constant as to the way and form yet through humane frailty it may many times fail in the measure and end of its efficacy The Officers that are to claim their Functions and Authority as Jure Divino are first the King or Monarch who is from and under God himself established as well in causes Ecclesiastical as Civil supreme Governor And then Fathers Masters and Husbands as Civil Governors And then those of the Clergy as spiritual guides and directors under this their chief guide and director unless it be where and when this Master or Father of the Family is insubjected and independent at which time he being himself a supreme Monarch hath as Elder Brother those Priest-like and Civil Offices of instruction and coertion by the Law of God united in the same unsubordinate person even as amongst those great and more ancient Families it fared before Nations came to be under kingship or that the Priesthood was divided from the Civil power Nor doth matter of Reason alone as already and hereafter to be shewed prove the Authority of these Functions to be Divine but the express precepts by God himself to that purpose given do beyond dispute settle these Officers and none else as of Divine right immediately to them derived for authorising them in their acts of Government and Power By which words of immediately derived we may know how to put a difference between that Power and Authority which is exercised by Kings themselves who hold of none but God above them and that which others their Magistrates perform who being ordained in their power by the Prince cannot be said to hold their powers otherwise then as immediately received from him But although in this regard of subordination it may be in some sense true that the Priest and Master of the Family may be also said to derive their power from the King where Kingship is even because in the exercise thereof they may be by him directed or limited yet is there a great difference to be put between them and Magistrates in respect of claim to divine right in performance of their Functions The Magistrate as he is positively affirmatively impowred by the Prince so is he also negatively under him in the execution thereof the Priest and Master of the Family on the other side have all their positive power of instruction and jurisdiction from God alone derived being negatively onely restrainable by the Monarch in the outward act and execution thereof whereas to the King himself it is alone peculiar as to be by none but God affirmatively impowered so to be by none but him negatively restrainable But then again although in each independent family the offices of instruction and coercion be united in chief in the person of the same Master yet between the Authorities which those of the Priesthood and the Masters of Families do severally execute where they are not united there is unto the Order of Priesthood a greater honor annexed in respect of divine Claym and Authority then to the other and that not onely because instruction must be supposed to precede coercion in time and order but also in dignity in respect or the different dignities of those that are to be the objects of their Authorities the Priestly Function presupposing always a more noble Object namely such an one as is indued with understanding and wit whereas bare coercion can reach unto neither of them And under the Gospel again a farther addition of honor and divine Authority will arise from the observation of that more spiritual charge and Function they inwardly claim towards the promotion and exercise of Gods kingdom in our hearts whereas amongst the Jews the drift of the Priests instructions had for objects the outward acts and Ceremonies chiefly In which regard of instruction and preaching the Fundamentals of Christianity taken as Gospel duties they stand by means of special ordination thereto not onely separately distinguished and enabled above other humane power as the persons to instruct and teach Gods will are distinct and in that respect above those that are to obey but also whilst they meddle not with such things as have tendency to civil Peace and Duty they are unsubordinate to the Prince himself nay above him too as his spiritual Fathers and as having their efficacy and holding their authority herein immediately from Christ as his Ministers and not of the political head of the Commonweal The Father and Master of the family enter upon their authorities and function according to natural course and equity without personal designation and appointment from the Prince and his power and are afterwards restrainable in all things as he shall think good but those of the Priesthood although they were by the laws and authority of the prince personally ordained to stand as Gods Ministers yet are they on the other side as Gods immediate Ambassadors and prophets subordinate to none And this Gospel duty of preaching besides publike prayers and administrations of the Sacraments are to remaine as the proper duties of persons in holy orders without exemption of the prince himself For although to each prince in order to peace and government the chief and general care of instruction in the wayes of righteousness doth appertain as it doth also in each family to the Master thereof yet doth the office and efficacy of instruction in the mysteries of Gods inward kingdome depend on the authority of none but God himself But these things are to be understood of the Clergy in their spiritual Functions onely and as they relate to one another as equally Gods Ministers and not as they are differenced amongst themselves in reference to that distinct proportion of external jurisdiction and power alotted them for peace and order sake For as in the first respect they are under none but God so in the second they are wholly subjected to the Prince he being as great Bishop and overseer of the whole Church to preside over the Bishops of the particular Diocesses thereof upon the same Reason and divine Authority that the Diocesan doth preside over the Parochial Minister And upon the same ground that the Prince as great and general Father and Master of the whole kingdom doth preside in the Government of each Family by means of that civil Magistracy which is exercised under him in like manner doth he as head of the Church preside over the whole Clergy in Ecclesiastical administrations by means of this Episcopal jurisdiction which is to be by him directed or restrained of all which more hereafter Having thus far premised in the declaration and distinction of Officers and Functions of Divine right for the better understanding the present Question as well as many other discourses which will hereafter follow where the same shall be farther proved by Scripture I hope it will to all unprejudiced men appear That although God doth not now as sometimes formerly so immediately expresly operate in the unction and designation of particular persons or
or to be the sons of God but will also redound to God and his Gospels glory when men like the Philippians amongst the rebellions Greeks shall shine by exemplary submission to authority as lights in the world or as directors to humane preservations and peace And it will cause them that have this guide over them to do it as aforesaid with joy â—nd not with grief so that both here and in the day of Christ they shall have comfort when being to give account for their souls it shall appear that they have not run in vain nor laboured in vain And if the end and occasion of this precept for implicite obedience be marked it will make it clearly maninfest that the same is this way and by no othea means to be accomplished For what way so likely to have their conversation honest amongst the Gentiles and such as becometh the Gospel of Christ even the Gospel of him who being equal with God yet to be an example of obedience took on him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross as by continuance of this their obedience unto him not in his presence onely but now much more in his absence whereby working out their Salvations with fear and trembling they might then shine as lights in the world when their obedience shall be thus known unto all men what way so likely to stand fast in one Spirit with one mind to be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind but to have nothing done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind or by putting on the form of a Servant each one to esteem other especialy his Superiors better then himself For by this renouncing our own things that is the reliance on our owne wisdomes or increase of our owne interests which might be expected by murmurings and disputings we shall unquestionably preserve and encrease the publick good or things of others even by maintenance of publick peace and agreement Whereby we may more assuredly enjoy the consolation of Christ the comfort of love the fellowship of the Spirit in this our charitable communion and also thereby fulfil the joy of such as are by Christ set over us For the only ready way to walk by the same rule to mind the same thing is to be followers together of these and to mark those that walk so as they have them for an example Whereas if men shall be left to walk otherwise as enemies to the cross of Christ and shall be left to dispute and contrive wayes of Salvation to themselves their end will be destruction and love charity and union will be quite lost through their division and disobedience whilst one shall say I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ and so prove themselves not followers of the God of peace whilst not doing thes things as learned and received and heard and seen in our owne Christian Superiour In these admonitions to the Philippians where Saint Paul had entire jurisdiction as being a Gentile Church under him we may observe him directing this perfect obedience unto himself as their owne unquestionable head when he sayes that I may rejoyce that I have not c. whereas he that was the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews sets down the persons in general terms unto whom this obedience is to be given as obey them that have the rule over you c. and remember them that have the rule over you For neither was Saint Paul their head himself nor had these Jews that still remained in Judea as yet any setled single head because the most of the Apostles were there resident and still in equal authority amongst them And as for the dispersed Jewes it was to the Author of that Epistle uncertain who was their rulers as also how many they had they being not improbably at that present governed by Elders after a Synagogue fashion and not having a single supream head constantly residing amongst them And such as would go about to interpret that these words cannot be construed for estating the Prince or Civil Magistrate as they call him in the capacity of religious authority because at that time they were heathens and therefore say it must intend Apostolical or Church teachers onely they do thereupon confess the same thing to be now due to that Supream Magistrate which is a Christian and hath Church jurisdiction as well as civil For if then perfect obedience both in the one and the other sort were to be given by each member to several persons then claiming it it must follow that it must be in like manner done entirely to that one now that hath the united supream power in both CHAP. V. Of the forms of the Church Government and of the jurisdiction claimed by Church men ALthough those that would disturbe the peace of Kingdomes by setting up an Universal Monarch in Church affaires and they that would set up the whole Clergy uncontrolable to govern in each Kingdome after a democratique fashion are both of them dissalowably out of what hath been already spoken yet for mens better information we will hear speak more particularly of both The first I conceive cannot be at all both for the reasons before given in the discourse of the Church and because it is that particular prerogative which Christ hath reserved to himself of being with them as Catholick head to the end of the world And as in particular Kingdomes and parts thereof Christ presides by special deputies as King of Kings even so upon the same reason of Universal jurisction and care he is to take the immediate charge of the whole unto himself In which regard as there should be no man called Father on earth or general Monarch of the whole earth or mandkind in derogation to Gods prerogative of Vniversal Kingdome power and glory so are not the heads of any particular Church to transcend their Apostolical paâ—ity and encroach on Christs prerogative of Universal Church power because one is their Master even Christ and they are brethren In which words Father and Master in the singler number as we may note one person in supream authority to be meant so will they serve to explain unto us who is meant and entended when in so many places we are bidden to obey in all things under these notions of Father and Master namely that it is that our particular Master or Father who hath now as supream authority over us in his own territory and jurisdiction as the former Masters and Fathers had in their families who were then the onely persons that could be Vniversally obeyed in all things because they were then the onely proper denominations of such as were in supream authority as Christians Apostles Patriarchs Bishops and the like being not Officers to continue in supream authority as such nor being
weakness of the instruments and means to bring that Church to its flourishing pitch and condition the mean estate of the Churches owne officer did redound to the undeniable glory of that God who did so manifestly appear in their assistance So that Gods dealing in matters of Government between the Jewish and Christian Church seems in every respect alike save that with the Jews the Ministery of Eldership went by birth according to the course of nature but here by election of the members of the Church For they being the adopted sons of God through Christ the particular Priests and Fathers that were to govern in this Church were to be at this Churches election and choice also or rather of its representative head Christs deputy For so are we to understand Saint Pauls words to Titus For this cause left I thee Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee And those Epistles to Timothy and Tytus men that by Saint Paul had been put into authority will plainly declare that as themselves so others had also different power one over another as in relation to the Churches government The office and power of this Elder was in it self distinct from that of the preacher as was formerly that of the Father of the Tribe from that of the Priest although for sometime added and involved under the notion of Presbyter in the same person that primarily had his authority for instruction sake even as before the priesthood was divided it was by patriarchal right executed by the same father of the family So that now these Presbyters having during the time Magistrates were not Christian power of civil judicature in what concerned men estates as well as of external duties concerning them as Christians it came to pass where they might exercise this their rightful jurisdiction Brother was not to go to law with Brother before the unbelievers And when we find those eminent persons called Apostles directing in matters of external obedience they do it as Elders or Fathers which power and office was unto them annexed as in right of their offices as heads of Churches for so saith Saint Peter he was also an Elder And again many of these Elders did labour in the word and doctrine and were therefore more especially worthy of the double honour which was due unto an Elder that ruled well But then as the Apostles had in themselves as Christs deputies this union of jurisdiction and power both for preaching and ruling although in the last sort the present power of Heathen Magistrates did almost wholly restrain them so they did also often dispence unto the same persons the same joynt jurisdiction in both sorts also and that in regard of the paucity of eminent and able persons to undertake them singly Upon which reason we come in these dayes to be so much puzled to distinguish these primitive officers by their names and titles finding them promiscuoisly in the Scripture set down as sometime making Apostle and Elder to signifie the same sometime Apostle and Deacons and sometimes again we finde the calling of the Evangelist mingled with that of the Deacon The which obscurity was also occasined in that these Apostles and higher Officers were for want of Ministers under them forced many times to act in those more subordinate imployments and sometimes also those at first put into lower stations did perform what did belong to functions above them Which being by some now adayes not well considered or being careless and ignorant of the originals of names and their true derivation they would appropriate the notion of Elder or Presbyter to the Lay ruler onely and wholly abandon the English word Priest derived as we said from Presbyter as implying sacrifice and because we have no English word derived from Sacerdos which might properly denote a sacrificer therefore this notion of Priest must be laid aside and the word Minister taken in Not duely marking how they thereby fall into that which they would avoid whilst they call those of the Gospel by the legal name For the Hebrew stiles those of the Law Cohanim originally signifiing a Minister and thence comes the Greeek words Coneo and Diaconeo being the same with Minister in Latin and Deacon in English They do also hereby abusively and absurdly put him under his owne congregation and charge as sometimes calling him their Minister no otherwise then as Josuah was called Moses Minister as if the Pastor for so they sometimes rightly enough call him could be called a servant to the sheep but they shall never finde them called Ministers or servants but in relation to God or Christ or the whole Church And they also do hereby confound those Officers they would distinguish For that inferiour Officer by them called a Deacon is by name but the same with Minister whom they would seem to place higher as if by way of tautology they should call them Minister and Minister But be they of what sort they will evident enough it is they were still at the appointment and subordinate to the Apostles or other heads in chief who now as Christs deputies were equally presiding for the guidance and rule of several Churches distinct in authority from one another The which may be concluded as we said from many passages set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who being by Saint Paul put in as Bishops or Overscers over other Pastours are in and by these Epistles taught from him the chief head and for what was not in them taught they were to be guided by Apostolical tradition the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses that is my avowed life and doctrine the same commit thou unto faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Herein are all the several degrees of subordination briefly stated the people are to be Subject and to learn of their owne Pastors and Elders these to be subject to their Bishops and the Bishops to their owne head in chief And by that expression the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses c. we may know how to expound our Saviours restriction given concerning our obedience to them that sit in the seat of authority when he saith but do not as they do meaning that Rulers will sometimes do otherwise then they teach or will publickly avow Now as this greater number of persons in separate jurisdiction was necessitated for want of civil entire power to make any one Churches jurisdiction of large extent so it fitted best that persecuted condition of the Church that is to accommodate them in having of one guide in chief to rule each Church in all their dispersions And as the meanness of these rulers was then best agreeable to that their present condition so was it advantagious also because eminence in authority would have made them as more remarkable so more obnoxious to
