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A59114 The history of passive obedience since the Reformation Seller, Abednego, 1646?-1705. 1689 (1689) Wing S2453; Wing S2449; ESTC R15033 333,893 346

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as much as to say do what they would have him * Id. on v. 4. p. 221. Who may say unto the King What dost thou i. e. first who hath any Authority to call him to an Account As much as to say none hath but God alone according to that of an eminent Rabbi No Creature may judge the King but the holy and blessed God alone To allow the People either collective or representative to have Power to do it is to make them Accusers Judges and Executioners also in their own Cause and that against their Sovereign nor secondly can any Man safely attempt it but he shall meet with Punishment either here or hereafter which is no new Doctrine but the same with that of S. Paul as Luther here honestly notes They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation which none shall be able to avoid Thus much the Author of Nature's Dowry is forced to acknowledge from the evident Light he saw in this place It is Wisdom saith he out of Elisha Gallico an Hebrew Interpreter in a private man when the Magistrate enjoins what is repugnant to God's Will to remove out of his Dominions rather than contest with him † Id. p. 223. The wisest thing we can do when Princes require any thing grievous unto us is not to rebel but to watch the fittest opportunities to petition for redress and that after such a manner as may not give offence V. 7. P. 224. Luther refers wholly to the miserable Condition of a Rebel in this manner He desires various things and hopes for mighty matters by his Disobedience but is mightily deceiv'd for of the very impunity which he promis'd himself he cannot be secure c. ‖ Id. in Eccles x. 20. Paraph. p. 277. Curse not the King c. but notwithstanding all this viz. consuming the publick Treasure c. as I advised thee before not to rise in Rebellion against thy Sovereign so now let me add that it is very foolish as well as wicked to be provoked by this ill management so much as to speak an opprobrious Word of him or his Ministers c. ‡ Annot. in loc p. 302. But whatsoever negligence or profuseness and waste there be it should not provoke any wise or good man to speak contemptuously of his Sovereign or of his Ministers * P. 306. It will not be unuseful much less unseasonable in such an unruly Age as this to let the Reader understand how deeply the first Reformers of Religion laid this Precept to heart by transcribing some of Luther's Admonitions in his Annotations on this Verse The worse and the more malignant says he the World is the more studious and laborious Solomon teaches us to be in the doing of our duty particularly in honoring Magistracy because it is a divine Ordinance and the better part of the World by which God manages all things under the Sun. But the Ungodly begin their Wickedness chiefly in the Contempt of Magistrates when they hear how God blames and reproves them in the holy Scriptures but it belongs to the divine Office to find fault with Magistrates and to rebuke them and therefore tho thou hearest it yet do not imitate it for thou art not God nor the Ordainer no nor the Reformer nor the Restorer of the divine Ordinance but as God reproves them so thee also in the holy Scriptures that thou may'st do thy duty and not meddle with what belongs to them The meaning therefore of Solomon is I have spoken much of Princes how they undo the World but do thou reverence them notwithstanding that for they are not an humane Ordinance but a divine St. Peter indeed calls the King an Humane Creature because he is assumed from among men but his Authority is divine and tho Princes be bad they are to be honored because of this Ordinance of God. Why then wilt thou speak evil of those who are vexed with so many and great cares and labours for thy Peace if they be good And if they be bad and foolish their own Impiety is mischief enough to them and brings them into sufficient danger Bear with them then and compassionate them rather than rail upon them and revile them c. Dr. Towerson on the fifth Commandment Those Powers are to be look'd upon as ordained by God which came to that Power they have as without any fraud or violence so by the ordinary Course of God's Providence Upon which account all those Powers must be look'd upon as ordain'd by God that either come to the Throne by a lineal Descent from former Kings where the Kingdom is Hereditary or by a free and unconstrained choice where it is Elective Part 5. p. 241. Pag. 251. There is no doubt it is in the Power of the Subject who conceives himself not to have deserv'd it so by flight to avoid if he can the falling under the Power of it the Sword Our Saviour having expresly given leave that if we be persecuted in one City we should to save our selves flee from that to another As little difficulty should I find if that were the thing in question to license the avoiding the Prince's Severity by appealing to his own Courts of Judicature where that is by Law so allowed as it is in several Cases here that being not to be looked upon as a Resistance much less an injurious one which is with the leave of him against whom it is directed But if the Question be concerning resisting by force of Arms and so avoiding the severity of the Prince so it is as certain both from the Scripture and Reason that we ought not to avoid it but rather with all readiness submit to the strokes of it Pag. 253. For tho it be true that a Prince hath no Authority to inflict an unjust Punishment yet he is privileg'd by the place he holds under God from being subjected unto Man and ought not therefore by any force to be brought into Subjection to him Pag. 254. Whosoever resisteth evil Powers must be thought in a particular manner to fight against God. What a disappointment must needs have been to the Counsels of the Almighty if it had been permitted Christians to resist Part 7. An Answer to several Pleas which are made in behalf of Resistance c. Pag. 257 258. That which generally draws Princes to the persecuting of those that are of a different Religion from themselves being not so much any hatred of their Religion as the Jealousie they have lest under the Pretences of that and the Assemblies which are made for it some secret Design against the State should lurk which Jealousie must needs be taken away when it appears to them from undoubted Experiments that they who do profess it will not attempt any thing against them how severely soever they may be handled by them To all which if we add the story of primitive Times too we shall not need to doubt of Religion's being more than
chains up his fury lest for our sins he permit him to return once more with seven other Spirits more wicked than himself and so our last Estate prove worse than the former Dr. Pr. 1661. P. 34. v. p. 14 19 21. Morley Bishop of Winchester's Sermon at the Coronation of King Charles II. is full to this purpose as no Man can take upon himself the Honor or Office of a Priest so much less can any Man take to himself the Honor or Office of a King but he must have it from God himself either by God's own immediate designation as Moses and the Judges had for the Judges were Kings and as Saul and David had or by God's ordinary way of Dispensation which was by Succession of Children unto their Fathers according unto which method as Families grew into Nations so Paternal Government grew into Regal and consequently an Usurper as he hath no claim to Divine Institution so he hath no title to Divine Benediction or Protection and besides because what is gotten by the Sword must be maintained by the Sword an Usurper must be a Tyrant whether he will or no. Lastly a Monarchy by Usurpation is res sine titulo a possession without a title which seldom lasts long or ends well for he that takes the Sword shall perish by the Sword says Our Saviour Mat. 26.52 Again as Monarchy by Usurpation is res sine titulo so Monarchy by Election is titulus sine re for Elective Kings are but conditional Kings and conditional Kings are no Kings besides P. 35. a King is to have the power of life and death which none that have it not themselves can give unto him and therefore how he that is Elected by those that have not the power of life and death comes to have the power of life and death and consequently how he comes to be a King is I conceive not easie to imagine the best and surest way for Prince P. 38. State and People is to protect cherish and allow of that Religion and that only which allows of no rising up against or resisting Sovereign Power no not in its own defence nor upon any other pretence whatsoever but tho Princes are called Gods yet they shall die like Men P. 46. says one that was a Prince himself Ps 82.7 and tho they be accountable to no Tribunal here yet they are to be judged hereafter by one who is no respecter of Persons a Prince therefore is to take care to govern himself not according to that licence which his exemption from the penalty of humane Laws may prompt him to but according to that strictness which the severity of the Divine Justice doth require of him The same Prelate in his Vindication of himself against Baxter P. 29 c. among Baxter's Maxims of Treason Sedition and Rebellion reckons these That unlimited Governors are Tyrants and have no right to that unlimited Government If God permits Princes to turn so wicked as to be uncapable of Governing so as is consistent with the ends of Government he permits them to depose themselves If Providence disableth a Prince from protecting the just c. it deposeth him if any Army of Neighbours Inhabitants P. 31. or whoever do tho injuriously expel the Sovereign and resolve to ruin the Commonwealth rather than he shall be restored and if the Commonwealth may prosper without his Restoration it is the duty of such an injured Prince for the Common good to resign his Government and if he will not the People ought to judge him as made uncapable by Providence and not to seek his restitution to the apparent ruin of the Commonwealth If a People that by Oath and Duty are obliged to a Sovereign P. 33. shall sinfully dispossess him and contrary to their Covenants chuse and covenant with another they may be obliged by their later Covenant notwithstanding their former and particular Subjects that consented not in the breaking of their former Covenants yet may be obliged by occasion of their later choice to the Person whom they chuse with many more such Rebellious Treses all which the Bishop with great reason censures and to the Book it self I must refer the Reader where he will find ample satisfaction in a Manly confutation of the abovecited and other such popular errors And among these venerable Fathers of the Church I must beg leave to introduce a Lay-man concern'd in the same controversie for when Baxter had publish'd his Key for Catholicks and in it p. 321. treated of the King's murder of which he says Providence had so order'd it that it could not be laid on the Protestants with much more to that purpose John Nanfan Esq in those worst of times writes a censure of the Passage P. 3. and in it avers that all War taken up by Subjects upon any pretence whatsoever or by whatsoever caution or limitation evermore in the nature of it intends the destroying of King and Kingdom P. 4. that all the bringing the People into a body by Covenant is unlawful because Government merely consists in having no contracts of the People acting of themselves that in such Covenants Men swear things contradictory as to fight against the King and to be true to him there is no such thing in nature as a defensive War against the King by Subjects to subdue a King and deprive him of his Power P. 5. is the same thing as killing it stays but the acting I should be very glad P. 7. that the World should be satisfied that Supreme Power should be unquestionable I would trust God and Man and Humane casual events with my share out of it because I see pretended Reformations never countervail the mischief of Rebellions nothing in nature can go higher than its first cause P. 9. a Power derived out of the King cannot be understood to be against the King for no Power can create a Power against it self P. 10 11. all attempts to bring a King under the Power of his People are the same as to destroy him and this was resolved in the case of the Earl of ‖ Cambd. Annal. p. 547 548. Essex and it never came into the conceit of any Person to except a Parliament for committing Treason the nature of Man is to think any thing that hath been done P. 12. may be done and so never finds end of wickedness but to make it infinite any extraordinary or transcendent acting upon Government tho never so unlawful and violent yet if it become powerful it commonly creates somthing to others to derive from it thus the Long Parliament declared long before that execrable murder was committed that in case they should act to the highest president they should not fail in duty or trust ☞ having their eye and aim upon the deposing of Kings Edw. 2. and Ric. 2. and the last actors that completed the Tragedy conclude power of Parliaments from former destroying Kings and
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. Se●●ful 26. 1685. on Rom. 3●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 ●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. ●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
is thus express'd From Civil Wars c. ☜ but not one Word of this could he ever find in the Roman Missals that have come to his hands it being the peculiar Glory of the Church of England that her Prayers and Practices have always been eminently loyal and Enemies to Treason and Rebellion And he says farther * Ib. p. 226 227. That Rebellion is a sin so contrary to Christianity that though the Primitive Christians had all the Provocations imaginable and Force sufficient they never offer'd to rebel So that they who do rebel have divested themselves of the Christian Principles and almost of their Humanity too In the Prayer for the Parliament We may say of our Princes as Pliny said of the good Emperor Trajan they have freely yielded to rule by those Laws to which nothing but their own goodness could oblige them and doubtless the People of England ought to take it as an Act of Grace that their Kings have consented to govern them on this manner In the Prayer after the Commandments the King is said to be God's Minister and we beg God that all his Subjects duly considering that he hath God's Authority may faithfully serve honor and humbly obey him according to God's blessed Word and Ordinance And this is admirably commented † Id. part 3. §. 4. p. 20. We are to consider that Kings bear God's Name and act by his Power and such as rebel do fight against God oppose his Word and resist his Ordinance c. In the occasional Office for Nov. 5. we pray God That the King may cut off all such workers of Iniquity as turn Religion into Rebellion and Faith into Faction And in the Office for May 29. when we thank God for the Restoration of the Royal Family we beseech God to accept of our unfeigned Oblation of our selves vowing all holy Obedience in Thought Word and Work unto the Divine Majesty and promising in him and for him all dutiful Allegiance to his anointed Servant and to his Heirs for ever And it is also observable the Proclamations relating to those solemn times are appointed to be read which are as full to this purpose as any thing can be and by our Canons when the Minister bids Prayer before his Sermon to continue the belief of this Truth he is bound to exhort the People when they pray to acknowledge the King to be in all Causes and over all Persons next and immediately under God supreme c. CHAP. V. The Orders of our Bishops BY the Orders of our Bishops I mean not so much the particular Injunctions or Enquiries of our Prelates within their own particular Dioceses though of such instances there is no want as I have shewn Chap. 2. from the Articles of Inquiry of Archbishop Cranmer and the Articles of Visitation of Bishop Ridley and could prove from many other such Instances but the general Orders which have been sent from the Metropolitan to the whole Church such Injunctions when obey'd ought to be look'd on as the sense of the whole Church unless we shall impeach either the Makers or the Complyers of dishonest Practices especially when the Adversaries of the Church have given occasion to such Injunctions thus when Knight of whom I shall treat in the next Chapter was censured at Oxford the same Year some Cautions concerning Preachers and Preaching were by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York with the King's Consent as the Law required sent to the several Bishops of their Provinces to be put in execution in their several Dioceses The Directions are dated Aug. 4. 1622. of which the first requires That no Preacher c. shall fall into any set course or common place otherwise than by opening the Coherence and division of his Text which shall not be comprehended and warranted in essence substance effect or natural inference within some one of the Articles of Religion set forth Ann. 1562. or in some one of the Homilies set forth by Authority c. The fourth is That no Preacher of what Title or Denomination soever shall presume from henceforth in any Auditory within this Kingdom to declare limit or bound out by way of positive Doctrine in any Lecture or Sermon the Power Prerogative Jurisdiction Authority or duty of Sovereign Princes or therein meddle with Matters of State and Reference between Princes and People than as they are instructed in the Homily of Obedience and in the rest of the Homilies and Articles of Religion set forth by Publick Authority These Injunctions were again renew'd and reinforc'd in the days of King Charles the Second and in the next Reign and in the Articles of the present Archbishop of Canterbury * July 16. 1638. Art. 7. the Clergy are expresly enjoyn'd That in their Sermons they should four times in the Year at least teach the People That the Kings Power being in his Dominions highest under God all Priests should upon all occasions persuade the People to Loyalty and Obedience to his Majesty in all things lawful and to patient Submission in the rest promoting as far as in them lies the publick Peace and Quiet of the World. And agreeably to this Doctrine were the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy especially the later framed which though particularly made against the Papists yet as Bishop Sanderson well observes where the Reason of making and imposing an Oath is particular Praelect 7. de juram but the words of the Oath are general there the Oath obliges according to the sense of the words in their utmost latitude as says he for Example in the Oath of Supremacy to the making of which the Usurpation of the Pope gave occasion the words being all general do exclude all Persons from exercising that Supreme Power in this Kingdom And every Clergy-man especially ought to reflect how often he hath solemnly profess'd and averr'd That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King or any commissioned by him c. and to remember that that Declaration was injoyned in opposition to the Doctrines of the year 1641 the Men of which age asserted That the Power of Kings was given them by the People and might be resumed by the Donors that the King was co-ordinate with the States and that his Politick differ'd from his personal Capacity Now the occasion of the making a Law and the preamble of it are look'd on as the best Interpreters of the words of a Law. CHAP. VI. The Censures of our Universities NOR are the Censures of our most famous Universities in this case to be neglected or look'd on slightly it is well known what a Repute the Judgment of the single College of the Sorbone hath at Paris and how much the Authority of the Foreign Universities together with our own sway'd with King Henry the Eighth and persuaded the Christian World to credit the Justice of his Divorce Now I shall not mention the Censure of the Mille manus Petition as it
nevertheless he sat up and dictated his sense of it but the Earl was on a sudden by reason of the fight hurried away and whether the King had the Paper or no I cannot learn but the original or a Copy of it was by some zealous Man supprest no doubt because it condemn'd taking up Arms on the specious pretences of Religion and Liberty And according to his Sentiments was his usage he being plundred by the Parliament Army as well as the other so called Malignants SECT XI There was no little Clash between Arch-Bishop Laud and Bishop Davenant about other points but in this they agreed * Davenant deter qu. 4. p. 22. He that taketh the sword shall perish by the sword i. e. He that usurps the Sword he that uses it without permission from the King who by God's Ordinance bears the Sword now who can believe that a Prince will give leave to draw his own Sword against himself all others ought to abstain from laying hands on him whose punishment God hath by a certain special priviledg reserv'd to himself the antient Christians being harass'd with most grievous persecutions never fled to these indirect means Pag. 23. but defended the Church by those means which God hath appointed viz. by the tears of her Christians the preachings of her Priests and the sufferings of her Martyrs and what Suarez say * V. p. 24. That there is no need of a Superiour Power to keep the Pope in order because Christ will in an especial manner in this case provide for his Church may be with much greater reason said of Kings Christ himself will in a more Eminent manner defend his Church not onely against the cruelty of persecutors but also against the gates of Hell. Resistance is unlawful and contrary to God's Ordinance for St. Paul says it is a sin and worthy of eternal damnation to resist the Powers ordained of God. Put the case that Princes will not only not purge the Church of Heresies and false worship but what is worse * Id. qu. 12. p. 58. will defend those corruptions by their Authority yet in this case the people ought not to reform 1. Because God requires from Subjects to suffer whatsoever the Magistrate can inflict rather than desert the true Religion but not to compel the Magistrate for Religion is to be defended not by killing others but by dying for it our selves not by cruelty but by patience not by wickedness but by fidelity says Lactantius 2. When the people undertake such an action without the Prince's consent it is Rebellion now evil is not to be done that good may come thereof let such Men take to themselves whatever Names they please they are Traytors not Christians L. there will be great danger in so doing for should they get the Power they cannot make Laws * Qu. 17. What shall be able to keep a Man within the duty of a good Subject who will not be bound by Oaths † Qu. 30. Criminals of the Superiour Order i.e. Kings c. God hath reserv'd to his own Court and Judgment SECT XII I will not quote Arch-Bishop Laud because the Adversaries to this Doctrine aver that it was of his inventing but instead of him I will call for an unquestionable witness Arch-Bishop Usher who expresly order'd * Clavi Trabales p. 52. That Loyalty should according to the Canon be four times every year preach'd to the people while his actions were a plain Comment upon his Opinions I need not mention the regard the forein Protestant Divines had to him and the Romanists too especially Cardinal Richelieu as well as those of our own Country * Apud eund Sanders pref to the Bishop's Book While I inform the Reader that in the beginning of our most unhappy Commotions the Lord Deputy of Ireland Strafford desired the Primate Usher to declare his judgment publickly concerning those Tumults which he did in two Sermons at Christ-Church in Dublin on Eccles 7.2 Whereupon the Deputy signified it would be acceptable to the King to print the Sermons or to write a Treatise on the Subject the latter the Arch-Bishop made choice of and sent it into England with an intent to have it printed as the Martyr Charles design'd that his Subjects might receive the satisfaction from the same as himself had done In the time of the Usurper Cromwel it was not thought fit to be printed lest it might have been perverted to the support of his Power For by this time the flatterers of that great Tyrant had learn'd by a new device upon the bare account of Providence without respect to the justice of the Title the only right and proper foundation to interpret and apply to his advantage whatsoever they found either in the Scriptures or in other Writings concerning the Power of Princes or the duty of Subjects profanely and sacrilegiously taking the Name of that holy Providence of God in vain and using it onely as a stalking Horse to serve the lusts and interests of ambitious Men. In the first part of that learned Treatise the Bishop proves that the Power of the Prince is from God and that * Part. 1. §. vi p. vi Our Government is a free Monarchy because the Authority resteth solely in the person of the King whereupon it is declar'd that the King is the onely Supreme Governour of these Realms in all Causes whatsoever which could not stand if either the Court of Parliament it self or any other power upon Earth might in any cause over-rule him I say any Power whither forein or domestick and then * §. 28. He discourses at large as of the original of Regal power from Heaven so of the Law of the King proceeding in the second part to treat of the Obedience of the Subject * V. p. 109. 111 134 c. In which he plainly shews that whither the Power be good or bad whosoever does resist it by withdrawing his service from it or denying Tribute or not giving that honour to it which he ought to give resisteth the Ordinance and disposition of God by whose appointment they bear Rule * P. 145. 146. Quest But how are Subjects to carry themselves when such things are enjoined as cannot or ought not to be done R. surely not to accuse the Commander but humbly to avoid the command and when nothing else will serve the turn as in things that may be done we are to express our subjection by active so in things that cannot be done we are to declare the same by passive obedience without resistance and repugnancy such a kind of suffering being as sure a sign of subjection as any thing else whatsoever He P. 147 c. that consults with flesh and bloud will hardly be induc'd to admit this Doctrine of passive Obedience and therefore if he will learn this Lesson he must make choice of better Masters and listen in the first place to Solomon Prov. 3.5
