resolving in the way of Dutie to trust God with their lives ver 16 17 18. Sundry particulars are observable but I shall reduce the whole into 2. Doctrines Doct. 1 1. Though the civill power hath much to do in matters of Religion yet it may not compell or enforce under temporall penalties to an Act of Worship either in it selfe evill or evill in the judgement of him upon whom it is imposed Nebuchadnezzar sets up an Image requires a Worship to it under pain of death This was ill in him and the like is ill in any man else Doct. 2 D. 2. From their Answ is this To cleave to Gods will and ways against all humane dread and terror out of a confident perswasion that God is Lord of our lives able to deliver and in an humble resignation to his wisdome whether he will deliver or not in such a strait is a strength of spirit to be endeavoured after by all that feare God and would keep a good conscience Thus did these three men Doct. 1 I begin with the first Doctrine Though the Civill Power c. This Truth is evidenced by the Repentance of Nebuchadnezzar v. 28. Blessed be God that hath changed the Kings word By this Retractation he condemns his former crueltie Note that passage of Pauls Repentance recorded Acts 26.11 I punished them oft in every Synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme It was a great weaknesse in them to blaspheme but it was a great wickednesse in Paul to compell them and thus much S. Paul confesseth that it is an Act of Persecution to compell poor Christians to deny what they believed concerning Jesus Christ Obj. It may be said S. Paul sinned because he compelled to that which was evil as here Nebuchadn did else he needed not to repent of what he had done Sol. 1. That which he did was not evill in the judgement of Authority for verse 10. Saint Paul had a Commission so to do 2. Nor was it evill in the judgement of his owne Conscience for he verily thought that he ought to doe many things against the name of Jesus ver 9. The evill of his acting therefore did not lie only in the Object whereunto he compelled but in the very act of compelling Christians to go against their owne Consciences 3. To put the sinfulnesse of compelling upon the Object is altogether unsatisfactory for the question will still recurre who shall judge of the right Is not every Power judge of its owne right They that think it just to compell others to yeild to an unknown truth or duty will think it hard to be compelled to a like unknown duty by a contrary Power And yet Error in Power thinks it hath as much right to a forcible imposition as Truth hath when it is in Power Sol. 4. Note from this Confession of S. Paul two things 1. That an erring Conscience does not excuse in case of misactings Perswasion of Conscience is not the ground nor prime rule of mens actings for the Conscience it selfe must be regulated else it will be a false witnesse of God As Conscience is set between God and us so it must speak from God to us not from Satan or any Spirit of delusion Saint Paul verily thought he ought to doe many things contrary to the Name of Jesus yet was he not thereby excused he did it not in malice but his erring conscience put him upon that action which was damnable 2. Note that the plea of authority is not a sufficient discharge before God for Paul had Commission for what hee did But he and his Commission were wicked and I believe that many are and may be damned for their misactings though they have authority for what they do yea though they be also in conscience perswaded that they do nothing but what is good as the Jewes that crucified Christ and they of whom Christ speakes Joh. 13.3 He that kills you will thinke they do God good service Paul had been damned for his persecuting unlesse hee had repented though he did it ignorantly Thus for the proofe in generall There be two Branches of our Doctrine 1. That the Civill Magistrate may do much in matters of Religion 2. Yet not this viz. to impose under temporall penalties There be two extremes some thinke the Magistrate has nothing to do in matters of Religion others that he may do what hee list Some claime an absolute freedome from all Civill Power as being for matter of Faith and Worship under Christ your King alone Others challenge to the Magistrate a Power of imposing the publikely owned and established Religion The one is too loose the other too rigid The right or wrong apprehending and executing of this practicall point is of great good or great mischiefe to the Church of Christ therefore for distinct proceeding I shall endeavor to resolve these two Questions 1. What the Civill Magistrate has to doe in matters of Religion 2. What he may not doe Qu. 1 To the former it is very much that the Civill Magistrate may and ought to doe for Christ for though the Magistrates be not Christs Officers of his Mediatory Kingdome as the Ministers of the Gospell are The Civill Power is a Beame of Gods Soveraignity over the World and of his providentiall