Selected quad for the lemma: state_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
state_n	church_n	power_n	society_n	1,162	5	9.1993	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86678	The divine right of government: [brace] 1. naturall, and 2. politique. More particularly of monarchie; the onely legitimate and natural spece of politique government. VVherein the phansyed state-principles supereminencing salutem populi above the Kings honour: and legitimating the erection of polarchies, the popular elections of kings and magistrates, and the authoritative and compulsive establishment of a national conformity in evangelical and Christian dutyes, rites, and ceremonies, are manifested to be groundlesse absurdities both in policy and divinity. / By Mich: Hudson.	Hudson, Michael, 1605-1648.; Stent, Peter, fl. 1640-1667, engraver.	1647 (1647)	Wing H3261; Thomason E406_24; ESTC R201931	147,691	220

afforded us many laudable presidents to this purpose in many Creeds and briefe formes of Confessions purposely composed by the Fathers and Councels of those times to the end that a professed Uniformity of Faith and Doctrine in such Fundamentals might preserve the peace and unity of the Church and by consequence of the Common-wealth And therefore there wants neither reason nor authority to warrant the exercise of Regall power in matters of Faith and Doctrine Sol. This Uniformity of Faith and Religion is more to be desired then hoped for for Saint Paul hath expresly declared the necessity of such a dissonancie amongst Christians in the principles of Faith and Religion as shall also introduce divisions and discords amongst them 1 Cor. 11.18 19. in which Text the Apostle alledgeth the providence of God to be the ground thereof who thereby provides for the manifestation of the sincere and faithfull and also for their better information and knowledge in matters of faith And surely the Gospell had never beene so perfectly radicated in the mindes of Christians without oppositions and disputes concerning the same and therefore it proceeded from the wisdome providence and goodnesse of God towards his children that these divisions should be the fruits and effects of the Gospel as Christ himself did forewarne his Disciples for Christians are alwayes best principled in those points which are most controverted for the disputes concerning Jewish Ceremonies in the times of the Apostles concerning the Trinity in the times of the Fathers concerning the nature of Justification of the Sacraments and other points of Popery of later times and concerning formes of Worship Government and Discipline of the Church in these present times hath begotten a more exact understanding in Christians in all these points then ever they had in probability attained unto if Satan had not sowed these seeds of discord amongst them As for the dangers and inconveniencies to Church and Common-wealth pretended for the necessity of the exercise of a Regall power in these matters it is but a piece of Jeroboam's policy in erecting golden Calves to secure his kingdome for to pretend a necessity of unwarrantable meanes for the security of Church or State is but to appeale from God to the Devill for succour which will certainly bring our feares upon us For it is just with God to powre downe those judgements upon the true Professours which are due to such Hereticks when the former sort out of diffidence of Gods wisdome power and goodnesse will anticipate his Justice in the latter and out of a precipitate zeale to Gods honour obtrude their undesired and therefore unwelcome help and assistance upon him Whereas if wee could but let them alone as Christ exhorteth Mat. 15.14 and waite Gods time with patience the Lord will not faile to root out such spurious plants which are not of his owne planting but of the Devils as all such Heresies most undoubtedly are Yet I deny not but the Magistrate both may and ought to exercice his power for the restraine and punishment of those divisions which are the fruits and effects of these erroneous and Hereticall opinions when they come to be of Politicall Cogni●●n●● i. e. a●●● of violence and injustice disturbing the peace of the Common-wealth but the errours themselves which are the causes and productives of these mischiefes in State are not at all of Politicall but of another higher Cognizance As for the concise formes of Faith and Confession mentioned in the latter part of the Objection I doe acknowledge such short Creeds as that of the Apostles of the Nicene Councell of Athanasius and many other Orthodox Creeds devised some by Councels some by particular Fathers against such particular Heresies as raigned in their times to be of admirable use and expediency for the Churches edification but for any Magistrate to constraine his Subjects by virtue of any Law or Statute to sweare the truth of these Creeds or of any other Article of Faith of the truth whereof the deponent is not first fully satisfied in his conscience but doth either beleeve or doubt the same to be false must needs be an offence of a very high nature in any Magistrate because he doth not onely render himselfe accessary to the perjury of him that sweares but guilty also of a sacrilegious intrusion and usurpation upon those sacred prerogatives which God hath reserved entire unto himselfe viz. of the power and command over the conscience which God never imparted unto any Creature Man or Angell neither of whom how great and glorious soever is able to pacifie an injured incensed and wrathfull conscience