himselfe to no greater then Humane Authoritie Nor can a man bee said to submit himselfe to Holy Scripture that doth not submit himselfe to some or other for the Interpretation thereof Or why should there bee any Church Government at all instituted if the Scripture it selfe could doe the Office of a Judge in Controversies of Faith But the Truth is apparent by continuall Experience that men seeke not onely Liberty of Conscience but of their Actions nor that onely but a farther Liberty of perswading others to their Opinions nor that onely for every man desireth that the Soveraign Authoritie should admit no other Opinions to bee maintained but such as hee himselfe holdeth 14. The difficulty therefore of obeying both God and Man in a Christian Common Wealth is none All the difficulty resteth in this Point Whether hee that hath received the Faith of Christ having before subiected himselfe to the Authoritie of an Infidell bee discharged of his Obedience thereby or not in matters of Religion In which case it seemeth reasonable to thinke that since all Covenants of Obedience are entred into for the preservation preservation of a mans life if a man be content without Resistance to lay down his life rather then obey the commands of an Infidel in so hard a Case he hath sufficiently discharged himself thereof For no Covenant bindeth farther then to endeavour and if a man cannot assure himself to perform a iust Duty when thereby he is assured of present Death much less it can be expected that a man should perform that for which he believeth in his heart he shall be damned eternally And thus much concerning the Scruple of Conscience that may arise concerning Obedience to Humane Lawes in them that interpret the Law of God to themselves It remaineth to remove the same scruple from them that submit their controversies to others not ordained thereunto by the Soveraign Authority And this I refer to the Chapter following CHAP. VII 1. The Questions propounded who are the Magistrates in the Kingdome of Christ 2. The Questions exemplified in the Controversies between Moses and Aaron and between Moses and Corah 3. Amongst the Jews the Power Temporal and Spiritual in the same Hand 4. Parallel of the Twelve Princes of Israel and the twelve Apostles 5. Parallel of Seventy Elders and Seventy Disciples 6. The Hierarchy of the Church in our Saviours time consisted in the Twelve and in the Seventy 7. Why Christ ordained not Priests for Sacrifices as Moses did 8. The Hierarchy of the Church in the Apostles time Apostles Bishops and Priests 9. The Preaching of the Gospel was not commanding but perswading 10. Excommunication Soveraignes immediate Rulers Ecclesiasticall under Christ 11. That no man hath any just Pretence of Religion against Obedience to Common-VVealth God speaketh to Man by his Vicegerents IN the former Chapter have been removed those difficulties opposing our Obedience to Humane Authority which arise from misunderstanding of our Saviours Title and Lawes in the former whereof namely his Title consisteth our Faith and in the latter our Justice Now they who differ not amongst themselves concerning his Title and Lawes may neverthelesse have different opinions concerning his Magistrates and the Auâ—hority he hath given them And this is the cause why many Christians have denyed Obedience to their Princes pretending that our Saviour Christ hath not given this Magistracy to them but to others As for example some say to the Pope universally some to a Synod Aristocratical Some to a Synod Democraticall in every several Common VVealth and the Magistrates of Christ being they by whom he speaketh the Question is Whether he â—peak unto us by the Pope or by Convocations of Bishops and Ministers or by Them that have the Soveraign Power in every Common-Wealth 2. This Controversie was the cause of those two Mutinies that happened against Moses in the Wilderness The first by Aaron and his Sister Miriam who took upon them to censure Moses for marrying an Ethiopian woman And the state of the Question between them and Moses they set forth Numb. 12.2 in these words VVhat hath the Lord spoken but only by Moses hath be not spoken also by us and the Lord heard this c. and punished the same in Miriam forgiving Aaron upon his Repentance And this is the case of all them that set up the Priest-hood against the Soveraignty The other was of Corah Dathan and Abiram who with two hundred and fifty Captains gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron The state of their Controversie was this Whether God were not with the Multitude as well as with Moses and every man as holy as he For Numb. 16.3 thus they say You take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy every one of them and the Lord is amongst them wherefore then lift ye your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And this is