common sense-第3节

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attention　of　countries　which　have　their　governments　yet　to　form。

RENDER　UNTO　CAESAR　THE　THINGS　WHICH　ARE　CAESAR'S　is　the　scripture

doctrine　of　courts；　yet　it　is　no　support　of　monarchical　government；

for　the　Jews　at　that　time　were　without　a　king；　and　in　a　state　of　vassalage

to　the　Romans。



Now　three　thousand　years　passed　away　from　the　Mosaic　account　of　the

creation；　till　the　Jews　under　a　national　delusion　requested　a　king。

Till　then　their　form　of　government　（except　in　extraordinary　cases；

where　the　Almighty　interposed）　was　a　kind　of　republic　administered

by　a　judge　and　the　elders　of　the　tribes。　　Kings　they　had　none；

and　it　was　held　sinful　to　acknowledge　any　being　under　that　title

but　the　Lord　of　Hosts。　　And　when　a　man　seriously　reflects　on　the　idolatrous

homage　which　is　paid　to　the　persons　of　kings；　he　need　not　wonder　that

the　Almighty；　ever　jealous　of　his　honour；　should　disapprove　of　a　form

of　government　which　so　impiously　invades　the　prerogative　of　heaven。



Monarchy　is　ranked　in　scripture　as　one　of　the　sins　of　the　Jews；

for　which　a　curse　in　reserve　is　denounced　against　them。

The　history　of　that　transaction　is　worth　attending　to。



The　children　of　Israel　being　oppressed　by　the　Midianites；　Gideon

marched　against　them　with　a　small　army；　and　victory；　through　the

divine　interposition；　decided　in　his　favour。　　The　Jews；　elate　with

success；　and　attributing　it　to　the　generalship　of　Gideon；

proposed　making　him　a　king；　saying；　RULE　THOU　OVER　US；　THOU　AND　THY

SON　AND　THY　SON'S　SON。　　Here　was　temptation　in　its　fullest　extent；

not　a　kingdom　only；　but　an　hereditary　one；　but　Gideon

in　the　piety　of　his　soul　replied；　I　WILL　NOT　RULE　OVER　YOU；

NEITHER　SHALL　MY　SON　RULE　OVER　YOU　_THE　LORD　SHALL　RULE　OVER　YOU。_

Words　need　not　be　more　explicit；　Gideon　doth　not　decline　the　honour；

but　denieth　their　right　to　give　it；　neither　doth　he　compliment　them

with　invented　declarations　of　his　thanks；　but　in　the　positive　style

of　a　prophet　charges　them　with　disaffection　to　their　proper　Sovereign；

the　King　of　heaven。



About　one　hundred　and　thirty　years　after　this；　they　fell　again　into

the　same　error。　　The　hankering　which　the　Jews　had　for　the　idolatrous

customs　of　the　Heathens；　is　something　exceedingly　unaccountable；　but

so　it　was；　that　laying　hold　of　the　misconduct　of　Samuel's　two　sons；

who　were　entrusted　with　some　secular　concerns；　they　came　in　an　abrupt

