of Christian Charity which commands to think no Evil by insinuating that we allow of Seâ—ition Conspiracy Rebellion Faction c. And because he finds these words in the Liturgy he infers that the Liturgy is for Passive Obedience But the very mentioning of this is sufficient Commation and shews that the Author had more Zeal than Knowledge And pray Reader observe that the Words Passive Obedience asserted and Defensive Arms condemned or the like are not once to be sound either in the Articles or in the Injunctions or Canons or in the Homilies or in the Liturgy From whence I infer that it was not the Doctrine of the first Reformers much less a Characteristical mark of a Son of the Church of England To answer all his Authorities were endless tho I think many of them are nothing to the purpose And the General Rules prescribed in the beginning of this Discourse will suffice and the Learned Reader may make Application of them without Difficulty Wherefore I shall only observe what the Author confesseth of the Meek Wise and ever renowned Hooker p. 29. In this i. Q. Elizabeth's Reign Mr. Hooker published his Judicious Books of Ecclesiastical Polity From the first of which it must be confessed it is observed that he lays the Foundation of Government in Agreement he herein following the Schools too strictly c. And here by the way he tells us that Aristotle was a great lover of Democracy But I think he wrongs the Great Philosopher For he seems to me to be a lover of Monarchy though I confess he seems to like an Elective Kingdom See his Book of Polities especially Book III Chap. 14. But be it as it will we are sure Aristotle the School men and Mr. Hooker are all ours in this Controversie And if Mr. Hooker's Eighth Book be Authentick as Published by Dr. Gaudon Bishop of Exeter I desire no better Authority See p. 190 c. He mentions and approves the old Axiom Attribuat Rex Legi quod Lex attribuit es And again Rex non debetesse sub homine sed sub Deâ— Legâ— Thirdly Whereas it is altogether without reason that Kings are judged to have by virtue of their Dominion though greater Power than any yet not then all the States of those Societies conjoyned wherein such Soveraign Rule is given them there is not any thing hereunto to the contrary by us affirmed no not when we grant Supream Authority to Kings Because Supremacy is not otherwise intended or meant but to exclude partly Forreign Powers and partly the Power which belongeth in several unto others contained as parts in that Politick Body over which those Kings have Supremacy c. It hath been declared already in general how 〈…〉 blished Dominion is where the Law doth most Rule the King c. Again p. 192. Every Independent multitude before any certain form of 〈◊〉 Established hath under God Supream Authority full Dominion over it self even as a man not tied with the Band of Subjection as yet unto any other hath over himself the like power c. And p. 103. That which we speak of Kings shall be in respect of the State and according to the nature of this Kingdom where the People are in no Subjection but such as willingly themselves have condescended unto for their own most behoof and Security In Kingdoms therefore of this Quality the Highest Governor hath indeed Universal Dominion but with dependency upon that whole intire Body over the several parts whereof he hath Dominion So that it standeth for an Axiom in this case the King is Major â—â—gulis univerâ—is Minor c Again p. 195. The Axioms of our Regal Government are these Lex facit Râ—gem Rex nihil potest nisi quod jure potest I hope no man for the future will deny that Mr. Hooker is of my Opinion that all Government is Founded in Covenant I have other Authors whom I shalt reserve till I have further Occasion I shall at present only desire two things of this Author First I beg of him to shew how all Kings have received Power immediately from God For I cannot apprehend his meaning Secondly In what manner the Laws of Providence of which he speaks are to be understood in Governing the Kingdoms of the Earth Let him plainly and sincerely declare his Judgment in these two Propositions and then we may possbly come to a right Understanding For verily these Notions seem to me like Aristotle's Occult Qualities or to border upon Enthusiasm And now to conclude I am so confident of the truth of â—y Principles that I have and will Sacrisice all that is dear to Man for them I am sure they tend to the Glory of God the propagation of the true Religion the Honour and Safety of the King and Royal Family and the happiness and welfare of my Native Country And if we may judge Principles to be true by their good Fruits we see the generality of the Nation very well pleased Fearing God