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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A15077	A sermon preached in Christ-Church in Oxford, the 12. day of May 1622. By Christopher White, Batchelour of Diuinity, and student of Christ-Church	White, Christopher, d. 1637.	1622 (1622)	STC 25378; ESTC S119901	10,398	30

but that they pertaine to euery man yea it is the onley badge of their true subiectiō vnto Christ if for his Names sake they practise them And therfore Tertullian in stead of abetting such zealous reuenge fights with a prohibition Tertul. Apol. 37. Ad Scap. Absit vt igne humano vindicetur secta diuina at doleat pati inquo probatur and in the combate gaines the victory by the persecutors cruelty proclaimeth it Crudelitas vestra est gloria nostra But since precepts are made so liable to distinctions and when capable of seuerall expositions each may be maintained let vs read the exposition of them in the practise of them that gaue and receiued them Did our Sauiour or his Apostles euer withstand the rage of the persecuting Iewes Doe wee reade of any one vproare or resistance made by the Primitiue Christians in those barbarcus outrages practised on them by Heathen Idolatrous Tyrants No but in stead of alarums for defence they reioyced when apprehended and triumph'd in their torments hauing yet their hearts alwayes as ready to wish and pray for the happie state of their Emperours as their bodies readie to suffer their violence I might prooue it from age to age for many hundreds of yeeres after Christ but that I can but touch not discusse this question and leaue it to your owne reading and further scanning The force of this argument is confessed by our opposites who thinke to relieue themselues by imputing their not resisting to their weakenes not vnwillingnes to resist Rash vncharitable Iudges of such holy Saints Did they proclaime one thing to the world and belie the thoughts of their hearts Heare their vnanimous consent in Tertullian And nostram disciplinam occidi magis licet quam occidere It is our profession rather to die then kill Such precepts and the rules of obedience kept out al thoughts of rebellion against their Prince and hence in their name Tertullian contends with his heathen Persecutors for a greater share in Caesar in whose name they were executed Apol. c. 33 Noster est magis Caesar He is rather ours then your Emperour being appointed by our God And where as they pretend want of force in Christians Soc. hist lib. 3.9 they obserue not that at Iulians death his whole armie cryed out to Iouianus We are all Christians In Dioclesians time Omnes ferè mortales The whole world almost leauing their Idolatrous Sacrifices ioyned themselues with the Christian Congregations Tertullian pleads against the same obiection Apol. 37 would wee deale with you as enemies Deesset nobis vis numerorum copiarum could we want forces We Christians haue filled all places of your Empire your Cities Ilands Castles all but your Temples Yea goe higher yet and behold the Church in her cradle arm'd with force able to oppose the world the Apostles power of miracles Christs legions of Angels ready to bee employed at his command Or had they failed of these meanes they thought of as easie a tricke as the Iesuites to punish their enemies when Tertullian professeth that one night by the helpe of a few torches might haue afforded them a large reuenge Behold now the power of these Primitiue Christians and yet weltring in their own blood for their Christianitie With them to right themselues vpon their persecutors or to oppose them is rebellion and malice Then was it the strongest parts Plea Laesos vltio diuina defendit as Cyprian Diuine refuge protects vs. But now Tract con Demet. pa. 224. Our owne arme shall strengthen vs. It is a glorious plea with flesh and blood to fight the Lords battell and to prouide that the true Religion be not rooted out and for ought I find their best argument for all the rest hang on the disposing of Supreme Power which by the Apostles reason are all vndermined or on the example of some whose commission is confessed to be extraordinary and from God But let them heare whether we may not take vp Saint Hilaries complaint Hil. con Auxent Misereri licet nostrae aetatis laborem praesentium temporum stultas opiniones quibus patrocinari Deo humana creduntur ad tuendam Christi Ecclesiam ambitione saeculari laboratur Wee may iustly pitie the vaine labour and foolish conceits of these times wherein mans endeauours are accounted Gods aid and Christs Church thought to be maintained by the worlds policie ambition or greatnesse For the Apostles receiue a sharpe checke that would haue fire come downe from heauen Luke 9. 