under the tye of religion also to be entirely obeyed by all that acknowledg his Christian jurisdiction we being no more duely able to divide the supremacy of the one then of the other And therfore the mistake and inconvenience of their opinion will plainly appear that would from a short and groundless distinction of the several objects and ends of our obedience deduce a several and distinct tye whereby the same person in the performance of this duty to lawful authority should stand diversly obliged As if because the good of men and humane Society were the next ayme of my forbearance to defraud or oppress c. it were therefore the last end and not rather Gods glory as heretofore shewed Whereupon since I as a Christian had light sufficient given me to discover how God is herein served by this my advancement of the good of my brother cannot thereupon but account my self as well serving God When I do any thing as a subject to the Prince out of general tye of conscience to Gods precept that commandeth obedience to the higher powers then it is or should have been if I had done it in obedience to the perticular precepts of thou shalt not steal or thou shalt not covet And had Cato or Scipio had the like advantage of instruction with us so as to have seen through to Gods glory and their owne salvation as the great and last end and reward of all our actions as they had been obliged in conscience so they would no doubt out of respect and love to God and their owne future good have performed all those Heroick acts which for want thereof could not have in them higher consideration then temporary benefits of themselves or country and so come to be imputed unto them as bare moral vertues and duties having in their conceipts neither direction nor intention higher But for farther clearing the understanding of these things we will instance in a particular most common amongst us namely our food What the vegetative appetite as necessary to growth and nourishment doth herein covet the same being in sensitive Creatures controlled and judged by their pallats and tasts is ascribed as an action done by such or such a sensitive And in the same food again the pallat being for choice and quantity as all other senses controlable by reason for what we do therein we are accountable as men onely and not as beasts And so lastly when in this particular of food a higher authority then our owne doth command we must be then reckoned in all we do therein but as in relation and subordinate to that last and highest authority For as Christ is above them all so is our relation as Christiaâ—s to include and involve that of men or subjects So that if I now follow too much my vegetative appetite or sensative taste and also transgress reason so as to be drunken and glutonise this being done by me that am a Christian is a sin endangering punishment hereafter and not singly a moral or civil vice as transgressing onely in regard to my health or the rule of society And so farther againe when abstinence from any or all sort of food is by lawful authority enjoyned whereby the use of what was indifferent to us in respect of any direct former Christian precept comes to be streigthened we are then tyed in conscience to the obedience thereof and that not onely when a Lent or Fast day shall be enjoyned for an explicite religious end but also when abstinence shall be publickly commanded without such end expressed at all or although the preservation of Cattel or the like be the known end thereof And this because the person commanding being the same and alwayes Gods Minister where our ability of performance is equall our sin of disobedience must be equal also and that without thought of dividing his jurisdiction and authority and so disobeying the Prince as as oft as we please by taking on us as Priests in a separat jurisdiction the sole interpretation of Gods law Whereupon as every Master of a family is Priest also so far as concerns his jurisdiction so the appellations of Princes and Priests are in many places of Scripture used as equipollent But as the King in regard of the multitude under him is to use Magistrates to help him in civil administrations so Priests also in matters of the Church and religion How far this their power is to extend and how and by what order of them to be managed will be a proper discourse when the Kings part in government and peace shall be treated of Therefore now to return by the name of Church we are not to conceive there can be any congregation of Christian subjects by order so distnct from others as to have immediat power from God over the fortunes or persons of their fellows without or against the Soveraigns leave For since the time manner place and other things essential to the constituting the meeting it self must as heretofore noted depend on the leave and direction of the governour in chief and their authority as an assembly can be but subordinate to that from whence they derived it it cannot in no wise be collected that their power should be independent They of the Romish Clergy that would clayme a divine right to succeed the Apostles in the exercise of external jurisdiction and power by vertue of an uninterrupted ordination from them at first derived after the same manner as those ancient Romans were superstitious to place the vestal virgins for keeping in of their holy fire in their temple and would have the Office and power of high Priest or Bishop in the Catholike or each particular Church depend on like uninterrupted succession to his predecessor under the Gospel no otherwise then the high Priestship did descend amongst the Jewes had no doubt an ayme by this peculiar way of puting one another into authority not only to set up themselves in Apostolical power but to exclude Kings or Masters of families from having any divine right at all since no such uninterrupted derivation of succession can be on their side brought But as they cannot find any text to warrant any claim hereby so they are to consider that as to the Iewes their particular Church was the same with the Catholike so in order to Gods care for direction and government of that particular onely Church he did appoint as well a distinct family and linage for their Kingship as he did for their Priesthood it being as unlawful to alter the line of David as that of Aaron But under the Gospel where like appointment was not made nor outward prosperity was not promised as to the Jewes it will be very severe to censure any particular Church as untrue and her Pastors unlawful upon the hazard of having some interruption in succession or for want of intention or the like whereby having had some ineffectual ordination administred all ordinations succeeding and jurisdiction grounded thereupon should come
so we again having no other direct outward precept from God or Christ himself are through faith and by our ready obedience to him actually performed to his Church in his stead as having the word of reconciliation committed unto them acquitted in all we do but if done otherwise we forfeit thereby the whole condition and as again obliged and culpable for the breach of the whole law nothing but read mission into the Covenant of Innonency by repentance can secure us from damnation CHAP. IV. Of each particular Church and its power HAving hitherto spoken of the Reason and Foundation of the Church in general and of the necessity of our participation of her communion so now again it will be necessary to speak of each particular Church and its jurisdiction For since we cannot otherwise attain to be members of this Catholick body then as being first members of some particular Church it will therefore follow that as the necessary observation of the law of providence which we could not explicitely and perfectly do upon our owne abilities was the cause Christ became obedient to God for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him so there lies upon each member a duty of conformity and obedience to their particular Churches that thereby being made conformable to the image of his Son they may also be restored to the image of God And therefore although the Catholick Church cannot be aggregate or represented der any single head or rule but of Christ himself yet since it is integrated and by parts made up of particular Churches and in these Christs power being to be represented by other Christs or anointeds under him it will follow that our obedience to this Church and the head thereof must have of us all that obedience which unto the other we cannot give else would that precept of obedience to the Church come to nothing as indeed for the most part is intended by such as would have the Writers of their owne mind to be held for the Catholick Church onely Therefore now being to consider the Christian Church as an assembly of Believers separate from other for Gods more immediate honour and worship we cannot well appropriate this phrase to that part of the Catholick which is past and unconversant with men nor for the present to that part of it which is yet to suceeed although both the one and the other have done or are to do their personal parts herein but must interpret that notion of Catholick Church used either when those duties are in general given which are fit for the Church to observe in obedience to Christ or when againe given for her members to observe to her to intend that part of Christs body which shall be successively militant on earth to whom alone these instructions can be necessary and useful in both kinds But then again as this general duly of praising God before men can onely be performed by the visible Church because she hath onely power and opportunity therein yet since this power here on earth is subsistant by the separate jurisdiction of those particular Churches which constitute her Catholick body and she can in no other sence be termed Catholick with reference to any other head then of Christ himself it must be therefore granted that all those precepts for general obedience to the Church must be meant of every Church in particular as having onely use of jurisdiction to this purpose And as having besides according to the several inclinations of their owne people and the known affections of those of the world amongst whom they live the best and onely ability to know and command what is fittest to be done for advancing Gods glory according to the exigence of their particulars which otherwise in the strange mixture of Christianity with other religions throughout the world were not possible to be comprised under one certain or equal rule or to be known and executed by one single persons power And that the Church and civil jurisdiction of each place signifie the same and that by obedience to the Church obedience to the particular Church is ment will appear by that of our Saviour Mat. 18. where controversies are if not decideable by umperage to be told to the Church Under which name must be comprehended the present particular authority of that place because else how shall they go to it And it must be the civil as well as ecclesiastical authority also as having them conjoined because it determines particular personal injuries where brother offends against brother and one servant takes another by the throate saying pay what thou owest as the parable denotes But the conclusion is that the supream jurisdiction whilst it is Christian is the very Church we are to submit unto And those that will not hear the Church are to be unto us as Heathens and Publicans that is such as have renounced Christ by this their renoucing the Image of his authority the Christian Church whose definition and power be the thing of never so civil nature makes the breach of it a sin as on the contrary our obedience to them acquits us of guilt For it is from Christ they have this power that Whatsoever is bound on Earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever they shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven So that Christ having now blotted out that hand writing of Iewish Ordinances which was against us and released them from their litteral strictness to the extent of rational and natural laws and having also answered to God for the large morallity of the whole rule of providence leaving Christians at large in all things wherein their reason or Christian precept is not transgressed and lastly having left the charge for custody and enforcing these Christian precepts to every Christian Church who are thereupon to answer to him for the faults of the people the advantage that Christians have of living in a state of innocence is unquestionable and immoveable while they contiune obedient And therefore Christs Gospel might well be called Glad tytings and we may find that our Saviour made his general encouragement to the entertainment of him and his doctrine because his yoke was easy and his burthen light Insomuch that when he came in particlar to be asked what it was he answered in one command for both Tables thou shalt love c. including under the precept of love to God and our Neighbour all the law and the Prophets that is all things of faith and charity or of faith and obedience which is charities support First for our faith and its fundamental object life eternal is to know God and Iesus whom he hath sent he is the way the truth and the life the Authour and finisher of our faith on whom whosoever believeth hath everlasting life and on him that believeth not the wrath of God abideth Which one article comes therefore to be eminently necessary
