that those who suffer for asserting any other power over Kings are not Martyrs but Traitors †Id. Serm. 39. p. 391 392. We sin against the Father the Root of Power in conceiving amiss of the Power of the Civil Magistrate when God saith By me Kings reign there the Per is not a Permission but a Commission it is not that they reign by my Sufferance but they reign by my Ordinance a King is not a King because he is a good King nor leaves being a King as soon as he leaves being good all is well summed up by the Apostle Rom. 13.5 Ye must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake The Law of the Prince is rooted in the power of God ‖ Ser. 69. p. 698. the Root of all is Order and the Orderer of all is the King. SECT IX The Archbishop of Spalato came a Stranger into this Kingdom but in a little time became well acquainted with the Estate of our Church and spoke her Sense in his Books which were well received both here and abroad nor does his Apostacy afterward concern the Merit of the Cause for if we may believe a ‖ Bishop Cosens of Transub Reverend Prelate of our Communion the Archbishop of Spalato did make good what he promised here when he came to Rome that he would own and defend the English Church to be a true Church of Christ And that among other her Doctrines he very well understood this of Non-resistance or rather he understood it to be a Doctrine of the true Catholick Church for his Books were written tho not completed before he left Italy will easily appear when it is remembered that * Lib. de Rep. Eccles cap. 1. he shews to the confutation of all that can be said to the contrary That our blessed Saviour while he lived on earth had no temporal Kingdom ‡ Cap. 2. That the Power of Princes is immmediately from God proving it from Rom. 13.1 That thus God ordain'd the Affairs of the old World that God himself was the King of Israel till the Days of Saul that he transferred his power not to the people but to Saul that this Opinion that Kings were of God's Institution and not the peoples was the Belief of the ancient Christians which he proves from the Writings of Irenaeus Tertull. Chryst Optat. Didymus Hosius Ambrose Austin c. And from the Assertions of the elder Popes and Councils that the common opinion of the Schoolmen and other Divines that Government is in the Body of the People is false that there is no Revelation hath confirmed this Assertion that all that the Light of Nature says is that Men must be governed and that if the Government were originally in the Hands of the People all Governments ought to have been Democratical which says he is the worst and most imperfect Form of Government he proving also that if the People do elect they cannot call the Prince whom they elect to account after which †Cap. 10. n. 82. he proposes an Objection If Princes be so unaccountable then there is no Remedy against evil Princes no not tho they are Enemies to the true Faith and are guilty of Maleadministration of the Government and vex their Subjects both in their Civil and Sacred Properties for while Deposition is the only Remedy if they cannot be deposed there is no Remedy To which he answers 1. That we are to enquire after such a State not what is free from all Inconveniences but what is subject to the least and the least dangerous but much more pernicious and destructive of human Society are those Confusions which are wont to arise from the Rebellions of Subjects and from Civil Wars than those which happen from the Cruelty of an ungovernable King exercised upon his Subjects 2. That this is proper and peculiar to a supreme temporal Prince that he cannot lawfully be deposed for such Kings are only inferior to God and are his immediate Vicegerents c. And in his Confutation of the Errors of Suarez ‖ C. 3. n. 6. he shews the mistakes of that Jesuit that there is no Revelation that God hath given Princes such a power proving from S. Paul that there is no power but what is of God. And †N. 16. if a Crown happen to fall to an Infidel his Subjects are bound to obey him in which case says he we ought to acknowledge and reverence the Equity of the English ☞ who when they had freed themselves from the Papal Yoke and embraced the Reformed Religion under Edward the Sixth did notwithstanding after his Death set the Crown on the Head of his Sister Mary whom they knew to be a Papist and zealously affected towards the Pope which Succession the Peers did not only allow of but the Prelates also who expected nothing from her but Executions and Martyrdoms for they knew that Religion ought not to hinder the Admission of the lawful Heir to his Right ‖ N. 17. For the Power of a King is given him by divine positive Law and therefore there is no other but God who can take his power from him To this Archbishop I will join his bitter Adversary Bishop Montagu * Not. in Invect 2. Naz. in Jul. because herein they were both agreed When the Christians in Julian 's time betook themselves only to their Prayers and not to Force it was not because they could not but because they would not for they had sufficient force to subdue the Tyrant as both Greg. Naz. and S. Austin aver but they had learn'd patience in the School of their Master Christ who had recommended it to them both by his Words and by his Example not to confound Heaven and Earth c. Bishop Lake 's Sermon Preached in Trinity-Church in Winchester at An Assizes 1610. A false Religion doth not hinder him from being a lawful Sovereign To resolve the Conscience of such as doubt Whether a different Religion doth evacuate the Power of a lawful Sovereign It doth not says he tho it be a false Religion SECT X. Old Mr. Ded hath been censured as a Puritan but I am sure neither he nor his Copartner Clever were so in this point for in their * The 5th Commandment p. 216 217. Comment on the Commandments they thus declare themselves The first Duty of the Subject is Submission both inward and outward in heart to reverence and outwardly to obey the Magistrate and this is commanded Rom. 13. Let every soul be subject c. He commands not only a bodily Subjection which may be in many rebellious persons that resist Authority and lie open to the Curse of God for this sin but an inward submission of the Soul as unto a spark of God's Authority ☜ and an appointment of his For if this inward be not first this outward will fail upon every occasion there must be also an outward subjection in obeying their Commands as
