and light Corn from the good Wheat the nominal from the real the Christians of this World from those of a better But it takes off no Right Christians who are not Right so long as any thing can make them desert their Saviour or any Duty of his Religion when they are call'd by him to own and stick to them If any man love Father or Mother or his own Life more than me he is not worthy of me Mat. x. 37.39 Luc. xiv 26 If he take not his Cross and follow me he is not worthy of me Mat. x. 38 If he doth not bear his Cross and come after me he cannot be my Disciple Luk. xiv 27 As for those who are right true Christians Persecution perfects them It takes them off from fleshly delights and cures their inordinate love and complacence in or hankerings after this World It makes them sit loose to it and have a generous contempt thereof It heightens their pious Resolutions instead of abating them it doth not stop their Carier in duty but enliven it It begets in them a triumphant disdain of the Injuries or Reproaches that are thrown upon them for doing a good thing and a complacence in the Cross instead of a displeasure with themselves when it meets them in a good Cause For in these Sufferings having the support of God's Promises the comfort of his Spirit and the applause of a good Conscience they are not only patient under their Lot but satisfied with it they do not only bear their Burden but glory and rejoyce therein Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you for righteousness sake Rejoyce then and be exceeding glad says our Lord Mat. v. 10 11 12. Luc. vi 22 23. Count it not strange but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings that ye may be also of his glory Under such Sufferings happy are ye for the spirit of God rests upon you says S. Peter 1 Pet. iv 12 13 14. Accordingly says S. Paul I take pleasure in necessities in persecutions in distresses for Christs sake 2 Cor. xii 10 and the Hebrews took joyfully the spoiling of their goods knowing they had in Heaven a better and more enduring substance Heb. x. 34 A state of Persecution is the most advantageous time for a Christian to appear perfect in and passive Virtues are the best Ornament and most compleat Dress wherein he can shew and recommend himself He is never so good so glorious and great as when he is bravely and undauntedly doing his Duty and confessing under the Cross of Christ. Nay put the worst that can come that such a religious man be cut off and dye for his Religion yet even then must no man prophanely ask What is become of Religion For that is then become which should become of it viz. to carry the Professors thereof to be everlastingly happy in Heaven And by their dying for it which is more no hurt but good will come to Religion among those that survive For Persecution as it perfects so it spreads and propagates truly religious men If Religion thereby loses out-side Professors it gets sincere and faithful Followers The Church loses not so much by the Sufferings as it gets by the Examples of the holy and blessed Martyrs For these strangely affect and strike upon the Spirits of men Their Faith and Patience and other noble Virtues shew men the power and excite their curiosity and mightily dispose them to hearken and inquire into the truth of what they suffer for So that Semen est sanguis Christianorum the blood of the Martyrs was the seed of the Church as Tertullian says they found by experience in the Sufferings of the ancient Church These influenced not only the weak but the wisest persons bringing in such as Justin that renown'd Philosopher and Martyr to see and receive the Truth the great occasion of his Conversion as he himself relates being that Constancy and religious Bravery the Martyrs shew'd in their Sufferings There is a witness in the blood of Saints that begets Faith in Beholders and therefore among the Three that bear Witness to Christ on Earth S. John reckons the blood for one the Spirit the Water and the Blood meaning thereby their Sufferings in his Cause 1 Jo. v. 8 And S. Paul noting the signs of an Apostle who was to persuade and get belief in others tells the Corinthians they were wrought among them in all patience 2 Cor. xii 12 Their Sufferings were one proof of their being Gods Ministers In all things saith he approving our selves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions necessities distresses and Persecutions of every sort as well as by the word of truth and by the gifts of Miracles or the power of God 2 Cor. vi 4 5 7. The Patterns and the Prayers the passive Graces and Sufferings of the primitive Saints and Martyrs as well as their Preaching and miraculous powers were a cause that spread Religion so strangely under the primitive Persecutions instead of cutting off it was really a Widener and a true prolifick Principle and Seed of the Church Thus doth God turn this great