common sense-第3章

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it　generally　makes　him　too　timorous　to　be　wealthy。



But　there　is　another　and　greater　distinction；　for　which　no　truly　natural

or　religious　reason　can　be　assigned；　and　that　is；　the　distinction　of　men

into　KINGS　and　SUBJECTS。　　Male　and　female　are　the　distinctions　of　nature；

good　and　bad　the　distinctions　of　heaven；　but　how　a　race　of　men　came　into

the　world　so　exalted　above　the　rest；　and　distinguished　like　some　new　species；

is　worth　inquiring　into；　and　whether　they　are　the　means　of　happiness

or　of　misery　to　mankind。



In　the　early　ages　of　the　world；　according　to　the　scripture　chronology；

there　were　no　kings；　the　consequence　of　which　was；　there　were　no　wars；

it　is　the　pride　of　kings　which　throw　mankind　into　confusion。　　Holland

without　a　king　hath　enjoyed　more　peace　for　this　last　century　than　any

of　the　　monarchial　governments　in　Europe。　　Antiquity　favours　the　same

remark；　for　the　quiet　and　rural　lives　of　the　first　patriarchs　hath

a　happy　something　in　them；　which　vanishes　away　when　we　come　to　the

history　of　Jewish　royalty。



Government　by　kings　was　first　introduced　into　the　world　by　the

Heathens；　from　whom　the　children　of　Israel　copied　the　custom。

It　was　the　most　prosperous　invention　the　Devil　ever　set　on　foot

for　the　promotion　of　idolatry。　　The　Heathens　paid　divine　honours

to　their　deceased　kings；　and　the　Christian　world　hath　improved

on　the　plan；　by　doing　the　same　to　their　living　ones。　　How　impious

is　the　title　of　sacred　majesty　applied　to　a　worm；　who　in　the　midst

of　his　splendor　is　crumbling　into　dust！



As　the　exalting　one　man　so　greatly　above　the　rest　cannot　be　justified

on　the　equal　rights　of　nature；　so　neither　can　it　be　defended　on　the

authority　of　scripture；　for　the　will　of　the　Almighty；　as　declared

by　Gideon　and　the　prophet　Samuel；　expressly　disapproves　of　government

by　kings。　　All　anti…monarchical　parts　of　scripture　have　been　very　smoothly

glossed　over　in　monarchical　governments；　but　they　undoubtedly　merit　the

attention　of　countries　which　have　their　governments　yet　to　form。

RENDER　UNTO　CAESAR　THE　THINGS　WHICH　ARE　CAESAR'S　is　the　scripture

doctrine　of　courts；　yet　it　is　no　support　of　monarchical　government；

for　the　Jews　at　that　time　were　without　a　king；　and　in　a　state　of　vassalage

to　the　Romans。



Now　three　thousand　years　passed　away　from　the　Mosaic　account　of　the

creation；　till　the　Jews　under　a　national　delusion　requested　a　king。

Till　then　their　form　of　government　（except　in　extraordinary　cases；

where　the　Almighty　interposed）　was　a　kind　of　republic　administered

by　a　judge　and　the　elders　of　the　tribes。　　Kings　they　had　none；

and　it　was　held　sinful　to　acknowledge　any　being　under　that　title

