Having now finished my account of the ori gin and nature of the chriftian inftitution, and of the office of the priesthood, as it ftands opposed to Mr. B's, I leave the world to judge whofe is most agreeable to the general nature and reafon of things, to the particular inftitution of chriftianity, to the conftitution of the church of England, and the sense of man kind. For fome reasons I have not thought proper to fubjoin my name at length; though, as on the one hand, I have not the vanity to imagine, that my name would have been of any service to the caufe wherein I am engaged; fo, on the other hand, I am far from thinking that it would do it any differvice or difcredit. I have only farther to obferve. that if Mr. B. will apprize me of having either through hafte or inadvertence omitted any material argument of his, or that in any part of his performance, I have neglected to give his reasonings their just weight (which may not be improbable, if we confider the fhort distance of time between the publishing of his fermon, and the fending thefe remarks to the prefs, the far greater part of which was taken up by more neceffary bufine(s) I fay, if he will apprize me hereof, I afture him, that I will take a more accurate review of the argument, and will confider his principles. The NATURE and EXTENT of the Office of the CIVIL MAGISTRATE ; Confidered in a DISCOURSE Preached before the Right Honourable Sir George Thorold, Knt. Lord-Mayor of the City of London, AND THE Court of ALDERMEN, AND THE Liveries of the feveral COMPANIES, AT THE PARISH-CHURCH of St. Lawrence-Jewry, On Thursday, September 29, 1720. Being the Festival of St. Michael the Archangel, and the Election-Day of the LORD-MAYOR for the Year ensuing. By BENJAMIN IBBOT, D. D. Rector of St. Paul Shadwell, and Chaplain in Ordinary to his MAJESTY. NE QUID RESPUBLICA DETRIMENTI CAPIAT. Cic. pro Milone, First printed in the year 1720. ACTS XVIII. 14, 15. And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio faid unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reafon would that I should bear with you: but if it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of fuch matters. T HE crime which the Jews here laid against St. Paul, and for which they brought him before Gallio, was *blafphemy againft their religion, affirming, that the religion established by the law was now no longer obligatory, and profeffing a religion different from that, and perfuading others to embrace it. For thus they reprefent the cafe to Gallio, at the 13th verfe, faying, this fellow perfuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. To which accufation the apoftle was going to reply; but Galio prevented and faved him that trouble, and put an end to their pleadings on both fides, by declaring at once, that the cafe did not come before him, nor fall under his cognizance. * Acts xvi. 13, 14. Gallia |