thus Submit your selves to every humane Creature To this I say The Words Humane Creature are better understood of the Laws made by Humane Authority than of the Magistrates themselves For as the most high God and he only can give Being and Power to a Divine Law insomuch that no Power on Earth can create such a Law so Earthly Gods and none but they can create and give Power to an humane Law and Laws thus made are rightly called Humane Creatures or Ordinances of Men as our English expresses it And when Laws are thus made tho they should happen to be ill Laws as it sometimes happens to be so yet they must be obeyed either actively or passively because the Power Magistratical must not be resisted only the Error of an ill Law must be refused by all faithful Men especially in Matters of Religion as we have shewed before 4. This great Power which God hath given to Kings and Rulers of the Earth to make Laws is as I conceive the chief cause why they are called Gods Psal 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most High That is because of that resemblance which they have to God himself being decked with Power and Majesty to make and execute Laws in this lower World which concern the Children of Men as such 5. And as to the Form of Kingly Government for this is all that I can find in my Text Let us hear what God himself saith By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth What can be said more in this case If any shall say 't is not God but Wisdom that speaks these Words Prov. 8. 15 16. I answer it is Folly that makes the Objection for this Wisdom is the Voice of God because it is the Wisdom of God Kings are called the Lords Anointed And not only the Kings of Israel but even Heathen Kings also Isa 45. 1. Thus saith the Lord to his Anointed even to Cirus Now Cirus was King of Persia Ezra 1. 1. 6. If yet it be said that Government but not the Form of Government is of God but of human Choice c. I answer I speak not of a Government to be formed and not yet in being but of one established and therefore I say the distinction is dangerous But how shall it be a Power or Government without its Form Does God make an Ordinance or any thing else without Form If so what can you call it It is the Form that gives every thing to be or at least to be called what it is It 's bad venturing to say that God makes an Ordinance and leaves Man to form it as to the Essentials of it And seeing no Nation can long endure without Government nor that Government subsist without Form It seems necessary that both be acknowledged to be of God and consequently where the Form of Government is Regal or Kingly it is of God and as such to be had in Honour That God does by his Providence order and permit Men to transact order and settle the Mode of Government in Nations which yet are unsetled in that respect does not prove that the Form or Settlement when made is not of God or not to be esteemed so because in such an emergency the Voice of the People together with God's Providence must herein be acknowledged the Voice of God For thus in an ordinary way is that Saying true By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth It was the most high God which gave Nebuchadnezzar a Kingdom Majesty Glory and Honour Dan. 5. 18. who then may question his Regal Power to be of God It 's ill murmuring worse disputing worst of all to fight against God Surely if Nebuchadnezzar must have this Honour given to him as King even by Daniel that Servant of God because by the Almighty he was thus exalted altho otherwise he was a sinful Man a great Idolater it must needs resolve all doubts that may arise about the warrantableness of Kingly Government and all Christians Obedience to it with respect to all Kings under whom they live whatsoever If it be objected that some may usurp Kingly Government and some that have it may abuse it I answer Tho this be true yet it is nothing to the purpose for this is incident to all other Forms of Government And when God permits such things it 's usually for the Sins of the People as it is written For the Transgressions of a Land many are the Princes thereof Prov. 28. 2. He gave them a King in his Wrath But this was because Israel had rejected God and his Prophet Samuel Otherwise God had promised to give his People a King Numb 23. 21. Yea the Government of Moses himself was after a sort a Regal or Kingly Government Deut. 33. 