but　the　Lord　of　Hosts。　　And　when　a　man　seriously　reflects　on　the　idolatrous

homage　which　is　paid　to　the　persons　of　kings；　he　need　not　wonder　that

the　Almighty；　ever　jealous　of　his　honour；　should　disapprove　of　a　form

of　government　which　so　impiously　invades　the　prerogative　of　heaven。



Monarchy　is　ranked　in　scripture　as　one　of　the　sins　of　the　Jews；

for　which　a　curse　in　reserve　is　denounced　against　them。

The　history　of　that　transaction　is　worth　attending　to。



The　children　of　Israel　being　oppressed　by　the　Midianites；　Gideon

marched　against　them　with　a　small　army；　and　victory；　through　the

divine　interposition；　decided　in　his　favour。　　The　Jews；　elate　with

success；　and　attributing　it　to　the　generalship　of　Gideon；

proposed　making　him　a　king；　saying；　RULE　THOU　OVER　US；　THOU　AND　THY

SON　AND　THY　SON'S　SON。　　Here　was　temptation　in　its　fullest　extent；

not　a　kingdom　only；　but　an　hereditary　one；　but　Gideon

in　the　piety　of　his　soul　replied；　I　WILL　NOT　RULE　OVER　YOU；

NEITHER　SHALL　MY　SON　RULE　OVER　YOU　_THE　LORD　SHALL　RULE　OVER　YOU。_

Words　need　not　be　more　explicit；　Gideon　doth　not　decline　the　honour；

but　denieth　their　right　to　give　it；　neither　doth　he　compliment　them

with　invented　declarations　of　his　thanks；　but　in　the　positive　style

of　a　prophet　charges　them　with　disaffection　to　their　proper　Sovereign；

the　King　of　heaven。



About　one　hundred　and　thirty　years　after　this；　they　fell　again　into

the　same　error。　　The　hankering　which　the　Jews　had　for　the　idolatrous

customs　of　the　Heathens；　is　something　exceedingly　unaccountable；　but

so　it　was；　that　laying　hold　of　the　misconduct　of　Samuel's　two　sons；

who　were　entrusted　with　some　secular　concerns；　they　came　in　an　abrupt

and　clamorous　manner　to　Samuel；　saying；　BEHOLD　THOU　ART　OLD；　AND　THY

SONS　WALK　NOT　IN　THY　WAYS；　NOW　MAKE　US　A　KING　TO　JUDGE　US；　LIKE　ALL

OTHER　NATIONS。　　And　here　we　cannot　but　observe　that　their　motives

were　bad；　viz。　　that　they　might　be　LIKE　unto　other　nations；　i。e。　　the

Heathens；　whereas　their　true　glory　laid　in　being　as　much　UNLIKE　them

as　possible。　　BUT　THE　THING　DISPLEASED　SAMUEL　WHEN　THEY　SAID；　GIVE　US

A　KING　TO　JUDGE　US；　AND　SAMUEL　PRAYED　UNTO　THE　LORD；　AND　THE　LORD

SAID　UNTO　SAMUEL；　HEARKEN　UNTO　THE　VOICE　OF　THE　PEOPLE　IN　ALL　THAT

THEY　SAY　UNTO　THEE；　FOR　THEY　HAVE　NOT　REJECTED　THEE；　BUT　THEY　HAVE

REJECTED　ME；　_THAT　I　SHOULD　NOT　REIGN　OVER　THEM。_　　ACCORDING　TO

ALL　THE　WORKS　WHICH　THEY　HAVE　SINCE　THE　DAY　THAT　I　BROUGHT　THEM

UP　OUT　OF　EGYPT；　EVEN　UNTO　THIS　DAY；　WHEREWITH　THEY　HAVE　FORSAKEN　ME

AND　SERVED　OTHER　GODS；　SO　DO　THEY　ALSO　UNTO　THEE。　　NOW　THEREFORE　HEARKEN

UNTO　THEIR　VOICE；　HOWBEIT；　PROTEST　SOLEMNLY　UNTO　THEM　AND　SHEW　THEM

THE　MANNER　OF　THE　KING　THAT　SHALL　REIGN　OVER　THEM；　I。E。　　not　of　any

