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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A42450	An examination of the case of the Quakers concerning oaths propounded by them, A.D. 1673, to the consideration of the King, and both Houses of Parliament : with a vindication of the power of the magistrate to impose oaths, and the liberty and duty of all Christians to swear by God reverently : humbly submitted to the judgment of His Most Sacred Majesty, and the two Houses of Parliament / by Charles Gataker ...	Gataker, Charles, 1614 or 15-1680.	1675 (1675)	Wing G305; ESTC R40267	35,338	42

this light shine still in a Christian state Let it first be proved that the Man who suffers the Lords anointed to rule over him and submits to authority in Swearing is a Child of Belial that is of the Devil who is so called for his impatience of a yoke and therefore the refractory people who would not submit to Saul ●am ●● 27. annointed by God are stiled Children of Belial is a work of the Devil which Christ hath destroyed by his Gospel or else there will be a good harmony still between Christs Gospel and a Reverend Oath SECT VI. The Conclusive Arguments to warrant the reverent use of Oaths among Christians THese things being premised not to preoccupate but to expedite the decision of the Question concerning the consistency of Swearing with the glorious Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ I shall now make their agreement evident by all the Light of Nature Law and Gospel united in one body To this purpose I will first prove the Divine Right and Power of the Magistrate to exact an Oath and with the same labour open a wide door for Christians to come into a Court without pinching their Consciences and bring them in with Christs Authority ●●m ●7 And for private Oaths they may have Christs good leave to use them as well as Jonathan and David had Gods This Case of the Quakers is an Axe laid to the root of Magistracy which fells down all Christian Magistrates as Anti-Christian Tyrants who contrary to Christs command bind themselves and their subjects by Oaths and persecute all them who out of pure Conscience of Christs command and for the honour of Christianity refuse to renounce their Christian Faith which they say cannot be avoided if they take the Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy or any other legitimate Oath 〈…〉 49. Indeed these seemingly tame people are a brood of Vipers like the Adder in Jacobs Prophetick character of Dan which bites the heels of the Horse and makes him throw his Rider I spare the application because it is obvious But I will break the Cockatrices Egg Esa 59.5 I mean this Aphorisme of Anarchy Christians ought not to Swear by the force of Christs prohibition And to make the way plain for proceeding in my Method I shall first inquire to whom the Sermon of our Saviour was Preached and how it reached the present and future Auditors This Sermon was not spoken to Magistrates whether Soveraign or Subordinate but to the Multitude of the people neither is there any part of it which relates to the Magistrates special duty except that severe threatning Mat. 5.19 Whosoever breaks one of the least Commandements of Moses and the Prophets and certainly Thou shalt Swear by the Lord is one of them and not the least he shall be called i. e. esteemed and taken for the least in the Kingdom of Heaven be thought applicable to the Magistrate as well as to the Minister Those precepts therefore of not resisting evil and not judging which if they were given to Magistrates in their politick capacity Mat. 5.37 7.1 do overthrow Tribunals and either disarm the powers ordained of God or tye up the Sword both Civil and Martial in the scabbard concern not Magistrates further than as they are considered in an estate common with them to private persons and are subject to the same duties This is to be taken notice of the rather because some pious Doctors of the ancient Church who lived under Heathen and persecuting Emperors and making no prospect into the latter times wherein Kings according to several Prophesies should kise the Son of God and serve him with their Authority Psal 2.11.12 72.11 138.4 Esa 43.23 60.3 prove the Guardians of both Tables of the Law Defenders of the Faith and Patrons of the Church did think Magistracy it self and the use of the Sword inconsistent with the Christian Faith and it is no marvail if some of latter times were tender of Swearing who mistook the Subject and scope of our Saviours discourse But we must know that our Saviour who was born a King but of such a Kingdome as is not of this World Mat. ● 2 was very sollicitous to decline any thing that favoured of Worldly power and was an cautious in his Sermons of reflecting upon Princes Joh. 18 36 Luc. 12.13.14 Joh. 8.3 11. and very careful to secure the Authority of the Magistrate in his whole conversation and also in his Gospel For his design being the