in the various agitations of several ages brought upon the Church and the Pastors thereof all these Infelicities and wrongs they now unjustly suffer Grown too great without a gracious divine Deliverance for hope of relief The Church being in that Common-wealth's case quae nec ferre sua possit vitia necremedia neither able to bear its miscarriages nor remedies But I desire the severe Character of my Text may be applied to no particular persons alive unless it be in our Prayers to beg forgiveness for them as they were instrumental to these heavy punishments and for our selves that for our sins have justly deserved them at the hand of God Thus I have gone over the parts of Distributive Justice which Christians are to act in the greater Circumferences of Publick Relations I now contract my Discourse to the lesser Circles of it in Domestick Concerns Which though they be less considerable are not at all less necessary Our salvation depends upon every part of that Justice as much as the other Loyalty to a Prince or conformity to the Church cannot make us just if we do wrong at home to our Wives Children or Servants Now the Christian Justice of the Family-Relations are the reciprocal Dues of Husbands and Wives Parents and Children Masters and Servants bread to Dogs throw it away in luxurious expences or if both or either of them by their carelesseness in education or by evil Examples shall endanger the loss of their Childrens souls If the Children on the other side grow rough and untractable making no Conscience to disobey a Fathers Commands and disoblige a Mothers tender care or when their Parents are in want to evade their duty shall tell them with the Pharisees it is Corban Mark 7. 11. a Gift not to the Temple yet that would not exempt them from their Duty but perhaps to a proud entertainment or a Female Prostitute Such Parents such Children are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteous unjust in the sight of God Lastly As to the third of Family Relations Masters and Servants First Masters owe their Servants in Christian Justice civil regard kind usage and just rewards for their Labours And they again owe their Masters Honour Obedience and Faithfulness But if the Masters shall use their Servants like Brutes nay like senseless Engines like Bodies without Souls for so Slaves are call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—poc 18. 13. making their Burdens too heavy and their Rewards too light And if Servants shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2. 9. contradicters or answerers again and deny their Reverence or shall serve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Col. 3. 22. with eye-service and lose their diligence or shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 2. Purloiners and depart from their Faithfulness these are wrongs done on either side and are all unjust unrighteous persons on that account And as it is of the other Relations if they had nothing else to answer for had guilt enough to be disinherited from the Kingdom of God These are they which depart from Christian Justice in Family-Relations Having thus found out the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the guilty of Injustice by the Rule of Distributive we shall now examine the actions of men by the liâ—â—â— of Commutative Justice Which Aquinas defines to be that by which a man is directed in such Rights as are interchangeably to be paid from one man to another Now the ground of this Justice is this God hath so ordered it in his wise disposition of the world that the well being of every man should depend on the mutual help of one another to the performance of which all men being obliged by right reason and Religion it becomes every mans right to be done to him in Christian Justice as his duc Upon this St. Paul grounds his exhortaâ—â—â— to his Philippians to look 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 4. to the good and â—â—ncerns of others as well as their 〈◊〉 He therefore that shall withâ—â—â—d this Right so that his Neighbour is injured in any capacity of 〈◊〉 well-being he hath done wrong and defrauded and is an unjust and an unrighteous person Now â—â—at we may know how far this â—â—stice extends for the further discovery of the Guilty in my Text we must examine the several cases 〈◊〉 which a mans well-being consists and accordingly a right to be done 〈◊〉 First As to his spiritual well-being we owe the right of saving one anothers Souls which God hath put in our power to do as St. James intimates Jam. 5. 20. And this is done by brotherly correction Counsel Prayer exemplary Life and such like Acts of spiritual Justice But on the contrary 〈◊〉 any man hinders the salvation 〈◊〉 another by neglecting those 〈◊〉 or shall really prevent it by scandal ill example or by tempting him to assist in social sins 〈◊〉 Uncleanness Conspiracies and the like that man hath wronged a Soul he hath destroyed his Brother for whom Christ died Rom. 14. 