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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A39241 The doctrine of passive obedience asserted in a sermon preach'd on January 30, 1684 / by James Ellesby ... Ellesby, James, b. 1644 or 5. 1685 (1685) Wing E537; ESTC R11960 23,468 38

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Righteousness even in this Respect must exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees if ever you hope to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven § 2. In Answer to the second Objection 't is not the Cause of God nor Preservation of Religion that can justifie Resistance of a Lawful Authority for Religion it self as you have heard doth forbid it Now for Men to assert Religion by Actions Unlawful and such as Religion it self doth condemn is very Absurd and Preposterous This is in effect to make void Religion while they stand up in the Defence thereof and to transgress the Laws of Christianity at the same time that they contend so fiercely for them To defend Religion by Rebellious Force is to violate Religion for Religions Sake and to defeat the great End and Design of the Gospel out of a Zeal to the Name rather than the Thing Give me leave therefore to be a little warm with those People who use to be much hotter upon this Occasion You that think your selves oblig'd to scuffle with your Prince out of Zeal to your Religion Pray What Religion is it that you would contend for Is it for a Religion that Encourageth Sedition Countenanceth Rebellion teaches Resistance and Puts you upon Violent Courses on its behalf If this be the Religion you would Tugg for 't is firting that both you and your Religion too should be supprest and kept under For such Religion as this is nothing but Rebellion in Disguise and such Faith nothing but Faction under a Vail This is such a Religion that no Government in the World will endure go where you will no nor your selves neither if you were uppermost and doth it become Christians to plead Conscience for such a Religion as would put them upon the most Infamous and Dishonourable Practices and render them Odious and Suspected to all Governments under Heaven But on the other Hand Is it the Religion of Christ the Doctrine of the Gospel and Pure Christianity that you would struggle for Why this very Gospel and Religion teaches you quite otherwise 't is an Humble Quiet and Peaceable Religion of the greatest Meekness Forbearance and Self-denial a Religion that is made up of nothing but Love and Charity Peace and Unity Forgiveness and Long-suffering a Religion that abhors Violence damns Resistance and strictly prohibits the use of Force and Violence on its behalf as contrary to its own Genius together with that of its Author Now to pretend any of these for the Sake of such a Religion as this is the greatest Contradiction imaginable We must not do Evil that Good may come of it is a known Aphorism in Christianity We must not willingly do an Ill thing tho it be for God himself The Ark for instance must fall or we must venture it at least rather then support it by a Wrong Hand or too Rude an Arm We ought not with Peter to draw the Sword against a Lawful Authority tho it be in defence of the Saviour of the World but quietly permit him to be taken and slain tho wrongfully and by wicked Hands rather then attempt his Rescue in an Unwarrantable manner Agreeable hereunto we ought not to undertake either the Safety or Reformation of Religion in such a way as God himself doth disapprove of Such men instead of hoping to be Accepted for their Zeal may be sent away with a Quis requisivit or who hath required these things at your hands Wherefore those Pretences of Religion are never to be Trusted which tend to any Ill Design against the Government or are Inconsistent with any part of our Christian Duty whereof this of Subjection is none of the least 3. Neither will the Invasion of the Laws or which is all one of our Civil Rights and Priviledges justifie Resistance against the Sovereign But now because People are apt to be Alarum'd and Object in this case That if we must not stand up in the Defence of our Laws and Liberties when they chance to be invaded this is the ready way to invite Injuries and Oppressions from the Prince to enslave a Freeborn People and open the Door for Arbitrary Sway and Government to come in upon us without any hope of Redress in such a Grievous Case To this I shall reply in the following particulars § 1. We may endeavour the Security and Preservation of our Liberties and Estates by all Lawful means in a Legal way and after a Modest Humble and Peaceable mannor such as the Laws of the Land do allow of and is consistent with that Duty and Respect which by the Law of God we owe our Prince § 2. Let our Circumstances be never so hard and Grievous yet to go about to Remedy them by Publick Resistance and Opposition is the worst way we can possibly take For this is a Course which is both Vnlawful and Vnsafe 'T is first Vnlawful and that according to the Laws both of God and Man § 1. 'T is Unallowable by the Laws of God or according to the Principles of Religion as I have already prov'd at large from the Doctrine and Example of Christ and the Practice of the Apostles and Primitive Christianity For hereby we are taught to Suffer as the Servants of Christ rather than resist as Free-men of the Nation And tho want of Prudence and Policy may be objected in the case yet they are never to be pleaded to the prejudice of our Consciences in the Breach of any known Religious Duty 'T is true to sit still and Suffer rather than Rise up and Resist is Durus Sermo a hard Lesson but yet is such a Lesson that God hath set us and must be learnt as making up a considerable part of our Religion It may be thought Foolish and Vnreasonable at first sight and in the Opinion of most men but will appear quite otherwise upon second Thoughts when considered according to the measures of the Gospel However let it appear as Imprudent and Impolitick as it will to men of corrupt Minds yet the Policy of this World ought to give way to the Simplicity of the Gospel and if God hath once made it our Duty 't is not all the Objections drawn from Interest and Reasons of State that can make it otherwise except the Argument holds good that we were English-men before we were Christians and so ought to prefer the Rights and Priviledges of the One before the great Commands and Duties of the Other But then at this way of arguing we may Supersede the whole Law of God and Evade the chiefest part of our Christian Duty when once it stands in the way of our Interest and Ambition For are we not Men as well as Christians and have we not Honour Credit and Reputation to be tender of as well as Privileges Why then may we not plead the One against Conscience and Duty as well as the Other What more Mean and Cowardly may the Proud man say than to to turn one Cheek when we are smitten on