第92章

asinasuddenrebellionanymanthatcansuppressitbyhisownpowerinthecountrywhereitbegins，withoutexpresslaworcommission，maylawfullydoit，andprovidetohaveitratified，orpardoned，whilstitisindoing，orafteritisdone。Also，itisexpresslysaid，“Whosoevershallkillthemurderershallkillhimuponthewordofwitnesses“：*(2)butwitnessessupposeaformaljudicature，andconsequentlycondemnthatpretenceofjuszelotarum。TheLawofMosesconcerninghimthatenticethtoidolatry，thatistosay，inthekingdomofGodtoarenouncingofhisallegiance，forbidstoconcealhim，andcommandstheaccusertocausehimtobeputtodeath，andtocastthefirststoneathim；*(3)butnottokillhimbeforehebecondemned。Andtheprocessagainstidolatryisexactlysetdown：forGodtherespeakethtothepeopleasJudge，andcommandeththem，whenamanisaccusedofidolatry，toenquirediligentlyofthefact，andfindingittrue，thentostonehim；butstillthehandofthewitnessthroweththefirststone。*(4)Thisisnotprivatezeal，butpubliccondemnation。Inlikemannerwhenafatherhatharebelliousson，thelawisthatheshallbringhimbeforethejudgesofthetown，andallthepeopleofthetownshallstonehim。*(5)Lastly，bypretenceoftheselawsitwasthatSt。Stephenwasstoned，andnotbypretenceofprivatezeal：forbeforehewascarriedawaytoexecution，hehadpleadedhiscausebeforethehighpriest。Thereisnothinginallthis，norinanyotherpartoftheBible，tocountenanceexecutionsbyprivatezeal；which，beingoftentimesbutaconjunctionofignoranceandpassion，isagainstboththejusticeandpeaceofaCommonwealth。

Inthethirty-sixthChapterIhavesaidthatitisnotdeclaredinwhatmannerGodspokesupernaturallytoMoses：notthatHespokenottohimsometimesbydreamsandvisions，andbyasupernaturalvoice，astootherprophets；forthemannerhowHespokeuntohimfromthemercyseatisexpresslysetdowninthesewords，“Fromthattimeforward，whenMosesenteredintoTabernacleofthecongregationtospeakwithGod，heheardavoicewhichspakeuntohimfromoverthemercyseat，whichisovertheArkofthetestimony；frombetweenthecherubimshespakeuntohim。“*Butitisnotdeclaredinwhatconsistedthepre-eminenceofthemannerofGod’sspeakingtoMoses，abovethatofHisspeakingtootherprophets，astoSamuelandtoAbraham，towhomHealsospokebyavoice(thatis，byvision)，unlessthedifferenceconsistintheclearnessofthevision。For“facetoface，“and“mouthtomouth，“cannotbeliterallyunderstoodoftheinfinitenessandincomprehensibilityoftheDivineNature。

*Numbers，7。89

Andastothewholedoctrine，Iseenotyet，buttheprinciplesofitaretrueandproper，andtheratiocinationsolid。ForIgroundthecivilrightofsovereigns，andboththedutyandlibertyofsubjects，upontheknownnaturalinclinationsofmankind，anduponthearticlesofthelawofnature；ofwhichnoman，thatpret