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding And to that Oracle of the Son of God himself Matth. 16.24 If any man will come after me let him deny himself c. then must he raise up his thoughts to the heigth of that beatitude which our Saviour's own mouth hath given assurance of to all such as will be ruled by him herein Matth. 5.10 11 12. Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness sake c. and to look on the recompence of Reward and to encourage himself with the precedent of the Apostles and Prophets the innumerable company of Martyrs and Confessors and above all to look unto Christ himself Obj. P. 150 But suppose the King should command us to worship the Devil would you not give us leave to stand upon our Guard and if not what will become of God's Church and his Religion R. As if this had been a new Case never heard of before when the Devil-Worship i. e. that of Idols called Devils 1 Cor. x. 20. was so vehemently urged by the cruel Edicts of the persecuting Emperors did the Christians ever take Arms against them for the matter or betake themselves to any other Refuge but fervent Prayers unto Almighty God and patient suffering of what disgrace or punishment soever should be put upon them Pag. 152. c. But if Mens Hands be tied no Man's Estate will be secure c. I answer God's Word is clear Whosoever resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God and thereby a necessity is imposed upon us of being subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake which may not be avoided by the pretext of any ensuing mischiefs whatsoever it becomes us in obedience to perform our part and leave the ordering of Events to God Pag. 177. whose part that is And so much both of active Obedience which in all things that may be done we are bound to perform unto our Sovereigns and of the passive which in other Cases with all Christian Fortitude we are tied to undergo ☞ without the least carnal thought either of resisting their Authority or conspiring against their Persons State and Dignity And then he closes his Discourse with an account of the Obligation of Oaths c. and the methods of the ancient Church when persecuted viz. ' Patient Sufferings and Prayers to God. Nor need I mention Dr. Heylin whose Opinions are well known and are remarkably to be seen in his Stumbling-Block of Disobedience discovered censured and removed c. Of which the Arguments are cogent and the Authorities good tho I do not like the sharpness of his Language nor the severity of his Reflections SECT XIII Archbishop * Oper. to 1. disc 2. The Serpentine-Salve p. 525 526. Bramhal who succeeded Usher both in his See and his Loyalty says there were Nonconformists in the Days of Queen Elisabeth and King James who severely protested in Print That no Christians gave more to the Royal Supremacy than they without limitation or qualification that for the King not to assume such a power or for the People to deny it is a damnable sin nay altho the States of the Kingdom should deny it him and if the King command any thing contrary to the Word of God yet we ought not to resist but peaceably to forbear Obedience and sue for Grace and when that cannot be obtained meekly to submit our selves to punishment abjuring all Doctrines repugnant to this as Anabaptistical and Antichristian they condemn all Practices contrary to this as seditious and sinful And then proceeds to give his own Opinion That Dominion is not from the Grant or Consent of the People but from God. Pag. 527 528. That absolute Power may be limited by Statutes c. without communicating Sovereign Power to subordinate or inferior Subjects or subjecting Majesty to Censure which Limitations do not proceed from mutual Pactions but from Acts of Grace and Bounty Pag. 531. If the People be greater than the King it is no more a Monarchy but a Democracy Our Oath binds us to acknowledge the King to be supreme in all Causes and over all persons to defend him against all Conspiracies and if to defend him much more not to offend him That Oath which binds us to defend him against all Attempts whatsoever presupposeth that no Attempt against him can be justified by Law against such evident Light of Truth to ground a contrary Assertion derogatory to his Majesty Pag. 532. upon the private Authority of Bracton and Fleta no authentick Authors were a strange degree of weakness or wilfulness that Subjects who have not the Power of the Sword committed to them may use force to recover their former liberty or raise Arms to change the Laws established Pag. 537. is without all contradiction both false and rebellious Surely Pag. 538. if any Liberty might warrant such force it is the Liberty of Religion but Christ never planted his Religion in Blood he cooled his Disciples Heat with a sharp Redargution Ye know not what spirit ye are of It is better to die innocent than to live nocent as the Thebean Legion all Christians of approved Valor answered the Emperor Maximian Pag. 542. If a Sovereign shall persecute his Subjects for not doing his unjust Commands yet it is not lawful to resist by raising Arms against him they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation But they ask Is there no Limits I answer where the Law doth not distinguish neither ought we to distinguish how shall we limit what God hath not limited Obj. But is there no Remedy for a Christian in this Case Yes three Remedies 1. To cease from sin remove our sin and God will take away his Rod. ☜ 2. Prayers and Tears S. Naz. lived under five Persecutions and never knew other Remedy The third Remedy is flight this is the uttermost which our Master hath allowed nor is this way so hard for Subjects this way hath ever proved successful to the Christian Religion SECT XIV With Archbishop Usher I will also join Bishop Brownrig a Man much of his primitive temper and approved Moderation even by the Enemies of our Church notwithstanding his Episcopal Character * Serm. to 1. Serm. 2. p. 26 28. The Writ by which Princes are made issues from Heaven Kings reign by God's Election not by his Permission only that is too weak and sandy a Foundation permission falls short of approbation c. † Serm. 3. p. 33. Darius was an Enemy to the Church one that kept the Church of God in Bondage and Captivity used them not as Subjects but as Slaves enthrall'd them to his Tyranny yet still acknowledged and honored by the Prophet as their rightful Sovereign the primitive Saints submitted to Julian that hateful Apostate S. Peter requires Subjection not only to the good and gentle but to the froward Governors Darius made a wicked Law forbidding Religion and
☜ and bear all the ill administration that might be in the Government but never to rise in Arms upon that account * Id. third Letter to the E. of Middl. p. 168. I will do that which I think fit for me to do to day though I were sure to be assassinated for it to morrow but to the last moment of my life I will pay all duty and fidelity to his Majesty * Ans to the New Test c. p. 48 49. The Church of England may justly expostulate when she is treated as seditious after she hath rendred the highest Services to the Civil Authority that any Church now on Earth hath done she hath beaten down all the principles of Rebellion with more force and learning ☜ than any body of Men hath ever yet done and hath run the hazards of enraging her Enemies and losing her Friends even for those from whom the most learned of her Members knew what they might expect We are the only Church in the World that carries these principles to the highest We acknowledg that some of our Clergy miscarried in it upon King Edward's death yet at the same time others of our Communion adhered more steadily to their Loyalty in favour of Queen Mary than she did to the promises that she made to them The Laws of Nature are perpetual P. 51. and can never be cancell'd by any special Law so that if these Gent. own so freely that this is a Law of Nature that every individual might fight in his own defence they had best take care not to provoke Nature too much P. 52. As we cannot be charg'd for having preach'd any seditious Doctrine so we are not wanting in the preaching of the duties of Loyalty P. 55. even when we see what they are like to cost us Of all the Maximes in the World there is none hurtful to the Government in our present circumstances than the saying That the King's promises and the people's fidelity ought to be reciprocal and that a failure in the one cuts off the other for by a very natural consequence the Subject may likewise say that their Oaths of Allegiance being founded on the assurance of his Majesty's protection the one binds no longer than the other is observed and the Inferences that may be drawn from hence will be very terrible if the Loyalty of the so much decryed Church of England does not put a stop to them But for that we may cite the Testimony of the Right Reverend Bishop of S. Asaph in his Seasonable Discourse c. We are Members of a Church Pag. 4. which above all other Constitutions in the Christian World enforces the great Duties of Obedience and Submission to the Magistrate and teaches to be subject not only for Truth but Conscience sake And among other Motives which he mentions in the behalf of the Established Religion The fourth says he is this The Safety of the King's Person and the Prerogative of the Crown which hath no higher or more necessary Appendent than his Supremacy in his Dominion in all Causes Ecclesiastical and Secular according to the Powers invested in the Jewish Kings under the Law ☞ and exercised by the first Christian Emperors To whom we may add the Right Reverend Doctor Sprat in his Sermon before the House of Commons Jan. 30. 1677 / 8. by them ordered to be Printed Where speaking of King Chalres the Martyr Who saith he not only by his Birth had a Successive Right to the Crown which he could not forfeit but also by his Personal Vittues might have deserved another Title to it if his Crown had been elective and as his Murderers impudently pretended at the Disposal of his Subjects pag. 3. So that he terms him the Vicegerent of God's Power ibid. pag. 44. He pleaded and prayed for his Enemies at the Bar of Heaven which only was above him And pag. 47. May all of us be most industriously watchful that the same Schismatical Designs and Antimonarchical Principles which then inspired so many ill Men misled some good Men and cost our good King so dear may not once more revive and insinuate themselves again under the same or newer and craftier Disguises and find an opportunity to attempt the like mischiefs And in another Sermon of his at White-Hall Pag. 44 45. December 22. 1678. Let us withdraw our thoughts and lift up our minds to the imitation of the most Christian Examples As of our Saviour himself so of his Apostles and Disciples in the first and therefore the best Ages How were they zealous for the Glory of God Not by violence or malice or revenge against any not eve nagainst their Oppressors but only by their own Labors and Prayers and Patience and Magnanimity in suffering How were they zealous in respect to their Temporal Governors Not to resist for conscience sake but rather to be subject for that very reason not by open Rebellion not by private Machinations but in blessing and serving and submitting to their Emperors tho they were Idolaters and obeying them in all things except their Idolatry Whom to imitate is our Duty SECT XXIII Mr. Thorndyke * Apud Falkner's Christian Loyalty p. 429. from the Instance of the Maccabees avers that it was lawful for Subjects to take Arms in Defence of their Religion under the Jewish State tho in that he be mistaken but expresly condemns taking Arms upon that or any other pretext under the Christian State. Dr. Spencer † Serm. at S. Mary's Cambr. Jun. 28. 1660 p. 4. the now Dean of Ely The Gospel doth very sparingly meddle with State matters but when it doth it engageth to Obedience by as obliging Principles as it doth to Religion even a Principle of Conscience we must be subject for conscience-sake not barely for safety's sake and a principle of highest fear They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation A Doctrine taught the World in the Type long before by that Fire and Earthquake which destroyed the Opposers of lawful Authority Numb xvi 33 34. P. 11 12. God hath attested unto Sovereignty by suffering none of his Servants in Scripture few or none in story to be guilty of willful opposing lawful Authority We find many a wicked Man guilty of this Sin but as Reverence to other Divine Commands wore off in time as the power that exalteth it self above all that is called God obtained in the world so to this among the rest of Obedience to lawful Authority P. 14. The Heathens used to reproach the Gospel on this account but the Pulpit was never intended to be a Circle in which to raise up the evil Spirits of Sedition and State-Commotions no Religion in the Doctrine of it so greatly secures the Power of Kings and the Peace of States ☜ as the Christian doth we are bound by the Gospel to be obedient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Pet. ii 18. to the crookedest and frowardest Masters
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
great sin This perhaps he spoke like a Stoick but it was also spoken like a great Lawyer for the Roman Lawyers were great followers of that Sect of Philosophers Rom. 13. the Power of a Prince is by Divine Right not by the sole Constitution of Men. Suppose a Prince going about to destroy his own Country p. 103. as Nero did even Tyranny is more tolerable than Anarchy 〈◊〉 what happened when Nero was slain In the Reigns of the three following Princes p. 105 106 107. which lasted but a few Months more blood was spilt than in the 14 years of Nero 's Government When it is objected that we owe more to our Country than our Prince he flatly denies it affirming that the very Heathens knew that God sent evil Princes and that to reclaim Men from their sins and that God hath left us remedies for such evils such as repentance of our Vices obedience to our Sovereign ☞ thereby to encline them to be kind and gentle patience to take off the edge of their fury p. 112. and sighs and tears If the case of the Low Countries be objected and that our excellent Queen Elizabeth both praised and defended them the same answer must serve for this as for all examples that we must judge not according to examples but according to Laws or the case of the Men of Libnah who rebelled against Jehoram 2 Chron. 21.10 be insisted on we must answer says Drusius and so we have another witness to this truth the Learned Drusius that every action that is related in Holy Scripture is not praised nor was the cause good that because the Prince had deserted the true Religion therefore they might desert him for the Christians did not desert the Apostate Julian ☞ and that action is not to be made a pattern that is done contrary to reason and law nor does our defence of the Dutch confirm the Justice of their cause for we may justly defend those who themselves are engaged in an unjust War p. 116. as I have in more than one place proved as to this fact of Queen Elizabeth If Equals have no power one over another how much less hath an inferior power ove● his superior a Subject over his Prince he shall be restrain'd by his superior who is God is it not in every Mans mouth that a Prince hath no other Judge but God Shame and conscience p. 118. p. 121 122 123. and honour may check them but not their Subjects Obj. But do not Aquinas Luther Peter Martyr and Beza allow of resistance Answ the book de regimine Principis is not Aquinas 's says Sigonius lib. 17. de regn Ital. Luther was deceived by the German Lawyers and brought to alter his opinion for the worse and what he spoke he said only of feudataries and of a Defensive War. Martyr was swayed by examples not reason as if because the Jews resisted the Macedonians and Romans whose Subjects they were not therefore Subjects may resist their lawful Sovereigns the example of St. Ambrose does not reach this case for he used no force nor had he any right to deny the temple to the Emperor which was his and Beza says only p. 12● c. that the Laws must authorize such resistance But there are cogent reasons to encline to the practice of Passive Obedience 1. It is a rule that we must not speak evil of the Prince 2. Force towards a Father is unlawful therefore towards a Prince 3. A less evil is not to be removed if a greater will follow 4. If a Man in defence of his Mother ought not to resist his Father neither ought he to resist his Prince in defence of his Country 5. No one can depose a Prince but he who made him but the People did not make him c. 6. No evil is to be done that good may come of it 7. How can a King have absolute Power when he hath so many Ephori over him as he hath Subjects 8. The Authority of the Ancients Plato and Tully If it be objected that Plato says that Parents when they grow mad must be restrain'd and that others say that a Tyrant is a Madman I answer we constitute a Guardian over a mad Prince ☜ but we deny that a cruel Tyrannical Prince is to be reckoned a Madman Plato and Tully and Bartolus are of the opinion p. 132. that there can be no just cause of rebelling against or resisting a Prince The sentence of Mr. l'Hospital is observable that the Faction of the League was very potent the defence the Hugonets made seem'd necessary but that only the King's cause was just that both the Hugonots and Leaguers were guilty of waging War against their King but the Hugonots in a lesser degree because the necessity of self defence is more excusable than the Ambition of a Crown bu● no Cause was just but the King 's for there cannot be any just cause of resisting a lawful Prince SECT VII The treasonable Design of Garnet and his Accomplices gave occasion to the making and imposing the Oath of Allegiance as good Laws generally owe their Rise and Original to men's ungoverable Passions and irregular Manners but no sooner did the Oath appear but out came two Breves of Pope Paul the Fifth to forbid the taking of it and Cardinal Bellarmine's Letter to the Archpriest Blackwel upon the same Account To these Adversaries that Learned King wrote an Answer Tripici nodo triplex cuneus and immediately Books multiplied on both sides to a great number Bellarmine Gretser Suarez Eudaemon Johannes Scioppius Becanus Parsons and others attempting to relieve the baffled Papacy while Bishop Andrews Bishop Barlow Bishop Buckeridge Bishopt Abbot Bishop Moreton Bishop Prideaux Isaac Casaubon Burhil Thompson Collins and others stoutly defended their King as they ought And tho their Arguments seem particularly levelled against the Papists yet by parity of reason they condemn all such for the like Opinions and Practices whoever asserts or is guilty of them It were a Subject worth a wise man's pains who had abilities and leisure to give an accurate Account of that Controversie but I shall only cite the Authors as they occur and make for the present purpose The King's Opinion we need not doubt of since the severest Enemies of this Doctrin confess that it hath been a commendable policy in Princes to popagate such Opinions nor have the Atheistical Politicians spared even Solomon himself as he served his own and not the interest of Truth when he said By me Kings reign Bishop Andrews's Sentiments have been published in the first part of this History to which may be added other Passages in the Writings of the same Author * Vol. of Serm. p. 803 804. Upon misconceiving this point some have fallen into a fancy that his anointed may forfeit their Tenure and so cease to be his If after he is anointed he grow defective prove a Tyrant fall to favor
gave that Prince no reason to repent of his favors to him vindicating on all occasions both the interests of the Church and the Person Power and Writings of the King nor were his Books and his Actions dissonant one to the other for he never sided with never encouraged the Commonwealth of Rochel as it was called and in his works Orthodoxly States the Catholick Doctrine of Government and confutes the objections of its adversaries thus in his Buckler of Faith c. Buckler of Faith. He lays down briefly but fully ‖ Lib. 2. Sect. ult p. 556 557. Lon. 1623 in Engl. first the Opinion of the Romanists and then the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches as to the right of Kings Thomas the chief Schoolman says he avers that the Power of Princes and Sovereign Lords is but a humane constitution and proceedeth not from God and with him agree Bellarmin and Arnoux their reasons are 1. That the first King that was in the World Nimrod made himself King by force 2. That the greatest part of Empires were erected by Conquest 3. That Kings are established by humane means whether they attain to the Crown by Hereditary Succession or by Election since there is no rule in the Word of God that bindeth to follow an Hereditary Succession more than an Election 4. That there is no express command set down to obey Henry or Lewis or to acknowledge this or that Man more than another to be King. 5. That for these reasons St. Peter calls the Obedience to Kings an Humane Order while we on the contrary maintain that Obedience due to Kings proceedeth from the Divine Law and is grounded upon the Ordinance of God and whom no Man may resist without resisting God. Rom. 13.1 2. and St. Peter in the same place which they object against us will have us yield Obedience to the King for the Lord's sake and altho Nebuchadnezzar was an ungodly King a scourge used by God to destroy Nations nevertheless God speaks thus unto him by his Prophet Dan. 2.37 Thou O King art a King of Kings c. as to their reasons 1. It is false that Nimrod was the first King in the World for the Fathers and Heads of Families were Kings Priests and Sovereign Princes of their Families Men living after the Flood Five or Six hundred Years long enough to see a multitude of their own Children over whom they were to exercise their paternal Power 2. As to the establishment of Government in Conquest I say that those whose Countries a strange Prince seeketh to invade do well to defend themselves and if in that defensive War the Usurper chance to be slain he is justly punished but if he get the upper hand if the Race of the Ancient Possessors of the same Country be clean extinguished if the States of the Country assembled together do agree upon a new form of Government and if all the Officers throughout the Country have taken their Oaths of Fidelity to the New King then we must believe that God hath established such a Prince in that Kingdom then I say that the People ought to yield to the will of God who for the sins of Kings and of their People transposeth Kingdoms and disposeth of the Issues of Battels at his will and pleasure as to the third it belongs not to the Question whether a King succeed by Inheritance or by Election but whether by the Ordinance of God we ought to obey him when he is established therein while our Adversaries will have the Power of Popes to proceed from the Ordinance of God tho they enter into the Papacy by Election and too often by indirect means c. 4. Tho there be no command to obey Henry or Lewis it sufficeth there is a commandment to obey the King and to keep our Oaths of Fidelity made to the King and by consequence to be faithful to that King to whom we swear Obedience and Loyalty nay by this argument no King of this age were to be obeyed because we do not find his name expresly set down in Holy Writ nay no Man were bound to fear God or to believe in Jesus Christ because the Scripture doth not particularly ordain that Thomas Anthony or William should fear God or believe in Jesus Christ it sufficeth that the Word of God containeth general rules which bind particular Persons without naming them 5. St. Peter calls the Obedience that Men owe to Kings an humane Order either because Kings command divers things which by their own nature are not derived from the Divine Law as suppose to forbid to go by night without a Candle or because they attain to that Power by humane means which hinders not but that their Power is grounded upon the Word of God after they are once established for the Question is not touching the means whereby a Prince attains his Kingdom i. e. whether by Hereditary Succession or Election but what Obedience is due to him after he hath attained thereunto whosoever buildeth the Authority of Kings upon Man's Institution and not upon the Ordinance of God cuts off three parts of their Authority and bereaveth them of that which assureth their Lives and their Crowns more than the guards of their Bodies or puissant Armies which put terror into Subjects instead of framing them to Obedience then the Fidelity of Subjects will be firm and sure when it shall be incorporated into piety and esteemed to be a part of Religion and of the service which we owe unto God. The same excellent Person in his rejoinder to de Balzac after he had asserted that the Jesuits teach the Murder of Princes ‖ Letter 2d ed. Lon 1636. Eng p. 73 94 95. and that their Schools have produced many King-killers he proceeds to vindicate the French Church from de Balzac's imputation who professes himself incens'd against the Authors of the troubles in France tho he acquits du Moulin's Person as one who made the subjection due to Sovereignty a part of the Religion which he taught affirming that Obedience to our Sovereigns is a thing just and necessary that to find out an occasion of Rebellion either in a Man 's own Religion or in that of his King is to make insurrections to defend Religion by courses condemn'd by the same Religion such as these being perplext in their own particular Affairs hope to find ease in troubled waters and to save themselves amidst a confusion never yet did the cause of God advance it self that way Moses had power to inflict grievous punishments on Aegypt and her King notwithstanding he would never deliver the Children of Israel out of Aegypt without the permission of the King. SECT XVI And tho this famous Man Peter du Moulin had one Son Lewis who applauded the Regicides translated Milton and bespatter'd the best Church in Christendom yet God blest him with another of his own Name and Principles who in his Letter as he calls it of a French Protestant to a Scotchman of
who can lift up his hand against the Lord 's Anointed and be innocent 1 Sam. 26.9 or do they consider his commands in the Proverbs of Solomon 24.21 my Son fear God and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change or his counsel in the Book of Ecclesiastes 8.1 I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of the oath of God or because they possibly may pretend that they are exempted from or unconcern'd in the commands of Obedience delivered in the Old Testament do they know and remember the Precept given to all Christians by St. Peter submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake c. or that terrible Sanction of the same command they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation left by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans who then were the miserable Subjects of the worst King the worst Man nay I think I may add truly the worst Beast in the World that so all Rebels mouths might be stopt for ever ☜ and left without all colour and pretence whatsoever to justifie resistance of Sovereign Power Undoubtedly if they did know and consider and lay to heart these places of Scripture or the fearful judgment which befel Corah Dathan and Abiram for this very sin which they now commit and with a high hand still proceed in it would be impossible but their hearts would smite them as David 's did upon an infinitely less occasion and affright them out of these ways of present confusion and eternal damnation SECT III. Dr. 10 Serm. Pr●at Lon. 16 ● P. 10● Arthur Lake Bishop of Bath and Wells Magistrates are from God and he resides among them Magistrates must proceed like God God can and will redress the evils that spring from them because he is Sovereign in and over those places and persons which are misgoverned by them P. 131. what is our lesson truly first as Nazianzen advises as near as we can though we cannot as constantly as God not to have a heart and not a heart but to say with King David I have sworn and am stedfastly purposed it were to be wish'd there were such a constancy in our Oaths so many would not retract the Oath of that Allegiance which they owe without an Oath Dr. Sermon at St. Mary's Cambr on Judg. 21.25 1642. p. 27 28 29. Stephens The King's Commission is signed from Heaven by me Kings Reign his Authority is conferr'd by Heaven he is the Anointed of the Lord his power descends from Heaven obedience to him is required from Heaven 1 Pet. 2. it is the will of God that you submit your selves to the Government of your Kings I have heard the Prophet David suspected by some as partial in his own cause just like the Northern Borderers who conceived the Eighth Commandment thou shalt not steal to be none of God's making but foisted in by Henry the Eighth to shackle their thievish fingers but I dare oppose the 13th Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans against the power of Men or Devils which would trample upon the necks of Kings suppose thy King very wicked he hath more need of thy Prayers to make him better suppose him to be a Tyrant he will give thee the fairer occasions to exercise thy virtue of patience suppose him to be a Persecutor he 'll do thee a courtesie he 'll send thee to Heaven by violence Saul was an unnatural Tyrant against his own Son Jonathan P. 30 31. ☞ a bloody Persecutor of the Priest's of God a Sacrilegious Usurper of their Holy Offices a demoniacal furious Man possest with a Devil and on David 's part his life was sought for and by sparing Saul he should undo himself he had all the opportunity that might and security could administer unto him he was Saul 's adopted Son by Michal 's Marriage he was a Successor to the Kingdom by the Prophet's Unction and yet for all this who can lift up his hand c. are we Christians do we know the virtue of an Oath What think we then of the Solemn Oath of our Allegiance an Oath which can receive no dispensation no absolution from any power whatsoever contrary to the assertions of Bellarmine and Parsons is the establish'd Doctrin of the Church of England in the 37 Article the King's Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and his other Dominions and is not nor ought to be Subject to any jurisdiction whatsoever the six parts of the Homily against Rebellion are so full and apposite that we must either disclaim them from being the Interpreters of the Doctrin of our Church or sit down convinc'd in the manifest truth of this assertion c. Consider seriously against whom would you take up Arms Id. Serm. on Judg. 4.23 p. 78. is it not against the Power against the Ordinance of God they are Men before God but they are Gods before Men. the whole earth combining could not make St. Bernard willingly offend his King and shall the fear of a threatned plundering make us oppose our King shall the common rout persuade me to go to Hell for company 'T is true God sometimes refines his Church in the Furnace of Persecution neither then does he leave it naked and disarm it but what are the Churches weapons St. Ambrose had his dolere potero potero flere his sighs and groans against the Gothish Soldiers St. Bernard fought to death against Lewis of France non scutis aut gladiis sed precibus fletibus prayers and tears were his Sword and Buckler Nazianzen overcame Julian but it was lacrymis ubertim effusis by softning his Adamantine Heart with salt drops from their eyes thence flows the only Sea we can overthrow Pharaoh 's Host in SECT IV. P. H. Corah of the tribe of Levi joyn'd with Dathan c. Sermon at Cambr. 1640. on Numb 16. 3. p. 5 6. of the tribe of Reuben the Levite or Clergy alone would have wanted power and strength the Laity or Reubenite alone could not have had so fair a colour and cloak of Religion to cover their rebellious practices but both join'd together make a strong Faction and a fair show our surest course is to judge Mens Persons by their actions if their actions be unsound and irregular P. 10. 2. p. 11 c. if they gather themselves together against God's express word and commandment against their Prince and Sovereign be their outward appearance never so specious we may assure our selves that they neither fear God nor regard Man but only to serve their own turns if God in absolute and unlimited terms pronounce ☜ whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God I cannot see how the goodness of the end be it Religion or Reformation or the common good can warrant any such resistance from the transgression of God's Ordinance P. 15. cons the place unless these and the like limitations
