THE DOCTRINE OF Passive Obedience Asserted in a SERMON Preach'd on January 30. 1684. By James Ellesby M. A. Vicar of Chiswick in Middlesex For Rulers are not a Terrour to good Works but to the Evil Wilt thou then not be afraid of the Powers Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same Rom. 13.3 LONDON Printed for William Crooke at the Green Dragon without Temple Bar. 1685. TO THE READER THIS Discourse was sent to the Press the Munday after it was preach'd Feb. 2. and part of it printed before the much lamented Death of his late Majesty of most Dear and Happy Memory the Intent whereof was not to flatter Princes into an Abuse of their Power or make them more Absolute than the Law hath done a Calumny which some are apt to fasten on the Doctrine of Passive Obedience but to teach Subjects their Duty to Governours upon all Occasions and instruct them in the Principles of Subjection according to the Laws of the Land and Rules of the Gospel wherein I have had regard to those Persons who make shew of a more than ordinary Zeal for Religion yet are apparently defective in the two great Duties of Charity and Loyalty to make them those Compleat Christians they would be taken for This Sermon with another of the like nature was at first preach'd some Years ago now what pass'd for good Doctrine against one sort of men then I hope will not be thought otherwise now for Truth doth never alter nor vary with the Times whatever the Professours of it may do I hope in God seeing our Present Sovereign hath been pleased to declare to the infinite satisfaction of the whole Kingdom his Royal Intention to Govern and continue things as they are now Settled and by Law Establish'd we shall have no reason to cherish any Fears and Jealousies but rather to bless God for inclining his Royal Heart so Graciously toward this poor Church and State Therefore instead of carrying on their old Discontents and Factions against the Government People ought to Own and Submit to the good Providence of God who hath preserv'd his Majesty that now is from so many imminent Dangers and brought him to the Throne in Peace and Safety notwithstanding all the Attempts and Oppositions that have been made to the contrary Let us then perform the Duty of good Subjects in yielding that Obedience and Subjection which we owe to our Lawful Prince and of good Christians in praying for a Blessing upon his Royal Person and Government that he may Reign long and happily over us and we may lead Quiet and Peaceable Lives in all Godliness and Honesty under him Feb. 9. 1684. Amen PROVERBS 30.31 And a King against whom there is no Rising up THESE Proverbial Sayings of the Wise man carry their own Sense and Context along with them and are collected together without any great Order or Dependance upon one another In the beginning of this Chapter we have Agur's humble and modest Wish for a contented mediocrity preferrable to both Extreams of Poverty and Riches The remaining part is spent in the observation of some remarkable Qualities peculiar to several sorts of Creatures The last here mentioned takes notice of four things which are Comly and Majestick in their Going a Lyon which is strongest among Beasts and turns not away for any a Greyhound a He-Goat and a King against whom there is no rising up I shall not spend time in giving you an account of the various Readings and Opinions of Interpreters upon these Words but preferring our own Version as the most generally received I shall only observe that the first and last of these the Lyon and the King have their particular Characters annext to them a Lyon which is King among Beasts is so strong as he neither Fears nor Turns away from any thing and a King he is so Sacred among Men as no Man ought to Rise up or Turn against him The former is generally fear'd for his great Strength and undaunted Courage and the latter no less to be Reverenc'd for his Sacred Character and Supream Authority By a King here we are to understand a Sovereign Prince one invested with the Supream Power of a Nation and not such Titular and Precarious Princes as were the Kings among the Lacedemonians or those under those Romans Qui non proprio sed precario jure imperabant in the Words of Grotius who had little of Royalty belonging to them beside the Name and Ceremony at most were but Kings upon Courtesie and reign'd at the Pleasure of the Senate and People But by King here is meant such a one as Solomon himself was the supposed Author of these Words under the name of Agur one who is acknowledg'd Sovereign in his Kingdom who holds his Crown Independant on any but God as having no Equal much less Superiour upon Earth And such a one as this the Laws do acknowledge our King to be when they call his Crown an Imperial Crown resembling that of the Roman Emperours which was Absolute and Independant when they Entitle him upon all Occasions Our Sovereign Lord the King when they account his Person Sacred and Inviolable which cannot be but in respect of his Authority which must therefore be Divine in its Original and Inseparable from his Person when they affirm he is Legibus Solutus free from the Coercive Power of the Law and enjoyn us to pray for him as Supream in all Causes and over all Persons throughout his Majesties Realms and Dominions Against such a King as this there is no Rising up that