convince the Heathen that then Worshipt the Sun Moon the Earth Water Air c. told them their Gods were weak inconstant mutable and subject to the Power of the invisible God whose Miracles they proclaim'd and by them endeavour'd to prove that the whole frame of Nature was by the Power of that God whom they worshipt created chiefly for their good and benefit with which Opinion Men were so pleas'd that ever since they have not ceased to fain Miracles that they may be thought better beloved by God then others and that the end and purpose of Gods making and preserving all things was chiefly for their sakes How arrogant is the foolish Vulgar who conceive nothing rightly of God or Nature but confound the Ordinances of God with the imaginations of Men and think Nature so narrow that they believe Man to be the principal part thereof Having thus discovered the Opinions and Prejudices of the Common People concerning God and Nature I will proceed in order and shew first that nothing can happen contrary to Nature whose order and course is eternal constant and immutable explaining also what is a Miracle Secondly that we cannot know the essence existence nor consequently the providence of God by Miracles but they more manifestly appear in the constant and unchangeable order of Nature Thirdly I will prove by some Scripture Examples that the Scripture it self by the decrees purposes and providence of God means nothing else but that regular course of Nature which necessarily follows from its eternal Laws Lastly I will shew how Scripture Miracles are to be interpreted and what we are principally to observe in the Relations we have of Miracles all which particulars are the subject of this present Chapter and will be very useful to the design of this whole Treatise The first Particular is proved by what we have said in the 4 th Chapter Concerning the Divine Law namely that whatsoever God willeth and decreeth implyes eternal verity and necessity for the Knowledge of God is not distinguisht from his Will and we say the same thing when we say God willeth and God knoweth any thing because by the same necessity derived from the Nature and Perfection of God whereby he knoweth any thing to be what it is by the same necessity must God will that thing to be what it is but since nothing is necessarily true but what is so by the Will and Decree of God it clearly follows that the Universal Laws of Nature are the very Ordinances of God which flow from the necessity and perfection of his Divine Nature Whatever therefore cometh to pass in Nature which is repugnant to its Universal Laws that must necessarily be contrary to the Decree and Knowledge of the Divine Nature or if any one conclude that God doth any thing against the Laws of Nature he likewise must grant that God Acts contrary to his own Nature which is the greatest of all Absurdities As therefore nothing happens in Nature contrary to its Universal Laws so neither doth any thing happen which doth not agree with and follow from them for whatever is done is done by the Will and eternal Decree of God that is according to Laws and Rules which imply eternal Verity and Necessity and therefore tho' the Laws in which are contained eternal Verity and Necessity be not known to us yet Nature always observes them and consequently keeps her constant and unchangeable course No rational Man can believe the Power and Vertue of Nature to be limited and its Laws confin'd to some particular Operations and Effects and not fitted Universally to all for since the Power and Vertue of Nature is the very Vertue and Power of God we ought to believe the Power of Nature infinite and the Laws of Nature so general that they extend themselves to all things which fall under the comprehension of the Divine Knowledge otherwise it must be granted that God Created Nature so weak and impotent and its Laws and Rules so defective that to preserve and maintain Nature he must upon every new occasion assist and succour it that things may fall out according to his Will which is very irrational for any Man to suppose If then nothing happens in Nature which doth not follow from its Rules and Laws that its Laws are extended to all things within the compass of Divine Knowledge and that Nature keeps a fixed immutable and regular Course it is manifest that whatever Men call a Miracle is only so in respect of their Opinions and signifies nothing else but some work or thing done of which we cannot discover the natural Cause by an example of any thing that ordinarily happens like it at least the Person cannot who relates or records the Miracle I might call that a Miracle whose cause cannot be made out from any natural Principles known by the Light of Nature but because Miracles were wrought according to the Capacity of the Vulgar who knew not the principles of natural things it is certain that the Antients counted that a Miracle which they could not explain as the common People use to do natural things namely by recurring to their Memory for bringing to mind some other thing of the like kind which they did not admire for the common People think they very well understand a thing when they do not admire it By this Rule and no other Men in old and later times have judged of Miracles and it is not to be doubted but many things are related in Scripture for Miracles whose causes might have been made manifest from the known principles of natural things as we have hinted in our 2 d Chapter where we spoke of the Suns standing still in the time of Ioshua and its going backward in the time of Hezekiah on the Dyal of Ahaz but of these things more at large when I come to speak of the Interpretation of Miracles I will now go on to prove the Second particular namely that we cannot by miracles understand the Essence Existence or Providence of God but that they are more clearly apprehended by us in the fixed and immutable order of nature which I thus prove If the Existence of God be not of it self known to us it must then be made out and concluded from Notions whose verity is so firm and unshaken that there cannot be a Power by which those Notions may be changed at least they ought to appear so to us at that time when from them we conclude the existence of God if we will have that existence to be indubitable for if we could think those Notions mutable by any Power whatever it be then might we doubt of the Truth of those Notions and consequently of our conclusion namely God's Existence nor could we be certain of any thing and seeing we cannot know what is congruous or contrary to Nature but that which we prove to be congruous or contrary to those Prime Notions if we could conceive any thing in Nature to be done by any
will treat more at large in the following Chapter It may by way of Objection be further demanded how I can maintain that Supreme Powers still retain their natural right of doing what they will when Supreme Powers as well as Subjects are bound by the Law of God To solve this difficulty which doth not rise so much from the state as from the right of Nature I say that the same consideration which obligeth a Man in the state of Nature to live according to the dictates of Reason obligeth him likewise to God's revealed Law namely because it is better and safer for him so to do But however if he will not 't is still but at his own peril and therefore he may live according to his own Will and is not bound to live by any other Man's direction or to acknowledge any mortal Man to be his Judge or upon any religious account his Superiour And this is the Right and Power which I say the Supreme Power still retains Supreme Powers may consult Men but are not bound to acknowledge any Man their Judge nor any Man but themselves the Assertor or Protector of Religion a Prophet only excepted who confirms his express Mission from God by undoubted Signs and Wonders and then neither do Supreme Powers acknowledge Man but God to be their Judge but if the Supreme Power will not obey God in his revealed Law 't is at their own peril no Natural or Civil Right can resist them for Civil Right depends upon the Decree and Will of the Supreme Power and Natural Right depends upon the Laws of Nature which do not respect Religion as it intends and designs the benefit of mankind only but were fitted and accommodated to the order and course of Universal Nature that is the Eternal Decree of God whereof we are ignorant And this is what others mean who do not so clearly express themselves when they say that a Man may sin against the revealed Will of God but not against his Eternal Decree by which he predestinated and ordained all things If any Man ask me when the Supreme Power commands any thing against Religion and the Obedience which we by express Covenant have promised to God whether we ought to obey God or Man I answer very briefly resolving to speak more fully of it in the following Chapter That above all things we ought to obey God when we have a certain and undubitable Revelation but because Men are usually very much mistaken in matters of Religion and because of the diversity of their Dispositions have great contests about their own Phancies as we find by woful experience it is certain that if no Man should be bound to obey the Supreme Power in things which a Man thinks concern his Religion the Civil Right and Laws of the Commonwealth would depend upon every particular Man's different Judgment and Affection for no Man would be bound by any publick Law which he thought contrary to his Faith or Superstition and under this pretence every one would be at liberty to do what he pleased For his reason therefore Supreme Power to whom by Divine and Natural Right it belongs to preserve and protect the Laws of Government ought to have the sole power of judging determining and establishing Religion and all Men are bound by their Faith and Allegiance which God hath commanded should be kept to obey all the Commands and Decrees of the Supreme Power which concern Religion but if they that have the Supreme Power be Heathen and Infidels we must either make no agreement with them or suffer all extremities if we do covenant with them and transfer our Right and Power upon them seeing we thereby deprive our selves of defending Religion and our selves We are bound to obey and keep Faith with them and may be compell'd to it unless it be where God by undoubted Revelation hath declared a person to be a Tyrant or excepting the person by Name hath promised his particular aid and assistance against him We read that of all the Iews which were in Babylon there were only three young Men who were assured of God's particular assistance that would not obey Nebuchadnezzar all the rest but Daniel whom the King himself adored were compell'd by the Law to obey him perhaps believing in their Minds that by God's Decree they were delivered into that Kings Hands and that by God's appointment he was to be King and keep the Supreme Power Eleazer on the contrary however it went with his Country gave an Example of his constancy to his followers and would rather endure all extremities than suffer their Right and Power to be transferr'd upon the Greeks and tried all means possible to avoid being compell'd to embrace the Faith and Religion of the Heathen which is confirmed by daily experience The Supreme Powers that profess Christian Religion for the security of their Government make no scruple of entring into Leagues and Covenants with Turks and Infidels and command their Subjects who live amongst them not to use any greater liberty in Religion or any other Affairs than the Articles of such Leagues or the Country in which they live allow as appears by the Contract which I have already told you the Hollanders made with the people of Iapan CHAP. XVII 'T is neither necessary or possible to transfer all things upon the Supreme Power Of the Iews Commonwealth what it was during the Life of Moses and what after his death before they chose Kings and of its Excellency What were the Causes of the destruction of so divine a Commonwealth and why it could not subsist without Sedition THough much of what hath been said in the preceding Chapter of the right of Supreme Powers and transferring on them every Mans natural Rights may upon serious consideration be very agreeable to Practice yet when all is done many things will remain in theory only and be found absolutely impracticable For no Man can so far transfer his Power and consequently his Right upon another as to cease from being a Man nor was there ever any Supreme Power that could do all that it would 'T is vain for Supreme Power to command a Subject to hate his Friend and love his Enemy or to command a Man not to be provoked with Reproach and Contempt or not to desire to be freed from fear and other things of the like kind which necessarily follow from the Laws of Nature this is made manifest by daily Experience for Men never so depart from their Right or so transfer their Power upon others but that they are still feared even by those to whom they have transfer'd it for Government is many times as much in danger of Subjects deprived of their Right as it is of foreign Enemies and if Men could be so far divested of their Natural Right as afterwards not to be able to do any thing but according to the Will and Pleasure of those that have the Supreme Power then indeed all sorts of Tyranny and
