insomuch as the interpretation we speak of is the same with the power of defining in all manner of controversies to be determined by sacred Scriptures Now we must shew that that power belongs to each Church and depends on his or their authority who have the Supreme command provided that they be Christians for if it depend not on the civill authority it must either depend on the opinion of each private Subject or some forraigne authority but among otheâ— reasons the inconveniencies that must follow private opinions cannot suffer its dependance on them of which this is the chiefe that not onely all civill obedience would be taken away contrary to Christ his praecept but all humane society and peace would be dissolved contrary to the Lawes of nature for seeing every man is his owne interpretet of Scripture that is to say since every man makes himselfe judge of what is pleasing and displeasing unto God they cannot obey their Princes before that they have judg'd whether their commands be conformable to the Word of God or not And thus either they obey not or they obey for their owne opinions sake that is to say they obey themselves not their Soveraigne civill obedience therefore is lost Againe when every man followes his owne opinion it 's necessary that the controversies which rise among them will become innumerable and indeterminable whence there will breed among men who by their own naturall inclinations doe account all dissention an affront first hatred then brawles and warres and thus all manner of peace and society would vanish We have farthermore for an example that which God under the old Law required to be observed concerning the book of the Law namely that it should be transcribed and publiquely us'd and he would have it to be the Canon of Divine doctrine but the controversies about it not to be determined by private Persons but onely by the Priests Lastly it is our Saviours Precâ—pt that if there be any matter of offence between private Persons they should heaâ—… the Church Wherefore it is the Churches duty to define controversies it therefore belongs not to private men but to the Church to interpret Scriptures But that we may know that the authority of interpreting Gods Word that is to say of determining all questions concerning God and Religion belongs not to any forraign Person whatsoever we must consider first what esteem such a power carries in the mindes of the subjects and their civill actions for no man can be ignorant that the voluntary actions of men by a naturall necessiâ—y doe follow those opinions which they have concerning good and evill Reward and Punishment whence it happens that necessarily they would chuse rather to obey those by whose judgement they beleeve that they shall be eternally happy or miserable Now by whose judgement it is appointed what Doctrines are necessary to salvation by their judgement doe men expect their eternall blisse or perditidition they will therefore yeeld them obedience in all things Which being thus most manifest it is that those subjects who believe themselves bound to acquiesce to a forraign authority in those Doctrines which are necessary to salvation doe not per se constitute a City but are the subjects of that forraign power Nor therefore although some Soveraign Prince should by writing grant such an authority to any other yet so as he would be understood to have retained the civill power in his own hands shall such a Writing be valid or transferre ought necessary for the retaining oâ— good administration of his command for by the 2. Chap. 4. artâ—â— no man is said to transferre his Right unlesse be give some proper sign declaring his Will to transferre it but he who hath openly declared his will to keep his Soveraignty cannot have given a sufficient sign of transferring the means necessary for the keeping it This kinde of Writing therefore will not be a sign of Will but of Ignorance in the contractors We must consider neâ—t how absurd it is for a City or Soveraign to commit the ruling of his Subjects consciences to an enemy for they are as hath been shewed above in the 5. Chap. 6. artic in an hostile state whosoever have not joyn'd themselves into the unity of one Person Nor contradicts it this truth that they doe not alwayes fight for trâ—ces are made between enemies It is sufficient for an hostile minde that there is suspition that the Frontiers of Cities Kingdomes Empires strengthned with Garisons doe with a fighting posture and countenance though they strike not yet as enemies mutually he hold each other Lastly how unequall is it to demand that which by the very reason of your demand you confesse belongs to anothers Right I am the Interpreter of Scriptures to you who are the Subject of anothers Realme Why By what Covenants past between you and me By Divine authority Whence knowne Out of holy Scripture Behold the Book read iâ—… in vain unlesse I may also interpret the same for my self That interpretation therefore doth by Right belong to me and the rest of my private fellow-subjects which we both deny It remains therefore that in all christian Churches that is to say in all christian Cities the interpretation of sacred Scripture depend on and derive from the authority of that man or Councell which hath the Soveraign power of the City XXVIII Now because there are two kindes of controversies the one about spirituall matters that is to say questions of faith the truth whereof cannot be searcht into by naturall reason such are the questions concerning the nature and office of Christ of rewards and punishments to come of the Sacraments of outward worship and the like the other about questions of humane science whose truth is sought out by naturall reason and Syllogismes drawne from the Covenants of men and definitions that is to say significations received by use and common consent of words such as are all questions of Right and Philosophy for example when in matter of Right it s questioned whether there be a Promise and Covenant or not that is nothing else but to demand whether such words spoken in such a manner be by common use and consent of the Subjects a Promise or Covenant which if they be so called then it is true that a Contract is made if not then it is false that truth therefore depends on the compacts and consents of men In like manner when it is demanded in Philosophy whether the same thing may entirely be in divers places at once the determination of the question depends on the knowledge of the common consent of men about the signification of the word entire for if men when they say a thing is entirelyâ—…somewhere doe signifie by common consent that they understand nothing of the same to be elsewhere it is false that the same thing is in divers places at once that truth therefore depends on the consents of men and by the same reason in all other
