instruments of so good a work especially such as remove impediments out of the way shall against all envy and aemulation have their own testimony and honour according to the Hebrew Sentence Nisi ipse elevasset lapidem non fuisset inventa sub eo haec margarita if the stone had not been lifted the pearle had not been found under it Die Mercurii 28. Maii. 1645. IT is this day ordered by the Lords in Parliament that Mr. HENDERSON who preached this day before the LORDS in Parliament is hereby thanked for the great paines he tooke in his Sermon And is desired by their Lordships to print and publish the same which his not to be printed or reprinted by any but by Authority under his own hand Jo Browne Cler Parliament ERRATA PAge 5. line 10. read forth p. 10. l. 9. for indure r. obdure p. 22. l. 26. r. naturall l. 28. r. him p. 25. l. 11. r. clownishnes A SERMON PREACHED Before the Right Honorable House of LORDS JOHN 18. 36 Jesus answered My Kingdome is not of this world if my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Iewes But now is my Kingdome not from hence 37 Pilate therefore said unto him Art thou a King then Iesus answered thou sayest that I am a King To this end was I borne and for this cause came I unto the world that I should beare witnesse of the truth every one that is of the truth heareth my voice IT is acknowledged and universally confessed that Justice or Righteousnesse is a noble and most excellent vertue When the diâ—pute was betwixt Justice and Fortitude Righteousnesse and Courage whether of the two should have the first place both of them being most noble Vertues Justice was preferred because Courage without Justice is of nouse but if all men were just there should be no need of Courage or Fortitude This Justice is a constant and perpetuall will of giving unto every one his due it rendreth to the inferiour what is due to him to the equall what he ought to have and to the superiour but most of all to God and to his Sonne Jesus Christ who are supream what belongeth to them There be in these dayes many complaints of the want of military skill and courage for the truth and cause of God but the complaint of the want of Justice is more just For if all men were just the former complaint would be silenced And there be many complaints of inferiors of equals and of superiors that they receive not that which belongeth unto them but the Sonne of God who is supream and soveraigne above all may more justly complaine that he getteth not his right which is the greatest injustice in the world and the cause of so great injustice amongst men And therefore the cause of the great wrath of God which to deprecate and to turn away we are humbled before God and doe afflict our souls this day Oh that the conclusion might be a resolution in all according to their places and callings to render unto Christ his own right This parcell of Scripture containing the answer of Jesus Christ unto Pilate before whom hee witnessed a good confession holdeth forth his right for being accused by Pilate of the highest degree of ambition sedition and rebellion and indeed of no lesse then laese-Majestie he desendeth himselfe by discovering the causes of these Tragedies and by revealing the mysteries of his Kingdome confessing that he was indeed a King but withall shewing that his Kingdome needed not to be formidable either to Pilate to his master Tiberius or to any in authority because his Kingdome was not of this world This he maketh manifest from the common condition and manner of earthly Kingdomes and Kings which have their Souldiers and Guards that fight for them and defend them from violence but he maketh not use of any this being the end of his Kingdome that the truth of the Gospel may prevail and reigne in the hearts and lives of men against the tyranny of darknesse and lies Nor should it seeme any thing strange that hee hath so many adversaries and his Kingdom findeth so great opposition in the world there being so few whether of the Church or State that submit themselves to be captived and ruled by the truth none are subjects of his Kingdome to obey his voyce but such as by regeneration are the children of the truth which is parallell to what he saith Matth. 11.19 But wisdome is justified of her children There be four principall points aimed at in the Text First the dominion and soveraignty of Christ My Kingdome Secondly the condition and quality of the Kingdome of Christ negatively expressed as best serving his present intention My Kingdome is not of this world Thirdly the end and use of his Kingdome that the truth may have place among the children of men for their salvation and eternall happinesse To this end was Iborn and for this cause came I unto the world that I should be are witnesse unto the truth Fourthly the subjects of the Kingdome of Christ such as heare the voyce of Christ and obey his will Every one that is of the truth heareth my voyce The knowledge of the first is necessary that the Son of God may have his due and we may be humbled for not rendring it unto him The knowledge of the second is necessary that Kings Princes and great ones in the world may have what is due unto them lest from their unjust suspitions and evill grounded jealousies they become enemies to the Kingdome of