they disown the Authority of God they deface and destroy his Image and offer scorn and contempt to his Vice gerent Earthly Princes look upon every affront and disgrace done to their Ministers and Lieutenants to be a contempt of their own Authority and so does God too he who pulls down a Prince denies Gods authority to set him up and affronts his wisdom in chusing him 2. And therefore such men must not expect to escape a deserved punishment they shall receive to themselves damnation Now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may either signifie the punishment of Rebellion in this world or in the next and here it signifies both 1. They shall be punisht in this world And whoever consults Ancient and Modern Histories will find that Rebels very seldom escape punishment in this world How often does God defeat all their Counsels discover their secret Plots and Conspiracies and if they be prosperous for a while yet vengeance overtakes them if they escape punishment from men they are punisht by some such remarkable providence as bears the Characters of a Divine Justice in it 2. However such men shall not escape the punishments of the other world and if you believe there is a Hell for Rebels and Traitors the punishment of resistance is infinitely greater than all the mischiefs which can befal you in subjection to Princes and a patient suffering for well doing What shall it profit a man though he should gain the whole world which is something more than a single Crown and Kingdom and loose his own Soul Though an universal Empire were the reward of Rebellion such a glorious Traitor who parts with his Soul for it would have no great reason to boast much of his purchase Let us then reverence the Divine Judgments let us patiently submit to our King though he should persecute and oppress us and expect our protection here from the Divine Providence and our reward in Heaven which is the same encouragement to Non-resistance which we have to the practise of any other Vertue Were the advantages and disadvantages of Resistance and Non-resistance in this world fairly estimated it were much more eligible to submit than to rebel against our Prince but there can be no comparison between these two when we take the other world into the account The last Judgment weighs down all other considerations and certainly Rebellion may well be said to be as the sin of Witchcraft when it so inchants men that they are resolved to be Rebels though they be damned for it THE END BOOKS Printed for Fincham Gardiner 1. A Perswasive to Communion with the Church of England 2. A Resolution of some Cases of Conscience which respect Church-Communion 3. The Case of Indifferent things used in the Worship of God proposed and Stated by considering these Questions c. 4. A Discourse about Edification 5. The Resolution of this Case of Conscience Whether the Church of Englands Symbolizing so far as it doth with the Church of Rome makes it unlawful to hold Communion with the Church of England 6. A Letter to Anonymus in answer to his three Letters to Dr. Sherlock about Church-Communion 7. Certain Cases of Conscience resolved concerning the Lawfulness of joyning with Forms of Prayer in Publick Worship In two Parts 8. The Case of mixt Communion Whether it be Lawful to Separate from a Church upon the account of promiscuous Congregations and mixt Communions 9. An Answer to the Dissenters Objections against the Common Prayers and some other parts of Divine Service prescribed in the Liturgy of the Church of England 10. The Case of Kneeling at the Holy Sacrament stated and resolved c. In two Parts 11. A Discourse of Profiting by Sermons and of going to hear where men think they can profit most 12. A serious Exhortation with some important Advices relating to the late Cases about Conformity recommended to the present Dissenters from the Church of England 13. An Argument for Union taken from the true interest of those Dissenters in England who profess and call themselves Protestants 14. Some Considerations about the Case of Scandal or giving Offence to Weak Brethren 15. The Case of Infant-Baptism in Five Questions c. 16. The Charge of Scandal and giving Offence by Conformity Refelled and Reflected back upon Separation c. 1. A Discourse about the charge of Novelty upon the Reformed Church of England made by the Papists asking of us the Question Where was our Religion before Luther 2. A Discourse about Tradition shewing what is meant by it and what Tradition is to be received and what Tradition is to be rejected 3. The difference of the Case between the Separation of Protestants from the Church of Rome and the Separation of Dissenters from the Church of England 4. The Protestant Resolution of Faith c. Some Seasonable Reflections on the Discovery of the late Plot being a Sermon preached on that occasion by W. Sherlock D. D. Rector of St. George Buttolph-lane London King David's Deliverance or the Conspiracy of Absolon and Achitophel defeated in a Sermon Preached on the day of Thanksgiving appointed for the Discovery of the late Fanatical Plot. By Thomas Long B. D. one of the Prebendaries of Exon. Milton pro Pop. Angl. defensio p. 68. Iulian the Apostate Iulian Apostate
Christian libertie yet to be ministers and servants to the vices of men is And therefore when they lay under any such temptation as Christians who served Heathen Masters could not long escape it they must then remember that they are Christ's freemen who were bought with a price and therefore must neither be servants to their own lusts nor to the lusts of other men And the reason why I chuse this sence of the words is this because the Apostle opposes being bought with a price that is their being redeemed by Christ or being Christ's freemen to their being the servants of men as inconsistent with each other And therefore their being the servants of men cannot be understood of civil servitude which he before had told them was not inconsistent with their Christian libertie but of being servants to the vices of men But what now is all this to subjection to Soveraign Princes Does the Apostle exhort the Christians too to throw off the civil powers It was possible for a Christian