is there ought to be none No Force or Violence no Opposition or Resistance can lawfully be made against a Sovereign Prince who receives his Power immediately from God and therefore to him alone can be accountable for it From the Words thus open'd you may easily ghess at the Subject Matter and Intent of my ensuing Discourse which will be to prove and if possibly convince you of the great Sin and Danger of Resisting a Supream Lawful Authority wherever it is lodg'd either in one or more and upon what Account it becomes utterly unlawful so to do § Now that Resistance of this nature is a Sin I am throughly satisfied and the Reasons why I believe so are such as follow § 1. Because it is an Affront and Violation offered to a Divine Ordinance and that Government is a Divine Ordinance I might prove at large from the Testimony of all Nations concerning it from the joynt Confession of the whole Christian Church Primitive and Reform'd and in particular by that of our own together with the Laws of the Land which do acknowledge and suppose as much But however there is less need of insisting upon these because the Apostle St. Paul doth expresly affirm it and this he doth by a Spirit of greater Infallibility than that of Rome or any other Sect or Party of Men who have taught the contrary Rom. 13.1 2. There is
Cruelty But God be praised none of these Considerations mov'd them They were acted by other-guess Maximes and Principles than the disaffected of this present Age We hear of no Attempts or Offers of Resistance amidst the greatest heats of Persecution and it is a mighty Credit to Christianity and Satisfaction to all good Christians that no such thing is recorded of them This argues the Goodness both of their Cause and Religion which upon that Account deservedly recommends it self to the especial Care and Protection of Princes as being the best Fence and Security to their Persons and Government § 4. Resistance against Lawful Authority is a Sin that doth most commonly meet with its Shame and Punishment even in this Life and hath evermore been Abhor'd by all Good Men notwithstanding the Success which for a time it may meet withall No Crime is judg'd more Wicked and Unnatural more Mischievous and Prejudicial to Humane Society than this and no greater Punishment assign'd to any than to this of Treason and Rebellion which is the plain English of all Violent Resistance when oppos'd to Lawful Authority it being of most dangerous Consequence to all States and no Government long Safe where this may be permitted or thought Lawful and therefore the Laws of all Nations under Heaven have strictly provided against this Sin and branded it with the greatest Reproach and Infamy in the World It forfeits not only the Life and Estate of the Party guilty thereof but Taints his Blood Ignobles his Posterity and is too oft the Ruine and Dishonour of many otherwise Splendid and Illustrious Families especially where the Prince is pleas'd to take the Forfeiture according to the utmost Rigour and Extremity of the Law Est enim tam grave Crimen ut vix permittatur Haeredibus quod vivant saith Bracton 't is so Vile and Infamous a piece of Guilt that the Law doth hardly allow Life to his Children and Posterity Had I time I might observe unto you out of all sorts of History and the Records of all Nations extant the Sore and Grievous Punishments which have overtaken those that have been given to Change and drawn into Open Rebellion or secret Conspiracy against their Lawful Prince and Governours which is a manifest token how much God and Man abhors this Sin and how dangerous it is to those that are Guilty thereof The Time would fail me to speak of the just Judgment of God pursuing Korah Dathan and Abiram who rose up against Moses Absalom Achitophel and Sheba who rebelled against David befalling Bigthan and Teresh which conspired against Ahasuerus Theudas and Judas of Galilee who made an Insurrection under the Romans overtaking the Murderers of Saul and Ishbosheth his Son and the Conspirators against the several Kings of Judah and Israel All which are recorded in Holy Writ to be like Lot's Wife when turn'd into a Pillar of Salt as so many standing Monuments to caution us against this horrid Guilt where unto I might add out of prophane Story the Murderers of Darius Alexander J. Caesar and an infinite more who have been all brought to a Shameful and Untimely End by this very Sin and Branded to Posterity for their detestable Treasons and Conspiracies against their Princes and Sovereigns § The whole Nation of the Jews who were very Peaceable and Quiet under both their former Captivities and upon that Account always far'd the better for it God himself inclining the Hearts of their Conquerours toward them and sometimes appearing in an Extraordinary manner for their Safety and Deliverance yet were at last utterly Ruin'd by this very Sin for by Rebelling against the Romans they became a dreadful Instance of God's Wrath and Severity first under Titus and afterward under Adrian by whom for their frequent Mutinies and Insurrections they were banish'd their Countrey forbid their City and every foot of Land taken from them which they could never recover from that time to this What shall I or can I say more the great Conscience which David made of Resisting Saul Injuring his Person or Attempting