Kingdome not directly of his Kingdome of grace yet all power is committed unto Christ and God has appointed the exercise of his power governing the World to be serviceable to the advancement of the Kingdome of his deare Son and to the setting of him upon his holy Hill according to that gracious promise made to the Churches of the Gentiles Es 49.23 Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers and Queens thy nursing Mothers Though they be not Fathers to beget thee yet they shall be Fathers to nurse thee up they shall carry thy Sonnes and thy daughters in their Armes i.e. they shall contribute their aid and assistance for the upholding and enreasing of the Church And the Nation and Kingdome that will not serve thee when this Kingdom of Jesus Christ comes to be revealed to them He will require it at your hands Psalme 2.10 they shall perish Es 60.12 From this Unction it is that Magistrates are bound to serve Christ as Magistrates that is use their civill power to serve Christs Kingdome The administration of Civill Justice is not sufficient to give them the title of nursing Fathers for so much the Turk at this day doth yeild them and yet he is no Nurse Father to the Church But the Civill Power is to be used for the Churches spirituall good 1 Tim. 2.2 The Object and end of the Kings Power is not onely the externall peace of humane society but also honesty and godlinesse to be procured by his Civill coactive Power and for this cause Paul willeth us to pray for Kings and all that are in authority Here 's the quod sit that the Magistrate may do much how much that is 4. Conc. will appeare in these
though it were put into their power to do it Reas 4. Thus to enforce an act of Religion is against the prime dictate of nature All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do you the same to them for this is the Law of nature and of God by his Prophets It is a strange thing to consider how mens spirits and minds do alter with their condition so as to thinke the same things just or unjust according as it comes to their turnes to be up or down to be above or beneath men would not think it equitable to be so dealt with as they deale now with others He that sends out groanes for liberty if hee shall make others groane for lack of the same though the thing imposed be perhaps just and righteous yet his act of imposing is most unrighteous because he sins against the light of nature Alteri nè feceris c. and against the light of the Gospell judge this rather that no man lay a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brothers way Rom. 14.13 I shall now cleere two or three Objections of those that stand for this power of imposing in the Magistrate 1. Ob. If Magistrates may not impose nor compell to a Church-profession then every one may be of what Religion he list Sol. No man can be of any other Religion than what himselfe doth list for Religion is seated in the understanding and will A Religion which I like not is not my Religion though I conforme outwardly to it An implicite faith to believe what the Church or State believes meerly because they have agreed upon it is no faith at all But if by being of what Religion I lift be understood thus every one will have his own way and so we shall nourish all confusions I Answer This mischief is prevented by the Magistrates restraining power who as hee may not inforce you to an act of worship against your mind so neither will he permit you the exercise of what you list against his own minde He will not force you to keep his dayes or prayers but you shall keep them or none at all openly 2. Ob. But doth not this non-imposing under temporall penalties amount to that absolute wild toleration which you seeme to condemne Sol. No toleration is taken away by his act of restraining That which I restraine I do not tolerate he that restraines the practice of Idolatry the spreading of Heresies c. cannot be said to tolerate them This non-imposing is not toleration but that Christian moderation which should be known to all men 3. Ob. But must such dissenters as refuse to act according as authority enjoynes be let alone Sol. No there is a twofold remedy provided 1. One spirituall for the healing and reducing of persons going astray in false wayes of Doctrine and worship viz. Instruction Discipline and Prayer spirituall remedies conscientiously applied through Gods blessing will cure spirituall diseases 2. But if not yet the Magistrates restraining power and wisdome as above described is a soveraigne remedy every way commensurable to the suppressing of false worship and of all civill distempers that may arise thereof 4. Ob. Will not this breed contempt of the Civill Power Sol. No Man is not despised when God is preferred It is Gods prerogative royall to be obeyed in what hee requires even because he commands it that is for his own Authorities sake Gods Commands are good because commanded by him But mens commands are subject to examination and we owe