snaky hired Furies whose residence is in an evil conscience Hear what a Heathen can say in this caseâ— Juvenal Sat. 13. cur taâ—â—en hos tu Evasisse putes quos diri conscia facti Mens habet attonilos caecâ— verbere pulsat Occultum quátientâ— animum tâ—rtore flagellum Paena autem vehemens ac multo saevior illis Quas Ceditius gravis invenit aut Rhadamanthus Nocte dieque suum gestare in pectore testem To the same purpose Persius Pers. Sat. 3. Anne magis Siculi gemuerunt aera juvenci Aut magis auratis pendens laquearibus ensis Purpureas subter cervices teruit imus Imus praecipites quam si sibi dicat intus Palleat infaelix quod proxima nesciat uxor He then that can act against his conscience without sin or remorse is one of those the Apostle speakes of whose conscience is seared with a hot iron and he must needs be miserable that despiseth the testimony of this witness saith Seneca The Apostle who was no teacher of sedition assures us that they shall not escape the judgment of God who do the same things they condemn in others Rom. 2. 3. that is who act against their conscience and saith plainly that to him who esteemeth any thing unclean to him it is unclean Rom. 14. 14. Therefore that which is no sin in it self may be sin to him whose conscience saith it is sin Hence the Schooles teach us that he who acts against an erroneous conscience sinneth for by this he is convinced that he hath a will to sin and that he can sin deliberately Besides he that acteth against his conscience acteth against the law of God to which he thinks his conscience conformable St. Paul pleadeth before the Councel Acts 23. 1. That he had lived in all good conscience and in this testimony of his conscience was his rejoycing 2 Cor. 1. 12. and wisheth Timothy to hold saith and a good conscience which some putting away that is acting against it concerning faith have made shipwrack 1 Tim. 1. 19. and in the same chapter sheweth that the end of the commandment is love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained for these three are inseparable companions now whereas Mr. Hobbs saith That this doctrine dependeth on the presumption of him who makes himself judge of good and evil I say it is no presumption but a duty imposed on every man to judge of good and evil seeing he hath both the light of nature and of Scripture to direct him and the Apostle sheweth that the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law these having not the law are a law to themselves which shew the work of the law written in their hearts their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts excusing or else accusing each other Rom. 2. 14 15. Chapter 29. He will not have faith to be attained by inspiration or infusion but by study and reason and shortly after he saith That faith is no miracle but brought to pass by education discipline correction and other natural waies c. That Peters saith was not revealed to him by flesh and blood but by the Father of Christ who is in Heaven is plain by our Saviours own words Mat. 16. 16. And he thanks his heavenly Father for hiding the mysteries of faith from the prudent and and revealing them to babes Mat 11. 25. For if faith comes by study reason discipline and education doubtless the wise Philosophers and not the ignorant Fishers had beleeved in Christ but we find it other waies that not many learned as the Apostle saith not many wise but God hath chosen the fools and ignorants of this world to confound the wise and learned and so Christ faith That none can come to him except the Father draw him John 16. And St. Paul saith Rom. 12. God hath distributed to every man the measure of faith and confesseth that he obtained this mercy of God to be faithful 1 Cor. 7. And he saith that we are saved by grace through faith not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. And indeed if faith came by reason or study we may by study attain salvation justification and life eternal for the Scripture tells us That we are saved by faith and by faith we are justified and the just live by faith and that this hath been the constant doctrine of the Church from the beginning is plain to be seen in the writings of the Fathers general and provincial Councels Now whereas he saith That faith is no miracle I say it is a miracle in that it is a supernatural gift so inconsistent with natural reason that a holy and ancient Father said there were three miracles in Christs Incarnation to wit the union of the divinity and humanity 2. Of maternity and virginity 3. Of faith and the heart of man but he cannot see Why any man should render a reason of his faith or why every Christian should not be also a prophet or why any man should take the law of his Country rather then his own inspiration for the rule of his action None of these inconveniences will follow though faith come by inspiration For 1. why may not any man give a reason that is render an account as well of an inspired as of an acquired faith St. Paul was inspired and yet he gives an account of his faith to the Jewes Acts 22. and to Agrippa Acts 26. 