had been specifyed and annext to the Command Law or Ordinance of Almighty God c. Anno 1643. Dr. Thomas Swadlyn Printed three Sermons intitled the Sovereign's desire and Subjects duty and himself was a Confessor at that time being Imprisoned for his Loyalty as he declares in his Epistle which he dedicates to the World wherein having proved that all Power is from God especially Monarchy he shews that every Soul is to be subject howsoever a King may deal unjustly with them Serm. 2. on Rom. 13 1. p. 25. either 1. By violating the Laws and inforcing their Consciences or 2. By depriving them of their Goods by extortions and imprisoning their Persons and though in the former of these cases he may not be obeyed yet in neither of these cases may he be resisted But what are we to do then Why we may either fly away as David did from Saul if we do not then we must suffer but at no hand may we resist When St. Paul says let every soul be subject he means 1. Let every Soul honour the King. 2. Let every Soul obey the King in things lawful and indifferent 3. Let every Soul be subject to the King in commands unlawful i. e. let every Soul patiently suffer when he cannot actually do If the commands violate the Conscience Id. Ser. 3. p. 29. 31 ●3 38. yet there the Power may not be resisted for to resist the Power is a sin second to none but Sacrilege the highest crime against Heaven is Sacrilege and the next crime to this is Rebellion against or disobedience unto the Majesty of Earth and whosoever resists the Higher Powers resists both God and the King the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and signifies whosoever contrary orders or orders against the Laws or the Arms of the chief Magistrate he resists the Higher Powers whether it be in subtilty of counsel or obloquy of speech and if so much more a heinous crime is it to take up Arms against the King. I have not spoken this to flatter Kings no they shall dye like Men but to inform you he that presumes sins against the justice of God he that despairs sins against his Mercy but he that resists the Power sins against the Power of God and he that dares take Arms against the King would if he could take Arms against God too and therefore as damnation is due to every sin Sermon at Whitehall March 22 1639. p. 18 19. so especially to this sin the sin of Rebellion Dr. B. Holyday Archdeacon of Oxford to strike one's Father was death by the Law to curse one's Father was death by the Law c. the Law then for the Son and the Subject being the same where is the love where is the fear where is wisdom where is grace where is nature are they not all fled from a rebellious heart had zeal antiently armed it self against Sovereignty we had never heard of a Calendar of Saints P. 28. Salus populi suprema lex includes in it the safety of the head and for the members of the body to rise against the head is it not unnatural is it not frenzy let them remember the breach of Israel P. 30. which did first wilfully depart from their Sovereign and afterwards unwillingly whilest perforce from their Country and that afterwards in two hundred years they had both many more and worse Kings than Judah had and were at last seized on by the divine judgment to the instruction of others but their own ruin we may not do evil Id. Serm. at Oxf. May 21. 1643. p 42 Sermon at St. Mary's May 19. 1644. p. 65 66. that good may come thereof royalty must not down for the advancement of Religion object Rebellion and ye object all crimes it is nearer to a flout than a truth to call a Rebel a Christian they will ask what is the final cause of a King and they will answer the Peoples welfare certainly a true answer and as certain an imperfect one the People's good is an inferior purpose of Majesty the representation of the Divine Majesty is the highest purpose of Humane Majesty when in all causes a King is next under God Supreme Governor how can the People whether single or united P. 91. be the Governor of that Governor a great Council may be the adviser of a Prince but as the Statute Law of our Prayer binds us to confess before God it is God that is the only Ruler of Princes Id. Serm. at Chr. Ch. Nov. 10. 1644. p. 106. a King Absalom would be not of God's making for he had made David not of David's making a King then he could be made only by the People and the Devil whilest by the People and Treason whilst against the consent of God and David Mr. Berkenhead Serm. on Nov. 3. 1644. at Chr. Ch. Oxon. p. 13. However we must perform active Obedience to such Princes only as far as lawfully we may so long as they are not set in competition with God yet we must perform Passive Obedience and absolute subjection even if they should command the most unjust superstitious idolatrous profane and irreligious things which can be imagined yet I say we must not Rebel unless we will renounce Christianity but we must let this be the touchstone of our subjection even our patient and constant sufferings SECT V. Dr. Henry King Lord Bishop of Chichester They Sermon at St. Paul's Mar. 21. 1640. p. 11. that lift up their hands against the King in publick Rebellion or their tongues in murmur against his Commands or their hearts in disobedient and discontented thoughts are as ill Subjects to God as to the King you need not ask whom have they resisted St. Paul tells you Rom. 13. they have resisted the Ordinance of God for he hath his Power from God. Men like the mutinous Israelites P. 36. upon all occasions of pretended discontent cry down Moses and set up an Idol made out of popular votes and contributions Id. Serm. before the King May 29. 1661. p. 22 c. to what Votes soever Elective Rulers owe their Scepters Succession is the Vote of God who both declares the right and then continues it as his donation Crowns conferr'd by other hands sit loose and tottering upon the head of such as wear them I will give it keeps them fast this is the great Charter by which Kings hold the right to their Kingdoms by me Kings rule where are those then who place the right to dispose Kingdoms in the Popes or those in another extreme who intitle the People to this power a strange prodigy in opinion not heard of till those Men came into the World who as was falsly alledged of the Apostles at Thessalonica Act. 17.6 turn'd the World upside down placing the feet above the head and subjecting the Higher Powers contrary to the rule of God to the People who by his command ought to be subject unto
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
declared at the least four times in the year That the King's Majesties Power Authority and Preheminence within his Realms and Dominions is the highest Power under God Here the Injunction plainly distinguishes the claim of the Pope from other claims implying that our Church always believed that her Prince's Power was derived immediately from God and that they were superior to all their Subjects either singly or collectively and so were not accountable to them but only to God and among Bishop Ridley's Articles of Visitation An. 1550. one is Whether any do preach or defend that private persons may make Insurrection stir Sedition or compel Men to give them their Goods Anno 1564. being the seventh Year of Queen Elizabeth in the ‖ Sparr Collect. p. 123. Articles for Preaching it is injoyn'd That the Minister move all People to Obedience as well in observation of the Orders appointed in the Book of Common Service as in the Queen's Majesty's Injunctions as also of all other civil Duties due for Subjects to do and that all Preachers Preaching Matters tending to Dissention c. shall be complained At last the Injunctions were called Canons and the first Canon An. 1603. in the first Year of King James is the same in substance with the Injunction of Henry the Eighth Edward the Sixth and Queen Elizabeth and for this reason Can. 55. it is ordained That every Minister should before his Sermon acknowledge the King to be in all Causes and over all Persons supreme Head and Governor in more express terms than were formerly used But particularly I look upon the Canons of the Year 1640. to be a full Explanation of the belief of our Church in this point Now Can. 1. injoyns all former Laws Ordinances and Constitutions formerly made for the acknowledgment and profession of the most lawful and independent Authority of our dread Sovereign Lord the King 's most excellent Majesty to be carefully observed and then descends to give an Explanation of the Royal Power and Authority That the most sacred Order of Kings is of divine Right being the Ordinance of God himself founded in the prime Laws of Nature and clearly establish'd by express Texts both of the Old and New Testament and for any Person or Persons to set up maintain or allow in any their said Realms or Territories respectively under any pretence whatsoever any independent coactive Power either Papal or Popular whether directly or indirectly is to undermine their great Royal Office and cunningly to overthrow that most Sacred Offfice which God himself hath establish'd and so is treasonable against God as well as against the King. For Subjects to bear Arms against their Kings See the Doctrine of these Canons vindicated in Dr. Puller's Moderat of the Ch. of Engl. c. 12. §. 6. p. 34. offensive or defensive upon any Pretence whatsoever is at least to resist the Powers which are ordained of God and though they do not invade but only resist St. Paul tells them plainly They shall receive to themselves Damnation while in the next Paragraph they shew that this Doctrine does not intitle the King to every Man's Estate But against the Synod that made these Canons lies a great Objection tho I should have thought that the hard Censures of it might have been spar'd because no Synod of our Church and perhaps none of any other Protestant Church hath so expresly condemn'd Popery and Socinianism the great Enemies of true Reformed Christianity as this Synod hath done ‖ V. Art. 3.4 that it was not a Lawful Synod because it was continued and sat after the Parliament was Dissolved and was by another Parliament Condemn'd not to answer that that very Parliament that first Condemn'd this Synod ruin'd even the Monarchy it self nor that the Synods of old Provincial or General were not dependent on the meeting of the States at the same time I answer First that these Canons were made and confirm'd in full Convocation of both Provinces of Canterbury and York and the making of Canons being a work properly Ecclesiastical these Canons were made by the Representatives of the whole Clergy of this Kingdom 2. The Canons were confirm'd by the King which was all that was of old required in such Cases and tho the Convocation sat after the Dissolution of the Parliament yet 1. This is not without President even in the happy Days of Queen Elizabeth not to look back into Henry VIII or the primitive Times And 2. the Persons who condemn'd this Synod are well known to have done it to justifie their own Proceedings being resolved to ruine Episcopacy and with it the Monarchy and afterward by their own power they called an Assembly of Divines and What a Confession of Faith what Discipline Rites and Methods did they Establish a Directory among other things out of which they left the Lord's Prayer perhaps because it 't was a Form the Apostles Creed because themselves thought they could make a better and the Ten Commandments because the fifth plainly accused them of Rebellion against their Lawful Prince And it is worth the observing that Sr. Edward Deering's Speeches that were spoken with so much Virulence against this Synod and afterwards Printed were by the Order of the same House who first applauded them decreed to be Burnt by the hand of the Common Hang-man And if it be still objected that the Canons were Reprobated since the Restitution of Charles II. I say that I quote them not as a Law that obliges the Church but as the known Sense of the Church of England at that time CHAP. III. The Doctrine of the Homilies THough the name of Homily hath been look'd upon and censured by unthinking People as ridiculous yet those admirable Sermons made by our first Reformers as a body of practical Divinity and a Confutation of the Errors and Idolatries of the Church of Rome are as Bishop Ridley said of the first Tome of them * Apud Fox To. 3. p. 506. Holy and wholsome Homilies Recommendations of the principal Virtues which are commended in Scripture and against the most pernicious and capital Vices that so alas do reign in this Realm of England These we subscribe to as containing wholsome Doctrine † Dr. Stanley's Faith and Pract. c. 7. p. 192. and every Man hereby sees what Opinions the Clergy are of for they subscribe and assent to the Book of Articles and Homilies and to the Book of Common Prayer Many also have some regard to the Articles of An 1640. They take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy and the Test c. and Johnson says That the Book of Homilies is the best Book in the World next the Bible And since a ‖ D. Welw Letter to M. March p. 10. late Author is so bold to say that Passive Obedience in the narrow sense we take it in was not so much as thought on at the time of the publishing the Homilies I must first ask him How he came to be so
necessary Erudition of a Christian Man in which the Commentary on the fifth Commandment thus instructs us Subjects be bound not to withdraw their Fealty Truth Love and Obedience towards their Prince for any Cause whatsoever it be nor for any cause they may conspire against his person nor do any thing towards the hinderance or hurt thereof or of his Estate And this they prove out of Rom. 13. Whosoever resists the power resists the ordinance of God and they that resist the ordinance of God shall get to themselves damnation And ●n the sixth Commandment No Subjects may draw their Swords against their Prince for any Cause whatsoever it be So that hereby we see that the Declaration made in the Reign of Charles the Second That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever c. is no Novel Doctrine but the old Doctrine of the Church of England even in the infancy of its Reformation And again Although Princes which be the Supreme Heads of their Realm do otherwise than they ought to do yet God hath assigned no Judges over them in this World but will have the Judgment of them reserved to himself and will punish them when he sees his time And Ann. 1542. ‖ Id. Coll. of Record n. 26. p. 252. V. Fox to 2 p. 346 347. it is expresly injoin'd by the Bishop of London to his Clergy Item That every of you do procure and provide of your own a Book called The Institution of a Christian Man otherwise called the Bishop's Book and that you and every of you do exercise your selves in the same according to such Precepts as hath been given heretofore or hereafter to be given So that I suppose the Book to have been the whole duty of Man of those days SECT I. The Popish Bishops Tonstal and Stokesly in their Letter to Cardinal Pool * Apud Fox to 2. p. 351 352. prove out of St. Austin St. Chrysostom and other Fathers That a King is accountable to God only for his Faults that he hath no Peer upon Earth being greater than all Men and inferior but to God alone c. and from hence they shew That the Pope's Power and by parity of Argument the Power of the People to depose Kings is a Doctrine that will be to his own Damnation if he repent not whereas he ought to obey his Prince according to the Doctrine of St. Peter and St. Paul nay Bonner himself Ap. eund p. 673. as he wrote the Preface to the Book of true Obedience so in his Sermon at Paul's Cross Ann. 1549. in the beginning of the Reign of Edward the Sixth declares That all such as rebel against their Prince get to themselves Damnation and those that resist the higher Power resist the Ordinance of God and he that dieth in Rebellion is utterly damn'd and so loseth both Body and Soul what pretences soever they have as Corah Dathan and Abiram for Rebellion against Moses were swallowed down alive into Hell although they pretended to sacrifice to God. So much of the Doctrine of the Reformation did even Bonner himself at that time own and this also was the Opinion of the Protestants of that Age for † Ap. eund to 2. p. 592 among the Heresies and Errors collected by the Popish Bishops out of the Martyr Tyndal's Book called the Obedience of a Christian Man this is the fourth he faith fol. 113. that a Christian Man may not resist a Prince being an Infidel and an Ethnick and that this takes away free will or as it is in the ‖ Inter addend Latin Non licere Christiano resistere Principi Infideli Ethnico Tollit libertatem arbitrii Where observe that the Papists look'd upon it as if Tindal had said that it was impossible to do so whereas he only means that a Christian ought not to resist c. for the Words are thus explained ‡ Ibid. St. Peter willeth us to be subject to our Princes 1 Pet. ii St. Paul also doth the like Rom. xiii who was also himself subject to the Power of Nero and altho every Commandment of Nero against God he did not follow yet he never made resistance against the Authority and State of Nero as the Pope useth to do against the State not only of Infidels but also of Christian Princes SECT II. In the Reign of Edward the Sixth the true Religion began to flourish and at that time old Father Latimer was famous for a plain and honest Preacher * Fol. 56. he in his fourth Sermon before the King telling the Audience what Conference he had with my Lord Darsey in the Tower subjoins that when that Lord pleaded that he had been always faithful and had he seen the King in the Field he would have yielded his Sword to him on his Knees he replyed Marry but in the mean season you played not the part of a faithful Subject in holding with the People in a Commotion and Disturbance it hath been the cast of all Traitors to pretend nothing against the King's Person they never pretend the matter to the King but to others Subjects may not resist any Magistrates nor ought to do any thing contrary to the King's Laws And to put the matter out of all doubt in his Afternoon † Matth. xxii 21. Sermon at Stamford he says If the King should require of thee an unjust Request yet art thou bound to pay it and not to resist nor rebel against the King. The King indeed is in peril of his Soul for asking an unjust Request and God will in his due time reckon with him for it but thou must obey the King and not take upon thee to judge him for God is the King's Judge c. and know this that whensoever there is an unjust Exaction laid upon thee it is a plague and punishment for thy Sin. We marvel that we are plagued as we be and I think verily this unjust and unfaithful dealing with our Princes is one great cause of our plague look therefore every Man upon his Conscience ye shall not be judged by worldly Policy at the latter day Archbishop Cranmer in his Letter to Queen Mary whatever his fear might otherwise betray him to do confesses Ap. Fox to 3. p. 672. That the Imperial Crown and Jurisdiction of this Realm is taken immediately from God to be used under him only and is subject unto none but God alone ‖ p. 674. and afterward averrs That as the Pope taketh upon him to give the Temporal Sword to Kings and Princes so doth he likewise take upon him to depose them from their imperial States if they be disobedient to him and commandeth the Subjects to disobey their Princes assoiling the Subjects as well of their Obedience as of their lawful Oaths made unto their true Kings and Princes contrary to God's Commandment who commandeth all Subjects to obey their Kings or their Rulers over them It is not to be denied that this great
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
Letters Nolite tangere Christos meos In the subsequent Chapters he considers the other Examples of Rebellion and resistance in the old Testament and Ch. 14. the Example of our Saviour who patiently submitted to all injustice though he could have called for more than twelve Legions of Angels And when Pilate was a most profligate Man and no one could be worse than the Pharisees and High-Priests and Tiberius the Emperour was infamous for his perjuries his lusts and murthers yet even then so did our Saviour demean himself and every action of his is our instruction towards the Magistrates of his time who were Infidels Barbarians and Tyrants And in the second Book he considers the obedience of the antient Christians to Nero and other Persecutors under Julian and the Arian Emperours when they were punish'd contrary to Law deriving the History down to the times of Pope Gregory the Great and the Emperour Focas from whence we date the Papal Tyranny On Epist for the fourth Sunday after Epiph. Dr. Bois the Dean of Canterbury says the same on those Words Let every Soul be subject c. The Proposition is peremptory deliver'd not narratively what others hold meet but positively importing what God would have done not advised only by Paul but devised also by Christ as a Command in imperative terms expresly Let every Soul be subject Every Soul is every Man and this universal Note confutes as well the seditious Papist as the tumultuous Anabaptist To be subject is to suffer the Prince's Will to be done aut à nobis aut de nobis either of us or on us of us when he commands for Truth on us when he commands against the Truth either we must be Patients or Agents Agents when he is good and godly Patients when he is tyrannous and wicked we must not use a Sword but a Buckler against a bad Prince St. Paul doth not here say Let every soul be subject to Virtuous and Christian Governors ☞ but indefinitely to Potentates I have read and heard that the Jesuits are desirous to purge St. Paul's Epistles especially this to the Romans as being herein more Lutheran than Catholick This Text of all other Let every Soul be subject c. is much against their humor and honor The exempting Clergy-men from the Obedience to secular Powers Ep. Rom. 13.1 is a Doctrine not heard in the Church a thousand years after Christ p. 159. Bishop Bilson against the Jesuits p. 128. Whosoever therefore resisteth If there be no power but of God and nothing done by God but in order he that resisteth Authority resisteth God's Ordinance so the Lord himself said to Samuel 1 Sam. 8.7 They have not cast thee away but they have cast me away that I should not reign over them As God is a great King so a King is as it were a little God he therefore that resisteth the Prince resisteth him that sent him Almighty God is King of kings and Lord of lords 1 Tim. 6.15 pag. 161. He is the Minister of God for thy wealth * D. Buckeridg Sermon upon the fifth Verse of this Chap. If he be a good Prince causa est he is the Cause of thy Good temporal and eternal if an evil Prince he is an occasion of thy eternal Good by thy temporal evil † August Serm. 6. de verbis Dom. secundum Matt. Si bonus nutritor est tuus si malus tentator tuus est If a good King he is thy Nurse receive thy nourishment with obedience if evil he is thy tempter receive thy trial with patience So there is no resistance either thou must obey good Governors willingly or endure bad Tyrants patiently pag. 162. As all power is from God so for God and therefore when the Prince commands against truth it is our Duty to be patient and not agent Ib. 162. 23 d. Sunday after Trin. Mat. 25.15 ‖ ‖ Zepper Aretius Aquin. 22. quaest 10.4 Art. 6. This Scripture sheweth evidently that the Kingdom of Christ abrogateth not the Kingdom of Caesar but that the Gospel is a good Friend unto Common-weals in teaching Princes how to govern and the People how to be subject unto the higher Powers It is not Christ and his Word but Antichrist and the Pope who deny to Caesar the things which are Caesar 's absolving the Subject from his Allegiance to his Sovereign This Intrusion upon the things of Caesar is thought unjust and uncouth even by the Sorbon and Parliament of Paris in France by the Commonwealth of Venice by the Seminary Priests in England in a word distasted of all Popelings in the world except the Serpentine Brood hatch'd of the Spanish Egg Ignatius Loyola Read the Books of Watson especially Quodlibet 8. Art. 7 8. Barclai of the Authority of the Pope Roger. Widdrington Apolog. pro Jure Principum Sheldon's general Reasons proving the Lawfulness of the Oath of Allegeance The ready Pens of our accurately learned Caesar and his judicious Divines have foiled in this Argument the Popes Bull-beggar Cardinal Bellarmine p. 550. As for the Tributes of Caesar if they be just and reasonable we must pay them as his Wages if unjust and unreasonable we must bear them as rur punishment We may rofel his Arguments in Parliament and repel his Oppression according to courses of Law but we may not in any case rebel with the Sword. Ib. On S. Peter's Day Act. 12.1 p. 725. Prayer was made without ceasing of the Congregation Prayers and Tears are the Churches Armor and therefore when Peter was imprisoned by cruel Herod the Congregation cometh unto prayer and not unto powder for his deliverance they did not assault the Prison nor kill the Soldiers ● Salmeron tract 35. in Act. nor break the Chains only prayer and patience were their Weapons Arma Christianorum in adversis alia esse non debent quam patientia precatio Dr. Donne the Dean of S. Pauls * Pseudomart ch 6. § 10. p. 172. Tho some ancient Greek States which are called Regna Laconica because they were shortened and limited to certain Laws and some States in our time seem to have conditional and provisional Princes between whom and Subjects there are mutual and reciprocal Obligations which if one side break they fall on the other yet that Sovereignty which is a power to do all things available to the main ends resides somewhere which if it be in the Hands of one Man erects and perfects that Pambasilia of which we speak * Id. § 11. God inanimates every State with one power as every Man with one Soul when therefore People concur in the desire of such a King they cannot contract nor limit his power no more than Parents can condition with God ☞ or preclude or withdraw any Faculty from that Soul with God hath infused into the Body which they prepared and presented to him c. And upon this Principle of the Sovereignty and unaccountableness of Kings he shews