4 5. If then it so fall out that Kings or other Rulers do oppress their Subjects I know no remedy for the Subject but Prayers and Tears that God would turn their own Hearts more to his Fear and the Heart of their Prince towards them For the Hearts of Kings are in his Hands And with patient Suffering and humble Supplication to seek for Favour For Rebellion must by no means be admitted For it is as the Sin of Witchcraft being against God as well as against the King because it is against the Ordinance of God And hence Tertullian well said The Christian knows that the Emperor is constituted of God And saith the Prophet I have delivered all these Countries into the Hands of Nebuchadnezzar Who then may take them out of his Hand Sure none but God who sets up one and puts down another as pleases him For he that gives can only rightfully take away and he doth so when Men abuse what he gives Mene Mene Takel Vpharsin God hath numbred thy Kingdom and finished it and given it to the Medes and Persians Dan. 5. 25 26. If it be objected from that Passage They have set up Kings and not by me that Kingly Government is of Man not of God I answer This rather proves the contrary for here a disorder only is reproved in the way of doing that which they could not do rightly but by him that is God They so set up a King as they rejected God that he should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8. 7. Hence it was that Samuel gave them that Reproof and Exhortation 1 Sam. 12. 20. Ye have done all this Wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your Heart But God did not deny them a King No but he had given them direction how to chuse them a King Deut. 17. 14 15 16. And most certain it is that of all Civil Governments which God hath set up in the World Kingly Government is the most frequent and permanent so far as the Scripture gives
must be obeyed in Things religious tho the Princes of the Earth say Nay And to this agrees the holy Psalmist Psal 119. 23. Princes sate and spake against me that is they sat on the Throne and dereed Things against him But thy Servant did meditate in thy Statutes He would not depart from the Ways of God tho he was persecuted Psal 119. 161. Princes perfecuted me without a cause but my Heart standeth in awe of thy Word But here it may be fit to obviate an Objection It will be said Tho it is true that all that fear God are bound thus to obey God and not Man in Matters of Religion and to suffer patiently rather than to sin yet whether in Things indifferent which are neither commanded nor forbidden if Princes here make ufe of their Authority Christians are not bound to obey actively As for Example about the Place of Worship c. To this it may be answered Seeing God has forbidden no Place if that were all the Business he were a mad Man that would not actually obey and consequently he is bound to obey Authority in every Case that is like it as thus It is a Duty for a Nation in a time of common Calamity to humble themselves by Fasting and Prayer and doubtless 't is best this be done at the same time and none so fit to order this as the Magistrate If therefore Authority command the tenth twentieth or thirtieth Day of such a Month for such a Service I doubt not but he should be guilty of Sin that should in this refuse such Time meerly because it is appointed by the Magistrate's Authority And if there be an hundred Cases of this kind the same Answer must be given in them all for ought I see or else under pretence of fearing God we shall dishonour the King which is a Sin of an high Nature Tho Christians be Subjects to Princes yet Princes are Subjects to God and in the Sphere where God has set them can do nothing more pleasing to him than to promote the Interest of Religion by discountenancing Prophaneness and Irreligion and by giving Encouragement to the Lovers of it But then as they are Subjects to Christ they are Fellow-Servants with their Subjects yea the Angels think not themselves too high to be called so Rev. 19. 10. and therefore must with their Subjects be obedient to one Lawgiver even Jesus and not assume Power to make Laws for the Consciences of Men in Religion nor to force them to go beyond their Knowledg and Faith in Things of that kind seeing what is not of Faith is Sin and we must every one give an Account of himself unto God 5. The last Particular I shall insist upon as necessary to the true Fear of God is to avoid Covetousness and Worldly-mindedness Covetousness is said to be Idolatry And he that is a covetous Person makes little further use of Religion than to be a Cloak for his Iniquity he fears not God he serves not the Lord Christ but his own Belly for this he preaches for this he prays and without this he will do neither These are the Men that make Merchandize of the Word of God supposing as the Apostle saith that Gain is Godliness I meet with a notable Passage in our English Chronicles in the sixth Century 't is said The Clergy of Britain set all their Mind to serve God and not the World the Heart and not the Belly Wherefore then were they had in great Reverence and Honour But as they encreased in earthly Treasure so they decreased in heavenly Treasure Fab. Chron. 5 part cap. 134. Let all that fear God beware of this evil Disease especially such as are Ministers of Christ No Man can serve two Masters ye cannot serve God and Mammon saith our Saviour Mat. 6. 