one or many men had their distinct copies such a total losse could not have happened And although it may be well thought that the gift of tongues might have enabled such of the holy penmen as wanted natural learning to deliver themselves notwithstanding in Greek yet this cannot make it supposable that all of them the Epistles especially were so written originally because their address is not to the Grecians or Gentiles And that Epistle to the Hebrews and those of Saint Peter and Saint Iames c. must imply them to be written in that language which was best understood by those they were addressed unto and who were to be directed by him Else it were to suppose a miracle wrought to a wrong end even that which Saint Paul doth elswhere dislike namely the speaking in an unknown tongue by which he means no doubt a tongue unknown to the Auditors In which respect to speak or write in Greek to them that understood not the language renders the Writer a Barbarian to the Auditor as well as the Auditor one to him Upon which grounds I do believe against them that doubt that the Gospel of Saint Matthew was like the other Gospels written in Greeks and that because its general address did require it to be set forth in that language which was most generally understood but for some of the Epistles I cannot be so perswaded And if that first exercised gift of tongues be marked we shall finde those endewed therewith speaking to every Auditour in his owne language And although question be made whether those auditours of divers nations might not at the same time have been endewed with the miraculous gift of interpreting and understanding a strange tongue to avoyd a greater difficulty of supposing all of them speaking at once or any one speaking several tongues at once the which Saint Peters after-speaking alone may give countenance unto yet it will plainly appear that as that gift of tongues was then used to edification and to be understood even so afterwards no doubt the penmen of holy Scripture made use of the same upon the like useful occasions and none other And as for Authors quotation of Scripture texts in this language onely none beginning to write till these books had been by the Church all collected into one volume and so put into that one most intelligible language it proves no more their writing at first in the Greek then our Saviours and others quotations of the Greek translation of the Septuagint proves the old Testament to have been written in that language also Not that we would be understood by what hath bin spoken as forbidding the publike knowledg of the Scriptures for even the same reason that makes them chiefly to be trusted to the Church and its head namly to know the better how to govern all others under them will in that regard also make them useful to Fathers Masters and many of the Subjects themselves who by their offices and callings shall have things or persons under their power and government In both which respects if they come not occasionally to concern every one as he may have his Neighbors good or ill under his trust and power even in cases remitted by his Superiour yet will they concern every one in their general precepts to patience humility obedience c. which as the proper and necessary vertues of Subjects and which must constitute government are fit for the notice of all in general without exception of the Prince himself who as under the power of God almighty must submit in a far higher degree then his Subjects can to him The knowledge of which and other necessary duties fit to direct us in our charitable abearances whither in acting upon or suffering from one another may also afford sufficient reason why there should be many precepts of all sorts of duties and concerning all sorts of people promiscuously set down in the New Testament notwithstanding that Gods immediate rule was to be inward even for that our Saviour and his Apostles having charge and guidance of souls under them it was needful for their good deportment sake that they should leave to them and unto such as should succeed in the Christian Churches besides the fundamentals such farther precepts and directions â—s might keep them in a steady course of Charity and peace one towards another when they found their duties set forth by so good authority For want of due regard whereof and of that different respect which the Scriptures do carry in their instructions and for want of that necessary and truly Christian grace of humility instead of learning and practicing those more proper duties which concern us in our distinct callings and relations for which onely we stand accomptable before God we are through pride and partiality too often found to be studious and inquisitive after so much onely as doth concern others in theirs even such as are above us for whose faults we are not to answer that thereupon we may appear more fit to teach then be taught to govern then be governed And this is not onely practised in the more civil relation of Subjects or Servants against their Prince or Master but through this misused liberty a general usurpation is almost every where now made for interpreting Scripture against the sence and authority of the whole Church and of our more spiritual guides therein to whose charge they are most particularly entrusted from which preposterous proceeding what can be expected but what sad experience doth witness even Heresie Schisme disorder and civil broyles to the scandal of Christian religion it self But now when we finde the persons in authority to be expressed in the plural number as Those that have