Testimony of Athanasius for this place being an account of the Publick Prayers made by himself for Constantius the Emperour though he had remeved him from his Pastoral charge In his Apologie to Constantius Witness hereof saith he is first the Lord who heard us and granted unto you the intire Empire which was left unto you by your Ancestors then those who at that time were present for the words I used were these onely Let us pray for the welfare of the most religious Emperour Constantius and the whole People with one voice cried presently O Christ be favourable to Constantius and so continued praying a long time And then he concludes Let truth take place with you and leave not the whole Church under a suspition as though such things as tended to the death of Constans should be thought on or written by Christians and especially by Bishops Athanasius was also accused for celebrating Publick Prayers in the Church of Alexandria which he confesseth he did being urged thereto by the importunity of the People that they might pray for the welfare of the Emperour in that Church which he himself had builded being ready otherwise to go out of the City and to assemble themselves in the Desarts But thus he expostulates with the Emperour And you O King most beloved of God where would you have had the People stretch out their hands and pray for you there where the Pagans did pass by or in the place which bore your name and which from the first foundation thereof all men did call a Church And then he prays thus for the Emperour O Lord Christ who art indeed King of kings the onely begotten Son of God the Word and Wisdom of the Father because the People have implored thy goodness and by thee called upon thy Father who is God over all for the welfare of thy most religious servant Constantius I am now accused And then speaking to the Emperour You do not forbid but are willing that all men should pray knowing that this is the Prayer of all that you may live in safetie and continually reign in peace And as for you O Emperour beloved of God many years I pray you may live and accomplish the Dedication of this Church for those Prayers that are made therein for your welfare do no way hinder the solemnitie of the Dedication And whereas Athanasius was accused also for not obeying the Emperours Command to depart from Alexandria he says I do not oppose the Command of your Majestie God forbid I am not such a man as would oppose the very Treasurer of the Citie much less so great an Emperour I was not so mad as to oppose such a Command of yours I neither did oppose it nor will enter into Alexandria until you of your humanitie be pleased I shall so do If old Gregory was of another mind it was but one Doctors Opinion And I think our Author in the same case is a Dissenter from all Christian Divines as well as from the Church of England and from Mr. Baxter too who saies that hurtful prayers and desires are seldom from God and he speaks it in the very case of Julian p. 17. of his Direct part 4. I shall here add the example of that Legion which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or the Thundring Legion consisting of 6666 Christians under marcus Aurelius of whom Zephiline speaks thus The Emperours Army being in great distress for want of water and being compassed about by their Adversaries the Praefect of the Praetorians told Marcus That there was nothing which those Christians could not obtain by their Prayers Marcus therefore desired the Praefect that he would intreat them to pray unto their God which they had no sooner done but the Lord by thunder and lightning discomfited their enemies and with seasonable showers refreshed the whole Army which otherwise might have perished St. Ambrose was another of those Lachrymists which our Author derides he lived under Valentinian the younger another Arian Emperour and yet as Ruffinus says of him Hist Eccless l. 2. c. 26. he did not defend himself by his hand or weapon but with fastings and continual watchings and remaining under Gods Altar by his Prayers prevailed with God to be a Defender both of him and his Church I will give you St Ambrose his own words to his Church at Millain I will never forsake you willingly being constrained I know not how to make opposition Dolere potero potero flere potero gemere adversus arma Milites Gothos Lachrymae meae arma sunt talia enim munimenta sunt Sacerdotis aliter NEC DEBEO NEC POSSUM RESISTERE I can sorrow I can weep I can sigh against Arms Souldiers and Goths Tears are my weapons for such is the Munition of a Priest in any other manner I OVGHT NOT I CANNOT RESIST And his People were much of the same mind as he describes it Epist. 