinance 

 of God, yet we are, at the fame time, affured, that rulers are 

 not a terror to good luorks, but to the evil ; that they are minijlers of 

 God to us, for good ; and that, for this caufe, <we pay tribute. From 

 hence, I think, it is clearly to be inferred, that magiftracy is 

 the ordinance of God, for the good of fociety ; but that the duty 

 of allegiance is exadtly proportionate to its adaption to the 

 great ends of its inftitution. 



It is curious to obferve how confonant the law of England, 

 relative to the difputed titles of our fovereigns, is to the maxim 

 of the great apoftle of the Gentiles, the powers that be are ordained 

 of God. The eleventh ftatute of Henry VII. recites, that " the 

 ■' fubjefts of England are bound, by the duty of their allegiance, 

 " to ferve their prince and fovereign lord, for the time being, in 

 *' defence of him and his realm againft every rebellion, power, 

 *' and might raifed againft him. And that whatfoever may 

 " happen in the fortune of war againft the mind and will of 

 " the prince, as in this land, fome time paft, it hath been 

 "feen; it is not reafonable, but againft all laws, reafon, and 



• Percy's Key to the New Teftamenr. 



« good 



