Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n
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A33283
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Two sermons preached at Cambridge the first at the Lent assizes, 1654, the other on the yearly commemoration of Dr. Andrew Pern, 1655 / by J. Clerk.
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Clarke, Joshua.
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1655
(1655)
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Wing C4481; ESTC R29962
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25,596
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69
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it by fire and sword and a carelesse indifference to the true Religion and the false betwixt wracking of tender consciences and indulging all that pretends to conscience It concerns the Magistrate seriously to study the extent of his duty herein For surely to take care of Religion and religious persons is one and a chief end of this Ordinance of God in the Text. 2. To thee that dealest justly and mercifully with men To thee that walkest uprightly and workest righteousnesse and speakest the truth in thy heart that backbitest not with thy tongue nor doest evil to thy neighbour c. as the 15. Psalme describes It is easie to observe that the great Patrons of Anarchy and confusion or of slack and sleepy gâ—â—ernment which is next to it have alwayes been either seditious Corahs that cannot brook subjection or bloudy minded Esaus that wait for their fathers death that they may be revenged on their brethren or violent invaders of other mens properties or dissolute wasters of their own whatever goodly pretences they make Peter Martyn hits the true reason of their quarrel with the Magistrate Vel quòd sibi conscii sint rerum malè gestarum vel quòd mali sint cultores justitiae Either because they are guilty of some unrighteousnesse already or because they intend it hereafter Their great grievance is that of the young Romane Gallants when their lawlesse liberty was bounded by a stricter form of government brought in by Brutus Legem rem surdam esse inexorabilem periculosum esse in tot humanis erroribuâ— solâ innocentiâ vivere They cannot humour these deaf churlish hard-hearted laws they cannot stand upon these nice distinctions of meum tuum just and unjust they cannot live in these narrow inclosures up with these hedges down with these walls and mouns and levell all into a wide unbounded champian It is no wonder such as these speak eviâ— of dignities for the power is to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a revenger for wrath but to thee that lovest righteousnesse he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the minister of God for good That 's the first end of his office Finis cui We come now to the second end Finis cujus for good that is for thy benefit and advantage and that in five particulars which I must but touch 1. In doctrinam he is the Minister of God to thee for thy instruction in the wayes of peace anâ— righteousnesse Peter Martyr reckons up this among the good fruits of government That whereas many innocent honest minded men are yet to seek in the wayes of justice and righteousnesse Potestas civilis illis pro Paedagogo est The civil power tutours them in the art of living well 2. In Pacem for thy peace and quiet that summum bonum in politicks the end of all civil discipline yea and military too for Sapientes pacis causâ belluÌ„ gerunt Salust The daughter of heaven the mother of plenty the nurse of learning and religion the fruitfull womb of all outward blessings This pretious oyl descends from the head of Aaron to the skirts of his garments This pleasant dew flows from the top of Hermon Sion to the lower valleys from the higher power to the people under their charge 3. In praemium for thy reward not onely those generall rewards of priviledges immunities liberties and the like but riches honours and such other speciall encouragements as are measured out in due proportions to the merits of well doers by the discreet hand of distributive justice 4. In tutelam for thy defence and safeguard That the Common wealth of mankind may not be like that of beasts and fishes where the stronger devoure the weaker and the worse the better where the savage lion and the greedy wolf and the subtil fox prey upon the innocent lamb If once good men be left like sheep without a shepherd they 'l soon be spoil d of fleece and flesh of estates and lives too 5. In vindictam for thy revenge that the injuries thou sufferest may return upon the head of their authours and that is thy good too though not meerly as another mans evil for the laws of Christianity forbid us in the Schoolmens phrase in malo cujusquam acquiescere or alieno dolore quâ dolor est satiari to take complacency meerly in the misery of others yet as it is a debt due to justice a satisfaction to the laws of God and man a terrour to other evil doers and by consequence a necessary means of safety and preservation to mankind so it is thy good and the publick good too And thus the latter part of the verse is a reason of this first part He is a revenger for wrath to him that doth evil therefore the Minister of God to thee for good I shall conclude all with a short exhortation to each party in the text 1. To the Minister of God My Lords and who ever c. this title concerns You see your calling an honourable but a weighty calling beautified with many priviledges but burdened with as many talents Take the Psalmists counsell which is properly directed to you Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord because you are his Ministers serve him with fear because you are but his Ministers Rejoyce in the dignity of your employments but with trembling at the weight of it Among the motions of the heavens motus trepidationis is reckoned for one Let the Minister of God rejoyce as a strong man to run his course but to all his motions let him adde this trembling motion The judgement is Gods and we know what a curse attends doing the work of the Lord negligently and unfaithfully I have not knowledge nor experience enough to judge of the truth or falshood of those many clamorous complaints that are already publick or else I should not name them of the intricacie and obscuritie of the laws themselves of the corruption and tediousnesse of Courts of the mercinarines and double dealing of pleaders of the exaction and extortion of Officers of the partialitie and insufficiencie of Juries and the frequent indirectnesse of all judiciall proceedings It is likely they are groundlesse calumnies and misreports at least many of them The world is apt enough to speak evil of every thing that is called the Minister of God yet it is your wisdome to consider with that holy man that the Lord hath sent Shimei to curse David it is your wisdome to interpret the reproches of men the reproofs of God the complaints of men the warnings and instructions of God An enemy is fitly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that teacheth a man his duty for nothing The lavish tongues of men thus understood may do you much advantage but if you will follow the work of the Lord as becomes his faithfull Ministers they can do you no harm at all they cannot stain your honour for your judgement