the case of them that set up their private Consciences and unite themselves to take the Government of Religion out of the hands of Him or Them that have the Soveraign Power of the Common Wealth which how well it pleaseth God may appear by the hideous punishment of Corah and his Complices 3. In the Government therefore of Moses there was no power neither Civil nor Spiritual that was not derived from him Nor in the State of Israel under Kings was there any Earthly Power by which those Kings were compellable to any thing or any Subiect allowed to resist them in any case whatsoever For though the Prophets by extraordinary calling did often admonish and threaten them yet they had no Authority over them And therefore amongst the Jews the power Spirituall and Temporall was alwayes in the same Hand 4. Our Saviour Christ as he was the rightful King of the Jewes in particular as well as King of the Kingdome of Heaven in the ordaining of Magistrates received that form of Policy which was used by Moses According to the number of the Children of Jacob Moses tooke unto him by the appointment of God Numb. 1.4 twelve men every one of the chief of their Tribe which were to assist him in the Muster of Israel And these twelve vers. 24. are called the Princes of Israel Twelve men every one for the house of their Fathers which are said also Numb. 7.2 To be heads over the Houses â—f their Fathers and Princes of the Tribes and â—ver them that were numbred And these were every one equall amongst themselves In like manner our Saviour tooke unto him Twelve Apostles to be next unto him in Authority of whom he saith Matth. 19.28 When the Son of Man shall sit in the Throne of his Maiesty ye shall follow me in the Regeneration shall sit also upon Twelve Thrones and iudge the Twelve Tribes of Israel And concerning the equality of the Twelve Apostles amongst themselves our Saviour saith Matth. 20.25 Ye know that the Lords of the Gentiles have Domination over them c. vers. 26. But
men be more violent when they are assembled together then the passions of one man alone it will follow that the Inconvenience arising from Passions will be greater in an Aristocracy then a Monarchy But there is no doubt when things are debated in great Assemblies but every man delivering his opinion at large without interruption endeavourâ—th to make whatsoever he is to set forth for Good better and what he would have apprehended as evill worse as much as is possible to the end his Counsel may take place which Counsel also is never without ayme at his own benefit or honour every mans end â—eâ—ng some good to himself Now this cannot be done without working on the Passions of the rest And thus the Passions of these that are singly moderate are altogether vehement even as a great many Coals though but warm asunder being put together inflame one another 5. Another Inconvenience of Monarchy is this That the Monarch besides the Riches necessary for the Defence of the Common Wealth may take so much more from the Subiects as may enrich his Children Kindred and Favourites to what degree he pleaseth which though it be indeed an Inconvenience if he should so do yet is the same both greater in an Aristocracy and also more likely to come to pass For their not One only but many have Children Kindred and Friends to raise And in that point they aâ—e as twenty Monarchs for One and likely to set forward one anothers Designs mutually to the Oppression of all the rest The same also happeneth in a Democracy if they all do agree otherwise they bring a worse Inconvenience to wit Sedition 6. Another Inconvenience of Monarchy is the Power of Dispencing with the Execution of Iustice whereby the Family and Friends of the Monarch may with impunity commit outrages upon the People or oppresse them with Extortion But in Arâ—stocracies not only One but many have Power of taking men out of the Hands of Iustice and no man is willing his Kindred or Friends should be punished according to their Demerits And therefore they understand amongst themselves without further speaking as a tacite Covenant Hodie mihi cras tibi 7. Another Inconvenience of Monarchy is the Power of altring Lawes Concerning which it is necessary that such a Power be that Lawes may be altered according as mens manners charg or as the Coniuncture of all Circumstances within and without the Common Wealth shall require the change of Law being then Inconvenient when it proceedeth from the Change not of the occasion but of the minds of him or them by whose Authority the Laws aâ—e made Now it is manifest enough of it self that the mind of one man is not so variable in that point as are the Decrees of an Assembly For not only they have all their natural changes but the change of any one man may be enough with eloquence and reputation or by solicitation and faction to make that Law to day which