their ability, for them: to bring them up to some honest and useful employment: to encourage them when they do well to correct them when they do amiss to be gentle and courteous towards them, and not by their passions or perverseness, provoke them to anger, and alienate their affections from them. PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Deut. iv. 10. Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children. vi. 7. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. xi. 19. And ye shall teach them your children, &c. Prov. xiii. 24. He that spareth his rod, hateth his son: but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes. xxii. 6, 15. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it. Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child: but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. xxiii. 13, 14. Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell. Luke, xi. 11. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 2 Cor. xii. 14. The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. Eph. vi. 4. And ye, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Col. iii. 21. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 1 Tim. v. 8. But if any provide

not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. Heb. xii. 9. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

16. Q. What is the duty of subjects towards those whom God has set in authority over them?

A. To submit to their laws, to be faithful to their interests, and obedient to them in all their just commands. To live quietly under their government; and to contribute, according to their capacity, towards the support and defence of it by their counsel, their estate, (and, if need be, by venturing their very lives for their service).

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Exod. xxii. 28. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. Eccles. x. 20. Curse not the king, no, not in thy thought: and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. Prov. xxiv. 21. My son, fear thou the Lord and the king. Matt. xxii. 21. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's; and unto God the things that are God's. Rom. xiii. 1, 2. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. Tit. iii. 1. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work. 1 Pet. ii. 13, 17. Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man, for the Lord's sake: whether it be

to the king as supreme, or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well. Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God.

Honour the king. 2 Pet. ii. 10, 11. Chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord. Jude, viii. 9. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael, the archangel, when contending with the devil, he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, the Lord rebuke thee.

17. Q. What if the civil power shall command me to do that which is contrary to my duty towards God?

A. I must, in that case, obey God rather than man. If for this I shall be punished, I must patiently yield to it, and glorify God that he has thought me worthy to suffer for my duty to him.

Exod. i. 15, 17. And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah; and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. Daniel, iii. 14, 16, 17. Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not

ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? Now, if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, well; but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. vi. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now, when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying, and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

PROOFS SUBJOINED.-Acts, iv. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. Acts, v. 19, 29, 41. The angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.-And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.

18. Q. What if any difference should arise in the commonwealth, of which I am a member, between the prince and the people?

A. I must carefully examine where the right lies, and act so as is most agreeable to the rules of religion first; and (where they are silent,) to the laws and constitution of the state to which I belong.

19. Q. What is the duty of the civil magistrate towards his people?

A. To order all his counsels, designs, and enterprizes, as much as in him lies, to the public good. Not to vex or oppress his subjects, but to rule them with gentleness and moderation; but especially with an exact justice and equity. To be faithful to the trust committed to him; and not to seek to oppress or enslave his people. But above all, to take care of the service of God, and see that the true religion be maintained and protected in his dominions: and to use his utmost endeavours for the suppression of all vice, profaneness, and irreligion, as being at once both odious to God, and destructive of the public peace and welfare of any people. Psalm ci. Isaiah,