first brought from another Country and is no way natural to our own tho the Infection hath been taken by too many who had an ill Temper prepared for it Cons Dr. Jackson's Works Tom. 3. l. 12. ch 8. p. 978. their Loyalty and Peaceableness may be the Fruits of their Education or their good temper but not of their Faith or as Dr. Sherlock says they may be loyal as Englishmen but they cannot be so as Papists Would we therefore judge of the Doctrine of our Church we must consult her Articles Canons publick Homilies publick Offices of Devotion General Orders of her Bishops Censures of her Universities and Writings of her greatest Men who have vindicated her Doctrine and explained her Belief and this Method I shall use to discover what hath been owned by the Church of England as to the Doctrine of Non-resistance or Passive Obedience CHAP. I. The Doctrine of the Thirty nine Articles THE Articles of our Church have been always looked upon as the stated Doctrine of our whole Church to which all her Priests are obliged to make their Subscriptions they are allowed a place in the Body of the Confessions of the Protestant Churches and are highly commended by Foreigners as well as by our own Writers for * Bishop Ridley's Farewel Letter apud Fox tom 3. p. 506. this Church hath in matters of Controversie Articles so penned and framed after the Holy Scriptures and grounded upon the true understanding of God's Word that in short time if they had been universally received says Bishop Ridley the Martyr they should have been able to have set in Christ's Church much concord and unity in Christ's true Religion and to have expelled many false Errors and Heresies wherewith this Church alas was almost overgone Nor is this that excellent Prelate's peculiar Opinion but of the whole Church which ordains †Can. 3. an 1604. That whosoever shall affirm that the Church of England by Law establish'd under the King's Majesty is not a true and Apostolical Church teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of the Apostles let him be excommunicated ipso facto And Can. 5. Whosoever shall affirm that any of the thirty nine Articles agreed in the Synod 1562 are in any part superstitious or erroneous let him be excommunicate ipso facto Anno 1552. In the Convocation held at London Articles of Religion were agreed upon of which the Thirty sixth runs thus The Civil Magistrate is ordained and allowed of God and therefore is to be obeyed not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake And expresly asserts That the Bishop of Rome hath no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England In the Articles of our Church under Queen Elisabeth anno 1562. it runs thus and so continues to this day The Queens Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all Cases doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Foreign Jurisdiction And it is remarkable ‖ Rogers's Praef. to the 39th Artic. that these Articles of 1562. were published in the same year in which the Massacre at Vassey in France was committed by the Duke of Guise and when all the Protestants in the Country were sentenced to Death by the Parliament of Paris It is true this Doctrine is not limited to the particular Case of Subjects taking up Arms but it seems to me by two necessary Consequences to be deduc'd from it 1. Because if the Pope who pretended by a Divine Right had no power over Kings much less have the People any power who pretend to an inferior Right that of Compact 2. Because the Article makes no distinction but excludes all other Power as well as that of the Pope And in truth the Plea is the same on either side the Pope says as long as the Prince governs according to the Laws of God and the Church of which he is the Interpreter so long the Censures of the Church do not reach him and say the People as long as the Prince governs according to the Laws of the Land and of the meaning of those Laws themselves are the Interpreters so long are they bound to be obedient but as soon as the King doth any thing that may contradict the Pope then he is deservedly say the Romanists excommunicate deposed and murdered and when he usurps upon the Peoples Liberties then he ought to be deposed by the Peoples the Arguments on either side are the same and for the most part the Authorities for as * Moderat of the Church of England ann 17. §. 19. p. 481. Dr. Puller well observes both Papists and Dissenters deny the Supremacy of the King one attributes it to the Pope originally the other to the People and the same Arguments that the Pope useth for his Supremacy over Kings the Disciplinarians use for establishing their Sovereignty CHAP. II. The Doctrine of the Injunctions and Canons IN the Infancy of the Reformation under Henry the Eighth for there I begin the Restoration of Religion to her Purity in this Kingdom as Dr. Burnet does †Burnet hist Reform l. 3. p. 226. tom 1. And Fox tom 2. p. 387. Anno 1536. Injunctions were issued out the first of which is That every Man that hath Cure of Souls shall for the Establishment and Confirmation of the King's Authority and Jurisdiction sincerely declare manifest and open for the space of one quarter of a year next ensuing once every Sunday and after that at the least wise twice every Quarter in their Sermons and other Collations that the Bishop of Rome 's usurp'd Power and Jurisdiction having no Establishment or Ground in the Law of God was of most just Causes taken away and abolish'd and that the King's Power is in his Dominions the highest Power and Potentate under God to whom all men within the same Dominions by God's Commandment owe most Loyalty and Obedience afore and above all other Potentates in Earth Now if a King be above all other Powers then he cannot be accountable to any other Power and so ought not to be resisted Anno * Burnet's Collect. of Records p. 181. 1538. came out the Lord Cromwel's Injunctions as they were called wherein the same Duty is injoyned in the same Words This also is the first of the Injunctions of Edw. the Sixth †Sparr Collect. p. 1 2. An. 1547. the Preface to which Injunctions acknowledges that part of them were formerly set out by Henry the Eighth and the rest added by King Edward the Sixth This also was the first of the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth with a very little variation and accordingly in the Articles of Enquiry of Archbishop Cranmer in the Diocess of Canterbury under Edward the Sixth the first is Whether all Persons c. have preach'd against the usurp'd Power of the Bishop of Rome Secondly Whether they have preach'd and