particular　king；　but　the　general　manner　of　the　kings　of　the　earth；

whom　Israel　was　so　eagerly　copying　after。　　And　notwithstanding　the

great　distance　of　time　and　difference　of　manners；　the　character　is

still　in　fashion。　　AND　SAMUEL　TOLD　ALL　THE　WORDS　OF　THE　LORD　UNTO

THE　PEOPLE；　THAT　ASKED　OF　HIM　A　KING。　　AND　HE　SAID；　THIS　SHALL　BE

THE　MANNER　OF　THE　KING　THAT　SHALL　REIGN　OVER　YOU；　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR

SONS　AND　APPOINT　THEM　FOR　HIMSELF；　FOR　HIS　CHARIOTS；　AND　TO　BE　HIS

HORSEMAN；　AND　SOME　SHALL　RUN　BEFORE　HIS　CHARIOTS　（this　description

agrees　with　the　present　mode　of　impressing　men）　AND　HE　WILL　APPOINT

HIM　CAPTAINS　OVER　THOUSANDS　AND　CAPTAINS　OVER　FIFTIES；　AND　WILL　SET　THEM

TO　EAR　HIS　GROUND　AND　REAP　HIS　HARVEST；　AND　TO　MAKE　HIS　INSTRUMENTS　OF　WAR；

AND　INSTRUMENTS　OF　HIS　CHARIOTS；　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR　DAUGHTERS

TO　BE　CONFECTIONARIES；　AND　TO　BE　COOKS　AND　TO　BE　BAKERS

（this　describes　the　expense　and　luxury　as　well　as　the　oppression

of　kings）　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　YOUR　FIELDS　AND　YOUR　OLIVE　YARDS；

EVEN　THE　BEST　OF　THEM；　AND　GIVE　THEM　TO　HIS　SERVANTS；

AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH　OF　YOUR　SEED；　AND　OF　YOUR　VINEYARDS；

AND　GIVE　THEM　TO　HIS　OFFICERS　AND　TO　HIS　SERVANTS

（by　which　we　see　that　bribery；　corruption；　and　favouritism

are　the　standing　vices　of　kings）　AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH

OF　YOUR　MEN　SERVANTS；　AND　YOUR　MAID　SERVANTS；　AND　YOUR

GOODLIEST　YOUNG　MEN　AND　YOUR　ASSES；　AND　PUT　THEM　TO　HIS　WORK；

AND　HE　WILL　TAKE　THE　TENTH　OF　YOUR　SHEEP；　AND　YE　SHALL　BE　HIS　SERVANTS；

AND　YE　SHALL　CRY　OUT　IN　THAT　DAY　BECAUSE　OF　YOUR　KING　WHICH　YE　SHALL　HAVE

CHOSEN；　_AND　THE　LORD　WILL　NOT　HEAR　YOU　IN　THAT　DAY。_

This　accounts　for　the　continuation　of　monarchy；

neither　do　the　characters　of　the　few　good　kings　which　have　lived　since；

either　sanctify　the　title；　or　blot　out　the　sinfulness　of　the　origin；

the　high　encomium　given　of　David　takes　no　notice　of　him

OFFICIALLY　AS　A　KING；　but　only　as　a　MAN　after　God's　own　heart。

NEVERTHELESS　THE　PEOPLE　REFUSED　TO　OBEY　THE　VOICE　OF　SAMUEL；

AND　THEY　SAID；　NAY；　BUT　WE　WILL　HAVE　A　KING　OVER　US；

THAT　WE　MAY　BE　LIKE　ALL　THE　NATIONS；　AND　THAT　OUR　KING　MAY　JUDGE　US；

AND　GO　OUT　BEFORE　US；　AND　FIGHT　OUR　BATTLES。

Samuel　continued　to　reason　with　them；　but　to　no　purpose；　he　set　before

them　their　ingratitude；　but　all　would　not　avail；　and　seeing　them　fully

bent　on　their　folly；　he　cried　out；　I　WILL　CALL　UNTO　THE　LORD；

AND　HE　SHALL　SEND　THUNDER　AND　RAIN　（which　then　was　a　punishment；

being　in　the　time　of　wheat　harvest）　THAT　YE　MAY　PERCEIVE　AND　SEE

THAT　YOUR　WICKEDNESS　IS　GREAT　WHICH　YE　HAVE　DONE　IN　THE　SIGHT　OF　THE　LORD；

AND　THE　LORD　SENT　THUNDER　AND