The third Reason is taken from the inefficacy of compulsive meanes to plant the faith of Christ manifested in Saint Pauls exhortation to Timothy concerning his demeanour towards those who should oppose themselves against the truth and Gospell of Christ not onely of infirmity and ignorance but of obstinacy and maliousnesse 2 Tim. 3. towards whom he exhorteth Timothy to be gentle and instruct them with meeknesse 2 Tim. 2.24 25. And yet wee know that Saint Paul did not want experience of the efficacy and vertue of compulsive and violent courses to force a conformity in others to his owne faith belief and profession and therefore surely he would never have so carefully prescribed this rule to Timothy if he had found persecution and the exercise of secular power to be a better expedient to convert men to the faith of Christ or to convince an erroneous conscience the incongruity of which meanes also the Lord himselfe hath further manifested by rendring all such inordinate endeavours not onely fruitlesse and inefficacious for the eradication of Heresies but also advantageous to confirme them in the parties persecuted and to multiply the professours of the same Hereticall opinions as the Histories of the Primitive Persecutions doe sufficiently declare For there is so much disproportion betweene an immateriall conscience and a materiall sword that the weakest judgements are apt to conclude that those who make use of such absurd and improper arguments to convince the consciences of others are not provided of better grounds and reasons whereupon to build their owne Faith and Religion And hee that consulteth the Narratives of the Spanish proceedings in the Conversion of the Indians shall finde that Saint Peter added more soules to the Church of Christ by one Sermon then the Spaniards were able to doe by seven yeares persecution although it was not defective in any point of savage and inhumane cruelty Ob. Many perverse natures have beene converted to the faith of Christ by rigorous meanes upon whom perswasions and argumentations could have no such influence and we find by daily experience that correction and stripes are a meanes to infuse documents into some children in whose soules the most rationall instructions with meeknesse could make no such impression Sol. Balaams Asse spoke when shee was beaten three times with a staffe and yet a man would esteeme him an Asse that should

of Government which Aristotle termes the just and laudable sorts of Policy to be indifferent and Arbitrary as if they had all an equal ground both in Divinity and nature and that the sole preheminence amongst them were onely in precedency of time As if an Aristocracy had even naturally and of necessity succeeded a Monarchie in the second age of the Patriarks and Democracie upon the like grounds obtained the like honour amongst men of the third generation Whereas first concerning the difference of their Antiquity I am most assuredly confident that the learnedest Antiquarie in the world cannot produce any Authentick Record to evidence the Original of any Polarchy within the space of three thousand yeares after the first Institution of Monarchie by God in Paradise It is true indeed that God did Institute the Synedrion or great Counsel of seventy Elders in the time of Moses as also other particular orders of Magistracy in every Tribe and City consisting of different numbers of Elders but none of these were ordained with any intention to sway the scepter of the Kingdome or to exercise the supream Power and Authority of the Common-wealth but onely for Inferior Courts of justice a subordinate to that supream and Regal Honour and Power which God had designed for the Tribe of Judah And therefore from the time of their first Institution under Moses they were alwaies subject to such occasional Judges Rulers and Monarchs as God appointed to be supream Rulers and Governors over his people as Ioshua Othniel Ehud and the rest of the Judges Indeed the first face of any Government which looks like a Polarchy presents it self upon the death of Amaziah King of Judah who was murdered by a conspiracy of some of his Nobles in the fifteenth year of Jeroboam King of Israel which was about two hundred and fifty years after the first institution of a Regal Government in that Kingdome whose sonne Vzziah was not admitted to his just and rightful inheritance till the seven and twentieth year of the said Ieroboam During which time there was an Intermission of Regal Government in the Kingdome of Judah but who the Traytors were that withheld the King from his Right and usurped the Royal Power the holy Ghost doth not specify how ever it is not Improbable that those conspirators who slew his Father might according to the usual Policy of Traytors seek to secure themselves from the punishment due for their offence by their voluntary incurment of a more criminous guilt Onely thus much I am assured of that if this were the first Institution of a Polarchy the Devil was the Author of it for the foundation of it was laid in Rebellion Murder Usurpation which were never any of Gods works or if no Polarchy can pretend to so great Antiquity yet whensoever the first was erected I am sure it had neither other foundation nor other Author For every lawful Monarch which was the Ancient and Primitive Government in every Kingdom of the world was as Legally and justly possessed of his Crown as any Private Gentleman is of a Lordship descended from his Ancestors or otherwise made his by any just and warrantable course of Law