Levites went a begging and one Tribe went to war with another to decide that by the longest sword which a few hours serious debate and reference to publick Justice would have peaceably determined And as it serves thus by way of prevention so again 't is by this that wholsome Laws are made and executed that Justice is done that Peace is preserved that Vice is punish'd that Virtue is encouraged that human Society is kept on foot that we enjoy our selves and that we may serve our God The Apostle gives it us in short that we may live quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. And if this can be a vain Invention that ferves to all these purposes I am very much mistaken Let us therefore admire it as a wise and gracious provision of God that we have such a Rank and Order of men set up amongst us as should do all this for us and be as Fathers of their Countreys and Shepheards of the People and Nurse of the Church and Heirs of restraâ—nt and God's among men through whose vigilancy all others might sleep through whose care they might be secure through whose publick employment they might attend their private such as might be Sanctuaries to the Friendless Treasuries to the Poor Shields to the oppressed a Praise to them that do Well and a Terror to Evil-doers And well is it for the World that this last part of their Office is in any competent measure discharged for 't is too obvious that most of the Civility Honesty and Religion too that is amongst us is owing unto it men generally walk more by sight than by faith and the Magistrates Halter scares more than the Ministers Hell and though this restraint upon wicked men by virtue of the Magistrates sword doth not finally save their own souls yet undoubtedly it saves a great many other folks lives which is so material a consideration that with it I will shut up the Expository part of my Discourse and come to Application Since the Magistrates Sword as it emblems Vse 1. his Authority is not in vain as to its Author or End neither ought it be in vain as to its Execution or Effect It ought not to be in vain in the execution This is only applicable to the Magistrate and as subordinate too for the making of Laws and imposing them that is the Potestas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Legislative power is in the Supream But the execution of Law and Administration of Justice to the people is the work of the Subalterne Officers and Deputies under him Give me leave then to be the Rembrancer only of such that according to the Duty of their places they would be pleased to put the King's Laws into execution lest they be thought otherwise by God and the People to bear the sword in vain The good of the publick depends much upon subordinate means Let the Kingdom be never so well provided of a Wise and Gracious Prince and of good and wholesome Laws if they that are to be the eyes hands and feet of him that is the head be either lame or blind how necessarily must the whole Body suffer And if they that are to be as the Arteries and Veins to convey the Life-Blood of Law and Justice through the parts do not perform their Office nutrition must cease and consumption must invade and both will be charged upon that obstruction 'T is granted the King's Authority virtually extends it self throughout his whole Dominions but how can it be actually exerted in particular and various places without faithful and diligent Ministers under him Let the Lord-Lieutenant in a County or the Mayor in a City be a St. George on a Signe-post and the people will represent the King of the Countrey but as a King in a Comedy by and by Let the stagnation or stop of Justice be in the lower Vessels it presently redounds to the detriment of the Head endangers the Body of the Government and in a little time brings an unprofitableness upon the Ordinance of God unprofitableness did I say yea it perverts it and makes it serve quite contrary ends than it was in tended for If the Magistrate be couchant 't is ten to one but disorder and misrule will be rampant If the Governor be a Log no wonder if the Frogs and Vermin leap and croak about it Unexecuted Law first gives impunity to Vice and consequently Courage for Evils unsupprest will soon grow insolent and in a short time what was Leave at first will come to be Law and a better Law than the Law it self at last And the face of the Common-wealth shall be much what as the sluggards field in Prov. 24. 31. Overgrown with Briars and Thorns Wormwood and Hemlock instead of those Plants of Renown Righteousness and Peace and Order and Truth and Obedience Gentlemen I beseech you mistake me not I am not so pragmatick as to go about to teach you your Duty which must needs know better than I my designe is only to mind you of it and to excite you to diligence and faithfulness in it you have your Rule before you the Law of the Land and that Blessed be God wise for its contrivance safe for its end and useful for its effect 'T is not medling beyond this your Rule that I would tempt you to but actting according to it I think is justly expectable at your hands But so much for general Use now let me proceed to a modest particularity And First for you Sir who must by and by resigne up your Sword into another hand I have but two things to offer to you Take the best care you can that you go off the Stage with as much innocence as you came on for besides personal faults there are a sort of sins called Nostra â—liena our other folks sins that a year of May oralty may be apt to be charged deeply withal Give glory to God in the humble confession of them and crave his pardon in and through the merits of Jesus and what you want of perfection a thing the best come short of endeavour to make up in your integrity Be but able to make good Samuels close 1 Sam 12. 3. Whose Ox or whose Ass have I taken whom have I defrauded of whose hand have I received any Bribe I mean let but God and your own Conscience acquit you and no matter whether the People give their Plaudite or no. Moreover I desire you Sir to remember that though you now cease to be a kind of Dictator in this Government yet you must continue to be Consul and though the main Load shall be taken off your Shoulders yet you must be willing to lend a hand to the burthen still And this you have reason to esteem not only your Honor but your Happiness because thereby you have an opportunity of playing an after-game and consequently of amending what you shall see amiss in the fore one But if there