promise to obey all that God should say to them but all that God should speak to Moses See Deut. c. 5. v. 25 26 28. so that now none but Moses became the giver and interpreter of Gods Laws and consequently was the Supreme Judg over whom no Man had power he only was Gods Vicegerent among the Jews in him resided the Supreme Majesty seeing he only had the power of consulting God of returning Gods Answers to the People and compelling the People to obey them I say he only for if any Man during the Life of Moses had preached any thing in the name of God though he were a true Prophet yet he had been a guilty Usurper see Numb c. 11. v. 27 28. And here we ought to observe that though the People chose Moses yet they had not the power of Electing any Successor in his place for at that very time when they transfer'd their Right and Power of consulting God upon Moses and promis'd to receive from him Gods answers they lost all their power and whoever Moses declared should be his Successor him were they bound to accept as chosen by God himself and had Moses chosen one who was to have as Moses himself had the whole Administration of the Government namely the Power of consulting God alone in his Tent and consequently the Power of making and abrogating Laws of making War and Peace sending Embassadors appointing Judges chusing a Successor and ordering all other things that belong to Supreme Power the Government had been perfectly Monarchical and there had been no other difference between the Jewish and other Monarchies but this that other Monarchies are or should be Govern'd according to Reason by Gods Decree of which the Monarch is ignorant but the Jewish Monarchy by Gods Decree revealed only to the Monarch which difference doth not at all diminish but increase the Monarchs Power and Dominion over all but the condition of the Subjects in both Monarchies is the same For the Subjects in both being ignorant of Gods Decree do absolutely depend upon the Mouth of the Monarch and he only is to declare what is right and what is wrong And if the People believe that the Monarch is to command nothing but by the will of God revealed to him in that very respect they are not the less but the more subject to him Now Moses did not chuse any such Successor but left Successors who were so to Administer the Government that it could not be called Popular Aristocratical or Monarchical but rather Theocratical For the Power of Interpreting Laws and Communicating Gods Answers to the People was in one Person and the Right and Power of Administring the Government according to the Laws already explain'd and according to the Answers already made known was in another See Numb c. 27. v. 21. But that these things may be clearly understood I will in order declare in what manner the Government of the Jews was Administred First The People were commanded to build a House which was to be God's that is the Palace of the Supreme Majesty of that Government and this was not to be built at any particular Persons cost but the publick charge of all the People that the House where Counsel was to be asked of God might be Publick and Common to all The Levites were the Courtiers or Officers of this Divine Palace of these the Chief next to God after the King was chosen Aaron the Brother of Moses whose Legitimate Sons succeeded him He as next to God was the chief Interpreter of the Divine Laws return'd the Answers of the Divine Oracle and made Supplications to God for the People had he herewith had the commanding Power there had nothing wanted of his being an absolute Monarch but that Power he had not and the whole Tribe of Levy was so far excluded from having any hand in the Administration of government that they were not allow'd to possess with the rest of the Tribes any Lands in their own right upon which they might live but were to be maintain'd and relieved by the rest of the People as a Tribe dedicated to God. The Militia was chosen out of the rest of the twelve Tribes they were commanded to invade the Country of the Canaanites to divide their Lands into twelve parts and to distribute the parts amongst the Tribes by Lot. Ioshua was elected General and Chief Commander of the Militia who only in future Affairs and Emergencies had the power of consulting God not as Moses had alone in his Tent or in the Tabernacle but by the High-Priest to whom only God gave his Answers The power of passing those Answers which were deliver'd to the High-Priest into Laws and the power of compelling the People to obey them the Manner and Means of executing those Commands the choice of the Militia or the choice of those that should chuse it of sending Embassadors in his own name the whole power of making and carrying on War depended absolutely and solely upon the Will of Ioshua into whose power and place no body did ever lawfully succeed nor was there ever any other chosen unless by God himself the Peoples affairs not requiring any such choice but all matters of Peace and War were under the direction and government of the Princes of the Tribes All from twenty years old to sixty were commanded to bear Arms the Army was formed only out of their own People who did not swear Fidelity to the General or Chief-Priest but to God and Religion and were therefore called the Lords Host and God by the Jews the Lord of Hosts For this reason the Ark of the Covenant upon which depended Victory or the loss of their Battels was always carryed in the midst of the Army that the People beholding as it were their King might fight with their utmost courage and strength From these Commands of Moses to his Successors we conclude that he chose Administrators or Ministers of State but none that had absolute Power for he gave to no body the sole power of Consulting God when he pleas'd and consequently not the Authority which he himself had of making and abrogating Laws of making War or Peace of chusing Officers for the Temple or in any of the Cities all which do properly belong to him that hath Supreme Power The Chief Priest indeed had power of interpreting the Laws and returning Gods Answers to the People but not as Moses when he pleas'd but only when he was called upon by the General or Supreme Council to do it On the other side the General of the Army and the Councils could consult God when they pleas'd but could not receive God's Answers from any but the High Priest and therefore what God said by the Mouth of the High Priest was not a Law and Decree as it was in the Mouth of Moses but only Answers and when those Answers were received by Ioshua and the Council then had they the force of Laws and Decrees Moreover the
sanctified them for my self But after all the People the Levites only excepted had worshipped the Golden Calf they were defiled and rejected and the Levites who sided with Moses as appears Exod. chap. 32. v. 20 27. were chosen into their room Deut. chap. 10. v. 8. The Lord separated the tribe of Levi to stand before the Lord to minister him and to bless his Name Which change when I seriously consider it makes me think of those Words in Tacitus Illo tempore non fuisse Deo curae securitatem illorum fuisse ultionem At that time God took more care to be revenged upon them than to preserve them God was so extreamly incensed against them that though Laws usually provide for the Safety Honour and Security of People yet the Laws which God gave the Iews were with a purpose to punish and be revenged upon them so that their Laws were not Laws that is the Peoples Safety but their Plague and Pnnishment Consider how many things the People were bound to give to the Priests and Levites beside the Money that was to be pay'd for the Redemption of the First-born Consider likewise that the Levites were only permitted to come near whatever was accounted holy which continually minded the People of their Uncleanness and Repudiation with which 't is very likely the Levites might often reproach them for amongst so many thousand Levites no question but there were some troublesome pragmatical Fellows who provoked the People and the People on their part to be quit with the Levites narrowly watched and pryed into their Actions who being but Men were subject to many failings and miscarriages which as is usual were charged upon the whole Function and at last especially when Provisions were dear in all probability the People grew weary of maintaining so many lazy idle and hated persons who were no Kin at all to them No wonder then when the People were at ease and publick Miracles ceased if they who were in Authority became remiss and the covetous incensed Minds of the People grew careless and neglecting the Divine Worship of which they began to be suspicious and ashamed desired a new 'T is likewise possible that the Princes to keep the Commanding Power still in their own hands might court the People to take part with them against the Priest and bring in a new Religion But had the duration and security of the Government been designed when it was first instituted things might have gone well if all the Tribes had had equal Honour and Power for who would have violated the Sacred Right of his Kindred They would rather for Piety and Religion's sake have maintained their Parents Brothers and Kinsmen seeing from them they were to receive the Interpretation of the Law and the Divine Oracles The Tribes would have been tied in a stricter Bond of Amity if all had had equal Power of administring in the Temple at least there had been less fear of Discord if the Election of the Levites had not been grounded upon the Wrath and Vengeance of God But as I have already said God was very angry with them and that I may again use Ezekiel's Expression he polluted them with their gifts in the redemption of their first-born that he might destroy them This appears by their Histories for as soon as the People began to be idle in the Wilderness many not of the meanest sort began to be offended with the Choice of this Tribe believing that Moses did not act by God's Command but did all things as he himself