unto the Papists who mutatis mutandis could apply their own arguments against Princes of the Religion ‖ p. 7◠In that Book it is asserted that if Kings observe not those compacts to which they were Sworn Subordinate Magistrates have powet to oppose them and to punish them till all things be restored to their former State that what Power a General Council hath to Depose a Pope for Haeresie the same the People over Kings that are turn'd Tyrants And it is worth the notice that King James when the Prince Palatine his son in law had axcepted of the Crown of Bohemia did not only dissuade him from * Rushus Collect. p. 12. it it being an usurpation upon the Rights of the Emperor but disavowed the Act and would never style him himself by that Title nor suffer his Chaplains so to do And the defeat of that unhappy Prince near Prague is very remarkable it happening on Sunday Novemb. 8. Anno 1620. when part of the Gospel for the Day was Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's SECT VI. Under a learned King the Arts flourish and therefore many eminent Authorities appear in this Reign to the vindication of the truth Dr. Buckeridge Bishop of Rochester in his Sermon on Rom. 13.5 before the King Sept. 23.1606 says ‖ p. 16. there is no resistance either thou must obey good Princes willingly or endure evil Tyrants patiently †p. 3. If they command any thing against God their Authority comes too short in such cases it is better to obey God than Men and yet in these things tho we may not obey yet we may not resist but suffer * p. 13. Subjection to higher Powers is necessary in Christians Necessitate praecepti Finis by the necessity of the end Peace and Tranquillity and Religion in this Life and Life Everlasting after Death And by necessity of the Precept Honor thy Father and Mother in which number all Kings and Fathers of Countries and Princes must have the Honor of Reverence to their Persons of obedience to their Laws of patience to their Punishments of maintenance to their Estates and of fidelity to their Crowns thus saith Arch-Bishop Laud's Tutor for so was Bishop Buckeridge Tho. Cartwright also notwithstanding his other heterodox Opinions and Practcies seems in this to be Orthodox * Confut. of the Rhem. Test in Rom. 13.4 p. 968. V. p. 58. V. Arch-Bishop Bramhal We praise God that our sworn Enemies are constrained to give us the testimony of sound Doctrine in all duties toward Princes both good and bad Fathers and Tyrants for our practice accordingly we are content to rest in equal and indifferent judgment this one thing we may boldly say that we seek not to betray our native Princes nor to lie in wait for their Lives as the Jesuits most wickedly and unnaturally do These were Mr. Cartwright's cool thoughts in his old age whatever his former Sentiments might have been Arch-bishop Whitgift also herein agrees with T. C. for when he says * Def. of the Admonit p. 4. Ibid. Indeed the Doctrine of the Gospel ' which is the Doctrine of Salvation hath been is and will be a friend to Princes and Magistrates yea tho they persecute the same T.C. re-joins If it be ask'd of the Obedience due unto the Prince and unto the Magistrate it answereth that all obedience in the Lord is to be rendred and if it come to pass that any other be asked it so refuseth that it disobeyeth not in preferring obedience to the great God before that which is to be given to mortal man. It so resisteth that it submitteth the body and goods of those that profess it to abide that which God will have them suffer in that case And to this the Arch-bishop subjoins All this is truly spoken of the Doctrine of the Gospel Dr. Fulke * In 1 Pet. 2.18 on the Rhemish Testament It is a lewd Slander against Wicklif that Magistrates lost their Authority if once they were in deadly sin he obeyed and taught obedience to the Kings Edw. III. and Rich. II. in whose time he lived which two Princes all men know to have committed deadly sin yea some heinous and notorious sins So it is a detestable slander against us whom you call followers of Wicklif for none of us ever held or taught any such Seditious or traiterous Opinions but your Heresie commeth nearest to this Opinion which holdeth that the Pope hath Authority to depose lawful Kings from their Thrones at his pleasure c. Anno 1610. Bishop Carlton printed his Book of the Jurisdiction of Princes wherein he affirms * Ch. 1. p. 4. That in external coactive jurisdiction the King hath Supreme Authority in all Causes and over all Persons Ecclesiastical as well as Civil and that this is that that hath been publish'd by divers Writings and Ordinances * P. 12. Ch. 2. Some of the Pope's Flatterers of late as also others to open a wide gap to Rebellion have written That the power of Government by the Law of Nature is in the multitude but the first Government was in a Family it is absurd to think and impossible to prove that the power of Government was in the Multitude and what is a King by nature but a Father of a great Family SECT VII I am now enter'd into a vast Ocean where Writers are every where to be found and I resolve to examine them as they occur without adjusting with a too curious niceness the exact Chronology * Ser. 1. on Gowrey's Conspir p. 781. And I begin with Bishop Andrews the smartest Adversary that ever the great Card. Bellarmine met with A King is Al Rum no rising against him or if any man rise they had better sit still for Kings begin from God we cannot set our selves against them saith Gamaliel but we must be found to fight against God being ordain'd of God saith S. Paul Gamaliel's Scholar to resist them is to resist the Ordinance of God none might better say it than he it was told him from Heaven when he was about such another business persecuting Christ in his Church * Ser. 2. p. 791. and having quoted the example of David toward Saul he adds I verily think God in this first Example of his first King over his own people hath purposely suffer'd them all i.e. all the faults of Governours to fall out and to be found in him even all that should fall out in any King after him 1. His Government was tyrannical 2. He usurp'd a Power in things spiritual taking upon him to sacrifice in person 3. He dip'd his hands in the bloud of God's Priests 4. Was possess'd by God with an evil spirit a case beyond all other cases and yet destroy him not Abishai * Ser. 3. on the 5. August p. 800. Kings are God's Anointed to the superseding of two Claims meos saith the Pope another Claim hath of late begun to