able enough to interpret those books of antiquity in the which Gods word is contained and that for this cause it is not reasonable that this office should depend on their authority he may object as much against the Priests and all mortall men for they may erre and although Priests were better instructed in nature and arts then other men yet Kings are able enough to appoint such interpreters under them and so though Kings did not themselves interpret the word of God yet the office of interpreting them might depend on their authority and they who therefore refuse to yeeld up this authority to Kings because they cannot practise the office it selfe doe as much as if they should say that the authority of teaching Geometry must not depend upon Kings except they themselves were Geometricians We read that Kings have prayed for the People that they have blest the people that they have consecrated the Temple that they have commanded the Priests that they have removed Priests from their office that they have constituted others Sacrifices indeed they have not offered for that was hereditary to Aaron and his sonnes but it is manifest as in Moyses his life time so throughout all ages from King Saul to the captivity of Babylon that the Priesthood was not a Maistry but a Ministry XVII After their returne from Babylonian bondage the Covenant being renewed and sign'd the Priestly Kingdome was restor'd to the same manner it was in from the death of Ioshuah to the beginning of the Kings excepting that it is not expresly set downe that the return'd Jewes did give up the Right of Soveraignty either to Esdras by whose directions they ordred their State or to any other beside God himselfe That reformation seemes rather to be nothing else then the bare promises and vowes of every man to observe those things which were written in the booke of the Law notwithstanding perhaps not by the Peoples intention by virtue of the Covenant which they then renewed for the Covenant was the same with that which was made at Mount Sinai that same state was a Priestly Kingdome that is to say the supreme civill authority and the sacred were united in the Priests Now howsoever through the ambition of those who strove for the Priesthood and by the interposition of forraigne Princes it was so troubled till our Saviour Iesus Christs time that it cannot be understood out of the histories of those times where that authority resided yet it 's plaine that in those times the power of interpreting Gods Word was not severed from the supreme civill power XVIII Out of all this we may easily know how the â—ewes in all times â—om Abraham unto Christ were to behave themselves in the Commands of their Princes for as in Kingdomes meerly humane men must obey a subordinate Magistrate in all things excepting when his Commands containe in them some Treason so in the Kingdome of God the Iâ—weâ— were bound to obey their Princes Abraham Isaac Jacob Moyses the Priest the King every one duâ—…ng â—heir time in all things except when their commands did containe some treason against the Divine Majesty Now treason against the Divine Majesty was first the deniall of â—is divine providence for this was to deny God to be a King by nature next Idolatry or the worship not of other for there is but one God but of strange Gods that is to say a worship though of one God yet under other Titles Attributes and Rites then what were establisht by Abraham and Moyses for this was to deny the God of Abraham to be their King by Covenant made with Abraham and themselves in all other things they were to obey and if a King or Priest having the Soveraign authority had commanded somewhat else to be done which was against the Lawes that had been his sinne and not his subjects whose duty it is not to dispute but to obey the Commands of his superiours Of the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant I. The Prophesies concerning Christs Dignity II. The Prophesies coneerning his Humility and Passion III. That Jesus was THAT CHRIST IV. That the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant was not the Kingdome of Christ as Christ but as God V. That the Kingdome by the new Covenant is heavenly and shall beginne from the day of Judgment VI. That the government of Christ in this world was not a Soveraignty but Counsell or a government by the way of doctrine and perswasion VII What the promises of the new Covenant are on both parts VIII That no Lawes are added by Christ beside the institution of the Sacraments IX Repent ye be baptized keep the Commandements and the like forms of speech are not Lawes X. It pertains to the civill authority to define what the sinne of injustice is XI It pertains to the civill authority to define what conduces to the Peace and defence of the City XII It pertains to the civill authority to judge when need requires what definitions and what inferences are true XIII It belongs to the Office of Christ to teach morally not by the way of speculation but as a Law to forgive sinnes and to teach all things whereof there is no science properly so called XIV A distinction of things temporall from spirituall XV. In how many seveverall sorts the word of God may be taken XVI That all which is contained in holy Scripture belongs not to the Canon of Christian Faith XVII That the word of a lawfull Interpreter of holy Scriptures is the word of God XVIII That the authority of interpreting Scriptures is the same with that of determining controversies of Faith XIX Divers significations of a Church XX. What a Church is to which we attribute Rights Actions and the like personall Capacites XXI A Christian City is the same with a Christian Church XXII Many Cities do not constitute one Church XXIII Who are Ecclesiasticall Persons XXIV That the Election of Ecclesiasticall Persons belongs to the Church their consecration to Pastors XXV That the power of remitting the sinnes of the penitent and retaining those of the impenitent belongs to the Pastors but that of judging concerning repentance belongs to the Church XXVI What Excommunication is and on whom it cannot passe XXVII That the Interpretation of Scripture depends on the authority of the City XXVIII That a Christian city ought to interpret Scriptures by Ecclesiasticall Pastors I. THere are many cleare prophesies extaâ—…t in the old Testament concerning our Saviour Jesus Christ who was to restore the Kingdome of God by a new Covenanâ— partly foretelling his regall Dignity partly his Humility and Passion Among others concerning his Dignity these God blessing Abraham â—akes him a promise of his sonne Isaac and â—ddes And Kings of People shall be of him Gen 17. vers 15. Jacob blessing his sonne Judah The Scepter quoth be shall not depart from Judah Gen. 49. vers 10. Gâ—d to Moyses A Prophet saith he will I raise them up from
in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28. ver 19. And even as the Pastours cannot refuse to Baptize him whom the Church judges worthy so neither can they retaine his sinnes whom the Church holds fitting to be absolv'd nor yet remit his sinnes whom the Church pronounceth disobedient And it is the Churches part to judge of the sinne the Pastours to cast out or to receive into the Church those that are judg'd Thus Saint Paul to the Church of Corinth Do not ye judge saith he of those that are within Yet he himself pronounc't the sentence of Excommunication against the incestuous Person I indeed saith he as absent in body but present in Spirit c. XXVI The act of retaining sinnes is that which is called by the Church Excommunication and by Saint Paul delivering over to Satan the word Excommunication â—ounding the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easting out of the Synagogue seems to be borrowed from the Mosaicall Law wherein they who were by the Priest adjudged â—eprous were commanded to be kept a part out of the Camp untill by the judgement of the Priest they were againe pronounc't cleane and by certaine rights among which the washing of the body was one were purified Levit. 