A SERMON PREACH'D at the Cathedral of Norwich UPON THE Annual Solemnity OF THE Mayors Admision to his Office being June 17. 1679. By B. Rively Curate of St. Andrews Parish in the said CITY Published at the Request and with the Leave of all his Superiors in that Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 3. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 3. 14. In the SAVOY Printed by T. N. for Samnel Lownds and are to be sold at his Shop over against Exeter-Exchange in the Strand MDCLXXIX A SERMON PREACH'D at the CATHEDRAL of NORWICH Upon the Annual Solemnity of the Mayor's Admission to his Office being June 17. 1679. Rom the 13th Vers the 14th For he beareth not the Sword in vain WHatever some misopineing and mispractising Christians of late have Taught the World to the contrary there can be no Greater Friend to Civil Government whether Supream or Subordinate than Christian Religion is And for Proof of it if all other parts of the New Testament were silent the Five first Verses of this Chapter would be sufficient In the whole Discourse you have Two Generals 1. strict and universally concerning Precept And 2. Mighty strong Arguments to back it The Precept is in the first words of the Chapters Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authorities set over them Civil Authorities having jus gladii as in my Text 'T was here the Roman Emperor and his Lieutenants for the word is taken for the Persons of Governors as well as for their Power To these every Soul is by the Christian Apostle enjoyned Subjection 'T is a Catholick Precept and given to the Roman Christians whether under Claudius or Nero 't is not material for they were both Persecutors and therefore how any that boast themselves Catholick and own themselves of the Romish Communion yet living under a very Constantine and Theodosius can Evade the Force of it I understand not Again 't is a Precept of the Christian Religion given to the first Christians by an Eminent Apostle and Disseminator of that Religion and therefore how any that pretend to that Name especially such as do it more Nicely and Separately then the rest of their Brethren should be made to boggle at it I do as little understand as I did before Yet so it is As Catholick as it is there are whole Orders of Men in the Romish Church that think themselves unconcerned with it And as Christian as it is there were of old and are still whole Sects and Parties of Men in the purer part of the Christian Church that seek to elude and baffle it Therefore 't is well our Divine Author doth not barely propound it but enforces it with strong Reasons which I come next to consider 1. The first Argument for this Universal Subjection to Civil Government is drawn from its Divine Original For there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordain'd of God Vers 1. Here not only Power in general but the particular Order and Polity of it whether in the hand of a Nero or a Constantine in a Supream or a Subordinate is made to be a Sacred Institution There is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both in the words whereby it is asserted not onely to derive from God as the first mover and highest principle in the rank of Beings but to come of God too as the efficient cause And therefore disobedience on this account must needs be the more Criminal as being upon the matter a fighting against God a russling and perturbing the Order and appointment of Heaven 2. Argument from the sin and danger of resistance vers 2. Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and incurs Damnation First T is resistance of the Ordinance of God and so 't is a sin for sin in its pr per nature is the transgression of a Law and 't is the greater sin because against a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Living Law for so the Magistrate is 't is against Gods Image as well as his Word Against the Power of God in the hand of Man T is all one who Commands God's Word or God's Vicegerent provided he commands nothing contrary to that Word This Consideration at once invites Obedience and aggravates Disobedience Besides 2. A person so sinning incurs damnation which is a mighty danger the most terrible thing within the compass of human apprehension importing not only temporal punishment but without repentance eternal too And if fear be one of the most operative passions in the Human Soul what should so just a cause of it produce 3. Argument from the end and use of Government in respect both of good and evil men ver 3. 4. For Magistrates are not to be feared for good works but for evil Wilt thou then be without fear of the power do well so shalt thou have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God for they wealth but if thou do evil fear for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to take vengeance on him that doeth evil As if he had said 't vere a huge mistake to imagine that Kings and Governors were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vain and empty names of no benefit or service in the Common-wealth For how should Vice receive its condigne punishment or Virtue come by its proper Guerdon and Reward but this way How should the publick Peace be preserved the common Good be maintained or particular Rights be defended but this way Better set under a Bramble-bush than have no shelter at all It was better with Israel under Abimelech than when there was no Magistrate in the Land to put them to shame in any thing Let Governors be what they will as to their personal faults Foxes as Herod Lions as Nero yet by the designe of their Place and Office they are the Ministers of God to men for their good Gods Sword bearers towards evil-doers and Gods Shield-bearers towards them that do well Therefore for them that should be Subjects under what pretence soever to cast off all aw and regard to Authority to turn Mutinous Rebellious or Seditious and to lift up a Battoon of popular fury against this Sword of regular jurisdiction is to spoil and defeat the most wise and experienced Instrument of Good that ever was in the world 4. Argument from the necessity of subjection and the nature of that necessity ver 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c wherefore ye must needs be subject and that not only for wrath but also for conscience sake as much as to say 'T is not a point of in lifferency and arbitrary Choice that I am now upon but of necessary Duty such as you cannot handsomly avoid nor can any company of men in the world consulting to make a Law against it possibly render it null or absolve you from it 'T is a practice we are held