servant to purchase his libertie or to obtain it some other lawful ways but how can subjects deliver themselves from the authoritie of Princes unless they go into some Country where there is no government or resist and rebel against the higher powers where they are Neither of which is agreeable to our Apostles Doctrine who would not allow servants to run away from their Masters much less rebel against them to procure their libertie Nor was the case the same between Christian subjects and soveraign Princes and between Masters and Servants and therefore neither is the reason the same why subjects should desire freedom from the higher powers Servants in those days were slaves and vassals and were kept in such constant attendance on their Masters that it must needs be very difficult besides the other temptations they were exposed to to gain any time or libertie for attending on Christian Worship and the instructions of the Church But Christian subjects are more at their own disposal even under Heathen Princes and have all that libertie excepting the case of persecution which is necessary for the purposes of Religion which yet is the onely reason intimated here why the Apostle advises servants to procure their freedom if they can To conclude this Argument there were a sort of men even in the Apostles days who boasted mightily of their Christian libertie and thought scorn for a Christian either to be a servant or a subject For this reason St. Paul in this place instructs servants that their Christian libertie is not injured by their being servants for this reason are there such frequent directions to servants to obey their Masters For this reason does St. Peter caution the Christians against this pretence of Christian libertie which some abused then as they do still to the disturbance of civil governments As free but not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness but as the servants of God CHAP. IV. What St. Paul Preached about Non-resistance of the Higher Powers HAving thus concluded what the Doctrine and Example of our Saviour was about subjection to the higher powers let us now consider the Doctrine and Example of his Apostles Not as if the Authority and Example of our Saviour were not sufficient of it self to make a Law but stood in need of the confirmation and additional authority of his own Apostles but we might justly suspect our selves mistaken in the meaning of our Saviour's words or in the intention and design of his sufferings had none of his Apostles who were immediately instructed by himself and acquainted with the most secret mysteries of his Kingdom ever preacht any such Doctrine as this of Subjection to Princes And therefore to give you the more abundant assurance of this I shall plainly shew you that the Apostles taught the same Doctrine and imitated the example of their great Master I shall begin with St. Paul who has as fully declared himself in this matter as it is possible any man can do by words 13 Rom. 1 2. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers for there is no power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation This is a very express Testimony against Resistance and therefore I shall consider it at large for there have been various Arts used to pervert every word of it and to make this Text speak quite contrary to the design and intention of the Apostle in it and therefore I shall divide the words into three general parts 1. The Doctrine the Apostle instructs them in Let every Soul be subject to the higher powers 2. The reason whereby he proves and inforces this Doctrine For there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God 3. The punishment of such resistance And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation 1. I shall begin with the Doctrine That every Soul must be subject to the higher powers And here are three things to to be explained 1. Who are contained under this general expression of every Soul 2. Who are meant by the higher powers 3. What is meant by being subject 1. Who are contained under this general expression of every Soul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which by an ordinary Hebraism signifies every man For man is a compounded Creature of Body and Soul and either part of him is very often in Scripture put for the whole Sometimes Flesh and sometimes Soul signifies the man and when every Soul is opposed to the higher powers it must signifie all men of what rank or condition soever they be who are not invested with this higher power Popes and Bishops and Priests as well Spiritual as Secular persons the whole body of the People as well as every single individual For when every Soul is commanded to be subject without any exception or limitation this must reach them in all capacities and conditions The design of the Apostle as you shall hear more presently was to forbid all resistance of Soveraign Princes and had he known of any men or number of men who might lawfully resist he ought not to have exprest it in such general terms as to forbid all without exception Had St. Paul known the Prerogative of St. Peter and his Successors the Bishops of Rome would he have written to the Christians of Rome to be subject to their Emperours without making any provision for the greater Authority of their Bishops The reason he assigns why every Soul must be subject to the higher Powers is because all powers are of God So that whoever is bound to be subject to God must be subject to their Prince who is in God's stead And this I think will reach the Pope of Rome as well as any private Christian unless he will pretend to more authority on earth than