ought against his Government notwithstanding he was Chosen of God and Anointed by Samuel to the Succession as likewise his punishing the wicked Amalekite with Death for laying hands upon him tho in his Distress and at his Request to prevent his Fall into the Enemies hands All these Instances give us to understand if we will Understand any thing how Hateful and Abominable this Sin is both to God and Man and how much we should dread all Beginnings and Approches thereunto § I pray what have the Authours of the late Rebellion and in particular of this Days horrible Parricide what have they got thereby but besides the Forfeiture of their Lives and Estates a Stain upon their Memories a Reproach to their Religion and Cause of perpetual Jealousie and Suspicion from the Government The like may be affirm'd of all those who have been any ways Instrumental in carrying on the two late Horrid Conspiracies against the Life of our Present King whom I pray God long preserve what have they got hereby but as the Prophet saith Jer. 23.40 an Everlasting Reproach and a perpetual Blot which shall not be forgotten He therefore that takes the Sword into his hand to lift it up against his Brother much more against the Father of his Countrey doth in that very Act rescue it out of Gods hand and so may justly dread the Fatal Consequence of such a Presumption foretold by our Saviour when he said Matth. 26.52 They that take the Sword shall Perish with it which most Men have found true to their own Cost either first or last sooner or later Wherefore you ought to be Subject as the Apostle saith for Wrath sake that is for fear of the just Judgement of God overtaking you in this Life either immediately from his own hand or that of the Magistrate But this is not all there is something Worse than this yet behind wherefore § 5. God hath threatned to punish this Sin with Damnation Rom. 13.2 so the Text runs according to our Version The word indeed signifies Judgment but however according to the Analogy of Scripture it may refer to the Punishment of the Other Life as well as of This because Resistance is as you have heard the breach of a Divine Command the Transgression of the Law of God which the Apostle tells us is Sin Rom. 6.23 now the Wages of Sin is Death that is of all Sin and This among the rest and then what a woful Case must they be in who Live and Dye in this Sin unrepented of or whom the just Judgement of God doth overtake before they are brought to an Humble Sense and Acknowledgement thereof Now who would venture upon this Sin which carries Shame in the Front and Damnation in the Rear Who would hazard his Soul tho it were for the Conquest of the whole World much less for a small clod and parcel thereof Strangel that
Righteousness even in this Respect must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees if ever you hope to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven § 2. In Answer to the second Objection 't is not the Cause of God nor Preservation of Religion that can justifie Resistance of a Lawful Authority for Religion it self as you have heard doth forbid it Now for Men to assert Religion by Actions Unlawful and such as Religion it self doth condemn is very Absurd and Preposterous This is in effect to make void Religion while they stand up in the Defence thereof and to transgress the Laws of Christianity at the same time that they contend so fiercely for them To defend Religion by Rebellious Force is to violate Religion for Religions Sake and to defeat the great End and Design of the Gospel out of a Zeal to the Name rather than the Thing Give me leave therefore to be a little warm with those People who use to be much hotter upon this Occasion You that think your selves oblig'd to scuffle with your Prince out of Zeal to your Religion Pray What Religion is it that you would contend for Is it for a Religion that Encourageth Sedition Countenanceth Rebellion teaches Resistance and Puts you upon Violent Courses on its behalf If this be the Religion you would Tugg for 't is firting that both you and your Religion too should be supprest and kept under For such Religion as this is nothing but Rebellion in Disguise and such Faith nothing but Faction under a Vail This is such a Religion that no Government in the World will endure go where you will no nor your selves neither if you were uppermost and doth it become Christians to plead Conscience for such a Religion as would put them upon the most Infamous and Dishonourable Practices and render them Odious and Suspected to all Governments under Heaven But on the other Hand Is it the Religion of Christ the Doctrine of the Gospel and Pure Christianity that you would struggle for Why this very Gospel and Religion teaches you quite otherwise 't is an Humble Quiet and Peaceable Religion of the greatest Meekness Forbearance and Self-denial a Religion that is made up of nothing but Love and Charity Peace and Unity Forgiveness and Long-suffering a Religion that abhors Violence damns Resistance and strictly prohibits the use of Force and Violence on its behalf as contrary to its own Genius together with that of its Author Now to pretend any of these for the Sake of such a Religion as this is the greatest Contradiction imaginable We must not do Evil that Good may come of it is a known Aphorism in Christianity We