so continually nor Vniversally resident as to be able to determine all differences nay they may be conceived included in the injunction too because they exercised their present power in a patriarchal right and way as shall be hereafter noted So that in regard of this injunction to obedience under the notion of Father c. the Christian Church had resemblance with the Jewish also for their laws and commandments being given by God before they were at that heigt as to be fitted to enjoy that statute officer who should as a constant publick Father command amongst them they had likewise their precept for obedience and respect couched under the notion of Father too in the fifth Commandment within the generality thereof including as well such temporary publick officers as should immediately command as that future setled officer of King prophetically designed to be over them in both Churches Now as these Fathers and Masters had and have entire jurisdiction in their families and Kingdomes because these could have but one head in chief so must it be granted that since there can be but one Church that is to say Catholick because Christ can have but one body and that body again but one head that therefore proportionably as any other authority and head shall come between Christ and this body so much will the separation and disunion of him with his body be encreased For to represent Christ in the whole Catholick Church is not so much to represent him as head as to be head in his room And in abatement of this ambitious humour is our Saviours reply to be construed which he made to the Children of Zebedee who would have transcended their Apostolical rank of parity and have been alone sitting above their fellow heads of Churches at the right and left hand of Christ. For if their suit had been but for equality they needed not to ask it nor do I see why any of the rest should have been so angry at it But to answer these it was that our Saviour sayes that those that had highest abilities in close and holy following of him might expect a reward or Crown in heaven for it but they were not after the manner of the Gentiles to exercise domini-over one another here The like are we to conceive of that example of washing his Disciples feet and many other places where he purposely gives directions and precepts against this ayme of Vniversal Government of most of which we shall have occasion to speak in discourses following As for the other Government by an independent consistory of the Clergy it must to all unbiassed judgements appear unreasonable for since as Subjects they are included in the general jurisdiction and authority of each kingdome so for order and peace sake they should by the same authority be subject to their diocessans as they again are to be to the Prince the head of that particular Church Where by the word Church is meant that assembly of Christian Believers which is divided from others by an entire jurisdiction of their owne and do thereupon come to be called this or that Church Noâ— Clergy men onely as if these were the sole members of Christs body and so as being more immediately imployed by authority about Church matters they as more strictly called Church men and spiritual guides might be judged as some do do have the sole and absolute power of the Church and to be the onely watch-men and guide of souls No their mission and power as immediately received from Christ is onely inward unto us that is over Gods kingdome therâ— they are perswade men to turn to the Lord with purpose of heart that is so settle in our hearts the foundations of faith and love which being wroucht in us by the holy Spirit they become thereupon so far as they are Gods Ministers to be Ministers of the Spirit not of the Letter being for directing men in their outward duties to have their power from that Church and Christian authority unto which themselves are subject But because that error grew from an in considerate necessity of our imitation of the primitive Church according to its first manner of Government it will be necessary to speak something thereof As God hath power and will have glory alone so it is necessary in the constitution of those things in which he will have his glory more eminently to abide that he have his power making and stateing them to be more remarkably and particularly manifest Thus in the Creation that was the foundation of all things else he acts alone and so much alone that his very word was the deed In that particular designation of a Church for his glory to be more eminent amongst men that the honour of doing might be more his owne he did first make use of the weakest means in humane reason for the foundation and establishment thereof In the first Church amongst the Jews and whilst they were in their weak and wandering condition as their need was greater so his personal protection and guidance of them was more express and apparent And therefore whilst they were in this Theocraty their government was not to be managed by any setled Vniversal authority besides himself or any one who took not in all weighty things immediate direction from him least the eminence of his owne glory should be hereby abated but they were to continue in their wonted obedience to the natural fathers of their families and tribes until such time as being throughly setled in peace and security from their enemies he might make his recess and according to his former promises permit and appoint them a King of their owne Nation Who as standing in his stead and authority now and being entrusted with the future preservation and guidance of that which God had so carefully brought to perfection there was the same reason why he should have remarkable eminence and authority then as why he should not at all have it before The same course we may see taken in the founding of the Christian Church also for they during the time of their owne persecution were as their weakness required in a Theocraty too that is to say guided by the express direction of our Saviour himself given to his Apostles during the time he was on earth and particularly as being conversant with them for the space of fourty dayes and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God And in those things wherein his direction was wanting they were to wait for the promise of the Father even the promise of the holy Ghost who should lead them into all truth Thereby came those spiritual Guides and Priests of the primitive Church to be sometime called Ministers and Pastors but commonly Presbyter from which the Dutch word Priester and our English word Priest are derived being a notion in the sence of antiquity importing Seniority jurisdiction and power whereby they coming to be enabled notwithstanding the
to be void also However before the time that the Magistrate was Christian the claim of immediate succession or possession were a good plea in it self and fit to be observed by others to avoide the danger of Schism as it was also then reasonable enough that in consideration the Bishop in each place was also supream head of the same under Christ that thereupon the designation or ordination of persons into offices of power might be at his dispose too yet since even then this his own ordination or choice and appointment into office was done by the people and in the same form whereby they constituted other Magistrates it will thereupon appear but reasonable that as this power to govern was by them then executed not as Evangelists barely but as the present supream Christian heads so should it be afterwards resigned to him that did succeed as supream in causes Ecclesiastical as well as Civil And as their ordination that is personal succession and appointment into these functions of power not their consecrations doth or should depend on his choice or negative voice as it did formerly on the people and Emperours it cannot be now thought reasonable they should claime any outward independent jurisdiction over the liberties or estates of others By due consideration whereof we may know how to distinguish between those several ordintions of power and Office which Saint Paul admonisheth Timothy to make use of For by that which in his first Epistle to him is set down as a gift given by Prophesie with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery we may understand that more civil election and ordination whereby those Presbyters or Elders the representative authority of that Church had it may be at Saint Pauls recommendation chosen him as their chief guide or instructor even because of that eminent guift of Prophesie or instruction they found in him into which Office we may suppose him afterwards confirmed and also consecrared by Saint Paul which he calls the gift of God which is in thee by the putting on of my hands For those places and cities being but partly Christians as yet whereby Saint Paul and other primitive Christian heads could not have entire jurisdiction it was reasonable even for the better obedience sake of those that did believe to submit the election of their Church guide to that very form they used in the choice of their other Magistrates And as in these last alledged Texts we finde both election and consecration set down in that phrase proper to Priestly administration onely namely laying on of hands so shall we elsewhere finde them both at once comprised under the expression proper to election of other Magistrates signifying holding up of hands called there ordaining The which Presbyterial way of choice continued still in the Church after the time that Emperors and Kings were Christian but not as at first for then these Presbyters did it as Rulers and Representatives of those places some of them being Preachers and some not whereas afterwads when whole Cities became Christians those of the chief of the Clergy of each diocess or jurisdiction took upon them to make these elections as the Chapiter of that place but it was still done or supposed to be according to recommendation or licence of that Prince or Emperour that had supream power over them all And however at first before the people of any place or City were wholly converted so as the jurisdiction could be entire under one Church head they might well be distinguished under the notions of Church and state as each might be under a separate authority yet when and where these power shall be united then and there all election and jurisdiction in the one sort as well as the other must be held dependant on this one supream Church head If we suppose those of the Clergy to be successors to Apostolical power by vertue of ordination received from the hands of one another as by a kinde of confederacy then since the efficacy of ordination is the same to all of them there must be now amongst us as many men in Apostolical power as there are men in orders because ordination having its efficacy as primarily inherent in the Apostles it must follow that all those derived ordinations must be equal one to another even as that fâ—rst act of ordination from the Apostles received was the same or equal to it self But of those that would set up an Vniversal Pope and of those that would set up a Pope by this means in every Parish I would ask how far they would have their jurisdiction to extend If they say they have right to all the Apostles had then have they right to command and be obeyed in all things for such right had the Apostles as shall be shewed anon If they say they have right to no more them was by then practised and so claime to succeed in the power of excommunication and Church censure so far as to extend it to corporal punishment then they will have much ado to make this all one with a spiritual jurisdiction and censure The truth is that we must look on the Apostles in their sentence of excommunication as punishing men in the highest measure they then could in regard of the engrosment of all coercive and vindicative power by the then Pagan Magistrates they lived under and not as thinking their refraining to keep a Blasphemer or an incestuous person company were a punishment adequate to such offences as by their hainousness and nature did argue already no regard to their society And again this act of excommunication was not then to banish him from them but themselves from him For as they could not force any to be of their society or come to their meetings so as the case stood then could not they force them from coming to any their publike meetings as well as others even when they were to celebrate the communion although they might forbear to eat whilst he was in the company So that now if the Church-men claime but the same measure of power the Apostles did or might then exercise and againe allow the person now excommunicate the like power with the other they will then finde the force and terrour of their excommunication as from themselves alone proceeding and without leave and assistance from the Magistrate to amount to just nothing If they claime all the jurisdiction and power that the Apostles as heads of Churches then had right unto they will have right to all power whatever that is power outward and civil as well as inward and spiritual For of that nature we shall finde many things that were taken into cognisance by those primitive heads and so lyable also to the censure and punishment of the Magistrates and civil laws of the Countrey as was that Incestuous act and would no doubt upon notice have been by them that had present power punished in a more remarkable and sensible degree then could
be by the Apostles that wanted it Whereupon as we finde Saint Paul comprising Fornication Covetousness Railing Drunkenness and Extortion under the then Church cognisance and censure as well as Idolatry it is to be concluded that the power and jurisdiction of each Churches present head was Vniversal and absolute as of right in it self to judge and punish in civil as well as spiritual causes Christ having then no Church head but them although in matter of execution he were as before noted many times restrained Upon which consideration we cannot any wayes assigne the now Gospel Ministers to be successours to the Apostles or primitive Bishops in what they did as the then heads of Churches but must appropriate that to Kingly right as shall be more fully declared hereafter All which no doubt with some other things elsewhere spoken will displease some of that order For although self interest as highest may make them differ about precedence amongst themselves yet to have their order eclipsed in any thing of honour or power cannot but displease because even self interest though not so direct is yet plainly therein also And therefore since Church-men are usually the best learned and commonly the onely Writers of Church matters and of State affairs also as often as any other it is no marvil if in so long a tract of time so many arguments and contrivances for deviding the Kings and establishing their separate authority have been craftily laid by some and as hastily entertained by others in order to the making them more powerful Amongst other things it may be observed how pride and arrogance hath brought those notions of Laicks and Ideots which were brought in by them whereby to be distinguished from other subjects to import rudeness ignorance and inferiority when as by means of their greater learning and favour divers priviledges and immunities were reserved to themselves The which God knows I dislike not otherwise then as finding it made destructive to publike peace and good For it is an order which of all other should I conceive have the highest rank and esteem amongst Subjects even for that their imployment is in such matters as are apparently in themselves and by publick approbation and appointment held of most immediate concern in Gods worship and service amongst us and is in many things of that nature as is not by others undertakable In which regard truly as much grieved I am to finde that present contrary and proportionable want of eminence and esteem given them in those places where Monarchy hath been ecclipsed or thrust out even by bringing them thereby so much lower as there followes to be more above them as I am offended at the extraordinary height and success of their Antichristian pride where some inseparable marks of Monarchy and government are held in their owne hands But however their success proves it will concern men that would be truly careful of their salvation and followers of things that make for peace to have an eye to the true fundamentals of religion delivered in holy Scripture and not be led away with the usurped interpretation of any unauthorised person whom they shall alwayes finde either directly ayming at their owne interest therein or else in passion or emulation to one another they will instead of satisfying our doubts be still encreasing extending their own differences amongst themselves until they have made them fundamentals and necessary to salvation Whereupon by Anathema's to their opponents they are to be observed to the accompilshment of their several dominions and honour in the Church continually espousing their owne quarrels upon us and engaging us in civil broiles If we do not this and keep not close to Christ himself that is to that authority which is next and most representing him we shall be in continual danger to be made believe by subordinat Ministers that not following of us that is not being of our Sect is all one as not to be Christians and to be against him And if self conceitedness could thus blinde our Saviours owne Disciples so far as to lead them to this rash mistake and that notwithstanding known miracles and profession made in Christs name what may we expect from the ambitious aims of men now living but that this following of us should be continually made as too good experience tells us it is the dayly bait to draw us farther from Christ under pretence of bringing us nearer So that whilst some are declaiming against authority and branding their commands as superstitious even in things wherein Christs honour and worship are neerly concerned they are yet found so resolute in their own particular sects and tenents that they would have mens belief and adherence to Christ to be measured onely by their belief and adherence to them which to my thinking is as high and plain Idolatry as any can be But the immediate following discourse of that text shews the temper and ayme of this humor when those very Disciples are endeavouring to wrest Eliahs president by drawing fire from heaven against that authority which opposed them the which although they were of another religion and jurisdiction too is yet rebuked by our Saviour as proceeding from a most ungospel-like spirit and shewing him to be subject to like passions with others And therefore for the true stating of these things we shall more briefly say that so far as they are to perform the work of Evangelists that is to preach unto us Jesus and to prove and declare him to be the only fundamental object of faith and salvation so far have they their power from God alone but so far as they have diocessan or parochial charge and are in paticulars to shew unto us how we are to obey him as Christ and King in any outward deportment so far are they to derive their authority from that Church power which had from Crhist power to ordain and separate them unto that work So far as they are entrusted with the guidance of Gods inward kingdom in our hearts that is to perswade men to faith in Christ which was the chief work of the primitive teachers amongst the Infidels so far are they Gods Ministers and not mans but as they are to meddle with mens abbearances and external behaviour in Christs Kingdome the Church that is to shew how to perform obedience to him being converted and acknowledging his power so far are they to have warrant from those his chief deputies in the Church Whereupon two things will plainly follow to the advantage of the Clergy above others First that in respect of their ordination they are to be held so properly Gods Ministers that in preaching and administration of the Sacraments and some other things none but they have power to intermeddle and yet are they not hereby excluded from having external jurisdiction and power over mens persons also if the authority of the Church wherein they live shall so think fit Nay when the representative authority of that