pleased because he made choice of his own Tribe above all the rest and made a perpetual Settlement of the Priesthood upon his own Brother So that a Tumult being rais'd they tell Moses and Aaron that all the Congregation were every one of them holy and that they lifted themselves up above all the Congregation of the Lord. No Reason could appease them but they were all miraculously destroy'd which occasion'd a Universal Sedition amongst all the People who believed that they who perished were not destroyed by God's Judgment but by some Trick of Moses after which followed a great Plague which made the People weary of their Lives This was the end of the Sedition but not the beginning of any Amity or Affection and God told Moses Deut. chap. 33. v. 21. that he knew the imagination the people went about even before he had brought them into the Land which he sware and Moses a little after Verse 27. saith to the People I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck behold while I am yet alive with you this day ye have been rebellious against the Lord and how much more after my death And as all the World knows so it happened great Changes all manner of Licentiousness Luxury and Idleness made them grow daily worse and worse till being often beaten by their Enemies they brake their Holy Covenant and desired a Mortal King. The Temple became his Palace and the Tribes casting off the Divine Law and the Priesthood his Subjects The Electing of a King was a great occasion of new Seditions to reign precariously or suffer any Power to controll theirs was intolerable to their Kings They who from private Men were elected to the Throne were contented with the Dignity conferr'd upon them but when their Sons came by Right of Succession to the Crown they began by degrees to make Alterations that the Supreme Power might reside only in them which Power they had not so long as the Power of the Laws was not in their hands but were interpreted and kept by the High Priest in the Sanctuary So that the Kings were still subject to the Laws and had not Authority enough to abrogate the Old or make New. Moreover the Levites had power to keep the Kings as well as the Subjects under the Notion of being profane persons from medling with Sacred Matters Lastly Because all the power of their Kings depended upon the pleasure of any one who was accounted a Prophet of which they had an Example in Samuel who with great Boldness and Liberty commanded Saul to do what he pleas'd and for one Offence only transferr'd the Kingdom upon David which indeed made the Government perfectly precarious To avoid this their Kings consecrated other Temples that they might have no more need of consulting the Levites and enquired after others to prophesie in opposition to those who were accounted true Prophets But yet they could never compass their Ends for the Prophets were still ready watching their opportunity till a Successor came and then the Prophets by their Divine Power did sometimes set up some Famous and Worthy Person who being displeas'd with the King did under pretence of vindicating Religion endeavour to usurp the Supreme Power or some part thereof But neither this way could the Prophets compass their Ends for though they took away the Tyrant yet the Causes of Tyranny still remain'd and they did with a great Effusion of the Subjects Blood only
purchase another new Tyrant So that there was no end of their Discords and Intestine Wars and the Causes of violating God's Law were still the same which could never end but with the Total Destruction of the Common-Wealth We have now seen how Religion began in the Iewish Common-Wealth and how the Government might have been perpetual if the Just Wrath of God would have permitted it to continue But because it would not therefore it perished I have here spoken only of their First Government the Second being but a Shadow of their First seeing they were still under the Power of the Persians After they obtained their Liberty of Cyrus the High Priests became their Princes by usurping the Supreme Authority the Priests having as great a Mind to the Crown as to the Mitre Of this Second Government I need say no more Whether their First Government as it was conceived Durable or Religious be a Pattern that may be followed will appear in the next Chapter For the Close of all I desire it may be particularly observed That by what hath been declared in this Chapter it is evident That Divine Right or Religion had its Beginning and Rise from a Covenant or Contract without which there is no Right but that of Nature and therefore the Iews were not obliged by any Precept of Religion to shew any Kindness towards any other Nations who were not concerned in the Covenant but only to those of their own Common-Wealth CHAP. XVIII Certain Political Maxims Collected from the Government and Histories of the Jews Commonwealth THough the Government of the Jews as it hath been describ'd in the preceding Chapter might have been perpetual yet 't is an Example that cannot now be follow'd nor is it advisable to put it in practice for if any Men would transfer their power upon God they ought to do it as the Jews did by an express Contract or Covenant so that not only the mind of them that transfer their power but also the Will of God upon whom the power is transfer'd ought to be known but God hath revealed by the Apostles that the Covenant of God shall no more be written with Ink nor in Tables of Stone but shall by his Spirit be written in our Hearts That form of Government under which the Jews lived might be very useful and convenient for them who lived alone without any foreign Trade or Commerce who kept themselves within their own Territories and separated themselves from all the rest of the World but 't is in no wise fit for People that live by trading with others and consequently it is to very few people that the Jewish government can be of any use or advantage but though it be a pattern that cannot be follow'd in all things yet there were in it many things very worthy of our observation and which are fit to be put in practice Because my intention is not to treat expresly of Government I will pass many things by and only take notice of those that make for my purpose Namely That it is not repugnant to the Kingdom of God to make Majesty Elective that is to chuse the Person or Persons who shall have the Supream Power of Government for after the Iews transferr'd their Power upon God they delivered the Supream Power of Governing to Moses who thereby had in God's Name the sole Authority of making and abrogating Laws of chusing sacred Ministers and likewise the sole power of teaching judging and punishing and though the Priests were Interpreters of the Law yet they had no power at all to judge the People nor to excommunicate any person for none could do that but the Judges and Princes who were chosen out of the People as appears Ioshua chap. 6. v. 26. where Ioshua adjured the people not to rebuild Iericho Iudges chap. 21. v. 18. where the Elders of the Congregation appointed what Women the Benjamites should marry to propagate their Tribe and 1 Sam. chap. 14. v. 24. where Saul commanded the People not to eat any food till Evening If we consider the Histories and Successes of the Iews we shall find other things very well worth our Observation First That there were no different Sects of Religion amongst them till after the Priests in the Second Government usurped the Supream Authority and the Power of making Laws To make their Authority lasting they took upon them the Power which the Princes had and at last would be called Kings The Reason is apparent for in the First Government nothing was made Law by the High Priest because he had no power of decreeing any thing his Business was only to return those Answers to the Princes and Council which were given by God So that at that time their High Priests could not desire to make new Decrees but only to do that which was their known Duty for they had no other way to preserve their Liberty against the Princes but by keeping the Laws free from Violation and Corruption but after the Priests got power of medling with matters of Government and of Priests became Princes then every one as well in Religion as other Affairs would have all things determin'd by the Pontifical Authority daily making Decrees which they would have to be as Sacred as the Laws of Moses so that Religion degenerated into horrible Superstition the true Sense and Interpretation of the Law was corrupted and the Priests after the Restauration attempting to get the Supream Power into their hands to gain the People so soothed and flatter'd them that they approved of all they did were it never so wicked and made Interpretations of Scripture suitable to their Humours and Practices which Malachy in express Words testifies reproving the Priests of his own time in this manner Mal. chap. 2. v. 7 8. The Priest's lips should preserve knowledge and they should seek the law at his mouth for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts But ye are departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts And so goes on in reproaching them with interpreting the Law as they pleased with their respecting of persons and taking no heed to walk in God's ways It is certain that though the Priests were never so cautious and wary yet they were narrowly observed by the wiser sort who taking notice of the Priests Boldness declared That the People were not bound to the Observation of any Laws but those that were Written and that all Decrees made by the Priests which the deceived Pharisees chosen as Iosephus tells us out of the meanest of the People called the Tradition of their Fathers were not at all obligatory nor to be obey'd Without all doubt the High Priest's flattering the People the Corruption of Religion and the Multiplication of Laws became a great occasion of those Disputes and Controversies which could never be ended for when men in the heat of Superstition begin to quarrel and