And therefore as no Gentlemans Tenants can without manifest Injustice possesse themselves of their Landlords lawful inheritance upon any Allegation that he is a hard master or a deboist and lewd man or any the like pretence how true and just soever no more can any subjects having a greater obligation upon them of obedience to their King then any Tenants have to a Landlord upon the like Allegation depose their Soveraign and possesse themselves of the Supremacy and Royal Power without manifest guilt of Rebellion and Sacrilegious usurpation in the highest Degree And therefore all Polarchy must needs proceed from that old grand Rebel and Author of all mischief the Devil and whether he was not of councel with those Senators who erected the first Polarchy in Rome which was one of the most ancient in the world I shal desire the Reader to judge by one act of those Senators concerning the businesse of that pretended Reformation of Government for ex pede Herculem by their prudence justice and conscience expressed in this one you may judge of their grounds and reasons for other of their actions After these Reformers had banished Tarquinius superbus the Tyrant they found one Tarquinius a Noble-man in Rome who was a man of an exceeding upright and unblamable conversation whom those reforming politicians would not permit upon any intreaties or meanes that could be used to live in Rome although no man in the City could bring in any accusation against him but immediately banished him also because they judged him to be a man of a dangerous and Tyrannical name and therefore would not be perswaded that Tyranny was sufficiently extinguished whilst there was any man of that name living in Rome wherein they expressed as much justice as if because Iohn of styles had killed a man the King should hang all Iohns in England to prevent homicide 2. The second Malediction Incident to Polarchy is cursed prescription For we never find the curse of Polarchy received by any nation before Christs time but onely Heathens and Infidels to whom God never vouchsafed the understanding knowledge of divine Mysteries revealed in his word containing the Immediate outward meanes of salvation Nor after Christs time neither till of late yeares which Ecclesiastical Historians make the declining and languishing age and state of Christianity when Christian societies abounded with blasphemous Heresies in Doctrine Idolatrous Innovations in Discipline for the just punishment whereof God did send this curse of Polarchy amongst them so that some Christian societies have now of late through giddy fanatick humours by Heathenish presidents erected some sorts of Polarchies in their Common-wealths which yet are none of the most eminent 3. The third Malediction Incident to Polarchy is Cursed stipulation Christ himself menacing the Eradication and utter extirpation of every plant which his Heavenly Father hath not planted Mat. 15.13 And that Polarchy is one of these unnaturall and spurious plants declared in the cursed Institution thereof And though neither Polarchy in General nor any species thereof be once mentioned in the Scripture the reason whereof I formerly shewed yet are those cursed sins which are both the foundation and associates of all Polarchies in any Kingdome of eminency and Antiquity Stigmatized with many dreadful Menaces and Maledictions in several parts of Scripture especially Rebellion which is the constant foundation and pr●p of every Ancient and Eminent Polarchy which the holy Ghost compares to witch-craft which is an utter renunciation of all Relation to God and obliging our selves by Covenant to be the children and servants of the Devil And what rewards can such men expect of their cursed vocation and profession but horror of conscience here to and horror of Hellish and everlasting torments hereafter 4. The fourth Malediction Incident to Polarchy

enormities as are destructive to peace and unity and by consequence to all Politick Association 2. The second spece of the Object of Politicall Cognizance is Objectum per accidens which is the indirect and mediate Object of Politick Government consisting in the Contingentials thereof being such causes and matters wherein the King may exercise both his Legislative and Judiciarie power over some persons both Ecclesiasticall and Civill but not over other some of either sort And these are those supernaturall and Evangelicall duties which were never knowne nor any way usefull upon the first institution of Politick Government under the old Covenant of Workes but were instituted afterward and made ordinances of the new Covenant of Grace not directly for helps of Politick Government but for the immediate meanes and helps to life and salvation by Christ and the advancement of his mysticall kingdome Such as were the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament which were symbolicall ordinances instituted by God meerely as seales and confirmations of this new Covenant of Grace and also all Evangelicall formes of Worship Government and Discipline relating immediately unto Christ All which are supernaturall duties wherein the light of nature though it were restored to its native and pristine purity is no way conducent to guide or direct us without particular revelations of the Spirit of God declared either by Scripture or some other extraordinary and supernaturall meanes which duties therefore cannot be knowne to Heathens to which God never vouchsafed the benefit of such revelations nor be possibly capable of any legall sanctions