the good of men might be still really and truly held and reputed as Gods anointed In which sense we are to interpret that saying Touch not mine anointed and do my Prophets no harm Given to such as exercised their power by Patriarchal right before Kingship under the Law as also other phrases of Unction in the New Testament given to such as by means of some extraordinary gift in teaching and instruction exercised Church power in an Apostolical or Priestly right before Kingship under the Gospel Upon which grounds we must say also of the first Heads of Churches the Apostles and such like that although they could not because of their subjection to heathen Kings make much use of their power in Government over mens persons yet were they as heads of Churches thereunto as rightfully empowered as if they had been Kings and had had material unction the power as before noted belonging to Christs Vicar and not to the notions of Apostle King or the like But in after times amongst the Jews when the Power and Office of Kingship did succeed those former Unctions of power did now resolve and unite into this which was of highest eminence above any other and this stile of Gods Anointed was appropriate to Kings And although those other Functions of Priests and Prophets as parts clipt from the entire trust of Monarchy were therefore formerly sharers in this Unction and so were sometimes materially anointed also yet for that their anointings did signifie but some particular reservation of trust it might make them sons of oyl but could not confer on them the eminent stile of the Lords Anointed Which in the first place was due to the Christ that had all Power given him and next to his Adopted Christs in the Church And therefore we shall observe in Sacred Story that those Kings that were most upright in their Offices and Trusts towards God had least of their power shared by these other anointed persons Thus will you find David and Solomon and other good Kings not only in Supreme power and exercising their Authority without impeachment of these other anointed Officers but also some of them prophesying themselves and using authority over the Priests Whereas in the times of Jeroboam Ahab and such like you shall find the Prophets in greatest power and most intermeddling and to that end was Elisha anointed And also to warn these Kings and people from taking such courses as might draw down Gods vengeance to their destruction and so proceed to the overthrow of the Monarchy of that Church before the appointed time that the great Monarch of the Christian Church should change that former way of administration And as we before noted the first stiled Prophets to be such as were sharers of the unction of power of the first stiled King and that the Kings Saul David and Solomon had also this spirit of Prophesie in testimony of their right thereto for enabling them in their Offices of Government so shall we find this spirit of Jewish prophesie to expire with the last person that had this unction of power remaining namely Caiphas the high Priest being the last person that succeeded in that Church in the Seat and Authority of Moses and the Law For so it is plainly there set down that he Spake not this of himself but being high Priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should dye for that Nation c. And so again this his Prophesie is afterwards plainly set down to be the same with Counsel where it is said Caiphas was he that gave Counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should dye for the people And if we make not this Prophetick Office and Trust a part of Monarchical and Kingly Function and so for some time executed by the High Priest I see not how any footsteps or remains of the Government and Scepter of Judah could be found visibly continuing until the coming of our Saviour So that now since the time of Christs uniting these Offices in himself and thereby also abolishing the necessity of any fixed Ceremonial Law and consequently of any external Priestly jurisdiction separate from that of the Monarch and again by the division of the kingdom government of his Church amongst so many heads subordinate unto him that there need not as amongst the Jews where was but one nation be any distinct settlement of the Prophetick to direct against the overthrow of kingship therein there seemed no such use of reservation because if one or two should through iniquity or indiscretion fail yet all could not Therefore it cannot now be reasonably contradicted that the power of each Churches jurisdiction is wholly centred in the person of each Christian Prince by deputation from that supreme head thereof that was Priest and Prophet as well as King The full proof of this connexion will appear by due consideration of that place of Moses where he recounting again Gods recess from Government and instruction as from himself and commending the peoples desire herein promiseth that God will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto him from whose mouth they shall receive all Gods commands By which words of a Prophet like unto me we are to understand a chief Ruler or King like unto Moses for the notion of Prophet seperately considered was never rightly given to Moses And so doth Nathaniel interpret this Prophet to be the King of Israel And generally so did that whole Nation expound it also as may appear by the peoples readiness to make him a King when they perceived he was that great Prophet that should come into the world Whence we may plainly perceive that as to be a Prophet in chief imports to the same as to be a Governor in chief so is the Governor in chief to be reputed and obeyed as the Prophet or instructer in chief Prophesie signifying the same with Instruction and Instruction being proper to persons in Authority And therefore if the Apostles and other heads of Churches in the Primitive times had this power over persons miraculously gifted by God and whom themselves had not set up in Authority being extraordinarily by God Called and Ordained thereunto How much more may the heads of Churches now claim it over such as have not extraordinary revelation from Heaven nor any Church jurisdiction but what is from themselves derived For these may now challenge as supreme Christian heads of each Church the re-union of that power which was separately by other Christian heads enjoyed whilst they were none and upon the same reason of infidelity that made their former Christian subjects deny them obedience in some things they are now being Christians to claim it as entire to themselves And therefore as we before noted the Apostles and such like former Christian heads to have sole rightful power whilst the King was not a Christian and that he was but an usurper in what he did in the Church so
hath he not put them in such a condition as they could not do otherwise To which purpose as Iob in the fortunes of this world so we for tryal of our faith are suffered to have tares and false lights sowed amongst us by that wicked one that we from thence escaping might arise more glorious in the praise of the goodness and power of that God to whose glory and service we directed it and to the greater condemnation of him that in so great a light fell away Nor yet can there be any ground taken from thence for any such impious conjecture as that God proposed these lights and truths to his Church as in mockery and with direct intention of rendring them ineffectual through obscurity and not as truly and sincerely therein purposing their benefit and salvation For we may confidently affirm that the discovery of the errors and inconveniencies of Atheism Antichristianism Uncharitableness Disobedience c. are in nature and many places of Scripture so plainly delivered and the contrary truths and duties so evidently exprest and asserted that it were not possible for any man whom licentiousness hath not prejudiced and pre-possessed with the spirit of Infidelity Rebellion Malice Stubornness or the like to be ignorant thereof upon any reasonable inquiry But if the corruption of our depraved nature helped on with the malice of that wicked one most forward to sow his tares in the field of the Church and most ready to enter the places thus swept and garnished do so commonly keep us from discerning those truths and duties which we are so loath to find and conceive to be such it is not as before noted to be wondred at And to come nearer our own present business by instance if there should have been set down in Scripture such plain Precepts for settling the office and power of Monarchy as should have necessarily and universally driven men to implicite obedience to that Government and none else it would not only have overthrown our liberty and rendred all men equally good and bad as aforesaid but also have endangered the loss of Gods honor the end of mans conservation whilst it thus for peace sake went about to confer it too closely and absolutely on his deputy on whom as in a kind of Idolatry men might else come to fix those express returns of thanks and praise which to God himself were only due as to their fountain and original These lessons intending as well to enjoyn obedience in subjects to whom all places of obedience must be understood as to take off arrogance in Princes and so each one to learn their own parts not that of others And therefore when we shall find Christ so obsure in his description of the Kingdom of God or heaven and of his appearing as to give occasion to some to think the words altogether to imply Gods inward Kingdom or Christs coming to judgement at the last day and not his glorious appearance in his Kingdom the Church it is not much to be admired to be misconstrued and that construction always made use of by such prejudiced minds as are loath to examine how then it should be true that the Apostles themselves should desire to see one of the days of the Son of man and should not see it it being unconceivable how they should not see his second coming to judgement or not be partakers of his glory therein as well as of his inward comforts here Upon which grounds we may also find reason why our Saviour was so close and reserved in all those places where he hath occasion to speak of that power he was to delegate and leave to his Apostles even so that he not only forbears to put their Authority under the plain notion of obedience and doth it under the more familiar terms of hearing or receiving saying He that receiveth or heareth you heareth or receiveth me But also whilst he is giving them this power he doth so intermix it with such other discourses that may seem or are common to others also that the Apostles themselves could not it is like understand the plenitude of their own power until after his Resurrection that he had particularly spoken to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God Which things being the proper duties and instructions of the Apostles only was the reason we find him not mentioning the like to any other person And when by reason of this obscurity S. Peter is asking whether themselves or all are spoken to he neither gives answer I nor no but as before noted goes on with the description of the duty of their Offices under the notion of Stewards Which office although it must of consequence draw on eminence and power in Gods houshold the Church yet he delivers the duty thereof in such expressions as might concern others as well as themselves But when there or in other places he is instructing to humility most we are to conceive it done because the Authority of this office is most subject to tempt to pride and oppression And where we find him so frequent in giving admonitions to mutual love and particularly so often giving his Apostles warning for loving one another and so expresly forbidding them to seek to exercise Authority one over another as it cannot be construed as excluding their just authority over such as are under them so this admonition is to be conceived of high import to the peace and good of his whole Church Which might else by the disagreement of these several Heads in their divided jurisdictions one against another draw on perpetual wars by their ambitious seeking to encroach on their frllow Stewards Office and Authority and not resting content with their own Charge Which Gentile imitation or striving to obtain a sole Monarchy in Christs whole Church as formerly the Greeks Romans or others had done in the world hath been as experience tells us not only unsuccesful to the undertakers but always of high mischief to Christendom And therefore if this seasonable admonition of mutual service and love one to another do oftner and more plainly appear to be given to the Apostles then the description of their power there is good and plain reason for so doing We may also find reason from hence why the Apostles themselves were so mysterious and dark in declaring their own great Power in the Church So that S. Paul having been put to it by his stubborn Corinthians doth yet do it as in a mystery for fear of arrogating too much to himself and through his too great eminence in power to prove more obnoxious to the rest of the world and more scandalous to his new Believers Therefore saith he These things brethren I have in a figure transferred to my self and to Apollo for your sakes that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against another Meaning that as he
consent be neâ—â—ssary And therefore those that would wrest those words of humane Creature to import that all kindes of Regiment and power which men exercise one over another is but of humane Authority and institution would make the Apostle contrary to himself for it is plain that he writing to the converted Jews amongst other admonitions to good behavior to observe this of submission to Authority could not be imagined to have made that an Argument thereunto which should have been quite destructive thereof For if the Argument had run thus You are to submit your selves to all such forms of Government as you shall be under inasmuch as they being all but things of humane device and having no power but what they as a new sort of humane Creatures had received from those many deities their own Subjects it is therefore Reason that you should submit your selves unto them for the Lords sake even because your selves as setters of them up have power above them No certainly it is best to interpret humane Creature or Man in the general to imply and be put by way of excellence for man in particular that is for that supreme and eminent person in each Country who as the representer of all men therein had Authority to command every humane creature in his jurisdiction For we are to submit our selves to every Ordinance of man thus vertually and collectively considered and not to every Ordinance of every man else that should take upon him to command us Because this were to confound the persons submitting with those to be submitted unto and to make the injunction useless if to be fulfilled by what we as men did enjoyn to our selves or impossible if bound to submit to every man besides Whereupon we may conceive that by way of pre-occupation those words of humane Creature or humane Ordinance are put in with that latitude by St. Peter Namely the better to fasten their subjection who having had amongst themselves the office and race of their Kings so expresly designed from God himself might else have bogled at the submission to kingship elsewhere as thinking them but of humane device and power And therefore we may interpret him admonishing them who were now to have their conversation honest amongst the Gentiles to be subject to these higher powers although no such express divine designation did so appear but that their offices powers might seem but of humane Creation For they were to know that those powers were of God and that therefore they were to submit themselves for the Lords sake that was the Author of every just derived power Which words for the Lords sake as they may serve to explain the power to be of God however humane device or custom be intervenient so will they serve to restrain the generality of the object of our submission formerly set down by conferring it onely on such as can claim it for the Lords sake namely to Kings as supreme or to governors as sent of him of which more hereafter So that then