supreme Magistrates on one side or other concern themselves in the Dispute the Controversie never ends and there is a necessity of dividing into Sects In the Second place it may be observed That the Prophets who were but private persons sometimes by the great Liberty they used in admonishing reproving and reproaching the People did rather provoke than make them better who notwithstanding would with much greater patience receive correction and instruction from their Kings Yea the Prophets were sometimes intolerable to very pious good Kings by arrogating a Power of judging what was well and what ill done and sometimes by reproving Kings to their faces if they suffer'd any thing to be publickly or privately done which was contrary to their Judgment Asa who was by the Testimony of Scripture a good King imprison'd Hanani the Prophet see 2 Chron. chap. 16. for too boldly reproving and reproaching him for the League he made with the King of Syria Beside this Example there are others which shew That the Liberty the Prophets took did sometimes more hurt than good I need not instance the Civil Wars which were occasioned by the Prophets pretending to the Supream Power A Third thing fit to be observed is That during the time the People governed there happened but one Civil War which being ended the Victors had so much compassion for the Conquer'd Party that their whole care and study was how to restore them to their former Power and Dignity But after the People not accustomed to Kings had changed the Form of their Government into Monarchy there was no end of their Civil Wars they fought such fierce and bloody Battels as almost exceed Belief for in one Battel which is hardly credible Fifty Thousand Israelites were slain by the men of Iudah and in another the Israelites slew a very great number though not specified of the men of Iudah took the King himself Prisoner demolish'd a great part of the Walls of Ierusalem and to shew that the Rage of War hath no Moderation they destroy'd the Temple sack't the City laden and glutted with the Spoils and Blood of their Brethren taking Hostages they leave the King in his almost ruin'd Kingdom and more secured by the Weakness than the Faith of the King of Iudah's Subjects laid down their Arms. The men of Iudah in a few years after recovering strength come again into the Field and fight another Battel wherein the Israelites were again Victors killing an Hundred and Twenty Thousand of the Men of Iudah and carried away Captives Two Hundred Thousand of their Wives and Children with a very great Booty so that consumed by these and other Battels mention'd in Scripture they at last fell a prey to their Enemies Before they had Kings they sometimes lived in perfect peace Forty Years together and once which is scarce credible Fourscore Years without any Forreign or Domestick War but after they were governed by Kings and fought not for Peace and Liberty but the Glory of their Monarch we find them continually embroil'd the Reign of Solomon only excepted whose Wisdom and Vertue better appear'd in Peace than in War the desire of reigning at last became so excessive that their Kings sometimes waded to the Throne in Blood. Lastly During the Government of the People the Laws remain'd in their first purity and were constantly observed for before Kings came in there were very few Prophetsâ— but after the Election of Kings the Prophets grew very numerous We read Obadiah hid at one time an Hundred in a Cave to save their Lives We likewise find the People were often deceived with False Prophets the People before Kings had the Government being as there was occasion sometimes haughty and sometimes humble did when they were in Calamity forsake their evil ways sought God restored the Laws and by these means freed themselves from danger and distress but their Kings whose haughty Minds cannot without shame stoop obstinately persisted in their Sins and Vices till the Commonwealth was utterly destroyed By all this it clearly appears First How dangerous it is both to Religion and Government to put the Power of making Laws and governing into the hands of Priests and that it is much safer to restrain them from medling in any Business till their Counsel be ask'd and to keep them from preaching and teaching New Doctrines and Opinions Secondly It is very dangerous to judge and determine of things meerly speculative by Scripture or to make any Laws concerning Opinions which are or may be in themselves disputable That Government is very Tyrannical where Opinions are counted Crimes 't is a sign the angry Multitude are Masters Pilate to gratifie the incensed Pharisees commanded Christ to be crucified It was usual with the Pharisees when they had a mind to put Worthy Persons out of their Places and Offices of Dignity to ask Questions concerning Religion this made them accuse the Sadduces of Impiety According to the Example of the Pharisees base and abominable Hypocrites under pretence of Zeal for Religion persecute and traduce honest worthy vertuous men whom for that Reason they envy and by publickly inveighing against their Opinions stir up the People against their Persons This unworthy Practice because it is cloaked with Religion can hardly be restrained where the Supreme Powers have introduced any Sect whereof they themselves were not Authors for then the Sectaries not the Supream Powers are accounted Interpreters of the Divine Law that is the Supream Power makes Sectaries Interpreters of Scripture and then the Magistrates Authority signifies little with the People who have great Veneration for their Teachers to whose Doctrine and Decisions they think even Kings ought to submit To avoid all these Mischiefs nothing can be safer for a Commonwealth than to place all Religion and Piety only in Works that is only in the Exercise of Justice and Charity and for Matters of Opinion to leave every Man free to his own Judgment But of this Particular more largely hereafter Thirdly We see how necessary it is for the good both of Religion and Government to fix the Right and Authority of determining even in things pertaining to God and Religion and of judging what is right and what is wrong in the Supream Powers for if the power of judging Mens Actions could not without great danger to Religion and Government be allow'd to the Prophets much less ought it to be granted to Men who can neither prophesie or do Miracles But of this Particular I will speak expresly in the next Chapter Fourthly and lastly We see how dangerous it is for People never accustomed to Kingly Government and have Laws accordingly framed to chuse a Monarch for as the People cannot endure such a Government so Kingly Authority cannot brook Laws or any Rights and Priviledges of the People Establish't by any others of less Authority and a King will have very little mind to maintain Laws wherein the Peoples Interest was more intended and provided for than his own for
by Revelation or whether God command it for it matters not how it was revealed so as it obtain the Force of a Law and become in the highest Degree obligatory to Men. If I then prove That Justice and Charity cannot become a Law or Command but by the Power and Command of the Supream Powers it will be easily granted seeing Supream Power is always in the hands of the Supream Magistrates that Religion becomes a binding Law only by their Decrees who have the Power of Government and that God hath no peculiar Kingdom over Men but by them who have the Supream Ruling Power That the outward Practice of Justice and Charity becomes an obligatory Law by the Command of the Supream governing Power appears by what I have said in the Fourteenth Chapter where I have declared That in the State of Nature Reason cannot pretend to any greater power than Natural Appetite may and that they who live according to the Laws and Dictates of Natural Appetite have as much Right to all things within their Power as they that live according to the Rules of Reason So that for this very Reason we cannot conceive there can be in the State of Nature any sin nor can we think God to be a Judge punishing sins but all things carried on in their course according to the Laws of Universal Nature to use Solomon's own Words all things come alike to all there is one event to the righteous and to the wicked to the clean and to the unclean no place being left for Justice and Charity But that the Dictates of Reason that is as I have shew'd in the Fourteenth Chapter the Divine Law written in our hearts might obtain the strength and force of a Law it was necessary that every man should part from his Natural Right and transfer it either upon all upon some or upon one and that then we first came to know what was Justice and what Injustice what Equity and what Iniquity Justice therefore and the Dictates of Right Reason with Love to our Neighbour becomes a Precept and obligatory Law by the Power and Decrees of Supream Magistrates and because as I have shew'd the Kingdom of God consists in the power that Justice Charity and true Religion have over us by becoming a Law to us therefore it follows that God hath no peculiar Kingdom over Men but by those who have the Supream Ruling Power Whether we consider Religion revealed to us by natural or prophetical Light the Demonstration is Universal seeing Religion is the same and equally revealed by God which way soever it be supposed to come to our knowledge and therefore that Religion prophetically revealed might obtain the force of a Law among the Iews it was necessary every man should first part with his natural Right and that all with one common consent should resolve to obey and submit to all things which should by God be prophetically revealed to them just as People do in Democratical Government where all with common consent resolve to live according to the Dictates of Reason and though the Iews did transfer their Power upon God yet they did it more in opinion than reality for the Supream Power really and absolutely remained still in them till they transferr'd it upon Moses who was thenceforward an absolute King and by him only God reigned over the Iews Moreover because Religion became a Law only by the Power of the Supream Government Moses could punish none before the Covenant was made because then no man had parted with his own Power and Right They broke the Sabbath before the Covenant was made and were not punished as appears Exod. chap. v. 27. but after the Covenant when every man had parted with his Natural Right he that broke the Sabbath only by gathering sticks was stoned as appears Numb chap. 15. v. 36. and the observation of the Sabbath when the People had parted with their Power became a Law by the Command of the Supream Magistrate Lastly Upon this very ground also when the Commonwealth and Government of the Iews was destroyed Revealed Religion had no longer the Force of a Law for without doubt as soon as the Iews transferr'd their Power upon the King of Babylon the Covenant of the Kingdom of God and the Obligation of the Divine Law ceased for as soon as they were Subjects to the King of Babylon the Covenant whereby they promised to obey God in all things became void and they could no longer perform it From the time they were subjected to the King of Babylon they were no longer in their own power as they were in the Desart and their own Country but were in all things obliged to obey the King of Babylon as appears by what we have said in the Sixteen Chapter and by what Ieremy saith Chap. 29. v. 7. Seek ye the peace of that City whither I have caused ye to be earried captives and pray unto the Lord for it for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace They could not seek or provide for the peace of that City as Ministers of Government because they were Captives and therefore they were to do it as Servants or Subjects by keeping themselves free from Sedition and by observing the Laws of the Government though very different from those of their own Country By which it is evident that Religion among the Iews obtain'd the force of a Law by the Command of the Supream Power which Power being destroyed Religion was no more a Law or Command of that particular Government but was to be accounted a general Dictate of Reason I say of Reason because Catholick Religion was not yet known by Revelation we therefore conclude that Religion whether it be natural or revealed acquires the Force of a Command only by the Decree of those who have the Supream Power and God hath no peculiar Kingdom over Men but by the Supream Magistrate And this is made more clear by what hath been said in the Fourteenth Chapter where we have shewn That all God's Decrees imply Eternal Verity and Necessity nor can we conceive God as a Prince or Lawgiver to Men therefore Divine Documents made known to us by the light of Nature or revealed to us by the Prophets have not the force of a Law immediately from God but must necessarily receive it from those or by their means who have the Power of commanding and making Laws and by their means only we apprehend that God reigns over Men and directs Humane Affairs according to Justice and Equity which is also proved by Experience for we can find no Footsteps of Divine Justice but where the just reign otherwise to use Solomon's Expression once more the like event is to the righteous and to the wicked to the clean and to the unclean which made many doubt God's Providence who believed that God did immediately reign over Men and made Universal Nature only for their use Seeing then both Reason and Experience make it evident that the