and Honouring the King And if we have any Murmurers they are declared Papists or Souls seduced and corrupted by the false Principle of Passive Obedience or Discontented Lewd and Ungovernable Men for all other Protestants give God and the King thanks for this Deliverance And though we have the vast Charge of a French War and great and sore Inconveniencies that attend divers particular Persons thereby yet no man of Sense can be ignorant that War cannot be maintained without Money And therefore all Protestant Subjects and good Christians bear the Charge freely without any Discontent hoping and praying that God would give Success to his Majesties Armies and Naval Forces and that he would abate the Pride of that Monarch who hath been the Scourge of Christendom And though I will not say that this Author designed to move Sedition by this History yet if he could not satisâ—e his own Conscience and Swear Allegiance to King William and Queen Mary I think he might have spared his great pains in this numerous Collection of Testimonies For surely this History doth not tend to the Reputation of some of the late Doctors of the Church of England and I have shâ—â—ed that the first Reformers preached no such Doctrine Insomuch that I could imagine the Author of this History to be some Subâ—le Jesuit personating a Protestant on purpose to expose the Nakedness of late Divines who through Prejudice insensibly prepared the way to that which I am sure they Abhorred Popery and Arbitrary power But this which hath been the Bâ—ne of the King and Nation and the Incendiary of all parties is now out of Doors And we have a Gracious Soveraign whom God hath raised upon our great Distress in pitty to his People and Mercy to this Land When the Popish Enemy would come in like a Flood the Spirit of the Lord hath lift up a Standard against him And our Prince is our Deliverer from heavy Burthens our Reformer of great Corruptions the Physician of a Diseased Church and State And if some little Men Murmur against Moses and Aaron like Corah and his Company It is because they prefer Egyptian Onions to the Dainties of Canaan I hope the time is at hand when Men may use this speech in England concerning the State The Lord bless thee O Habitation of Justice And concerning the Church The Loâ—d bless thee O Mountain of Holiness And it was the prayer of a good Man that this Parliament the repairer of Breeches the restorer of Paths to dwell in by Loyalty to their Majesties Fidelity to the Kingdom and Zeal to Religion may be the joy of many Generations And I perswade my self that he Loves and Honours the King most and fixeth the Crown Immoveably upon him and his Posterity that wisheth and endeavoureth for these things though he renounce Passive Obedience I am very sensible that they who justifie a King's Proceedings are in no great danger tho they Err. But he that speaks against Tyranny if he slips in the least hath presently Adversaries that aggravate his humane Frailties For who Errs not in some things Again Truth in this Controversie must be handled with all care and circumspection imaginable lest we give Offence Whereas they who plead for the King though never so weakly are bold and never Condemned for careless Expressions I may run great hazard in speaking freely though it be Truth But I think a slavish Life is not worth enjoying I am for no Peace with Rome But may God's Church and the English Government for ever prosper And I shall end with the saying of St. Augustin Domine Deus quaecunque dixi de tuo agnoscant tui Siqua de meo tu ignosce tui Amen FINIS
first Reformers of our Church had more Wisdom and Moderation than to Condemn their Brethren of the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas when both Luther and Calvin justified Defensive Arms. And surely every wise and considerate Reader must needs Laugh at the palpable Folly and Weakness of this Author to infer from these Injunctions and Canons that Passive Obedience was the Characteristical Mark of the Church of England in those days He is Pur-blind with Prejudice and so now the Sun shines bright and clear he is better pleased with the Owl-light of his own Imagination Surely we receive these Injunctions and Canons as the beginning of Reformation with Hearts full of Joy And I am fully of Opinion that Henry VIII began at the Root when he renounced the Pope's Supremacy But let us hear the Doctrine of the Injunctions and Canons In the Infancy of the Reformation under Henry VIII for there I begin the Restoration of Religion to her purity in this Kingdom as Dr. Burnet doth Anno 1536. Injunctions were Issued out The first of which is That every Man that hath Cure of Souls shall for the Establishing and Confirmation