O Lord hast set our most Gracious King over us as our Political Parent as the Supreme Minister to govern and protect us and to be a terror to them that do evil O my God give Grace to me and to all my Fellow Subjects next to thine own infinite self to love and honor to fear and obey our Sovereign Lord the King thy own Vicegerent for Conscience sake and for thy own sake who hast placed him over us O may we ever faithfully render him his due Tribute O may we ever pray for his Prosperity sacrifice our Fortunes and our Lives in his defence and be always ready rather to suffer than to resist So also say the Bishops of Sarum and Exon. Seth Lord Bishop of Sarum 's Sermon Preached before the King at White-Hall November 5. 1661. Rom. 13.2 And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation If within the Compass of those Foundations which I have mentioned Pag. 9. be found any color or shadow of License for any person whatsoever upon any pretence whatsoever to entrench upon the power of lawful Magistracy if any warrant at all for open Rebellion or privy Conspiracies for murthering or deposing of Princes or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance then let Kings cease to be our Nursing Fathers and Queens to be our Nursing Mothers The Act of Resistance is set down absolutely without any restraint Pag. 19. in respect of any Pretences or Causes whatsoever So that the sense of the words resolved by the Scriptures is this every Soul which upon any pretence whatsoever in any manner whatsoever shall resist the lawful Authority that is over him shall receive to himself damnation that is he puts himself thereby into a state of damnation If Erroneous Pag. 25. heretical or Idolatrous Magistrates may be resisted because they are so or because they join oppression of godly Men unto their Error in Religion how can any Kingdom stand Supposing this Tenet to be true it is indeed evident Pag. 26. no Government can be But now what color can there be to charge this Tenet upon Christianity Doth the Old or New Testament give any occasion to this Doctrine Is it countenanced 1. By Moses Or 2. By the Prophets Or 3. By our Saviour Or 4. By the Apostles 5. That Cloud of Witnesses the Noble Army of Martyrs did they give testimony to this Assertion or to the contrary 1. Moses was so far from the Doctrine of Resistance Pag. 27. that notwithstanding the Hardness of Pharaoh's Heart the Cruelty of the Bondage the Weakness of the Egyptians by Plagues the Number of Israel six hundred thousand and three thousand five hundred and fifty fighting Men above twenty years old besides the Tribe of Levi yet he would not lead them unto the promised Land without Pharaoh's positive and express consent to their Departure 2. As for the Prophets in the third Chapter of Daniel we find three of God's Children put to the Trial the fiery Trial of this Doctrine by Nebuchadnezzar an Idolater and a Tyrant acting highly under both those Capacities together They were cast into the fiery Furnace because they would not worship the Golden Image which he had set up And in the sixth we find Daniel thrown into the Lions Den only for praying to the God of Israel Let us consider their Behaviour did they resist or mutiny or labor to alienate or discontent or by denouncing Threats and Terrors to discourage Subjects from Obedience How had they been instructed by their Prophets Jeremy 2 Chron. 36.13 had taught them that Zedekiah had turned from the Lord God of Israel in rebelling against Nebuchadnezzar who had made him swear by God and that they ought to seek the peace of the city whither they were carried captives and to pray unto the Lord for it Jer. 29.7 And therefore the three Children in the Third of Daniel only refer themselves to God for Deliverance and Daniel in the midst of the Lions Den prays heartily for Darius O king live for ever Dan. 6.21 3. In the next place let us consider the Case of Christ and his Apostles and see whether any such Tenet may be collected from their Doctrine or Practice their Speeches or their Actions As for what concerns our Lord Christ I have had the Honor formerly in this place more at large to vindicate him from such Aspersions He paid Tribute at the expence of a Miracle Matth. 17.27 He submitted himself to all the Powers that were over him to the Sanhedrim and their Delegates to Herod and to Pontius Pilate he submitted himself to death by an unjust Sentence even to the bitter and accursed Death upon the Cross Phil. 2.8 This was his Practice As for his Doctrine he taught Men to render to Cesar the things that were Cesars Matt. 22.21 He acknowledged Pilate 's Power to be from above John 19.11 He rebuked Peter for smiting with the Sword and told him that those that take the sword shall perish by the sword Matth. 26.52 He taught his Disciples to pray for them which should persecute them Matth. 5.44 And the utmost permission which he gave them was when they were persecuted in one city to flee unto another Matth. 10.23 4. As for the Apostles they taught Men to obey them that have the rule over them Heb. 13.17 To submit themselves to every Ordinance of Man 1 Pet. 2.13 To do all things without murmuring or disputing Phil. 2.14 To pray for Kings and all that are in authority 1 Tim. 2.2 Saint Peter hath told us that such as despise dominion and speak evil of dignities are in an especial manner reserved to Judgment 1 Pet. 2.9 10. And Saint Paul in my Text that they shall receive damnation This Doctrine they sealed with their Blood. Saint Peter according to Ecclesiastical Tradition was crucified and S. Paul beheaded James the Son of Zebedeus slain with the Sword c. Now as for the Powers to which all these Instructions and Behaviours did refer they were for Idolatry and Tyranny and Persecution Humani generis portenta If it be objected that all these submitted because they were not able to resist the Answer upon Christian Principles might be That he which restrained the Flames and stopped the mouths of Lions could have given his Servants power to resist that Christ could have prayed his Father who would have given him more than twelve Legions of Angels for his relief that the Apostles who wrought mighty Signs and Wonders could have rescued themselves had it not rather pleased the great Ordainer of Powers by their submission to ratifie and establish the Doctrine of Obedience 5. But the Belief and Practice of the Primitive Christians will satisfie this Objection even to common Sense and Reason The Instances in this kind are infinite where Christians abounding in numbers being in Arms and abundantly able to make resistance have chosen with the expence of their lives to yield obedience to Idolaters persecuting them for their
careful our blessed Saviour was to pay all due respects to any person invested with Authority and that St. Peter recommends a meek behaviour even towards them from whom we receive hard measure P. 94. That such a continued respect and practice of duty to Governours even under hard usage is that which Conscience to God will oblige to perform This duty of respectful submission is not founded upon the good temper of our Superiours but upon the Authority they receive from God and the Precepts which God hath thereupon given to us P. 97. Obj. But if Religion be concern'd and in danger doth it not behove every good Man to be zealous c. Ans 1. It is requisite he should be zealous in the diligent exercise of a holy Life and in frequent and devout prayer c. But he must not be active as an evil doer in giving himself the liberty to behave himself undutifully towards his Superiours 2. Religion can never be so in danger that God can need any sinful practices of Men to uphold his interest his Kingdom is not so weak that it cannot stand without the affistance of the works of the Devil P. 99. 3. Religion can never be opposed with greater enmity and malicious designs than it was when our Saviour suffered and yet then he reviled not P. 100. nor allow'd St. Peter's rashness The Jews aimed utterly to root out the Christian Name and there were great oppositions against Religion even fiery Tryals 1 Pet. 4.12 When yet Saint Peter requires Christians to follow the Example of our Lord's patience and meekness and to reverence Superiours 4. True zeal for Religion consists in pious and holy living not in passionate and sinful speaking To Dr. Falkner I should join his Pupil Dr. Sherlock but his Book of Non resistance is so strong and his arguments from Scripture so cogent that it is needless to make any extracts out of it and till his Adversary writes both a more becoming and a more demonstrative Answer it will be still by all wise Men look'd upon as unanswerable SECT XXIX Among the unanswerable Treatises I also reckon Dr. Hicks the Dean of Worcester's Jovian for unless scurrility confidence and a desertion of the main Argument may pass for an Answer the Reply that is yet extant deserves no Rejoinder Out of that Elaborate Commentary on the Doctrine of Passive Obedience I shall only quote one passage because it is a History of the Author's Principles and Resolution I had rather dye a Martyr than a Rebel P. 259 and I resolve by God's assistance neither to turn Papist nor Resist but if I cannot escape I will suffer according to the Gospel and the Church of England and I will Preach and Practise Passive Obedience after the example of the Prophets and Martyrs who suffered against Law and in my most melancholy prospect of things I can comfort my self with the hopes of a reward for dying at a Stake which he shall never have for dying in the Field To this purpose also the Sermon at Bow-Church Jan. 30. 1681 / 2. Together with the same Author's Artillery Sermon are worth the perusing Dr. South I have read heretofore of some Serm. 2. p. 80 81. that having conceived an irreconcileable hatred of the Civil Magistrate prevailed with Men so far that they went to resist him even out of Conscience and a full perswasion and dread upon their spirits ☜ that not to do it were to desert God and consequently to incur Damnation Now when Mens rage is both heightened and sanctified by Conscience the War will be fierce for what is done out of Conscience is done with the utmost activity and then Campanella 's Speech to the King of Spain will be found true Religio semper vicit praesertim armata which sentence deserves seriously to be considered by all Governors and timely understood lest it come to be felt P. 212. P. 236. We have seen Rebellion commented out of Rom. xiii He that makes his Prince despised and undervalued blows a Trumpet against him in Mens Hearts c. * See Dr. Freeman's Ser. before the L. Mayor 1682. p. 8. P. 242 243. To imagine a King without Majesty a Supreme without Sovereignty is a Paradox and direct contradiction The Church of England glories in nothing more than that she is the truest friend to Kings and to Kingly Government of any other Church in the World. It is the happiness of some Professions and Callings that they can equally square themselves to and thrive under all Revolutions of Government but the Clergy of England neither know nor affect that happiness and are willing to be despised for not doing so And so far is our Church from encroaching upon the Civil Power as some who are back-friends to both would maliciously insinuate that were it stript of the very remainder of its privileges and made as like the Primitive Church for its bareness as it is already for its Purity it could chearfully and what is more Loyally want all such Privileges and in the want of them pray that the Civil Power may flourish as much and stand as secure from the assaults of Fanatick Anti-Monarchical Principles grown to such a dreadful height during the Churches late confusions as it stood while the Church enjoyed those Privileges Dr. Serm. on Heb x. 36. p. 2. John Moor. Our Saviour was the first that did effectually recommend this Passive Virtue to the World and furnished Men with such true Arguments to bear their Cross as made the most afflicted state not only supportable but to be preferred before the happiness of this life P. 16 17. A good Man when he is persecuted for his Religion neither deserts it nor by any unlawful means defends it He will not renounce his Faith to escape Persecution and yet he dreads by resisting of Authority to promote the cause of Religion P. 19. it being a blasphemy against the Divine Wisdom and Power to suppose God can stand in need of our sins to bring to pass his most glorious designs and this he says of those who under pretence of defending their Rights or Religion resist lawful Authority He then in whom this virtue of Patience dwells keeps a due regard to the commands laid upon him to submit himself to the Supreme Powers and he dares not lift up his Hand against the Lords Anointed ☞ nor Levy War upon the most plausible account whatsoever nay to him it cannot but seem a wonder that the Doctrin of Resistance should have gone down so glibly with any who have read the New Testament and are baptised into the Christian Faith. All Resistance to the Supreme Authority is unlawful The Popes of Rome being the first pretenders from Scripture to a right to resist the Civil Power P. 20 21. c. And it is most certain that by the same Argument they would take off their obligation to this plain Christian Duty they
may excuse themselves from their obligations to all the rest Will they plead that the Gospel is not a perfect Rule of Duty and that the inspired Writers did not foresee and provide for all cases c. Upon the same ground they dispense with one Law of Christ they may dispense with as many as they please P. 29. If the Magistrates be Ordained of God then it is no more lawful for an hundred thousand Men to resist him than for twelve and if we are bound to submit for Conscience sake no increase of our numbers or strength can alter the Rule of our Duty or take off the Obligation of Conscience ☜ So that had the Primitive Christians had more potent Arms than Nero or Julian yet no right ever could have accured to them thereby to oppose Gods Ordinance or to proceed against their Conscience P. 30. The Popes of Rome were the first pretenders from Scripture to a right not only of Resisting c. but of Deposing Kings Knox Milton Rutherford c. P. 40. could not have spit ranker venom at Kings or spoke with greater contempt of their Authority than Hildebrand And in another place thus P. 15. It always holds true with respect to the Sovereign Power in any Country what was said by Judge Creshald Legacy p. 5. both like a pious Christian and an able Lawyer concerning the Royal Authority of our Nation that the Jura Regalia of our Kings are holden of Heaven and cannot for any Cause Escheat to their Subjects nor they for any Cause make any positive or actual forcible resistance against them but that we ought to yield to them Passive Obedience by suffering the punishment albeit their commands should be against the Divine Law and that in such Case Arma nostra sunt preces nostrae nec possumus nec debemus aliter resistere for who can lift up his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless And thus the Author of Jeremiah in Baca or a Fast-days Work Published for the Devout Members of the Church of England as a Preservative for all them against Perjury and Rebellion speaks Rebellious Perjuries pag. 40 41 42 43 44. A further branch of Perjury there is which in the late Rebellious days involved a great part of the three Nations over and over Some Popular wicked Men Sons of Belial contrary to the Oath of the Lord upon them rose up against the Lords Anointed drew in against their Allegiance also many and many thousands of the People into that Rebellion and bloody War and when through thy just judgment upon the three Kingdoms for former sins those Perjured Rebellious Men had very far prevailed and imbrued their Hands not only in the common blood of their fellow Subjects but also in the sacred blood of their Sovereign and driven all the Royal Family into Foreign parts the dayly practice was making and taking new Oaths and imposing them upon the People and then both breaking them themselves and compelling others to break them O God! ☜ how many Rebellious Oaths were there framed contrary to that one rightful Oath of Allegiance every of which later Oaths were direct and solemn Perjury The dreadful effects of that Rebellion and those Perjuries we now see and we have all reason to fear the guilt of them will not cease operating to further vengeance upon the Nations for that there are still left therein Men of like wicked Principles But O God! when thou makest inquisition for blood shut not up the innocent with the guilty The Established Church thou knowest all along abhorred and withstood unanimously as one Man those false Treasonable and bloody practices and chose the utmost sufferings rather than joyn therein or in the least comply therewith Notwithstanding we acknowledge the multitude of the Offenders was so great that both the Rebellion and the Perjuries may affect the whole Body of the Nation For if thou wilt by no means hold them guiltless who take thy name in vain what may we all expect SECT XXX Mr. Wake * Serm. at Paris Jan. 30. 1684 / 5. p. 3. Speaking of the Murder of Charles the Marty● Had an Infidel Nation risen up against him or the chance of War cut him off we should soon have turned our sorrow into joy But that we who were obliged by all the tyes of God and Men to obey him should destroy that life for which we ought not to have refused any hazard of our own that we who were certainly his Subjects and pretend to be Christians too should violate all the Rights of Majesty trample under feet all the Laws of the Gospel this raises those Clouds that obscure so bright a Day P. 10. Long had the Trumpet been blown to War and to Rebellion the Church become Militant and our Pulpits instead of setting forth the Gospel of Peace spoke nothing but Wars and Seditions and Tumults to the People Is there any one among us that by the malignity of his Nature the desperateness of his Fortunes or a misguided Zeal hath been actually concerned in this guilt P. 17 18. Is there any one now present who though unconcerned in that black Parricide is yet involved in any of those Principles that lead to it ☞ hath assisted approved or encouraged those new Rebels the Progeny of the same Old Cause that have again so lately endeavoured to Crown the Son with the like Glory their Ancestors did the Father let me beseech them either to sanctifie the Fast with us or not to join in the Celebration A Crime Pag. 22. which I should doubt had exceeded the Power of any Repentance to expiate had not the Apostles left us an Example by exhorting the Jews to labor for a Forgiveness Pag. 29. even of their crucifying the Lord of Glory Was there ever Villany like this that a Christian Kingdom should break through all those Bonds of Duty and Obedience which the more righteous Heathens have reverenced as sacred and inviolable ☜ that so many Oaths and Vows repeated with that frequency taken with that solemnity should all be insufficient to preserve our Fidelity that Religion and Reformation two things than which none can be more excellent in themselves nor are any more easily and more dangerously abused should be able to cheat us into wickedness which the barbarous Scythians never heard of Wake 's Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the Exceptions of Monsieur de Meaux c. Licensed by C. Alston The Peace and Liberty which we enjoy Pag. 88. The Close we do not ascribe to their i. e. the Papists Civility it is God's Providence and our Sovereign's Bounty whom the Church of England has ever so Loyally served whose Rights she asserted in the worst of times When to use our Author 's own words Perjury and Faction for this very cause loaded her with all the Injuries Hell it self could invent But we gloried to
suffer for our Duty to him then ☜ and shall not fail should there ever be occasion to do it again And we have this Testimony from our King which no time nor malice shall be able to obliterate That the Church of England is by Principle a Friend to Monarchy and I think cannot be charged to have ever been defective in any thing that might serve to strengthen and support it And in the Tract It is said in the Gospel Pag. 72. that Michael the Archangel disputing with the Devil would not bring any railing Accusation against him but was content to say to him only The Lord rebuke thee Because he looked upon God as him to whom Judgment and Vengeance belonged and yet we see that the Sons of Adam are bold and desperate enough not only to condemn but to destroy Dignities which they ought to reverence and to ruin them together with whole States as their fancy leads them Agreeable to what Dr. Dr. Beveridge's Serm concerning the Excellency and Usefulness of the Common Prayer Nov. 27. 1681. Pag. 34. l Beveridge hath upon the like occasion What our grand Adversary had done before by the Papists he afterwards brought about again by other means in the Reign of King Charles the First For by what kind of Spirit the Common Prayer was then cast out you all know and some of you found by woful experience All that I shall say of it is only this That the same Spirit that then stirred up them so violently against the Common Prayer stirred them up at the same time to rebel against their King contrary to all Law and Justice And whether that was the Spirit of Christ or Antichrist God or the Devil judge you Dr. Ironside * Serm. at Court Nov. 23. on 1 Pet. 4.15 p. 1 6. P. 8 9. S. Peter gives this Injunction as an Apostle not as a Statesman Of all Principles Obedience to Magistrates the great Eye-sore and the Execution of Justice the Support of the World will be always necessary to be taught and pressed upon the Conscience We are forbidden all kind of Revenge when others injure us in our Names Goods or Persons This was the Doctrine of our Saviour and this was the Practice of our Saviour Revenge is God's and he executes it 1. Immediately by himself and that sometime in this World always in the next 2. Mediately by the Power deputed to Men and the Magistrates are called Gods in that respect pag. 21. Suffer we must for Truth not defend or propagate it by violence and in this agree the Harmony of Confessions in all Reformed Churches whatsoever some turbulent Spirits of Scotland have written to the contrary pag. 27. Inferiors have no Right to meddle with Superiors at all unless it be to defend and obey nothing else no not so much as to counsel unless called to it much less to reprove sawcily pag. 32. or contumeliously to expose c. It is very observable how particular the Apostles are in laying out the respective Duties of Inferiors Obedience in this World is the great thing the Sins of Superiors are remitted to the other World ☞ and then great Men shall be greatly tormented p. 35 36 37 38. The Acts of the Apostles and the Life and Death of Christ are perfect submission to the Imperial Laws It is therefore a true and wise saying ☞ Sedition is worse than Murther and it is pity the Saying is found so often in the Alcoran and so seldom to be met with in the Practice of Christians There be three sins in the New Testament which are threatened with signal Judgments in this Life 1. The first is doing evil that good may come thereof such men's damnation saith the Apostle is just 2. Profaning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 3. Profaning the Supreme Powers they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation That is these three sins make men liable not only to the Divine Wrath hereafter for so all sins without repentance expose to damnation but usually they are also attended with signal Judgments in this life and so let it be upon all the Troublers of the Earth that our Kings may be at rest and that we may lead a quiet life in all Godliness and Honesty SECT XXXI Dr. Isaac Barrow † Vol. 1. Serm. 10. p. 135. Are Princes bad or do they misdemean themselves in their Administration of Government or Justice We may not by any violent or rough way attempt to reclaim them for they are not accountable to us or liable to our Correction Do they oppress us or abuse us do they treat us harshly or cruelly persecute us We must not kick against them nor strive to right our selves by resistance We must not so much as rail or inveigh against them we must not be bold or free in taxing their Actions we must forbear even complaining and murmuring against them ☜ we must not so much as curse them in our thoughts To do these things is flat impiety against God and an invasion of his Authority who is the King of Kings and hath reserved to himself the prerogative of judging of rebuking of punishing Kings when he findeth Cause These were the Misdemeanors of those in the late times discovering therein great profaneness of mind and distrust of God's Providence as if God being implored by Prayer could not or would not had it been needful without such irregular Courses have redressed those Evils in Church or State which they pretended to feel or fear Pag. 136. In the primitive times prayers and tears were the only Arms of the Church whereby they long defended it from ruin and at last advanced it to a most glorious prosperity So Dr. Cave ‖ Primitive Christian part 3. ch 4. p. 321. There is scarce any particular instance wherein the primitive Christianity did more triumph in the World than in their exemplary Obedience to the Powers and Magistrates under which they lived honoring their persons revering their power paying their Tribute obeying their Laws wherein they were not evidently contrary to the Laws of Christ and when they were submitting to the most cruel Penalties they laid upon them with the greatest calmness and serenity of Soul Pag. 329 330. c. They were not patient for want of Power and because they knew not how to help it Julian's Army which was almost wholly made up of Christians ☞ withstood him only with prayers and tears accounting this saith S. Greg. Naz. to be the only Remedy against Persecution Pag. 351. I verily believe that had the Primitive Christians been no better Subjects than their Emperors were Princes had they practised on them those bloody Artifices which have been common among those that call themselves the only Catholicks that barbarous Dealing would have been a greater Curb to the flourishing of the Gospel ☞ than all the ten Persecutions for how could an impartial Heathen ever have believed
to take up Arms against the King. They are not enamour'd with every fine Project that may be set on foot neither do they admire those for the wisest of all that think themselves excellent at new modelling of States They suppose the King's Title may be good enough tho they do not know exactly how many Acres of Land may be held sufficient to confer a Right to the Sovereign Power They understand very well that there will be some casual Miscarriages in the administration of all humane Affairs but they esteem it more becoming wise and good Christians to bear with those we are acquainted with than to hazard the infinite mischiefs and inconveniences of a change which it is impossible either to foresee or prevent and therefore among the great Uncertainties and Vicissitudes of these earthly Concerns they are verily persuaded that our common Safety will be best preserved by a pious dependance upon the divine Providence which they are not ashamed to own tho they should be laugh'd at for it by a few conceited scoffing Politicians Mr. Hesketh † Serm. on Jan. 30. bef Lord Mayor 167● / ● p. 10. Cons also his Serm. on 1 Pet. 2.15 p. 10 11 c. An. 1684. P. 13 14. Subjects are as equally obliged to assist their Kings in all straights and dangers as not to resist or rise up against them to bring them into the same and their failure in the first is as criminal as their doing the second and only differs from it as the Cause from the Effect for therefore some Men are encouraged to attempt the latter because others are negligent and failing in the former Some Men are apt to claim the honor of Loyalty if they do not actually resist their King as others that venture their Lives and Fortunes to assist and vindicate them against those that do resist them But how pernicious this is to the Safety of Kings and how contrary to the true notion of Loyalty will soon be made appear All Nations have ever held the Persons of Kings to be sacred and he that considers those Oaths that Subjects bind themselves in to Princes will clearly see that thereby they are obliged not only not to do violence to them themselves but to do all that in them lies that others also may not do it And when Duty is tied on men by Oaths there to fail in it is not only common guilt P. 17. but died with a Perjury Tho much may be said for David's being actually in Arms against Saul considering some Circumstances yet considering the whole matter we may safely pronounce of it that it was certainly unjustifiable for there were safer ways of avoiding the Displeasure and Anger of Saul than by raisng an Army of Out-laws and vicious Persons and appearing in actual Rebellion against him But if none of this were true yet the least Evil that can be said is that he yielded not that Assistance unto Saul which he might have done and by which possibly he might have averted Saul's sad Fate c. P. 22. I think it neither difficult nor injurious to shew the Doctrines of the late Usurpers to be but the Transcripts of what the later Jews do fabulously report of the Power of their Sanhedrim over Kings P. 22. ☞ P. 35.37 The Parricide of Charles I. was committed by Men who must first offer Violence to their own Consciences chase all remains of Justice and Compassion out of their own Breasts before they could do this Murther and cease wholly to be Men that they might commence Devils for truly I do not know how they can expect a better Name whom no ties of Laws no Bands of Conscience no Obligations of Oaths can hold Were our Religion chargeable with this Fact there needed no other thing to be pleaded against it this alone could bar all its pretences of being a Christian for ever for it is most certain the Religion of the Blessed Jesus can be chargeable with no such thing nay it is most obvious that it takes all possible care to prevent them that it secures Subjection and chearful Obedience to Kings by the strongest ties possible and makes it impossible for a true Christian to become Rebel upon any pretence whatsoever Whatever Religion doth contrary to this P. 37 38. is by that only Argument detected to be perfectly Antichristian I could easily make manifest how very unsafe all of them make the condition of things and upon what weak and slippery grounds they found Subjection to them It is the honor of the Church of England that her Doctrines in this case are truly Christian and Primitive And it is certain when she fails to be so i. e. loyal she ceases to be degenerates from her self and doth justly forfeit their i. e. Prince's Protection Dr. Freeman * Sermon before L. Mayor 1682. on Psalm 34.12 13 14. P. 8. He that makes his Prince to be undervalued and despised raises a Rebellion against him in mens breasts beats him out of his Subjects hearts and fights him out of their Affections and having once dispossess'd him of this his strongest Hold 't will be no hard matter to strip him of all his other Garrisons neither his Person nor his Government can hope to be long in safety when once they have wounded his Honour and put his Reputation to flight but in the Name of God! What do people of this temper propose to themselves Do they think that their Governours are not Men of passion and infirmities as well as others Do they not know that the Employments they are engaged in are so infinitely various and difficult that they are scarce capable to be managed with that evenness and exactness as may exclude all inconveniences And is it not certain that how ill soever the administration of publick Affairs may at any time be under lawful Governours 't is yet far more tolerable than even the reformation of an usurping Populacy Dr. Littleton's Sermon at a Solemn meeting of the Natives of the City and County of Worcester p. 17. Blessed Jesu This Evangelium Armatum this Sanguinary Doctrine was no Gospel of thy making no Doctrine of thy teaching Thy Doctrine was sealed with no bloud but that of thy own who wast the teacher of it and that of thy Apostles and Martyrs who were the propagators of it and though thou said'st thou camest not to send peace but a Sword yet that Sword was not designed to fight with but to suffer by it was a Sword of a passive not of an active persecution as to thy Disciples by which they were to fall victims themselves and not to sacrifice the lives of others And p. 18. May God ever preserve his gracious Majesty and Us the sinful People of this Land from such villanous Attempts of his and our Enemies I am heartily sorry that any who delight to wear the name of Protestants should give a just occasion for such a Charge D. Morrice Chaplain to