Christ and that they may be humbled for lodging any such thoughts or fears in their hearts The third is necessary to be knowne that we may have the benefit intended for us in the Gospel and be humbled that we have not endeavoured as we ought to find the comfort and power of the truth in our hearts and lives And the fourth is necessary that wee may henceforth shew ourselves to be the children of truth and willing subjects of the Kingdome of the Sonne of God That Jesus Christ is not onely our Prophet revealing unto us the whole will of God by the Law discovering unto us our sinne and wretchednesse and by the Gospel righteousnesse and life and our Priest by himselfe offered in a sacrifice purging us from sin and arraying us with long garments clean and white which is the righteousnesse of the Saints but that as our supream Lord and King by his mighty power and soveraignty he ruleth in us and over us conserveth and maintaineth our blessed estate thus revealed and purchased against all enemies is a truth as necessary for us to know but never enough acknowledged so very much insisted on in Scripture as may appeare First by the Titles of honour and dignity put upon him A Commander a Captain a Ruler of Governour a Prince Michael the great Prince a King the Prince of the Kings of the earth the
King of Kings and Lord of Lords the Lord of all By these Titles is he known in the way of eminencie What is most eminent in Rulers Princes or Kings all their excellencies and flowers of perfection are most eminently and egregiously found in him in the way of negation all their errors infirmities and imperfections which are many and too many are farre from him and in the way of causation as they speak for with him is the originall and prime cause of all that is excellent in them Secondly by the many great and glorious promises and prophesies of the Kingdome of Christ which cannot be reckoned up so many are they in this shortnesse of time and are to every one that readeth the Prophesies of the old Testament so obvious Thirdly the same is manifest by the administration and execution of his office in giving lawes unto his people and executing them in giving gifts unto his servants for the good of his people in ruling his people by his Word and Spirit in defending and delivering them from their enemies and in subduing and destroying their enemies in the end Fourthly the same is evident also by the homage and honour which the whole Church militant and triumphant give unto him And I beheld and I heard the voyce of many Angels round about the Throne and the living Creatures and the Elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a lowd voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdome and strength and honour and glory and blessing And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are of the sea and all that are in them heard I saying Blessing honour glory and power be unto him that sits upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for ever and ever Rev. 5.11 12 13. It requireth an heart ready to indite and a tongue as the pen of a ready Writer to set forth the praises of this King Psal 45.1 Only three things I would say from the descriptions which we have in Scripture One is that the Kingdome of Christ was first made known to the Church when the promise was made to our first parents The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent Gen. 3.15 The second is that since that time till this day he hath been reigning in the midst of his enemies not onely after his coming in our flesh but before the times of the Patriarcks and Prophets and ever was known to the subjects of his Kingdome The third is that his Kingdome hath been sometimes more obscure and under a cloud as in the times of the old Testament howsoever even then his hand was stretched out in delivering his people out of Egypt in leading them through the wildernesse and possessing them in the land of promise And at the time of his suffering howsoever the beames of his bringhtnesse did shine through the dark cloud at other times the lustre and brightnesse thereof hath been more apparant as at the time of his exaltation Thou art my Sonne this day this day of thy glorious resurrection have I begotten thee fulfilled the decree and declared thee to be the Sonne of God A Commentary whereof we have Phil. 2.9 10 11. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earch and things under the earth And that every tongne should confesse that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father And Ephes 4.8 When he ascended up on high he led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men These were his servants who were sent forth to preach and proclaim him to be King And although men ought to be sparing in determining the manner the measure the time and indurance of a greater glory of the Kingdome of Christ on earth to come yet have we reason to hope for great things at the bringing in of the ancient people of God but ought so to hope for it that for the present we may behold Christ reigning in his spiritual Kingdome and to take heed that the expectation of that which is future be not a prejudice to that which is present and is come to passe in our dayes more then in former times Some perhaps may think that