the guide over you those that must give an account for your souls c. or else our obedience directed to the Church in general we are to understand thereby the head of each Church to be chiefly meant In which respect as there were many distinct Churches and thereupon also many heads as before shewed so the Apostle might in his general admonitions to obedience put them in the plural number of those and them And as in this sence we are to understand that precept of tell it to the Church namely to the judiciary head thereof so also are we to interpret and apply the power of the keyes and of binding and loosing to be given to the Churches head and not the diffused body which can never in all its members meet nor can otherwise then by their head hear and determine And hereupon we shall finde this power to be expresly given to the Apostles in Saint John where Christ is saying to them As my Father sent me even so send I you thereby giving them authority over their particular Churches and trusts By which means as he had formerly answered that the Son of man had power on earth to forgive sins So these sons of men also may without Blasphemy in
and trust being above mine the fault must light on him according to his determination that said He that shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach men so he shall be least in the Kingdome of heaven that is shall have no share in heaven or be most punished hereafter But he that shall do and teach them he shall be greatest in the Kingdome of Heaven or in heavenly reward Which words as they shew the following power that some must have of teaching others so do they declare their greater punishment or reward to follow their trust therein according to that other saying Unto whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required and to whom men have committed much of him will they ask the more And that this was meant in regard of power of government intrusted and that also of that particular deligation of power and trust made to the higher powers in the Church appears by the occasion of its delivery having relation to the foregoing parable and admonition where the Church under the notion of the house of Christ its Lord is to be carefully watched by its present overseer put in authority by Christ from whom these Stewards are to expect their reward or punishment according to their behaviour in this charge Where by the way we may note the Monarchical designation of each Churches government because the Steward or Master of the house is still set downe and alluded unto in the singular number And we may also note that it could not be meant as appropriate to the Apostles or others as they were Ecclesiastical men and preachers onely but must intend such as are to have civil authority also as appeares by that prohibition of beating the men servants and maidens which as it must import an Officer of authority to inflict such severe and tyrannical punishments so these punishments being corporal could not denote the function of any spiritual person because they could not pretend any right hereunto From all which our benefit and duty in obedience being apparent we are not to be carryed about with every winde of doctrine So that whilst striving to serve God according to his will revealed in Scripture we might neither on the one hand be in danger to be entrapped by the wiser sort and such as have worldly ends even by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive nor on the other hand fall into the danger of such as may seem more simple and uninterested because the unlearned and unwary do rest Scripture to their own damnation But we are to know that no Scripture of God is of private interpretation that is to be interpreted by private persons but that its chief drift being to instruct us in the fundamentals of our salvation and in order thereunto to declare those misteries and general precepts that were necessary to our belief practise therein it left private men for particular guidance to the authorised interpreters thereof At first it was the Prâ—ests lips should preserve knowledge and thou shalt seek the law at his mouth they having this their law particularly set down by Moses And so also when they were to have kings he was to have a book thereof and to do thereafter But now in the Gospel as these particular legal precepts stood not of litteral divine authority but as presidents useful upon occasion so the Ministers thereof were Ministers not of the Letter but of the Spirit Whereupon it still appears that the whole drift of the Gospel and new Testament were but to set forth Christ the foundation unto us and to leave us unto the present higher powers for direction of our practice thereafter according to the light of Scripture or natural reason Therefore as we first find the scope of each Gospel to record the miracles Christ did in proof hereof so shall we finde the other discourses and doctrines therein contained usually to follow but as occasioned thereupon For Saint Iohn speaks plainly That if all that Iesus did should be written the whole world would not contain the books that should be written but these things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is Christ the son of God and that believing ye might have life through his name And so again for the other part of the New Testament namely the Epistles we are not to conceive that all that was written by the Apostles or such as had inspiration is now left unto us for of some of them there appears nothing at all and of some very little Nay Saint Paul that wrot most we may think yet wrot