rule of worldly Wisdom into mere Folly In this he absolutely confounds the wisdom of the Wise and takes the fleshly Wise as the Scripture says in their own craftiness and demonstrates how the Wisdom of this World is Foolishness with God 1 Cor. iii. 19 20. When Persecutions go to destroy the Religious they do not pull down but propagate and advance Religion When they destroy and cut off some they drive in more and Religion gets new ones in their room It loses none but out-side or insincere Professors but increases in the number of hearty and upright Followers who are the true honor of Religion and ornament of the Church From this I observe how we must not say with worldly wise men that worldly ease and immunities are best for Religion Indeed outward Peace and Privileges are things very valuable and acceptable to its Professors as their place of professing it is here in this World and whilst they bear about them fleshly Natures But as we must thankfully value and improve it when we have it so must we consider too that Religion it self and the Spirit tho the Flesh be of another mind may be bettered by the want thereof And therefore that is but fit in this case to leave God to take his own way and chuse for us And if at any time he is bringing Persecution on 't is not for us to step out of his way to keep it off and excuse our selves by saying it is better for Religion For when was it ever better for the Church than in the first Ages when they run thro the most and forest Persecutions Is not that best for the Church which makes the most and the best good Christians And when were they more or better in the places where Christianity prevail'd than in those first
and persecuting Ages Were not those times a continual and vast increase of fresh Converts And were not those Converts of much better and more Christian Lives under this Discipline of Persecutions than others use to be in times of Peace and secular Advantages And on the other hand to abate the advantage of worldly Peace and Possessions are not they too liable to carnalize and corrupt the Spirits of men Do not the worldly Possessions which were design'd to encourage men in the way and ministry of Religion too oft steal their hearts away from it and then when a Persecution comes for any necessary Truth or Duties sake instead of being a friend and support are not they an Enemy within the Walls to betray and deliver it up The sad experience of such general and shameful Defections from religious Truths to hold their worldly Possessions made Faustinus and Marcellinus in their Book of Prayers to the Emperors to call them Perniciosissimas possessiones most pernicious Possessions yea to wish that the Church had never been possessed of them that living after the manner of the Apostles it might still have more inviolably possessed the integrity of the Faith I know there are many great and valuable Advantages by worldly Possessions for which the Church has great cause to be thankful to God and all its Benefactors but these in trying times are advantages only to wise men who have raised Affections and retain a true spirituality of mind and contempt of the World in the midst of all secular enjoyments being on such occasions the greatest snare and bane to all others So that the advantage pleadable from these is only to those who can let them go for Religion and love God and their Duty above them And when God sends Persecution it is both the School wherein to shew forth this raised temper of mind and wherein to improve and perfect it 'T is not for us therefore to say it is better for Religion but only for Flesh and Blood whilst they profess Religion to be out of Persecution For when God sees fit to send it upon his Church as he always doth when they cannot shun it without Sin he designs and will undoubtedly effect it to purge and purifie to perfect and promote true and acceptable Religion and Godliness thereby And all that loses is only mixt and mongrel Professors and our own worldly and carnal selves Such is the real importance of Persecution to Religion and the Church It gets more thereby than it loses It is deprived of nominal mixt Professors but augmented with better Christians Tho it should shew fewer Professors yet can it at such times produce more and more perfect Saints and Heirs of eternal Happiness It takes from its faithful Followers worldly things not spiritual present not future So that it destroys or lessens it only in the opinion of worldly minds or fleshly prudence who look only at what is kept or lost of this Worlds goods and advantages but advances confirms and multiplies it in the Opinion of the spiritually minded and according to the estimate of true Christian Prudence Like to this of others Force not making us lose Religion is another Observation of others Force not hindring the effect of our Ministry This is wont to be one