33. or as in some Editions the 13. Ad Marcellinam What could have been better spoken by Christian men than that which the Holy Ghost spake in you this day Rogamus Auguste non pugnamus We entreat O Emperour we fight not we are not afraid yet we entreat This saith St. Ambrose doth become Christians that both the tranquillity of peace be desired by them and their constancie in faith and truth should not be deserted no not with the peril of death And in his Tract de Renovatione fidelium Laude magis scribendum est non tam male facere non posse quam nolle whereof St. Peter told us the sence long before 1 Pet. 2.19 This is thank-worthie to God if a man endure grief suffering wrongfully And that man doth certainly suffer wrongfully that hath the Laws of God and man on his side But there is no Law of God for resistance of a lawful Magistrate The Apostle did not calculate his Doctrine for the three first Centuries under Heathen and that it should expire under Christian Magistrates the Spirit of God foresaw that Kings should be nursing Fathers to his Church and made good Laws for the securitie thereof but he never meant that Princes should be resisted though in some things they should act contrary to those Laws So that when our Author demands by what Law we must die p. 81. and answers Not by the Law of God for being of that Religion which he approves I answer Yes 1. By the Law of God rather than make resistance that we may bear testimony to that Law by suffering of death for our Religion rather than to violate it by our Rebellion 2. By the Laws of our Country too for though by the favour of Christian Princes many good Laws are made for obedient Subjects which the Prince may not violate without his great sin against God yet hath the Supreme Authority of the Land provided especially for the security of the Prince who is a Common good We see how in Nature light things do sometimes descend and things that are heavie
without breaking his Allegiance for bearing true Faith and Loyalty of life and limb or any way injuring the King for the King may be at Westminster when they are fighting against him in the Field And it is not Julian they resist but the Devil that is in him And yet I suppose that our Author as the Law requires hath declared his abhorrence of that traiterous Position of taking Arms by his authoritie against his person or against those that are commissionated by him But where shall we go to be resolved in this weighty Case shall we go to the Romish Casuists they are positively for killing the King Mariana and Bellarmine and many others own it in divers cases But we need not go so far our Author hath tanquam ex Tripode determined it in the Case of Julian that such a King is to be pursued as if he were a Midnight-Thief or a Highway Robber p. 73. and 't is as lawful to destroy him as for a hungrie Welsh man to eat up his Cheese and cry Chud eat meer an chad it p. 95. To this end Our Author quoteth Gregory calling on the Angels whose work it was to destroy the Tyrant who had not killed a Sihon King of the Amorites nor an Og the King of Basan but in so doing had killed the Dragon an Apostate the great Designer the common Enemy and Adversary of all with an c. p. 23. And again p. 61. If any one had killed Julian he was not to be blamed no but to be rewarded rather as one who shewed himself so courageous for God and for that Religion which he approves St. Chrysostom in his first Homily of David and Saul teacheth another Doctrine If we reverence and fear those Magistrates saith he that are elected by the King although they be wicked although they be Thieves and Robbers although they be unjust and whatever they be not despising them for their wickedness but standing in awe of them for the dignitie of him that did elect them much more ought we thus to do in the Case of God And Gregory Nazianzen speaks home to the Case in that 27 Oration p. 171. Continue faithful to your Kings but first of all to God and for him to them also to whom you have been committed by him And Elias Cretensis gives this Reason for it Because if ye fear God and studiously observe his Commandments you will be faithful also to your Kings for Gods sake Now Julian's Souldiers as our Author says p. 8. were men principl'd in the true Religion and therefore thought Julian stood in fear of them as he says yet they never did him hurt by Open Rebellion or Secret Conspiracies nor is our Author too old to learn of them P. 92. He sums up the strength of what hath been said in these Five PROPOSITIONS ANSWER 1. Christianitie destroys no mans Natural or Civil Rights but confirms them 1. Christianity obligeth us to prefer our Spiritual and Eternal Rights above our Temporal and Civil 2. All men have both a Natural and Civil Right and Property in their Lives till they have forfeited them by the Laws of their Country 2. Our Lives are to be parted with in obedience to God's Laws though not forfeited by the Laws of our Country 3. When the laws of God and of our Country interfere and it is made death by the Law of the Land to be a good Christian then we are to lay down our Lives for Christ sake This is the onely case wherein the Gospel requires Passive Obedience namely when the Laws are against a man And this was the