welfare and prosperity Rebellion against their Governours they hated as Witchcaft and ever thought it safer to suffer than to resist Hence they paid Tribute without marmuring for their opinion was that no Man could have that Power except it were given him from above His Tyranny could not make them neglect their duty nor his ill Government tempt them to forget their Allegiance Where the Man was rough and hard-hearted that was over them they look'd upon the Providence as a means to try their faith and even then when they might have resisted and conquer'd they would not because they thought it was unsuitable to their Religion SECT XXVI Doctor Tennison says the same * Mr. Hobbs's Creed examin'd p. 149 15 151. This then is the Doctrine of Politicks that Rebellion is not Iniquity if upon probable grounds it becomes prosperous It is blamed as an opinion of Mr. White That part-boil'd Romanist as he is called that a dispossess'd Prince ought neither to be desired nor to endeavour to return if the people think themselves to be well and their Trade and Employment be undisturb'd And he adds Who can answer they shall be better by the return of the dispossess'd party surely in common presumption the gainer is like to defend them better than he who lost it ☜ Certainly for this Sentence publish'd at such a time to this Nation if for any other cause those Books ought to be burnt in England as well as some of them have been burnt at Rome there is no tye so strong as that of Religion p. 158 159. which eternally binds a conscientious Subject in Allegiance to his Sovereign and Wars arise from mens self-interests and lusts and true goodness is both the Creator and preserver of peace unless a Man obeys for Conscience-sake all the Cords of outward Pacts and Covenants will not hold him * V. pref p. 7. c. Neither will such Covenants hold the people that pretend to Religion if they be mis-taught that God is glorified in their private good and that their private good is to be valued before the life of a Prince if they can safely deprive him of it What Hobbs hath written three times over in his de Cive p. 161. de Corpore Politico and his Leviathan ought rather to be esteemed seeds of Sedition than Elements of Government and Society and I am sure among those Principles one is that Government is founded in compact The people p. 167. if they believed that a company of Delinquents joyning together to defend themselves by Arms do not at all unjustly but may lawfully repel lawful force by force they would soon be stirred up and suffer none for whom they have respect to be brought to justice SECT XXVII Thus Doctor Hooper * Serm. at Whitehal on Math. 22.21 p. 11. Is he not the Vicegerent of God Wherever therefore his Sovereign the Almighty hath not prevented him by any precedent Commands there he hath right and liberty to put forth his and in those cases to expect an active chearful Obedience ☞ and that we should in no case and for no reason resist Be this Civil Government heretick or Infidel we are not discharg'd of our Allegiance we are obliged by the same divine Authority to preserve our Religion under it and to continue to it our subjection p. 18 19. the Church of which we have the blessing to be Members has restored to Princes and those that are in Authority the full exercise of their lawful Power their Countries and their people no place priviledg'd nor person exempted no forein Potentate sharing the Authority nor dividing their Revenue ☞ their Subjects bound in an Allegiance not to be withdrawn on any pretence of Schism or Heresie in the power of no Consistory to discharge And here we see no politick reserve that our Church hath not provided for it self any other refuge but in the providence of God and the piety of the Civil Power What was not her own she hath given out of her hands where she cannot communicate yet there she will obey and where she cannot obey she is ready to endure expecting her reward in Heaven ☞ not ignorant how much she suffers now from the contradiction of disloyal Men for the truth of this Doctrine and how much by its meekness she stands exposed to future persecution yet she professes to know too that her Saviour's Kingdom is not of this World that the rendezvouz against a Prince is not protected by being in a Church turns not her Congregations into Armies c. And though Parties seemingly opposite agree in the contrary Opinion we take not that for an argument of its truth equally detesting the holy League of the one and the solemn League of the other Doctor Harscard Dean of Windsor * Serm. before L. Mayor 1680. p. 13. Contempt of Government springs from that leud Opinion that Dominion is nothing else but strength and might that Philosophy that resolves all Beings and Actions into matter and motion lays the foundation too of all Obedience not Conscience and divine Commands ☜ but the strongest Arm and longest Sword only Subjects because they are over-power'd What doth vilifie our Governours more than this Principle Whom we beautified before with the Titles of sacred and divine but now are made a common lump onely of strength and power and are really weaker because their Subjects too like them are onely Arms but no heart or Conscience no internal Principle to oblige unto Obedience For if no inward persuasion or dread of an higher power but only fear and interest weakness and convenience are the bottom and reason of our Obedience where these shall change and the Man hath swell'd his Coffers procured firm Alliances and muster'd up his Armies and Confederates and other instruments of Rebellion he may then by the Title of Power lay claim to Dominion and set up for himself What signifies religious Oaths and solemn Vows to engage us unto Obedience which is onely an acknowledgment of weakness if onely external power must be their keeper SECT XXVIII Doctor Falkner's Christian Loyalty is written wholly upon this Subject proving that Government is appointed by God and is of divine Institution own'd so by the Christians who were persecuted by the Civil Powers and his whole second Book is employed in shewing the unlawfulness of Subjects taking Arms against the King upon any account and this he proves from the obligation of Oaths and solemn declarations from the Laws of Nature and humane policy from the prohibitions of both the Old and New Testament especially the New proving that this resistance is not onely sinful in private persons but in the whole body of the people and in subordinate Magistrates and I would willingly see a sober Answer to that discourse instead of puzling the World with little distinctions of persecuting according to or against Law. And in his Treatise of Reproach and Censure he shews how