Plea at such times For as the People are ready to say they take Arms against their persecuting Prince that they may not be deprived of the benefit of their Ministers so among the Ministers themselves are some tempted to stretch and go greater lengths in complyance therewith than they think their duty allows on pretence of serving God and keeping in to do good in their places If we stick at this say some what will become of our Ministry and the exercise thereof and what way can we have to do God service in our stations Now If this has any force at all it seems to be against Gods own ordering as if in this disposal of Providence he had called us from a better way to a worse and in debarring and discharging us from our former Stations as he doth when we can no longer hold them without sin had summoned us to a less useful Post to serve him in But a mind that truly and sincerely seeks to serve God and not under an hypocritical pretence thereof to serve its worldly interests will easily give him leave when he sees fit to change the scene of our service and to chalk out and call us as he pleases to the place where and the Station in which he will be served And besides the external force tho it drive us out of our Stations will not take us away at such times from doing him service For besides what we have opportunity then to do for him we may serve him more by suffering in a good way than we ever should be able to do by keeping our Stations through a bad one Nay our sufferings for a good Cause may be like to be of more real use and influence than all our Preaching up the same Cause might be without suffering There is a Witness in the Blood as I observed and a persuasiveness in the sufferings of Martyrs and Confessors which affects and convinces more than any words or Sermons they could use Let us then on such occasions take care to suffer Christianly and leave it to Gods care to supply any want of us in our Stations and to serve himself by our sufferings more than it were possible for us to serve him by any other ways And as others Force can never make us lose Religion so neither Secondly When Force and Persecution comes upon Religion especially from our Governors in the Eye of Spiritual Wisdom is our armed Resistance or encountring Force by Force a way to defend and preserve Religion If our Force be a way to preserve any thing at such times it is the worldly appendages of Religion viz. our Secular Profits Civil Liberties Powers Honors and other Advantages which the Laws have conferred and settled in favor of the Truth and given the Professors thereof a Title to What it can have any pretence to is to guard worldy things possessed by Religious Men as they are Members of this World as well as Professors of Religion And if it come in to guard worldly things it is on the score of worldly Prudence and is made use of by the Religious not as Religious but as worldly wise Tho as to Publick Force for redress of Publick Grievances however to the aggrieved before they have tryed it may seem otherwise I think it is a most unwise course and instead of preserving what part of those worldly things was endangered it brings all into much greater danger and to secure one part throws away several Adding only this for our Recompence that instead of losing and suffering a little against the grain of our angry Passions it throws us into the suffering of a great deal more but in the pleasure and pursuit of them
in an Arm of Flesh. And speeds and prospers this other method of spiritual Wisdom by surprizes of Success and invisible interpositions and turns and ways never thought of till brought to pass to call us all to rely on Providence whilst by confining our selves to his ways we place our Faith and Trust in himself as they who please may find more largely discoursed in a Treatise of Christian Prudence Ch. 8. Thus is Religion to be preserved by Faith and Patience and Spiritual Methods and not by Force it cannot be taken by Force and so needs not be kept by it Nay instead of being preserved by Force it is impaired thereby when it is used in its behalf They are much deceived that fansie War will do good to Religion Instead of that the force and fighting of Religious Men are the greatest violence to Religion Tho it gets by the Force it suffers it lofes mightily by the Force it uses When Force gets within it and mixes with it whilst it seeks to preserve the Shell it consumes the Kernel and pretending to Guard the Body it eats out the very Heart of it For Religion it self lies mightily in Love and Beneficence He that loves another hath fulfilled the law Rom. xiii 10 A new commandment I give unto you that ye love one another Joh. xiii 34 And by this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another vers 35. But instead of Love and Benificence Wars and Fightings lye all in angry passions and doing mischief It