13. ver 46. From hence in processe of time it became a custome of the Jewes not to receive those who passed from Gentilisme to Judaisme supposing them to be uncleane unlesse they were first washed and those who dissented from the Doctrine of the Synagogue they cast out of the Synagogue By resemblance of this custome those that came to Christianity whether â—hey were Jewes or Gentiles were not receiv'd into the Church without Baptisme and those that dissented from the Church were depriv'd of the Churches Communion Now they were therefore said to be deliver'd over to Satan because all that was out of the Church was comprehended within his Kingdome The end of this kind of Discipline was that being destitute for a time of the grace and spirituall priviledges of the Church they might be humbled to salvation but the effect in regard of secular matters that being excommunicated they should not onely be prohibited all Congregations or Churches and the participation of the mysteries but as heing contagious they should be avoided by all other Christians even more then Heathen for the Apostle allowed to accompany with Heathen but with these not so much as to eate 1 Cor. 5. ver 10 11. Seeing then the effect of Excommunication is such it is manifest in the first place that a Christian city cannot be excommunicated for a Christian City is a Christian Church as hath been declar'd above in the 21. Art and of the same extension but a Church cannot be excommunicated For either she must excommunicate her selfe which is impossible or she must be excommunicated by some other Church and this either universall or particular But seeing an Universall Church is no Person as hath been prov'd in the 22. Artic. and therefore neither acts nor does any thing it cannot excommunicate any man and a particular church by excommunicating another Church doth nothing for where there is not one common Congregation there cannot be any Excommunication Neither if some one Church suppose that of Jerusalem should have excommunicated an other suppose that of Rome would it any more have excommunicated this then her selfe for he that deprives another of his Communion deprives himselfe also of the Communion of that other Secondly No man can excommunicate the subjects of any absolute government all at once or forbid them the use of their Temples or their publique worship of God for they cannot be excommunicated by a Church which themselves doe constitute for if they could there would not onely not remain a Church but not so much as a common-weale and they would be dissolved of themselves and this were not to be excommunicated or prohibited but if they be excommunicated by some other Church that church is to esteem them as Heathen but no christian Church by the doctrine of Christ can forbid the Heathen to gather together and Communicate among themselves as it shall seem good to their Cities especially if they meet to worship Christ although it be done in a singular custome and manner therefore also not the excommunicated who are to be dealt with as Heathen Thirdly a Prince who hath the Soveraign power cannot be excommunicated for by the doctrine of Christ neither one nor many subjects together can inâ—erdict their Prince any publique or private places or deny him entrance into any Assembly whatsoever or prohibit him the doing of what hee will within his own jurisdiction for it is Treason among all Cities â—oâ—any one or many subjects joyntly to arrogate to themselves any authority over the whole City but they who arrogaâ—e to themselves an authority over him who hath the supreme power of the City doe arrogate the same authority over the City it selfe Besides a Soveraign Prince if he be a Christian hath this farther advantage that the City whose Will is contained in His is that very thing which we call a Church the Church therefore excommunicates no man but whom it excommunicates by the authrity of the Prince but the Prince excommunicates not himselfe his subjects therefore cannot doe it It may be indeed that an Assembly of rebellious Citizens or Traytors may pronounce the sentence of excommunication against their Prince but not by Right Much lesse can one Prince be excommunicated by another for this would prove not an excommunication but a provocation to Warre by the way of affront For since that is not one church which is made up of Citizens belonging to two absolute Cities for want of power of lawfully assembling them as hath been declar'd before in the 22 Art they who are of one Church are not bound to obey an other and therefore cannot be excommunicated for their disobedience Now what some may say that Princes being they are members of the Universall church may also by the authority of the Universall church be excommunicated signifies nothing because the Universall church as hath beene shewed in the 22. Art is not one Person of whom it may be said that shee acted decreed determin'd excommunicated absolv'd and the like personall attributes neither hath she any Governour upon Earth at whose command she may assemble and deliberate For to be guide of the Universall church and to have the power of assembling her is the same thing as to be Governour and Lord over all the Christians in the world which is granted to none but God onely XXVII It hath beene shewed above in the 18. Art that the authority of interpreting the Holy Scriptures consisted not in this that the interpreter might without punishment expound and explicate his sentence opinion taken thence unto others either by writing or by his owne voice but that others have a not Right to doe or teach ought contrary to his sentence
excepting this one Article that IESUS IS THE CHRIST which only is necessary to salvation in relation to internall faith all the rest belong to obedience which may be performed although a man doe not inwardly beleeve so he doe but desire to beleeve and make an outward profession as oft as need requires of whatsoever is propounded by the Church how it comes about that there are so many Tenets which are all held so to concern our Faith that except a man doe inwardly beleeve them He cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven But if he consider that in most controversies the contention is about humane Soveraignty in some matter of gain and profit in others the glory of Wits he will surely wonder the lesse The question about the propriety of the Church is a question about the Right of Soveraignty for it being known what a Church is it is known at once to whom the Rule over Christians doth belong for if every Christian City be that Church which Christ himselfe hath commanded every ChristiaÌ„ subject to that city to hear then every subject is bound to obey his City that is to say Him or them who have the supreme power not only in temporall but also in spirituall matters but if every Christian City be not that Church then is there some other Church more universall which must be obeyed All Christians therefore must obey that Church just as they would obey Christ if He came upon Earth She will therfore rule either by the way of Monarchy or by some Assembly This question then concerns the Right of ruling To the same end belongs the question concerning infallibility for whosoever were truly and internally beleeved by all mankinde that he could not erre would be sure of all Dominion as well temporall as spirituall over all mankinde unlesse himselfe would refuse it for if he say that he must be obeyed in temporalls because it is supposed he cannot erre that Right of Dominion is immediately granted him Hither also tends the priviledge of interpreting Scriptures For he to whom it belongs to interpret the controversies arising from the divers interpretations of Scriptures hath authority also simply and absolutely to determine all manner of controversies whatsoever but he who hath this hath also the command over all men who acknowledge the Scriptures to be the Word of God To this end drive all the disputes about the power of remining and retaining sinnes or the