unto them not an absolute but a conditionall obedience viz. Ex parte rei when the thing injoyned is not unlawfull And in such case of non-obedience the reverence due to authority is preserved by yeilding our bodies to their power in passive Obedience when wee cannot yeild our soules to their worship in an active Obedience as here these three children did Vse I end with foure short Admonitions and Cautions to the party that does dissent and craves not to be imposed upon nor forced by temporall punishments to act against the convictions of his own conscience let him precisely observe these foure Rules Caution 1. Take heed beware how thou dare pretend conscience for thy non-obedience when it is something else as perhaps Pride Affectation of applause Humour Selfe-interest c. Do not dare so to abuse thy conscience as to make it a baude to thy lust for then humour will be conscience Pride and Schisme will be conscience filthy lucre and vaine-glory will be conscience Selfe-ends and Selfe-interest will be conscience And so that pretious sparkle of Divine Majesty set up in thy breast to keepe thee in awe of sinne shall be made a cloake for sinne to sinne with the more liberty and security As it is a great sinne to act against the standing indictment of our own conscience so it is a singular abuse of the omnipotent holy sin-revenging God to plead conscience for the doing or not-doing of this or that when as there is nothing lesse than conscience in the busines Such a man sinnes with a protection He has gotten his conscience yea God himselfe to be the protectour of his wickednesse And such men if they can be discovered deserve to be twice punished once for their fault another time for their holy pretence 'T is a great boldnesse to make conscience a Sanctuary for any disorder 2. Let the dissenting party though he cannot conforme to the Injunctions of Authority in some point of opinion or worship yet carry himselfe so innocently peaceably and unoffensively in other respects that the Magistrate may justifie thee and have cause to say I have no occasion or matter against him save in the Law of his God as it was said of Daniel Dan. 6.5 3. For the manner of refusall be carefull to carry it in an humble quiet Selfe-denying way do not beare it out with railing or Pride or Turbulence of spirit factiously or seditiously Hee that does dissent from the publikly owned and establisht way hath great reason to be humble and jealous of his own weaknesse When a man by reason of his conscience dissents from the civill power if he can enjoy his owne inward peace and outward quiet he should discover a very ill spirit to poure contempt and scorne upon the truths of God publikly preached or to east dirt upon the wayes which he opposed or contemne and vilifie those that differ from him 4. Be sure practically to put a difference between non-obedience and disobedience or Rebellion if thou be required any thing which is contrary to thy judgement sit downe with a modest non-obedience But let not thy spirit be carried out to rebell or to setting up of Image against Image worship against worship Assembly against Assembly in a visible opposition to the publike Ob. And if thy case be such as that of Peter and James Act 4.18 They were commanded not to speake at all nor to teach in the Name of Jesus yet they did
THE MATCHING OF THE Magistrates Authority AND THE CHRISTIANS TRUE LIBERTY IN Matters of RELIGION VVherein is clearly stated How farre the Magistrate may impose or restrain in matters of FAITH and VVORSHIP And how far forth the Christian may challenge Freedome and Exemption In a Sermon preached at the Assizes at DORCHESTER Jul. 17. 1651. By WILLIAM LYFORD B.D. and late Minister of Sherborn in Dors LONDON Printed for R. ROYSTON and are to be sold by Tho Miller Booke-seller in Sherborne 1654. TO THE HONOVRABLE Sir GERARD NAPPER Knight and Baronet Most Honoured SIR THe World doth much call for this little worke of my Fathers who is now with God And the Communion of Saints being so great a part of our most holy Faith I dare not keep it back from any Christian mans enjoyment Yet it being a piece which was formed in your service while you were Sheriffe of Dorset-shire I refuse to send it forth but with your cognizance and under your Patronage It is just that having beene borne as it were in your house it should not become the propertie of others without a speciall reserve of its chiefe homage unto your selfe When it was preached to you from the Pulpit it found your great acceptance I hope it shall finde as great now it salutes you from the Presse And if it shall be still as welcome to your eye as it was then unto your eare it will much encourage me to inherite as well my Fathers affections to you as his name and to let you see that though he be dead yet there is still alive Most honour'd SIR Your faithfull and humble Servant WILL LYFORD From my Study in Mag. Coll. Oxon. Octob. 22. 