to molest another for his Religion Our Author might have gone for one of the Godly partie in those daies I do not read that there was one Law extended throughout the whole Roman Empire which was almost Vniversal but that several Kingdoms and Cities were governed by their own Laws So were the Jews and Heathen as well as Christian Subjects in their several Cities and remote Provinces As Julian told the Bishops that were of several Perswasions that they should not disturb the publick peace of the Empire and then they might enjoy their own Liberties and Religion Constantine seemed to be almost of a like perswasion for why else did he not suppress the Arian Heresie which from Alexandria infected the whole Empire He did take care to prevent Schism and Sedition among Christians that the administration of the Government might be more easie But this great man banished Athanasius into France where he remained till Constantine his Son recalled him as Eusebius in his Chronologie But what if there were some Edicts for the establishment of Christian Religion in Constantine's days nothing was confirmed by the Senate that was accounted then a needless thing Nor did the Edicts of one Emperour bind another by the same Authoritie as Constantine might have setled the Orthodox Religion Constantius setled the Arian and after him Julian the Pagan Religion I mean by his own Imperial power and Edicts For the Roman Emperour was an Absolute Monarch their Will was a Law as Gregory Nazianzen quoted by you p. 13. The Will and Pleasure of the Emperour is an unwritten Law backed with Power and much stronger than written ones which were not supported by Authority So that though he did not as you term it fairly enact Sanguinary Laws yet had he the Law of the Sword in his hands And I think it was a great mercie of God to the Christians under him that he did not by publick Edicts put the Sword out of his own hands into the hands of his Heathen Magistrates who would have written them all in bloud Therefore Mr. Baxter saies p. 20. of 4th part of his Direct Julian was a protector of the Church from Popular Rage in comparison of other Persecutors though in other respects he was a Plague Valentinian was a right Christian Emperour and when he was chosen the Souldiers were importunate that he should assume another as an Associate in the Empire he tells them It lay in you to chuse me your Emperour but being chosen what you desire is not in your power but mine it belongs to you as Subjects to be quiet and rest contented and to me as your King to consider what is fit to be done Zozomen l. 6.86 Justinian was another good Emperour and he assumed the sole administration of the Empire to himself and demands in his Novels Quis tantae authoritatis ut nolentem Principem possit ad convocandos Patres caetorosque Proceres coarctare Who can claim so great Authority as to constrain the Prince to assemble the Senate against his will And Justinian Novel 105. excepts the Emperour from the coercive power of the Law to whom says he God hath subjected the Laws themselves sending him as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living Law unto men And the Gloss noteth That the Emperour is the Father of the Law whereupon the Laws also are subject to him When Vespasian was Emperour it was declared by the Senate That he might make Leagues with whom he pleased And though Tiberius Claudius or Germanicus had made certain Laws yet Vespasian was not obliged by them And Pliny in his Panegyrick to Trajan tells him how happie he was that he was obliged to nothing So that the Christians had no more pretence of having the Laws on their side under Julian than under Dioclesian Maximus or Constantius nor did they ever plead them to justifie a Rebellion against him for want of such an Advocate or Leader as our Author Gregory Nyssene tells us also what the power of the King or Emperour was he defines him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that hath Absolute power in himself no Master nor Equal Cont. Eunomium l. 1. So that our Author 's great Babel is fallen viz. that the Julian Christians had their Religion established by Law and that they were long possessed of it For Laws or no Laws by the Lex Regia the Emperour could reverse the old and establish new as it pleased him and for want of Laws where the word of the Emperour was there was power and none might say to him What dost thou Thus it was with Constantine and Constantius and why not with Julian And now I hope the good Christians of our Age will no longer trust to such broken Reeds as our Author puts into their hands much less that they should take up the Sword which will be no other than a broken Reed also not onely to fail them but to