authority of excommunication For every man if he be in his wits will in all things yeeld that man an absolute obedience by vertue of whose sentence he beleeves himselfe to be either saved oâ— damned Hither also tends the power of instituting societies for they depend on him by whom they subsist who hath as many subjects as Monks although living in an Enemies City To this end also refers the question concerning the Iudge of lawfull Matrimony for he to whom that judicature belongs to him also pertains the knowledge of all those cases which concern the inheritance and succession to all the goods and Rights not of private men onely but also of Soveraign Princes And hither also in some respect tends the Virgin-life of Ecclesiaâ—ticall Persons for unmarried men have lesse coherence then others with civill society and besides it is an inconvenience not to be slighted that Princes must either necessarily forgoe the Priesthood which is a great bond of civill obedience or have no hereditary Kingdome To this end also tends the canouization of Saints which the Heaâ—heâ— called Apotheosis for he that can allure forraign subjects with so great a reward may bring those who are greedy of such glory to dare and doe any thing For what was it but an honourable Name with posterity which the Decii and other Romans sought after and a thousand others who cast themselves upon incredible perils The controversies about Purgatory and indulgencies are matter of gain The questions of Free-will Iustification and the manner of receiving Christ in the Sacrament are Philosophicall There are also questions concerning some Rites not introduced bur left in the Church not sufficiently purged from gentilisme but we need reckon no more All the world knows that such is the nature of men that dissenting in questions which concern their power or profit or preeminence of Wit they slander and curse each other It is not therefore to be wondred at if almost all tenets after men grew hot with disputings are held forth by some or other to be necessary to salvation and for our entrance into the Kingdome of Heaven insomuch as they who hold them not are not only condemned as guilty of disobedience which in truth they are after the Church hath once defined them but of Infidelity which I have declared above to be wrong out of many evident places of Scripture to which I adde this one of Saint Pauls Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not and let not him that eateth not judge him that eateth for God hath received him One man esteemeth one day above another another esteemeth every day alike Let every man be fully perswaded in his own mind Rom. 14. v. 3 5. FINIS The Introduction That the beginning of mutuall society is from fâ—ar Annotation Annotation That men by nature are all equall Whence the wil of mischieving each other ariseth The discord from comparison of wits From the Appetite many have to the same thing The definition of Right A right to to the end gives also a right to the means By the right of nature every man is judge of the means which tend to his preservation By right of nature all men have equall right to all things Annotation The right of all to all is unprofitable The state of men without Society is a state of War The definition of War and Pace War is an adversary to mans preservation That by the right of nature it is lawfull for any man to compell him whom he hath in his power to give him caution for his future obedience That the Law of nature is not an agreement of men but the Dictates of Reason Annotation That is the fundamentall Law of Nature to seek Peace where it may be had and where not to defend our selves The first special Law of Nature is That our Rights to all things ought not to be retain'd What it is to quit our right what to convey 〈…〉 it The will of the receiver must necessarily be declar'd before the right be convey'd Words convey not except they relate to the time present Words of the future suffice to convey if other testimonies of our will be not wanting In matters of free gift words of the fiâ—ure â—onveigh no Right The definition of Contract and Covenant In Covenants we passe away our Rights by words signifying the future Covenants in the state of nature are in vain and of none effect not so in Civill Government Annotation That no man can make Compacts with Beasts neither with God without
by the Lawes Subjects must have right restored to them against corrupt Judges How Law differs from Counsell How it differs from a Covenant Annotation How it differs from Right The division of lawes into divine and humane and of the divine into naturall and positive and of the naturall into those lawes of single men and those of Nations The division of humane that is to say civill lawes into secular and sacred Into distributive and vindicative Distributive and vindicative are not two Species of the Lawes All Law is supposed to have a Penalty annext to it The Precepts of the Decalogue of honouring Parents of murther adultcry these false witnesse are the civill Lawes It is not possible to command ought by the civill Law contrary to oâ—e Lawes of nature It is essentiall to a Law that both it and the Legislator be knowne Whence the Legislator is knowne Promulgation and interpretation are necessary to the knowledge of a Law The civill Law divided into written and unwritten That the naturall laws are not written laws neither are the sentences of lawyers or custome laws of themselves but by the consent of the supreme power What the word Sin taken in its largest sense signifies The definition of Sin The difference betweene a sinne of infirmitie and malice Under what kind of sin Aâ—hâ—isme is contained Annotation What the sinne of Treason is Treason breaks not the civill but the naturall Law And therefore is punisht not by the Right of Soveraignty but by the Right of Warre Obedience not rightly distinguisht into Active and Passive The Proposition of the following contents Over whom God is said to raign The word of God three fold Reason Revelation Prophesy The Kingdome of God two-fold Naturall and Prophetique The Rigbt whereby God governs is seated in his omn pâ—teâ—â—e The same proved from Scripture The obligation of yeelding obedience unto God proceeds from humane infirmity Annotation The Lawes of God in his naturall Kingdome are those which are above set down in the second and third Chapters What honour and worship are Worship consists either in attributes or in actions And there is one sort naturall and another arbitrary One commanded another voluntary 〈…〉 What the end or aim of worship iâ— What the naturall Lawes are concerning Gods attributes 〈◊〉 What those actions are whereby naturally we do give worship In the naturall kingdom of God the City may appoint what worship it pleaseth God ruling by nature onely the City that is say that man or Court which under God hath the Soveraignty is the Interpreter of all the Lawes Certain doubts removed Annotation What is sin in the naturall Kingdom of God and what Treason against the divine Majesty Superstition possessing forraign Nations God â—nstituted the true Religion by the means of Abraham By thâ— Covenant between God and Adam all dispute is forbidden concerning the commands of superiors The manner of the Covenant between God and Abraham In that Covenant is contained an acknowledgement of God not simply but of him who appeared unto Abraham The Lawes to which Abraham was tyed were no other but those of nature and that of Circumcision Abraham among his own was the Interpreter of the word of God and of all Lawes Abrahams subjects could not sin in obeying him Annotation Gods Covenant