not onely in duty and in the nature and intention of his office but in the reall experience of mankind the Minister of God for good That every faithfull Magistrate is so I presume will be granted without proof and such God often raiseth up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plutarch calls them men assigned by nature to authority or rather men of another spirit as Caleb is called or men of another heart as Saul once was Rather then such shall be wanting God sometimes searcheth in the croud for them he calls David from his flock of sheep Timoleon from his melancholy retirement Quintius from the plough who was therefore called Dictator ab aratro But even corrupt Magistrates are the Ministers of God for good too generally speaking and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is enough to make a generall rule Grotius approves that of Tacitus spoken of Governours Vitia erunt donec homines sed neque haec continua meliorum interventu pensantur Magistrates are men and therefore subject to humane frailties but yet their faults are not so great nor so continuall at least in their publick administrations but that the good they do is more advantageous then the evil pernicious And no wonder For if it be considered that the hearts even of corrupt Governours are in the hands of God and turned by him as the rivers of waters and by his superintendency over them carried ofttimes against their own inclinations and if it be considered again that the laws of all nations whereby Magistrates are limited and directed are for the most part good and as conform to the law of nature as their wisdome could contrive them and if it be considered again that justice and equitie are plausible in regard of those common notions of righteousnesse that are written in the hearts of all men and so may find acceptance with corrupt Magistrates if not for their conscience yet for their credit sake and if it be considered lastly that it is the Magistrates interest to preserve his people Sint quibus imperes his own good consists in theirs If these things be considered and many more might be added of the like nature the wonder will cease that the worst sort of Magigistrates if they have any remainder of wisdome or humanity in them are the Ministers of God for good A tyrannicall Saul may sight the Lords battels and defend Israel from his enemies An ambitious Jehu may restore Religion and root out Idolatry A covetous Felix though but for hope of money may use Paul kindly The proud Pharisees may preach good doctrine when they sit in Moses chair But if for the punishment of nations or some other speciall reasons God hath sometimes given them up to the lust tyran◠of Monsters rather then Magistrates that neither feared God nor regarded man such as Ahab that sold himself to work wickednesse such as that Romane tyrant Qui nullum non magnum bonum damnavit Euseb Nero That hated goodnesse for its own sake This will not conclude against the Magistracy in generall 'T is a certain truth that rain is a great blessing to the earth though sometimes it cause wasting inundations and That man is a reasonable creature though some men want the use of reason and That the Apostles were the light of the world though one of them was a Devil Neither can these extraordinary and blessed be God rare examples prejudice the truth of this generall rule that the Magistrate is the Minister of God for good So much for the words considered relatively 2. Absol We come now to consider them absolutely as a naked proposition and 1. Of the office of the Magistrate The Minister of God which presents him to our view under a sixfold qualification His Dignitie Authoritie Strength Duty dependance Accountablenesse of all which briefly 1. His Dignitie The Minister of God or servant of God a title of honour that the Apostles the Angels Jesus Christ himself glory in The Minister of God not onely by naturall subjection to his almighty command so the winds are his messengers and the lightnings his Ministers not onely by necessary subserviency to his providence so Nebuchadnezzar is his servant and the Medes and Persians his sanctified ones nor onely by voluntary obedience to his laws so every Christian is his servant but the Minister of God by speciall commission the Deputy of God assigned to that most noble work of his the government and preservation of the world The very mention of a message of God strikes Eglon with reverence and makes the fat unweildy man rise from his chair though he knew not what the message was till he felt it to his cost This publick Minister in the text comes to us with a message from God not a dagger to stab us as was Ehuds to Eglon but a sword to defend us and therefore to be received with honour and reverence The dignity that nature gives the father above his sonne must yield to this dignitie Liv. when young Fabius is Consul his old father must dismount and do him homage When Solomon is King his Mother Bathsheba must addresse her self to him as a petitioner not as a commander Yea the dignitie that Religion gives a spirituall father over his sonne must yield to this dignitie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. saith Chrysostome whether Apostle or Evangelist or Prophet or whatsoever high place he hath in the Church he must yield subjection to the Civil power It seems Chrysostome when he wrote those words upon this place did not know that any Bishop was by divine right the Monarch of the world not so much as in ordine ad spiritualia as the Jesuites mince the matter That neat similitude of Bellarmines De Rom. Pont. lib. 5. cap. 6. is of a later invention That as the spirit commands the body keeps it under enjoyns it to fast exposeth it to death as it sees fit so the Church may deal with the temporall power A similitude that if it would but hold together would soon lay all the powers of the earth with Frederick under the Popes feet Whether Ecclesiasticall and secular power be inconsistent one with another whether the same person may not be a Ruler in the Church and a Ruler in the State the Minister of God in both senses that 's another question which I meddle not with but to claim temporall power as an appendix to spirituall is that which the true Ministers of the Gospel dare not do I pray God they may not fare the worse for their modesty that they may not be made footstools and vassals because they will not be thrones and dominions But how ever they fare they must claim no more then their own they must yield the Civil power to be in this world the superiour Minister of God 2. His authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Minister of God that is as he is called v. 2. the Ordinance of God and that in respect of the substance and in