more then is come to our hands even as he had more gentile Churches in his charge then what his Epistles do mention by their directions and titles All which no doubt would have been divine and edifying also as well as those that are come had not want of care in those particular Churches or the calamitous condition of those times deprived us of them But now however we are to acknowledge and admire the care and providence of God and the Church in preserving and delivering to us those books and Epistles left yet in and by them we may observe that they were all but occasionally written and that no Writer did undertake to set down the whole platform of Christian obedience or to compose an entire and perfect body of Divinity but in delivery of these instructions they were still respective and even as they had particular and separate charge of Churches so wrote they unto them such instructions and precepts as they conceived most fit for their proper directions And therefore we may finde those writers not onely to differ from one another in those directions but also Saint Paul whose Epistles we have written to several Churches doth in them differ in his directions also according to that exigence and occasion which he foresaw the present condition of that people required For since at that time all Churches could not have all his or the other Apostles Epistles for if they could the same things needed not at all to have been repeated it must be supposed that what was to them already written was sufficient to instruct them in things necessary to salvation and that they in their other necessary Christian behaviours had direction by Tradition from him or elsewhere which was the occasion of that frequent admonition of keeping them And for what might be wanting in both these he refers them to be guided by the Church and such as had the rule over them under the general notions of whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any vertue if there be any praise think on these things and this most especially he doth to those he wrot least For it is likely that
father to his servants Master and yet is the same person so if a Duke or Lord as those of Edom and the Philistins sometimes were be absolute their smalness of territory debars not their right to Monarchy more then the Master of a less Family to be in his Office of government as absolute as he that hath a greater And the like may be said of a Soveraign Officer in a Commonwealth also if he be supreme and not accountable to any one earth for his actions as was that famous Cesar and other the dictators in Rome For whosoever hath the sole independent prerogative of Kan-ning from which the word King is derived he is truely a King also but so far as he hath not his soveraignty is so far defective and Anarchy introduced which shall be our next discourse THE SECOND BOOK OF GOVERNMENT AND Its Ground and Foundation according to VULGAR POSITIONS The Introduction IN pursuance of my first Proposal for establishment of publike Peace and good I have in the passed Book brought Monarchy to its just height and that from such general and obvious Arguments from Reason and Scripture as do to my thinking point directly to that end and no way else But being to write in an age where contrary prejudice will not ordinarily give men ability or leisure to attend the discovery it fareth therefore with me as with that Artificer who having brought something unexpectedly to pass is forced for the farther confirmation of the thing it self to submit it to the handling and tryal of the spectators in their own way And because it may again be objected to what purpose all this ado since these very ends are or may as well be attained by the ways already approved of and that by men of great Eminence and Learning amongst us It seems therefore now again needful to take all this Structure of Government in pieces and to examine it farther part by part according to that Fabrick and those materials which are usually brought to the constitution thereof In which Discourse having first cleered and rectified those vulgar political Maxims from their former rubbish and disguise I shall then prove that so much of each of them as is compatible with just Government and the ends thereof are to be appropriate to Monarchy onely In this my undertaking in the defence of Gods true Vicegerent amongst us there seems to lye on my part the like task as there did formerly on Moses in the manifestation of God himself that is not onely to prove the Monarch to be so by way of plain demonstration but also to extend this Reason to the eating up of all those serpentine shews wherewith these Janni and Jambri the rebellious Enchanters of our times have hitherto deceived the people and thereby kept them in a kinde of an Egyptian darkness And in this course I shall begin first with â—he head thereof the fained unity in Aristocracies and Democracies CHAP. I. Of Anarchy THey that suppose the word to imply onely that state and condition of men where no Government at all is exercised will much to seek to finde out any instance or example for proof of their Assertion or indeed any possibility how it should at all come to pass Therefore that which hath hitherto been spoken of the original of Government in the fourth chapter of the precedent book must be understood onely as supposing it to have its Reason in Nature and that thereby it might have been known although the same had been by no other light or positive Law found out and appointed and not as determining that ever men were or could be left by a careful God in such a