well as a Divine and to busie himself in unprofitable Speculations fit only to take up private mens time who have nothing else to do But it was far otherwise in the Iewish Commonwealth for their Church began with their Government and Moses who was the Supream Magistrate taught the people Religion setled their Forms of Worship and chose their Priests This was that which made Kingly Authority so much esteemed by the People and put the Right and Power of all things pertaining to Religion into the hands of Supream Magistrates for though after the Death of Moses no Man governed so absolutely as he did yet the Right and Power of determining all things concerning Religion as well as other Affairs still remained as we have already proved in the Prince and the People to be instructed in Religion and Piety were no more bound to go to the High Priest than they were to the Chief Iudge Deut. chap. 17. v. 9 11 12 Thou shalt come to the Priests the Levites and to the Chief Iudge that shall be in those days to enquire and he that will not hearken unto the Priest or unto the Iudge that man shall die Though the Kings had not power equal to that of Moses yet the Priests and Levites were appointed and ordered to do what the Kings thought fit for as it appears in 1 Chron. chap. 28. v. 11 12. King David order'd how the Temple should be built according to a Model he prescribed and as it appears in the 23 d Chapter of the same Book David out of all the Levites chose twenty four thousand to set forward the building of the Temple six thousand to be Officers and Iudges four thousand to be Porters and four thousand to praise the Lord upon musical Instruments he likewise divided the Levites into companies and set Rulers over them which Companies were to serve and wait in their turns For other particulars I refer the Reader to the 28 th Chapter of the 2 d Book of Chron. v. 13. where it is said That King Solomon commanded Offerings to be made according as Moses instituted And ver 14. it is said That Solomon according to the order of David his Father appointed the Courses of the Priests and Levites to their Service and Charges and ver 15. the Historian saith They departed not from the Commandment of the King given to the Priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the Treasures By all which by other Histories of their Kings it is evident that the whole Exercise of Religion and all the Service that concerned it depended only upon their King's Command And tho' their Kings had not as Moses had the Power of chusing the High-Priest or of consulting God without him or of condemning the Prophets that prophesy'd in their Reigns the Prophets having power to chuse a new King and to pardon any that had taken away a King's Life yet I say the Prophets themselves had no power to call any King to an account for breaking the Laws or in any judicial manner and form to proceed against or condemn him And therefore if there had been no Prophets who by particular Revelation could pardon the killing of a King Kings in the Jewish Commonwealth must have had absolute Power over all things both Sacred and Civil as Supreme Powers have in these our Days who have no Prophets nor are obliged to receive any being in no wise bound by the Laws of the Jews Commonwealth And this Power tho' our Kings marry they absolutely have and may keep if they do not suffer Doctrines and Articles of Religion to be multiplied or mingled and confounded with Arts and Sciences CHAP. XX. In a Free Commonwealth it should be lawful for every Man to think what he will and speak what he thinks WEre it as easie to command Mens Minds as it is their Tongues all Supreme Powers would reign securely and no Government would be Violent or Tyrannical For then every Man would live according to the Will of those in Supreme Power and would think every thing true or false good or evil just or unjust according to their Determinations and Decrees But it is impossible as we have observed in the beginning of the 17 th Chapter that any Man's Mind or Thoughts should be in another Man's power because no Man can transfer or be compelled to transfer his natural Right of Reasoning and Judging of Things upon any other Man And therefore that Government is counted Tyrannical which would reign over Mens Minds and Supreme Powers do their Subjects wrong and deprive them of their just Right when they command them to receive or reject according to their Prescriptions whatever they declare to be true or false and positively appoint what Opinions and Notions Men in their Devotions shall have of God which is a thing wholly in a Man 's own power and from which no Man tho' he would can part I confess a Man's Judgment may be so many ways prepossest that tho it be not directly and absolutely in another Man's power yet it may have such a dependence on him as to be thought very much at his dispose but in spite of all that Art can do Men will abound in their own Sense and there will for ever be as many diversities of Opinions as there are of Palats Tho' Moses not by Craft but by Divine Power had so prepossest the Minds of his People that they believed he said and did all things by Divine Inspiration yet he could not escape ill Reports and sinister Interpretations much less then can other Monarchs Were the thing possible it might rather be done in Monarchical than in Democratical Government which is managed by an Assembly of all or the greatest part of the People and the Reason I think is obvious Tho' Supreme Powers have right to all things and are believed to be Interpreters both of Law and Religion yet they could never keep Men from judging of things according to their Reason and Capacities nor from being this or that way affected They may indeed account all men Enemies who do not in all things absolutely think as they do but we do not here dispute of their Power but of what is most convenient and profitable I grant that Supreme Powers may Reign Tyrannically and put Subjects to death for very slight Causes if they please but all Men will deny that this can be done with Reason or Prudence because it will prove dangerous and destructive to the Government Yea it may be denied that Supreme Magistrates have absolute Power and consequently have not absolute Right to do such things as these because we have proved that the Right of Supreme Magistrates is determined by their Power If then no Man can part with this Liberty of Judging and Thinking what he will but every Man by the Sovereign Right of Nature is Master of his own Thoughts Supreme Powers in any Commonwealth can never hope for Success in prescribing to Men of different
confusedly gathered and laid together that they might afterwards be examin'd and put into order and not only those things which we find in the first five Books but the rest of the Histories contain'd in the other seven were also Collected in the same manner Who doth not plainly see that in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges from the sixth Verse a new Historian brought in who had Written the Acts of Ioshua and his very Words used For after our Historian in the last Chapter of Ioshua had spoken of his Death and Burial and promis'd in the beginning of the Book of Iudges to declare what happen'd after Ioshua's Death if he intended regularly to prosecute his own History why doth he again in the 2 d Chapter of Iudges tell us what Joshua did and speak again of his Death and Burial as he had before the 17 and 18 chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. are in all probability taken out of another Historian who made the cause of David's frequenting Saul's Court to be quite different from that spoken of in the 16. chap. of the same Book for he did not understand that David by the Advice of Saul's Servants was called to Court as is declared in the said 16 th chap. but that his Father sending him to visit his Brethren in Saul's Camp David by his Victory over Goliah became known to Saul and afterward lived in his Court. I suspect the same thing of the 26 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. and that the History of that Chapter and what is related in the 24 th chap. are one and the same but taken out of several Writers but of this enough I come now to examine the Computation of time It is said in the 6 th chap. of the 1 st Book of Kings that Solomon four hundred and fourscore Years after the Children of Israel came out of the Land of Egypt and in the fourth Year of his own Reign began to Build the House of the Lord but from the Histories themselves we can make it appear it was a much longer time till the Temple was Built Years For first Moses govern'd the People in the desert 40 Joshua who lived a hundred and twenty by the Opinion of Josephus and others govern'd not above 26 Kusan Risgataim kept the People in Bondage 08 Othonyel the Son of Kenaz Judged 40 Eglon the King of Moab kept the People in Bondage 18 Ehud and Samger Judged 80 Jachin King of Canaan kept the People under 20 The People afterward had rest 40 Were again in Subjection to Midian 07 Were again at Liberty under Gideon 40 Were under the Power of Abimelech 03 Tola the Son of Puah Judged 23 Jair Judged 22 The People were again in Bondage to the Philistines and Ammonites 18 Iephtah Judged 06 Absan the Bethlemite Judged 07 Elon the Zebulonite 10 Abdon the Pirathonite 08 The People again in Bondage to the Philistins 40 Samson Judged 20 Ely Judged 40 The People in Bondage again to the Philistines till delivered by Samuel 20 David Reigned 40 Solomon before he began to Build Reigned 04 All these Years added together make up the Number of 580. To which number are to be added the Years of that Age wherein the Common-wealth of the Iews flourished after the Death of Ioshua until it was subdued by Kusan Risgataim which I believe were many for I cannot be perswaded that all the People who had seen the wonders of Joshua's time should presently after his Death perish altogether neither that they who succeeded them should at once bid farewel to all their Laws and from a great deal of Vertue fall in an instant into the depth of Wickedness and Folly neither that Kusan Risgataim Conquer'd them at a blow but seeing all these things require almost an Age to bring them to pass it is not to be doubted but the Scripture in the 2 d. 7 th 9 th and 10 th Chapters of the Book of Judges doth comprize the Histories of many Years which it hath passed over in silence We are moreover to add the Years which Samuel Judged whose number we find not in Scripture and the Years also of Saul's Reign which are left out in the former Computation because by his History 't is not evident how many he Reigned indeed it is said in the 1 st Verse of the 13 th Chap. of the 1 st Book of Sam. that Saul Reigned two Years but that Text is maimed and we may from the History it self conclude his Reign was longer that the Text is defective no Man who hath but the least Knowledge of the Hebrew Tongue can doubt for it begins thus in the Latin Translation Annum natus erat Saul cum regnavit duos annos regnavit supra Israelem Which in our English Bible is thus render'd Saul Reigned one Year and when he had Reigned two Years c. but who sees not that the number of Years of Saul's Age when he began to Reign was omitted and that the time of his Reign was more then two Years any Man may gather from the History it self for in the 27 th Chap. of the same Book Verse the 7 th it is said that the time David dwelt in the Country of the Philistines was a full Year and four Months so that by this Calculation all things else which passed in Sauls Reign must happen in the space of eight Months which no Man can believe Iosephus in the end of his 6 th Book of Antiquities hath thus corrected the Text. Saul while Samuel lived Reigned eighteen Years and after Samuels Death two but the Story in the 13 th chap. doth in no wise agree with what went before for towards the end of the 7 th chap. v. 13. we are told that the Philistines were so subdued by the Israelites that they came no more into the Coasts of Israel and the Hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel and yet in the foresaid 13 th Chapter 't is said that in Samuels Life time the Philistins invaded the Israelites and reduced them to so great Misery and Poverty that they wanted not only Arms to defend themselves but also Smiths to make so much as a Sword or a Spear that Man must take pains enough who made it his business so to reconcile all the Histories of the first Book of Samuel that they should not appear to be Written and put in order by one Historian but I return to what I proposed the Years of Sauls Reign ought to be added to the foregoing Computation now how many were the Years of the Israelites Anarchy the Scripture doth not mention my meaning is that the space of time is not certain wherein those things happened which are related from the 17 th Chapter of Iudges to the end of that Book so that no exact calculation can be made from the Histories themselves neither do they agree in any but differ very much so that it must be granted they were