pierce through their sides Now if we should turn the Tables and ask our Author Whether when Jovian and Valentinian were Emperours and had made some new Edicts for the Orthodox Christians as well as against the Arians and Pagans it had been lawful for the Arians or Pagans to rebel in defence of their Religion Or to come nearer home Whether when Queen Mary had established Popery by Law in this Nation it had been lawful for the Papists to have rebelled against Queen Elizabeth they having the Laws on their side yea and questioning her Right of Succession too yet we do not read that they did contrive a General Rebellion though for ought I see our Author would have justified them when he tells us from Zozomen what men may do for the Religion whereof they are well perswaded Or neerer yet when the Long too Long Parliament pretended against the King that their Religion was in danger by Poperie and Superstition their Laws and Liberties invaded by an Arbitrary Power did they well or ill from these pretences to raise that War against the King that turned the Nation to an Aceldama Were the Laws such as could justifie that Rebellion or no If they could not then I am sure they cannot now since the late Act for Treason in the 13th of our King and a Declaration of Parliament That it is not lawful on any pretence whatsoever c And by several Statutes it is declared That the King is the Onely Supreme Governour of his Dominions over all Persons and Causes whatsoever And the power of the Sword or Militia is put into his hands as well by the Law of the Nation as of God and I trust he will not bear it in vain Having thus stript this full-fac'd Bird of a few borrowed and painted Feathers how justly is he exposed to be hooted at by every boy or dealt with as in the Apologue of such another bird that seeing the Pidgeons to be well meated and live securely he would get himself to be coloured and arrayed like one of them and feed among
are and not else Now I humbly conceive seeing the Writ De Haeretico comburendo is taken away in time and the Laws protect us in our Religion it is a needless thing to go to Smithfield and there be burnt for an Heretick It is better if it pleased God that we should die as Hereticks if with St. Paul we truly worship God in a way that is so called than to go to Tyburn and be hanged as Traitors and Regicides For though that Law be taken away yet the Law of God stands firm which enjoyns us to submit our selves not onely for fear but for Conscience sake and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Peter in the case of our submission for Conscience sake as well as for fear of wrath is determined by St. Paul with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye must needs be subject P. 77. And so far it is fit to inform the Popish Crew lest they should be mistaken in the good Protestant Religion of our good Church as Coleman calls it I pray let them not be informed that we obey more for fear than for Conscience sake No nor that we are afraid to dye for our Religion of God call us to do it As to your Parenthesis that we have no apprehension of persecution from any other quarter I tell you we have felt a greater persecution in our Age from Geneva than from Rome and if the one have since the Reformation in this Nation killed a thousand the other have slain ten thousand Your next Reflection is on the Pulpit-law as you say the Lord Faulkland called it of Sibthorp and Manwaring and complained it had almost ruined the Nation That noble Lord was indeed a great lover of his Religion and Country and therefore was an enemy to Arbitrary Government But when he perceived that the outcry against Arbitrarie power in the King was made with a designe to grasp it into other mens hands and they began to exercise it not onely on the Gentry Clergie and Nobility of the Land but the Royal Family also he repented and so faithfully adhered to the King in defence of his Authority that he lost his life in the Quarrel It was the Pulpit-law in 41. and 42. that destroyed us and brought in Arbitrary Power But how near doth our Author come to put a border of Treason on his impolitick discourse p. 78. where he says The Arbitrary Doctrine of those times to which both he and Mr. Hunt impute the beginning of the Late War did not bring any great terrour with it it was then but a Rake and served onely to scrape up a little paltrie passive money But now it is become a Murdering-piece loaden with I know not how many bullets Who are they I wonder that preach up such an Arbitrarie Power or who are they that make such a Murdering-piece of it Is it not rather a Fiction of some men who would find a pretence for a second War For if as Mr. Hunt says p. 52. That the Panick fear