with the Hebrewes at Mount Sinai From thence Gods government was called a Kingdom What lawes were by God given to the Jewes What the word of God is and how to be knowne What was held for the written word of God among the Jewes The power of interpreting the word of God and â—he supreme civil power were united in Moyses while he lived They were also united in the High Priest during the life of Joshuah They were also united in the High Priest untill King Sauls time They were united in the Kings untill the Captivity The same were united in the Priests after the Captivity Among the Jewes the deniall of the Divine providence and Idolatry were the onely Treasons against the Divine Majesty in all other things they ought to obey their Princes The Prophesies of Christs dignity The Prophesies of Christs Humility and Passion That Jesus was the Christ That the Kingdom of God by the new Covenant was not the Kingdome of Christ as Christ but as God That the Kingdome of God by the 〈◊〉 Covenant is heavenly and begins from the day of Iudgement The government of Christ in this world was not a Soveraignty but Counsell or a government by way of doctrine and perswasion What the Promises of the new Covenant are on both parts There are no Lawes added by Christ beside the institution of the Sacraments That these and the like forms Repent be baptized keep the Commandements are not Lawes It belongs to the civill authority to define what the sinne of injustice is It belongs to civill authority to define what conduces to the Peace and safety of the City It belongs to the civill authority to judge when need requires what definitions and what inferences are true It belongs to the Office of Christ to teach morality not as a speculation but as a Law to forgive sins and to teach all things whereof there is no science properly so call'd A distinction of things temporall from spirituall The word of God many wayes taken All things contained in Scripture belong not to the Canon of christian faith The word of a lawfull Interpreter of Scriptures is the word of God The authority of interpreting Scriptures is the same with that of determining controversies of faith Divers significations of a Church What a Church is to whom we attribute Rights actions and the like appellations proper to a Person A Christâ—… City is the same with a Christian Church Many Cities doâ— not constitute one church Who are Clergy-men The Election of Church-men belongs to the Church their consecration to the Pastors The power of remitting sinnes to the penitent and retaining those of the impenitent belongs to the Pastors but judgement of the repentance to the Church What excommunication is and on whom it cannot passe The interpretation of Scripture depends on the authority of the Ciâ—y A christian city must interpret Scriptures by clergy-men The difficulty propounded concerning the repugnaney of obeying God and men is to be remov'd by the distinction betweene the points necessary and not necessary to Salvation All things necessary to Salvation are contain'd in Faith and Obedience What kind of Obedience that is which is requir'd of us What Faith is and how distinguisht from profession from science and from opinion What it is to beleeve in Christ That that article alone that Iesus is the Christ is necessary to Salvation is prov'd out of the scope of the Evangelists Annotation By the Apostles Sermons By the easinesse of christian Religion By this that it is the foundation of Faith By the plaiâ— words of Christ and his Apostles In this Article is contained the Faith of the old Testament How Faith and Obedience doe conâ—ur to Salvation In a Christian City there is no contrariety be weene the Command of God and of the City The Doctrines which this day are controverted about Religion doe for the most part belong to the Right of Dominion
of God after this life there will be no Lawes partly because there is no roome for Lawes where there is none for sinne partly because Laws were given us from God not to direct us in Heaven but unto Heaven Let us now there fore enquire what Laws CHRIST establisht not himselfe for he would not take upon him any Legislative authority as hath been declared above in the sixth Article but propounded to us for his Fathers Wee have a place in Scripture where he contracts all the Lawes of God publisht till that time into two Preceps Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart with all thy soul and with all thy minde this is the greatest and first Commandement And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy Neighboâ—r as thy selfe On these two Commandements hangs all the Law and the Prophets Mat. 22. vers 37 38 39 40. The first of these was given before by Moyses in the same words Deut. 6. vers 5. And the second even before Moyses for it is the naturall Law having its begining with rationall nature it selfe and both together is the summe of all Lawes for all the Lawes of divine naturall worship are contained in these words Thou shalt love God and all the Lawes of divine worship due by the old Covenant in these words Thou shalt love thy God that is to say God as being the peculiar King of Abraham and his seed and all the Lawes naturall and civill in these words Thou shalt love thy Neighbour as thy selfe for he that loves God and his neighbour hath a minde to obey all Lawes both divine and humane But God requires no more then a minde to obey Wee have another place where CHRIST interprets the Lawes namely the â—ifth sixth and seventh entire Chapters of Saint Mutthewes Gospell But all those Lawes are set down either in the Decalogue or in the morall Law or are contained in the faith of Abraham as that Law of not putting away a wife is contained in the faith of Abraham for that same Two shall be one flesh was not delivered either by CHRIST first or by Moyses but by Abraham who first publisht the Creation of the world The Lawes therefore which CHRIST contracts in one place and explaines in another are no other then those to which all mortall men are obliged who acknowledge the God of Abraham Beside these we read not of any Law given by CHRIST beside the institution of the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist IX What may be said then of these kinde of Precepts Repent Be Baptized Keep the Commandements Beleeve the Gospell Come unto me Sâ—ll all that thou hast give to the poor follow me and the like We must say that they are not Lawes but a calling of us to the faith such as is that of Isa Come buy wine and milk without monie and without Price Isai 55. veâ—s 1. neither if they come not doe they therefore sinne against any Law but against prudence onely neither shall their infidelity be punisht but their former sinnes Wherefore Saint John saith of the unbeleever The wrath of God abideth on him he saith not The wrath of God shall come upon him And He that beleeveth not is already judged he saith not shall be judged but is already judged Nay it cannot be well conceived that remission of sinnes should be a benefit arising from faith unlesse we understand also on the other side that the punishment of sinnes is an hurt proceeding from infidelity X. From hence that our Saviour hath prescribed no distributive Lawes to the Subjects of Princes and Citizens of Cities that is to say hath given no rules whereby a Subject may know and discerne what is his owne what another mans nor by what formâ— words or circumstances a thing must be given delivered invaded possest that it may be known â—y Right to belong to the Receiver Invader or Possessour we must necessarily understand that each single subject not only with unbeleevers among