Profession and acting contrary to the Spirit of Christ have made that holy Name to be blasphemed it is reason that they be esteemed the utter enemies of Christianity and that they themselves should bear their condemnation but to charge their exorbitancies upon that Profession which they have prophaned and injured is such an injustice as cannot consist with moral honesty or Philosophical ingenuity So then hîc Rhodus hîc saltus As Saint Paul 1 Cor. xv 14 17 20. concerning the Resurrection of Christ If Christ be not risen our preaching is vain and your faith is vain but now is Christ risen so I If within the compass of those Foundations which I have mentioned be found any colour or shadow of license for any person whatsoever upon any pretence whatsoever to entrench upon the power of lawful Magistrates if any warrant at all for open Rebellion or privy Conspiracies for murthering or deposing of Princes or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance then let Kings cease to be our Nursing Fathers and Queens to be our Nursing Mothers let David look to his own house let the Light of our Eyes the Breath of our Nostrils the Restorer of Religion the Defender of our Faith look rather first to defend himself It will then be reasonable to expect that the Kings of the earth should stand up and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ that they should break their bonds in sunder and cast their cords from them then our Preaching is vain and your Faith is vain But now indeed the case is otherwise and that evidently What the Laws of men could never do with all their Temporal Rewards and Punishments in that they are weak that Christianity in the true Spirit of it performs to the utmost height that is conceiveable The Foundation of Government and Obedience is deeply and firmly rooted in the Foundation of our Religion And if the Scripture cannot be broken if it be true that Heaven and Earth shall pass away before one jot of it shall pass away it is as true that the Ordinances of the Sun and Moon shall fail before this Ordinance shall be dissolved For if by the Principles of our Religion we are obliged to believe concerning the Books of the Old Testament that they have been delivered by holy men of God who spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. i. 21. then the holy Ghost hath said By me Kings reign c. Prov. viii 15. If Christ be the Son of God the Son of God hath said Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars Mat. xxii 21. If the Holy Spirit did overshadow Peter and the rest of the Apostles then Peter overshadowed and filled with the Spirit commands us in the Name of God to submit our selves to every Ordinance of man 1 Pet. ii 13. If Saint Paul were called to be an Apostle by the miraculous appearance of our Lord Christ after his Ascension and was by him immediately instructed in the pure and genuine spirit of Christianity then Saint Paul's Theory concerning Government is an authentick Christian Theory whereby the Doctrines and practises of Christians are to be judged and that Theory is delivered in the seven first Verses of this Chapter Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers c. And they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation I call it a Christian Theory of Government because it is a brief and comprehensive Scheme whereby all Questions concerning Obedience and Government may according to Christian Principles be resolved The whole discourse of the Apostle consisteth of two general parts First A strict Injunction Secondly Effectual Motives First The Injunction in the first words Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers c. Secondly The Motives in the words following which are taken from I. The Original and Institution of Government it is ordained of God hence follows II. The Sinfulness of Resistance They resist the Ordinance of God And III. The Danger of it They shall receive damnation Which is again enforced by IV. The End of Government in respect of evil and good men Out of all which follows V. The necessity of subjection Wherefore ye must needs be subject And VI. The nature of that necessity it is not of prudence but of Conscience After all which the Apostle like a legitimate Demonstratour resumes his Proposition and concludes it with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 7. Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honour to whom honour The words which I have chosen contain in them the danger of resiâ—tance to the Civil Powers They relate both to the Antecedent and Subsequent part of the Apostle's Discourse and are as efficacious towards the pressing of the Injunction of Obedience as it is possible for words to express or men to conceive The strongest and most operative Arguments upon men at leastwise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Arguments of terrour The most terrible thing within the compass of humane apprehension is Damnation which imports besides the judgments of this life the eternal privation of the enjoyment of God utter darkness and everlasting burnings Those that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Those that resist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resistance is a Relative Act and it implies some person or thing to be resisted What then is the Correlate of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is delivered in the first Verse Those that resist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Authorities set over them Civil Authorities having jus Gladii the Authorities supreme or subordinate justly obtaining over them It is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here used which signifie corporal strength and power but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Scripture distinguisheth from both the other From 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke iv 36. and ix 1. 