of a change of the Government that this Doctrine to wit of Arbitrary Power before 41. occasioned and the Divisions it made among us was the principal cause of the Late War is it not evident that the same fears are now made Panick or Popular to prepare the hearts of the People for another War What else mean the bleatings of the Sheep and the lowing of Oxen the Vulgar Murmurs and loud Cries of the Multitude as if it were intended we should be ruled by a Standing Armie and That his Majesties Guards are a grievance That the dissolution of a Parliament gave us cause to fear that the King had no more business for Parliaments Hunt p. 22. and p. 60. of our Author That Parliaments should sit till they have done that for which they were called i. e. says our Author in his Marginal Note till all Grievances are redressed and Petitions answered And then for ought I know they might sit for ever and so no more need of a King What means the denying him a Supply when Tangier was like to be lost and not onely with-holding their own but denying him to dispose of his Credit or Revenues for his just occasions What mean our new Associations and Bandying into Parties and advice even to the Clergie not to suspend all the legal securitie they have upon the life of our present King Hunt p. 49. All these strongly argue that they have a suspition of Arbitrary Power and that by our Author's confession was in 41 and therefore may be suspected to be made use of now as an incitement to Rebellion And though our Author p. 78. confesseth That the malignitie of this Doctrine cannot be discovered under his Majesties gracious Reign yet he thinks fit to put him in mind of the Securitie he hath given the Nation by his Coronation-Oath which all Protestant Princes value look upon as Sacred and likewise of many gracious Promises that he will govern according to Law All this caution argueth more than Suspition it looks like an Accasation though I know no defect but the neglect of executing the Laws against Transgressors But if it do not fall out in his Majesties Reign it will appear in its colours and we may feel the sting of it if it please God so sharply to punish us for our sins as to let us fall under a Popish Successour p. 78 79. We have I confess deserved such a punishment for kicking against our Protestant Princes but by the blessing of God we may not have such a One For who shall be King or Queen of this Realm of England hereafter you tell us none but God himself knows p. 21. of the Preface But you tell us of another may be the Successor may be a Papist and then he may persecute but he may not be or if he be so yet I have proved he may not persecute and our Author hath granted p. 75. That it can never happen but by our own Treacherie c. Such a formidable Persecution as you suggest is a thing impracticable and morally impossible it hath never yet been acted by any Prince Papist or Heathen the Marian Tempest did not so destroy Protestants though it had been but newly planted but in Queen Elizabeth's Reign it grew up again and covered the Land in a few days Now to disturb our Peace and Settlement with two such may be 's as are more likely may not be to suppose such things as are morally impossible is unreasonable and to fear where no fear is saith Mr. Hunt p. 250. But such suppositions as our Author makes ought not at all to be supposed for there is greater hurt to be feared from them as Mr. Faukner says p. 545. of his Christian Loyaltie than from the thing supposed since it is much more likely that such designes should be imagined and believed to be true when they are false as they were in the unjust Outcries against our late gracious Soveraign than that they
the Professors of the true Religion again as if they had once done it already to Slaughters Fire Faggots Tortures Inquisitions and Massacres When the Bishops and Loyal partie were they who suffer'd these or as great tortures as these for their Religion and Loyaltie from the irreligious and Rebelpartie But to undeceive the multitude let them consider by what arts a new War is contrived As 1. By slandering all such as oppose the Association and popular torrent of Sedition and Rebellion as p. 27. of Preface that the number of Addressers may be reduced to the Duke's Pensioners and Creatures That the Addresses have been obtained by application and the design was to make voices for the discontinuance of Parliaments and for a Popish Successor That such as write for the established Government and Religion are a hired sort of Scaramouchy Zanies Merry Andrews and Jack Puddings P. 12. and impeacheth a Secretary of State as a Traytor not considering that one such as John Milton is the chief Engineer and encourager of all Rebellion and Treason 2. By divulging abroad p. 22. That the Nation begins to grow impatient by the delays of publick justice against the Popish Plot though it be well known at whose door that lies That the dissolution of Parliaments gives us cause to fear that the King hath no more business for Parliaments ibid. and p. 17. 