54 55. to consume the rude Samaritans and the sword that was drawne in Christs defence is commanded to bee put vp into his place not without the heauie sentence All that take the sword shall perish by the sword Mat. 26.51 Whence Tertullian Gladium nec Dominicae defensioni necessarium reddidit Tertul. de Cor. Mil. The sword was not lawfull in a priuate mans hands no not for Christs sake The weapons which the true Church vseth in her battels 2. Cor. 10.4 are spirituall and the walles of Iericho are not to be battered but with the Priests trumpets Protestants should remember how they withstand the Papists notes of the Church when they require it to be visible of large extent and glorious in the eie of the world And Papists should acknowledge what Bellarmine professeth Bellarm. de Ecc. lib. 4. c. 6. Durauit hucusque c. The Church hath lasted to this day in despite of her enemies Iewes Pagans Heretickes and not so onely but still hath gayned by persecution That is the greatest aduantage that true Christianity hath when it is persecuted and then doth shee conquere when her souldiers are slaine Was the Protestants cause weakened either in France by their many outragious massacres or in England by their frequent fiers or in the Low Countries by their great afflictions If euer they prooue loosers it is when they uniustly fight for preseruing it Should the Papist Princes all muster their forces and wage the holy warre Scioppius class sacr whose Trumpet hath already sounded the alarum they might perchance for a time eclipse the light of trueth put it out they neuer can They may abate the visible number but will make more true Professours Tertullians Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae is a maxime The bloud of true Martyrs is the Churches feeds-plot if it be cast into the fire or spilt by an vnresisted sword I could dwell in the contemplation of this strange husbandry but that I may be suspected for digressing and am yet to shew the medium betweene disobeying God and resisting the King It is confessed there must bee no disobeying of God That wee may not resist the King is prooued as the occasion giues leaue what then remaines Preces lachrymae sollicite beseech earnestly pray for the reuersing of the Decree Haec sunt munimenta spiritualia tela diuina quae protegunt This is the only shelter and fortresse whither a Christian may betake himselfe in this tempest Hester 3.16 Heere was Hesters and the Iewes refuge when the Decree was gone out from Ahasuerosh for the destroying of the Iewes Act. 4.24 Hither fled the Apostles when they were prohibited to preach Christ So●●m l. 2. c. 28 Alexander of Constantinople when command was giuen for the reestablishing of Arius Ruffin l. 26.36 and Ambrose when hee was eagerly prosecuted by Iustina in the cause of Arianisme And these are tela too and diuina weapons that fight from aboue against the fury of persecutours not as if by thee directed to reuenge that is not warrantable but approoued with God by the testimonies of his vengeance By these was Hamans gallowes appointed for Mordecai fitted for himselfe by these on the day when Arius should daue beene restored did he sodainly perish by these was Iustina put to flight and executed If these preuaile not know that now is the time wherein God will make triall of thy faith to him and loyalty to thy king Both which must appeare in thy readinesse to vndergoe the intended affliction There is no defensiue resistance allowed vnlesse thy defence be such Lib. 3. as Liuie only allots to subiects Scutum non gladius the buckler of patience not the sword which is as ready to giue as ward the blow Hee that in this defence wounds his persecutor is a rebellious murtherer not a lawfull executioner Remember that he is still thy Prince and since thy conscience may not yeeld to his command shew thy selfe his subiect in yeelding to his punishment For now thou mayest either die by liuing or liue by dying Thou hast Christs warrant for it Hee that in such a case findeth his life shall loose it Mat. 10.39 and hee that looseth his life shall finde it loose a temporall finde an eternall where he shall for euer raigne in the glory of triumphant Martyrs FINIS

A SERMON Preached in Christ-Church in OXFORD the 12. day of May 1622. By CHRISTOPHER WHITE Batchelour of Diuinity and Student of CHRIST-CHVRCH LONDON ¶ Printed by BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL Printers to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie 1622. Roman 13. vers 1. Let euery soule bee subiect to the higher powers for there is no power but of God IN vaine doe Christian Princes beare the Sword if their subiects conscience may question their power They which beginne it in the cause of Religion may as well goe on and doubt of all And therefore as Princes are iustly zealous in restraining the outward man the Priests should bee as forward in informing the conscience You know the occasion of such a meditation and this hath put mee againe so soone vpon you and a new Text standing engaged for many which I must desire you to hearken to as Gods message pleading for the right of Kings by his Apostle Rom 13. v 1. Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. Wherein are these two parts 1. a Proposition deliuered by way of command expressing a duty enioyned Let euery soule be subiect c. Wherein are three things 1. Quis Who it is that is to performe it Euery soule 2 Quid What it is Be subiect 3. Cui To whom The higher powers 2. a Reason for confirmation of it as if this cause were grounded not or ely on bare authority but inforced by infallible reason For there is no power but of God I shall begin with the persons and first with those to whom this duty is due the higher powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We haue iust cause to examine this stile and confine it strictly to its subiect lest vsurpers taking aduantage of the loosenesse secretly vndermine the bulwarke which we hope for and may heere build vp For some are ready to thrust in and shrowd vnder this Title Bishops and all Spirituall Gouernours others who mainely oppose that labour to make all temporall Gouernours equall sharers both which are repugnant to the Apostles meaning and both equally dangerous Let spirituall power be heere supposed and if they be not subiect yet shall temporall Princes haue no command ouer the Clergie Let all temporall partake in it and euery inferiour Magistrate shall contest with his King For for their safegard according to them as well as the Princes is this precept of the Apostle Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers And heere is no subiection but command allotted them For powers say they extends its selfe to the spirituall power and higher in the others sense lookes onely on the people and therefore agreeable to inferiour Magistrates who in respect of the people are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 superexcellentes exceeding all others in ciuill power For that which wee render Higher they translate superexcellentes hoping thereby to escape the obscurity and danger of the vulgar translation which answers our English That is Bezaes censure on the vulgar Latine which saith Potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit and redounds to our English wherein he hath his followers The difference at first seemes onely verball but when we heare them from hence suspect a dangerous sence we are to stand vpon our guard and presume of a reall dislension Giue them leaue to change the word sublimioribus into superexcellentibus and they thinke they haue sufficient warrant in stead of absolute Lords and Princes to put in Bailiffes and Constables It must bee meant of all Magistrates that haue power ouer other men or else it is Periculosa interpretatio And wherin stands the danger Because they shall bee denied to deriue their power from God That would not follow because others are here sayd to bee of God they being not named Put the case they were denyed it and had their power allotted them onely from Kings and not immediatly from God as Kings deriue theirs Indeede this is that which is much feared by them who secretly labour to curbe Kings as shall appeare anon But is this lesse then the Apostle giues them S. Peter makes a different fountaine of power Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as Supreame or vnto Gouernours as vnto them that are sent by him 1. Pet. 2.13 14. Gouernours who haue a King may not thinke they stand at the well-head with him but haue their power deriued from him By him are they sent and from him haue they their authoritie and yet it is from God too being a branch of the Kings power which is immediatly from God It is not then a dangerous opinion but the safest trueth which they would auoide But we must not frame fancies and then fit the Scripture to them by translation Indeed should I lay this to their charge I should wrong them for whilest they were quarrelling with the word that was the occasion of daunger rather then they would erre from the originall they placed in another alike dangerous For what aduantage haue they by Superexcellentibus it is not in the comparatiue degree as was the other But hath it not a comparatiue sense Yes as great or greater Such as our English more excellent or more eminent doth not reach which Pareus at length confesseth saying Praecipuètamen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Apostle especially aimes at the Supreame power so the true meaning of the word importes for it is that which amongst many is still higher then them all and therfore Supreame which our latter English Translation obserues in the place before cited out of Saint Peter Submit your selues to the King 1. Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Supreame They are then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supreame powers only to whom this obedience is due and to all such whether in Monarchie Aristocratie Democratie or other forme of gouernement This we haue further warrant for from our Apostles discourse for that wee may haue yet another Plea against inferiour Magistrates and shew also at last against the Papists claime that no Spirituall Power hath place here these higher powers are such Rom. 13.4 as to whom the sword of iustice is immediatly committed at the fourth verse He that is one of these powers beareth not the sword in vaine for hee is the Minister of God a reuenger to execute wrath vpon him that doth euill and vnto whom Tribute belongeth at the sixth verse for this cause also you pay Tribute Both which are the infallible markes of Supreame ciuill power being parts of the Rights of Maiestie Yee haue then the persons to whom subiection is due Let vs now see Quis who it is that is to performe it whom wee find expressed by Omnis anima Euery soule PART II. Quis Euery soule THat here the soule is vsed Synechdochicè the part for the whole man as oftentimes in Scripture I presume needs no confirmation But yet there may be some speciall cause why he nameth the soule not the body which Gorran