another by the very same means shall abrogate to morrow 8. Lastly the greatest inconvenience that can happen to a Common Wealth is the Aptitude to dissolve into civil War and to this are Monarchies much less subiect then any other Governments For where the Union or Band of a common Wealth is one Man there is no distraction whereas in Assemblies those that are of different Opinions and give different Counsel are apt to fall out amongst themselves and to cross the designs of the Common Wealth for one anothers sake and when they cannot have the honour of making good their owne devices they yet seek the Honour to make the Counsels of the Adversaries prove vain And in this contention when the opposite Factions happen to be any thing equal in strength they presently fal to war Wherein necessity teacheth both sides that an absolute Monarch to wit a General is necessary both for their Defence against one another and also for the Peace of each Faction within it self But this Aptitude to Dissolution is to be understood for an Inconvenience in such Aristocracies onely where the Affairs of State are debated in grâ—at and numerous Assemblies as they were anciently in Athens and in Rome and not in such as doe nothing else in great Assemblies but choose Magistrates and Counsellours and commit the handling of State-affaires to a Few such as is the Aristocracy of Venice at this Day For these are no more apt to dissolve from this occasion then Monarchies the Counsel of State being both in the one and the other alike CHAP. VI 1. A Difficulty concerning absolute subiection to man arising from our absolute subiection to God Almighty propounded 2. That this Difficulty is onely amongst those Christians that deny the Interpretation of Scripture to depend upon the Soveraign Authority of the Common-Wealth 3. That Humane Lawes are not made to govern the consciences of men but their words and aâ—â—ions 4. Places of Scripture to prove Obedience due from Chrâ—stians to their Soveraign in all things 5. A distinction propounded betweâ—n a Fundamentall point of Faith and a Superstruction 6. An explication of the Points of Faith that be fundamâ—ntal 7. The belâ—ef of those Fundamental points is all that is required to salvation as of Faiâ—h 8. That other points not Fundamenâ—all are not necessary to salvation as matter of Faith and that no more is required by way of Faith to the salvation of one man thâ—n to another 9. That Superâ—â—ructions are not points of the faith necessary to a Christian 10. How faith and Justice câ—ncurre to salvation 11. That in Christian Common-Wealths Obedience to God and man stand wel together 12. This Tenet Whatsoever is against the conscience is sin interpreted 13. That all men do confess the necessity of submitting of controversies to some Humane Authority 14. That Christians under an Infidel are discharged of the Iniustice of disobeying them in that which concerneth the faith necessary to salvation by not resisting HAving shewed that in all Common-Wealths whatsoever the necessity of Peace and Government requireth that there be existent some Power either in One man or in One Assembly of men by the Name of the Power Soveraign to which it is not lawfull for any Member of the same Common-Wealth to disobey There occurreth now a difficulty which if it be not removed maketh it unlawfull for a man to put himself under the Command of such Absolute Soveraignty as is required thereto And the difficulty is this We have amongst us the Word of God for the Rule of our Actions Now if wee shall subiect our selves to men also obliging our selves to do such Actions as shall be by them commanded when the Commands of God and Man shall differ we are to obey God rather then man And consequently the Covenant of general Obedience to man is unlawâ—ull 2. This difficulty hath not been of very great Antiquity in the World There was no such Dilemna amongst the Jewes for their Civil Law and Divine Law was one
and the same Law of Moses the Interpreters whereof were the Priests whose Power was subordinate to the Power of the King as was the Power of Aaron to the Power of Moses Nor is it a controversie that was ever taken notice of amongst the Grecians Romanes or other Gentiâ—es for amongst these their severall Civill Lawes were the Rules whereby not only Righteousness and Virtue but also Religion and the External Worship of God was ordered and approved that being esteemed the true worship of God which was {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} according to the Laws Civil Also those Christians that dwell under the Temporal Dominion of the Bishop of Rome are free from this Question for that they allow unto him their Soveraign to interpret the Scriptures which are the Law of God as he in his own Judgement shall think Right This difficulty therefore remaineth amongst and troubleth those