this is no great matter or deep mystery since no man can acknowledge Christ to be the eternall Sonne of God but he must also confesse that he is King and Lord and that all honour and Titles of honour are due unto him To which I answer first that there be many whatsoever for their credit they may professe to the contrary who do not in their hearts beleeve that the Lord God as a great King ruleth the world for they fight against the light of Nature and abuse their power and policie no lesse then if they could rule the world without God God is not in all their thoughts Psal 10.4 Secondly a man may know that God is King and Ruler and yet be ignorant that Christ God and Man is King Nature which teacheth that there is a Godhead leadeth also to a providence but the other is a grand mystery which cannot be conceived but supernaturally Thirdly we are to understand that Christ hath a twofold right unto his Kingdome one by nature as he is God the other by donation as he is Man To me is given all power in heaven and in earth so that the man Jesus Christ which is a great mystery and which the world beleeveth not hath prerogative and power above all creatures in earth and in heaven above all Nobles Princes and Kings and which is more above all Angels Principalities and Powers Having thus shewed that Christ hath a Kingdome which made him to say My Kingdome I would now make some use of this point but that I conceive it to be more convenient first to speak of the quality of the Kingdome of Christ and having joyned both together That he is a King and that his Kingdome is not of this world to give the uses of both at once The quality then of the Kingdome of Christ negatively is this That his Kingdome is not of this world it is not an earthly or worldly Kingdome and therefore by consequence must be a spirituall and heavenly Kingdome As it is a Kingdome it hath many things common with the Kingdomes of the world both the one and the other are of God both for God and his glory both for the good of the people This being a perpetual difference between a Tyrant a King that a Tyrant conceiveth the people to be for him and his ends but a King knoweth that he is set over the people for their good both have their Lawes and rule by them both have their enemies which oppose and disturb their peace But this is the great
difference that the Kingdom of Christ is not of this world For first Christ being called before Pilate and being demanded whether he was a King answered That his Kingdome was not of this world therefore his Kingdome is not a temporall and earthly Kingdome nor would Pilate have pronounced him innocent and guiltlesse if he had made any claime to Caesars Kingdome This is very strongly proved by the following words If my Kingdome were of this world then would my servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews which yet maketh nothing against the taking of Armes by such as are in authority for the defence of Religion and the just Liberty of the Professors thereof Secondly Christ refused to be a King when it was offered unto him and told his Disciples That the Kings of the Nations have dominion over them and they that are great exercise authority but that it should not be so with them but that whosoever would be great among them must bee their Minister Matth. 20.25 Thirdly he refused to be a Judge of secular quarrels or a divider of inheritances Luke 12.14 He came from heaven for things divine to work upon the consciences of men and was appointed to be Judge of quick and dead but never medled with the office of a temporall King Fourthly he acknowledged that Caesar was King saying Render to Caesar the things that are Caesars Nor did the Prophets prophesie of any earthly Kingdome of Christ For the Kingdome that they prophesied of was to bee established and confirmed by him but the Kingdome of Judea was ruined and overthrown for refusing him to be their sprituall King There shall not a stone be left upon a stone in Jerusalem the chiefe Citie of that Kingdome because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation saith Christ This yet appeareth further if we consider the qualities of these two kinds of Kingdomes more particularly The Kingdomes of the world endure but for a time and the periods and endings of them are matter not onely of discourse before they come but of tragedies after they are come but the Kingdome of Christ shall not be destroyed for ever And of his Kingdome there shall no end Dan. 2.44 After his departure out of the earth his Kingdome was in the greatest strength and in a most flourishing condition he then was gloriously manifested to be a King The Kingdomes of the world are governed by the rules and counsels of humane prudence and policie but the Kingdome of Christ by lawes of another kind by the simplicity of the Gospel which to the naturall man is foolishnesse The Kingdomes of the world are supported by taxes and tributes ceasments and subsidies but no such thing in the Kingdome of Christ The Kingdomes of the world consist in riches honour power of men externall splendor and earthly greatnesse but in the Kingdome of Christ poverty and humility triumph over the world under the Standard of the Crosse The Kingdomes of the world have carnall weapons and strength