is shown in forgiving that in avenging Injuries It in doing good for ill that in doing all the ill men can It in mourning with those that mourn and rejoycing with those that rejoyce that in mourning for the Mirth and rejoycing over the Cries and Grief of others It in loving our Neighbour as our selves yea our Enemies that hate us tho without a cause or our Persecutors that hate us for the best things but that in hating and persecuting all as Enemies having no regard to good or ill Relations or Strangers Friends or Foes That is tender of all the Things and Rights both of God and Men this of neither sparing neither things sacred nor profane and counting all it can take its own and Spoil and Rapine Waste and Devastation no wrong That is for saving of Lives in regard to community of Natures and reverence to Gods Image this for destroying them By these and many more that might be added it appears how Religion is calculated for a state of Peace so that whensoever War bursts out and is put in practice the greater part of its Duties are under suspension and suffer Violence I do not say it forbids all Wars in compliance with the state and necessities of this World on just and great Causes it connives and gives way to them But this it doth by no means as a way to promote it self or advance the observance of its Rules which are in so great measure no Rules at all whilst War reigns And therefore what it doth in this case is only to tolerate it it allows but it doth not encourage or persuade to it Besides as the Liberties of War run counter to so great a body of its Rules so in time of War there is also the usual restraint taken off and impunity added to all Wickedness They are too often then most in power who are better Soldiers than Christians and have the least sense of Religion and Conscience Then a shole of irreligious Tempers as Pride Insolence Hatred Uncompassionateness Anger Revenge Covetousness Ambition Neglect of the things of God and Religion or open profanation of them in a word all vicious and corrupt Passions are superinduced upon the minds of men which are a revival of the old man and most opposite to the very life and design of true Religion So that Religion it self is not like to have any good more than the civil State is by Wars Its Professors will in the end be worse by it in their Religion as well as in their Fortunes They will come out more opposite to God and the Temper of Saints and so be worse Christians Yea not only as to its moral Practice but even as to Orthodoxy of Profession and Purity of Worship Religion instead of being reform'd and amended by the just Judgment of God and the natural course of humane Passions is too oft made a great deal worse by warring against our Governors A spiritual defection many times accompanies a civil one as the Israelites with Jeroboam fell off from God to the Calves when they had revolted from the house of Solomon And in our late long civil Wars when they rebell'd for Religion by Rebellion against the King was a strange defection introduced from Christianity some throwing out the Articles of Faith some all the ten Commandments some the holy Scriptures some the calling and office of Ministers some their Tythes and Maintenance some the Lords Supper others Baptism and all Ordinances In a word among one or other of the Sects Religion instead of thriving and increasing most lamentably suffering in its most important Articles in the very essential and constituent marks and the visible face and external appearance of Christs holy Church Such in reality is the difference between our suffering others Force in Persecutions and our using Force our selves by listing Armies for Religion against our persecuting Rulers We may practise all the parts of Religion whilst they are forcing us several that have no place in external peace and quietness and all with more perfection and honor than at other times so that in suffering the force of Persecutors Religion it self gets whatever else loses and its Rules have more true and tryed more perfect and triumphant Observance than they could have otherwise But when we come to use force our selves to defend Religion against our persecuting Governors in this time of force we lay aside the greater part of its Rules and give a loose to all degenerate and vicious Tempers utterly opposite to its habits so that whatever else gets it loses And therefore in spiritual Wisdom which wisely seeks the growth of religious tempers on the minds of men and the advancement of Faith and good Practice Religion is not to be defended or preserved by our taking Arms against its and our Persecutors It would live and thrive be preserved and prosper'd by our suffering but when to preserve those mundane Privileges which are tack'd to it we go to War it is sure to be worsted by our fighting Jesus Christ who prescrib'd it is stiled not the Lord of Hosts or God of Battels but the Prince of Peace and the Gospel which contains it is the Gospel of Peace So 't is our keeping Quiet not running to Arms that best suits it and must do it good Of the Unlawfulness of taking Arms against the Supreme Power in defence of the Laws and Legal Rights and Liberties CHAP. II. That the