3. By animating the multitude to perplex his Majesty with new Addresses telling them p. 30. of Preface So strong is the tye of duty upon him from his Office to prevent publick Calamities as no respect whatsoever no not of the Right Line can discharge nor will he himself ever think if DVLY ADDRESSED that it can And p. 34. At this time if ever the APPLICATIONS of an Active Prudence are required from all honest men And he himself hath given them a Precedent in that Application which he intended it seems for the Seditious rabble We will not entail a War upon the Nation no not for the sake and interest of the Glorious Family of the STUARTS 4. By acquainting the Malecontents that their number is four fifths of the Nation who are such as love and adhere to our Government and Religion though they are rendred suspected of destroying again the English Monarch and the Protestant Religion p. 10. of Postscript And therefore he doth but profane the Name of God p. 95. when he says God be thanked they the Dissenters who are imagined very numerous neither make our Grand-Jury-men nor the Common-halls of the City for choosing the Lord Mayors or Sheriffs 5. By Reprinting such Books as were written in defence of the late War and improving the Arguments for that Rebellion 6. By his pleading for Comprehension and Indulgence which p. 98. he says about ten years since was designed to slight the Churches Works and demolish her by a general Indulgence and Toleration and now they intend to destroy her Garison those that can and will defend her against Popery 7. By publishing it as an undoubted truth and evident in it self That the Succession to the Crown is the people Rights p. 201. 8. By making large Apologies in behalf of those men of whom he speaks p. 96. What animations did their people receive to defie the Church and her Authoritie when their Preachers despised Fines and Imprisonment to their seeming out of pure zeal against her Order And yet he adds It is well know several of them were in Pension and no men have been better received by the Duke than J. J. J. O. E. B. and W. P. c. Ringleaders of the Separation And again p. 98. Consider how the Church of England is used which is truly the Bulwark of the Protestant Religion And it is a pitiful evasion to say that these Fanaticks are acted by the Papists or if it were true they were much more intolerable for that reason and therefore I do with all my heart agree to your Method for rooting out the Popish Plot prescribed p. 99. By suppressing that contumacie that is grown so rife in the Dissenters against the Church of England by putting the revilers of her Establishment and Order under the severest penalties But then Caveat Author To conclude we are certainly as Mr. Hunt calls us a foolish people and unwise a stupid and perverse Generation if we shall reject that gracious and gentle Government whereby God hath hitherto led and preserved us a flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron and exchange for a Saturn or a Moloch that will devour their own Children and make them pass through the fire at their pleasure But From all such Men-monsters from all Sedition Perjurie Conspiracie and Rebellion from all false Doctrine Heresie and Schism from hardness of Heart and contempt of thy Word and Commandments Good Lord deliver us THE Life of Julian INLARGED His Birth and Parentage JVLIAN was Born at Bizantium now called Constantinople His Fathers Name was Constantius Brother to Constantine the Great His Mothers Name was Basilina of a very ancient and Noble Family among the Romans Now although the Empire was intirely devolved on Constantius the Second Son of Constantine his two Brothers Constantine and Constans being dead yet for securing the Empire to himself having a jealous Spirit he contrived the death of his nearest Kindred viz. Constantius Father of our Julian Anniballianus and Dalmatius Caesar which our Author would impute to the outrages of the Souldiery forgetting what he tells his Reader p. 29. That the slaughter of his Kindred was one of those three things whereof Constantius repented him at his death For which he rightly quoteth Naz. Orat. in laudem Athanasii p. 389. How Julian and Gallus his Elder Brother escaped that Massacre our Author leaves uncertain for having said that Gallus being very sick the Souldiers concluded that the disease would kill him and save them the labour and that they