1 Cor. xv 24. Ephes. i. 21. from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iude 25. It answers the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Septuagint translates by all the names of Legal Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is taken for the Persons of Governours as well as for their Power so Ephes. iii. 10. That to Principalities and Powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 might be known c. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against Powers and the Rulers of this World Ephes. vii 2. So that we may not separate their Personal and their Politick capacity It remains that we enquire the meaning of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what it is to resist in the Language of the Gospel Now 1. That to oppose by force is to resist it is so plain that I need not speak to it We meet both the words in that sence Iames iv 6 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God resisteth the proud and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Resist the Devil 2. But the word signifies Opposition by
Divine Authority And because our Lord Christ did undertake not only for himself but for the Inspiration of his Apostles also 1. In the examination of the next Opinion I shall be obliged to lay before you some of the evidences of Divine Authority in Christ and his Apostles here it is sufficient to produce their assertions of it The time of our Lord Christs ministration betwixt three and four years was spent in preaching and working and his Authority was often questioned In Luke 20. 1. and in the parallel places While he was in the Temple teaching the People and preaching the the Gospel the Chief Priests and the Scribes and the Elders came upon him saying tell us by what Authority thou dost these things preachest to the people and who gave thee that Authority Knowing the perverseness of their minds he was not pleased to gratifie them at that time with a direct answer but confounded them with a question concerning the Baptism of Iohn But at other times upon other occasions we find the Divine Authority of his teaching abundantly declared and asserted by him I am the way the truth and the life The words which I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life The words which I speak I speak not of my self but of the Father which dwelleth in me My Doctrine is not mine but his that sent me I do nothing of my self but as my Father hath taught me so I speak I have not spoken of my self but the Father that sent me he gave me a Commandment what I should say and what I should speak Whatsoever I speak therefore even as the Father said unto me so I speak Heaven and Earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away Thus did our Saviour assert the Divine Authority of his Words 2. And so likewise the Apostles are very frequent in asserting the Divine Authority of the things which they delivered In the 15. of the Acts we find them assembled about the question of Circumcision and they accounted it no robbery to entitle their Decrees to the Holy Ghost It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us v. 18 Nor do they pretend to revelation when gathered in Council only but each one severally for himself St. Peter professes of himself that he was a partaker of the glory which was revealed And of his Gospel that it was revealed from Heaven St. Iohn declares that he had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Father and the Son as for his other writings that they contained the things which he had heard and seeen with his eyes which he had looked on and his hands had handled of the Word of life As for the Apocalypse he professes that being in the Spirit in Isle of Patmos he received it and was commanded to write it in a Book The greatest writer among the Apostles was St. Paul and the greatest question hath always been amongst Unbelievers concerning his Calling and the Authority of his Gospel He knew this very well and therefore we find him asserting both his Calling and his Gospel with abundant care and diligence He affims himself to have been an Apostle not of man neither by man but by Iesus Christ and God the Father That by God himself he was separated to preach constituted a Preacher an Apostle and a defender of the Gospel As concerning his Gospel he professes to have received it by Revelation of God As for the Spirit wherewith he wrote and preached he professed himself ready to give a proof of Christ speaking in him He appealed to the Prophetick Spirit then in the Church If any man think himself a Prophet or Spiritual let him acknowledge the things which I write to be the Commandments of God Out of this assurance it was that he enjoyned his Epistles to be read in the Churches of Coloss Laodicea Thessalonica and excommunicates such as should be disobedient in that particular And lest any one