he be never so true a Subject and all unlikely to make any resistance or to think any evil unto your Grace P. 184. Whereas it is they that go about to make Insurrection to the maintaining of their worldly pomp and pride and not the true Preacher Who is he that would be a Traitor or maintain a Traitor against your most excellent and noble Grace I think no Man yea and I know surely that no Man can do it without the great displeasure of the eternal God. For S. Paul commandeth straitly unto all Christians to be obedient in all things Rom. 13. on this manner Let every man submit himself to the authority of the higher power for whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation 1 Pet. 2. Also S. Peter confirmeth this saying Submit your selves unto all manner of ordinance of man c. Wherefore if every man had the Scriptures as I would to God they had to judge every Man's Doctrine ☞ then were it out of question that the Preachers thereof either would or could make or cause to be made any Insurrection against their Prince seeing the self same Scripture straitly commandeth all Subjects to be obedient unto their Princes as Paul witnesseth saying Warn them saith he that they submit themselves to princes and to powers and to obey the officers Now how can they that preach and exhort all Men to this Doctrine cause any Insurrection or Disobedience against their Prince Call to mind the old Prophets and with a single eye judge if any of them either privily or apertly stirred up the People against their Princes P. 185. Look on Christ if he submitted not himself to the high powers paid he not Tribute for all he was free and caused Peter likewise to pay Suffered not he with all patience the punishments of the Princes Yea Death most cruel altho they did him open wrong and could find him guilty in no Cause Look also on the Apostles and if ever they stirred by any occasion the People against their Princes yea if they themselves obeyed not to all Princes altho the most part of them were Tyrants and Infidels Consider likewise those Doctors which purely and sincerely have handled the Word of God either in Preaching or Writing if ever by their means any Insurrection or Disobedience rise among the People against their Princes but you shall rather find that they have been rather ready to lay down their own Heads to suffer with all patience whatsoever Tyranny any Power would minister unto them giving all People example to do the same Now to conclude if neither the Scripture neither the Practice of the Preachers thereof teacheth nor affirmeth that the People may disobey their Princes or their Ordinances but contrariwise teacheth all Obedience to be done unto them it is plain that those Bishops or rather Papists do falsly accuse those true Preachers and Subjects which thing would appear in every Man's sight if by their violence the Word of God were not kept under Now is this the Doctrin that I do Preach and Teach ☜ and none other as concerning this matter God I take to record and all my Books and Writings that ever I wrote or made and only I allow and favor them which further this Doctrine of Christ and of this I am sure mine Adversaries or rather Adversaries to Christ's Doctrin must bear me witness After this he proceeds to demonstrate that the Pope and the Papistical Bishops are they who Preach to the People the contrary Doctrin as that St. Peter exempts himself and his Successors from being subject to Superiors that Subjects may be disobedient to their own Lords and that the Pope may Depose Kings that he hath autority to break all Oaths Bonds and Obligations and other such like positions and then adds there is no Officer that hath need to be afraid of Christ's Gospel nor yet of the Preachers thereof ☜ but of those privy Traitors can no Man be too wary the Scripture commandeth us to obey to wicked Princes and giveth us none autority to Depose them who was more wicked than Herod and yet St. John suffer'd Death under him Who was wickeder than Pilate and yet Christ did not put him down but was Crucified under him Briefly which of all the Princes were good in the Apostles days and yet they deposed none So that God's word and their own learning and the Practice of our Master Christ and his Holy Apostles are openly against them p. 190. there is no People under Heaven that more abhors and with earnester heart resisteth and more diligently doth Preach against Disobedience than we do Yea I dare say boldly let all your Books be search'd that were written this 500 Years and all they shall not declare the autority of a Prince and the true obedience toward him as one of our little Books shall do that be condemn'd by you for Heresie p. 202. 204. And then he impeacheth them of denying that the King's Power is immediatly of God while it can never be proved that ever we spake against God or our King. The same Learned and Holy Martyr in his Discourse that Mens Constitutions not grounded in Scripture bind not the Conscience is of the same mind If the power command any thing of Tyranny against Right and Law always provided that it repugn not against the Gospel p. 292. 293. 294. nor destroy our Faith our Charity must needs suffer it for as St. Paul saith Charity suffereth all things also our Master Christ If a man strike thee on the one Cheek turn him the other For if he doth exercise Tyranny if he command thee any thing against right or do thee any wrong as for an example cast thee in Prison wrongfully if thou canst by any reasonable and quiet means without Sedition Insurrection or breaking of the common Peace save thy self or avoid his Tyranny thou may'st do it with a good Conscience but in no wise ☞ be it right or wrong may'st thou make any resistance with a Sword or with Hand but obey except thou canst avoid as I have shewed thee but if the Cause be right lawful or profitable to the Common-wealth thou must obey and thou must not sly without sin But suppose the King should condemn the New Testament in England and command that none of his Subjects should have it is he to be obeyed or not this will be a great Scourge and an intolerable plague My Lords the Popish Bishops would depose him with short deliberation and make no Conscience of it they have Deposed Princes for lesser Causes than this is a great deal But against them will I always lay Christ's Fact and his Holy Apostles and the Word of God. If the King forbid the New Testament c. under a temporal pain or else under the pain of Death Men shall first make faithful Prayers to God and then diligent