thought not Julian dangerous being but five years old yet he would have it attributed to Constantius the Emperor who for ought we read gave no Commission to spare them and had they then dyed would doubtless have found cause to repent of their deaths as well as of the rest of his Kindred That Constantius shewed kindness to his two Cousins after the Death of their Father and Vnkles was no more than Nature and especially the Religion he professed required of him nor could all his kindness to the Children expiate his Cruelty to their Father But that he should cause Gallus to be slain who is noted p. 3. to have been sincerely pious and that after he had given him his * Constantina Sister in Marriage and declared him Caesar and found him a Man of Personal valour and good Conduct and Success I may say of it as our Author doth it was a rash act and yet if it be true that he designed to Invade the Empire not content with the Title and Authority of Caesar it was more excusable than the Death of his other
and the other at the left hand of some Great person when he shall come into his Kingdom Or if the hopes of the translation of the Kingdom should fail and degenerate into a Commonwealth one of them may be as Milton was a mercenarie Historian or under-Secretarie of State But now I think on it they will never be so fit as Milton was of whom they come as short in accuracie of Stile as they may in time exceed him in other of his Vertues and Preferments I would advise our Divine Lecturer to take a Doctor 's degree at Salamanca for he may despair of it here in England and then he may be the fitter to be a Casuist and Confessor to the States General to resolve their Cases of Conscience And for our Lawyer if he do but read one Lecture more on Doleman and pursue his Argument as he hath begun he that is yet esteemed of but as the Pick-lock of the Law and speaks things doubtfully and mysteriously as the Devils Oracles were wont may come to that Top of Preferment which Mr. Br. a Quondam Brother attained And though he never sit in Judgment as he did yet he shall if his Friends will be at the cost have that Inscription on his Tomb which was provided for the other Mr. Hunt speaking of his Adversary says p. 152. he observes for our imitation that the Orthodox did not depose the Arian Emperours And answers We ought undoubtedly to imitate them therein for that no man much less a Prince ought to lose any right for a Speculative errour or meer misbelief But onely for wicked practices and opinions that promote excite and encourage them As if Opinions that overthrow the Doctrine of Christs Divinity did not directly tend to wicked practices Hath not this Lawyer been fee'd by the Socinians to become their Advocate But might not an Arian Emperour be resisted and One who is truly Christian and a Defender of the Apostolick Faith be opposed And doth our Author know of any more than a Speculative errour if so much in him whom he prosecutes so violently Or was not Constantius his being of the Arian perswasion the cause of many actual cruelties practised against the Orthodox not in remote places onely but chiefly at Constantinople where he mostly resided and were not many of those Cruelties acted by the authoritie of his Edicts as I have noted concerning Macedonius his Cruelties And so for the Sitting of Parliaments till all Grievances are redressed Milton p. 80. Si Rex Parliamentum prius dimiserit quam ea omnia transigantur quorum causa Concilium indictum erat perjuris reus erit Mr. Hunt resembles him in this as well as if there had been a transmigration of Souls Let his Majestie satisfie his people never so well by Reason and Authoritie and serious promises of frequent Parliaments yet this man insinuates that he acts as if there were no intent to call a Parliament any more And that the design of the Addressers was for discontinuance of Parliaments and for a Popish Successor though he himself observes that in thanking his Majestie for his promise of frequent Parliaments they do desire them See his Preface P. 152. He says as our Author doth after him That the behaviour of the Church towards the Roman Pagan Emperours was much different from that which they bore to Julian who succeeded to Christian Emperours was educated a Christian and sometime bore a place in the Church for whereas the Apostles had enjoyned the Christians to pray for the Pagan Emperours though actual persecutors of the Church yet THE WHOLE CHVRCH did curse and Anathematize Julian with an Anathema Quo Deus rogatur ut aliquem è medio tollat In Julianum cum defectioni adderet Machinationes evertendi Christianismi usa est Ecclesia isto extremae necessitatis telo a Deo est audita Grotius on Luk. c. 6. v. 22. The