must not willingly do an Ill thing tho it be for God himself The Ark for instance must fall or we must venture it at least rather then support it by a Wrong Hand or too Rude an Arm We ought not with Peter to draw the Sword against a Lawful Authority tho it be in defence of the Saviour of the World but quietly permit him to be taken and slain tho wrongfully and by wicked Hands rather then attempt his Rescue in an Unwarrantable manner Agreeable hereunto we ought not to undertake either the Safety or Reformation of Religion in such a way as God himself doth disapprove of Such men instead of hoping to be Accepted for their Zeal may be sent away with a Quis requisivit or who hath required these things at your hands Wherefore those Pretences of Religion are never to be Trusted which tend to any Ill Design against the Government or are Inconsistent with any part of our Christian Duty whereof this of Subjection is none of the least 3. Neither will the Invasion of the Laws or which is all one of our Civil Rights and Priviledges justifie Resistance against the Sovereign But now because People are apt to be Alarum'd and Object in this case That if we must not stand up in the Defence of our Laws and Liberties when they chance to be invaded this is the ready way to invite Injuries and Oppressions from the Prince to enslave a Freeborn People and open the Door for Arbitrary Sway and Government to come in upon us without any hope of Redress in such a Grievous Case To this I shall reply in the following particulars § 1. We may endeavour the Security and Preservation of our Liberties and Estates by all Lawful means in a Legal way and after a Modest Humble and Peaceable mannor such as the Laws of the Land do allow of and is consistent with that Duty and Respect which by the Law of God we owe our Prince § 2. Let our Circumstances be never so hard and Grievous yet to go about to Remedy them by Publick Resistance and Opposition is the worst way we can possibly take For this is a Course which is both Vnlawful and Vnsafe 'T is first Vnlawful and that according to the Laws both of God and Man § 1. 'T is Unallowable by the Laws of God or according to the Principles of Religion as I have already prov'd at large from the Doctrine and Example of Christ and the Practice of the Apostles and Primitive Christianity For hereby we are taught to Suffer as the Servants of Christ rather than resist as Free-men of the Nation And tho want of Prudence and Policy may be objected in the case yet they are never to be pleaded to the prejudice of our Consciences in the Breach of any known Religious Duty 'T is true to sit still and Suffer rather than Rise up and Resist is Durus Sermo a hard Lesson but yet is such a Lesson that God hath set us and must be learnt as making up a considerable part of our Religion It may be thought Foolish and Vnreasonable at first sight and in the Opinion of most men but will appear quite otherwise upon second Thoughts when considered according to the measures of the Gospel However let it appear as Imprudent and Impolitick as it will to men of corrupt Minds yet the Policy of this World ought to give way to the Simplicity of the Gospel and if God hath once made it our Duty 't is not all the Objections drawn from Interest and Reasons of State that can make it otherwise except the Argument holds good that we were English-men before we were Christians and so ought to prefer the Rights and Priviledges of the One before the great Commands and Duties of the Other But then at this way of arguing we may Supersede the whole Law of God and Evade the chiefest part of our Christian Duty when once it stands in the way of our Interest and Ambition For are we not Men as well as Christians and have we not Honour Credit and Reputation to be tender of as well as Privileges Why then may we not plead the One against Conscience and Duty as well as the Other What more Mean and Cowardly may the Proud man say than to to turn one Cheek when we are smitten on
the other to forbear Revenge upon an Injury offer'd or put up an Affront with Patience and requite it with Kindness This to a man of more Honour than Conscience sounds Low and Mean appears Base and Ignoble and yet no Duty can be more Christian than This. Now if it is not warrantable to oppose any of these Worldly Considerations to the greater Obligation of Conscience in matter of forgiving Enemies and passing by Injuries no more ought we to object against the Duty in Hand upon any Politick Motive or Consideration whatever Doth our Religion oblige us to bear and endure so much from one another and nothing at all from our Rulers to lay aside Malice and Revenge Hatred and Ill Will towards our Equals and Inferiours and not to do the like towards our Superiours and those whom God in his Providence hath advanced so much above us This Non-resistance therefore being enjoyn'd by Christ becomes as much our Duty towards our Governours as the Other of Forgiveness is our Duty to each other § From the Doctrine let me desire you to turn your Eyes once more upon the Example of Christ and mark his Behaviour a little more narrowly As he was no Hector to return an Affront immediately or as soon as it was offer'd so neither did he set up for a Champion or Patriot of his Country against his Duty to the Roman Emperour he never espoused the