old saying Let us do evil that good may come thereof cries out that they speak Blasphemy and that such mens damnation is just as if he were pronouncing an Anathema Maranatha against such profane Men. But our modern Zelots how contrary are they to St. Paul They seem to have minded that one thing that they might exclude the King from his rightful Succession due to him by Inheritance and by the Laws of the Land c. Peter du Moulin * Vit. Molinaei Lond. 4● p. 707. When he returned into France from England with much grief saw the Protestants ingaged in the Party of the Prince of Conde against the Queen Mother which War was indeed raised against the King himself and endeavoured both by his Sermons and his Letters to remove them from so unlawful a design † V. Du Moulin answ to Philan. Angl. p. 37. and the King's Party owes it to him that not one Protestant Town on this side the Loire joyned it self to the Prince of Condé And when he was forc'd to leave France and fix at Sedan the first Letter that he wrote was to the Commonwealth of Rochel as it was then called ' To persuade them to Peace to dissolve their Covnention and to throw themselves as they ought on the Kings Mercy advising them to obey the King and thereby to take away all pretence from their Enemies And if God saw fit that they should suffer extremity for every one that feared God would be sure to suffer for no other cause but for the Profession of the Gospel c. Nay du Moulin the Son says Ubi Supr p. 45. that the actions of the Men of Rochel were disallowed by the best and the most of their Church That they were exhorted to their Duty by their Divines And that this was the Sense of the National Synod of which du Moulin was the President but two months before he wrote his Letter This also is du Moulin's Doctrine * P. 795 c. Ed. Genev. 1635. in his Buckler of Faith That the Government of Kings is by Divine Right and founded upon the Ordinance of God and that God hath required Obedience to Magistrates as to those whom he hath established and that whosoever resisteth them resisteth God and that those who affirm that the Authority of Kings is of Human Institution put Kings upon maintaining their Interests by force c. That that Allegiance of Subjects is firm which is incorporated in Piety and is esteemed a part of Religion and of the service which we owe to God. And whatever the learned Hugo Grotius might have said in his Books de Jure Belli Grot. in Mat. xxvi 52. Pacis in his later Works wherein it may presumed he speaks his truest Sense he asserts this Doctrine which it appears he had well studied as if he had been a Member of the English Church whose Articles and Politie he so well understood and in whose Communion he resolved to have lived had not God in his Providence ordered it otherwise If it be once admitted says he that private Men when they are injured by the Magistrate may forceably resist him all places would be full of Tumults and no Laws or Judicatures would have any Authority since there is no Man who is not inclined to favour himself To this purpose * Vot pro pace ad art 16. pag. 66 〈◊〉 662. he censures the Practices and Writings of many of the French Church still excepting Camero confirming his Opinion by the Authority of King James and the Reasons of the University of Oxford that condemned Paraeus's Book † Animadver in animadv Riveti art 16. p. 644. For both Christ and his Apostles Peter and Paul have Preached the Doctrine that no force is to be opposed to the Supreme Power and that we ought to own and retain the Doctrine to be of Divine Right and Institution The Opinion of Monsieur Bochart the glory of the French Churche sis fully seen in his Epistle to Bishop Morley who among other reasons refused to Communicate with the Reformed Church in France because he thought they asserted the Doctrine of Resisting and Deposing Kings but Bochart expresly avers That the King is Gods Anointed and Lieutenant and so not in any case to be Resisted since he is accountable to none but God. That he who rises against his Prince is one of those Giants that fight against God. That David could not take away the Wife of Uriah Nor Ahab seize Naboth's Vineyard without being guilty of great sin but that when Samuel 1 Sam. viii 9. says of the King He shall take your sons and your daughters c. He means that when Kings commit such transgressions they are as uncontrolable as if the Actions had been lawful That in such cases a Nation ought to call upon God since there are no Human remedies against the force of a King for if a King may be resisted he cannot be a Sovereign for where Subjects may Resist they may Judge and consequently the Sovereignty is in them That when Julian Persecuted contrary to Law none of his Soldiers rose up against him though nothing was more easie would they have undertaken it since at his death it was plain that almost the whole Army was Christian David Blondel * De Formula Regnante Christo Sect. 2. §. 16. p. 172. p. 184. chastises Pope Gregory VII as for many other Usurpations upon Princes so for this among the rest for saying That a Prince hath his Power from the People contrary to what S. Paul says expresly of Nero that he was ordained of God affirming further that lawful Kings being guilty of ill management of their Power are accountable to and shall be punished by God who gave them that Power Pag. 187 but not to Men. That this Opinion that Kings were subject to any human Authority was brought into the Church near 1100 years after our Saviour came into the World when the Church could not be presumed to be in a better condition than it was when it flourished in the former Ages of Christianity And that no Man before Greg. VII ever owned the Power of any Man over Kings And this he proves from the Testimonies of Tertullian Pag. 188. Hosius of Corduba Basil Ambrose Hierom Arnobius junior Cassiodore and others who say That King David was above the coercive power of the Law nor could be called to account for his Faults And therefore says in his Confession to God Against thee only have I sinned If Subjects offend against the Laws of Justice the King corrects them but if the King offends who shall correct him None but he who is Justice it self all other persons are under the Restraint of Laws but Kings only are reserved to the Tribunal of God and therefore while according to the Apostle it is a terrible thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God it will be more terrible to Kings who have none on
☜ Moreover no Subjects may draw their Swords against their Prince for any Cause whatsoever it be nor against any other saving for lawful defence without their Prince's licence and it is their Duty to draw their Swords in defence of their Prince and Realm whensoever the Prince shall command them so to do And although Princes which be the Chief and Supreme Heads of their Realms do otherwise than they ought to do ☜ yet God hath assigned no Judges over them in this World but will have the Judgment of them reserved to himself and will punish them when he seeth his time and for amendment of such Princes that do otherwise than they should do the Subjects may not rebel but must pray to God which hath the Hearts of Princes in his Hands that he so turn their Hearts to him that they may use the Sword which he hath given them unto his pleasure SECT III. * viz. Oct. 2. A. 1528. as Jo. Fox informs us in his Edition of the Works of Tindal Berns and Frith An. 1573. p. 97. Long before this time did the Martyr William Tyndale otherwise as he says himself called William Hychins or Hitchins publish his Book of the Obedience of a Christian Man and in it asserts the same Doctrine notwithstanding his many personal Sufferings the Censure of his Books and the publick Condemnation of his Translation of the Holy Bible * viz. Oct. 2. A. 1528. as Jo. Fox informs us in his Edition of the Works of Tindal Berns and Frith An. 1573. p. 97. and it is worth nothing that the Doctrine of this Book relating to Non resistance was censur'd by the Romish Priests of that time In his Epistle to the Reader he says † Vid. 1st Part of Hist of Pas Obed. p. 20. Let us therefore look diligently whereunto we are called we are called not to dispute as the Pope's Disciples do but to dye with Christ that we may live with him and to suffer with him that we may reign with him We be called to a Kingdom that must be won with Suffering only as a sick Man winneth Health Tribulation is our right Baptism and is signified by plunging into the water we ‡ p. 98 99 100. that are baptized into the Name of Christ saith S. Paul are baptized to dye with him ●om 6. And this is the difference between the Children of God and of Salvation and between the Children of the Devil and Damnation that the Children of God have power in their Hearts to suffer for God's Word which is their life and salvation their hope and trust And the Children of the Devil in time of adversity flee from Christ whom they followed feignedly God is ever at hand in time of need to help us Tyrants and Persecutors are but God's Scourge to chastise us and he lets them do not whatsoever they would but as much only as he appointeth them to do and as far forth as is necessary for us let us therefore arm our selves with the promises both of help and assistance and also of the glorious reward that follows The same Martyr in his Prologue unto the Book saith pag. 104 105 106. I have made this little Treatise that followeth containing all Obedience that is of God. Now as ever the most part seek Liberty they be glad when they hear the unsatiable Covetousness of the Spirituality rebuked When Tyranny and and Oppression is preach'd against And therefore because the Heads will not so rule will they also no longer obey but resist and rise against their evil Heads And one wicked destroyeth another yet is God's Word not the cause of this neither yet the Preachers for tho that Christ himself taught all Obedience how that it is not lawful to resist wrong but for the Officer that is appointed thereto and how a Man must love his Enemy and pray for them that persecute him and how that all Vengeance must be remitted to God Yet the People for the most part received it not ☞ they were ever ready to rise and to fight Thus seest thou that it is the bloody Doctrine of the Pope that causeth Disobedience Rebellion and Insurrection for he teacheth to fight and to defend his Traditions and to disobey Father Mother Master Lord King and Emperor where the peaceable Doctrine of Christ teacheth to obey and to suffer for the Word of God and to remit the Vengeance and defence of the Word to God which is mighty and able to defend it And in the Treatise it self Tyndale having first treated of the Duties of Children Wives and Servants proceeds to discourse of the Obedience of Subjects unto Kings pag. 109 110. Princes and Rulers out of Rom. 13. averring That as a Father over his Children is both Lord and Judg forbidding that one Brother revenge himself of another but if any cause of Strife be between them will have it brought to himself or his Assigns So God forbiddeth all men to avenge themselves and taketh the Authority of avenging to himself saying Vengeance is mine I will reward For it is impossible that a Man should be a righteous an equal or indifferent Judge in his own Cause Lusts and Appetites so blind us God therefore hath given Laws to all Nations and in all Lands hath put Kings Governours and Rulers in his own stead to rule the World through them and hath commanded all Causes to be brought before them as thou readest Exod. 22. where the Judges are called Gods because they are in God's room and execute the Commandments of God And in another place of the said Chapter Moses chargeth saying See that thou rail not on the Gods c. Whosoever therefore resisteth them resisteth God for they are in the room of God and they that resist shall receive their damnation Tho no man punish the breakers of the Law yet shall God send his Curses upon them till they be utterly brought to nought Neither may the inferior person avenge himself upon the superior or violently resist him for whatsoever wrong it be ☜ if he do he is condemn'd in the deed doing in as much as he taketh upon him that which belongeth to God only when he saith Vengeance is mine c. and Christ saith All they that take the Sword shall perish by the sword Takest thou a Sword to avenge thy self So givest thou not room to God to avenge thee but robb'st him of his most high Honor in that thou willt not let him be Judg over thee If any man might have avenged himself upon his Superior that might David most righteously have done upon King Saul which so wrongfully persecuted David even for no other cause than that God anointed him King. Yet * 1 Reg. 24. when God had deliver'd Saul into the hands of David and his Men encouraged him to slay him he answered The Lord forbid it me that I should lay my hand on him And † Cap. 26. when Abishat would have nailed
to whom Vengeance pertaineth and he in his time will reward it And when Weston told Bradford how the People were by him procur'd to withstand the Queen Ap. Fox tom 2. pag. 1471. Ap. eund p. 1476. and Cover p. 294. Bradford answering again bad him Hang him up as a Traytor and a Thief if ever he encouraged any to Rebellion And in the Postscript to his Mother Brethren and Sisters he exhorts them to be obedient to the higher Powers that is In no Point either in hand or tongue rebel but rather if they command that which with good Conscience you cannot obey lay your Head on the Block and suffer whatsoever they shall do or say by Patience possess your Souls And of the Will of King Edward the Sixth Ap. eund p. 148 6 / 7. and Cover p. 287. he gives his opinion in his Letter to Sir J. Hales wherein after he had given him excellent Advice and set forth the Advantages of Persecution for a good Cause and commended him that he judged after Faith's fetch as he stiles it and the effects or ends of things looking not on the things which are seen but on the things which are not seen he adds Let the Worldlings weigh things and look upon the Affairs of Men with their worldly and corporal Eyes as did many in subscription of the King 's last Will and therefore they did that for the which they beshrew'd themselves But let us look on things with other manner of Eyes as God be prais'd you did in not doing that which you were desired and driven at to have done You then beheld things not as a man but as a man of God c. Ap. Fox p. 1494. Coverd pag. 282 283. And in his Admonition to certain professors and lovers of the Gospel to beware they fall not from it in consenting to the Romish Religion Among other holy Exhortations and Cautions my dearly beloved repent be sober and watch in Prayer be obedient and after your Vocations shew your Obedience to the higher Powers in all things that are not against God's Word therein acknowledg the sovereign Power of the Lord howbeit so that ye be no Rebels nor Rebellers for no Cause ☜ but because with good Conscience you cannot obey be patient Sufferers and the Glory and good Spirit of God shall dwell upon us In his Meditation on the Fifth Commandment v. Meditat. on the Lord's Pr. and Com. printed London 1622. pag. 117. written in the days of Edward the Sixth See pag. 123. he thus devoutly expresses himself In this Commandment thou O good Lord settest before mine Eyes them whom thou for Order sake and the more commodity of man in this life hast set in degree and authority before me comprehending them under the name of Father and Mother that I might know that I am of thee commanded to do that which is most equal and just as the very Brute Beasts do teach us that with childly Affection and Duty I should behave my self towards them i. e. I should honour them which comprehendeth in it Love Thankfulness and Obedience and that ☜ not so much because they be my Parents for it may be they will neglect the doing of their Duties towards me but because thou commandest me so to do whatsoever they do pag. 118 119. And whereas thou addest a Promise of long Life we may gather that a civil Life doth much please thee and receiveth here Rewards especially if we lead it for Conscience to thy Law And on the contrary part a disobedient Life to them that be in authority will bring the sooner thy Wrath and Vengeance in this Life Thus speaks the holiest and devoutest of all Queen Mary 's Martyrs as * Ch. Hist l. 8. p. 21. Fuller styles him SECT V. To the holy Bradford it is requisite to joyn his dear Friend the zealous Lawrence Saunders the man of God who said he was in Prison † Ap. Fox tom 2. p. 1358. till he was in Prison so fervently did he covet Martyrdom they both being entrusted at the same time with the Cure of Souls in the City of London he in his Letter to the Professors of the Gospel in the Town of Litchfield thus exhorts them to stedfastness in the Faith and Patience And now dearly beloved Coverd Coll. Pag. 188. we be taught by that heavenly Spirit which our God hath given unto us to seek Comfort in these times of Affliction not in hope of Rebellion or fulfilling unprofitable yea pestilent Welch Prophecies but in the most comfortable and glad tidings of the heavenly Promises assured in his dear Christ Let us most obediently kiss the Rod of our heavenly Father by obedient Submission to avoid all extremity that man may do unto us rather than to forgo Faith and a good Conscience When the good Bishop of Rome was hurried to Martyrdom in the Decian Persecution his Deacon S. Lawrence would not be left behind Nor is it fit that Lawrence Saunders should appear without his Curate and Brother in Sufferings George Marsh Ap Fox tom 2. p. 1426. Coverd page 671. who in his Ex●●rtatory Letter to the Professors of God's Word and true Religion in Langhton after much Discourse about Martyrdom Patience and Resolution says Give your selves continually to all manner of good Works amongst the which the chiefest are to be obedient to the Magistrates ☞ sith they are the Ordinance of God whether they be good or evil unless they command Idolatry and Ungodliness that is to say things contrary unto true Religion for then ought we to say with Peter We ought more to obey God than man but in any wise we must beware of Tumult Insurrection Rebellion or Resistance The Weapon of a Christian Man in this matter ought to be the Sword of the Spirit which is God's Word and Prayer coupled with Humility and due Submission with readiness of Heart rather to dye than to do any Ungodliness Christ also teacheth us that all Power is of God yea even the Power of the wicked which God causeth oftentimes to reign for our Sins and Disobedience towards him and his Word Whosoever then doth resist any Power doth resist the Ordinance of God and so purchase to himself utter Destruction and Undoing We must honour and reverence Princes and all that be in authority and pray for them and be diligent to set forth their Profit and Commodity And thus I commend you Brethren unto God Fox page 1428. and the word of his Grace c. And in another Letter of his to several of his Friends he exhorts them Obey with Reverence all your Superiors unless they command Idolatry or Ungodliness Thus also that hearty and zealous man of God Mr. Philpot Archdeacon of Winchester Coverd page 222. in his Letter to the Christian Congregation discoursing of the Excuses men make use of to hide their Sins says Another sort of Persons do make themselves a Cloak for the
of the pretended Holy Discipline And if I mistake not by his directions the Account of Hacket's Coppinger's and Arthington's Treason was drawn up and Printed in the Book called Conspiracy for pretended Reformation the Design of which is expresly against the Doctrin of taking up Arms against the Lord's anointed especially on the Account of Religion SECT V. Anno 1594 Dr. Richard Eedes Printed with five other Sermons London 1604. p. 70 72 73 74. Dean of Worcester Preached before the Queen on Isai 49.23 Wherein he says That the Strength even of Heathen States was in their Religion by the which they were persuaded that their Princes were the Children of their Gods and their Laws drawn from the Oracles of some Divine Power They found by experience how hard it was for men to be brought to obey men unless they had the authority of more than men c. And what doth more teach either Obedience or Peace than the Religion of Christ Obedience is rightly called Nervus Imperii the Sinew and Strength of a Kingdom as well because it is grounded upon the Obedience of Christ who as Bernard noteth Ne perderet Obedientiam perdidit vitam did rather chuse to lose his life than to leave his Obedience As also because it requires in Christians Obedience without respect of persons to all without difference of Degrees higher Powers Rom. 13.2 Without exception against their Qualities not only to them that are good and courteous but to them also who are froward 1 Pet. 2.18 ☜ And that in all things Tribute to whom tribute c. and that not with eye-service as men-pleasers c. and that not because of wrath but for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 That if all the Laws and Policies of States and Kingdoms were gathered into one they could not be so strong to work peace and to persuade Obedience as these few but very forcible Rules of the Religion of Christ How much therefore is it to be lamented that in so great Light there should be so little Fruit That whereas the Truth of Religion is the Preserver of Government and the Mother of Obedience the name of Religion is made the Firebrand of Kingdoms and the armor of disobedience and that not only to maintain the Tyranny of that Usurping Power who takes upon him to Depose Kings but also to bring in that Anarchy of factious Subjects who presume to give Laws to their lawful Princes Wherein besides that it is true which Leo wrote unto Theodosius private causes are handled with pretence of Piety and every Man makes Religion which should be the Mistress the Handmaid of his affections it is intolerable to see how far some busie heads fetch the beginning of Kingdoms p. 7● Vindic contr Tyran Bach●n de ju●e regin and so as they please the right of Kings from the pleasure of the People how contemptuously they term the titles of honour and reverence the solecisms of the Court how seditiously they give wings to ambitious humors to plead the right of a ●aconical Ephory against Kings but for themselves and to arm that beast of many heads the multitude which ever goes as Seneca not whither it should but whither the stream bears it against that which to want of judgment is ever most heavy the present Government Whereas the right rules of Religion give no remedy to Subjects against the Highest Authority ☞ but the necessity of either suffering or obeying and therefore they that open that gap whether it be to the Tyranny of ambitious Popes or to the Anarchy of seditious Subjects howsoever they pretend the name of Religion they shall sooner prove themselves to have no Religion than that there is any defence for them in the Religion of Christ which teacheth as to be thankful to God for good Princes so to be patient of those whom in anger as the Prophet Hosea speaks Hos 13.11 he setteth over us for the punishment of our sins and against whom the first Professors of our faith had no weapons but prayers and tears p. 2. the same Author in his first Sermon before King James saith that promotion comes neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but from God. Ps 73.6 that their power is of God Rom. 3.1 and their judgments God's judgments Deut. 1.17 and that therefore they who resist them not only by a consequence resist the ordmance of God Rom. 13.2 but God in them as he told Samuel they have not rejected thee but me 1 Sam. 8.7 The Reverend Bishop Moreton begun very early to assert this Doctime in his Writings and he lived long enough to assert it by his sufferings being a great sharer in that affliction which in the great Rebellion the Doctrine of resistance brought upon both the King and the Church Anno 1596. he publish'd his Solomon or a Treatise declaring the shake of the Kingdom of Israel pr. Lond. as it was in the days of Solomon Wherein he proves after the words as it was in the days of Solomon insert these following that the Kingdom of Israel was a most true and lively picture of the State and Crown one egg being not more like another than the State to that under which we live so that all his arguments without any further comment are applicable to our Kingdom and whereas he foresaw ‖ Ep. ad Lect. that it would be objected to him that he gives the Christian Magistrate especially in great and absolute Monarchies greater authority than seems to stand with the good of the Church or the truth of God's Word he desires the Reader not to attribute it to flattery but to a constant and settled persuasion he intending in publishing the Treatise the good and peaceable State of the Kingdom and the maintaining of that powerful and majestical Authority whereunto it hath pleased God to make us subject and in the discourse he affirms † Sect. 2. p. 4 5. that Magistracy is not a mere device of Man as they who contemn and labor to overthrow all Authority speaking evil of those things which they know not have imagined but an ordinance of God. Rom. 13. there is no power but of God he therefore that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God. Obj. But it cannot be shewed that it was ever establish'd by God throughout the World except only among the Jews but was invented and continued by Men excelling others in strength and ambition Answ The abuses of Magistracy tho many and grievous p. 6. cannot take away the lawful use of it and altho Magistracy hath been by the express commandment of God establish'd only in the Church yet it belongs as much to Infidels for it is instituted by God not as he is the Saviour of his Church but as he is the Creator and Preserver of all Men. p. 7. God sets up this his Ordiannce among Infidels by the light of nature remaining in the minds of Men c.