Case of the first Christians 3. It is not the onely Case wherein the Gospel requires Passive Obedience when the Laws are against a man There was no Law of the Romans by which Christ might be put to death yet when he suffered he threatned not leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2.19 20 21. and hereunto we are called To what to suffer though wrongfully v. 19. and take it patiently for Conscience sake towards God 4. That killing of a man contrary to Law is Murder 4. If we suffer death wrongfully it is Martyrdom and acceptable to God though it be Murder in our Enemies 5. That every man is bound to prevent Murder as far as the Law allows and ought not to submit to be murdered if he can help it 5. We may so by our appeal to the Supreme Magistrate as St. Paul when he was like to be condemned contrary to Law appealed to Caesar having all the Law on his side Acts 25.8 Neither against the Law of the Jews nor against the Temple nor yet against Caesar have I offended yet doubtless if Caesar had condemned him he would have patiently submitted after the Example of his Master though he could have had Legions of Angels to defend him P. 93. Now I desire those men who of late have thundred in all publick places with the Thebaean Legion to keep that complete and admirable Example till they have got another Maximian and till that Maximian hath got authority at once to cut 6666 throats I think there was never more need than now to press that noble Example for though we have not a Maximian but another Constantine set over us no Julian that commands us to sacrifice to Idols but One that makes it his business that we should all with one consent worship God and our Saviour in the beauty of Holiness Though he have all the Laws of God and man to secure him from malitious and violent men yet how are the tongues of wicked men sharpned against him and all his Ministers in Church and State How are all those devilish arts of Calumny and Reproach the fears and jealousies of Arbitrary Power and Popery renewed which encouraged a Rebellious multitude to the cutting of the throats not of one Legion but of twenty at least and the cutting off the head of a most incomparable Prince too Would the Thebaean Legion that laid down their lives at the Command of a Maximian have murtered a word against so good a Governour And when the same things are attempted a second time shall we not bring forth the Thebaean Legion to withstand such impious practices and rise up in judgment against them who notwithstanding the Laws of God and our Country too would not onely decimate us but if it were in their power destroy us as Nero wisht that the Citizens of Rome had but one Neck that he might cut them all off at a stroke I would gladly add the consideration of the Thundering Legion to this of the Thebaean They by their Prayers obtained relief from Heaven and Victory too for the Army of a persecuting Heathen we are taught to pray for the Confusion of a Christian Prince But this shall suffice Under those cruel Emperours Dioclesian and Maximian that most illustrious example of Passive Obedience presenteth it self to our view which the Thebaean Legion shewed consisting of 6666
Bishops who were denied to vote in case of Bloud did joyn or were consulted with And Cambden observes that the same day when the Sentence was pronounc'd against the Queen of Scots it was declared by the Delegates and Judges of the Kingdom That that Sentence should derogate nothing from the Right or Honour of James King of Scots but that he should be in the same Estate Order and Right as if that Sentence had never been given p. 465. So that the whole matter being considered here was no Exclusion of a Popish Successour but rather a tacit confirmation of one that was a Protestant and consequently it must be a great slander on those worthy Bishops by him named that they were zealous for such Acts of Exclusion for the business of the Queen of Scots did concern matters of Treason such as you say might exclude her out of the world as also the Reasons of Sir Simon d'Ewes tended to the taking away of her life and therefore come not home to the Case of Succession nor does Sir Simon tell us whose Reasons they were and I suspect them to be the Opinions of some private person who having spoken all-along in the plural number he discovereth himself at the end in these words God I trust in time shall open her Majesties eyes to see their cruel purposes c. P. 18. You say what another hath said before you That a Bill of Exclusion is a perfect Courtship to these Reasons True if the Heir apparent or presumptive were under the same circumstance with that Queen but 't is perfect Cruelty to endeavour the like Exclusion of a Popish Successour as such onely not onely from his Right but out of his Life And now no man else needs turn his fury or reproaches upon those Bishops you have done that sufficiently As for your Protestation p. 19. that if but one Reason can be