should here repeat the Objection made against our Saviour Thou bearest witness of thy self thy witness is not true St. Paul speaking of all the Apostles affirms that God had set them in the Church and that the Mystery of the Gospel was revealed to the holy Apostles by the Spirit Particularly notwithstanding that dispute betwixt St. Peter and St. Paul from the first Ages of the Church to our own Times objected by Unbelievers to the prejudice of Religion it is remarkable that in the same place where St. Paul gives an account how Peter was to be blamed and how and wherefore he withstood him to his face at Antioch he doth expresly affirm that the Gospel of the Circumcision was committed to Peter and that God wrought effectually in Peter to the Apostleship of the Circumcision On the other side St. Peter in that very place where he may seem to complain of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of St. Paul yet even there he owns him as his beloved Brother acknowledges his Wisdom to have been gi-given him of God and numbers all his Epistles inter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the other Scriptures 3. Lastly For such as would put a difference of degrees betwixt the Authority of the words of Christ and the writings and Sermons of the Apostles they may take notice that the Authority of these resolves it self into the veracity of Christ himself He it was who being to leave the World promised his Disciples again and again that he would send down upon them the Holy Spirit that should instruct them and teach them all things that should Lead them into all truth Bring to their remembrance all things which he himself had spoken that should shew them things to come that with this Spirit they should not be lightly dash'd or sprinkled but that they should be Baptized and as it were plunged into it How all these promises were performed and how the Assertions of the Divine Authority of the Words of Christ and the Apostles were proved to be true I am next to shew In the interim I conclude that supposing the truth of the words of Christ and his Apostles they are to be esteemed of Divine Authority III. The third opinion is of such as pretend to believe matters of fact to have been truly related in the New Testament but they do not believe the truth of the Doctrinal parts relating to Faith or Manners Of these there have always been too great a number not only pretenders who under a form of Christianity deny the power thereof but generally all sorts of Hereticks When Porphyrius had revolted from Christianity to Platonism and had bent all his forces against the Scripture-History he was refuted not only by Lactantius and Methodius men Orthodox in Doctrine but by Eusebius and Apollinaris and of late days Socinus and others have well asserted the truth of the Scripture-History
shed forth the gifts of supernatural Wisdom and Power upon his Apostles Not to mention the Apparition of Angels and of Christ himself the Bath Kol the Extasies Dreams Visions and Impulses which were given them for their own assurance That they might be enabled to preach the Gospel to all Nations and deliver to the world those Scriptures whereof we are speaking they had the word of Knowledge and of Wisdom and of Faith and the gift of divers Tongues and interpretation of Tongues bestowed upon them And to justifie their Doctrine to the Ages present and to come they had the Gifts of Prophesie and of Healing and of Miracles Iohn the beloved Disciple heard a voice as it were of a Trumpet talking with him which said Come up hither and I will shew thee things which shall be hereafter and immediately he was in the Spirit and received the Revelation Paul an Apostle though born out of due time came to Visions and Revelation he twice foretold what should happen to the Ship wherein he was carried Prisoner to Rome He foretold the Apostacy of the latter times the rising of Antichrist the perillous times which should come upon the world in the last days Agabus a Believer at large foretold the Famine which was to come upon all the world and the binding of Paul at Ierusalem c. But the instances of supernatural Power exercised in healing of Diseases raising the dead confounding the Opposers of their Doctrine and in several other kinds by the Apostles and their Companions and Adherents the Preachers and Writers of the Doctrine of the Gospel are so abundantly delivered in the New Testament that I shall not offer at particulars In the 4. of the Acts we find all the Apostles praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that God would stretch forth his hand to heal and that signs and wonders might be done by the Name of his holy Child Iesus And immediately the place was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Gost and with Power The particular Miracles of particular persons are recorded In one word they went and preached every where the Doctrines which are written in the Gospel the Lord working with them and confirming their words by mighty signs and wonders and giâ—ts of the Holy Ghost This is the state of the matter of Fact as it is propounded in the New Testament I conclude therefore that supposing matters of Fact to be truly delivered in the New Testament there is no reason to doubt of the Doctrines delivered by Christ or his Apostles relating to faith or manners And I come to the consideration of the last