other Potentate play the Kite with them both as the Turks did with the Hungarians c. 3. p. 57 c. That Princes may be chastised by their Subjects your Proofs are Two one is drawn from certain Examples the other from the good Success and Successors which usually have followed Slender Threds to draw any Man to your Opinion There is no Villany so vile which wants Example and by the secret yet just Judgment of God divers evil Actions are carried with appearance of good success Pag. 61. When Saul persecuted David he defended himself no otherwise than by flight During this pursuit Saul fell twice into his power once he did not only spare but protect him the other time his Heart did smite him for that he had cut away the Lap of his Garment lastly he caused the Messenger to be slain who upon request and for pity had further'd as he said the Death of that sacred King. We have a Precept of Obedience which is the Mould wherein we ought to fashion our Actions God only is superior to Princes who useth many Instruments in the execution of his Justice but his Authority he hath committed unto none Pag. 68. The Examples of Suintilla and other Gothick Kings in Spain is answer'd by saying that the Kingdom was not then setled in Succession And then he shews the illegality of the Proceedings against King John Pag. 72 73 74 75. Edw. 2. and Rich. 2. and adds Three Causes are commonly insinuated by you for which a King may be deposed Tyranny Insufficiency and Impiety But what Prince could hold his State what People their Quiet assured if this your Doctrine should take place How many good Princes doth Envy brand with one of these Marks What Action of State can be so ordered that either blind Ignorance or set Malice will not easily strain to one of these Heads Every execution of Justice every demand of Tribute or Supply shall be claimed Tyranny Every unfortunate Event shall be exclaimed Insufficiency Every kind of Religion shall by them of another Sect be proclaimed Impiety But are not Princes subject to Law C 4. p. 81 82 c. and Order Answ I will not deny but there is a Duty for Princes to perform but how prove you that their Subjects have power to depose them if they fail The people may so give away their Authority that they cannot resume it and few Princes in the World hold their Estates by Grant of the people If the Prince hath no power but by Commission from the People then all Estates are popular Our Laws do acknowledge supreme Authority in the Prince within the Realm and Dominions of England neither can Subjects bear themselves either superior 1 El. 1. or equal to their Sovereign or attempt violence either against his Person or Estate No Prince is Sovereign C. 5. p. 92. who acknow ledgeth himself either subject or accountable to any but to God. Did David bear Arms against his Anointed King ☜ Did he ever lift up his Eye lids against him Did he ever so much as defend himself otherwise than by flight What then shall we say unto you who to set up Sedition and Tumult abuse all Divine and Human Writings in whatsoever you believe will advance your purpose who spend some Speech of Respect unto Kings for Allurement only to draw us more deep into your deceit c. The Coronation Oath is only a free P. 102. Royal Promise to discharge that Duty which God doth impose The Prophets P. 105. the Apostles Christ himself hath taught us to be obedient to Princes ☜ tho both Tyrants and Infidels This ought to stand with us for a thousand Reasons to submit our selves to such Kings as it pleaseth God to send unto us without either judging or examining their Qualities their Hearts are in God's Hand they do his Service sometimes in preserving sometimes in punishing us If they abuse any part of their power let them assuredly expect that God will dart his vengeance against them with a most stiff and dreadful Arm. In the mean season we must not oppose our selves otherwise than by humble Suits and Prayers acknowledging that those Evils are always just for us to suffer which are many times unjust for them to do If we break into disorder we resemble the Giants who sealed the Skies C. 6. 116 117. It was alledged in behalf of some Cities in France that they were not Rebels because they had not professed Allegiance unto Henry the Fourth but the chiefest Lawyers of our Age did resolve that forasmuch as they were original Subjects even Subjects by Birth they were Rebels in bearing Arms against their King altho they had never professed Allegiance But the admission of the people say you hath often prevailed against Right of Succession ☞ So have Pyrates against Merchants so have Mutherers and Thieves against true meaning Travellers Chap. 8 p. 146 147. But may not a man trespass on such Laws for the good of the Realm Answ What Conscience can any men have in defiling their Faith Such Consciences you endeavour to frame in all men P. 156 157. to break an Oath with as great facility as a Squirrel can crack a Nut. In what a miserable condition should Princes live if their State depended upon the pleasures of the people in whom company takes away shame and every man may lay fault on his Fellow How could they command P. 164. Who would obey c. It seems strange to reason to plant Religion under the Obedience of Kings not only careless thereof but cruel against it But when we consider that the Jews did commonly forsake God in prosperity and seek him in distress that the Church of Christ was more pure more zealous more entire I might also say more populous when she travelled with the storm in her face than when the wind was either prosperous or calm We may learn thereby no further to examine but to admire and embrace the unsearchable Wisdom and Will of God. P. 170. c. God hath taught by the Apostle S. Paul that whosoever resists the higher powers which at that time were Infidels receive unto themselves damnation ☞ You teach that whosoever doth not in the like case resist doth damnably offend were not the Spirit of Division otherwise called the Devil seated in your Soul you would not thus openly oppose the Settlings of your rotten Brain against the express and direct Sentence of God. The Apostle teacheth us to be obedient to higher powers for conscience sake and not for any private respect P. 173 c. You whose Office is to pray to instruct Men in pure Devotion to settle their Souls in piety and peace you take upon you the Policies of State you read and deface the Reputation of Kings you make your selves both Judges and Moderators of all their Actions allowing them to flie no further than you give them Wings
☜ for if upon abuse of mdependent Authority they that have it lose and forfeit it ipso facto then authority and abuse of authority at least extreme abuse of it cannot stand together which is contrary to that of St. Augustine where he saith nee tyrannicae factionis perversitas laudabilis erit de bono consugali c. 14. si regiâ clement●● tyrannus subditos tractet nec vituperabilis ordo regiae potestatis si rex crudelitate tyrannicâ saeviat aliud est namque injustâ porestate justè velle uti aliud est justâ potestate injustè velle uti i. e. ●●ther shall the perversness of Tyrannical Usurpation ever be praise worthy ☞ though the Tyrant use his Subjects with all Kingly clemency nor the order of Kingly Power be ever subject to just reprehension th●ugh a King grow fierce and cruel like a Tyrant for it is one thing to use an unlawful Power lawfully and another thing to use a lawful Power unrighteously and unjustly SECT IV. After the happy discovery of the damnable Gun-powder Treason and the just execution of the wretched miscreants that were engaged in it the Parliament met at Westminster which had been first summoned Anno 1603. and with it a Convocation the Members of which reslecting upon the horrid design of Garnet and his Accomplices thought themselves in justice to their Sovereign and their own Principles obliged when they met to censure and condemn such Doctrins as led Men to such Rebellious Practices hereupon the Prolocutor of the lower house Dr. Overall then Dean of St. Pauls afterwards Bishop of Coventry and Litchfield then of Norwich whose vast learning gives him a character beyond all that can be said of him here drew up a Treatise which being reviewed by the Upper House of Convocation was mutually agreed on and declared to be the Sense of the Church of England in that very Svnod which made the Canons that as yet are lookt upon as the Code of our Church a Manuscript of which Acts This Book is since Printed by W. Kettilby an 1690. lib. 1. c. 2. and Canons having been happily put into my hands I cannot but think my self obliged to transcribe some Passages that discover the belief of our Church representative at that time They positively assert that God having created our first Parents and purposing to multiply their seed into many Generations for the replenishing of the World with their Posterity did give to Adam for his time and to the rest of the Patriarchs and chief Fathers successively before the Flood Authority Power and Dominion over their Children and Offspring to Rule and Govern them adding further Can. 2. if any Man shall affirm that Men at the first without all good Edacation or civility ran up and down in Woods and Fields as wild creatures resting themselves in Caves and Dens and acknowledging no Superiority one over another until they were taught by experience the necessity of Government and that thereupon they chose some among themselves to order and rule the rest giving them power and authority so to do and that consequently all civil Power Jurisdiction and Authority was first derived from the People and disorder'd Multitude or either is originally still in them or else is deduc'd by their consents naturally from them and is not God's Ordinance originally descending from him and depending upon him he doth greatly err Thus they account for the Government of the old World nor did the Flood alter the nature of Authority or alienate the Rights of Princes for say they If any Man shall affirm Can. 6.11 that the civil Power and Authority which Noah had before the Flood was by the deluge determin'd or that it was given unto him again by his Sons or Nephews or that he received from them the Sword of his Sovereignty or that the distribution of the World to his three Som did depend upon their consents or received from them any such authority as without the same it could not lawfully have been made or that this Power c. did not proceed from God or were not properly his Ordinance but that they had the same from the People their Offspring he doth greatly err Besides it is generally agreed upon cap. 16. that obedience to Kings and Civil Magistrates is prescrib'd to all Subjects in the 5th Commandment Ex 20.12 where we are enjoyn'd to Honour our Parents whereby it follows that subjection of Inferiors unto their Kings and Governors is founded upon the very law of Nature and consequently that the sentence of Death awarded by God himself against such as shewed themselves incorrigibly disobedient to their Parents or cursed them or struck them was likewise due unto those who committed any such offences against their Kings and Rulers being the Heads and Fathers of their Common●ealths and Kingdoms which is not only apparent by way of consequence but likewise by example practice and precept as where Shimei is judged to die for cursing of David the Lords Anointed where David himself appointed by God to succeed King Saul would not be induced by any perswasions to lay violent hands upon his Master the King. If any Man therefore shall affirm C●n. 16. that it was lawful in the Old Testament either for Children or Nephews to have been disobedient to their Fathers being their chief Govern●rs from the Creation till Moses 's time or afterward either for the Children of Israel either under Moses Joshua the Judges or their Kings to have been disobedient to them in their lawful commandments or to have murmured or rebelled against them or that it was in those times more lawful unto Subjects for any cause whatsoever either to curse their Princes Kings or civil Governors ☞ or to bear arms against them or to depose them from their Kingdoms or Principalities or to lay violent hands upon their Persons than it was in the said times lawful upon any occasion for Children either to have cursed their Parents or to have rebelled against them when they did reprove or correct them or to have withdrawn themselves from their subjection saying unto them they being private Men we will be no more your Children or you shall be no more our Fathers or bearing civil authority over them we will depose you from your Government over us and will be no longer ruled by you or to have offered any violence to them or to have beaten them and much less to have murder'd them he d●th greatly err After this they deduce the Scheme of Paternal and Regal Government through the several Ages of the Church down to the time of the Jewish Kings and when they considered the case of Uzziah who for offering to burn Incense on the Altar which was peculiarly the Priests Office was by God smitten with leprosie ● 1. Can 22 they aver if any Man shall affirm that Azariah and the other Priests used or that they lawfully might have used any violence or force against the
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. R●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
Father at his Devotions instead of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Sons in the Original we find the Vowels set in the Te●● which is somewhat strange in that tongue without their Consonants ☞ perhaps to intimate closely that so many Circumstances concurring otherwise for the aggravation of the offence as Subjects to lay violent hands on a King and that in the Temple and that at his Devotions to add further that it was done by his own Sons however it be more vocal than the Blood of Abel yet the manner of setting it down should shew it also to be scelus infandum a Wickedness too monstruous to be fully express'd Two Sons there were that David had whom he especially as it were doated upon above the rest of his Children Absalom and Adonijah and both of these take their advantages as far as in them lay to tumble their aged Father down from his Throne and bury him alive to make way for their prodigious and preposterous Purposes the former by the Peoples favor which he had gotten by his Hypocritical Popularity the latter by his Fathers Feebleness backing himself by the countenance of wicked Joab and disloyal Abiathar this hard measure received good King David at the hands of those of whom he best deserved He saw the Law of Nature violated Conscience of so heinous a Fact contemn'd his Indulgence repaid with monstrous Ingratitude his try'd Valour outbrav'd by his own Subjects Pag. 8. But the Judg of all the World is not subject to like Passions with us none shall touch his Anointed for evil but evil shall hunt those wicked Persons to destroy them P. 10. Godoliah was too confident on his own Innocency and the Loyalty of those that spake him fair but the event proved it too true for his security gave the advantage which the Traytor taking performed that most wicked Design which made all the miserable remnant of Israel to smart for it P. 11 12. They who hold such Grounds in their Schools that the Pope may make void the Oath of Allegiance that Subjects have taken to their lawful Princes that upon a pretence they are faln from the Church and turn'd Hereticks he may depose them and that being so deposed they may be lawfully murthered by their Subjects What hope may remain that such so bred so taught so believing will ever prove loyal A Traytor is a man of Belial P. 16 18. who to the disgrace of himself and his whole Family impiously conceivs and rebelliously vents his Hatred and Disloyalty against his lawful Sovereign Treason is of a deeper tincture than other Sins deserving a heavier doom and therrfore of all true Christians the more earnestly to be detested P. 22 23. Had these Men remembred what the wise King Solomon had left them for a better direction Prov. 8. By me Kings reign c. they might have found that the bond of Obedience to Princes is not so loosly knit by God that Subjects may dissolve it at their pleasure or upon any Discontent or Injury whatsoever cry we have no part and renounce our Inheritance for as a Head never so rheumatick and the fountain of all Diseases in the rest of the Members may not be therefore parted from them for fear of a worse inconvenience neither can the Members upbraid it as the Apostle and Nature teach us with these contemptuous Words ☜ I have no need of thee So the Head in the Body politick must keep his place howsoever till that highest Authority take it off who first set it on to change it for a better the more pernicious in reformed States and Commonwealths is the wicked band of Antichrist who take upon them to sever those whom God hath so linked together What other conclusion do they drive at in all their Volumes against the King's Supremacy and Subjects Oath of Allegiance but to make their Followers conceit that they have no part in King James SECT X. William Barclay tho a Romanist having written Six Books against the Enemies of Monarchy Buchanan Junius Brutus Boucher and others Cardinal Bellarmine thought himself so nearly concerned in the Controversie as to write an Answer to the learned Scotchman Barclay being dead Dr. Buckeridge Bishop of Rochester undertook the Papal Champion Lond. 1614. and in Two Books fully handles the Power of the Pope in deposing Kings and having asserted * Lib. 1. c. 1. p. 11. That Authority and Obedience are Relatives grounded on the Commandment of Honouring our Parents and † C●p 8 p. 1●0 c. that all the Ancients were of this opinion that Kings were inferior only to God and superior to all other Persons and therefore could be deposed only by God because Inferiors have no Authority over their Superiors and that their Misdemeanours are not punishable by their Subjects since they have no Judg but God alone he cites S. ‖ Lib. 2. c. 3. p. 217. Paul Rom. 13.1 that there is no power but of God and that this is a general Sentence and that therefore the Power of Kings is from God and not from the People He that resists resists the ordinance of God this also is a general Sentence and binds all Traytors and Parricides who conspire against the Lord 's Anointed who raise Seditions and Tumults take Arms and muster Forces against Kings tho they be excommunicated and deposed Lib. 2. c. 6. p. 281. And when Bellarmine had objected that the Power of Kings is not immediately from God because Men by a certain natural instinct choose themselves Magistrates by whom they are governed He proves at large that tho the form of Government i. e. whether it be a Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy be from Men yet the Power is alone and immediately from God. Every King sits on his Throne as a God I have said ye are gods but can the People choose and constitute a Deputy in God's stead Can they erect God's Throne and communicate his Power to Men without his consent Power therefore is immediately from God altho it be given to this or that particular Person by the mediation of the People P. 282. Paternal and regal Power are the same in essence tho they differ in extent what a Father is in one Family that a is King in many Families what then Did the Power of Adam over his Sons and Nephews and all mankind depend on their consent or did it flow from God and Nature ☞ And are hereditary Princes who are not made but born so made Kings by the consent of the People when in the same instant in which the Father dyes the Son is King P. 289. If the Power of Kings be not instituted by men without God neither can it be destroyed by men without God Grant we the Proposition true that God doth give Kingdoms to the Subjects with the consent of their Subjects P. 290. for God can confer and transfer Kingdoms by Men and without
them by second Causes and without them but because God doth this sometimes by the consent of the People as he transferr'd the Kingdom of Saul to David and the Kingdom of Joram to Jehu and sometimes doth it without the Peoples consent as he transferr'd the Kingdom of the Canaanites to the Jews that of the Medes to Cyrus that of the Persians to Alexander and of many other Kingdoms to the Romans will it therefore follow that it is lawful for the People without God without any express relation of his Will to dethrone their Kings and take from them their Authority ☜ If God and the People make Kings then the People without God and without an express revelation of his Will cannot depose their Kings God is the chief and principal Agent the People are only God's Instrument as therefore the Instrument doth nothing without the Artificer so whither can the People do any thing in this case without God. After this he proves Lib 2. cap. 20. pag. 614 615. that both the Jews and Christians did bear with as their Duty obliged them idolatrous and tyrannical Kings and then adds to this practice of the Church and of all Antiquity the best Interpreter of Scriptures I will subjoin the Institution of Kings All power is of God it is his Ordinance and whoso resists it resists the Ordinance of God From the same God had David and Samuel Solomon and Jeroboam Hezekiah and Ahab Manasses and Josiah Nero and Constantine Julian and Theodosius their Authority of good Kings it is said By me Kings reign Of evil Kings I have given them a King in my wrath Good Kings are given in mercy evill Kings in fury but all are given by God therefore all must be obey'd altho not in all things we must not resist any but must either do that which the King commands justly or suffer what he cruelly inflicts For the Obedience of Subjects falls under the divine Precept natural or moral in the Fifth Commandment which is also confirm'd by Christ in the Gospel by his Precept Give to Cesar the things that are Cesar 's and by his Example who paid Tribute and suffer'd a most shameful Death under Pilate who rather forfeited his Life than he would forfeit his Obedience and by his Apostles Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers to Heathens and infidel Persecutors who endeavour'd to draw their Subjects over to their Infidelity Such a one was Nero such were the rest of the Persecutors and yet these were to be submitted to not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake Fear God honour the King and of this Honour the chiefest part is Obedience These divine Precepts natural moral evangelical are indispensable and bind the Conscience nor is it likely that God and Christ and the Apostles would have deliver'd such Precepts as they would not have to be observ'd by Christians If thy King be good he is thy nursing Father if he be evil he tryes thee if he be a Persecutor he exercises thee if he be godly he is exercised with thee What can a Christian Soul here contemn Will it contemn its nursing Father who affords it Necessaries that it may be brought to Heaven Or will it contemn him who tryes it who exercises it under the Cross that it may shine gloriously in the Kingdom of Heaven The Enemies to this Doctrine are 1. the Anabaptists and Libertines who disown all Magistracy and throw off its Yoak and of Stephen of Hallestat who would have none but good Magistrates obey'd 2. All Seditions Tumults Wars c. by means of which the Christian Religion is evil spoken of among the Heathen as if it were a traiterous Religion and an Enemy to Kings the Name of God is blasphemed and the Enemies of the Gospel encouraged to persecute the Church As to the instance of Athalia Lib. 2. cap. 38. p. 919. he avers that she was Queen only de facto and not de jure having cruelly against Nature slain the Sons of Ahaziah her Son being incited by Ambition that she got the Kingdom by Tyranny without any Right or Title that she kept it by Force and Arms that she was not a lawful Queen but a most wicked Usurper There is a vast difference between a Tyrant that hath a just Title to his Crown and a Tyrant who hath no Right ☞ who hath usurp'd a Kingdom by force if a lawful King turn Tyrant neither his Bishops nor his Nobles nor his People can compel him to rule according to Law God only can restrain him who gives such a King in his fury and for the Sins of a Nation causes a Hypocrite to reign over them for such a Tyrant having a just Title to his Throne is ordained by God and he that resists him resists the Ordinance of God but if any Man usurp a Kingdom by Force and Tyranny he is not a King but an Enemy and it is lawful for any man to resist him as he would do an Enemy Francis Godwin Ann●●s of Q. Mary pag. 266 267. Bishop of Hereford publish'd his Annals An. 1616. and therein treating of the Lady Jane's assuming the Crown which he truly says she was forc'd by her Parents and Friends Ambition to accept and which she received with Tears but resigned with Joy and the march of the Duke of Northumberland's Army against Queen Mary to whom the Londoners when they march'd through the City did not wish success he observes the Londoners stood very well affected in Point of Religion so did also for the most part the Suffolk and the Norfolk Men and they knew Mary to be absolute for Popery ☞ but the English are in their due respects to their Prince so loyally constant that no regards no not pretext of Religion can alienate their Affections from their lawful Sovereign whereof the miserable Case of the Lady Jane will anon give a memorable Example for although her Faction had laid a strong foundation and had most artificially raised their Superstructure yet as soon as the true and undoubted Heir did but manifest her Resolution to vindicate her Right this accurate Pile presently fell and dissolved as it were in the twinkling of an Eye and that chiefly by their endeavour of whom for their Religion the Lady Jane might have presumed herself assured And the learned and godly Prelate Ridley who I wish ☜ had not err'd in this matter when he preach'd up the Lady Jane's Title P. 270. was scarce heard out with patience by those who were his particular Charge And as the Earl of Arundel said the Friends of Northumberland had no regard to the Apostolical Rules That Evil must not be done that good may come thereof and that we must obey even evil Princes not for Fear but for Conscience SECT XI Anno 1610. Dr. David Owen the only Batchelour of Divinity publish'd at Cambridge a little Treatise called Herod and Pilate reconciled to shew the Concord of Papist and