whom CHRIST himselfe denyed himselfe to be a judge and distributer but even with Christians must take those rules from his City that is to say from that Man or Councell which hath the supreme power It followes therefore that by those Lawes Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery Thou shalt not stealâ—â— Honour thy Father and Mother nothing else was commanded but that Subjects and Citizens should absolutely obey their Princes in all questions concerning Meum Tuum their own and others Right for by that Precept Thou shalt not kill all sâ—…ughter is not prohibited for he that said Thou shalt not kill said also Whosoever doth work upon the Sabbath shall be put to death Exod 35. vers 2. No nor yet all slaughter the cause not being heard for he said Slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion and overy man his Neighbour Exâ— 32. v. 27. And there fell of the People about three thousand men v. 28. Nor yet all slaughter of an innocent Person for Iephte vowed Whosoever cometh forth c. I will offer him up for a burnt offering unto the Lord Jud. 11. vers 31. and his vow was accepted of God What then is forbidden Onely this that no man kill another who hath not a Right to kill him that is to say that no man kill unlesse it belong to him to doe so The Law of CHRIST therefore concerning killing and consequently all manner of hurt done to any man and what penalties are to be set commands us to obey the City only In like manner by that Precept Thou shalt not commit adultery all manner of Copulation is not forbidden but only that of lying with another manâ— wife but the judgment which is another mans wife belongs to the City and is to be determined by the rules which the City prescribes This precept therefore commands both male and female to keep that faith intire which they have mutually given according to the statutes of the City So also by the precept Thou shalt not steal all manner of invasion or secret surreption is not forbidden but of another mans only The subject therefore is commanded this only that he invade not nor take away ought which the City prohibits to be invaded or taken away and universally not to call any thing murder adultery or theft but what is done contrary to the civill Lawes Lastly seeing CHRIST hath commanded us to honour our Parents and hath not prescribed with what Rites what appellations and what manner of obedience they are to be honoured it is to be supposed that they are to be honoured with the will indeed and inwardly as Kings and Lords over their Children but outwardly not beyond the Citties permission which shall assign to every man as all things else so also his honour But since the nature of justice consists in this that every Man have his own given him its mauifest that it also belongs to a Christian City to determine what
in each City have obtained the Soveraignty the supreme authority of judging determineing al manner of coÌ„troversies about temporal matters we must see henceforth to whom he hath left the same authority in matters spirituall Which because it cannot bee known except it be out of the word of God and the Tradition of the Church we must enquire in the next place what the word of God is what to interpret it what a Church is and what the will and command of the Church To omit that the word of God is in Scripture taken sometimes for the Sonne of God it is used three manner of wayes First most properly for that which God hath spoken Thus whatsoever God spake unto Abraham the Patriarâ—hs Moses and the Prophets our Saviour to his Disciples or any others is the word of God Secondly whatsoever hath been uttered by men on the motion or by Command of the Holy Ghost in which sense we acknowledge the Scriptures to be the word of God Thirdly in the New Testament indeed the word of God most frequently signifies the Doctrine of the Gospell or the word concerning God or the word of the Kingdome of God by CHRIST as where it is said that CHRIST preach't the Gospell of the Kingdome Mat. 4. vers 23. Where the Apostles are said to preach the word of God Acts 13. vers 46. Where the word of God is called the word of life Acts 5. vers 20. The word of the Gospell Acts 15. vers 7. The word of faith Rom. 10. vers 8. The word of truth that is to say adding an interpretation The Gospel of salvation Eph. 1. 13. And where it is called the word of the Apostles For Saint Paul sayes If any man obey not our word c. 2. Thess 3. vers 14. which places cannot be otherwise meant then of the doctrine Evangâ—licall In like manner where the word of God is said to be sowen to encrease and to be multiplied Acts 12. vers 24. and Chap. 13. vers 49. it is very hard to ceive this to be spoken of the voyeâ— of God or of his Apostles but of their doctrine easie And in this third acception is all that doctrine of the Christian faith which at this day is preacht in Pulpiâ—s and contained in the hooks of divines the word of God XVI Now the sacred Seripture is intirely the word of God in this second acception as being that which we acknowledge to be inspired from God and innumerable places of it in the first and seeing the greatest part of it is conversant either in the prediction of the Kingdome of Heaven or in prefigurations before the incarnation of CHRIST or in Evangelization and explication after The sacred Scripture is also the word of God and therefore the Canon and Rule of all Evangelicall Doctrine in this third signification where the word of God is taken for the word concerning God that is to say for the Gospel But because in the same Scriptures we read many things Politicall Historicall Morall Physicall and others which nothing at all concern the Mysteâ—ies of our faith those places although they contain true doctrine and are the Canon of such kind of doctrines yet can they not be the Canon of the Mysteries of Christian Religion XVII And truly it is not the dead voyce or letter of the word of God which is the Canon of Christian doctrine but a true and genuiâ—e determination For the minde is not governed by Scriptures unlesse they be understood There is need therefore of an Interpreter to make the Scriptures Canon and hence followes one of these two things that either the word of the Interpreter is the word of God or that the Canon of Christian doctrin is not the word of God The last of these must necessarily be false for the rule of that doctrine which cannot be knowne by any humane reason but by divine revelation only cannot be lesse then divine for whom we acknowledge not to be able to discern whether some doctrin be true or not its impossible to account his opinion for a rule in the same doctrine The first therefore is true That the word of an Interpreter of Scriptures is the word of God XVIII Now that Interpreter whose determination hath the honour to be held for the word of God is not every one that translates the Scriptures out of the Hebrew and Greek tongue to his Latine Auditors in Latine to his French in French and to other Nations in their mother tongue for this is not to interpret For such is the nature of speech in generall that although it deserve the chiefe place among those signes whereby we declare our conceptions to others yet cannot it perform that office alone without the help of many circumstances For the living voice hath its interpreters present to wit time place countenance gesture the Counsell of the Speaker and himselfe unfolding his own meaning in other words as oft as need is To recall these aids of interpretation so much desired in the writings of old time is neither the part of an ordinary wit nor yet of the quaintest without great learning and very