our submission one to another shall be made good by giving it to our Elders or to such as from the Lord have power to require it even as also the way to honor all men which would have seemed a strange as well as difficult precept is in the same verse explained by Honor the King For by honoring him above other humane Creatures and by honoring others as he appoints I can onely rightly honor all men and give every one their due For as by fearing God above all I give fear to whom fear so by honoring the King I give honor to whom honor So that lastly by this restriction of all humane Ordinance and Authority unto Kings as supreme we may note St. Peter to be explanatory of his brother Paul who in his Epistles as he had many things hard to be understood and which the unlearned and unstable did wrest to their own destruction so this wresting and the damnation or destruction thereupon following was nowhere to be so much feared as by interpreting that those higher Powers he appoints us to be subject unto are but such as are indeed the lowest powers being but such as are ordained of our selves and not such as are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rightfully derived powers from the true I am or original Being himself and so given by him to one Deacon or Minister here below viz. to the King to whom therefore we are to be subject for the Lords sake that is in acknowledgement of Gods power abiding in him so far as to authorize him in this his Office And therefore it will now appear a most unreasonable supposition that any should give what they never had for from whom had the people this power Why should we confound or substract their relation as subjects and instead of a capacity to be governed think they had power of governing Or if they had who was then the governed For take away one relation the other will also fall Or will you suppose in them a vain power that should never be brought into act in them as in the hands it was first put Why should we think God so unnecessary in his dispensations Is it not more agreeable with reason and truth to put this power directly into the hands of the persons that should manage it then by such long deviations first to give it to the people that the people may give it to the Prince that the Prince may again give and make use of it unto and upon the people and all to no other end but by this reciprocal dependency to be at last both of them independent on the true Author of all power which is God himself But this opinion of the Prince his dependent power on the Peoples grows usually from the observation men make of the different powers which Princes have over their Subjects in comparison of one another as thereupon concluding that if this power belong to the Office and to Kings as Kings and that from God who is no respecter of persons but gives to every man and so to Kings what is due and necessary for their callings how comes one King to be less absolute then another Is it not say they from the different stipulations with their people at their Coronations and Elections when by them they are tyed to the observation of such Laws and Customs as do more or less streighten them By which means changing the former Argument about derivation of Kingly power it self into the manner or measure of its execution they think to obtain their conclusion But the Question is not whether the proprietors of any thing by the Law of God or Nature not being particulary restrained may suspend or dispose of part of their rights or not but it is whether Princes be hereof proprietors or not And they that think Princes are impowered from their subjects have their mistake hereof because from these obtrusions or Pactions
and three and so to discover the Major Vote in his subjects assemblies must be supposed to be still ready without any thwarting presumption of his own understanding to cry implicitly So be it to all that his subjects shall command But if people in that condition be under a woe it is because of their Prince his disability to judge and act in his own person for surely his resemblance of Children in innocence cannot be a woe it must follow that the more the Prince is made a childe by his Subjects and hath his power eclipsed the more woe will that kingdom proportionably have And they that yet think the whole or major part of the people above the King and not subject to his commands let them consider even the power given to Ieroboam himself from God to reign according to all his soul desired Let them also that think the generality or major part of the subjects cannot in case of resistance be called Rebels again consider the censure God gave to the Representative whole body of the people when they rejected Rehoboam and followed Ieroboam saying And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day neither the major Vote of eleven Tribes to one nor their pretention of oppression under Solomon could excuse them of the guilt of this imputation nay although the action were but in pursuance of what was before appointed by God in punishment of Solomon his Fathers fault Which was the reason why Rehoboam was forbidden to take vengeance on these Rebels as his Grandfather David had before on these major numbers and representative bodies of the people gathered against him in Absolom and Adonijahs rebellions therefore is he and the people with him bidden to return to their houses Yet because the eleven Tribes had no direct warrant from him who alone is above Kings this crime of rebellion is not to be wiped off but on the contrary disavowed by God as concerning the fact it self for it is there said That the Priest and Levites and all whose hearts were right set to serve God returned from following Ieroboam And therefore that expression of all Israels coming to Sechem to make Rehoboam King must be understood not as having power to elect another but as summoned by Rehoboams command to pass their fealties and acknowledgements to him that was already in actual possession of his Father Solomons Throne for so we shall finde it noted in the verse foregoing the recital of this story And Solomon slept with his Fathers and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead And so also after this revolt did he continue reigning over Judah without any mention of popular confirmation For it seems those of Judah had acknowledged their Alleageances unto him already without any such dispute which being ordinarily done to him and others may seem the reason of the remarkable record of this denial And we may yet more plainly see what this phrase of the peoples making of Kings doth import by the like expression used at the time of their acknowledgements to Solomon his Father for although the people had no hand of Authority in it but that as David made Solomon his son King over Israel yet David then summoning all the Princes of Israel the Priests and the Levites to take notice of this and other his directions about the Temple and so concluding with a Sacrifice as was usual at the peoples promise of Fealty and Alleageance it is said that they did eat and drink before the Lord with great gladness and they made Solomon the son of David King the second time and anointed him to be chief Governor to the Lord and Zadock to be Priest Which words second time must relate to their first making of him when being anointed King by Zadock at the command of David all that the people did to the making of him or conferring his power was but as in acknowledging him made already with saying God save King Solomon or the like which as it was fit for that ordinary rank of people assembled at his first making so in this solemn convention of the great ones Princes c. we may suppose some actual Fealty to pass unto this chief Governor unto the Lord both when that Congregation did bow their heads and worship the Lord and the King and also when it is said all the Princes and the mighty men and the sons likewise of King David submitted themselves unto Solomon the King that is acknowledged him their King by such personal outward acts of homage as were usual amongst that people for so the word submitted doth bear in the original Besides it is likely that at this time also they took their Oaths of Alleageance in other places implyed under the name of Covenants Which Oaths are alluded unto in that precept of Solomon My son I councel thee to keep the Kings command and that in respect of the Oath of God And as for the expression of the peoples annointing of Solomon used before and to other Kings it is not to be understood as if they had right to confer the power belonging to Kingly Office on any for they had it no more then they had right to confer the power of Priestly Office And therefore Zadock being joyned in this their anointing who it is well known was put in by Solomon before shews that the phrase was but equivalent with acknowedging And that because at Solomons first establishment the greater part of the people were absent as being sharers in Adonijahs Rebellion Who indeed if he had thriven might have been called a King of the peoples making as to his personal election whereas Solomon and other Kings are to own their Thrones and power from God And therefore it is said That Solomon sat on the Throne of the Lord as King c. and all Israel obeyed him that is obeyed him as in Gods Throne and not in theirs And that it is God onely that doth constitute the power of this Office appears by that which follows viz. The Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel and bestowed upon him such royal Majesty as had not been on any King before him But let us examine more neerly those places that seem most to restrain Soveraignty as the last verse of Deut. 17. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren which may seem to imply that he had no absolute power over them But it was not to forbid him any necessary power and authority over them for punishment of vice or maintenance of peace nor of any external honor or jurisdiction above them for then had the Office been useless but as a caveat to humility and that he should consider that however he were thus advanced it was more in relation to the good of the people then his own and that since his supreme authority over them was to make them happy by unity and not him proud by preferment
covetousness or revenge have respect onely to himself or some of his own favorites without equal justice to all according to the Laws of God Nature and his Conscience he is so far a Tyrant as he shall then press it forcibly to the overthrow of anothers Liberty or Property For in so doing he ceaseth to act in the capacity of a publike person and taking on him the affections incident to a private man he doth thereupon become tyrannical and unjust Nay more if he for favor or fear of the seeming whole people or any party thereof shall against known Equity or his Conscience put to death any one of his Subjects upon no other consideration but in complyance to them or shall not protect him to the hazard of his life or estate in case of oppression he is a murtherer to boot upon the same ground that Pilate was who by washing of his hands could not cleer his fault of deserting the innocent And of this kinde of Tyranny soft and weak Princes can hardly be free For they are ever over-ruled by seperate orders or persons of their Subjects who must in their prosecutions have partial designs For these Princes being by their unactive spirits kept from knowledge of the true state and dangers of things the threats and power of such as they are most obnoxious unto prevail with them to believe their private ends dangers and wrongs to be his and thereupon is his Authority made to become tyrannical by execution of these mens interest and revenge upon their fellow Subjects But they that are so ready to accuse and cry out against the severe Governments of Princes as tyrannies because by degrees themselves would be lawless may consider that Princes can never tyrannize that is seek to destroy or severely punish their subjects as subjects but as under the notion of their rebels and such that will not be subjects he always doth and may punish They are to consider that tyranny can never proceed from a Prince of the same Religion to any height where stubbornness did not precede as a cause and which humility might not extinguish or abate For as it is not tyranny when a Prince subjecting a forraign people that war with him punisheth them or useth them with severity no more is it when done against such of his own people as disobey or resist For they in that case taking the event upon their own hazard have their punishment as enemies and not as subjects which may be cruelty but cannot be Tyranny For that must onely be the unjust and excessive infliction of a power submitted unto and not from the degrees of triumph or possession made by a victor And those reports of such as Nero To wish all Rome one neck that it might be cut off at a blow do become his murtherers to tell more then us to believe For I cannot see how a rational man which none denied him to be should at the same time he aims at Empire and Dominion wish or plot the lessening of it And from hence most evident it is that Tyranny is as before noted but the usual term of political railing used by such as aim at total insubjection for otherwise they would have better agreed in stating of Tyranny and its marks and degrees so as Princes might have known and avoided it If usually Government it self at least such wherein themselves were not chief were not the intended extream they meant to abolish under the odium of Tyranny I would fain know why we have not found out as odious a name to express the other extream by that is the excess of Princes rewards and favors as well as that of Tyranny to express their punishments Being onely because that no man is afraid of being too much rewarded but rather would have that extream pass as a vertue that it may always be run into by Princes And upon this reason again in the severe carriage of the Master of the Family we use no such expression of Tyranny because it might come about to our selves and yet is the Father and Husband more subject to contract irreconcileable displeasure against Wife and Children then the Prince against his subjects For he may suspect his Wifes honesty and his childrens extraction which by no action complyance or submission of theirs can be avoided But the Subject cannot but be beloved in that relation of a Subject and always in his power it is to make himself known to be such an one And if severity in punishment must make Princes to be Tyrants who can judge of that or its excess or just measure but he must thereupon be above the Prince And will not all Government be more or less Tyranny because there is always more or less severity If Tyranny be when the Laws of God and Nature are transgressed as is sometimes defined we are still to seek how to be bettered by this information for who shall judge of that above the Prince also so far as to condemn him of the breach of any positive Law of God since he is as chief Magistrate under God to have their custody and interpretation or of any injustice in Government which as his trust can be tryed onely by his Conscience But this definition will inform us that Tyranny is so far from proceeding from power that it is alwayes in the want thereof For Princes are accompted Tyrants as they stand Subjects that is to the laws of God or Nature Whence we may inferr That Tyranny is the act of Oppression forceably committed by one Subject upon another For so was the taking Naboths Vineyard tyranny not solely because Ahab had private respect therein but because he proceeded according to sentence of authority derived from himself in a particular wherein God had not referred any jurisdiction unto him but wherein they stood both equally subject For that God having by express command from himself during the time that state was in a Theocracy forbidden the alienation of inheritances and the People being yet bound severally to look to the external obedience of these Laws as they were set down by Moses Naboth might well make that answer he did God forbid I should give the Inheritance of my Fathers unto thee Importing that because God had expresly forbid it me to whom I am in the first place to be subject therefore I cannot alienate or give it unto thee And that this reply was more grounded on fear of displeasing God then sense of injury to himself may be also concluded by the reasonableness of Ahabs offer unto him namely of Money or exchange above the worth But because in the Jewish State although Kings were eminently entrusted the literall observation of the Law was still universally obliging and to be obeyed by each one in particular in order to the outward way of regiment God then exercised therefore could not any King therein by his command free them from guilt in such externall performances as their conscience told them were