Christ provided for his own safety by flight the Martyrs by patience offered their Souls to God and the prayers of the Church have always prevailed over its Tyrannical Persecutors SECT XII Anno 1613. Dr. John Downham's sum of Sacred Divinity was publish'd in * Commen on the 5th Command P. 177. which starting the usual objection what must be done if Princes command things unlawful such as with a good conscience we cannot yield unto he answers in such cases we are patiently to abide the punishment in which doing we no way violate the obedience due to them as the Apostle directs 1 Pet. 2.19 20. Anno 1614. Printed at Oxford 1614. P. 86. Lancelot Dawes sometime Fellow of Queens College Preach'd two Sermons at the Assizes held at Carlile the second of which had for its subject Psalm 82.6 7. I have said ye are Gods c. and in it we are informed that Princes have their Authority only from God for ‖ Ja. 1.17 if every good and perfect Gift be from above even from the Father of Lights much more this excellent and supereminent gift of governing God's People must proceed from the fountain the reason of all the sins that were committed in Israel is often in the Book of Judges ascribed unto this Judg. 17.6 18. c. P. 99. that they wanted a Magistrate there was at that time no King in Israel by me Kings reign c. it is not for a Magistrate to debase himself neither is it for others of what reputation soever to equalize themselves with the Judge whom God hath placed over them and this is not only meant of Godly and Religious Magistrates P. 100 101. 1 Sam. 8. but of Wicked and Ungodly Governors too such as are described by Samuel which take Mens Sons and Fields and Vineyards c. the reason is because the bad as well as the good are of God the one he gives in his love the other in his anger and be they good or bad we have no commandment from him but parendi patiendi of obeying them when their Precepts are not repugnant to God's Statutes and of suffering with patience whatsoever they shall lay upon us it was a worthy saying of the Mother of the two Garacs when they kept Sigismond in Prison Bentin ●er Hung. ●ec 3. l 2. that a Crowned King if he were worse than a beast could not be hurt without great injury done to God himself a lesson which she learn'd from David whose heart smote him when he had out the lap of Saul 's garment because he was the Anointed of the Lord altho he himself was before that time Anointed to be King over Israel and was without cause hunted by Saul like a Pelican in the wilderness and an Owl in the desert Then to draw thy sword and to seek perforce to depose such as God hath placed over thee either because they are not suitable to thy affections or not faithful in their places what is it but with the old Gyants to fight with God the weapons of a Christian in this case when such a case doth happen must be preces lacrymae prayers that either God would turn the heart of an evil Magistrate or set in his room a Man David like after his own heart and tears for his sins which as they are the cause of War Famine Pestilence and all other calamities so are they also of Wicked and Ungodly Magistrates P. 102. SECT XIII To what hath been cited out of Dr. Bois in the first part of this History may be added In Holy Bible we read Bois on Ps 47. P. 936. that David would not suffer his Enemy Saul tho a wicked King to be slain when he was in his hands for that he was the Lord's Anointed he had sanctitatem unctionis albeit he had not sanctitatem Vitae i. e. he had an holy calling tho not an holy carriage wherefore David said who can lay hands on the Lord 's Anointed and be guiltless and if Heathen Emperors in the Primitive times and ungodly Kings in all Ages ought to be thus obeved how much more a Christian and Virtuous Prince c. After the death of Robert Abbot Bishop of Salisbury were his Academick exercitations against Bellarmine Lon. 1619. and Suarez concerning the supreme power of Kings printed a work as it is called in the Epistle dedicatory agreeable to the Laws of Nature and Religion and very seasonable the Author of which having been the King's Professor of Divinity at Oxford * Prelec 1. Sect. 4. p. 4. vindicates the power of Kings and affirms * Prelec 1. Sect. 4. p. 4 that Pope Hildebrand Hellbrand Luther calls him that the first who assumed to himself the Power of Deposing Princes and absolving their Subjects from their Oath of Allegiance which Doctrine Sigebert a Writer of that Age calls Novelty and Heresie Sect. 5. p. 6 7. and when he treats of Rom. 13.1 be subject to the higher powers c. he says by Powers are meant Kings and Monarchs as the Word is used Luc. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that exercise authority c. in which words Kings by a certain circumscription are defined because power belongs only and properly to them thus Origen Ambrose and Aquinas understood the words and Kings are not only called powers but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in St. Peter 1. ep 2. supereminent powers because in their Kingdoms they have power over all Persons being constituted the supreme and over all and to whom it is given to exercise that power over all for Kingly Majesty is absolutely eminent and above all being so constituted by a supreme right for as * in Rom. 13. St. Ambrose says it hath the Image of God that all others might be under one to whom because he is God's Vicegerent every Soul ought to be subject as unto God. This Sentence of St. ☞ Ambrose lays the unquestionable foundation of Kingly Power for it expresses that in the Power of a Monarch the Image of the Divine Majesty appears and that Kings exercise a Power over Men delegated unto them in God's stead and therefore must be superior to all Men because nothing can be higher than God whose Deputies Kings are P. 12. this also is the Doctrine of Optatus St. John Chrysostom Agapetus and other Fathers and so destructive have the Romanists thought it to their pretensions ☞ that the Spanish Index Expurgatorius hath ordered this sentence to be blotted out of Antonius his Melissae tho the sentence be in two other Fathers viz. Agapetus and Maximus A King hath no superior on Earth Prelec 2. Sect. 4. p. 19. and tho Kings may be made by Men yet their Power is from God by whose Providence and Conduct they are advanc'd to those dignities by Men and whom God either in Mercy Job 34. Prelect 3. Sect. 1. p. 25. or in anger decrees to rule even that God who
the Covenant Printed at Lon. 1640. disproves their pretended conformity with the French Churches in the points of Church Discipline and Obedience to Superiors averring solemnly P. 2. that it was ever far from our wishes that your conformity with the Reformed Churches of France should be misapplyed as a pretence of your expelling your Bishops much less a president for you to take Arms against your Gracious Sovereign P. 37 38. take it for granted that the Orders imposed upon you by His Majesty are Ungodly and Antichristian are you therefore allowed to defend Religion with Rebellion will ye call the Devil to the help of God Sure it is a prodigious kind of Christian Liberty for a Subject to draw his Sword against his Sovereign you that stand so much upon the point of conscience ought ye not to be subject for Conscience sake ☞ Were your Sovereign unjust and froward and his commands injurious unto God had ye instead of our pious defender of the Faith a fierce Dioclesian illud solis precibus patientiâ sanari potest nothing will mend it but prayers and patience it is Beza's counsel to the discontented Brethren of England conformable to that of St. 1 Pet. 3.17 Peter for it is better if the will of God be so that ye suffer for well doing than for evil doing if the Sovereign come to kill the Subject for his Religion the Subject must yield him his throat not charge his Pike against him and this he proves by Calvin's Practice and Writings P. 38 39 40. the Churches of France have lately declared to His Majesties Ambassador there their utter dislike of the Insurrection of Scotland under pretence of a Covenant with Christ P. 41. there can be no just cause to take Arms against a Lawful Sovereign after this he treats of the French Protestants taking Arms P. 46. and concludes that till the Reign of King Lewis the Arms of the Protestants were either justifiable or excusable but their Wars in his time were neither and they prosper'd accordingly P. 48. the French Protestants had to do with a King of a contrary Religion they were incens'd by many wrongs and oppressions they were in danger to lose with their Forts and Towns their Liberty their Religion and their Life the privileges which they enjoyed were rewards of their long Services by the Charter of Rochel when they yielded to Lewis XI it was granted to them that they should be no longer the King's Subjects ☞ than the King should maintain their immunities and yet these true reasons and just fears could not justifie their defensive Arms against their Sovereign but they were condemn'd by the best of their own and of their neighbors and God shewed his dislike by the ill success he gave them And much more to this purpose is to be seen in his answer to Philanax Anglicus and in his Regii sanguinis Clamor ad caelum contra Parricidas Anglicanos Hagae Com. 1652 C. 1. 〈◊〉 5. for that being is du Moulin juniors and not Alexander Morus's as was conjectured affirming with the Apostle that even the Jews would not have Crucified the Lord of Glory had they known him while the Parricides of King Charles I. wittingly and wilfully Murdered their Lawful King and with the King beheaded also the Church of England and brought upon the neighbouring Protestant Churches abundance of Dishonor and much danger while the same madness was imputed to all the Reformation which had only infected a few who falsly called themselves Reformed Nothing hath happened since the beginning of the World more contrary to the glory of God or that hath cast a greater blot upon holy Truth while the Wickedness defends it self by the Doctrin of the Gospel and is said to be perpetrated to vindicate the Protestant Religion to the just indignation and abhorrence of all the foreign Churches for which reason Salmasius P. 7. Heraldus Porree and others wrote smartly both against the Men P. 17. and their villanous Principles It is a Law not only written but born with us and springs from the most pure fountains of Nature That it is a most horrid crime for Subjects to punish their Princes and therefore we do too much honour to Parricides when we use Arguments against them for as Aristotle says they who doubt 1 Top. c 9 whether God is to be worship'd or Parents to be honoured are not to be convinc'd by Reasons but by Scourges and Salmasius hath proved by unanswerable Reasons by divine and human Authority that the Majesty of Kings is unaccountable and that Subjects have no manner of Authority over them Cap. 2. p. 29 30. There is no fallacy of Satan which more prevails upon good Men to engage them in an evil Cause than when Men contrary to God's Word believe that it is lawful to do evil that good may come thereof and that God hath need of our sinful assistance to promote his Kingdom and that whatever is design'd to promote God's Glory immediatly commences good P. 52. the Judges at Westminster were turn'd out by the Army because being consulted they had given this opinion that to judge the King was against the Laws of England Cap. 5. p. 107. to argue from Providence and Success to the goodness of a Cause is impudent one man is hang'd for that by which another gets a Crown Junius Brutus by expelling the Kings of the Family of Tarquin saved his Country another Brutus by murdering a Tyrant ruined it perhaps the later Brutus did an act of justice when he slew an Usurper but the first was very unjust who drove away a lawful King by the murder of King Charles I. Cap. 6. p. 121. the Parricides taught the rest of the World that Kings may be guilty of breach of trust to their People that the People are their Judges and may condemn and execute them and these Tenets they are not ashamed to own in their Writings that they had freed the World of its old Superstition that Kings are only obnoxious to God and can be punish'd only by him that they had set an example to all other Nations conducive to their safety and to be dreaded by all Tyrants as Cromwel wrote to the Scots after Dunbar fight what an occasion of insulting is hereby given to the Papists to say Cap. 7. p. 135. this is the Religion which brings down Reformation to us from Heaven these are the Men who cry out against the Usurpations of the Popes upon the Crowns and lives of Princes only that they might themselves have that power over Kings when they had snatched it from the Pope But the Papists would suggest this with less fierceness if they remembred that those few who left us in this point went to them and borrowed their Weapons from them C. 8 p. 148. these Monsters do not content themselves with being simple Parricides but they turn Rebellion into a
Doctrin of the Church and would fain defend it as the uniform belief of the Reformed much more to the same purpose may be found in the same Book which I recommend to the Reader 's perusal the Learned Author of which wrote after his Father's Copy and therefore I have joyned them together tho according to the exact rules of Chronology I should have given the junior du Moulin a place in the next Reign CHAP. VI. The History of Passive Obedience during the Reign of King Charles the Martyr SECT I. WEre we to judge of the righteousness of any Cause and of its being acceptable to God by the prosperity of its outward circumstances and to intitle Heaven to the owning of all the designs which providence promotes as some Divines both then and since have argued more consonant to the Doctrin of the Alcoran than the Holy Gospel then the most Excellent Prince Charles I. was a vile Malefactor and fell justly a sacrifice to the rage of his rebel Subjects but the true Sons of the Church were of a more Orthodox belief and chose rather to suffer with their Master the Lord 's Anointed than to enjoy the ease and preferments which then were the rewards of perfidiousness and disloyalty as the first part of this History hath amply proved And though Dr. Sybthorp's Sermon called Apostolical Obedience was severely censured nor is it fit to defend every Proposition in it yet the then Bishop of London Dr. George Mountain approved it publickly in Print as a Sermon learnedly and discreetly Preached Testim ante concion and agreeable to the Ancient Doctrin of the Primitive Church both for faith and good manners and to the Doctrin established in the Church of England and therefore under his hand gave authority for the Printing of it Ma. 8. 1627. Mr. Hayes Could any thing privilege Loyalty toward Kings Serm. at St. Mary's Oxon. on Esth 1.15 1624. p. 3 21. Eminence and Alliance might be fair pretences but neither of these could yield Queen Vasthi advantage but what shall any dare to limit Sovereignty and prescribe Majesty it's duty shall he that enjoys the subjection of others by the Law be subject himself to the Law no in no other sense than that of Aquinas not that the Law should lead him by compulsion but lead him by directive persuasion if he conform his actions to the prescript of the Laws it is of his own accord if he do not is he lyable to account Yes but it is only to God against thee only have I sinned says King David Ps 51. those modest times had not the face to capitulate with their Sovereigns the pride of Faction had not yet hatch'd this rebellious Doctrin ☜ that if Kings obey not Laws Subjects have leave to disobey their Kings no let it glory in no Ancienter Author than New Rome and in no better success than confusion and seeing it owes it self to Jesuited Patrons let it be banish'd this Land together with their Persons Mr. Adams When Saul was in David 's hands In 2d ep of Peter pr. 1633. p. 755. his Men alledge God's promise and the advantage concurring and what was David 's charm to allay the fury of those raging Spirits he is the Lord 's Anointed Saul did not lend David so impenetrable an Armour when he ran to encounter Goliah as David lent him in the plea of his Unction not one of the discontented Out-laws durst put forth a hand of violence against him the image and impress of that Divine Ordinance strikes such an awe into the hearts of Men that it makes even Traytors cowards so that instead of smiting they tremble like those whose Office it is to suffer not to do fear God honour the King there was never Man that feared God but he also honored the Prince But let us hear P. 759 c what the Synod of Hell can plead for disobedience how if the Prince be bad an Enemy to truth and goodness a Ravisher a Persecutor raising powers for the extirpation of the Gospel here if ever a Subject may renounce all Allegiance for here is power against power Man against God and the Subject of both left to follow either Answ in this streight some for fear of the King Shipwrack their faith and these are Traytors to God others by a defensive sword in their hand Rebels to the King ☞ there is no question but God must be obeyed even against the King when the King commands things against God. what then shall we resist him with violence no God never Warrants that practice no not against a Prince that denies him there is an active Obedience and a passive I may not execute his impious commands I must suffer his unjust punishments the vices of Men cannot frustrate the institution of God peruse Mat. 5.44 and Rom 12.17 this will tye the Hands of Christian Subjects Samuel offer'd not to depose Saul though the express Sentence of God had cast him off and he was Excommunicated by a higher power than ever came from Rome Saul lived and dyed a King this he illustrates by the examples of the Jews and Primitive Christians and adds what resistance did those Primitive Christians make to those barbarous outrages but praying for the Emperor's life when under the Emperor's command they were bleeding to death neither did they suffer because they were not able to resist but it was their Doctrin c. Christians never prove losers but when they unjustly sight for their own preservation provide we the buckler of patience not a sword when the decree was gone out by Ahasuerus this was their refuge preces lacrymae the Apostles could work miracles yet they resisted not the ordinate powers this charge St. Paul gives the Romans even while Nero was their Emperor a Monster whom divers held to be Antichrist that Religion then cannot be right that pulls down Princes seeing neither Moses in the Old Testament nor Christ in the New nor Levite nor Prophet Apostle nor Disciple either counsell'd or practised against Government which should decide the point that hath cost the Lives of so many Christians and still threatens more Tragedies P. 763. there was never Prince to whom some Belialist took not some exceptions it were ill with Princes if their state depended on the good liking of their Subjects Subjects unfaithful at the heart may be without the suspicion of their Prince but they beheld Rebels in the Court of Heaven we be bound to be subject not only for wrath but for conscience sake In all the time of David 's prosperity there was no news of Shimei he looks like a fair Subject but he that smiles on David in his Throne P. 821. curs'd him in his Flight there is no security in that Subjects Allegiance that hath not God in his Conscience he that poysons the People with the male opinion of their Prince is the most dangerous Traytor to rip up the faults of Kings is bold
Ceremony of Religion is abolish'd P. 48 49. if righteousness consists in blaspheming God contempt of his Ordinances and scorning the Doctrin and practice of his Saints these Men may lay some claim to it are they greater practisers of self-denyal who Preach War and Blood rather than obey than those who Preach Passive Obedience and Suffering rather than violence P. 55. Milton is very industrious to find out causes why so many would not be Traytors why could he not fall into the consideration of the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy that all Members of parliament take at their entrance ☜ how did he forget the commands of Obedience from God P. 59. repentance is a great reproach among those Rebels the Preaching of that Doctrin is worse to them P. 64. than Passive Obedience It is ridiculous to any judgment uninthral'd that such as Rebel against their King should pretend P. 66. they are not Rebels to God. Christians never thought that any sword drawn against their King did not violate their Loyalty and Allegiance much less that their profess'd Loyalty and Allegiance led them to direct Arms against the King's Person There are many such Passages in the Book Medit. on death p. 257 258. but I shall only quote one more towards the end of it Kings have their Power from God and God gives the Sword yea even to wicked Kings and because the Power is given them for justice it is called the Sword of Justice tho they use it oftentimes to injustice the Scripture forbids us to judge another Man's Servant but this Man will have the Father punish'd by the Child the Master by the Servant the Prince by the People Kings are unaccountable to Men for their actions for if Kings be accountable to Men are not they to whom he is accountable by the Libellers argument not only stronger than the King but stronger than Justice P. 260. divine law forbad all Men to take the Arms of justice without or against the King who is referred to God's justice and justice hath no Arms but his power the Law was above the Emperor Theodosius P. 262 v. loc p. 263. in regard it was his rule but could not make any Person or Society above him it were a profane Oath as well as vain that should be void at the will of the Father this last Age hath brought forth a generation that do God service when they scorn all his Laws and Religion c. SECT II. Bishop Sanderson in his censure of Ascham's Book Printed at London 1650. Upon perusal of Mr. Ascham 's Book you left with me I find not my self in my understanding thereby convinc'd of the necessity or lawfulness of conforming unto or complying with an unjust prevailing Power further than I was before perswaded it might be lawful or necessary so to do viz. As paying Taxes and submitting to some other things in themselves not unlawful by them imposed or required such as I had a lawful Liberty to have done in the same manner tho they had not been so commanded and seem to me in the conjuncture of present circumstances prudentially necessary to preserve my self or my Neighbour from the injuries of those that would be willing to make use of my Non-submission to mine or his ruin so as it be done with these Cautions 1. Without violation either of duty to God or any other just obligation that lies upon me by Oath Law or otherwise 2. Only in the case of necessity otherwise not to be avoided 3. Without any explicite or implicite acknowledgment of the Justice and Legality of their Power I may submit to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Force but not acknowledge the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authority or by any voluntary Act give strength assistance or countenance thereunto 4. Without any prejudice unto the claim of the oppressed Party that hath a right Title or casting my self into an incapacity of lending him my due and bounden Assistance If in time to come it may be useful to him towards the recovery of his Right 5. Where I may reasonably and Bonâ Fide presume the Oppressed Power to whom my Obedience is justly due if he perfectly knew the present condition I am in together with the exigency and necessity of the present case and all the circumstances thereof would give his willing consent to such my conformity and compliance So that upon the whole matter and in short I conceive I may so far submit unto the Impositions or comply with the Persons of a prevailing Usurped Power unjustly commanding things not in themselves unlawful or make use of their Power to protect me from others Injuries As I may submit unto comply with or make use of an High way Thief or Robber when I am fallen into his hands and lie at his mercy As for Mr. Ascham's Discourse tho it be handsomly framed yet all the strength of it to my seeming if he would speak out would be in plain English this 1. That Self preservation is the first and chiefest obligation in the World to which all other Bonds and Relations at least between Man and Man must give place 2. That no Oath at least no imposed Oath in what Terms soever express'd binds the Taker further than he intended to bind himself thereby and it is presumed that no Man intended to bind himself to the prejudice of his own safety Two dangerous and desperate Principles which evidently tend first to the taking away of all Christian Fortitude and Suffering in a Righteous Cause 2. To the encouraging of Daring and Ambitious Spirits to attempt continual Innovations with this confidence that if they can by any ways how unjust soever possess themselves of the Supreme Power they ought to be submitted unto 3. To the obstructing unto the Oppressed Party all possible ways and means without a Miracle of ever recovering that just Right of which he shall have been unjustly dispossessed And to omit further instancing 4. To the bringing in of Atheism with the contempt of God and all Religion whilst every Man by making his own Preservation the Measure of all his Duties and Actions maketh himself thereby his own Idol The same excellent Casuist is of this mind in his Case of the engagement the bond of Allegiance whether sworn Vid. loc or not sworn is in the nature of it perpetual and indispensible c. and his Fifth Lecture of the Obligation of Conscience Sect. 11 13 14 16 17 20 21. to which for the sake of brevity I refer the Reader SECT III. To this Eminent Bishop Jenkins Redivivus Lon. 1681 p. 20 21. I shall joyn the Eminent Judge Jenkins To depose the King or take him by force or Imprison him until he hath yielded to certain demands is adjudged Treason in the Lord Cobham 's Case the Law makes not the Servant greater than the Master nor the Subject greater than the King P. 81. for that
of other Mens sins that will retain their integrity and rather than do would suffer evil P. 〈…〉 what can there do These are they that are so pityed in the Text down then ☞ down to the place of darkness from whence it came with that Antichristian Principle that it is lawful for the People upon the ill managers and abuse of their Power by Arms and force to depose and punish their Princes this once admitted layeth the Ax to the Root of all Civil Society c. Dr. 〈…〉 p. 37. Nath. Hardy D. R. The Enemies of the King accuse him for being a Traytor to his People which was so far from being true that it was impossible since he never received any trust from them after which addressing himself to the Lord Mayor and his Brethren he adds you have taken care that Rebellion may be destroyed in that which was its Principal Engine the illegal League and Covenant and in its rotten Principles those Doctrins which give Power to the two Houses of Parliament in some cases to take up Arms without and against the Kings command and distinguish between the Personal and Politick capacity of the King as to the point of resistance c. Dr. Serm. before Lord M●yer F●● 11. 16 S● p. 22 24. Goodman Kings are God's Vicegerents and he maintains and upholds them in their Offices under himself a King hath the Stamp and Character of Divine Authority upon him it is the Divine Providence that is the Peoples caution and security against the weaknesses passions and extravagances of Princes so that they shall not need to resort to Arms or any seditious and unlawful means in their own defence we use to appeal to an Higher Court when we are opprest in an inferior Judicatory and this is our proper refuge when our Rights and Properties are invaded to look up to God the Supreme Potentate of the World that he will restrain the exorbitances of his Ministers P. 25 26. God is the King of Kings the safety of Religion Liberty and Property are mighty Concerns but certainly they are not too great a Stake to trust in the hands of God unless the means we use be as certainly and manifestly lawful as the cause we pretend to shall be just and honorable we shall but provoke Providence instead of subverting it P. 34. let the People be quiet not listen to noice and rumors but be sure to Banish all disloyal thoughts of resorting to irregular means for the asserting their pretensions Is not God in the World c. SECT XIII Dr. Burnet in his modest and free conference † Printed Ann. 1669. p. 6 7. Shew me one place in either Testament that warrants Subjects fighting for Religion you know I can bring many against it yea tho the old dispensation was a more carnal and fiery one than the new one is yet when the Kings of Israel and Judah made Apostasie from the Living God into Heathenish Idolatry some of the Kings of Judah polluting the Temple of Jerusalem as did Ahaz and Manasseh so that God could not be Worship'd there without Idolatry yet where do we find the People resisting them or falling to popular Reformations neither do the Prophets that were sent by God ever provoke them to any such courses and you know the whole strain of the New Testament runs upon suffering it seems you are yet a Stranger to the very design of Religion which is to tame and mortifie nature and is not a natural thing but supernatural therefore the Rules of defending and advancing it must not be borrowed from nature but grace are not Christ's injunctions our Rule Since then he forbad his Disciples to draw a Sword for him with so severe a threatning that whosoever will draw the Sword shall perish by the Sword this must bind us and what he says to Pilate on this head my Kingdom is not of this World c. is so plain language P. 24. that I wonder it doth not convince all Pope Gregory VII Armed the Subjects of Germany against Henry IV. the Emperor upon the account of Religion because the Emperor laid claim to the Investiture of Bishops they being then Secular Princes and this prospering so well in the hands of Hildebrand other Popes made no bones upon any displeasure they conceived either against King or Emperor to take his Kingdom from him and free his Subjects from their Obedience to him the Authors who plead for this are only Courtiers Canonists and Jesuits now are you not ashamed in a matter of such Importance to symbolize with the worst gang of the Roman Church for the soberer of them condemn it yet fill Heaven and Earth with your clamors Burn. Vind. of the Authority c. of the Ch. of Scotland ad Lector if in some innocenter things the Church of England seem to symbolize with them one great rule by which the peace and order of all humane Societies is maintain'd and advanc'd is Obedience to the Laws and submission to the Authority of those whom God hath set over us to govern and defend us to whose commands if absolute Obedience be not paid ever till they contradict the Laws of God there can be neither peace nor order among Men now it cannot be denyed to be one of the sins of the Age we live in that small regard is had to that Authority God hath committed to his Vicegerents on Earth the Evidence whereof is palpable since the bending or slackning of the Execution of Laws is made the measure of most Mens Obedience and not the Conscience of that duty we owe the commands of our Rulers for what is more servile and unbecoming a Man not to say a Christian than to yield obedience when overawed by force and to leap from it when allured by gentler methods hence it appears how few there are who judge themselves bound to pay that reverence to the Persons and that Obedience to the commands of those God hath vested with his Authority which the Laws of Nature and Religion do exact and the root of all this disobedience and contempt can be no other but unruly and ungovern'd Pride which disdains to submit to others and exalts it self above those who are called Gods ☜ the humble are tractable and obedient but the self-will'd are stubborn and rebellious yet the heigth of many Mens pride rests not in a bare disobedience but designs the subverting of Thrones and the shaking of Kingdoms unless governed by their own measures Among all the Heresies which this Age hath spawned there is not one more contrary to the whole design of Relligion and more destructive of Mankind than is that Bloody Opinion of defending Religion by Arms and of forcible resistance upon the colour of preserving Religion ☞ the Wisdom of that policy is earthly sensual devilish savouring of a carnal unmortified and impatient mind that cannot bear the Cross nor trust to the Providence of God and
