in Humane laws there is use thereof so that if in regard of the matter we cannot obey actively yet in regard of the lawful authority he hath from God we should obey passively and not resist Therefore in obedience to Divine laws we look first to the Author in obedience to Humane laws we look first at the matter 5. Divine laws require internal obedience even of external actions which God can examine and judge but humane laws are satisfied with external obedience because the Court of man meerly can go no further Indeed obedience should be given to men heartily but this comes under the law of God and is not included in the law of man 6. Humane laws do more properly binde the person Divine laws do binde the conscience directly because we cannot dissent from the matter of the command as we cannot but dissent from some laws of men For the conscience being intellectual cannot close with that which appeareth to be wrong and cannot but embrace in its assent that which appeareth to be right as sutable to the law of God So that liberty of Conscience as to Humane laws is not in regard of it self infringed by them So then these things being premised by virtue of the former texts it is easie to conclude negatively There is no goodness consisting in the nature of inobedience much less of disobedience to the laws of men And those that pretend to a duty of obedience only to God and Christ and not to man are not obedient to God and Christ As for that plea of some to follow their conscience is good they follow their conscience it is a very weak one and needs no answer but in courtesie This makes it not simply good to be inobedient that herein they follow their Conscience which doth not necessarily but by evil accident dictate this to them 2. To follow conscience simply is not simply good but to follow conscience regulated by the Law of God for then St. Paul had done well in persecuting the Church of Christ according to his conscience with Zeal Those that follow their conscience erroneous negatively or affirmatively they do not sin in the formality against conscience because they do according to it yet they sin in the matter against the Law of God which ought to rectifie their conscience The erroneous conscience as the rule is does not binde them to do so because it is erroneous but it bindes them not to do against it because it is conscience Therefore as we should have a quick conscience to move so should we have an informed conscience to direct otherwise we may do as some have done the Divels work in Gods name That of Tacitus is very considerable Plurasaepè peccantur dum demeremur quà m dum offend mus in thinking to do well we often offend more then in plain offenses So then there is no urging conscience for things bad Affirmatively now there is a goodness belonging to humane obedience in the right state of it first if there be authority in him that makes the Law External power doth not morally ground obedience which hath relation to due authority 2. For the matter of the law it must not be contrary to the Law of God because no man can be bound against the Law of God who is absolute in his authority and infallible in his reason of Law 3. In respect of the formal motive of this obedience to man and this should be their love to the Law of God who hath commanded it as before So that the principal object in this obedience to man is God Under these conditions of obedience to man what should hinder but that this obedience should be part of our goodness which we have now so great reason to commend And it is included in our obedience to God in the fifth Commandement And Supreme Governours are reasonably comprehended under Parents because they are such superiours to us because they are as Fathers of the Countrey and because Kingly government as Aristotle also is rationally grounded in jure paterno And therefore if there be any goodness in obedience to the precepts of God then there must be goodness pro parte in this obedience to humane laws And if those sins are the greater and wasting the Conscience as Divines say which have in them most dangerous consequences towards the vastation of Societies then what should be thought of those men that deny all duty of obedience to men and make it to be a duty to be disobedient In Judg. 17.6 it is said In those days there was no King in Israel but every one did that which was good in his own eyes Whereby it is inferred that when there was a King they did what was appointed and the want of a King then is signified to be the cause of corruption of Religion which might have been restrained by him Indeed if after the lawful command of a lawful Magistrate it were free for us to do what we pleased then not only would there not be any virtue in obedience but also there would not be the nature of obedience conserved And therefore although humane laws cannot properly and in themselves binde the Conscience yet I do not yet see those things being considered which are to be considered how the person should not be bound in conscience to obey the law if the thing be not opposite to the law of God or to submit to his authority if he be the lawful Magistrate It is true Calvin who had the hap to mould Religion in way of opposition to the Romane tyranny denyes all obligation of conscience by humane laws as being contrary to Christian liberty in his third Book of Institutions the 19. chapter Only to avoid scandal he says we ought to abstain from the use of our liberty in charity to a weak brother This supposition of his many embrace only they adde that humane laws do also binde against contempt With respect to any that differ me thinks this must not serve If they binde only in these cases what will become of humane laws To what purpose are those Divine precepts of obedience to men Will not every one say though they do nothing in obedience they do not contemn the authority And yet indeed some have cruelly contemned it So that they have not stood to their own principles herein And that binding against contempt respects authority in things unlawful Is there no more respect to be given to authority in things lawful and convenient And if they binde besides this only in case of scandal then first put case one thinks in his conscience he is bound in conscience to be obedient is he in an error or not If he be not why are not they of the same mind If he be in an error what will they do towards him If they do not obey they offend him if they do obey they harden him in his error 2. If they binde only in case of scandal besides the other case before then even