Society is called Democracy which is a general Assembly of men who in fellowship have Soveraign right to all things within their Power from whence it follows that Supream Power is bound by no Law but all ought to obey it in all things which obedience every one did in express words or tacitly and by implication promise when he transfer'd all his own Power of defending himself that is all his own natural right upon the Society So that if any men intended to keep any thing to themselves at the same time they ought to have provided and taken care for the defence and safe keeping thereof but if they did not nor could do it without dividing and consequently destroying the Government and Commonwealth that ought to be accounted an absolute submission of themselves to the will of the Supream Power which being done absolutely and not only upon necessity but likewise for very good reasons unless we will declare our selves Enemies to the Commonwealth and act contrary to Reason which perswades us to defend the Commonwealth with our utmost power we are bound to obey all the Commands of the Supream Power be they never so absurd for even those Reason commands us to obey that of two evils we may chuse the least Consider likewise how easily every one may run into the danger of submitting himself absolutely to the Will and Arbitrary Power of another for as we have shewn Supream Powers have no longer right of commanding what they will than they can keep that Power for as soon as they lose it they lose likewise the right of commanding all things and that right falls to him or them that can get and keep it therefore it very rarely happens that Supream Powers command harsh and unreasonable things for it very much concerns them to look to themselves to keep their Power to mind the publick good and order all things by the Rules of Reason No violent Governments saith Seneca ever stood long It is observable that in Democratical Governments severe and unreasonable Commands are never much to be feared for 't is almost impossible that the major part of an Assembly if it be great should agree in that which is unreasonable and absurd the Foundation and End likewise of that Government being only to avoid the mischiefs of boundless Appetite and to keep Men as much as may be within the compass of Reason that they may live together in Peace and Amity which Foundation once taken away down falls the whole Fabrick against which Ruin to provide is the duty of the Supream Power The Subjects part is to obey and acknowledge nothing else to be right but what is declared to be so by the Supream Power But some may think that by this Rule I make Subjects Servants or Slaves because they account him a Servant who acts by Command and him free who only obeys his own Will which is not absolutely true for he that gives himself up to his own pleasure and desires and neither sees or does what is for his own good is indeed the greatest of Slaves and he only is free who of his own accord lives according to the dictates of Reason Acting by Command which is Obedience doth in some sort take away Liberty but 't is the account upon which a Man acts that makes him a Servant for if the end of the action be wholly and solely for the benefit of him that commands without any advantage to the Agent then the Agent is a Servant and unprofitable to himself but in a Commonwealth or Government where the welfare of all the People and not of him that governs is the principal and Supreme Law he that in all things obeys the Supreme Power is not an unprofitable Servant to himself but is to be counted a Subject and therefore that Commonwealth is counted freest where the Laws are sounded upon most Reason for there every Man when he will may be free in living with his own intire consent according to the Rules of Reason Tho' Children are bound to obey all the Command of their Parents yet they are not Servants for the Commands of Parents tend chiefly to the good of their Children and therefore we acknowledge there is great difference between a Servant a Son and a Subject who are thus defined A Servant is he who is bound to obey the Commands of his Master which respect only the Masters benefit A Son is he that by his Parents Command doth that which is for his own good And a Subject is he who by the Command of the Supreme Power doth that which is for the good of the Publick and consequently as he is one of that Body for his own benefit By what I have said I think I have clearly shewn what is the Foundation of Democratical Government of which before all others I chuse to treat because it seems most natural and comes nearest to that freedom and liberty which Nature allows every Man for in Democratical Government no Man so transfers his own Natural Right to another as for ever after to be excluded from consultation but only transfers it upon the major part of the Society of which he still makes one and upon this all remain as they were before in their natural estate equal Moreover I purposely treated of this Government because it best suited with my Intention which was to speak of the benefit of Liberty in a Commonwealth I will therefore have nothing to do with the Foundations of other Powers nor to know their Right is it necessary to know whence they had and often have their Original that is too manifest From what I have declared where ever the Supreme Power is whether in one person in few or in all 't is certain that they have the Soveraign right of commanding what they will and whoever either willingly or by compulsion transfers to another the Power of defending himself he hath clearly parted with his Natural Right and consequently must resolve to obey him that hath it in all things which he continues obliged to do as long as the King the Nobles or the People can preserve the Supreme Power which they received which was the first Foundation of transferring Natural Right of which I need say no more The Foundations and Right of Government being laid open it is easie to determine what is private civil Right what is Injury or Wrong what is Justice what Injustice in a Civil State. Lastly Who is a Confederate or Ally who is an Enemy and what is Treason By private civil Right no other thing can be understood but every Man 's keeping and preserving himself in the state wherein he is which Liberty is limited and determined by the Decrees and Dictates of the Supreme Power and defended by the sole Authority thereof for after every one hath transferr'd to another his right of living according to his own Will which only bounded his own power I mean his liberty of defending himself he is then obliged to live
Violence might without danger be practis'd on Subjects which I believe cannot enter into any Mans thoughts so that it must be granted that every Man retains much of his own Right which still depends upon no bodies will but his own Now that it may be rightly understood how far the right of Government extends it self it is to be observed That the Power of Government doth not precisely consist in its being able to compel men by fear but also in all other means whereby it is able to make men obey its Commands for 't is not the Reason of obeying but actual Obedience that makes a man a Subject Upon what account soever a man resolves to perform the Commands of Supreme Power whether for fear of punishment for hope of benefit for love of his Country or any other affection yet still he acts by the Command of the Supreme Power though it be upon deliberation with himself It is not therefore to be concluded That a man who doth any thing by his own counsel and deliberation acts by his own Power and not by the Authority of the Government for being obliged by love or forced by fear he still of his own accord acts to avoid some evil Either there must be no such thing as Authority and Power over Subjects unless it did necessarily extend it self to all things which make men upon deliberation submit to it and consequently whatever a Subject doth agreeable to the Commands of the Supreme Power whether he do it for fear love or which is more frequent for hope and fear together or out of reverence which is composed of fear and admiration on or for any other Reason yet he still acts not by his own Power but by the Authority and Power of the Government And hence it is very evident that Obedience doth not so much respect external Actions as the inward Consent and Submission of the Mind and he is most under the Power of another who with a willing mind deliberately resolves to execute all his Commands That Power is always greatest which reigns over the hearts of Subjects but if they should be accounted most powerful who are most feared how potent must they be who are govern'd by Tyrants who commonly dread nothing so much as their own Subjects Though there cannot be so great a Command over mens Minds as there may be over their Tongues yet the Minds of men are in some kind under the Dominion of Supreme Power because it can several ways bring it so about that a very great part of the People shall believe love and hate whatever the Supreme Power pleaseth And though this be not effected by the direct Commands of the Supreme Power yet Experience tells us 't is often done by the Authority that is by the direction of that Power So that we may without any difficulty conceive how men may believe love hate despise and be carried away with any other Passion to which the Authority of the Supreme Power pleaseth to incline them But though upon this very account we may conceive the Right and Power of Government to be very large yet 't is impossible that any Dominion should be so great and absolute that he or they who have it should be able in all things to do what they please therefore as I have already said it is not my intention to shew how to form a Government that shall be perpetual but my purpose is only to take notice of those things which Moses by Divine Revelation declared were most likely to preserve and perpetuate a Commonwealth We shall then see what those things are which for the benefit and safety of a Commonwealth are to be granted to Subjects