Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A53971
|
A sermon preacht on January 30th, 1683 in Westminster-Abby before the reverend and honourable, the Kings judges, and printed at their request by Edw. Pelling ...
|
Pelling, Edward, d. 1718.
|
1684
(1684)
|
Wing P1096; ESTC R23221
|
19,302
|
48
|
them to the most exquisite Torments saith Cornelius Tacitus For he Crucified some and others he Burned And as before he set Fire on Rome that he might please himself with the Resemblance of the Burning of Troy so after that he burnt Christians in huge Heaps and Piles that the light of the Fires might direct Passengers in dark Nights saith the Historian and not content with all this Cruelty many Christians he drest up in the Skins of Wild Beasts that they might be Torn in pieces by Dogs as the same Tacitus Relates further It was in the Reign of this Monster of Men that St. Paul liv'd by this Token that he caused that Apostle himself to be Beheaded and it was in the 2d Year of Nero as 't is probably conjectur'd by Baronius out of Origen that St. Paul wrote this Epistle to the Christians in and about the Imperial City And though St. Paul knew enough of the Man already and the Spirit of God foresaw a great deal more yet you see what was written touching Subjection even to him who was a shame to all Princes even this Let every Soul be subject to the Highest Powers for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are Ordained of God Whosoever therefore Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Against this that hath been spoken there is one popular objection which I must take notice of and it is this That where a Kingdom hath adopted the True Religion so that it is Establisht by publick Authority as God be Blessed it is in this Kingdom and the Laws of the Country are on its side there Resistance is not unlawful if a Prince doth indeavour the Destruction or Alteration of the True Faith In answer hereunto these things in short are to be considered 1. First that the true Religion was Establisht in the Jewish State by the Municipal Laws of that Nation and that by the Authority of God himself and yet though several Kings did attempt the introduction of Idolatry nay did actually introduce it the Jews Resisted not nevertheless and if they had Resisted such Resistance had been sinful notwithstanding 2. It is very hard and unjust that Princes Favours should be made use of against themselves that their Prerogatives should be prejudiced for their having received the Faith and for the Kindnesses they have shewed to the Church of Christ Because Constantine was a Zealous Protector of the true Religion it would have been highly Unreasonable should this have redounded to the Violation of the Imperial Dignity of his Son Constantius The Primitive Christians had the Laws of Constantine on their side And yet they did not think Resistance Lawful though the Son was an Enemy to that Faith of which the Father was the Defender 3. No Laws ought to be pleaded beyond their plain Design and Meaning Now the intent of our Laws is to secure our Religion against Schismaticks and Hereticks but not to Arm Subjects against their Prince For the same Laws which are the Stabiliment of the Church do manifestly and Roundly declare all Resistance to be unlawful and Treasonable and do Agnize the power of the Sword to be in the King and in the King only So that no Law is on our side as to matter of Resistance 4. Should our Laws be so bad as to allow of Resistance in some Cases yet this could be no Bar against the Laws of God which forbid Resistance in all Cases For it is not in the power of men to give us leave to Sin nor can any Humane Authority give us the liberty whether we will obey the Commands of Christ or no. I may not in any wise Hurt my Prince had I his own leave for it because the King of Kings hath commanded me under pain of his high displeasure to do the Contrary 5. Nay I will be bold to say in the last place that supposing Law-givers should be so Impolitick as under pain of Death to require and by a Formed Law to command us to Resist the Soveraign power it ought not in any wise to be done however For it is a standing Rule in Christianity that Authority is not to be obeyed in things that are Unlawful now Resistance is simply and in its own Nature Sinful and all Casuists will tell us that rei illicitae nulla est obligatio an Unlawful Command cannot bind unless it be to Sufferings such a command would be Null and Void of it self the matter of a Law somtimes taking off its Obligation when 't is contrary to the Laws of God and Nature and such would a Law for Resistance be should the Authority of the whole Kingdom consent to it I have done now with the Consideration of my Text and come at length to the day but am at a great loss how or where to begin or in what Language to express my Sense of that Superlative Villany Acted at this time which hath stain'd the Consciences of Rebels with Blood which hath dyed the Faces of all Christians with shame which hath brought upon all English Men a perpetual Reproach which was an astonishment to all Nations a blow to all Thrones a wound to the hearts of all Princes a Contumely to Heaven and such an horrid Affront to the great God that I am afraid whatsoever Judgments and Plagues we have laboured under since or do labour under still have fallen upon our Heads as the Returns of that Cry with which the Sacred Blood of the Lords Anointed his late Majesty went up to Heaven I pray God our Land may be once throughly cleansed from the Guilt of it The Blood of Christ can and nothing but Christs own blood can purge us And I am of the opinion that if the blood of any Prince or Martyr could be so valuable and precious as never to be atoned for in this World it would be that Royal that Sacred that Innocent blood which was so barbarously shed upon the Earth as at this time As often as I cast my thoughts upon the consideration of this most Horrid Fact I cannot but think on those Memorable words of David to the Amalekite upon the death of Saul Part of the whole Story we have in 2 Sam. 1. Saul indeed had killed himself with his own Sword at least had given himself his Deaths-wound This Amalekite took off the Crown from his Head and the Bracelet from his Arm and brought both unto David pretending that he had slain Saul Very probable it is that he hoped for some good reward at Davids Hands which has somtimes been the Traitors Fortune and he was the first I read of that counted King killing a Meritorious Act But instead of reaping his expected Booty he obtain'd not so much as a Paraâ—â— but receiv'd his Final and deserved Doom David stood amaz'd and astonisht at the Villany How wast thou not afraid saith he to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed 2