much skill in antiquity It sufficeth not therefore for interpretation of Scriptures that a man understand the language wherein they speak Neither is every one an authentique Interpreter of Scriptures who writes Comments upon them For men may erre they may also either bend them to serve their own ambition or even resisting draw them into bondage by their forestallings whence it will follow that an erroneous sentence must be held for the word of God But although this could not happen yet as soon as these Commentators are departed their Commentaries will need explications and in processe of time those explications expositions those expositions new Commentaries without any end so as there cannot in any written Interpretation whatsoeve be a Canon oâ— Rule of Christian doctrine whereby the Controversies of Religion may be determined It remains that there must bee some Canonicall Interpreter whose legitimate Office it is to end Controversies begun by explaining the word of God in the judgements themselves and whose authority therefore must be no lesse obeyed then theirs who first recommended the Scripture it selfe to us for a Canon of faith and that one and the same Person be an Interpreter of Scripture and a supreme Judge of all manner of doctrines XIX What concerns the word Ecclesia or Church originally it signifies the same thing that Concio or a congregation does in Latin even as Ecclesiastes or Church-man the same that concionator or Preacher that is to say He who speaks to the Congregation In which sense wee read in the Acts of the Apostles of a Church confused and of a Lawfull Church Acts 19. vers 32 39. That taken for a Concourse of people meeting in way of tumult this for a convocated Assembly But in holy writ by a Church of Christians is sometimes understood the Assembly and sometimes
that He was to teach and doe such things whereby as by certain signes he was to be knowne All which testify this one thing that JESUS who was so born and did teach and doe such things was THE CHRIST Other Faith then was not required to attain eternall life besides this Article Whosoever liveth and beleeveth in me shall never dye John 11. vers 25. But to beleeve in Jesus as is there exprest is the same with beleeving that JESUS WAS THE CHRIST He therefore that beleeves that shall never dye and by consequence that Article alone is necessary to salvation These are written that yee might beleeve that JESUS IS THE CHRIST the Sonne of God and that beleeving yee might have life through his name Jo. 20. vers 31. Wherefore he that beleeves thus shall have eternall life and therefore needs no other Faith Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God 1 Jo. 4 v. 2. And Whosoever beleeveth that JESUS IS THE CHRIST is born of God 1 Jo. 5. vers 1. And Who is he that overcometh the world but he that beleeveth that IESUS is the Son of God 1 Jo. v. 5. If therefore there be no need to beleeve any thing else to the end a man may be of God born of God and 〈◊〉 the world then that IESUS IS THE CHRIST that one Article then is sufficient to salvation See here is water what doth â—inder me to be baptizâ—d And Philip said If thou beleevest with all thine â—eâ—… thou mâ—ist And he anâ—â—ered and saiâ— I beleeve that IESUS CHRIST is the 〈◊〉 of God Actâ— 8. vers 36 37. If then this Article being beleeved with the whole heart that is to say with inward Faith was sufficient for Baptisme it is also sufficient for salvation Besides these places there are innumerable others which doe clearly and expresâ—y affirm the same thing Nay wheresoever wee read that our Saviour commended the Faith of any one or that he said Thy Faith hath â—â—ved thee or that he healed any one for his Faiths sake there the Proposition beleeved was no other but this IESUS IS THE CHRIST either directly or consequently XI But because no man can beleeve IESUS TO BE THE CHRIST who when he knowes that by Christ is understood that same King who was promised from God by Moyses and the Prophets for to be the King and Saviour of the world doth not also beleeve Moyses and the Prophets neither can he beleeve these who beleeves not that God is and that he governs the world it is necessary that the Faith of God and of the old Testament be contained in this Faith of the new Seeing therefore that Atheisme and the deniall of the Divine Providence were the only treason against the Divine Majesty in the Kingdome of God by Nature but Idolatry also in the Kingdome of God by the Old Covenant now in this Kingdome wherein God rules by way of a new Covenant apostasie is also added or the renunciation of this article once receiv'd that JESUS IS THE CHRIST Truly other Doctrines provided they have their determination from a lawfull Church are not to be contradicted for that is the sinne of disobedience but it hath been fully declar'd before that they are not needfull to be beleev'd with an inward Faith XII Faith and Obedience have divers parts in accomplishing the salvation of a Christian for this contributes the power or capacity that the Act and either is said to justifie in its kinde For Christ forgives not the sins of all men but of the Penitent or the Obedient that is to say the just I say not the guiltlesse but the just for justice is a Will of obeying the Lawes and may be consistent with a sinner and with Christ the Will to obey is Obedience for not every man but the just shall live by Faith Obedience therefore justifies because it maketh just in the same manner as temperance maketh temperate Prudence Prudent Chastity chaste namely essentially and puâ—â— a man in such a state as makes him capable of pardon Againe Christ hath not promis'd forgivenesse of sinnes to all just men but only those of them wâ—o beleeve Hiâ—… to be the Christ Faith therefore justâ—fies in such a sense as a judge may be said to justifie who absolves namely by the sentence which actually saves a man And in this acception of justification for it is an aequivocall terme Faith alone justifies but in the other Obedience onely but neither Obedience alone nor Faith alone doe save us but both together XIII By what hath been said hitherto it will be easy to discerne what the duty of Christian Subjects is towards their Soveraignes who as long as they professe themselves Christians cannot command their Subjects to deny Christ or to offer him any contumely for if they should command this they would professe themselves to be no Christians For seeing we have shewed both by naturall reason and out of holy Scriptures that Subjects ought in all things to obey their Princes and Governours excepting those which are contrary to the command of God and that the commands of God in a Christian City concerning temporall affairs thâ—t is to say those which are to be discust by humane reason are the Lawes and sentence of the City deliver'd from those who have receiv'd authority from the City to make Laws and judge of controversies but concerning spirituall matters that is to say those which are to be defin'd by the holy Scripture are the Lawes and sentences of the City that is to say the Church for a Christian City and a Church as hath beeen shewed in the foregoing Chapter in the 10. Arr. are the same thing deliv'rd by Pastors lawfully ordain'd and who have to that end authority given them by the City it manifestly followes that in a Christian Common weale Obedience is due to the Soveraign in all things as well Spirituall as Temporall and that the same obedience even from a Christian subject is due in all temporall matters to those Princes who are no Christians is without any controversie but in matters spirituall that is to say those things which concern Gods worship some christian Church is to be followed for it is an hypothesis of the Christian Faith that God speaks not in things supernaturall but by the way of Christian Interpreters of holy Scriptures But what Must we resist Princeâ— when we cannot obey them Truly no for this is contrary to our civill Covenant What must we doe then Goe to Christ by Martyrdome which if it seem to any man to be an hard saying most certain it is that he beleeves not with his whole heart THAT IESUS IS THE CHRIST the Sonne of the living God for he would then desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ but he would by a feigned Christian Faith elude that obedience which he hath contracted to yeeld up unto the City XIV But some men perhaps will wonder if