of the King's Authority and Jurisdiction sincerely declare manifest and open for the space of one quarter of a Year next ensuing once every Sunday and after that at least wise twice every Quarter in their Sermons and other Collations That the Bishop of Rome's Vsurped Power and Jurisdiction having no Establishment or Ground in the Law of God was of most just cause taken away and Abolished And that the King's Power in his Dominions is the Highest Power and Potentate under God to whom all Men within the same Dominions by Gods Command owe most Loyalty and Obedience afore and above all other Potentates on Earth I am so far from disowning any of this that I wish it had been every Week published in every Market Town in the Reign of King James II. We always abhorred the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome And we always owned the King's Lawful Power and Authority But we say that if a King is resolved to Subject us to a Forreign Power and to Dispense with all Laws made for our Security Liberty and Property and the Established Religion we may hinder him from Cutting our Throats and Defend our selves And this is neither Râ—bellion nor Resistance properly so called but Natural Self preservation against the Freaks and prodigious Melancholy Fits of a raging and beastly Tyrant who with greatest Ingratitude would devour Friends as well as Foes But let us see his Inference p. 5. Now if the King be above all other Powers then he cannot be Accountable to any other Power and so ought not to be Resisted Answ He that resists the Lust of a Tyrant resists no Power as hath been said often because neither God nor Man gave him such Power And though the King is above all Power and it is not for me to meddle with the King's Prerogatives or the Parliaments Priviledges yet I may safely say He is not above Law which makes him King as I shall shew anon out of the Fragments of Mr. Hooker's Eighth Book And it is a Sentence worthy to be written in Letters of Gold which I find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sect. 5. p. 31. with me King Charles the First mentioned More than the Law gives me I would not have and less the meanest Subject should not And let me remind the Author that he saith in the Preface that he only doth the office of an Historian and intended not to promote any Disturbance But here and elsewhere he cannot forbear his own Inferences how unreasonable so ever they be Again he saith The Injunctions of the Lord Cromwell Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth plainly distinguish the Claim of the Pope from other Claims implying That our Church always believed that her Princes Power was derived immediately from God and that they were Superior to all their Subjects either Singly or Collectively and so were not accountable to them but only to God Answ No Mans private inferences and Opinions are the Doctrines of the Church The Injunctions and Canons have left such a Latitude that both Sides approve Likeas the 17th Article is of such a latitude that both Calvinists and Arminians subscribe with Cheerfulness and a good Conscience And this I take to be great Wisdom in our first Reformers I wish those Bishops that Succeeded them had been as wise at all times For let this Author imagine what he pleaseth private Opinions when urged as Doctrines of the Church or made Characteristical Marks of the Church have been the cause of all Disturbances in the Christian World We all believe that the King's Power is of God but that any one form of Regiment is derived immediately from God is no Doctrine of our Church nor of any Church and is the first falshood in political Government as I have shewed elsewhere All Kings receive their power Mediately by the People And Mr. Hooker faith tho he is singulis Major yet he is universis Minor But my opinion is this is according to the Constitution of every Kingdom though no People can give away the right of Self-preservation I am weary of this Cuckow tune always the same thing In short the Canons of the Church of England are Innocent in this matter And I would justifie our Church but the Guilt of some and the Peevishness of others will not suffer me And such as these may call me an Apostate and Presbyterian perhaps only because they are ashamed to confess their own Guilt I profess my self as true a Son of the Church of England as any Man in England And I always was and am at this day for Monarchy Epscopacy and Liturgy as Established by Law And I humbly submit in all things of Order Decency and Government to the Fathers of the Church and to the King and Parliament And let Men sunk in Prejudice say what they will this was always the Judgment of the Protestant English Church If our