Salvation of all sorts of Men of all Nations indifferently by the Preaching of the Gospel he did insert nothing into it which might rationally obstruct the entertainment of it and especially nothing prejudicial to the power of Princes whereof they are jealously tender that they might have a just aversion from the Faith The Antient Church therefore sung this true and good Anthem unto the Honour of Christ Qui regna das caelestia non eripis terrestria Thou that givest the Heavenly Crown Castest not Earthly Kingdomes down Indeed Christ took the World as he found it and altered nothing in the secular estate of Kings or Subjects but by vertue of his Heavenly power in a spiritual way by his word and spirit established light instead of darkness knowledge and the fear of the true God instead of ignorance and impiety faith in himself instead of Paganism and holiness of heart and life instead of vitiousness in his new erected Kingdom the subjects whereof continued in the same outward estate See 1 Cor. 7.21.22 wherein they were called whether bond or free Subjects or Governors As the grace which came by Jesus Christ entituled no Man to Wealth or Power to which a believer had no right and title before by the Law of Nations and of his own Government under which he lived so it * Pauls Heavenly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 3.20 whereby he was a Citizen of Jerusalem that is above the City of the Living God Heb. 12.22 did not extinguish his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his being a Citizen of Rome which was his Birth-right and that a precious Priviledge neither did the former hinder the Apostle from claiming the benefit of it and making advantage of it See Act. 22 25-29 Act. 16.37.38.39 devested not nor disinherited any of honour or estate nor abridged any secular liberty nor retrenched any publick Authority which the Ministers of Gods Providence were entrusted with for the publick good If it did let that Scripture of the New Testament be produced But none such ever was or can be alleadged Yea many indeed too many to be repeated now are obvious in the Apostolical Writings which manifest the contrary Furthermore as the truth of the Gospel crost no truth See Rom. 13. 1-7 Tit. 3.1 1 Pet. 2 13-18 Eph. 6 1-9 Col. 2.20 c. 4 1. either evident by the light of Natural Reason or revealed by the word of God written so the Grace of

of their Persons but of their Doctrines the reception whereof concerns a Mans own Salvation And if the common reason of all Men directed by such Light as God affords them do enable them to choose that Church among the several pretending Societies of Christians at this day with which he may safely hold Communion then the same reason with the same aids will be sufficient to guide him to determine what Doctrines of Faith and Manners he may safely receive For God hath given unto us all one Rule of Faith and Manners which is common to the Stewards and to the inferiour Servants of his House the Church Neither is it now possible to make a right Judgment of a particular Church but by conferring of their Doctrine with that Rule For the Light cannot be discerned whether it be True or False by the Candlestick but the Candlestick must be judged of by the Light which it upholds and that must be tried by something else Thus it is evident that every one must pass a Sentence within himself of what he must Believe and Doe Our Saviour reproves those who will not employ their Talent of Reason Luk. 12.57 Lam. 3.40 and make use of their Light this way saying But why do ye not even of your selves Judge what is right or just Again every Christian is bound to judge himself for what he hath done to search and try his ways whether they have been and are conformable to the Law of God God hath set up Conscience a Domestick Judge within a Man 's own Brest who is a swift witness and an impartial Judge And the sincere proceeding in judgment of our selves is the certain way both to make and to keep our Peace with God For St. 1 Cor. 11.31 Paul says If we would Judge our selves we should not be judged The Master says Judge not to wit others least ye be judged and the servant says Judge your selves and ye shall not be judged But God the Supreme Judge of all hath delegated his own power to certain Ministers whom he hath honoured with one of his own Names to wit Elohim and armed them with Authority to judge and punish other Men See this Title given to Judges Ps 82.1.6 Ex. 22.28 Act. 23.5 Levit. 19.22 where we should read Honor the face of the old Man and fear thy Judge I am the Lord Age is to be honoured Authority is to be feared if they be proved Malefactors These are by Gods Ordinance advanced to sit upon the Throne of the Lord 1 Chron. 29.23 that they may judge for the Lord 2 Chron. 