render our delinqency excusable And therefore if we examine the sufferings of Saints and Martyrs we shall scarce find that any who were truly called so ever suffered for disobedience in things indifferent and made necessary by lawful Authority Shadrach Mesech and Abednego Dan. 3. were thrown into the fiery furnace rather than they would obey the Kings command But the Command was not in a thing indifferent but quite contrary to the Command of God namely to worship an Image Daniel Ch. 6. was thrown into the Lions Den not because of standing or kneeling in his Devotions but meerly because he prayed unto God And the Woman and her seven sons 2 Macc. 7. embraced Death rather than they would eat Swines flesh But this God had expresly forbidden and had not left it indifferent Saint John Baptist was beheaded for reproving Herods incest St. Stephen for reproving the Jews infidelity And the Apostles underwent Bonds and Imprisonments and Death rather than they would forbear preaching Christ to the unbelieving Jews and Heathens for he had immediately commanded them so to do And that Theban Legion under Mauritius consisting of 6666 Christians suffered death in the days of Dioclesian not for disobedience in an indifferent thing but for refusing to offer Sacrifice to the Heathen Gods None of these suffered for disobedience in things indifferent Nor do we read of any that refused obedience to those indifferent things which the Apostles injoyned as to abstain from things strangled and from blood which after Christ abolished the Ceremonial Law became absolutely of an indifferent nature but did any cry out of intrenchment of their Christian Liberty for this We have therefore neither Precept nor Example for disobedience in such things The Scripture in general commands obedience to God and Man and he has exprest greater displeasure to those who have disobeyed his Substitutes than to those who have more immediately rebelled against himself And therefore we never read that the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up any but such as would not be subject to Earthly Superiours A cup of cold water given to Christ's Disciples he takes as given to himself and the reward shall be accordingly and so disobedience to his Substitutes he takes as to himself For Luke 10.6 He that despiseth you despiseth me Luke 10.10 and he that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obeyeth his Superiors at the same time pays his homage to Christ and this is the Sphere of their Dominion and our Obedience namely things indifferent And this is no new thing for notwithstanding the Church of the Jews had the peculiar Circumstances of God's worship so precisely appointed them yet we find that their Governours did introduce some things of an indifferent nature and therefore we read 1 Chron. 25.1 that David and the Captains of the Host separated to the service of the sons of Asaph and the rest who should Prophesie with Harps and with Psalteries and Cymbals which things were never appointed in the Law They also instituted Feasts and Fasts as the Feast of Dedication and the Feast of Purim which were so far from being blamed by our Saviour that he graced the first of them with his presence as we read Joh. 10.22 And the third and sixth and ninth hours of Prayer had no Injunction to inforce them but Custom or at most a Law of the Jews own making and yet were observed by the Apostles themselves as we may read in these several places of the Acts ch 2.15 3.1 10.9 nor were any of the Customs of the Jews reprehended by our Saviour but such as were contrary to the Law of God delivered in his Word or by the Dictates of Nature Nor will it at all excuse our disobedience if we plead that we see no reason why such and such things should be enjoyned Eor as the virtues of Humility Charity and Meekness are exprest in our obedience to such things So much Pride and Uncharitableness is betray'd by our disobedience for the humble man will consider that although he himself sees no necessity why such things should be commanded yet that his Superiours may to whom God and Nature has made him a Subject and therefore he submits But the proud and self-conceited person scorns to be imposed upon thinks himself at least as wise if not wiser than his Teachers and is ready to cry out with Corah to the Rulers of the people Numb 16.3 Ye take too much upon you Whereas if we see no absolute necessity of our disobedience we must needs be subject And if obedience is to be yielded to no injunction but such as we can see a reason for God himself would have been disobeyed upon this score for he himself has commanded such things as no natural necessity appears to be the Parent For what piece of excellency or what natural necessity was there for Abraham's slaying his innocent son who was Heir of the Promise yet this God commanded and this he would have done had not a counter command stayed his Sacrificing-knife And so what natural intrinsick necessity was there of the cutting off a Child's fore-skin or of washing the hands and garments in order to purification from sin yet these things God commanded and although there appeared no manifest necessity of the Command yet so necessary was obedience that it was performed to them and as God so likwise his servants even under the Gospel have laid upon Men Commands of this nature as the Apostles enjoyned abstinence from things stranled and from blood Such Commands as these have been given by the Supream King of Heaven and by those whom he has appointed Rulers upon Earth and were obeyed and the obedience was crowned with rewards and the disobedience punished with revenge Subjection therefore may be necessary when for ought we know the Command is not and the obedience vertuous and acceptable And where