Hereticks his anointing may be wiped off or scraped off then you may write a Book de justa abdicatione make a holy League c. but it is not Religion nor Virtue nor any spiritual Grace this Royal Anointing Christus Domini is said not only of Josias a King truly Religious but of Cyrus a mere Heathen not only of David a good King but of Saul a Tyrant even when he was at the worst Unxit in Regem Royal Unction gives no Grace but a just Title only it includes nothing but a just Title it excludes nothing but usurpation God's claim never forfeits his Character never to be wiped out or scraped out nor Kings lose their Rights no more than Patriarchs did their Fatherhood P. 809. Never was any truly partaker of the inward anointing of a Christian Man but he was ever fast and firm to the Royal Anointing The same excellent Prelate in his Answer to Tortus or Cardinal Bellarmin's Book against King James's Apology for the Oath of Allegiance says That Subjects are bound to obey their Prince by all Law London 1609. p. 16. 36. Natural Moral Civil Municipal That Christ never interdicted any Subjects Obedience his Father sent him not into the World on this Errand nor did he send any of his Followers P. 43. Let the King be a Heathen he ceases not to be a King let him be a Julian an Apostate which is worse than a Heathen yet he is a King still ☜ and against even such it is not lawful to take Arms nay it is a sin not to take Arms in their defence when they command us P. 110. Both Papists and Puritans conspire the hurt of Kings as Herod and Pilate agreed to murther Christ both being equally injurious to Kings in striving to rob them of their Authority Kings in their Kingdoms are God's Vicars P. 158 161. And the ancient Christians cheerfully obeyed them A forced Obedience rather becomes the Devil than a Christian for they are subject against their wills but to the praise of Christianity the Christians in the Infancy of the Church were so sincerely obedient that their Enemies could not bespatter them and so cheerfully patient that their Enemies were forced to admire them And it is blasphemy against Christ to think or say P. 321. that he would have any one that is his Vicar to hinder Subjects from being true to their Prince or Kings from being safe P. 384 385. Kings derive their Authority from God the people confer nothing upon them they are God's anointed not the people's the Form of Government may be from men but the Authority is always from Heaven Anno 1610 The same Learned Prelate published his Answer to Cardinal Bellarmin's Apology and therein avers †C. 2. p. 58. That every Subject is bound by his Allegiance not to suffer any one who shall endeavour either to depose his Prince or to dispose of his Kingdom he is bound to oppose himself against any Invader neither to absolve himself from his Allegiance nor to suffer himself to be absolved by any other not to take Arms against his Sovereign but to defend him from all violence in his Crown and Person and to discover all Conspiracies P. 132. To render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's The Apostles did so to Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero Domitian The Martyrs did so to Commodus Severus Decius Dioclesian The Fathers did so to Constantius Valens and Anastasius Nay the Popes themselves did so to the Arians to Theodoric and the Goths in their times the contrary Doctrin was reckoned to be Heresie These were the Sentiments of that great man than whom while he lived the King had not a more Loyal Servant nor the Church a more Learned Prelate as the Editors ‖ Ep. Ded. Râ—gi of his Opuscula with Justice aver When Becanus a busie Jesuit had undertaken to answer this admirable Prelate's Books against Bellarmin Rich. Thompson an 1611. wrote his Vindication P. 20. and smartly censures his Adversary for saying That in England we swear Allegiance to our Kings upon these two conditions 1. As long as we stay in England 2. As long as he maintains the true Religion Both which Propositions as he says are most false and then he proceeds to confirm his Hypothesis proving in pursuance of his Design P. 27. That to the Oath of a Papist no regard ought to be had for who can believe ☞ whether he swears truly and from his Heart who defends the Lawfulness of a mixt Proposition of which one part is spoken P. 44. the other reserved The Text Touch not mine anointed only concerns Kings and in the whole Bible none are called the Lord's anointed but Kings And Rabbi Levi Ben Gershon the Jew hath commented more honestly and more like a Christian on 1 Sam. 12.24 than the Fathers of the Society of the Jesuits P. 78 79 83. All Princes even Pagans have a supreme Power over all their Subjects and in all Causes and Proscribere non posse proscribi propria sunt Regum timendorum in proprios greges ad ipsos coelitùs delapsâ autoritate ac peculiari quâdam ratione spectant i. e. To punish others and not to be punishable themselves is the peculiar Right of Kings derived unto them from above Nor was Becanus the only Antagonist that Bishop Andrews met with in this Cause Eudaemon Johannes a Cretan and a Jesuit and he needs no other Character undertakes the Defence of Garnet and the Censure of Allegiance him Dr. Samuel Collins the publick Professor of Divinity at Cambridge Cantab. 1612. undertakes wherein he averrs * Par. 2. p. 52. That the Jesuit had belyed King James when he called him a Follower of Knox to whose Opinions he was always most averse detesting both him and his Followers whom he upon all occasions rather punished than countenanced †Par. 3. c. 72. p. 252. Shew me that there is any such power I do not mean only in private persons but in the Pope or in any other mortal to depose ☞ or to murder a King. If a King do not his Duty he is to be left to the Divine Tribunal Against thee only have I sinned says David for he was a King says S. Hierom and had no one whom he might fear Understand it of coercive power not only not to punish but also not to upbraid him for who shall say to a King why dost thou so Eccl. 8.4 And who can resist him Prov. 30. P. 2.3 But you have found out this pretty Distinction that as long as a King remains a King let him be never so tyrannical his Subjects dare not oppose him but when the Pope deposes him then it is lawful boldly to oppose him And I would fain know where the odds is if the Pope or the people depose him so that if the Commons have power and the Pope consent and no danger of scandal
