Page:St. Paul's behaviour towards the civil magistrate.pdf/6

 law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? v.3 And though he afterwards repeated him of the reproachful word he gave the high priest in his anger, yet he repented not of the just sense he had of the illegal indignity offered him; or of his zeal against all such magistrates as acted against the end of their office, and against those laws by which they ought to be governed in the execution of it. Here again it is evident that this great apostle had the spirit of liberty in him; and thought that those laws which were made for the security and guard of it, were not to be dispensed with at the pleasure of those whose business it was to execute them. Here again we find him pretending to know and judge of, his own civil privileges; and not tamely submitting to the violation of them. If some christians of later ages had lived in his time, and been witnesses of this, they would not only have said revilest thou God's high priest? but would have asked him how he being a subject and a christian, could answer to his own conscience his thinking any subjects judges of the invasion of their own privileges; they would have reprehended him severely for placing himself above his judgement and turning the world upside down; making subjects rulers, and rulers subject as they love to speak, by this preposterous