by the Supream Power Reason and Experience tell us That the safety and preservation of Government depends chiefly upon the fidelity of Subjects and their Courage and Constancy in executing the Commands of the Supream Power but the way of teaching Subjects to be constantly faithful and couragious is not so easily found out because Governours as well as the governed are Men and not caring for Labour are still prone to Lust. They think securing Government to be an impossible Work who have tried the mutable Humours of the Multitude which is never ruled by Reason but by their own Passions and Affections ready for all rash Attempts easily debauched by Covetousness and Luxury every single man thinks he knows all things and judgeth every thing to be just or unjust right or wrong as it makes for his profit or loss Pride makes him scorn to be governed by his Equals still envying another man's better Reputation or greater Fortune which is never equal desires and rejoyceth in his Neighbours Misfortunes There is no need of more Instances all know how mens Minds are agitated and possest and to what Mischeif men are hurried headlong by dislike of their present Condition by desire of Change by Rage and contemptible Poverty To prevent all these things and to constitute a Government wherein there shall be no place left for fraud and so to order all things that all People of what Disposition soever shall prefer the publick good before their own private benefit is the great difficulty The Necessity of preserving and securing Government hath much busied mens heads but it hath been hitherto impossible to put Supreme Power into a condition of being less in danger or in less fear of Subjects than of Enemies Witness the Roman Commonwealth never conquer'd by its own Enemies but often opprest and overthrown by its own Citizens and especially in that Civil War of Vespasian against Vitellius as may be seen in the Fourth Book of Tacitus where he describes the miserable condition of the City of Rome Alexander the Great saith Quintus Curtius in the End of his Eighth Book did more fear the Fame of a Subject than an Enemy because he was afraid his own People might ruine his Greatness Distrusting his own Fate he thus bespake his Friends Let it be your care only to preserve me from the Treachery and Conspiracy of my own People and then no hazards in the War shall put me in fear Philip was more secure in the Front of Battel abroad than in the Theatre at home he oft-times avoided the force of his Enemies but he could not escape the violence of his own Friends and if you consider the End of other Kings you shall number more that have been slain by their own Subjects than by any Forreign Power See Quintus Curtius lib. 9. § 6. This was the Reason why Kings who were Usurpers to secure themselves and their Dominion endeavour'd to perswade the People they were descended from the Immortal Gods because they thought if their Subjects did not take them for Men like themselves but believed them to be Gods they would be the better contented to deliver themselves up to their Power and Government Augustus perswaded the Romans that he was descended from AEneas the Son of Venus one of their Deities he
in maintaining such Laws he will think himself rather the Peoples Servant than their Master A New Monarch will make it his business to make New Laws framing the Rules of Government to his own purpose and will reduce the People to such a Condition that they shall not be able with as much ease to unmake as make a King. But here I cannot pass by another Observation which is That it is a very dangerous thing to take away the Life of a King though it be evident to all the World he is an Absolute Tyrant Because when a Nation is accustomed to Kingly Authority and hath been governed only by it they will scorn and contemn any Authority that is less and when they have taken away one Tyrant they will be necessitated as heretofore the Prophets were to chuse another in his room who must be a Tyrant whether he will or no for how can he behold his Subjects Hands stain'd with Royal Blood and approve the Fact which was but a president to shew how they might likewise deal with him If he will be a King and will have the People acknowledge his Power and not be his Judge he must unless he intend to reign precariously first revenge the Death of his Predecessor and make the People an Example that they may not dare to commit the like Parricide upon him But how can he revenge upon the People the Death of a Tyrant unless he first defend the former Tyrant's Cause approve his Actions and consequently tread in his steps Hence it comes to pass that people may indeed change but never destroy a Tyrant or turn ancient Monarchical Government into any other form Of this the People of a Kingdom not far from us have given the World a fatal Example who under colour and form of Law and Justice took away their King's Life and when he was gone they could do no less than change the form of Government but after much Blood spilt it came to this pass at last that another person was set up not by the Name of King as if all the Quarrel had been for nothing but a Name who could not possibly stand unless he destroyed the Royal Line and all that were suspected to be the last King's Friends He disturb'd the Quiet of Peace which breeds Rumors with new Wars that thereby he might divert the Minds of the People from reflecting upon the King's Murder but the Nation at last finding they had done nothing for the publick good by putting to Death their Lawful King and by changing the Government had brought themselves into a Condition worse than they were in before they resolved to return from whence they had strayed nor were they quiet till they saw all things restor'd to their former state Perhaps some will object the Example of the People of Rome who with much ease rid themselves of a Tyrant but their Example I think makes good my Opinion for though the People of Rome could easily destroy a Tyrant and change their form of Government because the Power and Right of chusing a King and his Successor was in the People and because the People amongst whom were many criminal and seditious persons were not accustomed to Kings for of Six they kill'd Three yet still they did nothing but in the place of one Tyrant chuse many who kept them always embroil'd in Foreign and Civil War till the Government under another Name as it did lately in England fell again to a Monarch but the States of Holland never that we know had Kings but only Earls or Counts upon whom the Supream Power was devolved for the States by their Declaration publisht in the time of the Earl of Leicester make it evident That they still reserved to themselves the Power and Authority of minding those Counts of their Duty and likewise kept continually in their own hands the power of maintaining their own Authority and defending their Subjects Liberty in case those Counts did at any time abuse their power the States had still Authority to restrain and punish them that they could do nothing without their Consent and Approbation Whence it clearly follows that the Right of Supream Power and Majesty always resided in the States which Power the last Earl endeavouring to usurp the States could not possibly be thought guilty of any Revolt or Rebellion when they did only restore their almost lost Government to its Pristine State These Examples fully prove That ancient Forms of Government ought to be preserved and cannot without great danger of total ruine be changed CHAP. XIX Religion and all things pertaining to it are subject to no other Power but that of the Supream Magistrate Publick External Forms of Religious Worship ought to be accommodated to the Peace of the Commonwealth WHen I said That they only who have the Supream Power have Right to all things and that all things depend upon their Decrees I meant things Sacred as well as Civil that is Supream Magistrates are the Supream Heads Judges and Interpreters of all things both in Church and State which is the particular Point I intended to treat of in this Chapter because there are many who will not allow Supream Civil Magistrates to have any power over things Sacred nor will they own them to be Judges or Interpreters of God's Law but with strange Boldness accuse and traduce them yea sometimes as heretofore Ambrose did the Emperor Theodosius Excommunicate them out of the Church But as it will appear in the end of this Chapter these Men have a mind to divide and share the Government or get it wholly into their own hands I will first shew That Religion hath the Force of a Law only from their Decrees who have the Supream Power and that all External Religious Worship and Outward Practice of Piety ought to be suited and accommodated to the Peace of the Common-wealth That is so ordered and regulated as may make most for the Quiet thereof and consequently ought to be determin'd and settled by the Supream Power to whose Judgment in all Causes Sacred and Civil we ought to submit But that I may not be mistaken I speak only of the outward Worship and Exercise of Religion and Piety and not of Piety it self and the inward Worship of God or of the Means whereby the Mind is internally disposed to worship God in sincerity for the inward Worship of God and Piety it self is in every man 's own power as we have shewn in the end of the Seventh Chapter which power no man can transfer upon another It appears by the Fourteenth Chapter what I mean by the Kingdom of God where I shew That he fulfilleth the Law of God who exerciseth Justice and Charity because God hath commanded it from whence it follows That the Kingdom of God is where Justice and Charity have the force of a Law and Precept I think there is little difference whether God teach us the Practice of Justice and Charity by Natural Light or
power of the Divine Law depends upon the Decrees of the Supream Magistrate it follows that the Supream Powers are Interpreters of it Upon what account we shall presently declare but first we will shew That the External Worship of God and the Exercise of Piety if we will rightly obey God ought to be perform'd and regulated in such a manner as may best suit with and is most likely to preserve the Peace of the Commonwealth Certainly a Man's Piety and Love to his Country ought to be very great for take away Government farewel all hope of benefit or safety all things are presently in a perillous Condition and the Reign of Rage and Impiety fills all Peoples Minds with Terror and Confusion Whence it must follow that what good soever I do to my Neighbour if it be destructive to the Commonwealth may be counted Impiety and on the other side any hurt done to my Neighbour for the preservation of the Commonwealth ought to be accounted Charity for Example if a Man strive with me for my Coat it is very great Charity in me to give him my Cloak also but where this may endanger the safety of Government it is much greater Charity to bring that Man to Justice though I know he will be condemn'd to death Manlius Torquatus is celebrated in Story for preferring the Peoples Publick Safety before his own Son's Life If then Publick Safety be above all Laws and all Laws both Divine and Humane have a special regard to it if it likewise be the Office and Duty only of the Supream Power to determine what is for the Publick Safety of Government and to command whatever it thinks is so 't is a necessary consequence that no body but the Supream Power ought to determine in what manner a Man ought to shew his Love to his Neighbour that is in what manner he is bound to obey God. So that now we understand why and upon what ground the Supream Powers are Arbiters and Interpreters of Religion and that no body can rightly obey God if he do not accommodate the Publick Practice of Piety whereto every man is obliged to the publick benefit and peace of the Commonwealth by observing all Commands of the Supream Powers for seeing we are all bound to practice Piety towards all men none excepted and to do no man any Injury it follows That it is not lawful for any man to do good to one if thereby he hurt another much less if he thereby endanger the Commonwealth and no person can according to God's Command practice Charity towards his Neighbour unless his Religion and Charity be so regulated as to promote the Publick Good. Now no private man can know what is for the Publick Good unless it be by the Decrees and Laws of the Supream Power whose business it is to take care of the Commonwealth and therefore no man can rightly practice Piety and obey God unless he be obedient to the Decrees and Determinations of the Supream Power which is verified by common practice for it is not lawful for any Subject to help or assist any Man whom the Supream Power hath judged worthy of Death or declared to be a publick Enemy Though the Iews were commanded to love their neighbours as themselves Levit. chap. 19. v. 8. yet if any man had offended against the Commands of the Law they were bound to make it known to the Judge and in case he were condemned to Death to kill him Deut. 13. 