Governors think fit to change things in their own nature changeable every Subject is bound in Conscience to Obey If they think not fit be things as they are I am contented Now as for the Canons of the year 1640 I confess they have a spice of Innovation And I say I hope without offence to any Impartial considerer of those days That Arbitrary Power began to creep upon us And Arch-bishop Laud and his Party nor the Puritans and their Party are not to be justified in all things And here I make my Appeal to Rushworth's Collections or any other impartial Record of those times But I think the Author had better have buried these things in Silence For how they tend to the Credit of the Church of England I do not understand and I need not descant upon them Let us go on to Chap. III. which contains the Doctrine of the Homilies Here I shall not say with Mr. Mountague Appeal p. 260. I will admit the
THE Vanity and Falsity OF THE HISTORY OF Passive Obedience DETECTED Wherein is briefly Demonstrated That the First Reformers were far from Maintaining it in the Author of that History and his Party's Sence AS ALSO It is plainly Evinced that it cannot be deduced from the Homilies Articles Injunctions or Canons Liturgy and Bishops of the Primitive English Church And all the specious Pretences he makes for it are fully Answered By Tim. Wilson M. A. and Rector of Kings Noth in Kent Licens'd according to Order Prov. XXIII 23. Buy the Truth and Sell it not Beloved believe not every Spirit but try the Spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the World 1 St. John IV. 1. LONDON Printed by George Croom at the Blew-Ball in Thames-street near Baynard's Castle 1690. THE Vanity and Falsity OF THE HISTORY OF Passive Obedience c. THE History of Passive Obedience since the Reformation tells us That it was the Doctrine of all Ages To which I return this plain Answer Our Noble and Blessed Reformers and all Protestant Divines as we who oppose Passive Obedience do at this day declare that the King's Power is of God yea that all Power is of God that Kings are God's Ministers and Vice-gerents that they are God's Ordinance and are not to be Resisted but Obeyed not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake That God is the only Ruler of Princes that neither Heresie nor Infidelity absolve Subjects from their Allegiance and Duty to Kings This and the like is granted on all hands And this is all that I could ever Collect from the Homilies Articles Injunctions or Canons Liturgy and first Bishops of the Protestant English Church So that I shall premise these General Rules for the understanding of the Judgment of the first Reformers and of other later Divines by him mentioned First Either they speak against Faction Sedition and Rebellion in very large and general Terms as all Divines even those of our Perswasion do as a most heinous and unnatural wickedness without stating any particular Case Or Secondly They speak of Kings Ruling according to the Laws of their Country Suppose I should say in a Sermon Good Christian People ye must in no case or for no cause Resist King William for he that Resisteth shall receive to himself Damnation Would any Man who knows my judgment from such words conclude that I am for Passive Obedience Would they not rather conclude that I am zealous for obedience to the King and harbour no jealousie of my Governors but have a strong presumption that he will Rule according to Law do what is Right and that his Subjects may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all Godliness and Honesty And doing their Duty may assure themselves of all the benefits of good Government The Apostle saith Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation The Homilies â—â—y We must in no case resist and that it 〈◊〉 not Lawful for Inferiors and Subjects in any â—â—se to resist and stand against the Superior Powâ—â—s I hope this Author will acknowledge that â—â—e Homilies speak in the same sence with St. â—aul We say so too But the Question is whether Paul calls Defenâ—â—ve Arms against Illegal Proceedings and Univerâ—â—l Oppression Damnable Resistance We say â—hat it is not the Resistance of which St. Paul â—peaks And the Author brings no Reason to â—rove it is But we give Reasons for our Interâ—retation And this is one Neither God nor Man gives Authority to Governors to Oppress Hear what a Learned Man and a grave Divine saith The Apostle doth not say expresly Whosoever resisteth the Highest Men shall receive Damnation but whosoever shall resist the Power Let every one be subject not to the will of the Highest Men but to the Higher Powers There is a great deal of difference between these two The Higher Powers that is that Authority