wil allow him power in general to lay Taxes according to publike occasions so thereupon also to judge in particular what is the concern of these occasions and the charges and expence in them required according whereunto he must have power in his Levies And they that from the instance of Naboths Vineyard would conclude for the same absoluteness of Proprieties under the Gospel will farther finde themselves mistaken for that unto the Jews their promises for reward of obedience ran still in a strain of this kinde Blessed shalt thou be in thy basket in thy store c. but under the Gospel not a Promise that way but rather Blessed are the poor woe to the rich c. And as for this reason it was not to be in the Prince his power to punish whom God hath rewarded so again these established proprieties belonging necessarily to the support and division of the several Tribes and Families their alienation from Tribe to Tribe and Family to Family was prohibited by him that had promised and foretold that our Saviour according to the flesh should come of the Tribe of Judah and seed of David All which considerations were the reason to keep that exactness of Heraldry and Genealogies amongst them lest the knowledge and proof of both David and his Family should have been confounded or lost So that by this means particular mens proprieties having an end or good looking beyond the good of that Jewish Nation it was the reason that neither the Prince the Representative of that Nation onely nor the proprietors themselves could without leave from God the sole universal Proprietor of Jews and Gentiles have power to sell and alienate their Proprieties of Land more then they could change or lose ther Families or Names But after our Saviors birth the heir of all things our Proprieties are to be retaken in him on other conditions and to be held but as of him or his chief Ministers not as in absolute severalty but in such manner and measure as these his deputies shall finde fittest for supply of that general want which other our brethren under their charge shall require All which we may observe intimated not onely by our Saviors sending for the Ass before mentioned but in the primitive selling their hereditary possessions Of Lands or houses and laying them at the Apostles feet By which deed they in the name and behalf of succeeding Christians did renounce legal unconditionate Propriety and shew themselves now willing to accept of the distributions of Christs Ministers to be held no otherwise from the common enjoyment of others then the common owner shall authorise And however the Apostles during the power of heathen Magistracy could not have compelled Ananias to have submitted his former title to their dispose but that he might have kept it still his own yet was their fact that did so left as a commendable president for Christian submission to authority upon publike occasions But now upon all these grounds and reasons before mentioned it will appear that Polarchies must amongst other their defects of right Government be faulty also in this matter of Propriety First for that they in their separate and unwarrantable jurisdictions being not capable to unite and represent as from under God the whole and intire Propriety of each Country cannot thereupon be able to distribute and settle legal and rightful portions to each particular person and Family but each separate person and Family herein undertaking to be possessors and sharers by Authority derived from themselves onely and not from any above them must thereupon be unjust and partial usurpers And again the Polarchs having distinct Proprieties whether you respect them as divided amongst themselves by Factions or from one another singly by that particular love which must follow the care of each mans Propriety they can in neither consideration accompt their Proprieties and the publike to be the same and convertible but must be supposed to proceed both partially and oppressively in their Levies And because the Governors themselves consist of different interests and judgements from one another they must also be guided in what they do upon those below or upon one another respectfully to that self-regard according as they can drive it on by Faction and not out of general consideration as before noted And as this will cause them to be partial and unjust and by reason of unequal concern laying more on one part of their subjects then another as they shall conceive them friends or enemies under the notion of well-affected or ill-affected so will this their own multitude cause them generally to be oppressive in that they with all their allyes and dependances striving still to engross so large a part of the publike stock in their private hands will hereupon be put upon continual plots to make and raise Taxes out of which they may raise their own fortunes also which is the reason why the Taxes and Levies in Polarchies run so high over they do in Monarchies of proportionable bigness CHAP. VIII Of Law Justice Equity c. EXcept God Almighty who alone is omniscient and to whom by creation and omnipresence the goodness deserts intentions and actions of all creatures with all their circumstances and relations are truely valued and known there is not unto any thing else imparted such a sufficiency of comprehension as to make a perfect and true estimate of the morality of actions and distinguish between right and wrong equity and iniquity For as unto him the rightful Judge of all things this ability was only necessary and proper so to men and other creatures to whom subjection did onely belong it is more fit we should know what then why to obey And indeed the sad price of our fall hath furnished us no farther then with a seeming knowledge herein and to no other avail then to prove us thereby the more blinde because we now think we see Examine our abilities in this search even of those things that concern most each mens particular and we shall finde that while cuâ—â—om education or the like prevail as the censures of good and bad in objects and actions and that this is differing again according to each parties inclination and constitution the knowledge of good and bad must consequently have no certain or fixed aboad And if thus in what is so nigh unto us and concerning our own more private good what can be expected in things or actions of more general concern and wherein more general approbation should concur Will it not hence follow that if I have no sufficient ability to judge what is good for my self I should have much less to do it for another So that experience of the different disputes hence arising not to be satisfied and silenced by every mans own wisdom brought men everywhere for quietness sake to refer themselves herein to custom and publike allowance insomuch as now Justice Equity and Right is whatsoever the lawful Authority of each
that they may as having power therein from God both refuse his commands and also subject him to the obedience of their own Authorities and Offices they should doe well to consider that God can have but one supreme Magistrate namely the King and that all others can have power but as sent of him They should consider that God hath made him Keeper of both Tables so as to preside over us in all things as well of Religious as Civill cognisance In which respects we can no more divide him in his entire Trust and delegation in these things then we can divide the author of these Trusts in his sole Power therein also Now it might be demanded of these men That since these Magistrates and intrusted Officers had their places from the Prince onely and since without Commission and power from him they could not have had Power in any thing outwardly to be exercised more then other ordinary Subjects how should it therefore come to pass that by vertue of a Deputation to serve and be subordinately assisting unto him they can claim right and power to be unsubjected and in any thing above him But we shall here somewhat examine the usuall ground of this stubbornness which is by distinguishing at their pleasures Religious and Civil duties one from another and then making men obliged to obedience in the first sort to Gods precepts onely with this farther supposition that themselves or such are they fancy are to be obeyed as his Magistrates therein And they then stint the Princes power to be onely exercised in what they refuse and shall call Civil matters of which distinction of duties we shall speak more fully anon In the mean time because the conceit of Magistrates distinct and unsubordinate power hath arisen from belief of this distinction of duties we are to consider in brief that being now Christians we cannot at our private pleasures renounce and take off that general relation and say that in such and such particulars we act as natural men in such as civil men and in such onely as Christians but since now all unrighteousness is sin and a sin against God too even to the degree of an idle word so hath God united the high trust and oversight of all these things to this his onely supreme Magistrate And this in so neer a tye of obedience as where he is not divided in himself that is to say differenced from us in Religion but is a Christian as well as we there we cannot more divide from his Authority in our Christian obedience then we can in our Civil without dividing Christ that gave him this Office and separating him likewise from his right of Kingship over us and so affirm that we are to obey Kings as Gods deputies in the State but not as Christs in the Church For albeit in some Assemblies of Christian Subjects where persons in holy Orders do more particularly appear and preside as being an Assembly by the Prince constituted for more neer examination and stating what in the Scripture is more particularly contayned or what is more expresly tending to Gods Worship and Service Princes may be thought thereupon secluded yet since they are still Christians Subjects as others and have as we said their whole Assembly and their particular powers therein authorized from the same head that other Assemblies have we may conclude that each Kingdom is as well such a Church as such a Kingdom And as Christ is head of the Church and King of Kings too so is each King under him head of both also and while he continues a Christian Magistrate he must be always so obeyed and acknowledged And although where the Prince or Supreme Magistrate is no Christian as in the infancie of Christianity it fared the saying is useful of giving to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and of obeying God rather then man because in that case the Magistrate not undertaking to be Gods or Christs Vicegerent at all so as to promote their honor and worship but it may be the contrary it were strange to give him the power of the Church which he will not own but rather refuseth Therefore he refusing to act as a Christian Magistrate in matters of Divine Precept we must have recourse to Gods command our selves or to such representation as any Assembly of the Church at that time can have But where the supreme Magistrate is a Christian there as in all his relations he is supreme to the rest of his Subjects so is he in all his commands to be obeyed as a Christian Magistrate For if that rule of giving to Caesar c. be taken litterally and expresly so as to exclude Kings as Kings from being Gods Ministers and Magistrates in Church matters it must again exclude God from medling in secular affairs or matters of the Commonwealth doing thereby not so much wrong to Kings as to God himself For since without a Magistrate nothing can be done in the Law-makers absence all Laws of Religion must then remain arbitrary and useless and God would by consequent be as well thrust out of religious power as directly hereby excluded out of the Civil So that when that or the Precept of obeying God rather then man is to be taken of direct use and force it must be when Subjects stand subjected as aforesaid or else as we said in the case of new express command from God or Christ himself received who as the higher power must then be obeyed as in that particular case wherein this sentence was spoken may appear For Christ having himself particularly and expresly said to his Apostles Go teach all Nations for them to have obeyed Magistrates forbidding them to teach any more in his Name had been expresly to have obeyed man rather then God and to have put them in danger of Woe if they preach not Even as on the other side to hearken to such Precepts as come to be invented and pressed by private men contrary to the sense of Gods publike Minister and without express revelation therein from God which he is evidently to prove is as done against Gods command to obey man rather then God also And this not onely whether the doers be private persons or else subordinate Magistrates For all power being in the King and they deriving theirs as sent of him as they cannot claim obedience from others but by Authority from him so they must as private persons in respect of him give obedience to him by whose power under God they had this their jurisdiction CHAP. XII Of the Right of Dominion HAving hitherto spoken of the duty of subjection and particularly to Kings it will farther be necessary to say something in designation of the persons that so the stubborn may be without excuse and the Consciencious have direction and satisfaction as far as may be what to follow We must now again therefore consider that as mans obligation of Praise
the government and for the present to bring our selves into such confusion as what or who to obey is uncertain then onely I suppose enquiry is to be made what direction for well settled obedience can follow this disorder In which case as men must be first presumed to have forsaken the command of God and King and all that hath power above them so being now to be supposed to have no other then the guide of nature and self-interest to follow it might be by some thought that what was before shewed as allowable in nature in the dealings of each man towards other in order to self-defence and security should be warrantable to each faction during their contest as supposing them to be as so many single men united by their distinct interests Whereupon they might argue that as each one is by nature or reason directed and warranted to secure it self to the utmost against fear and the quantity of that fear and the security thereupon to be taken being left to his judgement also it will follow that any faction may herein proceed even to the death or other overthrow of its opposers and enemies if in its judgement his own preservation so require For in doing otherwise and out of pitty onely sparing it would be to transgress the Law of Nature and Reason and to prefer the sence of anothers preservation before its own Therefore each party being diversly affected and so looking upon each other as enemies they must consequently be each of them intent to provide for their own securities and whether they put it to the issue of war or not the weaker is necessarily at the discretion of the stronger even so that what of liberty or property is remaining he is bound in gratitude to the other as of a free gift But in this case there is great disparity for the single man had a separate will and understanding by nature implanted for his own guide and security even as all other natural agents but we cannot say that nature hath so united a multitude of any sort nor can we pick out any example amongst creatures where by joynt understanding and will multitudes did command multitudes nor can they so do with any colour of right otherwise then as they are now Monarchical and under one man or were made an independent community by their Prince And therefore I should rather think that the most rational course that in this case can be taken to recover their former happiness and peace I am sure that most Religious and conscientious it is that they return to the same form of government and obedience under which they formerly enjoyed them For although it might seem for the present tollerable for each faction to stand upon tearms of safety and defence against the other yet since the destruction of their former government must be acknowledged unlawful they are to consider that till they return to that form again they are in no true political way but do altogether depend upon the natural way of continual force And that though for the present what they do as men and in order to their securities might be allowable yet looking on themselves as Christians they must make what hast they can to be settled in the onely commended and right form again as knowing their present actions have no ground in true Religion For though it might be in meer nature allowable for their whole body supposed as one man as aforesaid to impose on the other yet since they can never be truely one in interest whilst not acting by one mans command it will still fall out that several parties of them will impose too then which nothing more unreasonable No nor unjust it being plain partiality thus to prosecute the designs and interest of one party to the overthrow of another For although self-love be natural and just as heretofore noted in which regard any one man on either side might warrantably act his designs to the prejudice of any one on the other yet since none of the particular parties can have an entire interest it must therefore follow that in acting all the other interests of the rest of the faction to the overthrow of others equally his neighbor he is partial and unjust having in nature no warrant to love one man better then another This injustice being onely avoided in that party that adheres to a Monarch or Prince and so joyning with him in his entire interest and claim do all of them act but as one person Whereas else that different degree of love or hatred or interest which each person on the one side bears to each one on the other must make them unequal and unjust prosecuters So that although in case of self-defence against an unlawful invasion or in some cases of acquisition and gain it may be for the present allowable for men in this sort to unite and act without a joynt supreme authority especially where it cannot for the present be had yet in case of government wherein a constant and settled way of managery of this common security and stock of riches is required the case will be otherwise For in the first condition each one may be supposed firmly and uniformly united and equally acting his own interest both in relation to self-defence and gain even because each one seeking these things in the highest measure he can doth thereupon equally consider each one on the opposing side as an enemy to himself nor doth look on those of his fellows but as equally his friends Whereas on the other side when places of honor and command tending to common security or the common revenew and stock of a Nation come to be divided or assertained amongst the subjects themselves in these cases there being a differing enmity and competition necessarily to arise about the distribution and managery of these offices and proprieties between party and party in the same association it cannot be avoided but that the unequal ambition and covetousness residing in the several persons must make them without a common united head unequal and unjust guides and distributors of those things wherein they must constantly have such partial and unequal respect to one another Therefore I conclude that true natural reason or justice no more warrants them to continue and exercise this kinde of authority in shew of a lawful government then Scripture and nature warranted them in remove of their old So that now out of a conscientious prudence they should have a fellow feeling of each others sufferings and not continue perpetual judges over such as they can have no jurisdiction upon They are not now to think they have right to continue this their present tyranny over their fellows For none other it is when government is exercised by any persons or orders of men but such as have by their offices power from God which since these cannot have as heretofore noted It is not their specious and formal way of proceeding can make their actings to the