confused condition where like a brood of Cadmus wanting all manner of Breeding and Instruction they should fall to the slaughter of one another till their bleeding wounds and not his Precepts or Providence had taught them rules of Subjection No it would be too plain and great compliance with Athiesm to think Gods Omniscience in foreseeing or his Goodness in preventing so small or slack as to leave man a Creature upon whom above all the rest he had bestowed such workmanship and care to the common hazard and condition of that which was meanest Leaving therefore these fancies aside that think men should like swarms of Bees be brought to choice of Policy without any foregone experience or knowledge of Government we must make Government the elder brother to Anarchy For so we finde that while there were but two persons in the world the woman by special appointment was to have her desires subject to her husbands and he was to rule over her And as Wives so Children and Servants were subject to the Father of the Family in such sort that no man but being either Head or Member of a Family by one relation or another either had or yeilded subjection And even before Kings to finde an Ex Lex or person like Caine under no protection and consequently under no Government was a vain attempt And this prime or more natural Prerogative of Primo-geniture and Father of the Family although it had not the name yet it had the truth and reality of Monarchy and that as well in the Authority as Unity of the person as by that phrase the father of the Moabites and Amonites to this day may appear which must signifie succcession of these Monarchical Governors in right of the firâ—t Father So that now under the name of King there is but a continuance and restitution of that ancient form by change of the name from Pater Familiae to Pater Patriae importing a continuance of Power and Office notwithstanding the encrease of tâ—rritory and number of Subjects For the length of life that gave these Ancients advantage to see many Families peopled out of their own loyns gave them also right of Government in chief But this common Parent now dead Pride Covetousness Ambition c. quickly clouded the respect due by birthright to the elder brother who by the Law of God should rule over the other and have their desires subject to him and so through stubbornness did break that course which if it had been observed would have made Monarchy perpetual but not being so Anarchies succeed For the divided Families finde many occasions of controversie amongst themselves which they in their reputed equality of Jurisdiction knew not how to determine because not submitting to that hereditary right before spoken of by the which Isaac had appointed Esau as servant to Jacob as apprehending him the elder and which Jacob also for Peace-sake gave to Judah amongst the Tribes of Israel namely to be perpetual Law-giver discord and dissention quickly broke in upon them And this no doubt was the state of the old world before the flood for we read not of any Monarchs but that as men began to multiply in the earth so began they for want of restraint to be ruled onely by their own likings which the heads of
also abate of their vigour so as not to divert in these Hence it comes that old folks are ever condemning not only the present fashions but the manners and deportments of men also in the present age over what they were formerly even because from continued impression and that taken whilst they were young they must stand already filled and prepossessed in their fancies against any figure that can now be offered The which prejudication is most holpen on by compliance of interest and opinion as we find by that ready assistance which each one of a sect casteth towards his fellow as supposing himself holpen in that help which he yields unto them And so again in matters of Moral opinion and conversation we are inclined and won to fancy and practise the like principles in matters of polity and obedience as do the rest of our familiars and acquaintance That child that servant that hath observed others of his brothers or fellows or others in others families to gain liberty or any thing else or to pass without punishment or reproof for dis-respect to their Parent or Master will thereupon come to be inclined to desire and attempt the like After the same manner such subjects and people as are wonted to hear and read Stories of the commendations of such as have been Tyranicids or have boldly opposed their Princes in their commands or that have thriven themselves into the fancied liberty of Free-States they do thereupon also come to be addicted more then others to the like degree of boldness and temerity And indeed there is nothing more dangerous in a State then too much toleration of Philosophical Discourses and Books of this kind it being one sure step to disloyalty and Civil disturbance For as no man can come to any great height of evil on a sudden so in matters of obedience we are brought to be Rebels upon these first grounds of dis-respect and irreverence cast towards Superiours when by too ordinary and familiar discourses subjects shall be informed of their Princes faults or weakness and that he is not otherwise to be respected then as prosecuting the good of his people whose servant he is or the like By which means the judgements and affections of people come to be forestalled and prejudiced against their present Government and Governors no otherwise then a vitiated stomack as before noted doth through its own inward corrupt humors contract an antipathy and loathing against