2. What necessity is there that every Christian should be a prophet who hath an inspired faith Is faith and prophesie one and the same gift Balaam could prophesie and yet was no beleever and many in the Primitive Church beleeved and yet could not prophesie Nor 3ly is there any reason why he who is inspired should refuse to be ruled by the law of his Country except that law be repugnant to the true faith with which he is inspired for Christ and his Apostles rejected not the civil law of the Romans but were in outward things ruled by it though they were inspired Hence then it appears that these truths are not pernicious opinions nor do they proceed from the tongues and pens of unlearned Divines â— as Mr. Hobbs saith but they are manifest truths held by the most learned Doctors of the Church in all ages Chap. 29. He will not have the Soveraign to be subject to his own laws because then he should be subject to himself and to set the laws above the Soveraign were to set a Iudge above him c. If a man can subdue himself he must be subject to himself and as there is no conquest so honorable so there is no subjection so profitable as this Fortior est qui se quam qui fortissima vincit maenia Cicero tells Caesar that he had subdued many fierce Nations and conquered divers potent Kingdoms but in restoring of Marcellus he had overcom himself which was a conquest that made him not
our Saviour did acknowledge by paying tribute and counselling to give to Caesar that which were Caesars He cap. 42 will not have excommunication to be a punishment but onely a denouncing of punishment that Christ shall inflict at the day of Judgement But I say that excommunication is not a bare denouncing but a real suffering of punishment and of such a punishment as is most grievous to wit a â— paration from Gods people and the benefits which they enjoy for if the Abstenti in the Prinâ—itive Church held it a great punishment to be debarred from the Sacrament for a whÃle how much more grievous is it to be cut off from the mystical body of Christ and to be excluded from the Communion of the Saints and of all the priviledges which they do now and shall hereafter enjoy He denieth cap. 42. that there is any spiritual Common-wealth among men in this world This he gronnds upon two reasons 1. because it is the same thing with the Kingdom of Christ which is not of this world Secondly There are no men on earth whose bodies are spiritual These reasons are very weak For first because a spiritual Common-wealth and Christs Kingdom are the same it will follow that there is a spiritual Common-wealth amongst men which is the Kingdom of grace here where Christ raigneth in the hearts of his faithful people which though it be not of this world yet it is in this world as I have shewed already And of this Kingdom our Saviour speaks when he saith The Kingdom of God is within you Luke 17. 21 Which consisteth in righteousness peace and joy in the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Secondly To say that Christ hath not here a spiritual Common-wealth because mens bodies are not spiritual is ridiculous for Christs subjects here are spiritual though their bodies be corporeal because they are animated regulated directed by the spirit They are regenerated by the spirit John 3. They walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom. 8. The spirit helpeth their inâ—irmities and teacheth them to pray Rom. 8. The holy spirit dwelleth in them 2 Tim. 1. 14. God hath given them of his spirit 1 John 4. 13. They are sealed with the spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 13. They have the fruits of the spirit which are love joy peace long-suffering c. Gal. 5. 22. Therefore Christs subjects though they are here cloathed with flesh yet are called spiritual Gal 6. 1. Yoâ— which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness These are distinguished froâ— carnal or natural men 1 Cor 3. 1. I could not speak to you brethren as to spiritual men but as to carnal So 1 Cor. 2. 14 15. The natural man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God but he that is spiritual discerneth all things So their seed is spiritual 1. Cor. 9. 11. Their meat and drink is spiritual 1 Cor. 10. 3 4. Their songs are spiritual Eph. 5. 19. Their house is spiritual a Pet. 2. 5. And their sacrifice is spiritual 1 Pet. 2. 