given to prove a Bill of Exclusion to be unlawful which will be owned to be a Reason a week after and the owners not be ashamed you do solemnly promise to joyn in renouncing those Old Reformers and readily follow their New Guides and Lights The Apostle gives you a Reason which is of eternal verity viz. We may not do evil that good may come of it And he assures you that the condemnation of such as affirm the contrary is just Rom. 3.8 And to any but an Ignoramus that of Dan. 4.25 may serve as another Reason The most High ruleth in the Kingdom of men and giveth it to whom he will To which adde If it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest ye be found to fight against God Acts 4.39 And for your renouncing the Old Reformers you have done that with the utmost spite and reproach that all the Wit of a Julian or the Malice of a Colledge of Jesuits could invent as if they had been the Judges and Executioners of the Queen of Scots under the Notion of a Popish Successor Wherefore I would advise our Author to consider what occasion he hath given to the Enemies of that Church whereof I suppose him a Member if not a Priest to reproach her for from this Story of his no doubt it was that the scurrilous and Bedlam-Author of the Pamphlet called Crape-Gownorum hath thus commented It is plain that the Church of England men did hold King-killing or Queen-killing Doctrine which is the same thing so that if Knox Buchanan or Calvin first taught the Speculative part the other meaning those Bishops named by our Author first put it in practice and set the fatal president that others followed that is in the murder of King Charles the first for at that he aims when he threatneth us to let 641 sleep in Oblivion lest we awake 587. intimating that what was done in the process of that War viz. that barbarous Murther perpetrated on the Royal Person of Charles the First may be justified on the Principles of our Reformers Whatever may be told in Gath and published in the streets of Askalon to make those Philistims rejoyce I cannot permit this diabolical Slander to pass without a brand on the Author of it here at home and to vindicate those Worthies and silence our Adversaries the Jesuits and to prevent the ill consequents of this Forgery which may stir up the Phanaticks of this Nation to act over our former Tragedies I shall first relate the matter of fact and the grounds of that Severity which was used against that Queen and shew you the most deliberate Judgment of those Reverend Bishops in the Case of Resisting lawful Authority First As to the matter of fact it is beyond denial that the Queen of Scots married the Lord Darly a Subject to the Crown of England who being slain whether by her consent or not I will not determine but she was questioned by her Subjects for incontinent living the death of her Husband and for Tyranny and was forced to resigne her Crown to her Son then about thirteen months old so that she was no longer a Crowned head After which she raiseth an Army and is defeated by Murray and being imprisoned makes an escape into England where a Council was called to consult how to dispose of her It was resolved that to let her pass into France might prove dangerous and worse to send her back to Scotland And to prevent farther mischief she should not be dismissed from England till she had made satisfaction for the death of her Husband a Subject and Peer of England and for usurping the Arms of England and pretending a Title to the Crown During her restraint here she contrives many Plots against the Peace of the Nation both with France by the Duke of Guise and D'Alva Governour of the Netherlands and at home by the Dukes of Northumberland to whom she promised marriage and Westmoreland who raised a Rebellion in the North for her Rescue both which suffered the first was beheaded the last died in Exile By her instigation a Bull was sent from Rome discharging the Subjects of England from their Obedience to the Queen Then follows the Conspiracy of Tho. and Edw. Stanly Sons to the Earl of Darby Several Invasions were also made in Ireland to disturb that Kingdom by the joynt Counsels of the King of Spain and Pope Gregory the 13th and a swarm of Jesuits are sent into England and contrive with Throgmorton Paget and others for another Insurrection which was prevented The Nobles and Gentry seeing no hopes of Peace through such daily practices entered into an Association to prosecute all those even to death that should attempt any thing against the Queen and prevailed for a closer restraint of her which notwithstanding one Babington conveyed Letters between Her and France and engaged divers to murther the Queen which was discovered to Secretary Walsingham as also the manner how the Queen of Scots conveyed Letters to the Spanish Embassador and other Confederates whereupon fourteen of them were executed and in the Parliament