19.7 and their Sentence pronounced according to Justice and Equity is the Judgement of God Deut. 1.17 This Judicial power derived from above Joh. 19.11 Act. 25.9.10 our Saviour owned in Pontius Pilate and the Apostle St. Paul in Augustus Caesar whom he accounted a compleat Judge even in matters of Religion and therefore made an Appeal from the Jews to the Roman Emperor Briefly it is a main point of Christian Doctrine that Christians must be subject to the Judicial Authority of the Powers ordained by God in the Civil Government of the World Rom. 13.1.6 Tit. 3.1 I will not now run out to shew what spiritual power of Government and Jurisdiction the Lord hath given to his Ministers intrusted with the Pastoral charge for edification and not for destruction which the See Mat. 18.17 19.28 Here our Saviour promises to the twelve Apostles that in the Regeneration when all things are made new under the spiritual Kingdom of the Messiah they shall be the Judges of Gods Israel Read 1 Cor. 5 3.4.5 12.28 2 Cor. 10.8 1 Tim. 5.17.19 Tit. 3.10 Holy Scripture abundantly testifies To conclude then if Christs words Judge not should be taken in their utmost latitude the Lord himself would be taken for the Author of Confusion and not of Peace in the State and in the Church the subverter of his own Ordinances and his Gospel which is a word of Peace would be made an Engine to turn the World upside down Thus we see a necessity of limiting them by the distinction of private persons judging others which cannot be done without the bold intrusion upon Gods Office and of Publick Ministers of Gods Government judging those who are under their Power which is a lawful execution of their delegated authority Secondly Christ hath given us another distinction of the manner of judging in cases wherein Men are allowed to judge For he says Judge not according to the appearance Joh. 7.24 but judge righteous judgment Here is a double charge judge not to wit hastily rashly upon weak grounds of slight and superficial shews and yet judge Righteous Judgment that is according to the Merit of the Cause upon clear evidence I need say no more to shew that this prohibition is not to be understood in an unbounded sense We may observe the like of our Saviours inhibition Mat. 5.39 Mat. 13.38.39 1 Pet. 5.8.9 Jam. 4.7 Heb. 12.4 Phil. 2.17 Apoc. 12.11 But I say unto you resist not Evil which must be limited by the distinctions of the Evil to be resisted and of the persons resisting For every private Christian is a Souldier who must stoutly resist that Evil one that Enemy both of God and Man the Devil and Sin which is the Work of the Devil yea every temptation unto Sin is to be resisted sometimes even unto Blood not actively by shedding the blood of others but passively by suffering our own to be shed and by willingly pouring it out as a drink-offering upon the Sacrifice of our Faith For in the spiritual warfare Christians are more then conquerors when they love not their Lives unto Death itself But the Magistrate is armed with a Sword and hath a Commission to resist every evil work to stop the course and to repress the force of Sin in others for the publick welfare and peace of the State If therefore a Magistrate draw his Sword to execute Justice he must not put it up in his sheath and be quiet if the Malefactor shall say oh Sir you must remember the command of our Saviour Resist not evil and the check given to Peter when he was unseasonably and rashly over-valiant Put up thy Sword into its place Mat. 26.52 for all that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword Thus the resisting evil is unwarrantable in private persons but necessary in publick officers To close up all if it be an intollerable abuse of the Gospel-prohibitions aforesaid to extend them to all occasions whereas in many cases they are not of any force it is equally irrational to stretch this negative Swear not to the utmost extent of the words when they cannot consist with that Law of God written in the Heart of Man which is also established by the Law written by Moses at Gods command and given to his own people for a Rule of Religion and Righteousness and is farther urged by the Prophets who were sparing in pressing carnal Ordinances but earnest in exacting the everlasting Righteousness of God and is confirmed by our Blessed Saviours Declaration that he came not to abrogate any part of that Law nor to infringe any piece of Gods Righteousness whereof an Oath reverently taken upon a just occasion is a part Let the Adversaries then if they can shew a Disparity between these Prohibitions why the one concerning Judging and Resisting must be limited and the other concerning Swearing ought not or may not without injury to our Blessed Saviours Authority In the mean time I conclude in the words of St. Paul who with modesty and care to decline the suspicion of exercising a Dominion over the Faith of his Brethren 2 Cor. 1.24 1. Cor. 10.15 referred his Doctrine to be determined by common reason upon the general principles of Religion I speak as unto Men of discretion judge ye what I say FINIS