has the great God of Heaven and Earth forbidden the Dij minorum gentium where has he prohibited those of whom he said they are Gods to institute such Ceremonies and appoint such Orders as they shall think are decent or where has he commanded saying Obey not those that Rule over you or Submit not to such Ordinances of Man Let them who call for Scripture to attest every Ceremony shew where God has therein forbidden Superiours to command or us to obey such things and then there may be some tinkling of reason among the the huge Vox praeterea nihil the mighty noise which only serves to amaze the ignorant and to drown the whispers of Seditious Intimations and to deter well-meaning souls from that subjection which Scripture Reason and Experience teaches to be due to Superiours We our selves of our own accord do many things for which God hath given us no particular Command Is it unlawful in it self for a Man to stand or kneel at his Prayers certainly no for if it be it is because it is against some Law of Nature or against some Precept in
Gods Word But it is against none of these and therefore it is not unlawful in it self to do them If therefore it be lawful to do them before they are commanded certainly it is lawful after for since God has made it our duties to obey the Commands of our Superiours their Commands cannot make that unlawful which was lawful before but if nothing is to be done but what is commanded in Scripture expresly in every particular circumstance we shall never finde the true Worship of God either in Geneva or Scotland or Amsterdam it self Therefore the summ is this the Saints and Martyrs of old never suffered for disobedience in things indifferent God has no where prohibited our obedience in such things though we see no reason why they should be commanded for himself has been pleased to appoint such things as do not appear to be naturally necessary and likewise his servants even under the Gospel and he has rewarded such obedience He has also commanded obedience to every ordinance of man Those things before they were ordinances were in themselves lawful and therefore are so after because the Command cannot make them otherwise for he that commands them is appointed by God to this very end that he might command therefore it plainly appears that there is a necessity of Subjection in things indifferent We must needs be subject But wherein lies the necessity this is the Second thing which I come now to treat of how it is necessary that we be subject in things indifferent And before we weigh those Arguments that prove this we must consider that it is impossible to perform the worship of God without such things as before they are commanded are indifferent The whole World both Christians Jews and Heathens agree upon this that God is to be worshipped but at what time in what place with what circumstances is not generally agreed upon Whether on the last or first day of the week whether in a private house or in a publick place set apart for that purpose whether sitting or standing or kneeling is indifferent till the Law of God or man has determined But at some of these times in some of these places with some of these Ceremonies the Worship of God must be performed and there is no man that exclaims against a Ceremony but is his own accuser if he ever sayes his Prayers for he must either use the Ceremony of standing or sitting Luke 18.11 Acts 9.40.20.36.21.5 Mark 14.35 or if he can stoop so low of kneeling or lying prostrate and one of these is as much a Ceremony as another he that stands as stiff as the Pharisee is as ceremonious as he that kneels with the Apostle lies prostrate like our Saviour and in some of these Ceremonies the Worship of God must be performed And since any of them is as lawful as the other the Superiour may appoint which he in Reason and Conscience thinks fitting and in so doing he commands nothing unlawful and therefore we must be subject to either which he shall appoint and that First because God hath so commanded which questionless were of it self a sufficient obligation though alone And he that will deny that God hath so commanded must first erase many places of Scripture For God has as plainly therein commanded honour your Father and Mother and obey those that have the rule over you as he hath said Thou shalt have none other Gods before me Therein also is recorded that as dreadful vengeance has been inflicted upon the disobedient to earthly Governours as upon the rebellious to the King of Heaven Therein also he has plainly told us Mal. 2.7 that The Priests lips should preserve knowledge and that the people should seek the Law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts and were not men plainly obstinate as well as prejudiced they could not but be convinced that the Gospel gives no liberty nor makes so wide a gap for licentiousness as to give them power to do what they list either in matters of spiritual or civil concern Mar. 12.17 1 Pet. 2.17 but manifestly injoynes us to give Caesar his due and not only to Fear God but also to Honour the King And questionless Christ gave not that great power to his Church but with an intent they should be obeyed when he said that whatsoever they should bind on earth should be bound in Heaven Mat. 18.18 and whatsoever they should loose on earth should be loosed in Heaven Matth. 23.3 Nay though Scribes and Pharisees which are Hypocrites sit in Moses his Chair though their lives were not fit for imitation Luke 10.16 yet he tells his disciples their Precepts must be obeyed and whatsoever they say unto them they must doe And if this be the Word of God He that despiseth you despiseth me Rom. 13 1. 