he temple of God, and exalting themselves above
all that is called God, by dispensing with his laws, and, in place
thereof, substituting their own wicked laws, whereby they establish
iniquity, and enjoin, under severe penalties, the profanation of the
name, day and ordinances of the Lord. This command must certainly be
understood in a consistency with the duty and character of one that is
resolved to be an inhabitant of the Lord's holy hill, _Psal._ xv, "In
whose eyes a vile person is contemned." It must be consistent with the
fear of the Lord, which can stand very well with a fearing and honoring
all who are really kings; but a flat contradiction thereto, to fear
every vile person, because it is the will of civil society to set him up
in the character of king. Till therefore Seceders prove, either that
kings are under no obligation to obey the law of God themselves, and so
not liable to its sanction and penalty, in case of disobedience; or
then, that the favor and approbation of civil society can justify a
dispensing with the law of God, they will never be able to prove from
this, nor any other text, that such as are guilty of any crime declared
capital in the word of truth have a right and title to that fear, honor
and obedience, that is due to lawful kings, even though they are
acknowledged by civil society. And so this text makes nothing for, but
against their darling tenet; and their explication thereof is evidently
a wresting of scripture, making it speak in their favor, contrary to the
scope and meaning of the Holy Spirit therein. And their inviduous
insinuation, that all who differ from their opinion, do likewise depart
from the fear of the Lord, is but a further evidence of their abuse of
scripture, while it is at the same time utterly false. See Mr. Knox's
history, p. 422, 1st _Book of Discipline, cap._ 10, 11.

A _second_ text abused, for supporting their forementioned principle, is
_Eccles._ x, 4: "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave
not thy place, for yielding pacifieth great offenses." As formerly, so
here they assert, that this text refers to any rulers presently
acknowledged by the civil society, and that the rising of the ruler's
spirit must be understood as groundless, and so sinful, and necessarily
comprehends any wrath or wrong that a subject may meet with unjustly at
the ruler's hand, upon personal or religious accounts. That yet,
notwithstanding, the subject (in the use of lawful