see to enfeeble the whole Fabrick And here you may be instructed what you ought to say and do when a Prince as you phrase it shall put a border of Popery about his Picture which you would fain honour namely as these noble Confessors did We reverence your Person and Authoritie we will fight your Battles and follow your Commands but if you will draw us to Idolatry though by the Laws we might resist we will rather die at your Feet than do either This is the Faith and Patience of those exemplarie Souldiers and this may serve also to free you from those afflicting thoughts which had almost made you to forget a passage of great consequence which riseth up against all that you have said delivered by St. Augustine on Psal 124. to this effect That the Christian Souldiers served under this Heathen Emperour and where their Religion was not concerned made conscience of obeying him but where it came to the Cause of Christ there they made as much conscience of disobeying him True they would not obey him but neither would they rise up against him though as you take for granted they had the Law on their side They would lose their Lives rather than offend God or rebel against their Emperour which is the very thing that St. Augustin perswades having shewn that Servants must obey their froward Masters Quod de domino ac servo dixi hoc de Regibus intelligite commending Julians Souldiers who for the sake of their Master in Heaven did serve their Earthly master P. 26. You would have the Reader take notice that the whole Contest between Julian and those Christians was purely on the score of Religion and not from any lawless and ungovernable humour And certainly such lawless and ungovernable humours as you mention did no way become the Christian Religion for that instructs us to practice meekness and forbearance not to avenge our selves but to give place to wrath not to speak evil of Dignities or curse the Rulers of the people Whereas you present them under such a black Character as would make some believe that they were the Apostates and Persecutors and not Julian They are almost your own words p. 66. For how do they treat the Emperour reproaching him ruffling him vexing every Vein in his Royal Heart saying all their Prayers backward and calling down vengeance upon his head dancing and leaping for joy at his death and insulting over his Memory and but for the name of Christians he had better fallen among Barbarians and when he often put them in mind of their Christianitie they call him by the bloudiest names of the Devil for telling them they must not avenge themselves nor render evil for evil but pray for and wish well to those that injure and persecute them and tell him he must not think to drive all men up to the top and Pinacle of Virtue for there are several Commands in the Gospel which are no more than Counsels of perfection which bring Honour and Reward to them that keep them but to those that do not keep them no manner of danger at all Pudet haec Opprobria c. I am sorry to hear that distinction applied to the practice of those Vertues which do more especially discriminate Christians and shew them to be of a more excellent spirit than other men For we need such graces as these in our daily conversation and what do we more than others if we onely be kind and loving to them that are so to us Yet this distinction of Counsels and Precepts will be but a sorry excuse for such as neglect those Duties enjoyned Matth. 5.44 c. If these and such-like are Counsels and we may do as the Julian Christians are said to do the design of the Gospel is quite another thing than what all the learned and serious professors of it in all Ages have believed and practised Non tali auxilio aut defensoribus istis Christus egit I have heard of some that have turned the Gospel into Burlesque but it is more strange that one whom I suppose a Minister of the Gospel should make the grand design of it Ridicule P. 26. As for the Souldiers fighting under Julian against the Persians or any common enemy and obeying the word of Command when they received his Pay it is such a low part of Honesty that our Author would have done it himself for his Pay But he that would have fought for Julian will scarce sit down quiet under a Popish Prince which he thinks to be ten times worse than a Julian and probably would rejoyce as much at such a slippery trick as was shewed to Julian in Persia as he saies those Christians did that lived under him For why are these things propounded and applauded but to commend them as examples to the present Generation But I hope we shall not have many such Reformado's You say p. 26. Every body knows how the Church was rent in sunder by Arianism And there might be too much stiffness and rigidness on the other hand about words for ought I know but miserably rent it was which gave great advantage to Julian against the Christian Religion I know not what our Author means in excusing the Arians and charging the Orthodox with too much stiffness What more dangerous Errour could there