wholsom food In respect of the danger of such like company and such like Doctrine is that Divine saying to be understood Can a mon touch pitch and not be defiled therewith To make us the better apprehensive of the rise and derivation of our knowledge from Figure we may take another instance in our learning to number also when as those Characters of Arithmetick which we call Figures are used in an artificial way as outward helps to enable the fancy and memory to make comprehension and numeration inwardly of such natural things as were themselves the original obâ—ects whereby as well as wherefore the number themselves were framed For as we finde children one with another making it one of the first tryals of their abilities to pose each other in mental addition of numbers so is it to be conceived that as they did at first learn from fight and experience that any thing single was called One because none can be presumed to know what One is that was never by sense made perceptive of any one thing so come they by degrees to comprehend from the posture and form of two three or four Ones placed together that these are the numbers which do answer the artificial computation of two three four c. And therefore having the question asked them how many two and three do make or the like they do at first help themselves herein by real natural figures as by calling into memory the figure of any three and two things so and so posited and so by comparing them do know what they amount unto Or else they help themselves in their numeration by an outward figure as by counting on their fingers or the like And hence it is that other sensitives are very little apprehensive of numbers because they are so little apprehensive and intent on Figures For although from sight they are loosly able to configurate and remember the forms and shapes of such particular things as they account of concern yet want they both time and inducement to remember what kind of figure three four or five of these did make when they were placed together which is the prime way whereby fancy doth measure discrete quantities From whence we may conclude that Algebra is more natural and solid then Arithmetick Some persons can remember great numbers of strange words that have no import or figure but they do onely as Parrats remember them as impressed from syllables and tone of delivery If this be done by children they must repeat them in the same order they were heard In which case the brain succeeding in its motion according as it received impression from the articulation of the several words doth then perform that office which is called Memory But some can also repeat them out of that order as backward or the like and can also remember and give an account of multitudes of different things seen presently one after another in a different order also to what they saw them in the which cannot be done but by such as have attained years of ripeness who by that time have framed artificial common placs and Receptories in their brain whereby to help themselves in the art of memory Which art we find may be holpen and attained by the use of outward Figures directing men to fancy common places of this kind even as Arithmetique and the art of numbring is holpen by its figures and we now see Books written on this artificial way of recognition by proposing Schemes to that purpose But usually boys in repetition of a lesson or something without Book or any thing which they understand not are holpen by memory of the different forms of some of the letters lines and part of the leaf where the same is set down Insomuch as the remembrance hereof all along directs them in repetition of what is therein contained Even so that they can tell you what page and part thereof they are now saying and when the memory of this figure fails the other fails also And so in all other things whilst a Figure can be held it serveth the understanding as an index for discourse and farther discovery of things accompanying it But all discourse and arguments upon subjects not figurable produce nothing but mazes and intoxications as it fareth in some metaphysical notions and speculations By what hath passed we may know what things and arts are the objects of Science and what of probability onely For as they depart from controlment of sense they depart from Science and if they come to be entertained
before that so upon a due comparison of his condition to that of others he may make a true estimate and judgement of a method and way of discourse and delivery most fit for the others instruction therein From all which we may discover that some of late have been too inconsiderately hasty in their censures put upon those ancient assignments of wisdom and knowledge to the heart There is no doubt but when God calls for and claims mens hearts to be exercised his service and worship and when Solomon prays for an understanding heart to know good evil but that both of them did very well know whence our actions and indeavours took their source and original that is from the affections and as our moral abearances as well one towards another as in carrying our selves in a right and steady course of subjection towards God was the thing chiefly aimed at and not Philosophical speculation so may we finde reason why we should be so often minded of searching and examining our hearts because from them and the affections therein abiding the issues of life and death did proceed And certainly had Solomon been endued with a little more melancholy hesitation and suffered the passion of fear to have been more often made use