and extream Opinion of the Antiscripturists IV. The last opinion is of those who deny the truth of the Relation of matters of Fact delivered in the New Testament and in consequence reject the whole body of the Scriptures I could wish there were no such as these and that what I have yet to say were altogether needless for that reason But what mean then the publick Rumors which we hear and whence is an Opinion gone into the world that some great Philosophers and men of generous reason are dissatisfied concerning the truth of Scripture and believe the Authority of it to be wholy derived from the Magistrate In reference to these I shall endeavour 1. Briefly to shew that the ground upon which these Wisemen and Philosophers reject the Scriptures is contrary to the Reason of mankind 2. To evince that the belief of the Divine Authority of the Scriptures is most agreeable to Reason 1. As for the Argument and ground of those amongst us Christians that reject the body of the Scriptures I do not remember to have heard of other than this They have often called upon Believers Pastors perhaps or Doctors in the Church for a clear and undeniable evidence of the truth of the story of the Gospel and they have not afforded it therefore they conclude the Scriptures are to be rejected But is this the reasoning of generous wits and men of mighty deeds in disputation of men pretending to the depths of reason and Philosophy To give a man a clear and undeniable evidence of any thing there are but two ways viz. To convince either his Senses or his Understanding the former where of is to be done by experiment the later by demonstration Would they have now an Experiment whether such or such a thing were done 16 or 17 hundred years ago Would they have a demonstration of particulars in their nature indifferent to be done or not to be done depending upon the liberty of Causes Well were it for the world if these Beaux Esprits would have the patience and endure the fatigue of acquainting themselves with the ways of knowledge Experiment and demonstration it would not then be troubled with the dangerous impertinency of such Pretenders Then these men would not call for Experiment in a subject uncapable of it and being instructed that demonstration is only of Universal Propositions in materia necessaria whose contrary Positions imply a contradiction they would know that to demand this kind of evidence of the truth of the story of the Gospel is to be absurdly injudicious and to act contrary to the Reason of mankind For seeing we may not with civility suppose this principle to be advanced only for the destruction of Religion and the ruine or at least undeniable hazard of the Souls of men We ought to believe that these Philosophers intend this as a General Maxim that in matters at least of moment men ought not to adventure to act but upon clear and undeniable evidence and speaking properly that wise men ought to believe nothing at all Wherefore let us suppose this for a general principle and consider what will follow Setting aside the knowledge of the Affections of a few Lines and Numbers is not all learning to be cast away Must not the Civil world of mankind be brought to swift confusion must not mankind it self in a few days â—ome to an end Suppose a subject should not yield his Obedience or a Tenant his Rent till Titles be made out by Experiment or demonstation Suppose the husbandman and the Merchant the Artificer the Souldier the Banker and the Judge should not adventure but stay for the assurance of Experiment or Demonstration would not the whole world be confounded Suppose men should not marry nor take Physick nor eat or drink till they should have clear and undeniable evidence that all these things are what they suppose and shall succeed according to expectation would not mankind quickly be spent and brought to an end If the management of all humane concernments Political Oeconomical Personal proceed upon the grounds of Belief and Hope and rational but not demonstrative inference If neither these Philosophers if they would consider nor any other Person either ever did or possibly could perform any one action upon such evidence as these men require
the Spirit So Paul was forbid by the Spirit to preach the Word in Asia II. And for the Conviction of the unbelieving World They had diversities of gifts and different Administrations To one was given the Word of Wisdom to another the Word of Knowledge to another Faith to another the gift of Healing to another Miracles Prophesies Discerning of Spirits The gift of Tongues As it is in the words which I quoted God bare them witness with gifts of the Holy Ghost and with Signs and Wonders and that he did so far that I shall be justified by Christ himself if I shall affirm that the Apostles after his death did greater miracles then he himself did in his life Of the same kind with our Saviours some they performed by means having an appearance of greater strangeness Christ healed by his touch his word his spittle Peter by his shadow Paul by Handkerchiefs taken from his body But one great thing there was wherein they exceeded The Great and Manifest and frequent Effusions of the Spirit the Reception of it upon themselves the communication of it to others by Prayer Preaching Laying on of Hands By these it was that the unbelieving world was convinced and even Simon Magus himself It is by the