be than to oppose the Deity of Christ and deny the Lord that bought them In such a Case and when almost the whole world was turned Arian the Orthodox could not be too stout and resolute and if there were so good an Effect of a bad Cause as the Vnion of Christians under Julian I wish our fears of what you call a greater evil might have the like effect on us whose Divisions have not so great a cause as abjuring the Deity of our Saviour was And he that shall extenuate that cause of dissention as if inconsiderable and but a mistake about words as our Author after Mr. Baxter hath done and yet aggravate the grounds of Division among our selves as if the Scrupulosity which the Dissenters so pertinaciously defend were as Mr. Hunt saies from God hath quite out-run the Men of Rippon for Contradictions Zeal like another Satyr he can blow hot and cold he is extremely hot in Punctilio's and as cold in Fundamentals he serves some other Interest than that of Peace Truth or Piety P. 27. Now what did the Christians do Did the Orthodox go and side with Julian to revenge the injuries which they received from the Arians in Constantius 's time or make use of Julians favour which he shewed in restoring them to crush their brethren which dissented from them No there was no seeking to him by either side Onely the Donastists of Africk complemented him and received some small favour from him The design of Julian's recalling the Orthodox Bishops was as Ecclesiastical Historians affirm either to cast an Odium on Constantius who had banished them or to dash them and the Arians and
his Opinion with the Heathen Libanius that he who killed him was a Christian although I have quoted two Authors who aver that it was done by the hand of an Enemie Yet to serve his Hypothesis that it is lawful for a Christian to kill a Heathen Emperour he will needs cast it on the Christians Yet our Author p. 60. says Truly this is a strange concession but that which we may more wonder at is that Zozomen should justifie such a traiterous Assassination as he doth in these words p. 60. It is not improbable that some one of the Souldiers might take into consideration how the Heathens and all men to this day do still praise those who long since have killed Tyrants as men that were willing to die for the Common Libertie and defended in that manner their Country men Kinsmen and Friends and you can hardly blame him who shews himself so courageous for God and for that Religion which he approves in Zozomen's words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. quam colebat referring not to God but the Votarie And then at this rate the Murder of the two Henries of France and that of our Royal Soveraign may be justified by our Author's Rule because they were slain as Enemies to that Religion which their Assassinates professed A very dangerous insinuation this and not fit to be presented to such a Prince as Theodosius was Yet that Author speaks of the Opinion of the Heathen Greeks and of slaying Tyrants in the days of old not after Christianitie prevailed that teacheth a contrary behaviour They were the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and they were Heathens that commended them for the ancient Greek Cities had wholly rejected the Government of Kings and set up Aristocracie or Democracie so that in time the word Tyrannus which in a good old sence signified a King was by them generally used for a Tyrant or Oppressor and if any such attempted the reducing their Popular Government into Monarchie they thought it lawful to kill them But will this warrant a Clement or Ravilliack to assassinate their Prince or a High Court of Justice to murder their King If Zozomen or our Author mean this I look on them as Heathen Greeks still of whom it hath been observed Inter Regem Tyrannum non discernunt Graii Lampridius wondered that no man slew Heliogabalus the Tyrant Cum Neroni Vitellio Caligulae caeterisque hujusmodi nunquam Tyrannicida defuerit But no such thing was attempted by good Christians An Answer to our Author's CHAP. VIII How they used his Memory DE mortuis nil nisi bonum That we ought to speak well of the dead or nothing is a Rule commonly received by all men To trample on a dead Lion is no point of valour much less to rail at them that have received the just punishment of their sins Such language therefore as Gregory useth and our Author would have inscribed on Julian 's Pillars long after his death was as unseasonable as it would have been offensive in his life-time viz. p. 63. Thou Persecutor next to Herod thou Traitor next to Judas onely thou hast not testified thy Repentance by hanging thy self thou killer of Christ after Pilate and next to the Jews thou hater of God These are very hard names in the mouth of a Divine concerning a dead Emperour Well may our Author say he is wearie of such reproachful and ignominious Titles which the Christian Tongues lavishly bestowed on him Doubtless you cannot find in all the