15. and so is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an unjust person on that sad account 2. We owe the right in Christian Justice of preserving one another in our Temporal well-being And the first of those next our Neighbours life which we suppose to be a case too apparent to need our present consideration is his Honour He therefore that shall defraud him of that precious Jewel either by eclipsing an innocent worth through a subtil detraction or wound his Credit by dispersion of false slanders following Machiavel's rule fortiter calumniaâ—… aliquid adhaerebit cast dirt enough that some may stick or shall publish his private infirmities 〈◊〉 his disgrace or make use of them any way but in following St. â—aul's direction to restore him with the spirit of meekness Gal. 6. 1. â—ath robb'd his Neighbour of his honour hath done him wrong and is an unjust person on that account The second right we owe in Christian Justice as to the temporal well-being of our Neighbour is the preservation of his Estate and Fortune which whosoever shall violate upon any temptation is one of the unrighteous persons in my Text. And we consider not this as done by acts of horrid oppression only when the Beams and Stones are disquieted with the cries of Orphans tears of Widows 〈◊〉 perpetuated sorrows of ruin'd Families nor only by the intrenchments that are made upon it by secret thefts or notorious Rapine but whosoever shal disadvantage another by fraud or subtilty in any Negotiation Bargain Trade or Commerce whatsoever beyond the ordinary profit allow'd to all Callings by custom and consent of honest minds or in any kind of Vocation or employment deal otherwise in every single act than he himself would be dealt with is unrighteous one of the guilty and consequently one of the unhappy persons in my Text. Lastly We owe in Christian Justice as to our Neighbours temporal well-being the right of preserving one anothers Health Limbs and Peace therefore he that shall wrong him in the first
or common Justice as Absolom or Reformation as both they are not then only unjust to a Prince in his Personal Capacity contrary to the Rule of doing to all men c. And though he be a Tyrant act contrary to an express Precept 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to resist evil not allowable among private persons But as he is a publick person they are guilty of a National wrong they wrest out of Gods hand the Ordinance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13. 2. the only expedient of Mercy by which the Rights of all men are preserved and the world kept from Confusion and are therefore answerable for all the Blood Ruine and miserable Consequences of a Civil War that is of a Princes Military defence of himself and faithful Subjects that adhere to him in the day of Rebellion So that a Rebel is an unrighteous person by a complication of guilt and an accumulation of wrongs But now permit not your thoughts nor will I my Tongue to make application by reflecting upon the unparallell'd Tragedy of Evils done and suffered upon the breach of this Justice in our late Rebellion If I have said so much as may teach the Guilty Repentance and others that were not engaged their duty it 's enough let us bury all the rest in Prayers and Charity But further if the Nation be Christian there is another Authority invested in a Prince over Ecclesiastick Persons and Cases for he is concerned as well in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Religion as the Civil Concerns of his Subjects 1 Tim. 2. 2. And there is a Due of Obedience to be paid him in Christian Justice on that account also This Power was apparently conferred by God on the Kings of the Old Testament Moses had both the Trumpets David ordered the Courses of the Levites and the Solemnities of the Publick Service Joash had the Testament given him in his hand as well as the Crown on his Head 2 Chron. 23. 11. Hezekiah and Josiah reformed the Church by their Royal Authority And as Christ found it there being no retrenchment of that power in the Gospel so he left it as his own general Laws expressed and interpreted by the Churches after-practice can testifie above all exceptions Ex quo saith Socrates Imperatores facti sunt Christiani ab ipsis res Ecclesiae dependebant After that the Emperors became Christian the Churches Affairs depended upon them Thus was Constantine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And Leo the Third could say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they were mixt persons they were concern'd in the Government and Protection of the Church But of this Right hath the Romanist and Assemblies defrauded their Princes the one gets away half of their Crowns the other of their Scepters both rob them of their Authority and of their Subjects full Allegiance And thus it is with us while we have a Profession establisht by Law by a power next to God Solo Deo minorem saith Tertullian and by such Constitutions as God and Man cannot be pretended to stand in competition for Obedience The Bishop of Rome hath a superior power acknowledged by some and the Assembly by others and both profess a Religion in Obedience to those Usurpations and in opposition to their Lawful Soveraign's Commands and Laws So that the King is robb'd of his Subjects they of their Allegiance and the Church torn in pieces by them both as between two Milstones as the late Arch-B in his Preface to his Controversie This wrong is done on either side and for that