and　clamorous　manner　to　Samuel；　saying；　BEHOLD　THOU　ART　OLD；　AND　THY

SONS　WALK　NOT　IN　THY　WAYS；　NOW　MAKE　US　A　KING　TO　JUDGE　US；　LIKE　ALL

OTHER　NATIONS。　　And　here　we　cannot　but　observe　that　their　motives

were　bad；　viz。　　that　they　might　be　LIKE　unto　other　nations；　i。e。　　the

Heathens；　whereas　their　true　glory　laid　in　being　as　much　UNLIKE　them

as　possible。　　BUT　THE　THING　DISPLEASED　SAMUEL　WHEN　THEY　SAID；　GIVE　US

A　KING　TO　JUDGE　US；　AND　SAMUEL　PRAYED　UNTO　THE　LORD；　AND　THE　LORD

SAID　UNTO　SAMUEL；　HEARKEN　UNTO　THE　VOICE　OF　THE　PEOPLE　IN　ALL　THAT

THEY　SAY　UNTO　THEE；　FOR　THEY　HAVE　NOT　REJECTED　THEE；　BUT　THEY　HAVE

REJECTED　ME；　_THAT　I　SHOULD　NOT　REIGN　OVER　THEM。_　　ACCORDING　TO

ALL　THE　WORKS　WHICH　THEY　HAVE　SINCE　THE　DAY　THAT　I　BROUGHT　THEM

UP　OUT　OF　EGYPT；　EVEN　UNTO　THIS　DAY；　WHEREWITH　THEY　HAVE　FORSAKEN　ME

AND　SERVED　OTHER　GODS；　SO　DO　THEY　ALSO　UNTO　THEE。　　NOW　THEREFORE　HEARKEN

UNTO　THEIR　VOICE；　HOWBEIT；　PROTEST　SOLEMNLY　UNTO　THEM　AND　SHEW　THEM

THE　MANNER　OF　THE　KING　THAT　SHALL　REIGN　OVER　THEM；　I。E。　　not　of　any

particular　king；　but　the　general　manner　of　the　kings　of　the　earth；

whom　Israel　was　so　eagerly　copying　after。　　And　notwithstanding　the

great　distance　of　time　and　difference　of　manners；　the　character　is

still　in　fashion。　　AND　SAMUEL　TOLD　ALL　THE　WORDS　OF　THE　LORD　UNTO

THE　PEOPLE；　THAT　ASKED　OF　HIM　A　KING。　　AND　HE　SAID；　THIS　SHALL　BE

THE　MANNER　OF　THE　KING　THAT　SHALL　REIGN　OVER　YOU；　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR

SONS　AND　APPOINT　THEM　FOR　HIMSELF；　FOR　HIS　CHARIOTS；　AND　TO　BE　HIS

HORSEMAN；　AND　SOME　SHALL　RUN　BEFORE　HIS　CHARIOTS　（this　description

agrees　with　the　present　mode　of　impressing　men）　AND　HE　WILL　APPOINT

HIM　CAPTAINS　OVER　THOUSANDS　AND　CAPTAINS　OVER　FIFTIES；　AND　WILL　SET　THEM

TO　EAR　HIS　GROUND　AND　REAP　HIS　HARVEST；　AND　TO　MAKE　HIS　INSTRUMENTS　OF　WAR；

AND　INSTRUMENTS　OF　HIS　CHARIOTS；　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR　DAUGHTERS

TO　BE　CONFECTIONARIES；　AND　TO　BE　COOKS　AND　TO　BE　BAKERS

（this　describes　the　expense　and　luxury　as　well　as　the　oppression

of　kings）　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR　FIELDS　AND　YOUR　OLIVE　YARDS；

EVEN　THE　BEST　OF　THEM；　AND　GIVE　THEM　TO　HIS　SERVANTS；

AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH　OF　YOUR　SEED；　AND　OF　YOUR　VINEYARDS；

AND　GIVE　THEM　TO　HIS　OFFICERS　AND　TO　HIS　SERVANTS

（by　which　we　see　that　bribery；　corruption；　and　favouritism

are　the　standing　vices　of　kings）　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH

OF　YOUR　MEN　SERVANTS；　AND　YOUR　MAID　SERVANTS；　AND　YOUR

GOODLIEST　YOUNG　MEN　AND　YOUR　ASSES；　AND　PUT　THEM　TO　HIS　WORK；

AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH　OF　YOUR　SHEEP；　AND　YE　SHALL　BE　HIS　SERVANTS；

AND　YE　SHALL　CRY　OUT　IN　THAT　DAY　BECAUSE　OF　YOUR　KING　WHICH　YE　SHALL　HAVE

CHOSEN；　_AND　THE　LORD　WILL　NOT　HEAR　YOU　IN　THAT　DAY。_

This　accounts　for　the　continuation　of　monarchy；

neither　do　the　characters　of　the　few　good　kings　which　have　lived　since；

either　sanctify　the　title；　or　blot　out　the　sinfulness　of　the　origin；

the　high　encomium　given　of　David　takes　no　notice　of　him

OFFICIALLY　AS　A　KING；　but　only　as　a　MAN　after　God's　own　heart。

NEVERTHELESS　THE　PEOPLE　REFUSED　TO　OBEY　THE　VOICE　OF　SAMUEL；

AND　THEY　SAID；　NAY；　BUT　WE　WILL　HAVE　A　KING　OVER　US；

THAT　WE　MAY　BE　LIKE　ALL　THE　NATIONS；　AND　THAT　OUR　KING　MAY　JUDGE　US；

AND　GO　OUT　BEFORE　US；　AND　FIGHT　OUR　BATTLES。

Samuel　continued　to　reason　with　them；　but　to　no　purpose；　he　set　before

them　their　ingratitude；　but　all　would　not　avail；　and　seeing　them　fully

bent　on　their　folly；　he　cried　out；　I　WILL　CALL　UNTO　THE　LORD；

AND　HE　SHALL　SEND　THUNDER　AND　RAIN　（which　then　was　a　punishment；

being　in　the　time　of　wheat　harvest）　THAT　YE　MAY　PERCEIVE　AND　SEE

THAT　YOUR　WICKEDNESS　IS　GREAT　WHICH　YE　HAVE　DONE　IN　THE　SIGHT　OF　THE　LORD；

AND　THE　LORD　SENT　THUNDER　AND　RAIN　THAT　DAY；　AND　ALL　THE　PEOPLE　GREATLY

FEARED　THE　LORD　AND　SAMUEL。　　AND　ALL　THE　PEOPLE　SAID　UNTO　SAMUEL；

PRAY　FOR　THY　SERVANTS　UNTO　THE　LORD　THY　GOD　THAT　WE　DIE　NOT；

FOR　_WE　HAVE　ADDED　UNTO　OUR　SINS　THIS　EVIL；　TO　ASK　A　KING。_

These　portions　of　scripture　are　direct　and　positive。

They　admit　of　no　equivocal　construction。　　That　the　Almighty

hath　here　entered　his　protest　against　monarchical　government；

is　true；　or　the　scripture　is　false。　　And　a　man　hath　good　reason

to　believe　that　there　is　as　much　of　kingcraft；　as　priestcraft；

in　withholding　the　scripture　from　the　public　in　Popish　countries。

For　monarchy　in　every　instance　is　the　Popery　of　government。



To　the　evil　of　monarchy　we　have　added　that　of　hereditary　succession；

and　as　the　first　is　a　degradation　and　lessening　of　ourselves；

so　the　second；　claimed　as　a　matter　of　right；　is　an　insult

and　an　imposition　on　posterity。　　For　all　men　being　originally　equals；

no　ONE　by　BIRTH　could　have　a　right　to　set　up　his　own　family　in　perpetual

preference　to　all　others　for　ever；　and　though　himself　might　deserve　SOME

decent　degree　of　honours　of　his　contemporaries；　yet　his　descendants　might

be　far　too　unworthy　to　inherit　them。　　One　of　the　strongest　NATURAL　proofs

of　the　folly　of　hereditary　right　in　kings；　is；　that　nature　disapproves　it；

otherwise　she　would　not　so　frequently　turn　it　into　ridicule　by

giving　mankind　an　ASS　FOR　A　LION。



Secondly；　as　no　man　at　first　could　possess　any　other　public　honours

than　were　bestowed　upon　him；　so　the　givers　of　those　honours　could　have

no　power　to　give　away　the　right　of　posterity。　　And　though　they　might

say；　〃We　chooses　you　for　OUR　head；〃　they　could　not；　without　manifest

injustice　to　their　children；　say；　〃that　your　children　and　your

children's　children　shall　reign　over　OURS　for　ever。〃　　Because　such

an　unwise；　unjust；　unnatural　compact　might　（perhaps）　in　the　next

succession　put　them　under　the　government　of　a　rogue　or　a　fool。

Most　wise　men；　in　their　private　sentiments；　have　ever　treated

hereditary　right　with　contempt；　yet　it　is　one　of　those　evils；

which　when　once　established　is　not　easily　removed；

many　submit　from　fear；　others　from　superstition；

and　the　more　powerful　part　shares　with　the　king　the　plunder　of　the　rest。



This　is　supposing　the　present　race　of　kings　in　the　world　to　have　had　an

honourable　origin；　whereas　it　is　more　than　probable；　that　could　we　take

off　the　dark　covering　of　antiquities；　and　trace　them　to　their　first　rise；

that　we　should　find　the　first　of　them　nothing　better　than　the

principal　ruffian　of　some　restless　gang；　whose　savage　manners

or　preeminence　in　subtlety　obtained　the　title　of　chief　among　plunderers；

and　who　by　increasing　in　power；　and　extending　his　depredations；

overawed　the　quiet　and　defenseless　to　purchase　their　safety

by　frequent　contributions。　　Yet　his　electors　could　have　no　idea

of　giving　hereditary　right　to　his　descendants；　because　such　a　perpetual

exclusion　of　themselves　was　incom