after imposition of them by lawful authority they are yet in the state and condition of things indifferent for even in these things charity bindes against the use of liberty in point of scandal And so we shall make nothing of authority and so we shall disanul the Ordinance and Laws of God 3. Whensoever they do not obey they give scandal to some or other therefore as towards practice they should always obey 4. Had they the authority and power in their hands would they be contented with such obedience No they would not be contented but would have the world know that their laws are the laws of Christ and whosoever is not obedient is a rebel to Christ And therefore though I have no minde to differ from any one yet if I have liberty of conscience I cannot in conscience joyn with them in this their supposition Neither can we imagin how those cases of scandal and contempt can give satisfaction when they are applyed unto the former texts which require obedience Are we to give obedience to the law of God which commands obedience to the laws of men rightly qualified only in case of scandal or can we conceive that under obedience to lawful Magistrates in lawful things there is no more to be understood then if there be no scandal by inobedience no contempt by disobedience Shall we think he hath no power in things indifferent for if his power be only in the punishing of those who are breakers of the Laws of God and rewarding of those that are observers thereof then is our obedience injoyned to him only passive Therefore if the question be thus stated whether humane laws do binde the Conscience in these terms absolutely taken it is denied because we are assured that no man hath of himself any authority over the conscience and because we cannot be assured that that which is commanded by virtue of his command is right but if the question be stated thus Whether we are bound in conscience to obey a lawful Magistrate in lawful commands not only in the former respects I have no scruple sufficient against the affirmative One Argument may be this All Gods Commandements doe binde in conscience That we should be obedient to humane laws is one of Gods Commandements and therefore are we bound in conscience to be obedient to humane laws because we are bound to Gods law concerning them By the Law Divine we are obliged in conscience to them by manner of the object of the thing If we compare the humane law with the Divine law touching it the humane law in the whole is considered but as a particular matter of the Divine law And if we be bound in conscience to the law of God in all matters of it how should we not be bound to the Law of God in this So that if we do not obey we do not offend a weak brother only but the great God by whom Kings reign 2. We are more bound to our Civil Parents then children are bound to their natural Parents But children are bound in conscience to their natural Parents so then we are bound in conscience to our Civil Parents That we are more subject to our Civil Parents appeareth in several regards because first the dayes we are preserved in are more happy then those we were born in since the condition of our birth is uncertain as the Orator saith well 2. The natural Parent hath not authority of life and death over the childe as the Civil Parent hath which is given him immediately by God as is noted since the people even upon supposal of election cannot give him this as having not power over their own lives And 3. Because even the natural Parents are subjects to the Civil Parent so that if the natural parent should bid his childe do one thing and the Civil parent should bid him do another the command of the natural parent must be sinked in obedience to the Civil as the rule is The precept of the inferior doth not binde when it is contrary to the precept of the superior Now for the Assumption that children are bound in conscience to be obedient to their parents who in conscience can deny since they have this impression in them by law of nature which bindes the natural conscience as Rom. 2.15 and because also their obedience hath a Divine promise annexed to the command of God that they should be obedient to them Ephes 6.2 Honour there is to be expounded by obedience in the first verse Now what promise can we say is made by God but in order to such obedience as we are not in conscience free to Indeed they should be obedient to their parents in the Lord as in the text But this doth not derogate from their due obedience but doth qualifie it It doth not abate their subjection in those things wherein they should be subject but doth restrain the extension of it Or it doth terminate their obedience in God doth not withdraw any lawful respect to their parents therefore the next words in the 2. verse are Honour thy Father and thy Mother Thus in brief as towards our obligations to laws Civil and the goodness of obedience thereunto But some there are who will make a difference betwixt our obligedness to laws Civil and laws Ecclesiastical To this in few and in way of propositions First with us the supreme authority for the constitution of Ecclesiastical things is the same and therefore there can be no difference on that part And as for them who hold that no Civil authority is necessary to the sanction of orders for the Church if they could make their supposition good they would further the conclusion for so the authority is more immediately from Christ himself 2. Ecclesiastical constitutions which have the same authority with us in regard of their original issue of Supreme power are like to binde as much as Civil by reason of as great assistance to be presumed for the framing of them as for the framing of those which are political since we have a promise from Christ of his blessing successively to the greatest actions to be sure of the Church in the end of St. Matthew I will be with you to the end of the world which doth not only respect Credends but Agends also And there is a reason of such assistance in order to the third proposition The peace of the Church unto which the Ecclesiastical constitutions doe binde in uniformity is as considerable as the peace of the Nation And if then the political laws do binde as to the preservation of the publique good in order and peace and strength and plenty then why should not laws of the Church be as valid in obliging unto unity and peace and order and defence against the adversaries thereof And this is strengthned by the fourth proposition which respects the end of all the orders of the Church which is better to dispose them by the means of grace which are dispensed in
