the Lord gave to every man ?" 1 Cor. iii. 5. "For we preach not ourselves, but Chrift Jefus the Lord, and ourselves your fervants for Jefus fake." 2 Cor. iv. 5.

All the authority he exercised over them was purely of a spiritual nature, tending to their inftruction and edification, without any mixture of that civil dominion in which alone an impoftor can find his account. Such was the dominion required and exercised through the pretence of divine inspiration, by many ancient legiflators, by Minos, Rhadamanthus, Triptolemus, Lycurgus, Numa, Zaleucus, Zoroafter, Xamolxis, nay even by Pythagoras, who joined legislation. to his philofophy, and like the others pretended to miracles and revelations from God, to give a more venerable fanction to the laws he prescribed. Such, in latter times, was attained by Odin among the Goths, by Mahomet among the Arabians, by Mango Copac among the Peruvians, by the Sofi family among the Perfians, and that of the Xeriffs among the Moors. To fuch a dominion did alfo afpire the many falfe Meffiahs among the Jews. In fhort, a fpiritual authority was only defired as a foundation for temporal power, or as the fupport of it,

by all these pretenders to divine inspirations, and others whom history mentions in different ages and countries, to have used the fame arts.

But St. Paul innovated nothing

in government or civil affairs, he meddled not with legislation, he formed no commonwealths, he raifed no feditions, he affected no temporal power. Obedience to their

rulers, Rom. xiii. was the doctrine he taught to the churches he planted, and what he taught he practised himfelf; nor did he use any of thofe foothing arts by which ambitious and cunning men recommend them-, felves to the favour of those whom they endeavour to fubject to their power. Whatever was wrong in the difciples under his care, he freely reproved, as it became a teacher from God, of which numberlefs inftances are to be found in all his epiftles. And he was as careful of them when he had left them, as while he refided among them, which an impoftor would hardly have been, whofe ends were centered all in himself. This is the manner in which he writes to the Philippians: "Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not in my prefence only, but now much more in my abfence, work out your own falvation with

fear and trembling." Phil. ii. 12. And a little after he adds the caufe why he interefted himself fo much in their conduct: "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the fons of God in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye fhine as lights in the world, holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Chrift, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. Yea, and if I be offered upon the facrifice and service of your faith, 1joy and rejoice with you all." Phil. ii. 15, 16, 17. Are these the words of an impoftor defiring nothing but temporal power? No; they are evidently written. by one who looked beyond the bounds of this life. But it may be said, that he affected at least an abfolute fpiritual power over the churches he formed. lanfwer, he preached Chrift Jefus, and not himself. Christ was the head, he only the minifter, and for fuch only he gave himself to them. He called those who affifted him in preaching the gofpel, his fellow-labourers and fellow-fervants.

So far was he from taking any advantage of a higher education, fuperior learning, and more ufe of the world, to claim to him

felf any fupremacy above the other apostles, that he made light of all thofe attainments, and declared, that he came not with excellency of fpecch, or of wisdom, but determined to know nothing among thofe he converted fave Jefus Chrift, and him crucified. And the

reafon he gave for it was, that their faith fhould not ftand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 1 Cor. ii. 1, 2, 5. Now this conduct put him quite on a level with the other apostles, who knew Jefus Chrift as well as he, and had the power of God going along with their preaching, in an equal degree of virtue and grace. But an impoftor, whose aim had been power, would have acted a contrary part; he would have availed himself of all thofe advantages, he would have extolled them as highly as poffible, he would have set up himself by virtue of them, as head of that fect to which he acceded, or at least of the profelytes made by himself. This is no more than what was done by every philofopher who formed a school, much more was it natural in one who propagated a new religion.

We fee that the bishops of Rome have claimed to themfelves a primacy, or rather a monarchy over the whole christian church.

If St. Paul had been actuated by the fame luft of dominion, it was much easier for him to have fucceeded in fuch an attempt. It was much easier for him to make himself head of a few poor mechanics and fishermen, whose fuperior he had always been in the eyes of the world, than for the bishops of Rome to reduce those of Ravenna or Milan and other great metropolitans, to their obedience. Befides the oppofition they met with from fuch potent antagonists, they were obliged to fupport their pretenfions in direct contradiction to thofe very fcriptures which they were forced to ground them upon, and to the indifputable practice of the whole chriftian church for many centuries. fuch difficulties as required the utmost abilities and fkill to furmount. But the first preachers of the gofpel had easier means to corrupt a faith not yet fully known, and which in many places could only be known by what they feverally published themselves. It was neceffary indeed while they continued together, and taught the fame people, that they fhould agree, otherwife the credit of their fect would have been overthrown; but when they feparated, and formed different churches in diftant countries, the fame neceffity no longer remained.

These were