this Doctrine of Non-resistance did not oblige all Christians but onely those who are weak and unable to resist or they did not If we say they did not we charge them with ignorance if we say they did with dishonestie for if they knew that all Christians were not obliged to such an absolute subjection to Princes as in no case to resist why did they conceal so important a truth without giving the least intimation of it Did they think this so scandalous a Doctrine that they were afraid or ashamed to publish it to the world and can any thing be a Doctrine of the Gospel which is truly scandalous But was the Doctrine of resistance more scandalous than the Doctrine of the Cross Would this have offended Princes and make them more implacable enemies to Christianitie But would it not also have made more converts would not a libertie to resist the powers and defend themselves been a better inducement to imbrace Christianitie than a necessitie of suffering the worst things for the Name of Christ would not this have contributed very much to the conversion of the whole Iewish Nation who were fond of a Temporal Kingdom had Christianitie allowed them to cast off the Roman Yoke and restored their ancient liberties How soon should we have seen the Cross in their Banners and how gladly would they have fought under that victorious signe under the conduct of so many wonder-working Prophets and how soon would this have made the Doctrine of Non-resistance useless and out of date by making Christians powerful enough to resist So that there is no imaginable reason why Christ and his Apostle should conceal this Doctrine of the lawfulness of resisting persecuting and Tyrannical powers especially at that time when if it had been lawful there was as much use for it and as great reason to preach it as ever there was or ever can be And therefore we must either think very ill of our Saviour and his Apostles or a knowledge that this is no Gospel-Doctrine never was and never can be any part of the Religion of the Cross. There is no reason why Christ should at first plant Christianity in the world by sufferings if it might afterwards be maintained and propagated by glorious rebellions 3. If this plea be allowed it weakens the Authoritie of all the laws of the Gospel and leaves men at libertie to dispence with themselves when they see or fancie any reason for it Non-resistance is as absolutely commanded as any other law of the Gospel but these men imagine without any other reason but because they would have it so that this law onely concerned Christians in the weak and Infant-state of the Church while they were unable to resist Now should other men take the same libertie with other laws and I know no reason but why they may how easie were it to expound Christianitie out of the world Meekness patience humilitie selfdenial contempt of the world forgiving enemies contentment in all conditions are parts and branches of this suffering Religion and may we not with as much reason say that these duties were calculated for the afflicted and suffering state of the Church when the profession of Christianitie was discouraged in the world and exposed them to the loss of all things and therefore made it impossible for them to enjoy those pleasures and advantages of life which other men did but that they do not more oblige us than resistance now the Church is flourishing and prosperous And thus men may justifie their pride and ambition and covetousness and may be as very Idolaters of the riches and pleasures and honours of the world as Heathens themselves when Christianity became the Religion of the Empire it did indeed make too great an alteration in the lives of Christians But according to this way of reasoning it made as great an alteration in Religion it self at this rate we ought to have two Gospels one for the afflicted the other for the prosperous state of the Church which differ as much as Christianity and Paganism in the great rules of life But we are hard dealt with that we have but one Gospel and that the Suffering Gospel and for my part I dare not undertake to make another So that this plea for resistance in opposition to the plain and express Laws of the Gospel in the consequences of it strikes at the very foundations of Christianitie and becomes the mouth of none but an Atheist or an Infidel 4. This is a very absurd pretence that the Apostle forbids the Christians of those days to resist onely because they were weak and unable to resist This is a great reproach to the Apostle as if he were of the temper of some men who crouch and flatter and pretend great loyaltie when they are afraid to rebel but are loyal no longer than they have an opportunitie to rebel This is dissimulation and flatterie and inconsistent with the open simplicitie of the Apostolick Spirit but it is very strange that the Apostle should so severely forbid resistance when he knew they could not resist One would think common Prudence should teach such men to be quiet and Subject and therefore his zeal and vehemence would perswade one that as weak as the Christians were yet in those days they could have resisted Nay it is evident that there were a sort of men who in those days called themselves Christians and yet did resist the powers such were the Gnostick Hereticks who despised Government who were presumptuous and self-willed and were not afraid to speak evil of dignities 2. Peter 2. 10. Jude v. 8. for to reproach and vilifie Government is one degree of resistance and no men are so weak but they may do that Nay though Christians had not power enough of their own to have rebelled against the Roman Government yet they had opportunitie enough to joyn and conspire with those who had and to have made good terms and conditions for themselves They lived in a very factious age when both Jews and Heathens were very apt to rebel and could both have promoted and strengthned the Faction if they had pleased and have grown very acceptable to them by doing so and though no man knows what the event of any rebellion will be till he tries yet they might have escaped as well as other men This the Apostle knew and this he was afraid of and this he warns them against and that for such reasons as plainly shew that it was not a meer prudential advice he gives them for that time but a standing Law of their Religion 5. For this Doctrine of Non-resistance is urged with such reasons and arguments as are good in all ages of the Church as well when Christians have power to resist and conquer as when they have not Thus 1. St. Paul inforces this dutie of subjection to the Higher powers because all powers are of God the powers that be are ordained of God and therefore he that resisteth the powers