mischief common to this deposing Power of the Pope and Commonwealth Principles Is the justifying of Rebellion on the account of Religion which is done to purpose in Boucher and Reynolds whom he cites at large and then proceeds to his second Proposition that whosoever does renounce the deposing Power hath no reason to refuse the Oath of Allegiance and then adds P. 29. it is very true this hath been the effect of this Blessed Doctrin in the Christian World Seditions Wars Bloodshed Rebellions what not But I ought to transcribe all that excellent Preface were I strictly to do the Author or the Cause justice while I refer the Reader to it at his leisure SECT II. Dr. Tennison in his Epistle Dedicatory to his Examination of Hobbs's Creed says Hobbs's Creed examin'd Lond. 1670. that Hobbs hath framed a model of Government pernicious in its consequence to all Nations and Injurious to the right of his present Majesty for he taught the People soon after the Martyrdom of his Royal Father that his Title was extinguish'd when his adherents were subdued and that the Parliament had the right ☜ because it had possession he hath subjected the Canon of Scripture to the Civil Powers and taught them the way of turning the Alcoran into Gospel and for these and the like Tenets he calls him an insolent and pernicious Writer P. 2. and when Mr. Hobbs had asserted that Nature had made all Men equal so that no Man can thereupon claim to himself any benefit P. 129 130 131. to which another may not pretend as well as he that from equality of condition competition arises fomented by equality of hope and from thence a War of every Man against every Man c. he rejoins that it is a very absurd and unsecure course to lay the groundwork of all Civil Polity and Reformed Religion upon such a supposed state of Nature as hath no firmer support than the contrivance of your own fancy let Philosophers discourse and make different Hypotheses of the motion of the Stars but when the temporal and eternal safety of Mankind is concern'd as in the Doctrins of Civil and Moral and Christian Philosophy then are Hypothesis framed by imagination as exceedingly dangerous as they are absurd wherefore such Persons who trouble the World with fansied Schemes and Models of Polity in Oceana's and Leviathans ☞ ought to have in their minds an usual saying of the most excellent Lord Bacon concerning a Philosophy advanced upon the History of Nature that such a work is the World as God made it and not as Men have made it for that it hath nothing of imagination for the faithful accounts of time give us another account of the Origin of Nations P. 13â— our Parents being before the Institution of Commonwealths absolute Sovereignâ—s in their own Families P. 141 142. after which he confesses that prejudice and self interest doth usually blind the understanding and cause it to put evil for good and humour and education and profit for reason and adds P. 147. if Men be lawless in a State of Nature and for the mere sake of temporal security do enter into Covenants and are obliged to justice and modesty and gratitude and other such like sociable Virtues only because they conduce to our Peace and to the keeping of us from the deplorable condition of a War of every Man against every Man then when any Subject shall have fair hopes of advancing himself by treading down Authority and trampling upon the Laws in a prosperous Rebellion what is It according to your Principles which can oblige him to refuse the opportunity If it be said that one Covenant is this that we must keep the rest It will be again inquired what Law engageth Men to keep that past seeing there is no Law of more ancient descent except it be that of Self-preservation for the sake of which we suppose the Covenants to be broken so that without the obligation laid upon us by Fidelity the Law of God Almighty in our nature antecedent to all humane Covenants P. 148 such Pacts will become but so many loose materials without the main binder in the fence of the Commonwealth which will therefore be trodden down or broken through by every herd of unruly Men Men are apt to violate what they esteem most just and sacred for the sake of Reigning and they will be much more encouraged to break all Oaths of Duty and Allegiance ☞ when they once believe that their ascent into the Throne and possession of the Supreme Power like the coming of the reputed Heir unto the Crown * Lord 〈◊〉 Hen. 7. p. 13. as in the case of Henry VII doth immediatly clear a Man of all former Attaindors this Doctrin is of the same strain with that pernicious Book Intitled Nature's Dowry Printed the year after the Leviathan that Rebeilion is not iniquity P. 149. if upon probable grounds it becomes prosperous that he who usurps not like a Politician is therefore a Villain because he is a Fool that all Usurpers in the World stepping up into the Throne by means likely to further their ascent pursue the Fundamental Law of Nature and are rightful and undoubted Sovereigns that the Earl of Essex in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth when he miscarried was a Rebel and a Traytor because he was a weak and unfortunate Politician but that Oliver who was sure of being Protector by the inclination of the Soldiery and possession of the Militia was a Lawful Prince after this he with justice taxes Mr. White as the †p. 93. first part of this History gives an account and then shews that Bishop Bramhal fled from England rather than submit to the Usurpation and that the other Bishops that staid at home P. 153 154. promoted the Cause of their Sovereign which if all zealous Loyalists had withdrawn themselves would by degrees have dyed away and because they refused the Oaths imposed at the Peril of their Lives and of their Fortunes ☜ they therefore are not to be judg'd treacherous in undermining the Usurp'd Government or disloyal to the King in injoying protection under Oliver whom they neither arm'd nor own'd in Power P. 156. It is not for you to pretend to Loyalty who place right in force and teach the People to assist the Usurper with active compliance against a dispossest Prince and not merely to live at all adventure in his Territories without owning the Protection by unlawful Oaths or by running into Arms against their Dethroned Sovereign P. 157. thus you give encouragement to Usurpers and also when Civil discords are set on foot as it happens too frequently in all States you hereby move such People as are yet on the side of their Lawful Prince whose Affairs they see declining to adjoin themselves to the more prosperous Party and to help to overturn those Thrones of Sovereignty at which a while before they