him who knows his own law and thy heart In the course of thy secular affaires the debate in thy soul betwixt interess and duty goeth thus by carnall reason which speaks for interess thou art advised thus If I goe this way I shall get much and I shall live splendidly I shall be made then conscience which is for God and duty adviseth otherwise If thou doest thus thou doest undoe thy immortall soul and thus it sticks a while peradventure But then carnall reason which is eager to satisfie the appetite inordinate deviseth how to satisfie consoience about the lawfulness in such cases and either puts it off with easie arguments or determins tumultuously against it Alas poor Christian how long will the pleasure of this resolution hold untill the heat of the appetite and of the advantage be over Then conscience returns and doubles the sorrow of guilt and when the lust of thy interess is cooled filleth thy soul with nothing but horrour Or if thy conscience by thy habit of sin and Gods judgment be layed fast asleep yet remember there is a trumpet which will awaken thee and it Think upon it and that great Assize and before thou doest conclude what to do in a case of doubt meditate with thy selfe which part Affirmative or Negative is nearest unto virtue and which thou wilt wish thou hadst taken when thou dost appear at the Iudgment seat of Christ and do accordingly Wherefore hath God put in thee an ability of flying back in thy mind upon time and actions past unto repentance and so also of running forwards in the thoughts of what is to come but that by the presensation of that formidable tryall thou mightest prevent repentance and condemnation repentance now condemnation then Thou hast a small voice within thee to direct thy practice and to check thy errours and to threaten thee with another manner of proceeding at the day of judgment There is another voice without thee the voice of the Minister who is to lift up his voice like a trumpet as the Prophet was bidden to tell thee of thy sins and what thou must expect when the judge cometh if thou doest not mende Do not silence the first voice nor the second Refuse to hear neither of these But if thou doest there is another great voice of a Trumpet of the Arch-angel which at last will sound and will awaken thee Think as the Father did that thou doest hear alwayes sounding in thy ears the Trumpet Arise ye dead and come to judgment This Supreme and last Court will examine and judge and sentence our thoughts our words our actions will cut up and lay open all our plots and designes and private haunts and undeliberated motions and will sentence them in their guilt though it doth not redound to the person through Christ unto those who are in him accepted unto life and glory O sweet sentence Come ye blessed But what confusion and amazement will fall upon the wicked then when the universe shall be dissolved by that terrible conflagration when conscience shall then loudly accuse Christ shall everlastingly condemn and Satan shall take them home to be punished with him because they have been obedient to him against the law of God the dictates of conscience the tenders of grace and reconciliation So just it is with God to appoint Satan for their Executioner of punishment whom they have served as a Tempter in their sin as Aquinas notes O that dismall sentence Goe ye cursed Goe then into thy closet and think seriously of these things Adventure all rather then the losse of thy immortal soul in an everlasting death Make peace with thy God through Christ betimes before there is no peace to be made Consider the differences of those two places but two there is no place for a third And if thou beest tempted of Satan through the world by the flesh with hopes or fears to forsake God or Christ or the truth or righteousness say as the Martyr said whom St. Basil speaks of that they cannot threaten thee with any thing so bad as Hell and they cannot offer thee any thing so good as Heaven thou art worse threatned and better offered Be as wise now as thou wilt wish thou hadst been when that day cometh CHAP. XII WEE have hitherto spoken somewhat in commendation of Goodnesse in severall parts of it The formall respect of this goodness as hath been touched doth lie in obedience of our actions unto God And in this we have not as I know of any dissenters All carrie up in true obedience a respect to God from whom the commandement of service and worship doth come But the present world seems to make it a great question whether there be any goodness accountable in obedience to lawfull authority amongst men either in Civill or Ecclesiasticall things And they do in effect place a goodness in inobedience thereunto since they will not allow any degree of goodness unto those who will not relinquish conformity to former principles Yea too many have put an high godliness in high disobedience to some known laws I have been moved to think upon this case and it doth somewhat concern me Therefore first Negatively where unto we shall premise some cautionary conclusions to avoid misprision 1. We do not say that there is no goodness in any of those who are inobedient to men Some may be led away in simplicity of their hearts as is said of the people who went with rebellious Absalom and followed him It may be some think that those who complied with the present turnes were in this wise men but it is best for them to be simple otherwise their sin is the greater 2. We do not say that inobedience to that which is bad is not good That which is not good it is good to decline understanding that which is not good not of things indifferent which in themselves are neither good nor bad but of that which is unlawfull 3. We do not put an equality betwixt the laws of God and the laws of Men God forbid For 1. Humane laws cannot injoyne any new doctrine of faith to be subscribed or new worship to be practised this belongs to the written Word of God which is the adequate rule of faith and worship 2. Divine laws require intuitive ebedience as coming from God who hath authority absolutely supreme and cannot command any thing bad Humane laws require but a limited and conditionate obedience as comming neither from absolute authority but subordinate to God and also may though he cannot justly impose that which is not right Therefore 3. Divine laws binde immediately but Humane laws binde by mediation of the Divine law in general as Matth. 23.2 Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13 Heb. 13.17 to name no more 4. There is no distinction of duty by active or passive obedience in the laws of God because the authority is absolutely absolute and the matter morally good therefore commanded or good because commanded by him but