an Aristocraty the Nobles make no contract nor are they obliged to any citizen or to the whole People The Nobles must necessarily have their set meetings By what acts a Monarchy is framed That the Monarch is by compact obliged to none for the authoritie he hath received A Monarch is ever in the readier capacity to exercise all those acts which are requisite to well governing What kind of sin that is and what sort of men are guilty of it when the City performs not its office to the Citizens not the Citizens towards the City A Monarch made without limitation of time may elect his successors Of limited Monarchs A Monarch retaining his Right of Government cannot by any promise whatsoever be conceiv'd to have parted with his Right to the means necessary to the exercise of his Authority my what Beanes a Subject is freed from his subjection What Lord and Servant are The distinction of Servants unto such as upon trust enjoy their naturall liberty or Slaves and such as serve being imprison'd or settered The obligation of a Servant ariseth from that freedome which is granted him by his Lord. Servants that are bound are not obliged to their Lord by any Contract Servants have no propriety in their goods against their Lord. The Lord may sell his Servant or alienate him by Testament The Lord cannot be injurious to his Servant He that iâ— Lord of the Lord is Lord also of the Servants By what meanes servants are freed The Dominion over beasts is by the Right of nature Paternact Dominion riseth not from generation Dominion over Infants belongs to him who who first hath theâ— in his power Dominion over Infants is originally the Mothers The exposed Infant is his that preserves him The sonne of a Subject and chiefe is his that commands In such a conjunction of male and female as neither hath the commanding power over the other the children are the Mothers except by pact or civill law it be otherwise determined Children are no lesse subject to their Parents then servants to their Lords and subjects to their City Of the honour due to Parents and Lords Wherein liberty doth consist and the difference between subjects and servants There is the same Right in an hereditary which there is in an institutive government The question concerning the Right of succession belongs onely to Monarchy A Monarch may dispose of the command of his government by Testament Or give it away or sell it A Monarch dying without Testament is ever understood to will that a Monarch should succeed him And some one of his 〈…〉 children And a male rather then female And of the males the eldest rather then the yonger And his Brother if he want issue before all others In the same manner that men succeed to the power doe they also succeed to the Right of Succession A comparing the state of nature with the civill The gains and losses of the The praise of Monarchy Annotation The government of one cannot be said to be evill in this respect namely because one hath more power then all the rest Rejection of their opinion who say that a Lord with his servants cannot make a City The exactions are more grievous under command of the people then under the Monarch Innocent Subjects are lesse obnoxious to punishment under a Monarch then under the People Single Persons have no lesse liberty under a Monarch then under the People It is no disadvantage to the Subjects that they are not all admitted to the publique deliberations Civill deliberations are unadvisedly committed to many by reason of the unskilfulnesse of most men By reason of their Eloquence By reason of Faction By reason of the unsetlednesse of the Laws For want of secrecy These inconveniences do adhere to Democraty forasmuch as men are naturally delighted with an opinion of wit The inco nveniences of government proceeding from a King who is a childe The power of Generalls is an argument of the excellency of Monarchy The best state of a Common-weale is that where the subjects are the Rulers inheritance Aristocraty is so much better by how much it approaches nearer to Monarchie the worse by how much it is more distant from it The beginning of institutive Government from the consent of the People The power of judicature and determination of warres depend on the will of the supreme Officer They who have the supreme authority are by Right unpunishable That without a supreme power there is no government â—ut confusion That servants and sonnes owe their Lords and Parents simple obedience The absolute power of Princes proved by most evident testimonies of the Scripture as wâ—ll new as old That the judgement of good and evill belongs to private Persons is a seditious opinion That subjects doe sin in obeying their Princes is a seditious opinion That Tyrannicide is lawfull is a seditious opinion That even they who have the Supreme power are subject to the Civill Lawes is a seditious Opinion That the Supreme Power may be divided is a seditious opinion That faith and holiness are not acquired by study and reason but are ever supernaturally infused and inspired is a seditious Opinion That single Subjects have any propriety or absolute Dominion over their own goods is a seditious Opinion Not to know the difference between a People and a Multitude prepares to Sedition Too great a Tax of Money though never so just and necessary disposeth men to Sedition Ambition disposeth men to Sedition So doth the hope of successe Eloquence alone without wisdom is the onely faculty needfull to raise seditions How the folly of the common people and the eloquence of ambitious men concurre to the dissolution of a Common-weale The Right of supreme authority is distinguisht from its exâ—râ—ise The safety of the People is the supreme Law It is the duty of Princes to respect the common benefit of many not the peculiar interest of this or that man By safety is understood all manner of benefits Query Whether it be the duty of Kings to provide for the salvation of their subjects soules as they shall judge best in their own câ—nsciences Wherein the safety of the People consists That discoverers are necessary for the defence of the People To have Souldiers Armes Garrisons and Money in readiness in times of Peace is necessary for the Peoples defence A right instruction of Subjects in civill doctrines is necessary for the preserving of Peace Equall distribution of publique burthens conduceth much to the preservation of peace It s naturall equity that Monies be â—axt according to what every man speuds not to what â—e posseseth It conduces to the preservation of peace to depresse the ambitious And to dissolve factious Lawes whereby gaining arts are cherisht and great expences restrained doâ— conduce much to the enriching of the subject That more ought not to be determined by the Lawes then the benefit of Prince and Subjects require That greater punishments must not be inflicted then are prescribed