of as a stop and temperament to those jolities and enjoyments which in his greatness were so frequently presented unto him as the objects of hope and desire and had not so inconsiderately trusted to his own heart he would have proved himself more wise then by that book written of all things from the Cedar in Lebanon to the Moss on the Wall If he had I say but suffered the reverential fear of offending God to have come in with an arrest of judgement and so by its counterpoise call him to a deliberate examination before execution he would then no doubt have been as happy and famous for the wise guidance of himself and for giving a right sentence between his Passions and Affections within and at home as he was in that sentence he gave between the Harlots In which case of advisement and deliberation we may look upon the Brain as the Judgement-seat where the Affections in competition being by the heart summoned to plead each one calls up and assists it self with such figurate Presidents and Examples as it thinks fit to imploy as evidences on its own side the heart as from a majestick Throne or Tribunal may be supposed to give that determination which is called Will. But it is by the way to be conceived that when the Ancients attributed Wisdom to the Heart as the seat of affections and the source from whence appetites and actions did proceed they then reputed it as the noblest and chief of the inward parts and did not thereby intend to deny that serviceableness both for raising and resenting of objects which come from the stomack the Diaphragm and other membranous and highly sensible parts nor how other Affections by long contract may be induced upon other parts of the body even as that more natural resentment of the kinde before spoken of may be by this means well thought seated in the Liver But now to make farther application of some of these Discourses since Affections have arisen for the most part from society and the example and imitation of others it seems most requisite that in society such means of prevention should be used that their exorbitance be not the destruction therof Our general custom of living is that which pleaseth us even upon no other reason but because it is so and is the ground of what in each Nation called Fundamental and Common Law that is to say common custom Now although a man may love his own home or manner of living better then another yet to be confined to the same house food c. would be but imprisonment so the desire of Liberty in sociable living is the same with that of variety in private usages and Liberty in Government is nothing else but freedom of choice to follow mine own will in the various prosecution of mine own customs And publike Law is nothing else but the restraint of this liberty in some particular usages For the Laws of no Government prescribe to men all they shall do or forbear but onely direct and stint them in such and such practises wherein custom and affection to some things above others were otherwise like to prevail upon them to publike prejudice And so again since understanding is as beforeshewed so fallible and must be so differing in its grounds it will appear necessary for avoiding contention and disturbance that each one in things of common concern do submit to a common understanding For in this case we may regard the appetites and affections as they are conceived in the subjects in their separate orders and factions to be unto the Prince as those single figurate objects or inductions conceived in each ones brain which are not to carry any peremptoriness of conclusion as in themselves but to serve as evidences and instances of choice unto him how to proceed in the execution of them as they shall be found agreeable and approved by his experimented method and rule of publike good So that in all differences which shall arise between one order and another or between party and party in the Kingdom the King is in the body politick to resemble the heart in the body natural in bearing sway and determination between the disagreeing affections and interests of his subjects after the same manner as Solomon did between the Harlots as before set down By which means subjects enuring themselves to a constant way of decision and reconciling of differences and thereby also being reduced into a constant course in the observation of uniform and fixed Laws Custom of observation and practise will make the same generally pleasant upon the like reason that through use each mans particular customs were to him pleasant before insomuch as it may be a doubt whether all customs were not from positive Laws at first so that men having from the usual practise of their superiors commands throughly habituated themselves therein they may at last be thought to perform them with delight the Law it self becoming exolete and forgotten as to its letter and affection and custom serving to the upholding thereof And this may seem the reason also why not onely one kingdom differs from another in Customs and Fundamentals but divers places of the same kingdom do differ amongst themselves namely from divers Authorities which have therein born sway And as in nature we may observe that such Creatures as have dread of others are notwithstanding by cohabitation brought to liking of each others company so when the first terrors of oppression and severity which all Government is accompanied with are by indurance made familiar as commonly coming under the rate they were feared it comes then to be so pleasant also that all governable people will be found averse from change Whereas else if