1 Pet. 2.13 Let every Soul be subject to the higher power Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man and the like I say if this be the Word of God and this Word of God has any power over us We must be subject Secondly God has not onely injoyned this in his written Word but also in those Precepts of Reason which he has imprinted by the hand of Nature For Unity in the external Worship of him who is one God is necessary for the well-being of the Church For commonly Unity and Peace like Hippocrates his Twins are born and dye together for we know there are no greater Hatred and Animosities in the World than what have risen from Difference in Religion And as the holy Psalmist Ps 113.1 and Reason will inform us that it is a Pleasant thing for Brethren to dwell together in Unity so sad experience will tell us that Division tends to the dissolution of Concord and carries men into war and bloodshed cruelty and oppression and no combustions have been more furious and dreadful than those that have been kindled from Altar set up against Altar for what will not men doe for that Religion that they think is true and for that Cause which they think is Gods and such an Opinion has every man of his own particular cause and therefore will he hazard Life and Estate for promoting it and all that are not of his way are as zealous in procuring advantages for theirs What better expedient therefore can there be to surcease these differences among the Subjects of the Prince of Peace and to unite them in Christian Love and Charity than to prescribe one mode of Worship for all to embrace which is not contrary to the Will of that one God whom we all worship that since there is one Lord one Faith Eph. 4.5 one Baptisme we who profess this one Lord one Faith one Baptism should be also of one mind 2 Cor. 13.11 1 Cor. 1.10 should be perfectly joyned together according to the Apostles injunction in the same minde and in the same judgment And the grand necessity
subject Has God if he has let us know where Is it not rather the secret whisper of fancy or the Itch of vain-glory to be counted sufferers for the sake of Christ Or do we pretend it is the Spirit of God within us that stirs us up to this disobedience and makes us undergo such hardships If we do it is but meerly a pretence For the Spirit of God never contradicts it self And the Apostle St. Paul and other holy Men spake as they were moved by the same Holy Ghost that these Men pretend to be led by and they never told us that we should refuse subjection to such Commands to bring wrath upon our selves But contrariwise the Apostle tells us that for this reason we must be subject that we might avoid the wrath But this is removed at least the effects of it till the great King of Heaven shall render vengeance to all the Children of disobedience But yet there remains a Second Reason of our subjection to Earthly Governours which shall never be removed till the Earth shall be dissolved and the Heavens themselves shall pass away And this also is set down in my Text and that is for Conscience sake out of Conscience we must be subject And that this may appear we must again review those Arguments which prove obedience necessary For if God has commanded subjection if Reason tells us that without it there cannot be Unity and those blessed effects of it to which we are so frequently exhorted That without Subjecton there will be no Order but Confusion that Men are apt to run into Errours And that our Superiours must needs restrain these inclinations If things be thus and thus as by the premised Reasons has been proved then questionless we are bound in Conscience to be subject Nay if not only the Penalties were suspended but even the Commands themselves were so relaxed that every Man might worship God as he pleased nay might choose whether he would worship him or no Yet Justice obliges him to worship him Reason requires that this Worship be performed in Unity And it cannot but appear evident to any that have not wholly disclaimed Reason that should there be such a liberty granted that every Man might worship God as he pleased Men would see such monstrous issues from thence or divisions and distractions such a confusion and disorder and from thence such debate and envy and hatred that all sober good men of what perswasion soever would desire to have some bounds prescrib'd them to keep the Christian World in peace and to limit the extravagancies of Men. So plainly would they see that We must needs be subject even for Conscience-sake But the God of Peace and Unity grant us Wisdom at a cheaper rate and that we may never learn it again by so sad experience And if we would see what manner of posture things would be in if there were no Order appointed in the Worship of God we need not travel far for information we may read enough of it in the sad acts of our late Tragical times to cause Horrour and Consternation in the minds all good Men. Something may be seen in the ruines of the Houses of God in the Land whose rubbish are sad Monuments of unbridled Zeal Sacriledge and Cruelty and Rapine may be glutted if they look back into those days when there was no King or at least no King obeyed in our Israel and every man did that which right in his own Eyes When there were almost as many Modes of Religion as Men and these as variable as the Moon nay as the inconstant hours of Autumn Yet every one at all times pretending to be in the right and all the rest in the wrong So that no Man knew who to trust to or what to hold to That all this tended to the destruction of Peace to the ruine of Humane Society and to the unsetling of all things He that was of one Religion to day to morrow would be of another and the next of a third and at last of none at all As we have seen some who have forsaken the Center and got into the Round and turned from Presbytery to Independency from