to be tortured against their Masters Yea torturing even Children to confess against their Parents and Wives against their Husbands as Lactantius relates Here was another sort of Invasion of Property than that so much insisted on in the great Rebellion viz. of enforced Loans Privy Seals and Ship-money And if Invasion of Properties can discharge Allegiance the Christians were at Liberty and might have taken Arms in those days There was also a Denial of Law and of the course of Justice unless they would purchase it by unlawful Worship and Sacrifices For Heathen Altars as the same Author notes were erected before tho Tribunals that the Litigants might first sacrifice before they could bring on their Cause An Edict also had order'd that against them any one might bring an Action but that they on any injury should not be allow'd to bring any as I observ'd before This was a Denial of Protection And if Subjects are under no obligation to Allegiance where they are denied Protection yea or even where they miss of it against their Rulers Wills through their incapacity for the present to afford it according to some present Casuists way of stating this Question Why might not the Christians have thought themselves discharged from paying any thing to these Emperors There was nothing of Law but arbitrariness in all their Courts where Galerius as I noted above dissolving all the Laws assumed and gave a License of all things to his Judges And if men that have Laws and Birth-rights may rise up for their Laws and Liberties against Governors who will invade both and be arbitrary and illegal in their Administrations how could the Christians stand obliged to be quiet and passive in this very case There was a murdering men for poverty the same Galerius in the illegal course of raising his insupportable Tax commanding all the Beggars who were unable to pay any thing towards it to be gathered together and then to deter any from pleading Poverty being exported in Ships to be drown'd in the Sea This is not only against all Humane and Divine Laws but is such a degree of madness as methinks might much better pass for a proof of one not mentis compos or besides himself than the K. of Portugals bloody Acts and Barbarities which of late have been made use of by several in this Dispute And if no Allegiance is due in case of Frenzy or moral incapacity appearing not in the ordinary Crazedness and inconsistence of a mans Carriage but only by such Actions and there too from the extravagance of unjust Cruelty or furious Passion in those Acts not from any whimsical Silliness and Ridiculousness of the Reasons and Pretences for them there would not in my Opinion have been much due to him Nor to Valens who like a frantick man did the same as I noted to no less than eighty Clergy-men who were sent by their suffering Brethren humbly to petition him Nor to Nero who for his sport and the more lively humoring of a Song viz. the taking of Troy which as Suetonius relates he joyfully sung over it in his scenical habit at that time set the City of Rome it self all in a flame There was a Subversion of the Roman Constitution as I hinted before Galerius turning the State of Subjects into that of Slaves or Captives with whom he might take any Liberties and use what Violence he pleased He alter'd as the Romans complained their Form which was Potentia Civilis as Tertullian says a Power legal and politick into one that was Arbitrary and Despotick affecting to rule like the Persian Kings who treated their Subjects says Lactantius tanquam familia merely at Discretion and in a despotick way Here as some would have told them was a legal Government laid aside and an illegal set up instead thereof And if there is no Allegiance due to a lawful Governor when he lays aside the Laws and breaks in upon the Constitution it self such an one being no longer the Governor their Law and Constitution owns the Christians might have been free in Conscience to look to themselves and to stand up with others for their common Defence against all his barbarous and illegal Usage I will add but one Plea more There was a treating of the Romans and other Subjects of the Empire more like Enemies than Subjects Thus Lactantius complains of Galerius that he treated them after the same manner as he would have done to any others by the Right of War using these Free-born Subjects as their Ancestors were wont to use their Captives Yea at his first coming to the Empire as he observes he professed himself an Enemy of the Roman Name and would have changed