5. Can we say then that Christs Kingdom or Common-wealth as he calls it is not spiritual He cap. 42 â— will not have the members of a Common-weath to depend one of another but to cohere together They depend onely saith he on the Soveraign which is the soul on the Common-wealth But there is a dependence as well as a coherence in a dead body there is a coherence of members but no dependence in a living body there are both though the body depend on the soul it will not therefore follow that the members do not depend one of another for the hands and feet depend on the stomack to be â—ed by it and it depends on them to be defended provided and carried by them the like may be said of the other members So in a Common-wealthâ— the Soveraign depends on the people for assistance maintenance and defence they depend on him for counsel government and peace The members of the Common-wealth depend on the Clothyer for cloaths on the Husbandman for food on the Physition for health on the Divine for instruction on the Lawyer for counsel c. And these depend on each other Heresie saith he cap. 42. is nothing else but a private opinion obstinately maintained contrary to the opinion which the publick person bath commanded to be taught Hence an opinion publickly appointed to be taught cannot be heresie nor the Princes that authorise them hereticks It seems then by this definition that Arianiâ—m was onely an heresie whilâ—t it was maintained by Arius a private person but when it was anthorised publickly by the Arian Princes it was no more an heresie and so now not Arius but Athanasius that opposed it must be called an heretick by Mr. Hobbs contrary to the judgment of all learned men and the Church of God hitherto The great Turk and the Mahumetans who profess at this day the same damnable doctrine of Arius are not hereticks but the Christians within his dominions who are of another opinion these are your hereticks Mr. Hobbs by this your definition you may call Christ and his Apostles hereticks for they held doctrines contary to the traditions and opinions of the Scribes and Pharisees who as you say sat in Moyses chair It is not the person private or publick that makes an heretick but it is the doctrine repugnant to Gods word and the articles of our faith maintained obstinately for siniâ—trous ends as lucre honor c. that makes heresie a private man may maintain an opinion in Philosophy contrary to the opinion of the Prince and yet no heretick in this because he holds nothing against our Christian faith his opinion may be erroneous but not heretical In his three and forty chapter he tels us That the faith of Christians ever since Christs time hath had for foundation the reputation of Pastors and Authority of Christian Soveraigns This is to build our faith upon a sandy foundation which with every blast will be overtâ—rned the authority and reputation of men are but arms of flesh and broken reeds to rely upon these may be motives to induceus to give our assent as the testimony of that woman John 4. induced many of the Samaritans of that City to beleeve on Christ But the foundation of their faith was Christ himself who bestowed that gift upon them as he doeth upon us And how can mans reputation or authority be the foundation of that which exceeds all humane reason and capacity but such is faith Besides faith it self is the ground of our justification and salvation for we are both justified and saved by faith but if man be the ground of our faith he must also be the ground of our jâ—stification and saluation and so Christ died rose in vain But the Apostle sheweth us the true foundation of our faith in these words For other foundation canâ—no man lay them that is laid which is Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 3. 11.
like the most excellent men but rather like to God himself Latius regnes avidum dâ—â—ando spiritum quam si Lybiam remotis Gadibus jungas c. What availed it Alexander to conquer the world and not to conquer himself to be a slave to his vices and not subject to his laws And I pray why should not a Prince be as well subject to his own laws as to his oaths covenants and promises there is nothing so honorable for a King as to keep his word and to observe the laws which he not onely made but by oath and promise tied himself to obey And surely this is the very law of nature which as Mr. Hobbs saith is divine and cannot by any man or common-wealth be abrogated Neither is there any inconvenience to set the law as a Judge above the Prince for as Aristotle tells us Polit. l. 3. c. 11. The law where it is plain and perspicuous ought to beat rule because without it no King norâ— Common-wealth can govern And secondly Because the law is just not subject to partiality passion and affection as Princes and other men are and indeed Princes should be so far from disobeying their own laws that they should be the life and soul of the law which of it self is but a dead letter therefore the common saying of that good Emperor Aurelius was Rex viva Lex No Common-wealth can be happy or continue long but where the Prince is as well subject to the law as the People his example will move them to obedience Nec sic inflectere sensus humanosâ— edicta valent ac vita regentis therefore the counsel of