that God and man hath put upon such a Man It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that must be Subjected to and not Resisted We profess against resisting Power Authority though abused If they who have power to make Laws shall make sinful Laws and so give Authority to any to force Obedience we say here there must be either Flying or Passive Obedience But if one that is in Authority commands out of his own will and not by Law I Resist no Power no Authority at all if I neither Actively nor Passively Obey No I do not so much as resist abused Authority This may seem strange at first but if you think of it you will believe it We distinguish between the Man that hath the Power and the Power of that Man and say though the Power must not be Resisted according to the letter and sense of the Text yet the Illegal Will and Ways of the Man may be Resisted without the least Offence against the Text. But of the Homilies I shall speak in due place Or Thirdly They speak of Personal Infirmities and Crimes of Princes of which God alone is the Avenger and Judge Or Fourthly They speak of Tyranny in Exercise when Laws enable Princes to Execute cruel Edicts or when wicked Laws are made and put in Execution which is called the Abuse of Power In which case we own Passive Obedience in Imitation of the Primitive Christians And so it was in Queen Mary's days Or Fifthly They hyperbolize in zealous Expressions from an abhorrence of â—ebellion and due Reverence of Sacred Majesty and Crowned Heads God's Anointed and Princes of greatest Merit and Renown As if I should say of His present Majesty in an Extasie of Joy upon Meditation of our great Deliverance He is the Earthly God and Saviour of England Could any from hence rationally infer that I denâ— Defensive Arms in some case Or Sixthly They Write in times wherein Arbitrary power and Innovations got footing And so out of blind Zeal and as I may say Superstitious Devotion to Princes or out of Prejudice or they were Court-parasites and Flatterers as Mountague Manwaring Sibthorp Parker Cartwright c. or possessed with some other evil Affection Or they wrote zealously against the Pope's Supremacy and his pretended power of Excommunicating and Deposing Kings and against the Assassination and Murdering of Princes justified by some Jesuits most Audaciously Or Lastly They have spoken their own Sentiments and private Opinions not the Doctrine of the Church of England and have been opposed by others in all times sometimes Secretly sometimes Openly of the same Communion and Church and by Men of as great Knowledge Piety and Loyalty both to King and Country And these have been both of the Clergy and Laity as far as with due Reverence to their Superiors they could But surely no man in his Senses can think that a whole Kingdom is to be made a Sacrifice to the perverse Will and Lust of a Tyrant who dispenseth
the Author about the Interpretation of the Counsel of our Holy Saviour St. Matt. 7.15 16. who when he bids us to Beware of false Prophets who come in Sheeps Clothing but inwardly are ravening Wolves cautions us that we shall know them by their Fruits That is not by the Fruits of their Lives but of their Doctrine Now we say the natural consequences of Passive Obedience when we have a willful or wicked Prince are Arbitrary Power Oppression Tyranny Popery Slavery Invalidating of Laws Obstructions of publick Justice and any Grievance that can befall a Nation I wish we had not seen these Evils with our own Eyes But then perhaps we should have been hard put to it to make this Author and men of his Perswasion to believe the many horrid Mischiefs which plainly follow such flattering Doctrine Likewise I acknowledge that if we would judge of the Doctrines of our Church we must consult her Articles Canons publick Homilies Publick Offices of Devotion General Orders of her Bishops Censures of her Universities and Writings of her Great Men who have Vindicated her Doctrine and explained her Belief I proceed to the First Chapter according to this method which contains the Doctrine of the 39 Articles Anno 1552. In the Convocation held at London Articles of Religion were agreed upon of which the Thirty sixth runs thus The Civil Magistrate is Ordained and allowed of God and therefore is to be Obeyed not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake And expresly asserts that the Bishop of Rome hath no Jurisdiction in this Realm of England In the Articles of our Church under Queen Elizabeth Anno 1562. it runs thus and so continues to this day The Queens Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all cases doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Foreign Jurisdiction Answ Surely no man who bears