this to Anabaptism from this to Brownism and from this to Quakerism and so tost about with every wind of Doctrine till at last by the just Judgment of God they have been thrown quite besides all Religion to God or Honesty to man one day denying the dues of the Church the next all other whatsoever for they who at first denyed the Revenues of the Ministry at last proceeded to Opinions that all things should be common and sometimes even to the very practice of Levelling teaching that onely the Righteous should inherit the Earth and all other to be rooted out from the land of the living and themselves though parties chiefly concern'd were Judges and Executioners in the case But I desire that no other use might be made of these sad Memoires than to move us to pity and to pray for those that have been guilty of the sins of Disobedience and Schism that they may repent of them and we may discover what Desolation these Sins have wrought in the Earth that seeing what mischiefs and fatal miseries have proceeded thence we may be convinced that we are bound in Conscience to be subject to prevent such ruine as we may otherwise bring upon our selves and others And thus we see in what things we must be subject In those things which God has commanded and in those things which he has not forbidden for we have neither precept nor example to the contrary No place in the whole Scripture forbids us to obey our Governours neither did ever any of the Martyrs suffer for disobedience in such things Secondly we have also seen the Necessity of our Obedience in such things 1. Because God has so commanded 2. Because Reason also requires it because peace is necessary and this cannot be had without Unity nor will there be Unity without Obedience to those that appoint us the wayes we should observe 3. Because without it there will be no order 4. Because there is a necessity that the Superiour must command Thirdly We have also seen the Apostles reasons why we must be subject 1. For wrath rather submit in such things as God hath not forbidden than incurr the punishment 2. Though no punishment be threatned for Disobedience yet even for Conscience sake we ought to be subject rather than bring such miseries upon our selves and others as are the sad consequence of Disobedience But to conclude all The Providence of the Almighty has plac'd us where there is nothing commanded us contrary to his Will there is not a Circumstance in our Worship not an expression in our LITURGY that God has any where forbidden and therefore questionless we ought to be subject for God has commanded us so to be and if his Word had been silent herein yet Nature and the practice of all Nations has spoken loud enough in the Case because No Worship can be without some Ceremonies No Peace Order or Decency without Unity in those Ceremonies Therefore although it has pleased our Superiours to suspend the Punishment due to Disobedience yet the taking away the Penalty takes away neither the Justice nor convenience of the Command nor the necessity of our Obedience to it if we think we must be subject for Conscience sake If therefore we have any regard to the express Commands of God's Vicegerent who still injoynes Obedience though not upon any penalty if we have any respect to the Will of God himself who has commanded us also for Conscience sake to submit if we have any love to Order to Unity and Peace we must needs be subject if we would not have the most pure Church in the World rent in pieces if we would not have that Religion destroyed which so strictly injoynes Obedience to God Justice and Love and Charity to Man we must be subject There is one thing though not the onely thing which has given occasion to some undiscerning or uncharitable persons to refuse Subjection and that is the wicked lives of some who pretend to belong to our Church But let us endeavour to have our Conversations as unblamable as her Constitutions that the malice of the Adversary may yet have less cause to object and the unwary may not have this for an Argument Your lives are bad therefore your Religion is naught And let such as make this an occasion of their Separation be entreated to consider That they ought not to persecute that Religion with Schism which others have smitten with profaneness for the Religion may be good though the Professors of it be bad and that Christs Religion was never the worse because one of his Apostles had a Devil And let us be entreated by the words of Saint Paul Phil. 2.1 2. If there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Love if any fellowship of the Spirit to fulfill the joy of all good men that we be like minded having the same love being of one accord and of one mind And that we may be so the same Apostle gives a very fit expedient and intreats us to use it Rom. 16.17 Now I beseech you brethren mark those that cause division and offences contrary to the doctrine you have received and avoid them not out of curiosity frequenting the Assemblies of those that divide from us lest God punish our Curiosity by giving us up to be ensnared by their Errours And let us submit to the supream King of Heaven and to the great Bishop of our Souls and to the Powers upon Earth for his sake that at the last day when he shall summon us all to appear before his dreadful Tribunal we may be received where we shall enjoy eternal Peace and Unity and Uniformity together with Angels and Saints who have obeyed him in this and all other his Commands and have been subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake To which blessed Society may he in his good time conduct us who is the God of peace to whom together with the Son and Holy Ghost be ascribed as is most due all Praise Honour and Adoration hence forth and for evermore Amen FINIS