whole of Grotius his Note to this purpose is in these words Sunt quaedam delicta tam atriocia ut si contumacia accedat nemo non videat esse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro talibus dum tales manent Ecclesia non intercedit precum suffragio quod solis poenitentibus patet Generaliter tamen his ut infidelibus mentem optat meliorem Chrysostomus ubi anathema pronunciandum ait adversus facta non adversus homines intelligit districtum illud anathema quo Deus rogatur ut aliquem e medio tollat Hujus sanè rarior est usus non tamen Nullus nam in Julianum cum defectioni adderet machinationes evertendi Christianismi usa est Ecclesia isto extremae necessitatis telo a Deo est exaudita If our Author had not been afraid to discover from what Writers he collected his Posie of Daisies as he calls it p. 95. he would have repeated this of Mr. Hunt which seems to carry more of Reason and Authority than any thing else in all his Treatise of Julian And because I suspect that he may keep this for a Reserve for I have heard that he intends to pursue his design against all Opposers if he bring no other weapons but such as these of the Church-Censures we shall not fear for these are Spiritual weapons which the Church makes use of and that onely against incorrigible offenders that had committed a sin to death as their last refuge in extream necessity yet of these he onely says the Church doth not intercede by supplications proper to the penitents yet generally even to these as also to Infidels it prays for a better mind St. Chrysostome says Grotius speaking of the Anathema that is to be pronounced against the Actions not the Persons understands this severe Anathema whereby God is intreated to take away the offender from the midst of the people c. So that Grotius and Chrysostome having delivered their Judgements clearly in other places concerning Prayers for Heathenish and Persecuting Emperours they cannot be understood here to write against their own and the judgement of all those other Christians afore-mentioned To which I adde this of Tertull ad Scapulam Christianus Nullius est hostis nedum Imperatoris quem sciens à Deo suo constitui NECESSE EST ut eum diligat revereatur salvum velit And in his Apol. We reverence in our Emperours Gods judgement that made them Governours for we know that to be in them which God would have and of this we make account as of a great Oath And the Oath of Christian Souldiers as Vegetius de re Militari l. 2. c. 5. was Per Deum per Christum per Spiritum Sanctum per Majestatem Imperatoris c. By God and Christ and by the Holy Ghost and by the Majestie of the Emperour who next to God was to be loved and reverenced they swore to yield him faithful Devotion and vigilant Service c. And he gives this reason for it For a man whether private or military doth serve God
Majestie yet never were Christians found to be Albinians Nigrians or Cassians i. e. they never sided with any Factions against the Emperours though if they had so done their numbers were so great that they might have overthrown his Forces They might in one night with a few Fire-brands avenge themselves if they held it lawful to revenge evil with evil Had we been minded to profess open Hostilitie could we want numbers of men or force of Arms we have filled your Islands Castles Towns Tents Tribes and Wards yea even the Palace Senate and place of Judgement For what War were not we able though fewer in number than you who go so willingly to our Martyrdom if it were not more lawful in our Religion to be slain than to slay And yet under all their Persecutions they multiplied Ligabantur includebantur torquebantur urebantur laniebantur tamen multiplicabantur saith St. Augustine de Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 6. Grotius l. 1. c. 4. de Jure Belli c. speaking of that Sacred Maxime of the Apostles Acts 4. It is better to obey God than man discourseth thus If either for this i. e. our obedience to God or for any other cause he that hath the Soveraign power offer us an injurie it ought rather to be patiently tolerated than forcibly resisted for although we do not owe an Active Obedience to such Commands of Princes yet we do owe a Passive we may not transgress the Laws of God or Nature for the pleasure of the greatest Monarch yet ought we rather patiently to submit to what shall be inflicted on us for disobeying than by resistance to disturb our Countries peace The best and safest course in such a case is either to preserve our selves by flight or resolutely to undergo whatever shall be imposed on us His Reason is cogent Because Civil Societies being instituted for the preservation of Peace there accrues to that Commonwealth a greater Right over us and ours