Cause of the Jewish Religion to promote a Faction or carry on a Party against the Government He would not Assert the Liberties and Priviledges of his Country-men tho they enjoy'd them by a Divine Grant in prejudice to Caesar's Authority or to the Interrupting of the Publick Peace so great a Friend he was to the Quiet of the World and so little Encouragement did he give to the Disturbers of it The Romans had many good Laws to be govern'd by and great Priviledges belonging to them insomuch as it was not lawful to bind a Roman Act. 22.25 or beat him with Rods like an ordinary Malefactor as in the Case of St. Paul Yet the Primitive Christians many of whom were Romans and born to those Priviledges which others purchas'd never laid claim to any of them to the Prejudice of their Duty towards the higher Powers but chose to suffer and part with all even to Life it self which alone is sufficient to weigh down all the Rest rather than save either the one or the other by Resistance If then the great Concern of Life ought not to exempt us from Subjection then surely no other Conveniencies or Advantages relating thereunto can possibly do it For are we not commanded to part with Lands and Livings Friends and Relations rather than Deny Christ or any part of his Religion as this of Subjection to Governours is and a considerable part too And how Extravagant soever such a piece of Self-denyal may be look't upon in or by the World yet this should not Move a Christian who hath a Soul to be concern'd for of more worth than the whole World and all the Honours and Advantages thereof put together This for certain will secure our Condition with respect to a Future State whatever may happen or fall out in This whenas all our Losses and Sufferings in this World shall be abundantly made up with a rich Recompence of Reward and a far more Exceeding and Eternal weight of Glory wherefore Christians comfort one another with these Hopes But secondly § 2. To put the matter out of all doubt Resistance is Unlawful according to the Laws of the Land For the Wisdom of our Princes and Loyalty of our Parliaments have sufficiently provided against Taking up of Arms against the King or his Ministers and to This the whole Nation have Sworn and given their Assent once already by their Representatives and every man doth it over again in his own Person as oft as they are admitted to any Publick Employment either in Church or State Our Laws are accounted in all respects as Loyal as our Religion and I make no question but the Professors of that Honourable Science are better able to vindicate them herein than I can possibly do Yet thus much is evident to all that have but the least insight into the Constitution of our Government that no Nation under Heaven hath been more Sollicitous for their Sovereigns Honour and Safety none more tender of their Princes Reputation and Government than Our Own and therefore no Country hath better Laws and no Laws make better Provision either for the Prince or People than these of the English Nation Our Constitution is the Happiest and Safest both for the One and the other if we had but Eyes open to see it and Hearts thankful enough to Acknowledge it as we ought No War can be justifiable but what is begun and carried on by a Lawful Power and the People of England will always want that in their taking up Arms against their Prince for the Law hath made all Resistance of this Nature Illegal by acknowledging the Power of the Sword to be solely in the King so that no man hath Power or any Pretence of Power now to take up Arms but by the Royal Authority which be sure the King will never Commission against himself or if he should the Grant is void in its own Nature as being inconsistent with the Essentials of Sovereign Power which cannot be Sovereign unless it be Irresistable too and such is that Power which our Kings are invested withall and which the People do Recognize every time they take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy and declare their Abhorrence of that Traiterous Position Of taking up Arms against the King c. Or any that are Commissioned by him § 3. The Methods of Resistance and Open Force let the Enemies of Passive Obedience say what they will are the most Unsafe and Impolitick Course we can take for the Preservation of Liberty and Property which will appear if we consider § 1. War Civil War especially is one of the most Formidable Violations of Publick Laws and Liberty for under pretence of taking up Arms for the Rights and Priviledges of the Subject they do hereby but Invade those of other men and Hazard their own Now the open Breach of the Laws is no good Method for attaining their End the exposing our Liberties to the chance of War is the worst course we can take to Preserve them and the Invading other mens Properties but an ill way of Securing our own For this makes every man guilty of that Crime which he is jealous of in his Prince namely the becoming Illegal Vnjust and Oppressive Regardless of the Commonweal and Publick Good This makes Subjects more Arbitrary than the most Absolute Monarch and Popular Fury of much worse consequence than any unbounded Tyranny whatsoever insomuch as the Remedy proves alwayes worse than the Disease and Ends many times in the open Shame and just Punishment of the first Authors and Abettors thereof