the Title so as to be styled not the Roman but the Dacian Emperor Thus also under Dioclesian Eusebius says that the Martyrs were oppugn'd not by common may and form of Law as Subjects but by Right of War as if they had been publick Enemies Licence was given as Phileas the Martyr reports 〈◊〉 his Epistle sent from Prison to his Church to any one that would to abuse them which some did beating them with Clubs some with Rods some with Whips The President telling them to have no care or regard at all what they did to them but to look upon them and use them as if they were not men Thus likewise Maxentius upon a very light and small Pretence as Eusebius tells us set the Guards one day to fall upon the Roman People to cut them off as they would an Enemy in heat of Battel And so slew an innumerable multitude of Romans not in fighting against foreign Foes by the Arms of Scythians and Barbarians but by the hands of their own Citizens and in the midst of the City it self Here would some have been apt to suggest instead of an Head and Governor did each of these bloody and persecuting Emperors put on the person of an Enemy of his people As Nero also would have been thought by them when he designedly and but too openly as may be seen in Suetonius set fire to the City which was as much as the conquering Gauls did or would have been done on the irruption of any foreign Foe And if no Allegiance is due to a Prince when not by open Professions but only by the mischievousness of his Counsels or Actions he may be interpreted to turn Enemy of his People the Christians under these and many other Monsters of Blood and Cruelty might in Conscience have been at much more liberty than ever they believed themselves to be Thus had they lived in those days might the modern Casuists and Advocates for Resistance have urged all the Pleas of Invasion of Liberties and Properties of ceasing of Protection from unjust Powers of breach of Laws and alteration of very Forms and fundamental Constitutions of Rulers ceasing to be mentis compotes or falling under mental or moral Incapacities or their turning
for Publick Good i.e. when they see it Expedient for they must judge of it Is not this to set Subjects loose when they see Cause And if they are Arbitrary Governors who in Ruling are left to Discretion are not they also as Arbitrary Subjects who in Obeying are left to Discretion Now to Cure Arbitrary Power by Arbitrary Obedience is to Cure Tyrannical Government by no Government which is as bad nay abundantly worse The very worst of Tyrants are the Ministers of God for good in comparison of no Government One Tyrant's Lust cannot Rifle all Virgins nor his Avarice devour all Estates nor his Revenge reach all Persons nor his Cruelty cut off the Common Wealth But under no Government the Rabble will Govern all And that will be branched out into many thousand Tyrants who Persecute without Pity as well as Justice and pull down and spoil without any Relentings and have no Generosity to spare or greatness of Soul to neglect or leave any thing but think the meanest Plunder a desireable Prey and sweep all before them A Poor Man that oppresseth the Poor is like a sweeping Rain says Solomon Prov. xxviii 3 And I think the Experience we have had of late in these three Realms of the Rabbles Ruling is enough to convince all Considerate Men that a few months of their Expedition is much more full of illegal Violence Injustice and Inhumanity and a great deal more formidable than a Tyrants whole Reign FINIS * Tit. iii. 1 †1 Pet. ii 13 ‖ Rom. xiii 1 * Mat. x. 38 Luk. ix 23 Mat. xvi 24 Luk. xiv 27 †Rom. xiii 2 ‖ Inquiry into the measures of submission to the Supreme Authority Art 9.12 Discourse about the Justice of the Gentlemens undertaking at York Nov. 1688. p. 4 5 6 7. passim Julian the Apostate c. 9. p. 74.92 And the Answer to Jovian p. 160. And several others †Jo. iii. 3 and 2 Cor. â— 17. †In primis Deo digna ut ita dixerim necessaria ad Probationem scilicet Servorum ejus sive reprobationem Tertull de fug in Perfec c. 1. ‖ Pala illa quae nunc Dominicam aream purgat ecclesiam scilicet confusum acervum fidelium eventilans frumentum Martyrum paleas Negatorum ib. †Apol. â— ult Justin. Mart. ad Diognet p. 498 499 Dial. cum Tryph. p. 337. Lact. l. 5. c. 13. * Apol. 1. p. 50. * Libell Precum p. 8. †Quas utinam nunquam possedisset ecclesia ut Apostolico more vivens fidem integram inviolabiliter possideret ib. p. 2. Ed. Ox. †Adv. Marc. l. 4. c. 39. †Homil. 