power and Vertue of those effusions that we are here met together at this time that the World continues Christian at this day And these are some of those standing means and Arguments whereby the proneness of our hearts to infidelity may be overcome and faith may be begotten confirmed recovered at this day These are therefore to be revolved Exhort one another dayly To come therefore to a Conclusion My text it self is an Application by way of Exhortation Exhortations are enforced by Reasons of Duty and Concernment and these I have hitherto endeavoured to lay before you If indeed there were no Sinfulness in Infidelity Or if in such times as ours it were excusable If there were no danger of falling into it or no means left to remedy or prevent it it would then indeed be to little purpose to Exhort men to beware But if the state of all these things is otherwise if that be plain and evident agreeable to Scripture to Reason and to Experience if the Speaker hath not beaten the Air nor the heaâ—ers been careless and inattentive I know not what can be required to enforce and sharpen the exhortation If the time would suffer it and I were speaking to a Common or Injudicious Auditory I might think my self concerned after all that hath been spoken to the understanding to Apply my discourse to your affections I should take unto me the various forms of Application used in this Epistle I would Reprove Rebuke Exhort I would cry aloud and would not spare I would liâ—t up my voice like a Watchmans trumpet warning you from the Lordâ— concerning the Spirit of irreligion and infidelity which is said to have overspread the land I would take to my self a Lamentation yea it should be for a Lamentation for the Professors of Infidelity and the Infidelity of Professors every where But I may not now be permitted to enlarge upon these things I may only pray to God to give you understanding in all things and beseech you earnestly to consider what hath been spoken Concluding in the words of the Text Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God Exhort one another dayly FINIS Die Jovis 11 o Octobris 1666. ORdered by the Lords Spiritual and Temporal in Parliament assembled That the thanks of this House be given to the Lord Bishop of Exon. for his Pains in the Service he performed in Preaching a Sermon before the Peers in the Abby-Church at Westminster yesterday being the day appointed by His Majesty for Fasting and Humiliation in consideration of the late Dreadful Fire which wasted the greater part of the City of London And that his Lordship be and is hereby desired to Print and Publish his said Sermon John Browne Cler. Parliam A SERMON Preached before the PEERS IN THE Abby-Church at Westminster October 10 th M. DC LXVI BY SETH then Lord Bishop of EXON LONDON Printed by A. C. for Iames Cellins at the Kings Arms within Ludgate near St. Pauls 1672. A SERMON Preached before the House of Peers AT WEST MINSTER ECCLES xi 9. But know that for all these things God will bring thee to Iudgment Rejoyce O young man c. THE great and general design of the Ministry and preaching of the Gospel is to bring men to Christianity not in the outward profession but in the true spirit and power thereof to the end they may be justified and sanctified and finally saved through Christ for ever The Particular design of this Dayes Observation is to humble our selves under the mighty hand of God in Consideration of his Judgments especially that late one in consuming with Fire the Ancient and noble Metropolis of this Nation and to endeavour to appease the wrath of God gone out against us To compass both these designs whereof the later is subordinate to the former I know no better expedient than to reason a while upon that important argument suggested in the Text. Who can think upon the Conflagration of our late Glorious City and not call to mind the great and terâ—ible day of Judgment Who can think seriously of Judgment and not be compelled to come in driven to Christianity that he may be saved from the wrath to come The great Instructor and Example of Christian Preachers he who saith of himself that Christ sent him to preach and not to baptize found no means so powerful to perswade men to Christianity as to reason upon this argument as first to lay before them the terror of Judgment and then whilst that was warm upon their hearts to make them a tender of the Gospel This is the great advantage and use the Apostle makes of the Doctrine of the Text. We must all appear saith he before the Iudgment-seat of Christ Knowing therefore the terrour of the Lord we perswade men Upon these Considerations I shall hope for the pardon of this Noble Auditory if without affectation of Science I shall in a practical and familiar way of reasoning indeavour to imitate our Apostle in this particular If in the mean time it will be irksome and unpleasant to hear of the Judgment to come we shall do well to consider what it will be to undergo it we shall do well to reflect upon our Souls and search out the ground of this aversness Is it because we do not believe a Judgment to come or that we our selves shall be brought to Judgment Is it because we never consider who it is before whom me must appear or what things will be charged on our account Is it because we are so far gone in our arrears that it is to no purpose to call these things into our remembrance What ever it