Christians only to whom it is allowed to take for the sense of the Scripture that which they make thereof either by their own private Interpretation or by the Inteâ—pretation of such as are not called thereunto by publick Authority they that follow their own Interpretation continually demanding Liberty of Conscience and those that follow the Interpretation of Others not ordained thereunto by the Soveraign of the Common-Wealth requiring a Power in matters of Religion either above the Power Civil or at least not depending on it 3. To take away this scruple of Conscience concerning Obedience to Humane Lawes amongst those that interpret to themselves the Word of God in the Holy Scriptures I propound to their Consideration first That no humane Law is intended to oblige the Conscience of a man unlesse it break out into Action either of the Tongue or other part of the Body The Law made thereupon would be of none effect because no man is able to discern but by Word or other action whether such Law be kept or broken Nor did the Apostles themselves pretend Dominion over mens Consciences concerning the faith they preached but only perswasion and instruction And therefore S. Paul saith 2 Cor. 1.24 writing to the Corinthians concerning their controversies that he and the rest of the Apostles had no Dominion over their Faith but were helpers of their Joy 4. And for the Actions of men which proceed from their consciences the regulating of which actions is the only Means of Peace if they might not stand with Justice it were impossible that Justice towards God and Peace amongst men should stand together in that Râ—ligion that teacheth us that Justice and Peace should kiss each other and in which we have so many precepts of absolute Obedience to humane Authority as Mat. 23.2 3. we have this Precept The Scribes Pharisees sit in Moses Seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do And yet were the Scribes and Pharisees not preists but men of temporall Authority Again Luke 11.17 Every Kingdome divided against it self shall be desolate and is not that Kingdome divided against it self where the actions of every one shall be ruled by his private opinion or conscience and yet those actions such as give occasion of offence and Breach of Peace Again Rom. 13.5 Wherefore you must be subject not because of wrath only but also for conscience sake Tit. 3.1 Put them in remembrance that they be subiect to Principalities and Powers 1. Pet. 2.13.14 submit your selves unto all manner of ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King as unto the Superiour or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him for the punishment of evill doers Jude verse 8. These Dreamers also that defile the flesh and despise Government and speake evill of them that are in Authority And forasmuch as all Subiects in Common Wealths are in the nature of Children and servants that which is a command to them is a command to all Subiects But to these S. Paul saith Colos. 3.20.22 Children obey your Parents in all things Servants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh in all things And verse 23. Do it heartily as to the Loâ—d These places considered it seemeth strange to me that any man in a Christian common wealth should have any occasion to deny his Obedience to publick Authority upon this ground that It is better to obey God then Man For though S. Peter and the Apostles did so answer the Councel of the Jews that forbade them to preach Christ there appeareth no reason that Christians should alledge the same against their Christian Governours that command to preach Christ To reconcile this seeming coâ—tradiction of simple Obedience to God and simple Obedience to man we are to consider a christian subiect as under a christian soveraign or under an Infidell 5. And under a Christian Soveraign we are to consider what Actions we are forbidden by God Almighty to obey them in and what not The Actions we are forbidden to obey them in are such only as imply a denial of that Faith which is necessary to our Salvation for otherwise there can be no pretence of disobedience for why should a man incur the danger of a temporal death by displeasing of his superiour if it were not for fear of eternal Death hereafter It must therefore be inquired what those propositions and Articles be the Beleife whereof our Saviour or his Apostles have declared to be such as without beleiving them a man cannot be saved and then all other points that are now controverted and made distinction of Sects Papists Lutheran Calvinists Arminians c. as in old Time the like made Paulists Apollonians and Cephasians must needs be such as man needeth not for the holding thereof deny Obedience to his Superiours And for the points of Faith necessary to Salvation I shall call them Fundamental and every other point a Superstruction 6. And without all controversie there is not any more necessary Point to be believed for mans salvation then this That Jesus is the Messiah that is the Christ which Proposition is explicated in sundry sorts but still the same in effect as that he is Gods annointed for that is signified by the word Christ that He was the true and lawful King of Israel The Son of David the Saviour of the World The Redeemer of Israel The Salvation of God He that should come into the World the Son of God and which I desire by the way to have noted against the now Sect of Arrians The begotten Son of God Act. 3.13 Heb. 55. The only begotten Son of God 1 Joh. 1.14.18 Joh. 3.16 18. 