reason they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust unrighteous persons that do it This as to the first part of Distributive Justice in the Concerns of Princes and their Subjects The next kind of Distributive Justice in the larger Circles of it is the reciprocal Dues and Rights which the Governours of the Church and their Charges are in Christian Justice obliged to pay to one another Without the mutual performance of which a Body of men can be call'd no more a Church than a Tumult can be call'd an Army or an ungovern'd Rout a City Now as it is in Civils though the King be Supremus Judex Chief Judge in the Law yet he administers Ju-Justice by his commission'd Justicers to whom also an Obedience is due on that account so in Ecclesiasticks he exerciseth his supreme authority for the care of the Church by proper Officers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 set apart for that design whose Calling though it be governed and protected by Princes is yet immediately from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 5. 4. they are called of God to it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 20. 28. Whom the Holy Ghost hath made Bishops or Overseers and for that reason a right of Obedience is due unto them on that account also First then the Pastors of the Church are bound in Justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to feed the Church of God by pastoral Government and Preaching by Sacraments and Offices of Discipline and instituting Canons for fit Circumstances that all things may be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 14. 40. decently in order or uniformity in the Church of God If they fail of their duties they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteous and must answer deeply for the wrong they have done to their Charges On the other side their people in Christian Justice owe them Reception Love Honour and which for the Churches sake is most especially required Obedience Obey them that have the rule over you Heb. 13. 17. And as S. Ignatius the best Interpreter of the Apostles meaning and practice saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is necessary that nothing be done in the Church but in obedience to the Governors of it And this was the Sense and universal Practice of the Church it its primitive purity and best Integrity But if their Charges shall condemn their Callings contemn their persons separate from their Administrations and refuse conformity to their Rules of Order in the service of God they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unjust persons they have defrauded their Spiritual Rulers of their due and by infallible consequence the Church of the very Essentials of its well-being Peace and Unity the ends for which Spiritual Government was especially design'd Of which Unity the Church being once deprived in comes the Inundation of Atheism Prophaness Contempt of Gods Service Heresies and Factions for all which those unjust persons must answer when they happen And of all this our own woful experience is too convincing an evidence For as it is certain that those miseries are now upon us so it is as certain they own their beginning to the breach of this Christian Justice and commenced from the days the Disciplinarians first withdrew their obedience from their lawful Superiors and taught the people to despise and quarrel with them about indifferent Rites Which undutifulness afterward fermenting and gradually increasing hath
a stain of being unfaithful to the Crown of confounding the most absolute platform of Primitive Christianity which no other Perswasion makes any such pretence to and in defending of which we have so far prevail'd in all rational Debates that our enemies stand ashamed and baffled on every side Of making that Church which hath appear'd hitherto the honour of the whole Reformation to become vile and contemptible in the eye of the world by giving advantage for the encouragement and immixture of as many false and ridiculous Professions at one time among us as all the Ages of the Church ever knew in its successive Periods Of contradicting the sense of both the Universities and of the principal of the most Learned men of the Age with a great Blow to Learning it self Of opening a door to the increase of Atheism and Prophaneness which if they have thriven so much under a looser hand of Discipline what will they come to when all the Bars of Ecclesiastick Government are thrown down Lastly with many more evils which a better and more experienc'd skill might foresee besides the dishonour of treading upon the Bloud and Ashes and of blemishing the Fame and Actions of our Late Gracious King and Martyr who died to prevent the admission of those evils among us The Sum is It is no wonder while so many Churches continue in their Irregularities why the Arms of the Civil Power are wearied and discouraged when all their Endeavours for the establishing an universal uniformity by the method of dispersing unlawful Assemblies may be too justly interpreted to be but an emptying the streams while the Fountain is kept running and cutting down the Branches while the Root is left entire to propagate a new progeny of the same kind