of Armes to pursue their ends but the weapons of the Kingdom of Christ are spiritual to procure spirituall obedience unto him Many such differences may be observed by which we may clearly perceive that the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world Yet one thing we must remember for preventing mistakes and which being rightly taken understood would put an end to many of the questions which are so much debated at this time about Chruch-government It is this That we are to distinguish between that which is of this world and that which is externall and visible in this world The Kingdome of Christ is not of this world yet some part of this Kingdome is externall and visible in this world for there be two parts of the spirituall administration of Christs Kingdome the one is the internall operation of the Spirit accompanying the externall means which are his Ordinances appointed by himselfe and his owne authority the other is the externall dispensation of these means and Ordinances by such officers as are called the Ministers of the Kingdome of Heaven This doth appertaine to the Kingdome of Christ and shall continue no lesse then the former till he render up the Kingdomes into God the Father 1 Cor. 15.24 This part of the administration of Christs Kingdome although it be externall yet it is not of this world but spirituall for it comes from the Spirit and is done by the gifts of the Spirit The Word and Sacraments which are the matter of it are things spirituall for the manner of doing it is by the evidence of the Spirit the spirits and souls of men are the object of it the end thereof is spirituall edification and the effect the ministery of the Spirit So that in this respect also the Kingdome of Christ is not of this world but a spirituall Kingdome in both parts of the administration theoreof The Text thus expounded is a fountaine full of springs of Doctrine As first that although Christ was a King a Governour and Commander as hath been formerly shewed and was a Prophet also and it may be now exercising that office and testifying of his own Kingdome before Pilate yet is it no warrant for Captaines or Commanders to preach the Gospel and to become Prophets because first he was a spirituall King and Commander and not a temporall and next because he had a speciall calling The Apostle Rom. 10.14 telleth us that men cannot preach unlesse they be sent And this calling the Apostle judgeth to be so necessary that the Son of God would not undertake that charge without a singular vocation Heb. 5. Although a private man who runneth unsent and an Ambassador who is authorized and sent speak the same things yet the one wants the authority which the other hath Secondly although Jesus Christ knew well that all that he could say was not able to deliver him from death or to do any good to the heart of Pilate for his conversion yet he findeth himself bound to answer calumnies and unjust accusations and to give a testimony of the truth And so must the servants of God do although their words do no more but serve to blindfold and indure blind and hard hearts yet must they speak out the truth It was the practice of the Prophets Apostles and holy Martyrs and in this as in other things Ministers and all others who have by their place any calling to give testimony to the truth must do their duty committing the event unto God Thirdly although Christ at this time was brought very low in the eyes of the world yet he spareth not to speak of his Kingdome and to call himself a King Humiliation and exinanition is in it selfe no derogation to right but the right is the same in the estate and case of humiliation and in the estate and case of exaltation the case may change and the estate be altered but the right is without change and standeth unalterable So was it with
and when the estate of the Church was corrupt many things were allowed or permitted as in the times of Eli and Samuel which in other cases were not lawfull 3. We are to distinguish betwixt the supream Civill power of the Magistrate about matters of Religion or things Ecclesiasticall and the ultimate and highest jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall in matters of this kind the one is not onely lawfull but necessary as a principall point of the Magistrates duty the other doth not belong to the Magistrate or any civill authority but to the Church and authority Ecclesiasticall To assume ordinarily after religion is setled the last resolution and highest jurisdiction Ecclesiasticall in matters of Religion unto which formall and legall appeales shall be made in Church matters from the Assemblies of the Church is more I hope then needeth to be feared from the wisdome piety and justice of the honourable Houses of Parliament They have in their great wisdome piety and justice removed Church-men from their Senat and will neither have Prelats nor Pastors to sit with them in that supream civill Court They have abolished high Commissions and Star-chambers and therefore will not intermeddle unlesse it be at extraordinary times and in extraordinary cases with Church matters It cannot be denied but persons distressed by Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction may by way of complaint although not by way of accusation