1 Joh. 4.9 That he was God Joh. 1 1 Joh. 20.28 That the Fulness of the Godâ—ead dwelt in him bodily Moreover The Holy one the Holy one of God The Forgiver â—f sins That he is risen from the Dead These are Explications and Parts of that General Article that Jesus is the Christ This Point therefore and all the Explications thereof are Fundamental as
S. Paul when he had reprehended the Corinthians for their Sects curious Doctrines and Questions he distinguisheth between Fundamental Points and Superstruction and saith I have laid the Foundation and another buildeth thereupon but let every man take heed how he buildeth upon it For other Foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Jesus Christ Colos. 2.6 As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk in him rooted and builded in him and stablished in the Faith 8. Having shewed this Proposition Jesus is the Christ to be the only Fundamentall and necessary point of Faith I shal set down a few places more to shew that Other Points though they may be true are not so necessary to be believed as that a man may not be saved though he believe them not And first If a man could not be saved without assent of the Heart to the truth of all Controversies which are now in agitation concerning Religion I cannot see how any man living can be saved so full of subtilty and curious knowledge it is to be so great a Divine Why therefore should a man think that our Saviour who Mat. 11.30 saith that His Yoke is easie should require a matter of that difficulty or how are little Children said to believe Mat. 18.6 or how could the good Thief be thought sufficiently catechized upon the Crosse or S. Paul so perfect a Christian presently upon his Conversion and though there may be more Obedience required in him that hath the Fundamental points explicated unto him then in him that hath received the same but implicitely yet there is no more faith required for salvation in one man then in another For if it be true that Whosoever shall confesse with his mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in his heart that God raised him from the Dead shall be saved as it is Rom. 10.9 and that Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God the Belief of that point is sufficient for the salvation of any man whosoever he be for as much as concerneth Faith And seeing he that believeth not that Jesus is the Christ whatsoever he believe else cannot be saved it followeth that there is no more required to the salvation of one man then another in matter of Faith 9. About these points Fundamental there is little Controversie amongst Christians though otherwise of different Sects amongst themselves And therefore the Controversies of Religion are altogether about Points unnecessary to salvation whereof some are Doctrines raised by Humane Ratiocination from the points Fundamentall As for Example such Doctrines as concern the Manner of the Real Presence wherein are mingled tenets of Faith concerning the Omnipotency Divinity of Christ with the Tenets of Aristotle and the Peripatelicks concerning Substance and Accidents Species Hypostasis and the Subsistence and Migration of Accidents from place to place Words some of them without meaning and nothing but the Canting of Grecian Sophisters And these Doctrines are condemned expresly Col. 2.8 where after S. Paul had exhorted them to be rooted and builded in Christ he giveth them this farther Caveat Beware lest there be any man that spoil you through Philosophy and vain deceits through the Traditions of men according to the rudiments of the World And such are such Doctrines as are raised out of such places of the Scriptures as concern not the Foundation by mens natural Reason as about the Concatenation of Causes and the Manner of Gods Predestination which are also mingled with Philosophy as if it were possible for men that know not in what manner God seeth heareth or speaketh to know nevertheless the manner how he intendeth and predestinateth A man therefore ought not to examin by Reason any point or draw any Consequence out of Scripture by Reason concerning the nature of God Almighty of which Reason is not capable And therefore S. Paul Rom. 12.3 