do I believe but those that through interest and partiality would decline obedience to the present Prince would yet on their parts expect his protection in case any violence should be offered But men are led to misconceive of actions of this nature for want of due regard how the same person stands accountable for what he doth herein according to that different condition he stood in at the time of doing Whosoever shall oppose or make insurrection against that Prince that is in present possession and under whose protection he lives he and all that side with him are all that while not onely guilty of the sin of rebellion before the divine Tribunal but before that political Tribunal also wherein this Prince doth preside Whereas all those that do assist this their present Soveraign are to be counted loyal both by Law of God and Man But if divine providence or permission have given such success to any subject as to deprive the present Prince and to seat himself in the Regal Throne from that time both he and those that took his part cease to be rebels as to the political Tribunal for any thing they shall act afterwards but both of them stand Criminals before God as for their rebellion past And he also so far as he is an Usurper stands accountable both there and in his own Conscience for al those injuries which are or shall be committed in his present usurpation as wel by himself as those that obey him Whereas they again that were by the Laws of God and man to be accounted loyal to the former Prince in respect of that obedience they then gave him as their present higher power shall become now rebels to this if while they live under his Government and Jurisdiction they pay not that respect and obedience which is to Soveraignty due and they do therein stand accountable as Criminals aswel before the divine Throne as that of their present Soveraign To the present Soveraign I say this subjection must be given if at all we will allow subjection as a duty to be acted and not as a bare contemplative vertue onely For in this case as obedience is due to the higher power even because it is so so must it be actually given to him that is actually seised thereof who onely having present power to command and also to punish in case of refusal must be understood to be the true object of obedience and subjection not onely for wrath but also for Conscience sake â—nd whose resistance as the resistance of the Ordinance of God makes that party a Criminal not onely in respect of judgement hereafter but also in respect of that present Judiciary power wherein the Prince is now seated For this tribute of subjection must be held as legally due to that person in whose name the Laws are enforced and executed as the payment of other tribute doth belong to that Image and Circumscription which is stampt upon the Coyn which was enjoyned to Caesar a stranger by birth and religion and one that had not so much as legal title at home and yet being acknowledged by him that had all title it will thereupon make the duty of subjection to the present power much more apparent But then again although those that now take part with the present power are to be accounted loyal in all thy do in his obeisance whilst he continues their Soveraign and on the contrary those that were formerly loyal are now to be held for Criminals for what they act contrary to their present supremacy yet are they to be lookt upon with this difference in relation to their actings past Those that were loyal cannot justly be punished by him that succeeds for any opposition against him before he was possessed for that were to discourage and punish loyalty Whereas those that took part for setting up a new power having all that while no lawful Authority for what they did are for all those acts legally punishable by the deposed Prince in case he shall be restored none but he having power to pardon what was done against his Jurisdiction onely For certainly as caths of Alleageance and other ties of duty were given to Princes by Subjects with respect and in relation to that power they then held even so must Subjâ—â—â—s be held Criminals to that power for all disloyal acts done while that power was up even as they must also be criminals when they do oppose that which succeeds And it will concern every new Prince even in point of prudence to be careful hereof And although he cannot in discretion and good nature but be exemplar in depressing and rewarding some few that have more eminently opposed or assisted him yet generally to punish or discourage such as have been true to the former established Government onely because they have been so and to reward such as sided for alteration onely because they did so will be found of most dangerous consequence not onely to himself but to the publike peace also by leaving a president for necessitous and discontented persons to attempt the like innovations for the future upon the like incouragements and hopes of reward Upon due regard of the necessary rendring this obedience to the present Prince in order to duety and maintainance of publike peace and in tenderness of the indemnity of Subjects for so doing was that most gracious and beneficial Law made by that most prudent and politick Prince of our Nation Henry the seventh enacting that none should be questioned as Traytors for any thing done in obedience to the present King This most wise Prince had well considered how often the subjects of this Land had been punished even for being true Subjects by such as being wholly swayed by sense of self-interest and revenge did herein deal otherwise by them then themselves would in like case be dealt by For they would not themselves have been content that their followers should for their loyalty to them be so used by such as should again succeed in this power and much less would they be content that any should withdraw their subjection from themselves now in present power under colour of the better Title of another And much less yet would they have been content if themselves had been in the condition of subjection to any Prince and had therein been constantly loyal that this former Prince having now neither occasion to imploy or means to maintain them elsewhere should ingratefully stomack and reckon as a fault that necessary livelihood he were now forced to seek in his native Country under the protection and obeisance of another He foresaw that while that way of claim by Title was pleadable amongst the Subjects themselves that they were not onely still at a loss for want of true evidence herein but the whole Kingdom perpetually infested with Civil war by that disagreement that must happen thereabout whilst Subjects might upon this pretence be no subjects by withdrawing obedience from the present subjector to
Church shall have distinguished between holy and prophane I conceive that in all such things as are concluded of religious jurisdiction and cognisance the Church-members of the Clergy are by the Church her head to be therein imployed more eminently then any other subject especially if they do therein acknowledge themselves subordinate and subject unto him All which I have in this part set down to avoid such umbrage as might have been by some taken at the passed discourse And for farther avoidance of mistake about those persons or orders of the Clergy by me glaâ—ced at in any censure here or elsewhere I shall also now crave leave to say that as I profess my self a dutiful son of the same Mother so do I also highly respect and honour that Classical order of the Clergy which the Church of Engand owns as hers being men that have approved themselves the true sons of Zadock the type of Evangelical Priesthood and been as eminent for loyalty as learning But the disturbances of Christendome are to be imputed to those of the Romish party who in favour to their owne head are to subject with Abiather to miscary that arke wherewith they are entrusted and to make the power and cognisance of those sacred orders which should separate them from worldly imploment to serve as a plea and pretence thereunto as in order to spiritual cognisance and jurisdiction As also to that miscellaneous brood who as in hatred to their exteram entring their ordinations at a wrong dore or not entring them at all have as shamefully demeaned theselves in the Priesthood as they did ignorantly and shamefully decline the title it self and that honotr which is thereunto due and have by those strange fires of sedition and rebellion which they every where offer under shew of reformation and zeal approved themselves the true sons of Nadab and Abihu These are they that are deare declaiming against Prelacy on purpose to gain higher preferment whilst the name of Bishop is by them declined as an unlawful jurisdiction in in the Church they are grasping after the thing and striving to exercise EEpiscopacy and oversight over both Church and State under the claim of power from Christ himself received as his immediate Ministers thereby shewing that their slighting of orders is but because they would not be by them confined to Ecclesiastical superintendency onely CHAP. VI. Of the head of the Church and of the Scriptures interpretations FRom what hath been hitherto spoken of our Security whilst retaining the fundamentalls of our religion as men may gather courage to resist such superstitious fears as some would put into them on purpose to draw them to their owne sects so may they plainly see it their duty these foundations being laid that their directest obedience which they can as Christians in other things give unto that person Christ hath most eminently entrusted and by whom he is most lively represented is the strongest argument of performance of their duty and obedience to himself For he being as the chief Master builder to direct us in all things towards our actual edification upon these ground works of faith and charity laid in our hearts may seem to be Gods great accomptant for the sins of the people and to prefigured unto us under the scape goat in the law who as denoting the high and uncontroleable power of his office here was both to be free and unmolested in the wilderness of this life and also to bear on him all the iniquities and transgression of the people For although Christ himself typifyed under the slain goat do onely truly and meritoriously expiate and make attonement to God for all mens sins as breaches of Gods law insomuch as no man can hope for remission of any sort of them without repentance and forgiveness in his name made and obtained yet forasmuch as we are commanded to be obedient unto them both in matters of godliness and honesty there is no doubt but the same will acquit us of guilt in all things acted by their guidance and not contrary to the foundation of faith and love which is or should be in our hearts And therefore to this purpose as formerly noted we shall find good warrant given from him that said Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God in the midst of a froward and perverse generation wherein ye shine as lights in the world Here is no distinction made of our duties here is no referment of us to Scripture but a general direction to universal and ready obedience which being done we shall be blameless and harmless for obeying however the thing wherein we do obey may prove harmful to others and to blameable in the Commanders And that the Apostle did hereby entend implicite and perfect obedience may farther appear by the foregoing occasion which lead him to this precept namely for avoiding of divisions and Standing fast in one Spirit with one mind unto the which implicite obedience and subjection to one head is the onely ready way And to the end they should fulfill his joy and be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one minde he admonisheth thâ—t nothing should be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better then themselves And then he tells the way to it First by inward charity and love Look not every man on his owne things but every man on the things of others afterward he points to outward subjection to make this love useful which he doth by the true example of humility and obedience our Saviour himself viz Let this minde be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation and took on him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men And being found in the fashion of a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross A death which was proper to such as were under the highest degree of subjection being the usual punishment for slaves And so having set forth the reward of this his humility and obedience to encourage us therein he then proceeds Wherefore my beloved as ye have always obeyed not as in my presence onely but now much more in my absence work out your owne salvation with fear and trembling Which words do plainly shew the means to salvation to be dependent on perfect obedience to Gods Minister for it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure That is as God is himself the worker of this inward love to make us willing so must he direct by his Minister our doing it outwardly to our Neighbours benefit under whom doing all things as aforesaid we shall be blameless as aforesaid also For his care