24. Thus much of the Fear of God let us now consider the Debt which we owe to our King Honour the King Altho by the Order of our Text we are to speak of this weighty Subject in the last place yet it is not the least part of our Duty For as the ancient Christians were wont to speak so it remains an eternal Truth That as God is above the Emperor so none other is above the Emperor but God And consequently our Duty next to Almighty God is to our Prince as we see here in our Text the Honour of the King is provided for next to the Fear of God We have already shewed in the opening of the Words that the King here meant or immediately spoken of was an Heathen King and a great Idolater in his Religion and yet the Holy-Ghost does here oblige all Christians even of the highest Rank to honour such Kings Peter himself and consequently all his Successors not excepted for indeed he had learned this Obedience of one higher than himself even Jesus Christ and therefore must needs recommend the same to all Christians And hence the Doctrine is Doct. IV. All Christians are bound by Gospel-Rules to be good Subjects to Princes to honour their Persons and conscienciously to obey their Authority 1. To evince this great Truth it may be needful to shew That Kingly Power or Government is of God Not in the Sence prophanely objected by some Writers wherein Plagues Diseases and Punishments are of God for the Apostle Paul doth expresly contradict such an ungodly Exposition Rom. 15. 1 c. wherein he avers even of the same Kingly Power spoken of by Peter That it was ordained of God that the Magistrate was God's Minister to the Christian Man as well as any other for Good to execute Wrath upon him that does Evil. Which Word Minister refers evidently to him that bears the Sword of Justice and not to the Power only which yet he affirms to be of God and confirms it by this Argument For there is no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God And this is the only comfortable Ground of Obedience to the higher Powers to be well satisfied in this that whether it fall out our Obedience shall be active or passive yet therein we conform our selves to the Will of God or to his Ordinance And he that shall resist the Power does resist the Ordinance of God 2. That Kingly Government is of God as clearly if not more clearly than any other Form of Government is very plain from the Text it self considered with the Context vers 13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him c. Where Supremacy over all Persons in Things Civil is so clearly given to the King by God himself even over Governours as well as the People governed that it must in no wise be denied 3. If it be objected that tho the Power Magistratical be of God yet the Form or Mode of it is of Man because according to the Greek 1 Pet. 2. 13. may be read
in all Humility prostrate my self at his Royal Feet with this humble Supplication That it would graciously please his Majesty according to his wonted Goodness and Princely Clemency to consider and pity the distressed condition of many of his faithful Subjects who dissent from the Church of England in the case of Infant-Baptism and some other Ceremonies and cannot in Conscience to God conform to them nor deny the exercise of their Religion of which they are convinced and persuaded to be according to the Will of God O let our Lord the King consider that this is the greatest strait that any honest Christian can be put upon either to deny what he believes to be true or profess that to be true which he believes to be otherwise O let the God of Heaven be always his Majesties Chief Counsellour That by his direction he may rightly distinguish between those that are harmless in his Realm and such as have abused his Kindnesses which have been very great and thankfully to be remembred and that the present Severities against the Innocent may be abated and removed lest they be made miserable in their Native Countrey God Almighty bless the King c. FINIS The SECOND PART of the APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers Wherein the GROUNDS of INFANT-BAPTISM Are REVIEWED In ANSWER to Fourteen ARGUMENTS delivered by Mr. Nathaniel Taylor M. A. in a SERMON on Matth. 28. 19. entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therewithal The Reasons of the Separation of the Baptized Believers from the Pedobaptists modestly propounded Upon the occasion of their great and long-continued Sufferings By T. Grantham a Servant of Christ LONDON Printed for the Author 1684. AN APOLOGY FOR THE Baptized Believers c. PRESENTED To all Pious and Well-disposed Christians in the Church of ENGLAND SECT I. Honoured and Beloved Brethren TO prevent a Mistake and to remove an Aspersion too frequently cast upon us be pleased to know that tho we differ from you and others in some things relating to the Constitution and Government of a true Church yet we do not therefore arrogate to our selves alone the Christian Name nor exalt our selves in our Imaginations above others but do believe and hope that the Number of the saved Ones will be gathered out of all sorts of Christians who heartily love God and our Lord Jesus Christ and live holily and charitably among Men tho they be diversified in respect of Ceremonies by reason of the Place and Government where they live Yea we have Charity for all Men who are faithful to the Means of Grace afforded them how small soever knowing that our God delights in Mercy and does not exact the utmost Farthing of any Man But for all this as it is certain there hath been abundance of Errors introduced among Christians so it has pleased God to raise up a People still to testify against them the Memories of whom are blessed tho they were frequently persecuted So we believe it a Duty incumbent upon us to bear our Testimony to what Truth we know and not to partake with any in their By-Paths in Life or Religion and yet endeavour as much as in us lieth after Unity and Concord with all that fear God and own the Christian Profession To which purpose we have humbly proposed what we thought concern'd us in order to a better Understanding and Compliance in our Friendly Epistle to the Bishops and Ministers of the Church of England published some Years ago but has not been publickly taken notice of till lately one Mr. Taylor a Person of Worth for his Integrity and Zeal for the Protestant Interest and for his gentle Disposition towards such as fear God tho differing from him in the Case of Ceremonies It hath pleased him I say to take notice of our said Epistle and to offer something in order to a Composure of Differences which I confess with him to be a thing greatly to be desired But then he is pleased to shew us nothing of Mitigation or Hopes of the removal of the Things which hath occasioned our Disunion but does rather wholly charge the Cause of Division upon us and supposes our Difference about Baptism to be the chief Cause of our dissenting from the Church of England But tho this is indeed a matter of great Importance because true Baptism is antecedent to Church-Communion yet that which is greater in our Judgment is that open Prophaneness which God knows reigns and rages in the Church of England and therewithal the utter Neglect of Discipline to reform those Iniquities and also that persecuting Spirit which appears even in too many of the Guides of the Church by whose Cruelty our Sufferings have been much augmented For these Causes we have thought our selves concerned to make this our Christian Apology in which we crave leave to use that Freedom of Speech which the Matters depending do require And yet seeing we must acknowledg that we are not infallible as neither does the Church of England pretend so to be we shall speak under Correction and by the help of God with resolution to submit to a clear Conviction if indeed it shall appear that the Things wherein we dissent are justifiable on the part of the Church of England but till this be done it would be Hypocrisy and Baseness in us to violate our Consciences in Things pertaining to Religion to obtain Favour from Men for if we should so please Men we should not be the Servants of Christ Gal. 1. 10. And we do the 〈◊〉 desire to be heard at this time partly for that Mr. Taylor is pleased to impute Folly to us in separating from the Church of England because we allow of the most of the Thirty Nine Articles but especially being thereunto required by some of Eminency and great Authority in the Church of England who also told us That unless we could shew that the Church of England does hold some Error in point of Faith or that she does practise something in her Religion which is sinful we cannot justify our Separation from her And whether we be able on this wise to vindicate our present Separation is the Business which we pray may be seriously considered SECT II. A brief Account of the Reasons why the Baptized Believers cannot conform to the Ceremonies of the Church of England REserving all due Honour to the Church of England so far as she holds the Truth in the Thirty Nine Articles and as she is a good Fortress against much Popish Superstition and Idolatry we shall humbly make our Objections in three Particulars 1. Concerning Infant-Baptism 2. Concerning her Discipline 3. Concerning her Imposing of Ceremonies From all which we think we may safely argue thus It is lawful just and needful to maintain a prudent and friendly Separation from such a Church as does believe hold and maintain such Things as are evidently and actually destructive of that Christian Liberty wherewith Christ hath made his Churches free and of that sacred Baptism and holy