are obliged in point of Conscience to be subject and therefore we are obliged in Conscience to be subject to our own Prince because he is the Minister of God. There are a sort of Men in the World who tho they do always complain that we do not quote Scripture enough when we discourse upon any other subject yet when we discourse about Subjection to Government do always complain that we quote too much ☜ and therefore they are by no means willing that the Case of Subjection should be measured by that Rule tho Government is the Ordinance of God if the Scripture had never acquainted us with any such thing I would have it consider'd pag. 14. that neither the Laws of Nature Reason nor Justice will ever allow us to endeavour to strip the lawful Governours of any Places either where we live or where we are born Subjects of their Authority any more than they will allow us to take away any other Man's lawful Right or just Possessions For for that very reason that Supremacy is a Right that belongs to them Subjection is a Duty that belongs to us These Laws of Nature Reason and Religion are the Laws of God. If therefore the Law of God does command our Subjection to the Higher Powers tho the Scripture had never told us any such thing pag. 15. then let the Government have been formed when it will ☞ and by whom it will yet in such a Case because the Governors have a just and undoubted Title to and Possession of their Supremacy we cannot withdraw our Subjection from them unless we break the Law of God. The only Objection that I can foresee against this is this When the Actions of the Higher Powers without any regard to the Laws of Justice or the Government do manifestly tend to the Subversion of Justice and Right and instead thereof do load our Necks with Injuries and Oppressions pag. 16. then we may fairly and honestly renounce our Subjection Before I speak directly to the Objection I must premise 1. That that Design is justly susp●cious which measures our Duty by our temporal Interest And 2. That it is as well an act of Subjection peaceably and quietly to submit to the Penalty as it is actually to obey the Command Now if our Adversaries do not allow the Obligation to this disjunctive Subjection it is apparent that when they tell us we are not to be subject in the Case objected their meaning is we may defend our Disobedience by Resistance and then the Objection put into plain English amounts to thus much That whenever the Prince does not govern us according to the Laws of Justice and those of the Land pag. 17. there it is lawful for us to resist and rebel against him This Doctrine is seditious and treasonable and likewise absurd and false for if a Subject does resist his Prince tho it be in such a Case in which it is supposed that his Prince does him an Injury he does by so doing stand guilty of these following Acts of Injustice 1. He takes upon him to be Judg in his own Case Now because he that does so may be rationally supposed to be biassed in his Judgment by Self-Love by Malice Revenge Covetousness and the like train of Lusts and Passions and over and above in the present Case by Pride and Ambition Therefore all those wise Men who have made it their business to instruct us in the Laws of Justice and Equity have with one consent condemned the practice of it Nay the Rebel is both Judg and Executioner too in his own Case 2. pag. 18. He that resists his Prince upon supposition that his Government is unjust is therefore so himself not only in that he undertakes to be a Judg in his own Cause but in that also he does by so doing usurp to himself that Jurisdiction which of right does belong to another For there is no doubt but that the Title to the Sword is of right lodged in the Prince's Power and there can be as little doubt that the Subject can acquire no Right from the Injustice of the Prince to force it thence For by the same Law that the Injustice of a Prince does entitle his Subjects to wrest the Power of the Sword out of his hand against himself pag. 19. I say by the same Law the Injustice of any private Man would give the injured Person a Title to the Estate and Life of the injurious And so new Titles would continually start up with new Injuries and in a little time the Right to the whole World would tho perhaps the possession might not belong to injur'd Persons as such 3. pag. 20. He that resists his Prince upon supposition that his Government is unjust is so himself not only in that he usurps to himself that Jurisdiction which of right belongs to the Prince alone but in that he invades the Rights of his Fellow-Subjects for tho it should prove true that the Prince by his Injury to the Rebel does forfeit his Title to his Government over him yet there is another Enquiry behind Whether or no by such his Injury he forfeits his Title over the rest of his Subjects if he does then he may forfeit his Title as well where he has not done an Injury as where he has if he does not then the resistance of the Rebel is unjust ' There are several Conclusions that offer themselves from the Doctrin already delivered pag. 23. the first is this 1. Ought we to be subject for Conscience sake and is therefore our Obligation to Subjection bound upon us by the hand of God himself Then we may very fairly infer that both the Doctrin and Practice of Resistance comes from the Devil For most undoubtedly any Practice or Doctrin does so that stands in Diametrical Opposition to any Duty that is laid upon us by God. When People resist their Prince and at the same time pretend to fear God such their Pretensions are not only false but blasphemous too 2. If we are bound in Conscience to be subject to the Higher Powers pag. 27 and if such Obligation comes only from God then we do infer that no lawful Authority can be founded in mere outward Force The reason is because our Duty of Subjection to lawful Authority arises from an Obligation of Conscience Now tho a long Sword may have terror enough in it in many Cases at least to awe our outward Actions yet it can never have Power enough to oblige our Consciences And tho it may upon the account of our Interest engage us to a Compliance yet it will never be able upon the account of our Consciences to engage us to an Obedience For if mere Power can instate a Man in a just Title to the Supremacy then it will follow that whoever has Power enough to invade the Throne has Right enough to possess it and his Usurpation will therefore become lawful because his
Strength hath made it possible and so at length the Robbers Sword and Pistol will come to be the only Standard of Justice all other Power must be cancell'd and we must come at last to make the Power of doing wrong to be the only measure of Equity and Right All these things are at least true pag. 28. when there is any Person in being to whom the Title or Succession of the Supremacy does belong which blessed be God is our Case at present And therefore that great Argument which was brought to vindicate the Usurpation of the successful Rebels in the late Wars namely that the People were not bound to adhere to their Prince when the Prince was disabled to defend the People supposes no other Obligation upon Subjects than mere Interest and so evacuates and makes null all Obligations of Conscience We shall therefore before we part from this Inference fix it as a certain Rule by which every conscientious Subject may and ought to guide his Practice That so long as there is any Person of the Royal Race ☜ to whom by the Course of Succession according to the Tenor of the Law of the Land the Crown does belong so long we have a lawful Supremacy and so long we shall be bound in Conscience to be in Subjection 3. Are we bound to be subject to the Higher Powers for Conscience sake and does the Obligation of Conscience come only from God Then I do infer that to bind the People to be in Subjection to their Prince there is no necessity of any Bargain or Contract between them and the reason is because that Obligation that binds the Subject to Obedience in this Case is founded immediately and directly upon the Law of God. Lastly Are we obliged to be subject to the Higher Powers out of Conscience pag. 31. and is this Obligation ●id upon our Conscience by God Then I do infer That no worldly Inconventence that we can possibly suffer by such our Subjection can be a sufficient warrant for our Resistance And the Reason is plain and easie because our secular Interest be it what it will can never be a sufficient Counterpoise to our Duty and he that will break God's Commands because it is for his secular Advantage can at best but make that foolish Bargain in the Gospel that is to gain the whole world and in exchange for his Purch●se to lose his own Soul. Mr. Wake is also of the same mind Answ to the B. of Ox●●'s Reasons l. 34 c. for when the Bishop of Oxon charges the Church of England as if she set up the Charge of Idolatry as a Standard against Monarchy he replies That it is a Calumny upon the whole Body of the Reformed and that he might dare venture to say that there is not the least reason to be apprehensive of Violence he knows very well how free the Christians of the Three first Centuries were in laying the very same Charge against the Gentile World and yet we do not find that ever they shewed themselves the less obedient to their Emperors upon the account of it And tho I am verily perswaded that the Romanists are guilty of Idolatry yet I thank God I am not conscious to my self of one Disloyal Thought to my King. And what I can thus truly profess in my own behalf I doubt not but I may do for all others the true and genuine Members of the Church ☞ and who by being such must I am sure by Principle be obedient Subjects As for this Author he has made a broad Sign that he intends to leave us by insinuating that the Charge of Idolatry ought to be followed by Blowes We who do protest against certain Practices as idolatrous do also protest against violating Loyalty upon the account of Religion Did we indeed profess that of Idolatry which some others do of Heresie that it is a sufficient ground for the Excommunicating of a King and the absolving his Subjects of their Allegiance had we ever been caught not in Oatesian Conspiracies but in real Plots against our Sovereign upon this account there might then have been just cause for such an insinuation But whilst our Principles are so loyal that we have even been laught at for our asserting them it was a very unreasonable apprehension to think that the Charge of Idolatry should in the bottom have been the design against the Monarchy which we have so often declared and in the Person of our present King have shewn we think our selves obliged to support whatever his Religion be who is to sit upon the Throne The truth is when I consider how heinous a Suggestion this is and what little Foundation there is either from our Principles or our Practices to support it I am under some temptation to reply to this Author Nemo hoc potest credere nisi qui possit audere and this I hope may serve for my excuse if I have at this time appear'd in defence of a Charge in which every true Member of the Church of England is so highly concern'd Let the same Mind be in us pag. 15 16. which was also in those Primitive Christians before mention'd Let us still be careful to maintain the Character of the best Subjects as we have long asserted the most Loyal Principles that as the Prosperity of our King makes up a considerable part of our daily Prayers so by a sincere discharge of all humble Obedience towards him he may effectually see that excepting only our Duty towards God we are much more forward and ready to do his Majesty effectual Service than any Man can be whose Loyalty is not supported by Religion We set before our People the Examples of the Primitive Christians with what an humble Obedience they submitted themselves to their idolatrous Emperors and underwent the most cruel Persecutions for their Religion sake even when they had Power sufficient to have asserted their Faith and to have destroyed both the Idolaters and their Idols together and by these Maxims we exhort them to walk God be thanked Id. 2d Def. against the Bish of Condem est Part. p. 75 76. the Pulpits Zeal hath ever been employed to keep up in the Subjects that Duty which by God's Command they owe to their Prince and nothing is at this day next to our Zeal for our Religion more our desire and endeavour than to make Men Loyal to their Sovereign Our Pulpits still speak the same Principles of Subjection ☞ they ever did We are neither asham'd of the Doctrin of Passive Obedience nor afraid of its Practice tho some of your accquaintance have endavoured to laugh both that and us out of countenance Our steadiness to our Religion shall never make us fail in our Duty to our King. In one word We will both by our Preaching and Actions make it our business to fulfil that great Evangelical Precept of rendering unto Cesar the things that are Cesar 's and unto
God the things that are God ' s. Dr. Fowler There is nothing more certain than that for any of us to be false D●sign of Christianity p. 243 251 252. and perfidious to be ungovernable rebellious or seditious upon the account of Religion it self is most unsufferable and inexcusable For if it be lawful to behave our selves after this manner upon any account whatever Religion would be the most useless thing in the World and if this were lawful upon the account of Religion only ☜ I will not stick to say that it will not be more useless and unprofitable than mischievous and hurtful Nor would the Christion Religion it self be worthy our profession if it would give us leave upon any design to allow our selves in the forementioned Immoralities or in any one whatsoever Thus to do is no other than to be irreligious to promote Religion to be unchristian to do service to Christianity and therefore to go the directest way to destroy it by the means we use for its preservation Thus to do is to oppose the Interests of our Religion to that of our Souls Id. Discour of Christian Liberty p. 175. ●ee his Discourse of Offences p. 9 10 11. and to cast these away in the defence of that It is come to that sad pass that preaching Obedience to Authority is as unacceptable Doctrin as can be to even many great Pretenders to Christianity altho it be done never so prudently and agreeably to the express Doctrin of our Saviour and his Apostles And the Notion of Obedience for Conscience sake seems almost lost among not a few which is one of the great Sins for which we have too great reason to fear there is a heavy Scourge near us Mr. Evans A moderate Man when the Honor of God or the King when Religion Sermon of Moderat 1682. p. 12. and the Welfare of his Country lye at stake then thinks it a most worthy and weighty occasion of imploying his Zeal and Activity in their Service of defending them with Courage and Resolution with his Life and Fortunes He never breaks the second Table to preserve the first nor make use of any ways to secure Religion that are contrary to or destructive of its Principles What Men esteem great Falshoods pag. 23. and call Toryism and Popery are really as true as Gospel pag. 34. I will conclude all with this Remark We may and shall if we do not timely take up bring in Popery by a heady and extravagant Zeal against it ☜ and ruin and enslave our selves by our fierce and passionate Contentions for Liberty Property and Safety p. 48. Give me the Man that is honest and constant to his Principles and to what he professes whatsoever Party or Perswasion he is of he is much more valuable to me than he that plights his Faith to the Church and gives all the Security that can be taken for his Conformity to it and then after he hath wound himself into its Communion and Preferments plays booty and acts like a Non-Conformist These are the treacherous Friends that like Vipers prey upon the Bowels of their Mother and betray her as Judas did our Lord with a Kiss Dr. Comber in his Religion and Loyalty Sec. Edit 1683. p. 8 3. v. pag. 12 13 c. If the Church of England did make worldly Interest the sole measure of her Actions they would never consider what was honest but only what was expedient and never stick at ill means to accomplish that which they account good Ends. We of this Church are perhaps the only Christians since the Primitive Ages who never dispens'd with our Loyalty to serve our worldly Ends. And if this do not commend our Policy I am sure it declares our Honesty and Integrity and must needs recommend us to all good Men as those who prefer our Duty and our Conscience before all earthly Advantages p. 39. No Religion in the World teaches and practises more Loyalty than that which is truly called Protestant and we doubt not but that if ever his R. H. should attain the Crown he will not blame our Church for that which was the Opinion of those who endeavoured to subvert it after they had renounc'd all Communion with it pag. 52. especially when it is further considered how constantly the true Protestants of the Church of England have loved and how faithfully they have served the Royal Family in all Fortunes how closely they have adher'd to the Interests thereof upon all Occasions so that whoever were true Sons of this Church our Kings have always reckon'd them their certain and undoubted Friends And when a Rebellion was designed against the blessed Father of his Royal Highness the Contrivers of it found it necessary first to seduce Men from the Church of England before they could engage them in so wicked an Action p 〈…〉 And since the happy Restoration they have incurr'd the Hatred of the bigotted Fanaticks for their perpetual standing for the King's Prerogative and their zealous promoting his and his Royal Highness's Interest The Pamphlets written in defence of the Bill of Exclusion p. 57. ●● frequently transcribe whole Passages out of Doleman's Book Take some of their accursed Principles The Commonwealth hath Power to chuse their own fashion of Government as also to change it upon reasonable Causes The Commonwealth hath Power not only to put back the next Inheritors upon lawful occasions but also to dispossess them that have been lawfully put in possession if they fulfil not the Laws and Conditions by which and for which their Dignity was given them The Republick may cure or cut off their Heads if they infest the rest Princes are subject to Law and Order and the Commonwealth which gave them their Authority for the good of all may also restrain or take the same away again if they abuse it to the common evil The whole Body to superior to the Prince neither so giveth the Common-wealth her Authority and Power up to any Prince that she depriveth herself utterly of the same when need shall require to use it for her defence for which she gave it The Prince's Power is not absolute but delegate from the Commonwealth and is given with such Conditions and Oaths on both Parties as if the same be not kept by either Party the other is not bound With many other such Popish Positions So also the Apost Pr●● p. 4 5. and it is very observable that this wicked Libel of Doleman was in part reprinted Anno 1648. under the feigned Title of Several Speeches deliver'd at a Conference concerning the Power of Parliaments to proceed against their King's form of Government pag. 61. But the Protestant Church of England is not only better in all other accounts but doth hold teach and practise Loyalty above all others in the World the Divines thereof generally holding Monarchy to be of divine Right and Allegiance to be an Obligation on
Serm. called Subjection for Conscience sake p. 16. Must the free-born Subject break in upon the Birthrights and Liberties of the Crown and reduce it to Submission and Slavery that the humersom Christian may enjoy what he is pleased to call his Christian Liberty Christ gave not his Blood for this end nor did he make a purchase of a disobedient and gainsaying People Be confident no man can be God's Servant unless he be also a good Subject P. 22. Some mens Opinions and other mens Interests is the Conscience they so much talk of and then it is no wonder at all they cannot for their hearts obey when they themselves are setting up for Superiority Id. Pass Ob. stated and asserted pag. 3. P. 15. Passive Obedience is a patient and mild Suffering the hard and unjust Usages of Kings being both the Christian's Duty and Profession But this meek and Christian Principle was of late called to an account and with Arguments of Railery and Contempt endeavour'd to be hooted out of the World. Under the old Law when the King should usurp upon their Lands and Wives and Children 1 Sam. 8.11.18 all their Remedy was Ye shall cry out unto the Lord in that day c. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation p. 17 18 19 21. It is in vain to say more being so plain to any Man to understand that seriously thinks of a day of Judgment when all the dawbing of Liberty and Property and Religion shall be wiped off and no pretence nor distinction satisfie against the evidence of Truth and so plain Expressions Mr. Nicolas Claget Disloyal Principles dispose Men to be unquiet Subjects Serm. on 1 Thes 4.11 p. 27. p. 22 23 38 39 40. such as these That all Power is from the People and is put into the King's hands upon trust that it is lawful for Subjects to enter into Covenants and Associations for the defence of themselves and their Religion against the Command of the Prince c. which are the Doctrins of Jesuits and Fanaticks See also Wilson's Disourse of Monarchy p. 15. 22 70 72.81 82. 106. 198. 207. 209. 248. 258 259. Mr. John Cook Serm. before the L. Mayor May 13. 1683. pag. 8 9. it 24 25. Dr. Jo. Price Seem Sept. 9. 1683. pag. 2. 12. 15. 18. Mr. Will. Bolton Coreh Redivivus pag. 9. 14. 29. Mr. Higham on Prov. 24.21 pag. 45 c. 86. 108. 123. 137. 157. 160. 175. c. Mr. Whitfield's Sermon before the L. Mayor Jul. 30. 1632. on Jude 8. Mr. Gifferd's Assize Sermon p. 12. Mr. Hyrick's Sermon July 26. 1685. p. 6 10 23 26. Mr. Brown's Sermon at the Visitation Apr. 12. 1681. p. 27 34. Dr. Smith Prebendary of Norwich Assize Serm. Sept. 13. 1668. p. 8 9. c. Id. Assize Serm. Feb. 27. 1672. p. 28. B. Rively's Sermon at Norwich July 19. 1679. on Rom. 13.4 p. 6 7. Dr. Thompson Dean of Bristol Serm. June 21. 1685. on Tit. 3.1 p. 3 5 6 14. 16 17 18 c. Mr. Bura's Serm. May 29. 1684. p. 25 27 c. Mr. Ethorowe's Scriptural Catechism p. 59. Mr. Alsop's Serm. on Exod. 20.12 p. 9 10 12 13 15 c. 24 25 30. Dr. Fr. Gregory's Serm. Nov. 5. 1679 p. 6 9 25. Mr. Will. Godman's Sermon May 24. 1660. p. 21 22 c. Mr. Luce's Serm. on 1 Pet. 2.16 p. 14 17 18. Mr. Fisher's Serm. Jan. 30. 1672. p. 11 13. Mr. Sayer's Assize Serm. Feb. 25. 1672. p. 38 40. Dr. Barnes's Serm. before the Univers of Cambr. p. 10 19 20 Mr. Crisp's Visir Serm. 1686. And very many other such Discourses and I have reason to suppose that if the Sermons of all the Divines of the Ch. of England on this subject were in Print the very Catalogue would swell to a very great bulk Doctrines of so pernicious a consequence to the publick Peace that it is enough to make us reject them as false without examining them further Such impious Doctrins and Principles as are destructive of the State and do leave Governments and Governors insecure * P. 44. And is Religion and God's Cause a Pretext for Treason and Rebellion This is next to Blasphemy and is an impious Reflection on the Wisdom and Power of God as if to bring about his own Designs he stood in need of our Devilish Devices I shall close this Chapter with the Testimony of Dr. Carswell Vicar of Bray Serm. at she Assize Mar. 3. 1683 / ● p. 25. in his State Reformer enquir'd into Designing Men still cunningly hide the disloyal Treachery in their Hearts their ambitious Designs their Disgusts and Disgraces at Court their Discontents for missng Places of Trust Command Profit or Honor under the Vizard or fair-fac'd Pretences of Religion or Justice P. 3● they are only concern'd as Patriots of their Religion and Country c. If our Judges are unjust or the King had deputed none to hear p. 44. or none that would do Justice it were not then lawful to oppose or revile Be wise now therefore O ye Kings c. Tho the People may not da●e to revile p. 41. or presume to call you to an account yet the King of Kings whose Deputies you are will exact an account of your Stewardship God made not the People Judg of Moses's Actions but him of theirs The End of the Second Part. Some grosser ERRATA of the First Part. IN the Catal. of Authors read B. Montague p. 7. for primitive r. more early p. 18. for subscribed v. assented to for An. 1684. r. the same Year p. 32. r. Ficlerus p. 35. r. Al Kum p. 43. after or better him add the Paragraph in p. 46. And according to this Doctrin unto Malignants p. 54. r. Goodwin p. 74. for L. r. lastly p. 88. r. irreligious ERRATA of the Second Part. PAg. 1. for ought to read would willingly p. 5. l. 12. r. do deserve p. 9. r. an 1542 / 3. p. 11. marg r. Barnes p. 14. l. 18. r. as they p. 20. r. a Friend p. 32. l. 24. r. as he p. 36. must p. 53. how much p. 57. l. 1. the state dele after the words to following p. 59. l. 26. they could p. 70. l. 31. p. rend c. p. 79. l. 27. r. then p. 82. l. 36. for which r. and. p. 84. r. or Merode p. 88● as if he p. 91. r. sorer p. 94. Abbadon p. 95. l. 2. r. whom p. 96. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 101. r. then only B. p. 104. marg Bowsin p. 105. l. 28. r. was the first p. 109. dele the Cicero of the Fr. Church dele Buckler of Faith. p. 112. l. 37. r. that Book is p. 127. r. 1661. p. 138. r. Theses p. 144. after B. Fell should be placed D. Allestry who is placed p. 147. and instead of Dr. Allestry should be placed p. 147. B. Thomas p. 149. r. wickedly The rest the Reader is desired to correct ADVERTISEMENT The Power communicated by God to the Prince ☞ and the Obedience required of the Subject Briefly laid down and confirmed out of the Holy Scriptures the Testimony of the Primitive Church the Dictates of right Reason and the Opinion of the wisest among Heathen Writers By the most Reverend Father in God James late Lord Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland Faithfully published out of the Original Copy written with his own hand by the Reverend Father in God Robert Saunderson L. Bishop of Lincoln with his Lordships Preface thereunto Sold by the Booksellers in London