34. in Mat. in c. x.16 Be ye wise as Serpents c. †Ibid. ‖ Vid. Edwards Gangraena part 1. Ep. Dedicat. ‖ See the Authors cited p. 2. * Geog. l. 17. sub fin †Lib. 53. ‖ ib. l. 53. * Sed quod principi placuit Legis habet vigorem quum Lege Regia quae de ejus imperio lata est populus ei in eum omne imperium suum potestatem concedat Instit. l. 1. tit 2.6 †Faedusve cum quibus volet facere liceat utique ei senatum habere relationem facere c. Utique quaecunque ex usu reipublicae Majestate Divinarum humanarum publicarum privatarumque rerum esse censebit ei agere facere jus potestasque sit ita ut Divo Augusto Tiberio c. fuit ‖ Apud Jan. Gruterum Inscript Antiqu. p. 242. Inscript de Caesar. Suetonio Annexis Ed. Ox. sub Vespas nu 10. * Annal. l. 4. p. 190 191. Ed. Gryphii †In Tiber. c. 30. ‖ Dio l. 53. †c. 31. vid. c. 32. * Principem quem vos tanta ac tam Libera potestate instruxistis Senatui servire debere c. 29. * L. 66. †Harm of New Test. ad An. Ner. 11. Christi 65. ‖ Joseph de Bell. l. 2. c. 24. ‖ P. II. * Dec. 1. l. 2. †Vid. Paulum Manut. de Leg. Ro. p. 37 38. †Apol. p. 6. c. 13. ‖ Utique quos Magistratum Potestatem imperium Curationemve cujus rei petentes Senatui populoque Ro. commendaverit quibusque Suffragationem suam dederit promiserit eorum Commitiis quibusque extra ordinem ratio habeatur Inscript Tab Lateran †Tum primum è campo comitia ad Patres translata sunt Nam ad câ—m diem etsâ— potissima arbitrio Principis quaedam tamen studiis tribuum fiebant Tacit. An. l. 1. p. 29. Ed. Gryph ‖ In Calig c. 16. ‖ Lib. 53. †Suet. in Aug. c. 53. ‖ Id. in Tib. c. 27. †In Calig c. 22. ‖ Digna vox est Majestate Regnantis Legibus alligatum se Principem profiteri Cod. l. 1 Tit. 14. De Legibus c. l. 4 †Nihil tam proprium Imperii est quam Legibus vivere Cod. lib. 6. Tit. 23. de Testam l. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Soc. Hist. Eccl. lib. 1. c. 2. †Hoc imperium cujus ministri estis Civilis non Tyrannica Dominato est Apol c. 2. ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Dio l. 53. p. 581 582. †Ut Populo praesunt magistratus ita Magistratibus Leges Cic. de Legib. lib. 3. initio ‖ Ipsi Legibus teneantur id Orat. 8. quae est in Verrem l. 3. in fine †Judice qui ex Lege jurati judicatis Legibus obcemperare Debetis l. 1. De Inventione §. 60. so called juratorum hominum Orat. 5. because jurare in Legem judicaturi solebant Gothofred Not. in loc ‖ Haec sunt fundamenta firmissima nostrae Libertatis sui quemque juris retinendi Dimittendi esse Dominum Orat. 35. pro Cornel. Balbo ‡ Hoc nobis esse à majoribus traditum hoc esse denique proprium Liberae civitatis ut nihil de capite civis aut de bonis sine judicio senatus aut populi aut eorum qui de quaque re constituti judices sint deâ—rabi possit Id. Orat. 29. Pro Domo sua ad Pontif. * Lib. 53. p. 582. †Ibid. †Dec. 1. l. 2. * Sacrosanctum-sanctione poenae cum caput ejus qui contra facit consecratur Cicero pro Cornel. Balbo Orat. 35. †Ibid. lib. 2. ‖ Vid. Macrob. Sat. l. 3 c. 7. p. 319 320. ‡ ib. p. 582. †Digest lib. 1. tit 3. l. 31. * Utique quibus Legibus Plebeive scitis scriptum fuit ne Divus Augustus c. tenâ—rentur iis Legibus plebisque scitis Imp. Caes. Vespasianus solutus sit Quaeque ex quaque Lege Rogatione Divum Augustum c. facere oportuit ea omnia Imp. Caes. Vespasiano facere liceat * Princeps Legibus solutus est Augusta autem licet legibus soluta non est Principes tamen eadem illi Privilegia tribuâ—nt quae ipsi habent Lib. 1. Dig. Tit. 3. l. 31. †Experiar quid concedatur in illos Quorum Flaminia tegieux cinis atque Latina Juv.
to be obeyed as Gods Ministers although they be evil although they abuse their Power although they be wicked and wrong doers and it is not lawful for Inferiors and Subjects in any Case to resist and withstand them Whatever the rightful Sovereign be then that bears hard upon any Man let me ask him who is most uneasie if for all his Personal unworthiness and oppressive Administration he be not still the Lords anointed and the Ordinance of God And so long if he will be a Follower of the Holy Scriptures the Primitive Fathers or our own Church whose Testimonies have been alledged how can he lift up his hand against him 2. A second Ground of their Non-Resistance was in Patience and Submission to Gods Providence In such hard Cases they were like to ease their Suffering by Patience and make it worse by Resistance In your Patience says our Saviour possess ye your Souls Luke xxi 19 When the Cross was brought upon them they were called to take it up not to drive it away to follow Christ in bearing it themselves not to follow the World in endeavouring to Force it upon others according to those Precepts of our Lord for taking up and bearing his Cross. These Persecutions they looked on as sent by God for tryal of their Patience not of their fighting Valor in making Resistance and were careful under them to shew invincible Stoutness in Sufferings not refuse to Suffer and rather fight in their own Defence The Cup which my Father hath given me shall I not Drink it Therefore put up thy Sword said Christ. Joh. xviii 11 Lo here is the Patience of the Saints says S. John noting what in their Persecutions they sought to Signalize Rev. xiv 12 And Absit ut Divina Secta dolâ—at pati in quo probatur God forbid this Divine Sect