thou didst receive it why dest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it that is since Christ hath given his power in the Church to us in chief and to all others as subordinate why should they act without us as though they had not received it from us Why should you in your popular fancy of underived power thick to raign as Kings without us For although we have suffered our selves to be accounted weak and despised that ye might be strong and honorable and also to try if by any means we might win you yet it is not to deny that we have as your father just power to command you and therefore I write not to shame you for your neglect but as my beloved sons to warn you that I may not have occasion to come with a rod but in love and in the Spirit of meekness as I have always done And therefore although S. Paul do now beseech them to be followers of him as the only way to be of the same mind and of the same judgement yet it is but what he might as an Apostle of Christ have been bold in and have commanded them in Christs name and what they as commanded in the Lord that is by the stewards of the Mysteries of God nay as labourers together with God in this building and husbandry ought to obey And therefore is it that S. Paul faith I praise you brethren that ye remember me in all things and keep the Ordinances as I delivered them to you even as I the Disciple or Follower of Christ have by vertue of my Mission from him appointed you Not as some would have it follow me no farther in any thing then you find me following Christ because this had been to overthrow all he had said before and to have given new toleration to schism under pretence of following Christ For if men be not followers of those their Supreme Heads that are followers of Christ but will make divisions by honouring God their own way then will the Author of peace be made the Author of confusion whilst some in their publike worship have a Psalm some a doctrine a Revelation and Interpretation c. to the overthrow of all true publike worship and service for want of uniformity No otherwise then if the same person in the manner of his return of thanks and service to God should be distracted in himself and not wholly intent on the thing he is about for as there are private benefits for which we are separately to be thankful so are there national ones to in which our prayers and praises are to agree by publike appointment And this is the reason why writing to the Ephesians of our publique duties of praising God he presently enjoyns them submission as the only means to make it right and uniform Speaking to your selves in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord giving thanks always for all things unto God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ submitting your selves one unto another in the fear of God which is the same with let every soul be subject unto the higher power because they are of God And so he goes on to state obedience in all the present Christian relations that is of wives children and servants as unto Christ and as to the Lord and not to men But by his beginning with the duty of wives and staying so long upon it we may well conceive him to have herein a particular drift to set forth under the figure of womens obedience to their husbands as their heads each Churches obedience to its Husband or Head under Christ who is the head of the whole Church his spouse of which more hereafter As for the authority of that office of Priesthood so far as related to sacrifice and legal Ceremonies none make doubt of its abolition under the Gospel Whose Ministers or Preachers being now Ministers of the Spirit not of the letter themselves can by no pretence as heretofore shewed claim external jurisdiction and obedience As for the other office of Prophet it had indeed a continuance for some time in the Christian Church whilst it was in its weak condition as a necessary means to give them and their guides direction what to do in their continual distresses Thus is S. Pauls bands and ensuing death prephesied to happen in those times For as there could not under a good space of time be a sufficient number of able persons found to receive Ordination and so to be disposed of for the peculiar care of Churches as now but in this their unsetled and weak condition Christ himself by the means of the promised Holy Ghost being necessitated extraordinarily to endue men with several gifts for general edification in the absence of humane learning it was no wonder if this gift of prophesie did many times come along therewith since all proceeded from the same spirit Yet although this gift of prophesie were thus necessary to be held up from Christ for the support and direction of his Church during her weakness and infancy yet being usually accompanied with the gift of Doctrine and Instruction also it afterwards came to pass that Prophesie and Doctrine did come to signifie the same thing as in that place where it is said No prophesie of scripture is of private interpretation And indeed the predictions themselves were but instructions for those they were addressed unto how to guid themselves according as those events should happen So that it being but instruction in an object and busisiness more remote it was no wonder that the notion of Prophet came afterwards to signifie the same with the Preacher as also the word Prophesie the same with Doctrine even as the Minister or Deacon to comprehend the like function of instruction also But however even in those times there was still subordination nor was it in the power of those Prophets or any other to take on them to settle any Doctrine or Church order against or without Apostolical leave namely the leave of that general Father or Head of the Church under whom they had received their first Christian foundation and who was thereupon as a Master builder to have power over each workman that undertook their spiritual edification As was intimated to the Corinthians where S. Paul complains of this abuse in the practices of such as had ventured to build on that foundation without leave which he as head of the Church had first laid saying according to the grace of God given me have I laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every man take beed how he buildeth thereupon And this right of Government and Authority to be given to those persons from and under whom they had been taught and brought to Christianity we may find noted in those two forementioned places to the Hebrews where the first admonition for obedience to such
to be governed by an adopted Father or Head although the absoluteness of his trust was somewhat pared by the division as aforesaid yet both of them were to be generally subordinate to this one Supreme Power for so although the Priesthood went to Aaron even as he was the first born and because that Function was to be settled for continuance yet was MOSES to be to him as a god In whose time as being the first that had the stile of K I N G we read of the first that had the title of PROPHETS and these remarkably set to be such as had part of Moses spirit put upon them namely those Seventy appointed to help in Government Against which Right of Kings as Heads of Churches although some have hitherto disputed as being blinded by the fallacious distinction of duties into Ecclesiastical and Civil and thereupon thinking the jurisdiction in matters of Religious cognizance should rest in others as more rightful Successors to Apostolical power yet can this Church jurisdiction and superintendency of Priestly and Prophetick charge be by no good reason pared away now For that the same person who as Christs Deputy is to succeed in the Supreme Power of each Church and the jurisdiction belonging thereunto must also be acknowledged to be entirely successive therein by vertue of and in respect of that union and entireness of these powers primarily in Christ as great Head of the whole Church and by him resigned and entrusted to that person that presides and represents him in every part thereof to be by him wholly managed as under the relation of his Deputy and not as due to the particular Stiles and Titles of Apostle or Father or as King only And we can no more rightfully now seclude Kings from any part of this entire trust and power then we could Apostles formerly And if we will observe it they shall be found sitting down in the same right of claim that those Apostles themselves did namely the natural and prudential claim of possession the particular persons of the one sort having from Christ no more open designation then the other For this is the natural derivation of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from him that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the original of all existence and being and so also comes it to be the right of each Christian chief man by derivation from him that by pre-excellence is the man even the man Christ Jesus The which deserves our grateful observation as done in great favour to mankind to wit to silence those many disputes which might else have arisen about the Kings right to command and succeed not only in Church matters but in Civil also Whereas now the Apostles the first Heads claiming their right of Headship by the rational way of possession as Kings do theirs it makes the Titles of future Heads so succeeding to be legitimate that way also This we shall find verified in many places by the Apostle Saint Paul who is exercising this Authority most and over most Churches and yet could least claim particular designation Three of these places we have lately mentioned the first was where he claims his Headship over the Corinthians in the Paternal right of Primier Seisen I have begotten you through the Gospel which Kings as Heads may say now viz. You are to be subject to me inasmuch as you received the Gospel and your Christianity from under me and my authority being my subjects before you were Christians The most remarkable difference herein being that the former Christian Heads coming to govern by the sword of the Spirit chiefly and so by it to make Christians of such as were under the material sword already made their claim of jurisdiction and power from their instruction even as attested by miracle from above Whereas the now Heads of Churches being usually to govern such as subjects that had been by their Predecessors made Christians already are in case of dispute one with another to be differenced in their right of Headship over those that are to obey by the ordinary way of providence even by the material sword of conquest and possession And as the right and exercise of civil power was then made subsequent and annexed to the manifestation of Priestly right so now Priestly power is to follow and depend on that of Regal The next place we may observe was like to it claiming jurisdiction over over them because he as a Master-builder had laid the foundation Then in the place last mentioned he claims jurisdiction over their Prophets upon like reason What came the word of God out from you that is since you received it from me you ought to be subject to me But this he makes to be most clear when in the ninth Chapter he would set forth his claim of jurisdiction most fully he yet makes this his only available title For in that he was an Apostle or free or had seen Jesus Christ Was none of them arguments to entitle him to their Headship more then any other Apostle nor so much neither For however these things might dignifie the person yet it was actual seisure and possession must estate him Head of Corinth more then of any other Church And therefore he adds Are not you my work in the Lord And so pursues that Title in the next Verse If I be not an Apostle unto others yet doubtless I am to you for the seal of mine Apostleship are ye in the Lord. Unto all which if we shall add the right of mans dominion in spirituals over the woman by him settled upon the same right of primogeniture as formerly noted it will make the right of Kingly claim of succeeding Headship most apparent And if it were free for Saint Paul to claim equality with the chief of the Apostles in answer to such as thought his Commission not so high because he was not conversant with Christ like them how much more may seisure entitle Kings now against such as can claim no such advantage Therefore to return as Prophets were first mentioned in the time of him that was first Stiled KING so to make it farther clear that this gift and power did originally belong to the person of the Monarch or chief Governor it is also observable that the first established and really anointed King namely Saul had with his Unction from God this Spirit of Prophecy poured on him also Unction from God I say for that this only did confer power from the fountain of Power as heretofore noted the other material unction received at the hands of men serving but sacramentally to confirm people in their duties of subjection to that Authority which from heaven alone could be received Which material Unction being in that regard necessary to be applyed to the persons that should Hereditarily hold that established office of power yet it hindred not but that such other particular persons as were by God occasionally or extraordinarily empowered with any gift for
corruption of manners or the deceivableness of unrighteousness as well as Heresie of Doctrine or belief of a lye do follow as a necessary train this sin of insubjection to Christs Authority and so make the Antichrist deservedly to be stiled the man of sin and son of perdition And this may be the reason why the name of Antichrist is not by Saint Paul given to this great one even because he should appear in the latter age of the world wherein the consequences of heresie and corruption of manners should be more notorious in him then was their first main cause the sin of stubbornness and rebellion which by that time should through possession and blinde devotion have gained to it self a shew of right It faring no otherwise in this respect with the application of this Gospel term of Rebellion then it formerly did under the Law with that other proper name of Rebels viz. sons of Belial For as that in after times came from the experience of that concomitant degree of lewdness vileness which always attended disobedient and ungovernable persons to be applyed to persons notoriously wicked as well as to such as were formally Rebels even so in this latter age it is no wonder if the notion of Antichristianism be otherwise used also then in the strict sense of insubjection Like as the vertue and grace of obedience upon a contrary reason is in usual speech made comprehensive of all or any other commendation unto that person unto whom it is given And that he was called Antichrist in opposition to Unction and Monarchical Government may undeniably appear by that which hindred him from taking upon him publikely this power namely the Roman Emperor For had his Antichristianism consisted in such Doctrines as had concerned Christian Faith onely why should the Emperor be at that time a let therein liking them one no better then another But because the Apostle saw such Doctrines set on foot as would overthrow Christs Regency in his Deputies afterwards he calls it the mystery of iniquity already working and concludes the onely let to keep it from being actually in the person of the Antichrist was the Emperors present possession And this was the reason why the actual Session of the Pope in this Authority is called Antichrist revealed even as the broaching of the Doctrines tending thereto was called the mystery of iniquity or Antichrist working aim and possession of jurisdiction making him properly Antichrist in both and not Heresie in Doctrine Having thus far shewed in brief how Antichristianism consists in opposing Christ that is in regard of his Regency it must farther follow that since this opposition cannot be to him now in Heaven otherwise then as done against such as are anointed under him here which are to act in his name and Authority that thereupon Antichristianism is to oppose Christian Monarchs who onely now are anointed as proper immediate Officers under him and who are holding their Office in the Christian Church according to prophetick designation of what should befal her in her flourishing condition namely to have sons whom she should set as Princes in all Lands And this farther appears according to that model of the Christian Church in the eight last Chapters of Ezekiel where the Priesthood also being designed the chief of them is put under such a Name and Notion as may minde them continually of their duty of loyalty and submission to Princes since from a King their predecessor Zadock was first preferred to that Office as heretofore noted And to take off Presbyterial parity from this Antichristian hope of Regency Ezekiel in the 34 Chapter reproving and setting forth the mischiefs arising from their Anarchical rule prophesies that God will set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them even his servant David Which as it was to be understood first in Christ himself as coming of Davids natural loyns so to be executed by his adopted sons of oyle in the several Territories of his Church We shall finde this future condition of Monarchy prophesied plainly by Jeremy to accompany also the flourishing estate of the Church saying their Nobles shall be of themselves and their Governor should proceed from the midst of them that is shall be my servants also And I will cause him to draw neer and he shall approach unto me that is as I have the hearts of Kings in my power so will I guide his for who is this or who else is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord. Where noting Governor He and His to be set down in the singular number we may infer Monarchy to be meant And then follows Gods more remarkable owning his Church when his Kingdom shall be thus come amongst us and ye shall be my people and I will be your God The like we may observe done largely by Isaiah in the 49 Chapter both to express the increase and flourishing estate of Christs Church to arise and recover by degrees from its former distress and also that this should come to pass in the time of Christs adopted sons and through that glorious addition of kingship following the Gentile Princes entertainment of the Gospel and acknowledgement of their fealties unto him The Children which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other shall say again in thine ears the place is too straight for me give place to me that I may dwell Then shalt thou say in thine heart who hath begotten me these seeing I have lost my Children and am desolate a captive and removing to and fro and who hath brought up these Behold I was left alone these where had they been Thus saith the Lord God Behold I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles and set up my Standard to the people and they shall bring thy sons in their arms and thy daughters shall be carryed upon their shoulders And Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and their Queens thy nursing mothers they shall bow down to thee with their face towards the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet and thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me The like we shall finde in the 60 Chapter the Gentiles shall come to thy light and Kings to the brightness of thy rising And again the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls and Kings shall minister unto thee For in my wrath I smote thee but in my favor have I had mercy on thee Therefore shall thy gates be open continually they shall not be shut day nor night that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the Gentiles and that their Kings may be brought c. Which and many more places shewing the glory and increase of the Church under Kingship must be understood to be compleated in Christs adopted sons since in his own person he had while he lived neither form nor comliness and as to