1653. DAN 3.14 to 18. Is it true ô SHADRACH c. THese two things The Truths of Christ and Peace among Brethren ought to be precious to every Son of the Church 'T was a blessed time when the multitude of Believers were of one heart and one Soule Acts when they held Communion in Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and Prayers they heard together they received together they prayed together and according to this primitive Patterne all good Christians should endeavour to walk and those Churches are happy which hold that blessed knot of Truth and Love Contrary whereunto are those two reigning evils among us at this day viz. Wantonnesse of Spirit and Pride of Spirit Through the wantonnesse of mens spirits craving an absolute liberty in matters of God the sacred Truths of God are corrupted and vilified And through the Pride of mens spirits on the other hand imposing matters of Opinion and Worship under temporall penalties the Quiet of mens Consciences and Unity among Brethren is exceedingly disturbed and unsetled There is much evill in both extreams either that all things should be tolerated or Nothing that Nothing should be restrained or that All things should be imposed and rigidly enforced under temporall inflictions the one leads to Heresie and Atheisme the other to Perescution Now to shape a course out of Gods Word 1. How the sacred Truths of God and the precious Souls of Men those great truths committed to our charge And 2. How the just Liberty of Conscience for I meddle not without my line with due reverence to Authority may be preserved pure and blamelesse is the scope of my ensuing discourse unto which ends I shall endeavour to drive with all clearnesse Christian Moderation and Sobriety from the words now read in your eares Whether Nebuchadnezzar did erect this huge Statue of such a vast cost for it was of God and bignesse 60. cubits high out of ambition and vaine-glory as a Monument of his Greatnesse and Magnificence or out of Blinde Zeale to his God Bell to whom it was dedicated or out of Policy to bring all his Dominions and People to an Uniformity in Religion and Worship the better to prevent Dissentions and Divisions in bis Kingdome which might be occasioned by the exercise of the Jewes Religion now scattered amongst them Whether all or any of these things might move him I determine not But most likely it is that there was something of Designe in it for the Princes of Babylon seeing their Greatnesse and Glory eclipsed by Strangers and Captives moved with Envy and Indignation advised the King to such a specious Action of Devotion whereby they might intrap and work the ruine of those Jewish Commanders for ver 12. they informe against Shadrach Meshach and Abednego that these men have not regarded thee ô King they serve not thy Gods nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up Upon this information Nebuchadnezzar sends for them and bespeaks them in the words of my Text Is it true O Shadrach Meshach and Abednego do not ye serve my Gods nor worship the Image which I have set up q. d. I should least of all men expected this from you you who are at my mercy you that have been so highly advanced by me He used them civilly as the Phrase is yet cruelly he did not presently condemne them till he had heard their defence and in his speech he did seeke to win them as unwilling to believe it to be true which was informed Is it true O Shadrach that you do not serve my Gods ver 14. perhaps it was an over-sight or some needlesse scruple in you or a mis-information to me I shall be willing to passe it by if now at last you will conforme Take time to consider of it But if you persist I cannot help you you must be cast into the fiery Fornace for so is the Law ver 15. Then followes their Answer ver 16 17. We are not carefull to answer thee in this matter as if they should say your Majesty is not mis-informed we did not worship your Gods and the truth is we cannot we are sufficiently advised and resolved in this matter we crave no farther time for consultation And whereas you threaten us with Death for our refusall this is no satisfaction to our Conscience nor discharge of our Duty we are not moved with thy threatnings we are ready to sacrifice our lives to the will and command of our God rather than our Conscience or Religion to thy will It is a poor Religion and a poor God that is not worth the dying for And if our God see cause by this meanes to call for our lives we are contented to pay a debt of Nature in a debt of Duty and yet we know that he can deliver us from thy Fornace if it seeme good unto him but if not we cannot gratifie thee in this matter Wee will not serve thy Gods we rather yeild our bodies and Gods will be done In which Conference note two remarkable Acts 1. One of the King enjoyning an Act of Worship upon men of a different judgement and those poore Captives under the sharpest penaltie 2. The other of the poor vanquished Captives their refusall chusing rather to suffer than to sin against God