evils of Anarchy and Lawlessness doth come into your Mindes you may justly place it to this account Whole Nations and Kingdoms and Common-wealths and Cities and Churches and all Societies of Men and Millions of single persons too so far as unbiast Reason and a sound temper of Mind doth prevail are able to give in their experimental testimony to all this I was fain I confess to put in that Parenthesis so far as unbiast Reason and a sound temper of Mind doth prevail with reference to single persons because in the Christian Church more is the Scandal there hath been diverse forts of Anti-Magistratical spirits some that have sought to Fight down all other lesser Monarchies with the Introduction of a Fifth Great One which some would have Christs and some his Vicars Others would distinguish-down Magistracy by allowing the Heathen not the Christian Magistracy and alleadging that now the Sword is a Carnal Weapon and ought to be laid aside and that the Christian ought to be a Law to himself and nâ—ded not to be in Subjection or Servitude to any Man since the Liberty obtained for him by Christ But how opposite soever this seems to be to the Doctrine of the usefulness of Civil Power and State-Government I shall not need to spend time in its Redargution because it hath more of Delirium than Sound Argument in it it falls apieces of it self As for that of the Swords being a Carnal Weapon and so not usable under the Gospel that 's onely to be understood I presume while it s out of their own hands for their Design is only by this means to get it there and then they have a Scabbard for it themselves but it shall sleep no longer in it then till some Heretical Prince or such like Enemy to the Saints come in its way This is not onely verified in the Sanctify'd Cut-Throats of Rome but in John-a-Leydens Crew a great while agoe and in the Levelling-Party you know when and in another late Rabble of English Mammaluks and in a later then that of Scatch Enthusiasts which yet might be all the Same Men for ought I know but Under several Disguises As for their Fifth Monarchy under King Jesus 't is a device quite contrary to Christ's own assertion who plainly tells us his Kingdom is not of this World and how then can it come into Rank and Order with other worldly Kingdoms so as to be called Fifth or Sixth As for that of less need of Magistracy upon pretence of more Religion since Christ sure God did never designe such a present perfection should suddenly come upon men together with his Gospel that all other means of their good should be necessarily superseded but the Gospel of Christ was to be the power of God unto mens salvation as bringing a blessing upon and an efficacy into other means which were lawful before amongst which doubtless this of Civil Government was one and might therefore keep its standing Indeed if we could make men there would be less need to make Magistrates but still there would be need too for when a man is as much a Saint as he can yet he is not an Angel he may do evil and preventing Justice is an excellent part of the Magistrates Office but what need I talk at this rate I would all were honest men that call themselves Saints You know Moses had a hard taske on 't though most of his charge were Church-members .. A flock of innocent sheep must have a Shepheard for tho there be no Wolves in the flock there may be some about it and some may be crept in too for ought you and I know for W olves in Sheeps cloathing you have heard of before now In fine as for that so much vaunted liberty by Christ the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Antimagistratical men as they construeit 't is a plain Lye Christ brought in no such thing as they pretend to 'T is a liberty from sin but not from Duty 'T is a liberty from Lust but not from Law 'T is a liberty from Satans Tyranny but not from God's Service In a word 't is pure Liberty not a Licentiousness that comes in by Christ No man is authorised to do what he list but what God and his Ministers would have him for all this Liberty by Christ all other bonds of like nature hold as that of Children to Parents of Servants to Masters of Wives to Husbands and why should not this of Subjects to their Governors and Princes do so too 'T is against the Principles the Profession I and the very Interest of Christianity to think otherwise as might abundantly be proved if it were my present Province But I have said enough already in a matter to which the sense of all good Christians since Constantine and the Prayers of all before him do agree It remains therefore not withstanding all this Libertine Talk that I proceed a little tell you that State-Government is no vain thing no not now under the Gospel but the best Uses and Ends it always served for it serves for still and for some better than it could serve for before because a Christian as such hath a bigger fraught in the ship of the Common-wealth than any other man and besides his Life and Liberty Safety Property Peace which he hath by the benefit of the Government he lives under preserved to him in common with other subjects he hath also his Religion safe guarded and defended and therefore that Government by which this Jewel in comparison whereof all the other things are but Lumber is secured unto him must needs be of greater service and benefit The better men are the more taste they have of the good of Government partly because their interest is dearest which is preserved by it as I hinted just now and partly because the miseries of Anarchy fall heaviest upon such being by their practice the more exposed to envy and mischief from wicked men and by their principles more disarmed from private revenge But I shall not confine my discourse onely to them take any man in the latitude of a Subject and if he hath but a spark of Reason awake in him that will inspire him with another sence of Government then to permit it to be thought a vain thing 'T is by this that he can say any thing is his that he sits under his own Vine and Figtree in quiet that his House is his Castle That every spleenful man is not Master of his life that the Common-wealth is not a Cyclops Den where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That things are not disputed amongst men as amongst dogs that is by the Teeth and the greater force That our places are not over-run with Malefactors and Criminals which are the worst sort of Vermin and Wild Beasts as for example When there was no King in Israel every one did that which was right in his own eyes that is just right wrong every Micah had a house of God's and the