from the most prudent and intelligent Legislator that ever sate at sterne in any Heathenish Common-wealth And yet though Heathens cannot be good Christians they may be good Kings as the Holy Ghost testifieth of Cyrus whose Government is much magnified Esay 45. although he understood nothing of these Evangelicall duties which relate to Christ the like Panegyricks are recorded not onely by the Heathenish but also by Christian Authors of the government of Solon of Athens Lycurgus of Lacedemon and Servius Tullius of Rome And this is further manifested by that judicious and rationall answer which Gallio the Romane Deputy returned to the complaints of the Jewes against Paul for preaching against the Jewish Ceremonies and the outward form of worship prescribed by Moses Acts 18.14 15. If it were a matter of wrong or injustice saith Gallio which importeth sins against the law of the second Table or of wicked lewdnesse which importeth sinnes against the law of the first Table of the Morall law then reason would O ye Jewes that I should bear with you But if it be a Question of your law looke ye to it for I will be no Judge of such matters Whence it is observable that though this wise Heathen was perswaded that it was a part of his office and duty to judge of offences against the law of nature whether they were transgressions of the first Table and so immediately against God or of the second Table and so immediately against our neighbour ye he did conclude from the principles of sound reason that the judgement of these Jewish Ceremonies which were not naturall but Evangelicall duties did not pertaine to his Office or Calling So that these Evangelicall duties cannot be directly and per se the Object of Politicall Cognizance or the subject of any positive Law or Statute generally obligatory unto all persons But yet these Evangelicall duties may and doe fall within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance indirectly and per accidens that is in such persons to whom God doth vouchsafe the benefit of these supernaturall revelations for in regard the service and worship of God ought to be the first and principall care of all Kings as well Heathen as Christian according to the Maxime of that * Arist pol. lib. 7 c. 8. knowing Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion must be the foundation of all Policy being the most important businesse amongst the affaires of State cementing all societies and energating all lawes as Plutarch well observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in regard also that they to whom God hath vouchsafed the knowledge of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties cannot with a safe conscience serve and worship God after any other manner but that which in their opinion is most consonant to his word and will therefore it is both lawfull and expedient for Kings to exercise both their Legislative power in composure of Lawes and Statutes for directing a laudable conformity amongst these persons in the religious observation and practise of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties of the Religion and piety whereof they are already sufficiently perswaded and satisfied in their consciences and also their Judiciary power in punishing the contempt or neglect thereof because to such persons there is no medium betweene the practise of these duties and that wicked lewdnesse or profanenesse the restraint and reformation whereof Gallio did acknowledge to be directly a part of the duty of the Magistrates office and calling But for other persons who are not of the same perswasion concerning the Religion of these Evangelicall duties but beleeve the practise thereof to be superstitious and dishonourable to God and another forme of worship to be the onely acceptable service unto him in regard the practise of Evangelicall duties in such persons cannot proceed from faith and trust in God whereby they may expect a blessing from him upon their service and devotion but rather that curse and damnation which Saint Paul affirmeth to be the just merits of all acts of worship which are not of faith but either of doubtfulness or which is worse of perfect hypocrisie and dissimulation Rom. 14. last The enforcement of such a conformity by the Magistrate in Evangelicall worship and service in such persons contrary to their consciences must necessarily render him guilty not onely of their sinnes and thereby liable to that curse and damnation which is due to their hypocrisie and dissimulation whereof hee is in some sense the efficient cause but also of sacrilegious intrusion upon those sacred prerogatives which God hath reserved wholly unto himselfe that is the command and power over mens consciences over which he never appointed any lord or master besides himselfe as the expressions and exhortations both of our Saviour Mat. 23.8 9. and of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 8.6 doe purposely insinuate and whereunto the Kings Commission did never extend Whence it is manifest that Christian Kings may exercise their Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes to direct a conformity of Evangelicall worship and service in those persons unto whom God hath vouchsafed the true understanding thereof and thereby satisfied their consciences of the Legality and Religion thereof and also his Judiciarie power in rewarding the pious and due observance and punishing the impious contempt and neglect of such duties in the same persons But may not exercise either his Legislative or Judiciary