and spirit So that when some Civil Magistrates have had their aid required for the redressing of Misdemeanors without the Church it hath been reasonably answered and objected by them let the Churches own work of Reformation and Order be done at home and we are ready to give our assistance to endeavour it abroad 2. From these mens Disorders it comes to pass that it is no wonder that the Government and Discipline of the Church is baffl'd and despis'd and men are tempted to reproach them as ineffectual and consequently useless when it is considered that besides the known Dissenters who impudently oppose them without the R. R. Bishops universal care of their Churches every Parish being their proper Charge is executed by so many Curates who are Traytors to them and their Authority within Who contrary to their trust given and taken with all possible Religious and reasonable Obligations of keeping up the Reverence and Esteem of their Persons Calling and Discipline by conducting Souls in one legal uniform performance of their Offices in Canonical Obedience which by Oath they stand oblig'd to and Filial submission to them they tempt and teach the people to decline all respect and obedience to their Authority by setting up a new mode of Worship by the Rubrick and Canon of their own Fancies and in opposition to their Orders and Injunctions Thus in stead of those excellent enjoyned Prayers and Regular Forms of Worship which they either omit in whole or part or render unacceptable by an irregular usage they substitute such an unsavory Offering of their own inventions oft-times so full of Ridiculous Clamors and Gestures and odd Familiarities if not of non-sense and blasphemies against which evils neither the Church nor themselves will be secured while they are permitted to assume a liberty of uttering what they please and of gaining a reputation by it of praying by the Spirit that the wiser sort of the Friends to the Church of England are scandall'd and ashamed and forsake the Publick Assemblies whither by Law they are ingaged to go and the ignorant and credulous Vulgar train'd up and disciplin'd in the Love and Admiration of an irregular Devotion and in an irreconcileable disaffection to the rational setled Service of the Church and an insuperable hatred to the Laws and Persons that oblige and require it And then as to the executing the Churches tender care of instructing Youth in form and manner as they are ingaged by Law and Duty they either wholly omit that sweet and charitable Office and convert it at the time appointed into a Discourse that neither for matter or manner doth suit with either their needs or capacities or instead of conducting them in the knowledge of the duties of Christianity by the Church-Catechism which doth so concernedly design it they have presumptuously substituted a great company of other Forms full of private Opinions and Heads of controverted Doctrines as those of absolute Election Justification by Faith alone and the like which have no influence upon if not a contradiction to the very reason of Christian Obedience and thence Parents and Tutors and the Children themselves are left to a strange uncertainty when upon change of places they are either committed to the conduct of men of other Fancies or to those that follow the Churches Order in their Institutions Now what kind of Youth such irregular usage of Children is like to make may be judged by them which they trained up in their Twenty years Liberty to use their own Methods without controul Then as to the improving the Churches care of instructing men by the Office of Preaching in the Duties of Justice and Mercy Peace and Innocence Subjection to Authority and which is the Sum of all universal Obedience the Peoples ears are accustomed to the noises of new invented Phrases and impertinent Notions with the Discourses of Gospel-Priviledges Christian Liberties and controverted Opinions such as of the Famous five Points and their dependent Articles And instead of Preaching upon the Renowned Sermon upon the Mount in imitation of our Saviour's own example and pressing the Rules of Life contained in it the People hear the weight of their Salvation laid upon some occasional expressions in the Epistles of the Apostles especially those to the Romans and Galatians or else they send them to Patmos to busie themselves about opening some of the Seals of the Revelation By which kind of Preaching the People as their Practices do too pregnantly declare are kept in Ignorance some think greater than in the darkest Age of Popery and Superstition of those Christian Duties but especially of their necessary obligation for the attaining Eternal Salvation which doth evidently appear when it is observed that no sort of People of the Nation are so defective in most of them nor as to the case in hand so cross intractable to all Authorities nor so apt on all occasions to rebellious designs against them which if a strict observation were made what places did most especially afford the greater numbers of them that were lately ingaged against the King and the Church would easily be proved than those that have been under the conduct of such Ministries Hence ingenuous persons may consider what grand