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
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
no power but of God the powers that be are ordain'd of God whosoever therefore resisteth the powers resisteth the Ordinance of God Now that Resistance is an Affront thereunto I think none will deny for it is to overthrow what God himself hath Establish'd to pluck up what he hath Planted and to make void as much as in us lies the Providence of God in the Government of the World It was Gamaliel's Argument to the Councel that they should not evil intreat the Apostles Acts 5.39 lest haply they should be found to fight against God The like caution may be given in this Case that no Man ought to offer the least resistance to Civil Authority nor so much as lift up a hand or singer against those whom God hath set over them lest haply they be sound at length to sight against God in the Person of his Vicegerent For our Saviour's way of Reasoning which he useth in another Instance for vindicating the Mission and Authority of his Apostles holds good here He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me Luk. 10.16 despiseth him that sent me In like manner he that offers resistance to the Power or Person of the Sovereign doth in that very Act resist the Ordinance of God and he that resisteth a Divine Ordinance may be said to resist God himself who is the Sole Author and Institutor thereof and what a Man may expect after such an Affront I need not tell him Rom. 13.2 for the Apostle doth They that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation § 2. Resistance is the breach of a Divine Command and in that respect the Abettors thereof can't be Guiltless Is not Obedience and Subjection to Civil Authority made our Duty and prest upon us frequently in Holy Writ as well in the Old Testament as the New The particular Places to this purpose are so well known that I need not repeat them at large that of the Text is sufficient at present Now it is granted on all hands that a Divine Command reacheth the Conscience God therefore having given us an express command for Subjection hath thereby made it our Duty and having given us an express Prohibition against Resistance hath made that a Sin and consequently matter of Conscience to every Christian For Conscience must evermore have a Divine Command for its Direction and Guide for its Rule and Warrant to Act by otherwise 't is not Conscience but something else that deserves a worse Name Now consider a thing becomes never the more Lawful or Unlawful in it self because it is grown a Custom and Fashion with some Men to plead Conscience for or against it except you will grant that Conscience is Infallible in all Men alike or that a Man can't do amiss or go wrong that pretends to follow the Dictates of his Conscience for then when two Persons Act directly contrary to one another both may be said to be in the right if they do but follow their Consciences the one in doing the other in Forbearing what they are commanded Conscience then being so variable is no Rule at all much less an infallible Rule but stands in need of one that is so for want of which it hath been greatly mistaken therefore that only becomes necessary to be done which God hath commanded and that only Sinful and Unlawful which he hath forbidden Now let us bring this home to the Case in hand By this Rule all Seditious Practices and violent Attempts against the Government being forbidden by God are as much Sins as any Act of Prophaness and Impiety whatsoever and are never the more Warrantable because some Men have pleaded Conscience in Defence thereof and disguis'd their Faction under the Veil of Religion Well therefore may we apply that of the Apostle Acts 4.19.5.24 which hath been so oft urg'd against this very Duty Whether is better to be Obey'd God or Man judge ye So in this matter Whether ought to be most obeyed God who commands Subjection and forbids Resistance or such Turbulent and Disaffected Persons who plead Conscience against every thing they dislike and pretend Religion to the neglect of this Duty in opposition to a positive Precept and Divine Command The Text tells us against a King there is no Rising up that is as I have already told you there ought to be none Had the People but the tenth part as much for Resistance as here is against it no Government would be quiet nor Kings suffer'd to sit long upon their Thrones when yet they are in so much danger from the Patrons of Faction and Sedition notwithstanding all the Provision which God himself hath made for their Security This will further appear if we consider the Inconsistency of it to our Christian Profession Wherefore § 3. Resistance or Opposition to Civil Government is contrary to the Doctrine of Christ Examples of the Apostles and the whole Genius and Design of the Gospel The Doctrine of Christ is well known and hath been sufficiently vindicated upon this Occasion It recommends to its Professors all those admirable Vertues and Graces which are inconsistent with a fierce and violent temper of Mind It Enjoyns us to pray for our Enemies and bless our Persecutors tho we suffer wrongfully to bear it patiently to do Good for Evil instead of returning it to take up the Cross rather than the Sword for which Peter was so sharply rebuk'd by his Master and Ours Now there can be no Resistance but something of Revenge must prompt to it and be mingled with it Now if by the Laws of our Religion we are forbid Revenge or the returning of Wrong towards our Equals and Inferiours much more towards our Superiours For if Love and Charity is due to the one Faith and Loyalty being superadded thereto is due to the Other And if to suffer tho wrongfully be a Duty be sure wrongful Resistance is no less a Crime Now all Resistance is of this kind for want of a Lawful Authority to bear it out § Then for the Example of Christ this was nothing else but a Praxis upon his own Doctrine instructing them therein as well by his meek and gentle Behaviour as by his admirable Counsel and Advice Though his Cause was the most Just and Righteous and himself the most innocent Person in the World tho his Enemies were the most Cruel and his Sufferings the most Severe attended with all the Circumstances of Ignominy and Reproach yet the great Saviour of the World and Exemplar of us Christians was so far from offering at Resistance or any thing like it that he did not utter so much as a threatning Word nor make shew of the least Murmuring or Discontent Isaiah 53.7 But as a sheep before the Shearers is dumb so he opened not his Mouth saith the Evangelical Prophet Who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered he threatned not but committed himself to him that judgeth Righteously Peter 2.23 saith