expresse their unjust sufferings to whatsoever kind of persons private or publick in Church or State and each one is to bear the burthen of another much more therefore may they flie to the supream civill authority not to this end that the cause be recognosced by them but if need be and they find it necessary they may desire or command the same to be resumed and examined again of new but this Christian way of complaining maketh nothing for any formall or legall appeal from one kind of authority to another Appellations must be from the inferior to the superior in the same kind Before I proceed there is one objection to be removed If the power of the Church be not above the State in civill matters nor the power of the State above the Church in matters of religion if the Kingdoms of the world be not subordinate to the Kingdome of Christ and if the Kingdome of Christ be not subordinate to the Kingdomes of the world then it will follow that they are equall that they are parallell and collaterall and therefore will be emulous and jealous one of another and will strive one against another For answer This objection savoureth of much malice against the Ministery of the Gospel and which is suppressed against the Kingdome of Iesus Christ It is not unlike the speech of the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin against the building of the Temple at Jerusalem unto the Lord God of Israel This Citie is a rebellious Citie and hurtfull unto Kings and Provinces It hath made insurrection against Kings and rebellion and sedition hath been made therein Ezra 4.15 The practises of such are not unlike the practises of the enemies Nehem. 4. who by craft by rumors and by hired prophesies would have terrified Nehemiah and others that were with him from building the walls of Jerusalem Their calumnies are not unlike that of Haman Esther 3. There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the Provinces of the Kingdome and their laws are divers from all people neither keep they the Kings laws therefore it is not for the Kings profit to suffer them In a time of reformation when the Temple or walls of Jerusalem are to be builded there be ever some Rehums and Shimsaies some Sanballats Tobiahs Gashâ—…es or Hamans that endeavour to hinder the work It is a matter of humiliation that there are any such in this land and wil prove greater matter of humiliation if they shall have their desire But the wisdome and vigilancy of the honorable Houses of Parliament will take heed unto and note such unhappy instruments that their wicked desires be not satisfied It cannot be denied but there is some kind of mutuall and reciprocall subjection or subordination of the one authority and government unto the other such as useth to be must needs be in all such societies as have divers ends before their eyes those who command in respect of the one end must obey in respect of the other such as obey in respect of the one end must command in respect of the other When a company of Souldiers entreth into a ship to fight against the enemy at sea in so far as they are in the ship and within boord they are to be governed by the master of the ship who is to command all in matters of navigation but as they are Souldiers fighting against the enemy they must obey their own Captain and be directed by him He that commanded in the one respect although a Generall or a King must obey in the other respect nor is it any derogation but wisdome to do so When the son is a Consull and the father a private man the son obeyeth the father as his father and the father obeyeth the son as his Consull or Magistrate And thus in divers respects there is a mutuall subordination yet is there no such equality as to make the two Governments jealous one of another for there is a threefold difference betwixt them which being well observed will cure all this unnecessary and groundlesse jealousie one is in respect of God to whom both are subject another in that respect which the one of them hath to the other and the third is in respect of the people concredit unto them In respect of their subjection to God the one is subject as a deputed and inferior Lordship or Dominion the other is subject as a ministery or service Christ onely being Lord of his Church The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them and they that exercise authority upon them are called Benefactors But yee shall not be so Luke 22.25 26. Domination is forbidden Church-men Ministration is commanded It is one thing to be a Viceroy and another thing to be a Legat or a Stewart Christ hath Legats to declare his wil but hath no Deputies or Vicegerents In that respect which the one hath to the other we may observe this difference that the subordination of the Minister to the Magistrate is to the Magistrate himself as to the Vicegerent of God of whose power he doth participate but the subordination of the Magistrate to the Minister is not to the Minister himselfe but to Jesus Christ whose servant he is Now then we are Embassadors for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 In respect of the people under their charge every soule is subject to the higher powers but the Church onely is subject to the Ministery they have nothing to do with those who are without and which is