Pittaâ—us was good Let not them break the law who make the Law parâ—to legi quisquis legem sanxerit Cap. 29. He is angry with those who say That every private man hath a property in his goods Among the Turks indeed no private man hath any property at all under Christian Princes private men live more happily who enjoy a property yet not simply absolute if we consider that the Prince hath a right to our goods in cases of necessity as in his own and Countries defence and such like cases in this regard no man is born for himself nor hath any man an absolute property in his own life which he ought when occasion urgeth lay down for his Country Dulce decorum pro patria mori therefore Plato saith well That our Country requires a share in our birth the property then of the subject excludeth not the Princes right in cases of necessity but onely his arbitrary power Hence are these sayings Omnia rex imperio possidet singuli dominio Again Ad reges potestas omnium pertinet ad singulos proprietas The power here spoke of is meant of his just lawful not of his arbitrary tyrannical power In his thirty one chapter he makes a needless distinction between the objects of love hope and fear shewing That love hath reference to goodness hope and fear to power the subject of praise is goodness the subject of magnifying and blessing is power David knoweth no such distinction who in the 18. Psalm he loves God for his strength or power and in another Psalm he fears him for his mercy or goodness There is saith he mercy with thee therefore shalt thou be feared So he makes Gods goodness and not his power the object of his hope or belief Psal. 27. I hoped to see the goodness of God in the land of the living so likewise he praiseth God for his strength or power as well as for his goodness Praise him saith he for his mighty acts praise him for his excellent greatness Psal. 150. and in divers Psalms he magnifyeth God for his salvation as well as for his power Now when he saith that this name God is his own name of relation to us he is deceived for this is no name of relation at all his names of relation to us are Creator Redeemer Father Lord King Master c. In his third Part and Chap. 1. He saith That our natural reason is the undoubted word of God But I doubt Leviathan himself for all his great strength and power cannot make this good for Gods word is infallible so is not our natural reason which faileth in many things Gods word saith That a Virgin did conceive and bear a Son That God became man That our bodies shall rise again out of the dust but our natural reason saith this is impossible therefore when St. Paul preached the resurrection to the Athenians who wanted not natural reason enough they thought he had been mad How comes it that the Apostle saith The natural man understandeth not the things of Gods spirit And Christ tells Peter That flesh and blood that is natural reason had not revealed the mystery of his Divinity to him but his Father in Heaven and St. Paul saith That he received not the Gospel of man nor was he taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ Gal. 1. 12. And that he was not taught by mans wisdom but by the Holyâ— Ghost 1 Cor. 2. 13. How comes it I say that the Scripture speaks thus in villifying natural reason if it be the infallible word of God yea what need was there of any written word at all if our natural reason be that infallible word doubtless Adam by his fall lost much of his knowledge and natural reason Peter made use of his natural reason when he undertook to disswade Christ from going up to Ierusalem and there to suffer and die but Christ tells him that he favoured the things that be of men but not of God Mat. 16. 23. Our natural reason saith he cap. 32. Is a talent not to be folded up in the napkin of an implicit faith This I grant but I hope he will permit that our natural reason be subject to an explicit faith without which it is impossible to please God and not onely must our reason be subdued to faith but every imagination in us must be cast down and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and every thought must be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ 2. Cor 10. 5. And whereas he saith cap 32. That our reason must be imployed in the purchase of justice peace and true religion If reason could procure or purchase these blessings the Gentiles of old the Jews and Mahumeâ—ans of latter years might have had them as well as we for in natural reason they are not inferior to us every one of these following the dictates of reason think they have the true Religion as for justice and peace they can never be purchased by reason but by â—aith therefore saith the Apostle being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord but his reason by which he would prove that our natural reason is the undoubted word of God is very feeble for saith he There is nothing contrary to it in