Christians who know they have Souls to save or lose for ever and therefore should be the most scrupulous of any thing that might hazard and endanger them that yet they should be able to allow themselves in so great a Guilt and study all they can for Pretences to excuse and mitigate this Sin rather than take Warning and Repent thereof notwithstanding so vast a Punishment is threatned thereto To conclude this Particular Whatever we may dream of the Original of the Magistrates Power yet our Religion for certain teaches us to acknowledge it to be Divine and to proceed from God It makes Subjection notwithstanding all Evasions and Pretences to the contrary to become our Duty and that as well for Conscience as Wrath sake and doth moreover caution us against Resistance as a great and Damning Sin Destructive to the Souls as well as Bodies of Men and being so what is there in this World that is worth the hazarding our Souls for what kind of Christians must they be that can swallow down a Sin of this Nature so glib and digest it so lightly and what kind of Subjects are they that shall go about to wrest the Laws as some have done the Scriptures in Favour of this Sin a Sin so abominable in the sight of God 1. Sam. 15.23 that as Samuel told Saul Rebellion was as the Sin of Witchcraft and that is the Reason saith a Modern Writer that the Devil was so forward to tempt the Jews to it of old and the Christians of late Wherefore my Soul come not thou into their Secrets and unto their Assemblies be not thou united Gen. 49.6 § I come now to consider the chiefest Objections that are usually made use of against this Doctrine which I shall endeavour to Answer in the Resolution of these three great Inquiries 1. Whether Subjection is due to Bad Governours as well as Good 2. Whether it continues our Duty when Religion is in apparent Hazard and Danger And 3. When the Laws of the Land or which is all one when the Civil Rights and Liberties of the Subject are invaded To all which I answer Yes Submission is our Duty under all these Circumstances § 1. As to the first Inquiry Let our Governours be never so Bad Actual Obedience is due to all their Lawful Commands and Submission to those that are Otherwise but in no case Resistance to either For what the Apostle adviseth Servants toward their Masters holds equally true on the behalf of Subjects towards their Governours where the Obligation is much stronger namely 1 Pet. 2.18 To be subject with all Fear not only to the Good and Gentle but also to the Froward which Grotius and St. Augustine before him refers to Princes and Subjects as well as to Masters and Servants For as the Authority of the Master so the Power of the Prince of the Evil and Froward as well as of the Good and Gentle is from God tho the Person may be Wicked and Ungodly yet his Authority is Sacred and Divine and in that respect commands our Reverence as being the Ordinance of God For Dominion is not founded in Grace neither do the Temporal Rights of Princes depend upon Religion whether True or False the Power of the Magistrate is never the more from God because he is a Good man and never the less from God because he is a Bad man but the Authority of the Good and Bad is alike in Both and derived from one and the same Original notwithstanding the Abuse thereof when in Ill hands To this purpose that of St. Augustine is very well known Aug. l. de natura Boni adv Manich c. 32. Etiam Nocentium Potestas non est nisi à Deo The Power even of Hurtful Princes or Tyrants is from God and in the fifth Book of his City of God He instanceth in the Best and Worst of the Roman Emperours Qui Augusto Ipse Neroni c. Qui Constantino Christiano Ipse Apostatae Juliano c. He that gave the Sovereign Power to Augustus gave it likewise to Nero and He that confer'd it upon Constantine a Christian bestow'd it in like manner upon Julian an Apostate and this saith he Si occultis causis nunquid injustis tho by hidden Causes and for secret Reasons to us unknown yet such as are never Unjust The Abuse therefore of a Lawful Power in the Prince is no excuse for an unlawful Act in the Subject as Resistance is for if the Prince receives his Power from God to him only must he be Accountable for it but the Subjects case is different for if he fails in his Duty he is Accountable both to God and his Governours Authority then however manag'd ought not to be oppos'd seeing God hath allowed no such thing nor given Subjects any such Permission but they ought to obey as far as lawfully they may and where they cannot do that then to sit still and be Quiet Submit to the good Pleasure of God and prepare for Suffering when He in his Providence shall call them to it as then he doth when they cannot avoid it without Sin For pray consider If we must presently fly to Arms or break forth into open Force and Resistance upon the Miscarriage of Government or because perchance we are obnoxious thereto and may think our selves in some Danger to suffer under it pray what then will become of the Faith and Patience of the Saints so much celebrated in Scripture and spoken of in Former Times Where would be that Christian Forbearance Long-suffering and Self denial which our Religion enjoyns in Times of Suffering and Persecution from Bad Princes and Governours The great Evangelical Duties of Meekness Patience and Submission to the Will of God which are prest so frequently upon Christians by the Holy Ghost Are they of Force only under Good Princes and not under Bad Under Good Princes there is commonly little or no need of them and if they are not of Force under Bad there is never like to be any Occasion for them at all and then the Directions given us in Scripture concerning them become altogether Vain and to no purpose in the World which must needs reflect upon the Divine Wisdom in enjoyning us Duties of such a Nature as have no time Time or Opportunity for the Practice of them but none I hope will dare to charge God thus foolishly In a Word Christians if you are resolved to obey and submit only to the Good and Gentle and not to the Evil and Froward if you are resolved to be Peaceable and Complying so long as things are like to go well on your side and no longer I may well demand of you in the Words of our Saviour to the Pharisees What do you more than others Do not the very Heathens and Publicans the same Are not the worst of Men as good Subjects as this comes to And do you think the Religion of Christ doth teach you to be no better than they Your