giveth a good Rule That no man presume to understand above that which is meet to understand but that he understand according to Sobriety which they doe not who presume out of Scripture by their own Interpretation to raise any Doctrine to the Understanding concerning those things which are incomprehensible And this whole controversie concerning the Predestination of God and the Free Wil of Man is not peculiar to Christian men For we have huge volumes of this subiect under the name of Fate Contingency disputed between the Epicurians and the Stoicks and consequently it is not matter of Faith but of Philosophy and so are also all the Questions concerning any otâ—er Point but the Foundation before named and God receiveth a man which part of the Question soever he holdeth It was a Controversie in S. Pauls time whether a Christian Gentile might eate freely of any thing which the Christian Jews did not and the Jew condemned the Gentile that he did eat to whom S. Paul saith Rom. 14.3 Let not him that eateth not iudge him that eateth for God hath received him And vers. 6. in the Question concerning the observing of Holy Dayes wherein the Gentiles the Jewes differed he saith unto them He that observeth the Day observeth it to the Lord and he that observeth not the Day observeth it not to the Lord And they who strive concerning such Questions and divide themselves into Sects are not therefore to be accounted zealous of the Faith their strife being but carnal which is confirmed by S. Paul 1 Cor. 3.4 When one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollos are ye not carnal For they are not Questions of Faith but of wit wherein carnally men are inclined to seek the Mastery one of another For nothing is truly a Point of Faith but that Jesus is the Christ as S. Paul testifieth 1 Cor. 2.2 For I esteemed not the knowledge of any thing amongst you save Jesus Christ and him crucified And 1 Tim. 6.20 O Timotheus keep that which is committed unâ—o thee and avoid prophane and vain bablings and Opposition of Science falsly so called which while sâ—me profess they have erred concerning the Faith 2 Tim. 2.16 Stay prophane and vain bablings c. vers. 17. Of which sort is Hymeneus and Philetus which as concerning the truth have erred saying that the Resurrectionis past already Whereby S. Paul shewed that the Raising of Questions by Humane Ratiocination though it be from the Fundamental Points themselves is not onely not necessary but most dangerous to the Faith of a Christian Out of all these places I draw only this Conclusion in general That neither the points now in Controversie amongst Christians of different Sects or in any point that ever shall be in Controversie excepting only those that are contained in this Article Jesus is the Christ are necessary to salvation as of faith though in matter of obedience a man may be bound not to oppose the same 10. Although to the obtaining of Salvation there be required no more as hath been already
forth as Lambs amongst Wolves And it were to no end to give them the right of compelling without strengthing the same with greater power then of Lambs amongst Wolves Moreover Math 10. where our Saviour giveth a commission to his twelve Apostles to go forth and convert the Nations to the Faith he giveth them no authority of Coercion and punishment but only saith vers. 14. Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or that City shake off the dust of your fee It shall be easier for the land of Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of Judgmemt then for that city Whereby it is manifest that all that the Apostles could do by their authority was no more than to renounce communion with them and leave their punishment to God Almighty in the day of Judgement Likewise the comparisons of the Kingdom of Heaven to the seed Math 13.3 and to the Leven Math 13.33 doth intimate unto us that the increase thereof ought to proceed from internall operation of Gods Word preached and not from any Law or compulsion of them that preach it Moreover our Saviour himselfe saith Joh. 18.36 That his Kingdome is not of this World and consequently his Magistrates derive not from him any authority of punishing men in this World And therefore also Math 26.52 After S. Peter had drawn his sword in his defence our Saviour saith Put up thy sword into his place For all that take the sword shall perish by the sword And vers. 54. How then shal the Scriptures be fullfilled which say that it must be so shewing out of the Scriptures that the Kingdome of Christ was not to be defended by the sword 10. But concerning the authority of the Apostles or Bishops over those who were all-ready converted and within the Church â—here be that think it greater then over them â—ithout For some have said Though the Law of Christ deprive no Prince of his Dominion and Paul did rightly