ly they did by Way of perfonal Infult upon him. But when Pilate brought him forth in this Dress to the Chief Priefts and Offi cers, I am apt to believe, that it was done by way of mortifying them on account of their Expectations of a temporal King: and they themselves feem to have been ftung to the quick with the Sarcafm. For when the Chief Priefts and Officers beheld him in this Dress of Mock-Majefty,They cried out, Crucify him, crucify him. He ought to die because he made himself the Son of God. Whofoever maketh himself a King, Speaketh against Cæjar. We have no King but Cæfar. Yet we find Pilate did not believe them, notwithstanding this Declaration of their Loyalty for Cæfar. For when he wrote the Title for our Saviour to be put upon his Crofs, he ftill carried on the Defign of ridiculing their Notions of a temporal Meffiah, viz. THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. And when they expoftu: lated with him on that Head, faying, Write "not, This is the King of the Jews, but that he faid, he was the King of the Jews, he coldly answered, What I have written, I have written.

After this, when the King of Glory hung upon the Crofs, the Chief Priefts, Scribes, and Elders mocked and infulted him, faying, If he be the King of Ifrael, let him now come down from the Cross, and we will believe him. Thefe Expreffions need no Com

ment

ment; they fufficiently explain themselves. And I have dwelt the longer on these Incidents in our Lord's Hiftory, as they appear to me to be the faithful Interpreters of the working of bitter Paffion and Refentment, which the Jews felt in their Breafts on this Occafion; and as they plainly discover the Principles they went upon, with regard to the Right and Title of the Meffiah to the Crown and Kingdom of Ifrael.

Wherefore 2dly it must appear upon firft View, that they could look upon the Roman Government in no other Light, than as an Ufurpation which they would throw off as foon as ever their Meffiah would come to bead their Armies. And this Averfion cf theirs to the Roman Government, did not feem fo much to arife from a Senfe of any Grievances they fuffered in a Civil View, as from its Want of a just and rightful Title. Indeed they might have fome Publick Grievances befides: but this was not the Thing confidered. Their whole Attention was ta

• The Bafis of their Difcontent and Difaffection was certainly the fuppofed Want of a rightful Title. If they had any other Complaints, they were fwallowed up in this. And therefore this is the Thing, which in the prefent Argument is principally to be attended to. Now a difputed Title in the reigning Powers, and civil or religious Grievances with refpect to the Body of the People,are in their own Natures very different Things. The Powers in Poffeffion may have their Titles controverted by other Perfons out of Poffeffion; and yet thefe Powers

ken

ken
up with the Affair of a difputed Title.
When they demanded of our Lord, whether
it was lawful to pay Tribute unto Cafar, or
not; the whole Turn of the Difcourfe plain-
ly declares, that they put the Matter upon
the Footing of Right and Title only. It was
a Question about the LAWFULNESS of pay-
ing any Tribute unto Cæfar, much or little.
They did not defire him to give his Judg-
ment concerning the Nature of the Tax,
whether it was too exorbitant, or improperly,
or unequally laid on; nor yet whether it was
a Matter of Prudence for them to pay it at

in Poffeffion may act in fuch a Manner for the Good of
the People, as that there shall be no just Cause to com-
plain of civil or religious Grievances under their Admi-
niftration. I fay, no just Cause: For if People com-
plain of thofe Things under their Administration, which
they would have approved of under another; or at least
not have found fo much Fault with; then it is evident,
that there is a perfonal Dislike at the Bottom: Perhaps
they look upon them, as having no rightful Title to the
Adminiftration at all. If fo, thofe Things which they
complain of, are not fo much national Grievances, as they
are made Pretences to be, in order to disguise their true
Sentiments, and to give them a more plaufible Turn.

But as Powers with a controverted Title, may yet act for the Good of the People; fo, on the other hand, it is very poffible, that thofe Powers, whofe Right and Title is univerfally acknowledged, may, in the Exercife of their Administration, prove very tyrannical, and give great and just Caufe for Complaint. I defire, therefore, that these two Ideas, viz. difputed Titles and national Grievances, may always be confidered as diftinct Subjects, and never confounded together. For on the keeping thefe Ideas Separate depends the true Knowledge of the Argument. This is the Mafter Key. D

that

that Juncture, and fo temporife, till they could have a convenient Seafon to throw off the Yoke; but only whether they might with a fafe Confcience pay Tribute at all. For they looked upon the paying of Tribute, in Strictness, to be an Acknowledgment of Cafar's Right to demand Tribute, and to be fuch an avowed Submiffion to his Authority and Government, as precluded them from fetting up the Title and Pretenfions of any other Claimant. That this was their Notion of paying Tribute, yet further appears from thofe Words already recited, Forbiding to give Tribute to Cæfar, faying that he himself was Chrift a King: Where it seems very evident, that they looked upon the paying of Tribute to Cæfar to be incompatible, in in Strictness of Confcience, with an Attachment to the Intereft of any other Competitor.

Nay, if we confult Jofephus, a cotemporary Hiftorian (as far as we can learn Things of this Nature from an Author, who purpofedly difguifed, and palliated the Sentiments of his Countrymen, accommodating their Expreffions, even in Matters of Religion, to the Phrafeology and Customs of the Romans, and in general concealing the true Reasons and Motives of the Jews in their frequent Revolts; left the Romans fhould be too much irritated against them) yet, I say, if we confult even him, we fhall find, that the true

C

a

Caufe of fo much Imprudence which fwayed the whole Nation to revolt, was, That they had not a King of their own HOUSE to govern the People with VALOUR. He is forced to confefs, that the Country, at this very Time, was over-run with Cheats and Impoftors; who fet themselves up for Kings, creating great Difturbances, and drawing vaft Numbers of Followers after them. He particularly mentions Judas Judas Gaulanites, exciting the Natives to a Revolt, and upbraiding them for being fo abject as to fubmit to pay Tribute to the Romans, or to fuffer mortal Men to reign over them after God. It is certain, Jofephus could have spoken plainer upon these Subjects, if he would. He might have told us, that the numerous Bands of Robbers, which appeared from Time to Time, were in fact Bands of rank Enthufiafts, who were infligated to rife up in Arms, and to begin their Scenes of Conquefts and Plunder by this very Principle of a Tem

a

Antig. Jud. Lib. xvii. c. 12. § 6. Ούτως πολλή αφροσινη ενεπολίασε τῳ εθνει, δια το βασίλεια μελω ΟΙΚΕΙΟΝ 8κ ειναι τον καθεξονία το πληθο. ΑΡΕΤΗ. b. Lib. xx. c. 7. § 6. Tonles nas aπalewves. Confer etiam Lib. c. 12. §8.

e

De Bello Jud. Lib. ii. c. 8. §

τις ανης Γαλα λαιο, Ιδδας ονομα, εις αποςασιν ενηΓε τις επιχω ess, κακίζων, ει φορον τε Ρωμαίοις τελειν υπομένεσις και μετα τον θεον οισεσι θνητες δεσποίας.

D 2

poral