rest of the Ecclesiastical Historians such as these and if an Index expurgatorius had past onely on such Sentences it would have been less culpable than it is But what Protestants say you ever treated their worst Persecutors at this rate Shall I tell you again what sort of Protestants treated not a Persecutor but a meek and gracious Prince at a far worse rate And who ever called Queen Mary Mad Bitch Sir you do very ill to prepare such expressions for the Vulgar Children are too apt to learn naughty things of their Teachers Some have called a Queen of England by the names of Proserpine and Lupam Anglicanam which I forbear to English But what little reason there was for all these passionate Expressions you shew us in the next An Answer to our Author's CHAP. IX Reflections on the Behaviour of those Christians JUlian 's Persecution was but a Flea-biting to what the Christians formerly felt a short and weak assault of the Devil so that if any fell from Christianitie they were ridiculously overcome and if they persevered it was no great matter to lose a Trade or Profession for their Religion and this was the greatest severitie says our Author of all Julian 's Edicts To speak properly he was rather a Tempter than a Persecutor seducing some with Money others with Places of Trust and Honours of all sorts others by the witchcraft of his words and by his own example And as for what he designed against Christianitie it was far short of what other Emperours had executed So far our Author whom I must name lest you should not think it his For how could the man of such a Character deserve all those virulent expressions of Gregory of which before or those rudenesses of some Christians which follow in our Author p. 66. How do the Christians treat this Emperour reproaching him ruffling with him vexing every vein in his royal Heart saying all their Prayers backwards calling down vengeance upon his head dancing and leaping for joy at his death and insulting over his memory calling him by the bloudiest names of the Devil P. 67. and pray mark them they are our Authors words But for he name of Christians he had better fallen among Barbarians And would our Author have these to be examples for true Protestants But doth not our Author also say his lesson backward and write a Panegyrick for Julian and Invectives against Christians Or is it his meaning that if a Prince incline though but a little to Tyranny or Irreligion it is lawful to use him as those Christians did Julian He doth plainly at once Calumniate the whole body of Christians and their Teachers in that Age from the mis-behaviours of a few and seeks to debauch the present Generation which are too bad already Julian taught better Doctrine to them that were his Christian Subjects though he did it spightfully Not to avenge themselves not to go to Law nor render evil for evil but pray for and wish well to their persecutors than you do for their behaviour towards their Princes and that spightfully enough for this as you acknowledge is a right course to gloss away all their duty and to break all the measures by which all the Ancient and Suffering Christians have gone in all former persecutions And doth it become a Christian or a Divine one that would be numbred among the more peaceable and stricter sort of his Brethren to vent such things What to deride the prayers and tears the faith
Dissentions if every Subject should be permitted to dispute the lawfulness of such Commands as are enjoyned him not by his Prince alone but by the mature deliberation of his Council especially when as it is with us every one hath his vote in chusing those Counsellor that in our names consent to the Laws This were to do what is foretold by Solomon Prov. 20.25 After vows to make enquiry It is a pernicious Opinion that hath infected too many of this Age That though we do not actively obey the Princes Commands yet if we submit to the Penalty the Law is satisfied and we are free from guilt In answer to which I say 1. That Obedience is more than Non-resistance it must be active and cheerful as in paying Tribute and Custom so in other parts of obedience to go and come and do what is commanded 2. Suffering or paying the penaltie is not the chief intention of the Law but the duty of Obedience without which the ends of Government will be frustrated viz. Peace and good Order 3. The Law of God enjoyns us to obey the Laws of men that are not contrary to his Law Now though we satisfie the Law of our Country by bearing the penalty yet the Law of God is not thereby satisfied that Law requires Repentance and Amendment i. e. that we do so no more As in that instance of frequenting Divine Service we do not think a Papist hath satisfied the Law when he pays Twelve pence neither indeed do others For it is Gods Law that is broken who commands us not to forsake the publick Assemblies and to obey them that have the rule over us For we are to obey for Conscience sake i. e. because of the