appeal unto Cesar whilst Kings were â—nfidells and out of the Church yet when they became Christians and of their own accord under went the Lawes of the Gospel presently as sheep to a shepherd and as Members to the Head they became subiect to the Prelate of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy Bell. Lib. De Rom. Pont. Chap. 29. which whether it be true or not is to be considered by that light which we have from the holy Scripture concerning the power of our Saviour and his Apostles over such as they had converted But our Saviour as he imitated the common-wealth of the Jewes in his Magistrates the twelve and the seventy so did he also in the Censure of the Church which was Excommunication but amongst the Jews the Church did put the Excommunicated persons from the Congregation which they might do by their Power Temporall but our Saviour and his Apostles who took upon them no such Power could not forbid the Excommunicated person to enter into any place and Congregation into which he was permitted to enter by the Prince or Soveraign of the place For that had been to deprive the Soveraign of his Authority And therefore the Excommunication of a Person subject to an Earthly power was but a Declaration of the Church which did excommunicate that the person so excommunicated was to be reputed still as an Infidell but not to be driven by their Authority out of any company he might otherwise lawfully come into And this is it our Saviour saith Math. 18.17 If he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a Publican So that the whol effect of excommunicating a Christan Prince is no more then he or they that so excommunicate him depart and banish themselves out of his Dominion Nor can they thereupon discharge any of his subjects of their obedience to him for that were to deprive him of his Dominion which they may not do for being out of the Church It is confessed by them that make this objection and proved in the former Section that our Saviour gave no Authority to his Apostles to be judges over them And therefore in no case can the Soveraign power of a Common-wealth be subject to any Authority Ecclesiasticall besides that of Christ himselfe And though he be informed concerning the Kingdome of Heaven and subiect himselfe thereto at the perswasions of persons Ecclesiasticall yet is he not thereby subiect to their Goverment and Rule For if it were by their Authority he took that Yoke upon him and not by their Perswasion then by the same Authority he might cast it off But this is unlawfull For iâ— all the Churches in the World should renounce the Christian Faith yet is not this sufficient Authority for any of the Members to do the same It is manifest therefore that they who have Soveraign Power are Immediate Rulers of the Church under Christ and all other but subordinate to them If that were not but Kings should command one thing upon pain of Death and Priests another upon pain of Damnation it would be impossible that Peace and Religion should stand together 11. And therefore there is no iust Cause for any man to withdraw his Obedience from the Soveraign State upon pretence that Christ had ordained any State Ecclesiasticall above it And though Kings take not upon them the Ministeriall Priesthood yet are they not so meerly Laick as not to have Sacerdotall Jurisdiction To conclude this Chapter Since God speaketh not in these Dayes to any man by his private Interpretation of the Scriptures nor by the Interpretation of any Power above or not depending on the Soveraign Power of every Common Wealth it remaineth that he speaketh by his Vice-Gods or Lievtenants here on Earth that is to say by Soveraign Kings or such as have Soveraign Authority as well as they CHAP. VIII 1. The things that dispose to Rebellion Discontent Pretence and hope of Successe 2. Discontent that disposeth to Sedition consisteth partly in fear of Want or punishment 3. Partly in Ambition 4. Six heads of pretences to Rebellion 5. The first of them That men ought to do nothing against Conscience confuted 6. The second That Soveraigns are subiect to their own Lawes confuted 7. The third That the Soveraignty is divisible confuted 8. The fourth That Subiects have a Propertye distinct from the Dominion of the Soveraign confuted 9. The fift That the People is a Person distinct from the Soveraign confuted 10. The sixt That tirannicide is lawfull confuted 11. Foure Heads of Hope of successe in Rebellion 12. Two things necessary to an Author of Rebellion much Eloquence and little Wisdome 13. That the Authors of Rebellion necessarily are to be men of little Wisdome 14. That the same are necessarily Eloquent 15. In what manner they concur to their common Effects HItherto of the Causes why and the Manner how men have made Common Wealths In this Chapter I shall shew breifly by what causes and in what manner they