for conscience sake. For this cause pay ye tribute
also; for they are God's ministers-attending contin-
ually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all
their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to
whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom
honor. Owe no man any thing, but to love one an-
other" (that is, discharge all your obligations), "for
he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Rom.
xiii, 1-8.
  Here the apostle enjoins upon his Christian breth-
ren submission to the powers that be, in the clear-
est and most emphatic language; and launches
against all who resist the power the most dreadful
denunciation. No sophistry can evade the force of
the injunction, or turn the edge of the terrible denun-
ciation. Both the injunction and denunciation come
clothed with the awful sanction of Divine authority,
and sound like an echo from Sinai's awful summit.
WHOEVER, THEREFORE (be he Jew or Christian or
heathen, WHOEVER HE MAY BE), THAT RESISTETH THE
POWER, RESISTETH THE ORDINANCE OF GOD; AND THEY
THAT RESIST, SHALL RECEIVE TO THEMSELVES DAMNA-
TION; because they not only resist the political
power, but in so doing, they resist also the ordinance
of God-defy alike the power of God and man, and
therefore shall receive to themselves damnation.
  The term powers that be, here applies to all po-
litical powers generally; but more especially to the
powers of the Roman empire, under whose jurisdic-



1 i



ADDRESS.