obligation which the Command of God hath laid upon us And when the Magistrate calls for our obedience in this or that particular which is not against Gods Word God commands our obedience to him he having Gods Authority in such cases and to disobey is not onely to disobey man but God Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake and for Conscience sake and the penalty of disobedience is damnation So that it is an Atheistical Suggestion that Rulers and Tyrants did first invent Religion to keep men in awe For although no other Terrours are sufficient to keep men in obedience but those of Hell and eternal Damnation because men may carry on their mischievous designs so secretly or with such a high hand as to escape punishment in this life yet it is not man but God that requireth obedience even to humane Laws under the Severest Sanctions of Eternal Death .. Object But what if the thing commanded be not good then we owe no Obedience for the Magistrate is no longer Gods Minister than he commands for God When he commands against God he commands without Authority and so we may disobey him without sin Answ There are but two Rules whereby we are to judge whether the Commands of our Superiours are good or not The first is the Law of God and when we make that our Rule we must be as sure that the Word of God condemns what the Magistrates command as we are sure that God commands us to obey our Magistrate And in all reason we should chuse what is our most plain and indispensable duty before that which is doubtful especially when the penalty of not obeying is no less than Damnation for that is the wages of sin or disobedience to Gods Law 2. A second Rule is the Laws of men which do bind the Conscience when the Command is not contrary to Gods Word So that the Case to be resolved is onely this What we must do when the Magistrate commands things which we judge not expedient In which case considering especially our circumstances the Laws established being such as we our selves have consented to it is too late for us to dispute the inexpediency of them for so there can never be an establishment it being impossible to make such Laws as may not be excepted against by some especially such as transgress the Laws In such cases therefore the Magistrate not the Subject is to expound the Law It is sufficient that the Laws have a tendencie to the publick and more general good though some private men may suffer in the Execution of them And when resisting those Laws which are made will do more hurt than good we ought to obey them though we suffer unjustly in so doing As Dr. Sanderson gives an instance in Souldiers who for their Cowardise or some other crime are adjudged to be punished in a way of Decimation i. e. every tenth man now although some of those that suffer may be guiltless and valiant men yet the private inconvenience must be endured rather than a publick mischief should be tolerated Of this the Learned Casuist speaks so largely and satisfactorily that I shall refer my Reader to his last Praelection p. 356. De Obligatione Conscientiae When we are commanded to do what we apprehend not to be for our good we must have a double consideration First to the person commanding who is Gods Minister and therefore may not be resisted though in the second place he abuse his power in commanding what is not good or lawful For if in this case we resist we usurp the Power and invade and destroy the Order and Government that God hath set over us If we might resist when we apprehend that we are commanded things against our Religion our Laws or Liberties then there could be no such thing as Rebellion and then there would not long be any such thing as Religion Libertie or Government in the world Doubtless the Apostle was sensible what kind of Governours were in Rome when he wrote his Epistle namely such as commanded for the most part things that were impious yet we read not of any resistance and doubtless those Primitive Christians best knew the Apostles mind and practised accordingly THE REASONS For not resisting Wicked Princes BEcause 1. He is Gods Minister For the Lords sake we must submit saith St. Peter and for Conscience sake i. e. for the Obligation that God hath laid upon us as he is Gods Minister This swayed with David He was the Lords Anointed and therefore he could not lift up a hand against him nor would St. Paul speak evil of any of the Rulers of the People For to speak evil of them is accounted as Blasphemy and Disobedience is as Sacriledge And as St. Paul A resisting of the Ordinance of God Obj. As he is Gods Minister for good we are ready to obey him but when he commands what is evil he is no longer Gods Minister but the Devils and we ought not to obey him Ans He is Gods Minister still as to his Office though in respect of the abuse of it by unrighteous Actions he do the work of the Devil And many times God placeth cruel and unrighteous Kings as a just Judgment over an unrighteous people