the lawfulness of the authority of wicked occupants, though acknowledged
by the majority of a nation. A similar example there is in the reign of
_Baasha_, who could not by all his vigilance prevent many from casting
off his government; 2 Chron. xv, 9. Again, there is an express example
of _Elisha's_ disowning the king of _Israel_, even when the civil
society owned him; 2 Kings, iii, 14, 15. He did not regulate his conduct
by providence, and the will of the people, but, in opposition to both,
refused him that honor that is due to all that are really kings. To
these may be added that notable example of _Libnah_, a city of the
priests, who could not but have knowledge by the law of their God what
was their duty; 2 Chron. xxi, 10. Here is an instance of a people's
casting off allegiance to a king, properly because of his apostasy and
intolerable wickedness, whereby they bore testimony against him, and
discovered what was the duty of the whole nation, on account of his
apostasy from the Lord. Their so doing was a most positive, actual and
express condemnation, both of _Jehoram_ for his wickedness, and of the
people for concurring, joining with him, and strengthening his hands in
it (even as _Noah_ by his faith and obedience is said to have condemned
the antediluvian world; Heb. ix, 7.) And this their conduct and
testimony the Spirit of God justifies, and records to their honor. These
few of many that might be adduced, declare the impudence, as well as
fallacy and imposture of _Seceders_ in this matter, and also justify the
principles which they maliciously nick-name the anti-government scheme;
and that for no other reason, but because it establishes the ordinance
of magistracy among a people favored by God with divine revelation, upon
his preceptive will, in opposition to their anarchical notions of
setting it wholly upon the tottering basis of the corrupt will of man.
And, to conclude this particular, how ridiculously absurd is it in them
to insinuate, that, in the examples above, or others to be found in
sacred history, those persons did, notwithstanding their own practice in
rejecting the authority of wicked rulers, still view it as the duty of
the rest of the nation, to acknowledge them? This is pure jargon and
nonsense, contrary both to reason and religion. By what law could the
opposite practices of those that disowned, and those that still
continued to own the authority of unlawful rulers, be justified? It
could not by