should be against Suffering which is only Gods way of Tryal and Probation says Tertullian of their patient and unresisting Sufferings when they had strength enough to defend themselves 3. In faith in God and trust that he as Rightful Judge would sooner or later as he saw best Right their Cause Vengeance is mine I will repay saith God and they were content to leave it to him We confide in him who is able to take Vengeance both for his own and his Servants injuries When we suffer such unspeakable things we leave it to God to Right us says Lactantius Against all your injuries the Judgment and Vengeance of God is our Defence And upon that account it is that none of us makes any Resistance though we have Numbers more than enough says S Cyprian And loe here is the Faith and Patience of the Saints said S. John Rev. xiii 10 They committed their Rights to him when despoiled of them by unjust Force and never went about to make Parties and Tumults by Force to Right themselves to shew the Faith they had in his Justice his Providence and Promises and how far and freely even in these dearest and most concerning Interests they durst trust him Now both these also are Reasons equally not to Resist under any rightful Sovereigns The Cross is the same under one as under others The same Tryal of Patience and of Faith when they fall under the same distresses whether by Christian or Heathen Sober or Dissolute by Princes that Invade or that observe Civil Laws and Legal Properties Now to all this that has been said on this Subject it would be a very weak and unjust exception to say this forbidding of Resistance on violation of Laws is setting up for illegal and arbitrary Government For to Govern Arbitrarily is to Rule by Discretion or to have no written Laws to Govern by And where there are Stated Laws to regulate and direct Administrations there is all the Human care that can be to prevent Arbitrariness in Sovereigns There are but two ways to limit and lay Restraints or keep any Governor within compass One is Laws which restrain him as a Rule by fixing and prescribing for him his just Bounds The other is a Superior Power that can call him to account when he Deviates and forceably compel him to return into a Right Course and these restrain him as his Rulers Now as for this later way of appointing Higher Powers for their Supervisors and Correctors it is visible this can be no way of restraining Sovereigns who can be no longer Sovereigns but Subjects if they have any Superiors He that is by Law declared the Supreme especiall the only Supreme in any Realm must needs be above all and no Man can be above him Though the Laws of his Realm are to be his Rule yet no Man in his Realm can be his Ruler nor they who all profess themselves made subject to pretend to set upon him Besides if such Correctors were appointed to secure the Laws yet would that be only a Dream of Security which would vanish as Experience made us awake and come to our selves and not secure them really more than they are secured already For these Correctors being subject to like Over-sights Passions and Misgovernments are as liable to Prevaricate and Violate the Laws as those whom they are set to Supervise The Laws are safe enough in the Hands of good Kings and as unsafe in the Hands of ill Correctors as of ill Kings and such Correctors are every whit as liable and like as oft to be ill and abuse the Laws as Kings themselves And what redress for the Invasions and breach of Laws when they do amiss So that this doth not Cure but only shift the Disease which is uncureable under any Sovereign or last Judge be it King or Parliament Army or Mobile through the Nature of this World and the inseparable uncertainties of Human Affairs As in the â—â—ne of Human Subordinations then some must be Sovereigns and these must be Men subject to be drawn aside like our selves so can these have no Restraint but Laws nor any Judge but God and so be unaccountable here on Earth The only possible restraint of Arbitrariness in them is Laws And the best restraint these can lay is if Acts of State and Justice are to be sped not only by the Sovereign himself in Person but by his Ministers And if though the Sovereign himself is not yet his Ministers are accountable and tryable for Breach of Laws as well as others Which I think is as much security under a Sovereign as Sovereignty allows And this Human Security we have in this Realm to Guard our Laws although we may not resist our Sovereign and fight for those Laws against him by force of Arms which is a throwing off his Sovereignty over us and setting up for our Selves But though this Doctrine of Non-Resistance yea even in Defence of Laws doth not make Arbitrary Power yet on the other Hand I would have it considered whether the Liberty of Resistance is not like to bring in Arbitrary Subjection They may cast off Obedience say some