Emperor while the good Bishop in his Embasly to Maximus carried himself as the Father or Guardian of his Prince ☞ tho he had been provok'd in the most tender part by his Prince's endeavors for the introducing of Arianism others perhaps if they had been in his condition would have look'd upon this Tyrant's Maximus declaring for the truth as such an opportunity that Providence had offer'd for the Preservation of the Faith and since the Empress was of a false Religion and the Emperor was govern'd by her why should they not set up this Maximus as the Protector of the true Faith But Ambrose and the Bishops were of another mind they knew what it was to dye for their Religion p. 346. but did not understand what it was to brigue or to resist and I pray how did the Bishops comply with the Usurper Maximus were any of them instrumental to his advancement did they Preach up his cause and the lawfulness of his revolt did they ever press the People to bring in their Plate and contributions or after his successes and the Murther of Gratian did any of the Bishops justifie the Usurper's Proceedings and Preach and Print in defence of that barbarous Regicide did they flatter him as the preserver of Religion the David the Champion of Israel with much more to the same purpose Dr. Williams Printed his Sermon Preach'd July 26. 1685. Seâ—â—ful 26. 1685. on Rom. 3â—7 8. p. 11. being on the day of publick thanksgiving for the late victory over the Rebels to vindicate the City Clergy and particularly himself who was censured as if the Sermon was not to the purpose of the day and occasion as he says in his Epistle Dedicatory to the Bishop of London Grant this that evil becomes lawful by a good end and when we think our selves secure we make all compacts broken Oaths dissolved all difference betwixt Superiors and Inferiors confounded it exposes the Church and State to every pretender and any one that hath a mind P. 20 21. will never want a reason for Insurrection and Rebellion as no Religion hath more discountenanc'd such Principles and Proceedings than the Christian so no Nations nor Persons have more discountenanc'd the thing than those who have profess'd it it is too notorious to be dissembled for that there have been Rebellions against and depositions of Princes dissolutions of Governments taking and breaking of Oaths and other things apparently evil of that and the like kind done to serve a Cause a Party or a Church is no Mystery now a days Christian Religion teaches the wholsom Doctrin of being subject to the Higher Powers and that they that resist p. 22. shall receive to themselves damnation from the confessions of Faith in all the â—rotestant and Reformed Churches nothing can be drawn p. 23. that will justifie Opposition or Rebellion against Civil Authority but they expresly declare against it when Queen Mary was a known Member of the Roman Church yet the Protestants first joyned with her against the Lady Jane Grey who was invested with the title of Queen and was a Protestant And this particularly is the avowed Doctrin of the Church of England in all its Articles and Homilies at large three of which are against Rebellion Do they find in the Sermons of the Ministers of the Church of England Id. Apol. for the Pulpits p. 3 4. the Doctrines of the Peoples Power over Princes of the lawfulness of resisting their Sovereigns or rather where have the Rights of Princes and the Subjection and Obedience of the People in all lawful Cases and the Non-resistance in any Case ☜ been so much asserted That Loyalty which concerns all of all Perswasions is taught in the Pulpits of the Church of England which obliges them to be as loyal when the Prince is of a different Religion as when he is of the same with them The same Author also in his Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome having cited our Articles Homilies c. to prove the chief Power of the King and that he ought not to be resisted and shewn how contrary to this Doctrin the Decrees of the Church of Rome are he subjoins pag. â—1 The Church of England teacheth the King in all his Realms hath Supream Power in all Causes whether Ecclesiastical or Civil For God alloweth neither the Dignity of any Person ☜ nor the Multitude of any People nor the Weight of any Cause as sufficient for the which Subjects may rebel So Dr. Grove in his Examination of Bell. 15th Note viz. Temporal Felicity pag. 393. Since the Power of Deposing Princes hath been openly assumed and frequently practised and never yet condemned by any either Pope or Council since the Doctrin of Equivoeation and many other absurd and Impious Opinions are taught by their Casuists and made use of by their Confessors in directing the Consciences of their Penitents and since these and many more very dangerous Errors do not only escape without a Censure but are approved of and encouraged by their Governors I cannot see how they and their Church can possibly be excused from the Guilt of them Mr. Thomas Stainoe B. D. and Archdeacon of Brecknock preach'd Sept. 6. Ann. 1686. Seem on Rom. 13.5 Epist Ded. before the Lord Mayor and says that he publish'd it That it might be instrumental to convince the People of their Duty to their King because it was for that very reason that he preach'd it That there is no Man so much a ravening Wolf inwardly pag. 3. but he will put on Sheeps Cloathing and tho his Resolutions are bent upon Rebellion yet his Discretion and Prudence will prompt him to pretend Religion The least that can be inferr'd from the words will be a Subjection to lawful Authority and by consequence also to our own Prince For the truth of all which I shall urge no more at present than the tacit Confession of his most avowed and professed Enemies who after all their contrivance of Wit Anger and Malice could at length pitch upon no better expedient to prevent his Right of Accession than a Bill of Exclusion Now such a Bill either presupposes an antecedent Right or it does not if it does not then it must be confess'd that they did most elaborately trifle whilst they took a great deal of pains to bring that about that was already done to their hands If it does then we have what we look for and that is that the Injustice of their Actions does make good the Justice of his Title and affords us a tacit Confession that there was no other way to overthrow that Title but by overturning the very Foundations of the Government it self pag. 7. We are therefore obliged in Conscience to be in subjection to the Superior Powers because God himself commands us so to be God hath given the lawful Magistrate a Title to that Authority pag. 12. to which we