8 9. and 17. 7. That the Iews might preserve their Liberty and keep their Lands in their own possession it was necessary as we have shewn in the Seventeenth Chapter to accommodate their Religion to their Government and separate themselves from other Nations It was therefore said Love thy neighbour but hate thine enemy Matth. chap. 15. v. 43. But after they lost their Government and were carried away Captives to Babylon then Ieremy bid them seek the peace of that City And because Christ knew they were to be scattered and dispersed into all parts of the World he taught them the Practice of Charity to all Mankind in general which evidently proves That Religion was always accommodated to the publick benefit of the Common-wealth If any man ask me by what Right or Authority the Disciples of Christ who were but private persons could preach Religion I say they did it by Vertue of that Power they received from Christ against unclean Spirits See Matth. chap. 10. v. 1. I have in the end of my Sixteenth Chapter expresly declared That all men are bound to keep Faith with a Tyrant unless it be such a one against whom God hath by Revelation promis'd his particular assistance and therefore none can take Example from the Apostles unless he have also power to do Miracles which appears by what Christ said to his Disciples Matth. chap. 10. v. 28. Fear not those who can kill the body Had this been said generally to all men Government would be to no purpose and those Words of Solomon not at all to be regarded Prov. chap. 24. v. 21. My son fear God and the King. We must therefore conclude That the Authority which Christ gave his Disciples was in a particular manner given only to them and ought not to be drawn into example by others I value not the Reasons which are urged against this Opinion by them that would have the Civil Power to be in the Civil Magistrate but all things pertaining to Religion in the Power of the Church their Reasons are so frivolous they need no refutation yet I cannot chuse but take notice how mightily those men are deceived who to maintain pardon the Expression their seditious Humour urge the Authority of the High Priest among the Iews who say they was the sole Administrator of all things that were sacred and concern'd Religion But those men may remember the High Priests received that Power from Moses who as we have proved was the person that had the Supream Power and by whose Command or Decree the High Priest could at any time be divested and deprived of his Power for Moses did not only chuse Aaron but also his Son Eleazer and his Nephew Phineas and gave them power to exercise the Pontifical Office and though the Priests always kept that power yet nevertheless were they still but the Substitutes of Moses that is of the Supream Power for as we have made it appear Moses chose no Successors but so distributed all his own Offices that they who came after him seemed but such Deputies as administer the Government for absent not deceased Kings In the second Government the High Priests were indeed the Supream Magistrates but that was after they had usurped the Regal Power but before that Usurpation the Priests always depended upon the Decrees of the Supream Power and their Kings had absolute power over all things pertaining to Religion as shall appear by what will be said towards the End of this Chapter 'T is true
their Kings could not personally officiate as a Priest in the Temple because all men that could not derive their Pedigree from Aaron were counted profane and unclean which is now no Obstacle in a Christian Common-wealth for in these days the Priesthood not being entailed upon any particular Family but requiring only some particular Qualifications Kings or Supream Magistrates cannot be barred from medling with Matters belonging to Religion upon any account of profaneness but all is in their power and no body but by their authority or allowance hath any Right to officiate in the Church for the Power of chusing Ministers of setling the Church of stating and determining the Doctrines thereof prescribing Religious Rites and Ceremonies judging of Mens Piety and Manners the power of excommunicating and receiving again into the Church and of providing for the poor are all in the Supream Magistrate and these things are not only true but likewise very necessary not only for the good of Religion but also for the safety of the Commonwealth for all men know how much the People esteem and depend upon the Power and Authority of those whose Function is accounted Sacred they having an absolute Dominion over their Minds He then that endeavours to deprive the Supream Magistrate of this Power goes about to share and divide or else usurp the Government from whence must necessarily arise such Contention and Discords as were heretofore between the Kings and Iewish High Priests which could never be appeased If this Power be taken away from Supream Magistrates how can they determine of Peace or War or of any other Business if they must be obliged to follow other Mens Opinions by whom they are to be taught what is good or evil That Power is Supream and there can be none greater which hath the Right of declaring and determining what is Piety what Impiety and what in Religion is lawful or unlawful All Ages have been sensible how many Mischiefs such a Power in any but the Supream Magistrate hath produced I will give you but one Example As soon as such a Power was granted to the Pope or Bishop of Rome by degrees he became Superiour to all Kings and at last ascended to so high a pitch of earthly Dominion that whatever Kings or Emperours have since done to lessen it hath been to no purpose but they have rather much encreased it and that which no Monarch ever effected by Fire and Sword Church-men have been able to do only with their Pen which is a plain proof of the Pope's Power and a convincing Argument to perswade Supream Powers to keep that Authority he pretends to in their own hands If we consider the Observations I have made in the preceding Chapter we shall find that the residing of this Power in the hands of Supream Magistrates is very much for the Benefit and Advancement of Religion and Piety for as I have already declared the Prophets themselves though fill'd with Divine Power and Vertue yet because they were but private men the great Liberty they took in admonishing reproving and upbraiding the People did rather provoke than amend them who notwithstanding patiently submitted to the Reproof and Chastisement of their Princes Besides Kings themselves because they had not the power of judging and determining Matters of Religion many times forsook the true Religion and most of their People with them which hath likewise upon the same account often happen'd in Christian Governments But here perhaps some will ask if Supream Powers should chance to be wicked who shall then have the Power and Authority of vindicating and maintaining Religion and Piety And who shall then be the Interpreters of it I ask them on the other side What if Priests and Ecclesiasticks grow wicked and impious must they continue Interpreters of Religion and God's Word If they that have Supream Power should do whatever they please whether they do or do not meddle with Religion all things without doubt both Sacred and Civil are like to be in a very ill Condition but in much worse when private men shall seditiously pretend to a Divine Right of defining and defending all chings which concern or in any wise pertain to Religion The denying of this Power to Supream Magistrates must necessarily cause very ill Consequences for they will in all probability as did the Iewish Kings who had not this Power absolutely grow wicked and ungodly and from that which is but uncertain and contingent will follow most certain Mischief and Ruin to the Government If then we have any regard either to the Just Right of Supream Power to the safety of Government or the advancement of Religion and Piety we must grant that the regulating and determining all things concerning Religion and the Worship of God depends upon the Decrees of the Supream Power and that such only are Ministers of God's Word who are authoriz'd by the Supream Magistrate to teach and instruct the people in those principles of Religion and Piety which they that have the Supream Power think most likely to procure the publick Good of the Common-wealth I have now no more to do but to declare the Cause why in Christian Governments there hath been so much dispute about this Power when in the Iewish Commonwealth it never that I know came into controversie It is little less than a Wonder that a thing so necessary and profitable should still be a Question and the Subject of continual Cavil and that Supream Magistrates should never be able to exercise this Power without contention and without fear of danger and prejudice to Religion If the Cause of this could not be found out I would confess all I have said in this Chapter to be meer Theoretical Speculative Notions of no use but any person that will but look back and consider the beginnings of Christian Religion may easily discover the Cause of this Controversie They that first taught Christian Religion were not Kings but private persons who contrary to the Will and Commands of those in Supream Power whose Subjects they were preached in private Churches or Congregations and instituted Forms of Worship without any respect had or account given to the Government and likewise regulated and determined all things relating to Religion Though Christian Religion after many years began to be profest in Commonwealths by those that had the Supream Power yet the Ecclesiasticks who instructed Emperours and Kings in the Christian Religion were without any difficulty still acknowledged Teachers and Interpreters of God's Word Pastors of the Church and God's Ministers but that Christian Kings and Princes might not afterwards assume any such Authority to themselves Churchmen very warily provided against it by forbidding the Chief Ministers and the High Priest of the Church to marry by multiplying the Doctrines and Tenets of Religion to a prodigious number and by so confounding them with Philosophy that it was absolutely necessary for the Chief Interpreter and Judge of Religion to be a Philosopher as