so far as is necessarie for that end And if a promiscuous Right of forcible Resistance should be tolerated it would be no longer a Commonwealth i. e. a Sanctuarie against Oppression but a confused Rabble For this among other things he quotes that noted Saying Principi Summum rerum arbitrium dii dederunt subditis obsequii gloria relicta est God hath given to Princes the Soveraign power leaving to us the glorie of Obedience If a Souldier resist his Captain striking him and but lays hold of his Weapon he is casheered if he break it or strike again he shall be put to death That this was the Hebrew Law he proves from Josh 1.18 1 Sam. 8.11 Deut. 17.14 which he so expounds That the Governours may not be resisted though they command what is not right And therefore it is added in that place of Samuel v. 18. that when the people are so oppressed by their King that there is no remedie they are to invoke his help who is the Supreme Judge of Heaven and Earth And when our Saviour commands in the New Testament to give Caesar his due he intended doubtless that they should yield as great if not greater Obedience both Active and Passive unto the Higher Power than what was due from the Jews which St. Paul Rom. 13. expounds more largely and chargeth those that resist the power of Kings with no less Crime than rebellion against Gods Ordinance and with a Judgment as great as their sin So that as there is a necessitie for our Subjection there is also for our Not Resisting Wherefore the Powers set over us are to be obeyed not servilely superstitiously or out of fear but with free rational and generous Spirits tanquam à diis dati as being Gods Ordinance and being commissioned by him cannot do more or less than he orders and permits them to do Another reason is drawn from our benefit the Government being constituted for our good and therefore in conscience not to be resisted for the Apostles Argument respects that universal good for which Government was first instituted i. e. the publick Peace wherein every one is concerned more than in his private Now he that resists doth as much as in him lies dissolve his Countries Peace and so will burie himself in the Ruines of it at the end and were it not for Governmens a Kingdom would be but like a great Pond wherein the bigger Fishes devour the lesser Omnia erit fortiorum Object The Commands of Princes do not alway tend to the publick good and when they decline from that end they are not to be obeyed Answ Though the Supreme Magistrate doth sometime through fear anger lust or other passions swerve from the path of Justice and Equitie yet these hapning but seldom are to be past by as personal blemishes which as Tacitus observes are abundantly recompensed by the benefit of better Princes Laws may be called good though they fit not every mans case if they obviate such disorders as are frequently practised and so do good to the generalitie of the People Thus Grotius If the People may resist their Prince I would know in what Cases it may be done It may be done say some in case of Religion when that is in danger in case of Libertie when that is invaded in case of Oppression when that is heavie in case of the King 's exercising an Arbitrarie power in case of his denying his Peoples Priviledges and Immunities Nay we have known that meer Fears and Jealousies which were fancied onely to promote a Rebellion have been used as an Argument to justifie it But will any of these things justifie the resistance of a Son against his Father or a Servant against his Master Or if we may make the People Judges of the lawfulness of resisting in one or more of these Cases why may they not in all and in as many more as they shall please to be sufficient But if any cause can justifie Resistance it must be that of Religion and if any Religion that which is the true Religion Now if we admit the Christian Religion to be the truest Religion that condemns Resistance above any other as hath been demonstrated by its Precepts and the practice of those Primitive Christians who best knew the sence and the mind of our Saviour in those Precepts and if any Christians should maintain the contrarie it would give the Princes of the World a just occasion to be jealous of it and root it out of their Dominions for what Prince would permit any such number of men to abide and multiply in their Dominions that profess it to be lawful to make resistance against them Besides there are few men bred up in any Religion but they think their own to be the true Religion and then they may resist their Prince how false and destructive soever it be and so a Papist or Anabaptist a Jew or a Pagan may think it lawful for them to resist and so no Prince can be secure of the Obedience of