Undutifulness and Violence must be utterly forborn Did he not pay Caesar his Tribute with a plain command that every Disciple of his should pay him his due Did he not Rebuke those who would have called for Fire upon the Heads of the Samaritanes Did he not recommend to us the Practice of his Humility Meekness and Patience under the Cross Was he not angry with Peter for drawing his Sword upon the Chief-Priests Servants Did he not own Pilates Power to have been from above Did he not submit to it when he had at his Command 12 Legions of Angels Did not every Instance of his Life shew us that 't is better far to Die then to Resist Why this was Christs Religion and this is Christianity that we should be Conformed to the Image of Christ Rom. 8. 29. That 's the Substance the Power the Life of Christianity That 's the business and Office of every Christian And though Men please themselves with other popular Names and call themselves the only true Catholicks on the one hand and the only true Protestants on the other yet as long as they are Disloyal on either hand as long as they are Gun-powder Catholicks or Cut-throat True Protestants as long as they shoot at Government either with Bulls or with Ordinances as long as Consults or Covenants are in Fashion with them and the King cannot be safe for them neither in the Field nor at Home as long as they Act after this Devilish rate they do but abuse themselves into a State of Damnation for all their fine Names they ought not to be called Christians or if they will wrongfully Usurp that Name too there are as good Christians as they with Korah and Judas and I had rather be a meer Philosopher or an honest Heathen then such a Christian And doth not the Gospel strictly Command us not to Strive not to Resist Evil but to be Charitable Patient and Peaceable to obey Magistrates to Honour the King to Submit to our Rulers to be Quiet to do our own Business and to be subject for Conscience sake many Commands more we meet with up and down which hallow the Authority and immure the Throne of the Chief Magistrate And doth not my Text award Damnation to every Rebel Why one would think that such Men did use some other Gospel since they have no benefit by this nothing but Damnation by the Gospel of Christ Certainly they have a Gospel by themselves Evangelium Armatum a Gospel that is covered in Armour and dipt in Blood For by ours there is no Salvation for them without such a Stinging Repentance as St. Paul describes in 2 Cor. 7. 11. But I shall not need to proceed further upon the proof of this Matter because the clearing of the 3d. Point will serve à Fortiori to confirm this Only give me leave before I come to it to note how the Apostle in my Text doth Limit Non-Resistance He forbids Resistance against the Governour in Chief against him that is the Fountain of all Authority in the Kingdom Let every Soul be Subject but to the Higher that is to the bighest or Supreme Powers And so in my Text he that Resisteth the Power meaning the same Power that is the Power the Authority the Magistrate that is over all Whether it be King as Supreme saith St. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 13. Supremacy was in the Crown in those days there the Highest Power is Lodged and that is the Power we must be subject unto for Conscience sake Other Usurping and pretending Powers Men may be forced sometimes to be subject unto upon pain of Plunder and Sequestration but the Supreme Power the King is he whom we must not Resist upon pain of Damnation There is in every Kingdom the Supreme and a Subordinate Magistracy So St. Peter doth distinguish between the King that is Supreme and Governours that are sent by Him The King is Gods Representative other Subordinate Governours are the King 's And as long as those Governours Act Regularly and according to their Commission they are to be obeyed too But I will speak a blunt Truth whatever be the Issue of it should our Nation be so unhappy again as it was in 42. when Inferior or rather Usurping Powers forsook their Allegiance Levyed a War Raised Arms Issued out Commissions and turned the points of their Swords against the Supreme and only Lawful Power it would be not only allowable and Lawful but 't would be the Peoples Duty and in point of Conscience a necessary Duty to Resist such Power even unto Blood though Ten Thousand Houses of Parliament were there so many should pretend to it Perhaps I might have spared that Hint in this Age when our former sufferings on each side should be enough one would think to make all Men Wise and for their Interest if not for Conscience sake to be Dutiful for the Future But I could not baulk it well without baulking something in my Text which forbiddeth all Resistance against the Supreme or Soveraign Power 3. That Power is priviledg'd from all Resistance though the King should happen to be a Wicked or an Heathen Prince which is the 3d. and last point and it is concluded from the Consideration of what those Princes were when the Apostles were planting Christianity For when St. Peter wrote his First Epistle wherein he Charged Christians to Submit to the King as Supreme and unto Governours his Ministers of State Christians were so hardly dealt with that they were forced to Flee up and down into places where they could best shift into Pontus Galatia and divers Provinces more as we find at the beginning of that Epistle And Claudius himself who probably was Emperour at that Time was a Man of a Cruel disposition Zealous for Heathenish Idolatry Severe to all of a Foreign Religion so that he would not suffer the Jews to meet together saith Dio and at last he Expel'd the whole Body of Jews out of Rome Believers and Unbelievers too and that upon Christs account saith Suetonius such was the Emperour and such were his Ministers that they would not allow Christians neither the exercise of their Religion nor the Liberty of their Native Countries nor the protection of their own Houses and yet both Claudius and his Deputies must be submitted unto After Claudius immediately came Nero to be Emperour A man called a Lyon by St. Paul himself because he was of a Savage and ferine mind especially after he had got a tast of Blood that I may save Seneca's credit in his Book de Clementià A Man that kill'd his Tutor after all his Courtship of him that dispatche his Wife and Ript open the Bowels of his Own Mother A man that had a spight against every thing that was Good saith Tertullian and that some Christians took to have been the Antichrist spoken of For he was the Man that rais'd the first of the Ten Famous and General Persecutions that inflicted punishments upon Christians saith Suetonius put