the name of a Protestant ever denied this But I imagine that if Passive Obedience had been such a peculiar and Characteristical Doctrine of the Church of England as we have been perswaded of late to believe we should have had an Article against Defensive Arms in any case and it would have been condemned as a factious seditious and rebellious Principle if it deserved Damnation as this Author speaks often times I expected plain right down English to condemn such wicked and dangerous Doctrine but I find not one word about it in the Articles nor can this Author Which is to me a strong presumption that the first Reformers medled not with this as an Article of Religion And this Author confesseth pag. 4. That this Doctrine is not limited to the particular case of Subjects taking up Arms. Well but it seems to him by two necessary Consequences to be deduced from it Let us hear them First Because if the Pope who pretends by Divine Right had no power over Kings much less have the People any Power who pretend to an Inferior Right that of Compact As if by the way the People had not a Divine right to Defend themselves Which Law of Nature is certainly the Law of God unwritten and is only in Man's Heart Secondly Because the Article makes no Distinction but Excludes all other Power as well as that of the Pope Answ All that the Article Disclaims is the Usurped Power of the Pope And all that it declares is the Supream Power of the King over all Persons in his Dominions But the first Reformers were not so senseless as to speak a word against the Peoples power of Self-preservation And who among us saith that the People have Power or Jurisdiction over their Prince when we say that they are not Rulers or in Office but they have a Power of Self-preservation And if a Prince seeks their Ruine causelessly they may Defend themselves by the Law of Nature and compel him to keep his Covenant and Oath the good of the whole Kingdom being the end of all Government And if they can no longer trust him with their Safety because he hath willfully broken his Promises they may Elect one whom they can Trust and they are not bound to be Passive under Illegal Oppressions God Rest the Soul of this Author for his honest simplicity and well-meaning but I would gladly see his Logick in Mood and Figure For verily I conceive that no Consciencious and Wise Man who is for Passive Obedience did ever dream that this Article denied Defensive Arms. And for me it shall go for the peculiar Fancy of the Author We say that the Power of the King is of God but we say also that Originally they were Elected by the People And Dr. Fern acknowledgeth That it was probably so at first in this Nation But we say that it was certainly so not only in this but in all the Kingdoms of the World See Polydore Virgil the Book called the Mirror Bracton Fortescue c. And for 2970 years or thereabouts as Chronologers compute that is from Adam to Rehoboam there was no Lineal Descent or Hereditary Succession among God's own People And it must be confessed by all That if the Royal Line should fail in any Kingdom there must be Election for God doth not now work Miracles nor send extraordinary Prophets to Anoint Kings but he whom the People in such case would chuse is God's Anointed and to him all owe Obedience I shall say no more at this time about this first Chapter Only I cannot but observe that though this Author pretends to the Meekness and Spirit of Christ Jesus yet he is very prone to Calumniate his Antagonists For who ever of our side in his Wits said that the People are the Interpreters of the meaning of the Laws as he speaks p. 4. And if any ever said that the Parliament the Representatives of the People and the Highest Court of the Kingdom are the Interpreters of the meaning of the Laws it must be understood with such Exceptions as these That they have not Arbitrary Power That they are not Infallible That they must be guided by right Reason c. But there needs no great Consultation in case of Universal Oppression In which case alone we justifie Defensive Arms for it is a thing sensible and we have Experience of it or feel it and cannot deny our Senses but are forced as sensible Creatures to complain and desire the Redress of our Grievances I go on to Chapter II. which contains the Injunctions and Canons Nothing but blind Zeal to maintain a Party that a Man hath espoused could move the Author to produce the Injunctions and Canons made in the time of Edward the VI. and Queen Elizabeth as asserting Passive Obedience or condemning Defensive Arms in some case for all Orthodox Divines acknowledge every tittle to be true and they overthrow the Pope's Supremacy in England and all Foreign Jurisdiction But the