The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Introduction
• Of the Nature and Qualification of Religion, In Reference to Civil Society, &c.
• §i.
• §2.
• §3.
• §4.
• §5.
• §6.
• §7.
• §8.
• §9.
• §10.
• §11.
• §12.
• §13.
• §14.
• §15.
• §16.
• §17.
• §18.
• §19.
• §20.
• §21.
• §22.
• §23.
• §24.
• §25.
• §26.
• §27.
• §28.
• §29.
• §30.
• §31.
• §32.
• §33.
• §34.
• §35.
• §37.
• §38.
• §39.
• §40.
• §41.
• §42.
• §43.
• §44.
• §45.
• §46.
• §47.
• §48.
• §49.
• §50.
• §51.
• §52.
• §53.
• §54.

§16.

Christ did not exercise the Office of a Prince. There are a great many other remarkable Circumstances from whence it may plainly be inferred, that Christ never did, nor intended, to appear, as a Prince, here upon Earth. When the Mother of the Sons of Zebedeus, begged of our Saviour, that her Sons might be prefer’d to the Chiefest Dignities in the Kingdom of Christ, he rebuked her for her ignorance, and Prophesied to his Followers a very slender share of outward Splendor and temporal Preferments, but abundance of Persecution; nay, he plainly told and enjoyned his Disciples, that they should not strive for Pre-eminency over one another, as Temporal Princes do. It shall, says he, not be so amongst you, ordering them to live in an equal and Brotherlike degree with one another.39 And, to remove, by his own Example, all remnants of Pride, he in their presence, did abase himself to that degree of Servitude, as to wash the feet of St. Peter.40 Lastly, it is of great Consequence at the first Establishment of a new Commonwealth, that its Founder be long-lived, that thereby he may be enabled, to lay a more solid Foundation of the new Government. For this reason it was that David’s Soldiers would not any longer suffer him to expose his Person in Battel, lest the light of Israel should be extinguished;41 the loss of his own Person being esteemed more than of a great many thousands. But our Saviour did surrender himself voluntarily to death after he had scarce four years appeared in Publick, and that without appointing a Successor, who was to exercise any Power or Authority over those, that followed his Doctrine.

[39.]Matt. 20:20ff.

[40.]John 13:9, 10.

[41.]2 Sam. 21:17.